I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Polaris issued a command.

The others nodded, then scattered and positioned themselves around the pool.

The Horseman counted down to three in the public chat, then sent a message —

"Action!"

Splash!

Wham!!

After the five players plunged into the water, they swam straight toward the worn wooden box.

They remained vigilant, their hearts filled with intense unease. The pool felt bizarre, especially after experiencing Polaris's death and the recent Walking Fish attack, leaving them uncertain about what might happen next.

The water was murky, creating a filthy sensation. The mere thought of strange creatures lurking within was unsettling.

It made their skin crawl.

Rustle...

At that moment, not far away, Doghead Gold suddenly froze, splashed the water twice with his hand, and then with a gurgle, he dived down and disappeared below the surface.

"—damn it, I'm the first to die again... Just like Polaris said, a huge tentacle dragged me away; the rest of you, speed up!"

Doghead Gold sent a brief message.

He had run out of resurrection chances and couldn't come back online.

To meet again, they would probably have to wait until after the public test.

Seeing Doghead Gold's "last words," the others tacitly sped up, swimming desperately forward.

Wham!

"It's coming for me!"

Suddenly, the Horseman's face drained of color, sensing disturbances underwater.

"Swim faster!"

He had barely finished speaking when he sank and vanished without a trace.

Only ripples remained on the water's surface.

The remaining three clenched their teeth and swam forward, quickly reaching the central area of the pool, the land just within reach!

Wham!!

A violent vibration occurred, and both Polaris and Su Keying turned to look, just as Forget No Taboo was flung into the air.

"Ah!"

Forgetting No Taboo was so startled that he couldn't help but scream.

Then a thick, cyan-grey tentacle burst through the water, capturing Forget No Taboo, still in mid-air, entwining and pulling him down fiercely.

Boom!

Water splashed everywhere, like a light rainfall.

Su Keying turned to look, only to find Polaris had unhesitatingly climbed onto a small piece of land beside the rusty wooden box.

"—Way to go! Polaris! You did it!"

Su Keying sent a message.

But the next moment, she noticed a change in Polaris's expression.

"—What's wrong?"

Polaris was frantically pulling at the rusty old box, which, however, wouldn't budge.

"—It's locked! Can't open it!"

He pulled out a small knife, tried prying a couple more times, and then reluctantly gave up.

He sat down on the ground, pounding his fists a few times on the lid of the box, resigned to his fate.

Su Keying's smile slowly faded.

A tremendous force struck, and before she could even scream, she followed the fate of the Horseman and the other two.

Polaris calmly watched as Su Keying went under the water, sighing.

"Still too low in Level..."

He lamented as he watched several giant tentacles appear around him, suddenly striking toward him.

"Thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west, don't..."

Smack!

Before his death, Polaris regretfully glanced at the chest once more, puzzled by the old wooden chest that had begun to turn illusory.

Why?

Puzzled, he turned into a beam of white light.

At the safety zone by the lake.

Chen Lun sat down with legs crossed beneath a statue, a wooden treasure box appearing beside his feet. He touched the lid, clicking his tongue.

"Not bad, quite satisfying..."

He had only tempted fate by focusing on the chest beside Polaris, not expecting that it could actually be transferred to him.

"So this chest has been designated as Polaris's spoils of war? He just couldn't take it with him ... so it goes to me, I guess."

Chen Lun nodded in satisfaction.

He had not hoarded all the materials by the pool for himself, having shown restraint by letting go of about a third for the five players.

Being human, one shouldn't be too selfish, vision shouldn't be so short, it's important to know how to nurture properly. Consider it watering the five beta-test players, so they can thrive in the future.
Find adventures on empire

This chest was their first repayment to him.

"Before opening the chest, there's another matter I need to attend to..."

Chen Lun stood up and walked to the lakeside.

Watching the gradually fading scene on the lake surface, that pool, and the giant tentacle that stretched out.

His gaze was profound.

*

*

*

Immortal Realm.

Gloomy Forest.

A small pool, stagnant like death water, a young man with black hair slowly approached the bank.

"This is the place, the 'octopus-like' giant contaminated creature... it's hidden in the pool,"

Chen Lun looked at the water surface, contemplating.

Boom!

A pair of black wings emerged behind him, flapping and lifting him off the ground, floating above the pool.

Chen Lun's eyes trembled, instantly turning into serpent-like pupils, a chaotic mist wafting over them.

In his vision, the pool turned pitch black, filled with numerous flickering orange-red dots below, with one particularly large dot amidst them.

Wham!

A huge cyan-grey tentacle burst from the water surface, raising countless splashes.

The tentacle was covered in suckers, each with a barbed fang in the center, presenting a horrifying sight.

Chen Lun's expression was stoic as he delivered a kick.

Bang!!

The tentacle recoiled as if hit by a battering ram, splashing back into the water and creating huge waves.

"Named 'Gundry,' a Supernatural Creature contaminated by the mystic powers of the Deep Sea Faction... approximately at Level Eight, but significantly stronger than a typical Transcendent of Sequence Eight,"