TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 32

One hour earlier, on the Continent of the King’s Tomb.

The chubby knight stood on a wide, barren tidal flat, stroking the white fur of his wolf companion with one hand and holding his weapon in the other, facing Xia Tong.

“Hurry up, hurry up! Finding an open space wasn’t easy. If a public boss spawns here, we’ll have to find a new spot!” Zhou Yanjun urged impatiently.

Planning to initiate Xia Tong into the PvP arena, Zhou Yanjun decided to first give him a taste of the basics. But in King’s Tomb, with its immersive virtual reality, all models, both players and NPCs, were fully solid. When it got crowded, skill casting and player movement could get disrupted.

The leveling maps were no exception; every day, countless new players rushed to complete quests, and the scenic landmarks were even more crowded, with people taking photos, chatting, and idling around. Zhou Yanjun had painstakingly located a seemingly quiet cave only to stumble upon a couple in a compromising position, causing him to flee in a panic.

Left with no choice, he kept roaming with Xia Tong, searching for an isolated area until they finally found a barren tidal flat, devoid of any blind spots and no risk of stumbling upon other players.

“Is training this difficult for players on other teams?” Xia Tong asked curiously.

“No, they have private training maps,” Zhou Yanjun replied, his face expressionless.

“Don’t we have one?”

“No!”

“Why not?” Xia Tong asked eagerly. “Is it because we’re the Withering Team?”

“Pfft.”

Zhou Yanjun almost choked on his own breath. “Who told you that?” he asked, helplessly gripping Xia Tong’s shoulders.

“I saw it online! Everyone’s calling us that,” Xia Tong blinked. “So, ‘withering’ means bad?”

“That really hits home,” Zhou Yanjun sighed.

The lack of a private training map was because their team had been inactive for over a year, resulting in their removal from the league’s registered teams. Their status was frozen, meaning they would need to re-enter the league to regain active status and access to training maps.

“Never mind, we can make do.” Zhou Yanjun took a few steps back, creating space between himself and Xia Tong. “I’ll challenge you to a duel shortly. During a duel, players can’t die or lose equipment durability. The match automatically ends when someone’s health hits zero, so don’t worry.”

“Got it!” Xia Tong nodded confidently.

“Your task is to dodge my skills, break my defense, and defeat me,” Zhou Yanjun explained.

“Understood!” Xia Tong replied with enthusiasm.

The next second, a system prompt appeared on Xia Tong’s interface.

[Polaris_Fire has challenged Xia XiaoTong to a duel. Accept or Reject?]

Xia Tong clicked “Accept.”

Zhou YanJun’s ID turned bright red. He jumped onto his summoned beast and charged forward, shouting, “I’m going to hit you with Swift Shadow Intimidation followed by Thunder Strike, so remember—” But just as he charged in, before he could even land a real hit, he saw the little wizard floating away like a feather, flying out of reach.

“Ahhh!!” Xia Tong screamed, pale with fright, drawing a parabolic line in the air before landing with a loud splash in a far-off ditch.

“What the—why’d you go flying? I didn’t even do anything yet.” Zhou YanJun was caught off guard, stopping all his skills mid-cast. He rushed over and clumsily grabbed Xia Tong by the hat, pulling him out of the ditch.

Xia Tong flailed mid-air, and Zhou YanJun was startled by how light he felt. “Why the heck are you so light!”

“I…I don’t know…” Xia Tong scrunched up his face, unsure of what to say.

“How much do you weigh?”

“Fifty-two…”

“Fifty-two? Kilos??” Zhou YanJun blurted, “You’re barely half my weight!”

“How would I know…” Xia Tong muttered sheepishly.

“You’re short and skinny; no wonder you got blown away.” Zhou YanJun looked exasperated as he set Xia Tong back on the ground. Xia Tong wobbled, barely steadying himself as he clutched his new staff, looking up at Zhou YanJun with a pitiful expression.

Zhou YanJun crossed his arms, studying Xia Tong as though he were an odd creature from another planet.

Xia Tong felt uncomfortable under his gaze and mumbled, twisting his fingers, “If you have something to say, just say it, okay? Holding it in must be hard…”

“I’ve fought in King’s Tomb for years,” Zhou YanJun said heavily, “and I’ve never come across an opponent like you.”

Xia Tong didn’t quite understand and was even a bit hopeful, leaning forward slightly. “Really?”

