090. Winter of Vanlenkov
Back then, this boss scared off countless players: sheer brutality, terrifying stats, continuous bleeding mechanics, and despair-inducing health regeneration. Especially during the first phase, she wore a Velazi nano-battlesuit immune to beam weapon attacks, leaving many players with deep psychological scars.
Even the 'Blood Demon Build' couldn't withstand her attacks. Her 280 [Dexterity] ensured she always held the initiative. What seemed like a weakness—low [Intelligence]—was actually a trap. The lower her [Intelligence], the more absurd the stats of the [Savage Fighter] became.
She even possessed talents to actively reduce her [Intelligence].
This kind of stats + mechanics monster wasn't just a nightmare for the 'Blood Demon Build.' Even the then-popular [White Wolf Commander] build couldn't take her down, not even with sheer numbers. Players were so frustrated they protested by refusing to log in, complaining the boss was too difficult.
Could she be beaten?
No.
Even at the same tier, Li Aozi didn't feel confident enough to face her one-on-one.
But who said bosses have to be fought?
For Li Aozi, this wasn't an issue at all.
Li Aozi activated stealth.
Nephis hovered silently in the air, her jagged slit pupils scanning her surroundings, trying to locate Li Aozi.
Li Aozi casually landed on the ground, hands in his pockets, swaggering right off the battlefield.
For a full fifteen minutes, Nephis flew up and down, searching everywhere, but she couldn't find any trace of Li Aozi.
She continuously pounded the ground and toppled buildings, causing what felt like a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, yet no matter how much she searched, the little guy was nowhere to be found.
Yes, the imposing final boss 'Silver Armor' was the only boss without anti-stealth abilities, making her a joke for [Assassin] and [Eerie] builds, who would take turns humiliating her.
Just as she wreaked havoc on the ground, Vanlenkov's national defense forces finally lost patience. They dispatched jets and armored units, surrounding the Velazi building.
"You are accused of invading our sovereign territory. Surrender immediately."
Dozens of minutes later, Li Aozi stood atop a mountain 200 kilometers away, accompanied by a half-elf hybrid with a shocked expression.
Looking down at the scene below, he saw the baffled Nephis being arrested and loaded into a prisoner transport vehicle by Vanlenkov's military.
Meanwhile, the Velazi security team could only watch helplessly as their personnel were legally taken away by Vanlenkov's military police. They couldn't intervene.
Their violation of the law, combined with the presence of angry crowds and rumors of their leader's assassination spreading like wildfire, had shifted public outrage directly onto Velazi. At that moment, Vanlenkov's citizens stood united, loudly chanting "Corporations out of Vanlenkov!" with an unprecedented surge of patriotism. Velazi employees dared not leave their group for fear of reprisal.
Andrew crawled out of the building's rubble in a sorry state, slipping through the crowd, his appearance as ridiculous as could be.
Li Aozi didn't kill him—not out of mercy, but because he didn't want to completely sever ties with [Plundering Soul] Red King, the treacherous main god of the Star Abyss, who could sometimes be surprisingly agreeable.
By contrast, the true Star Abyss faction gods were all rigid traditionalists, stubborn and stagnant, deserving of their defeats by [Society] and the destroyers.
"Sir," the half-elf hesitantly asked, "why did you suddenly appear, drag me out of the production workshop, and bring me here?"
"Julian Nikita," Li Aozi replied nonchalantly.
"That's—hey, how do you know my name?" Julian exclaimed in surprise.
"Your cousin Jacob told me you were captured by the company for experiments, but in truth, you surrendered voluntarily to assist their military efforts."
Li Aozi bluntly exposed Julian's secret. Julian froze, and Li Aozi, unfazed, continued:
"But that's understandable. Your wife is suffering from a curse's erosion, and without money, there's no way to treat it. I can understand betraying your country for your family—it's all too common."
"I didn't want this… I love my wife, but I don't want to point my gun at my compatriots either."
Julian closed his eyes.
