Chun's location: Third floor of the internet café, Azure Sky Battle Team Command Center.
Captain Cyan Peak anxiously and conflictedly watched the live broadcast of Black Iron City. Honestly, it felt unreal, like just getting to know someone only for them to win the lottery right after, how could a guy downstairs suddenly reveal a Sacred Artifact.
The latest update now is that the Tata-Curry Team in the Black Iron Mine Area has made a massive move, they're not mining anymore and are going for the Sacred Artifact and S Pet!
Ordinary players start in Black Iron Bronze City, while high-level players start in Silver Gem City, so the Azure Sky Battle Team, which started in Silver City, is powerless regarding the Black Iron City incident. Initially, they could rely on the Royal Family amateur wealthy player guild, but their gate was blocked right from the start, playing a suicide strategy to increase the opponents' red names with everyone accumulating dozens of death weakness layers, struggling to even walk, so they can't be relied on.
If other teams really manage to get the Sacred Artifact and S Pet out, never mind, the first Arena Grand Prix would be hopeless. If they could secure the Sacred Artifact, based on the upstairs-downstairs connection, it wouldn't be impossible for the team to buy it.
Amidst the anxiety, someone released a new video claiming that the uncle being chased said there were more treasures in the Count's Mansion…
Desperation maxed out, huh?
Although unreliable, it sparked Cyan Peak's inspiration: "Ningning, draft a document immediately, claiming that Count Ramir Khan's mansion was secretly designed by Curry developers with huge backdoors and full of high-end equipment!"
Ningning was taken aback: "Fabricating rumors?"
Cyan Peak smiled bitterly: "This is called causing a stir, what else can we do?"
Ningning exclaimed: "But this doesn't save that uncle! People won't be fooled."
Cyan Peak thought for a moment: "You're right, the intent to save him is too obvious. Then add that the dog release incident is the key to the backdoor, the Tata-Curry Consortium is attacking the Count's Mansion, and once the dog release incident is over, there's no chance."
Ningning was startled: "This is getting more and more ridiculous, the team is heading right for the sewer, wouldn't they find this message puzzling?"
Cyan Peak laughed: "How they perceive it is their problem, but will the whole world of players believe it?"
Ningning was dumbfounded: "They probably would?"
Cyan Peak laughed helplessly: "When the whole world believes it, maybe it'll lead the disbelievers astray as well? Anyway, give it a shot, it's just a post after all..."
"Got it."
...
Divine Presence Command Center.
The sudden appearance of the hidden Fish King and the incredible 12-second kill completely shocked everyone.
Because it happened underwater with no witnesses, it had to be the power of a Sacred Artifact. But there was no Sacred Artifact before the Dog King was insta-killed, so it must've been a powerful stolen item.
In any case, the Sacred Artifact, S-level pet, and the additional powerful item drove the Young Master mad, leading to an all-out effort to corner the red name! Exhaust physical strength, hunger level, and let the contamination from the dog bite cause death in polluted water!
A team member reported: "Young Master, Tata-Curry Consortium isn't mining anymore, thousands of their miners are coming out with Mining Pickaxes!"
The Young Master fumed: "Dare to snatch my gear? Did the Warrior Corps return to the city?"
"They're still on the way outside the city!"
"Baka! Too slow!"
The Young Master had no choice but to call the Tata-Curry Team personally: "Mr. Singer, what are you planning to do?"
Singer laughed: "Our team members triggered this event, naturally, we should handle it."
Clearly, the Divine Team not only failed to take down the red name right away but instead allowed another Boss to be killed, suggesting they faced significant difficulties in the siege. At this time, the Tata-Curry Team decisively moved to either snatch the red name or force the Divine Team to offer some benefits…
The Young Master coldly stated: "The sewer walkways are too narrow for your thousands——"
Singer immediately interrupted: "No, no, no, the sewer is quite wide, but it requires thousands. I see he's mastered swimming, and when the night Boss appears, the chances of escape in the chaos aren't low—knowing that ten thousand limping chickens can't catch a swimming duck, we need collaboration. Right now, all the sewer lids in the city have been opened by stray dogs, we can cooperate to cover the area! That way, regardless of where he swims to or how much chaos the Boss causes, he'll still be trapped in our encirclement of thousands——would you refuse cooperation?"
The Young Master's heart sank, though his points made sense, being exploited by this rogue felt as repulsive as eating expired curry.
At this moment, a team member urgently pointed at the screen: "Young Master! Latest update!"
Turning his head to see, the Young Master was immediately stunned by the update! But there was no mention of such a project by the Tata-Curry Team; could it truly be the Curry employees doing this secretly…
However, he quickly realized that whether it was a rumor didn't matter; what mattered was if he believed it!
The Young Master immediately seized the opportunity to reply on the phone: "Mr. Singer, just now, an insider revealed that you're actually going to attack the Count's Mansion, and I think this is a great cooperation project! I need big red names; PKing ordinary players can't fulfill the requirements; assaulting a grand noble would be better, plus you need treasure…"
Singer paused for a bit before replying immediately: "No, no, no, fake news! There's no such project!"
