After handing the card to Qiqi, Valerius turned toward Ruan Mei.
"Your turn."
"How many points?"
Ruan Mei really was crafty.
Even while drawing her starting creature, she was still trying to gauge how many points everyone else had spent.
"No need."
"Just give me a random starting creature."
"Alright."
Valerius handed her a card before revealing a meaningful smile.
"Okay."
"You can all summon your creatures now."
Now that everyone had finished drawing, Ruan Mei no longer needed to hide anything.
She immediately activated her card.
A bee appeared, buzzing through the air.
"…A bee."
Looking at the tiny insect, Ruan Mei began considering how she could evolve it into something powerful.
Meanwhile…
Kujou Sara summoned her creature as well.
A fully grown lion.
"…A lion?"
Ruan Mei's expression changed instantly.
She had expected creatures bought with points to be stronger…
But nobody had told her they could be this strong.
Sara had only spent four points.
If four points already got you a lion…
What on earth had the others received?
She glanced toward Tighnari.
He had also spent four points.
Surely it wasn't another large predator…
As expected.
Tighnari's starting creature was a fully grown tiger.
"Valerius…"
"Isn't this incredibly unfair?"
"I only got a bee."
"What kind of person thinks it's reasonable for a bee to fight lions and tigers?"
"You wanted to save points."
"Who else's fault would that be?"
Valerius couldn't help laughing.
Now she finally understood.
And these were only the four-point creatures.
The ones after this would surprise her even more.
"So all four-point creatures are like this?"
Sucrose looked excited.
She had spent four points too.
If they were all comparable…
Maybe she really could compete with Ruan Mei.
She immediately activated her card.
A hippopotamus appeared.
Ruan Mei: "…"
She wanted to cry.
Lions and tigers had already been outrageous enough.
Now someone had pulled out a hippopotamus.
At this point…
You might as well just declare that person the winner.
After Sucrose…
Sushang summoned her creature.
Before coming here, Jing Yuan had already told her that winning would be difficult.
So she had spent eight points.
Even if she was destined to lose…
She refused to finish last.
As her card activated…
A gigantic eagle descended from the sky.
Crackling lightning danced around its body.
"…What is that?"
"Oh."
"That's a Storm Eagle."
"It can attack with lightning."
"It's really powerful."
Ruan Mei nearly coughed up blood.
An entire herd of alpacas seemed to be stampeding through her mind.
How was she supposed to compete?
Every creature that appeared was more ridiculous than the last.
"My turn! My turn!"
Seeing how powerful everyone else's creatures were, Hook excitedly activated her card.
A gigantic leonine monster materialized.
Its body was covered in blue scales.
A pair of enormous wings spread from its back.
"…Whoa."
"Blue Rathalos!"
Valerius twitched at the corner of his eye.
Wasn't this the blue menace from Monster Hunter that had carted him back to camp countless times?
"Hehe…"
"Hehehe…"
Ruan Mei had completely given up reacting.
Who could have guessed these were the kinds of creatures available?
If she'd known…
She definitely would have spent points.
Looking at the little bee still hovering beside her…
She could only sigh at the overwhelming gap.
It's alright.
I still have my advantage.
After all…
She was one of the foremost experts in biology.
With enough time, she could understand these organisms.
Eventually…
She could catch up.
The other three players who had only spent four points weren't nearly as optimistic.
"…What even is this thing?"
Earlier, Kujou Sara had thought her lion looked majestic.
Now…
The difference was simply too enormous.
Her once-proud lion was now lying flat on its back with its belly exposed…
Completely submitting to the superior predator.
"Wow!"
"So cool!"
"Soukaku wants to try too!"
Everyone else's creatures were amazing.
There was no way hers would be bad.
Soukaku hurriedly activated her card.
She had spent six points.
Not as many as Hook or Sushang…
But certainly more than a mere lion.
As expected…
A massive black wolf emerged.
"What about this one?"
"Oh."
"It's called a Shadow Wolf."
"It's pretty good."
Ruan Mei pouted.
You're just deliberately tormenting me now.
Her eyes finally settled on Qiqi.
Qiqi had spent the full ten points.
Who knew what kind of absurd creature she would summon?
Ruan Mei even began suspecting…
Perhaps no one in this game would have any points left for rewards afterward.
"My turn?"
Thanks to the system temporarily reinforcing her memory, Qiqi spoke much more fluently now.
Without hesitation…
She summoned her creature.
Instantly…
A colossal dragon appeared.
Its outstretched wings blotted out the sky.
Furina: "....."
Nahida: "....."
Jing Yuan: "...…."
Herta: "No… I'm going to laugh myself to death."
March 7th: "What were you people in Liyue thinking?! You actually spent all ten points?"
She was fuming.
All ten points!
That was practically mutually assured destruction!
If she'd known Liyue would play this dirty…
Back during the Hero vs. Dragon game…
She should've just bought cheat codes and dragged everyone down together.
Ningguang: "Weren't the first people to spend ten points from Belobog?"
"How can you criticize us?"
Wasn't it Kafka and Silver Wolf who started all this?
Silver Wolf: "Uh…"
"I bought mine in two separate purchases…"
Keqing: "Stop trying to explain."
"It's not helping."
Guinaifen: "It's over…"
"Sushang's doomed…"
She had already begun worrying for her best friend.
Last time Sushang came back with a punishment.
Now, under the new team battle format…
She'd probably bring home another one.
Raiden Makoto: "Is this game really this unbalanced?"
Having only recently joined, Makoto couldn't understand it at all.
How could the starting creatures vary so wildly?
If she hadn't been mistaken…
Sara's lion had actually wet itself just now.
It had already lost all fighting spirit.
How was it supposed to compete later?
Raiden Ei: "Big Sister, this game has always been this unfair."
"I still managed to win last time."
With only one implication.
See?
Wasn't I amazing?
I won such an unfair game while only spending four points.
Kamisato Ayaka: "...…"
Yoimiya: "...."
Kuki Shinobu: "...….."
The Inazuma players typed…
Deleted…
Typed again…
Deleted again…
None of them dared press send.
Their Electro Archon was busy showing off.
It was probably best not to interrupt.
Yae Miko: "Are you about to say…"
"…that only spending four points was entirely because you had to carry me?"
Raiden Ei: "Miko."
"You're not allowed to belittle yourself like that."
"You were… somewhat useful."
Raiden Makoto: "Ei…"
Makoto covered her face.
Five hundred years apart…
How had her little sister turned into this?
Valerius: "Pfft…"
"Impressive."
What else could he say?
He could only give Ei a thumbs-up.
When it came to stirring up trouble…
She was becoming stronger and stronger.
Raiden Ei: "What are you laughing at?"
"You're not allowed to laugh."
She was annoyed.
Nothing irritated Ei more than Valerius laughing at her.
Wasn't she telling the truth?
She had carried the team.
Without her…
With Yae Miko's performance…
They would've been eliminated long ago.
Valerius: "What?"
"Since when do you get to decide whether I laugh?"
Raiden Ei: "You're just not allowed to."
Cocolia: "..."
Cloud Retainer: "...…"
Whoa.
Something's definitely going on.
The two self-appointed guardians felt their hearts skip a beat simultaneously.
This…
Was a formidable rival.
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