Twenty minutes later, in the corridor on the first basement floor of the Tianzhushan Grand Arena.
"But then again, Feimigeer is really going all out..."
"Yeah, after all, it's a task given by that High-Rank Observer. Feimigeer probably hates Cordova to death right now."
Mo Tan and Ji Xiaoge, who had just received their adorable chick badges, were chatting idly. They had just been teleported back from Little Dragon Peak by Feimigeer a few minutes ago, and were now preparing to head to the Noob Arena for a two-person team battle.
Lu Jiang didn't come along because she still had to continue her 'cultivation,' while Ya Ya had gone berserk from using too much force while peeling a tea egg and was immediately dragged into the sky by the quick-reacting Feimigeer to cool down for a while. Although no damage was caused, the girl seemed a bit dizzy from the dragon ride, and was completely disoriented after landing. Jia Deka, who was gradually becoming Ya Ya's babysitter, was taking care of her.
So, Mo Tan and Ji Xiaoge, having failed to recruit teammates, stayed there for a short while before returning to prepare for a two-person battle.
During this process, there was a small interlude: as members of the 【Woof Woof】 five-person team, they skipped the naming process when registering and became the 【Woof Woof】 duo...
This was a sad story.
"Actually, if you think about it, it's quite cute, isn't it?" Ji Xiaoge said with a giggle, handing the cloak back to Mo Tan. "I think it's fine."
Mo Tan casually re-equipped it and extended their badges towards the crystal pillar, shrugging at the girl beside him: "As long as you don't mind, I personally don't care."
After a crisp buzzing sound, two lines of common language appeared on the crystal pillar:
【Added to queue】
【Match found, waiting for opponent selection...】
"Huh?" Ji Xiaoge placed the rather heavy bullet drum on the ground and blinked in confusion. "Aren't we supposed to choose our opponents?"
Mo Tan, who was more experienced than her, shook his head: "Not necessarily. The matchmaking mechanism here is quite strange. Sometimes we choose opponents, sometimes we are chosen by others, and sometimes it even forces a match directly. There doesn't seem to be any pattern."
A few seconds later, the broadcast voice, which Mo Tan had once mistaken for a 'robot,' slowly sounded: "The new match will begin in one minute, pitting new team 【Woof Woof】 against new team 【Never Do Homework】."
The big-nosed goblin from before didn't seem to be here today, so there was no familiar shouting, and the sparsely populated Noob Arena didn't cause any ripples for this battle.
Mo Tan and Ji Xiaoge immediately exchanged glances after hearing the broadcast, and said in unison: "The opponents are players."
"I feel like Innocent World is becoming more and more popular," Mo Tan mused.
"Yeah~" Ji Xiaoge said with a laugh, stretching her wings high in a warm-up exercise. "I've played some similar games before, and the cooking skills in them were so boring, just combining materials to make fixed things. It's different here; you can only make delicious things through personal skill!"
Mo Tan felt that what she said made sense. If Innocent World wasn't truly an incredibly awesome game, how could Ji Xiaoge have created so many mysterious substances, each with its unique effect?
In a way, this girl had broken the law that 'life skills' cannot directly participate in combat.
One minute later.
The two who appeared in the Arena heard a system prompt at the same time.
【Special Quest Activated: Battle against team 【Never Do Homework】, Reward: ???】
The pre-battle preparation time for a two-person match was only fifteen seconds, which wasn't long, but it was just enough to observe opponents or briefly discuss tactics.
【Well then, first, observation...】
Mo Tan summoned his Self-Destructing Sheep, then immediately looked towards the opposite side of the field, where their opponents were also observing them from a distance.
They were two...
"Wow, kids!"
Ji Xiaoge's eyes widened in surprise, and she tugged at Mo Tan's arm, exclaiming, "It's my first time seeing players this young in a game!"
"I've seen one, though," Mo Tan wasn't as surprised as her, but he was still a little taken aback. He looked at the two young boys, who appeared to be only twelve or thirteen years old, slowly drew the longsword from his waist, and muttered, "Even though it's in a game, there's still a very subtle psychological pressure."
Ji Xiaoge carefully opened the bullet drum and took out two 【Anti-Personnel Fragmented Tea Eggs】, smiling sweetly at Mo Tan: "Let's try to be gentle~"
Mo Tan opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, didn't utter a single word. He had wanted to remind Ji Xiaoge not to underestimate the opponents just because they were children, but seeing the not-at-all-gentle tea eggs in the girl's hands, he dismissed the thought.
