Woke Up to Find the Game I Made Came True

The group of mercenaries had initially thought that Ye Bai was in a perilous situation, but to their surprise, she was handling it with ease.

As they got closer and observed Ye Bai's fighting style, their expressions turned to a mix of awe and confusion. They couldn't quite figure out whether their employer was a swordsman or a mage.

Who had ever seen a mage charging at monsters with a sword, casting spells while fighting?!

As mercenaries operating in the city of Mero, they had mostly taken on jobs that involved assisting mages in combat. Even if they hadn't personally participated in such missions, they had at least heard about them. One of the fundamental requirements for casting magic was that the mage needed to maintain focus. If anything disrupted their concentration during the casting process, the spell would be interrupted.

Thus, almost all mages, when engaging in combat, would position themselves at the maximum range of their spells. They would rely on melee warriors to shield and protect them from the front, allowing them to safely unleash their spells from the rear.

Under normal circumstances, that was how it worked.

Apart from the basic "Magic Missile" spell, Ice Bolt, which dealt minimal damage, all the other spells Ye Bai had mastered, including Fireball, had a fixed casting time of 0.3 seconds, commonly referred to as the "casting bar."

Before learning the [Mobile Casting] technique, mages couldn't even move during this casting time, let alone withstand attacks, or their spells would be interrupted.

However, the unique attribute of the Snowblade that Ye Bai had acquired increased her casting speed by 100% during weapon attacks, effectively solving this problem for her.

For other mage players, this sword would increase the casting speed of each individual skill based on its original casting time. But due to Ye Bai's hidden class trait, "Omni-Magic," all her spells were essentially considered "class abilities" rather than individually learned skills. As a result, when calculating bonuses for various spells, the maximum value was taken.

Among all the spells Ye Bai had mastered, Slow, Light Arrow, and Mind Ray had the longest casting times: 3 seconds, 2.5 seconds, and 5 seconds, respectively.

The casting speed increase was calculated based on the 5-second casting time of Mind Ray, reducing it by a full 2.5 seconds. Therefore, any spell with a casting time of 2.5 seconds or less became an instant cast for Ye Bai.

Combined with the Featherlight Set, which increased her movement speed, her innate understanding of the world's mechanics, and her flexible skill combinations, Ye Bai had developed a truly unique combat system as a melee mage.

"Stay back and use your crossbows! Don't get close!" Ye Bai shouted as the mercenaries joined the fray.

To be honest, Ye Bai could handle the Striped Crocodile King on her own; it would just take more time. On the contrary, she was reluctant to let the mercenaries get close and engage in melee combat. If the boss used a skill and killed even one of them, she would be devastated.

"Oh, uh... got it!"

Hearing Ye Bai's command, the mercenaries were momentarily stunned but quickly snapped out of it. Following her instructions, they stayed at a safe distance and began firing their crossbows at the Crocodile King.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The Crocodile King's massive size made it impossible to miss, and there was no risk of accidentally hitting Ye Bai.

'-210', '-231', '-217'...

A series of damage numbers popped up, but compared to the regular crocodiles, the Crocodile King's scales provided much higher defense. Combined with its "Damp" buff, it had a natural advantage against physical attacks.

Ye Bai's figure, in contrast to the enormous boss, flitted around like a nimble butterfly, dancing and leaping around it.

However, this "butterfly" was not to be underestimated. Every now and then, flashes of lightning could be seen crackling across the Crocodile King's body, and after a while, the faint smell of something akin to roasted meat filled the air.

Thanks to Ye Bai's "electrotherapy" firmly holding the boss's aggro, the Crocodile King completely ignored the crossbow bolts raining down on it, paying no attention to the mercenaries shooting from a distance.

Although they had an incredibly safe environment to deal damage, the mercenaries couldn't help but feel a bit strange and uneasy—

As melee warriors, shouldn't they be the ones engaging the monster up close while the mage stayed back and cast spells? Wasn't something a little off about this situation?

...

"Rooooar~~~"

As time went on, the Crocodile King's health dropped to the last 5%. It suddenly spun around, its tail whipping through the air, and let out a ferocious roar.

