Chapter 151 – Summit Showdown (Part 4)

There is a time for tension and a time for relaxation, but this relaxation came too suddenly and too directly, like a balloon being popped by a sudden sharp object—and this balloon was a hot air balloon, so the passengers in the basket went flying into the sky, eventually becoming a tiny speck of light.

Winning without fighting was real, the benefits were real, but the frustration was just as real!

“Fuck, I was hoping to strike while the iron was hot. What the hell is Frostbite Canyon doing? They totally killed the fighting mood,” 2B voiced the thoughts of all his teammates.

The fervor of battle must be seized in one go; otherwise, it wanes, and then it’s gone.

Mad Lad yawned, moved his mouse back to the Arena entry button, then paused and asked his comrades, “Are we continuing or not?”

Silence from the team.

Except for—

“Let’s go.”

The eternal PK maniac who never knew the meaning of exhaustion, No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains =_=

“Let’s take a break,” Everything Breaks surprisingly spoke up first.

Mad Lad let go of his mouse, lit a cigarette, and slowly relaxed his nerves, which had been tense all night, in the swirling smoke. “So you mean we’ll continue later? You sure?”

“……”

No answer meant uncertainty.

“If we wait, won’t we run into the First Legion?” Passing Master chimed in. “Can we beat them?”

Innocent kids always cut straight to the point.

This was the crux of the problem.

Fatigue and exhaustion were trivial concerns. The real issue was that they’d already won fourteen matches in a row. In their earlier heated state, the squad might’ve charged straight into battle against the First Legion without hesitation. But Frostbite Canyon’s sudden disconnect had cooled their heads, and now they were overthinking things.

“Thousand Mountains,” Jiang Yang turned to the comrade who was the least reliable in some ways but the most qualified to speak in others, “what do you think our chances are?”

Typically, No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains would blurt out whatever came to mind without hesitation, responding almost instantly. But this time, he was silent for several seconds.

The quiet in the YY channel gradually turned heavy. Jiang Yang wanted to break the oppressive atmosphere but feared interrupting Thousand Mountains’s rare moment of serious contemplation.

Finally, Thousand Mountains’s voice came through the headphones: “I think, with our current strength…”

Jiang Yang perked up, his heart rising in anticipation.

“…we might just make them disconnect too~~~”

Jiang Yang & Everything Breaks & 2B: “Go die!”

Passing Master: “…DIE!!!”

Turns out, Jiang Yang wasn’t the only one listening closely.

Passing Master, who was half a beat slower, could only join the tail end of the scolding =_=

“Just lightening the mood. You guys have no sense of humor,” Thousand Mountains shrugged, finally getting serious. “Other than Dutch Souvenir, I haven’t fought the others. But if they’re all at his level, then it’s two to eight.”

“Haven’t you summited several servers? Didn’t run into any of them?” 2B asked curiously.

“Nah, maybe they were too scared of losing to me and deliberately avoided me.”

The entire team: “You’re overthinking it!”

Still, since he had fought Dutch Souvenir, at least there was some reference point.

Jiang Yang: “What were the odds when you fought Dutch Souvenir?”

“…Sixty-fourty.”

Jiang Yang caught the slight hesitation in Thousand Mountains’s voice and laughed. “If you’re not confident, just say fifty-fifty. Why claim an extra ten percent? It’s not like you’re winning houses or land.”

Thousand Mountains’s voice dropped: “Him sixty, me fourty.”

For a long while after, the YY channel was silent again.

Jiang Yang knew his teammates were still at their computers, possibly frozen in the same posture, wrestling with the same dilemma.

To advance or retreat—that was the question.

If they chose to continue, they would undoubtedly face the First Legion, likely lose, drop back to 740 points, then possibly run into Flame of the Gods, a reconnected Frostbite Canyon, or other strong teams. Their odds of winning or losing would be roughly fifty-fifty, meaning there was a fifty percent chance they’d lose again, dropping their score further.

If they chose to enter Lover’s Constellation now, they’d secure 770 points and an undefeated streak of fourteen matches. It was worth remembering that this streak wasn’t solely due to skill—luck and coincidence had played a part. The chances of them replicating this feat were slim.

If they’d faced the First Legion from the start, they wouldn’t have cared about winning or losing—after all, those with nothing to lose fear nothing. But now, they’d carved out a glorious path for themselves, and no one wanted to step into a puddle and get splattered with mud just as they neared the finish line. Plus, they had the power to say, “Let’s stop here,” and that was the most tempting part of all.

All signs pointed toward “entering Lover’s Constellation now.” The only reason they hadn’t made the choice yet, despite the scales tipping so heavily, was the stubborn presence of something called “fighting spirit” on the other side.

