Once Fuyu entered Stealth, Yu Yu lost sight of her. She could only watch Zhong Ye twirling her dagger on the screen.
Zhong Ye moved lightly through the forest, her face cold and refined, a trace of mockery creeping into her eyes.
Compared to her effortless swagger, Fuyu seemed like a side character.
Hall of Fame players each had their own aura. Zhong Ye easily stirred the crowd, who subconsciously expected her to crush her opponent.
"Zhong Ye! Zhong Ye! Zhong Ye!"
Yu Yu frowned. She didn't care about popularity, but Zhong Ye's casual demeanor made her worry about Fuyu's mindset.
Fuyu's mentality wasn't as steady as Zi Shu's, and her idolization of Zhong Ye might keep her from performing at full strength.
Time ticked by.
Yu Yu studied Zhong Ye, noticing that despite her relaxed air, her movements were purposeful.
So…
She predicted Fuyu would be here?
The forest terrain was complex, and rogues were the epitome of Agility. Fighting here didn't clearly favor either side.
Both were rogues, after all.
Yu Yu focused intensely, Shu Tu and Zi Shu equally unblinking. Fuyu had little fame. Besides teammates, only a handful watched her match, a stark contrast to the frenzy opposite. Some of Shu Tu's fans came for her, cheering Fuyu on by proxy.
Shu Tu was used to it, but Zi Shu wasn't. She glanced back. "…You get mobbed like this often?"
"Hm…" Shu Tu stared at the screen. "You get used to it."
She thought, then looked at Zi Shu. "It won't be long before you do too."
If not for the current restrictions and Eternal Darkness's limited slots, Zhong Ye's fans would probably fill the plaza, far beyond this small scene.
Yu Yu chimed in casually, "Yeah, team up with a Hall of Famer three times, and you're basically debuted in gaming circles."
"In normal times, they'd dig up your whole family tree," she teased, winking at Shu Tu. "Not to mention our Shu Shen, whose popularity never dips below top three."
Zi Shu's mouth twitched. "…You guys are too idle."
Yu Yu patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. When you thrash Xiang Qin, you'll see."
"You'll probably blow up on the forums."
Zi Shu muttered, "…Or get thrashed."
Yu Yu considered. "Fans are hard to control. Back then, it was business—had to keep the fame going…"
"Now?" Yu Yu looked up nonchalantly. "Play how you want. Fans or no fans, doesn't matter."
Zi Shu took a deep breath. "I'll do my best."
In those few words, Zhong Ye stopped.
Smiling, she twirled her dagger. "I'm here. Not gonna make a move?"
"As a rogue, you can't be that timid, right~"
Fuyu didn't respond, the air deathly still. Sunset filtered through the trees, casting golden-red silhouettes across the forest. Zhong Ye's profile glowed with golden-red light, her features sharp, her shadow stretching long.
Then, she heard the rustle of leaves.
[Smoke Bomb]
[Poison Dart]
[Forced Invisibility]
Fuyu appeared for a second, then vanished. But Zhong Ye didn't dodge. The dart passed through her, lodging in a tree, quivering.
"Found you~"
"Bad news," Zi Shu said instinctively.
Shu Tu mused, "She's never used that move. It's not in the rogue skill list. Gear skill, or… something they found?"
Yu Yu frowned. "She's taking Fuyu seriously. I thought she'd save that for Jian Zhu."
It was the top 8 to 4. Besides Fuyu and Zhong Ye, two other rogues were ranked. Heavenly Ranking 17—Jian Zhu. Heavenly Ranking 19—Wu Gou.
Rogues rarely placed high in solo matches due to their class, but their strength wasn't weak. If Shu Tu or Yu Yu met a thief like Zhong Ye in the wild, they'd barely survive. Destiny had frequent PvP, and Heavenly Rankers usually lived up to their spots. In Eternal Darkness, that was less certain.
Zi Shu: "…She's done."
