Chapter 42

Yuan Hanshuang submitted a 6v6 team duel, and according to the arena’s matching rules, the teams’ rankings should not have a significant disparity. They should be matched based on a unified ranking to maintain fairness.

However, their internal team composition was quite disparate, with two at the lowest Bronze level, two at Silver, and two Diamond-ranked fighters. This made the situation extremely awkward.

Typically, in such a 6v6 match, the team may be at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, the Black Street system wasn’t unethical enough to match them against an all-Diamond team. After a few flickers, a team at the Gold level was presented.

“Silver Star Reaper Harvesting Squad, please proceed to the combat arena. Silver Star Reaper Harvesting Squad, please proceed to the combat arena.”

Entering the stage, Yuan Hanshuang spoke casually, “We’re quite lucky this time. Maybe because two members just registered and lowered our matchmaking score, we’ve been matched with a Gold-level team.”

In general, team matches tend to have higher rankings than individual matches.

A stable Diamond-ranked team usually consists of mostly Tier 5 members. If matched based on Diamond standards, they wouldn’t stand a chance since Tier 5 not only spans a large tier but is also recognized as a talent watershed.

On the other hand, Gold-level teams usually stabilize around Tier 3, making them easier opponents.

As expected, upon entering the stage, the opposing team consisted of five Tier 3 members and only one Tier 4 junior.

“They have only one Tier 4, while we have three. Looks like we’re going to crush them.” Thinking about earning money by winning matches in Black Street, Wu Haoxuan laughed joyfully. “Charge!”

Even Xuan Yuansheng, who was initially a bit nervous, relaxed his brow slightly.

Although he had taken over the command just now, in reality, this was his first time commanding in actual combat. Naturally, he was afraid of making mistakes.

In contrast to their gradually lightening moods, the talented individuals on the opposing side felt their hearts in their throats.

“Big brother, what’s going on? We’re a Gold-level team; how did we get matched with a Diamond-level team?”

One of the support class members was dumbfounded, “And they have three Tier 4s on their side, one of them being Tier 4 Peak. How are we supposed to fight this?”

“Definitely someone manipulated the rankings, damn it!”

The big brother spat on the ground, “Diamond-ranked players bullying us Gold-level commoners, despicable, shameless!”

Not just him, even a few onlookers who were watching the battle criticized, “What’s going on? How is the power balance so uneven on both sides?”

“Is someone manipulating the rankings? Quick, report it, report it.”

Rank manipulation is a hidden cheating mechanism in the arena. Since higher ranks are harder to maintain and losing a match deducts more points, some high-ranking fighters employ a tactic. They intentionally find lower-ranked fighters to match with, ensuring easier opponents and better chances of gaining points.

Of course, such behavior is universally frowned upon in the arena.

“We’re in trouble.”

Yuan Hanshuang didn’t anticipate this, “If they report and it’s validated, we might get banned for a week.”

“Don’t worry.” Gu Dong stood still, casually flexing his wrists, “With the alliance between the Gu family and the Black Tower, even if we’re reported, the admins wouldn’t dare to ban us.”

Yuan Hanshuang: …

Is this the joy of having connections?

She remained silent, summoning her Manifestation and the resonated with it, then looked towards the…

The teammate’s abilities intrigued Yuan Hanshuang. She had seen the resonance form of Wu Haoxuan, Ke Junda, and Xuan Yuansheng, but the other two were still unknown, sparking her curiosity.

The Dream Butterfly of Xia Mengrou was indeed dreamlike, as the name suggested. It was entirely pink, and the patterns on its wings were filled with fantasy. After the resonance, two tendrils sprouted from her head, giving her a remarkably cute appearance.

Gu Dong, on the other hand, had a pair of silver-white eagle wings growing from his back. The elongated joints transformed into sharp claws, exuding a cold and imposing aura.

The higher the Manifestation level, the more prominent the features of the Resonance. Xia Mengrou, being only an A-level Synchro, couldn’t yet manifest the wings of her Dream Butterfly. Even if she could, she and Gu Dong wouldn’t be able to use them until breaking through to the fifth tier, unveiling their true Resonance forms and gaining the ability to fly.

After taking their positions, the team adjusted its formation. Traditional formations usually had defense-oriented members at the forefront, but Xuan Yuansheng and Yuan Hanshuang were both powerful melee fighters who preferred to confront their foes head-on. With this in mind, they decided to position themselves on the left and right wings, respectively. Wu Haoxuan and Xia Mengrou took the rear, with Ke Junda guarding them.

“Wait, I have a question,” Xia Mengrou whispered, “Should we control the intensity of our attacks during the match? Otherwise, isn’t it difficult to explain if we accidentally defeat our opponents?”

Yuan Hanshuang chuckled, “Don’t worry, the Black Street Arena is all about holographic simulations. Those opponents may seem like real people, but they are just projections from another arena. With so many teams being matched daily, it’s impossible for everyone to be physically present in the same venue. Go ahead and fight, they won’t get hurt.”

A certain walking embodiment of Imperial law perked up his ears nearby, satisfied with what he heard.

“Three, two, one, match start!”

At the moment the countdown reached zero, Gu Dong vanished from his original position like a ghost.

Xuan Yuansheng, refusing to believe it, scanned the entire arena but couldn’t spot Gu Dong anywhere.

