"What, a new round of groupings is out?"
Some time later, in the real world, in a basement in a certain area of Cerulean City, Duan Qing, who had just climbed out of the game cabin, was holding the compressed food that Ningyu Ninglan had left for himself before leaving, and looked at him with extremely surprised eyes.
Staring at the light screen in front of him: "Where's the time? What's the format? They... I, why is it still a double elimination knockout tournament?"
"In the top 32 double-elimination tournament, the final number will be sixteen, sir." What answered him was the respectful and polite Juanxiu font that appeared in the corner of the screen: "The official explanation given by the league is that the remaining
There are still too many contestants, and they need to filter out the final eight..."
"Bullshit."
Duan Qing forcefully stuffed the last piece of bread in his hand into his mouth, slapping his hands and typed out the words he wanted to complain about: "If you want to quickly screen, wouldn't it be over with the single-elimination knockout competition from the beginning?
This is just a small qualifying match! They have never used this in the official competition of the UEFA Cup..."
The hand typing the message stopped in mid-air, and the man fell silent. After a while, he typed what he wanted to say again in the input box that remained unchanged: "I see... they want to
Let me play a few more games, right?"
"...There must be someone behind this, sir." The text in the corner of the screen continued to pour out like ruthless water: "And Ninglan thinks...it is very likely that it is the Duan family."
Have their tentacles really reached this far?
Duan Qing sighed slightly in his heart, and paused his fingers for a moment again: "It seems that the shock caused by my appearance has just begun... Is the group list out?"
"It's out, sir." The other party's reply quickly appeared in the corner of the screen: "You are assigned to Group E. The entries in this group include... Dawn of Glory, Zhushan, Wings of Freedom, and Tingyu
building."
"Such a grouping list... If you tell me there are no ghosts, ghosts won't believe it."
The focus of his eyes stayed on those names for a long time, and Duan Qing finally let out the suffocation in his heart: "Now, we really have to face that crazy woman..."
"Ninglan's online time is still limited, and this is all we can do now."
Unaware of what Duan Qing was sighing on the other side of the screen, Ning Lan left his last few words in code: "The family members seem to have discovered Ning Lan's abnormality, and have started to keep an eye on Ning Lan more and more closely recently, so
…”
"It's okay, don't worry about me anymore." Duan Qing, who had not yet recovered, subconsciously typed these words: "Remember to take care of yourself."
"... Ninglan knows."
"goodbye."
Beep.
A slight system prompt sounded as the light screen went out, and the avatar icon representing the secret language Ninglan also went out as the sound appeared. For a while, only a certain man was left in the dim room.
The sound of breathing between the buzzing of the game cabin, and his increasingly serious gaze: "This scene..."
"It's so similar to three years ago."
He raised one of his hands, and the fingers illuminated by the light screen clenched in the air involuntarily: "The moment when the fireworks bloom... I think it will be equally magnificent."
A slight system prompt then appeared in front of him again. It was the sound made by the constantly rolling league news and news passing by its usual place. Duan Qing, who only stayed there for a moment, then took back his
With his eyes, he ignored the many attention and analysis texts about the Zhushan team in the last game. After vigorously moving his body, he lay back in the old game cabin and wanted to enter the private server.
However, the finger slowly stopped in mid-air just before pressing it.
Because of the unpleasant incident with Mengzhu last time, Duan Qing and the little girl have recently entered into a cold war. The recent team training has not gone smoothly because of this reason.
"Forget it, I'd better go back to the cell and continue to be beaten."
The fingers stayed for a long time due to the hesitation in his heart. Duan Qing finally gave up his impromptu idea, and then patted his cheek as if facing a formidable enemy, as if he was cheering up and was about to fall silent.
The spirit of the man. The intense pain that ripped apart his skin and flesh then invaded his consciousness as he returned to the game world. As he gradually fully logged into the game, it occupied his five senses. He was covered in scars all over.
He raised his head and glanced at the surrounding ground lightly: "Hey, I have been bandaging for so long in vain..."
"Are you finally willing to speak?"
What responded to him was Rodman's voice, who was sitting in the prison cell facing him, and his serious and cold face: "I thought you were really going to turn into a corpse in such silence."
"Didn't we agree to ask for execution three days later?"
After struggling hard, Duan Qing confirmed that his limbs had been firmly tied to a human-shaped wooden frame: "Why did you start to do evil things so quickly?"
"Your value only lies in the information you tell us." Rodman, who was sitting on a wooden bench, replied calmly: "If I can pry it out from your mouth, it is not impossible to kill you in advance."
"Originally I wanted to continue to use offline to avoid the attack, but in order to prevent you from accidentally beating me to death..."
After a few weak breaths, Duan Qing pulled out a helpless smile from the corner of his mouth: "Forget it, you can use whatever tricks you want, I can accept them all."
"...He is a man."
The expressionless expression on his face finally changed a bit. Rodman, who was standing still, waved his hand to the side: "Scott."
"give it to me."
Smiling evilly and blocking Duan Qing's view, another imperial captain who often accompanied him immediately raised the long whip in his hand: "You haven't responded after being whipped for so long. I thought you were really dead. Now it's just right.
…”
"Without such perseverance and endurance, how can one be a fool who dares to challenge our empire head-on?"
The loud sound of whipping echoed around the small cell again, leaving a long blood mark on Duan Qing's already unsightly body. The crisp sound of whipping that had not dissipated for a long time did not change anything from Duan Qing.
Qing's cry of pain triggered a sharp shout from the door of the underground cell: "Stop!"
"How dare you use lynching!"
