1365 The Underestimated Rookie

The match had officially began, but the audience hadn't gotten ready for it yet. No one had recovered from the news that Ye Xiu wasn't playing!

But the first thing each team did when the match began had the entire audience snapping their attention back to the match.

Team Wind Howl, player and account substitution, healer player Ruan Yongbin, Cleric Soul Healer switched out, sixth player Guo Yang, Qi Master Qi Breaker switched in.

Team Happy, player and account substitution, healer player An Wenyi, Cleric Little Cold Hand switched out, sixth player Mo Fan, Deception switched in.

The entire stadium exploded into uproar.

Everyone had gotten used to Wind Howl's new playstyle by now and some even questioned why they even bothered having a healer at all. Of course, this was just sarcasm. Having a healer in their starting lineup added a layer of uncertainty for their opponents. Even though they knew that Wind Howl favored the tactic of switching their sixth player in for a five DPS formation, they would be forced to wonder if the other would really use it.

In addition, a man on man offense was very tiring to keep up. Often times, they still needed a healer behind them to help stabilize the situation, so that was why a lost of people thought Misty Rain too extreme with their six DPS lineup.

In this match, Wind Howl was using their usual play style, but no one had expected that Happy would copy them, throwing their healer out for a DPS the moment the match started.

"Happy… is really too brave!" Pan Lin exclaimed.

Team Wind Howl had rolled through the competition with their playstyle and, until now, no other team had been so resolute, arranging a full DPS formation to counter. This was another huge shock after the first, where everyone realized Ye Xiu wasn't playing.

"But, speaking of, it isn't like Happy hasn't used this playstyle before. Of course, back then their goal wasn't a man on man offense like Wind Howl," Li Yibo brought up.

Pan Lin thought back. It seemed that they really had switched out their healer for their sixth player to maximize DPS before. Happy had utilized this ages ago.

"Then what are they aiming to do this time?" Pan Lin wondered aloud.

"Hm, let's wait and see," Li Yibo said.

Pan Lin rolled his eyes. At a time like this, shouldn't he do some analysis? Li Yibo was just getting worse and worse, pretending that he had nothing to do at times like this.

The two teams charged out. Team Wind Howl split into three groups, two people heading to the left and right flanks. This flank attack was their usual strategy. On their home turf this round, the familiarity of the map had them moving even faster and more decisively.

On the other hand, Happy's five were in a tight group. Never mind scattering, their current position was almost too closely spaced.

"What's Happy trying to do?" Pan Lin's curious and anxious attitude wasn't an act to rouse excitement; he really did want to know. "They switched out their healer for a DPS, but considering this formation, it doesn't seem like they intend to fight man to man!"

"They probably don't," Li Yibo agreed, "If they really were planning on a man on man, then Happy would most likely be at a disadvantage. Team Wind Howl's players are very strong individually, which is what has allowed them to perform so well at this man to man offensive. It's probably not the best idea to face this head on for Happy."

Just as they spoke, the two teams met. For Team Wind Howl, it was Tang Hao, Lin Feng, and Zhao Yuzhe. As for Happy, all their members were present.

Team Happy's movement speed suddenly fell, while Wind Howl continued to charge forward.

Suddenly, there was a poof from Happy and then purple smoke rapidly spread out, immediately enveloping Happy's characters.

"Smoke Bomb! It's Happy's Deception's Smoke Bomb!" Pan Lin yelled. "No wonder Happy's formation was so closely spaced. Were they wanting to use the cover of Smoke Bomb to make their opponents incapable of figuring out the situation?"

Pan Lin yelled out excitedly, as if he had discovered a new continent. However, Li Yibo frowned, deciding against making any hasty judgements. Did they want to break up Wind Howl's man to man with just a Smoke Bomb? That was underestimating their opponents a little too much, wasn't it? That's what Li Yibo thought.

Childish!

On the field, Wind Howl's captain, Tang Hao, looked at Happy's strategy with disdain. Wind Howl had honed their man to man over and over. It wasn't so easy to break.

Smoke Bomb could conceal characters, but it was best for a single character. With five characters, it was a little too much. It was okay if they didn't move, but once they started moving, the smoke would move, too, and then it was a matter if observing the thickness of the smoke to find out where each character was.

Or, they could just ignore the smoke and wait. It wasn't like the smoke from Smoke Bombs would move with the characters. If Happy's five just sat there, by the time the smoke dispersed, they'd still have to fight.

In conclusion, there were too many ways to counter this. If Happy thought that a Smoke Bomb was some sort of amazing counter strategy, then they were far too naive.

"A single Smoke Bomb can't cover for all of them. Destroy them!" Tang Hao ordered, matching their aggressive style perfectly. In addition, he hadn't even bothered to switch to the team chat, sending the message directly into the public chat.

Happy's strategy was honestly embarrassing. Sending the order directly into the public chat would teach them a lesson, and might have them wavering.

