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Chapter 511: Old Merchant Sends his Greetings
Translator:Abyssruler
Editor:Lucas
"This Ares College Principal is still unclear of his situation, although it should be quite good. But you, punk, after wreaking so much havoc, have you thought about your next step?"
Regardless of how the Titatitan situation had played out, Wang Zheng was inevitably looking at having to play a huge role in the military. Broadly, carting him off to military court for a hearing was possible, but the reformist faction led by Meng Ao gave no ground, and they could act even in the absence of their leader. Furthermore, the Titatitan Star situation was so volatile, and could change drastically in the blink of an eye. No matter how you looked at it, Wang Zheng had successfully accomplished his mission and brought glory to the Solar System. From the report, it was apparent that Wang Zheng had done good work.
As for the agreement that Wang Zheng had with the people of Tita, only a few people knew it. Once exposed, it would bring an uncontainable risk to Wang Zheng.
Meng Ao and the rest could only act to restore balance. Wang Zheng's fate would be left in his own hands.
Speaking of the next step, besides entering the Elite Academy X to study, Wang Zheng had not seriously considered other matters yet.
"Do you know what the biggest difference between you, Lear, Achilles, and the rest is?"
Gu Te did not wait for Wang Zheng's reply. "They have prestigious backgrounds. They can control the tongue of the media, and using that ability, they can magnify their own good points, as well as the opponents' shortcomings. This is like a nuclear weapon, in that you must have similar powers. Otherwise, the presence of the slightest imperfection will render you incapable of retaliation."
Wang Zheng blinked, then laughed. "The Principal means… I should buy a newspaper?"
Crack! Gu Te heard the sound of his own jaw cramping, as his fuse blew. "You sure have a sense of humor! Not bad, that attitude is laudable, but biding your own time is necessary. Do you know which opponent is the most terrifying? It is the opponent that you cannot see. What you must do now is maintain a profile so low that you become unremarkable. The more invisible you are, the nearer you will be to success."
Wang Zheng nodded. He was already wondering how he could even become less inconspicuous. Trouble was the one who came looking for him, and he often did not mind the bother. But he did know that Gu Te meant well.
Gu Te lifted his tea cup and took a huge gulp. He saw through him now. He should just speak plainly with Wang Zheng about what he needed to do, and save himself the trouble.
After speaking with Gu Te, Wang Zheng finally could enjoy a moment of peaceful school life. He was a little regretful that he had not met Zhang Shan, Meng Tian, and Zhang Runan. They were training with the military, Wang Zheng knew. They were being utilized well, and Wang Zheng was happy for them, especially Zhang Shan. To have left home halfway was a bold move.
The dorm where Chen Xiu and Yao Ailun stayed had two huge cases of beer. They excitedly dragged Wang Zheng to the balcony.
With a fast hand, Yao Ailun popped open three bottles of beer. "Nobody leaves until we've cleaned them out. To our noble brother!"
"Brother Zheng, formidable!" Little Chen Xiu seldom got so excited, but they were really happy today. Both of them had been Wang Zheng's most staunch supporters. Although neither had said much, in their hearts, Wang Zheng was the strongest mech fighter in the Milky Way, and also their dorm mate!
Wang Zheng, with the tilt of his head, finished the entire bottle in one go.
"Xiu, minors shouldn't drink."
"Excuse me, but I'm already 16!"
Little Chen Xiu puffed up his chest and gulped his beer, almost choking. "Keke, too bad Big Shan isn't around."
Yao Ailun had downed the bottle as well. "Big Shan is swimming in glory now. The last time he came back to the college, tsk tsk, he drove back in an alpha tactical transport craft. Come, let's down another one on his behalf."
The three drank in high spirits, chatting of recent events. Zhang Shan's impressive deeds, Zhang Runan's stability, and the one with the brightest future, Meng Tian. As the daughter of Meng Ao, she definitely had an advantage, and she had sufficient ability as well. With both ability and background, she would go far.
Yao Ailun and Chen Xiu were not bad either. Because of Wang Zheng's extended absence due to work, Xiao Fei had finally laid eyes on the "normal people", and Chen Xiu had been chosen as Xiao Fei's assistant and disciple, where he had performed well. Gradually, he had begun to carve his own name in the realm of physics.
As for Yao Ailun, he was equally brilliant in physics, but he was valued for his ability in commentary. Companies had already begun to invite him to be their product promoter. His blogspace had over 100,000 fans and was heading for 1 million.
No matter how drunk they got that night, everything would return to normal the next day, at their usual pace, ceaselessly advancing.
The few days of peaceful life had actually left Wang Zheng a little out of sorts. Initially, he had been worried that Xiao Fei would come looking for him, but that woman had been obsessed with her work, and no news had come in these few days. He surmised that she was so busy that she had probably forgotten of his homecoming.
That had Wang Zheng heaving a sigh of relief. He gave explicit instructions to Chen Xiu not to mention his name in his time as assistant to Teacher Xiao Fei. Xiao Fei's present research had entered the final phase, and honestly, Wang Zheng's current level could not render her much practical aid.
Wang Zheng still had a place he wanted to go.
Boarding the city train alone, Wang Zheng really wanted to see the house that Old Merchant had sold off, and if it could be bought back. But then he thought better of the decision. Money was no issue.
"Senior Gail, you're coming to Earth?"
Gazing out at the scenery through the window, Wang Zheng suddenly received a message out of the blue. It was from Genesis Coffee's Gail.
Speaking of it, Wang Zheng had gotten to know Genesis Coffee because Gail had come to Wang Zheng looking for a bone to pick. They would not have known otherwise. Besides Old Merchant, Gail had been Wang Zheng's biggest supporter in Genesis Coffee.
"I'm asking if you will welcome us."
Gail's personality was as intense and impetuous as always.
"Of course, you will be welcomed with both arms raised. But you always come to Earth, and there are so many more worthy people who welcome you."
Wang Zheng laughed.
"Haha, at least you know. Alright, enough teasing. I'm not calling about anything in particular. There's a banquet soon. If you're free, come on over."
"Even if I'm not free, I will make time," Wang Zheng acquiesced smilingly.
"Alright, that's settled then."
Wang Zheng switched off the Skylink. The city train had stopped as well. He had arrived.
Wang Zheng walked out from the platform. The familiar streets had not changed. The Burger Queen on the corner, the teahouse opposite. Wang Zheng had spent many a day between these two places, eating hamburger today, chicken chop rice the next.
At the corner, Wang Zheng bought both a hamburger and a chicken chop rice. Today he was lucky. There was a set meal that came with a free watermelon juice.
The food tasted the same, although the service staff were all unfamiliar faces.
Time always turned the familiar into the strange.
After dinner, it was evening. The setting sun cast long shadows everywhere. On the sidewalk, children were running, and their exuberant laughter lent life to the streets.
Wang Zheng smiled, walking the familiar path home. As he walked, he suddenly stopped, staring at a roadside bookshop with lights on.
Old Merchant's book store!
With quick steps, he pushed open the door and entered. Ding dong!
The crisp bell made Wang Zheng's heart sink. Old Merchant never used these things. Entry had always been soundless, in order to prevent disturbing the readers in the bookstore.
Walking in, the books displayed were all popular books and magazines with brilliant, eye-catching covers that were instant favourites.
A little deeper in were tool books, but they were basic.
"Welcome, Sir. Besides the magazines and the unopened novels, the books here are free for browsing. If you don't like physical books, the store offers an electronic version." The bookstore's staff came up to greet him. He was a young man of about 20, and seemed to be a student doing part-time work.
"When did this store open?" Wang Zheng asked curiously. Could Old Merchant have sold the shop too?
"Half a year ago. Sir, you are…?"
"Oh, I used to stay nearby, then I moved away."
"Ah, I see. I heard that this used to be a bookstore as well, but it sold those antique books. Completely different from the practical book collection that we now stock. Although our books are physical copies, with the new archiving technology, we have achieved similar electronic results…"
The staff enthusiastically introduced the new technologies of modern books. With a light touch on the book's surface, and a hand gesture, the cover illustration leaped into life, performing a scene from the book.
Under such a passionate attack, Wang Zheng actually bought two books. They were not novels either, but chicken soup for the soul…
Walking out of the bookstore, he heard the staff brightly call out to him to return anytime. Wang Zheng looked down at the two modern books in his hand and smiled wordlessly.
He wandered aimlessly around in front of his old house for a while. Wang Zheng, books in hand, boarded the city train back to Ares College. He had just met rush hour as well. In the packed carriage, he recalled Tita with longing.
Returning to the lobby of the dorm, he met Yao Ailun, who was going out. "I'm off to do some product explanation. Right, I accepted your delivery for you. It's on your bed."
"Right…" Wang Zheng nodded, but he was not given a chance to finish, interrupted by Yao Ailun's startled expression. "This, Wang Zheng, are you alright?"
"Me? I'm fine. What could be wrong?"
"Keke, nothing, nothing's wrong." Yao Ailun scrutinized Wang Zheng's books from the corner of his eye. "Medicine for the Soul" and "The Heart of Success".
