Chapter 152: Off-Court Command
Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Addis
When the advertising team heard UnchainedWanderer’s comment, they all thought of the same thing.
What did it mean? Was Momo coming back to play? Why would there be a last-minute lineup adjustment?
ScarletFruit was overjoyed and looked at the summoner beside him, “Brother Wanderer, did my big brother get discharged from the hospital?”
However, the summoner remained still, showing no other actions, clearly indicating that UnchainedWanderer was dual-boxing accounts.
“Ah, while it’s good that he’s discharged, he should still rest and recover…” ClearWind said, “Is he alright?”
“He won’t be playing, just adjusting the lineup,” Yu Zhen said, glancing at the time. “Let’s wait a moment and see what the map for this match is.”
Hearing that it was just a lineup adjustment, everyone’s excitement diminished. They had come this far, and they actually wanted to play the match and win the championship with Momo. Over the past two months, they had progressed through each stage, and Momo’s contributions had been significant. If they were to stop here in the second-to-last match, it would indeed be very disappointing.
They had come this far; who didn’t want to win the final championship?
The rewards were one thing, but what they truly wanted was to achieve this honor together.
As the final two matches approached, the adjustments were made at the Debate Peak, with their team and Veiled Cloud Sanctuary facing each other from afar.
The competition had reached its last two rounds. In this match, the advertising team was up against Veiled Cloud Sanctuary, while the matches for the other two groups were scheduled for the afternoon. Almost all the players who followed the Dao of Heaven Tournament flocked to the official livestream, which offered two viewing perspectives: a god’s-eye view and a commentary view.
At this moment, the commentary view featured two well-known livestreamers from StarNet.
One was the widely recognized FirstUnderHeaven, and the other was the frequently active commentator in the gaming competition industry, SkillfulEmptyHand.
“This match is actually a 50-50 chance,” FirstUnderHeaven introduced seriously. “Veiled Cloud Sanctuary is led by CloudTraveller. We know that Veiled Cloud Sanctuary has always been a gathering place for top players since Celestial Horizon launched. This time, CloudTraveller’s lineup also includes several well-known players from the rankings.”
“The commander is warrior CloudTraveller, and the lineup consists of two warriors, two healers, an array master, an assassin, a physical swordsman, a Daoist priest, and a mage.”
Veiled Cloud Sanctuary was an extremely luxurious team.
First warrior CloudTraveller, first healer HealsFor25000, first assassin ChatMasterWu… all three top professionals.
The rest were also high-ranking players, such as the first half-elf array master Global’s kawaii and the second Daoist priest, graciously known as NaturalandUnrestrained…
Just from their lineup alone, they could exert significant psychological pressure on their opponents. However, the Advertising team they were up against had a gap in strength, though nowadays few dared to underestimate this team. Originally a PvE team, they had gained fame in Celestial Horizon through their battlefield prowess and arena strategies, repeatedly defeating opponents and establishing themselves as a powerhouse.
“The Advertising team’s commander is summoner Momo, and their lineup consists of two summoners, two assassins, a warrior, a healer, a cleric, a physical swordsman, a magical swordsman, and an array master…” SkillfulEmptyHand continued, “From the lineup perspective, their professions are diverse, which allows for a highly flexible range of strategies and combinations, often showcasing impressive team configurations. However, recently their lineup has become more stable and less unconventional. Their summoner hasn’t been seen in several matches, and reliable rumors suggest there might be a special strategy in play. Let’s wait and see.”
[The commentators say so, so it must be true that they’re practicing strategies.]
[I’m really looking forward to seeing Momo in action. Watching him play summoner is really enjoyable.]
[It’s unclear what lineup CloudTraveller will use. Their team’s profession adaptability is also high.]
Now, only four teams remained in the Celestial Horizon competition to vie for the top four spots. The official announcement last week had warned that the difficulty of the semi-final maps would increase, with the introduction of PvE map-type arenas. The rising difficulty would affect the match outcomes, and the match duration was also adjusted, with each round now lasting up to 2 hours. If matches were prolonged enough, they might even extend into the afternoon or evening. SkillfulEmptyHand explained, “Now, let’s take a look at this match’s map… the Five Elements Palace.”
At the same time, there was a dramatic change in the arena. In the center of the two pinnacle arenas, a pentagon-shaped palace was instantly forged. The palace’s terrain was extremely complex; although it was only a single floor, it was divided into a labyrinth with only a 10-meter-square combat platform in the center. From a god’s-eye view, one could see all the details of the labyrinth, but for the players on the field, it was a different story.
