Starting with a Boss Template

Huh... Huh... Huh...

In the vast white expanse, an old gray wolf panted heavily, lifting its twisted left front leg as it staggered forward. Its blurry eyes held a deeply human hatred, leaving a glaring red streak against the snow.

Its three legs grew increasingly weaker, the faint crunch of snow underfoot the only sound besides the wind, emphasizing the old wolf's isolation.

Crunch, crunch.

A new sound of footsteps suddenly pierced the silence, halting the injured wolf. Through its clouded vision, the wolf's hatred sharpened, breaking through its scattered consciousness. It bared its fangs, fierce and defiant.

Crunch, crunch... whoosh...

The sound drew nearer. The old wolf, balanced on three legs, crouched slightly, growling a low, warning sound, signaling it still had some fight left.

"I found you."

A slightly hoarse voice rang out, and all the wolf could see was a pair of black leather boots before a captivating fragrance filled its nostrils. Then, everything faded to black.

A pale-faced young man in a black trench coat knelt, stretching out a leather-gloved hand to grip the wolf by the scruff of its neck. He dragged it toward the heart of the valley.

Bai Yi's eyes held a hint of confusion as he surveyed the landscape.

He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. He'd been trapped in this game, *Dawn Rising*, for two years now.

More unsettling, the game's timeline had rewound thirty years—from [Dawn Rising] 3.0 back to pre-1.0.

In other words, this world now contained no other players. While this gave Bai Yi more time to prepare, it also left him feeling unmoored.

This world was more than just a game. At least, here, dead creatures truly died, with no respawn mechanism.

And without his player panel, would death here mean his end for real?

Bai Yi had no interest in finding out.

Crunch, crunch. Whoosh.

The faint sounds of footsteps on snow continued. The wind picked up, carrying thick, feathery snowflakes that blurred the world in white, sealing it in cold silence.

Bai Yi tightened his leather coat as a small, spherical mechanical device flew from his coat hem, emitting waves to cover his tracks.

[Dawn Rising] was a groundbreaking game in his previous life on Blue Star. It had appeared mysteriously, with a 97% realism that astounded people from the start.

Initially, most believed it to be alien technology. Yet, with official endorsements, it became available to the public, quickly becoming the most popular game on the planet.

The main plot was straightforward: the God of Fate had suffered severe injuries, and the gods, sensing weakness, rose against their ruler, initiating a divine war. In the fallout, the continent of Shia was devastated. Magic dwindled, the gods were banished, and a dark age loomed, threatening the last three standing civilizations.

Elsewhere, chaos and brutal fighting spread like wildfire.

These three civilizations formed the game's major factions. It wasn't until version 3.0 that players could traverse the vast regions between them and interact on other servers.

The name *Dawn Rising* signified these struggling civilizations' ascent from darkness.

But the road to rise was arduous. By the final version, *White Plague*, the civilizations had barely stabilized, shifting from total collapse to a fragile diplomacy that allowed minimal interaction.

They had survived thanks to powerful legends and a natural repulsion against god-level entities, keeping them from entering Shia directly.

But this was only temporary. No mortal legend could stand against a god forever.

According to Blue Star players, there were only three ways to save these civilizations: the emergence of new gods, the return of the old gods, or lifting player limitations so their influence could eclipse native forces.

Of course, with the game's extreme realism, the developers completely dismissed the third option.

If players gained unchecked power, it would be a disaster for the world.

*White Plague* launched with version 3.0, yet despite its popularity, only ten million players could join each update—a small number given the global population of ten billion.

The game, though immensely popular, remained secondary to the real world's demands.

With 97% realism, players were enthralled, many wishing to live in it forever.

After all, who wouldn't want to be a wizard who could conjure fireballs and save the world?

When Bai Yi realized he was trapped, he'd inherited his character's body and profession: a level 21 (mid-bronze) alchemist.

This had allowed him to survive in this dark age and even reach level 30, just one step shy of the lower silver level.

Following the snowy trail to the valley's depths, he pressed a protruding stone, triggering a hidden mechanism. The ground shook, a circular section lifted, revealing a passage underground.

Bai Yi dragged the old wolf down the stairs, his thoughts heavy. His small tracking machine flew in after him, erasing any trace.

A soft, yellow light from the machine illuminated his steps.

Clack, clack.

His leather shoes echoed as he descended, gathering his scattered thoughts.

Before getting the game cabinet, he'd devoured every bit of information on *Dawn Rising*. It was so real that each frame looked like a movie, drawing him in.

One scene particularly struck him: the wolf.

It had opened the Dawn Federation's storyline, appearing in *Dawn Rising* 1.0 as a fierce, memorable boss.

The wolf pack had been slaughtered by frontier soldiers from the Dawn Federation.

This old wolf, once the wolf king, had witnessed its kin becoming trophies for humans. The new wolf king died in the ensuing battle, striving to protect the pack.

Fueled by a deep hatred and uncanny intelligence, this level 7 beast escaped, eventually reaching the gold rank and leading mutated creatures into the Dawn Federation.

The game's realism extended to its storylines. Each NPC had an independent background, and every creature acted with purpose.

For White Plague to reach the Dawn Federation, players still had over a year by the timeline.

During that year, the wolf would ascend from level 7 to level 51, a remarkable feat that Bai Yi couldn't ignore.

So, a year ago, he moved his shop to the frontier, retracing clues from memory. After much searching, he found this location and the opportunity tied to this old wolf.

With a deep sigh, he knelt and pressed a button. The machine above the golden egg began scanning, and data appeared on its small screen.

[Name: Dark Gold Dome.]

Quality: Unknown.

Materials: Unknown.

Effects: Unknown.

Changes: Flashing frequency increased by 300%.

Morphological changes: Surface of the dome now uneven.

Notes: Microscopic world calculations unavailable.]

The egg's odd microscopic changes intrigued him. He'd tried claiming it with his blood before, but this time seemed different. Maybe it would work.

Bai Yi drew a scalpel, nicked his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the dome. The droplet hovered, rejected.

He looked at the old wolf, hesitating.

If he killed it, would the egg accept him? Or would he lose this precious opportunity?

The scalpel pressed against the wolf's chest. After a tense moment, Bai Yi plunged the blade in.

The old wolf whimpered softly. The egg's flashes grew frantic, almost urgent, and the blood on its surface pulsed, ready to slip.

Bai Yi's gaze remained resolute. If he couldn't claim this opportunity, he would rather destroy it.

As the wolf shuddered in its final throes, the egg ceased flashing, illuminating the cave in a radiant golden light.

A drop of Bai Yi's blood slowly merged into the egg after the wolf's death.

A thrill of excitement sparked in his eyes. His year-long effort hadn't been in vain.

As he approached, the egg exploded, golden light flooding over him.

Warmth seeped through him, and a transformation began within. Before he could grasp the change, a booming voice echoed in his mind.

[The boss template of Dawn Rising has been bound. Previous boss Blood Hell Greedy Wolf has died. A new boss template has been generated.]