Chapter 77: A Lone Challenge: The Rose’s Defiance

She won… she actually won?

This beauty, who had seemed little more than a pretty face, had actually defeated a top-tier assassin from the elite team?!

Though, it must be said, the manner of her victory was utterly bizarre… Leng Shisan had not fallen to the beauty’s hand, but rather to a mere pea.

One could already foresee it: from this day forward, peas would become the sworn nemesis of every assassin in the game… and not merely peas, but also soybeans, mung beans, black beans, rice, sand, and even thick mud.

A collective sigh of pity rose for the Stealth skill.

Imagine, hiding perfectly, only for a massive clump of black mud to come hurtling at your face! What kind of outrageous tactic was that?

And to top it off, it even came with a built-in lock-on effect! How were assassins ever supposed to enjoy themselves again?

****

Regardless of the chaotic process, Leng Shisan’s defeat was a foregone conclusion, one that no one could reasonably refute.

Could they claim the opponent had cheated? That argument held no water, for in a certain sense, stealth itself was a far more egregious form of trickery.

The victor had simply, and effectively, countered their ultimate trump card.

Only Lihuanhuan stared at Yingning, her gaze steeped in incredulity and disdain.

“Throwing peas?” she scoffed. “You actually conjured up such a disgraceful method? Winning by such cheap trickery, I wonder how long you can possibly last! Is anyone else going to step forward?”

“I!”

“Me, me!”

Given Yingning’s seemingly inglorious method of victory, the onlookers dismissed her win as a mere fluke.

They reasoned that had Leng Shisan not been so overly confident and excessively reliant on his stealth abilities, such an unexpected defeat would have been utterly impossible.

Furthermore, on a narrow plank bridge, even a truly formidable opponent could be defeated with a simple knockback skill.

Victory or defeat, then, hinged entirely on who could seize the opportune moment with greater precision.

As Dragon Pouncing on the Moon (TL Note: A skill name) entered a prolonged cooldown, Yingning swiftly swapped out her weapon, replacing it with an unassuming, standard-issue Level 30 white-grade one-handed sword.

This was a pre-arranged tactic: their ultimate trump card had to be reserved for the very end.

Otherwise, not only would their opponents discern the true extent of their capabilities, but many players, realizing the formidable challenge, would likely withdraw, thus significantly reducing the number of potential kills.

Since Leng Shisan bore a red name (TL Note: A ‘red name’ signifies a player with a high ‘kill value’ from player-killing, marking them as a notorious killer), Yingning incurred no increase in her own kill value upon his death.

However, she knew that in the battles to come, she could no longer act with such unrestrained impunity.

“I! Alone! Declare war on every single one of you present from the Sword Sweeping the World (TL Note: A guild name) branch! Do you dare to accept my challenge?”

A declaration of war!

Once declared, both factions were free to attack without fear of accumulating further kill value.

However, this state of declared war would persist until one side was utterly annihilated!

In essence, this was an all-out, no-holds-barred fight to the death!

Yet… one person daring to declare war on an entire guild?

Had this woman gone completely mad? It appeared she was prepared to fight to the bitter end, utterly disregarding the consequences!

The man who had been leaning silently by the dungeon entrance, observing the spectacle, finally furrowed his brow.

He was the guild leader of Sword Sweeping the World’s 29th branch, the very instigator of this dungeon expedition, and his ID was [Yan Quan].

Unlike the hysterical and utterly reckless Lihuanhuan, he was bound to consider the potential gains and losses for his guild.

Leng Shisan’s unexpected defeat had already stung him profoundly.

Should any more of his members suffer a similar fate, their guild’s strength would undoubtedly be compromised.

However, accepting this audacious declaration of war meant his guild would be forced into a relentless series of duels until the lone opponent was vanquished.

With only one adversary, they ostensibly had nothing to lose.

He could, and often did, overlook Vice Guild Leader Lihuanhuan’s petty provocations.

But Leng Shisan’s demise compelled him to heighten his vigilance, forcing him to consider if this sudden challenge was, in fact, a calculated ploy by a rival guild.

