GE Hyper Simulation launched in 2030. Developed by GL Company after twenty years of planning and a huge investment in the world’s top game-design team, SSS, it was an ultra-freeform game that brought together character creation, adventure, society, magic, mythology, and the mysteries of the universe.

In the game, players could choose from over a thousand races, and customize their appearances in countless ways. It combined leveling and adventure, group exploration, competitive matches, and a free-trade market. It even let players experience the mundane parts of real life—eating, drinking, sleeping, and the bizarre business of getting married and having children.

So, in just three days after its launch, the game had already reached one billion registered players, instantly crushing several of the most popular games of the time.

GL Company had money to burn. Even before the game launched, it began an enormous publicity campaign, promising that any coins, rare items, or equipment players earned in the game could be exchanged directly for real-world cash.

What’s more, anyone who pre-registered for the game would receive a virtual-reality helmet set developed exclusively by GL when the open beta launched. The helmet normally cost tens of thousands, but they were giving it away for free. It sent people all over the world into a frenzy—and even put government agencies on edge. Just how deep did GL Company’s pockets go? The whole world was getting swept up in it.

Three years after GE launched, in 2033, a brother and sister in an ordinary apartment were about to enter the world of GE.

“Listen, kiddo. Today we’re taking down the High Priest of the Maya Sanctuary before those self-important guilds get there. That guy’s got a level-777 divine staff—and your big brother’s had his eye on it for ages.”

You picked up the gray-black helmet. The letters GL were engraved on its side. It was the helmet she’d received when she registered for GE three years ago.

“I know, I know. But if I help you get the staff this time, you have to help me get the Sea God’s Divine Spear from the Triangular Demon Sea next time. I’ve had my eye on that weapon for ages.”

Nearby, a short-haired girl in pajamas held a gray helmet in her hands.

“OK. If this works, we should move closer to the top five in the rankings. The monthly prize money GL gives us will double, and then we can move somewhere nicer. So this time, let’s kick defeat to the curb.”

You’s eyes burned with excitement. She gave a confident thumbs-up.

“All right, all right. Let’s get in the game. The Maya ritual’s about to start, and the High Priest will be arriving soon.”

You and Nai were both ranked in the top ten in the Asian region. In GE, they were incredibly powerful players.

Mose City, in the Holy Capital, was one of the largest main cities in the GE world. The streets were packed with people, and members of every race streamed through them.

“Have you heard? I picked up a rumor at the tavern. The High Priest of the Maya Church has appeared at the end of the Dark Forest.”

“Huh, you heard that too? Apparently, the developers haven’t even registered this Boss. They say it’s a hidden super-Boss, and its level’s supposedly as high as 1,000!”

“No way. Is that for real? Even level-100 monsters have a ton of HP. A level-1,000 monster must have an absurd amount. Is it invincible or something?”

“You must be new. In GE, a high level doesn’t automatically make you strong. It depends on your reincarnation and evolution paths. And it’s not the only Boss showing up today. A few others just as powerful will appear at the same time.”

“Oh! So that’s how it works. You must be a pro. Let me cling to your coattails!”

Groups of people filled the plaza, discussing the super-Boss everyone had been talking about lately. In another five minutes, the Dark Forest would appear on the world map. When it did, a huge battle would break out there.

The Dark Forest was steeped in powerful magic left behind by an ancient Demon God. The creatures living nearby had all mutated and grown stronger.

—Dark Demon Tree, LV.98. Attack: 4,500–6,500. Talent Skill: Devour. Sub-skills: 19.

—Dark Demon Grass, LV.88. Attack: 3,200–4,200. Talent Skill: Dissolve. Sub-skills: 16.

—Dark Forest Demon Owl, LV.82. Attack: 3,300–4,250. Talent Skill: Mind Crush. Sub-skills: 12.

“Big bro, even these little monsters on the outskirts have such high stats. I’m really curious how strong the monsters in the new map are.”

A woman in a pale-blue robe with an old-fashioned design appeared there. Two pairs of fluffy fox ears grew from her long, beautiful black hair. In the real world, she was Xiao Nai; here, she belonged to the Foxfolk.

“They’re only little monsters that have reincarnated once. Their names are white-gray, so they’re no threat to us at all. Ignore them. Just use a fear skill.”

A handsome white-haired man with a pair of fluffy fox ears stood nearby in the clearing. He raised one hand slightly, releasing a powerful wave of energy from his palm. Before the waves even reached the monsters, they turned and ran for their lives.

“Hehe, true. Our levels are way too high for them. Oh, right—the High Priest should be at the altar to the southeast. Let’s hurry over.”

Nai watched the monsters flee and nodded, gesturing for You to head toward the altar.

