Chapter 188 – Leadership Is Hard (Part 2)

The ambushers had intended to catch everyone off guard while they were still getting their bearings after landing, striking quickly to farm some points before fleeing. After all, everyone knew that not a single person aboard Perfect Storm No. 1 was easy prey—they were all the “big bads” from their respective servers, absolutely not to be trifled with. But despite all their calculations, they had overlooked one crucial detail—the Perfect Storm No. 1 crew’s “cherishing” of points. The ambushers had assumed that a group of experts who had already earned 280 points just from the voyage wouldn’t care about a measly 30 or 40 points. Even if they were angry about the ambush, they’d at most kill a few of them to vent, letting the rest escape without chasing them recklessly while still unfamiliar with Legion Island…

But—and this is a brutal twist—the experts aboard Perfect Storm No. 1 didn’t chase them. Instead, with their sharp skills, they quickly surrounded the ragtag group on the spot. Then, the enraged leaders, who had been caught off guard and lost 40 points in one go, proceeded to slaughter the ambushers into a bloody mess within minutes.

[Combat] One Night Resurrection killed Bartley in the Pirate Zone, earning 8 points.

[System] Bartley has died in the Pirate Zone. Every crew member of Prince No. 4 loses 8 points.

With One Night Resurrection’s Cloud Piercing Arrow, the last ambusher fell. Like his “predecessors,” he didn’t stay down for long, transforming into a beam of light that shot toward the distant northern sky. It was unclear how many respawn points were available on the island, but at least one was to the north.

The tranquil, willow-lined shore regained its peace. The lush scenery showed no trace of bloodshed, and the Perfect Storm No. 1 crew’s points remained frozen between 250 and 300, as if the earlier massacre had been an illusion.

[Local] Grave Sweeping Scroll: One Night Resurrection, what the hell was that? Our commander had the guy almost dead, and you just had to snipe him from a distance? 8 points! You can’t just steal kills like that!

[Local] One Night Resurrection: Your commander landed twelve physical hits on that guy and still wasn’t satisfied. I couldn’t stand it anymore! Figured I’d put him out of his misery.

[Local] Big H: T-t-twelve hits? Iceborn, you freak~~~~~~~>_<

[Local] Grave Sweeping Scroll: Duh! How else are we supposed to break even?!

While killing a player earned more points, a player could only die once. Hitting them, however, was entirely up to the attacker—a single player might only withstand two skill attacks but could endure ten physical hits.

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Whether you want to torture them or one-shot them is your business. What I really want to know is where the hell these guys came from and what kind of bullshit point system this island has!

[Local] ice Iceborn: These guys specialize in ambushing people here. Several ships before us already fell for it, but the victims didn’t breathe a word in World Chat, so the next wave of landers kept getting jumped.

[Local] X: How do you know all this?

[Local] ice Iceborn: Two of our guildmates arrived early on The Prince and got ambushed.

[Local] Silent Hill: Damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier?!

[Local] ice Iceborn: They only told me halfway through the fight in the guild’s voice chat.

[Local] Little Willow: Sigh, this is what happens with lax guild discipline. In our guild, failing to report intel immediately would’ve had you kneeling on a keyboard.

[Local] ice Iceborn: Heh.

[Local] Little Willow: Are you mocking me? =_=

[Local] Ice on Fire: No, our commander really just laughed. Because the guy who delayed the report is already kneeling on a TV remote.

[Local] Little Willow: Remote buttons are so soft, though. That punishment is way too lenient.

[Local] Ice on Fire: No channel changing allowed.

[Local] Little Willow: Boss Yao, I’m yours for life!! TAT

Truly deranged—willing to torture low-level players with physical attacks and torment guildmates with remotes…

[Local] Milk is Mom: Late intel is better than none. At least we got revenge. What really pisses me off is these guys—oh, so just because they got screwed, everyone else has to lose points too?!

[Local] War-Snow Wolf: If I can’t have it good, neither can you. Human nature. Get over it.

