The tide of monsters surged in like a black flood, their shrieks nearly tearing the roof off the building.
Lawson stared at the frenzied horde. All thoughts of his "SSS-Rank Armor Smith" authority were tossed to the back of his mind. Right now, he had only one extreme, absurd thought—Thirty-Six Stratagems, running is the best one!
"Hell no! I haven't lived long enough to end up as monster chow!"
He turned to bolt, but the roof ahead collapsed with a thunderous crash. Midst the rising dust, another wave of Shadow Shifters descended from the sky, sealing off Lawson's only path to survival.
"Lawson! Are you okay?" Behind him, Katie screamed in pure desperation, her face pale with terror.
"Do I look okay to you?!" Lawson snapped back, his expression frantic. "My armor exploded, and the system shoved a blacksmithing sub-class down my throat! How am I supposed to fight these things with my bare hands?!"
In the gap between life and death, the space on the mall's second floor rippled like water. A profound portal opened out of thin air.
A girl with long pink hair stepped out slowly. Her pupils were a lifeless, flat pink, her features as exquisite as a porcelain doll taken straight from a display case. Standing barely five feet tall, she wore a magnificent yet eerie Black Gothic Lolita dress that swayed in the wind, her snowy, slender thighs peeking out from beneath the ruffled hem.
Amidst the charred ruins, her elegance was terrifying—as if she belonged to another dimension.
Lawson's pupils shrank to pinpricks. "That's... Ester, the game guide? Why is she here?!"
The girl looked down at the battlefield, her voice cold to the bone. "Warriors, target confirmed. Prologue Mission—Begin!"
BOOM!
Several streaks of red and silver light dove from the second floor. They were silhouettes Lawson knew by heart— {Crimson Vortex}.
The male models were rugged and powerful, while the female versions traced elegant, lethal curves.
"What is going on? Is the real world going insane?!" Lawson yelled, reaching his breaking point. "Ester! Explain this! How did you crawl out of the screen?!"
Ester leaped down gracefully, landing beside him. Her expression remained blank. "I don't know either. All NPCs and game assets were swallowed by a massive black hole. When I opened my eyes... I was here."
Battle erupted instantly, but the scene was a disaster.
These newly-awakened warriors had imposing armor, but their skills were pathetic. Within two minutes, their formation was shattered by the beasts. Some were even beaten into a "Forced De-link" state on the spot.
Ester watched the useless rookies, her tongue sharp and toxic. "How are you all so pathetic? Is there not a single decent player left in this world?!"
"Is it our fault?!" a passerby warrior shouted while retreating, his voice thick with panic. "This game was niche! We only put these on because we wanted to be 'heroes' for a day!"
Before he could finish, a scream echoed through the mall. The warrior failed to dodge, and a monster's claw impaled his chest.
Watching the arrogant Brutes begin their systematic harvest, the ten-year-old blood in Lawson's veins finally detonated. As the only "living fossil" of the server, he couldn't take it anymore.
He stepped forward, his presence suddenly eclipsing even the monsters.
"Everyone, STOP!"
Lawson's voice echoed through the ruins with unquestionable authority. "Quick! Form a defensive circle and retreat toward me! Let this 'Ten-Year Veteran' teach you how to clear these trash mobs!"
However, the arrogant rookies took one look at Lawson—he wasn't wearing armor, not even a defensive membrane. He was a "naked" level-zero white-board.
"Tch, a bare-handed civilian acting like a pro?" "Just stay in the back and let us protect you. Don't drag the heroes down!"
They sneered and continued to fight like headless chickens.
Only six battle-scarred warriors glanced at each other, gritted their teeth, and retreated to Lawson's side.
One of them stared at Lawson in shock, his voice trembling. "Are you... are you the legend? The 'Armor God Lawson 1215'?"
Another female warrior stood firmly in front of Lawson, Katie, and Ester, her voice sharp and determined. "Great One, carry us! Tell us the strategy! I want to clear this mission!"
Amidst a sea of arrogant novices, these six stood out. Perhaps they were the only ones truly fighting to save lives.
"Six people... better than nothing."
The corners of Lawson's mouth curled into a cold, arrogant arc. His eyes scanned the monster tide like a high-speed sensor.
To others, they were harbingers of death; to him, they were just a pile of predictable data he had memorized years ago.
"Don't be nervous. Back in the day... I could solo ten thousand of these things."
Lawson stood in the center of the ruins, letting the wind toss his brown hair. His gaze was as cold as a scalpel, seeing through every subtle muscle twitch of the monsters. He spoke calmly, yet his voice weirdly suppressed the roars of the crowd:
"What's the panic? These Brutes are just idiots with nothing but brute strength. They are short-ranged melee types. As long as your brain hasn't rusted, a hit-and-run tactic turns this into a one-sided slaughter."
He pointed at the leg plating of the six warriors, his tone decisive.
"Listen up! Push your leg thrusters to the absolute limit. Don't worry about energy. Watch their hand movements—the moment they swing their claws, use a burst of displacement to pull away.
Remember, after they miss a heavy strike, they have a 1.6-second forced recovery lag. That is your 'Golden Window.' In that one second, aim for the core in their abdomen. Full power to your arm gauntlets, and pierce it in one shot!"
Inspired by Lawson's absolute confidence, the eyes of the six warriors turned iron-willed.
ROAR—!
Six pairs of combat boots ignited with red-blue trailing flames. Following Lawson's rhythm, they became six bolts of lightning dancing between the claws.
"Now! Abdominal Core!" Lawson growled.
Clashes of metal and the shattering of cores filled the air. The once invincible Brutes fell like wheat before a scythe, dissolving into black mist.
As the battle settled, a chilling silence fell over the mall. Survivors huddled in corners, shivering. The floor was littered with the bodies of the warriors who had died earlier. The remaining "heroes" who had lost their nerve began throwing away their phones, crying for their parents as they bolted for the exit.
"Hey! You cowards! You're giving up after the first fight?!"
Ester watched their retreating backs, her pink eyes trembling with rage. She pointed at them and hissed:
"Abandoning your link authority means you'll become monster bait the moment you step out that door! In this broken world, no one saves the weak! Good luck, you morons!!!"
Her voice echoed in the empty hall. No one looked back.
Lawson walked up to Ester, his expression heavy. "Ester, if you're done venting, explain. The real world has become a game, and monsters are physical... what the hell is happening?"
The six blood-stained warriors and the survivors gathered around. All eyes were fixed on the mysterious pink-haired girl.
"I suppose there's no helping it..."
Ester dropped her toxic act and let out a helpless sigh. Her porcelain-white hand swiped through the air, and a glowing blue tablet appeared out of nowhere.
"Since the 'Great Convergence' has begun, I shall inform you lucky idiots of the intel I currently possess."
As the tablet interface unfolded, a truth capable of overturning everyone's worldview began to pull back its veil.