My Avatar is Becoming the Ultimate BOSS

Hokkaido, Japan, the night of August 7th, a brightly lit wooden truck stopped by the street near the coast of Ishikari Bay. Under the rain canopy were a couple of benches, with patrons sitting on them, enjoying ramen. The aroma of rich pork bone broth wafted far and wide.

Xia Pingzhou stood by the railing, gazing into the seascape. The nearby sea was as clear as Liuli, while the distant sea surface was so deep it resembled a black silk cloth.

The waves rose and fell, surging onto the beach in continuous succession, leaving behind silvery white foam and fan-shaped shells. A few crabs crawled with lopsided bodies struggling along; on the other side, the tidal waves crashed violently against the rocks, breaking into meters-high sprays.

Tong Zizhu, having finished her ramen, walked over and interlaced her fingers, stretching her arms forward to stretch the muscles.

She placed her hands on the railing, speaking nonchalantly, "Ever since I joined the brigade, I haven't had a moment's rest. It's one thing after another. Is this a specialty of your team? Even more exhausting than 996."

"You're lucky. At least you escaped the Tokyo Auction," Xia Pingzhou said bluntly. "If you had been at the auction, it might not have been Lan Duoduo or Oda Takashige who died, but you instead."

"Do you even know how to speak?" Tong Zizhu rolled her eyes at him. "Besides, there's no point ifs. If no team member had died, I wouldn't have been able to join the brigade. What's the point of thinking about all this?"

"Su Ying, what kind of person is she?" Xia Pingzhou suddenly asked.

"What the hell, your conversation jumps around too much," Tong Zizhu said. "Is this how you make small talk?"

"I'm just curious. What kind of person would make you keep searching and searching... nonstop."

Tong Zizhu was silent for a moment, resting her elbow on the railing and holding her chin with her hand.

"A person way too lively, so lively you can't feel her age. Even though she adopted you, she only treats you like a sister, playing games and watching TV with you every day, giggling and laughing. No adult airs at all."

She looked down at the sea. "But even though she seems so carefree, she can see every little emotion in your heart. She's quite a magical person. So when I found out she had a family later, I was melancholic, always wondering why she didn't take me with her. I wondered if she had abandoned me."

"Look on the bright side. Maybe it's because she thought you could stand on your own," Xia Pingzhou said. "After all, you were a runaway orphan, mature for your age."

"She might as well not have taken me in; I'd be much freer on my own, not feeling stifled every day like now."

"I doubt that's what you really think."

"Alright, I do miss her..." Tong Zizhu cradled her face in her hands. "She isn't like a mother to me, more like a sister. I feel there's no one better in the world, but there are things more important than me in her eyes. I suddenly felt it's so unfair and disheartening. I must find her and ask in person."

She suddenly fell silent. The world was enveloped in the sound of crashing waves, black waves smashing against rocks, spraying into a white mist.

"That's because you've met too few people, so you're too fixated," Xia Pingzhou said. "But people are stupid like that, right? They always obsess over the person they met in their most powerless moments."

He thought, we've practically shared a mom. Not just you, even her old men at home can't get over her after she passed away.

Tong Zizhu let out a low sigh, then suddenly smirked slightly, "You're talking about the Longevity Love-Chasing Old Lady, right?"

"Yes, I learned from her just now," Xia Pingzhou said lightly.

At this moment, Jack the Ripper approached from afar, carrying a dark red sheath.

She remained silent for a while, then turned her jet-black eyes towards Tong Zizhu. "I want to speak to him alone."

"Alright, you guys chat. I won't tattle to the boss lady," Tong Zizhu got up from the railing. "But the hacker's different. That brat has a loose tongue, so be careful."

After speaking, Tong Zizhu rolled her eyes, cursing as she walked towards the ramen cart and pulled up a chair to sit.

"What do you want with me?" Xia Pingzhou asked.

"I feel your abilities have surpassed the realm of an Exorcist, but I'm unclear about the specific reason," Jack the Ripper asked.

"What makes you say that?"

"Anluns assessed that a month before we first met, you were still at the Specter Level. There aren't many people who can rise from the Specter Level to Quasi-Calamity Level in such a short time. Or rather, there shouldn't even be such people in the Exorcist Realm." Jack the Ripper paused, "You're the only one."

"So?"

"What are you hiding from us?"

"I'm not hiding anything from you. Can't I just be a one-in-a-million genius?" Xia Pingzhou asked. "Just like above the Catastrophe-level Superpower Users there's a Restriction-level, can't I have a special classification among Exorcists? That way, you wouldn't think I'm hiding anything."

