Chapter 42: The Match Begins!
“How could it be the Trash Team?”
“Is there a mistake?”
“Why does Fu Su need to lead a team against the Trash Team? We can handle them ourselves. What a waste of a good opportunity!”
“Exactly! Credit battles don’t happen every day! They require a King’s initiation and are a great chance to earn a lot of points. Chi Yue and the others are getting off easy this time.”
“I want to cry…”
“It’s okay, I want to cry too…”
And so, half the class was angry, the other half in tears.
Dark Yang said coldly, “Quiet!”
Immediately, everyone fell silent, even sucking back their tears.
Dark Yang looked at us and Fu Su’s team. “This observation match will be broadcast live, not only in the Immortal Realm, but your parents will also be watching!”
“Pop!” Black Girl’s bubble gum burst again.
“Fu Su, no problem, right?” Dark Yang looked at Fu Su coldly.
Fu Su looked at me with a wicked smile. “Mr. Yang, I’m willing to give Xia Xiaolan and her team a head start. I’ll give them fifteen minutes.”
Dark Yang looked at him for a moment before saying, “Are you sure? Time is the most valuable thing in a credit battle. In the fifteen minutes you’re giving them, they could have already completed a task.”
“Hmph, at most a one-point task. Captain Xia Xiaolan is participating in a credit battle for the first time. I’m giving her time to prepare so no one can say a true god…” Fu Su narrowed his eyes at me, “…is bullying a mortal.”
“Great! Thanks!” I stood up without hesitation.
Dark Yang narrowed his eyes. “Then, let the match begin!”
As his voice fell, my feet left the ground. Already used to this teleportation sensation, I didn’t resist. When my feet landed firmly, it wasn’t in the mortal world, but on a giant magic block!
Mo Ming, Jiang Yan, Qing Ming, Si Yi Nuo, and Mao Mao stood with me on a huge flat surface composed of countless magic blocks. It was clearly a square!
And, this square was rotating.
It was a Rubik’s Cube!
I had seen it on the map Feng Lingcan gave me. This cube was located in the westernmost corner of the Immortal Realm, an independent space. A rectangular Rubik’s Cube was constantly rotating, just like in the “Cube” movies!
The Rubik’s Cube was the ultimate training ground for students of the Immortal Realm, like a dungeon in an online game. The tasks in each module here were constantly updated. Some modules, like in “Cube,” were even deadly traps. In short, the Rubik’s Cube was an extremely dangerous place.
“Welcome to the Rubik’s Cube.” A transparent female figure floated before us. “There are fifteen tasks in this credit battle: one ten-point task, two seven-point tasks, three five-point tasks, four three-point tasks, and five one-point tasks, for a total of fifty-six points. There is no time limit. The competition ends when all tasks are completed. The team with the most credits wins. All tasks have been sent to your captain’s phone. You may choose. Which task will you choose?”
Mo Ming, Jiang Yan, Mao Mao, Qing Ming, and Si Yi Nuo all looked at me. I looked at the woman. “Is the live broadcast starting now? Can the other team see us?”
“The live broadcast starts when you begin a task. After the broadcast starts, the other team won’t be able to see your battles, only which tasks you’ve claimed and their point values.”
“Okay!” I took out my phone. Fifteen tasks were arranged on the screen like a pyramid, from highest to lowest point value. My brain worked rapidly, imprinting each score in my mind.
My finger swiped across the phone screen, and the grids on the screen enlarged and floated before us. I looked at Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, do you think Si Yi Nuo and I can complete a one-point task?”
Everyone looked surprised.
“Xiaolan, you want to split up?!” Mao Mao looked at me in disbelief.
I countered, “Can’t we?” I started to get nervous, because whether or not we could split up directly affected my entire point-grabbing plan.
Everyone looked at Jiang Yan. He frowned. “The rules don’t say we can’t, but since it’s always been team battles, we’ve never split up before.”
I grinned sinisterly. “Hmph, we humans are best at breaking the rules!”
Immediately, everyone’s gaze focused on me. Jiang Yan shook off his languid demeanor, his blue eyes flashing with a fighting spirit I had never seen before. It seemed he was finally interested in this competition!
I began to deploy my strategy. “Si Yi Nuo and I will be responsible for taking all the one-point tasks. These five points are a must for us. Then, Qing Ming and Mao Mao, can you two handle the three-point tasks?”
Mao Mao nervously muttered, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t…”
Qing Ming gave me a thumbs-up. “Yes!”
“Good!” Then I looked at Mo Ming. “Mo Ming, can you handle a seven-point task?”
Mo Ming looked troubled. “It’ll be a bit difficult.”
I looked at Jiang Yan. “Jiang Yan, in your current state, can you remove that ‘bit difficult’?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem.” Jiang Yan replied with unusual decisiveness.
Mo Ming was surprised. “Xiaolan, you want me to team up with Jiang Yan!”
I looked at him seriously. “Mo Ming, that’s an order. Because, Jiang Yan, is our trump card for the final battle!” I looked at Jiang Yan. “So, your task, besides getting those seven points, is to protect him!”
