Targeting from the Eye God

The sound of chaotic noise filled the air, pulling Tita out of her thoughts. Noticing everyone's reactions, she knew that Feynman was in for a rough time.

At Tianjing Mech Academy, Zhuang Zhou licked his lips, a satisfied and mischievous grin on his face, as if something big was about to happen. The "Puppet Master" was about to go viral.

When he saw the Puppet Master's avatar go offline, he immediately returned to the forums. In just a short time, his post had skyrocketed in popularity. At this point, if you still didn't know who the opponent was, you were clearly out of the loop.

"Puppet Master defeats Feynman with three slashes, stunning Decapitation Slash!" "Moon people aren't that impressive, our real experts haven't even shown up!" "Who says no one in the virtual zone can be a master? Puppet Master's schooling series." "Can someone explain? Is it really that easy to decapitate? I've played over six thousand matches and never succeeded once..."

The entire virtual zone was buzzing with discussions, overshadowing even the usual popular streamers. The virtual zone could easily produce some flashy play, but everyone knew it was mostly just for show. While it was entertaining, deep down, people wanted to see something real, especially in battles against other federations. The virtual zone saw daily matches with mixed results, but ultimately, it didn't matter.

In the real world, however, people from the USE (United Solar Empire) were extremely cautious. Even when matches were held, they were often restricted from being spectated, as losing could result in severe public backlash. Some well-known players even faced online harassment, especially since most were still military academy students, and the pressure was immense. Familiar mech and combat styles were also easily studied by opponents.

But this battle with Puppet Master was the most satisfying one since the end of the Solar System Tournament. They fought a famous NUP (New Union of Planets) player, and it was such a decisive victory, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

Normally, a single battle wouldn't mean much, but in this context, it blew up beyond anyone's expectations.

At this moment, Li Hao was feeling a bit helpless. He had just started receiving back-to-back calls—first from Musashi, followed by the squad leader, and then even Zuo Xiaotang joined in on the fun. Apparently, the squad leader was calling for a team meeting to establish their squad.

Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong carried a lot of weight, and Principal Long was a decisive leader. Zhou Naiyi had already secured a dedicated training ground for independent squad training.

When Li Hao arrived, everyone else was already there: Zhou Naiyi, Ye Tong, Musashi, and surprisingly, even Zuo Xiaotang. Also present were Tang Yu and Xue Gang, both from the same class. Xue Gang was from Class 16, and Tang Yu was a top player from Class 18. It seemed Zhou Naiyi planned to base the squad around their year.

In the center of the training ground was a combat ring, where Zhou Naiyi and Musashi were sparring. Musashi was a serious fighter, and when it came to battles, he didn't care about gender; he took every fight seriously. Coming from a family of martial artists, Musashi had been trained by his family since childhood, so his foundation was rock solid.

But Zhou Naiyi was holding her own against Musashi. They exchanged blows back and forth. While Musashi had the advantage in fundamental skills, Zhou Naiyi's agility and keen insight gave her an edge, highlighting the advantages of female golden genes: wisdom and composure. In modern mech combat, tactics came first, followed by combat ability.

Of course, this was just a sparring session. Both were testing each other's limits rather than trying to win. After a few more exchanges, they separated.

Musashi remained calm and composed, while Zhou Naiyi's breathing was slightly heavier but still under control. This was Musashi's domain of expertise, and he had been using about seventy percent of his strength. If this had been a mech battle, he would still be a bit behind Zhou Naiyi, but the fact that she challenged him in his strongest area earned his respect—she was qualified to be the squad leader.

"Li Hao, did you walk into the wrong room? This is our internal training session," Xue Gang said bluntly, showing no effort to hide his disdain for Li Hao.

Zhou Naiyi smiled. "Xue Gang, Li Hao is also part of our squad, personally chosen by the principal. He was even a former member of the Solar System's Enabler Youth Class."

This almost always served as the most effective introduction. After all, Li Hao didn't have much else to his name, but it at least reduced some of the complaints from his teammates.

