The serpent hovered in the sky, its wings beating with heavy, rhythmic motions.
Faced with the endless swarm of densely packed "pink dots" rushing toward it, the creature slowly extended its long forked tongue before suddenly diving straight into the chaos below.
It looked like a guardian statue protecting a sacred gate. A being that existed for one purpose alone — to guard its master's sleep and prevent anyone from trespassing.
Its tail, covered in razor-sharp red crystals, swept across the battlefield.
The "pink heroes" charging forward were instantly crushed apart, erased before they could even touch the cocoon.
But they didn't stop.
Wave after wave.
The "pink heroes" continued their suicidal assault as if determined to suppress everyone's eyesight through the power of pink fashion alone.
Damn it.
Even I don't like seeing six-pack dudes dressed like this.
Lam Huy Trường sighed softly and rubbed his eyes. Yet the grin on his face was impossible to hide.
The serpent didn't even bother dealing with the shadows crawling onto its body.
Even the few "superheroes" standing right in front of it and provocatively shaking their asses failed to draw even the slightest reaction.
The serpent only hissed.
A long, drawn-out hiss.
Then its wings suddenly spread wide.
Blood-red lightning began spreading from its blazing body like veins splitting open beneath flesh.
And then—
BOOM!
Crimson thunder exploded outward in every direction.
Any "pink hero" caught within the lightning's path instantly dissolved into thin pink smoke.
Nothing remained.
The serpent hissed again, its tongue trembling slightly as though boasting in triumph.
Behind a scorched, half-collapsed tree, Lam Huy Trường could only stand there in stunned silence.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Oh come on…"
"It even has wide-area attacks too?"
Nothing like this boss existed in his memories.
This damned world.
Again and again.
It kept screwing him over like his life was some kind of prime-time entertainment show.
At this point… he was practically numb to it already.
Lam Huy Trường took a deep breath.
Then slowly shifted his gaze toward the cocoon.
---
Far away—
Above the battlefield, atop the carpet vehicle that everyone knew was really just something else transformed, two figures weaved through the Eva Spawn like meteors dancing across the galaxy.
Gunfire and cannon blasts rang out nonstop.
Massive laser beams tore through the sky and rained down onto the battlefield one after another.
The Eva Spawn shrieked miserably as wave after wave of firepower shredded through their bodies.
In Kai's left hand, a pitch-black sword slowly took shape.
A deep violet aura like poisonous mist wrapped itself around the blade.
His eyes gradually turned purple as well.
Then—
Keng.
The sound of a sword leaving its sheath echoed out.
In a single instant, a crescent-shaped purple slash tore apart every Eva Spawn in its path.
Like a blade-shaped gale.
Destroying everything blocking its way as it surged toward its target.
The slash continued flying toward the distant cocoon as though intending to split the entire battlefield in half.
But then—
Booooooom.
It suddenly stopped.
As if an invisible wall had appeared in front of it.
The purple slash collided against the unseen barrier before rapidly dispersing into drifting violet smoke under both of their gazes.
Lyra, who was controlling the vehicle, glanced back.
Kai merely nodded.
"It has a protective barrier… just like the professor said."
"Keep your distance."
"Don't get too close. Got it?"
Lyra nodded.
Both of them stared toward the cocoon.
It was trembling slightly.
Strange energy was gathering inside it, as though preparing to counterattack… or unleash some kind of curse.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
Don't even think about it.
But just as he was about to act, Lyra suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
"Leave it to me."
The next second, the "carpet vehicle" tilted nearly ninety degrees before shooting upward into the sky.
The cocoon seemed to realize its ranged attacks couldn't reach them.
The gathered energy gradually faded away.
Instead—
Waves of sound began echoing through the battlefield.
Like a warning to hunters.
Or perhaps a threat aimed at those who didn't value their own lives.
Kai staggered slightly under the sonic shockwave.
Lyra clenched her teeth, covering her ears tightly while continuing to gain altitude.
Kai was briefly startled.
Not only because of Lyra's calm response—
But because of her unbelievable control skills.
She mastered this thing fast… Kai thought silently.
Then the corner of his mouth curled upward.
Good.
Then I can't afford to lose either.
Purple light flashed within his eyes.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
I need an attack powerful enough to break that barrier.
He lowered his gaze toward the black sword in his left hand.
The blade reflected his eyes.
But deep within the sword's surface…
Something was waiting there.
Like a seductive invitation.
As if whispering softly, tempting him to step through some unseen door.
Kai coldly tightened his grip.
His gaze never wavered.
Then he lifted his head again.
Ahead of him, Lyra was still struggling against the chaotic skies.
A strange emotion suddenly rose within his chest.
Finally, Kai let out a quiet laugh.
Those honey-like whispers vanished along with it.
Right.
