ã€ŠTempest of the Battlefieldã€‹


 Chapter 1: We Shall See, Old Fart

    Chapter 1: We Shall See, Old Fart

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "The best and the worst made history, the ones in between made babies."

    Although it sounds like nonsense uttered by a drunk, no one could deny humankind''s ability to reproduce. Entering the age of the interster travel, the human poption had finally surpassed the bottleneck figure of three hundred billion; outpacing even the Zergs, the so-called expansionist race.

    Not all of the three hundred billion were direct descendants of Earthlings. There were the Ivantians, Kaedeians, and many other mixed races that fell in-between.

    The Pan sr system had continued their agenda of expanding and exploring the sr system; transforming the entire sr system into a heaven for the whole human race atrge. Thanks to its unique location and a long history of continuous development, Earth had always been the political center of the Pan sr system union. That being said, Earth didn¡¯t have any advantage when it came to living conditions.

    Earth''s moon had been the homnd of the Ivantians. It had been baptized by bloodshed and fire, yet withstood the test of time. It eventually became a paradise, a center of culture and technology in the sr system.

    Mars had also be one the most popted human inhabited worlds; human development had even reached one of Mars''s moons, Ceres.

    If humans were to settle on any other in the sr system, it would be Venus. Others in the sr system were not suitable for human inhabitants; it would be more efficient to build more space cities nearby rather than directly colonize thoses. Human colonization seemed to havee to a halt at this point.

    However, ever since the invention of hyper-jump, humans have started to explores outside of the sr system. Eventually, they found what they were looking for: three inhabitables in the Andromeda Gxy. They named them the Morningstar, the Hope, and the Alfa. Theary environment on these threes was very simr to Earth. Faced with the ever-mounting pressure of overpoption, humans had quickly turned the three newly discovereds into their homnd, with the help of advanced technologies.

    Within thest hundred years, humans have made yet another breakthrough in space exploration. An inhabitable was stumbled upon by a search fleet called Norton when they approached the Centaurus Cluster. The team named the after their fleet, and they quickly became filthy rich, just like the ancient sailors who had discovered the ¡°new world¡± on the other side of Earth. This discovery was truly miraculous.

    "The flight to Norton of the Centaurus Cluster is about to take off. All passengers, please board the spaceship immediately." The feminine voice of the space stewardess was always quick to attract young men''s attention.

    By the boarding gate, a crowd waved strenuously towards the spaceship. Meanwhile, on the spaceship, some people were yelling in excitement while other were quiet, but everyone''s face held the same reluctant expression.

    This would be the fifth group of humans to be dispatched to Norton.

    The threes discovered three hundred years ago at the Andromeda Gxy had abundant materials and had undergone three hundred years of development, which helped to improve the standard of living significantly. Over the course of three hundred years, they had established systems of social welfare, free education, and imprableary defenses that were all on par with those of thes in the sr system.

    Norton, on the other hand, was yet to be tamed. The biggest hurdle in doing so was the many conflicts with the Zergs. The Zergs were extremely tough and adaptive creatures like the cockroaches living on Earth ever since the Big Bang; just like cockroaches, they were everywhere.

    This group of dispatched settlers would focus its efforts on the second phase of the Norton development n. Most people being sent there were in their thirties and forties; some were even older. Most of them had struggled to make a living on Earth, and all hoped their lives would improve after their return. In exchange, they had to endure two years of hardship on Norton.

    To the people''s surprise, a young boy who looked to be barely fifteen could be seen among the older crowd aboard the spaceship. The boy was looking at an old man at the departure gate, whose nose and eyes were red from crying, while the people were wondering why that old man would send his young son to a treacherous like Norton?

    When the ship''snding apparatus rescinded, the noise from the crowd on the ground boiled over. The old man hopped up and down and tried to see his son onest time as tears poured from his reddened eyes.

    Wang Tong stared at the ¡°excited¡± old man; he smiled at him and slowly raised his right hand next to his face then curled his fingers into a fist, leaving only the middle finger standing. He yelled with anger, "I''ll be back for your old ass!"

    The old man waved his fist in the air; he had also left his middle finger erect. His face turned into an ugly grin while the tear streaks were still visible.

    The year was 2565 AD. It was the first time in Wang Tong''s life that he had left home for somewhere outside of his hometown of Shangjin, yet the destination had to be the sh*tty of Norton. Foreseeing his shining youth to be wasted on a bleak and deste, the fifteen-year-old Wang Tong felt a devastating blow.

    There was an expression about traveling that people used to say: "Travelling is a way of discovering oneself."

    "But why the f*ck does it have to be Norton? I¡¯m only going to get lost over there."

    To make sense of what happened to Wang Tong, we have to start from the beginning.

    Wang Tong was an orphan and was told that his parents were martyrs of the Confederation. He had been adopted by an old gentleman, whom Wang Tong called ¡°Old Fart¡±, who said that he took him in because he was nice. But as Wang Tong grew up, he realized Old Fart simply used him to collect government cheques. Thanks to the Confederation''s well-developed welfare system, Wang Tong was never abused by Old Fart, and over the years, had gained an upbeat personality and a great sense of responsibility. As he learned more about life and the history of the Confederation, he was eager to take on more in his life, and he wished to be a soldier.

    Three hundred years ago, a gifted human with extraordinary abilities on the battlefield was born. His name was General Li Feng, decorated with seven stars, he was considered to be the most influential person throughout the entire history of mankind. He was the only general in history to bear seven stars on his shoulder, a sign of respect and utmost reverence between the three primary races of human: the Earthlings, the Ivantians, and the Kaedeians. He rose to power during the Earth-Kaede war, which started when the Kaedeians felt that they were being threatened in technology advancement, so they invaded Earth quickly after thetter invented the Hyper Drive. The Kaedeians were eventually defeated, and their homnd was annexed by the humans from Earth. Shortly after General Li Feng defeated the Kaedeians, he immediately led the troops into a thirty-year great war with the Zergs, a hideous alien race known for its destructive nature and quick expansions. Under themand of General Li Feng, the Confederation troops had the Zergs tasting defeat for their first time. One of the most memorable details of this war was the de Warrior deployed by General Li Feng. Many people in the present day thought that General Li Feng himself was the de Warrior, but proof has yet to be found.

    As the war progressed, the Zergs started evolving on arge scale. They had begun to adapt to human''s offensive and defensive capabilities. Towards the end of the war, some Zergs had developed exterior skeletons that were practically immune to energy weapons. This development had, for a time, tipped the scale for the Zergs on the battlefield, and nearly cost the human''s victory when it was already at their fingertips. The situation had finally turned around when the FFC Corporation invented their newest weapon, the ¡°METAL¡± suit which stood for ¡°Mental field Enabled Tactical Assault of Liberty¡± suit. To put it simply, it was a wearable armor that activated and harnessed the power within the nucleus in the human genome. It was the decisive blow to the Zergs that helped the humanity to gain the final victory.

    However, the Zergs had not beenpletely wiped out after the war, thanks to their extraordinary ability to reproduce; they had thrived again very swiftly. The four centuries of history from the great war to present day were dominated by an arms race between the humans and the Zergs; the Humans continued to improve their military technology, while the Zergs continued to mutate to their next generation.

    The METAL suits had quickly reced the power armor and became the weapon of choice against the Zergs; as they needed humans to operate, it led the Confederation to praise fertility and encourage couples to have more children.

    Three building blocks made up a soldier''sbat ability: The Eighth Mental Field (a.k.a. ¡°EMF¡± or the ¡°Sea of Consciousness¡±), the Genome Nuclear (or ¡°GN¡±) force, and the METAL suit.

    The Genome Nuclear force was the incredible energy stored in the strands of human DNA (the Genome), which when released, instilled the human body with superhuman strength andbat ability that surpassed the Zergs. It made an ordinary human soldier only fitted to be a Zerg''s lunch into its most dreaded opponent.

    The METAL suit could further maximize the GN force output while providing a decent protection against the Zergs or the environment. The current generation of METAL suit looked much different than it was a few centuries ago because of the constant updates from the FFC Corporation over the course of four centuries.

    The Eighth Mantle Field was the key to activate the Genome Nuclear force. It was the deepestyer of human consciousness, and only when thisyer has been fully released by an individual would he or she be able to wield the GN force. The process through which the EMF was fully released in one''s current consciousness was called the "Mind Opening Operation". This involved a rtively straightforward procedure and the chances to sessfully "open" one''s mind were also high. Only after the "Mind Opening Operation" and with the GN force at their disposal could one stand face to face with the Zergs and win.

    In a way, the GN force was a soldier''s personal arsenal, and its strength was determined by the inherent traits of one''s specific genes.

    Some groups of people like the Ivantians modified their genes. Unfortunately, it did not affect the strength of their GN power because no modification could change the fundamental attributes of any gene; all alterations to the genes were merely superficial. In other words, birth was the only determining factor of a soldier''s ultimatebat ability.

    Since being born in the family of the right bloodline was evidently crucial, the status of houses with ¡°superior¡± genes had been elevated to the utmost level in society.

    Unlike the GN power, which was only determined by one''s birth, the strength of the METAL suit could always be purchased with money, lots of money.

    The standard METAL suits were only useful for optimizing the GN force output to a pre-existing cap. However, the superior suits could significantly increase those cap, but they were astronomically expensive which made the FFC Corporation one of the threergest arsenal providers in the entire Confederation.

    If the METAL suit were considered as the external tool to harness GN power, then the Eighth Mental Field would be the tool within the soldier him/herself; but while rigorous training could strengthen one''s EMF, only deep pockets could upgrade a METAL suit.

    Within each subgroup of humans, genes were further branched into major Families as were the training methods. Out of these different training methods evolved distinctbat styles, usually recorded in a canon called the ¡°Tactics¡±. Each family created their ownbat tactics that had a decisive advantage in the form of unique coup de graces, and the methods to deploy these coup de graces were the greatest secret of any tactic, usually known only by the closest members of the family.

    The title for the most powerful tactics undoubtedly went to the ¡°Tactics of the Valkyrie¡±. The canon containing the ¡°Tactic of the Valkyrie¡± was kept in the hall of Valha, the human''s most sacred ce which was said to be located in the Astral Realm. Only those who earned the privilege of entering Valha have the honor to study the ¡°Tactic of the Valkyrie¡±.

    Wang Tong had waited until the end of middle school and was then finally able to receive the ¡°Mind Opening Operation¡± at the age of fifteen. As soon as he could fully grasp his Eighth Mental Field, he could then attend a Military Academy, albeit a cheaper one, it would still mean he would have a bright future ahead of him.

    "But¡­ who would¡¯ve thought that Old Fart would trade my only free ticket to the ''Mind Opening Operation¡¯ for moonshine? He said he did it inadvertently..."

    Each citizen of the Confederation received only one free operation when he or she reached the age of fifteen. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, but Old Fart exchanged Wang Tong''s turn for merely one¡­no...merely two bottles of moonshine.

    That said, he wouldn''t have had to go to Norton even if he wanted to self-fund his operation, but he was sent there, Old Fart himself had enlisted Wang Tong. Perhaps it was a secret deal with the dispatcher for some quick cash? And if Wang Tong were to breach the contract, he might have to pay dearly for the kickbacks Old Fart had received. So, he was stuck with a deal that he never made.

    Wang Tong looked through the windowpane into a space full of twinkling stars. He started to feel the gloomy outlook of his future weighing heavily on his shoulders. "What will happen to me on Norton? Nothing good, I bet." He didn¡¯t me Old Fart for his misery, although he thought he really should, Old Fart had always provided him thefort of a home. At least he didn¡¯t have to live in the cold orphanage.

    On the other hand, perhaps great opportunities were awaiting him on the of Norton. Wang Tong seemed to see a glimpse of hope. "Maybe I''ll be rich in two years, I''ll be able to swagger in front of the Old Fart like I meant it, and I''ll throw moonshine in his face until he pukes just as a lesson."

    Wang Tong had always been an optimistic person, if not overly so.

    "Dear passengers, the shuttle is about to enter quadratic speed, we will arrive at the space station in twenty-five earth-hours. We will start the hyper-jump from the space station and should arrive at our destination in one hundred and twenty earth-hours. Please proceed to enter deep sleep stage to ensure that you are fully rested upon arrival."

    As the sweet voice of the space stewardess spread throughout the ship¡¯s cabin, a burst of curses started to fill up the rest of the cabin space. Although ufortable, sleeping through the quadratic speed was the cheapest option for space liners and was also the only option for those in the economy cabin. Comfort was a luxury reserved for the richest in space traveling.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t mind sleeping through the trip; there was nothing to see outside of the window once they had entered the quadratic speed. What Wang Tong really wanted was smelling thend, swallowing big jugs of C and tripleyered drumstick burgers that sizzled with grease. Before he finally entered into the state of deep sleep, he wished in secret that he could have all of those in his dream.

    Wang Tong never seemed to have enough sleep. He was aghast when he opened his eyes again, seeing the gxy in the distance that looked very different from the one that he had left. This was the Centaurus Gxy. Although Wang Tong was not an avid space navigator, instinct still told him that he had traveled many parsecs into the deep space.

    The shuttle slowly descended, and from here, Wang Tong had a panoramic view of the as a bright green assaulted his visual sensory. Covered with a nket of emerald colored vegetation, the scenery on Norton looked much like Earth; no wonder so much hype was stirred up the first time it was discovered by humans from Earth.

    In Wang Tong''s first impression of Norton, the beautiful, yet strange scenery was invigorating and rxing at the same time.

    The dispatcher had started assigning quarters as soon as the passengers had passed security. There would be no rest for this lot as they were sent here asborers, not tourists.

    The receiving officer ?looked at Wang Tong in surprise, seeing the dark-haired boy in front of him who looked even younger than he really was, the officer shook his head in sadness. He figured that the kid must have had terribly selfish parents.

    "Wang Tong, 15...d, let me tell you something, read your instructions carefully. Norton isn''t a friendly ce for a kid like you. I hope to see you again in one piece in two years. Next."

    Norton indeed was not a ce for a young boy like Wang Tong. The dispatcher''s cheappassion wouldn''t be able to save Wang Tong''s ass on this awful. Regardless of what the government had boasted about Norton to the people on Earth, down here, settlers lived a miserable life.

    The cargo ship dropped theborers off one by one to their home quarters, like tossing a handful of petals. ?Wang Tong was assigned to a mining district in Sector D-18, and his daily task was to supervise the one hundred and eighty mining bots. The Confederation had also provided him with a personal assistant - a robotic butler with only very limited AI. His code name was C-1847678£¬"C" stood for the ss which the robot belonged to and also meant that this robot was a lower tier unit among all the units from where it was manufactured. Wang Tong gave him the nickname ¡°Charcoal¡±, after his charcoal colored face.

    Rule number one at work: ¡°Never leave the base¡±. Firstly the gravity on Norton was five times stronger than the gravity on Earth; second, the streets on Norton were teeming with crime. Unless Wang Tong wore the METAL suit, he had to stay put as thepensation for non-work rted incidents was pathetic. Wang Tong decided that he would never trade his life for a few dabs of moonshine.

    With Charcoal''s help, Wang Tong had a rough understanding of the colony''s operation: the humans functioned as overseers, while the whole worked on its own like a tireless machine. This was going to make life on the incredibly monotonous, and this was where Charcoal came in; a robot like him was designed to providepanionship to humans, thus preventing them from losing their sanity out ofplete boredom.

    After a long conversation with Charcoal, Wang Tong still felt agitated, he was well rested from the space shuttle, and the rush from his first arrival on a new remained. He decided to walk around the base, but to Wang Tong''s disappointment, he noticed theck of entertainment facilities at the base; only a gym and a reading chamber for the workers. This was yet to be developed, and many basic civil infrastructures were yet to be built. Naturally, the Confederation was reluctant to spend too much money to meet workers'' need for entertainment.

    For the entire first week, Wang Tong practiced abat tactic called the "Tactics of the de" during his free time after work. He still wanted to take the "Mind Opening Operation¡±, and he needed to practice to increase his sess rate.

    The "de¡± in the name of the tactic had nothing to do with the invincible de Warriors who had be legendary some four hundred years ago. It was a straightforward and elementary exercise for rookies who had just finished or were about to undergo the ¡°Mind Opening Operation¡±. Trainees following this tactic would increase the rate of sess for the procedure; it also stimted one''s Sea of Consciousness, and for those who had just undergone a sessful "Mind Opening Operation¡±, it could help to stabilize their EMF. It was a verymon, if not mundane, tactic widely practiced by rookies like Wang Tong. The ones who were born in a prominent Family wouldn''t even nce at this kind of tactics canon. Even those who had practiced it while they were rookies would switch to something more advanced once they entered a Military Academy.

    That being said, one of the very few nice things Old Fart ever did for Wang Tong was to teach him the "Tactics of the de", but the ¡°Old Fart¡± version. It had at least helped Wang Tong toplete his very first round of tactics. Old Fart, however, insisted that his version was more than just an ordinary tactic. He boasted, more often than not after a few moonshine, that Wang Tong would be as powerful as a de Warrior if he were ever able to master what he had taught him.

    What Old Fart had taught him was indeed uniquepared to the conventional version of "Tactics of the de". The fundamental technique of inert training in any type of tactics was to surround one''s consciousness with eight of the pivotal GN nodes (or ¡°Qi¡± in ancient superstitious texts) in a circle. However, Old Fart''s version was called the "Tactics of the de: 16 Genome Nuclear Force", as it required the trainee to mobilize sixteen GN nodes instead of eight.

    It was harder for a rookie like Wang Tong, and it never even did anything special.

    Trapped on this beautiful but terrible, practice and training became Wang Tong''s only downtime activities. He never stepped outside as he knew he wouldn''tst long out there without a METAL suit, but it was hard for Wang Tong, an energetic virgin boy filled with testosterone, to stay calm and content.

    It had been a peaceful week since Wang Tong''s arrival, at times he even missed Old Fart. Practicing the tactic allowed him to focus and, more importantly, to hold on to his sanity. Here on Norton, he could even finish the entire set of training, something that he could never do on Earth because of the unique requirement of Old Fart''s version; to finish aplete round could take up to five hours. Wang Tong could seldomplete an entire set of training on Earth thanks to the many distractions, but on Norton, since training was the only thing he could do, finishing the full form meant less time spent in excruciating boredom.

    In his own way, he had already learned to adapt to his new lonely life.

    However, this moment of calm and peace was disrupted on the morning of the seventh day since his arrival. Sirens suddenly went off unleashing ear-piercing shrieks across the sky. Wang Tong nced at the CCTV screen, Zergs. They had already sprawled over the entire screen.

    "Damn it! They didn¡¯t even tell me that there would be Zergs here!"

 Chapter 2: Escape

    Chapter 2: Escape

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The Zergs had overrun the base. Although theycked intelligence, their talons could tear through steel ting with ease so Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

    "The Confederation promised me a Zerg-free! Where the heck are the Confederation troops!?"

    "Master, we are under attack! We are under attack! Please leave this area immediately." Charcoal uttered the words in the quickest speed his CPU allowed. He was programmed to do so to stress the urgency of the situation.

    Wang Tong had been rendered useless by the mounting pressure. He had just graduated from middle school and was sent here because of a conscience-deprived old fox. Most teenagers his age were enjoying their colorful youth on earth right now, instead of having to deal with a Zerg invasion on a deste far away.

    "I should calm down... What would I do in a situation like this if I were on Earth?" Wang Tong said to himself.

    "911!" the answer was obvious.

    "But what about here? ... Bah, I''m wasting my time, of course, I should call for help!"

    Wang Tong rushed toward the tel screen hopefully. He fumbled his finger all over the phone pad, ¡°Ding¡­¡± it connected.

    "Help, Help me! Zergs, many, many Zergs! It is-"

    The screen had turned to static before the attractive receptionist was able to utter a single word to Wang Tong, the signal had been interrupted.

    Wang Tong stared at the screen helplessly. He wanted to cry but felt like he didn''t even have the time to do so.

    The tel was a part of theary electronicmunication system on Norton. Jamming its signal required a massive amount of energy in the form of electromaic waves; however, one type of Zerg was able to do precisely that.

    At first sight, this kind of Zerg seemed to be harmless, but they could emit electromaic waves so strong that they would paralyze any electronicmunication system. Insufficient electronic counter measurements on Norton had now let the Zergs gain the upper hand.

    On the CCTV screen, Wang Tong saw a piece of heavy equipment, which weighed easily over a few tons, was thrown into the air by the Zergs. When it thudded to the ground, a group of eight-legged Zergs advanced in. Some gouged the headlights with their ws; some prated the heavy metal with their fangs, some gnawed the rubber with their teeth and some ripped mechanical joints apart with their powerful grip. The piece of equipment was quickly reduced to a pile of twisted, gnarled junk. Wang Tong stared at what was left of the machine and touched his tender and soft cheek.

    He didn¡¯t want to die here, he wanted to fight back. A light bulb moment suddenly came to Wang Tong. "Charcoal, where can I find any weapons?"

    Charcoal shook his head powerlessly: "Master, the base does not stock any weapons. If there is an emergency, we will radio the headquarters, and they will send a squad of METAL troops here."

    "I know that already!" Wang Tong suddenly yelled at Charcoal. He would have contacted the HQ if the tel signal hadn''t beenpromised. Wang Tong¡¯s despair returned, and his fear grew stronger with every passing moment. He was still young and would grow up to be the future of the Confederation, at least that''s what the confederation had been telling him, so he didn¡¯t want to die here.

    "If only I had been ''Mind Opened'' and had a METAL suit, but now..." He looked at the Zergs crawling all over the CCTV screen. He swallowed and decided to give up the idea of goingmando on hundreds of Zergs. "If I can''t fight, at least I can run away."

    The Zerg army was tearing apart the defenseyers one by one, like peeling an onion.

    Sirens screamed in every corner of the sky. The Zerg army was attacking multiple fronts. The focus of their attack was Norton''s main base.

    The Zergs had left Norton alone until now. Not a single Zerg had ever been spotted near Norton, so it was evident now that the silence before this attack had been a deception. The defense force was caught off guard, although the troops on the ground were trying their best to hold their line, the sheer number of Zergs was overwhelming. Most of the defense forces had been mobilized to the headquarters, leaving the other parts of the almost defenseless.

    Lieutenant Eisle had to give the order to pull back. If they didn''t pull out right now, everyone would be dead in a matter of a few moments. This was a well-prepared surprise attack, a Zerg''s conspiracy.

    High up in Norton''s orbital space, four monstrous space hives continuously burst out showers of bug sacks towards Norton, rendering the ground defense useless.

    Meanwhile, on Earth, the high councils were having a heated debate.

    "We have been yed by the Zergs. We should have corrected theck of defense on Norton a long time ago."

    "Councilor Sarl, I''d like to remind you that, not long ago, you vetoed the bill to reinforce Norton due to its astronomical cost."

    "This is not the time for arguing about what has already been done."

    "We should have known better, the Zergs do not stand a chance in the sr system, so the Centaurus Gxy was the obvious target."

    "Councilor Chiera, it was you who ratified the reinforcements to the Andromeda Gxy instead of the Centaurus Gxy."

    Compared to the wild and empty Norton, the three densely popted and highly developeds in the Andromeda Gxy naturally deserved more attention and protection. Fighting against the Zergs was not an easy task as their hives were not only able to thrive in space, but they could also travel at hyper-speed. They had effectively made the dead, cold space their cozy home. It was almost impossible for humans to wipe them out entirely.

    To be fair, the defenses on Norton should were sufficient; however, it couldn¡¯t survive from the swarm of Zergs.

    Councilors fell into a chaotic argument. Arguing was human politicians'' favorite method of showing off their power. However, the Kaedeian representatives sat quietly among the sizzling Earthlings, calm and somber as they always were.

    Ever since their defeat four hundred years ago, Kaedeians had made a pact with Earthlings which made them obey any human''s orders, as long as it did not impede with their own survival. Kaedeians and Earthlings had been reliable allies ever since the time of General Li Feng.

    Kaedeians had been the first human race atrge to wear METAL suits in battle with the Zergs, thanks to their natural ability to utilize EMF. Many Kaedeians had died in the thirty-year great war against the Zergs, and they had paid in blood and tears to gain the trust and friendship of the Earthlings.

    Over the next hundreds of years, Kaedeians had settled on Mars and the three inhabitables in the Andromeda Gxy and developed a formidable military force. When humans were caught in a conflict with another space race, they were always the first toe to Earth''s aid, in honor of their pact made with the great General Li Feng. In contrast, they almost always remained neutral and silent when the conflict came from within the Earthlings themselves.

    "Order, Order! I''d like to remind everyone that our agenda today is to decide on reinforcements for the Centaurus Gxy and to rescue our brothers and sisters as soon as possible. Now it is the time to vote." Arlington, Leader of the Council, announced after he struck the gavel on the desk.

    "I vote yes," all of the Earth representatives raised their hands.

    "I vote yes," the same came from the Ivantians from the Moon.

    "I vote yes," Kaedeians¡¯ votes were always the same as the Earthlings¡¯.

    The final decision of the council was to send the eighthpany of the human space marines, and the third corps of the Kaedeians¡¯ force to Norton to eliminate the invading bugs.

    Inhabitants of alls hailed the decision of the high council. The war with the bugs was bing a hot topic.

    Meanwhile, survivors on Norton still needed to wait patiently for the arrival of reinforcements - implementing military orders always took a while. The Confederation cranked up the number of patrol fleets to ensure the security of others. Invasion on the dested Norton was one thing, but the Zergs on any other inhabited waspletely different.

    Over the years of conflict with humans, the Zergs had evolved not only their bodies but also their brains. They had learned to be smart and to be sneaky; to deploy a ruse before attacking and to attack with the element of surprise.

    What happened on Norton was a costly lesson, and it should never happen again. The Confederation would have to ensure the safety of the mass popteds regardless of its cost.

    Back on Norton, time was not in Wang Tong''s favor. Trapped in a small room with few supplies, he would die if he chose to wait for the reinforcements. There was nothing that he could use to defend himself and only had some food rations and everyday items at his disposal. Even then, Wang Tong knew very well that even if he had a weapon, he would barely be a piece of cake for a Zerg.

    His only choice was to escape on his own.

    He decided to press further into the mine despite knowing that he had to endure a 5g gravity - a gravity that was five times stronger than Earth¡¯s. He would rather be crushed to death by his own weight than bing a morsel of meat that got stuck in a Zerg''s teeth.

    "Time to go Charcoal, forget about the baggage."

    Charcoal was still meticulously packing Wang Tong''s belongings. Moved by his mother-like care and attention to detail, Wang Tong thought that Charcoal would have been an amazing butler on earth...after a little bit of stic surgery.

 Chapter 3: Survive

    Chapter 3: Survive

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong packed his belongings into a space crystal - the gship domestic product of the FFC Corporation, almost everyone on earth owned one. Wang Tong received it as a gift from Old Fart. He often wondered why Old Fart didn¡¯t exchange this space crystal for moonshine like he did to his "Mind Opening Operation¡± ticket.

    The sirens had be more ear-piercingly loud, an indication that the Zergs had breached the final line of defense. They could arrive at any moment now.

    Wang Tong and Charcoal ran towards the entrance of the mine cave. To Wang Tong''s surprise, the sluggish robot seemed to burst suddenly with energy; it ran even faster than Wang Tong to save his life.

    Wang Tong lengthened his stride when he was almost at the mine¡¯s entrance. Inside, a grisly gravity of 5g awaited him. He gritted his teeth to muster all of his courage before he finally dashed into the mine.

    As soon as he entered, he felt the gravity''s blow immediately. Pressure started to build up inside of his body and deted his lungs. Wang Tong found it hard to breathe; however, Wang Tong was determined to escape the death clutch of the Zergs. He should be able to withstand the gravity for a short while, after all, he was a fairly robust and healthy teenager, or at least that''s what he thought.

    This mine was built for robots to work in, not for humans to stay in, so the further one went inward, the more unbearable its environment became. Despite the dangerous path, Wang Tong had to go deeper into the mine to avoid the attention of the Zergs because they were able to detect the slightest light or heat signals.

    A few more moments had passed, the internal pressure inside of Wang Tong¡¯s body had been forcing the blood to flow into his brain which caused his vision to be blurry. Charcoal stood right beside him helplessly, as he couldn¡¯t help his master since he was not a medic-bot. Wang Tong grimaced in pain as he peered at the fumbling Charcoal, he said: "Go out there and live a full life! It will be your final order!"

    Blood had started to seep out of Wang Tong''s nose and ears, but at least it seemed like Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t die from a bug''s w after all.

    Wang Tong''s consciousness started to blur, and he thought perhaps that this would be hisst moment. In his blurred consciousness, he saw Old Fart, his only family who had told him that he would have to look after him when Wang Tong had grown up, but now it seemed like Wang Tong would die before him.

    "Old-timer, don''t drink too much ever again," Wang Tong mumbled.

    Wang Tong''s consciousness became blurrier with every passing second; soon he felt as if there was nothing left in him to hold on to. He decided to give up control of his body, but immediately after letting go, his body switched instinctively into a crisis mode on its own. It initiated the internal force exercise that had, by then, be Wang Tong''s muscle memory thanks to his strenuous daily practices.

    In the dark, motionless cave, a faint light started to glow from Wang Tong''s forehead.

    "Drip, drip, drip..."

    Wang Tong heard the sound of water falling into a puddle, his body was in great pain, but he felt relieved at the sensation because the pain was proof that he was still alive.

    Wang Tong forced himself back into reality. He opened his eyes and saw Charcoal in the faint lighting from his own forehead.

    "Master, you are finally awake!"

    "Charcoal...Am I still alive?"

    "Master, by the definition of human death, yes, you are still alive. " Charcoal clearlycked a sense of humor.

    Wang Tong smiled back and asked, "Hehe, what had happened to me?"

    "You passed out due to the excessive internal pressure built up under theary gravity, but thanks to your body''s incredible ability to...recover, you have now adapted to the gravity, you have created a ..."

    Charcoal took a moment to search his physical memory for a word that could most humanly describe the situation: ¡°a miracle!¡±

    Even though Wang Tong''s body still ached, his difficulty to breath was gone, and he no longer felt the built-up pressure inside of him. Perhaps the pressure had been significantly reduced or perhaps it was just like what Charcoal had said - he had adapted to the environment. He asked himself, ¡°But how? To adjust to the gravity so quickly required the mobilization of vast amounts of inner energy which is impossible without using EMF! Could it be...?¡±

    The reality shocked Wang Tong - he realized that he had connected his consciousness to the EMF unknowingly while his life was in this unprecedented peril.

    "You will be showered with blessings once you escape a disaster," Wang Tong vaguely remembered this line from a fortune cookie he once cracked open. He had thought it was cheesy, but now he knew it indeed had foretold his future.

    Days of practice devoted to the tactics had allowed him to be closer than ever to the full release of his EMF, all he needed after that was a little push.

    When Wang Tong went into aa, he subconsciously initiated the tactic, and the panic his body was experiencing greatly intensified its effect. That was the final push Wang Tong needed to connect his EMF. He wouldn''t need an operation after all.

    On average, 50% of humans were able to connect their consciousness with the EMF after the ¡±Mind Opening Operation¡±. In other words, it was quitemon. However, unlike most people, Wang Tong had connected his consciousness to EMF without the aid of an operation. This was a rather extraordinary feat for a human teenager.

    Although itcked scientific proof, some said that a naturally connected EMF was much stronger than those that aren''t. Wang Tong had never heard of anyone who had done that, and only those from the Five Great Houses of the Confederation had ever dabbled in the subject.

    It was a major relief to Wang Tong to have his EMF at his disposal, at least now he wouldn''t be crushed to death by his own weight.

    Wang Tong closed his eyes in relief and cherished the fact that he was still alive. He felt lucky that he always had kept an optimistic mind so that an unbearable situation would seem almost okay.

    However, one question remained unanswered, why would the EMF aka the ¡°Sea of Consciousness¡± mobilized the inner power all by itself to kick-off the tactic?

    As he was not able to find an answer to his question, Wang Tong decided to give up and thought that maybe everyone''s consciousness just worked that way.

    Wang Tong had been slowly taking over the self-perpetuating tactic ever since he had regained consciousness. After a few hours, it was fully under his control; therefore he had a better idea of its progress and effect. He was amazed to find out that the exercise was being conducted at a much faster rate than it ever had been before.

    It usually took five hours for Wang Tong toplete an entire round of the tactics following the instructions in the "Tactics of the de" (Old Fart''s version). But now he estimated that the whole process would only take half an hour, it was a significant leap in speed. Wang Tong bet that even the high expectations Old Fart would be amazed at his speed.

    The best part of practicing tactics after one had gained EMF was that the EMF will increase its breadth after every round of the exercise. In other words, the faster the tactic waspleted, the faster one''s EMF grows.

    After Wang Tong hadpleted one round of tactics, he felt that his body had stopped aching and he was able to stand up on his feet. The next thing on his agenda was to eat. He remembered that Charcoal had packed some food in his space crystal. He gave a voicemand, and the crystal unlocked itself. Voice recognition was a less sophisticated and therefore less secure way of locking it, but some more advanced space crystals could be secured using one''s DNA albeit more expensive.

    Wang Tong ate four times more than he usually did and then took another nap. After he had woken up, he finished another round of tactics and then started to observe his surroundings. It appeared that the Zergs had not searched this far into the mine yet, so he was safe.

    Although the mine was safe to stay for the moment, it was not a long-term hiding ce. Wang Tong had to get out, he led Charcoal to the entrance and deployed the method of detecting enemies he had learned in the movies; he ced his ear close to the wall and then to the ground, and listened carefully...but he couldn¡¯t hear anything. The massive Zerg army had probably already left the base, contrary to this attack orchestrating a chaotically rush en masse, in an ordinary military operation, the Zergs were very disciplined.

    Although Wang Tong expected to find a bleak scene outside of the mine, he did not lose his hope of surviving the aftermath. The Confederation would not be willing to give up a with this much potential, and they woulde back to Norton. All that Wang Tong had to do was survive until the rescue came.

    He remembered that there was a granary right next to the mine entrance. If Wang Tong could make it there, the food inside wouldst him at least a year. He would never need to be worried about hunger, and he could focus solely on his safety.

    "Charcoal, stay here and crack open the gate on mymand."

    "Yes, Master." Although Wang Tong didn¡¯t count on Charcoal toe up with any life-saving ideas, an extra set of hands, although mechanical, was always helpful to have around him.

    As Charcoal overrode the gate control unit and cracked open the gate, light poured into the dark room which brought Wang Tong hope. Wang Tong waited patiently in the dark for a while; he listened carefully to check if there was anymotion outside...but nothing, aplete silence. He then signaled Charcoal to widen the opening, and as soon as the opening was about half a meter wide, Wang Tong rolled out through the narrow gap in-between the hanging gate and the ground.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath and drew a gulp of fresh air into his lungs, then immediately started to observe his surroundings. Wang Tong had never encountered a Zerg, and he didn¡¯t know how they stalked their prey. He had seen many terrible scenes in movies where a Zerg would suddenly jump onto the silver screen and snatched away an innocent human in its bloody ws.

    Moral of the story, Zergs could be anywhere, so Wang Tong had to stay on high alert.

    After making sure that there were absolutely no Zergs around, Wang Tong rushed towards the granary. Comparing the real-life aftermath of a Zerg attack in front of him to what he had seen in the movies, thetter had been modest in its portrayal of the horrific scene. Deep gashes on three-inch thick steel ting made Wang Tong''s hair stand end. It was the longest five hundred meters that he had ever run, and when he finally arrived at the granary, the grim scene made him cringe.

    The granary had been raided by the Zerg and was destroyed. Wasting no time, Wang Tong started to pack the crumbs, and whatever was left scattered on the ground, into his space crystal, but suddenly, he sensed movement in a far corner.

 Chapter 4: I Lost My Weapon

    Chapter 4: I Lost My Weapon

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong spotted a giant Zerg less than a few paces away.

    Wang Tong''s impulse was to run out of his hideout and towards the mine as fast as he could, but he didn''t.

    "Impulsiveness is your greatest Demon," Old Fart always reminded Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong had been an impulsive teenager, and he knew that his impulsiveness was the culprit of his tragic life so far. Wang Tong gritted his teeth and tried as much as he could to stay put and not to run out into in sight. He knew that the Zerg would tear him to pieces before he could enter the mine.

    He waited for five minutes without moving a hair.

    "Kah Chah-Kah Chah...Kaah..."

    Wang Tong heard the grinding of the Zerg''s exoskeleton; the noise gradually faded away into the distance as the Zerg left the area.

    Wang Tong finally rushed to safety. Once the mine gate was closed, he plopped down on the ground and leaned against the gate. He had never felt such an adrenaline rush in his life.

    Before Wang Tong had regained his peace of mind from his close escape, another ring issue presented itself immediately: food. The rations Wang Tong had gathered out there would onlyst a week at most. That meant he would starve to death if the Confederation reinforcements didn''t arrive in time.

    With only a C-ss domestic robot by his side, roughly one week of rations in his backpack, and pitch dark and hazardous mine cave as shelter, Wang Tong was in a dire situation. Most people under this much stress would have already fallen into helpless despair if they were notpletely mad yet. Wang Tong, however, did not seem to be so bothered by the perils ahead of him, he merely med it on his bad luck, and then, like nothing had happened, he went on to eat his lunch like a typical day.

    It didn''t matter how he felt; the situation wasn¡¯t going to get any better or worse, there was still a week''s time after all. God had created the whole world in a week, and that just demonstrated how much could happen in seven days.

    On a more optimistic note, maybe there would be a cargo ship in front of the mine tomorrow, perhaps there will be even an attractive space stewardess weing him aboard, exactly like he loved them.

    Wang Tong hadn''t fully recovered yet, adding the stress and fear of what he had just gone through made him feel extremely sleepy. His mind drifted off, and he fell asleep with a half chewed piece of jerky still in his mouth.

    In the darkness, Charcoal guarded him loyally while Wang Tong slept.

    Old Fart always told him, "You haven''t failed until you havepletely given up on something."

    Old Fart liked to preach life lessons to him, although Old Fart himself had neglected to learn from his own teachings, all of them.

    It would be a pity if a young man like Wang Tong died here without a cause. On the flip side, thanks to his young age, he had quickly adapted to the pitch dark environment in the cave. With the help of Charcoal, he also extended his range of scavenging activities.

    Most of the Zerg army had already left Norton, only a few small forces remained, scattered all over the. Although the Zergs that remained stationed here were rtively weakerpared to those that had already left, they were still deadly. That said, Wang Tong would not sit by and wait for his death, so he started to scavenge the nearby buildings for anything useful. To his surprise, he found a functional nutrition transformer in a pile of junk which had overly exceeded his expectations.

    It was able to transform any inedible organic matters into a pill that had the same equivalent nutrient content. It tasted horrible, but they could work miracles. On the deste Norton£¬ providing the workers with enough nutrition had always been a problem, so it had quickly be a necessity.

    Norton was covered with giant nts that could be used in the nutrition transformer; therefore Wang Tong''s food crisis seemed to have been resolved. He searched further into the base and got lucky again; he found a box of cheap wine and some crumbled biscuits, Wang Tong treated them like precious treasures, savoring them in small quantities at a time instead of squandering them all at once.

    All the while, Wang Tong heard booming in the distance and saw explosions in the sky almost every day, the war was still going on; the Zergs had most likely resisted the human''s push back. Wang Tong knew that he would have to wait longer than he had initially thought for the rescuers toe, but it didn''t matter now because he was prepared.

    Perhaps Wang Tong was born with an optimism gene; he felt like this dangerous life was much more thrilling than watching robots hacking at rocks with a pitchfork repetitively every day. Thanks to his EMF, he had be much more aware of his environment, and much more alert to any threats than he ever had been before.

    Humans always had a fear of unknown entities, on the flip side, when Wang Tong started to learn more about his enemies, the fear gradually dissipated. He had learned how to avoid the Zerg''s attention and made his pitch dark cave into a new cozy home.

    "Charcoal, ce the food and wine deeper into the cave... hold on, leave one bottle of wine for me."

    "Yes master," Charcoal was the most loyalpanion Wang Tong had on Norton. He couldn¡¯t imagine a day going by without seeing Charcoal''s lovely charcoal colored face.

    The deeper end of the cave was a perfect ce for hiding food or anything of value. It was badly ventted and treacherous to navigate so only robots could go in and out easily.

    Wang Tong spent most of his spare time practicing the ¡°Tactics of the de¡±. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the EMF or if the Old Fart''s version of the tactic was truly unique, but he felt like it had increased his inner power tremendously. It had not only enabled him to live with 5g gravity, but it also had made him quick minded, and both were essential elements to possess to survive on this.

    On another scavenging hunt, Wang Tong found a weapon - a long, sharp-edged iron bar, probably snapped by a Zerg w. This stick had more or less provided Wang Tong some sense of security, regardless of how effective it really would be when used against a Zerg.

    A man once said: ¡°The source of suffering for most people was pursuing the wrong dream.¡±

    As Wang Tong just reached fifteen, he should be proud of himself for what he had already achieved and stay put. Instead, he became restless after staying in the cave for a few weeks and craved for further explorations and adventures. He dreamed of discovering a new path hidden in thebyrinth of crumbled buildings and encountering other human troops who had survived. These thoughts troubled him every night. Atst, he decided toe out of his hiding ce, since there was no point in simply waiting for anything to happen anyway.

    Wang Tong had be bold and careless over the few weeks he had spent in the cave. Avoiding a Zerling¡¯s attention seemed effortless, but he immediately paid for his boldness.

    A Zerg had quickly spotted Wang Tong and suddenly jumped at him. Wang Tong was born with insensitive nerves, so the shock didn''t affect him as much as the Zerg had expected. Instead of being stupefied like most people would be, Wang Tong simply turned on his heel, bolted away, and left only a gust of wind.

    Wang Tong peered back to see what was after him and saw a spider-like creature about a meter tall and three meters wide that was brandishing its sharp ws¡ªeight in total¡ªstomping his way toward him and crushing everything in its path.

    Humans loathed the Zergs immensely, and the opposite was true as well, if not more intensely. The Zergs had the most advanced form of biological evolution, the young Zergs not only inherited physical traits from their parents but also their emotions, including hatred. The Zerg force had been sweeping across the universe and seemed to be unstoppable; however, they had tasted bitter defeat for the first time during the war against humans four hundred years ago. Four centuries of gically inherited hatred had made any Zerg''s eyes go red with rage at the sight of a human.

    "Charcoal... Charcoal, open the gate!"

    Wang Tong had started yelling at Charcoal when he was still far away from the gate, fortunately, Charcoal had been listening. He lifted the gate about half a meter high - a height that was set by Wang Tong to ensure that nothing bigger could get through.

    When Wang Tong finally reached the gate, he ducked and, with the aid of momentum, rolled to one side and spun around until he reached the other side of the gate. All the while, he didn¡¯t dare look back again, fearing that he was within less than an arm''s reach of the Zerg.

    "Boom" The Zerg rammed the gate with its forehead and sent a shockwave throughout the cave; fortunately, the gate was almost a meter thick and was made out of exceptionally sturdy material, so it didn¡¯t budge an inch at the Zerling''s attack. The Zerg finally had to give up seeing that it had left only a few dents on the gate. Wang Tong concluded that this Zerg must becking in strengthpared to a regr Zerg because otherwise, the gate would have already given way to the first impact.

    Wang Tong continued lying on the ground trying to catch his breath. He¡¯d never thought that he could run that fast, perhaps he should pursue a career as an athlete when it was all over.

    "Ahh, where is my weapon?!" Wang Tong suddenly cried out and stared at his empty hand. He then remembered that he had dropped the iron bar during the encounter with the Zerg. He hadn''t even thought about fighting back against that monster.

    "Master, I will retrieve it for you."

    "Save it; you are not much stronger than me."

    It would take less than a second before Charcoal would be torn apart by that monster. Wang Tong didn¡¯t want to see Charcoal be a pile of junk as he was the onlypanion Wang Tong had on this lonely.

 Chapter 5: Kowtow My Ass

    Chapter 5: Kowtow My Ass

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong was amazed at his speed, and he was equally puzzled at its cause. He wished that he had attended military academy so that he would be able to answer his questions about these developments.

    "Charcoal, how fast do you think I was running out there?"

    "Master, based on my readings, your speed isparable to a base level METAL fighter."

    Wang Tong smiled, although his speed wasn''t top notch, to have it ced on par with a METAL fighter made him very proud of himself since it couldn¡¯t have been a fluke out there. He closed his eyes to reflect on the details of what had happened.

    Upon careful contemtion, he figured out what had to be the cause of his new speed: it was the now much faster speed of initializing of the ¡°Tactics of the de¡±.

    Before he had gained his EMF, his GN nodes had responded sluggishly to hismand of initiating of the tactic, what''s more, it would often take a while until it started to take effect, again thanks to the slow movements of his GN nodes.

    However, ever since Wang Tong had linked his EMF, the initializing of the tactics had almost be an instinct.

    When faced with a perilous situation, his subconscious would begin the ¡°Tactics of the de¡± entirely on its own without the need of Wang Tong''s consciousmand. His EMF had also made the movement of the GN nodes swifter and more fluid; therefore the tactics would take effect almost immediately.

    Wang Tong cherished the miraculous ident that had led to the release of his EMF. The sweet taste of triumph made him more eager to be a METAL fighter, but for now, Wang Tong had to gain a better understanding of his new abilities.

    Charcoal had helped him light up the cave corridor as his testing ground. He took a deep breath and dug one heel into the ground, thenmanded the GN nodes to elerate their speed; power started to burst out of the EMF and was channeled by Wang Tong throughout his entire body...

    ¡°Komnnhh¡­¡± Wang Tong suddenly bolted forward in lightening speed.

    Wang Tong found himself with his mouth hard pressed against the wall, in an intimate kiss with the cold hard cave, sand and grit filled the groove between his lips. Heughed in joy as he thudded to the ground. "I wasn''t dreaming; my speed was real!"

    Wang Tong had been busy adjusting to his speed for the next two days. He tried to control his speed so that he wouldn''t dash into the gaping mouth of a Zerg. Not only had his speed improved, but also his strength. He tested his strength with a rebar by thrusting it into one of the cave¡¯s walls which ended up being pierced deeply into the hard rock, and the rebar got stuck firmly inside. He couldn''t even dream of having strength like this before. Eager to test his new powers in a real life situation, he decided to see if he could kill a Zerg.

    To kill a Zerg, he had to find a Zerg first, and he knew there was one nearby that would make a perfect practice target. He was thinking of the previous Zerg that he had barely escaped from. Zergs were patient predators; many documentary films had mentioned their persistence and patience. Although Wang Tong couldn¡¯t hear any movement outside, he knew that it was still out there, waiting for him somewhere in the dark.

    To prepare for the hunt, Wang Tong and Charcoal started digging a booby trap at the mine entrance. It was Wang Tong''s first time hunting a Zerg, although he was confident about his new abilities, capturing a Zerg would further boost that confidence. It would give him the courage to stand up against even stronger Zergs.

    Wang Tong mumbled as he finished his preparations: ¡°Booby trap-done, Weapons-loaded, n B - heck, who cares about n B, thinking too much only makes you cowardly.¡±

    After one night of preparation followed by two hours of rest, he was rejuvenated and ready for a fight. Before he signaled Charcoal to crack open the gate, he took a fewrge gulps of the cheap wine.

    The gate was raising slowly; Wang Tong couldn¡¯t hear any movement outside and wondered if the Zerg was already gone?

    Wang Tong darted his eyes left and right to scan his periphery. Suddenly, he saw that the Zerg was hidden in a bush. A pair of emerald colored eyes stared straight at the gate that was still rising.

    As soon as the gap between the gate and the ground was about the same height as the Zerg, its body jolted forward and rushed towards the opening. It moved too fast for Charcoal to shut the gate in time.

    Seeing that the Zerg was about to dash through the threshold, Wang Tong roared a battle cry in half-drunkenness and flung a metal te towards the charging Zerg.

    The Zerg didn''t even flinch; it quickly raised one of his eight arms to block the iing projectile. The metal te pierced through the Zerg''s sharp w tip. The attack didn''t slow down the Zerg, but as soon as it had crossed the threshold, it fell through the hole and into the booby trap.

    "Attack! Now!"

    Wang Tong felt a buzz in his ear as blood suddenly rushed toward his brain. A strong emotion took full control of his body and mind; he had no time to think, no time to use the EMF, he had to attack and attack now.

    He advanced and smashed the trapped Zerg with massive boulders and sharp metals pieces. Even Charcoal had joined the smashing, albeit being slow and clumsy. The Zerg let out waves of ear-piercing wails.

    The two stoned the trapped Zerg for nearly ten minutes. When they finally stopped, the pit was filled to the brim with rocks and metal pieces, and the middle of the pile bulged up like a hill. Wang Tong shivered in disbelief as he noticed the hill. "Sh*t, did we really do this?"

    Then he quickly remembered what was buried underneath, and he cheered with glee in his voice: "Ha ha Charcoal, we did it! I am a genius!"

    It was Wang Tong''s first Zerg kill, although this particr Zerg was weak like Wang Tong had deduced on their first encounter, Wang Tong was still immensely proud of himself. He sprung up in excitement and hugged an equally excited Charcoal, whose cold metal body felt almost warm.

    But they had celebrated too soon...

    "Ssss..."

    An arm burst out of the rocks and slithered towards Wang Tong with its pointy ws. Wang Tong dodged the attack immediately, but even with his heightened senses and improved agility, the w still cut a foot long gash on his arm. Blood gushed out uncontrobly and sttered all over the ground; some even got on the space crystal lying nearby. Wang Tong watched as the severely wounded Zerg slowly stood up to reveal its hideous head, struggling its way out at the top of the hill.

    Stimted by blood and liquor, a battle rage suddenly burst inside of Wang Tong, he picked up an iron rebar on the ground and hopped onto the giant wiggling head.

    He lifted the metal bar with two hands right above the head, the sharp end pointed directly at the cranial cavity, and he thrust with full force. ¡°One... two... three...¡± dark green blood gushed out of the Zergs brain and sttered on his face. ¡°Four¡­ five¡­ six...¡± the Zerg twitched in excruciating pain; green blood blurred Wang Tong''s vision. ¡°Seven... eight¡­ ni¡ª¡± suddenly the defiant Zerg channeled itsst strength into a free limb and hacked towards Wang Tong. Wang Tong quickly hopped off the head to dodge the attack, and in midair grabbed onto the swinging arm. The arm swung in the air a few times before it finally plopped back to the ground with Wang Tong''s arm still wrapped tightly around it.

    Wang Tong cleared the gluey liquid off his face. The same substance had covered Charcoal''s optical sensors; spiral patterns shed on Charcoal''s disy unit- an indicator for temporary sensory overload.

    "This is ... f*cking hard."

    Wang Tong limped off the pile of stones. He couldn''t believe that he had butchered a Zerg with a coarse iron rebar.

    "Charcoal, shut the gate!"

    Wang Tong became exhausted and sober as the power and rage instilled by drunkenness werepletely gone. Being as powerless as he was then, a baby Zerg would be able to kill him with a flick of its w.

    Wang Tong didn''t lower his guard until he saw the heavy gate shut in front of him. He then examined the dead Zerg and started to savor his victory for the second time.

    Wang Tong took a quiet moment to reflect on his heroic battle. In the faint light, only his heavy raspy breathing could be heard throughout the empty mine cave.

    "Analyzing..."

    "Gene type - Human... Purity - near a hundred percent...First Criteria Check - criteria satisfied..."

    "Initiate self-checkup..."

    "10%....20%... 100%."

    "Finalized."

    Wang Tong''s Space Crystal started to radiate an eerie light through Wang Tong''s blood that was smeared all over its shiny surface. Being as exhausted as he was, Wang Tong didn''t even notice the light.

    "Czeng.."

    A beam of bright light shot out of the space crystal and filled the cave entirely with brightness. The sudden eruption of light startled Wang Tong who were still resting on the ground. To his relief, he found out that it wasn''t another Zerg.

    Light always brought hope to Wang Tong, but as he stared at the iridescently lit space crystal, he felt only confusion. He¡¯d had this seemingly ordinary space crystal for over eight years, and he had never discovered that it was able to shoot out bright lights. He pondered why a discount item that Old Fart had picked up as ast minute gift could have such an unusual function.

    A grandiose looking middle aged man emerged out of the light. He was apanied by a sensation of immense power that engulfed everything in this cave.

    Wang Tong felt the power passing through his body; he knew the man in the light must be an incredibly powerful master.

    The middle-aged man looked at the dead Zerg in a pool of green blood, then looked back and studied Wang Tong and Charcoal for a second and said

    "Pfff... power is less than 100, what a loser."

    "Who did you call a loser?!" Wang Tong jumped to his feet and yelled at him. He would not let him mock his victory.

    "Of course I was talking about you kiddo. Humph...now, tell me,d, where is this ce?¡° The middle-aged man asked contemptuously.

    By living with Old Fart for his entire life, Wang Tong had learned a thing or two about dealing with lunatics with grandiose delusions, such as this one in front of him. Instead of answering his questions, Wang Tong asked him back: "Well, Who are you? Shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourself first?"

    "You don''t know me? Ha-ha... Everyone knows who I am, Have you been living under a rock? Ha ha ha."

    Wang Tong could feel that great energy was carried with his ostentatiousughter. However, he also felt that the power had quickly faded away once it was outside of the light, leaving only the sound to reverberate in the dark parts of the cave.

    "Save your nonsense, who the heck are you?"

    "I am ...I am..." The middle-aged man seemed to be scrapping his memory.

    One minuteter...

    "Old timer, have you remembered who you are yet?" Wang Tong asked.

    The middle-aged man was still pondering about his name and had since changed his ¡°thinking¡± position n-times. All the while, Wang Tong had already finished dressing his wound to stop the bleeding. He did not have the luxury of worrying about infections, applying a simple dressing was all that he could do; the rest was up to his fate.

    "Damn, I have forgotten who I am... Anyways, all you need to know about me is that I am a prominent person, well-known too, and I was the grandest of the grand masters. Many rookies have dreamed of bing my disciples, rookies like you. "

    "And?" Wang Tong nted his eyebrow perfunctorily. He was unimpressed, Mr. grandest of the grand could be just another Old Fart.

    "And?...and...and I hereby offer you an opportunity to be my disciple, you little sh*t. You may kneel now and offer your hundred kowtows to your new master; I might be so moved after that and consider teaching you one of my coup de graces." The middle-aged man said excitedly and with a smirk on his face. He had already ovee the depression of forgetting his own identity.

    Wang Tong was dumbfounded by the man''s ¡°kind gesture¡±, he asked Charcoal: "Have you ever seen a Space Crystal do this? What the heck is happening right now?" Charcoal looked in the direction of the light, not sure where to look besides the bright light.

    Before Charcoal could reply to his question, Wang Tong turned to the middle-aged man in the bright light and barked at him, "And you, you can Kowtow my ass!"

 Chapter 6: Peasant Genes

    Chapter 6: Peasant Genes

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Kiddo, save your energy, only you will be able to see me. Balls, who the heck sealed me inside of this crystal?... humm¡­ humm? The Hall of Valha? ... bakh! I can¡¯t remember. It doesn¡¯t matter, the fact that you could break the Sigil of Matrix Gaol means that our destinies were bound to be crossed." Although the middle-aged man seemed to be suffering from dementia, he also appeared to be very absent-minded, and he likely wouldn¡¯t be bothered by trivial things like forgetting his own name.

    "Break the Sigil?"

    "That is correct; this was primarily due to your simple and pure genes."

    Wang Tongughed in joy: "Does that mean my genes are superior? Ha, I knew I was special."

    "Piss on that, it only means that you and all of your ancestors were poor peasants, that was what made your genes ''simple''. Most families would have already altered their genes if they could afford it."

    The middle aged man not only doused Wang Tong''s high spirit with cold water, but he also touched on something personal. Wang Tong pouted and said, "I don''t even know my parents, let alone my ancestors."

    The man seemed shocked: "Fine, it doesn¡¯t matter; lords and princelings all had peasant ancestors at some point in time. Come, let me teach you a few moves and you should be near invincible in this world. Ahh, I forgot to ask, what year is it and where are we?"

    "It is 2565, we are inside of a mine cave on the of Norton in the Centaur Gxy, and we are surrounded by Zerg forces."

    "2565...When was I...balls, I can''t remember. Doesn''t matter, no need to fretd, they are just bugs, let''s fight our way out. Even a massive Zerg army barely poses a threat to me. I recall the days of....of...Bahh, I can''t remember...." The expression on the face of the middle-aged man seemed to suggest that he was either a genius or an idiot.

    Wang Tong was eager to discover whether the man would truly be of help, but the man''s capriciousness had quickly used up Wang Tong¡¯s patience.

    "Hey old timer, don¡¯t just talk, show me how you kill an ant."

    "Boom.."

    Amidst the light, Wang Tong could see that the middle-aged man seemed to have caused something to explode and released a wave of power, however as soon as the power propagated to the edge of the light, it dissipated immediately. The light seemed to have contained the middle-aged man''s power.

    The man had attempted the explosion a few more times and finally gave up his retaliation of insults. He turned to Wang Tong and asked helplessly, "Lad, let¡¯s make a deal. I will teach you how to fight, and you will take me to Valha. I can still vaguely remember that the reason for my imprisonment has something to do with Valha. Perhaps it''s the jerks who live there that jailed me in here."

    "Dear Sir, do you happen to know what is this ce called Valha and how to get there?" Wang Tong stared at the man like watching a halfwit. Even babes knew that Valha, the sacred hall built by the de Warriors, was as legendary and mysterious as the de Warriors themselves. It was a ce of eternity and invincibility and was said to exist in the Astral Realm, a ce that can only be reached by the decedents and the disciples of General Li Feng.

    Despite his naive question, Wang Tong had a gut feeling that this man was the real deal. Although his soul storm st was confined within the light, its power looked very impressive to Wang Tong.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter; this is a great deal for you. Once you have helped me to reach Valha, I will teach you a set of powerful tactics. What do you think of that?"

    The middle-aged man seemed to be too eager to be Wang Tong¡¯s master.

    Wang Tong thought about his offer for a second and asked suspiciously:"Why are you so insistent to have me as your disciple? What¡¯s in it for you?"

    One should beware of deceptions as much as tant animosities.

    This was another one of Old Fart''s favorite life lessons, this one, in particr, was told to Wang Tong everytime Old Fart had lost his pocket money in obvious street scams.

    "What''s in it for me?... Yea, what is it?... Why would I offer to teach you the tactic?" The man seemed dumbfounded by his own actions as if something or someone had controlled his consciousness to say things that he didn''t mean to.

    The middle-aged man soon returned to his normal self,ing out of his lost memories and said, "Doesn''t matter what''s in it for me, let''s first talk about you. What kind of garbage have you been practicing? Who would need a trap to capture a low-level Zerg? And you almost got yourself killed! I remember those days..."

    He suddenly realized that he could no longer remember those days and waved his arms in frustration.

    "I was practicing the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯." Wang Tong was confident about his answer. The version he had been practicing required sixteen GN nodes instead of eight in the conventional version, it ought to impress the middle-aged man.

    "The ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯?" The middle-aged man said in disbelief andughed ostentatiously: "Wahahaha... If that were the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯, then I would be a de Warrior!"

    "It really is called the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯, it is amon tactic to improve the strength of EMF for us, humans, mind opened or not! It''s not just me who calls it that, everyone else does, and my version requires using sixteen GN nodes, unlike the eight nodes in the conventional version."

    Wang Tong said it indignantly, he held more respect for Old Fart and his tactic than this middle aged man who had so far shown him more words than actions.

    "Humf" The middle-aged man suddenly shifted his eyes and gazed at Wang Tong as if he were studying him. Bright lights shone in his eyes, and Wang Tong felt as if his thoughts were naked under his prating gaze. A translucent scene of Wang Tong practicing the tactic appeared in the light, in front of the man''s eyes.

    "Interesting... who would have thought the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯ could be dumbed down into a useless piece of garbage like this? I wonder what the real de Warriors would think of this dumbed-down knock-off version of their almost invincible tactics. Time can do terrible things¡­ Lad, do you want to learn the real ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯? "

    "Yes!" Wang Tong nodded without hesitation. No one would pass up the opportunity to learn the tactic used by the legendary de Warriors. They were the legends themselves, some even say they were the embodiment of the Gods. Their power which helped humans to win the Great War four hundred years ago surpassed even the technological capabilities of the current era.

    But could Wang Tong really be so lucky as to have the chance to learn the real ¡°Tactics of the de¡±? Wang Tong became suspicious again.

    "What''s the catch?" Wang Tong asked. He knew there were no free lunches.

    The middle-aged man sighed and said, "There are none. I only want you to bring me out of the crystal from time to time; it¡¯s really stuffy in there. Look,d, without me, you will never be able to get out of here in one piece anyways."

    "That''s fair," Wang Tong nodded. "Umm... there''s just one more question that I have, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s appropriate to ask."

    "F*ck it, spit it out and be a man, don''t act like a baby."

    "Okay... Are you a¡­ bully?"

    ...An awkward silence filled up the cave...

    "WHHHOAAT?

    "Me? Excuse you! I happen to be the most honorable, the most famous as well as the most revered Einherjar in this world. How could I be a bully? Question my honor again, and I will beat you to a pulp!" The middle-aged man shrieked at Wang Tong furiously.

    Wang Tong shrugged his shoulders. Although this middle-aged man''s violent inclination and aggressive temperament were close to that of a bully, Wang Tong felt that he was not wretched in his heart.

    "Fine, you want me to start the disciple initiation? Let''s do it now."

    "No need for the initiation, I''ll teach you how to fight, in return, you will help me to break free from my imprisonment. We wouldn''t owe each other anything."

    "Whatever you want, let''s start the lessons then." Wang Tong couldn''t wait to learn more power and stronger abilities.

    "Very well, here we go: The source of human''s strength is the sea of consciousness, the stronger the sea of consciousness, the more power one gets. And the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯, I mean the real one, was the most effective way to strengthen one''s sea of consciousness. "

    "Are you really a de Warrior? Please don''t be; otherwise, I would be very disappointed."

    "Piss on you, of course, I¡¯m not!"

    "Then where have you learned the real ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯? Haven''t you just told me that only the de Warriors knew how to use it? Furthermore, if you are indeed that bad ass, why were you trapped inside the crystal?"

    Wang Tong''s questions came one after another; he clearly still doubted his new teacher''s credibility.

    "Balls, you are one hell of a fastidious kid. Yes, what I am about to teach you is indeed the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯, and no, I have never learned it myself. I personally used a different kind of tactics which I may or may not want to teach you.

    Anyhow, as you know, I am now trapped inside of this crystal sealed by the Sigil of Matrix Gaol, not only my body but also my consciousness was imprisoned and controlled by the power inside the Sigil. Now the power wants me to teach you the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯. Therefore I have to; otherwise, it would torment me until I do so. Believe me or not, I have told you the truth."

    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier? Well fine then, I will give it a try; my situation can¡¯t get any worse, and nobody cares about my well being anyway. Since you can''t remember your name, I''ll have to pick a nickname for you, let''s see, you had insisted that you were an Einherjar, although you could never prove it, how about I call you Einherjar-Wannabe."

    "No, not a wannabe, I am one of the Einherjars!¡± Einherjar-Wannabe protested.

    "Come on Mr. Wannabe, Einherjars are the greatest of the great fighters who definitely would not care to argue over something as trivial as a nickname?¡± Wang Tong''s words had rendered Mr. Wannabe speechless. Wang Tong always had been good at dealing with conceited old fools.

    "Kiddo, the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯ is one of the most powerful tactics that has ever existed, it was created by the de Warriors, and only the de Warriors themselves have used it. I have no clue how the tactic got inside the crystal, and neither do I have any idea why the power inside the Sigil wanted me to teach you that.

    ¡°Anyhow, I have taken a look at the tactic, and it is not that difficult nor is it that different than the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯ you have been practicing. The only difference is in the number of GN nodes it requires to be mobilized, instead of 8 or 16, it requires two hundred and fifty-six GN nodes. Every node has to revolve around your EMF fluently without interruption.

    ¡°Since I have never learned it myself, I can only teach you the basics; it will then be up to you to master it. I do believe you can do it though, the power inside the Sigil wouldn''t have chosen you to learn it for no reason."

    "I told you I was special" Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    Mr. Wannabe scowled at Wang Tong for his over confidence. A diagram emerged out of the crystal''s bright light, and it was the anatomy of a human covered with red dots. Upon closer inspection, Wang Tong realized these red dots were the GN nodes, and without counting, he knew right away that there must be two hundred and fifty-six of them in total.

 Chapter 7: The Real Deal

    Chapter 7: The Real Deal

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong looked at the clusters of red dots scattered around the image of human anatomy, and he realized that the locations of the centers of the clusters matched exactly to the positions of the sixteen GN nodes in the Old Fart''s version of the tactic.

    "Have you noticed the flickering red dots on the right hand? Let''s focus on that cluster today." Mr. Wannabe said, "I¡¯ll teach you, but I need you to focus¡ªb*lls, I never would have thought that I would be a teacher one day¡ªAnyways, Wang Tong, you need to channel your soul power out of your Sea of Consciousness."

    Wang Tong followed Mr. Wannabe''s instruction carefully. Slowly but surely, he channeled his soul energy towards the sixteen GN nodes on his right hand as indicated on the diagram.

    "Excellent, but that was the easy part, now pay close attention to what I say. You need to direct your soul energy into each and every GN node; you should do it one at a time because it would be impossible for you to control them all at once, at least for now. The more you practice the tactics, the stronger the synergy between the soul energy and the GN nodes bes.¡±

    Mr. Wannabe''s tone started to get serious; it signaled to Wang Tong that there were great difficulties ahead. Mr. Wannabe was very interested in learning the tactics himself; however, that would mean that he would have to give up all of the existing power that he had gained by practicing his own tactics. In addition to that, Mr. Wannabe had heard that there were only a few chosen ones who could master the ¡°Tactics of the de¡±. He was unsure whether he would seed and he thought that it was better to y safe.

    ¡°Position your soul power towards the first GN node; enter the node on mymand- now!¡±

    Wang Tong gritted his teeth, released a pulse of soul energy towards the first GN node. He had gone through all of this when he practiced his version of the tactics, so he knew what to do. But after he saw Mr. Wannabe¡¯s serious and somber face, he figured it must be much harder than his previous practices.

    "Kommm..."

    Wang Tong''s soul energy connected to the first node, the second node¡­the third node... without any further instruction from Mr. Wannabe; Wang Tong had easily taken control of all sixteen nodes using his soul energy.

    "Mr. Wannabe, am I done?" Wang Tong asked Wannabe in confusion, this practice was too easy, nothing like what Wannabe had described earlier. Perhaps this version of the ¡°Tactics of the de¡± was also a knockoff like the others?

    Mr. Wannabe seemed to be embarrassed by Wang Tong¡¯s question; he said "Yes, you are done. That will be it for today, keep practicing." He then quickly disappeared with the light. Right before the light went out, Wang Tong could hear Mr. Wannabe grunt peevishly to himself: "Pff... Beginner¡¯s luck."

    Wang Tong didn''t mind if it was just a case of beginner''s luck or not, he practiced with the sixteen new GN nodes every day with great enthusiasm. The sixteen new nodes formed their own system of revolution; it formed an additional system to therger scale GN nodes revolving around his entire body.

    Although it took Wang Tong a long time to get used to the interaction between the smaller system in his right hand and the body-wide system, he found the challenging new practice very refreshing. He had gotten tired of the Old Fart''s version of the tactic a long time ago, anything new was more than wee; what¡¯s more, it was the real deal practiced by the de Warriors.

    It was two dayster when Mr. Wannabe re-emerged out of the crystal again. Wang Tong¡¯s ability must have shocked him. "Kiddo, show me what you got so far."

    Wang Tong channeled his soul energy to the GN nodes, and at hismand, they circled each other fluidly. Without much effort, he had finished one entire round of practice. Wang Tong had been practicing the ¡°Tactics of the de¡± ever since he was six, although he had never felt it useful then, Old Fart insisted on supervising his practice every day. Old Fart couldn¡¯t have been more serious about Wang Tong¡¯s practice, unlike anything else about Wang Tong. He had to see to it that Wang Tong finished the entire round of practice and that Wang Tong had practiced to the best of his best ability.

    "Hmm... Are you sure you aren¡¯t rted to the de Warriors? Well, I mean, you did very well, now, try using your soul energy on the cave wall."

    Without asking any questions, Wang Tong dug his heel into the ground and punched the wall with his bare fist. A thunderous crash shook the entire cave; rocks on the top of the mine cave fell at the impact. The cave had suddenly filled with powdery dust. Wang Tong''s punch had put a giant crack in the wall.

    "You D*mb-A*s! I told you to give it an air-punch using your soul energy, not a physical punch. You almost buried us alive." Mr. Wannabe yelled at Wang Tong outraged. If Wang Tong were buried alive here, he would never be able to get out of the crystal again.

    Wang Tong scratched his head and looked embarrassed, but then joy quickly appeared on his face. He¡¯d never thought that he could have so much strength; his entire body had been filled with soul energy when he delivered the punch.

    "Was that the power of the GN force?"

    Mr. Wannabe sneered at Wang Tong; his eyes were cold and contemptuous. His dismay and discouragement really haven¡¯t made him a great teacher "Of course not... the human race would have been doomed if that''s all that the GN force could do.

    What you released a moment ago was merely the power stored inside of your EMF, perhaps there was a trace amount of GN force that resulted from the revolving GN nodes, but the amount was negligible. You won¡¯t be able to use the GN force until you have fully mastered theplete version of the ¡®Tactics of the de¡¯."

    Despite what Wannabe said, Wang Tong sensed a tinge of approval in his tone. Wannabe had been amazed at Wang Tong¡¯s ability to quickly master the ¡°Tactics of the de¡± which was known for its tremendous difficulty.

    For the month that followed, Wang Tong had to live a destitute life in the cave. He had depleted his rations and had started to use nt leaves in the Nutrient Transformer to create nutrient pills in order to survive.

    Wang Tong did not mind the horrible tastes of the artificial pills; he had spent most of his attention on practicing the tactics. He had never been so devoted to his training, despite the daily squabbles with Mr. Wannabe. All the while, Charcoal looked after his everyday life attentively. When he wasn''t busy cooking or cleaning, he stood quietly in a corner without disturbing Wang Tong¡¯s practice. As long as Charcoal was in sight, Wang Tong never felt lonely. Wang Tong felt that Charcoal had gradually be more than a robotic assistant, he had be a friend.

    Wang Tong had now finallypleted the ¡°Tactics of the de¡±. He didn''t feel the excitement that he thought he would, there were no drum rolls or cheers, it just happened, and it happened almost too easily.

    At one time Wang Tong even doubted whether he had indeedpleted the tactic, even Wannabe wasn''t too sure about it, since he had never practiced the ¡°Tactics of the de¡± himself. Their only indication of his progress was the flickering red dots on the human anatomy diagram. Every time one GN node had been connected by Wang Tong¡¯s soul power, one corresponding red dot would disappear from the diagram, and when Wang Tong had connected the two hundred fifty-sixth GN node, all of the red dots were gone.

    The two hundred and fifty-six GN nodes revolved around each other, forming an intricate system of moving energy throughout Wang Tong''s body. A full round of the tactics would now take an entire day to finish.

    It truly was a pity that no one was there to witness such an unprecedented feat. If Wang Tong had done it in broad daylight instead of the pitch dark cave, the five major houses of the Confederation would have sent their men to track down Wang Tong in order to learn his secrets.

    This legendary tactic hadn¡¯t stood the test of time, not only did the original version seem to have been lost in time, but the current version had been dumbed down to a pedestrian level. The only use for the current version of the tactic was to help increase the rate of sess in a "Mind Opening Operation".

    "You did well,d. The next month we will focus on two things: one, continue your tactic training, and two, realbat. "

    "Real fight? Haha! Awesome! I can''t wait to test my power. Will I be able to use my GN force then?"

    "Idiot, of course not! What¡¯s the hurry anyway? Haven''t you learned about the rules of ¡®Tactic first, GN force second¡¯ at school?"

    "Umm¡­ I have never attended any military academy. So no, I¡¯ve never learned that before."

    Unknown to Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong had been struggling to self-fund his "Mind Opening Operation" just a few months before they met, let alone any academic knowledge seemingly basic to Wannabe.

    "Humph,d, you should thank the gods for the things I have taught you. You would never be able to learn it at any military academy; it is my years of experience as the ..."

    "The greatest Einherjar... ... Yes Mr. Wannabe, I know the rest." Wang Tong cut him off nonchntly.

    "Fine, now listen, this is important. Realbat is not child''s y; it''s a situation of life and death. Make sure you strike deadly and true. Do you understand me?"

    "Ya Ya, Mr. Wannabe, I have survived many times under the Zerg''s attacks, I know what I¡¯m doing."

    Wang Tong had quickly found his first target, another one of the lower tier Zerg that looked like a spider. It took Wang Tong only a single blow before the Zerg wailed and fell to the ground. A rice bowl sized hole appeared on its belly where Wang Tong had struck, revealing colorful innards.

    In his apparent triumph, Wang Tong had underestimated the still struggling Zerg. His own belly was struck by a tossing arm and caused a severe wound that was almost fatal.

    Wannabe red at Wang Tong''s wound after they returned to the cave, he didn''t say much except for one line that underlined the lesson that Wang Tong had paid in his own blood: "You should only celebrate over dead bodies."

 Chapter 8: Ambush

    Chapter 8: Ambush

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    To Wang Tong¡¯s dismay, bloody lessons didn''t stoping. Instead, they followed one after another. Over the month, Wang Tong had been injured more than twenty times; almost an average of once a day. Like many other things in life, Wang Tong found that fighting Zergs without getting wounded was harder said than done. In a real life situation, anything could go wrong. Nevertheless, Wang Tong had survived and had since then acted more mature during a fight.

    The lower tier Zergs that were scattered around the mine cave had been picked off cleanly by Wang Tong. A few days ago, Wang Tong even killed an airborne Zerg, the kind that liked to scoop a human high up into the air, and listened joyfully while falling humans screamed in despair. This particr one was on patrol while it was skewered by Wang Tong with an iron rebar.

    The vicinity of the mine cave, an area of about one mile from the mine in all directions, had be a safe zone. With his increased ability and clear understanding of the Zergs¡¯ capabilities, Wang Tong would be able to fight his way out even under an ambush of five to six Zergs.

    Wang Tong was lectured by Wannabe for his mistakes after almost every single battle, although Wang Tong felt indignant at the time, he knew Wannabe was right, and that Wannabe was looking after him in his own way.

    Once, Wang Tong was injured at the same spot for the same reason, Wannabe furiously scolded him: "Humans make mistakes from time to time, but only idiots make the same one!"

    Wang Tong wanted to talk back, after all, he was a human, not a machine, he would not be able to follow Wannabe''s instructions meticulously without any errors, especially when he was under immense pressure on the battle ground. But as soon as Wang Tong saw Wannabe''s ckened face that had irritation and anger written all over it, he swallowed his pride and didn''t dare to speak up against him.

    If one is determined to seed, he will always find a way.

    Wang Tong had never easily given up on anything ever since he was little. Other''s criticism never deterred him but only served to motivate him to try even harder.

    Once, when Wang Tong was still a little boy, he was scolded harshly by Old Fart for not trying his hardest while practicing the tactic. To Old Fart¡¯s surprise, his scornful actions didn¡¯t scare nor deter little Wang Tong; it only stirred up more ambition and determination in him.

    Wang Tong refused to make excuses for himself; he believed that he could do anything if he put his mind into it.

    Wang Tong had defeated all of the surrounding Zergs and had created a safe zone around the mine; however, this had only given Wannabe an excuse to sneer at him for being overly confident after a few triumphs over bottom tier enemies. Wang Tong had hardly felt the urge to celebrate after Wannabe repeatedly doused Wang Tong¡¯s inted ego with ice cold smirks. But asionally Wang Tong boasted about his victory to Charcoal; he was a young boy after all and needed someone to celebrate andmemorate his achievements.

    To be fair, Wang Tong had already achieved the unthinkable. He had neither GN power nor METAL suit, with only his bare fists he had ughtered Zergs with ease. It might seem like a morning stroll to a grand master, but not to a boy who was only a fifteen and a half years old.

    Wang Tong patrolled his territory every day, and the size of the safe zone had been increasing. Charcoal had taken on the duty of tending to themunication radio. There had been no signals from the orbital space, only violent explosions in the sky indicating that the conflicts between the humans and the Zergs had be a stalemate.

    This day Wang Tong was on his routine patrol inside his safe zone when he suddenly sensed danger and stopped. As he took the time to study the situation with the aid of all of his six senses, he quickly realized that he had walked right into an ambush.

    He had finally paid for his continuous killing spree. The airborne Zerg Wang Tong had skewered a few weeks ago must have been a member of a scout team. After the scout team detected Wang Tong as an immediate threat, with the price of one of its members, they quickly swung their forces towards the mine to eliminate this menace once and for all.

    There were too many Zergs for Wang Tong to count; Wang Tong estimated roughly in his mind that there were at least a few hundred Zergs surrounding him. He was doomed unless he started running right then.

    The Zergs seemed to have sensed Wang Tong''s fear, and they swarmed towards him. Before Wang Tong was able to take his first step towards the mine, he found himself already surrounded by Zergs in a quickly shrinking circle.

    Mr. Wannabe emerged out of the crystal, and bawled out: "I told you to always be on high alert, you idiot! Even I had to do that, never mind rookies like you!"

    Although the Zergs wererge in number, Wang Tong knew that he would be able to escape thanks to his speed. The ambush must have been well nned; the Zergs had set their ambushing parties far away to avoid detection, and that exined why Wang Tong had not noticed them.

    Charcoal could not run as fast as Wang Tong, and he fell far behind Wang Tong seconds after they started running.

    Wang Tong turned his face back and saw the swarm of Zergs behind his fumblingpanion. He regretted bringing Charcoal out with him; he had indeed grown overconfident like Wannabe had said:

    ¡°Remember always to expect your enemies'' unexpectedness and act unexpectedly.¡±

    Wang Tong finally understood the meaning of one of Wannabe''s lectures that had seemed like gibberish at the time. In light of this new insight, he stopped and turned around to face the swarms of bugs.

    "Hold on Kiddo, what are you doing? You¡¯re not gonna-" Before Wannabe finished his sentence, Wang Tong bolted towards Charcoal and the Zergs behind.

    "Hold¡­Hold on, you moron! Charcoal is just a robot, you are gonna get both of us killed!" Wannabe shrieked angrily in disbelief, ¡°You are acting like a little fool. A professional soldier would know the rules of the battlefield: ¡®do not risk your own skin for anyone on the battlefield, not even a sibling, let alone a useless robot¡¯.¡±

    Wang Tong shut off the space crystal with one flick of his pinky finger; he had no time for squabbles.

    Although Charcoal was a low tier robot, he was still equipped with basic AI, such as the AI that mimics human emotions. The AI program ¡°fear¡± had been called into Charcoal¡¯s mainframe since the ambush party appeared, under the effect of the program ¡°fear¡±, Charcoal ran as fast as he could. But when Charcoal saw Wang Tong was running towards him, he fumbled and almost fell to the ground.

    "Master, the other way! Danger! Danger!"

    Charcoal waved his set of mechanical arms strenuously in the air; he acted ording to the firstw of robotics: ¡°To warn and to protect humans in times of danger¡±.

    Wang Tong didn''t say a word; he was too focused on his current task: to save Charcoal. What Wannabe had said about Charcoal, that he was not worth saving had irritated Wang Tong. Wang Tong knew that without Charcoal''s care and attention, Wang Tong would have already been dead by now.

    Screw the rules of the battlefield, the only rule he followed then was to let Charcoal live.

    "Zushhh."

    Wang Tong leaped towards a Zerg and hit its head. Before he had fully retracted his fist out of the rice bowl sized hole, he had thrown his body against another Zerg and punched another hole; brain matter sttered out from the hole. "Charcoal, run as fast as you can! This is your order!"

    Wang Tong figured that as long as Charcoal could break out of the encirclement, he could then easily outrun the Zergs himself.

    Charcoal wanted to help Wang Tong, but he had to obey his orders as well.

    Leap...punch...leap...punch... with every punch, Wang Tong delivered a Zerg to its maker. But after having repeated the process ten times or so, Wang Tong felt his EMF starting to respond sluggishly.

    There were simply too many of them.

    "Czennn..." A giant w nearly grazed Wang Tong, two more followed immediately. Wang Tong had been pushed into a corner, defending against only frontal assaults. Wang Tong saw from the corner of his eye as two shadowy ws hacked towards him from the side. Wang Tong wanted to dodge but felt like his body was too heavy to move. His EMF must have been drained after the continuous intense outbursts of soul energy.

    He realized it was then toote to avoid the attack. He only managed to maneuver his body to the side hoping the angle would deflect some impact from the vital parts of his body.

    "Khommm."

    Wang Tong''s body flew a few paces away at the impact; he felt excruciating pain as he thudded on the ground. His body stiffened, and he couldn¡¯t even lift a finger.

    Without GN power, he had to use only soul energy from his EMF, which under normal circumstances, was mainly used as stimtion for GN power. Soul energy alone was enough to handle only a few Zergs, but it fell short inbat with Zergs in suchrge numbers. Wang Tong knew that he had reached his limit.

    The Zergs sensed the location of the immobilized Wang Tong as they closed in on him in a circle. The Zerg who had attacked Wang Tong from the side raised his two ws again, this time they were not at Wang Tong¡¯s side, but raised high up in the air pointing directly at Wang Tong''s eyes.

 Chapter 9: Manliness is Impulsiveness

    Chapter 9: Manliness is Impulsiveness

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Czennn..."

    The Zerg''s attack pierced through Wang Tong''s right thigh. As the Zerg retracted its limb, it took Wang Tong with it and left him hanging upside down in the air. The pain caused Wang Tong to react as he delivered a palm strike towards the limb that was partially inside of him. His attack was urate and sliced the Zerg¡¯s leg in half, while Wang Tong fell to the ground with the w still sticking out of his right thigh.

    Wang Tong thought that this would be hisst moment.

    "Raaarhhhh."

    Charcoal let out a cry that sounded both courageous and unnatural. He clutched a wooden stake under his arm and charged towards the Zergs that had surrounded Wang Tong. His disy unit that was usually dimly lit was then shing with bright colors.

    "Kommm."

    The stake rammed into the Zerg and sent it flying before the rest of the Zergs were able to grasp what had happened. Charcoal quickly picked Wang Tong up into his mechanical arms and ran away as fast as he could.

    The Zergs immediately started to pursue them as they howled and roared along the way. Charcoal could almost see the entrance to the mine from where he was, but their way out had been cut off by the surrounding Zergs.

    "Put me down Charcoal!" Wang Tong yelled at Charcoal after he figured that the Zergs were only interested in him and not Charcoal.

    To Wang Tong''s surprise, Charcoal ignored his order for the first time. Charcoal did not reply; instead, he continued carrying him while trying to find a way out.

    Suddenly, Charcoal stopped moving. His body slowly rose until it was hovering above the ground. Charcoal released his set of mechanical arms and freed Wang Tong from his cradling.

    "Master, run...run...away."

    Wang Tong tumbled to the ground and turned his head, he saw Charcoal''s chest had been prated by a sharp w that now protruded from his back. Charcoal hung on the w tip limply and wiggled his body in attempts to break free of the w tip. The Zerg showed no interest in a robot, it raised its other arms and hacked at Charcoal as if it were trying to finish him off as fast as possible. Charcoal fell on the ground in broken pieces.

    A Zerg with dark red skin wed its way out of the throng of Zergs, Wang Tong had never seen a Zerg like it. The dark red-colored Zerg seemed to have taken a particr interest in Wang Tong as it strode towards him. As it walked over Charcoal''s tattered frame, it stomped on one of its limbs on top of it and crushed Charcoal into shreds. The Zergs were well known for their appetite for torturing and ying with their captured prey. This red-colored Zerg must have done this intentionally to satisfy its sadistic need.

    Wang Tong¡¯s fury re-ignited, a knot of fire burst inside his belly. His body and mind surrendered to a rage which wiped clean all thoughts and emotions save one:

    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!

    The tactics resumed itself; rage-imbued GN nodes whirled around each other with increasing speed which turned everything on their path into furious burning lines. A gust of soul energy shaped like a whirlwind slid out of Wang Tong''s EMF. As a slew of energy sted from the eye of the whirlwind, Wang Tong''s body levitated into the air.

    Two hundred and fifty-six GN nodes suddenly ignited from the overpowering vtile energy while releasing the GN force that was stored within. As GN power started to fill up Wang Tong''s Dantian¡ªan internal nexus of GN powers located near the navel¡ªthey condensed tighter as more and more GN power was forced in. A few momentster, the immensely tight knot of GN force reached its limit and finally burst spectacrly.

    "Konnnn."

    Wang Tong rushed into the throng of Zergs and attacked in berserk madness. His body movements were not at all coordinated, but every strike carried a deadly and unstoppable GN force. Wang Tong ended most of Zerg''s lives with a single punch while some less fortunate Zergs were torn to shreds by Wang Tong¡¯s bare hands.

    Wang Tong could not think of anything else except for retribution and, soon, even that thought had begun to fade away with his consciousness. He delivered a strike but could not feel the warmth of the green blood that sttered all over his face. He struck another one, this time he couldn''t even remember why he was fighting. His rage returned, and he delivered the third blow without understanding why he did so.

    His consciousness was enved and trampled by the raw and untamed GN force. His pupils had disappeared and left a pair of lifeless whites set motionless in the socket. He was on the verge of bing a "Deranged".

    Cultivating one''s EMF was an intangible matter that rtes to one¡¯s soul, careless training could cause severe disruptions to one''s mental bnces, forcing the trainee to be a so-called "deranged"- A person who fell in an irreversible state of madness with an uncontroble inclination toward violence.

    Every year there were reports of hasty training that inflicted derangement to trainees. Once they became inflicted, some trainees had be vegetables, but most were dead soon after falling into madness.

    A very few of the deranged had benefited from the unstable mental state which caused their EMF to grow exponentially. However, without their consciousness, they often went on a killing spree before they were inevitably hunted down by the Confederation.

    It is, therefore, easy to see why the number one priority of any EMF cultivation method on the market was to maintain a proper speed of progression. People naturally avoided the tactics that were too "effective" and instead, they favored ones that were less effective. This had led to the poprity of the current version of the Tactics of the de, thanks to it having little to no effect on EMF.

    In his current condition, Wang Tong was very close to the state of derangement if he was not already there. Filled with rage, he had started a mindless killing spree and, in the blink of an eye, a few hundred Zergs had been ughtered by him.

    Wang Tong slumped to the ground after he could no longer find a target. The wind rustled his thatched hair as his pupils returned, but his face was deprived of any emotion. The booming battleground had suddenly fallen intoplete silence; sadness permeated the blood tinged air. Wang Tong sat on the ground like an empty husk.

    For the first time in his fifteen and a half years of life, he tasted real sadness in his mouth.

    A streak of bright light brought the apparition of Wannabe out of the crystal. He saw Wang Tong sitting still on the ground, and turned to look at the piles of Zerg corpses. He sighed slightly and said, "What a reckless but genuine fool, no wonder the power in the crystal chose him. Lad, there''s a long way ahead of you, be strong."

    Wang Tong saw the sun that heated his face as he opened his eyes, the bright light brought back his consciousness. Without saying a word, he stood up to look for the remains of Charcoal. He crawled on hands and knees on the ground to examine cracks and gaps in a giant pile of Zergs corpses. Finally, out of a metal box, he found Charcoal''s central mainframe which was miraculously unharmed. Wang Tong blew off the dust and tucked it under his arm very carefully.

    "Ouch!" Wang Tong felt a sudden shock of unbearable pain as if he had fractured every piece of bone in his body.

    "Kiddo, you should thank the gods for still being alive." Mr. Wannabe''s apparition drifted into Wang Tong''s view.

    Wang Tong cracked a broad smile, and said, "What happened? Am I still alive?"

    "If you knew that Charcoal could be revived using his well protected main frame, then why did you risk your own life? You almost paid for your recklessness with your life! And mine too!"

    Wang Tong scratched his head and said: "My bad, I should have thought twice.¡° Wang Tong felt that Mr. Wannabe always seemed to overly stress about his own life, Wang Tong had never heard of an Einherjar as cowardly and selfish as him.

    "Anyhow, you have to understand that battles like this happen all the time in a war and you cannot save everybody-You are not an Einherjar! You were lucky this time to be able to unlock your GN force in a fluke. You were even luckier to be able to pull back from your unbnced mental state, and by the way, your GN power was not impressive at all, you need much more training in order to use it properly."

    Wang Tong sometimes wondered if hurting his pride would bring Mr. Wannabe joy.

    "Yeah, Yeah, I got it."

    "Fine, I''ll give you a day-off from training tomorrow," Mr. Wannabe disappeared into the crystal after he had finished talking with Wang Tong.

    At the relief of his day-off, Wang Tong suddenly felt Mr. Wannabe was more approachable. Wang Tong patted Charcoal''s mainframe tucked safely underneath his arm. He would never regret saving his friend, even if it meant to risk his own life.

    A man is gonna do what a man is gonna do. At least now he wouldn''t have to feel bad about leaving his friend to die.

    "...Ouch!"

    Wang Tong stumbled limply towards the mine gate; he counted himself fortunate to still have four limbs attached to his body.

    This hellish day had seasoned Wang Tong in the art of battle. He had gained many insights and wisdom from this miraculous journey to the very edge of life.

    It took Wang Tong thirty minutes to eventually reach the mine. All the while, he had been on alert for any more Zergs - he had learned it the hard way to never let his guard down, like a real soldier. He then thought it was ironic that he had always wanted to be a scientist, but now it seemed that he was much better at punching Zerg''s brains out than squeezing pipettes.

    After Wang Tong had reached the inside of the mine, he sat down immediately to practice the tactic. He knew that he could only bring out his full potential after he was utterly exhausted so he could not waste such an excellent opportunity.

    While practicing the tactic, Wang Tong felt that his body had gained an additional singrity of energy in addition to the EMF. This new center node was called Dantian, a nexus of free-flowing GN forces inside of his body. It seemed that his near-derangement had led him towards the first step in unlocking the full power of his GN force.

    To Wang Tong''s amazement, he had finished one round of tactics in just five hours, a process that usually took him nearly a day toplete since he learned it from Wannabe. He felt famished and started munching handfuls of nutrient pills. He carefully stored Charcoal''s mainframe into the space crystal. He decided to revive Charcoal after he returned to Earth, no matter how slim that chance was.

    Without Charcoal, Wang Tong''s life started to be lonely. Although Mr. Wannabe was still around, he was just a shadow in the light after all, and unlike the obedient and quiet Charcoal, Mr. Wannabe had high expectations and was never happy with Wang Tong''s progress.

    Wang Tong knew that Charcoal''s tragedy was partially his fault, guilt and shame had motivated him to train even harder. He had be absorbed in Mr. Wannabe''s hellish training program.

    Mr. Wannabe never provided any specific instructions on the matter of the tactic itself, he had never learned the tactic himself after all; instead, he often provided insights on the battlefield based on his own experiences. Wang Tong appreciated the value of these lessons. No matter how contemptuous Mr. Wannabe''s criticism sounded, Wang Tong knew deep in his heart that Mr. Wannabe no, the honorable Einherjar was right about everything.

 Chapter 10: Please Dont Miss Me

    Chapter 10: Please Don''t Miss Me

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Time sure flies, it had been a year since Wang Tong firstnded on Norton. His skin had be swarthy, his shoulders grown broader, and his chest firmer. Norton was no longer a strange and unfamiliar; instead, it had be his home.

    He had made many new enemies on his new home, and all of them were Zergs, all kinds of Zergs. He had killed almost every single kind of Zerg, but he didn¡¯t even know the proper names for most of them; instead, he called them the big bug, the small bug, the colorful bug and the flying bug. Their names didn¡¯t matter to Wang Tong; they had all be dead bugs after all. Wang Tong had also discovered an incredible usage of these bugs; they served as excellent sources of food.

    One year ago, even the thought of eating these disgusting bugs would have made Wang Tong cringe, but under extreme circumstances, Wang Tong had to eat them or else he would starve to death. These bugs'' external shells were extremely hard and were not suitable for eating, but their innards were soft and juicy. With the aid of the Nutrient Transformer and a little bit more imagination, Wang Tong enjoyed a well-bnced diet consisting of vegetables and meat. He was not sure if there were side effects to eating the Zerg¡¯s meat, although he had been pretty healthy since he started eating them.

    Wang Tong had thought about the day he would finally leave the, he had even begun to sort his inventories and had gotten ready for packing. The situation on the front line was unclear to him. He had since heard fewer explosions in the sky which meant either the Zergs or the Confederation were retreating. He also noticedtely that the number of Zergs had been dwindling, perhaps it was time for another adventure outside, he never liked the feeling of sitting by and waiting.

    This day he sat atop a ruined building and was studying the blue sky above. He noticed that clouds hung in the sky that looked just like a hamburger. Wang Tong liked hamburgers; especially the ones that came with bacon. He salivated at the cloud, and almost forgot that he was on Norton.

    Suddenly a soft whir broke his daydream and wondered: ¡°Am I hearing things? I must be hallucinating.¡±

    He then saw a small investigation ship gliding across the sky in the distance and eximed: ¡°Gods! I wasn''t hallucinating after all! It is indeed a Confederation ship.¡±

    Wang Tong sprung to his feet and climbed up to the top of the makeshift gpole which hung a crude Confederation g. He made thesendmarks all across the base, hoping that one day they would attract the attention of rescuers.

    Wang Tong stood on top of the pole, gging the ship down with a piece of tattered shirt. Unsure if the ship had noticed him, he became anxious, he screamed at the top of his lungs "S...O...S..., S...OS!"

    He wondered if he should use his underwear instead since it was a brighter color.

    It seemed his effort was in vain, the spaceship glided further away. Wang Tong felt so depressed that he almost fell off the gpole but, to his surprise, the shuttle turned 180 degrees in the air and headed towards him. It hovered above his head for a while and then descended slowly.

    The roller coaster development made Wang Tong felt like that he needed a moment to contemte what had just happened.

    When he had finally grasped the reality, he almost fell into a trance. He had been living here by himself for an entire year. He was surrounded by bugs without a single human to be seen, Wang Tong for a time had felt that he perhaps would eventually turn into a bug as well.

    The spacecraft whirred andnded steadily beside Wang Tong. As soon as the ship''snding pad was released, Wang Tong advanced in, tears of excitement trailed down his cheeks, "Thank gods, you are finally here!"

    Two soldiers, one male, and the other female walked out of the spacecraft onto thending pad. They both looked very young, the man was about twenty-five or so, and the girl looked even younger. A handsome military artier further concealed her age. Both of their faces held an expression of astonishment because they weren¡¯t expecting to find any survivors let alone such a young boy.

    "Hi there, I am Lieutenant Rios, and this is second lieutenant Zhang Jing, we are from the¡ª"

    Wang Tong cut him short with a forced hug, "Thank you, thank you! Thank gods, I thought I would have to spend the rest of my life with the bugs."

    Second Lieutenant Zhang Jing cracked a smile and said, "We have won the battle, the Zerg were defeated. We were sent here to search for survivors. We have been searching for ten days, and you are so far the only survivor we have found. You have my congrattions."

    "Ha-ha... Congrattions to you for your victory.¡± Speaking with a real human made Wang Tong feel like normal again, he no longer needed to talk to himself again.

    "How did you survive? This is unbelievable," Rios asked curiously.

    "Ha-ha! I hid in the mine; you won''t believe how sturdy that gate was. I had a Nutrient Transformer with me too, that''s how I made my food. I thought the loneliness was going to eventually drive me crazy, I am lucky that you guys came before that happened."

    The two lifted the corner of their mouths as if moved by Wang Tong''s joy. "Let''s move out now, our mission here is over, the demolition party will soon arrive."

    Zergs were excellent at hiding in half ruined structures. Every time after a gruesome battle, humans deployed arge number of troops to demolish existing buildings in order to drive out the remaining Zergs and annihte them. Although it meant the effort ofter re-development would be increased, it, however, was very necessary to ensure the extermination of the Zerg on a.

    The spacecraft rose slowly as the ruins of Norton underneath became smaller, Wang Tong was relieved at the fact that he was finally going home.

    Suddenly, a throng of Zergs emerged on the ground, all of them screamed at the spaceship with malice and hatred. They all wanted Wang Tong dead. Wang Tong looked down at them through the windowpane and mumbled:"Goodbye Buggies, please don¡¯t miss me."

    Most people weren¡¯t lucky enough to survive the horror, but Wang Tong was not the only one that had been rescued. All of the other survivors were well equipped; most of them were METAL fighters. Some even had the luxury of time to prepare for the long wait. It was only natural for the rescuers to assume that Wang Tong was a METAL fighter as well, albeit a very young one.

    The rescuers let the survivors clean themselves up, and conducted a thorough health check up before sending them on a ship back to Earth. Almost all of the survivors were given a handsomepensation in order to seal their lips. Although the Zerg Invasion was a well-nned surprise attack, the Confederation was not entirely innocent either. The politicians could always afford to spend more cash than their reputation, even if it meant a lot of cash.

    Wang Tong didn''t ask for any money aspensation, he asked for an admission letter to a Military Academy instead. The government officer agreed his term without any hesitation. He even wrote a referral letter for Wang Tong and promised him that if his life became troublesome in the city, the letter would instruct the local authorities to help him out.

    The officer smiled broadly and patted Wang Tong on the shoulder, praised him as a model citizen of the Confederation for not ckmailing the government like the others had. Wang Tong did not care about the cheap praise, he wanted to go home.

    The trip to his home was much morefortable than the trip to Norton. There was no need to sleep through the quadratic speed; instead, there were movie theaters, coffee bars, pool houses and many other entertainment facilities aboard the ship. The entire trip back to Earth rather felt like a vacation, with beautiful space stewardesses at his service at all times. Wang Tong felt like an important person for the very first time.

    Everyone aboard the ship was in a good mood, they rejoiced not only at their miraculous escape, but also the handsomepensation that the Confederation had promised them. Many of them had also received phone calls from the media for interviews; it seemed that the Confederation wouldn¡¯t pass up on such a good opportunity to show off their dedicated rescue efforts. Wang Tong wasn''t interested in helping the Confederation''s propaganda at all.

    For some unknown reason, Wang Tong felt an emptiness in his belly as he left Norton. He had lived on that for an entire year, and he had since grown up a lot, both physically and psychologically. His gut told him that he might go back to that ursed again.

    "Are you Wang Tong?" a female''s voice drifted into Wang Tong''s ear. It sounded delicate and pleasing to the ear, unlike Mr. Wannabe''s raspy and sometimes high-pitched yelp.

    "You are?" staring at the attractive girl in front of him, Wang Tong could not help but feel light headed, he found that her beauty was beyond the capability of words.

    The girl couldn¡¯t help but tough, "I am Zhang Jing. We just met down there, am I really that forgettable?"

    Wang Tong felt a sudden embarrassment. He was too excited to see humans again after one year of solitude; he barely remembered any details of that encounter.

 Chapter 11: Rises and Falls of History

    Chapter 11: Rises and Falls of History

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Ahh. Right! You are Second Lieutenant Zhang Jing; I didn''t expect you to be here as well."

    Zhang Jing smiled, "I am only a student, not a Confederation officer yet. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going home to Earth with you guys." Wang Tong couldn¡¯t help but notice that Zhang Jing had a pair of wide and charming eyes, a pool of calmness that shined a keen light from deep within.

    "What are you staring at?"

    Wang Tong realized that he was gawking at her; he shifted his eyes away and apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, I was looking at your eyes, they are gorgeous."

    The military had strict hierarchies; Wang Tong found it imusible that a student could be promoted to a second lieutenant. However unknown to Wang Tong, Zhang Jing was simply an officer-in-training.

    "Thanks, that was very sweet of you."

    "Are you an Ivantian?"

    "Yes, are you from Earth?"

    "Yes, do you live on Earth as well?" Not only were there only a handful of Ivantians who lived on Earth, but they were almost identical to Earthlings. Unlike the Ivantians in the old ages who had put great effort into preserving their bloodlines, the Ivantians nowadays favored gic modifications which made them look more like Earthlings.

    "No, I live on the Moon, our ship is going to make a stop there, if you have never been there before, you should go visit while we are stopped there."

    "The Moon?¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile, "That is an expensive ce to visit, I think I¡¯ll pass." Although the Earth was the mother of the human race, the Moon instead had be the center of human''s technological innovations. Human''s development had reached everyer of the Moon, including its dark side. In fact, the artificial lighting that sprawled all over the dark surface had made it the side of the Moon that never sleeps. Space had quickly be a preciousmodity on the Moon to the point that only the social elites and the richest could afford to immigrate there.

    "Are you always so pretentious?" Zhang Jing asked curiously.

    "Where did you get that from? You might have misinterpreted me." Wang Tong could smell the faint perfume from her body and it rxed every single muscle in his body as he got lost in his mind: ¡°Thank gods! Living in the human world is so much better than living in that bug sack.¡±

    "Jinny, I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere, the¡ªhey, isn¡¯t this ... Wang Tong?¡± Rios had a good memory, "Nice to see you here again."

    "Same here, thank both of you for saving me from that hellish sh*t-hole," Wang Tong said sincerely.

    "You¡¯re wee, but that was our job. Jinny, the captain was looking for you." Rios looked at Zhang Jing; his gaze was soft and tender, full of untold feelings.

    It was highly unlikely that a girl like Zhang Jingcked admirers.

    Although Zhang Jing seemed to want to spend more time talking to Wang Tong, knowing that the Captain was looking for her; she stood up and left the cabin. Rios showed Wang Tong a smile before he started bustling about his own business. Rios carried a certain air around him whose quality made Wang Tong think that Rios had nevercked prestige in his life.

    Wang Tong was then surrounded by a group of prattling middle age men. He found it hard to blend in, so he left the cabin for his living quarters.

    He was very impressed with his living quarters, nothing like the coffin-like bunkers he had to endure on the way to Norton. It even came with a separate bathroom. Wang Tong could have never imagined himself holding a boarding pass to a spaceship that offered so muchfort and indulgence.

    "Hey kiddo, that girl seems nice, are you gonna think about your next move?"

    "Shut up!" Wang Tong had promised Mr. Wannabe that he would let him out from time to time.

    "Aww... are you being shy? You are still a virgin, aren''t you? C¡¯mon, girls are meant to be chased. Haven¡¯t you ever heard of the tale about the man who...Da*n... how could I forget such an enticing story?"

    "I know you haven¡¯t done it for a long while, why don¡¯t you leave me alone and blow your load somewhere else?¡±

    "You little b*stard, how dare you make fun of me! You just wait there, I am gonnae out right now to smash you into a pulp." Feeling like his ego was hurt Mr. Wannabe suddenly threw a tantrum at him. Wang Tong was already used to his outbursts; he looked at Mr. Wannabe''s attitude like watching a show.

    "Save your energy, I have turned the TV on for you, watch it or not, I don¡¯t care, but I¡¯m going to finish one more round of tactics so be quiet."

    Cultivating his inner energy had be Wang Tong''s habit. Mr. Wannabe nodded in approval, and he said soberly, "Good, it seems that you have noticed your inadequate aptitude, don''t worry, more practice will make up for it."

    Whether Mr. Wannabe''s verbal abuse was inadvertent or not, Wang Tong had gotten used to it; otherwise, he would have already gone deranged.

    "Jinny, you seemed to be very interested in that guy?" Rios asked softly, unlike the way of a higher ranking officer talking to his subordinates. Even the captain had to talk up to her because of her family background let alone Rios.

    "Fellow brother, don¡¯t you think it was strange that he survived?" A light shone in Zhang Jing''s eyes; she seemed to want to dig deeper than what meets the eyes.

    "Why? He seemed pretty ordinary to me. He hid in the mine cave the entire time, didn¡¯t he?"

    "That¡¯s what he told us. Haven''t you noticed the scars on his arms? Those werebat wounds. He wasn''t just hiding.¡±

    "That is indeed strange. I first guessed that he was a METAL fighter, but that won''t exin the wounds; and if he was fighting Zergs without any protection, he should have been dead by now.¡± Rios clicked his tongue as if he was impressed by Zhang Jing''s observations, "Incredible attention to details. You are truly a Zhang, the house of the Iron Curtain."

    Zhang Jing smiled and said, "I was just guessing. It doesn''t really matter to our mission here even if I am right."

    "That''s right as well.¡± Rios decided not to give the issue too much thought. After all, it would be easy for him to survive the attack as long as he avoided the mass Zerg Army.

    Zhang Jing swept a few strands of loose hair off of her forehead and revealed her elegant face. Rios wouldn''t stop staring at her. It was his uttermost honor to serve as a bodyguard to Jing from the House of Zhang.

    House Zhang of the Iron Curtain was one of the five most prestigious human families. Their lineage could be traced far back into history, and their names were respected across the entire Confederation. It was little to no wonder that Zhang Jing was escorted by a personal guard on this mission. She had also acquired the title of Second Lieutenant right before this mission. This title, although unimportant to her, would provide legitimacy to her participation in a military mission as a student.

    "Thank you for looking after me during this mission, fellow brother. I think I am going to head back to my room now; I need to review what I have learned on this mission."

    "Of course, please let me know if you require anything else.¡± Rios knew that members of the Zhang family had the special ability to read one''s mind. Zhang Jing did not seem to be interested in him so any of his further efforts in wooing her would be in vain.

    Families and dynasties rise and fall throughout human history, but five had stood the test of time and became the so-called Five Families of the Confederation. They had spread their influences throughout the human society over thest few hundred years. Members of the five families all served important posts in the government, forming an borate web of power. Their influence over the society made them untouchable even by the newly risen super powers.

    The Li Family held a special meaning to the entire human race thanks to one of their family members, General Li Feng, who had led the humans to their victory in the Great War against the Zergs.

    General Li Feng''s descendants didn¡¯t simply sit on their glorious past, the ¡°Tactics of the Enchantress¡± and the ¡°Tactics of Vayu¡± (or called the ¡°Tactics of the wind-god¡±) were two of the five tactics that were considered the most powerful in the entire world. The ¡°Tactics of Vayu¡± was said to be created by General Li Feng himself, while General Zhou Zhi created the ¡°Tactics of the Enchantress¡±. The ¡°Tactics of the Enchantress¡± were said to be the most powerful tactics when used by a female.

    The Ma family use to be a loyalpanion and the most trusted adviser of General Li Feng. Having gained control over the very fabric of human society- Economy and Technology, the Mas prospered over thest four hundred years. They were the owner of technology hegemony FFC Corporation. Although the Mas did not have any tactics of their own, they were allowed to study either one of Li''s deadly tactics, thanks to the close ties between the two families.

    Out of the Five Greatest Families of the Confederation, two were from earth, and another two were from the moon.

 Chapter 12: I Will Find You

    Chapter 12: I Will Find You

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    General Rngalos Dower, whose reputation was on par with General Li Feng, was the one that created the ¡°Tactics of the Valkyrie¡±, and it alone had made the Dower family prosperous for centuries. The Dower family also became the only family that could bepared to the Li family.

    The Zhang family had always been the most influential power in the government, which gave them their nickname "Iron Curtain". Their status in the Confederation was unshakable despite the political turmoil of their homnd, the Moon. The Zhangs also had their own powerful tactics called the ¡°Tactics of the Conscious Heart¡± which had been passed down for generations by the core members of the family.

    The fifth of the Five Families was the Lie family from Mars. The Lie Family rose to power on Mars during a bloody political struggle, some four hundred years ago. Their family tactics, which was said to have been imbued with the power of the tianshi¡ªthe celestial sage¡ªwas called the ¡°Tactics of the ze¡±.

    The established prominence of the five families may be irrevocable, but they were not the most powerful existence in the known universe. None of the five families would dare topare their might to those who resided in the Sacred Land. The Sacred Land was a ce of iprehensible power, but details of this ce had always been shrouded in mystery.

    The Sacred Land was a ce formemorating the de Warriors, whose mysterious legends still heavily influenced the humans today. Although in the hundreds of years after the great war the de Warriors had faded into the history, leaving only their names to be remembered.

    The Sacred Land had always remained a neutral force; however, their neutrality never undermined their influence, because the only passage to the Hall of Valhay within it. People believed that the Hall of Valha hosted the de Warriors¡¯ most deadlyst reserve, because of that, each of the five houses had sent their elite METAL fighters to guard the passage, thus effectively preventing each other from learning the secrets in the Hall of Valha. The presence of all five houses had formed an intricate bnce of power within the Sacred Land.

    Zhang Jing always liked to record her findings at the end of the day; she found that it was an effective way to further analyze the facts beyond what was apparent. She had written down the details of her encounter with Wang Tong a while ago, but Wang Tong''s face kept on popping out. She started to wonder why her subconscious would remind her constantly of this seemingly unimportant boy as if there was a force inside of Wang Tong that had kept on drawing her attention.

    After Zhang Jing had failed to figure out why an ordinary boy like Wang Tong had distracted her, she allowed a corner of her mouth to rise a little and tried to undermine her curiosity ¨C a defect in humans'' emotion, so that she would practice the ¡°Tactics of the Conscious Heart¡± in peace.

    The luxurious life on the space liner meant nothing to Wang Tong since practicing the tactics had already be his life. Survival instincts had driven him to learn the tactics in the first ce, but as he practiced and improved along the way, he had learned and experienced things that he had never been able to before. He started to understand why there were so many individuals, like the one that was trapped in the crystal, who had be obsessed with tactics and martial arts.

    To most people who were aboard the ship, it had been seven days of wild parties and celebrations for their close escape, but to Wang Tong, it was no more than an ordinary trip back home. He hadn¡¯t seen Zhang Jing again since theirst encounter.

    As soon as theynded on Earth, a group of journalists swarmed towards the survivors. Wang Tong didn''t talk to any of them; instead, he found an opportunity to sneak out of the spaceport and headed directly towards home. He had been away from home for over a year now, so he really wanted to see how Old Fart was doing.

    He arrived at his house located in the Hope District, a nicer word for the ghetto. Many of the residents of the Hope District received social welfare from the government. Without a deep pocket, this ce was the best the poor folks could get. The real-estate industry had continued its boom and had caused the housing prices to skyrocket.

    "Old Fart, I¡¯m back! Aren''t you dead yet?" Wang Tong yelled at the door while his powerful kicks sent the door rattling, but no one answered the door, Old Fart must have gone to drink in the bar again.

    He pressed the finger scanner by the door; his fingerprints smudged the glossy surface. Wang Tong was happy to be home again, regardless of whether Old Fart was at here or not.

    "Cannot match fingerprint, please re-enter again."

    Wang Tong was baffled by the consul¡¯s mechanical reply and pressed on the scanner a few more times, but the door didn¡¯t move an inch.

    "F*ck, I¡¯ve only been away for a year, is this really necessary?" Wang Tong cursed, thinking that Old Fart must have changed the lock as soon as he had left Earth.

    The door opened a crack, and a middle-aged woman with an unfamiliar face emerged from behind the door. She asked: "Mister, who are you looking for?"

    "Hum... Who are you? Why are you in my house?" Wang Tong asked with confusion and surprise written all over his face.

    "Ah, you must be the one he was talking about. Excuse me, but this is my house now, the previous owner said if a young boy like you came to ask for him, he wanted me to tell you to go to the information hub, he left a message for you there."

    Wang Tong walked over to the information hub with a mind full of questions and punched in his password to the information terminal. A message from Old Fart popped up which Wang Tong opened with anticipation.

    "Little S*it, I guess I owe you congrattions if you are able to see this message alive and well. Now let¡¯s get down to it, I wanted to tell you that I have decided to move out, a brighter future and prettier women await me elsewhere. Please do not worry about me; I am doing better than you.

    ¡°How did the training go, have you used my tactics to its full potential yet? Well, if not, I hope you would have at least realized by now how badass my tactics is. Ahh...as for the space crystal, I forgot to mention that I had slipped it out of a rich person''s house many years ago, if you found anything valuable in it, please do not hesitate to share with me. I wouldn''t mind some cash for my reward, my bank ount is ... But, if you found trouble instead... then do not contact me ever again."

    Looking at the apparition of the entric Old Fart on the screen, Wang Tong felt mixed feelings of warmth and anger. The Old Fart inside the screen seemed to have finished his recording as he bent down to turn off the recorder, but he paused for a moment and continued recording: "I have already sold my house, and I left some credits for you in your ount. You have grown up now, go out there and live an independent life. No need to thank me for what I did for you."

    As Old Fart finished hisst words, Wang Tong¡¯s frustration erupted inside of him as he felt like he would have smashed the information terminal if not for the fine that he would have to pay. Old Fart seemed very determined to be left alone, so much so to have sold his house.

    Old Fart''s house had always been a cozy, albeit dpidated, home, but now without a home to go to, Wang Tong had to look for another ce to stay. If it was the Wang Tong of one year ago, he would have fallen into a panic attack and wouldn''t know what to do, but Wang Tong had matured quickly on that hellish, he now feared nothing.

    Wang Tong went to the bank and checked his credit. He counted the zeros in the number, "One, two, three, four¡­ what?! Calm down now... calm down..."

    Wang Tong was never good at being calm; his frustration eventually erupted into a heart-wrenching cry after seeing that Old Fart had left him only thirty grand. It might be a lot for pocket-money, but this was all that Wang Tong had now, plus a new jacket that was given by the Confederation as a gift.

    ¡°What kind of life is this? How can I live on only thirty grand for the rest of my life?

    "Damn you Old Fart! I swear I will find you and you will pay for this!"

    Wang Tong¡¯s rage exploded in a devastated shriek without noticing that many passersby were staring. After gaining some control of himself, Wang Tong regretted that he hadn¡¯t brought anything back from Norton for some quick cash.

    Wang Tong knew that it didn¡¯t matter what had happened to him, the Earth still moved; therefore he had to face reality and find a ce to stay as soon as possible. As he wandered around the streets, while hoping to find cheap amodations, he stumbled upon a burger ce. Wang Tong''s tummy reacted with an angry growl.

    Wang Tong was not a sophisticated person; therefore he didn¡¯t like the delicacies provided by the Confederation on the spaceship. Instead, he favored hamburgers down here on Earth in a ghetto district. He rushed into the shop without any hesitation.

    One hourter, everyone in the burger restaurant, customers and workers included, were staring marvelously at Wang Tong. He had since eaten thirty full-size burgers, a feat that could not even be repeated by a pig.

    Wang Tong could not care less about the insulting looks he had attracted, he rubbed his belly and burped then saidcently, "Not too bad, I am almost full now."

    Everyone was stunned by what Wang Tong had just said. The waitress who had kept a particrly keen eye on Wang Tong wondered if this boy had just been released from a detention center, and if so, the Confederation must have used starvation as a means of torturing inmates.

    The waitress was correct, in a way. Wang Tong had been starved by the Confederation not in a detention center but on a luxurious spaceship. The food on the ship looked fancy butcked quantity. Since Wang Tong had received these expensive foods for free, he¡¯d felt ashamed to ask for more. Not only because he felt like it would be taking advantage of the tax payer¡¯s money, but especially because he was aware that if he had eaten as much as he could, the whole ship would have starved to death on the first day of their journey.

    However, here in this burger shop, he had bought these hamburgers with his own money; therefore he wasfortable eating as many burgers as he wanted. Wang Tong agreed that burgers were the best kind of food because it has both meat patties and vegetables; it was ¡°delicious¡± in its simplest form.

    "It will be three hundred credits in total." Although the waitress''s face shivered in disbelief at Wang Tong''s appetite, she maintained a passable smile.

    "Three hundred?" Wang Tong furrowed his eyebrows, "Gosh, in one day I¡¯ve already spent one percent of my life savings." Wang Tong really wished that his math was worse so that he would be less aware of his financial situation.

    The waitress started to get nervous after she saw Wang Tong''s deeply furrowed face. She hoped that this newly released juvenile criminal would not harm her. Judging from the amount he just ate, she believed that his punch would be deadly.

    Wang Tong suddenly ttened his furrow and drew his teeth in an amicable smile. "Can you give me a discount, please?"

    The waitress¡¯s mind fumbled after its misjudgment. "Ehm...Sorry, you ordered the specials, they don¡¯t have discounts."

    "Greedy b*stards." Wang Tong mumbled as he reluctantly swiped his credit card while feeling sorry for his three hundred credits.

    As soon as Wang Tong stepped out of the burger shop, bright sunlight made him quickly forget about the guilt of his splurging. He looked around at the familiar scenes of his hometown and cherished the fact that he was finally back.

    Wang Tong found a public information terminal and searched for rooms for rent. As he scrolled down the list of avable houses, his sunshine like mood quickly turned gloomy as he realized that the housing prices had doubled since he left. With the current price, it was almost impossible for him to find a ce that wouldst long.

    He quickly found a potential solution - school residence. He was nning to go to school anyways, it just seemed that his n had to start earlier than he thought, but the question then was that of which school should he attend?

    The best academy on Earth was no doubt the Capth Academy. This S-ss Academy was the pride of the entire human race. But after Wang Tong considered his funding and his chance of being epted, he immediately gave up his hope of entering that school.

    Old Fart always told Wang Tong, "Man should not be too greedy." Right then Wang Tong absolutely agreed with that.

    He figured that he did not need to attend the S-ss schools; an A-ss school would be more than enough. There were many A-ss academies in Shangjin, and one was particrly "famous," the Academy of Ayrng, because General Li Feng had graduated from there. However, it was solely because of its connection with General Li Feng, Ayrng was able to sustain its A-ss status.

    The status of the Ayrng Academy had been in a downward spiral after the incident stirred up by the General Rngalos Dower, while that of the Capth Academy had risen. Capth Academy was originally founded by General Li Feng to train soldiers in new and innovative military tactics and technologies. Over the centuries, many generals and elite scientists had graduated from Capth, and Capth itself had be a shining example of higher education on Earth.

    To someone like Wang Tong who only wanted to get a degree and graduate, Ayrng Academy was more than enough. It also had another advantage that no other academy did: It was very close to where Wang Tong had lived.

    Wang Tong still kept a glimmer of hope that Old Fart would one day return to his old house, perhaps after he lost all of his money in a drinking game since it had happened before; Wang Tong figured that it was likely to happen again. Therefore Wang Tong decided to stay close to Old Fart''s house and wait him out.

    Wang Tong had sessfully entered Ayrng despite the fact that he had beente for registration by two weeks. The ck administration was a sign that the academy still indulged itself in its glorious past, despite the fact that over thest few hundred years, most reputable people had graduated from Capth and none had graduated from Ayng.

    Despite itszy administration and backward technology, Wang Tong was thrilled with this school. The quality of the school did not matter to Wang Tong anymore since he had already learned the Tactics of the de, but what was paramount was that the academy offered a ce for him to receive arge amount of fundamental information and a positive environment to improve himself.

    Mr. Wannabe still yelled and cursed at Wang Tong from time to time, but Wang Tong did not want to talk back, partly because he felt sorry for Mr. Wannabe¡¯s dementia. However, he still wondered if Mr. Wannabe was really as bad-ass as he said he was, perhaps he would find out the answer after he learned more at the academy.

    Wang Tong liked to think about his future life in Ayng Academy. This marked a new start in his life and the beginning of his colorful youth. Wang Tongughed from the bottom of his heart and felt like the sunshine on his face was exceedingly vibrant and pleasant.

    "Hey boy, watch where you¡¯re stepping," a good samaritan on the street said to Wang Tong. This passerby had never seen anyone so happy after they stepped in a pile of dog poop.

    "Ahh... pick up your pet''s s*hit people! My shoes! This is my only pair! Ahh..."

    On Wang Tong''s way to his first day of school, he ushered in this new episode of his life with a saddening wail.

 Chapter 13: Frugal Living

    Chapter 13: Frugal Living

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong knew that the dog poop was a bad omen. As soon as he finished paying his tuition at the registration office, the admin assistant immediately informed him that all of the dorms were already taken because Wang Tong waste for registration.

    The admin assistant put fake regrets on her face, but she could not feel pity for him after seeing his equally fake expression of helplessness. She had eventually agreed that she would try her best to arrange amodations for him in three days.

    With nowhere to go, Wang Tong walked the streets in a mncholic mood.

    "What a s*itty school, I paid five grand in credits without event getting a room." Wang Tong wouldn''t mind living out in the open since he had done that on Norton all the time, but now he was in a civilized city; he could not sleep just anywhere on the streets.

    He asked the price for the hotels around the school, but to his dismay, they were way above his budget. The cheapest one was five hundred a night which was too costly for Wang Tong who did not have an ie.

    "Curse these greedyndlords, do they expect students to be millionaires?"

