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Chapter 313: Stay Together

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

It was hard for anyone to not think about the sight of the battle between the two most powerful warriors.

Karl's eyes lit up with resolution, and then he turned to Wang Tong, "One day, you would become as strong as these two!"

Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi smiled away Karl's wishful thinking. Both of them agreed that Wang Tong was a powerful fighter. However, he was still a mortal, unlike the two legends who were considered gods.

They were the miracles because what they had done could never be repeated. They had saved the human world from the brink of extinction while it was under the attacks from both the Kaedeians and the Zergs. In a twisted way, Li Feng and Rilangalos's rise to power was also a product of their time.

Wang Tong cracked a smile, thinking that Karl had spoken half the truth. As the heir of the Blade Warrior, he indeed had the potential to become as powerful as his predecessor.

That being said, Wang Tong felt that he was very different than General Li Feng, as he did not possess grand ambitions, nor did he enjoy the burden of saving humankind.

The four loitered in the Ivantian streets until the night was turning dark. Wang Tong checked his watch and realized that it was time for his cultivation. Although he was occupied with the fleet combat during the day, he never stopped his cultivation. Using the crystal, he was able to train as much as his opponents would.

Wang Tong separated from the other three and started back to the accommodation, leaving the three in awe of Wang Tong's self-control and determination.

Although Wang Tong never liked to be alone, he enjoyed the quietness of the crystal space. He registered that the crystal space was the best place to further his soul energy, as the effect of cultivation was increased with the increased difficulty. He wondered if Li Feng had purposely left the crystal to him, knowing that the Tactics of the Blade alone would not be able to help him become his heir.

Although cultivation was more efficient inside the dream-like space, it's still progressed at a snail's pace. Persistence and forbearance had remained the key to achieving more powerful soul energies.

Meanwhile, in House of Ma, a "family meeting" was in progress.

Ma Dutian and Wu Xin had rejected Ma Xiaoru's request to go to the Moon outright.

"Mom, you had agreed that as long as Wang Tong entered the final, I would be able to go to the Moon to watch his match and —"

"He is not in the final yet, is he?" Wu Xin cut her daughter short.

Li Ruoer stood beside Ma Xiaoru and knew that the Ma parents were merely putting on a show for her. Since they had already received her family's marriage proposal, it would be considered untoward if Ma Xiaoru's parents allowed their daughter to see her secret lover freely.

"Uncle and aunt Ma, just let her go. She was Wang Tong's classmate as well as a comrade; I think she should go. I am sure if you ask my brother, he would say the same. It's normal to have friends, and even I want to cheer for him because he is from earth. Don't you worry about her safety, I will be her bodyguard!"

"Well, since Ruoer has put it this way... Fine, but come back as soon as the game is done."

"Yes, old man! Haha, roger that!"

Although Wu Xin was in a good mood because of the recovery of Ma Xiaoru's sea of consciousness, she still had a reserved opinion about Wang Tong. However, she believed in her husband's discernment, and thought that her cautious husband would not place so much faith in Wang Tong for no reason.

She also understood that sometimes, the best way to guide a teenage girl was to let go instead of tightening the noose. As Ma Xiaoru's mother, she didn't care less about who Ma Xiaoru married to, as long as he was able to look after her daughter. To protect her daughter from making costly mistakes, she watched over Ma Xiaoru's shoulder.

The perfect candidate for Ma Xiaoru, Wu Xin thought, not only had to be someone Ma Xiaoru loved, but also had to have the sense of responsibility. After all, once the two got married, the groom would inherit the FFC and its secrets together with Ma Xiaoru. Therefore, the integrity of an entire family was at stake.

Wu Xin knew that House of Ma held unimaginable secrets, but she never asked her husband for details.

Li Ruoer had spoken out her family's compromise to Ma Xiaoru's request, and therefore, Ma Dutian had finally agreed to his daughter's demand. Meanwhile, he allowed Li Ruoer to accompany Ma Xiaoru, not only for safety concerns, but also a promise to the Li that nothing would happen between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong during the visit to the moon. To be frank, although Wu Xin considered Li Shiming a fine young man, she never liked House of Li either.

Her parents' permission had put a skip into Ma Xiaoru's steps. She had already forgotten that Wang Tong was still in the semi-finals, and to get to the final, he would need to overcome the so far invincible Flash.

Li Ruoer thought Wang Tong would have at most 50% chance of defeating Flash. While looking at Ma Xiaoru who acted like Wang Tong was already in the final, Li Ruoer lamented the amount of damage infatuation would do to one's wits.

As Ma Xiaoru walked away with Li Ruoer, Wu Xin shook her head and marveled at the wisdom of Li Ruoer at such a young age. Before the "family meeting," Wu Xin had already exchanged a few words with Li Ruoer, asking her take on the marriage. Li Ruoer made it clear that Li Shiming was very much into Ma Xiaoru, but since Ma Xiaoru was still too young, she recommended Wu Xin not to push her daughter into the marriage. Li Ruoer also agreed with Wu Xin's notion that only the strongest would be able to hold Ma Xiaoru's hand, and she thought the tournament would be an excellent opportunity to weed out the weak.

Wu Xin didn't disclose the conversation to Ma Xiaoru. Ma Dutian's intention in offering Wang Tong an opportunity had eluded Wu Xin. However, for the sake of fairness, she reasoned that House Ma should also provide Li Shiming a chance as well. Compared to Wang Tong, who had rushed to ask for Ma Xiaoru's hand, Li Shiming seemed more respectful in his approach as he wanted to start things slow.

However, Li Shiming's opinion was a drastic contrast with that of his father. Li Zhidao treated the marriage as a business; it was nothing more than the forging of an alliance.

Although Wu Xin knew that Li Shiming's wedding proposal was not entirely without his father's influence, she was happy to see that Li Shiming didn't see things in the same extreme perspective as his father.

Recently, Ma Dutian had been very busy with the technical difficulties in the new battery FFC was working on. They were almost there, but a few technical wrinkles stubbornly persisted to exist.

Despite the already astronomical cost that House of Ma had invested in the research, Ma Dutian poured more money into the advancement of technology every day, because he was convinced that making the scientific breakthrough was the only core value that House of Ma could bring to the world.

…

After Wang Tong finished his cultivation, he went straight to bed to make sure he was well rested for the competition. Wang Tong and Flash knew each other well, and therefore, they both knew that there would be a tough fight ahead of them. The promise of seeing Ma Xiaoru at the final match lent Wang Tong determination. He knew that he couldn't let Ma Xiaoru down.

The next day morning, Wang Tong woke up and found out that Cao Yi and Karl were already gone.

"Where are Karl and Cao Yi?" Wang Tong asked Zhou Sisi.

"They said they are going to prepare by themselves, and told you not to worry about them." Zhou Sisi said.

Wang Tong nodded. He agreed that Karl's opponent was not an easy target, and the more he prepared, the better.

Chapter 314: Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

"Very well, I will be off to my training now!"

"Go, Wang Tong, go! Make sure you defeat Flash!"

"You bet I will!" Wang Tong flexed his muscles in front of Zhou Sisi. His task today was to familiarize himself with some details of his opponents, and to discuss methods of psychological tactics with Zhou Sisi.

This day went fast, and after Wang Tong had finished training, he went to bed without Cao Yi and Karl.

The next morning, the arena was packed with people, including many fleet combat researchers who came to observe the performance of both Wang Tong and Flash.

There were two major research groups in the world. One of them focused on the METAL combat; how to improve combat ability had always been the enduring question of the human society. The current focus of the research was to enhance the sea of consciousness. Creating new tactics was a difficult task, if not outright dangerous due to the high risk of entering derangement. There had been unfortunate incidences where a cultivator had gone deranged after inventing powerful but unstable tactics. Many lives were lost in the process of containing the deranged cultivator, and therefore, the Confederation had made stringent regulations on the publication and practice of any new tactics.

In addition to the METAL combat, the other branch of research focused on the Fleet battle. Although the Fleet battle research was not as influential as the METAL combat, they helped the military to evaluate fighters and assess their fighting styles. Therefore, their recognition was particularly important to young and aspiring fleet commanders.

Every faction hosted their own tournaments for fleet combat, although those events were at a much smaller scale. The new fighting styles of the contestants during this year's tournament had proven to be a huge draw. Truth be told, even the audiences had gotten tired of seeing the Kaedeian's fighting style after it had dominated the arena for so many years. So, Karl's victory seemed to have breathed a new life into the field of fleet combat. Everyone wondered what kind of surprise Karl had in store for them during his semifinal fight.

Fighting styles aside, Wang Tong and Flash were the two who possessed the power equal to a real-life commander. The navy loved Flash's calm and methodical approach, and they believed that once Flash was recruited to the military, he would very quickly become one of the high ranking officers to command an entire armada.

