Genius Chapter 149: Platform of Sorrow and Joy

Chapter 149: Platform of Sorrow and Joy

Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

On the Platform of Sorrow and Joy, the first wave of buffs had appeared, positioned all over the high platform. However, this did not affect the battle on the suspension bridge, as it seemed that the bridge was not within the buff refresh area. The situation on the battlefield had turned overwhelmingly one-sided. The Prosperity team tried everything they could to break through Bitter Melon’s defensive line, but the summoner behind Bitter Melon seemed like an untouchable control point, unaffected by any counters.

Without any magic professions on their team, breaking through was indeed difficult. While theoretically not impossible, each attempt to move forward with skills like Light Step, Charge, and Blink was met with control from the summoner behind Bitter Melon.

The physical swordsman managed to break through Bitter Melon’s defense, but the summoner immediately emerged from behind Bitter Melon. With a staff and control skills, the summoner pushed the swordsman back into Bitter Melon’s range, leaving them no opportunity.

“How do we fight this?!”
“We can’t control the summoner; it’s hopeless. The summoner’s controls are so numerous, with both group and single controls sealing off all our breakthrough points.”
“I just leapt forward, and who knew the summoner would push me back? Are physical summoners this terrifying?”

The warrior was focused on their warrior, while the summoner always targeted the physical swordsman and healer, effectively completing a two-control and three-control setup.

In the team’s voice chat, Momo calmly continued to direct, “The opponents are starting to conserve their cooldowns, likely preparing for a counter-push. They’re waiting for my control skills to enter a cooldown period. In this situation, we can’t hold them for three minutes. Bitter Melon should use his enhanced skills to force out the opponent’s Giant Mountain Shield, and Cantaloupe should lock down the healer to prevent healing. We’ll focus on killing the healer to cut off their sustain.”

Even if they managed to break through, without a healer, a 2v3 would still be disadvantageous.

Su Mo’s peripheral vision scanned the various buffs appearing on the field. The suspension bridge was outside the buff range… But since they were in the first group to play, it was necessary to test the buffs for his teammates. During his downtime, he deployed his summoned creature that was off cooldown.

It was difficult for the people to test, but the summoned creatures could.

So, the first match required the summoner to test the waters.
“Should I start playing the role now?” Bitter Melon asked. “Just don’t know if they’ll fall for it.”
Cantaloupe replied, “If you don’t play the role, how will you know? Just play aggressively enough to give us time to manage our cooldowns. We need to create the momentum to push through.”

ScarletFruit, who was listening from the sidelines, cleared his throat and said, “Does it need my acting master to come out of retirement and give you some tips?”
ClearWind added, “Bitter Melon, be more aggressive. If you’re fierce, everyone will fear you. Show your fruit guild master’s authority!”

***

The Prosperity team was at a loss. The players watching the live stream started to feel a chill after seeing the Prosperity team fail repeatedly.

Who would have thought that Momo would start by blocking the path? And not just any block, but an extremely thorough one.

“We saw that the Prosperity team had already used their advance and agility skills. It was clear that the summoner had focused on all their breakthrough points and timed the enemy’s skill cooldowns perfectly,” FirstUnderHeaven continued. “The situation has reached a stalemate. In this narrow bridge, the Prosperity team found it hard to leverage their team composition advantage. For a summoner equipped with numerous control skills, killing enemy units in such a map was akin to hunting monsters. If the Prosperity team didn’t find a way to break through, they would be in serious trouble!”

[Who can break through such a defense?!]
[Is anyone keeping track of the summoner’s skill cooldowns? The control is managed too well.]
[Has the long block been to wait for the summoner’s cooldown? After all, among the three, only momo is a strong DPS.]

“Yes, the Prosperity team is blocked, but whether the Advertising team can use this opportunity for a strong kill is still a question.” FirstUnderHeaven snapped back from the nightmare scenario of the blocked bridge and continued analyzing the situation. “The Advertising team’s strong DPS is just Momo. With the Prosperity team’s healer still in play, the summoner, with skill gaps, cannot achieve a strong kill. The Prosperity team should still have a chance to break through.”

