48 Hero to the rescue (1)

Point out any errors I made in the chapters, as I'm very lazy and sometimes can't be bothered to reread them. Also give your opinions on something I should change or add.

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Inside Blue Mountain Restaurant, a high-class restaurant located in White River City's Noble's District. As White River City's upper-class area, the cost of living here was very high. It was a place that ordinary players rarely visited.

At this moment, however, there were actually three players, two women and one man, sitting under one of the outdoor gazebos of Blue Mountain Restaurant.

Of the two female players, one was a bright and seductive witch, while the other was an otherworldly fairy. Meanwhile, the man excluding a cold, murderous intent by their side also possessed a valiant look. 

"Snow, you can tell me who it is now, right? Just who is that mysterious person you called for?" Zhao Yueru whispered as she shifted closer to Gentle Snow's side, the expression on her face saying, "I won't tell anyone else."

"Don't worry. You yourself have met that person before. In any case, he'll be here in just a moment." Gentle Snow smiled faintly.

"I know them?" Zhao Yueru immediately started searching her memories, trying to recall all the experts she had met. However, taking into consideration the severity of the matter this time, she dismissed the large majority of them. In the end, she still shook her head and gave up. She truly could not figure out just which amazing character her friend had invited.

If Zhao Yueru had to point out an amazing character she had personally met before, then that would be Star-Moon Kingdom's number one expert, One-hit Asura Black Flame.

However, as the Guild Leader of Zero Wing, Black Flame was obviously not suitable this time. If they really were to invite him, those people might even disagree to hold the match and make up even more excuses.

There were countless players in God's Domain. Meanwhile, Black Flame managed to obtain the rank of 100 on the God's Domain Experts List, as well as being given the title of Asura by the Secret Pavilion. Let alone a single Star-Moon Kingdom, there were only a few players throughout the entire God's Domain stronger than Black Flame.

Looking at Zhao Yueru's defeated expression, Gentle Snow could not help but curl her lips up even higher.

If not even Zhao Yueru, someone who was extremely familiar with her, could guess the identity of the person she invited, then it was even more impossible for those people. Most likely, even if she were to reveal that person's name, those people would not know anything about that person, either.

Listening in on Gentle Snow and Zhao Yueru's conversation, the aloof-looking man's curiosity reluctantly grew as well.

The operation this time needed to be kept a secret. It was something that should not be told to outsiders. At the same time, this operation was of utmost importance to Gentle Snow.

Yet, Gentle Snow had done the unthinkable: she had actually requested the help of an outsider instead of choosing an expert subordinated to her. This decision had inspired both confusion and curiosity in him with regard to the expert who would arrive in a moment.

"Fierce, why didn't Nimble Snake come with you?" Gentle Snow asked, shifting her gaze to the impassive youth beside her.

The reason why Ouroboros was able to become a dominant force in the virtual gaming world was mainly due to a few reasons. Other than its Founding Members, Guild Leader, Branch Leaders, and Elders, it also had the Thirty-two Advocators and the Twelve Apostles.

The last two groups of players were carefully chosen from the large number of experts within the God-Slaying Army, and they could be said to be the strongest combat power of Ouroboros.

This was especially true for the Twelve Apostles. Each and every one of them possessed strength that not even Gentle Snow herself could casually dismiss.

Meanwhile, the cold youth before her was one of the Twelve Apostles, Fierce Snake.

The Nimble Snake she mentioned was also one of the Twelve Apostles. However, Nimble's strength was still a cut above Fierce's. Among the Twelve Apostles, Nimble was also ranked close to the top, and he was one of the key figures for the operation this time around.

"Nimble said he had something to take care of, so he might come a little later. However, he is always punctual, so you can rest assured, Big Sis Snow. Not to mention, the operation this time is of such importance," Fierce Snake assured.

Gentle Snow nodded in reply.

Gentle Snow had nurtured quite a few confidants in Ouroboros. Apart from the Apostles, she had also nurtured a few among the Advocators. However, the operation to be carried out later required someone with top-notch combat power. Although the Advocators were also very strong, they were still not comparable to the Apostles.

She could not afford to be careless in the operation this time. If she failed, the results would be irreversible, hence why she had called for Fierce Snake and Nimble Snake. In addition, out of worry that her plan might fail due to unforeseen circumstances, she had even invited Ye Feng.

After Gentle Snow's group of three chatted for a while, a man wearing a black cloak came walking over.

Zhao Yueru, who had originally been idle and bored, immediately widened her eyes in shock upon seeing who was approaching. Unable to help herself, she said, "Snow, don't tell me he's the person you invited?"

"Of course. Who else do you think I would invite?" Gentle Snow chuckled lightly as she stood up to welcome that ordinary-looking man.

Meanwhile, the identity of this ordinary-looking man was none other than Feng.

Zhao Yueru possessed a certain understanding of Ye Feng's strength. Although she felt a little hatred for the man, she could not help but admit that Ye Feng was indeed unfathomably strong.

If it were any other person, they would definitely be fooled by that ordinary appearance and aura of his. In fact, she, too, had suffered under a similar misconception. However, as someone who had personally witnessed Ye Feng's strength, Zhao Yueru knew that he was definitely not the slightest bit inferior to them. From the Dungeon raid, the previous few battles, as well as the fact that he was the first player to enter White River City, all of these clearly proved how strong Ye Feng was.

However, because of Black Flame's sudden celebrity, Ye Feng's existence had slowly disappeared from everyone's minds. Even Zhao Yueru herself had nearly forgotten that there was still this hateful person...

"Miss Snow, may I know why you have called me here this time? Of course, if Miss Snow feels it inconvenient to speak, you need only tell me what you can." Feng asked despite knowing the purpose of Snow's call for aid, as it would be a bit weird if he knew what he was here for considering the situation. 

"Since you're already here, there is naturally no need to keep this matter a secret any longer. It is a competition. Five people, five matches, the first to win three wins the competition. I have invited you here to defeat one person on the opposition team. The remuneration is twenty million Credits," Gentle Snow said truthfully.

"Twenty million?" 

"Of course, twenty million is just the basics. Depending on the opponent's strength, I can further increase the remuneration." Gentle Snow nodded.

"Okay, I accept this condition." In reality, hiring an expert like Feng for just 20 million Credits is stupidly cheap, but considering the situation and that he already had plenty of Credits, Feng didn't find any issue with the amount. 

Upon Feng's agreement, Gentle Snow sighed in relief. With a great expert like him around, things should proceed much more smoothly later on.

However, before she even had the time to feel joyous, she suddenly received a message.

When she read this message, her expression immediately turned grim. At this moment, everyone beside Gentle Snow could feel a bone-chilling aura emanating from her.

"Snow, what happened?" Zhao Yueru asked. She knew Gentle Snow well enough to notice the change immediately.

Seeing Gentle Snow's icy expression, Zhao Yueru knew that her friend was furious.

Gentle Snow had always been a very calm person; she was not easily angered. Now, however, a single message had enraged her. Something big must have happened.

After reading the message, Gentle Snow first felt anger, but soon, she seemed to deflate. Seeing this, Feng could tell that Gentle Snow wanted to say something but struggled with how to express her thoughts.

In the end, Gentle Snow revealed a faint smile as she forwarded the message to Zhao Yueru.

"Nimble Snake! This inhuman, heartless animal! To think that we took care of him when he was at his lowest, provided him with resources, and even helped him become one of the Twelve Apostles of Ouroboros, yet he actually became someone else's lap dog! The next time I see him, I will break all three of his legs!" Zhao Yueru bellowed the moment she finished reading the message.

"Big Sis Yueru, maybe this is a misunderstanding? Big Sis Snow taught and nurtured him personally; they're nearly blood siblings. How could he possibly betray her?" Fierce Snake said, astonished when he heard Zhao Yueru's words.

Nimble Snake was normally very appealing when in Gentle Snow's presence. Moreover, he had always been earnest and honest. He was also very loyal; he definitely was not someone who would betray his allies.

"If you don't believe me, then look at the evidence!" Zhao Yueru made the message visible to everyone.

This message was evidence that Nimble Snake had betrayed Gentle Snow before she even began to make plans. He had been reporting Gentle Snow's movements to those people, allowing them to take appropriate measures against her. Just an hour ago, Nimble Snake had officially become one of the opposition's five duelists. This was indisputable proof of Nimble Snake's treachery.

