The term “arena battle” wasn’t merely derived from the roles of the combatants, the “arena master” and the “challenger”; it also referred to the fixed nature of the “arena” itself.
In player-versus-player combat, it was common knowledge that reducing an opponent’s health to zero resulted in defeat.
Furthermore, stepping outside the arena’s boundaries was equally considered a loss.
Yet, during the current arena tournament, a peculiar situation unfolded…
Lian, as agile as a dragonfly skimming water, gracefully moved 50 yards outside the arena, establishing a crucial distance.
Then, utilizing her unique innate skill, [Divine Eye Archer] (TL Note: “Bai Bu Shen She” refers to an archer who can shoot with divine accuracy from a hundred paces), she turned back and instantly eliminated Ye with a single [Piercing Willow Shot] from 70 yards away.
****
Yan’s mouth hung slightly agape, his eyes wide with astonishment as he watched Lian plummet from the cliff edge beyond Arena Five.
He found himself utterly speechless.
Even during this intense duel, he had vaguely discerned the effect of Lian’s innate skill.
[Divine Eye Archer] (TL Note: “Bai Bu Shen She” refers to an archer who can shoot with divine accuracy from a hundred paces) meant that the further away she was from her opponent, the greater the damage her arrows inflicted.
To create this distance from Ye, Lian had not hesitated to use three movement skills, displacing herself outside the arena’s perimeter.
Then, while Ye was mid-[Shadow Dash] and unable to evade, she had delivered the killing blow with a single arrow.
She had even predicted Ye’s position along his movement path!
Lian’s combat style was truly terrifying.
But given this outcome, who would the system declare as the victor?
Yan nervously stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on the sky above Arena Five, awaiting the emergence of the victor’s name.
A chime sounded, and suddenly, white text materialized across the cerulean sky.
“Winner: Lian”
A gasp escaped him.
Yan’s eyes widened, and he felt a genuine surge of joy for Lian.
How incredible!
This meant Lian was now one of the top five strongest players on the entire new server, having emerged from this inaugural event!
‘Still, it was astonishing that the system had ruled in Lian’s favor. After all, she had left the arena first before turning back to shoot Ye!’
Yan stroked his chin, lost in thought.
‘Ah, I understand!’
He clapped his hand, a sudden realization dawning on him.
‘Remember An Dong’s previous battle? He used the knockback effect of his [Shield of Xuan Stone] and his own [Brutal Charge] skill to successfully force his opponent out of the small arena.’
‘But the opponent who left the small arena didn’t immediately lose the match. Instead, it was only after the teleportation blue light finished guiding them away that the system announced An Dong’s victory.’
‘This implied that a player who left the arena wasn’t defeated until the teleportation completed and they were removed from the arena map.’
‘Lian, however, hadn’t waited for the teleportation guidance to finish.
She had turned back and instantly killed Ye, and with his health reduced to zero, he was immediately defeated.’
‘Lian had masterfully exploited this time difference, achieving a true “death embrace” strategy (TL Note: “zhi zhi si di er hou sheng” is a Chinese idiom meaning to be reborn from certain death, or to fight with one’s back against the wall).’
‘Come to think of it, it’s amazing she even noticed this subtle detail in the victory conditions…’
Yan gazed admiringly at Lian, who, after plummeting down the cliff, had won the match and was now being teleported back to the center of Arena Five.
He was certain that Lian had only chosen such a perilous method after extensive preparation and intense mental deliberation.
Her calm intellect and unyielding courage filled Yan with admiration.
In any case, the ultimate victor of Arena Five had been determined.
Yan glanced at the time displayed on the system interface: 7:05.
Despite the intense battle between Lian and Ye just now, only five minutes had passed?
Yan rubbed his forehead in exasperation, then quickly realized.
‘Ah… that’s right.
They merely chased each other for a bit… then engaged in a brief tactical exchange, followed by an instant kill with an arrow…’
‘The chase between the highly mobile Lian in the forest and Ye, the swift, specialized assassin player, lasted barely a minute, while the tactical exchange and instant kill took only a few seconds…’
‘So, most of their time was spent standing still, locked in a standoff, then?’ (Spectating players couldn’t hear the dialogue between players on the arena.)
Yan raised an eyebrow in resignation, then glanced at Zhen Bupo, who wasn’t far away.
