Chapter 105 - 85: Mêlée
Chapter 105: Chapter 85: Mêlée
The two followed the instruction, leaving the free-for-all spectator stands to find and register for their preferred scenes.
A few minutes later, Lin Chenxi had signed up for a primeval forest, while Yuan Xiaobo registered for the Gobi Desert scene.
Lin Chenxi’s free-for-all began first.
As soon as it started, the contestants waiting at the edge of the field were randomly teleported into a forest full of large trees.
After a moment of disorientation, Lin Chenxi quickly summoned a Vicious Poisonous Vine, then concealed her aura and hid inside it.
The vine, like a great green serpent, began to snake its way through the forest. Wherever it passed, the surrounding vegetation became even more verdant, casting a beautiful green glow under the sunlight.
On a large tree nearby, after the vine had passed, a large, glittering eye opened on a branch. Once it confirmed the vine was far away, the twigs and leaves on the tree trunk gathered together, forming a tall, slender humanoid figure. The figure dropped to the ground, its color shifting as it landed. From a distance, it looked just like a branch poking out from the shrubbery.
’What is that thing? I didn’t notice it when I was watching from the spectator stands before... This scene actually has mobs?’
’It can’t be another contestant, right?’
He looked at the grassy ground. Where the vine had passed, it was as if that section had become high-definition. Every blade of grass was clearly visible, glowing a luminous green.
His curiosity getting the better of him, he reached out and gently touched a glowing blade of grass. The green immediately spread up his hand. In just an instant, he was completely dyed green.
"Gah!"
His large eyes grew even wider, the light within them quickly fading. A soft breeze blew past, and his emerald-green body began to dissolve, turning into green motes of light that scattered on the wind.
"Haaa..."
The next moment, a tall, skinny figure appeared outside the forest scene. He was panting heavily, staring at the forest in terror, as if a great and terrible demon lurked within.
The moment he died, the surrounding woods trembled. Several figures fled as if for their lives, distancing themselves from the verdant "serpent’s path."
Lin Chenxi paid no attention to what was happening behind her. She maneuvered the vine toward the nearest sound of fighting.
The location was a clearing in the forest. However, judging from the fallen and broken trees on the ground, it had once been just an ordinary patch of woods.
There appeared to be two combatants. One of them wore leather armor and wielded a long saber, with a short dagger at his waist and a shortbow slung across his back.
He was cautiously shuffling across the ground. Periodically, an Earth Spike would erupt from below, but he nimbly dodged each one.
As he dodged the Earth Spikes, an earthen figure would occasionally rise from the ground and attack him with spiky fists. He managed to dodge most of these attacks before making short work of the earthen figures, shattering them to pieces.
Every so often, he would charge toward a spot and viciously stab his long saber into the ground.
Clearly, he believed his enemy was hidden somewhere underground.
However, it seemed he guessed wrong every time, as the underground attacks never ceased. With his injuries accumulating, it wouldn’t be long before he was eliminated from the match.
Just then, Lin Chenxi arrived, maneuvering her giant vine.
The sound of toppling saplings caught the man’s attention. He turned to look and was immediately startled by the sight of the giant vine.
In the instant he was distracted, a sharp Earth Spike shot up from the ground, piercing him through the backside and bursting out of his mouth.
Lin Chenxi, who had just arrived inside her vine, froze when she saw this. She couldn’t help but feel a phantom discomfort in her own backside.
Then, annoyed, she began using her Druid’s natural perception to search for that disgusting, hidden creep.
Everything fell quiet. No more Earth Spikes shot up in the clearing, and no more Earth Elemental Warriors appeared, making it seem as if the attacker had already left.
But Lin Chenxi thought otherwise. She directed her vine to root itself in the earth while coiling around a large tree and rising high. She then revealed her upper body at the vine’s peak, focusing her full sensory power. The vine’s current shape, like a signal tower, amplified her perception.
The next moment, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. The vine suddenly constricted, and the tree it was wrapped around was instantly crushed into splinters.
A brown figure shot out from the debris, instantly covering a large distance as it headed straight for another tree.
But now that he had revealed himself, how could Lin Chenxi possibly let him get away?
A force field materialized around him, and his movement speed dropped instantly. Then, the vine shot out from underground, immediately ensnaring him. With a final squeeze, he turned into motes of light and disappeared.
’Cunning bastard!’
Lin Chenxi thought that guy was incredibly audacious, actually planning to use the vine itself as cover for a sneak attack on her exposed torso.
From then on, Lin Chenxi decided not to show herself again. It was fine if it meant defeating fewer opponents; it would be far too embarrassing if she carelessly exposed a weakness and got eliminated.
Her figure sank back into the vine. The giant vine twisted its body and slithered toward a hidden presence that Lin Chenxi had just sensed.
And so, the entire forest was thrown into a state of pandemonium. All the hidden contestants fled far, far away from wherever the vine appeared.
