Night fell, and the Star Dou Forest returned to silence.
At the Shrek Seven Devils' temporary camp, the bonfire crackled, its orange-red glow illuminating several young faces. Their mission to hunt Soul Beasts had gone smoothly that day, something worth celebrating. But right now, no one was thinking about that.
"Let me see! Come on, let me see!"
Ning Rongrong tugged at Xiao Wu's sleeve, her wide eyes filled with impatience. Ever since they'd returned to camp, she'd been thinking about that golden card. She'd been so distracted that she hadn't even felt like eating dinner.
"All right, all right. Don't rush!" Xiao Wu said with a grin. She pulled the Golden Spatula Experience Card from her clothes and waved it in her hand. "But first, we're all going to look at it together. No snatching, okay?"
"Got it, got it!" Ning Rongrong nodded repeatedly.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun crowded over too, curiously examining the card shimmering with golden light. Although Dai Mubai had lost face that day, he couldn't help quietly pricking up his ears.
Only Tang San sat farther away, his brows slightly furrowed as he wondered about something.
Xiao Wu took a deep breath and, following the method Yi Chen had taught her, infused the card with a thread of Soul Power.
Buzz—
The card suddenly lit up, and a golden screen unfolded in midair. It was clearer and more intricate than the one they'd seen in the forest that day. Four large characters appeared in the center of the screen—"Teamfight Tactics"—with a line of smaller text beneath: "Welcome to the world of the Golden Spatula."
Then a warm male voice came from the card:
"Welcome to Teamfight Tactics. This tutorial will introduce the basic rules and controls of the game. Please follow the instructions and learn step by step..."
The voice was unmistakably Yi Chen's!
Xiao Wu froze for a moment, then realized what was happening. This must be a tutorial Yi Chen had recorded in advance. A warm feeling rose in her heart. She hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful that he'd even prepared a tutorial.
For the next half hour, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong followed along intently. The tutorial explained everything clearly and simply, from buying units and arranging a lineup to synergies, combining equipment, and leveling up their team size.
"So that's how it works!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed as understanding dawned. "If we put Spirit Masters from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect together, we can activate the 'Seven Treasure Glazed Tile' synergy and grant everyone a Soul Power bonus?"
"That's not all." Xiao Wu pointed to a line on the screen. "Look here. The 'Seven Treasure Glazed Tile' synergy gives all allied units 30% attack speed and 20% Soul Power recovery. And if we get three units from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, we can unlock an even stronger effect!"
"That's incredible!" Ning Rongrong's eyes shone. "If everyone from our sect played this game, then..."
She cut herself off, suddenly realizing what she was about to say, and hurriedly covered her mouth. But she couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun stared, dumbfounded.
"Is this thing... for real?" Ma Hongjun scratched his head in disbelief. "It feels like I'm dreaming."
"It's not a dream," said a cool voice.
Everyone turned. Zhu Zhuqing, who'd been silent until then, spoke slowly. "This game... is real. I can feel that the power contained in that card is completely different from the Soul Power we cultivate, but it's just as real."
She paused, then added, "And that man called Yi Chen... is powerful. Very powerful."
Coming from Zhu Zhuqing, who rarely spoke, the words carried considerable weight. The camp fell silent for a few seconds, and the atmosphere turned strange.
"Hmph! What's so impressive about him?" Dai Mubai scoffed, trying to recover some of the face he'd lost that day. "It's just some lousy game. Could it be better than real combat? That guy's obviously a fraud putting on airs!"
As soon as he spoke, the card in his hand suddenly grew warm.
Dai Mubai froze and looked down. A line of golden text appeared on the card's surface:
"Doubt is an excuse for the weak. The strong prove themselves through their strength. —Yi Chen"
Dai Mubai's expression turned priceless.
"Pfft—" Ma Hongjun couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Hahahaha!" Oscar laughed so hard he slapped his thigh. "Boss Dai, that's one hell of a slap in the face!"
"Shut up!" Dai Mubai flushed with anger and hurled the card to the ground. "What a piece of junk! I don't want it!"
The instant the card hit the ground, it turned into a streak of golden light and flew back into Xiao Wu's hand on its own.
Xiao Wu caught it and blinked, looking a little awkward. "Um... Boss Dai, the card says... you've lost your trial access. If you want it back, you have to apologize to Yi Chen in person."
"..."
The camp fell silent again.
Dai Mubai's face turned from green to white. At last, he rose with a livid expression and walked into his tent without a word.
Tang San watched Dai Mubai leave, then finally broke the silence. "Xiao Wu, could I take a look at that card?"
"Of course." Xiao Wu handed it over without hesitation.
Tang San took the card and examined it closely. His brows drew tighter and tighter, and his expression grew more and more grave.
He'd never seen material like this before. It wasn't metal or jade, nor any known kind of wood or beast bone. It felt smooth and warm, yet was extraordinarily tough. Even when he exerted all his strength, he couldn't leave the slightest mark on it.
Even more alarming was the power contained within the card. Its level was so far beyond anything he could comprehend that the Mysterious Heaven Skill he'd cultivated in his previous life seemed insignificant by comparison.
"Tang San, what's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked with concern when she saw his expression.
Tang San came back to himself and handed the card to Xiao Wu. He managed a smile. "It's nothing. I just think... this game really is quite interesting."
He hadn't told the truth.
He didn't dare.
Because he had a vague feeling that the man called Yi Chen might become the greatest variable in his life.
Night deepened, and the camp gradually grew quiet.
Xiao Wu lay in her tent, holding the Golden Spatula Experience Card as she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her mind was full of that day's match against Yi Chen: the units' movements, their skills, the synergies activating... Every detail left her wanting to relive it.
"This game... is so much fun," she murmured, the corners of her mouth lifting without her realizing it. "I have to find him and play again tomorrow!"
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Star Dou Forest.
Yi Chen sat cross-legged in the crown of an ancient tree, resting with his eyes closed. Moonlight fell across his face, giving his handsome features a silvery sheen.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"All three trial cards have been activated... Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing have all completed the tutorial. Not bad—they were faster than I expected."
He raised a finger and lightly tapped the air. A system panel visible only to him appeared before his eyes:
[Current beta player count: 3/100] [New player tutorial completed: 3] [Active players: 3] [System evaluation: Taking shape. Keep it up.]
"Only three players..." Yi Chen sighed. "At this rate, how long will it take to get a hundred beta players?"
He thought it over and suddenly came up with an idea.
"Now that the three of them have learned the ropes, I'll have them recruit more players. Word of mouth between girls will work much better than me trying to find people myself."
With that, Yi Chen made a few more adjustments in the system, adding a new feature to Xiao Wu's trial card—
[Referral rewards: Invite a friend to register and complete the new player tutorial, and you'll both receive a random reward. The more people you invite, the better the rewards!]
"That should take care of finding players." Yi Chen nodded in satisfaction and closed his eyes again.
The night breeze swept through the treetops, carrying the distant roars of Soul Beasts from deep within the Star Dou Forest. But Yi Chen was in an exceptionally good mood.
Everything was difficult at the beginning, but once he got things started, the road ahead would be smooth.
He believed it wouldn't be long before the name "Teamfight Tactics" spread across the entire Douluo Continent.