The Unwilling Losers: You Can't Live Only for Yourself

The Natural Airhead breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the "Demon Transformation" being completed—as long as she quickly dodged and healed after breaking free from the control, there was still hope!

However, in the next instant, his expectations were completely shattered.

The "Demon Transformation" skill, which was about to become available, was suddenly banned.

It's over.

"Restraint (Level 10 Trait): Whenever damage is dealt to a target, there is a chance to randomly seal one of their skills for ten seconds. This effect can trigger at most once every twenty seconds."

The "Sharp Blade" talent, which only takes effect in battle, finally comes into play at this moment.

Previously, his repeated attacks on the Priest had not triggered this effect, but unexpectedly it was triggered suddenly at the crucial moment.

Before the "Natural Airhead" could even react in shock, he was taken down by concentrated fire.

The battle situation became clear in an instant.

The situation shifted to five against four, and the opposing team, in addition to having one player in critical condition, also lost medical support.

With their own Priest still alive, the victory was practically secured, and the teams from the District 3 were now firmly in control.

The ensuing clashes were swift and decisive: the assassins from the District 1 fell first, followed by two Tian Ce and Shield Guard who were also routed in the encirclement.

Players in District 3 began their celebrations ahead of schedule.

The forums and live stream pages were equally buzzing with excitement.

The entire battle was full of reversals, making it incredibly exciting—the moment the assassin appeared, everyone thought there would be casualties, but the situation unexpectedly turned around again.

The Priest then faced imminent death, and one side quickly took control of the situation. The crucial seal, like the finishing touch on a masterpiece, brought the fierce battle to a close, or perhaps it should be called an exclamation mark.

"It was absolutely terrifying... My heart stopped several times, and each time I almost stopped completely at the brink of death!"

"It's infuriating, I'm almost in tears... The team from the District 1 has done their best! If it were me, I probably would have given up long ago."

"Trying your best?"

"Let's see if you can still say that when the punishment comes! This bunch of useless trash from the District 1 has dragged us down with them! If I'm the one who suffers the consequences, I'll make you pay!"

"Another one gone mad. If you can't handle it, then shut up. If you're so capable, then you do it."

"Is it true that you can only win and not lose a match? To be fair, the initial advantage in this match was clearly in District 1, and the comeback from District 3 had an element of luck to it."

"Both sides deserve recognition for their fighting strength and performance; don't let your mentality collapse so easily."

"To be honest, when the assassin appeared, I really thought we were going to win."

"I'm from the District 1, so I know his reputation as a ' Priest Hunter'—his talent specializes in targeting Canxue. If you can reduce their blood pressure to below half, the outcome might be completely different."

"What a pity."

"There's no other way; if we don't intervene, the Priest will fall too."

In short... the regret is already a done deal.

"The District 3 are the strongest; who dares to challenge them!"

"First win secured, triple experience points coming soon! My weapon is itching for a win!"

"With a top expert in charge, it was expected that the District 3 would win."

The next match won't be until 24 hours later, which gives us plenty of time to gain experience.

"Judging from the progress of other war zones, our District 3 finished relatively quickly."

I don't know if the rewards will be distributed all at once after all war zones have ended, or if they will be distributed in real time according to the order of completion.

"Although I won, I'm a little curious about the penalty for the losing side... What exactly is that random negative status? Pure curiosity, absolutely no expectation whatsoever—I just hope it never happens to me."

"It's so Fortune to be assigned to one of the District 3. I heard that players in the District 1 are all feeling very anxious right now."

"I'd panic too. You never know what kind of misfortune might randomly befall you. Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine."

In stark contrast to the atmosphere of eager anticipation for rewards across the District 3, players in District 1 had no expectations for what was to come; both worlds awaited their respective fates.

"Rewards and punishments are about to be distributed: 10 minutes..."

The moment the system notification appeared, players from District 3 rushed to purchase enough supplies to farm monsters all day, calling on their friends and vying for wilderness strongholds, creating a lively and bustling scene.

The pressures of reality seemed to be left behind at this moment.

The world of District 1 was shrouded in heavy fear.

After the match ended, the two channels were disconnected.

Currently, the global dialogue in District 1 is filled with unease and questioning of the official stance:

"Are we just supposed to wait for the punishment to come? Does nobody know anything about the punishment?"

"I am praying to all the gods I know—whether they are gods or demons, please don't choose me!"

"Count me in!"

"Are we supposed to be chosen instead of you? How many people will actually be selected? What are the officials doing? Are they just going to sit here and wait? Are they trying to kill us?"

