Chapter 30 – First Battle, First Victory

With only two of the seven team members appearing on the field after the teleport, where did the rest go? The Ghost Server Legion finally had their answer—the contestants’ special waiting room.

The exact location of this room was unverifiable, as the screen displayed on each contestant’s computer was a bird’s-eye view of the arena, identical to what spectators or other players saw from the stands. However, this room isolated the current contestants from the viewing area, seemingly to create a sense of realism for the PvP match. Inside the room, players could still see system messages and chat from spectators and other contestants and could also participate in them.

[System] Host: The first solo match—Red Lotus Cult Leader vs. Polly!

2B Fighter Jet: “Damn, starting off with a banger!”

Refined Into a Demon: “Captain, go for it!”

Mad Lad: “Zombie, I’m rooting for you.”

Blood Bull: “Don’t come back if you lose.”

Fang Zheng wanted to add a few morale-boosting words, but just as he was about to speak, it suddenly occurred to him—was Birdy-kun being too quiet? Even if he wasn’t grateful for his teammates’ encouragement, he shouldn’t be this indifferent, right?

When he looked up again, well, Polly had already appeared on the bird’s-eye view map!

Earlier, Fang Zheng had wondered—even if contestants couldn’t see the bird’s-eye view, their teammates could. What if they were directing them via voice chat? Now he understood—contestants in solo matches were probably blocked from all voice communication by the system.

This time, the map was an ancient-style riverside cabin.

A ferry crossing, a small house by the shore, a stretch of river, and a sparse grove of trees made up the entire map.

Polly spawned in the grove.

Red Lotus Cult Leader slowly appeared by the riverside.

[System] Commentator: This time, the two contestants are quite far apart. Who will strike first?

[Spectator] I Love Pineapple: What am I seeing?? Two zombies???

[Spectator] Colorful Clouds Fly: I forgot Huaxia even had this class!

[Spectator] Bring Your Own Rations: This is gonna be hilarious~~=_=

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie is moving first! He’s heading out of the grove! How will The Gods zombie respond?

Was it because the name was too hard to type that they just used the team name instead? =_=

At that moment, Polly had already reached the edge of the grove on the map, while Red Lotus Cult Leader had dived beneath the ferry crossing and hidden underwater!

At this point, both strategies were clear—Polly was actively probing, while Red Lotus Cult Leader was lying in ambush.

Damn, this was totally supposed to be Birdy’s style!

Fang Zheng was internally panicking for Polly, but on the map, Polly had already reached the small cabin!

From the audience’s perspective, it was clear that Red Lotus Cult Leader had slightly surfaced, facing Polly’s direction. Meanwhile, Birdy leaped onto the cabin’s roof, confirmed no one was there, then jumped down and fired a Netherworld Ghostly Claws through the window!

Since no one was inside, the skill naturally missed.

But Netherworld Ghostly Claws was an ultimate skill, and Birdy’s MP had already taken a hit.

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie’s attack on the cabin didn’t work at all and wasted his own MP. Now, The Gods zombie is hidden while he’s exposed—the situation isn’t looking good for him.

[System] Commentator: It looks like The Gods zombie really wants to stay concealed, perhaps to surprise the Ghost Server zombie when he comes close!

[System] Commentator: So, let’s see—has the Ghost Server zombie stepped into the trap?

[System] Commentator: Wait, no! The Ghost Server zombie is sitting down! Yes, right at the edge of The Gods zombie’s attack range, the Ghost Server zombie has sat down!

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie is meditating cross-legged—what’s his plan?

[System] Commentator: Uh, it looks like he’s recovering MP…

PvP matches prohibited the use of any recovery items, but sitting down to passively restore HP and MP wasn’t against the rules.

But this was supposed to be an intense PvP match! Damn, the contestant was just sitting there recovering MP—both the commentators and the audience were feeling the pressure =_=

The audience’s chat was already exploding with complaints, but some sharp-eyed players noticed the nuance—Polly wasn’t deliberately slacking off. After confirming no one was in the cabin, he was 100% certain Red Lotus Cult Leader was hiding underwater. So, he sat down to conserve his strength, knowing that in a stalemate, sitting on land required no effort, while hiding underwater demanded constant balance to avoid sinking. Though not overly difficult, maintaining that position would eventually tire out his opponent’s hands.

