81 - 91

Chapter 81: Petty Thief?

Translator: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

Wang Tong stared at the ceiling as he was lying in bed, various things went through his thoughts. Earlier today, he purposely took the attack from his opponent's sword in order to test out the defense of his tactic; after all, attacks from mankind were different from Zergs'. Zergs' attacks were known not to contain GN Force, but mankind's attacks were capable of inflicting other injuries and damages; hence Wang Tong had to physically experience the attack so that his body could remember the damage. It would be impossible for him to force someone to purposely attack himself, so he made the decision to embrace the rare opportunity of "getting hit". No pain, no gain.

Furthermore, it would be too weird for him to defeat two guys and walk away unharmed. Things like this might suit Hu Yangxuan, but definitely not Wang Tong.

"Where does this Tactics of the Blade come from? Dammit Old Fart, why don't you tell me everything? At least let me know what the hell I'm up against!" Wang Tong murmured in reconciliation, yet he had to let it go because he had no idea where on earth was Old Fart, and Old Fart would only come to Wang Tong when he had used up every single penny.

Wang Tong then turned on the television and skimmed through channel after channel, which was his version of "entertainment" that he had learned through these years.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, today we will be interviewing Einherjar Li Taoche. As we know, Zergs had attacked Norton once again and even brought in some stronger species of Zergs which had caused huge damages to the military. So we're calling out to the Five Houses to send out their ace fighters and aid the military to fight against these Zergs."

Wang Tong sat up as a middle-aged man appeared on the screen. Every Earthling was familiar with the name Li Taoche, he was one of the Six Great Einherjars and also the current head of the House of Li. People saw him as a divine existence, and even though Wang Tong wasn't the type of person who would idolize someone, he admired Li Taoche and even hoped that someday he could walk on his steps. On the contrary, Old Fart didn't show any signs of respect to the man, yet he wasn't angry at Li Taoche, which was somehow odd.

"That guy looks tough!" Wang Tong fell from his seat, the sudden voice scared the crap out of him.

"Geez, old man, my heart almost stopped! What brings you out? I thought you were supposed to shut yourself in?" Wang Tong said as he got up from the floor.

Einherjar Wannabe then gave Wang Tong a disdain glance, "Heh, a timid ass like you wish to become the best in the world? Not a chance!"

"Dear Master, hold it right there, first of all, I never claimed to become the best in the world; second, even the person with the strongest heart would be scared to death if you appeared all of a sudden."

"Hmph, you're not a good fighter if you never wish to become the best in the world!"

"I've only heard of one is not a good soldier if he never wishes to become the general!"

"It's almost the same. Hey, who's that guy? I wanna challenge him to a duel!" Einherjar Wannabe's eyes were filled with flame as he stared at Li Taoche.

"Oh him? He is the man closest to be the best in the world. There are Six Great Einherjars amongst mankind, two on Earth, two on Moon, one on Mars and one Kaedeian. They are the strongest..."

"Strongest? Over my dead body! Hey kid, get me a match with this guy!" Einherjar Wannabe's eyes were glowing in green when he heard the word "strongest".

"Do you know who he is? He's the head of the House of Li! His existence is close to divine, and it's impossible for a poor kid like me to know him. Not to mention, you don't have a body, even if he agrees to fight, how would you do it?" Wang Tong explained. He knew Einherjar Wannabe too well, he needed to talk sense into Einherjar Wannabe so that he could understand.

Einherjar Wannabe remained silent…

"Alright, man up, I didn't say that on purpose. Li Taoche had been unrivaled for twenty years, which is why he is the best ace fighter amongst mankind. If I were to work harder from now onwards, I might be able to challenge him in a couple of decades."

"You're overestimating him and underestimating yourself. Your tactics of the Blade is the greatest tactics of all, and this guy's Tactics of the Blizzard is just similar to my Sheer-cold Xinfa, I'm sure you can defeat him within ten years!"

"Haha, I'm flattered."

"Kid, even though you're not that gifted, but you had been training way harder than the others, and my guts tell me you definitely have what it takes, so keep up the good work! I'm going back to make a few preparations," Einherjar Wannabe was talking to himself.

"Are you praising me?" Wang Tong rolled his eyes. "Prepare what?"

"None of your business! I'm shutting myself in, do not disturb!" Einherjar Wannabe then disappeared into the Space Crystal like a spirit.

"Damn you, someday I'll definitely die of a heart attack!"

Wang Tong laid himself in bed again; actually, he wished to chat a little longer with Einherjar Wannabe. He stared at Li Taoche on his TV screen, perhaps someday he might be able to…

What preparations would a ghost make?

Wang Tong sighed as he wondered why everyone around him was being so secretive, even himself has become like that… then he cleared his thoughts and slept like a log.

Eat well, sleep well; that's how life was supposed to be!

While he was sleeping soundly, the TPA forum was bombarded with comments. Everyone was expecting Einherjar Wannabe to show up on Saturday due to his pattern, yet he didn't show up after a whole day of waiting. The players who had been waiting for his appearance were all frustrated by his no-show, they were all hoping to witness an awesome match, and some even prepared themselves to challenge Einherjar Wannabe, in the end, everyone was disappointed.

Skyscraper too had been waiting for Einherjar Wannabe since morning, he even accepted and won a few matches while waiting, yet Einherjar Wannabe was nowhere to be seen.

Skyscraper was patient; unlike Miao Xiu, who was pissed off by the fact Einherjar Wannabe didn't log in, in the end, he worked off his anger on Gust instead.

Luv Ma remained patient though, he sat down, classified every video of Einherjar Wannabe and even prepared a timeline of Einherjar Wannabe's appearance. Even though there wasn't much data, he was sure that Einherjar Wannabe would surface again, as for the time being, all he could confirm was Einherjar Wannabe paid no attention to the TPA.

An interesting person indeed, what was he up to? Creating a new legend? Haha, then he would have to pay the price.

The discussion on the forum quickly escalated to an uproar, someone else's business had become a public argument and even divided them into two sides.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong was still sleeping soundly and even dreamed of recovering his lost bedsheet…

… someone was in his room!

Wang Tong sprung into action instantly and suppressed the intruder, "Stealing my things again? You petty thief!"

"Wang… Tong… it's me!"

"Huh, Sisi? What brings you here? How did you get in?" Wang Tong was surprised.

Zhou Sisi wished that she could hide after experiencing such embarrassment, she wanted to say something, but Wang Tong's strong scent muffled her words. Most importantly, both of them were stuck together early in the morning, and she even could felt someone's "situation" down under...

"Can we get up first?" Sisi said, her blushing face against his chest.

"Oops, my bad." Wang Tong got up immediately and suddenly realized of his "situation" under the belt, then quickly hid it with a bunch of his clothes.

"Are you done?" Sisi asked as she closed her eyes.

Chapter 82: "Maid"

Translator: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

"Done. No need to be shy, this is not your first time seeing me like this anyway," Wang Tong had no idea why he said that; meanwhile, Zhou Sisi was left speechless.

Being around Zhou Sisi felt different from facing Ma Xiaoru and Samantha, Wang Tong was never stressed out when he was around Zhou Sisi, it felt like they were on the same level and closer to reality; there wasn't a huge gap between the two of them.

Undeniably, Wang Tong had a lot of fun when he was spending time with Ma Xiaoru and Samantha, but the girls were always talking about different places and discussing artistic values during their conversations… yet Wang Tong was only a boy who was struggling to survive, he couldn't keep up with the girls.

Nevertheless, it really wasn't a big deal, but being around Zhou Sisi felt more "down-to-earth".

"I hate you, jerk!"

"Haha, alright I'll stop teasing you. What brings you here this early?"

"Since you'll be teaching me stuff, in return I've decided to repay your kindness by cleaning up your room!" Zhou Sisi even brought her own tools.

"Geez, thanks but no thanks. My room is clean and tidy!"

"You call this clean and tidy? Good God, your room is a mess! Almost like a pigsty! Look at the ball of dust." Zhou Sisi expected Wang Tong to say so, boys were always filthy and lazy.

"I'm the only one staying here, so it looks fine to me." Wang Tong scratched his head in awkwardness.

"No no no, a clean and tidy living environment will uplift your emotions and boost your study performance. So, leave this to me! You, out! But please, make sure you've kept your 'private' stuff well hidden before you go out..." Zhou Sisi said. She knew boys liked to hide weird stuff in their rooms.

"Private stuff? Nope, I don't have any of those. Well if you insist, I'll leave this to you then!"

"Shoo, bye!" Zhou Sisi waved her hand, she was speechless as she saw the messy surroundings.

Wang Tong knew he might be goofing around, but he really meant to be her mentor. He was very comfortable around Zhou Sisi, she was like a sister and a friend, and Wang Tong felt relaxed spending time with her. Furthermore, clearly Wang Tong wasn't really good with tidying and cleaning things, so of course, he wouldn't say no to a volunteered helper.

Since this was her way of returning a favor, Wang Tong had no reason to feel sorry for the trouble.

Wang Tong went to the store and bought bread, and then visited another store to buy his clothes and bedsheet. He wasn't able to do anything on the previous day due to the theft, and he was depressed when the police left his place without mentioning anything about the bounty.

Wang Tong stopped as he passed by DREAM-Heaven, and wondered if he should get in or not.

"Am I really slacking off? Look at Einherjar Wannabe, still full of the spirit of fighting even though he lost his body. Dammit, I'm worse than him!"

Wang Tong gathered himself, checked his pocket for money and decided to get in. No more slacking for the weekly login.

"Boss, get me the bill!"

"What's wrong, bad day?"

"Bad day indeed, I camped for the whole day waiting for Einherjar Wannabe, in the end, it was a no-show, I'm going home!"

A few others yawned as they were also queuing up for the bill.

"Who's this Einherjar Wannabe dude? Some kind of superstar?"

"Boss, you're so out-dated. Nevermind, I'll tell you next time, that dude didn't log in today."

