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Chapter 225: Violence

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Of course, the Citizens of Locke did not need Old Deer to give them any face. This was the main point of their mission.

Lear watched quietly. He knew that that person would definitely come. Some things may seem to be out of one's control, but with enough sincerity, things would magically fall into place…

This would definitely be interesting.

Everyone waited for Skeleton to choose his team mates. If it was the first two rounds of battle, Ice Wall and the team might not have listened to Skeleton. They were all high level players from various regions. It would be difficult to say who would be the one to choose their teammates. However, they had just lost so badly that they already had nothing to say.

Solar System's team: Skeleton, Prince, Hammer, MATA, Ice Wall

ROOM from Mars was replaced. This guy fought too fiercely and too arrogantly for his level of ability.

ROOM was very upset at being replaced, but he dared not say anything. After all, this was the rule set by Solon for this invitational tournament. In the CT world, you could offend anyone, but one ought to never offend Solon considering his position. However, ROOM still felt dissatisfied. Could the tables turn with just the addition of one new member?

Solar System team: Skeleton (Earth), Prince (Earth), Ice Wall (Moon), MATA (CaragalRepublic), Hammer (Earth)

Locke's Star team: Zha Rang, Piglet, Helpless Thousand Army, IQ Suppression, Solo Wind.

"Skeleton, we are fighting side by side again. We have to teach those rascals a lesson. They are too arrogant." Prince could not stop himself from speaking.

"It is my honor."

"Skeleton, how should I cooperate with Ice Wall?" MATA asked. Residents of Caragal were relatively easygoing. This was also a an important battle. So long as they could win, he was open to suggestions.

"Just fight as normal. Look for chances to exploit," Wang Zheng said.

At this moment, the big screen suddenly went dark. In the office, Solon sat with his legs propped up comfortably. He even lit up a cigar. No matter which battle it was, Solon enjoyed the battles with Skeleton as he believed in him with all his heart. This was his pride, the one thing worth celebrating in his career.

Was he superstitious?

Even if he was superstitious, so what? If Skeleton lost, they would be doomed together. It was not a big deal. This was simply life.

At this moment, the number of viewers for the live broadcast was already up to 15 million. Almost all of them were support from various regions in the Solar System. Obviously, the citizens of Locke were not interested in watching, even though they had their own people participating. However, other than Earth from the Solar System, there was a large number of viewers from Mars, the Moon, and Caragal. There were more than 5 million of them. For a non-homeground battle, this was unprecedented. Even though the total number of viewers did not break the record, it was already very impressive.

"A black screen? Are you kidding me? Are we returning to the prehistoric era?"

"What the heck, how can they have a technical failure at this time?"

Suddenly, out of the darkness a shot of flames burst out. It felt as though the silence was broken. In just a moment, the blazing flames spread and the Skeleton Corps' fiery skeleton flag appeared on the screen.

Yao Ailun was screaming. The battle had not started and he was already high. Old Deer, who was beside him, could not resist. "Calm down, calm down. Be professional, be professional!"

"Old Deer, don't resist anymore! Let's put down aside our differences for the moment. Now we have to unite against the citizens of Locke and beat them. We'll let them know what true strength is!"

Old Deer did not know whether to cry or laugh. This young rascal dared to lecture him, but he did not mind. The first two battles were too pathetic, so they could not lose anymore. In his fights against Skeleton, Skeleton had never lost, and he had even been humiliated. But this time around, on behalf of the grand audience, he would let things slide.

"Both parties have entered mecha selection. Oh my, what am I seeing? The opponent has banned the Wargod No. 1 and the Hercules!"

Overconfident and too arrogant – in the first two battles, the Locke's Star team did not ban any mecha, and this time they banned the two most useless ones. It was obvious that they did not want to give Skeleton an advantage.

Zha Rang's lips curled into a sneer. Their purpose in this trip was to beat Skeleton when he was using the Jungle Scamper.

Wargod No. 1? Hercules? That was simply a joke and it was an insult to the citizens of Locke. The citizens of Locke would not be afraid even if someone used Atlantis' mecha.

Wang Zheng, on the other hand, did not care. Since the opponent wanted it to be this way, they ought to be very confident. This felt just right. Exactly the way he wanted it to be.

Wang Zheng chose the Jungle Scamper without hesitation.

Prince and the rest of the team chose the mech that they were best at. After all, they were professional players. They tried to choose the mecha that could help the Jungle Scamper mitigate damage and assist it.

Seeing that their goal was achieved, Zha Rang and his team smiled and chose their mecha.

At Locke's Research Institute, they knew at least one way to counter each type of mech. In this world, in this universe, there was a truth that would never change: everything possessed a strength and everything possessed a weakness.

But….

At this point, everyone had noticed a big problem:

The battle scene chosen was the same as the one the Immortal Barbarians had chosen previously– the "Battle to the End". The Locke's Star team's mecha were the same as what the Immortal Barbarians had chosen as well.

This was an outright provocation.

The battle started. This time, Wang Zheng no longer needed time to adjust. Although he had not played for quite some time, his muscle memory seemed to have improved. He felt a strange sense of familiarity.

This was not only because of his own ability. It most likely also had something to do with him achieving the second level of the Primordial Regression Technique. He had absolutely no difficulty in controlling the mech.

This was why Wang Zheng had stopped frequenting CT. Other than providing him some chances to familiarise himself with the different mecha, it served no purpose for his training.

The safety timer had ended. 10 mecha engines sounded loudly. They all revved their engines at the same time. The battle was about to start.

Hammer and Prince were the vanguard. No matter the sacrifice, they had to protect the Jungle Scamper as it got into range for close combat.

Wang Zheng smiled. "Prince, Hammer, you guys don't have to protect me."

Hammer and Prince were stunned, then at the same time they gave him some space. It was obvious that they still respected Skeleton. Ice Wall and MATA, on the other hand, were a little worried. But this was not their home ground after all. They were just here to help, hence they did not say anything.

Hong Hong Hong Hong…. (Sounds of engines revving)

10 mecha marched in together, their energy shields activated and their lasers roaring. Whoever consumed less energy would possess the initiative. No one wanted to be beaten back.

Zha Rang piloted the Jungle Scamper. This was one of the simpler mecha he had used in CT. Honestly, there were not many controls for the Jungle Scamper and it was not complex to pilot for him.

However, in reality, the Jungle Scamper was very difficult to drive, yet Zha Rang could already pilot it well. As a result, piloting the mech in CT was simplicity itself. He would beat his opponent until he was unrecognisable and until he would never dare to use the Jungle Scamper again.

Wang Zheng's Jungle Scamper was naturally a target. However, he still did not activate his energy shield. If there were too many enemies, it might have posed a threat, but five people was not a problem to him.

The entire battlefield could be clearly seen in Wang Zheng's mind. Usually, a mech pilot would need some time to adjust to the view provided by the mech. Wang Zheng was different, he felt as though he could grasp the world in his hands.

The rumbling roar of the lasers was dulled as they approached Wang Zheng.

The Jungle Scamper kept leaping about, transforming and disrupting the enemies' focus. At the same time, he counterattacked using his own lasers. Very often, Wang Zheng returned fire in the midst of the mech's transformation.

At first, Prince and the team were still a little worried about the situation. However, after seeing Skeleton's performance, their confidence was boosted.

Skeleton's Jungle Scamper attracted most of the attention. At this moment, Prince and the team who was oppressed could finally show off their ability.

Zha Rang's attacks missed continuously and he was surprised. It was nothing to be angry about. What interested him was how Skeleton continued to move around. He truly did possess some skill; he could move well in both the demi-beast mode and in beast mode. Even the steps he took in the beast mode were well-calculated and precise, dodging every shot of his. He was indeed quite the slippery target.

Looks like Earth did have someone with ability. This was not a wasted trip!

The two Jungle Scampers moved confidently, suddenly advancing towards each other. Both entered each other's shooting range and changed from beast to demi-beast mode almost simultaneously, raising their Lightning Javelins.

Everyone's eyes widened. Yao Ailun's small eyes had already squinted into a line akin to an electrical wire. He believed that his eyes were squinted so tight that they could even act as a ruler!

"Zha Rang's Jungle Scamper is moving relatively quicker."

"Skeleton's recoil seems to be a bit exaggerated."

Hong… (sounds of explosion)

The instant Zha Rang fired his Lightning Javelin, he transformed back into the beast mode of the Jungle Scamper. Between his actions was only a slight pause, and in that very instant, he jumped to the side.

A ploy, this was a ploy!

The rapid movements made the Jungle Scamper unpredictable like a cheetah in the jungle.

Every the Locke's Star team members carried faint smiles on their faces. This was the smile of absolute confidence.

No one would help Zha Rang. The captain was more than capable enough to destroy their target. They would be beating the other opponents as practice.

Weng… (A buzzing sound)

"This is not good!"

Old Deer could not hold back and said, "Skeleton's movements seem to be a bit more exaggerated. Is he getting nervous?"

When people got nervous, their movements would be larger and more obvious as they panicked.

The moment the Lightning Javelin was thrown out, it would travel in a very small arc due to the effect of gravity. Even new players would know that. The Lightning Javelin's tutorial had reminded players that one ought to maintain a steady throw for the javelin to fly straight. This was the easiest way to land a hit.

In truth, the designer of the Lightning Javelin lmew that it was possible to throw the Lightning Javelin in an arc, but it was difficult to do so…

Hong…

The instant it was thrown out, Skeleton's Jungle Scamper did not retreat, but switched to the beast mode and advanced.