[Local] Milk is Mom: I doubt those losers will dare come back. What if we take over the ambush spot? Farm tons of points, become rich and handsome, and reach the pinnacle of gaming life~\(≧▽≦)/~

[Local] War-Snow Wolf: Whitey.

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Yeah?

[Local] War-Snow Wolf: I feel like life is so exhausting…

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: [Pats shoulder] I feel you.

Just as the leaders of the Summit Server were on the verge of losing all hope in life, Dragon Wonton—freshly revived—discovered a stone engraved with mysterious text, finally letting a sliver of light pierce the darkness that had loomed since their landing:

[Brave sailors, welcome to the Pirate Zone of Legion Island—where the light of law is extinguished and villains run rampant in this hell!

Rules are as follows:

> Example: “The Old Man and the Sea No. 1” and “The Old Man and the Sea No. 2” are different ships.

Combat Point Rules:

When attacking, the attacker gains points based on the target’s ship:

Perfect Storm → +4 points

The Prince → +2 points

The Old Man and the Sea → +0.5 points

The target loses points based on their own ship:

Perfect Storm → -4 points

The Prince → -2 points

The Old Man and the Sea → -0.5 points

Kill Bonus/Penalty:

[Good luck, and trust no one but your crew!]

With the rules clarified, everything made sense… What the actual fuck?! Why does Perfect Storm only get 2 or 0.5 points for hitting others, but lose 4 points if we get hit?! Are big ships cursed or something?! TAT

The Old Man and the Sea was the exact opposite—getting hit cost them at most 0.5 points, and they could exclusively target Perfect Storm and The Prince ships. As long as they knew how to escape without dying, it was a damn good deal!

[Local] March to Liangzhou: So far, it seems like only one Perfect Storm has set sail.

[Local] Trick or Die: So we’re doomed to be the scapegoats, huh…

[Local] Soldiers in Snowfield: Trading my 4 points for your 2 or 0.5—don’t ask why, call me the Red Scarf¹In China, “Red Scarf” refers to the red neckerchief worn by students who are members of the Young Pioneers. This phrase is often used in stories or essays where a child does a good deed but does not reveal their real name, doing good anonymously and selflessly, “as any good Young Pioneer should.”.

Despair and silence spread like a swamp, slowly drowning the hearts of the Perfect Storm crew. It wasn’t their fault for feeling crushed—after enduring the brutal voyage, the savage world boss, the despicable ambush, and the collective point deductions, the fact that they were still alive to find this stone and read its insane rules was nothing short of a miracle…

[Local] Quicksilver: Feels like the moment we chose Perfect Storm, we stepped into a giant pit. =_=

In the oppressive quiet, Quicksilver voiced the collective sentiment.

However, a truly formidable team doesn’t just rely on “brutal combat power” as its hard strength—it also needs “revolutionary optimism” as its soft support. And the latter doesn’t need to be shared by everyone, as long as those who possess it radiate infinite positivity—

[Local] Milk is Mom: Hello?! We’re the flagship’s top warship, okay?! Is hitting people really our goal? No! It’s gotta be 8 points! 8 points, 8 points, 8 points—important things must be said thrice!

[Local] Milk is Mom: I know you wanna say only the last hitter gets 8 points, but statistically, if we gang up on someone, the chance of landing the last hit is roughly equal for all of us!

[Local] Milk is Mom: I know you wanna say death is a one-time thing, so what’s the big deal about 8 points? But if we wipe out enough people, becoming point tycoons is just a matter of time!

[Local] Milk is Mom: I know you wanna say some people might just wait to steal kills, swooping in for the last hit to reap the rewards! But if everyone is worried about that, doesn’t that mean none of us actually plan to do it—we’re just afraid others will screw us over?! So trust that after all we’ve been through together, we’ve gone from strangers on the same boat to grasshoppers on the same string to roast suckling pigs on the same spit! Our hearts are connected!!!

[Local] Summit of Mount Tai: I rarely roast Milk Mom, but this sudden speech is a bit much.

