[The boss fight is starting.]

Warning: This chapter contains scenes of violence that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

No matter how much Archie tried to persuade, Albert stood there without reacting. Ranen frowned, but there was no time for him to wait for someone to come to their senses. He chose to ignore Albert and continued walking in the direction he had decided on.

As Ranen passed by Albert, the previously motionless blonde man suddenly moved. He raised his hand, golden flames burning in his palm. At the same time, a look of pain appeared on Albert’s face.

“Ranen!” When the flames ignited, Archie felt an ominous premonition in his heart and anxiously tried to stop it.

It was too late.

Albert’s hand landed on Ranen’s shoulder.

Nothing happened.

Ranen turned around in confusion, glanced at the hand wrapped in golden flames on his shoulder, and then looked at Albert.

‘What is this? A trick?’

Albert murmured in confusion, “Why are you…”

‘Why aren’t you hurt?’

“Sorry, we’re in a hurry.” Although he didn’t understand, Ranen still brushed Albert’s hand off and said indifferently, “I still have to settle things with that Soren Hogg. Whatever your situation is, you can follow, but don’t get in my way.”

With that, Ranen continued walking forward, dragging Edmund along.

Archie quickly caught up, casting a complicated glance at Albert, especially at his burned hand.

But in the end, Archie didn’t say anything and just followed behind Ranen.

Albert stood there for a long time, lowering his head to look at his palm.

In just two or three seconds, clear burn marks appeared on his hand, the pain piercing to the bone. This confirmed that his Origin Ability, [Judge], was indeed in effect.

As Amos had guessed, Albert’s Origin Ability was indeed linked to sin. According to human societal moral standards, as long as the target was tainted by “sin,” the more sin they had, the greater the harm caused.

The reverse side effect was also significant. If Albert himself became tainted by sin, the ability would also harm him.

But why…

This was the first time Albert had encountered an existence that was completely immune to his ability. Generally, unless the person was a newborn baby, or a purely good person, or a saint-like figure, humans would, to some extent, bear sin.

As for anomalies, they were even more likely to be affected. Albert’s ability, based on human moral judgment, also worked on anomalies.

But now, why was it completely ineffective against Ranen?

Albert was utterly confused.

If even his ability was ineffective… what could he do?

Unconsciously, Albert followed behind them, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Ranen had no idea about Albert’s thoughts. His mind was entirely focused on stopping the Outsider’s conspiracy, and he couldn’t afford to think about anything else.

He had clearly already broken the hospital’s magical array, yet things still developed just like in his previous life…

No, it should be said, perhaps from the very beginning, the butterfly had already flapped its wings?

Ranen’s mood was quite complicated.

Soon after, Ranen finally arrived at the empty space.

No, it should be said, the old site of the former Miskatonic University.

However, because of the Outsider’s conspiracy earlier, the old Miskatonic University site had transformed from a campus into a barren open field, and the memories of the people in Arkham City were completely overwritten. No one remembered what this place used to be.

All the teachers and students of Miskatonic University thus disappeared forever from this world and were wiped from people’s memories.

At the same time, this was also the fate of Arkham City in his previous life. If things continued this way, progressing along the trajectory of his memories, soon everyone in the city would vanish.

Such heavy pressure.

When Ranen reached the open space, he saw a few scattered players hiding to one side, whispering.

When they saw Ranen leading Edmund, the players were first stunned, then their expressions clearly became excited.

Ranen felt something and waved at them.

The players eagerly approached, and before they could speak, Ranen asked, “What are you doing here?”

A player with the ID ‘Humble Office Worker’ said, “We found that this place doesn’t have anything strange, so we were curious and came over to take a look. We saw a white-haired man inside.”

And, unsurprisingly, that should be the leader of the Outsider group!

When the medical disturbance happened earlier, the leader’s photo had already been posted on the forum for everyone to see, so most players recognized that face. Humble Office Worker and the others were just curious and came here for a stroll, but didn’t expect to encounter a big fish!

They were waiting for friends and family to gather together for a raid, with the coordinates already posted on the player forum. Players from all over Arkham City were trying their best to rush here.

And now they had even seen Ranen. What did this mean? It was clearly the precursor to the final showdown!

Ranen thought for a moment. “Just in time, I have a mission for you.”

—-

It’s almost time.

The time is approaching.

Soren sat on a large stone with his eyes closed, resting and waiting for the final moment to arrive.

After resting earlier, he had recovered a little from the use of his secret technique. His empty, hollow arm had grown back, but compared to a normal arm, the newly grown one was like a withered branch—dark, thin, and skeletal.

He endured wave after wave of weakness and pain deep in his soul. This pain had no reason; as soon as he stepped onto this land, the suffering would never stop. Just as he had heard back in his homeland, the world of humans truly was a place of divine punishment.