Zeng…

In the blink of an eye, a Lightning Javelin was launched by Wang Zheng. Meanwhile, Zha Rang on the other side was still moving about unpredictably….

Hong….

The Lightning Javelin arced miraculously in the air and hit him.

His Jungle Scamper had jumped to the side. It should have been able to avoid the shot, yet he was hit directly! It lost its balance and flipped to the side.

Zha Rang was a high level player, so even though the mech was shaking, he was still in total control. The engine roared and he steadied and regained the balance of the mech.

Zeng zeng… (vibration sounds)

Wang Zheng's Jungle Scamper had already switched to the demi beast mode. Without the energy shields on, he could move more freely and quickly.

In an instant, two Lightning Javelins appeared.

What…what was this rhythm?

Weng…..Weng…. (sounds of guns being thrown)

Two javelins were thrown out, then Skeleton's Jungle Scamper had already moved towards the other opponents.

Even Zha Rang could not stay calm anymore and rage burned in his eyes. Who did this guy think he was?

If he could not avoid that dumb projectile, he would retire in shame already!

Hong…. (Sounds of explosion)

Suddenly, there was an explosion in mid-air. A second Lightning Javelin had followed the path of the first Lightning Javelin, hitting its tail.

According to legends, in ancient times, a good archer or javelin thrower could shoot arrows that followed the tail of previous arrows and throw javelins following the tail of previous javelins respectively. Those who could perform such feats would be given the title of "Revered One" as a form of honor.

But wasn't this just a legend?!

Hong…. (Sounds of explosion)

The first Lightning Javelin suddenly hit him. Zha Rang's reaction to the javelin was right, but he had estimated the time to dodge wrongly!

Hong…. (Sounds of explosion)

Zha Rang's energy shield exploded into pieces. At the same time, the right side of his mech was heavily damaged.

Zha Rang's first reaction was to retreat.

Chapter 226: Time for the Real Show!

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

What he did not know was that at this moment, Prince had already used all his effort to follow Skeleton into battle. Even if he had to take a few hits, he still wanted to be the one destroying Zha Rang.

Prince came to fame because of his One-Two Combo. He flew straight for Zha Rang's head.

In the previous round, that was what Zha Rang did to him.

"I'm here to finish the fight. Die!"

If Zha Rang was not injured, Prince had no chance, but at this moment…

Zha Rang's Jungle Scamper reacted quickly and attempted to hide. Even though it was not a fatal hit, that move of his had affected his mech with its electromagnetic disturbance. What rubbish. This One-Two Combo could have been dealt with with a single kick if he was fine, but now… he could only watch on blankly.

Hong…. Prince did not hold back and launched a direct kick to the head of Zha Rang's Jungle Scamper, destroying him.

Of course, because of his over excitement, he got hit by a few shots in retaliation and his energy shield dipped dangerously low. But at this point, Hammer had arrived. He was the best support player in the Earth region!

Hammer's slogan was: Fire away at me!

At the same time, Ice Wall and MATA had been killed. While the overall battle situation was still not looking good for the Solar System Team, everyone's confidence levels had risen to new levels. So what if some people had died?

The other members of the Locke's Star team were also shocked. Their team leader had actually gotten killed within seconds of appearing. This was like a dream.

Old Deer could not hold back a lament. It was really too scary. The Jungle Scamper piloted by Skeleton, compared to the last time, appeared to belong to two different levels. If one wanted to fight against Skeleton, one really should not let him use such a mech.

Killing Zha Rang did not affect Wang Zheng much. Opposite him, Solo Wind charged towards Hammer and Prince. He alone was enough to handle two damaged mecha. The other three were already surrounding Wang Zheng.

Piglet, IQ Suppression, and Helpless Thousand Army maintained a triangular formation. Zha Rang's death had infuriated them, but they could still maintain proper formation at the moment of battle. Such battle habits could only be achieved through tough training.

"Thousand Army, restrict his movements, don't let him use his Lightning Javelin easily!" IQ Suppression said.

The three of them were not anxious to attack. They spread themselves out to decrease the amount of space for Wang Zheng's Jungle Scamper.

The Lightning Javelin needed a little time to gather enough energy for continuous use. For high level players, this was a weakness. It was also an opportunity for them to deal a fatal blow. The moment Skeleton dared to use his Lightning Javelin, at this distance, he would definitely suffer a fierce beating from the three of them during the reload.

On the other side, Solo Wind had already killed Prince and Hammer. This guy was just showing off his ability. Prince and Hammer's energy shields were already useless. Even though they hit Solo Wind, they could only weaken his energy shield.

Prince and Hammer were helpless. They had tried their best. They wanted to fight for a little while longer, but they could not. This guy's ability to pilot was like a blast of wind, it was furious and exceptionally strong, to the point that they felt like vomiting blood at their own inability!

Wang Zheng's Jungle Scamper swapped to beast mode to increase the distance quickly. This was the advantage of the beast mode, it could move very well. Swiftly, he shot his Lightning Javelin out again.

Hong…. (Sounds of explosion)

"Sh*t, Thousand Army, are you stupid? Don't block!" IQ Suppression said furiously. They gave chase to the best of their abilities. Even if it was the Scout, its speed could not compare to the beast mode of the Jungle Scamper. In the end, Wang Zheng's Jungle Scamper managed to draw away from them.

Thousand Army gritted his teeth helplessly. He tried to avoid the javelin, but he had almost gotten hit.

As soon as his opponents relaxed a little, Wang Zheng immediately shot another Lightning Javelin at them. In this mountainous environment, the Jungle Scamper moved as though it was on flat ground.

Zha Rang shouted anxiously, but to no avail. He had already died. A dead person's words could not be heard by his teammates.

Solo Wind moved stealthily and prepared to attack from the back. Suddenly, the Jungle Scamper jumped backwards, flipped, and switched to the half-beast mode. Solo Wind got a shock and his first reaction was not to attack but to dodge; however….

Hong…. (Sounds of explosion)

Sparks flew everywhere!

Solo Wind removed his touch sensor and could not resist swearing. Sh*t! He should not have tried to dodge the move, he should have rushed forward.

By attempting to dodge, he had increased the distance between them. He not only became a moving target board, but at the same time, he allowed the opponent's Lightning Javelin to unleash all its power as it reached its optimal range.

On the other hand, after killing Solo Wind in one strike, the Jungle Scamper moved like a spirit and looked for its next target. It was not affected at all by its kill.

Thousand Army and the other two were helpless. They could neither hit him nor catch up to him.

"Blast him! I don't believe that he will dare to handle the fire power from all three of us!"

Just as IQ Suppression was ready to use the laser gun, Wang Zheng's Jungle Scamper suddenly rushed towards the three of them like a hurricane.

"Haha, he's taking the bait. Brothers, let's kill him!"

IQ Suppression roared. The three of them turned their beam sabers towards the Jungle Scamper and rushed towards it. At this moment, it was too late even if he wanted to escape.

This was IQ Suppression's pride!

Zha Rang and Solo Wind let out approving shouts. This strategy of letting the Jungle Scamper loose in order to capture him was executed too beautifully!

People who focused on the details would be more likely to fall for such ploys.

However, Skeleton's Jungle Scamper had no intention of retreating. A pair of Lightning Javelins appeared in his two hands. The javelins were fully charged. At this moment, his three opponents were already approaching him.

But… the Jungle Scamper looked as though it was holding two guns in its hands…..

The two Lightning Javelins started to spin, carrying explosive electric energy. Maybe it was the spinning that made them look especially scary.

Wang Zheng did not need the energy reserves of the energy shield. He poured all of the mech's energy reserves into the Lightning Javelins. A good mech was different, it had a higher energy reserve.

If Old Deer was not an Earthling, he would have definitely screamed, "Brothers, run!"

Helpless Thousand Army and Piglet were at the forefront, while IQ Suppression lagged behind a little to preserve energy. As long as Helpless Thousand Army and Piglet could restrict the opponent, he could use the opportunity to kill his opponent, regardless if he had an energy shield or not.

Helpless Thousand Army rushed towards the Jungle Scamper. They closed in, one from the left and one from the right. The half-beast mode was rubbish in close-ranged fights.

You idiot, you thought that using two spinning toothpicks was enough to scare people?

Hong…. (Sounds of explosion)

The Jungle Scamper moved only when the two mecha had reached him.

When he was not moving, he seemed like an indomitable mountain. When he moved, it was like a bolt of lightning!

In an instant, two Lightning Javelins shot out.

The whole place was quiet.

IQ Suppression had a huge shock from the sight and froze halfway.

Having more people was not suppression!

Being fancy was not suppression either!

One move!

The pair of Lightning Javelins broke through the defensive energy shields and pierced the mecha. The beam sabers of the two people were just a few centimeters from the Jungle Scamper's head – they just needed to move down a little bit more and he would have died.

It was a pity that they would never have that chance.

Even though both of their energy shields were incomplete, the Lightning Javelin was a long ranged weapon, so it was mediocre in close-ranged attacks. But they had forgotten about the physical and electromagnetic damage brought about via the violent rotational force applied to the javelin.

Yao Ailun could only grind his teeth to suppress his excitement. He was the commentator, but it was not time to scream yet. Skeleton possessed such impressive finger strength and control, and he was so calm.

Hong….

Among the fierce sparks, a Jungle Scamper in beast mode emerged and rushed towards IQ Suppression like a predatory beast.

