At dusk in Clearwind Village, the orange sunset dyed the stone-paved road a warm gold.
Su Ming crawled across the central stone path in a posture of extreme undignity—eight legs alternating, his carapace scraping against the ground with a rhythmic "click-clack" sound, two massive claws held high before him like a death-row inmate escaping a seafood market.
His destination was clear: the Village Chief's house.
The Sprite floated above his head, her two tiny legs crossed as she sat on his right claw, boredly picking at her fingernails.
"The Village Chief's house is in the northeast corner of the square. That biggest thatched cottage is it," she pointed with a nail. "You'd better hurry. I smell something—not that seafood scent of yours, but the scent of trouble."
Su Ming ignored her.
It wasn't that he didn't find her annoying; it was that all his attention was focused on adapting to this new body.
To be honest, being a lobster was far more difficult than he had imagined.
First was the center of gravity. A lobster's center of gravity is in the front half, especially with those two massive claws weighing so much. If he lifted his head just one centimeter while walking, his entire body would flip backward like a seesaw. Su Ming had already flipped over three times on the way here, each incident drawing raucous laughter from the surrounding players.
Second was directional sense. A lobster's compound eyes cover nearly a 270-degree field of view. In combat, this was a massive advantage, but in daily life, it was a disaster. He could see the fountain to his left, the blacksmith's shop to his right, and directly ahead, an NPC auntie feeding chickens—the information overload was too much for his brain to process.
The most maddening part was walking.
Lobsters are born to walk sideways.
Su Ming tried countless times to walk straight, but every few steps, his body would unconsciously veer to the right. He was like a drunk driver with the steering wheel locked; his target was the thatched cottage directly ahead, but his path drew a perfect 'S' curve.
"Can you walk in a straight line?" the Sprite finally couldn't hold back.
"You try becoming a shrimp first," Su Ming mumbled back.
"I'm not a shrimp."
"Then shut up."
The Sprite pouted and fell silent.
It took Su Ming a full five minutes to "sidestep" from the center of the square to the Village Chief's doorstep. Along the way, players pulled out system cameras to take photos, whispered among themselves, and a few bold mages even tossed small ice balls at him. They shattered into a pile of ice slivers against his carapace, not even triggering forced damage.
Su Ming didn't even glance at them.
The Village Chief's house was a dilapidated thatched cottage. A crooked wooden sign hung above the lintel, bearing the messy calligraphy of "Clearwind Village Chief's Residence."
An old NPC with a stooped back and a white beard hanging down to his waist sat on a stone墩 (stone block) at the door, puffing away on a long-stemmed pipe.
When he saw the giant red lobster crawling sideways in an 'S' curve toward him, the old Village Chief nearly dropped his pipe.
"Th-this... where did this come from?" The old man squinted, studying Su Ming intently for five full seconds before slowly exhaling a ring of smoke. "Oh—you must be the young man who awakened the Unique Hidden Class, right?"
"Yes." Su Ming's voice emerged from his mouthparts, muffled and deep.
The old Village Chief scrutinized him from top to bottom, his gaze sweeping from his antennae to his tail fan, then from his claws to his walking legs, before letting out a long sigh.
"Sigh... the System told me a holder of a Unique Hidden Class was coming. I was expecting someone like a Dragon Knight or a Sword Saint. And then you show up..." He flicked some ash from his pipe. "...a shrimp."
"Lobster," Su Ming corrected.
"Same difference."
Su Ming's antennae twitched. This NPC was just like the Sprite.
"Alright then, lobster it is," the old Village Chief said, standing up and brushing the ash from his clothes. "Since you're here, I'll be direct. There's a Misty Forest behind the village. Inside, there's a Level 5 Elite Monster—a Rampaging Black Bear. That beast has been getting more vicious lately and has already injured several newbies who came to fight it. The village sent three squads of guards to clear it out, but they all came back beaten."
He looked at Su Ming, his eyes clearly saying: *Can you, a shrimp, really do it?*
"Don't look at me like that," Su Ming raised his right claw, flashing it in the sunlight. "This claw has clamped on things harder than your head."
