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Chapter 303: The Ultimate Weapon

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The two didn't drag the match on as Birance had typed in gg after seeing that there was no chance of winning.

This was the first time a human had successfully defended against Kaedeian's attack. It broke the unspoken rule that an earthling should always attack first when fighting against a Kaedeian, since any defense was proven to be useless under their incredible aggression skills.

However, Wang Tong's victory in the first round could just be a fluke. Based on the statistics, of all the human victories over the Kaedeians, 90.45 percent of the time, it was the Earthlings who had attacked first, and only 9.55 percent of the time had they won the battle with a defense focused strategy. Wang Tong's success could be that 9.55 percent. Many experts of fleet combat had ignored the 9.55 percent of the chance as legit victories, and concluded that the best way to defeat Kaedeian was to be aggressive.

"This young man called Wang Tong has struck lucky again, as he had turned his opponent's impatience into his advantage. It seems like Birance had underestimated him" The host from the Moon smiled while announced her take on the first round of the match.

"Wang Tong has done a good job. He probably had realized that there was no way he would win by attacking, so he had focused on defense." Zhang Jie, the earthling host, announced. Although Wang Tong had won the first round, the real fight had just begun.

The Kaedian host remained silent and didn't speak.

"Miss Dina, you are the expert from the Royal Kaedeian Academy. What do you think about the two's performance?"

Although Dina's age was well over forty, she still looked like as if she was in her thirties. Kaedeians held the advantage over the earthlings regarding longevity and the ability to retain their youth. Not only did they live longer, their appearances also didn't seem to change much as they aged. Even on their death, they usually looked like in their fifties.

They spent most of their life looking like a twenty years old. The humans had studied their gene, hoping to gain such fantastic ability. However, they quickly found that the Kaedeian genes were incompatible with that of Earthlings.

"I think Wang Tong has done a good job in controlling the flow. His performance was great, and I hope it was Wang Tong's normal strength." Dina paused without giving any more comments.

"Round two, start!"

At the beginning of round two, Wang Tong had put up the exact same defensive strategies. The repetitive use of the same strategy was a blatant taunt at his opponent.

Right after the first round, Birance had excluded the possibility that Wang Tong was Einherjar Wannabe, since she was convinced that the aggressive Einherjar Wannabe would definitely use the Art of Soaring Heaven instead of any other aggression tactics, much less using defense-related tactics.

Without anything to be worried about, Birance decided to release all of her power to the opponent, as she was confident that she would be able to outplay her opponent with her superior ability.

Birance didn't attack recklessly this time. Instead, she planed her moves methodically as she intentionally left some openings in her formation in order to lure her opponent into the trap. However, Wang Tong had deployed the Art of Iron Wall, and therefore, he wasn't tempted by the lure at all.

That being said, Wang Tong didn't simply let his fleet sit in the base and rot. Instead, he had proactively sent out harassment to exert pressure on his opponent.

After a while, Birance's patience was wearing thin. She felt the pressure start to weigh on her, pressing her to make an attack.

Finally, she made a move. Her initial formation was tight and seemed formidable. However, only a few seconds later, she realized that what awaited her was a failure.

Flash laughed satisfyingly after seeing that Wang Tong had recovered to his full ability. Therefore, there would be no doubt that Wang Tong would eventually win the match. Flash conceded that even if the match dragged on until the final stage, the Kaedeian would lose the match due to Wang Tong's incredible clone technique.

Flash concluded that the only way to defeat Wang Tong was to be mindful of even the slightest imperfection in his controls, and turn it into an advantage.

Wang Tong defeated his opponent in the second round with ease and greatly irritated his opponent. Wang Birance felt that Tong's defense was impenetrable, and she conceded that her defeat in the first round was not a fluke either. Instead, she registered that it was a new technique that Wang Tong had tried out many times before the tournament.

The hosts found themselves hard pressed to grasp the nature of Wang tong's new fighting style. Wang Tong' had mix-and-matched existing defense techniques that had been deemed ineffective against Kaedeians into his opponent's nightmare.

The score was two to none. It was unimaginable.

At Ayrlarng, every student was watching the live stream of the match. When they saw that Wang Tong had won the second round, the school was filled with cheers and applause.

After Birance exchanged something with her coach, the third round started.

Wang Tong once again deployed a defensive formation in the beginning. It was a ballsy move if not an outright taunt.

Having learned her lessons, Birance also changed her tactic and focused on her defense instead. The two gradually built up their economy and research and amassed huge fleet. Everyone's hearts were caught in their throats as a showdown was about to erupt at any time.

"It looks like Birance has learned her lessons. We are soon going to witness the final confrontation, and as we all know, that is the Kaedeians' strong suit. "

Dina masked a faint smile and then said, "It is still too early to say that, don't you think? I believe Wang Tong has a backup plan." Everyone felt Dina was very humble, as they all knew that the clone technique was Kaedeian's traditional technique. Due to physical and genetic differences, human's execution of the method was far less efficient.

Flash touched his chin as the development amused him. He had noticed that Wang Tong had purposely passed up two great opportunities to obliterate his opponent's fleet. It occurred to him that Wang Tong had intended to engage the Kaedeian in a showdown from the very beginning. Was Wang Tong going to unveil his real power already?

Flash conceded that if he were Wang Tong, he would have waited until the very last battle to unveil his real strength.

A small skirmish finally triggered the final battle.

Birance's eyes glinted as her hands started to speed up until her fingers had become blurry shades. She was about to unleash the pride of the Kaedeians: the clone technique.

Everyone was surprised to see that Wang Tong had not yet made any countermeasures at all in this moment of life and death.

Even Flash was caught off guard by Wang Tong's lack of response.

A thousand missiles glided across space towards Wang Tong, while releasing a thunderous crackling noise.

Birance was confident that this one round of fire would destroy at least eighty percent of Wang Tong's force.

However, before Birance was able to pull her mind out of the joy from the promise of victory, the alarm went off and warned her about the incoming hostile fleet.

Birance found it hard to believe her eyes as she watched Wang Tong's fleet march towards her unharmed by her attack.

Before she could make a single command, her fleet was engulfed by fire and light.

"Winner is—Wang Tong!"

All the viewers were shocked, and silence fell into the room.

The big screen displayed the replay immediately.

In slow motion, people were able to see that Wang Tong wasn't doing nothing while Birance had executed the clone technique. Instead, he had also used the clone technique, not to counter the attack, but to dodge. This was unheard of, because the amount of AMP required for clone-dodge was practically unachievable.

On the screen, the computer had calculated Wang Tong's AMP, and it was 563!

The simulation room was so quiet that one could even hear a pin drop.

Wang Tong had proven to the Kaedians that they were no longer the strongest in terms of final battles.

A tsunami of applause and cheers erupted amongst the audience. The students at Ayrlarng, Bernabeu and the members of the S club all fell into an ecstasy at the sight of Wang Tong's victory.

That was their leader—Wang Tong!

The ultimate coup de grace of Earthlings.

Chapter 304: The King of Cheapness

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

When Wang Tong combined his new fighting style, the Art of Supreme Defense with the clone technique and created the ultimate formula for victory.

Wang Tong's new technique had devastated his opponent as she had failed to discern any weak link in his defense. His insane AMP had also made the clone technique even more overwhelming than that of Kaedeians. Birance conceded that she saw no hope of winning the fight.

Wang Tong had revealed his real power in this round of the match and unleashed a remarkably adaptive tactic. Even if Birance was able to gain the upper hand over Wang Tong in the beginning, her defeat was still inevitable.

All the major forums on the internet reviewed and commented on Wang Tong's technique. Many had proposed the idea that Wang Tong had invented his own fighting style. However, this thought was quickly turned down by the authority as they found something was off in the way Wang Tong's techniques were executed.

People who liked Wang Tong called him the ultimate weapon, but most people simply thought that he was cheap. The Kaedeian had tried to lure Wang Tong into a confrontation from the beginning. However, Wang Tong had turtled in his base with an impenetrable defense.

Most top-level fleet commanders favored aggression over defense, because an attack would always allow them to control overall flow of the battle. However, Wang Tong's unbeatable defense had broken that rule.

Wang Tong, therefore, very quickly was dubbed as the "King of Cheapness" due to his almost infuriating tactic that was able to make the strongest fleet think twice before attacking. However, Wang Tong doubled down on his cheapness with his clone technique, since no opponent would be able to avoid falling victim to his insane AMP.

A lot of fleet commanders who were watching the match had initially conceded that the only way to defeat Wang Tong was to take over his base as soon as possible using rush tactics. However, after seeing Wang Tong's incredible AMP, they doubted if the rush technique would even be useful. Once engaged in a battle, Wang Tong's enemy would only lose more territories, resources and time by throwing away wave after wave of canon fodder. Eventual, even the experts conceded that they don't have a viable solution to counter Wang Tong's cheap—or, perfect—technique.

Karl felt indignant for Wang Tong. To him, all strategies were good strategies as long as they were effective in doing one thing: eliminating opponents.

