In just ten minutes,
The sleepless night for Glory experienced its second explosive paralysis.
The hashtag #AshReturns quickly climbed to the top three on Weibo’s trending list.
Not to mention Glory’s irreplaceable leading position among numerous games, the sudden return of the legendary god of war who had been absent for five years was enough to create an exhilarating and earth-shattering headline in any circle.
Players on the other side of the screen screamed and cheered, thinking tonight had already reached its peak. However, Ash’s PK challenge clearly brought the boiling excitement to another climax.
Players were already overwhelmed:
【Holy shit…】
【What the hell… what just happened?】
【Ash issued a PK challenge to Greek!?】
【Ahhhhh the former god of war has challenged the current god of war!!】
【I’ll perform a fireworks explosion for everyone】
【Why did Ash issue a challenge? And on his first login in five years? Can someone analyze this for me so I can catch up!?】
【Upstairs, old fans are just as shocked as you.】
…
In the hotel, Greek’s pupils slowly contracted by the floor-to-ceiling window as he stared at the screen, which suddenly displayed a prominent unread message:
「Ash has issued a PK challenge to you, will you accept?」
「yes」or「no」
…
Greek leaned on the table in disbelief, biting his teeth, feeling his heartbeat as rapid and chaotic as rolling blood.
What is going on?
Why did that person… suddenly come back online without warning?
And why is he targeting me?
Thinking back, he and Ash didn’t have much interaction, whether now or during the years before Ash retired. Although they never faced off directly, Ash’s achievements and data far surpassed his at that time. Coupled with the fact that Ash participated in the Team’s server-wide competition without showing his face, he almost effortlessly surpassed Greek to become the top player on the server.
And tonight…
Greek pondered, could it be related to Jing Mian?
But the next second, Greek quickly dismissed the thought in his heart, that’s impossible.
If Ash knew Sheep in real life, Jing Mian wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble, putting in so much effort and heart, just to obtain Ash’s Shadow Guard.
That leaves only one possibility.
Is Ash… using me as practice?
To prove he’s still the unshakable number one?
“…”
An inexplicable surge of anger welled up in his heart.
Greek sat back in his chair, though not to the point of restlessness, he couldn’t help but stare intently at the challenge on the screen.
He hesitated to click accept.
For Jing Mian.
He hadn’t even fully digested the news of Ash’s return when the second one hit him unexpectedly.
Jing Mian sat in front of the computer for a long time, his suitcase placed to the side, a half-folded shirt lying lonely on top of it. The cleaning robot downstairs emitted a mechanical rest sound, and the air seemed to slow and stretch with time.
But there’s no denying,
Both pieces of news were enough to numb Jing Mian’s nerves, leaving him overwhelmed and at a loss.
It felt like his blood was on fire.
The heat continued to spread across his face and ears, yet his palms were icy cold.
As the mouse wheel scrolled under his fingertips, more and more comments appeared in Jing Mian’s field of vision:
【Why has Ash been gone for so long?】
【Did he really get married? Who is the lucky one?】
【Will Greek accept the PK?】
【It’s not certain.】
【This isn’t Ash’s usual style. I feel like today he specifically logged in to challenge Greek.】
【Ahem, let’s speculate. Did Greek do something to upset him?】
【Wait! I just thought of something. Today, Greek’s boyfriend Li Shengwen posted about Sheep on the forum. Could it be that Ash logged in because of MianMian?】
This last speculative comment was quickly drowned out by the flood of other comments, disappearing in an instant.
Three minutes later.
Just as the world channel, which had gradually calmed down, was still bustling with chatter, a new announcement suddenly appeared without warning:
「System Notification:」
「System Notification:」
「Greek has accepted the challenge!」
……
All players: !!!!!!
This was probably the most thrilling and dramatic night in Glory.
First, the War God Ash returned online, and then he publicly challenged Greek, who was on the PK leaderboard. Unexpectedly, Greek accepted the challenge!
Unlike the earlier challenge where the top-ranked player Sleepy led Jing Mian to challenge Li Shengwen, a ‘PK’ is far more formal than a ‘challenge.’
PK carries significant weight. A single win or loss can equate to a player’s entire year’s worth of experience and achievements. Therefore, the victor would soar to new heights, while the loser would essentially waste a year’s worth of effort.
The key point is, their ranking would also drop.
A drop in the PK leaderboard ranking would inevitably harm the player’s value, as well as the interests of the team and club they represent.
Thus, whether to accept a PK is a difficult decision that even all the legendary gods have to seriously consider.
But if Greek were to win against Ash, he would directly rise from second place… to claim the coveted top spot on the entire server.
This was an extremely tempting yet high-risk decision.
And Greek chose to accept the challenge.
Once the challenged party agrees to the PK, the system automatically matches the arena map, leaving both sides time to adjust their equipment.
All other Glory players are free to spectate.
Players can choose to view the match from either Ash’s or Greek’s perspective. Unlike a ‘challenge,’ in a PK match, players can also transform into semi-transparent phantoms to watch the match from a third-person perspective within the arena.