"Could the authorities also be biased towards the District 3? Only they know the true strength of each region. Who knows if they've pulled any strings behind the scenes?"

Even if the District 3 win, does that mean we have to abandon the players in the District 1?

"You damn planner!"

"Even though our District One isn't as strong as District Three, it's still among the top districts in the God's Domain."

Are you trying to make things difficult for us?

Seeing that public opinion was turning against the organizers, the authorities had no choice but to issue a public statement to clarify, emphasizing that the competition rules did not favor any region and promising to uphold absolute fairness.

It was also stated that the punitive measures apply equally to the District 3 themselves, and there are absolutely no private agreements involved.

They dared not let this trend spread.

If those alien planners see this, and they add even more difficulty to Earth, the world will be doomed.

The world chat channel in the District 1 was in chaos, and the participating players were filled with guilt.

"I'm truly sorry everyone, it's because we're not strong enough."

The "Godfall" had lost all its former arrogance.

Ever since he was instantly killed by Chongxing's attack, he has completely lost the right to be proud.

He's very insecure now, and he always looks down at everyone.

"Don't say that. You've encountered Chongxing. Anyone would have a hard time winning. It's not your fault."

"Yeah, that guy's cheating, we all know that."

"Our five-on-five match was truly a pity. We made several tactical mistakes and missed opportunities."

"If it were a five-on-five battle between you after the Godfall, perhaps the outcome would be different..."

At this point, "Demon Zero Zero" and the others felt they had let down all the players in the region.

"There's no need to blame yourself anymore."

"The strategy of the District 3 is to first deplete our high-level combat power, and then launch a full-scale attack in five-on-five battles."

The past cannot be changed.

"Whatever the punishment, we will bear it together. Not only in our region, but in all the Dragon Han players in the defeated regions, the higher-ups will assist us in overcoming this difficult time."

The Legion commander, "Dragon Battles in the Wild," calmly reassured the troops.

The moment the countdown reached zero, the regional announcements for District 3 and District 1 were refreshed simultaneously.

[Announcement: Settlement complete. The 24-hour triple experience bonus is now officially available in Zone 3! Countdown begins!]

[Announcement: Settlement complete. Zone 1 enters the penalty phase, randomly selecting 30% of players to be inflicted with the "Weakened" status, lasting for 48 hours.]

(The Weakness status can stack: each failed match adds one stack, and each successful match removes one stack. The duration and effect accumulate accordingly. Players currently in a match are not affected by this status.)

"Weakness: Player's attributes and combat power decrease by 50%, unable to use any healing skills, and unable to use the return-to-town or resurrection function."

"Help! I've been chosen! What should I do now?"

"With my combat power halved, how am I supposed to go out and level up? If I can't level up normally for two days, the gap between me and those in the third server who enjoy triple experience will only widen!"

"Still thinking about leveling up? Think about whether you can survive first!"

"What does it mean to be unable to be healed? If you're injured in the wild, no one can heal you, and you can't even revive—isn't that just like the real world!"

"If you die in the game these next two days, it's true annihilation."

"But if I hide in the Safe Zone, my level will definitely fall behind other players in the same zone, not to mention the gap with other zones... I'm completely finished."

"It's over, it's all over... I never had any hope for this world to begin with, and now this has happened."

"Goodbye, everyone. I really can't hold on any longer. I'm going to find a Warcraft in the wild to end my life..."

"Don't give up, bro! We still have a chance! There's another match tomorrow!"

"You don't necessarily have to be weak for two days. As long as you win the match tomorrow, the status will be cleared, and you'll even get triple experience to compensate for today's losses. Please don't give up easily!"

"It seems this defeat has disappointed everyone in District One."

"Godfall" solemnly declared in the world chat, "I hereby swear that we will win tomorrow's match!"

"Please trust us one more time, trust District One one more time!"

"I, 'Pengpeng's Hair,' representing the Penglai Island Guild, assure everyone that victory is assured tomorrow! Please do not give up hope!"

"The entire Rugged Glory Guild hereby swears that we will win the match tomorrow. Please hold fast to your beliefs!"

"I, 'Dragon Battles in the Wild,' on behalf of the military, solemnly promise: We will never abandon any resident of the Dragon Kingdom, nor any player from Zone 1."

"Please, everyone, do not give up hope!"

"... Please, everyone, do not give up hope!"

"... Please, everyone, do not give up hope!"

The major guilds and high-level players in Zone 1 successively made vows in the world chat. This unwavering will saved countless players on the verge of collapse—they truly possessed such strength.