Not only did Karl find Wang Tong's tactic legit, he also enjoyed watching the splendid display of strength at the end of the battle. He was convinced that the people who called Wang Tong cheap were merely jealous of his power.

Karl was not alone in his indignation, as his sentiment was shared by most Earthlings. However, the Martians, despite their miserable fleet combat skills, laughed at Wang Tong for being a coward.

Most Ivantians' comments sounded bitter as well. They disagreed to give Wang Tong credit for inventing a new style, and lashed out at him on the forums, calling him despicable. They had gotten used to the earthling commanders who always acted on a whim and were never able to resist the temptation of being aggressive. Therefore, when they saw Wang Tong who possessed exceptional self-control, they found it hard to adjust their expectations, and thought Wang Tong was cheap instead of smart.

Some people had admired Wang Tong's ability to control the flow of the battle. They noticed that Wang Tong's defense was not merely waiting to be hailed upon. Instead, it was able to erode the enemy's confidence by constantly throwing ranches in their plans. They conceded that Wang Tong had the best micro control as well as the acutest battle awareness.

Unfortunately, this group of the rational audience remained in the minority.

Despite the sarcastic undertone, Wang Tong loved others' description as he thought "cheapness" fitted pretty well with the nature of his new technique. Any opportunity for a full-on aggression was precious, and therefore, he needed to make sure that he had a decisive advantage before the two forces engaged. In most circumstances, Wang Tong reasoned that his clone technique would allow him to get a drop on his opponent.

Being cheap also signified patience.

Anyone could wage a full-on assault at any time. However, even he strongest fleet would crumble in an instant if the timing was off.

All teenagers dreamed of being a hero: charging out of their rank and killing off all the enemies with a single swoop.

Wang Tong had learned at first hand that heroic fantasy was not only fictitious but also extremely dangerous. He conceded that although he needed bravery and mettle on the battlefield to overcome his enemy, he also required importance of patience to survive.

That being said, it was critical that the patience was not wasted. So, he also needed to actively seek opportunities to harass opponent to tip the scale of the battle, one hair at a time. In other words, he needed to be passive-aggressive.

Wang Tong's new technique hinged on his proficiency in the art of Iron Wall. Without a solid defense to last until every end of the battle, everything was merely empty talks.

Ayrlarng had made another miracle. Most people had thought that they would at best break into the final sixteens. However, by then, two out of three Earthlings on the final eight list were from Ayrlarng.

The other earthling was Flash from Capth.

The final eight list was fresh out of the oven. Soon, the new king of fleet command would rise among these eight young warriors.

Flash-Capth

Wang Tong-Ayrlarng

Karl-Ayrlarng

KKK-Luster

GoRush-Starry Sky

Paris-Royal Kaedeian

Niche-Royal Kaedeian

Lora Pasiu- Royal Kaedeian

Three Earthlings, two Ivantians, and three Kaedeians. This was the best result earthlings had ever achieved in the history of the tournament.

The field of the fleet combat seemed to be divided equally among three factions.

Thanks to its student's excellent performance, Ayrlanrg's fame had reached a new height. All the media around the globe were focused on the tournament and its related news. Therefore, more and more people started to notice Ayrlarng as the rising star among academies on earth.

Since Samantha was directly responsible for the rise of Ayrlarng, she also quickly took center stage and was praised for his ability to revitalize the fallen school.

She had doubts in some of her progressive methods, fearing that she might have bent the students too hard. However, it seemed like she was right after all, in bringing about radical changes to the school to break the student's bad habits.

Although Samantha's political and financial resources had more or less made her task easier, she had proven herself to the council as a capable leader. In addition to her ability, the fact that she was not "mind-opened." had made her popular among the council members. The council had been divided into two major factions: the mind-opened, and the ordinary humans. After undergoing the mind open operation, a human would get a large boost in many areas. Although the Confederation had set quotas to the number of ordinary human on the council in order to balance the power, the competition between the two factions was fierce. As a normal human, Samantha had quickly become the normal human faction's favorite.

Samantha's prestigious family background and her special connection with House of Ma had also given her an edge among the competitors who wanted a seat on the council. All the council members agreed that there shouldn't be any surprise in Samantha's appointment as the new addition to the council, and all they need to do was to wait for the perfect moment to make the announcement.

Wang Tong and Karl had undoubtedly become the most popular students of Ayrlarng. Many girls even started to send love letters to the latter.

Wang Tong got a message from Li Ruoer, who had been quiet for a while. She informed Wang Tong that as long as he was able to make it to the final, she would bring Ma Xiaoru with her to watch his performance.

Although it was still quite a way from meeting Ma Xiaoru in person, the message had lit up Wang Tong's hope.

Zhou Sisi didn't feel jealous of Wang Tong's feelings toward Ma Xiaoru. She genuinely hoped that the couple would eventually stay together. However, she also conceded that the drastic difference in the two's social status was undeniable.

Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi had already started to prepare the analysis on Wang Tong and Karl's opponents. They were going to the moon with the two commanders as their assistants.

Although Hu Yangxuan wanted to go the moon to support his friends, he eventually stood behind to continue training for the upcoming METAL tournament.

Karl's success had transformed him from a no account to a hero, and the change in him had greatly motivated other students.

Everyone around Karl agreed that he was the most devoted to his training, since other than training, Karl didn't have any other hobbies, expect for listening to loud dance music. He loved to listen to music, especially when he was training, as he felt that the music was able to intensify his awareness and make him more passionate about achieving his goal.

Wang Tong had one week before he had to pack everything and leave for the moon. He practiced the fleet combat regularly to maintain the battle awareness, and he also continued his cultivation in the crystal space.

Wang Tong had the sneaking suspicion that he was being watched ever since he had finished the match. He thought it was either an illusion or someone really powerful stalking him, and he suspected that it was most likely the latter.

Although he had suspected that he was being followed, Wang Tong acted normally every day and hoped that he was able to fool the stalker into believing that he was an easy and unsuspecting target.

Chapter 305: Assassin

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong waited for three more days, but the secret stalker still didn't reveal himself. Wang Tong could constantly feel the sense of danger, and wondered if he had tipped off someone important.

Wang Tong didn't waste too much time pondering, since there were too many questions that even he didn't have an answer for. It could be anyone; he would just have to handle it when it came.

Wang Tong knew that stalking was a laborious work at first hand while he was in the crystal following Mr. Wannabe. A sense of pity rose inside him for the secret stalker, which made Wang Tong decide to give him an opportunity to reveal himself.

During the midnight of the same day, Wang Tong walked out of his dorm and started wondering around in the sleepy campus. The school was quiet and the night was dark—perfect time for unspeakable things.

Wang Tong carried a tune while stretching his muscles as if warming up. He then started a countdown.

Five, four, three, two and ...one!

Before Wang Tong's last word slipped away, a light glinted in the darkness as a shadow appeared, sending a shockwave of soul energy around him. Wang Tong registered that the attacker was at least a level five warrior.

The dark shadow thrust his fist at Wang Tong, and to his surprise, the fist went through him, as if his target was simply a mirage. Immediately, he felt a dark presence surround him and pull him into an unknown dimension.

The assassin was staggered by the force, and after he finally regained balance he found himself in a virtual world. He knew right away that he had walked into Wang Tong's trap.

Wang Tong felt his surroundings with his soul energy and noticed an anomaly behind a bush. He marveled at the assassin's excellent soul energy, but lamented over his lack of experience, since he had fallen into his trap so easily.

By then, Wang Tong had mastered the usage of the crystal. He found out that it could absorb soul energies and trap an unwitting enemy inside it.

The assassin's attention had been focused his attention on Wang Tong. Therefore, he didn't notice the crystal had been quietly altering his soul energy.

Wang Tong appeared in the side of the virtual world and regarded the unnerved assassin. He looked to be in his thirties, and had a soul energy of three hundred—a solid fighter.

The assassin didn't speak a word and attacked as soon as he saw Wang Tong. Wang tong didn't have to worry about being discrete here in the crystal space, so he unleashed all of his soul energy and raised his fist, hewing at his enemy. The GN force tumbled out from Wang Tong body and the impact of Wang Tong's punch sent the assassin flying backward.

Surprise and shock flashed in the assassin's eyes. His target was entirely different than what was on the profile he was given. The profile indicated that he should be a fifth level fighter at most, and his soul energy shouldn't have exceeded three hundred. In other words, Wang Tong should not be able to detect him, much less laying a well-disguised trap for him to fall in.

Wang Tong's lips curled into a wicked smile, and then he said, "Don't tell me who you are, because I am not interested at all."

Kong...

Wang Tong punched his enemy anew. His strike was spot on, and the assassin collapsed onto the ground. Wang Tong studied the assassin while lamenting on his weakness.

Wang Tong didn't know that his opponent wasn't weak, but he was simply too strong, since the crystal space had intensified his power. In the crystal space, he was the strongest, a God-like existence.