Talented commanders like these three were a rare sight among earthlings. Therefore, the military hoped that the three earthling boys would continue their training and keep up with their excellent work.

Every seat in the arena was already taken, as everyone was eager to see the winner between the one with the perfect battle awareness and the other with the cheapest defense.

Both Wang Tong and Flash had already entered the quiet prep-room. Outside the prep-room, the host of the event touted the sponsors' products.

On the big screen, the audiences could see the calm expression on the two player's faces. They both seemed relaxed but alert at the same time—a sign of their incredible emotion control.

"Bisu, I am a little worried about Flash," Kal said.

"It's hard to tell. If we hadn't visited Ayrlarng and waken Wang Tong up from his slumbering state, I bet Flash would win the match in a heartbeat. However, ever since our visit to Ayrlarng, Wang Tong has fully recovered his power. That being said, Flash's skills have also improved by leaps and bounds. But I know this much, the title of Champion would belong to either one of them, since neither KKK nor Karl are their equal."

Seized by anticipation, Bisu bit his fingernails. As a player as well as one who was obsessed with the Fleet Combat, the tension of waiting was unbearable.

Anyone who was an avid fleet combat player would know that neither Karl nor KKK would not have any chance winning when fighting against Wang Tong or Flash.

There were a few thousands of audiences in the first section. They were well-known players and researchers from various institutions. The front row was reserved for the media, and the middle section was reserved for political or military leaders. Many military leaders had attended the event, since the incredible power of the two players had piqued their interest.

These expectant viewers constant exchanged words with each other, as anticipation crawled onto their face.

"I wager their major confrontation would happen mid to late game," Bisu announced. As both a friend and enemy, Bisu knew the two better than anyone else.

"Touché. Wang Tong's clone ability means that Flash has to deal with him before the final stage of the fight; mid-game would be Flash's only chance. "

Although the two fighters' fighting styles were drastically different, they both possessed abilities to adapt to any situation, which made them impossible to defeat using regular methods. The outcome of the game would, therefore, be unpredictable, since it hinged on the two players real-time performance.

Any battle tactic would have a brief period of vacuum in its force, and the same went for Wang Tong's cheap defense tactics. A good player knew how to hide that period of vacuum, and a better player, such as Flash, would be able to sniff those supply vacuums out using constant harassments.

On the other hand, Wang Tong's defense was passive-aggressive; it allowed him more time to adjust his unit lines to cover up any openings.

It would be a fight between the perfect aggression and the perfect defense.

"Ruoer, I am so nervous right now. But look at him, isn't he handsome? " Ma Xiaoru held both hands together and felt both excited and nervous. Although she was not in the Arena, the 3D projection had made it look like as if she was.

Li Ruoer was speechless and then replied, "You are blind."

Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile. She should have known that Li Ruoer wouldn't understand her.

Meanwhile, on the Moon, Zhang Jin cleared her desk and turned on the TV. She had been studying a few cases involving the FFC, House of Zhang's main competitor in the tech sector.

The TV showed a shower of advertisements before the fight began. The amusing ads had made Zhang Jin feel relaxed.

Zhang Jin cracked a smile. She had a plateful to think about every day, and therefore, she had learned to tone herself down at the end of every busy day. It was essential to do so to prevent a nervous breakdown after spending too much time at work.

To put it simply, she had learned to strike a balance between work and her life.

While the pre-game commercials were still touting their products, Zhang Jin thought it would be a good time for a bubble bath. As she rested herself into the tub full of water, Wang Tong's energetic and beaming face emerged out from her memories. She had never thought that Wang Tong, the boy she had rescued from Norton, would eventually walk up to the stage of the semi-final of the tournament, much less his connection with the Blade Warrior.

After three hundred years, the Blade Warrior finally returned, and even House of Zhang could not resist the profoundness of the development and was tempted to get involved.

She wrapped her flawless body in towels and lolled onto a sofa. The timing was perfect as the match had just begun.

A hostile fire burned inside Flash. He was determined to win the fight, not only because he wanted to, but also because HE had ordered him to do so.

"The first round—start!"

It was clear that none of the players would like to assume too much risk in the first round, as they both used rather ordinary openings.

Chapter 315: Battlefield Control

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Seeing that Wang Tong had deployed his usual defensive formation, Flash cranked up his unit provision, making sure that he had an edge regarding number. All the while, he managed to strike a balance between economic development and the supply of forces.

The two had both exhibited excellent judgment regarding the overall flow of the battle from the very beginning.

Both players had achieved their goal in the early stage of the match.

There was no apparent winner in the early scouting and harassment. Despite Wang Tong's passive-aggressive defense, Flash was able to put the pressure on his opponent's line and prevent it from creeping forward while maintaining an advantage in the economy. The two players knew each other too well, and therefore, they both had to be very careful to not to make the slightest mistake, since even a minor slip up would not slip away unnoticed under their opponent's nose.

Ten minutes later, the game entered the middle stage. Flash's third base was already making a significant contribution to the invading force, while Wang Tong's third base had just finished its construction. Flash had gained the upper hand in terms of both strength and economy, but Wang Tong's turtle defense was also near completion. It was the right time for Flash to wage a full-on assault since. Without a stable economy, his opponent was at his weakest.

This was the most dangerous time for Wang Tong. He had paid a hefty price to build up his defensive line; the rank of his force was thinner, and his economy was meager compared to his opponent. If he were dragged into a large scale battle that lasted more than two minutes, his sluggish economy would turn around to bite him in the arse.

It all came down the sense of timing, an unteachable skill.

Flash didn't attack as soon as he noticed the weakness in his opponent. He waited for another five minutes, gathering more forces in the process, and then charged his units out of his base to Wang Tong's newly constructed third base.

The third base was extremely important to Wang Tong since, with the first two bases' resources dwindling, the support of his entire force hinged upon it. Sensing the urgency, Wang Tong detached a significant number of units to aid the third base's defense. Forces from two sides engaged in a fierce battle immediately. Units on both sides complimented each other's power while mobilizing swiftly without losing formation. Both players had their advantages, as Wang Tong relied heavily on his defense while Flash counted on his superior number of units and his stronger economy.

The two forces fired at each other as units dropped like flies. Flash's attack had struck a hefty blow to Wang Tong, since his attack came down on Wang Tong when he hadn't yet gotten the chance to break even the cost of building the third base. Besides, the third base was relatively remote from Wang Tong's medic units, and therefore, he did not gain much benefit for fighting as the defender.

The two engaged in a fierce battle; both waited for their opponent to slip up while sustaining heavy casualties. It was a moment of life and death.

Slowly but surely, Flash's reinforcements started to gather force. It began as a trickle of units, and in a short period of time, it had already formed a steady stream. In a few moments, Flash had doubled his units.

This had again proven Flash's terrific ability to control the flow of battlefield by snatching even the slightest opportunity, and turning it into profit. Wang Tong was in danger; if he lost his third base, he might as well have lost the round. The critical component in any defensive tactic was to maintain a steady economy during the middle phase. It would become less important during the late game, since micro control would start to take center stage.

Flash gathered his force in front of Wang Tong's base and was ready for the final charge.

Suddenly, Flash noticed red lights flash on his dashboard, informing him that his second base was under attack by stealth fighters.

In the heat of the battle, Wang Tong leveraged his superior soul energy and micro, and sneaked a transport ship out of his base under Flash's nose. However, he didn't drop the fighters right away. Instead, he had reserved it until the last moment, right before Wang Tong's base was about to be swallowed whole by his opponent's force.

Although the four stealth fighters were relatively cheap units, they had wreaked havoc on Flash's base, slaughtering defenseless units.

Flash suddenly found a dilemma being presented to him. If he chose to save his base, he would have given Wang Tong the precious time to beef up his defense. However, if he decided to do the otherwise, his number of bases would be reduced to two, and even if he were able to obliterate Wang Tong's third base, they would both continue the rest of the game with two bases—not that much of advantage after all the units were lost.

Only after the slightest hesitation, Flash doubled down on his determination of destroying Wang Tong's third base as he charged his force into his opponent's base and a fierce battle started anew.

While dealing with the ever-changing tide of the battle at the front line, Flash also started to produce units in his base to counter Wang Tong's harassment. However, that was exactly what Wang Tong wanted — a distraction.

Since Wang Tong was on the defensive side, many defensive facilities had drastically reduced his AMP required at the front line. Therefore, he was able to control the four stealth units to dodge and charge at his will. On the other hand, both his invading army and the home base screamed at Flash for more attention and AMP, and while Flash was struggling to keep up with everything, his unit production fell short.