The old man snorted, not believing him, but still pulled a scroll of parchment from his robe and handed it over.
[Quest: Clear the Rampaging Black Bear (Elite · Level 5)]
[Quest Description: Deep in the Misty Forest behind Clearwind Village, a Rampaging Black Bear is rampaging. Defeat it and bring its fangs back to the Village Chief.]
[Reward: 2000 EXP, Clearwind Village Reputation +100, Random Blue Equipment x1]
Su Ming took the parchment. 2000 EXP was a substantial reward for a Level 1 player. Plus, a random piece of Blue Equipment—on the first day of the public beta, one piece of Blue gear was worth the equivalent of 50,000 RMB.
"Thanks." Su Ming rolled up the parchment and stuffed it into his system backpack. The interaction method had frustrated him for a while; lacking fingers, he had to carefully use his claws to pinch objects and shove them in.
The old Village Chief took another puff of his pipe, speaking slowly. "Young man, don't overdo it. That bear... it's not a normal monster. It seems mutated, thick-skinned and tough. Even the guards' heavy swords couldn't cut through it. You may have a Hidden Class, but you look... well..."
He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
"...not very capable of fighting."
Su Ming didn't argue. He simply turned around and walked sideways out of the door, his eight legs moving steadily.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long behind him, resembling a red tank marching toward a battlefield.
...
The Misty Forest was about two kilometers behind Clearwind Village.
It was called "Misty" because the forest was perpetually shrouded in a layer of grayish-white fog, with visibility never exceeding ten meters. For ordinary players, this environment was a nightmare—you couldn't see the monsters, but they could see you.
But Su Ming was different.
A lobster's antennae were natural environmental sensing organs. He didn't need to use his eyes; two half-meter-long antennae swayed constantly in the air, capturing every change in airflow and every molecular scent. Within a ten-meter radius, the body temperature, breathing frequency, and even the heartbeat of any creature were impossible to escape his perception.
This was ten thousand times better than any "Eagle Eye" or "Reconnaissance" skill.
Once inside the Misty Forest, Su Ming's first move wasn't to find the bear, but to find monsters to test himself on.
He needed to verify his new body's true performance in actual combat.
The first monster he encountered was a Level 3 Gray Wolf.
The wolf was crouching under a withered tree, gnawing on a rabbit corpse. Hearing Su Ming approach, it猛地 (suddenly) raised its head, baring its full set of fangs.
Level 3 Gray Wolf: HP 300, Attack 25, Defense 8.
For an ordinary Level 1 player, this was a monster that required a team to challenge. But Su Ming didn't even slow down; he charged sideways directly at it.
The wolf lunged.
Su Ming didn't dodge. He didn't even raise his claws.
The wolf's fangs sank into his back carapace.
"Clang!"
A crisp sound of metal striking metal rang out. The wolf's teeth nearly shattered, but Su Ming's health bar didn't budge.
25 Attack, minus 90% physical damage reduction, minus 50 base Defense—the damage was negative.
The wolf froze. It was likely the first time in its life it had encountered prey it couldn't bite.
Su Ming didn't give it a second chance.
He raised his right claw and clamped down.
*Crack.*
The wolf's head was crushed as if run over by a hydraulic press. 500 points of True Damage was devastating for a creature with only 300 HP.
[Killed Level 3 Gray Wolf, obtained 60 EXP.]
Su Ming retracted his claw and looked down at the two copper coins and a piece of wolf pelt dropped by the wolf.
"Data verification complete," he summarized silently in his mind.
Defense: Attacks from Level 3 monsters were completely ineffective against him. At this damage reduction ratio, even if a Level 5 monster's attack doubled, it still wouldn't break his defense.
Offense: 500 points of True Damage meant one-claw instant kills on Level 3 monsters. A Level 5 Elite was estimated to have between 800 and 1000 HP, requiring two clamps.
Conclusion: A guaranteed win.
The only variable was whether the Rampaging Black Bear was truly as "thick-skinned and tough that even the guards' heavy swords couldn't cut it" as the Village Chief claimed. If so, its defense might far exceed that of other monsters of the same level, requiring him to rely on True Damage for a direct confrontation.