In the meantime, Wang Tong walked into room No.5 and logged into his Einherjar Wannabe avatar!

Ding Dong…

"Einherjar Wannabe logged in!"

"Einherjar Wannabe showed up!"

"What, he's here? Woah, lucky I didn't leave!"

"Boss, gimme a room!"

"Me too!"

The guys who were queuing up for their bills were suddenly overjoyed with excitement and rushed back into their rooms.

Einherjar Wannabe was here at last!

After going through a whole day of waiting, the players were looking forward to seeing Einherjar Wannabe in action and couldn't wait to see who he would choose to challenge.

The TPA players were the most excited ones, especially students from military academies; they were eager to make this an opportunity to test out their actual strength.

This was the chance for them to shine in success!

The IPA players were signing up for the challenge too, every IPA player had been longing for such a chance to challenge the TPA players; but sadly, most TPA players would refuse to challenge the IPA players even during Open Days. The cruel fact was that the IPA players were just a bunch of worthless people in the eyes of the TPA players, they would not waste their time to duel with such weaklings. It would be an expected outcome if a TPA player won against an IPA player, but if the TPA player lost, then it would become a joke amongst the rest. Moreover, nothing much could be learned from the brawl itself; hence it would feel like a child's play to satisfy the IPA players.

Not to mention, some of the IPA's equipment and skills contained glitches, which would be unfair to the opposing player during matches, this was also one of the reasons why IPA players were unwelcome for most of the time.

It also explained why IPA players would only hang around themselves, showing off during Open Days. It might look like that they were only here for their own satisfaction, but all of them wished to be able to fight with TPA fighters. It wasn't that they chose not to become TPA players, but they were unable to do so, and no one could've understood the envy and jealousy of an IPA player against a TPA player. IPA players might appear to be showing off and looking tough and proud on the outside, but they were all fragile on the inside; they acted like they didn't care, but they did.

A few remarkable IDs amongst TPA fighters were spotted in the list of players challenging Einherjar Wannabe. For instance: Skyscraper, the guy had been on the winning streak since his last duel with Einherjar Wannabe, which got the rest wondering how he lost his previous matches; then there were Crazy Diamond and also other famous players, all of their winning rates were above 80%.

"Do you think Einherjar Wannabe will pick an IPA player?"

"Tchh, impossible! It was purely a coincidence on meeting Wang Ben last time. Now, since he's already famous, why would he do that to disgrace himself? The skills of the IPA players are like science fiction; or as TPA players called them, unrealistic."

"Yes I understand, but even though IPA skills are unbalanced, they were created based on statistics and not totally imaginations, some even might be the references of our future developments. Meanwhile, TPA players kept emphasizing on training themselves, yet none of them have the guts to challenge IPA players!"

"It can't be helped, people do cherish their own reputations."

Hearing that made Wang Tong smiled as he was walking around to choose his opponent. To him, there wasn't any big difference between IPA and TPA, all he asked for was an opponent that had what it took to give him enough pressure and caused him enough trouble.

He remembered Einherjar Wannabe once said, "Nothing is impossible, only unthinkable." The Tactics of the Blade had proven to be Wang Tong's possibility of breaking the limits; in order to achieve his success, Wang Tong had to make sure he wasn't obstructed by any shackles.

The challengers had sorted themselves into IPA category and TPA category, they've made it easier for Wang Tong to select his opponent. Obviously, these two parties didn't get along quite well in the world of PA.

Player ID: Solitary Snow, level 4 fighter, winning rate 100%, 94 rounds won.

Wang Tong didn't bother to continue reading, he wasn't interested in how the guy won. There were no rules on the battlefield. As long as you stayed alive and defeated the enemies, even if you were to play it dirty, victory would still belong to you.

A victory is a victory, as simple as that.

Chapter 83: Prelude

Translator: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

Solitary Snow, what a nice name.

Ding Dong…

An eye-catching new match pairing was shown on the giant monitor.

Einherjar Wannabe (TPA) versus Solitary Snow (IPA)

Venue: The 59th Arena, the match starts in 10 minutes, open for betting.

Betting was crucial to IPA players, they were able to trade points or golds for better equipment or enhance their Sol value; however, it was useless for TPA players. Nevertheless, as a game company, DREAM Corporation emphasized on financial profit, and IPA players were obviously their biggest source of income.

What happened to his pick?

TPA players were startled, was Einherjar Wannabe out of his mind? Why would he pick a worthless piece of IPA trash who had no Soul Energy in reality?

Was he afraid?

It caused another uproar on the TPA forum, Einherjar Wannabe didn't pick anyone from the TPA real-deals but chose an IPA weakling instead. The players were insulted and felt like they've wasted their time, spending a whole day to wait for this nonsense.

Skyscraper felt strange as he saw the words on the monitor. In fact, he was looking forward to today's match, even though Einherjar Wannabe might not pick him from the crowd. Still, he had hoped to see an interesting fight, yet he had no idea why Einherjar Wannabe would pick a futile IPA player.

Skyscraper then decided to go through Solitary Snow's player profile and was shocked by what he had seen.

That person was wearing the Golden Marksman, a Dream-rank Level 4 METAL Suit… an ultimate god-like equipment! No wonder Solitary Snow had a 100% winning rate. Every Dream-rank METAL Suit came with "glitchy" abilities unless the opponent was strong or equipped with the METAL Suit that counters it, or else no one wouldn't have stood a chance against it. Moreover, the guy had to be overflowed with high amount of Soul Energy since he was able to equip a Level 4 METAL suit… Soon, Skyscraper and the other fighters came to realize that Einherjar Wannabe's decision to "update" his winning record had become a suicidal act! What on earth was he thinking?

Luv Ma unconsciously gave a weird smile when he saw the data on his screen. Poor Miao Xiu had left, yet Luv Ma didn't plan to call him back, as he was too eager to see how Einherjar Wannabe would handle the invincible Dream-rank METAL Suit!

Normally, TPA players would never accept the challenge if they knew their opponent had Dream-rank Suits because the fight would be meaningless.

Yet Einherjar Wannabe's decision to challenge Solitary Snow had caused a ruckus amongst IPA community. No one had predicted that this could happen, it was definitely a superb moment for the IPA players, not only had Einherjar Wannabe chose to fight someone from the IPA but also he chose to fight Solitary Snow — the one who was ranked number 9 amongst 4th Class IPA fighters!

Solitary Snow might be too unrealistic in the eyes of TPA community and also in reality, but the person was a legend to IPA players; unlike Wang Ben's METAL Suit, the Golden Marksman was THE super armor containing "glitchy" abilities.

"Those who know nothing fear nothing," that summarized Einherjar Wannabe's decision to fight against Solitary Snow.

Most of the IPA players were betting on Solitary Snow because the game of PA wasn't about how tough you were in reality; in the world of PA, you reap what you sowed. Einherjar Wannabe might have the Soul energy of a 4th Class fighter, but if he was up against the Bug version of a 4th Class fighter, the chance of winning was very slim.

It felt different than choosing a TPA player as the opponent.

Some bookies preset the winning odds of Einherjar Wannabe as 1:7 to 1:9, even the official administration set their rates as 1:4 to 1:6. It wasn't because they decided to abandon Einherjar Wannabe, but they had to make their decisions based on business and profit perspective.

In short, there was no turning back for Einherjar Wannabe.

"Please, can somebody tell me why is this stupid match happening?!" Cameron raged as he stared at the screen.

"Sir, he made that decision himself..."

Cameron was furious. Einherjar Wannabe was the only hot issue recently, even though Cameron knew Einherjar Wannabe's fame wouldn't last forever, he didn't expect him to crash down this soon. This quarter would end in less than a month, yet they were not even close to the business target preset by the board of directors; if this continued, he would be fired before the end of the year.

It wasn't that he refused to create another legend or hero, but none of the descendants of celebrities would show up in PA. No one would possess the ability to conquer forever unless they were from the House of Li; but if the hero was from the House of Li, then it would lose its own mysteriousness because the outcome would be within people's expectation.

Einherjar Wannabe was his best candidate. It has been so long since the crowd were this excited and couldn't wait to see another player in action; he was the focus of attention. Even though Einherjar Wannabe might be forgotten soon, Cameron still hoped that the guy could be his "golden goose" for a little longer.

Yet Einherjar Wannabe chose to fight a God-damn IPA fighter who happened to have the God-damn Golden Marksman. Cameron was left speechless by what he had witnessed.

The boy had overrated his own capabilities!

He should know that image was not only crucial to celebrities but to heroes as well!

Wang Tong had no clue that his simple decision would cause such a scene. All he knew was that he couldn't wait to face his opponent.

Solitary Snow showed up, he didn't expect himself to be chosen by the famous TPA fighter, it was totally a random decision when he sent the challenge invitation to Einherjar Wannabe.

Nevertheless, every IPA players dreamed of stepping their foot into this arena and challenge a TPA ace fighter to a duel. They were not able to do so in reality, hence they would cherish a rare opportunity like this.

Solitary Snow had no idea what was Einherjar Wannabe up to, all he knew was that he had to claim the victory by giving out his best performance, even if this would be his last fight.

Nothing of his past mattered anymore, as of this moment, he was the representative of the IPA community, and he would vanquish his foe, Einherjar Wannabe, with all his might!

This match received a huge publicity given by the fact that it might be Einherjar Wannabe's "last fight" and also due to his argumentative choice of opponent. It was definitely a big hit, especially amongst IPA players; not a single famous TPA player would have dared to challenge them, not to mention an opponent with a Dream-rank METAL Suit!

It was a full house in the 59th Arena. It was a small arena that could only fit a hundred thousand spectators, but the seats were sold out within a short period of time.

The spectators were mostly IPA players because they wouldn't want to miss out the chance to witness on the spot, as for the rest who couldn't get into the arena, they had no choice but to watch the live broadcast instead.

Cameron was amazed by the data, what a shame as this would be the final dazzling moment of a "firework".

"Sir, do you think we should suggest them to do it in a bigger arena?"