At this moment, everyone saw that Bitter Melon, who was at the forefront, began to advance. His stance in releasing skills had also changed; he activated the warrior’s ultimate skill, which increased his attack power by 20%. Moreover, the summoner behind him also moved forward a few steps, summoning high-damage creatures like Thunder Lion, White Tiger, and Mystic Deer…

FirstUnderHeaven announced, “The Advertising team is going for a strong push!”

Seeing this trend, the Prosperity team immediately switched to defense. The warrior prepared the Mountain Shield for protection, and the healer readied the Greater Heal. As Bitter Melon charged forward, the Mountain Shield and Greater Heal were simultaneously cast. However, the only response they received was the warrior’s enhanced skill—while the summoner, who had summoned numerous creatures, did not move at all!

[What the hell!? That was a bluff.]
[We were tricked; the summoner had no intention of attacking! His cooldowns weren’t ready!]
[I can’t believe I was intimidated by an enhanced skill from a tank.]

Bitter Melon swung his sword. Even with the 20% enhancement, his damage was still just two to three hundred, with no significant change. Meanwhile, the summoner stood behind him, and the summoned creatures quickly moved to defend, making it clear that the recent attack was just a bluff.

“Tricked.”
“We have no choice but to hold the line.”
“The Mountain Shield and Greater Heal are gone.”
“Could they be planning to push now?”

With two crucial skills lost, the Prosperity team was clearly becoming anxious. At this moment, the opposing summoner surprisingly abandoned the warrior’s protection and leaped into the crowd using Agility.

[What the hell is the summoner doing?!]
[Is this a mistake!?]
[What a chance! The Prosperity team should quickly control the summoner!]

What happened when a fragile summoner fell into the narrow attack range of a warrior and a physical swordsman? Naturally, he faced attacks from all directions without any blind spots. Almost instantly, the Prosperity team seized the opportunity. The physical swordsman used a control skill, and the warrior turned around to strike the summoner. Within a few hits, the summoner was reduced to half health.

“We saw that for some reason, the summoner suddenly entered the crowd, and the Prosperity team seized the opportunity. This wave could result in a counter-kill. As long as they kill the summoner, they have a chance to turn the game around! The physical swordsman used a strong control skill, the warrior continued the control, and the summoner is at half health!!! Momo used a control removal skill…”

At this point, FirstUnderHeaven suddenly paused. After the control removal, the summoner used a skill, and immediately three illusions of the summoner appeared on the narrow bridge. The warrior and physical swordsman were unable to react in time, and the skill directly hit the illusions of the summoner!

[What is this skill!?]
[I remember this; someone mentioned it before. It’s the archdemon’s pet skill, Veil Wraith!]
Veil Wraith was the active skill of the spirit pet.
Once an opponent hit an illusion, they would be confused.

[Fuck, I’m amazed.]
[Going into the crowd to use confusion! 666!]
[Confusion into confusion, even with control removal, it’s still unmanageable!]
[They can’t get the kill. After being controlled, the summoner was healed back to full health by the healer.]

In just one second, both the warrior and physical swordsman were controlled by confusion. Due to the narrow terrain, they continued to attack the illusions, remaining in a state of confusion. The summoner, despite risking being killed, had entered the crowd and used a sustained control skill, completely confusing the Prosperity team’s two main DPS players!

ScarletFruit, seeing this, said, “Fuck, I was sweating all over. Big brother, you suddenly pulled this move and scared me to death.”

Yu Zhen, watching the summoner in the crowd, said, “It’s not over yet. He didn’t just use it for control.”

“Wait…” FirstUnderHeaven noticed an issue, “The Advertising team’s healer, Cantaloupe, didn’t heal Momo!”

The situation wasn’t resolved yet. Momo shouted in the team voice chat, and the previously rear-positioned healer, Cantaloupe, immediately moved forward. Instead of healing the summoner, Cantaloupe applied a healing debuff to the Prosperity team’s sole healer. At that moment, the summoner in the crowd suddenly activated a skill, and a blood-red aura appeared around him.

“Half-health enhancement!! The summoner activated Blood Frenzy!” FirstUnderHeaven shouted, and the players in the live stream immediately realized what was happening.