But since True Damage ignored defense anyway...
Su Ming's antennae swayed happily.
Nothing to worry about.
In the next half hour, Su Ming moved through the Misty Forest as if it were empty space.
Level 3 Gray Wolf: One claw.
Level 4 Poison Scorpion: One claw.
Level 4 Giant Frog: Also one claw.
His level skyrocketed. From Level 1 to 2, then 2 to 3. With every level up, a faint golden light brushed across his carapace, and his size increased slightly.
By Level 3, he had grown from one meter to 1.2 meters.
But what truly excited him wasn't the level, but a detail he discovered in combat—the lobster's fighting style was far more versatile than he had imagined.
He found that his two claws could not only clamp but also serve as shields. The inner curvature of the claws formed a perfect semi-circular protective surface; when opened to the maximum angle, it could cover almost his entire front.
He also discovered that the lobster's tail was an extremely powerful weapon. That thick tail fan possessed astonishing spring force in water—or on this kind of damp, muddy ground. He had tried sweeping a withered tree trunk the width of a bowl with his tail, snapping it clean in half.
Finally, he discovered a passive effect that was nothing short of monstrous: whenever he took damage in combat—even just 1 HP—his attack speed increased by 10% for 3 seconds. This effect could stack.
In other words, the harder the monsters hit him, the faster he counterattacked.
This wasn't a lobster.
It was a perpetual motion machine.
...
When Su Ming found the Rampaging Black Bear, it was already completely dark.
In the depths of the Misty Forest, on a patch of ground trampled into mud, a giant bear standing two meters tall was dozing on a rock. Its size was three times that of a normal black bear, covered in black, steel-like hard fur. A row of serrated bone spikes stood upright along its spine, and every breath it took sent out a low rumble.
[Rampaging Black Bear (Elite · Level 5)]
[HP: 1500/1500]
[Attack: 85]
[Defense: 35]
[Special Skill: Rampage Charge—Locks onto a target and charges at high speed, dealing 200% of attack damage with a knockback effect. Cooldown: 30s.]
[Special Skill: Earth-Shaking Roar—Emits a roar that shakes the earth, causing Fear effect on all surrounding targets for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 60s.]
Su Ming crouched behind a large tree, using his antennae to carefully sense the bear's state.
1500 HP. Calculated against his 500 True Damage, he would need three clamps to kill it.
But the problem was, the bear had two skills.
Rampage Charge: 200% of 85 Attack is 170 damage. Minus 90% reduction and 50 defense, it would deal about 17 damage. One hit wouldn't be fatal, but if he got knocked back, his claws wouldn't reach the bear, creating a dangerous gap.
Earth-Shaking Roar: A Fear effect lasting 3 seconds. If feared, he couldn't operate for 3 seconds. A lobster that couldn't operate was a sitting duck.
Su Ming's compound eyes narrowed slightly.
A direct confrontation wouldn't work; he had to use strategy.
He observed the surrounding terrain. To the east was a three-meter-high stone wall, to the west were dense thorn bushes, to the north was the direction he came from, and to the south lay a muddy swamp.
The stone wall.
Su Ming's gaze locked onto that wall.
If he could lure the bear near the stone wall and use the terrain to restrict its charge path...
He had a plan.
Su Ming stepped out from behind the tree. Not sneakily, but strutting boldly. His eight legs clicked on the gravel, the sound especially piercing in the silent forest.
The Rampaging Black Bear's ears twitched, and it猛地 (suddenly) opened its eyes.
Two blood-red pupils locked死死 (firmly) onto Su Ming.
Su Ming didn't run. He stood his ground, raised his right claw, and pointed directly at the black bear.
Well, lobsters didn't have middle fingers, but he used the tip of his right claw to make an incredibly provocative gesture.
The bear stood up.
Its two-meter-tall body cast a massive shadow, the gravel beneath it crunching under its weight. It let out a low roar, the sound waves echoing through the forest and shaking leaves from the trees.
Then, it charged.
Rampage Charge!
