The Esports Little Demon King Is a Sweet and Fierce Omega - Chapter 14

Wearing his bracelet, Tian Jiu logged into his account using Old Zhao’s gaming pod. Old Zhao personally adjusted the values for him, scanning the newly crafted heavy artillery into Tian Jiu’s in-game inventory.

Zhao Qingqing’s outfit was finished as well. She had intended to scan the clothes for him immediately, but she was stunned when she saw the “Buff Alpha” virtual skin that appeared when Tian Jiu logged in.

“Brother Tian Jiu, why on earth are you using this big, burly Alpha skin?” she asked, unable to accept the visual.

Tian Jiu laughed and said, “I don’t want to use my own face to play games for the time being. Besides, even though the beard is a bit in the way, this big guy is quite powerful.”

He recalled how he and Old Zhao had used their sturdy frames to shove past so many players just to snag a prime spot for the livestream earlier. Of course, another reason was that he was too lazy to keep switching back and forth.

Many players used one image and ID in Hallworth and a completely different set in-game. Old Zhao was like that; he was “Old Zhao” in Hallworth but “Carrying Girls to Rank Up” in-game, with a different appearance to match. Tian Jiu, however, used the same image and the same name, “Tian Jiu,” for both.

Regardless, he would have to use his real face for the trials anyway, and the ID he had entered on his registration form was “Tian Jiu.” After submitting the form, all information except his real name and gender had been blurred out to protect the contestants’ privacy before the competition.

“But the clothes I made for you are super cute! They don’t match that hulking Alpha at all,” Zhao Qingqing said, sounding heart-broken.

Tian Jiu comforted her softly, “It’s alright. I have to use my real face during the trials, so I’ll just wear the clothes you made then.”

Old Zhao ruffled his sister’s hair and smiled. “Just scan the clothes in first. Tian Jiu can wear them whenever he feels like it.”

“Fine,” Zhao Qingqing muttered before turning back to Tian Jiu. “But please don’t wear them now. It would be an assault on the eyes.”

Tian Jiu tilted his head, unable to imagine what kind of outfit could be so visually jarring. Soon, however, he discovered a new item in his inventory: a one-piece, furry red panda onesie! It featured reddish-brown fur, small white triangular ears, and a soft, fluffy tail. The kind of red panda that would be startled by a mere pebble.

Old Zhao: “…” So this is what my sister was busy with all morning.

Li Zhen: “…” Damn, that suits Tian Jiu perfectly.

“It’s so cute!” Tian Jiu’s eyes lit up.

“Right, right?” Zhao Qingqing said excitedly. “I thought of this animal the moment I saw you. It’ll definitely suit you perfectly. Plus, I maxed out its bonus defense stats; it can grant you a shield.”

The game rules stated that a player’s skin could increase their defense by a certain amount, capped at 3,000. These 3,000 points were considered bonus attributes and were not subject to the 80,000 cap for standard attributes.

Tian Jiu was delighted. “I love it, thank you!” Zhao Qingqing smiled so wide her teeth showed, her sense of satisfaction overflowing.

“Alright,” Old Zhao said, tapping his design console. “The gear has been successfully imported. Now, let’s jump into a match and test it out.”

Li Zhen spoke up urgently, “Wait, I’m going into Hallworth too! Let me spectate.” As he spoke, he put on his holographic bracelet.

“Right, I need to see this as well,” Old Zhao added, putting on his own bracelet. He wanted to record the data on-site to see if any improvements were needed. Zhao Qingqing had to watch the shop, so she couldn’t join them.

Tian Jiu closed his eyes. The gaming pod lit up with a white glow. Once the data was initialized, he successfully logged into Hallworth. When he opened his eyes, the bustling virtual capital appeared before him once again. It seemed even more crowded than his last visit; the streets were so packed with people jostling and bumping into one another that he felt it was almost impossible to move.

Fortunately, he had stuck with the “Buff Alpha” skin, otherwise he might have been crushed in the crowd.

“Tian Jiu!” Old Zhao squeezed through the throng, and Li Zhen struggled to join them. Li Zhen used his own face, making him easy to recognize.

“There are so many people,” Tian Jiu marveled.

Li Zhen wasn’t surprised. “It’s the ranking period, so professional players are grinding for ranks. The residents of the satellite cities have all come to watch them play.”

Due to special regulations, only residents of the Central City were eligible to participate in the trials. Residents of satellite cities could play the game casually, but they couldn’t enter official competitions or become professional players unless they managed to change their residency status to the Central City. Because of this rule, many people from the satellite cities moved to the Lower District of the Central City, squeezing into tiny spaces just for a chance to stand out in the trials. This was one of the reasons for the population explosion in the Lower District.

The three talked as they shoved through the crowd. Strange people wore outfits even stranger than their bodies. Tian Jiu was nearly clipped by a “Grim Reaper’s” scythe, but he managed to duck just in time. Some tall Alphas had petite Omegas sitting on their shoulders—it was unclear if they were partners or relatives.

