Chapter 325: Bad Luck
It took about ten minutes on foot to get from here to the church square. On the way, Zhou Ning decided to make the most of the time and sneak a quick look at the forums—he was just as curious as anyone about the first-ever professional league.
After all, strong players always made time for what mattered.
At this point, the buzz around the "First Apocalypse Professional League" had, for the first time, overtaken the topic of "Wayne Sturwell." It was sweeping across the gaming community at a jaw-dropping pace. Nine out of ten forum threads were about the league. Big and small streamers alike, major teams, and pro players were all gearing up for the competition. They'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.
On the Apocalypse forum, the registration portal for the solo qualifiers had already seen over 1.2 million sign-ups in a short period. The average player level was 27.8. Due to the overwhelming population base, the percentage of Wandering Gunslingers had slightly decreased.
According to statistics: 9% of participants were Wandering Gunslingers, 21% were Mages, 25% Warriors, 14% Meteorologists, 13% Knights/Priests, 8% Rogues, and 10% others.
The fact that his newly invented class had more players than Rogues—and was the one with the most female players—was something even Zhou Ning found hard to believe. If he weren't currently active only around Darkland, Wandering Gunslingers would have undoubtedly become the most popular class in the entire game.
What's more, in the team competition lineup, a formation of five Wandering Gunslingers—or three Wanderers, one Warrior, and one Mage—had become the hottest configuration. Absolutely insane.
Zhou Ning skimmed through the forum homepage and noticed in one trending thread that XB, Haicheng, and Qingbai Wild Sake had teamed up with two streamer friends to form a "just-for-fun" team. They planned to take part in the qualifiers, but from Zhou Ning's perspective, given their coordination and combat strength, there was no question—they really were just playing for fun. At best, they'd make it to the third round before going home in tears.
Meanwhile, every member of the Wolf-Dog Squad had signed up for the solo competition. Based on Zhou Ning's observation, aside from XB who might just be along for the ride, Jinse, Sunken Star Beneath the Water, and Wrath of Thunder-Chasing Winds all had a real chance of not only passing the qualifiers but even taking the championship. After all, everyone knew those few had triggered hidden storylines tied to him. From Zhou Ning's point of view, he actually hoped they would win.
If cost wasn't an issue, Jinse could reach level 40 in just a few days by simply grinding dungeons—and those few days were exactly when the arms race would reach its fever pitch. Unfortunately, Zhou Ning was only one man. He couldn't do everything himself. With a quiet sigh, he thought, If only I could be in two places at once.
It was December 17th—the Day of the Sun Goddess' Christmas Festival. When Zhou Ning arrived at the Withershire Cathedral Square, it was even livelier than yesterday.
Stalls selling offerings and food lined the streets. Flocks of Sunseeker Birds flew gracefully overhead.
In the center of the square stood a towering twelve-meter-tall statue of the Sun Goddess. Before it was an altar over four meters high, covered with flowers and offerings. Nearby, several stages were being built.
Traditionally, those stages would host operas dedicated to the Sun Goddess. Last year, there had even been a magical ball performance featuring Bryston's top magiball star, Harkins.
This year's Christmas Parade Director was a nobleman in red with a thick, connected beard. He was overseeing the opening ceremony and would be in charge of the festivities for the entire week.
Even just looking at the statue, Zhou Ning could feel the dense divine radiance gathered upon it—far stronger than the faint trace of divinity he'd once sensed from the Elven Goddess statue.
Then, his sharp eyes caught something—those same young noblemen he'd seen last night were still there, lurking near the church. Their bloodshot eyes glared at him with malice.
Have they been waiting here the whole time for Spark? The madness and obsession in their eyes made Zhou Ning's skin crawl.
He stopped by a stall to buy some food for the Sunseeker Birds, scattering it lightly on the ground. The birds swooped down in groups and fluttered back up again. After watching for a moment, Zhou Ning deliberately averted his gaze from the nobles and walked straight into the church.
Inside the grand prayer hall, Zhou Ning spotted Spark Lambert sitting midway down a row of pews, praying softly.
Compared to yesterday, Spark looked slightly better, though still worn out. When he saw Zhou Ning, he immediately stood, grabbed his sleeve, and said in a dazed tone, "Wayne, I thought you weren't coming. Well? Are they still at the door?"
Apparently, Spark Lambert must've gone out earlier and encountered his former companions. Zhou Ning understood and nodded calmly. "Yes, they're still there. But don't worry. Are you ready? If so, let's go."
"I'm ready. Sigh… Even now, I still don't understand why things suddenly turned out this way." Spark let out a heavy sigh, stood up, and followed Zhou Ning out.
As soon as they stepped outside, Zhou Ning could feel the nobles' gazes immediately shift to them. They began to move too, following from a distance.
Spark trembled slightly beside him. Zhou Ning patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's fine. They can't hurt you. Where are we going to meet your father?"
"The Northwestern Military Port. My father just returned from a visit to Ruins—he should be disembarking there," Spark said in a low voice.
The military port? Zhou Ning suddenly remembered that massive black ship he'd seen earlier—the one rumored to be the Sea King's Pluto. Maybe this time, he could get a closer look, perhaps even test whether the Triton Sword could control it.
The two of them walked around the altar toward the edge of the square, passing a large stage still under construction. Just as they did, the entire steel frame suddenly collapsed without warning. Countless metal beams came crashing down, throwing the whole area into chaos.
Thanks to his Observation Haki, Zhou Ning foresaw it half a second in advance. Calmly, he yanked Spark out of the way and even had time to scoop up a little girl who hadn't reacted fast enough.
"Careful." Zhou Ning set the frightened girl back on her feet, patted her head gently, and gave her a reassuring smile.
But this "accident" wasn't an accident at all.
In just the few hundred meters between the church and the square's exit, Zhou Ning encountered several more "coincidences." A nearby vendor's gas stove exploded. A dispute broke out in the parade lineup, blocking the road for nearly five minutes. And just when they finally found a way around, yet another stage suddenly collapsed before them.
After so many "accidents," Zhou Ning began to wonder if he'd somehow reversed his Lucky Clover—because this streak of bad luck was maddeningly absurd.
Even after leaving the church square, the nobles continued to follow them from afar—not approaching, not backing off.
And the string of misfortunes didn't stop. When they finally found a carriage, the wheels went flat. Then the vehicle skidded and crashed into a nearby building. They had to get out and walk. If not for Zhou Ning's quick reflexes, they'd have been covered in dust and shame.
By now, even Spark sensed something was seriously wrong. His face turned pale.
"Wayne… are we being watched by something?"
"I think so." Zhou Ning's expression darkened.
Coincidences like these didn't happen over and over again. The most likely explanation—he'd been targeted once more by that damned little book belonging to Robbins.
Their goal was clear: to stop him from meeting Spark's father—Browne Lambert, leader of Bryston's conservative faction and head of the noble house whose family motto embodied the sin of "Pride."