A few of the stronger players had already arrived near the altar. A man stood atop the conspicuous altar platform, wearing a black-and-purple robe. A half-mask shaped like a demon covered his stern face, and he held a staff that radiated an ominous aura.

“That’s the Maya Church’s Boss? He looks kind of ordinary.”

Below the altar stood a gold-rank adventuring party. Every member was a powerful player who had reincarnated twice and reached level 100 or higher.

“Why not check his stats?”

“Yeah, good point. Let’s see what he’s got.”

Ding~ System alert: The target’s attributes exceed your own by one hundred times. Inspection failed.

“What the hell? He’s that strong? His stats are a hundred times higher than mine?!”

“Then what’s the point of fighting him? He’ll crush us. Let’s get out of here before he kills us and makes us lose EXP.”

“You’re right. We can’t take this guy on. Let’s go.”

After seeing the system’s results, the adventuring party grew afraid. This Boss was clearly nowhere near as weak as they’d imagined. But just then, the High Priest on the altar began waving his staff and chanting a spell in an unfamiliar language.

In an instant, beams of darkness enveloped the area. They grew thicker and thicker, then rapidly closed in on the adventurers. The beams were enormous and moved incredibly fast; before the party could even run, they were trapped inside.

“My HP’s dropping like crazy! And why can’t I move?!”

“Ah! Somebody, help me! I’m out of HP potions—I’m gonna die!”

“Hell no! I can barely keep myself alive. You expect me to save you?”

In the end, the entire adventuring party dissolved into motes of light. Party wiped out.

“Proud humans will only bring about their own destruction.”

The High Priest gazed down at the people consumed by the black light and spoke calmly.

“Whoa, big bro, this Boss seems really strong. His name’s light red—I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

You and Nai had been watching the battle from a tree not far from the altar.

“Let’s use Advanced Inspection and check him out first.”

High Priest of the Maya Church (False God), LV.1000. Reincarnated 7 times. HP: 9.7 million. MP: 33 million. Attack: 989,897–3.8 million. All attributes: 660,000. Domain: Dark Zone. Talent Skills: Foresight, Annihilation, Super Regeneration. Sub-skills: 89. Titles: God’s Herald [All attributes increased by 30%]; Leader of the Maya Church [Monsters strengthened by 20%]. Weapon: Lament, level-777 ancient divine artifact. Increases all attributes of the wielder by 30% and MP recovery by 200%. Skill: Black Light. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

“This Boss is ridiculous! He’s even stronger than the Iron Demon we surrounded last time. Just his HP and MP are insane. How is he this strong? He doesn’t play by the rules at all.”

Looking at those outrageous stats, You felt a headache coming on. This had to be the strongest Boss they’d encountered in three years.

“Big bro, if you went up there alone, you wouldn’t last thirty rounds, would you?”

Nai clicked her tongue.

“Your big brother isn’t an idiot. We’ll let those big spenders wear him down first. Oh, look—just as I said that, a group of heavy hitters showed up.”

More oddly dressed players arrived around the altar. Their leader was a knight in white-and-red armor, with a blood-red greatsword strapped to his back.

“Come on, let’s see who he is. Advanced Inspection.”

You’s eyes glowed purplish red as he activated Advanced Inspection again.

Red Lotus · Kano, LV.856. Divinity Knight. Reincarnated 7 times. HP: 5.02 million. MP: 300,000. Attack: 1–2.53 million. Talent Skills: Judgmental Red Flame, Light of Revival. Sub-skills: 78. Title: Demon Warrior [Physical and magical damage increased by 20%]. Weapon: Light of the Red Lotus (Greatsword), Epic-grade weapon. Only Demon Warriors can wield it. Physical and magical damage increased by 30%. Weapon Skill: Body of the Red Lotus. Increases all of the wielder’s attributes by 50% for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 1 day.

“Oh, it’s Red Lotus from Europe. He’s in the European top ten too. Looks like his whole guild is here, and the guild itself is also ranked in the top ten.”

You said, rubbing his chin.

“So, big bro, when do we make our move? Looks like they could fight the Boss to a standstill.”

Nai kept her eyes on the guild, which numbered dozens. Just look at their gear—not one of them was a pushover. Nearly all of them were level 500 or higher. Money really did make a difference.

“We wait. We’ll make our move when the time’s right. And we need to check whether there are any other hunters like us nearby.”

You scanned the area. They were hidden at the moment, but finding other powerful players who were hidden wasn’t easy.

As time passed, Kano and the High Priest fought to a standstill, both sides taking heavy losses. Only three members of Kano’s guild remained, and the High Priest was down to one million HP.

“Get ready to move. I’ve been scanning the area for a while, and there don’t seem to be any other heavy hitters nearby. They’ve probably gone after the other Bosses.”

You put away the scanner and took off his concealment gear, then started toward the High Priest. Just then, a delicate little hand caught hold of the hem of his cotton coat.