The mercenaries tensed up and warned Ye Bai, who had rolled back to avoid the attack, "Boss, be careful! It's about to go all out!"

This scene was reminiscent of the time Ye Bai had faced the Ragehorn Beast in a dungeon. NPCs were aware of monster behaviors, and this warning essentially meant the boss was about to unleash a devastating skill.

However, Ye Bai simply waved them off and, instead of retreating, charged forward, dodging the tail swipe and closing in on the Crocodile King.

"Ah!"

"Boss!"

The mercenaries were stunned, unable to comprehend why she would do such a thing. Even a cornered rabbit would bite, and the Crocodile King's final desperate attack was bound to be terrifying. Yet, their employer was charging straight into it! She didn't seem like the reckless type who would act without thinking!

Sure enough, the next moment, the Crocodile King opened its massive jaws and lunged at Ye Bai, swinging its powerful forelimbs.

[Bloody Pounce]

When the Crocodile King's gaping maw was less than 5 meters away, its enormous frame cast a shadow over Ye Bai.

In a flash, Ye Bai leaped into the shadow—

Shadow Step!

"Boom..." The Crocodile King's skill missed entirely. This attack dealt damage in the thousands, and if it hit someone without heavy armor, it could easily trigger a fatal blow.

But once again, Ye Bai nimbly dodged the attack, emerging unscathed from the shadow beneath the Crocodile King's belly.

Not one to let an opportunity slip, Ye Bai performed a sliding kick, slipping through the gap beneath the giant crocodile and leaving a precise '-24' damage mark on its underbelly with her Snowblade.

Then, taking advantage of her weapon's special effect, she calculated the distance and cast a spell toward the shallow shore.

"Whoosh!"

Sharp spikes of earth erupted from the ground.

Just as the mercenaries were puzzled by Ye Bai's actions, the Crocodile King, as if following a script, suddenly turned its eyes and began rapidly paddling its limbs, "reversing" at lightning speed toward the water.

And then—

"Roar!"

The Crocodile King's retreating legs stepped right onto the Earth Spike spell Ye Bai had pre-cast, halting its backward momentum.

'-778'

Caught completely off guard, the Crocodile King took a critical hit.

As the Crocodile King howled in pain, Ye Bai moved in for a quick strike before stepping back and beginning her first cast of the battle. After 0.5 seconds, a strange gray light enveloped the Crocodile King.

[Slow]

Mana Cost: 42

Effect: Reduces target's movement speed by 86% (80%). Maximum casting range: 21 meters. Duration: 5 seconds.

Originally, this spell's standard reduction was 80%, but due to her class trait reducing spell power by 30%, it was lowered to 56%. However, the Snowblade's bonuses to "Focus" and "Charm" attributes compensated for Ye Bai's spell power, bringing the final effect to its current state.

As the skill activated, the movements of the Crocodile King, which had been agile and swift moments ago, now seemed as if they had rusted over. Its retreat became heavy and sluggish.

"Attack!"

At Ye Bai's command, the mercenaries snapped back to attention. They finally realized that the Crocodile King hadn’t been preparing for a desperate fight—it had been trying to escape!

Their employer was truly incredible. She had anticipated even this!

In an instant, the mercenaries were filled with admiration and promptly followed Ye Bai's orders, firing their crossbow bolts at the Crocodile King once more.

[Mercenary ‘Blaze’ has gained +20 favorability toward you.]

[Mercenary ‘Roland’ has gained +20 favorability toward you.]

[​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍Mercenary…]

Listening to the system notifications of increasing favorability, Ye Bai couldn’t help but smile. Who would have thought that a single battle would yield even more favorability than the first time she had gifted them wine? Indeed, strength was always the best way to make an impression, no matter the situation.

Ye Bai had, of course, anticipated the Crocodile King's actions.

It was a given that a boss would unleash a powerful move when its health dropped to a critical level. However, in the world of "Boundless," different creatures had unique traits. For aquatic bosses like this one, their ultimate move at low health wasn’t an attack—it was a feint, followed by a swift retreat into the water to hide and recover.