Zhou YanJun clicked his tongue and shook his head, conflicted. “I usually go against Alphas—tall, muscular guys. Even the lean-looking ones like Timer weigh at least 130 to 140 pounds. Can you even stay in the arena for ten seconds?”

The light in Xia Tong’s eyes dimmed immediately, and he pouted. “Are you saying I’m not suited for PvP?”

Zhou YanJun sighed, “I mean—” Just as he began to speak, a figure descended gracefully nearby, a flash of holy light announcing his arrival. The handsome male elf Timer flew down, legs together, landing elegantly with his clothes fluttering.

“What are you two talking about? I could hear you mentioning me from afar.” Shi Ya flipped his long hair over his shoulder, smiling as he looked at them. “Xia XiaoTong, welcome to the world of PvP.”

Seeing Shi Ya was like seeing a protective mother. Xia Tong cried out, “But Fatty said I’m not suited for PvP…”

Shi Ya’s smile turned dangerously cold, his eyes narrowing at Zhou YanJun.

Zhou YanJun swallowed nervously under his gaze. “I…I was just a little doubtful—I definitely didn’t say he wasn’t suited for PvP!”

“Oh, please!” Shi Ya rolled his eyes and gave Zhou YanJun a push to the side. “Fire, promise me you’ll never go into coaching after you retire, okay?”

Zhou YanJun: “Huh?”

Shi Ya: “You’ll only lead people astray. You’d get yourself beaten up.”

Zhou YanJun: “…”

Shi Ya sighed and, like a Sichuan opera performer switching masks, put on his signature charming smile for Xia Tong. “Now, Xia XiaoTong, let’s adjust your skills a bit.”

Xia Tong: “Ooh!”

Shi Ya explained, “PvP is different from PvE. It’s not just about dishing out damage; you need to be able to adapt on the fly. Wizards have high damage, but they’re fragile, easily taken down in one hit, so adding points to damage reduction and mobility skills is essential.”

Xia Tong had a moment of clarity and, following Shi Ya’s advice, removed a few critical-damage skills and put his talent points into damage reduction and control-breaking abilities.

“All right,” Shi Ya said, removing a few pieces of gear and flying up into the air. “Xia XiaoTong, come and try to hit me.”

Xia Tong was stunned. “Huh?”

Shi Ya: “If you can beat me, today’s training is over.”

Xia Tong protested, “But you’re a healer! How am I supposed to beat you alone?”

Shi Ya’s smile turned a bit sharp. “That’s your problem to solve.”

Zhou YanJun finally realized that Shi Ya was training Xia Tong’s basic offensive skills. He couldn’t help but clap from the sidelines. “Wow, Timer, you’re impressive. I’m in awe.”

Shi Ya said, “Go practice somewhere else. We’ll be a while.”

“Got it. I’ll go team up with Bo Yu, see you.” Zhou YanJun waved and left.

Now, only Xia Tong and Shi Ya remained on the map. Xia Tong quickly cast a Soul Splitting Curse, but Shi Ya dodged with ease. Xia Tong continued casting a series of spells, which sent ripples through Shi Ya’s ethereal robes.

Shi Ya moved gracefully between the spells, looking both elegant and fierce. He navigated each attack effortlessly, sighing lightly and shaking his head with a wry smile.

Even though he still looked warmly at the little wizard, that faint smile seemed to say, “Not quite there yet.”

A sudden feeling of frustration and defiance rose in Xia Tong. He genuinely wanted to be a part of Polaris’s club, not as someone pitied or as an accessory.

“Timer, I won’t hold back!” he shouted.

“Go ahead, don’t hold back at all!” Shi Ya encouraged.

The little wizard dashed forward, chasing the male elf dancing through the air, his spells flying faster and stronger. Finally, one Soul Splitting Curse struck Shi Ya, causing his health bar to drop significantly. Even he had to admit that with special-effect weapons, the little wizard’s skill damage was impressive.

Xia Tong finally landed a hit on Shi Ya and was a little pleased, but then he saw Shi Ya raise his wrist, a faint starlight enveloping him, and in no time, he had fully healed himself.

Xia Tong: “Ugh!!”

Shi Ya shrugged, not stingy with his praise. “Improvement, nice. Come on, keep going.”

For the next ten minutes, Xia Tong persistently chased the male elf, repeating the same skill cycle. Although it was tedious, his skill execution and accuracy clearly improved. Shi Ya’s health dropped below half several times, but he quickly healed himself again.

Xia Tong finally stopped, bending over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard. Running around on the ground with two legs while keeping precise aim at Shi Ya’s position was really exhausting.