"Nevermind, it's already too late for that." Cameron shook his head, he sensed everything was going to end in despair, and he was depressed about his soon-to-plummet business performances.

Chapter 84: To Conquer

Translator: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

The referee was delegated by the Referee Association, it could be either an IPA or a TPA player who had received professional training.

The match begun!

Solitary Snow was showing a serious expression, he had never been this serious in a fight before. Even though he had the advantages with his METAL Suit, he wanted to treat this opportunity seriously.

This was his first time fighting a strong TPA fighter.

"Deploy!"

Rays of light shot out as the Golden Marksman began to cover Solitary Snow's body, the coverage was more than 90% and also came with a unique Golden Bow, it was definitely a legendary METAL Suit.

The crowd remained silent, for the first time no one cheered and whistled when they saw an amazing METAL Suit, it wasn't important anymore as their expectations were more into the match itself.

The IPA players took this match in a serious manner, the TPA players, on the other hand, were looking very disappointed.

The crowd's attention turned to Einherjar Wannabe as they were expecting him to deploy his METAL Suit too, even if it was only a Level 1 Suit, it was his only chance to enhance his own defense.

But Einherjar Wannabe did nothing; apparently, he had no METAL Suit!

In fact, Wang Tong had no idea how to obtain his TPA METAL Suit.

Solitary Snow didn't say a word as he channeled his Soul Energy, which was weird because he used to be very talkative in his previous matches; however, he knew actions would speak louder than words in a situation like this.

Solitary Snow's body was overflown with golden rays of Soul Energy, then he wielded his golden bow and forged arrows which were made out of his Soul Energy.

The fight began!

Swoosh…

Solitary Snow fired a flashing arrow toward Einherjar Wannabe, not many METAL fighters were able to wield ranged weapons, these weapons were capable of significantly increasing their lethality; the Golden Marksman was the best equipment amongst ranged weapon series.

Wang Tong immediately angled his body and dodged Solitary Snow's golden arrow with the reflex of a jaguar.

However, it didn't startle Solitary Snow as that was only his warning shot to test out Einherjar Wannabe's strength. He would have really been disappointed if his opponent couldn't even dodge that.

At this point, Solitary Snow saw himself as a warrior. His style of fighting had become different to how he fought previously with IPA players.

He aimed the golden arrows again and shot with a burst of Soul Energy. The arrows flew toward Wang Tong in a triangular formation. On the other hand, Wang Tong began to respond, he wanted to see if Solitary Snow was a strong opponent worth fighting for, if that METAL Suit was only capable of performing ranged attacks, then it would be boring and meaningless.

Most of the fighters had problems about dodging ranged attacks, but Wang Tong wasn't surprised at all because of his experiences dealing with a species of Zergs that were specialized in ambushing enemies with dart-like pins, it made Wang Tong shivered as he remembered how disgusting those creatures were.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Wang Tong dodged the arrows perfectly, and Solitary Snow began to move as well, a professional archer would not fire his arrows in the same position only, a high ranked fighter like him would never make such rookie mistakes.

Somehow, Solitary Snow didn't worry about Wang Tong dashing toward him, he swiftly moved and widen their distance, then rapidly fired his arrows toward Wang Tong. People might be wondering if his Soul Energy would dry out, but he had tricks up his sleeves which allowed him to regain Soul Energy during the fight.

The archer's attack got more and more intense as their distance shrunk closer and closer. Solitary Snow might not be a fighter in reality, but he had spent a lot of time in the world of IPA and has already participated in countless battles, which also qualified him as an experienced fighter. Moreover, IPA fighters were not as held back as TPA fighters, their imaginations were not restrained, they could do anything as they pleased and would often create unthinkable battle methods to achieve the best outcome.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Solitary Snow fired two arrows in a jiff and warded off the approaching Wang Tong. He knew what his opponents were thinking, everyone he fought had the same idea of closing the gap to finish him off with hand-to-hand combat.

But of course, he wouldn't let that happen.

Yet Wang Tong carried on to narrow down their gap, he was having a tough time deciphering the pattern of Solitary Snow's rapid fire, but he knew it wasn't impossible since everyone has a habit of doing something, all he needed was a bit more pressure.

Nine shots were fired, and Solitary Snow realized their distance was still getting closer, every single shot looked like a hit, but for some reason, Einherjar Wannabe was able to dodge them and even moved closer. In other words, his opponent's judgment was getting stronger as the distance got closer, it made Solitary Snow very excited!

He had been waiting for the arrival of this day, everyone who failed their Mind Opening Operation dreamed of being able to participate in fights like this, including himself.

Unlike Wang Ben, he knew he would fail no matter how many times he tried again. All he wanted was a chance for his wish to come true!

This was the distance to attack!

Wang Tong immediately thrust a punch when he dodged the arrow, but Solitary Snow performed a nimble movement and negated Wang Tong's punch!

The IPA players were getting anxious when Einherjar Wannabe was closing up the gap. They were wondering if Solitary Snow and his "glitchy" METAL Suit would be able to stand against Einherjar Wannabe's ghastly dodges.

Wang Tong was sure that his punch would hit, but why did it miss?

Solitary Snow began moving his body in a weird rhythm and fired an arrow at the same time. Wang Tong's instinct moved his body away as he watched the arrow skimmed across his chest. Wang Tong felt the heat instantly, it was definitely a close one.

Wang Tong came to realize that he had underestimated his opponent even though he was being careful, he thought that the IPA players would focus more on their METAL Suit's ability, but the truth was, Suits required human itself to be utilized.

That was the Steps of the Papillon, a first class battle movements of the Ivantians.

Its elegant movement resembled a Papillon, and it was hard to be mastered; the key of this movement was not the speed, but the total control of its rhythm. The Steps of the Papillon was about making opponents off balance while not letting them catch the user off balance, it would let them stay unfocused as long as they couldn't predict the center of gravity of the user.

The TPA players were shocked by the fact that an IPA player was able to pull off a military technique, that was unbelievable!

Even though Solitary Snow was only an ordinary person who wasn't related to any Houses, it didn't mean that he wouldn't be successful. He had been putting every bit of effort and time into the Suit ever since he got his hands on it and even developed his own fighting methods!

All he wanted was to achieve his dream of becoming a fighter. Hence he came out with this golden combination: The Steps of the Papillon and the Golden Marksman!

This would be the end of Einherjar Wannabe!

The cheers from the IPA players sounded like a roaring river, they could see themselves in the shadow of Solitary Snow. They were the nobodies, the ordinary folks, and the salarymen in reality, but they all had the same dream. They felt themselves combining as one with Solitary Snow like they were fighting together against Einherjar Wannabe!

His Steps of the Papillon were flawless, even the Ivantians would be pleased if they were able to see this! The standards of his movements were possibly higher than what Ivantians could achieve.

Solitary Snow was able to achieve this with only the help of his Soul Energy; clearly, he had immersed his body and soul into the practices. Moreover, this was his first time using the Steps of the Papillon; he did not even use it in his regular fights, and the reason was simple: this was his first real match after all.

With the help from the Steps of the Papillon, Solitary Snow's arrows were no longer constrained, like the arrows were given wings. It has become more difficult for Einherjar Wannabe to dodge his attacks.

However, their distance remained the same!

Yet it wasn't because Einherjar Wannabe was approaching, but Solitary Snow himself got closer instead. It was a great taboo for archers to engage their enemies at close range; however, Solitary Snow found that this was the best method to increase the power of his attacks.

At this moment, he had truly become a fighter who possessed the spirit of a warrior.

As soon as he gained control of the rhythm, Solitary Snow steeply increased his Soul Energy in a burst and began to exert his killing moves. Einherjar Wannabe's sense of smelling the danger began to tingle; every shot was dangerous, even though it wasn't fatal, some of Solitary Snow's arrows did inflict damages to him.

Swoosh…

The firing speed increased as Solitary Snow accelerated the movement of his hands, the acceleration of his firing momentum even created an afterimage of his movements, and countless arrows swarmed toward Einherjar Wannabe like a horde of locusts.

The attack was called the Papillon's Mystical Arrow Shower!

It was a radius attack made of illusions and real arrows, the user's body, spirit, and skills had to be fully synchronized in order to pull off this attack!

This sort of imagination, creativity, and even combat capacity had totally exceeded the expectations of the TPA fighters.

The real attacks were well hidden in the illusions created by his Soul Energy.

It was a fast pace attack which left no gap for the opponent to respond, meaning it would be impossible to completely negate the wide radius attack. Einherjar Wannabe had no METAL Suit, if he were to take a hit from an arrow, then it would be game over.

Wang Tong was stunned as the attack reminded him of his terrible experience with Zergs' aerial forces, but this time Solitary Snow's arrows were even more appalling and complicated than Zergs' rain of pins; after all, Zergs had lower intelligence, and mankind was powerful because of its creativity. Half of the projectiles in this radius attack were illusions while the rest were capable of dealing damages; moreover, the kill shot itself was also hidden in the attack.

Einherjar Wannabe had to think of a way to deal with it, or else it would really be game over!

All of a sudden, Einherjar Wannabe closed his eyes in the moment of life and death!

That was insane!

In the eyes of the TPA players, it was a helpless situation. Given the speed and distance, it was already too late for Einherjar Wannabe to save his own ass, all he could do was to close his eyes and accept the fate of his defeat.

A technique like this might be fascinating, but the TPA players just couldn't do it; even if they could, they would choose not to.

Would there be miracles? Not unless this was a fairy tale!

Solitary Snow knew that was it, it has been the best experience ever, even if this was all just a dream; still, it definitely paid off his hard works.

All of a sudden, Wang Tong, who has been closing his eyes, began to move!

"Good God, he used the Steps of the Papillon too!"

He was floating around like he had lost the center of gravity, his movements were confusing, and the position of his body became unpredictable. What's more, Solitary Snow's arrows missed Einherjar Wannabe!

"He made it… He dodged the radius attack! That is truly absurd!"

