Chapter 41.1 – Bloody Ferrara (13)
◎ Battle Royale Action! ◎
One month later, the 420th round of qualifiers came to an end, and from this point on, the Throne Race would no longer accept new registrations.
The ultimate champion would emerge from the 200 teams that had made it through to the finals.
From the abandoned mine 200 kilometers away from Ferrara, the rumbling sounds continued to echo.
Xu Xing had a red headband tied to his forehead, with the words “must win” boldly written on it, flapping in the wind. He wore a thick hoodie and took brisk steps with his short legs. At one moment, he sprinted to the left, sharp ice spikes falling behind him, pinning the crowded zombies like bullets in a circle. Then, he extended his arms and ran to the right, using a blizzard in tandem with the mechanical arm of a transport vehicle to sweep the frozen zombies into iron cages.
The red band fluttered behind his head, giving him a somewhat peerless master’s demeanor.
In less than twenty minutes, Xu Xing completed a C-level mission all by himself.
Song Ke stood on a high platform, watching from afar. This scene had become the norm for almost a month. Xu Xing had undergone Zhuang Qingyan’s devilish training, starting from tears and sobbing, often hiccuping while fighting zombies, and frequently needing her help to clean up afterward. But now, he had made rapid progress. Not only could he single-handedly take down dozens of zombies, but he also maintained cleanliness, remembering to blow the area clean and tidying up the battlefield as a matter of course.
Song Ke’s thoughts wandered, and she couldn’t help but think of Aming’s favorite lines from that classic palace intrigue drama of the old civilization.
The old Xiaoxing was already dead. Now, standing before them was Niu Hulu… no, it was the Mecha Tyrannosaurus Xiaoxing.
“You’re really amazing,” Song Ke murmured.
“It’s still a long way to go,” Zhuang Qingyan replied calmly.
“No, I mean you, you’re really amazing.”
Being able to transform Xu Xing from a slacker who only wanted to lie down every day into the current edgy teenager was entirely Zhuang Qingyan’s achievement.
Zhuang Qingyan’s lips curved into a faint smile, acknowledging Song Ke’s praise.
“Since he wants to follow you, he can’t hold you back.”
The commotion in front gradually subsided, and Xu Xing ran over, his eyes sparkling.
“Sister, am I amazing?”
“Amazing,” Song Ke praised sincerely, giving him two thumbs up.
Xu Xing scratched his chin, smiling brightly like the sun.
During this period, they mainly accepted C-level missions, with a small number of B-level missions completed together by Song Ke and Xu Xing. Therefore, their points were increasing steadily, although not very fast. Even though the rankings were hidden, V587 had actually entered the top ten in the Ferrara points standings.
The first place was still held by “Three Grandsons and One Grandfather,” their points skyrocketing, already surpassing ten thousand.
“It’s about time. Let’s pack up and head back to Ferrara,” Zhuang Qingyan said.
The main competition of the Throne Race was about to begin, and it was time to go back and prepare.
…
“What is this?”
The day before the competition, during the player registration, Song Ke and Xu Xing each received a wristwatch-like tracking device.
“This is the new tracking device introduced by the competition organizers,” the AI in front of them explained meticulously. “It’s used in conjunction with a small unmanned camera that follows each player one-on-one throughout the race, capturing every exciting moment.”
“Isn’t this just an electronic ankle monitor…” Xu Xing muttered softly.
The synthesized voice of the AI remained calm and unaffected, “I apologize for any inconvenience. I can confirm that due to perspective issues during the previous qualifiers, there was a severe broadcasting incident that resulted in complaints from viewers. We’ve learned from that experience and have upgraded our filming methods to ensure a comprehensive, multi-angle, immersive experience, with no blind spots.”
“In addition, each player has their own private live broadcast room that viewers can unlock and watch for a fee.”
Qualifiers… broadcasting incident… could it have been because of her?
Song Ke nervously rubbed her ear.
