Chapter Forty-Eight: Unleash the Beast Within Your Heart

“So, do you still think you’re just an ordinary person? Have you found your place among the countries and governments on Earth?” Bai interrupted Lantian’s playful act, his expression serious. “Last night, you merely threatened Zou Linsen and let him go. Are you so sure he won’t tell anyone about you taking a bullet for him? Are you certain he won’t go mad enough to drag you down with him, even if it means his whole family would perish with him?”

“Did you know his phone was recording the entire conversation? Every word you said about taking a bullet was captured, do you realize that?!”

“Fortunately, he’s not completely heartless—your threat actually worked. But what if he really decided to pull you down with him? What would you do then? Let me guess. Were you thinking that if things got out of hand, you could just hide away in some remote mountains, wait until you’ve grown strong enough, and then come back?”

Lantian stared blankly, nodding mechanically. He hadn’t expected Zou Linsen to have kept a backup plan. His own handling of the situation was still too naive.

“That’s right—naive. That’s why you’re still too green,” Bai continued. “You know, the reason I didn’t stop you, the reason I let you make your own choices—even if it meant letting such a hidden danger go—was because I’m certain that, let alone the Ningcheng Police Department, even if the entire country or the whole world became your enemy, the one who’d win in the end would still be you.”

“Because… I am with you.”

Silence. Absolute, deathly silence.

Lantian’s mouth hung open. He didn’t know how to express the shock he felt in that moment; Bai’s words truly shook him to his core.

In an instant, he felt an unshakable strength behind him, as if he were leaning against an ancient, immovable mountain.

Bai spoke again: “From now on, show your dominance. On Earth, do whatever you want. Don’t hesitate, not for a second. While everyone else is unaware, you’ve already shouldered the responsibility of protecting this world. At the same time, you should also claim the power you deserve!”

“So stop being timid. Be bold. Unleash the beast within your heart.”

“Be bold, unleash the beast within me…” Lantian murmured, falling silent, his eyes growing brighter as a fire called ambition began to burn inside him.

Although he’d vaguely felt it before, never had it been as powerful as it was now. Bai’s words had completely released his ambition.

Who hasn’t dreamed of being a hero?

Who hasn’t hungered for power?

With Bai by his side, he now possessed the strength to sweep across the entire world.

So, what was there left to fear?

From this moment on, everything on Earth would shift according to his will. The planet would be his private garden. He would be Earth’s uncrowned king!

“So, do you think my words will create a Dark Lord?” After giving Lantian time to digest everything, Bai finally couldn’t help but speak again. He’d noticed the strange look in Lantian’s eyes. “Don’t go to extremes. You must remember, even in the days when my master held the highest power, he was always gentle and courteous to others…”

“Being bold doesn’t mean being cruel…”

“Uh… what are you thinking? It’s just like my time at the company, except now the company is the world.” Lantian snapped back to reality, shaking his head with a laugh. “Did I ever act cruelly at work?”

Even with the power to sweep the world, that didn’t mean he really would. Lantian was clear on this point. In fact, now that he saw himself as Earth’s uncrowned king, he cherished his world even more. It felt like his own domain—who would want to destroy their own home?

“I’m not one of those brainless movie villains, obsessed with ruling the world, destroying all who disagree.” Having sorted through his thoughts, Lantian smiled and went on, “This is just right—if no one crosses me, I won’t cause trouble. Why would I bother otherwise?”

“Good. I was worried just now you might actually go off the deep end and do something truly insane.” Bai chuckled awkwardly.

“You think I’m crazy? This is perfect. Do what I want, stand my ground if provoked. And if someone really wants a head-on collision with me, well, I’ll let them know what it feels like to be an egg smashing into diamond.” Lantian rolled his eyes, then added playfully.

From Bai’s perspective, it was clear that after this moment of mental transformation, even though Lantian was joking, a subtle aura of dominance had crept into his voice.

“So, are you ready to experience this, my Lord? For your people, this is a revolutionary product.” Bai grinned, sending an invitation.

“Absolutely! I’m counting on this game to become a global sensation!” Lantian’s eyes shone with anticipation.

“Then let’s begin.” Bai smiled, and with that, pulled him into the virtual world of “Glory of Heroes.”

No sooner had Lantian entered than, with practiced ease, he realized he’d become an archer wielding a bow, suddenly transported into a beautiful, tranquil valley.

Looking around curiously, a translucent dialog box appeared before his eyes, displaying a series of stats:

Attack Power 42, Physical Defense 38, Magic Resistance 45, Movement Speed 325, and so on.

He supposed these were the stats for his current body.

“Not bad, this feels quite real—the body isn’t as stiff as Bai claimed.” As he explored, touching his head, his face, he found that aside from some larger or overly casual movements, he could perform most basic actions with ease.

He also discovered an option to adjust the pain level, silently praising Bai’s attention to detail.

After all, not every player was like him. If the pain was set to 100% and couldn’t be changed, that would scare off half the players! Aside from a handful of thrill-seekers, who would want to suffer in a game, especially women?

Suddenly, a sweet female voice sounded, “Dear Summoner, welcome to ‘Glory of Heroes.’ Your will has descended upon the Frost Archer, Bach. This is your first hero. Please follow the instructions to complete the beginner’s training.”

As soon as the voice faded, a soldier-like little dwarf spawned before him, standing at only half the height of an average person and looking rather comical.

“Ha! These minions really are ‘minions.’ And look, a red health bar over his head…” Lantian chuckled at the sight of the familiar translucent health bar. Seeing it appear once more, he truly felt as if he were back in his university gaming days.