Chapter 1705: Passionate Match
There were still five minutes until the next round began. Xu Huo hadn't even had time to look at the player profiles when a knock came at his door. The surveillance monitor showed the situation outside. Glancing at the person carrying a fruit tray, he called the staff.
The disguised golden-eyed player waited a few seconds, and when Xu Huo didn't come to open the door, they knew it was a no-go. They didn't linger and left before the staff and robots arrived.
Watching them disappear down the corridor, Xu Huo opened the door and let the staff in. He briefly explained what had happened, then asked about the broadcast of the sub-arena, inquiring whether the holographic projection could show the live audience.
"Rarely, it can," the staff member replied. "To ensure the experience of the live audience, the protective barriers we set up don't completely block the instrument's field of view."
Xu Huo nodded slightly and added a ticket for a live seat in the second ring, requesting that the staff escort him there safely.
"I will guarantee the safety of every guest entering the building. Please don't worry about that," the staff member said. "If you're still uneasy, I can arrange for two players to escort you there."
"Additionally, we will also communicate with that guest who went to the wrong door."
Xu Huo had no objections.
The live seats in the second ring were actual seats, just spaced apart. The seating surrounded the central arena, with a transparent glass barrier separating the two. Next to each seat stood a robot, along with necessary protective instruments, giving a strong sense of security.
Xu Huo found his seat and sat down.
The match hadn't started yet, but the area around the arena was already lively. Besides the live audience, the voices of viewers watching from other rooms could be transmitted in real-time, making it quite noisy.
Xu Huo took the opportunity to look at the profiles of the two players.
First was the player with the nickname "Spin 3600 in Place," ranked 6109th on the D03 wormhole point leaderboard. Their occupation was Meteorologist, and their primary traits were "Reading Clouds to Know the Weather" and "In the Clouds and Fog."
There was no further explanation of the traits; they were only written in to enrich the profile. Their exact effects would only be known when used.
Opposing 6109 was the player ranked 4250th on the same wormhole point leaderboard, with the nickname "Grave Digging Tonight." Their occupation was Professional Mourner, with primary traits of "Mourning" and "Seeing You Off on Your Final Journey." This was a male player.
Since the leaderboard ranking wasn't based on a player's raw strength, matches spanning one or two thousand ranks like this weren't uncommon.
After looking at the players, Xu Huo turned to the referee. As luck would have it, the referee for this match was the hat-wearing player who had been on the same train. He had already changed into a professional black referee uniform and was standing on the stage, starting his self-introduction and warm-up.
"Welcome, everyone, to today's match venue. I am the referee, Kuang Sen." The referee also served a commentary role, so the introduction of the players before the match was done by him. The identity commentary didn't differ much from the pre-released player profiles, but the referee would mention whether the players had similar records in the Green Gem Building or other districts. 6109 was a newcomer, participating in a match at the Green Gem Building for the first time. 4250, however, had already fought three times this year, once even entering the main arena, making them very experienced.
Following that, Kuang Sen's traits divided the stage into two halves. At his whistle signal, the match officially began.
Commentary during the match was handled by professionals. When 4250 made the first move, the commentator described their heroic stance in an extremely exaggerated tone, while simultaneously questioning whether 6109 could withstand the blow.
4250 was very fast. Wearing a tight-fitting suit, their perfect muscle lines were accentuated through the fabric, exuding a sense of power. Presumably believing they had an advantage in speed, they chose close-quarters combat.
6109 used an item to deflect their frontal attack and immediately activated the trait "In the Clouds and Fog." In an instant, the stage looked like it was filled with dry ice, with white mist billowing continuously, nearly swallowing both figures. Only occasionally could their shadows be seen darting through it.
Although the viewing equipment came with motion-capture glasses, it wasn't a satisfying experience, so the audience erupted in boos.
"Bang!" As 6109 flew out of the white mist and slammed hard into the protective barrier, 4250's wild laughter rang out. "You think such a petty trick can fool my eyes?"
The next second, they kicked off and flew into the protective barrier, but 6109 had already dodged.
The chase wasn't over yet. 6109 wasn't one to sit idly by. After evading 4250's kick, they quickly turned around and pointed a finger at the spot behind them. A bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere, striking straight down at 4250's head!
4250 dodged quickly while using a defensive item to protect themselves, but they didn't expect the lightning to split mid-path, instantly covering half the stage and successfully hitting them.
The lightning pierced through 4250's defensive barrier. In that instant, their hair stood on end, and their expression became dazed.
While 4250 stood frozen, 6109 quickly closed in for the finishing blow. Two close-range and two long-range killing items flanked from both sides. But at that moment, 4250's eyes shifted, and a defensive item that appeared at their side precisely blocked the four killing items. Meanwhile, they faced the approaching 6109 and let out a mournful cry...
An ordinary person's cry might be sharp or loud, but 4250 only made a crying expression before a piercing and unbearably harsh wail surged from their throat. It sounded like something no human could produce, grating on the eardrums while instinctively instilling fear.
6109's spirit shook, and the next moment, they were jolted awake by the flash of 4250's blade. They reflexively blocked, only to be kicked by 4250, rolling over ten meters away.
Immediately after, 4250 used an item to disperse the white mist on the stage, and the two faced each other again.
What followed was half a minute of close-quarters combat. Defensive and offensive items were used in rapid succession. As they quickly changed positions, their figures seemed to shatter into a coarse net covering the entire stage.
Such flesh-to-flesh combat was exhilarating, drawing continuous cheers from both inside and outside the arena. The commentator's tongue was practically spinning gold. But soon, the situation changed. During one close encounter, 4250 suddenly seemed to slip, falling backward. 6109, preparing to seize the opportunity for a killing blow, hadn't even stepped forward when their legs stiffened, causing them to fall rigidly onto the stage!
This was likely a clash of their traits. After the fall, both players scrambled to their feet as quickly as possible and distanced themselves.
Both were injured. The high-speed combat, draining both stamina and mental energy, left them breathing heavily. After staring intently at each other for a few seconds, 6109 made the first move. They covered their hands together and then pulled them apart, and a current of air swirled out from beneath their palms. This current rotated at an ultra-high speed, turning into a tornado that reached the ceiling of the arena in an extremely short time!
(Chapter End) Source:/txt/35960/32862763