This was what Su Ming had been waiting for.
He didn't move forward to meet it, nor did he dodge sideways—dodging sideways was futile as the bear was much faster. Instead, he ran toward the stone wall.
All eight legs operated at full speed, the carapace sparking as it scraped against the ground. Su Ming's speed was at the limit for a lobster, but in the grand scheme of the game, it was roughly equivalent to an old man riding a bicycle.
The bear's speed, however, was like a runaway truck. In the blink of an eye, it was less than five meters behind him. The stench of its breath washed over Su Ming, and he could even feel the wind pressure generated by its swinging paws.
The stone wall was ahead. Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter.
Su Ming made a sharp turn—well, a lobster's sharp turn looked more like flipping over in place—and slid along the wall.
The bear couldn't brake in time.
*Boom!*
The two-ton giant bear crashed into the stone wall at full speed. The entire three-meter-high wall trembled violently, sending gravel flying and kicking up a cloud of dust. The bear's head was jammed deep into the wall, emitting a painful low growl.
Stun.
Su Ming turned around, raising his right claw high.
In *Divine Realm's* combat system, there was a fundamental mechanic known to all veteran players: during a stun, defense drops to zero.
In other words, the bear's 35 Defense was now zero.
Although Su Ming's attack was True Damage and ignored defense anyway, this detail made him feel even more secure.
The right claw fell.
*Crack!*
The claw blade landed precisely on the back of the bear's neck. 500 points of True Damage, plus a critical hit judgment—1.5x multiplier—resulted in 750 damage.
The bear's health bar instantly vanished by half.
The giant bear let out a deafening roar, tearing itself free from the wall, and swung a massive paw covered in wind toward Su Ming.
Su Ming didn't have time to dodge. He was slapped three meters away, a white mark appearing on his carapace.
He lost 12 HP.
Less than a tenth of his total health.
But he had no time to gloat. The bear had already regained its footing, its blood-red eyes filled with even more intense rage.
"Roar—!"
Earth-Shaking Roar!
A visible ring of sound waves radiated from the bear's mouth, shaking the gravel on the ground. Su Ming felt his brain as if it had been stuffed into a subwoofer; his carapace buzzed.
Fear effect.
His body began to tremble uncontrollably, his eight legs shaking like chaff. His vision blurred, directional sense vanished, and he couldn't even lift his claws.
3 seconds.
In combat, 3 seconds could be fatal.
The bear, realizing this, dragged its wounded body forward, stepping slowly toward Su Ming. Each step carried a heavy vibration, its blood-red eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
Su Ming struggled desperately within the fear.
He tried biting his tongue—no tongue. He tried pinching himself—no fingers. He could only use his two antennae to frantically entangle each other, trying to use pain to counteract the fear effect.
It was useless.
The System's fear judgment was rigid and unaffected by player willpower.
Two seconds passed.
The bear was already in front of him, raising its massive paw. Even with 90% damage reduction, this strike would take away at least 30+ HP. At his current level, that was a significant number.
One second.
Su Ming's fear state had one second left.
The bear's paw descended.
In that instant—the fear vanished.
Su Ming's compound eyes snapped into focus. He saw the falling massive paw, the bear's mouth slightly open from the roar, and the bleeding wound on its neck he had inflicted earlier.
Everything became clear in slow motion.
Su Ming didn't choose to dodge.
He chose the most insane response—charging forward.
All eight legs surged with power, his body launching forward like a spring. Not backward, but forward. He launched directly into the bear's embrace.
The bear's paw swept over his head, generating a strong gust of wind, but only grazed the root of his broken left antenna.
Close quarters achieved.
The bear's massive paws were useless in close quarters. Its huge body became a hindrance, making it difficult to even turn around.
Su Ming's right claw was fully charged.
The twin claws of the Abyssal Bobo Lobster King were born to crush prey.
Target—the wound on the back of the bear's neck.
"Shatter!"
The claw blades sliced into the wound from both sides like precision scalpels. 500 points of True Damage triggered again. This time no critical hit, but the damage stacked onto the existing severe injury.
The bear let out a chilling, soul-rending scream.