Fierce Snake was speechless after reading the message, his eyes becoming bloodshot. He tried desperately to contact Nimble Snake. However, no matter how many times he tried, his calls never connected. Right now, Fierce Snake wanted to hunt down Nimble Snake and question him.

However, this revelation hurt Gentle Snow the most.

She had treated Nimble Snake like her own younger brother. Yet, in her hour of need, that "brother" slid his blade between her shoulders, stabbing her in the back.

For the five matches, based on Gentle Snow's understanding of the opposition's strength, Nimble Snake, Ye Feng, and herself had the highest chances of victory among her team. As for Zhao Yueru and Fierce Snake, they didn't even have half a chance. Now that Nimble Snake had defected to their enemy, her side had become the underdog.

"Snow, don't worry. Even if Nimble Snake has become a turncoat, we still have the Advocators," Zhao Yueru hurriedly consoled her friend. "Their strength has risen significantly recently, and they're not completely without a chance of victory. I'll contact them and have them meet us."

However, Gentle Snow simply waved off Zhao Yueru's suggestion.

Since Nimble Snake had betrayed her, other than Ye Feng, her opponent most likely knew all about her other options. Even if she called for the Advocators under her wing, they probably would not heed her summons at all. As the situation had already devolved to this point, she could only look for a random person to fill the empty spot on her team and leave everything else to luck.

Fortunately, she had yet to reach a dead end. If Zhao Yueru or Fierce Snake won their matches, they still might come out on top.

At this moment, Gentle Snow was relieved that she had not revealed the matter regarding Ye Feng. Otherwise, their position might be unsalvageable.

While Zhao Yueru attempted desperately to contact people and Gentle Snow planned to look for a random substitute, Feng suddenly walked up to them.

"Miss Snow, if you need an expert, I can recommend one," Feng said.

Gentle Snow's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing Feng's words.

Zhao Yueru, on the other hand, simply rolled her eyes at Feng, saying, "Ye Feng, stop messing around. What we need right now is not an ordinary expert, but a great expert. We need someone who can face an army of a hundred by themselves. However, they also cannot be too famous, and it would be the best if they were a hidden expert. Although Zero Wing's Aqua Rose, Black Cloud and Fire Dance indeed possess the strength, they are simply too well-known. The opposition definitely will not agree to such powerful reinforcements."

The competition was an internal matter for Ouroboros. Hence, both parties had agreed to conduct the competition secretly. Although obtaining foreign aid was allowed, the precondition was that said reinforcements could not be well-known experts, allowing them to avoid unwanted attention.

Of course, not attracting attention was simply an excuse.

In reality, the opposition simply wanted to limit Gentle Snow's options, preventing her from requesting the help of anyone too powerful. Gentle Snow had very little backing in Ouroboros. If both sides faced each other using only their available forces in Ouroboros, Gentle Snow would definitely be at a disadvantage.

As for inviting Aqua Rose, someone who was just as famous as Gentle Snow, or Zero Wing's number one Assassin expert, Fire Dance, or Black Cloud, who had previously displayed his might in the war against Dark Star, her opponents would never agree to their participation.

And Zero Wing's Guild Leader, Black Flame...? Unless the opposition had lost their minds and wholeheartedly wanted to lose....

Feng rolled his eyes at Zhao Yueru. He then smiled and said, "The public is definitely not familiar with the person I am recommending. As for exactly how strong that person currently is, I do not know. However, just recently, their strength ranked close to Fire Dance's in Zero Wing's rankings."

Listening to Feng, Zhao Yueru wracked her mind trying to figure out who Feng referred to.

However, based on Feng's expression, he did not seem to be lying, and this only served to frustrate her even more.

Gentle Snow's curiosity had also grown as she understood Zero Wing quite well. She had never expected that Zero Wing still hid such a powerful expert. The more she learned, the more she questioned her insight of Zero Wing.

"I'll have to trouble you, then. As for remuneration, I will similarly pay them twenty million. Will that be alright?" Gentle Snow said as she gazed at Feng gratefully.

"Since Miss Snow has no problems with it, I'll contact that person immediately." Feng nodded and called up the system menu.

After Gentle Snow and the others had waited at Blue Mountain Restaurant for some time, a young girl in purple robes finally appeared before them. Her pink hair fell like a waterfall down her back as she radiated an incredibly holy aura.

Feng walked up to the young girl's side, turning to look at Gentle Snow and the others as he said, "Let me introduce you. This is Violet Cloud, a healer of Zero Wing's core team."

"Hello." Violet nodded to Snow and the others as she glanced indifferently at them. 

Gentle Snow's team was stunned.

The great expert Feng talked about was actually a young girl. Moreover, she was a Cleric. She was only Level 20, the same as Feng. As a great expert, Violet Cloud's level was low.

After all, they were all Level 24.

A four-level gap was relatively large, and when experts fought, this gap might lead to a loss. Such incidents were common in God's Domain. 

Moreover, it was common knowledge that, although Clerics had a certain amount of combat power, compared to other classes, they were, by far, inferior. Violet Cloud might possess excellent combat techniques, but that would only work against ordinary players. If she fought an equally skilled expert with a pure combat class, Violet Cloud had no chance of obtaining victory.

Zhao Yueru immediately shot a hateful glare at Feng.

Originally, she had thought Feng's behavior had changed for the better. However, she now discovered that she had been greatly mistaken. Feng simply did not have a bottom line. Even during such a crucial time, he still had the audacity to make fools out of them.

Did he really think they were going up against a bunch of noobs?

However, just as Zhao Yueru was about to give Feng a piece of her mind, Gentle Snow stopped her.

"Since everyone's here, I'll lead the way, then," Gentle Snow said. She then went out to the street and hailed a carriage.

In reality, Gentle Snow also thought of replacing Violet Cloud. However, since Ye Feng had guaranteed results and she had already arrived, rejecting Violet Cloud would only disrespect Ye Feng.

In any case, the result would be the same even if she replaced the Cleric with a random player. Since it wouldn't really matter who took Violet Cloud's place, she might as well humor Feng a little.

Shaking his head, Feng could not help but laugh as he watched Gentle Snow's figure board the carriage. He then said, "You know what to do. The fight this time is very important, so don't play with your food too much."

"You don't need to worry, Big Brother Feng." Violet nodded with a smile.

Following which, the two boarded the carriage as well.

Feng wasn't worried that Violet or he might lose, as there weren't any players in God's Domain who could defeat them. The only thing he was worried about was whether Snow or one of the other two could get a win. 

If the fights end up the same as last time, there would be no problem, but if Snow ends up fighting War Wolf, there was no guarantee that she could win, and if the other two fight against some of the stronger opponents while Feng and Violet were left with the weaker ones, it wouldn't matter how the two of them wiped the floor with the opposition, Snow would be kicked out of God's Domain all the same. 

Though, Feng also wasn't exactly planning to leave everything to chance, as he had thought of some countermeasures during this time... 

As for their levels, similarly to Feng, Violet had decreased her Level to 20 before she started her Class Change Promotion in order to get as many benefits from leveling up later on as possible; and as she had just recently completed the Quest and came back, she hadn't had the time to level up, since she had immediately gone to have sex instead as a bigger priority. 

Although Feng had spent the last three days forging, the only thing he forged were Intermediate Mana Armor Kits, which didn't give too much EXP, due to the how quick and easy they were to make, which also caused his Forging Proficiency to skyrocket, as not only had he become an Advanced Forger during this time, he also had enough Forging Proficiency to become a Master Forger as long as he creates a design for a Master rank item. 

Though, after that, he stopped getting any Forging Proficiency from making Intermediate Mana Armor Kits while the EXP he received decreased by a large margin as well. With him needing double the amount of EXP to level up after Class changing into a Blade Saint as well, he ended up remaining at Level 20 till now and was only missing a bit of EXP from leveling up. 

However, until now, Gentle Snow and the others had failed to notice one thing.

He and Violet Cloud were no longer Tier 0 players. They were now Tier 1 players.

Of course, a player's tier would not reveal itself to a basic identification skill. One required an advanced identification skill. It was also because of this that advanced identification skills became must-have skills later in the game. If one unknowingly provoked a high-tiered player, it would be too late for regrets. After all, the gap in tiers was much wider than the gap in levels.