[Local] Carved in Bone: Yeah, even the tildes are gone…

[Local] Milk is Mom: I love coming home~~ to warm lights waiting for me~~ I love waking up~~ to see all your smiling faces~~ I love stepping out~~ to fight for my dreams and yours~~ I love how our hearts~~ all look toward the same horizon~~ oh oh~~~~~~

[Local] Summit of Mount Tai: It’s Milk Mom, alright.

[Local] Carved in Bone: And he’s leveled up—no longer satisfied with just the chorus…

[Local] Don’t Stop the Meds: Let’s go, our loving family. If we don’t slaughter this Pirate Zone until not a blade of grass remains, we’d be letting down the sea that raised us.

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Mentioning the sea kinda makes me wanna unleash my inner power. =_=

[Local] Rock N Roll Will Never Die: Hey, if there’s a Pirate Zone, does that mean there are other zones too?

[Local] Rain Ceases: That’s for later. For now, brothers—let the killing begin ╮(╯_╰)╭

The next six hours were the darkest in the history of the Pirate Zone. If the ambushers who attacked the Perfect Storm crew were hit-and-run rabble, their replacements were nothing short of divine retribution. Whether they were already ashore and wandering or freshly landed and confused, every player indiscriminately experienced the full spectrum of deaths—slashed, stabbed, assassinated, burned, tortured, or one-shot. Not a single team, or even a single player within a team, escaped. Because in terms of sheer numbers or individual combat power, few ships could rival the fifty-man force of Perfect Storm No. 1. The Pirate Zone became a bloodbath, plunging into unprecedented carnage.

[Flagship] Wind Moves Clouds: Newbie here, just asking—

[Megaphone] Wind Moves Clouds: IS THIS LEGION ISLAND OR CANNIBAL ISLAND CAN’T YOU LET ME FINISH TALKING BEFORE KILLING ME AAAAAHHH!!!

[Megaphone] Moonlight Sword: Holy Light Sanctuary, this isn’t over!!

[Flagship] Don’t Stop the Meds: Better keep your word then. Don’t let it be over—I’d miss you. [Blows kiss]

[Megaphone] Lightning Girl: Some class I’ve never seen before just attacked me!! AAAAAHHH SO SCARY!!!

[Flagship] X: ……

[Flagship] Little Willow: Pfft—XX, your Zombie class is so forgettable. Just reroll already.

[Flagship] X: Don’t stop me, Laozi’s gonna corpse-camp. =_=

[Flagship] Li Family Melon: Brother, I’m still alive, why are you camping me?! TAT

[Flagship] X: Oops, wrong target.

[Flagship] X: Oh wait, you’re from The Prince? Extra corpse-camping for you.

[Megaphone] Li Family Melon: Commander, I told you we should’ve picked The Old Man and the Sea!! TAT

The sheer one-sided brutality even led normally indifferent players to start warning others—

[Megaphone] Dou Yifang: ALERT! ALERT! Coords (37, 29)—DO NOT COME HERE!!!

[Megaphone] First Love Experience: DAMN IT, THIS IS THE DESIGNATED LANDING SPOT, WE CAN’T AVOID IT!!!

[Megaphone] Waiter Chen: Attention all incoming ships! The moment you land, a horde of murderers will swarm you! DO NOT RESIST! DO NOT RESIST! If possible, JUMP INTO THE SEA TO SUICIDE, then respawn and head straight for the “Sailor Zone”! Repeat, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!

The chaos in the Pirate Zone finally showed signs of dissipating by 7 PM Beijing time—Don’t Stop the Meds, the first to hit 600 points, was forcibly transported to the Sailor Zone.

Though they’d spent the entire afternoon as murderous maniacs, the crew had pieced together Legion Island’s structure—it was divided into three layers. The outermost was the Pirate Zone, for players with 0–600 points, where attacks between different ships were allowed. The middle layer was the Sailor Zone, for players with 0–900 points—no direct attacks, but players from different legions could set traps to steal. The innermost was the Legion Zone, mandatory for players with 900+ points. This area had no map, only Dueling Huts. As for what happened inside, few had entered—if any—so no intel had leaked yet.

Next to leave was Silent Hill, though not by the system’s doing—his boss, after searching for him all afternoon, forced him to return to the office and write a self-critique for skipping work.

