The finals were set to begin at seven in the evening; it was now six-forty.
Yan had believed himself to be early enough, yet upon logging in, he discovered the event hall was already overflowing with people, a bustling sea of heads.
The sheer number of participants had forced the officials to disable player collision detection.
This allowed players’ positions to overlap, enabling countless individuals to occupy even the smallest space.
Consequently, this led to the phenomenon of ‘clipping’ – models passing through one another.
Not far away, Xiao and the others, who had arrived early, stood greeting Yan.
“Pfft.”
Witnessing the scene before him, Yan quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, yet a laugh still escaped him.
“Xiao, why do you… have a guandao (TL Note: A traditional Chinese polearm, often associated with Guan Yu) sticking out of your head, hahaha.”
It turned out Xiao and Guan Ying’s character models had been squeezed together.
From their perspective, they appeared to be standing back-to-back.
In reality, Guan Ying’s towering guandao, normally strapped to his back, had merged into Xiao’s head model.
From a distance, it looked as though a guandao had sprouted from Xiao’s head.
“Ah!”
Xiao belatedly gasped, promptly clutching her head as she moved away from Guan Ying’s guandao, separating their models.
“Yan! You rascal, to say something so rude the moment you arrive.”
Her delicate brows furrowed on her lovely face as she feigned a hint of anger.
“Hey, hey, I was only trying to be helpful by warning you.”
Yan spread his hands helplessly.
“Don’t mind that ‘gaming slob’ (TL Note: A derogatory term for someone who spends too much time gaming, often neglecting other aspects of life).
As a Challenger, he’s even later than I am; what a complete lack of urgency.”
Qing Bai cast a sidelong glance at Yan, remarking.
Yan disregarded her teasing, instead breaking into a smile as he thoughtfully scrutinized her, chin in hand.
“Compared to Xiao and the others, this combination is quite pleasing to the eye.”
Qing Bai and Tian Jiu’s models were pressed together.
They appeared to be standing side-by-side, arm in arm.
No, for the petite Tian Jiu, it looked more as if she were clinging to Qing Bai’s arm, or perhaps being embraced by her.
“Hmph.”
Qing Bai’s face inexplicably flushed, and with a muffled grunt, she ceased paying Yan any mind.
“Yan… all the best!”
Tian Jiu, her cheeks faintly colored, hastily lifted her small, fair hand, gently clenching it into a fist, seemingly to cheer Yan on.
“Mm-hmm.”
Yan responded with a smile.
****
“The inaugural event, the final showdown of the Arena Battle, is about to commence!
Ten Challengers, please freely select an arena to defend or attack.
In thirty minutes, the final five victors will emerge.”
Alice’s light, melodious voice echoed through the sky, instantly galvanizing all the players, who collectively turned their gaze towards the massive screen.
“Now, let us begin the countdown… together.”
Digits appeared on the colossal floating screen.
“Five.”
Alice’s clear, highly evocative voice boomed out the countdown.
“Four.”
The emotions of the multitude of spectating players were stirred, and they joined Alice in a synchronized countdown.
“Three.”
Amidst the clamor of voices, Yan lifted his eyes to look at those around him.
“Two.”
Noticing Yan’s gaze, several individuals smiled back at him.
“One.”
The players’ cheers were deafening in his ears.
Yan looked at the four Challengers beside him, who were about to step onto the arena, a smile gracing his lips.
“Let’s play to our hearts’ content.”
“Zero!”
As the number on the colossal screen transformed into “Zero,” brilliant pillar-shaped fireworks abruptly erupted from the gaps between the ten giant posters in the sky.
They painted the dark night sky above the event map in vibrant hues.
Immediately afterward, five arenas, identical to those seen before, materialized on the screen.
“I’ll be the first to enter.
After all, I’m a tank; defending the arena is the way to go.”
An Dong flashed his gleaming white teeth, revealing his signature hearty smile.
He waved to the others, and then a beam of white light enveloped him, his figure vanishing from the spot.
In the blink of an eye, his tall figure, clad in the sleek, dark [Blacklight Battle Helm], materialized on the large screen, positioned atop the first small arena.
‘What a truly courageous person,’ Yan thought, watching his disappearing figure with a touch of admiration.
Even with his absolute confidence in not losing, Yan hadn’t dared to step onto the arena without a second thought like An Dong.
He still hadn’t managed to quell his own mix of nervousness and excitement.