Almost without hesitation, IQ Suppression's Fanged Scout retreated quickly.

Wang Zheng's movements just now had consumed a certain amount of energy. He could not catch up to him by just chasing. He switched to the half-beast mode again and took out the Lightning Javelin.

IQ Suppression felt an eerie coldness at his neck and his hair stood. Oh no!

His energy shield fully activated and he had the idea to turn his mech to the side to avoid the blow.

Yet suddenly, unknowingly but instinctively, he stopped the Fang Scout and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

…He had no intention of dodging.

Hong….

The Lightning Javelin hit accurately, but because of the lack of distance, and that he had blocked the move decisively, the energy shield actually held on and was not destroyed.

This definitely was the smartest decision IQ Suppression had made in this battle.

At this moment, some of the high level players had already discovered some clues as to what had actually happened. The instant that the Lightning Javelin was thrown out was actually slow and almost exaggerated. The initial movement was just a feint. The opponent, upon seeing the Jungle Scamper attacking, would try to dodge the javelin at the first instant. If so, he had fallen for the ploy, allowing them to get hit as Skeleton readjusted the aim of the shot!

This feint had just seemed too realistic!

Almost all of the users of the Jungle Scamper had made a mistake. They wanted to throw the Lightning Javelin as fast as possible. This was actually wrong. The speed of the throw was not important. What was important was the accuracy of the throw!

Using the momentum gained from blocking the move, IQ Suppression desperately rushed for high ground. He wanted to replenish his energy reserves. This was one of the biggest advantages of such a map.

Locke's Star citizens never admitted defeat. Even if it was a slim chance, they would grab it. This was a mark of their professionalism!

He could make it, he could still make it!

Both sides were competing in speed. All of the viewers were holding their breath. They could not let him replenish his energy reserves. If he did, this guy would shamelessly stay on the high ground and rely on the energy resupply station and bombard Skeleton without worry. This way, it was possible that he could drag the fight by half an hour to an hour. Then the battle would turn into a joke.

And this time, IQ Suppression moved quickly. The key was that he managed to make a correct judgement on the strike just now.

Only five meters left!

IQ Suppression gritted his teeth and used all his strength to force himself forward. Finally, he entered the energy supply station!

Using the advantages of height and having energy supplies, he could continue to fight!

One hand of the mech had already touched the magnetic energy circle and started replenishing his reserves. The energy shield, which had fallen to 5%, immediately increased to 10% and was progressing towards 15%. IQ Suppression could not hold back his laughter. He gambled and he had won.

At this time, a loud exclamation seemed to have travelled to IQ Suppression's ears, and it was not from the mech, but from the outside. There was someone screaming…

It could only be his team mates….

As he turned his head, a flash of light bloomed in front of him.

Hong… (Sounds of explosion)

OVER!

A hit, full power!

The Fanged Scout died instantly at the energy resupply station.

Cool!

Locke's Star Team, destroyed!

Everyone was excited. In front of every large screen on Earth, people waved their fists and let out exuberant shouts.

Run, run, run. Even if you escape to the ends of Earth, you also have to die!

The outstanding shot just now killed the opponent directly at the energy supply station.

"Wahahaha, who told you guys to be so arrogant? You guys dared to ban the use of the Wargod No. 1 and the Hercules! Serves you right!"

"You're this weak and you dare to be arrogant on Earth? Overconfident!"

Ice Wall and MATA also felt fear. Actually, when they were part of the audience, they only felt that the fight was exciting and exquisite. They could not understand the kind of oppression the players felt. Only those in the battle could truly understand how terrifying this team of Locke's Star citizens was. Even so, they had no way of retaliating against Skeleton. Skeleton had an almost god-like understanding of his mech.

Chapter 227: Support

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

In the CT circle, only the matches between the high ranking players would be considered exciting. As for low ranked battles, there would occasionally be hype, but that was due to the opponent being too weak thus resulting in opportunities for stellar performances. Once it reached the expert level, even if one was defeated, there was no opportunity for one to show off their skill.

Unless, of course, it was inevitable.

IQ was obviously prepared to suppress Skeleton from long range and hang on till the end of the match. Although he was so close to victory, the opponent had managed to use him to show off their own abilities.

Even though this javelin did not require the technical subtlety that defeated Zha Rang, the visual effect of it was really too stunning.

Everyone originally thought that this match would be dragged into a slow brawl to the finish, especially when IQ Suppression had reached the energy resupply station. However, just as he saw a glimmer of hope, he was ruthlessly crushed.

The Devil King, Skeleton, had crushed him!

Prince and Hammer looked at each other. They knew the outcome, but even professional players would not have thought that the outcome would be like this.

"Old Deer, don't you feel particularly sad seeing this scene?" Unlike the Goddess Bubbly, Yao Ailun was not as amiable.

Old Deer laughed faintly. "Hehe, the kids of Locke have clearly underestimated the strength of Skeleton. It's a bit of a pity that we have lost to a score of one to two in this exchange match. Skeleton should have appeared earlier."

Yao Ailun was startled for a moment. This idiot was indeed a rival, always able to find all sorts of high-sounding reasons.

"Really, you think that the kids of Locke will let it go at this point?"

Student Ailun laughed craftily, the little eyes behind his spectacles shining with wisdom.

"…They wouldn't be that stupid, right?" Old Deer was in a daze.

Zha Rang and the rest were also in the middle of an endless argument. Even though they had won the game, they had failed the mission, especially with how they were being suppressed instead. That was intolerable.

"IQ, what the hell were you doing, being hit even while you were in the energy supply station!?"

"God damn it, how was I supposed to know that he had not given up? I only let my guard down for that tiny little bit!"

IQ had to suffer in silence. He really did relax for the brief moment he got in touch with the supply station, but that was how all normal people would have reacted. Who knew that that freak still had not given up and would even manage to hit accurately?

That was absolutely at the limit of the Lightning Javelin's effective range.

"Zha Rang, what were you doing? How could you straight up be dispatched by Skeleton the moment you went up?" Piglet also could not help but to grumble at the leader. If Zha Rang had not been killed right after he went up, they would not have been forced into such a passive position.

Zha Rang had nothing to say. It was a fact that the opponent had a stronger understanding of the Jungle Scamper than him, especially the part where he could even fire from the back. This was very rare even on Locke's Star.

"Stop blaming our leader, that person cannot be judged using the standards of Earth. Such precise pre-judgment, coupled with the ability to use the rear-end gun, he would likewise be regarded as one of the few experts if placed on Locke," Solo Wind said. Solo Wind's strength in fighting duels was unparalleled, and this was understood by the individuals here. If he said that a mistake was made, it was the case that everyone had also made a mistake.

"So are we or are we not going to fight? Don't tell me that we are going to go back dejectedly?" Piglet said. This was not an issue about the money, as failing the mission meant that their credibility would also be affected.

Especially for those who were defeated in the Earth region, others would not know the actual situation and would only look down on them even more. How would it be possible for them to continue to receive high-end missions in the future?

"Heck, we cannot just let this go. Solo Wind, I will be your support, we will challenge them 2 v 2!"

Zha Rang said. Solo Wind had the most comprehensive strength in fighting duels, while Zha Rang was the best at judging the overall situation and battlefield control. This was also why he was the leader. Of course, his strength in fighting duels was also not weak; however, over at Locke's side, he was the number 1 ranked support player.

Once supported by him, even a pig would become a godly pig!

"Hehe, Boss is really playing for real now, hell yeah!"

Zha Rang rarely chose to support, as the key thing was that there were rarely people who were qualified enough for him to be their support. It was evident that Zha Rang was really furious this time around.

"Crap, Boss, this guy is too fanciful. What a waste that he does not perform acrobatics." Luo Fei laughed while he ate.

A trace of grim laughter appeared at the corner of Lear's mouth. Initially, according to his assessment, if it was a victory, it would be a miserable victory. But who knew that he would be able to show off in this way? It was evident that his strength had gone up one notch from the previous time. The speed of improvement of this guy was way too fast.

He had done so much work only to realise that he was helping his opponent instead.

To be honest, with Lear's current status, it was not worthwhile for him to spend so much effort on such a person. As for that previous match, Lear had already gotten over it. Let's not talk about CT, even losing in the real world would not matter. The important thing was not about winning or losing but rather if the goal could be achieved.

But from time to time, Lear kept wanting to do something else. Perhaps it was to adjust his mood. Yet at this time, it seemed he was unable to do so.

"Boss, this guy is pretty good at rotating things; it resembles your strength a little. But he is merely playing with it in the virtual world." Luo Fei did not forget to boot-lick.

It also could not really count as boot-licking, as Lear's strength was unfathomable. One did not know how far he was willing to go. He was always thinking about more far-reaching interests and goals.

The Spiral Art. It was the household secret kept within the Cronos family. It was a move that derived from Gongfa, hence it was the very reason why the Cronos family was able to stand invincible.

This was not just some flowery move with fancy footwork, this was passed down from an era that went against the natural order.

Those wrists and fingers strength techniques were easy to execute when one cultivated the Spiral Art.

Just like what Student Ailun said, which was actually also what was on everyone's minds, the people of Locke had indeed issued a demand for another battle, wanting to change it to three wins in five rounds, to give the people on Earth a chance to be sincerely convinced of their defeat.

Xiao Ya had already brought up the freshly brewed dinosaur coffee. "Boss, you truly have incredible foresight. Skeleton really came, and he is so awesome! How I wish I could meet him once. In fact, they say that you are the only one who would be able to get in touch with him."

