Caw… caw…

The sound sliced through the still air. A murder of crows wheeled overhead, their cries harsh and grating in the gloomy forest.

A ragged boy lay slumped against a massive tree root, blood soaking his clothes. His eyelids trembled, then slowly lifted.

“Where… am I? Wasn’t I just in my dorm playing my game? How the hell did I end up here?”

Felix Ashford pressed a hand to his throbbing head, confusion swimming in his eyes.

He was a senior about to graduate, the kind who drifted through college half‑asleep. His only real joy came from gaming—especially that old immortal‑fantasy MMO he’d stuck with for four long years. While others quit one by one and the server emptied out, Felix kept grinding, stubborn as a mule.

In the end, even the game operators seemed impressed by his ridiculous loyalty. They sent him an in‑game mail: on the final day before shutdown, they were willing to boost his character to full level so he could enjoy one last wild sweep through the world. Did he want it?

Only a fool would say no.

In real life, Felix was a broke student, crushed under the heels of rich kids. In the game, he wasn’t much better off—always getting stomped by pay‑to‑win players.

Now, even though the whole game world was a graveyard waiting to be shut down, a max‑level boost before the end still felt like a tiny consolation prize for a die‑hard player like him.

So he clicked the link immediately.

And then—things went strange.

The instant his finger touched the mouse, a flash of white burst out of the screen, swallowing him whole. His mind went blank. When he opened his eyes again… he was here, in this inexplicable place.

Felix drew in a long breath, forcing himself calm. He scanned the surroundings. Trees—endless, towering, crowding the horizon. His brow tightened. “Our school’s greenery sure as hell isn’t this wild. Don’t tell me this is some forest park… or a real untouched jungle? And how did I even get here?”

Roar!

A beast’s bellow ripped through the forest, shaking the ground beneath him.

Felix jerked upright, cold sweat breaking out instantly. He’d grown up in the city; he’d never heard a roar like that. “Don’t tell me… this really *is* a primitive forest? Or some kind of wild animal preserve?”

The thought nearly made him cry. In his heart, he cursed whoever had dragged him out here while he was unconscious, cursing them down eighteen generations.

“Damn it… who the hell did this? Dumping me in a place crawling with beasts—are you trying to kill me? What grudge do we even have?”

But soon… he realized he was wrong.

There was more than just wild animals in this place.

Ssshh—sshh—sshh…

A patch of weeds quivered wildly. Felix Ashford jerked in shock, whipping his head toward the sound. Before he could so much as grab a fallen branch for defense, a wolf—no, a hulking beast the size of a wild ox, its whole body glowing faint blue—burst out of the brush.

Felix’s eyes shrank to pinpoints. His breath caught.

What in the hells… Is that a wolf or a damn bull? Wolf’s head, sure—but why is it that big?!

I’m done. Dead for sure.

His mind wailed. His body locked up like stone. Tears welled uncontrollably, trembling at the edge of his eyes as he choked out, “B‑brother Wolf… don’t eat me, alright? I’ll buy you sausages… all you want…”

Roar!

The creature didn’t understand a single word. With another thunderous howl, it launched itself at him, claws and fangs gleaming, that massive maw snapping down without mercy.

“No—!”

Felix let out a strangled scream, his face draining of all color.

Ding.

A crisp chime rang out of nowhere.

“Congratulations, player. Account binding complete. Enjoy your adventure!”

…Account?

Felix froze, eyelids fluttering open just a crack.

Wait—I'm not dead? And what’s this about an account?

He looked up. The wolf was still there, gnawing and clawing away at him. But strangely… there was no pain. Nothing even close to dying. The beast’s attacks only left faint red lines on his body—lines that vanished the instant they appeared.

Confusion surged through him—until a shimmering light screen unfolded before his eyes, exactly like a character panel from the game.

Character Name: Felix Ashford

Class: Mage

Level: 200, Grand Deity

...

Felix Ashford studied himself in silence, thoughts turning like slow gears until a thought suddenly flashed bright.

Could it be… this body of his was exactly his in‑game body? A full‑level mage. A Grand Deity.

He lifted his gaze slightly, checking above his head. Sure enough, a golden LV.200 hovered there, shining blindingly bright.

Then he looked at the beast that had scared him half to death a moment ago. Above its head floated a greasy green tag—LV.1.

“Tch. All bark, no bite. A level‑one wild mutt dares mess with a level‑two‑hundred Grand Deity? Not even worth a sliver of experience. Looking for death.”

A crooked grin crawled up Felix’s lips, sharp and wicked. Confidence surged through him. His hands shot forward, fast and fierce, directly locking around the wild wolf’s front paws.

The wolf had been scratching at him excitedly, puzzled over how this human’s skin seemed ridiculously tough—no matter how it clawed, it caused no pain. Suddenly grabbed and held still, the entire wolf froze in shock.

Felix’s hands were like iron clamps. No matter how wildly the wolf thrashed, it couldn’t break free.

How was this possible? How could a human have such strength?

Confusion surfaced in the wolf’s eyes as it slowly looked up, meeting Felix’s mocking smile.

“Had fun scratching me just now? My turn.”

Splurt.

A heavy, muffled sound fell. Felix simply pushed his arms outward, casually tearing the level‑one creature clean in half. Blood splattered across the ground—it was as easy as ripping paper.

Felix glanced at the wolf entrails scattered everywhere, then at his blood‑stained hands. A surge of indescribable exhilaration burst from his chest.

So I’m this strong now? A beast like this, gone with a casual pull. Makes sense—I’m level two hundred, it’s just level one.

Sure, I’m a mage, supposedly built for ranged combat, but with a gap this huge, even basic attacks are enough to shred monsters. No skills needed.

Felix’s grin widened, then suddenly froze.

“So… I’ve transmigrated? But to where exactly? Did I really get thrown into that xianxia fantasy game world… with my max‑level account?”

“So… if I’m full level now, doesn’t that mean I can sweep the whole server?”

The thought flashed, and Felix Ashford’s chest instantly burned hot. A wild dream burst through his mind.

“I’ll crush every corner of this world… stomp every so‑called master and every beast, big or small. I’ll be the strongest in the entire server. I’ll be the king of this damn game—hahaha!”

Such arrogant words—he’d never even dared whisper them before. Too many rich players used to tower over his head like a wall of gold. But now? Full level. In this world, what’s left to fear?

Yet the fire in him cooled just a little.

…What if there are other full‑level players here?

“Young master! I finally found you! Are you alright?”

Just as that uneasy thought stirred, a voice—surprised, relieved, close and getting closer—cut through the forest air.

Felix stiffened and looked up.

A sturdy young man burst out from between the trees, breath quick, eyes shining the moment they landed on Felix. That gaze carried worry, respect… even a touch of awe.

Felix’s eyelids twitched upward. Instinctively, he glanced above the newcomer’s head.

As expected—LV.5.

So this one… another player? Or a monster disguised as one? And is he a threat?

Felix’s eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. He looked at the boy the way a hunter sizes up a beast… cold, calculating, ready to strike if needed.