What had Wang Zheng bought these two books for? To rejuvenate his soul? Or to chase success? In truth, Wang Zheng's spectacular performance in the IG had not been rewarded with any tangible success after, not even a celebration banquet. It seemed like society had simply forgotten him. If it was him, he would long have gone crazy.
Yao Ailun was a little worried about Wang Zheng's state of mind. Sometimes society could be too cruel, but he was in no position to bring it up. No matter, they would convene on the balcony at night and drink it all off.
Back in the dorm, Wang Zheng saw the crudely wrapped box on his bed. He frowned. Why did this… look so familiar?
Chapter 512: Young Deer's Hit
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
He picked it up and gave it a shake. It was something light.
He tore open the gift box and saw a black box inside. Attached was a message in a familiar hand: "Boy, a birthday present for you.���
Wang Zheng reeled a little. Besides Old Merchant, nobody could write so ugly, unless it was on purpose.
Clearly, Old Merchant knew he was back. He might even have known that he had gone to revisit his old house.
Wang Zheng sucked in a deep breath. Must it always be this way? Would he suddenly grow fat or something if they met?
Besides…
It was a birthday present!
Wang Zheng felt like he might have developed a phobia for presents. The last time Old Merchant had given him a coming-of-age present, he had been turned upside down completely. Although the end result was favorable, but the intermediate process had been nothing short of torture. And now, another birthday present…
It wouldn't be more of the same, would it?
Would it?
But it was difficult to tell! That Old Merchant… the more he mulled over him, the more he realized there was more than met the eye. Once more was not out of the question.
Never mind that, he would find out once he opened it.
He opened it and it was a magic cube…
In an instant, Wang Zheng's heart rate quickened, and he almost threw the thing away. But he quickly realized that it was not a real magic cube, but instead a box that resembled one. Below there was a message, in Old Merchant's handwriting: "Haha, did I scare you? Confused? Falling apart?"
Wang Zheng's teeth were itching now. In his mind's eye he saw Old Merchant laughing at his cowardly form.
Vile old man with a wicked sense of humor!
Clack. Wang Zheng decisively opened the box. He wanted to get to the bottom of Old Merchant's antics!
It was another even smaller black box.
Wang Zheng's face was now darker than the box. He gave this smaller box another shake, but there was no sound.
He eyed the box. It was no ordinary box, but a 8-tier trap box. It needed a strict algorithm to open. With one wrong step, the box would be locked forever, and unable to be opened.
A challenge? Or a prank?
Wang Zheng gave it a quick look over, and opened the box easily. 36 steps. It was actually a mathematical problem. Most people would not have been able to open it, but it was no trouble for him at all. It seemed like this thing was important after all.
Opening the box, it fell apart into wooden pieces, and a slip of paper drifted down onto the table.
Picking up the slip, he saw that it was finally not written in Old Merchant's illegible hand. In truth, perhaps nobody besides Wang Zheng could decipher it. It was not even untidy. It was a whole new orthography altogether.
On this slip was an internet address. After deciphering, it seemed like a one-time file download link. Once the file was downloaded, the cloud would automatically erase it.
Opening his Skylink, Wang Zheng considered, then quickly built a safe mode firewall before connecting to the address. It was indeed a file hosting site, where millions of files were uploaded and downloaded everyday.
After permission was granted, the file was readily downloaded into the firewall protected portion of the Skylink. After checks to confirm that it was virus-free, he realized that it was a virtual community!
Wang Zheng was puzzled. Did Old Merchant give him a sim-game as a birthday present?
Was he laughing at him for being a virgin?
Damn, really? His 10th birthday present had been 100 math problems! His 11th birthday present had been 300! 12th birthday present, 500…
Now he was almost 30, and he actually got a game? Why couldn't he have gotten this in elementary school? At that time he had so ardently wished for such normal children games, rather than play with others!
If Old Merchant was around, he would demand an accounting. Return me my childhood!
But after hesitating for a while, Wang Zheng still decided to open it. The game was quickly installed in the Skylink.
It was actually an unofficial virtual community, a private server. Such virtual world products were strictly regulated. Had Old Merchant secretly started this one?
Even if it was profitable, that was a waste of talent, wasn't it? Even he could do something like KING Company, why would Old Merchant waste time on this?
Wang Zheng was just about to open it, when the dorm's door was pushed open. It was Chen Xiu and Ye Zisu.
"Zisu? When did you get back?"
"Last night on the Federation warship, so I didn't inform you. I just settled some matters today, and then came to find you." Ye Zisu said with a smile.
"Boss, I heard you bought these two books?" Chen Xiu blurted out anxiously.
"Eh, yeah. What's up? You wanna read them?" Wang Zheng was a little puzzled. How did the news that he had been tricked by the salesman get out so fast?
"Oh, let me see. Hey boss, for real, things have blown over right? It's nothing much to start anew. This world has yet to come up with something to confound us. Right, Sister Zisu?"
Chen Xiu scratched his head. He felt like Yao Ailun had been exaggerating over the Skylink. Wang Zheng's state of mind looked great.
Ye Zisu smiled and nodded. She was a little puzzled at the books that Wang Zheng handed over to Chen Xiu, but she had come to find him for a reason. "In 2 days' time, there's a Dawn Middle School reunion, organized 3 months ago. Many classmates are coming. At that time, we didn't know if you could return to Earth, so we didn't invite you. But since you're back how about going to take a look? If you're going, I'll just have a word with the organizer. Oh that's right, the organizer this time round is the school's student union. It's tied together with the school anniversary celebration.
In senior high, besides Yan Xiaosu and Xie Yuxin, Wang Zheng had other friends, but they were not as close. Besides some times when the mood soured, on the whole Wang Zheng did miss them quite a bit.
Ties with classmates were like white wine. The longer they kept, the purer it became. In the 2 year interval, he felt a sudden urge to meet them when he thought about them.
Wang Zheng nodded with a smile. "Count me in."
What Wang Zheng did not foresee was that his high school class monitor would Skylink him that night, excited about his achievements. "You bastard, The Milky Way Scientific Contribution Prize as a university student! Who would have thought! Back then did you scrape a pass on purpose? Each time it was exactly 60 marks. Now that I think about it, that would be harder than scoring full marks. I was right, you bastard! You must come to the gathering this time round, the precursor to next month's 100th year school anniversary."
"Yes, I'll definitely come. You have my word."
Wang Zheng accepted with a bitter smile. Back then he had indeed let his class down. Although he had scraped a pass, but each time he pulled the class average down. Those that affected the excellent review of the class monitor included him.
"Good! Good, good. You must come for the school anniversary as well."
"The alma mater's school anniversary. If I wasn't invited, I would still show up." Wang Zheng rubbed his nose, laughing. In his heart he thought that for the 100th year anniversary, Yan Xiaosu and Ye Zisu would not let him go either. Even if nobody invited him, those two punks would definitely drag him along.
The next night, Yan Xiaosu had finally finished his business talks, rushing back from Titan. Without a second word, he dragged Wang Zheng off to a BBQ shop, and ordered round after round of beer, declaring that they would not head home before they dropped!
As expected, halfway through their drinking, Yan Xiaosu took a tremendous swig, and began to pour his heart out.
"Boss, sometimes I really envy you and that Xie Yuxin guy."
"Spit it out. Are you about to make some life decision?"
"As expected, you really understand me. If I was a woman, I would definitely…"
"F*ck off! If you were a woman, I would rather go and die." Wang Zheng laughed as he finished another cup.
"I've decided to quit school. I'm just too busy now. This semester, I've attended a week's worth of classes at most."
Yan Xiaosu's head rolled, and then he said: "Now is the critical period. Once the company is firmly set on the right track, I'll make my comeback."
To this decision of Yan Xiaosu, Wang Zheng did not say anything. He simply raised his beer glass, and continued to help himself to alcohol and meat.
In his heart, Wang Zheng knew that Yan Xiaosu had thrown himself into everything after the breakup with An Mei. His results were brilliant, but between school and work, one eventually had to give. The Ares College would cut him no special slack simply because of who he was.
Looking at Yan Xiaosu, he was suddenly reminded of an old saying. Breaking up with the first love was the starting point of maturity for guys. Whether this was right or wrong, Yan Xiaosu had finally begun to shoulder responsibility.
As he said that, he and Aina now…
"Cheers." Wang Zheng smiled expansively. What was the point of thinking so much? Men should live in the present. Quitting school, or joining at Elite X College, to live one's life to the fullest was the important thing.
"Cheers!"
Yan Xiaosu lifted his bottle as well, happily drinking himself into oblivion.
2 hours later…
Ye Zisu appeared in front of the BBQ shop, irritated. She was here to drag some people home, and also to foot the alcohol bill for these two drunkards.
She helped Yan Xiaosu to the backseat, and he unceremoniously collapsed over it the moment his ass made contact with cushion, hoarding the entire back. He was unmovable. She had no choice but to put Wang Zheng shotgun. At this moment, seeing how drunk he was, he could not possibly go to school. Professor Wang was after all a person with status, and in such a state he would be a bad example to the students.