I've finally seen a little light… within this rain.
Now let's see where it leads me.
Lyra guided the carpet vehicle across the skies above the cocoon like a meteor tearing through the wind.
From the tail of that "meteor," streaks of blue light continuously rained downward.
They sparkled beautifully in the darkness, almost like blessings descending from the heavens.
Only…
These "blessings" were a little violent.
Very violent.
Because right before colliding with the invisible barrier surrounding the cocoon—
They exploded.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions thundered across the sky.
Streams of blue light relentlessly bombarded the exact same point as though every shot had been calculated beforehand.
Somehow, Lyra's timing was terrifyingly precise.
She attacked at the exact moment each sonic wave ended.
Not even a single beat off.
It was almost as if the hand of a god had intervened.
The timing was so perfect that it felt like she had already seen through the pattern long ago.
As a result, none of the carpet vehicle's firepower was neutralized.
The cocoon's barrier was forced to take the full impact head-on.
Finally—
Within the thick cloud of smoke—
Something slowly revealed itself.
A massive spherical barrier.
Bright crimson like a pomegranate.
It completely surrounded the cocoon.
Its surface was covered in glowing vein-like patterns.
Then—
Crack~.
A fracture appeared.
For a brief moment, the crimson barrier looked ready to shatter apart completely.
But before anyone could celebrate—
The cracks began healing themselves.
The regeneration speed was fast enough to make one's scalp go numb.
---
"Nice."
Behind the burnt-black tree, Lam Huy Trường couldn't help cheering quietly.
At last, he could finally see it clearly.
A faint red veil was covering the cocoon.
So his guess was correct after all.
Just as Lam Huy Trường was stroking his chin smugly, a cold female voice suddenly rang out.
Cold enough to feel like a slap directly across his self-satisfied face.
"Oh, look at that."
"You seem very happy that your 'self-destruct' plan just advanced another step."
Lam Huy Trường froze.
For a brief instant, he felt like he had just been thrown straight into the Arctic.
He opened his mouth, intending to explain something.
Then stopped.
Tiny sparks of electricity were crackling across the surface of the watch on his left wrist.
A warning sign so obvious it couldn't possibly be misunderstood.
Lam Huy Trường immediately chose the safest option—
Silence is golden.
Because he had an extremely strong feeling that…
If he said even one wrong sentence—
This mouth of his might end up being "permanently sealed shut."
How could he possibly forget that a certain "supervisor" had been sulking at him this entire time?
Lam Huy Trường swallowed nervously.
Then spoke in a tone like a sinner confessing before a cathedral.
"I thought you were angry… ah no, busy with something…"
"So you stopped talking to me, Mrs. AI…"
A soft humming sound echoed out.
Gentle enough to sound like a girl quietly humming a tune.
"It's true that I no longer knew what to say about your… "self-destruct" plan, Professor."
Crackle. Crackle.
Several "gentle" sparks shot outward.
They struck the tree behind Lam Huy Trường directly.
Pffft.
A charred hole instantly appeared in the trunk as thin white smoke drifted upward like a well-meaning warning.
Lam Huy Trường completely froze.
For some reason, he suddenly felt like he had just been targeted by a dark star.
The corner of his mouth twitched violently.
He forced out the most saintly smile he could manage, hoping the thing called "someone's anger" would calm down a little.
But then—
A deeply rebellious thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Wait a second.
Since when do AIs have demons?
Or could it be…
Did AIs in this world actually possess emotions?
No way.
Lam Huy Trường paused briefly at the thought.
But quickly denied it himself.
Don't forget.
This damned fantasy-hybrid world… anything can happen here.
He shook his head hard, trying to drive away dangerous thoughts such as—
What if I take her apart and check?
Maybe there's some kind of bug…
…
No.
Absolutely nottttttt.
Unless he wanted to get roasted alive like a suckling pig.
It was best to abandon all thoughts of "disassembling" Mrs. AI.
After several seconds of serious survival-related contemplation, Lam Huy Trường decided to surrender first.
After all—
The one who gets soaked first is usually the one who earns sympathy.
"You see…"
"Everything is still going according to plan."
Lam Huy Trường flashed a radiant smile.
A smile so fake that even he wanted to slap himself.
"Professor."
Mrs. AI's voice sounded softly behind him.
Unfortunately for Lam Huy Trường…
It felt less like a gentle touch and more like a bear placing its paw on his shoulder.
His smile vanished instantly.
His back straightened.
His obedient tone didn't even sound like him anymore.
"Yes, I'm listening."
"Oh?"
"You're actually willing to listen?"
Lam Huy Trường swallowed hard.
Silently praying for his ancestors' protection.
"Professor."
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"Your heart is beating very fast."
"You seem frightened."
