Chapter 295: I'm Listening

While the Players were very familiar with the layout of the fishmen island, all of them were actually heading towards the assembly point they had agreed upon before this stage of the tourney.

That was why the monks were currently topping the leaderboards in points amongst all contestants, followed closely by the wyvern knights of the Temple of Glory-although the gap was widening. It was not to say that the wyvern knights of the God of War were weaker than the monks of the God of Light.

In fact, believers of the God of War would always outclass believers of the God of Light in combat ability even if they were on the same level, and could even take two of them at once.

The problem, however, was the difference in their training. In the last round, most of the wyvern knights who were heavily conditioned for combat had fallen victim to traps repetitively, causing their morale to crumble to the brink of breaking apart. Even if Terry and Jom had helped them in the end so that they could reach the next round, not many of them managed to survive.

On the other hand, the monk’s daily training revolves around endurance and weathering through pain to hone their spirit. Therefore, even though they set off equally more traps compared to the wyvern knights, their mentality remained stable, and they could remain unfettered as they faced one trap after another.

That was why they had the least casualties in the first round, which in turn secured them a strong advantage when the second round started!

One might even say that since the Players had yet to make an effort and with far less men compared to the monks, it was already a miracle that the wyvern knights could still keep up with the first teeth and hold on steadily on second place.

This would have lasted until the Players were gathered and began their show.

But circumstances had suddenly changed…

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“I can’t feel the Ocean Goddess’s eyes anymore…”

Xi Wei muttered quietly even as he stretched out his senses throughout the fishmen island through his believers.

It appeared that the Ocean Goddess had been traumatized considerably after she had tried to wreak havoc on land in the last divine war, only to be ganged up by several other gods and pummeled back beneath the sea. This time, she was already scared off when a bunch of believers from different faiths came to the island—the other gods didn’t even have to show up!

Still, she was not to be blamed for being that scared.

After all, there was no faction that held an event like the Twin City Cup. At best, it was two or three allied factions having a banquet to celebrate… and in the Ocean Goddess’s knowledge, the humans of this world were not that bored that they would go to an island and slay a dragon to celebrate.

That being said, some might wonder that since the Ocean Goddess was more or less a god who was only next to the Seven Divine Fathers in power. With minor churches participating in the Twin City Cup as well, wouldn’t some of her believers at least be aware of the event even if she wasn’t?

It was therefore only a pity to say that she really wasn’t aware, and she only had herself to blame for not accepting human believers… “Well, this was the right move.”

Xi Wei stroked himself at a spot that was supposed to be chin. “And the Ocean Goddess might misunderstand that I have good relations with other gods, and wouldn’t make a move for the time being.”

In fact, Xi Wei was trying to put on airs and intimidate the Ocean Goddess for a bit with the believers of other gods, although it proved too effective and scared off her off entirely.

Therefore, the Twin City Cup was worth Xi Wei’s resources if only because it managed to buy precious time for him to develop.

And after the Ocean Goddess, the only other god who would come looking for trouble was the Skull God. In comparison, the shut-in that was the Prince of Darkness would only come looking for him if he noticed Xi Wei’s tricks, or he wouldn’t come bother Xi Wei over a noob evil god like the Rotten Bones.

Moreover, no matter how one went about it, the Prince of Darkness—one of the Seven Divine Fathers—would be discrediting himself if he came personally to bother a newbie like Xi Wei.

Even if the Skull God who was more likely to show up on Xi Wei’s doorstep was stronger than him, Xi Wei himself hadn’t been goofing around. His ability had increased exponentially to the point that he wouldn’t be instakilled in a direct confrontation, and it wouldn’t be a problem as long as he could hold on until the Great Lion rushed to the scene and crush the Skull God.

While Rotten Bones had been an evil god and therefore a natural enemy to Aslan, the God of Justice, the Great Lion wouldn’t bother the Skull God since he was more or less neutral. However, if the Skull God remained obsessed with settling the score over Rotten Bones’ death and attacked Xi Wei, the Great Lion would have every reason to help his ally and destroy the Skull God.

Furthermore, Xi Wei had the feeling that the Church of Games would become known across the north when the Twin City Cup concludes. They wouldn’t have to work in secret like they did in the beginning, and the number of believers could increase exponentially.

When that time comes, he might be able to earn a huge wave of divine energy or even make a breakthrough, freeing himself from the label of newbie with the chance of ascending as an Intermediate God.

“Hmmm?”

Just as Xi Wei was looking forward to his beautiful future, he suddenly noticed that something not quite peaceful was happening at the tourney.

***

Two groups were in the midst of a standoff over a cliff-one group being the monks of the Brilliant White Church and the other being a group of Players led by Zonyan.

“I had assumed that the Church of Games was keeping quiet, so imagine my surprise when I found that it is such a blasphemous religion!” The leader of the monk was glaring at Zonyan’s party, his old and stiff face showing indignation—the most emotion he had shown thus far in the tourney. “Accepting even a deviant wildling like you as a believer… how disappointing!” Zonyan frowned.

It appeared that the monk was a zealot of the human-only doctrine who considered all humanoids and nonhumans deviants.

Vulcan, who was standing behind Zohan glowered at the monk’s spat and was about to retort, only to be stopped by Zonyan.

After all, there were such people back in the Western Continent as well— Zonyan had personally encountered them as their chief-in-waiting of the Grayclaw tribe Therefore, he was aware that no words would work against them.

Right now, his group had yet to assemble with the other players, meaning that there was only him, Vulcan, Joey, and Laybit (whose Player System was incomplete). On the other hand, the group of monks averaged at Level 30, and after taking into consideration that they possess sacred arts, they probably were no different from elite monsters.To put it in simple terms, Zonyan’s group wouldn’t win against them.

Sure, the Players could revive, but being in a tourney and without a Cleric, Holy Lancer or Reviving Armor equipped (a new and very expensive item available from the System Shop) that enabled instant resurrection, they would be disqualified because they were revived at the Lifestone even if they had a Resurrection Ankh with them.

And Zonyan wouldn’t go so far to have his team be eliminated from the tourney just because he saw red.

“You there, beast!” The monk appeared even more upset when Zonyan said nothing, and started yelling. “Listen here—”

But in the next split second, the Night Tide Dragon leapt out of the seas and bit off the entire upper body of the monk, before swiftly slipping beneath the waves once again.

Both Zonyan’s party and the monks were speechless.

Zonyan kept quiet for half a beat, staring at the monk’s legs that were still left over the cliff and shrugged.

“I’m listening.”