[Inside the Happy Internet Cafe]
Click... Click... Tap... Tap...
A short, brown-haired girl sat at the computer. Her screen displayed a female Launcher getting poked by a spear from a Battle Mage. Her slender fingers rapidly tapped across the keyboard and mouse as she tried to move her character, but her remaining HP was depleted by Dragon Tooth (spear thrust), ending the match within 30 seconds.
GLORY!
A red line appeared across Chasing Haze neck as she fell to the ground, collapsing on her knees lifelessly. This was a max-level character her friend had built over 5 years, yet she was defeated by a level 21 Unspecialized.
This is the fifteenth time...
Staring at the screen, the brown-haired girl, Tang Rou, furrowed her brows. A fifteen-loss streak? The situation seemed hopeless, but it didn't stop her determination.
"One more match!"
She demanded, trying to place another 100-yuan bet, but her hands trembled as she stared at her purse. She couldn't afford another round; there was no money left.
Ye Xiu, who was prepared to finish her character off again, didn't hear the go signal. Curiously, he peeked above the monitor, only to see her stiffening.
"Finally ran out of money? Haha."
This guy... He was waiting until I emptied my purse? Did he think I'd stop because of this? No way!
Tang Rou lightly slapped the desktop with both hands, stood up, and frustratedly said, "Then wait for me to get more!"
"Hey, miss, forget about it!"
"Yeah, it's not worth the trouble..."
The people around her tried to persuade her, including her good friend, Chen Guo. Without her intervention, this stubborn girl would keep going until she drained all her money.
"Little Tang... You should stop here."
They were trying to avoid the worst-case scenario, but the worst part was that even as Ye Xiu kept winning, he didn't give her a way out of this embarrassing situation. Instead, he provoked her more.
What a selfish guy! Does he only care about money?
Chen Guo glared at him. Feeling her intense gaze, Ye Xiu finally decided to step up.
"Forget about it. This sort of recklessness isn't fun."
He said, waving his hand dismissively.
You... You're still making fun of her! Can't he at least say something nice? Chen Guo was furious. She nearly punched him on the spot.
Surprisingly, Ye Xiu picked up the money and tried to return it. "You can have this all back. Like I said before, you don't really know how to play, so I'm not planning on taking it."
"I—"
Tang Rou was about to retort, not allowing him to return the money, but someone in the crowd interrupted.
"Then, you don't mind getting money off someone who actually knows how to play the game?"
Everyone turned to look and made way for him. A new arrival: a short, brown-haired boy in a black tracksuit outlined with red. He wore a white cap that covered his face.
"This guy is quite bold! Challenging Lord Grim?"
"I guess someone doesn't know their limits!"
"Who's that? Does anyone recognize him?"
"No idea."
They exchanged murmurs, but the new guy remained unfazed, his focus solely on Ye Xiu, awaiting his response. But there was only silence. Sensing Ye Xiu's impending refusal, he decided to show his sincerity.
"What's wrong? Are you not interested?"
He pulled a first-generation card from his pocket and waved it around in front of Ye Xiu, flexing it as if to signal something. If Ye Xiu were smart enough, the intention would be clear.
"Okay... but only a single round," Ye Xiu accepted the challenge.
"That's plenty. You can create the room, and we can begin." His lips curled into a mysterious smile as he sat down one station away from Ye Xiu.
Once again, the crowd gathered around Ye Xiu and the mysterious person.
"Another round. Who do you think will win this time?"
"I'll bet my money on Lord Grim!"
"Me too!"
"Should we start a betting pool?"
Everyone turned silent; they were certain that everyone from the cafe would bet on Lord Grim, since no one knew whether this stranger was truly an expert. No one wanted to take the risk. The betting pot wasn't set up again.
The room was created, and by choice, the map was set randomly. It turned out to be an endless sea with a blue, cloudy sky. It seemed like a large map, but in fact, this map was one of the smallest in GLORY.
However, there was an uproar when the mystery man entered the room. The reason was simple: his character had no equipment, except for daggers and an assassin mask hiding the face.
Players could customize their character equipment based on their respective class, so it wasn't uncommon to see players in their default outfits. GLORY had censorship, but very few players would ever choose to play with a character lacking armor unless they had a particular fetish. Some customers were shocked and expressed their concerns.
"Hey! Why doesn't she have any clothes? Is this guy some kind of pervert?"
"It's female, so he definitely was!"
Upon hearing these protests, some knowledgeable players stepped in to explain.
"Returning players from the Heavenly Domain cannot bring higher-level items or equipment back to the normal server. If they return, the equipment will be automatically removed, and the character will have a default set."
"Was that true?"
"Yes!"
Having pointed this out, the onlookers felt a little ashamed. Most of them had started on the normal server and never visited the Heavenly Domain.
But the mystery man doesn't care; he has chosen to equip the free item set given to level 1 players. There was a big difference in equipment stats based on levels, but since this was a fixed field, every attribute was fixed.
"I'm ready now..." he said, twirling his hand as he warms up.
"Okay, I will start the game!"
There was a brief GLORY loading screen before they displayed a zoom-out drone view of Lord Grim, and No Name faced each other on a vast field of sea.
It has finally started! They thought as they swallowed dry saliva and held their breath.
Lord Grim's Thousand-Chance Umbrella expanded the size of the pole, and its canopy morphed into a gun, showing several muzzles locked by a thick round plate. The barrel chased after No Name as it fired hundreds of bullets, creating a trail of small splashes on the sea.
RA—TATATATA!
What a dangerous weapon! Its transformation is truly fast!
He muttered before controlling his character. No Name's right foot hops sideways and runs, dodging the rapid-fire bullets with ease. Such smooth and stable maneuvers were common among skilled players, clearly indicating that he had plenty of experience.
Ye Xiu noticed this and adjusted his approach, increasing his APM slightly. He continued firing while predicting the best escape position for his opponent. Figuring it out, he takes advantage of the Rapid-Fire sounds and animation to secretly activate a Sharpshooter skill: Floating Bullet!
This was a standard tactic to trap a nimble opponent from a distance, relentlessly attacking while leaving a small escape route where the trap could be set. Rapid Fire on his trail and Floating Bullet up front. The small projectile happens to catch the eyes of many audiences.
"It's a Floating Bullet!"
"When did he use it? I didn't even notice! It's about to get hit!"
How sneaky... he grumbled inwardly.
Many would have fallen for Ye Xiu's trap, but he tapped his mouse and slid it in one fluid motion. Using an Assassin's basic attack, stabbing the air at a certain angle, putting No Name into a state of animation. A simple duck and hip slash moved his character's hitbox out of range, dodging the Floating Bullet by a paper-thin margin.
"Did you guys see that?"
"Beautiful!" The onlookers praised the skill.
In such a situation, a skill Double Jump would have been forced, or another evasive move would have been necessary to avoid damage. To think that a basic attack animation was used to dodge the bullet... This required impeccable timing and precision!
That's an incredible way of dodging...
Despite this impressive play, Ye Xiu remained calm, as if he had expected it. He kept Lord Grim's relentless assault going, with No Name darting around, dodging, and leaving a trail of ripples.