District One was already one of the strongest districts in Dragon Han, if it weren't for the fact that it encountered District Three, which had exceptionally strong combat power, today.

Especially with an almost invincible opponent like Chongxing, they will not be easily defeated.

Other sections also learned about the harsh consequences of defeat through the forum.

The teams in the matchmaking zone that haven't finished yet are giving it their all—no one wants to be the loser, not only missing out on triple experience, but also facing the prospect of being unable to leave for two days, which would inevitably leave them far behind other players.

The real world is becoming increasingly dangerous.

The Warcraft are getting stronger every day.

If your own strength doesn't improve accordingly, then it means failure.

What's even more unsettling is that this state of weakness can accumulate layer by layer. Although the specific effects of the stacking are still unclear, the appearance of just the first layer has already cast a deep shadow on the players' minds.

The atmosphere in the entire God's Domain Game world also became solemn.

Some have already speculated that if the weakness accumulates to a certain point, will it lead to a hopeless situation where there is no Healing or even a chance of recovery?

That would be tantamount to being completely banished by the God's Domain —in today's world, losing the protection of the God's Domain almost means losing one's means of survival.

Having realized this, all the players no longer viewed this competition as an ordinary event, but as a life-or-death struggle concerning their future.

The penalties imposed on the losing side also serve as a warning to the winning side.

If they cannot continue to win, today's outcome for Zone 1 may be a reflection of their own fate tomorrow.

"This is terrifying... Even the penalty for a failed match is so severe. I can't even imagine what kind of natural disasters the bottom ten will face."

"With Chongxing and other top experts here, it shouldn't be difficult for our District 3 to break into the top ten."

"Damn it! We should all unite and stay neither winning nor losing!"

"Yes, you can't just think about yourself; you have to think about others too!"

"That's right. As long as it's a competition in even-numbered zones, everyone should have one win and one loss. In the end, there will be no bonuses or penalties, which is the best outcome!" someone started to advocate.

Especially those weak areas.

"Hmph, who cares about what you're saying?" Some players from the District 3 scoffed.

"What does your dangerous situation have to do with us?"

"It's related—I heard they're resorting to any means to win, spending almost every day and night in the training ground simulating combat."

"This kind of intense competition is truly suffocating... Fortunately, I'm in the District 3."

"We can only silently pray for our fellow Dragon Han scattered across other regions. The Dragon Han players are currently too dispersed; any defeat in District 1 could potentially affect our people."

"This is a problem that the Dragon Han government must now address."

"I've heard that the higher-ups are working tirelessly to find a way to alleviate this weakness..."

"So? Are they willing to trade the 'Flesh Nest'?"

Lu Zheng is trying to find a way to save the weakened players.

"Negotiations are difficult. Even if the 'Flesh Nest' is made into Resurrection Medicine, the quantity will be extremely limited, which cannot solve the safety of a large number of players—it will ultimately be a drop in the ocean."

"Neither of those two guilds accepted this proposal." Qin Xiao Youhui, his face showing helplessness.

He understood perfectly well that the "Flesh Nest" in the hands of the guild could summon a large number of war beasts to enhance overall combat power.

With the launch of the pet evolution system, even low-level pets can transform into high-level monsters, and even the most basic summoned units still have value.

How could they possibly take it out and treat it as a consumable?

"Sigh, I know this isn't a long-term solution. But with so many players suffering from abnormal statuses, it's not only Chongxing down their training progress but also severely damaging their morale... Have you contacted Chongxing? Does he also have no solution?"

"We've already inquired. He hasn't used any of the negative status removal methods provided by the system."

"It seems this is an unavoidable choice—the system is forcing us Dragon Han, to make a choice among many major regions..." Qin Xiao Youhui.

As for the claim that the game was manipulated due to a win and a loss for each team?

That's impossible.

You have to understand that these days, games are invading the real world.

Who doesn't want to improve their strength as quickly as possible?

Expecting others to do it for you?

How is that possible?

When Zhang Mingzhen saw those naive words, he couldn't help but laugh.

He couldn't possibly allow his region to deliberately lose.

After all, he wanted to climb to the top step by step, one step at a time.

As for whether others will experience negative buffs, first ask them if they have been putting in the effort.

And so, the first round of matchmaking came to an end. Players in the winning region devoted themselves to leveling up in the wilderness, while those in the losing region tried every means to find a way to break through their combat power.

Only players with the Weakness buff can complete daily tasks within the game's Safe Zone.

They decided to temporarily return to reality and try to forget their current predicament.