This is the prologue, a brief segment of plot before the protagonist's transmigration. Friends who dislike this section can skip directly to the next chapter. …… "Dear player friends, good evening to you all. I am 'Demon G007'… October 10th, 2025, will be a day forever etched in the memory of all us Demons; tonight, too, will be an exciting, invigorating night overflowing with anticipation, because in just a few seconds…"

In the video player on the official Demon website, Sister G smiled radiantly, clad in the game’s skintight assassin gear, her curves pronounced and captivatingly alluring.

Listening to her soft, seductive voice, countless Demon players watching the broadcast instantly became excited.

Demon was an online game that had swept the globe in recent years. Its exquisitely detailed graphics, brilliantly ornate skill effects, wonderfully engaging leveling system, mesmerizing storylines and quests, and highly realistic control scheme… had captivated countless players. According to official statistics, Demon boasted over a hundred million registered users.

Tonight, precisely at eight o'clock, the six major guilds of the China region were set to join forces to battle Demon’s ultimate Boss: the 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance.'

For three years, global players had attempted to challenge the 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance' repeatedly, all without success. This time, the six major Chinese guilds, including 'Proud War of the World,' had spent a full six months preparing for this renewed assault. The thousands participating were all max-level players with formidable skills, and rumors suggested they had an eighty percent chance of victory.

Such a monumental undertaking was unprecedented in the history of Demon.

As soon as the news broke, it immediately captured the attention of almost every Demon player, and the official Demon website provided live coverage of the challenge.

"...Will they succeed in bringing down the 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance'?"

"Let us wait and see!!!"

Sister G waved her jade-like hand with a charming smile. Behind her, the great gates emblazoned with the characters for "Demon" slowly swung open, revealing a majestic palace bathed in the splendor of gorgeous, rosy twilight. The doors were wide open, revealing an interior that was dark and gloomy, seemingly harboring demons ready to devour any who entered.

This was the lair of the Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance—the Demon Palace.

……

A short distance to the east of the Demon Palace, nestled in a tranquil valley carpeted with lush greenery, several graceful 'Crimson-Eyed Bewitchers,' with their striking red eyes and crimson attire, slowly paced back and forth. These Crimson-Eyed Bewitchers were level ninety-nine humanoid monsters—beautifully designed, yet possessing massive health pools, high defense, and formidable damage. Few players ever ventured here to level up.

However, at this moment, a sudden, miserable scream erupted from the valley entrance:

"Ah, damn it, I lost a level! How is this possible? Aren't you an Apothecary? How can you have a Mage's Puppet skill? And why are you casting so fast? You must be hacking, you absolute cheat! You wait, just you wait, I'm reporting you to customer service right now… Ah, why can't I teleport back to the city? Damn it, I'll use a scroll… Goddammit, even the scroll doesn't work! A bug, a massive bug…" An assassin’s corpse lay sprawled on the ground, the name floating above its head—"Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt"—glowing a menacing dark red. Scattered around were the items it had dropped: potions, ores, and piles of low-tier junk equipment.

"Poor child, this area belongs to the 'Demon Palace' map. Just like inside the Demon Palace, teleportation is disabled here. However, unlike inside the Palace, death here allows for immediate return to the city, or you can choose to use a Substitute to resurrect on the spot, or perhaps be revived by an Apothecary’s 'Resurrection.'"

Looking at the man screaming hysterically before him, Nie Kong said with profound pity.

Nie Kong hailed from a prestigious family of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. After graduating from university, he opened his own clinic. Relying on the "Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique" passed down through generations, he operated for several years, not only earning the designation "Nationally Renowned" before his profession of "TCM Physician" but also gaining a reputation as a wellness expert. Subsequently, Nie Kong closed the clinic and settled into a quiet retirement in his small villa.

He only encountered the game Demon three years prior, right after he closed his clinic. Initially, it was just because a friend had raved nonstop about 'Demon,' prompting him, out of simple curiosity, to purchase a gaming helmet. To his surprise, once he started playing, he genuinely grew fond of it. Due to his professional background, Nie Kong created an Apothecary character whose in-game name was the same as his real one.

Nie Kong rarely interacted with other players while gaming. He neither initiated Player-versus-Player combat nor joined parties or guilds. When he had time, he would log in to complete quests, grind levels by killing monsters, or brew potions to sell for in-game currency—purely for his own amusement and to pass the time. After three years, he had finally reached level one hundred tonight.

Yet, the very instant he equipped his new level-one-hundred set, an assassin named "Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt" had sneaked up behind him to launch a surprise attack. Unfortunately for the attacker, he had clearly underestimated Nie Kong. Although Nie Kong maintained a low profile in the game, he was highly accomplished. Notably, he had invented ten new potions in the game, earning him the system-rewarded skill, "Medicine King Incarnation"—a skill that was absolutely devastating in PvP scenarios for an Apothecary.

The reason Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt's sneak attack failed was precisely due to this "Medicine King Incarnation" skill.

"What?"

Ignoring the shrieks of Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt, Nie Kong swung his shimmering golden feather fan, casting the "Resurrection" skill upon him. As Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt managed to scramble up, a barrage of skills slammed down onto his head. Blood erupted in fountains, and the health that had momentarily recovered to half was instantly depleted. Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt collapsed once more, dropping another heap of potions and ore, among which were also his trousers and weapon.

"Level ninety-seven? I lost another level! Nie Kong, I curse your ancestors! How can you be so despicable and shameless…" Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt was left wearing only the system-provided briefs and undershirt, raging. Losing two levels meant at least half a month of hard grinding to recover.

"Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt, I rather like that name. It suits you perfectly now," Nie Kong remarked dryly.

"..."

