Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 774 - 772: The Arena

Twenty-four hours passed quickly. Li Ang returned from a trip to the sea, having obtained high-quality biomass from over a dozen large Bug Clan units led by Behemoth. He also acquired spherical, hydro-orb-shaped genetic material from ocean creatures and countless egg-shaped samples of newly developed soldier bugs.

During this time, some attractive players, hired by commercial organizations and not participating in the current event, came to the entrance of the Immaculate Furnace in the Game Square, advertising for partnerships. Most of them left on their own after seeing the "No Commercial Cooperation" sign at the entrance and finding the owner absent. The few who insisted on waiting for Li Ang to come online also departed after personally hearing his polite refusal. There were no instances of pestering or intimidation; without knowing the other party's real-world identity, threats were hardly possible.

"It's starting! It's starting!"

"Quick, quick, quick!"

Boisterous voices erupted in the Game Square. Li Ang, mingling with the dense crowd, headed towards the Sky Fighting Arena's registration area.

The "Under Maintenance" sign at the main entrance of the Sky Fighting Arena had disappeared. Perhaps to accommodate the current Gate Showdown, players no longer needed to sign up at a designated location. Instead, they could register directly through the "Events" section of their personal panel, saving queuing time.

Additionally, the Sky Fighting Arena's tower-climbing format had undergone a significant change. The number of dueling rings on the same floor was now unlimited. As long as two contestants agreed to a match, the Sky Fighting Arena would automatically expand its interior space to create a new dueling ring. During this expansion, the spectator stands would also enlarge, so there was no concern about accommodating the audience.

"It really is bustling..."

Li Ang glanced around. The spectator stands were packed with players who had come to watch the first day's dueling ring matches. The preliminary stage lasted a full sixteen days, and the first day's matches were expected to be just as exciting as the later ones. All contestants, including powerhouses ranked high on the individual combat power leaderboard, had to start from the first floor. Observing future opponents' fighting styles from the stands could prevent considerable trouble in the later stages of the competition. Many contestants thought this way, including Li Ang, which was why he hadn't rushed to register.

"Looking for a seat?"

A voice came from behind. Li Ang turned to see two figures, one tall and one short, both wearing horse-head masks. It was Mule and her adopted sister, Laura. They were holding large buckets of popcorn and iced colas purchased from Ken McDonald's Restaurant, looking as if they were off to watch a football match.

"Oh, you're here too."

Li Ang nodded and casually asked, "Aren't you competing?"

Mule smiled, gently patting Laura's shoulder with the wrist of the hand holding her iced cola. Her tone was laced with a hint of indulgence. "Her level isn't high enough, and as for me... it's not my time to compete yet. Oh, the matches are about to start. Want to sit together?"

"Sure."

Li Ang glanced at the spectator stands. Although the players there were dressed in a riot of colorful and strange outfits, he could still discern some patterns upon closer inspection. In certain sections, the audience's attire was more uniform in color and similar in style. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Those people are all members of guild organizations. They come here to watch the matches together and analyze other contestants," Mule said indifferently. "There are quite a few experts among them. Even just sitting in the stands, unable to feel the Energy fluctuations inside the dueling ring, they can still roughly infer a contestant's Energy level, power system, and combat habits based on the damage to the field. For lower-level players, watching doesn't make much difference. But for those aiming for a high ranking, being analyzed and figured out is quite uncomfortable. In duels below the 50th floor, contestants must not only try their best to win but also win quickly and decisively to prevent their trump cards from being exposed prematurely. For this reason, they might even surrender when facing a strong opponent to hide tactics for later matches. Oh, there are three empty seats over there. Let's go."

Mule led Laura forward, her left hand clutching the iced cola cup stiffening for a moment.

From the moment she entered the arena, she had noticed the contingent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Supernatural Accident Place at the eleven o'clock position in the stands. Among those players in black suits and sunglasses were several figures Mule knew very well. They were high-ranking FBI officials who, many years ago, had handled her family's case...

Sigh, patience, patience.

Mule slowly relaxed her tense left hand, her wildly fluctuating heart rate steadying once more.

It wasn't time yet. These people were merely the direct executors of dirty work, loyal dogs kept by higher powers. Killing them would only alert the true enemy. Besides, fighting wasn't permitted in the Game Square.

A tumult churned in Mule's stomach. She knew these high-ranking FBI officials were only here to observe the competition today. As senior staff, they would participate in the Gate Showdown to earn sixteen days free from scripted missions, but they would never risk themselves in the dueling ring matches.

Revenge could only be accomplished in the real world...

Steady breathing came from within Mule's horse-head mask. She pulled Laura down to sit, then, with an air of normalcy, extended the straw of her iced cola into her mask and slowly sipped, showing no unusual behavior.

The FBI agents must be scanning the stands now. Any hostile gaze or abnormal action would surely alert them...

"..."

Laura turned her head and glanced at Mule. Mule had gripped her hand a bit tightly just now. Laura could vaguely sense the turmoil in Mule's heart, but they were in public and couldn't show it, especially with a stranger present.

"Waiter, over here!"

Li Ang, sitting next to Mule, snapped his fingers at a young waiter pushing a small cart and wearing the red and white uniform of Ken McDonald's Restaurant. He took some snacks and drinks from the cart, casually tossing a green chip into the money bag hanging beside it.

"Want some?" Li Ang, holding a bag of snacks, took out several packages of cookies, peculiar-tasting beans, and chocolates, then passed them across Mule to Laura.

Laura initially shook her head shyly, declining. But after Mule gave a gentle nod of permission, she accepted the snacks from Li Ang. Murmuring, "Thank you," she tore open a packet and began to eat, slipping the snacks into her horse-head mask.

BOOM! BOOM—

The ground in the middle of the Dueling Field shook abruptly. Next to the original six square platforms, an additional forty-three platforms rose. Simultaneously, the four huge screens above the vast arena lit up, not showing the Narrator from the Watcher's Society, but displaying views of the platforms below. The entire spectator area shifted back a distance as the Dueling Field expanded. However, with the players' eyesight, the scenes on each platform were still clearly visible, not to mention the giant screens above.

*Please, all contestants who hear the System prompt, gather at your respective platforms.*

A low, rough electronic voice echoed through the structure. Two lines of text appeared on each of the forty-nine platforms—the contestants' Dueling Field aliases.

"Oh, the first round of matches has begun."

Li Ang put down his iced cola and rubbed his hands together, wondering what interesting things he might see in this first round.