The moment the Abyss Boss fell—
the world did not celebrate.
It exhaled.
A deep, collective breath released by thousands who had been unknowingly standing on the edge of extinction.
Aftermath
The battlefield was no longer a battlefield.
It was a graveyard of sand, ice, and shattered reality.
Fragments of frozen dunes stretched for kilometers, jagged like broken mirrors. The sky still carried faint traces of distortion—remnants of the pressure that a Level 100 existence had imposed upon the world.
Yuan Wu stood amidst it all, silent.
His angelic form had long since collapsed.
The wings were gone.The white armor dissolved.The kagune receded.
What remained was just a Level 48 vessel… barely holding itself together.
Blood still dripped from his shoulder.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just enough to remind him—
that he had survived something he shouldn't have.
"Deep breath…"
He muttered under his breath, more to stabilize himself than anything else.
The control—
No.
The binding—
had cost more than he let anyone see.
His nerves still burned.
His senses were still overloaded.
Fragments of perception lingered—echoes from the moment his kagune had expanded to its absolute limit.
For a brief second…
he had felt everything.
And that—
was not something a human mind was meant to endure.
Cleanup Begins
"The Abyss Dungeon… has been cleared!"
A system voice echoed faintly across the area.
Then came the flood.
Alliance personnel rushed in from every direction. Barriers were deployed. Rescue teams spread out. Medics, engineers, logistics—every department moved with mechanical precision.
This wasn't their first disaster.
But it was one of the worst.
Han Yue stood at the center of command, issuing orders rapidly despite the exhaustion in her eyes.
"Prioritize injured civilians."
"Seal the residual dungeon energy."
"Check for secondary spatial fractures—NOW."
Her voice never wavered.
But her fingers—
still bore fresh bite marks.
Extraction
Yuan Wu glanced down at Fang Yuqing.
She was unconscious.
Completely drained.
Her face pale, her breathing shallow, her body limp against his shoulder.
"…You really pushed yourself."
For a moment, his tone softened.
Then—
it returned to normal.
Detached. Controlled.
Han Yue approached.
"You two shouldn't stay here any longer," she said.
Her gaze lingered briefly on Yuan Wu.
"Especially you."
There was no hostility in her tone.
Only caution.
And curiosity.
"I'll arrange transport."
She turned slightly.
"Iceborne Queen."
The Ride Back
The engine roared to life.
Yuan Wu did not expect this.
Not even slightly.
The Iceborne Queen—
a knight clad in white armor, embodiment of frost and destruction—
was drifting a car through ruined streets like a professional racer.
TIRES SCREECHED—
The vehicle took a sharp corner at an impossible angle.
Even Yuan Wu blinked.
"…You're serious?"
From the driver's seat, she glanced at him through the mirror.
"No."
"I'm just bored."
She accelerated.
Hard.
Yuan Wu adjusted Fang Yuqing's position, letting her rest against his shoulder more securely.
"…Your world had cars too?"
"No."
A pause.
"Been here over ten years."
Another turn. Smooth. Precise.
"I adapt."
He leaned back slightly, eyes half-closed.
"…Makes sense."
Then, after a moment—
"I saw Han Yue earlier."
"She was almost dry."
"So how are you still functioning?"
That earned a faint smirk.
"I'm Level 95."
"I carry five inscriptions."
"Energy regeneration set."
Even without a contractor—
"I can still fight."
She glanced at him again.
"You?"
"Level 48."
"Don't think about it yet."
Yuan Wu didn't respond.
He was already thinking.
System Growth
He opened his system panel.
Progress: 20%
He paused.
"…That much?"
This single battle had pushed him further than multiple previous fights combined.
A Level 100 Abyss Boss.
Three phases.
Near-death engagement.
And—
a successful binding.
His fingers twitched slightly.
"…Worth it."
The Question
After a moment of silence—
he spoke again.
"That boss."
"The last thing it said."
"They're coming."
"…Who is 'they'?"
This time—
the Iceborne Queen didn't answer immediately.
Her expression changed.
Just slightly.
"…You really don't know anything."
A quiet exhale.
"World-level Bounty Bosses."
Yuan Wu's eyes opened.
Fully.
World-Level Threats
"They're not dungeon bosses."
"They're not instances."
"They're… survivors."
Her grip on the wheel tightened slightly.
"Creatures that killed millions—and never died."
"Ranked by how many humans they've erased."
She slowed the car slightly.
Not out of fear.
Out of respect.
"The highest…"
"…over a hundred million."
Silence filled the car.
Heavy.
Yuan Wu didn't react immediately.
But internally—
something shifted.
"…Still alive?"
"Yes."
"And worse—"
"They learn."
Her voice dropped.
"They hide their boss markers."
"They become human."
"They live among us."
A pause.
Then—
"I've seen it happen."
The Story
"There was a case."
"A guard. Old man. Lived in a residential block."
"Argument with a tenant."
"…Then he transformed."
She didn't look back.
"Everyone in that building died."
Silence.
Yuan Wu glanced out the window.
At pedestrians.
At ordinary people.
Walking.
Talking.
Living.
"…Interesting."
Not fear.
Not shock.
Interest.
A Dangerous Thought
"If you kill one of those…"
"Rewards should be insane, right?"
She laughed.
Cold.
Sharp.
"You really are insane."
"Top-tier teams struggle against them."
"UR. SSR. Full squads."
"Still die."
Yuan Wu smiled faintly.
"…Good."
Return to Academy
The car stopped.
Smooth.
Controlled.
"We're here."
He stepped out, lifting Fang Yuqing carefully.
She was light.
Too light.
Before he could leave—
the Iceborne Queen spoke again.
"…Yuan Wu."
He paused.
"Join us."
"Join Han Yue."
"We can give her anything she wants."
He didn't even turn around.
"…You could give her the whole world."
"She wouldn't trade."
A short silence.
Then—
she laughed.
For real this time.
"…You're ridiculous."
"But—"
Her voice softened.
"Stay alive."
"If you ever face them…"
"Don't lose that arrogance."
He raised a hand.
Thumb up.
"Of course."
"…I'm the strongest."
"…And stop calling me Valkyrie."
"My name is Bing Po."
"…Got it."
He walked away.
Without looking back.
"Valkyrie."
The Next Day
The world exploded.
BREAKING NEWS
"Abyss Dungeon outbreak in Sichuan North District—"
"80,000 affected—"
"1,029 confirmed dead—"
Despite the tragedy—
something else spread faster.
"A Level 28 UR Spirit…"
"Played a decisive role…"
Yuan Wu.
Fang Yuqing.
Their names—
were everywhere.
Students watched in shock.
Teachers fell silent.
Media flooded the academy.
And on the stage—
Fang Yuqing stood, holding a medal she barely remembered earning.
Below—
someone watched.
Rin Yue.
Her fingers trembled.
Her teeth clenched so hard they hurt.
"That… should have been mine."
Her gaze darkened.
Twisted.
"You took it from me."
Her voice dropped into something venomous.
"…If I can't have it…"
"…neither can you."