    To be fair, the astronomical cost of living on earth was not entirely due to greed, it was also because of Wang Tong''s old nemeses, the Zergs. Thanks to their extraordinary ability to survive in harsh environments and expertise in guerri warfare, the Zergs were practically everywhere. Theirplete extermination was extremely costly, if not impossible.

    Humans were forced to focus their limited resources on densely popted cities. The housing prices had skyrocketed as people fled into the city to avoid the Zerg army''s raid. The increase in prices had slowed down over thest few years thanks to a series of legitions passed by the Confederation, but these new policies still failed to bring the housing prices down.

    Wang Tong did not care, nor did he have the time, to attend the school orientation where the teachers boasted about the rich history of the school. His priority right now was to find a ce to stay.

    He walked on the street until it was done; he stopped at an entrance to a shop that was decorated with bright shing neon lights. A light bulb suddenly lit up in Wang Tong''s mind.

    "Yea, I can stop over here for a few nights."

    Tong waited outside until midnight so he would be able to pay the discount price for the overnight rate of fifty credits.

    This ce was called Dream-Heaven. It was not a bar, nor were there any drugs. In the ancient times, people would call it an inte cafe,ter it was called the VR entertainment center and many other different names simr to that. In other words, it was a ce where people go to enjoy the world of virtual reality. This was where the de Warriors originated from.

    The specific store Wang Tong stayed at was called the Dream-Heaven, Branch D-187, one of the many under thergest VR entertainmentpany-DREAM, formally known as Yu Zhan. One of the seemingly ordinary workers from thispany named Galber was eventually elected as a Councilor of the Confederation thanks to a game developed by DREAM. Galber remained as the Councilor for three consecutive terms, and many said that his quick ascent to power wasrgely due to his connection with the de Warriors, simr to General Li Feng who also had an intimate tie with the de Warriors before he entered the center stage of power. After the great war, The de Warriors disappeared from the public, and Galber''s descendants didn¡¯t remain in politics, they instead focused on their family business and grew thepany DREAM into one of thergest enterprises of the Confederation.

    Technology had progressed pretty far since the days of the de Warriors and given birth to many new forms of entertainment, but DREAM still invested heavily in the gaming industry, after all, the sess of a game relied more on luck than advanced technologies.

    There had been no revolutionary developments in the VR industry since the time of the de Warriors who had re-defined the entire industry.

    History could mean little to the humans who were still alive. Although many great individuals had changed the course of history, their impact was intangible to the living, albeit being real. Memories of recent legendary heroes might still take form in tales and stories, but those who belonged to even older ages, like Confucius or Einstein, memories of these great humans were shapeless and blurred.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t here for games, neither did he have the interest. Heid down on the sofa and was getting ready to sleep. He decided to go to the school tomorrow again to make sure the admin assistant wasn''t cking at her job. It was his life after all; he could not count on anyone else to be responsible for his own life.

    Wang Tong knew that he could afford to revive Charcoal with the savings that Old Fart had left for him, but without any ie, Wang Tong decided to dy his n.

    "Kiddo, get up! I know you haven¡¯t fallen asleep yet."

    Mr. Wannabe emerged out of the crystal; he had made an agreement with Wang Tong toe out only when Wang Tong wasn''t busy with other matters.

    "I want to sleep, I¡¯m tired after being busy all day long."

    "Well too bad, I am not tired. Do you want me to watch you sleep? C¡¯mon, I want to watch the TV."

    "Dear master, this ce is called Dream-Heaven, a ce for VR entertainment; they don¡¯t call it TV here," Wang Tong said inattentively.

    "Entertainment? Wahaha, where are the busty girls? I want one!" Mr. Wannabe turned his head on his shoulders to look around, but to his disappointment, he saw only a tiny white room and no girls.

    Wang Tong was speechless at the pervert ghost. It seemed like some things will never change in a man, regardless of whether they¡¯re dead or alive.

    "Why are you staring at me like that? I was just kidding, you know that I am only interested in martial arts, it was you who was so easily distracted by girls."

    "Well, I wanted to be distracted, but I don¡¯t have any opportunities," Wang Tong said helplessly.

    "You are right, it must be hard for you," Mr. Wannabe studied Wang Tong for a second and said, "Look at you, you are poor and ugly, no wonder you don¡¯t have any opportunities." Mr. Wannabe rubbed his chin as if he was reminding Wang Tong that he had been much better looking when he was Wang Tong''s age.

    Wang Tong felt disgusted after he tried to imagine what Mr. Wannabe might have looked like when he was younger. He didn¡¯t believe that Mr. Wannabe had any better chance than he did then. He decided to go to bed without arguing with Mr. Wannabe about who was more handsome, heated conversations would make it hard to fall asleep, and he needed sleep badly.

    Sleeping had be crucial to Wang Tong ever since he started practicing the tactics thanks to its ability to boost the effect of the tactics. While he was cultivating inner energy using the Tactics of the de, he would be able to stay up for a few consecutive days. However, this had also made him sleep longer while he wasn''t practicing.

    "Fine, I will open the VR terminal for you. Watch whatever you want, just don¡¯t bother me." Wang Tong spoke to Mr. Wannabe as he pressed a button. The tiny white room suddenly expanded in front of their eyes into a panorama view of a VR page.

    Vibrant pictures of VR games and augmented reality shows filled up their entire vision. VR entertainment, like other forms of entertainment, filled the empty spaces in human''s materialistic life thus it had never faded out of history since the day it was invented.

    The menu scrolled at Mr. Wannabe''smand. He was utterly amazed by the technology that allowed him to interact with the interface despite being an intangible ghost.

    "Holly bananas! I can interact with it! This is awesome! Now now, quickly kiddo, tell me how to y my selections." Mr. Wannabe swung one of his fingers at Wang Tong, it was shaking in his excitement.

    Wang Tong shook his head and joked, "I knew Wannabe was a fitting name for you, a real Einherjar would be able to hold his marbles at a gimmick like this."

    Jokes aside, Wang Tong knew that his life in the crystal wasn''t the healthiest form of living, even for a ghost. Mr. Wannabe was lucky to still have his sanity after so many years of imprisonment. Out of pity for Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong got himself up from the sofa onest time to register a username called "Wannabe Einherjar" so that Mr. Wannabe would be able to y the VR content.

    "You can figure out the rest, but don¡¯t wake me up again."

    Wang Tong huddled back on the sofa to enjoy his sweet dreams. Unlike a normal sleep where one simply slept, Wang Tong also practiced tactics while sleeping. This was a habit that he had developed while he was on Norton where he really needed more than the usual amount of training in order to survive.

    Wang Tong slowly drifted off; GN nodes whirred softly inside of his body. In the same room, Mr. Wannabe''s loud roars and battle cries filled up the tiny white room.

    What was Mr. Wannabe ying? As an Einherjar, the choice was quite obvious.

 Chapter 14: Tactics of Sympathy

    Chapter 14: Tactics of Sympathy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong woke up in a room filled with sunlight, and he saw the space crystalying quietly beside him. He figured Mr. Wannabe must have had a stst night; therefore, he didn''t even have the energy to bother Wang Tong like he always did in the morning.

    Wang Tong stretched his body and inhaled a fewrge gulps of fresh morning air as he felt well rested fromst night¡¯s sleep. Although the process he had been forced to endure in order to get used to the sleep-practice had been painfully slow and strenuous, thanks to Mr. Wannabe''s supervision, he had finally gotten used to it and ever since, it had been hard for Wang Tong to rest well without practicing the tactics.

    For a human being, getting used to things was the answer to many conundrums in life.

    Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a set of bloodshot eyes appeared right in front of Wang Tong and assaulted him with its bleary gaze. Wang Tong was startled and yelled at Mr. Wannabe, "You scared me you a*shole!"

    "There is something that I need to talk to you about," Mr. Wannabe said with a drab and stern voice, which to Wang Tong''s knowledge, had never matched with the topic that he was about to bring up.

    "Ya, ya, what is it?" Wang Tong said inattentively whileidnguidly on a sofa.

    Mr. Wannabe narrowed his eyes and asked, "Wang Tong my friend, and do you know what it is that you need the most right now?"

    "Money." There was not even the slightest dy in Wang Tong''s reply as he had understood the importance of money ever since childhood, thanks to the greediness of Old Fart.

    "Wrong! Young men like you should not be burdened by such worldly possessions. What you need the most right now is more sparring practice. Here, I have found a PA sparring program in the system. It looked great, but for some reason, I could not y. I¡¯ve been itching for it restlessly for an entire night. Why don''t you give it a try right now? I will watch."

    Since Mr. Wannabe had never been a reserved person or a ghost, he started forcing Wang Tong to y the program before he even had a chance to reply. Being helplessly obsessed with martial arts, Mr. Wannabe desperately needed Wang Tong to help deal with his anticipation.

    "Excuse me, I, as an excellent student of the Ayrng Academy, do not have the time to waste on virtual games. The reality tells me that I need money really badly, so my time is better spent finding a part time job instead."

    Wang Tong had no interest in continuing the conversation and was ready to shut off the space crystal.

    It was a new day and time for a brand new start in his life, as he rememberedst night, he had many things to attend today.

    "Wait! Is there no other way?!" Mr. Wannabe rounded his eyes and roared as if wanting to smack Wang Tong¡¯s head.

    "No way, unless you can pay me for it, otherwise, no means no!" Wang Tong uttered a voicemand to shut off the crystal since he did not have the time to argue with Mr. Wannabe. He had to go to school and figure out his amodation situation. Just like what folks always said, ¡°Only the poor kids know how to look after themselves.¡±

    While there were still many who had engrossed themselves in the game at Dream-Heaven, Wang Tong had already squatted in front of the school entrance to wait for the teachers toe.

    Wang Tong snacked on a sandwich as he mulled over the most moving words he¡¯d ever known, which he would then deploy to inspire the teacher''s sympathy towards him. It was clear that not only had he learned a lot of street smarts from the hooligan like Old Fart, the experience of living with the piteous Old Fart had also attuned him to any rising opportunity so that he would not starve to death.

    The students who came here to attend their Monday sses watched Wang Tong curiously as they passed by. They wondered who this young beggar squatting at their school entrance was.

    "Dear Mr. Simon, you have finally arrived!" Mr. Simon was not punctual at all; actually, he waste by almost an hour.

    "Who are you?... Ah... you are¡­ Wang Tong? What are you doing here at the entrance?" Mr. Simon was puzzled to see Wang Tong waiting for him here.

    "Mister, I am here because I want to report something about myself to you. I still haven''t gotten amodations yet, and I don¡¯t¡­ bakhh... To tell you the truth, I was an orphan and was adopted by my grandpa, but after I hade back from abor camp on Norton, I had learned that even my grandpa had passed away recently. I really have nowhere to go. I checked the hotels around the school¡­ they are too¡­ I¡­ I..."Wang Tong''s eyes seemed to have lost focus, he thought to himself, ¡°Sorry Old Fart that I had to say you are dead, but I know you are tough plus bad guys never die.¡±

    Mr. Simon felt immensely sorry for the fifteen years old boy in front of him. He really wanted to help Wang Tong, but the financial situation of the Academy had been difficult, to say the least. The Confederation had been spending less and less of the budget on them due to the mediocre performance of the students, and the astronomical cost of keeping up the appearances as an A-ss institution had been draining to the school¡¯s coffers. It was so challenging that they nearly failed to start this new semester and likely would have if not for the new principal¡¯s arrival.

    Mr. Simon looked at the miserable Wang Tong, he felt sorry for such a young boy being sent to Norton, a deste where only the most desperate would go to try their luck. Unable to fathom the treacherous condition Wang Tong had endured on Norton, Mr. Simon felt heart-wrenching pain to see any more burdens being added on to Wang Tong''s young and fragile soul. Mr. Simon looked at Wang Tong then as if he was obligated to help him.

    "Don''t worry Wang Tong, I''ll see to it that your problem is resolved. Let''s talk inside, follow me."

    Simon felt an inexplicable warmth pouring out of his heart as he extended his helping hand to Wang Tong. It was then clear that Wang Tong''s carefully mulled over words and expression had worked wonders without Wang Tong even having to create any false facts. Wang Tong felt that he was getting closer to having his amodations.

    Simon led Wang Tong into his office and then immediately, Simon buried himself in documents to search through the room records. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find any open rooms even after a few minutes of struggle, then suddenly, Simon''s eyes shined as he hade up with an idea.

    "Wang Tong, you have arrived at a very inconvenient time, all of the old dorms have been filled up while the new dorms haven''t finished construction yet. That being said, there is a small room by building number 5 which was originally intended for the concierge. Would you be willing to move in there for a few days before you move into the new dorms after they¡¯re built?"

    "Mister! Thank you so much! I am speechless now; I will repay your kindness with my hard work and good grades!"

    Simonughed as he was happy at Wang Tong''s positive attitude, "No worries, but your room is a bit special."

    "That''s fine, as long as I can live in there."

    "That goes without saying since it was a standard worker''s room. What I meant was that the building number 5 adjacent to your room is a girl''s dormitory. I hope you won''t stir up any trouble there," Simon said as he grinned at Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong saluted Mr. Simon and said seriously, "Yes Sir, I won''t even look at them."

    "Ha ha, I was just teasing you, you won¡¯t be able to see anything even if you wanted to. Carry your baggage, don¡¯t let them slow you down."

    "Sir, I don''t have any baggage with me."

    "Excellent, you have a superb attitude, I like it!" Simon patted Wang Tong''s shoulder in joy. Wang Tong had made Mr. Simon not only feel good about himself but also impressed by Wang Tong''s ability to handle himself during such difficult times. "Feel free to let me know if you ever need anything else. I will do what I can as the head of the school''s logistics department."

    Life had taught Wang Tong the skill of maneuvering around and manipting people''s emotions when he had to, like how he did it with Mr. Simon just then. However, Wang Tong was still very grateful to Mr. Simon, but he had a feeling that Mr. Simon was genuinely a nice person who would extend a helping hand to him even without Wang Tong having to take advantage of his sympathy.

 Chapter 15: A Bad Apple

    Chapter 15: A Bad Apple

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Simon led Wang Tong to a room about a dozen feet away from the girl''s dormitory and quickly disappeared. This ce used to be a grocery store andter was converted into a bedroom for a concierge who quit his job due tobor disputes with the school which, fortunately for Wang Tong, was then avable for him to stay in.

    After Wang Tong had scanned the furnished room, he found out to his surprise, that this room was more than what he had expected; it even came with a standalone bathroom.

    Wang Tong threw his body onto the bed out of happiness, "Ha ha, Mr. Wannabe, this is going to be our new home! You aren¡¯t still mad at me, aren''t you?" Wang Tong was in a pleasant mood after securing his amodations.

    "Huff... you are so mean! I only wanted you to y that game for me, was that too much? Do you know how hard it was for me to lose all of my memories, why are you making this more difficult? Have you already forgotten who taught you the Tactics of the de? And who had advised you on your battles with the Zergs?" Still disgruntled with the fact that Wang Tong had refused to y the game, Mr. Wannabe poured out his discontent and assaulted Wang Tong with a plethora of questions in a harsh tone.

    "Fine, fine, you win. I will y the game for you tonight, okay? But only one round. Now, leave me alone, I have other things to see to, I can''t be distracted."

    "Ha ha, that''s more like it! I will help you in your fight; you know fighting against humans is an entirely different story than fighting the Zergs," Mr. Wannabe was ted by Wang Tong''spromise. Wang Tong watched him as he was dazzled by a colorful halo radiating out of Mr. Wannabe. ¡°Perhaps he was not a wannabe after all,¡± Wang Tong thought to himself as he felt a flow of energy carried by the light.

    However, that thought quickly fled his mind as soon as he remembered Mr. Wannabe''s true bearing: a mean and arrogant bumpkin. As for his advice on the battlefield, it was more like him trying to tease out Wang Tong¡¯s rage, in other words, Wang Tong had learned to fight on his own through countless hard battles with different kind of Zergs rather than learning it from Mr. Wannabe.

    "Wang Tong, the principal wants you in her office," a boy wearing a student union''s armband huffed and puffed his way to Wang Tong''s dorm room and delivered the message.

    ¡°The principal? Why would someone so high up want to see me?¡± Wang Tong moved his body out of hisfortable bed and went straight towards the Principal''s office, as he did not dare to doddle.

    Principal Samantha had been working on a pile of paperwork, burying her face deeply within therge pile. One might be surprised to find out her young age of twenty-three considering her high position at the ss-A Institute; however, it was not entirely because of her family background but also thanks to her superhuman talent as she was an expert in eighteen different fields. She had never been mind opened, but neither was she worried because she always believed that practicing tactics dulled one''s mind and senses. As the direct descendant of Galbert and heir of the DREAM Corporation, she had set her expectations high after hearing the glorious past of her ancestors while growing up.

    Samantha had not graduated from Ayrng; instead, she had graduated with an honors degree from Capth. Ayrng was merely a testing ground for her ambitions as she was determined to bring it back to its former glory.

    The reason behind her quick ascension to the title of principal at this young age was not only her intimate ties with the Li family but also thanks to the funding she had brought with her, totaling one billion credits. The smell of the money had quickly turned negative ¡°nays¡± into weing praise. That being said, there were still quite a few teachers waiting to see her failure due to herck of experience, after all, no one had heard that money alone would be able to save the reputation of a school.

    Not until Samantha started her first day as Principal, had she begun to realize that the school¡¯s condition was even grimmer than it had appeared. Not only was the school equipment outdated, but it alsocked good teachers and brilliant students.

    After pinpointing the areas where she could focus on improving, she started purchasing newer equipment while hiring more responsible teachers. However, Samantha was well aware that advanced equipment and good teachers did not guarantee good students, to achieve that, she would also need to improve the quality of the students that they admitted, and expel the bad apples. Over the course of a few months, Samantha had been developing a n that would do precisely that.

    Even with a good n up her sleeve, she could not help but get frustrated after seeing what she had seen today- a student dressed in ragged clothes who was wandering around the campus instead of focusing on his studies. She soon learned his name and looked up his high school grades which only confirmed her belief that this student was a bad apple. She decided that she had to meet with this student and give him a warning.

    To be fair, it was hard for Wang Tong to have good grades in high school because Old Fart''s persistent supervision of his tactics practice had taken most of his time after school. Despite his low grades, Wang Tong was still admitted to Ayrng not entirely because of the ck administration of the school but also thanks to the rmendation letter from the Confederation; even Samantha could not revoke his student status, which was a fact that had really started to bother her.

    "Come in," Samantha furrowed her forehead as she heard knocking on the door.

    Wang Tong walked into the Principal''s office, only to see a young and gorgeous fellow ssmate. He asked, "Hi fellow sister, have you seen the principal?"

    Wang Tong watched her as sheughed at the, albeit unintentional,pliment, Wang Tong''s question seemed to have melted her anger away. In her smile, Wang Tong thought she looked drop dead gorgeous.

    "I am the Principal, Samantha, sit, I only have a few quick questions."

    Despite his thick skin, Wang Tong still felt a bit embarrassed, he sat down following her gesture and said, "You are so young."

    "Thank you, Wang Tong. I want to ask you why you have chosen our school?" Samantha asked in a tone of slight indignation as she had believed that this bad apple hade to screw up her great n of restoring the school¡¯s reputation.

    "It''s close to home..." Wang Tong said as he scratched his head, but immediately, from the corner of his eye, he sensed that Samantha''s face had turned stern, he waved his hands and changed his answer, "Just kidding, I always liked Ayrng ever since I was little, I want to be a useful resource to the Confederation, I want to fight for the humans and kill every Zergs! "

    Samantha looked at him with a cold face, thanks to which she had earned the nickname of ¡°Cold Hearted Beauty¡±. To some school workers, she was not only a beauty but also cold hearted because she had never hesitated when she had to fire employees who were not pulling their weight.

    Wang Tong had been used to getting cold shoulders and cold hearted stares from the "wonderful" people around him; therefore he wasn''t scared by Samantha''s look. Instead, his mind had drifted itself to focusing on Samantha''s body ¡ª her lush curves and huge bosom, all fit for a sexy movie actress instead of a stern principal.

    "Okay, that will be it, you can leave now." Samantha gestured the way out inattentively as she had already upied herself with the paperwork, burying herself in the pile again.

    Wang Tong left the office feeling unsure of what to make of this meeting, it seemed like he had failed to affect the principal with his great personality and positive attitude in the same way that he had affected Mr. Simon.

    However, the oue of this meeting was clear to Samantha as it had once again confirmed her suspicion that Wang Tong was a bad apple. For the sake of the school, Samantha made up her mind to remove Wang Tong as she crossed his name out on a name list.

    Samantha was about to roll out a student ranking system which would help to eliminate the students like Wang Tong who were not up to snuff, despite his referral letter from the Confederation.

    Unknown to Wang Tong, he had already beenbeled a bad apple by the gorgeous looking young principal. He wouldn''t care about it even if he learned her intentions then. Wang Tong only lived his own life, never caring about what others might think about him.

    With a ce to stay, he had finally gained a peace of mind. He started to look around the campus and paid specific attention to its terrain and buildingyout, such as useful covers in the time of conflict. This was another habit he had adopted while he was fighting with the Zergs, ironically, Zergs had this habit as well.

 Chapter 16: Noob

    Chapter 16: Noob

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The excitement of a new semester boiled over as Wang Tong ate lunch happily with a group of ssmates. He couldn¡¯t wait to attend his first ss and make his first friend at school.

    "Hey, kiddo, what are you waiting for?"

    "Fine, but don''t rush me!" Wang Tong understood that Mr. Wannabe had been waiting anxiously since this morning, any more dy might blow his gasket. Therefore Wang Tong hurried down to Dream-Heaven as soon as he finished lunch.

    The game was called PA or Practical Arena, a well-known game that was the most popr game of the world for many years. Although only half of the game content was open to the public, as indicated by its full name "Military Use METAL Fighter Practice Arena", it was also used by the military as their training tform for METAL fighters.

    The DREAM Corporation had been engaged in long-term negotiations with the Military for the release of the PA system, yet no one had fully understood DREAM''s intention since the amount of red tape they were willing to battle with, did not seem to be worth the release of a simple game.

    There were two main leagues of the PA system, one was themercial users, and the other was the professional military users of the Confederation, which included the Military Academies and the Confederation Military Forces. This PA system had saved the Confederation a significant amount of money since all the public schools in the entire sr system were connected online to this program, unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, none of the schools located in the Andromeda Gxy were linked to it through cyberspace.

    In most cases, the two leagues yed together unless there was a covert operation being carried out by the military. Thanks to the mingling betweenmercial yers and the professional yers, a beginner or the so-called ¡°noob¡± would have the opportunity to meet professionals such as academy students and even instructors; however, the real masters were hard to find on-line as they liked to remain elusive. Eighty percent of the users weremercial users or so-called IPA, and the rest were professional users, called TPA.

    Although the two leagues were together, the cunning businessmen working for DREAM wouldn''t let such an opportunity pass by without making a healthy profit. In order to stimte the sales of the virtual METAL suits, the in-game equipment that did not exist in real life, they signed an agreement with the Confederation that allowed the IPAs to participate as bystanders when there was a fight between TPAs. Commercial users who became obsessed fanboys of the TPA tournaments would then be equally obsessed with purchasing in_game virtual equipment with real world money. This marketing strategy had made the PA system an extremely profitable game for DREAM.

    Coincidentally, this very profitable business model of the PA system was the graduation project of Wang Tong''s Principal Samantha while she was finishing up her MBA degree, on which she had, not surprisingly, scored 100%.

    In cyberspace, there were very distinct differentiations between the two groups of yers. Themercial yers'' in-game names were white, and the TPA yers'' names were disyed with different colors based on their origin. Earth was blue, Mars and Ceres were red, and the Kaedeians names were in purple which was also the color they adored so much in their culture. Just as in real life, Kaedeians were a cautious bunch even in the PA system as they barely participated as fighters but merely as audience members.

    Although most people would use a pseudonym online, most top notch students from S-ss academies prefer to use their real names, since it was a good way of getting themselves noticed by the military. That being said, even the students who were eager to prove themselves had obscured their tactics since those were the top secrets of every METAL fighter.

    Wang Tong logged on as he heard the system weing him as Einherjar and remembered that he wouldn''t even be here if not for Mr. Wannabe''s ceaseless pestering in the first ce. Aftering back from Norton, he started to disdain these virtual games: ¡°A real fight means life and death, blood and gore, and preferably, Zergs¡¯ blood,¡± Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Wang Tong registered as a TPA fighter without thinking, and together with Mr. Wannabe, they entered a jam-packed yer lobby. Wang Tong could hear Mr. Wannabe¡¯s words: "Find a good fighter and let¡¯s have some fun! Hurry!"

    Wang Tong looked at Mr. Wannabe¡¯s apparition in pity since he had remained a formless shadow even in this intangible cyberspace.

    "Don''t you worry, let me see. How about him?"

    "Boys and girls, Stock has won nine consecutive matches, if he wins the next bout, he will be able to ascend to the next level and gain ess to level three METAL suits, now, do we have a challenger?"

    The audiences let out envious cheers as the Master of Ceremonies announced Stock''s impressive fighting record.

    Stock, who stood on the stage, looked like an Earthling student in his twenties. He had fought his way there with a winning streak, one more victory and he would be able to sessfully ascend to a higher level.

    The METAL suits TPA used were programmed to resemble those employed by the military in real lifebat so that the students would get used to them before they used them on a battlefield. Just like the METAL suits in real life, the METAL suits in the game were divided into six tiers.

    The first tier, albeit basic, came with a variety of styles depending on the manufacturer, in order to fit different types of fighters.

    The second tier, equipped by only the elite fighters, was still mass produced.

    From the second to the third tier meant a leap in quality as the METAL suits were almost all custom-made for officers of the military.

    As for the fourth, fifth and the sixth tiers, they were truly one in a million gears, which were often imbued with cutting edge technologies to aid the user duringbat. They could rarely be seen, even among TPA matches, since the wearers, who were usually master fighters, wouldn''t care to show off in front of rookies.

    There was, however, one more tier above the sixth tier which was reserved exclusively for Einherjars and had never been spotted on the TPA system. That being said, in the virtual world of IPA, even the sixth tier METAL suit had flooded the online market, but they were merely fan-made replicas in the IPA league and should not be confused with the real deal.

    Knowing that this fight could be the only way of getting a defense-focused third tier suit before he graduated, Stoke was thrilled and nervous at the same time.

    "Who will challenge him?"

    Many fighters hesitated as the MC called out for challengers. Some fighters present were at a higher level than Stock if they enter the ring, not only would they receive a debuff on their higher tier METAL suit as per the gamew, it would also look bad on them for acting like a bully.

    "Go Stock go!"

    "You can do it!!"

    "You are the best!"

    The twenty or so teenagers who formed a ring surrounding the arena cheered for Stock, they were probably his ssmatesing to witness his ascension.

 Chapter 17: Piece of Cake

    Chapter 17: Piece of Cake

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    After a while, there still wasn¡¯t anyone willing to challenge Stoke. Most ascension matches like this were between two fighters of the same level. The cost of losing this battle would be steep on either side; therefore most of the same level fighters knew that Stoke wouldn¡¯t start this match without being well prepared, which was a factor that made them hesitate to take up the challenge.

    "May I try it?" Wang Tong said as he walked towards the ring.

    To the audience¡¯s surprise, the challenger wasn''t a Kaedeian nor an Ivantian, he was an Earthling boy, despite this, the crowd gave him thunderous cheers and apuded for his courage.

    Wang Tong''s entrance was much less elegant than otherpetitors¡¯, who usually would perform a stunning backflip or some sort of stunt to get onto the stage. Instead, Wang Tong climbed the stage so clumsily that it seemed as if he would fell off at any time. He looked back from time to time as if asking for the audience¡¯s help. Nheless, he made it to the top of the ring.

    "Einherjar Wannabe, are you sure you want to do this?" the referee asked Wang Tong. "ording to your profile, this is your first fight, if you lose in an ascension fight, it might substantially impede your progresster."

    "That''s fine. I''ll fight as long as I am allowed to." Wang Tong didn''t have much time to waste and wanted to finish it as soon as possible.

    "F*ck, Stock didn''t hire this noob didn''t he?"

    "Nah, I don¡¯t think so, I¡¯ve heard Stock is from Capth, a second-year student actually. I¡¯ve never heard of a Capth student that desperate."

    "I guess so. They are too pretentious to cheat anyways. On the same note, the Capth students have been bing increasingly powerfultely. Who would expect so much power from a second-year student?"

    "Where did this hillbilly came from anyways? He is suicidal!"

    "No kidding, Stock has hit the jackpot! Usually, the ascension matches are the toughest."

    "This is his first fight? Poor kid..."

    "Hey, that Wannabe dude, get off the arena! Stock doesn''t need a free victory." One of Stock''s rowdy ssmates yelled at Wang Tong. He and the other ssmates had believed that Stock would sessfully level up tonight and felt that such a cheap victory would only hurt Stock¡¯s reputation.

    "Mr. Wannabe, please confirm your challenge."

    Wang Tong nodded his head without any hesitation as he didn''t want to be mired in the rules and conventions of the game. Those were things that he couldn''t care less aboutpared to the thrill of a fight as they seemed superficial to the battle-hardened Wang Tong who had shed real blood and tears on Norton.

    "The fight is on!" The referee announced.

    "Here are the overviews of ourpetitors:

    Stoke: Seventeen, defense-focused METAL fighter.

    Equipped with the second ss METAL suit of the Golden Shield -Type A, a standard military grade provision.

    Score: Thirty-three wins and ten losses.

    Einherjar Wannabe: Sixteen.

    Equipped with... no... METAL suit."

    The referee became baffled as he read Wang Tong''s profile. It went without saying that all of the TPA fighters should have been equipped with at least a tier one suit, unlike Wang Tong who was currently wearing nothing.

    "Mr. Wannabe, please initiate your METAL suit, the fight is about to start."

    "What METAL suit? I don''t have one, let''s just do it, don''t doddle," Wang Tong said impatiently as he did not care to use a METAL suit nor had he ever used one.

    The crowd boiled over at Wang Tong''s arrogance and bloated self-confidence. Even those who didn''t care for the suit''s amplifying effect of their offensive ability still needed it for defense, as the METAL suit was an effective, if not the only, way to defend oneself against deadly GN strikes on their mortal flesh.

    Stock didn''t know what to make out of his opponent, a naive noob who looked more buff than other boys his age, a sign of potential body modification, a fact that Stock was hardly concerned with. He had entertained the idea of dropping his METAL suit for the sake of fairness, but Stock decided to y safe. After all, his ascension was at stake which made this a fight that he could not lose. For the sake of the third tier METAL suit, so be it if he had to get it with a cheap win.

    The referee consented to Wang Tong not wearing any METAL suit; he did it willingly so, at any rate, a referee''s duty was to ensure a fair fight, but not the safety of the fighters.

    "METAL, on!"

    Stock roared as a piece of crystal strapped on his wrist burst out a shining beacon along which a sharp de and a set of silver colored armor emerged to cover the vital parts of Stock''s body.

    Wang Tong watched with curiosity since this was the first time he had seen a METAL suit in live action and it had immediately piqued his interests.

    "Hey buddy, don''t expect me to go easy on you because you aren¡¯t wearing METAL for god knows what reason. Hope we have a good fight!"

    All Capth students were very polite and respectful to their opponents in the ring.

    Wang Tong shrugged his shoulders and said lightly, "Same here."

    Wang Tong then noticed a soft glow pouring out of Stock''s body as Stock initiated the Tactics of Nirvana-X, the audience gasped when the glow reached their eyes. Unknown to Wang Tong, this glow was an indication that Stock''s soul power had reached twenty "sols", in other words, Stock was worthy of the third tier METAL suit whose minimum requirement of the wearer''s sol amount was twenty.

    (Author''s note: METAL suits of different levels have different requirements of the user''s sol: tier one METAL suits required one sol, tier two required five, the third tier required twenty, and from there, the requirement grew almost exponentially. For example, in order for one to wear the fourth tier, one hundred sols was required; over two hundred for the fifth tier and the sixth tier METAL suit required five hundred sols. Thanks to this requirement, audiences could estimate urately a fighter''sbat ability based on the level of METAL suit they wore.)

    "I knew this guy had reserved his strength; it looks like he has at least twenty-five sols of soul power."

    "Bahk... he should have leveled up by now, he has been too modest in his ascension progress."

    The oue of the match seemed obvious.

    Stock plunged towards Wang Tong, using the striking technique called "Windward Consecutive Strikes"- a standard martial arts technique that was taught at Capth.

    Seemingly simple and unttering, this technique could strike fear into an opponent¡¯s heart when used right. After years of practice, Stock had mastered it; he delivered the impable three consecutive blows which formed a straight line that pointed towards Wang Tong, even the time intervals between the three quick strikes were precisely the same.

    This was Stock''s coup de grace, he had used it only twice out of nine matches before this one, and in both cases, he used it at the end of the match instead of at the beginning like in this match. Stock did so because he wanted to finish this ession match quickly and splendidly with a total victory.

    Unfortunately for Wang Tong, he did not even have the protection of a METAL suit. This meant that once the three blows had reached him, he will have lost this game. Everyone held their breath anticipating Stock¡¯s apparent victory.

    ¡°...Stock missed?¡± The audience fell into a state of disarray.

    Stock¡¯s aim was evidently true, but howe the blows had barely even grazed Wang Tong''s chest?

    Wang Tong didn''t pay attention to the fists that had just passed his body. He stepped casually to the side and delivered a blow towards Stock. To everyone''s amazement, Wang Tong''s blow was aimed directly at the shield on Stock''s METAL suit; everyone thought it was grimlyical that Wang Tong was going to try his human flesh against a METAL suit.

    Stock thought it was a madcap move as well, but he had no intention ofughing since he was upset and surprised that his coup de grace had been evaded.

    Wang Tong''s strike fell silently, Stock''s face was frozen as he heard two words from Wang Tong¡¯s mouth, "Too slow." One moment Stock¡¯s body was still upright and the next moment¡­ "bang", his body was erect no more, and his METAL shield shattered.

    Everything happened too fast! One second ago, his friends had raised their arms in excitement of theing victory after seeing Stock had used his coupe de grace. But one secondter, their arms were frozen in the air, and their mouths were wide open, but not a single syble came out of those gaping holes.

    "So quiet... what happened?"

    "That shield must be a knock-off. A knock-off product in the ATP league?"

    "He didn''t smash that shield with his bare hand, did he?"

    "Is he a real Einherjar?"

    It was said that only Einherjars ignored METAL suits in battle, and they seldom used METAL suits due to their already immense destructive power.

    Wang Tong shook his hand in pain and thought to himself, ¡°s*it, it hurts, that was a sturdy mother f*cking shield.¡± He did not notice the audience¡¯s stunned look as he signed off neither did he think that shattering a METAL shield was a big deal. To him, it was just a piece of cake, whenpared to ripping apart Zergs alive.

 Chapter 18: Attraction and Coercion

    Chapter 18: Attraction and Coercion

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong had already gotten bored with the game, but Mr. Wannabe was still thrilled by it. "Nice, nice! It was so much fun! However, your punch was too weak, if it had been me, I wouldn¡¯t even need to evade the strike in the first ce, one blow would settle the matter."

    "B*lls, this game is about skill, not brute force."

    "Skill my a**, if you had stepped left instead of right, you could have saved half of the maneuver time."

    "B*lls, the right side was more intuitive."

    "How dare you question me? You wanna bet? Stepping left would have saved you 0.03 seconds of time."

    "Yea I¡¯m down for the bet, I know I¡¯m right." Wang Tong had learned these techniques from battles with the Zergs; therefore, he was very confident to enter the bet.

    "Alright, here we go."

    Mr. Wannabe quickly performed two sets of moves, and stepping left was indeed quicker and more efficient than stepping right. Wang Tong felt dejected as he conceded his defeat. He felt like he could never be right in front of Mr. Wannabe as he always nipped away Wang Tong''s newly sprouted confidence.

    "Fine, a bet is a bet, what do you want, I don''t have money."

    "You piteous miser! Fine, let''s y another round of the game tomorrow, the noob we fought today was a piece of cake, tomorrow, we will find someone tougher. "

    "No, I don''t have time, I need to focus on my studies."

    "How about the day after tomorrow?"

    "No."

    "Oh.. for f*ck sake, don''t you want to be stronger? These fights are your greatest opportunities. Haven''t you seen those sleek moves of the Windward Consecutive Strikes? Why don''t you learn from others?"

    "Looking sleek would mean nothing when he had be a morsel in a Zerg''s mouth." Wang Tong had been tired with these set moves that were taught at schools as if they were being manufactured from a production line. He knew that they would be useless on a battlefield where even the Zergs knew to change their moves from time to time.

    "Yea, yea, I know you are disappointed, but yourst opponent had been too weak, more powerful fighters, like myself, of course, know to strike unpredictably." Wannabe digressed as he realized that he had overrated Stock''s moves which in truth were only fit for impressing girls. The principal of Capth might not react kindly if he had heard what these two had said about their student''s training.

    Wang Tong shook his head once again, unmoved by what Mr. Wannabe had said.

    "Well, sc*ew you! When then?" Mr. Wannabe started huffing and puffing again. "You little sh*t, don''t you know that being trustworthy is the number one merit of a man? A bet is a bet!"

    Driven speechless by Mr. Wannabe¡¯s words, Wang Tong pulled his hair in frustration and finally said, "This weekend!"

    "Haha, that''s more like it! Make sure that this time you find a worthy opponent, not some freak with a METAL suit fetish. A man, ought to fight with his bare fist!" Mr. Wannabe said as he squeezed his fists and raised them high up to pose like in one of his vague memories of some warrior¡¯s statue.

    Wang Tong hurried off to shut the crystal as he cringed at Mr. Wannabe''s gross ostentatious posture. He didn''t agree with what Mr. Wannabe had said; it was because of the METAL suit that humans stood a chance with the Zergs on the battlefield. If he had the chance to use one on Norton, he would have taken it in no time. Fighting in the game was nothing like fighting in a real war when soldiers act together as a group, which had given the Zergs a natural advantage due to theirrger numbers.

    "Stock! Stock!"

    Stock''s friends closed in on him in a circle around theputer. Capth had plenty of resources, it had installed aputer in every single ssroom, although they were only allowed to be used for ATP training.

    "This guy is suspicious, we should report him."

    "That¡¯s right; I just checked his profile, he¡¯s only sixteen years old, I bet he¡¯s a freshman in some academy."

    "No, I don¡¯t think he cheated, otherwise I would have already noticed," Stock said and fell into deep thought again.

    "Stock, are you sure? Anyways, I smell something fishy in the air; there is not a single student even in our school that can defeat you without using a METAL suit. It was imp¡ª"

    Stock cut him short with a wave of his arm, "I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just thinking..." suddenly Stock pped his hands, the loud noise startled his ssmates. "Holy Sh*t! Rey the video clip again."

    One of his ssmates clicked on the screen and brought back the video that Stock had recorded himself, his original intention, however, was to record his sessful ascension.

    When the video was reyed at a slower speed, everyone was astonished at what they saw- Wang Tong''s attack wasn''t a single action. Instead, he had attempted three other spots before he finally decided on a spot on the shield. "But why the shield? Everything seemed so crazy!" Stock thought to himself.

    As a matter of fact, Wang Tong''s attack wasn''t as sophisticated as they thought, he was simply testing the shield''s weak point, there was no point in wasting a strike without hitting the most vulnerable spot.

    "Zoom in on his eyes, zoom in... Okay, stop!" Stock said abruptly.

    Wang Tong had a cold and severe expression, as fearsome lights shed inside of Wang Tong''s eyes, his face was frozen on the screen, and it made everyone''s hair stand on end.

    The video record brought back Stock''s memory of that terrible moment when Wang Tong struck while he was frozen in fear and felt like being suffocated.

    "He has a terrible expression in his eyes." One of his ssmates noticed.

    Stock shook his head and said, "Not only does it look horrifying, but I can feel the equally horrifying power as well. Thescoco would finally have a worthy opponent after all if this dude is really from an academy."

    "For real? No way! Thescoco has been the champion among our second-year students for three consecutive terms; he is almost invincible."

    "Well, we will see when the two fight, if this guy continues to fight and win a few more rounds, I''m hopeful that we will see Thescoco taking his challenge soon."

    Thescoco was the best fighter among the second year students at Capth, not only could no one in his school year challenge him, even in the military, his strength would be on par with higher level officials. However, he rarely participated in the PA fights, not even in TPA.

    "Miao Xiu,e here, I found something interesting."

    "What''s up Luv Ma, I''m busy."

    "Give me a break; I know you are just talking to girls,e here!"

    Miao Xiu walked towards the screen nonchntly, but as soon as he saw what was on the screen, he became serious almost immediately. "Interesting¡­ send him an invitation for me please." Miao Xiu licked his lips, a reaction that had already be a muscle memory when he spotted prey.

    "He he, I knew you would be interested, look, this guy has a heavy punch."

    "Noob, can''t you see how much more brilliant his maneuver was? No wonder you can only major in Battlefield Commander. Ohh¡­ Look at his move! I really like this dude."

    Luv Ma believed in Miao Xiu¡¯s keen observation. After reexamining the video clip, Wang Tong''s clumsy moves suddenly appeared to be well orchestrated. However, Luv Ma was still wondering if Wang Tong was suicidal since he was fighting against a METAL fighter without wearing any METAL suit.

    Luv Ma believed in Miao Xiu''s judgment because he was well aware that despite his many notorious habits, such as being ignorant, and perverted, he was also one of the strongest fighters among the students. This was, allegedly, because he was born with an incredibly powerful GN power which gave him almost infinite potentials. Thanks to this gift, Miao Xiu was epted into the S-ss Starry Academy despite being a notorious trouble maker.

    "Luv Ma, what''s up with your name? Every time I¡¯ve brought a girl here, they always misunderstand me after I call your name. Can you change it please?"

    "F*ck off, you dirty pervert."

    Luv Ma can¡¯t help yelling at Miao Xiu, his best friend ever since childhood, who was also the only person that dared to make fun of his name. Despite Miao Xiu''s bad joke, Luv Ma had noticed that Miao Xiu had an excited expression in his eyes which hadn''t been seen in ages.

 Chapter 19: Hellish Monthly Test

    Chapter 19: Hellish Monthly Test

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Stock was a rtively unknown yer; therefore the match went unnoticed by the majority of the online spectators, and none of those who had attended learned the identity of the powerful yet mysterious boy. Soon, Wang Tong''s victory became only one of the many miraculous fights on TPA, as it faded away like a faint ping among the mors of the online world.

    ¡°Faculty of METAL Fighter? No, no, no!" Wang Tong wouldn''t choose such a useless major; he had chosen the faculty of Battlefield Command which once he had graduated, would guarantee him an officer post in the military.

    To Wang Tong, it went without saying that an officer position was not only a much safer upation whenpared to soldiers on the ground, but they also had a cushier paycheck, and more importantly, their silver-white attire would attract the admiration of many girls.

    "There is no way," Wang Tong told himself, "That I will choose to be a METAL fighter over an officer."

    However, Wang Tong had banged his head against the wall on the first day of ss, and it turned out that to be a battlefieldmander was much, much harder than Wang Tong had imagined. He needed to master not only the tactics, but also many other subjects such as astronomy, geology, biology, physics, and the list did not end there as each of the core subjects also came with a plethora of rted sses whose unfamiliar jargon had churned Wang Tong¡¯s stomach.

    Despite the falling reputation of Ayrng Academy, the atmosphere on campus remained healthy andpetitive in opposition to the unfounded rumors about its lenient curriculum.

    Wang Tong decided to deploy the "Tactics of Muddle Around" which he had learned from Old Fart, thinking that as long as he wouldn''t make any major mistakes, he would be able to graduate eventually. However, a new message popup on his sky messenger system had blown up this wishful thinking and distressed Wang Tong tremendously. The message, from the principal herself, informed Wang Tong that he had been assigned to ss-F of the battlefieldmander major which opened six sses, ranging from A to F.

    At first sight, Wang Tong had thought the arrangement of him in the lowest level was based on the order of registration, since he had registeredte for the term. But he soon learned that the arrangement was actually based on high school grades. In addition, it depended on the score of the monthly test. One could advance into better sses or vice versa depending on the scores. Already at the lowest level, Wang Tong then faced a grim reality of being expelled if he failed the monthly test in twelve days.

    Suddenly faced with an impossible task and assaulted by irrevocable stress, Wang Tong hallucinated the slip from the principal with a word in bold red ink that said "Expelled," which sent him into a panic attack.

    In the former concierge''s amodation that was only a few paces away from the girl''s dormitory, a saddened howl suddenly rose up and pierced the calm air of the quiet afternoon.

    Fortunately, Wang Tong was not a person that gave up easily. He walked into the principal¡¯s office and was hopeful to make a case for himself.

    He saw the young principal acknowledge him as he walked in, "Look at her," Wang Tong thought. "She is not that much older than me, but already the principal in an A-ss institute.¡±

    "Wang Tong, are you looking for me?" Samantha said it as if she had been expecting him. Indeed she was, she had seen it many times before, that people who fell behind were always the first ones toin.

    Wang Tong cleared his throat, he had to tread carefully. "Principal, I am wondering if you could dy my monthly test. You see, I have just started, I haven''t really had much time to study yet."

    Samantha cracked a smile, but her eyes shined a sharp light that pointed at Wang Tong like a steelnce ready to thrust. "I am sorry Wang Tong, I am afraid that I cannot make an exception for you since I don''t want to send the wrong message to the other students. I hope you understand. I am in the process of revitalizing the school''s discipline process. I hope you don¡¯t get too stressed out about the test, the first one will be easy, you will pass, as long as you study for it."

    Wang Tong didn''t believe her for a second as he saw through her deception as Samantha''s cold eyes betrayed her. Wang Tong had heard that she was a ¡°bee¡± with an itch when it came down to discipline and regtions, and he knew that she meant it was him that needed to be "revitalized".

    "Please, this is not fair to me!" The air in the principal¡¯s office suddenly tensed up.

    ¡°Knock. Knock.¡± Someone was at the door.

    "Come in."

    "Principal Saman¡ª" A girl walked in and was aghast when she noticed Wang Tong as if she was expecting Samantha to be alone in her office.

    One second Wang Tong was still engrossed in his indignant rage, and one secondter, as Wang Tong turned his head to the new visitor, he had lost himself at the sight of the beautiful and innocent looking girl in front of him. She wore a fresh white T-shirt, a pair of dark denim hot pants which revealed her long and fine legs that drew elegant lines along lush curves. Her hair had been braided into a ponytail, Wang Tong''s favorite style on a girl, which made her look both innocent and pragmatic. She watched Wang Tong and revealed rows of white and neatly set teeth as she gave him a charming smile.

    Struck by her innocent beauty, Wang Tong ogled her for over three seconds thinking of nothing else.

    "Xiaoru, you came just in time. Wang Tong, as I was telling you, everyone in our school gets the same treatment. Ma Xiaoru for example, entered our academy one day after you did, yet she is also subject to the monthly test, just like you and everyone else, and she epted the tests as a challenge instead of a threat."

    "Yes Principal, I will try my best," the girl said to Samantha.

    Wang Tong''s anger and indignation sumbed to the eloquent duet. Samantha was right, dying his test wouldn''t help him, he would fail the monthly test no matter how much extra time he was allowed. Studying just wasn¡¯t something that Wang Tong was good at.

    By then, he had started to regret taking the major in battlefieldmand, but for the sake of his pride in front of such a beautiful girl, he didn¡¯t ask to change his major to METAL fighter.

    "F*ck, I¡¯ll have to man it through then I guess, my luck can''t get any worse after Norton anyways," Wang Tong thought as he walked out of the principal¡¯s office, looking deted.

    "Sam, is that the bad apple you were talking about?" The corners of Ma Xiaoru¡¯s mouth lifted as she covered them with a palm, trying to hide her smile.

    "Yes, that is him. I have seen his middle school grades, it was a disaster. Sigh... if not for the referral letter from the Confederation, he would never have been able to step inside of Ayrng. Anyhow, he now makes a perfect target for my revitalization n, it¡¯s a matter of time for him to be expelled, plus, I have you now, I''m confident we will be able to bring back Ayrng onto the right track."

    "It is very nice of you to say that sister, I will try my best."

    "No need to be modest, I know that there were lots of schools that fought for you, I can''t be more grateful to you foring here while turning down schools such as Capth,¡± Samantha smiled as she spoke, something she rarely did, except for when she was talking to Ma Xiaoru.

    "No matter how you look at it, we are responsible for putting Ayrng back on track again."

    "Hehe, how''s your old man doing? I hope you two have figured things out?" Samantha smiled.

    Ma Xiaoru drew her teeth in a seemingly innocent grin as she nodded her head. If Wang Tong saw her smile then, he might have lost himself again.

    Ma Xiaoru, heir of the FFC Corporation, descendant of Ma Ka, had epted Samantha''s invitation to Ayrng as soon as she received the message. She went there with the hope of helping her friend and sister Samantha to save Ayrng. Contrary to the older folks who would rather see Ayrng fail in ordance with thew of the jungle, the younger generations were more willing to make the necessary personal sacrifices to stop a formerly legendary school''s recent declining trend.

    The Ma family and Samantha''s family had been friends over generations, and the two of them had known each other since childhood. Ma Xiaoru had be popr among schools not only because of her prestigious heritage but also the fact that she had been practicing the Tactics of the Enchantress, the most powerful tactics when practiced by a woman.

    Due to the low morale of the school, Samantha figured that she would need a champion to lead the students, and an exceptionally talented student like Ma Xiaoru was the perfect candidate.

    The cruel reality had clubbed Wang Tong''s shred of hope in its infancy, not only would he lose the opportunity to be an officer, but an even more dire consequence was that he would have to also lose his amodation, and that had set thest straw on Wang Tong¡¯s back.

    As soon as he got back to his room, he buried himself in a pile of textbooks. As he was assaulted repetitively by the grotesque technical jargon, he felt that his study was even more daunting than fighting with Zergs.

    "Ha ha ha, little shit, there is something that you can''t do after all, why don''t you ask for help from a wise teacher? There''s one right in front of you," Mr. Wannabe''s voice rose as the crystal lit up.

    "Ah, that''s right." Wang Tong said as he pped his head, ¡±Hehe, Mr. Wannabe, you have to help me, this test is a matter of life and death for me. Here, can you exin these to me?"

    Mr. Wannabe nodded in approval of his modesty as he read through the page pointed out by Wang Tong.

    "Fundamental principles in astral energy divergence as #%#! Morgen''s Law from the ^$*&$ Theory of Entanglement."

    Silence fell in the former concierge¡¯s tiny room.

    Mr. Wannabe wrenched his gaze from the book after he had studied the pages for an excessively long amount of time as he broke the silence, "Kiddo, you need to learn to be independent, I can''t help you for the rest of your life. Ahhh... my bones, I''m tired, I think I will hit the hay right now."

    Mr. Wannabe disappeared and left Wang Tong speechless and helpless; hisst shred of hope had just burst like a bubble.

 Chapter 20: Lazy Bird

    Chapter 20: Lazy Bird

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong knew that the world would still go on its own way with or without him.

    After his persistent requests, the school finally agreed to assign him a tutor; in addition, Samantha had also allowed an exception for Wang Tong such that he would pass the test with a score of 50%, instead of 60%. It was merely a perfunctory gesture as she knew that even 50% posed a challenge for Wang Tong.

    After this turn of events, Wang Tong had given up on the "Tactics of Muddle Around" as he started to understand the reason behind thepetitiveness of his ssmates.

    To the rest of the students, despite the stringent monthly tests, the situation at Ayrng wasn''t entirely stark, as more equipment was being purchased as well as better teachers were being recruited. However, none of those improvements had piqued as much interest of the students as a development that had quickly be viral news: Ma Xiaoru had epted Ayrng Academy''s offer.

    Pearl of the FFC Corporation, one of the top ten wealthiest people and also a member of the five major families, Ma Xiaoru was the embodiment of wealth and power.

    On top of that, the tactics that she had been practicing, the Tactics of Enchantress, was not only one of the most deadly and well-guarded tactics, but it also proved to be inhuman in power on the battlefield, since the tactics required an enormous amount of soul energy beyond what an ordinary human would possess.

    Thanks to her advantages, she was favored and fawned over by countless military academies even including those on the Moon and Mars, but she eventually had chosen toe to Ayrng. It went without saying that her arrival had boosted Ayrng student''s confidence.

    It seemed natural that Ma Xiaoru was epted into an A level ss, but to everyone''s surprise, she had volunteered to attend the F level ss as she wanted to prove herself through the monthly tests. This had made the indignant and wavering students who were upset about the new system be suddenly quiet over the matter.

    Principal Samantha''s n seemed to be unfolding in the way that she had intended it to, and it seemed to everyone that restoring the former glory of Ayrng might not be that far-fetched after all.

    All of the students of the F ss had been instilled with anticipation; some found it hard to believe that a privileged "princess" woulde to attend ss with them in this dpidated ssroom with dated equipment.

    On the contrary, the A ss''s ssroom was spacious and came with all of the bells and whistles, including an attractive looking ssroom stewardess.

    Every day, as the F ss students hurried off to clean their ssroom under the stringent supervision of a grumpy middle-aged woman, the students in the A ss were sipping fresh coffees brewed and served by their cute stewardess while they basked in the bright sunshine that poured through the immactely clean windows tended by professional janitors.

    It went without saying that the contrast of the lives in the two ssrooms was drastic and resentment rose against the unjust system among those who felt it was repressive and inhumane to students with a lower grade.

    Samantha had ignored their protests and rejected their appeals which might seem unfair on the surface; however, upon closer inspection, it was a well-bnced system that ensured that every student had the same amount of opportunity to ess the school''s resources, a crucial element in restoring order to Ayrng.

    That being said, students of the F ss had more or less received some morale shock after such extreme measures, if being pushed too far, they might quit school en masse like routing soldiers in a losing battle, and this was where Ma Xiaoru came into the picture.

    The students boiled over the moment Ma Xiaoru walked into the F ss ssroom. "It was real! She is here!"

    To be fair, the students of the F ss still had above average grades whenpared to the students of the Confederation overall, with Wang Tong being the only exception, like all of the other good students, they have the skills of getting a good grade, and all they needed was an encouragement.

    There was no need to worry about the envy of other female students at the arrival of Ma Xiaoru because there were no other girls in the ss. Most girls at Ayrng scored higher in tests than boys, resulting in the bleak and cruel scene of a sausage fest in the F ss.

    However, Ma Xiaoru had erased the bleakness and ignited the power of testosterone inside of her ssmates, leaving the boys agitated and eager to prove themselves.

    Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile and bowed: "Hi, my name is Ma Xiaoru, I will be your ssmate. I thank you guys in advance for your support in the future."

    Her words drifted across the ssroom like a warm wind in the spring that melted the ice and beckoned the flowers to bloom. The boys of the ss were touched by the soft words and felt like they were being surrounded by warmth and hope.

    Wang Tong had noticed his ssmates'' agitation and stood in awe of his principal''s ability to manipte their state of mind. Meanwhile, he cautioned himself to not get in the way of Samantha, fearing any other ploys she had up her sleeves.

    Despite being deployed by Samantha as a ruse, Ma Xiaoru''s beauty was undeniable. Wang Tong¡¯s attention was drawn to her, by then with the knowledge of her heritage, he became mesmerized by her approachable personality in addition to her beauty. However, Wang Tong knew that her being approachable did not change the fact that he had no chance of dating a diva like her; the gap in-between them was unbridgeable.

    "Wang Tong, nice to see you again," Ma Xiaoru said to Wang Tong with a smile.

    Wang Tong nodded: "Nice to see you too; I didn''t expect to see you here, though."

    "Well, I¡¯m here. We will work hard together from now on. Cheers!" Ma Xiaoru extended her hand for a handshake.

    Wang Tong shivered at an uncontroble sensation when his fingers slid into her smooth and soft little palm. He struggled to regain control of his mind and replied with great difficulties in pronouncing the two simple words, "Will. Do."

    Ma Xiaoru sat side by side with Wang Tong, a clear message to everyone that the school would treat everyone as equal.

    The boys in the ssroom teemed with earnest enthusiasm in their study after Ma Xiaoru''s arrival and all of them wanted to prove themselves in front of her. Inspired by his ssmates, Wang Tong decided to study harder as well; after all, his grade was the lowest even in the F ss.

    For the next few days, Wang Tong had engrossed himself in piles of textbooks, even though the beginning chapters of most textbooks were simply scraping the surface, there was still a great deal of terminology which Wang Tong had to give up on due to his severely inadequate prerequisites.

    Despite only being seen during sses, Ma Xiaoru had cleared her ssmates'' sense of inferiority which even made the students of other sses envious. Everyone devoted all of their testosteroneced energies into preparing for the monthly test, should they continue their hard work, then theing monthly test would pose no threat to anyone in F ss, except for Wang Tong.

    "Don''t you think I''m too dumb for this?" Wang Tong said as he was still unsure about the test.

    Mr. Wannabe was watching a movie, hearing this he waved his arm impatiently to cut him short. "It has nothing to do with your IQ. You are simply too far behind. You won''t catch up no matter how hard you try."

    "But my soul power was able to increase so drastically when I tried, why can''t my textbook knowledge be the same?!" Wang Tong said indignantly.

    He had been trying his best and had devoted most of his time to studying the textbooks. He even skipped all of the METAL fighter sses and the ss on Zergs, neither of which he thought were important at the time since the METAL ss had been all about basic theories that he didn''t care about and thetter seemed even more redundant to him since he had practically lived with Zergs on Norton.

    "Pff, your puny power can only kill bugs and bully noobs. A real master can kill you with a flick of the finger."

    Wang Tong never expected to hear any encouragement from Mr. Wannabe, he simply scowled at Mr. Wannabe who had already immersed himself in the mors of the TV, and Wang Tong immediately buried his face once again in the pile of textbooks.

 Chapter 21: Butterfingers

    Chapter 21: Butterfingers

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    A great explorer used to say, "What exhausts me isn''t the high mountain peaks, but that grain of sand that is stuck on my insole."

    Wang Tong felt that Applied Math was that grain of sand rubbing him irritatingly on his climb of the seemingly imprable peak, the monthly test. It rubbed him in the ssroom, outside of the ssroom, on weekdays, and also on weekends. The ceaseless irritation exhausted him, and he didn''t even have a moment of respite to savor the wonderful fact that he was only a few paces away from the girl''s dormitory.

    "I still don¡¯t understand this," Wang Tong thought, "Why would a battlefieldmander need to know the application of math in building a warship?" Annoyance aside, the difficulties of these subjects had inspired awe in Wang Tong towards those who took the major in Applied Science. He could not even fathom their intelligence and thought there was no surprise that major weapon manufacturers chased after their talents as soon as they were graduated.

    "Hey Kiddo, it¡¯s about time."

    "About time for what?"

    "Your debts, I had been waiting for a week, it''s about time for us to go for another fight in the PA, and don''t youin about me disturbing your studies, I have given you a lot of time."

    "Ahh, right, I almost forgot about it! Let''s do it." Wang Tong was d that Mr. Wannabe brought it up, since he had been desperate to take a break from studying over the weekend, and the fight had just given him a perfect excuse.

    Surprised at how easily Wang Tong had agreed, Mr. Wannabe nodded: "Excellent, you are quite a help after all."

    After Wang Tong''s careful assessment, he was confident that Samantha would be disappointed at the oue of her n to get rid of him, thanks to two ace cards up his sleeve that he would leverage during the monthly test.

    Knowing he wouldn''t need to do well in any of the basic subjects, Wang Tong fled away from the hellish theories of numerals, leaving a gust of wind that swooped up a few pages and messed up the neatly arranged notes.

    The owner of the Dream-Heaven recognized Wang Tong immediately as he stepped in, he smiled at Wang Tong and said, "Hey buddy, I left the terminal number five just for you, it''s one of our best."

    "Thank you," Wang Tong nodded. He didn''t care about the quality of the terminals, as long as he could vent his thirst for battle. The sudden transition from the savagery on Norton to the quiet, if not boring, studies at Ayrng, had made him thirst for the thrill of battles.

    He logged onto PA as he noticed a message in his mailbox, a challenge invitation.

    "Kiddo, find a tougher opponent this time, they don''t seem to teach the students like they used to anymore, they¡¯re too weak even for you," Mr. Wannabe grumbled.

    Wang Tong knew there were tougher opponents out there somewhere, but the problem was where to find them, the search was made more difficult due to Wang Tong''s low level since it would deter most strong yers as they too were searching for worthy opponents.

    Upon closer examination of the profile of the two challengers who had left him the message, Wang Tong noticed that both of them were under twenty but already had been using third tier METAL suits. Unfortunately they were both offline; otherwise, they would have been the opponents Wang Tong was looking for.

    Since the time spent on cultivation had a significant impact on one''s strength, TPA had devised an age rule which divided the yers into a few age groups in order to bnce the in-gamepetition.

    yers who aged twenty or under formed a group and from there, every five more years of age formed a subsequent age group since five years'' of cultivation would have made a noticeable uptick in one''s strength.

    The minimum age of fifteen for the mind opening operation was also carefully devised by the Confederation in order to minimize the risk of mental instability at any younger ages. Only a few prestigious ancient families who were said to be immune to bing deranged had attempted to open their EMF at a younger age than fifteen, and there had been only very few who had sessfully done that.

    Both Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe stared at the live feeds of a few dozen matches in search of a better opponent, and soon their vision merged onto the same screen which was broadcasting match number eighteen.

    As Wang Tong walked into the arena with confident strides, he noticed that the ce had been jam-packed with a couple thousand audience members, a clear indication of the strength and level of the yers on the stage.

    "Gale-de had won fifty-six consecutive fights; he is perhaps the best of the best among those who wear a third tier METAL suit."

    "No kidding, his potent de strike could overwhelm any opponent in an instant."

    "I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s from the military, a ferocious beast chained by military discipline during the day, and in the night, he alwayses here to vent his thirst for violence."

    "He is just another typical Martian. They say Earthlings are superficial, Ivantians are pretentious, and Martians are ostentatious."

    Wang Tong watched as Gale-de stood on the stage amidst the cheers, his de was held pompously above his head. His taunting gesture had made Wang Tong think that he was waiting for a challenger, so Wang Tong walked up to the stage without any invitation.

    "Mr. Einherjar Wannabe, the match is over, please arrange your challenge another day," the referee stopped Wang Tong and said, "And be aware that this match was for higher levelpetitors only."

    "Ahh... I am sorry." Wang Tong felt embarrassed in front of a couple of thousand sets of eyes, and he cursed at the overly abundant rules of the game. A thinyer of sweat clung to his forehead then looked shiny under the dazzling stage lights.

    "Yo, you there, challenge epted, you won''tst long anyway." Wang Tong piqued Gale-de''s interest after he had seen that the challenger was an Earthling. Same as Wang Tong, brash Martians never cared much for rules, their motto was "punch first, think second."

    "Great!" Wang Tong turned around to face Gale-de who was ready to teach this noob a lesson.

    The audience didn''t expect Want Tong''s challenge to be epted, nor did they care if it was since Wang Tong seemed to be even weaker than thest challenger who was K.O.ed by Gale-de in the blink of an eye. More and more people stood up from their seats and were ready to leave the arena.

    "Hey, you wimp! I bet you won''t even be able to withstand one of my strikes," Gale-de yelled at Wang Tong pompously. "Put your METAL on, and try not to cry like a baby after I have beaten your b*tt!"

    "No need for a METAL suit, I''m just here for some fun," Wang Tong said and smiled at his opponent.

    "Then you die!" Without even giving a fraction of a second for Wang Tong to get ready, Gale-deshed out a strike which emanated a sharp and powerful force as it traveled through the air.

    Silence fell, Gale-de''s weapon magically disappeared from his hand before it reached Wang Tong.

    This turn of events had shocked everyone. The audience who had stood up to leave then, sat down and watched in bafflement. "What the heck had just happened?" they all asked the same question in their minds.

    Wang Tong cracked a broad smile as he handed the de back to Gale-de and said, "I''m sorry, here is your de, let''s try it again, this time hold your weapon tighter, butterfingers."

 Chapter 22: Gale-Blade

    Chapter 22: Gale-de

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    As he grabbed the de that was handed over to him, Gale-de conceded the fact that Wang Tong was not a wimp, but a strong opponent, he gathered himself to concentrate on the fight. "Hey yo, put on your METAL suit man, I''m not gonna go easy on you this time."

    "Don''t you worry about it, do your best, I really wish to see the famous move ''Strike of the Gale de''."

    The slightly arrogant tone in Wang Tong''s words had provoked Gale-de. If he didn''t know that this so called Einherjar Wannabe was only sixteen years old, Gale-de would have thought that he had met a master level opponent.

    Gale de held a serious expression in his eyes, as a deep whir became audible after his soul energy erupted from the nexus, driven by the perpetuating pulses of GN force.

    "Taste this!"

    Gale-de took a step forward and thudded the sole of his boots t on the ground as the de, held tight in a pair of hands with whitening knuckles, swooped in a half circle.

    This was a ferocious battle hardened strike technique, one could even feel the weight carried by the strike in a meter distance, but Wang Tong stood still without even flinching which made the audience think that Wang Tong might have gone mad.

    "Gods" someone in the audience seats let out a disbelieving cry.

    Just when the strike reached the peak of its strength, its momentum ceased as Wang Tong held the back of the de with two fingers that had crept there unnoticed in the middle of Gale-de''s powerful and swift strike.

    "I told you, do your best." Wang Tong jolted his hand and sent Gale-de staggering a few steps back.

    The crowd was sizzling with disbelief and astonishment. It had happened so fast that no one could see how a bare hand could stop such a powerful attack infused with GN force.

    Gale-de did not take advantage of the amplifying effect of his METAL suit, the offense focused Martian Feral Beast-X. But after he tasted humiliation for the second time, he allowed his METAL suit''s effect to kick in as his armor started to emanate a faint dark red light which contrasted with the fiery expression in his eyes.

    Energy started to build up in Gale-de''s dantian, his eyes locked onto Wang Tong like a stalking lion ready to pounce on its prey. He was about to deploy his coup de grace, the ultimate strike of Gale-de. It was this spectacr move which the audience had been waiting to witness at every round of Gale-de¡¯s fight.

    Like most Martian''s brashbat style, this coup de grace required the attacker to give up all defenses and to go almost berserk; in return, it would strike a paralyzing fear into an opponent''s heart. Even a flinch of the opponent meant their catastrophic defeat under the overwhelmingly ferocious momentum of the attack.

    Wang Tong could tell that this attack was different than the previous two as its aim was more precise, its force was more brutal, and above all, this strike was infused with sizzling GN force amplified by a METAL suit, which could disintegrate any human flesh upon contact. But Wang Tong simply stepped back casually without flinching.

    One notable characteristic of a Martian''s attack was its sheer speed as their non-stop assault would leave no opportunity for the opponent to counter, which always had turned the match into a solo performance.

    As each and every strike fell towards Wang Tong, a swirlingnce of ruby light spilled out from the de, filling the arena with red shes; however, Wang Tong didn¡¯t flinch nor did he step back any further and, instead swayed his body at will from side to side, evading the singeing attacks.

    ¡°Hack, hack, hack¡­¡± Gale-de seemed to have lost his consciousness as he poured out the momentous strikes like the suffocating wild gales on the ragged mountain peaks.

    There was a total of twenty-eight consecutive hacks and shes in one round of Strike of the Gale de, but when the 28th sh fell to the end of its strength, Wang Tong was perfectly unharmed. With one hand, Wang Tong mped tightly to the back of the de which had fallen still right below his groin, the other hand followed with a palm strike towards Gale-de.

    The battle-hardened Martian suddenly swayed his body to one side, twisting the handle in one hand so that the de broke free from Wang Tong''s iron mp. With the sharp edge of the de then facing upwards pointing directly at Wang Tong''s groin, Gale-de struck hard as he yanked his arm up to destroy whatever lies in-between his groin. Wang Tong didn''t freak out at the despicable move out of primal instinct like most people would have; he calmly hugged closer towards the attacker and wrapped his arm around Gale-de''s head swiftly and quietly like a pythontching onto arge sized prey.

    As Wang Tong¡¯s body turned around, so did the neck in his arms¡¯ firm embrace, and then the match was over with a crisp snap of neck bone.

    Wang Tong didn''t intend the battle to end in such a brutal way, but that "neck twisting" move had already be muscle memory while fighting against the Zergs, as it was necessary in order to prevent the severely wounded ones from willingly exploding their body as a suicide attack.

    First, the audience members were speechless, then quickly arguments erupted among them over the origin of this mysterious "neck twister". Some had asserted that, based on their years of fanboy/girl experience, the "neck twister" must have executed his move many times before since his movement looked effortlessly fluid. But everyone was sure about one fact, that Wang Tong was not from the military nor any schools since "neck twisting" would never be allowed to be taught.

    Wang Tong noticed the searing looks beamed at him, he turned on his heel to hurry off the stage as he feared the crowd would boil over at his unconventional technique.

    "Why are we leaving? You just fought anotherme noob, ¡®Gale-de¡¯... pff¡­ worse than a butter knife!" Mr. Wannabe said in an unsatisfied tone.

    "He was not bad, especially thest attack, it was powerful; albeitcking in speed, it¡¯s better suited to war rather than duels like this."

    "Since when did you be so modest? Anyhow, we need to find a tougher opponent, there have to be some matches for truly powerful fighters."

    "I agree," Wang Tong said as he checked the game manual, and indeed there were matches for higher level yers, but with Wang Tong''s current level, he stood no chance of participating in those matches.

    "Miao Xiu, Miao Xiu,e see, Einherjar Wannabe has been ying again, and he has just defeated a dude with a third tier METAL suit."

    "Watch him for me; I''ll be there right away!"

    Miao Xiu stopped messing around with a cute girl in his arms; to him, a thrilling fight always seemed more tempting than the soft body of a girl.

    A challenge message appeared in Wang Tong''s mailbox as he started to feel helpless in joining any higher level matches. He studied the challenger''s profile: "Forty wins and zero loss." Wang Tong figured that he was either a bad-ass fighter or he cheated, that would be the only two exnation for a 100% winning rate.

    "Maybe we should give it a try?" Mr. Wannabe pleaded as he didn''t want to stand around and wait since Wang Tong likely wouldn''t be able to wait for very long before he had to head back to school which meant Mr. Wannabe would have to wait for another full week.

    "Sure," Wang Tong epted the challenge.

    "Hurry Miao Xiu, he has epted your challenge, I have picked the location for you. Everything is the same old,¡± Luv Ma cracked a smile as he spoke. Luv Ma was well aware of Miao Xiu''s strength; after all, he had defeated forty high-level fighters without losing once. The reason that he was rtively unheard of was mainly because of Miao Xiu¡¯s pet peeve with the crowd, as he put it, "Too many audience members make me feel like a circus monkey." Therefore he gradually self-ostracized from the TPA but had been causing trouble in real life instead.

    That was right; Miao Xiu had injured an instructor on the first day of school.

    "There we go, don''t let me down dude, I had to give up a sweet night just toe here to fight you," Miao Xiu muttered anxiously.

    Both Wang Tong and Miao Xiu arrived at the designated battleground, and both were filled with anticipation. This battle ground was very secluded with a very small audience. Just like in the real world, there were also introverts and extroverts in the game world.

    None of this mattered to Wang Tong since he did not know anyone anyways.

    Soon the two challengers appeared, one called "Nonchnt yboy" and the other called "Sharp Razor". Wang Tong watched them as he noticed how well-defined their facial features were, ¡°They must be Ivantians,¡± he thought.

    Something stirred the air around Wang Tong''s ear, a pulse of energy perhaps, he watched as Nonchnt yboy gave him an agitated grin.

 Chapter 23: The Followers of the Templar

    Chapter 23: The Followers of the Temr

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Hehe Kiddo, we have finally met a worthy opponent, I bet his soul power is on par with yours!" Mr. Wannabe was very excited to finally be able to watch a good fight.

    Unlike most fighters who would focus on cultivating soul power while ignoring the technique of challenging one''s GN power, Wang Tong''s power was unconventional, although he had only about 100 sols of soul power, the effect of the 100 sols was deadly thanks to his almost impable skill in channeling his GN power, a talent that had even made Mr. Wannabe feel jealous.

    Although he was impressed by Wang Tong''s raw talent, Mr. Wannabe was also aware that Wang Tong still had a long way to go in order to catch up with master level fighters; therefore, he had been nipping away at Wang Tong''scency, trying to drive him to improve. That was the reason why Mr. Wannabe always acted as if he never approved of Wang Tong''s achievements. Although it would hurt Wang Tong''s feelings, it was also an effective way to get the message across when Mr. Wannabe could not fight Wang Tong himself and make the point directly.

    Wang Tong had learned many wild and unrestricted moves in desperatebat with Zergs, but that did not undermine the power of the coup de grace of major sects since they had withstood the test of time.

    Sharp Razor cracked a smile and said to Wang Tong, "Fellow Brother, me and my friend Nonchnt yboy, a master swords yer, were utterly impressed by your performance¡ª"

    "Save the courtesy, let¡¯s begin, with METAL or not, you decide," Nonchnt yboy spoke frankly and cut Sharp Razor short.

    "I don''t have a METAL suit; it''s up to you if you want to wear it or not."

    Nonchnt yboy was bemused for a second and broke outughing, "Sh*t, and I thought I was arrogant. It would take a Temr''s follower to defeat me; you are just full of yourself."

    "Temr''s follower? What the heck is that?" Wang Tong asked in confusion.

    Both opponents shrugged their shoulders at Wang Tong, it then seemed evident to them that Wang Tong was just another powerful but ordinary fighter since he was oblivious about the followers of the Temr.

    "Don''t worry about it, let''s just fight." Miao Xiu reckoned that it would be just another match with an ordinary opponent; he just wanted to finish it as soon as possible.

    Wang Tong liked his brashness and said, "Alright, let''s begin."

    Luv Ma, aka Sharp Razor, retreated to a corner of the arena. There were no referees to keep tab of both fighters¡¯ scores as these fights were usually quick and decisive.

    As soon as the ring was cleared, Nonchnt yboy smiled casually at Wang Tong as if he was waiting for Wang Tong to strike first. Wang Tong seemed to have understood his opponent''s intentions, but just when he was least expecting it, his seemingly nonchnt opponent had acted first and attacked Wang Tong with surprise.

    However, Wang Tong was not startled by the sneak attack, as he dashed forward, mirroring his opponent''s move.

    What followed were a few dozen exchanges of fist punches and sword shes. Luv Ma observed every move of the two fighters and paid particr attention to Wang Tong as he noticed that Wang Tong''s soul power was at least on par with Miao Xiu¡¯s; his GN power, however, as Luv Ma estimated, must be even stronger. It was hard for him to believe that someone with this much power was not one of the followers, not to mention being oblivious about it.

    Although Wang Tong had proven to be a worthy opponent, Luv Ma was then still confident that Miao Xiu''s victory was only a matter of time. Miao Xiu had been a follower of the Temr ever since he was sixteen, and under the Temrs, he had been studying the sacred tactics of Hexa Sires, and through years of cultivation, his EMF had reached at least one hundred sols. His deadly power was further enhanced by his keen sense on the battlefield. Miao Xiu''s victory was imminent.

    Both fighters had exchanged another fifty or so rounds of attacks, and thest exchange ended in an explosive impact which staggered both of them back.

    "Awesome, f*cking awesome, indeed you are different from the other useless garbage!" Miao Xiu had been scolded by his teacher many times because of his profanity, yet it kept on pouring out of his mouth.

    "You are not bad yourself." Wang Tong jumped to his feet, feeling fortunate to have such a strong opponent who fights refreshingly different from the Zergs, and he also restored some of his faith in human''sbat ability.

    Wang Tong cannot find any sign of weakness in any of Nonchnt yboy moves as every one of Wang Tong''s attacks were perfectly countered. He had never fought such a tough opponent like him whose defense and offense were so tightly interwoven with each other and every single movement was executed wlessly with its full intent.

    "I am just about to get serious."

    "Same here."

    Miao Xiu channeled his soul power into his sword as the wave of energy emanating from the sword expanded slowly. Seeing that Miao Xiu was about to unleash his true power, Luv Ma be agitated. He was excited to witness the Temr''s coup de grace, a rare sight to behold despite the fact that Miao Xiu was still a follower.

    The sword strike unleashed a concentrated beam of energy. Even the air around Miao Xiu seemed dreary when he became serious about his opponent. As Miao Xiu finished his move, Luv Ma had noticed that he had used the standard tactics taught at the Starry Sky Academy, the Tactics of Star Swords, which he had already mastered, although Miao Xiu had just learned it a few weeks ago.

    Wang Tong immediately felt pressured by the iing sleuth of attacks, every move was quickly followed by another, and with every move, both attack and defense were at an unstoppable rhythm, which rendered Wang Tong¡¯s counter attack ineffectual. There was a reason for the S-ss Academy to choose the Tactics of Star Sword after all.

    Assailed by the articted and deadly strikes, Wang Tong felt his space for maneuvering was shrinking drastically as if he was being entangled in a web of attacks. Despite the countless battles with the Zerg, Wang Tong stillckedbat experience against humanspared to Miao Xiu. Fighting humans was very different from fighting Zergs since even the higher tier Zergs, once you got used to them, were predictable.

    After only a dozen rounds of shes and hacks, Wang Tong started to lose his ground which disappointed Luv Ma who had expected Wang Tong tost a bit longer. But on the flip side, it also demonstrated the dreadful power of the Temr¡¯s followers.

    Wang Tong''s unstructured attack had be ineffective under Miao Xiu''s intricate web of attacks, but he didn¡¯t feel frustrated, instead he felt refreshed.

    The previous two battles were too easy, after all, ordinary students were no match for the battle-hardened Wang Tong, however Miao Xiu was different as Miao Xiu had a slight advantage over Wang Tong in terms of both strength and experience.

    Mr. Wannabe was smiling as he finally saw another way of nipping away at Wang Tong''s arrogance andcency. Wang Tong''s strength was still far from adequate to take him to Valha; he had to push him harder without giving him a moment of respite.

    However, Mr. Wannabe didn''t notice that the corner of Wang Tong''s mouth was lifted up as he was equally as excited as Mr. Wannabe himself while he engrossed himself in nning attacks and defenses.

    Wang Tong had noticed that his opponent''s sword strike seemed to be full of faults that he could take advantage of, but he had seen through his opponent¡¯s bait, and he was confident that once he entered the trap, he would be punished ten times more severely.

    Suddenly, Miao Xiu''s lips formed a cold smile; it was about time to deploy the final strike, the coup de grace.

    A swirl of light suddenly shed in front of Wang Tong, through which the sharp end of the sword pierced at his heart at lightning speed. Judging by the speed and momentum, it would prate Wang Tong''s body with ease.

    However, having been forced into a defensive position for the entire time, Wang Tong suddenly closed in on Miao Xiu, could it be that he was going to catch the sword with his bare hand again? If so, Wang Tong might have to pay dearly for undermining Miao Xiu¡¯s strength, for Miao Xiu was not the same as the two rookies that he had just defeated.

    However, should Miao Xiu let Wang Tong catch his sword, he would forever be looked down upon by other followers of the Temr.

 Chapter 24: METAL Arm

    Chapter 24: METAL Arm

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    In contrast to Luv Ma''s prediction, Wang Tong''s arm did not move to grab the sword senselessly; instead, Wang Tong attempted to deflect the blow, which, all the same, would have left him in a perilous situation, should he miss the target or fail to strike in time, he would be hacked in half by Miao Xiu''s deadly strike.

    Wang Tong did not hesitate, nor did he flinch, even though this was a fleeting moment of life and death in the PA world where emotions and feelings were emted so vividly.

    This unwavering equanimity was what made Wang Tong goodbat material, and after being reformed in the hellish furnace of Norton, hammered a thousand times on the anvil made out of Zerg''s body, and quenched in its blood, his will had been forged into steel, immovable and steadfast.

    Wang Tong''s counter attack had caught Miao Xiu in a vulnerable position as he had opened his chest to Wang Tong''s retaliation. After losing the effective range of his sword, the follower of the Temr didn''t retreat to a more advantageous position; instead, he lifted his thigh unflinchingly and aimed his knee directly at the abdomen of the iing attacker.

    Miao Xiu had reckoned that it had been toote to dodge Wang Tong''s attack; however, he wouldn¡¯t go down without taking Wang Tong with him, for he had aimed at Wang Tong¡¯s dantian, the nexus hub of GN force, should his knee strikend precisely, it would cause more trauma and damage to Wang Tong than Miao Xiu would receive.

    Although being forced into a defensive stance, Miao Xiu''s calcted retaliations still boasted his ruthless aggression on the battlefield.

    Seeing that the sh was inevitable, Wang Tong gritted his teeth as the two bodies collided into each other; an explosive force propagated outward from the center of the impact and threw both of them into the air, away from each other.

    They had by then both registered the power of their opponent''s attack, especially Miao Xiu whose initial strike was interrupted; a calcting and curious expression rose in their eyes.

    "Who are you?" Miao Xiu asked. "Are you from one of the top six academies? Capth, or perhaps Yaldon?"

    Wang Tong shook his head and said, "Neither, I am from a dingy little school you¡¯ve probably never heard of. It''s my turn now, try to block this!"

    Wang Tong''s body jerked forward abruptly, his footwork seemed elusive and strange to Miao Xiu, who started to feel dizzy as his eyeballs struggled to trace Wang Tong''s movement.

    Each step taken by Wang Tong carried a strange if not eerie quality. As a martial arts prodigy, Miao Xiu had seen many different types of foot movement forbat purposes, but none of which was as ugly as Wang Tong''s. Calling it footwork was farfetched; it was simply an incoherent and disorganized shuffle.

    Annoyed by the pestering footsteps, Miao Xiu hacked towards Wang Tong in a fit of pique, attempting to end his opponent¡¯s hideous performance. But Miao Xiu¡¯s strike missed and he was greeted with a powerful punch towards the face.

    Miao Xiu deftly jerked his head to one side, avoiding the iing blow, but Wang Tong''s fist suddenly disappeared in front of him and reemerged, as Miao Xiu watched from the corner of his eyes, right in front of his chest, thrusting a devastating blow.

    Miao Xiu initiated his METAL armor out of sheer instinct right before the impact. Although unharmed, he was blown away by Wang Tong¡¯s punch, and staggered back a few dozen paces.

    Miao Xiu blushed as he felt embarrassed that he had broken his promise of not using his METAL suit. With his own ego working against him, Miao Xiao¡¯s morale tapered under Wang Tong''s immense power delivered through his seemingly ragged moves.

    "Nice footsteps, where did you learn that?" Miao Xiu asked curiously.

    Wang Tong shook his head, "Nowhere, I made it up."

    Although he felt even more humiliated by Wang Tong''s inattentive answer, he swallowed a thick clog of sputum and conceded his defeat: "You have won this round, whenever you want a rematch, just leave me a message."

    Wang Tong waved his hand, gesturing to Miao Xiu that he didn''t want to end the battle yet. "It isn''t over yet, you brought your METAL suit, why don''t you use it?" Wang Tong had just sampled a small dose of the thrill of battle which only teased out more of his appetite.

    "Do you mean you want to fight me while I am wearing my METAL suit?" Miao Xiu asked in disbelief. Although he had used the METAL armor out of instinct to shield Wang Tong''s attack, it did not mean that without METAL, Wang Tong''s strike would have ended the fight. After all, the Tactics of Hexa Sris had quite capable defenses.

    After Wang Tong had confirmed his seemingly suicidal challenge, Miao Xiu epted the rematch knowing his opponent was about to eat crow.

    With the help of a METAL suit, Miao Xiu''s power increased substantially; however, Wang Tong still looked calm and unfaltering, giving no impression that he perceived any imminent threat.

    Luv Ma also felt that Wang Tong''s challenge was amusing. He had won the first round out of sheer luck thanks to his bizarre footwork. Luv Ma had reckoned that both fighters¡¯ strength were simr without METAL, but with the enhancements from the METAL suit, there would be no doubt that a decisive victory would belong to Miao Xiu.

    "Is this dude really that ignorant of his own limits or..." Luv Ma pondered.

    Wang Tong attacked first this time as he darted towards Miao Xiu with his bizarre and eerie footsteps. All the while, Wang Tong felt relieved that he could finally unleash his full strength without worrying about injuring his opponent thanks to the METAL suit.

    Wang Tong¡¯s initial attack had been a straightforward thrust, but as he got closer to his target, the thrust somehow had turned into a parallel swooping sh.

    Luv Ma watched as he felt that every infinitesimal movement of Wang Tong''s body seemed to have contradicted human physiology, but instead, resembled that of Zergs.

    Unknown to Luv Ma, his suspicion was not unfounded as Wang Tong had indeed learned his footwork from the spider-like Zergs.

    Miao Xiu had urately predicted the pattern and set his sword in Wang Tong''s path as he initiated his METAL suit, it had seemed that Wang Tong had failed to deceive his opponent this time.

    Wang Tong dodged the sharp point that emerged suddenly in his path with a half pirouette, and then he smiled. This was exactly the kind of practice he needed, he needed someone to scrutinize his attacks in a real battle to help him to keep on improving.

    Wang Tong gathered himself after he dodged the attack, and retaliated immediately with his spider steps. Having seen through Wang Tong''s trick, Miao Xiushed out with a ruthless counter attack, intending to end the increasingly pestering match.

    Although Miao Xiu''s strength had been increased exponentially due to the METAL suit, his strike had missed Wang Tong once again. Before he could pull back his sword, he saw Wang Tong''s fist flying towards him.

    Knowing that no ordinary attack would be able to harm him with his METAL suit turned on, Miao Xiu¡¯s subconscious had rxed and slowed him down as a row of whitening knuckles grazed his body, but to Miao Xiu¡¯s surprise, the graze injured him.

    Miao Xiu¡¯s face suddenly became grave as he realized that Wang Tong would be a tougher nut to crack than he had initially thought.

    Realizing that he had been deceived by Wang Tong¡¯s elusive power, Miao Xiu spoke in a serious tone, "I have underestimated you. Why didn''t you reveal your true power?"

    Wang Tong''s face lit up with joy, "Well, I will, only when you use your real coup de grace."

    "Interesting, I have a hard time believing that you¡¯re not from one of the top six academies. Anyhow, there''s no point hiding anything now, the fight ends here!"

    Luv Ma registered that Maio Xiu was about to unleash his real coup de grace, the ultimate kill strike Miao Xiu had learned from the Temrs.

    Miao Xiu''s body tensed up, as he held the hilt of his sword in both hands, his knuckles whitening. Suddenly, a plethora of sizzling GN force flushed out of his dantian, seeping into the sword, his eyes shined like fiery ze as his body inched into the ground ¡ª a result of the swirling waves of unseen energy pushing down on its body.

    He was by then ready to unleash his ultimate power and awaken his opponent with a sudden realization of devastation, making him repent while engulfed by the Temr¡¯s righteous ze.

    This was the Temr''s retribution-Attack of Gaia.

    Miao Xiu''s body suddenly blurred before itpletely disappeared, leaving only the path of the sword visible, which shed up and down at a tilted angle. It sliced through the air like slicing open a fish''s belly. Miao Xiu initiated andpleted the coup de grace in one go, with wless footwork and impable movements.

    Wang Tong was not fast enough to dodge the sudden burst of energy at point nk, even if he had, he would not have anticipated the trembling and exploding earth under his feet, as swirling sharpnces of GN energy thrust out of the earth¡¯s crust while spitting at the sky, filling the entire battlefield with flying boulders the size of a cow orrger.

    This was Miao Xiu''s ultimate coup de grace, the move that has to kill once unleashed.

    "Konnnnn." The strikended, the trembling stopped, and the battle was concluded.

    Luv Ma was ted, moved by the unbelievable power in front of him, executed in a wless and unstoppable fashion, he felt that he was not watching a battle, but was appreciating a piece of divine art.

    But... what Luv Ma saw next almost made his jaw drop. He rubbed his disbelieving eyes with the cushions of his palms and narrowed his eyes to reexamine the battlefield.

    Miao Xiu''s sword was resting on Wang Tong''s right arm, which waspletely unharmed.

    Miao Xiu was rendered speechless even more so than Luv Ma. He knew that he had struck true, and Wang Tong''s virtual body should have been sliced in half under the Attack of Gaia, like a block of butter under a molten knife. Instead, Wang Tong stood there in once piece as if nothing had happened.

    This blow promised at least one hundred and thirty sols of energy, enough to disintegrate any human flesh upon contact.

    Disheveled, Miao Xiu thought to himself, "Could it be that this guy''s right arm is made out of the Temr¡¯s METAL suit?"

 Chapter 25: I Am One Lucky Guy

    Chapter 25: I Am One Lucky Guy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Without hesitation, Wang Tong struck with his left palm towards Miao Xiu who wrenched away instinctively. Still off bnce from what had happened, Miao Xiu babbled, "No¡­ no way, how could you block my attack."

    "Nonchnt yboy, watch out!"

    Wang Tong yelled as he raised his right hand, in the spitting image of Miao Xiu''s Attack of Gaia, but with the side of his palm in the stead of the sharp de.

    Luv Ma could not believe this madness; everyone knew that deploying a Temr coup de grace required years of cultivation of corresponding tactics. Miao Xiu for example, wouldn¡¯t have mastered the Attack of Gaia if he had not learned the Tactics of Hexa Sris by rote. Even so, it had taken him ten days to just pick up the basics, albeit having a rtively quick record for the learning process among the Temr''s followers.

    "Attack of Gaia?" Luv Ma watched incredulously as he started to doubt his senses.

    "Attack of Gaia!" Luv Ma gasped as he watched the exact same move then executed by Wang Tong. His body blurred and disappeared before was reemerged; his right arm hacked from top to bottom, at a tilted angle.

    However, Wang Tong was still three meters away from Miao Xiu when he struck, a fact that amused Luv Ma, "There is no way he will even reach Miao Xiu," he thought.

    "Whoosh..."

    A crackling bright light bolted from Wang Tong''s right arm towards Miao Xiu who blocked it with his sword.

    Luv Ma heard a barely audible crack which was followed by silence, there were no explosions, and Miao Xiu seemed unharmed. Luv Ma felt relieved. "Dumbass, he couldn''t tell how far away he was?"

    Miao Xiu''s eyes rounded and allowed a few words to tumble out of his gritted teeth, "Who... Who are¡­ y¡ª" Before he could finish, his armor suddenly cracked open and shattered, his virtual body also broken into pieces.

    Game Over!

    When Luv Ma started to look for Wang Tong, he had already left the arena.

    Wang Tong wasying on the sofa quietly with his eyes closed; his hands clenched into fists as he tried to calm the tumultuous undercurrents in his mind, a turbulence that was perpetuated by the discovery of the salient truth about the power of Tactics of the de.

    For the first time, Mr. Wannabe simply watched Wang Tong quietly without dressing him down. Wang Tong''s performance had finally exceeded his expectations. He regretted that he had talked to him like an ordinary sixteen-year-old, while Wang Tong had been far more than just ordinary.

    Wang Tong had not only discovered the power in the Tactics of the de, but he had alsoe to really appreciate Old Fart''s stringent supervision of his tactics practices.

    Ever since the turn of event on Norton, Wang Tong had always been using the 16-GN nodes, as it was impossible for him to mobilize two hundred and forty nodes at one time duringbat.

    Mr. Wannabe had said that it was impossible for Wang Tong to miraculously achieve good grades without years of hard work to build a solid foundation first, and the same could be said about his martial arts practice. Since Wang Tong had been practicing the Tactics of the de for only a year, which was insufficient to master any tactics let along the so-called "most deadly" tactics. But Wang Tong''s progression, albeit difficult, had been dramatically elerated, due to the fact that he had been practicing the sixteen node version ever since he was six.

    The sixteen nodes version happened to contain the coreponents of theplete version, cultivating the use of all the other nodes was simply an extension of any one of the sixteen nodes.

    That exined Old Fart''s stringency about Wang Tong¡¯s training, and the punishments Wang Tong had received for cking.

    For the first time in Wang Tong''s life, he had realized the fact that his body was a hidden treasure trove, and it would be solely up to himself to discover the precious power locked inside. Today¡¯s battle for example, had he not used the little GN cluster on his right arm, Miao Xiu''s sword would have hacked him into two pieces.

    Mr. Wannabe''s voice dragged Wang Tong''s mind back to reality: "Hey, Kiddo, what had happened out there?"

    Wang Tong''s face lit up with excitement: "I am not too sure either, perhaps that was my true talent? Wahaha!"

    The "Tactics of ying Dumb" had always been Wang Tong''s best way of dodging unwanted questions.

    Mr. Wannabe rolled his eyes as he contemted something for a while before he spared Wang Tong a stare. To Wang Tong''s surprise, Mr. Wannabe didn''t follow this up with more questions or profanities; his face looked stern as if he had just made a serious decision.

    Wang Tong acted as if he didn''t care about Wannabe''s unusual behavior, he left Heaven-Dream and hurried off to his room, he still had to finish studying which was even harder than the Tactics of the de.

    However, underneath Wang Tong''s seemingly blithe appearance, a dark torrent swirled ever since Old Fart had warned him about the "trouble" in the crystal: a cryptic warning about Mr. Wannabe¡¯s true nature.

    Miao Xiu was stoned and still found it difficult toprehend what had just happened in the arena.

    "Miao Xiu, you don''t think this dude is a follower of the Temr as well?" Luv Ma asked.

    Miao Xiu didn''t spare him an answer as he was still moaning his defeat.

    As time had passed, Miao Xiu suddenly pulled his hair in despair and frustration, and yelled at the top of his lung:"Sh*t! sh*t! sh*t! No, it¡¯s impossible! He¡¯s clearly never received any formal training; didn''t you see his¡­ unorthodox moves?"

    "But he used the Attack of Gaia! There''s no way he would have learned it from you after watching it only once..."

    "Attack of Gaia wasn''t even close to his power, not even if he was a Temr." Miao Xiu shook his head in dismay.

    "You mean that was not..." Luv Ma''s breath was caught in his throat as he was shocked at Miao Xiu''s revtion.

    Miao Xiu nodded, "Attack of Gaia can only be used with a sword, what he used was something very simr but stronger, much stronger, perhaps it¡¯s a well-guarded secret tactics." Miao Xiu resented the thought that Wang Tong¡¯s tactics were stronger than his.

    "I reckoned that the tactics he used emphasized the conditioning of one''s body, especially the right arm, which he used as a weapon," Luv Ma said as he straightened his eyesses.

    "Or maybe he was one of the Lis?" Seeing Miao Xiu grew gloomy and quiet, Luv Ma half asked and half suggested in an attempt to console his friend, as being defeated by one of the Lis would seem more bearable than being defeated by an unknown boy of sixteen.

    "Unlikely, he was not as aloof and pretentious as those from the five houses. He was rude and brusque, and he must have nned to use me as his free sparring target!" Miao Xiu said as he gritted his teeth, unable to control his anger.

    Luv Ma understood his frustration as it was his first defeat after he had left the Temr¡¯s court. The usually talkative Miao Xiu had been too quiet. Luv Ma decided to leave Miao Xiu alone, as he knew that Miao Xiu had been hurt more than what he allowed others to see.

    Wang Tong headed towards his dormitory in a joyful sprint; things could not be clearer then: Old Fart knew Mr. Wannabe existed. He gave him the space crystal and taught him the sixteen node version of the Tactics of the de before sending him off to Norton, hoping that Wang Tong would figure things out by himself. As for the message that he received after he returned to Earth, it was a warning from Old Fart that he had to stay low and to curtail his brashness.

    Keeping a low profile was easy for Wang Tong since he had always considered himself a reserved person.

    Wang Tong saw a throng of girls in front of his door as he approached his dormitory. "What the heck?"

    As soon as he was spotted by them, the girls closed in on Wang Tong with great excitement in their eyes.

    Wang Tong was not used to, albeit always weed, a situation like this. Could it be that he was going to be that one lucky guy in the videos he sneakily watched alone every night?

 Chapter 26: Mailman

    Chapter 26: Mailman

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Kyaaa! Wang Tong! He¡¯s here!" Wang Tong felt like a movie star, walking on the red carpet.

    "Wang Tong! You are finally here!"

    "We have been waiting for you for an hour!"

    The girls looked excited, some were blushing as they watched Wang Tong ardently, each with an envelope in their hands.

    Presently a paper letter always meant something sentimental, for example, a love letter, since most ordinary messages would bemunicated online.

    Wang Tong was feeling agitated, he had never had the attention of this many girls. His family was poor, and his face wasn''t handsome, no girl would like a no ount like him, plus, he had been busy in between studying which meant that he barely had any time to participate in any activities to meet any girls.

    "Wang Tong, there is a favor we all would like to ask you for," one of the girls walked out of the throng, she seemed to be talking on their behalf.

    The word "favor" cooled Wang Tong¡¯s head. He had guessed right, these girls were not here for him.

    Wang Tong smiled reluctantly and said, "No problem, what is it?" Thest thing Wang Tong wanted was to p*ss off the girls that live next door to him.

    "Could you please forward our letters to Hu Yangxuan in your ss?"

    "Hu Yangxuan? I am afraid that I do not recognize the name," Wang Tong stopped and thought for a second, but still could not recall anyone in his ss with that name.

    The girls started to get impatient after seeing that Wang Tong was unaware of the name of their most adored idol, they only put up with Wang Tong¡¯s ignorance because they still needed a favor from him.

    The leader of the girls seemed to be calmer, she said, "Yes, he has just been transferred to our school, and since he has not yet taken the monthly test, he was assigned to the F ss. Would you please do it for us?"

    Wang Tong noticed that the girl''s eyes suddenly shined with anticipation. Wang Tong epted the request and packed the letters in two big boxes. He felt that he didn¡¯t have any other options as Mr. Simon had warned him about the sensitivity of the matter that he was living next door to a girl¡¯s dormitory. Should any of these girlsin about him to the principal, he would have to move out of his precious amodation.

    As soon as Wang Tong returned his own room, Mr. Wannabe appeared out of the crystal quietly and said, "Kiddo, I am going into a long meditation, it will be a while before I meet you again."

    Wang Tong was shocked at Mr. Wannabe''s announcement, and then a sad expression appeared in his eyes. Although he was annoying, Mr. Wannabe had kept himpany all the way through. "Why would you need a long meditation?"

    "Well I am tired, you idiot. I should have done it a while ago, but I wasn¡¯t sure if you would be Okay being on your own, so I had to keep on showing up which drained my soul energy tremendously, you know, if you died, I would have been trapped in that crystal as well."

    "Ha Ha, don''t you worry about it, we are in the Confederation now, I will be fine," Wang Tong nodded as a reassurance to Mr. Wannabe.

    "Stop pulling my leg, I just wanted to tell you something before I left for my recuperation. I had reckoned that the Tactics of the de I had taught you was indeed the real deal, and I knew that you have realized that fact as well, although you didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    But it seemed like you have only scratched the surface, I rmend you not to show off in front of anyone until you have absolutely mastered everything.

    One more thing, you still need experience in realbat so keep on going to the TPA. Anyhow, listen to me or not, those are my earnest suggestions to you, but I can¡¯t live your life for you."

    Mr. Wannabe ended his statement in a serious tone. Unknown to Wang Tong, it took Mr. Wannabe a tremendous amount of soul energy to emerge from the crystal in order to offer him ¡°guidance¡± and not until today, after seeing Wang Tong''s victory, had Mr. Wannabe felt that Wang Tong would no longer need him and that he could finally start his meditation to regain some of that lost soul power.

    Having his ruse of eluding the true power of Tactics of the de being seen through by Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong felt embarrassed, after all, Mr. Wannabe had gone through a lot with him.

    "Kiddo, no need to be embarrassed, you did the right thing, the Tactics of the de wasn''t mine, we simply made a deal. It''s not always so chivalrous in the world of martial arts, do what you really want to do, and don''t get slowed down by trivial things like this."

    "Einherjar, take care¡­ farewell¡ª"

    "F*ck off, I am not leaving forever, I will be back as soon as I am recuperated, and remember not to bother me!"

    Mr. Wannabe disappeared into the space crystal as soon as he finished thest word, leaving Wang Tong sitting alone in his dormitory.

    Old Fart had left him, Charcoal was still in a box, and then Mr. Wannabe was gone, Wang Tong felt lonely and empty inside. It was easier said than done to not miss them. "Perhaps," Wang Tong thought to himself, "Perhaps, Mr. Wannabe had left because he was upset that I still haven''t taken him to the Hall of Valha yet."

    The Hall of Valha, the mystical ce that existed only in legends, was a ce where Wang Tong really wasn''t confident he could reach. However, since he had promised Mr. Wannabe, he decided that he had to give it a try no matter how hard it would be.

    He clenched his fist; at least he had the Tactics of the de. With such a powerful tactics, it didn''t matter where his destiny would take him, his fate would always be in his own hands.

    Over the centuries, many families and super organizations had attempted to recreate General Li Feng''s legend, Mr. Wannabe was sure that whoever mastered the Tactics of the de would be the second in history to be an invincible legend; therefore, he wanted to believe that the Tactics of the de was real and he didn''t teach Wang Tong any other tactics out of the fear of diluting its power. Meanwhile, Mr. Wannabe had always doubted the credence of the Tactics of the de, since no one had seen it, just like no one had ever seen the de Warriors.

    Wang Tong watched the two boxes of love letters, feeling lost. He had always wanted friends, but over the sixteen years of his life, he had lost all of them. The loneliness deprived him any appetite for studying, he hoped that sleep would bring him somefort and by tomorrow, things would get better.

    Wang Tong arrived early in his ssroom, but the entrance was already crowded with boys who were waiting for Ma Xiaoru, and more girls who were waiting for the handsome Hu Yangxuan. Wang Tong lumbered into the ssroom with two boxes of letters, looking like a tired mailman.

    Although it was still early in the morning, Wang Tong found that all of his ssmates had already started their studying, since everyone knew that Ma Xiaoru would be assigned to A ss after the monthly test, and everyone wanted to follow her there.

    Inadvertently, this had caused a lot of stress among students who were already in the A ss, because the seats of the A ss were limited, and more qualified students meant that the bar would have to be raised.

    Very quickly, everyone in Ayrng had been studying hard as they all wanted to be in the A ss.

 Chapter 27: Public Enemy

    Chapter 27: Public Enemy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Everyone in the F ss knew that getting a good grade was the only way to get Ma Xiaoru''s attention, they had even tantly written it into their new ss motto: "Fight, for Xiaoru."

    It had been by then crystal clear that Principal Samantha''s n hade up all roses, and the sess was further touched up by the arrival of Hu Yangxuan after he had left Yalen halfway through registration and came to Ayrng with a clear purpose of pursuing Ma Xiaoru.

    These favorable developments had greatly boosted Samantha''s confidence. Although Hu Yangxuan was not from one of the five major families, he was nheless from the Court of Temr. Samantha did not know much about this elusive organization, as it rted to the ss-S secrets of the Confederation, the Sacred Land.

    Every once in a while, the court would choose a few talented children and test their abilities and aptitudes. Should they prove themselves worthy, they would be provided training on par with that in major houses.

    Once they hadpleted their training, they would be asked to leave the court and to remain in touch with the rest of the world since a real master not only needed to be good at tactics but also needed to mingle with other human beings.

    More than half of the candidates would fail the Temr''s stringent tests, but those who were able to sessfully finish their training were deemed exceptional by the society and were chased after by all major academies once they left the court.

    Hu Yangxuan was the cream of the crop among the followers of the Temr. He had shown exceptional talents while he was only ten years old due to his natural EMF, and thanks to that, he had been taken on by the Temrs, and when he graduated, Yalen and Capth almost waged war in pursuing him, but Ayrng had unexpectedlye out as the winner.

    In addition to his extraordinarybat ability and a good looking face, he was also a prodigy in piano performance. At the piano contest held by the Confederation, he had won first ce by charming the judges with his Nocturne in b-t minor and Polka in A major.

    All in all, it was not hard to see why he had be so popr, especially among the teenage girls, including Wang Tong¡¯s excited neighbors, who adored him like an idol.

    Ayrng had finally started to catch the attention of the other S-ss academies after the arrival of Hu Yangxuan. Although the school still seemed tock solid middle range students, Samantha had at least gained two trump cards, Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan.

    Samantha knew that although the two top level students would embolden the rest of the students, there was still a long way to go for Ayrng to catch up with the other top notch schools, and the key to this rested on her ability to draw out other students¡¯ potential.

    As Ma Xiaoru sauntered into the ssroom, the boys let out waves of howls and catcalls as they had been doing ever since Ma Xiaoru had arrived. Ma Xiaoru had already gotten used to it and sat down calmly and stoically. Many envious eyes peeked through the window at Ma Xiaoru, to them the deste ssroom seemed like a heaven. Those students who were already inside of "heaven" knew that they had to work harder in order for their heaven tost long.

    Wang Tong also had been working harder, although for an entirely different reason, as he never thought of entering A ss, he only wanted to pass and not to be expelled. As long as he could endure the hellish school life and finish his degree, he would then be able to be an officer and live a happy life.

    Ma Xiaoru spared Wang Tong a nce and was immediately moved by his great efforts and focus on his studies. She even started to me Samantha for being too ruthless. Then she saw those two boxes of letters.

    Wang Tong had sensed Ma Xiaoru''s nce, but he decided to stay pragmatic and not to meet her eyes. He promised himself to avoid any attention, stay out of trouble, especially out of trouble with her.

    To Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru was an obvious bait deployed by Samantha, Wang Tong knew that she would never take an interest in a no-ount like himself. She was the heir of the FFC Corporation, the future of the Confederation, even as a student, her every move were under watch. She would likely be married to some other powerful house, in order to gain political alliances for her family, a strategy favored by manyrge corporations.

    Wang Tong had lived in a real and harsh world ever since he was a child, he learned to be reasonable and stay cool-headed even in the matter of rtionships.

    ¡°Hot stuff in the magazines would never be part of my life,¡± a truth he had learned from Old Fart which he had never forgotten to remind himself of.

    Wang Tong had been intentionally ignoring Ma Xiaoru despite the fact that they had been sitting side by side, a fact that had never made other boys in the ss green with envy since they knew Wang Tong would not stand a chance because of his poor grades.

    To everyone else, Wang Tong was a hopeless ssmate with nothing special, he was the only one that would be tolerated to be seen sitting right beside Ma Xiaoru as he posed no threat to anyone.

    However, that had quickly changed when Hu Yangxuan had arrived, followed by the ear-piercing shrieks of girls.

    ¡°Kyaaaaa! Hu Yangxuan!¡±

    ¡°So handsome...¡±

    ¡°I love you! Kyaaaa!¡±

    The overly excited girls made the boys jealous of their new hotshot ssmate.

    Hu Yangxuan¡¯s agenda was well known among other students, which had caused a great deal of animosity even before his arrival, as there had been some students that nned to scare him away from Ayrng. After they had learned of Hu Yangxuan¡¯s reputation as a fearsome fighter, the schemers had quickly dropped the direct means and turned towards more devious and costly methods, such as bribing the school officials to reject his entry, but thanks to Hu Yangxuan¡¯s connections with the Temr and the military, all attempts had ended in vain.

    When these students saw his handsome features in reality, they had lost all of their hopes ofpeting against him for Ma Xiaoru.

    Hu Yangxuan had walked into the ssroom quietly as he figured that there was no need to attract more hostility. He walked straight toward the seat next to Ma Xiaoru at the back of the ssroom as many eyes burning with envious fire singed him with their hostile ze.

    Hu Yangxuan and Ma Xiaoru exchanged a smile, they had known each other before, Hu Yangxuan turned to Wang Tong and asked, "Excuse me, fellow ssmate, may I ask you for a favor?"

    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Wang Tong as they had hoped that he would answer "no" to Hu Yangxuan with an indifferent look, and gain the upper hand in the battle for the rights to the seat beside Ma Xiaoru.

    However, things didn¡¯t go as they had anticipated, Wang Tong looked up from his pile of books and smiled at Hu Yangxuan, "Yes, of course, ah, and these two boxes of letters are for you from the girls in dormitory number 5."

    Everyone cursed at Wang Tong''s naive reply as he brought out the two boxes in front of Hu Yangxuan. He looked happy to be done with his duty as a mailman.

    Hu Yangxuan nodded his head and said, "Much appreciated, what is your name please?"

 Chapter 28: Eight Minutes and Thirty-five Seconds

    Chapter 28: Eight Minutes and Thirty-five Seconds

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "My name is Wang Tong."

    Hu Yangxuan stood still and asked, "Wang Tong, would you be able to exchange seats with me? Me and Ma Xiaoru are old friends, and..."

    Without waiting for Hu Yangxuan to finish his request, Wang Tong had ignited every other ssmate¡¯s fury with his reply: "Yeah, absolutely, you guys catch up, I will move over there." Wang Tong picked up his pile of books and got up from his seat.

    Hu Yangxuan packed the two boxes of letters into his space crystal as the girls outside of the ssroom screamed again. "Some of those girls must be from building number 5," Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Wang Tong felt speechless at those girls'' obsession with Hu Yangxuan, a guy like Hu Yangxuan would toss away their letters without even opening them, just like he, himself, did not stand a chance with Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru spared Wang Tong a nce and felt disappointed as she couldn''t believe Wang Tong was so timid and had given up his seat so easily. "A man is allowed to be weak" thought Ma Xiaoru, "but he is not allowed to be afraid of standing up for himself."

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t care less about what Ma Xiaoru thought about him. He packed up his books and moved to a corner of the ssroom, continuing to plow through the confusing terminologies in the book. The monthly test was at the doorstep, he had to focus, and he had no time for infatuations.

    Unfortunately for Hu Yangxuan, he didn''t have enough time for a brief catch up with Ma Xiaru since the teacher had walked in as soon as he sat down. The rules of the ssroom were the same for all students, Samantha had made sure of that.

    The F ss sat in agony while they watched their goddess sat side by side with someone who actually posed a real threat. Wang Tong felt safer in this corner than his previous seat since all of the malevolent nces were diverted to the new hot shot.

    The next ss was an open lecture on Zerg¡¯s Anatomy, an open lecture was one that students from different sses would attend together, and it often sparked fiercepetitions among the different sses.

    Zerg¡¯s Anatomy was a subject loved by many adolescent teenage boys who would love to break things apart, but it was deeply despised if not feared by girls, the girls wouldn''t have attended the ss if it was not part of the mandatory curriculum.

    Students of all majors attended this ss, and the goal was to let students study mankind''s biggest enemy as well as to alleviate their fear when faced with a real Zerg.

    The ssroom was packed with over one hundred and fifty students from the D, E and F sses. The instructor''s name was Gansus, a retired veteran. His left leg had been lost to a Zerg and was reced with a mechanical limb, which he wore like a badge of honor thatmemorated his bravery. Despite being the culprit of hisment, he considered the Zergs to be a "weak and useless bunch" as he had always dered with a loud and raspy voice.

    "Today is the most important day in your life because you are going to witness the weakness in our enemy. Underneath those shells, these useless bugs are soft and fragile, and that is what they are, weak and soft! You boys and gals have learned enough on paper. Today is the day that you dissect your enemy and show them who they really are, with your hands!" Gansus snarled at the students, peremptorily as ever.

    As Gansus gestured for the start of the dissecting session, a few students were jaunty, fewer were banal, and the rest were disgusted. Simply looking at the cadavers made one''s skin crawl, and the grotesqueness was exacerbated by the stench that made one¡¯s stomach churn.

    Even though they had appeared to be unaffected by the gross scene, Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan could not hide the disgust in their eyes.

    Gansus quickly noticed the student''s reluctance, and he bowled out, "You bunch of miserable fledglings, don''t think you can muddle around under my watch, no one will be allowed to leave the ssroom until their Zerg has been dissected into eighteen pieces based on my instructions. And on a side note, today''s exercise will count towards the monthly test, 99.9% of the total mark in your monthly test wille from your performance today."

    That was Gansus''s trump card, and it was extremely effectively. He handed over every student a hammer and a knife before he examined the time on his watch, "The best record so far was from the A ss, one hour and eight minutes, I will give whoever can beat that record a 100%!"

    "100%?" A fire lit up in Wang Tong''s eyes; finally, he saw hope.

    Gansus nced indifferently over the roomful of skittish students as he announced, "Start!"

    In one corner of the ssroom, a male student struck the corpse with the hammer infused with his GN power, the shell of the dead Zerg crumbled as it was soft after days of decay, and the soft and mushy entrails sttered everywhere. Some girl puked instantly as the smell of putrefying death permeated throughout the ssroom.

    "Hurry now, whoever can''t finish everything in three hours will get a 0%! Just an FYI..."

    Gansus gave the students a ruthless warning as he had found the students of the battlefieldmander faculties were noticeably softer than the previous group of students from the METAL fighter faculty. However, the battle-hardened Gansus knew that on the battlefield amander needed to be even more indifferent to feelings than a bloodthirsty warrior.

    None of the sshes of Zerg''s bodily fluids had reached Ma Xiaoru since she had shielded herself inside of her soul power. She clearly had prepared well for this test as she deftly albeit curtly on a few gruesome asions, separated and removed the Zerg''s organs.

    Hu Yangxuan had also managed to pry open the Zerg''s shell and moved on to cleaning up the entrails, skeletons, and then the hardest parts, tissues, and nds.

    Gansus watched the two of them and estimated that it would take at least one hour for the two best students to finish everything.Their speed didn¡¯t have a lot to do with theirbat strength, it more so was to test their emotional bnce when faced with the gruesomeness of a battle, a difficult task especially to the girls, whose senses were easily overwhelmed.

    Ma Xioaru''s calmness had impressed Gansus, what impressed him further was her fluent usage of her soul power.

    As for the rest of the ss, Gansus found they still had a long way to go in order to catch up with those in the A, B and C sses. The best record of fifty minutes was set by one teenage boy in the A ss from the METAL fighter faculty, who apparently had previous experiences in dissecting Zergs.

    "Mr. Gansus, I am done!"

    A raucous voice rose among the frustrated mumbles of hesitant students who were still struggling with their first incision; it came from the very end of the ssroom.

    Thinking someone was making a fuss in his ss; Gansus strode toward the voice and was ready to restore order in the ssroom.

    When he reached Wang Tong''s desk he was bewildered to see piles of tissue, bones, and organs set on the table, Gansus looked at his watch: Eight minutes and thirty-five seconds.

    Gansus''s knee jerk reaction was that Wang Tong had done it in a desultory fashion since it would take himself half an hour to do everything ording to the textbook.

    Upon closer inspection, Gansus saw eighteen piles of organs neatly arranged ording to their shape, function, and texture with such meticulousness and with a unique artisan taste which rendered the grotesque entrails into a morbid but somehow pleasant sight to behold. It was beyond techniques of dissection, it was a masterful art crafted by someone who knew the Zerg''s body inside out.

    Wang Tong indeed knew the Zergs inside and out after an entire year of butchering the Zergs for food. Sometimes, when he was extremely bored, he would even catch and dissect one Zerg or two just for fun, a morbid habit that had by then turned into a life changing skill.

    After he had noticed the suspicious stares from Gansus and other ssmates, Wang Tong had realized he had overdone it as he had be too hot headed by the temptation of the 100%.

    It would have been wiser if he had slowed down to around fifty minutes, which would guarantee his 100% but was still within a normal person''s capability.

    Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan were both shocked at Wang Tong''s speed and reckoned that they had underestimated this seemingly no-ount, if not loser.

    "Good. Good. Good! 100%! Lad, you can take off now," Gansus patted heavily on Wang Tong''s back as he praised him in front of everyone.

    "You guys should look at this and learn. He should be your model to follow, now try harder!"

    Gansus''s eyes lit up with glee as he looked forward to his bonus for this record-breaking performance in his ss.

    Gansus looked at Wang Tong and changed his usual brusque tone and said softly, "Go now, make sure to wash your hands."

    Wang Tong made a mental note to never expose his power again as he hurried across the ssroom under hundreds of disbelieving stares.

 Chapter 29: Investigation

    Chapter 29: Investigation

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    As soon as Wang Tong walked out of the ssroom, he was immediately troubled by another pressing issue: the Math test. Unlike some subjects that Wang Tong could rely on his memory for, there seemed to be no methods to improve math without having a tutor. But, everyone in F ss had been busy with their own studying; Wang Tong figured that there would be no one avable to help him. He almost wanted to give up on the subject entirely.

    Gansus turned on the CCTV recording. Everyone in the ssroom encircled the screen out of curiosity.

    To everyone''s surprise, Wang Tong didn''t use the hammer but his fist to crack the hard shell. He then slid the knife into the crevices forced open by the punch. He finished the whole set of moves in one go, in a perfect control of his power. Gansus watched his moves as he nodded in approval.

    Wang Tong peeled off the entire shell and went on to separate the rigid skeletons from the intricate muscle tissues which was the hardest part of the entire dissection procedure. However, thebyrinth of organs didn''t slow down Wang Tong as his knife swam inside of the Zerg''s body, separating even the most delicate nds.

    Gansus knew that every effortless sh required a stunning degree of control of the GN power since the relentless force would only slow things down.

    Wang Tong finished separating the entire Zerg''s body into eighteen piles in one go without a single error. It had then be apparent that Wang Tong not only possessed robust GN power, but he also knew the anatomy of the Zerg by heart.

    Gansus drew a clear conclusion: Wang Tong was an exceptional student with greatly underrated talents.

    Everyone in the ssroom found it hard to believe what they had just seen on the screen. No one would have expected such power from any F ss student, other than Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan.

    "Wang Tong?" some ssmates chewed over the name as it sounded unfamiliar to them.

    After watching the recording, Gansus drew a fewrge gulps of the stench-filled air in the ssroom and cried out at the top of his lungs: "This is¡­ awesome!"

    Judging by Wang Tong''s fluid knife technique, Gansus would have never thought Wang Tong was a 16 years old boy. It was every teacher''s dream to discover and unlock a student''s potentials, and Gansus felt like he had hit the jackpot in that aspect.

    A genius with almost freakish talent such as Wang Tong was what Ayrng truly needed, and it was a shame that the school had ignored his talent and assigned him to the F ss.

    Feeling indignant for Wang Tong, he walked out of the ssroom towards the principal''s office ted beyond eloquent. The rest of the ss could wait, as none of the students but Wang Tong were of any interest to him anymore.

    Gansus walked into Samantha''s office carrying glee with his footsteps. Samantha cracked a smile, "Mr. Gansus, you must have good news for me."

    Being caught off guard by Samantha''s greeting, Gansus said, "How would you know that I have good news for you?" He looked at the principal as if he was looking at a psychic.

    "Well, to you, I am just a babe in the woods; I believe that you wouldn''t even care toe and say hi to me unless you have something important to say."

    Gansus was impressed by Samantha''s observation. Despite Samantha''s long if not redundant list of rewards and honorary titles, he had mixed feelings about her. Although Gansus liked her no nonsense and unapologetic attitude, he had doubted the effectiveness of her new rules.

    "You are joking with me, principal. I am here to rmend a student to A ss. It is our teacher''s fault to assign this genius to the F ss."

    Gansus had been looking for students like Wang Tong for his entire life. Like a jeweler discovering a wless diamond, the discovery of Wang Tong had filled Mr. Gansus''s shining eyes with joy.

    "Ah, Mr. Gansus, were you talking about Hu Yangxuan?" Samantha smiled, finally, her hard work was noticed and appreciated by her arrogant colleagues.

    To her surprise, Gansus shook his head and said, "No, he is good material, but he¡¯s still within the normal range, nothing exceptional."

    "Oh? Not him?" Samantha felt perplexed at Gansus''s reply.

    She had spent a whole week going through even the most meticulous details of each student''s background. Samantha possessed a superhuman memory, a natural gift that the Gods had offered her for herck of martial arts talents. So it was impossible that she had missed anyone, or that she had forgotten any exceptional students.

    Samantha watched as he set up the screen to y the recordings. To her amazement, the brash and direct Gansus didn''t let the cat out of the bag like he always did. Samantha had to discover the answer for herself.

    She was shocked as soon as the screen lit up with Wang Tong¡¯s, the "bad apple", face. When the clip reeled to its end, Samantha was frozen; she couldn''t believe her eyes.

    Although Samantha was not a METAL fighter, she had registered that something fishy was up in the air.

    Gansus said in a pleased tone, "Principal Samantha, don''t you think Wang Tong would be qualified to attend the A?"

    Samantha straightened her eyesses as she pondered for a while. She looked mature and pragmatic.

    "Mr. Gansus, thank you for your rmendation. Like you said, this student indeed seems to be a genius. I am confident that he would bring our school many honors and awards, especially under your guidance.

    But, as you already know, I have promised to treat every student the same. Even students like Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan had to remain in the F ss until the monthly test. It would be a good thing for Wang Tong to take the monthly test as some hardship is always good for youngsters, don''t you think?"