Wang Tong's timing was perfect, as the sudden halt in Flash's unit supply staggered him, giving Wang Tong the precious time to prepare for the final battle. When Flash eventually killed the four stealth fighters, Wang Tong had already passed the critical moment and started to tip the scale in his favor.

So brilliant was Wang Tong's maneuver, that only four units had changed the tide of the battle.

Flash wasn't ruffled by the development, as he immediately started to focus on gathering more forces to keep the pressure on Wang Tong. He had conceded that he had missed the best opportunity to cripple Wang Tong's economy, and without a constant harassment, Wang Tong's expansion would very quickly get out of control.

Although it seemed that Flash still had a chance of winning this round, the battle had already ended when Wang Tong's third base was up and running again.

Flash's battle awareness was brilliant, but it failed to predict Wang Tong's incredible maneuver.

The battle had finally entered the late stage where it started to become an arms race for humongous battle-cruisers. With the aid of his clone technique, Wang Tong won the final battle with ease.

The score changed to one to zero in favor of Wang Tong.

Cheers and hoorays rose from Ayrlarng at the sight of Wang Tong's victory. It was an honest victory using honest skills, since there were no tricks nor deceiving involved after both opponents had seen through each other's ploy.

These two fighters were able to find out flaws in near flawless strategies. This ability was what set them apart from other contestants.

"Brother Shiming, you have thought too highly of this kid. It's a waste of our time." Porten said while he was visibly irritated.

He was not fond of Wang Tong, not only because of his low-class status, but also because of the seemingly intimate relationship he had with Li Ruoer.

Chapter 316: Counter Attack

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Despite his despise towards Wang Tong, Porten tried to hide it from the others.

"Hehe, Brother Porten, Flash is a very talented student. He ought to be one of your most competent commanders, don't you think? "

"Brother Shiming, you have a soft spot for talents, which I understand. But look at him! There would be plenty of commanders like him, so no sense in putting all your eggs in one basket. I have heard that he needed a lot of money for the treatment of his sick mother. It's going to cost you a fortune, you know. You even allowed his game to disturb your critical close-door cultivation and troubled yourself to watch his game. But look what you got—a failure."

Li Shiming remained calm, "Brother Porten, it's not a distraction. I need to take a break too."

"Haha, I know what you are worried about, but fret not! I wager that even if Wang Tong were able to enter the final, he wouldn't be able to take home the title of Champion." Porten said with conviction.

Porten believed that he could alter anything he wanted to as long as he had enough power. It was part of the reason why he was so obsessed with power.

Li Shiming nodded, his face calm as usual. He believed that Flash would not disappoint him.

The second round began. The heat of the battle cranked up, but the two players became calmer, as they both understood that passion should be reserved for another time, and only being methodical and calm would lead them to their victory.

The two players started the game with the same opening tactic as last round; Wang Tong started to build up his defense lines while Flash steadily increased the rank of his force.

It took mettle and confidence for Flash to repeat the same tactic that had failed once.

Did he do it because he didn't know any other opening tactic? Or was it because he thought his opponent's last victory was merely a fluke?

The answer would only be revealed after the battle had concluded.

Flash was clam as he carried out his strategy, while Wang Tong's scout kept a tap on his every move.

The game seemed like a review of the last one till the mid-stage, when Flash had gathered a considerable force and was ready to strike a blow at Wang Tong's new base.

Everyone wagered that the pressure on Flash ought to be immense, since he had led the same invading army against the same defense force under the lingering despair of his last defeat.

Kal was one of the audience members who had become worried for Flash. He and Flash had prepared more than one opening strategy before the match, and he wondered what had made Flash hesitate in deploying the other strategies.

Bisu's face held a gloomy expression. He knew that should Flash fail this round, he would be pressed against by an even greater pressure.

Zhang Jin curled herself up into a ball under the blanket and watched the match with great interest. "Marvelous..." She murmured to herself as she admired Flash's incredible battle awareness.

Flash was a real genius in fleet battle, even though he never invented any new fighting styles as Karl did. His ability to discern the flow of the battle was what set him apart, and made him almost immune to any adverse effect of the opponent's strategies.

Despise crawled back onto Porten's face, but this time, he kept the complaining to himself. Nonetheless, he thought it was unwise for Flash to use the same tactic that had been proven a failure.

Meanwhile, a faint smile found the corner of Li Shiming's lips, as he had realized that he had discovered a real genius, since only a real genius would have the confidence to expose himself to so much risk.

The progression was the same as the last game: Flash led his army to Wang Tong's fresh-out-of-oven third base, threatening the existence of Wang Tong's economy.

However, Wang Tong was more prepared this time, as he had installed a few ambush units along the enemies' way, and also sent in his reinforcements ahead of time.

On the other hand, Flash had also beefed up the guard in his base, making sure that Wang Tong would not be able to drop another sneak attack on him.

Unable to find an opportunity to land a drop ship, Wang Tong decided to focus on the defense. Although Flash did not possess the unbelievable AMP like Wang Tong, he had superior control over the formation of his units to make up for his disadvantage.

Flash's strong suit, in addition to battle awareness, was in his flawless unit makeup and formation controls— skills that were unteachable at school.

Wang Tong's third base was in danger, and without landing a successful sneak attack at the enemy's rear, Wang Tong felt hard-pressed to defend the waves of attacks.

Wang Tong's third base was gone in a few moments.

Although the beginning of the fight resembled that of the last one, the outcome was drastically different. Having his only economic node being destroyed, Wang Tong's hands were tied as he watched Flash quickly amass a large fleet and open the fourth base.

Flash didn't choose to wage a full-on war with Wang Tong right away, as he knew that the defense inside the remaining two bases was formidable. One mistake and he might quickly lose all the advantages he had built up to this point. Therefore, he decided to bide his time and wait just a bit longer.

Flash's expansion had inevitably put pressure on his opponent, tempting Wang Tong to come out of his turtle shell. Wang Tong held back his urge of rushing his remaining force out of the defensive line, since losing those remaining units meant he would have lost the match.

It was evident then that this match would not last until the late game.

Flash's forces patrolled around the resource nodes, making sure that Wang Tong would not have any chance of establishing another base, while the attack units kept on spilling out from all four of his headquarters.

Wang Tong finally conceded his defeat and typed in "gg."

The score evened at one to one.

Students at Capth boiled over, unable to contain their excitement. They had finally seen what they wanted to see, a perfect commander.

Flash's victory using the same strategy as the last game had undoubtedly eroded his opponent's confidence, as the message was clear, 'You can turtle in all you want, but I could still whoop your ass until you submit.'

Flash had shown everyone the meaning of real confidence. Instead of losing faith in his ability after a devastating blow, he had remained adamant and eventually overcame his opponent like a real battle commander.

"What luck!" Porten pouted as a few words escaped her teeth.

"He had outshined his opponent in his ability to control the flow. He knew that he had lost the game in the middle stage of the first round, yet he didn't give up until late game. He did this to feed his opponent a taste of heroic victory, a lure if you will. He knew that the revenge would be ten times sweeter when it was done when the opponent was the least suspecting." Li Shiming said as he nodded in approval of Flash's ability.

Flash had countered Wang Tong's turtle strategy, and that meant Wang Tong would not be able to use the cheap strategy on Flash in the coming fights.

Flash had also proven that the acute sense of enemies' intention and battle awareness were deadlier than any fighting styles.

Zhang Jin watched the development curiously as she wondered what Wang Tong would do next.

Flash was a paragon of both confidence and skills; the earthlings were lucky to have gained such a genius.

As everyone became curious as to what Wang Tong would do next, they watched as Wang Tong's lips curled into a wicked smile.

Across the simulation room, Flash smiled back with a pair of knowing eyes.

The two's strange exchange of smiles had dumbfounded the audiences, as they found it hard pressed to come up with the meaning behind those smiles.

The third round started. The two fighters were all on their own since as the top fighters in the world, no one was able to offer them better advice on what they should do than themselves.

Wang Tong's supporters felt anxious, as they worried that pressure would bend Wang Tong's will and lead him to make mistakes. They also wondered what Wang Tong would do once his cheap turtle tactics had been countered.

The audiences boiled over at the sight of Wang Tong's opening formation. It was the Art of Soaring Heaven.

Some people's jaw almost dropped after seeing a player whose was best at defense deploy an aggression focused tactic. Some people marveled at Wang Tong's recklessness in braving the riskiest and the most challenging tactics in the world.

If Wang Tong wanted the element of surprise, he had already lost it a few minutes into the battle after Flash's scout had successfully sniffed out Wang Tong's intention for early aggression.

As Flash readied his anti-air units, Wang Tong's first assault ship sailed out of the starport.