Li Hao couldn't help but rub his nose. "Squad leader, you don't need to keep mentioning that. I feel like I'm turning into a zoo exhibit."

Xue Gang stared at Li Hao, stunned. "So you're that washed-up prodigy, huh? Naiyi, this isn't fair. Someone like him probably wants nothing to do with that past, and if it blows up, he'll just end up as fodder for people desperate to make a name for themselves. By then, Li Hao would be in real trouble."

"Whether you're capable or not, you'll have to prove it. Li Hao, it's your turn to step up," said Zhou Naiyi, dressed in tight training gear, her figure impeccable, as she gestured for Li Hao to join her.

"Squad leader... I'd like to remain human."

"Come on, bro, just get up there. Everyone has to fight at least once. We've all been through it," Zuo Xiaotang said helplessly. His left eye was bruised, poor guy. He didn't even know why he was chosen. The bigger question was, as a sniper, why was he being forced into melee combat?

Upon hearing that Li Hao had once been part of the Enabler Youth Class, even though he was a has-been, Zhou Naiyi's interest was piqued. She had been curious for a while. Principal Long and Ye Tong both acted strange around him. Could it really be just because of his past with the Youth Class?

Li Hao knew there was no avoiding this. It was clear that this was Zhou Naiyi's way of solidifying her position as squad leader. To lead and unite a team, it wasn't enough for the principal to simply say so; she needed to earn their respect through action.

Li Hao climbed onto the combat ring. "Squad leader, maybe you should take a break?"

Zhou Naiyi smiled slightly. "No need. Let's begin."

Li Hao nodded and just stood there. The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Zhou Naiyi, seeing how relaxed and unguarded Li Hao was, couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.

With a sudden step, she rushed toward Li Hao, swinging a roundhouse kick. Li Hao dodged with a twist and quickly ran to the other side of the ring. Her agility was typical of female fighters. She quickly turned and took another step forward, landing a kick on Li Hao. His body swayed from the impact, but Zhou Naiyi followed up immediately with a sweeping kick. Li Hao jumped back just in time to avoid it, moving to the opposite side once again.

Zhou Naiyi flipped up from the ground and assumed a fighting stance, but she noticed the gaze of those around her had become heated.

"Squad leader, um... your shirt," Li Hao pointed out.

The seam under Zhou Naiyi's left armpit had split open, revealing a glimpse of fair skin. The guys around them were practically drilling holes with their eyes. Blushing, Zhou Naiyi said, "I'll change. Musashi, you spar with Li Hao. It seems our Li Hao has some skills after all."

Musashi, being a professional, could tell. Even though Li Hao had mostly been dodging, he had remained calm under Zhou Naiyi's pressure, meaning he had some real hand-to-hand skills. Misjudging the distance could easily lead to a knockout in such scenarios.

"Got it, squad leader. Hao, let's have a go," Musashi said, charging forward without hesitation.

Zhou Naiyi excelled in leg techniques, but Musashi was well-versed in both punches and kicks. After a few probing exchanges, he could tell Li Hao was no slouch and started to go all out, launching more aggressive and open attacks.

Li Hao wanted to object, but what was going on today? One after another, no one gave him a chance to speak. Where were his rights? Where was the humanity?

On the ring, the two fought fiercely. Musashi held the upper hand, with Li Hao mostly defending and dodging. Shortly after, Zhou Naiyi returned in a new outfit, glancing at Ye Tong, who hadn't taken her eyes off the match.

"Is he what you expected?"

They had talked in-depth before, and Ye Tong's eyes glimmered with a strange light as she stared at Li Hao without blinking. "He's better than I thought. He hasn't slacked off these past few years."

Musashi was having a blast, gradually increasing his strength, but no matter how much he ramped up the intensity, Li Hao managed to block or dodge every attack.

With a loud thud, Musashi delivered a powerful kick. Li Hao crossed his arms to block it and then pushed Musashi away, creating some distance between them.

"Seriously, squad leader, what's going on? I'm just a substitute, and suddenly this has turned into my personal showtime?" Li Hao complained, exasperated.

"Li Hao, that's not