But soon, he would be able to return.

Soren opened his eyes, and for the first time, a maddened obsession appeared in his hollow, dark eyes.

“You’re here.”

He spoke to the mist ahead.

Ranen’s figure slowly emerged from the mist, his gaze level with Soren sitting not far away. Then his gaze shifted, scanning the surroundings.

It was said to be the old site of Miskatonic University, but there was nothing left here. Apart from the barren land, there was nothing.

“Do you miss it? This should be the place where you first descended,” Soren jumped down from the stone, bare feet touching the ground, and a few faint wisps of black smoke rose from the soles of his feet.

“I don’t remember.”

“I’ll take that as true,” Soren chuckled, “I didn’t expect you’d still come here. I underestimated you.”

“Your followers really opened my eyes.”

At this moment, Ranen’s previously indifferent expression nearly cracked.

‘I’m not… I have nothing to do with those people…’

But in the end, he swallowed the words back, staring at Soren and noticing that his condition didn’t seem to be very good. Not to mention the obviously abnormal arm, his face was wrinkled and looked aged.

Compared to last time, Soren seemed to have aged another ten years, slowly fitting the elderly look he had been portraying.

Noticing Ranen’s gaze, Soren touched his arm. “Curious about this? This is the cost of bringing you to Arkham Hospital.”

“I thought it would fail, but in the end, fate still stood by my side.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “I should even thank you. I don’t know what you did at the hospital, but I’ve already obtained the coordinates I wanted.”

After saying this, Soren looked up at the sky. Arkham’s sky was already covered by the mist. Ranen suddenly had a bad premonition. “The lunar eclipse… wasn’t it supposed to be three days from now?”

“It’s a shame, but I asked the weather bureau to delay things a bit,” Soren said. “Perhaps it’s a bit underhanded, but I’m too old to wait any longer. This time, I will definitely open the door to the Dream

World.”

Above the mist, the light of the moon was slowly covered by shadows.

This special celestial event brought with it a unique magical power. The magical arrays in the Arkham sewers began to emit faint glows. Meanwhile, black blood flowed from beneath Soren’s feet, gradually gathering on the ground to form a mysterious pattern.

“Do you think I’ll still let you complete it?” Ranen asked.

The sound of heavy footsteps came from behind him. Soren looked toward him, then at the mass of figures appearing behind him.

They were players with excited expressions.

“Go! The boss is here!”

With a loud howl from one of the players, they eagerly rushed forward, afraid of being too late to land a blow on the boss.

“Of course… I don’t think so.”

Soren said, and at the same time, the teleportation array beneath his feet completed. A flash of silver light passed by, and multiple men dressed in black bodysuits appeared, each holding various weapons.

Suddenly appearing in an open field, facing the players with eager, wolf-like expressions, this group of men showed no signs of panic at all. Instead, they handled the players with ease.

Their eyes were blank and lifeless, but their movements were ruthless, like soldiers accustomed to killing in battle—silent and deadly.

The players didn’t fare well at first, but it didn’t matter. The one thing players feared least was fighting with their lives on the line.

The open space quickly turned into a battlefield of gunfire and explosions, a sea of violence.

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, Soren and Ranen faced each other from a distance, almost in tacit understanding. Neither made a move.

Suddenly, Soren tilted his head.

He noticed that the clown, who had been following Ranen, was no longer in sight.

“Hee hee ha ha ha ha~”

Soren’s ear twitched slightly. Behind him, the clown had somehow used the chaos of the battle to sneak up on him. His eyes were fixed on Soren, the strongest presence here besides Ranen, and his mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin, a throwing knife aimed straight at Soren.

Soren didn’t move or acknowledge the attack, leaving his back completely exposed.

However, the clown’s knife didn’t land. A shadow appeared behind Soren, blocking the knife.

“Hee hee, huh?”

Ranen looked toward the large figure that had appeared behind Soren, muttering, “C-level anomaly, ghoul?”

It wasn’t just one. Archie had also tried to approach Soren earlier but was blocked by another entity.

C-level anomaly: Stonewall Ape.

Two C-level anomalies appeared, enough to delay Archie and Edmund. Especially Archie—when in a completely berserk state, his combat ability was on par with high-level C-level anomalies. But once he stepped out of that frenzy, his strength dropped significantly, making it hard for him to deal with even one C-level anomaly.

It was unclear how Soren had gathered these individuals. One by one, they were like ancient assassins, never retreating, even willing to risk their lives against the players. The battle quickly became a deadlock.

—-

Player Channel

Target Practice: [What’s up with these guys? I stabbed this dude in the thigh with my dagger, and he didn’t even flinch. I thought they must’ve had pain resistance or something.]

