RCQT Chapter 62

Duel Arena.

“Shall I create the room?” Chu Qianze was eager to give it a try.

He had never played in this duel arena before, and he was quite curious.

“Sure, go ahead. No objections from me,” Zong Xinjue replied.

Opening the panel, Chu Qianze scrolled past the Hardcore mode with a brief thought and chose the Free mode. In this mode, death during a match wouldn’t result in an actual level loss.

Confirming the room creation, Chu Qianze found himself in a spacious plaza. Glancing around, the space was ample, perfect for utilizing equipment.

[Player Zong Xinjue has entered the room.]

“This space is quite large; it should be enough for you to unleash your skills,” Zong Xinjue said, summoning his weapon and getting ready.

“Are we starting now?” Chu Qianze stretched his limbs, and as he moved his arms, components began to materialize.

Various parts floated in the air, gleaming under the sunlight. The components rotated and assembled, scattering sunlight into dazzling hues that fell on Chu Qianze’s profile, creating a breathtakingly sharp scene.

However, at this moment, the only witness on-site was too preoccupied to pay attention to these details. Zong Xinjue swung his giant shield and charged directly at Chu Qianze, the attack imminent.

In this game, although it emphasized a high degree of freedom and significant potential for various developments, some players’ real-life skills and attributes could be brought into the game. Yet, to ensure a satisfying sense of progression for players, levels and character attributes still held significant weight.

At the moment, Chu Qianze had two professions: Poison Master and Mechanic. Compared to a Shield Warrior like Zong Xinjue, he had distinct disadvantages—

His own agility was average, and his health was insufficient; he suffered in close combat. He was well aware of this, so he tried to avoid close-quarters engagements as much as possible.

Watching Zong Xinjue charging toward him, he materialized a long sword and launched it towards the approaching figure.

Zong Xinjue’s reaction was not slow either. He precisely teleported to a point just behind Chu Qianze after determining the range. Raising his giant shield overhead, he began charging his attack to smash down on Chu Qianze.

Chu Qianze turned around and directly manipulated his machinery to block the incoming attack. The machinery clashed with the shield, producing a resounding clang.

While blocking, he took the opportunity to create some distance.

The arena shifted to adjustment mode.

Without level suppression, it was like lifting shackles, and such a duel posed no pressure on Chu Qianze. Although he hadn’t played the holographic online game for long, he had experienced many real-world wars. Even with character limitations and restrictions imposed by game skills and character attributes, he could still demonstrate a different kind of strength.

In the arena, the use of replenishing items was not allowed, so players had to manage how they allocated their skills. Chu Qianze streamlined the assembly of his machinery, calculating the consumption and recovery of his various statistics. He aimed to use the least energy to complete the most skill executions, maintaining a relative balance among them.

With this kite-flying style of combat, he depleted the opponent’s health, and the duel came to an end.

His hand glided through the air, manipulating the machinery to rotate. As Zong Xinjue teleported, Chu Qianze consecutively closed several areas. By the time Zong Xinjue completed his teleportation to another location, he found himself surrounded.

“Want to continue?” Chu Qianze asked.

As soon as these words were spoken, the machinery surrounding Zong Xinjue was destroyed, and he rushed out of the encirclement.

The exertion took a toll on Zong Xinjue’s stamina, and he was breathing heavily. Due to the intense activity, his chest rose and fell vigorously. Despite his slightly disheveled appearance, his expression was excited and fervent, yet his eyes remained calm.

“Continue!” he exclaimed, rushing towards Chu Qianze, only to be struck and sent flying.

Chu Qianze manipulated the machinery, occasionally dodging attacks with a casual demeanor.

For him, this level of combat was still far from challenging. When facing attacks, Zong Xinjue adjusted himself, redirecting potentially lethal strikes to less critical areas. If it wasn’t a fatal blow, he would withstand it directly, using this strategy to gain time and opportunities to approach.

Although he showed little expression after each hit, subtle hints revealed that he could sense pain. This person’s pain threshold was probably set quite high.

Chu Qianze drew a conclusion. He raised his hand to shield the area around his heart, blocking the attack. Zong Xinjue glanced at the diminishing health bar, finding it within an acceptable range, similar to what he had expected.

If he hadn’t blocked the attack just now, he would probably be left with only a sliver of health.