[Fuck!] [My god, I forgot about Blood Frenzy!] The blood-red summoner didn’t stop his actions. The summoned creatures behind the warrior, coupled with Cantaloupe’s healing debuff, executed a series of attacks in the enhanced state, quickly taking out the Prosperity team’s rear-line fragile healer. The Prosperity team’s warrior and physical swordsman couldn’t protect their healer. They were not only in a state of confusion, but also without the warrior’s Giant Mountain Shield and the healer’s large healing skill. The physical swordsman’s large sword formation was still unavailable. In the end, they could only watch helplessly as the summoner eliminated their healer.

This continuous sequence of actions left everyone stunned.

Blood Frenzy was a powerful skill that could be activated when a player’s health fell below 50%. It reduced defense but increased attack power. This skill could be obtained from quest treasure chests and was held by many attacking profession players.

Isolating this skill alone might not seem particularly remarkable, but the players in the live stream were shocked to see that the summoner had entered the crowd at full health, used up a significant amount of health to trigger Blood Frenzy, and then continued to use control skills while still at half health.

FirstUnderHeaven was left speechless. Momo’s bravery was remarkable; if he had made any mistake during that wave, he could have easily lost the victory. Despite the risky situation, he managed to accurately time his skills, activating control and enhancement at the right moments, and effectively used the healer’s debuff window to achieve a powerful kill. Moreover, in the area-of-effect attack state, he also managed to reduce the physical swordsman and warrior’s health by about 30%.

This wasn’t just selling blood; it was a blood profit!

The discussion in the live stream chat exploded with intense reactions, as everyone was captivated by the summoner’s impressive combo, which ignited the atmosphere in the arena.

[66666!!!] 

[I thought he entered the crowd to use control, but it turned out he was setting up for enhancement.] 

[That wave was incredible!!]

[My god, so summoner operations can be this precise?]

Without a healer, the Prosperity team was again trapped on the Suspended Bridge. Even if they managed to break through, they wouldn’t last long under the attack of the three members of the Advertising team. The first round of the match between [Advertising Space for Rent] and [Congratulations and Prosperity] on the Platform of Sorrow and Joy ended within fifteen minutes, with the Advertising team securing a quick victory.

“That first round ended so quickly. I didn’t expect you to still have Blood Frenzy in reserve,” ScarletFruit said. It was rare for him to see Momo use this skill, possibly because summoners rarely found themselves at half health in previous situations. He was surprised to see such a stunning effect when Momo finally used it.

“Is that so?” Su Mo replied, “I didn’t notice. I often use this skill on the battlefield.”

Blood Frenzy was a skill he had obtained from a quest treasure chest. He used it frequently but usually only activated it when his health dropped to 50% as a short-term enhancement.

“In a small-scale PK like this in the arena, many operational details come to light. It’s normal that you didn’t notice,” Bitter Melon said, “How did I perform with my act? Was it okay?”

ClearWind responded, “You did great. You managed to bait out the Giant Mountain Shield and the Big Heal.”

Cantaloupe added, “I felt so detached. I rode the turtle vehicle at the start and, after landing, all I did was heal and cast debuffs. This wasn’t what I expected from the arena. Wasn’t it supposed to be thrilling?”

While the teammates were still discussing, Su Mo had already shifted his focus to the next match. The [Quest Arena] gameplay was initially straightforward. They had filled out the official form with team lists for [1 player], [2 players], [3 players], and [5 players], with each type allowing for 3 different team configurations, resulting in a total of 12 team setup options.

When they arrived at the arena, the system would randomly match one of the formats. For instance, in their first match, they were randomly assigned a [3-player] 3v3 format. This meant that they could only choose one of the team setups they had previously filled out for the [3-player] category.

At first, Su Mo was puzzled by this competitive format. But once he was on the field, he quickly understood what it was about. This setup was a trap set by the system, designed to test players’ pre-match tactical arrangements and to suppress the dominance of strong teams and core players who frequently appeared.

Because players who had participated in a match couldn’t reappear, it meant that the three players from the first match couldn’t participate in the next. Therefore, any team setups that included these three players were effectively banned for subsequent matches.

If a strong player was heavily featured in their pre-filled list, it could render their prepared strategies unusable, leading to random assignments by the system. Moreover, with a best-of-five format, it not only created obstacles for players but also didn’t completely lock out any team configurations. With a well-chosen lineup, there was still a chance to succeed based on tactical arrangements.

