In 2077, neon lights flash so brightly they make your eyes ache. I'm Pei Rixin, an ordinary high school student. My only comfort is crawling into a secondhand nutrient pod and playing the savior in Star Ring Online. But the moment I logged in today, everything went haywire! A data storm raged like a rabid dog. By the time I came to my senses amid a screen full of mosaic-like static, hundreds of game worlds had all been mashed together. Magic clashed with guns, and goblins and zombies were brawling in the streets. It was an absolute hell-level "otherworldly stew." And to top it all off, the System announced in an icy voice: nobody could log out until the final boss, "World-Ender Dragon," was defeated.
"Huh? The final boss?!"
The next second, something felt wrong with my body. I looked down. Damn it! Whose pale, delicate little hands are these?! And these... are these proportions for real? Fiery red curls fell all over my face. "I turned into a girl?!" Before I could even process this bolt from the blue, the System's shrill voice blared out:
[System notification: The final boss, World-Ender Dragon, has appeared. All players are to go defeat it. Victory will allow you to return to the real world.]
My head went blank. A blood-red notice on my retina stabbed into my vision: "Defeat the Red Dragon Queen to log out." Meanwhile, my own character panel was glowing with "HP: ∞."
"No way! I'm the World-Ender Dragon everyone's going to hunt down?!" Looking at the huge army of players below, all itching for a fight, I stood there with dragon horns on my head and wanted to howl at the sky. How is a high school student forced to play the final boss supposed to lead all these people to "clear the game"?!
