Struck Gold

In a dilapidated alleyway, inside a tiny room, several young men with expressions of extreme excitement were frantically hammering away at their keyboards in front of a few antiquated, clunky computers.

"Nice! Old Seven, that final hit of yours was perfectly timed. If you hadn't been quick-witted enough to turn around and land that Fire Dragon Bullet on the boss, I'm afraid us brothers would've been done for today!"

A tall, thin youth slapped his keyboard with his left hand, spat out the cigarette butt he had been dangling from his lips, and shouted his praise toward the round, chubby little guy beside him with a flushed, agitated face.

Hearing his usually overbearing leader offer such praise for the first time ever, the little fatty—who had always occupied a weak and timid position within the team—was momentarily overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

"It... it was nothing, Boss. This was all thanks to everyone working together. If you guys hadn't beaten the boss down to a sliver of health, I wouldn't have had the chance to land that final blow. So, the biggest credit still goes to you, Boss!"

Amidst the little fatty's flattery, the tall, thin youth nodded in satisfaction, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth, and gave the fatty a look that said, you know how to play the game.

"Alright, let's call it a day for the game. Let's pack up, shut down the computers, and I'll treat you all to a meal. Consider it a victory feast for successfully clearing this super boss!"

Hearing that their leader was paying, the eyes of the few youths in the small room lit up. They all stood up and rushed out of the room in a hurry.

"Oh, let's go! Time to drink!"

"The boss is paying? This is a once-in-a-millennium event! I'm going to grab a good seat."

"Heh heh heh, since the boss is treating, I won't be polite!"

"Right, Old Seven, don't rush off. Close the door and come over after you're done. As for the loot the boss dropped, we'll deal with it when we get back. Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly!"

Watching his underlings scramble out the door, the tall, thin youth known as the leader turned back specifically to instruct the little fatty who was trailing behind. Only then did he stride out of the room with a satisfied air.

The little fatty, who had been wearing a bright smile, felt his expression freeze the moment he heard his leader's words. It eventually twisted into a bitter, helpless grimace as he slumped powerlessly in front of his clunky computer.

His eyes were dull, filled with helplessness, bitterness, and a trace of powerlessness as he stared blankly at the computer screen before him...

This round, chubby little fatty was named Western Chu Little Overlord Zhen Danxiao, whose name was a homophone for "truly timid." His personality was cowardly and fearful, living up to his name in every way—he was pitifully timid.

Because of this, in the years Zhen Danxiao had been alive, he had been bullied for just as many years. Thinking back on it, his life was full of tears...

The person Zhen Danxiao called "Boss" was named Li Zhugan. He was exactly like his name suggested—as thin as a bamboo pole. His personality was arrogant and conceited, and he loved hearing flattery to satisfy his baseless vanity.

Currently, Li Zhugan and Zhen Danxiao, along with five others, had formed a team and were playing a game that was currently sweeping the nation.

The famous multinational corporation Macedon had specially developed a ninja game based on the setting and themes of a certain island nation's hottest anime, "Naruto."

Three days after its open beta, it had already become a nationwide sensation, occupying the top spot on every major online gaming chart with lightning speed.

Now, three years after its launch, various ninjutsu within the game had become common knowledge, and even the mysterious Kekkei Genkai could be easily obtained with a little extra gold.

However, the reason the game continued to thrive and players remained infinitely passionate was because it featured three overpowered super bosses!!!

Ultimate Boss: Otsutsuki Kaguya Bloodline

Big Boss: Otsutsuki Hagoromo

Small Boss: Otsutsuki Hamura

These three super bosses, created based on the most powerful characters from that island nation's anime "Naruto," had a difficulty level that defied the heavens.

Even though the game had been running for three years and most people had used various methods to acquire different Kekkei Genkai, the outcome when facing these three bosses remained disastrous.

But, as with any game, no matter how difficult, there would eventually be a day when it was cleared, right?

And that day had arrived. Right here in this tiny room, an event that would shock the entire gaming world had already occurred!

A few teenagers, a few broken, clunky computers, and a room that couldn't have been smaller or simpler—in such a wretched environment, The small boss Otsutsuki Hamura, one of the three super bosses claimed to be impossible to clear, had just been killed!!!

Staring blankly at the old computer screen, a flicker of movement suddenly appeared in the dull eyes of the little fatty Zhen Danxiao. Gradually, a blood-red hue began to fill his pupils.

[System Announcement: The 'I Am the Overlord' team has successfully killed the small boss Otsutsuki Hamura, becoming the first team to clear one of the three super bosses!]

[System Announcement: As the first team to successfully clear the small boss Otsutsuki Hamura, the 'I Am the Overlord' team is rewarded with 1,000,000 gold coins. Each member is rewarded with one type of Kekkei Tōta. We hope other teams will continue to strive for excellence and achieve great results!]

[System Announcement: 'Western Chu Little Overlord Zhen Danxiao' has successfully killed the small boss Otsutsuki Hamura. As the first ninja to kill one of the three super bosses, he is rewarded with 200,000 gold coins and one S-rank Forbidden Jutsu attack scroll!]

[System Prompt: 'Western Chu Little Overlord Zhen Danxiao' has killed the small boss Otsutsuki Hamura and dropped one Otsutsuki Kaguya Bloodline class-transfer scroll. Do you wish to pick it up?]

Looking at the messages constantly popping up on the game screen, Zhen Danxiao's eyes were bloodshot, revealing a look of extreme fanaticism. His chubby little face flushed bright red, unable to hide the excitement in his heart.

Setting aside the incredibly generous system rewards...

The mere fact that the Otsutsuki Kaguya Bloodline class-transfer scroll had dropped after killing Otsutsuki Hamura was enough to drive every player in the game world insane!

As the final boss of the game, the rarity of Otsutsuki Kaguya Bloodline's class-transfer scroll could be imagined.

No, it shouldn't be called rare—it should be called a supreme, one-of-a-kind treasure!

Of course, while the class-transfer scroll was precious, it also represented an incredibly stingy and utterly despair-inducing drop rate.

The official website clearly stated that the three class-transfer scrolls of the Otsutsuki lineage were all unique, one-of-a-kind existences.

The drop rate for the Otsutsuki Kaguya Bloodline class transfer scroll is one in a hundred million.

The drop rate for the class transfer scrolls of her sons, Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura, is one in ten million.

Such despair-inducing drop rates led all players to the unanimous conclusion that these three bloodline scrolls were mere legends, a certainty that no one would ever be able to obtain them!

A wild, ecstatic grin plastered across his face, his mind went blank from the sheer magnitude of the surprise.

Staring fixedly at the computer screen, panting heavily, Zhen Danxiao still could not believe that the one-in-a-hundred-million drop rate—a chance so infinitesimally small—had actually been hit by his own stroke of luck!

With a trembling hand, Zhen Danxiao finally gripped the mouse and, amidst his nervous tension, clicked "Confirm" on the "Pick up?" prompt.

Zzzzt.

The next second, the 23333 computer screen went black. Still wearing his smile and caught in his nervous excitement, Zhen Danxiao had no time to react before his vision darkened, plunging him into an eternal...