Firstly, she sent Yan Xiaosu back to the Yan house. Father Yan took one look at the comatose Wang Zheng in the passenger's seat, then looked at Ye Zisu, and shut his mouth. He just blinked and carried Yan Xiaosu into the room.
Ye Zisu opened her mouth and gave a wry smile. Sitting back in the car, she looked at the fast asleep Wang Zheng. It was so quiet… Suddenly, she could not think clearly.
Her gaze fell on Wang Zheng's lips. An unbidden and daring thought welled in her heart, and grew steadily in her mind. It swelled suddenly, making her breathing ragged.
She could not lie to herself about her feelings, although she had tried so hard to, all this while.
But…
Everyone should let themselves go once in a while, right?
What better time than now, when everybody was drunk? She just wanted… Thump thump. Ye Zisu's heartbeat grew quicker. Ye Zisu eyed Wang Zheng's lips. His sweet breath…
In her heart, it was like the wolf had isolated a poor deer from the pack.
Just a little courage, just a light one, just one. She just wanted to know what it felt like. Books, movies, television, always portrayed it as so perfect. She wanted to know if her world would be reversed. She felt like she had suddenly become the center of the universe.
Chapter 513: Saint
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
But what if she was discovered?
It would be fine. He was drunk and fast asleep, wasn't he?
Just once.
Once!
The voice of the demon purred within her.
Just once would be fine!
Ye Zisu leaned forwards towards Wang Zheng. Her lips were burning, and her face flushed. Her entire body was heated. As she leaned in closer and closer, she could feel the hotness of his breath. Just once…
Regrettably, Ye Zisu could not bring herself to do it. She bit her lip, and was about to straighten up, when a hand hugged her close.
Her flushed red lips had been roughly claimed, and her mouth was sucked in fervently.
In that instant, her brain was aflame. The world was spinning round and round.
"Another cup! What a big bottle of beer…" Wang Zheng mumbled. As he spoke he breathed out again, and resumed his heavy breathing.
Ye Zisu was now so flushed she felt cooked. She, normally pale as snow, was now beautiful beyond belief.
Touching her own lips, she was both anxious and a little bashful. But Ye Zisu suddenly discovered that she couldn't remember what that kiss felt like…
It took a while for Ye Zisu to regain her composure. She started the hovercraft engine, and took a deep breath, speeding off.
From the second floor of the Yan house, Yan Xiaosu waved his fist ecstatically in the air a few times. In his hand was a pair of binoculars. Wang Zheng had been made drunk by him. Ye Zisu had been called, also because of him. Although he fell short to Wang Zheng in many aspects, but in terms of drinking, he still had the confidence to maintain himself. Although Wang Zheng had his ways of maintaining his sobriety, but he knew he would never use them when drinking with him.
Yan Xiaosu only really came to understand that the one you loved was nothing compared to the one who loved you. If you slipped up, there was no turning back. If you did not treasure those around you, you would regret it forever.
It was not easy for him as well. What was so good about a princess? She was just a pretty face. He couldn't stand the face of the Aslan royal family. How dare they look down on his big brother. He would make them beg on their knees!
Wang Zheng was in a wonderful dream. He dreamt that he was hugging a huge fragrant beer bottle, but it suddenly turned into Aina. Her lips had been so soft and sublime… familiar.
There was still more than 3 months to the qualifiers for Elite Academy X. At that time, all candidates would be sent by the Federation together to Roland Garros. He, Lear, Achilles, Lie Xin, Luo Fei were definitely confirmed, but there were other participants as well. Many had unique and extraordinary individual abilities, not necessarily suited to battling. Elite Academy X was not just about researching ability X, but about mastering the core of mankind's all-rounded strength.
In this period of time, the school had not arranged anything for Wang Zheng. Gu Te's intention was for Wang Zheng to wait away this time in low profile, against any kind of dirty trick by anybody. Wang Zheng also knew that Lear was not particularly concerned with him, which highlighted his problem. Achilles used to be Lear's rival as well, but he could not match them simply because Achilles also had a rich and powerful background. A competent successor, but Wang Zheng was not. Wang Zheng was but a weed in the breeze, now perhaps a slightly coarser cattail.
But what Lear did not understand was that a flower in the greenhouse may look beautiful, but in terms of hardiness, it could never compete with a weed.
As for the matter with KING Company, Wang Zheng did not want to spend too much effort. He was clear of his own ability, direction, and goal. Xiao Fei had got the hint as well, and did not force him. Back then, she did resent him from time to time. For this year's hiring of students for work, she had strongly lobbied for a wage increase, but when Wang Zheng had said he might have found the solution to the materials needed for translocation, Xiao Fei had been all smiles, and generous with her praise.
The way women changed their expressions, they were all capable of an Oscar.
The super-duty energy mineral ore that Wang Zheng had found should be the ideal solution to their problem, but the next step of tests needed to be taken up by a professional team.
Old Merchant's present was undoubtedly important. The moment he appeared, the thing had been there, which revealed that Old Merchant had prepared it well in advance, waiting for him to return. But Old Merchant had refused to show his face. But that was understandable. Although considerable time had passed, but he was after all a criminal in the galaxy. Poor old man. Physicists of similar eminence were common enough, but those who had bungled themselves into similar messes were rare indeed.
The last time he had given him a magic cube, that had turned his life on its end. This time it was a program. Old Merchant did not do things for no reason; this was definitely important. Wang Zheng had bought a Virtual World Enlarger, which was actually a signal amplifying sensor to be worn on the head. It was even more convenient than CT, and also showed that this program was not complicated.
In truth, Wang Zheng was burning with curiosity.
Connecting the Skylink signal, Wang Zheng entered a program called "World of Saints".
To be so serious about this… what on earth was it?
Honestly, besides CT, he was not really interested in anything else at the moment.
On the other side of Earth, Lear had already taken himself out of military exercises. What others could not do, the Chronos family could do. Others might have thought that Lear was currently preparing for Elite Academy X, but that was not the case.
Not just Lear, but Luo Fei as well. Both were in the same boat as Wang Zheng.
In the dark virtual world, a glimmer of light gradually grew. Wang Zheng waited in silence. All virtual worlds were mostly the same, some casual sexy catch. It normally opened with some cute girls.
But what surprised Wang Zheng was that the universe that was appearing in front of his eyes gradually changed into Earth, as though implying that Earth was at the center of the universe. A rather narcissistic opening, even for Wang Zheng who was an Earthling.
Closely following that, the scene evolved into a plethora of Zergs that covered everything, rushing out from the darkness… This opening did not seem like the sexy sort.
What was surprising was that the worms collapsed in waves, and new ones appeared. Worms never seen before, until finally a wormlike race appeared that resembled mankind.
Finally, these worms also collapsed, and in the space a man's silhouette appeared. Beside him a group of people followed, as though implying that this group of people had saved the world.
After a blinding flash of light, "World of Saints" was displayed in a bold, sketchy hand. Honestly, perhaps only Earthlings would recognize it, and this also showed that the programmer was proud and arrogant.
But what use was such an opening? There were plenty of virtual worlds that looked way better than this one, and were less narcissistic as well.
When it all ended, what appeared was a faceless person in a white robe. This perked Wang Zheng's interest a little. At least it wasn't an overused pretty girl.
The white robed person seemed to be looking at Wang Zheng, but speaking to himself. "All ability X is a response between mankind and the power of the universe. Everybody has the chance to master it. All those who are fated to enter World of Saints will be bestowed with the 8 Point Blade Technique to trigger their wisdom. Once triggered, they will have the chance to participate in World of Saints. If the triggering fails, the program will automatically self-destruct.
In front of Wang Zheng, a yes/no option appeared.
Wang Zheng chose the Yes, and then felt his body float. Suddenly 8 points on his body lit up.
"The body of mankind is the treasure house of strength. It is also called the inner universe, and possesses unlimited strength. The Blade Technique is the key to unlocking it. Now, let the transformation begin!"
The white robed person said.
Chapter 514: Blade Arts
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
"The body of mankind is the treasure house of strength. It is also called the inner universe, and it possesses unlimited strength. Blade Techniques is the key to unlocking it. Now, let the transformation begin!"
The white robed person said.
Wang Zheng's shock was total. These 8 points were also within the Primordial Regression Technique, and could form a basic loop. The so-called wisdom trigger was the fabled enlightenment.
This sequence actually had a similar effect to the Rubik's Cube, although it was far behind technologically. The Rubik's Cube's effect had a 90 percent chance of success, while this sequence only had a 10 percent chance. But it was enough to shock Wang Zheng.
He did not know how many people possessed this sequence, but all those who had been successfully enlightened knew this basic Blade Technique without question. Daily practice would definitely hone the body.
Who had created this program???
In an instant, Wang Zheng was stunned. Could his Rubik's Cube, the treasure that Old Merchant had taken from a parallel dimension, be of this world?
Was it pure coincidence?
