Chapter Fifty-One: Beyond the Heavens

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With a sharp “pop,” the bullet struck the Queen Wasp squarely in the head, red damage numbers “–277” blossoming above its antennae.

Wu Hua felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe.

For the first time in Star Wars, he felt his heart sink. Never before had he faced such a formidable boss; using a green-tier AUG with a purple-core round, he managed only 277 points of damage. The boss’s defense was beyond imagination.

The difference between high, mid, and low-level bosses was like the disparity in firepower between a handgun, a submachine gun, and a rifle—utterly incomparable.

After being shot, the Queen Wasp slowly turned around. Wu Hua felt as though he were being targeted by an ancient cannon, its aim settling on him with ominous inevitability. Anyone could see things were about to go very wrong.

“Dodge!” came Tu Tiao’s shout from the distance.

The Queen Wasp’s gnawing, siphon-like mouthparts began to open as if preparing to vomit. In that instant, everyone’s eyes seemed to play tricks on them—a wasp, the kind one might find in an ancient tomb, was spat out, buzzing menacingly toward Wu Hua like a fighter jet.

Knowing he’d been exposed, Wu Hua stood up and aimed, firing in rapid bursts.

“Bang, bang, bang—”

“–2398, 2418, –2407!”

Three shots, three hits. The little wasp fell instantly; evidently, the AUG’s damage didn’t diminish against such minor creatures. Yet as soon as this one was dispatched, four more emerged from the Queen Wasp’s mouth in quick succession.

Wu Hua didn’t hesitate. He turned and ran, gun in hand. “Dodge! Quick, get higher!”

The group bolted. Tu Tiao cursed as he ran, “If my twelve-yuan alloy armor breaks—ah!”

He was stung again. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t outrun a wasp.

The Queen Wasp spat out twenty more giant wasps. They swarmed above Wu Hua and his companions, stinging wildly. Red and purple damage numbers erupted above everyone’s heads.

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In fact, Tu Tiao and the other two were faring relatively well—their alloy armor offered some protection. Su20, being an esper, naturally possessed agility and evasion skills. But Wu Hua was unlucky; this time, he was carrying too much, slowing him down, and he cried out as the wasps stung him. The three female teammates frantically cast healing spells, knowing full well that if Wu Hua fell, the remaining six of them wouldn’t stand a chance.

Half an hour later, battered and stung by the wasps, the group staggered back to the mountaintop. To everyone’s surprise, the wasps didn’t pursue them further, as if called back by the Queen Wasp, who they now circled in the air.

The Queen Wasp, almost human in demeanor, waved her two front antennae as if yawning or mocking Wu Hua’s party, but more like declaring war: “This is my territory—come here and you’ll die.”

“Damn it!” Tu Tiao stomped his foot in frustration.

“We don’t stand a chance, not just the few of us,” Wu Hua said coldly, gazing down the mountain.

Everyone understood his meaning. The lizard boss they’d encountered on the first floor of the ancient tomb was a mid-tier boss, boasting over fifty thousand HP, nearly two thousand defense, and strong resistance to all elements—at least thirty percent or more.

This Queen Wasp was clearly several times stronger than the lizard—definitely a major boss, likely with at least a hundred thousand HP and over two thousand defense, a challenge even Wu Hua couldn’t shake.

Completing this quest seemed impossible. The greatest reward for pioneering tasks was merit points, and everyone knew their value. No one wanted to leave empty-handed.

“Should I call in reinforcements?” Tu Tiao picked up the communicator.

“No,” Wu Hua replied. “The Queen Wasp’s only threat so far is spitting out little wasps. We haven’t seen its true strength. If we act rashly, your reinforcements might get wiped out too.”

“So what do we do?” Lan Lan asked.

Wu Hua glanced at the sky—the sun was already low. The day was nearly done.

“Let’s do this: if everyone’s free tomorrow, log in here at nine sharp,” Wu Hua suggested.

Lan Lan agreed, “After a day of fighting, I’m exhausted. I’ll be here at nine on the dot.”

Tu Tiao muttered, “Guess that’s the only way.”

After bidding each other farewell, everyone logged off one by one. The logout system in Star Wars had a rule: as long as you weren’t in combat, you could log off anywhere. Upon logging in, there was a one-minute synthesis process, during which players were extremely vulnerable—a safeguard to prevent abuse of game bugs.

Wu Hua’s only reason for logging off was to quickly search the player forums for any information on the Mulin Ancient Tomb, to strategize for tomorrow’s assault.

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However, as soon as he logged onto the forums, one blazing-hot piece of news caught his eye:

Blue Ocean Corporation had dispatched a team to pioneer the Ayat Ruins in the western district of the City of Illusive Moon. The group was led by the renowned 25th-level Metal Master, the Dune Witch, one of Blue Company’s famed Seven Fairies. With over twenty members, they fought their way deep into the ruins, where they encountered a lone gunman. For reasons unknown, an argument broke out, escalating into a brawl.

Amazingly, the gunman single-handedly wiped out the entire Blue Company party, shocking players across the city.

Wu Hua was astonished when he saw this post. Never mind the gunman’s skills—even the Dune Witch was not someone to be trifled with. He could hardly imagine what a level 25 Metal Master could create.

Gossip abounded on the forums. Some eyewitnesses claimed the gunman was shrouded in mystery, never revealing his true identity. Others said he wielded a revolver, reminiscent of the swordsman who once instantly killed Snowy Night Fairy in Survival Road.

At this, Wu Hua smiled—not out of pride, but because he knew without a doubt that he was not that man, nor was he anywhere near as strong.

Nonetheless, he was curious. The world of Star Wars was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—there was always someone stronger. He longed to meet a true master.

Blue Company had suffered heavy losses in two missions, and players universally believed the same gunman was responsible, since both incidents bore his mark.

Wu Hua couldn’t help but worry. Snowy Night Fairy and her companions might seek revenge. He might unwittingly become the scapegoat for the gunman’s deeds.

His fears were confirmed when he saw a post on the forum: Blue Ocean Corporation’s third Fairy, Moon Shadow Autumn Gauze, announced a reward of ten thousand credits for anyone who could provide information on the gunman responsible for the two attacks.

Wu Hua might have scoffed at such tactics, but on reflection, he realized Moon Shadow Autumn Gauze was no ordinary opponent.

The reason was simple: when he’d killed Snowy Night Fairy during the Survival mission, it was a malicious PK, and both Snowy Night Fairy and Lily of the Valley would have seen his name at death—“You were killed by player Madman.”

Given that, and Blue Ocean Corporation’s usual methods, they would have posted a bounty on him by now. Yet, several days had passed without any action.

Now that Moon Shadow Autumn Gauze was offering a reward, she was clearly trying to gather information—his whereabouts, level, skills, and social circle—before making a move, ensuring she wouldn’t fail.

Wu Hua was grateful he’d always been a loner, forming no close friendships; and since Qimen Company was bound by electronic contract, there was no way his information could be leaked. He believed Blue Company wouldn’t find him anytime soon.

“Fame attracts trouble, just as fattened pigs invite the butcher,” Wu Hua sighed. “All this just because I bought a good gun? Truly, the Desert Eagle has brought nothing but bloodshed…”