A Lopsided Battle

Throughout the stands, deafening cheers and shouts from the players echoed across the arena. "Charge, Brother Kuangchao!" "For the Omnissiah!" The name "Gangtie Kuangchao" dominated the stadium, while those cheering for Luanshi Fusheng were few and far between—just a small squad of friends and acquaintances. Up in the audience, Jiancai Wangge had tears in his eyes as he murmured, "Hang in there, Fusheng. You're the last hope of us free-to-play commoners." "Do your best, King of Grind!" "Go, Brother Fusheng!" The underlings behind Jiancai Wangge cheered softly as well. "Will both combatants please take their positions?" A melodious female commentator's voice drifted down from above the arena. She was also a fairly popular player, renowned throughout the community for her soothing voice and attractive looks. Her handle was "Hong Feng." "As you can see, everyone's enthusiasm is running exceptionally high today." "And that's hardly surprising. On the Red side, we have the guildmaster of the Machine Cult and a household name among professional players—Gangtie Kuangchao! As the very first player to take up the artificer class, Gangtie Kuangchao boasts immense strength. The Guardian Armor he forged is a masterwork of craftsmanship, representing a flawless fusion of technology and magic. It features a force field shield, an elemental lightning cannon..." "Gangtie Kuangchao!" "The flesh is weak! The machine ascends!" A fresh wave of cheers erupted from the spectators. "Haha, it looks like Gangtie Kuangchao is enjoying tremendous popularity today." "And our Blue side combatant, Luanshi Fusheng..." Hong Feng hesitated for a moment. She glanced down at the profile sheet, which was nearly blank with only a few sparse lines of text. After taking a second to compose her words, she continued, "He is also a player who has reached Level 8!" "Bear in mind that Luanshi Fusheng only joined the game during the Northlands War, yet he has already hit the current level cap. That shows incredible perseverance, and his strength is certainly not to be underestimated." "Hong Feng is so sweet." "Man, that guy has it rough. Running into an opponent of this caliber right out of the gate..." This time, the audience fell noticeably quieter. Hearing the commentator's remarks, the corner of Luanshi Fusheng's mouth twitched. Things had come to this; he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the stage. With heavy footsteps, Luanshi Fusheng walked onto the arena floor. Accompanied by the shuddering of the ground and thunderous thuds, Gangtie Kuangchao also strode forward inside his towering Arcane Armor. Two silhouettes stood before each other, one massive, one small. A six-meter-tall mechanized suit standing beside an ordinary human player made for a brutally stark contrast. The shadow cast by the armor completely enveloped Luanshi Fusheng. This was plainly not a fair match. Luanshi Fusheng craned his neck as hard as he could, fixing his gaze on the pro legend sitting in the cockpit—Gangtie Kuangchao. The hand gripping his sword trembled ever so slightly. *Stay calm.* *I can't let myself be afraid.* *Even pro players aren't invincible.* *Even this giant hunk of iron in front of me can't be flawless. It has to have a weak spot.* *You are Luanshi Fusheng, the man who's going to turn pro and claim the title of Dragonflame Champion! How could you fall in a measly preliminary round?!* With that thought, the look in Luanshi Fusheng's eyes hardened with resolve as various tactics and combat schemes formed in his mind. *An enemy of that size is bound to have poor mobility.* *As long as I use Misty Step to close the distance, he won't be able to react in time.* *Then, with a slide beneath his guard to get behind him, a flurry of heavy strikes from my longsword will finish off the pilot and end this match on the spot.* *Kicking off my pro career by taking down the famous guildmaster of the Machine Cult!* *Instant fame! Ascending straight to godhood!* *That's the plan!