At this stage of the game, players rushed to level up and raid Dungeons. It was even more so for the members of the various Guilds. Nobody had the time for their Class Change Quests. After all, a Basic Class Change Quest required players to invest at least two to three days. Moreover, Class Change Quests were not easy to complete. On the off chance that they failed, they would have wasted a lot of their time. Hence, everyone chose to level up first and upgrade their equipment so that they would have a much easier time with their Class Change Quests in the future.

Even a great expert like Gentle Snow was of the same mind.

There was also another reason why nobody was in a hurry to challenge their Class Change Quest.

Everyone still lacked a clear understanding of Tier 1 classes. They did not know just how much of an improvement a Tier 1 class could provide. Hence, none of the Guilds in God's Domain were in a hurry to push their members to complete their Class Changes. They all focused on claiming the First Clear of Dungeons, setting aside their Class Changes for now. 

Two hours later, Gentle Snow led everyone to Star-Moon City's Underground Arenas.

The Underground Arena was a holy land for players who loved PvP. During the later stages of the game, it was also a place to make a lot of money. Countless players would come to watch the fights here, and many of these spectators would bet on their favorite players. Meanwhile, the winners could receive a commission from the bets.

The Underground Arena was also separated into a few different areas. There was the Basic Area, Advanced Area, and Special Area. Meanwhile, the commission players could obtain and the conditions to enter each zone were different.

In the Basic Area, any player could enter to watch or participate in the fights.

The Advanced Area was slightly different. If players wished to watch the fights there, they needed to pay a small fee. Meanwhile, if one wished to participate in the Advanced Area, they needed to face a minimum of 20 opponents in the Basic Area and win 80% of their matches. Victors in the Advanced Area would receive a commission of 1%. In other words, they would receive 1% of the total bets placed on their match. If a lot of players gambled on the fight, it would serve as a hefty income. Lastly, the victor would also receive 10% of the entrance fees.

The Special Area had an even higher entry requirement. First, the entrance fees were much higher for the Special Area. As for players who wished to join the fights, they needed to have a minimum of 20 matches in the Basic Area under their belts and have won 90% of their battles. However, there was another option for players to become participants in the Special Area: the System's test. The System had to determine a player was an expert before they could fight in the Special Area. Meanwhile, victors would receive a 3% commission in addition to 30% of the entrance fees.

In the Basic Area, Advanced Area, and Special Area, there was one more difference between them: the size of the arenas. Each of the arenas in the Basic Area could only house up to 300 people, while the Advanced Area could house up to 1,500 people, and the Special Area could house up to 10,000 people. 

At this stage of the game, although the Underground Arenas were not particularly popular and many of the rooms were empty, one could already see signs of prosperity in this place. In a few months, this place would definitely become very lively.

"Basic Room 29. This should be it." Gentle Snow looked at the number plate hanging on the door before opening it.

Inside the room, over 30 players had already gathered. These players all possessed very high levels. The lowest among them was Level 23, while the highest was Level 25. None of these players were ordinary.

"Nimble Snake, you traitor! You dare to show your face here!

"Have you forgotten who it was that helped you to achieve the wealth and status you possess today?!"

Zhao Yueru's temper exploded the moment she saw a simple-looking youth standing among the crowd.

That simple-looking youth was none other than the person Gentle Snow had spared no effort in cultivating, Nimble Snake. He was a Level 24 Assassin, and currently, he was fully armed with the Level 20 Crimson Blood Set Equipment, a Secret-Silver Set Equipment meant for Assassins.

In response to Zhao Yueru's curses, Nimble Snake remained calm as he swept a glance at Feng and Violet. He then laughed coldly and said, "Zhao Yueru, I admit that Gentle Snow has treated me well these past few years. However, as the saying goes, 'man struggles upwards; water flows downward.' Since Brother Cao's team is stronger, what is wrong with me joining them? With your strength, you wish to contest for the position of Guild Leader? Don't make me laugh.

"Zhao Yueru, you, on the other hand, you are someone that Brother Cao has always liked. Join us, and everyone will be on the same side in the future.

"Of course, you can also refuse. When you all lose, Brother Cao can only follow the appointed rules, and Gentle Snow can forget about the virtual gaming world in the future!"

Although Nimble Snake's voice was soft, his tone was sharp and unquestionable.

Gentle Snow frowned upon hearing Nimble Snake's words, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

Cao Chenghua actually targeted Zhao Yueru for his own team.

However, when Gentle Snow considered the matter, she could not find anything strange about Cao Chenghua's actions. Zhao Yueru's potential and strength were both very high. In the past, Zhao Yueru had been uninterested in virtual reality games and had only started gaming due to her unyielding insistence. Meanwhile, despite never training seriously, Zhao Yueru's strength had reached frightening levels. Zhao Yueru's talent was obvious to anyone who had seen her fight.

If Zhao Yueru had bothered to put more effort into her training before this, very few in Ouroboros would have been a match for her.

At this moment, a majestic-looking middle-aged man walked out from the crowd. Upon seeing this man, everyone among the crowd respectfully moved aside. This man was none other than Ouroboros's Acting Guild Leader, Cao Chenghua. Even looking at him from afar, they could clearly feel the pressure Cao Chenghua emitted from his gaze alone. Cao Chenghua felt like a ferocious beast.

Cao Chenghua was currently Level 24, and he was fully armed with the Level 20 Wind Roar Set Equipment, a Secret-Silver Set Equipment meant for Berserkers. On his back, he carried a greatsword that was as tall as he was. The greatsword was the Iron Cutter, and it was one of the few Dark-Gold Weapons in Star-Moon Kingdom.

"Enough! Nimble Snake, you've said too much!" Cao Chenghua reprimanded as he shot a glance at the Assassin.

"Yes, Guild Leader," Nimble Snake self-consciously retreated behind Cao Chenghua and fell silent, gazing at his Guild Leader with reverence.

"Yueru, I hope that you will consider your options carefully. You will not have a future if you stay by Gentle Snow's side. Only by joining my team will you have a bright future in God's Domain, achieving your dreams," With a charming smile, Cao Chenghua tried to persuade Zhao Yueru.

"Forget it. I will never join you," Zhao Yueru snapped, hatred coloring her expression as she sneered at Cao Chenghua. "The battle hasn't even begun yet. The winner and loser still haven't been determined. If we lose, I will leave the virtual gaming world with Snow."

"Yueru." Gentle Snow's heart was moved.

"Hmph. It seems you refuse to see things my way until you face reality. With just your two Level 20 aids, even I feel sorry for you." Nimble Snake snorted and laughed disdainfully.

Originally, Zhao Yueru had wanted to refute Nimble Snake's words, but when she saw Cao Chenghua's team members and looked at her own team...

They truly were a pitiful sight.

Cao Chenghua's team consisted of four Level 24 players. Other than Cao Chenghua and Nimble Snake, there was Ouroboros's Third Branch Leader, Blackhearted Arrow, and the strongest member of the Twelve Apostles, Soaring Snake. As for Cao Chenghua's last team member, he was a Level 25 Shield Warrior who had hidden his identity behind a black cloak.

Initially, Zhao Yueru still had some hope for victory. However, after seeing Cao Chenghua's team, other than Blackhearted Arrow, whom she had a 40% certainty of defeating, her chances of defeating the other four were less than 30%.

Moreover, Cao Chenghua's team also had Soaring Snake. Even Gentle Snow only possessed slightly more than a 50% chance of victory against him.

"Since everyone has arrived, this competition will be overseen by us Elders.

"There are a total of five matches in this competition; the first to claim three victories will win. The victor will become Ouroboros' Guild Leader, while the loser will leave God's Domain forever. The Main God System has already accepted this condition. In addition, the arena has been set at Death Mode. A match will conclude only after one side has died. Before entering the arena, either side can choose to forfeit. That way, even if it is a loss, you won't have to suffer the penalty of Death Mode.

"If no one has any issues, you two can check the agreement. The Main God System will bear testimony to this agreement. After agreeing, you can start drawing the lots for the battle."

Gentle Snow and Cao Chenghua nodded, confirming their agreement.

Neither side really cared about the arena being set to Death Mode.

