After that, Filine no longer objected and led the group toward the top of the tower, to the place where the Flame Dragon was sealed.
On the way, Olgis reached out and tugged lightly at Duanmu Huai's sleeve.
"Master, what did she mean just now?"
"Hm?"
"Why did she say she doesn't know what to do?"
"That's normal. If someone has been doing the same thing for a long time, when it ends, they'll feel a little lost. For example, if one day I told you that you don't need to follow me anymore, that you could go and do whatever you wanted—what would your first reaction be? What is it you'd want to do?"
"Not follow Master anymore?"
Hearing Duanmu Huai's question, Olgis froze for a moment, then slowly shook her head.
"I don't know..."
"That's normal."
Seeing her expression, Duanmu Huai reached out and patted her head.
"Everyone feels that way. But don't worry, you can walk step by step, keep moving forward. Do whatever you want to do, and maybe one day, you'll find it."
At this, Duanmu Huai sighed softly. To him, the words carried a lot of weight.
Back when he graduated from university, Duanmu Huai had wanted to stay on as faculty. But to be honest, while his grades were decent, they weren't top-tier. So, he had to graduate and start looking for a job—and unsurprisingly, that wasn't easy. Even if someone glanced at his résumé, the interview would end with them nearly collapsing from fright.
He figured, with his physique and strength, working construction should be fine. But after only a few months, he was let go. The company was state-run, and when Duanmu Huai walked around the site with a hard hat on, people thought some shady gang-backed outfit had muscled in. The rumors got so bad that management fired him just to avoid "negative influence."
Later, he was introduced to a "big boss" to work as a bodyguard. The man had connections in both black and white circles, and everyone thought Duanmu Huai looked perfect for the role. But the moment the boss saw him, he shook his head like a rattle drum. According to him, their line of work required being discreet. Sure, bodyguards could be strong—but not so terrifying. Otherwise, who else would the police stop on the street if not him?
So instead, the boss referred him to a residential community as a security guard—saying he'd be good at scaring off trouble.
And indeed, the crime rate in the neighborhood dropped noticeably after he started. But at the same time, the number of residents suffering from hypertension and heart problems skyrocketed. After a couple of months, the property management had no choice but to fire him. Otherwise, when the residents came complaining that Duanmu Huai's face had scared their elderly father into a heart attack, no amount of denying would make it sound like anything other than a shakedown.
After that, he stayed home for two months before deciding to job-hunt again. This time, he went to a film studio, thinking that with his looks, he could make it as a specialty actor.
Sure enough, a director took one look at him and immediately cast him in a supporting role—as a gang boss. It wasn't a lead, but better than being a nameless extra.
The only issue was that all the actors who had lines with him turned pale as a sheet. Even those playing cops looked like they were begging for mercy.
In the end, the whole thing fell through.
The reason was simple: the movie couldn't be released. The director inquired and was told that the gang boss Duanmu Huai played was too terrifying. Even abroad, it would've been rated 18+ minimum. Domestically, there was no chance it would pass. The director had no choice but to cut all of Duanmu Huai's scenes.
And so, Duanmu Huai was unemployed again.
Still, after that experience, he felt there was potential for him in showbiz. Around that time, livestreaming was blowing up online. He thought, with his physique and appearance, even a fitness stream should draw viewers. Surely he'd be more appealing than those effeminate pretty boys.
And at first, he was right. Just after he started streaming, plenty of viewers joined in. But right as he was dreaming of becoming a streaming star, his channel was suddenly banned.
He couldn't understand it. He was just doing fitness—no theft, no crimes, no violations. Why ban him?
When he went to ask, the poor customer service rep, nearly paralyzed with fear, explained through tears: the viewers themselves didn't mind him, but parents had lodged countless complaints. They said watching someone like him on stream made them worry their kids were going down some dark, evil path. One even told of a grandfather out walking who glanced at his grandson's phone, saw Duanmu Huai's live stream, and keeled over on the spot.
Fortunately, the old man was saved in time, but otherwise, who would've taken responsibility?
Feeling helpless and dejected, Duanmu Huai decided to work on a deep-sea fishing boat. But even there, the captain refused him, worried that once they reached open waters, Duanmu Huai might massacre the crew and seize the ship.
It was around then that Duanmu Huai remembered something from university: some people earned money playing online games, farming gold, or power-leveling accounts. It paid, and best of all, no human interaction was required—everything was handled online. Just as he thought of this, Star Sea Online launched, the first true VR game. Hugely popular, it gave him the perfect chance. So, he bought a rig and joined the player base.
Fortunately, even though he had only worked for under two years—and each job lasted just a few months—no one had ever withheld his pay. On the contrary, every employer had insisted on paying him a year's wages in advance before letting him go. In other words, Duanmu Huai had always managed to work a few months and earn a year's salary.
With bonuses, too.
So he was never really short of money. And from then on… well, he was hooked. Until now.
As the saying goes, heaven never truly blocks all paths.
"So, as long as you keep searching, you'll find something in the end."
Duanmu Huai pulled himself out of his thoughts and spoke to Olgis, who nodded thoughtfully and said no more.
Soon, under Filine's lead, the group reached the very top of the tower. Like the lower levels, it was sealed under thick layers of ice. Through the frost, a vague dark shadow could be seen—the Flame Dragon.
Most seals keep monsters underground. You lot sealed yours up in the sky. What kind of brainwave was that?
Duanmu Huai had originally wanted to kill the Flame Dragon while it was still sealed. But the little fairy beside Filine explained that the ice was sustained by Filine's magic and life force. If he broke the ice, the seal would shatter, and Filine herself would die.
So they had no choice but to wait for her to release the seal.
"Then it's decided."
Duanmu Huai looked once more at the dragon's shadow inside the ice, then turned to the others.
"When Filine lifts the seal, you all strike with everything you have. Don't give it a chance to recover. Olgis, you'll keep it restrained. Lorena, make sure it doesn't thrash too wildly. Guleya and Anne, I want your strongest spells fired directly at it. Even if you can't kill it outright, cripple it. Understood?"
"No problem!"
Anne and Guleya nodded at once. Olgis and Lorena also took their positions.
Duanmu Huai gripped his warhammer and moved to stand ready.
And Owen?
Well, who knew? He wasn't going to be much help here anyway.
"All right."
Once everyone was in place, Duanmu Huai drew a deep breath and turned to Filine.
"Release the seal."
"...…"
Filine gave a faint nod. The next instant, vast surges of azure magic gathered from all directions and poured into her body. The tower, once covered in frost, gradually shed its icy shell, revealing the stone walls and floor beneath.
Crack.
The thick ice began to fracture. The temperature rose steadily. Cracks spread across the frozen walls, and the ice melted into streams of water—only to vanish at once into steam from the heat.
Bang!!
In that moment, the ice burst apart with a thunderous roar, and an enraged bellow echoed out from within!
Duanmu Huai immediately gave the order.
"Attack!!"
(End of Chapter)