In ordinary PK matches, the arena might have a few scattered spectators, sometimes even filled with bots to make up the numbers.
But in the PK match between Ash and Greek, the originally rugged and solemn arena… suddenly felt like it was in the middle of a Spring Festival travel rush.
Jing Mian: “…”
Jing Mian stood amidst the crowd of spectators, squeezing through wherever he could, and soon, he finally made it to the front row.
Jing Mian’s character was a tall, slender soldier dressed in black, wearing a mask. His hands were clad in pure black fingerless gloves, revealing pale, slender fingers. A gun was slung across his back, and his belt accentuated his narrow waist. The boots below his calves were stiff and sturdy.
The character skins in Glory were diverse and numerous, offering players a wide array of choices, often to the point of being overwhelming. As a result, it was rare to see identical appearances.
Jing Mian’s outfit, however, was unique and highly recognizable.
When the nearby players glanced over, they suddenly noticed the ID above Jing Mian’s head—”Sheep.”
Player A exclaimed: 【Is that…Sheep?!】
Player A: 【The real one?!】
Player B: 【Wow, Sheep actually came to watch the match.】
Player C: 【Isn’t it obvious? MianMian’s Shadow Guard is ash. With ash’s return, he definitely wouldn’t miss it.】
Player B: 【No, what I mean is, didn’t Greek’s boyfriend just post on the forum accusing him of seduction? And now he’s here to watch the match? That’s pretty brazen…】
Player C: 【What are you talking about? Who seduced Greek? It’s true that rumors spread faster than the truth. Whether Sheep did it or not, in your eyes, he’s already guilty.】
Player B: 【Why are you so worked up? The person involved hasn’t said a word. He’s already accepted it by default.】
…
Jing Mian, however, seemed completely unaware of the ongoing conversations around him.
His gaze was firmly fixed on Ash.
Though surrounded by a sea of people, it was as if he were in a world of his own.
In the vast arena, only the faith he had regained remained.
The spectator area had boundaries, ensuring it wouldn’t interfere with the match. Apart from the bustling crowd, there was a constant stream of comments and chat dialogues above the players, creating a lively atmosphere.
Due to the unpredictability of the Haunted House, it was impossible to fully assess a player’s strength. Therefore, the PK match was limited to the first stage—a shooting duel.
During the PK, both players’ top-tier weapons and equipment would be cleared, leaving only their non-defensive clothing. They would face each other on completely equal footing.
The spectators began analyzing the intense and thrilling battle:
【First, I’m not biased toward anyone, but Ash… hasn’t logged in for so long. His skills must be rusty by now.】
【Right, I remember during the national championship, a Team specifically invited a retired world champion. That match… how should I put it? It was a complete massacre.】
【To be rational, I don’t really understand Ash’s motivation. Back then, he was a legend, having achieved all the glory. Why ruin that perfect reputation now?】
【Exactly, his era is long over. What’s the point?】
【Tsk, tarnishing his legacy.】
【Greek has never stopped climbing and has now reached the summit, while Ash has been stuck on what he thought was the peak. I can already foresee the outcome of this PK. Sigh…】
…
Ten seconds later, the preparation time ended.
Both players were teleported to their respective starting respawn points.
Greek pursed his lips, his breath slightly heavy.
He had played this arena map at least a hundred times. He remembered every corner, every bush that could serve as cover, and every possible enemy position with absolute clarity.
Perhaps Ash once boasted an impressive record, but even gods can fall from their thrones on an unpredictable day, never to rise again.
The moment Ash decided to quit the game, he had already bid farewell to the unreachable peak he could never climb.
Greek’s eyes narrowed, revealing a ruthless determination.
The match officially began!
Everyone held their breath.
The arena was filled with numerous covers, so neither side could quickly spot the other. Only the spectators could observe the hidden movements of the two players.
The barrage of comments that had been constantly popping up moments ago now fell silent.
All players were fixated on this monumental battle, one that would undoubtedly leave a significant mark in the history of Glory’s decisive matches.
Greek was more cautious than ever. Gripping his gun, he took the route he was most familiar with, where each cover seamlessly connected, offering an excellent shooting angle.
However, when he reached the center of the arena—the focal point of the battle—Greek lightened his steps and turned up his headset volume to the max, straining to catch the slightest sound.
Yet, he heard nothing.
Greek: “?”
Could it be that Ash hadn’t left the base and instead chose to stay near the respawn point, waiting to ambush?
This was an incomprehensible strategy.
Greek sneered slightly, never expecting that the once-arrogant legendary god would now resort to such underhanded tactics against him.
After hesitating for two seconds, Greek grew impatient.
He knew every possible hiding spot like the back of his hand. All he needed to do was adapt to the situation, transforming from prey to a determined hunter.
Finally, Greek raised his gun.
With a swift movement, he darted out from the cover in the center of the arena.
But the moment he left—
Everyone heard a brief, silent “bang.”
The sound was sharp and loud, like a spark exploding across the sky, carrying an untraceable speed and ferocity.
Greek fell to the ground.
Five seconds later, he was sent back to the respawn point.