Contestants couldn’t see the commentators or audience chat, but they could communicate with their opponent—including psychological warfare. And since the chat was visible to everyone outside, in full view of the crowd, Birdy-kun spoke—

[Arena] Polly: Ghost Server Legion, did you all see that? On maps like this, 80% of players will choose to ambush. So you must be cautious while turning passivity into initiative—of course, conserving strength is best.

Damn, this guy was starting a tutorial!!!

The Ghost Server teammates in front of their computers wanted to cry—not for any other reason but because their captain, in the middle of such a tense match, still remembered to guide them…

The audience also wanted to cry—what was supposed to be a proper PvP match had turned into an instructional video!

Of course, the commentators were the ones who wanted to cry the most. Their job was to “strive to create a tense atmosphere for the match,” but under the contestant’s casual commentary, their passionate narration felt pale in comparison. T_T

[Arena] Polly: If you want to hide, you must prepare at least three contingency plans—for when you’re discovered, when you’re not, and when you’re in zombie form. 438, this is where you’re most lacking, especially in adaptability. But 2B, if you can stay hidden the entire match and land the final strike, then your patience training will be complete.

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie really shows what “learning through fun” means. He never forgets to advance and retreat alongside his teammates, hehe.

Audience thoughts: We’ve had enough…

Fortunately, it wasn’t just the audience who were breaking down.

[Arena] Red Lotus Cult Leader: Fuck, enough already!

With that line, the zombie under the ferry suddenly leaped out, charging straight for Polly!

Polly remained seated, motionless, as if he hadn’t seen his opponent.

Red Lotus Cult Leader was now just three meters away—he raised his hand and unleashed Hellfire!

Polly suddenly rolled aside, dodging the attack beautifully.

But since Red Lotus Cult Leader had used Hellfire, a skill with moderate damage, he clearly had a follow-up. The moment Polly rolled away, he flicked his wrist—Miasma! It hit Polly right in the face!

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie has been hit with Miasma—this is a PvP god-tier skill that continuously drains HP until it drops below 50%!

Indeed, Miasma was a useless skill in team battles—healers could simply wait for their teammate’s HP to drop below 50% (when the effect would stop) and then cast an Insta Heal to restore them to full. But in solo PvP, where no items or healers were allowed, being hit by Miasma was an extreme disadvantage.

But the commentator seemed to have forgotten—this was a battle between two zombies. If Red Lotus Cult Leader could use Miasma, so could Polly. ╮(╯_╰)╭

By the time the two separated again, the audience was shocked to see—Red Lotus Cult Leader had also been hit with Miasma!

No one had seen when Polly had countered, because Red Lotus Cult Leader’s skill effects had obscured everything. They could only guess that Polly had cast his skill the moment he was hit—or perhaps half a second later.

[System] Commentator: Now the two have retreated to a safe distance, but both are losing HP!

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie used Miasma at the last moment!

[System] Commentator: Now both are locked in a long-range stalemate—the situation has become very delicate.

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server zombie is moving! He’s charging forward! His HP is still draining—why is he rushing in now? Does he plan to brute-force it?

The commentator was right. Polly lunged at Red Lotus Cult Leader with lightning speed. The latter instinctively wanted to flee but, perhaps feeling it would be too embarrassing, ultimately stood his ground. This time, Polly didn’t bother with fancy moves—he simply raised his hand and unleashed Netherworld Ghostly Claws! Red Lotus Cult Leader retaliated in kind! Both were hit, and their HP-draining statuses ended simultaneously! At this point, both contestants had about 40% HP left!

The commentator couldn’t keep up, and the audience forgot to chat—everyone just watched as the two zombies on the battlefield clashed head-on, trading blow for blow. Red Lotus Cult Leader repeatedly tried to dodge, but Polly kept him locked down. Polly, on the other hand, didn’t bother with evasion—he stood his ground like a Blood Warrior, tanking hits as long as he could land every strike in return!

Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes, starting to understand Polly’s plan.

Outside the arena, other contestants had also caught on.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Damn, he’s trying to outlast him with HP.

