“Beep, beep, beep.”
The chime of a friend message abruptly cut through the air, and Yan instinctively called up the interface.
[Your grandpa’s going to hit the arena in a bit.]
It was Nan Shi, that fellow, who had sent this message.
‘Ah, right, that guy was going to join the afternoon arena battles.’
Yan mused, then replied with a smile.
“Good luck.”
[Hmph, hmph, as if I needed you to tell me.]
Nan Shi’s characteristic swaggering grin flashed in Yan’s mind, and he gave a helpless smile.
“What are your odds?”
[A mere ten percent.]
“That low?”
Yan was somewhat surprised, as he didn’t think Nan Shi was a person lacking in confidence.
[I’m talking about the odds of *holding* the arena until the very end, and that’s only ten percent.]
Across the screen, Nan Shi’s helpless sigh seemed almost palpable.
[You know, my innate skill, [Double Strike], is primarily for a surprise attack, and my other skill, [Regretless Killing Intent], is utterly ill-suited for PvP scenarios…]
[Well, capturing the arena shouldn’t be a problem, though. If an opponent drops their guard for even a moment, [Double Strike] can instantly fell them.]
[But once we get to the final few matches, and the true nature of [Double Strike] becomes known, it will be incredibly difficult to overcome the powerful players who emerge in the final rounds…]
Yan mused, a soft nod unconsciously affirming his thoughts.
“Indeed.”
Having previously sparred with Nan Shi, Yan keenly understood his current vulnerabilities in player-versus-player combat. [Double Strike] merely amplified damage by allowing an extra skill cast, while [Regretless Killing Intent], despite its powerful full-attribute attack boost, came with a severe restriction: if the opponent wasn’t instantly killed within a certain timeframe, he would perish. If Nan Shi were to be caught in a combo by an opponent, he would self-destruct before the opponent could even land the killing blow.
At present, Nan Shi was undeniably ill-suited for player-versus-player engagements.
‘Indeed, every drawback has its counterpart benefit,’ Yan mused. He could foresee that Nan Shi would be the player with the highest damage output in PvE battles, such as against bosses. Even Yan himself, despite wielding his [Weakening Lance], wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to him.
“Well, good luck anyway.”
A helpless smile playing on his lips, Yan typed out his consolation.
“Even if you can’t hold the arena until the end, you should still be able to rack up a winning streak in the early stages of the event.”
“Jump onto the arena early and secure those wins.”
He had barely sent the message when Nan Shi’s instant reply popped up.
[I’d do that even without you telling me.]
A beat of silence followed. Yan smiled, glancing at the clock hanging on the coffee shop wall.
‘It’s two fifty already.’
His soft murmurings to himself drew Xiao’s attention.
“Are we heading over to watch the arena battles already?”
“Ah! Beer is truly wonderful!”
An Dong drained the massive mug of draft beer before him in a single gulp, then flashed a hearty grin at the others.
“It’s still early, isn’t it? It’s just about to start.”
“Let them battle it out for an hour or so; once the arena champions are largely determined, it won’t be too late for us to head over.”
“Mm.”
Lian offered a calm nod, agreeing with An Dong’s suggestion.
“I think so too.”
Yan looked at the group, a helpless smile touched his lips.
“Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that the [Fist Master] waiting alone at the event grounds must feel rather pitiful, with the other four arena champions all gathered here…”
“Pfft.”
Qing Bai stifled a laugh, and she swiped open a chat window for Yan.
[Well, you don’t need to worry about that. This young lady just messaged Ivan, and he insisted on watching more PvP battles between other players by himself.]
‘That fellow truly is a child who revels in combat, isn’t he…’
Yan couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at the chat history Qing Bai displayed with Ivan.
Qing Bai had, in essence, invited Ivan to the coffee shop to partake in some leisurely afternoon tea with the group before they all proceeded to watch the PvP battles of the five new arena champions. Ivan, however, had declined, stating his desire to “watch more awesome PvP battles!”
Looking at the message history, Qing Bai’s self-referential ‘this young lady’ struck him as rather peculiar, making her sound incredibly self-important.
Yan smiled at his own impolite observation.
“In that case, let’s linger here a while longer, enjoying our leisure. I certainly don’t want to go to the event grounds and be caught in a crowd.”
Qing Bai’s face contorted into an utterly unwilling expression.
“I second that.”
To Yan’s surprise, Lian picked up the thread of conversation, a distinctly bitter expression on her face, revealing her deep aversion to densely packed crowds.
‘Hardly surprising, really,’ Yan mused. ‘The spectator area for the morning session had already been crammed full of players.’
Moreover, the number of players logging in for the afternoon was expected to be double that of the morning… ‘Perhaps everyone loves to sleep in…’
Recalling the bustling, densely packed scene, Yan, despite not having trypophobia, felt a distinct prickle of unease deep within him.
Shaking his head, he cast off the discomfort and turned to Lian with a smile.
“Speaking of which, Miss Lian, your fighting style is truly magnificent.”
She dispatched every opponent with a single arrow; ‘magnificent’ or ‘dashing’ were indeed the most apt descriptors.
“Just call me Lian.”
She waved a dismissive hand, her face betraying no emotion. Yet, it seemed she wasn’t quite as aloof as her appearance implied, as she responded politely to others’ overtures.
“Ah! It truly is impressive!”
Guan Ying took a sip of tea, offering his own praise.
“I feel like I’d have no chance against you.”
Guan Ying, a player of no small prowess, spoke with genuine sincerity.
“Thank you.”
