The Capitalist AI Strikes Again
Shao Tien (POV)
I knew it. I knew with absolute, 100% certainty that these oversized, ugly Alphas were still holding back their true strength. They were playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse that it accidentally dropped in a puddle.
I desperately needed a plan, because looking over at the scenery, it was abundantly clear that the majestic, silver-haired supermodel currently hiding behind a shrub had absolutely zero intention of saving my skin.
As I tried to figure out my next tactical move—which was actively hindered by the fact that I didn't know how to wield a giant, glowing broadsword—the second Alpha behind me launched his assault.
*F*cking hell!* How on earth am I supposed to defend myself against two giant, muscular, bloodthirsty bandits attacking me at the exact same time from opposite sides?! I only have one set of eyes and a deeply traumatized rear end!
"System! You son of a ****, how do I survive this?!" I screamed inside my head, parrying a wild swing from Ugly #1 that nearly rattled my teeth out of my skull.
'Ding!~' the system chirped, its voice infuriatingly calm, like a customer service representative handling a minor billing dispute.
'Host, I recognize that you are currently engaged in the greatest, most dramatic battle of your entire life! However, the system protocols strictly prohibit me from directly interfering in physical combat at this tier. The only assistance I can currently offer is to temporarily conceal your biological scent as an Omega and mask it to smell exactly like a standard, unbothered Beta!~'
My brain short-circuited mid-battle.
"If you had the ability to completely mask my scent, why the literal fuck didn't you tell me that in the first place?! Before I got cornered?! Before I had to rub a matchstick against my own ass cheeks?! You good-for-nothing, completely fucked-up piece of software! I don't need a perfume change right now, I need an escape route!!!"
'But host!~' the system whined, dropping an adorable little emoji into my peripheral vision. 'The overarching plot simply will not progress if I just bail you out of every single dangerous situation, hehehe.
Besides, if I don't conceal your scent right this second, that extremely powerful Alpha Male Lead over there will instantly realize you are an Omega. If he finds out now, all of your future survival plans will be utterly ruined!
Look at the radar, host! He is literally a few steps away. If he gets any closer, he will smell your true nature!'
"F*ck you! Fine! Just conceal my goddamn scent already!"
Multitasking is genuinely a scam. While I was having this high-stakes, frantic argument with my internal AI, I was also actively fighting for my literal life.
I was trying to throw a counter-attack at Ugly #1 in front of me while simultaneously ducking, weaving, and praying to the heavens that Ugly #2 behind me wouldn't impale my spine.
At the very last second, I felt the sharp, dangerous whistle of steel cutting through the air behind my back. I tried to twist my torso to dodge the incoming strike, but my modern, unconditioned body was simply too slow.
*SLASH.*
The blade caught me across the arm. It wasn't a deep, fatal wound that would threaten my life, but the sheer, instantaneous physical feedback was enough to make me see stars.
(;´༎ຶ ༎ຶ)
*Oh my God!!!!* It burned like actual, literal hell! It hurt so bad!
That was it. That was my absolute limit. I am a peaceful person who dislikes physical confrontation, and I was officially done.
My stamina bar was blinking red, my muscles felt like lead, and my adrenaline was rapidly running out.
Through the haze of my tears, I saw both Alphas raise their heavy scimitars simultaneously. They looked at each other, gave a synchronized, nasty grin, and brought their blades down in a dual, lethal cross-slash directly toward my neck.
I tried to lift my magical match-sword to block, but my arms felt like they were glued to the floor. I was too slow.
*F*cking shit! If I'm going to die here, I'm going to bite someone!* I braced myself, closing my eyes and preparing for the absolute worst.
=====°°°°°
The Shadow of the Crown
Lao Shi Chen (ML POV)
From my position in the heavy foliage, I watched every single detail of the struggle. I saw the way the strange, disheveled youth fought back against the two massive Alphas, his movements completely unrefined, chaotic, and desperate.
He was undeniably weak—his physical frame lacked any semblance of martial training—and yet, there was a remarkably fierce, unbreakable will burning within his eyes.
Even as his muscles failed him, he refused to simply lie down and die.
I continued to observe, keeping my hand steady on my scabbard. It was oddly fascinating to watch such a small, delicate person doing his absolute best to fend off two opponents who were easily twice his physical size.
But the moment the two bandits coordinated their assault and successfully drew blood, something strange happened within my chest. A sudden, violent surge of raw emotion erupted through my veins.
I felt a wave of intense, dark anger—an irrational protectiveness that didn't make any tactical sense. Who allowed these filthy border rats to lay their hands on something so unique?
