Chapter 50: Bullies the Weak, Fears the Strong

Chapter 50: Bullies the Weak, Fears the Strong

One hour later.

Lu Xing materialized at the Dizhong Village Respawn Point.

His recent battle with Mirage Butterfly still left him rattled. Afterward, he’d realized Mirage Butterfly had easily been capable of killing him but had instead chosen to toy with him.

By the time he respawned, countless players had already formed parties to rush toward Stormwhisper Pond, determined to capture this fourth-generation Primordial.

Lu Xing opened the forum panel and navigated to the live stream section. He clicked on player Nightfallapproach’s broadcast.

The stream showed that after over an hour of travel, Nightfallapproach’s party had reached the outskirts of Stormwhisper Pond. Beyond the flaming volcano ahead lay Mirage Butterfly’s location.

On the stream, viewers debated a pressing question: Was Mirage Butterfly still there?

The answer emerged half an hour later.

In the distance, a pair of glowing green eyes blinked amid the bushes, observing the surroundings.

Seeing Mirage Butterfly still present, both the on-site players and online spectators erupted in cheers.

But before their excitement could settle, Mirage Butterfly suddenly leapt from the bushes, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky.

The gathered players froze in shock.

“Damn it! We traveled all this way, and it just runs off?!”

“Where’s that Hawk-Headed Demon player? Hurry and chase it by air!”

“Idiot, our Hawk-Headed Demon is ground-bound. We can only glide short distances—we can’t fly. Not at this level, at least!”

…

Mirage Butterfly vanished into the horizon while the players helplessly watched. Forced to retreat, they trudged back in frustration.

Seeing this, Lu Xing couldn’t help but shake his head. Their containment attempt had completely failed.

Closing Nightfallapproach’s stream, Lu Xing activated his own live broadcast and purchased ten Offering Ration Cans (1 Sacrificial Power each) from the Mall interface, preparing to continue exploring the world.

Two hours later.

After crossing the Bloodfiend-infested Ancient Battlefield region, Lu Xing returned to Stormwhisper Pond.

This time, he didn’t stop but continued northwest along the lake’s edge.

Suddenly, a gale roared from the sky.

Lu Xing jerked his head up, stunned to see Mirage Butterfly descending from above, its wide white wings crashing down toward him like a tidal wave.

“Holy hell!”

Lu Xing instantly switched to his Hawk-Headed Demon form and rolled aside.

“Goo-goo!”

Dust exploded as Mirage Butterfly landed, letting out an excited cry.

Its sudden reappearance left Lu Xing momentarily bewildered. Looking up, he noticed Mirage Butterfly staring at him with an eerily humanoid expression of mockery.

“Nope! Not fighting this time!” Recalling the half-hour beating he’d endured earlier, Lu Xing immediately turned tail and fled.

But Mirage Butterfly wasn’t done.

It flapped its wings, knocked him flat, then flew to perch on a nearby twisted tree, turning to gaze at him again with a “Goo-goo!”

Picking himself up, Lu Xing felt a sinking realization.

This Mirage Butterfly had marked him.

Remembering the Guide Compendium’s description of Mirage Butterfly as a creature that bullies the weak and fears the strong, Lu Xing realized he’d become its designated punching bag.

“Goo-goo!”

Mirage Butterfly launched itself from the tree, diving directly at him.

Lu Xing dodged, but the wing strike still sent him tumbling backward, landing hard on his rear with stars swirling above his head.

“Goo-goo!”

Watching it strut proudly on a tree branch, Lu Xing seethed inwardly.

Too far!

As Mirage Butterfly dove again, Lu Xing decided to stop fleeing. He flapped his wings and charged head-on.

During their clash, his live stream viewers skyrocketed.

“This is amazing! I thought it flew off for good, but it’s back! Containment’s possible!”

“I bet it fled earlier because so many players showed up. Next time, send fewer people—maybe solo by a high-level player.”

“Come on! Fight Mirage Butterfly again! You can win!”

…

As spectators flooded the stream, donation alerts blared. Lu Xing and Mirage Butterfly reignited their battle. This time, Mirage Butterfly abandoned Zephyr Dominion, opting instead to humiliate Lu Xing with brute force.

For thirty grueling minutes, it tormented him until Lu Xing lay exhausted, curled on the ground, finally giving up as wings lashed his battered body.

As a casual explorer, he’d never imagined enduring such a nightmare.

Before meeting Mirage Butterfly, he’d been slain by monsters and Malevolent Spirits before—but never like this.

Though seething, Lu Xing could do nothing as Mirage Butterfly summoned a flurry of wind blades, ending his life.

After Lu Xing logged off, fresh parties rushed back to Stormwhisper Pond.

This time, players learned their lesson. Realizing Mirage Butterfly bullied the weak and fled from strength, they sent only one level-10 player to approach it.

But to their shock, Mirage Butterfly immediately took flight upon spotting the challenger.

Unwilling to concede, the party hid and waited. Thirty minutes later, Mirage Butterfly returned, circled Stormwhisper Pond twice, and settled into the bushes.

This time, they sent a player of Lu Xing’s level. Yet again, nothing changed—Mirage Butterfly spotted them and ascended, disappearing into the sky.

Frustrated but helpless, the players muttered curses.

Then a voice crackled over the party’s voice chat:

“It seems Mirage Butterfly fixates on that explorer. Only he qualifies as ‘weak’ in its eyes. Since we can’t reach it, why not try making that explorer defeat it?”

The suggestion sparked immediate agreement.

When Lu Xing logged back on and activated his stream, a flood of viewers rushed in.

“Bro, the fate of containing Mirage Butterfly rests with you!”

“This is the first fourth-generation Primordial. The reward’s bigger than winning the lottery. You’ve got this!”

“Believe in yourself, brother—we’re all counting on you!”

Still groggy from logging back in, Lu Xing scrolled through the comments, gradually understanding their plea. They wanted him to challenge Mirage Butterfly again.

Lu Xing shook his head, stating he’d chosen a new exploration route and wouldn’t return to Stormwhisper Pond.

But donations began pouring in—modest amounts, but clearly conveying their hope.

Some even offered to guide him through the fight.

For a long moment, Lu Xing sat in silence. Then, finally, swayed by the financial push, he summoned his courage:

“Alright, I’ll try one more time!”

The stream exploded with cheers.

At that moment, Lu Xing set off once more toward Mirage Butterfly’s lair.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end