Chapter Thirty-Three: Advantage or Disadvantage?

“Unlimited weapons would be understandable, but deliberately specifying no restriction on tools? There’s definitely something fishy!”

Ember realized the situation was far from simple. If he let his guard down, he would surely fall into a trap. Though the Waterborne Woman appeared gentle and enchanting, when she mentioned the Fire Crest, Ember sensed a faint, almost imperceptible hostility. An organization as grand as the Nine Trigrams Guild would never ignore the elimination of core members. Their lighthearted laughter was nothing more than a smile hiding a dagger.

Soon, Ember and Old Withered Vine stood before the insect nest. The latter was affable, showing no airs of a veteran player, and revealed an unusual weapon to Ember, silently warning him not to underestimate the challenge.

As a member of the university research group based on the “Three Laws of Arcane Arts,” Old Withered Vine was an atypical user of arcane techniques. His attire resembled that of a traditional mage or sorcerer—robe-clad, staff in hand. Due to failing the Life Forbidden Zone assessment, he had not earned the Sun Emblem, so the only adornment he wore was a sapphire ring on his finger, glinting with an otherworldly cold light.

What caught Ember’s attention most was Old Withered Vine’s unusual weapon: a mere thirty centimeters long wooden staff, lacking elaborate carvings but adorned with two vibrant, crystal-like leaves, as though freshly plucked from a tree, the natural grain of the wood still visible.

Intriguing.

While Ember studied Old Withered Vine, the latter scrutinized his opponent with equal intensity. The strange, semi-organic biochemical arm and the praying mantis pet made Old Withered Vine steadily raise his evaluation of Ember’s combat power. Seeing the Sun Emblem on Ember’s arm stirred something deep within him. Had he known about this crucial factor earlier, he might not have suffered such a crushing defeat.

“The ordinary Sun Emblem only grants thirty extra health points—a modest boost at best—but a Sun Emblem approaching Nightmare difficulty should be significantly more potent. Considering the three enhancements of the Flame Emblem, one can speculate the full effects of Ember’s Sun Emblem: increased health and sanity to reduce sudden death risk, a solar golden body that enhances survivability, and an invincible state that balances offense and defense. Truly a treasure!”

Despite Old Withered Vine’s admiration, he believed that the magic ring, painstakingly crafted at a cost of over ten thousand credit points, matched the Sun Emblem’s power. He gently stroked the icy blue face of the ring and quietly placed his hand near his waist, focusing as the Waterborne Woman prepared to announce the start of the race.

...

“Do you think this guy can really make it? He looks all formal and proper, but when it counts, he’s always a weakling. I’ve seen plenty like him over the years.”

Watching Ember at the edge of his vision, Clear Sky whispered to Duke Thunderbolt, never hesitating to judge an enemy with the harshest words.

“Silence!”

The Duke’s cold glare silenced him instantly. Noticing the fish-scale arm nearby showed no unusual expression, the Duke warned Clear Sky, “Regardless, we’re currently on the same side as Ember. His victory or defeat will determine whether the Thunderbolt Guild gains more benefits. I don’t want to hear any more idle gossip.”

“What benefits could there be?” Clear Sky retorted, displeased.

“You idiot! Don’t you realize what it means that this supermarket is located near the entrance to the commercial district?”

“What?” Clear Sky looked genuinely confused.

The Duke closed his eyes in exasperation, pausing briefly before snapping, “It means this territory is still undeveloped! If I had taken control of Maple Island City earlier, guess what I would have done first?”

“What?”

Clear Sky’s response made the Duke laugh bitterly. He opened his eyes to study Clear Sky’s panicked face and realized that the man might not be as foolish as he seemed—just unskilled, and his blunt remarks had unsettled him. Now, stoked by the Duke’s anger, any coherent thought Clear Sky might have had scattered into the ether.

Sighing, the Duke patiently explained, “The difficulty of clearing a small insect nest is far lower than that of a medium one. Anyone with some skill can solo clear it. Given the density of insect nests in Maple Island City, how many people easily gain kill points, control tools, and Flame Emblems while we run around searching for nests? And how many medium and small insect nests remain outside the commercial district for us to gather resources and grow stronger?”