Although Flash's defense mobilization and reconnaissance was impeccable, everyone was caught by surprise by what happened when Wang Tong's force charged into Flash base,

Chapter 317: Tit For Tat

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

If Wang Tong's defense was able to infuriate his opponent, his attack was capable of sending his opponent straight into despair. His attacks obliterated Flash's defense units and set the entire base ablaze.

When Flash noticed that Wang Tong had rolled out stealth units, he conceded defeat and typed in "gg."

The arena fell into a reverential silence.

Wang Tong's execution of the Art of Soaring Heaven was as flawless as that of Einherjar Wannabe. Beautiful control and perfect timing. It was...impeccable.

Everyone conceded that this was the most potent early rush they had ever seen.

Flash was caught off guard by the sudden change in Wang Tong's switch from defense to aggression. Flash had been preparing himself for an early attack, but he didn't expect that the Art of the Soaring Heaven would be knocking on his gate, since it seemed out of Wang Tong's conservative character.

The Kaedeians looked at each other in disbelief. They had been trying hard and failed to counter the Art of Soaring Heaven, and had since convinced that once the Art of Soaring Heaven was deployed in its full intent, it was invincible.

KKK and his Ivantian cohort had turned pale as they were shocked by the freakish power of both Flash and Wang Tong.

Everyone knew Wang Tong as the turtle king, but then it seemed like they might have to pick another nickname for him.

In less than ten minutes, Wang Tong had turned Flash's base into ashes and forced the so-called perfect commander to surrender. Wang Tong's victory had increased the pressure on Flash, and made him ponder on his next move.

The problem Flash had was this: Knowing that an early rush was possible, Flash had to sacrifice some economy to build up his defense. However, if he lost the bet and Wang Tong started the fight with defense in mind, he would have lost the precious time to build up an invading army. He conceded that even if he could think of a proper solution to this conundrum, he might still not be able to win, because his opponent was no one other than Wang Tong.

Wang Tong was eager to see how Flash would be able to counter his Art of the Soaring Heaven to help him improve his skill further. Wang Tong had come up with the combination of the two tactics, thinking that it would be invincible. However, he was still not satisfied, as he hoped that someone, someday would be able to find the flaws that had eluded his eyes.

Wang Tong was convinced that only Flash was able to do that.

Flash requested a timeout. He needed some time to think about his next move, since if he lost the next fight, the gate of the final match would deny his entry.

The audiences sizzled. This had been the most suspenseful game they had ever watched, as both players possessed unique skills and power.

The Perfect Commander versus the Ultimate Weapon…Who would prevail?

The moment Wang Tong had mastered the Art of the Souring Heaven, he had become invulnerable.

"Go, Boss! Go!" Karl shouted from the audience seat. Zhou Sisi noticed that he wore a brace on his arm, and she immediately became worried.

Cao Yi exchanged a glance with Zhou Sisi, and then he shook his head slightly.

"Let's worry about Wang Tong for now. I will explain it later."

"The Art of Soaring Heaven!I knew it was him!"

"...You mean... This Wang Tong is Einherjar Wannabe?" Porten asked incredulously.

Li Shiming nodded.

"I have his profile; he is a nobody. Are you sure?" Porten still held his doubts as he found it too fast to draw a conclusion based on only the fighting style.

"Doesn't matter anymore. Let's see if he would be able to win this round." Li Shiming didn't want to bother arguing with Porten, so he brushed away the question.

Porten registered Li Shiming's conviction and realized that he had been holding back his opinion all the while.

Zhang Jin sipped on her juice while enjoying the excellent show unfold. Rarely anything would be able to pique Zhang Jin's interest as Wang Tong could. She always wondered what this boy would bring to the world with his power.

Ma Xiaoru hopped up and down in excitement, while Li Ruoer was trying to hold back her excitement after seeing Wang Tong's Art of the Soaring Heaven. It was clear to her that both Wang Tong and Flash had already reached the pinnacle of the fleet combat.

Although the fleet combat was not as visceral as METAL combat, watching it was no less entertaining nor less suspenseful to the viewers.

For the first time, Li Ruoer found that Wang Tong's manliness was attractive.

Ma Xiaoru waited for Wang Tong's third victory in joyful anticipation; one more round and she would be able to see Wang-lovely-Tong in person.

Meanwhile, Flash shut himself inside the resting room, eyes closed. He knew he had arrived at the most critical moment, and without a calm mind, he would lose all that he had earned.

He simply could not afford to lose at this stage.

Everyone knew him as the genius of the fleet combat, but no one knew his story.

His mother's illness had struck a devastating blow to his family. To pay the medical bill, Flash had worked part-time, but that wasn't enough. So eventually, he got involved in more risky business: underground gambling, so that he could barely make ends meet.

When Capth decided to recruit him, everyone thought it was a good thing for the boy. However, the first thought that popped into his mind were questions such as how he would be able to afford the tuition, and who would take care of his bed-bound mother.

He dreamed of studying at Capth. However, students were forbidden to partake in any underground activities.

When Flash was about to reject Capth's offer, someone he thought he would never be associated with had shown up and turned his situation around.

That person never asked Flash for anything in return, until recently, when he had suggested Flash repay his doubt by winning the tournament. That had been the first time he ever made a request, and it was a request that Flash found hard pressed to leave unfulfilled.

The resting room remained silent as Flash scrapped his mind for any method of defeating Wang Tong.

"There must be a weak link, must be!" He reminded himself.

In an urgent care unit of an A class hospital somewhere on Earth, a middle-aged woman watched the TV screen expectantly.

The referee announced the start of the fourth round. Winning this round meant that Wang Tong would be able to see Ma Xiaoru.

Seeing that Wang Tong had mastered both the defensive and the offensive tactics, everyone thought that Flash stood no chance against the Ultimate Weapon of Earthlings.

Flash showed up just in time. He seemed calm as usual, although some had noticed a glint flicker in his eyes.

"Battle ... Start!"

People noticed that Wang Tong's opening tactic was still the Art of the Souring Heaven.

What would Flash do? The suspense was unbearable.

Wang Tong laid his strategy under plain view, and wished that Flash would be able to catch the flaw in his tactics that he had failed to notice.

"Wang Tong has used the Art of Soaring Heaven again. And Flash...Ah ... Flash... Flash has also used the Art of the Soaring Heaven! Am I really seeing this? Is he going to keep up with Wang Tong's micro?"

Everyone's breath was caught in their throats. It was well known that the Art of the Soaring Heaven was extremely difficult to pull off, as it required flawless execution and an insane amount of AMP, something that Flash was not well known for.

"I have to say that Flash's choice does make some sense."

In a few moments, both Wang Tong and Flash had popped an assault ship from their star ports simultaneously. Knowing that he would lose a confrontation in a heartbeat, Flash circled his ship around Wang Tong's base, as if he were trying to drag out the early phase of the game.

Chapter 318: The Ultimate State

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong had already registered that his opponent's intention was in dragging on the game for as long as possible. After a few rounds of the game of cat and mouse, Flash's unit's life bar had drained to almost zero while Wang Tong's were still nearly full.

However, since Flash had lured Wang Tong's unit closer to his base, Flash was able to reinforce the first unit with another one fresh out of the star-port.

The critical element in successfully pulling off the Art of the Soaring Heaven was to destroy the ground radar early on, and to do that, one needed first to establish dominance in the air.

Because of the similarities in the two players' intentions, the opening had become the most critical stage of the fight. Two of Flash's air units had joined forces and destroyed Wang Tong's unit. However, Wang Tong's reinforcement was already on its way. Also, Wang Tong had also started the construction of stealth units. Therefore, he registered that his first and foremost goal was to uproot Flash's ground radar, so that his stealth units wouldn't be detected.

Wang Tong was convinced that as long as his second fighter jet arrived at the front line, he would be able to regain the air dominance by relying on his superior AMP.

However, what Flash did next had caught everyone by surprise. He ordered the construction of another base instead of focusing on his unit production. Some audiences saw some sense in it, since one base could only provide enough resources to support one radar station. An additional radar station would definitely help during the heat of the battle.

By then, the effect of Flash's delay tactic deployed in the very beginning started to shine. By delaying Wang Tong's production of the stealth units, Flash had gained precious time to build a second base, and therefore, acquired one more ground radar. People finally started to realize that Flash's moves, from the delay tactics to constructing the second base, were inextricably connected, and essential to the ultimate success of the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

Once the second base was built, Flash quickly packed up the entire first base and moved it to the second base, leaving only a sparsely guarded encampment as a ruse. This was a high risk and high reward kind of move. After all, if the secret relocation of the base were detected too soon, Flash would have no choice but to concede his annihilation.

However, Flash's premonitory senses had foretold that Wang Tong would rush his first base with air units while holding back stealth units, an imperative foresight in the success of Flash's poly.

