The King's Avatar

”Nice.” Ye Xiu replied casually. He didn’t have the time to bother with Wei Chen’s provocation. Even if he was currently fighting against normal players, these normal players had no fear. They were exceptionally brave and fierce towards this stocking present bag. Ye Xiu needed to be careful too. He had thought of transferring over his stockings, but seeing that his partner Steamed Bun, Ye Xiu got rid of that thought. It was best if the stockings were kept in his possession.

In this situation, even Ye Xiu found it a challenge. It was no surprise the records on the individual rankings were so low. There were only 20 pairs. Even if these pairs were evenly distributed with one stocking to one player, there would still be thirty fearless barefoot players.

For the team rankings, the combined total stockings of the entire team was counted. The stockings could be rotated around between the five members, giving the team numerous strategic options. However, for an individual, the individual could only rely on himself to carry all the stockings. If the individual was surrounded and killed, all of his efforts from before would instantly go to waste.

From this, it could be seen that the three individuals participating in the event, Tang Rou, Wu Chen, and Mo Fan didn’t have it easy either. Their skill surpassed that of normal players by a huge margin, so once they acquired a bunch of stockings in the initial stages, they were in the same predicament as Ye Xiu. They had become stocking present bags. Anywhere they went, players would attack them.

Wei Chen went around in a circle, observing everyone. He discovered that the others were also in a difficult situation. He completely ignored the troubles of an individual participant and laughed loudly.

”You’d better protect them well. If you die at the end, the situation will instantly turn around!” Wei Chen said. He reached a conclusion relying on his experience and intuition and instantly grasped the main point of this event. The system would update the scoreboards with the number of stockings possessed by each party. Because of how the event worked, more than half of the players would not have any stockings by the end. Going full force for stockings in the beginning definitely wasn’t a wise choice to make. If you stood out among the crowd flying against the wind, still wanting to soar through the skies was too difficult.

Just as Wei Chen gave his advice, he heard Tang Rou cry out in surprise.

”What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Wei Chen immediately rushed over to check. Afterwards, he held a face filled with pity and sympathy: ”See, you weren’t careful and died! You’ve got to stay low profile!”

Soft Mist, who had 6 stockings, died. Much of it had to do with Tang Rou’s personality. She didn’t like hiding, so if she ever saw someone, she would fight!　

After several fights, Tang Rou couldn’t guarantee that her character took no damage. Right when she was recovering after killing a few players, someone ambushed her. In a panic, Tang Rou made a few mistakes. The several players, who she had just killed, revived and allied together to kill her. Then, from her ghostview, Tang Rou saw those guys looting her dropped stockings. Helpless, she could only choose to revive.

”What a pity....” Wei Chen shook his head and sighed. Then, he went to take a look at Mo Fan’s side. Wei Chen didn’t have a good impression of this cold and detached guy, so he hadn’t paid much attention to his side previously. When he took a look, this guy was actually having quite an easy time. He carried 7 stockings on him and was still searching the map for targets. Every time he bumped into an enemy, he was always able to escape.

”A true professional...” After watching for awhile, Wei Chen couldn’t help but sigh. Mo Fan was worthy of someone who had once been a top tier scrap picker. He was just too professional with this task. It was as if this quest was made for him, like a fish in water.

Wei Chen stopped watching Mo Fan and went to take a look at Wu Chen’s side. When he glanced over, he suddenly went into a daze. Then, he gave Wu Chen a big thumbs up and sighed with unfeigned emotion: ”Bro, how decisive of you.”

All 20 stockings had spawned on Wu Chen’s map. When Wei Chen took a look, the players had found a total of 15 stockings so far. Of those, Wu Chen’s Dawn Rifle possessed 6 stockings. He was currently being chased crazily as a target by those guys without any stockings. When Wei Chen went around in a circle and returned, on the live-updated scoreboard, the number of stockings picked up by players had actually decreased to 11. When he took a look at Wu Chen’s Dawn Rifle, his 6 stockings had actually become only 2.

Wei Chen stared blankly. He suddenly understood that perhaps when he had become everyone’s target, he threw down 4 stockings of his own accord, so among those with stockings, he no longer stood out. With this mighty decision making, who would be so stupid as to pick a fight with him!

”Advance by retreating. You really do have some skill.” Wei Chen praised. Wu Chen obviously wasn’t satisfied with 2 stockings. He simply got rid of his awkward status as a present bag for now, allowing the opponents take the initiative and then strike when the time was right. Daring to relinquish already acquired stockings was rather courageous.

”Look at him! You should learn a bit!” Wei Chen admired Wu Chen’s strategy and then turned to look at Ye Xiu’s side. But when he took a look, he was astonished: ”Wow, you respond fast! You’ve actually thrown a bunch away already. Child, you show promise!”

Ye Xiu was even more thorough. He had decided to throw away all 10 of his stockings. Right now, his team had zero stockings. The number of stockings possessed by players became two. The progress was so slow that Wei Chen wanted to cry.

Wei Chen continued to walk around and observe the others. When he glanced at Steamed Bun’s screen, he exclaimed in surprise: ”F*ck, you’re so despicable!”

Steamed Bun Invasion was hiding in a pile of snow. His gaze was locked onto a single spot. That place had no one there, just a bunch of stockings. Ten stockings to be exact.