Solon took a faint look at this woman who was full of charm. To be honest, he had not hardened his heart to fire her all this while, because it allowed him to feast his eyes on her. It also could be considered scenery. This woman usually did her work well with her best effort, but to this point, Solon knew something was not right. This was not just pure curiosity, it appeared to have other motives.

"Yes, perhaps there will be a chance. You may leave," Solon said smilingly.

After Xiao Ya left, Solon immediately called the human resources department using his Skylink. "Get me another secretary. As for the rest, you guys handle it!"

As a businessman, generally speaking, amiability attracted riches. However, if anyone tries to touch his bottom line, it would be an entirely different matter.

When it came to things about the CT company, he still had the authority to speak. If they really wanted to use force, they would have to bring him down first. Regardless of what background the other party came from, it would not be so easy to touch the chairman of the Solar System region.

Luo Fei was actually not interested in such games; however, Lear was, and thus he accompanied him. He also did not think that Lear would care much about these games. It only caused people to have high expectations of themselves and little in the way of abilities. It was not fun at all.

Lear put down his Skylink and his expression was a little playful. For large companies, especially interstellar companies, if they wanted to take root on Earth, it was a must to go through the Cronos family. It was a behemoth which no one would be usually willing to offend, but this time around it was actually unexpected.

Solon had actually fired someone whom he had arranged for. He had really underestimated this person, and it was a pretty bold move.

After pondering for a bit, Lear decided to ignore this matter. He would not invest anymore resources in it. After all, the Cronos family was not the first and foremost family in the Milky Way.

But if he thought about it, he had already been defeated quite a few times by this person.

After suppressing the slight discomfort, the second round of competition begun.

At this moment, the number of VIP viewers of the CT live broadcast once again exceeded 20 million. For the previous time, there was the support of audience from the Immortal Barbarian and Norton regions. And this time around, the Locke's Star region did not have much contribution. 99% were from the Solar System region, and this was absolutely a magnificent and unprecedented event.

And this time around, the mode of challenge was also very special, 2 v 2.

The opponent sent out Zha Rang and Solo Wind for the battle, and Zha Rang's role for the battle was as the support, while Solo Wind was the main attacker.

This mode was commonly seen in military colleges. A team of two was the smallest, most effective combination. As long as the two people cooperated, they would be able to unleash the strongest attack possible. Before this, the military also tried out numerous other team combinations, such as having two attackers and etc. However, none was as effective as this combination. It was safe, but at the same time it also guaranteed persistent destructive power.

In the later periods, there were 2-person teams, 5-person teams, and 12-person team combinations that were gradually formed. There was continuous study as to which type of combination would be able to exert the most power. Each country had its own thinking; however, in terms of 2-person teams, there was not much argument, one main attacker and one supporter was the best combination.

"Now for the latest information, Zha Rang is the number 1 ranked support player in the Locke's Star region. Looks like he is set out to play for real. Let's see if he is fiercer at his attack or his defense."

Old Deer had already obtained first-hand information on the opponents. This was an aspect which Student Ailun was still not able to compete on.

Now the wave was leaning all to one side, as they had already proved their ability in 1 v 1. However, there would be even less of an advantage for their opponent during a 2 v 2. They would definitely hold the upper hand in such a fight.

Student Ailun adjusted his spectacles. "Dear viewers, it is undeniable that the people of Locke's Star underestimated their opponent a little in the previous round. This round will be the beginning of the real show! At the same time, this is also the time for them to witness our real strength!"

"Skeleton, I will be your support!" Hammer said. He was considerably confident about this, and there were not many choices either.

Prince and the others also expressed their agreement, and they knew that this time around the opponent would definitely ban the Jungle Scamper. The enemy was arrogant during the last battle, but this time, they were out to win at all costs.

Sometimes it was also a competition on the depth of understanding of mecha, and the people of Locke were indeed capable in this aspect.

"What do you say, do you think they will ban the Hercules, the Wargod No. 1, and the Jungle Scamper, all of them?"

Unaware of who said such a sentence, everyone was shocked.

Three could be banned in one game, this…

Up till now, Skeleton had not used any other mecha, and the number of games he played was extremely low. There might be no time for him to adapt to something new…

Wang Zheng suddenly laughed. "Prince, let's play one game together. You will be the main attacker, while I will be your support."

Prince was stunned. "…Me?"

If it was any other situation, Prince would be full of confidence. Yet this time he would be the main attacker and Skeleton would be the support???

"This, will it work?"

"I trust you, and again, you have already defeated him once just now." Wang Zheng laughed.

The opponent could not play anymore new tricks, but Wang Zheng did not want to miss such an opportunity for practice. The fiercer the opponent, the better it was. What's more, he felt that during IG, there were too many choices for the main attacker. Lear, Achilles, the twin Geminis of the Lie Family, and Raston, all of them were fierce individuals. No matter what, he felt that he ought to first understand the situation of the support-type mecha before deciding on what else to do.

"This… are you sure?" Hammer was really stunned.

This time around it was not only Hammer who was stunned, Wang Zheng's choice also stunned his numerous partners who were waiting.

Chapter 228: Old Deer has been Tricked!

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

"What… is this team composition? Has there been a mistake???"

Old Deer was also taken aback, but he had a sudden response. "This is definitely a form of psychological warfare. This child, Skeleton, is really cunning. He did this on purpose. This is so that the opponent would ban the more popular models of support-type mecha and reveal to him the models of mecha which they are experts in!"

A support was just another position in a team. In a battle, whether it was the support player or the attacker player, the one who ultimately called the shots was the team leader himself and not the person in a specific position.

However, the situation looked quite uncertain. Prince was chosen, and it seemed to be a deceptive move.

"Zha Rang, ignore him, this must be a smoke bomb to cause confusion!" IQ Suppression spoke.

The opponent was surely confident in himself; perhaps he was even ready to challenge two at one go, and it would not matter anymore regardless of what Prince chose.

Zha Rang and Solo Wind took a quick look at one another, and without the slightest hesitation, they banned the Wargod No. 1, the Hercules, and the Jungle Scamper.

Even Prince was also wondering if it was also a smoke bomb by Wang Zheng to cause confusion, but when they saw that Wang Zheng chose the Gold Guardian from the mecha storehouse, they were stunned.

Prince was feeling very stressed because if they lost, all the responsibilities would surely fall on him.

They were playing with fire.

"Skeleton really dares to challenge his own limits by playing a support. Let's just wait and see!"

"Old Deer, this is where you are wrong. Who says that support-type mecha don't have any attack power? Don't forget, the Hercules was merely an agricultural machine!"

Student Ailun rebuked.

"Hehe, Ailun, of course Skeleton can show off, that is not a problem. However, I am also just speaking the truth. In the case of support players, they should have the understanding and abide by the rules of support. Perhaps you can do everything, but you definitely can't be a support player!"

"Old Deer, there should be a basis for your words!"

"Hehe, he has been through quite a few competitions. In which round was he not the main attacker? This is a personality problem. Some things can be changed, but not this. If you don't believe me, see it for yourself later!" Old Deer replied confidently.

In terms of winning or losing, he still thought that the chances of winning were large. However, attacking was easy, while supporting was difficult. Skeleton was the attacking type. If you got him to be a support player, he would not be able to live up to everyone's expectations. What's more, at this level, Prince's attacking power was inadequate. He would definitely not be able to hold back for more than two minutes and before long would charge forth into a killing spree.

Not to mention, this time around there were many people who agreed with Old Deer. It didn't matter what a support player ought to do, what was more important was to win.

Yao Ailun felt that he could not continue to let the situation go on like this. Since the start of the competition, Old Deer had been constantly controlling the rhythm of the discussion right in front of the countless members of the Skeleton Corps. How could he continue to let this go on!?

"Old Deer, do you want to make a bet? I say that this round Skeleton, will not be the main attacker!"

Old Deer took a look of disdain at Yao Ailun, the child who was still a little immature. "Are you sure you want to bet with me?"

"Hehe, Deer God, one thing is for sure: I am younger than you and my body is more fit. I am only afraid that you would not dare to take up the challenge. Oh, right, don't trick everyone again by coming up with some special quality edible milk carton like the other time, that was really insincere."

One sentence from Yao Ailun shut Old Deer up. Old Deer mulled over it for a moment. First, they must win the competition, and they would definitely not be able to win by just relying on Prince's attack power. That meant that Skeleton would be the main attacker. Once he attacked, especially if he delivered the crucial blow, even if the last attack was not by him, he would not be considered a support. Either way, he would be at a advantage.

"Hehe, Student Ailun has been explaining for quite some time now. Since you are so confident, how can I disappoint the big group of viewers here? But one thing I still have to say is, if you lose later on, don't say that I am bullying the small. I do have a reputation to uphold in this industry."

Old Deer said smilingly.

"Cui Hua, bring out the milk cartons!" Yao Ailun shouted. Geez, at most it was just diarrhea. I am young, I will go all out to fight you!

One of the staff members dressed in a black shirt and sunglasses finished the milk in front of them both in just two mouthfuls and placed one carton before each of them.

"Cui Hua, it's a nice name, it reminds me of dirt!" Old Deer teased. Damn, whoever dared to mention milk cartons in front of him deserved no mercy! (TL Note: Cui Hua is a homophone for Brittle Flower. Flowers are usually found in dirt…)

"Leader Deer, my surname is Cui, and my name is Hua, the Hua of Zhong Hua, thank you."