“Bro, wait a little longer. I’ve got a feeling this BOSS still has another trick up his sleeve. Let Kano put on a bit more of a show first.”

Nai wasn’t nearly as worked up as his older brother You. The High Priest wasn’t going to drop his own gear, so there wasn’t much to get excited about. All Nai wanted now was to play it safe.

“Mm, all right!”

Just as Nai had expected, when the High Priest was down to 500K HP, he tossed his staff high into the air and chanted a spell. In an instant, his HP and MP began to convert. He split 3.5 million of his remaining 7 million MP and added it to his HP. At the same time, a dark domain opened around them, enveloping Kano and his group.

After unleashing several powerful attack skills in a row, Kano was nearly out of MP, and his HP had fallen to just 250K.

“Damn it! This whole area is covered by that guy’s domain effect. Healing potions are useless!”

Kano desperately chugged a potion, but it had no effect. The only two teammates still at his side were nearly finished, too.

“Guildmaster Kano, we can’t beat him. That guy’s already recovering HP. We should retreat.”

“Yeah, Big Bro Kano, we’ve already used all our trump cards. It’s a shame, but we should still retreat.”

But Kano had no intention of leaving. He’d spent a fortune getting this BOSS into this state. How could he just give up?

“Hello there! You look exhausted, so why don’t we take over from here?”

The newcomers were You and Nai. The timing was right, and it was time for them to swoop in and claim the spoils.

“Who are you? You think you can steal gear from me, Kano? You got a death wish?”

Kano looked at the newcomers. One was a handsome man in a white padded coat, holding a black-ink-colored paper fan. The other was a cool, beautiful woman in a pale blue robe, holding a red spear. Both had a pair of fox ears on their heads.

“Guildmaster Kano, they seem to be two of the top ten players in the Asian region.”

A short, old-man-looking man leaned in close to Kano and spoke.

“Huh? Top ten? Let me take a look. Advanced Inspection.”

Kano’s eyes turned dark red, and a block of information appeared before him.

—You, Lv. 902, Holy Spirit Fox (Pseudo-God), Reincarnated 7 times. HP: 4.78M. MP: 22.3M. Attack: 1.35–2.98M. Innate Skills: Afterlife, Void Annihilation, Hun Dun Law. Domain: Holy Light Domain. Title: Holy Spirit—Increases all attributes by 30%. Sub-skills: 77. Weapon: Munong Paper Fan [Epic Weapon; increases the user’s all attributes by 22%]. Additional Skills: None. Ranked 6th in the Asian region.

—Nai, Lv. 902, Moon Spirit Fox (Pseudo-God), Reincarnated 7 times. HP: 5.08M. MP: 15.6M. Attack: 1.68–3.05M. Innate Skills: Heavenfall, Rashomon, Godslaying Law. Domain: Iceflame Domain. Title: Lord of Ice and Flame—increases physical/magic attack by 30%. Sub-skills: 72. Weapon: Hanxue Demon Spear [Epic Weapon; increases the user’s physical/magic attack by 33%]. Additional Skills: None. Ranked 7th in the Asian region.

—You think you can take what belongs to me, Kano, just like that?

Kano stared at You and Nai, his resolve undiminished. He gripped his greatsword tightly and stepped forward.

“Guildmaster, that’s the spirit! Even if we lose EXP, let’s take them on!”

“That’s right, Guildmaster! The guys back in the main city know what’s happening here. They all say they’re with you!”

Kano and his group showed no sign of backing down.

You could only shake his head at the sight. He’d been planning to tell them that since they’d done most of the work, they could have everything else after he took the Divine weapon. But they didn’t seem to understand the situation.

“Heavenfall!”

A thunderous rumble shook the sky. Everyone looked up to see a massive meteor hurtling down, striking the area with unerring accuracy. A moment later, everything around the altar had been destroyed by the impact—everything except the altar itself, including Kano and his remaining teammates.

“Nai, could you tell me before you use a skill next time? You nearly crushed your own brother to death.”

You bent down and brushed the dust off himself as he spoke.

Nai looked at You’s thoroughly annoyed face. “What are you worried about, Bro? You’re practically indestructible. Let’s deal with the High Priest now and get that Divine weapon.”

“All of this is the will of God.”

In the end, with his HP completely depleted, the High Priest’s body slowly began to scatter into flecks of light.

“Heh!”

“The Divine weapon is ours!”

The Divine weapon floated in midair, having slipped from the High Priest’s grasp. You and Nai hurried forward, and just as You’s hand reached the weapon—

Bzzzt, bzzzt~

“Aaaah!”

You and Nai cried out in pain. Their bodies convulsed as if they’d been electrocuted, then, moments later, they disintegrated into glowing dust.