[Contestant] Carved in Bone: Seems like it.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: But they’re both zombies—how much more HP can he have? And didn’t we PK him to level zero?

[Contestant] Carved in Bone: Thanks to you.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: He bullied my wife >_<

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: But us from Five Peaks Pavilion PK’ing him is one thing—you guys from Huaxia Dominion PK’ing your own? Tsk, that’s cold.

[Contestant] Drink Till You Drop: Whitey.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Fine, I’ll shut up. But he’s still on Mirage Server—pretty persistent.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: I’ve said it a million times—don’t call me Whitey!!!

[Contestant] Vivian: Honey, the nickname’s kinda cute ^_^

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Oh, alright then. Drink, you can call me that more often.

The audience didn’t know where to look—the match was intense, but the chat was a goldmine of drama. What a chaotic world.

But the fierce battle didn’t slow down just because of the outside chatter. In the blink of an eye, Polly and Red Lotus Cult Leader’s HP had both dropped to around 10%. Only then did everyone belatedly realize—wait, Polly seemed to have more HP than Red Lotus Cult Leader, and not just by a little!

Red Lotus Cult Leader had also noticed. Clearly, if this continued, he’d be the first to fall. Pride be damned—he turned to run. But Polly wasn’t about to let him go. The moment the thought crossed his opponent’s mind, Polly leaped forward, landing right behind him. Red Lotus Cult Leader wanted to turn back, but his fingers had already hit the keys—his character spun around, only to be met with Polly’s Specters and Ghouls! In that brief exchange, Red Lotus Cult Leader had lost one attack compared to Polly. The next few seconds were a foregone conclusion—Red Lotus Cult Leader fell, and Polly was declared the winner.

After the match, characters were automatically teleported back to the waiting room. But in those two short seconds, Birdy-kun still managed to type one last line—

[Arena] Polly: Draining half their HP first really makes killing them easier.

The audience finally snapped out of it—

Damn, as if you didn’t lose half your HP too!

By the time the commentator announced Birdy’s victory, he was already back in the waiting room, with voice chat restored.

2B Fighter Jet couldn’t hold back: “Brute-forcing isn’t your style. When did you change tactics?”

Polly, as calm as ever—even a little lazy—replied, “My style is doing whatever it takes to win.”

Blood Bull’s voice held rare amusement: “Not only did you win, but you made them really salty about it.”

Jiang Yang had to admit: “That live tutorial was a stroke of genius. So fucking shameless! Hahaha!”

Fang Zheng agreed with the Assassin, but one thing still puzzled him—Polly could’ve beaten Red Lotus Cult Leader with skill and positioning alone. Why take the risk of trading blows?

Just as he was thinking this, Polly suddenly mused, “The necklace is pretty useful.”

The Ghost Server teammates were collectively confused.

But Fang Zheng understood—though he was still annoyed that this guy had once again overheard his thoughts!

Sparkling Heavenly Lake Tear—Physical Defense +60.

Polly hadn’t been trading HP—he’d been trading defense. Clearly, in their earlier exchanges, he’d estimated his opponent’s defense and HP based on damage values. After calculating, he’d concluded that Red Lotus Cult Leader’s defense was lower than his own, so he chose to brute-force it. Thus, with each exchange, he took slightly less damage, and over time, that difference in HP became decisive.

Simple in theory, but accurately estimating defense and HP—and predicting Red Lotus Cult Leader’s retreat at the end—required a top-tier player, one who was supremely confident in himself.

Some veteran players in the audience also recognized Polly and began educating the newcomers—

[Spectator] Forever Love Legends: Wait, is this Polly that Polly?

[Spectator] Born in 1994: Which Polly is that Polly?

[Spectator] All the Rage: The PK King of the entire North China server back in the day! From Huaxia Dominion—I thought he quit!

[Spectator] Flat Chest Pride: Wasn’t Huaxia Dominion from Huaxia Summit?

[Spectator] All the Rage: They transferred later. Before that, they were on Mirage Server.

[Spectator] Born in 1994: So he’s a god-tier player…

[Spectator] Flat Chest Pride: A god-tier player…

[Spectator] Soft Girl Needs Sugar Daddy: A god…

[Spectator] Crystal Heart: So sneaky TAT