Chapter 256 - 239: The World’s Number One Ghost King Emerges
The appearance of the British Noah’s Ark super battleship shocked the world, and even more so the European Union Zone. The British Royal Ark Team’s slogan of unifying the European Union Zone sparked dissatisfaction among old e-sports powerhouses like Germany, France, and Sweden.
In the global e-sports domain, there were several established strong teams, namely South Korea, Germany, the United States, China, Sweden, Germany, France, and Russia, these eight countries were known as the e-sports eight powers.
E-sports was South Korea’s national sport, with a strong grassroots foundation and a high degree of professionalism. Its overall level surpassed other countries, regularly claiming championships in various e-sports events. The style of the South Korea Team was precision, precision, as precise as a computer! When facing a South Korean player, it’s hard to imagine that the opponent sitting across you is actually a player and not a computer!
However, China’s e-sports did not have a strong grassroots foundation, though there were many gold farming studios and internet café youths. But just like how China, known as the kingdom of bicycles, struggles to produce bicycle-sport champions, China’s level of e-sports professionalism was not high either. Its performance in international events was unstable, over-relying on talented players. Each talented player had unique characteristics, so it was hard for the China Team to develop its own style. This was a disadvantage, but also an advantage that left other strong teams puzzled.
The style of the Germany Team, like its soccer, was very steady, with a strong strategic view. Perhaps no dazzling genius players were evident in the team, but if any member was absent, there would be another to replace them without affecting the overall situation.
The style of the American Team was uninhibited! Just like the NBA, dreamlike and uninhibited! The benefit of this freedom was that when everything clicked, it was like a Pegasus soaring unfathomably, because sometimes even they didn’t know what they were doing. The downside was that once they encountered the South Korea Team, the humanoid computer unmoved by external factors, they would be beaten like fools.
Russia’s style was sharp, their pure-man style of play left a deep impression on all strong teams. Therefore, in the game Heroic Creation Era, they chose to focus on attacking the Dwarf Clan. Although Beastmen might have suited Russia better, the strategic shortcomings of the Beastmen determined that no team would focus on them.
France’s style was tactical variability, the French Team’s splendid tactical coordination was breathtaking. The matches of the French Team might not always be the highest level, but unquestionably the most entertaining, which was in stark contrast to their pragmatic soccer style. Ultimately, the French found it hard to relinquish their romantic flair, especially in such a classical game.
As for Sweden, similar to China, it relied heavily on talent. The difference was that Swedish talents had exceptionally strong psychological stability and performance, with one super skillful player holding up the Swedish sky. Not only that, but the super skillful Swedish players had an extremely long service term, greatly different from the situation where China’s talents shone for just one or two competitions and then faded away.
What’s the reason for this? Just like in table tennis, among the China Team, where talents were abundant like waves in the Yangtze River, older members were easily replaced by stronger new talents. However, the young talents, due to being overly young, had psychological shortcomings leading to unstable performances, which also caused China’s nationals to be unstable. By the time the young talents’ psychology stabilized, they became old members, and were then replaced by new talents.
While in Sweden, there weren’t many talents, so older members were unlikely to be replaced by new talents. Thus a talented player kept competing and serving, their skill becoming more refined and experience richer, leading to more terrifying strength. Like Walderneier in the table tennis world, in his 40s he was still competing, suppressing many generations of Chinese men’s singles, except for talents like Kong Linghui, no one could surpass him.
The e-sports level of each country was roughly like this. Of course, there was also Japan, whose fighting games produced in its own country were at quite a high level, though none of Japan’s games were in international events. Then there was Brazil, Canada, and regions like Singapore and Taiwan, where e-sports levels were also quite high.
As for the UK, they occasionally took second or third place, belonging to second-tier teams. But this second-tier UK’s team declared it wanted to be the leader of the European Union, which made the traditional European strong teams extremely displeased.
Indeed, Heroic Creation Era wasn’t like traditional fair competitive games like CS or FIFA, where a country’s real-life power naturally made it strong in the game, which was where the UK derived its confidence. Similarly, Germany and France, whose national strength wasn’t inferior to the UK’s, also had confidence. This destined that the European Union Zone wouldn’t be peaceful in the future. Even on the forums of the European Union Zone, some random players were posting: "The Third World War Will Ignite in the European Union Zone!"
The world’s eyes began to focus on the European Union Zone, on the UK’s mysterious super battleship, and on the reactions of the German War Machine and the French Arc de Triomphe Team.
At this time, in a basement in Sweden Stockholm, 34-year-old Alfred lazily got out of bed as always, frying steak in a pan, reheating milk in the microwave, while leisurely washing his face, brushing his teeth, and using the bathroom.
His movements seemed slow, yet there wasn’t a single superfluous motion. It seemed he had many things to do, yet he handled them with the highest efficiency and reasoning. In just three minutes, he was sitting in front of the computer wall with steak and milk, leisurely putting on a helmet.
