Boss on Computer Autopilot

The adventurers charged in with torches held high.

Dragonrest Cavern was enormous. Its towering dome resembled a dark sky, its rocky walls studded with volcanic gemstones and crystals that glittered brilliantly, making everything seem dreamlike and forming a magnificent underground world.

The surroundings were pitch-black, with only lava flowing through the cracks in the rocks reflecting a dim red glow.

The ground was covered in dried volcanic rock, and faint traces of a dragon crawling across it could be seen. Walking through this colossal beast's cavern, this dark monster's nest, they were met by an unsettling aura that sent chills down their spines. Fear rose in their hearts, and they hesitated to move forward.

Midnight Arcane God snorted. "Don't be nervous. That's the passive effect of dragon might. Zichuan Lantian, sing a 'Song of Courage' to raise everyone's morale."

Zichuan Lantian was the team's bard. Hearing that, he immediately nodded, picked up his ukulele, and began playing a little tune.

A bard's skills were all performed through songs, though there were no strict rules on exactly what they had to sing. Usually, each skill had several tunes to choose from. At that moment, Zichuan Lantian began singing a song about a hero defeating a dragon, which fit the occasion perfectly.

"The evil dragon spreads its wings, and the sky turns dark. Its roar spews flames, and its scales are sharp as blades.

People flee in all directions, people tremble in fear. People fight amid fire, people return wrapped in horsehide.

When they question fate, asking why life must be so hard.

Hero, oh hero, his blood is cast upon the earth.

Fear no hardship, fear no danger, face the seas and mountains with courage.

Take up your bows, take up your spears, and fight bravely.

Scatter the evil dragon's blood, drive away that Death Shadow..."

It had to be said, the tune was quite beautiful as it echoed through the hollow, silent cavern.

The adventurers' courage immediately surged, until a deep roar shattered the rare tranquility.

"Hehehehe, interesting lyrics. Tell me, mortals, is this the ending you hope for?"

The voice came from the darkness, low and magnetic. Everyone immediately grew alert.

Midnight Arcane God said, "Don't stop. Keep singing."

The bard nodded and continued singing with a trembling voice.

"You snuck into my cavern, killed my useless underlings, and now you have come to face my wrath. What for? Let me guess. You came to rescue the princess? Hehe, no, no, no. It isn't that simple. Justice and glory are nothing but a pretense. What you truly seek is wealth and power, money and strength.

"Human hypocrisy lets you deceive yourselves, but you cannot deceive me...

"Greedy humans, you will find nothing here. The only things you will find are death and destruction..."

The dragon's roar echoed through the cavern, drowning out the Song of Courage and shaking their ears. They could feel the rage behind that terrifying volume. Even knowing it was a player, they could not help but feel a chill in their hearts.

Dawn Divine Sword walked to the front of the party. He stared into the darkness ahead. A massive shadow prowled and lurked within it, blending almost completely into the blackness. Only a pair of scorching red eyes watched them from the dark.

Dawn Divine Sword and Midnight Arcane God exchanged a glance, each understanding the meaning in the other's eyes—just like the rumors said, this guy really was a total drama king. He set the mood so perfectly that it would be a waste if he didn't become an actor. Anyone who didn't know better would think this was an epic movie, not a boss battle in a game.

Dawn Divine Sword sighed inwardly. Fine. It was a story campaign, after all, and countless viewers were watching. It needed some sense of ceremony.

"Enough! Evil black dragon, your lies cannot frighten anyone. We came here to rescue the princess, and to slay you, a beast that has brought ruin upon the world. The wails of those whose homes you burned, the fury of those whose loved ones you devoured—you will face them with your own eyes today. Black Dragon Lord Murphys, your brutal rule over this land ends today."

Roar! An enraged roar answered him. A massive dragon claw emerged from the darkness, followed by the entire black dragon gradually revealing its true form. It stood over sixty meters tall, with a wingspan exceeding one hundred meters. Looking down upon the crowd from above, its mere appearance shocked everyone present.