When the two Alphas raised their blades yet again, clearly intending to slice the youth into pieces, my entire mood darkened to match the midnight sky.
*Enough.*
I gripped the hilt of my imperial blade and stepped out of my hiding spot. In a single, fluid motion, I sprinted across the clearing, my boots tearing up the dirt as I drew my sword from its scabbard with a sharp, resonant *shing*.
The two Alphas were already mid-swing, their blades inches away from ending the youth's life, when I materialized directly in front of them. I raised my blade vertically, intercepting both of their heavy weapons simultaneously.
*CLAAAAANG!*
The collision of metal echoed through the trees, throwing off a brilliant shower of sparks. I didn't even budge an inch, effortlessly holding back the combined weight of both bandits with a single arm.
"Not a chance," I said, my voice dropping into a dark, freezing register. It wasn't a shout, nor was it a whisper, but it carried enough dense, killing intent for the two Alphas to feel it right in their bones.
"You cannot hurt him while I am standing here."
The two bandits looked at me, and then at each other, sheer shock and disbelief written across their rugged, ugly faces. They immediately recognized the sheer difference in pressure. The atmosphere in the clearing had completely changed; they realized, with sudden horror, that they were no longer dealing with a helpless prey animal. They were dealing with a apex predator.
They immediately scrambled backward, dropping into serious, defensive stances.
"Who the hell are you?!" Ugly #1 demanded, his voice trembling slightly despite his bravado.
I stood tall, my imperial coat billowing slightly in the wind, my blade pointed directly at the dirt.
"You are all going to prison for the crimes of slaughter and banditry across these lands. Under the direct, absolute order of the Emperor himself, you are hereby sentenced to immediate death."
=====°°°°°
The Alpha's Dominance
The moment the word *death* left my lips, the final battle began.
The two Alphas, realizing there was no room for negotiation or escape, let out primal roars.
Their eyes began to glow a deep, blood-red as they fully unleashed their hidden strength. I felt my own instincts respond in kind; a cold, crimson light flooded my vision as my own Alpha pheromones and dominant aura exploded outward, completely crushing the surrounding air pressure. It was a battle of pure dominance, a clash of territorial instincts.
We engaged instantly.
The two bandit Alphas were admittedly decent fighters—they had survived the brutal frontier, after all—but I was vastly better. My movements were a display of absolute military perfection.
I slashed downward, forcing Ugly #1 to defend with a desperate parry that cracked his weapon. Ugly #2 tried to circle around to my flank, but I anticipated the movement, executing a flawless spin-heel kick that sent him staggering back into the dirt.
In the heat of the intense, high-speed combat, I completely forgot about the presence of the little, disheveled guy behind me. My focus was entirely locked onto neutralizing the threats in front of me.
*Step. Parry. Thrust.*
Suddenly, the sharp, distinct sound of a third blade cutting through the air echoed right behind my shoulder blades.
My instincts flared. I lunged to the side just as a third Alpha bandit—the one who had been knocked out earlier by some unknown, mysterious means—lunged from the bushes, attempting a cowardly backstab.
So, there were three of them left. Perfect.
It saved me the trouble of hunting the last one down.
Utilizing the momentum of my dodge, I spotted a massive, glaring opening in Ugly #1's defensive guard. I spun on my heel and delivered a lightning-fast, horizontal slash with all my might.
*SHLICK.*
Ugly #1 let out a horrific, curdling shriek as his entire right hand was completely severed at the wrist, his scimitar clattering uselessly into the grass.
As he stared down at his bleeding stump with wide, despairing eyes, I didn't give him a single second to process the pain. I stepped forward and drove my blade cleanly through his chest, piercing his heart. He dropped dead instantly.
Without missing a beat, I ripped my sword free and launched an aggressive, unrelenting assault on Ugly #2. He tried desperately to bring up his scimitar to defend against my incoming strikes, but my physical strength completely overwhelmed his guard.
*CLANG. SNAP.*
My blade shattered his rusted sword into pieces. The momentum of my swing carried through, the razor-sharp imperial steel connecting perfectly with the flesh of his neck.
*CLEAVE.*
With a clean, decisive stroke, his head was completely severed from his shoulders, sending a spray of crimson into the air.
The heavy head rolled across the dirt, coming to a dead stop right at the edge of the clearing, while his lifeless body collapsed forward into the grass.
I wiped the blood from my blade with a crisp flick of my wrist, my breathing perfectly steady as I turned around to check on the strange little youth behind me.