"Alright, Cui Hua, you can wait at the side so that you can conveniently send someone straight to the sick bay."

Old Deer said smilingly.

Suddenly, all the major websites opened their markets for betting. There was a good chance for either result to happen this time. In fact, this was probably the only time where there was a high possibility of Old Deer winning, as the bet was not on winning or losing, but on one's capability.

The strength of the people of Locke was evident to everyone, and if the result of the battle was solely dependant Prince's attack power, the probability of success would be zero.

Faced with a situation of winning or losing, it might be inevitable that Skeleton would still have to attack.

A support-type mecha in itself was actually not that important.

Prince chose his War Emperor Type V. The one he liked most meant that it would be his best. "Am I really the main attacker?"

"Yes, of course. Relax, even though I did not practice before, I've watched Hammer play."

Wang Zheng laughed. The way support-type mecha operated was indeed different. The difference was very subtle, but during intense battles, it would still be observable.

As a support player, the support system was the most important, and Wang Zheng's mecha storehouse was full. Everyone's eyes were fixated on the screen, waiting to see what Skeleton would choose.

Hammerstone Gravitational System.

It had the capability to produce a certain degree of gravitation and repulsive forces and to disrupt an opponent's attack during close combat. However, the opponent's support would definitely act to counter it, and if it was unable to make use of its detailed interference functions, the whole system would be useless.

The whole system prevailed in the past for a period of time, but with the improvement of mecha anti-disruption capabilities and the situation where gravitation and repulsive forces were greatly weakened, it became be a little unsuitable for general purposes.

The current top choice for support-type mecha was a powerful shield. It could be carried and was multi-functional, so it was able to cope with complex battlefield terrains.

The choices of the Locke Star were quite worrying for the crowd: Overlord 6th Gen (Support, Arbiter Republic), Slayer Type 3 (Main Attacker, Arbiter Republic).

Locke's Star was an exporter of mecha and did not produce any themselves.

But Zha Rang and Solo Wind's choices stunned the whole audience.

This… was a mech totally designed to take out the opponent and crush them.

Everyone was too complacent, even Old Deer was taken aback. It was not about the support or main attacker anymore, but whether or not if they could still win.

The Overlord 6th Gen. It was currently the most ruthless support-type mech. It possessed a strong shield, superior attack power, and slightly poor movement, but it had a canon capability that helped make up for its shortcomings. It was also currently one of the mainstays of the Arbiter Republic. It was abnormally terrifying.

The Slayer, just like what its name suggested, was a mech that mainly used ranged weapons to slay its opponents. However, it was not for long range shooting, but rather a mech for close range shooting. With high speed and accuracy, coupled with the superior movement that it was widely known for, it could be said to be one of the most adaptable and formidable mecha from the one-on-one series.

From the functions of the mech, one was able to see the republic's style of combat. Arbiter was currently one of the empires that was most equipped with offensive power, so even for defense-type mecha, offensive power should also not be overlooked.

No one would have thought that Zha Rang and Solo Wind could use this combination even in their dreams, but it was definitely challenging to operate this combination.

But they were people from Locke. If by any chance it was possible…

The Gold Guardian together with the War Emperor Type V… would be completely beaten. Their attack power was totally lacking… It was probable that they would be bombed by the Slayer before even getting a chance to pass through the defense of Overlord 6th Gen.

The Golden Guardian's energy shield, if compared with the Slayer's, was like dregs of crap. The unique feature of the Slayer was the high-frequency consumption energy shield.

This combination was currently a very scary one within the entire CT circle.

They were also those considered harder to operate.

Solon was also nervous and at a loss. It was a catastrophe. It was not that he did not trust Skeleton, but Prince really did not have any background for his strength. In the previous round, the opponents were putting on an act; they used mecha that they were not good at. However, this time around they were serious. The opponents were definitely stronger.

At this point, the number of VIP viewers had reached 22 million. Such an amount of enthusiasm within the solar system was unprecedented.

Putting away their contempt, Zha Rang and Solo Wind also started to get serious.

Battlefield: Locke College

But for those who saw the scene at Locke College, it explained the seriousness of the people of Locke.

When the four mech warriors appeared, the whole audience cheered, Student Ailun was also filled with passion. He could not control it any longer, he opened his arms and roared, "Let the storm come!"

Boom…

Zha Rang was the first to launch an attack. Even though the Overlord was a support, the degree of violence exerted by this model was comparable to many of the tank types. This was also Arbiter's masterpiece. It possessed a high level of difficulty to operate, but with Zha Rang's abilities, he was clearly able to control it.

Just like the crowd expected, Zha Rang's Overlord mecha was very stable and extremely oppressive. One person assaulted both Prince and Skeleton from the front, while the Slayer was following closely behind the Overlord. They were just like falcons, while the opponents were like mice. Nothing had been done yet, but if the enemies started attacking, the opponents could only try to resist.

Prince was nervous, really nervous. Not to mention the opponent, just these two models of mecha instilled fear in him. There were not many people in the Solar System who would dare to use them, because while their functions were undoubtedly good, their rhythms were too hard to grasp.

This model of the Overlord mech not only had an energy shield to be used in times of emergency, it also had a titanium shield and a titanium pike. This resulted in lower agility, but the attack power was exceptionally formidable.

Prince clenched his teeth. The Golden Guardian was not an offensive support that took the first move. The War Emperor Type V hummed with a powerful force and suddenly surged upwards. Prince could not be terrified at this time.

The War Emperor's Electric Halberd attacked in a straight line. Zha Rang sneered, and the titanium pike stabbed right over him.

This meant a head-on battle was about to ensue

Boom…

Prince's War Emperor was directly hit and took a step back. This…

Prince also felt a great shock reverberate through his body. D*mn! The opponent's mech was just too strong.

Zha Rang sneered. Letting him use the mech that he was best at was really their honor.

At this moment, Wang Zheng's Golden Guardian immediately released the gravitational field, Prince started the engine of the War Emperor and immediately retreated backwards. Right at this time.

Boom Boom Boom!

The bursts of fire lanced over.

He would have to give an explanation for his defeat later….

Prince was bathed in cold sweat. Things were happening too fast. There was no time for any response at all.

Zha Rang did not intend to give the opponent any chance to take a breather. He closed in with big steps. Even though his speed and agility was not high, Locke College was like an arena; its terrain was not considered complicated and was very suitable for the Overlord to perform.

It can be said that in this type of terrain, the Overlord was totally suitable to be the main attacker as well.

"Disperse!"

After saying that, Wang Zheng immediately pulled apart the distance from the War Emperor and at the same time he started to go around towards the Slayer from the side.

"Minor tricks! I will eliminate the War Emperor first." After saying that, Zha Rang's Overlord suddenly powered up and jumped loudly towards his opponent. In a flash, the engine erupted. Together with the leg design of the Overlord Mecha, it could let him deal with terrain that was not too convenient by letting him leap great distances.

Prince retreated quickly. It was not that he did not want to fight, but it was because he was completely unable to beat him, especially since he was separated from Skeleton. It was a situation of one against two.

Old Deer was a little anxious. Was Skeleton crazy? He was indeed just supporting. You idiot, what was the point of really not attacking at all?

Such childish actions. Did he really think the opponent was an idiot?

Chapter 229: Can Such A Situation Exist?

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

It has to be said that at this point, the audience had their doubts. They seemed to be going too far. In a 2v2, the biggest taboo would be to disperse like this.

Prince could only make a detour and try to remain within sight of Skeleton's Gold Guardian as much as possible. Furthermore, Skeleton's intention was to not fight. However, with this current situation of him being chased by the Overlord, although he held a bit of advantage in terms of speed, he would still be forced into a dead end sooner or later.

The Slayer had been constantly defending against the Gold Guardian, keeping a safe distance. So long as the War Emperor was forced into a dead end, regardless of whether it was both of them fighting together or killing one of them first, they would have an 80% chance of winning.

Prince has already tried his best to hide, but the opponents' level was too high. He had never heard of the enemy being so agile as to find him, and what's more, the enemy was not a scout.

Just at the moment where it seemed like Prince was going to be forced into a dead end, Wang Zheng's Gold Guardian suddenly charged towards the Slayer! Zha Rang let out a sneer of laughter. What kind of person was Solo Wind? Even though the Slayer did not possess absolute power, it was nimble and flexible, hence, before the opponent could even approach it frontally, it would maneuver and crush the opponent.

Seeing that the opponent was charging over, the Slayer burst forward, its feet lightly pattering against the ground and at the same time pointing the rapid-fire burst gun in his hand towards the Gold Guardian.

In an instant, the chubby Gold Guardian performed an Arc Slide and attempted to flank the Slayer from the side. However, the Slayer was more agile, quickly turning along with the Gold Guardian, immediately preparing to attack.

And at this moment, the gravitational device of the Gold Guardian was switched on. It was not very easy to hit a target with this type of gravitational beam, but for those who had seen how accurate Skeleton was with the Jungle Scamper, they were not surprised.

The gravitational beam hit the Slayer in attempt to hold him back. However, the current gravitational field was unable to hold for even two seconds. What's more, the mech that he was pulling was the Slayer. Solo Wind's engine roared and he retreated speedily… the Gold Guardian was actually unable to pull him back…

On the other side, the Overlord had already forced Prince into a dead end.

"Prince!"

Skeleton suddenly let out a shriek.

War Emperor threw out its Electric Halberd. Crap… he missed?

But actually, Prince did not even intend to hit it, with his One-Two Combo, Prince shot out. Prince had saved himself from being encircled. However, the Overlord was already chasing him once again, and the distance was still too small.