Originally, players fighting in the Underground Arenas would not die even when defeated. Their HPs would stop decreasing after reaching 1. However, players could also enable Death Mode. This mode of battle was the equivalent of PvP out in the field, and players would suffer the same penalties for death, losing one level and dropping one random piece of their equipment. They would also randomly lose some Skill Proficiency points. The only difference about Death Mode was that a player's Crime Value would not increase for killing their opponent.

Just as the matches were about to start, the Level 25 Shield Warrior on Cao Chenghua's team finally removed his cloak and revealed his true appearance.

"Why is he here?"

This Shield Warrior was War Wolf. War Wolf's appearance shocked Gentle Snow. She had previously tried to recruit War Wolf back in White River City. However, the middle-aged man had rejected her, and after that, they both went their separate ways.

As for how strong War Wolf was, even Gentle Snow herself was unsure. However, seeing that even the usually arrogant Soaring Snake and tyrannical Cao Chenghua showed him respect, it was clear that something was amiss.

After observing War Wolf for some time, Gentle Snow's gaze suddenly turned solemn. She could feel War Wolf's body radiating a sense of extreme danger. This was something that she had never felt even from Soaring Snake. If she had to say, the only people that had ever given her a greater sense of danger would be the mysterious Black Flame who she had met once before, and Ye Feng's friend, Black Cloud, in front of the Deathly Forest. Though, in comparison to the danger War Wolf currently gave off, what she had felt from the two of them at the time was in a whole other realm all together. 

Although Gentle Snow wished to oppose War Wolf's participation, until today, War Wolf had been utterly unknown in God's Domain. Hence, arguing the matter wouldn't do any good.

Compared to Gentle Snow's grave expression, Cao Chenghua currently appeared carefree.

"What is with Gentle Snow? I thought she would have invited some powerful experts, yet, she actually invited two Level 20 players. One of them is even a Cleric. What a disappointment" the Swordsman, Soaring Snake, commented. Before Gentle Snow's team had arrived, he had planned to let loose, displaying his full might. Now that he was looking at them, however, it would seem that he would not get the chance today.

"Perhaps my departure had dealt too big of a blow to Gentle Snow, so she simply found a few people to fill the gaps. Otherwise, why would she even invite a Cleric?" Nimble Snake laughed, mocking the other team. "Right now, the only threats are Gentle Snow, Zhao Yueru, and Fierce Snake. Unfortunately, it is impossible for Zhao Yueru and Fierce Snake to win their matches."

Just as Cao Chenghua's group laughed, confident of their victory, the system promptly announced the players who would fight in the first match.

Immediately, everyone's attention shifted towards the large screen above the arena.

First Match: Fierce Snake vs Nimble Snake

As soon as he saw the name of his opponent, Fierce Snake's eyes immediately glowed with killing intent. Originally, he had been enraged with Nimble Snake's sudden betrayal and had been eager to find and properly make the snake pay. 

Now that an opportunity has presented itself through the Death Match, Fierce Snake couldn't help his rising killing intent and fighting spirit as he glared at Nimble Snake who was casually entering the arena without bothering to even glance at him; which only served to enrage Fierce Snake even more. 

Before Fierce Snake could enter the arena as well, though, Snow suddenly stopped him. 

"Fierce Snake, your opponent is not simple. Make sure you don't give him any openings and avoid being ambushed." Gentle Snow whispered a reminder to Fierce Snake. She then took a gold-rimmed skill book from her bag, carefully handing it to Fierce Snake, saying, "Learn this skill. If you use it at a crucial moment, you might defeat him."

Fierce Snake's heart pounded the moment he read the introduction of this skill book.

This skill book was an extremely rare burst skill for Berserkers, Boiling Fury. For a short time, the skill increased the player's damage by 40%, Strength by 15%, and Attack Speed by 30%. Moreover, the less HP the player had, the faster their Attack Speed would become. To a Berserker, this skill book's value far surpassed that of one or two Dark Gold Weapons.

"Big Sis Snow, Boiling Fury is too valuable. I can't learn it," Fierce Snake said, shaking his head.

"Nimble Snake will not be easy to deal with, and you know this. You don't want me to lose, right?" Worried that a powerful enemy would appear, Gentle Snow had prepared for this competition. As the Underground Arena prohibited players from using any tools, the only way to raise a player's combat power was to learn new and powerful skills. Boiling Fury was one such skill Gentle Snow had prepared. She also had another Advanced Skill for Nimble Snake. Unfortunately, that skill book would not come into play during these matches.

Of the Twelve Apostles, Soaring Snake ranked first, Nimble Snake ranked third, and Fierce Snake ranked ninth. If Fierce Snake fought Nimble Snake, his chances of victory only hovered between 30% and 40%.

Thus, Snow decided to let Fierce Snake learn Boiling Fury in order to boost his chances of defeating Nimble Snake, in which case, as long as she managed to win her fight as well, their victory would be guaranteed; since she was fairly confident in Ye Feng being able to defeat anyone here. 

After all, Snow had seen the way Ye Feng fought during the Dark Moon Graveyard raid, and although Yueru and the rest of her team members only though that Ye Feng is an incredible expert due to not being able to realize the true extent of his abilities, she could tell. 

Snow still vividly remembered the fight between Ye Feng and the Kobold King, or more like the one-sided bullying, and whenever she tried replicating the way Ye Feng fought, Snow found that she was completely incapable of dodging and attacking in such a manner, let alone do both at the same time. 

Moreover, Snow had realized that her techniques were rapidly improving whenever she fought and tried replicating Ye Feng's movements, and if she could better her skills by this much from simply remembering a single fight of Ye Feng's, then she couldn't even begin to imagine just how strong Ye Feng really is. 

"I understand.

"I will not lose."

Fierce Snake nodded and chose to learn Boiling Fury. He then watched the thin Nimble Snake walk into the arena, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Originally, he only had a 40% chance of defeating the traitorous bastard. Now that he had obtained Boiling Fury, he had a 80% certainty of coming out victorious.

Following which, Fierce Snake also entered the arena.

"Snow, you're simply too amazing! I can't believe you had something so powerful hidden! Fierce Snake will win for sure!" Zhao Yueru hugged Gentle Snow excitedly, her previous depressed mood scattering to the winds.

In response, Gentle Snow lightly tapped Zhao Yueru's forehead and revealed a faint smile.

Meanwhile, inside the arena, the match between Fierce Snake and Nimble Snake had begun.

Immediately, Nimble Snake activated Stealth and vanished.

One had to admit that Nimble Snake was indeed one of the top combatants of Ouroboros. After entering Stealth, all of his movements were silent. 

Time passed little by little. Other than Fierce Snake, who was furiously scanning his surroundings for Nimble Snake's presence, there was nobody else visible inside the arena.

However, Nimble Snake revealed no intentions of making a move. As a result, the atmosphere inside the arena grew tenser as more time went by.

This was one of the methods often used by Assassins. By doing so, they could instill paranoia in their target, exhausting their target's mental fortitude. As soon as their target relaxed, they would launch a fatal assault. Hence, many players despised dealing with Assassins. After all, it was tiresome to remain on high alert for long periods of time.

Hence, Assassins had a natural advantage when fighting against all classes.

'Heh, that's quite some patience you have there, Fierce. We'll see how long you last. The moment you relax will be the moment you die.' At this moment, Nimble Snake stood only ten yards away from Fierce Snake. To an Agility-focused Assassin, an instant was all that was necessary to cross that distance.

The seconds ticked past.

The crowd seated in the spectator stands were on the edge of their seats. Although they were not the ones fighting, they were just as focused on the battle as the combatants in the arena.

"Nimble Snake, show yourself if you dare! It has already been more than twenty minutes, yet, you still act like a coward! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?!" Zhao Yueru shouted, her crescent brows tightened as she frowned at the quiet arena. From the beginning, Nimble Snake had shown no sign of attacking. Zhao Yueru was greatly tempted to charge into the arena and fight the Assassin with Fierce Snake.

Nimble Snake was cunning. In order to gain victory, he would willingly act unscrupulously.

To guard against his opponent, Fierce Snake had to calm down his killing intent towards Nimble Snake and stay on high alert, focusing his senses to detect any movements.