"If you want to judge me, do it. But please spare my family. I've already saved up 200 Amcoins—it's a substantial sum. Please send it to my father-in-law, Nikita—"
"Julian, you wouldn't want your betrayal of your country to be exposed, would you?"
Li Aozi interrupted him immediately, then said:
"200 Amcoins won't last in the universe. A single major illness or disaster would wipe it out. But if you're willing to cooperate with me, I can guarantee a better life for your family. Although I can't remove the curse, I can at least prolong your wife's life."
Li Aozi wasted no time. Using [Aura of Kindness] and his high [Charisma], he overpowered Julian with ease.
Julian hesitated briefly before saying:
"…If what you say is true, I'll do whatever you need."
Ping!
Li Aozi snapped his fingers, retrieving paper and pen from a dimensional rift, and quickly drafted a contract:
"In short, I agree to cover the living expenses of you, your wife, and your father-in-law Nikita for the next 40 years, and provide an opportunity to live on White Candle Star, where you can find work and suppress the Star Abyss curse with magic."
Julian carefully examined the contract and asked, "The price is my and Rosa's future children?"
"I assure you, I will provide them with a complete and excellent education and guide them onto a powerful path."
"No, that's more than enough." Julian stared blankly at the contract's terms. "My God, 40,000 Amcoins annually. Am I dreaming?"
"Dream or not, you decide." Li Aozi said playfully. "But for now, get ready. I'll take you back to your family shortly. We leave in two days."
"Leaving so soon?" Julian wasn't too surprised but glanced at the chaotic city, visibly worried. "Be honest—what will happen to our country? I know the company is after the Blood of Nakis. Will they relent?"
"Winter."
Li Aozi replied without hesitation:
"Vanlenkov has already torn relations with Velazi. The upper ranks have been decimated, but Velazi won't back down. If they can't get what they want, they'll send smaller, more neutral groups to continue the search. For a long time, the Blood of Nakis will draw mercenaries and interest groups. Large-scale war likely won't happen, but small-scale skirmishes will be frequent."
"Sigh…" Julian sighed. "So war will inevitably descend on our homeland?"
"But winter isn't the end."
Li Aozi folded his arms and watched Velazi's fleet retreat with a faint smile on his non-existent face:
"Vanlenkov itself is a mercenary city-state, isn't it?"
Julian froze momentarily before realizing something.
"The civilians of Vanlenkov can leave this fortress planet, but the soldiers can stay. They'll find new work. Civilians can serve mercenaries on the outskirts or broadcast 'live-action survival games' to earn profits—think flexibly."
Li Aozi tapped his invisible head, jokingly adding:
"Winter has come. Can spring be far behind?"
Although this wasn't the best ending, it undoubtedly brought a new direction to Vanlenkov's fate.
The immense value of the Blood of Nakis made it impossible for Vanlenkov to monopolize it. They couldn't even function as a raw material supplier. But in the universe, there are countless ways to make money.
In the past, Vanlenkov's hybrids survived by selling war services, but in a universe with countless combatants, lacking industry and military logistics, they couldn't sustain such a nation.
In the future, by driving out Velazi and engaging in low-intensity but continuous military operations, Vanlenkov could stabilize employment rates temporarily and glimpse hope for transitioning to service and entertainment industries.
Julian didn't fully grasp this outcome but felt a vague sense of clarity.
Upon reflection, it seemed this conclusion was somewhat acceptable for all parties.
Li Aozi, who never attended university or studied sociology, had a deep understanding of the narrative-level civilizations of the Star Abyss.
Vanlenkov's autonomous state faced a harsh winter but would gradually adapt, willingly yielding their fortress planet for outsiders to fight and die over, charging entry fees
, and providing services and live-streams, ultimately suffering the least casualties in the process.
The narrative-level civilizations wouldn't lose access to the Blood of Nakis supply, and this relatively low-intensity conflict would remain under control.
A peculiar, delicate balance would persist until the Blood of Nakis was fully extracted—thousands of years in the future.
For narrative-level civilizations, that's short. But for the Vanlenkov nation, it's long enough to complete their transformation.
