Chapter 32: The Race

"Haha! We're just in a rush, you know? We haven't cleared a single large hive yet, so I'm getting a bit anxious!"

Seeing Death Song put on his signature deadpan expression, Fish-Scale Arm immediately realized this matter wouldn't be easily resolved. She laughed it off while weighing her options, considering whether to stick to the original plan or seek an alternative.

Death Song sneered, "If you're in such a rush, pick somewhere else! There are six large insect hives in the Maple Island urban district. You can take any of the other four, but the two in the commercial district are off-limits!"

"There are actually two here? Hiss..." Fish-Scale Arm felt a slight stir in her heart. She exchanged glances with Ember and Duke Thunder before turning back to Death Song with a proposal, "We only have sixteen people; we don't have a huge appetite. Two hives are just right! Can't you make an exception?"

"You can pick others!"

"We want this one!"

Death Song’s stance was resolute, but Fish-Scale Arm’s was even firmer. If there had only been one hive in the commercial district, it might have been different, but two hives meant her sixteen-person team wouldn't have to fight over resources or risk splitting up, giving those three local snakes a chance to pick them off one by one.

Another reason for Fish-Scale Arm's stubbornness was her realization that the opposing leaders were not exactly united.

She knew Withered Vine Old Tree well. He was skilled and had a good character, but he lacked decisiveness. He had founded a guild called "Tianjingsha" filled with talented players, yet due to poor management, it never grew—it couldn't even compare to a second-rate guild like Thunder.

Relatively speaking, Fish-Scale Arm was less familiar with Water Dweller, who seemed to thrive in *Titan*. However, she had heard rumors that beneath Water Dweller's stunning, bright appearance hid ruthless tactics rarely seen by others. During the race to conquer Titan, Water Dweller had clashed with Death Song many times, so they were definitely not on the same side.

"Sixteen against eighteen—the numbers aren't too disadvantageous. There are only six or seven solo players outside, and they aren't likely to join forces with those three. Given that, as long as we find a breakthrough, competing for this commercial district is well worth it!" Fish-Scale Arm’s eyes shifted, immediately landing on Withered Vine Old Tree. Looking around, he was the only one likely to give in.

Before she could speak, Water Dweller, who was adept at reading the room, chimed in with a sweet laugh, "Big Sister Fish, you’re an elder among us. Maple Island is so big, it wouldn't be a huge problem to yield the commercial district to you, but the key is that we’ve already conducted preliminary surveys and are almost finished with our strategy. You can't just kick us out the moment you arrive, can you?"

Death Song sneered at Water Dweller's words. Had they really formulated a strategy for the commercial district? They hadn't even finished the survey work; they didn't even know how many medium and small hives were inside. But this didn't stop him from enjoying Fish-Scale Arm being cornered. A good reputation brought many benefits, but it also made one cherish their image too much. He was curious to see if Fish-Scale Arm would make a concession just to avoid the reputation of being an overbearing elder.

"This..."

Indeed, Water Dweller’s words were sharp. The current goal was to clear three large hives as quickly as possible, and they were far from the final stage of player infighting. Regardless of whether she was telling the truth, if Fish-Scale Arm continued to insist on the commercial district, the situation would shift from fair competition to forceful seizure. If they failed the assessment because of this, the backlash would be immense.

Maintaining a good reputation is hard, but ruining it is easy.

Fish-Scale Arm wanted to remain the "good guy" until the end, so someone else had to play the villain. Duke Thunder, never one to miss an opportunity for exposure, stepped forward, certain that the live-stream cameras were on him. He said decisively, "Talking about this is just a waste of time. We've set our sights on the commercial district. Do you really think just because you got here a few minutes earlier, the territory belongs to you?"

"Duke Thunder, mind your words!"

Death Song’s gaze turned icy, making Clear Skies tremble. He wanted to remind his boss to stop while he was ahead and not offend these powerful figures over a trifle.

However, Duke Thunder was thinking more clearly than that. Yielding an inch would lead to yielding a mile. He was already viewed as Fish-Scale Arm's protégé; in the face of Death Song and Nine Divinations, he had to maintain a strong stance. His guild would have to clash with top-tier players sooner or later. At this point, exchanging fake pleasantries wouldn't solve anything!

Admittedly, his tone was aggressive, but he wanted to publicly demonstrate that he did not fear the powerful.

"And what are the consequences? Since there's no room for negotiation, there's only one way to settle this."