At best, an ordinary person could only maintain their concentration for half an hour or so. If pushed any longer, not only would they greatly exhaust their mental fortitude, but they would also become susceptible to distractions. Soon, they would unconsciously reveal flaws in their defense.

However, this was a type of defense mechanism, so it was unavoidable.

Meanwhile, the match had stretched on for almost half an hour now.

Even Zhao Yueru felt her concentration begin to reach its limit. If this stalemate dragged on any longer, she would definitely falter.

When experts fought each other, even the slightest distraction could mean death...

"Hahaha! We never set a time limit for the matches, so it is up to them to choose how they fight. If you must blame someone, blame yourselves for not thinking of this beforehand. Don't you think it's a little too late to regret it now?" Blackhearted Arrow laughed triumphantly.

Zhao Yueru was suddenly speechless.

The statement was not false. It was true that they had not set a time limit for this competition. However, nobody ever expected Nimble Snake to do something so underhanded. Originally, Zhao Yueru had thought that she knew how low Nimble Snake would go.

However, it would seem that she still underestimated the treacherous bastard. It turned out that he did not have even the basic self-respect of an expert. He actually planned on dragging the match on for over half an hour.

"It was my mistake. I had forgotten to set a time limit despite knowing that we would face an Assassin," Gentle Snow said remorsefully as she watched Fierce Snake, who already began to show signs of mental exhaustion.

She had blundered during such a crucial competition...

Without a doubt, her mistake had significantly decreased Fierce Snake's chances of victory.

Soon, half an hour had nearly passed since the match had begun.

'It seems that Fierce is close to reaching his limit.'

All this time, Nimble Snake had carefully observed Fierce Snake from a distance. In reality, he had plenty of chances to make his move during this half an hour. However, he resisted. To be 100% certain that he would kill his former comrade, he chose to wait until this very moment. 

After all, he had spent much time fighting and training with Fierce Snake and was very familiar with the his combat standard and technique; and even though Nimble Snake was ranked higher than Fierce Snake among the Twelve Apostles, due to their classes, Nimble Snake might lose if he fought Fierce Snake in a frontal clash. 

Thus, in order to guarantee victory, Nimble Snake chose to stay patient for the right opportunity. 

Sweat had already appeared on Fierce Snake's forehead. It was obvious that his concentration had reached its limit. Nimble Snake even slipped up deliberately and made a little noise when he was about ten yards from him. An expert with acute senses would detect the sound. However, Fierce Snake failed to sense it at all.

'Sure enough, he has grown tired.' 

Nimble Snake was overjoyed. He then circled to Fierce Snake's back, silently drawing closer.

Ten yards... Five yards... Three yards...

Soon, Nimble Snake arrived behind Fierce Snake and unsheathed his gleaming dagger, before stabbing it between the man's shoulders.

Ambush!

Ambush placed the target in a Fainted state for four seconds. During the early stages of God's Domain, control removal skills were extremely rare. As long as his attack landed, Nimble Snake could kill him quickly with a chain of skills.

However, the moment Nimble Snake unsheathed his dagger and stabbed it towards his back, Fierce Snake's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot. 

Boiling Fury!

Fierce Snake was very familiar with Nimble Snake and his way of fighting, thus the moment Nimble Snake activated Stealth and showed no signs of planning to reveal himself, Fierce Snake immediately knew what his former friend was planning. Moreover, Fierce Snake knew how Nimble Snake always attacked, so he had deliberately pretended to be more mentally exhausted than he was while preparing to block Nimble Snake's attack. 

The moment he thought Nimble Snake would launch his attack, Fierce Snake tightened the grip on his battle axe as he waited, activating Boiling Fury as soon as he detected Nimble Snake attacking him in order to boost his Attack Speed. 

Although Nimble Snake's Attack Speed was much greater than his own, with Fierce Snake already being prepared and not needing to aim due to knowing where Nimble Snake would attack him, along with Boling Fury's 30% increase, he was confident in blocking Nimble Snake's Ambush. 

And Fierce Snake's gamble indeed paid off, as he had managed to swing his axe in front of Nimble Snake's dagger just in time. Following which, Fierce Snake planned to let loose a barrage of attacks on Nimble Snake the moment he blocked the dagger and decrease the traitor's HP as much as possible during Boling Fury's duration while preventing the assassin from returning to Stealth. 

However, as the battle axe and dagger collided, Fierce Snake didn't feel any force or impact transmitted to his hands. 

Instead, the dagger appeared to Fierce Snake's side and bit viciously into his abdomen. 

'What happened?'

Gentle Snow, who watched the fight from the spectator stands, focused on Nimble Snake, her mind replaying Nimble Snake's last attack.

No matter how she looked at it, Fierce Snake had blocked the attack. Yet, somehow, Nimble Snake's dagger had appeared somewhere completely different.

It was like a magical dagger.

Fierce Snake was just as confused, his mind failing to understand why he failed to block Nimble Snake's dagger. However, after being thrown into a Fainted state due to Ambush, he could do nothing except watch as Nimble Snake stabbed at him once more with both daggers. 

Garrote!

Backstab!

Nimble Snake's quick attacks landed on Fierce Snake, causing damages of -322 and -367. Along with the previous Ambush's damage of -339, nearly a third of Fierce Snake's 3,200 HP was taken away in an instant. 

However, there were still over three seconds before Fierce Snake could recover and fight back, so Nimble Snake remained unobstructed as he continued dishing out attacks and draining away Fierce Snake's HP. 

When the four seconds were finally about to be up, Nimble Snake merely used another assassin skill, placing Fierce Snake into the Fainted state once more for another three seconds and continued stabbing away. 

Thus, Fierce Snake became completely helpless as he watched his HP bar quickly emptied and not being able to muster any kind of resistance all the way until his body collapsed to the floor. 

A mocking smirk appeared on Nimble Snake's face as he glanced at the fallen Fierce Snake who was glaring at him with a frustrated and reluctant expression, but could do nothing as his vision darkened, before turning away and walking out of the arena. 

Victor in the first match: Nimble Snake! 

Meanwhile, not only had Fierce Snake lost a level after dying, but he had also dropped a piece of his equipment and lost a significant amount of Skill Proficiency.

After resurrecting, Fierce Snake walked up to Gentle Snow with his head lowered. Feeling deeply ashamed, he said, "Big Sis Snow, I'm sorry..."

His loss had undoubtedly increased the burden on the later fights. After all, out of the next four matches, they needed to win three to win this competition.

"It's not your fault. No one could have expected Nimble Snake to have learned such a new, mysterious skill. There is nothing wrong with losing to him after being caught by surprise in an ambush." Gentle Snow comforted. "Leave the rest to me."

Fierce Snake didn't respond and merely silently nodded with his head still lowered, making it impossible for Snow to see the guilty expression on his face. 

Although Gentle Snow had consoled him, he could not forgive himself for losing such an important match; especially after Snow had gifted him a precious skill like Boiling Fury. What frustrated him the most was the fact that he didn't even know how he had failed to block Nimble Snake's ambush even after being prepared.

While Fierce Snake was moping in regret, the system revealed the next pair of combatants.

Everyone then shifted his gaze to the electronic display above the arena. 

Second match: Gentle Snow vs. Cao Chenghua. 

Both Gentle Snow and Cao Chenghua were Berserkers, so the outcome of their match would be determined by the players' skills, equipment and techniques. 

"Snow, hold up a sec." As Gentle Snow was about to enter the arena, Feng suddenly called out to her, causing her to turn and look at the smiling swordsman in confusion. "The thing Nimble Snake had used on Fierce Snake isn't an in-game skill, but a martial arts technique called Second Acceleration. When Nimble Snake stabbed with his dagger, he had not attacked with his full power, using only around 40%. Only when he changed his attack's trajectory did he use his full power. Such a sudden acceleration leaves an after-image, causing one to think that the dagger still followed its original trajectory. So, when you saw Nimble Snake's dagger suddenly vanish, what you actually saw was a false image produced by your mind.

"Since you don't seem to know about it, I'm guessing Nimble Snake must have somehow learned it through your enemies, so chances are high that Cao Chenghua knows it as well." 

Gentle Snow's eyes widened upon hearing Feng's explanation about Nimble Snake's mysterious skill, not expecting that it was actually a martial arts technique, or that martial arts techniques could be used in battle at all. Snow even found it somewhat difficult to believe. 