Its health bar—750 minus 500, leaving only 250—flashed red warnings frantically.
But it wasn't dead yet.
A wounded beast was the most dangerous. The bear's eyes turned blood-red as it twisted its body wildly, trying to shake Su Ming off its back. Su Ming's eight legs dug tightly into the bear's fur, but the rough, hard hair offered almost no friction, and his body was sliding down bit by bit.
"Damn it—"
Su Ming had no time to adjust his posture, and his left claw couldn't be raised in time. He had only one option left—his tail.
That thick tail fan, usually used as a rudder, was now his final weapon.
He arched his body violently, concentrating all his power into his tail.
*Snap!*
The tail fan struck the bear's left eye like a steel whip.
This wasn't a skill attack; it was a normal tail strike. The damage was a pitiful 15 points.
But it hit a vital point.
The bear's movement froze instantly. Its left eye was blown out, black blood and some cloudy fluid spraying from the socket. Its body began to tilt uncontrollably to the left, losing all balance.
In that instant, Su Ming's right claw snapped back from its slipping position.
The final clamp.
Target—the bear's exposed throat.
*Crack.*
The crisp sound of bone breaking rang out sharply in the silent forest. The bear's body spasmed violently, then collapsed like a falling iron tower.
Its massive body hit the gravel ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. After the ground trembled for a few seconds, silence returned.
[Congratulations! Killed Rampaging Black Bear (Elite · Level 5)!]
[Obtained EXP: 3000!]
[Your level has increased to 4!]
[Your level has increased to 5!]
[Obtained Items: Rampaging Black Bear Fangs x2, Elite Monster Pelt x1, Black Bear Heart x1]
[Extra Drop (Rare): Shattered Badge of Courage (Green · Accessory)—Equipped: Attack +5, extra 15% damage against Beast-type monsters.]
Su Ming lay on the bear's corpse, panting heavily. His carapace was covered in white marks and scratches, and one of his left walking legs was sprained, throbbing with pain.
But he had won.
A Level 1 lobster had solo-killed a Level 5 Elite.
No—wait. He was now Level 5. He had solo-killed an Elite of his own level.
Su Ming climbed off the bear and carefully used his claws to pull out the two fangs. They were as long as a forearm, still stained with dark red blood.
"Not bad." The Sprite appeared out of nowhere, sitting on the bear's nose with her legs crossed. "Solo-killing a Level 5 Elite at Level 1. You're the first in the entire server to do it."
"What's so rare about that?" Su Ming stuffed the fangs into his backpack. "As long as the data adds up, level differences aren't an issue."
"That's what you say, but others don't know that," the Sprite pointed to the top right of his vision.
Su Ming looked over, and his pupils contracted sharply.
A red exclamation mark was flashing wildly on his system interface. It was a notification for the "Server-wide Live Stream" function.
Someone had live-streamed his entire battle.
He hadn't turned it on; the System had triggered it automatically. In *Divine Realm*, any "over-level Elite Monster kill" was automatically pushed to the server-wide live stream channel. Moreover, the golden "Abyssal Sequence · Unique Hidden Class" tag above his head caused the viewer count to surge past one million within minutes.
The World Channel had exploded.
"Holy crap! Did you see that? That lobster solo-killed a Level 5 Elite!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! A Level 1 beating a Level 5 Elite? That bear had 1500 HP! How much damage does one claw do?"
"I saw it clear as day! He hit 750 in one claw! What kind of damage is that? True Damage! Ignoring defense!"
"This is too ridiculous! 500 points of fixed True Damage? What kind of broken skill design is this? Did the developers lose their minds?"
"Cheat! It has to be a cheat! The data isn't normal! How can a Level 1 lobster deal this kind of damage?"
"Is it possible... this class is actually that strong?"
"Strong my ass! It's just a turtle shell plus a small knife! If that bear hadn't been stupid enough to crash into the wall, he would have died!"
"Stop being salty, top poster. Did you see that last move? The moment the fear ended, he launched into close quarters, used a tail strike to the eye to create an opening, and then finished with a throat clamp. That micro-management, that awareness, can you do it?"
