Chapter 122 – Overwhelming Strength

Every server’s main city was surrounded by four walls, and on the city wall above the main gate stood a tower with a large banner bearing the server’s name. For example, the banner of Huaxia Summit bore the character “Summit.” Many players liked to take photos hugging their server’s banner and post them on the forums—both as a source of pride and a sense of belonging.

Though the tower was high, there were no restrictions on climbing it. Taking Huaxia Summit as an example, since the server’s launch, countless players had ascended the tower to hug the banner. The tower and banner weren’t picky, allowing anyone to hug or embrace them—after all, they were all their own children. But now, someone else’s child had arrived, neither hugging nor embracing the banner, simply sitting beside it and arranging for others to take photos for him.

Chinese etiquette promotes the idea that all guests are welcome, but that didn’t apply here. This was an uninvited guest—no prior appointment, no polite knock, not even bothering to remove his shoes before barging in and sitting in the head seat at the family dining table.

[Huaxia] Big H: I’d say it’s not an angle problem, but that spot just doesn’t suit you. If you know what’s good for you, come down already. Aren’t you embarrassed making so many people crane their necks to look up at you~~~

The news of the Summit server’s city tower being “flag-jacked” spread like a nuclear bomb, instantly covering the entire server. Within minutes, nearly 60% of online players had gathered at the base of the tower—large guilds, small guilds, solo players, casual players, even merchant alts. The remaining 40% were either in dungeons or still riding motorcycles in the Dimensional Rift.

Negotiating with an uninvited guest under the watchful eyes of the crowd required guts. 99% of people opted to wait and see, adhering to the principle of “don’t move unless the enemy moves,” as if speaking first would mean losing face. Thus, Big H, who stepped up to break the stalemate, was undoubtedly commendable. Especially since he did it so naturally.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Why would I be embarrassed? (*^__^*)

But the uninvited guest was even more nonchalant =_=

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Or, how about someone comes up and tries to pull me down? It’s actually pretty boring up here alone—it’s lonely at the top…

[Huaxia] Refined Into a Demon 715: Commander, just between us, I feel like this guy is radiating pure negative energy >_<

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: ……

[Huaxia] Drink Till You Drop: ……

[Huaxia] Big H: ……

[Huaxia] Refined Into a Demon 715: Commander?

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Be good, switch to the Legion channel first.

[Huaxia] Refined Into a Demon 715: Ah! Sorry, sorry! Hey, Thousand Mountains, I wasn’t talking about you, absolutely not! Don’t overthink it!

Thousand Mountains sat on the tower without responding.

For a few seconds, the world fell completely silent, as hundreds of players stood at the base of the tower in mute shock.

Even as opponents, the sheer brutality of this intellectual humiliation ignited genuine sympathy for Thousand Mountains among them…

Finally, new text appeared on the screen.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Why isn’t anyone replying? Was my phrasing too vague? Fine, I’ll make it simpler. If you want me to come down, you’ll have to beat me in a PK.

What makes extraordinary people extraordinary is that they focus solely on their goals—everything else is just background noise.

[Huaxia] War-Bodhi Patriarch: Seems like a certain part was conveniently skipped. Am I imagining things? =_=

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: That’s not important. What’s important is that we meet again, Buddha [blowing kiss]

[Huaxia] War-Bodhi Patriarch: …Reporting to the Commander, I suddenly have a stomachache. Can I log off early today?

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: [facepalm]

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Oh, if it isn’t Snow Wolf! What, did your guild transfer here?

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Yeah. If you hadn’t asked, I’d have thought you were haunting us out of true love.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Haha, what a coincidence! Huaxia Summit is the hottest server—breaking through here is much more satisfying.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: So, wanna come up for a few rounds?

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: ……

The fact that Snow Wolf and Thousand Mountains knew each other was surprising enough, but Snow Wolf’s reaction to Thousand Mountains’ provocation was even more shocking.

Anyone who had dealt with War Banner knew their infamously unlikable attitude. But one thing was undeniable—their members’ skills were top-tier, and they rarely backed down from a challenge. Call them arrogant or principled, but that was just how War Banner was. Yet now, the aloof Snow Wolf had fallen silent in the face of Thousand Mountains’ taunts.

Damn, what kind of intriguing backstory was this?!

What unspeakable past did you two have?!

The audience was burning with curiosity, but with hundreds of eyes watching, most chose to stay silent. Only those with zero self-control couldn’t suppress the swarm of question marks bubbling in their chests—

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Snow Wolf, you two know each other?