Two minutes later, under the belligerent attacks, Flash's first base was sacked by Wang Tong, and the radar station was destroyed. Suddenly, Flash found himself surrounded by so many stealth units that even his reinforcements would not be able to push the attackers back.

As Flash's defensive line was on the verge of collapsing, a radar signal rang across the battlefield and revealed Wang Tong's hidden units.

Wang Tong's stealth units perished as fast as their shape appeared out of thin air. It was all too late when Wang Tong had finally realized that there was another radar hidden in the second base. The investment in the stealth tech had eaten up Wang Tong's fleet coffer, and by then, he was hard-pressed to scarp even a penny out of his economy.

After pushing the attack back, Flash consolidated his defensive forces and started producing more units. Flash's defensive formation was no less "cheap" than that of Wang Tong, as layers upon layers of defensive measures encircled his two bases without allowing even the smallest blind spot to exist.

Flash had started to play the game on his own terms as he sat back comfortably in his base, focusing on unit upgrades and production. Meanwhile, Wang Tong's economy had been stretched thin by the crippling economy— the side effect of failing the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

To be fair, Flash didn't overcome the Art of the Soaring Heaven in a real sense of overcoming a battle style. However, the fleet battle was not hypercritical debates of fighting techniques on paper; it changed from match to match, as the outcome was affected by the minutest maneuvers. Despite the significant risk Flash had assumed for his strategy, his conviction in his ability to foretell Wang Tong's predicable moves had given him confidence. His meticulous logic had guided him in every step he had taken. However preposterous his strategy might have sounded to other players, he had seen a sliver of hope through the veil of uncertainty.

Thus, Flash had gained a small advantage, and he grasped it firmly in his hand. Although Wang Tong quickly established a second base, his economy and tech progression had fallen far behind Flash.

When the match finally progressed to mid game, Flash sensed the opportunity was ripe for attack. Without bothering himself with a third base, he rushed his units out of the formidable defense into Wang Tong's zone of influence.

In mere minutes after the engagement had broken out, Wang Tong gave up and conceded defeat.

The Perfect Commander had proven his perfection to the whole world once again.

The audiences stood up to cheer for such a marvelous display of skills of both contestants.

Cheers and shouts rose from Capth's campus as students were elated by their schoolmate's victory. Meanwhile, in Ayrlarng, everyone's face became taut as they sensed the looming pressure.

"This was, by far, the most fantastic and suspenseful match that I had ever seen! Unbelievable performance!" As the vice president of the Fleet battle research division, the senior game host heaved a long sigh after his loud praise.

"Indeed. These two players are well above the average ability of students of their age."

The two boys had excelled at every aspect of the fleet battle, and the two hosts suddenly found themselves at a lack of words to praise the two players.

Flash's victory seemed to have happened by chance, but it was the result of careful planning and methodical delivery. Flash had proven to have mastered the art of psychological manipulation and possessing a flawless sense of timing.

After watching the game, all the other players felt a looming sense of pressure as they were shocked by Flash's incredible display of power. They also wondered what Wang Tong felt after experiencing Flash's ability first hand.

Much like the previous round when Wang Tong had stolen the victory from Flash's fingertips using a sneak attack, Flash had returned the favor by deploying an equally deceiving ruse.

Such was the capriciousness of the tide on the battlefield; no one was able to auger the direction of the wind.

On the big screen, Wang Tong seemed to have fallen into deep thoughts.

"Haha, Wang Tong must have already been preparing his victory pose, but who knew that Boss would be able to stun him with two consecutive blows in the face," Kal shouted out as he clapped his hands in excitement.

"Incredible! It looks like Wang Tong has become uncertain. He would learn quickly that it was not that easy to walk out of a devastating defeat as Flash did. " Bisu announced.

Taking the sarcastic undertone out of Kal's comment, he had hit the mark by suggesting that Wang Tong had underestimated his opponent.

Ma Xiaoru was aware that the real-time performance— heavily influenced by psychological conditions—was the wild card that would drastically affect the outcome of fleet combat.

The thought of Wang Tong losing the next round unnerved Ma Xiaoru, as distress etched onto her face. She prayed that Wang Tong would remain level-headed during the next game.

Li Ruoer wasn't sure what to tell Ma Xiaoru, as she too felt helpless in her current situation. Although she was somewhat detached from the significance of the fight, she found herself being helplessly jealous of her infatuated mind.

Everyone was studying Wang Tong's expression as they registered something seemed to be amiss.

A faint smile crept onto Li Shiming's lips as he wagered that Wang Tong's failure in the fleet combat would ultimately affect his performance during the METAL combat as well. Flash had done an excellent job.

Li Shiming knew that Wang Tong's impoverished childhood would have drawn out his eagerness to become famous. Losing the fame and glory that was so close to his grasp ought to discourage him significantly.

Li Shiming was convinced that Flash would win the fifth round, even if Wang Tong were the heir of the legendary Blade Warrior.

"Wang Tong, please enter your simulation room. The match is about to start."

Despite the impatience in referee's tone, Flash waited quietly. Truth be told, he had considered it an honor to fight against Wang Tong.

Wang Tong finally opened his eyes and walked into the simulation room.

The fifth round was about to start.

As soon as the referee announced the start of the match. A series of wild cheers rose among the audiences, who were unable to contain their emotions.

On the screen, the audiences saw that both players had started the game with the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

Chapter 319: The Final Showdown

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Similar to the fourth round, Flash didn't rush for the second base. Instead, he focused on producing more anti-air units since he wagered that his opponent would not fall for the same trick twice.

Although Wang Tong's expression was placid, a luster burned in his eyes. He seemed to have picked up the clue as he adjusted his strategy. Instead of producing stealth units, he chose to go with standard infantry, and instead of aggression, Wang Tong focused on expansion.

Audiences felt that something was amiss, but they couldn't put the finger on it.

Zhang Jin rested her head on the cup of her hands, and batted her eyelashes, "Is it possible?" She muttered to herself, seeming astonished by what she had seen.

Wang Tong drove his force further to the furthest point of his expansion. Meanwhile, Flash had finished building up a formidable force, but instead of charging it into Wang Tong's base, he used the force as an escort to open up new bases. Things were looking good for Flash so far; Wang Tong seemed to deploy neither the Art of the Soaring Heaven nor the turtle defense.

After a few small skirmishes on multiple fronts, the two both started using the aggressive Art of Karl, hoping their opponent would slip up amidst the flurry of actions.

Both players had competent micro control, and therefore, both held their ground firmly. The audiences were surprised to realize that Wang Tong was as efficient in his attack as he was in defending.

Zhang Jin stood up from the sofa and stretched her body. "What a pity, the battle had already ended." She said and then she started off to the gym.

Flash could feel that the scale of the battle was tipping in his favor. His second base had started production, and he had tried air-dropping a half dozen units deep into Wang Tong's lines. Although the air-drop units were not able to do much damage, it had served its purpose of distracting Wang Tong.

While Flash was steeped in his content for the apparent course of the battle, Wang Tong started a full-on assault.

Although Flash was caught off guard by Wang Tong's action, his units were prepared.

Both sides immediately sustained heavy casualties, but continuously supply of reinforcements had help the two armies to hold their lines.

Flash was determined to hold off Wang Tong's attack. As long as he could defend this bout of attack, Flash reasoned that Wang Tong's inferior economy would put him in a disadvantageous position.

However, as Flash focused on the confrontation with Wang Tong, he heard the system alert for the low reserve of his fleet coffer. It suddenly occurred to him that Wang Tong had timed this attacked so that the depletion of his economy was inevitable—much like what Flash had done to his opponents.

Flash never thought that he would be staggered by the same perfect sense of timing that he was also well known for.

Wang Tong's face was calm, but his mind was racing. He was elated to have finally grasped the meaning of the so-called "timing." He realized that to obtain the perfect timing, he should start from the beginning, since the first move would directly affect his opponent's subsequent movements.

Wang Tong enjoyed the feeling of having his opponent pinned under his thumb unwittingly from the very beginning. The joy also made Wang Tong understand the source of Flash's confidence.

Without committing too much effort, Wang Tong had obliterated Flash's defensive line. All that Wang Tong had to do was to merely send in his forces, since the outcome of the battle had already been determined.

After having mastered the tactics of defense and aggression, as well as the strategies of obtaining the perfect timing, Wang Tong had finally lived up to his nickname, the "Ultimate Weapon."

WINNER—Wang Tong!

Wang Tong finally won the semi-final and entered the finals.

Although the two had mixed and matched many different fighting styles in their match, the game was the rivalry between two of the most potent fleet commanders that earthlings had ever seen.

In the earlier rounds, the experts in the audiences were convinced that Flash were going to win the match, because they believed that Wang Tong's fighting style, however powerful it was, was no match to Flash's ability to control the timing and the flow of the battle.