Thinking that the battle was over, Wang Tong turned around. The assassin suddenly came back alive and thrust a sharp blade at Wang Tong. However, Wang Tong disappeared after the assassin took only a couple steps.

It took the assassin a while to realize that he was left alone in the virtual world, and he turned into a bundle of nerves as he ran around in circles, unable to find an exit.

Wang Tong watched everything from above, then his hand turned red like molten metal. In a blink of the eyes, the assassin's body pulverized and then evaporated like steam on a cold day.

After getting rid of his trouble, Wang Tong walked back towards his dorm. He could finally enjoy a good night sleep, without having to worry about being assassinated in the middle of his sleep.

Wang tong yawned, 'It's time for bed.' There was a lot of training to finish tomorrow, and he also needed to practice with that assassin's trapped soul essence. Perhaps, Wang Tong thought, he could even make him reveal his employer's information.

The assassin had never overlooked Wang Tong, as he had been extra careful ever since he started the mission. He could have done away with the boy as soon as he got the mission. However, his employer had cautioned him to be careful and try to kill the target in one strike, in order to minimize the evidence. Therefore, he had been following and studying his prey for a few days. Even with all the caution and planning, the assassin had failed nonetheless.

As a top assassin, he had trained in various imprisonment methods, and none had come close to what he had just experienced.

Five o'clock in the morning, Wang Tong was up and was ready for his morning exercise. He suddenly remembered that the assassin was still trapped inside the crystal, so he scanned with his soul energy and to his surprise, he found no trace of any soul essence.

The assassin had relinquished his final form of existence.

Wang Tong shook his head in disappointment. He wanted to use the assassin's soul essence as his practice target, but he had already given up to avoid leaking any information regarding his employer. Wang Tong couldn't help but admire the assassin's professionalism.

It occurred to Wang Tong that whoever he was dealing with ought to be a force to be reckoned with.

Instead of being traumatized by the assassination like any average human would, Wang Tong felt that it was a welcoming change to the lazy and comfortable life at school.

"Boss, this was the summary of the event." Parler was Ma Dutian's right-hand man. He was not only a powerful fighter but also competent in everything else aside from being very resourceful.

Ma Dutian smiled faintly, "Not bad! What do you think of it?"

"The assassin must be from the Dark Shadow of the Li. These assassins are worth their salt, but they had underestimated Wang Tong after all."

Only a very few people knew that House of Li was still in control of one of the deadliest assassin group. This group had been affiliated with House of Li ever since General Li Feng was in power, and later, it had shifted its role to that of protecting the personal safety of members of House of Li.

"I was asking about your opinion on Wang Tong."

Parler paused to reflect on the question, and said after a while "I am not sure about this boy."

"Haha, even you can't get a handle on the boy's real power?"

"Yes. I can tell that this young man possesses the experience and willpower that is unheard of among his peers. His age seemed to contradict the power in him we have seen so far."

Ma Dutian lolled in the sofa and watched quietly on the screen as Wang Tong killed the assassin with ease. He saw a cold and vile demon inside the young and energetic body, forming a perfect contradiction. There had been one such person in history that had presented such an enigma, and he had made a new world for the humans to thrive in. Ma Dutian wondered what Wang Tong would create or destroy with his unimaginable power.

One week later, Wang Tong, Karl, Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi arrived at the moon. They were received by the tournament hosting committee and were sent to their accommodations.

If Earth represented the human's glory history, then Moon represented human's future, as everything on the moon looked modern and was of cutting-edge technology.

Thousand years ago, the moon had still been a barren rock, and after centuries of development, it had become the bastion of human civilization. The streets on the moon were the cleanest and the most well organized among all other human settlements. The citizens of the moon also enjoyed the best welfare program, and the largest degree of freedom compared to that of other planets.

Despite its low rate of street gang crimes, the moon was a haven for white-collar criminals.

It was the first time the four earthling students ever visited the moon, and therefore, they were shocked by the neatly arranged streets and beautiful city scenery.

It was a city built on sophisticated artistic taste.

In a large room, Karl leaped on to a soft and huge bed.

Cao Yi studied the various equipment catering to their basic amenities while taking notes from time to time. The room even came with a hologram projector and a service bot.

Seventy percent of the Ivantian families used the service bots, a number which dropped down to twenty percent on Earth, and twelve on Mars. These three numbers were an indication of the level of development of the three human worlds.

Although the moon was smaller than earth and mars, its compact size also made the development and management of the settlements a more manageable task compared to Earth and Mars.

The four shared the same room with a service bot to take care of any need they would have.

After they had taken a brief tour of the city, the students returned to their rooms and started to discuss tomorrow's match. But it was hard to come up with any concrete plan before they knew who they would be fighting against.

Karl lay on the bed and said, "As long as I'm not up against Boss, I can handle pretty much anyone."

"Hehe, it's not very likely you will meet Wang Tong. Don't worry about it." Zhou Sisi cracked a smile and said.

Chapter 306: Free Admiration

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"I have gathered all the profiles; it would all depend on tomorrow's seeding result." Cao Yi scratched his head and was about to consult his database.

"That's alright. There's no need to trouble yourself with the data. It is too much to go through right now anyways." Wang Tong smiled broadly and marveled at Cao Yi's seriousness in conducting almost any task.

The service bot brought the dinner to everyone. Since they didn't need to pay for their food, the four ate until they couldn't move. The service bot had to go back and forth from their room to the kitchen four times before they were full.

After spending more time with the boys, Zhou Sisi had also started to eat more. Her vigorous training also required her to replenish her body with nutrients. That being said, she still ate the least amount among the four.

Although Cao Yi didn't wolf his food down the throat as Karl did, the amount of food he ate was rather impressive.

After the dinner, the four started an intense pillow fight.

Meanwhile, in another room, Flash was writing his diary quietly. He felt the pressure on his shoulder as he had carried the hope of millions of people from earth. The Earthlings had always hopped that they would be able to break the monopoly of the Ivantians and the Kaedeians in the fleet combat.

Flash had become their only hope of making their dream come true.

After Flash finished his diary, he did some exercises and then went straight to bed.

The next day morning, the service bot woke up the students one after another.

Karl was still snoring as he was drooping all over his pillow. When the service bot got close to him, Karl threw the saliva tainted pillow at the robot and knocked it off balance. The three other students watched the funny scene at the door and burst out laughing.

"Karl! Time for breakfast!"

"Breakfast? Where? I didn't have any yet!" Karl sprang out of his bed, eyes darting left and right.

Wang Tong coughed and then said, "Time to get up Karl."

"Yes, boss!"

When the four arrived at the arena and immediately, they found themselves surrounded by the media. Since the seeding process directly influenced the outcome of the tournament, it had attracted the attention it had rightfully deserved. The earthlings were particularly invested in this year's tournament, since three Earthling students had unprecedentedly made into the final eight.

The host introduced the eight students in great detail as the media aimed their lenses at the students.

The seeding process was simple: everyone was to pick up a ball with a number on it from a black box.

KKK went first, and his number was five. When he saw one of the Kaedeians hold a number 6 ball, he made a wicked smile as he lamented letting the Earthlings escape his clutches again.

Wang Tong held a number three ball, and one of the Ivantians had a number four. Karl drew a number seven, and he was relieved at the thought that he wouldn't encounter Wang Tong until the final fight for the champion.

Flash looked at his number one ball in his hand, and the number three ball in Wang Tong's hand, then smiled knowingly at Wang Tong.

Group one:

Flash vs. Paris

Wang Tong vs. GoRush

Group two:

KKK vs. Niche

Karl vs. Lora Pasiu

The seeding was done, and everyone had found their opponents. They all counted themselves fortunate that there was no competition between fighters from the same planet just yet.

The eight fighters knew that there were no substantial gap between them regarding skills, and the outcome of the battle hinged mostly on their performance.

After the seeding, everyone returned to their room to prepare for their fight the next day.

In the hallway, KKK smiled at GoRush and said, "Lucky you, picked up an earthling."

GoRush smiled and then said, "Haha, don't be so rude. The earthlings already had their fare share of misfortune. If they had two of them fighting against each other, at least one would make it to the Final Four. It looks like they won't be able to make history this year despite all the hype. "

The Ivantian emphasized the word "history," reminding the earthling students their insufficient track record in the field of fleet combat.

Wang Tong shook his head.

Karl also remained calm. He knew that talk was cheap; only results would prove them wrong. Although the Ivantians' overall skills were far behind that of the Kaedeians, they were much more ostentatious than the latter.

The three Kaedeians remained calm and stoic. However, their beauty was undeniable.

"Boss, let's show him some color. This idiot won't stop babbling."

"That's because he is afraid."

"Afraid?"

"KKK is very good at using his opponent's psychological weakness. Didn't you notice that he never stalk shit about the Kaedeians? That is because he knows that his words won't affect them. However, he knows that us earthlings are more emotional, and therefore, he uses his ploy on us. But, he did it because he fears us. Otherwise, he won't have to do it. " Wang Tong explained.