As his thoughts flowed, Zong Xinjue continued his advance, attempting to include Chu Qianze in his attack range. However, he soon realized that it was easier said than done. Every time he attempted an attack, Chu Qianze used his skills to deflect him.

Once again sent flying, Zong Xinjue crashed into a wall, leaving a small dent. Intense pain surged through him, as if each breath was accompanied by a burning sensation.

Because many attacks were blocked using his arms, the brain issued commands, but the actions seemed delayed, as if the motor functions were sluggish. Swaying in the upper body, Chu Qianze braced the giant shield. Zong Xinjue, relying on that bit of strength, managed to stand up again.

“Continue…!”

He stepped forward, squinting to confirm his position, then ran towards Chu Qianze.

“Your stamina should be running out soon,” Chu Qianze reminded.

Zong Xinjue paid no attention to it.

To him, it was just a matter of running out of stamina. As long as he could still move, it wasn’t a big deal.

Seeing this person charging toward him, Chu Qianze was quite puzzled.

He had no idea why this person was so persistent, almost to the point of madness. There was simply no need for it.

Dodging the giant shield by sidestepping, Chu Qianze grabbed Zong Xinjue’s arm and delivered an elbow strike to his abdomen. A muffled groan filled the air.

“Your speed is no match for me now,” Chu Qianze remarked.

However, Zong Xinjue paid no attention to that. He grabbed Chu Qianze’s waist and, with a firm grip, took both of them down to the ground.

The two of them rolled into a tangle.

“Let go of me!” Chu Qianze gasped for breath.

“No!” Zong Xinjue roared, his feet curling up, exerting even more strength.

Chu Qianze became annoyed. He grabbed Zong Xinjue’s arms and delivered a few blows. When the opponent’s strength loosened a bit, he broke free from the restraint and stood up with one hand on the ground.

The man’s attitude became clear to him—he wouldn’t stop until it was over. Like a stubborn bear with a bad temper.

With patience wearing thin, Chu Qianze waved his fingers, and the airborne machinery assembled and combined, forming a cannon.

Holding the barrel with one hand, he lifted it onto his shoulder.

Taking aim,

Charging up—

Fire!

“Boom—!!!”

The resounding explosion echoed in the arena, and the tremendous impact caused Chu Qianze to step back half a pace. The intense brightness, carrying a breathtaking momentum, surged towards Zong Xinjue.

As the attack approached Zong Xinjue, the explosion sound followed, and a small mushroom cloud rose from the arena.

This was currently the most powerful weapon in use.

It could be considered a fitting end to this battle.

[Duel Over]

[Congratulations to the player Chen Qianli for the victory!]

Fireworks bloomed in the sky.

Chu Qianze waved away the mist and walked towards Zong Xinjue. Only then did he see Zong Xinjue, who was lying on the ground in a sprawled position. At this moment, he lay completely still, appearing very calm, quite different from his earlier madness.

“Are you okay?” Chu Qianze walked over and squatted down beside him.

“Ran out of stamina, need a moment to recover,” Zong Xinjue’s voice was somewhat low, lacking the strength to speak much.

“You’re quite impressive, enduring all the way. Those injuries look painful,” Chu Qianze remarked, opening a package and handing over two rice balls. “Have some.”

He then handed over a cup of beverage. “Drink up.”

Zong Xinjue shifted his gaze, exhaling deeply. “No energy, let me rest for a bit.”

“Okay.” Placing the items nearby, Chu Qianze also lay down.

“You’re really strong,” Zong Xinjue said. “I had thought about it before, but I didn’t expect it to be this impressive.”

“It’s okay.” Chu Qianze was more amazed that this person could endure it.

“By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, how much did you adjust the pain sensitivity?” Chu Qianze was curious.

“Realism level,” Zong Xinjue replied.

“One hundred percent?” In other words, all the attacks from the recent battle, this person endured them based on real-world standards.

“Yeah,” Zong Xinjue’s tone was very calm.

“Amazing.”

Chu Qianze sincerely praised. In the game, there are a set of protective mechanisms for players. You can lower the pain sensitivity, but if you want to increase it, you need to pass a pain tolerance test first to ensure that players can bear it. This is for the safety of the players. After all, if a player adjusts the pain sensitivity to one hundred percent and dies in the game, it is indeed experiencing real pain, which can be extremely agonizing.