However, Solitary Snow's Soul Energy wasn't stopping, his final attack was still yet to be unleashed!

A single kill shot was still hidden amongst the scattered attack, and it was under the control of his Soul Energy. It was the one and only Golden Arrow, which was also a part of the Golden Marksman METAL Suit.

The real Golden Arrow was about to hit!

Einherjar Wannabe suddenly stopped moving, his body seemed to become unaffected by the force of gravity, then without wasting any time, he put his palms together!

Bang! Wham!

Both of them recoiled by the impact!

Swoosh!

Dead silence…

Solitary Snow was startled as he saw the glittering Golden Arrow was stabbed in his own chest.

Then he gave a smile of satisfaction.

He had lost fair and square!

Everyone went blank as they watched his avatar faded away, no one expected the match to end like this.

Einherjar Wannabe took five steps back from the recoil and stopped, then he turned around and pointed Solitary Snow with his right index finger and gently hammered himself to the chest with his left hand.

Solitary Snow was touched…

It was the sign of a fighter showing respect to his opponent after a match.

The IPA players had never been respected before! Not even once, because they were only a bunch of ordinary people without any talent.

Respects only belonged to warriors.

Einherjar Wannabe left; silence took over the arena and plaza…

It was the glory of being respected!

It was the honor of conquering everyone's heart!

Chapter 85: Dominance

Translator: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

Roar…

Everyone cheered, that was how a duel should look like, and that was the match the IPA players dreamed of. It wasn't about winning or losing, it was about being accepted, they had been longing for commendations like this!

At this moment, they were finally recognized.

It was easy to defeat someone, but to conquer one's heart was way more difficult to accomplish!

Yet Einherjar Wannabe did it!

Cameron stared blankly at the screen, his staffs were startled as well. Everyone looked toward Cameron, waiting for his next orders.

Cameron's hands were trembling as his lit up a cigarette, he had no idea if he was shaking due to the agitation or the excitement, all he knew was that he had witnessed a miracle, and he understood what it meant.

Normally, he wouldn't smoke in his office, but he needed a puff now to calm himself down, or else he would not be able to clear his thoughts.

Einherjar Wannabe… could he really be the next legend?

Cameron had no idea; in fact, no one could have known, because legend itself was an abstract existence. Yet Cameron saw a ray of possibility in Einherjar Wannabe, and he was willing to put his faith onto Einherjar Wannabe!

The cigarette burnt out in a jiff, none of Cameron's staff said a word because they knew that he was thinking. Nevertheless, everyone was overflowed with motivation.

Despite the surprising result, an indescribable uplifting force seemed to linger on the fight itself. Everyone who had watched was touched by it.

Cameron finally sober up and said, "Reach out to Einherjar Wannabe right away, tell him that we are willing to build him a stage of his own!"

"...Boss, we've tried, but he didn't reply," said one of the staff.

Cameron stared at him and said nothing.

The guy was intimidated and replied, "Understood boss, I'll contact him again."

"Listen up! As you all know, recently our business performance is not in good shape. TPA is losing money and has become a burden to the corporation while IPA is not profiting very well either. If we still can't come out with a plan to fix this, you and I will see ourselves packing our bags and leave in no time. This is our final chance, and I believe y'all know what to do!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Cameron went off to make his own preparations, this was his best chance to shine in front of the board of directors. Einherjar Wannabe's victory wasn't actually the biggest reason behind Cameron's decision to take the risk, he might have won this round, but no one knew if he would be winning the next match too. Einherjar Wannabe was gifted, but it didn't mean he was invincible, yet Cameron put his faith on Einherjar Wannabe because he was able to sense his aura of conquering people's heart!

He wondered why ever since that man disappeared, humans had returned to normal, and there wasn't any other legend that was born since then.

"Is it because there wasn't a person with the strength to become one? No! Strength and victories are not enough for one to conquer people's heart."

However, Cameron was able to see the charm of Einherjar Wannabe and was fascinated by his aura since then.

As a professional manager and market strategist, he had the sense of smelling business opportunity, and this was the chance he had been waiting for!

He hoped someday that he would be proud of being born in this era.

This was just the beginning!

On the other hand, IPA forum was exploding with comments. The match had become the current hype even though they were defeated...

Einherjar Wannabe won again!

Solitary Snow held a high esteem on Einherjar Wannabe's victory, it wasn't only the fight itself that got him pleased, but also Einherjar Wannabe's desire of directly attacking his opponent.

It might be Solitary Snow's one and only chance to fight on the stage, and Einherjar Wannabe has given his full effort and brought up a real match.

The IPA players were overjoyed because the guy was able to understand them.

The name "Einherjar Wannabe" was carved in their hearts!

For the first time, the official website cleared their homepage and posted the video recording of that match. Now, all it required was its battle analysis.

It has been so long since the last time a person was given this kind of honor.

The IPA players were showing dramatic enthusiasm, while the TPA players were showing a calm excitement, no one expected that they would win with such disadvantages. That was unbelievable!

Some TPA players who watched in the arena had no idea how Einherjar Wannabe won; how did he dodge those Soul Energy arrows? The attacks made by the "glitchy" METAL Suit was supposed to be unavoidable, not to mention the opponent was combining ranged attacks with the Steps of the Papillon, yet Einherjar Wannabe overcame the situation without even equipping any METAL Suit!

What on earth was that sort of power?

The name "Einherjar Wannabe", was it some kind of sarcasm? Or was it his confidence?

Skyscraper pinched his index finger while he was watching the replay.

Miao Xiu came back after he had failed to locate Gust, and he knew he missed something when he saw Luv Ma concentrating on his screen. He almost felt like killing himself when he saw the replay.

He couldn't believe he had missed such an event: "God dammit! I was only away for a while!"

"Miao Xiu, stop bothering me!" Luv Ma was doing his own analysis, he wasn't going to wait for the official version because he knew he could do better than them.

Miao Xiu was furious at Luv Ma for not calling him, but Luv Ma wasn't some dude who liked to be disturbed when he was trying to focus, his temper would be unimaginable if he were annoyed, and even Miao Xiu didn't dare to piss him off.

However, everything in the video was quite blurry. If he were at the arena, he would definitely have been able to see every movement clearly. Too bad he missed the chance of watching it live!

Miao Xiu was amazed by the Steps of the Papillon. He had seen it before and even successfully deciphered the skill; however, he didn't learn the Steps of the Papillon because it didn't suit his style of fighting.

But would he be able to counter it if the skill were used by Einherjar Wannabe? Miao Xiu had no idea!

Meanwhile, at the Sky Mansion's grandeur living room holographic theater, Ma Xiaoru and Samantha were watching the replay in their sleeping gowns. Ma Xiaoru was wearing a cute white nighty, and Samantha was wearing a luxurious and sexy violet gown like she was the elegant owner of the mansion.

"Xiaoru, in your professional point of view, what level do you think Einherjar Wannabe was at?" Samantha looked calm, but it was actually her expression of excitement.

Ma Xiaoru shook her head and replied, "I can't judge. The match was a brawl of strength, and I couldn't imagine him being sixteen years old given his incredible battle techniques and experiences."

"What would be your winning percentage if it were you?" Samantha asked.

Ma Xiaoru paused and thought for a little while, then said, "I really have no idea, I couldn't even imagine what Tactics he is using. There're only a few sets of skills amongst Earthlings, Ivantians, Martians, and Kaedeians that are high in compatibilities, only the House of Dower's Tactics of the Deva King are able to reach that level."

"So you are saying… even the Tactics of Vayu and the Tactics of the Enchantress are not able to do so?" Samantha seemed shocked.

Chapter 86: Girly Bed Sheet

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

"Every tactic has its own distinct feel to it as if a unique signature, and given time, one can always tell one tactic from another. For example, the Tactics of Vayu focused on offense; therefore, it feels more belligerent than any other tactics. The Tactics of the Enchantress, on the other hand, are elusive and unpredictable, while the bright flames of the Tactics of the Blaze of the House Lie are also unmistakable. Like I said before, only the Tactics of the Deva King from the House Dower would have the same level of depth that could conceal its unique signature as that used by Einherjar Wannabe.

"That being said, I am confident that this Einherjar Wannabe did not use the Tactics of the Deva King. The Dower's tactics require perfect execution of even the smallest movements. However, this boy's footsteps were rather careless... I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like the tactics used by Einherjar Wannabe, whatever it is, seemed even to surpass the Tactics of the Deva King."

As the apprentice to the House Li, Ma Xiaoru was more qualified than anyone else to comment on the matter of tactics since she was trained to do so by experts. However, even Ma Xiaoru couldn't think of any tactics that would rival the prowess of that used by Einherjar Wannabe.

Many tactics might be able to yield the similar degree of intensity as that used by Einherjar Wannabe. However, no tactics — including the Tactics of the Enchantress that was praised for its elusiveness and deception — could have concealed its unique signature. The mysterious tactics had the all-encompass nature that made it feel like an agglomeration of many drastically different tactics.

"I don't think he was as powerful as you think." Samantha sank her body back into the soft cushions and said, "He is not bad though, we should keep our eyes on him."

Ma Xiaoru smiled knowingly. The PA system was the main line of business of the DREAM corp., and despite the hefty profit margin, the government and the military had taken up a huge amount of resources at DREAM's expense, which had inevitably driven the cost of operation skyrocketing. In order to increase its revenue from the domestic market, DREAM and Samantha understood that they would need one or two superstars in the public leagues to drive up the sales, but all of their attempts so far had failed. DREAM was not the first one to seek a legend as epic as the Blade Warriors. Many before them had tried and had nothing to show for it in the end.

The origin of the Blade Warriors, the once living God, were the most mysterious riddle in the history of humankind. His influence was on par with the old gods such as Jesus and the Buddha as they were considered the new god of the interstellar age.