Players would spawn at two separated points on the map, the Five Elements Palace, and needed to quickly locate and eliminate the opponents. During this time, map events might occur. If players got lost in the labyrinth, they could not only be outmaneuvered by enemy players but also potentially affected by the map itself.
FirstUnderHeaven said, “This is the first time a labyrinth-type arena has appeared in Celestial Horizon’s scene. Compared to the maze maps in PvE dungeons, the Five Elements Palace is significantly simpler… it’s at best the level of a 4-star labyrinth map, so the difficulty for both teams shouldn’t be too high.”
SkillfulEmptyHand added, “It’s hard to say. The map’s scene mechanism wasn’t explained in advance, and there could be random events. The difficulty is initially estimated to be 5 stars.”
When the labyrinth map appeared, the Advertising team looked uneasy. They were indeed skilled in PvE, but they had encountered labyrinth maps very rarely. Their experience with mazes was not as strong as with other puzzle-type maps. Most critically, some members of their team had poor sense of direction, so getting separated from teammates could make it very dangerous.
“It’s better to have an external commander,” BitterMelon said. “In maps like this, you really need to trust your teammates. With the longest round lasting 2 hours, if you want to quickly eliminate the opponents, you need your teammates to deduce the correct route through the labyrinth in advance and guide them forward through the commander.”
“That’s a bit difficult,” Apple said. “I used to be on the same team as CloudTraveller. This time, because of faction separation, we didn’t end up together, but I know a bit about their team. There’s an array master in their team called Global’s No. 1 kawaii. She’s very good at solving puzzles and navigating mazes; she’s a core member of their team. Celestial Horizon’s dungeons often include clues related to ancient China, and kawaii is an archaeologist in real life. She responds very quickly to these kinds of things.”
ClearWind exclaimed, “Wow, we’ve run into the opponent’s strong map!”
ZenSlasher added, “Momo is also very good at deciphering ancient Chinese puzzles.”
ScarletFruit said in frustration, “But my big brother isn’t here.”
“I’m here.”
At that moment, a voice suddenly appeared in the team’s voice channel. The voice was a bit hoarse and low, as if someone was just recovering from a serious illness. It felt like a reassuring presence within the team.
“Big Brother!?” ScarletFruit was stunned. “Did you run out of the hospital?”
Yu Zhen explained, “No, he’s watching StarNet’s live stream and using the System’s built-in voice function to communicate with us.”
Melon was shocked. “How is that possible? This is a holographic game!”
Yu Zhen said, “Through device transfer. It was documented in the main system, and we also informed the game’s developers.”
Su Mo’s low fever kept recurring, but his spirits were quite good even though he couldn’t play the game.
The reason Su Mo could communicate with his teammates from outside the game was due to a collaboration product from the Firmament Group, the virtual device. This machine was originally sent to help Su Mo watch StarNet matches by providing a 3D perspective for those unable to log into StarNet. However, as soon as the device arrived at his home, Su Mo disassembled it to study it, integrating it with his previously developed equipment and programs to achieve voice interaction that the research team had not yet realized.
By using Momo’s account permissions and integrating the virtual device’s functions with default terminal equipment as a medium, voice interaction within Celestial Horizon was synchronized. For instance, sounds from Su Mo’s terminal could be transmitted to his teammates through the terminal and virtual device interface, and his teammates’ voices could also be sent back to Su Mo.
Celestial Horizon was strictly monitored by the main system, with rigorous checks on external device interactions to prevent external assistance. During the match, the system fully monitored the voice communications between the opposing teams, ensuring nothing was overlooked. However, since Momo was one of the ten team members, connecting through an external device still required permission from the main system. Consequently, only his personal biometric voice conditions were recognized for transmission, while other voices were not recorded. This was not considered external cheating, and the virtual device was not deemed as cheating software, which is why the main system allowed its use.
At that time, when Su Mo was completing this functionality, he had discussed it with Yu Zhen’s friend. While the feature seemed to focus solely on voice interaction, it was actually a breakthrough in the field of transmission, with sound interaction being accomplished. The integration of virtual scene interaction was merely a technical extension. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed that Su Mo could solve such a major problem in such a short period. His friend quickly inquired where he had found such talent and even bought a starship ticket to come over.
In the Su family’s living room, Su Mo was curled up on the sofa, watching the live broadcast view projected by the virtual device. This live broadcast view was exactly the same as what they would see in the venue, providing a panoramic view. Apart from the spawn locations, other locations did not show invisible units. For important matches, Celestial Horizon had implemented comprehensive view protection to prevent cheating through live broadcast perspectives. The official channel added several settings to ensure that the live broadcast and the venue had a synchronized view.
The arena gave players 5 minutes to familiarize themselves with the map. Once the 5 minutes were up, a new scene prompt appeared.
