Chapter 35: The Final Half Hour

Because the attack and defense values in the Anomaly Paradise are directly linked to character attributes, professional players who enjoy calculating statistics and pursuing extreme performance have long used massive amounts of data to analyze and infer the expected ranges for current player equipment levels and skill effects. They use these to categorize players into different tiers, allowing them to quickly establish a sense of psychological security and precisely calculate kill thresholds when facing various opponents.

This data-driven approach, based on knowing both oneself and the enemy, not only helps Withered Vine and Old Tree fight with greater composure but also enables him to reasonably allocate stamina, skills, and damage. Without this, even with the burst capability to instantly kill a Mantis Broodmother, it would be difficult to secure efficient kills and become the current kill leader.

In truth, Withered Vine and Old Tree’s assessment of Ember was quite accurate. Even with his superior enhancement resources from the closed beta, he still lacks melee skills that increase damage by 150 percent. Moreover, even if Ember were to combine passive mastery with attack skills and activate his Super Armor state, his damage cap would barely exceed one hundred points (14*2.5*3).

It must be noted that Ember’s active biological prosthetic arm is a modification based on an enhanced telescopic charging staff, boasting attack values several points higher than conventional weapons with similar requirements. This highlights just how difficult it is to possess a melee skill with a hundred-point cap during the closed beta phase.

However, Withered Vine and Old Tree erred on the very data points he deemed harder to achieve. Because the number of closed beta players was small, and even fewer were willing to contribute authentic data, gaps were inevitable. For instance, the calculation rules for launching a charge while in a Super Armor state were an uncharted territory.

First, the only known way to learn combat skills directly affected by such attributes is through single-player challenge matches. However, the combat masters there do not explicitly label their teaching curriculum, leaving many players—rushing to save time—completely unaware of the existence of these masters. Most of those who did learn the Charge skill shared Ember’s initial intent: to use it solely as a mobility skill. Due to a lack of attribute points, they struggled to deal secondary damage, leading many to simply disregard the attack effects attached to the charge.

More importantly, the number of augmentation items that produce a Super Armor-like effect is pitifully small. Even with Flame Emblems scattered throughout the Killing Island, no one was willing to waste such precious items on data testing. Or, more accurately, no one had previously thought to investigate the calculation rules for a Super Armor Charge.

Seeing Ember burst through the Shadow-Eating Insect Nest, Withered Vine and Old Tree realized he still had much data to collect, while simultaneously gaining a new appreciation for Ember’s combat prowess.

The Mantis Broodmother was agile; even he needed to use a guiding spell to lock onto it to ensure his skills hit. Yet, Ember, fighting in close quarters, managed to secure the kill in a flash, leaving Withered Vine and Old Tree full of admiration.

Having the burst capability to instantly kill a boss is rare, but the skillful application of that capability is even rarer. In fact, until the final moment, Withered Vine and Old Tree had a high probability of winning, as Ember’s limited attack range forced him to wait for the Broodmother to attack, and the Broodmother’s combat pattern favored opportunistic strikes.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the small mantis proved its worth. Despite the massive size difference between it and the boss, it unleashed incredible force from its tiny body. It first launched itself from Ember’s shoulder to intercept the leaping Broodmother, then used a sacrificial, enhanced slash to knock the Broodmother out of the air. Ember then decisively activated his Super Armor and launched a charge, slamming into the Broodmother before it could land, destroying the Shadow-Eating Insect Nest in the process. The momentum of the charge even carried him into another nest.

"You are even more formidable than I imagined!"

Withered Vine and Old Tree shook his head in disbelief and praise. As he spoke, he continuously released ice cone magic to kill his target, triggering a site-wide broadcast.

Compared to Ember’s primitive physical collisions, Withered Vine and Old Tree’s combat effects were much flashier. In an instant, the two crystal leaves set into his anomaly staff flared with light, reflecting off the azure ring on his fingertip. Two icy, shimmering cones shot out; the first pinned the dodging Broodmother, and the second nailed it firmly to the wall of the nest, ending its life.

[Notification: University Preparatory Student "U058" has successfully destroyed a small insect nest!]

"So U058 is Withered Vine and Old Tree!"

Ember had a deep memory of this codename. It was the second player codename he had seen since his own first player kill, and it had appeared repeatedly during the game. Ember had specifically taken note of it; often, when this codename appeared alone, it meant a player had been eliminated. He had previously assumed U058 must be a ruthless, aggressive player, never imagining it would be the mild-mannered Withered Vine and Old Tree. It truly proved that one cannot judge a book by its cover.

"You are very impressive as well!" Ember said with genuine praise. "You must have eliminated over a dozen players, right?"

"Twelve!"