Many recent researchers had voiced their doubts about the feats purportedly accomplished by the Blade Warrior, just like the ancient scientists that had questioned Jesus's miracles. However, the abundance of evidence had quickly silenced them. The Blade Warrior was worshiped among all human races. Even the Kaedeians who used to be at odds with the Earthling had given up their arms due to their reverence toward the Blade Warrior. The fearsome female fighters of the Kaedeians had believed that the Blade Warrior was the only "God", the master of the universe. Their long-lasting reverence had continued even till present-day.

Wang Tong had enjoyed the fight as he had learned something new: the Butterfly Dash. He found out that while executing the Butterfly Dash, his GN nodes had moved differently than when he had attempted the Fist of the Racing Tiger. He conceded that he had made the right decision to not confined his matches with only the TPA fighters, what happened today had proven to him that regardless of IPA or TPA, a good fight would always be a good fight.

Wang Tong could not bear the loud cheers and scream of the audiences, so he didn't dawdle at the virtual cafe and left as soon as he had paid the terminal service fee.

While walking on the street, Wang Tong suddenly remembered that he had some shopping to do. Instead of going to a department store, the frugal student went to a squalid store and picked up a T-shirt on sale for only fifty credits.

Worried that Zhou Sisi might be waiting for him, Wang Tong darted home but right before he had arrived at his dorm, he remembered that he had forgotten to buy the bed sheet.

Wang Tong's jaw almost dropped as soon as he stepped into his dorm. Everything was neatly packed and arranged; the air in the room had a clean and fresh scent and a promise of comfortableness. "Is… this my room?" Wang Tong marveled, wondering if he had gone into someone else's room.

He then saw his bed, covered in a clean blue bed sheet; it was decorated with a blue kitty in the middle. Wang Tong thought that the bed sheet would definitely look cute and lovely in a girl's room.

Seeing Wang Tong standing at the door, Zhou Sisi asked, "Sifu, is everything the way you wanted?"

More than satisfied, Wang Tong smiled joyfully, "How much is the bed sheet?"

"It's nothing, think of it as a gift from your apprentice!" Zhou Sisi grinned slyly.

Wang Tong said nothing. He figured that Zhou Sisi was indeed indebted with him since he did not intend to teach her for free.

"Thank you! Well, I guess that I could teach you a thing or two that I have learned. But, it would be up to you to learn as much as you can. Another thing, our pact should remain a secret, so don't call me Sifu in front of everyone. Are we good?"

"You bet!"

Wang Tong smiled warily. Although he was not sure what this relationship would develop into, he was relieved that he could finally say goodbye to boredom with this playful student by his side.

"Shall we celebrate?" Zhou Sisi exclaimed.

"Celebrate?"

"Yes, don't you want to? You really need to get out of this room and have some fun. Haven't you heard of 'study hard, party hard'? I can help you with your classes later as well. I assure you that my support would be as good as any top student."

Zhou Sisi was very confident with her understanding in all the subjects, plus, she wanted to challenge Ma Xiaoru and to prove that she could do as good a job as a spoiled princess.

The virtual cafes in all corners of Shangjin were packed with players who were waiting impatiently for the release of DREAM's official video analysis. They didn't have to wait long as DREAM had smelled profit in the air and therefore had cranked up their workload.

Although Solitary Snow had lost the fight, no one had understood how.

"Boss, the IM had reached 3500... it's close to the playoffs of official IPA tournament."

(Author's note: IM reading: view rating)

Everyone was pleasantly surprised since no one had thought that an ordinary fight could have attracted that much attention.

"Excellent, well done everyone!"

Cameron studied the IM chart. The line indicating the IM reading had risen steadily since the beginning of the fight and plateaued around 3500. Cameron and everyone in the office wagered that this would be the final rating of the match.

Cameron was pleased by the astonishing reading; he was confident that this fight would give his team more bargaining chip at the table negotiating with prospective show sponsors.

Suddenly, the line on the chart wiggled up and down, increasing its amplitude by the second, and in a blink of eyes, it raised again and breached the 3500 point threshold.

"Boss, it's 3600 now... Gosh! It went up so quickly!"

"Gee, this is unbelievable!"

Everyone in the office stood up in immense tension and bafflement.

"3750!"

The chart seemed to slow down slightly, but before anyone had noticed it slowing down, it up-ticked again and reached 3800.

People in the control room looked at each other in disbelief. They knew that the reading of 3800 meant that it was as popular as a semi-final of an official tournament.

Chapter 87: Wonderful Weekend

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

Despite the forced smile on Cameron's face, he could hardly conceal the confusion on his mind. He clenched his fist as he pondered on what had just happened.

While everyone was still awestruck, the reading on the screen kept on ticking up until it had reached 4000, where it eventually stabilized at.

Everyone looked to Cameron for an answer to this bizarre development, but they saw only Cameron's blank smile. Cameron himself needed some time to take in the dramatic turn of event.

The DREAM employees worked with extra enthusiasm, feeling elated for being part of an unfolding extraordinary event. They worked around the clock to come up with the analysis video, and once it was released to the public, it ignited the fighting spirit of all the other fighters.

The uncanny footwork of Wang Tong met with the graceful dance of the butterfly, a sight to behold! Solitary Snow, an ordinary citizen who had not been mind opened, had done miracles for mastering the butterfly dance. However, Einherjar Wannabe's performance still outshone his opponent.

On the screen, Einherjar Wannabe danced gracefully amidst bouts of furious barrages. His body never once revealed his next move as he seemingly drifted from one place to another, like a parchment paper in the wind. Belligerent strikes whistled by his body, missing by only less than an inch; these were the attack of superb power that could only be countered by evading techniques of equal prowess.

Wang Tong's eyes had been closed ever since the start of the battle, yet he was able to snatch the arrow of Solitary Snow's final coup de grace. From that moment on, the Butterfly Dash seemed to have changed its tempo. The details of the changes could only be examined in a slow-speed recording. Instead of the straightforward Butterfly Dash, Wang Tong also leveraged the lightning speed to quell the initial impact of Solitary Snow's coup de grace. As soon the arrow was firmly grasped in both of his hands, Wang Tong spun around and attacked without any hesitation.

Solitary Snow didn't even think that such a move was possible and therefore was caught off guard. Truth be told, should Solitary Snow be a TPA fighter, he would never have let his guard down in the heat of battle, regardless of how forlorn their countermeasure could have been.

The most popular technical analysis was the official version released by DREAM. In addition, there were also two fan-made versions that had gained a significant popularity: one was attributed to Skyscraper from the Bernabeu Academy on Earth; the other, to a student from the Starry Sky Academy who called himself "Lightning Fingers" on the PA system.

These two video analysis became popular mainly due to the unique perspectives the two had adopted. Skyscraper had focused on the footwork of Einherjar Wannabe, stating that the mysterious fighter did not use the Butterfly Dash at all, instead, he had been using something eerily similar to the moves of one type of Zerg called the Nestor. The Nestor Zerg was a notorious combat Zerg that looked much like a tank with sixteen skinny and hairy legs sticking out of it. Despite its strange and bulky figure, it was surprisingly swift and agile thanks to its many legs.

Having been equipped with only two legs, Einherjar Wannabe was able to mimic the movement of the Nestor Zerg. The solution seemed intuitive: Einherjar Wannabe sped up the speed of his two legs to compensate for the lack in number. However, it should have strained his body beyond the normal limit which a human could endure. Skyscraper, therefore, deduced his most important conclusion: The tactics used by Einherjar Wannabe, whatever it was, must have focused on conditioning his limbs. Otherwise, none of these moves would have been possible.

On the other hand, the Lightning Fingers directed his audience's attention to Einherjar Wannabe's evasion techniques. He challenged the mainstream belief that Einherjar Wannabe had been searching for his opponent's positions using his soul energy and proposed his own view that Einherjar Wannabe was simply intuiting out of instinct, no soul energy was involved.

In comparison with the two fan-based analysis, the official video seemed to lack technical flare as it focused mainly on the intensity of the fight.

The very short amount of time it took for the two fans to release their video analysis and their keen observations seemed to suggest that the two had to be competent in their own rights.

Most players had been waiting for the video review online ever since the fight was over, and with their desire satisfied, they were ready to make up their much-needed sleep. However, as the old spectators signed off one after another, a new wave of onlookers joined in the discussions on the various online forum. This amount of attraction from players across different leagues and levels was unprecedented. Some IPA players came to learn the technical finesse, but more came here because of Wang Tong's encouragement to his IPA opponent at the end of the fight. No longer relevant to only Solitary Snow, his encouragement had by then served as a motivational message to all of the IPA players. Unknowingly, Wang Tong had empowered himself by empowering others and pushed his reputation to a new height.

Instead of basking amidst the admiration, the modest Wang Tong had chosen to stay out of it and spend some quality time with his beautiful apprentice. Wang Tong spent the rest of his wonderful weekend in a relaxation that he had never experienced before, not even when he was with Ma Xiaoru at her luxurious mansion.

The Monday followed that weekend abode the coming of the next monthly test, as well as the first biggest challenge in Samantha's career as the principal. If she failed the challenge, this might as well be her last challenge.

The teachers had already chosen four students that will be representing Ayrlarng during the tournament: Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, Hu Yangxuan, and Wang Tong. Samantha had decided to fill the rest six seats via a competition. This was not only an unusual move but also an abrupt one since it did not give much time to the students to prepare.

Despite that, there were only four out of the ten combatants whose ability Samantha could confide, somehow she still felt opportunistic about her odds. The risks her team was exposed to, albeit large, gave her a newfound rush as if the sense of living on the edge had given some measure of meaning to her life.

Ma Xiaoru sometimes would lose herself while watching Wang Tong like she was solving a puzzle. Despite his prowess, Wang Tong was the most careful in listening teacher's instructions, and although he seemed casual and carefree, he had made use of every second of his life absorbing knowledge.

Wang Ben didn't felt the need to adapt after arriving at a new environment, nor did he care to find out if there was anything that indeed required his attention, if anything, he might have noticed a thing or two that he thought needed to be changed for him. His first and foremost duty was to recuperate. One thing that Wang Ben and Wang Tong had in common was that they both scored low in certain subjects.

