Chapter 1641: Chapter 41: Choosing the Tyrant

The sky remained overcast, and a drizzle hung in the air, adding a damp touch to the nebulous stench of blood.

The city after the great battle had no trace of vitality; no one knew how many years it would take to recover. But this wasn’t something the Conquerors needed to worry about.

The Silver Trojan didn’t waste a single second. As soon as the break ended, it issued an announcement.

“The next phase of the mission begins. Given your exceptional performance, the top twenty teams in the points ranking will have the privilege of choosing their teleportation locations.”

A lot of people died in this round. Furthermore, upon learning that the European region suffered relatively low losses, Silver Trojan used its scope of permissions to provide perks to the top twenty teams.

“You could at least tell us the mission objective first, right? Otherwise, how are we supposed to choose?” Ma’s Gang’s deputy leader, feeling superior, tried negotiating with Silver Trojan.

“Kill the Dark Tyrants summoned by the Buddha Statues. You can choose which Tyrant to battle against,” Silver Trojan grinned. “Honestly, each one is close to world-BOSS level. Participating in this fight will inevitably lead to a nine-deaths-and-one-life outcome.”

“Then what’s the point in choosing?” Ma Tianyuan thought Silver Trojan was messing with everyone. His tone was hostile. The stronger he grew, the fewer restrictions the Trojan exerted on him. He didn’t know why this was the case, but it emboldened his arrogance.

An English Third-order Feartaker who didn’t make major mistakes couldn’t be outright killed by any Trojan.

“No, it’s quite necessary. For example, Emperor Sui Yang Yang Guang excels in close combat and is immune to most magical attacks. On the other hand, Genghis Khan Temujin not only specializes in ranged assaults but also commands the highest number of undead soldiers, making him arguably the strongest Tyrant,” Silver Trojan, for once, refrained from being snarky. “Your task is to play to your strengths and maximize your advantages.”

“What about the specialties of the other Tyrants?” The strategists couldn’t wait to ask. Every team had its area of expertise. For example, the Warhammer Team had many range attackers, making them more suited for group battles against summoning-system bosses. Picking the right monster could increase survival odds by at least ten percent.

“No comment.” Silver Trojan’s cold response nearly made several people spit blood in frustration.

“Are you kidding us or what?” Some group leaders clenched their fists, their brows twitching with rage, ready to bash Silver Trojan into oblivion.

“But you can spend points to inquire,” said Silver Trojan, mockingly adding an infuriating half-sentence. “Though don’t say I didn’t warn you; there are a few Tyrants with no records available, and it’s quite possible the Buddha Statues will relocate them to another city when you teleport.”

“Stop with the nonsense; hand over the intel now.” The group leaders shouted, only to be silenced again by another statement from Silver Trojan.

“Honesty guaranteed. Pay five thousand points first!”

“Damn it, why don’t you go to hell?” The Conquerors cursed violently, saliva flying everywhere.

For most players, points were spent on boosting combat power as much as possible. After all, no one could guarantee their survival, and dying meant losing all accumulated points. Five thousand points was considered a fortune by many.

Of course, there were also some group leaders who had enough points but were unwilling to part with them.

“Can we pool points as a team?” A short-haired group leader rubbed his chin, searching for excuses for his stinginess. “Had I known it’d come to this, I would’ve saved up more points.”

“Oh, give it a rest. What group leader doesn’t keep some points in reserve for emergencies?” Someone launched a verbal attack on him.

“Silver, deduct five thousand points from me and hand over the intel.” Tang Zheng furrowed his brows, contemplating how Dantai would choose a Tyrant.

The Conquerors heard Tang Zheng’s words and couldn’t help but glance at him. There were looks of astonishment, admiration, and even mocking expressions. Some considered him a fool.

“Enough talking. Team points can be pooled,” Silver Trojan didn’t want to waste more time. “Scum Tang, five thousand points is no small amount—it’s enough for a Conqueror to fight two rounds. Think carefully.”

“Don’t bother me. Just hurry it up,” Tang Zheng waved his hand impatiently.

“Tang Zheng, what’s the meaning of this?” Ma Tianyuan’s face darkened. You, as one group leader, paying the points felt like an insult to the others.

The group leaders noticed that ordinary members now looked at Tang Zheng with expressions of admiration and even reverence. If not for the rules, many might have wanted to switch teams immediately.

“Wait, I’ll pay the points.” Mu Nianqi stopped Tang Zheng.

“Let me pay instead. I don’t have any use for my points anyway,” Lu Fan tugged Tang Zheng’s sleeve. “Your points are enough to revive two people.”

“Fanfan’s right. We should pool enough for the highest score possible.” Li Xinlan brushed back her bangs. “Mine are sufficient too; I can pay.”

“Use mine,” Pang Meiqin didn’t want to be underestimated by Tang Zheng. She knew to earn respect and status, one had to contribute.

Ruan Feifei seemed distracted, thinking she’d also pay if she had enough points.

“What is this, moral posturing? Count me out; I’m absolutely not paying,” Yu Deye grumbled, feeling that the Warhammer Team was full of idiots.

“I’ll handle it!” Jiang Xiuming shook his head. Staying silent at this point would lead to ostracism.