Tang Hao didn't rely purely on passion when fighting. As a captain, he knew what he should do.

Wind Howl's team followed his orders, charging forward. By then, Liu Hao's Spellblade, Absent Sun, and Guo Yang's Qi Master, Qi Breaker, had arrived as well, and they acted in perfect sync with the other three. Wind Howl's playstyle was very mature now.

"I'll get rid of their smoke!" Liu Hao yelled into the chat. He was relatively more cautious. Being unable to see Happy's current situation unsettled him a little.

"Together." Guo Yang, on the left, understood his worries as a teammate back from Excellent Era, and coordinated with him. The two mid-range attackers both had AoE attacks, making pincer attacks very satisfying.

Thus, Absent Sun began casting a Wave Sword while Qi Breaker casted to gather Qi energy. Yet that was when a missile shot out of the smoke, trailing flame behind it. Dancing Rain's missile headed straight for Absent Sun, interrupting his cast. On the other flank, the air seemed to have been pierced through by something, leaving behind a chain of transparent ripples.

Qi Blade!

How could Guo Yang not recognize this skill as a Qi Master player? This was Fang Rui's attack, interrupting his.

The two attacks from the flanks had been interrupted, but Tang Hao's Demon Subduer was already charging in from the front, while Lin Feng's Doubtful Demon had activated Stealth, creeping closer. Zhao Yuzhe's Elementalist, seeing the two casts interrupted, didn't bother starting to cast a powerful spell. He jabbed his staff forward and a Raging Flames exploded up amidst Happy's formation. The flames, rising like a volcanic eruption, shot up several meters, but no characters were blasted up by it.

Tang Hao's Demon Subduer had finally gotten within attack range and Lin Feng's Doubtful Demon had closed in successfully with Sealth. Happy's smoke cover now looked like it was boiling over with those attacks, starting to thin.

"Attack!" With Tang Hao's cry, Team Wind Howl began their most practiced divide and conquer!

Ice Wave Sword!

Liu Hao's Absent Sun swept his blade out, frost swept across the ground, tearing into the smoke. The glittering light blue crystals left a clear mark in the purple smoke.

Hit!

Liu Hao saw the crystals hit a target. He didn't know who it was, exactly, but this target would have their speed slowed. Happy's rhythm was, with this, destroyed.

His blade rose once more, this time surrounded by wisps of flame. Fire Wave Sword, the Wave Sword with the strongest attack power, was prepared, but that was when Liu Hao felt something strange with the ground under Absent Sun' feet. He hurriedly stepped away and looked down, yet found that he was unable to take this step. A vine had wrapped itself around Absent Sun' foot.

Devil World Flower!

Liu Hao was stunned for a moment, immediately remembering that one player in Happy's lineup that had replaced Ye Xiu's position. That rookie-like guy called Luo Ji or something, wasn't his class a Summoner?

Summoner...

Summoner

Liu Hao shuddered, suddenly realizing something...

Tyrannical Chain Punch!

Tang Hao's Demon Subduer had lunged into the fray by then. He didn't care who he'd catch. Divide, their goal was to divide, divide up Happy's five characters and isolate them from one another.

Hit!

Demon Subduer crushed his target against the ground with one hand, his other hand crashing forth. The only thing was that it wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be. This target seemed so tiny.

Spirit Cat...

It was a measly Spirit Cat...

Summoner...

Summoner!

Tang Hao finally realized what was going on, but soon enough, two sets of sharp claws had caught Demon Subduer's shoulders. Frost Wolf was biting down on Demon Subduer with a mouth full of chilling energy.

Zhao Yuzhe's Elementalist Beautiful Light began to cast a high level spell after Wind Howl had fully opened up their offensive.

Absolute Zero!

He wanted to use this powerful control skill to throw one of Happy's members out of their formation.

However, in the middle of his casting, an eagle's cry sounded from amidst the purple smoke. A Thunder Eagle shot out from the smoke like a bolt of lightning, arriving in the air above Beautiful Light seemingly in the blink of an eye. It opened its mouth, spitting out a thunderbolt and Zhao Yuzhe was forced to dodge, cancelling his cast.

Not good!

Zhao Yuzhe had realized, too.

This wasn't good at all.

The true goal of the Smoke Bomb wasn't to cover for Happy's five characters, but to cover for Happy's Summoner's summoning. Wind Howl wanted to fight man to man, but with a Summoner, how could they manage? A Summoner meant that there would always be more characters.

A mistake!

They had made a huge mistake.

No one had expected that Happy's rookie would be the key character in their team competition. Summoner! This class was a rather obvious counter to Wind Howl's man to man style, but Wind Howl had neglected to consider him and forgotten to deal with him.

This was only because he was replacing Ye Xiu. Everyone was shocked, but had forgotten to consider what sort of value the person who had been substituted in might have in this team competition.

Forgetting a rookie could be fatal too!