Chainsword

Upon his throne high above the arena, Cassius nodded slightly in approval. "The power to transform into a dragon... Now this tournament is finally getting interesting." Trump sidled up beside him, seizing the chance to flatter. "Those Starfallen only possess such power thanks to Your Majesty's gracious cultivation." Tinia, however, was still scratching her head in bewilderment. After a moment of silence, she asked in a low voice, "Why did I smell my own scent on that Starfallen?" "Could he be... a blood relative of mine?" Perhaps influenced by reading too many stories, Tinia's clever little mind had already conjured up a dramatic tale of a white dragon falling in love with a human, culminating in the birth of a half-breed child. "What a disgrace! Associating with a lowly human—it drags my status through the mud!" "Maybe... I should silence that human permanently? But isn't he one of those immortals? What should I do about that..." Tinia stroked her chin, genuinely deep in thought, plotting how best to eliminate this supposed "kinsman." "..." Cassius was equally baffled. Just how was this white dragon's brain wired? Her intelligence was plainly on par with an ordinary human's by now, yet her train of thought was consistently, uniquely bizarre. Beside them, Trump had already pulled out a gold-embroidered handkerchief to dab at the sweat trickling down his forehead, an awkward smile plastered across his hideous face. His expression said it all: *Your Majesty, you must believe me—I never taught her to be like this!* *** *Vrrr—!* A deafening roar erupted like the shriek of a wyvern. Gangtie Kuangchao piloted his "Guardian" Armor, a horrifying weapon mounted to its left arm. A massive, heavy blade edged with jagged, serrated teeth like a tyrannosaur's fangs—the teeth churned furiously under the high-speed drive of a steam engine, grinding out an ear-splitting screech. It was a chainsword! The ultimate manifestation of violent aesthetics: one slash was all it took to tear whatever monster stood before it into bloody ribbons. Gangtie Kuangchao threw his head back and laughed maniacally, bellowing across at his distant opponent, "Hahahahaha! Come on! Taste my blade!" A hundred meters away stood a panting paladin player, propping himself up on his sword. He was tall and brawny, clad in heavy mithral armor, wielding a greatsword and a towering shield. Adorned with all manner of rare gear, he radiated wealth and bravura. He was none other than Bazhe, the guild master of the renowned, titan-tier guild Wangquan, and an imperial Dragonblood Count. No matter what game he played, his immense financial backing always secured him the undisputed number-one spot, cementing his reign at the pinnacle and spreading the fame of "Wangquan" across the entire server. Yet here in Elezerg, he had fallen short of that—a fact that only ignited his fierce competitive streak. He had to become the champion! At this moment, Bazhe looked rather disheveled, his expression contorted into a grimace. "Dammit... How the hell are these Machine Cult freaks so strong?!" "I've dumped way more cash into Elezerg than they ever did! Wangquan is going to take the championship!" *Boom—!* Across the arena, Gangtie Kuangchao fired the thrusters on his back. Revving his chainsword, he charged toward Bazhe like a monstrous steel juggernaut, trailing thick plumes of black smoke behind him. Unstoppable! Gritting his teeth, Bazhe hoisted his nearly two-meter-tall steel greatshield, every muscle in his body taut. It was a rare-grade Imperial Defender, purchased from the official imperial shop for over ten thousand contribution points, bearing an indestructible property. Yet that wasn't all. *Armor of Agathys! Spiritual Weapon!* Magical auras flared as ghostly frost coated Bazhe and his equipment, while floating, spectral blades materialized in midair. By then, Gangtie Kuangchao had already piloted his mech within arm's reach. He raised the chainsword with a mad grin. *Vrrr—!* *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Sparks sprayed in all directions as silver shavings flew. A deafening mechanical racket mingled with the crisp clatter of clashing steel. The chainsword's teeth spun at dizzying speeds, effortlessly slicing through Bazhe's refined steel greatshield. "How is this possible?!" Bazhe gaped in horror. Gangtie Kuangchao yelled ecstatically, "Who gave you the guts to stand head-on against me and my Guardian?!" "Eat my chainsword!" The hooked, razor-sharp teeth spun faster still, turning the blade cherry-red and scorching hot as puffs of steam vented from the arm. *Vrrr—!* Accompanied by a ferocious roar, the refined steel shield was cleaved completely in two, and the whirling chainsword lunged straight for Bazhe himself. The spectral blades hovering in the air slashed in unison at Gangtie Kuangchao, but they merely left faint white scratches across the armor's hull. "No, impossible! I spent so much money...!" Bazhe discarded the ruined, exorbitant shield and fled in panic, frantically layering defensive and haste spells over himself. Yet how could a man on two legs outrun mechanized armor fitted with rocket thrusters? *Boom—!