"...I can't. But he's still seafood."
The discussion in the World Channel grew more intense, quickly splitting into two opposing camps.
One side believed Su Ming was a genius player whose skills and awareness far exceeded normal people, and the over-level kill was well-deserved.
The other side clung to the "Cheat Theory," arguing that 500 points of fixed True Damage was unreasonable data and demanding the official GMs intervene.
Then, someone posted a message that completely ignited the舆论 (public opinion).
[World]"Sword Qi Spans Three Thousand Feet": I watched the replay three times. The lobster's reaction speed at the moment the fear ended was less than 0.1 seconds. The limit of human reaction speed is 0.2 seconds. Even professional e-sports players can't achieve 0.1 seconds. This person either used an aim-assist script or isn't human. I am reporting him for cheating under my real name. Please investigate!
The moment this message appeared, the World Channel was flooded.
"Real-name report! Support!"
"0.1 second reaction speed? That's too fake!"
"It's a cheat! Official, ban the account now!"
"Get the lobster out of Divine Realm!"
"Report all you want, but can you explain first how a lobster cheats? Does it press hotkeys with its claws?"
"Hahaha, dying! A lobster cheating? That image is too beautiful."
Su Ming watched the flood of "reports" and mockery on the World Channel, his antennae perfectly still.
The Sprite floated in front of him, tilting her head. "Aren't you angry?"
"Angry?" Su Ming stuffed the last fang into his backpack and brushed the dust off his claws. "Why would I be angry?"
"They're all calling you a cheater."
Su Ming's compound eyes slowly rotated, looking at the extremely hidden red progress bar in the top right corner of his system panel.
[Negative Emotion Energy Collection: 12%... 15%... 18%...]
The numbers were jumping rapidly.
The Sprite had said that the Abyssal Bobo Lobster King's hidden talent required collecting negative emotions from the entire server to unlock. Anger, mockery, jealousy, disdain—the more intense these emotions, the faster the progress bar filled.
And now, millions of players across the server were generating a massive amount of negative emotions because of his battle.
Those cursing him for cheating were charging him up.
Those mocking him for being seafood were making him stronger.
Su Ming's two antennae slowly rose, like two receiving antennas.
"Let them curse," his voice was as calm as a dead pond.
"The harder they curse, the faster I unlock. By the day the hidden talent activates..."
He didn't finish.
But the Sprite saw the faint, dark black glow flickering on his right claw—the sign of Abyssal energy surging.
She shivered.
Not from the wind.
The killing intent radiating from that lobster had suddenly doubled.
...
Su Ming dragged the bear's loot, crawling slowly back toward Clearwind Village.
Just as he exited the Misty Forest, he ran head-on into a player squad of about twenty people.
This squad's gear was clearly superior to the average new village player, all equipped with Fine quality weapons. A Priest and a Mage followed at the rear. The leader was a warrior named "Sword of the Firmament" (Cang Qiong Zhi Jian), with a Guild tag floating above his head—[Imperial Dynasty Guild].
Imperial Dynasty Guild.
Su Ming's compound eyes narrowed slightly.
In his past life, this was one of the largest guilds in *Divine Realm*. The founder was a whale spender named "Qin Cang Qiong," who constantly ranked in the top ten of the server's combat power list. The guild was known for its tyranny, specializing in monopolizing resources, ambushing lone players, and stealing first kills on BOSSes.
And this squad of twenty was clearly the vanguard sent by the Imperial Dynasty Guild on the first day of the beta to seize resources.
"Sword of the Firmament" saw Su Ming.
More accurately, he saw the bear corpse he was dragging behind him and the glowing drop effects shimmering on the corpse.
"Stop!"
Sword of the Firmament raised a hand to signal his team to halt, his gaze locking onto Su Ming.
"You're that lobster?" He walked up to Su Ming, looking down at the one-meter-long red crustacean, a smirk playing on his lips. "The one who killed the black bear in the Misty Forest just now?"
Su Ming didn't answer.
He simply slowly raised his right claw.
