Chapter 40 – Deck Melee

At first, the audience didn’t know which part of the screen to focus on, but as the battle progressed, players from almost every floor had encountered each other, and the display gradually simplified into seven scenes—in the engine room, Greatsword had once again cornered Crossplayer’s Blessing in an even more cramped gear chamber; 2B Fighter Jet was running around like a headless fly in some unknown corner; on the slum deck, Polly had encountered Kill All Who Block Me, while Kill Gods If They Block Me seemed lost in another dimension entirely; on the common deck, Blood Bull and Mad Lad had clashed with Big H and Water Phantom, locked in a fierce battle; on the noble deck, Leaves Fall on Chang’an and Gentle Blade had also met, only to stare at each other in confusion, unsure of what to do next; and finally, atop the mast, Milk is Mom looked down disdainfully at Refined Into a Demon 438 floundering in the water.

[System] Commentator: The unique map has split the players apart. Could the match really end with small-scale skirmishes across multiple areas? If a full-on fourteen-player melee doesn’t happen, the audience might feel a bit disappointed!

[System] Commentator: Oh wait, no—thirteen players. The Ghost Server Legion’s Demon Refiner is still struggling in the water…

[System] Commentator: Right now, Kill All Who Block Me on the slum deck seems to be losing to Polly—his HP is already flashing red! But in return, Greatsword in the engine room is pressing Crossplayer’s Blessing step by step!

[System] Commentator: Who will fall first—Kill All Who Block Me or Crossplayer’s Blessing? This situation teaches players a valuable lesson: it’s better not to have IDs that start with the character for “person”…

[Arena] Greatsword: What the hell is this?! Laozi is stuck in the gears and can’t move!

[System] Commentator: There seems to be an issue in the engine room!

[Arena] Greatsword: Is anyone gonna fix this?! I protest! This map has a BUG!!!

As soon as Greatsword shouted, everyone’s attention turned to him. In the cramped gear chamber, Greatsword had somehow gotten stuck between two rows of interlocking gears—not only could he not move, but his HP was steadily dropping as the gears ground away.

Situations like this occasionally happened in the game. For example, certain spots on certain maps could trap players or even bosses, leaving them unable to move. Players could either use items to teleport away or simply let someone kill them so they could respawn. If a boss got stuck, it was just free kills for the players.

But for Greatsword to get stuck during a guild war? That was just tragic. So tragic that Crossplayer’s Blessing stood to the side, silently observing, unable to bring himself to attack.

Finally, Greatsword fell.

The onlooker immediately released a messenger bird to announce the good news—

[Arena] Crossplayer’s Blessing: I whittled down their commander to death~\(≧▽≦)/~

To be fair, Your Uncle wasn’t entirely lying—he had genuinely used his footwork to lure Greatsword into the gears. Of course, his original intention had just been to slow Greatsword down a little so he could escape. Who knew the gears would be so generous as to outright kill the guy? ╮(╯_╰)╭

[Arena] 2B Fighter Jet: Wait, you did that?!

[Arena] Milk is Mom: How’d you pull that off? Spill the details!

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Did your skills improve that much in just two days?

While the Ghost Server was celebrating, their Meteor Blitz opponents were more shocked than anything. They had only seen their leader suddenly shout two lines in frustration—they hadn’t witnessed his final struggle at all.

[Arena] Gentle Blade: Commander?

[Arena] Kill Gods If They Block Me: Commander, what happened?

[Arena] Leaves Fall on Chang’an: How’d you die?

What could Greatsword, currently being embraced by the gears, possibly say?

[Arena] Greatsword: Cursed by the God of Misfortune…

While the Meteor Blitz teammates were still confused, the Ghost Server members already understood perfectly.

[Arena] 2B Fighter Jet: Got it.

[Arena] Milk is Mom: Understood.

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Rest in peace.

[Arena] Polly: [candle]

[Arena] Mad Lad: Fuck, you guys have time to type?! Laozi’s about to get killed here!!

The ones who shout “Oh no, I’m drunk!” are never actually drunk. So the moment the Assassin yelled, it was Kill All Who Block Me—who had been fighting Polly one floor below—who ended up face-first on the ground.

Polly didn’t even glance at the corpse, immediately leaping out of the room to continue searching the upper floors.

The only one left suffering was Blesscaller Leaves Fall on Chang’an, who was still staring awkwardly at Demon Refiner Gentle Blade on the noble deck.

Remote Resurrection had a cooldown—

[Arena] Leaves Fall on Chang’an: Who should I teleport first?

[Arena] Greatsword: Save your commander!

[Spectator] Wind Listener: …

[Spectator] Lone Wolf Howl: …

[Spectator] Plucking Feathers from a Goose: …

[Arena] Kill All Who Block Me: Commander, you can’t steal my line TAT

[Spectator] Intoxicated by Life: Shamelessness is now a mandatory skill for Legion Commanders.