* With a thunderous crash, Gangtie Kuangchao overshot and planted himself right in front of Bazhe. The ground cracked, sending dust billowing into the air. Facing an unarmed opponent, Gangtie sneered savagely. Raising the heavy chainsword high, he swung it downward with crushing force. The chainsword carved a graceful arc through the air, its hooked teeth spinning at blistering speeds. *Vrrr—Boom!* Flesh splattered; shrapnel flew. Several protective spell barriers shattered in an instant, and the thick mithral armor was ripped apart. Bazhe's body—heavily augmented by secret elixirs and muscular beyond human limits—was brutally torn in half. Such a visceral, violent combat style sent the audience's blood boiling, prompting round after round of ecstatic cheers. "The flesh is weak; mechanical ascension!" The announcer's voice rose and fell with theatrical cadence: "This is the pinnacle of violent aesthetics! Let us congratulate Contestant Gangtie Kuangchao on securing yet another victory!" Bazhe—the guild master of Wangquan, carrying the hopes of so many and widely regarded as a prime contender for the title—had been ruthlessly eliminated in the Round of 64. Meanwhile, Gangtie Kuangchao advanced to the Round of 32 with undisputed, crushing dominance. *** *Boom!* *Boom! Boom!* Explosion after explosion rocked the arena, drowning the entire battlefield in roaring flames. The Battle Master fighter had nowhere to run and was blasted into a charred corpse. The announcer shouted, "A chain explosion! Let us congratulate Contestant Charlotte on taking the victory in this match!" Staff in hand, Charlotte gazed forward with calm composure, wearing an insufferably smug "all according to plan" expression. "To restore the glory of the mage—this duty falls upon our shoulders!" *** "How utterly boring. We could have called this match long ago." "Thank you all for watching." A tall, thin man in an elegant suit pushed his silver-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. He casually adjusted his lapels and offered the audience a polite tip of his hat. Behind him, dark necromantic mist rolled and surged as three terrifying undead warriors uttered raspy growls. Mingyue, vice guild master of Magic Coin, was trapped within the black fog. Dark, necrotic wounds covered his body, his expression grave beyond measure, his robes shredded to tatters. "Undead creatures of this tier..." Suddenly, the Bosque zombie—standing nearly four meters tall—lunged forward, shattering Mingyue's protective barrier with a single cleave of its blade. The Lakeman undead knight, mounted upon a skeletal giant eagle, screeched from above as volleys of arrows rained from the sky. The Knott undead skeleton ambushed him from behind, appearing like a ghost to drive a dagger straight into the wizard's back. *Spurt—!* Mingyue coughed up a violent mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground. Only then did Yuzhongchengchi turn around to look at the corpse in the mist, clapping his hands with a smile. "As expected of my meticulously raised 'Starter Trio.' They finished the fight thirty seconds faster than I estimated." "Contestant Yuzhongchengchi certainly is... supremely confident." "This guy is an absolute freak..." "That Starter Trio lineup is just absurd. A paladin, a giant eagle knight, and an assassin—he could practically enter the team tournament all by himself." "Mingyue didn't lose unfairly..." *** "*Aaaaargh—!*" Tiansheng Zhankuang roared toward the sky, eyes bloodshot, muscles swelling as white steam vented from skin laced with bulging veins. A berserker's Mindless Rage! Not to be outdone, Holy Light Bro dropped onto all fours across from him in an eye-searing posture, letting out a ferocious roar as he transformed into a massive owlbear. *Roar—!* Thick vines erupted from the earth, whipping out like tentacles to coil around Tiansheng Zhankuang—the power of a Circle of the Land druid. "*Aaaaargh—!*" Yet Tiansheng Zhankuang spun his battleaxe in vicious circles, effortlessly shredding the surrounding branches and vines. Druidic spells like Plant Growth and Entangle were completely useless against this berserker locked in mindless fury. Stamping the earth, he vaulted over ten meters into the air, raising his blood-stained greataxe high before bringing it down with monstrous momentum. *Boom!* The ground quaked, spraying shattered stone everywhere. The owlbear rolled aside to dodge. The sheer power of the blow was horrifying, splitting a deep chasm into the arena floor. *Whoosh—!* Another axe swing tore through the air, forcing the owlbear that was Holy Light Bro to scramble desperately out of the way. Compared to the hulking owlbear, Tiansheng Zhankuang, fully immersed in his rage, looked like the true apex beast. This time, Holy Light Bro wasn't so lucky. The spinning axe head slammed squarely into his flank, cleaving through the dense fur and hide. *Awooo—!