Reborn as a Transcendent

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Some time earlier… Inside the Adventurers' Guild. Taurus had distributed the Rare Equipment he purchased from the store to the core members of his Guild, earning their adoration and endless praise.

S.K.Y. live-streamed the entire process, fueling the envy of countless players watching from outside the Guild. Additionally, a wave of players from the Linhnan server logged in immediately and rushed to the Adventurers’ Guild.

The promise of receiving a Rare Equipment upon becoming a core member was an irresistible allure. Where else could they find such a deal? After all, even the cheapest and statistically weakest Rare Equipment currently cost hundreds of thousands per unit.

Some players even schemed to join as core members just to claim the Equipment and run. However, they were unaware that joining the [Death of Love] Guild as a core member required signing a binding contract.

Anyone who quit the Guild or failed to fulfill their obligations would face real-life consequences. The idea of obtaining Rare Equipment for free was nothing more than wishful thinking.

“A toast to the [Death of Love] Guild as we step into a new era!” Once everyone had equipped their new gear, Taurus stood up and raised his glass, his voice booming with pride.

The rest of the Guild members raised their glasses in unison, creating an atmosphere of pure celebration. After finishing their drinks, they settled back into their seats, eager to hear what their leader would say next.

Just then, a figure burst into the room.

The newcomer was a nineteen-year-old Warrior tasked with gathering intel for the Guild.

“What’s with the shouting? Have you forgotten your manners?” Taurus asked, his tone laced with irritation. Taurus had been gearing up to deliver a carefully memorized and inspiring speech, but the interruption left him visibly annoyed.

“I… I’m sorry!” The Warrior stammered, bowing his head like a scolded child.

“Spit it out. Quickly,” Taurus commanded, his expression darkening.

Sensing the tension, the rest of the Guild members stayed silent, wary of drawing Taurus’ ire.

“Here’s the thing, Young Master Zhang. Someone’s discovered a Boss in the Wasteland!” the Warrior blurted, his voice tinged with panic.

At first, everyone was stunned, but their surprise quickly turned into excitement! To most of them, it felt like only yesterday that they had taken down a boss monster. The prospect of facing another one so soon filled them with enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, the few members who had never faced a boss before were eager for their first experience. To them, a boss monster meant one thing: loot—Equipment and money.

Earning even one piece of Epic Equipment would be an incredible windfall. Even if the Equipment wouldn’t belong to them personally, the bonuses they’d earn as a result would be significant. It was all thanks to their leader, the ever-rich and generous Taurus Zhang!

“The heavens are on my side!” Taurus exclaimed, slamming the table with excitement. With the battle against Black-hearted Princess fast approaching, Taurus had believed their preparations were complete, leaving no room for further improvement.

But then, out of nowhere, a boss monster appeared. How could he not be thrilled? A treasure trove of experience points, Epic Equipment, and other valuable items awaited them in the wasteland, ready for the taking!

“S.K.Y., gather all the guild members in the city and head straight to the wasteland!”

“Yes, right away.” By this time, S.K.Y.'s [Limitless] Guild had fully merged with the [Death of Love] Guild, granting him significant authority as its Vice Guild Leader.

After issuing the emergency orders, S.K.Y. adjusted his imaginary gold-rimmed glasses, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. Before long, the massive [Death of Love] Guild army set out, their numbers creating an overwhelming and imposing sight.

Simultaneously, leaders of other major guilds received the same intel. They quickly rallied their members and headed for the wasteland as well. In no time, the wasteland was teeming with players.

“So huge!” Even from a distance, Taurus could make out the massive form of a towering Magic Beast, its bright red fur glowing in the sunlight.

“Whoa!” S.K.Y. hissed, taking in the sight of the wasteland, which looked as though it had been ravaged by missiles. “It’s terrifying! To think it could destroy the terrain to such an extent!”

“Brother S.K.Y., it doesn’t look like the giant ape caused this destruction. The wasteland’s been like this since this morning,” a player commented.

“Really?” S.K.Y. asked, a trace of doubt in his voice.

“Yes. It seems there was a massive battle here earlier this morning,” the player explained.

“For the destruction to be this severe, it’s likely two boss-level Magic Beasts fought here!” S.K.Y.’s eyes gleamed with certainty as he shared his conclusion.

“As expected of Brother S.K.Y.! That’s exactly what I thought too!”

“Heheh,” S.K.Y. chuckled, clearly pleased. Compliments always felt great!

“What’s your take, S.K.Y.?” Taurus asked, glancing at him.

“Young Master Zhang, I suggest we send someone to scout the Magic Beast’s strength before we make any moves,” S.K.Y. advised. As both the Vice Guild Leader and chief strategist of the guild, S.K.Y. carried considerable weight in decision-making.

