Bai Xia harbored no surprise at the near-instantaneous conclusion. Indeed, had the victory not been a swift, decisive blow, she would have found herself genuinely astonished. After all, as a stealth-based assassin class renowned for their explosive burst damage, their instantaneous burst potential was already terrifying. With her equipment utterly dominating his, Zhu Ye would have needed an invincibility skill to stand a chance; otherwise, even if his current defense were doubled, he would still be as flimsy as paper before Bai Xia.
Regrettably, Zhu Ye evidently possessed no invincibility skill capable of negating all damage and negative effects. Furthermore, as a Light Swordsman, his health and defense were relatively low even among warrior classes, making his instant defeat entirely expected.
Yet, while everything unfolded precisely as Bai Xia anticipated, the same could not be said for everyone else. The onlookers were mostly unbothered, as they hadn’t even witnessed Zhu Ye’s true strength. However, for those familiar with the elegant young man, such as Black Sky One Sword, the scene unfolding before them was utterly surreal.
Firstly, Black Sky One Sword’s own strength was considerable. While his previous victories against Moonlit Night and the way he cornered Qian Qiao largely stemmed from equipment skills, his timing and skill chaining were executed with near perfection.
Secondly, his personality was intensely proud, or perhaps, rather chuunibyou? Regardless, he exuded an air that made everyone seem to fall short in comparison.
Even under such circumstances, Zhu Ye had managed to become Black Sky One Sword’s master, and he appeared to hold considerable respect for this mentor. These myriad signs clearly indicated that Zhu Ye was by no means a weakling.
And indeed, this was the truth. Black Sky One Sword knew better than anyone just how formidable this seemingly slender young man was, a fact evidenced by his record of zero wins in thirty-seven sparring matches against him.
Bai Xia also recognized this, but she didn’t find it particularly remarkable.
It was precisely because he understood his master’s strength that Black Sky One Sword found the current scene so difficult to accept. For a moment, he even entertained the thought of it being some sort of cheat, though he automatically dismissed the notion the very next second. Given the entirely different technology employed, while a few minor bugs might exist, cheats were absolutely impossible in *Otherworld*—at least for now.
‘So, that was… real strength?’
Recalling the attack he hadn’t even fully perceived in that fleeting instant, and the damage potent enough to instantly fell even himself, Black Sky One Sword suddenly felt as though he no longer quite understood this game world.
Regardless of what others thought, with the system’s judgment rendered, the final victor had been decided.
“…I never imagined the outcome would be like this.”
Revived from his death state, Zhu Ye’s expression seemed complex, though it quickly reverted to its usual detached demeanor. “Indeed, this world always manages to surprise. I am truly convinced by this defeat. When I grow stronger, I will certainly challenge you again. I hope you will guide me once more then!”
Without waiting for Bai Xia’s response, he retreated to Black Sky One Sword’s team. Black Sky One Sword leaned in and exchanged a few words with him, but Zhu Ye merely shook his head slightly.
Bai Xia watched him, her lips parting. Though she yearned to tell him to bother others in PvP in the future and not disturb her, after meeting Zhu Ye’s complex gaze, she ultimately just shook her head and returned to Moonlit Night’s team.
“Xiao Xiao, brilliant work!”
Hearing this, Yu Ling rushed over and enveloped Bai Xia in a large hug, appearing far happier than if they had won the match themselves. Naturally, they didn’t forget to send a pointed look towards Black Sky One Sword.
Nor did he return his usual gaze of arrogant provocation. However, the short-tempered white-haired youth paid no mind to these things at the moment. After quietly observing their side for a while, he addressed Moonlit Night’s direction. “This match is ours to lose, so this place is yours… Let’s go!”
No sooner had the words left his lips than he abruptly waved his hand and led his team away. Though the others cast longing glances at the Azurelight Fish King still blowing bubbles in Azurelight Lake, they ultimately followed him out of the area.
****
Bai Xia did not participate in Moonlit Night and their team’s subsequent raid on the Azurelight Fish King. Despite their unanimous pleas for her to stay, once she confirmed there was nothing left for her to do, she took advantage of the Azurelight Fish King drawing most players’ attention to change her attire and leave the Azurelight Lake area.
Of course, before leaving, she and Moonlit Night had exchanged friend requests. In fact, many male players in Moonlit Night’s team had shamelessly tried to add her, but she rejected them without a second thought.
After leaving, however, she received another friend request. Seeing the sender’s nickname, Bai Xia’s expression grew a little peculiar, prompting her to hesitate for a good while before accepting. Thus, her friend list gained a beautiful young man named Zhu Ye, though the other party merely sent a brief greeting and then offered no further reply.
Bai Xia didn’t mind this. After a quick check to see if she had any other unread messages, she closed the system interface.
Returning to Forest City, the metropolis showed no signs of desolation despite the sudden events at Azurelight Lake. Players of all kinds streamed endlessly through its streets, their clamor seemingly filling every corner of the city.
With Qin Zheng not online, Bai Xia found herself with nothing to do for a time. Aimlessly wandering, she eventually realized she had stumbled into the player-exclusive trading zone.
Being a player-exclusive trading zone, it naturally contained no system-owned storefronts. Of course, players could technically purchase system shops for trading goods, but currently, no one was wealthy enough to afford such an expense. Consequently, the area was lined with various makeshift stalls, appearing somewhat disorganized due to the lack of strict management.
Amidst the massive player population, it was fortunate that even these ground stalls were protected by the system and could not be tampered with without the owner’s consent; otherwise, this somewhat chaotic environment would be a paradise for thieves.
Bai Xia had visited this place before, but truly valuable items available to players were scarce nowadays. And even if something genuinely good did surface, it would never be sold here, as listing it on the auction house was undoubtedly much more convenient and straightforward. Of course, stalls had their own advantages: setting up a stall required no deposit, nor did it incur an auction fee to the system after a transaction. If one had a wide variety of items to sell, this method could certainly save a significant amount of money.
For this reason, the most common items found in the player trading zone were various peculiar materials, ore crystals, and the like. Occasionally, one might find equipment, skill scrolls, or even information for sale, though these were considerably rarer.
Bai Xia’s presence here was not due to any specific item she needed to buy. She was simply wandering, having nowhere else to go, and occasionally passing through to browse. Based on her past experiences, she certainly didn’t expect to find anything truly valuable here.