Liu Hao's Yellow Card Warning

Mountain Split climbed up from the ground, his evil eyes fixed on Liu Hao. "I won't give you another chance to pull me down!"

Mountain Split beckoned to Total Darkness, using the knight skill, Taunt.

"The knight's taunt hit, and Total Darkness's view is locked! Liu Hao can't quickly pull away!" Pan Lin announced.

"The knight's taunt is a skill to attract boss aggro, but if used on a character, it forces the character's view to lock onto the knight, restricting movement to only forward or backwards."

With a knight's sword in hand, Mountain Split strode forward. "Damn it, I should've brought an axe instead of a shield for this fight!"

The giant sword slashed down, aiming for Total Darkness's head, but... it missed.

Zheng Chengfeng looked bewildered. What happened? Total Darkness's short sword pierced his arm, and the splattered blood blurred his vision like tears of blood.

On the big screen, the audience with a God's-eye view could see clearly. Just as Mountain Split's sword swung down, Total Darkness sidestepped to the left. No, it was more precise; Total Darkness had already stepped aside before Mountain Split's sword began its swing.

"This is... a preemptive move?" Pan Lin was incredulous. "Usually, we react after seeing the opponent's move or skill preparation. But Liu Hao moved as soon as he saw Mountain Split lift his sword. This prediction is almost magical!"

"It's as if Liu Hao scripted Mountain Split's actions. Everything follows Liu Hao's plan, allowing him to always be one step ahead with his counter-strategies," Li Yibo marvelled. "His previous calmness and charges seemed to be Liu Hao's predictive lures."

The audience was amazed. Has Liu Hao become this formidable? Has his Glory gameplay improved so much in just two months?

Zheng Chengfeng finally felt fear. He stared at the screen, feeling as if he was making eye contact with Liu Hao behind it. Those eyes were terrifying; all his moves were seen through Liu Hao, like a puppet controlled by strings.

Mountain Split numbly swung his sword, but Liu Hao dodged each time, his short sword cutting into Zheng Chengfeng's body, splattering blood. Gradually, the knight's health dropped below 50%, yet he hadn't even scratched Liu Hao.

As the short sword suddenly plunged into Mountain Split's chest, his movements halted. This wasn't due to stiffness; Zheng Chengfeng had stopped controlling.

Total Darkness withdrew his short sword from Mountain Split's chest, blood dripping everywhere. Mountain Split stood there, motionless.

"Why isn't Zheng Chengfeng fighting back?" Su Mucheng wondered. "If he pulls the shield back and uses Shield Bash, he can knock Total Darkness away!"

"Fear has paralysed him," Ye Qiu said calmly.

"Fear? What's there to be afraid of?" Su Mucheng asked, puzzled.

"Imagine a rabbit being stared at by a wolf in a vast field. What will it do?" Ye Qiu smiled.

"Run, of course. It can't fight back, and if it doesn't run, it'll be eaten," Su Mucheng replied naturally.

"Running is useless. The rabbit knows it can't outrun the wolf. The moment it turns, its neck will be bitten," Ye Qiu explained. "The rabbit is scared to death, and a frightened rabbit is as good as dead. Zheng Chengfeng is the same. All his attacks and defences have been predicted by Liu Hao, repeatedly becoming his backdrop. His spirit is almost destroyed..."

"How do you know?" Su Mucheng asked. "Zheng Chengfeng is a professional player who made it to the playoffs. How could he be so scared?"

"Because I've been in a similar situation," Ye Qiu said.

"You were scared by someone?" Su Mucheng asked.

Ye Qiu shook his head, smiling. "Not exactly. In the third season, I faced a young Battle Mage player who was about twenty. He mimicked my playstyle, so I knew all his moves. He lost badly in that match, and after a few exchanges, he lost the will to fight, like a mindless zombie."

"...

"Hey, why are you just standing there?" Liu Hao typed, slashing Zheng Chengfeng away with a casual sword strike.

Zheng Chengfeng was lost in thought, his fingers trembling. He was thinking about his next move, but every time he decided, images of Liu Hao countering and instantly retaliating filled his mind.

Fear surrounded him; he felt like a weak, timid child.

...

Han Wenqing couldn't contain his anger. He couldn't stand seeing a Tyranny player wimp out. He stood up and shouted, "Wake up! This is a professional match!"

Han Wenqing's voice was loud and powerful, resonating with the Tyranny fans, who immediately joined in, yelling for Zheng Chengfeng to wake up. Even Excellent Era fans joined in; they wanted to see an exciting match, not a coward begging for mercy.

Unfortunately, the soundproof glass was excellent, and Zheng Chengfeng, wearing headphones, heard none of it.

The fallen knight lay on the ground, never getting up.

Liu Hao didn't attack right away. He felt that even winning now wouldn't mean much. In his past life, he had fought hundreds of professional matches, often crushing his opponents' spirits. At first, he had no hesitation in delivering the final blow, but later, he found killing cowards uninteresting.

"Stand up!" Liu Hao typed.

Zheng Chengfeng was still in a daze. He saw Liu Hao's message in the public channel but didn't dare to stand up. He only hoped Liu Hao would end his torment quickly.

"Are you a coward?" Liu Hao typed.

The referee immediately issued a warning: "Liu Hao, watch your language. No insulting terms allowed!"

Liu Hao chuckled but didn't hold back, typing again: "Zheng Chengfeng, are you a coward?"

This time, he named him directly.

The referee felt his authority was challenged and immediately sent another message: "Liu Hao, yellow card warning. Two yellow cards will result in disqualification."

Zheng Chengfeng looked at the word "coward" in the public channel, feeling a deep sting in his heart, but he still didn't move, staring blankly.

"How boring," Liu Hao typed again. "I don't want to kill someone without any fighting spirit. There's no challenge or sense of accomplishment for me. I'll give you ten seconds to stand up, or I'll call you a coward again, and that word will haunt your entire career!"

At this, the referee was troubled. Liu Hao hadn't used an insulting term, but his entire sentence was an insult.

At that moment, all the Tyranny players began to fear, even Han Wenqing.

If Liu Hao typed "coward" again, it would be irreversible. Though Liu Hao would be disqualified, Zheng Chengfeng's career would be ruined. The word "coward" would stick with him forever, an unhealable wound for a professional player.

"Don't say it, Liu Hao; please give him a chance!"

"Zheng Chengfeng, stand up now!"

...

The two commentators were silent. Li Yibo found the scene familiar. Oh, right, in the third season, Ye Qiu had driven a Battle Mage to retirement. It was a hot topic then, but over time, many had forgotten...

(End of This Chapter)

P.S. Chapters 67-71 are up on my Patreon. Do support me there. winks

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