"Sh*t, that's despicable!"

"It's alright. The more you pay attention to our world, the more freaks like that you would get to notice. He won't be the last one, so it's a good opportunity for us to test our patience."

"Boss..."

"What?"

"I admire you!"

"Oh, you! just buy me a dinner."

"No!" Karl refused without a second thought.

"You just said you admire me."

"Admiration is free, but dinner is not."

The four laughed together.

Psychological control was a science, and that was why most scientists would be so successful in other areas with the help of their ability to manipulate other's emotions.

Samantha, for example, was a master in the art of manipulation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you are watching is the live stream of the pan-solar system tournament, the fleet battle session's final eight matches. We have over five thousand media outlets reporting live from the arena, with more than two hundred thousand live audiences. The first match of the day is between Flash of Capth and Paris of Royal Kaedeian. This is going to be an exciting match, since earthlings had never able to find a viable solution to counter the Kaedeians attack. Let's hope that Flash would bring us some surprises today. "

The Ivantian host announced with a gleeful voice. However, his money was not on Flash, since he believed that he was still a relatively inexperienced player, and earthlings overall fell far behind Kaedeians in fleet battle.

Flash remained placid, and so was his opponent, Paris. It would be the first time Flash ever fought a tough Kaedeian player who was as methodical as him.

The first round began.

Paris started the game with a normal opening, and Flash had also used the most commonly used opening formation.

Seeing the earthling boy not pulling any tricks from under his sleeve, the audiences worried if he would be able to survive the Kaedeian's attack.

Neither of the two deviated from the set strategies in the first dozen minutes. However, a few minutes later, Flash had sent in his first wave of attacks. Everyone thought that this first wave of attack would be cannon fodder under the Kaedeian's defense.

The two forces engaged and both sides sustained heavy losses; it was a better outcome than what Flash had expected.

In a few moments, Flash had pushed out his second wave of attack among the audiences disapproving criticisms.

Flash's economy had already fallen behind.

Flash had gained a slight advantage in the second round of attack, but he didn't have many ships left after the skirmish ended. Paris seized the vacuum of her opponent's force and started an aggressive expansion, hoping her expansion of bases would aggravate Flash to attack her again. Even if Flash wanted to expand, Paris thought, it would be already too late, since she had taken control all of the resources nodes on the map.

Everyone was surprised to find out that Flash didn't expand his territory.

Paris had built four bases, and her fleet economy was also through the roof. Despite being constantly harassed by Flash's fleet, her forces were increasing its rank by the second.

Finally, a large battle broke out in the very middle of the map. Although Flash had ended up destroying all of Paris's fleet, he did not have enough force left to take over even one of Paris's four bases.

The situation was not looking too bright for Flash.

Chapter 307: Annihilation

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

However, Flash's reinforcement kept on pouring in. Another wave of infantry pressed forward towards Paris's base. As long as Paris was able to defend against this wave, she would be able to force Flash into a 'gg'.

"Eh? What is going on? Where is Paris's reinforcement?"

The host screamed as Flash quickly made his way into Paris's base during a vacuum of the latter's unit production chain.

The two bases that Paris had just built had slowed down her unit supply. In other words, the period of force vacuum was induced by Flash's careful planning using the other two bases as bait.

Flash remained calm, as most of his forces were already in front of the Kaedeian's base. Under his command, heavy armored units started pouring steel onto the small group of METAL fighters defending the base.

The base was in danger.

While the main force was making tailwinds, two smaller units were dispatched from Flash's base and circling the map to the other two defenseless bases.

Paris finally typed in "gg."

The simulation became quiet as everyone was shocked by the turn of events.

Flash flexed his neck muscle after his victory. What he had shown was the true sense of strategy, as he was able to foresee the disconnection in his opponent's unit supply without using any scouts.

"Sh*t, Flash is getting sneakier. His ruse was the most convincing one I have ever seen."

Excitement flashed across Wang Tong's face as he was eager to fight against such a powerful commander who had learned to seize total control of the battle.

Kaedeians exchanged a few muffled words to each other as their comrade's defeat dumbfounded them. Flash's strategy was not only plain and simple, but also held a few rough edges. They were convinced from the beginning of the battle that Flash was going to be defeated in seconds.

KKK's face became gloomy. He had seen through Flash's ruse; however, he struggled to find a counter.

Most audiences didn't realize the real reason behind Flash's victory. Instead, they considered the earthling boy had struck lucky in this round and caught an opening in the Kaedeian's defense by accident. What they failed to understand was that as the top fighter among Kaedeians, Paris would not make such a critical mistake without any particular reasons.

Five minutes later, the second round started.

The two started the match with the same openings.

Flash remained calm as he started to prepare his first wave of aggression; Paris was more vigilant this time as she focused on defense instead of expansion. During the early a couple skirmishes, Paris was able to gain a drop on her opponent. However, about 15 minutes into the game, Flash sent out a massive wave of forces, and once it engaged in combat with Paris, her defense forces started to falter again for no apparent reasons. Very quickly, the Kaedeian's base collapsed, and Paris was forced to type in "gg" again.

The second round was even more peculiar than the first to the audience.

The score was at two to zero; the earthling was already half a step into the gate of final four.

Kaedeians requested a time-out at the match point to revise their strategy. Paris looked confused and helpless after being defeated twice in a row. The weak link in her units were very hard to detect even in her own scrutiny, as it wouldn't show up until her forces were engaged in combat. She couldn't refrain from marveling at her opponent's acute battle awareness, and the ability to foretell future.

After the time-out, the third round started. Flash sipped some water, and still looking placid.

As soon as the third round started, some of the audiences shrieked in excitement as they noticed that the Kaedeian was about to unleash her coup de grace.

It was the forward base formation, the most extreme form of the Kaedeian's fighting style. Usually, only the ones that had earned the match point would use such a risky move. However, desperation had driven Paris to take the risk, hoping to surprise her opponent. Despite its element of surprise, this method would expose her base outside of her defense line. Therefore, once it was detected, she would face immediate annihilation.

Flash seemed unsuspecting of her unique opening formation as he opened the game with his usual strategies and sent out his scout. Everyone calculated that by the time Flash's scout reached Paris's base, so would the Kaedeian's first wave of the rush. Without anything to defend himself, Flash would lose this round in a heartbeat.

"Gosh! Flash's scout is moving towards the south. Did he already realize his opponent's strategy? "

The host shouted out, and the earthlings among the audiences boiled over at the development. They had become anxious for Flash after seeing Paris's unorthodox move. However, as they were about to lose hope, Flash surprised them again.

The scout had detected Paris's hidden units, and although the scout was quickly done away by Paris's infantry, information Flash had gathered should allow him to prepare for his opponent's attack. Once Flash had amassed a group of units, he would be able to easily defeat Paris's meager force due to her crippled economy.

After Paris had gotten rid of the scout, she sent out the small harassment force into Flash's base, hoping to interrupt Flash's fleet economy.

Meanwhile, Paris had given up on scouting. Instead, she ordered the construction of a starport at the corner of her base behind a little hill.

This was a brilliant move.

Although Paris lacked the number when compared to Flash's forces, she wagered that most of Fash's units would be ground units, and would lack the air defense capabilities. Therefore, she was confident that her airborne units would catch Flash off guard and tip the scale of the battle in her favor.

However, as everyone was marveling at Paris's ingenious move, one of Flash's scouting units turned around right before Paris's base and moved towards the little hill at the left corner of the map. Everyone's hearts were caught in their throats as the scout zeroed in on Paris' construction unit who were bustling about, building the starport.

Kaedeian audiences face turned pale at the sight of the unwitting constriction unit murdered by the scout unit.

A wave of cheers erupted from the audiences.

When Paris realized her construction unit had been destroyed, her body seemed to sink into her chair as if life had been sucked out from her body.

Flash had demonstrated a God-like ability to control the flow of battle and predict enemy's intentions. He had fulfilled the wishes that Capth had instilled in him.

Flash's power was unimaginable!

Everyone was shocked by the incredible display of strength. "Flash from Capth, everybody… He is INVINCIBLE!"

The giant arena was filled with cheers and shouts, celebrating King Flash's victory.

"What a bada*s! " Karl was impressed by what he saw, and he was one of the very few people who were able to discern the full extent of Flash's power in addition to his apparent victory.

"This is getting interesting!" Flash's incredible power ignited Wang Tong's fighting spirit as he started to doubt if he would be able to overcome him in a battle. This uncertainty and the sense of challenge was refreshing to Wang Tong. He gladly accepted the challenge in his mind, as he was determined to win the tournament in front of Ma Xiaoru.

"Flash, could you please tell us how you feel after getting the ticket to the final four?"

In front of the camera, Flash remained calm and level-headed, like a perfect commander. "The opponent was pretty strong, and she had fought well. As for me, I have only one goal… to become the champion."

"Well, I believe you have spoken out loud today for all the earthlings who were watching your match with us. Tell me, who do you think would be the biggest challenge on your way to the tittle of the champion?"