However, after having witnessed that Wang Tong had learned from his opponent's strong suit, everyone was convinced that Wang Tong had reached the pinnacle of fleet battle, because he had mastered both the combat tactics and battle strategy.

The last match was the epitome of confrontation between two ultimate powers. Their battle had gone beyond the skills on the keyboard, and reached deep into their mind and psychology. Wang Tong had won the psychological war, since he was able to walk out of the shadow of defeat, and didn't give up the fight. In the end, the defeat only spurred his determination.

So subtle was Wang Tong's control over the flow of the last battle that many audiences considered his victory a coincident after failing to see Wang Tong's careful planning from the very beginning.

Everyone rose to cheer and applause; they were not only cheering for the victor, but also for Flash. The brilliance of the two players' performance had outshone the outcome of the fight.

The two players walked out of their simulation room and bowed to each other, then shook each other's hand heavily. All the while, they both held a knowing smile.

Flash was an unusual talent in fleet combat, yet he was stopped cold on his way towards the title of champion.

However, Flash was content to have such an opponent, as he would not feel lonely for the rest of his career as a fleet commander.

Audiences from the three factions had given up their differences and joined together in praising the two players.

When Wang Tong returned to his resting room, he was greeted by his elated friends.

"Haha! Well done, Boss! I knew nothing would be able to stop you! To Hell with those who dare challenge you!" Karl shouted as if he had won the battle.

"My job is done. Now it's your turn. Get rid of KKK, and we will meet on the final stage. "

Cao Yi smiled wryly and then said, "I am afraid that's not gonna happen."

Cao Yi explained briefly what had happened on the night of the incidence. Karl had insisted visiting the local Ivantian bar, but he had unintentionally started a fight and broke his arm in the process. Therefore, he would not be able to compete in the tournament any longer.

Karl had kept his injury away from Wang Tong, fearing that it might affect his mood while fighting against Flash.

Seeing Wang Tong's knitted brows, Karl apologized, "I'm sorry Boss, it was my bad."

"Not entirely your fault. I wager the Ivantians must have recognized you as the opponent of the Ivantian player KKK, and therefore injured you intentionally. " Zhou Sisi said.

Wang Tong registered that there was some sense in Zhou Sisi's suspicion. Karl said he had barely offended the Ivantian hooligan, and it was clear that the Ivantian wanted to instigate a fight to injure Karl. Wang Tong was convinced that KKK was behind this.

However, without any evidence, there was nothing the earthling students could do. Plus, they were on the Ivantian turf, Wang Tong doubted the local authority would treat it fairly.

The three watched as Wang Tong gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw.

"Boss... Don't clench your jaw so hard. It looks ...scary." Karl said as he scratched his head with his good arm.

"Sisi, would you please draft a complaint to the tournament committee? I want to see how they would respond to it. KKK...I will let you regret even clawing out of your mother's womb." Wang Tong said as anger burned inside his eyes.

He was certain that he would make Ivantian worm pay.

Chapter 320: Revenge

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Students at Ayrlarng had boiled over Wang Tong's victory. After defeating Flash, Wang Tong had proven himself as the King of the Fleet Battle. Wang Tong found it hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, he had been struggling to recover his depleted soul energy.

Wang Tong had become not only the pride of Ayrlarng, but also all the other A class academies.

Xiaoru hugged Ruoer in a fit of excitement. She knew Wang Tong would be successful, and she was right.

Perhaps the only person who was troubled by Wang Tong's display of strength was KKK.

However unwilling he was, KKK would have to face Wang Tong in the final. Karl's injury had forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

KKK didn't mind the investigation; he knew that the Ivantian task force would only brush the incident off with some perfunctory statements. Plus, the person who was directly involved in Karl's injury had already fled the Moon, out of the task force's justification.

However despicable the method was, KKK had finally entered the final, and despite the power of his opponent, he was convinced that he still had a chance due to the randomness in the fleet combat's outcome.

"For f*ck sake! He almost had him!" Porten shouted out angrily and kicked at the coffee table heavily.

"Brother Porten, don't be so caught up in a minor defeat. Plus, I am very pleased with Flash's performance. "

"You are too forgiving! Sometimes, you need to tighten the noose too. Doesn't matter, I wouldn't let Wang Tong take the title of Champion home. We can't rely on KKK, that guy is an idiot. Without my help, he couldn't have even handled Karl and his friend Cao Yi."

Li Shiming cracked a smile and then nodded. "No need to play the same card twice. Plus, the committee has already formed a task force investigating the incidence."

"What are we supposed to do? Let Wang Tong take the championship? " Porten retorted indignantly.

Li Shiming smiled away the question. He knew that Porten wouldn't risk getting his hands dirty again.

Porten signed off, and Li Shiming turned off the terminal.

"My lord, let me get rid of that guy, I promise no one would know who did it." A dark shadow whispered behind Li Shiming.

Li Shiming waved his had in dismissal, as the dark shadow faded away slowly.

It was already too late to kill Wang Tong. The failure of the first assassination attempt had already alerted the Ma. Li Shiming conceded that any additional bold move would disrupt the intricate balance between the two families.

He had only one shot at handling the problem in the simplest way, and he had missed his opportunity by then.

Plus, Li Shiming had prepared something even more painful than death for Wang Tong. He would allow Wang Tong to enter the final and defeat him in front of Ma Xiaoru's eyes. Li Shiming wanted to make Wang Tong see himself for who he really was, a piss poor orphan who grew up in the ghetto. He wanted to show Wang Tong the consequences of asking for things that did not belong to him.

Li Shiming was involved in Karl's incidence as well; he knew it from the beginning that the other two fools, KKK and Porten, would never handle the issue and escape without his help.

After the battle, Flash reflected on his defeat in the resting room by himself. He didn't feel remorse, because he knew that he had already done his best. Although he would not be able to claim the championship, his defeat had shown him the areas where he could improve.

The ringing of Skynet disturbed his train of thought.

"I am sorry," Flash said immediately after he turned on the Skynet terminal.

Instead of scathing criticism, Flash heard Li Shiming's applause. "You had done very well in this match. Although the outcome was not what you had expected, your battle does not end here. I believe there is a bigger stage waiting for you out there!"

"I..."

"Don't blame yourself too hard on the defeat, but fight harder next time, and let your mother and I be proud of you. "

Li Shiming shut off the terminal. He didn't mind giving Flash a second chance, since he was full of potential.

The news of Wang Tong and KKK's final match spread quickly.

Samantha had taken time off to go to the Moon City and cheer for Wang Tong. She also pressed her concern to the investigation team regarding Karl's injury, as she doubted that it was a random accident.

Samantha invited the four students to a dinner. When Karl walked into the room, he didn't even seem to be bothered by the unfortunate event at all.

"Karl, you must feel relieved, don't you?" Samantha asked.

Wang Tong hadn't seen Samantha for a while, and he couldn't help notice that she had become even more beautiful than she had ever been. Wang Tong was enjoying her attractive features like enjoying a painting in the public museum, as his admiration was devoid of any sense of attachment and belonging. Their reuniting had turned out to be much less awkward than they both had thought. Although they had broken up, they didn't leave any feud or regret behind, as they simply let go of each other to chase after their dreams.

"You are very observant! What's in me for defeating KKK anyways? Only to be bullied by Boss again. Too much trouble for too little reward." Karl waved his hands as if he wanted to drop the matter.

Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi shook their heads. Although Karl was brave, if not reckless, he faltered and grew timid every time he was up against his mentor, Wang Tong.

Truth be told, Karl was one of the two people who had truly possessed the ability to fight against Wang Tong. The other person was Flash. However, even the thought of fighting Wang Tong would send a wave of panic through Karl's system and turn him into a bundle of nerves.

"It's all on you now, Wang Tong. As for Karl's incident, I am very certain that KKK was involved. I will make sure the investigation fulfills its duty. You have to make KKK pay for what he did during the final."

"You bet. I will make him give up on his fleet battle career entirely." Despite the smile on Wang Tong's face, his voice held an edge of calm that threatened to explode.

"Wang Tong, your Art of the Soaring Heaven was awesome. I have heard people comparing you with Einherjar Wannabe. "

"Bullsh*t! Boss's execution was much more fluid than Wannabe. Even I could defeat Einherjar Wannabe if he dared accept my challenge! " Karl retorted.

Wang Tong smiled away the topic and then said, "We use the same fighting style, so they ought to look similar."

There were too many dangerous secrets in Wang Tong, so he had tried his best to hide his secrets away from his friends. He had become more vigilant ever since the assassination attempt, as he had started to worry for the safety of his friends.

"The less you know, the safer you are."—Quote from Old Fart.

Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer had already arrived the Moon city. They were both very familiar with the city, since both of their families owned business assets here. They arrived in secrecy and waited for the match patiently. Xiaoru had wanted to meet Wang Tong, but she then thought it was better not to disturb his preparation for the game.

Unknown to Ma Xiaoru, Li Ruoer had already informed Wang Tong of their arrival, hoping that the excitement would distract Wang Tong from his training. However, Wang Tong was unaffected by her ploy.

Li Ruoer had hoped that KKK would be able to orchestrate another "incidence," but the thought of Wang Tong's fighting ability told her that it was impossible for KKK's goons to harm Wang Tong as they did to Karl.

An Earthling and an Ivantian had finally once again competed for the championship after so many decades. Although it wasn't a breakthrough for the Ivantians to enter the final stage, it was for the earthlings.

KKK was a typical Ivantian fighter, as he had impeccable micro control, as well as a good sense of overall strategy. After generations of gene modification programs, the Ivantians held an advantage over the other subraces due to their carefully selected genes.

However, this time, facing an equally potent commander Wang Tong, how would KKK handle the challenge?

Over ninety percent of the audiences were Ivantians, and therefore, KKK had also held a home advantage.

After waves of shouts called out his name, KKK stepped out from behind the stage. His stride held the same confidence as a champion.

Wang Tong had also stepped onto the stage. Under his calm appearance, currents of seething anger rolled and surged, seeking revenge.

KKK threw Wang Tong a contemptuous glance, trying to infuriate the earthling boy.

Chapter 321: Final Victory

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong smiled indifferently, he knew that he could mess around with KKK's soul energy right then if he wanted to, but he didn't do it, not because he was afraid of the investigation, but because he wanted him to "enjoy" the match with a lucid mind.

Xiaoru and Li Ruoer had also arrived at the tournament. Ma Xiaoru wanted to sit in the front row. However, after Li Ruoer's persistent coaxing, they stayed in a VIP room.

Wang Tong flexed his fingers before he rested them on the keyboard. He didn't want to show the "cruel" side of him in front of Ma Xiaoru, but he had already promised everyone to make the Ivantian pay for what he had done.

The closer it was to the start of the first round, the louder the Ivantians cheered for their player. Most Ivantians still believed that KKK would win the match with a score of three to none.

As everyone wondered what opening would Want Tong chose to use, they discovered in disbelief that it was the Art of Soaring Heaven, the strategy that had only been countered once by Flash ever since its conception.

To everyone's surprise, when KKK's scout was on his way to Wang Tong's base, Wang Tong's scout stood still in the middle of the path, as if it were waiting to intercept and destroy KKK's scout.

"Wow, that's a ballsy move! I hope that Wang Tong knows what he is doing. "

"Rumors had it that Karl's injury wasn't a coincidence, and the tournament had already dispatched a team investigating the event. If that were true, I understand Wang Tong's anger, but I hope he won't let the anger get the better of him."

The two hosts, one from the earth and the other Ivantian. Both were so infatuated with their players that they didn't care to hold back the edge in their exchange of comments.

Even knowing that it was a trap, KKK spurred his scout forward to meet its opponent. The Ivantian was convinced that Wang Tong would not be able to gain any advantage while they were both using the same unit.

However, as soon as the two scouts started firing at each other, KKK immediately felt the power of Wang Tong's superior AMP, so he quickly pulled his scout back and danced around Wang Tong's unit, trying to avoid a confrontation. After a few moments, KKK knew that he had to pull the unit back to the base. Otherwise, it would be lost for good. He also wagered that it would be a victory for him once his scout escaped alive, since failing to finish off the scout would undoubtedly infuriate Wang Tong and make him lose his inner balance.

As KKK's scout's life bar was drained to almost zero, it turned on its heels and started back.

When everyone thought that Wang Tong was about to lose his prey, Wang Tong's scout executed an incredible move, blocking his enemy's escape route and killing the other scout after firing a couple of shots.

"Gosh! Do I see this? Isn't it the METAL fighter Milotour's 720-degree spin?"

"This is incredible! Perfect micro control, Perfect! "

While Wang Tong was battling against KKK's scout, he also started constructions at his base. The Art of the Soaring Heaven did not allow even the slightest mistake in timing. However difficult it was to pull off the Art of the Soaring Heaven, Wang Tong had done it with ease.

KKK had never experienced the real Art of the Soaring Heaven, since none of his practice partners were capable of doing so.

Some experts argued that KKK had lost the game the moment he had lost his scout.

Already, Wang Tong had gathered a large group of force and charged out toward KKK's base.

"Hold on! Is it just me or there was a construction unit mixed with the invading force?" It wasn't just the host, everyone had seen the construction unit and was equally perplexed.

The audiences were even more shocked when they saw that instead of attacking KKK's base, Wang Tong's stealth units loitered outside the perimeter of KKK's base while his construction unit started building an HQ right next to the gate to KKK's main base.

Seeing the blatant taunt, KKK's face was contorted by anger. He was still a long way from setting up the radar to counter the stealth units, and therefore, he did not know how to respond other than sit and watch his enemy's base being built. The helplessness made KKK taste bile in his mouth.

Bisu shook his head and lamented that KKK's control was even worse than his, and he was convinced that KKK's defeat was imminent.

"I bet he was involved in Karl's injury. It's not smart to piss Wang Tong off." Bisu said and then shook his head.

Flash nodded, "Wang Tong's psychological condition was extremely stable, so KKK's little trick won't work on him. He would soon find out that he had ended up shooting himself in the feet."

KKK had attempted breaching the blockade, but without the aid of radar, all of KKK's units that dare stepped out of his base were slaughtered by Wang Tong's stealth units.

KKK's hands were tied, and he conceded that he was trapped inside his base, and forced to watch Wang Tong's buildings being erected in front of him like a permanent mark of humiliation on the map.

Ivantians audiences became silent at the turn of events. They had hoped to see a fierce battle, but what they got instead was a scene of bullying.

A few moments later, KKK typed "gg" and conceded his defeat. Being pushed to the corner and unable to do anything, KKK found the embarrassment unbearable. However, this was only the beginning of his torment.

The second round started. Infuriated, KKK was still trying to come to terms with his defeat. No one in any official tournament had used such a humiliating method, since those strategies were reserved only when the strongest players wanted to toy with their playthings.

In the second round, Wang Tong didn't use the Art of Soaring Heaven. Instead, he had built up his base following a standard two base strategy. After KKK's scout discovered Wang Tong's seemingly beguine opening, he was convinced that it was time for him to avenge his defeat.

KKK had used the Ivantian's preferred strategy that combined both the aggression and the defense. It had been proven to be powerful when used against other ordinary players. As soon as Wang Tong's scout sniffed out KKK's intention, Wang Tong knew that KKK had risen to the bait, and soon it would the time to deliver a soul-crushing blow.

Lured by the promise of revenge, KKK's became more focused on his micro control and the management of his base. Meanwhile, Wang Tong carried out the game nonchalantly, and his two base opening tactic seemed dull compared to that of KKK.

Both players were gathering forces. When Wang Tong started building the transport ships, everyone realized he was about to use the Art of Karl.

"A delayed Art of Karl. Interesting... It looks like Wang Tong's intention was more in embarrassing his opponent than defeating him."

"I say he was playing with fire. KKK was a force to be reckoned with after all, and he was not a rookie."

"I agree. It is too risky. If he wanted to avenge Karl, there were many safer approaches."

Despite the lack of evidence, everyone knew that KKK was involved in Karl's incident. Although many audiences sympathized with Karl's injury, they also worried that the thought of vengeance would disturb Wang Tong's calmness and lead him to his downfall.

As Bisu and Kal exchanged their concerns about Wang Tong's delayed deployment of Art of Karl, Flash shook his head and said, "There is no need to worry about Wang Tong. He knows what he is doing. His battle awareness means that he wouldn't need to follow any strategy strictly."

No one knew Wang Tong better than Flash regarding fleet combat. Flash was convinced that although Wang Tong's strategy looked like a mix match of different styles, he was in full control of the moves, including the most critical aspect of fleet battle: timing.

Seeing that Wang Tong had held back his force and didn't attack, KKK started reckless expansion and built his fourth base. He was confident that as long as he was able to gain the upper hand in the early game concerning the economy, he would be invulnerable in the late game thanks to the sheer magnitude of his economy. All the while, he snickered at Wang Tong's incoherent strategy that seemed to lack a solid goal.

In a few more minutes, KKK reasoned that his new bases would be up and running, and he was confident that even if Wang Tong started an assault right then, his force would be able to hold their ground for more than a few minutes.

Zhang Jin yawned and stretched her body. She was hoping to watch a more exciting confrontation, but this game bored her. Besides, she was disgusted by KKK's despicable act, so she had utterly lost her interest in the game. She walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of juice, and when she was back in front of the TV, she saw Wang Tong's army had already charged into KKK's base—just like she had predicted.