“Agreed.” Taurus nodded before turning and gesturing for a Ranger player to step forward.

“Young Master Zhang, what do you need me to do?”

“You—go and gather information on that beast,” Taurus said, pointing at the towering ape.

“Wait, me?” The Ranger pointed at himself, his voice filled with disbelief.

“That’s right. From what I’ve seen, you’re the fastest runner,” Taurus replied matter-of-factly.

“But… I’m scared.” The Ranger’s legs trembled as he stared at the colossal red ape wandering aimlessly in the distance. The Magic Beast was utterly terrifying. Approaching it seemed like pure suicide.

“One thousand gold coins,” Taurus said, crossing his arms with a calm demeanor.

“Young Master Zhang, I’m really not that kind of guy.”

“Ten thousand gold coins.”

“Young Master Zhang, I swear I’m not that kind of person!”

“Twenty thousand gold coins,” Taurus said, his patience thinning.

“Young Master Zhang, I’ll be back in no time!” the Ranger shouted gleefully before sprinting away.

“Damn, what a shameless opportunist,” Taurus muttered, pursing his lips at the Ranger’s eagerness.

“It can’t be helped. The death penalty is too harsh. Without hefty rewards, no one would dare take such a risk,” S.K.Y. explained.

“True enough.” Taurus glanced at S.K.Y. before shifting his focus back to the Ranger.

The Ranger sprinted with determination, reaching the back of the giant ape in no time. If he could just inspect its stats and make it back to the base, his mission would be a success.

However, tragedy struck. The moment the giant ape’s detailed stats appeared in his interface, his vision went black. In an instant, he was flattened like a pancake and died on the spot.

The giant ape had unexpectedly turned around, trampling him to death in the process. His death was sudden and utterly untimely.

“S̲h̲i̲t̲, is that guy an idiot? Why would he run directly under its feet to gather intel?” Taurus groaned, facepalming in frustration.

S.K.Y. shut his eyes, unwilling to witness any more of the disaster. The guild members behind them wore mixed expressions. Many stifled laughter, afraid to burst out openly.

Over ten seconds later, the trampled Ranger respawned at his original position, his face pale and shaken. After glancing around and confirming that the giant ape had moved on, he let out a massive sigh of relief.

Without wasting another second, he bolted straight back to the main camp.

“Young Master Zhang… I got the stats!” The Ranger panted as he reached Taurus, quickly pulling up his interface to display the information.

The group gathered around to examine the details.

“It doesn’t seem stronger than the Wind Wolf King, does it?” someone asked, confused.

“That’s correct. Its Attack Power is lower than the Wind Wolf King’s.”

“However, its Defense is extremely high. We’re going to have to grind it down for quite a while.”

“It also possesses several AoE special abilities, making it a tough opponent.”

The group broke into a heated discussion.

Taurus transferred the promised 20,000 gold coins to the Ranger before addressing the group.

“The Wind Wolf King was a quest boss, and we had NPCs assisting us in that battle. Naturally, the difficulty is incomparable.”

“Exactly. The [Giant Scorching Ape] is a randomly spawned boss. It’s in a completely different league,” S.K.Y. added, adjusting his imaginary gold-rimmed glasses.

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Using the detailed stats the Ranger had gathered, S.K.Y. swiftly devised a strategy. A massive battle was about to commence.

Meanwhile, other guilds also began preparing to attack. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

“Let them be. Boss rewards are distributed based on damage dealt and the final blow. If we’re fast enough, they won’t even get a piece of the loot!” Taurus’ eyes gleamed with a grim determination as he spoke.

Now that the [Death of Love] Guild was stepping into a new era, Taurus no longer viewed the other guilds in the Linhnan server as a threat. This included even the Black-hearted Princess' [Princess Alliance]!

Following S.K.Y.’s orders, the 15,000 members of the guild formed a massive formation and charged toward the [Giant Scorching Ape].

Sensing imminent danger, the [Giant Scorching Ape] whirled around. Its snarling expression contorted into a feral grimace as it noticed the massive army surging toward it.

“Roar!” The ape let out an earth-shaking roar, its ferocity resonating across the battlefield. Flames erupted across its body, enveloping it in a blazing inferno, fully living up to its name as the [Giant Scorching Ape].

“Take your positions and spread out!” S.K.Y. shouted as soon as he saw the [Giant Scorching Ape] transition into combat mode.

In an instant, the large formation dispersed, breaking into smaller teams that strategically surrounded the [Giant Scorching Ape].