"Haha, everyone is a good challenge. I love fighting, and I always look forward to fighting any of the contestants." Flash cracked a smile and then announced candidly.

"Thank you Flash. We hope you are able to continue your good work in the rest of your matches."

In the afternoon, Wang Tong and GoRush's match started. Wang Tong was a new addition to the earthling team, as he was relatively unknown to the public before he joined the tournament. His opponent was the Ivantian's strongest fleet commander who focused on early aggression, GoRush. GoRush was the most powerful at the very beginning of the game, and so far, no one was able to fend off against his early rush attack.

Chapter 308: The Turtle King

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

To be the strongest at early aggression required a thorough understanding of all kind of opening formations. Meanwhile, Wang Tong was the best at turtle-ing inside his formidable defense, and hence the nickname, the "King of Cheapness."

Judging by the two contestants' ability, this match ought to be an interesting one. It would be like the test between the sharpest knife and the sturdiest shield.

The first match's map was called "Crusade."

The two acted as if they had followed a script: GoRush started with his classical aggression formation while Wang Tong started with his signature turtle formation.

Both players were successful in scouting out their opponent's position on the map. GoRush quickly sent waves after waves of units at his opponent.

Wang Tong did not let GoRush's harassment affect him, as he defended his base while carrying out his strategy on his own terms. He could discern clearly which wave of attack was a feint, and which was the real deal. Therefore, GoRush was not able to gain any advantage during the early period of the match. Frustrated, GoRush unleashed the strongest move he knew as he lined up all the forces he got in front of Wang Tong's defense line.

This had always been his killing blow to enemy fleets thanks to his insane AMP ability.

The engagement started right away. In a blink of an eye, GoRush's AMP soared up to an insane amount of 550, as everyone wandered if he was on steroids. His hand moved so fast over the command dashboard that one could almost see steam rise from the back of his hand. His fleet lined up neatly and attack orders were lucid and clear, as if straight out from a textbook.

However, only ten seconds later, the tide of the battle turned.

"This is... INCREDIBLE! While faced with the devastating blows from GoRush, Wang Tong's defense has stopped the invading armada cold! This is a perfect defense! With only less than 20% losses, Wang Tong has made the aggressor pay with over 70% of his forces. GoRush is retreating. He has retreated his force! OMG! Wang Tong... Wang Tong's AMP has reached 570, even more than GoRush. I think that's our new record everyone! 570!"

There he was, the Turtle King in all his glory.

GoRush didn't bother putting up a fight with his remaining forces; instead, he typed in "gg." He conceded that he was not the very best at the later stage of the match, and therefore, his chance of winning after failing the initial rush was close to none.

GoRush gathered himself and was ready for the second round. At the beginning of the second round, instead of using two-base opening, GoRush used only one base, which allowed him to start his harassment even earlier.

He was convinced that the longer he waited until his first unit was out, the more prepared Wang Tong's defenses would be.

The two both sent out the scouts early on, hoping to shed some light on their opponent's opening tactics. However, the two scout units crossed the path, and started an engagement. So small and insignificant was the scout unit, that most player wouldn't want to waste their precious AMP on it. However, Wang Tong had controlled the small-sized unit, and even used the "positioning" technique that was usually used on larger units. The smaller the unit, the harder it was to apply the "positioning" technique. However, Wang Tong had successfully blocked the path of his enemy's scout numerous times, and eventually drained the scouts' life bar to zero.

GoRush had never encountered such an opponent in any of his previous matches. Although he only lost a scout unit, he felt humiliated, and he knew that the damage of losing a scout in the very beginning of the game might seem small, but it would propagate to an obvious disadvantage later on.

As blood rushed into his brain, GoRush lost him coolness and decided that since the harm had already been done, he might as well attack all out then and there.

Karl couldn't help but laugh at the Ivantian, "He could lie all he wanted to, but it is not going to change the reality that he sucks."

Zhou Sisi shook her head and conceded that one should always be careful and remain calm while fight against Wang Tong. She doubted GoRush would win this round, since he had made a critical mistake from the very beginning and lost his sense of reason. Wang Tong's scout loitered around GoRush's base and fled whenever GoRush sent his units to chase after it.

A knot of fire was burning brighter inside GoRush's belly by the second.

As a top player among the Ivantians, GoRush was able to hold back his anger until he had finally amassed a sizable fleet. However, when he pushed his fleet to Wang Tong's base, the formidable defense made him want to cry.

Even the Ivantians sitting in the audience's seat felt embarrassed and wanted to leave their seats. Go Rush's glaring oversight of technical finesse was a disgrace to his title as one of the strongest among Ivantians.

GoRush's heart sank. However, it was already too late, so he sent his force to their doom.

In a few minutes, Wang Tong had annihilated GoRush's force while only sustaining minor damages.

The entire round lasted only ten minutes, and it had changed the score to two to zero.

The Ivantian audiences lamented over GoRush's lack of wits, since he had played to his opponent's strength by attacking blindly.

GoRush curled up into a ball in utter frustration and confusion. He wanted to change his tactics, but Wang Tong had forced him to veer back to the old track using his superior micro control. He conceded that even if he were able to last until the end of the match, he would still be threatened by the clone technique. With everything working against him, he wondered what he should do next. No matter how hard he picked at his brain, he could not come up with a solution to his conundrum.

The referee didn't give him too much time to ponder as he announced the start of the third round. His mind went blank, and the voice of his coach shouting at him next to him sounded like a blurry hum.

On the big screen, everyone saw GoRush's panicking, as uncertainty and nervousness was etched onto his face.

The battle started, and GoRush used the only method he could think of at the time: double base rush. Although it seemed like his typical opening, many experts and top fleet commanders could sense that GoRush had turned on autopilot, and was no longer invested in the match.

As the match progressed, GoRush's moves became increasingly more mechanical, and the delay in his reaction was palpable. He seemed to lack even the most basic foresight to the flow of the battle.

Wang Tong started his game with the same old turtle defense and waited patiently for his opponent to knock on the gate.

Zhou Sisi shook her head. Although GoRush had been rude before the match, she still felt slight sympathy for him after seeing Wang Tong shatter his confidence.

In the first two rounds, Wang Tong had teased out GoRush's best abilities, and then went on to completely obliterate the Ivantian's self-confidence.

In the third round, having lost all his hope, GoRush just wanted to match to end. GoRush mechanically pushed out his fleet, but the fleet was ambushed by Wang Tong.

A few minutes later, GoRush conceded defeat.

After the battle, GoRush felt he was hollowed out. Unlike Paris who had lost her match against Flash because of Flash's incredible ability, he had lost the battle because of he had lost his will to carry on.

GoRush plunged himself into the restroom and refused any interviews.

Although Wang Tong's defense didn't shine because his opponent was too weak, more people started to regard him as the King of Cheapness, the Turtle King.

It was very rare for anyone who possessed the same AMP skills, such as Bisu, to focus on defense, as it seemed to be a waste of incredible AMP.

The two earthlings' ascension to the final four meant that at least one of them would show up in the last match. In other words, the earthlings would finally, for the first time in history, compete with different factions on the final stage of fleet combat.

Flash, the perfect commander and Wang Tong, the Turtle King, they would both consider it an honor to fight against each other. However, since they were not seeded in the same group, they were more than happy to show the entire world their strength and prove that they were worthy of the tittle of the champion.

Who would be able to stop the two?

The answer was "no one." They were both one of a kind and the best of the best.

Chapter 309: Strong Opponent

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Cheers could be heard everywhere in Ayrlarng; teachers had canceled classes for the students to watch Wang Tong's game. Everyone felt that Wang Tong's victory did not only belong to himself, but also to all the students of Ayrlarng.

It had been a while since Ayrlarng had a victory in any tournament. It was much needed for this school full of glorious history, and had brought Ayrlarng back to the public's attention.

Some of the older teachers who had seen Ayrlarng falling from grace when they were young held tears in their eyes. An approving smile rose on Gansus's ever stoical face as he considered Wang Tong had done a great job in punishing the Ivantians for their deceit.

"Congratulations, Wang Tong! You will meet Flash in the final battle. Do you think your victory was largely due to your opponent's slip up?" The host was an Ivantian, and he still couldn't come to terms with GoRush's defeat.

"Hehe, yeah, perhaps. Or maybe he was not yet ready for serious tournaments. I look forward to the match with Flash." Wang Tong replied, the sarcastic undertone making Karl smile. It had occurred to Karl that he might have overestimated the Ivantian's ability, since it was then clear that the Ivantians were also prone to the effect of emotions.

The first seed group had finished its matches, and the two contestants from the earth: Wang Tong and Flash, were about to meet again in the semifinals. It would be a battle between two incredible commanders: one possessing God-like battle awareness, and the other having an impenetrable defense. But who would prevail?

Both Wang Tong and Flash had waited for this fight. Although it was not the final fight for the championship, they were happy to have each other as the opponent.