The next second, the light screen in front of the four dissipated quietly, and the match officially began.
Ji Xiaoge immediately flapped her wings and soared, having already put the bucket of tea eggs she was carrying into her inventory. The girl was now holding a flying cake in each hand, constantly changing positions in mid-air. She needed to be wary of the opponent...
Thwip!
Accompanied by a crisp sound, a sharp short arrow whizzed past the girl's side. Although it didn't hurt her, it successfully startled Ji Xiaoge.
"Be careful!" Mo Tan, who had already begun his sheep charge, turned back and loudly warned Ji Xiaoge, then immediately activated Knight Skill - Falcon Strike, accelerating his charge towards the two little kids on the opposite side.
For some reason, a subtle, indescribable sense of awkwardness suddenly arose in his heart. Although it was very likely a kind of illusion, Mo Tan instinctively became alert and focused, even appearing somewhat anxious.
And on the opposite side of the two...
"You missed, A Mao." One of the human boys with black spiky hair and heavy armor slowly took down a giant axe almost as big as himself from his back, and pouted at his companion beside him: "You should get your eyes checked."
"That's normal, A Zhi." The elf boy in a green hooded jumpsuit looked at the other with an expressionless face, and slowly replied while re-stringing his small crossbow: "After all, that girl flies very fast."
The spiky-haired boy called A Zhi rolled his eyes, raised his battle-axe high towards Mo Tan, who was charging towards him not far away, and casually tilted his head to ask: "By the way, do you know that green hats are unlucky?"
"I know, but my current financial situation isn't enough for me to date girls." A Mao raised his crossbow and aimed at Ji Xiaoge, who was cautiously approaching, and said unhurriedly: "So, I'll wear it as much as I can while I still can. I won't have the chance when I grow up."
A Zhi snorted: "Strange logic."
Then, the axe fell!
【Crimson Blade】
A two-meter-high pale red shockwave, accompanied by a sonic boom, burst forth, instantly roaring towards Mo Tan!
"Existence is reasonable." A Mao snapped his fingers lightly, then pulled the trigger of his crossbow amidst a green light: "Adults are just too superstitious. They even believe the jokes from decades or centuries ago."
【Shifting Arrow】
The arrow, like a nimble snake, swayed in mid-air as it rapidly approached Ji Xiaoge's left wing.
A violent roar and a crisp sound rang out simultaneously. Mo Tan, who had barely managed to dodge, suddenly burst out of the smoke and dust, his longsword thrusting straight towards A Zhi's chest.
That ranged slash just now had directly cost him nearly a fifth of his health, and that was without being fully hit.
Ji Xiaoge, on the other hand, had managed to avoid damage at the cost of a thin pancake. She then lowered her altitude and flew at low speed behind Mo Tan's right, temporarily using her partner's body to block A Mao's attack angle.
This level of combat intelligence and on-the-spot adaptability was by no means low!
Clang!
The heavy battle-axe firmly parried the longsword. A Zhi's wrist immediately throbbed from Mo Tan's Falcon Strike + Tiger Spear combo, but then he grinned: "Haha, you like to go head-to-head, huh?"
Then, without waiting for Mo Tan's answer, he swiftly swung his leg and kicked the hilt of the latter's sword, his entire body spinning like a windmill in place. The battle-axe drew a full moon arc in mid-air, fiercely slashing towards Mo Tan's chest.
【So fast!】
Mo Tan was instantly startled, then immediately activated Knight Skill - Turtle Retreat, appearing beneath his Self-Destructing Sheep. With both his and his mount's defense increased by eighty percent, he took the opponent's axe head-on!
Thud!
The Self-Destructing Sheep stumbled. Mo Tan's health dropped slightly, but not by much.
Ji Xiaoge, who had caught up, raised her hand and threw a ramen net over the young man in front of her.
"I also love going head-to-head!" A Zhi laughed loudly and continued to swing his battle-axe, hacking down on Mo Tan, who had just flipped onto his sheep, completely ignoring Ji Xiaoge's noodle net.
The next second, three arrows suddenly appeared in mid-air, directly pinning the ramen net, which was about to cover A Zhi, several meters away.