This was a standard feature for any true gamer, completely compatible with traits like “sneaky” and “no bottom line,” and usually activated in battle scenarios like guild wars, PKs, or boss fights.

Fleeing from battle without even trying was more heartbreaking than your in-game wife of several years suddenly announcing she had to quit because her real-life wife was about to give birth…

“Uh, I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” Passing Master couldn’t take the Silent Hill-like atmosphere anymore and opted for a tactical retreat.

“Then I’ll go make some noodles,” 2B followed suit, suddenly feeling hungry thanks to Passing Master.

“Listening to music,” Everything Breaks said succinctly. “Call me when everyone’s back.”

Thousand Mountains asked Jiang Yang, “Assassin, what are you gonna do?”

Jiang Yang stubbed out his cigarette. “Get some sun.”

Without waiting for Thousand Mountains’s response, he took off his headphones, stood up, and went to the floor-to-ceiling window, yanking the curtains open.

It was 8:30 AM in Beijing, and the sun was shining brightly.

Fifteen minutes later, he returned to his computer. Before even putting his headphones back on, he noticed the YY notification icon blinking in the lower right corner. Clicking it revealed a warm greeting from the Commander—Partied all night?

Shifting his gaze back to the YY list, he saw the Commander’s alt had gone from “Away” to “Online.”

Putting his headphones back on, Jiang Yang moved his YY account from MadB’s Shack back up to the Legion Hall channel: “Milk is Mom, you there?”

Fang Zheng’s lazy voice came through almost immediately: “Where’d you go? I’ve been calling you.”

“Tired, needed to move around. You needed me?”

“Woke up and saw my Legion members were still fighting. As Commander, of course I had to check in.”

“How heartwarming.”

“Good boy, come here for a hug~~”

“Piss off =_=”

“I took a peek at MadB’s Shack. How’d you all end up together? What an… interesting lineup.”

“…It’s a long story.”

“Most Arena teams are premades, right? You guys should come up with a cool team name to strike fear into your enemies…”

“Don’t—”

“How about Sky Legends? Or Boys from the Great Northern Wilderness~~”

Too late =_=

“Get the hell away from me…”

Having had his fun, the Commander finally got down to business: “How’s the win streak?”

Finally, a pleasant topic. “Average score 770, fourteen wins in a row.”

“Holy shit!” The dazzling record made the Commander’s heart race. “You’re not using hacks, are you? Hope no one noticed!”

“……”

The Commander’s questions were always so profound they defied easy answers.

Over the next few minutes, Jiang Yang gave Fang Zheng a brief rundown of Sky Legends‘ journey, naturally emphasizing their skills while downplaying their dumb luck, finally convincing him they weren’t cheating.

“So when are you guys heading into Lover’s Constellation? Things are pretty fun over here. I’ll probably stay all three days~”

Usually, Fang Zheng’s idea of “pretty fun” was built on the blood and tears of countless others, but Jiang Yang decided to deal with his own problems first. He explained their current situation and the team’s hesitation, then asked, “What do you think?”

Not that he wanted Fang Zheng to make the decision for them, but an extra perspective never hurt.

Fang Zheng didn’t hesitate before delivering his verdict: “You have to fight. What’s there to hesitate about? If you lose, you’re the brave warriors who charged headfirst into the tiger’s den. There’s no shame in that. Don’t even think about reclaiming those 30 points—just enter Lover’s Constellation at 740. If anyone asks, say you dared to challenge the strongest after fourteen straight wins. Even in defeat, your PK career has no regrets. If people mock you for overestimating yourselves, just gaze into the distance and sigh, ‘How can sparrows understand the ambition of swans?’ Oh, and screenshot that fourteen-win streak—leaderboard records, spectator comments, the more proof the better. But nothing’s absolute, so don’t rule out the possibility that they might all choke. Or maybe one of them is secretly a ‘Your Uncle’ waiting to backstab them at the critical moment. Then you’d hit the jackpot—fifteen straight wins, sweeping the Sky Arena! Immediately spam megaphones—twenty? No, you’re rich, make it two hundred bucks’ worth, broadcast it 24/7. Youth is wasted without showing off~~~”

“……”

Commander, your foresight is godlike!

Revitalized, Mad Lad rode a rainbow cloud back to MadB’s Shack to spread the positivity. Both Legion members and outsiders were awed by the Ghost Server leader’s wisdom, instantly realizing that as long as there was hope in their hearts, life would be vibrant!

The five comrades, now determined to fight, began scurrying around the shops outside the Arena—stocking up on potions, buying gear, repairing weapons—doing everything they could to prepare for the coming battle.