* The hand Luanshi Fusheng used to grip his longsword shook even harder, though this time from a surge of nervous excitement. Meanwhile, peering down at his opponent through the reinforced glass of the cockpit, Gangtie Kuangchao scratched his head in bewilderment. "Wait, why is this guy looking at me like that? It's giving me the creeps." "Whatever. Better wrap up this preliminary quickly. I still have a pile of guild projects waiting for my coordination. The Genetors and Forgemasters are bickering over research funding again... What a headache." "Besides—" "How can you possibly lose when you've got a Gundam parked right in their face?" The audience's fervor remained unabated, an endless chorus of cheers and shouts ringing out. The commentator's voice drifted clearly over the arena. "Combatants, prepare yourselves." "Three, two..." "One." "Match begin!" Before the referee's voice even faded, Luanshi Fusheng took several swift steps backward, putting himself at a relatively safe distance. He watched his opponent from afar, his expression resolute and his mind working at full throttle. *I have to find an opening and go for a one-hit kill!* *I only get one chance!* "As we can see, Luanshi Fusheng is being extremely cautious, choosing to open up the distance first." "According to the official data, his subclass is Champion, which typically relies on heavy melee strikes as its primary damage output. He must have a unique strategy in mind." "Oh? Gangtie Kuangchao has opted to open directly with his elemental lightning cannon! For an artificer, this might very well be the ideal firing range!" Inside the cockpit, Gangtie Kuangchao shoved the control lever forward and grumbled under his breath, "Let's speedrun this. I heard the guys back home are about to start a brawl between the armors and the chimera beasts..." The muzzle mounted on the Guardian Armor's left arm flared with blinding lightning, arcs of electricity dancing across the surface of the entire hull. *Boom!* A pillar of lightning thick as a bowl erupted from the barrel, blasting straight toward Luanshi Fusheng in the distance. *He can't move while firing!* *Now's my chance!* A sharp glint flashed through Luanshi Fusheng's eyes. He gripped his sword tight, and the silver bracelet around his wrist flared with light. Misty Step! *Boom!* The blue-white lightning bolt slammed into the spot where Luanshi Fusheng had been standing, blasting a massive crater into the arena floor. But the space was already vacant, leaving behind only a faint wisp of silver-white mist. Luanshi Fusheng reappeared out of thin air directly behind the armor, sword at the ready. "Whoa!" A collective gasp rose from the crowd. Even the commentator sounded surprised. "What an unexpected move!" "Luanshi Fusheng used Misty Step to blink right into Gangtie Kuangchao's blind spot! Could a miracle truly be in the making?" Gripping the Sword of Frost with both hands, Luanshi Fusheng charged forward, dropping into an actual slide! *Yes, just like this!* *Empowered Heavy Strike, right into the armor!* In the blink of an eye, Luanshi Fusheng leapt high into the air, slashing down toward the back of the Arcane Armor—right where Gangtie Kuangchao's cockpit was located. The audience erupted into an uproar, holding their breath. Was an upset truly about to happen? *Clang!*— A crisp metallic ring cut through the air. Luanshi Fusheng was sent hurtling backward through the air, the powerful recoil wrenching the longsword straight out of his grasp to bury itself point-first in the ground. A shimmering, solid force field shield had materialized across the back of the Arcane Armor as well! Encased within, the machine was entirely unscathed. "How is that possible?!" Luanshi Fusheng sprawled on the ground, his face frozen in stunned disbelief. The commentator was equally astonished, her words spilling out faster. "Luanshi Fusheng's ambush from behind has failed!" "Who could have expected Gangtie Kuangchao to have a force field shield protecting his rear as well?! Maintaining a permanent force field spell like that is exorbitantly expensive—just a tiny plate costs hundreds of gold coins..." Gangtie Kuangchao chuckled. He manipulated the controls, turning the armor around unhurriedly. "After someone ambushed me and looted my gear last time, I learned my lesson. Full-body shielding is the only way to go!" "I call this the Turtle Shell Tactic!" Watching Gangtie Kuangchao laugh boastfully, Luanshi Fusheng cursed inwardly: *You're literally just throwing money around! That's pure pay-to-win!* Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, he raised a hand and pointed at Gangtie Kuangchao. "Referee! He's cheating!" "Sorry about this..." Gangtie Kuangchao brought the armor's fist—larger than an iron cauldron—high into the air. The thrusters behind the elbow roared with plumes of flame, gathering terrifying force. *Boom!