"Don't ignore me." A Mao weakly put away his crossbow, took down the longbow from his back, and without evenching an arrow, he drew it into a half-moon shape, then released his small hand.
【Gale Arrow】
Whoosh!!
An invisible wind pressure shot towards Ji Xiaoge. The girl, caught off guard, was hit head-on, and her figure, which had been close to the ground, was involuntarily lifted into mid-air.
"Huh?"
However, Ji Xiaoge found that she hadn't even lost 1% of her health.
"That's a control skill!" Mo Tan, while parrying A Zhi's relentless hacking with his sword, looked up and shouted to Ji Xiaoge: "Come down quickly, your current position is terrible."
A Mao, who had already drawn his bow, smiled coldly: "Too late!"
A slender arrow with a faint blue light trail shot straight towards Ji Xiaoge, who was temporarily unable to fully stabilize her body, its arrowhead filled with a chilling coldness.
【Cold Stream Arrow】
It hit without suspense.
Ji Xiaoge felt her whole body stiffen, and then she fell headfirst towards the ground.
In a moment of urgency, Mo Tan immediately jumped off his Self-Destructing Sheep, performed a Charge Slam, and horizontally swung his sword to knock A Zhi away. He caught Ji Xiaoge in the nick of time, preventing the lower-health girl from taking fall damage.
"His attacks seem to have magical properties," the girl said quickly, then immediately shouted loudly to Mo Tan, "Behind you!"
"Don't get distracted, you bastard!" A Zhi roared, gripping the axe handle with both hands and furiously spinning towards Mo Tan, using the Heavy Storm skill that Kedor's uncle Bayes had once used!
【Hard to dodge!】
Mo Tan, holding the winged girl with one hand, immediately made a judgment, and then was pulled behind by Ji Xiaoge, who had pulled out a round shield at some point.
【β Alloy Chopping Board】
Category: Shield, Cooking Utensil
Quality: Excellent
Crafters: Lu Wei, Ye Ge
Equip: Medium defense, 30% increased damage reduction against bladed weapons
Trait: Sturdy
Equipment Restriction: Chef Level 10, Engineering Level 3
【Note: This is a sturdy cooking utensil specially crafted by Master Lu Wei for a certain person after his experimental bench was melted three times by things that looked like food. Very few knives can penetrate this lightweight, high-temperature resistant, corrosion-resistant, and explosion-proof alloy chopping board.】
Although its primary function was a chopping board for cooking, it was also one of the few excellent defensive gear that Ji Xiaoge could equip. Mo Tan looked at the two iron handles in the girl's hands, which were clearly meant for gripping, and couldn't help but secretly marvel at Lu Wei's painstaking efforts.
A Zhi's battle-axe sparked against it, yet he was unable to knock it away. Although Ji Xiaoge's health rapidly plummeted during the opponent's Heavy Storm, she ultimately didn't fall. When her health was around 30%, the axe-wielding youth stopped.
Then, with bloodshot eyes, he clutched his head and fell to the ground!
This was the onset of Heavy Storm's individualized negative effect.
Mo Tan immediately launched a series of highly effective attacks on the young man, making sure not to cause him too much pain, while Ji Xiaoge put away her chopping board and returned behind Mo Tan, taking out her toaster and firing at A Zhi.
"This idiot who gets carried away in PKs." A Mao, who had been holding his bow, ready to assist A Zhi's attack, muttered under his breath, then pulled out a stick and waved it at his rapidly declining teammate.
A pale green mist rose around A Zhi, restoring some of his health while forcibly dispelling the side effects of Heavy Storm. The young man, who had been pressed to the ground and beaten, immediately flipped up and let out an angry roar.
However, this was not an outburst, but the activation of a skill.
【Bloodthirsty Roar】
Weapon-based active skill
Mastery Requirements: Constitution 13, Strength 15, Any Weapon Specialization 7
Consumption/Restriction: Current HP below 40% of maximum
Effect: Increases your damage by 15%, attack speed by 15%, all resistances by 5%, and movement speed by 5% for the next 20 seconds. Increases damage taken by 5%. Cooldown: 30 minutes.
【Note: Why does roaring give so many buffs...? This is unscientific...】
"Pah, time is short and the task is heavy." The young man, who was not even as tall as Mo Tan's chest, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and laughed loudly: "I'm going in!"
Chapter 165: End