Days of high-intensity training did not allow Wang Ben too much time to focus on other subjects. Despite his high status in the military, General Hu Ben was planning to let his son start his career from the very bottom as a foot soldier, just like he did, and he was very proud to find out that his son had been thinking the same.

General Hu Ben always believed that a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor, a truth that only a few in the world were willing to accept.

Chapter 88: A Lesson

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

While he was trying to recover, Wang Ben had also been observing his adversary: Wang Tong. However, no matter how hard he had tried, his defeat remained an enigma. He conceded that the only way to discover the reason behind his defeat was another fight, but that had to wait.

Wang Ben's injury came at a rather inconvenient time, as it had caused him to miss the fight with Einherjar Wannabe. However, he had enjoyed watching the show.

Although he was not interested in the player's techniques, he reckoned that this fight would open up a window for him to peer at Einherjar Wannabe's elusive power. It turned out that Wang Ben wasn't alone in that thought, and there were plenty of fighters who were eager to have a glimpse of Einherjar Wannabe's actual ability.

Gansus's open class was in the afternoon. Although it hasn't been long since the start of the term, many students had already changed their opinion on Gansus, to put it nicely, they had already got used to the eccentricity of this old veteran.

The classroom was jam packed since everyone in Ayrlarng wanted to see the famous rising star, Wang Ben. To their surprise, Wang Ben wasn't as muscular and haughty as they had imagined.

"What's the holdup? I had reserved these seats for you guys," Hu Yangxuan said with a smile on his face.

The A-Class and the F-Class were on different side of the campus, which made it hard for Hu Yangxuan to connect with his friends. This open class was a great opportunity that he could not pass up.

"I wonder what Gansus has in store for us today."

"I hope he tones down his language."

"You're dreaming."

There were no loud prattles like it was before the start of every other class, but only muted discussions. Many boys usually would take advantage of this time window to strike a conversation with the girls that they had been admiring. However, no one dared to approach Ma Xiaoru due to the presence of Hu Yangxuan and Wang Ben.

When the distinct foot step of Gansus — one cyborg leg and one normal — sent down through the hallway, the classroom suddenly became quiet.

Gansus walked into the classroom and threw a stern glance at the students. "Sit straight! You wimps!"

Unlike other teachers, who would be content with a passable attendance rate, Gansus always carried a chip on his shoulder and was scathing while carrying out his class.

No one dared to disobey him; some students who were slouching against the back of their chair straightened their back, fearing any further ire from Gansus.

All the keener who sat in the front row, such as Wang Tong and Wang Ben, didn't need to adjust as they had always kept their posture steady and focused.

"Last class we had learned about the five major types of the Zergs. Today, I am going to teach you guys how to beat them while keeping yourself alive."

Gansus's announcement piqued everyone's attention. Not only it was a matter of life and death, but killing Zergs were also the most compelling topic to Confederation's would-be soldiers.

As an old cannon whose source no one could relate used to say: "If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.", the students knew that today's class would mark the start of their long journey of slaughtering Zergs. Despite Gansus's bad temper and anger management issues, student genuinely felt that they could learn a lot from his class as he not only taught students his knowledge but also transferred his precious experience of the battlefield.

Time flew by unnoticed while both the students and the teacher were absorbed in the process of giving and receiving knowledge. There were a lot of material to cover so when the class was over, they only went over the key points in dealing with the Spider Zergs and the Sickle Zerg.

"Ten minutes break, and we regroup at room 18." Gansus tugged the notes under his arm and left the classroom without a moment's delay. As he walked out of the classroom, he heard a wave of cheers erupting inside of the classroom as his announcement set in.

The students were agitated because room 18 was equipped with a virtual arena, something that only the S-Class academy would be able to afford. The promise of confronting a Zerg in the virtual world filled the students with excitement.

The students filed into room 18 and were greeted with a freshly renovated room and sleek-looking equipment. Everyone had a taste of the sweetness of having a rich princess as their principal.

While students were still exploring the new room, Gansus walked in abruptly and was wearing a gym outfit that contrasted drastically with his usual uptight appearance.

"Now let's proceed. As we had discussed in the last class, you guys now should know the method of dealing with the two most basic types of the Zergs. If you can't even handle those two, I recommend that you change to a different line of work right away!" Gansus announced as he stroke the table with a stick to emphasize his message.

"Mister, don't you think it's a bit too early to judge us? We are still in the first year after all."

The one who spoke was Carl from the F-Class; he was well known for his directness.

Gansus threw a sharp glance at Carl, "You are from the F-Class, I remember you. Let's suppose you are right, let's suppose that you guys lack experience and strength, but why are you guys here? Do you take me for an idiot? You are here to f*cking improve, so why don't you shut your trap and think about how to improve? Uh?"

Gansus bawled out, a few spec of fizz flew a few feet away from his mouth in a fit of anger. He scanned across the room and allowed few words to escape his tight-clenched jaws: "Remember! This is MY class. You know where the door is if you don't like it. You! First! One minute! Everyone else, be quiet and watch!"

Silence fell into the classroom, and no one even dared to breathe. Truth be told, Wang Tong really liked the style of Gansus since it resembled that of Mr. Wannabe. Without Wannabe's constant scolding and dressing down, Wang Tong might have already been dead on that desolate planet.

Carl signed into the virtual arena. The virtual arena was a standalone terminal of the PA system that could be only used for educational purposes. Carl's opponent was a giant spider Zerg.

It was clear that Carl wouldn't be able to finish this terrible giant bug, he would be lucky if he were able to come out alive, but it was useless to talk any sense to Gansus.

"Watch carefully. Don't be swayed by that unpredictable movement. Use your eyes and brains, and you will find that there is a pattern in everything. Your best weapon is your brain."

Gansus spoke as he watched the poor Carl being chased around by eight brandishing sharp arms. Carl didn't start his cultivation until he entered Ayrlarng, so he stood no chance in a direct confrontation, and his only option was to run away.

The Spider Zerg moved with lightning speed, and it quickly caught up to Carl. Carl tripped over out of fear and fell. Everyone's breath caught in their throat as they watched a pair of razor sharp arms thrust at the immobilized Carl.

Chapter 89: Laughing Stock

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

As everyone thought that Carl's failure was evident, the teenager suddenly spun around and dodged the Zerg's attack. His soul reading also surged abruptly from 15 to around 20 as he punched at the soft spot of the Zerg, right underneath its chin.

Carl felt the air on top of his head being disturbed by the Zerg's arm walloping across, missing him by a mere inch. In front of him, the husky figure of the eight-legged monster suddenly dropped to the floor. Carl heaved a deep sigh of relief.

The students let out a wave of cheers. Like most other students, Carl did not possess an exceptional ability, yet, he was able to defeat a giant Zerg in one try. Although Carl had been immensely nerve-racked in the process, he eventually had deployed the right strategy at the right moment.

A strange smile flashed across Gansus's face, and on the other side of the classroom, Wang Tong also heaved a sigh of disappointment. The giant bug suddenly sprung back to life and struck at Carl again; one of its eight legs pierced the back of the unsuspecting boy, and the Zerg lifted the wiggling body high up before it fell to the ground again.

Carl walked out of the simulation room; the sudden failure had taken the wind out of his sail.

Gansus marked a 0 beside Carl's name without saying a word. There was no need for Gansus to give any explanation, what happened had spoken it all. Although Carl's strike had hit the fragile, weak spot of the Zerg, without a METAL suit to boost the intensity of the attack, it was simply insufficient to kill. It was too early to celebrate.

Carl had defeated a virtual Zerg in the PA system before, but he had forgotten that last time, he had the aid of a tier one METAL suit.

Gansus didn't even spare a look at Carl. Instead, he regarded the class with a stern look on his face, "I suppose that you guys had all owned a METAL suit in the TPA system. But don't expect that to happen in real-life!"

Students were dumbstruck by the comment; everyone knew that once their soul energy had reached 100 or so, they would be able to wear a tier 4 METAL suit.

Gansus registered the confusion on his students' faces, and he lifted one corner of his lips. "You folks must be thinking 'Isn't it that as long as I have a high soul reading, I would be given a high tier METAL?'. Well, unfortunately, NO. The best equipped human METAL troopers came from the Moon, and their METAL suits were mostly tier 2. As for our confederation force from Earth, the most common METAL suit is tier 1."

"Mister Gansus, why didn't the confederation manufacture more higher tier METAL suits? Many of us could use it anyways."

"Too young, too simple, sometimes naive! The manufacturing process of a METAL suit requires a rare isotope of the element, Neon-HR. Its concentration used during production determines the tier level of a METAL suit. Simply put, there is not enough of it to make for every soldier a high tier METAL suit. Only the ones that had proven worthy will be awarded a higher tier METAL suit. In other words, the Military won't freely give you a high tier METAL suit, you have to earn it!"

With enough practice, even the students who were stuck with the basic version of the Tactics of the Blade would be able to reach a soul reading above 20, enough to wear a tier 2 METAL suit, but according to Gansus, being able to wear it did not amount to owning it.

Carl had already returned to his seat. His chest slumped against the desk in front of him, and he lowered his head in-between his shoulders. He regretted ever talking back to Gansus which had made him into a laughing stock. "So close... If only I had been more careful..." Carl thought as he bit down on his lips.

Lo and behold, Gansus switched his topic: "Carl's fight was what you should NOT do. A classic failure that should be written in the textbook!" Everyone laughed out loud.

"What's so funny? How many of you sitting there could have avoided the same mistake? You! You are called Carl, right? You look like a sad soup! Pathetic! I can't believe a worm like you dare talk back to me !"

Carl wrenched his head up and locked his eyes onto Gansus's. He imagined himself rushing toward the old man and punching him in the face. The humiliation had taught him a valuable lesson that he will never forget: never let your guard down.

Gansus ignored Carl's searing gaze and said, "Since Carl had demonstrated both the correct and the incorrect strategy, he saved me a lot of energy. Wang Tong, why don't you talk about what you think about this fight."