“Many people probably got caught in this trap. We had to fill out our lists in advance, and on the field, we could only choose from the pre-filled lists. Choosing incorrectly could lead to issues with our lineup arrangements later,” Su Mo said, observing that the team configurations including their three players had been grayed out, indicating that they were banned. “It’s consistent with the system’s usual style.”

“Quest modes always have traps. Fortunately, this time, aside from 5v5, other formats didn’t allow repeated player combinations. Otherwise, some teams might end up with all three players in a 2v2 format being the same, leading to total reliance on random assignments,” Apple said. “Earlier, someone even posted on the forum asking about the purpose of filling out team lists. Now it’s clear—it’s a trap.”

ClearWind added, “I just checked the forum during a break. Some people have already started complaining.”

There wasn’t much rest time after the match. The format for the next game was soon refreshed to [1v1]. Seeing this, Su Mo instinctively looked toward Yu Zhen and asked, “Brother?”

“I’ll take this one,” Yu Zhen replied. “The opponent is likely to use an assassin.”

Previously, Su Mo had only listed three choices for the 1v1 format: himself, Yu Zhen, and Watermelon. Since he couldn’t participate in the second match, he had to choose between Yu Zhen and Watermelon. Given the remaining professions that hadn’t been used yet, such as assassin and Daoist priest, these were the most likely options for the 1v1 match.

“I just tested the buffs on the field. There are two types: ‘Sorrow’ for negative buffs and ‘Joy’ for positive buffs,” Su Mo explained. “The locations where they appear are quite random, and they only become visible after 3 seconds.”

This was a trap of the map, where buffs would only become apparent after standing on the spot, meaning it was quite likely to only realize a buff was present after stepping on it. If it appeared right under your feet, it was purely a matter of luck.

“I understand and will keep that in mind,” Yu Zhen said as he checked his equipment. “It won’t take long, so don’t worry.”

The teammates observed the two leaders, who were discussing tactics while standing close together. Both were in red outfits, and their proximity during the discussion gave an oddly matched impression. It was fine to discuss tactics, but why did they seem to fit so well together?

ClearWind looked for a while and, unsure how to comment, ended up complimenting the outfits, “The Qixi Festival costumes do look great as limited edition outfits.”

ScarletFruit responded, “As a livestreamer, your descriptions seem a bit sparse.”

“That’s obvious,” Apple said. “Those are limited edition outfits. Only a few sets were released during the Qixi Festival event.”

FireworksAndLanterns nodded in agreement, “Exactly. Neither Apple nor I managed to get them.”

Cantaloupe added, “The outfits look pretty good on them.”

ScarletFruit commented, “The previous white set was also a good match—the one from the winter boss event.”

Su Mo was unaware that his and Yu Zhen’s outfits had become a topic of discussion among his teammates. After finalizing their plans with Yu Zhen, the countdown ended, and Yu Zhen was teleported into the arena.

The livestream chat had already become lively following the first match, and once the second match’s format was announced as 1v1, many began speculating about the possible lineups from both teams.

“Prosperity Team has locked in an assassin first,” FirstUnderHeaven informed the viewers. “We know that the Advertising Team core is two summoners, while Prosperity Team’s core is two assassins. Both of their assassins are ranked in the top twenty, with impressive skills and awareness. Especially their team leader’s assassin, Wind’s Judgment, who just cracked the top ten last week—facing him will be quite challenging.”

[The Advertising Team will likely field an assassin as well! With Momo out, the remaining options for single combat are either physical swordsman or assassin.]

[Did you forget there’s an array master in their team?]

[Array master can indeed counter an assassin in the battlefield environment, but his 1v1 capability isn’t as strong as a physical swordsman’s.]

[I think it’s more likely that Momo’s team will field physical swordsman ClearWind and assassin Watermelon.]

[But wasn’t the lineup prearranged? It’s a 3v1 scenario now. I suspect Momo is banned from the 1v1 match.]

“Both teams have submitted their rosters. The Advertising Team has array master UnchainedWanderer, while Prosperity Team has assassin Wind’s Judgment,” FirstUnderHeaven announced. “Assassins, as we know, are extremely strong in 1v1 situations unless matched against a marksman. Array master can counter an assassin with certain arrays, but if the opponent gains the upper hand first, it could be a tough fight.”