* A single downward punch made the ground shudder violently, kicking up a storm of dust. When the haze cleared, a huge crater was left in the earth. Luanshi Fusheng had been pulverized into a mangled pulp, very clearly dead. *That was just a fluke!* That was the final thought flashing through his mind before his screen faded to black. "Financial power is part of overall strength!" "And that is how we artificers fight!" A hearty grin spread across Gangtie Kuangchao's face as the massive arcane mech raised its fist high, plumes of steam hissing from its back. The match had ended far too quickly for the commentator to sustain her excitement. "An indisputable, crushing victory!" "Let us congratulate our winner, Gangtie Kuangchao, for securing the victory in this match!" "Ooooh!" "Brother Kuangchao is invincible!" "The flesh is weak! The machine ascends!" "Wait, bro, it's over already? One-shot in a single punch?!" ... Inside his game pod, waiting to respawn, Luanshi Fusheng scrolled through the forums to see if anyone was talking about him. Before long, he stumbled upon a video, and his expression soured: *Artificers Are the Future! Gangtie Kuangchao One-Shots a Level 8 Fighter with a Single Punch!* And he, Luanshi Fusheng, was nothing more than the pathetic background prop. *Holy crap, look at that damage.* *Brother Kuangchao really is a beast.* *What does this have to do with artificers? It's pure gear diff! Give me that kind of money, and I could fight even flashier than him!* *The guy on the other side didn't seem weak either. He just had bad luck running into a top boss like Gangtie Kuangchao.* *Wait, isn't that the King of Grind?* *Yeah, it is. Just the sheer dedication to grind all the way to Level 8 is something I could never pull off.* Reading down to that comment, Luanshi Fusheng's mood softened slightly. "Exactly! It was just bad luck. Losing to a player like Gangtie Kuangchao is an honorable defeat." "What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger! Every hardship and setback will only forge me into a tougher man!" He clenched his fists, determination blazing in his eyes once more. "So... my apologies to my future opponents! From here on out, I won't lose a single match!" Contestants were entitled to a free "quick respawn" service, though the experience lost from the death penalty could not be refunded. Fortunately, Luanshi Fusheng had accumulated plenty of surplus experience, allowing him to stay at Level 8 without de-leveling. With the server shutdown drawing near, the match schedule was packed tight. Luanshi Fusheng's next bout was slated to begin shortly. This time, he emptied his life savings at the Imperial Ordnance Institute to purchase a set of superior-grade armor. Victory was his only option! ... An hour and a half later, in Division 1. "Contestant 22054, Luanshi Fusheng!" Under the gaze of thousands, a newly respawned Luanshi Fusheng stepped onto the arena once more, his eyes brimming with the confidence of a winner. He even gave a jaunty wave toward the stands, sparking a flurry of chatter among the crowd. "Isn't that the guy who got one-punched by Gangtie Kuangchao just now?" "What? He's that one-punch fighter?" "Man, that guy has the worst luck. Wonder who his opponent is this time." Hearing the murmurs, Luanshi Fusheng tightened his fists and ground his teeth in secret, plastering a forced, nonchalant smile on his face. His earlier defeat was merely a fluke. In this match, he would showcase real power that would leave everyone awestruck! *This* was the true beginning of his professional career! "Contestant 00023, Dawei Tianlong!" The referee's voice boomed again, and the smile on Luanshi Fusheng's face instantly froze. He looked up. Emerging from the corridor opposite him was a bald monk nearly three meters tall, rippling with corded muscles. The monk broke into a grin that revealed a row of neat, gleaming white teeth, waving an arm thicker than a normal man's torso toward the crowd. His physique resembled a sculpted statue, and his bald head reflected the sunlight with blinding brilliance. "Dawei Tianlong! The god of monks!" "Is that the guildmaster of the Shaolin Temple? The head of the Eighteen Arhats?" "That's him!" "Word is he drank a highly concentrated Dragon Blood Potion without sprouting scales, gaining muscle power on par with a humanoid dragon instead!" "Terrifying!" "Man, that poor guy is cursed. How does he end up against these monsters every single time?" The commentator went through their introductions, the referee called the signal, and the match began. "As we can see, Dawei Tianlong boasts truly terrifying speed and power, reaching near-superhuman levels..." Step of the Wind! The bald monk pushed off the ground with explosive force, gouging two small craters into the stone. Amidst billows of dust, he vaulted over ten meters into the air, crossing the entire arena in a single leap. His polished bald head shone brilliantly under the sun. "Holy crap..." Luanshi Fusheng stared upward in disbelief, instinctively raising an arm to shield his eyes from the blinding glare. *Boom!