BOOM…
The process was fairly quick. 8 bright points underwent a series of agitations, and very quickly formed a circulation. Wang Zheng did not feel much, because he had undergone an even more grueling enlightenment process before.
This was indeed genuine enlightenment.
"Congratulations, you have successfully triggered your awakening. Tomorrow you will be given a second chance to enter World of Saints. For now, you need rest."
As this was said, the world shut down, and Wang Zheng was taken out of the World of Saints virtual world.
In the dorm, Wang Zheng retreated deep into his thoughts. His body did not feel much, but he knew that his entire circulatory loop had been tampered with. For someone who did not know any martial arts, completing such a loop would be the first thorough cleansing of a body.
Therefore, a day of rest was needed.
Clearly the maker was very aware of this. Old Merchant knew he had the Rubik's Cube. To give him this, could the Old Merchant be the creator of this object?
It seemed unlikely. Old Merchant had mentioned before that he was not too clear about the Rubik's Cube's true use, while martial arts was not something that a simple virtual community could easily mimic. All that could be said was that the programmer understood things very thoroughly, although the 8 Point's level was nothing compared to the Primordial Regression Technique.
Although the program had said that this was just the most basic. There must be more secrets concealed within.
Wang Zheng knew that Old Merchant was probably in collaboration with a secret group, but they did not let him participate too much. Perhaps this was the secret group's product. In terms of martial arts, Wang Zheng had many problems that even Bonehead and Charcoal could not help him with. But this seemed… possible.
And Wang Zheng really wanted to know what level this "World of Saints" thing possessed, and their purpose!
But Wang Zheng also sensed a tingle of danger. If this was power that the Milky Way controlled, then such a method would not be needed. Evidently this was a power outside of the Milky Way, and what he was doing indeed raised his power. If any military school students or mecha pilots used this sequence, they would benefit greatly as well.
His understanding of ability X was also comprehensive, as Wang Zheng had much experience in this aspect.
That Old Merchant had not given him any clear goals meant that it was up to him.
Was this the present before he went to Elite X College?
Wang Zheng's excitement was palpable. But the program could not be entered, and he just had to let it be.
Ye Zisu's recent tasks were focused on the Storm Swordsman. Although Wind God was definitely a shining star for OMG, but simply depending on Wind God would not be enough.
Although the Storm Swordsman had not been formally displayed to the world, but its performance on Tita could be called astonishing. It would not be a problem to at least dominate the Tita markets.
Before Ye Zisu returned, she had already made a deal with Lan Ling's side. This mecha would have 2 models. One was exclusively for Tita, while the other version would be for other planets. After all a unique star like Tita was rarely seen. The mecha's incomprehensible strength on the planet, that was close to a super-mech, was not something that other planets could bring to bear.
The second model would maximize the super-duty energy mineral ore's properties, to enable Storm Swordsman with special ability that surpassed other mechas. Although the results were not as amazing as the model for Tita, it could use energy shields. Each had its own strengths, and the important thing now was to test the mecha's actual battle performance. In this aspect, Ye Zisu was playing her cards close to her chest. For the testing, only Wang Zheng would suit their needs. No other pilot could bring its full potential to bear.
He chatted with Ye Zisu for a while. Something was odd about her. At times, she would flush red as a berry, as though she was not her usual self. Wang Zheng was not too concerned, and soon Chen Xiu and Yao Ailun returned.
Both of them had rushed back immediately after classes, and even applied leave from Xiao Fei. This had made Diva Xiao fairly unhappy. Not only was she being overworked, but now he had also snatched her assistants.
In these 2 years, Yao Ailun and Chen Xiu had grown fairly quickly, becoming irreplaceable in the work group. Chen Xiu, especially, was living proof that wisdom was not always a product of age, while Yao Ailun seemed to be fascinated by commentary, and was wavering regarding whether he should give up physics.
It was clear that Ailun loved research, but this was mainly because he was good at it. Ever since he had teamed up with Old Deer to do commentary, the old and young team's banter had become the gold standard, and the CT company understood this very well. They had added a beauty called Bei Er to the commentary panel. Sometimes it did not even matter if the match was exciting or otherwise, because people went to watch the commentators instead.
A pairing between the genders made work lighter. Bei Er had been chosen from countless CT hobbyists. She personally specialized in the sniper position, and was at diamond rank. Of course, the important thing was that she looked good, and had a cute name. She was sexy, and had a killer chest. Her career path had been voracious, and she was suited for all ages. They sandwiched her in between Old Deer and Little Lun, and she churned out great material with ease.
Yao Ailun was beginning to love this carefree atmosphere more and more. While on the flip side, the path of a researcher went deeper and deeper, with no end. He found that it took more out of him as well. Furthermore, not everybody was as talented as Wang Zheng or Chen Xiu, and perhaps Zhang Shan's decisive move to strike out and pursue his dreams was the right one.
Ailun simply had not hardened his heart to the correct decision yet.
It was also rare for Wang Zheng to have such free time. After IG ended, the Tita mission had been personally brought to successful completion by him. Now he was just killing time, whiling the days away. Wang Zheng also wanted to take a break, and to do some of the things he wanted to do. Once he entered Elite College, such a carefree period would be behind him. The Federation had recommended him, and it would definitely be accompanied by missions. It was not as though he could just get by during his time there. This had been clear from Meng Ao's tone. Because their results in IG had been too good, the military's tone had become more and more boastful, and their sights set higher and higher.
Wang Zheng was troubled as well. This bunch of old men had sure swelled up fast. He was not sure if it was due to the Primordial Regression Technique, but Wang Zheng felt that the luck of the Solar System was changing. It was suited to his own father's discussion of tricking people. But it would not be so quick. For the Solar System to recover its former position, it still had a long way to go.
Yao Ailun had a live broadcast that night, but had invited Wang Zheng and Chen Xiu as guests of honor. Little Xiu had attended a few programs before, and his fresh-faced looks had many older women salivating.
Of course, Wang Zheng and Chen Xiu had no intention of being on the panel. They just wanted to be spectators.
At these times, Yao Ailun was especially animated, as though he had escape the dry and dreary world of physics, and unleashed a side of him that was glowing with life.
In the last 2 years, the CT circle had changed drastically. The competition was intense, and the new generation constantly replaced the old. But the one thing that did not change was the Solar System Big Zone's popularity, especially the Earth region. This was undeniable. The popularity had also made some strong zones consent to come to Earth for an exchange battle. This was a dream for the Earth mecha fans as well.
Among the people familiar to Wang Zheng, only Prince had remained on the professional path. The rest had mostly quit, either entering the CT company, or working behind the scenes in entertainment. Some had moved to live streaming online. Most had become stars, taking in a decent income. Most importantly, they could still do what they loved to do.
The main mecha that Prince was currently using was the Wind God. It was also the most utilized mecha in the Earth region, and he was nicknamed "Big Brother" as a form of respect. He had contributed tremendously to the development of CT on Earth.
The opening introduction moved Wang Zheng. Deep down, he was one who loved to stick with the old. He liked new things well enough, but things moved so fast. Thinking back to the past, he would not have known Prince and the rest if they had not clashed.
"What happened to Prince's old pal Hammer?"
"He's the coach of the Imperial Power team now. Brother Zheng, how about a match?" Chen Xiu smiled. "It's been so long since I saw you in action."
Wang Zheng shook his head slightly. "Forget it, I'm a retired player."
In the world of CT, Skeleton had indeed retired. He was happy just being part of the bustle once in a while.
Seeing that Wang Zheng had no intention of playing, Chen Xiu did not press him. A super-strong IG contender clearly had no more interest towards CT.
Old Deer had appeared too. After many years without seeing him, Old Deer's hair seemed noticeably whiter, although he was hale and hearty as always. He was, without argument, the Number 1 in the Solar System commentary circles. He possessed an unparalleled aura. For average matches, Old Deer no longer made an appearance, but today's match was of some standard. The strongest team to date on Earth, Imperial Power team, would fight the number one ranked team from Manalasuo – Falcon team.
The popularity of the Earth region was comfortably within the top 10 individual planet rankings, while Manalasuo's planet play ranking was also within the top 10, although the two top 10s were very different in economic worth.
But Earth's popularity, augmented by Earth's stellar performance in this round of IG, had made many high-standard teams willing to come to Earth for a match. Now Earth was no longer afraid of losing. More accurately, they had been polished ceaselessly in these two years. Perhaps the end result was still unchanging, but their fighting was laudable, and their standard had improved considerably. And in truth the audience's level for the Earth CT was quite advanced. They were not so much afraid of losing as they were of stagnating.
Chapter 515: Return
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Recently, Earth���s CT standard had been comfortably in the lead in the Solar System. Although CT was no actual battle, but as long as one took it seriously, there would definitely be improvement. As the strongest professional players headed by Prince, they definitely had an intimidating aura.
Before the match, Old Deer and Yao Ailun, as well as Bei Er, had engaged in mutual banter such as Why does Bei Er's career's future look like it was dimming. Ever since Skeleton had retired, Old Deer had not broken out the milk box for exciting matches anymore. Without an opponent, it had gotten a little lonely.