But looking at Feng's casual expression as if he had just shared some common knowledge, Snow didn't think he was lying to her. Moreover, since they were working together, Feng didn't have any reason to deceive her at all with such a useless warning if it wasn't actually true. 

Feng, though, didn't seem to care whether Snow believed him or not as he continued "So when you fight him, be careful of his strikes if they seem a bit slower than usual; and when he attacks, don't simply use your eyes, but all of your senses to detect his attack trajectory." 

Saying his piece, Feng reclined in his seat and placed a Chocolate Stick in his mouth, looking like the upcoming fight had nothing to do with him. 

However, even though Feng talked casually and looked relaxed and calm, on the inside, he was starting to get a bit nervous. 

After all, if Snow were to lose this fight, then they'd be counting on Yueru to secure a victory. But considering the remaining opponents of War Wolf, Soaring Snake and Blackhearted Arrow, Yueru only had a bit of a chance at beating the Ranger; otherwise she'd definitely lose. 

At that point, it wouldn't matter whether Feng and Violet could win, Snow would be barred from God's Domain regardless. Feng naturally couldn't have his future Vice-Guild Leader be prohibited from logging in. 

Of course, Feng wasn't out of options, as he had some countermeasures to Snow losing the fight and Yueru being against an opponent she wasn't able to defeat. One was to gear up Yueru with some of the top-tier equipment from Zero Wing's Warehouse, or having her borrow some of Violet's; though that would also reveal the quality of the items Zero Wing was currently in possession to someone who hasn't had their memories returned, and Yueru would definitely tell Snow as well, which might create some complications. 

The second option was to simply walk up to Cao Chenghua and kill him using the Pandemonium Lashblade's Destruction Soul Fire, which would destroy his Immortal Soul and delete his account, so the contract he and Snow signed would be dissolved along with him. 

Though, it would still be better if Snow could win her fight. Not to mention that this was a good opportunity for Snow to push herself. 

"Thank you for the advice, Ye Feng. I'll keep it in mind." Snow nodded to Feng gratefully, knowing that if what he just said was true, it would be crucial information for her fight and might save her from a loss. 

Snow had originally been hoping for Fierce Snake's victory, then as long as she and Ye Feng won as well, she would dominate this competition. 

Now, she could only win her fight and hope that Yueru could secure a victory as well. If she actually lost as well due to a technique she had no knowledge about, then everything would be hopeless. 

When both fighters entered the arena, the countdown for the battle began.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

Start! 

The moment the countdown ended, both Berserkers charged at each other. All of the spectators watched the match carefully, wanting to see which of the potential Guild Leaders was actually stronger in a fight. 

However, Gentle Snow's first attack stunned everyone present.

"What is Gentle Snow trying to do?"

Everyone in the spectator stands was baffled.

Even Zhao Yueru, who was very familiar with Gentle Snow, was dumbfounded by her friend's actions.

Gentle Snow had thrown her blue greatsword before she had even crossed half the distance between her and Cao Chenghua. 

Any player who lost their main weapons was tantamount to a beast without its claws and fangs. Yet, Gentle Snow took the initiative to discard her main weapon in order to attack her enemy...?

Berserkers were not ranged fighters. Although the greatsword she threw possessed some power, its attack pattern was very straightforward. Although the distance between them had shrunk, and Cao Chenghua was charging forward, the greatsword was not very fast, and an expert of his caliber could still dodge it.

Meanwhile, if Gentle Snow lost her main weapon, she could not attack or defend. If she missed, Cao Chenghua would quickly reach her and could defeat her effortlessly.

Fierce Snake's loss had already forced Gentle Snow to the edge of the cliff, and she could not afford carelessness in the second match. If Gentle Snow lost her match as well, their hopes of victory would be dashed.

"It seems that Fierce Snake's loss was quite a blow to Gentle Snow."

"Why is she acting so impulsively?"

Many of the Elders who silently supported Gentle Snow lamented at this sight.

Before this battle had even begun, the victor of both this match and this competition had been determined. If even Gentle Snow lost, the other members of her team didn't have a prayer. The only person who had a chance at victory was Zhao Yueru. However, Cao Chenghua still had Blackhearted Arrow and Soaring Snake fighting for him. As for War Wolf, even Cao Chenghua treated the Shield Warrior respectfully. The man must be astonishingly powerful.

When Cao Chenghua saw Gentle Snow throwing her sword at him, a contemptuous expression appeared on his face. 

'Have you gotten this desperate?'

Cao Chenghua immediately adjusted his footwork. Side-stepping, he twisted slightly. His movements were incredibly subtle, and his dodging techniques were reminiscent of a martial arts master. In the next moment, Gentle Snow's Blue Sky flew past Cao Chenghua, missing his side by a few centimeters.

At this moment, Cao Chenghua revealed a savage expression. With him having learned Second Acceleration, Cao Chenghua was already fairly confident he could defeat Gentle Snow. However, she had foolishly thrown her greatsword, assuming that he couldn't dodge it. Now that she no longer had her main weapon, defeating the Snow Goddess would be a piece of cake. 

However, what surprised Cao Chenghua was that instead of trying to distance herself from him after her throw had missed, Gentle Snow continued charging at him as if she still possessed a weapon. 

Not bothering to think too much about it, Cao Chenghua resumed his charge as well, and the two of them reached each other within a few seconds. Just as Cao Chenghua was about to slash his greatsword at Gentle Snow, the Snow Goddess suddenly revealed a faint smile.

"Ah!"

Cao Chenghua suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back, and he plunged, face-first into the ground. A damage of -658 appeared above his head, his HP decreasing by almost a fifth. Cao Chenghua's mind was blank as his body fell to the ground.

What happened?

Hadn't he been the one attacking? How had he fallen?

There was even an additional Heavily Injured debuff on him now; his Movement Speed and Attack Speed had decreased by 20% for six seconds.

Moreover, by the time he looked up, the blue greatsword Gentle Snow had thrown had somehow returned to her, and the female Berserker was slashing down at him.

Hurriedly, Cao Chenghua moved his sword to block Gentle Snow's attack while trying to stand back up, but before he could, the Blue Sky connected with his greatsword, smashing him down and forcing Cao Chenghua to a knee. 

As he felt that he was about to be knocked over, the kneeling Berserker quickly used both hands to support his greatsword as he pushed back against the opposing blue greatsword. However, Cao Chenghua suddenly discovered that he was unable to push the greatsword back by even a bit and instead it was his greatsword that was being pushed further down. Moreover, although Cao Chenghua tried using his skills to free himself, he found that none of them would activate. 

What Cao Chenghua didn't know was that he had been struck by Gnetle Snow's Tier 1 Death Throw. Death Throw was not a skill unique to Berserkers. Rather, it was a Special Skill with a two-staged attack.

Those unaware of this skill would simply think that Gentle Snow had thrown her weapon. However, Death Throw basically made her weapon boomerang. Normally, after players dodged the first attack, they would launch a counterattack, failing to notice the second attack from behind. Moreover, Death Throw's second attack contained far more speed and destructive power than the first. At Tier 0, Death Throw would inflict a Heavily Injured debuff upon hitting the target. It was even more powerful at Tier 1. This two-staged attack fooled many players, and as a result, they would lose their lives.

If struck by the Tier 1 Death Throw, players would also suffer a Silence effect, which prevented them from using any skills for a short time. This was why the skill was known as the Death Throw. 

As Cao Chenghua was desperately trying to think of a solution while resisting against Gentle Snow's Blue Sky that was pushing him to the ground, Snow suddenly stepped back, causing the man to lunge forward due to him putting much of his strength into the push. 

But before Cao Chenghua could stabilize himself, Snow was already slashing at him with Horizontal Slash, forcing the man to once again hurriedly block the attack. As he had not been able to put up a proper defense before the greatswords collided, Cao Chenghua was forced to take multiple steps back and took some damage; though, he used the chance to pull away from the Snow Goddess, knowing that the Silencing effect probably had a short duration. 

However, when Cao Chenghua glanced behind to gauge the distance between him and Gentle Snow, he found that the woman wasn't chasing after him, but was instead slashing down her blue greatsword despite the distance between them. In the next moment, over a dozen blue wind blades flew towards him.