Too focused to notice, they didn’t realize that since Frostbite Canyon’s disconnect, the atmosphere in the Sky Arena had subtly shifted. Players who’d fought all night and planned to log off delayed their departure. Those who’d just logged in and wanted to jump into the Arena held off. Aside from the First Legion and a tiny handful of oblivious players still swinging swords in the Arena, nearly 90% of the Sky Arena’s online players were now invested in the upcoming clash of the century. Some chatted in the streets, others placed bets in alleys, and a few, unable to contain their excitement, tailed their “dark horse idols” from shop to shop. The desire to get close to their idols was understandable, but the behavior was undeniably “stalker-ish.”

Strangely, while players could easily spot the dark horses darting between shops, few caught sight of the reigning champions preparing to face them.

Meanwhile, in the First Legion—

[Team] Brother Eastwind: Festive Lantern, control your fans! They’re asking me for your QQ number. How the hell would I know? I’m not your boyfriend!

[Team] Festive Lantern: 972XXXXX

[Team] Sigh of the Gods: You actually gave it to them? Bold!

[Team] Festive Lantern: It’s a zombie account, just for adding fans.

[Team] Sigh of the Gods: I kinda wanna screenshot this and send it to those girls.

[Team] Festive Lantern: Go ahead. Saints are out of style these days—being a little trashy is what sells now.

[Team] Brother Eastwind: Dude, are you here to game or to pick up girls?

[Team] Festive Lantern: Pick up girls.

[Team] Brother Eastwind: …You win.

[Team] Alps: Actually, I’ve always wondered—why are we typing instead of using YY?

[Team] Brother Eastwind: Because we’re not close enough to chat endlessly on YY without awkward silences.

[Team] Festive Lantern: Exactly.

[Team] Sigh of the Gods: Let’s get serious. Thousand Mountains and his crew are busy as hell right now.

[Team] Festive Lantern: Just grasshoppers in autumn, let them jump around.

[Team] Alps: Don’t underestimate them. Fourteen wins in a row can’t all be luck.

[Team] Festive Lantern: Yeah, there’s also their uniquely bizarre individual skills. But we watched their match against The Gods gang—aside from Thousand Mountains, the others were just okay. No offense, Sigh, but you’re wasted in your current Legion.

[Team] Sigh of the Gods: While your extremely roundabout compliment is flattering, I can’t ignore your slander against my Legion. Pick a spot—let’s duel.

[Team] Festive Lantern: The ground’s packed. Where? Right here?

[Team] Brother Eastwind: If you weren’t such a crowd magnet, we wouldn’t have to squat in trees like monkeys.

[Team] Festive Lantern: If being handsome is a crime, I’ll reform.

[Team] Sigh of the Gods: Please do. Need money? I’ll buy you an appearance-change scroll.

[Team] Dutch Souvenir: Trust me, he’d just use it to make his character even hotter.

[Team] Alps: Damn, Souvenir, you’re alive? Thought the big bad wolf got you.

[Team] Dutch Souvenir: Ran into an old friend, caught up. Besides, the big bad wolf only likes little bunnies, not creepy uncles.

Meanwhile, Passing Master, loaded with odd items from the general store, was heading to the potion shop when he spotted his teammate No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains in the distance.

“Dreams Come True General Store” was located on a quiet street in the western part of the Arena’s main city. The street was deserted not just because of its location but also because its shops sold mostly useless novelty items—good for pranks or amusement, but useless in PK, so few players visited.

Passing Master wasn’t here for some secret strategy—he’d already bought all the mainstream items and had spare inventory slots, so he figured he might as well fill them, just in case.

And then he saw Thousand Mountains.

And Dutch Souvenir.

At first, from a distance, Passing Master only saw the two standing face-to-face but couldn’t tell what they were doing. Out of curiosity, he crept closer. Maybe because he’d entered their local chat range, their dialogue popped up in the bottom-left corner—

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Only weaklings form guilds and teams—safety in numbers.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: Only weaklings brag about being lone wolves—compensating for something.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: Cat got your tongue? Hit a nerve?

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: I’m telling Yao Yao you’re bullying me~~~~~~~

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: Fuck!

The conversation had clearly been going on for a while. Neither seemed aware of an audience—or at least, there hadn’t been one initially. They’d probably greeted each other casually in local chat, so the rest of the conversation stayed there instead of switching to whispers.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: So, you really planning to fight us with those guys?

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Yao Yao says when you’re serious, you can wipe the floor with me twice over and still have room to spare.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: [Raises eyebrow]

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: I’m really curious how you’d spare.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: Include the word room, thanks.

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Are the others on your team all stronger than me?

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: Hate to admit it, but no. Some are about even.

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Then why didn’t you team up with me?

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: We’re not the same kind of people.

[Local] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: Tch.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: You didn’t invite me either.

[Local] Dutch Souvenir: So we’re the same—neither of us considered the other an ally. Except your scope is wider. The entire Dutch Chamber of Commerce—no, the entire Holy Light Sanctuary—who have you considered an ally?