Now, however, his guild found itself in an inescapable predicament, akin to riding a tiger with no way to dismount (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning being in a difficult situation with no easy way out).

The opponent had issued a duel challenge before everyone gathered at the dungeon entrance, making all present unwitting witnesses.

Should they now shrink from single combat and resort to a group assault, they would inevitably earn a reputation for bullying the weak.

What’s more, given that their challenger was a beauty, the notion of Sword Sweeping the World’s 029th branch ganging up on a female player of such striking appearance would, if word spread, render their entire guild utterly infamous!

Within this game world, a guild’s strength was inextricably linked to its reputation.

Sordid affairs might be tolerated if confined to the shadows, but if exposed to public scrutiny, they would provide rival guilds with ample ammunition to poach members!

No one wished to carry such a tarnished name throughout this crucial ‘Second World’!

It seemed, then, that there was no longer any room for choice.

‘Lihuanhuan, Lihuanhuan,’ he thought, ‘you had better pray this isn’t some elaborate scheme by a rival guild! If it is indeed a conspiracy, you have been utterly played, used as a mere pawn by our adversaries!’

“Guild Leader! Accept the challenge!” Lihuanhuan gnashed her teeth, her gaze fixed on Yingning, barely concealing her seething jealousy at the other woman’s sudden prominence.

“Guild Leader! Don’t hesitate, accept the challenge! I know her; she’s merely an ordinary player from a third-rate guild, utterly devoid of influence or skill! There’s no way she could be an agent sent by a rival guild! And she certainly can’t defeat our members! Her win against Leng Shisan earlier was nothing more than a stroke of opportunistic luck!”

“Members of this guild, hear my command! Accept the challenge!” Yan Quan’s voice resonated, deep and decisive.

Instantly, the eyes of the surrounding onlookers ignited with fervent anticipation.

A grand spectacle was about to unfold!

To think someone would dare provoke a behemoth like Sword Sweeping the World! They must truly have a death wish, utterly ignorant of the meaning of defeat!

And a beauty, no less!

A faint smile simultaneously touched the corners of my lips and Yingning’s. It was done!

This one-on-one challenge would prove to be the most profoundly foolish decision they had ever made in their lives!

****

Meanwhile, deep within the dungeon, the female mage and Qingyu found themselves utterly dumbfounded.

“Won?”

“The Beibei girl won? She actually took down a member of Sword Sweeping the World’s elite team?”

This astonishing news immediately reverberated throughout the Gunfire Rose (TL Note: A guild name) guild, leaving everyone utterly stunned.

An elite team! What a formidable existence that represented! Every single member understood this all too well!

Especially the elite squad of a global behemoth like Sword Sweeping the World! They were nothing short of deities! Divine beings whom ordinary players like themselves could only ever gaze upon from afar, never hoping to reach! They were truly one-in-ten-thousand prodigies!

The process, however convoluted, was irrelevant.

The crucial point was that their esteemed Guild Leader had brought immense glory to their guild! Vengeance had been exacted!

Hard on the heels of that triumph, another bombshell revelation swept through the guild, leaving every member even more profoundly shaken.

Their Guild Leader, alone, had declared war on the entirety of Sword Sweeping the World’s 029th branch?!

When had their Gunfire Rose Guild Leader become so utterly formidable? When had the members of Gunfire Rose ever displayed such indomitable spirit?

The Beibei girl was no fool; how could she possibly be so reckless as to challenge an entire branch guild by herself? Who, or what, had instilled such audacious courage in her?

The female mage and Qingyu exchanged a knowing glance, nodding in perfect unison—it could only be the doing of that ‘expert older sister’ the Beibei girl had spoken of!

The female mage pondered for a brief moment, her eyes hardening with resolve, before issuing a resounding command through the guild channel: “All Gunfire Rose members, heed my words! Accelerate your advance! Prepare for battle! Our Guild Leader has thrown caution to the wind, and we, her comrades, shall not be found wanting! Let us fight with all we have!”