Chapter 126: This Should Count as... Doing a Good Deed, Right?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: This Should Count as... Doing a Good Deed, Right?
Time rewinds to half a day ago.
As the final dragon claw strike, carrying the weight of ten thousand tons, slammed down, the massive frame of the Skeletal Giant Lizard finally lost all support and came crashing down.
Just as the Skeletal Giant Lizard’s health plummeted to its last 15%, Taro Ball found his opening.
Weaving through falling bone shards and jagged ice, he ghosted toward the Skeletal Giant Lizard. Then, a flash of cold steel.
【Judgment Triggered!】
【Killed Chaos-Skeletal Giant Lizard Lv.120】
【"Bones in the Storm" cleared successfully. Clear time: 30min 42s】
In an instant, the remaining skeletal structure of the giant lizard lost its cohesion. The shattering fragments turned into a torrential rain of bone, pouring down from the heavens.
The battle concluded with the finality of a natural disaster.
The moment the Skeletal Giant Lizard was slain, a staggering two hundred billion experience points split into three streams, surging into the bodies of Taro Ball, Yu Yunsheng, and Maomao.
Instantly, Taro Ball and Yu Yunsheng’s levels began to skyrocket.
Their experience bars filled, broke through, and filled again at a speed visible to the naked eye. New high-tier skills continuously unlocked in their skill trees.
Since completing their Third Advancement, their level cap had been raised to 100. There were no bottlenecks to hold them back now.
Finally, as the golden light of leveling subsided, their levels settled at a staggering Level 92.
Witnessing this, Maomao couldn't help but be struck with awe.
"This... they’re already over Level 90? It’s only been about a day since the closed beta started..."
She looked down at her own stagnant Level 30 and the massive pool of experience points currently blocked by her Second Advancement quest. A profound sense of unreality washed over her.
Generally speaking, for the vast majority of players, Level 100 was the end of a long journey—the symbol of "beating" the game.
And yet here, on the first day of the closed beta, people were already touching the ceiling.
It made her feel like she was playing a completely different version of the game.
However, for Taro Ball’s group to reach this stage, it could be said they had gathered every possible stroke of luck.
The Reaper’s execution mechanic, combined with Aisarakus’s overwhelming damage output, allowed them to deliver the killing blow to a Level 120 World Boss at such a low level.
Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for a few players to challenge such a being.
Furthermore, none of this would have been possible without Xie Bai’s contribution in raising the world’s limits.
One could say their meteoric rise was achieved entirely by standing on the shoulders of giants.
As the shock of the level jump faded, everyone’s gaze shifted simultaneously toward the ice-blue dragon that loomed like a moving mountain range.
Especially Maomao.
She had been the closest person to the battle.
Under the shadow of the Skeletal Giant Lizard’s massive bone claws, this towering, god-like ice dragon had manifested out of thin air, blocking the lethal blow with absolute power.
The impact of that sight was beyond words.
When she remembered that this creature had transformed from the blue dragon puppet she had been holding, Maomao felt an indescribable surge of complex emotions.
At that moment, Aisarakus looked over her handiwork. Satisfied, she folded her wings, allowing the obscured sky to reappear.
She didn't look too deeply into the Skeletal Giant Lizard’s sudden death, naturally assuming the creature simply couldn't withstand her assault and had finally collapsed.
She didn't associate it at all with the tiny humans below.
"Oh right, there are a few humans down there."
Aisarakus lowered her magnificent head—which was comparable in size to a small castle—and focused her gaze on the tiny figures below.
These weak humans must be completely awestruck by my heroic grace. After all, I did just save their lives!
At that thought, a mixture of pride and satisfaction welled up within her.
This was a feeling she had never experienced while cooped up in that imperial palace.
Although that fellow Brandon was respectful on the surface, calling her "Your Majesty" with every breath, he didn't treat her like a noble member of the Dragon Race in private at all.
He was either forcing her to study or carrying her off to a place where she had to study.
He was completely suppressing her free-spirited dragon nature!
Being the Emperor was suffocating, to say the least.
It wasn't nearly as satisfying as fighting freely out here and basking in the genuine adoration of others.
"Still, I've shown off enough. It’s time to head back."
As her reason returned, Aisarakus felt a sudden pang of lingering fear.
If I stay any longer, the chances of being caught by Brandon are too high... I need to find a place to hide the dragon puppet quickly and then switch my consciousness back to my main body.
Thinking of this, she glanced once more at Maomao and the others.
Since they managed to make it all the way out here, these humans should have a way to get back on their own, right? I don't need to worry about them.
Having made up her mind, Aisarakus gave her wings a slight flutter, preparing to take to the skies.
Suddenly, her massive dragon body stiffened.
Under the watchful eyes of the group, the towering ice dragon—a creature that looked capable of shouldering the heavens—froze mid-motion.
She stood perfectly still, like a massive, epic ice sculpture.
【??? What’s going on? Why did Her Majesty the Ice Dragon suddenly stop moving?】
【Did the model glitch? No, wait, this game’s physics engine is so realistic...】
【It feels like she sensed something even more terrifying?】
【Is there anything more terrifying than a Level 126 Aisarakus?】
While everyone was lost in suspicion, the massive dragon body suddenly shrank inward, transforming into a petite dragon girl less than 1.4 meters tall.
Against the backdrop of the blizzard, her figure looked exceptionally slender and fragile, creating an extreme contrast with the world-destroying dragon image from moments ago.
Even though they already knew from the official merchandise that Aisarakus took the form of a tiny blue dragon girl under 1.4 meters, seeing that mountain-sized dragon shrink into this pitifully cute form in an instant still delivered a powerful visual shock.
【I—I knew she was cute, but this contrast is too much!】
【That huge dragon! All that mass! Where did it go?】
【I remember now! I remember everything! My original reason for following this game was to see the legal loli!】
【The loli-cons are at it again.】
【But why is she still standing there motionless after shrinking? What exactly happened?】
The livestream chat was boiling over, and the people on the scene exchanged looks, not daring to make a move.
Only Taro Ball, standing at the very front, noticed a slight clue.
In this freezing, sub-zero environment, a bead of... cold sweat? It was slowly rolling down Aisarakus’s exquisite, pale cheek.
In the next second, a calm and gentle voice rang out behind them without warning.
"Your Majesty, you truly are... full of responsibility and compassion for your people. To think you would travel ten thousand miles to such a dangerous place just to rescue travelers you’ve never even met."
The moment the voice sounded, everyone instinctively jumped aside, looking toward the source in horror.
Unbeknownst to them, Brandon had been standing quietly a few meters behind them for some time, a faint smile playing on his lips.
His appearance seemed to suck away the last bit of hope Aisarakus had.
"Th-that... Brandon..."
Aisarakus turned around tremulously, her tail twitching uneasily.
"I... I should count as... doing a good deed, right? For the sake of that, could you... could you let me off the hook this once?"