Just at this moment, a miraculous scene was seen.

Gold Guardian's gravitational beam managed to grab onto the War Emperor. Prince immediately pushed the mech to its limits as the mech flew towards the Gold Guardian, and almost at the same time, the Gold Guardian's engine roared as it accelerated and rushed towards the Slayer…

At this time, Solo Wind had already turned the engine of the Slayer to the maximum. This was to prevent it from being pulled towards the Gold Guardian, but who knew that in an instant, it would turn into two mech warriors flying towards him!

Solo Wind only heard a buzzing sound in his head. Before he could react, the Electrical Halberd of Prince's War Emperor was already flying towards him.

Even if the Slayer was going to die, he could not die like this. Activating the energy shield took a second, but usually, as close combat was not so quick, this one second of time was negligible. However, in this situation, it would be deadly!

What was worse was that it took him a second to react and another second for the shield to activate.

The War Emperor's Electrical Halberd lashed out towards the Slayer.

"Zha Rang, go up!"

Actually, there was no need for Solo Wind to shout, as the Overlord mech had already rocketed towards the sky just like a canon. This was the Sky Rocket Cannon ability. It allowed it to rush into a high altitude, using its energy shield and titanium shield as a weapon to ram into into its opponent. Such a severe impact was enough to smash ordinary mecha into pieces, but the only problem was that it was slightly slow.

However, if Skeleton and Prince were to eliminate the Slayer at this moment, they would be able to do it in time!

The strength of Solo Wind was indeed astonishing; he had actually fired a shot at the critical moment, and that shot hit Prince squarely on his energy shield. The main point was that it was disruptive, buying a marginal bit of time.

But the Gold Guardian was also suppressing him, preventing him from taking another shot. Prince threw all regard to the wind and risked his life by attacking with his halberd.

He had been waiting for this moment his whole life.

Boom…

The head of the Slayer was directly slashed off and sparks flew everywhere. And at this moment, the Overlord mech in the sky was already advancing downwards, preparing to crash towards both of them. The most ruthless part of this move was that if used properly, it could also break the energy shields and directly kill the opponent.

Prince clenched his teeth and prepared to brace for the blow, only to realise that Skeleton's Gold Guardian had already moved in front of him..

He truly was seeking death. "The energy shield can't stop him…"

Prince shrieked. Was Skeleton doing this to sacrifice himself?

At this moment, Zha Rang had a sinister look on his face. "Go and die!"

Boom boom boom…

There were violent tremors and debris flew everywhere…

Everyone was extremely anxious at that point

Right at this moment, a gravitational beam landed on the War Emperor. Prince subconsciously went along with the pull and the Gold Guardian rushed outwards as Wang Zheng pushed the engine to its limit simultaneously. Prince's expression immediately brightened up. He charged forward, his halberd in hand, smoothly preparing to deal the final strike.

At this moment, the smog dispersed. The flustered and exasperated Overlord stood up, immediately saw the flash of the War Emperor's halberd, and subconsciously blocked it.

Boom…

Zha Rang was knocked backwards and had not even stabilized himself. He took several steps backwards as his mech was already damaged as well. Although he had dealt a devastating blow by crashing on to the opponents, why was he damaged as well?

It would now be a brutal brawl between Prince and the Overlord. The audience erupted into cheers. Even if Prince would lose, it was still worth it. The War Emperor chased after the Overlord and continuously landed blow after blow. Even so, Zha Rang still held on for five minutes, until he was eventually bludgeoned to death by Prince.

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah~~

Somewhere in Locke, there was hysterical growling followed by the sound of things smashing. How could this happen? How could this have happened?

Absurd! Absurd! Absurd!!!

"…The Gold Guardian has been upgraded?"

"Are you sure that was the Gold Guardian? How could this thing withstand the impact of the Overlord's ram?"

"Damn it, how the f**k is this a support? This is practically a bug!"

At this time, the screen replayed the scene in slow motion. It did not require much analysis. This time around, everyone would be able to understand what had happened.

If it was a face-to-face standoff, the War Emperor and Gold Guardian would be finished and would not stand any chance. Only when it was 2v1 would there be a chance to win. It would be useless for both of them to attack the Overlord at the same time, because its defense was too strong. Thus, the only choice would be to target the Slayer first. Hence that was also why the Slayer was extra careful and was not anxious to attack. Yet this time around, he had been fooled.

Trying to capture the Slayer was definitely the first move. Once subjected to the gravitational field, anyone using the Slayer would desperately try to pull back. But at the same time, Skeleton actually pulled Prince, who was in a desperate situation, and both of them flew towards the Slayer.

In the slow motion, people could somehow see the shock and desperation of Solo Wind, and it was also this psychological change that resulted in his slow reaction.

Even if it wasn't him, anyone who faced the same situation probably wouldn't have been able to respond either. The opponent was in a dire situation only moments ago, just like a turtle trapped in a jar, but all of a sudden, he himself became the turtle that was trapped in a jar.

It has to be said that Zha Rang and Solo Wind's reactions were pretty good. Solo Wind knew that the energy shield activation was slow, so he risked it and took a shot to delay the attack, creating a chance for Zha Rang to catch up. Zha Rang also did not hesitate at all, straightaway firing the Sky Rocket Cannon, and he made the right choice to attack them.

However, why did Skeleton not die?

One ought to know that when facing against the Sky Rocket Cannon of the Overlord, one either avoids it, or if they are hit, they will definitely be severely wounded if not killed.

It possessed a strong offensive power as well as an immense shockwave.

Only the ferocious and cruel Arbiter Republic would be able to invent such a move. It was said that during a crucial moment, it could end both the opponent and itself in a scene of mutual destruction.

Everyone was staring at the big screen. The Overlord descended from the sky with great force; it was unstoppable.

At this moment, the Gold Guardian was crouched down and it activated its Hammer system's repulsive force!

However, this bit of repulsive force was not sufficient at all to stop the move. At the moment of impact, the Gold Guardian took a half step back and, almost on the brink of crisis, tilted the mech slightly as he fully activated the repulsion field.

It was equivalent to using the mech as a slope to redirect the force! Even though it suffered a certain amount of impulse, by making use of the inertia from the slight change in angle, the Overlord was slammed abnormally violently on to the ground instead.

No matter how sturdy he was or how much he tried to defend, Zha Rang was also half dazed after the impact. It was normal for him to be totally destroyed by Prince afterwards, as if it was someone else, it would have been GAME OVER for the person after the slam.

"What the heck? Even a support can be played like this? Everything I played in the past was all in vain."

"That was a damn godly support, invincible!"

"Was that real or fake? That little bit of repulsive force was able to strip away the impact of the Overlord, that was totally absurd!"

"So the people of Locke are actually best at committing suicide!"

"Awesome, the greatest suicidal move!"

Zha Rang was red with anger. If he was not able to hit the target, the Overlord mech had an auxiliary system that assisted him with targeting, but…

There was no one who would dare to challenge the Overlord's Sky Rocket Cannon face on, but the opponent certainly did!

It was never seen before in all of history!

"This was definitely the two most godly-level moves utilized by support players. This will provide more ideas for players in the future," Old Deer said as he described the situation point by point. As a CT fanatic, he had seen many exquisite attacks, but this was the first time seeing a support being able to take control of the whole situation.

On the side, Yao Ailun looked at Old Deer, beaming, "Deer God, so this means that you have admitted it?"

"Ah, admit to what?"

"That Skeleton was an excellent support. Don't tell me you would say that the Gold Guardian, who did not open fire or make any kills for the entire round, served as the main attacker?"

Student Ailun laughed sinisterly. Old Deer felt a sudden chill down his spine and quivered. D*mn, he had been tricked!

Old Deer had tried to be really, really careful, but he was still unable to endure Yao Ailun's provocation. If it was Bubbly Foam, he would not have done such a thing.

Student Ailun had become famous after just one battle. Old Deer had the urge to slip away, but "Cui Hua" had already blocked the door, a smile beaming on his face. It implied that Old Deer ought to not even think of escaping from this situation.

As the slow motion replay came to an end, everyone's emotions also reached the climax. Both parties were in chaos.

The Jungle Scamper's grand suppression of the world and the Gold Guardian's ease and capability in diverting the opponent's attack made everyone go wild.

"Boss, it's 23 million now."

It has to be said that at this moment, to get even a teeny bit of increase in viewers would be really tough. In every game there were only a certain number of players after all. They had more or less reached the maximum number of viewers willing to pay for VIP.

Solon also could not help but feel regretful. He felt that he was going crazy.

"Hehe, Xiao Zhao, how do you feel?"

The technician by the name of Xiao Zhao stared blankly and suddenly smiled. "Really happy!"

"Haha, well said, kid!"

Work was work, it was a means of living. But sometimes, work could also bring about happiness, and if we were able to feel this, we were considered to be lucky people.

"What is Locke's side going to say? The situation now is a tie of 2 to 2. Are they going to continue on, or will they surrender?

Chapter 230: This Counts as IQ too!

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Solon was calm and composed. No matter what the opponent's plans were, they should have been ruined. In fact, they probably felt like committing suicide now.

"Boss, they are still conducting research," said the staff with a smile on his face.

"Prepare to send out the video analysis," said Solon as he nodded his head. At this moment, he seemed both powerful and imposing.

Slow motion videos could allow one to see the action, while the analysis videos broke down the moves from a technical perspective.