By 8 PM Beijing time, with over twenty crewmates already in the middle layer, the rest decided to lay down their blades and embrace enlightenment—ahem—they were just outnumbered now, so they might as well quit while ahead and enter the Sailor Zone together!

The Huaxia Summit crew had been in a party, but the moment they entered the Sailor Zone, it disbanded automatically. Fang Zheng was puzzled until Detective Birdy was quick to locate the “Rules Stone”:

[Brave sailors, welcome to the Sailor Zone of Legion Island, a paradise of wine and song, yet also a den of thieves!

Rules are as follows:

> If the Trapper’s HP drops below 50% first, Steal Mode ends. The Trapper loses 30 points, and the Victim gains 30.

> If the Victim’s HP drops below 50% first, the Trapper gains 10 points, the Victim loses 10, and the Trapper receives three reward lists:

1. All items in the Victim’s inventory

2. All items in the Victim’s Legion Warehouse

3. All personal system rewards the Victim obtained after entering the Flagship module (excluding module points)—this includes, but isn’t limited to, gear, weapons, materials, potions, pets, and Legion Honor.

The Trapper may select one item from any of the lists to claim. Steal Mode then ends.

Additional Notes:

1. Once Steal Mode begins, the Victim’s inventory and Legion Warehouse are locked—no deposits or withdrawals allowed until Steal Mode ends.

2. For List 3 rewards:

> If the item was consumable (e.g., potions, materials), it won’t appear.

> If equipped but not consumable (e.g., gear, weapons), it will appear and vanish from the Victim when selected.

> If traded or given away (including Legion Warehouse withdrawals), it will still appear and vanish from the current holder—no compensation will be given, regardless of how it was obtained.

> If previously stolen, the item appears only in the last successful thief’s list and can only be reclaimed by trapping them.

3. Traps set by offline players won’t trigger.

4. Going offline during Steal Mode counts as a loss.

5. Steal Mode lasts 15 minutes. If unresolved, the Trapper automatically loses.

6. During Steal Mode, neither party can trigger or be trapped by any other trap.

7. None of the three lists include quest items or bound gear/weapons.

[Good luck, sailors!]

After reading it three times, the Ghost Server Legion Leader—as an underachiever—admitted that such complex rules were way beyond him. TAT

Meng Chudong: “In short, any gear, weapons, items, materials, or pets you brought to the Flagship—as long as they’re not bound, consumable, or taken by teammates from other modules—are at risk of being stolen by outsiders. And any rewards obtained after entering the module can still be stolen even if given to teammates, as long as they haven’t been used.”

Such sharp thinking, such efficient summarization—with a man like this, what more could one ask for?

“I’ll go cook some noodles. Your brain’s clearly starved.”

No amount of snark can stop me from loving you!

“Uh, wait—noodles might have to wait. Hang in there.”

“……”

Snark can’t stop my love, but hunger can… TAT

The tearful Legion Leader wanted to wail dramatically for effect, but the rapid clacking of keys shattered the air first. Fang Zheng turned to see Birdy’s lips pressed into a thin line, eyes razor-sharp, glued to the screen as his fingers flew across the keyboard and mouse—undoubtedly engaged in PVP!

But the Sailor Zone didn’t allow direct attacks unless… Birdy had triggered “Steal Mode” by stepping into a trap!

Realizing this, Fang Zheng pulled back his camera angle and sure enough, Birdy was locked in combat near the Rules Stone. When it came to PVP, Fang Zheng had absolute faith in Birdy—but the moment he saw the Trapper’s ID, his heart sank.

He wasn’t afraid of ten thousand, but what if one slipped through—

[System] Don’t Stop the Meds successfully stole, gaining 10 points.

[System] Polly was stolen from, losing 10 points.

[System] Don’t Stop the Meds obtained Baggins’ Heartscale.

• 1
  In China, “Red Scarf” refers to the red neckerchief worn by students who are members of the Young Pioneers. This phrase is often used in stories or essays where a child does a good deed but does not reveal their real name, doing good anonymously and selflessly, “as any good Young Pioneer should.”