"Here's some advice for you."

"What advice?"

"Don't be too narcissistic."

The Demon Blade unsheathed, pressed against Xia Pingzhou's neck. Only then did an extremely clear and supreme blade light suddenly flare up, forming a ripple-like arc in mid-air, a whole beat slower than the blade's movement, utterly astonishing.

Xia Pingzhou was used to it long ago, unfazed, silently watching the rainbow-colored shells on the beach.

"Just being honest," he said.

"Xia Pingzhou, are you a traitor?" Jack the Ripper was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked.

"Yanmo Lin, why do you say that?" Xia Pingzhou asked with a blank expression.

"Intuition."

"Well, your intuition is wrong," Xia Pingzhou said.

Jack the Ripper glanced at him, then withdrew the dark red katana, sheathing the sword and holding it at her waist.

"Is that so? Actually, I hope I am wrong. Gather promptly at ten tomorrow morning, don't be late."

After speaking, she turned and walked towards the dimly lit area, while Xia Pingzhou tilted his head, silently watching her leave.

The next morning, the prison break operation officially began, and the eight members of the White Crow Travel Brigade gathered again at the ski resort near Sapporo City, deciding to launch an attack from above.

....

....

Japan local time, August 8th, ten in the morning, Hokkaido, inside a private airport nestled in the deep mountains.

The plane landed, the ladder opened, and the three members of Rainbow Wings slowly got up from their seats.

"By the way, this is for you," You Ruirui handed a briefcase to Gu Qiye.

"What is this?" Gu Qiye asked.

"A new battle suit. Considering you normally operate with battle attire, the upper management had the tech department create a new set for you," You Ruirui said. "Whether you choose to wear it or not doesn't matter, but it can protect your head and body. Your superpower isn't stable enough and you might accidentally harm yourself."

"It's a bit troublesome."

"It's not a wise choice," You Ruirui said expressionlessly. "Wait until you can fully master your powers after the second mutation, then discard the suit."

"Just like how kids need training wheels when they first learn to ride a bike, or else they'll fall and cry," Urushibara Ryuri said mockingly, moving first to the exit of the cabin, descending the ladder.

"Has she always been like this?" Gu Qiye asked, looking at her back and turning to You Ruirui.

"She gets along with everyone, no one really knows what she thinks, very mysterious," You Ruirui evaluated, then said, "We're not in a hurry to leave. No attack alert has come from New Leaf Village prison yet. You can check on the plane first."

Saying this, her hands were busy playing online games on the tablet.

Gu Qiye looked at her, suddenly understanding why there was 'no hurry to leave.' The plane had finally landed, connecting to WiFi, and this internet-addicted girl needed to clear a vast array of daily tasks in mobile games.

Gu Qiye asked her why she didn't let someone else manage her accounts.

She said that would strip the meaning away. Not every game interests her. She only picks two or three games to play each week, rotating to others later, depending on chance.

Gu Qiye shrugged, found a seat in the cabin, pondered for a moment, and with a click, opened the latch of the briefcase, flipping the lid outward.

The first thing he saw was a jet-black metal mask, sharply angled with a slightly prominent philtrum exposing the lips. The suit alternated between black and dark blue, with exquisitely smooth body contours, as natural as breathing.

"I still feel it's unnecessary," he said. "If I have to, just the mask is enough to ensure I don't electrocute my head."

"Why? Is it to say goodbye to the past?" You Ruirui asked.

"Yes, too much hassle," Gu Qiye said. "And wearing the suit slows me down. Previously, I had to hide my identity, which is now unnecessary."

"That's fine, suit yourself."

Shortly after disembarking, the two walked out of the private airport. Urushibara Ryuri was waiting at the airport's entrance, which was atop a large mountain in Hokkaido, exceedingly concealed. Green forests and majestic mountains could be seen stretching afar.

Basking in the summer's warm sunlight, the trio walked towards the Hokkaido Superpower Prison—"New Leaf Village." The private airport was situated nearby, only a kilometer or so away. The plane activated camouflage mode en route to avoid raising alarms and being detected by the White Crow Travel Brigade.

You Ruirui had changed into a black bodysuit, donning her black gloves; Urushibara Ryuri maintained a casual outfit while Gu Qiye wore a black shirt, holding the briefcase containing the mask, leaving the suit on the plane, lightening his load significantly.

After walking for a while, the phone inside You Ruirui's bodysuit suddenly vibrated.

She took out her phone, glanced at it, slightly raised an eyebrow, and turned to the others: "Word just came from New Leaf Village, the prison has been attacked... members of the White Crow Travel Brigade have already arrived."