* The owlbear howled in agony, upended by the tremendous force and left momentarily unable to scramble back to its feet. Tiansheng Zhankuang had no intention of squandering such a golden opportunity. He leaped right before the clumsy beast and gripped the long shaft of his greataxe. "*Aaaaargh—!*" Another battle cry shook the air. Veins bulging across his frame, he wrenched the blade free from the owlbear's flesh, then swung it with all his might toward its skull. "Die!" *Slash—!* A sickening crunch of tearing flesh and splintering bone rang out as the owlbear's massive head was severed cleanly from its shoulders. Upon Holy Light Bro's death, the bulky bear corpse dissolved into a headless human body bathed in holy light. Tiansheng Zhankuang tossed his greataxe to the ground, threw his arms wide, and unleashed another sky-shattering roar. "Hell yeah!" "Brother Zhankuang is a god!" "Haha, glory belongs to Tiansheng Zhankuang!" "I've been sick of that exhibitionist for ages. Beautifully done!" A tidal wave of cheers echoed from the stands, seasoned with no small amount of personal grudges. *** "Sister Qiuyu, you're strong, but I'm not giving up!" "Take this!" Feitian Nüwu let out a sharp cry, waving the Wand of Wonder in her hand. The Wild Magic Sorcerer's trait triggered once more, sending turbulent, chaotic currents of spellcraft surging around her. Xiaye Qiuyu watched Feitian Nüwu with a solemn gaze, daring not lower her guard for an instant. Even Feitian Nüwu herself had no idea what spell would manifest next. If she accidentally triggered a high-tier spell, an upset was entirely possible. Suddenly, an overwhelming aura of death billowed from Feitian Nüwu's wand, sending a chill of pure dread through everyone present. Ominous, eerie green runes etched across the ground, gradually coalescing into the shape of a skull. *No way.* *Could it be Power Word Kill?!* Xiaye Qiuyu's face drained of color. She hurriedly cast Fiery Dimension Door, opening up distance between herself and Feitian Nüwu. "Ah." A brief gasp. Feitian Nüwu simply collapsed to the ground, her eyes lifeless, body rigid, breath ceased. Xiaye Qiuyu—and the entire audience—stared in absolute bewilderment. Did Feitian Nüwu just... drop dead? Had anyone been able to check her system panel, they would have seen this entry: *[53–54: You cast Circle of Death centered on yourself.]* Even the announcer's brain locked up, lapsing into dumbfounded silence. "What an... uh, unexpected battle. Let us congratulate Contestant Xiaye Qiuyu on winning this match!" "Wait, that's it? It's over?" "So... Feitian Nüwu just killed herself?" "Completely fits my image of a Wild Magic Sorcerer." "Holy crap, this is why you never team up with a Wild Sorcerer. If she pulled this in a team match, wouldn't she instantly score a quadra-kill on her own side?" *** Over the course of that single day, thirty-two thrilling, heart-pounding matches unfolded across the Grand Arena. Up in the stands, debates among the players grew increasingly heated. "That guy from the Machine Cult is ridiculously strong..." "He's practically a walking Gundam. Who could beat that?" "Yeah, who knew that after a few upgrades, that Guardian Armor would reach this level?" "Anyway, I'm going all-in on Gangtie Kuangchao this time." "I still think Lord S is taking the crown!" "Sing-dog bootlickers need to get real. Your boy had to pull out every trick in the book just to beat Mantou, while Gangtie Kuangchao utterly demolished Bazhe..." "Bullshit! Lord S was obviously holding back. He could have kited Mantou to death from the start; that final duel was just giving him face!" "Heh, I just hate Sing-dog's sleazy playstyle. Every time he fights, he's just circling in the sky—zero entertainment value. Unlike Brother Kuangchao, who makes every punch hit home!" "Aren't you just a Machine Cult bootlicker yourself? Gangtie Kuangchao only acts tough because of external gear. Strip away that armor, and he probably couldn't even beat Mantou!" "You're the one who couldn't beat Mantou!" "Oho, struck a nerve, did I?" Aside from Gangtie Kuangchao defeating Bazhe and Singo taking down Mantou, Charlotte had defeated Tianxingjian, guild master of Jiange, with a chain explosion, while Yuzhongchengchi eliminated Mingyue using his "Starter Trio." And Feitian Nüwu had personally eliminated herself... Only two days remained before the servers shut down, and now, just thirty-two players were left in the running. At this stage of the competition, anyone relying on pure luck had long since been weeded out; every player remaining was at max level. They were virtually all top-tier masters in their respective domains, dazzling the audience with an endless array of tactics and keeping everyone thoroughly entertained. Soon, the champion would be decided. In player discussions regarding power rankings, Gangtie Kuangchao and Singo were the two hottest contenders. On the empire's official championship betting board, Gangtie Kuangchao led the pack with odds of 1.9, with Singo trailing close behind at 3.5. As for Bazhe, who had once carried immense expectations and whose odds had briefly surpassed Gangtie Kuangchao's, he had already made his regrettable exit from the stage.