[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed":3,"chapter-how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How Do We Play If This Boss Isn't Nerfed?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1618108,2083,"Chapter 33: You Started It","how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>CLANG!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye’s seemingly unstoppable strike was met head-on, parried in an incredibly domineering fashion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The immense rebound force caused the momentum of Lin Ye’s strike to falter for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kai let out a low roar, his eyes shot with blood as he transformed into what looked like a crimson bolt of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combat blade in his hand trailed a blinding glint as he brought it down with crushing force!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too fast!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye had no time to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only hastily raise his staff to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next moment, the blade’s glint descended with unparalleled power, and Lin Ye failed to block it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SCHLICK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision went black, and his consciousness returned to the matchmaking space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Battle Over!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have been defeated!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye frowned, staring at the grayed-out results screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The opponent’s final burst... it wasn’t normal.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That wasn’t the kind of boost you get from a breakthrough in a Cultivation Technique or martial skill. It was more like... an external force.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The despicable adventurer used a wicked potion to temporarily enhance his own power!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[A true pity that you lost, but such is the fate of a BOSS.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Friendly Reminder: Any methods available to the adventurer are also available to you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the system seemed to mock him as it revealed the truth of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye was taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, realization dawned on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Doping?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Humans really are more troublesome than beasts. He could outwit a mutant beast, but he couldn’t predict what outrageous things a person would do just to win.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「In the real world.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kai ripped off his CR wristband, gasping for breath. His face was an unnatural shade of flushed red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his face held no trace of a victor’s joy. Instead, there was a hint of lingering fear and vexation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down at the small porcelain vial beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the vial, three characters were inscribed in a flamboyant seal script: Blood Burning Elixir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, he had taken advantage of a brief window of distance from his opponent to exit the virtual state and swallow the elixir in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peak Martial Artist battles were a perfect 1:1 reflection of one’s real-world strength, and even though this sudden power-up might later be flagged by the system as cheating, Lone Wolf had wanted to win this match!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure had been immense—so suffocating that he had instinctively pulled out the trump card his father had spent a fortune on to save his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Zhou Kai, and even for the true top students of Dongjiang Experimental Middle School, a Blood Burning Elixir probably didn’t even count as a cheat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a Cultivation Technique or a martial skill, it was simply another part of one’s combat strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a legitimate resource for a Martial Artist and a reflection of their foundation and backing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to use it in a virtual battle, and against a rookie he’d always looked down on...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kai felt like he was losing face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had used a Blood Burning Elixir just to win a virtual battle—a match he had considered a total stomp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whiskey beside him and the elegant string music playing in the room now felt like the ultimate mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kai turned off the music and the ambient lighting, ran a hand through his hair in frustration, and opened his CR wristband interface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was going to unfriend him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would completely erase this guy named [Goblin Grunt] from his world and pretend today had never happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next second, Zhou Kai discovered that while he hadn’t said a word, the guy called Goblin Grunt had just spammed him with a barrage of messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kai opened them, bracing himself for a torrent of curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the content of the messages left him completely stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Goblin Grunt: I can’t believe it!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Goblin Grunt: I still couldn’t do it!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Goblin Grunt: I even used Blood Boiling Powder, and I still couldn’t beat you!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Goblin Grunt: This is pissing me off!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Blood Boiling Powder?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Kai’s pupils dilated slightly, and his mind went blank with a buzz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a banned substance, even lower-grade than the Blood Burning Elixir, with far more violent side effects. It granted a short burst of power at the cost of exhausting one’s martial foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was also much cheaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He... used a drug too?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought struck him like a lightning bolt, instantly clearing away all the gloom in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’So that’s how it is!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’No wonder he improved so much today! He was using such underhanded methods!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of Zhou Kai’s prior frustration, vexation, and guilt vanished in that instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their place came the relief of sudden understanding, along with an imperceptible trace of pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since his opponent had used a drug as well, his own use of the Blood Burning Elixir wasn’t a case of a senior bullying a junior, but a fair and square duel between equals!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he’d even won!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This proved that even when they were both doped up, his own foundation and strength were still a cut above!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corner of Zhou Kai’s mouth curved up once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up his glass and drained the remaining whiskey. The fiery warmth that flowed down his throat left him feeling utterly refreshed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the magnanimity of a superior addressing an inferior, he slowly and deliberately typed out a reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lone Wolf: No wonder. I was wondering why you suddenly got so much stronger.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lone Wolf: You must be from a humble background, right? To have come this far is already quite impressive.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lone Wolf: But let me give you a piece of advice. You should use things like Blood Boiling Powder less in the future. On the path of a Martial Artist, your foundation is the most important thing. It’s not worth ruining your future for a momentary victory.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reading the \"kindly advice\" from his opponent, Lin Ye let out a long sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Thank goodness for the system.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If the system hadn’t pointed out that his opponent had used a drug after the defeat, he never would have thought of using this method to give the mentally unstable \"expert\" a perfect way to save face.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his opponent had actually deleted him as a friend out of shame and anger, the system’s mission might have changed, but the variables would be too great, and the difficulty would likely increase rather than decrease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this mission target was, for the time being, stabilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye stood in the Battle Hall, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’To beat him, I’m just one step away.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Since you used a drug, don’t blame me for using one too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’You started it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye didn’t really have any psychological resistance to the idea of using performance enhancers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as it could be converted into tangible combat power, he would welcome it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he did have one absolute bottom line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would not do anything that damaged his foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would never make the foolish choice to sever his future prospects for a moment of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye’s mind was already starting to form a plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Tomorrow, I’ll have to make a trip to the school’s logistics exchange office.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, he still had 100,000 Federation Coins he hadn’t touched, and his father, Lin Tao, had also sent home the first stipend of 50,000 Alliance Coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye didn’t plan on using his father’s money, but the 100,000 from the scholarship should be fair game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just in time to see about buying some tonics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, another message from Lone Wolf arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lone Wolf: You seem like you have potential, and today’s fight was pretty satisfying.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lone Wolf: How about this? I happen to need a sparring partner lately, and your skills are decent.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lone Wolf: Let’s say three days from now. You spar with me for two hours in the evening, and I’ll pay you at a rate of 5,000 Federation Coins per hour. How about it?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye stared at the message, stunned at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he smiled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I was worried this fish would get away.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I didn’t expect him to be thinking the same thing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He’s even adding more bait to the hook himself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Getting paid, and having the mission target actively cooperate? Where in the world could you find a deal this good?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye replied immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Goblin Grunt: Yes! Thank you so much, Lang!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five words and two exclamation points perfectly painted the picture of a student from a poor, lower-class background. Lone Wolf smiled freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mood improved once again.\u003C\u002Fp>",1449,"2026-06-06T10:31:47.603Z",1,"novelbin.me","ea00463714c0eb08b08860a7b04c0ec7590cf8fe49872d3d9dab8d5595845834","how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-34","how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-32",250,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-cover.jpg"]