Mo Ming frowned and lowered his head. “Yes!”
“This way…we’ll have 24 points together, but it’s still not enough…” Si Yi Nuo frowned from behind Xiao Bai.
I smirked. “Don’t worry, because Fu Su will go for the seven-point task first.” I pointed at the seven-point task. “But, he won’t expect that we’ve already claimed the other seven-point task.”
“I get it, it’s a placeholder!” Mao Mao suddenly realized. “We’ll occupy the seven-point spot, and no matter when we complete it, Fu Su won’t be able to snatch it.”
“Exactly.” I nodded, pointing to the tasks we had claimed. “While he’s working on the seven-point task, we’ll have already taken the one-point and three-point tasks. These tasks are relatively simple and can be completed quickly. So we’ll still have time to grab the five-point tasks. And when Fu Su finishes the seven-point task and finds out that we’ve taken the one-point and three-point tasks, he’ll also go for the five-point tasks. They’ll also start imitating us, splitting into three teams to occupy the five-point tasks. Even if they get all of them, that’s 22 points.”
“Why wouldn’t Fu Su go for the ten-point task?” Mao Mao asked in confusion.
I smiled. “Because he’s arrogant. He assumes we won’t try for the ten-point task.”
“Moreover, with our current strength, the ten-point task would be very difficult,” Jiang Yan said gravely. “We’ll be doing more tasks than Fu Su, so we’ll be more exhausted.”
I smiled mischievously. “So, we won’t try to get it. We’ll sabotage it!”
“What?!” Mao Mao’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Now that’s…interesting…” Si Yi Nuo grinned sinisterly from behind Xiao Bai.
I looked at Mo Ming. “You must have participated in credit battles before. The rules don’t say we can’t sabotage, right?”
Mo Ming looked at me stiffly. “Right…they don’t…because everyone’s always just focused on competing.”
“Heh heh heh heh.” I patted him with a wicked smile. “See? I told you Gods are too honest. This is my plan. We absolutely cannot let Fu Su’s team get the final ten points!”
I extended my right hand and looked at everyone. They looked at me and placed their hands on top of mine, one by one. Our hands overlapped. We pressed down firmly, then released. I looked at the transparent woman. “Let’s begin!”
“Alright, commencing teleportation to your respective task locations.” As the woman finished speaking, the magic blocks beneath our feet began to glow, displaying the corresponding point values. Si Yi Nuo and I stood in a one-point block, Jiang Yan and Mo Ming headed to a seven-point block, and Qing Ming and Mao Mao stood in a three-point block. We nodded to each other, and immediately, light enveloped us.
When the light disappeared, Si Yi Nuo and I were standing on muddy ground by a dark riverbank. The river wind was making me shiver.
“It’s s-s-s-so c-c-cold d-d-down h-here!” I hugged myself, my lips trembling. It had been so nice up above.
My school uniform began to thicken, like when I went to the underworld. Gradually, my body warmed up.
But Si Yi Nuo didn’t seem cold at all. He stood beside me, holding Xiao Bai and staring straight ahead. “Task…location…” He extended a pale hand, pointing to several fishing boats docked by the river. The fishing boats’ lights flickered. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet, but it was completely dark and drizzling. What awful weather.
“Xiaolan…why…did you choose…to be with me…” He lowered his head behind Xiao Bai, the corners of his mouth curving up in a sinister smile beneath his long bangs.
I smiled slyly, put my arm around his shoulder, and whispered in his ear, “Isn’t this to create an opportunity for Qing Ming and Mao Mao to be alone~~~”
Si Yi Nuo stiffened, stunned for a moment. “That’s…not romantic at all…”
“Eh~~ Romance isn’t important right now. What they need is more in-depth interaction. Mao Mao is still in a fragile state and definitely can’t fight, which means Qing Ming has to carry the team alone. If Mao Mao encounters danger and Qing Ming steps in to protect her!” I covered my flushed face excitedly. “That would be even better~~~”
Si Yi Nuo and Xiao Bai stared at me blankly.
I blinked and glanced at him. “What? Sometimes, battles are better than dates. They can build stronger trust and understanding.”
Si Yi Nuo pointed to the sky. “We’re live…”
“Oh!” I immediately covered my mouth and lowered my voice. “They can’t hear us, can they…?”
“No.” Si Yi Nuo nodded. “You were…speaking very softly just now…”
Good, good. It would be awkward if Qing Ming and Mao Mao’s parents heard.
Eh? Weren’t Si Yi Nuo’s parents watching too? Uh… I’d better not tease him anymore.
“Let’s go then!” I patted Si Yi Nuo’s shoulder and pulled his arm as we ran towards the river.
First task location: A certain river.
Task: Capture a water ghost.
Ghost catching again.
When Si Yi Nuo and I reached the riverbank, we heard crying.
There weren’t many fishing boats, but one of them had a white lantern hanging.
Someone had died.
“Why am I so unfortunate~~~~ How could he just leave like that~~~”
The river wind blew eerily around the few fishing boats, and the occasional cries were even more chilling in the stormy night.
