Sheng Sheng and her teammates stared at each other, four faces full of confusion—Ling Yu remained poker-faced as always.
They hesitated for a moment, about to discuss what was going on, when the [World Chat] was already scrolling at breakneck speed.
—First came the usual wave of "?"
Then the heated debate exploded.
"Purple gear??? Am I blind???"
"You're blind, I'm blind—everyone got blinded. Hahahahaha! The whole world is blind, great. (lights a cigarette, world-weary)"
"I don't believe it! Why the hell? This world is so unfair—I'm still using white-grade gear and someone's already got purple!?"
"I don't even have white-grade gear! This game is clearly targeting me. Reporting it."
"No—am I the only one curious where this purple came from? And it's a purple weapon. Probably the first one in the game, no wonder it got a server-wide announcement."
"It definitely didn't drop from trash mobs. With this game's open-world drop rates, I've been wanting to report them for false advertising. Feels like I'm playing a fake game—like all my grinding happened in a dream."
"If not trash mobs… then an open-world boss?"
"You've played for so long—have you ever even seen an open-world boss in this game?! I swear all the bosses are shut-ins."
"Why aren't you guessing the dungeon? The dungeon just opened—purple weapon drops there makes the most sense."
"Exactly because it just opened, it makes no sense. To drop a purple weapon it'd have to be a boss-tier mob. Can players even beat that dungeon boss right now?"
"Brothers! Forget where it dropped—I just realized this purple weapon isn't bound!"
"?"
"???"
"Gentlemen, I have a bold idea…"
...
Ling Xingxing: "…Uncle, I also have a bold idea."
Ling Xingxing then got punched by his uncle again and retreated to the corner.
Watching the "bold ideas" fly by, Sheng Sheng's head started to ache.
She said sincerely, "Bind it. Hurry. Otherwise the moment you step out of the dungeon entrance, you'll get camp-killed until you're stripped clean."
Never overestimate the average player's decency—when top-tier gear is on the line, reason and kindness do not exist.
Camping Ling Yu at the dungeon entrance? Plenty of players would absolutely do it.
Players: You farm the boss, we farm you. Perfectly reasonable.
Ling Yu: "…I should be able to run."
Even as he said that, he bound the new purple weapon.
—In this game, after you pick up gear, you can choose to bind it or not. Bound gear doesn't lose durability. Unbound gear can be traded anytime. Each has its pros and cons.
Hearing him say "I can run," Sheng Sheng's headache got worse.
"Sure, you can run once. But every time?" Sheng Sheng explained the world's cruelty to her inexperienced teammates. "Believe it or not, they can camp you once, they'll camp you every time they see you."
Once that starts, the chase never ends.
In the original story, Tang Wanwan wasn't the first to get a purple weapon, so there was nothing to reference.
Sheng Sheng rubbed her forehead, muttering as she thought, "We need a one-and-done solution."
Ling Yu, Qi Chuzhou, and even Sheng Qing had all said it was their first time playing, so the captain couldn't count on them here.
Ling Xingxing popped out from the corner and offered enthusiastically, "Then we just bind everything we get!"
Sheng Sheng shoved him away in disgust. "Nonsense! If you get duplicate weapons, you're binding those too?"
Sheng Sheng—already living on the edge of penny-pinching—thought: Do you know how much money that would cost me?!
With no solution in sight, Sheng Sheng stayed deeply worried…
…and continued clearing the dungeon while deeply worried.
----------------------
This dungeon's building felt like a massive ancient castle. After leaving the first boss room, they passed through another corridor before reaching the next checkpoint.
This corridor had nothing weird along the way. There were several heavy doors, but all were tightly shut, impossible to open.
How did they know they couldn't open them?
Because Ling Xingxing—nineteen years old and an absolute menace—went and pushed on every single one.
Even after being punched and apologizing pitifully, the moment he saw another door, his hands got itchy again.
Sheng Sheng: Maybe this is what "quick to admit fault, never to repent" looks like.
After walking four or five hundred meters, they arrived at a room.
A room that looked completely out of place.