Was this a good ending?
Julian didn't know.
But prolonged pain is worse than short pain. Civilizations find their own paths. It was no longer his concern. Once torn between betraying his country and longing for his family, Julian now felt at ease, his heart simply yearning to reunite with his loved ones.
Before long, Li Aozi brought Julian to Nikita's home. Watching the family cry and embrace each other, Li Aozi felt a subtle emotion rising within him.
—Li Aozi, once a Frost-Plated Bank security guard, had always viewed such familial harmony as an unattainable luxury, something he wouldn't even dare dream of.
Nikita was deeply grateful for Li Aozi's actions but couldn't find a suitable gift. After some thought, he met with Li Aozi privately.
"Take this."
Li Aozi accepted the item. [Eye of Truth] quickly identified it—a soldier's combat notebook from interstellar wars, granting the skill "Interstellar Assault Training".
As a [Star Echoer], Li Aozi didn't need it, but he could pass it to players, significantly enhancing their tactical skills.
"I'll arrange for you to go to White Candle Star first. If there are issues, you can visit relic 10-98-1 and find a woman named Yavanna. She'll provide temporary housing. Don't worry about registration yet."
Two days later, Flanna completed her delivery and returned to pick up Li Aozi. Generous as ever, Li Aozi paid her 7,000 Amcoins in hiring fees. Despite being scatterbrained, Flanna's driving skills were phenomenal.
This job earned her a lot, making her unusually cheerful. Her attitude toward Li Aozi shifted dramatically, now deferential and enthusiastic:
"Boss, are you heading back to Valkyrie Fortress? I'll drive you there."
"No, let's take a detour first."
Having wrapped up the Vanlenkov mission, Li Aozi's life profession [Artisan] finally advanced to [Master Smith].
This life profession, in the hands of players, was primarily used to craft high-level weapons and powerful equipment. However, NPCs could use it for something far more interesting: creating dungeon crystals.
Flanna had no objections. She enjoyed chauffeuring Li Aozi, though the exclusive vehicle costs were steep. After a few days of material gathering, Li Aozi's Amcoins were nearly depleted.
Fortunately, before returning to White Candle Star, he had collected enough materials to create two dungeon instances. In a few days, the cleric Constance would pay back his loan with interest.
"Now, it's time to return to my university life."
Li Aozi rubbed his non-existent chin.
Though in truth, his goal was to hunt a few wandering [Society] citizens.
White Candle Star was his private treasury. His two weapons were still stored there. Players were about to return, and his current strength had reached a bottleneck.
Tasks he could complete offered little reward, and the ones he couldn't were genuinely impossible.
For example, the Velazi Corporation's storyline still had a long way to go—but Li Aozi couldn't continue. Any further, and Narrative 11's 「United Group」 would blacklist him.
For Velazi's meager rewards, angering a narrative-level civilization like the 「Unified Group」, which served as an intermediary, wasn't worth it.
This time, his actions were perfectly measured. He didn't kill the most crucial figure, Andrew, yet delivered a stern lesson. Coupled with the grandiosity of the [Star Echoer]'s reputation, Li Aozi's personal fame reached new heights.
Now, rumors spread throughout half the Star Abyss of a 'Gamma-tier native from the Crystal Tower defeating Zeta-tier opponents and escaping unscathed.'
—In reality, Li Aozi's "victories" were exaggerated. He didn't defeat a single Zeta-tier, but even so, destroying a Velazi warship and taking on multiple higher-tier enemies was enough to turn heads.
At this point, Li Aozi planned to lay low. Whether the Crystal Tower would still accept him was uncertain.
Starting school only to beat someone stronger than his professors… The instructors' loss of face was secondary. Discovering their student was missing a head after all this time was bound to be unsettling.
Even if they decided to expel him, Li Aozi had plenty of backup plans. Worst-case scenario, he'd relocate to the Empire of Heroes.
The best outcome, of course, would be reconciling with the Crystal Tower and continuing his student life.
With these thoughts, Li Aozi embarked on his journey back to White Candle Star.