Chapter 19: The Overpowered Boss, Princess Hongyu

As Zheng Mu admired his new weapon, a sudden noise from the previously silent platform above caught his attention. Looking up, he saw the red coffin's lid fly off with a thunderous boom, revealing a woman dressed in red phoenix robes floating into the air, her figure graceful and captivating.

Unlike the bright red wedding dress, this woman, who was clearly the boss of this secret realm, wore a dark red gown embroidered with divine phoenixes. Far from conveying happiness or celebration, her attire emanated a sinister aura. The veil on her head fluttered without wind, revealing a face of heart-stopping beauty, tinged with the ashen hue of the dead.

"Intruder, you shall pay for your crimes!" her sharp voice echoed through the underground palace.

Zheng Mu's smile vanished as he saw her stats.

Name: Princess Hongyu Race: Ghost Level: 32 HP: 28,000/28,000 MP: 19,000/19,000 Strength: 339 Agility: 542 Spirit: 607 Endurance: 493 Skills: Spirit Drain lv3, Curse lv2, Phoenix Command lv1, Blood Explosion Curse lv2, Bloodsucking Curse lv1, Physical Immunity lv2

Zheng Mu's mouth hung open, shocked by Princess Hongyu's attributes – more than ten times his own. What was even more terrifying was that both his Optimus Prime and T-800 allies had exhausted their ammunition. At least an hour remained before his skill "Firepower Reset" could be used again.

In the meantime, he had to face a boss with an even higher level of physical immunity than the Ancient Resentful Spirit.

"Um, Your Highness, you've just woken up. Why don't we chat first, stretch a bit?" Zheng Mu suggested with a forced smile.

In response, a sharp blood-red sword hurtled toward him. Thanks to his Battle Analysis skill, he narrowly evaded the attack. Before he could celebrate, however, he realized that Princess Hongyu had already closed the distance between them, jabbing her slender jade finger toward his forehead.

Staring at the crimson-purple fingernail inches from his face, Zheng Mu knew this would be no trivial blow.

The next moment...

Thud!

Instead of piercing him, the strike merely sent Zheng Mu flying back. Crashing into the wall, he grimaced in pain but quickly got back on his feet. The boss, Princess Hongyu, appeared momentarily puzzled.

She gazed at her finger, then at Zheng Mu, who had already raised his gun to aim at her.

"I've never been beaten by a woman before! Eat lead!" With Zheng Mu's precise gunfire, Princess Hongyu had no chance to close in again.

As soon as a secret silver bullet hit her, a dark, smoking hole appeared on her red gown. Acrid black smoke billowed from her body as she screamed in pain.

"Holy crap, I can win!" With no regard for chivalry, Zheng Mu's fingers blurred into afterimages as he continued his barrage.

For a moment, Zheng Mu, a mere level 15 newcomer, suppressed the level 32 boss of the secret realm with his firepower.

He watched her health bar slowly deplete. Although it decreased at a snail's pace, Zheng Mu wasn't afraid. As a mechanic, he didn't need to worry about MP consumption. With three mechanical constructs as his "health pool," he wasn't concerned about being instantly killed by her. Moreover, his weapon had unlimited ammunition.

Zheng Mu's eyes blazed with excitement as he stared at the wailing Princess Hongyu. The rapid gunfire continued without pause.

Not only did Zheng Mu engage in the fight, but he also ordered Optimus Prime and the others to join the fray. Although the boss had level 2 physical immunity, which reduced half of the physical damage, the remaining half would gradually accumulate and wear her down.

As Princess Hongyu's health bar steadily diminished, Zheng Mu became even more exhilarated. However, this was still a high-difficulty secret realm. Even a team of four level 30 players might not make it out unscathed.

Just as Zheng Mu thought victory was within his grasp, something unexpected happened. The Princess Hongyu, who had been battered and sent flying across the palace, suddenly revealed an object like a token from her bosom.

Amidst a crimson glow, Zheng Mu faintly heard the cry of a phoenix. The next moment, he heard crackling sounds from behind him. As he turned around, he was dumbfounded by the sight before him.

The ancient vengeful spirits and skeletal soldiers that they had previously dismantled had miraculously resurrected. As these monsters turned their heads to face Zheng Mu, he stiffly turned to look at Princess Hongyu, who now sported numerous holes in her phoenix crown and wedding dress.

"Um, if I say I was just joking earlier, would you believe me?"

One minute later.

"Holy crap! Ah! Holy crap!"

"Give us an hour break, oh no, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die..."

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The embarrassed Princess Hongyu watched as Zheng Mu was swarmed by her minions. A smug glint flickered in her blood-red eyes, hidden beneath her veil. Then, she ignored Zheng Mu and walked directly toward her coffin.

Once she laid back down, five minutes later, with great effort, Optimus Prime managed to rescue Zheng Mu from the pile of monsters. However, before he could even plan his retaliation, he was stunned by the sight of the newly rejuvenated Princess Hongyu emerging gracefully from the coffin.

"Come on, between the two of us, who's the real cheater here?!" (to be continued)