If not stopped in time, the boss would emerge again, restoring its health from 5% back up to 40%. It would return as a formidable foe, capable of both dealing and taking damage. Worse, this trick could be repeated every time its health dropped to 5%. Without a proper countermeasure, players would find themselves in a world of frustration.

But Ye Bai, well-prepared, had successfully prevented the Crocodile King from escaping into the water on her first attempt.

The rest was straightforward.

‘-201’, ‘-214’, ‘-247’…

As the mercenaries continued their barrage with their crossbows, Ye Bai called out, "Stop!" The mechanical sounds of the crossbows immediately ceased. By now, the mercenaries obeyed her every command without question.

The final blow, of course, had to be hers. It would be too tragic if the NPCs stole the kill after all her hard work.

**[Lightning Spell]**

With a final, lethal strike of lightning, the Crocodile King, which had ruled this pond for who knows how long, dissolved into a flash of white light and vanished from the shore.

"Amazing!"

"Long live our employer!"

The mercenaries erupted into cheers of excitement.

When the Crocodile King had first appeared, they had thought this mission would end in disaster, with heavy casualties during their retreat. They never expected their seemingly unassuming employer to be such a powerful… close-combat mage? Not only had she turned the tide, but she had also slain the Crocodile King herself.

This was the kind of legendary tale they could brag about in taverns for the rest of their lives.

*Thud!*

At the same time, a pile of items in blue, purple, and gold burst forth from the defeated boss.

Ye Bai's eyes lit up as she focused on the golden item among the loot, silently chanting to herself: *Skill book, skill book, skill book…*

**Obtained [Crocodile King’s Essence Blood] x1**

Ye Bai: "…"

Had her luck run out?

Killing a boss-level creature had a 5% chance of dropping a skill book. While the odds were undeniably low, Ye Bai had been confident, recalling her past glory of obtaining a legendary blueprint in a dungeon. She had thought securing a skill book this time would be a breeze.

Well, pride really does come before a fall…

Shaking her head with a hint of resignation, Ye Bai picked up the rest of the loot.

**Obtained [Crocodile King’s Fangs] x4**

**Obtained [Crocodile King’s Hide] x8**

**Obtained [Blood of Metamorphosis] x1**

**Obtained [High-Grade Beast Meat] x16**

**Obtained [Gold Coins] x10**

While she hadn’t gotten the skill book she wanted, the haul was far from disappointing.

The first item she picked up, the golden legendary-grade **[Crocodile King’s Essence Blood]**, was a biological-type item similar to **[Rage Horn]**.

**[Crocodile King’s Essence Blood]**

Type: Ingredient/Alchemical Material

Grade: Legendary

Effect: Consuming it increases maximum HP by 400.

Description: The essence of the Crocodile King. It can be consumed directly or crafted into potions with additional effects. Requires the **[Alchemist]** profession.

Items that directly increase maximum HP were rare. Consuming multiple items of the same type would halve the effect each time, eventually rendering them almost ineffective.

At level 20, Ye Bai had 600 HP. After her class advancement, each level-up increased her HP by 50 instead of 25. By level 40, without any additional boosts, her maximum HP would only reach 1,600. A single dose of the Crocodile King’s Essence Blood provided the equivalent of 8 levels’ worth of HP. Moreover, if crafted into a potion, its effects could be further enhanced, living up to its legendary status.

As for the two purple-grade materials, **[Crocodile King’s Fangs]** and **[Crocodile King’s Hide]**, they could be crafted into equipment.

The **[Blood of Metamorphosis]** had also dropped when she had slain the Ragehorn Beast earlier. It was a common material from boss-level creatures, used to help NPCs break through their personal limits.

When used on an NPC without special talents, it had a chance to grant them one. However, it was more effective on NPCs who already possessed special talents, as it could enhance their existing abilities. For example, Lucy’s **[Healing Light II]** might upgrade to the more potent **[Healing Light III]** after using the Blood of Metamorphosis.

Of course, there was also a chance for new talents to emerge. In short, the **[Blood of Metamorphosis]** was a material for nurturing and strengthening NPCs.

The **[High-Grade Beast Meat]** was self-explanatory—a cooking ingredient.