“Already tired after only a few minutes?” Shi Ya floated above him, one hand on his hip. “Do you know how long our longest 5v5 match lasted?”

“How long?” Xia Tong asked breathlessly, looking up.

“Forty-eight minutes,” Shi Ya replied. “Constant running.”

“Oh my god!” Xia Tong exclaimed, voice trembling.

“So, Fire wasn’t entirely wrong—being too frail won’t work.” Shi Ya continued, “Honestly, you probably won’t defeat me today. This is mainly about getting you comfortable with the skill rotation and the rhythm of the arena.”

Xia Tong swallowed, plopped onto the ground, and hit his legs in frustration, then opened up his skill interface. Earlier, Shi Ya had him redistribute his skill points, switching out several offensive skills for defense and debuff-clearing skills. The original rotation might have worked, but now, with fewer offensive moves, beating Shi Ya felt incredibly difficult.

Defense and debuff-clearing…

Debuff-clearing skills were meant to counter control abilities.

Control abilities…

The little mage sat in a daze for a while, then suddenly patted himself off and stood back up.

“Again.” His face took on a resolute expression.

“Alright.” Shi Ya raised an eyebrow, nodding.

Xia Tong went through another rotation, and Shi Ya, dodging attacks, noticed his DPS was flagging, as fatigue was setting in. It was clear the Omega still had a long way to go before fully adapting to the intensity of an esports league.

Shi Ya sighed inwardly. Just as before, he attempted to soar upward on his wings when, suddenly, he felt a thick, slowing effect weighing him down. His wings faltered, unable to reach the intended height.

—He was slowed!

Shi Ya’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he cast a protective shield on himself, but with a loud bang, Xia Tong’s Soul Shatter curse hit him, shattering the shield.

A blue light surged from Xia Tong’s staff, triggering a critical effect. The shield Shi Ya cast wasn’t enough to block all the damage from the Soul Shatter, leaving him with a dreaded vulnerability debuff.

Then, as if his cooldowns didn’t exist, Xia Tong cast another spell, Repellent Chant. With the added vulnerability debuff, the elf’s health started to plummet.

Shi Ya hadn’t anticipated this turn of events. Just seconds ago, he had noted Xia Tong’s DPS slowing down, only to find out the mage had been saving his big moves.

The slowdown debuff faded, and Shi Ya’s first instinct was to use his elf’s flight ability to gain distance from the mage. In close range, no amount of healing could save him from Xia Tong’s weapon effects. But with some distance, he’d have a chance to recover.

As the elf took to the air, Xia Tong’s eyes gleamed with a thin, sharp light. Biting his lip—a sign of both concentration and excitement—he sent a pale green curse flying toward Shi Ya mid-air.

Binding Spell!

Shi Ya’s face fell. A greenish light wrapped around him, tightening like a noose, and the elf fell from the sky as if snared.

“Got you!” Xia Tong cheered excitedly, quickly following up with another spell to end the duel. The beautiful male elf collapsed onto the rocky ground, looking utterly defeated.

Xia Tong was beside himself with excitement, bouncing over and planting his hands on his hips in triumph. “Hehe!”

Shi Ya, bound and disheveled, lay there like a captured, helpless beauty. If anyone else had been in Xia Tong’s place, they’d have been flustered. But Xia Tong, world’s most oblivious Omega, was unfazed. Still grinning, he stood proudly, wordlessly seeking praise.

Shi Ya sighed, expressionless. “Amazing, amazing. You’re the best in the world. But don’t you think this conversation feels…off, given our current positions? I’m exhausted.”

“Off?” Xia Tong said, puzzled. He thought about it, deciding that maybe Shi Ya just felt he was too high up, and promptly crouched down to bring their faces closer. “How’s this? Not as tiring?”

Shi Ya: “……”

The male elf squinted, his beautiful eyes gleaming, and suddenly, a flirtatious smile graced his lips.

“Silly thing.” He murmured softly, “So you’re just planning to leave me tied up here, huh? Taking advantage of the situation to… what, torment me?”

“……???”

Thanks to Shi Ya, Xia Tong had just learned a new, fancy-sounding word.

Shi Ya sat up and adjusted his disheveled clothes, glancing at the now-blushing little mage beside him, who was still puzzling over what he’d just heard. While braiding his golden hair, Shi Ya casually asked, “What’s with the formality?”

“No, it’s just… I feel bad,” Xia Tong replied.

