The probability was changed about whether they’d be teleported directly or sent to a dangerous area that was close by.
4 stages and 5 dangerous areas. The rate would change every time they were teleported directly. They were bound to encounter a dangerous area sooner or later.
Zyrus channeled his mana and flicked on the center of the roulette. A cascade of lights flashed in the players' eyes as the familiar scene took place once again.
*Tick*Tick*Riiiiinngg*
‘Twice in a row huh,’
Zyrus’s eyes gleamed in excitement as he read the text. Their next destination was the most beautiful place in the third zone.
[==] The stage has been selected [==]
[==] The second game of Shatar will begin on Shuidao [==]
[==] Initiating teleportation to Shuidao Island [==]
Everyone vanished with a flash, except for Matope.
The golden slime stood silent for a long time as it looked at the darkening Jindao island. In the end, the old administrator couldn’t help but sigh at the treachery of fate.
“I hope you’re ready….for freedom comes with a hefty price.”
…
In the eastern part of the third zone, an island floated above the starry ocean.
Even the glimmering reflection of cosmos failed to outshine the beauty of the Shuidao. The island was shaped like a bowl, with a brown rim and a hollowed-out center. What made it marvelous was its crystalline interior.
The water was without a speck of impurity. This allowed the lights from the night sky to shine into every inch of the island. The crystalline surface further reflected the light and illuminated the entire region.
Shuidao was the island representing the water element. It was no surprise that over 80% of its volume was occupied by water.
The water here was different from the saline seas. It was the result of highly concentrated water elemental energy. In a sense, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it a lake of mana.
On the center of this beautiful island was a castle made up of azure crystals. And right below it, on the deepest part of Shuidao island, lay a vast cavern that occupied over 30% of its outer surface.
What was special was that this cavern was porous. It trapped the island's mana so that the ‘water’ wouldn’t leak out. There would be nothing worth of note if that was all there was to it, but such wasn’t the case.
*Bub*
Countless bubbles rose from the bottom of Shuidao island. Their size varied from a few feet to hundreds of meters. The overflowing light made them look like pearls rising towards the sky. It was a sight the merfolk living on the surface were used to.
But today, something was different.
The bubbles were no longer pure.
An army of vile creatures was about to invade their holy land.
…
At the bottom of the Shuidao island,
Zyrus observed the map in front of him with keen eyes. There were many different factors to consider before he deployed his troops.
First of all, the distribution of spaces. There were a total of 42 spaces, 9 of which were occupied by the enemy. It wasn’t a lot of area considering they were the smallest spaces located at the top.
However, having more area wasn’t the advantageous factor. What mattered here was something else– terrain.
Neither the azure castle nor the cannon located below it were for show. In a sense, the players were trapped in a bowl with no way out.
What made things worse were the unpredictable bubbles. Shuidao didn’t have normal water to begin with. The bubbles formed in it shared the same trait.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Shuidao was filled with concentrated water attribute mana. To maintain the balance, the rest of the elements as well as a vast amount of pure mana was stored within the bubbles.
The bubbles moved up and down and even collided against one another. Some would separate into smaller bubbles while others would clump together and form a giant bubble.
It went without saying that players were unable to survive outside these bubbles.
‘This makes mobilization a nightmare…’
Regardless of his initial placement, there was no telling where his troops might end up. And if this wasn’t bad enough, there was one more thing to consider.
The bubbles were the biggest energy source for mermen. As much as they were adept at using water attribute, it was impossible to do everything with that alone. Thus, they harvested the abundant mana in bubbles to fuel their castle.
They installed a barrier that connected to the 9 spaces as well as the cannon. Its simple function of ‘bursting bubbles’ would become the most potent weapon against the players.
Nonetheless, Zyrus was more or less prepared for this. The true variable in his plan was the changed rules of shatar.
[You have gained access to the 12 spaces in the lowest layer]
[You may deploy your pieces to any/all spaces as you deem fit]
[New Rules have been added!]
[New effects have been added!]
[Victory condition: Occupy 24 spaces]
[Time left for deployment– 00:03:00]
Zyrus didn’t waste any more time and opened two new tabs. The changed Rules and Effects were reflected in his yellow eyes.
{|{ Rules for the second round of Shatar }|}
- Anchors will be generated for every space
- You can permanently anchor a bubble after occupying the space
- To occupy a space, you must protect the anchor for 30 minutes
- Each occupied space will generate 1 turn per day
- Failure to obtain a new space within 10 days will result in elimination
{|{ Effects for the second round of Shatar }|}
- Water resistance + 50% During the occupation of a neutral space (lasts till the end of this round)
- Water affinity +5% for each space in control (lasts till the end of this round)
- Newly occupied space will create a Safe Zone for 1 day. All wounds will be healed within the safe zone. those from the opposing faction are unable to attack the safe zone.
- While attacking a space, the bubble will disperse at a rate proportional to the scale of battle
- While defending a space, the bubble will strengthen at a rate proportional to the scale of battle
- When both factions are vying for the same space, their respective event-specific effects will be strengthened by 50%
It took him a whole minute to analyze the long list of abilities. Hundreds of plans went through his head before finally, he settled on the safest option.
*Bob*
[==] The second game of Shatar has commenced [==]
All of the players appeared inside the bubble that was almost a kilometer in radius. It was somewhat scamped compared to Jindao Island, but no one bothered to look at the ones around them.
Everyone’s eyes were fixated on the sparkling yet distant walls. It was a brilliant and soothing sight. Only a few were looking at the dot-like azure castle above them.
And thus, they were the first who got out of their reverie.
“Enemies are approaching!”
“Look up ya dimwits,”
Some screamed to get others' attention while some scolded their subordinates via comms. It didn’t take long before everyone was focused on the blue dot above them.
A dot that was getting bigger and bigger.
Since the water was so clear, it was impossible for the natives to not notice them.
Zyrus spoke to everyone as he rushed at the anchor. The main force of the enemy will be concentrated there, so it was of paramount importance to secure it as soon as possible.
He planned to win this round in a normal way, so there was no choice but to use everything to their greatest advantage.
The players listened with rapt attention while getting into formations. Since they were half fish, they should be able to move unhindered unlike them. They had an overwhelming advantage in both attacking and retreating. Having a humanoid half meant that they also used weapons and other tools.
Neither of which was good news.
*Kreeeeee*
“Jingchu zhexie shuchong”
A sonorous voice rang above the bubble’s surface. The players couldn’t help but shiver at the speed of mermen’s mobilization.
They came from one side of the island to another in mere minutes. Thankfully, Zyrus and the other also reached the anchor at the same time.
“Yes, your majesty”
The players bashed their weapons and replied in unison. Their steely eyes held no fear as the enemies barged in from above.
For unlike before, they were fighting alongside their King.