Wang Tong and Flash's victory had motivated Karl, making him more eager to send the arrogant KKK home.

The first day's match was over.

Flash was not surprised by his and Wang Tong's victory, and he wrote down his thoughts in the notebook.

The ring-tone of the Skynet broke his train of thoughts.

"Congratulations, you have done well today." A soft and caring voice rose from the terminal.

"Thank you." Flash put away his pen. Respect flickered in his eyes as he watched the person on the screen.

"I don't have anything urgent to say; I just want to tell you that I want you to defeat Wang Tong. Make sure that he won't show up in the final. " Although being caught off guard by request, Flash nodded and said, "Wang Tong is my nemesis, I will go all out in this fight." After turning off the Skynet, Flash heaved a sigh and conceded that he would have no choice but to win.

Meanwhile, in another room, Wang Tong's face remained indifferent while Li Ruoer spoke to him over the Skynet.

"You had struck lucky again. Once you have passed Flash, I promise I would bring Ma Xiaoru to the arena."

Li Ruoer's voice sounded cold and distant, but Wang Tong didn't mind, knowing that the enchantress meant him no harm.

The second half of the quarter-final was about to begin.

KKK enjoyed his host advantage as he basked in the thunderous cheers of the Ivantian audiences. While he was not engaged in fleet combat, KKK was a very approachable and polite young man. Therefore, he had won over the hearts of many fans.

The Ivantians knew that during a battle, two contestants would compete both in terms of physical strength, as well as psychological conditioning. Therefore, they took KKK's rude and arrogant behavior as a ploy of his battle.

The Ivantian's opponent was Niche from the Royal Kaedeian academy. The Kaedeian had gained considerable pressure from this year's tournament after they saw the rise of excellent commanders from Earth and the Moon. Their unique fighting style had prevailed until a few days ago, when an earthling boy called Wang Tong had successfully countered it.

The battle started.

KKK didn't use any psychological tactics, knowing that it would be useless against a Kaedeian. It was time to rely only on his skills. After five rounds of battle, KKK won the match with the score of three to two.

Despite the final victory, it had been a close call for KKK.

Karl pouted and then jested, "His skill was just so-so. Looks like Boss and I would see each other in the final. Haha!"

"You better focus on your fight at hand. " Wang Tong cracked a smile.

Karl waved his hand and then said, "A piece of cake. The Kaedeian had an obvious venerable spot. I will show you."

Cao Yi smiled knowingly.

"We will take you up on that. Don't you slip up and lose the fight!" Wang Tong threatened Karl.

"Don't you worry. I am every calm and level-headed. It's impossible for me to slip up. Hahaha!" Everyone shook their head at Karl's silliness.

Although one of the Ivantians had entered the semi-final, the Ivantians had felt it would be a pity if KKK failed at the quarter-final stage. With the host advantage, they were confident that KKK would be able to get rid of the Kaedeian.

Although KKK was able to defeat Niche, Niche was far from the strongest commander of the Kaedeians. The title for that went to Karl's opponent, Lola.

Although Lola was only a third-year student, many Kaedeians, including Paris, were her students since she was already a member of the Royal Kaedeian's instructors. Usually, for the sake of secrecy, Kaedeians would not send out their best fighter to a tournament. However, Wang Tong's appearance had made them break that rule.

KKK had heard of Lola. As he learned that Niche was Lola's student, his face became gloomy as he started to worry about the possible encounter with Lola in the semi-final. He was convinced that Karl was going to be destroyed by Lola.

KKK's fear was shared by his schoolmates, as the students at the Lustre Academy had already started to research ways to defeat Lola. Lola's fighting style was plain and simple, but extremely effective. She was able to overcome her opponent without infuriating them, as every defeated opponent was able to learn something new after finishing one match with Lola.

Niche's failure had forced the Kaedeians into a tight spot. In other words, Lola had to win since the honor of her entire race was at stake.

Lola conceded that not only the Kaedeian's opponent's had gotten used to their fighting style, they had also improved their skills by leap and bounds in a short period.

She lamented over the fact that humans were very much like the Zergs regarding their adaptivity.

The Kaedeians had conducted numerous researches on Zergs and humans, and the more experiment they performed, the clearer it had occurred to them that Human race was much more dangerous than Zerg.

They found out that humans seemed to be engineered by their creator for interstellar expansion, because they had unrivaled ability to learn new technologies and absorb new ideas. The Kaedeians conceded that the only way to keep the human power at bay was to contain it before its development gained any real momentum. Otherwise, there would be no room in the vast space for Kaedeians.

No one knew the exact terms in the pact that General Li Feng had made with the Kaedeians. But ever since, the Kaedeians had decided to work with the humans instead of against them.

The Kaedeians were aware that the humans worshiped strength, and therefore, they knew they needed to display their strength to win their human counterpart's respect. Fleet combat was the stage they had chosen to present their power.

Chapter 310: Unbridgeable Gap

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Even with Cao Yi's industrious research, the fact that Lola was the instructor as well as the strongest Kaedeian player had eluded him. When the host announced Lola's background, everyone stuck their tongue out in surprise and admiration of her power.

Although Karl had made his way to the quarter-final stage, not only his experience paled in comparison with his opponent, his over-reliance on the Art of Kyle also exposed him to a certain degree of risk.

Although as a new offense focused fighting style, the Art of Karl had not been countered by any opponent, that did not amount to its invincibility. Lola knew that with careful planning and a solid AMP, any fighting style could be countered effectively.

"Karl, be careful and relax! You are already in the quarter-final, and your mission is already completed." Cao Yi told Karl.

Karl replied with a wicked smile, "Just a Kaedeian instructor… She is not worthy of Boss, I am."

Wang Tong nodded at his confidence and then urged him, "Get rid of her!"

This was the last match in the quarter-final. All the participants of the tournament were sitting in the audience seat, waiting to enjoy the show.

Both fighters entered the control room and started to warm up. Everyone watched as Lola's fingers danced over the keyboard and her AMP jumped to 520.

Everyone's jaw dropped when they saw Lola's AMP reading and registered that she was much stronger than other Kaedeian players.

The expression on Paris's face remained placid; they were confident in their instructor's ability.

Karl was the only person in the arena who was not even slightly worried about himself.

"This Earthling boy is reckless."

"He would know that he is in deep trouble very soon."

"The Art of Karl is worthless in front of Lola. I bet the battle would end in ten minutes."

"Hehe, I say less than ten minutes."

Lola had earned a nickname at the Royal Kaedeian Academy, the Crimson Lightning, after the bloody scene left behind the whirlwind of her attacks.

Lola's clone technique was also far superior to Paris. After all, she was their instructor.

The battle finally started.

One minute later, the two almost mirrored each other's move. However, thanks to the slight edge Lola held regarding AMP, she was half a second ahead of her opponent. Although it seemed insignificant, it would give the Kaedeian a noticeable advantage later in the game.

Karl used his signature tactic, the Art of Karl. However, the audiences worried if the Art of Karl would be useful against Lola. Before Karl was able to produce airdrop units, Lola's first wave of attack was already at Karl's doorstep and blocked the way of the drop ships.

Although Karl had used these same tactics many times, he had never met anyone who would able to get the better of him in terms of timing. He panicked and did nothing as he watched his dropship being destroyed by his opponent. Lola had laid bare Karl's weakness and defeated him using only a single rush.

Lola won the first round with ease in under eight minutes.

The audiences were not aware that Karl's defeat was not because that Karl was weak. Instead, it was because Lola was too powerful.

Lola represented the most potent power among the Kaedeians. She had not only the most reliable micro control, but also a premonitory skill that could accurately predict an opponent's next move. Her strength came from her genes, and therefore, there was nothing Karl could do to catch up with her.

Seeing the Kaedeian's performance, KKK's heart sank. Lola was even more potent than he had expected. He doubted anyone, including himself, would be able to overcome her in a competition.

Karl's defeat was a huge blow to his confidence. He thought the Art of Karl was invincible, since no one so far was able to counter it effectively. However, with her superb genes, Lola was able to do the impossible, and finally found a weak link in the seemingly flawless strategy.

Lola looked relaxed and chilled. She held her ever stoical expression and narrowed her eyes, as if she were contemplating something. She never thought anyone would be a threat to her. If there were one person, she thought, that might pose even the slightest problem, it would be Flash, as he possessed the same premonitory skill that allowed him to assess the flow of the battle quickly.

She was convinced that it would easy to defeat Wang Tong, since Wang Tong relied too much on his defense and the clone technique—both were ineffective when used against top-level Kaedeians.

"Boss, Karl seemed to be having a hard time." Cao Yo was anxious. He knew that although Karl was a competent commander, he was not invincible. The Kaedeian had sent a crushing blow right at Karl's soft spot, and it ought to hurt.

Wang Tong knew Karl was in trouble, but he too was not sure how to help him. He registered that the Kaedeian's ability was unique, since it drew its power from their genes. In other words, it was not a fair fight, since the Kaedeians were fighting with an inherent advantage.