As the sound of chaotic footsteps approached, the adjutant who had been standing next to Bernard then appeared at the intersection of light and shadow: "Do you dare to disobey the general's order?"
"Stop it, poor York."
Looking sideways at the adjutant's face without any respect, Scott's voice also became gloomy: "Didn't you hate these rebels the most in the past? Why are you suddenly saying good things to them now?
Already?"
"Of course I hate these guys who dare to fight against our imperial people." He raised his hands to block the footsteps of the two accompanying soldiers behind him, and the man dressed as an adjutant walked up to Scott: "But General Bernard has already
I have spoken, as a soldier of the empire, the most important quality is obedience!"
"Not only did you two guys disobey orders, but you also openly came over to lynch people!" His voice was mellow, sounding like an apostle of justice who had suddenly transformed into an apostle: "Do you want to be expelled from the Goshawk Army by the empire?
?”
"...So I've said it before, this guy is a duplicitous bastard."
Pointing at the opponent's face nonchalantly, Scott's expression was as exaggerated as a monkey: "On the surface, I oppose peace, but behind the scenes, I say something else... Just tell the truth, old guy, are you?
You just want to go against the members of our four teams?"
"Put away your expression and mouth, Scott." The adjutant's face also darkened: "Now I am the vanguard against the principality, and I am also the one who obeys the general's orders the most. On the contrary, it is you...
"
"The general's order is to protect the safety of this prisoner. Your behavior is a complete betrayal." His eyes showed extremely gloomy: "Do you need me to report the current situation to the general, and then let him put you and me together?"
Lock up all the pigs from the Principality together?"
"you--!"
"Stop, Scott."
The furious figure was suppressed by calm words, and Rodman, who still kept a calm face, then appeared between the two Imperial sergeants who were confronting each other. After pulling his companion behind him, he just had sex with the man named York.
The adjutants looked at each other quietly, and after a while, they turned around amidst Duan Qing's slight breathing that never stopped: "In that case, let's let him go today..."
"Rodman!"
"Calm down, Scott."
Waved his hand behind him again, Rodman, who started to leave with several soldiers around him, slowly passed by the adjutant: "Let our Lord York come first, if I read it correctly...
"
"You want to do the same thing, right?"
He lowered his voice, and his calm whisper only echoed in the adjutant's ears: "The adjutant who was overtaken by us?"
"……snort."
Without answering the other party's question, Adjutant York, who was standing there, just watched the two imperial captains leave with his subordinates, and then led his two subordinates to slowly walk to Duan Qing. From just now
Duan Qing, who had been silent since the beginning, was raising his head at this time, and a smile gradually appeared on his face full of scars. The words he originally wanted to say were interrupted by the severe pain.
It turned into several coughs: "Cough cough, cough cough cough..."
"Don't think that I will really heal you, adventurer."
Examining the other person's face condescendingly, the adjutant's tense face then completely covered the light source in front of Duan Qing: "You deserve this, prisoner."
"Okay, okay, I know." Duan Qing replied in a weak voice: "Your internal conflicts are your own, and they are not of much use to an outsider like me... Is that what you mean?"
"Praise your wit a little, humble pariah." Adjutant York said in a gloomy voice: "If you are willing to tell everything you know, my evaluation in this regard may be improved a little bit.
,small bug."
"You know the result." Duan Qing tugged at the corner of his mouth and shook his head: "You have also seen the methods used by the two people who left just now. If you want to follow suit, it may be too late to call them back...
…”
"...I am different from those two reckless men. I am very interested in other things that happened to you."
His gaze rested quietly on Duan Qing for a while, and the adjutant's tone suddenly became softer: "As the general mentioned...you were beaten badly before you were captured, what happened to you?
What happened?"
"..."
"It seems that you don't understand your own position well enough."
Standing upright again, the adjutant with his hands behind his back took two steps back: "I know what your intention is. You are trying to use the empire as your temporary cover. Those attackers who appeared in the underground passage
I have a grudge against you, so you chose to surrender immediately when we showed up...right?"
"..."
"Even an ordinary adventurer cannot obtain the protection of the empire without paying any price." Looking at Duan Qing's silent and sinking face, the adjutant's words became deeper and deeper:
"To prove that you have such value, you have to give something, right?"
"...Yes." This time, Duan Qing finally agreed: "But...goods always have to be sold little by little. This is the trading principle that every businessman should have."
"The general has issued an ultimatum, and it will be in three days." Adjutant York, who had been silent for a while, once again adopted another persuasive angle: "Your bargaining chips are much smaller than you think, little guy.
"
"Three days will naturally lead to the same thing as three days later, Your Excellency Adjutant." Duan Qing shook his head weakly: "If we talk now, my answer will always be 'no'."
"Even if it costs your life?" The adjutant tugged at the corner of his mouth and spread his hands: "And...the lives of your companions?"
"They will deal with their own problems." Duan Qing snorted with disdain: "I believe them, so...this level of threat is ridiculous, Lieutenant-General."
"...It seems I need to add some weight of my own."
Waving to the two guards behind him, Adjutant York watched them leave the cell, and then in the atmosphere that gradually became quiet around him, he came close to Duan Qing's face again: "It's just you and me now, I don't know what's going on like this
Can the environment... satisfy you?"
"……What do you want to do?"
"The ancient glory will become a beacon of guidance, and the ancient magic will become a flying ritual."
Seemingly noticing Duan Qing's gradually dilated pupils, the smile on the adjutant's face gradually became more and more distorted: "I wonder about these two prophecies..."
"What's your eye-catching idea?"
This chapter has been completed!