    Gansus chewed on her words for a second as he reckoned that this young principal indeed had a few aces up her sleeve. The way she carried herself was impressive.

    "Fine, but I am still going to give him a 100% for my test."

    Samantha nodded, "Of course, that is your prerogative. Congrattions to you again Mr. Gansus for having discovered such a true genius."

    Gansusughed proudly, his candid but obnoxiousughter echoed throughout the principal''s office. Having achieved his goal, Gansus turned around and sauntered back towards his ssroom; he still had a ss to finish.

    The tip of Samantha''s fingers drummed a rhythmical beat against the desktop as she watched the tape over and over, in slow motion.

    She froze the screen at the frame that captured Wang Tong''s eyes, finding it hard to rte what''s on the screen to that timid and helpless "bad apple".

    By then, the truth seemed to have surfaced into in view. The real persona of Wang Tong that he had exuded all the while was caught by the recorder and realized on the screen to be a rxed, confident, and powerful fighter.

    Samantha decided to re-investigate Wang Tong''s background. She connected the line with the sky, "Colonel Kn, how are you doing, this is Samantha."

    "Ahh, my deardy, what an honor it is to have received your call, I thought you were busy with your principal matters?"

    "Come on, my dearest fellow sister, I have a favor to ask of you," Samantha''s voice had never sounded so sweet and innocent before.

 Chapter 30: Cunning Principalâ€™s Plan

    Chapter 30: Cunning Principal¡¯s n

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Fine, fine, stop buttering me up. What do you want? I will help as long as it won''t break any rules."

    "I wouldn''t dare. I only need a file for a student named Wang Tong, he had a referral letter from the Confederation and used to stay on Norton."

    "That shouldn''t be a problem. I will flip it to you as soon as possible. Hang in there, sister. It''s a sticky situation for both you and the Military. He was a survivor of the Confederation''s f*ck up, if the military doesn''t appear to be taking care of him, the media will blow things out of proportion." Kn''s career instinct tingled knowing the sensitivity of the issue, and she thought Samantha nned to expel Wang Tong.

    She felt wary of Samantha''s situation; Wang Tong''s presence must have thrown another wrench into the gears for her.

    "Understood fellow sister, rest assured."

    Wang Tong''s documents arrived soon after their conversation ended. Although the documents seemed ordinary at first nce, upon her scrutiny, contradictory evidence surfaced, evidence that had apparently been missed by the useless government workers.

    She had discovered a salient fact that all the survivors, except for Wang Tong, were from well defended main bases equipped with vaults; however, the mine cave where Wang Tong had been hidden at was not stocked like a vault with food supplies. This discovery led Samantha to ponder, "How did he manage to survive a year under such deste conditions?"

    The documents mentioned a nutrient transformer, but even a nutrient transformer would require organic raw materials. It went without saying that rocks wouldn''t turn into nutrients pills, and the situation would have been exacerbated by the fact that Zergs would have turned the whole into their hive. "The fact that Wang Tong had survived without immediate food, and surrounded by Zergs can only mean..." Samantha''s focus shifted toward the screen.

    Things could not be clearer to Samantha as she watched Wang Tong''s nimble moves. All of the evidence had confirmed her suspicion. The riddle was solved.

    "Pff... trying to hide your true strength right under my nose, I think you¡¯ve picked the wrong school, you little fool," Samantha thought to herself. She always believed that it was the teacher''s responsibility to draw out a student''s true talents, with or without the student''s consent.

    The dissecting ss was truly an awful one, especially for the light-hearted girls. Mr. Gansus always acted just and fair, and never showed any sympathy toward either the puking or fainting students, or both.

    Anyone who failed the dissecting test had to keep on trying until he or she passed, although the best score for any second attempts was only 60%. Even so, it was still better than failing it outright as that would mean being demoted into the F ss.

    Only 80% of the students had passed the anatomy test, but Gansus still felt that he had aplished something great, that something being the discovery of Wang Tong, a genius that Ayrng truly needed at this trying time.

    Ma Xiaoru walked into the Principal''s office after the dissection ss, exhausted. Although her soul power had protected her from the sshing blood and the stench, she found that dissecting an entire Zerg was still hard work.

    "Hey, cutie." Samantha smiled at Ma Xiaoru as thetter walked in.

    "You have heard about it?"

    "Mr. Gansus has told me everything."

    "You look happy. He is just a good embalmer for Zerg you know, not that much of a big deal," Ma Xiaoru said.

    "That embalmer was one thing, Hu Yangxuan was another notch on our belt. I bet he came here only because of you. Now that''s what making me happy."

    "Sam!" Ma Xiaoru stomped her feet on the ground, and her face turned red, "that''s nonsense!"

    "Oh, my little princess, don''t be picky now. Hu Yangxuan is not bad looking don''t you think? And he ys the piano so well, he ought to be the romantic type, c¡¯mon, he might not be suited for a serious rtionship, but he is a stud! Don''t you want to enjoy your youth while you are no longer under your old man''s constant watch?"

    "If you think he is attractive, why don''t I hook you up with him?"

    "I am the principal, and he is too young, and too... inexperienced for me."

    Ma Xiaoru chuckled and poked fun at Samantha: "Since when have you be so scrupulous? The guys you have wrapped around your little finger can queue a line from the capital city to the Moon."

    "Fine, fine, so be it. Come sit here; I want to talk to you about the embalmer." Samantha gestured Ma Xiaoru toe closer as she pointed to Wang Tong on the screen, "Wang Tong, a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing."

    "Why? He was just familiar with the Zerg''s anatomy, wasn''t he?"

    "Look for yourself." Samantha tossed Wang Tong''s documents to Ma Xiaoru.

    The single page document encapsting the history of Wang Tong contained nothing extraordinary, and only a tinge of sadness. He had endured an alcoholic adoptive father who used him merely as a bargaining chip with the welfare department. Then one year ago, he sold Wang Tong for some quick cash to the Confederation''s Norton task force. Upon Wang Tong''s return, he quickly became homeless as his sordid ¡°father¡± had left the city and sold the house.

    Ma Xiaoru returned the piece of paper to Samantha as she watched her ruthless sister with a scowl for bullying such a hapless ssmate.

    "Hey, hey miss, don''t waste your sympathy on trivial matters, pay attention to what''s important." Samantha knocked on the table as she spoke, hoping to rein in her sister''s flood of sympathy.

    "Sam, his life has been difficult enough, let''s stop giving him grief."

    "Gods! They say girls who cultivated the Tactics of the Enchantress are the most steadfast and pragmatic, and you have definitely proved them wrong."

    Ma Xiaoru seemed embarrassed, "I just feel that we should not be the bully."

    "Bully? Did you say bully? I wonder who will be the bully in a real fight between you two." Samantha¡¯s words struck Ma Xiaoru''s heart.

    "It''s... impossible."

    "Have you ever felt the presence of his power? The feeling of an imminent threat that you¡¯ve always felt whenever there''s another strong force nearby?"

    "No... not with him." Ma Xiaoru shook her head. Although she sat side by side with Wang Tong, she had never sensed a tinge of Wang Tong''s power.

    "There you have it. Among all the tactics, yours are the sharpest in sensing even the faintest trace of energies. If you¡¯ve failed to notice his presence, don''t you think that speaks to his ability? Look at his eyes."

    Samantha fast-forwarded the video to a zoomed-in shot of Wang Tong''s face. Deep within that pool of darkness, a powerful undercurrent seemed to swirl with confidence and audacity.

    "I can assure you that it was not low self-esteem behind the sheepish fa?ade, he simply didn''t care to show off!" Samantha announced as she mmed her palm on the desk, she spared Ma Xiaoru a nce and said, "Perhaps, he thought that you were a rookie as well."

    "It doesn''t add up. If what you said is true, why would he suddenly reveal himself?" Ma Xiaoru said as she shook her head.

    Samantha ignored her protest; Ma Xiaoru was too young and too na?ve after all. She felt it was ironic considering the fact that the stereotypical enchantress was cunning and devious.

    "Of course it does, that was because he really needed the marks, so when Gansus announced that he could get 100%, he identally showed his true power," Samantha clenched her fist and waved it excitedly as she spoke as if she wanted to strike Wang Tong''s head.

    Samantha''s exnation reminded Ma Xiaoru of the incident this morning when Wang Tong had easily given up his seat, she told Samantha, finally agreeing to her suspicion.

    "Interesting, he even resisted the temptation of having you sitting right beside him, don''t you want to win him back?" Samantha winked at Ma Xiaoru.

    "Very well, I do want to see if he indeed is hiding anything."

    "Great, I have a perfect opportunity for youing up, we shall find out by then. Count Ayrng and I lucky if he really is a genius, otherwise, we will just let him muddle around until graduation."

 Chapter 31: Poor Manâ€™s Repair

    Chapter 31: Poor Man¡¯s Repair

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Sam, you want me to seduce him?"

    "Oh,e on. Don''t tell me that you are not interested in him. I am only giving you a free excuse, if it doesn''t work out, just do it for fun, isn''t that why you escaped your old man toe to me? Don''t you worry; I will cover everything for you¡­ ah¡­ you sneaky little fish, that¡¯s what you wanted me to say isn''t it?"

    Ma Xiaoru showed her tongue as she grinned at Samantha, revealing the naughty side of her. "Well, thank you sister, but how are we gonna seduce him?"

    "Come closer, let me tell you."

    Upon learning Samantha''s n, Ma Xiaoru was convinced that Wang Tong was about to walk right into Samantha''s trap.

    Wang Tong stopped by a domestic robotic mechanical repair shop after school. The girl working there gave him a warm smile as she watched him walk into the store.

    "Sir, what would you like? We have any kind of intelligent robots you can imagine."

    "Actually, I am just looking to repair my robot."

    "Ah-why of course, what kind of robot is it?"

    "Type C, it''s an older model, I only have the main frame, would you be able to bring him back?" Wang Tong said as he took Charcoal''s main frame out of his space crystal.

    The girl''s face turned awkward. "I''m very sorry sir, but the manufacturer has already discontinued this model. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible if you weren''t asking to rece the whole body. The parts are very difficult toe by you know. It will be cheaper if you consider any of the newer models."

    "How much would it be to restore him, including the parts?"

    "You have to understand sir, that it''s quite an arduous job to go through our inventory for very specific parts, especially for dated models like yours.

    I estimate that it would be roughly over two hundred thousand credits,bor and parts included. You might as well just buy a new model. Our entry level, the E series starts at twenty grand, if you would like to add more sophisticated features, the price might vary quite a bit."

    Regardless of if it was twenty grand or two hundred grand, to Wang Tong, they were both astronomical figures.

    Failing to find any solution, Wang Tong had to give up. He walked out as he sighed at the ridiculous cost of reviving a robot, very much simr to reviving a human.

    It seemed that Charcoal might have to remain in his mainframe for a while.

    Wang Tong took the City Express home. He looked out of the windows as the flying vehicles whirled by him like many flies. He thought about his future, his life and decided that he would have to start to save more money, as soon as the monthly test was over.

    Instead of going straight home, he stopped at a few stores close to school to see if they were hiring any part-time employees. It wouldn''t be hard to find a part-time job, but the tricky part was to find one that could fit into his school schedule.

    By the time he got home after a few hours of fruitless search for a part time job, it was already night. The light in his house was lit. "Could it be a thief?" Wang Tong thought. "I don''t have anything, why would the thief want to steal from me?"

    Wang Tong was shocked as he walked into the house and saw the person inside, it was Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru stood up as she watched Wang Tong walk in. "One hour and five minutes, I never would have thought that waiting could be so annoying. Sorry for the intrusion, I had the caretaker open the door for me since it wasn''t veryfortable waiting outside."

    "That''s fine, please sit. What''s up Ma Xiaoru?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Call me Xiaoru, the principal told me toe tutor you; she¡¯s worried that she hasn''t given you a fair chance," Ma Xiaoru said with a cunning expression in her eyes.

    "There''s only four days left..." Wang Tong felt speechless as the help came so convenientlyte.

    "Wang Tong, you didn''te out as someone that gave up that easily," Ma Xiaoru spoke as if she was alluding something.

    "This is¡­too much to ask," Wang Tong hesitated.

    "It''s nothing. Hey, be a man, don''t be so sheepish."

    Wang Tong shrugged his shoulders and said, "I¡¯m fine with it, but it would be a lot of work for you as I do have a pile of questions."

    "We will help each other; I might have some questions for you after we are done."

    Wang Tong could smell something fishy in the air. They said that there was never a free tutor.

    Wang Tong listed all the questions he could not solve and showed them to Ma Xiaoru, doubting that she would be able to answer every single one of them. But to Wang Tong''s surprise, Ma Xiaoru did just that. Having been equipped with a private tutor in every single subject, Ma Xiaoru had learned every subject by heart. She didn''t feel that any of Wang Tong''s questions were even remotely challenging.

    Years of neglect of studying had led Wang Tong to umte a lot of questions, and Wang Tong had feared that the sheer amount of questions would have quickly scared Ma Xiaoru away. But to his surprise, Ma Xiaoru exined every question patiently without showing any sign of being annoyed. Thanks to Wang Tong''s EMF, it was then easier for Wang Tong to pick up the new knowledge once everything was exined by Ma Xiaoru.

    When Ma Xiaoru finally finished exining thest question, two hours had already passed. Wang Tong marveled at the how quickly time flew when it was spent with a hotty.

    Ma Xiaoru took a deep breath and smiled, "Is there anything else? I don''t think you are slow at studying at all."

    "I never said I was slow, do you think I¡¯m stupid?"

    "No, but you wanted others to think so, right?"

    Without answering Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong poured a cup of water for her and sat on the opposite end of the table, "What do you want to know from me?"

    Ma Xiaoru was shocked by the question, "From you?"

    "Haha, yea, the principal wouldn''t want you toe help me for no reason, feel free to ask me anything you want."

    Ma Xiaoru didn''t seem embarrassed about having Wang Tong see through her ruse. "We both watched the recording of your performance at the anatomy ss, and we were both intrigued about how you did that."

    Ma Xiaoru said it candidly, feeling that there was no point in hiding anything since their ruse had been seen through.

    "Ah, that was nothing. Anyone can do it under extreme circumstances. You see, while I was on Norton, I had to face Zergs corpses every day, and I had to keep the nutrient transformer running as well, so I..." Wang Tong suddenly stopped, fearing that the details might gross out Ma Xiaoru.

    "You did that all by yourself!?" Ma Xiaoru eximed from the bottom of her heart. "If it had been me, I wouldn''t have been able to survive a single day. What about your tactics, it seemed very powerful. You don''t have to answer me right now, but I believe that the principal was also very interested in your ability. I think it would be very favorable for you to clear things up with her, should you want to remain in Ayrng."

    Ma Xiaoru''s words made Wang Tong feelfortable about sharing his secrets. And he knew it would only be a matter of time before the cat came out of the bag anyways.

 Chapter 32: Beauty Pay the Bill

    Chapter 32: Beauty Pay the Bill

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Tactics of the de?" Ma Xiaoru asked in disbelief.

    She had practiced the Tactics of the de as well before she used the Tactics of the Enchantress. It was a very ordinary, but popr tactics due to its slow but safe progression. Most tier one METAL fighters in the military practiced it as they did not have a chance to receive training in more advanced tactics

    However, judging by Wang Tong''s moves and the weight they carried, Ma Xiaoru found it hard to believe that these seemingly ordinary tactics were what Wang Tong had used.

    Having sensed her doubt, Wang Tong finished a round of the eight node version of the Tactics of the de to prove his point.

    What Ma Xiaoru saw shocked her as she had never thought anyone would be able to draw so much power out of the mostmon tactics. She would like to try it out herself, but since she had already been practicing the Tactics of the Enchantress, she could no longer practice the Tactics of the de.

    "I was surprised as well. It all started with me being chased by a Zerg. Perhaps it was a result of fear, but my soul power increased a little which helped to improve the strength of the Tactics of the de."

    "It was indeed amazing, how fast is your soul energy increasing now? If it¡¯s at a fast pace, you should not learn any other tactics; otherwise, it would make you very susceptible to bing deranged."

    "Hehe, yea, I¡¯ve hesitated about it as well. Perhaps not now, anyways, thank you for the reminder." Wang Tong nodded and felt relieved that even Ma Xiaoru didn''t suspect that he knew anything stronger than the eight node version of the tactics. He would not reveal the sixteen node version so easily unless it was a moment of life and death.

    "Are we friends now?" Ma Xiaoru asked.

    "Hmm¡­ perhaps?" feeling like he had just made a deal with Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong hesitated, unsure of Ma Xiaoru¡¯s intention.

    "Are you still paranoid about me? Although it was Samantha who sent me, don''t you think that you would have met someone else if I had refused toe?" Ma Xiaoru asked as her bright wide eyes stared at Wang Tong.

    Her questions embarrassed Wang Tong. He did feel Ma Xiaoru''s feelings towards him, and he was also eager to respond, but should his feelings have deceived him, it might leave her with the impression that Wang Tong was obsessed with her.

    "Um..." Wang Tong still hesitated.

    "Am I not worthy of being your friend?" Ma Xiaoru pushed him further.

    Wang Tong gave up his struggle as he let out a smile, "Fine, we¡¯re friends now."

    "Perfect, why don''t you take your seat back tomorrow? I don''t want Hu Yangxuan to disturb me. Would you be able to do that for me?"

    "That shouldn''t be a problem. I didn''t want to be the showstopper while you two caught up, but since you didn''t want to talk to him, I will just take my seat back then."

    Ma Xiaoru watched Wang Tong in silence; she could sense his confidence. Clearly, Hu Yangxuan did not pose any threat to him.

    "Urgh... I¡¯m so hungry." Ma Xiaoru blinked a pair of innocent looking eyes at Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong had quickly registered the cue. She had given him a precious opportunity to ask her out for dinner, but Wang Tong faltered.

    He remembered that he still needed to save money for another friend, Charcoal, who was more important than Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru was stunned, as it was the first time in her life that anyone had ever hesitated when given an opportunity to butter her up. "He is so... frugal," Ma Xiaoru thought.

    Ma Xiaoru''s conscience returned after she remembered Wang Tong''s hapless financial situation. "To celebrate our friendship, I will help pay the bill, do I have the honor of your apany?"

    Wang Tong nodded, anything was okay as long as he wouldn''t have to pay. His priority right now was not to impress Ma Xiaoru but to save enough money to bring Charcoal back to life, even if it meant being cheap in front of a girl.

    To Wang Tong''s surprise, Ma Xiaoru didn''t go after the expensive, luxurious restaurants which cost thousands per meal, an astronomical cost to Wang Tong but ordinary to Ma Xiaoru. Instead, she led Wang Tong to the cheap street food vendors outside of the school. After they were done eating, they spent under fifty credits, which Wang Tong dly paid.

    Watching the smile on Ma Xiaoru''s while she enjoyed her snack gave Wang Tong more pleasure even than the surprisingly low cost. Wang Tong had even forgotten about the unbridgeable divide between them. Instead, he felt a bond forming between them, pulling them closer to each other by the degree.

    On the boulevard outside of Ayrng Academy, two young hearts felt the inescapable gravity of each other, as they helplessly tumbled and spiraled into a sweet collide.

    Wang Tong had trouble sleeping that night, as his mind was all over what had happened a few hours before. An image kept re-emerging: a cascade of dark silky tendrils flowing from Ma Xiaoru''s head to her shoulders.

    On the following morning, the F ss entrance was jam packed with not only the boys here for Ma Xiaoru but also throngs of girlsing to see Hu Yangxuan, who had set up a grand piano at the front of the ssroom.

    It went without saying that he did this for Ma Xiaoru, in order to win her heart.

    The other boys of the F ss sat in agony as they took Hu Yangxuan''s action as an assault. But most of them felt helpless since they knew they wouldn''t be able to stop him. He indeed had the talent and showing off was his prerogative.

    However, much to Hu Yangxuan''s dismay, Ma Xiaoru walked into the ssroom without paying any attention to him which made the rest of the boys lit up with joy. Even though his target didn''t care for his performance, Hu Yangxuan still had to finish the music.

    Wang Tong walked in a whileter chewing a mouthful of stale bread when a bento box appeared in front of him. "You need proper nutrition every day, stop eating that garbage."

    Ma Xiaoru smiled at him; Wang Tong prayed that he would be greeted with this charming smile every morning.

    "I appreciate¡ª"

    "Save it."

    "Haha, I feel like the happiest person in the world, with your bento, and listening to Hu Yangxuan''s music, things can''t get any better."

    Ma Xiaoru couldn¡¯t hold in herughter either, "Don''t make fun of other people."

    "I learned from the best."

    "How dare you make fun of me, haven''t you heard that girls are the most vengeful? Aren''t you afraid that I¡¯ll mix some poison into your bento next time?"

 Chapter 33: Lost at the Starting Line

    Chapter 33: Lost at the Starting Line

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "As long as you made it, I¡¯d eat it even if it was poisonous," Wang Tong patted his chest as he spoke.

    "I will hold you to it," Ma Xiaoru spoke with a sweet voice and followed the rest of their ssmates into the ssroom.

    Wang Tong noticed that Ma Xiaoru had braided her hair into a ponytail, his favorite style, it looked even prettier on her than on any other girl.

    Hu Yangxuan finally walked into the ssroom after he hadpleted his piano performance. He was surprised to see that Wang Tong had taken his seat back.

    "Wang Tong, you said..."

    "Ahh, excuse me Hu Yangxuan, I didn''t realize that the ssroom regtions forbade exchanging seats at will."

    "That''s right; we should all strictly follow the rules of the ssroom."

    "That''s right."

    Wang Tong wasn''t surprised at the fact that Hu Yangxuan seemed to be even less popr than him, after all, he must appear to be much less of a threat.

    Hu Yangxuan acted mature and replied calmly, "That''s fine, and congrattions on your excellent performance yesterday. I wish I could have an opportunity to spar with you for a round or two."

    Wang Tong did not answer him as if he didn''t hear what Hu Yangxuan had just said. All the other boys were surprised as they didn''t expect Wang Tong to change from soup to nuts in one day.

    Hu Yangxuan didn''t lose hisposure, as he knew that it would only be a short stay at the F ss for him. Soon he would attend the A ss with Ma Xiaoru, and he would have endless opportunities. In addition, he could use his continuing support of Ayrng as a bargaining chip to win some favor from the principal for his cause.

    Hu Yangxuan had always been patient with his prey.

    Ma Xiaoru made a circle with the tip of her thumb and her index finger, signaling to Wang Tong a job well done.

    Ma Xiaoru had rejected Hu Yangxuan once before, but Hu Yangxuan had been persistent in his efforts. The way he saw it, he would have the rights of pursuing her as long as she did not have a boyfriend.

    Although being persistent, Hu Yangxuan never came off as pushy. From his presence at Ayrng to his morning piano performance, he had done it without giving Ma Xiaoru too much pressure.

    "Why are people so different?" Ma Xiaoru asked herself, "One agitated like a ze while the other is as cold as ice."

    Although it had been a painful few weeks of waiting, the monthly test had finally arrived. The test was about as destructive as Samantha''s beauty, and after one day of testing, Wang Tong felt a bit dizzy. Clearly, the teachers of Ayrng were trying to send a message through the test.

    Although Wang Tong had found the questions on the test hard, neither Ma Xiaoru nor Hu Yangxuan felt the same, and neither did any of the students from the A ss.

    The next test was METALbat, time to take off the gloves. Regardless of which faculty one graduated from, as a soldier, it was only a matter of time before one stood face to face with a Zerg. Therefore a METALbat test was necessary for every student.

    Despite the fact that METALbat was more important to a METAL fighter, it did not mean that the students of themander faculties were weak. Ma Xiaoru, for example, was living proof of a powerful METAL fighter in themander faculty.

    The subject of the exam sounded easier said than done; it was called "Needle threading".

    Fortunately for everyone, the examiner didn''t take the test title too literally. Instead of threading a needle, the students would be threading a copper hoop that was three inches in diameter.

    Everyone was surprised at the unconventional testing method. Every student had five minutes toplete the test, during which time the student needed to engage a cotton thread with their soul power and guide the thread through the loop.

    The distance to pass the test was six meters away from the hoop, but with every other meter, the student would gain ten more points.

    This was not a simple test of brute strength, but rather a test of students'' control and maniption of their power. Should one use too much strength, the fragile wire would simply disintegrate.

    Although strange and unconventional, this test method could be applied to students in all years since it only tested the student''s skills.

    To the students, it was a rather refreshing method of testing, and it had quickly piqued their interest. Through trial runs, students had figured that the easiest way toplete the test would be to first, infuse the thread with soul energy and allow it to be stiff, then one could throw the thread towards the hoop like throwing a dart. However, the soul energy had to remain steady and strong; otherwise, the thread could go astray very easily.

    Most students feltfortable with six meters, although there were a few thatcked patience and had given up on the test after a couple of trials.

    With the helpful suggestions and advice from the ones that had failed, the ones following them had learned about the key factor to passing the test: the soul energy had to be steady.

    However, as they pushed their distance even one meter further, they found their precision decreased dramatically.

    Five minutes seemed very long, but it felt like a fleeting moment while the students were engrossed in the test.

    There were hails and more sighs rising and falling inside the ssroom, as everyone seemed to be enjoying watching the test like a show, in which one brief second would define one''s sess or failure.

    Suddenly a loud hail erupted as Hu Yangxuan, the new trouble maker, hadpleted the test with a distance of twelve meters. It was the best record across the entire four years of students. This had also upset the boys in the F ss as they had realized the gaps with theirpetitor were not only in looks but also in skills.

    Soon it was Ma Xiaoru''s turn. Hu Yangxuan couldn''t help but draw all of his attention to her. After all, it would be exciting to watch Ma Xiaoru''s performance with the help of the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Even the instructor of METALbat was interested as he was curious about the power of one of the five deadliest tactics.

    Ma Xiaoru stood at the starting line calmly as purple-colored soul energy shed around her. In contrast to what everyone else had done, Ma Xiaoru carefully channeled her soul energy into the thread forcing the thread to slowly but surely glide toward its target.

    The ssroom suddenly quieted, fearing they would disturb Ma Xiaoru, an unnecessary consideration for such a powerful fighter as Ma Xiaoru. But it sure had helped her to concentrate on what she was doing. The instructor nodded approvingly as the thread passed through one after another copper loops.

    The instructor was very impressed, as he figured that Ma Xiaoru''s ability to control her power was even beyond his own. He doubted that he could move the thread using his soul power this far without throwing it like a dart.

    Finally, Ma Xiaoru took a gentle breath as the thread drifted away and fell to the ground. Fifteen meters was her final score.

    The ss immediately erupted with apuse, Ma Xiaoru bowed, polite as ever.

    All the while, Wang Tong had been calcting his odds of passing the monthly exam. Despite his slow math, he figured that he might have failed every other subject except for the dissecting ss. So much for Ma Xiaoru''s tutoring efforts. He conceded that he had to do exceptionally well on this test to even have a chance of passing the monthly exam.

 Chapter 34: Sixteen Meters

    Chapter 34: Sixteen Meters

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Seeing that everyone had devoted their attention to Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong seized the opportunity, he moved toward the instructor and asked, "Can I start now?"

    "Oh, yeah of course."

    Wang Tong felt the thread in between his thumb and index finger as he weighed his options and the risks: his options were limited, and he knew that he had to risk everyone''s attention to pass the monthly test.

    The lead of the thread wafted out of Wang Tong''s hand as he wrenched his arm forward. It was the same move used by all the other students. The instructory the tip of his marker down on the "Fail" checkbox, waiting for the thread to lose its momentum quickly. It did not. Instead, it glided swiftly and steadily toward the target, just like Ma Xiaoru''s thread.

    Seven. Eight. Nine. The thread drifted across the ssroom, unfaltering.

    More students joined the instructor''s gaze at the drifting thread. Their mouths opened wide in disbelief as the thread glided passed the twelve-meter line.

    Thirteen meters.

    Some students held their breath as they watched Wang Tong''s performance. One of the students was gesturing to his ssmate, who was still watching Ma Xiaoru, to get him to watch Wang Tong. The other ssmate replied brusquely, "Why did you poke me?" before he turned his head over his shoulder. His jaw dropped as soon as he looked in the direction his friend had been pointing.

    Fifteen meters!

    Wang Tong had made it to the same distance as Ma Xiaoru.

    The thread didn''t show any sign of slowing down until it reached the sixteen-meter line.

    "Bravo!" the instructor yelled at the top of his lungs after the threadnded softly on the ground. His face was red from excitement.

    Wang Tong''s heart dropped when the instructor''s yelling attracted the attention of the entire ssroom. He quickly moved his soul energy, forcing perspiration to seep out of his skin to decorate the exhausted mask he was fumbling to put on.

    Some observant student yelled out, "Sixteen meters, he reached sixteen meters!"

    The crowd sizzled with disbelief. "Sixteen meters? That¡¯s impossible!"

    "WANG TONG, SIXTEEN METERS!"

    The instructor announced as loud as he could. He was eager to share this record breaking result with everyone in the ssroom.

    "No, please, stop yelling!" Wang Tong shouted in his mind.

    "Mr. Lester, are you sure?" the chief examiner asked.

    "Why, do you doubt me? Everyone has seen it."

    A dozen students nodded their heads. One of them confirmed, "Yea, his thread drifted through all the loops, just like Ma Xiaoru¡¯s did."

    Ma Xiaoru was looking at Wang Tong suspiciously. Being an expert butcher was one thing, but this test was an entirely different story. Maneuvering the thread with soul energy seemed simple, but it required an extraordinary degree of control over one''s power, an ability that was beyond an ordinary human''s capability.

    Ma Xiaoru had excelled the test because of the Tactics of the Enchantress and her superior genes. "How did Wang Tong manage to do even better than me?" Ma Xiaoru thought curiously, narrowing her eyelids as she stared at Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong wiped his glistening forehead, looking exhausted. "Teacher, I feel dizzy, can I please take a rest?"

    "Yea, of course, feel free to do so. You have finished the test anyways," Mr. Lester said kindly as he watched Wang Tong''s limp figure. He was pleased that Wang Tong was willing to go above and beyond to achieve the best score.

    Wang Tong lumbered toward a seat and lolled down. He exaggerated a raspy breath, trying to make his facade more convincing. He figured that he should be able to pass the monthly test after securing this 100%.

    Wang Tong hadn''t wanted to reveal his power again, but the circumstances had given him no other options. If he had been confident about the test results of other subjects, he would not need to risk another unnecessary exposure. It would be a shame to be expelled from the school simply because he didn''t try as hard as he could in subjects that he knew he would be good at.

    "This is for you,¡± a fragrant, clean handkerchief appeared in front of Wang Tong, ¡°aren''t you tired of acting?"

    Wang Tong let out an ugly grin, he knew there was no need to hide anything from Ma Xiaoru anymore, she would have already known more than he thought she had. "Life is a stage, and we are all actors, but please forgive me, Xiaoru."

    "Whatever. I¡¯m only happy to see that you haven¡¯t lost your mind yet. Don¡¯t take your role too far. We will have much to talk about after all is done." Ma Xiaoru rolled her eyes at Wang Tong as she turned away and set off.

    Seeing the handkerchief that was still clenched in Wang Tong''s hand, many boys, especially Hu Yangxuan tasted sour jealousy in their mouth. He had never even considered Wang Tong as apetitor in his love affair, but this no-ount seemed to have already gotten Ma Xiaoru''s attention from right under his nose.

    Smelling the fragrance of the handkerchief, Wang Tong felt that the strenuous effort of forcing out the sweat was well worth it. His youth was kind to him to leave him such an unforgettable moment.

    Wang Tong was called to the principal''s office after the test. The continuous surprises required Samantha''s immediate attention.

    Wang Tong opened that familiar door that led to the principal''s office. For the first time, he paid attention to the details of her office. It was furnished with the mostvish andfortable furniture and decorated with the most intricate decorations.

    He figured that the virtual game must be extremely profitable. "Being rich must be awesome," Wang Tong marveled.

    Samantha seemed to have been waiting for Wang Tong as she sat in her chair behind a clean desk.

    "Principal, you were looking for me?"

    "Yea, grab a seat. I have learned that you have broken another record of the school? Congrattions!"

    "Oh¡­ I was just... lucky," Wang Tong tried to look as innocent as he could.

    "Ah... why of course. Your luck was truly exceptional. Even your misfortunes on Norton must have been a blessing in disguise.

    Anyhow, I have something else here that I need to discuss with you. You see, it is the school''s custom to partake in the annual METAL tournaments with other schools. We used topete with S-ss schools, but right now, we were only able topete with A-ss schools since we started to experience many difficulties.

    What had made the matter worse is the fact that even our currentpetitor, the A-ss Academy called Bernau has looked down their nose at us. They think that we are not worthy to be their opponent," Samantha said with a painful expression on her face.

    Wang Tong felt that something about this conversation seemed to be going against the grain. There was no need to discuss such an important issue with an F-ss student.

    He decided to tread carefully. "I get it, principal, and I will work and study harder from now on."

    "Fresh blood like you are the future of Ayrng; I can''t count on any of the senior students. Although Bernau was an A-ss Academy, they are well known for their METAL fighters, I am afraid that we will lose to them again in this year''s tournament, and that they will eventually get fed up with our performance and pull the plug. It would be a catastrophe to Ayrng should that ever happen."

    Wang Tong nodded absently.

    "This year, in preparation for the fight, I have personally recruited Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan, but I still felt like we were missing something, perhaps, a secret weapon that we could hide under our sleeve. Wang Tong, would you be interested in filling that role?"

    "Me?" Wang Tong''s mouth was wide open, his finger pointing at his nose.

    "That''s right. I can tell that you have great potential as a METAL fighter and have decided to help you to make the best out of your potential. Are you interested?" Samantha cracked a smile. She had extended the olive branch to Wang Tong. Should Wang Tong agree to join the team, he would be exempt from being expelled.

    Samantha was well aware that one cannot govern without the bncing scruples and feelings. She was willing to tip the scale slightly when subtlety was called for.

    Wang Tong weighed his options for a while, and shook his head, "I am sorry, principal, I don''t think I want to do that. I want to just focus on building a solid foundation in my first year. I must learn to walk before I can run."

    Samantha was speechless; her body was frozen in disbelief. No one had ever refused one of her offers.

 Chapter 35: Repair Charcoal

    Chapter 35: Repair Charcoal

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Are you sure?" Samantha''s stern eyes lit up.

    Wang Tong did not waiver, and he acted as if he didn''t notice her interrogating stare. "Principal, they say only diamond cuts diamond. At my current state, I am not sure how much use I can be. But once I have learned more, I will strive to earn more honors for our school; you have my words!"

    Seeing that Wang Tong was unwavering, Samantha relented, "You are right, let''s leave it for now, maybe we can discuss itter."

    "Sounds good. Is there anything else?"

    Samantha shook her head as she watched Wang Tong set off. The youngest principal in the entire Confederation had tasted defeat for the first time.

    "You are dead, Wang Tong," Samantha thought to herself bitterly.

    Without looking, Wang Tong could feel Samantha''s chilling starended on the back of his neck. His hair stood on ends. He wouldn''t have to confront Samantha if she hadn''t have tried to force him into the limelight again.

    The tournament was a waste of time for rich princes and princesses: unt and unpractical. Wang Tong''s focus was on the Tactics of the de and TPA. Thetter was not only a great ce for sparring, but it also allowed Wang Tong to do so anonymously.

    The monthly test was over, and Wang Tong had left the results to fate. He figured that it was about time to start reviving Charcoal. The astronomical price tag had pretty much ruled out the major department stores and outlets, leaving Wang Tong to try his luck at dingy shops that scattered about in the darkest corners of the city.

    Wang Tong had frequented these shops ever since he was little, usually being led by the sleazy Old Fart. Despite the asional skirmish with thew, these squalid shops had always strived to satisfy the needs of their customers.

    As Wang Tong searched every corner of the city, he stumbled upon a grocery store that he had frequented with Old Fart years ago. Disguised as an ordinary grocery store, the owner''s supply was far more diverse than a grocery store should be.

    The owner was an old man, older even than Old Fart. He wore a pair of ancient and heavy far-sighted sses on his face like wearing a badge that honored his old, albeit stubborn, ways.

    "Little Tong Tong, long time no see!" The old man smiled, revealing a row of crooked yellow teeth. Some teeth were missing, leaving only a dark hole gaping toward Wang Tong.

    "Old Bonehead, do you think you can fix this for me?"

    Old Bonehead studied Charcoal''s mainframe for a moment and replied, "The C model, it was discontinued a while ago, it¡¯s a bugger to fix you know."

    Feeling that he was about to arrive at another dead end, Wang Tong quickly digressed, "It doesn''t have to be the same replica, as long as it works."

    "If that''s the case, I can give it a try. I have a lower tier cleaning robot that''s just lying around collecting dust; I can use it for parts."

    Old Bonehead was referring to an ancient floor-cleaning machine that was three feet tall. Itcked the joints that Charcoal had and therefore would be even clumsier than the C models.

    ¡°A robot even clumsier than Charcoal...¡± the thought made Wang Tong cringed. But considering that this might be Charcoal''s only chance of being revived, Wang Tong had topromise. "How much?" he asked.

    "You have been my loyal customer, so I am just going to be honest. The parts are not expensive, but thebor is. Say I will give you 20 percent off that will be thirteen thousand, omitting the extra three grand for the sake of a smooth transaction, and I will throw another twenty percent off on top of that, the final price would be eight grand. Just thebor would cost that much; you are practically getting the parts for free."

    Wang Tong shook his head and extended only two fingers.

    Old Bonehead was flustered after being low-balled by Wang Tong. "No way!" he yelled out and extended all five fingers at Wang Tong.

    Seeing that Old Bonehead had quickly shed three grand off the original offer, Wang Tong was confident to haggle even further. He shook his head and said, "Twenty-eight hundred; a discount for my kindred.[1] That''s all I have; you know how poor I am, I really can''t afford anymore."

    "Fine you little brat, taking advantage of me as soon as youe back from Norton, aren¡¯t you? Anyhow, so be it, I don''t want others to scold me for not helping a ¡°kindred¡±. The assembly will take an hour, are you waiting here or would you like to pick it up tomorrow?"

    "I will wait."

    "Okay. You are lucky that the mainframe was unharmed. Otherwise, you would never be able to bring him back."

    The Old Bonehead led Wang Tong inside. The shop was small and squalid, and heaps of junks were scattered everywhere. Old Bonehead cleared a path toward one side of the wall. As he ced his palm on an impression on the wall, a bright light shed, and the wall was lifted up by some kind of contraption, revealing a whole different world inside.

    The Old Bonehead was quickly engrossed in his work. He tampered with various nuts and bolts enthusiastically with great attention to detail, all the while, he seemed to have transformed from a half dead shrunken husk to an energetic and lively youth.

    Wang Tong registered that Old Bonehead had used the eight-node version of the Tactics of the de while conducting the repair. Although Old Bonehead''s soul energy was meager, he had maintained delicate control over it.

    Although Wang Tong could not follow the repairing procedure, he enjoyed watching Old Bonehead''s fluid movements, perfected by countless hours of practice.

    One hour had passed, and Old Bonehead had finally finished his work. "Haha, Fini!"

    "Kerh¡­ Kerh¡­ Booo"

    The light on Charcoal''s new face lit up for a brief second before it dimmed.

    "Urghh! Why? Impossible!" Old Bonehead growled as he rechecked the circuits. Everything was normal, but Charcoal had refused to be turned on.

    "The mainframe must be pooped, he is useless now, only the manufacturers could deal with a fried mainframe, but I doubt that they would waste any time on a C model. You might as well throw him away now."

    "No! You must return the mainframe to me, be careful while you do it!" Wang Tong bowled out.

    "It¡¯s just a piece of junk; the youngsters of today''s world are ridiculous," Old Bonehead mumbled to himself as he unscrewed the mainframe from the body.

    Wang Tong was desperate as he carefully packed the mainframe back into his crystal, all the while, he kept on reminding himself not to give up, as long as he had the mainframe, he would continue looking for a way to bring Charcoal back.

    Although the monthly test was over, Wang Tong didn¡¯t feel like his mood was any lighter. A living and lovely Charcoal had been at his fingertips, but it had then slipped away in a snap.

    Just like Wang Tong, Miao Xiu had been in a bad moodtely as well. Every day, he would log on to the TPA but never participated in any fights as if he was waiting for someone. Only Luv Ma knew his intentions and who he was waiting for. Einherjar Wannabe had disappeared after defeating Miao Xiu, and Miao Xiu was hungry for revenge.

    Carrying a chip on his shoulder, Miao Xiu had since bullied many other ssmates to let off some steam. So much anger to vent for the most despicable deed was done to him: Disappearing after one victory and therefore refused him a chance for revenge.

    He pocketed his hands as he walked towards the school gym.

    "Yo, isn''t it Miao Xiu? Why that stupid look on your face? Can''t handle the fact that your ass got beaten at TPA?" A group of second-year students taunted him. They had despised this pompous first-year student for undermining the senior student''s authority and constantly stirring up scuffles.

    "F*ck off!" Miao Xiu greeted them back with a curse.

    The senior students quickly encircled him, emboldened by their advantage in number. "What did you say?"

    Miao Xiu shook his head. "I said, ¡®You dumb*sses are D.E.A.D.!¡¯"

    Notes:

    In the raw, it was ¡°twenty-eight hundred, let¡¯s get rich together¡±, and it rhymed. We decided to change theter half a little to keep the rhyme.

 Chapter 36: Patroclus

    Chapter 36: Patroclus

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Miao Xiu cracked his knuckles as threats tumbled out from between his teeth, "Would you like to be a cripple or a vegetable?"

    They knew that Miao Xiu''s student profile was already filled with previous records of violent conduct, one more serious offense, and he might be expelled from school. Leveraging on that, the five second-year students ignored the fear that tickled at the back of their mind and closed in on Miao Xiu.

    Many ssmates had been anticipating a fight as soon as Miao Xiu walked in. The promise of confrontation riled them up, and they quickly formed a circle around the five students, waiting for a show to start.

    "Hold! All of you!" a deep and raspy voice echoed inside of the gym. The second-year students disengaged from Miao Xiu as soon as they turned toward the speaker and there stood Gadus, the number one fighter of all second-year students.

    "Would you dare to spar with me instead?" Gadus asked Miao Xiu.

    Miao Xiu''s gut turned at the question, he was aware of Gadus''s strength. But if Miao Xiu had felt threatened, he did not wear it on his face.

    "I would love to, and I have always admired your Tactics of the Star Shift."

    Tactics of the Star Shift was an advanced tactic that was meant for the elite students. No one in the second-year would be able to yield more power from it than Gades.

    Another voice rose out of the spectors: "Why the fuss? Senseless fighting would only hurt our morale. If you two want to spar, you can perhaps arrange it at another time?" There were very few students in the entire school who would dare to interrupt Miao Xiu and Gadus, even fewer among the first-year students.

    Annoyed by the interruption, Miao Xiu turned his head towards the source of the voice, ready to utter a curse. But as soon as he saw the speaker, he choked back his anger, and the curse slurred into a barely audible grunt.

    Gadus cracked a smile. "Patroclus, what brings you here?"

    "What a strange question. I am one of the students of our academy, am I not?"

    "Pfft¡­ you two catch up." Miao Xiu dodged an exchange of nces with Patroclus and scurried off. He knew the fight was over.

    Patroclus was the No. 1 fighter among the first-year students, and perhaps among all the students of Starry Sky Academy. He bore a prestigious family name that had been passed down by heroic ancestors.

    Patroclus Dower, the direct descendant of Rngalos Dower, was indisputably the brightest star of the Starry Sky. When the news of his entrance to Starry Sky was first made public, the principal of the Light Ray Academy, a rival of Starry Sky, had turned green with envy.

    "It seems that Miao Xiu has learned to fear your strength the hard way; look at how quickly he runs away." Gadus smiled broadly, seeing Miao Xiu fleeing quietly had made him feel good.

    "You have overestimated me. Miao Xiu is a tougher nut to crack than you think."

    "Yea, yea, if you say so. Anyhow, would you be interested in joining me in the gym? Perhaps you would be even so kind as to point out where I should improve my technique?" Although Gadus was the number one fighter among second-year students, he didn¡¯t dare to be uncouth with Patroclus, whose power needed no further proof other than the fact that a pompous trouble-maker such as Miao Xiu had shriveled in his presence.

    A smile appeared on Patroclus''s elegant, if not slightly feminine, face. "That''s very nice of you to invite me, fellow brother, but I need to go to the library to retrieve some documents, perhaps next time."

    Gadus shrugged and let the matter rest. Like most exceptionally talented students, Patroclus was better to be left alone when he wished to be so.

    Many great houses of the Moon had crumbled under the constant political turmoil, but not the Dowers. They had since risen to be the dominant power on the Moon. They guarded the Tactics of the Deva King, one of the most powerful tactics, created by General Rngalos Dower, and also one of the most difficult to master. Even if the Dower family had failed to protect its content, the tactics itself had a built-in fail-safe in the form of its nearly impossible xinfa [1].

    It can be cultivated only by one who was perfect both physically and psychologically, such as Rngalos himself. Any infinitesimal w in either department would render the practitioner into a deranged state.

    Even though the Dowers had gained the reputation as the House of the Perfect Humans, the risk of cultivating the Tactics of the Deva King had caused each generation to approach their ancestral secret with extreme caution. For two consecutive generations, the Dowers had failed to produce a sessor who was worthy of the tactics... until now.

    Despite the expectation of two entire generations of house members weighing on his shoulders, Patroclus never let it slow him down and had always been a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.

    "Let''s roll; we are no match for him."

    "Gadus, are you for serious?"

    "No kidding, Gadus, he doesn''t even look that strong."

    Gadus shed a sly smile on his face and said, "Don''t mistake ignorance for bliss. No one knows how strong he is, and I don''t even have the slightest interest in finding out," Gandus¡¯s words spoke loudly to the strength of Patroclus that was hidden behind that meek appearance.

    Wang Tong didn''t wake up until noon on the weekend. It was a perfect time for him to recharge after losing many nights of sleep to the monthly test. Although the preparation for the test had been arduous, he felt happy that it was finally over. He checked the sky anticipating a message and sighed after finding that there were none. He drew a fewrge gulps of fresh morning air and started to get ready for the day.

    In addition to studying, practicing the tactics remained a majorponent of Wang Tong''s day. Mr. Wannabe had reminded him of the importance of improving his physical strength in addition to the EMF strength, for it would greatlyplement his fighting style. And as far as TPA match goes, losing a match because ofcking physical strength would be even more humiliating than losing because of EMF.

    After cleaning himself up, Wang Tong picked up some cheap fast food at the school''s cafeteria, which might not satisfy as a normal meal for ones born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but to Wang Tong, it had always been a tantalizing feast.

    "Mydy, the weather looks good, why don''t you go out and seize the day?"

    "I still have homework to finish."

    Ma Xiaoru wore a white sweatshirt and lolled on the sofa in her private mansion that hovered above the city of Shangjin. She nced at the sky from time to time, anticipating a message.

    "Idiot, why wouldn''t you take the initiative and ask me out on the weekend?"

    Far below Ma Xiaoru''s mansion, in a squalid corner of the city, Wang Tong entered his favorite VR caf¨¦, the DREAM-HEAVEN. As he turned on terminal number five, he was astonished to see therge number of participants online.

    It was the day the IPA and TPA yers mingled together. The day that had a special meaning for both leagues. The IPA yers, equipped with METAL suits that were useless in real-life but overpowered in the PA system, had an unfair advantage over TPA yers. While the TPA yers were eager to observe a great variety of tier six or higher METAL suits wore by the IPA yers.

    However, should the TPA yers decide to experience the power of the IPA METAL suits at first hand, they might have to pay dearly. A few TPA yers had tried, but their catastrophic defeats had deterred other TPA yers. Therefore, it was rare to see a fight between the two different leagues. After all, none of the yers wanted to embarrass themselves by losing to fanboys.

    TL note: Soul energy and human emotions are intrinsically bonded. Many fighters take advantage of the bond by manipting their mood to facilitate the progress of their cultivation. This method is referred to as "xinfa" - the way of the heart.

 Chapter 37: Stealth METAL

    Chapter 37: Stealth METAL

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong couldn''t care less. A good fight was a good fight regardless of which league the opponent belonged to.

    The most game changing difference between the TPA and the IPA wasn''t the METAL suit but the yers themselves. Unlike the yers in the TPA, IPA yers had never been mind-opened. Their in-game power depended solely on the amount of time they spent in the game.

    Wang Tong opened his inbox and noticed a challenge from an IPA yer named "Crazy Diamond." He was a level thirty-seven yer which meant that his soul energy was equivalent to one hundred sols in real life.

    The soul energy of the IPA yers was fixed and did not fluctuate as it did in real life or in the TPA, which made the IPA yers extremely deadly in prolonged fights against a TPA yer.

    Crazy Diamond was equipped with a tier three METAL as dictated by his level of thirty-seven, which required a tremendous amount of time and money to reach since the DREAM corp. discouraged power leveling for the sake of maximizing their profit.

    Wang Tong epted the challenge, knowing that the challenger would have to be the cream of the crop.

    Three secondster, the match was on.

    By the time Wang Tong arrived at the arena, a few hundred audience members, most of them IPA yers, were already there waiting impatiently. It had been a while since any TPA yer epted an IPA yer''s challenge. The previous matches had been so unbnced that it was practically bullying. Perhaps that''s what the few hundred IPA audience members came here for, to see another helpless rookie from the TPA be bullied.

    Crazy Diamond spared Wang Tong a nce and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

    "Of course."

    "Even if I¡¯m going to use my METAL suit? Don''tinter that I didn''t warn you about it."

    Wang Tong nodded with a smile. He was not here to win the battle, he was here for the experience, and it was the experience rather than scores that would make the best METAL fighter. The stronger the opponent, the more experience Wang Tong would get out of a fight and therefore the more meaningful the fight was.

    "METAL!" Crazy Diamond sped his left arm with the right hand with a crisp movement, while rays of bright light tumbled out from his body, from which an elegant METAL suit emerged.

    Crazy Diamond wore the "Wraith III," tier three ability-focused METAL suit. Its appearance had excited the IPA audience who let out a wave of sardonic jibes at Wang Tong. Disregarding the difference in soul energy, the ability of this METAL suit alone would be able to devastate most TPA yers.

    Many TPA yers hadined about the Wraith III''s dirty, if not nasty, ability. They would rather fight with abat-focused IPA yer who was stronger, than a weaker IPA yer wearing a Wraith III, if they would match with IPA yers at all.

    Hearing the audience''sughter, a smirk shed on Crazy Diamond''s face.

    He had sent out the challenge as a taunt and had never expected any TPA yer to ept it. Despite the fact that his virtual soul energy was only sixty-five sols, the Wraith III METAL suit was all he needed to defeat most TPA yers, and any seasoned TPA yers should have known that. His opponent''s eptance of the challenge was a telltale sign of inexperience. Nevertheless, Crazy Diamond would not turn down a victory when it was already in his pocket.

    "Can we start?" Wang Tong stretched his neck muscles. They had be stiff after days of inactivity while being buried in books.

    "Anytime, turn your METAL on."

    "I will have it on when I need to." Wang Tong didn''t want to waste precious time on exining hisck of a METAL suit.

    "The TPA yers do look down their noses at us, fine, get ready!" Crazy Diamond had fought many pompous rookies in the TPA just like this one, and all of them had bit the dust in the end. Although IPA yers were just ordinary people in real life, in the PA system, they could be as deadly as any TPA yer, and they were even more deadly if their power was overlooked.

    A swift sh fell toward Wang Tong, carrying an icy chill with it. Instead of countering the attack, Wang Tong took a quick step back; first things first: he needed to warm up.

    Wang Tong''s retreat had emboldened Crazy Diamond to usher a round of relentless hacks and shes with greater speed and intensity, engulfing Wang Tong in a plethora of attacks.

    The quickly escting battle kept the audience on the edge of their seats as they let out raucous shouts and cheers.

    It seemed counter-intuitive to think that IPA yers were stronger than TPA yers when ced under the same rules, but it was not far from the truth. One of the IPA yers¡¯ advantages was their steady soul energy. It allowed them to partake in fights without taking a break to recuperate. A TPA yer''s soul power, on the other hand, would fall short after only one or two rounds of matches. In other words, neither victory nor defeat meant much to an IPA yer; it was all just a game.

    Because of this disadvantage, most TPA yers avoided fighting with an IPA yer. Despite the satisfaction a TPA yer might get from a victory against all the odds, the cost of losing a battle was humiliation¡ªa cost not everyone was willing to pay.

    As Crazy Diamond''s attack went on, Wang Tong registered that his attack was not as haphazard as one might expect from a recreational yer. Instead, it was rather structured and well nned. He was able to read Wang Tong''s moves fairly urately and respond with precise positioning.

    Although Crazy Diamond''s moves weren''t perfect, Wang Tong reckoned that they were the results of countless hours of training.

    Crazy Diamond, on the other hand, had felt increasingly puzzled as all attacks so far had been evaded; yet, Wang Tong''s footwork had seemed rather ordinary.

    Even if all of his strikes had missed the target, dragging out the fight would still slowly drain Wang Tong''s soul energy, and allow Crazy Diamond to gain the upper hand.

    Crazy Diamond''s attack had been slowly picking up speed since it started and by then, it was falling toward Wang Tong in such a rapid and frenzied fashion that each strike seemed to have disconnected with the next as if it was a testament to his username: Crazy Diamond.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, retreated and countered whenever the opportunity presented itself. He reckoned that Crazy Diamond''s confidence in his relentless attack was hinged on his METAL''s defense capability. In a real fight, rarely could one see a TPA yer attacked so recklessly since even the most calcting fighter would make mistakes that led to serious consequences. But the IPA yers needed not to worry about consequences, which led Crazy Diamond to undermine prudence¡ªa fatal error that would eventually be his downfall.

    An opening appeared suddenly in the web of hack and sh as the strenuous weaver had finally dropped his thread. Wang Tong seized the opportunity and thrust a fist through the opening.

    "Konng..."

    Despite Crazy Diamond''s effort to pull himself back, he absorbed the full force of Wang Tong''s punch. The punch sent him tumbling backward, he stumbled a few times on the way, but still, he was unharmed. Wang Tong felt a strange tingle; Crazy Diamond should have been severely injured by then.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s counter attack had silenced all kinds of noises in the arena.

    To untrained eyes, the victory had been in the bag for Crazy Diamond. Wang Tong had been pushed into a vulnerable position under a barrage of fric attacks, running around like a homeless dog. But it seemed true of what they say: "Every dog has its day."

    Crazy Diamond steadied himself, and without a word, the outline of his figure suddenly blurred and then faded away into thin air like ink dissolved in water.

    This was the stealth ability of the Wraith III and what was dreaded by many TPA fighters. It was not merely a visual illusion, but the result of advanced technology. It absorbed waves of soul energies so that even a veteran who specialized in anti-stealth tactics would not sniff out a hint of the wearer''s presence. This type of ability wasn''t entirely made up for the game since it existed in real life, but it existed only on tier four METAL suits or above that were given to elite assassination units.

    Although it was a rare sight to behold, it wasn''t anything unheard of in the IPA league.

 Chapter 38: The Fist of the Racing Tiger

    Chapter 38: The Fist of the Racing Tiger

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    TPA yers in the audience seats shook their heads, feeling worried for Wang Tong''s situation and even more for his intelligence. Only an irrational fool ys with fire. The Wraith III had a reputation for putting up a nasty fight and, in the past, it had spoiled many TPA yers¡¯ fun and forced them to taste defeat.

    Unless the opponent had an advanced anti-stealth ability, the wearer of the Wraith III could slip underneath any fighter''s senses while he delivered a lethal blow.

    Unable to sense his opponent''s movement, Wang Tong was struck by an unseen force, and it threw his body into the air before it thudded on the ground. Wang Tong had now tasted the power of the Wraith III.

    Crazy Diamond''s retaliation was a tit for tat, and it should have also ended the match with a victory that was as cheap as bok choy.

    The IPA yers instinctively shouted out a wave of cheers,ced with jestingughter.

    Wang Tong picked himself up before the cheers had subsided. He rubbed his chest where he was hit and muttered, "Holy cow, that hurts!" Wang Tong counted himself lucky that this was not in a real battle, in which case, this blow would have been lethal.

    Disgruntled about the fact that his strike had not finished the opponent as he had expected, Crazy Diamond attempted another stealthy attack.

    Sensing the impending danger, Wang Tong was a half-move ahead of his opponent and dodged out of harm''s way just in time.

    Wraith III users were the most unscrupulous even by IPA yers'' standards. Their overpowered ability was a downright bug in the system, which had filled the wearer with over-confidence. When Crazy Diamond saw that his strike had been dodged, his eyes were red with rage, and he attacked again, only to be dodged once more.

    Inside the arena, aical show was on disy: Wang Tong fumbled about to avoid the attacks of an unseen enemy as he lurched across the field as if he was mentally unsound.

    In the real world, no one could conceal their presence to the degree that the Wraith III did in the game. This METAL suit was made entirely for the sake of entertainment but was at the expense of the TPA yers'' agony. The dice had been loaded from the beginning of the game.

    Every strike had been a near miss for Wang Tong. He could only detect his opponent''s movement through the infinitesimally small ripples in the air, which were stirred up by Crazy Diamond''s brash blows.

    Although these ripples felt like loud and definite warnings, the ensuing attack was so swift that it allowed almost no time for Wang Tong to react.

    "Calm down, I must be calm," Wang Tong reminded himself.

    Wang Tong attempted to detect his opponent''s move using his soul energy, but that had been proven ineffectual. With only the air ripple as his clue, Crazy Diamond''s movements were elusive and unpredictable and were always ahead of Wang Tong''s.

    Despite being trapped in a fairly dire situation, Wang Tong felt hopeful. He might as well figure out an effective countermeasure now, rather than letting it frustrate him in the sleepless nights after the defeat.

    "Konnng!"

    After a few short bursts of airwaves immediately the same number of blows ensued, each deadlier than thest. With his luck spent, Wang Tong was eventually hit by one of the strikes. Crimson blood gushed out from Wang Tong''s right arm that he had lifted to protect his body. Wang Tong immediately countered the assault with a left-hand punch, but the enemy had already moved away.

    Pain alerted Wang Tong''s mind lighting up a fire in his eyes. A blurred outline of a husky figure appeared out of thin air, and it presented itself in front of Wang Tong.

    Crazy Diamond had deduced the incredible power of Wang Tong from the fact that he had survived the fight so long by solely relying on the signals in air ripples. He should have felt satisfied at the thought of injuring such a powerful opponent, but his eyes had betrayed his real feelings.

    Sadness, anguish, and indignation, these feelings could not change the wicked reality of having being born into a household that boasted its tradition of METAL fighters; he had to forfeit the honor, for reasons beyond his own grasp.

    As Crazy Diamond was mired in his thoughts, his frustration overtook him, and heshed out toward Wang Tong in fury. "Dodge this!" The sword whizzed in the air as it flew toward Wang Tong.

    Crazy Diamond watched as the sword missed Wang Tong before a fist flew toward him. He retreated to safety out of instinct and was again confused about how he had missed Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong waved his hand, gesturing for Crazy Diamond to try again, "It seems that you have been training hard. C¡¯mon, you can fight better than this!"

    "Buzz off, what do you know about me?"

    The Wraith III and its wearer disappeared again. When the attack finally fell toward Wang Tong, he countered the attack with a kick. To the audience, it looked like Wang Tong had kicked the air, but to Crazy Diamond, the sudden counterattack disoriented him as he stumbled about to get out of harm''s way. To his surprise, Wang Tong''s attack never touched him. Instead, it stopped a mere inch away.

    "He is going easy on me. Is he patronizing me?" Crazy Diamond thought.

    "It doesn''t seem like you will even need the stealth ability, why don''t you y a real match with me?" Wang Tong smiled broadly. Wang Tong had felt that the METAL''s ability seemed to have taken something away from Crazy Diamond''s moves.

    Crazy Diamond unshielded himself from the Wraith III, revealing a pale and sullen face. "Do you think I will still be a worthy opponent without my IPA METAL?"

    "Yea! Come on now; let¡¯s not waste each other''s time," Wang Tong said lightly. He had sensed an unusual power in Crazy Diamond that set him apart from the rest of the IPA yers. There must be more than what met the eyes.

    "Alright, I will have a fair fight with you!"

    The announcement had bewildered the IPA yers.

    "Has he gone mad?"

    "An IPA yer challenges a TPA yer without using METAL?"

    "Who does he think he is?"

    "Konnng!"

    Crazy Diamond charged up his virtual soul energy. Although it was merely a product of the PA system, Crazy Diamond was willing to give all he had for the opponent that had deemed him worthy.

    He abandoned his sword and thrust his bare fist toward Wang Tong. The fist raced forward, ripping open the air with the sound of a roaring tiger.

    Wang Tong was shocked at the wave of energy his opponent had released. He wondered why someone with such extraordinary abilities would be stuck ying in the IPA league.

    "The Fist of the Racing Tiger!"

    Someone in the audience let out a gasp.

    General Hu Ben, the Racing Tiger, was one of the top ten generals of the Confederation. His famous coup de grace, the Fist of the Racing Tiger was considered the strongest in the world. It roared like a tiger, sending a deadly and unfaltering punch to the enemies and in most cases; it was a definitive death blow for thetter. It was said that many Zergs would flee upon hearing its distinctive roar in the distance on the battlefield.

    However, just recently, news had spread throughout the confederation that General Hu Ben''s son, Wang Ben, had failed "opening" his mind.

    It had sounded almost preposterous to many. Wang Ben would have an over 99% sess rate solely based on genes. He might not be one of the best, but passing the mind opening operation should have been taken for granted.

    However, as wicked as fate could be, it had decreed Wang Ben''s failure. It was not only a personal loss but also a huge loss to the Confederation.

    The intangible world of the PA system had then be Wang Ben''s retreat. In here, he could vent his regret and sorrow and only in here could he still use his family''s fearsome techniques.

    It had been viral news, even Wang Tong had learned about it.

 Chapter 39: Epiphany

    Chapter 39: Epiphany

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The promise of immense power in the air gave Wang Tong a rush of euphoria that wasced with adrenaline. Finally, a true opponent stood before him to quench his thirst for a challenging fight.

    The thrill of the battle emboldened Wang Tong. He dashed forward, thrusting a fist directly at Wang Ben.

    "Konnn."

    Both fists released a deafening roar along with the explosive energy that shook the entire arena. Having relinquished the unty moves and flourish of METAL suits, this exchange of bare knuckles, imbued with Wang Ben''s anguish and indignation, was the embodiment of a real fight, and to Wang Ben, it was as real as the wicked fate that had mocked him.

    Wang Ben had dreamed of following in his father''s footsteps to be a decorated soldier in the Confederation. To achieve this dream, he had followed the strict training routines that started with over a thousand reps of the Fist of the Racing Tiger first thing in the morning, yet it all had led to nothing.

    "But why?" Wang Ben screamed, in his mind, a question that had no answers.

    "Homm..."

    Wang Ben pressed another step further, and the arena trembled as his feet thudded on the ground. Although the IPA rules had dictated his soul energy to be capped at 100 sols, through careful control and maniption, Wang Ben had amplified it into an explosive and deadly force.

    Wang Ben''s attack was infused with the hatred for being denied what had been rightfully his: the right to be a soldier. Hanging on his overwhelming emotions, Wang Ben''s attack had be even more venomous and lethal.

    Wang Ben''s punch pierced through the air, roaring like a tiger along the way and was ready to devour any resistance that was put up by its opponent. Having mastered the Fist of the Racing Tiger, Wang Ben''s performance in the arena reminded people of his father, General Hu Ben.

    The audience was shocked by the identity of Crazy Diamond; no one would have thought the son of a prestigious general would partake in an IPA fight. But things did seem to add up eventually. Since he had failed the mind opening operation, his presence in the IPA league was apparent, and no one could mishear those distinctive roars.

    In the PA system, Wang Ben was able to harness the virtual soul energy while using the Tactics of the Racing Tiger, which he had been practicing ever since he was a child and had by then mastered. Needless to say, its power was immeasurable, and most opponents would have fled out of harm''s way, but Wang Tong didn''t flinch. Instead, he uttered a deep grunt as he delivered his punch in return.

    This had been the most satisfying battle Wang Tong had encountered since he had joined the PA system. For the first time, he found joy in fighting, and he thought it would be only fitting for him to pay tribute to his opponent with his fist.

    "Konnn!"

    The impact sent a deafening ng echoing throughout the arena, and then, silence ensued. Everyone''s breath had caught in their throats as they fell in awe at the two fighters¡¯ immense power. This was a fight worthmemorating!

    Wang Ben stood still, dragging out the silence. He had been a prodigy ever since childhood, and his only downfalls were the failure of his mind opening and the release of his EMF. Otherwise, the Confederation military would have another fearsome fighter in its ranks. However, thanks to the virtual EMF, he would be able to fully utilize the Fist of the Racing Tiger that he had already practiced beyond perfection.

    Wang Ben''s victory was by then apparent to the audience.

    Both fighters still stood motionless as the PA system announced the unexpected results, "The winner is... Einherjar Wannabe!"

    "What!? It''s impossible!"

    "Bah! There must be something wrong with the score."

    Wang Ben might be weak in a real fight, but in the PA system, he ought to be almost invincible with the aid of his tactics named after the ring reputation of his father. No one would have thought that a TPA rookie would defeat him.

    "You truly lost the fight when you gave up. I look forward to fighting with you in real life!" Wang Tong dered candidly.

    Wang Ben was shocked by the words for a brief moment, then he gritted his teeth and uttered a word out of his mouth: "Alright.

    "Having failed once, does it also mean that I will fail the next time?

    "Although the odds of opening the mind in the second try are slim, I¡¯ll never know if I give up.

    "I will lose the fight when I give up..."

    The words echoed in Wang Ben''s mind. He clenched his fists allowing the memories of that day toe rushing back to him. He saw his mother crying and heard his father''s disappointed sigh. Among the blurred memories, he found a moment of epiphany. He had never cried before, not even during that devastating moment, but now tears poured out of his eyes for the first time in his life, and also for the veryst time. He knew he would rise again; he had to.

    It had been such a devastating blow to someone under so much attention and expectation. Everyone had felt for him as the news of his failure spread. However, it still shocked many people to find him in the IPA league.

    "What a shame, what a pity, the poor boy had learned the fist of the racing tiger by rote, but... bah!"

    "General, every cloud has its silver lining. Although we have lost Wang Ben, haven''t you noticed the other boy? Wang Ben had the virtual EMF up his sleeve; his attack ought to be unstoppable, yet, the other fighter has defeated him with brute force."

    As General Hu Ben''s friend andpetitor, General Oto, the "Last Castle" had felt great regret for Wang Ben''s misfortune. He had hoped that both Wang Ben and his already mind-opened son would be able to carry on their fathers'' healthypetition. He had felt great disappointment after learning that Wang Ben had failed his operation.

    Though not conscious of the effort, General Oto''s attention had been drawn toward Wang Ben while he had almost ignored Wang Tong.

    Despite the fact that Wang Ben''s vengeful attack had exposed himself to danger on multiple fronts, the immense power and the weight it carried was undeniable. However, the opponent had been confronted head-on with Wang Ben''s attack and won the battle without any side maneuvers. As far as General Oto could think of, there might be only a few people who could achieve that, and all of them must have been from the House Li.

    "Hehe, it must be one of the Lis poking fun at the poord."

    "We discussed it with the Lis, it was negative, sir. I don''t think they were lying. Furthermore, I have looked up the records of one of his previous fights, and he didn''te off as a member of the Great Houses."

    "Interesting¡­ Keep an eye on him."

    "Yes, Sir."

    Although Wang Tong''s previous fights might have been considered unusual to most audiences, they had been quickly forgotten due to the numerous other, equally-unusual matches. However, due to the publicity of Wang Ben, Wang Tong''s username, Einherjar Wannabe, also started to surface into the view of the public.

    It had been dubbed as the battle between the Fist of the Racing Tiger and the Steel Fist of Nobody. A no-ount TPA yer had defeated Wang Ben who was wearing the stealth METAL suit, Wraith III. The oue of the match had left many viewers dumbfounded.

    The public had quickly sniffed out the scent of something extraordinary, but no one dared to acknowledge it. People had learned to keep their expectations low after countless letdowns, and they came to concede the fact that some legends in history were not meant to be repeated no matter how hard they wished for it.

    The journalists didn''t get a chance to interview Wang Ben since both he and his father were busy with other, more important matters. But they had crammed as much spection into the news as possible.

    DREAM would have been more than happy to presume the return of the legend purely for the sake of their profit. But many overreactions in the past had also made them prudent about what went out to the public, and to steer clear of bold ims.

    Although no one had publicly made any connections to the event, most yers who had watched the news had nted a seed in their hearts.

 Chapter 40: Jesting

    Chapter 40: Jesting

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong left DREAM-heaven as soon as he had finished the fight. On the way home, hemented over Wang Ben''s misfortune and felt content about his own life. The miraculous mind opening event on Norton was a stark contrast to the cruel joke that life had yed on Wang Ben.

    This fight, like all other fights, gave Wang Tong new insights about his mental and physical abilities. He had noticed that his body was exceptionally vigorous even when it was not under the influence of the EMF.

    Ever since the discovery of the EMF, physical strength had be irrelevant, fighters had been putting the matter on the back burner and focused solely on strengthening their EMF. This practice was also backed by scientific researches that had concluded that the effect of physical conditioning on improving the METAL fighter''s power was inappreciable.

    However, ever since he returned to earth, Wang Tong had felt an undeniable sensation as if there was a force within his body that had fallen into slumber. Only today, when his body was under immense pressure from the relentless attack of Wraith III, did he felt the slumbered force had awakened to fill his body with vigor.

    Wang Tong started to entertain the thoughts of connections between physical and mental strength and eventually pieced all evidence together. He remembered that on Norton, where constant battles and grueling gravity had toughened him up considerably, he had also felt the workings of this force facilitating him during his fights. Things hadn''t changed until he had arrived on Earth, where his body was no longer under demanding conditions.

    This insight had provided a clear direction in Wang Tong''s future training, but first thing first, he wanted to celebrate this discovery. For a warrior like Wang Tong, there was no better celebration than filling his belly with food.

    "Keep up the good work my dear princess warrior, we will be counting on you next month," Samantha interrupted Ma Xiaoru''s physical exercises with a smile. She stood at the threshold; half leaned against the door.

    The Tactics of the Enchantress focused entirely on the mental cultivation without any physical strengthening. The thorough advisers of House Li had addressed this shoring in the cultivation guide by emphasizing the importance of physical conditioning. Unlike a real fighter who would naturally gain physical strength as he or she undergone fights, an academy student rarely had the opportunity to do so. Therefore the need for a physical exercise was apparent to Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru had noticed Samantha at the door. She paused to grab a towel and wiped the sweat off her face. Her gym shirt d tightly against the skin, outlined elegant curves that were entuated by her lively and beautiful face. The sight had caught Samantha off guard, as she gasped at Ma Xiaoru''s beauty.

    "Look at you, you are gorgeous! I wonder if any dude out there really deserves you, might as well spare him for me," Samantha poked fun at Ma Xiaoru.

    "Sam! Don''t make fun of me. You are turning into a real Enchantress!"

    "Haha, I am just kidding. Anyhow, things at school seemed to be moreplicated than I had initially thought. It had been draining me for days on end, look here, can you tell the wrinkles under my eyes?"

    Samantha didn''t wear the eyesses like she always did at work. The sses made her look pragmatic and mature, a convenient fa?ade when it came down to running school business, but there was no need for it when she was alone with Ma Xiaoru. Not only they were simr in age, but she also knew that Ma Xiaoru was a friend in whom she could confide.

    "How so? I thought everything had beening up roses. Would it be the tournament next month with the Bernaue?"

    "What else could it be. They are not our friends, that''s for sure, but I can feel that they are brewing something. They are too anxious about this fight to my liking.¡±

    "Curious and curiouser. We are of a lower rank schoolpared to Bernaue, defeating us should be taken for granted, what are they anxious about? Anyways. Let''s go grab some drink first, I''m thirsty!"

    The air around the floating mansion was clear and crisp, thanks to meticulous filtration and cleansing. The central climate control system worked even outdoor to alleviate the difort of heat as Ma Xiaoru enjoyed the bathing of sunshine while savoring a cup of synthesized drink. Life might have seemed mundane to her, but she had lived a life that only a few could afford.

    "They are anxious about you and Hu Yangxuan," Samantha continued, "you twobined with the funding I had brought to Ayrng had evidently stepped up our game, that was enough to disquiet them. They want to stop us before we gain any momentum."

    "Let them try then, we will make sure they don''t try again!" Ma Xiaoru hissed.

    They lolled on the double-sizedwn chair with servants about them; thefortable life had never dulled their keen mind. They remained steadfast in their pursuit; regardless if it was a pursuit in higher cultivation or in the career as a principal. It was this unfaltering spirit made both of them more attractive than most other girls.

    "I gathered that they would let you win on your turn at the tournament, and then hedge their bets on our weaker teammates. To be honest, I don''t have high hopes for your senior schoolmates, and it''s toote now for me to do anything about it. I can only count on the freshmen in your year. But I also fear for your confidence, should any of you lose a battle."

    "You are trying to tell me that we don''t have much room for error?"

    "What a smart girl! I wagered that we might have a bit more wiggle room if Wang Tong had joined us, but that sly little fish had refused my invitation. I thought of threatening him with his grades, but then I figured it was too risky. I could be shooting at my own feet if my gun scared him away to other schools."

    It was often easier to be a student than a principal because the student managed only oneself, but a principal managed many. Every issue would quickly turn into a tangle of risks and options, and each thread in the entanglement seemed to lead to a different end. In a whim of nostalgia, Samantha missed her once carefree life as a student, but the satisfaction of oveing a challenge quickly draw her back into reality. In this way, she was simr to Ma Xiaoru; they both seemed to have everything in their life, except for a stage to prove themselves.

    "He refused?" Surprise was written all over Ma Xiaoru''s face. She couldn''t believe the quick-witted Wang Tong would have passed up the opportunity of winning the principal''s favor.

    "I was surprised as well. I''m still looking for other candidates, but it''s been tough. I can''t make bricks without straw."

    "Do you need my help coaxing that Wang Tong?" Ma Xiaoru asked as she raised her cup and sipped the drink; her eyes dodged Samantha''s gaze as thetter was scanning her like an open book.

    "...Sis, why are you looking at me weirdly?" Ma Xiaoru broke the awkwardness.

    "Xiaoru. Tell me that you are not thinking of¡ª"

    "Of course not!" Ma Xiaoru quickly cut her short. A noticeable tinged of rosy red had crept onto her cheeks. "I don''t know him that well. He is an interesting person alright, but I am simply intrigued. I don''t have much to do anyways."

    Samantha faked a reluctant expression and jested: "Oh my... I think your cultivation had taken a toll on your conscience. You shall know better than me not to toy with the feelings of an innocent boy."

    "Sis! I will NEVER talk to you again if you keep on acting like that!" Ma Xiaoru pouted her glistening lips.

    "Haha. Fine, fine! Nothing is worse than your silent treatment. Haha!" Samantha burst outughing.

    The two drop-dead-gorges went on poking fun at each other. It was a beautiful sight hidden high up in the clouds.

    "Have you heard about what happened to Wang Ben?" Samantha asked.

    "Benny? No, what happened?" Ma Xiaoru seldom read the news.

    Samantha briefly spoke about Wang Ben''s failure of his operation, and she heaved a sigh. "What a pity, Wang Ben was a real talent, perhaps the gods themselves had felt jealous of him."

    Unlike Samantha who had willingly given up the prospect of a METAL fighter, Wang Ben had been regarded by many, including himself, as the one who was destined to be a warrior. Samantha could only hope that this tragic turn off his life had not bent his mind beyond its breaking point.

 Chapter 41: Temp Tong

    Chapter 41: Temp Tong

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "So in essence, Einherjar Wannabe had subdued Wang Ben''s brute force with his own? That''s unthinkable! Who could have done that?" Ma Xiaoru asked incredulously.

    "We have already excluded the Dowers and the Lis. It might be too early to suspect anyone else. After all, Benny had been using the virtual EMF, making him an unreliable source to gauge Einherjar Wannabe''s power." Samantha was the heir of the DREAM corp., therefore she had gathered some first-hand information about this fight. "I really hope that Wang Ben would be over his failure soon," Samantha said.

    "Hehe, so you can recruit him and have him under your thumb?" A smile touched Ma Xiaoru''s lips.

    Samantha smiled back at her and said, "Everyone seemed to have abandoned him after his operation, making it a perfect time to recruit him now. It would be much more effective than head-butting against S-ss academiester. With some help from my connections in the Military, we should have a pretty good chance of winning him over once he opened his mind inter operations."

    "What you are counting on has the sess rate below one percent. There will be more serious implications, should he forced it too hard," Ma Xiaoru reminded Samantha about the risk involved.

    "Bak. It''s our day off, let''s talk about something else. How about a trip to the beach?"

    The scenery around her changed as she spoke. Tall and lush palm trees sprouted out about them, and the green grass beneath their feet turned into white and warm sand, stretching out to kiss a pool of turquoise-blue that had appeared as if out of nowhere. Samantha jumped into theke, and turned to Ma Xiaoru, gesturing her to dive in with a seductive curl of a finger.

    A grin shed across Ma Xiaoru''s face as she took off her gym coat. Her milky skin emanated a radiant hue under the sunlight and looked particrly attractive. It was an effect of the Tactics of the Enchantress; it not only increased the EMF but also improved the appearance of the cultivator. Only a genius like General Zhou Zhi would have concocted such a mnge of beauty and power.

    Meanwhile, on the moon. Miao Xiu stared at the screen with eyes wide open. He was engrossed in the actions on the screen and didn''t even notice the smirk on Luv Ma''s face.

    "Konn."

    Excited by what he saw, Miao Xiu pounded a fist on the desk. He raised the fist and was ready to relieve his excitement again, but he was stopped by Luv Ma who tried to save the desk from its doom.

    "That Fist of the Racing Tiger was so f*cking... awesome! I wanna try it too! Bak¡­ what a shame that he had failed the operation!"

    "Miao Xiu, that''s not why I showed you the recording."

    "Yes, I know. I think your previous guess was correct. Einherjar Wannabe had learned some kind of tactics that allowed him to turn his arm into a weapon. You should dig into it."

    "Already did. There are a few tactics purported to have the same effect, but none of which has remotely the same intensity. Einherjar Wannabe waited until Wang Ben reached his peak EMF before subdued him, he is quite confident of his own power if not too much so, don''t you think? "

    "Tell me about it; the worst is that he kept on ignoring my invitation, and showed up only when I wasn''t there. It''s annoying."

    Luv Ma cracked a smile, "He showed up only on weekends, you were too busy wooing girls then."

    "A life without love is not worth living, but..." Miao Xiu paused to allow a smirk crept onto his face. Luv Ma pulled a face that said, "spit it out."

    "But love without a bro like you is not true love."

    "F*ck off, you f*g."

    "Pff. Einherjar Wannabe, you think you are so cool... I will show you what''s cool when you hand your a*s over to me," Miao Xiu hissed.

    Wang Tong never had time to y cool. Without any financial support, he had to learn to look after himself; a job would be more useful than ying cool to that end.

    Aftermenting over his destitute situation, Wang Tong followed it with actions. He applied at a Chinese restaurant close to school and quickly got an offer to handle misceneous tasks. The pay was good, and the restaurant would pay him daily which was the icing on the cake to Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong''s task today was to prepare and clean vegetables. Looking at the pile of vegetables in front of him, Wang Tong was perplexed. In this day and time, even cooking could be done by robots, but some fancier restaurant had insisted using manualbor as their marketing gimmicks. However, gimmicks aside, some connoisseur were convinced that there was a particr satisfaction when eating a meal that was prepared by hand.

    Wang Tong never understood that particr desire, but he weed its existence nheless; without it, he wouldn''t get this job.

    Wang Tong changed into his work-cloth and started to pick out the bad leaves, cleaned the vegetables, sorted them on the table, then rinse and repeat. Despite therge amount of vegetables he had to sort through, his EMF had allowed him to keep a good pace, and soon, he was engrossed in the activity. Unlike Samantha and Ma Xiaoru, who were born with silver spoons in their mouths, life had never been kind to Wang Tong. However, he had learned to make a lemonade whenever the Gods had decided to give him a lemon.

    After two hours, Wang Tong walked out of the work area and reported to the manager: "I am done."

    "Ok... Oh, what? You are done? Everything?" the manager asked in surprise. He had assigned him a week worth of workload. He walked into the prep room, fearing that Wang Tong had made a mess, but surprisingly, he found out that all vegetables had been cleaned and were set neatly on the counter. The manager picked one up to examine it closely; he could hardly find a fly-speck on it.

    The manager was impressed. It appeared that this student of A-ss Academy was worth his salt. "Well done! Excellent! Due to your exceptional performance, I will double your wage from now on. And, I will give you a free dining coupon in our restaurant." Joy was written all over the manager''s face. His generous gesture would make up only a small portion of the expenses that Wang Tong had already helped him saved.

    Wang Tong nodded. The manager''s profit did not concern him, this was just a temporary job to keep himself busy and make some extra cash. Wang Tong hadn''t realized how hungry he was until he received the dining coupon, so he decided to satisfy his gluttony right then.

    As the waiterid out five dishes in front of Wang Tong, each lusher than the next, the sight had exhrated him. He waved his chopsticks in the air and said, "Eat your heart out, Old Fart, these are all your favorite dishes! Haha"

    Wang Tong quickly buried his face in the food. He could hear jibes floating in the air and felt a few pairs of eyes staring at him with disgust, but he didn''t care to slow down, shoveling food into his mouth.

    "Truly happy people don''t care what others think" had always been Wang Tong''s motto.

 Chapter 42: Hu Yangxuans Ploy

    Chapter 42: Hu Yangxuan''s Ploy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "What an uncouth clown."

    "He looks like someone from our school¡­ Golly gee! I think he is!" a girl eximed with surprise.

    "Your school couldn''t set its bar lower. No need to take your study too seriously, babe. Try to have fun first. If you are with me, you won''t need to worry about finding a job in the future anyway."

    "After I graduate, I will have to be counting on you for everything, you better not forget that."

    The conversation had disturbed Wang Tong''s peace and forced him to agree with Samantha''s scathing methods. This scene of decadence was a stark contrast to Ayrng''s former glory, in which graduates had been nothing but elites of the society. In a fit of uncontroble anguish, Wang Tong stood up to interrupt the couple''s conversation, but someone else was one step ahead of him.

    "Mister, be careful of what goes in and out of your mouth, no one wants to smell that bad breath." He then turned toward the girl. "Do you know me?"

    "Hu Yangxuan?" The girl was pleasantly surprised. The man beside her tasted envoy in his mouth and asked, "Babe, who the hell is this guy?"

    "Fellow sister, why lower your standards and settle for a sugar daddy? He is not going to look after you for the rest of your life. Ditch him now, I will help you find a job." Hu Yangxuan wore a broad and candid smile.

    "Hey, who the hell are you? Do you know who I am? Have you heard of the Real-Big? That is my dad''spany!"

    "Real-Big!" Hu Yangxuan feinted a gasp as if he was shocked by the name. Mr. Real-Big Jr. took the bait and allowed smug to creep onto theers of his mouth.

    "No, never heard of it," Hu Yangxuan suddenly changed his tone and snipped away Mr. Real-Big Jr.''s budding ego cold turkey. He then tossed a business card on the table, "Take this, fellow sister, as a token of my promise. "

    "What a garbage..."Mr. Real-Big Jr.¡¯s wrath was cut short by the girl as she quickly snatched up the business card which in itself would worth over ten thousand credits. Compared to Hu YangXuan''s family business, there was nothing big about the Real-Big. Mr. Real-Big Jr. had caught a glimpse of a few letters on the card: "KC Corp.", and he choked back his pride immediately.

    "You know where the door is, get out before I want to bankrupt you," Hu Yangxuan said it seemingly lightheartedly. Mr. Real-Big Jr., on the other hand, had turned gloomy; he knew Hu Yangxuan could do it if he really wanted to.

    "I had enough of this women; you can have her if you want." Mr. Real-Big Jr. shriveled like a deted balloon.

    Hu Yangxuan ignored him. Instead, he turned to the girl and said, "Fellow sister, if you want to make a spectacle of yourself, don''t drag Ayrng''s name with you. Have some self-respect please."

    Hu Yangxuan let the matter rest as he watched the girl scurried out of the restaurant, still holding his business card tightly in her hand. He would deliver his promise and help her find a job, but it would be up to herself to improve her moral bearing.

    It was a weing sight to Wang Tong as he sat down to enjoy his feast once again.

    "Wang Tong, do you mind if I join you? All that venting had made me forget how hungry I was."

    "Ha! Not at all. You are lucky today, it''s all on me! Don''t miss this rare opportunity!" Wang Tong smiled. After seeing what had just happened, Wang Tong''s feeling toward Hu Yangxuan had improved significantly.

    "I am honored, thank you!"

    Hu Yangxuan started to help himself with the meal, although he was eating as much as Wang Tong, his table manner was more polished thanks to the cultured environment in which he grew up.

    Two of them picked the table clean in just ten minutes. Wang Tong rubbed his mouth and patted his bulged belly, "That was a good show you put on, and rightfully so."

    "I am d you liked it, would you consider a kind donation then?" Hu Yangxuan deflected the topic of the conversation, alluding to his real intention.

    Wang Tong watched as Hu Yangxuan dappled his mouth with a piece of clean napkin, and sensed that something was lurking behind the words. Hu Yangxuan''s appearance today must not have been coincident.

    Wang Tong cheered up and said, "You are trying to rob a beggar."

    "Just kidding. I am here today to challenge you." Hu Yangxuan''s face suddenly became serious.

    "Oh, what of me made you want to do that?"

    "Everyone knows that I am here for Ma Xiaoru. Furthermore, I am not after her inheritance, I truly like her just the way she is. A girl like her is hard to find so I would not give up so easily. If I were in Capth or Yalden, I would have too many opponents, but here in Ayrng, I have only one." Hu Yangxuan stared directly into Wang Tong''s eyes.

    "I am ttered. Aren''t you afraid that your praise would boost my confidence, and I might as well make a move on Ma Xiaoru, even though I might have never thought of it?"

    "Haha, Wang Tong, I wouldn''t be here if you hadn''t thought of it. Don''t overlook my ability to pick up on things."

    "Fine, I did think of making a move on her, but the fact that you knew it wouldn''t deter me the slightest. You might as well assume that I do and keep it to yourself."

    "Hehe. To assume is to make an ''ass'' out of ''u'' and ''me''. I never liked guessing games, neither could I keep anything to myself. You would know that if you knew me well. Anyhow,tely I have felt as if I havee to a dead end,petition might shake things up a little bit. A change is as good as a rest after all."

    Wang Tong felt that what he said seemed convincing; almost too convincing. As far as Wang Tong knew, only children and fools told the truth, but Hu Yangxuan was neither.

    Hu Yangxuan''s strenuous efforts had failed to draw Ma Xiaoru''s attention. He, therefore, decided to shift gear and publiclypete with Ma Xiaoru''s current interest, Wang Tong. Hu Yangxuan was convinced that he has everything that Ma Xiaoru was looking for: strength, personality, talents, and look. Inparison, Wang Tong''s only advantage was his mysterious fa?ade which would eventually fade away over time.

    "I won''t give up what I have started." Wang Tong threw a searing nce at Hu Yangxuan. Ma Xiaoru had already won his heart, not because of her ring family name, but her personality. She seemed meek at first nce, but her words were oftenced with rebellious spirits. She perhaps was innocent to the bone, but the effect of the Tactics of the Enchantress had shrouded her actions under a veil of mystery. She was the embodiment of a tantalizing riddle, enchanting in her unique ways. Not to mention her angel''s face and devil''s body which would make any boy''s heartache.

    Generally speaking, there would be only two types of reactions to a girl like her among the male students: admiration and the feeling of inferiority. The first would drive them into action, and the second would make them crying over their slim chance. Most male students in Ayrng had chosen thetter; they worshiped Ma Xiaoru but dared not to approach her. On the contrary, Hu Yangxuan had chosen to be proactive thanks to his self-confidence. However, Wang Tong was neither. Although he acknowledged the gap between him and Ma Xiaoru, he also wondered if Ma Xiaoru would truly live up to her reputation. He would not care the difficulties nor the differences, as long as she could prove herself worthy.

    After having escaped the death''s clutch on Norton, Wang Tong learned to measure people on a much deeper level.

 Chapter 43: Weekend Visit

    Chapter 43: Weekend Visit

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Very well, from now on, we shall be both allies and adversaries at the same time. To that end, I''d like to offer you a piece of information as a token of our alliance. The Tactics of the Enchantress might have made Ma Xiaoru skeptical to any rtionship; however, if she ever falls in love, her passion would be almost irreversible.

    ¡°Anyhow, I suggest you make a move as soon as possible, time is of the essence, there would be more opponents the longer we drag it out."

    Wang Tong shrugged and replied, "I am not yet as invested in it as you are. I like to take things slowly. I don''t even know her that well yet."

    A grin shed across Hu Yangxuan''s face; he heaved a sigh and said, "If I had heard it from anyone else, I would have thought that he was, excuse mynguage, bull-sh*tting... But for some reason, I am convinced that you have told me the truth."

    Hu Yangxuan''s openness had surprised Wang Tong, he paused a moment and said, "I have to say, the more I know you, the more different you are from my impression of you. I have always thought you were a pretentious introvert."

    "Pretentious introvert? Haha, everyone knew me as an ostentatious extrovert, if not a pompous *sshole. Haha!" Hu Yangxuan''s profanity had made him seemed even more approachable to Wang Tong.

    "What should we do next?"

    "We should act. She is not going to fall into yourp if we just sit around. She lives in a floating mansion in Shangjin. Let''s pay her a visit."

    "You want me to share the burden of embarrassment when she gives you the cold shoulder?"

    "Haha, nah, I only wish to share the stage," Hu Yangxuan didn''t hide his motive, but honesty made him even more charming to a girl, perhaps even to Ma Xiaoru.

    They wasted no time and walked down to Hu Yangxuan''s Mag-Lev(Maic Levitation) car outside of the restaurant. Wang Tong''s suspicion was not unfounded; Hu Yangxuan was well prepared for the seemingly random encounter, he even prepared the means of transportation necessary to go to the floating mansion.

    Wang Tong knew he might have walked into a trap, and there was a possibility that he might regret his actions, but the impetuousness bloomed fiercely like the wildflower of youth inside of him; the promise of seeing Ma Xiaoru on the weekend was too tempting to resist.

    Twenty minutester, they arrived at the entrance of the mansion. Even at a distance, the mansion''s enormous size made it look formidable. They passed the security check, and Hu Yangxuan buzzed the doorbell.

    "What are these two doing here?" Samantha asked Ma Xiaoru. She buried her face in the headrest, while a masseuse was working her back muscle.

    "I am not sure; I hope they would stay and hang out with us."

    "Silly girl. I know what you are thinking about, no need to hide it from me. Girl just wanna have some fun, I get it." Samanthaid on the massage chairnguidly, a piece of towel draped loosely over her back, but not enough to conceal her curvaceous thighs.

    "I am not the only girl here." Ma Xiaoru turned her head to Samantha.

    "Nah, I had enough of men. They are either too stupid or only want to take advantage of me. I have decided to stay single forever."

    "I don''t believe it for a second. You just have to find the right one," there was a determination in Ma Xiaoru''s voice. She had always believed in love. The difficulty in finding it did not amount to its nonexistence.

    A faint smile crept onto Samantha''s face. Truth be told, she nevercked admirers when she was studying at Capth. Some had given it all they got to impress her butcked real talent, and some had pretended as her equal but reeked pretentiousness. Perhaps because she was too smart and level-headed, she could never find a boy that was able to knock her socks off. Love, to Samantha, might as well be a fairy tale. She had decided to dedicate herself to something more meaningful, such as revitalizing Ayrng.

    Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan drove slowly toward the mansion. Although Hu Yangxuan was from a rtively prominent household, he could not help noticing that this mansion would make his family residence seemed squalid and chintzy. From the decors to theyout, Hu Yangxuan could sense the exquisite taste of the owner.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand,cked the vocabry necessary to discern the nuances of the styles and the vors of the decorations; he found it was simplyvish, like all othervish houses.

    Their jaw dropped when they saw Samantha who was sitting right beside Ma Xiaoru. Nervousness was written all over their faces in a dozen tight ces.

    "What the heck are you guys doing here? What are you guys afraid of? I don''t bite!" Samantha hissed and threw them an usatory look.

    "Principal Samantha, I am here to hang out with Ma Xiaoru since it''s the weekend today," Hu Yangxuan spoke with confidence.

    "What about you." Samantha turned her attention to Wang Tong.

    "I am here¡­ I am here to... to discuss homework." Wang Tong regretted immediately. The others faces froze for a brief second, and then they burst outughing.

    "What a convenient excuse! Anyhow, today is the weekend, I will let it ride." Samantha turned on her heel, a cascade of dark current swirled above her shoulder, the color entuated the snowy white of her bare feet.

    Wang Tong cold not help but keep on ogling at that pair of delicate feet as Samantha sauntered off. He never thought Samantha could look so devastatingly cute when she acted like a normal human. He figured that it might have something to do with the drastic difference with her usual image of a cold and harsh principal with heavy sses that hid half of her emotions.

    Ma Xiaoru gave the two visitors a tour of her house. Unlike Hu Yangxuan, who was nodding and responding from time to time, Wang Tong''s mind had drifted away as they walked from room to room. He could think of nothing but Samantha''s milky feet and her charmingughter.

    "What do you think of this, Wang Tong?" Wang Tong heard Ma Xiaoru''s voice, he jerked his heads slightly and pulled himself back into reality.

    "Ah¡­ good¡­ good, very good..." Wang Tong replied without knowing what she was asking about.

    Hu Yangxuan interrupted Wang Tong''s perfunctory reply, "The design of this garden was unmatched. In my humble opinion, this could easily be the best garden on Earth! This intricate decoration, for example, I bet there are less than five of them in the entire Confederation."

    Wang Tong''s eyes darted from left to right, and suddenly he found what he was looking for. Samantha stretched her long legs on a bench while she was listening to music. Her immacte toes bobbed up and down with the beat of the music.

    Wang Tong was stunned by the image. His heart pounded heavily in his chest and blood flushed toward his brain. He felt a sensation that didn''t even ur to him when he saw Ma Xiaoru for the first time. He gathered the remaining consciousness, and with great effort, he pinched himself hard.

    The pain alerted Wang Tong. He tasted embarrassment in his mouth and quickly gathered himself before the other two noticed any trace of his carnal thoughts.

    "Wang Tong, you seemed distracted," there was an edge in Hu Yangxuan''s voice.

    "Nah, I am just shocked by howfortable this house is," Wang Tong shrugged as he spoke, pretending there was nothing on his mind.

 Chapter 44: Temptation

    Chapter 44: Temptation

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The tour of Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Mansion had been an eye opener for Wang Tong. With the advancement of science and technology, standards of living had improved by leaps and bounds, but the gap between the rich and poor had not been narrowed; Wang Tong had experienced it at first-hand while living in the cramped and squalid quarters of the Hope district. Perhaps that was the way of the world; although being confined by morality, survival of the fittest had always been the main theme throughout all stages of societal developments.

    The drastic difference had drawn out Wang Tong¡¯s memories of his life on Norton. Although it had been a hellish nightmare, Wang Tong had regretted nothing; instead, he cherished the events that had made a life-changing impact on him.

    He even came to appreciate Mr. Wannabe¡¯s harsh methods; it had been the only source from which Wang Tong could draw aspirations to keep on fighting. In hindsight, It was a necessary evil. Under such excruciating circumstance, one moment of cking off might have cost Wang Tong¡¯s life.

    Sensing Wang Tong¡¯s attention had drifted away; Ma Xiaoru ended the tour. She sat down beside Samantha and signaled the servants to bring out the drinks.

    ¡°You guys again? Haven''t you get enough of my scolding?¡± Samantha asked half jokingly.

    ¡°Sis, this is the weekend, we are supposed to rx,¡± Ma Xiaoru changed into a meek and conciliatory voice, in an attempt to coax the principal.

    Hu Yangxuan felt drunk after hearing Ma Xiaoru''s innocent voice. Wang Tong, on the other hand, fixated his eyes on Samantha.

    Samantha snorted, "I am still pissed off at SOMEONE who had turned down my invitation to join our tournament team. I just can''t stop thinking about it, and it had ruined my weekend. How am I supposed to rx?"

    Samantha rolled her eyes at Wang Tong. This feminine expression sent the Wang Tong''s heart quivering. Wang Tong felt it difficult to draw any connection between the charming if not seductive girl with that cold and distanced principal.

    Hu Yangxuan stirred in surprise upon hearing that Wang Tong had been invited to join the team. Wang Tong looked helpless and said, "I just don''t want to let you down."

    "Do your best, and you won''t let anyone down." Samantha sat up and looked straight into Wang Tong''s eyes.

    Wang Tong locked his eyes with that pool of darkness, he found Samantha particrly attractive when she wasn''t wearing her sses. "Fine, I will sign up, and I will try my best."

    "Atta boy!" Samantha stood up in excitement, eyes still fixated on Wang Tong as if she was afraid that he would change his mind on a whim. Wang Tong felt helpless, he did not know why he had agreed to it, but it was toote then.

    "Wee aboard Wang Tong! We should celebrate, champagne everybody?" Ma Xiaoru apuded in joy.

    Samantha''s eyes lit up with glee; she was pleasantly surprised. This had quickly turned into the most rxing weekend ever since she became the principal. "Alright, I will celebrate with you as a token of my gratitude, pretend I am not your principal." In a fit of uncontroble excitement, Samantha crossed the line that had defined her role. However, Samantha was not the only one that had crossed the line, Wang Tong had also done it by agreeing to something that he knew he shouldn''t have.

    Soon, the room was filled with the fragrance of champagne and glee. It was a weight off Samantha''s mind. She finally started to see a glimpse of hope in this tournament.

    After a few cups of champagne, the chemistry among the four changed quickly; they began to talk about their life and shared stories of their past.

    Ma Xiaoru told everyone that when she had first arrived in the Li''s family as an apprentice, she felt homesick. For the first few nights, she had cried alone in her bed, wanting to go home.

    Hu Yangxuan had confessed that he never liked ying ssical scores on piano. Instead, he loved ying rock music. It was his parents who had forced him to learn ssical music because they thought that it was a symbol of nobility.

    Samantha also joined in and revealed how nerve-racked she was on the first day as the principal. She had just graduated university then and hadn''t adopted her new role yet. A sense of insecurity kept on distracting her while talking to a roomful of senior instructors, so she had to dig her nails into her legs to stay focused.

    Upon hearing that, Wang Tong quietly leered at Samantha''s long and elegant legs. Immediately he felt ashamed of doing so and wondered how Hu Yangxuan could have resisted the temptation.

    When it was Wang Tong''s turn, he struggled a while to find a good story. Although he had many embarrassing stories while living with Old Fart, none was interesting enough.

    "Well, I guess I can talk about my life on Norton."

    "The Norton? I have heard that it was beautiful. I was going to visit there with my parents, but the war had spoiled the trip." To a princess like Ma Xiaoru, the Norton had to be a ce of wild imaginations.

    They listened intently as Wang Tong filled them in with events on Norton. By the end, they all felt that Norton was a heaven for adventures.

    Hu Yangxuan was the first to notice that some details of Wang Tong''s story seemed extraordinary, "So, you had survived the 5g gravity for an entire year? That''s unthinkable."

    "I was lucky. I had encountered a Zerg and identally opened my EMF. At first, I couldn''t believe it myself either; it must be a freak of nature. Oh, and the gravity might not be as bad as you think."

    "Didn''t you feel lonely living there all by yourself?" Samantha asked.

    "Nah, never. There were Zergs everywhere who kept mepany. They even came out of hidings and saw me off on the day I left."

    The others couldn''t helpughing upon hearing this. "No wonder you are such an expert at dissecting Zergs!" Hu Yangxuan eximed.

    "Jokes aside. I am truly in debt with Charcoal, if not for him, I would have already lost my sanity. On the day I lost him to the Zergs, I cried for the first time in my life... Hey, keep your mouth sealed, I don''t want other people to know that I cried over a robot!"

    Ma Xiaoru nodded her head. Samantha on the other hand, would not pass up this opportunity, "Hehe, I can''t promise anything. But if you do as I say, your secret might just be safe with me." She rubbed the top of Wang Tong''s head, like patting a meekmb. Wang Tong¡¯s refute suddenly evaporated in his mouth.

    "Gosh... what is happening to me!" Wang Tong screamed inside of his mind.

    "I was just kidding. Why so serious!" Samantha let out a burst ofughter after seeing Wang Tong''s frozen expression. She had be weary by the stoic mask she had to wore in the principal''s office. Today, she just wanted to be herself, and her face bloomed like a flower.

    Only with great effort had Wang Tong refrained himself from touching Samantha''s beautiful face.

    "Wang Tong, would you care to tell us more about the Zergs? Are they as smart as people say they are?"

    "Definitely. Theymunicate with each other in their own ways, just like we do. They also have a habit of leaving a souvenir for me after every encounter," Wang Tong spoke with certainty; he had always regarded Zergs as formidable opponents and never dared to underestimate them.

    "What do you mean souvenir?" The topic had piqued everyone''s interest, even Hu Yangxuan who was eager to be back into the limelight had patiently waited his turn.

    "Ah... nothing spectacr, just scars." Wang Tong rolled up his sleeves. "This one, here, is the work of a Sickle Zerg, he almost severed my arm right off. And¡­ this one. This one was from a Bomb Zerg, nasty bugs! The rest were more or less the same." Wang Tong rolled up the bottom of his T-shirt, revealing a huge and ugly scar across his belly.

 Chapter 45: Tactics of the Enchantress-Round One

    Chapter 45: Tactics of the Enchantress-Round One

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Although Wang Tong had spoken lightly about his life on Norton, the hardship had greatly disturbed the girls. It also started to shed light on the side of Wang Tong that was previously unknown to Ma Xiaoru, leaving her in awe of Wang Tong''s bravery.

    "They say scar is a man''s badge of honor. Perhaps one day I would be able to fight alongside with you. Toast! For the victory over Zergs! Haha!" Hu Yangxuan raised his cup of champagne and beamed from ear to ear. He disyed his emotion in in view, regardless if it was joy or remorse. It was a trait that Wang Tong was very fond of.

    "Haha, very well. I will take you up on that, cheers! Haha!" Memories of Norton had drawn out the taste of fire and blood in Wang Tong''s mouth, filling his body with excitement as if he was back on the battlefield and ready to tear apart Zergs, limb by limb. He let out a gale ofughter that pulled Ma Xiaoru''s heart closer to him. To Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong was no longer a meek F-ss student, but a big and tough macho-man, chest hairs and all.

    A smirk shed across Samantha''s face; she could almost hear Ma Xiaoru''s heavy and irregr heartbeat, like a helpless little bird pping its wings and trying to escape a trap of her own making.

    "Why don''t you show us what you have learned on Norton? Seeing is believing. We are all very curious as to exactly how good of a fighter you are, especially our principal," Hu Yangxuan spoke as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

    "Good call! Xiaoru, why don''t you spar with him. Seeing how red you are after only a cup of champagne made me question your strength as well. Truth be told, sometimes I wonder if you were kicked out the Li''s private training school because of cking off."

    "Sis! I happened to be one of the most aplished disciples of the Li''s." Ma Xiaoru pouted her lower lips. The tinge of rosy-red that hang on her cheek moments ago turned deeper in color by the second. She then darted her eyes to Wang Tong.

    "Wang Tong, do you ept my challenge?"

    "I do! I have always wanted to witness the Tactics of the Enchantress, it is an opportunity that I could not pass up."

    The four of them filed into Ma Xiaoru¡¯s training room. Although this room was intended for only one person, it was muchrger than the gym at school. A gravity simtor was set squarely in the middle of the room; the simtor itself would have cost as much as an entire gym. House Ma evidently spared no expense at Ma Xiaoru''s training, but to Wang Tong''s surprise, most of the equipment focused on physical training instead of EMF.

    What was unknown to Wang Tong was the fact that when most cultivators had been struggling to push their limits of EMF, the five great houses had abandoned that route, and focused instead on the GN power. It wasn''t long before they discovered the inextricable rtionship between one''s physical strength and the GN force output, and therefore, they had since emphasized the importance of physical training.

    Few servants brought out a weapon rack, Ma Xiaoru picked up a sword and gestured toward Wang Tong: "Please help yourself."

    It was well known that the Li were master of swordy, as it was equally well known that the Dowers were masters of yieldingnces. Both were being regarded as the epitome of the fighters of their races: Earthlings and Ivantians. The fame and influence of the two households had been neck and neck until a few decades ago when the Dowers had failed to pass down their Tactics of the Deva King. That being said, the recent rumors had it that a boy from the youngest generation of the Dowers had demonstrated exceptional talent, some even purported that he was the second "perfect" human after his ancestor General Rngalous.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile as he picked up a sword from the rack, weighed it in his hand and nodded satisfyingly. Should Miao Xiu and Luv Ma were here to see his choice of weapon; they would most likely be shocked. It went without saying that a sword would be a hindrance rather than help to Wang Tong who already used his right arm as the weapon.

    "Please." Ma Xiaoru straightened her back and leveled the sword about her waist. Wang Tong could feel a sharp belligerence emanating out from Ma Xiaoru''s tensed body. The air suddenly became somber and wasced with iciness; she was ready to strike.

    "Please," Wang Tong replied gantly while keeping his eyes fixated on his opponent. Although he was as excited about this fight as anyone else, he reminded himself to tread carefully because what he about to face was one of the five deadliest tactics of the Confederation.

    The two fighters stood still, patiently and carefully brooded their first move. The anticipation had kept Hu Yangxuan on the edge of his chair.

    "What is Wang Tong hiding underneath his facade? How powerful is the Tactics of the Enchantress, does it live up to its hype? How does itpare to the Temr''s Tactics of the Hexa Sris?¡± Old and new questions sprout out in his mind, and the answers, Hu Yangxuan reckoned, would soony in front of his eyes.

    Samantha could not suppress a snicker after seeing how quickly Wang Tong had risen to the bait. "The bait is always the key ingredient of any trap." A smug crept onto the corner of her lips, "And I happened to have the prettiest one," she thought. They say human were too smart for their own good, and Samantha was the shiniest example.

    As Ma Xiaoru started to draw her inner power through the Tactics of the Enchantress, the air about her suddenly took on an otherworldly quality, as if her soul energy had torn through the very fabric of reality and materialized in front of Wang Tong''s eyes. Within a mist of eeriness, Ma Xiaoru''s body started to be blurry, and then multiple copies of her figure seemed to appear at different locations. Wang Tong tried to focus onto one of the many fuzzy apparitions, but it disappeared before it re-emerged at the corner of his eyes.

    This technique was called the "Enchantress''s Deception". It was a psychological attack to confuse the opponent''s visual senses, to disturb their inner bnce, and eventually, to make them crumble from inside. However, as Ma Xiaoru dashed forward to strike the supposedly weakened opponent, she revealed an infinitesimally small imprint of her true form, and it was more than enough for Wang Tong to see through the visual illusion. He then thrust his sword without any hesitation to meet the iing attack.

    The fact that Wang Tong was able to see through the Enchantress''s Deception shocked Samantha in a very pleasant way. "Luck has favored me after all," she thought to herself.

    The two fighters charged toward each other with drastically different styles. Ma Xiaoru''s seemingly casual advance had hidden more than what it revealed, aloft but deceptive. On the other hand, Wang Tong had ced everything beneath the in view, but he had managed to conceal no less, thanks to his chaotic and shambolic execution.

    When the two swords eventually collided, the impact sent a loud nk that pierced through the air. Ma Xiaoru''s first attack was merely an attempt to probe Wang Tong''s strength. This overdose of cautiousness was not entirely without personal motives. Unsure of her infatuation-tinted imagination, she had feared that the real Wang Tong might let her down and feared even more that she might hurt Wang Tong''s feeling should she unleash her full strength and defeat him with ease.

    However, the numbness in Ma Xiaoru''s palm taught her something about Wang Tong''s true strength, but it alsoforted her.

    "Brother Wang, now we will fight."

    Her grip tightened, whitening her knuckles, she shifted her weight left and right before taking a half step back and hunkered down in a stance that was unmistakably the starting position of the sword technique: The Enchantress''s Sword.

    A gale swept across the room as Ma Xiaoru tapped deeper into the source of her power. She turned a half pirouette, raised the hilt of the sword to about her face and pointed the sharp tip directly at Wang Tong. Amidst another icy wind that had seeminglye out from nowhere, she executed a full pirouette in the opposite direction, and while cutting the sword edge downward, the tip of the sword traced an arc in the air. The sudden change of direction resulted in an undtion that started from the center of the sword, propagating to the very tip, and making the tip to trace two arcs within the first. This was the potent technique of the Enchantress''s Sword: the Triple Arc of the Enchantress.

    Ma Xiaoru finished the move in a swift and elegant motion, looking dazzlingly beautiful. The power of her strike was no less in magnitude than her beauty. Even the slightest distraction would have spawned Wang Tong''s doom, and Ma Xiaoru''s enchanting appearance was undoubtedly not helping him in that respect.

    He was less than a fraction of a second slower than he should have, and his sword was nearly pried away by the force of the impact. Almost immediately, Wang Tong registered that Ma Xiaoru''s deadly force did note out from her dantian alone, but also her tenacious body.

    Wang Tong''s mind raced, and suddenly he saw the gravity simtor. "Physical training." Wang Tong nodded slightly, "That''s what made her hit so much heavier than the others."

    Despite Ma Xiaoru''s amenable appearance, the rigorous training had molded her into a fearsome fighter who was capable of executing the most physically demanding maneuvers and unleash GN forces of unmatched magnitudes.

    Wang Tong could feel his throat dried by the fume of belligerence inside of him, making him thirst for more thrill of the battle. Truth be told, Ma Xiaoru was the strongest opponent Wang Tong had ever faced since he came back from Norton. Wang Ben could have taken that title if not for his failed operation.

    Ma Xiaoru''s second attack quickly ensued; it came so fast that Wang Tong had no time to evade, forcing him to block the assault at point nk.

    Hu Yangxuan''s breath was caught in his throat. He doubted that Wang Tong would be able toe out unharmed.

    Wang Tong clumsily yanked his sword in an attempt to block the attack. The two swords nked, and Ma Xiaoru stumbled back; her body shaken by the force of the impact. Wang Tong had countered herbo attack without much effort.

    "Ma Xiaoru, please don''t conserve your strength. Otherwise, you won''t be able to defeat me." Wang Tong stood proudly. Regardless of Ma Xiaoru''s intention in conserving her power, it was not the fight he wanted.

    "My apologies, fellow brother." Seriousness shed across Ma Xiaoru''s face. The pain had finally awakened her from her infatuation, and she came to term with the fact that Wang Tong might be even stronger than her.

    Ma Xiaoru struck again, this time she did it with full force. She infused her de with GN power, and as it cut through the air, the edge stirred up an icy gale. The tip of the sword pulsated violently, making it impossible to block.

    Wang Tong closed in, but instead of blocking, he maneuvered suddenly to his side. The sudden change in direction had caught Ma Xiaoru off guard, and her strike missed the target.

    Before she had time to steady herself, she registered Wang Tong''s counter attack as a wild gale brushed at the back of her neck.

 Chapter 46: Fall from Grace

    Chapter 46: Fall from Grace

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The fight had enved Wang Tong''s attention and demanded more devastating damages from the sword in his hand, and the sword answered the call. As Wang Tong''s sword cut through the air, GN force burst out from the tip in a wild gale that swept across the gym, roaring like a charging beast. The GN force that lingered and danced on the sword''s edge was sharper and pointier than the sword. This vicious attack would cause the ¡°GN Dimensional Damage¡±, a higher form of damage that could shred anything into an unrecognizable form.

    Conscious enved, Wang Tong had put Ma Xiaoru in great danger. He should have remembered that he had nearly fallen into the state of deranged thest time he had yielded a weapon: the rebar he had picked up in the cave on Norton. He also has forgotten about the promise he had made to himselfter that night: to think thrice before picking up a weapon again. He had kept that promise throughout his TPA fights, but the unbearable anticipation of the fight, the wine, and Samantha''s mesmerizing beauty had forced him to eat his words.

    Ma Xiaoru did not flinch; she executed a steady but brisk half pirouette as Wang Tong''s sword cut through the air in front of her forehead. The sword caught a few loose strands of Ma Xiaoru''s dark hair that were tossed off into the air amidst the turn, but the hair flowed like water under the sharp edge.

    The missed strike made Wang Tong lose his bearing momentarily and gave Ma Xiaoru a small window for a counterattack. She wrenched her sword over her head and twisted the hilt. The sword suddenly became a living thing, pulling her body to flex in the way that was beyondprehension, all the while, she never lost that liquid-like fluidity in her movement. She had showcased the highest level of swordy, the maximum synchronization of mind, body, and the sword. It required years of training, cultivation, and above all, intuition. While holding the sword high up in the air with both hands, Ma Xiaoru tapped into her dantian and channeled her GN force into the sword. She squeezed the hilt until her knuckles whitened, and then, she hacked at Wang Tong with full force.

    Wang Tong registered at the corner of his eyes three perfectly shaped arcs streaking across the air toward his chest at lightning speed. He jerked his body and stepped to one side with an intentionally chaotic footstep, hoping to trick his opponent to miscalcte the distance. However, Ma Xiaoru had seen through his trick and followed immediately with a second strike precisely in Wang Tong''s direction. The sudden change of direction twisted the sword into a slight curve. As it whirled through the air, it traced out another three deadly arcs flying toward Wang Tong.

    The second attack caught Wang Tong off guard. While struggling to maintain bnce, he quickly took two steps back. Before Wang Tong could steady himself, he found Ma Xiaoru''s third attack was merely inches away from his face; he could even feel the coldness of the de on the tip of his nose. It was toote.

    Suddenly, he felt his body tensed up, a knot of fire exploded inside of his dantian, turning his blood into liquid iron. A burst of GN force violently zapped his brain and sapped reason and conscience stored within. All the while, his pupils shrunk but did not disappear like in the state of deranged; instead, it narrowed into a vertical slit, like that of a feral cat before it pounced at its prey.

    When Wang Tong finally dodged the attack, no one could really make out just exactly what had happened. One moment he was set squarely in the path of Ma Xiaoru''s strike, fumbling about as he tried to regain bnce; a momentter, he was a few feet away from where he was standing, still in the exact same posture. It was as if he had folded the space and traveled from one end to the other without even moving a muscle.

    With her target suddenly disappearing, Ma Xiaoru became defenseless and plunged forward. She felt Wang Tong''s iron grip on her arm and a coldness quickly closing in on her neck. She gasped, it was the coldness of Wang Tong''s sword.

    Wang Tong finally regained control of his mind when the sword was less than an inch away from Ma Xiaoru''s neck. He jerked his arm to a different direction, trying to divert the sword''s trajectory, but it was difficult. The momentum carried Wang Tong forward until his face nted squarely into Ma Xiaoru''s bosom. He tried best to avoid the soft cushions about his cheeks while trying to regain bnce. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Ma Xiaoru like a drowning man hanging onto a piece of wood. In his firm grasp, he felt something round and cushy, with such curves that gave pleasure to his hands... It was Ma Xiaoru''s rump.

    Wang Tong was unruffled by the sudden assault of carnal desires and was determined to save himself from of this embarrassment. He tilted his body to the left slightly and felt the ground under his feet, with a solid foothold, he stomped the ground heavily and recovered his bnce miraculously. Samantha and Hu Yangxuan raised their eyebrows in disbelief after witnessing Wang Tong''s almost impossible save.

    "Put me down. Now!" Wang Tong heard the soft voice of Ma Xiaoru from the nook of his arm.

    "Ah... my bad, I got¡­ I got¡­ carried away," Wang Tong stuttered as he released Ma Xiaoru from his clutch. Ma Xiaoru lowered her head, letting the dark hairs tumble to the front to conceal the crimson cheeks. Wang Tong scratched his head and heaved an inaudible sigh of relieve. No one was harmed. "Lesson learned, never again fight with a woman," he told himself.

    Hu Yangxuan''s apuds were loud and abrupt, he smiled candidly. "Brother Wang, that was quite something! I knew you would steal my stage. I shouldn''t have taken you here," as always, Hu Yangxuan uttered whatever was on his mind.

    "Nah. Ma Xiaoru had been too easy on me from the beginning, and I had only gained the upper hand after I lost control of my power."

    Wang Tong was impressed by Ma Xiaoru''s methodical control of her power and made up his mind to improve his own. Wang Tong''s fighting style was formed during the battles against the Zergs, in which controlling his power was irrelevant because every fight meant life or death and demanded Wang Tong to give all he got.

    "Brother Wang is indeed a better fighter than me." The blush on Ma Xiaoru''s cheeks did not fade the slightest; she lowered her eyes, avoiding Wang Tong''s gaze. The situation indeed got pretty hairy back then. Should Wang Tong didn''t stop the attack; she might have been in grave danger. She remembered the moment when Wang Tong strained his body to save her life¡ªonly a considerate gentlemen would have done that. She felt a sweet ache in her heart when she figured that Wang Tong''s left leg must be in so much pain after that heavy stomp.

    "Who cares about the oue of the match. I am just happy that our secret weapon, Wang Tong, might have been our coup de grace! Haha!" Samantha''s face bloomed like a flower, but no one had noticed Wang Tong was ogling her.

    By the end of the day, everyone felt that they had a st, except for Hu Yangxuan. It was not that he hadn''t enjoyed himself, but because that he had failed to achieve his goal: to gain Ma Xiaoru''s attention. If anything, this visit had only helped Wang Tong further his ce in Ma Xiaoru''s heart. While driving Wang Tong to his dormitory, Hu Yangxuan suddenly felt like that he was Wang Tong''s chauffeur.

    The only saving grace of the day was what the match had revealed to Hu Yangxuan. He finally came to terms with the fact that Wang Tong was a force to be reckoned with. Although Wang Tong''s victory could be in part due to Ma Xiaoru''s over-cautious for the sake of safety, he could feel the wild and ferocious power in Wang Tong. He reckoned that many moves executed by Wang Tong, such as the chaotic footwork, must have been inspired by the Zergs. Today''s development, albeit not in his favor, didn''t deter Hu Yangxuan the slightest. Instead, he felt excited to have an opponent that could challenge him. After all, his life in Ayrng had been getting boring very quickly.

    "Oh dear! He is gone. Stop thinking about him already," Samantha teased at Ma Xiaoru. She had felt that there was something between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong that was never there before. She wondered if she was the only person who was surprised by it.

    "No, I am not." Ma Xiaoru blushed.

    "Then why did you let him win? " Samantha peered at Ma Xiaoru.

    "I didn''t. Yes, I did conserve my strength, but so did him."

    "Not likely, he nearly lost control of his power. He nearly injured you for god''s sake!" Samantha had a keen mind, but she was no METAL fighter, so some details of the fight had eluded her.

    "Just trust me. First of all, I don''t think that the sword is his preferred choice of weapon. I can tell he is not used to handling it, that''s why he kept on using the awkward backhand strike. Secondly, for someone whose fighting style took form while fighting Zergs, I can hardly feel the sense of life and death in any of his advances. As for his true power, you can see it for yourself." Ma Xiaoru led Samantha to where Wang Tong had stomped his left foot to save his embarrassing fall.

    Samantha bent down to examine the floor closely, everything looked normal. She touched the floor surface with the tip of her finger to see if it felt any different. The floor crumbled instantly into fine powders.

    The two girl stood still, dragging out the silence; they were shocked speechlessly by what had happened.

    "What the..." Ma Xiaoru muttered quietly.

    "How many sols does it require to break this floor? I thought you told me that your gym floor was a special order, it was almost unbreakable."

    "At least two hundred sols." Ma Xiaoru touched the powder on the ground, for a second, she imagined that she was touching Wang Tong''s handsome and angr face, the same face that Samantha suddenly had the urge to bit off.

    "What an a*shole! He really took me for an idiot!" Samantha gritted her teeth.

 Chapter 47: This Is Not a Request

    Chapter 47: This Is Not a Request

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Samantha clenched his jaws at the feeling of being humiliated.

    Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile after noticing Samantha''s taut face. "You are the one that makes the rules in Ayrng. It is only a matter of time before he came under your thumb."

    "True that." Samantha loosened her jaw slightly and hissed: "We have to remind him who he is messing with. Time to give him the wake-up call."

    "Which trick in your bag are you going to pull out this time?"

