Great Aino God

The level-60 monster zone in Helheim, a land that had been quiet for a long time, was now bustling with activity. Countless players poured in, tirelessly exploring every corner.

A figure shot through the crowd with lightning speed, so fast that he was barely noticeable. Nishikienrai crouched on a tree branch, watching the players below with a sharp gaze as a question arose in his mind.

Why were so many people farming materials in Poison Frog Swamp lately? Would the materials here go up in value in the next update? I should find a chance to ask Yu.

Then he vanished in a flash, blinking from branch to branch until he reached the edge of a swamp. He looked around, made sure no one was there, and disappeared into the marsh.

What he had no idea was that a group in the distance was keeping a close eye on him. Near the border of Poison Frog Swamp, a female human player excitedly spoke to her companion.

"The guild leader's confirmed the location. We can go to Tears of Angels for our reward now."

"Are you sure? They won't change locations again this time?"

"This time there's no doubt. The place he disappeared is still a long way from the edge of my detection range."

"Right. Let's watch for another half hour. If he doesn't show up, our assignment will count as complete anyway."

They all belonged to a mercenary guild that specialized in taking on missions from other guilds. Most of its members were players who specialized in intelligence or scouting.

To carry out her plan, Feier had paid a hefty sum to hire four scouting specialists. She had them spread out in four directions and extend their detection range, all to find the location of the Nine-Man Suicide Subgroup's base.

When the news reached Tears of Angels, Gabriel immediately led a team out ahead of the others. They swiftly crossed the level-60 monster zone in Helheim, heading straight for Poison Frog Swamp.

Meanwhile, inside the Nine-Man Suicide Subgroup's base, Nishikienrai had barely walked in when he saw Chang Wei hitting Laifu—no, Bukubukuchagama hitting Peroroncino.

Nishikienrai stared at them, utterly baffled, then curiously asked Momonga and the others, who were enjoying the show from the sidelines.

"What's going on? Did Peroroncino make Bukubukuchagama mad again?"

Ulbert chuckled.

"We were discussing whether we should go out adventuring again soon, and this guy jumped onto the table and shouted that he could take on over a thousand people all by himself."

"He told everyone to go out and have fun without worrying. Bukubukuchagama tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen. Then he mocked her, calling her a pink meat rod, so in the end, she had no choice but to reason with him physically."

Nishikienrai listened in bewilderment. He hadn't expected Peroroncino to be so cocky, and he also gained a deeper appreciation for Bukubukuchagama's combat prowess.

"Then why isn't he fighting back?"

Nishikienrai asked his friend in confusion. Momonga gave a scornful laugh.

"Would he dare? Peroroncino's pretty strong in the game, but his standing at home? Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Nishikienrai grinned knowingly and watched Peroroncino get rubbed into the ground—literally. Peroroncino managed to break free from Bukubukuchagama's grasp and immediately leaped away, warily eyeing his older sister.

Peroroncino felt that if this weren't a game, his face would have been rubbed until it caught fire. He looked at Bukubukuchagama aggrievedly.

"Sis, I really can take on more than a thousand people now."

Bukubukuchagama was already angry from being mocked, and hearing that only made her laugh with frustration. She immediately fired back.

"Oh? What are you going to use to fight them? Your bird head? Are you planning to make everyone laugh themselves to death, then inherit their gear?"

Peroroncino didn't say a word. He simply took a box from his inventory, determined to show his big sister how he could take on a thousand people.

Seeing the box, Bukubukuchagama snapped.

"Have you gotten hooked on loot boxes? Do you have any idea they're bad for you? If you spend all your gold on loot boxes, what will you use to make yourself stronger? If someone comes after you, will you even have a high-quality weapon?"

Peroroncino smiled calmly and spoke without a hint of urgency.

"No weapon? Then why not become the weapon myself?"

Peroroncino opened the loot box. In an instant, a dazzling light burst forth like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, bathing the entire hall in its glow.

He beat his wings and soared into the air. Every feather seemed sprinkled with starlight, gleaming with a dazzling array of colors. His flight traced a brilliant river of stars across the night sky, leaving behind a dazzling trail of light that no one could forget.

The others looked up in astonishment and realized it was the high-grade visual effect [Star Trace Wings]. It increased attack power by ten percent, and could only be obtained from a loot box with a 0.3 percent chance.

Then Peroroncino took a recording device from his inventory and pressed a button. Mu Fengyu's solemn voice rang out.

"Cold winds blow beneath the World Tree; the stars turn, and the boy returns. Through the biting winds, he ventures into the cottony void. Who will weep for the Nine-Man Suicide Subgroup? A thousand leave the world channel. The storm cannot withstand God Peroroncino's might. Born with horns, he was destined to lose. No one asks after God Peroroncino in the sky. The guild leader regrets it, but Peroroncino does not."

The hall fell silent. Everyone stared blankly at Peroroncino, marveling at how much the two of them loved putting on a show. But the recording wasn't over yet.

"[Star Trace Wings], first star: chase across ten thousand miles."

"At last, the young bird who sought power had embarked on the road to godhood. He was no longer some birdman, but a true divine bird, known as the Star River Phoenix—[Great Aino God]."

Peroroncino lifted his chin and spread his arms, looking utterly divine amid the starlight and galaxy effects. The people below stared at him, dumbstruck. No one knew which skeleton had started it, but someone broke into applause and shouted, "Great Aino God!"

But no one else in the hall joined in. His companions only looked at him with the kind of concern reserved for the mentally challenged. Momonga suddenly felt as if he ought to move to another planet. The embarrassment was unbearable. He silently cursed to himself.

"Damn Mu Fengyu. Didn't he say there'd be other hype men? This is so embarrassing. I want to move to another planet."

Achoo! Somewhere, Mu Fengyu, who was working himself to the bone at the company, suddenly sneezed. A staff member beside him asked eagerly,

"Are you sick, Team Leader Mu? Would you like some hot water?"

Mu Fengyu rubbed his nose and replied nonchalantly,

"I'm fine. Maybe someone's thinking of me."

Peroroncino slowly landed and took out the newly forged divine weapon, the Houyi Bow. He declared arrogantly,

"See? This is my true power, a true divine weapon, a true visual effect. This is the real me."

Faced with Peroroncino acting crazy, everyone silently raised their middle fingers in tribute. He didn't mind at all, stroking his wings with utter self-satisfaction.

He went on about how gorgeous the visual effects were. The others didn't think the effects were anything special; they only felt his condition might have gotten worse.

Rumble.

Just then, the base's ceiling shook. It seemed someone had found its location. The group exchanged glances and wordlessly drew their weapons. Peroroncino took the lead and shouted,

"Everyone, there's no need to panic. With me, Great Aino God, I guarantee you'll all get out of here safe and sound."