That fellow was still engrossed in watching his sister An Ruina’s battle against Ivan on Arena Two, showing no inclination to start their own fight with Yan.
‘Well, they did agree to ten minutes, after all…’
Yan scratched his head, following Zhen Bupo’s gaze to Arena Two.
There, An Ruina and Ivan’s battle appeared to be a back-and-forth struggle, with neither gaining a clear advantage.
Yet, Yan could clearly see that Ivan was definitively suppressed, finding himself at a disadvantage.
An Ruina consistently managed to use minimal skill combinations, chaining them with basic attacks to negate several of Ivan’s fist-based or magic skills.
While neither side seemed to have inflicted damage yet, in the long run, Ivan’s mana pool wouldn’t be able to keep up.
‘As expected, An Ruina is truly too strong, isn’t she? Ivan saying he only had a twenty percent chance of winning wasn’t just modesty after all…’
Yan sighed with a touch of melancholy.
‘The reason Ivan still held a twenty percent chance of victory was that the tactical exchange between melee classes often boiled down to a single opportunity.
If An Ruina were caught by Ivan’s crowd control skills, no matter how strong she was, she wouldn’t escape the fate of being combo-killed.’
‘Thus, that twenty percent chance referred to the possibility of An Ruina making a careless mistake.’
‘Unfortunately, An Ruina had, so far, consistently used her skill-negation mechanics to effortlessly break free from Ivan’s crowd control.’
‘Alas… poor little Ivan’s chances are slim…’
‘However…’
Yan’s gaze lifted, observing Ivan on Arena Two, who, despite his arduous struggle, still wore a bright and excited smile.
‘Well, as long as Ivan is having fun, winning or losing doesn’t matter much anymore.’
Yan shrugged with a helpless smile, then turned his attention to the other arenas.
‘Good heavens, how did Xiao on Arena Four win without making a sound?’
Yan’s gaze swept over, just in time to see the words “Winner: Xiao” appear in the sky.
Her delicate figure was then enveloped in a blue light, teleporting and reappearing in the center of Arena Four.
She seemed to notice Yan’s gaze, looking up at the screen for Arena Three and offering him a sly smile from her lovely face.
‘Argh, damn it! I fell for it, I totally fell for it.’
Seeing Xiao’s mischievous grin, Yan immediately regretted agreeing to let her fight Zhen Bupo.
‘From her expression, it seems just as Qing Bai’s intel suggested: that [Finisher Mage] wasn’t particularly strong in arena battles, and so Xiao easily won?’
‘No, it’s also possible that Xiao is just incredibly strong… but simply can’t defeat Yan?’
Regardless of the truth, Xiao had emerged victorious, and the ultimate winner of Arena Four had been determined.
Two arena masters from the morning session had now claimed victory, which filled Yan with a slight thrill.
It seemed the rallying cry from before the competition—the wish for all morning arena masters to win—was about to come true.
He was hopeful, yet this wish remained difficult to achieve.
Aside from others, An Ruina alone was an insurmountable mountain in the melee arena, an absolute powerhouse.
‘Ah, wait, perhaps she can’t defeat An Dong?’
‘Oh! That’s right!
It’s precisely because she lacked the means to counter An Dong and her damage wasn’t enough to instantly kill him that she jumped to Arena Two, avoiding An Dong and choosing to become an arena master there herself!’
Yan suddenly understood, a flash of realization striking him.
He had initially thought that An Ruina, the [Iron-Blooded Queen], had chosen to be an arena master out of sheer arrogance, unafraid of any challenger.
It turned out she had her own strategic considerations.
‘Ugh, players who are both intelligent and powerful are the most troublesome to deal with.’
Yan offered a helpless smile, observing a moment of silent commiseration for Ivan, who was currently battling An Ruina.
‘Speaking of which, how was An Dong doing?’
Yan curiously lifted his head, looking at An Dong’s tall figure on Arena One.
‘And who was he fighting… was it that young girl nicknamed [Poison Maiden]?’
‘Huh?’
‘Somehow… the PK between these two…’
‘Why does the “art style” seem so different?’ (TL Note: “Huafeng” refers to the style or aesthetic, often used colloquially to describe the general vibe or impression of a situation or interaction.)