"N-No… it's nothing…"
Lam Huy Trường felt his throat dry up while bitterness spread across his mouth.
The moment he realized he was about to drown from surrendering too hard—
He immediately seized the chance to change the subject.
"Maybe it's because my clothes are wet, so I caught a little cold…"
"Oh?"
"But I scan your body twenty-four hours a day."
"If there were signs of illness… how could I not know?"
…
What do you mean twenty-four hours a day!?
Are you kidding me!?
Isn't this a little too much!?
Lam Huy Trường screamed internally.
But very quickly, he forced himself to calm down.
Don't panic.
Panicking right now would only turn him into barbecue.
He squeezed out another smile like a drowning man desperately clinging to the life preserver Mrs. AI had casually tossed at him.
"Well…"
"At least my brain still seems to be functioning normally."
"Besides, I have the super-intelligent Mrs. AI beside me."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"Oh… hmm?"
It was only a tiny sound.
Yet for some reason, Lam Huy Trường's spine turned ice cold.
I… didn't say anything wrong just now, did I, Supreme One?
He almost wanted to slap himself again.
Lam Huy Trường hurriedly tried to recover.
"Sorry…"
"I'm just a little hungry, so I've been talking nonsense…"
"Oh, it's fine."
"I don't mind being praised."
"You may continue praising me… if you wish."
…
Lam Huy Trường froze for two whole seconds.
It felt like a giant iron question mark had just fallen onto his head.
Wait.
Hold on.
It felt like…
He was 'starting' to understand something here.
"Oh… okay."
"I think we should continue observing the battlefield now, super-intelligent Mrs. AI."
A very soft reply came back.
Gentle enough to sound like two people sitting on a date rather than standing in the middle of a battlefield filled with corpses and explosions.
"Yes."
Lam Huy Trường scratched his head awkwardly.
All this battlefield needs now is a dance floor and a chandelier…
And I'd probably end up proposing to Mrs. AI.
Right then, Mrs. AI's voice rang out again.
This time, it sounded calmer.
Like a teacher beginning a lecture.
"Since I cannot calculate your next course of action…"
"Allow me to ask."
"What do you intend to do next—"
"Professor with the 'genius human brain'?"
Clearly.
She deliberately emphasized those final words.
Lam Huy Trường felt like someone was poking him in the back while mercifully asking:
How many wings would you like attached before attempting to fly?
He immediately forced those dangerous thoughts out of his mind.
Don't overthink it.
Surviving was more important.
Lam Huy Trường slowly turned his gaze back toward the battlefield.
Ahead—
The red serpent also seemed to have realized the threat posed by that "blue meteor."
It shifted direction slightly.
As though preparing to return and support the cocoon.
The corner of Lam Huy Trường's lips slowly curled upward.
A very friendly smile.
"And who said you could leave?"
Lam Huy Trường slowly raised his right hand.
His fingertip lightly touched the floating Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone before him.
The crystal trembled softly.
As though responding to his call.
The Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone quivered gently.
Sparkling lights scattered outward like dancing stars.
Then those lights drifted upward with the wind and vanished into the sky.
For a brief moment, the air around Lam Huy Trường seemed to fall silent.
And directly behind him—
A massive pink figure that had been standing motionless like a shadow this entire time suddenly moved.
Like a princess awakening from a dream.
The stretch of her body was graceful, yet enough to alter the atmosphere itself.
Tick.
A small sound echoed out.
And in the next instant—
A pair of enormous bat wings suddenly spread wide.
WHOOSH!
The figure shot forward.
So fast that only a blurred streak remained in the air.
Its target—
The red serpent flapping its wings and preparing to leave the battlefield.
At that exact moment—
A piercing screech tore across the battlefield.
Sharp enough to sound like claws scraping against glass.
The red serpent froze.
Its enormous head slowly turned backward.
No one knew whether it had truly seen the thing rushing toward it or not.
But immediately afterward—
Its entire body suddenly stiffened.
As if time itself had been slowed for a brief instant.
---
Far away—
Kai and Lyra were also drawn toward the screech simultaneously.
Both of them turned around at nearly the exact same time.
Then—
They froze.
Amid the battlefield overflowing with countless "pink dots"—
Two gigantic winged figures had spread their wings across the sky.
Like two nightmares awakening at once.
Kai's eyes widened.
His shocked voice escaped instinctively.
"What the hell is that?"
Even Lyra couldn't maintain her usual composure.
Her mouth formed an O.
Her eyes went wide.
She stared into the distance, utterly bewildered.
"Wait…"
"Don't tell me the happy x2 the professor mentioned is…"
---
Elsewhere—
Lam Huy Trường lightly clapped his hands together.
Clap.
The corners of his lips curled upward with anticipation.
"Oh yeahhhhhhh…"
"Let's begin."
"HAPPY X2."