Due to the unique nature of the main competition venue, there were no on-site seats, and the audience could only watch through terminals. Tickets for the competition had been sold at exorbitant prices, and the number of reservations for popular superhumans’ live broadcast rooms had surpassed several hundred thousand, far exceeding the peak of any previous concert, setting a new historical record.
“Please draw lots.”
The AI swiped a panel, and suddenly, a brilliant galaxy appeared before Song Ke’s eyes. Hundreds of sparkling stars slowly flowed within, emitting a gentle glow.
The AI reminded her methodically, “The size of the number will determine the team’s order of appearance.”
Song Ke casually picked a star, and a number appeared on it: 161.
“Congratulations, you’ve drawn number 161, starting from the northwest corner at 20:20.”
With a total of 200 teams, they started at staggered times and the earlier the better, as it allowed teams to familiarize themselves with the terrain in advance and even set ambushes to take advantage of others. Unfortunately, Song Ke and Xu Xing not only had a late draw but also a terrible starting point. The northwest corner was the most desolate starting point, requiring them to cross the Mirror Lake in the central area to reach the endpoint located at the eastern mountaintop. It seemed like a definite disadvantage.
Song Ke was shocked by her own choice, thinking she should have let Xu Xing draw instead.
But Xu Xing was surprisingly happy, saying, “Great! It’s not the last number!”
Song Ke patiently explained, “The, the higher the number, the later you, you start. It’s not good. I should have let, let you draw.”
Xu Xing blinked his eyes, “But I’ve never won anything in my life, not even a bag of chips.”
“If I had drawn, it would probably have been number 199.”
Song Ke sighed, “Alright.”
Well, in that case, 161 isn’t so bad. It’s actually quite good.
After returning to the hotel, their number 161 drew merciless laughter from Zhuang Qingyan.
Despite Zhuang Qingyan’s early lessons, when it came to the actual competition, they could only rely on themselves. Song Ke wore Wu Yarou’s space necklace and concealed various spiritual weapons in her oversized coat. Her primary weapon was still the dual swords she had been using recently.
Before leaving, Song Ke looked at Zhuang Qingyan and asked, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Just like that day in Hua City, Zhuang Qingyan lazily leaned on his wheelchair and waved at her, his magnetic voice seductive and captivating, “Come back early.”
Song Ke nodded earnestly, “Alright.”
…
On the night of the competition, at Mirror Lake.
At exactly 20:00, all the floating screens in the Ferrara city area simultaneously projected the Throne Race, and the official live broadcast room began on time.
“Good evening, dear viewers! The exciting moment has finally arrived. Welcome to the live broadcast of the Top 64 Qualifying Round of the Throne Race. I am your host, Ah K, and the gentleman beside me is none other than your heartthrob, Luo Qinghe!”
Ah K, a virtual AI, was a renowned figure in Ferrara, known for his exceptional hosting skills. It was said that his language and art module in his central memory had gone through numerous iterations, making him one of the top-tier self-learning AI.
As for Luo Qinghe, the official reason for inviting him was quite obvious. When his gentle and jade-like face was enlarged on the screen, even without speaking, the viewership ratings soared.
“Ahem,” Ah K cleared his throat excitedly. “Next, I will explain the rules of the competition.”
“This competition follows the Battle Royale format, and this time, we’ve prepared some truly terrifying monsters.”
He intentionally made an exaggerated spooky face, and the live chat was immediately filled with laughter.
“Isn’t it just zombies? We guessed that ages ago.”
“Can we see the legendary water monster today? Can’t wait.”
“Hahaha, Ah K making that expression is really silly.”
“Who wants to see you? I want to watch my Qinghe. Please switch the camera, thank you.”
“Can the guy upstairs with dreams roll out? Can’t you go crazy in your own private live room?”
“Is the ugly guy upstairs triggered?”
The competition hadn’t even started yet, and the live chat was already buzzing with activity. Colorful fonts kept scrolling across the screen, and the official live chat room became chaotic. AI moderators immediately took action, banning IP addresses that were inciting trouble.