Death Shadow Murphys (Black Dragon Lord) Level 80 Boss, Catastrophe Rank Tier 5, HP:

Especially the viewers watching from Midnight Arcane God's livestream perspective, who saw the black dragon's true form, all cried out in shock.

[Holy crap, this black dragon looks so badass.]

[That entrance, that presence... Can Midnight Arcane God handle it?]

[Go, honey!]

Midnight Arcane God was somewhat nervous as well. The red dragon they had killed during practice had not been nearly this large, nor had it possessed such overwhelming pressure.

"Don't be afraid, everyone. Fight according to the tactics we practiced before. As long as we follow the plan, we'll definitely win. Remember, this black dragon only has powerful dragon breath. Its other abilities aren't that strong."

After saying that, he immediately raised a Flame Protection Barrier.

"Brother Divine Sword, we're counting on you this time."

Dawn Divine Sword nodded, standing at the front of the party with the Dragon-Slaying Greatsword raised high. Just as he was about to pull the boss, the black dragon gave a savage grin, spread its wings, and flew straight into the air.

Murphys (Black Dragon Lord): "Tiny mortals, pathetic ants, your arrogance makes me laugh, and your hypocrisy disgusts me. Since you seek your own destruction, let the wrath of dragons reduce you to ash. Feel Murphys's fury—ROAR!"

A boss battle finally began.

At that moment, the viewers in the livestream and everyone in front of their screens held their breath in anticipation. Those who could had even prepared cola and popcorn. The previous boss battle had already been so thrilling—how spectacular would this one be?

Everyone eagerly prepared to enjoy what came next.

Flame Breath!

Surging dragonfire descended from above, burning the Flame Protection Barrier until it glowed with dazzling red light.

The black dragon flew extremely high, leaving the spellcaster group without sufficient casting range. However, the two ranger teams began unleashing volleys of arrows without restraint.

Because the cavern offered limited space, there was not much room to dodge or maneuver. The black dragon also seemed to have no intention of evading, taking the entire volley of arrows head-on.

-

58! -72! -113! -89!...

A string of damage numbers appeared. One volley dealt over a thousand damage.

But against the black dragon's 280,000 HP, enhanced by the dungeon module, it was only 0.4% of its health.

"Keep attacking, don't stop!" Midnight Arcane God commanded.

This boss could not keep passively taking hits forever. Whenever they had a chance to deal damage, they had to deal as much as possible.

Yet to everyone's surprise, seeing that its dragon breath had failed, the black dragon did not change tactics and continued breathing fire.

Flame Breath!

Dragonfire Dance!

Dragonflame Descent!

All kinds of fancy dragon breath attacks continued raining down, yet the results remained the same. Whether it was indiscriminate large-scale fire, a concentrated stream of long flame breath, or even ranged dragon breath condensed into spheres, all of it was blocked by the Flame Protection Barrier.

Meanwhile, the three spellcaster teams on the ground were still just standing around with nothing to do.

The two ranger teams mechanically kept firing arrows.

At first, the viewers had been amazed by the dragon breath's power and exaggerated range, but they soon began to feel that something was wrong.

[What's going on? Could there be a bug?]

[Dragon bro, what are you doing? Can't you see dragon breath isn't working? Hurry up and think of something.]

[What the hell, Dragon bro, are you there?]

[Dragon bro, are you being threatened? If yes, blink twice.]

Yet no matter how the comments flooded in, the black dragon continued flying overhead, breathing fire now and then, completely unconcerned that its damage remained at zero.

Before long, even the adventurers below sensed that something was off.

Midnight Arcane God looked puzzled. "Say, Brother Sword, could this boss be computer-controlled? Why does it not feel like a player at all?"

Dawn Divine Sword also looked confused. "Anyway, don't stop."

.