Lastly, the gold coins were a standard drop from bosses. However, beast-type bosses only dropped a fixed 10 gold coins, which was considered an extra reward from the system. After all, monsters had no use for currency. In contrast, humanoid bosses dropped significantly more gold and often included pre-made equipment rather than materials.

In addition to the loot, Ye Bai’s experience bar, which had been nearly empty, was now filled to the brim. She gained enough experience to reach level 21, with an additional 80% progress toward the next level.

To the other NPCs, it might have seemed like Ye Bai was simply "processing" the Crocodile King.

After their initial cheers, the mercenaries quickly got to work, efficiently skinning and harvesting the remaining crocodiles.

Ye Bai was more than happy to let them handle it. If she were to loot the corpses herself, the drops would follow the standard monster loot tables. But with the mercenaries—seasoned veterans of the wild—handling the harvesting, the yield was bound to be much greater.

"You continue to surprise me. Now, I’m starting to believe you can actually fulfill my request."

Suddenly, a familiar female voice spoke up.

**[High-Level Tailor ‘Dilina’ has gained +15 favorability toward you.]**

Hearing the system notification, Ye Bai looked up to see Dilina, who had quietly approached her from behind.

It seemed this battle had not only earned her the mercenaries’ respect but also reshaped Dilina’s impression of her.

Before witnessing her strength, Dilina, like the others, had only seen Ye Bai as a lord and a divine-blooded individual. Now, she realized Ye Bai was also a formidable combatant.

"Of course," Ye Bai replied, her tone confident and slightly theatrical, as if she were reciting lines from a script. "I never make promises I can’t keep. My reputation depends on it."

She had grown accustomed to the world of "Boundless," which, in a way, she had helped create. Speaking such platitudes no longer made her blush or feel awkward.

"So, my dear lady," Ye Bai continued, her tone shifting to a charming, almost old-fashioned cadence, "what do you think of this Crocodile King hide and these fangs? Don’t they seem perfect for crafting some exceptional equipment?"

Dilina was momentarily stunned, seemingly at a loss for words at Ye Bai’s audacity. After a pause, she shook her head and said...

"I think the leather armor you're wearing is already quite good."

"That's true, but I still need a pair of bracers for combat," Ye Bai insisted, lowering his voice slightly and speaking with a serious expression. "Your commission requires us to go to the Divine Realm. You know how dangerous it is there. I need to be fully prepared before we set out."

"...Is that so?" Dilina looked at Ye Bai with a hint of suspicion.

Ye Bai stared back at her, blinking 'sincerely.'

After a moment, perhaps influenced by the 15 points of favorability she had just gained, Dilina slowly glanced at the [Crocodile King Hide] and [Crocodile King Fangs] in Ye Bai's hands. Seeing such high-quality materials, she couldn't help but feel a craftsman's excitement. Finally, she nodded. "Alright, once we reach your territory, I'll make you a pair of bracers. It’ll also count as part of my apprentice training duties."

Yes!

Ye Bai had only tried his luck, never expecting to succeed. The [Crocodile King Hide] and [Crocodile King Fangs] were both purple-tier materials, meaning he could craft at least another purple-tier equipment. With a bit of luck, he might even get a legendary gold-tier item!

Ye Bai immediately thumped his chest in assurance. "I’ll definitely bring back the Weaving Clan’s fabric for you!"

See, this time her Deception skill proficiency didn’t increase, which proved her sincerity.

Dilina finally smiled. "Alright, then I’ll leave it to you."

"Employer!"

At that moment, the mercenary representative Blaze approached, carrying a pile of processed crocodile hides, teeth, and other items.

"These are the spoils from this hunt," he said, handing the items to Ye Bai.

Strictly speaking, according to the rules, any spoils obtained during the escort mission belonged to the employer. However, from a practical standpoint, such rules weren’t strictly enforced. Spoils from battles along the way were often considered the mercenaries' extra income. For example, during previous encounters with wild beasts, the mercenaries had collected hides and meat for themselves, sharing the food among the group that day.

Since those items weren’t particularly valuable, no one minded the small gains, and the atmosphere remained harmonious.

