Chapter 272.2: The Beginning of Strife Part 2

Bang!

A sudden strange noise came from inside the battered armor, probably the sound of an engine spinning itself to destruction. Lou Feng jumped back in alarm, swift as lightning. After watching from a distance for a long while, he actually climbed back onto it again and resumed laughing wildly. Oh, give me a fucking break!

Ji Jue’s eye twitched as veins bulged across his forehead. Nothing special, huh? Fine! Just you wait!

Once the exam was over, he was going to throw a sack over Lou Feng’s head and beat him with a club!

Nearly all the apprentices participating in the simulation had learned through these visions exactly what their creations had gone through. Some broke into delighted smiles when they saw their creations steamroll everything in their path and completely overwhelm their opponents. Others calmly took notes on the strengths and weaknesses exposed during the workshop battles. And then there were those who started sweating profusely and questioning everything they knew.

“What the fuck is this monster?!”

The heavily bearded apprentice, whose hair had been woven into braids, looked utterly grim. His exposed hands, forearms, neck, and face were covered in intricate tattoos. Using techniques from Northwind Workshop, he had spent the past several days transplanting spirit circuits onto his body through those tattoos.

In a sense, his entire body was a creation in itself. It was the central core of his workshop.

Now, as he watched the horrific fate of the dozen or so Soul-Hunting Knights he had diligently created, as well as the defender’s almost absurd level of control while it ravaged them, his expression grew darker by the second.

Admittedly, compared to Berserkers, Soul-Hunting Knights were better suited for provocation and elimination when supported by auxiliary units, but that did not mean that once they left the workshop and lost that support, they should turn into worthless scrap that anyone could trample all over!

After hearing the hoarse commentary from the vision, his face turned ashen, but he didn’t end up saying anything. A win was a win, and a loss was a loss. This wasn’t just the harshness and ruthlessness of the Ember Path. The iron rules of Northwind Workshop likewise allowed no excuses or shirking after a crushing defeat. If he wanted to reclaim that glory, there was only one way. He would have to rise from the battlefield once again and seize victory by any means necessary.

The Soul-Hunting Knights were certainly more than adequate for defending a workshop, but their destructive power was ultimately limited. It seemed he would have to accelerate work on Surtr[1]’s core structure.

Elsewhere, in another stretch of dark void, a slender figure wearing a mask sat in a chair, not moving a muscle. The eyes behind the eerie mask remained utterly calm.

“Someone from the Federation?” she murmured to herself, committing that bloodstained, metallic, beast-like mask to memory.

Victory or defeat mattered little to her. As an Imperial Trueblood, she absolutely could not allow the throne to be sullied and slighted in such a manner. She would settle this debt with her own hands!

“Besides maintaining the authority of the throne, I should prioritize constructing an interference sequence for Mortal Turmoil.”

And then there was Lou Feng. After watching his spirit matter giant get so ruthlessly countered, his expression looked just as grim, and he could barely resist the urge to swear. A host of unpleasant memories surfaced in his mind, accompanied almost by the phantom rumble of a dump truck. After hearing Ji Jue’s final assessment, his face twitched slightly, and the corners of his mouth almost curled upward. He snorted coldly and looked away.

At least he had a decent eye for things.

The various recordings soon came to an end. Although they had no way to examine records unrelated to themselves, a ranking list eventually appeared before them. The names of all eighty-four participants still remaining in the Myriad Transformations Tower simulation were displayed on it, ranked according to the scores they had accumulated during the last stage.

After finding their ranks, nearly every apprentice glanced up toward the very top of the list. There, in first place with a score of 363, was an unfamiliar name.

[1st - Tidesound Workshop: Ji Jue - 363 points

2nd - Clock Tower Workshop: Andrei Angelo Gonzalo - 311 points

3rd - Dragonheart Workshop: Lin Ke - 302 points

4th - Hundred-Eyed Giant Workshop: Nikolai Gorbunov - 293 points]

“Twenty-seventh?” Lou Feng froze, his expression turning grave.

Reactions varied wildly. Some candidates were elated, some flew into a rage, and others looked relieved or smug. But no matter how they reacted, when they raised their heads and saw another name hanging far above their own, their hearts inevitably sank.

It was just like every craftsman who had ever looked up to gaze upon the towering Ember Path, or farther still, at those distant figures standing high above in the vast heavens. Why am I the one left languishing in the shadows? Why can’t I go any farther? Why can’t I stand higher? And why can’t I drag those lofty names down with my own hands?!

Everyone’s eyes trembled as ambition and ideals, or perhaps jealousy and darker desires flickered within them.

At last, another scroll unfurled before them. It, too, contained a table, but this time, it no longer showed the participants’ rankings. Instead, it listed all manner of blessings, rare instruments and equipment, and even materials that could not be found anywhere on the island, each marked with a price.

Within the simulation of the Myriad Transformations Tower, reproducing the effects of blessings was naturally no difficult matter. In the dead silence, every participant stared at the balance equal to their score, then looked back at the list before them. This time, they found it increasingly difficult to contain themselves, especially when the final countdown appeared.