Two minutes later, once the skill cooldown expired, "Resurrection" fell upon the prone, cursing Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt once more, followed immediately by another cascade of attacks.

Thus, Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt jumped up, and then fell down!

"Damn it, Nie Kong, you've got guts! Just you wait, do you think I don't have friends… What? You can’t come here now? Once the battle against the Boss 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance' begins, no more players can enter the Demon Palace map? You cursed, broken game! Count tonight as my bad luck. Kill me again if you dare!"

Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt was on the verge of tears. He had snuck into the Demon Palace map shortly after seven this evening, preparing to watch the siege battle against the Boss, perhaps hoping to pick up some easy scraps. But the Demon Palace was too dangerous; he had nearly been wiped out by the Boss’s AoE attacks, and was almost spotted by others. He had to slip out of the Palace and wander nearby, where he unexpectedly spotted a dazzling, golden Apothecary at the valley entrance. Suddenly greedy and itching for a fight, he stealthily approached while invisible, intending to snatch a few tens of thousands of in-game currency, never imagining he would fail so spectacularly.

"Damn it, you actually killed me again?"

"Brother, Big Brother Nie Kong, you’ve killed me four times now, surely you’re appeased?… Seriously, I was wrong, I shouldn't have ambushed you, ah…"

"Grandpa Nie Kong, I beg you, stop! This account isn't mine; it belongs to a friend. I borrowed his helmet tonight just to see the Boss fight in the Demon Palace. If I lose too many levels, how can I face him? Honestly, truly, I’m not lying. This is only my second time playing Demon. I'm not familiar with the rules here, otherwise, even if you gave me a hundred times the courage, I wouldn't dare ambush a max-level Apothecary in the Demon Palace map tonight."

"You rotten bastard, you’re still killing me! You little son of a bitch, I'm throwing caution to the wind! Kill me down to level ninety if you have the guts, otherwise, I'm your grandson…"

"Yes, I’m your grandson… Wait, you’re my grandson!"

"…"

……

"The Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance’s health has dropped below thirty percent… It’s about to flee! Everyone, stay orderly! Execute the plan we discussed beforehand. We must take down this Boss tonight… It’s charging out! Brothers and sisters, pursue! Don't let it have a chance to recover its HP!"

In the Demon Palace, a massive purple silhouette burst through the main doors. It was a flower, nearly ten meters tall, with pink petals several meters in diameter slightly drooping, showing signs of wilting. Below the bloom, a slender, elegant purple stem swayed side to side, while nine large oval purple leaves were covered in scorch marks. Beneath the stem, a dense cluster of roots constantly swung back and forth like small tentacles, propelling it forward at high speed.

This was the ultimate Boss that countless challenges had failed against: the 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance.' Following closely behind it, the players advanced methodically, unleashing a continuous stream of skills. Luminous, multi-colored auras exploded over the Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance, dealing massive, continuous damage.

"Aiiieee…"

The Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance let out a sharp cry. Its branches and leaves thrashed, its petals flared open, and tendrils of red light spat forth, landing precisely on the dozens of warriors leading the charge. Those warriors immediately staggered as if intoxicated, their pursuit momentarily halted. The Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance accelerated its escape.

Its chosen direction was the valley to the east of the Demon Palace…

……

"Buddy, you're something else, you actually killed me down to level ninety! Nie Kong, I’ll remember your name, but you remember mine too!" Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt snarled viciously. Nie Kong had killed him eighteen times in a row, dropping his level from ninety-nine all the way down to ninety.

Nie Kong paid no mind to such threats.

Although he rarely engaged in PvP in Demon, that certainly didn't mean his skills were lacking. Back in university, his skill level was already top-tier. After opening his clinic, he adopted a more tempered lifestyle, his temperament becoming peaceful—the same applied to his gaming. But if someone provoked him, he would not back down. Scum like this who specialized in ganking, killing for drops, and scamming money were never shown mercy. If it weren't for the rule in Demon that dictated level drops ceased once they hit a number ending in zero, Nie Kong might have killed him all the way back to level zero today.

"Resurrection."

Nie Kong once again waved his feather fan, reviving the unlucky player. But this time, before he could act, a seductive purple shadow suddenly shot out from the corner of the valley entrance, sweeping over "Killed 'Til You're Bare-Butt" with blinding speed, and then lunging directly toward Nie Kong.

The Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance?

That thought barely flashed through Nie Kong’s mind before nine massive purple leaves enveloped his body. His health plummeted dramatically, and in the blink of an eye, only a pitiful sliver remained.

CRACK!

At that exact moment, amidst the pouring rain over Shangjing City, a sharp clap of thunder split the air. A thick bolt of lightning shattered the window glass of Nie Kong’s small villa bedroom and struck Nie Kong’s head. Sparks showered from the gaming helmet. Nie Kong’s vision went black, his body spasmed violently, and both the in-game "Nie Kong" and the enveloping "Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance" twisted unnaturally. Within two seconds, they vanished from the spot as if they had never existed.

"Huh? Where did the Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance go?"

"Why did the Boss disappear?"

"…"

The remaining hundreds of max-level players, who had chased the Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance around the corner, stared at the empty valley entrance and the corpse on the ground with its blackened-red name tag, dumbfounded, exchanging bewildered glances.

……

On October 11th, 2025, the Shangjing Daily published a news item: Mr. Nie Kong, the nationally renowned TCM Physician and wellness expert, died at the age of twenty-eight after being struck by lightning at his home.

On the same day, due to the sudden loss of the Ultimate Boss 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance' data, the official Demon website issued an apology and compensation to all players who participated in the Boss battle last night. However, one piece of information the official website did not disclose was that the data for the max-level Apothecary "Nie Kong" was lost simultaneously with the data for the "Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance" last night…