With both his Movement Speed and Attack Speed reduced, Cao Chenghua would have a difficult time blocking or dodging, but with his skills disabled, he had no other option. 

Despite his efforts, Cao Chenghua only managed to block a single wind blade while the rest dozen or so landed on him, leaving gashes on his body and armor while damages of over -150 appeared above his head. 

By the time all of the wind blades had disappeared, Cao Chenghua only had around 700 HP remaining. The spectating members of Ouroboros[1] became shocked upon seeing Cao Chenghua being thrown into such a miserable state by Gentle Snow, and with such ease and short amount of time as well. 

Not giving her opponent any time to recover, Snow used Charge along with Violent Strike as she slashed at Cao Chenghua. 

However, as he prepared to block Snow's strike, Cao Chenghua noticed that the Silencing effect on him had disappeared and that he could use his skills once again. Releasing an enraged bellow from being humiliated, Cao Chenghua used Whirlwind Slash to block Snow's attack. 

When the two greatswords collided, the force made Cao Chenghua stumble a step back while Snow only retreated by half a step; the difference between their Strength becoming obvious. 

Though Cao Chenghua didn't care about how Snow's Stength was greater than his as he took a step forward and slashed at the Snow Goddess with Horizontal Sweep. Snow moved her Blue Sky to attempt to block the opposing Berserker's attack, but suddenly felt that something was off as she looked at the approaching greatsword, and she was reminded of the words Ye Feng had told her before the match. 

Hurriedly focusing her senses, Snow felt a faint sense of danger from her side and quickly moved her weapon to block the hidden attack, but she was a bit slow. Cao Chenghua's Dark-Gold ranked Iron Cutter suddenly appeared to her side and nearly landed a heavy hit on Snow, thankfully she had reacted quickly enough and managed to offset some of the greatsword's power with her Blue Sky; only stumbling back a couple of steps while taking a bit of damage. 

'She managed to react?' Cao Chenghua's eyes widened slightly upon seeing Snow reacting to his strike while he was using Second Acceleration and nearly blocking it. 

A moment later, though, his gaze grew serious as he used Trisecting Slash, sending three crescent-shaped blades of light at Snow who has just recovered from his previous attack. Noticing the approaching blades of light and that she couldn't dodge them in time, Snow swung her sword at the three light blades, activating Whirlwind Slash, and striking them down. 

The moment Snow's strike finished, Cao Chenghua arrived before her using Flame Charge and brutally slashed at her. Although Snow could once again sense that there was something off about Cao Chenghua's strike, she wasn't able to pinpoint where he was truly striking her at. So, considering that Cao Chenghua didn't have a lot of HP remaining, Snow decided to trade blow for blow in order to kill him, as she used Horizontal Sweep at the Cao Chenghua who was mid-strike; abandoning her defenses completely. 

Unexpectedly, though, when the Blue Sky was about to land on her opponent, Cao Chenghua's greatsword suddenly appeared to the side of her sword, knocking it away from its original course, causing it to pass right by him. 

A mocking smirk appeared on Cao Chenghua's face when he neutralized Snow's attack and saw her stoic face reveal a trace of surprise. Using Omnivision as well as considering the current situation, he had predicted that Snow would attempt to go for mutual destruction due to him only having around a fifth of his HP left. 

Now that he had knocked Snow's Blue Sky away and broken her defenses, Cao Chenghua's greatsword moved as he used Horizontal Slash and cut down at the wide-open Snow. 

Snow could only watch the greatsword slice at her, as her weapon had only just recovered from getting hit and has been knocked to the side too far to either block this attack or reach Cao Chenghua before his strike reached her. 

As Snow watched the greatsword approach her, the look in her eyes turned solemn while they narrowed and focused on the incoming threat; focusing all of her senses as she did so. She definitely could not allow herself to fall here, as it would spell her doom and the end of her career in God's Domain. She definitely must block it! And in order to do that, she had to move faster; much faster than normal. 

'I need to remember... the way he moved.' Right now the scene of Ye Feng slashing his sword at the Kobold King in a way that neither it nor her could react, as it moved seamlessly through the air like flowing water, completely unobstructed. 

Suddenly, the Blue Sky in Snow's hand moved at in incredible speed as it made no sound or cause friction in the air, all of the unnecessary movements in her attack disappearing as she focused on increasing her speed as much as possible in the same manner as she witnessed that day. 

When there were only a few centimeters left between Cao Chenghua's greatsword and Snow's body, the Blue Sky suddenly slid into the Iron Cutter.

Dang!

The impact of the two weapons caused the attacking greatsword's trajectory to shift, and as a result, the weapon only brushed past Snow's body. 

Shocked expressions appeared on the spectators' faces when they saw Snow blocking the attack that should have been a definitive hit. This was especially so for Cao Chenghua's team who knew of the man's strength and how impossible it would be to defend from his attack after their weapon was so far even with their techniques. 

Even War Wolf's eyes widened as he watched Cao Chenghua's greatsword being knocked away while Snow's Blue Sky had suddenly reached in time to block the strike. A possibility appeared in War Wolf's mind, and his shock increased even more. 

"Big Sis Snow really is talented." Violet couldn't help but comment as she rested her head on Feng's shoulder while watching the fight practically in slow motion due to the vast difference in attributes between her and the fighters; as well as everyone else here. 

Violet already knew about what happened in the Dark Moon Graveyard from Feng, and knew that only with Feng's performance that he was able to show at the time as an example, and with very little former experience in fighting, Snow had managed to push herself and breakthrough to her current sate within such a short amount of time. 

"Mhm" A faint smile appeared on Feng's face as he nodded. 'Looks like my showing off didn't go to waste after all.' Though, he didn't forget to give credit to himself as well. 

Cao Chenghua's eyes widened in disbelief. Due to being confident of Snow not being able to block his attack, he hadn't bothered to use Second Acceleration and instead used his full speed and strength in the strike immediately, wanting to do as much damage as possible to the Snow Goddess with a direct hit. 

However, his attack had been unexpectedly blocked, and Cao Chenghua couldn't understand how Snow had managed to do it. 

But before Cao Chenghua could speculate anymore or react, the Blue Sky in Snow's hand moved once again as fast as before as it drew a full arc and stuck the confused Berserker's chest. 

The hit forced Cao Chenghua several steps back as a damage of -431 appeared above his head, and he struggled to stabilize his footing. Snow didn't plan to let her opponent recover, though, as she immediately dashed forward and slashed at Cao Chenghua. 

Knowing that he would die if another strike landed on him, Cao Chenghua fully focused on Snow's attack as he pushed his Omnivision to the limit in order to block the incoming greatsword, before slashing forward as well.

As the swords were about to clash, however, Cao Chenghua found that he was unable to fully perceive Snow's strike, and despite predicting its trajectory with Omnivision, the incredibly fast greatsword that moved at the speed of an assassin's dagger slipped past his defenses and slashed his neck. 

A damage of -482 appeared as Cao Chenghua's HP bar emptied and his lifeless body collapsed to the floor with a confused and hateful expression. He still couldn't understand how Snow had managed to block his attack and then move in such an unpredictable way that he couldn't block. 

Victor of the second match: Gentle Snow!

Cao Chenghua's teammates, as well as the Elders of Ouroboros standing at the spectator stands, were dumbfounded. Gentle Snow had actually achieved such an overwhelming victory against Cao Chenghua, the current Acting Guild Leader of Ouroboros. This definitely put in perspective the difference in their strengths. 

"Snow, you're so amazing! You actually managed to defeat that arrogant bastard so easily!" As soon as Snow walked out of the arena, Yueru immediately ran up to her in excitement. 

In response to Yueru's cheering, the pale faced Snow merely smiled and shook her head. 

Although her victory seemed to have come easily, in reality, it was far from the truth. Even though Snow had nearly all of her HP while Cao Chenghua only had around a fifth, with that technique that he had learned, Snow would have a difficult time defending against his attacks while hers would be blocked. 

Of course, Snow still had a few other tricks that she could have used, but it was unknown what else Cao Chenghua had prepared and in store, so the outcome would have remained unknown if not for her sudden enlightenment. 

However, what she managed to achieve also came at a piece, as Snow's face was currently as white as a sheet of paper, and beads of sweat covered her forehead. Snow currently felt completely mentally exhausted, and even simply moving had become a chore. She wanted nothing more than to just sit down and rest. 

