Translator: Larbre Studio
Editor: Larbre Studio
After confirming that the Botanist was a far more headache-inducing profession than he had imagined, Ye Chen did not rush to begin his Arena Battles. Instead, he turned and headed for the Titan Megacity’s Trade Area.
“Looking for Level 50 Premium Gold-Tier Knight Armour. Just PM me, I have all the gold you need!”
“Selling Level 20 potions cheaply. Around 25 Poison Resistance, slightly lower than the store’s antidote but cheaper as well. If you want it, quickly, PM me now!”
…
The Trade Area was booming with life and energy. Ye Chen shopped for around half an hour and spent 30 gold on a full set of equipment. Then, he returned to the Arena.
Putting on his new equipment, Ye Chen’s appearance took a 180-degree change. His profession as a Botanist was wholly unrecognizable. Scanning through his equipment, one would realize that not a single piece was made for mages. Furthermore, the weapon he held in his hands was not a staff, but a short dagger.
Sharp Dagger (Bronze): General Equipment, Physical Attack 7~11, Magic Attack 8~12, Strength +3, Minimum Level 10.
Within the game, some general equipment existed. These items had weaker attributes than the profession-locked equipment at the same level. However, the biggest perk was that it was usable by all professions. The sharp dagger was one of these items. Additionally, Ye Chen had changed all of his equipment to general equipment intending to boost this physical attack and strength.
“A Botanist using Physical Attacks… I bet I am the only one ever… hehe.” Brandishing his sharp dagger in front of him, Ye Chen smirked at that thought.
“Connect to the Virtual Arena, begin random battles!” Ye Chen said the command, as excitement surged through his veins. He could not wait to see the other adventurers’ expression when this dagger-wielding Botanist sliced at them.
One hundred victories, this mission was much like the other Arena missions. To prevent cheating, the participants were not allowed to choose their opponent, and the matching process was decided by the system.
Soon, the view in front of Ye Chen blurred, and in the next instant, he was in a mountainous region.
“The Arena battle begins in 5 seconds, please make your preparations. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, START!”
As the countdown ended, Ye Chen could finally regain control of his body. Immediately, he planted an Iron-Armored Willow seed before leisurely sauntering towards the map center.
For Arena Battles, a typical 1 vs 1 battle would only last for five minutes. Should both parties be unable to kill each other within this timespan, the system would weigh the various components of the battle before deciding the victor. The chances of a tie were nonexistent.
There were two attributes considered: the time spent in the center of the map and the amount of damage dealt on the opponent. Between the two, the first factor was more critical. As such, many adventurers rushed at breakneck speed to the center once the battle began. Should the adventurer not enter the center of the map by the end of the third minute, it would be an automatic loss.
Despite that, Ye Chen was taking his own sweet time as he strolled to the center region. He knew that his opponent would be zooming over or even had reached by now. After all, arriving first and not being killed would definitely secure their victory after five minutes. However, Ye Chen was not in a hurry. The Iron-Armored Willow needed time to grow, reaching too early would not place the tide in his favor.
After a good long minute, Ye Chen finally appeared in the center region.
Another Warrior Adventurer had long been waiting there. He was standing guard in the center of a large clearing. A sense of familiarity sprouted within both of them as their gazes met. With his superior memory, Ye Chen immediately recognized him.
“Wow, Brother, your wish came true.” Ye Chen laughed at the Warrior.
This Warrior was none other than the man who mocked Ye Chen by the stairwell at the Hero’s Arena. While one can’t avoid one’s enemies, Ye Chen had not expected to meet this man who called him a “pathetic Botanist” in his first match.
“Oh? Aren’t you the Botanist? What’s up with the messed up equipment?” As expected, the Warrior recognized him and gave him the condescending scowl again.
“Yeah, I’m a Botanist.”
“Then why are your equipment, neither fish nor fowl?” The Warrior’s interest was piqued. Ye Chen’s equipment was just Level 10, and all of it was Bronze Equipment, barely better than the lowest quality White Equipment.
“More convenient for killing. A Botanist is more swag with this stuff.” Ye Chen smirked.
“Fuck you! Who will believe such nonsense?” The Warrior’s in-game name was “Illicit Relations.” As he heard Ye Chen’s words and saw that feeble and frail appearance, he naturally assumed that Ye Chen was lying. Without hesitation, he leaped into action, mercilessly sweeping his blade at Ye Chen.
What? He dodged it?
Illicit Relations was stunned. As though Ye Chen was a prophet, he sidestepped the moment the attack started. By the time the slash landed, he was outside the attacking range. What was more shocking for Illicit Relations was the counterattack. Right after Ye Chen ducked out of range, he circled around with marvelous footwork and closed back in. With that odd-looking dagger, he cleanly sliced across.