Zhong Ye seized the initiative. Though Fuyu was cautious, probing with ranged attacks and vanishing, Zhong Ye still spotted her. In moments, they'd clashed dozens of times. Once rogues got locked in close-quarters combat, escaping to Stealth was nearly impossible.
Fuyu was at a clear disadvantage.
Light and shadow shattered. Zhong Ye's smile vanished, her soft profile now cold and sharp, like a gleaming blade hidden in shadows, her killing intent veiled.
Fuyu, having lost the initiative, could only parry, sweat beading on her forehead.
"Woo! Zhong Ye! Zhong Ye! Zhong Ye!"
"Zhong Ye, forever the goddess!"
The crowd roared, while only Zi Shu, Yu Yu, and Shu Tu quietly rooted for Fuyu.
Come on, Song Fu Yu!
As time passed and skills burned, their Constitution drained faster, and Fuyu's defense faltered.
Zhong Ye's lips curled, her voice lazy but vicious. "…I thought you were some prodigy. Just a little worm clinging to Shu Tu's crew."
Taking advantage of Fuyu's distraction, Zhong Ye kicked her knee, the sharp pain making Fuyu cry out. Zhong Ye swiftly pinned her neck, pressing down from above. In a flash, Fuyu could only kneel.
[Shadow Leap]
But Zhong Ye seemed to predict her landing, following like a shadow, her cold voice clinging like maggots.
"This all you got?"
Her sharp blade sliced Fuyu's neck, blood spurting, icy cold. Zhong Ye, behind her, naturally gripped her shoulders, her dagger slashing across. A classic throat-cut pose—from a distance, they almost looked like intimate lovers. The pain of suffocation and throat-cutting silenced Fuyu, who'd set pain to 100%. She clutched her neck in agony, life draining, yet still heard Zhong Ye's airy voice—
"Such a loser…"
Indifferent, lofty, the victor's taunt.
"Zhong Ye! Aaaah! Zhong Ye!!!"
Fuyu appeared outside, dazed, still clutching her neck, drenched in cold sweat, to deafening cheers. Zhong Ye exited from the other side, sheathing her dagger, just as Jian Zhu entered. Jian Zhu made a throat-cut gesture. Zhong Ye raised an eyebrow, returning the gesture. Match done, Zhong Ye kept provoking and being provoked without pause.
Fuyu hadn't snapped out of it, still clutching her neck, sweating. Zi Shu nudged Yu Yu, mouthing words. Moments later, Zi Shu approached with a hot towel, patting Fuyu's shoulder. "Don't be scared. I'll beat Xiang Qin to vent for you."
The hot towel on her face, its steam, made Fuyu's eyes sting, pulling her from death's shadow.
Her voice choked. "Zi Shu…"
Zi Shu patted her back, soothing, "Don't cry, don't cry. I made you turn on pain. Otherwise, you wouldn't have lost so badly…"
Fuyu's grievances burst, and she sobbed on Zi Shu's shoulder.
Soon, she recovered, clutching the towel. "Why's she so awful? Waa, I even liked her!"
"She's got no class…"
Fuyu gasped between sobs. "Give me back my filter, waa, give me back my little planes!"
Shu Tu and Yu Yu exchanged looks. Fuyu was a Zhong Ye fan? She never mentioned it. Zi Shu comforted patiently as Fuyu calmed.
She rubbed her neck, aggrieved, asking Shu Tu, "Is that her true self? Waa, my goddess filter…"
Before the match, she'd been secretly excited, not caring about winning or losing. Who knew her filter would shatter?
Fuyu clutched her face in pain. "My Zhong Ye… I was so wrong…"
Yu Yu: "…"
Catching Yu Yu's look, Zi Shu was helpless. She wasn't that close to Fuyu before. Who knew Fuyu was a Zhong Ye fan? She hadn't shown it… much. Zi Shu thought back. There was a hint. During annual ranking matches, Fuyu would watch streams in their dorm, hyped. She'd spout nonsense Zi Shu ignored, disrupting her reading. Now, maybe… she was watching Zhong Ye's matches?