Two matches and four highlights. The Jungle Scamper had blown away Zha Rang's Jungle Scamper in just one encounter. The arced gun and the homing gun were simply model education materials for the use of the electric javelin. Honestly speaking, even the Immortal Barbarians wouldn't be able to do this. This complete and unreasonable dominance over the opponent was achieved through pure technique.

To defeat IQ Suppression at just the right time was the truly exquisite calculation on Skeleton's side. From the timer shown on the analytic video, if he was just late by the slightest bit, IQ Suppression would have completed recharging his energy shield and would have rendered this javelin shot completely useless. The whole process was completed in one fell swoop.

The explosion at the energy supply station was especially visually shocking!

Although it was just the showing of the analytic video, the cheering was unabated. Whenever the Jungle Scamper's javelin was thrown out, there would be instant cheering throughout the audience. This was a technique that made the opponent feel despair while making supporters go into a frenzy. Of which, such a shocking and despairing feeling was especially strong for the "instant critical hit".

If this was considered crazy, the second round was even crazier. This was because the level of passion could no longer be described with words.

A counterattack in desperate times against all odds! One should note that this wasn't just an individual battle, but one where there was a need to drive your teammate.

To be able to operate the Hammerstone Gravitational System continuously could only be described as amazing.

Zha Rang would most probably be speechless. Prince did not even make the individual ranking list on major CT areas and yet he was beaten badly by him two consecutive times.

If one considered the drivers for the comeback to be having a broad view on the situation and accurate commanding, then that awesome block could be attributed to extreme control of the mech.

Multi-dimensional analyses had analyzed the angle and force of the Overlord and the necessary things required for being able to take such a force.

Chen Xiu had used the most standard space mechanics theory to analyse the entire process. It was now that people realized that at that very moment, the Gold Guardian had executed a stunning move!

Although there was guidance from the Hammerstone Gravitational System, the force of the impact would be still too strong and one would not be able to take the impact. The step back by the Gold Guardian followed by the activation of the forcefield and instantaneous redirection was completed in one move. From the paused screen's angle, it was the exact moment just before the impact with the Overlord mech.

If he was just a little quicker, he would have been blown to pieces, while if he was a little slower, he would have also been blown to pieces as there wasn't enough angle to disperse the force.

It was just right and Zha Rang was the unlucky one this time.

This resulted in many little kids who wished to imitate the move to feel despair.

Come on, was the success rate even one in ten thousand tries?

How long would one need to train and practice to be able to pull it off once?

Although there was difficulty, the broad audience of CT enthusiasts couldn't resist their love for a good show.

One could only say that all moves had a counter. But who would have thought of it? Who could have done it? It was likely that even the designers of the Overlord mech couldn't have thought that their cannon could be countered in such a way.

Zha Rang and his group were also looking at the analytic video in a daze. At their level, they were certain that this wasn't a problem with the probability, but with the feeling. Many times, many perfect moves were responses to a situation. To get inspiration occasionally was possible, but to be able to do so consciously was extremely difficult. Even if Skeleton was to try it again, he might not be able to replicate it.

But the fact was that they were defeated badly.

It seemed that the mission was going to fail this time as the strength of the opponent was clearly beyond their control.

"What do we do now?" IQ Suppression felt a little helpless. The problem now wasn't about winning or losing, but whether they were going to continue with the last match.

It would be even more shameful to retreat without a battle in front of such a large audience.

"Forget it, I will give my all in the final match!" said Solo Wind.

He still had some thoughts. He felt that he had lost his previous match due to a technical knock-out. He wasn't able to bring out the Slayer's full potential and was still hiding a killer move.

The others looked at one another. Since Solo Wind was willing, there was no one that would object to it.

The fifth and deciding match was starting. A 1v1 match.

Skeleton VS Solo Wind.

"This little brother from Locke has commendable courage! He actually did ask for a 1v1 match!"

"Yeah, he seems to have mistaken one thing. The scariest thing about Skeleton is not a team battle but a solo battle!"

"Where did this he get his confidence from?"

Not to mention the audience, even Solon was curious. How would he still dare to fight?

Solo Wind was not bothered by it and opened up the field for a city battle.

After which, he chose to forbid the use of the Wargod No. 1, the Jungle Scamper, and the Gold Guardian, leaving only the Hercules.

….. Using the Hercules in a city battle was clearly not possible, not even when one had great abilities. Even though Skeleton's revolving shovel was strong, one would just needed to use the laser gun and engage him from range.

Even though he was facing numerous insults, Solo Wind was calm. This was allowed in the rules. One player could choose to forbid the use of three mecha and the other could also forbid the opponent from using three mecha. One would need to use his intelligence in a battle, and it was a competition of the depth of one's intelligence.

As the time passed, Skeleton did not forbid the opponent from using any mecha.

It was then that everyone noticed that Skeleton had never forbidden his opponents from using any mech. It was as though he was not afraid of anything.

What a joke! Wang Zheng couldn't wait to showcase all his techniques.

Solo Wind chose the Slayer Type 3 without any hesitation. This was what he was best at. However, it was because of this that he suddenly felt that something wasn't right as he did not have anything to fall back on. Could it be?

When Skeleton's choice fell on the Slayer Type 3, everyone let out sounds of cheers.

Slayer against Slayer!

Zha Rang and the rest looked at one another, not knowing what to do. Was there really such a person in this world?

He could choose close combat, support, and could still use such a strong attacking style mech?

Solon's men were already familiar with the routine and added the announcement in the first instant.

Do you want to witness Skeleton's massacre of the opponent? The countdown of two minutes starts now!

Slayer was the main mech for the Arbiter Republic and it used high frequency and powerful laser shots paired with a high mobility to fight. This type of mech wasn't for sniping but was a multi terrain mech specializing in the mid to close range combat.

Combining violent attacks and speed into one mech, he would still have to be careful of the ambush of other close combat mechs. Once the opponent got too close, its strength would not be able to be fully utilized. After all, this wasn't a close combat mech, and controlling the distance was of utmost importance. Basically, as long as one could control the distance between opponents well, one would be victorious.

The people of Arbiter preferred simple and violent ways of fighting to flashy and unpractical fighting styles. In their design of the mech, they had incorporated these concepts to directly exterminating the opponent.

This wasn't about the victory. Everyone was more interested in seeing how well Skeleton utilized the abilities of this type of mech.

The match began

Two Slayers appeared in the middle of the city. Solo Wind was already moving ahead, while Skeleton was still remaining quiet.

As the the Slayer started moving around slowly, a sudden burst of movement was made. Wang Zheng couldn't help but sigh. "Good Stuff!"

This type of mech required one to possess strong control, as it possessed strong burst capabilities. There was emphasis on improving performance in this aspect. The speed in short distance movement was beneficial for chasing and getting out of a war zone. It could be said that this mech in the hands of a capable pilot would be considered a massacre machine.

For the laser gun, it was the more unique Magnetic Storm Laser Gun. The destructive force and frequencies of fire were strengthened, but the area of effect was relatively smaller. There was a high requirement for high accuracy, which was similar to the unique points of a sniper. But at such a distance, it would seem to be nondescript. However, it was also because of this that it gave many excellent pilots the room to perform. It could be said that this type of mech required more from the pilot than other ordinary mechs.

The main features of this mech (especially so for the high frequency magnetic storm laser gun), were briefly mentioned by Chen Xiu.

Consecutive lunges forward and the random shots of the laser gun were signs that Skeleton was getting acclimated to the tempo of the mech, and such a sight was no longer something new to the audience.

If he could adapt to the Hercules, this type of mech would definitely not be a problem. The only difficulty would be if he was able to exert the full capabilities of the mech.

This type of mech was considered to be rather multi-terrain and would require some time before anyone could get used to it.

As the distance between the two were getting smaller, the radar showed that the success of city battle lay on exploiting the use of buildings to maximize advantages. This would be dependent on their reactions and there was no doubt that this was the best place for the Slayer to perform.

The two of them jumped from the back of the building instantly. With a distance of just 20 meters, lasers were fired instantly with their sounds echoing throughout as they moved to the opposite sides of the building at the same time.

It was apparent that they were trying to find out and understand their opponent's distance and reaction speed.

Solo Wind wanted to control the tempo of the battle and made his way out once again. He went for Skeleton's Slayer directly. After another round of intense shooting, Skeleton's Slayer moved to hide behind the back of the building.

Solo Wind had grasped this point keenly and applied non-stop pressure on Skeleton. This resulted in a situation where one party was constantly trying to attack while the other party had to constantly run and hide.

Solo Wind had an overwhelming advantage in the understanding of the Slayer. This was due to his higher accuracy. It was hard to determine if anyone had an advantage in the mobility of the mecha. However, it was clear that Solo Wind had higher accuracy in the use of the magnetic storm laser gun. This resulted in higher stress on Skeleton, who had no choice but to make use of the building to hide and dodge.

The hardest part about this mech was the magnetic storm laser gun that had been specially made for the Slayer. One had to adjust to the movement of the mech while compensating for the recoil of the gun.

Chapter 231: Knowledge is Power

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

The situation was beyond anyone's expectations. One would expect Skeleton to have an overwhelming advantage, but it was actually not the case. Skeleton had no problem controlling Slayer, demonstrating his strong ability to adapt. However…

"He's trying to grasp Solo Wind��s tempo to use it to his advantage… but it's a pity that learning on the job will not be enough to defeat the opponent."

"The people from Locke's research into machines is much better, so it can't be."

"Impossible, it is only a matter of time before victory is achieved."