“Charge!” Taurus unsheathed his Epic Sword, thrusting it forward as he shouted with fervor. Before he finished his battle cry, the guild’s Magicians chanted in unison, casting a wave of defensive buffs.

"Iron Wall!"

A cascade of green light rippled across the battlefield, significantly bolstering the defenses of the Warriors and Holy Knights positioned at the forefront.

“Defenders, take turns using Taunt!” S.K.Y. commanded, gesturing with precision.

The three Defenders from Team One immediately activated their Taunt abilities, drawing the [Giant Scorching Ape]'s ire. The enraged ape roared and charged toward them without hesitation.

“Magicians, use Quicksand to slow its movements!” S.K.Y. barked.

Standing nearby, Taurus nodded in satisfaction at S.K.Y.’s impeccable leadership. He silently resolved to reward him handsomely after their victory.

“Roar!” As the [Giant Scorching Ape] stumbled in the quicksand, it unleashed an ear-splitting roar of fury.

Its roar was met with an overwhelming barrage of attacks from all sides. The fierce clash between human and beast had officially begun. The wasteland quaked under the intensity of their battle!

Simultaneously, several other guilds surged onto the battlefield, eager to join the fray.

Over an hour of grueling combat passed. The players endured heavy casualties, though most were from rival guilds. Thanks to S.K.Y.’s expert leadership, the [Death of Love] Guild suffered minimal losses.

Despite its formidable defenses and devastating AoE abilities, the [Giant Scorching Ape] could not withstand the relentless assault from so many players. Now, the [Giant Scorching Ape] was on the brink of death, clinging to life by a thread.

A single final barrage would be enough to finish it off.

As victory loomed on the horizon, Taurus bellowed, "Kill them all!" With only a step remaining to total victory, he had no intention of letting anyone else snatch the glory.

“Taurus, how dare you!” roared an outrageously wealthy player from Roc City. This player happened to be the Guild Master of the third-largest guild in the Linhnan server.

Taurus responded with a single, cold word: “Die!”

Immediately, a relentless barrage of attacks rained down upon the rival players who had dared to attempt stealing the kill.

“Taurus, I curse you!”

“Taurus, you’ll regret this!”

“Taurus, I swear…”

The air was filled with a cacophony of curses and anguished screams.

“Heh, make me pay? How laughable! I, Taurus Zhang, will be the king of Linhnan. Why would I care about the opinions of ants like you?” Taurus spread his arms wide, basking in his perceived invincibility.

‘So, this is what true dominance looks like!’ thought S.K.Y., watching Taurus’s arrogant display. ‘No… I could replace him!’ S.K.Y. clenched his fists, his eyes burning with a crimson hue.

The bloodbath ended as fiercely as it had begun. The [Death of Love] Guild emerged with a resounding victory in the guild war. Although this wasn’t the first guild war ever, it left an indelible impression on all who witnessed it.

“Pathetic weaklings!” Taurus sneered, watching the corpses on the battlefield fade into white light.

Simultaneously, an overwhelming sense of triumph surged within him. ‘Yes, this is what I’ve craved all along—the thrill of absolute dominance and invulnerability!’

In that moment, Taurus felt he had discovered his true purpose in life. He aspired to rule over this entire world—at least in the game.

“Young Master Zhang, we should eliminate the [Giant Scorching Ape] immediately to avoid any unexpected complications,” S.K.Y. advised.

A sudden, foreboding sense of unease crept over him, as if a predator lurked nearby, ready to pounce on their prize.

“What’s the hurry?” Taurus retorted, clearly displeased.

‘Interrupting me while I’m savoring my moment of triumph? This guy has no sense of timing,’ Taurus thought, his opinion of S.K.Y. souring.

“I’m just concerned someone else might steal the kill,” S.K.Y. replied cautiously.

“This area is packed with our guild members. What could possibly go wrong?” Taurus frowned, irritation evident in his tone.

Seeing Taurus’ overconfidence, S.K.Y. clenched his fists in frustration and held his tongue. If he had the chance, he would’ve punched Taurus square in the face.

“Fine, fine. Everyone, focus fire!” Taurus barked, reluctantly conceding to S.K.Y.’s concerns.

However… Before his words could fully leave his mouth, a streak of purple light zipped across the battlefield above their heads. It blazed through the darkness like a beacon of unparalleled power and precision.

The streak surged past with a searing force, leaving a shockwave that knocked players off their feet and drew startled cries from the crowd. A resounding crack echoed as a gaping hole suddenly appeared on the [Giant Scorching Ape]'s forehead. Blood and pink matter spilled forth in a gruesome display.

At last, its head burst apart violently, resembling a watermelon smashed from a great height.

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