It had to be said that Manalasuo's standard was indeed astonishing. Ever since Prince and his team had received the challenge, they had been preparing amply, researching their opponents' strategies. But in the 3 single combat face-offs, Prince's team had been completely trounced. The only relatively entertaining match was a face-off between Prince and the Falcon team leader APP. Prince's Wind God showed some hints of the brilliance that Wang Zheng brought to bear. Evidently, he had toiled hard in practice, but he was still unable to fully master the control of magnetic energy fluctuations. If he was in a good condition, he could execute it, but when his condition was bad, or when he was pressured too hard by the opponent, he could not execute it well. This difference was still huge.
The Falcon team leader APP also used the Wind God. More accurately, every country was now using the Wind God, testing it out, from the military to CT. In the last moment when Prince's mecha exploded, the 5 million viewers of the broadcast platform lamented loudly.
In truth, the match had been close. Both were evenly matched. Of course, Wind God was not APP's best mecha, but a match was a match. Prince was very close to taking a win, but in the end still lagged behind in technical skill.
Prince's familiarity was much higher than APP, but APP had him beat in technical handling.
APP had won, but clearly the CT rank 1 expert from Manalasuo was dissatisfied. He had come here not to win, but to lose. To think that his opponent could not even beat his Wind God.
There was only 1 match left to play, and it was the mid-match break.
"Old Deer, it seems like the Falcon team really lives up to the name of being the best team in Manalasuo. Our team has done its best as well. We're really watching a high-level competition." Bei Er said.
Old Deer nodded. "Now the attention has turned to the next team battle. Prince's leadership in group battle is the strongest the Solar System has ever had. Hopefully this can secure a crucial win in the group battle."
"Let us interview the Falcon team leader APP." Bei Er reported with a bright smile, and the camera switched to APP.
"Leader APP, after 3 matches, the Falcon team leads 3-0. How do you see your opponents?" Bei Er asked.
APP was young, with a gleam in his eye. From one look, it was apparent this was a serious young man. "This season is my Falcon team's last competition season. In a month, I'll be enrolling in military school, and it is for this precise reason that the last stop before I retire is Earth. I heard that this was the land of miracles, and I thought that the place of origin for humankind would give me a different experience."
APP said no more. In the end, he was disappointed. The human he idolized the most was Vincent, but Manalasuo team had been dismantled single handedly in IG. Terrible, terrible.
They had come to Earth this time as well because of the resentment they held in their hearts.
But APP's answer had left Bei Er with no way to continue the conversation. They had come here to be beaten, but had now beaten them instead. This left them uncertain of how to react.
But as a professional commentator, Bei Er adjusted quickly. "Keke, Earth is indeed a miraculous place. If you have the chance, please do come often, and you will eventually find your miracle."
At this point, Yao Ailun cut the broadcast signal and leaped out. "Wang Zheng, show them what you got! This bunch of punks came here for a thrashing. If we can't even oblige them this, we would be poor hosts indeed!"
Yao Ailun was deeply immersed in this job, and also held a deep personal friendship with Prince and his team. He knew that Prince and his team had done their best, but their limit was reached, unable to satisfy the audience's expectations. But Prince and his team were still holding on. Their willpower was indeed worthy of respect. Honestly, he could earn more by doing less if he retired, but Prince had held on, assembling a patchwork of funding where he could. Besides, Prince was popular, but he continued to defend their ground.
"Leader Prince, Leader APP seems to be rather dissatisfied. Do you have any counter strategies in the next group battle? The audience is waiting for your victory. There is also word going around hoping that you retire soon."
On the other side, the reporter was interviewing Prince during the mid-match break. These words were harsh. They had been unable to break out of the Solar System for a while now, and many felt that it was time to change leaders to someone with more vitality and life.
Prince just smiled slightly, declining to answer the question.
But this smile touched a chord in Wang Zheng. It held too much… not bitterness, and not unwillingness. It was something that only a true talent would have, and Wang Zheng could vouch for it. If a new leader emerged, Prince would willingly and carefreely give up the burden. But Wang Zheng had seen it for himself in the past two matches. No one else could match Prince's judgement of the overall picture.
"Is it convenient to arrange for me to drop in now?" Wang Zheng suddenly asked.
Yao Ailun started, then when wild with joy. "Leave it to me!"
Prince had concluded the interview, and was sitting eyes closed, gathering his thoughts. His entire brain was filled with the positioning of his opponents. It was too difficult to beat. Manalasuo's positioning was too strong. Sometimes being famous was not a good thing. When one's standard was high, one could be rigorously trained, but one emotional stamina would be severely strained. When Skeleton was around, things had not been as bad, their morale being boosted. But in this year or so, the pressure had been immense.
"Leader, how are we gonna do this?"
Many of the members did not have much confidence as well. Prince's team was an old hand leading 4 new ones. The new members still had technical slip-ups. Most frightening of all was their mental state. How could they secure victory from behind? They had not been through the era of Skeleton, and never tasted the miracle. It was why they now lacked that crucial backbone to see games through to the end.
Prince gathered his thoughts. Just as he opened his mouth, suddenly his Skylink rang. Seeing the message, his face changed drastically.
The other members were curious. Prince was a veteran, and nicknamed 'immovable as a mountain'. What was going on?
Yao Ailun had already gotten through to Old Deer. Bei Er was confused. What were these two men doing vulgarly whispering in the corner and getting all excited about?
A long while later, they were done, and Bei Er could not find a good opportunity to ask. Old Deer had already entered the broadcast room.
"Old Deer, our side's morale seems to be a little low. Did you pressure them too hard?" Yao Ailun blinked innocently, a hint of provocation behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
Old Deer raised an eyebrow. "Little Lun, you're getting ahead of yourself, aren't you? Compose yourself."
"Oh Old Deer, I hear you're getting more cowardly as you grow older. Not like your courageous stature back in the day!" Yao Ailun shook his head sadly."
"Little Lun, say it straight! Whatever it is you want to say!"
"Keke, don't get all agitated now. What I mean is, although we're the commentators, but we've got to give our guys some encouragement right? Didn't you use to decisively open a milk carton to take bets at times like these? Seems like it's been a while since we partnered up, are you afraid?" Yao Ailun teased.
Chapter 516: Manalasuo's Revenge
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
"What, you think I'm scared? Alright, as the senior here, today I'll teach you a lesson. I bet that our Earth team wins the group battle. If Falcon team wins, I'll eat a milk carton for every 1 million!"
Old Deer shook his fist.
Yao Ailun feigned astonishment. "Old Deer, I was only joking. You're already getting on in years. If you're forced to retire because of this, I'll be left lonely."
The previously uninterested crowd perked up. The broadcast had declined to 2 million viewers, but if each person smashed a milk carton, Old Deer would still have to eat 2.
"Little Lun, allow me to offer you a wise saying?"
"I humbly accept your teachings." Yao Ailun was the very poise of humility.
"The oldest ginger is the spiciest." Old Deer said profoundly. "I'll leave those words here. The Falcon team is sure to lose. Who dares to challenge this!"
Old Deer actually shouted this out. In an instant, audience interest returned, the stream count rising to 3 million. The milk cartons flew thick and fast as well. Of course, everybody knew that Old Deer had done this to raise Prince's team's morale.
The Prince team members were not sure whether to laugh or cry. Old Deer was asking for it now. "Leader, we don't even have a chance of winning. What is he playing at?"
"This isn't encouragement, this is pressure!"
Prince smiled. "Who said we're fighting in this match?"
They were confused. "Our team has an adviser. This team battle will be left up to him."
"Adviser? Who? Then, which of us is going up?"
"None of us are going. He alone will be enough." Prince laughed. They stared at him with surprise in their eyes. Had their leader succumbed to provocations? He seemed out of sorts.
The opponent was the first ranked team in all of Manalasuo. Alone?
It almost seemed it should be the other way round instead – their whole team going up against one of Manalasuo's.
In the VVIP spectator zone, some of the more experienced ones were beginning to smell a rat.
Old Deer was nicknamed the Cao Cao [TL: infamous Chinese general] of the cyberworld. He was the epitome of wile and cunning. Clearly Manalasuo's standard was a cut above. What was he playing at?
"Something about Old Deer's look is different. Where have I seen that before?"
"You don't say. It's really a little… This feeling. Oh! I can't say it, but for some reason I'm getting excited."
"Look at Old Deer's hand. His fingers are constantly clasping and unclasping. This habit…"
Amongst the VVIP, many were Old Deer's loyal fans, who had followed him throughout many years. Of course, a significant portion of it was the Skeleton era.
When the Manalasuo side heard the news, they were equally bemused. The Earth, beat them?
Eating milk cartons?
They were really asking for it now.
"Comrade Old Deer here has opened the tables now. What are you waiting for, my brothers? Fight on, youths!" Yao Ailun bellowed excitedly.
But his performance was just a little off. People were beginning to feel like something was off. Could it be?
Immediately, innumerable audience requests flooded in to know the Earth's fighting line-up for the last match.