“Compared to you, I’m far behind,” Zong Xinjue said.

Feeling almost recovered, Zong Xinjue sat up, took a bite of the rice ball Chu Qianze gave him, and his stamina increased. Only then did he feel better.

“I used to think I was quite good, but now it seems that my perspective was limited.” There was a fleeting sense of melancholy in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

“You’re already very impressive, okay? Don’t compare yourself to me, it’ll reduce your sense of happiness.”

“You’re quite the chatterbox,” Zong Xinjue laughed, took a sip of his drink, and then his expression changed as he was suddenly choked.

“What is this?!” It was both bitter and spicy, with a surprising sour taste!

“This was given to me by a chef from the beginner’s village, a health soup. It’s a medicinal dish, great for replenishing.” Chu Qianze explained.

Once his taste buds adjusted, Zong Xinjue realized that his stamina, which was previously depleted, was now completely restored.

Although the taste was awful, the effect was truly remarkable.

“How about it? Not bad, right?” Chu Qianze observed his expression and timely added, “Want more? I’ll give it to you for free.”

[Player Chen Qianli is offering you 20 servings of Health Soup. Do you accept?]

Chu Qianze: “Don’t be polite. I can’t use this stuff anyway.”

There’s no way he could drink it—absolutely impossible!

Given its effects, the awful taste didn’t matter.

“Thanks.” Zong Xinjue accepted the items and stored them in his backpack.

Chu Qianze opened his panel and scrolled through it. “Take these too.”

[Player Chen Qianli is offering you 1 Celestial Grass, 16 Qi You Grass… Do you accept?]

“What is this for?” Zong Xinjue was somewhat surprised.

“The Celestial Grass was picked up before; now, I’m returning it to you. The rest were collected during the day. You helped me share the firepower and attract those demonic beasts. At least you contributed, so I’m giving you some things,” Chu Qianze lay on the ground, reluctant to get up.

The sky was a clear blue, without a cloud in sight for thousands of miles. Looking at the sky from this angle, there was a peculiar sense of openness, as if the heart had become tranquil.

[Player Zong Xinjue has rejected your items]

Chu Qianze: “?”

“I don’t need these,” Zong Xinjue, now fully recovered, had come back to life. Seeing Chu Qianze looking comfortable and content, he also laid back down.

“If I give them to you, just take them,” Chu Qianze sent the items again.

Rejected once again.

Chu Qianze: “!”

“When you picked the Heavenly Spirit Grass, were you intentionally leaving some behind?” Zong Xinjue asked.

Chu Qianze rolled his eyes. “Why bother with such things? Robbing people’s stuff is so boring; I’m not into that.”

“Then there’s no problem. If you didn’t deliberately leave some behind and were unaware of the whole situation at the time, why give me the Celestial Grass you obtained through your own abilities? I don’t need these herbs either. Even if I didn’t follow you, those demonic beasts would still come after me.”

“Really don’t want them?” Chu Qianze confirmed once again.

“Mmm, don’t want them.”

Zong Xinjue emphasized, “Don’t give them; even if you give them, I won’t take them.”

“Alright.”

Rolling his eyes, Chu Qianze put the items back. “Your personality is too straightforward.”

“You’re not any better than me,” Zong Xinjue retorted.

Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow, feeling that this person had a misunderstanding about him. “A billion times better than you.”

“Indeed, only by a bit.”

Zong Xinjue turned his head, his gaze scanning the faces of the people nearby. “Are you interested in joining a team?”

The topic changed quickly.

“Are you talking about that Sheng Shi League?” Chu Qianze caught up with the train of thought.

He had seen discussions about it on the forum before, and the interest was quite high. There was still a long time before it started, but people had already begun talking about it. Anyone who played Shengshi probably knew about its existence.

“Yes, your strength is excellent, and your awareness is outstanding. How about forming a team with me?” Zong Xinjue’s tone was calm, but Chu Qianze could sense his anticipation.

“For the league, there’s a selection process, right?” If he remembered correctly, except for professional teams with reserved spots, players like himself, who took a more unconventional path, had to go through a selection competition.

“That’s right. The keyboard competition organized by them before was quite reliable. This time, with the introduction of holographic events, the prestige is also high. Through the selection process, you can even directly participate in the world competition,” Zong Xinjue explained.

