"HAHAHA! Am I right?" Seeing Barseagle's silence prompted Garry to laugh boisterously. "How could I not know your ability that makes you invincible in the same level?"
"Do not think highly of me. Everything that I did is due to my hard thinking. Not by random chance or some bullshit talent. Do not undermine my hard thinking!"
"Hey, there's no need to be so worked up." Garry chuckled as he saw Barseagle finally lose composure.
He had to admit that Barseagle was a legendary figure among war veterans even though his strength isn't a higher vampire.
Barseagle looked indifferently at Garry. "You seem to be having fun with all of this."
"This bastard isn't funny at all." On the sidelines far away, Daniel clenched his fist. Then it also loosened. "But I didn't think that the captain still had this side of him. He values hard work over talent... What do you guys think? What determines success? Talent or hard work?"
"Is that important?" Liz said with a dissatisfied expression.
"It is..." Kate responded with a shrug. As someone who was diligent and grew up in an orphanage, she had realized the value of perseverance and diligence.
Unlike others blessed with god-gifted talent, she chose to hone her skills and decision-making skills. She doesn't intend to fully rely on her talents.
Ian smiled at them. Really... What is important? Talent or hard work?
Certainly, talent is above hard work. Theirs a saying that 99% is hard work and 1% is talent... But that 1% might be the difference between a dragon and a carp!
That 1% might be the biggest chasm that hard workers can't ever hope to surpass.
In the end, talent determines the upper limit while hard work determines the lower limit. You cannot go wrong with hard work as you will be able to achieve the maximum of your upper limit. But that's it, you cannot go any further.
Hard work just ensures that you won't land in the rock-bottom of life and live a steady, decent way, whether it was life or career.
How about talent? It determines your upper limit and gives you a good head start, and high speed growth-rate.
Compared to low talent-hard workers that might need ten years or so, geniuses might only need a year or even months if it's those super geniuses.
But it's also true that talent without hard work, they can't achieve their rather abnormal high upper limit. After all, how can 1% reach 99% without effort? Without progress?
Talent and hard work goes hand and hand. One can't don without another. But if we're talking about what contributes heavily to success?
As Ian thought of this. He sighed. "It's talent... But there's something you guys have missed that is more important than talent and hard work combined."
Daniel looked at Ian with doubt. "I think you're going to say some nonsense bullshit."
Liz and Kate nodded, very much agreeing with Daniel.
Ian grinned. "It's cheating! No matter what geniuses and hard workers do, they're just farts in the face of cheaters!"
After all, most transmigrators and reincarnators in the novels he had read had golden fingers or systems to help them, basically a cheat. Each of them surpassed geniuses and protagonists, making them equivalent to stepping stones and side characters.
'Like me... I have the Strongest Body Customization System to help me! Geniuses and hard workers? What a fart!'
Kate, Liz, and Daniel: "..."
...
The fight between Barseagle and Garry had reached an intense stand off, with Garry testing the limits of Barseagle's golden light.
With a punch, Garry's fist created a turbulence in the air, his bare knuckles shrouded with blue flames towering with Barseagle's figure.
"He's too big." A golden sword made of light appeared on Barseagle's hand. In comparison with Garry's fist, his sword light looks like a toothpick.
However, the golden light isn't something that can be compared with a toothpick. In reality, it's a compression of massive amounts of photons, heat, and a degree of space fold. It certainly has the means to play the role of David against Goliath!
Garry's fist, like a behemoth predator, collided with Barseagle's light sword. The scene was like an ant, trying to bite an adult human.
BOOM!
A figure flew away like a broken kite, hitting several buildings in one go. The abandoned clinic exploded into dregs, its. roof broken beyond recognition...
BOOM!
Another explosion ensued as a gas leak detonated, it brought down several buildings nearby to ruins.
"HAHAHAHA! This is how it feels. I've since long lost the pleasure of fighting because everyone I fought are just dregs!"
The blue flames around Garry danced as he expressed his joy. His expression elated, his eyes seemed smiling, his grin wider than before.
Garry had long lost the feeling of pleasure of fighting. Fighting equal or someone stronger. Up until now, he fought in the last war...
For what? For bloodshed! Under the orders of his superiors! He was fighting for someone all his life, not for himself!
Now, he truly felt alive. He had to admit that was fighting for himself!
With a hearty laugh, Garry stared at a distance with his eyes squinted.
"He is deranged..." Daniel couldn't help but shudder.
He didn't expect that they would encounter such a battle maniac. Not to mention, a higher werewolf to boot with such perverted flame ability! What to do?
Liz and Kate looked worriedly at the spot where Barseagle flew away. The debris and dust blocked their vision which prevented them from seeing their captain's state.
"I hope the captain is okay." Kate clenched her fist, her legs visibly trembling, with lips puckered.
Liz bit her lips subconsciously. For her, Barseagle was like a father figure, a brother, and also the captain. She didn't know how to feel once something happened to him.
Ian on the side was just silent. For now, he didn't intend to participate to help their captain. What could he help? He couldn't just charge in the fight like a fool, right?
Instead of taking such reckless action. Although it's not good to say. He has to analyze the battle between Garry and his captain, perform deep analysis, and obtain information.
Only with sufficient information can he do enough preparation. With information, he'll be able to formulate effective plans and decide what to upgrade or what body part to customize next,right?
Participating now would be a waste of a chance to Analyze Garry's fighting style, weakness, and abilities.