Karl had turned into a bundle of nerves. He had been relying on the Art of Karl, and had never considered the possibility of the strategy being countered. His mind raced as he tried to improvise a new plan for the next round.

The time was up, and the second round was about to start.

Karl gathered himself and went back to the simulation room.

Unable to find an alternative strategy, Karl had decided to double down on the Art of Karl. He had shrunk his economic development in the beginning to gain the precious resources to produce units. Karl was aware that it was unwise to alter anything in the tried and tested opening, since the slightest change would result in a drastically different outcome. However, Karl conceded that he had no choice but to take on the risk.

Lola noted the change in Karl's strategy, and she knew right away that she needed to prepare for early offense. She wagered that Karl would not have many ground troops, and therefore, she reasoned that it would be wise to beef up the air units and rush the tech tree.

Watching the game had started to be like watching a slow train wreck. As Karl slowly built up his first group of units, Lola had accumulated a greater number and more powerful air units.

Although Flash was only in the audience, he could still sense Lola's power. His instructor had warned him about Lola, and told him that only by defeating Lola would the Kaedeians' monopoly over fleet combat finally be over.

Flash wagered that he would only have 50 percent chance of winning a fight against the Kaedeian, as he was hard pressed to find a method to counter her brilliant micro control and judgment. The difficulty in defeating Lola was amplified by the fact that Kaedeian's genes had made her tactics more efficient and deadly.

When Lola's deference destroyed Karl's dropship, so was Karl's confidence and his plan. He knew that his ploy had been seen through.

No one had cheered for Lola's success, since it wasn't the Kaedeians custom to cheer for their fighters. Karl's defeat saddened the earthlings, and the Ivantians were shocked by Lola's display of power. Both factions lamented the fact that whenever they saw a sliver of hope in catching up with the Kaedeians, they always crushed their new hope ruthlessly.

Karl's eyes lost the usual gleam. He had been very confident in his ability; some might even call it conceit. However, he didn't let his pride blind him right then, as he could see clearly that the Kaedeian was much stronger than him.

"It looks like Karl was about to give up. What a pity! Although he had done a great job in the previous fights, the invincible Kaedeian defeated him with ease."

"I would argue that he had already done a good job in this round. His defeat wasn't due to his lack of skills, but it was because his opponent was too strong. He had lost even before he had entered the simulation room because of his opponent's advantage in her genes."

The host's comment had hit the mark. However, no war was fought with fairness in mind, like the war against the unscrupulous Zergs.

Wang Tong could no longer sit through Karl's suffering, so he requested a timeout. Although he knew that no matter what he told Karl, he would not be able to turn the tide of the battle with words.

"Boss, it seems like I am going to lose again," Karl said helplessly, his voice shaking slightly.

Wang Tong grabbed Karl's collar was pulled the shivering boy closer to him. "No way! We never surrender to anyone. Did you remember when we were stranded in the sea and when death was looming above our head? You didn't even flinch then. So why do you look like a coward right now?"

"Boss... I—"

"On Norton, none of my comrades ever lost their hope even when Zergs surrounded them. This is only a game, where is your mettle?" Wang Tong bowled out at Karl; his voice boomed inside the arena.

"Boss, I get it! I will try my best. I know that I am already a freak anyway, I wouldn't care less about what other people think of me." Karl shouted out as he slapped himself a couple of times, as if trying to wake himself up.

Chapter 311: Reckless

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Go now. I will be waiting for you on the final stage."

Karl gritted his teeth and started back to the simulation room with a newfound determination.

"Hehe, looks like your grandson is going to lose this round. The Kaedeian is way out of his league."

A throng of people crowded at the entrance to his grandmother's shop. Ever since the tournament started, this store had become the most frequented stop in the neighborhood.

"My grandson will win. He is a genius, just like his father!" Although the old lady could not grasp what was happening on the screen, she was convinced that her grandson would be victorious.

Her stubborn belief made the people shake their heads. The gap in the two players' power was substantial, and they felt pity for the old lady who had to suffer from her grandson's inevitable defeat.

The old lady didn't mind other's opinion. She knew that Karl would win eventually.

The third round started.

Karl had finally given up on the Art of Karl as everyone had expected. Two defeats in a row would be a costly enough lesson for Karl to relent his signature moves along with his pride eventually.

However, would Karl still be as powerful as he was without the Art of Karl?

Karl wagered that his change in the strategy ought to make others look down on him. But he didn't mind and thought that whoever laughed at him was simply too dumb to understand him.

"Karl's moves are getting more chaotic. He lined up some defense units and then started to chase the tech tree instead, and now, he is constructing a starport. I find it rather confusing. "

"Hehe, don't be so harsh on him. Don't forget that his opponent is Lola. "

"Touché. However, I do feel that the other three quarter-final matches were more entertaining to watch than this one. There is barely any surprise. "

Lola didn't choose to rush her opponent. She wagered that as long as she kept accumulating forces while bidding her time for the perfect moment to strike, she should be able to win this round with ease.

Karl went for a second base. To untrained eyes, this was almost a suicidal move because it stretched his already meager defense thinner while his opponent was lurking near his base, waiting for the perfect moment to lash out.

"No way!" Flash suddenly shouted out, disbelief shining in his eyes, "Is...Is this for real?"

Cao Yi clenched his fist. He had been practicing this new strategy with Karl for a while, but it would be the first time to be used outside of their training room.

"It looks like a knockoff version of the Kaedeian's TABT tactic."

"This is suicidal. Lola's anti-stealth technique was about to be completed at any time now."

While comments and snickers swelled in the arena, Karl had amassed a considerable forced and charged them out towards Lola's base. The backbone of the force was TABT stealth machine, an almost forgotten unit.

Lola would not let such a golden opportunity slip away as she had encircled Karl's force at the very middle of the map.

Needless to say that Lola had detected the TABT. However, she considered TABT the most useless units, since they could be easily detected with radar.

Karl was engrossed in his assault. Every time radar scanned an area; he would pull his forces back and move the TABT forward to cancel out the radar's detection. Then immediately, he would charge his army at the enemies, rinse and repeat. After a few rounds of going back and forth, audiences noticed something astonishing was happening: Lola's forces were almost gone.

Everyone was stunned by the turn of events: Karl had won the battle at the center of the map.

This was unbelievable! Once Karl had gained control over the entire middle section of the map, he exerted his force further into Lola's base. Without any defense, Lola's base was obliterated in mere seconds.

Karl had won a round!

Even when all odds were stacked against him, he managed to win a round back.

When Karl saw the "gg" on the screen, he howled in delight.

Everyone wondered if he had won because of the new battle tactics that Karl had invented or was the victory just a fluke.

The victory elated the audiences in Ayrlarng and Bernabeu. The previous two defeats had been unbearable to watch.

Karl's grandmother smiled nonchalantly and then announced to everyone, "Told you so."

Everyone was speechless at Karl's victory. They had never seen any battle tactic more interesting than Karl's.

Despite the chaotic execution, Karl had won a round and regained some confidence.

"This lad is extremely lucky!"

"Indeed he was, or maybe Lola had lowered her guard after leading the game with two points."

"Perhaps she felt it was more in line with the Kaedeian's humble philosophy to hold back her power and allow Karl to take a brief respite."

However, Wang Tong, Flash, and Bisu realized that Karl's victory had more to do with his new battle tactics than luck.

The fourth round was about to start, and this round would be able to put the arguments between the two school of thoughts to rest.

With the sudden turn of events, the audiences watched the game with a newfound eagerness.

Karl's eyes glinted. He had relented the thoughts of fame and victory to focus solely on the battle at hand; he had finally entered the Karl mod.

"Battle start!"

Lola had deployed her signature strategy, while Karl had surprisingly used the most common two bases opening tactic. To defend against early aggression, a stout defense was necessary for the two-base tactic. However, its focus on defense would give the opponent an opportunity to take control of the map during the process, and thereby, giving the opponent more options during the late game.

Lola knew that once she had fended off the main wave of the attack coming out from the two bases, she would be able to defeat the opponent with ease. GoRush was an expert at the traditional two-base tactic, and he found many rough edges in Karl's execution.

As everyone was wondering if Karl would deploy the TABT tactic again, they watched as Lola completed the upgrade of her radar facility. She had a sneaking suspicion that Karl was going to use the TABT strategy and therefore, she had played much more conservatively to avoid repeating her mistake.

She didn't have to wait long until her suspicion was confirmed after her scout noticed that Wang Tong had started to amass TABT units. However, unlike last round, Lola was well prepared, as she had produced a large group of anti-stealth units.

Karl didn't mind his opponent's countermeasure and continued to deepen the rank of his stealth units.

After much waiting, he finally found the right moment to attack as he charged his units into his opponent's rank. Lola had already positioned her units and covered the entire area with upgraded radar; she was ready for the battle.

Karl's fingers immediate gained speed as he started to control the TABT units while adjusting the charge formation. When a radar scan hit his stealth units, he would pull them back and fill the position with TABT to interrupt the radar signal before he let his stealth units loose again.