This time, however, the crocodile hides from the battle were plentiful. Moreover, the exploration order had been given by Ye Bai, and the subsequent battle had been fought under her command. Most importantly, everyone agreed that the spoils from the powerful Crocodile King belonged solely to the employer.

Ye Bai had not only contributed the most to the battle but had also turned the tide, saving many lives in the process. Her strength and the debt of gratitude owed to her had elevated her prestige within the group to an unprecedented level.

Though the mercenaries were tempted, none dared to act on greed. They willingly handed over the valuable crocodile hides and teeth to Ye Bai.

Seeing this, Ye Bai hesitated for a moment before accepting the materials.

"I’ll take these," she said, then smiled at the slightly disappointed mercenaries. "But I hope that when we reach my territory, you’ll all stay for a few days as my guests…"

"This victory was a collective effort. My territory has a tailor’s workshop, and I’ll have them work through the night to craft equipment from these materials for all of you. You can leave after that."

The expressions on the mercenaries' faces shifted from disappointment to confusion, then to joy, all within the span of a few sentences.

Finally, their excitement erupted into familiar cheers:

"Long live the Employer!"

Amid the noise, Ye Bai even heard someone change "Employer" to "Lord."

At the same time, the familiar notification of increased favorability sounded again.

By now, Ye Bai didn’t even need to check to know that the mercenaries' favorability toward her had likely reached 70 to 80 points. And with 60 being the threshold for recruiting them as vassals…

…

The dangerous Striped Crocodile Pond had been completely cleared, turning it into a safe and harmless waterhole. This meant the group no longer needed to take the longer mountain path and could instead pass through this natural canyon to cross the towering mountain ahead.

The packhorse transport team caught up from behind, and the caravan continued its journey.

The rest of the canyon was uneventful, with no encounters of other large creatures. The crocodile pond had clearly been the apex predator of the area.

Before long, the group emerged from the canyon, and their eyes were met with a vast, open plain.

"Huh? What’s that…"

Ye Bai’s gaze fell on a group of moving shadows in the distance, and her expression shifted.

"Neigh…"

The packhorses, which had been quiet and hardworking throughout the journey, grew restless and began to whinny.

The packhorse handlers quickly calmed the animals, and their leader Dennis explained to Ye Bai, "Milord, judging by the horses' reaction, those in the distance are likely a herd of wild packhorses. We should pass through quickly, or the transport team might be affected."

"Understood," Ye Bai nodded, agreeing with Dennis’s suggestion. "Let’s pick up the pace and cross this grassland."

Wild packhorses were neutral creatures. As long as they weren’t provoked, they wouldn’t attack the caravan.

But if they were provoked… the situation would be far worse than facing the crocodiles.

Packhorses were much stronger and faster than ordinary horses, and they had a distinct feature: a sharp horn on their heads. Even with her knowledge of the area, Ye Bai wouldn’t want to provoke them in the wild.

They were group-aggressive creatures, fast and enduring. If you attacked one, you’d immediately face a barrage of horn strikes from the entire herd, with no way to escape. Just imagining the scene was thrilling.

The group quickly sped past the wild packhorse herd. As they did, Ye Bai noticed Dennis taking out a map and marking the herd’s location.

As the leader of the packhorse transport team, Dennis naturally planned to report the wild herd to the Merchant Guild. If they could be tamed, a new large transport team could be formed.

Ye Bai, however, wasn’t worried. In fact, she smiled. She wasn’t the only one with plans to tame the packhorses.

The moment she had spotted them, she had decided to upgrade her territory as soon as she returned.

They weren’t far from Baiye Village now. Once the Tree of Creation bloomed, the packhorses would naturally be drawn to the territory. This mutual attraction would be far quicker than sending people from Meiluo City to tame them.

…

After crossing the grassland, the group entered a forested area.

After another night, on the morning of the fourth day since the caravan had set out, they climbed over a hill and saw a small village with smoke rising from chimneys in the distance.

At that moment, Ye Bai felt a long-lost sense of satisfaction and peace.

"Everyone, we’ve reached our destination."