[Spectator] Wind Over Sand: +1

[Spectator] Love Conquers All: +1

[Spectator] Youleme: I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I just happened to glance at that guy on the mast again… +10086

Leaves Fall on Chang’an had a good sense of priorities. The moment Greatsword’s message appeared, he immediately cast Remote Resurrection, and Greatsword was instantly teleported from the engine room to the noble deck.

At the same time, Your Uncle and 2B met at the stairwell leading out of the engine room—

[Arena] Crossplayer’s Blessing: What a coincidence! You heading up too?

[Arena] 2B Fighter Jet: Yeah! I’m heading up too!

[Arena] Milk is Mom: THEN WHY ARE YOU TWO STILL TYPING?!?!?!?!

When the commander roars, the earth trembles. Your Uncle and 2B didn’t dare waste another second typing—they immediately held hands and ran upstairs. By sheer coincidence, they bumped into the still-lost Kill Gods If They Block Me!

Seeing two against one, Kill Gods If They Block Me didn’t even think about fighting—he turned tail and ran!

Your Uncle and 2B, full of confidence, chased after him. The trio unknowingly ran up another floor, where Birdy-kun, who had just started scouting, ran into Blood Bull and Mad Lad’s ongoing battle. In a two-versus-two, Ghost Server’s double-tank combo was practically invincible in terms of HP, but Meteor Blitz had a healer—Water Phantom—so the four had been locked in a stalemate. But now, with Ghost Server gaining Birdy as reinforcement, the situation changed immediately. Big H, as a Spirit Master, was squishy. Even with a healer, he couldn’t withstand being targeted by three people at once.

[System] Commentator: Polly, who just regrouped with his teammates, charges straight at Big H without hesitation!

[System] Commentator: Blood Bull and Mad Lad simultaneously attack Water Phantom! It seems Ghost Server is trying to take out both at once!

[System] Commentator: Will they succeed? Will they? Will they?

[System] Commentator: No! They won’t! Because Leaves Fall on Chang’an, Gentle Blade, and the newly resurrected Greatsword from the noble deck have rushed down! This is team coordination at its finest! Have they sensed their comrades’ dire situation?

[System] Commentator: The situation has now become three versus five—very unfavorable for Ghost Server!

[System] Commentator: No, wait—three versus six! The cooldown is over, and Leaves Fall on Chang’an has cast Remote Resurrection again, bringing Kill All Who Block Me to the battlefield!

[System] Commentator: The three Ghost Server players’ HP has already been worn down in previous fights, while more than half of Meteor Blitz’s team is still at full health! The situation has become almost one-sided!

[Arena] Commentator: Wait! If I’m not mistaken, Kill Gods If They Block Me is also running this way! Hot on his heels are Crossplayer’s Blessing and 2B Fighter Jet!

Almost as soon as the commentator typed this, the audience’s spectator view consolidated into two scenes—one of the massive brawl on the common deck, and the other… of the mast overlooking the sea. =_=

[Arena] Commentator: The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived! Meteor Blitz has completed their assembly first!

[Arena] Commentator: Five versus seven! The real guild war has finally begun!

Yet, even in this chaotic battlefield, there was always a quiet corner—

[Arena] Milk is Mom: After muting the voice chat, the ambient sounds really stand out. The seagulls sound nice~~

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Yeah, the waves are beautifully rendered too. If you look closely, the ship’s actually moving the whole time~~

[Arena] Milk is Mom: Who told you to chime in?! Hurry up and drown to death so Your Uncle can remote res you.

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Drowning to death is so embarrassing TAT

[Arena] Milk is Mom: It’s not that bad…

The audience took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and told themselves to stay calm—

[Spectator] Heaven on Earth: Someone take a screenshot and post it on Weibo. Tag @MyCommanderIs2B.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Drink…

[Contestant] Drink Till You Drop: I know, I know. Comparison breeds awareness. I know I’m great, no need for hero worship.

[Contestant] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Your sister =_=

The audience could stay calm because they weren’t the ones having their HP whittled down blow by blow—

[Arena] Polly: Stop messing around. Gather on the second floor from the top or the third floor from the bottom.

[Arena] Milk is Mom: Huh?

[Arena] Mad Lad: The hell’s with the vague instructions?! You’re the only one missing!

[Arena] Blood Bulls Don’t Graze: Commander, the deputy commander is calling you back to heal…

Fang Zheng suddenly understood and quickly maneuvered Milk Mom to jump down from the mast—

[System] Commentator: The Ghost Server commander has finally made his move!

[System] Commentator: He fell onto the deck!

[System] Commentator: He got back up and healed himself to full!

[Spectator] Fighting Monsters and Falling in Love: Damn…

[Spectator] Lonely Little Hand: Can’t bear to watch…

[Spectator] Howl of the Night: If this guy wins, I’ll eat my mouse…

As they spoke, Polly had already broken away from the fight. No words were needed—the Ghost Server teammates understood from his actions alone. They were outmatched, so they had to retreat! Without hesitation, they turned and followed their deputy commander in a mad dash!

Meteor Blitz wasn’t about to let a seven-versus-five advantage slip away—they gave chase!