    "Come closer." A dim light gleamed in Samantha''s eyes as she whispered in Ma Xiaoru''s ear.

    Ma Xiaoru hesitated: "Are you sure?"

    "Why not? It''s also a rare opportunity to see who he really is. Two birds, one stone!" Samantha pressed on. As an expert in psychology, she understood that road blocks in a love affair were bound to inme desire and torment the infatuated soul, but it would also drive them to work harder. It was necessary for an insolent teenager like Wang Tong to gain some degree of respect and appreciation for the love that was otherwise too easy to obtain.

    It had been a rxing and joyful weekend for Wang Tong. Well rested, he sauntered toward his ssroom on Monday morning. Just like every other day, the fans of Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan had already been waiting outside of the ssroom. They let out a wave of screams in fits of uncontroble excitement after seeing their adored idols.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh at the sight of the mindless craze. Should these students spent half their zeal on their study instead of pointless teenage-crushes, Ayrng would have already restored its former glory. Wang Tong reckoned that the problem at Ayrng was with the students. Thinking of Samantha''s strenuous and unfaltering effort toward a difficult if not impossible goal, Wang Tong felt sympathetic toward her for the first time. "Perhaps, I had misunderstood her," Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Ma Xiaoru sat down beside Wang Tong. She smiled broadly at him and looked at him as if an old friend. But something behind her smile nagged at Wang Tong, making him feel disquieting. He told himself that perhaps he was thinking too much and then dived into his study. Wang Tong understood that he had to study hard and work his way up to avoid bing a cannon fodder after graduation. Unlike the METAL fighters, Battlefield Commanders required a vast amount of knowledge, the ability to make decisions, and above all, control over their emotions. Engrossed in his study, Wang Tong had hardly realized it when the first ss was over. He stretched his arms and was ready to take a short break when a ssmate approached him and announced that his presence was requested again in the principal''s office. His ssmates shook their heads as they watched Wang Tong walked out of the ssroom. They pondered as to why this seemingly meek Wang Tong would have required the principal''s attention for so many times.

    Samantha hung up the inte with Martyrus, principal of the Bernabeu Academy and was perturbed by the conversation, not because of thetter''s arrogant and patronizing demeanor, but the real intent behind the message he had brought up to her.

    His message was clear: Bernabeu had officially challenged Ayrng to a METALbat tournament. But it came with stakes that were too high to Samantha''s liking. Martyrus had asked for the transferring of two of Samantha''s best students: Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan to Bernabeu in the case of Bernabeu''s victory. On the other hand, should Ayrng win the tournament, Bernabeu would renounce its prerogative ofpeting with S-ss Academies, a privilege that was rightfully Ayrng''s before Martyrus stole it decades ago in a simr ill-intended tournament. To make the matter worse, Martyrus had wrapped his intention in a tantly unconvincing excuse: "To encourage the students, we need to raise the stakes," as he put it.

    "He took me for a green gullible teenage girl!" Samantha hissed in her mind.

    Although Samantha knew very well that it was a bait, the reward was tempting enough for her to consider epting the challenge. The day that Ayrng lost the privilege of fighting with the S-ss academies decades ago had marked the turning point from which it had started to fall apart and eventually reached the state so decadent that none of the original sponsors were willing to continue their funding. On the contrary, the Academy of Bernabeu had benefited greatly by sharing the same stage with S-ss academies; the development had also helped their new principal at the time, Martyrus, to establish his authority and rise to power.

    Samantha didn''t ept the challenge on the spot and asked for more time to consider the matter. However, after she had given it much thought, and in a bout of vindictive rage, Samantha made up her mind to ept the challenge. But before she announced that to Martyrus, she needed to speak to the student that would y the critical role in her n of revenge.

    Samantha straightened her eyesses and felt invigorated by the duty of the principal to right what had been wronged for so many years. Should Ayrng win the tournament, it would bring a much-needed confidence boost to its students, and with the right topete with S-ss academies being restored, Ayrng would eventually be able to resurface out of its slumber.

    Martyrus had outlined the condition of the match: Five winning games were required for the final victory, but Hu Yangxuan and Ma Xiaoru each were allowed to attend only one round. Samantha reckoned that the only person that she could count on to bring in three more wins was Wang Tong, her secret weapon. It seemed like that her personal retribution might have to wait until the tournament was over.

    Wang Tong showed up at the door and disturbed Samantha''s train of thoughts.

    "Principal, you were looking for me?"

    "Hehe, yes. Please, grab a seat and help yourself to some tea," Samantha said politely.

    "Thanks, but what is it?" Wang Tong was direct to the business. He knew Principal Samantha wouldn''t invite him to her office just for some tea.

    "Some of your ssmates had used the school of giving you special treatment, and I do see where they areing from. I know that there are no other avable rooms, but you see, most dormitories were shared, not only you have an entire room to yourself, but also it is ufortably close to the girl''s dormitory number five."

    Wang Tong seemed unruffled by her questioning tone. He didn''t choose to live there, it was Mr. Simon who had offered him this room in alignment with the school''s promise to meet student''s basic needs. Wang Tong wanted to argue with Samantha like he always did, but he felt his words melted away in his mouth as Samantha''s alluring eyes locked onto his. "What do you think I should do?" Wang Tong heard himself asking her meekly.

    Wang Tong''spliant response caught Samantha off guard. "He wants to butter me up because I am Ma Xiaoru''s friend." She chuckled in her mind.

    "I understand that you have many difficulties in your life so how about this: you can stay where you are, but you will have to take up the responsibility as the caretaker of building number five. It should be an easy job for someone capable like you."

    She paused for a second, allowing her words to sink in, and then she said in a stoic tone, "I hope you understand that this is not a request."

 Chapter 48: Haggling

    Chapter 48: Haggling

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Wouldn¡¯t it be inconvenient¡­ considering that I am a male student?"

    "As long as you keep your hands to yourself. It would be easier for the school to make the case if you ept the offer. Besides, the school would give you a reasonable amount of pay. Trust me; you don''t want to move into the unfinished new dormitory, the noise of the construction alone will drive you crazy." A faint smile shed across Samantha''s face; she had gotten him.

    Wang Tong knew that he had to take the job one way or another, "But there has to be a catch," he thought. Wang Tong pondered on it for a while, dragging out the silence and then asked, "You said that the School would pay me?"

    Being born into wealth and privilege, Samantha was bemused by Wang Tong''s question."Yes, of course. Our school doesn''t run a sweatshop."

    "It is my honor to serve our school! How much a month, if I may ask?"

    Samantha was caught off guard and was irritated by Wang Tong''s sublunary question. "What a money-grubbing worm!" Samantha cursed inside of her mind. Her finger felt the spin of a thick book on her desk, and she could barely resist the urge to smash the book into Wang Tong''s face.

    "Three thousand," she answered as she furrowed her eyebrows.

    "That''s very kind of you and all, but you know¡­ it''s an awkward situation to throw me in, I can already see my ssmates'' judgmental stares¡­ I... I am... not sure..."

    "Six thousand!" Wang Tong''s terrible acting had started to churn her stomach. She didn''t care much about the money and might as well end this haggling nonsense quickly.

    "Deal!" Wang Tong was ecstatic, beaming from ear to ear.

    "Excellent! That would be all for now." Samantha snickered in her mind as she watched Wang Tong set off for the ssroom. "You little fool. It is just the beginning. I hope you don''t choke on your money!"

    Samantha understood well that Wang Tong''s cooperation was vital in winning the tournament, and because of that, she just had found one more reason to lure him under her thumb. The shrewd principal had also recognized that none of her conventional methods would work on Wang Tong. Instead, the situation called for rather different measures in which patience and subtlety were of the essences.

    "Any good news from the principal?" Hu Yangxuan asked Wang Tong as soon as thetter walked into the ssroom. Ever since the weekend, the two of them seemed to get along much better, and they even started to consider each other as friends.

    Wang Tong puffed out his chest, arms akimbo and then announced, "From now on, I am Caretaker Wang."

    From the corner of Hu Yangxuan''s eyes, he registered a hardly audible giggle surfaced on Ma Xiaoru''s face; he immediately understood that Samantha''s real intention in doing so was not entirely without questioning motives. Although he could not yet grasp the reason behind it, he decided to y along anyways.

    "You might have your work cut out for you. Be careful, girls are not as easy going as you think."

    Wang Tong shrugged and cracked a smile, ¡°Worry not, Brother Hu. I happen to know a thing or two about girls."

    "Really? Do you mind sharing it with us?" Ma Xiaoru nted one of her eyebrows, carrying an edge in her voice.

    "Maybeter..." Wang Tong shriveled as his eyes met Ma Xiaoru''s.

    Instinct had told Wang Tong that something was lurking behind Samantha''s proposal. He could not yet tell exactly what it was, but he had always believed that he could aplish anything as long as he put his mind into it. It was a belief that deeply-rooted itself in Wang Tong''s mind thanks to Old Fart; whenever Old Fart could not afford Wang Tong''s pocket money, he would reiterate those exact words to encourage his son to earn money on his own.

    The results of the monthly test were out before the morning sses were over. With tears and joys in the first year students'' eyes, they came to terms with the changes that were about toe. They said thatpetition was the mother of advancement; despite the pervasive opposition, this monthly test had indeed shaken things up in Ayrng.

    Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan had scored the first and second ces in the monthly test, leaving a huge gap behind them with the third ce, and they entered the A-ss as anticipated. It was part of Samantha''s n to show the other students their gap with the top students of the S-ss Academy; she hoped that it would be a wake-up call to them. She had always believed in student''s potentials, and with Bernabeu hot on her heels, she could find more than one reason to help the students unlock their hidden talent so that they could help her in theing tournament. So far, the only hidden gem that she had discovered was Wang Tong. Thanks to his experience on Norton, he had excelled in the sses on virtually anything about Zergs, from directions to theories. Another one of his subjects that stood out was METALbat; Wang Tong''s score was even higher than Ma Xiaoru. After experiencing the event of the weekend, Samantha was not surprised at all.

    However, the scores of Wang Tong''s other sses were pathetic; as a matter of fact, they were so miserable that they had downgraded Wang Tong''s average rating to be barely above the passing grade of F-ss. Samantha heaved a sigh, she had hoped to transfer him into the A-ss, but with this embarrassingly low rating, her hands were tied, at least for now.

    "As long as he is still in Ayrng, I can make him improve, one way or another!" Samantha thought. She reckoned that Wang Tong had already fallen into her honey trap as his increasingly docile behavior had suggested.

    Samantha straightened her eyesses as her mind drifted to the more pressing matters of the tournament. Her opponent''s strategy was clear: they would let Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan fight their weaker yers, and perhaps would let them win, and then, they would dump all they got in the remaining eight fights. Wang Tong should be able to win one round or even two, as long as he was willing to try his best, but winning three consecutive games was something even Wang Tong couldn''t aplish by a long chalk. Ayrng would need one morepetent fighter to secure a total victory. Samantha yearned for thatst piece of thread to weave his n into reality. She understood that it would be a high stake gamble: the damage done from losing the game would be unrecoverable, but the prize in case of sess was just as irresistible. Losing Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan to Bernabeu meant that she would lose everything. It was a price that she was not willing to pay, so she had to set boundaries as to how far she would go. She decided that in the case of failing to seek out one more candidate who would be able to win one round for certain, she would pull out of this dangerous game.

 Chapter 49: Caretaker Wang

    Chapter 49: Caretaker Wang

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Although the marks were posted, the students had to wait until tomorrow for the change of sses. Lots of Wang Tong''s ssmates were perplexed as to why Wang Tong didn''t choose to major in the METAL Combat since his METALbat scores would have easily leveled him up to the A-ss

    However, unlike his ssmates, Wang Tong didn''t care about climbing thedder, he was quite content with remaining in the F-ss.

    After school was over, Wang Tong sauntered toward the dormitory number five, ready to start his first day as the caretaker. Upon approaching the entrance, he saw a poster with his picture on the front door of the caretaker''s office; the news had spread fast.

    Most girls in the dormitory number five had acquainted their neighbor since he was their only connection with Hu Yangxuan through letters, but they knew very little about Wang Tong himself, except for that he seldom came out of his room and spent most of his time burying himself in textbooks.

    His appointment, needless to say, had stirred up strong resistance among the girls. The fact that Wang Tong was a boy was the focal point of their argument, it was treated as a tant assault on girl''s traditional territory. They had quickly gathered banners and nned a secret rebellion against their caretaker.

    The caretaker''s office was only a few paces away from Wang Tong''s room, squarely set at the otherwise wide-open front entrance. The room had a window that faced the outside of the perimeter. Wang Tong sat by the window, resting his elbow on the windowsill and making sure that no male student had sneaked in. Principal Samantha had forbidden such act, and it became the caretaker''s duty to enforce that policy.

    The task had quickly be boring, so Wang Tong took out his textbook and started to study. Although he had passed the first monthly test, that was far from hisst one, so he reminded himself to prepare ahead of time. Truth be told, this monthly test had made Wang Tong realize that the reason for his miserable grade wasn''t because he was stupid, such as some people wanted him to believe, but rather because he had never spent enough time on study. Old Fart rarely brought home enough for both of them, so he had to spend most of his after-school time helping Old Fart to get by. Old fart had never liked the Academies neither. "Academies are useless, might as well call them daycares," as he put it.

    A raucous noise of heavy boots thudding on the ground disturbed Wang Tong''s train of thoughts; someone was approaching. He saw a girl walking toward the dormitory with a male student following her. Wang Tong pushed his books aside; time for Caretaker Wang to shine.

    "Excuse me, no male students are allowed beyond this point. If you two would like to chat, feel free to do it here; if it is more intimate business, please do find a corner as far as possible," despite the edge in his voice, Wang Tong''s wore a nk smile on his face that he had practiced in front of a mirror many times.

    "It¡¯s none of your business, buzz off!" The male student was one of the fourth-year seniors. It was not his seniority that had given him the overconfidence to tantly vite the school''s policies, it was his dad''s position on the school''s board of directors. Many times he hade and went at will through this entrance, even Samantha had to be circumspect when dealing with him.

    "I am afraid I can''t, not without a good reason." Wang Tong shook his head.

    Hearing themotion, the residences of the girls'' dormitory quickly gathered around, slyness glimmered in their eyes. They were not here to help Wang Tong, but to witness the unraveling of their coup. Wang Tong had expected as much from the girls, and he was aware that the leader of the girls was the one that brought the director''s son here; her name was Zhou Sisi, the leader of the second floor.

    "Stinky pig!" Zhou Sisi hissed in her mind as she leered at Wang Tong. The school''s decision had initially sent her head reeling, and after her protest was ignored by the Principal, she had decided to take the matter into her own hands. Her n was to coax one of her many admirers, Aysen, the director''s son, into a confrontation with the new caretaker. Although she was and would never be interested in Aysen, his family background and seniority would make things much convenient for her.

    "Aysen, give him a reason."

    Aysen had been chasing after the first year beauty Zhou Sisi ever since the first day she entered Ayrng, and this was the closest he had gotten so far to his sweet prize. The girl''s dormitory was right in front of him, and the only roadblock was a first-year fledging. He rolled up his sleeves,ughing in his mind for his extraordinary luck.

    "Reasons ah?" Aysen nted his eyebrows and pouted his lower lip. Contempt was written all over his face.

    "That is reason number one. Number two, I am going to kick your a*s and shovel dirt in your trap if you don''t move away." Aysen jabbed at Wang Tong again.

    "Third, half of this school is mine, so I do whatever the f*ck I want, understand?" Aysen puffed out his chest and stood with his arms akimbo, trying to look as big as he could. A smug etched on his face as he looked down on his nose at Wang Tong. He chortled at Wang Tong''s seemingly sheepish appearance and then turned his head around, seeking out the approving eyes of Zhou Sisi.

    For the sake of her dignity and for the sake of the greater good, Zhou Sisi managed a contrived smile on her face, but deep down, she found it hard to erase the revulsion to Aysen''s bully-like demeanor. If she could punch Aysen''s face without spoiling her n, she would wear a brass knuckle while she was at it. It turned out that Zhou Sisi wasn''t alone, many other girls had furrowed their eyebrows, but when they thought about the greater evil, they thinned their lips and tried to endure the churnings of their stomachs.

    "Why did they send Wang Tong?" one of the girls thought in her head, "We want Hu Yangxuan!"

    "Well met, brother Aysen. It is such a pleasure to meet you!" Without notice, Wang Tong griped Aysen''s hand in a handshake.

    Aysen tried to pull his hand away, but Wang Tong''s grip was iron. The smug had left the corner of his mouth as he realized what had happened, and then, they both tightened their grips. Aysen started to channel his GN force into his fingers. His face turned pale while trying to endure the ever increasing pain. Meanwhile, Wang Tong still held the nk smile that he was so proud of as if he hadn''t yet use a fraction of his strength, and then he spoke, as slow as he could.

    "Fellow brother, I had heard about your name and had been admiring you secretly for a while now. If I remembered it correctly, I started to admire you when I saw you got turned down by Zhou Sisi for the first time..." Wang Tong watched as pea sized sweat seeped out of Aysen''s forehead; he was almost at his limit now, but Wang Tong hadn''t finished yet. "Oh-no... excuse me, it was the second time... or was it the n-th time after that? Bah... I can''t remember. Anyhow, she was so rude, and you were on your knees and begging her..."

    "Led'' ger''f.. me! You will pay''fur ... this''s!" the pain had reduced Aysen''s threats into unrecognizable gibberish.

    "Oh¡­What''s that? Are you begging Zhou Sisi again? Impressive!" Wang Tong''s face suddenly changed, no more nk smiles; instead, sharp and cold edges etched into his face, and dark lights gleamed in his eyes as he locked them onto Aysen''s.

    Aysen gasped, the pain suddenly became unbearable and paralyzed him. Before Aysen could steady himself, Wang Tong had loosened his grip, and his face had returned to that nk smile again.

    Aysen''s body shivered, and he whimpered in a raspy voice. He looked like as if he would copse at any moment.

    It wasn''t so much the pain that had terrified him; it was what he saw in that fleeting moment before Wang Tong released him: the burning eyes of a demon.

 Chapter 50: I Shall Stay

    Chapter 50: I Shall Stay

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Zhou Sisi had known that Aysen did not live up to his reputation, but she didn''t expect him to be defeated by a meek first-year rookie. She bit down her lower lip and watched Aysen as he scurried away as if a demon was hot on his heels.

    Wang Tong bowed gently to the onlookers, "Thank you for your moral support. My name is Wang Tong, and I am your new caretaker. Don''t hesitate to stop by if you require any help. I will help as much as I can."

    Wang Tong turned on his heels without caring to find out the expressions on the girls'' faces, but he could register the cold and hostile stares thatnded on the back of his neck. "So, it is on," Wang Tong thought quietly.

    Zhou Sisi stomped into the meeting room of dormitory number five where herrades had already gathered around and were waiting for her. The failure had taken the wind out her sail; her face turned pale, and her brows furrowed deeply.

    One of the girls patted her shoulder gently and offered consoles. "Sisi, perhaps it was for the best, at least Aysen would nevere back and bother you again."

    "Hey, everyone! Take a look at this, it''s Wang Tong''s grades." One of the girls pulled out a piece of paper and waved it in the air.

    "Gee, he got 100% on two subjects and failed the rest."

    "He scored sixteen meters in METALbat! That is better than Ma Xiaoru, probably the best score so far in our school!"

    The girls started to realize that Wang Tong would be a harder nut to crack than they had thought.

    "Ah¡­ I remember him now. He is the dude that scored a 100% at the dissection ss! I have heard of him from a friend who was attending the same ss with him. ording to my friend, Gansus went nuts about this first-year student and thought that he was a genius."

    "Gansus? Now that''s rare. He had neverplimented anyone, and I have been here for three years."

    "That''s him, I am sure of it. I was wondering why Wang Tong''s name sounded so familiar."

    "Please, everyone! Our first and foremost task is to find out a way to drive him out of his office, not babbling about his grades!" Zhou Sisi mmed her hand on the desk in a fit of frustration. Group discussions were always easy to go off tangent, so she decided to rein in everyone''s attention.

    "That''s easier said than done. You have seen his strength out there yourself."

    A few of the girls nodded in agreement. Wang Tong defeated a fourth-year senior student and didn''t even sweat.

    "How about this: let''s leave it at that for now, and everyone will think of a method of dealing with him tonight. If no one cane up with any good ways of handling the situation, I say we should just let sleeping dog lie. After all, some of us here still owe him gratitude for sending our letters to Hu Yangxuan," the speaker was Xue Wei, leader of the dormitory number five. Her suggestion resonated among the girls, and many of them nodded their heads. Truth be told, none of the girls had any issue with Wang Tong before he became the caretaker. Perhaps they were overreacting this time.

    "Fine, since most of you agree with that, I will let it ride... for now," Zhou Sisi announced. The school was still looking for a full-time caretaker, and hopefully, that wouldn''t take too long.

    Meanwhile, in the caretaker''s office, Wang Tong was mulling over the methods required to halt the pestering animosity toward him once for all. It had be a problem to him not because Wang Tong cared about what the girls thought about him, but because he could not afford to spend much time dealing with this nonsense.

    After given the matter much thought, he decided to lure the girls in with something they really wanted, like a juicy bone hanging in front of a dog¡¯s nose. Thebination of force and temptation were the easiest receipt forpliance, such as what he had learned from Old Fart. A light bulb moment came to Wang Tong as he pondered about his next step, and soon after that, a poster appeared outside of the caretaker''s office.

    "As of today, I, Wang Tong, will deliver letters to Hu Yangxuan every day for the residence of dormitory number five (To make sure the letter will be read by my best friend Hu Yangxuan, only one letter will be delivered per day). Once the residents of dormitory number five have chosen the letter to be delivered, please ce it the mailbox outside of the caretaker''s office."

    Zhou Sisi was reflecting on her defeat when her train of thoughts was interrupted by one of her ssmates. "Sisi,e look! Downstairs..."

    Zhou Sisi gestured her to slow down, and then waited.

    "Wang Tong posted a notice." Zhou Sisi''s ssmate went on to reel off the contents of Wang Tong''s notice, and Zhou Sisi immediately resisted its implications. One letter a day would make Wang Tong''s service even more highly sought after than before, and the fact that he was Hu Yangxuan''s friend would add more credence to his words.

    The news spread throughout the building like a wildfire, and the girls swarmed to the caretaker''s office, quickly forming a lineup. In a matter of minutes, the end of the line had already extended into the dormitory, up through the stairs, all the way to the second floor close to Zhou Sisi¡¯s room. Zhou Sisi''s head reeled; all hope were lost.

    "Wang Tong, you sleazy pig!" she cursed as she was unable to do anything else.

    Wang Tong swaggered toward his room. He had been through a lot with Old Fart, and today''s act was nothing but a child-y to him. He wore a smug on his face as he thought to himself, "These teenage girls, ha ha, too young too simple, sometimes naive." Wang Tong had already forgotten about what his announcement would have meant for his best friend, Hu Yangxuan.

    The chaotic scene outside of the dormitory number five didn''t show any sign of winding down until the moon appeared brightly above the sky. After many heated discussions, the girls had atst unanimously agreed upon a method of choosing the letter: Each day, the floor leader would randomly select a letter; starting from the first floor, and the day after will be the second floor, and so on.

    Although peace and quiet were finally restored, the more rebellious girls were forced toe to terms with Wang Tong''s irrevocable position as the caretaker.

    Despite the noise of girls arguing with each other, Wang Tong had a sweet dream that night. He woke up the day after with a mood as beautiful as the bright sunlight that kissed the green grass des. He took out an overly-decorated envelope from the mailbox; the fruity fragrance that was carefully applied filled his nostrils. Wang Tong cracked a smile and wrote on the notice board: "Hu Yangxuan''s favorite juice: sugar cane."

 Chapter 51: Ahead of the Game

    Chapter 51: Ahead of the Game

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    A huge change had urred in F-ss ¡ª Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan were no longer there, and it seemed like another five of the ssmates had also decided to pursue their idols and advanced to A-ss. With half of the ss gone, F-ss was left with the rest half of the dejected long faces and crestfallen neers, except for Wang Tong, who was still able to maintain a good mood.

    The moody atmosphere of the ss suddenly vanished the moment Ma Xiaoru stepped foot into the ssroom. Everyone was surprised by her unexpected appearance in F-ss. It was definitely an unbelievable moment.

    ¡°Hello everyone, I will still be in F-ss for the rest of the month since my performance in a couple of subjects are not up to my expectations, so I¡¯ve decided to stay and work harder with everyone!¡± Ma Xiaoru said with a smile upon noticing the unusual atmosphere in the ss.

    Ma Xiaoru was able to achieve 1st ce in almost every subject, all except METAL Combat ss and Anatomy which she got 2nd and 3rd ce respectively. But her score was not the concern, it was her decision to stay that has uplifted the atmosphere and sent the whole ss cheering ¡ª this meant that all of them were granted a second chance! Everyone felt like they were in heaven again!

    ¡°Another sly move from Samantha, bravo.¡± Laughed Wang Tong when Ma Xiaoru sat beside him again.

    ¡°Hey Wang Tong, how dare you address the Principal by her name.¡± Ma Xiaoru grinned, ¡°And I¡¯m not going anywhere from now on, NOT before defeating you with my bare hands!¡±

    Wang Tong shrugged his shoulder in ignorance. He wasn¡¯t going to address Samantha as the Principal anyway, calling her by her name is what Wang Tong preferred, Samantha sounded morefortable.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Hu Yangxuan?¡±

    ¡°Oh him? ¡®Emotionally¡¯ attended A-ss I presume?¡± Ma Xiaoru spat her tongue and made a cute expression. Poor Hu Yangxuan definitely got fooled by Ma Xiaoru again. ¡°Why? Not happy with the fact that I¡¯m stuck in the same ss with you?¡±

    ¡°Nah, why would I? In fact, I was actually wondering if you could tutor me after ss since the lessons are getting moreplicated, and it was pure luck for me to pass my previous exams,¡± said Wang Tong.

    Since thest weekend, Wang Tong had got quite familiar with Ma Xiaoru, even the way they addressed each other had be much more natural andfortable, but for some reason, Wang Tong was not asfortable as he used to be in front of Samantha.

    ¡°No problem, so how are you gonna thank me in return?¡± Ma Xiaoru asked in a happy tone.

    ¡°In return, whenever and wherever you need me, heaven or hell, I¡¯ll definitely be there for you!¡± answered Wang Tong as he confidently pounded his chest.

    ¡°Aw shut up!¡± Ma Xiaoru chuckled.

    Then the lessons began and ended when the bell rung. Yet everyone was upset with the teacher for not extending their sses because the whole ss would do whatever it took to be in the same room with Ma Xiaoru for a little longer. The teacher, however, assuming that the students were attracted and amazed by his ¡°excellent¡± lectures, had decided to repay their sincerity by finishing his sses right on time in the future.

    During lunchtime, Wang Tong was seen hanging around Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan. It used to be normal to see Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan having lunch together, but somehow the view became funny ever since Wang Tong joined the two of them. However, fans of both Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan seemed to have epted the presence of Wang Tong amongst the duo. Hurray!

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Hu Yangxuan whined when he was queuing up for lunch with Wang Tong. The young man just had a bad day after being fooled by Ma Xiaoru and attended lessons with a horde of crazy girls in A-ss.

    As he was grumbling, Wang Tong handed over a love letter and said, ¡°Hey, this is for you. Please give it a good read as this is a life and death matter to me.¡±

    Everything became clear to Hu Yangxuan as Wang Tong exined what on earth was going on, and then, he cleverly replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep this, and I¡¯m willing to cooperate with you on this matter; however, you have to promise me one thing ¡ª never take advantage during lessons to approach her!¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± The two men high-fived as they happily reached an agreement.

    Yearster, Hu Yangxuan became a famous warrior. Whenever he was asked to summarize the friendship between him and Wang Tong, he¡¯d say: ¡°DO NOT trust any words from this man¡±, and people would get what he meant as they looked into his dested eyes, the poor man was obviously fooled by Wang Tong often.

    Of course, that would be in the distant future. As for now, Wang Tong still saw himself as an honest man.

    Meanwhile, as the two of them were queuing up, the girls from Dorm No.5 who were observing at the back finally got what they¡¯ve asked for. Wang Tong really did keep his promise, and they were more than happy to see Hu Yangxuan gently folding the letter and keeping it with care. They were delighted to see him treat the letter as a valuable item.

    ¡°So boys, what are the two of you up to?¡± asked Ma Xiaoru.

    ¡°Nothing much, we were just making some man-to-man promises,¡± Hu Yangxuan answered honestly.

    ¡°Yea, I was jealous of Hu Yangxuan¡¯s charisma, so I asked him to teach me a few stuff,¡± said Wang Tong.

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    ¡°Rx guys, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna eat the two of you for not telling me anything!¡± joked Ma Xiaoru.

    ¡°Speaking of eating, gosh I¡¯m starving!¡±

    ¡°Yea man, the food looks and smells fantastic today! So the cafeteria finally has improved huh.¡±

    Ma Xiaoru then began to enjoy her meal, leaving the boys to carry on with their nonsense.

    That night, as Wang Tong returned to his position as the Caretaker for Dorm No.5, he realized that the look of disgusts from the girls of Dorm No.5 had changedpletely to the look of respects.

    Bingo!

    His n was sessful. Not only did the girls kept him away from troubles, but even the lobby was cleaned thoroughly by the girls! Finally, he was able to sit back and rx. All he needed to do was to hand Hu Yangxuan a letter every morning, no sweat!

    However, Zhou Sisi was not happy with the current situation. Actually, what had urred was not a big deal, but now everyone seemed to be standing on Wang Tong¡¯s side and treating him with respect and care like a valuable giant panda. The girls even stopped bringing up the idea of chasing him out of the dorm, and some even mentioned about promoting him to the ¡°deputy¡± position. It made her look stupid.

    Yet, Sisi still insisted that there was something wrong with Wang Tong, and she was keen to wait patiently for her chance to catch him red-handed.

    ¡°Calm down Sisi, let it go. He¡¯s now the most treasured precious amongst the girls. Besides, he was really telling the truth about Hu Yangxuan enjoying sugar cane juice, and the secret was only known by his friends! Today one of the girls in A-ss brought him a cup of sugar cane juice, and he really drank it happily! Gosh, if only¡ª ¡±

    ¡°If only you were able to spike his sugar cane juice... is that what you were trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, if only it were me who had brought him the cup of sugar cane juice¡­¡± her roommate¡¯s love-struck mind went tond again. ¡°Hey Sisi, you know what, since you¡¯re also one of the beauties in the academy, and even prettier than Ma Xiaoru, why don¡¯t you give it a shot? I¡¯m sure he will fall for you!¡±

    ¡°Please, you know he¡¯s not my type!¡± said Zhou Sisi as she red at Wang Tong, and at the same time, Wang Tong looked back a smile, seeing that made her even more furious about him.

    Unwilling to ept her ¡°defeat¡± against Wang Tong, Zhou Sisi stomped up the flight of stairs gloomily. As for Wang Tong, that just made his day. No wonder Old Fart always said that one¡¯s happiness was another¡¯s sadness, which ironically also concluded his ¡°miserable¡± childhood.

 Chapter 52: Hyper Lock-on

    Chapter 52: Hyper Lock-on

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Caretakers were allowed to send and receive emails via inte.

    Wang Tong opened his inbox and saw someone sent him an email, which he did not expect. Obviously, because the people he knew were not that many, and none of them would¡¯ve sent him an email anyway. This single email in his inbox was definitely eye-catchy.

    It was a letter from Wang Ben!

    Wang Tong smiled joyfully and grabbed his fist as he read the letter. Since thest time he had met Wang Ben, Wang Tong already knew he was good, but never thought that Wang Ben was actually stronger than his expectation.

    Wang Ben¡¯s second Mind Opening Operation was a sess. The second Mind Opening Operation would usually end up in two ways: one would either failed and died tragically due to mental breakdown, or sessfully performed a Burst Opening, which happened when a person channeled and focused the force from the first failed attempt and unleashed it on the second attempt.

    Wang Ben nailed it!

    The mail was simple yet filled with passion, Wang Ben never mentioned ¡®thank you¡¯ in his email, but deep down, Wang Tong was able to feel his gratitude in his words. He asked Wang Tong to set a time, date, and venue; whenever and wherever Wang Tong preferred, and would be there as promised.

    That made Wang Tongugh, it really wasn¡¯t some ¡°life and death duel¡± promise, and it wasn¡¯t the moment yet for him to show off, but nevertheless, he would love to have a casual fight with Wang Ben anytime at the TPA.

    Wang Tong suddenly remembered Samantha, who was having a hard time regarding new admission to Ayrng. Since there were no reports regarding Wang Ben¡¯s sess, meaning that the news has yet to be made official, and Wang Tong was the first to know it, it would be great if the principal of Ayrng could send Wang Ben an invitation of recruitment right before the media released his story of sess.

    Some time ago, Wang Ben was approached by two famous S-ranked academies, but everything died down right after learning that Wang Ben had failed his first Mind Opening Operation, and he was pretty overwhelmed because of that. Hence, an invitation from Samantha might be able to cheer him up. Still, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t sure if all of this would work, but in the other hand, he wouldn¡¯t want to see Samantha stressed out on her own, if Wang Ben agreed to enroll upon receiving the invitation, then it might be able to lighten Samantha¡¯s burden.

    Wang Tong was impetuous on this matter, without much hesitation, he registered a new ount using Samantha¡¯s identity and decided to send Wang Ben a letter of invitation under her name; fake or not, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    In the end, the letter was prepared and sent to Wang Ben within an hour, and hopefully, he would be able to receive it right on time. A joyful feeling emerged as Wang Tong imagined Samantha would be d when she knew this.

    As for his studies, Wang Tong¡¯s schedule was getting tighter, but somehow, he managed to receive tuition from Ma Xiaoru in between sses, as he had no time to spare at night due to his duty as caretaker. Lucky for him, the life in the military academy was very simr to universities ¡ª everything was about preparations and not the pace; hence he was still able to find time for self-studies and leisure.

    Wang Tong was getting excited about the Astronautic course in the afternoon. No doubt, hand-to-handbat with Zergs was fascinating, but as the family motto went: ¡°Never give a damn when you have the chance¡±, of course, he would never miss out the opportunity to pilot a Space Battlecraft. Even though Zergs were able to evolve and developed abilities to nullify certain energy weapons, they were still not immune to Battlecraft energy weapons, not to mention that the Battlecraft weapons were also customized and modified to counter Zergs Space Hives. Compared to theplicated theoretical lessons, today¡¯s lesson was simple, nothing but practical simtions, which the Command Force students favored a lot. Soon as the teacher left the ssroom, the long awaited virtual dogfight finally began! Within minutes, the ssroom was filled with ¡°Gun-fires¡± and ¡°explosions¡±, everyone was enjoying the excitement.

    Everyone except for Wang Tong, who was eagerly practicing every single operatingmand instead. As a matter of fact, the outer space wasn¡¯t a ¡°safe¡± battlefield at all! Zergs were still able to surprise human beings with their superior ability to adapt and evolve from time to time, and even developed outer space weaponries that were capable of destroying Space Battlecrafts, which wasn¡¯t funny at all.

    Since his childhood, Wang Tong was not a yful person, not to forget that he had also spent a rough year on Norton. He knew well that life was not a game, and this line of work had to be taken seriously. He had to master everything to pilot a Battlecraft if he really wished to join the troops. As a student of the Command Force, one had to be able to do so, regardless if you were interested in bing a Crew Captain or not.

    Wang Tong has had enough theories so he wouldn¡¯t waste any rare opportunities for practical simtions.

    Soon, students began to leave as the bell rung. After all, virtual simtions were not as addictive if they were curricr-arranged; and Space Battle training wasn¡¯t like video games, it might be interesting during the ss, but students definitely lose interest in it after ss. Eventually, they would be submerging into the happiness of virtual games as soon as they reached home.

    ¡°Wang Tong, you are not going back?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can go first. I¡¯m staying back for a little longer since it¡¯s a rare chance to practice more,¡± Wang Tong replied without even looking back. He was busy implementing his theories into the simtor, ha was enjoying the moment, just like how he enjoyed the rush of adrenaline every time he defeated a new species of Zergs. Nevertheless, the blood in his body was the blood of a warrior.

    Ma Xiaoru was mesmerized by Wang Tong¡¯s attentiveness. A strange feeling emerged as she looked at how focused he was, she never felt like this before. After that, she left the practice room in silence on her own, knowing that Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t want to be disturbed.

    Ma Xiaoru actually was the type of person that would act like she didn¡¯t care when she saw the guy that got her attention, yet Wang Tong was the first guy to treat her like a normal person, and she appreciated thisfortableness very much. For the first time, she was happy to spend time with someone of an opposite gender.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong¡¯s face was full of different expressions. He was busy applying his own thoughts onto the theories he had learned from the books, even though some things were set to be done ording to the rules. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try out a few changes, and even if it were a failure, Wang Tong would put in every effort to find out why. Two hours had passed, and yet, Wang Tong had no intention to leave, he wasn¡¯t even hungry after skipping dinner, and of course, he had also forgotten his night shift as the Caretaker. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure entered the practice room without him noticing.

    The monitor was showing a simtion which was preset to the toughest scenario: the army of mankind was surrounded by Zergs Space Hives, and Zergs¡¯ ¦Â - WH type Bio-Cannon was charged and locked on to the Space Battlecraft. The Battlecraft was stuck in a helpless situation, even if the Battlecraft were to open fire, it would only be able to destroy a few Hives.

    Zhou Sisi came in to have a little practice on her own. Her operating skills needed to be improved, but she definitely had what it takes to be a tactician. It was a hopeless scenario. So, instead of wasting her time watching, she decided to proceed with her own practices.

    But to her surprise, the ¡°OVER¡± sign did not appear on the monitor. The Battlecraft fired every single Energy Ray Cannon at the same time in a sh; meanwhile, Sisi was able to hear the machinery roaring in the control room.

    ¡°BOOOMMM!¡±

    Hundreds of cannons fully locked onto every target within seconds!

    All of a sudden, the Space Hives were bombarded into a sea of mes. Zhou Sisi couldn¡¯t believe what she had witnessed. That... that was impossible!

    Things like this required tens of men to achieve, but there was only one person in the control room, this was absurd!

    ¡°No way...¡± murmured Sisi as the word ¡°PERFECT¡± appeared. What happened was wless indeed.

    Who on earth was sitting in the control room?

 Chapter 53: Cloning Technique

    Chapter 53: Cloning Technique

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°It is possible to achieve it bybining the Kaedeians¡¯test ace Battlecraft ¡ª the Starshine D-Type Space Battlecraft; together with manually programmed Hyper Cloning Technique. But in order to do so, that person must be one hell of a Kaedeian,¡± the words came from another pleasant voice.

    It was Ma Xiaoru.

    Zhou Sisi was surprised by Ma Xiaoru¡¯s appearance at this hour, yet nothing fancy happened between the two pretty girls.

    ¡°Cloning Technique is the top level military technology of Kaedeians, and only executable by them with their Soul Energy and controlling force. But to duplicate hundreds of Battlecraft in a blink of an eye? That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. ording to the Queen Kaedeian Academy, their highest record for this year was 178 fleets, and the simtion a while ago was showing approximately 130 fleets, which was able to rank as the 3rd best records of the Queen Kaedeian Academy,¡± Ma Xiaoru calmlymented, although she wasn¡¯t feeling calm at all.

    The girls were shocked when they saw Wang Tong stepping out of the control room. ¡°What¡¯s up girls? Oh, Zhou Sisi, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m heading back to Dorm No.5 right now.¡± Wang Tong thought Zhou Sisi was here to urge him for his night shift.

    ¡°That was YOU?!¡± questioned Zhou Sisi as she still couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

    ¡°Hey Xiaoru, I thought you went back just now?¡±

    ¡°AND you called her XIAORU?!¡± Zhou Sisi was shocked again. Her eyes were scanning back and forth at Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru. Since when have they gotten so close? Unbelievable!

    ¡°What¡¯s so weird about it? Wang Tong is my ssmate, and he¡¯s also my buddy,¡± Ma Xiaoru said while looking at Zhou Sisi. No doubt, Zhou Sisi looked amazing, with her elegant figure and a touch of obstinacy in her veins.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind? I came here for my own practice, not to urge you back. But hey, how did you do that?!¡± Zhou Sisi asked Wang Tong as she pointed at the data shown on the monitor.

    ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s not difficult you know since there¡¯s a glitch in the system, all you need to do is pause it and get ready by locking on to each target one by one, and then hit fire! Haha!¡± Wang Tong felt awkward as he exined.

    ¡°Huh, I see.¡± Zhou Sisi then ignored Wang Tong and went off for her own practices. She realized what Wang Tong said was he cheated. Everything was just for fun, and nothing tactical about it.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t bother as he looked toward Ma Xiaoru, the prettydy smiled and asked, ¡°I¡¯d like to seek for your advice regarding a few matters, shall we discuss over dinner?¡±

    ¡°Oh, speaking of dinner, I¡¯m starving!¡± Wang Tongughed.

    Ma Xiaoru giggled as Wang Tong said that, the boy had just spent one whole afternoon grinding his body and soul on aplicated control system, of course, he would be starving! Furthermore, she didn¡¯t believe any single word in his exnation a moment ago. Ma Xiaoru knew that Wang Tong had always been a secretive person.

    ¡°Oh my god, what¡¯s wrong with your hand?¡± Ma Xiaoru was shocked as she noticed Wang Tong¡¯s left hand, his fingers were bleeding, and the wrist had swollen.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I just gave it a lesson for not cooperating with me.¡± Wang Tong hid his arm pretending that it was not a big deal.

    ¡°You! Stop argue! Infirmary! Now!¡± Ma Xiaoru said in a serious tone, and Wang Tong had no chance to retort.

    ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal, I¡¯ll be fine after a good rest, let¡¯s go get some food instead?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you really should take good care of yourself. Plus, don¡¯t you know that students can visit the infirmary for free?¡± Ma Xiaoru said that as she sensed the embarrassment from Wang Tong.

    ¡°Wow, why didn¡¯t you mention earlier? From now on, I¡¯m living in there, haha!¡± Wang Tong joked, getting things for free was definitely music to his ears.

    Ma Xiaoru was left speechless by his attitude, Wang Tong didn¡¯t care what people thought was important, yet when it was something that people neglected, he¡¯d always... Suddenly, Ma Xiaoru felt bad for Wang Tong as she saw himughing. Because she knew that no one was supposed to be born like this.

    Still, she hid her feelings and said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it, now let¡¯s go and get your wounds packed up. I will be buying dinner tonight, but in return, I need your help to solve a few things regarding structures of Zergs.¡±

    ¡°Okie Dokie!¡± Wang Tong was looking cheerful despite that he was actually still quite tangled up by the fact that his left and right hands were not perfectly synchronized. There were no such things as left-handed and right-handed among Kaedeians; it was only for Earthlings. Even though Wang Tong had been paying more attention to it ever since being criticized by Einherjar Wannabe. His left hand needed more training; nevertheless, Wang Tong was able to achieve the final oue.

    Cloning Technique was all about absolute bncing. It was tough, even to Kaedeians, let alone Earthlings. Wang Tong¡¯s was having a problem with his left hand for not being able to keep up with the rhythm of his right hand, and the operation would fail if the rhythm was not fully synchronized. Hence, Wang Tong taught his left hand a ¡°lesson¡± to remind himself about the rhythm.

    ¡°Still, why would you do that to your own hand? You know,plicated stuff like that couldn¡¯t be mastered in one day right?¡± Somehow Ma Xiaoru was angry about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, this was nothingpared to what I¡¯ve been through on Norton, haha! But honestly speaking, we Earthlings still has a lot more to learn from the Kaedeians!¡±

    A man should act a bit more cruel to himself!

    This wasn¡¯t said by Old Fart, but Einherjar Wannabe. Einherjar Wannabe would say this to Wang Tong in a cold manner each and every time he was injured. To him, if it wasn¡¯t fatal, then it was fine.

    For the first time, Ma Xiaoru was staring at a guy, which she had no clue about his thoughts, and wondered how he could act like it was nothing for such matters. She might have received a series of tough training during her times in the House of Li, but she could only imagine how rough and brutal it would be to spend a year on Norton.

    ¡°What? Something on my face?¡± Wang Tong saw her looking at him.

    ¡°Just dust, here lemme help you,¡± she lied by reflex and then reached into her pocket for her handkerchief but was surprised to find that it wasn¡¯t with her.

    It was amemorative item of hers and only had been used a few times.

    ¡°Ah my bad, I almost forgot that your handkerchief is with me, I¡¯ll return it to youter!¡± said Wang Tong as he scratched his head, his mind had been busy with tests and exams.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. You can keep it, it¡¯s our token of friendship,¡± Ma Xiaoru replied.

    ¡°Geez, thanks!¡± Wang Tong nodded; to be honest, he wasn¡¯t sure where he¡¯d left the handkerchief.

    Most people would care a lot about every little thing around them, that¡¯s because they had no idea what it was like to survive in a living hell. As for Wang Tong who had faced numerous life and death situations, it was still a long way to go for him learning to appreciate these ¡°memorable¡± belongings.

    Meanwhile, the girl who was previously ¡°bullied¡± by Wang Tong was still sitting in the bustling practice room, staring at the monitor in rage. She had been practicing by mimicking Wang Tong¡¯s steps, but the best she could achieve was around forty hits, and system error would ur if it was more than that, let alone one hundred hits! That lying little rascal!

    She was positive that Ma Xiaoru was fooled by his honest appearance, in fact, she believed that everyone was fooled by this man!

    She was furious by the fact that her roommate was also on his side, and she was even more upset with herself for believing him like a fool, having her wasted an hour to experiment his ims. For a moment, she could image Wang Tongughing in an evil manner.

    Biting her lips, for the first time, Zhou Sisi felt interested in a man ¡ª interested in punching him right in the face.

 Chapter 54: The Principal Got Hit By Pennies From the Sky

    Chapter 54: The Principal Got Hit By Pennies From the Sky

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    That night, the Earth Confederation was startled by a breaking news: Wang Ben, the son of General Hu Ben, had perfectly seeded his second Mind Opening Operation and directly advanced as a Level 4 Fighter. The report even stated that his Soul Energy readings were almost at 200%, the news caused quite an uproar throughout the Confederation.

    Wang Ben took part in the military evaluations as soon as hepleted his second Mind Opening Operation, and even the troops from the Fourth-ss Special Forces were no match for him. Obviously, he was blessed with an enormous geyser of power after going through a long period of depression.

    With Wang Ben seeding the second Mind Opening Operation, results and improvements were clear to be seen from the number of harsh training he underwent. Ultimately speaking, another genius was born in the Earth Confederation, and the ginormous power he possessed was even able to shook the ground of sessors from a few Houses.

    But General Hu Ben was very calm about it, still, there was a long road ahead awaiting his son.

    Surprisingly, Wang Ben did agree to be interviewed even though he wasn¡¯t very fond of the media, and all he said was something weird: ¡°Hey Einherjar Wannabe, anytime, anywhere, I¡¯ll be there!¡±

    Einherjar Wannabe? Was that a name? It sounded funny for sure. Everybody knew what an Einherjar was, but Einherjar Wannabe sounded more like a half-assed sobriquet.

    Yet some reporters were clever enough to recall Wang Ben¡¯s previous match on PA and wondered if it could be that person.

    A little push was all it took to create a genius. To normal people, it was nothing but another casual match, but to Wang Ben, it was a calling.

    He was Wang Ben¡¯s ray of hope during his time of despair when his father had given up on him, and when he had shut himself into a deep depression. He was the only person who had thought that Wang Ben had what it takes to be the man.

    Wang Ben was originally a strong-willed person. All thanks to the little ¡°push¡±, he was able to grab a hold of himself despite drowning in depression and made a breakthrough at the end of it.

    As for now, all Wang Ben wished for was to keep the promise made between two men, because to Wang Ben, this promise that didn¡¯t seem like a big deal was everything that supported him throughout times of despair. He would rather die than breaking the promise.

    Cowards shouldn¡¯t exist in the family of a soldier!

    DREAM Corporation, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t hide their excitement upon learning that Wang Ben was calling out for a match. No doubt Wang Ben was now the ace amongst youngsters, the golden boy of the media; yet this powerful young man decided to challenge some nobody to a PA match, and that was definitely out of this world.

    Not to mention, it was a well-known fact for military family members to dislike the media, yet Wang Ben epted the interview. Clearly, this Einherjar Wannabe fe was an important person to Wang Ben.

    DREAM Corporation sensed a storm of business opportunities on its way.

    Who was this Einherjar Wannabe? Why was he so important to Wang Ben? Could he be the next legend?

    Wang Ben¡¯s ¡°reincarnation¡± jump started a game of snatch among academies around the globe, but ultimately, it was actually an infighting between two S-ranked academies.

    Ayrng and Yalden had been going head to head against each other since the very beginning to seize the position as the superior academy of Earth Confederation. None of them wanted to give away the precious ¡°upgraded¡± Wang Ben.

    In other words, it was all up to Wang Ben to decide which of the two was better, and the reputation of the academy he chose to attend would receive a great boost for sure.

    Wang Ben was not shaken despite the tremendous fame and attention on him. It could be his down times that has shaped him with such maturity and got him toprehend the philosophy of life.

    As for now, the question remained the same: ¡°Which academy would he choose to attend?¡±

    Samantha was anxious, Martyrus¡¯s challenge was giving her a headache, and she had toe up with a final decision by the end of today. If she chose to decline, Ayrng would lose the valuable opportunity topete against Bernabeu, but if she epted, Ayrng might not stand a chance. To be or not to be, both sounded pretty bad.

    Samantha had a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Even though people often said that those who studied Philosophy were paranoids and lunatics, but there was one thing for sure ¡ª those who preferred Philosophy were able to analyze with a calm mind and would not give themselves into temptations. Samantha had been waiting patiently for a reason to ept the gamble, but as for the moment, it still wasn¡¯t enough even though she already had Wang Tong as her trump card.

    In the end, she decided to decline Martyrus¡¯s challenge in the afternoon. She would rather suffer a small defeat than losing everything they had.

    Unlike how she looked like when she first became the Principal of Ayrng, Samantha was quite worn-out recently. She was confident and full of passion back then, and even brought funding and two distinctive students into Ayrng; however, all of these were not enough at all, and she wouldn¡¯t even be needed if money was the solution to everything. She knew it would be a journey of hardships in the first ce, especially with people against her and waiting for her failure, staring at the back. She had to stay strong. She¡¯s the almighty Samantha for god sake, of course, she could endure this, not to mention that it was only a small issue.

    She took a deep breath and began to prepare the budget nnings and expenses reports of Ayrng, running an academy required a huge chunk of money that no one could have expected. If Xiaoru wasn¡¯t there for her, there was no way she could have pulled it out alone.

    Ayrng had to achieve something great, not if they wanted to see everything fell apart.

    One has to bear the cost of being the boss, lesson learned.

    Suddenly, her deep thoughts were interrupted by a rapid knock on the door, the gorgeous-looking principal slightly frowned, ¡°Enter please,¡± Samantha said in a calm voice.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, ma¡¯am, this letter...¡± Mr. Simon was gasping for air, the letter looked important.

    ¡°A rmendation letter again? So they really expect Ayrng to be a mall or something?¡± Samantha was furious, nevertheless, Ayrng was an A-ranked academy, and the semester had started a long time ago, but the Confederation has been ignoring her presence and sent over intake requests one after another.

    If this happened in Capth or Yalden, the principal would¡¯ve torn the letter apart without evenying eyes on it. But with only glorious history left to the academy, the Principal of Ayrng was not in the position to do so.

    ¡°No Ma¡¯am, this is the admission application from Wang Ben!¡± Mr. Simon was very excited, so excited that he had run straight into the Principal¡¯s office the moment he received the letter.

    ¡°Wang Ben... THAT Wang Ben? The son of General Hu Ben?!¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am, I couldn¡¯t even believe my eyes when this came in! The boy who seeded his second Mind Opening Operation decided toe to our academy! Oh god, yes!¡±

    Samantha understood his excitement, Ayrng¡¯s reputation would definitely skyrocket with the help from Wang Ben¡¯s fame, and with Wang Ben joining Ayrng, he would also be one of the new aces, together with Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan, making Ayrng ahead of the game among A-ranked academies.

    Yet Samantha kept calm, which was crucial especially during times like this. ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Simon, I¡¯ll take it from here, and please keep this between us before it is made official.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, of course, Ma¡¯am, no worries. I¡¯ll be awaiting the good tidings quietly then.¡±

    Mr. Simon was a crafty old party in the academy, he would choose his side depending on the situation, and would slip out of trouble when there was one. In the beginning, he wasn¡¯t convinced by the fact of a Missy from a wealthy family picking up the administrations of Ayrng. But now, he could see Ayrng rising up again.

 Chapter 55: Gauntlets Were Thrown Down

    Chapter 55: Gauntlets Were Thrown Down

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Samantha¡¯s hands were trembling uncontrobly as Mr. Simon left her office. She was afraid that all of this might be some kind of a bad joke and prayed that this was true because Ayrng couldn¡¯t afford losing Wang Ben.

    It was a neat application form, with Wang Ben¡¯s academic reports, scorecards, and medical reports attached to it. Everything was prepared nice and tidily, as expected from someone with the background of a military family.

    To be honest, Samantha had no idea what was going on. She wondered why the famous Wang Ben would choose to apply for Ayrng instead of epting the offers from other academies. Anyhow, Ayrng would wee Wang Ben¡¯s admission with open arms.

    But now she was troubled by another problem: just like Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan, Wang Ben would have to attend the F-ss upon admission. Samantha was afraid that her decision might upset Wang Ben.

    She stood up and started pacing back and forth, to adhere her principles or not, she had to make a decision.

    In the end, she decided to stick to her principles because she knew that her self-consciousness and Ayrng¡¯s future were way more important than Wang Ben¡¯s admission.

    Still, it was a tough decision. Putting everything aside, Samantha began to draft her reply to Wang Ben, saying that Ayrng was pleased to receive such an honor, but unfortunately, ording to the academy¡¯s rules, he had to attend the F-ss at the beginning and would be given the chance of advancing to the A-ss through academic performances. If he epted her offer, she would be sending the letter of admission shortly.

    The email was then sent to Wang Ben¡¯s Sky, and Samantha was feeling nervous; Wang Ben¡¯s decision was very important to Ayrng.

    Samantha began to understand what it felt like to sit on pins and needles, it was now impossible for her to concentrate on the rest of her works.

    ¡°Knock knock!¡±

    Wang Tong waited, but no one answered, so he decided to let himself into Samantha¡¯s office and was surprised to find her spacing out.

    He intended to speak but was stunned as he looked at Samantha. Sunlight shined through the checkered ss window, her pearly white blouse ideally suited her matureness and wisdom, and the simplicity of her earrings cleverly highlighted the feminine side within. That moment, Wang Tong was all mesmerized by her sexiness.

    ¡°Oh, hello there.¡± Samantha finally realized Wang Tong¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Ah, I suppose you didn¡¯t hear me knocked... Ma¡¯am...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can call me Samantha when there¡¯s no one around. It¡¯s a little awkward to hear you calling me ¡®Ma¡¯am¡¯.¡±

    At the moment, Samantha was depressed by the fact that Wang Ben¡¯s reply was yet to be seen, and she couldn¡¯t help thinking if she had just ruined Ayrng¡¯s chance of restoring its glory days.

    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Wang Tong sensed something was bothering her.

    Samantha shook her head and replied, ¡°Nah, just feeling a little moody for the tough road ahead. So, what brings you here today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was wondering if I could get your permission to borrow the simtion room for my airbat practices?¡±

    ¡°Wow, look at you! The charmingdy has got you fired up huh? Well, as you wish, permission granted. But please make sure there¡¯s improvement okay?¡± Samantha grinned, she thought that Wang Tong was all fired up to show off in front of Ma Xiaoru.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± said Wang Tong.

    At the same time, Samantha heard a familiar beep and quickly essed her Sky, and then grabbed her fist in excitement upon reading the email. She had won the deal!

    Obviously, Wang Ben was no coward, of course, he would agree to start from the very beginning, just like Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan. No matter who you are, new students of Ayrng must began at the F-ss ¡ª and no exception would be given!

    Not on her watch!

    ¡°Good news I presume?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Yup, great news in fact! You really are my lucky star, but please keep it between us for the time being.¡± Samantha felt wonderful, even though she wasn¡¯t sure why would Wang Ben thanked her for her appreciation since they had never met each other before, still, this was definitely something worth to be celebrated.

    Wang Tong nodded and was about to excuse himself when Samantha stopped him: ¡°Please inform Hu Yangxuan that there will be a celebration at Xiaoru¡¯s ce tonight. I¡¯ll break the good news to youdster.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have it this weekend instead?¡± Wang Tong nodded again, somehow he could tell what was going on.

    ¡°Sounds good to me. Cheers!¡± the gorgeous-looking principal seemed to be having a pocketful of sunshine.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, everything alright regarding your Caretaker duty?¡± Somehow Samantha felt strange for not receiving anyints of ¡°perverted¡± activities at Dorm No.5, and there were no issues at all! The female students of Ayrng shouldn¡¯t be that easy to handle.

    ¡°So far so good, I always get the job done,¡± Samantha didn¡¯t say much to his reply. She was still in a good mood, at the point that she had even forgotten her original intention to appoint Wang Tong as the Caretaker.

    Apart from being excited, Samantha then realized that she hasn¡¯t contacted Martyrus yet. God bless Wang Ben for choosing Ayrng; finally, they were able to stand a chance against Bernabeu. Even so, she needed to act with cautious when facing the cunning old fox.

    She looked at the time, thinking that the old dirt might be calling anytime soon to pressure her.

    ¡°Ring! Ring!¡±

    ¡°Haha, so Principal Samantha, may I hear your final decision?¡± Martyrus appeared on the screen, amiably beaming at Samantha like some normal old man.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Principal Martyrus, but I still need to consider a little longer...¡± Samantha made it appear as if she was still struggling with it.

    Martyrus smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible Principal Samantha, you must understand that your decision will affect the oue of this event and also the future of Ayrng. As you can see, A-ranked academies don¡¯t always get such precious opportunity topete against S-ranked academies. Just so you know, I received an invitation from Rousseau Academy just a while ago, anyhow, I decided to reserve the opportunity to you, for the sake of the good rtionship between Ayrg and Bernabeu of more than a decade.¡±

    Martyrus wasn¡¯t being too hasty as he noticed Samantha¡¯s indecisive expression. She might have been an outstanding student, but definitely still a long way to go as the principal of an academy. Not to mention, Ayrng was nothing more than a decaying statue in his eyes, and it would crumble apart and be forgotten anyway in the end. Generally speaking, time was not keeping up with her ideology.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay if you decided to give up anyway, sometimes youngsters like you need to learn to be more steady and not to get too impulsive,¡± the words came from Martyrus intentionally.

    ¡°No, Principal Martyrus, we have decided to ept your challenge, even though Ayrng might not be as good as Bernabeu, yet I¡¯m sure we will be able to win with our courage and fearlessness,¡± Samantha replied sternly.

    ¡°Oh bravo! That¡¯s the spirit! So I¡¯ll be expecting you to convince Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan to participate then.¡± Martyrus chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, Principal Martyrus. It¡¯s still too soon to decide who will be the winner.¡±

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll see you in the arena then.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, see you in a month.¡±

 Chapter 56: Tutor the Beauty

    Chapter 56: Tutor the Beauty

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The old and the young Principals had revealed their true color as soon as the challenge was formally epted. Such as the battles on the battlefield, the tournament was a matter of life or death to both schools.

    When the image on the screen faded away, the speakers at both ends of the connection were confident that they would be the winner of the game.

    Wang Tong''s life at Ayrng had slowly be routine ever since the monthly test was over. During the day, Wang Tong would receive help from Ma Xiaoru on subjects such as Math and Physics in addition to regr school sses; in the afternoon, he would try to hang out with his friends and ssmates; in the evening, he would return to his post in the caretaker''s office.

    Whenever he was bored at work, he would take out his textbook to study or practice few rounds of the Tactics of the de. Cultivation typically required absolute concentration, so doing it while at work might not seem to be the best idea; however, thanks to the simplistic nature of the Tactics of the de that made practice feasible, Wang Tong found it rather convenient and time-saving.

    Ever since he took on the job of delivering the mails, the girls of dormitory number five had be pleasantly cooperative. As long as he kept the mail service going, and asionally revealed one or two insignificant details about Hu Yangxuan, the girls would be content enough to even remain quiet about his asional absence at work.

    Hu Yangxuan and Ma Xiaoru had remained the most popr students in Ayrng. Despite the fact that they were distractions to other students, Samantha did nothing to curtail their fame. She knew that idols with positive images would be more effective than any of her policies when it came down to improve student morale.

    Despite their simr poprity, there was still a gap between Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan regarding their overall abilities. Ma Xiaoru''s family background and the level of tactics she practiced had set her apart from Hu Yangxuan. Samantha had reckoned that Ma Xiaoru''s future would not belong to Ayrng since she had been the cream of the crop ever since her birth. But unlike other students from the five major households, Ma Xiaoru was rather approachable, which made her even more popr among students. Many boys and girls quickly followed her lead and soon, theirbined effort had breathed a new life into the school that had been mired in decadence. Samantha believed that a positive environment would nurture a sense of belonging and eventually, the students would study hard, not because of the threat of monthly tests, but because they cared for the name and reputation of their school.

    Despite Wang Tong''s impressive grades in a few particr sses, one could barely notice him on a typical day. Unlike some students who liked to hog the limelight, Wang Tong would rather avoid the attentions. He had seen at first hand the damages done to Hu Yangxuan''s sanity due to unwanted attentions. Ever since Hu Yangxuan entered the A-ss, he was pestered by swarms of relentless admirers, some were beautiful, but most of them were not.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, lived a quieter and happier life. He was content with everything in his life except for theck of money. That being said, Wang Tong still worried about Zhou Sisi''s animosity during that run-in with her a few days ago. Although Zhou Sisi didn''t stage another coup against him, Wang Tong had a nagging feeling that she was up to something again. Wang Tong scratched his head and thought, "Gee. Why does she hate me so much?"

    "Wang Tong!" a sweet voice interrupted his cultivation. "Speaking of the devil," Wang Tong thought as he slowly pulled his consciousnesses back into reality but leaving only enough to maintain the ongoing cultivation inside of his body.

    "Hi, Zhou Sisi, what''s up?" Wang Tong managed to put on a friendly smile.

    Zhou Sisi regarded Wang Tong in surprise, and then she asked, "Were you cultivating?"

    "Ah, nope. I was just thinking about things."

    Zhou Sisi''s eyebrows furrowed, she did not believe Wang Tong''s answer, but she didn''t want to be nosy either, so she dropped her suspicion and moved on.

    "I have tried the clone technique, but it didn''t work. So..." Zhou Sisi gritted her teeth, feeling ashamed of asking for help, "Please, teach me how to do it."

    "Teach you?" Her directness disheveled Wang Tong. In the moment of shock and disbelieve, Wang Tong noticed Zhou Sisi''s supple red lips that formed a lovely pout, making her look impetuous but cute.

    Seeing Wang Tong had hesitated, Zhou Sisi dug her heels in and announced, "Yes. I will help you too if you help me. If you need my assistance, I guarantee you that I will help you as much as I can."

    Wang Tong''s mind raced, weighing his options and risks. Teaching her the clone technique would be easy enough, but he was not sure if he could fit the training in his already-busy schedule. On the other hand, if he was able to pacify his only enemy in the dormitory number five, he would be absent at work every day, and no one would ever report him to the principal. He didn''t do much at work, and nothing bad had ever happened before he took on the job anyways.

    "It is my pleasure to help you," Wang Tong spoke with a seemingly open manner after making up his mind.

    People may listen to you better if you let them owe you a favor - Quote by Old Fart.

    Zhou Sisi was shocked at Wang Tong''s generous gesture; she had thought that Wang Tong might leverage his secrets to make unreasonable demands.

    "When can we start?"

    "How about after my shift? It might be a bitte; I hope you are OK with it?" Wang Tong was nning to exercise after work, and he didn''t mind taking Zhou Sisi with him.

    "Forget about work, let''s do it now."

    "But..."

    "Com''on, you know how much the girls in dormitory number five treasured your mail service, no one would tell on you, even if you were absent for the entire shift," Zhou Sisi said. Truth be told, she was the only person that might have reported him, but then even she needed his help.

    Zhou Sisi watched Wang Tong in surprise as he unlocked the training room. "How did you get the key? One of Ma Xiaoru''s privilege again?"

    Wang Tong shook his head, without noticing the hint of Zhou Sisi''s animosity toward Ma Xiaoru, "Nah, Principal Samantha gave it to me. I was chosen as one of the team members attending the tournament against Bernabeu; she gave it to me so that I cane here to train at any time. We have to make sure everything is cleaned and put away after we use it though."

    "Ah right, the tournament! You said you had been chosen? I thought they were still in the process of screening candidates." Zhou Sisi did not seem to be surprised by the fact that Wang Tong, an F-ss student was chosen to be on the team. She had seen his grades and knew that Wang Tong would have entered A-ss if the school had only considered his METALbat score and ignored the rest.

    "Yes, I think the principal had picked a few more candidates and made a list based on overall grades, you were almost number three on the list I think," Wang Tong said as he scratched his head, trying to remember the list.

    "Almost? I AM the number three! You think only the princess from FFC could have good grades don''t you!" Zhou Sisi hissed.

    "Nah, you are thinking too much." Wang Tong shrugged and wondered why girls were so much snappier than boys.

 Chapter 57: Information Overload

    Chapter 57: Information Overload

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    A rush of adrenaline swept through Wang Tong''s body as soon as he turned on the training terminal. While being busy with the monthly test, Wang Tong had almost forgotten just how much he had enjoyed the thrills of performing challenging techniques¡ªan acquired taste that he had developed on Norton. As the crisis of the monthly test had been averted, Wang Tong''s life started to be mundane, and the desire for more challenges resurfaced.

    He gave himself a hard time during thest simtion and injured his fingers, but he thought that was simply the way it was: no pain, no gain. His injuries were minor anyways.

    "You can watch me do it first. It was a Kaedeian''s technique. Speaking of the Kaedeians, we could really learn a thing or two from them regarding space battles. I have been experimenting one of their methods, which I believe could be used by Earthlings after some modifications," Wang Tong''s said with a serious tone; he was always serious when talking about battle techniques.

    "I have gone through the theories, and I just need to see how it is done so that I can try to follow."

    "Ok, watch me. Keep in mind that the system pre-set these targets so it would be more difficult in real-life since the enemies can pop up anywhere around us," Wang Tong said as he flexed his fingers. Although the technique looked simple, it was tough to pull it off correctly.

    Wang Tong looked at the screen and marked sixty targets in his mind and then rested his wrist on the dashboard. He had only one second to respond to all sixty targets; it required not only superhuman reflexes but also endurance for the enormous strain ced on his body from the lightning speed movements.

    Then the simtion started; a bright light shed across the room and then came a deafening re; all sixty targets were locked on at once. Sess!

    Wang Tong flexed his fingers again and heaved a sigh of relief. His bnce had improved a great deal sincest practice. "You can try it with sixty targets, let''s keep it simple for now."

    An awkward silence fell.

    Zhou Sisi stared at Wang Tong in disbelieve, "You expect me to do the same thing?"

    "Yea. That''s the clone technique." Wang Tong was perplexed by Zhou Sisi''s hesitation. He had executed the technique by the textbook, and it indeed worked.

    "Are you a freak or a mutant? I have seen what you did there, and it definitely wasn''t the clone technique, not even a Kaedeians could have repeated what you just did." Zhou Sisi threw a suspicious look at Wang Tong.

    "Really? I thought that was how everyone did it." Wang Tong scratched his head and wondered why Zhou Sisi made a big deal out of such an ordinary technique.

    Zhou Sisi pushed away her pride, mustered her courage and then asked, "Can you show me again? It was too fast." It went without saying that Wang Tong''s method was different than Kaedeians since theter would never willingly gave away the crux of their military secret in any training guide they had published. Zhou Sisi had a gut feeling that Wang Tong''s method was somehow even better than the Kaedeians.

    "Yea, of course. Here, look!" Wang Tong repeated everything in slow motion.

    The awkward silence fell again.

    Zhou Sisi had always been very proud of her quick mind and swift movements, but then she felt devastatingly ashamed for her pride after seeing Wang Tong''s speed.

    After a while, Zhou Sisi asked hesitantly, "Can you please slow down your speed even more?"

    "No problem." Wang Tong cracked a smile. He broke down his movements into different sections and demonstrated each section to Zhou Sisi. "Is it clear now? What I have shown you were set movements, it was meant for training the synchronization of your left and right hands. Everyone''s synchronization is slightly different. Give it some time; you will get the gist of it."

    Zhou Sisi didn''t reply; she was too busy memorizing Wang Tong''s movements. She then quickly realized that toplete the full set of actions under a mere second, she would need soul energy of at least a hundred sols which was almost impossible for a first-year student. Should her calction be correct, Wang Tong should have been highly sought after by even the S-ss Academies, let along Ayrng.

    "What made youe to Ayrng?" Zhou Sisi asked abruptly.

    "It''s close to home," Wang Tong answered casually and went on with his training. He had already grown ustomed to the question since many before her had asked the same thing. His answer wasn''t far from the truth since he had nned to stay somewhere close to home to wait for Old Fart''s return.

    Zhou Sisi was speechless at his answer; she watched as he quickly engrossed himself in his training. She knew that he had lied to her again, and his too-cool-to-care kind of demeanor gave Zhou Sisi an urge to punch him in the face.

    Personal feelings aside, she wouldn''t help but marvel at how quickly Wang Tong had immersed himself in his training as if he had forgotten about her existence. She didn''t bother herself to talk to him again; she had her own work to do. She went on with rehearsing what she had remembered while watching Wang Tong''s demonstration. She always had a knack of memorizing things among many other things that she was naturally good at. Although her exposure to tactics came at a muchter age than most S-ss students, which exined her gap with them, she firmly believed that through hard work, she would eventually catch up with, if not surpass, those who used to be better than her.

    Unlike Wang Tong, who always rushed into actions and made decisions on the spot, Zhou Sisi was much more calcting and cautious before attempting a move. She didn''t jump right into training; instead, she pulled out a notebook and detailed every single movement that she had recorded in her brain. When she was done, not even a slightest detail of Wang Tong''s demonstration was missed in the notes. Yet again, she had held off the training and rehearsed the entire set of movement in her mind, paying attentions to how movements were connected with one another and measuring the nuances of the simplest maneuvers.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was engrossed in the sea of information stored within Ayrng''s information bank, the equivalent of a library. It contained space battle technique of all races but only provided high-level summaries of many advanced techniques without getting into details. Nevertheless, the amount of information was impressive, a result of decade-long development and expansions. The information bank stood out as the only achievement of former principals before Samantha.

    Despite the wealth of information, it was not properly categorized and was ill-maintained, most likely due to theck of interests among students since many of the techniques were too hard to be understood by Ayrng''s students.

    Although the year spent on Norton had hardened Wang Tong''s body and sharpened his mind, he had never learned any battle techniques directly from Mr. Wannabe. Instead, he only scraped bits and pieces of advice by himself after he slowly picked up experiences while fighting with the Zergs. Upon returning to Earth, he was immediately mesmerized by the plethora of techniques deployed by TPA fighters and craved that one day he would be able to learn them all. Therefore, as soon as he had discovered the information bank, he was quickly drawn to it, satisfied and filled with joy after he had mastered a new technique recorded within. The pleasure wasparable to that of ughtering a new-found species of the Zergs, which Wang Tong would quickly disembowel upon ending its life, throw the carcass into the cauldron and then enjoy its flesh when it was cooked. Sometimes he worried if the new species of Zerg he had just eaten was poisonous, but so far, he hadn''t gotten sick even once.

 Chapter 58: What Have You Done to Me

    Chapter 58: What Have You Done to Me

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The two students had lost track of time while being immersed in their own world. After a long while, Zhou Sisi was assailed by a sudden dizziness. Upon recovering her consciousness, she nced at a clock and realized that she had been here with Wang Tong for over four hours.

    She turned her head around to call out to Wang Tong, and then she registered something was off. Wang Tong sat motionless in a chair, images were projected in front of him from the information bank, and they were shing quickly one after another. A bright light shined in Wang Tong¡¯s unblinking eyes, flickering in unison with the shing of the images.

    Even though Zhou Sisi had never learned any higher level tactics, she would still sense something extraordinary and potentially harmful was happening to Wang Tong.

    "Could it be..." Zhou Sisi gasped as soon as she saw Wang Tong''s face; its paleness had confirmed her spection. He had linked his soul energy with the information bank, forming a "virtual bond". It was so dangerous even the word "virtual bond" was banned at the school.

    "What a fool!" Zhou Sisi cursed.

    Zhou Sisi had learned from the books that the best method to break a virtual bond was to interfere the bond with soul energy since physical disturbance would only startle the entrapped mind and exacerbate the situation. However, Zhou Sisi was also aware of the risks involved: if the rescuer''s soul energy was too weakpared to the one that was trapped, thetter might engulf the former. Seeing Wang Tong''s condition was worsening by the second, Zhou Sisi had no time to calcte her options and risks.

    Zhou Sisi channeled her soul energy to her fingertip, and carefully, she approached Wang Tong. Thanks to her strenuous effort in practicing the tactics, Zhou Sisi''s soul energy had reached a reading of thirty sols, a very impressive amountpared to other first-year students. However, as soon as the tip of her finger touched Wang Tong''s body, her soul energy was sucked into a dark void, taking her consciousness with it. A giant wave of soul energy rushed into her dantian and swept across her body. The magnitude of Wang Tong''s soul energy made her felt helpless. She felt as if her soul energy was a little puddle whilepared to the sea of energy inside of Wang Tong.

    Her attempt was not entirely fruitless. Zhou Sisi managed to send a trickle of warm current into Wang Tong''s body and thawed his frozen mind. Wang Tong then finally realized the dire situation he was in.

    Feeling impatient with the speed of learning new battle techniques, Wang Tong connected his soul energy with the information bank, an act that was banned by the school due to its dangerous nature. However, the thirst for new knowledge urged Wang Tong to ignore the warning. After the first contact, he was immediately consumed by the sea of information and gradually lost grip of reality, until he was awakened by the beckoning of Zhou Sisi''s soft and warm energy.

    Wang Tong started to taper the intensity of his tactics, reducing the number of GN nodes. When he finally reduced it down to sixteen nodes, Wang Tong had already fully recovered his consciousness. There and then, Wang Tong just demonstrated what had set the Tactics of the de apart from the other five major tactics, for, more advanced the other five might be, none of them would allow the cultivator to pull out of a virtual bond harmlessly like the Tactics of the de.

    Zhou Sisi plopped to the ground as she lost thest bit of control of her mind and body. Wang Tong''s soul energy was simply too much for her. Truth be told, Wang Tong would be able to wake up even without her help since he would have sensed the depletion of his soul energy. It might take him a few more days to recover from the dent on his soul reserve, but it wasn''t anything life-threatening.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath, as he turned off the remaining flickering images in his mind and then hurried to pick up Zhou Sisi. At first, he couldn''t help butment over Zhou Sisi''s recklessness, and then he thought that it might have been his fault, for he shouldn''t have used his tactics to bond with the information bank while other students were present. He was no longer on Norton, where his action had little to no implications for other humans; here on Earth, everything he did had consequences.

    "I better keep a low profile," he reminded himself.

    Wang Tong turned off the terminal and locked the door, cradling Zhou Sisi in the nook of his arms, he scurried toward his room. There was no one out about at this hour, which made things a bit more convenient for him.

    After arrived at his room, he lowered Zhou Sisi onto his bed, and then he ced his left hand on her forehead, right hand on her belly. Wang Tong wasn''tfortable with having so much intimacy with a girl, but he knew that he had to act fast. He quickly channeled his soul energy into her dantian, and immediately, he could feel the violent swirls and turns of her unruly energy, thrusting about inside of her. Wang Tong took a deep breath and tapped further into the source of her energy. The reckless energy suddenly lost its momentum, and in a matter of seconds, Zhou Sisi''s soul energy was moving in unison under Wang Tong''smand. Wang Tong guided her energy around the body, untying nodes and ties that would have hindered the movement. Wang Tong let Zhou Sisi''s soul energy encircled her body six times until it was moving like water, swift and sleek. The ident earlier ended up to be a blessing in disguise for Zhou Sisi: not only Wang Tong had saved her life, but he had also streamlined the passage of soul energies and therefore increased its power.

    Wang Tong slowly and reluctantly removed his hand from Zhou Sisi''s smooth belly. To save her life, He only needed to guide her energy around her body three times, but for some unspeakable reasons, he had kept his hand on her belly, enjoying every inch of her flesh while he was at it.

    "Women are demons,

    Women are vicious,

    Women are the source of all evil."

    -Quote from Old Fart

    Those were the words Old Fart used to tell Wang Tong''s ear since he was a child. After Wang Tong had grown up, he realized that those were simply grunts uttered by an old and bitter man. This was the first time Wang Tong touched a girl, and it gave him an irresistible impulse to getting in on the act.

    Wang Tong knew he had to divert his attention quickly; otherwise, he might have done things that he would regretter. Among all the girls Wang Tong had met, Zhou Sisi would have ranked the third most attractive, closely following Samantha and Ma Xiaoru. She was more down to earth than "the Princess", Ma Xiaoru, and more approachable than "the Queen", Samantha. She was the closest to the definition of love''s young dream, sweet and simple, like the girl next door that would smile at him every time she passed the window.

    Wang Tong rushed into the bathroom and turned on the cold tap, letting the cold water dousing on his zing desire. He stayed in the shower for another ten minutes until he calmed himself down. But as soon as Wang Tong walked out of the bathroom, he saw Zhou Sisi''s smooth belly and the marble colored skin that was unmarred by any imperfection. Wang Tong''s dantian exploded once again.

    The insolent energy in Wang Tong thrust about, seeking release. As if pulled by an invisible force, Wang Tong inched toward Zhou Sisi''s body. Suddenly, Wang Tong thought of Samantha, and the thought cooled him down quickly, giving him an opportunity to start the tactics to set his mind to where it belonged. He quickly covered Zhou Sisi''s body with more clothing andid a thick nket on the floor as his bed.

    However, it was hard to fall asleep with such a beauty right beside him.

    "Sleep... Sleep... Sleep," Wang Tong kept on repeating to himself.

    Racing thoughts of that smooth belly and what led further down south kept on returning to Wang Tong''s mind, some of the thoughts came with vivid images, and some relied more on Wang Tong''s imaginations.

    Wang Tong gritted his teeth and pressed hard in between his groin as if it was a warning for its impudent behavior, it bounced back immediately, more impudent than ever. Frustrated and ashamed, Wang Tong raised his fist high up and was ready to deliver a coup de grace, but he faltered as he remembered how fragile it was.

    This went on for a while, and Wang Tong endured the me of desire for the most part of the night before he eventually dozed off.

    However, he didn''t get the chance to sleep for too long and was awakened by an angry yelp very early in the morning.

    "What have you done to me, Wang Tong?" Wang Tong rubbed his eyes and saw Zhou Sisi sat angrily on the bed, staring at him as if she was ready to skin him alive.

 Chapter 59: The New Alpha

    Chapter 59: The New Alpha

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Nothing. I have done nothing! Look at you, in cloth and all, what could I have done to you?"

    Zhou Sisi fumbled as she patted herself down out of instinct. She found nothing, although she wasn''t sure what she was looking for. She nced at Wang Tong¡¯s innocent, watery eyes and then heaved a sigh of relief.

    "I''m sorry, I can''t remember what had happenedst night."

    With his weary eyes, half closed, Wang Tong briefly described what had happenedst night, omitting a few details here and there. "The only thing that might have crossed the line was that I had touched your belly with my hand. I swear that was all. And I had no other options; you were on the verge of bing deranged."

    Zhou Sisi''s face turned pale and then flushed red. Wang Tong regretted immediately. "I should have just told her that nothing had happened, only a fool would speak the truth," Wang Tong thought.

    Some girls were outgoing and open, and some were more reserved and shy, if not overly-sensitive when being approached by the opposite sex. Instinct told Wang Tong that Zhou Sisi was thetter; therefore, he was not entirely surprised when he saw Zhou Sisi raised her hand for a p on Wang Tong face.

    Perhaps what Wang Tong told her was true and nothing had happened, but it must have been a close call. Zhou Sisi could have guessed that much, with or without Wang Tong''s confession.

    Wang Tong conceded his fate; he gritted his teeth and narrowed the eyes while waiting for Zhou Sisi''s p toe.

    He waited for a while but felt nothing on his face. He opened his eyes and saw Zhou Sisi had already lowered her hand. She bit down her lower lip and then spoke grudgingly, "It''s not your fault¡­ But I hate you. I hate you!" Zhou Sisi stormed out, leaving Wang Tong sitting on the floor, mulling over the meaning of Zhou Sisi''s confusing utterance.

    "She said that it was not my fault, but why does she still hate me?" Wang Tong shook his head, unable to make sense of her logic. "Women are more perplexing than Zergs, considering we spoke the samenguage," he thought.

    With the trouble out of his way, Wang Tong yawned loudly and quickly fell asleep again.

    He didn''t sleep long. While half asleep, he heard exciting screams outside of his room.

    The morning news had just announced a shocking revtion. It might be good news for some people, but it would also break many hearts.

    "Good morning everyone, our live studio had just received a shocking story: The son of General Hu Ben had passed his second mind opening operation, meaning that he will now be even stronger than if he had seeded the first time. While everyone still guessed just exactly how powerful he is, he had just announced yet another news regarding his choice of school. Our reporter had just told us that he had officially epted an offer from Ayrng Academy and will be attending Ayrng in a few day!"

    The news went on to introduce Ayrng Academy, the once legendary military academy that had been forgotten.

    The girls of Ayrng Academy were ecstatic: first came Hu Yangxuan, who was polite, gentle, and romantic, then came Wang Ben, who was wild, dangerous, and sexy. Unable to contain their fit of euphoria, the girls screamed Wang Ben''s name at the top of their lungs.

    With Ma Xiaoru, Hu Yangxuan, and Wang Ben joining its ranks, Ayrng had finally resurfaced into public''s view. But no one could ignore the elephant in the room: "Why did Wang Ben choose Ayrng?" Regardless of the answer, what was done had been done.

    Samantha hung up the phone. It was Martyrus. Apparently, even the old fox didn''t anticipate Samantha''s unexpected gain. "The old fox is finally bing concerned," Samantha thought. She wagered that with Wang Ben joining her team, she could theoretically win the tournament. However, "theoretically" also meant that it was just as risky as before.

    Samantha didn''t let the good news lower her guard. Even with the all-star roster: Ma Xiaoru, Hu Yangxuan, and Wang Ben, she was still wary of the oue of the fourth and fifth match. "What if Martyrus has a secret weapon just like I have Wang Tong?" Samantha pondered, calcting all the possibilities meticulously.

    Wang Tong rubbed his dark eyes and reluctantly got out of his bed. He wondered if Wang Ben''s arrival would make his mundane school life more interesting.

    Wang Tong cleaned himself up and walked out of his room. He saw throngs of girls gathered around the entrance of dorm number five, prattling about Wang Ben. The girls'' excitement suggested that Wang Ben might be even more popr than Hu Yangxuan. Compare to Hu Yangxuan, Wang Ben''s family background had breathed a tougher and more masculine air into his character which was evidently more ptable in a military academy.

    Wang Tong picked up his daily mail to be delivered and went to the ssroom.

    "You were neverte... What took you so long?" Ma Xiaoru asked.

    For no apparent reason, Wang Tong suddenly felt guilty, and then he answered, "I studiedte... On another note, have you read the news? Wang Ben ising to our school! Exciting eh?"

    Ma Xiaoru didn''t answer, she regarded him carefully, and brushed away few strands of loose hair on her forehead. She then spoke knowingly, "You are nervousness. Samantha told me that men like to divert topics when they are nervous."

    Her observation had hit the mark. Wang Tong shriveled, "I confess¡­ I lied, I was training until veryte..."

    "With whom?" Ma Xiaoru cut him short. Her cold starended on Wang Tong''s shifty eyes.

    "With Zhou Sisi. There was... a minor ident¡­" Wang Tong paused and scratched his head, hoping that Ma Xiaoru would drop the matter.

    "I see," Ma Xiaoru said knowingly and didn''t press further.

    Ma Xiaoru''s intonation and the sudden silence unnerved Wang Tong, "Ask me more!" Wang Tong screamed in his mind. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but found no words, so the two sat there in an awkward silence, waiting for the ss to start.

    "The more you talk, the less you know." Quote by Old Fart.

    Wang Tong conceded that he had to improve his soft skills and learn when to speak and when to keep quiet.

    A teacher sauntered into the ssroom, joy was written all over his face. He was just thinking about the envious looks of his colleagues from other schools when he announced that Wang Ben had joined the school he taught at. Every teacher in Ayrng had dreamed that that one day, Ayrng would return to its former glory, and thanks to Samantha''s hard work and deep pockets, they had finally seen a glimpse of hope which rekindled their enthusiasm. Some teachers such as Gansus who was already passionate about their job had rolled up their sleeves upon hearing the news, ready to make a dent in the deteriorating situation of the school.

    The morning sses were over quickly, when it was time for lunch, the trio: Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong, and Hu Yangxuan sat together as they always did. They started to talk about Wang Ben, although Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan had never met Wang Ben before, they had learned enough on the news.

    "I say we got lucky, Ayrng''s team will be much stronger with him," Hu Yangxuan said.

    "Be careful what you wish for, he might rece you as the new alpha. You have to see with your own eyes how excited the girls are right now."

    "It''s fair game; I''m not worried." Hu Yangxuan looked as confident as ever. He had started to feel bored of his school life and therefore would wee anypetition.

    "Don''t you find it strange though? Even if he disliked the S-ss Academy because of their previous refusals, there are still much better A-ss academies out there."

    "Strange indeed," Hu Yangxuan nodded, ¡°There are indeed much better A-ss academies on the moon. Would it because of our Principal Samantha?"

    "Not likely, she is as perplexed by his decision as we do. She knew of Wang Ben but never talked to him before. Even his eptance letter had caught her off guard."

    "Why are you so quiet?" Ma Xiaoru threw a nce at Wang Tong. Wang Tong was startled; he was practicing his soft skill: keeping quiet.

 Chapter 60: The Lazy Bird

    Chapter 60: The Lazy Bird

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "I think it''s great, what more to say about it? Ayrng will be stronger, Ayrng then defeats Bernabeu, Hooray... Why are you looking at me like that? "

    "There''s something odd about you today." Even Hu Yangxuan had smelled something fishy in the air.

    "He is fine; he is just exhausted after spending a hell of a night with a beautiful girl," Ma Xiaoru''s words carried a sour note.

    Hu Yangxuan patted Wang Tong on his shoulder: "Bravo! What''s her name?"

    "Don''t listen to her nonsense. It was Zhou Sisi; I was just teaching her the clone technique. Bah, it''s allplicated, think of it as part of my job requirement as the caretaker of Dorm number five." Wang Tong felt aggrieved at the usation; he barely even knew Zhou Sisi.

    "No way! Zhou Sisi? The beauty from A-ss? Gee¡­ That face and body¡­ but with you? She won''t even spare a look at me," Hu Yangxuan shamelessly added insults to Wang Tong''s injury.

    "Guys, drop it. We barely know each other. To me, it is not a big deal, but to her, it''s a different story."

    "Fine, fine! Anyhow, aren''t you guys excited about Wang Ben''s admission? Finally, I am going to see the Fist of the Racing Tiger with my own eyes!" Hu Yangxuan was brimmed with anticipation, as one of the followers of the Temr; he was not at all intimidated by Wang Ben''s strength.

    All cultivation methods, despite the varieties, could be grouped into three main styles: The Academy, The Great Houses, and The Military.

    Almost all of the tactics of the Academy style was the basis of other tactics and was practiced by thergest number of fighters who formed the backbone of human''s military force. The Great House style pertained to the tactics that were fiercely guarded by the Five Major Houses. Most of its practitioners held key posts at the top levels of Confederation government. Lastly, the Military Style included those that were conceptualized amidst the heat of battle, created by the bravest warriors. Simr to those of the Great House style, these tactics were closely guarded by their owners who passed it down only to their flesh and blood.

    "How about you, aren''t you excited too?" Ma Xiaoru locked her eyes onto Wang Tong''s. His quietness seemed unusual to Ma Xiaoru, for she had been used to seeing boys puffed out their chests in front of her to show off their fearlessness whenever an opportunity presented itself.

    "Me? Hu Yangxuan can try him first, I will just watch." Wang Tong shrugged. Although Wang Tong had been longing for real life practices, a direct challenge seemed to go against his style.

    "No worries! You guys can count on my disy of strength to show him the power of Ayrng!" Hu Yangxuan announced eagerly. He was pleased that Wang Tong was willing to step aside and gave him the stage.

    If Ma Xiaoru was disappointed at Wang Tong''s answer, she didn''t show it on her face. Wang Tong, on the other hand, didn''t know what to think of Wang Ben''s arrival except for that it would help ease the burden on Samantha''s shoulder.

    There were two sses in the afternoon: METALbat and Fundamental of Zergology. Such as most of the first-year sses, "Fundamental of Zergology" dabbled in the theories and thesis on the race of Zergs, including its habitat, offensive and defensive capabilities, andbat strategies. On the other hand, the METALbat ss focused on the hands-on practice of the Tactics of the Blizzard. It was a selective course so that some students such as Ma Xiaoru who had been cultivating much more advanced tactics could choose to spend their time on other issues.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t intend to learn the Tactics of the Blizzard, he attended the ss for the sake of gaining insights into his EMF and GN force.

    Soon Wang Tong had found out that the Tactics of the Blizzard was not entirely without any unique characteristics. After all, Ayrng had been a legendary school, and its tactics must have its mojo. While initiated, the tactics would gather around the flowing energy into the dantian, and from there, the energy was channeled into each and every primary GN nodes around the cultivator''s body, forming an energy cirction, which in turn could amplify the power of the EMF. Its amplification was unique and useful as it could release a sudden burst of soul power that could stun one''s opponents.

    The instructors themselves were not particrly strong fighters, but the students needed their thorough understanding of the tactics, including its limits, effectiveness, and danger.

    Hu Yangxuan and MaXiaoru were practicing their tactics, but from time to time, driven by curiosity, Ma Xiaoru would attempt one or two movements after the instructor, trying to understand the Tactics of the Blizzard. Ma Xiaoru''s tactics, the Tactics of the Enchantress, was the most advanced tactics from the Li family, and interestingly enough, the Li''s family were once inextricably connected to the Academy of Ayrng and its tactics.

    The sixty-four nodes Tactics of the Blizzard was a child''s y to Wang Tong, but he was intrigued topare it with his Tactics of the de. He found that not only their path of energy flow but also the rhythms of the energy''s movements were drastically different.

    Wang Tong had learned that different tactics focused on various aspects: some emphasized defense, some excelled at endurance, and some, such as the Tactics of the Blizzard, focused on attack.

    When the ss was over, most of the students had finished only half a round of the tactics, suggesting that more practices where needed. This was an open ss; therefore, there was a lot of students, and as far as the METALbat training went, the more students in the same ssroom, the better. Because once the students started their cultivation together, their energy would resonate with each other to form a perfect energy field that would help the students to stay focused.

    As the leader of more than a dozen teachers who was supervising the students, Odis was in charge of keeping the overall energy field in check, while the rest of the teachers were responsible for overseeing students that had been assigned to them.

    Odis shook his head,menting over the drastic difference regarding the energy field between the A-ss and the F-ss. Soul power was one of the most important factors in evaluating students, for, the more soul energy a student has, the easier it was for him or her to pick up on any other subjects. That being said, a high soul energy reading did not amount to sess without hard work.

    Despite the fact that both Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan had conserved their energy, Odis could still feel the significant advantage they had over the other students. This has been particrly true for Ma Xiaoru. Odis could sense the fluctuation of her soul energy output, indicating her perfect control over power.

    There was another girl called Zhou Sisi that had caught Odis''s attention. He flipped through her profile and was surprised to find out that her soul energy reading at the beginning of the term was only thirty sols, merely half of what Odis estimated of Zhou Sisi''s current soul energy was. Impressed with Zhou Sisi''s improvement, Odis made a mental note of her name.

    Odis kept on scanning the students, hoping to find another would-be warrior. Suddenly, Odis noticed a student who was cking off, his shifty eyes darted left and right, without paying any attention to his cultivation. If Odis wasn''t worried about disturbing other student''s practice, he would have bowled out at this insolent teenage boy called Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong didn''t mean to ck off, but he was distracted and unsettled by the two sets of burning eyes staring at the back of his neck. One set of eyes belonged to Ma Xiaoru, and the other belonged to Zhou Sisi. He could feel their soul energies permeated in the air about him, floating around like thick mist. Wang Tong was unable to discern the emotion shrouded within no matter how hard he had tried.

    Wang Tong was counting the seconds until the ss was over; impatience was written all over his face.

    Odis put a red cross over Wang Tong''s name and grunted, "Pff... Lazy bird, fail."

 Chapter 61: Tempestuous Lectures

    Chapter 61: Tempestuous Lectures

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The bell for the next lesson rang, atst, Wang Tong couldn¡¯t wait to attend Gansus'' Zergs Analysis lectures. Lucky for him, it wasn¡¯t a major lesson; finally, he didn¡¯t have to worry about Zhou Sisi¡¯s stone-cold res.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru came and sat right next to Wang Tong. ¡°So, I see you have been dodging me for the whole day. What¡¯s the matter with you, Mister?¡± the prettydy questioned.

    Whenever Ma Xiaoru addressed Wang Tong as ¡°Mister¡±, it meant the matter was quite serious.

    Noticing her curious expression and her ¡°you better not lie to me¡± vision, Wang Tong gave up and honestly told her what had happened the day before.

    ¡°I see, no wonder she was ring at you all day long.¡±

    ¡°I swear to God, nothing happened! I was upset too for the incident. Gosh, girls are so weird.¡± Wang Tong was puzzled.

    ¡°Maybe she fancies you!¡± somehow it felt different when Ma Xiaoru said that.

    ¡°No way, she hated my guts! She was the one who led the girls to screw me up when I first arrived at the Dorm No.5; nevertheless, I was able to sort it out with my slick moves. As for now, she and I are only helping each other out, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, that was the worst idea that I¡¯ve ever heard of, and all thanks to you, now Hu Yangxuan looks like a mboyant yboy.¡± Ma Xiaoru chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, I was actually helping him while benefiting myself at the same time. Instead of being surrounded by a bunch of admirers and causing chaos, of course it¡¯s better to handle them one by one every day!¡± Wang Tong exined while pinching the tip of his pinky.

    ¡°You really are a weird dude, always full of silly ideas yet has your own principles at the same time. What on earth are you, Wang Tong?¡± all of a sudden Ma Xiaoru asked in a serious manner.

    To Ma Xiaoru, there were multiple personalities living inside Wang Tong, sometimes he would be acting very mature, yet sometimes he would look like a damn fool. Anyhow, she would like to ¡°study¡± him badly.

    Initially, Ma Xiaoru was a pure littledy that would have easily fallen for a person she admired, but the practice of the Tactics of the Enchantress had changed her gradually, as the crux of this set of Tactics was to be fickle and unpredictable. Falling for an individual was against the nature of her practice, yet only its disciples were taught how to subdue this and outliers were kept from knowing this secret.

    Ma Xiaoru¡¯s curiosity made Wang Tong wanted to say something, but as he was about to speak, Gansus stormed into the ssroom as always and halted his words. ¡°Alright punks, let¡¯s get started! Everyone looks superb today. Mr. Wang Tong, be a good role model for yer mates and sit in front will ya?¡± Gansusmanded.

    It was indeed aplicated moment, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t even sure if he was happy or sad about it. Of course, he always enjoyed showing off, but right now all he wanted was to attend the lecture like a normal person. Anyhow, Wang Tong had no choice against Gansus'' passion and sat in front as being told.

    In the eyes of Gansus, Wang Tong was his favorite student.

    ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to analyze the basic fivend troops of Zergs. Which are also Zergs¡¯ main forces on the ground,¡± said Gansus as the fully detailed images of the five Zergs were shown one after another on the screen. Their menacing appearances gave everyone goosebumps.

    Then, Gansus waved his pointer at the image as he exined, ¡°Spider Zergs, Scythe Zergs, Skulk Zergs, Kamikaze Zergs, andst but not least, methrower Zergs.¡± Gansus seemed to be excited about them even though they were only images.

    ¡°Zergs¡¯ main forces on the ground are made out of these five species of nasty roaches, they have the fastest spawning ability. In the beginning, there were only Spider Zergs and Scythe Zergs, and the other 3 types evolved during the war with mankind. Even though these creepy crawlies are the champions of evolution throughout the gxy, yet they are nothing but a bunch of roaches as the mankind was blessed with knowledge and wisdom!¡± Gansus'' speech sent the whole ssughing, his lectures were always filled with scoldings about Zergs.

    ¡°Y¡¯all might beughing now, but I bet y¡¯all wouldn¡¯t beughing when y¡¯all ended up on the dinner tes of one of these five creatures, make sure y¡¯all understand how deadly these roaches are! The toughness of a living Spider Zerg is 5 times stronger than the dead one that we had dissected previously during Anatomy ss. So don¡¯t ever underestimate these creatures!¡± Nobody wasughing except Gansus himself, who would beughing out loud whenever he made everyone kept quiet.

    ¡°Pay attention punks, this is Spider Zerg, the type of Zergs that spawns the quickest. Basically, they¡¯re also known to mankind as cannon fodders because they are the expendables. However, every single human life isn¡¯t meant to be expendable like these creatures, so don¡¯t get too cocky even if you¡¯ve killed hundreds of these, their life is not as valuable as yours!¡±

    ¡°Sir, does it have any weaknesses? I¡¯d like to y it safe if I¡¯m required to deal with one,¡± asked one of the guys.

    Gansus took a nce at him and then said, ¡°This gentleman is such a¡­ fool! You must understand, ¡®safety¡¯ is the only word that doesn¡¯t exist on a battlefield! If you couldn¡¯t get what I¡¯m saying, I guess I¡¯ll be seeing your name very soon on the List of Memorial during the founding ceremony of our academy.¡±

    Gansus looked at everyone and continued saying, ¡±Listen upds, y¡¯all might still be able to enjoy having yer asses wiped by someone else for now since y¡¯all are still studying in the academy. But when y¡¯all will join the military, nobody will be assigned to change yer diapers, so suck it up! As for its weakness, that¡¯s a good question. All ya need to do is attack its soft underbelly. Remember folks, you¡¯re endangering yourself to go head-to-head against these roaches because their spawning abilities are hundreds or even a thousand times stronger than mankind, hence we have to fight smart, is that clear?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±

    ¡°I CAN¡¯T HEAR YOU!¡± Gansus roared.

    ¡°YES, SIR!¡±

    Some might be against Gansus'' teaching methods, yet this was his unique style of teaching, and it definitely lifted the spirit of his students. ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s move on to the topic about its brain. A Zerg¡¯s ¡®brain¡¯ might be small, but it is capable of controlling every movement of its enormous body. So far, scientists were not able to make any specific findings regarding its brain, but there¡¯s one thing for sure ¡ª the easiest way of killing it is to damage its brain. Now let¡¯s take a look at a few bad examples.¡±

    Gansus waved his hand and showed everyone a video clip: A soldier slew a Zerg, he dismembered its body into halves and presumed it to be dead, but the soldier was then stabbed from the back by the dismembered half, puncturing his heart and got killed in the end.

    ¡°See what I meant? Even these nasty bugs know what our weaknesses are, so remember, you must either attack directly to its weakness or kill it by destroying it. Don¡¯t get cocky or it will get you killed instead!¡± Gansus said while making crosses with his pointer.

    Zergs had indomitable vitalities. Even if dismembered, attacks could still be made as long as the ¡°brains¡± were still attached to the remaining body parts.

 Chapter 62: The World of Inferior Zergs

    Chapter 62: The World of Inferior Zergs

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°Scythe Zergs are like erged praying mantises, their main weapons are a pair of de-like forearms. Do take note that this breed of Zergs is expert in performing leap attacks. Now let¡¯s take a look at the analysis of its body parts, the toughness of its thorax and abdomen are weakerpared to its front part, also be sure to avoid its scythes when you¡¯re facing one unless ya think ya have what it takes.¡±

    Gansus seemed to know more about Scythe Zergs. These creatures had stronger mobility than Spider Zergs and were capable of adapting their formations ording to different terrains, which caused a lot of troubles to mankind battle forces.

    ¡°Sir, how high can these creatures leap?¡± one of the students raised his hand and asked, and everyone was drawn to an in-depth question like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you asked, generally speaking, a leap of 5 meters should be a piece of cake, but please do not believe only in the data itself, as the information in yer textbooks could vary from time to time. Truth or not, everything could only be verified when you¡¯re standing on the battlefield.¡±

    The students nodded when Gansus said that. Although Gansus was known for being hot-tempered, and some students evenined about his teaching attitude, yet Ayrng didn¡¯t fire him because he was one of the only few experienced teachers amongst Ayrng. Gansus was a good teacher other than him being too attached to his military-like teaching methods, after all, there were still some differences between the army and the academy.

    The video continued on the analysis of Scythe Zergs, showing statistics of the toughness, attacking range and some basic data about each of its body parts. Of course, everything in the video was only for reference. The information was meant to vary as Zergs were evolving from time to time.

    ¡°Now that we have learned enough about Spider Zergs and Scythe Zergs, let¡¯s move on and talk about Skulk Zergs, also known as the ¡®A-hole¡¯ Zergs. Scientists believe Skulk Zergs evolved from Spider Zergs, this species of Zerg might be smaller in size, but they are way deadlier than Spider Zergs. Even though Skulk Zerg has a weaker toughness, it is able to bury itself underground within seconds using the mandibles underneath its body, and then blend into the surroundings with the camouge ability on its back. The attacking range of a Skulk Zerg is within 10 meters to 20 meters. It has an extremely long, flexible, and sharp vertebra that is capable of stabbing through yer body like a barbecue skewer!¡±

    The screen then turned to a clip of how the Skulk Zergs ¡°hunted¡±. Gory videos like this weren¡¯t supposed to be shown in the academy; at least not to the freshmen; however, Gansus was able to get his hands on the uncut version and yed it to the whole ss. It was indeed a violence video, both METAL fighters and mankind machinery were not able to withstand the ferocious projections of these camouged beasts, normal METAL suits couldn¡¯t have stood a chance against such perfect and sneaky ambush. Skulk Zergs should be categorized as Zergs¡¯ underground sniper troops.

    Everyone in the ss turned pale as they saw the soldiers screaming in fear, the blood-curdling cries of the troops were more than enough to send chills down to their spines. They could only imagine the pain of having your body pierced and punctured upwards.

    No wonder people always said not to eat during Gansus'' lectures, as some of his topics might be bad for your stomach.

    Gansus was pleased by his students¡¯ reactions because it was better for them to be afraid now than getting killed on the battlefieldter. He was alwaysining about the modern education methods for being too gentle and easy like a child¡¯s y, the curriculums were all about discovering the courage within, and motivating youngsters to be fearless, but they didn¡¯t tell what was going on at all. This was mainly because the Confederation had to maintain the consistency of new recruitments, and it hasn¡¯t been easy.

    Gansus looked around the whole ss and observed their reactions. He saw Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t bothered by the content. Although Ma Xiaoru was confident and strong, nevertheless she was definitely a little shaken by the gruesome scenes a moment ago. But Gansus was shocked as he looked towards Wang Tong, the boy¡¯s eyes were all on fire. Gansus was no stranger to his expression ¡ª those were the eyes of a veteran, and his murderous aura was beyond dread, but this reaction was supposed to be seen only in those who had survived countless of brutal battles, how was that possible?

    Wang Tong¡¯s murderous aura wasn¡¯t something that would be brought up by learning a single tactic, he must be some kind of experienced fighter to possess such raging spirit!

    Gansus had been teaching for many years, yet this was his first time seeing a young boy with such aura. Normally Wang Tong wasn¡¯t like that, but now he was covered in rage, something¡¯s weird with that kid.

    ¡°Can anyone tell me how to deal with a Skulk Zerg?¡± Gansus asked suddenly.

    Nobody said a word because no one would wish to face a Skulk Zerg. Even though Spider Zergs and Scythe Zergs were bigger in sizes and looked more frightening, everyone was terrified to witness Skulk Zergs¡¯ horrible attacking methods.

    ¡°Sir, then how does the military deal with Skulk Zergs? Is there a way to perceive them?¡±

    ¡°That is a good question, but I¡¯ll leave this to yer future researches because currently, we haven¡¯t got any device to detect them.¡±

    ¡°So what are we supposed to do? Their camouges are too perfect to be noticed.¡± The students were puzzled by the fact that there were no specific devices to deal with Skulk Zergs because no one would like to put their lives at stake anyway.

    ¡°Sir, what about Heat Vision Goggles?¡±

    ¡°A Skulk Zerg has the ability to adjust its body heat to match the temperature of the surroundings. Besides, they are known to hide amongst a troop of Zergs and attack in silence, so the possibility to detect them using Heat Vision Goggles is extremely low due to the interruption from other Zergs¡¯ body temperature.¡± Gansus shook his head. ¡°What about you, Ma Xiaoru? What would you do?¡±

    Ma Xiaoru stared at the screen and said, ¡°These species of Zergs has a weakness, there¡¯ll be vibration from the ground when it is about to attack. We need to stay alerted and take cover when the vibration urs, then its position will be exposed when it attacks. Skulk Zergs have weaker toughnesspared to the first two species, and also they couldn¡¯t move underground, so shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to handle.¡±

    ¡°Well done, and that¡¯s how you deal with Skulk Zergs. Soldiers will carry a Vibration Detector that has the function to capture its frequency. It¡¯ll give out a warning buzz when vibrations detected, but there¡¯s only a 3 seconds window for you to respond, which is somehow useless if you¡¯re caught in the middle of a battle. My advice to y¡¯all is ¡ª finish off yer opponents with the fastest and most efficient methods, but please don¡¯t go all-out-attack mode,¡± said Gansus.

    Still, the students were not relieved to hear Gansus'' tactics, because they could tell from his expression, that lives must be put at risk in order to deal with Skulk Zergs.

    It was already too difficult to negate Skulk Zergs¡¯ attacks, let alone the functionality of a Vibration Detector during battle.

    ¡°What about you Wang Tong?¡± Gansus turned towards him all of a sudden.

    ¡°Me? Basically, I¡¯ll sniff it out and kill it before it attacks,¡± Wang Tong said immediately, he remembered how horrible it was during his first time dealing with it. If Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t warn him about it, he would have been dead for sure.

    Everyone in the ss burst intoughter when Wang Tong said that. They thought he was bullsh*tting because anyone would have killed it first if they were able to see one, and humans were not like dogs, so how were they supposed to ¡°sniff it out¡±?

 Chapter 63: Smelling Danger

    Chapter 63: Smelling Danger

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Everyone wasughing except Gansus and Ma Xiaoru. Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯tughing because what Wang Tong said was actually his ability to foresee danger, which is also his sense of the menace. Most inferior Zergs like Skulk Zergs were not very good at hiding their urge to kill; still, it would take a lot of practices for a person to identify the menace around oneself, especially on the murderous battlefield.

    Gansus didn¡¯tugh as well because he knew only a veteran would say that. Only someone who had numerous near-death experiences would know how to deal with Skulk Zergs. This wasn¡¯t something printed in the textbooks, he had killed tens of them before, and it all came to the ¡°sense of smell¡± of a soldier!

    ¡°Stopughing! Yer sense of smell is the key to survive on the battlefield. What we¡¯ve learned will only increase yer chances of survival for 30 to 40 percent. It is impossible for a person to stay alive if one couldn¡¯t pick up the scent of danger. Y¡¯all will not find this in yer textbooks, and nobody will teach ya this except through yer own experiences on the battlefield. Look at yourselves, half of ya punks will end up dead if ya still couldn¡¯t get what I¡¯m trying to say!¡± Gansus'' roar silenced the ss immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair Mr. Gansus. How could you prove that Wang Tong¡¯s answer is correct? The sense of smell is too abstract to be the truth!¡± someone refuted. Not everyone was able to ept Gansus'' teaching methods. Everyone was being pampered for too long in Ayrng.

    Yet Gansus kept cool and yed the next video clip to back up his speech about the correct way to deal with Skulk Zergs. In the clip, a squadron was about to advance when the squadron captain suddenly stopped his troops and ordered to attack, in the end, they were able to subdue the creatures before they could attack. Skulk Zergs were easy targets when they got busted and unable to hide. No one in the ss said another word when they saw the clip.

    ¡°See what I meant? That¡¯s how ya get the job done! Only captains and other higher ranked officers in the military would be able to do so.¡±

    ¡°Sir, we are the students of the Command Force, we are trained to pilot Battlecrafts, not hand-to-handbats!¡±

    ¡°Ya might think you¡¯re safe by being in the Command Force, but look at the statistics of our fleets getting hit; especially Space Battlecrafts, the chance of these patrols and eradicating fleets getting hit are up to 40%. This means that there¡¯s a near 50% chance for ya punks to meet and greet these roaches on the ground, and it is all up to y¡¯all to hang around and stay alive amongst these creatures before the rescue team could find you. Do take note that the Confederation is not as efficient as ya think, if yer old man isn¡¯t some big shot or a high-rank officer, then you¡¯re all on yer own.¡±

    The students kept quiet. Even though they couldn¡¯t ept Gansus'' teaching methods, but everyone in Ayrng was smart enough to understand the big picture.

    Gansus was teaching them about the true meaning of survival in the battlefield, and to learn by avoiding a bloody lesson.

    ¡°Next will be Kamikaze Zergs. These roaches are what we call the ¡®Terrorists of Zergs¡¯, they will get close enough to mankind and self-destruct. In order to deal with them, all ya need to do is chop its head clean off before it ignites, yes that¡¯s the head right there. If ya missed or chopped the wrong part, BOOM...¡± Gansus made a gesture of explosion with his hands. There was nothing much to say regarding Kamikaze Zergs. Basically, things might go south if you were not strong enough. Fortunately, these creatures would be handled by specific personnel in most squadron missions.

    Wang Tong knew how to handle one because Einherjar Wannabe had taught him before. The man was quite knowledgeable when it was about Zergs, yet there were still a lot of new breeds that he hasn¡¯t seen before. Gradually, Wang Tong began to rely more on himself due to a few mishaps, and that was when he developed his survival skill of smelling danger.

    Now that he was able tobine the theories with his practical experiences, Wang Tong began to know more about Zergs, and he promised to give them a warmer ¡°greeting¡± with his fists the next time he saw one. He wondered if the Zergs on Norton missed him.

    ¡°methrower Zergs are like the previous Heavy Armed Forces in our military. These roaches can weight up to 5 tons and are capable of spraying hot and corrosive mes that would be able to melt human bodies and body armors. I¡¯m warning y¡¯all, not to approach them from the front even if y¡¯all are protected in METAL suits unless ya wanna get roasted. These roaches are covered in thick and tough exoskeletons, for most of the time, their soft underbellies stick to the ground, and their weaknesses will only be shown when they are going to spray mes,¡± Gansus said while pointing toward the screen, and followed up by another clip about methrower Zergs¡¯ destructive capabilities.

    A group of soldiers that were wearing Grade 1 METAL Suits were torched and melted in a sh by the mes of these creatures. Their GN forces couldn¡¯t stand against the ferocious attacks.

    One of the unlucky soldiers in the video got torched on the lower part of his body. The poor guy was half dead as he watched every muscle under his torso turned into ashes.

    This was how the battlefield looked like. War heroes were not as morous as it sounded like. The sess of a hero was built on piles of dead bodies and bloodsheds, that was the undeniable fact about war heroes.

    The ss was dismissed as the bell rung. The freshmen began to understand the cruelty of a war as they watched Gansus left the ssroom with his crippled left foot. Sess and fame would be made only if you were able to stay alive.

    Students were not sure which type of Zergs got Gansus¡¯ left foot, but they began to respect him. After all, only warriors who survived on the battlefield were qualified to say so.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was happy with his lessons. He learned a lot about the structures of different species of Zergs, and these information would be able to aid him in his future battles.

    ¡°Hey Wang Tong, where did you learn all that?¡± asked Carl, a rebellious hard-headed dude in F-ss, and the person who was refuting Gansus a while ago.

    ¡°Haha, I read it from a book some time ago, it must be real if Mr. Gansus said so,¡± Wang Tong answered.

    ¡°Please forgive my rudeness for what happened just now.¡± Normally people wouldn¡¯t admit their mistakes even if they were found wrong. Yet Carl openly said he was sorry; he was a straightforward person.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are ssmates after all!¡±

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t spiteful, he knew Carl said that because he didn¡¯t understand about the sense of smell. Even though Carl was weaker in strength, Wang Tong still categorized him as a unique person in F-ss.

    ¡°Yep, I have heard about the theory of smelling danger before, but there isn¡¯t any opportunity for me to put it to the test,¡± Ma Xiaoru came by right after the two dropped their conversation.

    ¡°It is possible to achieve when your Soul Energy reached a certain level. I believe it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to you since you practiced the Tactics of the Enchantress. What Mr. Gansus said was actually addressed to the vast range of normal fighters, because their Soul Energy couldn¡¯t reach that certain level and would be relying more on their instincts to detect the menace instead,¡± Wang Tong seemed gloomy as he replied. He understood how Gansus must have felt. Gansus was angry because he wouldn¡¯t want to see his students end up dead on the battlefield. He was the kind of person that would proceed with whatever he thought was right, even if others would misunderstand him.

    ¡°By the way, do you have any idea what was Mr. Gansus doing before he became a teacher?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°I have no idea, why don¡¯t you ask my sis during the weekends? I¡¯m sure she knows,¡± Ma Xiaoru was actually inviting Wang Tong toe over as she answered his question.

    Wang Tong only nodded, and Ma Xiaoru was feeling a bit disappointed because she could tell that Wang Tong wasn¡¯t thinking about her at this moment. Sometimes he would be nice and warm to her, yet sometimes he would give her the cold shoulder. Ma Xiaoru was frustrated over Wang Tong¡¯s uncertainty as if he were the one who practiced the Tactics of the Enchantress.

 Chapter 64: Miao Xiuâ€™s Nightmare

    Chapter 64: Miao Xiu¡¯s Nightmare

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    It was another busy week for Wang Tong, his schedule was jam-packed. Zhou Sisi did not disturb him ever since their little incident, and he had nothing to worry about regarding his caretaker duty as long as the letters from the girls at Dorm No.5 were sent on time to Hu Yangxuan every day. Obviously, Samantha¡¯s ns of educating Wang Tong had failed, but she was still having sunshines in her pocket due to the admission of Wang Ben, so for now, she still wouldn¡¯t take any action on Wang Tong.

    As usual, Wang Tong visited the DREAM-Heaven outside Ayrng campus on Saturday morning when it wasn¡¯t crowded. He sat on his favorite seat No.5 and dived into the PA, and was surprised to see his mailbox glowing in red ¡ª those were all challenge invitations.

    Wang Tong¡¯s Einherjar Wannabe avatar has gotten quite famous in the PA after his duel with Wang Ben, and when there¡¯s fame, there¡¯ll be challengers. Anyhow, the most eye-catchy one was a system-generated email from PA Official Administration, mentioning that they would like to organize a few one-on-one matches and were willing to pay him for participating. Wang Tong deleted the email without hesitation.

    ¡°Some pennies are safe to earn, others have a price.¡± Quote by Old Fart.

    Crowded or not, it was always troublesome to have to choose an opponent. Wang Tong was startled by a screenful of usernames and winning records. He had no idea which of them was worth challenging.

    In the end, he picked User ID: Skyscraper, he picked that because of its simple name.

    Wang Tong immediately received a reply as soon as he clicked ¡°ept¡±, and then he walked casually toward the agreed location. Wang Tong wasn¡¯t a rookie at this, the flow of users and the excitement of the yers indicated that today was the open day of TPA and IPA.

    User ID: Skyscraper was already there when Wang Tong arrived. The person was a normal-looking Earthling with a bnced win and lose record. But records are only for references, actual strength could only be tested when the match began.

    The Arena would make announcements for every uing match. It got many yers¡¯ attention when the name ¡°Einherjar Wannabe¡± was announced; especially the yers from TPA, they were eager to see if the person who had subdued Fist of the Racing Tiger was just some lucky bastard.

    5 minutes before the match began.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, Miao Xiu was training hard and sweating all over. His normal clothing had been hiding his robust and muscr body, his muscles were well bnced and looked powerful. In fact, Miao Xiu would not be in his usual nonchnt character during training sessions.

    He was feeling depressed recently due to the arrival of Patroclus. Miao Xiu would be trembling in fury whenever he thought about that jerk!

    Miao Xiu was gifted with incredible talents and was chosen by the Court of Temr to be its Follower because of that. Of course, Miao Xiu wasn¡¯t the strongest amongst all, but he strongly believed that time was all he needed to surpass the rest. He wasn¡¯t the only youngster with that confidence, after all, one had to be really gifted to be chosen by the Court of Temr.

    But that was all before Patroclus, who was younger than all of them, showed up. Even their stern and strict teachers were all being nice to him as if he was some sort of big timer. Everyone was not cool with Patroclus¡¯s arrival, and Miao Xiu was the only one that couldn¡¯t wait to teach that kid a lesson.

    The mischievous Miao Xiu decided to sneak attack Patroclus who he thought looked like a sissy, but soon, his mischievous decision turned into his lingering nightmare. He had no idea what happened, all he knew was neen of his bones got fractured, and he could still remember the horrifying eyes of that kid whenever he recollected his memory from that day. The funnier thing was, Patroclus even visited him during the month of his recovery, but Miao Xiu closed his eyes and ignored him. People thought that he had closed his eyes because he was angry, but he was actually traumatized.

    Miao Xiu was haunted by nightmares every day during his recovery period, even though his trauma was cured after receiving special therapies, he could still remember the physician sighed and said, ¡°Too bad you were up against that fiend, you won¡¯t be able to defeat him even if you trained for another 100 years.¡±

    Of course, that statement was just a hyperbole, and Miao Xiu was confident about defeating Patroclus if he were to train for another 100 years. Since then, Miao Xiu¡¯s legs couldn¡¯t help trembling whenever he saw Patroclus. Yet, God yed a game of fate with him by arranging that kid to attend Estre Academy as well.

    All Miao Xiu could do was to train himself harder to impede his lingering nightmare, and even swore to God that one day he would vanquish that fiendish kid. mes of fury were all over Miao Xiu as he recalled that harmless face of Patroclus.

    Bam¡­

    Miao Xiu vented off his anger within as he rapid-fired the Punch Training Machine with his fists. For now, he had to be patient... until he became stronger.

    ¡°Yo, Miao Xiu stop training, Einherjar Wannabe has appeared!¡± Luv Ma yelled, he wondered why Miao Xiu was training that hard.

    ¡°Yup,ing!¡± Miao Xiu slowed down gradually and adjusted his breathing. In order to defeat Patroclus, he needed a strong opponent as his training target.

    ¡°Wassup dude, you look weird recently.¡±

    ¡°Hey stop being nosy like a woman will ya? I¡¯m training hard because I don¡¯t wanna fall behind for the uing Temr¡¯s Examination.¡±

    ¡°Alright, hurry up man, I knew he was gonna surface during the weekends, too bad he didn¡¯t pick you this time as well.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, mytest target is Gust.¡± Miao Xiu was getting confident as he grabbed his fists. Since he couldn¡¯t challenge Einherjar Wannabe, he would start with Gust then, the so-called ¡°Top Notch of the Second Year¡± was good enough to be his stepping stone.

    Back in the Arena, Wang Tong had nothing much to prepare, but the Skyscraper dude was very serious about the match, he was already in his METAL Suit when he arrived, it was amon grade 1 Suit ¡ª the conventional Feng Edge Type-E METAL Suit manufactured by Earth Confederation.

    This model was now upgraded to the 5th Generation, and the name ¡°Feng Edge¡± was named after General Li Feng who invented METAL Suit and saved humanity. The Feng Edge Suits had moderate boosters, the attack boosters were weaker than usual, but the defense boosters were not bad. The advantage of this model was its wide adaptability and could be used by any mind opened fighter. This suit was the best for the Earth Confederation since it had the highest poption; after all, quantity was as important as quality.