Little Blackie: [Could be puppets created with magic or maybe they’re hypnotized. Mad, these guys are tough to deal with.]

Courtship Method: [It’s just your bad luck with the dice (chuckling). Look at how many I’ve taken down! The dice goddess is blessing me today, I’m a battle god!]

Bomb Man: [Hmph, you’re all useless, listen to me! We need to unite, do this and that…]

Courtship Method: [Damn, that’s ruthless, but this method might work.]

Little Blackie: [What about the rewards? If we take down an enemy, we get 10 contribution points.]

Bomb Man: [The system judge will automatically divide them based on contributions.]

Courtship Method: [Ok!]

—-

What is he waiting for? Soren squinted, staring at Ranen in the distance, unable to understand why he hadn’t made a move yet.

Is he waiting for the full eclipse? What is Ranen waiting for?

Could it be… he’s also waiting for the gates to open, to return to the Dream World?

Soren’s expression grew serious. At this moment, he noticed something was off with the situation. The once scattered and disorganized players suddenly began to cooperate. Those who had been approaching his side began to retreat, subtly forming a circle around the death warriors he had summoned.

What are they doing…?

Before Soren could react, grenades were suddenly thrown into the encirclement. Soren narrowed his eyes, and an invisible barrier instantly blocked the grenades.

“Damn.”

The players couldn’t help but curse, almost forgetting that the boss could use magic.

In his panic, Bomb Man grabbed a grenade and rushed straight into the death warrior’s range.

Surprisingly, no obstruction occurred as he charged in. Bomb Man was delighted and headed straight for the area with the most people.

*Bang!*

The human bomb exploded, taking out several death warriors in the process.

“There’s this method too!” The remaining players’ eyes lit up.

Of course, not every player was willing to waste their cards, but some players whose cards weren’t battle-type and who had already been injured in previous fights seemed to have had a new idea.

After all, contribution points were tied to their accounts, and switching to a different card still allowed them to claim them!

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

More explosions rang out as several players, clutching bombs and grenades, fearlessly charged into the death warrior group. One player even had a flash of inspiration and suddenly dashed into Archie’s battlefield, grabbing onto a C-level anomaly.

*Bang!*  

The ogre, caught off guard, was severely injured by the explosion, leaving it vulnerable for Edmund to claim the kill.  

—-

Nearby Channel

I Hate Broccoli: Hahahahaha! A full 100 contribution points! I’ve hit the jackpot!  

Bomb Man: [Damn.]  

Courtship Method: [Damn.]  

Tolerance: [I’m so jealous, mad as hell.]

The message from IHateBroccoli was sent to the nearby channel, visible to all players. Instantly, everyone turned their greedy eyes toward the last remaining C-level anomaly on the field.  

“Mine! It’s mine!”  

“Get lost, it’s mine! Don’t even think about stealing it!”  

“Charge! Assist and steal the boss kill!”  

Madness. Chaotic. Impossible to comprehend.  

—-

Watching the players’ behavior, Soren couldn’t help but take a sharp breath, his gaze toward Ranen shifting subtly.  

Even though he’d been the leader of the Outsider for so long, he had rarely encountered believers with such frenzied devotion. The death warriors here were a secret unit he had cultivated using forbidden spells. Their flaw, however, was their lack of adaptability.  

Take now, for instance: the players had clearly lured them together to bomb them in clusters, yet the puppets could only act on their instinct to kill.  

This… was terrifying. A level of fanatical faith so widespread and contagious could only be the work of a true god.  

Soren wasn’t without other means. In truth, if he focused entirely on dealing with the players, he could wipe them all out in less than five minutes. Two of those minutes would be spent crushing Edmund and Archie.  

But most of his energy was currently devoted to maintaining the large-scale ritual magic that enveloped Arkham. Summoning two C-level anomalies and sustaining the defensive barrier had already pushed his limits.

Of course, Soren had other backup plans, but what he feared most right now was Ranen, who had yet to make a move. As long as Ranen remained passive, Soren didn’t dare to act rashly.  

—-

What Soren didn’t know, however, was that the seemingly composed Ranen was also racking his brain, trying to figure out how to take down the boss.  

In the current situation, the problem was obvious: insufficient firepower.  

The players were still at low levels, and even with weapons, it took several of them to take down a single D-level anomaly. As for C-level anomalies? That was clearly still territory meant for NPCs.  

And Soren… Honestly, Ranen wasn’t sure how powerful he was. But judging from his ability to summon and control C-level anomalies, it was clear that Soren’s strength far exceeded the game’s current version.  

Was it even possible for players at this stage to defeat a boss like this? What was the game’s developer thinking? With such an obvious imbalance, how had players not protested yet?  

