Chapter 2: Is She the Hidden Boss?
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“Quick, quick! The Upgrade Maniac is about to start his live stream!”
“What’s happening?”
“Word is he’s just accepted the first dungeon mission in the entire server! If he clears it, he’ll be the first Inner Door Disciple among all the major sects in the game!”
“That’s insane!”
In just a matter of minutes, the live stream of “Upgrade Maniac” drew in a massive crowd of players.
The live streaming feature is embedded in the game, so players can access the streaming section from the menu with ease. Entering and exiting is a breeze.
The reason the “Upgrade Maniac” could attract so many viewers is simply because “The Way of Inquiry” is too darn realistic.
No matter what faction or sect players choose, they all start in towns scattered across various continents.
They just happen to be closer to their preferred spots.
Becoming a sect disciple requires a stroke of luck too.
Some sects are straightforward, hosting a public selection every month. Pass the test, and you’re a beginner Outer Door Disciple; fail, and you’ll just have to wait patiently for next month’s trial.
But players who don’t make it have things to do because they need to live—it’s just like the real world! They need to eat, wear clothes; without money, you can’t do squat, so you have to hustle to find jobs that pay.
Some might argue, “I play games to relax! The real world is stressful, and now I’ve got to work like a dog in-game too? What’s the point?”
Yet “The Way of Inquiry” nailed it here, providing over a thousand life skills to learn, as long as you can think it up, it’s here.
For example, if you study to be a chef in “The Way of Inquiry,” the process feels almost identical to reality, plus there’s a master guiding you step-by-step—way better than paying a fortune for a class in the real world! So many players get lost in the life skill training, treating cultivating immortals like a secondary activity.
But while they might play in a chill manner, they spare no effort to watch the show.
After all, “Upgrade Maniac” represents the pinnacle of player prowess.
Since the launch, professional players have been racing against the clock to breach the leaderboard, aiming to be the shiniest star in the player community.
This way, their streams could attract more viewers, ensuring a steady income.
After all, Galactic Entertainment emphasized when the game launched that every event in the game is unique—just like in the real world, if you miss it, you’ve missed it. There’s no way to relive these moments.
Fortunately, the game provides a live streaming feature for every player.
Those who experience events can stream to attract spectators who couldn’t participate, giving everyone a win-win situation.
This time around, “Upgrade Maniac” Tang Tong, after joining the renowned sect Thousand Bird City, leveraged his sharp gaming instincts and diligent training to snag the first Inner Door Disciple promotion task.
Task name: Eliminate the monsters in the Spider Cave on Dark Cloud Mountain outside Thousand Bird City.
Until now, the Spider Cave had remained shrouded in mist. Even if someone heard the name, no one ever found it.
However, Thousand Bird City has its treasures, namely the Wind Stone.
Its effect: it can summon a gale to clear away anything obscuring your view for half an hour with no cooldown—an absolute artifact for exploration teams.
Perhaps because he was the first to snag the server’s promotion task, the mission didn’t require him to go solo—essentially lowering the difficulty.
So, Tang Tong ended up rallying nearly all the Outer Door Disciples from Thousand Bird City. If they wanted to enter the Inner Door, they’d have to get through this step, so it’s not a bad idea to scout the area first and gain some experience.
As a result, Tang Tong’s rallying cry was met with overwhelming enthusiasm.
His live stream was also thrust onto the homepage by the system since, at that time, there weren’t any major events to compete with his promotion strategy.
Their assault wasn’t entirely smooth sailing, though.
In addition to the various sizes of spiders lurking inside the Spider Cave, there were also some Spider Cultists dressed in strange cloaks, chanting spells as they launched incredibly sticky webs from their hands.
A dozen Outer Door Disciples who took the lead accidentally fell victim and half of their experience turned into a meteor, falling back to their starting point. The rest moved cautiously, unleashing fire control techniques.
To fight the spiders, they practically bought out all the fire talismans in Thousand Bird City.
Even disciples who couldn’t use fire magic could toss out a basic talisman.
In no time, the cave was ablaze, completely engulfing those dozen stubborn Spider Cultists.
Task completion percentage: 99%.
“Wow, the big shot is so prepared!” the audience in the live stream excitedly shouted.
“Are you kidding? The Upgrade Maniac didn’t earn that title for nothing! Back in ‘Heavenly Domination,’ he was also the first to reach max level!”
“That’s what you call being well-prepared for battle. Did you see his last stream? He spent several small crystals checking the sect’s archives to find clues about the spider cave’s monsters before ultimately discovering they fear fire!”