    ¡°What the hell? Who¡¯s this dude to challenge Einherjar Wannabe? This is absurd!¡±

    ¡°Such low winning rates, and not to mention he¡¯s only a TPA yer wearing a Grade 1 METAL suit. Go home dude!¡±

    Some IPA yers were not pleased with Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s opponent before the match began. As for the all set Skyscraper dude, he examined the condition of his Suit and then began his warm-up exercises. IPA yers burst intoughter as they saw this, they were expecting a match between ace fighters. After all Einherjar Wannabe has defeated Wang Ben previously, and even if it was because Wang Ben wasn¡¯t going full force, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory had already proven that he wasn¡¯t some nobody to be challenged by a rookie.

    Yet Skyscraper didn¡¯t pay much attention to the scoffs and sneers around the Arena, he only smiled and continued with his warm-up exercises.

 Chapter 65: An Ace Who Came Out of Nowhere

    Chapter 65: An Ace Who Came Out of Nowhere

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    People were moring, hoping that Einherjar Wannabe would take it seriously this time, while some began to contact their stronger friends.

    ¡°Hey, Miao Xiu, why don¡¯t you go prepare yourself? I¡¯m sure Einherjar Wannabe will not be satisfied after this, and he might wanna challenge you!¡±

    ¡°What was Einherjar Wannabe thinking? Choosing this dude amongst the list of names. Skyscraper? What a boring ID!¡±

    The audiences were not as many as spected, some TPA yers that expected it to be a big match were somehow disappointed, but they were still hoping for Wang Ben to show up and rechallenge Einherjar Wannabe. Even though it was not long ago since theirst duel, nevertheless Wang Ben must have improved since then, and wouldn¡¯t be taken down easily as he used to be. If the rechallenge really happened, the fight might not be as intense as expected, but people were eager to witness Wang Ben¡¯s ultimate Fist of Racing Tiger, after all an amazing skill like this barely appeared in public, especially during unofficial matches.

    Einherjar Wannabe waited patiently for Skyscraper to finish his warm-ups, yet the referee was getting impatient.

    ¡°Ready? 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ GO!¡±

    Skyscraper smiled and said, ¡°Here Ie!¡±

    ¡°Please!¡±

    The default weapon of the Feng Edge Type-E was the Alfar de, a hybrid between a sword and a saber created by Alfar, the Weaponry Expert. Feng Edge model suits were improved and upgraded from time to time, but the design of the de wasn¡¯t changed at all, the only thing changed was the forging materials.

    Boom!

    Skyscraper dashed toward Einherjar Wannabe in a jiff like a bullet. He leaned his body forward, almost touching the ground, tilted his right hand and attacked like a joust.

    Einherjar Wannabe slightly angled his body, rays of light and energy forces gathered around his fist, and he threw out a punch in a sh.

    Bam!

    The two tremendous forces collided, yet their steel-like bodies were not affected by the huge impact. None of them backed down as their energy nullified the recoil. Everyone was shocked when they saw Skyscraper was the one who made the first move!

    With his elbows worked as core leverages, Skyscraper¡¯s hands came shing rapidly like a pair of scythes; he was like a human Scythe Zerg with a more devastating power.

    As the crowd was cheering, it only took 5 seconds for him tounch more than 60 attacks. His Soul Energy reached 113 sols! That was one hell of a crazy hack and sh!

    Setting aside being a fighter with 4th tier GN Force, if the opponent had been just a normal person, he would have been chopped into minced meat when facing such an attack.

    The key of the attacks was the speed and the angle, yet no one in the crowd could capture every shing movement.

    Both IPA and TPA audiences were left silent, such attack would have one-hit-KOed 99% of them.

    Miao Xiu and Luv Ma looked at each other in surprise, their observations were normally correct, yet they were so wrong this time, those attacks were marvelous!

    ¡°God Damn! Where the hell did this guye from again?¡± Miao Xiu asked as he twitched his lips.

    ¡°Amazing! Hack and sh attacks like this must incorporate specific tactics. Or else the arms would have been broken before the opponent does anything.¡±

    Meanwhile, excitement was building up as the brawl continued. It would be impossible for a normal fighter to handle such attacks, but it wasn¡¯t a problem to Wang Tong. The hands of his opponent had be a pair of lethal scythes, not even the slightest gap could be seen in his attacks, and the most important part was that his steps were well coordinated with his shing actions.

    He was definitely the scariest opponent Wang Tong had ever met since his debut.

    Usually, a person would focus on the upper part of his body when defending against shing attacks from his opponent. Knowing that, Skyscraper suddenly exerted his killing move byunching a fatal thrust with his knee. It was an unpredictable close range attack that was more than enough to catch his opponent off-guard.

    But at the same time, Einherjar Wannabe stepped forward andunched a quicker kick toward Skyscraper¡¯s standing foot. It looked like they were going to perish together when Skyscraper suddenly changed his knee strike into a bounce back action, separating himself from Einherjar Wannabe. Skyscraper who was supposed to look clumsy then gracefully somersaulted backward to widen the range between him and Einherjar Wannabe. He wasn¡¯t even gasping for air after such a rough round of attacks as he looked over and calmly smiled toward Einherjar Wannabe.

    That moment, someone finally understood the meaning behind ¡°not to judge a book by its cover!¡±

    Wang Tong learned most of his battle arts from his fights with the Zergs. To other people, Skyscraper¡¯s attacks looked bizarre, but somehow he found it familiar as he observed his opponent¡¯s attacks. In fact, he was surprised to see the Zergs¡¯ attack method could be utilized this way.

    Skyscraper hoisted his arms again and slightly curved them in front of his chest, at the same time, the opposing Einherjar Wannabe was doing the same gesture.

    But Skyscraper didn¡¯t care about that. No one had ever copied his techniques because it required specific training for the arms to be able to adapt the high-speed shing attacks, and it wouldn¡¯t have any effect if it was just an imitation.

    The two shed on again, like a couple of mantises.

    Swoosh!

    This time, Wang Tong was the first to attack, instead of shing their hands together, Wang Tong attacked with the inner sides of his arms, soon as the back of his arms hit Skyscraper¡¯s arms, he executed an outward force and shifted his opponent away as his arms advanced towards Skyscraper.

    Skyscraper¡¯s de-like attacks were countered!

    Facing such disadvantageous situation, the innocent-looking Skyscraper turned more aggressive as he rapidly attacked with his de-like arms, thrust his knee upward again, and wasn¡¯t even bothered by the fact that it might cause them to perish together; a tough opponent indeed. With all of his strength focused on the upper part of his body, Einherjar Wannabe wouldn¡¯t be able to channel enough strength to defend against a full force attack on the lower part of his body, which would lead the match to a draw since it wasn¡¯t a real fight.

    Yet surprisingly, Einherjar Wannabe made an impossible move, he countered Skyscraper¡¯s knee thrust with a left kick even though there wasn¡¯t enough strength on the lower part of his body!

    Wham!

    The force of the attack shot Skyscraper across the Arena.

    Everything happened in a sh, only a few were able to tell what had happened.

    Wang Ben¡¯s eyes were not blinking as he watched the match during his flight. Some people thought that there was no need for him to rechallenge Einherjar Wannabe even though he was defeated because he had seeded his second Mind Opening Operation and was already Earth Confederation¡¯s top tier fighter of the younger generation. If he were to rechallenge him, most people would think that all he wanted was just to reim his dignity.

    Yet only Wang Ben knew that Einherjar Wannabe was definitely worth to be rechallenged because, even if he had already seeded his second Mind Opening Operation, he might still not be able to stand a chance against Einherjar Wannabe.

 Chapter 66: Wang Bens Double

    Chapter 66: Wang Ben''s Double

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Some techniques, such as the one used by Skyscraper, wereplicated enough so that it was impossible to be imitated, thereby, it narrowed down the possible origins of this mysterious fighter to one of the two groups: the Military and the Temr''s Court. Nowhere else would they train fighters to strike with their upper and lower limbs in such peculiar rhythm that made the attacks as deadly as it was unpredictable.

    Wang Tong''s movement was faster. The moment Wang Tong caught his opponent''s knee bash with one hand; his free hand had delivered six de-like arm strikes.

    Six deadly strikes at the same time.

    The tremendous force threw Skyscrapers into the air and shattered his METAL. When he thudded back onto the ground, heid on a bed of what was left of his METAL suit.

    Everyone''s breath was caught in their throat as they were wondering if the match had ended so quickly. Cheers erupted when Skyscrapers sprinted back to his feet and casually brushed away the remaining pieces of METAL suit still hanging on his cloth.

    Wang Tong quickly conceded that it was not the METAL suit that had saved his life, it was his strength. A new-found curiosity shed across Wang Tong''s eyes as he realized that his opponent was not just quick handed.

    "You are as strong as they had said." Skyscraper scratched his head. He narrowed his lips as if conceding certain fact, and then he said, "I will have to use weapons, should you permit."

    Wang Tong extended his arm toward the weapon rack and gestured Skyscraper to help himself to any weapon of his choice. Wang Tong was not worried even the slightest of losing the fight, for, his intention of fighting was not to win but to challenge himself. Skyscraper''s unconventional strike technique was refreshing, and Wang Tong was eager to find out what his opponent could muster up with a weapon.

    Skyscraper removed a pair of curved des. The glint of the sharp edge reflected in Wang Tong''s eyes. Skyscraper had chosen a pair of Alpha de. The curve of the de mimicked that of the Skyscraper''s de-like arm strike. The simrity quickly drew out the audiences'' spection of his de technique- the Aeromancer''s Bane. The de-like arm strike was merely a dumb-downed version of the technique since the technique was meant to be used with des. It went without saying that the pair of des would breathe a new life into the already stunningly-powerful, de-like arm strike.

    Skyscraper dashed toward Wang Tong ferociously, his footwork was firm but nimble, revealing the strenuous training he had received, whose original was still a mystery.

    When the attacknded, no one could see exactly what was happening. The pair of Alpha des turned into a shapeless shadow under the lightning movement, and only the glint of their sharp edges shed from time to time. The de howled as each strike cut through the air like cutting open a fish''s belly. Wang Tong started to pull back to allow himself some time to get used to the unprecedented intensity. Nevertheless, he remained calm. Wang Tong knew that although his opponent''s attacks were deadlier than it had ever been, his techniques had remained the same.

    Meanwhile in the real world, Wang Ben watched the screen unblinkingly. He paid particr attention to Wang Tong''s movements, reading the elusive intention within even the smallest maneuvers. Wang Tong''s movement was short but effective at dodging attacks; his positioning was intuitive but exhausted his opponent''s move effortlessly.

    Wang Ben narrowed his eyes. "What a brilliant change of pace!" he murmured as he conceded that Wang Tong''s victory was evident. In a whim of anticipation, Wang Ben''s blood boiled, and he clenched his fists, "If only I could show him the Fist of the Racing Tiger."

    A wave of excited shouts erupted in the arena and pulled Wang Ben''s attention back to the heated match. He heard someone screaming, "The Aura!"

    Wang Ben quickly noticed that the shapeless shadow caused by the movement of the Alpha de had taken on a hue of yellow. The whir of the des was also turning louder by the second.

    On the giant screen above the arena, the soul energy readings sore up and eventually settled around one hundred and fifty-six. Beside the soul readings were the indicators of the strength of the attacks, converted into units of earth gravity "g", and it was then sitting at 8g.

    This intensity was beyond the level of GN force of any academy students. People quickly spected that it was highly likely that this Skyscraper was a professional soldier, if not from a special unit.

    It wasmon knowledge that the de''s aura was deadly upon contact, so the audiencesmented over Wang Tong''s carelessness. Should Wang Tong have yed it safe and wore a METAL suit, the advantage of the de aura could be alleviated. But then in the arena, Wang Tong was left with only one option: evade the attack entirely. This disadvantage would undoubtedly turn the tide of the fight.

    Skyscraper gradually forced Wang Tong into a corner and finally grasped an opportunity to unleash his coup de grace: The "X".

    As soon as Miao Xiu saw the familiar move of the "X", he leaped out of his seat and shouted, "Hey! He was one of our special units!"

    The special unit of the Temr''s Court was a base for training gifted humans: those that were born with supernatural abilities. There were rumors that they had recently recruited a freakishly strong student, who excelled at physical strength and speed.

    This must be the Skyscraper.

    If not because of Skyscraper''s older appearance that concealed his age, Miao Xiu would have recognized him as soon as he saw the de''s aura.

    Skyscraper was confident that he would end this fighter with his killing strike. No one could have escaped the attack that was infused with the power of the de aura. The de fell, and the edge glinted onest time as Wang Tong suddenly bore down on Skyscraper.

    A ring roar of a ferocious tiger.

    A racing fist, that fished all.

    When the deafening roar finally settled down, people saw Skyscraper lying on the ground, two curved des scattered aside. Wang Ben leaped out of his chair, "The Fist of the Racing Tiger!"

    With the loud roar still lingering inside of their eyes, the audience was dumbstruck. They had thought that no one should havee out of the "X" unharmed since it was impossible to evade the de aura.

    Wang Tong did not evade, he simply stroke back, and all it took was one punch to pin his opponent to the ground, face down.

    "Can he still stand up?"

    "What a strange match! Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a rookie? Yet, he was able to use the de aura?"

    "What aura? He is eating the dirt now."

    On the ground, the stoic face of Skyscraper finally held some painful expression. Slowly, he struggled to stand up, inch by inch. No one was breathing as they were cheering for him in their minds. Skyscraper''s face suddenly lost thest bit of expression, and he copsed back onto the ground. The fight was over.

    Wang Ben gritted his teeth, trying to contain his seething emotions. "The Fist of the Racing Tiger..." a few words escaped his mouth.

    It was true that the TPA was full of surprises. First was Einherjar Wannabe, then it was Skyscraper who looked like 26 but was only 16. There were only a handful of fighters that could have achieved the de aura at his age. But, he had lost the fight and was defeated by the even bigger mystery of TPA: Einherjar Wannabe.

    This fight had opened the floodgates of spections on online forums about the identity of the mysterious Einherjar Wannabe.

    After all, not everyone could replicate their opponent''s renowned tactics after only seeing it once.

 Chapter 67: One Riddle Solved

    Chapter 67: One Riddle Solved

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    A boy inside of Bernabeu''s campus was writing maliciously on his notebook. After a while, he paused and looked at the handwritten notes that sprawled a few pages satisfyingly. Handwritten notes had been his favorite despite its cumbersomeness. It was much better than audio notes in capturing the essence of his thoughts.

    This boy''s name was Cao Yi, and he was Skyscraper. The riddle was solved, but even Miao Xiu had guessed wrong.

    An image projected out from the open pages. It was the fighting actions reanimated based on the boy''s precise descriptions. These pages were of advanced technology, to use it was a privilege not to be given freely by Martyrus unless it was a genius like Skyscraper, discovered by Martyrus himself.

    Martyrus had always believed in the hidden potentials among seemingly ordinary students. Therefore, he had established a series of guidelines that would make sure students with even the slightest hint of talent would not be left out.

    When Cao Yi first entered Bernabeu, he had failed almost every single subject, which made his admission seem like a fluke. Martyrus never believed in flukes. After a few days of investigation, the old fox was shocked by what he had found: the boy was from one of the worst high schools in the city, and ever since he entered Bernabeu, he absorbed knowledge in an inhuman pace.

    He had discovered the boy''s talent: tenacious learning ability, an ability that sounded incredulous even to Martyrus when he first realized it.

    The image finally flickered and disappeared, Cao Yi nodded as he felt satisfied with the overall uracy of his description. He lifted the pen again to draw the final, conclusive notes regarding the strength of the opponent ¡ª a routine he followed ever since he started to partake in TPA fights. But the tip of the pen hovered over the page as he found himselfcking words. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind, making him hesitant to draw any conclusions. He had a strong feeling that his opponent didn''t even reveal his real power.

    "Hurry up Luv Ma! What takes you so long? I thought that you were always fast handed!" Miao Xiu grunted impatiently.

    "Shut up or get the hell out of here!" Luv Ma refuted without sparing his friend a look. Visual analysis was a sophisticated work, and Luv Ma''s task was even more challenging since he did not have the raw footage.

    "Please! You know I don''t have patience. He only saw the Fist of the Racing Tiger once, and there he was, the roaring and all. How could I be patient?"

    Luv Ma ignored his friend''sint and focused on his hands that danced swiftly over the keyboard. Although Luv Ma was not a fighter, he possessed the unmatched ability of digital analysis.

    "Done!"

    "Oh honey, I knew you were the best! Kiss." Miao Xiu closed into Luv Ma, and thetter kicked him away out of disgust.

    The video of the entire fight had been broken down into segments. The segment that appeared on the screen was the finishing confrontation of the two fighters when Wang Tong had used the Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    "It has to be the real Fist of the Racing Tiger. Look, I havepared Einherjar Wannabe''s move with Wang Beng''s move frame by frame, they look exactly the same. I wonder what kind of tactics can transform one''s arm into such a deadly weapon," Luv Ma said as he showed his finished product to Miao Xiu.

    "Only Wang Ben would know. It''s hard to tell based solely on the magnitude of the power, it ought to be the Fist of the Racing Tiger. That Skyscraper still needs more training, and he was not matched yet against the most aggressive attack of the entire Confederation."

    "Agreed. General Hu Ben was indeed a legendary fighter."

    "PAUSE!" Miao Xiu suddenly yelled. "Rewind... a bit more... Yes!"

    Luv Ma watched Miao Xiu as he bit his fingernails: a sign of distress.

    "Look at Einherjar Wannabe''s face. There was no fear, nor excitement. He looked like as if he didn''t even care that Skyscraper was using the "X" on him!"

    "You mean you don''t think the "X" would even scratch him? "

    "Who knows. But there is one thing that is for sure: he had many other options other than using Wang Ben''s Fist of the Racing tiger, some might be even deadlier," Miao Xiu spoke with certainty.

    "...faced with the deadly "X", and he was still able to take his time to pick and choose, that sounds like far-fetched."

    "It''s achievable, I know of at least three persons who can do that." Miao Xiu knew many high-level fighters, but none of those three he thought of could care to fight in the TPA. "Who exactly is this Einherjar Wannabe?" Miao Xiu mulled over the question and repeated the name in his mind.

    Suddenly, he found a sense of irony in the name "Einherjar Wannabe".

    "What is he trying to prove? His arrogance?" he thought.

    It had been a while since the TPA offered a good fight. There had been some great fights among the Military pro-users, but those contents were not meant to be published. Therefore, the fight between Wang Tong and skyscraper attracted a lot of attentions.

    Both Wang Tong and Cao Yi, a.k.a. Skyscraper, had demonstrated a great deal of strength and quickly various spections started to circte regarding the rtionship between Einherjar Wannabe and Wang Ben. However, the more people spected, the more riddles seemed to surface.

    "Why does Einherjar Wannabe know how to use the Fist of the Racing Tiger?"

    "Is it because they had fought once? Or was it because of anything else?"

    Eventually, the DREAM Corp. released a video analysis of the fight, which they haven''t done for many years. It was the Fist of the Racing Tiger that had convinced the corporation to make the decision. Unexpectedly, this video analysis opened doors to more mysteries.

    People quickly noticed that the Fist of the Racing Tiger was far from the most peculiar piece of the puzzle as they discovered Wang Tong''s miraculous footwork. No matter how aggressive Cao Yi''s attack was, his strike was dissolved quickly by Wang Tong''s seemingly simple and short maneuver. If it were anyone else, it would have been an entirely different story. Every twitch of Wang Tong''s muscle seemed to serve a purpose at dodging attacks. Wang Tong''s ability suggested that he was a seasoned warrior, but his profile said that he was only sixteen.

    Everyone weighted their hope and anticipation on Wang Ben''s shoulder as more and more of them started to understand the motives of Wang Ben''s request for a rematch. The general''s son had realized the exceptional strength of Wang Tong after their first fight. Wang Tong''s imitation of the Fist of the Racing Tiger screamed like a taunt at Wang Ben, making him even more determined for a rematch.

 Chapter 68: Too Generous

    Chapter 68: Too Generous

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    As the son of a general, Wang Ben was expected to avoid public TPA fights at all cost, but the reality was far from that: Wang Ben had publicly announced his challenge to Einherjar Wannabe, and theck of response from thetter made the situation even more embarrassing for Wang Ben.

    Smelling profit in the air, the DREAM Corp had also attempted to reach out to Einherjar Wannabe as soon as his fight with Skyscraper was over, but they had received no response either.

    Wang Tong had no time to respond. He had been busy. Hu Yangxuan was going to pick him up to go to Ma Xiaoru''s ce together right after the TPA fight. Besides, he also needed a break after a tough fight, and he thought Ma Xiaoru''s ce would be ideal.

    Wang Ben was early when he arrived home from the virtual cafe. Soon, he received a message from Hu Yangxuan, informing Wang Tong that he would be there in a few minutes.

    Five minutester, Hu Yangxuan arrived with his Meg-lev in front of his dormitory. "Sorry, I amte."

    "That''s fine, I was just watching it as well."

    "You too? That fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Skyscraper?"

    Wang Tong nodded.

    "Well, I think we have a problem," Hu Yangxuan said as he furrowed his eyebrows.

    "What''s going on?"

    "Someone on the forum had recognized that Skyscraper, he is a first-year student from Bernabeu. Our Principal is not going to like that."

    "Interesting. Heck, we have Wang Ben now, shouldn''t be much of a problem, don''t you think?"

    "You forgot about the tournament rules. The order of the yers is predetermined, so we don''t know who will be fighting that freak."

    "Balls, that sucks." Wang Tong nodded in agreement. The tournament was not only a test of the strength of the students but also to the minds of the principals.

    "Well, I say we are still lucky to have Wang Ben. Otherwise, we would be skating on thin ice." Hu Yangxuan cracked a smile.

    Unlike Wang Tong, who could barely afford more than one T-shirt, Hu Yangxuan was well dressed for the asion and carefully picked the appropriate style and color thatplimented hisplexion. But Wang Tong was simply happy that the number of t-shirts he owned had saved him from the headaches of picking and choosing.

    Hu Yangxuan didn''t want to bete, he drove fearlessly, zipping through streets and corridors. Thanks to his great driving skill, the two of them arrived at Ma Xiaoru''s house safely.

    They met Ma Xiaoru and Samantha in the main hall; both were casually dressed. A wide projector screen stood behind the two girls, and it was showing the recording of the previous fight. The exclusive recording reminded the two visitors that Samantha was the heir of the DREAM corp.

    "I believe you two have already heard about it, this Skyscraper is called Cao Yi, a student of Bernabeu, and he is going to be the secret weapon of that old fox." Samantha had suspected that Martyrus would have a wild card in his hand. Seeing her suspicion bing a reality, Samantha conceded the fact that she would have to exercise extreme caution in nning the tournament fight.

    "Do you guys think that you can defeat him?" Samantha lolled on the sofa and asked the two boys. Her voice was softer than usual.

    "I would like to know myself," Hu Yangxuan said eagerly. As one of the followers of the Temr, Hu Yangxuan had enough confidence to take on the challenge.

    Seeing Samantha''s gazednded on him, Wang Tong shrugged and said casually, "I can try."

    "Where the hell did this Einherjar Wannabee from? If only we could have him in Ayrng," Samantha said as she licked the juice off her lips.

    "The topic had gone viral on the inte; so far no one seemed to have any clue. I thought you might be the first one to know, Principal," Hu Yangxuan asked curiously.

    "Well, you don''t understand the rules. PA is moreplicated than you think. It involves the Earth Confederation, the Moon, the Martians, and even the Kaedeians. Despite the fact that DREAM is thepany that operates everything, it, however, does not have the exclusive rights to the data in the system. It had been like that ever since thepany was formed," Samantha said helplessly.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that much since if it were otherwise, DREAM would have controlled the military intelligence of all human factions, and no one would have agreed to that.

    "If it were the IPA, we might have been able to bend the rules and scrape some information, but it was in the TPA. What makes it even more infuriating is his silent treatment. He didn''t even respond to DREAM''s official request."

    "Interesting..." Ma Xiaoru said as she pondered on the information.

    "He doesn''t seem to be concerned with money. The DREAM paid their official fighters at least ten grand per match. Only if he was as desperate for money as someone else¡­" Samantha said as she locked her eyes with Wang Tong''s. Their settlement cost her only six grand.

    Hu Yangxuan and Ma Xiaoru refrained fromughing out loud; not only they were aware of Wang Tong''s destitute financial condition, but they were also aware how annoyed their principal was at Wang Tong''s uncooperative attitude.

    Wang Tong didn''t care about Samantha''s jesting, and he was too busymenting over the ten grand that he could have earned. If he had known it earlier, he would have epted their invitation in a heartbeat.

    "Anyhow, let''s talk about itter and have our lunch first, we have a special dish today," Ma Xiaoru broke the awkward silence.

    Ma Xiaoru''s announcement of a specialty dish had piqued everyone''s interest.

    Everyone had enjoyed their lunch. Although Wang Tong was not a picky eater, he was not a big fan of overly sophisticated meals that, for some reason, always came in extremely small portions. Perhaps Ma Xiaoru had guessed that much because today''s main course was veal. The so-called specialty was a kind of fruit from the Andromeda Gxy. Wang Tong took a bite, and he found that the refreshing vors of the fruit danced on his pallets, making it an exceptionally enjoyable experience after having eaten the greasy hearty meal of veal.

    Samantha and Ma Xiaoru were having a healthy amount of food, so they were clearly not on a diet. Despite this, they had kept their body in great shapes. Wang Tong tried as much as he could to keep his table manners, and not to make too much noise as he chewed. But he didn''t hesitate when it came down to shoveling as much as he could down his throat at lightning speed.

    Hu Yangxuan also picked up his speed, and he knew that if he didn''t do so, there would be none left very quickly.

 Chapter 69: True Friends

    Chapter 69: True Friends

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    As the host, Ma Xiaoru was quite happy that her guests seemed to have enjoyed their lunch.

    "These are the things that can only be tasted inside of this house." Hu Yangxuan marveled at the extreme wealth of Ma Xiaoru''s family.

    Money could buy some produce, but not all. However, as the hegemony of an entire industry, Ma Xiaoru''s family could get anything they desired.

    "The lunch was good, now let''s talk business," Samantha announced. The word "business" sent a chill down to the two boy''s spines. They knew there was no free lunch.

    "Don''t fret, I just thought that perhaps one of you could do me a favor. When Wang Ben eventually arrives here, we will need to put on a disy of strength so that he wouldn''t look down on our students," Samantha''s wide and mesmerizing eyes attracted the two boys as she exined her intention. She had figured that Wang Ben''s eptance of her offer did not amount to his obedience. Therefore, a proper disy of strength would be required to guide Wang Ben onto the right track.

    "Him!"

    Both Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan pointed at each other. Samantha found their response both funny and annoying and wondered why the boys allcked manly courage.

    "Um¡­ I am too busy with the Temr''s routine test that ising up, so I am afraid that I won''t have time to prepare for the fight with Wang Ben. I would be more than willing to do it for our school once my test is over," Hu Yangxuan exined. What he had said wasn''t entirely an excuse: he wouldn''t want to fight Wang Ben because if he couldn''t focus on a bad fight, it might scare him for the rest of his life.

    "What about you Wang Tong, what is your excuse?" Samantha stared at Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong had thought that he might raise others'' suspicions should he partake in a fight with Wang Ben, but quickly, he realized that a fight with or against Wang Ben would be inevitable in the future once Wang Ben arrived in Ayrng. Samantha''s persuasion made it even morepelling for Wang Ben to ept the task.

    "Fine, I will try. But the school would have to pay for my medical bills if I am injured."

    "You won''t get injured; it''s just a sparring," Ma Xiaoru announced. She could have taken on the task if she didn''t need to worry about the name of her family.

    Samantha rolled her eyes at Wang Tong and said coldly, "Xiaoru, don''t you worry about it. I am more concerned about Wang Ben''s medical bill."

    "I''ll take it as apliment," Wang Tong said out loud. He enjoyed talking to Samantha as if he was her equal.

    Contempt was written all over Samantha''s face. She refrained from retorting back, trying her best to keep herposure.

    Everyone had sense Samantha''s interest in this mysterious Einherjar Wannabe as she had reviewed many times the recording of the fight. The predecessor of DREAM, YU-ZHAN had once benefited by a man with god-like ability, Samantha wondered if Einherjar Wannabe would be the next legendary warrior that would bestow profit and sess to DREAM. However, she reminded herself not to keep her hope high since many before her had waited for such a legend, but none had appeared.

    Wang Tong stared at Samantha''s wide and alluring eyes as her thoughts drifted away. Beside Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru gazed at Wang Tong''s face thoughtful. In this awkward silence, Hu Yangxuan felt left out. However, thanks to his cheerful personality, Hu Yangxuan didn''t mind theck of attention.

    The party went on, and the evening had approached before they realized it.

    Under the beautiful night sky, Hu Yangxuan and Wang Tong descended from the floating mansion.

    "Are you always happy like this?" Wang Tong asked.

    "If you smile at your life, it will smile back. I envy your life. People always thought that the life in the great houses was the best, but they wouldn''t know the chains and balls that came with our family name. I am quite a rebellious one, but still, there are things that I cannot fight."

    "Makes sense, but there were also many benefits of being born into a great house."

    "That''s true to some extent. We are no more than standing on the shoulder of our ancestors. Look at all the recent heroes and heroines; you would find that almost all of them had started from scratch, like Wang Ben''s father, Hu Ben. Inparison, the great houses like the Li were a dying breed who were clinging too tightly to their ancestor''s great deeds."

    "Haha, I couldn''t agree more. Life would be boring if I could get anything without working hard for it." Wang Tong showed the whiteness of his smile, to him, earning ten grand was something that was worth celebrating, but to a member of the great house, it was not even worth mentioning. Therefore, sess was a rather rtive term.

    "On another note, do you know anything about this Wang Ben? I have heard that he hits pretty hard, even during training. I have a friend that might be able to get us some information; I will send that off to you."

    "Thank you! I didn''t want to ept the task, but you know that our principal won''t give up," Wang Tong said as he blushed.

    Hu Yangxuan rounded his eyes and stared at Wang Tong abruptly. "Gee, you got balls. Do you want to make a move on Samantha? Please, don''t tell me you are serious. Haven''t you heard about her nickname she had earned while she was in Capth? They call her the Hammer for the many hearts she had shattered, including those of the Li''s!"

    Wang Tong was unruffled. "I can''t help with how I feel. She is different than other girls indeed, but same as you. I don''t believe that you came here just because you wanted to chase after Ma Xiaoru. I wager that you also didn''t like the mindlesspetition from the S-ss Academies."

    "Haha, interesting! Not a lot of people know that much about me. Indeed the S-ss academies had the top notch talents and seemingly endless resources, but they focused too much onpetition, and it felt too restrictive to me. I liked Bernabeu a lot; their principal is a nice old man. You will know what I mean when you met him," Hu Yangxuan said sincerely.

    "Well, I am interested."

    "Haha, it''s still early, do you want to grab a few drinks somewhere? We need to celebrate our friendship."

    "I think you want to celebrate for the apparent elimination of yourpetitor."

    "Nah, if Ma Xiaoru likes you, I still couldn''t do anything about it. I don''t like to dwell on the oues, the process itself would be a more enjoyable experience."

    "Just kidding. Sure, why not, let''s go grab some drinks."

    Wang Tong never liked drinking after seeing what it had done to Old Fart, but since Hu Yangxuan had invited him, he felt it hard to refuse his ssmate''s friendly invitation.

 Chapter 70: A Naked Floating Body

    Chapter 70: A Naked Floating Body

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Xiaoru, what are you thinking about?" Samantha pinched Ma Xiaoru''s cheek and asked.

    "Ah... Nothing..."

    "No need to hide it, it is written all over your face."

    "Really?" Ma Xiaoru touched her cheek out of instinct.

    "Haha, it''s never toote to consult the wise." Samantha suddenly closed in, wrapping her arms around Ma Xiaoru as if measuring her bosom. "Oh¡­ The fire of love is strong with this one."

    "Stop, you weirdo."

    "Come here, you little girl, tell me what''s on your mind!" Samanthamanded as if Ma Xiaoru was an innocent 6-year-old.

    "It''s nothing... It''s just that I can feel that Wang Tong is not that into me," the words seemed to have taken the wind out of Ma Xiaoru''s sail.

    "Why do you think so? That Wang Tong does not deserve you, and you know it! How about your Tactics of the Enchantress? Isn''t it suppose to be the best weapon for enving a man''s heart? Even General Li Feng had fallen for it."

    "I am not entirely sure myself, but even my tactics seemed to be sluggish as if I had hit a wall," Ma Xiaoru said helplessly.

    "You are giving yourself way too much pressure. It''s one of the top-five tactics after all. Seeing how much it had shed with your personality, I was pretty surprised when you told me that you had learned it in the first ce. Even if you didn''t, your family was in a different line of business; your cultivation, therefore, was more of a symbolic gesture to demonstrate the friendship between the Ma and the Li."

    "I know, I know. But I seem to have hit the wall too early; I start to wonder if I am really in..." Ma Xiaoru choked back, finding it hard to say the simple word out loud.

    "Haha, so our princess was indeed in love with Wang Tong. I have no idea what about him had attacked you. Every time I saw him, I just had the urge to punch him in that sly face," Samantha said as she thought about the irritating face of Wang Tong. "Love makes one hesitant. Trust me, just be yourself and enjoy your life. Don''t think too much."

    Ma Xiaoru nodded nkly as she still didn''t understand the cause of her sudden sluggish progress in her cultivation.

    Any tactics that dabbled in physic abilities, to some degree, had its countermeasures, just like it was the countermeasure of many other tactics. Unknown to Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong''s Tactics of the de was the most effective countermeasure to the Tactics of the Enchantress, and that was the reason behind the sudden slow down of Ma Xiaoru''s cultivation.

    Hu Yangxuan had to carry Wang Tong home after their after-party. The first few cups of drinks seemed to have no effect on Wang Tong, but to Hu Yangxuan''s surprise, Wang Tong nted his faced down quickly after a few more cups.

    Hu Yangxuan was half way there as well, so he turned on his autopilot. It was already midnight when they arrived at Wang Tong''s dorm.

    Wang Tong hadid on his bed motionless for a while, and then suddenly his body started to elevate above the bed as two red glows appeared on his head and the belly.

    Wang Tong had broken the rule of no liquor that Old Fart had set for him. Old Fart had forbidden him drinking alcohol not only because it was a bad habit, but also because of Wang Tong''s unique body type.

    The liquor had elerated the movement of energy inside of his body; the 256 nodes were whirling around at speed beyond Wang Tong''s control. Without anywhere to go, the GN energies were trapped in Wang Tong''s dantian. The GN force also formed a GN field that surrounded Wang Tong, inside the GN field, GN force continued to pour out of Wang Tong''s body.

    Hu Yangxuan had already left, and no one was expected to visit the caretaker at this hour. However, a petite figure was standing outside of Wang Tong''s dorm; she hesitated before she knocked on the door.

    Zhou Sisi had been thinking a lot ever since the ident, but eventually, she came to terms with what had happened. After all, Wang Tong didn''t do anything on purpose, and she had since increased her soul energy readings thanks to Wang Tong''s intervention.

    Hearing no reply, Zhou Sisi cracked the door open and was shocked by what she saw: a floating naked body.

    Zhou Sisi''s mouth was wide open, but she covered it with one of her palms and stopped the scream. She saw a few pieces of dirty cloth strewn about the floor; Wang Tong''s body was elevated in the air and seemed to be packed densely with energy.

    Zhou Sisi could only feel the magnitude of the power inside of Wang Tong''s GN field, but she had no idea what was happening.

    After having learned a lesson fromst time, Zhou Sisi was more cautious and didn''t touch Wang Tong''s body. Instead, she studied her surroundings andmented over the bizarre tactics that Wang Tong had been practicing.

    She quickly noticed that Wang tong''s body seemed to be bloated and registered the seriousness of the event. She turned on her heels to report it to the teacher.

    However, the door suddenly mmed shut, and Zhou Sisi felt a force pulling her back toward Wang Tong. Her body spun around, and she punched out of instinct, but it caused no effect.

    A powerful shockwave ensued and knocked her unconscious.

    She woke up right before the dawn broke, and it was still pitch dark outside. She rubbed her body, feeling pain in many ces. She was stupefied after she saw a few bruises splotched about her otherwise snowy white skin and found out that she was entirely naked.

    She saw Wang Tong curled up his body like a baby, lying unconscious beside her.

    Memories escaped Zhou Sisi; she could not remember what exactly had happened, and then she saw the blood stains on the bed, her face turned ghostly pale, and she almost fainted.

    Slowly her memory came back, she remembered Wang Tong''s firm hand mped on to her waist, and a force that swept through her body and torn her cloth off violently. She remembered a warm wave of energy seeping slowly into her body as its intensity cranked up. Wang Tong didn''t withdraw the energy until it started to feel like a burning fire inside of her.

    Zhou Sisi couldn''t remember the rest no matter how hard she tried. She gritted her teeth and wondered if she had so quickly given away her first time.

    "Didn''t they say it would hurt?" Zhou Sisi felt it strange that she didn''t feel any pain, and as she studied the narrow streaky stain of blood, she found things didn''t seem to add up.

 Chapter 71: A Little Punishment From a Girl

    Chapter 71: A Little Punishment From a Girl

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Zhou Sisi felt a stinging sensation on her arm and was shocked to discover that a long scar-like wound was left on her snowy-fair arm, but immediately relieved when she found out that the shape of her wound was a match with the line of blood on Wang Tong¡¯s bed sheet.

    Yet Zhou Sisi couldn¡¯t recall how she got hurt, all she knew was Wang Tong was a dangerous man as she remembered this was the second time for almost giving him her virginity. She got mad and stood up when she thought about that and even felt like grinding her feet on Wang Tong, but she just couldn¡¯t do it the moment she saw his innocent, child-like face. Zhou Sisi then examined every scar on Wang Tong¡¯s body, and it gave her a little shiver, she couldn¡¯t help wondering what on earth had Wang Tong been through, and how could he hide all of these under his cheerful personality.

    Zhou Sisi forgot that she was naked. She gently moved her fine fingers across the scar on Wang Tong¡¯s abdomen, her hands were trembling; it was a feeling that couldn¡¯t be expressed with words, and she realized their rtionship was getting closer.

    Thud¡­

    Zhou Sisi blushed when she noticed someone was having a ¡°situation¡± between his groin, it was indeed an indecent scene, but this was normal for a guy, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Zhou Sisi cleared her mind, put on one of Wang Tong¡¯s T-Shirts and picked up the fabric fragments of her torn clothes. This was not something that could be exined properly, even though he was unconscious, but this¡­ Zhou Sisi sighed and gathered herself, she shouldn¡¯t be thinking about that, at least not for now.

    As Zhou Sisi was about to leave, she saw the blood stain on the bed sheet and was suddenly embarrassed by it. She had to remove and destroy this important evidence!

    Zhou Sisi then carefully shifted Wang Tong aside and quickly rolled up and removed the bed sheet. ¡°Dear God, please erase his memory on what happened!¡±

    If Wang Tong was to find out that they had been naked together in his room, Zhou Sisi¡¯s life would be ruined.

    After checking for thest time and made sure no evidence was left behind, Zhou Sisi escaped like a frightened bunny and disappeared into the night.

    Meanwhile, somebody was still snoring like a pig¡­ snored...

    Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!

    Wang Tong was awakened by the four strong sneezes. His body felt sticky, and that smell, what the¡­

    Wang Tong thought that he was back on Norton. The smell wasn¡¯t a big deal, it was the sticky, sweat-like moisture that got his attention, alcohol was a dangerous substance for sure!

    He could tell that something definitely had happened the night before, but he couldn¡¯t recollect his memory of the incident. Where were his clothes? Only fragments of fabrics were left on the ground.

    Wang Tong sat up and gathered himself, he could hear Old Fart saying, ¡°Too much alcohol would mess up the Tactics of the de¡­¡± But he felt great, like he had gotten rid of all the greasy stuff in his body, he became more energetic, his Tactics of the des were working just fine, and his speed was still the same. The only thing he felt different was the flow, like his two hundred and fifty-six GN nodes were merging into one. He wasn¡¯t feeling incredible, but it was definitely a fantastic sensation.

    Wang Tong¡¯s spirit was lifted as he checked his body and found nothing special. Nevertheless, he would need to be cautious and not to have too much alcohol if he were to drink again. He could still bear the cost of losing a shirt this time.

    Something wasn¡¯t right about the bed though¡­

    The bed sheet! Where was it?

    Wang Tong discovered that he had lost his one and only bed sheet¡­ and his new T-shirt was nowhere to be seen too! He rubbed his eyes, hoping that this was only his imagination.

    It was gone for real!

    He cursed the thief for stealing from the poorest guy throughout the academy.

    This wasn¡¯t happening!

    The dormitory was only supposed to be his temporary residence, and the bed sheet was a public property. Wang Tong scanned his surrounding and tried to look for clues, but the thief was cautious and didn¡¯t leave anything behind, except a piece of a pink fragment at the corner of the room which didn¡¯t belong to him! It looked like some sort of fabric from clothing, and it had a faint nice smell, the thief was a woman? Stealing a man¡¯s bed sheet and clothes?

    But Wang Tong sighed because he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. There was no time for him to question every girl around the academy with this piece of fabric.

    ¡°Who stole my bed sheet?!¡± Wang Tong yelled and followed up by a roar of abreaction.

    A new sunny day has begun in Ayrng.

    Meanwhile, Zhou Sisi was still wearing an oversized T-shirt and slept like a log in one of the rooms of Dorm No.5¡­

    Wang Tong spent the whole morning cleaning up his room, got hungry afterward, and treated himself to a feast. Even though he tried to be thrifty, yet his money was still flowing out like a river, and all he could imagine was a penniless future.

    That stingy Old Fart, he should have left him more money!

    It couldn¡¯t be helped though, he had to respect Old Fart¡¯s decision. Nheless, Wang Tong knew that maintaining his body condition was way more crucial than earning money, one must retain his ¡°assets¡± to ensure a brighter future.

    All thanks to Samantha, the hardware and facilities in Ayrng were renewed and upgraded when she took charge of the administration, and Wang Tong was given full ess to the facilities due to his participation in thepetition so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his workout ns.

    Skills and techniques could be trained through hand-to-handbats, but the memory of the strength of his body could only be awakened by a strong gravity force. During his time on Norton, Wang Tong was training every second due to the five times stronger gravity of Norton, but the training stopped as he returned to Earth. Hence, he decided to have a hardcore training at least once per week.

    Ayrng¡¯s academic atmosphere had improved quite a lot, but the new activity area and library were kind of deserted during the weekends, obviously because everybody wanted to take a break.

    Wang Tong was amazed by the magnificent Gravity Training Chamber, he felt wonderful and couldn¡¯t wait to scrape the rust of his stiff body as he decided to start off his training by selecting the ¡°Five times gravity¡± mode.

    Most of the students were restricted from this mode, but Wang Tong¡¯s ess has been modified to the same level of a teacher¡¯s; hence the system would not interfere as long as the user¡¯s life was not in danger.

    Wang Tong had always felt like he was floating due to the lower gravity on Earth, but the familiar sensation returned as the five times gravity kicked in, and he was able to get used to it within five to six minutes. Wang Tong also noticed the speed of initializing the Tactics of the de was changing, probably reacting to the change of environmental pressure. Memories of the various battle arts he had seen began to resurface as Wang Tong closed his eyes, and then he began his own trials.

 Chapter 72: Unexpected Discovery

    Chapter 72: Unexpected Discovery

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Earthlings, Ivantians, and Martians were all part of mankind, even though they all had unique styles of battle, their techniques were almost the same. Only Kaedeians were different ones, their physical conditions were still weakerpared to Earthlings after so many years. Moreover, unlike Earthlings, Kaedeians fighters were mostly women, and Wang Tong had always been curious about that, and also why they only gave birth to females in the Kaedeians¡¯ Monarchy.

    Moving on to the topic of intermarriage between Earthlings and Kaedeians, since the reign of General Li Feng, the interracial bonding between Earthlings and Kaedeians has already been expressly stipted for the coherence of the two races in order to ward off the Zergs. However, it was impossible for Earthling and Kaedeian couples to have babies due to gical problems. Since then, the two races have been trying their best to seek solutions regarding this because Earthlings and Kaedeians ced great emphasis on their offsprings, and also tobine the gic advantages of both Earthlings and Kaedeians.

    The GN Force was an amazing power discovered by General Li Feng and the FFC Corporation. Since then, mankind has been learning to utilize this power and also invented various tactics based on it. Unfortunately, even though gic modification was possible, mankind was still unable to alter the GN Force. Yet everybody knew that if they were able to decode the secrets behind the GN Force, the might of mankind¡¯s military would receive a tremendous boost.

    Earthling, Ivantians, and Kaedeians never gave up on this, but it would take generations before they could find the answers because there were no such technologies at the moment. Just like when mankind first learned about genes, even though they knew that everything from a human being was decided by its genes, the technology of gic modification wasn¡¯t avable yet back then. As for now, people were able to utilize the GN Force, yet they could only increase one¡¯s forces through the help of tactics, and also boosting the GN Force and adding on special abilities with METAL Suits but still couldn¡¯t learn much about GN Force being the source of strength and energy.

    The one who had the ability to crack open this Pandora¡¯s Box would be able to shake the world itself.

    Wang Tong was sweating heavily under the pressure of the 10 times gravity, but he was feeling great. The greater the environmental pressure, the smoother the initialization of his Tactics of the de. He even had no idea why the initialization was getting smoother, back then, there would always be a tiny pause and struggle during the initialization from 8 nodes to 16 nodes, and all the way up to 256 nodes. Yet now the huss and fuss were all gone.

    However the changes would not be able to significantly increase his Soul Energy, after all, it was just a small boost, but it was able to radically alter his ways of battle. Wang Tong didn¡¯t know at first, but the longer he trained, the merrier he got. He might have had a bad day after drinking too much and got ransacked by a wicked thief, yet God was fair enough to grant him improvements in his skills and tactics; somehow it sounded like a good deal.

    Wang Tong would empty his mind when he was fully concentrated on his training. Not only his body was trained, his skills and tactics would also improve at the same time. How he wished that the others would¡¯ve tried this amazing method as well, it was definitely killing two birds with one stone.

    The drawback was that the effectiveness of his techniques could only be proven through real fights, and all Wang Tong could do now was only trying to familiarize with them on his own. Zergs had no attack patterns, and due to their different sizes, the ways they attacked were all based on the uniqueness of that particr species instead. Somehow if mankind were to use their battle tactics against Zergs, it would be like breaking flies on the wheels, so instead the skills and tactics were more likely to be used during fights among themselves. Yea or nay, it still enabled mankind to improve their abilities to fight. The tactics were even categorized and established amongst METAL Combat sses of militaries and academies. Through the coboration with ancient martial arts, modern brawlings, and various fighting techniques, and also the usage of METAL Suits, mankind¡¯s military forces were boosted to the max. This new road of development was able to receive an immense support from scientists, after all, it wasn¡¯t against thew of the universe for mankind to develop and improve its own strength. The discovery of the GN Force also brought mankind one step closer to immortality.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t force himself to try out stronger gravity and gradually paced back to five times gravity instead, which was the basis level of his gravity training. He had never been better after sweating that much. He always felt like the fatigue was killing him during his days on Norton, now that he was back on Earth, he felt like the boredom was killing him instead. Somehow he could felt the agony of Einherjar Wannabe, it was depressing like hell, like how a benchwarmer would¡¯ve felt.

    Suddenly he heard footsteps in the Gravity Training Chamber, and it was approaching his five times gravity area. He was surprised to know that there was someone like him in Ayrng.

    The guy was also surprised to see Wang Tong, the two of them were about the same age. ¡°Are you a freshman?¡±

    Wang Tong nodded. He had never seen this guy before. Since he admitted Ayrng, he had never been interacting with the others except for his ssmates in F-ss and the girls in Dorm No.5. Nevertheless, this guy had to be strong for having the guts toe here.

    The guy seemed to be interested with Wang Tong. ¡°Hey pal, since there¡¯s no one around, wanna have a quick duel?¡±

    ¡°Sure! This boredom is killing me.¡± The guy was barely affected by the 5 times gravity around him. Could he be some hidden ace of Ayrng?

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Wang Ben never knew he would meet someone here. Upon his arrival to Shangjin, he had been spending the morning with his errands, then he decided to have his training directly in the academy because the condition and facilities were better here in Ayrngpared to the ce he was staying.

    The students of Ayrng might be weaker, but he knew Principal Samantha had a few tricks up her sleeves and managed to recruit Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan as her aces. This person in front of him might just happen to be Hu Yangxuan, and Wang Ben was eager to try his hand at this youngster from the Court of Temr.

    ¡°How would you like to do it?¡± asked Wang Tong.

    ¡°I¡¯m good with anything, please don¡¯t hold back if you¡¯re looking for excitement.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, here Ie!¡± Wang Tong¡¯s previous training was just right to be his warm-up exercise. Whoever this guy was, he couldn¡¯t wait to get physical.

    Wang Tong activated his Soul Energy in a glimpse, with his full burst GN Force, he dashed toward the guy with a chop attack.

    Wang Ben knew that he had found the right opponent when he saw the attack and even became more excited. He was afraid that his life in Ayrng might have been boring, but that was before he met this opponent.

    Wang Ben then defended the attack with his right fist and caused a loud burst echoed across the room. Both of them looked startled, especially Wang Ben, he expected his opponent to be great, but he had never thought that he was that great.

    Wang Tong decided not to hold back when he saw the guy blocked his attack, then Wang Tong suddenly remembered a few military tactics from the Earth Confederation and the Ivantians and thought that this might be the right person for him to try out some of thebinations hepiled.

    Immediately Wang Tong made a couple of attacks with his palm.

    Wang Ben had never been in this position before because usually, he was the one who attacked ferociously. After sessfully defended himself against 3 attacks, Wang Ben gathered his strength and threw out a punch.

    That was a forceful punch indeed, Wang Tong made a few somersaults and backed down.

    ¡°That was a powerful punch.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not bad either, time for some serious action shall we? This isn¡¯t entertaining enough for me!¡±

    ¡°Very well, don¡¯t me me if you¡¯re injured though!¡±

    Wang Tong was waiting for him to say so, after all, they were fighting inside the academy, if he identally injured his opponent, he would need to pay for his medical expenses, not to mention, he was broke. Nheless, he was more than happy when he was told by his opponent not to hold back.

 Chapter 73: The Power of a Mind-Opened Fighter

    Chapter 73: The Power of a Mind-Opened Fighter

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Ben was left speechless, the guy in front of him was actually worrying about hurting the other instead of getting hurt himself. Was he being over confident, or were the stronger ones in Ayrng getting too arrogant?

    Throughout the Earth Confederation, only a few person of the same age were able to injure him.

    Wang Ben grabbed both of his fists as he channeled his GN Force, and his Soul Energy reached over a hundred Sols. He was about to get serious in this room with five times the gravity, and it wasn¡¯t something that he hasn¡¯t done before.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, was getting even more pumped up and attacked with his right hand mimicking a de; Wang Ben growled and charged at a low speed, his style of battle was always about attacks and throwing strong punches.

    Bang Bang Bang¡­

    Soon, as they were facing each other, tens of attacks immediately flew across each other, and neither of them backed down. The five times gravity would exacerbate their loss of energy, yet both of them were going all out with their strengths, the two of them were extremely confident to fight in an environment of five times gravity.

    As more impacts happened, their GN forces were increasing too. Every impact was a trial to the toughness of one¡¯s body, and their bodies soon began to sweat. Wang Tong was already having his intense training before the fight, so it was normal for him to sweat now.

    Wang Ben¡¯s punches were simple and straightforward, but every punch of his was rough to handle. It was hard to catch him off-guard, even Wang Tong found it difficult to seek for an opening. His attacks were all about impulses, and his actual strength was high above Wang Tong¡¯s expectation, he had never thought of meeting such a strong opponent.

    Since the guy was a practice target sent from heaven, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t going to hold back anymore. After all, the infirmary was just around the corner, so it shouldn¡¯t be hard to get help if his opponent was injured.

    Wang Tong was going all-out!

    Wang Ben flung out another punch and tried to force his opponent to a brawl, but his target disappeared all of a sudden!

    ¡°Oh crap!¡±

    Wang Tong mysteriously moved and twisted his body like a half-arc, then threw a fierce kick toward Wang Ben¡¯s rib cage from the side.

    That was the Kamp¡¯s Arc Kick, a level 2 technique of the Earth Confederation forces.

    This attack was to force and twist one¡¯s body to create an inertial movement by channeling a burst of GN Force to his physical strength, instantly moving away from his original position and strike on the enemy¡¯s weak points while avoiding the stronghold. Not only it required plenty of GN Force, but the attacker had to also have enough body strength, or else it would cause the attacker to sprain his waist instead.

    Wang Ben had seen this attack before, and without hesitating, he tightened his body and charged toward the attack. Of course, he wasn¡¯t so silly as to take the attack when it had reached maximum power.

    Wang Tong seemed to be pleased, it was a wise judgment... but not perfect!

    It wasn¡¯t a rear kick!

    Wang Ben¡¯s decision to charge lured himself into a critical crisis, the rear kick was a decoy. The first arc was correct, but it was followed by another Kamp¡¯s Arc Kick, and this time it was the real deal. Unfortunately for Wang Ben, he left his back wide opened for Wang Tong as he charged inward.

    If the attack were sessful, Wang Ben would be taking quite an amount of damage.

    But Wang Ben was no easy target, he used the momentum when his body was leaning forward and flung his leg backward like the tail of a scorpion, right toward Wang Tong¡¯s face.

    If Wang Ben¡¯s opponent was someone else, this attack might be able to catch his opponent by surprise, but it didn¡¯t startle Wang Tong at all because he knew it wasn¡¯t a full force attack. Instead, Wang Tong threw down a kick and subdued the attack.

    Unable to control his body, Wang Ben took a few steps forward due to the momentum and stopped. Wang Tong didn¡¯t unleash his full strength in that kick attack.

    Wang Tong then smiled and said, ¡°C¡¯mon get serious man, show me what you got.¡± The guy was obviously holding back his strength as if he was afraid that it might hurt Wang Tong.

    Wang Ben didn¡¯t smile, his expression turned serious as he ripped off his dirtied shirt, showing out his steel-hard physique. ¡°Uarrr!¡±

    GN Force ignited as Wang Ben mmed his arms together, the leftover GN Force within his body flushed out in a sh.

    Wang Ben¡¯s eyes changed, he wasn¡¯t expecting to meet such a tough opponent the moment he stepped into Ayrng. The guy pulled off a double Kamp¡¯s Arc Kick which was a level 2 fighting technique from the military and even close enough to reach level 1 for such a smooth synchronization. Even students from an S-ranked academy wouldn¡¯t be able to do that!

    Wang Tong¡¯s blood tingled when he saw Wang Ben getting serious, he was enjoying the rush of adrenaline. Even though the fights in TPA felt real, still it was only a virtual yground, and it could never bepared with the excitement of a real hand-to-handbat.

    Even though Wang Ben¡¯s murderous aura wasn¡¯t strong enough, still it reminded Wang Tong of his bloodthirstiness when he was on Norton.

    Roar!

    That was Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Wang Tong subconsciously changed his punch to a palm strike when he saw the powerful punch, and his whole body was pushed back 3 steps by the impact. As he regained his bnce, he realized his opponent was probably Wang Ben!

    Wang Ben was still looking serious when his punch sessfully pushed back Wang Tong. He was expecting his punch to fling his opponent across the room, but the impact only pushed the guy a few steps back, no one could have easily stood against the Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Wang Tong was overjoyed, no wonder the guy was that strong, plus he had never heard of such a strong fighter in Ayrng before. As for now, whoever he might be, it had awakened Wang Tong¡¯s fighting spirit, and nothing could¡¯ve held him back now. Moreover, Samantha once said before that she will back him up if anything urred.

    Since it was a valuable chance, Wang Tong decided to try out the cirction power of his right arm against such a strong opponent.

    Wang Ben obtained the absolute advantages the moment he attacked with the Fist of the Racing Tiger. Even though the Fist of the Racing Tiger was only a punching tactic, there seemed to be some kind of secrets in the utilization of the GN Force. If the speed of the previous punch was to be described as swift and sharp, now, every punch felt like bullets fired from a gun. The force was overwhelming.

    Wang Tong was pushed back gradually, he wanted to enjoy the excitement, but somehow he didn¡¯t want to overdo it. He was always thinking too much, Old Fart taught him to do so.

    On the other hand, he wanted to thoroughly observe the details of the Fist of the Racing Tiger. He wanted to see the difference between the real deal and his imitations.

    Wang Ben would be another person once he unleashed the Fist of the Racing Tiger and his aura and willpower would skyrocket. Being born and raised in a military family, Wang Ben inherited the aura and willpower from the respect and confidence toward his dad.

    His confidence was nurtured as he grew up. Yet somehow it sounded like self-hypnotizing.

    Forces of energy swirled across the Gravity Training Chamber, the impact of every punch sounded like a roaring tiger. Not only were the loud roars had the ability to intimidate enemies, but the roars were also able to inflict huge damages to the opponent. Rumor has it that General Hu Ben was able to kill Zergs with only the roars of his Fist of the Racing Tiger.

 Chapter 74: Went Overboard

    Chapter 74: Went Overboard

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Ben was getting pumped up, he was feeling the uncontroble force within his body. Ever since he had been mind opened, he had developed the willpower and confidence to prevail over everything! Not a single soldier in the military has been able to stand against his Fist of the Racing Tiger. It was definitely an unmatchable technique, unparalleled in the world!

    Wang Ben noticed that his opponent was forced into defense when the Fist of Racing Tiger was unleashed.

    His spirit was puffed up with conceit. Being an epigone of his father¡¯s aloof figure, Wang Ben had always been quenching for his father¡¯smendation since he was younger. Even though General Hu Ben was cold to everyone, even to his own son, it didn¡¯t affect the younger Wang Ben because to him that was how a real man was supposed to look like. Soon, Wang Ben also inherited his father¡¯s coldness. Like father, like son.

    However, the failure of his first Mind Opening attempt hauled him into a deep depression. He would risk his life to train harder and improve if it was just hisck of strength, but everything was blotted out when he failed his Mind Opening Operation. He was depressed; not because of the concern of his future, but because he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow the footsteps of his old man and be a dauntless person. Anyhow, Wang Ben was blessed with a second chance, in the end, all thanks to the encouragement from that person. Since then, Wang Ben had been grateful and treated every training and match in a serious manner.

    Now, no one would be able to hinder him!

    Roar!

    Wang Tong felt like he was being attacked by a ferocious tiger awakened from its slumber. Every punch was heavier and stronger than the previous, and the menace was intimidating. It was insane for a young man like him to be able to possess such aura.

    Wang Tong was overjoyed by the indescribable excitement! He was evoked by Wang Ben¡¯s fighting spirit, and he wished to defeat him badly!

    However, Wang Ben¡¯s attacks were unavoidable. Wang Tong was unable to restrain the punches no matter how he coordinated his steps. One''s stability under the belt was the uniqueness of the Fist of the Racing Tiger, it was all about advancing in order without any fancy movements. Every punch from Wang Ben was solid, and no tricks were involved.

    Wang Ben then unleashed the Fist of Tiger Splitting a Mountain! His eyes were filled with his burning will to battle. With Wang Tong still in defense, Wang Ben was fully pumped up as he thrust that fatal punch. The attack was infused with five times more GN Force, undeniably the mightiest punch of all!

    Yet Wang Tong has been waiting for the climax of his attacks, which was why Wang Tong didn¡¯t fight back after all this time; he wanted to counter his opponent¡¯s strongest attack!

    Wang Tong gave an over-excited fiendish grin as the punch approached, just when the attack was about tond on him, Wang Tong initiated his 256-nodes Tactics of the de and struck back with a forceful punch.

    Followed by a burst of light!

    WHAM!

    The impact smashed Wang Ben across the room and straight against the wall. The whole construct of the Gravity Training Chamber was shaken by the immense bang.

    Wang Tong stared at his hands, he was stunned by the incredible power of his Tactics of the de and was surprised by the great difference between 16 nodes and 256 nodes!

    Wang Tong thought that this tactic was only able to improve his Soul Energy, yet he ever expected the power would increase as well. He was feeling superb!

    Wait, where¡¯s the guy?

    As he suddenly came back to his senses, Wang Tong dashed toward his opponent and realized that he was in trouble. Things would really go south when he got over excited!

    Einherjar Wannabe had also once said that he had the same problem when he was hyped up. Worst of all, Samantha wouldn¡¯t forgive him if anything happened to Wang Ben.

    Wang Tong then carried Wang Ben on his back and rushed toward the infirmary as he prayed and begged for forgiveness in his heart. Earth was different from Norton, and humans were not Zergs, he promised himself not to have humans as practice target from now on.

    Fortunately, the infirmary was operating 24/7 due to the high injury rates of the students in a military academy. The doctor immediately moved Wang Ben onto the bed upon arrival. ¡°That¡¯s not good, prepare the nursing fluid!¡± said the doctor after a quick examination.

    ¡°He suffered severe damages to his bones, what happened? Did he get hit by a train or something!?¡± the doctor was mad, he was wondering why the freshmen of this academy kept causing troubles.

    ¡°Is he alright, doc?¡± Wang Tong asked as he scratched the back of his neck, he got scared as he saw the serious expression of the doctor.

    ¡°Dear God, O Lord! I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯ve done, I promise it won¡¯t happen again, please be alright!¡±

    The doctor seemed to notice Wang Tong¡¯s face turned pale, then he said, ¡°Please be careful next time, thank goodness he was sent here in time, and also thank God the principal recently purchased this new equipment, or else he would need to go to the hospital for sure. Anyway, he will have to stay inside the nursing fluid for a couple of days.¡±

    Wang Ben was moved into a spherical transparent capsule with a bunch of tubes attached to his body. Wang Tong felt bad for what he had done. Samantha said that he could test his skills on Wang Ben, but not beat him up and put him into a jar.

    Dammit, his problem of getting over excited must be corrected!

    ¡°Oh by the way, what¡¯s his name? His gic vitality is pretty high, yet it is strange for a powerful person like him to suffer such severe injuries.¡± The doctor was surprised when he saw Wang Ben¡¯s examination data.

    ¡°¡­Where did he go?¡±

    The doctor realized that the kid was gone as he saw that the room was empty!

    Wang Tong immediately fled away when the doctor said Wang Ben was going to be fine. He thanked God for having mercy and promised not to do that again. Wang Tong now realized that it was much safer to fight in the TPA, even though it felt awesome to fight in reality, yet idents might ur; especially at this time when he was still unable to thoroughly master his 256-nodes Tactics of the de, he had to be very cautious.

    Luck wasn¡¯t on Wang Tong¡¯s side recently. First, he was drunk, then he got burgled, and now this. Maybe God thought that his life was too calm and decided to ¡°spice it up¡±.

    Life springs from sorrow and cmity!

    Wang Tong lost his mood to carry on with his training after exhorted himself repeatedly and decided to head back to his dorm.

    But he was haunted by a strange feeling, the feeling that this might not be over yet¡­

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, there¡¯s been a situation!¡±

    ¡°Hello Dr. Rodd, it¡¯s the weekend for god¡¯s sake, what¡¯s wrong?¡± said Samantha. She always wished everyone would leave her alone during the weekends if it wasn¡¯t something urgent.

    ¡°There was an incident, apparently a student was badly injured.¡±

    ¡°Oh, was it a brawl? I believe it shouldn¡¯t be a problem since the new equipment was here already?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, he was sent here by another student, the severe bone damages indicate the injury was caused by GN Force. But, when I was checking on his status, he seemed to be a Level 5 fighter, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, there¡¯s wasn¡¯t any fighter with that level in Ayrng...¡± Dr. Rodd suspected the injured youngster was not a student of Ayrng.

    ¡°Really? Could you please send over his photo? Please treat him with care doctor, was it fatal?¡±

    ¡°No, even though the injury was quite serious, it wasn¡¯t fatal, he has a strong auto-regenerating ability, and thetest nursing capsule is doing great.¡± The doctor was very excited when he finally got his hands on thetest V-Type Capsule manufactured on Moon, a piece of equipment like this cost more than 300 thousand Confederation dors.

    ¡°Everything alright, sis?¡± Ma Xiaoru asked.

    ¡°Looks like some kind of duel between students, but Ayrng doesn¡¯t have anyone that powerful,¡± Samantha was sipping her orange juice as she answered.

    Ding Dong¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who it could be...¡±

    Samantha and Ma Xiaoru couldn¡¯t believe their eyes as they looked at the photo. It was Wang Ben!

    ¡°Who on earth did that?¡± Ma Xiaoru murmured.

 Chapter 75: The Devilish Miss Principal

    Chapter 75: The Devilish Miss Principal

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Samantha came back to her senses and immediately called Doctor Rodd via Sky-Net: ¡°Dr. Rodd, which student sent him to the infirmary?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea, the person ran off before I could ask him any question, but that boy was wearing our academy¡¯s uniform, so I believe he¡¯s definitely one of ours. Ma¡¯am, is the injured student one of ours too? The medical fees are quite high for this.¡± Dr. Rodd was worried because things would get really messy if it were a brawl between students and outsiders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the injured youngster is one of our students, but could you describe the person who sent him over?¡±

    Dr. Rodd then made a few overall descriptions, immediately Samantha and Ma Xiaoru knew who the person was.

    There was a moment of silence after Samantha switched off her Sky-Net, then she said, ¡°That bloody idiot! I only allowed him to test out Wang Ben¡¯s strength, and now he got him severely injured!¡± Samantha continued with a ruminating grin, ¡°Xiaoru, I think Wang Tong isn¡¯t only just a secret weapon that we¡¯ve discovered, he is totally a forbidden weapon! Good God, there isn¡¯t more than 5 person who could defeat Wang Ben like that.¡±

    ¡°Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger is a technique of pure brute force; indeed, it is rare for him to get injured severely, but could it be done by someone else?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten the description from Dr. Rodd? Honestly speaking, who else in Ayrng do you think has the ability to do so? Heh, that boy is good at everything apart from being too ck, doesn¡¯t he understand that an able man is always wanted for everything? Looks like it¡¯s time for me to take some actions,¡± Samantha said with the impish looks on her lovely eyes. She always had tricks up her sleeves against Wang Tong, and unfortunately for him, Samantha now had her hands on Wang Tong¡¯s biggest weakness.

    ¡°Do you think Wang Tong was injured by the powerful attacks from Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger?¡± Ma Xiaoru was worried.

    ¡°Oh, you silly girl, that kid carried Wang Ben to the infirmary and ran off in a sh. Even if he were hurt, it might just be small injuries. Look at you, have you forgotten that those who learned the Tactics of the Enchantress shouldn¡¯t be worried over these small matters huh?¡± Samantha teased.

    ¡°Hey! Stop teasing me!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I was just kidding. The kid was always acting serious and busy in front of us, and I really think it¡¯s time for me to teach him a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a n, Sis?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you shall see tomorrow!¡±

    Wang Tong was tossing and turning on his sheet-less bed. He was wondering if Wang Ben would associate that punch to Einherjar Wannabe, but there was a huge difference of power between virtual and reality so Wang Ben shouldn¡¯t have realized.

    He told himself not to think too much, things will mend in the end as it goes.

    It wasn¡¯t aplicated incident, but it definitely scared the crap out of him, or as Old Fart said, ¡°Guilty consciences make men cowards¡±.

    Wang Tong then fell asleep in the middle of his thoughts, and he dreamed of his underpants getting stolen by a masked thief¡­

    Monday blues wasmon amongst everyone due to the fact that the weekend was over. Meanwhile, Wang Tong who was always energetic seemed to be distracted, he was worrying if something was going to happen.

    Yet everything was normal, and everyone carried on with their tasks and routines.

    Ma Xiaoru looked normal too when she walked toward Wang Tong, but his extraordinary eighth sense was tingling, something didn¡¯t smell right!

    ¡°Mister Wang Tong, are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good.¡±

    ¡°Haha, really?¡± Wang Tong answered as he touched his face. There must be something since Ma Xiaoru addressed him ¡°Mister¡±, and he presumed that they knew what had happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for the lessons.¡±

    Ma Xiaoru suddenly ended their conversation, and the suspense was killing Wang Tong, yet he had to maintain his patience.

    On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru was trying her best not tough, she knew that everyone enjoyed showing off, especially Wang Tong; yet she didn¡¯t expect him to cause such chaos when he was given the ¡°permission¡± to show off. Severely injuring Wang Ben was not something that could be done by anyone.

    Actually, she wasn¡¯t nning on teasing Wang Tong, but she enjoyed watching his silliness and awkwardness, it made her heart throbbing.

    While Wang Tong was having his lessons in worry, Samantha was smiling at Wang Ben in the Principal¡¯s office.

    ¡°Is your body alright Mr. Wang Ben?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for caring Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s just a mild injury. I¡¯vepleted the admission formalities, but there¡¯s another thing that needs your assistance, Ma¡¯am,¡± Wang Ben said in a serious tone.

    ¡°Very well. First of all, wee to Ayrng, feel free to speak up your mind, and I¡¯ll offer you my assistance or even open a few backdoors, as long as your request is not against the regtions of our academy.¡± Samantha smiled, she knew what Wang Ben was going to ask.

    ¡°As you know Ma¡¯am, yesterday when I arrived the academy, I had a brawl with one of the students in the Gravity Training Chamber. I¡¯d like to know who he is. Is it Hu Yangxuan?¡±

    Wang Ben wasn¡¯t looking thwarted at all; instead, his eyes were filled with curiosity, like someone who had discovered a newnd.

    ¡°Are you really feeling alright? ording to Dr. Rodd, you¡¯re supposed to rest for another 3 to 4 days.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that serious, just that I won¡¯t be able to fight for a few days,¡± Wang Ben answered faintly, he wasn¡¯t caring too much about his body condition.

    ¡°Please tell me the reason you¡¯re looking for him.¡±

    ¡°To challenge him of course! I¡¯d like to fight him again when my injuries are healed,¡± Wang Ben answered in a serious manner. He remembered that he was having the advantages in their previous fight, yet he lost in the end. Since then, Wang Ben has been curious about the reason behind his defeat.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be that easy. The person you fought previously is a cker. It was actually a coincidence for you to meet him. But...¡±

    ¡°Please Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m begging for your help on this one. In return, I¡¯ll be in yourmand when the academy needs my help in the future!¡± Wang Ben was not a fool. Obviously, he knew that Samantha needed his strength in order to ¡°resurrect¡± Ayrng, and he had already made up his mind to assist Samantha when he decided to sign up for Ayrng.

    Samantha nodded, as a matter of fact, she knew that she was thinking too much upon meeting Wang Ben. The boy inherited the characteristic of his military family, which was to obey every order. The highest rank officer in an academy was the Principal, and 2nd ss academy or not, an order was still an order.

    ¡°His name is Wang Tong, he¡¯s one of our freshmen. Oh, by the way, he¡¯s in the F-ss too, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy about this...¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Ma¡¯am!¡± Wang Ben thanked Samantha sincerely. He never thought that his family was the greatest and mightiest. The confederation was huge, and there were a lot of hidden aces around the other than the Five Houses and the mystical Court of the Temr. Not to mention that there were also a lot of gifted ones amongst students. He was scared of being lonely and unrivaled, but not anymore.

    Samantha was pleased and nodded: ¡°But this Wang Tong fe is not easy to handle, we must use other methods in order to ¡®tame¡¯ him.¡±

    Wang Ben was startled when he heard Samantha was trying to mess with his own student, the principal suddenly appeared to have grown a pair of impish horns on her head.

    Yet Wang Ben agreed on her decision as Samantha exined Wang Tong¡¯s personality. He had to make sure that Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t turn him down when he asked for a rematch, but Wang Ben started feeling awkward when he knew Samantha¡¯s n. As a person born and raised in a military family, he had always been doing things in an honorable way, but this time, it might be a bit¡­

    ¡°Trust me, Mister Wang Ben, one must use extraordinary methods to handle an extraordinary person, especially against someone sneaky like Wang Tong.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, here¡¯s the bill for the repairments of the Gravity Training Chamber.¡±

    ¡°Very well, please send me a copy.¡± Samantha smiled as she nodded.

    Wang Ben began to see Samantha as a weird principal and realized that it would be impossible for someone to escape if she had her hands on their weakness.

 Chapter 76: Coercion Round Two

    Chapter 76: Coercion Round Two

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong heard the school bell chimed like an ominous rm, alerting him of an impending doom. Lo and behold, Ma Xiaoru greeted him with a knowing smile and told him that his presence was required at the principal''s office.

    Wang Tong furrowed his brows and heaved a sigh.

    Ma Xiaoruughed at him after seeing Wang Tong''s distressed look, "It will be all right, she won''t bite. She asked you to have a fight with Wang Ben, so you did. It was as simple as that."

    Wang Tong forced a wry smile, "I am afraid that it is not as simple as that, not for our principal."

    "Perhaps you are right... Samantha is pretty good at ying tricks on people after all. Just be careful, do whatever she says."

    "I never broke any rules, and although I am not the model student, I worked my ass off for the honor of our school!"

    Ma Xiaoru pouted her lips and said, "Bullsh*t, I might have believed you, but for your own sake, don''t even think about bringing those words in front of Samantha."

    Wang Tong smiled knowingly. He found it strange that the Tactics of the Enchantress didn''t change Ma Xiaoru''s gullible personality. He marveled at thebination of her prestige family background and the meek and lovely personality, and he thought that Ma Xiaoru would give him so much joy should he decided to stay with her.

    However, Wang Tong was born with rebellious blood in his vein. His heart told him that it was impossible between him and Samantha, but his body pulled him closer and closer to the danger zone.

    He remembered that the Old Fart had always said that man''s brain is in his crotch. "Maybe he does, but I don''t." Wang Tong found it disgusting to be grouped into the same category with the uncouth Old Fart. He remembered that when Wang Tong was younger, he had often heard the strange moaninging out from Old Fart''s room. What Wang Tong had also remembered but had refused to acknowledge then was the fact that he had always beenpelled by the sound to stand outside of Old Fart''s room and to listen attentively while keeping his hand busy in his pants.

    He cracked open the door to the principal''s office and saw Wang Ben was already there. His puffy jacket seemed to suggest that there were still bandages underneath. Feeling ashamed, Wang Tong avoided Wang Ben''s eyes and smiled awkwardly. "Wee aboard, Wang Ben."

    "Come in Wang Tong, don''t stand by the door," the cold aloofness in Samantha''s voice made it sound utterly different than her soft voice on the weekend.

    Wang Tong hurried to close the door and moved aside. He stood timidly, not wanting to walk any further away from the door. Ma Xiaoru watched as she waited for a show to unfold.

    "I am sorry. It was an ident yesterday, I didn''t mean to¡ª"

    "I understand¡­ it was a sparring. Here, take a look at this." Wang Ben handed him a bill that listed all the medical expenses.

    "You knew that our school forbids unprotected fights, to that end, we can''t pay the entire medical bill, only forty percent, and you two, as the main instigators, have to share the remaining sixty percent. In addition, you have to pay for the damage done to the training room. So at the end of the day, it would be six grand for each of you. Here is the bill," Samantha spoke with a bright smile on her face as if she was celebrating a certain victory.

    Wang Tong looked around him. "They are all richer than me; it was a set-up!" He bit down his lips and conceded his fate.

    "I don''t have money, and you know it, Principal. I will have to pay withbor." Wang Tong was adamant in holding onto his earnings.

    "Atta boy! I want you to fight two matches in the tournament with Bernabeu. If you do so, you can consider your debts paid."

    "No problem, for the honor of Ayrng, for the honor of the tradition, and the¡ª"

    Wang Tong was cut short by Samantha: "Yea, yea. Save your energy for our enemy."

    "I am sorry Wang Tong. I didn''t want to be a d*ck. I hope we can still spar in the future," Wang Ben''s seemed to have regained his concision and apologized to Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong spread out his hand nonchntly, "I know it was not you, only our principal could have thought of such a brilliant idea. But I have to warn you: she is an expert at many things, and be careful, one day she might ask you to dig your own grave too."

    Wang Tong was unruffled at Samantha''s malicious intrigue. He was ready to fight against her, regardless if she was the principal or the elegant beauty.

    Samantha locked her eyes onto Wang Tong''s and pouted her lips slightly. "Watch your mouth, Wang Tong. I am still your principal." Although she was perplexed by Wang Tong''s sudden animosity, she didn''t stress about it because she knew that as long as Wang Tong was still her student, she would have him under her thumb.

    Ma Xiaoru furrowed her eyebrows as she found it strange that Wang Tong seemed always to act differently whenever he was with Samantha. Ma Xiaoru then wondered if love had made her blind.

    "You must be Ma Xiaoru? d to meet you, I have heard so much about you," Wang Ben announced.

    "The pleasure is mine, Wang Ben."

    "This is great! The four of you would make Martyrus pay for his arrogance. Prepare well, use as many resources as you wish. But make sure you win," Samantha narrowed her eyes as she gave them a warning.

    Regardless if it was Ayrng or Bernabeu, the victory was going to be crucial to their next phase of development. If Bernabeu won over the two of Ayrng''s best students, they would stand a better chance against the S-ss Academies. On the other hand, victory was equally important for Samantha because if she lost, she would have to quit her job and be aughing stock to all the other principals of the entire confederation.

    "Yes Ma''am"

    "Excellent! Wang Tong and Xiaoru, I want you to show Wang Ben around our campus and the F-ss."

    "Let''s go, today''s lunch will be on me," Wang Tong still felt guilty of injuring Wang Ben; otherwise, he wouldn''t have offered to pay.

    "Thank you," Wang Ben epted the offer.

    "You should be honored, Wang Ben. This stingy Wang Tong had never been so generous. Thanks to you, I am getting a free lunch too," Ma Xiaoru''s face bloomed like a flower as she spoke about Wang Tong.

    Unlike Hu Yangxuan, Wang Ben had been keeping a low profile ever since he arrived Ayrng which gave Wang Tong a great first impression. Although Wang Ben and Wang Tong had only fought once, they had already started to form a bond out of mutual admiration.

    They regrouped with Hu Yangxuan, and then the four of them headed down to the cafeteria. Wang Ben remained quiet, and Hu Yangxuan was as loud as usual. He went on to fill the other three with all kinds of gossips.

    It was louder than the usual inside of the cafeteria as the students shared and discussed certain news. Surprisingly, the news had nothing to do with Wang Ben, although every student had heard about his arrival and his assignment to the F-ss.

    Some studentsmented over the fact that, with Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben, the F-ss seemed to be more like the A-ss.

 Chapter 77: None of My Business

    Chapter 77: None of My Business

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The students started to gain a certain measure of admiration toward their principal as they hailed for Wang Ben''s arrival. They had initially questioned Samantha''s ability to run the school. But, to their surprise, she was able to bring the school back onto the right track. The recent series of good news had significantly motivated the student as none of them wanted to be the one that dragged the entire school down.

    Everyone in the cafeteria was discussing Einherjar Wannabe.

    "Einherjar Wannabe! Ah, what an interesting character, mysterious and powerful. I had dug into his background; it was very perplexing, to say the least," Hu Yangxuan said.

    "He must have cultivated a rather bizarre tactics that allowed him to copy other fighter''s powers."

    Wang Tong kept quiet as he watched Wang Ben knowingly.

    "Don''t look at me like I know him that well. I wasn''t even mind opened yet when I fought him. I was at the lowest point in my life, so I didn''t pay much attention while I fought. To be honest, though, I appreciated his encouragement at the end of the match. I want a rematch, but I just can''t find him!"

    "Did he use the real Fist of the Racing Tiger?" Hu Yangxuan asked curiously.

    Wang Ben straightened his back and exined with a serious voice: "It is hard to say. It looked like real and sounded like so too. You know it is almost impossible to fake those roars. That being said, I highly doubt that he would be able to repeat my tactics after seeing it only once."

    "That''s true. The Fist of the Racing Tiger is the secret of your family, I don''t think that he would have learned it. My guess is that his tactics is very simr to Wang Ben''s regarding its aggressiveness, and it is not entirely unlikely that he had faked the roar."

    "AHH! Who kicked me!?" Wang Ben yelled suddenly and distracted the other two boys.

    Ma Xiaoru''s face blushed. "Sorry, wrong person. Wang Tong, you pig! You have eaten everything while we were talking."

    Wang Tong didn''t mind her scolding at all, he smiled and retorted: "I was trying to be a good listener and stuffing my mouth with food so that I don''t interrupt you guys."

    Ma Xiaoru was not impressed by Wang Tong''s sly retort even though she had never met a boy that would talk to her in such a ballsy manner.

    "You can have my portion as well if you tell me what you think of this Einherjar Wannabe," Hu Yangxuan announced, curiosities shed in his eyes.

    Wang Ben was also very curious about Wang Tong''s take on Einherjar Wannabe since Wang Tong had defeated him. Wang Ben had thought that Hu Yangxuan would be his toughest opponent here in Ayrng, but after the fight with Wang Tong, he had quickly forgotten about Hu Yangxuan. Although The Temr was considered strong among ordinary fighters, Wang Ben felt that only the ones from the major Houses were worthy of being his opponent, such as Ma Xiaoru. However, as a descendant of a pride military family, Wang Ben could not put himself into a position where he had to fight against a girl.

    Wang Tong didn''t answer right away; instead, he kept on chewing the cabbages, dragging out the anticipation. Hemented theck of interests of his friends in these delicious dishes. "Let them try staying on Norton for a year, then they would know how I feel about food," he thought.

    "Einherjar Wannabe? What about him? He seemed pretty powerful, but what does that have anything to do with us?"

    "Lame... On the bright side, perhaps you were right to some degree. It could have been someone from the great houses fooling around. I wonder if there will be any other stronger fighters that wille to challenge him," Hu Yangxuan said as he cracked a smile.

    "I will try to find him and have a rematch with him. But for now, I need to recover from my injuries," Wang Ben announced and he shoveled a chunk of meat into his mouth.

    "I had noticed something was odd in the way you walk. Are you alright? What happened to you?" Hu Yangxuan was still oblivious to what had happened.

    "Nothing," Wang Tong answered abruptly.

    "I am not asking you," Hu Yangxuan cut him short.

    "It''s nothing. I was just sparing with Wang Tong the other day, and we both get a little bit careless. When I get better, I would love to spar with you," determination shined in Wang Ben''s eyes as he answered candidly, without hiding his defeat.

    Wang Ben''s answer reminded Hu Yangxuan. He turned his head around to face Wang Tong and asked, "When is our fight gonna happen? You keep on procrastinating it."

    "Could you please spar with Wang Ben first? Please? I have lots of subject to work on. You can ask Ma Xiaoru, and she can attest that I am failing almost every single one of the subjects: physics, astronomy, math, history, and battle tactics, you name it! You don''t want to see me getting expelled from Ayrng next month, don''t you?"

    Hu Yangxuan and Wang Ben looked to Ma Xiaoru for proof of what Wang Tong had just said. But Ma Xiaoru didn''t speak for Wang Tong; instead, she added more fuel to the fire: "It''s not as bad as he said. By the way, we still have a fight that we need to finish, when do you think you can do that?"

    Wang Tong didn''t want to agree to any of the requests because he was afraid that if he couldn''t control his power, he might hurt one of his friends again ¡ª just like how he did it with Wang Ben ¡ª and it would take him a while to learn to control his power. Although Wang Tong was forced into the corner by his friends, he still refrained from telling them his concerns, fearing that it would only exacerbate the situation.

    "How about this: I will give Wang Ben some time to recuperate, and then I will fight him first. This would also allow some time for Hu Yangxuan to focus on preparing his Temr''s routine test. I will then fight Hu Yangxuan after he finishes his test." Before anyone had taken in the information, Wang Tong snatched another drumstick and shoveled it down his mouth.

    "What about me?" Having noticed that Wang Tong didn''t even answer her question, Ma Xiaoru pressed on.

    "Mydy, haven''t we already fought once? AGAIN?"

    "That one doesn''t count, rematch!" Even Ma Xiaoru was surprised by her persistence. Perhaps in her subconscious, she only wanted to spend more time with the boy she liked so much.

    "Fine, fine! As long as you help me with my assignments. Is that all, guys?"

    "Yes, let''s eat now before it''s all gone." Having seen to it that his goal had been achieved, Hu Yangxuan snatched the food he had given to Wang Tong back.

    This is the first time the four of them met each other, and it would be muchter when they realized the importance of this day. But for now, they were just innocent college students, living a carefree life.

    Wang Tong felt relieved that Wang Ben didn''t recognize him. He didn''t want to give up the disguise as Einherjar Wannabe that had allowed him to fight in the TPA without consequences of revealing his power. It would be handy when he test the 256 nodes version of the Tactics of the de in the TPA.

    Without the guidance of a teacher, Wang Tong had to be the trailzer in his journey of cultivation. He conceded that mistakes would be inevitable; however, he also reckoned that it was what he could learn from these mistakes that would bring him closer to sess.

    Wang Tong''s week had been eventful thanks to Wang Ben''s arrival. On the other hand, Wang Ben was apparently still perplexed by Einherjar Wannabe''s counterfeit Fist of the Racing Tiger as he kept on switching the topic to the mysterious Einherjar Wannabe.

 Chapter 78: Troublesome Bed Sheets

    Chapter 78: Troublesome Bed Sheets

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong listened carefully while Ma Xiaoru exined the tutorial questions to him. He was never after the title of "straight A" ¡ª he knew that he couldn''t be a straight A student even if he wanted to ¡ª neither was he going to be a rocket scientist; therefore, he figured that he would only need to understand enough for him to graduate. He was deeply moved by Ma Xiaoru''s patience and attention to details; it was the first time in his life that someone had given him so much attention and care. Wang Tong''s only rtive was Old Fart. Unfortunately, he doubted if Old Fart knew how to spell "caring".

    Although Wang Tong was moved by Ma Xiaoru, he was also equally possessed by Samantha. For some inexplicable reason, Wang Tong had always experienced an uncontroble fit of excitement whenever he thought about Samantha.

    He started to find it hard to fall asleep at night as he was torn between the choice of the meek and caring Ma Xiaoru and the dangerous and sexy Samantha.

    Having been mired in his infatuations, Wang Tong forgot about the TPA fights and didn''t sign in ever since hisst fight. However, his absence had been noted and had stirred up wild spections and preposterousmands in the virtualmunity.

    The reviews about Wang Tong''s fight were mixed. Every day, more and more TPA fighters joined the ranks of challengers since the consensus of the onlinemunity was that Einherjar Wannabe''s victory was a fluke, and he was not as powerful as his victory seem to have suggested. They believed that Einherjar Wannabe''s poprity was primarily due to Wang Ben, yet, Wang Ben had been only an IPA fighter when their match took ce. Therefore, the victory did not carry that much credence. Wang Tong''s absences only added fuel to the fire as it gave other TPA fighters an impression of him being either cowardly or pretentious.

    Amidst the ceaseless uproar, those who had deciphered the real power of Einherjar Wannabe had remained calm and silent as they quietly gathered more information about the mysterious fighter. Once they had gathered enough evidence to validate their spection, they would strike without hesitation.

    "Luv Ma, haven''t you sent out the challenge? "

    "Yes, every day. But I doubt that he would notice ours among the other thousands of challenges. I say you have a better chance exchanging barbs with Gadus." Luv Ma shook his head as hemented over the freebor he had to provide for Miao Xiu.

    "I''m not sure where Gadus is, I have been looking for him for days. I think he is hiding!" Mia Xiu pouted. He was not interested in his senior ssmates at all, for, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he defeated Gadus and gained the title of No.1 Fighter of the second year.

    The ranking system had remained a tradition at the Starry Sky Academy. The number one on that list would enjoy certain of privileges granted by the school. That being said, anyone could challenge the No. 1 fighter in a formal challenge, and the challenger did not have toe from the same year as the title holder.

    Although the title of the first year''s No. 1 fighter was still vacant, everyone knew to whom this title belonged. Although this person had never instigated a single fight, even the most arrogant brat such as Miao Xiu did not dare to cross path with him. Miao Xiu would rather fight a senior student than fight Patroclus.

    Cao Yi had also be more popr ever since the fight with Wang Tong. Even the students at Bernabeu were caught off guard by his performance. They never thought that such a meek and kind ssmate would unleash so much belligerent attack upon his opponent, neither did they thought that Cao Yi could reach such a high soul energy reading.

    Cao Yi''s friendliness didn''t change even after he had be popr. He engrossed himself in his research, but he never refused his ssmates'' sparring requests and had always offered his suggestions openly.

    Martyrus had also spent much time with this boy, grooming him into a powerful fighter. There were usually two types of talented person: one that was born with talents and the other that had earned it through strenuous efforts. Martyrus believed that Cao Yi was thetter and experience had taught him the ones that had gained talents through hard work were more likely to continue to be sessful. What made Martyrus believed in Cao Yi even more firmly was the fact that the boy seemed to be genuinely interested in tactics.

    Just like Miao Xiu, Cao Yi had been signing into the TPA system every day to wait out Einherjar Wannabe. Their fight had been inspiring to him, but it also provoked more questions. For one thing, he never believed that Einherjar Wannabe was only 16 years old; based on his usage of soul energy, Cao Yi had estimated Einherjar Wannabe to be around 35 or so.

    Cao Yi had maintained a calm appearance, but it was a thin disguise of the wild turbulence the fight had stirred up in his mind. Before the fight, Cao Yi had always believed that as long as he kept his strike fast and precise, he could be invincible, but the match had proven him wrong. He started to realize that simpler moves sometimes could outweigh borated ones.

    Suddenly, Cao Yi seemed to have realized something, he jumped out of his chair and darted out of the library. He realized that it wasn''t a set of wless moves he needed, but a simple and effective strike to settle the scores.

    Wang Tong didn''t consider TPA as the most important part of his life; therefore he only showed up when he was avable. This weekend was a busy one for Wang Tong since he nned to visit a few robotic shops after his work was done. Although he was told that the chance of Charcoal''s revival was slim, he had remained adamant in his quest to bring his friend back.

    He didn''t visit Ma Xiaoru''s house this weekend either, not because he didn''t receive her invitation, but he was still confused by his infatuations. Since he couldn''t make up his mind between Ma Xiaoru and Samantha, he decided to push the matter aside and focusing on more pressing issues such as reviving Charcoal. Do nothing was always better than do the wrong thing.

    He spent his morning visiting eight robotic shops, and none coulde up with a good solution. All the official outlets unanimously suggested to handle the situation by the book, and their quotes for the job were astronomical. None of the ck market robotic shops were useful either; some of them had proposed an overhaul of Charcoal''s system but could not offer Wang Tong a warranty. Fearing that he might lose Charcoal for good, Wang Tong refused their proposal right away.

    The recent development in the TPA had proved himself to be apetent fighter. Therefore Wang Tong was confident that it would only be a matter of time before he could earn enough money to revive Charcoal. He decided to wait rather than wasting his luck and money on a dodgy ck market shop.

    Wang Tong continued his search after lunch, but he was slowed down by themuting around the city. Although Shangjin had a well-developed transit system, the enormous size of the city meant that the transit system wouldn''t be able to cover every corner of the city. Therefore, Wang Tong had to walk to some ces. After an entire day of searching that had bared no fruit, Wang Tong conceded that his only hope wouldy at the search institutes, but he doubted that any institute would bother with a low-tire robot.

    As the night fell, Wang Tong decided to give up and go home. He entertained the thoughts of traveling to the Moon as he had heard that there were a lot of skilled robotic mechanics there. But to pay for the expensive flight to the Moon, he needed to save more money ¡ª It always came down to the money.

    As he walked along the bustling street of Shangjin, hearing the soft whirs of Meg-levs above his head, a strange mixture of exhration, nostalgia, and loneliness arose inside of him.

    He saw a department store and remembered that he needed cover sheets for his bed, so he walked toward the store, thinking that he might as well grab a new T-shirt or two while he was there.

    As soon as Wang Tong stepped through the threshold, he heard a deafening re, and he saw a thousand pieces of broken sses flying at him. He acted out of instinct as he sprawled on the floor.

    "Sh*t, so much trouble for a set of bed sheets!"

 Chapter 79: Sword in Hand

    Chapter 79: Sword in Hand

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Ton cursed angrily. He had been disappointed and frustrated after a day of search with nothing to show for it, and the sudden explosion had degraded his mood even further.

    It was a chaotic scene inside of the department store. Wang Tong was truly unlucky today as he walked right into a robbery.

    A fight had already broken out in a jewelry store. Wang Tong wagered that the criminals had to be decent fighters. Otherwise, they wouldn''t dare to rob a crowded department store.

    Someone had already sounded the siren so that the policy would arrive in 10 minutes or so. However, the security guards were taken down by the robbers one after another; in less than five minutes, all of the security guards wereying on the floor either in agonizing pain or unconscious. The two robbers wore third tier METAL suits, and judging by their appearance, they were very likely Ivantians.

    As one of the good citizens of Shangjin, and the model student of Ayrng, Wang Tong rolled up his sleeves and was ready to stop the robbers. He licked lips as he thought about the bounty he might receive.

    However, someone was one step ahead of him as he heard a familiar girl''s voice shouting out at the robbers.

    Wang Tong wondered what Zhou Sisi was doing here. He watched as Zhou Sisi advanced toward the two robbers, brandishing a piece of bed sheet in her hand.

    Zhou Sisi had been there ever since the beginning of the robbery, but she hesitated to fight the criminals because she had realized that although her soul energy was on par with the robbers'', the two had the advantage of METAL suits. Seeing the two criminals were about to get away, Zhou Sisi infused the bed sheet in her hand with GN power and hurled it at the two robbers.

    Despite her good intention, her effort was rather futile. One of the robbers hacked a sword through the bed sheet and in a blink of eyes, the GN infused bed sheet turned into shreds of cloth as they fell and scattered on the ground.

    The shorter and fatter one of the two robbers was annoyed by the resistance, and he hacked his sword at Zhou Sisi. The METAL suit amplified his strike to a deadly attack that could slice Zhou Sisi in half. She spun around to dodge the attack, and the swordnded heavily on the ground, leaving a deep gash on the carpeted floor of the jewelry store.

    "Let''s bounce! NOW! The cops areing!"

    "Gimme a second, I''m gonna f*ck her up!" The fatty was frustrated that his de had missed the little girl.

    The taller robber turned back and shoveled more jewelry into a sack; clearly, he was not too worried about the police either.

    The fatty edged toward Zhou Sisi, as he held the sword tightly in his hand. The customers and workers of the store sprawled on the floor trembling at the terrible sight. No one dared to move a muscle, much less to save Zhou Sisi.

    Zhou Sisi also recognized the danger she was in. It was not in the virtual world, where life and death meant nothing. In the real world, the cost of being a heroin could be her life.

    The fatty hacked again. Instead of getting out of harm''s way, Zhou Sisi advanced in and bashed the robber with her GN force infused body. The robber stumbled back and was surprised by the girls fighting spirit and strength.

    "Let''s go!" The taller robber tried to pull the fatty back, but the fatty broke free and closed into Zhou Sisi in lightning speed. Before Zhou Sisi had realized what had happened, she was snatched by a paired of iron hands and was hauled over a broad shoulder.

    "No without this hot stuff!" The fattyughed as he scurried out of the store with his prize on his shoulder. Wang Tong stalked them to the parking lot outside; he didn''t fight the robbers because he was worried that the fight in the crowded store might hurt innocent people.

    Zhou Sisi struggled to break free, but she received a hefty punch on her side. The pain shot through her body as she heard the robber said, "Stay still my darling. Otherwise, I might have to gut you open like a pig. Haha!"

    The two started their Meg-Lev and set off toward the exit of the parking lot.

    "What the heck is THAT?"

    A boy suddenly appeared in front of their Meg-lev and gestured them to stop with an eerie smile on his face.

    "Run him over!"

    The car didn''t lose any momentum, but Wang Tong didn''t flinch either. He never expected them to stop in the first ce.

    VROMMM...

    The Meg-lev picked up speed right before he crashed into Wang Tong.

    The crash sent a violent tremor that could be felt miles away. Carried by their momentum, the two robber''s head thudded onto the ss windshield. Fortunately for Zhou Sisi, she was kept inside of the trunk. Therefore she was unharmed during the collision.

    "You mother f*****! I am going to cut you down!" The fatty squeezed himself through the broken windshield and threw himself at Wang Tong.

    "Only less than one hundred sols and even with the 30% increase from your METAL, you are still pathetic!" Wang Tong muttered.

    Wang Tong ducked down to dodge the sword and delivered a prating punch at his opponent at the same time.

    As the fatty plopped down on the ground, Wang Tong caught his sword. A newfound exhration swept through his body; it had been a while since he had held a weapon. He licked the blood off from the sharp edge, feeling strangely satisfied at the taste.

    He walloped the car with the sword, and the Meg-lev suddenly disintegrated into pieces, exposing the fatty''spanion. He raised his hand high above his head and pleaded for his life: "Please! I¡­ I surrender."

    "Haha, you are not as professional as your fat friend."

    "No¡­ No! Don''te near me!" Having witnessed the boy single-handedly stopping a speeding Meg-Lev and disintegrated it in one strike, he believed that he had met the devil himself.

    He figured that it was better for him to get caught by the police than fighting against this boy. If the police captured him, he would be sent off to another at worst, but to confront this freak would undoubtedly spell his doom.

    Wang Tong found his pleading rather disappointing. He was eager to satisfy his long suppressed desire for the taste of blood. Ever since he returned to Earth, he was startled by the excitement he felt whenever he picked up a weapon, and the more Wand Tong tried to silence it, the stronger it became.

    With the sword in his hand, he could no longer contain his burning desire.

    The robber suddenly leaped out of the rubble and turned on his heels. Wang Tong moved at lightning speed and stopped him before he could make another step.

    "Why do you run away? We have so much to talk about." Wang Tong showed him an ugly grin.

    Knowing that his escape route had been cut off, the robber thrust the sharp de at Wang Tong. To his surprise, Wang Tong didn''t move, and he took the strike with full force.

    Joy shed briefly in the robber''s eyes, as he cherished his luck. But his delight quickly turned into fear as he watched Wang Tong snapped the de into two with his bare hands.

    The blood, both his and the robber''s, sent a strange euphoria throughout Wang Tong''s body.

    The edge of Wang Tong''s de glinted as it bore down onto the robber and separated one arm from the body. The robber didn''t even feel the pain, but only the coldness of the de. As the limbnded on the ground, Wang Tong''s mind had already drifted away into the jungles and the mind caves on the Norton.

    "Don''t! Please don''t kill me!" The robber threw himself at Wang Tong''s feet.

    The robber fainted as the sight of another strikeing toward him. Zhou Sisi had also wakened up and had witnessed the horrific scene. She opened her mouth to yell out at Wang Tong, but she found that it was already toote.

    However, the sword paused half way and hovered in the air withoutnding on its target. An eerie light shed in Wang Tong''s eyes. "Chicken sh*t!"

 Chapter 80: Serene Imagination

    Chapter 80: Serene Imagination

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Zhou Sisi shambled toward Wang Tong. As soon as she saw the wound on Wang Tong''s arm, she asked incredulously, "Are you crazy? Why didn''t you get out of the way?" She tore off a strip of her shirt and started to dress the wound for Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong smiled nkly as he was also perplexed by his action. He thought perhaps he had been craving for the smell of blood so much that he didn''t even care if it was his own blood.

    He was only fifteen when he had to face the terrible world all by himself and was traumatized by it. It was evident that the trauma had affected him in a very dark way.

    Despite the thirst for blood he had buried deep down, the Tactics of the de were able to allow him to regain conscience when his sword was only inches away from reaching his twisted desires.

    Wang Tong stood still as Zhou Sisi tended his wound. Eventually, he loosened his grip and let the sword drop onto the ground as he slowly gathered himself from the thrill of the battle.

    He turned his head and regarded the worried expression held on Zhou Sisi''s face, and then he wondered if this girl really hated him as she had purported. He cracked a smile and said, "You are pretty good at this."

    "What''s so funny about it?" Zhou Sisi threw him a stern nce. "I hope you are serious when you talk to the policeter."

    "I am the Good Samaritan. What are they going to do to me? At most, they will refuse me the bounty. "

    "Bounty? You are such a miser, and I hope you don''t choke on your money. But yes, we are acting out of self-defense, so as long as there''s no life at stake, we should be okay. Ayrng has made a name for itself today thanks to you. I think Samantha will be pleased," Zhou Sisi said as she examined the wound sympathetically.

    "Life? Who is dead?" Wang Tong asked incredulously.

    "You think that fatty is still alive?"

    "Of course, he had the protection of the METAL suit. I just knocked him out," Wang Tong said.

    They heard quick steps and turned their head to see a dozen policemen walking briskly toward them.

    Seeing his colleges were staring sternly at the two kids, the head officer waved his hand and said, "Don''t scare the children", and then he turned to the two. "You two, we will need you toe with us. I hope you will cooperate with our operation."

    "No problem, will do. But my friend is wounded, do you mind letting the doctor look after his injury first?"

    "That''s for sure. We will take care of that. Xiao Gang, take the two young, brave heroes to the hospital."

    The policemen were awestruck by the strength of the youth as they cleared away the mangled parts of the Meg-Lev.

    "Boss, don''t you think this boy is a bit suspicious? Maybe a mutant or what not."

    "Shut your trap. He is just a student of Ayrng. They had a new principal this year and had shaken things up a bit."

    "Ayrng? I never heard anyone that strong in Ayrng."

    "You don''t have a kid, do you. Every parent knows that Ayrng is on the rise after the new principal had arrived. My son is about to graduate high school, I had considered sending him to some better Academy outside of Shangjin, but if the two kids were really from Ayrng, I might as well let my son go there." The head officer lighted a cigarette and cracked a relieved smile.

    The police officer Xiao Gang had followed his order to the letter. He first sent Wang Tong to the hospital and didn''t ask about the case until Wang Tong had done his examen. The two criminal had been wanted by the authority for a while, and no one had been able to capture them due to their exceptional prowess. So when people heard that it was two students from Ayrng that had subdued the robbers, everyone''s jaw almost dropped to the ground. The graduates of the Ayrng had once filled many key positions in the police department, but that had been ancient history that no one seemed to remember anymore.

    To reward their heroic deeds, the City of Shangjin had decided to award them with a badge of honor. However, Wang Tong was more concerned about another award: his bounty.

    The police initially nned to send them home in their patrol vehicle, but the two felt that it might attract too much unwanted attentions, so they decided to travel by themselves.

    The two students walked side by side on the street without saying a word to each other, and finally, Zhou Sisi broke the awkward silence: "Wang Tong, can you teach me how to fight in real life?" she asked hopefully.

    "Why me? Don''t we have the METAL program at school?"

    Zhou Sisi shook her head and said, "I can tell that you are stronger and more powerful than most people. I felt that I would be a more powerful fighter if you teach me... I know I am asking a lot from you, but I really want to be stronger. If anything like that happens again, I don''t want to be saved by you; I want to save myself. I will do whatever you want me to if you agree to be my teacher!"

    Zhou Sisi blushed, she meant what she said. She had been investigating Wang Tong for a while and had since learned that Wang Tong was a powerful fighter in disguise. She even knew that it was Wang Tong who had severely injured Wang Ben, for she had happened to be in the medical office and overheard Wang Tong and Wang Ben''s conversation. She knew that Wang Ben was the cream of the crop when it came down to METALbat, so Wang Ben''s injury made her firmly believe that Wang Tong was on the same level as Wang Ben if not much stronger.

    "You will do anything?" Wang Tong asked with a creepy smile on his face.

    Zhou Sisi straightened her back and announced, "I know you are not a pervert. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have left me alone that night. Spit it out, what do you want?"

    Wang Tong was surprised by Zhou Sisi''s questions. He hoped that he would scare her away with his wicked smile, but Zhou Sisi had seen through his trick, and her reply had hit the mark.

    "I knew it. You won''t even be interested in me because you only cares about the princess."

    "Ahh? Ahh¡­ no¡­ yes, but no, I am just concerned that my method of cultivation might not suit you that well."

    "As long as you try! I will help you with your problems too," Zhou Sisi said.

    Zhou Sisi''s promise had drawn out Wang Tong''s wild imagination. He saw, in his mind, a serene scene: Zhou Sisi dressed in a maid''s costume and was cleaning and cooking for him. Wang Tong was engrossed in his imagination, and he didn''t even realize that he had slowly opened his mouth. "This is LIFE," Wang Tong thought.

    "What are you thinking!"

    Wang Tong shook his head, trying to push the images out of his mind.

    "Let me think about it. I need to prepare even if I agree to teach you anyways." Wang Tong decided to put the matter aside for now.

    Zhou Sisi nodded her head in agreement. "Fine, but don''t you think that you can get away."

    "Of course, I promise I will think about it!" Wang Tong forced a smile as hemented over the troubles that all the beauties: Zhou Sisi, Samantha, and Ma Xiaoru had caused him.

    Seeing that Wang Tong had made a promise, Zhou Sisi''s face bloomed like a beautiful flower. Wang Tong''s eyes were quickly attracted to the beautiful face. "Why am I always so distracted by pretty looking things?" hemented in his mind.

    Wang Tong felt that things were simpler and more ck and white on Norton. On Earth, he had to learn the sense of bnce, of proportion, and to see things from all sides. The world was just like what Old Fart had told him: vast andplex. He genuinely felt that he was not ready to make a change to this world yet.

 Chapter 81: Petty Thief?

    Chapter 81: Petty Thief?

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong stared at the ceiling as he was lying in bed, various things went through his thoughts. Earlier today, he purposely took the attack from his opponent¡¯s sword in order to test out the defense of his tactic; after all, attacks from mankind were different from Zergs¡¯. Zergs¡¯ attacks were known not to contain GN Force, but mankind¡¯s attacks were capable of inflicting other injuries and damages; hence Wang Tong had to physically experience the attack so that his body could remember the damage. It would be impossible for him to force someone to purposely attack himself, so he made the decision to embrace the rare opportunity of ¡°getting hit¡±. No pain, no gain.

    Furthermore, it would be too weird for him to defeat two guys and walk away unharmed. Things like this might suit Hu Yangxuan, but definitely not Wang Tong.

    ¡°Where does this Tactics of the dee from? Dammit Old Fart, why don¡¯t you tell me everything? At least let me know what the hell I¡¯m up against!¡± Wang Tong murmured in reconciliation, yet he had to let it go because he had no idea where on earth was Old Fart, and Old Fart would onlye to Wang Tong when he had used up every single penny.

    Wang Tong then turned on the television and skimmed through channel after channel, which was his version of ¡°entertainment¡± that he had learned through these years.

    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, today we will be interviewing Einherjar Li Taoche. As we know, Zergs had attacked Norton once again and even brought in some stronger species of Zergs which had caused huge damages to the military. So we¡¯re calling out to the Five Houses to send out their ace fighters and aid the military to fight against these Zergs.¡±

    Wang Tong sat up as a middle-aged man appeared on the screen. Every Earthling was familiar with the name Li Taoche, he was one of the Six Great Einherjars and also the current head of the House of Li. People saw him as a divine existence, and even though Wang Tong wasn¡¯t the type of person who would idolize someone, he admired Li Taoche and even hoped that someday he could walk on his steps. On the contrary, Old Fart didn¡¯t show any signs of respect to the man, yet he wasn¡¯t angry at Li Taoche, which was somehow odd.

    ¡°That guy looks tough!¡± Wang Tong fell from his seat, the sudden voice scared the crap out of him.

    ¡°Geez, old man, my heart almost stopped! What brings you out? I thought you were supposed to shut yourself in?¡± Wang Tong said as he got up from the floor.

    Einherjar Wannabe then gave Wang Tong a disdain nce, ¡°Heh, a timid ass like you wish to be the best in the world? Not a chance!¡±

    ¡°Dear Master, hold it right there, first of all, I never imed to be the best in the world; second, even the person with the strongest heart would be scared to death if you appeared all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re not a good fighter if you never wish to be the best in the world!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of one is not a good soldier if he never wishes to be the general!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost the same. Hey, who¡¯s that guy? I wanna challenge him to a duel!¡± Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s eyes were filled with me as he stared at Li Taoche.

    ¡°Oh him? He is the man closest to be the best in the world. There are Six Great Einherjars amongst mankind, two on Earth, two on Moon, one on Mars and one Kaedeian. They are the strongest...¡±

    ¡°Strongest? Over my dead body! Hey kid, get me a match with this guy!¡± Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s eyes were glowing in green when he heard the word ¡°strongest¡±.

    ¡°Do you know who he is? He¡¯s the head of the House of Li! His existence is close to divine, and it¡¯s impossible for a poor kid like me to know him. Not to mention, you don¡¯t have a body, even if he agrees to fight, how would you do it?¡± Wang Tong exined. He knew Einherjar Wannabe too well, he needed to talk sense into Einherjar Wannabe so that he could understand.

    Einherjar Wannabe remained silent¡­

    ¡°Alright, man up, I didn¡¯t say that on purpose. Li Taoche had been unrivaled for twenty years, which is why he is the best ace fighter amongst mankind. If I were to work harder from now onwards, I might be able to challenge him in a couple of decades.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overestimating him and underestimating yourself. Your tactics of the de is the greatest tactics of all, and this guy¡¯s Tactics of the Blizzard is just simr to my Sheer-cold Xinfa, I¡¯m sure you can defeat him within ten years!¡±

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m ttered.¡±

    ¡°Kid, even though you¡¯re not that gifted, but you had been training way harder than the others, and my guts tell me you definitely have what it takes, so keep up the good work! I¡¯m going back to make a few preparations,¡± Einherjar Wannabe was talking to himself.

    ¡°Are you praising me?¡± Wang Tong rolled his eyes. ¡°Prepare what?¡±

    ¡°None of your business! I¡¯m shutting myself in, do not disturb!¡± Einherjar Wannabe then disappeared into the Space Crystal like a spirit.

    ¡°Damn you, someday I¡¯ll definitely die of a heart attack!¡±

    Wang Tongid himself in bed again; actually, he wished to chat a little longer with Einherjar Wannabe. He stared at Li Taoche on his TV screen, perhaps someday he might be able to¡­

    What preparations would a ghost make?

    Wang Tong sighed as he wondered why everyone around him was being so secretive, even himself has be like that¡­ then he cleared his thoughts and slept like a log.

    Eat well, sleep well; that¡¯s how life was supposed to be!

    While he was sleeping soundly, the TPA forum was bombarded withments. Everyone was expecting Einherjar Wannabe to show up on Saturday due to his pattern, yet he didn¡¯t show up after a whole day of waiting. The yers who had been waiting for his appearance were all frustrated by his no-show, they were all hoping to witness an awesome match, and some even prepared themselves to challenge Einherjar Wannabe, in the end, everyone was disappointed.

    Skyscraper too had been waiting for Einherjar Wannabe since morning, he even epted and won a few matches while waiting, yet Einherjar Wannabe was nowhere to be seen.

    Skyscraper was patient; unlike Miao Xiu, who was pissed off by the fact Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t log in, in the end, he worked off his anger on Gust instead.

    Luv Ma remained patient though, he sat down, ssified every video of Einherjar Wannabe and even prepared a timeline of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s appearance. Even though there wasn¡¯t much data, he was sure that Einherjar Wannabe would surface again, as for the time being, all he could confirm was Einherjar Wannabe paid no attention to the TPA.

    An interesting person indeed, what was he up to? Creating a new legend? Haha, then he would have to pay the price.

    The discussion on the forum quickly escted to an uproar, someone else¡¯s business had be a public argument and even divided them into two sides.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was still sleeping soundly and even dreamed of recovering his lost bedsheet¡­

    ¡­ someone was in his room!

    Wang Tong sprung into action instantly and suppressed the intruder, ¡°Stealing my things again? You petty thief!¡±

    ¡°Wang¡­ Tong¡­ it¡¯s me!¡±

    ¡°Huh, Sisi? What brings you here? How did you get in?¡± Wang Tong was surprised.

    Zhou Sisi wished that she could hide after experiencing such embarrassment, she wanted to say something, but Wang Tong¡¯s strong scent muffled her words. Most importantly, both of them were stuck together early in the morning, and she even could felt someone¡¯s ¡°situation¡± down under...

    ¡°Can we get up first?¡± Sisi said, her blushing face against his chest.

    ¡°Oops, my bad.¡± Wang Tong got up immediately and suddenly realized of his ¡°situation¡± under the belt, then quickly hid it with a bunch of his clothes.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Sisi asked as she closed her eyes.

 Chapter 82: â€œMaidâ€

    Chapter 82: ¡°Maid¡±

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°Done. No need to be shy, this is not your first time seeing me like this anyway,¡± Wang Tong had no idea why he said that; meanwhile, Zhou Sisi was left speechless.

    Being around Zhou Sisi felt different from facing Ma Xiaoru and Samantha, Wang Tong was never stressed out when he was around Zhou Sisi, it felt like they were on the same level and closer to reality; there wasn¡¯t a huge gap between the two of them.

    Undeniably, Wang Tong had a lot of fun when he was spending time with Ma Xiaoru and Samantha, but the girls were always talking about different ces and discussing artistic values during their conversations¡­ yet Wang Tong was only a boy who was struggling to survive, he couldn¡¯t keep up with the girls.

    Nevertheless, it really wasn¡¯t a big deal, but being around Zhou Sisi felt more ¡°down-to-earth¡±.

    ¡°I hate you, jerk!¡±

    ¡°Haha, alright I¡¯ll stop teasing you. What brings you here this early?¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯ll be teaching me stuff, in return I¡¯ve decided to repay your kindness by cleaning up your room!¡± Zhou Sisi even brought her own tools.

    ¡°Geez, thanks but no thanks. My room is clean and tidy!¡±

    ¡°You call this clean and tidy? Good God, your room is a mess! Almost like a pigsty! Look at the ball of dust.¡± Zhou Sisi expected Wang Tong to say so, boys were always filthy andzy.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one staying here, so it looks fine to me.¡± Wang Tong scratched his head in awkwardness.

    ¡°No no no, a clean and tidy living environment will uplift your emotions and boost your study performance. So, leave this to me! You, out! But please, make sure you¡¯ve kept your ¡®private¡¯ stuff well hidden before you go out...¡± Zhou Sisi said. She knew boys liked to hide weird stuff in their rooms.

    ¡°Private stuff? Nope, I don¡¯t have any of those. Well if you insist, I¡¯ll leave this to you then!¡±

    ¡°Shoo, bye!¡± Zhou Sisi waved her hand, she was speechless as she saw the messy surroundings.

    Wang Tong knew he might be goofing around, but he really meant to be her mentor. He was veryfortable around Zhou Sisi, she was like a sister and a friend, and Wang Tong felt rxed spending time with her. Furthermore, clearly Wang Tong wasn¡¯t really good with tidying and cleaning things, so of course, he wouldn¡¯t say no to a volunteered helper.

    Since this was her way of returning a favor, Wang Tong had no reason to feel sorry for the trouble.

    Wang Tong went to the store and bought bread, and then visited another store to buy his clothes and bedsheet. He wasn¡¯t able to do anything on the previous day due to the theft, and he was depressed when the police left his ce without mentioning anything about the bounty.

    Wang Tong stopped as he passed by DREAM-Heaven, and wondered if he should get in or not.

    ¡°Am I really cking off? Look at Einherjar Wannabe, still full of the spirit of fighting even though he lost his body. Dammit, I¡¯m worse than him!¡±

    Wang Tong gathered himself, checked his pocket for money and decided to get in. No more cking for the weekly login.

    ¡°Boss, get me the bill!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, bad day?¡±

    ¡°Bad day indeed, I camped for the whole day waiting for Einherjar Wannabe, in the end, it was a no-show, I¡¯m going home!¡±

    A few others yawned as they were also queuing up for the bill.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this Einherjar Wannabe dude? Some kind of superstar?¡±

    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re so out-dated. Nevermind, I¡¯ll tell you next time, that dude didn¡¯t log in today.¡±

    In the meantime, Wang Tong walked into room No.5 and logged into his Einherjar Wannabe avatar!

    Ding Dong¡­

    ¡°Einherjar Wannabe logged in!¡±

    ¡°Einherjar Wannabe showed up!¡±

    ¡°What, he¡¯s here? Woah, lucky I didn¡¯t leave!¡±

    ¡°Boss, gimme a room!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    The guys who were queuing up for their bills were suddenly overjoyed with excitement and rushed back into their rooms.

    Einherjar Wannabe was here atst!

    After going through a whole day of waiting, the yers were looking forward to seeing Einherjar Wannabe in action and couldn¡¯t wait to see who he would choose to challenge.

    The TPA yers were the most excited ones, especially students from military academies; they were eager to make this an opportunity to test out their actual strength.

    This was the chance for them to shine in sess!

    The IPA yers were signing up for the challenge too, every IPA yer had been longing for such a chance to challenge the TPA yers; but sadly, most TPA yers would refuse to challenge the IPA yers even during Open Days. The cruel fact was that the IPA yers were just a bunch of worthless people in the eyes of the TPA yers, they would not waste their time to duel with such weaklings. It would be an expected oue if a TPA yer won against an IPA yer, but if the TPA yer lost, then it would be a joke amongst the rest. Moreover, nothing much could be learned from the brawl itself; hence it would feel like a child¡¯s y to satisfy the IPA yers.

    Not to mention, some of the IPA¡¯s equipment and skills contained glitches, which would be unfair to the opposing yer during matches, this was also one of the reasons why IPA yers were unwee for most of the time.

    It also exined why IPA yers would only hang around themselves, showing off during Open Days. It might look like that they were only here for their own satisfaction, but all of them wished to be able to fight with TPA fighters. It wasn¡¯t that they chose not to be TPA yers, but they were unable to do so, and no one could¡¯ve understood the envy and jealousy of an IPA yer against a TPA yer. IPA yers might appear to be showing off and looking tough and proud on the outside, but they were all fragile on the inside; they acted like they didn¡¯t care, but they did.

    A few remarkable IDs amongst TPA fighters were spotted in the list of yers challenging Einherjar Wannabe. For instance: Skyscraper, the guy had been on the winning streak since hisst duel with Einherjar Wannabe, which got the rest wondering how he lost his previous matches; then there were Crazy Diamond and also other famous yers, all of their winning rates were above 80%.

    ¡°Do you think Einherjar Wannabe will pick an IPA yer?¡±

    ¡°Tchh, impossible! It was purely a coincidence on meeting Wang Benst time. Now, since he¡¯s already famous, why would he do that to disgrace himself? The skills of the IPA yers are like science fiction; or as TPA yers called them, unrealistic.¡±

    ¡°Yes I understand, but even though IPA skills are unbnced, they were created based on statistics and not totally imaginations, some even might be the references of our future developments. Meanwhile, TPA yers kept emphasizing on training themselves, yet none of them have the guts to challenge IPA yers!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, people do cherish their own reputations.¡±

    Hearing that made Wang Tong smiled as he was walking around to choose his opponent. To him, there wasn¡¯t any big difference between IPA and TPA, all he asked for was an opponent that had what it took to give him enough pressure and caused him enough trouble.

    He remembered Einherjar Wannabe once said, ¡°Nothing is impossible, only unthinkable.¡± The Tactics of the de had proven to be Wang Tong¡¯s possibility of breaking the limits; in order to achieve his sess, Wang Tong had to make sure he wasn¡¯t obstructed by any shackles.

    The challengers had sorted themselves into IPA category and TPA category, they¡¯ve made it easier for Wang Tong to select his opponent. Obviously, these two parties didn¡¯t get along quite well in the world of PA.

    yer ID: Solitary Snow, level 4 fighter, winning rate 100%, 94 rounds won.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t bother to continue reading, he wasn¡¯t interested in how the guy won. There were no rules on the battlefield. As long as you stayed alive and defeated the enemies, even if you were to y it dirty, victory would still belong to you.

    A victory is a victory, as simple as that.

 Chapter 83: Prelude

    Chapter 83: Prelude

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Solitary Snow, what a nice name.

    Ding Dong¡­

    An eye-catching new match pairing was shown on the giant monitor.

    Einherjar Wannabe (TPA) versus Solitary Snow (IPA)

    Venue: The 59th Arena, the match starts in 10 minutes, open for betting.

    Betting was crucial to IPA yers, they were able to trade points or golds for better equipment or enhance their Sol value; however, it was useless for TPA yers. Nevertheless, as a gamepany, DREAM Corporation emphasized on financial profit, and IPA yers were obviously their biggest source of ie.

    What happened to his pick?

    TPA yers were startled, was Einherjar Wannabe out of his mind? Why would he pick a worthless piece of IPA trash who had no Soul Energy in reality?

    Was he afraid?

    It caused another uproar on the TPA forum, Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t pick anyone from the TPA real-deals but chose an IPA weakling instead. The yers were insulted and felt like they¡¯ve wasted their time, spending a whole day to wait for this nonsense.

    Skyscraper felt strange as he saw the words on the monitor. In fact, he was looking forward to today¡¯s match, even though Einherjar Wannabe might not pick him from the crowd. Still, he had hoped to see an interesting fight, yet he had no idea why Einherjar Wannabe would pick a futile IPA yer.