Zi Shu hesitated. "…For rogues, maybe they need some idol worship?"
Otherwise, why did Fuyu pick rogue? She always talked about switching classes but played with more passion than anyone. Rogue gender ratios were skewed.
Fuyu stood tall, her face unusually cold. "Stupid Zhong Ye, just wait. I'll shove a dagger in her neck someday," she added, unsatisfied, "and twist it seventeen, eighteen times."
Yu Yu, witnessing a fan turn hater, wanted to applaud. Zhong Ye was a dumb dog with zero charm! Shu Tu palmed her forehead.
Zi Shu was relieved. "Good thing I don't stan Xiang Qin."
Fuyu's mood flared fast and faded faster. She stormed, "Let's go watch Zi Shu's match. Even if you can't kill Xiang Qin, poke dozens of holes in her!"
"I regret not using my last strength to stab Zhong Ye through!"
The more you endure, the angrier you get; the more you yield, the more you lose.
At the warrior arena, Fuyu told Zi Shu, "I'm deleting all her videos from my computer."
"Stupid Zhong Ye!"
The three exchanged silent looks.
Yu Yu instinctively reached for her pocket, realized she had none, sighed, and dropped her hand. "Fact is, matches are just matches. Don't talk trash for fun."
"Or your opponent might go from fan to hater."
Shu Tu: "…"
Zi Shu: "…Spouting useless stuff."
"Once you're competing, how many stay fans?" Zi Shu corrected. "Once it starts, they're all enemies."
"Then Fuyu?"
Zi Shu's mouth twitched. "She's… special."
She didn't seem driven to win back then. She thought it was lack of confidence, but now, maybe Fuyu was secretly thrilled to meet her idol…
Yu Yu: "I trashed Zhong Ye, and she didn't get mad?"
Zi Shu: "…Maybe not that devoted?"
"Got it. Casual fan, neck sliced by her idol."
Zi Shu: "…"
Fuyu was back online. "So mad, I formatted my D drive. Waa, my games and spicy pics were there. I regret it so much. Zi Shu, got backups?"
Wei Zi Shu: "?"
She swatted Fuyu's hand away, cold. "Who keeps your messy stuff?"
"How's that messy? It's a hobby! It's life!"
Fuyu tried convincing Zi Shu, spouting "play is human nature" and "food and desire are innate," filling the air with cheerful vibes. Seeing her recover so fast, Yu Yu quietly sighed in relief. Fuyu's filter-shattering encounter with Zhong Ye was partly her fault. She'd provoked Zhong Ye first.
Zhong Ye usually kept trash talk light to maintain her image. Only Yu Yu, her teammate, knew how annoying she was—a master of shade. Add Shang Wei, and their daily snark could fill you up and ruin your appetite.
Zi Shu's turn came. She stepped up. "Enough. I'll check offline, but no promises I can recover it."
"Oh yeah! Nerd, I love you!!!"
Zi Shu, exasperated, took the stage.
This was top 16 to 8.
As Zi Shu felt, she had no clear edge, but kept winning somehow. She strolled off casually, wringing her sleeve, only to realize she was out of the water.
Fuyu: "Whoa, how'd you lure him into the water?! You were in it too—why'd you win, and he lost?"
"I don't get it!"
Shu Tu mused, "Different depths. Zi Shu stood on rock, her opponent on soft mud. Warriors have high Strength—once strained, he sank in the sand, while Zi Shu was fine."
"Water's buoyancy eased some impact. When both are hindered, the less affected wins."
Zi Shu swept her sweat-soaked hair back, smiling lightly. "Pretty much."
"His Strength was higher, maybe 7 initially. The terrain was a riverbank—off the bank, you're in water. It affected him more."
"I won by luck. No idea what the next terrain is."
Fuyu fawned, "Big shot, let me wipe your sweat!"
Zi Shu let her, joking, "Such a loyal servant, I'm pleased."
Fuyu bristled. "Feel my loyalty then."
She flung the towel, wrapping Zi Shu's head.