“And he didn’t hold back, sharing his strategies for the spider cave on the forum. It’s his debut, but now everyone following his guide will find it easier.”
“Bow down to the legend, go for it!”
“Yup, our big shot is just that cool and handsome!”
Many viewers were tuning in, familiarizing themselves with the spiders’ attack patterns thanks to Tang Tong’s guidance. While the spiders looked fierce and frightening, they were actually terrified of fire. Just tossing the most basic fire talismans could inflict massive damage—this was the perfect spot for new players to grind and level up. No wonder the cave entrance was covered in mist; it was probably waiting for the quest to trigger.
After clearing out all the monsters in the cave, Tang Tong finally received the task completion notification, but to his puzzlement, the exploration percentage remained at 99%.
“Hey, I’ve been through the whole Spider Cave; why isn’t the map showing completion?”
“What the heck is 99%?”
“What’s the system playing at? Hanging the 99% in front of us is just cruel!”
Clearly, Tang Tong’s exploration percentage being stuck at 99% was glaringly obvious to the viewers.
Why was there still one percent lacking? He and his party paused to scrutinize the map and realized there was a steep slope hidden behind the cave still blanketed in black mist.
Players tend to have a touch of obsessive-compulsiveness when it comes to game exploration; if they don’t hit 100%, they feel a vague unease. Plus, with Tang Tong streaming, there was no way he could leave this behind.
Filled with anticipation to reach the finish line, Tang Tong and his crew marched forward.
Yes, he had already achieved several firsts in “The Way of Inquiry.” Not only was he the first from Thousand Bird City, but he was also the first player in the entire immortal cultivation world to complete the Inner Door Disciple task.
He had even daydreamed about celebrating with his brothers after logging off.
All that was left was to unveil the last veil of mist.
Beyond the Spider Cave lay the same pitch-black fog.
Tang Tong activated the Wind Stone again, a refreshing breeze sweeping through and clearing the obstructive mist.
But what happened next was entirely unexpected. As the mist gradually lifted, a solitary, majestic woman appeared on the steep slope.
Her long hair flowed like thick ink, dancing freely in the wind as the mist dissipated.
Her black dress seemed to merge with the background, appearing and disappearing in the shadows.
A pitch-black sword sheath was slanted on her back; for some reason, all this blackness paired with her icy expression and slightly bluish lips seemed perfectly matched.
Everyone was momentarily stunned.
Especially in the live stream, as viewers zoomed in to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman. After a brief silence, the chat exploded.
These seasoned online gamers knew all too well about the game developers’ quirks—some mischievous planners loved to stash hidden bosses or NPCs away in obscure spots, waiting for players to uncover them.
If Tang Tong and his team had just accepted their completion notification and returned to Thousand Bird City without pushing for 100% exploration, they would have missed out on stumbling upon such a mysterious figure behind the Spider Cave.
“Whoa, look at her attire and makeup; this chick is definitely a villain boss!”
“You guys hit the jackpot! Who would’ve guessed the first promotion task in the whole server wouldn’t be simple? There’s even a hidden boss behind the Spider Cave!”
“I’m done! You could’ve just completed the task smoothly and exited, but nooo, you had to explore. Now look what you’ve done, you’ve run into a boss!”
“Don’t panic; how tough can a hidden boss for a promotion task be? She’s probably just a tad stronger than those spider cultists. Upgrade Maniac has over a hundred people with him, right? Everyone just needs to take a swipe, and she’ll go down!”
“Right? They can’t put a super high-level boss right at the start, you all will win for sure!”
Initially, the Upgrade Maniac’s stream had already drawn in a throng of viewers, but as news spread that they encountered a potential hidden boss, an influx of curious players came pouring in, pushing the audience count to a staggering ten million. Almost every player with time on their hands gathered to see the spectacle.
It was still the game’s first month, and most players were in the self-exploration phase; just getting into the sect was lucky. After all, grinding and working day-to-day could get pretty dull, so watching the epic streams kept the hope alive. Now, with the big shot facing off against a stunning hidden boss, players’ curiosity was piqued more than ever as they flocked in droves.
At that moment, the Black-Clothed Woman made her move.
Ignoring the crowd, she descended the slope, her cold gaze seemingly dismissing the hundred-plus players completely.
Her single presence overwhelmed them all; it was clear she was far from something these lowly level 10 squids could handle.
While the players in the live stream squabbled among themselves, Tang Tong remained still.
As she closed in, the usually bold and brave Tang Tong felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.
Should he fight or flee?
That is the burning question.