A subtle curve touched Lian’s lips; though the alteration was minute, it was precisely enough to soften her typically cool countenance into a polite smile as she spoke.
Indeed, it wasn’t merely Guan Ying; even Yan couldn’t guarantee victory against Lian on a sprawling 150-yard map, and the other arena champions shared a similar sentiment.
“Lian, I watched your match. From your movements, it seems you practice archery in real life too?”
Unable to quell his curiosity, Yan sought confirmation.
“That standard Mediterranean draw technique hardly seemed like something an archer could master in the relatively short time since the server’s launch.”
“Oh, Yan, do you also understand kyudo?”
Lian, making no attempt to conceal her surprise, nodded as she regarded Yan with curiosity.
“I have indeed studied kyudo in real life. Not just the Mediterranean style; I am, in fact, more proficient in the Mongolian draw. It’s just that my current equipment consists of bows suited for the Mediterranean style, which is why I’ve been using that method.”
“You’ve mastered *two* styles of kyudo?”
Yan’s mouth parted slightly, a hint of astonishment in his voice.
While he had guessed that Lian might possess a foundation in kyudo in real life, he hadn’t expected her to be such a *dalao* (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term referring to a highly skilled or experienced person, often implying mastery in a particular field or game).
“I’m ashamed to say I don’t practice kyudo myself. I merely gained a cursory understanding of it, as it is also a traditional martial art, after having studied spear techniques myself…”
Yan scratched his head in mild embarrassment.
“So that’s how it is.”
Lian gave a slight nod, seemingly unsurprised.
“It’s not just me; that long-haired, classically handsome gentleman over there is also a practitioner of traditional martial arts—a successor to the Guan Dao technique.”
Yan smiled, deftly steering the conversation toward Guan Ying, who was once again quietly sipping his tea.
“Pfft! Cough! Cough!”
At Yan’s words, Guan Ying nearly choked on the tea he had just taken.
“Wha… what long-haired heartthrob! Don’t spout such nonsense…”
“Guan Ying is indeed very handsome, especially with that vintage, shoulder-length hair. It lends him the distinct air of an ancient general.”
Xiao offered her praise with a smile, which nevertheless brought a faint blush to Guan Ying’s ruggedly handsome face.
‘Indeed, an amusing reaction.’
Yan, seeing the expected response, broke into a mischievous smile.
‘Xiao’s childhood friend truly is fascinating. It’s no wonder their dynamic has evolved into one where Xiao holds the more assertive role…’
“Is that so?”
Hearing that Guan Ying was also a practitioner of ancient martial arts, Lian revealed a flicker of surprise, a slight curve touching her lips.
“So my initial thought was correct after all? This game truly does attract many people like me?”
She seemed to feel a touch of genuine pleasure at having two friends who also practiced traditional martial arts.
“No, no, you and Yan are *dalao* (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term referring to a highly skilled or experienced person, often implying mastery in a particular field or game). I’m merely a ‘salted fish’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to someone who has given up on life or any ambition, often used self-deprecatingly) who couldn’t even secure an arena champion title, so I hardly deserve to speak.”
Guan Ying offered a bitter, self-deprecating laugh, which drew a fresh round of mirth from the others.
“Haha, Guan Ying’s strength is also very formidable; it’s just that his compatibility with Yan isn’t particularly good.”
Lian finally offered a lively smile, comforting Guan Ying thus.
“That’s right. Guan Ying and I are fairly matched opponents. My victory was purely a stroke of luck.”
Yan also offered comfort with a smile.
“Alas, let’s settle this another time, when the opportunity arises.”
Guan Ying sighed, then picked up his greenish-blue teacup, a light smile playing on his lips as he looked at Xiao.
“Right now, our primary concern is whether you four morning champions can defeat the five afternoon champions in the evening’s finals.”
Xiao met Guan Ying’s gaze, a slight smile gracing her lips.
“Don’t worry; as long as the opponent isn’t a ‘game-addict’ like Yan, I can defeat them.”
Yan offered a wry smile.
“Don’t listen to Qing Bai’s nonsense; what ‘game-addict’? Honestly…”
His aggrieved tone once again provoked a round of laughter from the group.
‘In an RPG game…’
‘People like this, they could truly be called friends, couldn’t they?’
Amidst the chorus of laughter, Yan looked at the people around him, the figures of old acquaintances from the
Became ever clearer.
“Then all of us need to work hard!”
Yan smiled, extending a hand, palm down, hovering between the wooden tables.
“The morning champions, all of us must win in the end!”
“Isn’t that obvious?!”
An Dong was the first to react, placing his broad palm over Yan’s hand.
“Mm, good luck.”
Seeing An Dong’s action, Lian also reacted. She smiled, extending her slender, fair hand to rest upon An Dong’s.
“Ha!”
Xiao bounced over playfully, her soft, white hand joining the stack.
“Victory!”
Yan exclaimed, immediately lifting his hand, which was at the very bottom of the stack.
“Oh!”
The others, following Yan’s movement, raised their stacked hands high, letting out excited shouts.
It was a small gesture, a simple slogan, yet it ignited fighting spirit in everyone.
However, Yan felt a slight sense of unease.
‘Hmm? Is someone missing?’
He pinched his chin in confusion, his brow furrowed.
****
“Oh, oh! Are the afternoon players indeed even more skilled than those from the morning?”
Ivan, at the event venue, watched the large screen with excitement.
Unlike the morning, which had experienced “challenge lulls,” the afternoon arena battles were far more intense. The five arenas were almost constantly seeing challenges and counter-challenges.
And the champion of Arena Two…
Was named Nan Shi.