Old Deer and Yao Ailun exchanged glances. It was time.
"There are still 10 minutes left to the last group battle. The Prince team has had a small change. The team adviser is going to fight in the last match. He wants to take on all 5, alone."
Yao Ailun still kept the suspense going, but a wave of anticipation rolled into the entire broadcasting room.
Against such a strong team like Manalasuo, and to dare to take them all on alone, there was only one person in the Earth zone!
Old Deer spread his arms. "For the last match, let us welcome the Prince team's candidate. It has been too long."
Saying thus, even Old Deer was moved. It was the same for him. A former opponent.
An ID lit up, that had left countless players despairing.
Skeleton is now online.
Manalasuo's side had not yet figured out heads or tails of the situation. Were the Earth team really willing to let bad turn to worse? This was, after all, an official exhibition battle. They wouldn't really…?
The team members were in an uproar, and ready to abandon the match. If it was not for the Solar System's stellar performance in IG, they would not have come here. They had been thrashed, and now to belittle them? Abandon match!
APP still kept his cool. From the time he had come to Earth for the invitational battle, he had felt the respect and hospitality from Earth. Even when the Earth team lost, the audience were still overwhelming in their encouragement. Such an atmosphere was rare to see in the larger zones, where only victories were cheered.
APP's gaze inadvertently landed on the broadcast count. As a professional player, exhibition matches used popularity to determine the prize money. As the popularity rose, the winning amount would definitely follow. When the match had first started, it had peaked at 6 million, a startling figure. But as Earth's team lost, the number had fallen off a cliff. This…
APP rubbed his eyes. Damn, how many zeroes were there?
What was this, 15 million…
How was this possible? Were the Earthlings masochists?
The other members had also caught on to their leader's strange manner, and noticed the rapidly ascending numbers. Furthermore, a larger number directly entered VVIP status… and VVIPs were considerably more expensive than VIP. Unless it was the finals of a major competition, many viewers would not be willing to spend this kind of money.
They looked at each other. What were the Earthlings doing?
Had they really all rushed here for this person?
That was too unbelievable, wasn't it?
Those that knew that Wang Zheng and Skeleton were one and the same numbered only a few, and APP and his team were definitely not in the know. Although Wang Zheng had not entered CT for more than a year, but IG news had been discussed widely on many forums. Many incredible legends spoke of Wang Zheng's leadership bringing the Solar System team to glory. Even if the official news had been sparse, but the hobbyists' gossip was unstoppable.
This had filled even more people with anticipation.
Skeleton must be even stronger than before. But exactly what was he capable of now?
Old Deer and the rest had spoken lightly on purpose, as though unsuspecting. They still had to buy a little more time, otherwise the commentary would fall apart.
Many griped that Old Deer had played it too dirty this time. Although he clearly knew Skeleton was coming, but he had still opened such a betting table, luring countless people in. But such complaints were done in good humor. While they griped, they were also fully supportive of the Manalasuo team.
Even APP and his team could hardly believe it. Had the Earth audience lost their minds? Their support rate had actually risen to over 90 percent. Were they really wishing for this person to lose?
"Leader, is this guy really so hated?"
"Something's wrong. It seems like the Earthlings are belittling us."
"Boss, it's broken past 20 million!"
They exhaled through their teeth. They were excited now. Such a scale was beyond their imagining. Clearly, this had attracted all the hobbyists in the Solar System.
Wang Zheng did not need much preparation. Since it was an old friend of Manalasuo's, Wang Zheng promptly chose the Gold Wheel mecha.
Till date, no mecha could match Gold Wheel in terms of sustained attack power. Even Phantom King fell off in comparison. This mecha gave Wang Zheng a challenge and joy to operate. He really hoped more new mecha like this would be made.
Since the opponent was Manalasuo, then he would use this mecha as a sign of respect to his guests.
Seeing Wang Zheng's choice, APP and his team's jaws collectively dropped. IG's biggest discovery had been Manalasuo's Gold Wheel mecha. Not just within Manalasuo, but the entire galaxy's strongest countries had returned to scrutinize this mecha. This was a mecha that was notoriously difficult to master, but once mastered, became a superb killing machine. In Manalasuo, the pick rate for this mecha was comfortably in the lead, but it was seldom used in practical battle, because the controls were too difficult.
The opponent had already started his mecha familiarization.
Wang Zheng wanted to compare the difference between CT and reality. It would definitely be different, even if it was the same Gold Wheel mecha. Wang Zheng found out that the CT difficulty was considerably lower. It helped in controlling the wheels, and to Wang Zheng this was no problem at all.
The view count broke 20 million, with over 70 percent in VVIP status. Many had directly tuned in to VVIP, because they had witnessed the miracle of the Wind God, but not this Manalasuo mecha before.
"Boss, are we fighting, or not?"
APP smiled. "Why would we not? Since the opponent has so much confidence, let's test the Earth's secret weapon for ourselves!"
Both sides entered preparation for battle.
Team battle map – Zager's Thorny World.
A classic complex team battle terrain. Both red and blue teams each had an energy source they needed to protect. The energy source was protected by a high-powered laser tower. What was different about this team battle map was that, in this world, there were a large numbers of Zergs, which created a volatile interfering factor.
Such maps were often classified as easy, normal, or difficult.
And this was unquestionably a difficult map. What this meant was that only seamless support and cooperation would see them through the Zergs' interference. Otherwise, just the Zerg spawn itself would see them go down in flames.
APP was smart about this. The Earthlings had dared to only send out 1 person to fight them, belittling them thus. Such an opponent could not possibly exist. But as the challenger, they were in no position to say so. In that case, they would set the opponent an unanswerable question.
Showing off came at a heavy price.
The view count continued to climb. Old Deer and the rest were a little at a loss.
They had been happily anticipating this battle, but they had not foreseen that it would turn out like this. The Manalasuo leader was indeed a cruel person.
The Gold Wheel mecha was classified as a fighter mecha, with no scouting capabilities. To avoid the nests purely on ability was impossible. In such a difficult map, this was not so much a team battle as a coordinated full army battle.
They had originally anticipated a spectacular 1 v 5 from Skeleton, but it seemed like the opponents had no intention of giving them that opportunity.
This was APP's retaliation.
Prince and his team frowned. The battle had descended into an embarrassing situation. The opponent had easily maneuvered Earth into a dilemma…
"Keke, Leader APP, are you really going to choose this map?" Yao Ailun could not hold it in anymore. Was there a need to be so brutal? There was no way to play this. How could they be so heartless even in a 5 v 1?
APP smiled mildly. "We of Manalasuo take competitions very seriously."
Reading between the lines: You Earthlings started the joke, we're just going along with it.
Yao Ailun was nobody's fool. His comment had ended the conversation. He believed that Wang Zheng could handle a 1 v 5, but now…
Chapter 517: Battle God's Return
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
The entire broadcast room was quickly falling apart now. 1v5 was nothing new to Skeleton, the twist being that Manalasuo's mecha were more rarely seen. The legend was that it was really strong, but up to now it had never made an appearance in the Solar System region.
For Skeleton to have chosen this had already created a stir, and now the opponent was looking to add more straw to the camel's back.
APP's mouth was trembling with a grin. This was the difficult question he would pose. As a professional player, he could not abandon the match, but neither would he allow the opponent to act cool.
The drums of war thundered. No one was afraid of airs.
Manalasuo's members were filled with nothing but respect for their leader. This move was truly cruel.
To have mounted the tiger in front of an audience of 20 million.
Clearly Manalasuo were not the ones who needed to be quaking in their boots, and Wang Zheng was even more sanguine. Terrains and such stuff were just petty things.
Among so many mecha, Wang Zheng still missed the Gold Wheel mech. Direct and savage.
Seeing Skeleton raise no objections, Old Deer could only declare the match commencement.
"Old Deer, you have to be strong!" Bei Er said. Bei Er was a newcomer, and she had heard the legends but never seen them. She could see that Old Deer evidently believed in the power of this Skeleton player, but what about now?
Old Deer suddenly realized what she was talking about. F*ck, he had opened the betting table.
The milk cartons had already accumulated until 16 million. F*ck, he was going to gorge himself until he died if he lost.
There was no moment like the present where Old Deer prayed that Wang Zheng would win. Manalasuo's bunch of cutthroats were too heavy-handed, leaving him no way out.
Yao Ailun sighed deeply, clapping Old Deer on the shoulder. "Mentor Deer, if you retire because of this, the crowd and I will miss you."
Bei Er felt that Old Deer must have been tired of living. Of course, she did not think he would fulfill his promise. If he had to eat them all he would die.
Yao Ailun was only slightly worried. Given Wang Zheng's ability, there was definitely a chance.
As for Old Deer?
Old Deer was not even worried. Even if he had no idea what Skeleton was capable of, he had faith that Skeleton could do it. This was the lesson that countless years of tears and milk cartons had taught him.
"When Old Deer says something, he follows through. If the Earth team loses, as the rules say, bring the milk on! Today, I will let you all witness the professionalism of Mentor Deer. I still have my standards!"