13!
…
Two minutes later, the battle had ended. Engulfed in gloom and dissatisfaction, Illicit Relations returned to the Arena.
“HAHA! Illicit, I won again! How ’bout ya?”
Illicit Relation’s Mage companion skipped across and chirped in elation.
“Lost.”
“Oh? What profession is your opponent? Very strong?” That reply took the Mage by surprise. Illicit Relation was quite a powerful ranker within the Arena.
“A Botanist.”
“Wh…What? Botanist?!!” The Mage’s eyes widened three-folds. He doubted his ears. After all, weak was an understatement for a low-level Botanist, and that was a well-known fact. This was true unless the Botanist had Godly equipment.
“That fella is the one we met at the entrance. He should still be in his PKs. Search his user and watch his battles, you will understand. His name is Page of Lingering Dust.”
Illicit Relations did not say anything else and searched up Ye Chen’s username within the viewing rooms.
Piqued, the Mage also quickly searched through the viewing rooms. As expected, Page of Lingering Dust was in another battle.
The battle had just begun, barely two minutes had passed. Then, the Mage turned to Illicit Relations as his facial muscles twitched in sync. “This guy… is a Botanist?”
“Duh? Didn’t you see the Iron-Armored Willow?” Illicit Relations snapped.
Well, it was not the Mage’s fault for questioning his eyes. Even Illicit Relations could not believe that Ye Chen was a Botanist.
Soon after, the two of them gave up entering the virtual Arena. Battle after battle, they stood in the viewing room to watch all of Ye Chen’s matches.
“What the heck? He’s on a 40 match streak!”
Initially, the Botanist was clad in a bunch of random general equipment charging at his enemy professionally with a dagger. Then, in the next instant, he was clad in the cloth armor of a Botanist. With a swing of his staff, a ray of Withering Light flashed across. As pain and damage ravaged the escaping opponent, the face of the spectating Mage grimaced in shock and second-hand pain.
After one and a half hours, the duo had watched 40 consecutive matches. Ye Chen’s raw power and skill had them mentally prostrate themselves in front of this dagger-wielding Botanist.
Inhuman predictive abilities! Speedy and accurate Instantaneous Equipment Shifts! Once he closes in, death awaits!
“FUCK! What the heck is this guy doing as a Botanist? He will be peerless as an Assassin!”
Forty matches in, the spectators within the Virtual Room were no longer just the two of them. There were close to thirty other adventurers watching this Botanist who had won yet another match with almost full health. They cursed as they watched on.
“Running with your tail between your legs after being slashed by a Botanist’s dagger? Shame! Utter shame on you!”
Alas, all of them present were the victims and losers who suffered a crushing defeat under that same dagger. Under the sharp blade coupled with the Iron-Armored Willow and Withering Light, they were chopped mercilessly until they ran. Yet, running was not an option. The moment that fact dawned on them, they were either already butchered and dismembered or powdered into dust under the Withering Light.
Stricken by shame and disbelief, they had all stormed into his room in a fit of fury. Who knew that they would end up speechless in the face of Ye Chen’s raw strength?
As they watched on, they could feel their mind go blank. All words to describe this scene had left.
A dagger-wielding Botanist was unprecedented. This was a being that should not exist in this same world as them. The whole crowd could not place their fingers on this. Why would an adventurer of this prowess choose this headache and pain-inducing profession? Did he really just wish to enjoy the adrenaline of choosing despair on others with a dagger?
Losing to a Botanist in close combat… While he was extraordinarily powerful, it was shameful. Everyone was mortified, traumatized even. They could not live with this shame. Deep down, they yearned for someone to avenge them. Alas, things were not going well. Match after match, the only thing that changed was the increasing number of consecutive win streaks that Ye Chen had. Within a short three minutes, all of the potions ran out, and the opponents got butchered or powdered.
Within the Arena, the potions were different from the outside ones. Adventurers within Level 10 to 20 were only given 10 HP and MP potions. Once they were used up, there were no more.
“He won again! Ninety win streak! Oh gods above and below, is there really no one to clean up this man for us?” As the opponent fell to the ground once again, a peal of cries echoed.
At this point in time, the virtual viewing room was packed with more than 400 spectators. Commonly, an arena better of Level 10 Adventurers were neglected, and no news would be spread. To accumulate such numbers in a low-level arena was incredible.
A voice murmured silently within the noisy channel, “I’ve called the Queen of the Night.”
Suddenly, all chatters seemed to be sucked into a void.
“That Queen that set the more than 200 in streak? That Queen of the Night?” Within the channel, another voice softly whispered within the silence.