— The format for the first match was [1v1].
“Oh my god, we got randomly assigned a 1v1 right at the start!” ScarletFruit was daunted upon seeing the 1v1, “So who will go, Brother Wanderer?”
“No, we should send the summoner. Let FireworksAndLanterns take the stage.”
The maze map had limited space and, as of now, no teleportation functions were observed. It was initially determined that the Five Elements Palace would likely use events to increase the chances of encountering the opponent.
Due to the external transmission and the simplicity of the equipment, the sound in the holographic game was transmitted through voice simulation directly to the players’ brains. Su Mo’s voice, unprocessed and slightly hoarse due to his illness, retained its original tone.
The Five Elements Palace was pentagonal with a circular platform in the center. The ancient Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—implied that each corner of the pentagon should correspond to one element. The array master on the opposite side, if knowledgeable about ancient Chinese history, would have profound insights into the Five Elements, but exactly which element would correspond to which corner and what changes would occur were still unknown.
“In the first match, the opponent will likely want to test the map just like us,” Su Mo said, coughing lightly and taking a sip of water, his gaze calm as he looked at the map in front of him. “If nothing unexpected happens, it should be CloudTraveller.”
FireworksAndLanterns honestly admitted, “I can’t beat him. CloudTraveller is exceptionally strong. In a 1v1, I have a professional advantage, but he is a versatile warrior, both offensive and defensive. My chances of winning in a direct confrontation are very slim.”
ScarletFruit didn’t understand, “Why are you conceding before even fighting? Isn’t this just boosting the opponent’s morale while diminishing your own?”
Bitter Melon commented appreciatively, “Little Firework is quite honest.”
The rest of the team was left speechless. Was conceding in advance really considered honest?
Su Mo continued, “It’s fine. How many summons can you deploy at most?”
“Previously, it was 7. Now the limit is 9,” FireworksAndLanterns replied, thinking for a moment before asking, “Is there a problem with that?”
“No, it’s enough,” Su Mo said, wrapping himself in a blanket as if he could see the entire maze within the arena. “In this round, we’ll let them handle it.”
***
Both sides prepared and submitted their team formations, and soon two players were teleported to the two starting points within the Five Elements Palace.
On the Advertising team’s side was summoner FireworksAndLanterns, while on the Veiled Cloud Sanctuary side was warrior CloudTraveller.
“I thought the 1v1 would be led by Momo, but it turns out they sent FireworksAndLanterns,” the live stream commentators were quite surprised. It was well-known that there were only three options for a 1v1 setup, and it was rare for a team to fill all three options with the same profession. SkilfulEmptyHand said, “For this 1v1, FireworksAndLanterns is a summoner. Does this mean the advertising team didn’t include Momo as an option for 1v1?”
[So what will Momo do? With two summoners, it seems he would be more suitable for 1v1.]
[FireworksAndLanterns is a magic summoner, right? For 1v1, a physical summoner is indeed more comfortable.]
[FireworksAndLanterns versus CloudTraveller, I remember FireworksAndLanterns lost to CloudTraveller before, didn’t he?]
Soon, the countdown ended for both sides. The air wall in front of FireworksAndLanterns and CloudTraveller disappeared, and they both began to move almost simultaneously. CloudTraveller moved faster than FireworksAndLanterns and quickly reached the maze’s junction, heading towards FireworksAndLanterns. In contrast, FireworksAndLanterns was both moving and summoning creatures.
[??? FireworksAndLanterns is summoning creatures at this moment!?]
[Why is he summoning creatures before they even meet? Isn’t this wasting mana? The summoned creatures will expire soon.]
[Their commanders have the God view; there’s no need to send out summoned creatures to explore the path, right?]
In a typical maze map, it’s true that teams might bring a summoner because, without a God view in PvE scenarios, they need to trial and error repeatedly to find the right path. Summoned creatures are a good option for testing the route. However, in this case, with a God view available, FireworksAndLanterns was still summoning creatures. This was a 1v1 situation, and summoners had to manage their mana carefully.
Not long after, the first event occurred in the arena.
The Five Elements Palace, FireworksAndLanterns and CloudTraveller were each in one of the positions, and they both encountered issues simultaneously.
FireworksAndLanterns’ speed suddenly slowed down, while CloudTraveller began to lose health.
[Yin-Yang Five Elements (Counter): Metal Wood Earth Water Fire]
[Yin-Yang Five Elements!?]
[Fuck, this is an arena match; why suddenly introduce this?]
[What does this mean? Health reduction from a buff?! A negative buff?]
