Translator: AnubisTL
Clearly, both teams understood each other's intentions.
At that moment—
A notification sounded simultaneously in the minds of both squads.
The competition had officially begun!
Having observed two previous matches, the opposing team was well-prepared.
The instant the competition started, the ten-member squad exerted every ounce of strength, leaning back with all their might to lower their center of gravity and pull backward with maximum force.
The person at the front even began chanting a rallying cry.
At the very end of the rope was a stout man. He wrapped the rope around himself several times, then, heedless of the consequences, charged in the opposite direction, roaring at the top of his lungs!
Evidently, after watching the previous match, even though the ten-member squad outnumbered Chen Jiang's group, they remained utterly vigilant.
However—
Despite their thorough preparations, many things in life defy understanding.
Take Chen Jiang's side, for example.
Chen Jiang leaned on his cane, his brown felt hat perched atop his head, a faint smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the opposing team. He hadn't even gripped the rope, let alone exerted any force.
Scar Dog and the others beside him were the same.
Zhao Ritian pulled a Coughing Flamethrower from his chest, aimed at the ground, and fired a shot, instantly summoning a slime. He then casually sat down on it as if it were a sofa.
Li Hao crossed his arms, tilted his head, and stared off into the distance, lost in thought.
Scar Dog took out a cigarette, lit it, and placed it in his mouth, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he gazed at the opposing side.
None of them were even holding the tug-of-war rope.
Only Wang Defa stood alone, gripping the rope with one hand, his expression calm and composed, showing no sign of exertion.
Yet, despite the combined efforts of the opposing teams, they couldn't budge the rope even a millimeter.
The ten opposing squads finally realized the situation. Their faces contorted in disbelief as they stared at Wang Defa, who stood motionless, his body unwavering. How... how is this possible?!
So many of us, yet we can't outpull a single person?!
This can't be happening!
Wang Defa, however, showed no intention of responding to their shock.
He took a deep breath, casually wrapped the rope around his wrist a few times, and with a sudden, low shout, yanked the rope with all his might!
With just one mighty tug!
The opposing ten-man squad was instantly yanked off their feet, their terrified screams echoing as they were dragged off the high platform!
Just as they braced for death, they realized they weren't falling at all—they were floating in mid-air!
Wang Defa, his face alight with exhilaration, didn't stop after pulling them off the platform. Instead, he gripped the tug-of-war rope with both hands and began swinging it in continuous 360-degree arcs!
The ten-man squad, their hands bound to the rope, were helpless in the air, their terrified screams the only sound as they experienced this wildly exhilarating "entertainment"!
Wang Defa's speed increased relentlessly!
Faster and faster!
Soon, Scar Dog and the others standing below could only see a blur spinning endlessly overhead!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ear-splitting sonic booms cracked through the air!
The initial screams of terror had long faded into silence. It was impossible to tell whether the ten men bound to the rope had fainted or died.
"What a madman!"
Scar Dog gazed up at the tug-of-war rope, now a blur like a giant windmill, and clicked his tongue in admiration. "If I weren't so out of shape compared to you, I'd love to try that. It looks like so much fun."
Just then—
They suddenly saw something crimson red shoot out from the end of the rope overhead, hurtling straight toward the spectator stands!
"Uh..."
Scar Dog hesitated, then asked uncertainly, "Is that... internal organs?"
Li Hao shook his head, equally unsure. "I don't know, but normal humans can't withstand centrifugal forces that strong. And Wang Defa's level..."
He glanced at Wang Defa, whose face was growing increasingly manic, and at the sonic booms echoing overhead. After a pause, he stated firmly, "Even a superhero would be knocked unconscious by that."
"They're basically done for."
Meanwhile—
Wang Defa seemed to have had his fill. With a final surge of strength, he yanked the rope, slamming the ten-person squad at the end against the high platform on the opposite side!
Boom!!!
A deafening crash echoed through the arena.
To its credit, the high platform proved remarkably sturdy, showing no signs of damage despite the violent impact.
As for the ten-man squad...
Enhanced by the centrifugal force, the moment they slammed into the platform, their bodies turned to jelly. They instantly transformed into a bloody pulp, plastered across the platform's surface.
Forget about getting up.
The ten bloody messes had fused together. On Blue Star, even a forensic expert would have to say, "Didn't we agree to avoid feudal superstitions?"
"You're truly cruel," Scar Dog said, shaking his head as he stared at the carnage on the opposite platform. "You know, no girl would ever like a guy as brutal as you. You're probably destined to be single forever."
"Heh."
Wang Defa yanked hard on the tug-of-war rope, then grinned. "You don't get it. Sometimes you have to be rough to get the job done. A virgin's self-righteous gentleness is just a buzzkill."
Meanwhile—
The audience fell silent, their faces frozen in shock and terror as they stared at Chen Jiang and his team on the left-hand platform.
These people... are they even human?!
Is that guy the Hulk? How can he be so strong? And that death... was it even remotely humane? Forget a whole body—he's just a bloody pulp now, like dumpling filling!
A sudden wave of relief washed over many in the crowd. Thank goodness these freaks are gone. If we'd had to face them in a tug-of-war, it would have been suicide.
The man who had been taunting Scar Dog and his team from the stands earlier now sat pale-faced, his heart pounding with lingering fear. These human players are monsters!
Just moments ago, he had been slightly disappointed not to have been matched against them. Now, all he felt was gratitude.
The ten victims had been tossed around like rag dolls, their numbers—twenty or thirty strong—making no difference. Their fate would have been the same.
The dozens of men around him were equally pale, their hearts racing with terror. They had just brushed against death's door without realizing it.
At that moment—
The man who had been provoking them suddenly had a flash of insight. He leaped to his feet, his face contorted with rage, and raised his fist, bellowing, "This is unfair! They're breaking the rules!"