“UnchainedWanderer isn’t a mainstream array master. If it were a semi-tank type array master, it could potentially stall an assassin in the late game, but an attack-type array master is as vulnerable as a mage. If the assassin gains the first move, the array master could be taken down in three swift attacks,” FirstUnderHeaven continued explaining. “Moreover, array masters are more suited for late-game situations. Without fully stacked arrays, their defense and attack are relatively low at the start, making it very likely for them to be outpaced by the assassin.”

It was rare for teams to field an array master in a 1v1 match. Unless it was a top-ranked player with exceptional skills, the array master would likely fall short against an assassin who had the first-move advantage.

“UnchainedWanderer is currently the second-ranked array master, and there isn’t much of a difference in points between him and the top-ranked array master, Midnight Bell. Both are attack-type array masters, and it’s uncommon to see him in solo matches,” FirstUnderHeaven added. “Countdown: 10 seconds.”

The viewers’ attention immediately focused on the array master on the field. As the match began, the array master had already stacked two layers of movement speed and defense arrays. At the moment the countdown ended and the air wall disappeared, he nimbly leaped onto the suspension bridge and quickly made his way up to the high platform at an above-average speed.

Once on the high platform, he didn’t stop moving and continued to stack arrays as he adjusted his position.

[What? Did I see that right? He didn’t stack defense arrays at the start?]
[Two layers of increased damage, is this how an attack-type array master plays?]
[No, I saw Midnight Bell start with defense arrays in 1v1 as well. An attack-type array master without defense arrays is as vulnerable as a magical swordsman.]

ScarletFruit looked a bit anxious, “Facing an assassin, this seems risky. Why didn’t Brother Wanderer stack defense arrays at the start? Isn’t this letting the assassin sneak in?”

Apple looked confident, “That won’t happen. His win rate against assassins is 100%.”

ScarletFruit glanced at Apple, “Where does that data come from? I wasn’t aware of it.”

Apple fell silent for a moment, “…He told me.”

Su Mo was speechless.

The array master chose to stack increased damage arrays at the start instead of defense, aiming to boost his own output. This approach puzzled many players for a moment. The large battlefield at the Platform of Sorrow and Joy had no starting buffs, making it a favorable environment for the invisible assassin.

Naturally, an array master wouldn’t cover the battlefield with arrays as he would in the field; first, the vast Platform of Sorrow and Joy couldn’t be completely covered, and second, in an arena setting, personal mana consumption had to be considered. Stacking arrays was meant to guard against the immediate surroundings. Moreover, an assassin wouldn’t blindly step onto arrays; they would look for openings or wait until the array master’s mana was depleted.

[This array master, how should I put it? It’s so strange…]
[It’s the first time I’ve seen an array master start so simply.]
[You don’t understand; attack-type array masters, in order to maximize their attack, actually have shorter mana bars compared to semi-tank array masters. Using too many arrays at the start can deplete their mana quickly.]

The array master had several vulnerabilities, with only one layer of defense and speed arrays.

Wind’s Judgment had been waiting invisibly for a long time, cautiously observing the array master’s movements. However, after 30 seconds had passed since the start, UnchainedWanderer’s arrays remained the same as at the beginning. Apart from the increased damage arrays being fully stacked, the other states were unchanged.

As time moved forward and the moment for Platform of Sorrow and Joy to start refreshing buffs approached, Wind’s Judgment realized that he wouldn’t have time to wait for the array master’s mana to run out. He saw the opportunity when the array master was casting arrays and immediately charged in, fully prepared.

The moment his blade made contact with the array master, Wind’s Judgment had a strange feeling. Was it really this easy?

No! Something was off!

The array master, who had been reduced to half health by the assassin, used a dispel to free himself and retaliated with a fear array. Wind’s Judgment, sensing danger, tried to escape underground for a better opportunity, but the array master didn’t create distance. Instead, he stayed in place, launching a basic attack. The divine weapon [Celestial Punishment] struck Wind’s Judgment directly, interrupting his escape attempt. This action was swift and fierce, as if anticipated in advance, and even the direction of his escape was predicted accurately.