It wasn't until Wang Tong revealed his real intention that the audiences realized the reason behind Wang Tong's prolonged inactivity—He was preparing four additional lines of attacks, all airdrop units.

The four airdrop units, the main invading army, and the base formed six fronts that required Wang Tong's attention, but he had managed everything with confidence and ease.

A large-scale battle broke out immediately. Although KKK was able to hold his ground at the front line for a while, Wang Tong's superior micro control had quickly overwhelmed him, as KKK was slowly losing his edge.

As KKK started to panic for the slowly crumbling defense, he found fire suddenly surrounding his buildings behind the defensive lines. He had finally noticed the four groups of airdrop units wrecking havoc deep inside his base. Controlling six fronts at the same time, Wang Tong still looked relaxed; his opponent was too weak.

KKK's front line units dropped like flies, and buildings in his base collapsed one after another. He was defeated, inside out.

Chapter 322: Reaching the Peak

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

KKK was speechless; the second blow had even dulled the anger after the defeat of the first round. His experience had told him that Wang Tong was intentionally humiliating him, which only added more salt to the wound.

The very last few moments of the battle were just torture. Wang Tong's message was clear: "You should have never attended the tournament."

KKK's face was pale and expressionless like a piece of bleached parchment. His thoughts became a blur, and the only thing he felt was the belligerence in his opponent's attack. Although Wang Tong's strategy seemed incoherent, KKK could never find an efficient way of overcoming it.

The sudden loss stupefied KKK, and his command halted as he had forgotten that he was still in the match.

Wang Tong had won the second round without any suspense. Shocked by the difference in the two player's performance, many audiences were disappointed by KKK.

KKK called a timeout. He needed to calm himself before he could carry on with the third round. Seeing their player had lost two games in a row, the Ivantian audiences pulled taut faces and kept silent.

Students in Ayrlarng and many other A class academies cheered and shouted at the top of their lungs, celebrating the defeat of the despicable enemy. They hoped that Wang Tong would make the Ivantian repent what he had done, and let him carry the guilt for the rest of his life.

A few instructors from the Luster Academy had entered the resting room, trying to offer their counsels and encouragement to KKK, who was on the brink of breakdown. Despite their comforting words, the instructors too knew that KKK's mental state had been shaken beyond immediate help. The next fight would not only become KKK's last fight, but it would also be torture for him.

However miserable the outlook of the next fight might be, KKK had to carry one. But, he had failed to muster the courage to step onto the stage again.

"Mister...I...I paid people to beat Karl up. I confess. Don't let me go on to the stage again, please!" KKK said with a pale face, eyes holding tears. He had a suspicion that he would be humiliated even more at the last round.

The teachers looked at each other and were not sure what to make of KKK's confession. They eventually decided that KKK should keep the revelation to himself for now and finish the match for the sake of the honor of their academy.

Failing to withdraw from the game, KKK started back to the stage unwillingly.

The Ivantians cheered at KKK's return. They believed that this round would be an excellent opportunity for KKK to retaliate, since Wang Tong ought to have lowered his guard after winning two rounds in a row.

The third round began.

Wang Tong no longer cared about the kind of opening strategy he was to use, since his goal on this stage was not to win as quickly as possible, but to embarrass KKK for spoiling his fight with Karl.

Wang Tong used his newly invented Art of Infinity, and started gathering force for attack without building any defense. Thereby, he was able to expand quickly and also kept the pressure on his opponent through constant harassment. When the game progressed to the mid-game, KKK was still hanging in there with two bases, not knowing that Wang Tong had already built ten. Thinking that he still had a chance, KKK tried his best to micro the unit production and build up the defense. Bead sized sweat appeared on KKK's forehead. Meanwhile, outside the simulation room, many Ivantians had already started to leave the arena.

After enjoying a period of quietness without Wang Tong's harassment, unit production in KKK's two bases was burgeoning. Looking at the large group of force he had gathered, KKK seemed to have found a sliver of hope.

KKK had utterly lost track of time as he had failed to realize that it was already the late game, and his force was pathetic from a late game standard.

As soon as KKK's force that was equipped with the most rudimentary weapon and armor stepped off the base, they were greeted with a modern armada.

KKK had finally realized that he had chosen the wrong opponent, but it was too late.

Three to zero, Wang Tong won the first place in the fleet battle category of the Pan solar system tournament.

As soon as KKK walked out of the simulation room, a few investigators took him away.

This final fight had the most significant disparity between player's power, and its significance paled under comparison with the semi-final between Wang Tong and Flash.

The earthlings in the arena cheered loudly for Wang Tong's victory. This year's tournament had turned the new page in the history of earthling's fleet combat. From then on, the earthlings had gained the confidence to compete with players from other factions.

'We are the champions, my friends,'

'And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end.'

Karl rushed into the resting room; he was angry at the revelation that KKK instigated the bar brawl. Although he kept on telling people that he would not want to fight Wang Tong, it had always been his dream to compete against his idol on the stage.

The moment KKK saw the investigators, he knew that his fleet combat career was done for.

Wang Tong looked over Karl's shoulder and saw the face he had been dreaming every night. Unable hold back his blissful excitement, Wang Tong hugged Ma Xiaoru and kissed her lips.

Both of them had waited this moment so long that it sometimes seemed like a lifetime, and the kiss was like a reincarnation of their love in their next life.

Zhou Sisi looked at two with blessings and jealousy. She bitterly conceded that it was time for the two to reunite finally.

The scene staggered Li Ruoer, and after she gathered herself and started watching the two lovers quietly, the scene seemed to breathe a new air into her sea of consciousness, like the warm spring breeze that woke up the landscape.

She was astonished to find out that her cultivation had just breached though another bottleneck.

An unnamed feeling towards Wang Tong had been festering inside of Li Ruoer, and it had deeply bothered her. Although she had contained the feeling using her enchantress's power, the two lovers' blissful moment had lent the contained emotions more power, as it rushed back into Li Ruoer's mind with new found strength.

The thought came to her like a blow to her mind: She was in love, and sadly, her lover was with someone else.

It was that drastic flux of emotion that had helped her breach the cultivation bottleneck. However, Li Ruoer found it hard to be happy about her advancement in cultivation.

At the awards ceremony, even the Ivantians joined in the cheers of the earthlings. Perhaps it was their way of redeeming themselves after the shameful conduct of KKK.

The committee had decided to raise the amount of award for Karl not only as compensation, but also a recognition for his contribution to the fleet combat community.

As one of the brightest stars on the stage, Karl was finally regarded as a genius.

At this stage, Wang Tong had taken another significant step in his life. He was determined that from then on, he should protect his loved one and her honor like a real man, and strive to achieve higher goals.

A tide of cheers and shouts and flowers rose from the arena, turning it into a sea of joyful celebration.

After the fight, Wang Tong, Karl, and Flash were dubbed as the "Magnificent Three" of the Earth Faction. This would mark the beginning of their glorious path.

After the ceremony, many people joined the after-party. Although Ma Xiaoru wished that she could spend more time with Wang Tong alone, her butler had followed her everywhere like her father had ordered him to.

Samantha had hosted a party for the boys and invited players from other academies. Although these students were opponents on the stage, they had become close friends when they were not in a competition. The Team Earth had a smashing success at this year's tournament, as the results had exceeded everyone's expectation.

As the leading contributor to the phenomenal success, Ayrlarng was the most significant winner of all earth academies, and everyone agreed that the glorious Ayrlarng was back.

Meanwhile, people also found that Ayrlarng's success was merely a reflection of the ability of its beautiful and wise Principal Samantha.

As the time drew near for the intake of new students, Ayrlarng had become the third most sought after academies, closely following Capth and Yalen.

Many students applied at Ayrlarng, not only because of its fame, but also because of Samantha.

Sometimes, when Samantha was alone in her room, she thought about the time she had spent with Wang Tong, and knew that they could have been together if it weren't because of the age gap and her plan for her future. She had told herself many times that Ma Xiaoru was a better girlfriend than herself, but her heart kept on telling her otherwise.

Nonetheless, she was content with the current state, in which she still maintained a friendship with both Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru while making significant progress in her career.

Although Wang Tong had won the first place in the Fleet combat, his challenge had just started, as he was about to face the METAL combat tournament very soon.

Fleet Combat was a relatively expensive sport, and therefore, only a few students from well-off parts of the human world was able to compete in the tournaments. On the other hand, METAL combat was much cheaper to train, and therefore, there had been many dark horses that hailed from some unknown parts of the world in the previous tournaments. In other words, the large pool of contestants had added more wild cards for already established fighters to deal with.