The Young Master coldly laughed: "This only shows that Mr. Singer is not sincere enough to partners, at least treasures in a grand noble's mansion are undeniable; if you're not sincere, how can I cooperate with you in the sewers? You know, my thousand Warrior Corps will soon return to the city, your tens of thousands of miners are no match."
Singer coldly retorted: "Don't think you can threaten me! Unless you present a feasible beneficial plan! Otherwise, I don't mind letting your thousand warriors all go red and go to jail—they're supposed to occupy the village, you wouldn't want them to get into trouble, would you?"
The Young Master indeed was caught by this rogue; after slight contemplation: "Firstly, the Count has taken his most elite guards to a feast held by Baron Bapeng, so the mansion's weakened state is a fact! You know how strong noble guards are, right? Just like Baron Bapeng's driver! Moreover, my Sea Merchants Association fished 50 barrels of fish meat on the first day of opening, I can transport these 50 barrels and stack them against the Count's mansion walls as ladders, then pour the fish meat into the Count's mansion yard and streets, then the hungry stray dogs will definitely jump into the yard using the barrels as stepping stones to take the lead for us, followed by our tens of thousands swarming in…"
As soon as the Young Master mentioned fish meat, his heart tightened involuntarily. Originally, these fish were intended to be ground into a meat paste to sprinkle around the whale to nourish the barnacles.
Singer perked up with interest: "Very creative! But you need a big red name, while we don't. Turning red for us means heavy losses!"
The Young Master was displeased: "Then I'll transfer 1 million to your team account!"
Singer sneered: "Is Mr. Shenqian insulting our team? We're mobilizing tens of thousands of people!"
The Young Master coldly retorted: "This was your mission objective in the first place!"
Singer was furious: "I said, there was no such objective!"
The Young Master spoke gravely: "Now there is! I'll transfer another 100,000 to your personal account!"
Singer chuckled: "Pleasure doing business! Then let's surround the sewers first!"
The Young Master firmly refused: "No, the interests of the Count's Mansion are greater; attack the Count's Mansion first!"
"No way, the cost of assaulting could be total annihilation and imprisonment! I can mobilize 10,000 to blockade the sewers first."
"Too many, 1,000!"
"5,000…"
…
Inside the sewer, faced with the physical exhaustion tactics of the large team, Chun didn't dare let his pet engage and kept swimming underwater instead.
He soon discovered the magical aspect of the new skill, Diving Mastery—it increased Swimming Proficiency rapidly just by holding breath underwater!
Chun was overjoyed! Normally, practicing swimming involved speed, flow, resistance, and underwater maneuvers, which consume lots of Physical Strength. But diving didn't require stamina—perfect for his current situation of not daring to expend energy.
In short, a level 1 swimmer and someone drowning are on different levels; a diver is again on a different level from a swimmer. Now, the Consortium's siege cannot swim; even raising his swimming to level 2 would create a huge gap.
So, stall for time! His wounds were immune to infections, but theirs were not.
——System Prompt: Nightfall has arrived; nocturnal monsters in the sewer will appear. Please prepare to respond.
Has it finally officially turned dark!
At this moment, the miners' lights tracking him on the water surface suddenly dimmed, followed by a panic of players jumping into the water—System Prompt: You've discovered a large swarm of bats.
Chun was suddenly delighted. As expected of one of the three big bosses of the sewer, the bats sprang into action at nightfall! How far could the Boss be? Flying creatures pose no threat as long as they cause chaos for the large team.
Suddenly, Chun's vision shifted violently, as a dim, rapidly moving dark red light mass seemed to appear in the distance.
——System Prompt: You have triggered the sewer poison lure incident, summoning the hidden sewer Boss "Vampire Bat King"!
——Black Iron Pioneer City Announcement: Player "Chun" has triggered the city's hidden Boss "Vampire Bat King"! Compete to slay the Vampire Bat King for generous rewards.
Holy shit, on airwaves again!
A flying Boss like this wasn't one he'd hope to engage with, but Chun immediately sensed something amiss: "Aileen, why can I see that bat king's light cluster through walls from underwater and over such a distance? Is this your ability?"
Aileen's voice trembled: "Do you want to know?"
Chun realized with a start: "No, I don't want to!"
Are you kidding! If I say I want to, won't you immediately hit me with a "Contractual Equality" and give me a task?
Aileen's voice turned vindictive again: "No, you want to!"
Chun was anxious: "I'm not in the mood to want!"
Aileen was furious: "I hate useless people the most!"
Damn! Since the contract is signed, she probably can't do anything as long as I don't breach it, right?
Chun wouldn't indulge her: "Even with your drugs and Magic, you still haven't broken through? And you're calling me useless?"
Aileen wailed angrily: "You b*tch, you peeked at my diary~~~~~~"
Alas, she was such a gentle and determined woman in her diary; can't bear to look after she turned into an Evil Spirit!
Chun quietly took off his headset, then thought of the fabled high-end brain-machine interfaces—if faced with something like that, one might really go insane, right? There's a perk to low-end too.
As the Bat King's light cluster flew over the water above him, Chun suddenly recalled something—aren't bats' lairs usually in caves or the like? Given he could see through the walls to spot the bat, following the Bat King could lead him to its lair, maybe even an escape from the sewer. Even if he died, the equipment would blow up in its lair, denying other players access!
It's decided, follow it!