If all the previous corridors and rooms were weather-beaten old women worn by time, this one was a young bride-to-be—
—dressed to the nines, radiant and in full bloom.
Ling Xingxing said in amazement, "So this is the legendary girl's room?"
Sheng Sheng: "…No. This is a rich girl's room."
Sheng Sheng: Girls from the slums don't deserve this.
Lacy ornaments everywhere, a luxurious European-style bed, cute plush dolls, and glittering jewelry on the vanity—
—a princess bedroom, the kind every little girl once dreamed of.
Sheng Sheng and Sheng Qing couldn't help looking a little longer.
Fortunately, the three men in the team felt nothing at all about the lavish décor.
Ling Xingxing scratched his head. "Aren't we running a dungeon? Where's the monster?"
Qi Chuzhou adjusted his glasses. "This should be an illusion. Break it, and the monster appears."
Ling Yu was concise. "Hit where?"
Sheng Sheng: "..."
Sheng Qing: "..."
Their beautiful fantasy got stabbed to death with no mercy.
Sheng Sheng's teeth ached, but she still gave a hint. "Probably the most carefully arranged spot. If that doesn't work, just clear the whole room."
The most refined décor is what the owner loves most—smash it, and they'll come out furious.
The reasoning was sound.
—In the original story, the party looted the room, and the illusion vanished.
Of course, Sheng Sheng couldn't say that out loud. She could only summarize and frame it as a hypothesis.
Turns out, the hypothesis was correct.
They shattered the vanity—Sheng Sheng did that.
They collapsed the luxurious bed—Sheng Qing did that.
And when they finally tore the ornate lace to shreds—Ling Yu and the others worked together.
The illusion began to dissipate.
The scenery cracked like a mirror, breaking into pieces that fell and turned into starlike points of light, fading away.
It was almost beautiful.
—If a boss hadn't been right behind it, Sheng Sheng would've admired it a bit longer.
The second boss—affectionately dubbed "Boss Two" by players—
[Fallen Night Elf — Tristali].
Priests, elves—people associate them with light and purity. But this night elf lived up to "fallen." Aside from her silver hair and blood-red eyes, everything else was pitch black.
Sheng Sheng: Fallen. So fallen.
The night elf glared at the players, roaring, "Invaders who ruined my dream shall suffer the cruelest punishment!"
And then…
And then there was no then. Dungeon bosses don't do conversation trees.
If you don't agree, you fight.
Sheng Sheng said, "These types are usually high damage, high speed, low HP. Warrior, watch your defense!"
Tristali's body was—unfairly perfect: a narrow waist, long legs, and an impressive chest.
No extra fat made her movements lightning-fast. Her fingers ended in razor claws over ten centimeters long. Sheng Qing took a graze while holding aggro and immediately lost ninety percent of her HP.
Sheng Qing shouted, "This one hits even harder than the last boss, but its defense is lower!"
Sheng Sheng said with a perfectly straight face, "Boss One was all muscle. Boss Two has skinny arms and legs—low defense makes sense."
----------------------
The early phase was still manageable, and the boss's HP dropped steadily.
But Qi Chuzhou had a hard time keeping up with healing.
The boss was squishy, and Sheng Qing wasn't exactly a tank either.
And because the boss was so fast, Sheng Qing's agility stats couldn't fully support some of her martial-arts movements—so she had to eat certain hits.
Her HP bar rode a roller coaster: 90% one second, 10% the next.
Sheng Qing felt nothing and fought fiercely. Qi Chuzhou, however, looked like he was about to develop heart disease on the spot.
Before long, the boss hit half HP…
Sheng Sheng: "Careful—possible enrage! Warrior and healer, focus!"
Sheng Qing and Qi Chuzhou immediately locked in.
It didn't matter.
There's a saying: brute force beats ten tricks.
When faced with absolute power, technique means nothing.
After enraging, Tristali didn't use anything fancy—she simply doubled her attack and agility in an instant.
Sheng Qing yelled, "Can't hold it!"
The moment the speed doubled, she was caught off guard. She managed one partial block—
—but a claw tip still got through.
From full HP to a sliver.