    Skyscraper then decided to go through Solitary Snow¡¯s yer profile and was shocked by what he had seen.

    That person was wearing the Golden Marksman, a Dream-rank Level 4 METAL Suit¡­ an ultimate god-like equipment! No wonder Solitary Snow had a 100% winning rate. Every Dream-rank METAL Suit came with ¡°glitchy¡± abilities unless the opponent was strong or equipped with the METAL Suit that counters it, or else no one wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against it. Moreover, the guy had to be overflowed with high amount of Soul Energy since he was able to equip a Level 4 METAL suit¡­ Soon, Skyscraper and the other fighters came to realize that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s decision to ¡°update¡± his winning record had be a suicidal act! What on earth was he thinking?

    Luv Ma unconsciously gave a weird smile when he saw the data on his screen. Poor Miao Xiu had left, yet Luv Ma didn¡¯t n to call him back, as he was too eager to see how Einherjar Wannabe would handle the invincible Dream-rank METAL Suit!

    Normally, TPA yers would never ept the challenge if they knew their opponent had Dream-rank Suits because the fight would be meaningless.

    Yet Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s decision to challenge Solitary Snow had caused a ruckus amongst IPAmunity. No one had predicted that this could happen, it was definitely a superb moment for the IPA yers, not only had Einherjar Wannabe chose to fight someone from the IPA but also he chose to fight Solitary Snow ¡ª the one who was ranked number 9 amongst 4th ss IPA fighters!

    Solitary Snow might be too unrealistic in the eyes of TPAmunity and also in reality, but the person was a legend to IPA yers; unlike Wang Ben¡¯s METAL Suit, the Golden Marksman was THE super armor containing ¡°glitchy¡± abilities.

    ¡°Those who know nothing fear nothing,¡± that summarized Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s decision to fight against Solitary Snow.

    Most of the IPA yers were betting on Solitary Snow because the game of PA wasn¡¯t about how tough you were in reality; in the world of PA, you reap what you sowed. Einherjar Wannabe might have the Soul energy of a 4th ss fighter, but if he was up against the Bug version of a 4th ss fighter, the chance of winning was very slim.

    It felt different than choosing a TPA yer as the opponent.

    Some bookies preset the winning odds of Einherjar Wannabe as 1:7 to 1:9, even the official administration set their rates as 1:4 to 1:6. It wasn¡¯t because they decided to abandon Einherjar Wannabe, but they had to make their decisions based on business and profit perspective.

    In short, there was no turning back for Einherjar Wannabe.

    ¡°Please, can somebody tell me why is this stupid match happening?!¡± Cameron raged as he stared at the screen.

    ¡°Sir, he made that decision himself...¡±

    Cameron was furious. Einherjar Wannabe was the only hot issue recently, even though Cameron knew Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fame wouldn¡¯tst forever, he didn¡¯t expect him to crash down this soon. This quarter would end in less than a month, yet they were not even close to the business target preset by the board of directors; if this continued, he would be fired before the end of the year.

    It wasn¡¯t that he refused to create another legend or hero, but none of the descendants of celebrities would show up in PA. No one would possess the ability to conquer forever unless they were from the House of Li; but if the hero was from the House of Li, then it would lose its own mysteriousness because the oue would be within people¡¯s expectation.

    Einherjar Wannabe was his best candidate. It has been so long since the crowd were this excited and couldn¡¯t wait to see another yer in action; he was the focus of attention. Even though Einherjar Wannabe might be forgotten soon, Cameron still hoped that the guy could be his ¡°golden goose¡± for a little longer.

    Yet Einherjar Wannabe chose to fight a God-damn IPA fighter who happened to have the God-damn Golden Marksman. Cameron was left speechless by what he had witnessed.

    The boy had overrated his own capabilities!

    He should know that image was not only crucial to celebrities but to heroes as well!

    Wang Tong had no clue that his simple decision would cause such a scene. All he knew was that he couldn¡¯t wait to face his opponent.

    Solitary Snow showed up, he didn¡¯t expect himself to be chosen by the famous TPA fighter, it was totally a random decision when he sent the challenge invitation to Einherjar Wannabe.

    Nevertheless, every IPA yers dreamed of stepping their foot into this arena and challenge a TPA ace fighter to a duel. They were not able to do so in reality, hence they would cherish a rare opportunity like this.

    Solitary Snow had no idea what was Einherjar Wannabe up to, all he knew was that he had to im the victory by giving out his best performance, even if this would be hisst fight.

    Nothing of his past mattered anymore, as of this moment, he was the representative of the IPAmunity, and he would vanquish his foe, Einherjar Wannabe, with all his might!

    This match received a huge publicity given by the fact that it might be Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s st fight¡± and also due to his argumentative choice of opponent. It was definitely a big hit, especially amongst IPA yers; not a single famous TPA yer would have dared to challenge them, not to mention an opponent with a Dream-rank METAL Suit!

    It was a full house in the 59th Arena. It was a small arena that could only fit a hundred thousand spectators, but the seats were sold out within a short period of time.

    The spectators were mostly IPA yers because they wouldn¡¯t want to miss out the chance to witness on the spot, as for the rest who couldn¡¯t get into the arena, they had no choice but to watch the live broadcast instead.

    Cameron was amazed by the data, what a shame as this would be the final dazzling moment of a ¡°firework¡±.

    ¡°Sir, do you think we should suggest them to do it in a bigger arena?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind, it¡¯s already toote for that.¡± Cameron shook his head, he sensed everything was going to end in despair, and he was depressed about his soon-to-plummet business performances.

 Chapter 84: To Conquer

    Chapter 84: To Conquer

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The referee was delegated by the Referee Association, it could be either an IPA or a TPA yer who had received professional training.

    The match begun!

    Solitary Snow was showing a serious expression, he had never been this serious in a fight before. Even though he had the advantages with his METAL Suit, he wanted to treat this opportunity seriously.

    This was his first time fighting a strong TPA fighter.

    ¡°Deploy!¡±

    Rays of light shot out as the Golden Marksman began to cover Solitary Snow¡¯s body, the coverage was more than 90% and also came with a unique Golden Bow, it was definitely a legendary METAL Suit.

    The crowd remained silent, for the first time no one cheered and whistled when they saw an amazing METAL Suit, it wasn¡¯t important anymore as their expectations were more into the match itself.

    The IPA yers took this match in a serious manner, the TPA yers, on the other hand, were looking very disappointed.

    The crowd¡¯s attention turned to Einherjar Wannabe as they were expecting him to deploy his METAL Suit too, even if it was only a Level 1 Suit, it was his only chance to enhance his own defense.

    But Einherjar Wannabe did nothing; apparently, he had no METAL Suit!

    In fact, Wang Tong had no idea how to obtain his TPA METAL Suit.

    Solitary Snow didn¡¯t say a word as he channeled his Soul Energy, which was weird because he used to be very talkative in his previous matches; however, he knew actions would speak louder than words in a situation like this.

    Solitary Snow¡¯s body was overflown with golden rays of Soul Energy, then he wielded his golden bow and forged arrows which were made out of his Soul Energy.

    The fight began!

    Swoosh¡­

    Solitary Snow fired a shing arrow toward Einherjar Wannabe, not many METAL fighters were able to wield ranged weapons, these weapons were capable of significantly increasing their lethality; the Golden Marksman was the best equipment amongst ranged weapon series.

    Wang Tong immediately angled his body and dodged Solitary Snow¡¯s golden arrow with the reflex of a jaguar.

    However, it didn¡¯t startle Solitary Snow as that was only his warning shot to test out Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s strength. He would have really been disappointed if his opponent couldn¡¯t even dodge that.

    At this point, Solitary Snow saw himself as a warrior. His style of fighting had be different to how he fought previously with IPA yers.

    He aimed the golden arrows again and shot with a burst of Soul Energy. The arrows flew toward Wang Tong in a triangr formation. On the other hand, Wang Tong began to respond, he wanted to see if Solitary Snow was a strong opponent worth fighting for, if that METAL Suit was only capable of performing ranged attacks, then it would be boring and meaningless.

    Most of the fighters had problems about dodging ranged attacks, but Wang Tong wasn¡¯t surprised at all because of his experiences dealing with a species of Zergs that were specialized in ambushing enemies with dart-like pins, it made Wang Tong shivered as he remembered how disgusting those creatures were.

    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Wang Tong dodged the arrows perfectly, and Solitary Snow began to move as well, a professional archer would not fire his arrows in the same position only, a high ranked fighter like him would never make such rookie mistakes.

    Somehow, Solitary Snow didn¡¯t worry about Wang Tong dashing toward him, he swiftly moved and widen their distance, then rapidly fired his arrows toward Wang Tong. People might be wondering if his Soul Energy would dry out, but he had tricks up his sleeves which allowed him to regain Soul Energy during the fight.

    The archer¡¯s attack got more and more intense as their distance shrunk closer and closer. Solitary Snow might not be a fighter in reality, but he had spent a lot of time in the world of IPA and has already participated in countless battles, which also qualified him as an experienced fighter. Moreover, IPA fighters were not as held back as TPA fighters, their imaginations were not restrained, they could do anything as they pleased and would often create unthinkable battle methods to achieve the best oue.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    Solitary Snow fired two arrows in a jiff and warded off the approaching Wang Tong. He knew what his opponents were thinking, everyone he fought had the same idea of closing the gap to finish him off with hand-to-handbat.

    But of course, he wouldn¡¯t let that happen.

    Yet Wang Tong carried on to narrow down their gap, he was having a tough time deciphering the pattern of Solitary Snow¡¯s rapid fire, but he knew it wasn¡¯t impossible since everyone has a habit of doing something, all he needed was a bit more pressure.

    Nine shots were fired, and Solitary Snow realized their distance was still getting closer, every single shot looked like a hit, but for some reason, Einherjar Wannabe was able to dodge them and even moved closer. In other words, his opponent¡¯s judgment was getting stronger as the distance got closer, it made Solitary Snow very excited!

    He had been waiting for the arrival of this day, everyone who failed their Mind Opening Operation dreamed of being able to participate in fights like this, including himself.

    Unlike Wang Ben, he knew he would fail no matter how many times he tried again. All he wanted was a chance for his wish toe true!

    This was the distance to attack!

    Wang Tong immediately thrust a punch when he dodged the arrow, but Solitary Snow performed a nimble movement and negated Wang Tong¡¯s punch!

    The IPA yers were getting anxious when Einherjar Wannabe was closing up the gap. They were wondering if Solitary Snow and his ¡°glitchy¡± METAL Suit would be able to stand against Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ghastly dodges.

    Wang Tong was sure that his punch would hit, but why did it miss?

    Solitary Snow began moving his body in a weird rhythm and fired an arrow at the same time. Wang Tong¡¯s instinct moved his body away as he watched the arrow skimmed across his chest. Wang Tong felt the heat instantly, it was definitely a close one.

    Wang Tong came to realize that he had underestimated his opponent even though he was being careful, he thought that the IPA yers would focus more on their METAL Suit¡¯s ability, but the truth was, Suits required human itself to be utilized.

    That was the Steps of the Papillon, a first ss battle movements of the Ivantians.

    Its elegant movement resembled a Papillon, and it was hard to be mastered; the key of this movement was not the speed, but the total control of its rhythm. The Steps of the Papillon was about making opponents off bnce while not letting them catch the user off bnce, it would let them stay unfocused as long as they couldn¡¯t predict the center of gravity of the user.

    The TPA yers were shocked by the fact that an IPA yer was able to pull off a military technique, that was unbelievable!

    Even though Solitary Snow was only an ordinary person who wasn¡¯t rted to any Houses, it didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t be sessful. He had been putting every bit of effort and time into the Suit ever since he got his hands on it and even developed his own fighting methods!

    All he wanted was to achieve his dream of bing a fighter. Hence he came out with this goldenbination: The Steps of the Papillon and the Golden Marksman!

    This would be the end of Einherjar Wannabe!

    The cheers from the IPA yers sounded like a roaring river, they could see themselves in the shadow of Solitary Snow. They were the nobodies, the ordinary folks, and the srymen in reality, but they all had the same dream. They felt themselvesbining as one with Solitary Snow like they were fighting together against Einherjar Wannabe!

    His Steps of the Papillon were wless, even the Ivantians would be pleased if they were able to see this! The standards of his movements were possibly higher than what Ivantians could achieve.

    Solitary Snow was able to achieve this with only the help of his Soul Energy; clearly, he had immersed his body and soul into the practices. Moreover, this was his first time using the Steps of the Papillon; he did not even use it in his regr fights, and the reason was simple: this was his first real match after all.

    With the help from the Steps of the Papillon, Solitary Snow¡¯s arrows were no longer constrained, like the arrows were given wings. It has be more difficult for Einherjar Wannabe to dodge his attacks.

    However, their distance remained the same!

    Yet it wasn¡¯t because Einherjar Wannabe was approaching, but Solitary Snow himself got closer instead. It was a great taboo for archers to engage their enemies at close range; however, Solitary Snow found that this was the best method to increase the power of his attacks.

    At this moment, he had truly be a fighter who possessed the spirit of a warrior.

    As soon as he gained control of the rhythm, Solitary Snow steeply increased his Soul Energy in a burst and began to exert his killing moves. Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s sense of smelling the danger began to tingle; every shot was dangerous, even though it wasn¡¯t fatal, some of Solitary Snow¡¯s arrows did inflict damages to him.

    Swoosh¡­

    The firing speed increased as Solitary Snow elerated the movement of his hands, the eleration of his firing momentum even created an afterimage of his movements, and countless arrows swarmed toward Einherjar Wannabe like a horde of locusts.

    The attack was called the Papillon¡¯s Mystical Arrow Shower!

    It was a radius attack made of illusions and real arrows, the user¡¯s body, spirit, and skills had to be fully synchronized in order to pull off this attack!

    This sort of imagination, creativity, and evenbat capacity had totally exceeded the expectations of the TPA fighters.

    The real attacks were well hidden in the illusions created by his Soul Energy.

    It was a fast pace attack which left no gap for the opponent to respond, meaning it would be impossible topletely negate the wide radius attack. Einherjar Wannabe had no METAL Suit, if he were to take a hit from an arrow, then it would be game over.

    Wang Tong was stunned as the attack reminded him of his terrible experience with Zergs¡¯ aerial forces, but this time Solitary Snow¡¯s arrows were even more appalling andplicated than Zergs¡¯ rain of pins; after all, Zergs had lower intelligence, and mankind was powerful because of its creativity. Half of the projectiles in this radius attack were illusions while the rest were capable of dealing damages; moreover, the kill shot itself was also hidden in the attack.

    Einherjar Wannabe had to think of a way to deal with it, or else it would really be game over!

    All of a sudden, Einherjar Wannabe closed his eyes in the moment of life and death!

    That was insane!

    In the eyes of the TPA yers, it was a helpless situation. Given the speed and distance, it was already toote for Einherjar Wannabe to save his own ass, all he could do was to close his eyes and ept the fate of his defeat.

    A technique like this might be fascinating, but the TPA yers just couldn¡¯t do it; even if they could, they would choose not to.

    Would there be miracles? Not unless this was a fairy tale!

    Solitary Snow knew that was it, it has been the best experience ever, even if this was all just a dream; still, it definitely paid off his hard works.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong, who has been closing his eyes, began to move!

    ¡°Good God, he used the Steps of the Papillon too!¡±

    He was floating around like he had lost the center of gravity, his movements were confusing, and the position of his body became unpredictable. What¡¯s more, Solitary Snow¡¯s arrows missed Einherjar Wannabe!

    ¡°He made it¡­ He dodged the radius attack! That is truly absurd!¡±

    However, Solitary Snow¡¯s Soul Energy wasn¡¯t stopping, his final attack was still yet to be unleashed!

    A single kill shot was still hidden amongst the scattered attack, and it was under the control of his Soul Energy. It was the one and only Golden Arrow, which was also a part of the Golden Marksman METAL Suit.

    The real Golden Arrow was about to hit!

    Einherjar Wannabe suddenly stopped moving, his body seemed to be unaffected by the force of gravity, then without wasting any time, he put his palms together!

    Bang! Wham!

    Both of them recoiled by the impact!

    Swoosh!

    Dead silence¡­

    Solitary Snow was startled as he saw the glittering Golden Arrow was stabbed in his own chest.

    Then he gave a smile of satisfaction.

    He had lost fair and square!

    Everyone went nk as they watched his avatar faded away, no one expected the match to end like this.

    Einherjar Wannabe took five steps back from the recoil and stopped, then he turned around and pointed Solitary Snow with his right index finger and gently hammered himself to the chest with his left hand.

    Solitary Snow was touched¡­

    It was the sign of a fighter showing respect to his opponent after a match.

    The IPA yers had never been respected before! Not even once, because they were only a bunch of ordinary people without any talent.

    Respects only belonged to warriors.

    Einherjar Wannabe left; silence took over the arena and za¡­

    It was the glory of being respected!

    It was the honor of conquering everyone¡¯s heart!

 Chapter 85: Dominance

    Chapter 85: Dominance

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Roar¡­

    Everyone cheered, that was how a duel should look like, and that was the match the IPA yers dreamed of. It wasn¡¯t about winning or losing, it was about being epted, they had been longing formendations like this!

    At this moment, they were finally recognized.

    It was easy to defeat someone, but to conquer one¡¯s heart was way more difficult to aplish!

    Yet Einherjar Wannabe did it!

    Cameron stared nkly at the screen, his staffs were startled as well. Everyone looked toward Cameron, waiting for his next orders.

    Cameron¡¯s hands were trembling as his lit up a cigarette, he had no idea if he was shaking due to the agitation or the excitement, all he knew was that he had witnessed a miracle, and he understood what it meant.

    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t smoke in his office, but he needed a puff now to calm himself down, or else he would not be able to clear his thoughts.

    Einherjar Wannabe¡­ could he really be the next legend?

    Cameron had no idea; in fact, no one could have known, because legend itself was an abstract existence. Yet Cameron saw a ray of possibility in Einherjar Wannabe, and he was willing to put his faith onto Einherjar Wannabe!

    The cigarette burnt out in a jiff, none of Cameron¡¯s staff said a word because they knew that he was thinking. Nevertheless, everyone was overflowed with motivation.

    Despite the surprising result, an indescribable uplifting force seemed to linger on the fight itself. Everyone who had watched was touched by it.

    Cameron finally sober up and said, ¡°Reach out to Einherjar Wannabe right away, tell him that we are willing to build him a stage of his own!¡±

    ¡°...Boss, we¡¯ve tried, but he didn¡¯t reply,¡± said one of the staff.

    Cameron stared at him and said nothing.

    The guy was intimidated and replied, ¡°Understood boss, I¡¯ll contact him again.¡±

    ¡°Listen up! As you all know, recently our business performance is not in good shape. TPA is losing money and has be a burden to the corporation while IPA is not profiting very well either. If we still can¡¯te out with a n to fix this, you and I will see ourselves packing our bags and leave in no time. This is our final chance, and I believe y¡¯all know what to do!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Boss!¡±

    Cameron went off to make his own preparations, this was his best chance to shine in front of the board of directors. Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory wasn¡¯t actually the biggest reason behind Cameron¡¯s decision to take the risk, he might have won this round, but no one knew if he would be winning the next match too. Einherjar Wannabe was gifted, but it didn¡¯t mean he was invincible, yet Cameron put his faith on Einherjar Wannabe because he was able to sense his aura of conquering people¡¯s heart!

    He wondered why ever since that man disappeared, humans had returned to normal, and there wasn¡¯t any other legend that was born since then.

    ¡°Is it because there wasn¡¯t a person with the strength to be one? No! Strength and victories are not enough for one to conquer people¡¯s heart.¡±

    However, Cameron was able to see the charm of Einherjar Wannabe and was fascinated by his aura since then.

    As a professional manager and market strategist, he had the sense of smelling business opportunity, and this was the chance he had been waiting for!

    He hoped someday that he would be proud of being born in this era.

    This was just the beginning!

    On the other hand, IPA forum was exploding withments. The match had be the current hype even though they were defeated...

    Einherjar Wannabe won again!

    Solitary Snow held a high esteem on Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory, it wasn¡¯t only the fight itself that got him pleased, but also Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s desire of directly attacking his opponent.

    It might be Solitary Snow¡¯s one and only chance to fight on the stage, and Einherjar Wannabe has given his full effort and brought up a real match.

    The IPA yers were overjoyed because the guy was able to understand them.

    The name ¡°Einherjar Wannabe¡± was carved in their hearts!

    For the first time, the official website cleared their homepage and posted the video recording of that match. Now, all it required was its battle analysis.

    It has been so long since thest time a person was given this kind of honor.

    The IPA yers were showing dramatic enthusiasm, while the TPA yers were showing a calm excitement, no one expected that they would win with such disadvantages. That was unbelievable!

    Some TPA yers who watched in the arena had no idea how Einherjar Wannabe won; how did he dodge those Soul Energy arrows? The attacks made by the ¡°glitchy¡± METAL Suit was supposed to be unavoidable, not to mention the opponent wasbining ranged attacks with the Steps of the Papillon, yet Einherjar Wannabe overcame the situation without even equipping any METAL Suit!

    What on earth was that sort of power?

    The name ¡°Einherjar Wannabe¡±, was it some kind of sarcasm? Or was it his confidence?

    Skyscraper pinched his index finger while he was watching the rey.

    Miao Xiu came back after he had failed to locate Gust, and he knew he missed something when he saw Luv Ma concentrating on his screen. He almost felt like killing himself when he saw the rey.

    He couldn¡¯t believe he had missed such an event: ¡°God dammit! I was only away for a while!¡±

    ¡°Miao Xiu, stop bothering me!¡± Luv Ma was doing his own analysis, he wasn¡¯t going to wait for the official version because he knew he could do better than them.

    Miao Xiu was furious at Luv Ma for not calling him, but Luv Ma wasn¡¯t some dude who liked to be disturbed when he was trying to focus, his temper would be unimaginable if he were annoyed, and even Miao Xiu didn¡¯t dare to piss him off.

    However, everything in the video was quite blurry. If he were at the arena, he would definitely have been able to see every movement clearly. Too bad he missed the chance of watching it live!

    Miao Xiu was amazed by the Steps of the Papillon. He had seen it before and even sessfully deciphered the skill; however, he didn¡¯t learn the Steps of the Papillon because it didn¡¯t suit his style of fighting.

    But would he be able to counter it if the skill were used by Einherjar Wannabe? Miao Xiu had no idea!

    Meanwhile, at the Sky Mansion¡¯s grandeur living room holographic theater, Ma Xiaoru and Samantha were watching the rey in their sleeping gowns. Ma Xiaoru was wearing a cute white nighty, and Samantha was wearing a luxurious and sexy violet gown like she was the elegant owner of the mansion.

    ¡°Xiaoru, in your professional point of view, what level do you think Einherjar Wannabe was at?¡± Samantha looked calm, but it was actually her expression of excitement.

    Ma Xiaoru shook her head and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t judge. The match was a brawl of strength, and I couldn¡¯t imagine him being sixteen years old given his incredible battle techniques and experiences.¡±

    ¡°What would be your winning percentage if it were you?¡± Samantha asked.

    Ma Xiaoru paused and thought for a little while, then said, ¡°I really have no idea, I couldn¡¯t even imagine what Tactics he is using. There¡¯re only a few sets of skills amongst Earthlings, Ivantians, Martians, and Kaedeians that are high inpatibilities, only the House of Dower¡¯s Tactics of the Deva King are able to reach that level.¡±

    ¡°So you are saying¡­ even the Tactics of Vayu and the Tactics of the Enchantress are not able to do so?¡± Samantha seemed shocked.

 Chapter 86: Girly Bed Sheet

    Chapter 86: Girly Bed Sheet

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Every tactic has its own distinct feel to it as if a unique signature, and given time, one can always tell one tactic from another. For example, the Tactics of Vayu focused on offense; therefore, it feels more belligerent than any other tactics. The Tactics of the Enchantress, on the other hand, are elusive and unpredictable, while the bright mes of the Tactics of the ze of the House Lie are also unmistakable. Like I said before, only the Tactics of the Deva King from the House Dower would have the same level of depth that could conceal its unique signature as that used by Einherjar Wannabe.

    ¡°That being said, I am confident that this Einherjar Wannabe did not use the Tactics of the Deva King. The Dower''s tactics require perfect execution of even the smallest movements. However, this boy''s footsteps were rather careless... I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like the tactics used by Einherjar Wannabe, whatever it is, seemed even to surpass the Tactics of the Deva King."

    As the apprentice to the House Li, Ma Xiaoru was more qualified than anyone else toment on the matter of tactics since she was trained to do so by experts. However, even Ma Xiaoru couldn''t think of any tactics that would rival the prowess of that used by Einherjar Wannabe.

    Many tactics might be able to yield the simr degree of intensity as that used by Einherjar Wannabe. However, no tactics ¡ª including the Tactics of the Enchantress that was praised for its elusiveness and deception ¡ª could have concealed its unique signature. The mysterious tactics had the all-epass nature that made it feel like an agglomeration of many drastically different tactics.

    "I don''t think he was as powerful as you think." Samantha sank her body back into the soft cushions and said, "He is not bad though, we should keep our eyes on him."

    Ma Xiaoru smiled knowingly. The PA system was the main line of business of the DREAM corp., and despite the hefty profit margin, the government and the military had taken up a huge amount of resources at DREAM''s expense, which had inevitably driven the cost of operation skyrocketing. In order to increase its revenue from the domestic market, DREAM and Samantha understood that they would need one or two superstars in the public leagues to drive up the sales, but all of their attempts so far had failed. DREAM was not the first one to seek a legend as epic as the de Warriors. Many before them had tried and had nothing to show for it in the end.

    The origin of the de Warriors, the once living God, were the most mysterious riddle in the history of humankind. His influence was on par with the old gods such as Jesus and the Buddha as they were considered the new god of the interster age.

    Many recent researchers had voiced their doubts about the feats purportedly aplished by the de Warrior, just like the ancient scientists that had questioned Jesus''s miracles. However, the abundance of evidence had quickly silenced them. The de Warrior was worshiped among all human races. Even the Kaedeians who used to be at odds with the Earthling had given up their arms due to their reverence toward the de Warrior. The fearsome female fighters of the Kaedeians had believed that the de Warrior was the only "God", the master of the universe. Their longsting reverence had continued even till present-day.

    Wang Tong had enjoyed the fight as he had learned something new: the Butterfly Dash. He found out that while executing the Butterfly Dash, his GN nodes had moved differently than when he had attempted the Fist of the Racing Tiger. He conceded that he had made the right decision to not confined his matches with only the TPA fighters, what happened today had proven to him that regardless of IPA or TPA, a good fight would always be a good fight.

    Wang Tong could not bear the loud cheers and scream of the audiences, so he didn''t dawdle at the virtual cafe and left as soon as he had paid the terminal service fee.

    While walking on the street, Wang Tong suddenly remembered that he had some shopping to do. Instead of going to a department store, the frugal student went to a squalid store and picked up a T-shirt on sale for only fifty credits.

    Worried that Zhou Sisi might be waiting for him, Wang Tong darted home but right before he had arrived at his dorm, he remembered that he had forgotten to buy the bed sheet.

    Wang Tong''s jaw almost dropped as soon as he stepped into his dorm. Everything was neatly packed and arranged; the air in the room had a clean and fresh scent and a promise offortableness. "Is¡­ this my room?" Wang Tong marveled, wondering if he had gone into someone else''s room.

    He then saw his bed, covered in a clean blue bed sheet; it was decorated with a blue kitty in the middle. Wang Tong thought that the bed sheet would definitely look cute and lovely in a girl''s room.

    Seeing Wang Tong standing at the door, Zhou Sisi asked, "Sifu, is everything the way you wanted?"

    More than satisfied, Wang Tong smiled joyfully, "How much is the bed sheet?"

    "It''s nothing, think of it as a gift from your apprentice!" Zhou Sisi grinned slyly.

    Wang Tong said nothing. He figured that Zhou Sisi was indeed indebted with him since he did not intend to teach her for free.

    "Thank you! Well, I guess that I could teach you a thing or two that I have learned. But, it would be up to you to learn as much as you can. Another thing, our pact should remain a secret, so don''t call me Sifu in front of everyone. Are we good?"

    "You bet!"

    Wang Tong smiled warily. Although he was not sure what this rtionship would develop into, he was relieved that he could finally say goodbye to boredom with this yful student by his side.

    "Shall we celebrate?" Zhou Sisi eximed.

    "Celebrate?"

    "Yes, don''t you want to? You really need to get out of this room and have some fun. Haven''t you heard of ''study hard, party hard''? I can help you with your ssester as well. I assure you that my support would be as good as any top student."

    Zhou Sisi was very confident with her understanding in all the subjects, plus, she wanted to challenge Ma Xiaoru and to prove that she could do as good a job as a spoiled princess.

    The virtual cafes in all corners of Shangjin were packed with yers who were waiting impatiently for the release of DREAM''s official video analysis. They didn''t have to wait long as DREAM had smelled profit in the air and therefore had cranked up their workload.

    Although Solitary Snow had lost the fight, no one had understood how.

    "Boss, the IM had reached 3500... it''s close to the yoffs of official IPA tournament."

    (Author''s note: IM reading: view rating)

    Everyone was pleasantly surprised since no one had thought that an ordinary fight could have attracted that much attention.

    "Excellent, well done everyone!"

    Cameron studied the IM chart. The line indicating the IM reading had risen steadily since the beginning of the fight and teaued around 3500. Cameron and everyone in the office wagered that this would be the final rating of the match.

    Cameron was pleased by the astonishing reading; he was confident that this fight would give his team more bargaining chip at the table negotiating with prospective show sponsors.

    Suddenly, the line on the chart wiggled up and down, increasing its amplitude by the second, and in a blink of eyes, it raised again and breached the 3500 point threshold.

    "Boss, it''s 3600 now... Gosh! It went up so quickly!"

    "Gee, this is unbelievable!"

    Everyone in the office stood up in immense tension and bafflement.

    "3750!"

    The chart seemed to slow down slightly, but before anyone had noticed it slowing down, it up-ticked again and reached 3800.

    People in the control room looked at each other in disbelief. They knew that the reading of 3800 meant that it was as popr as a semi-final of an official tournament.

 Chapter 87: Wonderful Weekend

    Chapter 87: Wonderful Weekend

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Despite the forced smile on Cameron''s face, he could hardly conceal the confusion on his mind. He clenched his fist as he pondered on what had just happened.

    While everyone was still awestruck, the reading on the screen kept on ticking up until it had reached 4000, where it eventually stabilized at.

    Everyone looked to Cameron for an answer to this bizarre development, but they saw only Cameron''s nk smile. Cameron himself needed some time to take in the dramatic turn of event.

    The DREAM employees worked with extra enthusiasm, feeling ted for being part of an unfolding extraordinary event. They worked around the clock toe up with the analysis video, and once it was released to the public, it ignited the fighting spirit of all the other fighters.

    The uncanny footwork of Wang Tong met with the graceful dance of the butterfly, a sight to behold! Solitary Snow, an ordinary citizen who had not been mind opened, had done miracles for mastering the butterfly dance. However, Einherjar Wannabe''s performance still outshone his opponent.

    On the screen, Einherjar Wannabe danced gracefully amidst bouts of furious barrages. His body never once revealed his next move as he seemingly drifted from one ce to another, like a parchment paper in the wind. Belligerent strikes whistled by his body, missing by only less than an inch; these were the attack of superb power that could only be countered by evading techniques of equal prowess.

    Wang Tong''s eyes had been closed ever since the start of the battle, yet he was able to snatch the arrow of Solitary Snow''s final coup de grace. From that moment on, the Butterfly Dash seemed to have changed its tempo. The details of the changes could only be examined in a slow-speed recording. Instead of the straightforward Butterfly Dash, Wang Tong also leveraged the lightning speed to quell the initial impact of Solitary Snow''s coup de grace. As soon the arrow was firmly grasped in both of his hands, Wang Tong spun around and attacked without any hesitation.

    Solitary Snow didn''t even think that such a move was possible and therefore was caught off guard. Truth be told, should Solitary Snow be a TPA fighter, he would never have let his guard down in the heat of battle, regardless of how forlorn their countermeasure could have been.

    The most popr technical analysis was the official version released by DREAM. In addition, there were also two fan-made versions that had gained a significant poprity: one was attributed to Skyscraper from the Bernabeu Academy on Earth; the other, to a student from the Starry Sky Academy who called himself "Lightning Fingers" on the PA system.

    These two video analysis became popr mainly due to the unique perspectives the two had adopted. Skyscraper had focused on the footwork of Einherjar Wannabe, stating that the mysterious fighter did not use the Butterfly Dash at all, instead, he had been using something eerily simr to the moves of one type of Zerg called the Nestor. The Nestor Zerg was a notoriousbat Zerg that looked much like a tank with sixteen skinny and hairy legs sticking out of it. Despite its strange and bulky figure, it was surprisingly swift and agile thanks to its many legs.

    Having been equipped with only two legs, Einherjar Wannabe was able to mimic the movement of the Nestor Zerg. The solution seemed intuitive: Einherjar Wannabe sped up the speed of his two legs topensate for theck in number. However, it should have strained his body beyond the normal limit which a human could endure. Skyscraper, therefore, deduced his most important conclusion: The tactics used by Einherjar Wannabe, whatever it was, must have focused on conditioning his limbs. Otherwise, none of these moves would have been possible.

    On the other hand, the Lightning Fingers directed his audience''s attention to Einherjar Wannabe''s evasion techniques. He challenged the mainstream belief that Einherjar Wannabe had been searching for his opponent''s positions using his soul energy and proposed his own view that Einherjar Wannabe was simply intuiting out of instinct, no soul energy was involved.

    Inparison with the two fan-based analysis, the official video seemed tock technical re as it focused mainly on the intensity of the fight.

    The very short amount of time it took for the two fans to release their video analysis and their keen observations seemed to suggest that the two had to bepetent in their own rights.

    Most yers had been waiting for the video review online ever since the fight was over, and with their desire satisfied, they were ready to make up their much-needed sleep. However, as the old spectators signed off one after another, a new wave of onlookers joined in the discussions on the various online forum. This amount of attraction from yers across different leagues and levels was unprecedented. Some IPA yers came to learn the technical finesse, but more came here because of Wang Tong''s encouragement to his IPA opponent at the end of the fight. No longer relevant to only Solitary Snow, his encouragement had by then served as a motivational message to all of the IPA yers. Unknowingly, Wang Tong had empowered himself by empowering others and pushed his reputation to a new height.

    Instead of basking amidst the admiration, the modest Wang Tong had chosen to stay out of it and spend some quality time with his beautiful apprentice. Wang Tong spent the rest of his wonderful weekend in a rxation that he had never experienced before, not even when he was with Ma Xiaoru at her luxurious mansion.

    The Monday followed that weekend abode theing of the next monthly test, as well as the first biggest challenge in Samantha''s career as the principal. If she failed the challenge, this might as well be herst challenge.

    The teachers had already chosen four students that will be representing Ayrng during the tournament: Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, Hu Yangxuan, and Wang Tong. Samantha had decided to fill the rest six seats via apetition. This was not only an unusual move but also an abrupt one since it did not give much time to the students to prepare.

    Despite that, there were only four out of the tenbatants whose ability Samantha could confide, somehow she still felt opportunistic about her odds. The risks her team was exposed to, albeitrge, gave her a newfound rush as if the sense of living on the edge had given some measure of meaning to her life.

    Ma Xiaoru sometimes would lose herself while watching Wang Tong like she was solving a puzzle. Despite his prowess, Wang Tong was the most careful in listening teacher''s instructions, and although he seemed casual and carefree, he had made use of every second of his life absorbing knowledge.

    Wang Ben didn''t felt the need to adapt after arriving at a new environment, nor did he care to find out if there was anything that indeed required his attention, if anything, he might have noticed a thing or two that he thought needed to be changed for him. His first and foremost duty was to recuperate. One thing that Wang Ben and Wang Tong had inmon was that they both scored low in certain subjects.

    Days of high-intensity training did not allow Wang Ben too much time to focus on other subjects. Despite his high status in the military, General Hu Ben was nning to let his son start his career from the very bottom as a foot soldier, just like he did, and he was very proud to find out that his son had been thinking the same.

    General Hu Ben always believed that a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor, a truth that only a few in the world were willing to ept.

 Chapter 88: A Lesson

    Chapter 88: A Lesson

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    While he was trying to recover, Wang Ben had also been observing his adversary: Wang Tong. However, no matter how hard he had tried, his defeat remained an enigma. He conceded that the only way to discover the reason behind his defeat was another fight, but that had to wait.

    Wang Ben''s injury came at a rather inconvenient time, as it had caused him to miss the fight with Einherjar Wannabe. However, he had enjoyed watching the show.

    Although he was not interested in the yer''s techniques, he reckoned that this fight would open up a window for him to peer at Einherjar Wannabe''s elusive power. It turned out that Wang Ben wasn''t alone in that thought, and there were plenty of fighters who were eager to have a glimpse of Einherjar Wannabe''s actual ability.

    Gansus''s open ss was in the afternoon. Although it hasn''t been long since the start of the term, many students had already changed their opinion on Gansus, to put it nicely, they had already got used to the entricity of this old veteran.

    The ssroom was jam packed since everyone in Ayrng wanted to see the famous rising star, Wang Ben. To their surprise, Wang Ben wasn''t as muscr and haughty as they had imagined.

    "What''s the holdup? I had reserved these seats for you guys," Hu Yangxuan said with a smile on his face.

    The A-ss and the F-ss were on different side of the campus, which made it hard for Hu Yangxuan to connect with his friends. This open ss was a great opportunity that he could not pass up.

    "I wonder what Gansus has in store for us today."

    "I hope he tones down hisnguage."

    "You¡¯re dreaming."

    There were no loud prattles like it was before the start of every other ss, but only muted discussions. Many boys usually would take advantage of this time window to strike a conversation with the girls that they had been admiring. However, no one dared to approach Ma Xiaoru due to the presence of Hu Yangxuan and Wang Ben.

    When the distinct foot step of Gansus ¡ª one cyborg leg and one normal ¡ª sent down through the hallway, the ssroom suddenly became quiet.

    Gansus walked into the ssroom and threw a stern nce at the students. "Sit straight! You wimps!"

    Unlike other teachers, who would be content with a passable attendance rate, Gansus always carried a chip on his shoulder and was scathing while carrying out his ss.

    No one dared to disobey him; some students who were slouching against the back of their chair straightened their back, fearing any further ire from Gansus.

    All the keener who sat in the front row, such as Wang Tong and Wang Ben, didn''t need to adjust as they had always kept their posture steady and focused.

    "Last ss we had learned about the five major types of the Zergs. Today, I am going to teach you guys how to beat them while keeping yourself alive."

    Gansus''s announcement piqued everyone''s attention. Not only it was a matter of life and death, but killing Zergs were also the mostpelling topic to Confederation''s would-be soldiers.

    As an old cannon whose source no one could rte used to say: "If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.", the students knew that today''s ss would mark the start of their long journey of ughtering Zergs. Despite Gansus''s bad temper and anger management issues, student genuinely felt that they could learn a lot from his ss as he not only taught students his knowledge but also transferred his precious experience of the battlefield.

    Time flew by unnoticed while both the students and the teacher were absorbed in the process of giving and receiving knowledge. There were a lot of material to cover so when the ss was over, they only went over the key points in dealing with the Spider Zergs and the Sickle Zerg.

    "Ten minutes break, and we regroup at room 18." Gansus tugged the notes under his arm and left the ssroom without a moment¡¯s dy. As he walked out of the ssroom, he heard a wave of cheers erupting inside of the ssroom as his announcement set in.

    The students were agitated because room 18 was equipped with a virtual arena, something that only the S-ss academy would be able to afford. The promise of confronting a Zerg in the virtual world filled the students with excitement.

    The students filed into room 18 and were greeted with a freshly renovated room and sleek-looking equipment. Everyone had a taste of the sweetness of having a rich princess as their principal.

    While students were still exploring the new room, Gansus walked in abruptly and was wearing a gym outfit that contrasted drastically with his usual uptight appearance.

    "Now let''s proceed. As we had discussed in thest ss, you guys now should know the method of dealing with the two most basic types of the Zergs. If you can''t even handle those two, I rmend that you change to a different line of work right away!" Gansus announced as he stroke the table with a stick to emphasize his message.

    "Mister, don''t you think it''s a bit too early to judge us? We are still in the first year after all."

    The one who spoke was Carl from the F-ss; he was well known for his directness.

    Gansus threw a sharp nce at Carl, "You are from the F-ss, I remember you. Let''s suppose you are right, let''s suppose that you guysck experience and strength, but why are you guys here? Do you take me for an idiot? You are here to f*cking improve, so why don''t you shut your trap and think about how to improve? Uh?"

    Gansus bawled out, a few spec of fizz flew a few feet away from his mouth in a fit of anger. He scanned across the room and allowed few words to escape his tight-clenched jaws: "Remember! This is MY ss. You know where the door is if you don''t like it. You! First! One minute! Everyone else, be quiet and watch!"

    Silence fell into the ssroom, and no one even dared to breathe. Truth be told, Wang Tong really liked the style of Gansus since it resembled that of Mr. Wannabe. Without Wannabe''s constant scolding and dressing down, Wang Tong might have already been dead on that deste.

    Carl signed into the virtual arena. The virtual arena was a standalone terminal of the PA system that could be only used for educational purposes. Carl''s opponent was a giant spider Zerg.

    It was clear that Carl wouldn''t be able to finish this terrible giant bug, he would be lucky if he were able toe out alive, but it was useless to talk any sense to Gansus.

    "Watch carefully. Don''t be swayed by that unpredictable movement. Use your eyes and brains, and you will find that there is a pattern in everything. Your best weapon is your brain."

    Gansus spoke as he watched the poor Carl being chased around by eight brandishing sharp arms. Carl didn''t start his cultivation until he entered Ayrng, so he stood no chance in a direct confrontation, and his only option was to run away.

    The Spider Zerg moved with lightning speed, and it quickly caught up to Carl. Carl tripped over out of fear and fell. Everyone''s breath caught in their throat as they watched a pair of razor sharp arms thrust at the immobilized Carl.

 Chapter 89: Laughing Stock

    Chapter 89: Laughing Stock

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    As everyone thought that Carl''s failure was evident, the teenager suddenly spun around and dodged the Zerg''s attack. His soul reading also surged abruptly from 15 to around 20 as he punched at the soft spot of the Zerg, right underneath its chin.

    Carl felt the air on top of his head being disturbed by the Zerg''s arm walloping across, missing him by a mere inch. In front of him, the husky figure of the eight-legged monster suddenly dropped to the floor. Carl heaved a deep sigh of relief.

    The students let out a wave of cheers. Like most other students, Carl did not possess an exceptional ability, yet, he was able to defeat a giant Zerg in one try. Although Carl had been immensely nerve-racked in the process, he eventually had deployed the right strategy at the right moment.

    A strange smile shed across Gansus''s face, and on the other side of the ssroom, Wang Tong also heaved a sigh of disappointment. The giant bug suddenly sprung back to life and struck at Carl again; one of its eight legs pierced the back of the unsuspecting boy, and the Zerg lifted the wiggling body high up before it fell to the ground again.

    Carl walked out of the simtion room; the sudden failure had taken the wind out of his sail.

    Gansus marked a 0 beside Carl''s name without saying a word. There was no need for Gansus to give any exnation, what happened had spoken it all. Although Carl''s strike had hit the fragile, weak spot of the Zerg, without a METAL suit to boost the intensity of the attack, it was simply insufficient to kill. It was too early to celebrate.

    Carl had defeated a virtual Zerg in the PA system before, but he had forgotten thatst time, he had the aid of a tier one METAL suit.

    Gansus didn''t even spare a look at Carl. Instead, he regarded the ss with a stern look on his face, "I suppose that you guys had all owned a METAL suit in the TPA system. But don''t expect that to happen in real-life!"

    Students were dumbstruck by thement; everyone knew that once their soul energy had reached 100 or so, they would be able to wear a tier 4 METAL suit.

    Gansus registered the confusion on his students'' faces, and he lifted one corner of his lips. "You folks must be thinking ''Isn''t it that as long as I have a high soul reading, I would be given a high tier METAL?''. Well, unfortunately, NO. The best equipped human METAL troopers came from the Moon, and their METAL suits were mostly tier 2. As for our confederation force from Earth, the mostmon METAL suit is tier 1."

    "Mister Gansus, why didn''t the confederation manufacture more higher tier METAL suits? Many of us could use it anyways."

    "Too young, too simple, sometimes naive! The manufacturing process of a METAL suit requires a rare isotope of the element, Neon-HR. Its concentration used during production determines the tier level of a METAL suit. Simply put, there is not enough of it to make for every soldier a high tier METAL suit. Only the ones that had proven worthy will be awarded a higher tier METAL suit. In other words, the Military won''t freely give you a high tier METAL suit, you have to earn it!"

    With enough practice, even the students who were stuck with the basic version of the Tactics of the de would be able to reach a soul reading above 20, enough to wear a tier 2 METAL suit, but ording to Gansus, being able to wear it did not amount to owning it.

    Carl had already returned to his seat. His chest slumped against the desk in front of him, and he lowered his head in-between his shoulders. He regretted ever talking back to Gansus which had made him into aughing stock. "So close... If only I had been more careful..." Carl thought as he bit down on his lips.

    Lo and behold, Gansus switched his topic: "Carl''s fight was what you should NOT do. A ssic failure that should be written in the textbook!" Everyoneughed out loud.

    "What''s so funny? How many of you sitting there could have avoided the same mistake? You! You are called Carl, right? You look like a sad soup! Pathetic! I can''t believe a worm like you dare talk back to me !"

    Carl wrenched his head up and locked his eyes onto Gansus''s. He imagined himself rushing toward the old man and punching him in the face. The humiliation had taught him a valuable lesson that he will never forget: never let your guard down.

    Gansus ignored Carl''s searing gaze and said, "Since Carl had demonstrated both the correct and the incorrect strategy, he saved me a lot of energy. Wang Tong, why don''t you talk about what you think about this fight."

    Wang Tong always liked Gansus''s ss. Therefore he didn''t hide his opinion and spilled out his thoughts: "His overall strategy was correct: he had first acted like he was weaker than he really is and let the Zerg lowered his guard. That fake trip over was brilliant and didn''t even raise the Zerg''s suspicion. Thest strike was very precise but wasn''t strong enough, perhaps due to stress he couldn''t hit hard. Therefore the Zerg only passed out but didn''t die. He should have followed up with another punch to make sure that the Zerg would stay dead. I have learned a trick to tell if a Zerg is really dead: simply observe the tip of its legs. If the Zerg is really dead, the tip of its legs will spasm in a very regr beat, but if the Zerg is still half conscious, the spasm is rather irregr, like how it moved just earlier."

    A silence fell in the ssroom as every student was amazed by Wang Tong''s interpretation of the fight. He had exined things that did not even exist in the textbook.

    Gansus paused for a second and then asked, "How did you know about that trick? No textbook had mentioned that, what is it based off of?"

    Wang Tong scratched his head and said, "It was based on¡­ nothing. It was just my experience."

    The other students suddenly let out an uproar.

    "His experience, again!"

    "Is he joking?"

    "He can''t just say that! It''s a matter of life and death!"

    "He must have watched too many movies; I saw something simr in the new film ''Five Days in the Hive''."

    "What an attention seeker!"

    Gansus gestured everyone to be quiet and turned his head to Wang Ben, "Wang Ben, what do you think about what he just said?"

    "I can''t speak on that topic, but my father had also said something simr. He stated that it was only his experience, and there is no scientific proof of it."

    Disbelieve were written on everyone''s face.

    "Wang Ben''s father... General Hu Ben? And he said the same thing?"

    "How did Wang Tong know about it? Is it luck?"

 Chapter 90: Alternative Truth

    Chapter 90: Alternative Truth

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Thank you, Wang Ben. Wang Tong was right about that, and everyone who had fought with General Hu Ben, like me, had received this advice. I had since dissected thousands of bugs, and every single one of them had demonstrated that rhythmic spasm. I have no idea if any scientific research can exin it, but I can guarantee that it will work. You need to be watchful of your energy spent in a battle, so use this method to see if a Zerg is really dead. If it is, then there is no need to waste your energy."

    As soon as he finished talking, he lifted the pen and marked a 100% beside Wang Tong''s name, and a 60% beside Wang Ben''s. Although Wang Ben had remembered his father''s advice, he didn''te up with it.

    Wang Tong came to this conclusion solely based on his observations on Norton. The unbearable boredom after Charcoal was out ofmission had driven Wang Tong to keep a list of daily routines for the sake of his sanity and observing bugs was one of the tasks on that list of daily routines.

    "I have to say that I am impressed!" Ma Xiaoru muttered quietly.

    "I was just lucky."

    "Yea, yea..." Ma Xiaoru pouted her lips. She knew Wang Tong was hiding something, and she was bothered by the fact that Wang Tong was not willing to share it with her.

    "Very well, now we shall proceed to the next section. Some of you might have already watched what I am going to show to you guys." Gansus turned on the big screen, and it was ying the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Solitary Snow.

    The students boiled over at the sight of the PA match. They were surprised to find out that Gansus was also a fan of the PA fights.

    "I have just got this video. I don''t care who the two contenders are, so I don''t want to hear any of you bbing about it!"

    Gansus waved a stick in the air to attract the student''s attention, "Watch the fight carefully!"

    Truth be told, many students had watched the video many times, but they felt a newfound excitement as they watched it in a ssroom setting.

    "What do you guys think about it?" Gansus asked loudly as soon as the video was over.

    "Bravo!"

    "Perfect!"

    "The Butterfly Dash was awesome!"

    "Einherjar Wannabe is bad-ass!"

    Sensing the students were going off on a tangent, Gansus mmed the stick on the desk and yelled.

    "Look for what''s important! The smell, the smell of danger we had talked aboutst time!"

    Gansus turned off the screen; he didn''t care to know the identity of the two fighters, he showed the clip to the students only because he felt that it suited the topic of his ss.

    "There are two ways of discovering unknown dangers. One is through the soul energy, but that is an innate ability, and only a lucky few are born with that. The other is the so-called ''Smell'', and that is an ability you can obtain through learning, although it is hard to learn and harder to teach. It is entirely up to you guys to learn it, and it is an essential skill for you to survive on the battlefield. So for your own sake, I hope that you will be able to learn it, if not, all I can do is to pray for you."

    "Mister Gansus,st time you talked about ''sniffing out'' the Zerg. But it doesn''t seem to be the same as Einherjar Wannabe''s ability to foretold his opponent''s move, does it?" Carl had spoken again.

    Gansus seemed to be displeased by the question, "It is the same thing, but Einherjar Wannabe is using it at a much higher level. So don''t worry about it for now and try to focus on the basics instead."

    Gansus'' answer stirred another wave of muffled discussions.

    "Mister Gansus, can I please ask a question?" a clear and pleasant voice raised up.

    "Of course, you can ask any question at any time in my ss."

    The speaker was Zhou Sisi. "From what we saw, Einherjar Wannabe doesn''t seem to be born with the ability of detecting danger, so he must have learned it. My question is, based on your experience, what kind of training did Einherjar Wannabe underwent and how long did it take for him to achieve this level of skill? We all hope that you could shed some light on it."

    Although Zhou Sisi''s question had nothing to do with the ss''s topic, she hadid it out like an intriguing puzzle thatpelled Gansus to solve it.

    "It might take a talented individual about three to four years, and of course I don''t want to exclude exceptions. Although some luckier ones might have it easier, through hard work and given time, all of you could achieve this level of proficiency. As for the question of how this young fighter is able to possess such prowess, I have no idea, and I do not wish to specte."

    Gansus''s answer had only made the matter even more perplexing. "Three to four years or even longer¡­ Is he suggesting that Einherjar Wannabe had been mind opened since he was a child?"

    While in disbelief, some of the students looked to Wang Ben for an answer.

    Although he remained silent, Wang Ben had a well-formed opinion about this Einherjar Wannabe. He had conceded that Einherjar Wannabe''s ability to predict opponent''s move not only required prolonged period of intense training, it also suggested that the condition of the training must have been extremely dangerous so that the trainee''s potential could be fully drawn out in a short period.

    Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe must have cultivated an unusual tactic; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to elevate his power to such a high level.

    Although Gansus''s ss was never the most encouraging one, it was nevertheless a reality check to the students, and also thought-provoking.

    In Ayrng, like in many other schools, students formed their own cliques. Wang Tong and his tight circle of friends had formed their own clique which had seemed hard to break into other students thanks to its member''s prestigious family background, except for Wang Tong. Zhou Sisi had her own group of friends, and almost all of them were hard working students from ordinary households. As the vice president of the student union, Zhou Sisi was not only good at studying but also possessed excellent personal skills. Inparison, the senior students of Ayrng seemed tock the same vigor and morale as the first year students, and neither was there any top notch stars like Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan.

    However, in an S-ss Academy, the senior students were most definitely much stronger than the younger students. However, there had been ones that broke that rule, and they had possessed such great power that it seemed almost terrifying.

 Chapter 91: Activation

    Chapter 91: Activation

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°So what¡¯s the n? It¡¯s still early for dinner,¡± Hu Yangxuan asked.

    ¡°How ¡®bout a little warm up?¡± Wang Ben turned toward Wang Tong.

    ¡°The Gravity Training Chamber? Is your body good to go already?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind, it¡¯s just a scratch. Physical activities are good for my recovery,¡± Wang Ben replied. Yet, Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan knew that Wang Ben actually was still brooding over unountably losing to Wang Tongst time.

    It wasn¡¯t always about winning or losing, but being the son of General Hu Ben, Wang Ben had to have a strong victorious urge, yet it wasn¡¯t purely a spiteful and sentimental urge, it was actually a calm urge to win, which was also his way of pursuing greater strength.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Ma Xiaoru nodded. Everyone seconded her consent.

    They were definitely the ¡°Fantastic Four¡± of Ayrng. Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan¡¯s standard were just as good as the students of an S-ranked academy; as for Wang Tong, even though he was only a nobody in F-ss, he made quite the performance during the previous month¡¯s assessment. Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan might not have used their full strength, but Wang Tong did break the academy¡¯s record. Even though his academic scores were bad, it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t talented, and Wang Tong actually managed to stand out amongst fellow students. Moreover, he was also one of the chosen candidates for thepetition against Bernabeu, which already proved that he wasn¡¯t someone with an average score.

    Samantha was smart enough to know that ss sorting decided by average scores wasn¡¯t the most effective method, yet she ced Wang Tong in F-ss on purpose. Samantha knew that Wang Tong was gifted even though his academic performance wasn¡¯t keeping up, and she wouldn¡¯t let him got expelled because of that. cing him in F-ss was her way of helping him to grow.

    Geniuses who couldn¡¯t handle stress were like exquisite porcins. They might be lucky enough for not breaking apart, but they would still remain fragile.

    The Gravity Training Chamber wasn¡¯t always crowded due to the fact that students would prefer tempering their Soul Energy instead. After all, Soul Energy would directly affect a person¡¯s GN Force, and GN Force represented one¡¯s actual strength. Apparently, academies and the military wouldn¡¯t ept one¡¯s ability to handle pressure as the reference data because physical training couldn¡¯t provide evident effectiveness. They would only say, ¡°The more you practice, the more benefits you¡¯ll see, and no one would force you to train as long as your stamina was enough during regr assessments.¡±

    Wang Tong enjoyed visiting the Gravity Training Chamber because it was uncrowded andfy. Some students of the METAL Combat ss preferred to do their training here, while most of them who were in the Command Force would rather spend their time on expanding their astronautic knowledge instead. For thosemanders-wannabe, the more knowledgeable one was, the better impression one would leave on the supervisors during internships in the fleet, and physical strength had nothing to do with it; after all, life on the fleet would definitely be easier than bing a foot soldier.

    Yet Wang Tong and the trio saw it differently, getting physical was what they were born to do, they were like the ¡°over-active¡± ones.

    Meanwhile, Gansus was meeting Samantha in her office.

    ¡°Ya asked to see me, Ma¡¯am?¡± Gansus stared at the Ayrng¡¯s new principal, he wasn¡¯t very fond of her and absolutely didn¡¯t like how she entered the academy. Yet, the girl in front of him has brought the hope of glory back to the academy once again, which was the reason Gansus still treated Samantha with respect even though he didn¡¯t like her.

    ¡°Mr. Gansus, I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts regarding my ns for the academy,¡± Samantha said.

    ¡°So ya want me to speak up my mind, or just mypliments?¡±

    ¡°I want to hear the truth. As you¡¯ve noticed, I¡¯ve been plotting my ulterior motive since I took over this academy¡¯s administration, but ultimately, both of us have the same goal, which is restoring Ayrng to its former glory!¡±

    ¡°Very well. Honestly speaking, what you¡¯ve done has indeed increased Ayrng¡¯s prestige and poprity; however, I think it won¡¯t be able tost long, and you¡¯ll still fail in the end!¡± Gansus didn¡¯t hold back in hisments.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Samantha wasn¡¯t convinced by Gansus¡¯ saying. Ayrng has been doing great due to her hard work and would even make a greatereback once she drop-kicked Bernabeu.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, winning Bernabeu isn¡¯t enough. The truth is, even if you were to defeat every single S-ranked academies, it will still not be enough to help Ayrng because the victories were achieved by a few geniuses, and they¡¯re definitely not enough to represent Ayrng itself. People will only remember Ma Xiaoru as House of Ma¡¯s descendent, Hu Yangxuan as the Temr¡¯s Follower, and Wang Ben as the son of General Hu Ben, and their sess obviously has nothing to do with Ayrng!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, and I agree with you on this, but you have to understand, I recruited them because they¡¯re able to boost our image.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I believe the people will doubt its effectiveness though; moreover, even our very own students wouldn¡¯t be convinced because everyone thinks that their sesses are the expected oues, and the victories have nothing to do with them. I will admit psychology isn¡¯t my thing, but this is how I feel!¡± Gansus was a straightforward person, he didn¡¯t care if what he said would hurt other¡¯s feelings.

    Obviously, Gansus¡¯ crude attitude pissed her off, yet Samantha couldn¡¯t argue back, because apparently what he said was the naked truth!

    Apart from Gansus, no one had ever told Samantha so.

    ¡°What about Wang Tong? He¡¯s one of ours too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree. Wang Tong is gifted, and he has what it takes to represent Ayrng; but his strength alone isn¡¯t enough, Ayrng needs more talented students like him. Most importantly, students of Ayrng need to fix theirzy attitudes, it¡¯s normal for their strength and abilities to vary, but it¡¯s definitely the academy¡¯s fault if they all have a bad attitude!¡± once again, Gansus threw out another undeniable truth.

    ¡°Mr. Gansus, your words are really thought-provoking, and believe me, I do have made the same considerations before, which is why I came up with this ss sorting method to stimte the winning ambition of fellow students. I dare not to say that it has brought a tremendous effect, but I¡¯m sure that there have been some improvements. Yet, based on what you¡¯ve said, I believe you have a better solution?¡±

    Samantha appreciated Gansus¡¯ honesty, yet she refused toply, she wanted to see if this man was the real deal or just a good-for-nothing bbermouth.

    ¡°Actually, I was wondering if we could increase the periods of daily physical training. I still believe that strict physical training is the best method to strengthen their willpower,¡± Gansus said.

    Most of the academies are not doing this anymore. Students would rather spend time practicing their tactics than doing physical training.

    However, Samantha understood that Gansus was trying to imply that the old method is the best method!

    ¡°Thank you very much for your enlightenment, Mr. Gansus. Your advice would definitely help me in restoring Ayrng¡¯s former glory!¡±

    ¡°Please Ma¡¯am, those were only some random words from a humble teacher. Yet I believe you didn¡¯t summon me just to hear my bullsh*t, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Haha, you have good eyes Mr. Gansus. Wang Tong is definitely a gifted kid, and I was wondering if you could rmend any other outstanding or talented students to be the candidates for thepetition against Bernabeu.¡±

    ¡°Zhou Sisi from A-ss Command Force, Carl from F-ss, Kyaero from B-ss METAL Combat ss, and Rumi from C-ss Intel Force. These four are quite unique.¡±

    ¡°Zhou Sisi¡­ yes I remember, she¡¯s one of the top students of A-ss Command Force, but her Soul Energy is a bit weak¡­ Carl is only average, as for Kyaero and Rumi, both of their results are not very outstanding though.¡± Samantha remembered every student¡¯s information, she was gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, information has to be updated from time to time. Teachers shouldn¡¯t only refer to the avable data; instead, we should do our best to discover the hidden potentials amongst every student. Those are my personal rmendations that you¡¯ve asked for, and it¡¯s all up to you to decide,¡± Gansus turned and left after saying that, and Samantha was astounded by his action.

    Ayrng was definitely a strange ce filled with idiots and weirdos. The position as the academy¡¯s principal was stressing her out terribly.

    Yet Samantha had to agree with Gansus¡¯ point about reinstating physical training. It could help Ayrng¡¯s students to enhance their physical strength which has been forgotten by most of the academies, most importantly, it would be able to improve students¡¯ discipline and their fighting spirits, and this could help to create positivities in other aspects even though results wouldn¡¯t be shown instantly. Anyhow, she believed this was crucial for Ayrng¡¯s development.

    Samantha was not a conservative person, and she would never scruple. If she thought it was right, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do it, regardless if the others would like it or not.

    Samantha had decided to re-observe Zhou Sisi, Carl, Kyaero, and Rumi. Even though she still doubted Gansus¡¯ perspective, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give it a shot.

    Nevertheless, she had ced all her faith on Wang Tong and the trio for the uingpetition against Bernabeu. All they had to do was winning five rounds, and it would be great if one of the other six students could win another round, yet it would be alright if they couldn¡¯t win because Wang Ben would be able to take part in two rounds, and it would increase their winning rates.

    The other six candidates might look like supporting characters, yet Samantha hoped they were able to make achievements too. Her goal was to ¡°resurrect¡± Ayrng, and it wasn¡¯t about receiving fame for a short period of time. Like what Gansus had mentioned, it would be easy for Ayrng to get famous, but it would be very difficult to change Ayrng thoroughly, that was her real challenge!

    She thought for a moment and decided to make a call via Sky-Net.

    ¡°Yo mdy, I¡¯m quite busy here, wassup?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to trouble again Karlen, there¡¯s a teacher in our academy, his name¡¯s Gansus. His personal profile mentioned that he was once in the military, but not much info other than that. I was wondering if you have more of his information.¡±

    ¡°Gansus¡­ do you have his full name? It would be great if you could also provide me his serial number in the military.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m sending it to you as we speak.¡±

    Samantha knew that hotshots wouldn¡¯te out of nowhere. She noticed Gansus was more than just an ordinary teacher, even though his teaching attitude was bad, he had good observations.

    It got her attention when he rmended Wang Tong.

    Karlen was Samantha¡¯s senior during her school days. Currently, she worked in the intel department, so it was easy for her ess the personal data of an ex-soldier. Within minutes, Samantha¡¯s Sky-Net rang again.

    ¡°How is it, Karlen?¡±

    Karlen was looking doubtful at the other end, ¡°Sammy, you sure that it¡¯s the actual serial number?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the serial number in his file unless I got the wrong file.¡±

    ¡°Seems like something¡¯s going on with this teacher. His military files are ssified and are only essible by higher authorities. My hands are tied here, or would you like to try someone else?¡±

    Samantha was startled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, thanks again for the trouble dear sis. It isn¡¯t a big deal, I was just trying to gather more information.¡±

    ¡°No worries darling, I heard you¡¯ve epted Bernabeu¡¯s challenge, and everyone¡¯s expecting you to take their breaths away!¡±

    ¡°I know, most of them are waiting for me to make a fool of myself, and I guess they¡¯re betting me to lose too!¡±

    ¡°Haha, you got that part right though. Anyway, all the best!¡± Karlen said as she grabbed her fist.

    Samantha smiled and turned off her Sky-Net. Friendships among girls were simple, if they got along, they would be each other¡¯s BFFs; sharing all sorts of gossips and all of the happiness. However, if they couldn¡¯t get along, they would be rivals or even sworn enemies. That was how girls rocked, and men would never understand their world.

    Samantha had no intentions to dig up the skeleton behind one¡¯s closet, she was only collecting data for her own reference, and somehow Samantha had a feeling that Gansus wasn¡¯t as ordinary as he looked.

    She had a rough nning in her thoughts, and she had to win against Bernabeu in order to carry out this n of hers. Everything would burst and vanish like bubbles if they failed to defeat Bernabeu.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and the trio got changed. Hu Yangxuan looked handsome as always, Wang Ben looked macho, as for Wang Tong¡­ he might be a cker, but there was definitely an unruliness aura under his skin.

    The three guys had well-trained and muscr bodies, Wang Ben for obvious reasons, and it was normal for Hu Yangxuan too since he was the Temr¡¯s Follower; however, Wang Tong having a muscr body was a bit unexpected.

    In fact, Wang Tong had been training since he was a kid, furthermore, when he was trapped on Norton, he was forced to train in order to survive Norton¡¯s strong gravity and harsh environment.

    However, the boys were stunned when Ma Xiaoru came back from changing. Her figure was¡­ mind blowing¡­ Anyhow, the boys managed to gather themselves and didn¡¯t do anything embarrassing, yet Ma Xiaoru couldn¡¯t helpughing when she saw their silly faces.

    ¡°What¡¯s up guys, got petrified by my beauty?¡±

    ¡°Miss Ma, I have to admit, you¡¯re a charmingdy,¡± Wang Ben was honest and kind.

    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡±

    ¡°Yup, definitely the greatest beauty of all,¡± Hu Yangxuan praised dramatically. He would never hold back his words of praise when he saw something beautiful.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong shrugged and said, ¡°They¡¯ve spoken my words.¡±

    Ma Xiaoru rolled her eyes like she wanted to say, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to repeat the samements.¡±

    Wang Tongughed and said, ¡°After you, prettydy. But let¡¯s be clear that I won¡¯t be giving any handicapster though.¡±

    ¡°Bring it on, sucker!¡±

    All four of themughed. The gifted quartet was eager to get into action. Human beings wereplicated, choosing a leader might not be important amongst a group of talented people, but they would stillpete against each other. That was also how most societies and civilizations of intelligent lifeforms were formed. Same theory applied among Zergs. Rankings were crucial in the brutal world of Zergs, a creature with a higher ranking was allowed to feast on its lower ranked own kind.

    Amongst the quartet, Wang Tong had once fought against Ma Xiaoru unofficially, while Wang Ben also dueled Wang Tong once. Yet both fights ended before the winner was decided.

    However, it didn¡¯t always require a battle topete against each other.

    Recently, Wang Tong had surprised the others with his numbers of experiences, but it wasn¡¯t enough for him to be stronger.

    The four of them walked pass the doubled gravity zone, and it felt nothing at the beginning; then Wang Tong stopped at the five times gravity zone, but he wasn¡¯t stopping for a challenge, he stopped because it was his favorite warm-up area.

 Chapter 92: An Existence from Another Level

    Chapter 92: An Existence from Another Level

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The other three were relieved when they saw Wang Tong stopping at the five times gravity zone, then they settled down and began their own practices. The Gravity Training Chamber was furnished with a full set of equipment which was perfectly designed for physical training. It was known by many that the improvement of physical strength would also help to enhance one¡¯s overall GN Force status, after all, GN Force was an energy source that originated from the body itself. Yet, some of the actions and movements from various tactics would cause the body to overstress, and GN Force would only provide the firstyer of protection; however, it was possible for a person to have a secondyer protection through physique enhancement.

    Wang Ben mainly focused on practicing the muscles of his extremities, which were the foundations of his Fist of the Racing Tiger. He needed to maintain a stronger body in order to bear the tremendous stress created by the ferocious force. Judging from his movements, his body was almost fully recovered all thanks to his ability of super regeneration. He wasn¡¯t the type of person that would be easily held down by injuries.

    Ma Xiaoru had her unique training methods, just like Wang Tong, her Tactics of the Enchantress was able to function as normal even under the harsh environment of a greater pressure. She was actually enhancing her Soul Energy and doing physical training at the same time.

    Meanwhile, Hu Yangxuan was training his flexibility. Rumor has it that people from the Court of the Temr were all good at sword fights, which exined his outstanding sword mastery. His training mainly focused on improving his body¡¯s agility and coordinating skills.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, looked like he was exercising. He once read about it in the academy¡¯s archive. The movements might look old-school, but they were good enough to be used in warm-ups.

    No one said a word as they began to train respectively, yet somehow, they still managed topete secretly against each other through different physical activities. Generally speaking, a person had to initialize his or her GN Force under the pressure of five times gravity, which was already some sort of trial to the body itself.

    Their performances were almost the same during the first five minutes. Yet after five minutes, Hu Yangxuan¡¯s began to experience shortness of breath, and he had to increase his GN Force output to cope with the immense pressure. Gravity was a type of terrifying external pressure, one wouldn¡¯t feel anything if it was within the eptable range, but when the gravity exceeded one¡¯s body¡¯s limit, one would feel the increasing pressure even though the force remained unchanged. As time went on, it would gradually increase the damage to the body. It wasn¡¯t something that could be forced to cope with, as it might cause the body to suffer internal injuries.

    Hu Yangxuan was able to recover after infusing his body with a little GN Force. Then he turned to check on the others and was surprised to discover that none of them were affected by the strong force of gravity. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Hu Yangxuan was weaker in terms of battle strength, after all, it wouldn¡¯t cause many effects to the body during fights, yet he knew that his physical strength was weaker than the other three.

    Hu Yangxuan might have been through tons of ruthless training during his days in Court of the Temr, but Ma Xiaoru was still stronger because she practiced the Tactics of the Enchantress, which was one of the Five Great Tactics that had the ability to strengthen her physique. Wang Ben was obviously stronger because he was born and raised in a military family, and he had received numerous tough physical training. However, Hu Yangxuan had no idea why Wang Tong was also stronger than him, and he was somehow frustrated by the fact that he was weaker than all of them.

    Training under the protection of GN Force would only slightly increase one¡¯s physical strength because the protecting force would cancel off part of the pressure.

    Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben began to sweat after ten minutes, both of them still didn¡¯t utilize their GN Force. Ma Xiaoru might look weak, but her Tactics of the Enchantress also focused on life-force enhancement, which was one of the uniqueness of the Five Great Tactics and also exined how her body would contain such tremendous physical strength. As for Wang Ben, he had been going in and out different Gravity Training Chambers since he was ten, so he was already familiar with everything here.

    Fifteen minutes had passed, Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben had reached their limits and were forced to utilize their GN Force in order to cope with the pressure. Soon as the trio turned to check on Wang Tong at the same time, they were shocked to see he still didn¡¯t utilize his GN Force. They were worried that he might hurt himself topete against them.

    Wang Tong was training happily. Honestly, he was happier by the fact that his training was apanied by the rest. To him, five times gravity was only a warm-up before the real action, and it would not cause him any harm. It only took his body a short period of time to get used to the force of five times gravity, after a month, he was already fully adapted to the force. It seemed like the Tactics of the de was also able to improve his body¡¯s condition apart from enhancing Soul Energy and GN Force. Wang Tong couldn¡¯t wait to discover more about the extraordinary power of this amazing tactic.

    Wang Tong finally began to sweat after twenty minutes. ¡°Fes, I¡¯ve finished warming up, see y¡¯all inside.¡±

    Wang Tong thought the others were warming up the whole time. Soon as he walked in, the trio looked at each other.

    ¡°Which zone would you use normally?¡±

    ¡°Three or four times gravity zone.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    Based on Hu Yangxuan and Wang Ben¡¯s current level, it would be enough for them to train at this range because stronger gravity wouldn¡¯t do any good to their bodies. Anyhow, they couldn¡¯t imagine how strong Wang Tong had to be for using the five times gravity zone as a ce to warm up.

    As the disciples of famous Houses, the trio knew that it was a taboo to ask the others about their tactics and practices, so they asked no further questions and got back to their own training and practices. Yet it made Wang Ben wondered if thest punch he remembered during their previous match was probably Wang Tong¡¯s real strength, if that was true, what level of monstrous strength was that?

    Wang Tong still didn¡¯t utilize his GN Force in the six times gravity zone. He was practicing the initialization of his Tactics of the de and training his physical strength at the same time with simple push-ups and so on. Wang Tong found that these activities were the most effective methods even though they were only simple exercises, it felt like he was separated into two parts, one part focused on the Tactics of the de and the other part of him was busy exercising.

    He wasn¡¯t going to utilize his GN Force in the first ce because he knew it wouldn¡¯t benefit his training; nevertheless, he was aware of not harming himself, and his body was still able to withstand the pressure of six and seven times gravity force.

    He spent ten minutes in the six times gravity zone and five minutes in the seven times gravity zone and found that everyone has already left while he was walking out the chamber. The trio was waiting for him outside the chamber while having their drinks.

    ¡°Damn son, are you serious? Please tell me that you were acting cool all this time and secretly utilized your GN Force while you were training!¡± Hu Yangxuan was eager to know if Wang Tong was being treacherous since the beginning.

    Wang Tong was startled, ¡°What GN Force?¡± Then he looked toward Ma Xiaoru and continued, ¡°Oh, yeah, I use a little when my body needs a break, I prefer physical activities that make me sweat.¡±

    However, the trio wouldn¡¯t be so suspicious if he didn¡¯t admit. Yet he admitted, and the three of them became more curious.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! We¡¯re not idiots, we can tell if you¡¯ve been utilizing GN Force or not. How are you able to stay in the heavy gravity zones for this long? Geez, actually I¡¯ve been waiting to ask this for a long time; since we are pals, why don¡¯t you just tell us what sort of Tactics you¡¯ve been practicing? Seems like it¡¯s even stronger than the Five Great Tactics.¡± Hu Yangxuan couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.

    The trio fixed their eyes on Wang Tong, eagerly waiting for his answer. Ma Xiaoru was also very curious about Wang Tong¡¯s Tactics because some of its aspects were even stronger than her Tactics of the Enchantress!

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Tactics of the de,¡± Wang Tong replied.

    The three of them were stunned. Hu Yangxuan seemed unconvinced, ¡°That¡¯s the Tactics of the de? Shut the front door! That¡¯s absurd!¡±

    Wang Tong shrugged and said, ¡°When I was trapped on Norton, I had no choice but to hide in a mining cave in order to escape from the Zergs¡¯ attacks, and I passed out due to the strong pressure. Anyhow, God kept me alive, my EMF was galvanized after the ident, and since then, I¡¯ve be stronger. However, I¡¯m not quite sure about other details, guess I was really showered with blessings after escaping the disastrous incident.¡±

    The three of them believed Wang Tong¡¯s words because he couldn¡¯t have learned any mystical or extraordinary tactics in that kind of situation; hence the best exnation was actually Wang Tong being blessed with luck. The mind of a human was aplex structure, in most cases, people would be lunatic and crazy after a certain range of pressure, but there were rare cases that greater pressure would increase one¡¯s GN Force instead, Wang Tong was one of the lucky ones.

    They stopped questioning Wang Tong after learning that he was telling the truth when he said he was practicing the Tactics of the de because all of them had learned it before, it was the basic of all tactics.

    ¡°Here you go, I remembered that you prefer water.¡± Ma Xiaoru handed Wang Tong a bottle of water, and he happily took it and began drinking in big gulps; water was his favorite.

    He remembered the extracted water on Norton, it wasn¡¯t poisonous, but it tasted just as horrible as the nutrient pills. A normal person definitely wasn¡¯t able to drink that.

    ¡°So, you boys know anything about Bernabeu? We¡¯re the invited ones so they¡¯d definitely have the home advantages. We have been losing to them since years ago,¡± Ma Xiaoru asked. The four of them were chosen as the ace candidates, meaning the fate of the academy would be in their hands.

    ¡°With our strengths and abilities, I think it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for us to win.¡± Wang Ben was confident.

    ¡°The previous agreement between our principal and the principal of Bernabeu mentioned that Hu Yangxuan and I will be limited to participate in one match each, while you and Wang Tong would get to participate in 2 matches each. We can¡¯t afford to lose because it¡¯ll be too difficult for the other candidates to win a match against Bernabeu.¡± The fact was that winning five matches would be enough, but Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t mention it because the boys might let their guards down; moreover, six wins out of ten would sound more victorious, a victory with five wins out of ten would feel like cheating. This time, Ma Xiaoru made up her mind to aim for six wins.

    ¡°I believe our principal will have her arrangements, after all, she was able to rock the Academy of Capth even though she failed her Mind Opening Operation. I¡¯m sure Ma¡¯am has tricks up her sleeves,¡± Wang Ben said. Apparently, Samantha was one of Wang Ben¡¯s ¡°idol¡± during his period of depression, he admired her sess in Capth even though she wasn¡¯t Mind Opened.

    Living in this period of time, failing to be Mind Opened was definitely a huge pullback. However, some of them would still be able to shine in sess, and Samantha was one of the greatest examples. Yet they had to go through a greater amount of hard work and challenges in order to step foot through the doors of sess. One of the reason behind Wand Ben choosing Ayrng was also because he felt connected to Samantha¡¯s sorrow and pain in the past.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Since we¡¯ve all decided to face Bernabeu, let¡¯s do our best and show them what we got!¡± Wang Tongughed, he would always be energetic when Samantha¡¯s name was mentioned. After all, he was a man that loved showing off.

    ¡°Very well, then we shall settle our issue after defeating Bernabeu!¡± Wang Ben said in a deep voice. He was very serious about his rematch against Wang Tong and couldn¡¯t wait to fight him once he was fully recovered. Wang Ben wouldn¡¯t make the same silly mistake twice because he knew he would fail again if he was being impatient.

    ¡°Yup, Bernabeu definitely doesn¡¯t stand a chance against the four of us, our goal is to defeat every single S-Ranked academies across the Earth Confederation!¡± Hu Yangxuan loved cheers and mottos. The calm and rxed expression while he was ying the piano was obviously faked.

    ¡°Not only the Confederation but also the Ivantians, I wish that someday I¡¯d be able to fight against the Fab Five and let them have a taste of my powerful punches!¡±

    Wang Ben looked bloodthirsty. Apparently, the Fab Five were some existence above his dimension, and possibly greater than Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan knew who Wang Ben was talking about, only Wang Tong was looking confused.

    ¡°Who are the Fab Five? Some famous and tough dudes?¡± Wang Tong wasn¡¯t ashamed to ask.

    ¡°One must ask if he wished to learn, only idiots wouldn¡¯t do stuff that doesn¡¯t cost money.¡± Quote by Old Fart when he was sober.

    ¡°Not only us, but even those from S-Ranked academies would have to look up to them. To be honest, people would always exclude these five persons when they are discussing about younger generations, and I believe Xiaoru know this better.¡± Hu Yangxuan from the Court of Temr looked depressed when the name ¡°Fab Five¡± was brought up.

    Wang Tong looked at Ma Xiaoru. Obviously, not only she knew who they were, but she had also met them before.

 Chapter 93: Intel Gathering

    Chapter 93: Intel Gathering

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°They were referring to the Four Princes and the Princess of mankind Confederation, Li Shimin from the House of Li, better known as the Little Emperor because he has the same name as the Emperor of an ancient Dynasty. Patroclus Dower, House of Dower¡¯s wonder boy, he was imed to be the most perfect gically modified offspring of Ivantian, and he also happens to be a super genius. Next, we have Lie Kent from the House of Lie, he was notoriously known as the Hooligan for being a pain-in-the-*ss troublemaker, he¡¯s the worst among the Four Princes; however, his Tactics of the ze is outstanding, and me attribute tactics are very rare. The other one lives on Mars, his name is Michaux Odin, the young Cardinal of the Church of the Deity. Mars and its surrounding satellites and even the entire Andromeda Gxy are deeply influenced by the Church of the Deity. Last but not least, there¡¯s Her Highness Heidi, the First Princess of Kaedeians. Rumor has it that her beauty is beyond marvelous, and every man would be petrified by her gorgeous grace. These people rarely show themselves in front of the media, except Lie Kent, the attention seeker,¡± Ma Xiaoru patiently exined to Wang Tong.

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Wang Tong scratched his head while drinking water in huge gulps.

    ¡°Wang Tong, these people are not only famous, but they also happen to be very dangerous. To be honest, I didn¡¯t start practicing the Tactics of the Enchantress from the very beginning, and I finished by only mastering 60% of it. I¡¯ve only met Li Shimin once, and I swear to God, I wouldn¡¯t dream of picking a fight with that guy even though he is about my age,¡± Ma Xiaoru said.

    Wang Tong carried on smiling.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°Yea I do. But so what? Our lives would be meaningless if there weren¡¯t any goal or opponent that we wished to reach or defeat. The thrill is in the determination to challenge a tough opponent someday in the future. Don¡¯tcha think so, Wang Ben?¡± Wang Tong said with a smile, he wouldn¡¯t give a damn about it, regardless if he hade across the Tactics of the de or not.

    Old Fart once said, ¡°Your opponent will be what you think he is, all that matters is how you would adjust your own mentality. Your opponent might be rich, but that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you!¡±

    Moreover, histories and traditions were meant to be challenged. Although Wang Tong wasn¡¯t being overconfident about defeating the Fab Five, he felt that their existence was a form of self-motivation, it even felt like a different kind of bliss.

    Because unlike those five who had already stabled themselves at the highest point, the others were able to feel the joy of improvements from time to time. They are standing still while the rest are moving forward!

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t envy the Fab Five, even though they had inherited the powers of their ancestors, yet the powers came with shackles, and these people were bounded although they had all the fame and glory. Wang Tong didn¡¯t care since he wasn¡¯t a materialistic person.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t believe in legends, I only believe in my fists and knuckles. Someday when my strength reaches a certain level, I¡¯ll definitely have them to ept my challenge!¡± Wang Ben was full of fighting spirit, the word ¡°fear¡± didn¡¯t exist in the dictionary of his family.

    ¡°Alright, enough bragging you two. To be honest, I have no idea how strong the Little Emperor is, but I do know the strength of Dower¡¯s wonder boy. When he first arrived at the Court of the Temr, he immediately became the public enemy, and everybody was eager to teach that bloody handsome sissy a lesson. Then there¡¯s one Ivantian who stood up quite well amongst themunity and made up his mind to tackle the dude, but in the end, he was the one who got KOed instead, and it took him quite a while to recover. They said the Dower kid didn¡¯t even use his full strength, it was only a subconscious counter attack but it¡¯s already enough to send the poor dude resting on a bed for months, it¡¯s crazy,¡± Hu Yangxuan gave a bitter smile as he said that.

    ¡°Hey buddy, giving up before trying? That¡¯s not like you.¡±

    ¡°Yea, we should proceed step by step. First, we shall defeat Bernabeu, next we will vanquish the other S-ranked academies, and then, we will take on the Fab Five. We¡¯re gifted just like they are, all we need to do is train harder to ovee the difference in terms of Tactics and Soul Energy!¡± Wang Ben would never give up, he had seen hell before when he fell into despair, so nothing in this world would be able to stop him. However, Hu Yangxuan was kind of timid by contrast.

    The Fab Five were not only some ordinary super wealthy families, but they were also able to influence the development of mankind societies.

    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary girl, so I guess I won¡¯t be joining your crusade. However, if this really happens in the future, I¡¯ll definitely cheer for you guys!¡± Ma Xiaoru pped. Unlike Samantha who loved challenges and never gave up to fate, Ma Xiaoru preferred to stay out of troubles.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong adored Samantha¡¯s urge to fight, as both of them loved challenges.

    Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t bother if he didn¡¯t care, but nothing could¡¯ve stopped him if that was what he wished to do.

    ¡°Men only live once, life would be meaningless if we were afraid of everything!¡± It might sound like another ¡°excuse¡± of Old Fart about enjoying life, but Wang Tong was deeply influenced by the words.

    Ma Xiaoru admired Wang Tong¡¯s confidence. He wasn¡¯t arrogant, but he would give nobody a damn. However, she still doubted that Wang Tong possessed the strength to defeat the Fab Five even though he was quite talented. Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t like the stress, but she absolutely enjoyed thefort, the happiness, and the surprises when she was around Wang Tong.

    It could be his age, or because he was still in school, but Wang Tong¡¯s unruliness was still in atency stage. Someday he would unleash the beast within, and it would be quite a scene.

    Wang Tong was burning with eagerness and excitement after hearing what Ma Xiaoru had said. He wasn¡¯t afraid to take on the Fab Five because he had the Tactics of the de, the same Tactics used by the almighty de Warrior, and he would love to know how strong he could be. Wang Tong himself might not be able to call for a challenge, but his Einherjar Wannabe avatar would definitely do the trick, as long as Einherjar Wannabe was powerful enough, he wouldn¡¯t even need to ask for a duel!

    Wang Tong¡¯s hand began to itch when he thought about tough opponents¡­

    Meanwhile, in Bernabeu¡¯s principal office.

    ¡°Sir, Our opponent still hasn¡¯t sent over the name list of their participants.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that. By the way, were you able to find out anything? I hope you didn¡¯t underestimate Samantha because she¡¯s young.¡±

    ¡°Of course sir, yet I still couldn¡¯t believe how she managed to recruit Wang Ben into Ayrng. Everyone knows that Ayrng was only left with its former glory, but how did she do that?¡±

    ¡°Haha, sometimes former glory would be more than enough for an achievement. Enough of that, back to your investigation.¡± Martyrusughed.

    ¡°ording to our investigation, Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan are the only aces of Ayrng. Anyhow, they would only be able to score two more matches with the help from Wang Ben, and the advantage is still with us. Moreover, both Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan have obvious weaknesses, our guys might be able to knock them down even though the winning odds are not 100%. Still, our academy¡¯s aces are good enough to take on the trio,¡± said Ovlor, Bernabeu¡¯s disciplinary master.

    ¡°Nevertheless, I still believe she¡¯s still hiding her trump card,¡± Martyrus said with a smile.

    ¡°Indeed Sir, there¡¯s a new recruit in F-ss called Wang Tong, he¡¯s quite a talent, he even managed to get a perfect score during the previous monthly assessment. I¡¯ve checked his background and found nothing special, all we have to do is be careful when facing this gifted kid.¡±

    ¡°Seems like little missy Samantha has underestimated us from Bernabeu, I can¡¯t believe she has the guts to take on our experienced elites with a bunch of interim mercenaries. I think I¡¯ll have to teach her a lesson for treating this like a new recruit stage y. It¡¯s time to summon our secret weapon.¡±

    ¡°But Sir, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much to have him fight against the weaklings of Ayrng?¡±

 Chapter 94: Fulfilling the Duties of a Mentor

    Chapter 94: Fulfilling the Duties of a Mentor

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°Ovlor, we can¡¯t afford to lose, and for some reasons, I have a bad feeling about this. Better be safe than sorry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sir. Better be safe than sorry.¡±

    ¡°Haha, anyhow we might not be needing his help if we¡¯re able to maintain our advantage; moreover, we¡¯ll need to get prepared for the uing challenge against Capth after winning Ayrng, so this is the right timing to summon him back to undergo body checkups.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Martyrus turned toward the analysis data on his monitor, he was impressed by Samantha¡¯s ability and even believed that she would be able to restore Ayrng¡¯s former glory in a few years if she was given the chance. Unfortunately, this was a dog-eat-dog world, the rivalry was unavoidable amongst military academies; every academy would do whatever it takes to acquire a better source of students, more appropriations, fundings and investments, and even fame and glory. The radiance of Ayrng has dwindled, now Bernabeu shall rise and be the next big hit.

    Moving on to the info of Ma Xiaoru and the Tactics of the Enchantress. Indeed, she was a strong and talented student, but this female descendent from the House of Ma was too softhearted. ording to the analysis, she didn¡¯t like to fight, so as long as she wasn¡¯t provoked, they might be able to pull a few tricks on her.

    As for Hu Yangxuan, he kind of loved showing off, so the down-to-earth Cao Yi would be the perfect candidate against him. The fancy one versus the pragmatic one, Cao Yi might be able to pull this off.

    However, Wang Ben would be a headache for Bernabeu. Being born in a military family, this guy was a wless, tough rock, and he was always very serious during fights. Anyhow, he might not be a big threat since Martyrus already had the secret weapon against him and his Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Martyrus decided not to focus on Wang Tong, he knew Samantha had no choice but to seek for a candidate amongst freshmen because that was all she had, the other students were too weak. He was relieved after making a fine calction, before that, he sort of regretted promising that Ayrng would win if they could score five matches out of ten; however, judging from the current situation, the odds were still very small. With that, Martyrus didn¡¯t have to worry about creating an uproar among the public anymore since he had given Ayrng a one round handicap, and since Samantha decided to ept the challenge, she would have to admit defeat if Ayrng lost.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong headed back to his dorm after his training with Ma Xiaoru and the boys, and he was surprised to find Zhou Sisi in his room. She was doing some reading while waiting for his return.

    ¡°How did you get in?¡± Wang Tong looked puzzled.

    ¡°Hehe, I remembered the passcode of your door lock.¡± Zhou Sisi looked stunning under the lighting of his room.

    ¡°I see¡­ but don¡¯t you think it looks kinda weird?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I remembered your passcode so that I cane in and clean up your room when I¡¯m free. Why are you panicking? Are you hiding something from me?¡± Zhou Sisi said with an impish smile.

    ¡°No, not at all, be my guest.¡±

    ¡°I was also chosen as a candidate against Bernabeu, so I¡¯ll have to work harder and try my best not to embarrass myself!¡± Zhou Sisi grabbed her fist as she said that.

    Wang Tong rubbed his forehead. He was almost driven by his lust when he saw Zhou Sisi¡¯s expression of excitement. Wang Tong knew it was a close call as he nearly surrendered himself to the primitive desire of a man. He would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t attracted to Zhou Sisi, she was a prettydy with an interesting personality; moreover, she was the only girl that had ever shared affectionate contact with Wang Tong. He was always good at controlling himself, but recently Wang Tong had no idea why he became impulsive, like an animal in heat.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou Sisi thought there was something on her face.

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go after I took a shower and get changed.¡±

    ¡°Take your time, I haven¡¯t finished my reading.¡± Zhou Sisi wasn¡¯t in a rush, she even cleaned up his room and turned it into afy little home.

    Tidying and cleaning up might be Wang Tong¡¯s weakness, but Zhou Sisi was very good at this; after all, girls do love cleanliness.

    Wang Tong took his shower and got changed in a jiff.

    ¡°So what would you like to practice tonight?¡±

    ¡°Same, I¡¯m not giving up on improving my space battle techniques. Oh, by the way, I have a good news, recently I discovered my Soul Energy has increased dramatically, and I¡¯m feeling confident that I¡¯ll be able toplete the maneuver soon!¡±

    ¡°Wow, really? Show me what you gotter!¡±

    ¡°Bring it on!¡± Zhou Sisi¡¯s big bright eyes were in mes.

    In the end, she suffered three defeats in a row, as expected.

    Zhou Sisi was thoroughly defeated by Wang Tong, she knew she couldn¡¯t win him in fights, but she was confident when it came to her meticulous Battlecraftyouts and fine strategies, and Wang Tong had quite a lot of loopholes, yet she always failed while he managed to make aeback.

    ¡°You cheated!¡± Zhou Sisi got frustrated.

    Wang Tongughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat. You¡¯re good in terms of conventional battle maneuver, but I prefer taking risks for the win.¡±

    ¡°Yet your strategies might send your troops into dangers, you can¡¯t do that in real battles.¡±

    ¡°Right or wrong, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s all about the results when ites to battles.¡± Wang Tong didn¡¯t continue to argue because there was no point to fight against amon fact.

    Still, there were something that was worth to be learned in Zhou Sisi¡¯syouts. In fact, everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses; Wang Tong might have obvious strengths, but he was always risky in order to lure his opponent into his plots, even if there would be coteral damages. Nevertheless, it was a bad strategy during battles in reality.

    The victory was the first priority no matter how; somehow, Wang Tong managed to learn that it was the uniqueness of simtion battles.

    Both of them began to throw their thoughts toward each other, it might look like an argument, but they were actually studying each other¡¯s ideas. Tactics and strategies on their textbooks were only theories, everything would be different during real battles, and they would have to keep on umting different experiences in order to improve their strategies.

    Zhou Sisi then carried on with her practices on the cloning technique with Wang Tong observing alongside. Wang Tong could tell that she had been busy tuning up her old habits, and her performance had slightly improved even though she failed again in the end.

    It had to be wless when it came to the cloning technique, even the tiniest mistake would cause everything to crumble. It might only be a loss in simtion battle, it would put the user and the Battlecraft in grave danger when mistakes urred during real battles. The greater the technique, the greater the effectiveness, but mishaps would be chances for the enemies to counter. War was not a stage y, to win was the only way to survive!

    Unlike most Kaedeians who were good in cloning technique, Earthlings were able to understand it but were unlikely to use it because even though the sess rate would be at 70% to 80%, if Earthlings were to adjust and adapt, nobody would take the risk since it was meaningless during battles in reality and might only be thest resort when there weren¡¯t other options.

    Zhou Sisi leaned back in her chair and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s too difficult. How did you do that? I couldn¡¯t even maintain the sess rate.¡±

    Wang Tong smiled and replied, ¡°Giving up already? Looks like¡ª¡±

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m giving up? Hmph, I was only asking how did you maintain the sess rate. I had been using my left hand quite often since long ago; hence the flexibility of my left and right hands were okay, and recently I¡¯d even increased the usage of my left hand, but the rates of failing were still high, and the failure rate would increase if the enemy targets increase. It would be meaningless if the sess rate of my cloning technique can¡¯t reach 100%.¡±

 Chapter 95: Men are Sexually Driven Animals

    Chapter 95: Men are Sexually Driven Animals

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Zhou Sisi had always been a perfectionist because she knew if she didn¡¯t take it seriously during her practices, she would have to suffer the consequences during her battles in the future.

    ¡°This time, why don¡¯t you try to control it by putting your hands on mine? I¡¯d like to examine your synchronization,¡± Wang Tong offered his hands.

    Zhou Sisi looked startled as she gently ced her soft and fair hands onto Wang Tong¡¯s huge palms. ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, now all you need to do is imagine that my hands are the touch screen panels and do a few controlling gestures.¡±

    Although it looked weird, Zhou Sisi gathered herself and seriously did a few controlling gestures. At first, Wang Tong didn¡¯t believe in Zhou Sisi¡¯s im, yet he was surprised to find out that the synchronization of strength, frequency, and even rhythm on her left and right hands were even better than his.

    ¡°Is it bad?¡± Zhou Sisi looked worried when she saw Wang Tong wasn¡¯t saying a word.

    Wang Tong shook his head, ¡°No, not at all. Your synchronization is better than everyone else around, you definitely have what it takes to use this technique; however, there is a problem with your Soul Energy. For this maneuver, the output of your GN Force is not the key, it¡¯s actually the uracy and flexibility, which is also known as the focus of your Soul Energy; in the meantime, you also have to make sure your GN Force is keeping up. I believe that you¡¯re facing difficulties in the convergence of the GN Force.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what should I do? My subtle control hasn¡¯t been improving ever since my Soul Energy dramatically increased, and I have no idea where to start with.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your practice performance on the academy¡¯s Tactics of the Blizzard?¡±

    ¡°It has been going well, I think I¡¯ll be advancing to the next level in no time.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way,ter, I¡¯ll need you to initiate your EMF and perform the cloning technique again, I¡¯d like to see which part went wrong so that we can fix it together,¡± Wang Tong pondered and said.

    Zhou Sisi nodded, ¡°Roger that.¡±

    Wang Tong stood behind Zhou Sisi as she began to cover herself in Soul Energy. Wang Tong had seen Zhou Sisi¡¯s EMF before hence he was familiar with it, then he gradually contacted and connected to her EMF.

    Zhou Sisi¡¯s initialization of the Tactics of the Blizzard was fine, her Soul Energy was constantly outputted as she intensified her maneuvers. Soon, as shepleted locking on to the targets, Zhou Sisi activated her GN Force.

    However, Zhou Sisi¡¯s subtle control was affected due to the hasty attribute of the Tactics of the Blizzard. Wang Tong was able to detect the snag with his sensitive Soul Energy and made a couple of coordinations to ensure the smoothness of her control.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong felt like he was the one controlling it instead.

    It was a strange sensation, like he was able to manipte Zhou Sisi. The whole maneuver was sessfullypleted, but Wang Tong noticed Zhou Sisi¡¯s vision was blurry, and for some reason, she wasn¡¯t talking or moving.

    ¡°Stand up...¡±

    Wang Tong¡¯s subconsciousmanded Zhou Sisi, and she stood up obediently.

    ¡°Sit down...¡±

    Zhou Sisi obeyed and sat down like a puppet.

    It sent chills down to Wang Tong¡¯s spine¡­ he couldn¡¯t believe he was able to manipte someone else¡¯s mind. He quickly aborted his Soul Energy, and Zhou Sisi regained her consciousness as soon as he disconnected himself from her EMF.

    ¡°Wow, I did it! Gosh, that was perfect¡­ are you okay? You look pale.¡± Zhou Sisi grabbed hold on Wang Tong, she thought he was drained due to the consumption of his Soul Energy. Nevertheless, she deeply admired Wang Tong, only those who had plenty of Soul Energy would be able to help others in that situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, no worries. You should memorize how it felt.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s Soul Energy varied and the waveband would differ even though they practiced the same tactics and having the same level of strength. Generally speaking, Soul Energy possessed both contradiction andpatible characteristics, and the methods of utilizing these characteristics were not easy to be mastered.

    Although Wang Tong knew about that, he was surprised to learn that Zhou Sisi¡¯s Soul Energy waspletelypatible to his, contradictions between their Soul Energy would not ur as long as her body didn¡¯t resist.

    Somehow Wang Tong was terrified. He wondered if that meant that he was able to manipte the others too if the strength of his Soul Energy had reached a certain level.

    It felt like a horrifying demonic ability, but he felt good at the same time. Actually, he¡¯d love to try it on Zergs. He wondered why he wasn¡¯t able to figure this out when he was trapped on Norton, every living creature possessed Soul Energy waveband, and Zergs¡¯ movements were controlled through this waveband ording to their status, meaning higher ranked Zergs were able to control lower ranked Zergs. Wang Tong was thinking that if he could figure out a way to interrupt the connection of the waveband, he might be able to be the Zergs¡¯ superior.

    This crazy idea caught his interest.

    He had no idea where did Old Fart get the Space Crystal, or how Einherjar Wannabe, who somehow looked like the real-deal, would end up trapped in that piece of ordinary looking Space Crystal, and also his mystical Tactics of the de that was once used by de Warrior. At first, he thought that everything was a joke, but with the emergence of several mysterious abilities and the rapid growth of his actual strength, he began to suspect that Old Fart was not as simple as he looked like!

    Also, who on earth trapped Einherjar Wannabe into the Space Crystal and how was a person able to separate the spirit of an Einherjar level warrior from his body? An enormous secret was definitely hidden behind this normal looking piece of crystal; however, with the current knowledge he had, Wang Tong still wasn¡¯t able to figure everything out.

    It felt like an item beyond the technology and power of this era.

    Wang Tong smacked himself upside the head, and said to himself, ¡°Damn you Old Fart, always leaving me with a bunch of questions, don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ Perfect!¡±

    Zhou Sisi jumped out of joy; finally, she had memorized the feeling and sessfullypleted the maneuver twice without a fuss. It wasn¡¯t a coincident, she couldn¡¯t believe she had made it.

    Wang Tong was startled as the prettydy rushed into his arms, and the sweet scent of hers filled his senses. Actually, Zhou Sisi somehow regretted her impulsive action, but she wasn¡¯t able to withdraw herself at this close range, her whole body had dived into his arm before she knew.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t push her off, he couldn¡¯t let go of Sisi¡¯s downy body and her sweet aroma.

    Zhou Sisi felt like melting, her face blushed as she began to lose her strength. The two budding youth had be more intimate. Sisi used to ignore boys and hated Wang Tong¡¯s guts, but as a lot of things happened between the both of them, she began to discover his charm. When a girl was attracted to a guy, she would want to know more about him, even hope to find strength and dependency from him¡­ little by little, she would give herself into desire.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t an idiot, at that moment, he realized Sisi had feelings for him, this could be the chance of his first kiss!

    As an impulsive craving male, Wang Tong would never let this one in a million chance of a lifetime slipped past his lips. Men were sexually driven animals, he had submitted himself to lust and couldn¡¯t control himself no more.

    All of a sudden, footsteps were approaching, and it was getting closer.

 Chapter 96: Samanthaâ€™s Plans

    Chapter 96: Samantha¡¯s ns

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Zhou Sisi mustered her strength to push herself away from Wang Tong¡¯s arms, as she was about to leave, someone barged into the room.

    ¡°You two...¡± It was Ma Xiaoru.

    Instantly Wang Tong felt what had happened a minute before was a bad joke from God.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still here Xiaoru?¡±

    ¡°I thought you said that you want me to help you with your Mathematical Theory tonight?¡± Ma Xiaoru looked at Zhou Sisi and Wang Tong suspiciously.

    ¡°Ah, my bad. I was helping Sisi with her Cloning Technique, I¡¯m terribly sorry for my poor memory.¡± Wang Tong was embarrassed, not because of what Ma Xiaoru might suspect, but because of his ungentlemanly way of forgetting her kindness to help himself.

    Ma Xiaoru smiled as she epted Wang Tong¡¯s sincere apology. However, she couldn¡¯t help wondering what was going on between him and Zhou Sisi.

    ¡°Xiaoru, I remember that you¡¯re not staying in the dorm, so why don¡¯t I help him with his subjects rather than troubling you instead?¡± Zhou Sisi interrupted all of a sudden, she had nothing to fear of her ¡°opponent¡±.

    Moreover, they were not doing anything shameful, so she had no reason to be scared. Nevertheless, Zhou Sisi had no idea why she would bite her lips and summon up the courage to say so.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not troublesome at all. Furthermore, Wang Tong and I had other things to discuss, am I right?¡± Ma Xiaoru¡¯s eyes were filled with a vague hint of ¡°menace¡±.

    Wang Tong subconsciously nodded. He knew he should think of a way to escape as he felt the atmosphere around the room was getting weird.

    ¡°A-hem, Sisi, that¡¯s all for today, just make sure you practice more, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. I still have something to ask Xiaoru.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Wang Tong. Let¡¯s continue tomorrow, see ya!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Wang Tong.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    Wang Tong was drained due to the rivalry between the two girls. If the ¡°well-experienced¡± Hu Yangxian were there, he¡¯d have been able to please both sides perfectly like hitting two birds with one stone, unfortunately for Wang Tong, he was only a rookie when it was about girls. More importantly, he was still indecisive between Ma Xiaoru and Samantha, with the sudden appearance of Zhou Sisi on his ¡°list¡±, Wang Tong was getting more confused.

    He knew that Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi were interested in him and probably had feelings for him too, and he was sure that he would be able to start a rtionship with one of them. However, Wang Tong was mostly attracted to Samantha, yet the beautiful principal didn¡¯t seem to be interested in a kiddo like him.

    Wang Tong might have what it takes to subdue other tactics during fights, but he had zero experience in rtionships with girls and even had no idea how to handle awkward situations like this.

    In novels, beautifuldies would surrender themselves to the manly male protagonist, yet Wang Tong knew he would be toasted if he was being careless around girls.

    After they left, Ma Xiaoru never mentioned anything and didn¡¯t even asked about Zhou Sisi, and Wang Tong didn¡¯t say anything either because there was no need for him to exin since he didn¡¯t have such a close rtionship with Ma Xiaoru. Obviously, he didn¡¯t understanddies at all.

    On Friday afternoon, Samantha gathered the ten candidates of Ayrng and headed to Bernabeu for their ¡°crusade¡±. All of the ten candidates were freshmen because Samantha made up her mind to discover potential students amongst new recruits.

    She decided to have Ma Xiaoru as the team¡¯s elite, Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan as the aces, and Wang Tong as their hidden triumph. The other six were normal candidates, and a few of them didn¡¯t even have any idea why they were chosen since their results and performances were not as brilliant as the rest; one of them being Carl from F-ss Command Force, he totally had no clue why he was selected.

    The rest of the candidates were Zhou Sisi from A-ss Command Force, Kyaero from B-ss METAL Combat ss, Rumi from C-ss Intel Force, Tita from A-ss Heavy Armed Force, and Cheng Chung from A-ss Battlecraft Fleet Studies. These threedies and seven guys would be representing Ayrng against Bernabeu¡¯s challenges.

    The tournament consisted of ten rounds, five being METAL Combats because METAL Fighters were the most important military forces of mankind. Besides one round of Intel Programming Battle, there was also one round of Heavy Armed Brawl. The main role of Heavy Armed troops was to support METAL fighters during battle and ground advancements. These types of machinery might not be nimble, but they were important because of their bulkiness, strong mobility, and tough defense; they were mankind¡¯s most preferredbination and also the most effective military resources against the Zergs.

    As for the remaining three rounds, two rounds were Battlecraft Combats, which were the battle ofmanding and controlling skills. Last but not least, one round of Survival Skill Assessment; in this round, all ten candidates of both academies were required to participate, because whether you were amander or a foot soldier, one had to know how to survive. Fellow participant would have to finish their given task in this round in order to win.

    Wang Ben and the other students from the rich families seemed not surprised to travel in Samantha¡¯s private jet, but the others were totally amazed by this once in a lifetime experience. It was normal for Zhou Sisi, Tita, and Cheng Chung to be chosen since they were the top students of A-ss, even though their winning ratios were lower than the elites from Bernabeu. As for Kyaero from B-ss, Rumi from C-ss, and Carl from F-ss, the three of them absolutely had no idea why they were chosen by Samantha. They were not supposed to be chosen even if the slots were decided through an alphabetical order with their names.

    Nevertheless, Carl was excited for being able to participate, Kyaero too was eager to try, yet Rumi looked anxious. Apparently, she had never been given such privileges before, she even requested Samantha to have someone else to take her ce before the departure, of course, Samantha declined her excuse immediately.

    ¡°Wow, it feels so good! It¡¯s been years since myst trip in a ssy jet!¡± Kyaero eximed.

    Samanthaid down gracefully on her seat, the boys couldn¡¯t help staring at the principal¡¯s stunning figure, the way she dressed definitely brought out her sexiness and elegance.

    ¡°Comfy isn¡¯t it? You will be given better privileges if you are able to win, but you will have to go back to Ayrng by yourselves if you lose the tournament,¡± Samantha said.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t stress us out before the match Ma¡¯am Principal, our performances might be affected,¡± Carl said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the rest, but I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the one whocks pressure and stress.¡±

    The teamughed, Carl curled himself back into the sofa; he had been asking the principal to exin why he was chosen, but she never replied.

    Apparently, Samantha had fully epted Gansus¡¯ opinion and chosen the six of them as the remaining candidates. Yet, it wasn¡¯t because it would help them to win; she would have chosen the fourth-grade students if she wanted to increase their ratio of sess. Samantha picked them because she wanted to build up their experiences for the sake of Ayrng¡¯s future. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t only rely on Ma Xiaoru and the trio, as Gansus mentioned before, she had to gather a group of elite that only belonged to Ayrng as soon as possible. Kyaero might not be clever, and he was also very impulsive, but he was born with an amazing physical strength. Rumi possessed an extraordinary observation during Intel Programming Battle even though she was timid, and she might have a couple of shorings, but she was no doubt a student with a great potential. As for Carl, he was not gifted with any special ability, but he was a daredevil full of adventuring spirit, and he might be able to create a few surprises with his activeness. As for the rest, all of them had outstanding performances in their respective subjects, in short, all of them were worth to be trained.

    Even though she wasn¡¯t sure what would happen in the end, Samantha still hoped that they would all be able to grow by taking on a tough road toward victory.

 Chapter 97: The Battle Begins

    Chapter 97: The Battle Begins

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    It was a rare opportunity for them to have a conversation since the candidate list was just confirmed recently, some even only get to meet each other for the first time before taking off. The tournament was a bit hasty indeed, originally the main purpose of this tournament was to assess the skills and qualities of the fellow freshmen; however, principals of both academies were eager topete against each other; hence the tournament itself somehow got distorted and became verypetitive. Anyhow, Samantha already made up her mind for the participation arrangements.

    The ten youngsters got familiar with each other as soon as they took off, filling the ne with talks andughter. Meanwhile, Samantha was chilling in her seat as she sipped and enjoyed her Edinburgh Goutte de Sang, twenty years vintage, only the redness of this vintage could calm and rx her body and soul.

    She observed her ten candidates through her wine ss. They were the hope of Ayrng¡¯s future; then she noticed that somehow Wang Tong wasn¡¯t affected by the pressure of the uing tournament, as the team¡¯s secret weapon, his performances would be crucial for their victory, yet the boy wasn¡¯t nervous about it at all.

    Even Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan were passionate and attended to the uing tournament, but the trio wasn¡¯t rxed at all. Yet Samantha realized that Wang Tong looked like he wasn¡¯t bothered at all like he didn¡¯t know this was going to be a life and death tournament. Either he was born to be a heartless animal, or he was a shrewd and deep subtle person.

    Nevertheless, sixteen years old was too young to possess such shrewdness.

    The representatives of Ayrng reached Bernabeu in no time as they chatted merrily with each other. The new Camroo Passenger Aircraft was designed to take off andnd without using runways, so they were able tond on the za of Bernabeu.

    They were weed by Martyrus and a few teachers together with their own candidates. Bernabeu already knew that this was an important tournament, and somehow the meaningless matches became more interesting with Wang Ben, Ma Xiaoru, and Hu Yangxuan¡¯s participation.

    Both principals smiled ¡°sincerely¡± toward each other as they met. ¡°You are much more beautiful in person, Principal Samantha. If I were tens of years younger, I¡¯d definitely ask you for a date!¡± the cunning old fox Martyrus said as heughed. Even the teachers and students of Bernabeu didn¡¯t expect Ayrng¡¯s principal to be this gorgeous. Samantha¡¯s whole body was filled with gushes of beauty and vitality, for some reason, the word ¡°principal¡± looked old on her.

    ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me again, Principal Martyrus. Moreover, ¡®if¡¯ is the biggest original sin of mankind,¡± Samantha smiled charmingly as she said in a delightful manner.

    Obviously, both principals had begun their rivalry as soon as they met each other.

    ¡°Fellow elites of Ayrng, on behalf of the Academy of Bernabeu, please ept my humble wee. I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy your stay here and have a wonderful weekend. Once the tournament is over, everyone will have a chance to witness and enjoy the magnificent view of the Aegean Sea and also our zeal of friendliness!¡±

    Martyrus was indeed a charming old man, even though they were ¡°enemies¡±, everyone felt warm and great after hearing his speech.

    Wang Tong saw ¡°Skyscraper¡± amongst the weing students, he was surprised to see that Bernabeu didn¡¯t create a fuss for having such an amazing character and began to understand the meaning behind Bernabeu¡¯s invitation. Anyhow, Wang Tong would do whatever it took to win for the sake of his agreement with Samantha!

    Samantha had a weird sensation as she felt the fiery stare behind her back. She was surprised by Wang Tong¡¯s bravery on the day before for proposing such agreement; nevertheless, she epted the deal, and apparently, she wasn¡¯t afraid of anything at all.

    Upon noticing Wang Tong, Cao Yi smiled back in a humble manner. He liked to learn from different elites and aces. In fact, he had vowed to do his best as he saw Ayrng¡¯s list of strong candidates.

    Wang Tong and the rest were arranged to stay in luxurious suites, all of them were honored to be treated with five-star privileges, and they had to admit, Bernabeu had changed ever since their status upgraded.

    If Samantha couldn¡¯t bring in the enormous funding into Ayrng, they would still remain behind even though they were located in Shangjing, the vibrant cosmopolitan.

    Everyone was given a room, and tonight they shall rest in order to ensure their best performances for tomorrow. As for their mood on the remaining days, it would all depend on the oue of this tournament. None of them would have the mood to enjoy the beautiful Aegean Sea if they lost, Samantha might even ask them to swim back to Shangjing if Ayrng was defeated.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t excited at all and went to sleep immediately, he knew he had to maintain a good body condition for the matches. He was blessed with the ability to sleep in any environment, all he had to do was to lie down and close his eyes; however, tonight might be full of toss and turns for most of them.

    The weather was nice in Bernabeu, it was a beautiful night¡­

    Wang Tong woke up at the usual time the next day, his biological clock was right on time. After brushing his teeth, Wang Tong decided to do some warm-up exercises around the campus in order to activate his body cells. As soon as he arrived at the field of Bernabeu, he was greeted by a familiar ¡°buddy¡±.

    ¡°Good day, Wang Tong.¡± Cao Yi smiled instantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you know me?¡± Wang Tong was startled, immediately, he wondered if Cao Yi had found out that he was Einherjar Wannabe; however, it seemed impossible because he didn¡¯t use his real identity in TPA.

    ¡°Of course I know you, you¡¯re the secret weapon of Ayrng. I¡¯m looking forward to have a match with you,¡± Cao Yi replied seriously.

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t believe he was called the ¡°secret weapon¡±.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re too kind, please have mercy on meter.¡±

    ¡°Same goes to you, my friend. By the way, my name is Cao Yi. Nice to meet you.¡±

    Both of them parted ways after having a short conversation. It was indeed a quiet and peaceful weekend morning in Bernabeu, yet the campus would be bustling with noiseter when the tournament will begin.

    Candidates of both parties were asked to gather at the arena hall after having breakfast, Martyrus and Samantha too made an early arrival at the venue, neither of them would hold back against each other today.

    ¡°Principal Samantha, let¡¯s waste no time and begin round one, shall we?¡± Martyrus said.

    ¡°Please, anytime will do since you¡¯re the host here. Thank you for having us, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to learn a lot from you today.¡±

    ¡°Very well, as usual, the first round will be Survival Assessment, and all of them will be participating in this. The survival simtion will be set to level-A difficulty, and the scenario will be generated randomly.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    The giant monitor in the arena began to sh, there were more than tens of thousands of simtion scenarios in the Confederation archive; to most of the freshmen, the level-A difficulty wasn¡¯t only hard, but it was a nightmare. All of Ayrng¡¯s candidates were freshmen, Bernabeu¡¯s team, however, consisted of students from different grades; nevertheless, half of the team were also freshmen. Apparently, Bernabeu too was thinking of training their new blood.

    Unfortunately for Ayrng, there wasn¡¯t anyone unique amongst older students; hence they had no choice but to gather a team of newbies.

    The scenario generator stopped and selected mission A-3568. In this mission, candidates were required to make it through a Zerg¡¯s territory and race toward the designated goal, and the team with the most sesses would win the round. If the number of sessful candidates happened to be a tie, the result would be decided by their time of arrival.

    Martyrus then smiled and asked, ¡°Principal Samantha, would you prefer the team mode or the individual mode for this round?¡± Apparently, there were multiple choices of modes in Survival Assessments.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the individual mode, I suggest that we keep the fun of the battle to the very end,¡± Samantha replied. Team mode actually meant yers of both sides were allowed to attack each other, while individual mode was all about racing toward the goal and making it through the Zergs¡¯ territory.

 Chapter 98: Foolhardy?

    Chapter 98: Foolhardy?

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°Sure.¡± Martyrus then turned toward the candidates of both academies and said, ¡°Students, please check on your map. The territory of Zergs that you¡¯re required to pass through is right there, and your goal will be at the top of the mountain. This is an individual match, so all of you are not allowed to help out or attack the others. The match starts now!¡±

    Martyrus was very confident with the average qualities of his students, which was why he decided to prohibit helping out as well since they were not allowed to fight each other; he obviously did that because he knew there was a huge difference of level amongst Ayrng¡¯s participants.

    He would win this round for sure.

    ¡°Check! Check!¡±

    The twenty candidates had entered the virtual scenario.

    Meanwhile, some reporters had arrived, but Samantha and Martyrus had them waiting outside instead since they only needed to know the final oue.

    Students of Bernabeu were allowed to stay in the arena, but they were not allowed to scream and shout as it might affect their guests from Ayrng; however, they could watch the matches through the monitor in the arena.

    Soon as the twenty participants were dispatched randomly across the map, the Survival Assessment began!

    Wang Tong shook his head as he checked his equipment and med the stingy system for only giving him a Direction Tracker and a sword. Anyhow, Wang Tong feltfortable as he saw the towering trees and lush greenery around him. The environment looked like Norton even though the floral and botanical characteristics were different and the gravity was smaller; somehow, it gave him a homing feeling.

    The mission was clear and simple: reach the designated goal as soon as possible in order to earn more time advantages.

    Candidates of Ayrng and Bernabeu sprung into action as soon as the match began. It seemed like everyone had no problem with determining directions, all of them began to charge as they infused themselves with GN Force. As of that moment, every second counted.

    Students of Bernabeu who were watching in the arena couldn¡¯t hold back and began to cheer. As the host of the tournament, Martyrus apologized to Samantha. Since he was also the principal of Bernabeu, he couldn¡¯t forbid his own students to stay and watch, so he only allowed a few representatives from each ss to enter the arena. Nevertheless, a few students from all sses were more than enough to fill up the seats around the arena.

    Students enjoyed fights and battles a lot. Moreover, there were so many things that were not to be missed this time. For instance: Ma Xiaoru, the sessor of Tactics of the Enchantress, Wang Ben, the son of General Hu Ben, and most importantly, they would be able to witness the legendary upperssman Apache, the one who single-handedly crushed the aces of Yalden and humiliated them while he was only a freshman. Apache was back after disappearing for more than a year, rumor has it that he was sent to train somewhere special. Since Ayrng had aces like Ma Xiaoru, Martyrus had no choice but to summon back the secret weapon who was able to terrorize S-Rank academies.

    Ma Xiaoru was the fastest amongst fellow candidates as she unleashed her true strength of her renowned Tactics of the Enchantress, and she managed to create a huge gap with everyone else in terms of speed.

    However, getting through a level-A Zergs¡¯ territory wasn¡¯t an easy matter. In a nutshell, even if both academies had sent out their best elites, it would be considered an outstanding performance if half of the participants were able to survive and reach the goal. Unlike normal races, the danger would escte as one¡¯s speed increased, not to mention, Zergs were very aggressive against intruders.

    The shortest route was the middle route, but it contained thergest threat; it would be safer to take the periphery routes, but it would take a longer time to reach. As expected, strong ones like Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben would definitely pick the middle route.

    Candidates from Bernabeu chose to travel the periphery routes instead, their objective was to reach the designated goal; however, they were not worried about the time because the amount of students reaching the goal was the first consideration for deciding the winner.

    ¡°I see your students are brave, Principal Samantha,¡± Martyrus said as he saw that Carl also picked the middle route aside from Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben.

    Samantha was speechless, Carl was the weakest amongst candidates of Ayrng, yet he chose the hardest challenge, it was totally suicidal.

    Samantha didn¡¯t mention any strategy before the match began, she didn¡¯t like restraining people, so she chose to let her students have it their ways. Samantha believed everyone had their own expertise, and only themselves would know what the right thing to do was¡­ even though sometimes, their choice would give her a headache.

    Clearly, the candidates of Bernabeu were well prepared, everyone was proceeding with caution since teamwork was prohibited. However, the level-A difficulty was more than a challenge to the students of military academies, normally, difficulties for training purpose would only be set to level-D or level-C, but this match was a battle of elites. Obviously, the difficulty would be set higher in order to make it more challenging andpetitive.

    Yet, there were two students who appeared to be loafing around!

    Both Martyrus and Samantha somehow got embarrassed as they saw what happened. Wang Tong looked like he was having a stroll in the woods, while the other student of Bernabeu with an unshaven face was walking toward the goal sluggishly. There was no way the two of them could make it to the finish line before the end of the day.

    Apparently Martyrus had been having a hard time with the defiant Apache; however, they managed to strike a deal before the tournament, Martyrus had agreed to let Apache do things in his way as long as the oue was good. Martyrus was eager to see that kid¡¯s improvements after all this time, Apache would be their best hope if Bernabeu was going to challenge Capth in the future.

    Meanwhile, Apache was mumbling words as he walked: ¡°Thirty-four¡­ Thirty-Five...¡±

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was busy touching and observing things, like he was enjoying the flowers and trees in the forest. The principals of both academies were deeply embarrassed by their performances, but there was nothing they could do.

    Ma Xiaoru was leading as she had already in tens of Zergs. Wang Ben was slow, yet he also managed to subdue quite an amount of Zergs as he advanced; nevertheless, people began to wonder if he was going to punch his way toward the goal.

    Hu Yangxuan who was very good with speed was seen dashing across the map. Apparently, the boy genius had calcted the fastest route by making detours and avoiding as many Zergs as possible since he had no intentions to fight them.