* Slow Fall! Rock shards scattered everywhere! Dawei Tianlong crashed down right beside Luanshi Fusheng, completely unscathed, taking zero fall damage. *Bare fists against a weapon, unarmored against armored—the advantage is mine!* *Now! Empowered Heavy Strike!* Luanshi Fusheng swung his sword fiercely, carving a beautiful arc through the air straight toward the monk's sculpted torso. "Prajna Buddhas, prajna padme hum!" Stunning Strike! The bald monk threw a punch, a fist the size of a clay pot surging with a tempest of ki as it crashed into Luanshi Fusheng. *Boom!* A tremendous shockwave smashed into his chest, leaving a deep fist imprint stamped into the metal. The breastplate shattered into fragments, and Luanshi Fusheng was blasted backward more than ten meters, crumpling to the floor on the verge of death. *Clatter!* Shattered right along with the armor was the dream of becoming champion that Luanshi Fusheng held so dear. Dawei Tianlong burst into hearty laughter, flashing his equally blinding teeth. "Young man, a monk's fist is the ultimate weapon!" "Another overwhelming victory! Let us congratulate Dawei Tianlong for winning this match!" "At the same time, we should all learn from Luanshi Fusheng's... uh, unyielding perseverance! That spirit of never giving up in the face of setbacks is something we can all admire." "I swear to f—" *Bang!* Before Luanshi Fusheng could finish his sentence, his screen went black again. The ki inside his body had detonated! Dawei Tianlong sheepishly scratched his bald head and chuckled awkwardly. "Hahaha, my strength shot up too fast lately. Still haven't quite gotten the hang of controlling my ki..." ... *Monks Are the Strongest Class! Dawei Tianlong One-Shots an Armored Level 8 Fighter!* *A muscle freak like Dawei Tianlong has nothing to do with ordinary players like us, okay?* *Yeah, the closed-beta veterans have way too many monsters like that.* *Wait, why is the background prop that guy called Fusheng Ruomeng again?* *What kind of matchmaking luck is that? Is he trying to compete with Charlotte for the title of unluckiest player alive?* "It's Luanshi Fusheng!" Lying limp inside his game pod, Luanshi Fusheng shouted out in sheer grief and fury. This loss hadn't been his fault! The enemy had simply been too overpowered, the venue unfamiliar, and his gear inadequate. How could a regular person be expected to deal with a freak of nature like Dawei Tianlong? Getting completely trounced was only natural. Plenty of players on the forums expressed their deep sympathy for him. "There's still... one last chance." A final spark of determination lingered in Luanshi Fusheng's eyes. He couldn't give up yet! Even if he couldn't advance, he had to leave behind one glorious victory! He had to carve a good name for himself in this arena! This was his final shot at a comeback, his absolute last stand! People were already starting to take notice of him. If he could just pull off a spectacular win, joining a top powerhouse guild wasn't out of the question! Inside the pod, Luanshi Fusheng clenched his fists tight. "This time, no matter who I face, I won't drop my guard for a second." ... Another hour and a half later, back in Division 1. "Contestant 00325, Wo Qu Chi Mantou!" Before the referee had finished speaking, the audience erupted into another heated flurry of chatter. "It's Mantou the Old Bastard!" "That old pigeon hasn't uploaded a video in two months! Spends all his time hunting players in-game instead!" "Someone beat him up and send him packing! I want to watch his next video!" "Relax, I have complete faith in Mantou. With how trash he is, he'll knock himself out of the tournament, no need for us to worry." "Hahahahaha! Guaranteed trip home, poor old Mantou!" Waiting in the tunnel, Luanshi Fusheng's eyes lit up, a look of delight spreading across his face. Judging by the crowd's banter, his opponent today was terrible? *Finally, an easy target!