Qi Chuzhou healed her back to full.
But this boss was smarter than the "werewolf." She feinted and struck again.
Sheng Qing: "…I'm done."
She couldn't dodge this. She could only block—and with doubled strength, even the shock would leave her near-dead.
That's exactly what happened.
One exchange shaved off ninety-five percent of her HP. Qi Chuzhou's skill was still on cooldown. If the boss followed with another hit—
Sheng Qing immediately turned to run.
The only option was to buy time—drag it out until Qi Chuzhou's cooldown returned.
But after two steps—
A beam of white light descended on her. Her HP shot up to eighty percent.
Sheng Qing froze, stared at her HP bar, then at her boyfriend.
Qi Chuzhou looked even more confused than she did.
Sheng Sheng shouted, "Standing there spacing out—trying to fall in love with the boss?! Keep fighting!"
Seeing the claws already coming for her head, Sheng Qing didn't dare daydream. She raised her sword and held the line.
----------------------
The enrage didn't last long. About a minute later, the boss returned to her original speed and damage.
Everyone exhaled while continuing to DPS and steady themselves.
No one rides a roller coaster without their heart pounding.
And everyone knew they'd be taking that ride again soon.
The boss's HP dropped to the last 1,000.
She roared, eyes deepening red—
—another enrage.
This time, everyone was ready.
Especially Sheng Qing.
From racing heartbeat to calm composure—because every time her HP bottomed out while Qi Chuzhou was on cooldown, a timely Heal would lift her back from the brink.
The last 1,000 HP didn't last long—
before the enrage even ended, the boss collapsed unwillingly.
As before, Tristali dissolved into black ash, leaving behind a golden chest.
But again, no one opened it right away.
They all looked at Sheng Sheng.
Sheng Qing: "I forgot—Boss, you're a healer too!"
Qi Chuzhou: "Captain's healing output is very high."
Ling Yu: "She's been treating herself like DPS."
Ling Xingxing: "Healer? What healer?"
Ling Xingxing got punched again.
Sheng Qing and Qi Chuzhou both looked at Ling Yu.
Ling Yu: "..."
Sheng Sheng sighed. "Why are you looking at him? My best friend knows nothing."
Their eyes snapped back to her, brimming with curiosity.
"I'm a hidden class. The forum already spread it everywhere," Sheng Sheng said. "My stat build isn't like normal priests. You can basically treat me as a lightning mage."
Her healing keeping up with Qi Chuzhou was entirely thanks to her set bonus.
Set Effect: [Diana's Blessing] — Healing +20%, Cast Speed +20%
Sheng Sheng: I'm basically a mage in healer's clothing.
Sheng Qing tapped her palm thoughtfully. "Boss, you're a battle-healer hybrid!"
Sheng Sheng: "..."
----------------------
This time, Sheng Qing got punched too.
No longer the only one getting punched, Ling Xingxing was satisfied. He once again carried everyone's hopes and went to open the chest.
The lid flipped up—golden light flashed again.
Sheng Sheng leaned in and gasped. "Another purple item?"
It was a piece of purple armor.
Item: Traveler's Armor (Purple)
Requirement: Level 15
Class: Warrior
CON +27, DEF +50
Effect: When taking fatal damage, chance to reduce that hit's damage by 50%.
Description: Armor that only appears in the Dissolution Secret Realm. Before the master fell to darkness, the Traveler set was his proudest work.
A truly top-tier piece.
Only Sheng Qing could use it. She happily looted and equipped it on the spot.
The armor, which looked heavy at first, resized to fit snugly, becoming refined and compact.
"Nice," Sheng Qing said. "Won't restrict my movement."
Besides the armor, there was one more item in the chest.
Sheng Sheng picked it up. "A treasure map?"
Item: Unknown Treasure Map Fragment (III)
Property: Records the location of a treasure.
Description: Too badly damaged and missing key parts—the text and images can no longer be identified. If you find a restoration master, it may be repairable.
...
After reading that, Sheng Qing and the others immediately lost interest and wandered off.
Broken, needs a master whose location is unknown—better to run the dungeon again instead.