Wang Tong always liked Gansus's class. Therefore he didn't hide his opinion and spilled out his thoughts: "His overall strategy was correct: he had first acted like he was weaker than he really is and let the Zerg lowered his guard. That fake trip over was brilliant and didn't even raise the Zerg's suspicion. The last strike was very precise but wasn't strong enough, perhaps due to stress he couldn't hit hard. Therefore the Zerg only passed out but didn't die. He should have followed up with another punch to make sure that the Zerg would stay dead. I have learned a trick to tell if a Zerg is really dead: simply observe the tip of its legs. If the Zerg is really dead, the tip of its legs will spasm in a very regular beat, but if the Zerg is still half conscious, the spasm is rather irregular, like how it moved just earlier."

A silence fell in the classroom as every student was amazed by Wang Tong's interpretation of the fight. He had explained things that did not even exist in the textbook.

Gansus paused for a second and then asked, "How did you know about that trick? No textbook had mentioned that, what is it based off of?"

Wang Tong scratched his head and said, "It was based on… nothing. It was just my experience."

The other students suddenly let out an uproar.

"His experience, again!"

"Is he joking?"

"He can't just say that! It's a matter of life and death!"

"He must have watched too many movies; I saw something similar in the new film 'Five Days in the Hive'."

"What an attention seeker!"

Gansus gestured everyone to be quiet and turned his head to Wang Ben, "Wang Ben, what do you think about what he just said?"

"I can't speak on that topic, but my father had also said something similar. He stated that it was only his experience, and there is no scientific proof of it."

Disbelieve were written on everyone's face.

"Wang Ben's father... General Hu Ben? And he said the same thing?"

"How did Wang Tong know about it? Is it luck?"

Chapter 90: Alternative Truth

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

"Thank you, Wang Ben. Wang Tong was right about that, and everyone who had fought with General Hu Ben, like me, had received this advice. I had since dissected thousands of bugs, and every single one of them had demonstrated that rhythmic spasm. I have no idea if any scientific research can explain it, but I can guarantee that it will work. You need to be watchful of your energy spent in a battle, so use this method to see if a Zerg is really dead. If it is, then there is no need to waste your energy."

As soon as he finished talking, he lifted the pen and marked a 100% beside Wang Tong's name, and a 60% beside Wang Ben's. Although Wang Ben had remembered his father's advice, he didn't come up with it.

Wang Tong came to this conclusion solely based on his observations on Norton. The unbearable boredom after Charcoal was out of commission had driven Wang Tong to keep a list of daily routines for the sake of his sanity and observing bugs was one of the tasks on that list of daily routines.

"I have to say that I am impressed!" Ma Xiaoru muttered quietly.

"I was just lucky."

"Yea, yea..." Ma Xiaoru pouted her lips. She knew Wang Tong was hiding something, and she was bothered by the fact that Wang Tong was not willing to share it with her.

"Very well, now we shall proceed to the next section. Some of you might have already watched what I am going to show to you guys." Gansus turned on the big screen, and it was playing the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Solitary Snow.

The students boiled over at the sight of the PA match. They were surprised to find out that Gansus was also a fan of the PA fights.

"I have just got this video. I don't care who the two contenders are, so I don't want to hear any of you blabbing about it!"

Gansus waved a stick in the air to attract the student's attention, "Watch the fight carefully!"

Truth be told, many students had watched the video many times, but they felt a newfound excitement as they watched it in a classroom setting.

"What do you guys think about it?" Gansus asked loudly as soon as the video was over.

"Bravo!"

"Perfect!"

"The Butterfly Dash was awesome!"

"Einherjar Wannabe is bad-ass!"

Sensing the students were going off on a tangent, Gansus slammed the stick on the desk and yelled.

"Look for what's important! The smell, the smell of danger we had talked about last time!"

Gansus turned off the screen; he didn't care to know the identity of the two fighters, he showed the clip to the students only because he felt that it suited the topic of his class.

"There are two ways of discovering unknown dangers. One is through the soul energy, but that is an innate ability, and only a lucky few are born with that. The other is the so-called 'Smell', and that is an ability you can obtain through learning, although it is hard to learn and harder to teach. It is entirely up to you guys to learn it, and it is an essential skill for you to survive on the battlefield. So for your own sake, I hope that you will be able to learn it, if not, all I can do is to pray for you."

"Mister Gansus, last time you talked about 'sniffing out' the Zerg. But it doesn't seem to be the same as Einherjar Wannabe's ability to foretold his opponent's move, does it?" Carl had spoken again.

Gansus seemed to be displeased by the question, "It is the same thing, but Einherjar Wannabe is using it at a much higher level. So don't worry about it for now and try to focus on the basics instead."

Gansus' answer stirred another wave of muffled discussions.

"Mister Gansus, can I please ask a question?" a clear and pleasant voice raised up.

"Of course, you can ask any question at any time in my class."

The speaker was Zhou Sisi. "From what we saw, Einherjar Wannabe doesn't seem to be born with the ability of detecting danger, so he must have learned it. My question is, based on your experience, what kind of training did Einherjar Wannabe underwent and how long did it take for him to achieve this level of skill? We all hope that you could shed some light on it."

Although Zhou Sisi's question had nothing to do with the class's topic, she had laid it out like an intriguing puzzle that compelled Gansus to solve it.

"It might take a talented individual about three to four years, and of course I don't want to exclude exceptions. Although some luckier ones might have it easier, through hard work and given time, all of you could achieve this level of proficiency. As for the question of how this young fighter is able to possess such prowess, I have no idea, and I do not wish to speculate."

Gansus's answer had only made the matter even more perplexing. "Three to four years or even longer… Is he suggesting that Einherjar Wannabe had been mind opened since he was a child?"

While in disbelief, some of the students looked to Wang Ben for an answer.

Although he remained silent, Wang Ben had a well-formed opinion about this Einherjar Wannabe. He had conceded that Einherjar Wannabe's ability to predict opponent's move not only required prolonged period of intense training, it also suggested that the condition of the training must have been extremely dangerous so that the trainee's potential could be fully drawn out in a short period.

Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe must have cultivated an unusual tactic; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to elevate his power to such a high level.

Although Gansus's class was never the most encouraging one, it was nevertheless a reality check to the students, and also thought-provoking.

In Ayrlarng, like in many other schools, students formed their own cliques. Wang Tong and his tight circle of friends had formed their own clique which had seemed hard to break into other students thanks to its member's prestigious family background, except for Wang Tong. Zhou Sisi had her own group of friends, and almost all of them were hard working students from ordinary households. As the vice president of the student union, Zhou Sisi was not only good at studying but also possessed excellent personal skills. In comparison, the senior students of Ayrlarng seemed to lack the same vigor and morale as the first year students, and neither was there any top notch stars like Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan.

However, in an S-Class Academy, the senior students were most definitely much stronger than the younger students. However, there had been ones that broke that rule, and they had possessed such great power that it seemed almost terrifying.

Chapter 91: Activation

Translator: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

"So what's the plan? It's still early for dinner," Hu Yangxuan asked.

"How 'bout a little warm up?" Wang Ben turned toward Wang Tong.

"The Gravity Training Chamber? Is your body good to go already?"

"Nevermind, it's just a scratch. Physical activities are good for my recovery," Wang Ben replied. Yet, Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan knew that Wang Ben actually was still brooding over unaccountably losing to Wang Tong last time.

It wasn't always about winning or losing, but being the son of General Hu Ben, Wang Ben had to have a strong victorious urge, yet it wasn't purely a spiteful and sentimental urge, it was actually a calm urge to win, which was also his way of pursuing greater strength.

"Let's go then!" Ma Xiaoru nodded. Everyone seconded her consent.

They were definitely the "Fantastic Four" of Ayrlarng. Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan's standard were just as good as the students of an S-ranked academy; as for Wang Tong, even though he was only a nobody in F-Class, he made quite the performance during the previous month's assessment. Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan might not have used their full strength, but Wang Tong did break the academy's record. Even though his academic scores were bad, it didn't mean he wasn't talented, and Wang Tong actually managed to stand out amongst fellow students. Moreover, he was also one of the chosen candidates for the competition against Bernabeu, which already proved that he wasn't someone with an average score.

Samantha was smart enough to know that class sorting decided by average scores wasn't the most effective method, yet she placed Wang Tong in F-Class on purpose. Samantha knew that Wang Tong was gifted even though his academic performance wasn't keeping up, and she wouldn't let him got expelled because of that. Placing him in F-Class was her way of helping him to grow.

Geniuses who couldn't handle stress were like exquisite porcelains. They might be lucky enough for not breaking apart, but they would still remain fragile.

The Gravity Training Chamber wasn't always crowded due to the fact that students would prefer tempering their Soul Energy instead. After all, Soul Energy would directly affect a person's GN Force, and GN Force represented one's actual strength. Apparently, academies and the military wouldn't accept one's ability to handle pressure as the reference data because physical training couldn't provide evident effectiveness. They would only say, "The more you practice, the more benefits you'll see, and no one would force you to train as long as your stamina was enough during regular assessments."

Wang Tong enjoyed visiting the Gravity Training Chamber because it was uncrowded and comfy. Some students of the METAL Combat class preferred to do their training here, while most of them who were in the Command Force would rather spend their time on expanding their astronautic knowledge instead. For those commanders-wannabe, the more knowledgeable one was, the better impression one would leave on the supervisors during internships in the fleet, and physical strength had nothing to do with it; after all, life on the fleet would definitely be easier than becoming a foot soldier.

Yet Wang Tong and the trio saw it differently, getting physical was what they were born to do, they were like the "over-active" ones.

Meanwhile, Gansus was meeting Samantha in her office.

"Ya asked to see me, Ma'am?" Gansus stared at the Ayrlarng's new principal, he wasn't very fond of her and absolutely didn't like how she entered the academy. Yet, the girl in front of him has brought the hope of glory back to the academy once again, which was the reason Gansus still treated Samantha with respect even though he didn't like her.