After this, Lin Chenxi discovered that whenever she appeared, everyone would scatter and flee, no matter how intense their own battles were.
At first, some people tried attacking the vine. But after they saw that anyone who managed to land a hit was instantly dyed green and dropped dead on the spot, no one dared to attack it anymore.
In the end, Lin Chenxi found a large tree in the center of the forest, had her vine coil around it, and simply stayed up there enjoying the view until the competition was over.
-----------------
Not long after Lin Chenxi’s free-for-all began, Yuan Xiaobo was also teleported into the Gobi Desert scene to start his own.
He was randomly teleported onto a small hill in the Gobi Desert, the highest point in the entire area. From his vantage point, the whole desert was laid out before him.
Moreover, since there was virtually no cover in the Gobi Desert, the contestants on the plains below began pairing off and fighting the moment they arrived.
Yuan Xiaobo saw all of this and decided to stay on the sidelines, happily watching the "live broadcast" unfolding below him.
Whenever he saw an exciting duel, he would even jump up and down, waving his arms and legs, mimicking the combatants’ moves and imagining how he would have responded.
TING! TING! TING!~~
Just as Yuan Xiaobo was enjoying himself, a few crisp metallic clinks rang out.
"Huh?"
Yuan Xiaobo felt a slight itch on his scalp. He scratched the back of his head and turned around, confused.
Behind him, several people holding longbows, crossbows, firearms, and other strange ranged weapons were glaring furiously at him.
"Huh? Weren’t you guys having a pretty spectacular fight down there just a moment ago? What are you doing up here?"
The group remained silent, switching to their melee weapons and charging at him.
"How did you guys figure out I’m so strong? You’re ganging up on me before we’ve even exchanged a single blow?"
Yuan Xiaobo asked in confusion, nimbly dodging their attacks.
After Yuan Xiaobo dodged several more rounds of attacks, one of them couldn’t take it anymore and roared, "We’re down there fighting for our lives, and you’re just sitting up here watching the fun, waiting to swoop in and reap the rewards! We’re not about to let a parasite like you qualify!"
Yuan Xiaobo had a sudden epiphany, finally understanding why they were so furious.
But they had him all wrong. His position had been randomly assigned; he hadn’t moved an inch since arriving in the Gobi Desert. Besides, with his level of strength, he had no need to sneak around and steal kills.
"Sigh. Looks like I’ll have to show you a little of what I can do. Otherwise, you’ll think I’m just here to freeload."
As he spoke, the Purple Copper Black Gold Rod appeared in Yuan Xiaobo’s hand, and a suit of Black Gold Full Body Armor materialized over his body.
Seeing the gear materialize out of thin air, the group was visibly stunned for a moment. Then, they tightened their grips on their weapons, their expressions growing tense. All the previous anger and arrogance on their faces was gone.
"Heheh, scared now, are we?" Yuan Xiaobo laughed, taking in their change in demeanor.
Then, with a flash, he instantly appeared beside one of the attackers.
"Off you go!"
With a single swing of his Purple Copper Black Gold Rod, he sent the person flying off the hill, landing far below in the battle zone.
The contestants who were locked in combat below were startled by the suddenly falling body. They both leaped apart. Only after the body dissolved into motes of light and disappeared did they let their guard down, and then they all looked up at the hill.
On the hilltop, Yuan Xiaobo continued to swing his rod, and the others were likewise knocked off the hill, completely unable to fight back.
A few more thuds echoed from below as they too vanished into motes of light.
"Hey! All you people down on the plains, listen up! I’m watching the show up here! If you want to challenge me, or if you just don’t like my face, come on up! I’ll be waiting for you!"
Since he had already drawn attention, Yuan Xiaobo figured he might as well go all out and openly challenge everyone else on the field.
However, the reaction from the people below was not what he expected. Despite his challenge, not a single person seemed to have any intention of coming up to fight him.
"I’d have to be crazy to go up there!"
"Yeah, right. The hilltop is probably covered in traps by now. He’s trying to lure us up there to our deaths. Those other guys were defeated so easily, they must’ve been ambushed or something."
"Right, let’s just get back to it. Ignore him."
"Guess it’s his lucky day. We’ll just give him a free pass."
...
The contestants on the plains below went back to pairing off and fighting, resuming the battles that had been interrupted.
Yuan Xiaobo wasn’t disappointed that no one was coming up. From what he’d seen of the fights so far, none of the contestants were at the Legendary level. To be honest, he had no interest in picking a fight with them anyway. Having no one challenge him suited him just fine.
And just like that, Yuan Xiaobo passed through the chaotic battle without any surprises, danger, or excitement.
During that time, a few people did try to sneak up the hill for a surprise attack, but he dealt with them quickly. After that, no one else came.
The scene he’d witnessed from the stands—a large group ganging up on a single powerful expert—never materialized for him, much to his disappointment.
After the free-for-all ended, Lin Chenxi and Yuan Xiaobo each received a "Cosmic Arena Second Floor Ticket" and 200 arena points.