This wasn’t merely a matter of strength; it was also about courage and decisiveness.
An Dong, it seemed, possessed both in full measure.
‘Well, I suppose I’ll remain a challenger then.’
Yan thought, a helpless, wry smile playing on his lips.
Just then, a distinct and solitary figure emerged from the crowd.
Her radiant presence and magnificently elegant sword skills were utterly unforgettable.
An Ruina, her right hand resting on the rapier at her waist, slowly walked out from the throng.
Beneath her silver helmet, her azure eyes were visible.
She cast a subtle glance towards Yan’s direction, seemingly provoking the morning Challengers.
Without uttering a single word, her uncovered red lips beneath the silver helmet curved upwards slightly, revealing a faint smile.
She then produced her scoreboard, and an identical pillar of white light, like An Dong’s earlier teleportation, surged around her.
“An Ruina, wait for me! I’m coming too.”
Just as An Ruina’s figure gradually vanished into the white light, another Challenger chased out from the crowd.
It was none other than the peculiar player from the afternoon session, capable of transforming into a boss.
“Ah… she’s gone, honestly…”
Zhen Bupo, resembling a dashing young nobleman, rushed out in a flurry.
The long sleeves of his black silk robe billowed in the wind.
Despite his haste, he was ultimately a step too late; the white light symbolizing An Ruina’s teleportation, along with her elegant figure, had already vanished.
A helpless smile appeared on Zhen Bupo’s face, and he gently rested the folding fan in his hand against his lower lip.
Left behind, he had no choice but to retrieve his scoreboard, select teleportation, and then his figure too merged into the white light, disappearing from his spot.
On the large screen, An Ruina’s elegant and indomitable figure materialized on the second small arena, while Zhen Bupo appeared on the third medium arena.
‘Ah, a formidable opponent has appeared.’
‘I had already promised Xiao to challenge Zhen Bupo on her behalf.’
Moreover, Zhen Bupo’s fighting style was the most familiar to Yan among the five Challengers from the afternoon session, having observed his match closely.
As Yan considered this, about to retrieve his scoreboard to challenge Zhen Bupo, someone beside him preemptively stepped into the white light.
Yan froze, turning his head to see that it was Lian.
Within the white light, she noticed Yan’s gaze, and a rare, fleeting smile, like an epiphyllum in bloom, briefly touched her cool features.
“I was going to challenge a large arena anyway.
There’s no need to wait here, so I’ll go ahead.”
“Oh.”
Yan responded, and immediately Lian’s figure appeared on the fifth large arena.
In mere moments, her luminous silhouette vanished into the complex terrain of the large arena, disappearing from sight.
Until a challenger entered, the virtual cameras on the arena would not follow a player’s movements.
“Since Zhen Bupo has already entered, I won’t worry about someone else challenging him.
Leave the ‘difficult task’ of fighting the [Terminator Mage] to me.
Yan, why don’t you take on the [Monster Storyteller]?”
Xiao tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes fixed on Yan, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
Seeing her relaxed demeanor, Yan began to suspect that Qing Bai’s intel – that the [Terminator Mage] was only ‘average in strength’ – might actually be true.
“Alright, alright…”
Yan offered a helpless, wry smile, nodding in agreement.
There was no other choice; after all, it was a promise he had made.
Smiling, Xiao retrieved her scoreboard and, one step ahead, teleported into the fourth medium arena.
The five arena Challengers had already appeared.
‘Now, it’s time for the challengers to take the stage…’
“Brother Yan, are you going to challenge an arena now?”
Ivan turned his head, looking at Yan with curiosity.
“Mm, I suppose I have to go up now…”
Yan responded with a wry smile.
“Which one will you challenge?”
“The [Monster Storyteller].”
“Oh…”
Ivan glanced at the large screen, nodding slightly.
Then, he excitedly turned his face back, his eyes alight with exhilaration.
“I’m going to challenge Sister An Ruina.”
“Eh? Really…?”
Yan was somewhat surprised, then a helpless expression crossed his face.
“She’s incredibly strong, you know…”
“It doesn’t matter! Precisely because she’s so strong and so cool, I want to challenge her!”
Ivan clenched his fists, an uncontrollable expression of excitement beaming from him.
“Alright then…”
Yan said with a wry smile.
“Shall we go?”
Ivan suggested.
“Mm-hmm.”
Yan replied, nodding gently.
He then took out his scoreboard and selected the third arena.
The next moment, the teleportation light flared.