Chapter 63: The Game’s True Nature Revealed

“Ding dong~ All players have made their selections. Now, please prepare to enter the game~”

Just as Wang Tianming clicked the final “Confirm” button, Nina’s voice suddenly rang out, causing considerable alarm among the players.

“Players, please make your final skin selections now. The game will commence directly in one minute.”

“Wha— what? So fast? We haven’t even chosen our Onmyodo (TL Note: Japanese esoteric cosmology) techniques or Onmyoji (TL Note: A practitioner of Onmyodo) Spirit Spells yet?!” The talkative young man frantically glanced at the large screen before him, only to find that apart from the skin selection interface, all other sections were inaccessible.

“Damn it, is this thing bugged? Without Onmyodo techniques, won’t we be significantly weaker than the opposing team?”

“I told you all along, this isn’t a normal MOBA game at all! You idiots, still treating it like a regular game!” The arrogant man cursed loudly, pressing a hand to his forehead. “I was a complete fool myself, picking characters based on typical game roles with you lot. What good is a damn support character going to do us now?!”

“How, how can you be so sure it’s not a normal MOBA?” The talkative young man continued to argue, attempting to rationalize the situation. “Perhaps this is just a challenge from the system, making us play with fewer Onmyodo techniques and Onmyoji Spirit Spells than the opponents, to add more pressure to the fight!”

“When I call you an idiot, you truly are one! How can you still not see it, even now? I genuinely don’t know how you managed to survive in previous games!” The arrogant man scoffed, looking at the talkative young man with disdain. “Without Onmyoji Spirit Spells, you can’t equip ‘Subdue.’ And if you don’t have ‘Subdue,’ how do you expect to jungle?”

“If I don’t bring ‘Subdue,’ I can just buy a jungle knife and jungle… Oh, wait! No!” The talkative young man wasn’t entirely dim-witted; a realization finally dawned on him. “If I don’t have ‘Subdue,’ I can’t buy a jungle knife. And without Onmyodo techniques on top of that, I won’t even be able to defeat jungle monsters in the early game!”

Indeed, this was the case.

‘Subdue’ was an essential Onmyoji skill for junglers, capable of dealing significant damage to jungle monsters while also restoring the user’s health.

The shop offered equipment specifically designed for jungle monsters and even allowed for the upgrade of the ‘Subdue’ skill.

However, without ‘Subdue’ equipped, none of this specialized gear could be purchased.

Onmyodo techniques were akin to a talent system found in typical games.

Selecting various Onmyodo techniques yielded diverse effects during battles.

Furthermore, combining different Onmyodo techniques could produce remarkable synergistic effects.

Without Onmyodo techniques, at most, the early game would be more challenging, and there would be a slight reduction in late-game burst damage.

However, this could be mitigated to some extent through superior equipment, individual skill, team coordination, and the inherent advantages of the Shikigami (TL Note: A summoned spirit or deity in Onmyodo) chosen.

Yet, the absence of Onmyoji Spirit Spells meant no ‘Subdue.’

And without ‘Subdue,’ the jungler role was effectively crippled.

The system wouldn’t present an unsolvable riddle for players to engage with.

While losing a jungler might not seem critical, forcing players to concede jungle resources in the early game was not something the system should do.

Therefore, only one truth remained!

“This game isn’t a 5v5 competitive MOBA at all!” Wang Tianming, having selected the skin he wished to use, mused that perhaps the most benevolent aspect of the game so far was the availability of all Shikigami and their respective skins. “This game has undergone a mutation; we can no longer judge it by conventional wisdom!”

The minute passed swiftly.

Despite Nina’s words having instilled considerable panic among the players, they were still drawn into the game.

For this was no longer something within their control.

Even if they were paralyzed by fear to the point of losing consciousness, it would not prevent their entry into the game!

****

“Welcome to the beautiful Heian-kyo (TL Note: The former name for Kyoto, Japan, often associated with a historical period of Japanese culture) battlefield. I am Nina, your player guide~” The group instantly descended into a small circular area, and Nina’s voice resonated at the opportune moment. “Players will transform into their chosen Shikigami and must defend their main camp’s barrier from being pushed by enemy minions. Each Shikigami has only one life, so please be mindful of your safety~”