Chapter 113 - 112: Dan Heng’s Change, Game Preparations Begin (Part 1)

Dan Heng rubbed his head, glancing at the time. In less than six hours, Pei Guang and the others had left, returned to Herta's Space Station, provoked a Stellaron Hunter and even set up a battle? Right now, Dan Heng's mind was buzzing. How did these three manage to return to the space station and pick a fight with a Stellaron Hunter? And not just a simple provocation—they were facing them head-on? Was he still half-asleep? Dan Heng massaged his temples. The refreshing feeling from earlier was gone, replaced by a slight headache. As he was getting up, Stelle eagerly started explaining, "Dan Heng! You wouldn't believe what we encountered at the space station. Silver Wolf is challenging Ah Guang to a duel—a game showdown! And Herta's even hosting a betting pool for it. You should totally bet on Ah Guang! He's sure to win." Dan Heng: "..." He had originally hoped the notification was just a coincidence. But after hearing Stelle's description, it was clear that this wasn't a coincidence—it was really happening! Pei Guang and the others had somehow managed to provoke a Stellaron Hunter while he was sleeping and even turned the space station into a battleground? The craziest part was that Herta agreed to it and even started a betting pool? Hmm... should he place a bet? Dan Heng thought for a moment. As a companion, he couldn't afford to lower their momentum. Plus, could a Stellaron Hunter really beat Pei Guang? He had just had a dream where even Blade submitted, so why not throw a little spare cash on Pei Guang winning? Without further hesitation, Dan Heng placed his bet. "Galactic Moon Drinker bets 50,000 on Pei Guang to win~" This message, in the context of the vast galaxy, wouldn't attract much attention. However, for those in the know, it was quite surprising. The serious, no-nonsense "Moon Drinker" was participating in this kind of event? It could only be said that Pei Guang was truly something special, able to change even the cold and serious Dan Heng. After casually betting 50,000 credits to support his companion, Dan Heng turned to Pei Guang. "What exactly did you do while I was asleep?" Pei Guang shrugged, "Huh? We didn't do much, did we?" Stelle thought for a moment, "Nope, we were just quietly doing side quests." March 7th nodded, "I can confirm, we were diligently completing side quests, not causing any trouble." Pei Guang added, "But we did trigger a pretty big side quest, and there's an NPC who wants to challenge me~ Heh, I'll make sure she knows what true cruelty looks like!" Listening to Pei Guang, Dan Heng pondered, "Is there anything I can help with? If it's going to be a straight fight..." Pei Guang shook his head, "Nah, we're doing a pure game match—no fighting required. I'm using the Star Destroying battleship to set up some games, and they'll definitely match my vision." Pei Guang had already decided on the games. Since the rules required something appropriate for all ages, he was planning a simple boss fight. Since both sides needed a fair chance of winning, why not create a boss battle that no one could win? Or maybe a boss fight filled with hidden references? Or perhaps even a scary game. Pei Guang's mind was already buzzing with ideas—like including Valkyries from two different games, Sans, the God Eater, or the enthusiastic Yharnam bosses. Or maybe... the Giant Yhorm? Few people might recognize the name of the boss, but as soon as you say, "Only a storm can fell a greatwood", everyone will know what it is. Thinking it over, Pei Guang had already decided on the games he wanted to set up. He was best at video games, so the first game he chose was this one: "Only a storm can fell a greatwood." He wanted to see if Silver Wolf, this seasoned player, could figure out the special strategy needed to defeat this boss during an intense battle. Or maybe something like Outlast? That game isn't too difficult, right? Everyone has an equal chance of getting through it. Whether it's defeating a giant tree with a storm or escaping an enemy without even having a gun, Pei Guang believed that with Silver Wolf's vast gaming experience, she would definitely clear the game. After all, she couldn't call herself someone who treats the universe like a game and then be a player who's afraid of horror games or a weakling in RPGs, right? Even if her skills weren't great, she should at least know how to use the game's mechanics. Of course, Pei Guang reasoned that since Silver Wolf had such extensive gaming experience, she would likely discover the trick in the first game, which was essentially a freebie. So, the second game would need to be a bit more challenging. For the second game, Pei Guang planned a truly "sufferfest" type of game. Pure suffering can make players want to quit, so Pei Guang needed a game that was painful yet still compelling enough to keep players engaged. After thinking it over, he settled on a good choice—Cat Mario. While there were other punishing games, Cat Mario had that wonderfully mocking expression. This was a truly fun game, and Pei Guang had already decided on the competition rules. It would be Stelle versus Silver Wolf. Stelle would intentionally play poorly, while Silver Wolf would be the one to truly suffer. Whoever finished the game first would win. Originally, Cat Mario had specific level setups, but Pei Guang would remove the level checkpoints and save points—whoever could finish the game would win. What? Could Stelle finish the game? Of course not! Pei Guang planned for Stelle to throw the match. Winning wasn't the point—the real fun would be watching Silver Wolf suffer! Anyone who's played games knows one simple truth: the smile doesn't disappear, it just transfers to someone else. Since Silver Wolf was also a veteran player, Pei Guang was curious to see how much suffering she could endure in a game like this. Just thinking about it made Pei Guang grin wickedly. Stelle, noticing his grin, smiled too: "Ah Guang! Have you thought of a game?" Pei Guang nodded seriously, "Yes! I've designed a game, and you'll be the one to compete with Silver Wolf." Stelle smiled confidently, "No problem! Ah Guang, just tell me how to play, and I'll beat her so bad she won't even have her pants left!" Pei Guang responded sternly, "No way! How could I tell you how to play? But I can share some mindset tips that aren't related to the game itself." At that moment, Stelle understood what Pei Guang meant, and they exchanged knowing smiles. Seeing the two of them suddenly so happy, Dan Heng could only hope that Silver Wolf would be in a good mental state when the time came. After spending so much time with Pei Guang, Dan Heng knew just how devious he could be. March 7th, looking at the grins on their faces, shivered. "Whatever game you're planning, make sure I never have to see it. My instincts are telling me it's definitely a problem!" Pei Guang, full of righteous confidence, replied, "There's absolutely no problem! It's a simple, hand-eye coordination game that anyone can beat. Plus, I promise, the game will be fair and I won't reveal anything about the stages to Stelle. I'm just teaching her how to approach the game mentally, and that's not cheating!" March 7th sighed, "Yikes! I almost wish you'd help Stelle cheat—that would actually be less scary." She knew Pei Guang all too well. His thinking was both simple and incredibly complex. But she had to admit, playing games with Pei Guang was always a blast. Since both Pei Guang and Stelle were ready, she decided she'd just relax and enjoy the games when the time came. Dan Heng, watching Pei Guang prepare everything, felt reassured. "Since you've got it all planned out, go ahead and do it. If you need any help from me, just let me know."