Chapter 155: Entangled

Seeing Cai Kun at a loss for words, Wang Chen said, “I’ve told you before, your brain’s language center isn’t developed enough, so don’t try to mimic others by spouting tough talk.”

“With your level of verbal skills, even trash talk on the court would completely shatter your defenses. Kun Kun, you’d better go home and lay some eggs in peace.”

Cai Kun’s face turned ashen, and he wanted to rush forward and grab Wang Chen to beat him up fiercely, but the possibility of sharp arrows shooting through the smoke made him hesitate.

He urgently asked the student beside him holding a staff, “Aren’t you a wind mage? Quickly summon a strong gust to blow this smoke away!”

The mage hesitated, “This isn’t natural smoke; it’s clearly created by a skill. Smoke made by skills is not so easily dispersed.”

“I don’t have any spells specifically designed to disperse skill-created smoke. I only have wind magic with piercing damage.”

“In other words, my spells can pass through the smoke and disperse a small portion of it, but most of the smoke will remain.”

He paused for a moment, gazing at the smoke with a puzzled look. “I’ve never seen such a large-scale smoke spell before. We just recently awakened, and at this level, we shouldn’t be able to cast spells this powerful.”

He looked at Cai Kun. “Are you sure your rival is just a life shaman? I feel like he might have awakened a very powerful hidden class.”

The smoke enveloping Wang Chen and the others was actually created by Wang Chen after multiple doses of potions, stacking the effect to enlarge the area for scoring points.

No wonder the mage student had such thoughts.

Cai Kun, hearing the mage’s words, grew furious. “My father spent so much money to hire you to help me, and you can’t even handle this little smoke! What can you actually do? Just making excuses for yourself?”

“Don’t you even have the courage to try?” Cai Kun scolded angrily.

The mage student looked embarrassed and lowered his head deeply.

Wang Chen was actually very close to Cai Kun and the others within the smoke.

He heard Cai Kun’s roar, then chuckled, “Looks like these classmates are just as timid as Kun Kun.”

“That’s right, as the saying goes: a soldier who’s a bear is just one bear, but a group of bears is a whole pack.”

Wang Chen sighed. “Tang Ruotong, come back into the smoke and keep scoring. Don’t waste time on a bunch of cowards.”

Hearing Wang Chen’s words, the few who followed Cai Kun flushed red with anger.

They were all high school boys around seventeen or eighteen, at the age where pride mattered most. They couldn’t stand such humiliation.

Still, they felt there was no need to pick a fight with Wang Chen.

They had also heard of Wang Chen’s name on the public channel and already believed that this dark horse who had risen against the odds was no ordinary person.

They didn’t quite believe Cai Kun’s claim that Wang Chen was just a mediocre life shaman.

Anyone who managed to reach the Gold area must have some skills of their own.

It was clear Wang Chen’s strength was not low.

Moreover, Cai Kun’s father had hired them to help Cai Kun score points, not to fight his battles.

So when they heard Cai Kun say they were here to cause trouble for Wang Chen, they were reluctant but had no choice but to follow under Cai Kun’s pressure.

Caught in conflicting emotions, they could only remain silent and blush in response to Wang Chen’s slightly provocative words, feeling deeply aggrieved.

Tang Ruotong glanced at them. Originally, she thought she would have to fight Cai Kun.

But now she felt Wang Chen made sense—they simply didn’t have the guts.

So Tang Ruotong turned to return to the smoke.

Just then, Cai Kun called out to her, “Tang Ruotong, why follow Wang Chen? What can a poor orphan like him offer you?”

“Come help me! I can give you what you want!”

Tang Ruotong sneered at his words.

This guy actually tried to turn her over at the last moment, thinking money could buy anything—typical spoiled brat mentality.

She shook her head and started to turn back without looking.

But suddenly, Tang Ruotong felt a wave of dizziness.

At first, it was like tiny pinpricks, gradually spreading until it filled her entire skull.

Then Cai Kun’s voice echoed repeatedly in her mind: “Come help me! I can give you what you want!”

The dizziness hit her willpower in waves alongside his words.

She muttered, “I should go help Cai Kun… but I don’t want to…”

A low whisper came again in her mind: “No, you want to…”

Just as Tang Ruotong was about to succumb to the dizziness, her face showing confusion and inner struggle, Wang Chen noticed something was wrong with her.

Seeing Cai Kun’s sinister smile and realizing Tang Ruotong’s odd behavior began after Cai Kun’s attempt to sway her, Wang Chen understood it was his doing.

Though he hadn’t figured out how, Wang Chen could tell Tang Ruotong’s mind was under some influence.

So Wang Chen waved his Forest Gale staff and cast, “Song of Reason!”

A faint singing drifted from the tip of the staff, growing clearer and almost tangible as the notes floated toward Tang Ruotong’s head.

As the notes circled above her, her confused and troubled expression gradually faded.

Then she blinked wide awake, “What just happened to me?”

After a moment’s thought, she realized it was Cai Kun’s doing.

Tang Ruotong spun around swiftly, sword in hand, eyes full of hostility as she stared at Cai Kun. “What did you just do to me?”

Cai Kun smiled slyly, “I didn’t do anything. Why would you say that? Were you tempted by my offer but afraid Wang Chen would blame you, so you’re trying to turn it around?”

“You!” Tang Ruotong glared fiercely, slashing her sword toward Cai Kun.

Cai Kun didn’t dodge but calmly awaited her attack.

Next to him, a student wielding a blade stepped forward to block Tang Ruotong’s strike.

Tang Ruotong used her shield to push the student’s blade away.

Her gaze was sharp and icy as she prepared to strike again.

At that moment, Wang Chen spoke to Tang Ruotong through the team channel, urging her to return to the smoke.

He explained that if Tang Ruotong fought them, it would only play into Cai Kun’s hands.

Cai Kun, a spiteful troublemaker, was willing to miss out on the top spot just to keep Wang Chen stuck in the top five.

So Tang Ruotong needed to hurry back into the smoke and continue helping Long Wushuang deal with the remaining tough mud boars.

As for Cai Kun and his group, Wang Chen alone was enough to handle them.

Hearing this, Tang Ruotong shot Cai Kun an angry glare.

She suddenly thrust her sword—not at Cai Kun but at a nearby tough mud boar.

She slashed, smashing the boar’s brain, then pulled her sword out and fiercely flicked the blood clean in front of Cai Kun before turning back into the smoke.

Though Tang Ruotong didn’t fall for the trick or get held back, Cai Kun still found a point to taunt.

“Looks like your people aren’t very brave, Wang Chen,” Cai Kun sneered coldly.