They waved it off. "Captain, you keep it. Don't be polite."
Sheng Sheng: "…You're all way too nice to me."
Even while grumbling, she stored the fragment.
Years of gaming taught her: there are no useless items—only players who don't know how to use them.
Sheng Qing suddenly said, "Boss, [World Chat] is going wild. They say they're going to form teams to ambush us."
Sheng Sheng: "..."
When Sheng Qing looted the armor, the [System] naturally issued another announcement.
So [World Chat] erupted again.
"We got another purple drop! Did someone stab a purple nest today?"
"I know that [Three Years Gaokao]. She's in the same party as that assassin from earlier—I saw them at the dungeon entrance!"
"Me too! They were so low level I looked twice. Never thought I'd see them again like this."
"You're still a white-grade newbie, and they're already big shots holding purple?"
"So what! It's purple armor, not a purple weapon!"
"Keep talking—your tears are dripping out the corner of your mouth."
"Stop derailing. I just want to know if they really got purple drops from the dungeon."
"Isn't it obvious? You think it was an open-world boss?"
An open-world boss dropping a purple weapon, then half an hour later another purple piece… Are those bosses home-raised, lined up like livestock for them to harvest?
The channel fell into a strange silence.
After a while, someone spoke weakly: "So… two purples in a row… does that mean the dungeon bosses are home-raised and lined up for them to kill?"
And the channel exploded again.
"Shut up! Why would you say the truth out loud?! Are you their spy?!"
"I just want to know how far they've gotten."
"Boss One is definitely down…"
"I'm not smoking. I'm forming a squad to ambush them!"
"Wow, robbery and murder? Add me."
"+2"
"Add your ID number."
"Ambush my ass—I'm going to wait for a strategy guide. Stop being so dark-minded!"
...
Sheng Sheng said, "They've got imagination."
Sheng Qing giggled. "Boss, what do we do?"
Sheng Sheng glanced at her, closed [World Chat], and said, "We deal with it later. For now, clear the dungeon."
Before they cleared it, every plan was just hot air.
----------------------
They rested in place.
Recovered mana, topped up HP, then moved to the next checkpoint.
Another long corridor, similar to the last.
But at the end of this one was a…
"Lab?" Sheng Qing said, leading the front.
"What the hell is this?!" Sheng Qing suddenly shouted in anger.
Everyone's heart jumped. They hurried forward.
Soon, they all saw the scene inside the "laboratory."
The room was about the same size as the "library," but instead of shelves, it held experimental apparatus and notebooks. The most striking thing was the experiment table in the center.
The table was about two meters long and wide—
and horrifyingly, a goblin was strapped to it.
It was still alive, but barely. Its skull was opened, and a humanoid monster in a wizard's robe with long goat horns seemed to be stuffing something into its brain.
Ling Xingxing: "That's too cruel!"
Sheng Qing gripped her greatsword. "Can we start the fight?"
Sheng Sheng sighed. "Yeah. Fight."
It was just a cutscene, and the key parts were censored, but seeing it unexpectedly could still hit people hard.
Sheng Sheng had read the original story and was prepared, so she stayed calm.
Ling Yu and Qi Chuzhou were rational as well—silent, weapons ready. Just fight.
----------------------
As soon as they stepped in, the scene shattered and vanished. According to the game, it was an illusion formed from the lingering obsession of the wronged souls here.
Sheng Sheng: All that flair—basically just a cutscene.
With the fake image gone, what remained was the final boss of the dungeon—
[Dark Warlock — Britzvia].
The Dark Warlock was "small," barely a meter tall. A goat head with horns, humanlike limbs, a staff in one hand and a crystal ball in the other—clearly a caster boss.
[Dark Warlock — Britzvia]: "A group of humans has barged in—how wonderful! I just happen to need a test subject today. Which human will be lucky enough to—"
"Lucky my ass!" Sheng Qing charged and cleaved down without mercy.
The "dark warlock" didn't finish the sentence before it was slammed to the floor.
TL: If you want to read ahead by at least ten chapters, patreon.com/EdibleMapleSyrup