Chapter Three

At the entrance to the [Destroy All Things] instance, the frozen temple exudes a suffocating pressure.

The entrance was teeming with elite monsters called Frost Trolls, while the silhouette of the final boss, Frost Lord Ymir, loomed faintly in the depths of the temple.

The system recommends the following configuration: a team of 20 people with an average level of 90 or above.

I'm level 99 now, but it's impossible for me to clear it solo.

But it's okay.

I have a lot of money.

Julian used his money to deceive me.

He spent a total of two hundred thousand US dollars to help me conquer the "Absolute Defense" dungeon. Now, all of that money will be used to arm myself.

I exited the instance, opened the Abyss Era trading post, and started a buying frenzy.

[Shadow Cloak], [Rebirth Amulet], [Dragon Bone Necklace], [Titan's Blood], [Phoenix Feather], [Hourglass of Time]...

I acquired all those rare materials, top-tier equipment, and life-saving items that Julian monopolized in my previous life, without missing a single one.

Prices on the trading house skyrocketed instantly due to my frenzied buying spree.

The world channel is like a powder keg that has been ignited; information is flooding the screen at a speed that is too fast to see clearly.

"Holy crap! The price of [Titan's Blood] has jumped from five thousand dollars to eight thousand!"

"Who's so rich? They bought up all the top-tier items in the entire trading house?"

"Found it! It's [Dawnbreaker Blade]! That guy's gone mad!"

I glanced at the messages filled with curses and insults, and my lips twitched slightly.

Go ahead and curse.

Three days later, the value of these items will increase ten thousand times.

By then, everyone will say that I, Aidan, am a genius at stockpiling supplies in advance.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Of the 200,000 Julian gave me, less than 30,000 remained, but my backpack was stuffed full of top-tier equipment and life-saving items.

[Rebirth Amulet] x5 - Resurrects you with full health on the spot after death.

[Hourglass] x3 - Rewind to the state 30 seconds ago

[Titan's Blood] x10 - Increases all attributes by 100% for 30 minutes.

Phoenix Feather x2 - Immune to one instance of fatal damage

I closed the trading post and re-entered [All Things Destroyed].

The first time, I only managed to reduce the boss's health to 70%. I was then encased in ice by the frost breath, shattering into countless pieces. My resurrection charm activated, and I gritted my teeth and retreated.

The second time, I got it down to 50%. I learned to dodge the fan-shaped AOE in the first phase, but died in the combo in the second phase.

The third time, 30%. We're starting to get close to the BOSS's skill ceiling.

With each death, I memorized the BOSS's attack animation, skill intervals, and berserk threshold. Those data and muscle memories were repeatedly etched into my nerves, like repeatedly carving the same mark on wood with a knife.

At this rate, I should be able to completely conquer this instance in three days at most.

——

Two days later.

There's one day left until the game launches.

In Julian's private villa, in the luxurious study.

Julian sat in a leather chair, twirling a fountain pen in his hand, the metal barrel flying between his fingers, making a soft, ticking sound. His gaze was cold, fixed on Leo in front of him.

"So you mean Aidan hasn't participated in the [Absolute Defense] dungeon raid at all these past two days?"

Leo lowered his head, looking somewhat uneasy. He rubbed his fingers back and forth along the seam of his trousers, his voice tense: "Yes, Mr. Julian. Boss Aidan has been soloing a dungeon these past two days, but he didn't say which one."

Julian's fingers paused. The pen stopped in mid-air.

He turned his chair around, looked at the night view outside the window, and remained silent for a few seconds. His profile was reflected in the glass, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Emilia, could you add something?”

Emilia, standing to the side, immediately spoke up, her voice laced with a hint of obsequiousness, as if she were answering before anyone else:

“Julian, Aidan’s behavior these past two days has been very strange. Not only did he refuse to give me money to buy equipment, but he also suggested sleeping in separate rooms and has been very cold towards me. Moreover, I’ve noticed that he often logs into the game late at night and plays for four or five hours at a time, as if he’s trying to conquer some particularly difficult dungeon.”

Did he mention the name of the copy?

“No.” Emilia shook her head, but she immediately added, “But I’ve peeked at his game map, and he’s been active near the Arctic Icefields lately.”

Extremely cold ice fields?

Julian's eyes narrowed.

Although he didn't know what I was doing, Julian, as the protagonist of this book, possessed a mind and skills far beyond those of ordinary people. He turned his head, his gaze returning to Leo.

"Leo, have you gotten the [Absolute Defense] ring?"

Leo raised his head, his chest involuntarily puffing out. His pride was impossible to hide.

"Yes, sir! And the moment the ring appeared, we put it in your warehouse, completely disregarding Aidan's orders!"

Julian nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips for less than half a second. Then he turned back to the computer, tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and entered my account information into the login page of "Abyss Era".

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Julian's face gradually darkened, turning from doubt to gloom, and finally to a deep ashen color.

"Damn it!" He slammed his fist on the table, sending his pen flying to the floor. "He actually used my ten thousand dollars to install biometric security!"

The air in the study seemed to have been sucked out. Leo and Emilia both flinched.

Julian stood up, his chair sliding backward and hitting the wall. He stared at the screen, his chest heaving, his voice forced through clenched teeth:

"Aidan has escaped control! And a puppet that has escaped control must be nipped in the bud!"

He sat down again, his fingers clattering on the keyboard, opened the game forum, and created a new post.

[Server-wide Wanted Notice]

Bounty Target: [Dawnbreaker Blade] (ID: Aidan)

Bounty: $1 million for each kill

Validity period: From now until the game's release

Note: This person stole guild assets and betrayed the team; they must be killed without exception.

—Posted by: Julian Vance

The moment Julian pressed the send button, the corners of his mouth twisted into a strange arc.

A few minutes later, the entire game world erupted in chaos.