"Be careful."
As they ventured into a suffocatingly oppressive area, the Abyssal Aura gradually coalesced, eventually forming a humanoid figure. Seeing this, Nahida's expression turned grave, and she assumed a combat stance.
"Is that... Sister Lumina?" March 7th exclaimed.
Upon witnessing this, March 7th and the others also steeled their spirits, drew their weapons, and prepared for battle.
Only the "Great Terror," Lumina herself, flinched at the sight of the Abyss-spawned doppelganger. She quickly hid behind March 7th and the others.
March 7th stared in stunned disbelief at the Abyssal Avatar.
Not Sister Lumina again!
Abyss, you're milking this one sheep dry! Can't you find someone else to target?
If you keep shearing her like this, Sister Lumina's going to go bald!
"The Abyss extracts memories from the Leylines to create imitations of the most powerful beings," Nahida explained. "The stronger the Abyssal Creature, the more potent the being it can simulate based on the Leyline's memories."
"As the Abyss's most formidable Main Body, its imitation naturally targets the Leyline's most powerful entity."
"Hmm... Without a doubt, the most powerful being within Sumeru's Leyline is Lumina herself."
As the Abyssal Creature continued to coalesce, Nahida took the opportunity to explain March 7th's lingering doubts.
Sensing the figure's gradually intensifying aura, Nahida spoke: "We don't know how much of Lumina's combat power the Abyss can replicate—whether it will be stronger or weaker remains unclear. But we absolutely cannot afford to stand idly by and wait for it to fully manifest."
Nahida's gaze remained fixed on the slowly solidifying silhouette, her expression solemn as if awaiting a crucial moment.
"Listen carefully," she instructed. "When its power converges to a critical point, we'll strike with all our might to interrupt the process."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded solemnly, except for "Great Terror" Lumina herself.
They all understood the true extent of their own Sister Lumina's strength...
Moreover, considering Lumina's past actions, if this Abyss-manifested version were any weaker than her true self, she wouldn't have allowed the Abyss to linger unresolved for so long...
Therefore, the Lumina simulated by the Abyss would undoubtedly possess power nearly on par with her true self.
Hmm... Defeating Lumina seems to be manifesting in an unexpected way.
"Now's our chance! Attack!"
Moments later, Nahida seized an excellent opportunity, letting out a soft shout before charging forward, with Little Swarm close behind.
Seeing this, March 7th and Stelle didn't hesitate either. Channeling the power within their rings, they unleashed their full might upon the Abyss-manifested figure.
Time froze at that moment. The scene shattered, and battle erupted.
"Another two lives? This is getting nauseating," Little Bear muttered in the live stream back in the real world, staring at the two health bars above the figure's head.
Since arriving in the mountains behind Sumeru City, Little Bear had lost count of how many times they'd fought Lumina.
As a boss with frustrating mechanics, Lumina was designed to test players' patience. And the fact that they had to fight her so many times? Infuriating!
If defeating Lumina could turn her into a loot drop, they wouldn't mind fighting her a hundred times... But these weren't even the real Lumina.
Little Bear internally sighed, already at a loss for words on how to even begin roasting this.
But wait a minute... he mused. This "Abyssal Creature can manifest the strongest individual based on the Leyline's memories" line sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?
He pondered, racking his brain. I'm sure I've heard this somewhere before...
[We're fighting Lumina, but it's never really Lumina. (Facepalm)]
[Even though Lumina disappeared for a while, it feels like she's been right beside us all along.]
[Abyssal Creature? Leyline memories? Manifest the strongest? Hiss... Guys, did I just suddenly gain a random memory?]
[Damn, Lumina must have invaded the Third Dimension and implanted fake memories into everyone's brains!]
[With that kind of imagination, why are you wasting time watching live streams and playing games? Go write a novel and bless the web novel readers!]
The live stream audience was too exhausted to comment further on having to fight "Lumina" again. Just fight already. It's not like we're the ones doing the fighting anyway.
"Hmph, you'll have to fight sooner or later unless you abandon the Main Story," Little Bear snorted, maneuvering his character to attack while glaring at the gawking spectators.
If you don't fight now, do you think you can avoid it forever?