……
The air remained still for a long time.
No one could process what had just happened.
Much later, from Greek’s perspective, a comment cautiously asked:
[Uh… what just happened?]
Most of the viewers who chose Greek’s perspective were his loyal fans. Since they couldn’t switch perspectives, they had no idea what Ash had done.
It wasn’t until the system issued a mechanical notification:
[Player “Greek” has been eliminated.]
That people realized Greek had been headshot by Ash within the first twenty seconds of the match—without any warning!!
Headshots weren’t uncommon in Glory, but what was rare was that even the person involved had no idea what had happened. Where was the opponent? From what angle had the bullet been fired? Without Ash’s perspective, none of the spectators could even begin to explain how the move had been executed.
……
It was terrifying.
The comments erupted into a frenzy of shock and disbelief:
[Oh my god]
[WTF… is this even humanly possible?]
[I don’t understand what just happened]
[It was so fast, I didn’t see anything. How did Greek just die?]
【Help, did anyone record that?】
【Ahhhh I hate this!! Why didn’t I choose Ash’s perspective?】
【Can someone describe what Ash’s perspective was like? Just give me a simple description, please, wuwuwu…】
After a few seconds, some players who were in Ash’s perspective seemed hesitant, slowly sending out comments:
【Um, I don’t know how to describe it…】
【You should go ask the official for the replay.】
【Oh my god…】
【I’m speechless…】
【Ash ahhhhh, it’s the Ash from my memories, the god of war!! I’m already in tears…】
……
When Greek respawned, his entire body stiffened.
For a long time, he couldn’t speak.
The tips of his fingers gripping the mouse felt cold, and he mechanically controlled the character on the screen, his pupils trembling violently.
What… just happened?
Perhaps the suddenness and intensity of the event left him in a daze.
Comments continued to flood the screen. Some analyzed that Ash had just gotten lucky, as Greek had rashly chosen to attack at the start, inadvertently revealing a flaw, giving the quietly observing Ash an opening. The first kill was purely a fluke.
But only those in Ash’s perspective and Greek himself knew that it was far from that simple.
The second round had already begun, so Greek had to suppress his emotions and force himself to leave the respawn point.
This time, he didn’t choose the route he was most familiar and comfortable with.
Perhaps… Ash had already watched his arena map recordings before issuing the PK, familiarizing himself with his movements.
Greek comforted himself with this thought and slowly calmed down.
This time, he also heard Ash’s footsteps.
Greek’s heart pounded fiercely. He had never been so intensely focused before, so the moment he left cover and peeked out, his gun followed his movements almost flawlessly, firing in the direction of the sound!
Only the sound of a sparking bang was heard!
The next second, the system issued another notification:
［Player “Greek” has been killed.］
……
This time, the comments erupted completely:
【Incredible】
【Damn】
【This is too insane ahhhhh!!】
【I’m going crazy, this isn’t textbook-level skill, textbooks wouldn’t dare write this…】
【Comrades, who understands the feeling of icy hands and feet, afraid of missing even a second?】
【Ash fans are completely boiling over tonight】
【Wuwuwu Ash is still the Ash from back then…】
…
When Greek respawned again, his palms were already sweating.
When he charged out of cover this time, Ash didn’t even move. The moment Greek peeked out, he fell again.
Next, the system tirelessly issued notifications:
［Player “Greek” has been killed.］
［Player “Greek” has been killed.］
［Player “Greek” has died!］
……
Greek’s eyes widened in disbelief.
How is this possible?
How is this possible?!
Even if he was once the untouchable number one on the leaderboard, after so many years, how could there still be such a vast and hopeless gap?!
For a moment, Greek felt like an ant being looked down upon by God.
He was struggling to find a glimmer of hope, but the other party only needed to move a finger, cold and resolute, to plunge him into utter despair, where he could no longer see the light of day.
He was like a lamb under the butcher’s knife, utterly defenseless, and this PK was a one-sided massacre. Despair filled the atmosphere of the entire game, and even the spectators could sense the indescribable pressure and hopelessness.
【Oh my god, this is so hopeless】
【So tragic】
【He dies as soon as he shows his face, absolutely no chance to fight back!】
【So in front of a true War God, Greek only gets instantly killed】
【Sigh, absolute power crushing, I can feel Greek’s despair】
【Ash is so freaking cool ahhhh】
【Suddenly thought, PK matches usually go for three rounds, and each round deducts experience equivalent to a year of playtime. Three rounds would mean three years wasted… If Greek continues to fight and endures the remaining two rounds, the loss would be too great】
【No choice, once you accept a PK challenge, you have to grit your teeth and finish it, unless Ash agrees to end the match unilaterally】
【Ash’s personality, he’s not the type to show mercy.】
……
Li Shengwen watched from the side, his eyes filled with fear and anxiety. He grabbed Greek’s sleeve and said, “Stop fighting, it’s all loss and no gain. You’ll lose your ranking.”
Greek shook off his hand: “Shut up.”
He had already accepted the PK. If he fled now, he would become the laughingstock of all Glory.