His personal information always blinked nonstop, an unavoidable thing, because he was the owner of the world’s highest-valued known God-level Hero, "Death Lord," Vurtne, known as Big V, an external member of the Swedish Nordic Crown Team. The reason he was an external member was because he wanted to retire, but the team wouldn’t allow it, so they made him an external member. Normally, he didn’t need to come for training. During battles, of course, he didn’t have to come either, but for matters concerning world peace, he had to make an appearance.
If someone asked, who was the living fossil of e-sports? Undoubtedly, Swedish Big V! He began representing the National Team in competitions at age 14, going through all the participating games in international events. He went from the keyboard and mouse era into the era of intelligent computers, and then into the era of holographic images. In every era, he was the leader in the e-sports industry! He was the spokesperson for game ads in every country!
At a WCG championship award ceremony in a certain year, a reporter asked: "You must love every game dearly to achieve such great accomplishments in games, right?"
At 26, he replied, "No! Since I became a professional player, I detested games more than anyone!" That year, he lost 80% of his game ad endorsements.
Then, he turned 34. Games had long become an inseparable habit in his life. Was he still detesting games? No, his realm had already surpassed such superficial levels of like or dislike. Every day he just stared dazedly at the game avatars.
What was he doing? He himself didn’t know, but others did. He was the strongest in the European Union Zone! The strongest in the world! He was ghostfather! He was called Ghost King by Chinese players!
Today’s first message came from little British girl Margaret. He met the then 10-year-old blonde-little-girl fan when he was 24. Now, she’s become a blonde milk cow. This made Big V quite sentimentally nostalgic, little girls became not as cute when they grew up.
Margaret: "Hello Uncle Big V, the world needs you to save it!"
Of course, Big V knew what was happening, he lazily smiled: "Give me a reason to save the world? Any lame reason will do!"
Margaret: "Because our country’s Prince has gone mad, he wants to rule the world, which will bring disaster to our world!"
Big V nodded: "A very lame reason!"
There was no need to look at the rest of the messages, one reason was enough to save the world. Saving the world was also saving himself, he needed to find fun badly.
...
The European Union Zone, the harbor city Valen at the border of the Human Sacred Dragon Eagle Empire, the fortress city that controlled the Valen Strait.
The entire city was bustling, filled with players from various countries each with their national flags above their heads. This phenomenon of small national flags above heads was characteristic of the European Union Zone.
Across the sea from Valen City was the port fortress Kedeso of the Undead Empire.
These two fortresses held crucial positions. Once one side fell, it meant an open stronghold for the other to invade. Therefore, an endless millennium war played out here between Humans and the Undead, though not attacking the other’s city—that was nearly impossible—but vying for control of the Valen Strait’s passage rights. Whoever won the current round, their Chamber of Commerce fleet could pass through the Valen Strait safely and collectively. The temporarily losing side needed to gather strength to fight back next time.
In short, this place was where players mixed with the NPC fleet to grind battlefield merits.
Today, as always, the navy of the Human Empire and the Undead Empire NPCs continued their battles with medium-sized battleships in the narrow Valen Strait. Of course, in this narrow strait, only medium-sized battleships could combat.
Players had gotten used to these make-believe battles by the NPCs that ended just short of completion. Relying on NPCs to open a situation was eternally impossible. Only when one side’s players gained absolute advantage would the opposing fleet retreat and admit defeat.
Just then, a black light shot up from an Undead battleship, and an Undead Dragon, black smoke billowing all over like a massive ship, descended from the sky!
The sudden change on the sea battlefield caused a stir of exclamations!
The black Undead Dragon plummeted like a black meteor onto a Bright Alliance medium-sized battleship!
—Boom! Amid the cries of all players present, the battleship exploded violently, black smoke scattered, bones and wood chips flying together!
Players were dumbfounded by this unexpected development; the seemingly invincible NPC battleship had been blasted in seconds! What did this mean? Did it mean the make-believe era of NPCs was ending?
At that moment, shock ran through the regional channel, "Vurtne! It is the legendary Vurtne! Vurtne came to battle!"
"Vurtne! What’s that unit of yours? It’s incredibly powerful! Can you tell us?"
—Regional Channel [Vurtne]: Sorry, I disrupted everyone. That was my skill "Death God," which can summon a temporary level 8 soldier daily, its strength related to my level magic, so its current power is weak. However, I am here to announce to everyone, from today on, here, the Bright Alliance will not win a single battle, the Valen Strait will forever belong to us, the Dark Alliance!
"Too great!" for a moment Dark Alliance players loudly cheered.
Meanwhile, the Bright Alliance players were stunned in shock! Summoning level 8 soldiers might not count as much, but this was the beginning of the War Balance’s tilt! The stormy European Union Zone would evolve with new unpredictable factors due to this Ghost King’s sudden appearance!
(Book friends, this is a request for votes! In things like the annual works selection, though this brother writes online games, it’s all about participation. Please help!)(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)