Despite it being their first time on this map, Polly seemed to know exactly where he was going. From the spectator view, it was clear he was heading straight for the stairs. Before long, he led Ghost Server up to the noble deck, just as Milk is Mom came down from the deck above. The two groups met, turning the seven-versus-five into seven-versus-six!

[System] Commentator: Ghost Server has stopped running! The real battle has finally begun!

[System] Commentator: As expected, both sides are targeting the healers first!

[System] Commentator: Over a dozen skills erupted at once—it’s impossible to see what’s happening! The only thing clear from the status bars is that everyone’s HP is dropping! The Berserker must have used an AoE attack!

[System] Commentator: If there were special terrain, tactics could still be employed, but in such a narrow cabin, it seems like it’s all about raw DPS!

[System] Commentator: Even though it’s six versus seven, it’s hard to say who’ll win!

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: You started fighting?? You guys started fighting??

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Don’t leave me behind…

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: I’ll just die now, Your Uncle, remember to teleport me!

[Arena] Polly: No! Stay right there.

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Huh?

[Arena] Polly: Trust me.

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: Got it. Eternal life TAT

The fact that 438 was still soaking in the water was something everyone in the match could see clearly from the chat. But once the melee started, this detail was unconsciously forgotten. Now that Birdy told him not to move, it was a clear reminder to Meteor Blitz.

[Arena] Kill Gods If They Block Me: They still have someone in the water!

[Arena] Big H: Damn, we can’t ignore that. If all of us die here, they win automatically!

[Arena] Leaves Fall on Chang’an: Deputy, have a little faith in us, will you?

[Arena] Big H: What do you know? This is called nipping problems in the bud!

[Arena] Greatsword: Enough chatter! Everyone, to the deck!

Regardless of whether Ghost Server Legion’s tactics were truly this shameless—though Meteor Blitz had already internally accepted this as fact—since the issue existed, it had to be dealt with. Rather than wasting time guessing, it was better to move the battlefield to the deck to keep an eye on the enemy’s movements.

[System] Commentator: The battle has taken a dramatic turn—the fight is now moving to the deck!

[System] Commentator: Excellent! All thirteen players have arrived on the deck! Meteor Blitz should now have a clear view of the Ghost Server Demon Refiner’s predicament!

[Arena] Greatsword: Why the hell did this guy even jump down? =_=

[Arena] Big H: Let’s not dwell on the reason. The point is, do we jump?

[Arena] Greatsword: Are you stupid? If we jump, it’s seven versus seven. Right now, it’s seven versus six—we’ll deal with him later!

[Arena] Big H: Then why’d we even come up here?

[Arena] Greatsword: To assess the situation! Don’t you feel more confident now?

[Arena] Big H: Why did I ever agree to let you be commander…

As it turned out, disrespecting the commander would earn the scorn of the world. The moment Big H finished typing, a dark figure suddenly leaped out of the water and smacked into him. The poor, squishy Spirit Master’s HP plummeted to zero under the unknown creature’s powerful slap!

Only then did the players at their computers get a clear look at the lively creature now bouncing atop the Spirit Master’s corpse—

A catfish… with wings?!

What the hell kind of science is this, buddy?!

The audience was Spartacus-ing, but the commentators couldn’t afford to—

[System] Commentator: We’ve just witnessed an unidentified object flying out of the water! It must be 438’s pet! But this pet is unique indeed!

[System] Commentator: We can’t classify what kind of pet it is yet, but its lethality is astounding!

If the commentators could tell this was 438’s pet, Meteor Blitz certainly could too. While Water Phantom was busy resurrecting the deputy commander, Greatsword was about to jump down and take out the Demon Refiner himself!

Cutting off the problem at the root—Greatsword was clearly going for the decisive move!

But Polly wasn’t about to let him have his way. He immediately blocked Greatsword’s path and unleashed Netherworld Ghostly Claws!

The two teams had just reached the deck and hadn’t formed proper formations yet. Right now, they were like scattered sand. Seeing that he wouldn’t be able to break past Polly anytime soon—and that the flying fish monster was now attacking healer Water Phantom—Greatsword didn’t hesitate to issue orders—

[Arena] Greatsword: Everyone, JUMP OFF THE DAMN SHIP! Get as many of us down there as possible!

He’d figured it out—one Demon Refiner was worth two combatants, maybe even more. To defeat the enemy, you had to capture their leader first! Once the Demon Refiner was dead, his pet would naturally stop wreaking havoc!

But Fang Zheng wasn’t a pushover either. Issuing orders? As if he didn’t know how—

[Arena] Milk is Mom: Everyone, hold the line! Don’t let them jump!

The commander’s passionate challenge was met with some confusion—

[Arena] Crossplayer’s Blessing: It’s not like the Titanic hit an iceberg—why jump?

[Arena] Polly: …

[Arena] 2B Fighter Jet: …

[Arena] Mad Lad: …

[Arena] Blood Bulls Don’t Graze: …

[Arena] Refined Into a Demon 438: …

Crash!

Snap—