The array master hadn’t been focused on casting arrays; instead, he had been defending against Wind’s Judgment’s moves.

Seeing this, Wind’s Judgment gritted his teeth and decided to give up on his escape, choosing instead to engage the array master in close combat.

In terms of basic attacks, Wind’s Judgment’s assassin attacks were ranked first in Celestial Horizon. An array master, being a mage-type class, would not dare to contest basic attacks with an assassin; it was akin to striking a rock with an egg.

However, as Wind’s Judgment aimed to fight the array master up close, the array master retreated quickly to avoid the attack.

“Array master repositioned; the assassin did not pose a threat to his health. He’s still stacking arrays, and his damage-increase array is still at four layers,” FirstUnderHeaven noted, unsure about the operation. The array master was retreating while stacking arrays, focusing on damage increase and movement speed, without increasing his own defense or creating a safe distance from the assassin.

[Did you notice… the array master’s health isn’t dropping anymore?]
[I saw that too; his health is still around half. What’s going on?]

The array master’s movements were very fluid. Except for the initial loss of health from the assassin’s surprise attack, his health hadn’t decreased further. By maneuvering skillfully, he dodged the assassin’s strikes while his weapon, Celestial Punishment, continued to swing silently, adding another layer of damage-increase array.

[It seems like the assassin’s skills are being avoided…]
[How is that possible? Aren’t they supposed to hit by default?]
[Is it just me, or does this look like a marksman’s predictive maneuver? It resembles the range prediction technique used by ReturnToSimplicity.]

The assassin’s skills were indeed guaranteed to hit, but this guarantee had a prerequisite: the target player had to be within the skill’s attack range when the skill was used. Since assassins had limited range, high burst attacks had to be delivered close to the opponent. Once the distance was increased, the assassin effectively lost their attack range, rendering the guaranteed-hit skills ineffective.

[Range prediction!? This is a marksman’s maneuver!]
[Yes, I’ve seen several top marksmen use this technique to avoid assassin ambushes.]
[What is range prediction? I don’t quite understand.]

Seeing the confusion in the live chat, FirstUnderHeaven explained, “Marksman’s range prediction is something you’re probably familiar with if you’ve spent time on the battlefield. Although marksmen can see assassins, they are also very wary of being ambushed. In the early days of Celestial Horizon’s launch, powerful assassins were so bold they didn’t fear their nemesis, the marksman, and would often stealthily sneak up from behind to strike.”

“It wasn’t until the former top marksman, ReturnToSimplicity, developed a technique that leveraged the inherent advantages of the marksman class. By using counterattacks and quick movements, the marksman could assist in predicting attack distances with the counterattack and swiftly maneuver away from damage using the rapid movement. This allowed them to evade the assassin’s attacks through precise positioning.”

FirstUnderHeaven explained, “This technique is still used by many top marksmen today. A skilled marksman can avoid damage in close combat with an assassin by maneuvering precisely. But this is the first time I’ve seen an array master use it, and this particular array master doesn’t have the counterattack or quick movement skills that marksmen do.”

[Wow, how did he manage that?]
[Quick movement can be compensated for with speed arrays, but what about counterattack? How did he predict the distance!?]

FirstUnderHeaven watched in astonishment, and the spectators outside were tense, as if every strike from the assassin was about to be fatal for the array master. In reality, the array master dodged each attack swiftly. As a player with extensive battlefield experience, FirstUnderHeaven knew that marksmen could indeed use skill advantages to evade attacks, but if not relying on those skills, could evasion still be achieved?

The answer was yes, but it required an extremely detailed understanding of the assassin’s attack range and methods, and the ability to move out of the assassin’s attack range quickly when sensing the precursor to an attack.

In simple terms, it meant watching the assassin’s movements, quickly predicting which skill they were about to use, and then moving out of their attack range. This wasn’t a reaction habit developed overnight but was honed through extensive real-world combat experience.

The more layers an array master accumulated, the longer the casting time. With three layers of arrays, the casting time for four layers was approximately 0.5 seconds. While 0.5 seconds was indeed short, a skilled assassin could still unleash two or three attacks within that time frame. Yet, UnchainedWanderer managed to handle the situation with ease, not only avoiding the attacks but also having spare time to cast additional arrays.