    The three aces of Ayrng were strong indeed; however, Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben were closely followed by two students of Bernabeu, one of them being the decent looking Cao Yi. Cao Yi might look sluggish, but he would be ferocious as he sprung into action like a mini version of the Scythe Zergs, yet he was also avoiding Zergs to save up his energy for the uing rounds, he knew he would be doomedter if he waspletely drained in this round. It made him wonder why the candidates of Ayrng were not able to understand something simple like that.

    Martyrus knew he was going to win, but in the meantime, he was pretty disappointed; he was expecting that Samantha had chosen a few smart ones, but somehow they all appeared to be foolhardy.

    The ones leading in front were closely followed by the secondary aces of Bernabeu, and it seemed like their levels were much higher than Ayrng¡¯s candidates. Aside from the strong ones, the other candidates of Ayrng were too slow; especially Rumi who got lost in the woods, apparently she wasn¡¯t very good with her directions even though she was given a Direction Tracker. Anyhow, Samantha never expected her to reach the goal.

 Chapter 99: To Hunt

    Chapter 99: To Hunt

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Carl screamed as he was KO-ed and got eliminated. He was brave enough to choose the middle route but too bad, he wasn¡¯t smart enough.

    Samantha couldn¡¯t believe she would dare to put all her faith onto Gansus; apparently, Carl was not as good as he said and looked rather like an idiot instead.

    After losing the round, Carl patted himself on the back of his head, he still believed what he did previously was on the right track, and he lost because luck wasn¡¯t on his side.

    Martyrus tried his best not tough, he knew Samantha wouldn¡¯t hold back this time because this tournament was very important to her; but unfortunately for her, elites were limited in Ayrng.

    ¡°That is one hell of a unique student!¡± Martyrusmented in a serious tone. Samantha was so embarrassed that she could kill herself instantly, anyhow she managed to keep her cool and let it go with a smile.

    In less than a minute after Carl¡¯s defeat, Rumi was KO-ed too. The poor girl instantly fainted when she encountered a Zerg.

    Every student of Bernabeu burst intoughter as they witnessed what had happened, they knew Ayrng was weak, but they never expected their candidates to be THAT weak, what a loser. Rumi who was still trembling in fear came out with a pair of teary eyes, and she kept saying that she was sorry. At that moment, Samantha realized that she looked more like a nanny rather than Ayrng¡¯s principal; nevertheless, she went up and cheer Rumi up with words of encouragement.

    Samantha had expected that Rumi would fail because Rumi was a connoisseur in only one subject, and obviously, this wasn¡¯t her field of expertise. Her loss might not be a bad thing as Bernabeu would be rxed and let their guard down.

    Ayrng had lost two participants at the beginning of the match. The secondary aces of Bernabeu had surpassed Kyaero, Cheng Chung, and Tita by a huge gap. However the three of them were stronger than Carl and Rumi, they didn¡¯t give up and continued to venture further. Moreover, they might still have a chance since the main objective of level-A difficulty wasn¡¯t only a race against time, but to make it to the goal in one piece.

    It seemed like the secondary aces of Bernabeu were doing quite fine, their high performances inbat had proven them to be the students from a rising military academy.

    ¡°Five minutes have passed, shouldn¡¯t that punk be doing something?¡± Martyrus mumbled to himself.

    Back in the virtual scenario, Apache stretched his neck and said, ¡°Okay, five minutes, time¡¯s up. Let¡¯s see how fast can the Tactics of the Enchantress get!¡±

    Immediately, Apache unleashed a burst of GN Force as he stormed toward the designated goal like a hurricane. Students of Bernabeu began to cheer as they saw his unbelievable speed.

    Yet, Martyrus shook his head, he was nning to keep his ¡°secret weapon¡± identity as a secret, but now his n was ruined all thanks to that kid¡¯s bad habit of showing off. But he wasn¡¯t bothered by revealing his secret identity because it would be impossible for Ayrng to defeat him. Wang Ben and the others might be strong, but they were only inexperienced freshmen, and he had already lost count of Apache¡¯s tremendous amount of Soul Energy.

    Apache was traveling as fast as lightning, judging from his speed, he would be able to overtake the tertiary aces within two minutes.

    What about Wang Tong?

    Apparently, he was still enjoying his time with the lush greenery, Samantha was pissed off and almost wanted to stomp and squash his ugly-*ss feet with the heel of her boots!

    ¡°Son of a *****, do something!!!¡±

    Yet Wang Tong advanced slowly as he was sniffing the surroundings, he would even stop from time to time, like he was having deep thoughts.

    ¡°You have quite a remarkable student right there, Principal Samantha. Please don¡¯t tell me he is your secret weapon, I would say he is more suitable to be a gardener,¡± Ovlor, the Disciplinary Master of Bernabeu,ughed as he spoke.

    It might be inappropriate for the principal to say that, but it didn¡¯t mean that the others were not allowed to say as well. Ovlor was no ordinary man, and the words he said earlier wasn¡¯t only to humiliate Samantha but to see how she responded in terms of emotion; if he were able to make her angry and impulsive, Bernabeu would be another step closer to final victory.

    However, Samantha remained calm, she knew neither sides would show their opponents any mercy in apetition. To students, this was the confrontation of skills and techniques; as for teachers, this would be the ¡°battle¡± of mentality and emotional management, their rivalry would always remain unchanged. It would be impossible for Samantha to revive Ayrng if she didn¡¯t have the ability to withstand such pressure.

    ¡°Mr. Ovlor, that kid is indeed our most unique student,¡± she said with a smile on her face. Ovlor¡¯s trick was useless against her since she studied psychology. However, she was getting nervous as Wang Tong was still wasting his time doing nothing, she wished he could start paying attention to what was going on!

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was still leading in the first position with her horrifying speed, stretching the gap between Wang Ben, Hu Yangxuan, Cao Yi, and the other primary aces. It appeared that most of them were trapped in battles, after all, it would be impossible for anyone to pass through the territory of Zergs without breaking a sweat. Ma Xiaoru was able to advance due to her incredible speed and ability to fight, the Tactics of the Enchantress definitely earned its reputation as one of the five greatest tactics of mankind due to its ability to kill with a single strike. Without a doubt, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s capability to advance had proven that her strength was not to be underestimated.

    Ma Xiaoru clearly understood that she had to avoid as many Zergs as possible, she would choose to kill if there were only a few of them, and she would escape in speed if there were a lot of them.

    Actually, most of them were having the same thoughts, but the effectiveness would depend on their own skills. In the beginning, most of them charged toward the goal confidently, but no matter which route they chose, Zergs would begin their aggressive attacks as they got closer to the core of their territory.

    Wang Ben was not an idiot, he was actually warming up by making ferocious attacks previously, he would also stop mingling with the creatures once his body was ready for action; time was the key to winning this round.

    As for the other students of Bernabeu and Ayrng, they were gradually getting stuck in trouble, there might be a slight difference in terms of progress, but it didn¡¯t really matter since neither of them was able to reach the finish line anyway.

    Aside from normal students, the Level-A difficulty was also too harsh for the elites.

    ¡°Apache! Apache! Apache!¡±

    Students of Bernabeu stood up and cheered as Apache charged with an amazing speed that was able to match Ma Xiaoru¡¯s haste. Most of them that were in front of him a while ago had been engaging with Zergs and ¡°helped¡± him cleared a path, more importantly, he was smart enough to discover those gaps and managed to avoid a lot of unnecessary battles.

    Samantha was aware of Apache¡¯s existence, but she didn¡¯t expect that Martyrus would summon him back for this tournament, and she suspected it was probably because of Wang Ben¡¯s recruitment. She was pleased by the arrival of this ¡°double edge sword¡±, at least it managed to bring him a sense of danger.

    It was normal for the students of Bernabeu to be excited because Apache was the only one who obtained two wins during Bernabeu¡¯sst tournament with another S-ranked academy while everyone else was defeated. Apache was no doubt the legend of Bernabeu and the only one who had conquered every elite of S-ranked academies. Anyhow, Bernabeu would still be having difficulties against the almighty Capth and Yalden even though they were growing fast in recent years.

    Bernabeu¡¯s growth had almost surpassed Ayrng during its glorious days.

    ¡°Haha, Principal Samantha, looks like this is gonna be a showdown between Apache and Ma Xiaoru.¡±

    Even though the result of this round was determined by the number of candidates who reached the goal and the time of arrival, that didn¡¯t mean everyone would be spending the whole day waiting for their arrivals. ording to the rules, those who were not able to reach the designated goal within thirty minutes would be disqualified.

    Judging from the current situation, Ma Xiaoru and Apache were the only ones that would be able to reach in time. It would be a mixed oue for Wang Ben and the others since they were mostly engaged and had no time advantages; especially Wang Ben, who had picked the wrong route even though he was strong, countless of Zergs hadpletely blocked his path.

    Apparently, almost everyone was engaging with Zergs, no one was worrying about the time of reaching the goal anymore as they were busy worrying about escaping from the entrapment of Zergs. Without a doubt, Zergs¡¯ ability to hunt was just as good as mankind¡¯s.

 Chapter 100: The Troublemaking Gardener

    Chapter 100: The Troublemaking Gardener

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Apache overtook the secondary aces of Bernabeu who were busy engaging with the Zergs. As long as they kept those bugs busy, Apache would be able to determine the gaps and sped up his pursuit with his speed and experience.

    He was smart enough to stay put for five minutes in the beginning, not only he had shown his generosity as an upperssman, but he was also able to take all the advantages by letting the others fight most of the Zergs, which allowed him to proceed without any trouble. After all, it was all about wits and knowledge during battles.

    Apache seemed rxed with a straw dangling from his mouth. All of a sudden, he was ambushed by a Scythe Zerg that had been awaiting its prey from above; however, the creature was in into pieces as Apache countered it with a sh of X-shaped shes. The ambush didn¡¯t slow him down too much, within minutes he was approaching the position of the primary aces.

    Students of Bernabeu were getting very excited for Apache¡¯s pursuit. As for Ayrng, no one in their team would have been able toplete a race of level-A difficulty if some ¡°glitchy¡± candidate like Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t exist.

    Candidates of both Ayrng and Bernabeu were getting KO-ed one after another. Without METAL Suits, they would be eliminated in no time if they got cornered by Zergs.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was still in the leading position; even though Apache was strong, it would still be quite difficult for him to narrow down the distance due to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s amazing speed. Judging from the situation, Ayrng might win this round; however, Martyrus wasn¡¯t worried at all.

    In the other side of the map, Cao Yi¡¯s actions changed thoroughly, he was seen dashing across the wild, like a leaping Scythe Zerg¡­

    He managed to escape from the Zergs and decided to charge from the peripheral routes because the Zergs in that area were weakerpared to the middle ones. Most importantly, he would be able to spot the other horde of Zergs and avoid them as soon as possible; even though the routes were further, he might still have a chance to reach the goal before time¡¯s up.

    It would be the 2:1 oue that Martyrus had been wishing to see.

    Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan seemed to be busy fighting off Zergs, they were strong, and there was nothing wrong with their strategies, but still, something was missing within the both of them. They were not able to fully avoid the hordes of Zergs, and the two of them were wasting a lot of energy and time whenever they encounter one Zerg; gradually, their journey to the finish line became harder and harder.

    Amongst primary aces, Cao Yi was able to stand up and surprised everyone even though he looked dumb, it seemed like he would be reaching the goal in no time.

    ¡°Haha, Principal Samantha, I guess I¡¯ll be winning the first round,¡± Martyrus said with a smile while stroking his beard, everything seemed to be going as nned. Cao Yi was a rare, hardworking talent who knew a lot about Zergs, not only he had memorized the basic data of Zergs, but he was also very familiar with their habits and also had the ability to determine with the smell and traces left by the Zergs. With his high sess rate of avoiding Zergs and his unwavering strength, the chances of him reaching the goal was high.

    Six of Ayrng¡¯s candidates were disqualified while only two of Bernabeu¡¯s candidates got KO-ed. The others were still hanging on due to their sense of pride. They might not be able to get there in time, but they would lose their pride as aces if they were to give up in front of the other students and the principal. This might be a match, yet it was also a challenge for themselves.

    ¡°Principal Martyrus, I think it¡¯s too early to decide who¡¯ll be winning,¡± Samantha replied with a smile as she looked at the monitor.

    Everyone was shocked as they focused their visions to another person¡­ how the hell did he get there?

    Martyrus was petrified when he noticed that the ¡°gardener¡± had also overtaken the primary aces and was already right behind Ma Xiaoru and Apache; he was even faster than Cao Yi.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How did he get there?¡± Ovlor¡¯s mouth was wide opened. They had totally forgotten his existence since he was slower than Apache previously.

    Wang Tong might look like he was strolling and wandering around; however, he had never stopped moving forward. He was able to catch up quickly because he was never engaged in a single battle since the beginning!

    ¡°Zoom in!¡± Martyrus kept his cool, but his eyes were burning.

    Unlike Apache who would slow down to observe whenever he sensed something fishy, Wang Tong¡¯s speed remained the same. For some reason, he was able to evade immediately whenever he encountered hordes of Zergs like he was traveling ording to the map; he even managed to walk away harmlessly from the attacking range of a lurking Zerg like he was one of them.

    Although Martyrus had seen a lot of weird things happening as the principal of Bernabeu, he had never seen such a bizarre one.

    The match had turned into a cross-country rally without the obstruction from Zergs, everyone tended to speed up, but the closer they get to the designated goal, the greater the pressure would be. Ma Xiaoru and Apache too were hindered by the immense obstruction; at this point, they had to rely on their own strength to charge toward the finish line.

    Ma Xiaoru and Apache began to sh their way in with her Tactics of the Enchantress and his Horseyer. The peripheral routes were only detours, and the only way toward the goal was to charge into the core territory. Even though Cao Yi picked the route with weaker Zergs, the distance was way longerpared to Ma Xiaoru and Apache¡¯s route.

    Obviously, Cao Yi wasn¡¯t nning to be the fastest to arrive but to reach the goal without huss and fuss within the time limit.

    But¡­ how was that kid still able to advance unimpededly?

    Apache killed the leader of the horde of Zergs with his Horseyer and took the advantage to escape, he was smart enough to know not to waste his time mingling with them. The corner of his eyes caught a shadowy figure dashing past him; however, the Zergs ignored that person, and he was the one that got attacked instead.

    ¡°An hallucination perhaps?¡±

    As he turned around, he saw a huge horde of Zergs charging toward him, he knew he had to escape immediately.

    Martyrus almost fainted, that son of a ***** gardener had lured a bunch of Zergs and left them to Apache.

    Samantha gave a pleasant smile as she said, ¡°Principal Martyrus, I might consider switching him to the gardening course when we get back to Ayrng.¡±

    Martyrus kept quiet. He wished that the kid would fail at the final moment because he would have to charge through the wall of Zergs in order to reach the goal. He might have the agility and the sense of smell to stay away from Zergs, but that didn¡¯t mean he was strong enough to charge through.

    Ma Xiaoru was all fired-up, she had got rid of the previous hordes of Zergs, now all she needed to do was to charge through thest horde of Zergs on the bridge. She would be able to win if she could pass through this final trial. However, the horde of Zergs seemed to be guarding the path while keeping eyes on intruders, she knew she would be KO-ed if she charged recklessly. Unlike level-S assessments that were all about killing, there were multiple methods to reach the goal in level-A assessments, she might be able to create a path in one strike and charge through the gap, but if her movements were slower, and if she got cornered by them, she would lose for sure.

    Ma Xiaoru took a deep breath and began channeling her GN Force, the guarding Zergs were immediately drawn to the rays of light from her long sword. In a split second, Ma Xiaoru unleashed her Demonic Dance of the Enchantress!

    Violet rays of light burst across the arena like the spectrum of a rainbow. As the light faded, all that was left on the bridge were countless corpses of Zergs.

 Chapter 101: The Cunning Gardener

    Chapter 101: The Cunning Gardener

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The students of Bernabeu were stunned by the lethality of the Tactics of the Enchantress and were also startled by the powerful and beautifuldy in front of their eyes; yet everything that happened was within their expectations. Ma Xiaoru whirled her sword and unleashed her tactics, creating a path through the Zergs. However, more Zergs seemed to emerge in order to close the gap, causing the ¡°wall¡± of Zergs to get thicker and made it even more difficult for those participants who were left behind.

    Ma Xiaoru dashed across the bridge before the Zergs could close the gap, as she was about to do so, Wang Tong made it by the bridge right on time and followed Ma Xiaoru¡¯s movements without hesitation, his timing was perfect.

    Wang Tong was able to sense the aura of the Tactics of the Enchantress before that, immediately, he knew what had happened as Ma Xiaoru unleashed a burst of GN Force, so he took the advantage to follow her across the bridge.

    Ding! Ding!

    The bell rang twice, Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong were the firsts to reach the goal, followed up by Apache with a two minutes time difference; apparently, he was stalled by a bunch of Zergs attracted by Wang Tong.

    Students of Bernabeu were angered as they saw Wang Tong acting carefree on the screen, ¡°Where did this as*holee from?¡±

    ¡°Taking advantage of the others, how shameful!¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything back there!¡±

    ¡°That cunning little fox just happened to follow Ma Xiaoru across the bridge!¡±

    Wang Tong was able to take that advantage all thanks to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s powerful Tactics of the Enchantress which created such a huge chance. Moreover, he could pull that off because he was blessed with the agility of an eel and a perfect sense of timing.

    Martyrus gasped in surprise when he saw Wang Tong followed behind Ma Xiaoru, he knew he was going to lose this round because of Ma Xiaoru¡¯s participation. He was surprised by Wang Tong¡¯s swift and slippery actions; however, he was able to reach the goal because of Ma Xiaoru¡¯s aid. Nevertheless, luck was a part of one¡¯s actual strength; Martyrus lost fair and square!

    No wonder Samantha selected Wang Tong, he got to have some potential to be one of their candidates. Martyrus had a feeling that things were starting to get interesting.

    As the Zergs were swirling and gathering around Apache, he raised his Horseyer up in the air, and streams of GN Force began to gather like a lightning rod.

    sh!

    Woosh¡­

    Apache became one with his Horseyer and charged through the Zergs like a drill, shing every opposing Zerg into two. It was indeed a brutal technique, no matter who was his opponent, he would vanquish with a single sh; one shall stand, one shall fall.

    Apache reached the goal like a hurricane, the remaining Zergs retreated and waited for the next target. Apache sheathed his Horseyer and adjusted his breathing, then turned his eyes toward Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru. He had underestimated the power of the Tactics of the Enchantress, and he totally had no idea how Wang Tong made it to the finish line. He began to have a strong interest in both of them.

    Wang Tong nced at his low-ss de, then he looked at their long sword and Horseyer. At that moment only, he realized that participants were able to choose their weapon ording to their personal needs, before that, he thought everyone would be using the same weapon. The system gave him that weapon because he had only been using des like this in previous matches; if he had known earlier, he would have asked for Excalibur.

    The clock was ticking, gradually approaching to the time limit of thirty minutes. Suddenly, a loud bang urred, and someone sted toward the ground like a cannonball.

    It was Cao Yi.

    He didn¡¯t intend to charge through the ¡°wall¡± of Zergs because he wasn¡¯t as good as Ma Xiaoru and Apache at fighting, and Cao Yi knew he would lose if he charged abruptly. However, everyone had their methods of getting the job done; Cao Yi gathered his GN Force around his legs, then shot himself across like a cannonball, yet it wasn¡¯t a perfect touchdown with his ass hitting the ground first.

    The pain was excruciating, it was so painful that he almost fell unconscious. Wang Tong went over immediately to help him up, and Cao Yi looked blur as he got up.

    ¡°That was crazy, dude, why don¡¯t you try a touchdown with your head next time?¡± Wang Tong joked.

    Cao Yi looked confused, ¡°Touching down with my head? That¡¯s suicidal! Wait¡­ actually, he might be right, the dynamics of the st would increase with my head touching down first.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Wang Tong. I¡¯ll think about it!¡± Cao Yi replied in a serious manner.

    ¡°For God Sake, I was just joking. Please be careful next time.¡± Wang Tong was almost left speechless by the crazy dude. He didn¡¯t expect to see another weird person outside Ayrng.

    ¡°Okay, time¡¯s up! I believe the others are noting, so I think we¡¯re good to go,¡± Apache stretched himself as he spoke, he had been waiting boringly for more than ten minutes.

    Even though the score was 2:2, participants of Ayrng took less time to reach the finish line; hence the victory of round one belonged to Ayrng.

    Wang Tong who first looked like a nobody began to give Martyrus headaches. That wasn¡¯t good, he had to be more careful about theter rounds.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the Intel Programming Battle would begin in ten minutes after a short break.¡±

    Martyrus calmed down, everyone needed a rest after the exciting match.

    ¡°Principal Samantha, please help yourself with some tea, I brew it myself,¡± Martyrus said. As themander of Bernabeu, he had to rx and remain calm no matter how tense was the atmosphere, even if he had to fake it.

    Samantha smelled a refreshing aroma andmented, ¡°It smells fantastic, I believe you¡¯re using thetest blend from Andromeda, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. However, it should taste different as I made my very own blend using fresh tea leaves that just arrived recently. Honestly speaking, I believe students are like tea leaves, their taste would vary depends on the one who brews it. Nevertheless, your trump card was quite a surprise,¡± Martyrus said while enjoying his cup of tea.

    ¡°He was lucky, that kid is no good except for his brain. He won because of pure luck.¡±

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re too humble Principal Samantha. In my opinion, that kid is quite talented aside from being smart. Unlike those who would strike at the right timing, I noticed that he was spending his time to observe the terrain, probably analyzing the species of Zergs and their distribution. I believe he must be very good with the ecology of Zergs and very familiar with their habits; he even knows how to blend in with the smell of Zergs, not everyone would know about that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the kind praise Principal Martyrus, he is a smart kid indeed.¡±

    ¡°Haha, those who could flex and bend ording to different situations would have what it takes to go ces,¡± Martyrus¡¯ment was right on, Wang Tong¡¯s speed and confidence on his timing during the bridge crossing had proven that he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent to be underestimated.

    It was more than a praise though, deep down Martyrus was aware that somehow Wang Tong preferred using sly tricks even though he was quite talented, which meant that he wasn¡¯t good at tough battles. Martyrus was relieved as he believed that he had uncovered all of Ayrng¡¯s hidden cards.

    Intel Programming Battle has begun. Ayrng sent out Rumi to challenge Bernabeu¡¯s Lu Qiqi. Bernabeu was expecting an easy win, but everyone was shocked when they saw the tenacious resistance from the timid and bashful Rumi. Her performance was ferocious like she had taken on another personality.

    The intense battle went on for nearly thirty minutes; unfortunately, Rumi still lost in the end. She was talented, but Lu Qiqi was better than her in terms of skills and experiences. Even though Rumi¡¯s resilience was slightly better, Lu Qiqi¡¯s perspective of the overall situation was stronger than Rumi; hence Bernabeu won fair and square. Nevertheless, it was a close match.

    End of round two: Ayrng 1, Bernabeu 1.

 Chapter 102: The Arrogant Rookie

    Chapter 102: The Arrogant Rookie

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Students of Bernabeu cheered as their winning streak began.

    Both Ayrng and Bernabeu sent out their freshmen for the third round of Heavy Armed Brawl. Tita was one of Ayrng¡¯s best new recruit, but he lost terribly against Bernabeu¡¯s freshman. Apparently, there was a huge difference between the two of them in terms of control, strength, knowledge, operating skills, and perspective of the overall situation.

    It was definitely an emboldening round for Bernabeu. In fact, every student of Bernabeu was like an old veteran, experienced and not someone to be messed with; luck would not be the reason they win or the excuse for their defeat. That was the regal temperament of a victor, only losers would bet their faith on luck.

    Rumi almost cried when she was defeated, and Tita who was always cheerful turned as pale as a ghost after the loss. Ayrng¡¯s confidence was crushed and torn apart.

    Competitions andparisons had always been cruel since the beginning of time. For some reason, people who thought they were strong enough to be victorious were always the ones destined to lose.

    ¡°Rx, Rumi. Your opponent won because her perspective of the overall situation was stronger than yours but other than that, your performances were better than hers. From now on you should strengthen your training on perspective and courage, and I¡¯m sure you would be able to defeat her in no time. As for you Tita, you lost because your overall performance was not as good as your opponent, nothing else to me on. But don¡¯t be sad because everyone learns from mistakes, there¡¯s always a next time.¡±

    Rumi nodded; however, Tita looked pissed, ¡°Mind your own business, as*hole!¡±

    Tita was infuriated and ashamed by his own defeat. He was worsepared to Rumi, at least she was able to keep her opponent busy throughout the match, but Tita was totally owned by his opponent.

    Wang Tong shrugged, he knew that it wasn¡¯t right for him to lecture Tita, anyhow Tita didn¡¯t give up, his anger meant that he wasn¡¯t dispirited by the loss.

    On the other hand, Martyrus was smiling deep down because Bernabeu had maintained the upper hand.

    ¡°Round Four, Battlecraft Combat.¡± Ayrng was represented by Zhou Sisi, she would be fighting against Best from Bernabeu.

    Bernabeu had the higher advantage for this round because Best had just won the third ce in Earth Confederation¡¯s Battlecraft Combat Championship. He had shown an outstanding performance during his matches against aces from various academies across the Confederation. As for Ayrng, they weren¡¯t even invited.

    Zhou Sisi looked nervous as she turned toward Wang Tong, but immediately, she felt calmer when she saw him cheered by grabbing his fists. Battlecraft Combat had always been her area of expertise, together with her recent mastery on the Cloning Technique, Zhou Sisi mustered her confidence for the challenge.

    On the other side of the arena, Best was busy shaking his head and stretching his fingers and didn¡¯t pay any attention to his opponent. It was a waste of time for him to take on some weakling from Ayrng.

    The match began. Best was impressed by Zhou Sisi¡¯s performance, she wasn¡¯t a total amateur, but definitely not a pro. In Battlecraft Combat, a tiny difference would grant a huge upper hand; his time deviation was 0.5 second, while his opponent¡¯s time deviation was more than 1 second, which wasmon for an amateur. Eight minutes passed by, the advantage was clearly on Best¡¯s side. Huge mistakes were not going to ur in his control and operation, so this round was going to be anotherndslide victory for Bernabeu.

    Bernabeu 3, Ayrng 1 would be an expected oue...

    Zhou Sisi was able to feel the pressure from her opponent as soon as the match began. Best had professional training in Bernabeu, but she had to study everything on her own due to Ayrng¡¯s weak team of trainers and teachers. There were vivid gaps in terms of controls, strategies, and perspectives, and each difference might be small, but it would be a huge gap if totaled up. There was no way she could win unless she had some tricks left.

    Zhou Sisi knew she had only one chance to do this.

    Zhou Sisi¡¯s fleets were surrounded after fifteen minutes. Martyrus looked at the time and knew this was going to end soon.

    Best was waiting for his opponent to surrender. He had the total advantage in this situation, and his ego could only be pleased when she was forced to raise the white g.

    Suddenly, he saw Zhou Sisi¡¯s formation changed, yet it wasn¡¯t a formation of surrendering but to attack, could it be...

    The virtual space was irradiated with gunfire and explosions as Bestunched his attacks while Zhou Sisi unleashed her Cloning Technique, was she trying to throw a sprat to catch a herring?

    The crowd began to look anxious. No one expected that Zhou Sisi would be using the Cloning Technique all of a sudden.

    Finally, the match ended. Zhou Sisi managed to destroy Best¡¯s perfect formation even though she lost. Best was unhappy by the fact that he couldn¡¯t achieve his perfect ending. If her Cloning Technique had been stronger, he might have been the one that got screwed.

    Knowing that Zhou Sisi would not surrender, Best¡¯s fleets open fired all at once and bombarded every single of her Battlecraft, forcing her to retire.

    Bernabeu managed to secure the lead with 3:1. Yet Best was still unhappy for the win, he hated the fact that his perfectbo was stained by some nobody using the Cloning Technique.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m so sorry Principal Samantha, Best is just a kid with temper issues, I hope you don¡¯t mind. He will still be our representative for the next round, and you are sending out¡­ Wang Tong?¡±

    ¡°Yup, he¡¯s next.¡±

    Samantha was pissed off by Best¡¯s arrogant attitude, then she summoned Wang Tong, ¡°I don¡¯t care what are you gonna do, teach that punk a lesson no matter what, or else I¡¯ll void our agreement, and I¡¯m gonna screw you up personally!¡±

    Wang Tong licked his lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this.¡± He would avenge the defeat of his protege.

    Rumi, Tita, and Zhou Sisi were depressed for their loss. Wang Tong knew that he had to do something.

    ¡°Check! Check! Round 5, Best versus Wang Tong. Let the match begin!¡±

    Best set up the same formation, his skills were wless, and the deviation was very tiny; after all, Best was professionally trained to do this, he was the expert of Battlecraft Combat.

    Best¡¯s time deviation remained around 0.5 seconds, as for Wang Tong¡­ did Ayrng lose its mind? The opponent was worse than the previous one, at least Zhou Sisi wasn¡¯t a total amateur, but this dude sucked! His deviation was close to 2 seconds.

    This opponent was totally an idiot!

    Did Ayrng nn to lose? Possibly one of their strategies?

    Best looked across toward his opponent, at the same time Wang Tong was looking at him, then Wang Tong sneered and showed him a finger.

    Students of Bernabeu were infuriated, everyone was eager to see this arrogant rookie bastard got owned by Best.

    Best smiled angrily, he couldn¡¯t wait to beat the crap out of that douche.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Principal Martyrus, apparently Wang Tong isn¡¯t very good with his temper as well.¡± Samanthaughed, she wasn¡¯t feeling sorry at all.

    In the beginning, Best was thinking of defeating his opponent in a jiff, but he had changed his mind, now all he wanted was to torture that idiot.

    Meanwhile, Apache was leaning against the pir at the corner of the arena. He was observing Wang Tong while enjoying his lollipop. Unlike the fully concentrated Best, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t concentrating at all, and his controls were messy, luckily he wasn¡¯t making any huge mistakes. Moreover, Best was holding back on purpose, so Wang Tong was still able to survive.

    Samantha almost fainted as she saw Wang Tong¡¯s bad performance, she didn¡¯t expect that from him. Somehow she regretted her decision of selecting Wang Tong for this round and should¡¯ve let Zhou Sisi challenge him again instead. She was disappointed by the terrible situation.

 Chapter 103: Right in Your Face, Sucker!

    Chapter 103: Right in Your Face, Sucker!

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Without much effort, Best had got Wang Tong surrounded with his enormous fleets. He had obtained the advantage again.

    ¡°Hey as*hole, you wanna use the Cloning Technique? Fine, I¡¯ll give you two seconds, my armada is ten times bigger than yours, show me what are you gonna do to save your poor little *ss!¡± Bestughed boisterously.

    ¡°Principal Samantha, please forgive his rudeness, but actual strength is all that matters in a battle.¡± Martyrus was trying to teach Samantha a lesson. The tension was building up between both of them.

    ¡°Principal Martyrus, it¡¯s still early to decide who will win.¡±

    Zhou Sisi was the best candidate amongst Ayrng¡¯s freshmen when it came to Battlecraft Combat; however, she imed that Wang Tong was much stronger than her. Samantha wished that she was telling the truth, even though she expected that they would lose in this round, but she just couldn¡¯t handle the humiliation from Martyrus.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong¡¯s troops were cornered by Best¡¯s armada.

    ¡°Hey as*hole, why don¡¯t you surrender now, and I¡¯ll teach you how to score an A in Battlecraft operation?¡± Best sneered in arrogance. No doubt he was very good with his operating skills and perspective, even the ones from the other academies who got the first and second ce would agree on this. When operating skills were mastered, one wouldn¡¯t even need to learn how to control Battlecrafts, the fleets would get the job done by themselves.

    His ID ¡°Best¡± was named by himself after winning the award for his excellent performance in operating skills.

    All of Best¡¯s fleets were prepared for an all-out open fire, even though Wang Tong was given two seconds to set up his defense, Best was confident that his opponent wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against his ten times stronger military might.

    However, Zhou Sisi and Ma Xiaoru remained calm, and Wang Tong who was goofing around earlier began to respond.

    Bam¡­ Bam¡­ Bam¡­ Bam¡­ Bam¡­

    Ear piercing explosions urred as Wang Tong¡¯s arms disappeared into action.

    He unleashed his Cloning Technique!

    All of a sudden, the whole arena was illuminated by rays of lights, and sounds of countless explosions echoed in all directions. As the lights faded, a line of words appeared on the screen.

    Winner: Wang Tong.

    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Best stood up and ripped off the cables, iming that it was a system malfunction. He had two hundred and thirteen fleets aiming toward Wang Tong, so there was no way his opponent could lock onto each and every of his Battlecraft. Even the aces of Kaedeians were not able to do so!

    Everyone couldn¡¯t believe their eyes, even Samantha thought that it was a system error. A direct knockout would only ur when a person¡¯s fleets werepletely wiped out.

    Was there a bug in the system?

    Best stared nkly at his monitor, the horde of red dots which indicated his Battlecraft fleets were all gone, how was that possible?

    How could Wang Tong lock onto two hundred and thirteen fleets at once in a single cloning?

    The crowd remained silent, they would believe that was possible if Wang Tong was the number one ace from Queen Kaedeian Academy, yet no one expected that a piece of F-ss trash from Ayrng was capable of doing so.

    As a professional yer, Best happened to know the best result achieved by a new recruit in Queen Kaedeian Academy this year was two hundred and nine fleets, but his opponent had achieved a record breaking two hundred and thirteen fleets in a single lock on!

    Best was stunned, he had no idea how Wang Tong did it and even wondered if he was actually a Kaedeian instead of an Earthling.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, stretched his finger and gloated, ¡°You were saying?¡±

    Best¡¯s vision went blurry as he sat back down. He still couldn¡¯t ept the fact that his perfect advantage got crushed by some bug-like controlling maneuvers. This was not his first loss, but it was definitely the worst and most reluctant defeat he had ever suffered!

    Operation skills were known by most Battlecraft Combat yers as the most important set of skills to be mastered, yet Wang Tong¡¯s extraordinary controlling maneuvers got everyone surprised and even totally demolished Best¡¯s operation concept.

    Martyrus¡¯s heart almost stopped beating, his mouth went dry, and it took him quite a while to gather himself and announce the result.

    All of the non-METAL Combat matches had ended. Even though Bernabeu was still leading with a 3:2 score, their atmosphere had changed. In the beginning, they were hoping to subdue Ayrng on the first half of the tournament and maximized their winning advantage on the second half, but what happened in thest round hadpletely turned around the situation. Although Bernabeu was able to secure their lead, Ayrng was given hope for victory again. Moreover, Ayrng¡¯s aces Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan would be participating next, and all they needed was three more wins to obtain victory.

    After taking a deep breath, Martyrus said with a smile, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s take a lunch break at the cafeteria, the other matches will beginter in the afternoon.¡±

    Usually, students of Bernabeu would go crazy when the word ¡°lunch break¡± was mentioned, yet this time, everyone left their seats quietly with their heads facing downwards and kept ncing at the ¡°guests¡± from Ayrng.

    ¡°Wow, Wang Tong, that was superb! I¡¯m sorry if I was rude just now, good job buddy!¡± Tita hugged Wang Tong.

    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re the best!¡± Zhou Sisi smiled, her eyes were filled with adoration and admiration. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Wang Tong unleashed his full force counter.

    ¡°When you said ¡®You were saying?¡¯, gosh, that was so cool dude! It¡¯s definitely one of your best lines! Geez, Wang Tong, I think you have the potential to be an actor!¡± Hu Yangxuan clung his arms around Wang Tong as he said aloud. He had been holding back his fury since hours ago; nevertheless, he was able to rejoice all thanks to Wang Tong¡¯s triumph.

    Meanwhile, Best left with the crowd looking dejected as he had suffered a baffle defeat. Not only had his opponent owned him in that round, but he had also wrecked and smashed his pride and confidence. If he wasn¡¯t able to regain himself after this, his life as a pro would be over.

    Samantha gave Wang Tong a ¡°well done¡± wink, even though the final oue was yet to be known, at least for now she could happily enjoy her lunch in peace!

    Apache was thest to leave amongst students of Bernabeu. Originally he was here to handle Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben, but now Wang Tong had also gotten his attention. If Wang Tong were to participate in METAL Combatter, he would definitely change his target from Wang Ben to Wang Tong.

    The best thing that could happen to a strong one was to be given a chance to defeat another strong and unique existence!

    Everyone from Ayrng was having a good time in the cafeteria even though their score was hanging behind Bernabeu, they enjoyed the food very much and even thanked Bernabeu for their hospitality. On the other hand, Bernabeu¡¯s tables were filled with long faces even though they were leading; even Martyrus and Ovlor had no choice but to hide their frustration with a bitter smile.

    However, no one could tell what would happen next.

 Chapter 104: The Winning Sacrifice

    Chapter 104: The Winning Sacrifice

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    More people began to pay attention to the uing matches in the afternoon due to the unexpected oue that had happened earlier, the surprise had even caught the interest of many media reporters. As known by many, Bernabeu was on their way to advance as an S-Ranked academy; hence this tournament was important to their further development. Everyone was expecting them to lead by a huge gap, yet the result turned out to be 3:2, no one was happy with the oue even though Bernabeu was still leading.

    The METAL Combat matches were scheduled to begin in the afternoon, the remaining five matches were important to both Ayrng and Bernabeu. Everyone from Bernabeu began to worry that they might not be able to maintain their advantagespletely due to the participation of the famous Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan; especially Ma Xiaoru, who wouldn¡¯t be holding back her actual strength during official matches. As the ¡°princess¡± of the FFC and also the sessor of Tactics of the Enchantress, she had a strong will to win.

    However, the pairings were not sorted ording to their opponent¡¯s participating order, but the principals of both sides were required to decide the order of their five candidates blindly. It was like ying blind chess, Both Samantha and Martyrus had five chess pieces each, and the fate of their academies was nowying in their hands.

    Both parties were hoping to achieve winning sacrifice; hence the two principals had no choice but to guess each other¡¯s arrangements, it was no doubt a gamble of fate!

    Fellow candidates began to pray of getting paired with the right opponent as all of them waited patiently for Samantha and Martyrus to announce the pairings. Martyrus knew this would be easy if they had won another round previously, but now things had changed. Ayrng would be crowned victorious if they were able to win another three rounds, and if that were to happen, his n of advancing Bernabeu to an S-rank academy would vanish into thin air. In order to y it safe, he had to make sure Apache wouldn¡¯t face Ma Xiaoru. Martyrus understood the fact that when two strong forces collided, one had to be defeated. He had to secure two wins from Apache for the sake of Bernabeu even if he had to sacrifice one of his candidates to Ma Xiaoru, but somehow, losing against the sessor of the Tactics of the Enchantress wasn¡¯t really a big deal anyway.

    It only took both principals ten minutes to make up their minds, as both of them had been simting and studying the pairings and the statuses of fellow candidates way before ¡°D-Day¡±. The atmosphere across the arena became a mixture of cheers and tears as the pairings were announced.

    Round 1: Ma Xiaoru versus Shi Liang

    Round 2: Wang Ben versus Luo Manman

    Round 3: Hu Yangxuan versus Apache

    Round 4: Wang Ben versus Cao Yi

    Round 5: Wang Tong versus Apache

    Both parties were pleased to see such pairings, especially Bernabeu¡¯s side. As Martyrus expected, Samantha would definitely send out Ma Xiaoru on the first or second round, which was why he arranged Shi Liang and Luo Manman in the earlier rounds; his n worked even though he had to sacrifice Shi Liang. Furthermore, Martyrus was also happy for the match pairing between Luo Manman and Wang Ben. Luo Manman¡¯s soft fighting style was effective against Wang Ben¡¯s staunch and hardboiled techniques, even if she lost, she would be able to greatly interfere and weaken Wang Ben.

    As for the third round, there was a high chance of Apache winning regardless if he was paired against Hu Yangxuan. However, the fourth round of Cao Yi versus Wang Ben was crucial, Cao Yi¡¯s fighting style was specifically created to counter Wang Ben¡¯s techniques, and if Luo Manman was able to weaken Wang Ben in the second round, Cao Yi¡¯s winning ratio would definitely increase.

    Martyrus arranged Apache to fight in the final round for safety reason, he would also need time to regain his strength since Hu Yangxuan wasn¡¯t an easy target either.

    Both parties still had a chance to win judging from the current situation. However, students and teachers from Bernabeu were somehow upset about Ayrng¡¯s unique victory condition, they had no idea why Principal Martyrus would agree to let Ayrng im victory if they were able to win five rounds out of ten.

    It wasn¡¯t a really big deal at the beginning, but everything changed when Wang Tong made his appearance. Hence Bernabeu couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes in the second half.

    Samantha seemed to be quite pleased with the arrangements. She knew her opponent would focus more on Ma Xiaoru, yet Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t the key to their victory as all she had to do was to secure another win for Ayrng; there were still chances for Ayrng to win two rounds out of the first four matches. To be honest, Samantha was expecting a 0:5 defeat in the earlier matches in the morning; however, they were able to force Bernabeu into a deadlock instead due to Wang Tong¡¯s unexpected critical win.

    Generally speaking, Ayrng would have fewer disadvantages in the uing METAL Combats, it was normal for Martyrus to look anxious.

    Round 1 of METAL Combat began, since both parties agreed that Ma Xiaoru would only participate in one fight, Shi Liang knew he was the pawn to be sacrificed; nevertheless, he would try his best to struggle.

    It was an expected result, Ma Xiaoru won easily as Shi Liang was totally not a match against her. Anyhow, the audience was given the chance to witness the elegance of the sessor of the Tactics of the Enchantress for five minutes.

    The next round was an important duel between Luo Manman and Wang Ben.

    Both Wang Ben and Luo Manman essed the TPA; however, unlike inside themon TPA which allowed yers to use nicknames for their avatars, they had to use real names during school assessments or tournaments, yet there were no conflicts between these two formats.

    No matter the angle, Luo Manman didn¡¯t look like a METAL fighter at all, somehow it just didn¡¯t seem right to throw a punch against the delicate and charming girl.

    ¡°Mr. Wang Ben, please be gentle with me.¡± Luo Manman looked worried and intimidated, most guys who were affectionately drawn to soft spoken girls would definitely melt away as they saw her big and watery eyes. Most girls were born with this advantage, and guys would hesitate when they were to face a charming and fragile-looking girl; after all, who would have the heart to punch a beautiful girl in the face? It just didn¡¯t sound right!

    Unlike the normal TPA, avatars for this tournament would be the exact copy of the real persons. Even though Luo Manman was wearing a neat and tight outfit for today, the figure of her avatar looked gorgeous with most of her legs exposed. Her chest was well-covered, yet her heaving cleavage loomed as she moved her body, topped up with her delicate and charming expression, she was no doubt the most voluptuous and seductive ¡°lethal weapon¡± around.

    She was the goddess that every ¡°otaku¡± would dream of having a duel with, yet if that happened, they would be stunned and hesitate because gentlemen were not supposed to hitdies.

    Luo Manman was definitely one of the beauties in Bernabeu judging from the number of her fans and her enormous crowd of supporters. Since Martyrus was confident of selecting her as one of the candidates, clearly this prettydy was armed with a couple of tricks besides her beauty. After all, skills were more important than beauty during a fight.

    ¡°So, what do you think will happen to Wang Ben?¡± Hu Yangxuan asked with an impish smile, he was best at coping with pretty girls, if Hu Yangxuan were paired to challenge Luo Manman, she would absolutely surrender to his charm and even leaving down her phone number and room address.

    ¡°Haha, I think the Principal of Bernabeu just made a terrible mistake.¡±

    ¡°Totally agree!¡±

 Chapter 105: Dead Heat

    Chapter 105: Dead Heat

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The match had begun! Not only was Luo Manman looking gorgeous, but she was also gifted in terms of Soul Energy and born with an alluring aura. The way she wielded her sword felt gentle and soft, instead of a fighter, she looked more like a dancer.

    There was no menace in her movements.

    Luo Manman bowed gently, Wang Ben bowed back looking normal, then the fight finally began.

    Luo Manman whirled her long sword slowly as she began her gentle and graceful movements. Her sword technique might look slow and harmless, but realism was in the eyes of the beholder, her harmless sword would immediately turn into the sickle of a grim reaper on the proper timing.

    It was a unique battle style, normally used against mankind instead of Zergs. To be honest, the atmosphere in the arena became strange as her sword dance began, but no one would have the heart to disturb her elegant movements.

    Martyrus was pleased and happy as he saw Wang Ben hesitating, Wang Ben always took the initiative to attack yet this time he was startled. Wang Ben would be doomed if he underestimated Luo Manman due to her charming appearance; with Luo Manman¡¯s Soul Energy count that reached one hundred and three Sols, there was no way Wang Ben could withstand a single sh from her sword. More importantly, the unthreatening Soul Energy she possessed was deceiving, and it was the perfectbo with her mind-alluring ability.

    Samantha sensed that something wasn¡¯t right as well, it would have been great if she had Ma Xiaoru handling Luo Manman because her Tactics of the Enchantress had the ability to suppress the alluring Soul Energy. She began to worry that Wang Ben might lower his guard when confronting Luo Manman¡¯s lethal allurement.

    Luo Manman¡¯s bewitching eyes and charming figure were getting closer, and if she approached another half a meter, her elegant sword dance would immediately turn into a one-hit-KO sword strike.

    All of a sudden, a brutal aura emerged from Wang Ben¡¯s eyes as he unleashed his Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Wham!

    His punch caught Luo Manman by surprise, immediately she tried to dodge his attack; unfortunately, her opponent was Wang Ben. It wasn¡¯t only a counter attack, but a forceful punch infused with tons of energy, and Wang Ben flung his ferocious fist right toward Luo Manman¡¯s face.

    He was taught many things, except being gentle when fighting against women!

    Even if Luo Manman wasn¡¯t able to win against Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger, she could definitely stall and hopefully exhaust him with her actual strength and her delicate tactics; however, she was being too confident with her charm, expecting that every man would kneel to her allurement.

    Wham!

    Wang Ben¡¯s punch roared as the impact mmed right onto Luo Manman¡¯s face; his hideous punch even caused her contour to go out of shape. Although it was a fight in TPA, the crowd was heartbroken as they witnessed Wang Ben¡¯s punch sending Luo Manman flying across the arena with a cry.

    Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuanughed like madmen when they saw that hrious scene. Luo Manman¡¯s allurement would be effective against anyone, even Ma Xiaoru, but definitely not Wang Ben. Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Tactics of the Enchantress might be capable of handling Luo Manman¡¯s bewitching abilities, but Xiaoru¡¯s kindness would hold back her own strength if Luo Manman put on her game-changing fragile appearance. Luo Manman might even have stood a bigger chance to win if her opponent had been Hu Yangxuan or Wang Tong because obviously, seductive figure worked better on the desperate boys.

    Unfortunately, she was assigned to fight against Wang Ben, the man of steel whose dream was to be stronger than his father, and instantly her tricks were busted like hitting a stone with an egg. The truth was, even if his opponent had been Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben wouldn¡¯t hold back his strength if he were to fight a girl. Moreover, Wang Ben was cunning enough as he pretended to be affected by her charm, everyone expected this to be a long fight, but he turned it into a simple one hit KO match.

    Luo Manman screamed aloud in her control room, what had happened really got her traumatized. She was infuriated by the fact that the man had no idea how to treat ady with gentleness and care. If there weren¡¯t any audience member around, she definitely wouldn¡¯t hesitate to challenge Wang Ben again to a duel in reality.

    Martyrus¡¯ expression turned as pale as a ghost. He couldn¡¯t believe that Ayrng had overtaken Bernabeu with the score of 4:3. They were put into a deadlock, if Ayrng was to win another round, he would be toasted. What happened a while ago was humiliating, losing over to an ungentlemanly idiot was thest thing he could have imagined.

    Luo Manman fiery eyes red toward Wang Ben like she wanted to swallow him alive. However, Wang Ben wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her. He had been taught to avoid this sort of femme fatale since a long time ago.

    Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan rushed toward their buddy and asked, ¡°So, how was it?¡±

    ¡°How was what?¡± Wang Ben looked puzzled.

    ¡°How was the feeling of hitting a girl of course! Gosh, I¡¯ve never felt so good before, seeing a pretty girl getting send flying across the arena, that was superb, dude!¡± Hu Yangxuan joked as he imitated Luo Manman¡¯s ¡°acrobatics¡± and even squeezed his face to mimic her traumatized expression.

    ¡°That was harsh, dude. If I were you, I¡¯d have rather made her surrender in a gentler way.¡±

    ¡°We should treat every fighter equally instead of categorizing them as men and women. Moreover, you won¡¯t be seeing Zergs treatingdies with care and gentleness during a fight.¡±

    Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuanughed out loud as Wang Ben replied in a serious manner. However, people of Bernabeu were pissed off by theirughter, like they were about to burn them alive.

    ¡°Haha, you were lucky that we lost, Principal Samantha. Let¡¯s move on to round eight!¡± Martyrus was angry at himself for making such a mistake since he was the one who came up with this strategy. He expected Wang Ben would have difficulties handling a female opponent, but it turned out that he wasn¡¯t bothered anyhow. In conclusion, Martyrus regretted his decision.

    ¡°Hu Yangxuan, you¡¯re up!¡±

    ¡°Get him, Apache!¡±

    Both principals knew that this was the round of life and death! This could be the game point for Ayrng.

    The candidates began with their preparations, this would be a rough wrestle between Bernabeu¡¯s legendary Apache and Hu Yangxuan, the boy genius from the Court of the Temr.

    Carl and the rest of Ayrng were cheering, yet Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, and Wang Ben remained solemn.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with the long face dude? This is the game point! All of us will be going for a cruise on Aegean if we are able to win this!¡± Carlughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure our mighty Hu Yangxuan will be able to nail it,¡± Tita praised as Kyaero nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I doubt it, that guy is stronger than you think!¡± Wang Ben shook his head, he was always honest even though what he said might hurt someone¡¯s feeling.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru remained silent because they knew the decision of who was stronger could only be made after the brawl.

    Meanwhile, Apache carried his Horseyer across his shoulder in a rxed manner and looked toward Hu Yangxuan, ¡°What a shame, I wasn¡¯t expecting you at all. But I have to win this for our principal¡¯s sake, so please don¡¯t me me for your misfortune.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too cocky, buddy. We shall see who¡¯s better,¡± Hu Yangxuan replied with the manner of a nobleman.

    ¡°The strength of the boy genius from Court of the Temr, I guess I¡¯ll have to see for myself then!¡± Apache suddenly leaped across as he spoke and thrust his Horseyer down toward Hu Yangxuan.

    Wham!

    Hu Yangxuan managed to block with his sword, but he was pushed back by the recoil of the impact. Apache lifted his Horseyer and ced it on his shoulder again.

    ¡°Not bad, so I guess you can be the target for my warm-up!¡±

 Chapter 106: Surprise Surprise

    Chapter 106: Surprise Surprise

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Same here!"

    Hu Yangxuan started the Tactics of the Hexa-Sris to channel his soul energy into the sword. Infused with energy, the sword began to glow brighter by the second, and Hu Yangxuan hacked the glowing sword at Apache.

    Cautiousness shed in Apache''s eyes, but he had kept hisposure and did not lose his ground. Apache wrenched the long curved de to meet his attacker. As the two steel nked, a few bright sparks erupted from the impact.

    These two contestants represented the cream of the crop at the school where they were from. Without Samantha''s effort in bringing in exceptionally talented students into the first year, Ayrng would not have stood a chance against Bernabeu. Thepetition in the morning had heightened the morale among the students from Ayrng as they eagerly prepared for the fight in the afternoon.

    Bernabeu was also very confident in their victory for this round. Despite the fame of Hu Yangxuan, students and teachers at Bernabeu had firmly believed that Apache was a much better fighter, after all, Apache had once defeated rivals from S-ss Academy.

    On the stage, twobatants were engrossed in the battle. Hu Yangxuan''s vicious attacks seemed to have let him gained the upper hand. The audience from Ayrng had started to cheer for Hu Yangxuan, even Rumi seemed to have recovered from his failure and joined the cheering.

    Hu Yangxuan appeared to have the pace of the battle under his control. However, he could feel the firmness in every counter, and he knew that his opponent was blocking his attack with ease. Hu Yangxuan conceded that this was going to be a tougher fight that he had thought. When faced with a tough opponent, Hu Yangxuan figured that the best way to deal with it was to finish the opponent off as soon as possible.

    Every move of Hu Yangxuan seemed elegant and effective, suggesting his training received from the prestigious Temr Court; his soul reading had sustained around 100 or so, and every single strike was packed with energy.

    Any one of the good fighters knew how to boost their soul reading above 100, but only a handful knew how to sustain it for an extended period of time. This could only be achieved through rigorous training and strenuous physical conditioning. A constant high output of soul energy was the only way to guarantee the maximum effect of any tactics. In addition, the continued pressure exerted on the opponent would wear the opponent out much faster. Therefore, in the Temr''s Court, as well as other prestigious S-ss Academies, training students to make sure they could sustain a steady output of high soul energy was one of their top priorities.

    The same goes with Wang Ben''s Fist of the Racing Tiger as every single punch he delivered had the same belligerent intensity and fluctuation in this soul reading was hardly noticed.

    Faced with Hu Yangxuna''s barrage of attacks, Apache held his ground firmly with ease. Apache''s blocks and countermeasures were short but effective and thereby helped him to conserve much of his energy. On the other hand, Hu Yangxuan had spilled out his soul energy in attacks, and he knew that soon he would have nothing left in him. Apache''s held a smug on his face as he lifted one corner of his lips that read: "I have a lot of energy left in me, how about you?"

    He was sending a message that intended to unnerve his opponent.

    Hu Yangxuan had noticed the smug, but he was unruffled. Controlling his emotion was part of the Temr''s training; therefore, Hu Yangxuan was unaffected by Apache''s effort to break him down from the inside.

    Five minutester, instead of winding down the attack, Hu Yangxuan revealed his real power, and his strike seemed to have gained a new level of aggressiveness as he sped up his movements and attacks. He reminded everyone with his action that even at Capth, he would have been one of their top students, and if his opponent had measured him with the standards of Ayrng, they would have made a huge mistake.

    As Hu Yangxuan cranked up the intensity of his attacks, the smug on Apache''s face also disappeared. He had attempted twice to break free from the storm of belligerence, but both time he was met with even more fearsome attacks which made him retreat. Hu Yangxuan had survived the brutal training of the Temr, and every move had already be muscle memory.

    Suddenly, Hu Yangxuan took a swift step back but immediately followed up with a coup de grace, the Triple-cut. The sudden change of pace had caught Apache off-guard. He stumbled back to dodge out of harm''s way.

    Hu Yangxuan''s soul energy spurred abruptly from 120 to about 150 sols as the sword bore down on Apache. This high amount of soul energy would have made the attack unstoppable; any attempt to block it would melt away instantly.

    However, as the sword traveled to mere inches away from its target, a strange light glinted in Apache''s eyes. Apache sprung upward in lightning speed, and before Hu Yangxuan had realized what had happened, he felt the coldness of Apache''s de against his neck.

    The fight was over.

    "You Temr''s Followers fights, all the same, that''s your downfall," Apache sounded so casual that it was almost condescending as if he had just finished a harmless spar with a younger ssmate.

    Martyrus nodded. He had expected this victory, but seeing how easily Apache had won the match made him regret to have ced Apache in thest round to face that no ount Wang Tong. Martyrus considered it a waste since he believed that Wang Tong ¡ª who he considered much weaker than Hu Yangxuan ¡ª would never defeat Apache.

    Never say never; Martyrus had miscalcted the effectiveness of Luo Manman, and so he might have just underestimated the power of the no-ount Wang Tong as well.

    The defeat hade so suddenly that Hu Yangxuan felt like he needed a moment to take it in. Apache had predicted urately his movements as well as his thoughts, even the deception of him fumbling around right before his killing strike had eluded Hu Yangxuan. The Temr''s Followers were indeed powerful, but their training was mechanic, and the tactics were every simr to each other. When Hu Yangxuan used the Triple-cut, the much more experienced Apache had already anticipated his next move since he had seen it numerous times in fights against other Temr''s Followers.

    Truth be told, Apache could have finished the fight much sooner should he had used his signature High-speed kicks, which he had used to finish off rivals from Yalen years ago.

    Apache unsheathed the curved de. Hu Yangxuan took a step back and then lowered his sword and said, "You won."

    "Brother Hu, don''t be so gloomy. Think of it as a free lesson." Apache grinned.

    Hu Yangxuan felt even more helpless, but he could not deny the fact that his opponent was much stronger than him, perhaps not even regarding soul energy. Hu Yangxuan reckoned that what helped Apache won the match was his unmatched experience and well-thought-out strategy. Hu Yangxuan then conceded that even if Apache didn''t notice his obvious downfall, he would have won the match nheless thanks to his unparalleled experience.

    Hu Yangxuan quickly regained his usual perspective; failure was easy for him to swallow. When he was a fledgling at the Temr''s court, he had to face humiliation inflicted by his elder Temr''s brothers on a daily basis, so he had gotten used to it.

    Apache didn''t take any joy in defeating Hu Yangxuan. He knew from the get-go that victory was in the bag since the gap between him and his opponent''s overall strength was enormous.

    Samantha had never anticipated such power from Apache. She had heard stories about him making troubles at Yalen years ago, and after that, he seemed to have slipped under the radar. His sudden appearance and the show of incredible strength had caught Samantha off-guard as she realized that even S-ss Academies might have difficulties in dealing with him in a fight.

    Martyrus had sensed fears rose among the students of Ayrng. Although Apache was still a student registered in Bernabeu, he had been working as an intern at the Confederation''s Anti-smuggle special unit for a while. The special units carried out high-risk operations such as intercepting smugglers, hunting down space pirates, and warding off attacks of the Zergs. Due to its dangerous nature, students were usually not allowed to join the special units, so Martyrus had to use his connections to bend a few rules to send Apache there. Martyrus knew that with high risk also came high rewards, and the special unit had always been the perfect ce to gain bothbat and political experiences.

 Chapter 107: Proved with Blade

    Chapter 107: Proved with de

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Apache didn''t sign up for political experiences, he hardly even cared about thebat experience. He signed up for only one reason: to kill. In most cases, the criminals the special units dealt with were wanted dead or alive, due to their extremely dangerous nature and the heinous crime theymitted.

    After a year of killing and fighting, he no longer saw the world as a student would, he saw this world as a cold-blooded soldier. In contrary, Hu Yangxuan''s green experience made him seem like a baby in the woods.

    Apache had won the fight with ease as if it was a child''s y.

    If not because of the rule of the tournament, he would have suggested Martyrus to leave all of the five fights to him to ensure a total victory.

    The score right then was four to four, and the next round was between Cao Yi and Wang Ben.

    The consequence of the oue of this round weighted on both Samantha and Martyrus''s heart, since they knew that this round would be the most critical to their final victory. Both of them had excluded the final match between Wang Tong and Apache out of the list of variables in their equation for sess since Apache''s victory was evident.

    Samantha hade to terms with the fact that Apache''s experience would out-trump even the power of Ma Xiaoru, let alone Wang Tong.

    "Wang Ben, make sure you get this!" Samantha patted the shoulder of Wang Ben.

    Wang Ben nodded, he had been expecting this fight for a while; he knew that Cao Yi was the Skyscraper who fought with Einherjar Wannabe and was defeated by the mysterious fighter''s, albeit counterfeit, Fist of the Racing Tiger. Therefore, Wang Ben wanted to find out through Cao Yi, as to whose Fist of the Racing Tiger was stronger.

    Cao Yi was ready to step into the arena, but he was then called back by Martyrus. The old principal whispered something into Cao Yi''s ear.

    "Are you sure, Principal?"

    "This is a matter of uttermost importance, make sure you follow my instructions," Martyrus answered without hesitation.

    Cao Yi nodded, he knew it was wise to not to argue with the old fox. Martyrus had ruled the school with both benevolence and an iron fist; although Apache had been wild and unruly, he had answered Martyrus''s call quickly and obediently agreed to partake in this tournament.

    Although Cao Yi was still unsure about the instruction he was given, he decided to follow through.

    "We are all counting on you now," Hu Yangxuan told Wang Ben. Hu Yangxuan had also registered the unbridgeable gap between Ayrng and Apache. He knew Wang Tong was a good fighter, perhaps even as good as himself, but that would not change Wang Tong''s inevitable failure like his; he knew that Apache''sbat experience would overwhelm Wang Tong. Hu Yangxuan thought that perhaps only the Four Princes of the Confederation would be able to challenge Apache since only they were so overpowered that they could ignore the role ¡°experience¡± yed in a fight.

    Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan were bundles of nerves at the thought of being transferred to Bernabeu. Over the month they had spent at Ayrng, they had made friends and had gotten used to the life at Ayrng. Ayrng had grown on them, and they had felt that they belong to this school as much as the school belonged to them. A sudden departure from this familiar and beloved ce would be undoubtedly heartbreaking.

    Samantha was also unnerved by the elusive content of Martyrus''s whisper. She wondered what trick would the old fox pull out of his bag this time.

    Wang Ben was unruffled by this development. He felt confident and energetic; the first fight didn''t cost him too much energy, and he was eager to make good use of what was left in him in the fight that he had been expecting for so long.

    The judge signaled that the fight had begun.

    The responsibility weighed heavily on Cao Yi shoulders. He unsheathed his twin des strapped to his back and reminded himself to be circumspect. He knew that if he lost this fight, Bernabeu would have lost the tournament.

    "I must win!" Cao Yi told himself.

    Wang Ben felt satisfied as he watched lights of determination glinted in Cao Yi''s eyes.

    "Yes, that''s the spirit, measure my power with your full strength, and tell me who is stronger, ME or Einherjar Wannabe?" Wang Ben screamed in his mind as he felt the blood rushed into his head.

    Wang Ben gritted his teeth and was ready for his opponent to attack at any time, but to his surprise, Cao Yi held the twin de about his waist and didn''t make any move. The two fighters stood still, dragging out the silence.

    Samantha suddenly understood Martyrus''s trick: he was nning to leverage Cao Yi''s advantage of the faster movement to drag the match into a stalemate. Since the victory of next fight was guaranteed to go to Bernabeu, a stalemate would substantially reduce the risk of losing the final victory.

    Samantha''s heart sank, but she couldn''t me Martyrus for using such a "cheap" method because if she were her in his shoes, she would have done the exact same thing. Fair fights only existed in fantasies, not in real-life.

    Wang Ben seemed to have also realized Martyrus''s trick, so he decided to be more aggressive and punched at Cao Yi, but he quickly realized that he was too slow.

    Apache was impressed by the sheer force of Wang Ben''s attack, hemented over the fact that such a worthy opponent would have to be wasted by a cheap shot. If it were him fighting against Wang Ben, he wouldn''t have to be so passive, and the fight would have been more fun.

    Cao Yi was one of the exceptional students among the first-year freshmen of Bernabeu. He graduated from a rather unimpressive high school, and with equally unimpressive grades. He was not the kind of student one would expect to rise to be a star. If not for Martyrus, he would still be one of the ordinary no-ount, struggling to graduate college. Thanks to Martyrus careful guidance, Cao Yi''s had since discovered and released his potential; he had even passed the Level-A survival test, a test that was dreaded by most students.

    On second thought, Apache felt that he was not entirely different than Cao Yi. They were both "imperfect" in other''s eyes: Cao Yi was too shy and too quiet, and therefore his talent was ignored by most schools; Apache had been a trouble maker, rebellious, and unruly. However, despite their shorings, Martyrus had taken them in, treated them like everyone else, and gave them a second chance to grow stronger and to release their potentials. No matter how supercilious Apache was, whenever he spoke with Martyrus, there was always a deep respect in his voice.

    Apache seldom received favor from others, and on the rare asions that he did, he always paid back ten fold. However, he felt that the help he had received from Martyrus was a favor that he would never be able to pay back.

    Cao Yi had followed Martyrus''s order to the letters. He fought extremely passively if he could be considered fighting at all. With speed on his side, Cao Yi dodged Wang Ben''s attack while running around the arena like a nimble monkey.

    Wang Ben didn''t know how to deal with his opponent other than delivering punches that kept on missing the target. He felt that he was not losing the fight, but neither was he gaining any edge. Wang Ben''s fist of the Racing Tiger was powerful, that is if he could hit the target.

    Wang Ben was very confident about his endurance in a prolonged fight, but even then he didn''t find that he had any advantage over his opponent regarding that aspect.

    Although none of Bernabeu''s student felt proud of their principal''s tactics, they let it ride as they eagerly hoped for the victory.

    This turn of event delivered a blow to Ayrng''s morale. Both Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan''s faces turned ck, contemting unwillingly about the dark future. Should Ayrng lose the fight, they would have no option other than transfer to Bernabeu as they had agreed.

    ¡°You bet, you pay.¡± Such was life.

    "This is absurd! This is... despicable!" Tita and Kyaero protested, but their voices were drawn by the louder and louder cheers from the students of Bernabeu.

    Wang Ben didn''t give up; instead, he carefully and patiently looked for an opening in his opponent''s defense.

    Martyrus, on the other hand, rxed his body into his chair, he knew Cao Yi was a solid fighter, and he seldom made mistakes.

    Cao Yi questioned his blind obedience that turned this fight into a cheap shot, but no one paid much attention to Cao Yi''s feeling, which was written in in view on his face.

    He despised old fox''s strategy and felt that it was a disgrace to an honorable and worthy opponent like Wang Ben. The fight felt like a gone-show to Cao Yi, and although he knew that he had the ability to fight back, all he could do was to drag this fight into a stalemate.

    Cao Yi''s lucky dodges were in part thanks to his tremendous power. Should anyone who did not possess the same level of strength had tried to mess around with Wang Ben, he or she would have already hammered into pulp under Wang Ben''s fists.

    The seemingly simple act of dodging attacks was actually very difficult if not suicidal. A simple mistake would force Cao Yi into a dead corner, and all his previous miraculous evasions would end in vain. However, in nearly twenty minutes, Cao Yi did not make even one of such mistakes.

    Truth be told, this tournament should not have ended like this for bothbatants were top notched and honorable fighters.

    Despite his tremendous desire to fight fairly with Wang Ben, Cao Yi continued to carry out his orders, after all, the victory of the tournament was more important than his personal values.

    Samantha started toe to terms with the reality. She first felt anxious, then hopeful, and then hopeless. Martyrus had calcted this move very carefully, and he eventually decided to let Cao Yi take on the duty. Even if Cao Yi were not able to score this round, he would still be able to drag this match into a draw.

    A few moments had passed, and the same game of mice and cat was still ying in the arena. Apache felt bored, so he closed his eyes to doze off for a while. Although he could not bring himself to agree entirely with the old fox''s method, he understood where he came from. Nheless, he stillmented over this wasted opportunity of fighting a worthy opponent.

    Apache did not care much about the sense of justice and righteousness like he used to. Years of heartless ughtering had taught him one of the most valuable lessons: bing indifferent was a small price to pay to grow up.

    Only five minutes left until the time was up!

    Both Cao Yi and Wang Ben had spent most of their energy, and their moves started to be sluggish. However, both remained adamant in their course. Cao Yi dared not to be less careful and had executed every single move by the book, leaving no weak spots.

    Wang Ben had cracked many tough nuts before, but none had been as slippery as Cao Yi. No matter how hard Wang Ben taunted him, Cao Yi didn''t rise to the bait once.

    Wang Ben felt the pressure as he knew that the game was near its end.

    "Hehe, less than two minutes left," Ovlor said as he nced at his watch. He could not help to marvel at Martyrus''s brilliant strategy.

    On the other side of the area, students from Ayrng looked depressed. None of them had thought that this much-anticipated fight would have consummated in such an anticlimactic end.

    Wang Ben suddenly stopped his attack and casually rxed his fingers and necks, he then said, "Hey you, stop jumping around for a second."

    Although slightly annoyed by Wang Ben''s obnoxious tone, Cao Yi remained distant with his opponent, fearing that it was another trick to taunt him into a confrontation.

    "Martyrus is not as great as most people had told me. He is rather despicable, and same goes with his students."

    Wang Ben said as he rolled his eyes at Cao Yi.

    The audiences boiled over after they heard the conversation inside the arena. To some degree, Martyrus was a legend at Bernabeu. It was him who had brought the former B-ss school into the A-ss, and some might even say that Bernabeu was not that far behind an S-ss. He was the pride of Bernabeu''s teachers and students. He gave students hope, especially those who were struggling to keep up.

    Cao Yi could swallow any humiliation Wang Ben throw at him; he figured that it would be the fair price to pay in exchange for a secure victory; however, he could never allow anyone to humiliate his principal.

    Having sensed the barely contained anger in Cao Yi''s eyes, Wang Ben let the corner of his lips lift a little. "I say Bernabeu should just stay an A-ss, S-ss has no ce for cowards like your lot."

    Cao Yi turned his face toward Wang Ben, and for the first time, he stood upright in front of his opponent. He grinned, "I know what you are up to. But I can''t allow anyone to talk about my principal like that. He is the BEST!"

    Cao Yi finally unleashed his GN force and bore down on Wang Ben. Although there was only a minute left on the clock, he simply could not sit and take the insult directed at his beloved principal. Students at Bernabeu regarded their principal with profound respect and with uttermost admiration as if he was their father.

    Apache also regained interest in the fight, and he sat up to watch the actions.

    The outburst of Cao Yi''s GN force had surprised even his ssmates as its intensity seemed to rival that of Wang Ben.

    No one, except for Martyrus had thought that Cao Yi had possessed such power. An ordinary student might spend three or four hours a day on training, but Cao Yi would spend his entire day in the training room. He had never taken a holiday, neither had he spent any time on entertainment. He followed a very strict routine to ensure enough rest for the next day of training.

    Not only he had spent more time on training, but he was also much more focused while doing so; therefore his training was also more intense than other students. Thebination of time and intensity eventually had transformed him into a top notch fighter of extraordinary power.

    It was Martyrus who had given him the chance to be stronger.

    Wang Ben smiled broadly, "Excellent! Prove yourself with your de!"

    Wang Ben channeled his GN force into his clenched fist and delivered a punch that was aimed squarely at his opponent.

    This Gong-show finally took a dramatic turn.

 Chapter 108: Meaning of Victory

    Chapter 108: Meaning of Victory

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Ovlor was shocked by the sudden change. He was ready to bawl out at Cao Yi but was stopped by Martyrus.

    Martyrus didn¡¯t exin himself to his colleague. Instead, he stood and watched quietly as the fight unfolded.

    Cao Yi¡¯s soul reading had reached an unbelievable 147. Ever since he had lost the fight with Einherjar Wannabe, he had trained even harder. Although his opponent was well known for his brutal aggressiveness, he chose to face the fearsome attack face to face.

    Cao Yi sprung up and threw himself at Wang Ben. His de sizzled with GN force. This was the final strike at thest moment of the fight.

    ¡°Killing Strike: Whirlwind X!¡±

    ¡°COME AT ME, BRO!¡± Wang Ben finally spill out his suppressed anger and thirst for battle. He wanted to know whose Fist of the Racing Tiger was stronger, his, or Einherjar Wannabe''s.

    ¡°The eighteenth tiger: Trembling Roar!¡±

    Wang Ben¡¯s fist bore down on Cao Yi with the weight of a mountain. An explosion erupted as the twobatants collided into each other. The loud re flooded the arena; no one had heard the signal indicating the end of the fight.

    Students and teachers from both schools stood up to watch the result screen, wondering who hade out as the winner.

    It was Wang Ben!

    The Fist of the Racing Tiger had never failed in a direct impact. Cao Yi was defeated at the veryst second of the fight.

    As the defeat sank in, students from Bernabeu slowly sat down on their chairs, looking depressed.

    Martyrus stood still; he knew that his ambition of bringing the school into an S-ss had been shattered.

    Tears started to pour out from Cao Yi¡¯s eyes. He had failed his school and his principal.

    Wang Ben felt pain from the X-shaped wound on his chest. He didn¡¯t block his opponent¡¯s attack, and just then, he started to realize how risky that was. If his attack didn¡¯t finish off Cao Yi, he might have to face his first defeat after being mind opened.

    He had watched the whirlwind X being executedst time while Cao Yi was fighting against Einherjar Wannabe. But somehow the attack felt much stronger. A sense of respect rose inside of Wang Ben toward Cao Yi for improving his technique so quickly and toward Martyrus for discovering such a talented fighter.

    Respect aside; he had won the fight nheless.

    ¡°Samantha, I have lost,¡± Martyrus spoke in a candid voice, without any hint of remorse.

    Some of the girls from Bernabeu were sobbing, shaken by the unexpected defeat.

    ¡°The tournament isn¡¯t finished yet, perhaps you have spoken too soon, Mister,¡± Samantha said with a smile.

    Martyrus was perplexed by the answer: ¡°I thought we had agreed that Ayrng would win the tournament with five victories?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Martyrus, I respect you just as much as your students do, and you holding on to your promise only made me admire you more. The goal of the tournament is to improve our student¡¯s ability, so let¡¯s stick to that. With all due respect, I say we decide the victor after the final bout ofbat.¡±

    A round of apuse erupted among the students of the Bernabeu; Samantha''s kind gesture had moved them.

    Martyrus smiled knowingly, ¡°Very well, let¡¯s carry on, but Bernabeu will hand over our rights of fighting S-ss academies to Ayrng regardless of the oue. Ayrng had earned it. I believe Ayrng will reach a new high under your leadership.¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± Cao Yi lowered his head to avoid Martyrus¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Lad, you have done well. I was misguided by my own desire. You had fought brilliantly, and I am sure you will do even better next time.¡±

    Martyrus padded Cao Yi¡¯s shoulders. He realized one thing that he had overlooked earlier: the fighting spirit and the morale of his students. He regretted ever asking Cao Yi to fight passively and reckoned that winning the tournament at the cost of his student¡¯s morale went against the values of a school''s principal.

    The society might have taught them to give up principles to get what they wanted, but the academy should have focused on instilling the students with more noble spirits, and that was the value that a principal should stand up for. Martyrus had then realized how wrong he had been.

    The apuse grew louder as the students from Ayrng joined in. Everyone seemed to have put away their differences and united under the same banner of friendship.

    ¡°You are a good fighter, and I look forward to our next encounter!¡± Wang Ben extended a hand to Cao Yi.

    ¡°Next time, I will win!¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    Another round of apuse erupted. Wang Ben didn¡¯t ask the question that he had so eagerly wanted to because he already knew the answer. When the Whirlwind X attacked Einherjar Wannabe, he was barely scratched by it; therefore Wang Ben had conceded that the power of the mysterious fighter had to be above his.

    However, knowing that he was the weaker one only made him want to be stronger.

    ¡°Herees the finale that I had been waiting for so long!¡± Apache suddenly sprung to his feet.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn!¡± Samantha¡¯s eyes locked onto Wang Tong¡¯s. ¡°Remember our pact. If you lose¡­¡±

    ¡°Principal, make sure you dress up while fulfilling your promise!¡± Wang Tong winked at her, cutting her shot.

    The oue of the fight no longer mattered, but both parties still craved for the victory. To Ayrng, it would add more credence to their new-earned rights to fight with S-ss schools, and to Bernabeu, winning this round would be their much needed saving grace.

    Although Bernabeu had lost the rights of fighting with S-ss schools, they wished to wrap up the day on a good note. Since Apache had defeated Hu Yangxuan with ease, the students from Bernabeu were confident that Apache would win the fight against the no-ount Wang Tong.

    The two fighter entered the arena, both holding a casual expression on their face. The rxed mood of the twobatant wasn''t entirely unexpected since the audiences assumed that the two fighters had foreseen the oue of this fight as clearly as they did.

    "What do you guys think? Do you think Wang Tong got this?" Samantha asked.

    "Not sure," Hu Yangxuan answered. "Apache might overwhelm him with hisbat experience. And I don''t think that we have yet seen his real strength. I could feel that he had reserved much of his powerst round."

    Wang Ben nodded in agreement and thought that given time, he could defeat Apache, but not at that moment since Apache''s experience would grant him a definite advantage.

    Ma Xiaoru pondered for a brief moment and then said; "I disagree, I think this will be a tough fight for both of them."

    Thanks to the Tactics of the Enchantress, Ma Xiaoru had a heightened sense of perception for energies, and she had a few times felt a tremendous power within Wang Tong.

    The five top tactics all had their hidden attributes. Ma Xiaoru could feel through her tactics'' hidden power that there was something about Wang Tong attracting her and her tactics like mes attracting moth.

    The twobatants were ready to fight. Apache regarded Wang Tong with a curious look, "Let''s see if your luck is gonna help you this time."

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and stepped forward. The PA system had automatically assigned a dagger to him, but Wang Tong doubted that he would ever use it.

    "Please."

    Apache took one step forward and propelled his body toward Wang Tong like a cannon ball. His speed was incredible, and it was clear that he didn''t reserve any strength like he did while fighting against Hu Yangxuan.

    Wang Tong didn''t flinch; he smashed at his attacker and met the iing strike with full force.

 Chapter 109: Heated Battle

    Chapter 109: Heated Battle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The jaw-dropping action in the arena had shocked the students from both schools including Tita. No one had expected Wang Tong to be able to counter Apache''s attack.

    Tita had never thought that Wang Tong would be able to stand against Apache, he considered Wang Tong an unctuous no-ount who liked to rub shoulders with popr students such as Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben. Although Wang Tong had demonstrated his unmatched ability in space battle simtion, proving his rightful ce among his friends, hisbat ability had caught Tita off guard.

    "Atta boy, you do have one or two tricks up under your sleeve," Apache said.

    "More than one or two, I have prepared a bagful of them just for you." Wang Tong shrugged.

    Apache let out a loud and abruptughter and hacked the curved de at Wang Tong without a warning. The de flew mercilessly at Wang Tong with full force. Apache had marked Wang Tong as a somewhat strong opponent and was determined to finish him off.

    The curved de whizzed on top of Wang Tong''s skull as Wang Tong wrenched a fist to block it. Although Wang Tong had used his flesh as a weapon, his fist was protected by a shield of GN force. Wang Ben had experienced this strangebination at first hand and was injured by it.

    The fist and the steel shed a few times, making loud nks. During the previous battle in which Apache had defeated Hu Yangxuan, Apache had been more conservative in spending his energyparing to the barrage of forceful attacks that he was pouring onto Wang Tong just then. To everyone''s surprise, Wang Tong didn''t waver. The more experienced fighters like Ma Xiaoru quickly registered what this meant for Wang Tong''s true strength.

    Apache had sensed the same kind of thirst for blood in Wang Tong that was also in him and reckoned that he should do whatever he could to finish the fight quickly; otherwise, he might be in a difficult situation.

    Five minutes had passed, and the twobatants had engrossed themselves in thebat. Apache eventually relented the strategic disguises over his tactics and revealed unbelievable speed that he could achieve when he executed his tactics with full intent.

    In contrary to Wang Ben''s Tactics of the Racing Tiger which was characterized by its unstoppable force, Apache''s tactics gave him inhuman speed. Both of his movements and attacks were faster than his opponent which entuated the deadly force packed within the strikes.

    However, despite being under the rain of lethal attacks, Wang Tong still held his ground firmly.

    Apache''s attacks were well structured and calcted, interwoven with his own unique fighting styles to form an epitome ofbat theory and practicality. On the other hand, Wang Tong''s movement did not seem to be nned; he seemed to be acting on a whim. Nheless, it was responsive and effective.

    One might mistake Wang Tong''s fighting style as the so-called "Think not, but go with nature" due to the simrity, but that required a much deeper understanding of the philosophy of cultivation that Wang Tong did not possess.

    His actions seemed spontaneous andcked calctions, but it was able to avert the crisis every time, and at a few asions, even to disrupt the pace of his opponent.

    Apache sprung up and bore down on Wang Tong with sharp des. Wang Tong didn''t hesitate and delivered a high kick at Apache. Wang Tong''s foot traced a curve in the air; it started with an elegant curve, and then the curve bent eerily in a direction that seemed impossible.

    Everyone was surprised by Wang Tong''s attack as they realized the technique that was used: The Campus Arc.

    Wang Tong twisted his hips and lowered his upper body to add more weight to the kick; the maneuver also helped him to dodge Apache''s attack. With Wang Tong''s foot only a few inches away from him, Apache''s explosive GN force had saved the day as he pushed his body to spun to the side while blocking the kick with one of his arms. As Apache''s hand felt the force of the kick, he loosened his body immediately to ride on that force and eventually turned Wang Tong''s attack into a strong wind that helped him to sail out of harm''s way.

    Apache''s body flew away from Wang Tong with the help of the kick but was unharmed by it. When Apache gathered himself, they were about twenty feet away from each other.

    Both of them started to control their breath, knowing that they had met a worthy opponent, and this fight was likely to be longer than they had expected.

    Apache had a taste of Wang Tong''s attack and felt its lethal power. He conceded that the haphazard way in which Wang Tong''s moves were executed was a fa?ade, and hidden underneath was the strength that exceeded all of his younger ssmates in Bernabeu.

    Apache twirled the curved des in his hands, nning his next move. After a while, he said, "The audience has be impatient, let''s show them a real fight."

    "I hope you talked less." Wang Tong smirked at him.

    A faint difort shed across Apache''s face; this was the first time an opponent had jested him in a public arena.

    Without thinking any further, Apache dashed forward and passed through the 20 feet of distance in a blink of an eye. Wang Tong saw a knee bashing at him, and it was already toote to react. The impact sent Wang Tong flying, but one of his feet was quickly caught by Apache while he was still in the air. Apache threw Wang Tong''s body down with a twist of the arm and then he flipped Wang Tong''s body around so that Wang Tong''s face was going to kiss the curved de he had already ce on the ground with sharp edge pointing up.

    The crowd boiled over after seeing this deadlybo, shocked by Apache''s brutal methods, and thought that Wang Tong''s defeat was evident.

    This brutal and merciless move was the results of years of bloodshed and killing in the special unit. Thisbo was capable of sending a sense of impending doom that would have paralyzed any ordinary fighter.

    However...

    In the fleeting moment right before the impact, Wang Tong dodged out of the way. Apache suddenly lost his bnce, and being carried by the momentum, he crashed onto the floor. Apache supported himself with two hands; it was evident that he had taken the full impact of his own attack.

    Apache rose to his feet and licked the de, a streak a blood tainted the smooth and sharp surface of the edge.

    The de had carved a wound into the side of Wang Tong''s neck; blood seeped out from the deep cut.

    In that infinitesimally short movement, Wang Tong had avoided the lethal strike aimed at his artery by biting firmly onto the de. With an almost impossible twirling of his body, Wang Tong even managed to break free from Apache''s iron grip.

    Wang Tong wiped away the blood on his neck; he didn''t seem to be scared nor wavering after such a close escape.

    Right then, Apache knew that his opponent was a rather exceptional fighter. He was aware that no ordinary fighter would be unaffected by the horror of such a life and death moment unless the fighter felt that he had no need to be afraid... or the fighter was utterly insane.

    Wang Tong could smell his own blood in the air, and it engaged him. A crimson light shed in Wang Tong''s eyes, and he darted toward Apache.

    Apache watched as his opponent unleashed his first attack. Wang Tong''s movement was not as fast as Apache, but his footsteps were strange, almost otherworldly. The length of Wang Tong''s stride seemed to disagree with the distance he had traveled, making one question his own judgment.

    This was the visual trick that came with one of the top four footwork technique among the Confederation trope: the Inch Step. The other three were the Ivantian ¡°Butterfly Dash¡±, the Martian ¡°Assault Stride¡±, and the Kaedeian ¡°Phantom Move¡±.

    The Inch Step looked straight forward, but it was veryplicated and impossible to be mastered by a first-year student such as Wang Tong.

 Chapter 110: Battle Trance

    Chapter 110: Battle Trance

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong''s Inch Step had caught Apache off guard. He forced himself to shift sideway disregarding therge amount of strain that the shift of position had ced on his body; it was a better option than being caught in that web of Inch Step. Apache''s mastery of speed was more advanced than Cao Yi''s since Apache had learned to go beyond relying on his feet to execute incredible, if not outright impossible, maneuvers.

    Although Wang Tong''s Inch Step had impressed everyone, it could never be used to its full extent against a fast opponent like Apache since thetter would be able to step aside, out of harm''s way, quickly.

    However, while Apache and everyone else had thought that Apache was safe, Wang Tong appeared, as if out of nowhere, right in front of him. The two fighters stood facing each other, so close that Apache could almost feel Wang Tong''s breath.

    Apache was startled and hurried to maneuver to one side. Wang Tong kept up with his pace and followed him closely.

    Having noticed that Wang Tong was closing in, Apache tapped deeper into his soul energy and poured out his GN force to help him elerate. Apache moved further away at lightning speed and lengthened the gap. Apache felt that Wang Tong started to gain the control of the battle from his hand, and he was aware that to win, he had to shift the bnce. He then decided to regain the control by being even more aggressive.

    Apache executed a splendid 90-degree turn and closed in onto Wang Tong. The curved de whizzed through the air toward Wang Tong. When the sharp edge was only a hair-thin away from Wang Tong''s face, Wang Tong suddenly moved to one side.

    Apache lost his bnce and fell to the ground.

    Martyrus''s hand trembled slightly at the sight of Wang Tong''s move.

    "That was... the Phantom Move!"

    It was said that only the Kaedeians were able to execute the Phantom Move physically. The Phantom Move was a more advanced technique than the shifty Butterfly Dash. It served the purpose of both aggression and defense, and the goal of the technique was to throw the opponent off bnce.

    Having failed twice, Apache tasted bile in his mouth, but he had no time toment over it because Wang Tong''s fist was already right in front of him.

    Wang Tong''s attack seemed to be a straightforward punch, but everyone could sense the incredible power that was packed within.

    Still engaged, Apache didn''t have much time to n his move, he simply yanked up his curved de to block the attack.

    "Fool!" Martyrus muttered to himself, seeing what wasing.

    It was a feint, Wang Tong''s real attack came underneath: a roundhouse kick.

    Wang Tong''s fist slide through the opening in between Apache''s body and the de, and then he clutched the de tightly under his arm. Meanwhile, Wang Tong hinged his weight on the leg that had been nted firmly on the ground and spun his hip to drive the other leg flying toward Apache''s head like a cannonball.

    Apache dropped his de to cover his head. With the remaining strength, Apache backed his head just a few tenth of an inch away from the attack.

    The kick sent Apache flying but thest second move of his head had saved him from defeat. Wang Tong''s kick grazed Apache andnded heavily on the ground as the floor crumbled into pieces.

    Wang Tong didn''t give his opponent any chance to gather himself. He leaped high up into the air and bore down on Apache with a knee bash. Apache knew that it was a moment of life and death, so he forced the movements of energy inside of his body to facilitate his escape; however, this time, Apache had pushed his body too far, and a stream of blood gushed out of his mouth.

    Apache met the knee bash with full intent. He was pressed hard against the ground, and the force pushed him a few feet away.

    Silence suddenly fell inside of the crowded arena. No one had expected this.

    Despite Apache''s advantage in speed and experience, his opponent had caught one small window to strike and was able to end the fight just like that.

    Martyrus finally realized that Wang Tong was the real secret weapon, but the revtion came much toote.

    Samantha had hidden her secret well, and no one had suspected Wang Tong ever since the beginning of the tournament. Even after Wang Tong''s victory over the best, everyone still considered Wang Tong much weaker than Apache in a real fight.

    However, in reality, Wang Tong was the strongest of all Ayrng''s contestants.

    "Kiddo, not bad, but you should have made sure that I am done for good." Apache was back on his feet and was staring at Wang Tong with a pair of bloodshot eyes.

    Apache had gone beyond anger; he had gone utterly mad ¡ª a side effect of years of merciless battles. The fall of hisrade had many times sent him into a battle trance like this. Apache no longer saw this as a tournament, to him this was as real as a battle, and he wouldn''t stop until his enemyid dead.

    Although the traditional knowledge was that the rate of utilizing GN force averaged out to be the same among fighters, and therefore, the soul energy was the determining factor in a soldier''s strength, it was far from the truth in case of an entranced fighter. Fighters in battle trance could temporarily ignore their injury and exponentially increase the efficiency of their GN force output.

    No one had thought that Apache would enter a battle trance in a school tournament, not even Apache himself.

    The first time he entered a trance was during a fight against pirates; it was triggered by the death of his captain who was trying to save Apache''s life. No pirate had survived the bloodshed that followed on that day.

    "Lightning Strike!"

    Apache picked up the curved de on the ground and immediately swirls of GN forcedunched at Wang Tong. Although Apache''s senses were limited during a battle trance, he also became unaffected by the illusions of Wang Tong''s footsteps.

    Students from Bernabeu saw a glimpse of hope rising in front of them. Although the battle trance was an unorthodox method, it was not entirely unheard of. If Apache could control his trance well, he might be able to tip the scale of the battle in favor of him.

    Fighters in a trance had only one thing on their mind: annihting their opponent. Theck of consciousness had removed restrictions on their soul energy; therefore, fighters in a trance could reach the limit of their soul reading.

    One of the attacks hit Wang Tong, and the force sent him stumbling back a few feet. Before Wang Tong could gather himself, he saw another wave of belligerent barrageing at him.

    Apache had be unstoppable. Neither Martyrus nor Samantha knew what to think of this new development. It was exceedingly rare to see a fighter be entranced in a PA fight.

    Wang Tong had already sustained a few hits, Apache''s movements were so fast that his body had be a blur. The normal biological function of Apache''s body had already taken the backstage while his body was filled to the brim with GN force that drove him deeper into his madness.

    Wang Tong was hit by an uppercut, and his body flew up into the air. Like he did before, Apache caught his opponent''s ankle and mmed the body hard onto the ground.

    Apache followed right away with the de that was then infused with sizzling GN force. This strike would break any defense of Wang Tong and would cut deep into Wang Tong''s chest.

    Hu Yangxuan''s jaw dropped at the sight of the entranced Apache. He wondered what Wang Tong had done to have triggered Apache into a battle trance.

    "Was it because of Wang Tong''s aggressiveness?" Hu Yangxuan pondered. Truth be told, the answer to that question even eluded Apache himself.

    Seeing the iing killing-strike, Wang Tong pounded a fist at the de.

    The fist and the steel shed once again.

    A shockwave erupted from the center of the impact,ced with the sound of shattering metal.

    Wang Ben saw a familiar light shing across the arena, but he was still unable to discern what was inside of the light.

    Apache''s body finally dropped onto the floor onest time with a dull thud. The sound of Apache''s body hitting the floor had awakened the mind of everyone in the audience.

 Chapter 111: Keeping the Promise

    Chapter 111: Keeping the Promise

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    ¡°Sir, Apache fainted!¡±

    ¡°Send him to the infirmary at once, quickly!¡±

    That was the symptom of a battle trance, even though Martyrus was experienced in handling such situation, it would still be very dangerous if that urred in a real fight; luckily for him, it was just a match in TPA so Apache should be fine.

    Students of Bernabeu gazed at Wang Tong in awe as he walked out from the control room.

    Martyrus sighed, ¡°The one who has him will be blessed with the power to conquer the world.¡±

    He was very familiar and confident with Apache¡¯s capabilities, but that boy was definitely the ultimate weapon against S-Ranked academies! Anyhow, he epted the fact that he had lost fair and square.

    At that moment, Samantha began to notice Wang Tong, the childish punk-*ss, had transformed into a manly figure.

    ¡°Congrattions, Principal Samantha. I believe Ayrng will be able to restore its former glory in no time, we are looking forward to your next splendid performance.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, let¡¯s discuss furtherter.¡± Actually, Samantha wanted to discuss something else with Martyrus, but clearly now wasn¡¯t the perfect time and ce to do so.

    ¡°Very well, as you wish. Fellow students, let¡¯s give a huge round of apuse to our guests for their marvelous performances. Bernabeu might have lost this time, but we will take back our victory next time!¡± Martyrus said while grabbing his fist.

    Students of Bernabeu were not spiteful anymore as they had witnessed Wang Tong¡¯s strength that was beyond one¡¯s imagination. Ayrng deserved to be crowned victorious!

    Tita and the rest cheered as they wee their well-deserved victory with open arms. Some of them might be covered in bumps and bruises, but the oue was satisfying.

    Without a doubt, Wang Tong¡¯s performance had proven to Tita and the rest that he was the real leader amongst them, and he was the backbone of Ayrng.

    Ma Xiaoru might be strong, but shecked in leadership skills. Wang Ben was a warrior, but he wasn¡¯t fond of leading the others. Hu Yangxuan was too carefree¡­ Only Wang Tong had the ability tofort them and gather their confidence when Ayrng suffered a setback.

    Rumi¡¯s eyes were sparkling, but immediately, she grabbed hold of herself when she saw Zhou Sisi. To be honest, she had noticed that Wang Tong was an extraordinary person since they began to know each other, but she had never expected that he was THAT strong.

    Ma Xiaoru was a soft and gentle person, but that didn¡¯t mean that she would ept a guy who was weaker than her, it was amon nature of mankind. After all, girls do prefer guys that are a little dominant, but not arrogant. Wang Tong might look like he was always goofing around, but he would always be indomitable during the critical moment. Ma Xiaoru felt that the door toward her heart was breaking open as Wang Tong threw out that forceful punch.

    He hadpletely conquered her heart.

    Even though Bernabeu had been defeated, Martyrus still prepared a celebration to honor Ayrng¡¯s sess. Everyone attended except Apache who was still under recovery. Ever since the match between Wang Ben and Cao Yi was uplifted into a learning exchange, both parties buried their hatchets and had fun together, and everyone got familiar with each other in no time. Nevertheless, the rivalry between the two academies still existed.

    Bernabeu might have lost the chance to challenge an S-Ranked academy, but that didn¡¯t mean that they would give up. They wouldn¡¯t challenge Capth before they could avenge their defeat against Ayrng.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru became the stars of the banquet. Xiaoru was always the center of attention no matter where she went; as for Wang Tong, he was the star because he had conquered everyone¡¯s heart.

    Wang Tong might be a student for the time being, but he would not stay like that forever.

    Unfortunately, Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t have many chances to chit chat because both of them were separated by the crowd. It was a lively evening indeed.

    Wang Tong managed to escape from the crowd after a while, he wasn¡¯tfortable being in parties like this. Finally, he had aplished his mission, and a me of joy began to burn as he remembered the promise between him and Samantha.

    He had won two rounds and helped Ayrng obtained the final victory, and as promised, Samantha would go on a date with him for one day!

    This was his chance, he had to take the initiative to conquer the woman¡¯s heart!

    Wang Tong was sick of being indecisive, so he decided to go all in. He would prefer to get rejected by Samantha rather than letting his feelings stay hidden forever in his heart. Even though he was forced to ept the ridiculous deal from Samantha, Wang Tong was happy by the fact that Samantha didn¡¯t say no back then; apparently, only an idiot would miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance!

    ¡°You really did it, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Samantha said as she walked toward the balcony, then she stretched her arms as she began to enjoy the mesmerizing sea view, ¡°Bernabeu got some good view.¡±

    ¡°The promise.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of it, dumb*ss. Rx, it¡¯s only a date. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning then. Come out quietly, okay?¡± Samantha threw him a mischievous wink and went back into the hall gracefully.

    Wang Tong was startled, although Samantha agreed to go out on a date with him, yet somehow, he was feeling uneasy. It seemed like she was still treating him like a kid. Anyhow, he would stick to his journey of bing a man.

    At that moment, Wang Tong wished he could tell Old Fart that he was finally going out on a date with the girl he adored! What a beautiful night!

    Meanwhile, Zhou Sisi turned pale as she saw what happened from the corner of the balcony. After all this times, she had been focused on the wrong direction; it wasn¡¯t Ma Xiaoru that Wang Tong fancied, it was Samantha instead!

    Zhou Sisi felt a sudden pain in her heart, like something important had been taken from her. She was always prepared for the guessing and rivalry, but she had never braced herself to witness him showing his feelings to another girl!

    Zhou Sisi was never afraid topete against Ma Xiaoru because Ma Xiaoru had her own elegant characteristic while she also had her own tender personality. However, Samantha was filled with the fascinating charm of a mature woman; she was even ashamed when shepared her body to Samantha¡¯s gorgeous figure.

    The candidates of Ayrng would be celebrating for the rest of the evening, as for their day-off on Sunday, everyone would have the chance to enjoy the loveliness of Bernabeu and witness the beautiful scenery of the Aegean Sea.

    The next day, Hu Yangxuan came to Wang Tong¡¯s room but was surprised to see an empty bed instead. Perhaps that kid had an acquaintance in Bernabeu?

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was having a stroll with Samantha on the coastal ring road which was surrounding the Aegean Sea. Maglev vehicles were prohibited in most of the districts around the Aegean Sea; apparently, mankind had done a great job in protecting this importantndscape.

    No one would have guessed that both of them were spending their time together in this romantic ce.

    ¡°Why do you like me?¡± Samantha asked as she enjoyed the gentle breeze from the Aegean Sea. This was one of thest breathtaking ces left on Earth.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Wang Tong replied with a smile, not everything required reasons.

    ¡°Boys had always preferred the types of girls like Xiaoru, not to mention the two of you are the same age; honestly, I couldn¡¯t find a reason for you not to like her. Moreover, she¡¯s the rare type of girl that doesn¡¯t have a temper.¡± Samantha was very surprised when Wang Tong said he had feelings for her. The two of them didn¡¯t seem to have any connections in terms of affection from all aspects; hence Samantha was shocked when Wang Tong proposed that bold request of his.

 Chapter 112: One Sweet Day

    Chapter 112: One Sweet Day

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    It could be due to her cleverness, or because her attention was all on her own career, but Samantha seemed to be not interested in the matter of love at all since her days in Capth, and she would remain the same in the present and the future. In other words, she was a career woman.

    However, emotional crave existed in every human being, and somehow, an indescribable feeling rushed all over her body when Wang Tong confessed to her. He might be a few years younger, but he looked older than his age, and as long as Samantha dropped that businessdy outfit, she too would look like a fresh grad.

    ¡°Perhaps I have a weird taste for girls.¡± Wang Tong sulked.

    ¡°Oh, so you were trying to say I¡¯m weird huh?¡± Samantha chided, ¡°How dare you make fun of your principal!¡±

    ¡°We made a deal not to mention this for today, and since you broke the rules, I¡¯ma have to punish you!¡± Wang Tong joked.

    ¡°Really? So how would you like to punish me?¡± Samantha said with a charming smile. She wasn¡¯t an inconsiderate woman; in fact, she had been able to see everything clearly due to her ultra-high intelligence. Samantha was never belittled with her own charm; however, she didn¡¯t expect that Wang Tong would fall for her.

    Nevertheless, Samantha was a little happy when Wang Tong said he liked her instead of Ma Xiaoru. It was normal for a girl to be proud when she knew her charm was greater than the other girls.

    ¡°How about you gimme a kiss?¡± Wang Tong mustered his confidence and said something bold.

    Samantha replied with a bright smile, ¡°Hey Kid, I¡¯d definitely show you your own expression if I had a mirror right now, and if it were Hu Yangxuan, he would have definitely dropped the ¡®how about¡¯ part. Rx kid, you''re not going to war!¡±

    Wang Tong knew he would be embarrassing himself, and apparently his ¡°battle experience¡± in this category wasn¡¯t enough at all, not to mention his first ¡°opponent¡± was way out of his league. However, things wouldn¡¯t be interesting if there wasn¡¯t any challenge. At that moment, he knew he had to divert the conversation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do something else, shall we?¡±

    ¡°The yacht is waiting for us right there, you deserve a treat for your splendid performances yesterday.¡± Samantha pointed toward the shore.

    It was indeed a unique sensation for being able to enjoy the rxing Aegean Sea breeze while having a drink, and it would be even more perfect if his drink was alcoholic;, however, Wang Tong didn¡¯t order because he was afraid things might go wrong. He waspletely rxing on the deck, a carefree person like him would always enjoy himself when he felt like it.

    Wang Tong got up when he heard Samantha¡¯s footsteps approaching. Wang Tong wanted to say something, but he forgot what he wanted to say when he saw Samantha.

    He would never forget how gorgeous Samantha was, like a beautiful goddess under the sunlight.

    Samantha giggled when she saw Wang Tong¡¯s dumb-look, ¡°Hey Kid, would you like to help me putting on some sunscreen?¡± Samantha thenid herself on the long bench beside Wang Tong, Wang Tong waspletely mesmerized by her dynamic curves and her sexy figure. However, he was clear that he had more cravings for love instead of lust. In other words, his sensual admiration was much stronger than his sexual desire toward Samantha.

    Even though Wang Tong was more mature than his peers, it was still too much to his senses. However, Wang Tong knew he had to calm down, or else he would totally fall under Samantha¡¯s control, and she would treat him like a little boy. Being passive was not how he rolled.

    He set aside the sunscreen and said in a mischievous tone, ¡°Hey Pretty Missy, have you ever tried ¡®the flying trapeze¡¯?¡±

    Samantha looked confused, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean this!¡± Samantha screamed in shock as Wang Tong lifted her up with a hug, this was his chance to impress her!

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡±

    Samantha wasn¡¯t mind opened so her physical strength was weaker than Wang Tong, if Wang Tong were to do anything to her forcefully, she would not be able to defend herself.

    Swoosh¡­

    Wang Tong lifted Samantha upward and threw her off the yacht, then he immediately channeled his GN Force and joined her up in the air and pulled the panickingdy into his arms. He knew he had to create some ¡°surprises¡± in order to break Samantha¡¯s calmness and steadiness.

    ¡°Hey Kiddo, what are you nning to do to me?¡±

    Samantha wasn¡¯t as afraid as expected when she fell into Wang Tong¡¯s arms; obviously, her bravery was greater than anyone would¡¯ve expected.

    A weird sensation came flowing all across Wang Tong¡¯s senses when Samantha was in his arms, then he finally man-up!

    He kissed Samantha as both of them fell into the crystal blue ocean.

    Wham! Water sshed in different directions.

    Wang Tong had never felt this kind of indescribable impulse before, Samantha on the other hand, never expected he would do something THAT bold.

    It was truly an exciting kiss!

    Woosh¡­

    Wang Tong caught Samantha in his arms and swam toward the surface of the ocean, ¡°Never underestimate a kiddo, Pretty Missy.¡±

    Samantha blushed, ¡°Hmph, you¡¯ll be sorry.¡±

    At that moment, she had lost control of everything.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sorry at all.¡± Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t let this once in a lifetime moment slipped through his fingers.

    Samantha wanted to stop him; however, her response was not as quick as Wang Tong since they were still in the water and she didn¡¯t have any GN Force at all.

    It was a long kiss, Samantha turned weak as Wang Tong put his lips against hers and kissed her like a greedy little boy desiring for love.

    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± Wang Tong asked as his eyes sparkled. It was a fantastic feeling of bing a man.

    ¡°Nope, nothing!¡± Samantha immediately replied.

    ¡°I see, guess I have no choice but continuing to do so until you feel something!¡±

    ¡°No, stop! I¡¯m going back!¡±

    The yacht stopped somewhere nearby; however, it didn¡¯t approach them since they were ¡°busy¡± at that moment.

    ¡°Aww, what a shame, Pretty Missy. I was just getting started. Up we go!¡±

    Woosh¡­

    Wang Tong unleashed his GN Force into the sea water which let its buoyancy support the both of them, then hugged Samantha and leaped above the water, his Tactics of the de was initiating perfectly; however, at that moment, everything about tactics and techniques didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    With the help of his GN Force, Wang Tong began to run on the surface of the sea while carrying Samantha in his arms. The captain of their yacht was totally startled by this scene.

    Samanthaughed cheerfully as he ran across the sea, she had never felt so rxed before. All of a sudden, Samantha mischievously pinched Wang Tong on his nose, and immediately Wang Tong lost his strength and both of them submerged into the water. The coupleughed out loud as they resurfaced to the sea.

    Everything else in their minds vanished in the midst of theughter, it was definitely the happiest day in Wang Tong¡¯s life after all these years. Obviously, a woman ys an important role in a man¡¯s life, at every point a man needs a woman, and it is her presence thatpletes him.

    Both of them went for lunch at a decent restaurant after a long day of fun. Not surprisingly, the customers and even the waiter were captivated by Samantha¡¯s gorgeous appearance.

    ¡°May I have your order?¡± The waiter kept ncing at Samantha from time to time. It couldn¡¯t be helped; apparently, her fantastic figure was ¡°super effective¡± against every man of different ages. Everyone seemed to be jealous at the silly looking Wang Tong who was sitting right across Samantha. Somehow, they couldn¡¯t believe that cheap bastard would wear a ten dor T-shirt to have dinner with the gorgeousdy.

    ¡°Any rmendations?¡± Wang Tong flipped over the menu as he asked. Yet he almost fainted as he looked at the name of the dishes, in the end, Wang Tong had no idea what he would order.

    ¡°We have poultry, seafood¡­ Everything is good here, sir. Would you like to try some of our fresh seafood?¡± the waiter said in a lofty manner. Guys would tend to show off to each other when they tried to impress girls, especially against unintimidating ¡°opponents¡±.

    He was an experienced waiter, just by looking at the way Samantha sat and how she looked at the menu, he knew she wasn¡¯t an ordinary person; meanwhile, the guy sitting across was pretending to be ssy.

    Samantha wasn¡¯t thinking of helping Wang Tong, she wanted to teach that boy a lesson for forcefully kissing her, so she kept quiet and watched how he reacted.

    Wang Tong looked through the menu seriously, then he closed it slowly and turned toward the waiter, ¡°I¡¯d like to order the ¡®Braised Submarine¡¯, thank you.¡±

    As soon as he said that, the other guests burst intoughter, even Samanthaughed out loud at his ridiculous words; the waiter on the other hand somehow looked embarrassed.

    ¡°A-hem, excuse me sir, but we don¡¯t serve...¡±

    ¡°Soft potato balls with Gorgonz cheese and pan-seared aubergine, Basil pesto squid ink linguini with mushrooms and asparagus¡­ a cup of hot chocte and one mocha ice-cream, that¡¯s all for the time being.¡± Samantha barged in. She was impressed by the kiddo¡¯s spontaneous response, she wasn¡¯t expecting anything at the beginning, but it turned out to be a fun day.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back with your order shortly.¡± The embarrassed waiter dashed off quickly.

    ¡°So Pretty Missy, how am I doing?¡± Wang Tongughed at the new nickname he gave Samantha since he had spent quite some time living with Old Fart, somehow Wang Tong had also learned his glib and flirtiness.

    ¡°Not as bad as I thought.¡± Samantha looked at Wang Tong with her enchanting eyes.

    She noticed Wang Tong wasn¡¯t acting as childish as the other young boys, he had his unique charm which was a mixture of a young boy¡¯s liveliness and the matureness of a grown up. To be honest, Samantha would have tons of excuses to decline Wang Tong if she was unwilling to go at the beginning; nevertheless, she agreed to go out on a date with him. At first, she did it for Ma Xiaoru¡¯s sake to observe how good he was as a person; but somehow, her intention changed, and now, she was really enjoying her time around Wang Tong.

    In the end, Wang Tong paid for their wonderful lunch, the boy might be thrifty most of the time yet he was no miser during important asions like this. Moreover, this was Wang Tong¡¯s first time having a date with a girl he fancied, of course, he would seize the chance to leave her a good impression.

    The couple went for a game of bowling after their lunch, which was one of Samantha¡¯s favorite hobbies. Wang Tong seemed to have certain potentials even though it was his first time ying bowling; apparently, he mentioned mastering the skills with his exquisite sense of touch after a few misses, and it had nothing to do with his GN Force.

    Samantha always liked challenges because they were able to make things more interesting. In the end, Samantha cheered in excitement for being able to defeat Wang Tong with her slightly higher points.

    Fun times always passed in a blink of an eye, the sky was getting dark as the couple walked side by side along the beach, they were walking back toward Bernabeu.

    ¡°Wang Tong, I really had fun today,¡± Samantha said in a soft voice.

    Wang Tong knew this was the moment of truth.

    ¡°However, I think we do not belong together, or should I say this isn¡¯t the time for us to be in love, and I think both of us are the same type of people who have our own dreams and need to focus on our own goals¡­ are you getting what I¡¯m trying to say?¡± Samantha turned toward Wang Tong, she didn¡¯t fell for Wang Tong even though she was really happy being with him, not to mention Samantha was ady with a firm determination.

    Wang Tong appeared to be more mature than his peers due to his countless life experiences, which was whypared to Ma Xiaoru, he still preferred the mature charm of Samantha; yet he also understood that enjoying each other¡¯spanionship didn¡¯t mean it would be good enough to spark a rtionship.

    In the end, Samantha would still be Ayrng¡¯s principal, and to regenerate Ayrng wasn¡¯t her only dream. On the other hand, Wang Tong would still need to carry on with duties ahead, he had to uncover the truth behind his mystical Tactics of the de, the mystery of Einherjar Wannabe, and the disappearance of Old Fart.

    Perhaps Samantha was right about them being the same type of person, which was why Wang Tong didn¡¯t feel really bad when he got rejected by Samantha, at least he knew it wasn¡¯t because he was not charming enough.

    Wang Tong held Samantha¡¯s hands as he stared at the glittering Aegean Sea under the sunset, ¡°Today I shall be defeated, but I shall return in the future!¡±

    ¡°Some confidence you have there, Kiddo.¡±

    ¡°You taught me about that, Pretty Missy.¡± Wang Tong was still holding Samantha¡¯s hands, he was able to sense her feelings at the moment.

    ¡°My original intention was to convince you to go after Xiaoru, but now I¡¯m a bit jealous.¡± Somehow it sounded partly true and partly fake when Samantha said that.

    ¡°Who knows what will happen in the future?¡± Wang Tong replied Apparently, Samantha rejected Wang Tong due to her own issues, yet Wang Tong was unwilling to move a step closer toward Ma Xiaoru because of her family status. Anyhow, Wang Tong convinced himself not to think too much, whatever will be will be; he would follow his heart as long as it was worth to be done.

    It was a heart-warming and beautiful evening. For the first time, Samantha moved toward Wang Tong and gently kissed him on his lips; sadly, it was a goodbye kiss. The two of them gradually loosen their grips and let go of each other, then Samantha turned and walked away.

    Wang Tong understood what it meant, but for some reason, it still hurt to ept the truth; bittersweet as hell.

    That was Wang Tong¡¯s first love, it was the sweetest and saddest day of his life¡­

    Still, he was happy that he had given his first kiss to the person he adored. All of a sudden, Wang Tong turned toward the sea and cried his heart out, he knew it was time to bid farewell to his old self!

    The spurt of adolescence faded away for the time being.

    Samantha got into a luxurious Maglev vehicle that had been waiting for her since long ago.

    ¡°Back to Bernabeu, Ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s drive around for awhile.¡± Samantha touched her lips gently as she looked out her window. She had been spending too much time focusing on her great ns and missed out a lot of things in her life. She used to disdain the other girls that fell in love, not until she discovered how wonderful it felt. Unfortunately, finding love was not the goal of her life.

 Chapter 113: Man of Honor

    Chapter 113: Man of Honor

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    That night, a chartered flight was scheduled to send everyone back to Ayrng; however, Samantha didn¡¯t follow because she had other businesses to attend to. On their way home, Hu Yangxuan kept bugging Wang Tong as he was curious about what had happened earlier; however, Wang Tong was very good at keeping secrets, so Hu Yangxuan failed to dig up any gossips from him. Turns out Hu Yangxuan also had some potentials in bing a paparazzi, as he was the only one amongst fellow students to be able to sense something¡¯s fishy. Nevertheless, he respected Wang Tong¡¯s bravery on taking on such colossal difficulty from the bottom of his heart.

    They were back to Ayrng atst, and Wang Tong was wide awake in his room thinking about his bittersweet ¡°first love¡±. He was able to sleep even on the Zerg-infested Norton, but what had happened earlier was strong enough to give him insomnia. Somehow, he had understood the meaning of ¡°the first cut was the deepest¡±, as he closed his eyes and recalled Samantha¡¯s graceful elegance of a goddess; he knew his rtionship with Samantha had begun and ended on the same day.

    It was the current Wang Tong that Samantha had rejected, a budding student of Ayrng. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to go out with her judging from his current situation, he used to think that everything else didn¡¯t matter as long as there was love, but today he had learned how naive he had been back then.

    Wang Tong managed to find a reason to work harder and not to give up, he would be a damn fool if he were to submerge himself into despair and lost himself only because he was rejected, and even Samantha would despise him for being so childish. Men were supposed to stay strong.

    In the end, Wang Tong decided not to waste time tossing and turning on his bed, so he got up and went out for a fight in TPA. Suddenly he remembered the tempting invitation from DREAM, a bloody ten grand per match; how he wished he could ept that amount of money now since he had spent most of his dimes to impress Samantha during today¡¯s lunch.

    However, DREAM-Heaven was already packed with people when Wang Tong arrived; the shop owner apologized immediately, ¡°Sorry kid but the house is full today, they have been hogging here for the past two days, and no one is willing to leave.¡±

    ¡°Wow, looks like your business is good recently?¡±

    ¡°Nah, everyone is here just to wait for some dude named Einherjar Wannabe; apparently, that dude would log in every weekend, but the time he login is unknown. Many of them missed out the chance to fight him because he logged intest time; hence everyone had sworn and camped to wait for his arrival, some even hogged the machine by taking turns waiting,¡± the shop owner looked happy as he exined. Apparently, his business had skyrocketed ever since the appearance of Einherjar Wannabe, mostly contributed by those who spent their money on the food and beverages in his shop¡­ yet the shop owner still couldn¡¯t figure out why that ¡°Einherjar Wannabe¡± dude was so popr recently.

    Wang Tong was also surprised to see his ID rose to fame. But too bad, since all the machines in the shop were fully upied, he had no choice but to go back to sleep.

    Just when he was about to leave, two guys who were in their twenties came out disappointedly and payed for their bill, both of them gave up waiting because they still had to wake up early the morning after and go to work.

    ¡°Aha, atst, there¡¯s a room for you, enjoy!¡± The shop owner was overjoyed to see a continuous iing of business.

    Wang Tong got his ess card and walked toward room no.9. He had no intention to check out the trending discussions about ¡°Einherjar Wannabe¡± in the forum because he knew it would be meaningless even if he saw what theymented. Comcence and vanity had no benefit for his own growth and would not earn him any penny. Without wasting any time, Wang Tong logged into TPA immediately. As he looked at his inbox filled with tons of challenge invitations, somehow he felt good for being famous, at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about finding challengers anymore.

    System notification: Einherjar Wannabe logged in!

    Finally, after two days of waiting, Einherjar Wannabe showed up, causing another uproar throughout PA.

    Just like the old saying goes: ¡°When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡± Every yer who had been waiting since the very beginning went crazy when they saw the notification, and everyone became energetic instantly.

    ¡°Einherjar Wannabe is here!¡±

    Everyone started to wonder who would be fighting against him today.

    The forum was bombarded withments, some people¡­ or rather a small group of people began saying bad things about Einherjar Wannabe after what had happened the previous week. Perhaps they were jealous or maybe they were just a bunch of haters. Those people were saying that the reason behind Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory previously wasn¡¯t because of him being invincible, but it was Solitary Snow¡¯s fault for being a noob. They also said that Solitary Snow was insane for not ying defensively with his Dream-ranked METAL Suit; Einherjar Wannabe was not hard to be defeated since he had no weapon and armor, and it would be impossible for him to break the unrivaled defense of the Golden Marksman. Moreover, aside from ranged attacks, the Golden Marksman also contained the ability of high-speed mobility which was specially designed for dodging close ranged attacks. Solitary Snow at least could¡¯ve tied the match with such advantages, but the dumb*ss went for the Golden Arrows instead, which got himself KO''d in the end.

    Many TPA yers also supported thosements, they said luck was definitely involved in Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory, and IPA yers¡¯ battle strategies sucked. Solitary Snow might have surprised everyone with his Butterfly Dash, but shy tactics absolutely had nothing to do with one¡¯s victory.

    Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s supporters stood up and ¡°counterattacked¡± thements of those haters, telling them to shut up unless they really had the balls to defeat Einherjar Wannabe.

    The dramas in the forumsted for two days while they were waiting for Einherjar Wannabe to show up, now they shall see who would he chose to fight tonight.

    ¡°Boss, he¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s see how he responds!¡±

    The PA staff had no choice but to work overtime due to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s appearance. This was Cameron¡¯sst chance to please the board of directors, and now, he began to wonder if ten grand was enough to strike a deal with Einherjar Wannabe.

    Was it too less to bargain? But it would be impossible for him to offer more than that because he couldn¡¯t confirm how long would Einherjar Wannabe be able to sustain his winning streak. A good number of aces still seemed to beying low throughout PA; however, he might be able to fish out the hidden aces if he acted too ¡°cocky¡±, and things would be different if that really happened.

    Cameron was anxious, he had tried his best to strike a deal with Einherjar Wannabe by offering ten grand per match, now it was all up to him to decide.

    Once again, Wang Tong opened the letter from the administration which was ced on top of his inbox, this time it was attached with the amount of money per match.

    Ten grand?

    Wang Tong rubbed and blinked his eyes, he couldn¡¯t believe they were offering him ten grand per match!

    The main purpose for him to y in the TPA was to train himself. He would never want to be restrained, and he didn¡¯t want money to be his reason to fight someone else. However, Old Fart once said, ¡°Love and dignity are the most crucial factors of a man¡¯s life, but not if he ain¡¯t got no dime.¡±

    Wang Tong was shaken by the immense amount of money, he had never seen such a huge number of money in his life since he was born!

    He wondered if the almighty de Warrior would bow and kneel down for the sake of money.

    Immediately, Wang Tong shook his head for having such a weird thought. Of course, the de Warrior wouldn¡¯t do that since he was the godly existence in everyone¡¯s heart, it would be impossible for him to worry with such a silly issue.

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t ept the offer immediately because he had always been a cautious person and he understood the fact that was no such thing as a ¡°free lunch¡± in this world. Wang Tong needed more time to digest this. Apparently, Hell always awaits right behind the veil of temptation.

    Wang Tong never liked the idea of earning money through fighting in TPA because he didn¡¯t want his original intentions to mutate by involving money. It was undeniable that money was important, but one had to learn to minimize its importance, or one would be the ¡°ve¡± of money.

    Old Fart always said, ¡°Only those who know how to spend money would be able to be its master¡±. However, the point was, Old Fart didn¡¯t know how to earn money!

    Wang Tong was feeling that the temptation of ten grand was getting stronger; however, he would always tell himself to calm down whenever he was stuck in a situation like this, just like how he used to calm down and focus during battles. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, it was funny how ten grand was able to disrupt his state of mind, if Einherjar Wannabe were to see him like this, he would definitelyugh his ass out.

    Wang Tong was no god, of course, he would make terrible mistakes from time to time; however, he was very good at self-reflection. Somehow Einherjar Wannabe approved this ¡°talent¡± of his because it was unusual for someone at this age to possess such motivation, and Einherjar Wannabe even praised Old Fart once for his excellent teachings to Wang Tong; nevertheless, Wang Tong was annoyed by those words.

    Wang Tong had always been a man of honor and still remained unstained after all these years.

    ¡°Hahaha, see Luv Ma? Didn¡¯t I tell you that he will appear tonight? Chop chop buddy, he¡¯s not escaping from us this time!¡± Miao Xiuughed, he might have missed out the previous matches, but definitely not this time, as he had been staying online for hours waiting for him to show up!

    ¡°Shuddup dude, I¡¯ve just sent out the challenge invitation, so all we need is patience, everything is up for him to decide now!¡± Luv Ma shrugged helplessly, he had been spending his precious weekend staying at home with the annoying dude beside him right now, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Chill bro, look at my brilliant records and my stunning image, I¡¯m sure he will pick me as his opponent alright!¡± Miao Xiu shuffled his hair as he spoke proudly like he was the triton among the minnows! [1]

    Luv Ma shooked his head as he looked at the narcissist, he was speechless against Miao Xiu¡¯s severe sense of pride. Even idiots knew Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s inbox would be flooded with thousands of invitations, and even if Einherjar Wannabe sorted his mails by descending orders of challengers¡¯ Soul Energy, no one would be able to guarantee Miao Xiu¡¯s name would be at the top of the list.

    Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe was a weird person since no one else in TPA other than him would waste their time on those nobodies in IPA.

 Chapter 114: S-Ranked

    Chapter 114: S-Ranked

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Meanwhile, in Bernabeu, Cao Yi seemed to be fully prepared to challenge Einherjar Wannabe. Apparently, he had also been waiting for Einherjar Wannabe to log in since long ago. He always believed that great strength came from great amount of learnings so he wouldn¡¯t miss out any chance of challenging Einherjar Wannabe. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t able to sleep as well because he couldn¡¯t help ming himself for making a mistake at that critical moment that ultimately caused Bernabeu to be defeated in the end. Ever since his previous defeat against Einherjar Wannabe, Cao Yi had spent quite some time improving his final shes by powering up the momentum of his rotational force; however, it seemed to be useless against Wang Ben¡¯s unrivaled Fist of the Racing Tiger. Nevertheless, the aura from his de managed to break through Wang Ben¡¯s defense. Even though he did show improvements and also managed to surprise a lot of people for being able to stand a chance against Wang Ben, the rising star of the Earth Confederation, this was not what Cao Yi wanted, he was a stubborn person that disregarded fame and was only interested in martial arts and tactics.

