TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 86

The official server maintenance came without warning, forcing Polaris’s evening training to a halt. The other veteran “old dogs” all looked used to it and even seemed to relish the unexpected half-day of leisure. Only Xia Tong was a bit anxious. He had just gone on the forum to search through some personal interviews of MM-dou, the wizard player from Shadow Team. In one interview, MM-dou mentioned some playstyles he personally liked, including a control build: replacing the weapon’s attack enchantments with control-type enchantments that had a chance to slow, while sacrificing part of the defensive stats in exchange for attributes that reduce skill cooldowns.

Everyone said MM-dou was a bizarre, burst-type wizard. Who would have thought that in the past he had tried all kinds of builds as well, including control and sustain builds? Generally speaking, top-tier wizard players only choose the style that suits them best after mastering every build, and they pay an enormous amount of effort along the way—it’s not the product of overnight genius.

Xia Tong felt this mindset was worth learning from, and he wanted to give it a try too.

The key to this build lay in the control-type enchantments on the weapon, which required completing a series of quests and killing monsters to obtain.

So Xia Tong endured a long, agonizing wait. The moment the official maintenance ended—before any announcement even went out—he couldn’t wait to log back into the game.

Although the game itself was accessible again, the streaming plugin still wouldn’t open. But Xia Tong had never been the least bit interested in attracting fans through streaming anyway, so he simply checked some guides on his own and headed toward the target map.

At this time, the in-game time in King’s Tomb was synchronized with real-world time. The night was quiet. As he crawled out of a cave, he saw starlight and moonlight spilling over a mountain ravine, tree shadows swaying. A figure in a pointed hood stood there, holding a long staff as well—clearly another wizard.

Xia Tong thought that since they were on the same map at the same spot, the other person was probably here for the same quest chain. Teaming up would make things twice as efficient, right? So he called out enthusiastically, “Hey! Friend, you—”

Before he could finish, the person bent low and stepped out from beneath a clump of shadows, and the game ID above his head was revealed.

SabertoothTiger_goblin.

Xia Tong’s expression froze, and his mouth did a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn: “—You stay far away from me!”

Goblin lifted his eyes and noticed Xia Tong. When old acquaintances meet, hostility flares easily. Seeing the little guy react as if he’d seen a ghost, Goblin’s irritation was like a spark landing in dry kindling—it whooshed into flames.

Goblin still remembered the first time he met Xia Tong. Back then, Xia Tong was running the Snowfield Palace dungeon with Zhou Yanjun and Bo Yu. They’d gone to steal mobs out of sheer boredom, trying to show off. He’d even told Dylan that this little wizard had a nicely sculpted face—totally his type—and that he’d ask for the face data later, add him as a friend, maybe even teach this pretty little brother how to play wizard…

…and then they were promptly beaten into “little brothers” by the pretty little brother.

And now it was even worse—Xia Tong had directly become a wizard on the opposing team. Goblin felt indescribably stifled. The psychological gap spanned the Pacific Ocean, shattering his pride as an Alpha and a player from a top team, mixed in with some other feelings he couldn’t quite put into words.

But there was one upside to it all…

At least it proved that Blink’s face wasn’t face data—it was his own face.

…Why did all the good-looking ones end up at Polaris? Was the water and soil there just that nourishing?

“Hey! Blink, don’t run!” Goblin blurted out, striding forward to block Xia Tong’s path.

Xia Tong had short legs; two of his steps couldn’t match one of Goblin’s leaps. He stopped immediately. The little wizard wasn’t the same naïve idiot he used to be. He took a cautious step back and said, “What are you doing! You’re not allowed to come any closer!”

“If I do come closer, what are you going to do about it?” Goblin’s malice flared. Not only did he not retreat, he even stepped closer.

Xia Tong didn’t move. He stared at Goblin for two seconds, then let his eyelids droop. Unexpectedly, he turned and simply walked around him, continuing on his way, his tone helpless and faintly pitying. “You’re really boring.”

Goblin: “……”

This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go!! Under normal circumstances, shouldn’t this little thing be so scared he fell on his butt, trembling and begging for mercy? Or at the very least, getting angry and using skills on him, only to be effortlessly defeated and end up trembling on the ground begging for mercy?

What was this feeling of being forgiven?!

Goblin felt even more stifled. He stubbornly chased after him again, just about to speak, when he heard Xia Tong say slowly, “Are you farming ‘Bude’an’s Heartblood’? Want to do it together?”

“?”

Goblin froze for two seconds, successfully led astray. “I’m not farming that. I have it, I just don’t feel like using it.”

“Oh, then bye.” Xia Tong said.

“What are you farming that for?” To walk alongside Xia Tong, Goblin had to slow down, shuffling forward in tiny steps—and oddly enough, he didn’t even find it awkward.