"Let's fight, then! Do you really think I'm scared?"

Death Song’s eyes became dangerous. Sensing the situation spiraling out of control, Water Dweller rolled her eyes and suddenly said, "Fighting over such a small matter is bad for harmony. How about this? Each side sends one person, and we let skill decide! Big Sister Fish, what do you think?"

Fish-Scale Arm frowned. If Water Dweller dared to suggest this, she must be confident of victory. But their side wasn't without powerhouses; if they really fought, the outcome was uncertain.

For the sake of insurance, Fish-Scale Arm added a condition, "There are many ways to decide a winner without fighting to the death. Since we've all made it this far, why not choose a more peaceful method? Let's pick one or two small hives of the same type and compete on solo-clearing speed, how about that?"

"Big Sister Fish, you really know how to take advantage. With the top player on the Foundation’s ranking list, who can beat you?"

Ember, whose performance in the Killing Island had been far too dazzling, could not be ignored. Everyone could see why Fish-Scale Arm proposed this. PvP relied on gear and hard stats, but PvE was different; better stats could hide technical flaws, and no player present dared to claim their gear stats exceeded Ember’s.

The abnormally shifting weapon and the sun emblem on his chest were enough to make any player drool. Additionally, the small mantis resting on Ember’s shoulder caught many people's attention. A player in Death Song’s team had once obtained a mantis egg, but it ended up in Withered Vine Old Tree’s hands. That mantis had only reached the elite stage before dying, far smaller than Ember’s, yet it still possessed impressive combat capabilities.

Ember already had the stats to look down on the competition, and with a pet on top of that, it was like a tiger gaining wings. Death Song glared at Water Dweller, thinking, *Aren't you supposed to be resourceful? How did you get outplayed? Let's see how you end this!*

However, Water Dweller ignored Death Song and unexpectedly agreed to the new condition, "Since we are the juniors, taking a loss is only right. As it happens, there are two nearly-merged mantis hives nearby. Why not hold the competition there?"

Fish-Scale Arm didn't rush to agree, instead seeking Ember’s opinion first. She then led the group into the commercial district, finding the two merging small hives inside an intact medium-sized supermarket.

"How about it? Do you have confidence?"

Almost no one objected to sending Ember, as he had already proven his strength with those server-wide broadcasts. The only question was whether Ember’s speed could surpass his opponent's.

Water Dweller’s behavior was too abnormal, making Fish-Scale Arm uneasy. She feared that the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. If Ember underperformed, or if the opponents used precious items regardless of the cost, they would have to swallow their pride and give up the prime commercial district.

"Let me think..."

Based on the mantis hive mother’s stats, Ember calculated his own offensive and defensive capabilities. He felt it was fine, but he feared the opponent might have a hidden trump card. If they pulled out something bizarre like Howling West Wind had, even he would be in trouble.

"It's alright, just do your best. We don't *have* to have the commercial district."

Usually, it wasn't suitable for a newcomer to take the lead in a critical moment, as the pressure could lead to mistakes. Seeing Ember deep in thought, Fish-Scale Arm mistakenly thought his nerves were failing. She suggested, "If it's really too much, we can swap people. Blood Feather or Master-Not-Master seem like suitable candidates. Duke Thunder, what do you think?"

"Solo clearing is fine. Speed clearing is passable," Duke Thunder was self-aware; he didn't think he could beat Death Song or Withered Vine Old Tree.

Master-Not-Master had a solemn expression, "I can try, but I can't guarantee a win."

The taciturn Blood Feather said nothing, merely adjusting the five short axes on his back.

"Ah! No, it's fine. The pressure is manageable; I was just lost in thought. Leave it to me, don't worry."

Ember smiled confidently and patted the little mantis on his shoulder. Seeing this, Fish-Scale Arm had no choice but to trust him. Master-Not-Master and Lu Renjia cheered him on, and even Duke Thunder gave him an encouraging look. Blood Feather remained silent, staring with indifferent eyes at the graceful Water Dweller approaching them.

"Big Sister Fish, if you're ready, shall we begin? There isn't much game time left."

"Alright, Ember will represent us!"

"As expected of the number one on the list! A newcomer defeating Fire Swamp—truly impressive!"

Water Dweller looked Ember up and down, not hiding her curiosity. "As for us, we’ll send Guild Leader Withered Vine Old Tree. The rules are simple: no restrictions on weapons or items. Whoever triggers the server-wide broadcast first wins!"