[168:00:00]

They had one hundred and sixty-eight hours, which was exactly seven days. For a craftsman working on a creation, that much time could pass in the blink of an eye. After those seven days, the battle would begin again!

The initial survival phase had eliminated most of the dead weight and mediocre contenders. What came next would be direct confrontation among the eighty-four surviving apprentices.

If an opponent breached their workshop, they would be eliminated. If they failed to defeat their opponent and break through their defenses, they would have no way to earn additional points either.

What every participant now faced was the same fundamental problem[2] all craftsmen encountered when competing against one another: how could they keep themselves as safe as possible while injuring or even destroying their enemies? Would they be stripped of every last bit of value and thrown out of the competition, or would they seize more points through victory, gain more resources, and improve their odds of winning?

There would be no room whatsoever for luck or flukes in this contest. The slightest lapse would leave them one step behind, then another and another. One mistake would lead to the next, until everything spiraled out of control.

The weak would only grow weaker, while the strong would grow stronger!

“Oho...” Ji Jue rubbed his chin, his eyes lighting up. “I see. I completely understand this game now!”

I’ll mine resources in PvE, and make my money in PvP!

If one could not protect one’s own workshop, then naturally one could not stay in the competition. And if one could not take someone else’s workshop, then one could not gain more points or resources.

With basic resources available in practically unlimited quantities while truly valuable items remained scarce and rare, the only things they could rely on were their own abilities and craftsmanship. After such brutal rounds of elimination and competition, whoever remained at the very end would be the undisputed strongest!

And since Ji Jue was currently sitting at the top of the rankings, it was to be expected that others would target him. He could already imagine that the pressure on him in the coming battles would be even greater.

Alternatively, he could ease off a little. As long as he kept himself safe, he could deliberately let someone else rise above him in the rankings and draw away some of the attention and attacks.

But why the hell should he?!

“Fine. Come on, then. All of you.” Ji Jue whistled, utterly unconcerned, and began browsing through the price list before him.

Well, since he was already here, he ought to leave them with something to remember him by. Something like... a shadow.

***

“Oho. Looks like stirring the pot worked pretty well.” Jiang Tongguang looked down at the shifting scenes within the floating displays and chuckled. “The little guys are really starting to compete now. Hey, would you say we’ve introduced the Association’s bad habits to the apprentices ahead of schedule?”

“Isn’t that simply the arrogance of someone of the Ember Path?” Gustav replied coolly. “It’s only natural he’d look down on everyone else. Any appearance of humility is just that, an appearance. Rather than letting them remain immersed in comforting illusions, it’s better to let them experience the cruelty of competition between craftsmen early on. That way, when some lucky few eventually earn their licenses, they won’t assume they have nothing left to worry about.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Jiang Tongguang remarked.

Gustav looked over at him expressionlessly, but Jiang Tongguang remained completely unfazed. If anything, his grin only grew more mischievous.

“When you get right down to it, instead of calling you cold, harsh, and heartless, wouldn’t it be more accurate to say this is just a father’s version of tough love parenting? You know, the kind where you’re afraid the kids will suffer once they’re out in the world, so you make sure they get their fill of hardship while they’re still at home. If it were someone else, no matter how warm and pleasant they might seem, I doubt they’d be this considerate. Hell, some teachers probably wouldn’t put in this much effort.”

“I’m merely fulfilling my responsibilities.” Gustav remained indifferent, though his words seemed pointed. “As a board member, I have a responsibility to the Association, don’t I?”

“Hm? Do you now? I suppose you’re right.” A certain craftsman, who had done absolutely nothing since becoming a board member because he found everything too troublesome, glanced around, pretended not to understand the implication, and burst out laughing. “Speaking of which, has our number-one guy made any moves yet?”

“He just exchanged a large amount of points for materials. They are all common types. Most of it is purified mercury at three points per ton, along with some instruments and equipment.”

Jiang Tongguang raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Mercury does have pretty good compatibility with Fluid Alchemy, but what about blessings? With more than three hundred points, he should have enough for something heavyweight, shouldn’t he?”

Gustav glanced at the record before him. “He only exchanged for two. They’re fifty points each, and both are basic.”

The situation could not have been clearer. Ji Jue’s opponents were probably going to have quite the headache next. Only two symbols of the Ruins Path appeared on the record sheet. He had exchanged for Iron Essence and Ultimate Resilience!

Back inside the workshop, surrounded by countless streams of surging mercury, Ji Jue watched two brilliant streaks of light descend from above and fall into his hands. At last, he could no longer suppress his delighted grin. “It’s so good to see you again, old friends!”

1. Surtr is a primordial fire giant in Norse mythology who guards the fiery realm of Muspelheim and brings about the destruction of the world during Ragnar?k. ☜

2. RAW here writes 矛与盾, which translates to “spear and shield.” I believe the author meant to convey the word “problem/contradiction” here. In Chinese, 矛盾, literally “spear shield,” means “contradiction” or “conflict.” It comes from the old story of a merchant claiming that his spear could pierce any shield while his shield could withstand any spear. ☜