“Obviously to use for gearing! What, am I supposed to eat it?” Xia Tong snapped.

Goblin: “……Why do I feel like the way you talk is getting more and more like Zero?” After a pause, he resumed his usual haughty demeanor, crossing his arms. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to play some kind of control wizard. I’ve said it before—wizards aren’t meant to be played like that. Wizards like you who only know how to dodge around have no future. What is a wizard? The team’s main DPS, the burst damage point. Control is for your melee teammates. You’ve got it completely backwards.”

“Who says a wizard can only ever be a burst damage point…?” Xia Tong argued unhappily. “I think—”

“Look at MM-dou! He’s a burst-type wizard.”

“Are you MM-dou? Am I MM-dou?” Xia Tong thought of the fear of being dominated by MM-dou in the arena the other day, and his mood immediately soured. He said indignantly, “Why copy other people all the time? What suits them doesn’t necessarily suit you best!”

“Anyway, it’s definitely the strongest!” Goblin retorted stubbornly.

“I’m done talking to you. There’s no point—you won’t understand anyway. Move aside. Stop blocking me from doing my quest.” Xia Tong couldn’t be bothered with this grand wizard who was always trying to lecture him. He tossed his small head and stomped off in a huff.

Goblin stared intently at his profile. Under the moonlight’s outline, the little wizard’s face glowed with a silvery sheen—full and lustrous, carrying an otherworldly, unearthly aura. His brows, the bridge of his nose, his lips—all were as exquisitely carved as the finest white marble, perfectly proportioned without a single flaw. Yet his eyelashes were unusually dark and thick; with a single flutter they looked like swallowtail butterflies in the night, their wing tips scratching at Goblin’s heart, leaving it itchy and restless.

So this is what an omega is like… Goblin’s heart raced wildly. How could someone be so bewitching, beautiful like a little immortal?

A flicker of tree shadow passed over Xia Tong’s clear, translucent eyes as his gaze shifted. He looked at Goblin in confusion. “Why are you still following me?”

Goblin didn’t even know why his useless legs kept chasing after Xia Tong.

“I… I’ve actually always been kind of curious,” he said, trying to sound casual. “Why would an omega like you come play professionally?”

Xia Tong’s big eyes narrowed, his displeasure spilling out unmistakably.

“What do you mean, ‘an omega like me’? What’s wrong with omegas? Did omegas eat your family’s rice?” he demanded, pouting angrily.

“No, I didn’t mean omegas—” Goblin panicked at being snapped at and hurriedly corrected himself. “I mean you, someone like you—”

“What about me? What about me! Did I eat your family’s rice?!” That “correction” only made things worse. Xia Tong grew even angrier and stomped hard on the ground.

“Sigh—what I mean is… why don’t you just stay at home and enjoy a comfortable life! Why insist on coming out here to compete in full-dive esports with alphas?” Goblin finally blurted everything out at lightning speed before Xia Tong could explode.

Xia Tong stopped talking. His grape-black eyes fixed on Goblin as he stared at him for more than ten seconds.

Goblin then added, recklessly courting death, “Of course, I’m not saying you’re bad. Actually, I’m praising you. A cute little omega like you must have tons of people chasing after you, right? Pick someone from a good family, get married, have kids. Go shopping every day, drink afternoon tea—how easy and comfortable life would be! Why bother competing with us alphas? Not to mention, even if you fight to the death you might not win, and if you lose you’ll just get flamed. What do you even get out of it?”

Xia Tong slowly bared a row of small white teeth. To Goblin, he looked exactly like the fluffy, snow-white, sweet Pomeranian he kept at home. Every time Goblin stole a dog biscuit right out of its mouth, the little white dog would show the same milk-fierce expression—completely lacking any real intimidation. Goblin never felt afraid; in fact, he always wanted to reach out and pat its little head.

Thinking that, Goblin did exactly that. Just as he raised his hand toward the top of Xia Tong’s head, he heard Xia Tong stretch out his words in fury:

“That kind of life is the worst! You and Zheng Linchuan are the same kind of people!!! I hate you all!! Go—to—hell—!!”

Before Goblin could even process the confusion of “Who the hell is Zheng Linchuan, and why am I suddenly the same kind of person as him,” he heard the terrifying crackling explosions erupt from the tip of Xia Tong’s ice-crystal, special-effects staff.

“Holy shit, you’re serious?!” Goblin blurted out, sensing danger. “I’m warning you, I’m only not fighting back because you’re small and an omega, don’t push me—”

“Boom.”

High above the spotless night sky, an enormous mushroom cloud blossomed.

Feel free to buy me a coffee/show your support on ko-fi! Thank you ❤