Based on the information currently known, ever since the Demon Emperor obtained the Resurrection Stones from the Gate of Immortality in World 44, within the following twenty-four hours, all across the otherworlds, ten mysterious monster species with no historical records whatsoever began appearing one after another.
And their number perfectly matched the number of Resurrection Stones the Demon Emperor had acquired.
It could be confirmed, these creatures were all resurrected by the Demon Emperor using the Resurrection Stones. Moreover, they shared a unique trait: they must attach themselves to professional players to survive in the otherworlds. In other words, possession.
Aside from that, their power had already surpassed King-level Bosses.
This incident drew massive attention across every nation connected to the otherworlds.
Governments all over the world began developing action plans.
However, since none of these monsters' specific data could be analyzed, the Dragon Nation authorities assigned code names to each of the ten discovered creatures.
The first, which first appeared in the death zone of World 53, annihilating an elite hundred-man squad from the Beacon Nation and possessing one of their Legendary-ranked professionals, a winged skeletal envoy, codename: Reaper.
The second, which first appeared in the death zone of World 47, possessing a Legendary-ranked professional of the Kalman Empire, a demon clad in flaming armor, codename: Ash.
The third, appearing in World 58, possessing a Legendary professional, a centipede serpent, codename: Larva.
The fourth, codename: Taotie (Gluttony).
The fifth, codename: Toad.
The sixth, codename: Extinction.
The seventh, codename: Black Angel.
The eighth, codename: Firmament.
The ninth, codename: Shadow.
And the tenth, the black cloak Zhang Yue encountered in World 45, codename: Emperor.
———
Night Fell.
On the top floor of the Heavens Hall Guild Headquarters.
Under the moonlight, Zhang Yue leaned lazily on the railing, gazing up at the starry sky, a can of cola in hand.
Chen Zijin tilted her head at him and asked, "All these super bosses suddenly appearing, each stronger than a King-class Boss, and they're all sent by the Demon Emperor specifically to deal with you. Aren't you even a little nervous?"
Zhang Yue took a sip of cola, shook the can, and replied calmly, "Think about it from another angle."
"Don't you think, in a way, this is a gift from heaven?"
Chen Zijin paused for a few seconds before realizing what he meant.
She couldn't help but laugh, "You're unbelievable. You really dare to think like that. I respect that, big bro."
"Isn't it true though?", Zhang Yue said, "How many King-level Bosses have ever appeared in the otherworlds, total?"
"If we count from the day the otherworlds descended till now," Chen Zijin said, pulling out her phone and searching online, "in total, forty-three."
"One century, and only forty-three of them," Zhang Yue said casually, gazing into the distance, "You understand how valuable King-level Bosses are, don't you?"
"In the otherworlds, King-class Bosses are rare beyond belief, and these ten great beasts all have power close to Emperor level. Killing them will yield an enormous fortune."
Chen Zijin's eyes widened, "Near Emperor level? How do you know that?"
"My current power is enough to easily kill any monster of equal rank, and I can go toe-to-toe with the Demon Emperor himself."
As Zhang Yue finished speaking, Chen Zijin analyzed aloud, "A god's power is above King-level, like half a step past it, while the Demon Emperor far exceeds King-level, standing only half a step away from Emperor-class.
"You can easily kill King-class bosses and fight evenly with near-Emperor ones… yet you nearly lost to that black cloak, codename Emperor."
"Not nearly," Zhang Yue corrected, "If I couldn't summon my divine soul, I'd have lost for sure."
Zhang Yue could instantly tell the opponent's power level from a single clash.
"Its rank is pseudo-Emperor. No doubt about it."
Chen Zijin's eyes went wider, "But even the Demon Emperor is only half-Emperor, not a full one. That means these ten beasts are actually stronger than him?"
"If that's the case, why would they work for him?"
Zhang Yue paused for a moment, "That's a question only the Demon Emperor himself can answer."
"As for the origin of these ten beasts, that answer, too, lies with him."
"In any case," Zhang Yue said with a faint smile, "killing them will bring unimaginable rewards."
He turned his head to glance at Chen Zijin, "So, how about it? Feeling confident?"
Her first reaction was to avert her eyes slightly.
Clearly, deep down, she was nervous.
But unwilling to show weakness in front of Zhang Yue, she straightened and said firmly, "Of course I am!"
"Good," Zhang Yue said, "Rest early tonight. Tomorrow, we're hunting Emperor."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Chen Zijin stood there for a while, whispering to herself as she clenched her fists, "Come on, Chen Zijin. You're the best!"
'If you want to rise above others, you have to work harder than ordinary people.'
So, she gave up rest, immediately opened the portal, and entered the otherworlds…
———
Dawn came.
After a night of developments, things had spiraled beyond anyone's expectations.
By morning, news of the Ten Great Beasts attacking professionals across the otherworlds had spread everywhere.
Netizens around the world grabbed their keyboards in outrage.
["Damn! Last night in World 53, I ran into that thing codenamed Reaper, it killed me in one hit!"]
["I was in World 47 and got ambushed by that one called Ash! I didn't even see it coming before I was dead!"]
["What the hell are these things? They're too strong! Totally unbeatable!"]
["Damn it, they better stay in the death zones forever! Whoever wants to grind there can have it, I'm never going back!"]
As reports of the Ten Great Beasts slaughtering professionals in the otherworlds spread, panic quickly engulfed the entire globe.
The world's leaders were helpless.
Because all ten beasts were hiding within the death zones of ten different worlds.
And by the rules of the otherworlds, professionals from outside a world cannot enter its death zone.
That meant the strongest professionals, those capable of killing such monsters, couldn't reach them.
Meanwhile, local professionals, too weak to resist, were being massacred.
———
Zhang Yue woke up, finished a cup of coffee, and logged in.
["Ding~ Welcome to the Otherworld. Your selected world is World 46 – Vampire Empire!"]
Whoosh!
A beam of white light descended, Zhang Yue appeared in an ancient capital adorned with crosses everywhere.
A moment later, another flash of light, Chen Zijin appeared beside him.
"Didn't you say we were going to hunt Emperor? Why are we in World 46?"
"Emperor is in World 45!"
Zhang Yue answered calmly, "Wait. It'll come find us on its own."