Apocalypse Gachapon

It wasn't just a black bird; it was a creature engulfed in black flames, resembling a dark cloud from afar. As it approached, its true form became clear—a bird blazing fiercely with flames, moving with incredible speed, appearing to be faster than lightning.

Just moments ago, it was kilometers away. Now, in the blink of an eye, it hovered above them.

Lin Moyu was stunned by its sheer size. The creature's wingspan spanned over 300 meters, vast enough to blot out the sky. Its talons, though retracted, were enormous—capable of snatching a boss like the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle with a single grasp.

The terrifying image of the Serpent-Turtle being devoured flashed in Lin Moyu’s mind, sending chills down his spine. Yet, the most unsettling aspect wasn’t its strength, but the intelligence reflected in its eyes. This boss wasn’t just a brute; it was a thinking, sentient being.

“What is that?” Mu Xianxian asked, carrying her maul as she ran beside Lin Moyu.

This rare Collection Master had caught his attention. “It should a boss,” Lin Moyu replied.

Jialan Yeyu frowned. What kind of answer was that? Of course, it was a boss.

Mu Xianxian’s voice trembled, “It looks so scary.”

Lin Moyu responded with a simple ‘mhm,’ before adding, “It once devoured another boss.”

This revelation caused both of their faces to pale. A creature that could eat another boss was either at a higher level or of a superior rank. Given its size, it was likely lord rank, possibly even world rank.

“Watch out, it’s coming!” Lin Moyu suddenly shouted, having received a warning from his Skeletal Warriors.

The black bird plummeted from the sky with terrifying speed. Lin Moyu didn’t dare rely on his Bone Armor. For the first time, he doubted its ability to protect him.

He quickly commanded his Skeletal Warriors to gather around and yelled, “Get close together!”

Jialan Yeyu echoed the command, “Quick, get close together!”

Everyone quickly formed a tight group, with the Skeletal Warriors creating an outer ring and Skeletal Mages surrounding them.

Lin Moyu hesitated to use the Slow Curse, unsure if it would work on such a terrifying boss. Even if it did, how effective would it be? Moreover, it might attract the boss’s attention and provoke it further—he wasn’t willing to take that risk.

The Skeletal Mages began casting their skills, filling the sky with a dazzling array of attacks.

Mu Xianxian asked, “How did it find us in the enormous core area?”

Lin Moyu snorted, “It’s because of the distress signals.”

Jialan Yeyu was stunned, “So we drew it here?”

What else could it be? Lin Moyu shot her a look that spoke volumes.

Another piercing screech echoed as the boss broke through the Skeletal Mages’ attacks and unleashed a jet of black flames.

Lin Moyu paled; he didn’t need to look to know how powerful the flames were. Fortunately, the boss wasn’t targeting them directly but aimed at the skeletons on the ground. The flames created a vast sea of fire, severely injuring hundreds of Skeletal Warriors.

The Lich Generals immediately cast Group Heal, but the boss flapped its wings again, raining down black fireballs like a meteor shower. The severely wounded Skeletal Warriors didn’t stand a chance—before they could be healed, they were obliterated.

The boss swooped down, talons extended, wings sweeping, black flames swirling like a whirlwind, blowing away the skeletons. A dozen Skeletal Warriors were snatched up.

Lin Moyu watched as the boss stuffed the Skeletal Warriors into its mouth, chewed briefly, and then spat them out in disgust. The entire sequence took less than two seconds.

In that brief exchange, over 80 Skeletal Warriors were lost—more than 70 fell to the black flames and a dozen succumbed in the creature's mouth. Another 200 to 300 were severely injured.

Lin Moyu was alarmed—this boss was far more powerful than he had imagined. How could there be such a terrifying creature?

He knew his Skeletal Warriors’ attributes well; even with a status buff, all four attributes reached 57,000. Yet, they were dispatched instantly.

Gritting his teeth, Lin Moyu cast the Detection spell. Luckily, the boss didn’t notice him as it flew back into the sky.

[Archaic Luanniao [1] (lord rank boss)]

[Level: 67]

[Strength: 300,000]

[Agility: 150,000]

[Spirit: 200,000]

[Physique: 150,000]

[Skills: Flame Spout, Fire Explosion]

[Traits: Fire Elemental Immunity, 60% Elemental Damage Reduction, 60% Physical Damage Reduction, Teeth Ignore Defense]

Upon seeing the attributes, Lin Moyu felt an urge to curse. A level 67 lord rank boss with total attributes of 800,000—300,000 higher than the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle. With a strength attribute of 300,000 and teeth that ignored defense, it was no wonder the Serpent-Turtle stood no chance.

This boss was nearly at the top tier in the Immemorial Battlefield’s upper layer. It normally should be active only in the center of the core area, not on its outskirts. Why had it flown so far out? Out of boredom?

Lin Moyu had seen the Flame Spout skill firsthand, but the fireball barrage... that was clearly not a skill, just a regular attack. It was truly terrifying.

This boss was unbeatable. Lin Moyu dared not stop and kept fleeing toward the central area. If he could reach it, he’d be safe. He had never heard of anyone encountering a boss above level 60 in the central area—the monsters in the core area never left the core area.

Fighting wasn’t an option; their only hope was escape.

Lin Moyu’s face was grim, as was Jialan Yeyu’s, “How can there be such a terrifying boss? Its attributes are even higher than some top-level level 70 class users.”

Lin Moyu glanced at her, thinking, “Comparing human attributes to a lord rank boss? Really?” Humans couldn’t compare to ordinary monsters in terms of attributes, let alone bosses.

A sharp screech heralded the Archaic Luanniao’s descent. Flapping its massive wings, it unleashed another rain of fireballs.

Lin Moyu was certain these fireballs weren’t the result of a skill—they were simply a regular attack, a devastating group attack that erased his numerical advantage instantly.

Mu Xianxian asked quietly, “Lin Moyu, can you beat it?”

Lin Moyu shot her a glance, thinking, “If I could, would I be running?”

"I can't." He finally replied

Another jet of black flames scorched the ground, engulfing many skeletons, followed by fireballs. Another batch was eliminated.

The Archaic Luanniao seized another dozen skeletons. This time, it crushed them with its talons.

Lin Moyu winced at the sound. The loss of dozens of skeletons was painful, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. If he could escape with his life, it would be a victory. Skeletons could be replaced; his life couldn’t.

The Archaic Luanniao came down once more, launching another round of attacks. After three rounds, nearly an entire undead legion of skeletons was wiped out. The opponent was too strong—he couldn’t defend against it at all.

The Archaic Luanniao soared into the sky again, seemingly tired of playing, circling above and letting out a series of sharp cries.

Lin Moyu took the opportunity to run a considerable distance. Just as he thought it had enough, a hair-raising sense of danger washed over him—it had locked onto him!

Without hesitation, Lin Moyu changed direction and ran. Jialan Yeyu, Mu Xianxian, and the others were about to follow, but Lin Moyu barked, “Don’t follow me!”

[1] - Luanniao, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luanniao