Although Karl didn't execute any extravagant moves, his strategy and tactics worked.

People watched in disbelief as they saw Lola's defense started to crumble.

The three hosts shouted out in surprise together.

Karl's forces rode over Lola's crumbled defense line into the main base, as reinforcements followed suit.

Despite the Kaedeian's last-ditch effort to save her base, she watched the base being burned down as she conceded her defeat.

Without waiting for an official surrender. Karl stood up from his chair to receive audiences' feverish applauds and cheers for his remarkable victory.

The game hosts were agitated as they found that they were on the brink of discovering yet another new fighting style invented by Karl. The marvelous new strategy hinged on the fact that the radar was not able to eliminate the stealth effect of the TABT unit. If the stealth unit was able to avoid the peak of the radar signal, the remaining radar signal was not able to provide a constant stable detection, and thereby, hindered the effectiveness of Lola's defense.

Karl pounded on his chest like an animal, and then let out a shout.

Karl was so passionate after his victory that he had affected everyone in the arena. Passion was unique to the earthlings, as it was different from the Kaedeian's indifference, or the Ivantian's aloofness.

A swell of cheers and excitement rose among the sizzling audiences.

If Karl had invented another unique tactic, he would become the most remarkable commander in human history.

Karl was particularly stubborn in embracing the spark of creativity, however absurd the idea was. Yet, it was the very stubbornness, which so many had laughed him for, that led him to his success today.

Right then, it was Lola's turn to become confused and unsure of what to do. She was convinced that she had executed every move with caution, and therefore, her unexpected defeat dumbfounded her.

People in the little grocery store also boiled over, cheering for Karl's victory.

They were convinced that the old lady's grandson was destined to become the greatest commander, like anyone who was able to invent two fighting styles.

In contrast to the excitement on everyone's face, the old lady held an indignant expression that read, "Told you so!"

Chapter 312: My Name Is Karl!

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

With the score evened out at two to two, Karl conceded that regardless of the outcome of the final fight, he would be able to walk away from the tournament without any regret.

Although Lola was still very young, she was already one of the instructors at the Starry academy. Therefore, she felt there was no need to dwell on the loss or gain of one game. Her lack of interest in the outcome also stemmed out from her indifferent personality that was the defining character of Kaedeians.

The fifth and the final round was about to start.

Lola went into the fight with determination, as she was confident that her superior skills and ability would be able to overcome Karl's strange fighting style.

At the beginning of the battle, Karl had surprised everyone again by using the Art of Kale after it had failed him twice.

Karl's mind was filled with resolution, and his increased willpower seemed to have enhanced his performance, as it turned into the best execution of the Art of Karl the audiences had ever seen.

Marveling at Karl's ability, everyone thought that he was born to be a fleet commander.

Karl's sudden change in strategy had caught Lola by surprise. When Lola finally noticed the difference, it was already too late as Lola had already invested heavily in preparing for an entirely different game.

"Everyone, this is going to become Karl's one-man show." The host announced.

As Karl started the final attack, unleashing the power of the Art of Kyle, he seemed to have fallen into a battle trance.

His harassment came from all directions, and even Lola's insane AMP wouldn't stop her defense from crumbling.

"This is turning into a demonstration of how to execute the Art of Kyle!"

"Perfect, just...perfect!"

The hosts could not find any better words to describe Karl's ability.

A few minutes later, Lola was still struggling to defend her base. If it were anyone else, the battle should have already ended the second Karl had unleashed the final attack. However, Karl's reinforcements kept on coming to the front line, and soon, Lola found herself defending against an invading army that was twice the size of her defensive force.

Everyone could tell that Lola didn't want to give up, and they understood why. As the last hope of the Kaedeians, she couldn't give up without having exhausted her resources.

"WINNER is —KARL!" The host finally shouted after the Kaedeian's last unit was destroyed by Karl.

Karl stood up slowly. As everyone thought he was going to shout, he kept quiet and gave himself a thumb up and then announced, "I —AM—KARL!"

His words filled all earthlings with immense pride. Karl had transformed from a no-account to the superstar of the fleet battle, like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon to embrace a new life.

After seeing such a provocative pose, many of Karl's female fans fainted immediately.

The moment Lola conceded her defeat, she also realized that although the earthlings were imperfect, they were the most creative ones.

This match started out as the most boring one among the quarterfinal matches. However, it had by then become one of the most enthralling fights to watch. A superstar was born in this game, and his name was Karl.

Cheers could be heard at every corner of the earth as people were elated by Karl's victory. At Bernabeu, students found it hard to make the connection between the fledgling they saw only months ago with the confident, super commander on the screen.

Kal watched the screen with gloomy eyes. He had trained hard ever since he had lost the match with Karl, and dreamed of eventually defeating Karl and becoming the only K that people know of. However, Karl's performance had shattered his dream.

Bisu patted Kal on the shoulder and said, "There are many other things you could be better at than him. He is born to be a fleet commander, and there is no point competing against him. "

Team-Earthling had unprecedentedly gained three seats at the semi-final, which belonged to Flash, Wang Tong, and Karl.

The strong suits of the three didn't overlap, as everyone excelled at one unique aspect of fleet combat. This year of fleet combat undoubtedly belonged to the earthlings.

After seeing Karl's victory, Samantha jumped out of her chairs and hooray-ed like a child.

Two of the four semi-final combatants were from Ayrlarng. Ayrlarng had never achieved such accomplishment, as this had never happened even during the time of Li Feng. Samantha had done it. She had not only brought funding and discipline to Ayrlarng, but she had also discovered geniuses hidden among ordinary students.

In a splendid manor somewhere on earth, Ma Xiaoru hugged Li Ruoer out of sheer excitement "Ruoer; we did it! They did it!" She said with a happy voice.

Li Ruoer masked a smile on her face. She was convinced that Karl was about to lose the third round. However, after a brief exchange of words with Wang Tong, Karl had turned the situation around.

The drastic effect of Wang Tong's words had piqued her interest.

As the heir of House Li, she was trained to be a great leader and a motivational artist. She always regarded her brother Li Shiming as a brilliant leader like her ancestor Li Feng, who was able to attract talented minds around him.

While she was dealing with Wang Tong, she felt that she was, although unwillingly, attracted to the boy, as her mind gravitated towards him uncontrollably.

"Ruoer, if Wang Tong wins one more fight, you promise you will talk to my dad, right?" Ma Xiaoru asked expectantly.

Li Ruoer nodded with a smile, but her eyes betrayed her jealousy.

During the semi-final, Wang Tong would be fighting against Flash, while Karl would be up against KKK.

In two days, as the semi-final unraveled, there would be even more intense fighting in store for the world to see. KKK was the best Ivantian player; his skills paled under comparison with Lola, yet, Karl defeated Lola. Therefore, everyone thought that there would be no surprise to see Karl beat his opponent and enter the final match.

The pompous Ivantians would have never thought that the joke would be on them.

Wang Tong and his friends celebrated their victory in their accommodations. None of them were surprised by Karl and Wang Tong's victory.

"Well done Karl! I was wondering what you and Cao Yi were up to."

"Haha, Boss, I had never thought of using it. But I had no other options at the time."

"Karl's performance was excellent. Even when we were practicing, we never thought that it would one day be used." Cao Yi said sheepishly as he scratched his head.

"That's right. We only practiced it as an ambush, but it seemed like it worked well even in a legit battle. Am I a genius or am I a genius? Haha!"

The three burst out laughing at Karl's goofiness. They were happy that Karl was able to walk out of his defeat and regained full confidence. There would be many roadblocks on his way towards a successful future, and therefore, it was essential for him to learn how to restore confidence after a defeat.

"Why don't we head out and walk around while we are on the Moon?"

"That right! let's celebrate!"

"I agree, Boss. We haven't really toured around the place yet ever since we have arrived."

Wang Tong nodded and decided to take the day off to relax.

With the help of the service bot, the four changed clothes and rushed to the streets of the Moon. Although Shang Jin was a decent sized city on Earth, it seemed like a squalid ghetto compared to the Metropolitan of the Moon.

It was dubbed as the most fabulous city mankind had ever built, and the students felt that it had lived up to its reputation.

They said one wouldn't have visited the moon until they visited the Einherjar Memorial Hall that commemorated the fight between the Blade Warrior and Rilangalos.

It was a confrontation between the most mysterious warrior, the Blade Warrior, and the pride of Ivantians, the perfect human, Rilangalos.

Since no one knew what the Blade Warrior looked like, the Hall exhibited only the statue of Rilangalos.

The four students stared at the statue in utmost reverence. Although Li Feng was the high commander of the human alliance, without Rilangalos's support, his rise to power would be much more difficult. The alliance between the two was the cornerstone upon which the current human world was built.

Wang Tong was the only person who knew the real identity of the Blade Warrior, and he marveled at General Li Feng's self-control in holding the secret for so many years.