Old Deer had gone and done it now. The last vestiges of doubt vanished in the audience, and excitement rose again.
Over the last year, many of the new generation had entered, and a significant portion had only heard of the name, but did not know how awesome he was.
The world of CT moved quickly. Even Prince was an "OG" now. (TL Note: Short for Original Generation, also known as really old player)
Seeing Old Deer's vow, nobody would stint on this, and in a flash the milk cartons rose to break the 20 million mark.
Knowing Old Deer's reputation, he was indeed one to follow through on his words.
Both sides entered the playing map.
On the red team was a single Gold Wheel mech. On the blue side, APP also used the Gold Wheel. There was no reason that if an Earthling dared to use it, he would be afraid to use his own Manalasuo mecha. Besides, he had poured in hard work on this mecha. There had been an unspoken rule in Manalasuo's military school, that those with a comprehensive understanding of the Gold Wheel mecha would receive bonus points.
It was clear that Manalasuo was bent on turning their shame to glory.
The other 4 members chose a sniper mech, a tank, a scout, and a support.
The standard line-up, and they were mentally relaxed, wondering what kind of moves their opponent would bring.
"MU, find him!"
"Yes, sir!"
MU was the Falcon team support, using the Manalasuo's newest All-terrain Hawkeye Model A. Recently, Manalasuo's segmentation was making huge progress, and this was perfectly suited for their strengths.
The Hawkeye model rose into the sky. This was a mecha equipped with low-altitude flying capabilities. But this comprehensive ability also caused it to suffer in battle power. However, its use on the battlefield was exceptionally clear. If it came to the point where the Hawkeye had to fight, the battle was already over.
A map overlay appeared on the other 4 members' screens. A red dot appeared on their screen, that marked the accurate location of Skeleton's Gold Wheel mecha.
APP was still relaxed and at ease. Clearly, the one to be at a loss was not them.
All eyes were focused on the Gold Wheel mech. Many audience had tuned in on the basis of the name alone. The entire map was criss-crossed with Zerg nests. Of course, if one was extremely careful, they could technically be avoided.
But the Gold Wheel mecha was proceeding rapidly… in a straight line… forward.
Damn, would you just watch out!
Crashing forward so recklessly, you would die even if you were as unnoticeable as a worm!
Some audience could not help heaping on the ridicule. This was too impulsive. At such a difficulty level, the Zerg numbers were high. If one inadvertently met the mother nest, that would just be asking for death.
But everybody knew that the mother nest would only appear in the center of the map. Which was why even if it was a group battle, everybody would skirt to the sides, even if it wasted time and energy. Because the center looked clear, but if one met something, it would be over.
But the Gold Wheel mecha seemed to be challenging that commonly held notion now.
APP and his team were watching the red dot on their screen. Could it be that this braveheart was about to feed the worms in front of an audience of 20 million?
This was too…
Manalasuo's team members did not know how to feel. Was this some sort of new trend on Earth?
Wang Zheng naturally chose the center path. To him, this was just a normal competition, to have some fun with Chen Xiu and the rest. He would not be fussed about trivialities like the map. Worms in the middle… was this a problem?
The Gold Wheel continued to bear forward towards the opposite half, under the heated gaze of the audience.
20 million pairs of eyeballs were popping. This was a matter of luck now, what were the percentages!
The Gold Wheel was proceeding smoothly, apparently unhindered by any worm nests. Damn, this luck was godlike!
He had already reached the center of the map. Once he passed, Skeleton could then face the 5.
APP was speechless. What kind of luck was this? He waved to signal his members to ready themselves. Luck was also a part of ability. Since the opponent had such luck, they would count themselves as taking a loss. 5v1, so be it.
In Manalasuo, 5 v 1 favored the 1, because only one with significant status and power could enter such a situation.
But at this time, MU suddenly emitted a danger signal.
BOOM~~~
The dust exploded upwards, covering the sky in an instant. An ear-splitting screech sounded sweet to them. Huge Zergs began to crawl out from the ground, spitting lava that could melt metal. Simultaneously, innumerable holes began to open all around, and the worms poured out like water.
There was dead silence in the broadcast room. Yao Ailun could not seem to close his mouth. What kind of f*cked up luck would it take to meet this kind of scenario?
Berserk wormholes!
This was rarely seen, the largest type of wormholes, almost a whole army. With the mother worm at the center, with the brain worms commanding smaller units… let alone a team, even an army might choose to restart if they met such a scenario.
APP and his team suddenly understood. This was the way out that the Earthlings had staged for themselves.
The opponent could back down now. This was impossible.
The broadcast numbers suddenly dropped to just 500,000. A waste of time and money, for such a let-down. Some had been attracted simply because of the view count, thinking that some spectacle was at hand. To think it was all a bunch of actors, disreputable ones.
Worms rushed towards Wang Zheng from all directions. Wang Zheng was mildly surprised. The two huge wheels of the Gold Wheel mecha began to revolve furiously. Was this a warm up?
With a huge boom, the Gold Wheel powered forward, the enormous wheels whistling out.
Was he trying to die a martyr?
He was definitely doing so!
Shing, shing shing…
The huge golden wheels destroyed the worm corpses in a flash. Even the biggest Zergs could clearly not stand up against the wheels' onslaught.
Wang Zheng had brought his understanding of the Gold Wheel mecha to another level. Perhaps he might not have been able to bring it to bear in reality yet, but this was CT. The difficulty was too easy.
Those that counted themselves CT fans in the audience were absolutely mind-blown. What sorcery was this?
The Gold Wheel mecha was like a golden god of killing. In an endless rush of berserk worms, the two wheels mowed a path through savagely. Furthermore, the wheels connected attacks so fast, it seemed like lightning. There was no pause between them.
The oncoming wave of worms were cleaned out in an instant. This person was not even retreating, but actually actively moving forward to suppress the worms.
What kind of confidence was this?
Wang Zheng had already experienced an even more horrifying scene in real life once before. And facing it in CT was no challenge at all. Wang Zheng was already completely familiar with the ways to completely vaporize the worms attacks.
Countless victories, and the thing called pressure. These were things to scare others. To Wang Zheng, they were nothing but numbers. CT had been useful to Wang Zheng in the past, but after the baptism of IG, it had truly become a relaxing game.
Wang Zheng was completely at ease. Such expenditure completely did not affect his real life body. Not just this amount, but even doubling the numbers would make no difference to him.
He did not think it was much, but those watching were scared out of their wits.
Old Deer and Yao Ailun were mind-blown. Although they had not watched the later stages of IG, but they knew that it must have been some intense competition. But if Wang Zheng's ability had stopped at where he was at back then, such countless worms would be some cause for worry.
Clearly, this worry was excessive.
In this moment, Old Deer finally understood why the Solar System had fought its way up from the bottom to runner up in the Milky Way.
What was even clearer was the insurmountability of the difference in their ability.
The crowd had lost it, blown out of the water. The high speed slaughter. When the worms' numbers swelled, the Gold Wheel was completely engaged in close combat attacks, the speed and damage at jaw-dropping levels. The Gold Wheel moved like a phantom, its gold light sweeping across to leave a cemetery of worm corpses. No worm was able to even get close.
This was the Gold Wheel!
As the legends said, once mastered, it was unbeatable!
The view count had risen to 23 million, and this competition was first position on all forums. More accurately, this was like a single-player game.
A virtuoso's performance with the Gold Wheel.
Solon was enjoying the moment. The long standing rapport had caused the CT community to respond. There were many strong players in CT, but to bring forth a performance at this level, there was no one who could compare with Skeleton.
And the mech used was the Gold Wheel.
This was a feast!
With no exceptions, everybody who watched such a scene felt their bodies catch with the uncontrollable flames of passion, but were simultaneously gripped by the pressure of the situation, so that they could not even make a sound.
Everybody's souls were captivated by the Gold Wheel mech.
Chapter 518: Deterrence
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Each attack was a work of art. APP had initially guessed that the opponent's mech would survive 10 seconds, tops, before it was subdued. But 10 minutes had passed, and the opponent was still alive and kicking. In fact, on their screen, the waves of red dots were disappearing…
Could he really be thinking of breaking through the middle?
"Advance!" APP ordered. Whichever the case, they could no longer afford to just wait around.
The Falcon team immediately moved out, the scout leaping ahead. Although they were not sure what was happening, but they still kept their discipline.
They had the help of Hawkeye, as well as the scout's detection. They moved forward quickly. Clearly, this Manalasuo Falcon team was familiar with the terrain, deftly maneuvering around Zerg nests with ease.
Of course, there was the possibility that the nests had already been cleared.
"Hawkeye, report on the situation!" APP requested. At this distance, Hawkeye should be able to see the battlefield situation.
"Hawkeye, what's the situation? Leader's talking to you!"
In midair, MU was as though he had been hit with a body-bind curse.
Was this a demon?
After a beat, MU finally responded, sharing the battlefield signal. In an instant, the rest were petrified as well.
APP's eyes narrowed. What kind of piloting was this???