Entire audience: Ghost Server Legion Leader, you’re an angel sent from heaven!!

Snow Wolf hesitated for a moment. Since it wasn’t a pleasant memory, he didn’t elaborate, simply saying—

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: We played together before.

However, the Chinese language was far too profound…

[Huaxia] Plucking Chrysanthemums by the East Fence: Holy shit, so much info in one sentence!

[Huaxia] I Love Little Nurse: Damn, playing together is pretty hardcore—how many were involved?!

[Huaxia] Bookworm Teen: Maybe they roleplayed as in-game characters for a cosplay party? Just thinking about it gets me excited~~\(≧▽≦)/~

[Huaxia] Autumn Wind Chill: Dude, how does your ID check out?!

[Huaxia] War-Sister Liuli: Snow Wolf, care to explain?

The unfortunate War Banner Commander finally realized his mistake.

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: I meant we played in the same server before!

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: But Holy Light Sanctuary was a new server after the expansion. You guys were already in Huaxia Summit before that~~~

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Why so many questions?! They weren’t from Holy Light Sanctuary originally either! We transferred to Huaxia Summit first, and they transferred to Holy Light Sanctuary later!

[Huaxia] Plucking Chrysanthemums by the East Fence: Such a tangled web of love and hate.

[Huaxia] I Love Little Nurse: Doesn’t anyone want to know which tragic original server they abandoned over and over…

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: ……

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Stop asking. Here, have a pat. Poor kid’s been played with too much~~~>_<

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Who the hell started this in the first place?!

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: [fluttering eyelashes]

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Screw off =_=

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Meanie~~ But seriously, why did you transfer your whole guild? That’s expensive~~~

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Doesn’t matter. Worth the cost if it makes the game more fun.

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Was the original server not fun?

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Would you find it fun if your entire server was dominated by a single guild, with everyone chanting “Medicine, medicine, medicine, check it out, we’ll rule the world today”?

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: But our Ghost Server is about to rule the world too~~~ PS. That slogan is awesome, we should come up with one too! Members: follow the Commander’s lead!

[Huaxia] Refined Into a Demon 715: Commander, I don’t think it’s fair to deprive us of our right to speak like this…

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Hahahaha, rule the world? With your dozen people? Half the server is here right now—say that again?

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Uh, that’s just our guild’s vision, our vision…

Entire audience: This guy’s ability to bend without breaking is so impressive even the heavens would root for him =_=

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Games are meant to be lively. The Warring States era was fun—monopolies are boring.

[Huaxia] Milk is Mom: Pfft~ Sounds like an excuse for not being able to win~~~

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Yep.

Fang Zheng had been ready to keep teasing, but that single “yep” stunned him. This wasn’t just a word—it was a bold acceptance of life’s harsh realities and a carefree attitude of “screw it, whatever.”

Even Thousand Mountains, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, seemed surprised.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Snow Wolf, you’ve gotten shameless…

[Huaxia] War-Snow Wolf: Since we’re here, we might as well blend in with the local culture.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Ohhh, so that’s the Summit server’s style? [strokes chin]

[Huaxia] Summit of Mount Tai: It wasn’t originally like this TAT

[Huaxia] War-Sorrel: Ever since a certain guild merged over…

The Ghost Server Legion Leader paid no attention to the high praise from the crowd. His full attention was now on Thousand Mountains. Earlier, he’d just been curious about the guy, but after hearing Snow Wolf’s words, his curiosity had skyrocketed.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Wolf, is this Thousand Mountains really that strong?

[Whisper] War-Snow Wolf: Why the sudden switch to whispers? =_=

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: So you can speak freely. Don’t worry, I won’t leak it—just tell me honestly how much stronger he is than you!

Despite the distance, Snow Wolf could practically feel the glee radiating from the other side of the screen.

[Whisper] War-Snow Wolf: Just how much joy does my suffering bring you? =_=

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Hahahahahahaha

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Yeah, that much.

[Whisper] War-Snow Wolf: If I’m an 80, he’s a 100. Happy now? If you keep harassing me in whispers, I’ll hunt you down 24/7!!!

Satisfied with the answer, the Legion Leader stopped bullying the little wolf and switched channels to relay the news to his guild. At the same time, he proposed in YY: “So, if anyone wants to challenge him for practice, now’s the chance. Just be prepared to lose miserably—no shame in it.”