Elsewhere, Xiang Qin stepped off steadily, ignoring the cheers, asking, "Thoughts?"
Shang Wei and Zhong Ye weren't as attentive. Hot towel? Hot water?
Dream on.
They flanked her, arms crossed, like twin gatekeepers.
Shang Wei: "This 'Zi Shu' is steady, hard to rile. Her forum posts show she's sharp… and quick-witted in fights. If stats are close, beating her's a slog."
She sighed, "Not like that little thief just now."
Zhong Ye shot her a cold glance, annoyed at "little thief."
But she said, "Her gear's different from days ago. Probably Yu Yu took her to the magic circle to swap. She's gunning to win."
Xiang Qin pulled out a thermos, sipped, then said, "Got it."
She walked, shedding armor. Exhausted, drenched, salt crusted her back. Meanwhile, Zi Shu and Fuyu were bickering again.
Yu Yu summoned an iron bucket, froze ice, and cast Gust to cool everyone. "This damn weather's too hot."
"Warriors have it rough."
Warrior fights were brutal—Yu Yu found their intense moves exhausting just to watch.
Spellcasters had it easy: just talk.
Zi Shu stripped off her armor, revealing a sweat-soaked undershirt. "Good thing I got light armor. Heavy armor would kill me."
Fuyu stroked her chin. "Xiang Qin's in light armor too, right?"
Shu Tu: "Still light armor for now."
Yu Yu: "Don't hog the bucket… Fine, take another…"
Zi Shu clung to the ice bucket, her wet linen shirt sticking to her lean arms, tempted to bury her face in it.
A cool breeze blew. Yu Yu said, "Hungry? Let's eat."
Shu Tu pondered, "What do you want?"
Yu Yu: "Let's splurge—order takeout."
Zi Shu hadn't considered it, but Yu Yu's words made her stomach growl.
"Really hungry…"
Fuyu: "I'm starving too!"
Yu Yu logged off.
Warrior matches ran long, so it was noon. The next match wasn't until afternoon, giving them time to rest.
Yu Yu logged off, while Shu Tu said, "This match was fine, but two more this afternoon. I'm worried you won't recover Constitution."
Fuyu poked Zi Shu's arm. "Nap? We can crash at Yu Yu's place."
Zi Shu was tempted.
Fuyu: "I won't sleep. I'll wake you when it's time."
Zi Shu decided, "I could use a rest."
Yu Yu logged on. "Ordered. Feast."
No flaws except the price.
Following their advice, Yu Yu declared, "Let's go home."
"Chang Yu said she's coming to cheer this afternoon."
"She binged her teacher's tasks today to sneak out."
Zi Shu: "Hm… cool."
They returned to their base on Roland Street. Xiang Qin had nowhere to go, resting under a tree's shade, dozing. Shang Wei and Zhong Ye bickered nonstop. The rookie ranger, unaccepted, didn't bother joining them and wasn't around now.
Soon, the air quieted, and Xiang Qin slipped into sleep. Afternoon, warrior top-four match. Zi Shu, refreshed, stood tall in sleek light armor. "Wait for my good news."
Notably, she still hadn't faced Xiang Qin. Her opponent was a burly male warrior, Heavenly Ranking 21.
Yu Yu: "I've got a feast and energy drinks—everything you need. Fight hard, rest right after. We'll outlast Xiang Qin!"
Zi Shu couldn't help but smile. "I'll try."
Fuyu was glaring at the group nearby.
Xiang Qin was competing too.
She hadn't interacted with Fuyu, but Fuyu, spotting Zhong Ye, was livid—enemies meeting, eyes blazing.
Zhong Ye topped her bracket.
Before, Fuyu would've thought it obvious. Now, she wanted to stomp Zhong Ye's face.
Seeing her glare, Zhong Ye scoffed, turning away lazily, her dismissive attitude nearly setting Fuyu ablaze.
Shang Wei, amused, kept trying to bait Yu Yu.
Yu Yu didn't spare her a glance.