In their view, the Gold Wheel mech seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll. The gold light flashed out, reaping everything in its path like wheat. The entire streaming studio was silent.
To think that such a fighter actually existed, and could pilot a mech on this level?
Wang Zheng had no intention on completely exterminating the worms, and could not. It would take too much time. Besides, this was not a worm killing contest. After some time, Wang Zheng suddenly broke out of the worms' encirclement.
What was left behind was mountains of Zerg corpses.
What surprised Wang Zheng was that the Gold Wheel mech had already provided early warning that the opponent was just 1km away from him.
APP and his team's mouths were dry, as though they had been hit by an enfeebling curse. Their limbs felt a little rigid.
This was a legendary execution, the highest level that the Gold Wheel could reach.
"No, this is just CT. Don't be mesmerized, everybody! Follow our battle strategy. We are not brainless worms. Ready yourselves for battle!"
APP bellowed. It was unclear if it was directed towards his teammates or himself.
But in the end they were Manalasuo professional players who understood the larger picture. After APP's wake up call, they regained their composure. Each found the best ambush spot, and settled down to wait for their opponent's advance.
When the Gold Wheel mecha had broken free of the Zerg enclosure, the crowd had gone wild, as though he had already won. Regardless of the subsequent outcome, they had seen more than their ticket price. This was godlike control.
On the official screen, the mecha control statistics were streaming constantly.
"Put the Gold Wheel operation comparability charts up." Solon directed. This was the newest segment, where the pilot's stress levels, and split-second decision making could be seen, alongside various kinds of analyses.
On the audience's little screen, a dark shading appeared, as well as various figures. These were for the professional audience and high-level players, as the average layman would not notice.
"Is he really gonna barge straight in? The opponent is already lying in wait. If he keeps this up, he's going to get ambushed."
"He should rest up first. After fighting for so long, there's still 5 ahead!"
"If he really wins this, I'll immediately buy the Gold Wheel mech to play!"
Wang Zheng's Gold Wheel mecha still maintained its forward speed, neither hurried nor slow. He obviously knew that his opponents were already waiting to ambush him.
Prince's team members were already absolutely shaken, but Prince's face still held a beatific smile. After not seeing him for a year, he had evolved to be even more terrifying.
If it could be said that the Skeleton of the past took battle very seriously, at this current stage, it seemed like he could do whatever he wished. Could the world of the military really be so captivating?
Prince began to harbor thoughts of joining the army. He could be a streaming player, or even take up a job at CT. His friends had indeed done so, but Prince felt that these paths would not be able to satisfy his heart's desire.
Wang Zheng had already entered the killing ground. In a flash, a shadow darted across. It was Manalasuo's scout, already rushing towards Wang Zheng's flank at full speed. Once up close, the Gold Wheel mecha would be helpless.
The Berserk Barbarian was shaking with excitement. All scout players had the kind of personality that loved to walk the knife's edge. Maximum shock, maximum frenzy. That was what Berserk Barbarian was feeling now. Kill!
But in the same instant that the Type-Zero Scout flashed out like an icy beam, the Gold Wheel mecha had already reacted, the gold wheels flashing out.
Berserk Barbarian's response was quick as lightning as well. He had no intention of avoiding it, opening the energy shields to take the hit. He would finish him!
BOOM…
The gold wheels shook the mecha with great impact as they struck. Berserk Barbarian forced the controls forward. No matter how fast it was, it could not possibly be faster than him!
But by the time Berserk Barbarian had finished recovering, the second wheel had arrived.
BOOM…
With this blow, the mecha lost its balance. In an instant, Berserk Barbarian's limbs turned to ice. The energy shield only had a third of its power left.
BOOM…
The third wheel came as expected, and an explosion could be heard.
Mech exploded… at the same time, the sniper concealed in the shadows made its move as well.
Ping…
Wang Zheng's second wheel casually blocked the sniper's attack, the gold wheel whistling out.
MMT smiled coldly, gathering energy in his sniper rifle. This shot would be the finisher. At such a long distance, did he really think he was a god?
The golden wheel's thrown trajectory, over such a long distance, would clearly be inaccurate. It would whistle harmlessly above him. A miss, as good as a mile.
The sniper rifle energy had finished charging. Go to hell!
Shing…
In that instant, time stopped. The sniper mecha's brain flew out. MMT was completely in disbelief. How could that have happened???
When it neared the target, the high-speed gold wheel dipped, separating the head of the careless mecha cleanly.
APP could not believe the sight in front of his eyes. His two strongest teammates, who had seen them through to victory in countless battles, had fallen, cut down like powerless infants.
An earsplitting rumble came from beside, and APP was shocked. "MU, back down!"
This punk was a pure support. This was madness!
At the same time, the heavy mech rushed out as well. It was as though something had gripped their souls and made them restless. APP had no choice but to commit, moving his Gold Wheel mech forward. Life or death would rest on this.
The heavy Kyle was about to go crazy. If he did not move, he really would. He did not believe that the Gold Wheel could break his super strong defense.
Wang Zheng's Gold Wheel mecha did not slow in the slightest, two gold wheels leaving his hands. One flew straight up, the other straight towards the heavy mecha.
The crowd was going crazy, and the numbers were even more unbelievable. Dual wield!!!
God! Was the Gold Wheel even capable of dual wielding? Was this for real!
Just moving them at the same rhythm would be disgusting enough, but each moved at their individual pace, from a different angle of assault. This was…
The audience numbers had surpassed 26 million. This was a godlike performance.
BOOM BOOM…
BOOM… BOOM…
In just 2 moves, the Hawkeye in the sky had exploded. Given his air evading speed, he was doomed against a flying golden wheel. As for the heavy mecha, he could only stand 3 wheel strikes.
When APP rushed forward, he realized that he was alone already.
The same Gold Wheel mech. But to him, there was no hope.
Two gold wheels flew out towards Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng's Gold Wheel mecha gently gestured, retracting his own wheels in that exact same instance. APP's heartrate soared. His opponent was getting careless.
Wang Zheng dodged the two gold wheels which flew past him, but they were homing back to form two killing pathways.
Wang Zheng smiled slightly, and did not even look back. The Tita Star trip had taught him a lot. From the sound of the wind, he could determine the position of the opponent's wheels. His understanding of the wind was a game-changing factor.
The two gold wheels were casually batted away just before they struck. Ping ping…
APP's two gold wheels were immediately deflected. APP immediately rushed to retract them.
Shing shing…
Silence.
APP's Gold Wheel mecha's arms had been cut off.
Wang Zheng's two wheels were still spinning, but he made no move. APP's Gold Wheel was kneeling on the floor.
He did not know how to fight anymore.
This was abject despair.
"Dual wielded gold wheels, is this even humanly possible…" APP mumbled to himself. His idol, Vincent, was the best at the Gold Wheel mech he knew. But even Vincent could not pull this off, even at CT's lower difficulty.
Who was this guy?
Suddenly a name came to mind.
In the entire galaxy, only one person could bring the Gold Wheel to such heights. He was Manalasuo's boon and bane. He had turned Manalasuo's shame to glory, then brought them low again.
The undisputed King of IG!
Wang Zheng!
Not just him, but his team members were beginning to realize it themselves. He was the only one capable of using the Gold Wheel mech this way.
On Manalasuo, millions of viewers were watching as well. Losing at CT to Earth made them riled up. But in this instant, millions of viewers were silent.
In another location Vincent closed his eyes after watching the match. In just a few months' time, he had become even more terrifying. Perhaps that thing was the only way. If he wanted to become even stronger, he had to risk it all…
Vincent's Skylink had a similar application installed inside as some others…
Old Deer smiled, and Yao Ailun had regained his swagger. Only Bei Er was so overwhelmed that she could only look around, completely oblivious to the fact that she was on the verge of a nip-slip.
Such power had never been seen before.
After the battle ended, Chen Xiu had leaped forward. "Brother Zheng, that was awesome!"
Chen Xiu's eyes were huge and shining like the stars. He had been truly immersed in the game.
Wang Zheng was not too shaken. "It was OK. Who knew that this map had so many worms?"
Chen Xiu was taken aback. "You didn't know?"
"I haven't been playing for a long time, how would I know?" Wang Zheng waved it off. If he had known, he would not have wasted so much time in the middle. Killing worms took no technical skill, to Wang Zheng. In reality there was some value, but in CT it was a complete waste of time."
"Little Xiu, don't worry about it. Wang Zheng lives in a world that we do not understand." Yao Ailun said.
That said, the match had left Wang Zheng feeling good. In the end, keeping too low a profile had not suited him at all. Ever since he had learnt the Primordial Regression Technique, the power inside him had been irrepressible. Gu Te's intentions were good, but they did not suit him.
Coal only turned to diamond under pressure. And he was not afraid of trouble.
Wang Zheng was fine, but he had no idea of the havoc he had caused in the CT circle. After the match ended, the viewers actually increased. Many had not been able to make it for the live broadcast, but the word of mouth had conveyed its terrifying power. Even some old viewers who had left CT were galvanized. It had inadvertently turned into a special moment.