Turning to the smiling Waterborne Woman and the expressionless Death Song, he snorted, “Those are all shrewd figures who would have grabbed any easy insect nest resources early on. If only two large insect nests remained in the commercial district, they wouldn’t have mobilized so heavily. So, I conclude the commercial district’s value is too critical for any side to act rashly. Anyone who tries to seize it will face the firepower of the other two factions.”

“If you don’t believe me, recall whether there are still many signs of fierce battles near the entrance to the commercial district. We were lucky to pick this spot by chance; otherwise, the easiest insect nest resources in Maple Island City would have been monopolized by them!” The Duke looked at Clear Sky, who suddenly understood.

“I get it, I get it!”

Seeing Clear Sky nod eagerly, the Duke stopped pressing. As long as they weren’t at their wit’s end, he would strive to maintain the status quo rather than drastically change the guild’s makeup. Yet from now on, he would pay closer attention to matters involving Clear Sky and Thunderbolt’s might, since the opening server bonuses were crucial to the guild’s advancement.

Meanwhile, as the two parties agreed on the race rules, viewers of the livestream grew restless, excited for the clash between a veteran player and a dominant newcomer.

Though the newcomer dazzled in this broadcast, many still favored Old Withered Vine, reasoning that a high-attack mage’s traditional strength was monster-clearing speed. Despite not showing area attacks before, his massive single-target damage far outmatched most players. Few believed Ember could claim the damage advantage.

Old Withered Vine had killed the most players so far, even though many points were shared among teammates clearing the Shadow Eater insect nest. He had early secured the ten points needed to retain pre-release rewards.

His only weakness was defense—facing attacks from the mantis queen or mantis elite posed some life-threatening risk. However, that weakness vanished as the Waterborne Woman’s actions aired live. She not only solved Old Withered Vine’s survival problems but also compensated for his lack of area skills to some extent.

In the pre-release player discussion groups, some mischief-makers had already started a betting thread, with seventy percent backing Old Withered Vine.

“I’m betting on Old Withered Vine!”

“Count me in!”

“Feels unfair. Old Withered Vine’s single-target damage is terrifying enough, and now the Waterborne Woman’s sneaky tactics make Ember no match!”

“What sneaky? Using one’s own strengths and team tactics for victory? That’s fair play. It’s just that Ember’s team lacks strong support players. Thinking ranking first on the leaderboard guarantees safety was naive.”

“Exactly! When we’re struggling for rare abnormal equipment, they’ve got even rarer tools. It’s like comparing apples to rocks! The Waterborne Woman alone greatly boosts the team’s strength. Otherwise, with the quality of their players, they couldn’t hold a three-way stalemate.”

Now the Waterborne Woman, who had seemingly replaced the competing players as the center of attention, stood between Ember and Old Withered Vine, mildly smiling as she asked softly, “Are you both ready?”

When they nodded, she slowly raised her hand, captivating the attention of all viewers.

Miao Miao, who had consumed countless snacks, stared at the screen without blinking, clenching her fists to cheer for Ember: “That woman’s wicked, but you mustn’t lose badly! Of course, as your teacher, I’m happy to stand up for my student—I’ve tangled with the Nine Trigrams Guild plenty before.”

Many players standing near the insect nest were even more tense than the two competitors. Even seasoned veterans like Fish-Scale Arm and Death Song struggled to steady their breathing. This contest not only decided who would claim the last prime territory in Maple Island City but also affected their pride. Having battled for nearly twenty years, neither wanted to taste defeat.

It was about to begin!

As the Waterborne Woman’s arm reached its highest point, Ember took a deep breath, ready to strike. Meanwhile, Old Withered Vine secretly withdrew an item from his left palm. When the Waterborne Woman declared “Begin,” he tossed it toward the side entrance of the supermarket. There, the swarm of mantis Shadow Eater insects exploded, stirring a cloud of gray mist.

Any mantis Shadow Eater touched by the mist immediately staggered into a dazed state, losing balance and falling helplessly...