300: Chapter 300 You're just trying to scare him?

The sound of the greatsword hitting the ground echoed across the mining field, crisp and abrupt.

The violent Shadow Domain seemed to be blown away by the wind at this moment, and the dancing Void Lightning across the sky instantly extinguished.

Shadow Monarch Dai stood in place, the two clusters of soul fire beneath his mask flickering wildly.

Chen You withdrew his hand and patted off non-existent dust from his clothes, his tone flat. "Xiao Dai, you're quite impressive, aren't you?"

Hearing the name "Xiao Dai," Shadow Monarch Dai's towering frame gave a sudden shudder.

He reacted extremely fast; almost out of survival instinct, he thrust his hands outward.

Boom!

A Shadow Barrier as black as ink rose from the ground, forming a massive inverted hemisphere that completely enveloped him and Chen You.

This barrier didn't just block out the view from the outside; it even completely shielded the thumping heavy bass coming from the underground fissure.

As soon as the barrier closed, Shadow Monarch Dai's mountain-like body instantly slumped.

"Thud!"

His dark gold combat boots slammed heavily onto the bronze flagstones. Shadow Monarch Dai dropped to both knees, the movement so smooth there wasn't a hint of hesitation.

He even slid forward half a meter due to momentum, coming to a steady stop right at Chen You's feet.

"Your Majesty!" Shadow Monarch Dai's voice carried a distinct tremor, his previous majesty completely gone. "You... why have you personally come to such a backwater place!"

Chen You pulled out the wheelchair Salos had given him last time from his backpack and sat down with a flourish.

"I took a quest and was passing by," Chen You replied perfunctorily, his gaze sweeping over Shadow Monarch Dai's flashy armor.

"As for you, that was quite an entrance. What, do you have a grudge against him?"

Shadow Monarch Dai looked up, his soul fire flickering uncertainly.

He seemed to think of something, and his tone suddenly became impassioned.

"Your subordinate understands! Your Majesty came here, going as far as disguising yourself as an ordinary Adventurer and even forgoing your crown, it must be to lull that old fellow into a false sense of security!"

Shadow Monarch Dai slammed his fist against his chest, producing a dull metallic clang. "Your Majesty is far-sighted! Have you finally decided to go to all-out war with the Star Sea Royal Court?"

"As long as Your Majesty gives the word, your subordinate is willing to be the vanguard and trample the Star Sea!"

Chen You was left bewildered by this sudden display of loyalty.

"Stop." Chen You raised his hand, interrupting Shadow Monarch Dai's 'casting'. "What old fellow? What all-out war?"

"That Bandage Freak in the fissure below, what exactly is it?"

Shadow Monarch Dai froze, his impassioned mood cut short, a hint of confusion showing in his soul fire.

"Your Majesty doesn't know? The one sealed below is a projection of the Star Sea King."

Chen You raised an eyebrow.

Star Sea King?

Judging by the weight of that name, it was clearly a being on the same level as the Shadow Monarch.

"Tell me in detail." Chen You leaned back against the chair.

Shadow Monarch Dai quickly organized his thoughts and began to report.

"Three thousand years ago, the Former King and the Star Sea King fought tooth and nail over several core resource points."

"The Former King was superior in skill, setting an ambush and capturing one of the Star Sea King's core projections alive, sealing it at the bottom of this abyss."

Shadow Monarch Dai pointed to the bronze pedestal beneath them. "To completely drain the power of this projection, the Former King initiated a massive project—this very Cangxing Mining Area."

"Through an array, the projection's Astral Power is continuously extracted and converted into Star Marrow for the Royal Court's use."

Chen You heard this, and the modern-looking construction inscriptions at the bottom of the chains flashed through his mind.

"Was this project contracted out to the ancestors of the Meng Family?" Chen You asked.

"Your Majesty is perceptive!" Shadow Monarch Dai nodded repeatedly. "Back then, the Former King found it too troublesome to do it himself, so he outsourced the project to a group called the Meng Family."

"The Meng Family indeed had some skill. The construction quality is such that no problems have arisen for thousands of years."

The corner of Chen You's mouth twitched violently.

Case closed.

No wonder the stone carvings left by the Meng Family's ancestors looked so much like a contractor's work.

It turns out the Meng Family didn't just sign a contract with the Shadow Monarch back then; they also took on the Shadow Royal Court's official construction project.

But it looks like they finished half the work and then ran off with the produced Star Marrow.

"So what's the situation with the projection now?" Chen You brought the topic back on track.

At this mention, Shadow Monarch Dai's tone became incredibly solemn. "Your Majesty, we dare not release this projection, nor can we kill it."

"This projection has a soul-bind with the Star Sea King's main body. Once the projection is destroyed, the Star Sea King's main body will immediately sense it."

Shadow Monarch Dai swallowed (though he had no saliva). "That old fellow has an extremely explosive temper."

"If he knew his projection had been imprisoned by us for so long, he would definitely tear through the spatial barriers and descend in his true form to slaughter us."

"What would happen if he came over?" Chen You asked.

Shadow Monarch Dai fell silent for a moment before answering honestly, "The Former King has fallen."

"With our Royal Court's current military strength... we probably couldn't even withstand a single slap from him."

Chen You stared at him for a full ten seconds.

The air became exceptionally quiet at this moment.

"Since you can't kill it and can't beat the main body," Chen You pointed at the black greatsword on the ground, his tone eerie.

"Then why did you just draw your sword and point it at him so aggressively, shouting something like 'In the name of the Shadow Royal Court, I grant you total destruction'?"

Shadow Monarch Dai's towering body suddenly stiffened.

He awkwardly scratched his helmet, the metal friction making a piercing sound.

The soul fire beneath his mask avoided Chen You's gaze, and his tone became extremely awkward.

"Cough... Your subordinate was just... following routine," Shadow Monarch Dai defended in a low voice.

"I have to put on a show and scare him a bit, lest he thinks our Royal Court has no one left and starts causing trouble down there."

Chen You's eyes widened. "So, you're just scaring him?"

"Yes, just scaring him," Shadow Monarch Dai nodded honestly.

"That old fellow's projection has been drained for three thousand years. His energy is depleted, and his mind has been affected; he's become a bit senile."

"As long as I put on a strong front, he cowers as soon as I scare him."

Chen You was completely speechless.

After all that, this seemingly majestic and overwhelmingly oppressive Shadow Monarch proxy was just a security captain who relied on tough talk to maintain the Royal Court's dignity.

This AI logic is simply incredible.

Just then, from outside the Shadow Barrier, the thumping heavy bass penetrated through once more.

"Yo! You black tin can outside! Making a dome is meaningless! This seat's bandages will whip you till you cry!"

"Bandages dipped in iodine, disinfecting while I beat you! Skr~"

The Star Sea King Projection's coarse, electronic-tinged voice clamored outside. Apparently, because Shadow Monarch Dai had not made a move for so long, he felt confident again.

Hearing this, Shadow Monarch Dai suddenly grabbed the greatsword from the ground and prepared to stand up in a rage.

"This old thing, if I don't beat him for three days, he'll be peeling tiles off the roof. Your subordinate will go out and scare him once more!"

"Sit down," Chen You barked coldly.

Shadow Monarch Dai obediently put down the sword and knelt properly again.

Chen You rubbed his chin, falling into deep thought.

According to this...

If the Star Sea King came over, would he be another world boss?