"Mr. Gansus, I'd like to hear your thoughts regarding my plans for the academy," Samantha said.

"So ya want me to speak up my mind, or just my compliments?"

"I want to hear the truth. As you've noticed, I've been plotting my ulterior motive since I took over this academy's administration, but ultimately, both of us have the same goal, which is restoring Ayrlarng to its former glory!"

"Very well. Honestly speaking, what you've done has indeed increased Ayrlarng's prestige and popularity; however, I think it won't be able to last long, and you'll still fail in the end!" Gansus didn't hold back in his comments.

"I'm listening." Samantha wasn't convinced by Gansus' saying. Ayrlarng has been doing great due to her hard work and would even make a greater comeback once she drop-kicked Bernabeu.

"Ma'am, winning Bernabeu isn't enough. The truth is, even if you were to defeat every single S-ranked academies, it will still not be enough to help Ayrlarng because the victories were achieved by a few geniuses, and they're definitely not enough to represent Ayrlarng itself. People will only remember Ma Xiaoru as House of Ma's descendent, Hu Yangxuan as the Templar's Follower, and Wang Ben as the son of General Hu Ben, and their success obviously has nothing to do with Ayrlarng!"

"You've got a point, and I agree with you on this, but you have to understand, I recruited them because they're able to boost our image."

"Hmph, I believe the people will doubt its effectiveness though; moreover, even our very own students wouldn't be convinced because everyone thinks that their successes are the expected outcomes, and the victories have nothing to do with them. I will admit psychology isn't my thing, but this is how I feel!" Gansus was a straightforward person, he didn't care if what he said would hurt other's feelings.

Obviously, Gansus' crude attitude pissed her off, yet Samantha couldn't argue back, because apparently what he said was the naked truth!

Apart from Gansus, no one had ever told Samantha so.

"What about Wang Tong? He's one of ours too."

"Yes, I agree. Wang Tong is gifted, and he has what it takes to represent Ayrlarng; but his strength alone isn't enough, Ayrlarng needs more talented students like him. Most importantly, students of Ayrlarng need to fix their lazy attitudes, it's normal for their strength and abilities to vary, but it's definitely the academy's fault if they all have a bad attitude!" once again, Gansus threw out another undeniable truth.

"Mr. Gansus, your words are really thought-provoking, and believe me, I do have made the same considerations before, which is why I came up with this class sorting method to stimulate the winning ambition of fellow students. I dare not to say that it has brought a tremendous effect, but I'm sure that there have been some improvements. Yet, based on what you've said, I believe you have a better solution?"

Samantha appreciated Gansus' honesty, yet she refused to comply, she wanted to see if this man was the real deal or just a good-for-nothing blabbermouth.

"Actually, I was wondering if we could increase the periods of daily physical training. I still believe that strict physical training is the best method to strengthen their willpower," Gansus said.

Most of the academies are not doing this anymore. Students would rather spend time practicing their tactics than doing physical training.

However, Samantha understood that Gansus was trying to imply that the old method is the best method!

"Thank you very much for your enlightenment, Mr. Gansus. Your advice would definitely help me in restoring Ayrlarng's former glory!"

"Please Ma'am, those were only some random words from a humble teacher. Yet I believe you didn't summon me just to hear my bullsh*t, am I right?"

"Haha, you have good eyes Mr. Gansus. Wang Tong is definitely a gifted kid, and I was wondering if you could recommend any other outstanding or talented students to be the candidates for the competition against Bernabeu."

"Zhou Sisi from A-Class Command Force, Carl from F-Class, Kyaero from B-Class METAL Combat Class, and Rumi from C-Class Intel Force. These four are quite unique."

"Zhou Sisi… yes I remember, she's one of the top students of A-Class Command Force, but her Soul Energy is a bit weak… Carl is only average, as for Kyaero and Rumi, both of their results are not very outstanding though." Samantha remembered every student's information, she was gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory.

"Ma'am, information has to be updated from time to time. Teachers shouldn't only refer to the available data; instead, we should do our best to discover the hidden potentials amongst every student. Those are my personal recommendations that you've asked for, and it's all up to you to decide," Gansus turned and left after saying that, and Samantha was astounded by his action.

Ayrlarng was definitely a strange place filled with idiots and weirdos. The position as the academy's principal was stressing her out terribly.

Yet Samantha had to agree with Gansus' point about reinstating physical training. It could help Ayrlarng's students to enhance their physical strength which has been forgotten by most of the academies, most importantly, it would be able to improve students' discipline and their fighting spirits, and this could help to create positivities in other aspects even though results wouldn't be shown instantly. Anyhow, she believed this was crucial for Ayrlarng's development.

Samantha was not a conservative person, and she would never scruple. If she thought it was right, she wouldn't hesitate to do it, regardless if the others would like it or not.

Samantha had decided to re-observe Zhou Sisi, Carl, Kyaero, and Rumi. Even though she still doubted Gansus' perspective, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

Nevertheless, she had placed all her faith on Wang Tong and the trio for the upcoming competition against Bernabeu. All they had to do was winning five rounds, and it would be great if one of the other six students could win another round, yet it would be alright if they couldn't win because Wang Ben would be able to take part in two rounds, and it would increase their winning rates.

The other six candidates might look like supporting characters, yet Samantha hoped they were able to make achievements too. Her goal was to "resurrect" Ayrlarng, and it wasn't about receiving fame for a short period of time. Like what Gansus had mentioned, it would be easy for Ayrlarng to get famous, but it would be very difficult to change Ayrlarng thoroughly, that was her real challenge!

She thought for a moment and decided to make a call via Sky-Net.

"Yo milady, I'm quite busy here, wassup?"

"Sorry to trouble again Karlen, there's a teacher in our academy, his name's Gansus. His personal profile mentioned that he was once in the military, but not much info other than that. I was wondering if you have more of his information."

"Gansus… do you have his full name? It would be great if you could also provide me his serial number in the military."

"Sure, I'm sending it to you as we speak."

Samantha knew that hotshots wouldn't come out of nowhere. She noticed Gansus was more than just an ordinary teacher, even though his teaching attitude was bad, he had good observations.

It got her attention when he recommended Wang Tong.

Karlen was Samantha's senior during her school days. Currently, she worked in the intel department, so it was easy for her access the personal data of an ex-soldier. Within minutes, Samantha's Sky-Net rang again.

"How is it, Karlen?"

Karlen was looking doubtful at the other end, "Sammy, you sure that it's the actual serial number?"

"That's the serial number in his file unless I got the wrong file."

"Seems like something's going on with this teacher. His military files are classified and are only accessible by higher authorities. My hands are tied here, or would you like to try someone else?"

Samantha was startled, "It's okay, thanks again for the trouble dear sis. It isn't a big deal, I was just trying to gather more information."

"No worries darling, I heard you've accepted Bernabeu's challenge, and everyone's expecting you to take their breaths away!"

"I know, most of them are waiting for me to make a fool of myself, and I guess they're betting me to lose too!"

"Haha, you got that part right though. Anyway, all the best!" Karlen said as she grabbed her fist.

Samantha smiled and turned off her Sky-Net. Friendships among girls were simple, if they got along, they would become each other's BFFs; sharing all sorts of gossips and all of the happiness. However, if they couldn't get along, they would become rivals or even sworn enemies. That was how girls rocked, and men would never understand their world.

Samantha had no intentions to dig up the skeleton behind one's closet, she was only collecting data for her own reference, and somehow Samantha had a feeling that Gansus wasn't as ordinary as he looked.

She had a rough planning in her thoughts, and she had to win against Bernabeu in order to carry out this plan of hers. Everything would burst and vanish like bubbles if they failed to defeat Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong and the trio got changed. Hu Yangxuan looked handsome as always, Wang Ben looked macho, as for Wang Tong… he might be a slacker, but there was definitely an unruliness aura under his skin.

The three guys had well-trained and muscular bodies, Wang Ben for obvious reasons, and it was normal for Hu Yangxuan too since he was the Templar's Follower; however, Wang Tong having a muscular body was a bit unexpected.

In fact, Wang Tong had been training since he was a kid, furthermore, when he was trapped on Norton, he was forced to train in order to survive Norton's strong gravity and harsh environment.

However, the boys were stunned when Ma Xiaoru came back from changing. Her figure was… mind blowing… Anyhow, the boys managed to gather themselves and didn't do anything embarrassing, yet Ma Xiaoru couldn't help laughing when she saw their silly faces.

"What's up guys, got petrified by my beauty?"

"Miss Ma, I have to admit, you're a charming lady," Wang Ben was honest and kind.

"Thank you for your kindness."

"Yup, definitely the greatest beauty of all," Hu Yangxuan praised dramatically. He would never hold back his words of praise when he saw something beautiful.

On the other hand, Wang Tong shrugged and said, "They've spoken my words."

Ma Xiaoru rolled her eyes like she wanted to say, "It wouldn't hurt to repeat the same comments."

Wang Tong laughed and said, "After you, pretty lady. But let's be clear that I won't be giving any handicaps later though."

"Bring it on, sucker!"

All four of them laughed. The gifted quartet was eager to get into action. Human beings were complicated, choosing a leader might not be important amongst a group of talented people, but they would still compete against each other. That was also how most societies and civilizations of intelligent lifeforms were formed. Same theory applied among Zergs. Rankings were crucial in the brutal world of Zergs, a creature with a higher ranking was allowed to feast on its lower ranked own kind.

Amongst the quartet, Wang Tong had once fought against Ma Xiaoru unofficially, while Wang Ben also dueled Wang Tong once. Yet both fights ended before the winner was decided.

However, it didn't always require a battle to compete against each other.

Recently, Wang Tong had surprised the others with his numbers of experiences, but it wasn't enough for him to become stronger.

The four of them walked pass the doubled gravity zone, and it felt nothing at the beginning; then Wang Tong stopped at the five times gravity zone, but he wasn't stopping for a challenge, he stopped because it was his favorite warm-up area.