“Why? Get used to it. When you’re on the same team, you’ll end up in plenty of training matches and practice rounds like this,” Shi Ya chuckled. “By the way, I haven’t asked—what’s your relationship with Zero, exactly?”

“Good friends,” Xia Tong said.

“How did you two meet?” Shi Ya squinted, curious.

“We met at the hospital,” Xia Tong lowered his head, his fingers fiddling with the knot on his clothes as he recalled, “That day, Zheng Linchuan took me to the hospital for an exam…”

“Who is Zheng Linchuan?”

“Zheng Linchuan was… my former…” Xia Tong licked his lips, seemingly struggling to find the right words for Zheng Linchuan. After a pause, he said quietly, “He’s someone who made me very unhappy. Whatever he asked me to do, I had to do it. I couldn’t disagree, I couldn’t resist… That day, he wanted me to undergo a painful procedure, and I wanted to get anesthesia, but he didn’t allow it.”

“He didn’t let you get anesthesia?” Shi Ya asked, astonished.

“He said anesthesia would have side effects and that I would become an idiot when I had children in the future,” Xia Tong’s face turned pale, “Having children… I never knew that my purpose in their family was to bear children…”

Shi Ya’s eyes gradually filled with anger.

“Such a person…” He was so angry he laughed, his voice sharp. “Using Omega as breeding machines, he’s just a beast.”

“Yeah, Zero said the same thing.” Xia Tong lightly traced circles on his clothes, smiling. “Then I left and went to join Zero!”

“You did the right thing. Even if he contacts you in the future, don’t bother with him, stay as far away as possible,” Shi Ya said lovingly, patting his head. “Omegas should learn to make their own decisions, not just listen to whatever an Alpha says. Many Alphas are just savage trash. Not understanding respect for others shows a lack of upbringing.”

“Shi Ge, you’re so nice.” Xia Tong smiled shyly. “It really seems like everyone who is close to Zero is really nice.”

Shi Ya’s gaze flickered, and he laughed. “If you ever have any problems or questions, you can come to me. I’ve met so many people and can help you distinguish between what’s real and fake.”

“Okay, thank you, Shi Ge.” Xia Tong patted his bottom as he stood up. “I’m going to log off now, Fatty said he’s going to take me out for some good food!”

“Go ahead.” Shi Ya nodded.

—

“…I just told Shi Ge all of that,” Xia Tong leaned against the wall, tilting his head slightly, staring at Lin Mingfei with his bright eyes, without any hint of awkwardness.

From this angle, their breaths came together, mixing in the narrow space, growing warmer. Lin Mingfei could vaguely smell the sweet osmanthus fragrance that emanated from the little Omega’s skin and hair, delicate and rich.

“I… I was just casually asking,” his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand, slightly feeling guilty, turning away and looking elsewhere. “You don’t need to tell me all the details…”

“Zero!” Xia Tong suddenly called him, the little Omega unexpectedly stepping forward and hugging his arm, pressing it to his chest.

Lin Mingfei turned around, incredulous.

“Do you not like me hanging out with Timer?” Xia Tong looked into his eyes, gently but seriously asking.

Lin Mingfei froze for a moment, his heart panicking briefly.

—This little one is starting to catch on. He can now sense the thoughts others reveal… It’s pointless to lie to him.

“A little,” Lin Mingfei shrugged, deciding to admit his jealousy. “But it’s no big deal.”

“No big deal? What do you mean?” Xia Tong became a bit anxious, standing on tiptoe and moving even closer, almost sticking to Lin Mingfei like a little accessory.

“It’s not serious… Actually, you don’t need to care so much about what I think,” Lin Mingfei said. “Just do what makes you happy.”

“How can I not care about your opinion!” Xia Tong stomped his foot, anxious. “You’re very important to me, I don’t want to see you unhappy!”

You’re very important to me.

Lin Mingfei was stunned for a moment, as if someone had poured warm osmanthus syrup into his heart, and he suddenly smiled.

“Why are you laughing again?” Xia Tong didn’t understand. “Your Alphas’ thoughts are so hard to guess! It’s so frustrating!”

Lin Mingfei’s mood lightened because of his words “care,” thinking that maybe he was a little different in Xia Tong’s heart… This little heartthrob really makes people both love and hate him.

“Then don’t guess anymore.” He pinched Xia Tong’s soft cheek, the little thing puffing up like a cute pufferfish. “Come on, let’s go talk about business. He Youjin is probably getting impatient.” He smiled, opening his arms to wrap them around Xia Tong’s shoulders and pushed open the lounge door.

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