Ye Xiu had thrown all ten of his stockings, but he had sent Steamed Bun to guard them. Wei Chen’s remark wasn’t aimed at Steamed Bun, but Ye Xiu. He was certain that Ye Xiu had set this arrangement up.

”Steamed Bun, you can’t keep on staring at these stockings. Pay attention to your surroundings.” Wei Chen reminded Steamed Bun.

”Boss told me to stare at them like this.” Steamed Bun didn’t move a single inch.

Ye Xiu confirmed it: ”You’re doing beautifully, Steamed Bun.”

”Of course.” Steamed Bun was delighted.

At this moment, several players appeared in Steamed Bun’s line of sight. They came through the snowstorm. The closer they came, the clearer Steamed Bun could see them.

”People are coming. Hurry up and move the stockings.” Wei Chen hastily warned Steamed Bun. This guy was just sitting there as if he were asleep. He didn’t budge and just kept staring at the stockings.

In the end, Steamed Bun didn’t move.

”HEY!” Wei Chen pushed Steamed Bun.

”Stop bothering me!” Steamed Bun glared at Wei Chen in condemnation.

”They’re almost there. Why are you still sitting there doing nothing!” Wei Chen shouted.

”You’re so annoying! Go lead your team!” Ye Xiu spoke out.　　

During that exchange of words, that team approached and suddenly discovered a pile of stockings laying there. They were clearly overjoyed at the turn of events and dashed over.

Steamed Bun kept still. He quietly watched as those guys snatched up all ten stockings in one swoop and began discussing with each other: ”What’s going on?”

”Mutual destruction?”

”It must be!”

”Haha, lucky us.”

”How amazing!”

When they picked them up one after the other, the system announced their team name over and over again. The team immediately left after picking up the stockings. Steamed Bun finally moved, maintaining a distance from them, slowly following them.

After Wei Chen stared blankly for awhile, he finally understood Ye Xiu’s intent. Wu Chen had simply given up on a few of his stockings temporarily, but for Ye Xiu, Wei Chen thought that he had thrown them all out and then left Steamed Bun there to guard them. Now he knew that Steamed Bun wasn’t guarding them. He intentionally let someone else carry the bomb for them and had Steamed Bun follow them closely. When the time came, a siskin would swoop by and take all of the stockings all at once. Compared to Wu Chen’s strategy, Ye Xiu’s strategy was much more proactive.

”Shameless, despicable, immoral!” Wei Chen rushed over to denounce Ye Xiu.

”Shut up!” Ye Xiu dismissed him.

Everything developed just as Ye Xiu had expected. The team that took ten stockings instantly became everyone’s target and was chased by everyone else. The stockings circled around several times. No matter who took the stockings, Steamed Bun Invasion was always nearby, following them like a ghost.

As for Ye Xiu? He roamed around killing people. One stocking after the other came into his hands. Then, these stockings would always miraculously appear nearby whichever team held the most stockings. Thus, that team would have more and more stockings. Of the 20 stockings, 19 had been picked up. Among those 19, one team had 16 stockings, causing all the other teams to howl and search crazily for the location of that one team.

That team was scared too! They somehow managed to find 16 stockings. They felt like they were dreaming. Once another stocking was picked up, the countdown would begin for the quest to end. Darkness came before dawn. It was always hard to endure.

It wasn’t easy for them to last this long. Now that the final stretch had come, they had to make a gamble.

The team gathered together and after a serious discussion, they handed all 16 stockings to a single player and then scattered.

When a character completed a trade, there would be a movement from the character indicating it. Ye Xiu had told Steamed Bun that he must identify who completed the trade. Steamed Bun didn’t betray Ye Xiu’s hopes. Hiding nearby, he clearly saw who among the five he needed to follow. He didn’t need instructions for that. Steamed Bun locked onto the one carrying all 16 stockings and reported back to Ye Xiu.

”Ah, so that’s what they ended up doing! That makes things easier for us. Go ahead and attack!” Ye Xiu said.

Steamed Bun, who had been in hiding for so long, finally erupted. He suddenly rushed out from the snow. Along with the falling snowflakes, he charged towards that stocking present bag determined and decisive. That player didn’t think that the lucky them would end up with such bad luck in the final stretch. As soon as they scattered, he was found by someone.

Steamed Bun didn’t know if that player had asked for help. He only knew that his target was very easy to deal with. He easily killed him off.

A tidal wave of announcements poured out from the system. Steamed Bun Invasion’s name appeared again and again. That old target disappeared and what replaced that target was a team with 19 stockings now. Ye Xiu and Steamed Bun were originally in the lead, but then they had ”accidentally” slipped up. Afterwards, they were extremely ”unlucky” for a long time, not encountering the fat present bag, leading to Lord Grim’s team only holding 3 stockings, but in the very last stretch, they instantly snatched away the fat present bag.

”No one pick up that last stocking!” Someone shouted in the map’s public chat.

The first to reply to him was Lord Grim, who replied: ”Haha.”

Then, Ye Xiu lit his cigarette and clicked his mouse, picking up the final stocking right next to Lord Grim.

System announcement: Player Lord Grim has picked up the 20th stocking. If no change occurs within the next 120 seconds, the quest will end.