Withered Vine and Old Tree smiled. "Maple Island’s city district isn't large but is rich in resources, leading to combat intensity several times higher than outside. There were two melees earlier that lasted at least five minutes each. We fought, rested, and fought again. Before I knew it, I had eliminated that many players. I imagine quite a few people are poking their screens and cursing me right now."

"Hahaha, I admire that!"

Ember laughed. He then retrieved the sickle-blade item dropped by the Mantis Broodmother and, joining Withered Vine and Old Tree, fought their way out of the small insect nest. The small mantis remained behind, consuming the life essence of the two Broodmothers to accumulate the foundation needed to break its own shackles.

"Hey! How did those two come out together?"

The spectators, who had been waiting expectantly, were astonished. The two racing rivals had emerged from the same nest, and they both seemed to be in good spirits. Even Withered Vine and Old Tree, as the loser, showed no sign of frustration.

"Mission accomplished," Ember said with a calm smile.

"Great work! When we divide the territory later, take whichever part you want. Don't worry about being short-handed—just say the word, and Sister Fish will assign you people. Even if I have to go myself, it doesn't matter. Also, the Duke of Thunder and I have agreed: every boss leader we take down will be sent to you to help you raise your mantis pet to the leader tier as soon as possible!"

"Thanks, Sister Fish. Thanks, President Thunder."

"What's with the thanks? We should be the ones thanking you! You performed well, really well! You have the style I had back in the day!"

Seeing Ember return victorious, Fish-Scale Arm clapped him on the shoulder, praising him repeatedly before turning to Death Song, who was wearing a deadpan expression again. She laughed, "In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are a joke! Death Song, oh Death Song, we are graciously accepting the nest resources you so carefully set aside. Many thanks!"

"Hmph!"

Hearing Fish-Scale Arm return the mockery, Death Song snorted and immediately led his men away. While he was seething with anger, he had no intention of going back on his word; he might be a loner, but he wasn't without principles. Seeing one of the three local powers leave, the now-unsmiling Woman in Water had no choice but to retreat. On the way, she pestered Withered Vine and Old Tree, asking about the reason for his failure. After learning the truth, she sighed.

"So the Super Armor effect and charge damage also use an independent multiplicative calculation rule. If that's the case, the conditions for a melee player to reach one hundred damage are no longer so harsh. One only needs six points of Strength to use the boost from the Reinforced Impact Booster and the Charge skill's judgment bonus to deal over a hundred damage to a Mantis Broodmother. It's not strictly necessary to stack Strength up to twelve points."

The Woman in Water’s expression was sour, her sweet, syrupy voice turning slightly sharp. "I didn't expect that even with valid data from nearly 150 players, there would still be gaps. It’s a pity all my Mantis Antitoxin is gone. Even with sufficient materials, I don't have time to create another batch before the game ends."

Hearing the resentment in her voice, Withered Vine and Old Tree felt a bit guilty and took some items from his pack to give to her. "I bear some responsibility for this failure. Please take these three enhancement materials as compensation."

"Really? Thank you so much, President Withered Vine!"

The Woman in Water instantly turned from grief to joy. "Our team is made up of ordinary players. We haven't been in the Maple Island district for long and don't even have ten points each yet. These three enhancement materials are a decent compensation. I’ll thank you on their behalf for your kindness, President!"

"You're welcome. See you around!"

Seeing the Woman in Water’s charming face change like a chameleon, Withered Vine and Old Tree inwardly sighed at her deep-seated cunning and led his people away, unwilling to continue interacting with her. Watching his departing figure, the Woman in Water dropped her smile, distributed the materials to her team members, and gazed into the dark veil, muttering to herself, "Calculate the time—it should be here soon!"

[Notification: A fourth disturbance in the island's dark veil has been detected. All new members are requested to immediately move away from the storm area.]

The fourth veil storm arrived exactly as scheduled, with only thirty minutes of game time remaining.

"Strange. The island is supposed to be the common territory of the three major organizations. It's been over an hour; why haven't they managed to calm the veil storm?"

Lu Renjia was somewhat puzzled, but his comment immediately drew a mocking sneer from Sunny Skies. "Making a big deal out of nothing. This is just a game setting designed to drive all players together. Do you really need to worry about it?"

"Hey, you can't say it like that! Our previous main quest was actually related to the veil storm."

Fish-Scale Arm didn't care for Sunny Skies' way of doing things and immediately spoke up for Lu Renjia. "When we were clearing the insect nest, an airdrop suddenly fell from the sky. Opening it triggered the main quest, requiring us to install a special instrument from the airdrop onto a nearby mountain to detect changes in the veil. Unfortunately, we only completed one part of the task before someone else intercepted it. I wonder if the player who installed the detector in advance is still alive..."