Radiant Dao Empress couldn't be said to be the most prominent bounty hunter on the server, but she wasn’t the least known either.
Having started playing less than a week ago, she was already on her way to becoming one of the top bounty hunters, taking care of multiple player and bandit groups in the Linquxe region.
She quickly amassed her strength through microtransactions, unique questlines, and sacred relics.
The very weapons she now held in her possession.
"Scripture of Eternal Light, Passage 1.1."
"In a world of darkness, the blind shall stumble, lost within denial, guilt, fear, and sorrow. Ignorant of the light of faith. In a world of darkness—kneel and pray for salvation."
Liang Wei's lips curled.
He watched her draw her bowstring—his fingers already moving.
"Let light cleanse away darkness!!"
Radiant Dao Empress released her arrow.
His screen turned bright white, blocking his view and mobility—
But he had already anticipated it.
He drew a slash and added the word: PARRY!!!
His avatar moved, his avatar moved. Its blackened shell ignored the chains wrapped around its limbs and the karmic scale hanging over its head.
He canceled what would have been her judgment cutscene, his character swinging the brush at the incoming arrow.
Click!
"War Painting: One-Armed Titan —"
He sketched a giant one-armed torso, then opened his skill tree again. His cursor hovered briefly before clicking—
"True Crimson Harvest!!!"
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
His drawing shaded red and manifested onto the battlefield.
The giant bearded man grasped the saber formed from Crimson Harvest and swung toward the nearest target.
Liang Wei smiled, dragging his mouse as his avatar moved, keeping the giant advancing.
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
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"You vile monster!" a golem player shouted, slamming his shield into the ground.
"Rocky Garden!!!"
The earth rumbled. Fissures split open as jagged stone peaks erupted upward, blocking Liang Wei's path.
He leapt high into the air, his ink painting melting away.
Spinning his brush before stowing it, he equipped his twin swords.
Dual Slashing, enabling him to wield two blades and double his damage.
He chained it with another leaping skill, twisting mid-spin before diving down like a spear. His blades crashed onto the tank's position.
"What's more vile," he asked coldly, "hunting down a man for sport—or that man showing you your mistakes?"
"Phantom's Blaze!!!"
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
You've slain a player: +1 Infamy
"Mó Wū, your rain of terror ends now—Volent Mountain Boar!!!"
A swordsman charged, unsheathing his blade.
The ground around him turned brown as a phantom boar rampaged behind his form.
"Blade Strike!!!"
Cut! Cut! Cut!
Liang Wei re-equipped his brush, drawing parries.
"All deeds leave echoes in Heaven's ledger.
What is written cannot flee.
By karmic law—be bound."
He couldn't dodge.
Green chains wrapped around him as two clerics chanted the same verses.
Then it was Radiant Dao Empress's turn once more.
"Heaven shelters those aligned with its will.
Blade, curse, and malice fall like rain upon stone.
Before the Mandate—no harm prevails."
A white barrier engulfed the battlefield.
[Unconscious — Revive in: 2h 47m → 15 seconds]
[Equipment durability: 16% → 40%]
Those he had slain saw their respawn counters drop from hours to seconds.
Liang Wei's eyes widened at his monitor.
"Damn this whale… Was this their plan from the start?"
He watched the swordsman rush forward in a seemingly endless assault.
[You have fallen under the attack of someone with the unique trait: (Hard Head)]
Users of this trait possess unnaturally long attack durations and a shortened cooldown on one specific skill, allowing near-seamless spamming—until their exhaustion timer runs out.
● stamina
● strength
● vitality
He clicked his tongue within the healing circle trapping him, forced to watch as the swordsman's stats climbed by one every second.
"Scripture of Eternal Light, Passage 23.1."
"In helplessness, do not lose sight, my children. For you all have each other. Even when the road ahead grows unclear and your torches burn low—find the strength to pass the flame onward, and trust those ahead will see the light."
What the fuck is this?
Liang Wei froze, witnessing something he had never seen before.
The grass turned gold.
The fallen players' mercenary outfits dissolved into white tunics.
The world trembled.
Walls rose from the soil—pillars, marble tiles, archways—forming a grand cathedral around them.
Stone coffins surfaced like blooming flowers. The unconscious players opened their eyes within them, expressions serene, almost transcendent.
Petals drifted through golden light.
Stained glass windows ignited overhead, depicting a woman in white holding a lantern that burned like a second sun.
Radiant Dao Empress stepped forward glowing with the same hold light as her menifesting crown—it hovered above her, as she stood in priestess robes, her avatar radiant yet still.
"Judgment is not wrath," she said softly. "It is the mercy you refused to grant."
She pointed at Liang Wei—then lifted her finger toward the heavens.
His avatar's head tilted upward.
The cathedral ceiling stretched endlessly into radiant clouds.
Above it all hovered a sword of pure gold.
It shimmered with unbearable weight, its size rivaling half the cathedral, radiating divine inevitability.
"Taste the pain you've inflicted upon the men and women you slaughtered."
Her hand fell.
The sword descended.
Ding!
You've been slain!!!
"That's bullshit!!!!"
Liang Wei grabbed his mouse and hurled it across the room.
"I should've just run! Fuck—what was that and when was it added to the game?!"
He kicked his chair aside.
Thud!
His fist slammed against the desk as he reached for his headset.
"Daddy-sucking slut, if you can hear this I'll fucking kill you, you hear me? No amount—"
Incoming call.
Click.
"—will stop me from making a shitty avatar of you and having it railed on repeat by a bunch of orcs. That goes for the rest of your dick-riding lackeys… Tch. In fact, you're all not worth me wasting resources to make ink clones of you."
"I'd rather take you all down and sell you to the Badlands market and watch you get ra—!!"
Just like that, Liang Wei lost everything.
His eyes widened.
No respawn notification appeared.
"Liang Wei?" a brown-haired girl stuttered, holding up a birthday cake.
She offered a wary smile while her father and mother stood beside her, concern etched across their faces.
Liang Wei blinked at the video call.
"Lin Xue… Uncle… Auntie."
Behind them were ribbons, decorations, and candles shaped in the number 20.
He stared for a moment before realizing his finger had pressed the spacebar.
"Ahem." He adjusted his glasses. "What made you all call this late?"
He spoke as if nothing had happened—like the person from seconds ago had never existed.
"Uh… ha. Happy early surprise birthday?" his aunt said, nudging her husband.
He coughed and pulled a party cracker.
"Happy surprise birthday," Lin Xue said, lifting the cake.
