Chapter 14: A Battlefield Too Horrible to Witness

If it were only a hand resting on his shoulder, Brother Biao would feel no fear at all. He was a hardened thug, a veteran of countless street fights, never one to shrink from a brawl. But at this moment, a curved blade pressed cold and sharp against his throat. The edge was so keen it made his skin tingle with pain; its chill sent a shiver through him.

He dared not lower his head, knowing that even the slightest movement would drive the blade deeper.

Turning slightly, Brother Biao caught a glimpse of the hand's owner—it was the young man on the hospital bed, the one who had remained silent all along, whom the young woman had addressed as Brother Li. Shock surged through him. He had always prided himself on reading people, but today he’d been utterly mistaken. This slightly plump youth was, in fact, a fearsome master.

He hadn’t even noticed the presence of such a deadly blade.

"You... what are you trying to do?"

"Apologize, settle the score, and get out," Li Xin replied simply, but with a fierce edge.

Brother Biao was enraged, but with the knife at his throat, resistance was futile. All he could do was retort coldly, "Brother, isn't this a bit much? Do you really want to make an enemy of us?"

"You all? I couldn’t care less."

"You—"

"Choose: death, or leave. Now." Li Xin laughed softly, pressing the knife a little deeper. Instantly, Brother Biao’s skin split; the blade bit into flesh, and blood seeped out, quickly soaking the front of his shirt.

A group of lackeys behind him were furious and panicked, yet none dared step forward. They were shocked by Li Xin’s lightning speed, and since Brother Biao’s back was to them, they couldn’t see what had happened. All they saw was Brother Biao’s trembling body and his increasingly ragged breathing.

"I—I apologize," Brother Biao finally yielded in the face of death. He decided to bide his time, preserve his life for now, and seek revenge later when preparations were complete. He swore to himself that once he got back, he would dig up everything about Li Xin and make him pay, making him kneel and beg, and watch as he toyed with that girl.

Wang Dakui and his son, dazed and reeling, couldn’t recall exactly what Brother Biao had said. They only remembered he seemed to have settled the score, offered a formal apology, and then stormed off with his followers. The wound to his neck wasn’t grave, but it would still need proper treatment—at least seven or eight stitches, by the look of it.

Father and son were on the verge of tears, overwhelmed with gratitude, but as they were about to thank their savior, Li Xin cut them off.

"Eat."

"Ah?" The two were taken aback, then realized Li Xin didn’t want to discuss the incident any further.

"Yes, let’s eat." Wang Dakui broke into a smile through his tears. A true man never voices his gratitude; it is etched deep within the heart.

Seven days passed in a flash, calm and uneventful.

Li Xin recovered well; he kept still and had no further relapses. On the 8th, after a check-up, the hospital issued his discharge notice. Before leaving, Li Xin leaned in close to Wang Dakui’s ear and whispered a few words. The old man’s eyes instantly filled with tears, two hot streams rolling down his weathered cheeks.

Returning to his long-missed home, Li Xin finally felt at ease. He lounged on the sofa, sent the shop staff away, and quietly reflected on his musings from the past week. A smile played on his lips—this "King of Games" was truly fascinating, able to merge reality and gaming into one seamless experience.

He powered on his computer and launched both CF and King of Games. As soon as he logged in, he noticed his message icon flashing incessantly.

"Clear Radiance Like Snow requests to add you as a friend. Accept or decline?"

Li Xin frowned, then quickly relaxed. His new account name was simple, without special symbols or spaces, so it was easy to find. He clicked to accept.

"Clear Radiance Like Snow has been added as a friend."

He checked his friend list—Clear Radiance Like Snow was offline. After a brief thought, he sent a message, then selected Demolition Mode.

This mode was familiar to every FPS player; games like AVA, Counter-Strike Online, and CrossFire all had it. Players were divided into two teams: the Infiltrators and the Defenders. The Infiltrators had to plant C4 explosives and destroy a target, while the Defenders tried to prevent it. Within the allotted time, if all opponents were killed or the C4 was detonated or defused, the round ended.

Throughout the match, teamwork was crucial, making it the most competitive mode, truly testing players’ strategic advancement and quick adaptability. Demolition Mode was the best-balanced in terms of combat strength, which was why it remained the first choice for major tournaments.

At this moment, Li Xin defined himself anew: a gaming novice.

Since he was a beginner, he would start from the very basics. Thus, public matches in Demolition Mode were the best training ground. Only by mastering this mode—handling the complexities of battle and wielding the "King of Games" skillfully and instinctively—would he be qualified to enter the ranks of the elite.

Black Town.

Li Xin’s first map of choice.

To be blunt, every CF player’s first exposure to Demolition Mode began with Black Town. It was once the default map for the opening match of every major tournament, often called the "mother map" of the national server.

After so many years, Black Town had been thoroughly dissected by players. Every possible angle and choke point, every hiding spot for ambushes, every wall that bullets could penetrate—anything imaginable had been discovered and exploited.

This level of mastery seemed a good thing, but for competitions, it diminished the spectacle and excitement. Thus, the year after Li Xin claimed his eighth championship title, the official organizers announced the map would no longer be used in tournaments.

To outsiders, it was simply a matter of the map having lost all strategic value, but only a select few knew that a large part of the real reason lay with Li Xin himself.

He realized he was drifting off into memories, thinking too much, and gave a self-deprecating smile as he clicked into the game.

Fully charged—blurred illusion and reality!

"Damn, this difference is too much..." Li Xin suddenly shook his head with a wry smile.

He was on the Defenders’ side, currently being thrashed by the Infiltrators, trailing badly at 2:10. The current round had already started, so he couldn’t join in yet and had to wait for the next. This waiting period was perfect for observing the match from a god’s-eye view, to pinpoint where the team was falling short.

He ruled out equipment differences first. There were no bad guns—only users who couldn’t wield them.

So it came down to people: their tactics and marksmanship. That was what he needed to observe.

Seven Defenders: four low-level newbies, two lieutenant generals with decent gear, and one marshal with top-tier equipment.

"Good grief, out of seven, only the marshal is breaking even on kills; the rest are all in the red. If this keeps up, the marshal will be run ragged!"

"This guy calling himself ‘Master of the World’ dares to snipe as a lieutenant general, but he’s awful. He can’t even notice enemies coming from the side passage—let three get behind him already. Pathetic. Even that ‘Little Li’ would do better."

"Uh... triple kill... What are you three doing, sightseeing?"

After a while, Li Xin had a clear grasp of the situation and knew exactly where the problems lay.

At that moment, only the marshal, A-Jie, remained. He was sprinting back from the A site to B for a quick defense—the Infiltrators had already planted the C4. Both teams were typing in chat, preparing for the next round.

One against three—how could A-Jie possibly manage?

Li Xin sipped his tea and pressed the V key. There was still a chance to turn this round around, if the marshal’s shooting skills were up to the task.