"Congratulations, Snow, on reaching the Refinement Realm." Feng congratulated in a relaxed manner, being able to tell from Snow's current movements and aura around her that she had managed to break through and has entered the Realms of Refinement. 

"So this is the Refinement Realm." A realization came to Snow when she heard Feng's words of congratulations, not originally expecting that her sudden state was due to entering the so called Refinement Realm Ye Feng had once told her about. 

Currently, Snow felt like her five senses were much more acute than before, and she could perceive everything in her surroundings with great detail, with the movements, actions and even gazes of Yueru and Fierce Snake becoming predictable as she focused on them. 

But when Snow looked at the relaxing Feng, she found that she wasn't able to sense anything from him. It was like he didn't exist. If not for her eyes clearly showing that he was sitting right in front of her, Snow wouldn't even know he was there. 

The realization shook Snow deep inside, as she only now began to somewhat comprehend the strength hidden behind Ye Feng's casual appearance. If Snow couldn't detect Ye Feng even when he was standing before her, let alone if he attacked, didn't that mean that she would be completely helpless against him? 

Snow had no idea how she hadn't noticed this before. If not for her sudden breakthrough to the Refinement Realm and her senses becoming much clearer, Snow still wouldn't have realized this and would have had no idea about the vast difference between herself and Ye Feng. 

Gentle Snow found it very hard to believe that such an expert had remained unknown all this time.

Was it because they were too weak to encounter such experts? Or was it because these experts loved to play the role of a weakling? Even Snow was unsure.

Though, as Snow focused on Feng and not being able to sense his presence, she also failed to notice and perceive the little monster that was sitting right next to him. 

As Snow sat down to rest while mulling over her discovering, the next pair of combatants was announced. 

Third match: Zhao Yueru vs. Soaring Snake! 

When the recently resurrected Cao Chenghua and his team members saw the names of the third match's fighters, the gloomy mood and expressions from their Guild Leader losing disappeared and smiles appeared on their faces. 

"Gentle Snow, so what if you managed to win the fight!? Zhao Yueru will never be able to defeat Soaring Snake, and with your two Level 20 aids, you'll still lose regardless." Cao Chenghua said to lessen his rage from losing, laughing as he grinned at Gentle Snow. "From the very beginning, you never had any chance of winning this competition.

"There is only one ending for you all today–defeat!"

Gentle Snow, stoic and beautiful, refused to respond to Cao Chenghua's taunts.

Before she had broken through to the Refinement Realm, even Snow felt that she only had around a 50% to 60% chance at beating Soaring Snake. Naturally, the chances of Yueru being able to beat him were many times lower; especially if he had learned that Second Acceleration technique as well. 

Yueru's expression wasn't too great either, as she knew her chances of winning were very low. Still, her beautiful face grew serious and resolute in the next moment, before she walked into the arena. 

Standing opposite each other within the arena, Soaring Snake looked calm and relaxed while Yueru's gaze was solemn as she looked at the her swordsman opponent. 

As soon as the signal for the battle's start sounded, Soaring Snake immediately charged forward towards Yueru at an incredible speed. As the First Apostle of Ouroboros, Soaring Snake's weapons and equipment spoke for themselves. Of the two swords he wielded, one was Dark-Gold ranked, while the other was Fine-Gold ranked. Meanwhile, a large majority of his equipment was Fine-Gold ranked. His gear was among the best currently available in God's Domain.

Naturally, Zhao Yueru didn't want to give Soaring Snake a chance to close in on her. Chanting an incantation, one of her hands waved the staff it held while the other swiftly traced lines of divine runes in the air. However, by the time she finished, Soaring Snake was already before her as an Ice Sphere appeared, blocking his path. If the Ice Sphere struck him, the damage would only be a secondary problem. The main problem was the Movement Speed Reduction of the spell.

But as if having predicted this, Soaring Snake had instantly turned sharply and circled the Ice Sphere from the right. He was immediately greeted with a few Frost Arrows as soon as he dodged the Ice Sphere. 

His expression remaining unchanged, Soaring Snake's swords quickly moved and created afterimages as they shattered the Ice Arrows. Yueru wished to distance herself further and use her Advanced Skill, but Soaring Snake had instantly arrived before her while his two swords flew towards Yueru's sides. 

In a panic, Yueru hurriedly used Blink. However, she was too late, as Soaring Snake's attacks left wounds on her while Yueru's HP of over 2,600 points fell to around 1,800 points. Fortunately, Yueru had kept Magic Shield active, absorbing a certain amount of damage. Otherwise, Soaring Snake's attacks would have destroyed nearly half of her HP. 

As soon as she used Blink to pull a distance of 15 yards between the swordsman and herself, Yueru waved her staff once more and cast Ice Dragon Blast, sending a large serpentine dragon at Soaring Snake. She then cast Ice Wall to seal off her opponent's surroundings. 

Soaring Snake frowned slightly. Swordsmen mainly relied on their normal attacks in battle. It was a class that wore down their enemies by attrition. When faced with a ranged class like Yueru's, Soaring Snake might have had some difficulties. 

Activating Defensive Blade, Soaring Snake dashed forward while sending out sixteen sword images at the incoming attack, shattering the ice dragon. 

However, the instant the ice dragon shattered, a layer of frost appeared on Soaring Snake's body, reducing his Movement Speed sharply. Yueru immediately followed up with three Ice Spears. Although the frost covering his body drastically slowed his movements, Soaring Snake still blocked all three Ice Spears before resuming his charge at the Elementalist. 

Ice Dragon Blast was the Advanced Skill Yueru had recently learned. Opponents could defend against ordinary spells. However, Ice Dragon Blast was slightly different. Even if her opponent blocked the attack, although it would not deal any damage, it would still inflict a speed reduction effect lasting 5 seconds. Though, with Soaring Snake's speed, its uses are limited. 

Yueru hurriedly created Ice Walls to try and slow down Soaring Snake's advance while sending more spells at him, but even with his Movement Speed decreased, Soaring Snake was still too fast for Yueru as he kept shortening the distance between them while rendering her attacks useless; making it obvious that it was just a matter of time until he became victorious. 

The members of Cao Chenghua's smiled upon seeing the situation, knowing that the fight had already been decided, along with the match; while the spectating elders silently acknowledged it as well. 

Snow's frown deepened when she saw the current situation, her clenched fist tightening. 

"You don't have to be so worried, Snow. Victory is already guaranteed." Feng commented casually when he noticed the anxiousness hidden behind Snow's cold face while munching on a Chocolate Stick. 

"You mean Yueru still has a chance at winning?" Snow turned to Feng and asked in surprise upon hearing his words, as she had already determined that Yueru would definitely lose; but hoped that Feng knew something she doesn't. 

"Hmm? Oh, no. She's 100% screwed." Feng affirmed the obvious as he gestured with his head towards the scene of Soaring Snake slashing at Yueru while she tried to desperately defend herself, causing Snow to become exasperated by his words, but his next ones only confused her even more "What I meant was: You don't need to worry at all, because your victory in this competition's is already guaranteed. It was like that the moment you managed to win your match." 

Snow was about to ask how that was possible, when the system suddenly announced the end of the match. 

Victor of the third match: Soaring Snake! 

After resurrecting, Zhao Yueru walked up to Gentle Snow, her disappointment written all over her face. Feeling deeply ashamed, she said, "Snow, I'm sorry..."

Her loss had practically signaled Snow's loss, as even if Ye Feng won his match, they'd still end up losing in the end and Snow would be barred from ever logging into God's Domain again. 

"It's alright. We had already expected this outcome, but not all hope is necessarily lost." Snow reassured Yueru, though, she wasn't entirely confident herself as she still wasn't sure how Ye Feng was so sure they were going to win when the fifth person on their team was only a Level 20 Cleric. 

"Huh? What do you mean?" Teary-eyed, Yueru asked in confusion, as she thought that there was no chance for them to win due to her not being able to beat Soaring Snake, and that Snow would end up having to leave the virtual world forever. 

Before Snow could figure out a response, the fourth match's fighters were revealed. 

Fourth match: Violet Cloud vs. War Wolf. 

"Looks like it's my turn." Seeing her name appear, Violet unglued herself from Feng and stood to her feet before going into the arena.