Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Getting Close to Tang Xichen"Have you opened the air walls on your side yet? You can explore and check which of the six air walls have been opened so we can determine if there’s a pattern."

    Tang Xichen didn’t continue asking about Xu Chen’s matters but instead had Rosen cooperate to check the expansion of the site.

    It seems that Tang Xichen had also considered this issue just like Rosen. The opening of the air walls plays a critical role in the frequency of contestants meeting each other and regulating the progress of the competition.

    "Did you win your first match?" Rosen inquired about Tang Xichen’s situation.

    "I’m leading an attack right now. The first round’s opponent is a rookie, no difficulty at all," Tang Xichen said confidently.

    "Alright, I’ll check the air wall openings first and then choose a path closer to your direction," Rosen said and began to explore around.

    There were three air walls around both his and Xu Chen’s territories, isolating the battlefield from the outside. Their fighting area was about four square kilometers, not too big nor too small.

    After Rosen’s investigation, by the end of the first round, three of the six air walls were opened with no discernible pattern in their opening order.

    When Rosen relayed this information to Tang Xichen, the latter also shared his findings.

    Similarly, Tang Xichen’s side had three air walls open randomly.

    With some analysis, they concluded that if three walls are opened each time, the chances of encountering armies from external lords would be high.

    If only one wall is opened, the entire large map would become a maze blocked by numerous air walls, slowing down the progress of the competition significantly, much like navigating a labyrinth.

    However, unlocking half of them at once achieves a good regulation of progress. Lords can eliminate surrounding lords to keep clearing air walls around them, thus removing obstacles.

    Of course, with some strategic thinking, the surrounding air walls can also act as protective barriers, blocking external armies.

    "I’ll choose a path closer to your location and make my way to you as soon as possible," Rosen said before deciding not to rush his army into the newly unlocked zones.

    Instead, he assigned Beastman laborers to seize Xu Chen’s gold mine and built a barracks nearby, summoning some level-one units to guard the laborers.

    He had also summoned over a dozen level-one units at his own base.

    Only then did he let the Beastman units guard the house while he led the Goddess of Vengeance and hundreds of Xiǎohǎi to explore the newly unlocked zone.

    Rosen numbered the three unlocked regions as Region 1, Region 2, and Region 3.

    He was advancing towards Region 1, which was also the direction closer to Tang Xichen’s real-time location.

    However, they were still a dozen kilometers apart, and it was unlikely they’d meet in the short term; it would probably take at least two to three days for them to encounter each other.

    From Rosen’s observation, no clear winner had emerged between the opposing sides within Region 1.

    Judging by their battle habits, they were evidently rookies.

    Rosen, leading hundreds of Xiǎohǎi, seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on one territory while the opponents were engaged in battle.

    The lord of that territory was instantly dumbfounded; before they could lead the army back to aid, the territory had already been conquered.

    Even if they tried to aid, the opposing lord wouldn’t agree and entangled their forces.

    Thus, they could only watch helplessly from a few hundred meters away as their territory was gradually destroyed -- a very distressing experience.

    "Damn! So quickly there’s someone who’s already eliminated an opponent?"

    "Moreover, they even brought so many troops -- must be exploiting a loophole!"

    The lord impotently bellowed.

    "Heaven assists me, it seems my luck is better than yours; luck is also a form of strength!"

    The opposing lord said mercilessly and finished them off, eliminating them from the game.

    Then, the remainder of his army attacked Rosen’s Xiǎohǎi battalion.

    Rosen’s Xiǎohǎi count was maintained at over a hundred, and as long as the Goddess of Vengeance remained, they continually respawned, unable to be entirely wiped out.

    After the battle with Xu Chen and the recent invasion crashing into leftover troops, the Xiǎohǎi numbers quickly recovered.

    When the opposing lord brought their troops over, Rosen estimated the opponent’s army was about thirty strong, and he mercilessly commanded the Xiǎohǎi to crush them.

    "Shit, where did he get so many troops, the match just started!"

    The lord was shocked too and questioned if there was a BUG.

    The result was straightforward; Rosen swiftly eliminated that lord.

    After that, he straightforwardly and openly seized two extra gold mines.

    He now had four gold mines under his command, quite an impressive early-game growth rate.

    He confirmed with Tang Xichen.

    During the same period, Tang Xichen had only seized one additional gold mine.

    His inherent advantage of equipment was unmistakable.

    At this moment, Region 1 opened three random air walls, one of which led to Region 2.

    The other two led to further directions, one of which was the direction leading to Tang Xichen.

    Rosen named these two newly unlocked regions as Region 4 and Region 5.

    Rosen advanced towards Region 4, which was closer to Tang Xichen.

    Currently, with just a hundred Xiǎohǎi, he could hold a numerical advantage in the early rounds of engagement. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Therefore, he could advance towards the battlefield with Xiǎohǎi straightforwardly.

    In Region 4, there were two hills upon which were the territories of the opposing sides.

    The valley was the default battle location for both armies but had now become littered with bones, indicating heavy losses on both sides.

    One side often dispatched one or two units to invade the opponent’s territory, maximizing harassment while the opponent had yet to upgrade to defense towers.

    Over time, the opponent’s barracks fell into a severely damaged state, while a second barracks was being constructed.

    Additional units began to be summoned.

    After assembling thirty units, they set out to attack the hilltop territory of the opponent!

    Because they had been sending single units without building up forces inside the territory, there was chaos when faced with an army of thirty.

    The tide had clearly turned.

    Rosen stood from afar, watching the final confrontation between the two.

    Then again, as usual, he sneak-attacked one side’s territory.

    The lord who thought luck was on their side and had just captured an opponent’s gold mine found out too late that an air wall had been opened nearby, allowing another lord to capture their territory.

    Just as they prepared to return to the territory and send workers to mine gold, they discovered Rosen’s army.

    At this point, their territory had been successfully invaded, all structures demolished, with nothing remaining!

    "Aah!"

    That lord was infuriated, roaring in anger, leading the remaining twenty units to charge at Rosen.

    Rosen smiled slightly.

    It was obvious that this battle would be no exception.

    Rosen achieved a decisive victory!