“According to the rules, there are special items called ‘flags’ hidden in the field. The team that finds a flag first and delivers it to the endpoint will qualify. Please note that the number of flags is limited, and as long as they haven’t reached the endpoint, ownership can transfer at any time. What does that mean? Hehe, it means that even if you haven’t found a flag, you can snatch it from someone else!”
Ah K was completely unaffected by the live chat and playfully made a grabbing motion.
“For fairness, once a flag is picked up, the player who possesses it will have their location automatically exposed, and others can lock onto their coordinates using the tracking device. How about that? Isn’t it interesting?”
Limited flags, public coordinates… this clearly encouraged awakeners to fight and potentially kill each other!
Some quick-thinking viewers quickly understood the key point and became even more excited.
“Alright, alright, I see that some viewers are asking what the flags are. I can’t reveal that information yet. You’ll have to wait until the competition begins for Ah K to unveil it for everyone.”
“Let’s take a look at the viewership ratings for our contestants. Currently in the lead is 52-1 player Duanmu Qi, followed by 105-4, known as the ‘Wild Rose,’ Irene. And 114-3 is our local contestant from Ferrara, Feng Duona. Hey? They’re all handsome men and beautiful women. So, it turns out everyone goes for looks, huh?”
“Haha, just kidding. The skills of these contestants should not be underestimated. You can also pay to unlock your favorite player’s live room and enjoy an immersive experience throughout the game.”
“Want to see Qinghe? Of course, you can. Let’s get the camera on Qinghe. Qinghe, do you have any words for the contestants?”
Facing the camera, Luo Qinghe maintained impeccable manners with not a single fault, but a hint of solemnity was evident in his warm and unearthly eyes.
“In this game of life and death, I urge all contestants to give it their all.”
…
At 20:20, at the northwest corner of Mirror Lake, the last group of teams set off.
Song Ke and Xu Xing stepped into the forbidden forest, and the trackers on their wrists blinked brightly. Two drones followed closely beside them.
No vehicles were allowed inside Mirror Lake, so the participants had to proceed on foot. Looking up, the sky was mostly obscured by the tangled branches of trees. The dim light of the night made it difficult to see, and even if they stretched their necks, they could only faintly glimpse the neon lights of Ferrara in the distance.
Before long, the two of them reached the edge of a swamp.
“Sister, where do you think the flag will be? It can’t just be stuck in the ground, right?”
“Could it be buried in the soil, and we have to dig it up ourselves?” Xu Xing actively used his little brain and shared his guess.
“Whoosh!” A group of dark shadows darted past them from behind.
Song Ke and Xu Xing immediately fell silent, turning their heads vigilantly. Across the dark swamp, over a dozen bizarre-looking creatures were staring at them from the branches. Their eyes emitted a green glow, their heads looked like mice, but their limbs and abdomen were as robust as rabbits. They had thick, black fur on their backs. In the blink of an eye, they swiftly flew to the other side.
Xu Xing swallowed hard, suppressing his fear, and his voice trembled slightly, “They seem to be mutated… rats.”
They looked a lot like the cockroaches they encountered in Hua City. They were zombie rats!
Song Ke lowered her voice to avoid alarming them, “Xiaoxing, take control.”
Xu Xing opened his hand, and a fine snowstorm flowed out from his palm, causing the surface of the swamp to freeze.
His move was quite effective, covering the path of the approaching zombie rats. Since it was a widespread area of effect, they couldn’t avoid it. The claws of those rats were frozen, and their flight speed significantly slowed down as they tumbled from low altitude.
The swamp and the ground were intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish the edge. Song Ke didn’t rashly charge forward. With a slight movement of her fingertips, several bright crescent-shaped throwing knives were released towards the group of rats, hitting them squarely in the head and harvesting a large number of them.
She cautiously took two steps forward, intending to examine the situation, but suddenly, a large net fell from the sky towards her head.
Song Ke reacted swiftly, rolling close to the ground, quickly moving out of the net’s range. However, the bodies of those rats were collected into a bag on the opposite side.
The other side’s goal was clearly to snatch their gains!