Several players behind Sword of the Firmament instinctively gripped their weapons tighter, but Sword of the Firmament himself waved them off casually.
"Don't be nervous, I'm just asking." He crouched down to be eye-level with Su Ming. "I watched your live stream replay. Not bad, your skills do have some merit. But have you considered a problem—"
His tone suddenly changed.
"A Level 1 lobster killing a Level 5 Elite. Do you think what kind of storm this news will cause once it spreads?"
Su Ming's antennae trembled slightly.
"Curious players, envious guilds, and—" Sword of the Firmament stood up, patting the sword at his waist. "—official GMs who want to capture your 'cheating lobster' for research."
He extended his hand.
"Join the Imperial Dynasty. We will provide you with protection. Your loot is yours, and we will cover all your leveling resources. You only need to do one thing—use those two claws of yours to tear open the enemy's frontline during Guild Wars."
Su Ming was silent for three seconds.
Then, he gently used his right claw to push away the hand Sword of the Firmament had extended.
"No."
Sword of the Firmament's smile froze on his face.
"What did you say?"
"I said no," Su Ming's voice came from his mouthparts, muffled but incredibly clear. "I don't join any guilds. I am enough on my own."
Silence fell around them for a moment.
Several players behind Sword of the Firmament began to whisper.
"Is this lobster sick? He dares to refuse an invitation from the Imperial Dynasty Guild?"
"Acting so pretentious, a shrimp like him?"
"Yeah, if I hadn't seen the live stream, I'd suspect he's even worse than an NPC."
Sword of the Firmament's face darkened. His eyes cooled rapidly as he stared at Su Ming.
"Do you know the consequences of refusing the Imperial Dynasty?"
Su Ming raised his right claw and pointed to the golden ID tag floating above his head.
"Look closely. Unique Hidden Class. I am the only one in the entire server."
His tone was as flat as stating a fact.
"You want to surround and exterminate me? Fine. But I suggest you go search the forum first and watch the replay of that battle just now."
He paused.
"I solo-killed a Level 5 Elite. Which one of you twenty is tougher than that bear?"
The air froze.
Sword of the Firmament's face turned ashen. The expressions of the twenty players behind him became a spectacle—some angry, some hesitant, and a few mages were already secretly stepping back.
Su Ming didn't say another word. He dragged the bear's corpse and slowly walked sideways out of the crowd.
His eight legs alternated under the moonlight, the carapace reflecting a cold, red glow.
Behind him, Sword of the Firmament's voice rang out coldly.
"Remember this. The Imperial Dynasty's invitation is not something anyone can refuse."
Su Ming didn't look back.
But the Sprite floated beside him and whispered:
"I'd give that act a perfect score."
Su Ming's antennae twitched slightly.
"It's not 'acting.' It's strength."
Under the moonlight, a red lobster dragged a bear corpse three times its size, crawling steadily toward the distant Clearwind Village. His figure appeared both ridiculous and dangerous in the moonlight—like a red meteor storming across the sky of *Divine Realm's* first night.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the World Channel, a much larger storm was brewing.
[World]"Sword of the Firmament": Server-wide Announcement—The Imperial Dynasty Guild offers a bounty of 10,000 Gold for the live capture of the Abyssal Sequence "Su Ming." If any player provides his exact coordinates, the reward is 500 Gold. This lobster is suspected of using illegal auxiliary programs. All players are requested to assist in surrounding and exterminating him.
The moment this message was sent, the rate of scrolling on the World Channel froze the system server for 0.5 seconds.
Su Ming glanced at the message, then at the red progress bar in his top right corner.
[Negative Emotion Energy Collection: 23%...]
Still rising.
He grinned—though he had no teeth—but the ferocity in his expression was sharper than any weapon.
"Come on," his voice was drowned out by the night wind.
"The more, the better."
The lights of Clearwind Village flickered in the distance. Su Ming dragged his loot and continued to crawl forward.
The moonlight behind him shone on his battered but indestructible carapace, refracting a deep, abyssal dark red glow.
The figure of that lobster, under the gaze of everyone, walked further and further away.
But everyone knew—
This was only the beginning.