You can tell that the holographic media is deliberately stirring things up. In a short period, interviews of several elite guilds have flooded various corners of the internet. Among these videos, without exception, each concludes with their stance on Seven Silver Coins. This undoubtedly propelled the name of Seven Silver Coins to resurface, followed by intensified skepticism.
It’s understandable that netizens would develop a rebellious attitude. If it weren’t for the fact that their side truly didn’t invest money, even Jiang Shi himself, while watching this overwhelming coverage, couldn’t help but suspect if someone was orchestrating this behind the scenes.
However, regardless of how intense the online uproar is, the competition results often hold the most persuasive power.
The first stage of Nianhua Cup has officially ended, and the top two teams from each zone have gathered to vie for the top four spots in the second stage.
It’s well-known that the second stage of Nianhua Cup tends to be an entirely different world compared to the initial stage.
Teams that have fought through their respective zones and are now pitted against each other in the same map see a significant elevation in their opponents’ skill levels.
Although Seven Silver Coins usually appear laid-back, once they get serious, they never underestimate their opponents. During regular training, they even spared time for a tactical analysis meeting, thoroughly examining the remaining eight guilds competing in the second stage.
Among these, Nightwalkers and Iron Monolith undoubtedly stand out as the most noteworthy teams. Meanwhile, Rainy Night, Bright Dawn, and Sky’s Limit have also shown exceptional performances in this edition.
After the meeting ended, as Jiang Shi stepped out, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Turning around, he met Han Yuze’s amused gaze and blinked, “What’s up?”
Han Yuze replied, “Just remembered something interesting.”
Jiang Shi asked, “Oh?”
Han Yuze smiled, “Do you remember whose hands you snatched the first wild boss from after your return?”
Jiang Shi couldn’t quite recall. After pondering for a moment, he only found a vague image and uncertainly responded, “Could it be…?”
Han Yuze nodded, “It was them.”
Pausing for a moment, Han Yuze suppressed a chuckle and patted Jiang Shi’s shoulder, “But as a seasoned professional guild, Nightwalkers shouldn’t hold grudges publicly, well, they shouldn’t.”
“…”
Jiang Shi remained silent for a while before speaking again, “Do you ever feel like I’ve managed to offend someone almost everywhere I go in this game?”
Han Yuze replied, “Indeed, isn’t that just basic gameplay?”
The term “basic gameplay” immediately quenched Jiang Shi’s fleeting desire to retract his words.
He rubbed his chin, instantly agreeing, “Right, it’s indeed basic gameplay. Without offending anyone, this online game loses its fun.”
As for whether Nightwalkers would seek retribution, Jiang Shi had no intention of dwelling on it further.
As the saying goes, cross the bridge when you come to it. Things that haven’t happened yet should be addressed when they officially occur.
Jiang Shi’s mood instantly calmed.
Seeing that Han Yuze hadn’t left yet, Jiang Shi raised an eyebrow, “If there’s nothing else, care for some duo matches in the arena?”
“Sure, but before we go, there’s something else,” Han Yuze said.
Jiang Shi asked, “What?”
Han Yuze gazed directly at him, “Have you noticed there’s something you’ve been neglecting lately?”
Jiang Shi replied, “Huh?”
Han Yuze continued, “You’ve been so focused on training; shouldn’t you occasionally arrange something like a date, busy man?”
Jiang Shi had indeed been mindful of the number of days since he last met Han Yuze offline, but he hadn’t expected this person to be so eager to come over directly.
A brief flash of a smile crossed his features as he cleared his throat, “Actually, I was planning to wait until the end of Nianhua Cup, but now, does it seem like it’s been a bit too long?”
Han Yuze, not one to advise pushing it, casually responded, “Definitely too long.”
“So, I’ve decided…” Jiang Shi glanced up at him, “If this stage progresses smoothly, we can consider arranging something.”
Han Yuze caught the implied flexibility in Jiang Shi’s words, “And if it doesn’t?”
Jiang Shi chuckled, “Then, a farewell dinner could be arranged.”
The statement sounded flawless, but Han Yuze had been merely following Jiang Shi’s lead. Now, his tone remained as indifferent as ever, “The chances of it not progressing smoothly are close to zero. So, considering all that, I think it’s time to consider a venue for our date these days.”
Amidst the anticipation of the audience, the second stage of Nianhua Cup finally commenced.
Due to the previous media frenzy, during the commencement of the second stage, the entirely new team, Seven Silver Coins, received the highest attention. Judging from the viewer count in the main live stream room alone, they easily surpassed the other top eight teams by several times. Even the Nightwalkers, a seasoned professional team in the Century Cup, felt inferior.
Sometimes, humans are especially rebellious creatures.
The higher the support for Seven Silver Coins, the more people anticipate witnessing their downfall. During the pre-match warm-up, the barrage of comments in the live stream was filled with fans and detractors gearing up for confrontation.
As the second phase began, the official commentary lineup received an upgrade, shifting from a solo commentator to a duo.
Yet, the focus remained on one of these two.