Everyone could see what was happening. Although the two of them had similar attack patterns, Solo Wind's attacks were more efficient, and this allowed him to seize control of the situation.

If not for the use of buildings as shields, Skeleton would likely not have been able to last till now.

Old Deer looked calmly at the situation. There was probably no one who knew Skeleton better. Skeleton's Slayer was improving bit by bit at an amazing pace. He was acclimating to the machine while also adapting to the opponent's attack patterns and tempo.

On the other side, Solo Wind's teammates were cheering for him. This was the fifth and deciding round! Although they were losing badly initially, as long as they achieved victory in the end, a win was still a win!

Solo Wind had also discovered that the opponent was not omnipotent. If he had known about it, he would not have chosen a city battle, which gave the opponent an opportunity to delay.

"Skeleton, I thought you were good at fighting. If you have the abilities, face me one-on-one!" growled Solo Wind

…

Wang Zheng naturally did not reply. He had not gotten used to the magnetic storm laser gun of the Slayer. If he was to face it directly, it would be difficult to determine who would emerge victorious.

"Is there a problem with his brain? Why would I fight the way he wants me to?"

"Yeah, this r**ard!"

...

Although everyone was grumbling like this, they really hoped that Skeleton would appear out of nowhere and beat the crap out of the opponent.

However, this was obviously not realistic. The opponent's strength was not a bluff. There weren't any flaws from his movement to his attacks and he was good at controlling the distance between them. Knowing that Skeleton had lots of tricks up his sleeve in close combat, he did not give him any chances.

Either continue to flee or face me one-on-one.

"The people from Locke really do have some skills. This type of attack would really make anyone feel helpless."

"Why not just switch on the energy shield and beat the crap out of the opponent?"

"Hehe, considering Solo Wind's strength, if he got countered, he would not be able to come out on top."

This applied to both parties, and all this would now depend on who would be able to strike first. Skeleton was able to keep up with the tempo of operating the machine now. However, he still lacked some understanding of the machine, and this would give Solo Wind the advantage.

Honestly speaking, if not for the pressure caused by the previous two matches, Solo Wind might have had the chance to knock out his opponent. However, he was being overly cautious and was willing to give up some minor opportunities in order to pursue a stable and safe strategy.

There was another exchange of blows, but no one had switched on their energy shield. They had achieved their most agile state. This was obviously a show of confidence. Both parties were having a battle of the minds. Whoever switched on their energy shield first would have admitted that they were no match for the other party. This would cause them to be unlikely be able to overwhelm the other in the subsequent attacks.

Solo Wind was not panicking. He was excited like a hunter with eyes on his prey, waiting patiently for an opportunity.

Slayer did not depend on speed but accuracy. One chance was enough to defeat the opponent.

"Not good…"

The audience had an overview of the entire field. The map of a city battle had its ends. As long as one could control their attacks, they would be able to force the other party to a dead end.

Currently, Skeleton was being forced into a dead end by Solo Wind.

Numerous viewers were waiting for this moment and were feeling a little nervous. Having witnessed a wild opening, would it just end like this?

Wang Zheng could not have a direct confrontation. His ability to adapt was considered to be extremely strong. However, his understanding of the Slayer was slightly weaker than that of his opponent. Given normal circumstances, the chances of winning were at most 50%. Therefore, he would have to wait for a good opportunity. At the same time, he wanted to verify if what Chen Xiu said was right.

Death valley.

The last area of the map had a little breathing space. There was no option other than to fight now.

It was three seconds to the final battle between the two Slayers.

Three… Two… One…

In an instant, the two Slayers appeared in the same space. Magnetic storm laser beams were fired! Both parties had to execute stunning moves, changing their positions and avoiding the attacks of the other party.

The audience could see that the two machines were constantly moving at extreme speeds. This was the result of everyday training. Solo Wind's leg muscles were stronger than those of most people as a result of constant training. But how could the be opponent able to execute such consistent attacks?

As both parties were moving closer and closer to each other, dodging had become more dangerous. Who would choose to switch on the energy shield first?

Fifteen meters apart, the two Slayers had just completed their actions and had taken aim at one another at almost the same time.

With similar abilities, this distance was one where no actions would allow either party to be able to dodge. After all, this was the unique point of the Slayer, and it was to counter the highly mobile machines

With magnetic storm laser beams aimed at each other, no one had the nerve to fire first.

It was as though all breathing had stopped.

Solo Wind knew clearly that this was the best condition for him after being stimulated by the opponent into a mysterious state of extreme focus.

Finally, energy was gathering on Solo Wind's magnetic laser beam gun. At this moment, Skeleton had no choice but to switch on his energy shield as he was a step slower.

Boom…

Boom boom boom…

Slayer hit the energy shield fiercely, shattering it.

Once locked in by Slayer's consecutive attacks, it would be hard to hide. Wang Zheng tried his best to dodge. Energy was gathering on the magnetic storm laser gun, but there was no immediate retaliation.

The energy of the energy shield was depleting rapidly. After five shots, the energy remaining was less than five percent. One shot at the minimum and two shot at the maximum before death was inevitable.

This was at the stage of despair. Solo Wind still had an energy shield full with energy

At this moment, Solo Wind felt like something was wrong. His consecutive attacks resulted in the need for magnetic storm laser gun to reload. Although the time required was extremely short, the opponent was also a Slayer!

Without delay, he switched on the energy shield. He was very sure that as long as he could stop a round of attacks from the opponent, he would be able to achieve victory. This was an advantage! He could do whatever the other party could do. There was no way the opponent could break through his energy shield. This was his understanding about the machine!

At this instant, Skeleton's energy disappeared as the last five percent of energy were switched off. Skeleton's Slayer suddenly rushed forward towards the energy shield of Solo Wind.

Boom…

Another round of stunning skills and shots!

The third set of moves were followed by a forward movement and a shot.

It was obvious that the frequency of fire and the reload of the magnetic storm laser gun needed to be faster. Solo Wind felt the fierce impact on his machine, but it was no big deal. Even if he had to take an increased number of shots, his energy shield still had an advantage.

As the opponent approached, he would control the mech and retreat backwards. All it would take was at most two more rounds before the opponent's magnetic laser gun would enter the same state where there would be a temporary reload period.

That would be the best time for a counter-attack! The energy shield was still left with 30%

Boom…

The fourth shot!

Everyone let out a sigh of lament. Skeleton had too many perspectives to consider, but how could he have made such a mistake? Everyone knew that mid range combat could deliver the largest damage. With the accuracy of Skeleton, it would be achievable. Solo Wind was able to do it some moments ago, which was the reason why Skeleton's Slayer was left with a thin layer of energy shield.

And this…

The last shot…

Skeleton's Slayer was maneuvered strongly and it moved forward suddenly, followed by a somersault, with magnetic storm laser beams flashing in every direction.

Boom…

Solo Wind felt a huge amount of energy approaching him and then his machine was blasted away.

Boom…

Solo Wind's Slayer was smashed onto the wall. However, the energy shield still had approximately ten percent left!

"Go and die!" Solo Wind growled while trying to control the machine.

Everyone felt despair. At this moment, Skeleton's magnetic laser was charging at a noticeably slower rate just like the previous Slayer.

The differences between a team battle and an individual battle were with the details. This was because no one could share the load.

This was all about understanding!

Old Deer clenched his fist tightly. You brat, when it was time to lose, he didn't. This was not the right time for him to lose!

However, Yao Ailun stared intensely. "It cannot be, it cannot be, it cannot be true. Oh, God, this is the… magnetic shock effect!"

Solo Wind… was frozen in an instant as he lost control of the mech…

A full second had passed. The opposite Slayer was in no hurry and took direct aim at him.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

Three consecutive normal direct attacks.

The energy shield shattered like the petals of a flower. A sea of light appeared in front of Solo Wind.

Victory for Skeleton!

The whole crowd went silent. No one knew what had happened. Defeat was clear and imminent. Did Solo Wind intentionally take it easy???

"Solo, what are you doing? Why didn't you just kill him?" Zha Rang growled.

Just when they saw the faint light of success, they were met with destruction.

"What's the situation? Were you bribed and purposely lost at the most crucial moment?!"

Not to mention others, even Solo Wind's teammates were enraged. How could he stand there and not move when he could clearly fire?

Solo Wind was dumbfounded. "Magnetic shock effect, what luck…"

He obviously did not hear what his teammates were talking about. This was clearly a blow to him.

"That was so cruel~~~~~~~~"

From the broadcast room, Solo Wind's uncontrollable screams were spreading out.

On Earth, Chen Xiu bounced up immediately. "HAHAHAHAHA, my conjectures turned out to be true! Magnetic shock effect! Muahaha."

Old Deer took a glance at Yao Ailun, who was at his side. Frankly speaking, he had always felt that the reason why this young brat was able to sit here were because of the Skeleton Corps, because this was just a marketing strategy of Solon.

However, he had just said a word that even he could not understand.

"Viewers, let me provide a rough explanation of what happened. We have the slow motion playback now. Did you see it? The first, second, and third shots were from three different directions at different angles. This was not aligned with the theory of concentrated energy. You are right that the main focus is not the laser beams but the magnetic fluctuation effect of the magnetic storm laser gun. In physics, there's a physical reaction known as the magnetic shock effect. Although the mech had its anti-magnetic defenses up, it was only effective against a constant magnetic field. For a magnetic field that was created on the machine in an instant, it would cause a temporary malfunctioning of the machine!"