Someone held up a massive light board scrolling with the message: [Selling spectator slots for the Team WIN live stream on the 30th]. Another person clung to a lamppost, shouting through a megaphone, “High-grade equipment for sale at low prices! Don’t miss out!”

Selling and trading equipment was common in Fengshen. A player’s attribute values were always in flux; sometimes, a custom piece of gear would become unusable after a player’s base stats changed, as the combined total would exceed the 80,000 limit. Consequently, many players left a buffer zone when buying or commissioning weapons; if they bought a weapon that fit perfectly, they might only be able to use it once. However, this rule ensured the equipment manufacturing industry remained evergreen and highly profitable.

Amidst the noise, Tian Jiu had to shout to be heard by Old Zhao and Li Zhen. “Where are we going? I’ll just play a Quick Match.”

He decided against a Ranked Match; this was his first real time playing, and since he was unfamiliar with the weapon, his performance was bound to be clunky. He didn’t want to drag his teammates down during the peak ranking period.

“You can play a Training Match,” Li Zhen shouted back. “Training Matches are for practicing new weapons and skills. Winning or losing doesn’t matter, and it won’t be recorded on your stats.”

Old Zhao nodded. “Right, let’s go with a Training Match.”

“Okay!” Tian Jiu knew about this mode but had forgotten it in the moment.

The three used their height and strength to push through the crowd, checking various shops. All the small storefronts along the street were full, with no gaming slots available. The larger establishments required payment per session, which wasn’t cost-effective. They walked deep into the long street and turned two corners before finally finding a place with an opening.

The shop was modest, filled with rows of soft sofas, almost all of which were occupied. Along the walls stood over twenty transparent booths, each large enough for one person. Although the booths appeared empty, the rectangular data boxes on the doors all displayed [In Game] in bright red font. Currently, only one booth in the corner was vacant, its data box showing a green [Idle].

The virtual screen facing the door displayed: [Available Gaming Slots: 1, Spectator Slots: 10].

“Finally, a spot,” Old Zhao sighed.

This was the first time Tian Jiu had seen such a setup. Stroking his tangled beard, he asked in wonder, “Is playing games always this much trouble? Do I go into that little room?”

Li Zhen laughed. “It’s only this much trouble for ordinary players. Professional players can skip Hallworth and enter the game directly.”

Tian Jiu realized then why everyone wanted to go pro; the perks were truly numerous. He stepped into the only vacant booth. As soon as the door closed, a blue light scanned his body, and a virtual screen appeared before him.

This was his game homepage. It was the first time Tian Jiu had seen the complete interface, and he noticed it was quite similar to the mobile games he had played before. His virtual avatar and profile were in the upper left corner, while the main interface displayed info for his inventory, world channel, and the mall. Aside from those, the game modes occupied the largest portion of the screen.

The various modes were lined up: Ranked, Quick Match, AI Training, and various casual modes that didn’t affect stats. Tian Jiu scrolled to the Training Match mode and clicked to start. The screen shifted to show his inventory.

The inventory was divided into three sections: Starter Class Weapons, Permanent Weaponry, and Permanent Wardrobe. He needed to select the weapon and outfit he wished to use. The system would automatically determine his class and match him with suitable teammates. Since the class was chosen in advance, there was usually no chance of overlapping roles.

Tian Jiu’s inventory was empty, save for the heavy cannon in his weapon library and the red panda onesie in his wardrobe. Everything else consisted of starter weapons, including the Physician’s syringe he had used before. He selected the cannon and clicked to start the game. A timer appeared, showing that a match was being found for him.

Old Zhao and Li Zhen sat on a nearby sofa and opened Tian Jiu’s account to enter spectator mode. In a moment, they would follow him into the game arena.

Meanwhile, at the Team FOX club…

Zhou Funian was fretting. “Look at you! Your rank has dropped all the way to Bronze. What kind of professional player does that? Even the guys at WIN are required to hit Master rank by the end of the season!”

“Since when does the boss have to play Ranked?” Feng Wu said as he sat in his silver-white gaming pod. The safety straps buckled automatically, and a striped ring of light from the sensors encircled him. The game page popped up, showing a player avatar that was entirely different from Feng Wu, except for the eyes.

“Why are you playing on a smurf account again?” Zhou Funian sighed. “Can’t you just play on your main?”

Feng Wu scrolled through his weapon library and replied casually, “I’m afraid I’ll make the trial newbies cry while they’re busy ranking up. What if I crush the spirits of these future flowers so hard they start questioning their life choices?”

Zhou Funian: “…”

Feng Wu found the new daggers that had just been delivered and prepared to play a couple of Training Matches to get a feel for them. He confirmed his weapon and then selected a set of pure black, traditional night-traveling clothes, complete with a mask. Then, he clicked to start the game.

The match was found. Feng Wu closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was at the respawn point with four teammates standing beside him. He turned his head and froze.

Standing next to him, with the body of a starter “Buff Alpha” and carrying a massive cannon, was a player whose ID was—[Tian Jiu]?

Support The Esports Little Demon King Is a Sweet and Fierce Omega