The match had begun, and he needed to quickly organize each person’s actions. He didn’t have time to worry about where Gu Dong had disappeared: “Wu Haoxuan, use your skill first.”

In every match, it was not the attackers but the support-type talents that made the initial move. This was especially true for Wu Haoxuan, whose skill involved drawing random cards. His first draw after entering the field was particularly crucial.

Xuan Yuansheng had a plan. If Wu Haoxuan could draw an SSR card in one go, leveraging the level difference between the two teams, he could lead the team in launching an intense bombardment to quickly end the match.

“Alright, Rat, I’ll start drawing now!”

Wu Haoxuan took off his hat, ready for action.

After a moment, he looked into the hat with the magic wand in hand, “Xuan Yuansheng, it’s an N card.”

Xuan Yuansheng, full of anticipation, sighed, “. Alright, forget it. Since luck isn’t on our side this time, Gu Dong, take Wu Haoxuan to debuff the opponents!”

However, no matter how many times he called, there was no sign of the assassin.

Xuan Yuansheng, both annoyed and helpless, said, “Just go to the back row and stay put. We’ll wait for the next draw.”

Although Wu Haoxuan’s passive skill was useful, he couldn’t move or speak if he wanted to reduce his presence, so he had to stand still and wait for the next draw.

Regardless, he could at least be considered a free-range support, not requiring attention for ten minutes.

Unable to rely on Wu Haoxuan, Xuan Yuansheng could only assign tasks to the melee fighters.

But before he could say anything, the opponents were already charging.

“Meet the enemy first! Ko Junda, pay attention to protecting the back row!”

Xuan Yuansheng hastily gave orders and rushed over to meet the enemy.

At this moment, the lack of team coordination was evident, and the overall response was a bit slow.

The opponents seemed to have participated in numerous matches with a fixed team, understanding each other’s thoughts well. Faced with such a level difference, they immediately decided to focus on eliminating one opponent at a time.

With only three at the fourth level, one disappeared without a trace, and one with a Golden Lion showed extremely strong pressure, indicating a high level of this form. In desperation, the opponents could only focus their gaze on the seemingly soft target, Yuan Hanshuang.

Yuan Hanshuang: targeted?

With her extensive combat experience, she immediately realized she was being singled out. So, she promptly retreated, “Ke Junda!”

Without hesitation, Ke Junda, cooperating well with the Boss, immediately activated the Diamond Shield. The attacks and skills, like a torrential storm, would have overwhelmed Ke Junda if it weren’t for the shield.

Retreating from the crowd, Yuan Hanshuang, before leaving, activated the Eagle Claw Capturing Snake. She directly grabbed the collar of an agility based opponent who hadn’t had time to retreat, throwing them towards their own side, “Catch!”

Xuan Yuansheng, too late to regret his slow reaction, quickly used Pounce. With a Golden Rending, he directly sent this three-level intermediate holographic image away.

“I swear, Big Brother, that golden lion’s simulated form has ridiculously high damage!”

The opponents were trembling in fear, “Although Woodie is only at level three intermediate, lagging behind by almost a major level, directly sending away two skills is too outrageous! How are we supposed to fight this?”

Big Brother also trembled along, “This is just a level four junior. They also have a level four pinnacle Diamond missing. What sin have we committed to encounter these freaks who manipulate rankings!”

“Wuwuwu, what should we do? It will take three minutes to surrender!”

While they were on the field, caught up in the urgency of the situation, the spectators below had a clear view.

“The manifestationlevel of that golden lion itself must be very high.”

“Yes, having such attack intensity at level four junior is almost comparable to advanced levels.”

“I see their team name has the words ‘Silver Star.’ Could they be university students?”

“I think it’s possible. Students from advanced institutions, no wonder they handle the opponents like slicing vegetables.”

“Are Silver Star students nowadays so despicable? They’re already this strong, yet they’re still manipulating rankings. Report them!”

Successfully dealing with one person, Xuan Yuansheng’s beast eyes slightly widened. It was a signal of the beast’s excitement. He roared to the sky, directly confronting the only level four on the opposite side, going into a killing frenzy.

Yuan Hnashuang stopped in her tracks, frowning as she looked at the back of the golden-maned lion.

The advantage on their side was obvious, and the last trace of nervousness in Xia Mengrou’s heart vanished.

“Take a hit of this lady’s Hypnosis Powder!”

She released a light pink wind blade, awkwardly pushing back an opponent who fancied getting close to her. Then, she clasped her hands in front of her chest.

Clutching the Hypnosis Powder, she sprinkled it over her opponents like a downpour.

“Ah-choo!”

The unlucky opponent sneezed loudly on the spot, and seizing the opportunity with the sudden drop in speed, Yuan Hanshuang delivered a series of blows.

Seeing teammates being dispersed and breaking apart, the last support panicked. Just as he was about to apply a buff again, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

The assassin, with a ghostly, slender figure, appeared behind him, extending sharp claws. Like a death reaper gently beckoning, he effortlessly slashed the opponent’s throat.

Wu Haoxuan stood in place, eyes fixed on his own hat, hoping for a second draw.

But before he could lift his head again, all his teammates had already taken care of all the opponents.

“The match is over. Congratulations to the Silver Star Reaper Harvesting Squad!”

Wu Haoxuan: ???