"The activity rules clearly state that players are not allowed to harm each other!"
"But what are they doing? They're openly attacking other players!"
"This is a violation of the rules!"
As his words rang out, the men seated beside him snapped to attention. They surged to their feet, joining his furious cries: "Exactly! They're cheating!"
"They must be punished!"
"They should be executed on the spot!"
The rest of the audience erupted in a chorus of demands for the rules to be upheld. Clearly, no one wanted to face Chen Jiang and his group in the later stages of the competition.
Yet no notification sound responded.
This was normal; the activity's notification system never responded to player input. They were used to it, but the injustice gnawed at them. How could the rule-breakers go unpunished?
Did the organizers simply not care about violations?
"Bunch of clueless kids," Scar Dog clicked his tongue, glancing at the seething crowd below. He shook his head with a pitying smile. "Can't even understand the rules."
The event rules were crystal clear:
"Players are prohibited from attacking each other in non-combat stages."
Naturally, the high platform tug-of-war didn't qualify as a combat stage.
But here's the problem: in the previous two tug-of-war matches, both teams had pulled their opponents off the high platform, resulting in the deaths of the opposing players.
Could this be considered players attacking each other?
No, that's simply how this stage works.
It's called the ultimate outcome of stage competition.
Just like Wang Defa, he was merely pulling on the rope. He just happened to exert a bit too much force, leading to some accidental casualties. Could that be considered players attacking each other?
No, it couldn't.
Because that's the nature of this stage. They were just pulling on the rope. If the opposing team's physical constitution was too weak and they died, that's hardly their fault.
If they had pulled out shotguns mid-tug-of-war and blasted their opponents, that would obviously be considered players attacking each other. But their previous actions clearly didn't qualify.
A simple and straightforward rule.
At that moment, a notification sounded again:
"Congratulations to the 'It's an Event, Gotta Make Some Moves, It's Normal' squad for successfully clearing the first stage and advancing to the second stage waiting room."
After clearing the first stage, the winning team was required to come up with a team name for the announcement before proceeding to the next stage.
Since the team name was only used for announcements within the dungeon, Chen Jiang didn't bother putting much thought into it. He casually chose one and followed the extended wooden plank to the waiting room for the second stage.
This area was also a seating area for spectators, but the chairs were softer and fewer in number.
Two teams were already seated: the elderly couple with mechanical arms and the nine-person squad that had performed first.
The nine-person squad stared at Chen Jiang's group with wide-eyed fear, clearly shocked by their method of clearing the first stage.
The elderly couple, however, didn't even glance up at Chen Jiang.
The old woman leaned against the old man's shoulder, muttering softly, while the wrinkled old man gently patted her graying temples and murmured back.
They seemed completely oblivious to the brutal nature of the competition.
They looked more like a couple on a picnic, whispering softly to each other.
Chen Jiang casually glanced at the members of both teams, chuckled softly, and without a word, found an empty seat and sat down.
"What a coincidence," Zhao Ritian remarked from his chair, his face filled with awe. "Thank goodness we have Wang Defa. Otherwise, we might not have made it through the first stage."
"..."
Scar Dog shot Zhao Ritian a slightly speechless look. "I thought they were the ones who didn't understand the rules. How come you don't get it either?"
"The rules only prohibit players from attacking each other. Is there any restriction on using our abilities?"
"Forget about the rest. Brother Jiang simply set up the turret on the high platform and tied the tug-of-war rope to it. Do you think the other team could even move it if they pulled themselves to death?"
"There are so many tactics we could use. At least for this first stage, there's no way we can lose."
"Heh heh."
Wang Defa, sitting nearby, licked his lips with satisfaction. "Thanks for giving me a chance to shine, Brother Jiang. It's been a while since I've had this much fun."
"No big deal," Scar Dog said, casually shaking his head. "Next time, I'll tie a whole planet to your wrist so you can swing it around when you're bored."
"Uh, isn't that a bit excessive?"
"Excessive? The bolder your ambition, the greater your power grows. Isn't a seven-story-tall turret excessive? You'll get used to it."
Just then, two new squads climbed onto the high platform.
Clearly, witnessing the earlier carnage had left a psychological scar on many. No one dared to tie the tug-of-war rope to their wrists this time.
The bloodstains from Chen Jiang's group hadn't disappeared after they left; they remained splattered across the right side of the platform.
This would prove a significant obstacle. The blood made the platform dangerously slippery, making it nearly impossible to maintain footing.
The right squad consisted of only three members, while the left squad had five.
Despite this overwhelming disadvantage, the right squad showed no signs of panic. They stood calmly on the platform, awaiting the start of the match, completely ignoring the bloody mess beside them.
"Oh?"
Scar Dog spoke, slightly surprised, "Is this extreme confidence, or have they already resigned themselves to death? In this situation, their faces show absolutely no emotion. They must have an ace up their sleeve, right?"
"They probably have mechanical arms," Li Hao replied, glancing at the old man sitting nearby. He paused before continuing, "The mechanical organs of the mechanical race seem quite impressive in terms of raw power, far exceeding the arm strength of ordinary humans. Speaking of which, I wonder if we could use them ourselves. Maybe we should acquire a few for research."
"I don't think so. The arms of those three look perfectly normal."
As Scar Dog and his team discussed the trio's composure, the countdown timer was about to expire, and the competition was about to begin!
At that moment—
The squad standing on the right-side platform suddenly pulled an off-road vehicle from their chests and tossed it onto the platform. They immediately tied the tug-of-war rope to the steel tow hook on the vehicle's rear!
The instant the competition started!
One of the men from the trio team jumped into the driver's seat without hesitation and slammed his foot on the accelerator.
Vroom!
(End of the Chapter)
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