Fifth Brother and Diamond spoke in unison: “We’ll pass.”

Only to be mocked by 2B: “No guts.”

Sister Blood Bull asked curiously, “You wanna go up?”

2B said decisively, “Nah.”

If they hadn’t been physically separated, Fifth Brother and Diamond would’ve smacked him on the spot.

Sister Blood Bull wasn’t the competitive type, Your Sister and Birdy preferred to observe, and 438 outright declared, “He’s not a rare material or herb,” making his stance clear. That left Mad Lad and Your Uncle, who spoke almost simultaneously—

Mad Lad: “Just a kid. Only idiots would take him seriously.”

Your Uncle: “I kinda wanna go up and practice.”

For the next five minutes, Mad Lad worked hard to soothe Your Uncle’s wounded pride.

Meanwhile, unrest was brewing at the base of the tower. Though no one was openly spamming the chat, having Thousand Mountains point and challenge them like this made every Summit server player feel humiliated. Their moods were terrible, but after seeing War Banner’s Commander’s reaction, they knew the guy’s skill level. No one wanted to risk a crushing defeat and get trampled, losing both face and dignity in the process.

So, eyes naturally turned to the more prestigious guilds.

[Huaxia] The Flash: Five Peaks Pavilion, Meteor Blitz, Huaxia Dominion, War Banner, Ghost Server—all the usual troublemakers are here. How come none of you dare to make a sound?

At this point, other than the Ghost Server Legion Leader’s cosmic-level patience allowing him to smile serenely, the others were getting riled up. Snow Wolf, in particular, executed a sharp maneuver and leaped onto the tower!

Thousand Mountains had been sitting, but when he saw Snow Wolf climb up, he immediately stood. Bathed in a red glow, the long-haired healer first stretched lazily, then blew Snow Wolf a kiss.

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Whew, finally got you up here. My throat was getting sore.

Snow Wolf ignored him, assuming a battle stance and sending a PK invite.

Thousand Mountains stopped joking and accepted, immediately swinging his hammer at Snow Wolf!

Snow Wolf was a Spirit Master, while Thousand Mountains was a healer. In theory, both were ranged attackers, so battles between them should involve maintaining distance while competing in positioning, DPS, and skill combos. Thus, Snow Wolf’s first move after accepting the invite was to backstep twice to create space. But who’d have thought the other guy would just swing his hammer straight at him—landing a solid hit!

Physical attacks from magic-based classes usually dealt negligible damage. Even a squishy Spirit Master wouldn’t take much of a hit, so the hammer’s symbolic meaning outweighed its actual impact.

That was how the audience interpreted it, and Snow Wolf thought the same, so he kept pressing the key to backstep. But after pressing it, he realized his character hadn’t moved!

Snow Wolf froze, then looked closely to see a status effect above his Spirit Master’s head—Stunned!

Glancing at Thousand Mountains, he saw the healer’s cast bar already halfway full—when had he started chanting?!

Stun duration: 3 seconds!

2 seconds!

1 second!

The Crimson Lotus Holy Fire arrived a fraction of a second before the stun wore off. Snow Wolf, timing it perfectly, chugged a Major Health Potion the instant the stun ended. Only those staring unblinkingly at the screen would’ve seen Snow Wolf’s HP bar drop to almost nothing before instantly refilling to about three-quarters!

“What kind of weapon is that? How does it have a stun effect?!” Mad Lad had little interest in that particular PvP but was hyper-sensitive to top-tier gear.

Sister Blood Bull had also been watching closely. “Not just the stun. His Crimson Lotus Holy Fire wiped out four-fifths of Snow Wolf’s HP. Snow Wolf’s decked out in full Orange-tier gear—another Spirit Master might’ve been one-shot. No matter how squishy Spirit Masters are, they shouldn’t be getting one-shot by a healer. Thousand Mountains must be using Purple-tier gear, fully enhanced.”

Meng Chudong: “Another whale…”

Jiang Yang: “You seem to have a problem with me…”

Fang Zheng: “THERE REALLY ARE PURPLE-TIER HEALER WEAPONS AHHHHHHHH—”

Your Uncle & 438: “Commander, can you give us a warning before screaming next time… TAT”

Fang Zheng laughed, about to apologize, but then froze. In the time it took to exchange those few sentences, the PK on the tower had already ended.

This wasn’t a gap of 100 points to 80—it was 100 to 8. Snow Wolf, you shameless bastard!