CH 2

The live broadcast room of “Black Dragon Morpheus” was already overflowing with millions of viewers before eight o’clock. The atmosphere was incredibly intense.

However, Murphy did not acknowledge the audience. He adhered to a crucial principle during his live broadcasts: he would never break character. Whether he was playing a dragon whelp or a dragon lord, he exuded the appropriate aura and appearance that was expected of such a character. While other anchors bantered about “old stuff,” “esteemed audience,” and “gorgeous men and women,” Murphy referred to his viewers as “ignorant mortals,” “insignificant humans,” and “amusing little creatures.”

It’s no secret that many viewers found his attitude off-putting, and some even hurled insults his way. But Murphy remained unfazed. As an anchor, it’s impossible to please everyone, so it’s better to stay true to one’s unique qualities.

Although he occasionally interacted with the audience, he always did so in a way that was consistent with his character. For instance, at that moment, he gazed off into the distance and began speaking to himself.

“Hehehe, another group of adventurers seeking death. These foolish, greedy humans will never learn. They dare to trespass in my territory, courting their own demise. Well then, let the shadow of death once again cover this land. Let my anger as a black dragon reduce their flesh and blood to ashes, nourishing the earth!”

As Murphy muttered to himself, the barrage of comments in the live broadcast room flooded in.

“Yes, yes, teach these foolish humans a lesson!”

“Brother Long1, you’re so shameless for copying Illidan’s lines!”

“Burn them all to ashes! I want to see a live barbecue, so don’t censor the screen!”

“Brother Long is all-powerful and domineering. If you don’t get more lines in a movie, it’s a waste of your talent!”

“Brother Long, did you come up with that line yourself or did a screenwriter write it for you? It’s so moving!”

The dragon bellowed with laughter. “Hahahaha, you small-minded humans have managed to please me. Allow me to show you the power of the Black Dragon Lord Morpheus.”

With a flap of his wings, he soared into the sky, his wingspan extending over a hundred meters. Several black young dragons followed closely behind.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the dark plain, the sky remained perpetually shrouded in dense black clouds. This was no natural weather phenomenon but a bizarre scene caused by the constant rain of volcanic ash and the thick smoke rising from the lava.

The sky was darkened by the ash, and the air was heavy with the stench of death and sulfur.

Not a single blade of grass nor a living creature could be found in this desolate land, with volcanic ash and dry lava pools spread out as far as the eye could see.

Despite its inhospitable nature, a group of over 300 adventurers made their way through this death-covered land in an attempt to reach Longhuo Peak undetected.

“Everyone, stay quiet and avoid disturbing the monsters around us. We need to reach Longshuo2 Peak before the black dragon discovers us. Shh, keep your voices down!” Qingfeng Lanhuai, the team’s leader, warned the players from the Dragon’s War guild.

However, his words had little effect on the loose and excitable players, who continued to chatter endlessly about the event’s objectives. Their march was less of a secret mission and more like a leisurely outing.

Lakeside Knight: “Have you heard the rumors about the black dragon Morpheus capturing the princess of Stromgarde Kingdom and imprisoning her in his lair? It is said that whoever rescues the princess will be rewarded by the king and promoted to the rank of hero, with the chance to marry the princess and live a life of luxury.”

Fifty-Third Street: “That’s ridiculous! The adventurer rank can’t be promoted, and becoming a hero is no easy feat. I heard Morpheus has already formed a bond with the princess and even had two half-human, half-dragon offspring. He’s living the life, that lucky devil.”

Star World Citizen: “Wait, isn’t Morpheus just an NPC? How can players and NPCs have children?”

Hong Yun: “What?! Is there an adult mode in this game? How do you form bonds with NPCs? Someone teach me, please!”

Yunfeng: “Well, you can always spend money to unlock it. Just send me 200 on WeChat, and I’ll help you out.”

Wushang Zhonglin: “You’re all wrong. Morpheus isn’t a player or an NPC. He’s actually an NPC disguised as a player.”

Star Sage: “Morpheus is definitely a player. I have watched his live broadcast, and he is very engaging and entertaining.”

Gwan2: “Wait, Morpheus is a streamer? Can we be featured on his stream if we fight him?”

Ma Tianxing: “That’s a possibility.”

Tiantian Wuren: “I heard Morpheus hasn’t been defeated in six months, and the drop rate of loot on him has accumulated to 500%. If we can take down that black dragon, we’ll be swimming in riches.”

Black Cat: “I heard that Morpheus’s dragon lair contains treasures from all over the world. A dwarf thief recently stole an orange gem from one of the treasure chests and sold it for hundreds of thousands.”

Xiao Bieli: “That’s unbelievable! What kind of gem is worth that much? Let’s form a stealth team and give it a try.”

Paladin Stepping On Blood: “So Morpheus’ black dragon is really that powerful? Can we defeat it?”

Yuhai Barbershop: “What are you all worried about? Our guild has over 300 members here, and the level 40+ players alone have formed five regiments. No matter how strong Morpheus is, he’s just a 40-player dungeon boss. We’ll kill him easily. Our priority is to keep him from running away and trap him in the dungeon.”

Xu Shenxian: “Yeah, that makes sense. Let’s keep our voices down, though.”

Everyone whispered, sharing information, reliable or not, and growing more excited about the mission, even moving a little faster.

Qingfeng Lanhuai jumped up onto a raised rock, scanning the area. However, all he could see was the dim sky and the Longshuo Mountains in the distance.

This eerie place was creepy even in daylight, with extremely low visibility.

Qingfeng searched the area but didn’t see any monsters. As she was about to return to the group, a strange wind blew in.

The wind was powerful, blowing volcanic ash into the air and filling the area with the scent of sulfur. Qingfeng Lanhuai suddenly felt uneasy.

As he stared intently, his gaze sharpened like a falcon’s, but he couldn’t see anything in the distance.

He activated his Beast Sensation ability once more, sensing a looming threat coming from an upward angle. Looking up, he saw nothing but the dim, dark clouds and a brilliant red sun reflecting in the sky. Suddenly, a flash of light passed through the sun, and a shadow flitted across his vision.

Realizing the imminent danger, he exclaimed, “The dragon is approaching! Get ready to fight at nine o’clock!” With a swift motion, he drew his keel longbow and notched an arrow.

However, Xu Shenxian interjected, “Nine o’clock? It’s only eight o’clock.”

Black Cat chimed in, “What’s going on at nine o’clock, President?”

Qingfeng cursed in anger, “It’s nine o’clock, you idiots! Look at a fifteen-degree angle!” In a matter of moments, the black shadow in the sun rapidly approached and grew to an immense size. It was a massive black dragon with a ferocious expression, boasting a wingspan of over 100 meters. As the dragon descended, it unleashed a deluge of flames upon a group of unfortunate people who had gathered to chat and relax, engulfing them in an inferno. Their screams echoed throughout the area as they burned to ashes.

One adventurer remarked, “Wow, that’s a huge black dragon!”

Another cried out in pain, “Help! Put out the fire!”

Yunfeng exclaimed, “This black dragon is merciless! It attacked my nineteen-year-old companion!”

The black dragon showed no mercy as it continued to spew flames that seemed to have a life of their own, engulfing adventurers who triggered the ignition effect. They ran in panic, resembling human-shaped torches.

Meanwhile, several black young dragons excitedly launched fireballs, further exacerbating the chaos.

1: Lóng means dragon.

2: Lóngshǒu means dragon’s head.