The array master from the Advertising team was surprisingly terrifying!

[This operation is even more newbie than ReturnToSimplicity!]
[An array master going toe-to-toe with an assassin—this is too intense.]
[My God, this technique might be legendary.]

Su Mo stood on a high vantage point, observing the battlefield on the Platform of Sorrow and Joy from a god’s perspective. Yu Zhen’s gameplay was extremely detailed. In team battles, he could act as both an aggressive frontliner and a strong support for his team. The more detailed the operation, the more one needed to observe the entire field, and in a 1v1 situation, his control over the game became even more meticulous.

He suddenly said, “It’s almost won.”

At this point, a minute had passed since the start, and various buffs appeared on the Platform of Sorrow and Joy.

Both the array master and the assassin stepped on the debuff simultaneously. Because they were so close, they both received the same type of debuff, reducing attack speed by 10% for 8 seconds. Wind’s Judgment realized the seriousness of the situation immediately. With the debuffs increasing, it became even more difficult for him to secure a kill on the array master.

Moreover, the 10% decrease in attack speed was significant. The faster his attack speed, the more it would be affected.

However, array masters didn’t stack attack speed; their attack speed was just the base attack speed…

For the assassin, known for its high attack speed, the same debuff was a significant blow.

Wind’s Judgment tried to retreat temporarily, but the array master left him no opportunity.

UnchainedWanderer immediately seized the chance, carefully watching Wind’s Judgment’s escape direction. He placed a fear array right behind him as he fled and then set down three layers of control arrays in the following directions, completely cutting off his retreat.

At this point, the array master with four layers of damage-increasing arrays also appeared to be in a blood-red state. The live stream audience was very familiar with this state; it was the same enhancement used by the summoner in the first round to secure a kill. Now that the same skill appeared in the array master’s hands, they suddenly understood something…

[fuck, wait a minute, I just realized, the array master is so powerful; he shouldn’t be at half health at the start.]
[He’s sacrificing health!!! He can use the enhancement at half health, but the assassin can’t. Even if the assassin has the blood frenzy skill, the health isn’t enough!]
[What’s the connection between the summoner and the array master!? Did they coordinate? Both of them have used health sacrifices to burst out in the first two rounds today. Is that why they’re both wearing red!?]
[Cough, I just checked. It seems their outfits are from the Qixi Festival event…]
[What’s Qixi Festival Bond? Does it have a special skill?]
[Qixi Festival Bond is a couple’s limited edition outfit!!]

Wind’s Judgment also noticed that his health was at 85%, while the array master’s was at 45…

He had the blood frenzy enhancement skill as well, but he couldn’t use it.

Both were fragile professions, and whoever gained the initial advantage and used the enhancement skill had already secured the victory. The two clashed for less than 3 minutes, and under the multitude of debuffs on the stage, the array master killed the assassin first and gained the match point.

The first game took 15 minutes, and the second game, including the extra movement time, didn’t even exceed 5 minutes.

After the match ended, Yu Zhen returned to the Debate Peak and immediately spoke up, “I just figured it out. The debuff refresh also has a pattern. The initial appearance time is irregular, but after appearing, it tends to refresh every 30 seconds. It’s not distributed evenly.”

“So, it means that buffs could appear at the start, possibly in 15 seconds or up to 1 or 2 minutes. After that, buffs will refresh approximately every 30 seconds. Once we have the timing, it becomes easier to predict,” Su Mo said. “What about the specifics of the buffs?”

Yu Zhen opened a drawing board and created a simple diagram, marking certain positions. “If multiple debuffs appear, it’s best to stay still and wait for the buffs to show. Otherwise, there’s a 90% chance of getting hit. Positive buffs are rare; while it’s manageable in 1v1, in 3v3 or 5v5, debuffs can easily put you at a disadvantage.”

As the team was about to come together to share the joy of victory and discuss how to master the positioning against the assassin, the two key players were too engrossed in studying the arena map to celebrate.

Their excitement was palpable, almost like they were monkeys.

ScarletFruit awkwardly put his hands down. “What’s the next match?”

No sooner had he spoken than the next match type appeared on the screen: it was another 3v3.

“Damn, another 3v3?” ClearWind said. “Bro, are you guys going to block them again?”