* Luanshi Fusheng spent every waking hour grinding quests and had never watched Mantou's content, but he knew of the variety streamer. *Fantastic! If he's just an entertainment content creator, how strong could he possibly be? Most likely just a casual player who can't hold a candle to a dedicated grinder like me.* *I couldn't beat a whale in full plate or a muscle monster, but you think I can't take down a two-bit entertainer?!* *At last, a chance to prove my worth!* Luanshi Fusheng's hand shook with excitement around his hilt once more. This time, victory was truly at hand! ... Half a minute later, Luanshi Fusheng stood staring up at the wyvern circling high in the sky, watching its menacing shadow sweep across the ground, his mind completely blank. What in the world was wrong with this game? Why did a hardworking player like him only ever run into these kinds of monsters? "Referee, he's cheating." "This is an individual tournament! How can a monster like a wyvern be allowed in? That's an obvious case of calling in outside help!" He pointed up at the sky, his once-resolute face numbed with disbelief. The referee stated plainly, "The wyvern is a bonded mount of the Redscale Conqueror class, categorized as the player's personal property, and is fully compliant with tournament regulations." Standing on the ground, Luanshi Fusheng looked up at the circling wyvern, feeling like weeping. Sure, he had closing tools, but he couldn't fly! What was he supposed to do, perform a high jump and slice down the rider and the dragon in one swing? And for crying out loud, why was an entertainment streamer playing a Redscale Conqueror, universally acknowledged as the strongest advanced fighter class?! It completely outclassed a Champion like him in every conceivable way. What happened to being a casual variety creator?! The intel from the crowd was totally bogus! Yet the brutal reality left him no time to grieve. He had to figure out how to counter an airborne enemy. *Roar!*— "Noodles, with me! Charge!" A raspy dragon roar echoed through the skies, accompanied by Mantou's thrilled shout and the screech of leathery wing membranes tearing through the air. With a ferocious battle cry, the bloodline resonance between Mantou and the wyvern unleashed an overwhelming aura comparable to the wrath of a true dragon, casting what seemed like the spectral phantom of a red dragon behind him. *Whoosh!*— Unable to dodge in time, Luanshi Fusheng was run clean through the chest by the lance. "Uh... once again, a crushing victory. It appears Luanshi Fusheng was ill-prepared for an aerial assault..." "Let us congratulate Wo Qu Chi Mantou for winning the match!" "Old Mantou won?!" "Holy crap!" "Wait, bro, you didn't actually think he was weak, did you? He only looks bad when standing next to the pro legends." "Use your brain! A Dragonblood Baron of the Cinder Empire, a senior peace officer, *and* a Redscale Conqueror—how could he possibly be weak?" "It's fine, this is just the preliminaries. No need to panic, everyone—Mantou is guaranteed to crash and burn in the knockouts! He really is garbage!" "As a true fan of Mantou, I can confirm he won't win a single game later!" "Man, that guy called Fusheng Ruomeng has the worst luck. He signed up for the tournament, played three matches in total, and ran into two and a half pro-tier players. That luck easily rivals Charlotte's." "Huh? How many? (Element spotted)" "What do you mean, two and a half pros? Who are you taking shots at? Wait, you don't mean Mantou, do you?" "Lmao, giving Old Mantou half a pro is already being generous." *It's not Fusheng Ruomeng, it's Luanshi Fusheng!*— Lying on the ground, Luanshi Fusheng screamed in his heart. But as his blood drained away, every ounce of strength seemed to leave his body. *Can't you hackers tone it down a bit and leave an ordinary player room to breathe?!* That was the final thought that crossed his mind. Luanshi Fusheng had perished. ... In the end, Luanshi Fusheng got his wish: he went viral among the player base. Riding the wave of the tournament's popularity, he became a celebrated figure across the forums. A thread dedicated entirely to him—where he was the main subject rather than the background prop—shot straight to the top of the trending boards, outshining even superstar players like Xiaye Qiuyu. Though the manner of his sudden fame was somewhat different from what he had envisioned. The thread title read: *The Myth of Zero Wins in the Preliminaries! Luanshi Fusheng's Three Clashes with the Pros!* Well, the deviation wasn't all that big—it just swapped out "undefeated" for "winless."