“Stop arguing. I obtained a prop earlier, so I’ll pay,” Mu Nianqi said resolutely, cutting off any chance for others to interject before trading with Silver Trojan.

The crowd sighed. They realized Mu Nianqi wasn’t indulging in empty rhetoric—it was genuine concern for the team. Meanwhile, most people were still fighting over how much each should contribute.

“Where’s Dantai? Can you give us a hint?” Jiang Xiuming questioned Silver Trojan. “We’re the only team separated—it’s unfair.”

“No comment.” Silver Trojan urged, “Hurry up; you only have a minute remaining.”

“What do we do?” Fang Zhiwen flipped through the files, feeling a headache. Including Europe, there were over twenty Tyrants.

“Tough decision,” Jiang Xiuming skimmed the intel, finding it overwhelming. Even for Conquerors, processing it would take three to four minutes.

“What kind of person is Dantai?” Mu Nianqi, with her limited interaction with Special Agents, struggled to predict his choices. She asked Tang Zheng, “His preferences? His thought process? Would he pick based on our strengths?”

“Hey, time’s running out. Stop playing guessing games. If you ask me, just pick something that benefits us most,” Yu Deye suggested the safest route. “If Dantai chooses what suits his group best, we’ll be screwed.”

“The problem isn’t just that. Look at the bosses—several specialize in summoning. Even if Dantai aligned with our strengths, probabilistically there are at least seven possibilities,” Lu Fan calculated effortlessly, “Uncle, just pick anything and let luck decide!”

“Time’s up. In five seconds, hold onto the boss you selected. Teleportation begins.”

“Wait, we haven’t finished reviewing the files!” Some team members panicked, realizing their arguments over points had wasted precious time.

“Teleportation starts now.” Silver Trojan didn’t grant any leeway. Its cold voice made the Toys feel like they’d fallen into an icy abyss.

“Pick Emperor Liu Yu, the Wasted One.” Yu Deye desperately shouted at Tang Zheng. “That guy’s obscure—his combat power should be low. Just don’t choose Temujin or King Zhou!”

“We choose Qin Shi Huang,” Tang Zheng declared, sending shockwaves through the teams.

“You’re insane!” Even Ma Tianyuan couldn’t hide his shock.

The group leaders usually picked inconspicuous Tyrants, but Tang Zheng went directly against the grain. It seemed he didn’t understand the concept of death.

“If you want to die, don’t drag the rest of us down with you. Silver, I reject this choice!” Yu Deye yelled indignantly but sadly realized teleportation couldn’t be stopped.

Mu Nianqi furrowed her brows. While she didn’t peg Tang Zheng as impulsive, she assumed he had his reasons. Jiang Xiuming was equally dissatisfied but refrained from speaking out, realizing nothing could be undone.

Upon teleportation, the Warhammer Team appeared on the main street of an urban fringe. The surroundings were desolate, with broken-down buildings everywhere.

“Tang Zheng, I need an explanation.” Yu Deye charged toward Tang Zheng and grabbed his collar.

“What the hell are you doing? Let go of Uncle!” Lu Fan drew his handgun, ready to fire. Li Xinlan and others raised their weapons, reprimanding sternly, prepared for combat.

“Don’t act rashly. Talk it out,” Jiang Xiuming tried mediating, only for Tang Zheng’s heavy fist to slam into Yu Deye’s jaw a moment later.

Yu Deye attempted to evade but couldn’t move under Gravity Suppression.

Bang. Yu Deye fell like a flopping catfish, spitting blood as he struggled to rise when a Gravity Bomb descended onto his back.

“Stop! Or don’t blame us for retaliating!” Li Xinlan swiftly formed an Ice Prison Cage, capturing Yu Deye.

“You crazy women! Tang Zheng’s lost it, and you’re going along with him?” Yu Deye cursed viciously, but he dared not fight anymore. Facing Tang Zheng, he found himself powerless, despite knowing that Tang Zheng had only reached the Hero Level when he first entered the Game. “Sister Mu, what do you think?”

“Enough bickering. Tang Zheng will provide a reasonable explanation.” Mu Nianqi scanned their surroundings. “Meiqin, go scout ahead, and be cautious.”

“This is your final warning. If you question my decisions again, you’ll be expelled.” Tang Zheng’s gaze was icy as he addressed Yu Deye. Finally, he explained. “During a past conversation, Dantai mentioned his love for Warring States history and his admiration for Qin Shi Huang.”

“That’s it?” Jiang Xiuming was dumbfounded. “Dantai doesn’t strike me as someone who’d make choices based solely on personal likes and dislikes.”

“Do you have any idea how many prominent generals served Qin Shi Huang?” Yu Deye’s tone softened as he queried. “Wang Jian, Meng Tian—either one would be a nightmare to face.”

“Qin Shi Huang belongs to the Summoning System. The Warhammer Team can utilize its strengths. Besides, the terracotta warriors have already occupied this world. Judging by our prior defeat of Bai Qi, chances are Wang Jian and Meng Tian have already been eliminated. This would leave Qin Shi Huang as a lone commander,” Lu Fan tapped his forehead. “Next time, think before you speak, will you?” (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)