By the third match, UnchainedWanderer was banned, and the lineup including the array master was no longer available. The 3v3 lineup that included UnchainedWanderer was directly disabled, leaving only the original lineup from the first match, including Bitter Melon, Cantaloupe, Momo, and…

“We won’t go up this time,” Su Mo explained. “In the first match, we were able to block them because their movement speed wasn’t fast enough and we seized the opportunity with our initial move. Using the same strategy again would mean they’re now on guard. This time, they will focus on the summoner, so we won’t use that lineup.”

“It’s just that opportunities for practical arena practice are rare. We’ve won two matches and have time to take it slow. The rules of the arena might change later, so we need to try out several lineups while we can.” Without hesitation, Su Mo locked in the remaining lineup. “ScarletFruit, you three go up.”

In the live stream, viewers began to look forward to the third match.

[For the first time, I think UnchainedWanderer is really strong.] 

[Many people in Momo’s team are strong too. Well, maybe their team has too many flashy moves and isn’t very active on forums, so their popularity hasn’t been high.] 

[Will the array master be releasing a guide? Even a novice array master like me wants to learn how to handle assassins.] 

[Assassins have had a rough time. Can we cut them some slack?] 

[Another 3v3 for the third match? Are we going to block the bridge again? Haha, hoping for a calculation of the shadow area for the Prosperity Team.]

Soon, both teams submitted their lineups.

“The Prosperity Team’s lineup includes a physical swordsman, Doaist priest, and a healer. They abandoned the warrior but brought a melee physical swordsman and a Doaist priest with a lot of control spells. It seems that the experience from the first match blocking the door left a deep impression on them. This time, they included more ranged control magic professions…” FirstUnderHeaven said before looking over at the Advertising Team. “The Advertising Team is… damn, double assassin and cleric lineup!?”

The Advertising Team surprisingly went with a double assassin and cleric setup, completely abandoning the front line and opting for two assassins and a versatile cleric.

[They actually went with a knife-wielding team and paired it with a cleric.]

[The Doaist priest has a lot of control; once the assassin shows up, it will be difficult to deal with.] 

[This means they must be planning to start with a stealth attack. The Prosperity Team is surely prepared; both the Doaist priest and physical swordsman have survival skills. Additionally, the physical swordsman’s big sword formation can protect the healer. Even if they try to steal at the start, it might not be successful!] 

[I’m already very convinced by the Advertising Team; this lineup must have some clever usage!]

[Preparing to take notes on the double assassin and cleric team.]

FirstUnderHeaven also didn’t fully understand the strategy but, to avoid making any mistakes, he refrained from further analysis and directly said, “We see that both teams have teleported in. There are 15 seconds left on the countdown.”

All the spectators’ attention focused on the double assassin and cleric in the arena, as if these three were about to unveil a shocking strategy that would stun the livestream audience. The cleric in the arena leisurely buffed the teammates, while the two assassins activated their permanent states.

The two assassins went invisible, and the cleric, ScarletFruit, stood behind them.

It was very ordinary, with no extra movements.

FirstUnderHeaven commented, “It seems that the Advertising Team is very calm this time, as if they are confident of their victory.”

The next second, the countdown ended, and the air wall disappeared.

The two assassins quickly charged out, with the cleric following closely behind.

“We see that both sides have charged in, and the invisible assassins are preparing to approach. They are heading up the suspension bridge,” FirstUnderHeaven said quickly. “Watermelon’s movement speed is very fast. He has reached the Platform of Sorrow and Joy, activating his state while invisible. It seems he wants to seize the initiative and pressure the opponent’s health…”

Then, the assassins broke invisibility.

The livestream audience, “?”

FirstUnderHeaven, “???”

To everyone’s surprise, the Platform of Sorrow and Joy had actually refreshed buffs at the start of the third match. Watermelon, who was the fastest runner, had stepped on the [Sorrow·Stun] debuff on the Platform of Sorrow and Joy, breaking his invisibility. He found himself in clear view of the Prosperity Team’s three members who had just reached the bridge.

The commander, Momo, was speechless on the high platform.

The teammates ScarletFruit and ZenSlasher were also speechless.

Watermelon remained silent for a moment, then turned to his teammates and said, “Help me.”