If this were a side quest, you could skip it if you wanted. But this is the Main Story! Unless you want to quit the game or abandon future Main Story content, you can't escape it no matter how long you wait. You'll have to grit your teeth and finish it eventually!
[Hey, bet you didn't see this coming! We can just hire someone else to grind for us.]
[Hey, bet you didn't see this coming! We can just die a few times and skip the Boss fight! (laughs)]
[Little Bear, as a public figure, you wouldn't want to be associated with...]
[Still struggling with Boss Lumina? Still getting pummeled by her? Being beaten by a girl—a virtual character, no less—can you really swallow that humiliation?]
[Don't you want to grind the haughty, invincible Boss Lumina into the dirt and give her a thorough beatdown?]
[Then this brand-new, high-tech Lumina doujinshi—three years in the making—will fulfill your every desire, allowing you to finally prove your manhood!]
[Not 998! Not 888! Just 2999! Strike while the iron's hot!]
[Holy crap! You spent 2,000 yuan on a featured comment for this?!]
As a crimson-red featured comment pinned to the top of the comment section, the entire live stream erupted in a frenzy.
[Seriously, man? Selling doujinshi is that profitable? You're just throwing 2,000 yuan at advertising?]
Seeing the Doujinshi Seller's extravagant featured comment, some viewers in the live stream began to get restless.
[Hmm... not restless for Lumina's doujinshi, but rather for whether the Doujinshi Seller was hiring.]
[If he can afford to drop 2,000 yuan on a single ad, he must be making bank, right?]
[But then again, are there really that many suckers falling for this?]
"Wow, dude, you could've spent those 2,000 yuan on anything, but you chose to promote Lumina doujinshi in my live stream?" Even Little Bear himself was baffled by the Doujinshi Seller's audacity, hesitating to kick him out immediately.
Are Lumina doujinshi sellers really making this much money these days?
A glint of shrewdness flickered in Little Bear's eyes, and a devious idea began to form in his mind.
As Little Bear controlled his in-game character, attacking enemies, he secretly switched to his alternate account and entered his own live stream to send a message to the Doujinshi Seller, who had paid two thousand yuan for advertising:
[ Great Power: ] Hey bro, can you show me a few snippets first? If they look good, I'll place an order right away.
After a moment's hesitation, Little Bear sent a generous greeting.
Just as Little Bear expected the seller to send at least a few sample images for verification, the Doujinshi Seller sent back a lengthy automated reply:
[ Lumina is my Wife: ] Get lost, you pathetic creature driven by your lower instincts! Take a look in the mirror—what do you think you are? Daring to fantasize about the Saintess's doujinshi? Do you think you're worthy to defile our great, pure, and Immaculate Saintess? I spent two thousand yuan just to bait scum like you! You want to see the doujinshi? I'll show you my , , *****, **! Remember this: next time you see a Lumina simp, kneel, bow your head, admit your sins, and take a detour. Got it?
Little Bear: ...
Stunned by the slightly venomous reply, Little Bear froze, instantly falling silent.
Holy carp, what a master baiter...
After a moment, Little Bear snapped out of his daze, his eyes filled with conflicted emotions as he typed a message and sent it:
[ Great Power: ] Brother, could you tone down the aggression? Curious people are bound to check this out, and getting cursed out like that isn't exactly welcoming, is it?
(You have been blocked by this account.)
Little Bear: ...
Damn it!
Little Bear was truly defeated. Even though he admitted he'd started the trouble, ignoring a hundred facts didn't absolve the other guy of his own faults.
Seething with frustration, Little Bear couldn't share his humiliation. How could he possibly talk about such a thing...? Instead, he channeled his anger into the game, venting his rage on the Abyssal Manifestation: Lumina.
"Heh heh heh... Time to die obediently!" Little Bear sneered at the screen as the Abyssal Avatar: Lumina entered its second phase, unleashing a villainous laugh that dripped with malice.
[?]
Hearing this, question marks immediately flooded the comment section. Anyone unfamiliar with the context might have mistaken the Abyss for the heroes of this story...
After Little Bear defeated Phase 2 of the Abyssal Avatar: Lumina, the game transitioned into another cutscene.
