Chapter 30 - Strongly Defeated
This time, the Vermillion Bird Team squared off against the Nine-headed Snake Team in Crossfire, a game that's taken the nation by storm.
Death God excelled at sniping, Huang Shouren at stealth attacks, and Ning Xuan thrived in direct combat.
While Taishi Xiu was competent at both sniping and stealth, he wasn't top-tier in either category.
This led to the Vermillion Bird Team's back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Nine-headed Snake Team. Another loss would tarnish their esteemed reputation.
“No one is irreplaceable,” Taishi Xiu declared icily.
With Tattooed Dragon's arrogance on full display, Taishi Xiu had no intention of pulling his punches.
“Let's see if you can back up those words,” Tattooed Dragon retorted coolly.
“That's if you've got the skills,” Taishi Xiu shot back, only to be silenced by Death God's firm hand on his shoulder and a whispered caution, “Don't let your temper get the best of you.”
Tattooed Dragon was ranked just below Death God, who himself wasn't entirely sure he could secure a win against him.
And Taishi Xiu? He was over a hundred ranks below Death God.
“I'll handle this,” Ye Hao chimed in, grinning.
Tattooed Dragon gave a dismissive shake of his head. “You must be joking.”
“Looks like your buddy here is a bit of a coward,” Ye Hao remarked, glancing at Huang Shouren.
With a dark look, Huang Shouren replied, “Tattooed Dragon, since he's so full of himself, why don't you put him in his place?”
“Fine,” Tattooed Dragon conceded reluctantly.
He had no interest in challenging Ye Hao initially.
But with Huang Shouren's command, Tattooed Dragon had no choice but to comply.
Ning Xuan's room housed four state-of-the-art computer setups.
Ye Hao picked one at random and settled in.
Admiring the luxury mechanical keyboard, he ran his fingers over it and noted, “Mechanical keyboards really are superior to the standard ones.”
“Country bumpkin,” Tattooed Dragon scoffed, watching Ye Hao's appreciation for the keyboard.
Ye Hao just chuckled nonchalantly.
“Do you really think this country boy can take you down in the game?” Ye Hao locked eyes with Tattooed Dragon, challenging him.
Tattooed Dragon found the notion laughable. “Aside from the elite top ten, no one else stands a chance.”
Tattooed Dragon's words weren't without merit.
After all, he was ranked among the top hundred for his strength, and he excelled at stealth and assassination.
“You can pick any map you like,” Tattooed Dragon declared with a hint of arrogance.
A gaming master like him knew every map inside out.
“We'll head to the White House.” In Crossfire, Ye Hao was only familiar with a handful of maps, far from mastering any.
Ye Hao thought to himself, “Since Tattooed Dragon is so full of himself, I'll take him down a notch.”
Picking up a submachine gun, Ye Hao charged towards Tattooed Dragon's base, leaving Ning Xuan and the others wide-eyed in disbelief.
They wondered, “Is he crazy? Isn't he afraid of getting sniped?”
Ye Hao didn't even try to evade; he looked like a complete rookie.
Taishi Xiu couldn't bear to watch.
He was absolutely certain that Ye Hao was going to be taken out with ease.
But as Ye Hao stormed into Tattooed Dragon's base, he caught a glimpse of a shadow darting on the second floor. A crisp gunshot then rang through his earpiece.
Taishi Xiu braced for the sight of Ye Hao's defeat.
Instead, a gasp of astonishment filled the air as Ye Hao swiftly sidestepped the bullet. In the same fluid motion, he fired back.
A single shot rang out, and Tattooed Dragon hit the floor.
The crowd erupted in shock.
Tattooed Dragon sprang to his feet, demanding, “How did you do that?”
He was dumbfounded.
He couldn't fathom how Ye Hao had managed to evade the bullet in such a brief moment.
What Tattooed Dragon didn't realize was that as the gunshot sounded, Ye Hao had instantly used his ability to slow down time for everyone else.
The scene before Ye Hao stretched out, slowed to twelve times its normal speed.
It gave him ample time to dodge Tattooed Dragon's bullet and land a lethal shot.
Ning Xuan's face lit up with surprise.
Even she might not have been able to dodge under those conditions.
But Ye Hao had not only dodged; he had also taken down Tattooed Dragon.
It was as if the whole thing had been choreographed.
But that was impossible.
“First shot,” Ye Hao said, grinning at Tattooed Dragon.
“I was careless just now,” Tattooed Dragon said with a cold huff.
Ye Hao wore a smile, yet inside, he was reeling from shock.
His reaction speed had improved manifold from before, but even so, he had been bested by Tattooed Dragon in their last exchange.
Ye Hao knew without his ability to decelerate, evading Tattooed Dragon's lethal strike would have been impossible.
Truly, professional gamers are a force to be reckoned with.
With that thought, Ye Hao prepared for the second round, charging towards Tattooed Dragon's base just as he had previously.
They had pegged Ye Hao as a rookie, but their perceptions were rapidly changing.
“Ye Hao is doing this intentionally,” Death God said with a chuckle.
“He's taunting Tattooed Dragon. Ye Hao storms into his defense zone utterly unguarded, and yet Tattooed Dragon can't lay a finger on him,” Taishi Xiu added, laughing.
Suddenly, two gunshots echoed simultaneously throughout the room.
The next instant, Tattooed Dragon stood up, his face etched with astonishment as he stared at Ye Hao.
It had to have been Tattooed Dragon who fired first, but somehow, he was the one who ended up dead.
“Could he have the ability to anticipate moves?” Tattooed Dragon wondered.
“Calm yourself, Tattooed Dragon,” Huang Shouren commanded sternly.
After taking three deep breaths, Tattooed Dragon settled down quietly.
But as Ye Hao easily dispatched him yet again, any semblance of calm shattered.
The competition seemed pointless now.
One time could be luck, but five? That was a testament to Ye Hao's prowess.
“This unremarkable man before me is undoubtedly a master,” Tattooed Dragon thought.
“Who exactly are you?” Tattooed Dragon demanded, fixing his gaze on Ye Hao. “Of the Ten Great Kings, there are three I've yet to meet: Azure Dragon, Angel, and Azure Blade.”
“Are you Azure Blade?” Tattooed Dragon's suspicion that Ye Hao was Azure Blade stemmed from his penchant for direct combat.
Ye Hao remained noncommittal, simply stating, “The match isn't over yet.”
“What's the use of going on?” Tattooed Dragon retorted, tossing his headphones aside in frustration. “Am I destined to be continuously killed by you?”
Seeing that Tattooed Dragon had conceded, Ye Hao didn't press the issue.
“Everyone, please leave,” Ning Xuan instructed at that moment.
Huang Shouren cast a dark glance at Ye Hao before turning to depart.
“You're very quick to react,” Ning Xuan remarked once Taishi Xiu and the rest had gone.
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