Hail World (2)

If Dawei's guess was right…

Zhugutra wasn't just strong—he was a demigod.

One foot planted in the mortal world. The other already stepping into the realm of gods.

"This isn't like fighting a boss anymore… this is like being arrested by the developer's code itself."

Dawei had completed an S-class god-tier mission to slay a three-headed dragon. He had crossed paths with powerful NPCs—Montico the werewolf prince, Earl Sindro's personal reaper Ji Lisi, the purple-flared City Guardian of Dakazal, and of course, the wise and mysterious Great Sage Dioser.

But none of them compared to this.

"God-level missions mean the mission is hard, not that the guy you're fighting is actually a god."

This time, though? He was really looking at a god-tier entity.

His first reaction?

"Wait... does this mean I'm already at that level? Am I... high-end now?"

Then the illusion shattered with a cold, metallic click.

Zhugutra reached out casually—and Dawei's body lifted from the ground like a puppet yanked on strings.

There was no struggle. No resistance. No saving throw.

System Prompt:You have been arrested by Zhugutra.

Like a rusted claw machine, the scientist-turned-demiurge held him by the neck with one hand, carrying him back to his lab like he'd just picked up a replacement part.

"Quack... ha! What a funny little creature," Zhugutra rasped, his voice like oil bubbling in acid. "It took effort to make you run... I almost abandoned the experiment. But now? Bitten by Montico, corrupted by the werewolf virus, altered by my lab... ohhh, you are a rare one. A perfect specimen."

He licked cracked lips, thin as paper, and Dawei swore his teeth gleamed like surgical tools.

"I'm not a player anymore... I'm loot."

But that was Dawei's way—panic with purpose. His mind still worked. If he was going to die, at least he'd learn something on the way out.

As Zhugutra dragged him back, Dawei manually pulled up the NPC's info screen.

Unsurprisingly, it was a wall of question marks.

Name: ZhugutraLevel: ??Race: Demigod (??? Subtype)Titles: The Creator, Demon Pioneer, Mad Architect, First AlchemistCombat Class: ???Special Field: Life EngineeringThreat Assessment: [DO NOT ENGAGE]

"Great. My life is now a dev note warning."

The only clear thing was the sheer weight of his titles.

Compared to Dioser—who held the simple but dignified label "Sage"—Zhugutra's long line of epithets was downright mythological. And that "Creator" tag?

That wasn't flavor text. That was a status. A divine-level mechanic. Only gods could create life in this game—and Zhugutra had done it with science, not faith.

Now Dawei was back in the familiar metallic hellhole of the laboratory. Instruments whirred, pipes steamed, chemicals gurgled. The mechanical puppets buzzed and clicked in the background.

His red warning light on the HUD faded. Zhugutra hadn't damaged him. Not yet.

But Dawei's thoughts were running hot.

"I'm not in combat… which means I can't die yet. This might be the start of a special event. Or a trigger cutscene."

And the only thing that gave him any comfort? Zhugutra was still a non-combat class. Maybe. Probably.

"God-tier or not, he doesn't look like the kind who'll swing a sword. Unless it's one made of laser-coded DNA strands…"

Still. Dawei's hands tensed. His storage space still held everything he'd looted. Maybe the right item could help him escape. Maybe the right action would trigger a hidden option. Or maybe...

Maybe I've just become his experiment.

He scanned the lab again—looking for exits, strange devices, teleporters, or machines with loose screws.

Zhugutra placed him gently on a strange table—half altar, half operating bed—and flicked his fingers.

Chains of silver-blue light lashed across Dawei's wrists and ankles, locking him down. He couldn't move. Couldn't even breathe heavily.

Zhugutra turned, walking toward a massive machine humming with chaotic magic.

"Now... let's see how many ways I can break what I created."

System Prompt:You are currently restrained. Cannot move. Cannot attack. Dialogue options locked.Status: "Subject: Alpha Mutation"

Dawei's mind screamed.

"Alpha? Oh hell no. That means this isn't the end... This is the beginning."