Chapter 1 of 100

Chapter 1

19 min read4,772 words

Under the sky shrouded by layers of dark clouds, a drizzle fell onto the ground tainted by demonic energy. This was the place where the Demon King met his end, the Demon Slayer Canyon. A forbidden zone that even high-level players in *Demon World* would tremble at the thought of.

In this polluted land, a monolith stood alone, recording the nearly forgotten epic battle. A warrior clad in sturdy armor leaned against the monolith, his head lowered as if deep in thought.

His weapon, a peculiar blunt greatsword, was casually stuck in the ground beside him, waiting quietly for someone to appear.

Blunt, the undisputed first war god of China, ranked third on the Chinese player list. Two years ago, one of the strongest guilds in *Demon World*, the Demon God Temple, wanted to recruit Blunt. He flatly refused. The leader of the Demon God Temple made a mistake that he would regret for life, attempting to retaliate against him. Instead, Blunt single-handedly killed ten thousand people with his sword! The once mighty guild fell apart, and from then on, no one dared to challenge the might of the war god. The true face under his mask also sparked endless speculation.

So... who was the person he was waiting for?

Suddenly, the rain intensified, and gusts of cold wind howled in the air. Sensing something, the warrior raised his head to look up at the top of the stone monument.

"Since you're here, why don't you show yourself? Star Demon!" Blunt's mask completely covered his face, making it impossible to see his features. A muffled, gender-neutral voice came from the sealed helmet, making it hard to tell if he was male or female.

Countless blood-red bats appeared out of nowhere, quickly converging to form a dark red figure. The crimson eyes visible under the mask were like those of a god of death. The newcomer stared at Blunt but remained silent. Thief Emperor Star Demon, the only player in the Chinese server of *Demon World* who could beat Blunt.

Five years ago, in the *Demon World* King of Kings tournament, he appeared for the first time and swept away millions in prize money from all the top players! From the first match to the last, he didn't lose a single drop of blood! Since then, Thief Emperor Star Demon has held the second position on the player rankings! His ruthless attitude in dealing with enemies earned him the terrifying title of "Killer Star."

These two, not only powerful and proud but also incredibly mysterious, were unknown to anyone under their masks.

Some said that even if the other seven top players joined forces, they couldn't defeat Star Demon. In the eyes of some, he was the first, as the legendary number one had not appeared for five years!

"I thought you wouldn't come." Blunt's lips curled into a slight smile under his helmet, showing a hint of surprise at Star Demon's arrival.

"After all, I've been hunted by you for five years. With the game shutting down today, you went through great lengths to contact me, so of course, I had to come." Star Demon finally spoke, his lonely voice devoid of emotion. Blunt, a mix of friend and foe, was one of the few people who could make him lower his guard.

"In the final moments of this game, I hope to fight you one last time! I haven't beaten you in five years, and I'm not satisfied, Thief Emperor Star Demon!" Blunt pulled out the greatsword beside him, holding it horizontally in front of him, ready to attack.

"Alright... this time, I'll grant your wish!" Star Demon smiled slightly, his figure gradually fading and disappearing from the spot.

"Take this!" Blunt leaped high into the air, his greatsword smashing down at the spot he predicted.

"Boom, boom, boom!" The immense force caused three powerful explosions, the polluted rainwater splashing out in a radial pattern, creating a stunning effect.

"Swish!" A black shadow emerged from the water behind Blunt, and the moment it materialized, a dagger with flashing electric light was swung down forcefully, striking Blunt's helmeted head. A large damage number floated up, a critical hit!

Above Star Demon's perspective, two bright red blood drops appeared around the originally gray skull! The successful ambush granted two combo points!

Blunt quickly turned, his greatsword swinging rapidly at Star Demon. However, the black shadow had already moved behind him, the dagger striking twice in quick succession. The situation was completely controlled by Star Demon, utilizing the stealth and speed of an assassin.

"Ha!~" Blunt roared to the sky, a massive golden dragon's head appearing on his body. A brilliant golden shockwave rapidly spread out, splashing the water on the ground and sending the heavy rain back into the sky.

Star Demon's figure was also frozen in place by this area-of-effect stun skill. Blunt's unexpected dragon roar was the first time he had been damaged!

"Roar!~" Blunt activated the uncontrollable Divine Descent and the 30% critical hit chance increase of Recklessness without hesitation. His originally average-sized figure, clad in heavy armor, instantly grew to twice its size, golden flames engulfing his entire body. A golden great axe appeared in his previously empty left hand, and he swung both massive weapons at Star Demon.

"Swish!" A pair of large blood-red bat wings suddenly sprouted from Star Demon's back, flapping once before he transformed into countless bats and disappeared.