Or maybe… there was actually a way to defeat the boss hidden in the storyline?  

At this moment, Ranen suddenly thought of something and glanced behind him.  

Albert was gone.  

It seemed there was no need to remind him—this undercover agent from the Inspection Bureau clearly knew what to do.  

—-

The C-level anomaly exploded under the players’ relentless assault. With the last mini-boss defeated, the advantage finally shifted back to the players.  

Now, all the remaining players had their eyes fixed on the only target left: the final boss, Soren Hogg. The success of the earlier suicide bomb attacks had boosted morale significantly, and some players were already itching to try the same method on the boss.  

After all, if just a single mini-boss could yield over 100 contribution points, who knew how much they’d earn for taking down Soren?  

As Archie and Edmund freed themselves and prepared to face Soren, the Outsider boss finally lost his patience.  

A black shadow began spreading from beneath his feet. Any player who came into contact with it immediately developed black spots on their face, collapsing in confusion if they were in the vanguard.  

[You have been afflicted with Shadow Curse. Debuff effects: -5 permanent Constitution, -2 HP/MP per second, -10 Strength…]  

—-

Player Channel

Courtship Method: [Damn, what the hell is this?! This is so broken—he even has a debuff!]  

The players had barely survived the last round of attacks, and now this effect was rubbing salt into their wounds. Many couldn’t hold out for more than a few seconds before falling, their frustration spilling out in impotent rage as they waited in the death delay.  

Bomb Man: [This is too broken! How are we supposed to beat this? (angry)]  

Odds and Evens: [Does the dev team think we’re pushovers? Huh? Did they not even consider the possibility that players couldn’t clear this dungeon yet?]

Green-Dyed Head: [Wait, no—look at the boss!]

—-

After unleashing the large-scale curse, Soren paid the price for his divided attention. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of internal organs. Within the black blood, something wriggled grotesquely. His teeth began to fall out one by one, clattering onto the ground. Unable to bear it, he clutched his mouth, his face becoming even paler. The barrier that had been standing firmly before him vanished entirely, leaving him looking utterly drained and on the brink of collapse.  

An opportunity!

The figures hidden within the mist immediately recognized it.  

Albert could no longer hold back. Emerging from the mist, he launched himself at Soren.  

Soren, who had been coughing and half-kneeling on the ground, sharply turned his head. Though nearly blind, his eyes seemed to catch sight of Albert’s striking golden hair. A flicker of dread flashed across his gaze as he stretched out his hand toward him.  

But he couldn’t cast a spell.  

Just seconds earlier, Soren had briefly shifted his attention away from Ranen. A player with the ID Humble Office Worker had deactivated their stealth and excitedly approached Ranen.  

“Mission accomplished! We’ve set everything up!”  

Ranen’s eyes finally showed a hint of a smile as he nodded at him. “Good work.”  

Before entering this old Miskatonic University and meeting Soren, Ranen had assigned this player a specific task: setting up a ritual magic array.  

This array was the same one Amos had used in the apartment to try to capture Ranen. Ranen had memorized its details, planning to use it when the opportunity arose.  

While the ritual sounded complex, it was actually simple enough for ordinary people to arrange. The only drawback was its weaker effectiveness.  

However, another sacrificial ritual involving the loss of lives could compensate for that.  

Specifying the target of the seal was straightforward: one only needed to place an item carrying the target’s essence—preferably blood, nails, or hair—at the center of the array to designate the seal’s focus.  

The players had found some of Soren’s fallen hair on the large rock he had previously rested on. They had carved the array in the mist-covered area.  

Ranen had been waiting for their confirmation that the array was complete. With so many people dead in this place—along with two C-level anomalies—the activation conditions had been met, even bypassing the usual requirement for specific timing.  

The seal had already begun.  

Soren found himself unable to cast spells. The magic that had previously flowed smoothly within his body now refused to obey. Albert sensed this change and knew exactly who was creating this opportunity for him.  

Golden flames ignited once again, spreading across Albert’s entire body, making him appear like a man made of fire. The pain was akin to being burned alive, but Albert gritted his teeth and endured, refusing to let his ability falter. He lunged at Soren, embracing him tightly, ensuring that the flames of retribution burned him as well.  

“AAAAAAHHHHH!” Soren let out an anguished, guttural scream, struggling desperately to break free. But Albert held him firmly, the flames scorching both of them, as if even their souls were wailing in agony.  

“It’s you! Albert… let go!”  

“You do know my ability, after all.”  

A fleeting bitter smile appeared on Albert’s face before it turned ferocious again. His eyes were filled with resolve. “Cancel the gate-opening ritual!”  

“Impossible!”