In the cutscene, Nahida and her companions launched a full-force assault on the Abyssal Avatar. Their attacks merged seamlessly, creating a synergistic strike that dealt far more damage than the sum of its parts, leaving the Avatar severely wounded.
The group exchanged triumphant glances, believing this Abyssal Manifestation of Lumina to be easily defeated. However, the Avatar's regeneration intensified, accelerating its recovery. Within moments, its battered form had completely restored itself.
"It seems this manifested entity is nearly as formidable as Lumina herself..."
Seeing the Avatar instantly recover from their combined assault, Nahida realized the truth. If Lumina herself didn't arrive soon, none of them—except Nahida herself—could endure much longer.
"You all must leave immediately. I'll hold it here. Go find Lumina herself."
Nahida pressed her lips into a firm line, her jade-green eyes burning with unprecedented determination.
The Lumina fully transformed by Abyssal Power was far beyond the capabilities of Pseudo-Emanators and time-limited Emanators. Rather than stay here and get beaten up alongside Nahida, they'd be better off searching for where Lumina herself had vanished.
Rumble...
Just as Nahida finished speaking, before March 7th and the others could respond, the Abyssal Manifestation of Lumina had fully materialized.
"Heh ha ha ha ha..."
The Abyssal Lumina, clad in stark white robes that clashed violently with the surroundings, flashed a smile—exquisitely beautiful yet eerily unnatural.
"Run!" Nahida's pupils constricted as she shouted urgently, urging March 7th and the others to flee immediately.
The power radiating from the Abyssal Lumina far exceeded her expectations. The nearly overwhelming suppression emanating from it meant that even Nahida, as an Emanator, stood no chance against it.
"Relax, none of you are escaping," the Abyssal Lumina said with a faint smile. With a delicate flick of its little finger, the life-saving green orbs floating around March 7th and the others flickered and went dark, their protective functions nullified.
"!" Seeing this, Nahida stared at the Abyssal Lumina in horror. She had never imagined that it could completely nullify her power!
"Heh heh heh, that expression of yours is simply adorable."
Abyssal Lumina, his eyes gleaming with desire as he gazed at Nahida's cute expression, licked his lips.
His body suddenly blurred into a phantom, instantly appearing behind Nahida. Crouching down, he wrapped his arms around her, his hand caressing her smooth, lovely cheek.
Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the aura emanating from Nahida, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Don't worry, Nahida. I won't kill you."
"I'll assimilate you into the Abyss. Then you'll become my little sister~"
"Get lost!" Sensing the presence behind her and the snow-white fingers stroking her cheek, Nahida instantly bristled. Abandoning all pretense of politeness, she unleashed a Superposition Magic spell at the figure behind her.
Boom!
The attack Nahida unleashed was devastating, nearly dispersing the Abyssal Aura swirling around them.
"Ha ha... ha ha..."
Casting such a near-instant Superposition Magic spell had drained a significant amount of mana. Nahida panted heavily, focusing on regulating her body's energy flow, her eyes filled with vigilance.
"It seems my dear little sister is going through her rebellious phase," Abyssal Lumina remarked, observing Nahida's expression. He sighed and shook his head, feigning helplessness in the face of Nahida's defiance.
"But no matter. Sister will teach you properly." Abyssal Lumina covered his mouth and chuckled, his manner sickening Nahida, March 7th, and the others.
"March 7th, Stelle, Little Swarm," Nahida transmitted telepathically, glancing at the "Great Terror" Lumina, "I'll hold it off for now. Get Little Lumina and run!"
"I've already told you—today, none of you are leaving here alive."
Despite Nahida's efforts to reinforce the privacy of her telepathic message using her Emanator powers, Abyssal Lumina overheard it.
Abyssal Lumina ascended into the air, unleashing the full force of Abyssal Power, which enveloped the entire area, sealing off all entrances and exits.
The scene froze there, the screen shattered, and the battle began.
"Three pips!" In the real world, Little Bear sat up straight in the live stream room, his eyes glued to the screen. He noticed the three pips above Abyssal Lumina's health bar, each representing a phase of the battle.
"Finally, the final boss fight is starting!"