The sudden appearance of the debuff prompt had CloudTraveller moving forward without hesitation, even though he was losing health. His pace was remarkably fast, indicating that the maze map was very clear to him, as if the maze was well understood by their commander, requiring no pause. On the other hand, FireworksAndLanterns had abandoned moving forward. He released his summoned creatures, which spread out from his position to the various side paths.
FireworksAndLanterns controlled the summoned creatures, adjusting their positions left and right to extend their reach.
On the Veiled Cloud Sanctuary side, kawaii observed the situation and asked, “Is there a 10-second status when the prompt appears?”
“Yes,” CloudTraveller responded while moving, informing his teammates, “I’m moving quickly to exit that area. Within the area, there is a 10-second countdown for health reduction. Once I leave the area, the status resets immediately. Report FireworksAndLanterns’ position to me. This map is a maze with a buff mechanism. It’s difficult to test the map conditions in a 1v1 situation. Let’s eliminate FireworksAndLanterns first, and we’ll test the map mechanism in the next round.”
“FireworksAndLanterns is diagonally opposite you, in the left front position. At the next junction, turn left, go straight, and then turn right,” Global’s No1 kawaii calmly directed, adding, “Ah Yun, something is strange. FireworksAndLanterns isn’t moving; it seems he’s using his summoned creatures to test the buff…”
ChatMasterWu commented, “Little Firework’s sense of direction is average. Logically, it should have been Momo in this match.”
ChatMasterWu said, “Their team has been acting strangely lately… Momo has also been online less often. Besides the matches, I rarely see him online at other times.”
“Could it be that the commander on the opposite side isn’t actually Momo?” ChatMasterWu added.
HealsFor25000 responded, “There’s also Brother Zhen.”
The thought that the commander on the other side might not be Momo was surprising, considering that besides Momo, there was also another commander, UnchainedWanderer!
Momo’s strategies were highly innovative, each tactic making it difficult to counter. On the other hand, the tactics of ReturnToSimplicity were of a different style and equally challenging to deal with.
There was a moment of silence within the team. ReturnToSimplicity had previously been part of CloudTraveller’s team, where he usually did not command, but his commanding skills were not inferior to CloudTraveller’s.
Those who had teamed up with ReturnToSimplicity knew that aside from his exceptional combat skills, his sensitivity to dungeons and commanding abilities were outstanding. The external focus was drawn by Momo’s presence in the Advertising Team, without realizing that there was also a skilled player operating an alt account.
The Advertising Team was a dual-command team, comparable to the well-known dual-command teams in Celestial Horizon like BrokenOracle and Haitang.
“FireworksAndLanterns has moved,” kawaii quickly said. “Turn left at the next junction; you’re about to encounter him.”
The live broadcast also showed the situation. Initially, FireworksAndLanterns had been stationed, placing summoned creatures for scouting. After a short while, he retracted the summoned creatures and began moving. Both FireworksAndLanterns and CloudTraveller were navigating the maze quickly, as if the winding maze posed no significant challenge for them.
[Fuck, are they going to face off directly?]
[I think so! A direct clash in the middle!]
[They definitely need to fight; the arena scores will be calculated, and damage dealt is a significant factor.]
As the live broadcast eagerly awaited the clash between the two sides, the Advertising Team was also in discussion.
ScarletFruit said, “Fuck, CloudTraveller is so fierce. He’s going to come after you! You need to engage him in the middle!”
“I’m running now! I’ll definitely get there first!” FireworksAndLanterns continued pushing forward. “Boss, which way should I go?”
The team commander took a sip of water, glanced at the map, and instructed, “Head to the door at the diagonal right, and release the bear and the ferret.”
“Got it!” FireworksAndLanterns replied confidently.
Momo added, “Don’t die.”
FireworksAndLanterns responded with great confidence, “Don’t worry, I’m super brave!”
At that moment, CloudTraveller activated his speed boost. As he burst out from the junction, he encountered FireworksAndLanterns, who was coming from the diagonal front.
FirstUnderHeaven was extremely excited, “CloudTraveller is charging in! FireworksAndLanterns has summoned the bear; the summoner’s opening move is the bear, aiming to taunt and take the initiative!”
The bear appeared powerfully on the field, directly blocking CloudTraveller’s path.
Just when everyone thought FireworksAndLanterns was about to unleash a burst of attacks, they saw a ferret appear on the summoner, and with the movement speed boost from the ferret, FireworksAndLanterns and his summoned creatures charged away in the opposite direction from CloudTraveller.
Without looking back, he bravely dashed forward.
Author’s note:
FireworksAndLanterns: A true warrior can adapt and still charge forward.
Bitter Melon pointed: Truly straightforward.