He didn’t seem too concerned about these things. Nowadays, any player with good skills will likely have a professional dream.

“I haven’t really paid much attention to this,” Chu Qianze opened the forum and began searching for relevant information.

“Do you want to invite me to join your team?”

“Yes. I am a shield warrior. My defense is top-notch, and I can protect you well, leaving you with no worries in the duels. And you, you will become the sharpest blade piercing through the enemies.” Zong Xinjue had confidence in his words.

“Oh,” Chu Qianze responded.

Chu Qianze expressed his understanding, resting his hands behind his head in a comfortable position as he lay down. “Not interested.”

“Why?” Zong Xinjue’s eyes widened slightly, unable to believe this was the response. It was the Sheng Shi League, after all!

“It sounds troublesome, all the fighting and killing is too exhausting. I prefer the way things are now, lying on the ground, opening my eyes to see the blue sky, closing them to feel the gentle breeze.” With that, Chu Qianze closed his eyes, showing a hint of enjoyment.

“Consider it again, you really have great potential, definitely a dark horse,” Zong Xinjue wanted to give it another shot.

“No, thanks. No matter how many times I consider it, my answer remains the same. Not interested; end of discussion,” Chu Qianze replied.

Chu Qianze sat up, ran his fingers through his hair, and let out a sigh. “I’ve rested enough. I’m going to log out now; feel free to stay.”

Just as he was about to exit the interface, someone stopped him.

Zong Xinjue pursed his lips, contemplating how to change this person’s mind. He had many ideas, but as soon as he thought about saying them out loud, they all seemed to lose their spark. He wasn’t the type to articulate his thoughts well.

“What are you planning to do next?” Zong Xinjue asked.

He casually mentioned, “Just going around elsewhere, looking for some needed herbs.”

Since he didn’t have anything else to do, he decided to take on the quest given by the medicine NPC. In the meantime, he might run into those main characters.

“If you’re looking for herbs, you’ll need to enter a dungeon, right?” Zong Xinjue remarked.

Hearing this, Chu Qianze contemplated the meaning behind the words. “How so?”

“Many dungeons have a minimum requirement for the number of people, at least two. If you don’t want to give up halfway, I suggest finding a partner to go with you,” Zong Xinjue offered his advice. Finally, he stated his intention under Chu Qianze’s gaze, “How about me?”

“You want to go through a dungeon with me?” Chu Qianze recalled the recent incident when the monsters rushed straight at Zong Xinjue while he was gathering herbs.

If this person was with him, he wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked, and he wouldn’t have to confront the monsters head-on; he could focus on collecting herbs in peace.

He felt a bit intrigued.

“If we team up, the ring’s effect will come in handy. We can share damage, and our survival rate will be much higher,” Zong Xinjue added to his pitch.

Seeing Chu Qianze showing some interest, he continued, “You’ve seen how fast I level up. Teaming up won’t slow us down much.”

Finally, he concluded, “I know quite a bit about the situation on this continent, and I have some internal sources of information. If you’re looking for herbs, it will be much more convenient.”

Zong Xinjue had understood the other person’s words before. According to the original plan, they should have settled their duel after leaving the arena.

But if they really settled it, he would feel reluctant. Zong Xinjue just felt that this person was quite agreeable, easy to talk to, and comfortable to be around. Now that he saw the potential of the other person in the game, he couldn’t let him go.

He needed to stabilize him first and maintain contact with him. Anyway, it was still early, and there was plenty of time before the registration deadline. He could gradually work on convincing him.

This was like slowly boiling a frog.

Chu Qianze could see that the other person had some intentions, probably trying to persuade him to join the competition under the guise of teaming up for dungeon runs.

However, the examples Zong Xinjue provided were indeed appealing, factual, and very pragmatic.

It was a clever strategy, carried out with apparent sincerity.

“What do you think?” Zong Xinjue felt a bit nervous. He had laid out the benefits as much as possible, but success was not guaranteed.

“…If it’s really as you say, then let’s team up,” Chu Qianze replied casually.

A helping hand is offered voluntarily, why not take advantage of it?

If he could indeed change his mind, then forming a team and participating might not be a bad idea after all.

 

 

 

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