"Again!!" Blunt shouted into the empty surroundings. If Star Demon didn't appear before these two states expired, he would lose.

"As you wish!" Star Demon reappeared behind Blunt, also activating Recklessness and Carnage, doubling his attack speed, critical hit chance, and energy recovery. The spectacular battle resumed! No one knew that in the desolate Demon Slayer Canyon, a world-shaking duel was taking place.

"The game is over." Star Demon's combo points were full, the five blood drops around the skull glowing brightly, and the sunken eye sockets emitting a sinister crimson light. Leaping high into the air, he plunged a golden and a blue dagger into Blunt's body. The finishing move, Annihilation!

Just as he was about to be finished off, Blunt soared into the air like a cannonball, landing fifteen yards away with a Heroic Leap! Successfully dodging the finishing move, he immediately used a Charge, stunning Star Demon in place. With his full rage, his Execute skill was also ready. Full Rage Execute!

The two massive weapons struck the stunned Star Demon, but his body dissolved into a pool of polluted water. A decoy!

"Swish!" Four identical Star Demons emerged from the water, surrounding Blunt from all sides.

"Which one is the real one?" Trapped, Blunt's pupils constricted, his eyes hidden in the darkness of his helmet searching for the real Star Demon.

"Above!" The moment Blunt looked up, a blood-red figure was already right in front of him, his crimson eyes meeting Blunt's through the mask.

"Instant Prison Shadow Kill Array!" Star Demon's true form and shadow clones simultaneously launched a fatal attack, instantly killing Blunt! This was the power of Thief Emperor Star Demon, no one had ever defeated him! Not even a thousand or ten thousand people could!

"Phew... I lost again! Do you remember what I said the first time we PKed?" Blunt's gender-neutral voice was somewhat long, as if reminiscing about something. He had only wanted to catch up to him, but accidentally became a so-called war god.

"How could I remember all the things you said?"

"If I win, you have to honestly answer one question! That was the reason I challenged you the first time! Even though I lost, I still want to ask you. Because I'm afraid I won't have another chance."

"Oh, I remember. Since the game is shutting down soon, I'll indulge you a little. Ask away." Star Demon didn't really care.

"Before you played the assassin, was your character called Melancholy Wind?"

"Why would you ask that? That was a more legendary ID than Thief Emperor Star Demon. Do you think it was me?" Star Demon was taken aback, clearly not expecting this question.

"Alright, I think I already know the answer!" Although Star Demon didn't admit it, Blunt seemed to have figured it out.

"Who are you? Hunting me for five years just to get a confirmation. Now I'm a bit curious to see what your face looks like under that helmet." Staring at Blunt, who was completely covered in armor and whose gender was indistinguishable, Star Demon suddenly became very interested in his true identity.

"You'll see, at the right time... Are you going to play an assassin in the new game?"

"I think I'll play a new class, a Demon Hunter, to challenge myself. What about you?" Star Demon played with his dagger casually as he answered.

"I'll continue as a warrior! Sticking to my beliefs, even if others see it as a waste of time. I hope the warrior design in *Skyrim* will allow me to show more of my strength!" Blunt had no intention of changing his class.

"Heaven to the left, warrior to the right. Don't get too immersed, buddy." Star Demon laughed. Of course, neither Blunt's persistence nor his adventures were wrong.

"I've already said, I'm not your 'buddy'! What I believe in will never change, no matter how long it takes!"

"Alright, as you wish. The fight is over, the question is asked, I'm logging off." Star Demon waved at Blunt and disappeared in a shower of sparkling crystals before Blunt could stop him.

"Aren't you going to wait until the game closes?"

"I'm not interested." Star Demon vanished without waiting for Blunt's response.

"Your first impression of me was right, you are Brother Wind! What happened back then? My brother never told me, can you tell me the answer?" Blunt gazed at the spot where Star Demon disappeared, silently removing his helmet. A dreamlike face was revealed.

The side profile in the rain was flawless, the falling raindrops not diminishing the dreamlike beauty but making it even more radiant like pearls. Unfortunately, such breathtaking beauty bloomed alone in the Demon Slayer Canyon.

The originally overcast sky was now filled with massive meteors falling from the sky! They dragged trails of black smoke and fiery flames, landing on the ground like missiles, destroying everything. The end of the world had arrived!

Blunt watched all this calmly... It seemed this was the final world event before *Demon World* shut down.

Taking one last look at the game world, without Star Demon, she suddenly felt the rain tonight was so cold.

Thank you, heaven, for letting me meet you in the game, but the cruel truth is that the game will eventually end. I'm not sad because we both truly existed in this world. I will definitely find you again in *Skyrim*!

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