Interacting with his co-commentator on one side and paying attention to the lively barrage of comments in the chat, the seasoned commentator, Taozi, felt somewhat conflicted.
No wonder there’s an old saying, “Black and red are still red.”
In the lineup of this year’s Nianhua Cup, Night Walkers, a team Taozi was quite familiar with, had been a steady professional team in the Century Cup. Despite their decent performances over the years, building up a considerable fan base step by step, they now seemed unable to match the spotlight on Seven Silver Coins, a brand-new team making its debut in the tournament.
Becoming famous often involves some mystical factors, which can be rather poignant.
As the maps for the competition were displayed to the audience, the top eight teams were randomly placed at the initial respawn points on the map.
These teams, emerging victorious from the ranks of many, displayed a noticeably different rhythm from the first phase right from the start of the match.
The eight teams quickly adjusted their formations and commenced coordinated advances, displaying a professional demeanor reminiscent of the Century Cup.
Taozi hadn’t realized it himself, but from the start, his attention had subconsciously fixated on Seven Silver Coins.
With a tone filled with surprise, he began, “Perhaps due to the transition into the second phase, Seven Silver Coins haven’t adopted a completely dispersed tactical arrangement in today’s match. This kind of arrangement indirectly reflects the immense pressure the other teams put on them. Just this initial setup alone reflects Seven Silver Coins’ absolute respect for their opponents. Let’s see how their subsequent performance unfolds.”
Tatzi’s partner in today’s commentary was Mimi, who also served as an official commentator. During the first phase, she was responsible for live commentary in zones B and D.
Mimi had obviously done her homework on the matches from the previous rounds. As soon as Taozi spoke, she swiftly joined in, “Seems like our Taozi really favors Seven Silver Coins. After partnering for so long, this is the first time I’ve seen you focus so much on a particular team.”
Clearing his throat, Taozi responded, “Focus, well, if you’ve been watching the matches live before, I believe you’d understand my perspective. After all, this team, Seven Silver Coins, somehow… fulfills all the imagination of an amusing person.”
“High praise indeed,” Mimi chuckled, skillfully steering the conversation back to a professional tone. “However, let’s take this opportunity at the beginning of the match to analyze today’s map attributes.”
“Indeed,” Taozi quickly shifted back into his role, “The Poison Lizard’s Den map is not entirely unfamiliar. But even for those players who have encountered this map a few times in the Century Cup, I doubt they’d dare to describe it as ‘familiar.'”
After a moment’s thought, he summarized the map with a phrase, “I thought I was on the first floor, but actually, I’m on the eighth floor. That’s probably the most intuitive feeling for players in this map.”
Amused by Taozi’s words, Mimi quipped, “So, at which floor will today’s participants finally end up? Let’s wait and see.”
As the commentators engaged in back-and-forth, the competitors in the arena had already begun actively searching for the boss.
This time, Seven Silver Coins opted for their starting lineup, which consisted of Jiang Shi’s [PoisonedMilk] Han Yuze’s [Yu Weize], [Scavenger], [Gentleman Fan], [Serious Young Man].
Careful observation revealed that they had left the five most mobile individuals on the field, a last-minute adjustment made within the final 10 seconds after the map was revealed.
As Taotzi had mentioned, Seven Silver Coins didn’t show any signs of dispersing their actions. Instead, they adopted a collective approach.
However, amidst this, countless miniature machines were stealthily scattered throughout the cave under Han Yuze’s control.
If one were to switch to Han Yuze’s main perspective at this moment, they would see vast stretches of mechanical vision almost covering the entire control area.
The strength of a Mechanic class character depends largely on the number of machines they possess. At this point, Han Yuze had already deployed almost five to six times more machines than an expert player would.
Underneath the dizzying array of views from other participants, Han Yuze was conveying survey information through team communication, “At 200 meters to the south of the cave lies an entry passage leading to levels three and six. At 600 meters, the depth is uncertain, expected to start below level eight. The northern cave entrance is crowded but mainly concentrated between levels three and six…”
After summarizing for about three or four minutes, he concluded, “For easier route adjustments ahead, I suggest we take the northern passage; the chances of encountering enemies will be higher.”
Serious Young Man, took out a notebook and started sketching, showing great interest in the current map. “I’ve seen matches on this map during the Century Cup and found it intriguing. I didn’t expect to have a chance to experience it myself.”
Peeking over, Gentleman Fan inquired in surprise, “You’re not planning to draw the terrain of this level, are you?”
“Of course not,” replied Serious Young Man
Gentleman Fan nodded, thinking that this data-stream guy might be a normal person after all. But then, Serious Young Man continued in a leisurely manner, “I intend to draw the entire ten layers of this dungeon.”
Jiang Shi affirmed, “That’s a good idea. Drawing it out would indeed be very helpful. Keep it up, disciple.”
“I will,” replied Serious Young Man “Master.”
Gentleman Fan: “…”
Have you two considered the feasibility of mapping out the entire dungeon spanning ten layers? Hand-drawing the terrain for all those levels—can a person actually do that!?