    Inspiration yed a key factor in the study of martial arts, and it could be umted bits by bits from all sorts of activities in life, especially through battles.

    Principal Martyrus didn¡¯t hold Cao Yi ountable for Bernabeu¡¯s defeat, but the principal med himself instead. Cao Yi was touched by the principal¡¯s kindness, he swore that he would repay his recognition and appreciation in the future, and he would push himself further in order to do that.

    Surprisingly, Apache also nned to stay in Bernabeu instead of going back to the Spatial Anti-Smuggling Bureau. He had learned his lesson after the loss Apache used to slow down his practices and training of Soul Energy because he believed the status of his Soul Energy and basics were more than enough and all he needed were umtions of experiences. However, Apache realized there were too many ws in his previous fight with Wang Tong; hence he decided to stay and strengthen himself.

    Most of Martyrus¡¯ students were tough and prepared for improvements, which was why Bernabeu became one of the most popr academies among students in recent years.

    One would think that he is invincible when everything happened as nned, only failure and defeats would be able to make one learn and grow.

    Cao Yi was preparing his analysis while waiting for Einherjar Wannabe to select his opponent. He really wanted to fight Einherjar Wannabe again, but obviously, Einherjar Wannabe had be an existence like an ¡°idol¡± that would need a stronger opponent, hence Cao Yi was also hoping for a challenge from a stronger yer.

    It would be even better if those elusive and unreachable aces would appear in front of Einherjar Wannabe, but the possibility of them showing up was way too low.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong finally opened his eyes and decided not to ept the deal from the official administration. He might have missed arge sum of prize money, but he felt much rxed this way, at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about winning his fights. He was free from all the restraints!

    Upon making that decision, Wang Tong¡¯s mood was uplifted, and he began to check out the list of opponents. He seemed pleased with himself for having such strong will against temptations. Money alwayses and goes, Wang Tong would never be some money-minded freak like Old Fart!

    Wang Tong sorted the horrifying lists of challengers ording to their winning percentages, and he was surprised to see there were tens of them who had only wins. However, most of them were IPA yers, and it was hard for him to select someone with a real high winning ratio since IPA yers were able to ¡°customize¡± their winning rates.

    Then Wang Tong opened another system notification in his inbox. This time, it was a short mail which stated that the system would like to widen Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s challenge extent, meaning he was offered a VIP privilege which enabled him to challenge anyone regardless of yer levels; however, he could also choose to reject this offer by clicking the button below.

    Of course, Wang Tong would ept this privilege, he had wished to challenge every single strong yer ever since he joined PA, so he couldn¡¯t wait to see which ace he would be fighting tonight!

    Wang Tong was randomly ying around with the sorting methods as he identally clicked on ¡°sort by the length of ID¡± and an eye-catchy ID popped up at the top of his list. It was a rather long ID, and somehow this person wanted everybody to know he was a student from Capth.

    ID: Cisco -- NO.1 -- Capth S¡¤LV¡¤TWO

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t helpughing as he saw that weird ID and its empty battle result. Without a doubt this person was absolutely not a PA yer, let alone being a TPA fighter; nevertheless, this person was arrogant as hell.

    The ID was deciphered as: ¡°I¡¯m Cisco, the No.1 student from the second grade METAL Combat ss of the S-Ranked Academy of Capth!¡± Apparently aside from Capth, there were also students with such titles amongst the other S-ranked academies. There would always be a ¡°top-notch¡± in every course of every grade, they were known as the benchmarkers which the other students wished to surpass; they were the real aces among elites, the future cards of the military. As long as one received the ¡°No.1¡± title in an S-ranked academy, he or she would definitely be the ¡°holy grail¡± amongst various corps and legions.

    It was normal for such person to despise childish games like TPA, no one would be needing tforms like TPA if they were given plenty of training and battles.

    Obviously, Cisco was here to challenge Einherjar Wannabe!

    Ayrng would soon be facing against Capth, and it was indeed the most crucial tournament to Samantha. In order to increase their winning ratio, Samantha was even willing to persuade Bernabeu to form an alliance together to fight against Capth.

    However, reality was always a b*tch even though there were confidence and ambitions, and Capth still remained as a tough target to be defeated by Ayrng and Bernabeu. In fact, Capth didn¡¯t even pay any attention to them since they didn¡¯t send out their best team of elites to face against Ayrng and Bernabeu.

    Nevertheless, Samantha wasn¡¯t silly enough to believe that Ma Xiaoru and the trio would be able to vanquish the candidates of Capth by themselves.

    In the end, Wang Tong picked the Cisco ID dude, he had been longing to witness the actual strength of one of the No.1 from Capth.

    Meanwhile, a few students who stayed upte seemed to be feeling anxious at the Virtual Simtion Hall of Capth¡¯s METAL Combat ss.

    ¡°I think this is not gonna happen, Stoke. Big Brother Cisco might be famous amongst students, but the possibility of Einherjar Wannabe picking him throughout thousands of other challenge invitations is too small, why don¡¯t we just call it a day?¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯ve already been waiting for two days! Since he had shown up, let¡¯s see who he chooses in the end.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, we should give it a shot even if the chances are low. Moreover, this Einherjar Wannabe dude is quite different from the others, perhaps he would ept our challenge invitation tonight?¡±

    ¡°Yea, since Big Brother also purposely spared out his time tonight, let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡±

    Stoke and his gang were not the students of METAL Combat ss, they majored in Astral Realm Intel Transfer and Interference; their strengths for their ages were too low to be the students of METAL Combat ss. However, there was one of them who possessed an amazing strength even though he majored in scientific researches.

    Cisco was the No.1 amongst second graders, and he was known as the ¡°all-rounder¡± of Capth. Cisco met Stoke right after he was defeated by Einherjar Wannabe; since then, Stoke had been paying close attention to Einherjar Wannabe and even sent videos regarding Einherjar Wannabe to Cisco. In the beginning, Cisco seemed to be uninterested in some childish and shy game like the TPA, but after watching a few matches, especially the one in which Einherjar Wannabe utilized the Fist of the Racing Tiger, Cisco immediately asked Stoke and his gang to reach out to Einherjar Wannabe. Cisco was eager to teach that mystifying brat a lesson if Einherjar Wannabe epted his challenge invitation.

 Chapter 115: Aux Armes!

    Chapter 115: Aux Armes!

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Cisco was pissed off when he realized Wang Ben turned down Capth¡¯s offer and chose the dying Ayrng instead. Being one of the upperssmen of Capth, Cisco had always wanted to do something to prove Wang Ben wrong, and he realized that the best and simplest way was to defeat this Einherjar Wannabe dude.

    The Fist of the Racing Tiger? So what?

    Ding Dong¡­

    ¡°Oh my god¡­ It¡¯s Einherjar Wannabe! He chose us, we did it!¡± one of them roared.

    ¡°I¡¯ma contact Cisco right away!¡±

    The crew got busy immediately, and soon, one of the dorms in Capth became bustling with noises; everyone was excited and couldn¡¯t wait to see the fight between Cisco and Einherjar Wannabe. Cisco was indeed the center of attentions as his No.1 title was earned after going through numerous battles, he was the real deal without a doubt.

    The news about the sh of titans quickly spread amongst second graders like wildfire, no one would¡¯ve missed this since every match involving Cisco was very ¡°educational¡±.

    Coming up: Einherjar Wannabe versus Cisco -- NO.1 -- Capth S¡¤LV¡¤TWO

    Luv Ma turned toward Miao Xiu with a smiling face, like those big eyes of his were saying, ¡°What a shame, you got ignored again; this time you lost to an ID that packs a punch!¡±

    However Miao Xiu remained calm, ¡°No.1 amongst Capth¡¯s second graders huh, interesting. Goddammit, I should¡¯ve used an ID like this to draw his attention.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t, what makes you think that you¡¯re the No.1 student among us first graders?¡±

    ¡°Aw, shaddup will ya? If that sonuvab*tch weren¡¯t around, the No.1 title would¡¯ve been mine!¡± Miao Xiu yelled. Apparently, the No.1 title was left vacant among first graders because Patroclus was not interested and didn¡¯t take part in the ranking, then a few other elites too decided to pass due to his absence.

    As the saying goes: ¡°A newborn calf makes little of a tiger¡±, which also exined why faultfinders often existed amongst first graders regardless of academies. In fact, Miao Xiu was also one of those daredevils among this year¡¯s first graders of Estre Academy; however, none of them had the guts to pick a fight with Patroclus ever since that incident. Moreover, the trauma from Miao Xiu¡¯s impulsive action still lingered around like a ghost.

    After all, Patroclus was an existence from another world. In the eyes of the Ivantians, he was even crowned as their almighty prince.

    ¡°Anything interesting about that ID?¡± Miao Xiu squinted his mouth.

    ¡°Dude, that guy is strong, VERY strong. Every No.1 of all S-ranked academies has their own forte, and that Cisco fe is extremely skilled in sword fights!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so he¡¯s a pain in the *ss?¡±

    ¡°Yea, and he¡¯s hard to be handled. This person remained in his No.1 position for almost a year, yet he was never defeated, not even once.¡±

    ¡°Haha, interesting! Meaning Capth will be super humiliated if Cisco loses tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yea man, this is what we¡¯ve been waiting for. I think this is the perfect chance for Einherjar Wannabe to show us what he really got.¡±

    ¡°Oh, something tells me that you¡¯re standing on Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s side, am I right?¡± Miao Xiu said as he nted his eyes.

    Luv Ma only smiled and said nothing.

    On the other hand, Cameron was smart enough to expect that Einherjar Wannabe would turn down their offer when he saw thetest pairing. TPA could only use money as their chip to bargain; nevertheless, Cameron believed that Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t do all these just to seek for a sponsorship; it couldn¡¯t be helped since the strong ones were also the rich ones most of the time.

    ¡°Show me theplete data of his rival!¡± Cameronmanded. He was thinking that perhaps they could dig up and sort out the information of the opponent and sent them to Einherjar Wannabe for his reference. After all, he believed Einherjar Wannabe wouldn¡¯t reject this since he was obviously here to search for strong opponents, yet he was a stubborn kid. Judging from all of these, Cameron was confident that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s true identity was a youngster, they were on the right track since the beginning.

    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not gonna believe this, his opponent is really Cisco, the No.1 student amongst second graders of Capth!¡±

    ¡°Haha, even better! Spread the news at once! Send it to everyone out there!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± All of the staff began to get busy.

    However, Cisco¡¯s personal data had been already uploaded on the forum by someone else before Cameron¡¯s men could announce it. In fact, no one would even care to check out his information the moment they heard ¡°No.1 amongst Capth¡¯s second graders¡± because obviously, this guy had to be strong since he was crowned as ¡°No.1¡±. No onemented about his empty battle-log either, since, of course, he would have no interest in TPA judging from his status.

    Within minutes, Cisco¡¯s unique identity had created an uproar, and it even caught the attentions of students from every academy who were still hanging out in the TPA. Interested or not, everyone seemed eager to watch what was going on.

    The mysterious and invincible warrior versus the dominating existence of Capth.

    Students from non S-ranked academies got even more excited, they couldn¡¯t wait to witness the strength of the No.1 student of an S-ranked academy.

    The time for battle preparation was extended to half an hour, this had never happened before in any other matches as generally, it was not more than five minutes, yet an exception was given this time due to the unique identities of both fighters.

    Wang Tong was speechless as he stared at the countdown timer on the monitor, deep down he couldn¡¯t stop cursing the administration for wasting his precious money by having him wait for half an hour, and he even suspected that this was their revenge on him for rejecting the ten grand.

    Somehow, the big man up there always liked to pull tricks on the poor ones.

    Nevertheless, there was one thing that was sure: if Cameron, who expected Einherjar Wannabe as a millionaire, were to see him now mumbling and grumbling over a couple of dimes, he would be speechless.

    Anyhow, Wang Tong calmed down, closed his eyes, and initialized his Tactics of the de. He was a man with patience because he understood that only those who had patience were qualified to be called a hunter. The impatient ones would be the hunted...

    ¡°Luna, wake up! Wake up!¡±

    ¡°Geez, what¡¯s wrong with you man, can¡¯t you see I¡¯m sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Get your *ss up, Einherjar Wannabe is about to fight Cisco!¡±

    ¡°Which Cisco? The dude from Capth you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    ¡°Holy crap! I¡¯ll be there in a jiff!¡±

    ¡°Wassup, Cao Yi?¡±

    ¡°Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s match will begin soon, tell the guys to wake up and grab a chair.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s veryte already, is it an important match?¡±

    ¡°Cisco is the opponent.¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡± the guy answered immediately.

    Einherjar Wannabe might be famous, but his fame was somehow like a movie star; unlike Cisco, who was like a real superstar for being one of the strongest elites from Capth! If he were to wear a mask and made up a show, he would also be someone like Einherjar Wannabe, but he wasn¡¯t interested in doing so.

    The match between Einherjar Wannabe and Cisco was the sh between mystic and reality!

    Their match seemed to have be a global phenomenon. After all, Capth did have a huge influence throughout the globe.

 Chapter 116: Real Power

    Chapter 116: Real Power

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "When mystery shes with reality, who wille out as the winner?" such was a self-contained question that PA had proposed to the audience.

    The mysterious Einherjar Wannabe had undoubtedly be the star of the PA system. His poprity had reached a new height after winning over millions of IPA fans. On the other hand, Cisco was a superstar in real life who was destined to join the ruling ss in the future.

    "How''s the support rating?" Cameron asked.

    "Over 90% of the IPA yers are siding with Einherjar Wannabe. This is amazing, ever since that guy showed up, our rating has skyrocketed."

    "That''s only natural. The IPA yers must have felt that Einherjar Wannabe is more rtable as if he had given them a voice in the overall PA system."

    Cameron pondered on. He realized that DREAM had been overlooking the IPA yers'' needs for too long. To them, the PA system was more than just a simple game; it was a vessel through which they could re-live their dreams. This is one aspect of the PA system that the DREAM had long forgotten, despite the fact it was in their name.

    "How about the TPA league?"

    "It''s the same, more and more TPA yers are logging in as we speak, and our TPA subscribers has since increased five folds. I wager that no one wants to miss the show when it''s live."

    Although DREAM would release the video recording, the atmosphere was very different while watching it on a screenparing to watching it live. Unfortunately, due to the bandwidth restrictions, not every member could sign up and watch the live actions.

    "Excellent, keep your eyes on things and report to me immediately if there is anything slightly out of ce."

    "Yes, boss."

    Wang Tong heard the PA system''s notification indicating that the preparation was done. Wang Tong was exhrated at the thought of fighting the top student from the S-ss Academy.

    Meanwhile, at Capth, the training room was packed with students, most of them were second-year students who majored in METALbat. Some of the students were Cisco''s fan, and they came with admiration, but some students were not. They came here to study the legendary fighter as the mysterious Einherjar Wannabe ought to provide them a golden opportunity to do so.

    Cisco had already entered the arena. As a student who had been crowned the number one fighter at Capth, Cisco was already used to the attention, so he seemed indifferent at the excited crowds.

    Cisco had never thought about failure. As a number one, he had to prepare himself for a challenge at all time. Thinking about the oue would only slow him down, so he had decided to never think about defeat but to focus on the fight instead. It was unsurprising that Cisco had a feverish passion forbat; he weed tough opponents and feared to waste his time on a weak challenger.

    The arena could fit ten thousand people from the audience online, and by then it was already full. The cheers came wave after wave. Almost all of the audience members were cheering for Einherjar Wannabe, especially the IPA yers since they saw Einherjar Wannabe as one of them and therefore wanted him to win.

    Although Einherjar Wannabe was from the TPA league, he respected the IPA fighters, and in the IPA yer''s eyes, he respected their dream.

    The virtual avatar of the two fighters had appeared, as well as their profile that was loaded onto the big screen. The decorated records of Cisco was hard to miss, and it had somewhat dulled the IPA yer''s excitement. The gap between the two yers was evident, one started from a no-ount and only recently rise to poprity after a few miraculous victories; the other was a genius and born to be one of the strongest power in the world.

    Cisco didn''t pay much attention to the reactions of the IPA yers. He never cared to understand those who were weaker than him, as he had deemed them unimportant. He needed to only focus on his biggest enemy: himself. Having absolute confidence in his ability, Cisco believed that he needed only to surpass himself in each fight, then no one in the world would be able to defeat him.

    "Check."

    "Check."

    "yer please enter!"

    The referee stepped inside of the arena. He, like all the audiences, had been waiting for this match for many days, and he considered an honor to referee this game.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s avatar looked rather pedestrian, but his body seemed to emanate a particr energy. On the other side, Cisco stood over 6 feet tall, and his tenacious body suggested the incredible lethal power hidden inside. Cisco looked indifferent and cold; he didn''t think that winning this fight would be too much of a problem.

    "I have seen you used the Fist of the Racing Tiger, care to show it to me again today?" Cisco asked frankly in a confident voice. He didn''t hide the fact that his challenge was instigated by the Fist of the Racing Tiger, but to the lesser extent, by Einherjar Wannabe himself.

    Einherjar Wannabe simply shrugged without giving a clear answer. The vague reply annoyed Cisco. He had expected Einherjar Wannabe to throw himself at his feet, like many of his fans, thanking him for the opportunity to fight him. But instead, he had gotten the cold shoulder.

    "Game Start!"

    Cisco didn''t dwell on Einherjar Wannabe''s attitude since Einherjar Wannabe didn''t seem to intend to use the Fist of Racing Tiger willingly, Cisco conceded that he would have to beat it out of him.

    Cisco struck at Einherjar Wannabe with a run-of-the-mill attack, it was a test to see if he could call Einherjar Wannabe a worthy opponent.

    Einherjar Wannabe raised his arm to defend, and in a blink of an eye, the twobatants had exchanged a dozen blows, and then the two parted.

    The two fighters were both very cautious. Cisco didn''t use his METAL suit since he had figured that he wouldn''t need it.

    However, after exchanging a few blows, Cisco registered that Einherjar Wannabe''s defense was solid and he did it with ease. Cisco conceded that the opponent in front of him was more challenging than he had thought he would be.

    "Interesting¡­ Try this!"

    Cisco strode a couple of wide steps and was then right in front of Einherjar Wannabe. He clenched a fist and pounded it heavily at Einherjar Wannabe.

    "The Inch Step!" A few audiences gasped out of surprise.

    As the pride of Capth, Cisco had mastered various techniques within the Federation, and he was particrly good at the Inch Step. Most of the fighters would have nothing left in them by the time they had finished their Inch Step at this great length, but Cisco had executed every move fluidly with ease and could still deliver a heavy attack at his opponent.

    The ability to follow up with an attack seemed trivial, but it had encapsted the difference between the amateur and professional fighters. It was the finesse in the execution that had set the two groups apart.

    There was no time for Einherjar Wannabe to dodge the attack, so he blocked the punch with his arm but was sent flying at the impact.

    Cisco paused a second andmented over his opponent''s poor defense strategy. He then immediately followed with Inch Step and emerged in front of Einherjar Wannabe who was still trying to gather himself. Cisco didn''t give him any time to react, he kicked high at Einherjar Wannabe and set him flying again.

    Cisco suddenly sprung high up like a cannonball while his opponent''s body was still in the air. When he was vaulting over Einherjar Wannabe''s body, he delivered three kicks, and allnded squarely at Einherjar Wannabe.

 Chapter 117: Enticing Battle

    Chapter 117: Enticing Battle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Cisco''s move was the famous Flying-Death Consecutive Combo.

    It attacked the target at three different spots with full force at the least expected moment. Cisconded on his feet, looking graceful as ever.

    Cisco had the fight under his full control, leaving no room for Einherjar Wannabe to meddle with his n. People started to see the gap between the two fighters.

    Every single movement that Cisco had executed required years of training but Cisco had pulled them off perfectly.

    The arena turned quiet as the IPA yers started to take in what had just happened. However, in the training room at Capth, the audiences remained calm since they had all expected Cisco to win with ease.

    To Cisco''s ssmates, Einherjar Wannabe was simply a fighter in the virtual world, and most of them believed that Einherjar Wannabe''s rise to prominence was mainly due to his imitation of others tactics, such as the Tactics of the Racing Tiger.

    As Einherjar Wannabe''s body thudded heavily onto the ground, the IPA yer''s They didn''t have to wait long for their answers; the crowd became excited when they saw that Einherjar Wannabe was back on his feet. Einherjar Wannabe stretched his neck and felt rxed as if he had just had a massage session. "Time for some warm up," Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Cisco knew that he wouldn''t defeat Einherjar Wannabe in the first round of attacks because he didn''t use full force, but he was surprised nheless to see that his opponent stood up as if nothing had happened to him.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s body suddenly blurred and disappeared right in front of Cisco who was still pondering how his opponent hade out of his attack unharmed.

    Inch Step!

    ...Momentum Punch!

    Cisco did not have time to react; he blocked the punch with his arm out of instinct. The blow sent him stumbling back a few feet, and before Cisco had gathered himself, Einherjar Wannabe was already within his attack range.

    Cisco registered a sly smirk shing across his opponent''s face and realized right away Einherjar Wannabe''s next move: he was going to copy his Flying-Death Consecutive Combo.

    Wang Tong spun his body around and jabbed a fist at Cisco that sent him flying. While Cisco was still in the air, Wang Tongunched himself upward and delivered the three kicks.

    Unfortunately, Cisco had already seen through his n, and therefore he was able to block the first two kicks. All the while, Cisco gritted his teeth, trying to stomach the humiliation of his signature move being copied right in front of him.

    Wang Tong had quickly registered that the third kick would not be any more effective; therefore he quickly changed the direction of the kick. Wang Tong''s foot hooked onto Cisco''s shoulder and bore him down with his body weight.

    Cisco thudded heavily to the ground, while Einherjar Wannabended back on his feet, not any less graceful than his opponent had looked earlier.

    Cisco stood up with a solemn face; he started to be serious about this fight. He was not enraged by the taunt because he felt that there was no need to be angry at such aughable and childish imitation.

    Cisco flexed the muscle, and he stretched his long and elegant fingers. He had cut the fingernails to a precise length as manicure was an important part of keeping a perfect appearance.

    "Let me show you something that you won''t be able to copy."

    Wang Tong saw that the corner of Cisco''s lips lifted a little before Cisco started the Inch Step again. Cisco closed in onto Wang Tong in lightning speed, and in a blink of an eye, Cisco was already within his attack range, and then he punched at Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong''s knee jerk reaction was to counter the attack, but right away he noticed Cisco''s body seemed to have shifted sideways just slightly. It was the Butterfly Dash! Wang Tong knew that he had walked into a trap.

    The Butterfly Dash segued into the Inch Step at thest moment almost seamlessly. However, Einherjar Wannabe was able to react ordingly, thanks to the fact that the Inch Step had not moured him in the first ce.

    Right when everyone thought that Wang Tong was safe, Cisco''s movement changed again and traced the signature arc in the air and delivered the Campus Arc!

    Three techniques had beenbined seamlessly into one single move, and it was almost impossible for the opponent to react. Cisco''s feet traced an arc at the back of Einherjar Wannabe as everyone thought they were going to witness the defeat of Einherjar Wannabe. However, they watched as Einherjar Wannabe bowed at them andically dodged the attack. As Cisco''s feet whizzed on top of his head, he wrenched his right feet up and kicked heavily at the attacker. Cisco pulled himself back in a hurry but was caught off guard.

    Einherjar Wannabe raised himself slowly and didn''t pay any attention to the searing stare of his opponent.

    Cisco had never encountered such a difficult opponent. He felt there was something in his opponent''s moments that had hindered his performance, but he could not put the finger on it.

    In all the battles that he had partaken, hisbo was always effective, even against much stronger opponents. However, the same technique seemed to have little to no effect on this Einherjar Wannabe.

    "Is it possible that he had seen through my method from the beginning? That''s preposterous!" Cisco thought.

    Feeling hard-pressed to find an answer to his opponent''s real strength, Cisco conceded that Einherjar Wannabe was not as simple as he had thought.

    Cisco had reckoned that conventional moves would have little to no effect on Wang Tong even if he meshed them together, because as soon as thebination was broken down into individual pieces ¡ª a skill that Einherjar Wannabe possessed ¡ª thebination became predictable. This might be an effective move against other fighters, but not against Einherjar Wannabe.

    Wang Tong waspelled to learn and experiment different kinds of battle techniques. However, he needed proper opponents to experiment new techniques with. So far, Cisco had proven to be a great opponent in that aspect. Unlike fighting against IPA fighters, which Wang Tong would focus on honing his adaptive skills, this fight would be an excellent opportunity to test his techniques in a more realistic scenario.

    Without realizing so, Wang Tong had already formed his ownbat style. That was to use the Tactics of the de as the foundation and build upon it with other fighter''s techniques he had learned during fights.

    Wang Tong had realized that although he had the most powerful tactics at his disposal, it would be very dangerous to rely too heavily on just one tactic. Therefore, he needed to expand his arsenal and be more diverse in the techniques he deployed.

    Einherjar Wannabe initiated another round of attack. Cisco watched as his opponent''s Inch Step changed into the Butterfly Dash, and then he saw a fist flying at his face, and he acted out of instant and threw himself at his opponent.

 Chapter 118: Kunai

    Chapter 118: Kunai

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Halfway through his attack, Cisco also changed his technique to the Butterfly Dash. The two warriors had demonstrated the technique with also textbook executions. The twobatants constantly switched their body weight, trying to avoid any direct impact. Patience and skills had taken the center stage while raw power seemed to have been rendered irrelevant by the skillful maneuvers.

    Suddenly, Cisco was hit by an attack and stumbled back. Einherjar Wannabe took the opportunity and rushed in with a heavy punch. Cisco backhanded the attacker''s fist, and his defense seemed of little use at first nce.

    The impact sent sparks and a bright sh of light across the entire arena. Einherjar Wannabe stumbled back while Cisco also struggled for a few moments before he could regain his bnce.

    Wang Tong''s sudden change from the Butterfly Dash to the Phantom Move had caught his opponent off guard and gave him a window for a direct aggression. However, up until then, Cisco had hidden his real weapon: the kunai concealed in his hand. A kunai was a powerful weapon that could pierce through flesh during closebat. It was lethal and was extremely difficult to defend against. Einherjar Wannabe stumbled back because he needed to get out of harm''s way as soon as he saw the deadly glint of the kunai in Cisco''s hand.

    Silence fell in the crowded arena, and some in the audience widened their eyes in disbelief. Although this fight was not as shy and over the top like the one against Solitary Snow, the audience could still register the deadly weight and intent of every single strike of the twobatants. This was as close to a real fight as one could get in the PA system. Although this kind of fights was exclusively reserved for the TPA yers, IPA yers were as invested in real life techniques as any TPA fighter, and they dreamed that one day they would be able to partake in a fight like this.

    No one at Capth, including Stock, had thought that Einherjar Wannabe would be able to force their number 1 to use his secret weapon. Stock had hoped that Cisco would be able to get revenge for his defeat since his defeat was not only his personal loss, but it also brought shame to Capth.

    Stock had thought that Cisco''s victory would be easy, but after seeing that Cisco had been forced to deploy his secret weapon, he conceded that he had underestimated Einherjar Wannabe again.

    Wang Tong saw the shimmering reflection from the thin but sharp edge half hidden in Cisco''s palm. That was his secret weapon, the kunai. Many challengers at Capth had fallen before its lethal attack. However, Cisco had never dreamed that he would be forced to deploy his secret weapon against a no-ount.

    Wang Tong''s dodge was a close call. If he had been half secondte in his maneuvering, he would have been defeated. The kunai had also caught Wang Tong off guard as he had never expected Cisco to use such an unorthodox method that relied on elements of surprise rather than strength and skills.

    Meanwhile, at Bernabeu, many students were also watching this fight, including Cao Yi and Apache. Apache didn''t want to join the crowded video room, but thanks to Cao Yi''s ceaseless request, he had to agree to join him. Such as many things in his life, Cao Yo hardly gave up before achieving his goal.

    Although Apache initially didn''t want to watch the fight, after only a few minutes, he was more engrossed in the fight than anyone else. He had heard of Cisco, but unfortunately, he had never had a chance to fight him, even during the tournament between Capth and Bernabeu since Apache had been deemed too weak to be pitted against the Number 1 at Capth.

    Apache had figured that Cisco was more than just capable of mixing a few standard footwork techniques. He knew that thosebinations were more shy than they were useful when against a good fighter who was worth his salt.

    When Cisco attacked again, he started with the Inch Step and followed with the elusive Butterfly Dash, and then, he unleashed his final blow without any unnecessary, gaudy moves. His power replied only on speed, strength, and skills. His strike was true as the audience watched Einherjar Wannabe retreating under the aggressive attacks. However, Cisco''s real strength didn''t stop at the perfect executions of conventional techniques, as it was revealed by the deadly kunai hidden in his hand.

    The kunaibined with a solid foundation of martial arts had made Cisco''s attack unbreakable. The slightest physical contact with the kunai would result in fatal injuries, likely at the wrist.

    Therefore, evading the attackpletely was the only option for Einherjar Wannabe, but he still sustained a few injuries. Some might argue that the situation would be less dire should Einherjar Wannabe had equipped himself with a weapon, but the truth was that any weapon would do little to no good when he was pitted against the unblockable lethal attacks.

    Using weapons or not, the only option for Wang Tong was to retreat further and further.

    At that moment, Cisco had gained the full control of the fight and revealed his full strength as the number 1 at Capth. He had sworn to win the fight under the banner of Capth, and therefore, he would stick to his words and defend his honor with all he got.

    Cisco was fully engrossed in the fight, no other thoughts except for defeating his opponent could enter his mind.

    The well-nned body coordination and solid executions,bined with the belligerence of the attacks screamed his "Made in Capth" quality.

    Cisco fought with both strength and cunning, and he was able of blending the two elements seamlessly, which stunned the students at Bernabeu, especially Cao Yi and Apache, two of the strongest fighters. The two marveled at Cisco''s ability to mix and match entirely different fighting techniques together to achieve astonishing effects.

    Perhaps Apache might be able to counter Cisco''s attacks with his speed for a while, but he figured that he would notst too long. Cao Yi also calcted his odds against Cisco, but he felt hard pressed toe up with a solution to counter Cisco''s fighting strategy.

    The powerful punchbined with the sly Butterfly Dash had formed a deadly concoction of death, and it seemed like it did not have an antidote.

    Einherjar Wannabe had been forced into a corner. It was just a matter of time for this to happen. All things considered, Einherjar Wannabe had fared pretty well thanks to his precise footwork; otherwise, he would have been defeated not long after Cisco started using the kunai.

    Einherjar Wannabe finally had nowhere to go. On the big screen, people saw that Cisco''s soul readings jumped to 160. With this much sol reading, he could easily dominate the PAndscape in his age group.

    Cisco punched again, everyone knew that inside of the tightly clenched fist could be the deadly kunai, yet no one knew for sure. Unfortunately for Wang Tong, any misjudgment would result in instant defeat.

    And then the most amazing thing had happened in the arena, the killing strike intended at the trapped fish had missed its target.

    Einherjar Wannabe, the trapped fish, simply vanished.

    People heard a roar, and then they saw the Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Even after being caught off guard, Cisco reacted swiftly, and he thrust the kunai at his opponent. However, it was stopped midway.

    Einherjar Wannabe grabbed and stopped the sharp de while it was hurtling toward him. It was a risky move since he had only one tenth of a second to attack before the de would shred his fingers to pieces, and he struck with the Fist of the Racing Tiger just in time.

    Wang Tong''s fist carried a terrifying roar with it. The louder the roar, the deadlier the power! It was as if an ultimatum to whoever was on its way to either move away or perish.

 Chapter 119: For the Glory

    Chapter 119: For the Glory

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    The great thing about the Fist of the Racing tiger was not only its immense power but also the terrifying roars that could interfere the opponent''s train of thoughts, rendering them incapable of making a reasonable decision.

    However, that roar might have worked against an ordinary fighter, but it didn''t work on Cisco. Cisco had readied himself as he set his right arm in a defensive position and aimed his kunai at the other hand of Einherjar Wannabe.

    The glint of the metal shed in Cisco''s hand, and he had attacked first with a clear intention. He was definitely unaffected by the roar.

    Wang Tong slowed down and focused on the threat at hand. He realized that he had to deal with the deadly weapons first since being stricken by the kunai at point nk would definitely spell his defeat.

    Wang Tong pulled the old trick out as he reached out his fingers and mped the kunai tightly in between two fingers. This was the second time that Wang Tong had used the same technique. It was a humiliation to Cisco that was no less than being pped directly in the face.

    Cisco had the most nimble fingers at Capth if not the entire Confederation, yet, his Kunai was caught twice by his opponent with his bare hand.

    A glint of the sharp edge shed in front of the audience, and for a moment, that was all they could see as both Cisco and Wang Tong''s hands turned into a blurry image.

    People also heard the soft whirls resulting from the rapid movements of the arms yet not one could make out what their hands were up to.

    Wang Tong''s attack didn''t stop as he pushed the Fist of the Racing Tiger slowly but surely toward Cisco. Cisco conceded that if the Kunai failed to strike him down, he might have to take the deadly punch with its full intent.

    The Fist of the Racing Tiger pressed on, while the intensity of the fight had reached its peak. Bothbatants sol reading soared, and Cisco''s sol reading had reached 180, a terrifying number for an Academy student. It was such a high amount of soul power output that had fueled the lightning movements of his arms.

    Wang Tong suddenly rounded his eyes as the audiences heard a deafening re. The sudden force blew Cisco into the air.

    No one at Capth could believe their eyes, and to their dismay, they found Cisco''s kunai held firmly in Wang Tong''s grip.

    Einherjar Wannabe had done the impossible since taking the Kunai away from Cisco should have been even harder than defeating him.

    Cisco stared at his empty hand nkly, the injury he had sustained from the Fist of the Racing Tiger didn''t cut half as deep as the psychological trauma he had just suffered.

    His most proud attack had been countered.

    Cisco''s mind raced, and he forgot that he was still inbat. He did not understand how he had failed.

    "Kunai?" Cisco muttered to himself.

    The echoed of his voice in the silent hall made it sound more depressing than ever.

    No one could answer his question as to how he had lost his weapon since they both moved so fast that no one could follow their movement. Before this, everyone at Capth knew that it was impossible to take the kunai away from Cisco''s hand, even if one might be powerful enough to defeat Cisco.

    To Cisco, every movement of the kunai seemed to be bonded with his own heartbeat, and he would do anything to prevent anyone from breaking this bond.

    That being said, this bond was also very difficult to forge but extremely powerful once established. It would make the wielder almost invincible on the battlefield. Almost.

    Wang Tong''s hand was bleeding, and he had taken Cisco''s kunai away at the cost of six deep cuts. He wasn''t too happy about his performance, not only because he had to sustain the injury, but also because the situation required him to use more than 16 GN nodes. His opponents had moved too fast, and there was no other way.

    The kunai wasn''t fully in his grasp until he had used the full version of the Tactics of the de.

    As a matter of fact, he conceded that he was the loser of the fight.

    Wang Tong quietly set the kunai on the ground and signed off the PA system.

    Cisco gazed at the kunai on the ground motionlessly. It was so close, yet it felt so far away. His confidence and the glory of Capth had crumbled in front him, under the weight of the little sharp de.

    Even the ones that wanted to cheer for Einherjar Wannabe became silent, and they also moaned the brutal defeat of a genius.

    Wang Tong sat still and pondered what he would do if he had lost the Tactics of the de? And what would happen if he had to fight someone who yielded the same tactics as he did?

    A dead silence loomed inside of the meeting hall at Capth. The students had never feared a defeat since defeat was only a part of being a METAL fighter, but they could not bear the weight of the humiliation.

    Some people wondered, "Did Einherjar Wannabe possessed god-like power?"

    Everyone watching the match had felt a sense of imminent pressure. If they had been pleasantly surprised by Wang Tong''s power, by then the surprise had turned into a feeling of threat. Wang Tong had proven to them his god-like power-copying ability that allowed him to crush his opponents with their own signature moves.

    Only a god would be able to achieve the impossible, yet Wang Tong had done it.

    Students at Capth knew better not to disturb Cisco after such a tragic defeat. Cisco wouldn''t fall asleep on that night, as he struggled toe to terms with his defeat.

    Miao Xiu and Luv Ma both watched the match, and they also felt the presence of Einherjar Wannabe''s power weighing heavily on their mind. Miao Xiu had noticed that although Cisco''s regr attack and the defense still had room for improvement, his usage of the kunai should have helped him significantly topensate any minor imperfections of his techniques. He could not imagine a powerful fighter like Cisco meeting with such a tragic end.

    "Do you think you could do the same?" Luv Ma asked nervously.

    Miao Xiu shook his head and remained silent.

    "Does he really intend to win every fight by copying his opponent''s power?" Luv Ma asked, there was an uncertainty in his voice. The two had followed every fight of Einherjar Wannabe and considered themselves familiar with the mysterious fighters methods, but after this battle, Luv Ma started to doubt if he had really understood Einherjar Wannabe''s power.

    The clock struck 12 times heavily and ponderously as if every stroke hadnded on the heavy hearts of the audiences.

    Astonished by Einherjar Wannabe''s power copying ability, they no longer saw Einherjar Wannabe as a regr fighter, but rather an Einherjar.

 Chapter 120: Never Too Late to Train

    Chapter 120: Never Too Late to Train

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Einherjar Wannabe''s victory had turned the ordinary night into a night to remember. People not only discussed the techniques but also about how astonished they were by Wang Tong''s power.

    After the audiences had taken in what had just happened, they let out a wave of loud cheers,ced with the joys of the IPA yers. They had considered Einherjar Wannabe their representative in the arena and cheered for his decisive victory.

    The night didn''t wind down after the match was finished. Instead, more and more people joined in the discussion and celebration.

    Most of the enthusiasts were waiting patiently online for the release of the video analysis. They wanted to know what had defeated the number one fighter from the S-ss Academy, Capth.

    Unlike most IPA yers, the TPA yers had remained calm. This match had revealed a great deal to them, and they needed time to take in the god-like existence of Einherjar Wannabe.

    "Who is he? How did he do that? Is he really only 16?"

    "Einherjar¡­ Wannabe? Is he really an Einherjar?"

    "What is the meaning behind that stoic expression on Cisco''s face after his defeat?"

    No one could bring themselves to leave the arena without getting the answers to those questions.

    No one at Capth disturbed Cisco who had remained in the virtual terminal after the fight, sitting quietly without saying a word. He held his head with both hands, and there was no sign of any expression on his face as if he had zoned out.

    This defeat had been too much for him to bear, it had crushed his ambitionspletely.

    The video analysis had taken longer than usual to be released. Not only DREAM but also Luv Ma was busy working on his version of the video analysis. However, Luv Ma found it extremely difficult to break down thest moment of the fight as things had happened just way too fast.

    Everyone waited patiently; they knew that the longer the wait was, the more interesting the video analysis would be.

    Half an hourter, DREAM finally released their version of the analysis.

    The audiences were shocked once again after they were able to view thest movement of the fight in slow motion. They couldn''t help but marveled at the talent of Cisco, as they watched the impable control of his GN force. He was able to regte the output of the GN force to the finest degree, mainly thanks to his inborn talent, but also thanks to those well-kept, elegant and long fingers.

    The kunai danced in his hand like a deadly dark elf thirsted for blood. Despite Cisco''s unmatched ability, Einherjar Wannabe had proven to be even a better fighter. People found it incredulous that Einherjar Wannabe was able to gain the same degree of control over the kunai as his opponent while holding not by its handle but by its deadly tip. Numbers seemed pale while being used to measure the precise amount of force and the speed required to achieve such control.

    Cisco''s finger looked like five phantoms that danced around, each with its own GN force at its disposal.

    "How did he achieve this?"

    Everyone was deeply in awe of Cisco''s ability to use the kunai, for many in the audience, it was their first time seeing Cisco''s deadly secret weapon.

    Cisco''s used the kunai to maximize the damage output of his coup de grace. It was a very different fighting style than the Fist of the Racing Tiger that had given up using any weapon, but they were equally deadly. In a way, Cisco was a real genius because he had invented his own unique style ofbat.

    Unfortunately, a genius had fallen this night. The injuries he had sustained were minor, but the humiliation of having his kunai taken away was a wound that would never heal.

    Some IPA fighters who didn''t know Cisco well had foretold Cisco''s defeat, but after the fight, they realized that they were right in the wrong way since Cisco''s downfall was not because of his own weakness, but rather the god-like power of his opponent.

    As for Wang Tong''sst decisive move of snatching the kunai away from Cisco, it had be an unsolved riddle to every one since no one could tell what Einherjar Wannabe had done even ying the recording at the slowest speed. DREAM did attempt to slow the recording down even further, but it had caused their video editing software to crash.

    The crowd at Capth slowly dispersed after realizing that there was no more information to be gained from the video analysis.

    However, the heated debate on the inte had just begun. The more perplexing a subject was, the more attention it would likely attract, and the more mysterious Einherjar Wannabe had be, the more popr he grew.

    Cameron had reckoned that Einherjar Wannabe was the savior of the PA system that DREAM had been waiting for so long. Therefore he conceded that he had to coborate with this mysterious fighter as much as possible instead of trying to control him. He still struggled with Einherjar Wannabe''s intention of disy his power under the public''s view, although Cameron knew for sure that Einherjar Wannabe didn''t do it for money nor fame.

    "Boss, the number of IPA yers had increased more than in the TPA."

    Cameron had expected that much so he nodded to his co-worker. This could not have turned out to be better for DREAM. IPA yers were where the money was at for DREAM since TPA yers wouldn''t care to purchase virtual METAL suits ¡ª something they could earn in real life ¡ª with real world money. However, DREAM had failed to realize the difference between the IPA and the TPA yers and therefore many of their campaigns aiming at promoting the IPA league had failed.

    Thanks to Einherjar Wannabe, he had built a bridge between the worlds of IPA and the TPA yer by winning the hearts of the IPA yers.

    "But how did he do that?"

    Cameron pondered for a moment, and then he suddenly realized the answer. It was respect!

    As an old sage used to say: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." The IPA yers poured their support to Einherjar Wannabe because they felt the respect in the way Einherjar Wannabe had addressed them. It was such a subtle effect that perhaps even the most die-hard fan of Einherjar Wannabe didn''t realize the moment that they were deeply moved by the sense of respect and sincerity.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s ability to affect another yer might seem ordinary, but it was an ability that not many humans in this world possessed.

    "One should influence others with genuine sincerity, not with advertisements nor propaganda, and such is the way of being a human," Cameron thought to himself.

    Cameron''s moment of zen was quickly disturbed by the loud cheers of his coworkers.

    "Einherjar Wannabe, who the hell are you!?" Cameron screamed in his mind.

    Cameron knew that the fight with Cisco would not be thest one; as Einherjar Wannabe''s fame grew, he would attract more powerful fighters, even those who had been lurking in the PA system.

    Cameron knew that a storm wasing.

    Wang Tong was back in his dorm,ying on his bed and was not sure what to make of this fight. He wondered if he had done the right thing and if there were other ways to improve his skills other than the PA system.

    Wang Tong had then been experiencing his growing pains as he had to face choices and the consequences.

    "Hey, kiddo! kiddo! Hey, you little brat! I''m talking to you!" Mr. Wannabe emerged from the crystal as Wang Tong heard his signature husky voice.

    "I don''t want to talk!" Wang Tong turned around, facing the other way. He hated it how Mr. Wannabe always showed up at the worst possible moment.

    "Hey Kiddo, something is on your mind? Spit it out, you know you can count on me!" Mr. Wannabe said it curiously with a smile on his face, but it could not hide the patronizing tone in his voice.

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes at him; however, on second thought, Wang Tong decided to tell him what had happened since he figured that there was no harm of venting.

    "That''s it?" Mr. Wannabe asked incredulously.

    "Balls, don''t be rude! This is a serious issue! If I didn''t use the Tactics of the de identally, I might have lost the fight. "

    "Tell me then, is the Tactics of the de still yours?"

    "Of course it is!"

    "Then that''s it, what¡¯s the problem?"

    "The problem is, I joined the fight to learn new tactics and techniques, but I end up always relying on my own tactics."

    "Well, if you had realized that your hand speed is not as fast as your opponent, why don''t you focusing your training on the speed of your hand movements? A fight can not only teach you new techniques but also tell you where you still need to improve."

    Wang Tong paused for a second to let Mr. Wannabe''s words sink in. Right or wrong aside, he felt that Mr. Wannabe''s no-bullish attitude bore a striking resemnce to Old Fart.

    "You might have used the Tactics of the de without knowing it, but it was not an ident, it only meant that you had trained hard these days. I am not too familiar with your tactics, but I can tell you for sure that there is still a long way for you to go to improve and perfect your tactics, you are still a beginner."

    "Beginner? My recent opponents were all pretty strong!"

    "Strong? You call these kids strong? Kiddo, you should know your ce, everyone has their own destiny. Perhaps to some, the opponents that you had defeated were strong, but not for you. That being said, I do notice that you have improved quite a bit and even hit your limit in certain areas. You should be proud of it, instead of wasting your time on useless sentiments."

    "Balls, I don''t believe you, there is no way I can surpass Cisco in the movements of fingers. You can''t expect me to be a master at everything."

    Wang Tong figured that he was still young and he didn''t want to die out of exhaustion due to unrealistic training scheduled.

    Mr. Wannabe didn''t press on; instead, he waved an arm in the air and initiated a virtual reality projection to show Wang Tong''s his real ability. Stunned by what he saw, Wang Tong choked back his retort.

    "Kiddo, what I had just showed you were only the basics, and you are still quite a way from there. You will reach that state whenever you discover your own fighting and training style. Until then, you are still a rookie!"

    Wang Tong wanted to retort but found nothing, so he rolled his eyes at Mr. Wannabe. "Maybe you are right, on another note, how did you get out of the crystal? Miss me?"

    "Buzz off! I had no choice! I always got kicked out of that damn ce every time you are upset. F*ck, like I am your babysitter or what not!" Mr. Wannabe ranted.

    "Well, Mr. babysitter, your job is done, see youter."

    Mr. Wannabe raised his middle finger at Wang Tong and disappeared into the crystal. Wang Tong noticed that there was a sense of uncertainty on Mr. Wannabe''s face as he disappeared as if some change had taken ce inside the crystal. Whatever it was, Mr. Wannabe must have liked it for any change would be wee after getting stuffed in the crystal for so many years.

    After the talk with Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong felt much better about himself. He stretched his fingers and felt confident that he could improve his finger movements very quickly. He had never trained his fingers other than using them for space simtion, theck of practice had led to his subpar performance while fighting against Cisco. However, it was never toote to start intense training.

    As Wang Tong trained his fingers techniques with new found enthusiasm, the former genius at Capth had never felt more depressed and lost in his life.

    The most intriguing story presented by the real-world were usually tragedy of the losers.

 Chapter 121: The Supreme Reigner

    Chapter 121: The Supreme Reigner

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    A new day has begun. Wang Tong woke up early in the morning and went for a jog to warm up and awaken the cells in his body and brain. Then he kick-started his day by initializing his Tactics of the de, but it wasn¡¯t just about practicing the initialization, he was actually aiming to master the detailed utilization of the GN Force in his attacks. He knew that he had to master these details in order to unleash more powerful attacks in the future.

    It was obvious that Wang Tong loved challenges, he would be energetic and sometimes even turned impatient when he discovered a new task for him to ovee. He was the type of person that would enjoy the difficulties within a challenge.

    As soon as Wang Tong stepped a foot into the F-ss, his fellow ssmates began cheering and pping. No one expected that Ayrng would be able to defeat Bernabeu, this was indeed the biggest event in Ayrng throughout the years, everyone in the academy had been longing for such a merry celebration.

    All thanks to the big-mouthed Carl, now everyone in F-ss knew that Wang Tong was the real hero for winning two and a half rounds in the whole tournament.

    "Fes, from now onward, Wang Tong will be the leader of the F-ss, everyone agrees?" Carl yelled as he jumped on the table.

    "Agree!" The whole ss pounded their tables to show signs of agreeing.

    Aside from Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong, Wang Ben and Carl were the other two candidates from F-ss. Everyone expected Wang Tong would be selected because he was quite skilled in METAL Combats, yet no one expected him to be THAT strong. The strong ones were always the secretive ones; nevertheless, Wang Tong managed to make the F-ss proud with his outstanding performances.

    "Why are you acting all humble?" Ma Xiaoru joked.

    "I¡¯ve always been humble." Wang Tong shrugged.

    "Bullsh*t! You better tell me what¡¯s going on between you and Sam, did she assign you on some secret missions?" Ma Xiaoru asked.

    "Huh, what?"

    "Stop acting like a fool you jerk! I know you and Sam went somewhere else yesterday for the whole day, so don¡¯t tell me you were not with her yesterday!" Ma Xiaoru "interrogated" Wang Tong as she stared at him with her big, glittering eyes.

    Wang Tong wished he could tell the truth; however, he had decided to put his feelings to a pause as the "thing" between him and Samantha has ended. Furthermore, there were still a lot of things in his life that required his effort and attention; hence he decided to waste no time on this topic anymore.

    "Why don¡¯t you ask the principal? I¡¯m sure she knows better than I do." Wang Tong fudged.

    "Hmph, no need to ask her, without a doubt Sam was talking to you about Capth and also her ns about forming an alliance with Bernabeu."

    "Oh?"

    "I believe soon she¡¯ll ask for my assistance for the uing training venue, but I¡¯m not gonna tell you anything further!" Ma Xiaoru said in an impish tone, she had absolutely no idea that Wang Tong was actually on a date with Samantha yesterday.

    It might have been a pure and simple rtionship if Wang Tong chose Ma Xiaoru; however, he had chosen Samantha instead, which destined him to take on the tough road ahead.

    Ma Xiaoru was born in a pampered environment where she could have anything she desired, even her tactics were directly inherited from her family. She was living the life of a princess which she wasn¡¯t required to fight for her ambition since the FFC was already a top-notch financial corporation. However, Samantha was different, DREAM might be a bigpany, but it focused only on gaming businesses; moreover, Wang Tong was obsessed with her persistent staunch, he liked the way Samantha never gave up even though she was only a normal person who failed her mind opening attempt. He was able to see himself in her; however, this was also the reason why they weren¡¯t destined to be together.

    The teacher announced the news of Ayrng vanquishing Bernabeu excitedly during the ss, which boosted the confidence of Ayrng, and now, everyone began to trust Samantha and started to believe in her leadership to resurrect Ayrng from misery.

    During lunch, Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, Hu Yangxuan, and Wang Ben were seen having lunch together as always. Wang Ben had no ss early in the morning, so he was in charge of buying their meals.

    "Did you all know? Apparently, Capth got owned!" Hu Yangxuan said, since Capth was the mon enemy" of every other military academy, most of them were excited to see them humiliated, one man¡¯s poison would always be every other man¡¯s meat.

    "Yup, watched it!" Wang Ben nodded.

    Ma Xiaoru looked puzzled, "What happened?"

    "Cisco, the No.1 amongst Capth¡¯s second graders went to challenge Einherjar Wannabe in the TPA out of the blue, but he totally got owned, it was a dramatic tragedy indeed," Hu Yangxuan kept shaking his head as he spoke

    "Is that a joke?".

    "A joke? You tell her, Wang Ben!" Hu Yangxuan might have over exaggerated so Wang Ben¡¯s exnation would be more down to earth.

    "It was indeed an exciting match, I remembered Cisco once written a thesis about countering rigid and forceful attacks. In his thesis, he did specifically mention about countering the Fist of the Racing Tiger," Wang Ben continued to exin slowly as he chewed and swallowed the slice of beef in his mouth.

    "What an arrogant bad*ss..." Hu Yangxuan shrugged, no doubt the world was full of crazy people; however, Hu Yangxuan didn¡¯t say that Cisco was bullsh*tting because the guy did make a great discovery, and he was about to prove his theories in a real fight. But too bad, he was knocked out badly before he could prove his theories about countering the mighty Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    "I have to admit that he was quite good with his kunai; however, my Fist of the Racing Tiger shouldn¡¯t be underestimated!"

    On that moment, Wang Tong finally knew why Cisco was so interested in his version of the Fist of the Racing Tiger, too bad that dude was knocked out before he could go full force on him.

    "That Einherjar Wannabe dude was awesome, I heard that Cisco was nning to take part in next year¡¯s Royal Rumble; however, I doubt he will be able to take part in the tournament or even recover after such a terrible defeat," Hu Yangxuan said.

    "Royal what?" Wang Tong asked.

    The trio turned toward Wang Tong, looking stunned. "Good God, please don¡¯t tell us you¡¯re actually an alien in the form of an Earthling. It¡¯s unusual for someone strong like you not to know about this event."

    "... Is it something I should know?" Wang Tong looked confused.

    "The Royal Rumble is a quadrennial mega event, every academy will nominate five students to participate in this tournament. The aces and elites from academies of Earth, Moon, Mars, and Andromeda will be facing off against each other, and the final winner will be crowned as the Supreme Reigner!"

    Ma Xiaoru exined, "Normally it is seen as a tournament between S-Ranked academies because all they need to do is to send out the No.1¡¯s of each grade, while the other academies are only underdogs."

    "The Supreme Reigner of the previous Royal Rumble is Li Shimin, the Little Emperor, but he wasn¡¯t representing any academy since the tournament is also opened for unique personnel; in the end, he defeated Lie Kent in the finals and got crowned as the Supreme Reigner."

    "However, Patroclus, the strongest amongst the Four Princes didn¡¯t participatest time. Apparently, the wonder boy is not a fan of battles and brawls, the young Cardinal of the Church of the Deity also didn¡¯t show up."

    "With Cisco defeated, I believe his No.1 title would soon be taken by someone else due to the intense rivalry amongst students of Capth."

    "Perhaps, but I¡¯m sure he will be stronger if he could make a breakthrough himself."

    Nevertheless, the quartet was able to understand that it would be very difficult for someone like them to make a breakthrough and exceed himself.

    "Aren¡¯t you feeling excited, Wang Tong?" Hu Yangxuan asked in curiosity. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to take part in next year¡¯s Royal Rumble with that strength of yours!"

    Wang Tong paused and swallowed his food, then he asked, "Any prize money?"

    The question left Hu Yangxuan speechless, luckily he had gotten used to Wang Tong¡¯s attitude, or else he¡¯d definitely die of a stroke. He had no idea why the dude would mention about prize money when they were talking about such an honorable event.

    "Yes, ites with a schrship worth a hundred grand, but it is more like an essory to the title."

    "Wow, a hundred grand? Then I¡¯ll give it a shot if there¡¯s a chance!" Somehow the hundred grand reminded Wang Tong of his tough decision of rejecting DREAM¡¯s deal, but since there was another chance for him to earn some money, of course, he was eager to give it a try.

    "Guys, why don¡¯t we continue eating and ignore this fe here? I¡¯m sure he will finish our food if we keep on talking!" Hu Yangxuan got frustrated and began to work on his food.

    Wang Ben, on the other hand, stared thoughtfully at Wang Tong, no doubt he was impressed by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s performances yesterday, nevertheless, he began to suspect something as he looked at Wang Tong. For some reason, he shared a few simrities with Einherjar Wannabe; however, his actual strength was not as dominating as Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s. For example, the level of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s steps and pacing were definitely much higher than Wang Tong¡¯s.

    However, Wang Ben didn¡¯t know that Wang Tong was the kind of person that could make improvements every day.

    Wang Ben also had another reason to believe that Wang Tong wasn¡¯t Einherjar Wannabe because Wang Tong was broke and he was a well-known miser; if he really was Einherjar Wannabe, he would¡¯ve epted DREAM¡¯s offer to set up an official arena.

    Wang Ben shook his head and cleared his mind, he had to concentrate on his own training instead due to his previous defeat, he told himself not to think too much as to busybody was not what he supposed to do.

    Gansus¡¯ ss was scheduled in the afternoon, with the recent enlightenments of Ayrng, somehow the students began to ept Gansus¡¯ teaching method and his attitude; apparently, the Mr. Gansus that everyone hated previously now became the most popr teacher in Ayrng. Since then, his sses were filled with students as everyone began thinking of making some achievements. Previously, it would have been hard for someone to get serious because most of the students were sloppy, but now with everyone being all motivated, no one would dare to be sloppy since they might be left alone by the rest. This was what learning atmosphere should look like.

    S-Ranked academies were able to achieve amazing performances because they all had marvelous learning atmospheres which enable students to exert their own potentials.

    Gansus too was able to feel Samantha¡¯s capabilities throughout the series of happenings. Without a doubt, Gansus was a good teacher, yet there were also things that he couldn¡¯t do. However, the same students who used to dislike him and his sses really began to change after Samantha applied some of her methods, and it didn¡¯t even require him to change his teaching methods. Nevertheless, everyone was born with their own capabilities, like they said: a ragged colt may make a good horse.

    Gansus carried on with his gruff and straightforward lessons; however, he never wanted his students to be a bunch of docile littlembs! Gansus rmended Carl as one of Ayrng¡¯s candidate against Bernabeu not because he was talented, but because of his curiosity. He believed only those who were willing to question everything would be able to know the details of everything. If a person was too shy and docile, he or she would not be able to achieve anything.

    Carl remained active in Gansus¡¯ ss, which was somehow not a bad thing for the others because everyone would be able to learn the details thanks to his questions.

    After so many years of teaching, Gansus finally felt like he had made an awesome achievement.

    "Today we¡¯ll be focusing on learning about methrower Zergs, these creatures are thergest species amongst lower ranked Zergs, they might be slow, but they are able to emit me and shoot firebombs., They belong to the heavily-armed species of Zergs. In short, human¡¯s attacking methods are created to fight against Zergs, most of the time... Eliminating methrower Zergs are the tasks of the Heavily-Armed Troops; however, the Heavily-Armed Machinery are designed to move on t grounds, and their effectiveness will decrease during battles in higher terrains so there might be times that require METAL Fighters to deal with these creatures!" Gansus spoke as he pointed toward the hologram of a giant methrower Zerg.

    Currently, mankind¡¯s military strategies were mainlybining the agility of the METAL Fighters and the firepower of the Heavily-Armed Troops during ground advancements. Unlike Zergs, mankind would not only focus on using destructive weapons during battles because a would be worthless if it was totally destroyed. The main task of the METAL Fighters was to watch the backs of the Heavily-Armed Troops when they were required to fight against the heavily-armed Zergs because the troops would need to give up their mobility and nimbleness when they were required to open fire.

    The Power Armor became obsolete because its firepower was not as strong as the Heavily-Armed Troops, and it wasn¡¯t as agile as METAL Suits; moreover, their effectiveness had decreased as the Zergs¡¯ exoskeletons had evolved. Hence the current best option of mankind was tobine METAL Fighters with Heavily-Armed Troops since the firepower of the Heavy Armors were modified to prate the exoskeletons of the Zergs.

    Wang Tong was paying full attention to Gansus¡¯ lessons. Somehow, he felt that Norton was like the backyard of the Zergs with tons of their species of them roaming around, some species were not even mentioned in the guidebook. During his days on Norton, the Zergs didn¡¯t seem to send out loads of heavily-armed Zergs to deal with him, which also proved that Zergs were quite intelligent for not wasting resources on weaker opponents. Nevertheless, Wang Tong was still pleased to see that mankind was able to eradicate the Zergs on Norton within a year. When he was surviving on Norton, he always felt that the efficiency of the Confederation was poor. However, after he came back to Earth and started taking lessons in Ayrng, as he recalled the species of Zergs he met in Norton, Wang Tong was then impressed by the troops from the Earth Confederation for spending only one year to get to him. He might only have to deal with one or two Zergs at a time, but soldiers would have to face against tens of thousands of them at the same time, not to mention that the evolution speed of the Zergs had be faster in recent years.

    "First, let¡¯s talk about the size of the methrower Zergs, these ugly-a** creatures weigh around ten to fifteen tons, their whole body is covered in a tough exoskeleton, and their abdomens are weaker, but this part would be pressed on the ground most of the time in order for them to move. They are capable of emitting mes and shooting firebombs from their mouth-part. A methrower Zerg¡¯s body itself is like a torch gun, but unlike normal fire, the me is hard to put out if yer body makes contact with it. Furthermore, if you¡¯re unlucky to be covered in me from top to toe, the best way for ya to end the pain is to kill yourself, even if you¡¯re equipped with a METAL Suit, ya will still be burned to death." Gansus wasn¡¯t trying to freak out his students, it wasn¡¯t ordinary me which one could easily put out by rolling on the ground, and since it was impossible for one to carry a fire extinguisher to go to war, the only countermeasure was to stay alert and be careful.

    "Generally speaking, most methrower Zergs will not shoot out firebombs, the maximum length of their me is about fifteen meters, but please note that this number is only for reference as there are always exceptions. Regardless of the species, there is always an Alpha Zerg in a troop of Zergs, the Alpha Zerg from the methrower Zergs is the one that can shoot out firebombs; during battles, this is the one that we have to eliminate first at all cost!"

    The uniqueness of the methrower Zergs was their ability to deal damages in a wide range, they were born to counter the heavy firepower from mankind. Even the high-temperature-resistant Heavy Armors were not able to withstand a methrower Zergs¡¯ me for a long period of time. Of course, mankind had been trying their best to enhance the high-temperature-resistant limit of the steel, but the mes of the methrower Zergs were also getting stronger at the same time. Mankind was still troubled by this sort of me because its melting ability could not be exined by the conventional study of physics. Mankind¡¯s scientists had been trying their best to forge new materials; however, Zergs were also evolving as mankind¡¯s technology improved, it was indeed a race against time.

    "Sir, how are we supposed to fight them since they¡¯re so heavy? We can¡¯t flip them over and kill them, can we?"

    "I¡¯m d ya asked this stupid question! Yes, a methrower Zerg can weigh over fifteen tons, so it¡¯s impossible for us to flip it over. Now, pay attention to how it moves, every time it moves, wrinkles will form around its exoskeleton, although these wrinkles also have high defenses, yet it is only one fifth of the toughness of its exoskeleton, this is the chance for METAL Fighters to attack! Do not attack its head because you won¡¯t be able to disable it. Look at this part around its neck instead, the thirteenth joint, this is where the methrower Zergs emits its me, a good stab with yer sword to this part will do the job."

    "But Sir, Zergs will also be very alert since that¡¯s its weakness, and we have no time to count during battle!"

    "Yea, we will get killed first before we could identify the thirteenth joint."

    Gansus looked across the room, "I didn¡¯t ask y¡¯all to count! You¡¯ll need to learn how to cut somebody quickly if ya wanna survive, from now onwards, y¡¯all need to make sure ya can identify the sweet spot of the methrower Zergs, if ya can¡¯t, then go to hell!"

    "Sir, so its all depend on one¡¯s experience?"

    "Use your brain and stop asking nonsense questions will ya?" Gansus scolded and continued, "The simplest method which even idiots know is to learn by watching videos of the methrower Zergs ten times a day, and after one month, I bet¡¯cha will be able to identify their weaknesses right away even if a whole family of methrower Zergses and get¡¯cha!"

    Gansus¡¯ method was best for most ordinary people; however, talented ones like Wang Tong would be able to memorize after a few nce; nevertheless, most of the soldiers in the military were not gifted so they would need to look at it over and over again in order to remember.

    "Pay attention to its data, including its traveling speed. Y¡¯all need to memorize every bit of information I¡¯ve said about Zergs like how ya remember yer name, even if ya forget yer name, never forget everything I¡¯ve said, IS THAT CLEAR?"

    "Yes, Sir!" everyone in the ss yelled at once.

    Gansus wanted everyone to stay focus, which was why he spoke aloud and even required his students to reply loudly. Obviously, there was a huge difference between staying focus throughout the lesson and skiving in the middle of a ss, Gansus never expected his students to do revisions after ss because nowadays students would rather spend more time to practice their tactics. Moreover, the few interested and outstanding ones would not need revisions after ss. However, as a teacher, he knew it wasn¡¯t right to only focus on a few students, and he would remain strict in order to raise his students¡¯ chances of survival in the future.

    Gansus never asked for honor or anything in return, he was only a humble teacher who would do whatever was right to do.

    Wang Tong returned to his room after ss. As he was lying down and about to rest, Zhou Sisi came knocking on his door with a weird expression on her face.

    "Come in, it¡¯s strange for you to act so politely."

    "I don¡¯t ACT polite, you jerk. This is for you!" She flung a letter onto Wang Tong¡¯s bed.

    "Didn¡¯t I just send one earlier this morning? Why, is there another one?" Wang Tongughed as he sat up, "Gosh, our dear Mr. Hu sure IS the favorite amongstdies, I¡¯m deeply impressed."

    "Who says it¡¯s for Hu Yangxuan? This is for YOU!" Zhou Sisi looked frustrated.

 Chapter 122: The Win-Win Solution

    Chapter 122: The Win-Win Solution

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    "For Me?" Wang Tong pointed at himself, "You must be joking."

    "I¡¯m not joking. The girl handed me this letter herself earlier today! Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ve be the big shot of Ayrng recently?"

    "A-hem, really? Why don¡¯t I feel anything?"

    "Haven¡¯t you noticed that the gazes behind your back have increased recently?" Zhou Sisi said as she casually poured herself a ss of water¡­ with Wang Tong¡¯s mug.

    "Yea sorta, but I thought they were admiring Hu Yangxuan, haha."

    Zhou Sisi rolled her eyes toward Wang Tong, she couldn¡¯t believe he was that simple minded, "Hu Yangxuan might be famous, but you¡¯ve underestimated yourself too much. You¡¯ve definitely be the celebrity of Ayrng after your amazing victory against Bernabeu, and you¡¯re now as famous as Wang Ben!"

    "Wow, really? Haha, turns out being famous isn¡¯t as special as I thought." Wang Tongughed.

    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re humble. So, are you interested in knowing this girl? She¡¯s quite a beauty if you ask me," Zhou Sisi asked. Even though she was bothered by it, she acted like she didn¡¯t care.

    Wang Tong smiled and shook his head. He would be worse than Hu Yangxuan if he was a mboyant yboy. Hu Yangxuan might be popr around girls, but he had never done anything bad to the girls; moreover, there were still a lot of things that required their efforts and attentions.

    "Haha, okay. C¡¯mon, I still need you to help me with my Cloning Technique, someday I¡¯ll definitely surpass you!"

    "Sure, but before that, why don¡¯t youe and give your mentor a good backrub? I¡¯m exhausted recently." Wang Tong groaned purposely.

    "Sure."

    "Geez, take it easy, I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m not that old yet." Wang Tong stopped Zhou Sisi.

    Zhou Sisi seemed to have known that Wang Tong would react like that. Then she grabbed his hands and walked toward the training room; she enjoyed being around Wang Tong, somehow she wasn¡¯t tired at all when she was training with Wang Tong. She was also impressed by Wang Tong¡¯s seriousness during training, she noticed that Wang Tong could really clear his mind when he was required to focus, and Zhou Sisi was eager to learn how he was doing that.

    Due to her weaker Soul Energy and other personal factors, it was impossible for Zhou Sisi¡¯s Cloning Technique to be as good as Wang Tong¡¯s in a short period of time; nevertheless, she continued to practice more by focusing her training on the synchronization of her hands. Since she was not as gifted as Wang Tong, she had to practice over and over again until it became an instinctive pattern, only then would she be able to exert her best performances during real battles.

    After the mentoring session with Zhou Sisi, Wang Tong focused back to the training of his own hands. If he could master the control of his GN Force with his hand to a subtle perfection, it would not only aid him during fights, but it would also be useful during Battlecraft Combat.

    Wang Tong began to think about the control of strength and speed while he was doing his training. Generally, the speed would improve when the strength was enhanced; however, it was aw with limitations. In fact, if one used too much strength in the movements of the fingers, it would actually slow down the speed and even hindered the frequency due to the small operating space. If someone was able to enhance both speed and strength at the same time during real battles, it would be intimidating.

    One would require a delicate control of GN Force in order to utilize it into the controlling maneuvers; given by the fact that the operating speed wouldn¡¯t increase by pushing harder onto the buttons of the controlling panel, it was all about the right quantity of GN Force.

    Wang Tong felt that he had made a great discovery on controlling maneuvers. So he tested out his theory by using one of buttons from his shirt as a dummy. Wang Tong expected that he would seed without breaking a sweat, but it turned out that it was difficult to achieve. However, Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t give up easily when he was facing a difficult task, and in the end, he spent an hour proving his theory with the button from his shirt.

    "Wh¡­ What are you doing?" Zhou Sisi stared at Wang Tong, looking puzzled.

    Wang Tong smiled, "Practicing the sensitivity of my GN Force, why don¡¯t you give it a try? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be able to help you in various situations."

    "Did you get the idea after watching yesterday¡¯s match?"

    "Haha, so you watched too huh. I was enlightened by Cisco, it won¡¯t be necessary for me to reach that level of power, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to get some benefits from practicing," Wang Tong said as he was focusing on the button.

    Wang Tong was already a very strong fighter, but he was never arrogant; instead, he was filled with the enthusiasm for learning, which was also the reason behind Zhou Sisi¡¯s admiration to this young man. Most people would be attracted to popr elites like Hu Yangxuan and Wang Ben, yet not everyone preferred this type of geniuses. Zhou Sisi inherited the traditional aesthetic of the Oriental; hence she still preferred guys with implicit strengths. She felt motivated and enriched whenever she had Wang Tong by her side.

    However, Zhou Sisi decided to withdraw her praise as she looked at her embarrassing "cheapskate" mentor, immediately she covered her mouth and tried her best not tough.

    "Hey, what¡¯s wrong?" Wang Tong stopped ying with the button and asked.

    "Where did you get that button?"

    Wang Tong was startled, he knew a while ago he subconsciously nudged the button from a piece of fabric he was wearing, but as he looked down, he realized he was actually wearing a T-shirt, and the button he removed was actually from his shorts.

    Good God, another wardrobe malfunction.

    Wang Tong¡¯s temperature skyrocketed, and his face immediately blushed, "A-hem, turn around, no peeping!"

    Then he quickly fixed his pants and gathered himself, he was too focused back then which caused the awkward scene, thank god, the people around them were also busy with their tasks, or else the newly arisen celebrity of Ayrng would be even more "popr".

    "How¡¯s your practice?" Wang Tong immediately changed the subject to divert her attention to his embarrassing moment.

    "Nothing much for today, but I¡¯ll keep up the effort, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to master it soon!" Zhou Sisi grabbed her cute little fist and said with high morale. She was d to be able to take part in the tournament against Bernabeu because she managed to identify her weaknesses and her gap with the others. After witnessing the high-level maneuvers of her opponent, Zhou Sisi had found her goal to pursue.

    "I think you should also improve your perspective and operating skills. Oppressive controlling maneuvers might have greater lethality, but it is too depending on luck," Zhou Sisi said after having a few thoughts, she felt she had to give him a heads up since they were buddies.

    "You¡¯re right, actually I¡¯ve noticed that too after the battle against Best; however, it is not easy to learn by depending on our talents. Moreover, the academy also can¡¯t provide any further help, and the improvements will be limited even if we practiced against each other." Wang Tong shook his hands helplessly. After his exciting victory against Best, he learned that there were still a lot of things that he didn¡¯t know even though he was improving from time to time. Wang Tong knew he couldn¡¯t have won if his opponent didn¡¯t underestimate him back then because Best had tons of tricks up his sleeve to torture Wang Tong. Furthermore, it was wrong for one to neglect operating skills and only focus on controlling maneuvers, this was prohibited in real battles because it was actually thest resort during emergencies and critical situations. Yet both of them knew how bad Ayrng was in this matter, even though Samantha had brought in state of the art hardware into the academy, yet she still needed more time to rectify the teaching staff of Ayrng. S-Ranked academies and even top-notch academies like Bernabeu had umted special training methods all over the years in order to create well-directed training for outstanding students. Best was strong because he was specially trained by a coach who was an expert on that particr subject. If one could be a maestro by only depending on talent, academies would be closing down one by one.

    Sometimes, a particr set of skills would require one to practice over and over again, learning from mistakes and failures.

    Other academies, especially S-Ranked academies, had quite the amount of high-level teams specialized in their respective subjects, but Ayrng had nothing at all. Wang Tong might be able to learn a few general stuff from the academy¡¯s archive; however, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn much about strategies and things regarding system programming due to theck of certain aspects.

    "What about forming a study group?" Zhou Sisi said out of a sudden.

    "Sounds great, I¡¯ll talk to Xiaoru about your idea, I¡¯m sure the rest would be interested too." Wang Tong pped.

    Of course, it would be awesome if everyone was interested in training together, it would be much more effective than training alone.

    "Wang Tong, do you fancy Ma Xiaoru?" Zhou Sisi asked suddenly as she turned toward Wang Tong with her big, shimmering eyes.

    Wang Tong shrugged, he wouldn¡¯t have known how to answer if she had asked this question when they were getting to know each other, but now, he knew how to answer: "It would be normal for me to like Ma Xiaoru since I¡¯m a normal guy and she is an excellent person, but we are more like friends, at least for the time being."

    Zhou Sisi was relieved even though it wasn¡¯t the perfect answer she had wished to hear, at least Wang Tong was not hasty like the other guys, or else she would be saddened and probably fell into despair. Somehow Wang Tong was the only person who was able to resist the charm of Ma Xiaoru.

    Even Zhou Sisi couldn¡¯t find a reason why anyone wouldn¡¯t fancy Ma Xiaoru, and it would be childish for her to be jealous of an amazing girl like Ma Xiaoru. If Wang Tong really fancied Ma Xiaoru, she would have no choice but to wish him all the best. However, it seemed like Wang Tong¡¯s feelings for Ma Xiaoru was more like admiration instead of obsession.

    Zhou Sisi rejoiced as she thought about that.

    "Okay, so you¡¯ll be in charge of telling Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan about this, and I¡¯ll try to gather up the others who might be interested. I¡¯m sure we will be able to improve if we give our best effort!"

    "Yup and don¡¯t forget to ask the rest of ourrades who took part in the crusade against Bernabeu."

    "Of course, I will!"

    Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi began to work on their idea. Meanwhile, Samantha was also busying with the problem that Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi had been worrying about, she was on the same track with the two of them, but of course, her ns were even bigger than Wang Tong¡¯s.

    Indeed Wang Tong¡¯s method might be able to uplift the enthusiasm of his fellow students through learning from each other; however, there would be a limit of what they were able to do by themselves. In order to create a breakthrough, the academy had to recruit a training team with greater expertise.

    Aside from enhancing the overall standard of fellow students, Samantha would also need aces and elites in order to restore Ayrng to its former glory, the more, the merrier as Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben were not enough to do the trick. Especially Ma Xiaoru, Samantha knew this girl too well for being a peace lover, which meant she was destined not to be the leader of the team, the others too werecking a certain aspect of bing a leader.

    No doubt Wang Ben was strong, but it would be hard for him to shake the ground of the S-Ranked academies, even Martyrus knew about this. In general, Samantha didn¡¯t think Ayrng was fully prepared to take on the colossal Academy of Capth just because they had managed to defeat Bernabeu.

    Instead, Samantha was able to see the difference in strength between Ayrng and the other academies through this tournament. Hence she needed a better n, and since it wouldn¡¯t be as effective if she did it on her own, she made up her mind to form an alliance with Bernabeu, creating a win-win solution for both parties.

 Chapter 123: United We Stand

    Chapter 123: United We Stand

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Samantha saw Martyrus as her role model for his effort and willpower to transform a B-Ranked academy into the famous and strong Bernabeu of today. Martyrus greatest advantage was his ability to discover the potentials among students, which even Samantha had to admit being inferior in this field.

    "I¡¯m impressed, I didn¡¯t expect you would do this," Martyrus said as he skimmed through the proposal of Samantha¡¯s alliance n, which he had no reason to turn down.

    "Principal Martyrus, I graduated from Capth too, and I know how dangerous they are, which is why we cannot depend on luck at all. My idea is that each of us selects twenty students and have all of them train together, then we select the best ten students to challenge Capth, regardless of Bernabeu or Ayrng. No matter if we win or if we lose in the end, I believe both our academies will be able to learn something new from the coboration!"

    Martyrus sighed as he was convinced by Samantha, "If only I had given up my desire for fame and fortune at the very beginning, maybe Bernabeu might have been even stronger. Okay, let¡¯s do it your way; however, the usual training will be ineffective for these geniuses; for instance, previously I sent Apache to receive his training at the Spatial Anti-Smuggling Bureau, but now it¡¯s impossible to send everyone there to be trained. Also, there¡¯s another problem, students might be able to increase their experiences in real battles, but theck of systematic guidances and advice will hold them back on learning to the utmost extent."

    "No worries Principal Martyrus, I¡¯ve already found a solution for that. Right now, all we need is a good venue, if everything goes smoothly, we might be able to use the experimental base of the FFC."

    "...You mean FFC¡¯s Paradise Ind?"

    "Indeed, since the ind hasprehensive equipment and a realistic environment, it will be the best training field for the candidates." Samantha nodded.

    "Very well, if you can sessfully obtain Paradise Ind as the training base, I¡¯ll lead a team by myself and provide you our full support. I¡¯ll leave you to gather the team of trainers and instructors and feel free to pick anyone from Bernabeu!" Martyrus said as he pounded the table. For the first time, he saw a ray of hope to win against an S-Ranked academy.

    He was tired of getting bullied by S-Ranked academies throughout the years even though they managed to learn a lot from each defeat, but no one liked to be bullied every time, so of course, he would seize every single chance of vanquishing S-ranked academies.

    "I¡¯m d you will be leading the team yourself, Principal Martyrus!" Samantha nodded and continued, "If we could provide well-directed training courses, I¡¯m sure the students will be able to create a miracle!"

    "To be honest, it was actually Wang Tong that got me interested in your proposal. If he isn¡¯t included, the possibility of winning against Capth will be less than 10% even if webined our forces. Wang Ben, Apache, and the others might look like the aces in our team, but their levels are only normal and not even outstanding ifpared to the No.1¡¯s of Capth."

    "You seemed to be quite interested in Wang Tong, he was only lucky for his victory against Apache."

    Martyrus shook his head, "There¡¯s no such thing as coincidence, I¡¯ve always been proud of my judgment, yet I still made a mistake by misjudging Wang Tong before the tournament. Trust me, our dream of defeating Capth will definitelye true if we can unlock all of his potentials!"

    "I have to tell you, Principal Martyrus, this kid is a menace, and you¡¯ll see what I mean when you get to meet him in person. Wang Tong always do things his way, and I simply can¡¯t do anything to fix him, sometimes it even gives me a lot of troubles to talk sense into him."

    Martyrus smiled, "Yet you managed to shape him well, didn¡¯t you? At least he obeys your orders, and he has given his best performances during the tournament against us. I¡¯m sure Bernabeu would have won if it wasn¡¯t because of Wang Tong¡¯s great effort."

    Samantha forced a smile as she heard what Martyrus said, of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell him that she traded her first date with this punk for the victory against Bernabeu. Somehow Samantha¡¯s heart pounded faster when she thought about Wang Tong. She was pleased to see Wang Tong moving on from theirplicated rtionship, yet she was a bit frustrated, for some reason she felt like her charm was too little as she saw Wang Tong got over that quickly. Nevertheless, it was normal for people to have a little contradictions from time to time.

    "Leave it to me, this kid is destined to be someone unique!" Clearly, Martyrus had a deep interest in Wang Tong, he was always proud of his ability to discover talents, now that he had unearthed a piece of a hidden gem, he was all fired up. In fact, Martyrus would agree to cob with Samantha no matter what was the deal, as long as there was a chance for him to train Wang Tong.

    The two principals finally came to an agreement, Martyrus would be preparing the ns for certain special training, while Samantha would be in charge of contacting the personnel of Paradise Ind. Most importantly, they could not relypletely on Bernabeu; it would be impossible for Bernabeu to send out most of their teachers to take part in this special training. Both students and teachers were important in this coboration training because they would be facing the challenges from Capth very soon, and since Samantha was also a former student of Capth, she knew how strong their opponents would be. Hence only the best elites amongst students and teachers were fit to be recruited in this training. It would depend on Samantha¡¯s interpersonal rtionships in order to hire the best trainers and instructors for their training program because she understood the fact that it would require an excellent cksmith to forge a piece of good metal into a razor sharp de!

    Samantha already had a list of qualified candidates; however, they were all problematic characters; nevertheless, Samantha loved doing things the unusual way, given by the fact that she was going to vanquish the academy she graduated from! In fact, she was already all excited by just imagining the process!

    On the other hand, Wang Tong¡¯s n of forming a study group was well received from the others. Since they were all training on their own after school, it would be better if they were to do it together.

    Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan would emphasize on METAL Combat training. Meanwhile, even though Ma Xiaoru was the sessor of the Tactics of the Enchantress, the chances of her bing a METAL Fighter would be small judging from her current situation. However, with Wang Tong¡¯s study group, she would be able to enhance her Battlecraftbat skills while practicing her Tactics of the Enchantress; moreover, with the help from her tactics, her training would have great improvements.

    Carl, Kyaero, Tita, and the rest were showing great enthusiasm too, actually, some times ago they had been thinking about gathering everyone for a group training, but they were unable to do so due to their weak appeal.

    "Let¡¯s appoint a team captain, shall we? It¡¯ll be easier for the captain to gather everyone in the future," Carl said, he was the most excited one and also the weakest one in the group. Everyone in the group had their own expertise, except him.

    Everyone looked at each other, wondering who shall be the captain.

    "I nominate Wang Tong!" Zhou Sisi broke the silence. Clearly, Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan were the ones qualified of bing the captain since the others were weakerpared to the quartet.

    "I second Zhou Sisi¡¯s nomination!" Of course, Carl would agree since he was also a student of F-ss.

    "Me too!" Tita and the rest seemed to have a good impression on Wang Tong because he was the only one that cared about them when they failed, which was why they thought that he was qualified to be the captain because he wasn¡¯t someone who would only care about himself.

    "Agree," Rumi said in a soft voice, she was still timid as always.

    "I¡¯m okay with anything," Hu Yangxuan said with a smile, and Wang Ben nodded as well. Ma Xiaoru too agreed with a smile on her face.

    Wang Tong was immediately appointed as their group captain since everyone agreed, it was very sudden, but thankfully, he was okay with their decisions, he had no issues of bing their captain since he already had enough experiences of being the caretaker of the girls¡¯ dormitory.

    "I have another good news for all of you. Apparently, the principal is preparing a special training program, and I believe every one of us will be taking part in the training," Ma Xiaoru said.

    "Is this about the challenge against Capth?"

    "Yes."

    "Capth, here wee!" Carl yelled. No doubt he was full of enthusiasm, but no one cheered with him. Many had tried to challenge Capth, yet no one had ever seeded.

    "Let¡¯s focus back on the purpose of this group. This is not a y group, so we have to be serious about the things we do. My suggestion is that each of us will make preparations for a subject. It could be anything like your subject reports, or even techniques in METAL Combats as long as it is something unique. It doesn¡¯t matter if it isn¡¯t aplete preparation because we will be discussing together, instead of hanging around together every day, I think this works better since we all majored in different subjects so spending too much time together will not make a lot of differences," Ma Xiaoru exined, and she was right; there was no way that Rumi would be joining Wang Tong and Wang Ben inbat training since her expertise was Intel Programming Battles, and it would be a waste of time for her to attend their training. However, if they gathered once every week to share what they had prepared, basically, they would be able to cover every subject, and even though they majored in different subjects, they would be able to learn all sorts of knowledge through group discussions, which will be beneficial for them in the future anyway.

    "Sounds good, I¡¯m in!"

    "Agree!"

    ¡­

    Suddenly Rumi raised her arm, "Aren¡¯t we supposed to think of a name for our group?"

    "Name? Nice idea Rumi!" Carl stroked his chin and continued, "Earth, Wind, Fire, and Geniuses?"

    All of the guys showed him their fingers when they heard that name.

    "Band of Brothers?"

    "No way! What about us?" the girls rejected together.

    "I was thinking, since Ayrng¡¯s dream is to be an S-Ranked academy, and our target is to vanquish Capth, why don¡¯t we use the letter ¡®S¡¯ as the name of our group?" Zhou Sisi was inspired all of a sudden.

    S? Not bad, somehow it felt like S-rank which was known as the code for the highest level, everyone loved how it sounded like.

    "We can even use it as the initial of our group besides using it as the name!"

    "Awesome, awesome!" Everyone agreed, and the study group named "S" was finally established.

    Study groups like this were quite popr in most of the academies, normally a group would be established after someone mentioned the idea randomly during conversations; however, groups like this would disband in no time since no one in the group would do or contribute anything.

    Nevertheless, there was always an exception.

    Everyone seemed to have a sense of belonging when the study group "S" was officially established. Wang Tong was selected as the group captain while Ma Xiaoru was elected as their vice captain since she had the biggest influence amongst the rest and her actual strength was beyond doubt. Zhou Sisi was appointed as the secretary, she was the person who contacted everyone else and also in charge of various matters. And with that, "S" was born! Soon in the distant future, this would be the predecessor of a powerful organization which was capable of influencing mankind during post de-edge Era.

    Soon as the meeting was dismissed, everyone went on to make sharing preparations for their own subject, this would be the best chance for them to prove their own capabilities, not to mention it was also the best opportunity of exchanging knowledge and ideas.

    Wang Tong wanted to prepare his contribution regarding the delicate utilization of the GN Force, even though it wasn¡¯t about how to generate extraordinary battle strength like Cisco. Somehow he felt that it would be necessary for fighters and Battlecraft pilots to practice the delicate control of GN Force. Nevertheless, he would still need to think about it thoroughly since he had to break down the subject into various topics.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was preparing her contribution about the development of METAL Fighter¡¯s equipment. She believed that there was still room for improvements in the battle strength of METAL Fighters even though thebination of METAL Fighters and Heavy-Armed Troops was widely epted by most of the world; furthermore, she also thought that the technology of mankind should be further demonstrated in the progress of development!

    Wang Ben would be sharing about the functionality of stamina during battles¡­

    Some of them chose to share the subject that they strongly believe was important, while some would be sharing their new thoughts and ideas. They might be naive and unrealistic, yet somehow, every single development of mankind was originated from various unpractical fantasies.

 Chapter 124: IPA

    Chapter 124: IPA

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Mankind might not be able to outrace the Zergs in terms of the speed of their evolution, yet from Moon expeditions to the recent voyages across the gxies, mankind had proven to be the ones having the greatest imagination throughout the universe.

    General Li Feng once said that the power of the imagination is what drives the development, and no man should stop imagining because there would be a day for that dream toe true.

    Carl was a unique existence amongst the group, given by the fact that he was the least talented one, even he, himself, had no idea why he was chosen in the first ce. However, he wasn¡¯t a low self-esteem person that would be discouraged easily; instead, he always had plenty of fight in him, and he would be preparing a rather eye-catching topic: The School of the Carl-nism.

    No one knew what that was, but it had to be something big since he had used his own name as the title. Carl began to prepare his thesis report in high spirit.

    Gansus was impressed by Carl because of his unbound imagination. The boy might be goofing around from time to time, creating hundreds of jokes, but if one of them came true, it would be powerful enough to change the world. Of course, Carl might not be the one who would reshape the world, but with that personality and attitude of his, someday people would definitely be amazed by his achievements.

    Gansus believed that he would rather spot the wrong person than miss one of them with potential; it was okay for one to take it slow in learning skills and talents, as long as his morale remained high.

    The academic atmosphere in Ayrng was getting better, which was actually what a high-ranked academy was supposed to look like.

    Even teachers had begun to notice that the students were more eager to learn, especially amongst first graders. The victory against Bernabeu had uplifted their will of self-improvement, they had even sworn not to disgrace the name of Ayrng.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t need Ma Xiaoru¡¯s one-to-one tuition anymore, if there was anything unclear, he would ask in the middle of the ss. Most importantly, he had mastered the basics, and to him it was more than enough because he didn¡¯t intend to be an all-rounded genius. As a student of the Command Force, METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat were the most crucial subjects that needed to be covered, and in order to expand his knowledge of these two subjects, he would also have to excel in the Ecology of the Zergs and Gctic Navigation. However, there was no need for him to also master the other theoretical stuff since he was a fighter and not a scientist.

    Rumi, however, was theplete opposite. She was very weak in METAL Combat since her skills and abilities to fight were close to zero, but she was outstanding in Intel Programming Battle, and if she were to further her studies in this subject, someday she would be able to create her very own inventions.

    A week has passed.

    To Wang Tong, it was indeed a week of continuous studies as there were barely any extracurricr activities; however, he didn¡¯tin because he had been as busy as a bee with his practices on the delicate control of the GN Force and also the training on various skills and techniques. Normally, people would have died of fatigue for taking on such hectic training, yet Wang Tong was as energetic as always as if he was equipped with an unlimited supply of strength.

    A wise man once said: "One must possess a vigorous amount of energy in order to strive for sess." Wang Tong had mastered the basics of the Tactics of the de since he was younger, even though it didn¡¯t have any effect before being mind opened, yet it granted him higher energy level than most people. Wang Tong used toin about wasting his time training hard every day for that little effect, but right now he had finally understood its benefits. Not only it had set the basics for him to practice the two hundred and fifty-six nodes version of the Tactics of the de, but it had also enhanced his body condition significantly.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t raised in a rich family, so no one had ever modified his genes with high-tech equipment, and no mystical treasures were awaiting his inheritance, not to mention that there weren¡¯t any Einherjars that had ever helped to boost his inner circtions. Wang Tong¡¯s greatest treasure, however, was actually his persisting practices of the Tactics of the de since he was a kid.

    He missed the days when he was younger. Sometimes he would wonder how Old Fart was doing, yet he was never worried because he was certain that Old Fart was blessed with longevity, and he knew that Old Fart would live well wherever he went.

    Schrships were awarded to the students who had participated in the tournament against Bernabeu, and Wang Tong who had obtained two first ces in the monthly assessment was also awarded additional schrships for his excellent performance in each subject. This amount of money might be nothing for some students, yet it was definitely a lifesaver in the eyes of Wang Tong. Together with his paycheck, he was sure he would be able to survive for another two years if nothing major happened. Nevertheless, Wang Tong was still saddened by the fact that he and Zhou Sisi were not rewarded with the bounty from the police department, but they weremended instead, sometimes Wang Tong would still beining about how stingy was the police in his own dreams.

    Wang Tong would only visit DREAM Heaven during the weekends, not because he was busy, but because he didn¡¯t want to spend too much on games. Anyhow, Wang Tong finally got to taste what being rich felt like with his double schrships; hence he decided to satisfy his own desires after receiving the money from his teacher on Friday. Instead of going to the canteen, he went out to the stores for his daily necessities. Now that Wang Tong had Zhou Sisi helping him to clean up the room, he was able to live in peace, and he was okay with Zhou Sisiing into his room whenever she wanted since he had nothing to hide from her. Of course, to return the favor, Wang Tong had given all his effort on helping Zhou Sisi with her Cloning Technique.

    Everyone was looking forward to the first meetings of "S" on Saturday and Sunday since all of them had been preparing their sharings throughout the week, luckily there were not many other things to attend to on this week, or else they would have barely finished their preparations. Since Friday was the only day that he was left with some spare time, Wang Tong decided to pay DREAM Heaven a visit after a feast.

    The shopkeeper smiled as he recognized Wang Tong, and he was surprised to see him wearing a new shirt today instead of the same old T-shirt he would wear every time. Even though that kid had never ordered any food or drinks in his shop, somehow the shopkeeper would feel happy whenever Wang Tong walked in. As if he was some sort of lucky charm, ever since he had started to show up, his business had been getting better and better.

    "There you are, room No.5 is still vacant, I suggest you take it now before the bunch of PA fanatics arrives." The shopkeeperughed.

    "Haha, thanks, Mr. shopkeeper. How¡¯s businesstely?"

    "To be honest, about a month ago, rumor had it that DREAM was nning to reduce the servers of the PA due to its high cost and poor oue. It was mainly because the TPA yers were not spending a dime in the game and they refused to interact with the IPA yers, causing its amount of yers to plummet drastically. However, recently some dude named Einherjar Wannabe showed up and reheated the hype of the PA, so I guess DREAM will carry on with this game, this business is all I have, so fingers crossed everything will be alright."

    The shopkeeper said with a smile as he handed Wang Tong the ess card.

    "Haha, I kinda like the PA too, and I hope this game will carry on."

    "Indeed, since DREAM is already a huge corporation, it would be okay for them to earn a little lesser, but if they close it down, how am I gonna survive?" the shopkeeper carried on talking happily; however, their chit chat was forced to stop as customers came rushing in, everyone came for only one reason, which was to sit and wait for Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s appearance.

    "It¡¯s all your fault for giving up waitingst week, there¡¯s no way we would have missed the epic battle if you could have hung in there a little longer."

    "F**k you, it¡¯s not me, it¡¯s my mom¡¯s fault you idiot!"

    "So have you informed your mom about noting home tonight?"

    "Rx dude, I told her that we¡¯re studying together at your ce tonight!"

    "... But I told them I was going to your ce."

    The kids stared at each other, and in the end, they decided to leave it alone, no one would ever found out as long as both of their parents didn¡¯t call each other.

    Wang Tong shook his head as he saw what happened, he couldn¡¯t believe kids were so bold these days, and apparently, he really has gotten quite popr recently.

    Wang Tong was quite surprised to see the stunning new domain of PA when he logged in. Perhaps DREAM was actually earning money, but it was not enough to cover what they had invested, which exined why the board of directors of DREAM were so mad since they were expecting the huge amount of money they invested would snowball gradually. Moreover, it would be impossible for them to force the TPA yers to take on the IPA yers even though there was quite a lot of TPA yers in themunity. The corporation had tried everything, but nothing seemed to be working, not until the debut of Einherjar Wannabe.

    After his appearance, somehow both IPA and TPAmunities that hated each other''s guts began to feel like getting to know each other. However, this could only be sustained as long as Einherjar Wannabe stuck around.

    Again, Wang Tong was bombarded by his massive inbox upon logging into the PA, but today he wasn¡¯t here to fight. He opened his inbox and realized that it needed to be cleared since upgrading would cost money, and Wang Tong had no extra dime to spend. He decided to delete those unwanted mails, but before that, he had to check his system notifications.

    Wang Tong seemed to be interested in thetest system notification. Apparently, it was a summarized report of the tens of thousands of challenge invitation, and it managed to list out ten of the most unique challengers for his preference.

    This was what Wang Tong wished for since he too wouldn¡¯t want his time to be wasted on meaningless fights.

    Out of those ten, five were IPA yers, and the other five were TPA yers, which proved that there wasn¡¯t any symptom of discrimination in the administration. Wang Tong had no problem with IPA or TPA as both sides had their own uniqueness, and he was happy to learn from these twomunities. Since he had challenged a TPA fighterst time, this time he decided to pick one of the five IPA yers.

    Wang Tong was impressed by the summarized report as it had the battle records and personal details of these five challengers, and the report was even attached with their official reviews.

    He was immediately drawn to one of the challengers with the ID: Wings of Heaven, a thirty-six-year-old yer who possessed a Dream-ranked METAL Suit called the Throne of Titan. However, it was the video clip of his fight that had caught Wang Tong¡¯s attention, he was amazed by Wings of Heaven¡¯s magnificentbo of punches that directly sent his opponent into a perfect knockout.

    Wang Tong had been trying his best to avoid using weapons ever since he returned to Earth because he was afraid he might go berserk again. Soon, he was interested in heavy punch martial arts uponing into contact with the Fist of the Racing Tiger, but besides learning, he was also interested in the methods of countering these punching techniques. By doing so, Wang Tong wished that he would be able to understand more about the utilization of strength and also to perceive the greater meaning of martial arts.

    That was actually what Einherjar Wannabe had once said instead of Wang Tong¡¯s thought, it was indeed something deep, but somehow it made sense.

    After running a few thoughts, Wang Tong decided that today would be a day of peace as he dropped by just to check on a few things. Since he had received his double schrships, of course, he had to give himself a treat. As for his regr fight of the week, perhaps he could do it on Sunday night if there was time. But suddenly, he remembered those few people that he bumped into a while ago, if he were to log out like this, those guys would be spending two days waiting for nothing.

    Sometimes Wang Tong would be overflowing with kindness. In the end, he decided to send a mail to his soon-to-be opponent, mentioning that he would be epting his challenge at 8 pm on Sunday, which would give everyone enough time to be prepared.

    Wang Tong signed out from PA after sending out the mail, then he randomly scrolled on some other information; apparently, he wasn¡¯t very good with having fun, not to mention that most entertainment would also cost money. Old Fart would¡¯ve spent every single penny he had to get drunk, while most of other people would be attracted to idols, celebrities, and all sorts of movies, yet he wasn¡¯t interested in any of that. After two big yawns, Wang Tong logged out.

 Chapter 125: The Rookie Dance Machine

    Chapter 125: The Rookie Dance Machine

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    "Oh, leaving this early?" the shopkeeper asked enthusiastically. He might really be treating Wang Tong as his lucky charm.

    "Yea, I have some errands to run in school."

    "Good for you, not addicted to games. Well, this is for you, a 20% discount card, do visit us when you¡¯re free!" The shopkeeper happily slipped something into Wang Tong¡¯s hands.

    Wang Tong looked puzzled, was the shopkeeper trying to praise him, or poison him? Anyhow, Wang Tong grabbed that discount card and left DREAM Heaven with a smile on his face.

    While he was out there rxing, the whole PAmunity was shaken by the uproar he had created a moment ago.

    Einherjar Wannabe had scheduled a challenge, and this time, his opponent would be the IPA yer named Wings of Heaven!

    Instantly, all of the discussions in PA focused on the ID, Wings of Heaven. TPA yers had no idea who he was, but it seemed like everyone in IPA was very familiar with this ID. Apparently, he was even much stronger than Solitary Snow. Not only did he possess a Dream-Ranked METAL Suit, but most yers were also intimidated by his unbelievable fighting skills and abilities.

    Some even suspected that he was actually a fighter in real life, yet he joined the IPA for no reason. With such dominating strength and that incredible armor of his, without a doubt, Wings of Heaven was known to be one of the "glitchy" yers in the IPA. However, this guy had a weird personality, and he almost got no friends. Furthermore, not many would dare to challenge him due to his bloodlust and brutality.

    Anyhow, there was one thing for sure, that dude was insanely strong!

    Not to forget he was given two days to get ready!

    Cameron was all excited when he received the news. Finally, everything began to go on the right track! Two days were more than enough for him to prepare a bigger stage, but it would still be free to watch since Einherjar Wannabe had turned down his deal. Nevertheless, it was still something to be hyped about.

    All of the staff in PA were fully concentrating on their tasks. They were at the edge of losing their jobs when this major project of DREAM was to be terminated due to its disappointing profits, but since they were given another chance as Einherjar Wannabe emerged, they would obviously seize this opportunity to maintain their employments.

    Meanwhile, it seemed like Wang Tong¡¯s good intentions were useless after all, instead ofing back again on Sunday, most of them still chose to stay and camp in PA, but without the usual tension and nervousness. The most excited ones were the IPA yers, everyone seemed to be full of anticipation after knowing that something epic would happen on Sunday night, it was a blissful sensation indeed.

    It was normal for Einherjar Wannabe to disappear after dropping a message; however, Wings of Heaven too was nowhere to be seen, like he had vanished into thin air; to everyone¡¯s surprise, Wings of Heaven didn¡¯t make any pre-matchment, he remained quiet and calm instead.

    As soon as Wang Tong returned to his room, Zhou Sisi was already waiting there.

    "Aren¡¯t you having a break today?"

    "Yup, which is why I came looking for you. Don¡¯t you feel lonely spending every day on your own? Come, let¡¯s do some singing!" Zhou Sisi said as she smiled.

    Wang Tong scratched his head and replied, "Nah I¡¯ma pass, I¡¯m not good at singing."

    "Nonsense, it¡¯s simple! All you have to do is scream and shout. C¡¯mon and have some fun, young man, fun is good for your training!"

    Wang Tong hesitated, but Zhou Sisi dragged him along forcefully. "C¡¯mon, be a man, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to go to war!"

    "I¡¯d rather go to war," Wang Tong whispered to himself. Nevertheless, he was okay to try something new, or else he would really be a boring person.

    A group of people was already there when both of them arrived at the karaoke lounge, the group was an equal mix of boys and girls, and most of them were from A-ss. Of course, all of them knew Wang Tong since he was already one of the "celebrities". In the beginning, he was only known as the sidekick of Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan, yet no one expected him to be the "hiddenst boss" amongst the trio. Additionally, all the other girls looked cheerful when they saw him.

    "See what I meant? You really have be one of the celebrities in Ayrng, and what you said during that match even became popr amongst students of the Command Force!" Zhou Sisi said proudly.

    "...What did I say?"

    Zhou Sisi immediately mimicked Wang Tong¡¯s expression on that day, pointed her finger and said, "You were saying?"

    Wang Tong almost fainted, that was just supposed to be one of his random "sucker punches" against Best¡¯s arrogance, and he didn¡¯t even bother to remember saying that after the match. Best was strong indeed, but he was stupid for being careless.

    Two of the guys were seen tearing their vocal cords apart on stage, together with the holographic background dancing, they did kind of look like superstars.

    The atmosphere was all fired up by the intense singing and dancing.

    As a youngster, Wang Tong would, of course, listen to some pop music, but he had no time to be further interested than that.

    "Why don¡¯t you give it a try?"

    "Nah, I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll just be one the audiences for the time being!"

    Zhou Sisi then got up and took the center stage. Obviously, this was not their first time being here, it seemed like they were having a boys versus girls singing contest. Being good or bad at singing wasn¡¯t important in this petition", as long as the performer was able to lead the crowd and uplift the atmosphere, it felt more like a stage to express one¡¯s emotion.

    Surprisingly, everyone was quite good in singing. Wang Tong was not an alien, so basically he was familiar with the songs, and there were even some that he could hum along to, yet he had never tried singing them. Actually, he was really thinking of giving it a try after seeing their high spirit, but in the end, he gave up that idea because he had no experience in singing and his bad vocals might spoil the mood.

    On the other hand, Zhou Sisi was doing great on stage, it was like she had be another person on stage, her youthful vibe was all over her amazing dance moves, totally different from how she usually looked like in ss.

    Wang Tong was surprised to see this side of Zhou Sisi and was mesmerized by her vibrant charm, she really looked like a star.

    Immediately, Zhou Sisi¡¯s ssmates began to p along with her incredible dance moves, dancing might not be Wang Tong¡¯s expertise, but he was deeply impressed by Zhou Sisi¡¯s movements, it was full of vibe and allurement.

    Wang Tong waspletely drawn to her, he couldn¡¯t believe that this was the same Zhou Sisi he knew since day one.

    Soon, Wang Tong began to p along with the rhythm, then Zhou Sisi turned around gracefully and dragged him on stage, making the crowd gone wild.

    "C¡¯mon!" Zhou Sisi smiled as she began to twist and turn around Wang Tong, droplets of sweat glittered across the stage as she fluttered her long hair, she was full of energy!

    Everyone around was pping as they turned their attention to Wang Tong, and he was troubled by the pressure. Wang Tong knew he had to do something instead of standing there like a fool, but he had no idea how to dance!

    "Ah whatever, yeah I¡¯m a rookie so what, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m afraid to dance!" The Wang Tong closed his eyes and began to count the beats, moving his head in and out as he did.

    Crack¡­ crack¡­

    Wang Tong began to move along stiffly with the music, looking like a crab; however, Zhou Sisi was a pro, and she managed to back him up with her elegant dance moves in order to reduce the awkwardness.

    Clearly Wang Tong was a bad dancer; nevertheless, everyone carried on pping and cheering.

    Wang Tong tried his best to dance along, but the rhythm just didn¡¯t seem right, all of a sudden he had a vision of a Spider Zerg dancing along the music, and he decided to mimic its dance moves.

    It was weird at the beginning, but slowly the movements began to fuse with the music, and in no time, Wang Tong was seen grooving to the music. Zhou Sisi, who was trying to guide Wang Tong into the rhythm, was surprised to see him grooving to the beats so quickly.

    Everyone was stunned by his alien movements at first, but as the music yed went on, everyone went crazy about it.

    Wang Tong too had fully submerged into his groove, he had created a rather unique dance by moving his arms and legs rigidly, like a Spider Zerg dancing in the wild. Somehow the way he moved looked like a ritual dance, and it could only be described in one word: danger!

    It was the dance of a beast!

    Zhou Sisi became the beauty dancing beside the beast, luckily she was able to adjust her movements instinctively since she was quite gifted in dancing.

    As soon as the music stopped, Zhou Sisi fell into Wang Tong¡¯s arms right in time. It was wless!

    Bravo!

    The karaoke lounge was roaring with cheers and ps, Wang Tong turned toward Zhou Sisi as he wiped off the sweat on his forehead. "How was I doing?"

    He was embarrassed for doing something way out of hisfort zone.

    Zhou Sisi replied with a handful of excitements in her eyes, "Wang Tong, you¡¯re a genius!"

    Wang Tong gave a satisfying smile, he had no idea he could be that attractive that he made the other girls scream. In fact, the girls had just realized Wang Tong was actually quite a handsome young man, very charming indeed!

    Amongst the crowd who gathered around him, Wang Tong even realized that some of them were actually not from Ayrng. At first, only a few noticed his dance and were nning to leave, but somehow a few of them couldn¡¯t help watching, in the end, more people were drawn to the crowd to see what was going on.

    Wang Tong¡¯s exotic dancing received a thunderous round of apuse.

    "Hey, dude, where did you learn these crazy steps?"

    "That was superb!"

    "Yea, I¡¯ve never seen that before, it has this raw and wilderness vibe!"

    "Dance Machine!"

    "Dance Machine indeed!"

    Wang Tong seemed to be embarrassed for making such an uproar. Actually, he had just made that all up spontaneously because he didn¡¯t want to stand there looking like a fool. To be honest, he had absolutely no idea what he was doing a few minutes ago.

    Dance Machine?

    It would be great if they called him Einherjar instead, and thank god Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t around, or else he would joke about it for sure.

    Soon as Wang Tong fired up the atmosphere, everyone else too began to dance. While they were busy dancing, Zhou Sisi dragged Wang Tong toward the sofa as both of them needed a rest badly.

    "I thought you said you knew nothing about dancing, but here you are rocking the stage, and you even threw in your own twist!"

    "I had no choice since you were the one who pulled me on stage!"

    Zhou Sisi was amazed, "I have to say, you really are a genius. I wonder if anyone has recorded it. I¡¯m definitely keeping one for my collection!"

    "I¡¯ma get cocky if you keep onplimenting me."

    "Well, you should be. Wang Tong, in the future, if you already have enough of the military, you really might wanna consider turning toward the entertainment business, haha," Zhou Sisi joked as she crossed her leg, suddenly Wang Tong felt the adrenaline rushing up to his brain, and he started to wonder if his drink contained any alcohol.

    Nevertheless, Zhou Sisi did look amazing today. Wang Tong had only seen her hard-working side as a good student, yet he never expected her to be so bold, and not to mention she looked hot as well.

    "Entertainment business? Thank you but no thank you, I¡¯m a man with a bigger dream!"

    "Is it to be the next General Li Feng? Haha, I bet every Earthling has the same dream too."

    Mankind would have been eradicated if General Li Feng hadn¡¯t been born. The METAL technology and strategies he created had directly influenced the development of mankind for the next tens of decades, as well as allowing Earth to maintain its position as the hub of the universe. However, it was an undeniable fact that the Moon had already outraced the Earth to be the new economic hub of mankind¡¯s universe. It couldn¡¯t be helped since the Ivantians had inherited most of the virtues of the Earthlings, but they almost had no defects.

    However, Wang Tong shook his head when Zhou Sisi said that.

 Chapter 126: Self Motivation

    Chapter 126: Self Motivation

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Joining the Army? No, I had never thought of joining the army. I like the Space Force, and it would be the best if I could be a captain of a spaceship."

    "I don''t see the difference," Zhou Sisi cracked a smile and said.

    "The difference is huge! They got more money, that''s for one, and it''s also a lot less dangerous... oh, and they have beautiful female officers!" Wang Tong said as he counted with his fingers.

    Zhou Sisi paused for a second and then burst outughing. She found Wang Tong ridiculously funny at times.

    Wang Tong felt slightly embarrassed, he scratched his head and then asked, "You think I am a chicken-sh*t?"

    "NO! You are the bravest person I have ever met. I believe that no matter where you end up at, the Army or the Space Force, you will stand out to be an excellent soldier. Ah, and of course, I would not be much less than you. After all, I am that attractive officer you were talking about," Zhou Sisi spoke with a delightful tone, green and fetching. It was a voice that could let a man''s blood boil.

    "What about your dream?"

    "From now on, I only want to be a good captain, so I can make sure you don''t make any trouble and take care of you," Zhou Sisi said, and she licked the cream off the ice coffee.

    Wang Tong caught a glimpse of Zhou Sisi''s cute little tongue and felt a wave of heat shot through his body. "What is happening to me? Am I in love?" he thought.

    "Well, I think that would depend on your ability, perhaps you will end up calling me Sifu for the rest of your life."

    "Oh, really? Catch me at the dance pool! Howbow dah?"

    Wang Tong held the soft and small hand of Zhou Sisi and felt the urge of conquering the little wild beast in front of him. Unable to think, Wang Tong epted the invitation.

    A wave of cheers erupted among the onlookers as soon as Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi stepped into the dance pool again. Wang Tong''s performance was more fluid than the first time, and the Zerg-like movement started to look more human.

    Without knowing it, Wang Tong took the center stage as his body turned and swayed wildly, releasing all the passions a sixteen-year-old boy had.

    Wang Tong''s dance mesmerized the girls from the A-ss. Ever since the tournament, Wang Tong''s victory had spread throughout every corner of the school. His ssmates called him the "secret weapon", or "the silver bullet". The manliness that had turned him from a boy to a man had tugged at the heartstrings of many girls.

    After the girls had watched his arousing dance, he was no longer just a stoic soldier that only knew how to fight, but also a man full of wild passions.

    Zhou Sisi followed Wang Tong''s lead, willingly.

    Wang Tong then remembered that he still had a lot to do the day after; therefore, he didn''t stay overnight and sneaked out with Zhou Sisi soon after the dance was over. Wang Tong felt that he had started to like dancing. Unlike fighting, dancing had no restrictions, and therefore he could pour out the emotions as he moved his body.

    The two of them walked home together, holding each other''s hands. Wang Tong didn''t over think of this new found intimacy; it just felt right.

    After Wang Tong had settled down to bed, he fell asleep quickly. In his dream, he saw his life turning more colorful from the dull, ceaseless fighting.

    Saturday was the group meeting of "S".

    So far there were only ten members in the group. However, no one had the intention of expanding the group just yet, as they all agreed that they needed to focus on running this club more efficiently.

    Wang Tong was well rested after a night of good sleep and the release of stress from the evening before.

    Zhou Sisi had already collected everyone''s thesis and was ready tomence the meeting.

    "Let''s begin our meeting. There are no strict rules to follow at this table, so if you have any question, please feel free to ask. Let''s start with our group leader." Zhou Sisi gestured Wang Tong to speak.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and said, "Sure. I will break the ice then. I am certain that all of you have watched the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Cisco, so I''m just going to talk about what we should learn from that fight, especially from Cisco. I think we should emphasize the importance of controlling the GN force at the finest level."

    That fight had been a sensational event, therefore even if one didn''t watch it live, he or she must have watched the recording the day after. The fight had attracted even more attention after it wasbeled with the lurid titles such as "Real-life genius gets owned by a mysterious no-ount! MUST WATCH!!"

    Although Cisco''s opponent was only 16 years old and was rtively unknown, Einherjar Wannabe was able to copy Cisco''s power and defeated him in the most humiliating way. Unable to handle the weight of his failure, it was said that the day after the fight, Cisco had lost another fight against a ssmate who challenged his number one title at Capth. If the rumor was true, then it had not only revealed the intensepetition at Capth but also spoke loudly of the importance of one''s confidence.

    Wang Tong went on to exin what was his n. He rified that by saying "learn from Cisco", he did not mean to learn to use a kunai but to pay more attention to the subtle changes of the GN force and fine tuning of the channeling process. Since this was a rtively new training to most people, they had to start with baby steps, but eventually, it would pay off. A set of nimble fingers would not only be helpful during space battle simtions but also beneficial for real lifebat.

    Wang Tong demonstrated the training method with an object in his hand. He intentionally picked a light-weight, tiny, and soft object because it was much harder to control thanrger and more tangible objects.

    When Wang Tong finished his demonstration, he was met with even more questions. Ma Xiaoru told him that her Tactics of the Enchantress had already focused a great deal on the control of GN force, and therefore, any extra training in that aspect would be redundant. Wang Ben, on the other hand, was hesitant to follow Wang Tong''s instruction because he had noticed how different the style was whenpared with his Fist of the Racing Tiger. Carl and others had also raised their own concerns although for different reasons.

    Wang Tong''s ice breaker session hadsted over an hour, much longer than they had initially anticipated. They had then conceded that they had only enough time to cover at most four topics per day. Restrictions on time aside, it was also unrealistic to expect members of S to give up all their weekends for studying and training. Therefore, everyone had agreed that increasing the efficiency of the club to get through tropics would be their top priority.

    The members of S had spent the entire morning discussing Wang Tong''s proposal. Wang Tong''s unique training method had quickly gained poprity after the members started to realize its benefits. Rumi was particrity interested in the training method, despite the fact that she found it difficult to follow Wang Tong''s instructions. Wang Tong ended up spending a lot more time on helping Rumi to get her hands on things.

    To ensure the effectiveness of the training, Wang Tong ordered everyone to practice after the meeting and informed everyone that there would be a self-assessment before their next meeting to measure their progress.

    Wang Tong knew that everyone had azy bone, especially those at his age, and therefore he decided to give members a little bit more pressure to keep their foot on the gas pedal.

    During lunchtime, Zhou Sisi hade up with another list of things to improve based on their morning discussions. Her efficiency had impressed most members of S.

    In the afternoon, members attended the physical training session led by Wang Ben.

    As most people had expected, both Wang Tong and Wang Ben had excelled in their physical conditions. However, Ma Xiaoru''s extraordinary endurance had caught other members off guard. In addition to the three, Tita also did well in the physical training. The other members, including Zhou Sisi, had done well at the beginning but fell short very quickly as they copsed on the ground one after another.

    Wang Ben had proven to be a good leader for this session since he had focused on physical training ever since he was a kid. Although there didn''t seem to be any connection between physical conditioning and the power on the battlefield, a strong body had many potential benefits to a METAL fighter. A fighter with a good physic would fatigue less, and therefore help them to avoid unnecessary fatal mistakes. It was imperative during a prolonged battle.

    Once a fighter was fatigued, his or her focus would decrease regardless of how hard he or she tried to concentrate, and therefore, the only solution would be to increase the fatigue threshold by intense physical training.

    As a leader, Wang Ben was much stricter than Wang Tong. He had kept a solemn face from the beginning to the end and wasn''t any more lenient toward the girls. At the end of the session, Wang Ben announced the test results. Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru had exceeded the requirement set by Wang Ben by a considerable margin and were followed by Hu Yangxuan who had barely passed the test. All the rest of S had failed the physical test.

    Tita sat in his chair and looked disappointed. He had thought that he woulde out as the number one since he was the only member from the physically-demanding field of heavy METALbat. However, he didn''t even pass the test.

    Tita was not convinced that this was all he could achieve, and therefore, he made up his mind to train harder from now on. His goal was to be ranked within the top 3.

    Everyone was exhausted after the excruciating physical training session, and so they decided to move the rest of the agenda to the next meeting. Before they ended the meeting, they agreed to focus on two things for theing week: controlling their GN force and their physical conditioning.

    The physical training session hit Rumi the hardest. She was a small-framed girl and was astonishingly weak, and Wang Ben had given her a zero without any hesitation.

    The students at Ayrng had a clearer picture regarding the strength of their star performers ever since the tournament, and they all ranked Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, and Wang Ben higher than Hu Yangxuan. After the physical training session, Hu Yangxuan had finally realized what was bogging him down, and therefore he made up his mind to focus on physical training from now on.

    Wang Ben didn''t rush into the promised spar with Wang Tong. He had noticed Wang Tong''s extraordinary power during his fight against Apache. Wang Ben decided to wait and prepare as much as he could before making the next move.

    On the other hand, Wang Ben also appreciated the challenge posed by Wang Tong as he recognized that the challenge had given him a lot of motivations.

    Defeating Wang Tong was not Wang Ben''s ultimate goal; his goal was to grow in his own capacity as the best fighter.

    At the end of the first meeting of S, most of the club members had a sore body and were exhausted, but for Wang Tong, it seemed to be just the right amount of exercise.

    All the while, Ma Xiaoru didn''t approach Wang Tong like she used to. Wang Tong didn''t overthink it; instead, he enjoyed the distance.

    Zhou Sisi was also busy with her training and had no time to hang out with Wang Tong. Sitting alone in his room with no one to disturb him, Wang Tong finally had a quiet weekend that only belonged to himself.

 Chapter 127: Reemergence of the Merciless Legend

    Chapter 127: Reemergence of the Merciless Legend

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    On this seemingly ordinary weekend, one group of people with vastly different ages were unusually agitated. Their age ranged from preteens to middle-aged men in their 40 and 50s. Despite the age gap, they shared the same passion: METALbat.

    They were promised an epic fight tonight, and unlike most other fights of simr nature, tonight''s fight was scheduled ahead of time, and it would take ce at 8 pm.

    Many of the METAL enthusiasts had cleared their schedule, even canceling dates, just to make sure that they wouldn''t miss the fight.

    For every fan of METALbat, this was a fight that they could not pass up.

    The employees working in the background of the PA system had readied themselves, watching carefully at various kind of indicators. This was the time to put Einherjar Wannabe''s poprity to the test.

    People started to pour into the system after 6, the red line indicating the viewing rating lifted its head and was ready for a jump.

    Cameron sat in his chair, trying to calm his nerves the best he could. He had done the show countless times, but he still felt butterfly in his stomach this time.

    "Have we got any intel on Wings of Heaven? "

    "Boss, as far as we can tell, he is pretty much a lone wolf, but he is deadly powerful. The only thing we are sure so far is that he is an Ivantian."

    "Oh? Interesting!"

    "Based the recordings of his previous fights, he is very likely not an ordinary IPA yer. His fighting style resembles that of the Military, and all the executions are almost perfect. Thanks to that Dream Ranked METAL suit, this guy has never lost a battle. We suspect that he is a retired soldier from the Military."

    "He is too young to have already retired."

    "I agree, but it is hard to derive anything concrete from just the data."

    Cameron nodded in agreement; he knew that there were riddles in this world that would never get solved.

    After dinner, Wang Tong walked toward the virtual cafe. He decided to be a bit early to avoid the rush hour.

    When he arrived the entrance of the cafe, he was startled by the throng of people.

    There were even more people standing inside the hall; some even had burgers and fries in their hands. They had skipped the dinner table so they could get a seat for tonight''s fight. Most of them were so engrossed in heated debates about the abilities and strength of the fighters, they had forgotten about the annoyance of theck of seats in this crowded room. To most audiences, they would rather be watching a fight in arge group than watching it alone at home.

    Wang Tong grinned as he realized that he didn''t beat the rush hour after all.

    "Hey kiddo, I have reserved for you the terminal number 5, go use it while you still can."

    "Thanks! That is very kind of you!"

    "You are wee, that is the benefit of bing our VIP. Today is the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and the Wings of Heaven, so I figured that you would be here!"

    "Thank you so much! You are a smart businessman too! Wish your business grows better every day!"

    "Thanks !"

    The owner patted on Wang Tong''s shoulder. For some reason, the little boy had grown on him. His business always seemed to be much better whenever Wang Tong showed up. Just a while ago, a fortune teller had even told him that he would be visited by his lucky star who would lift his business up from the current sorry state.

    Wang Tong walked into the quiet VIP room and felt he was fortunate not to have to share that crowded space. The recent streak of lucky events had made him convinced that his charisma must have grown considerably.

    Wang Tong still had some time to kill, so he didn''t sign in right away. Instead, he started researching dance moves. After the awkward dance partyst weekend, he had decided to widen his after school activity. Although he could not count on dancing to make a living, he figured that he should at least dabbled himself in it just enough to avoid being called uncouth.

    Wang Tong was immediately lost in the millions of search results, unsure which song to y, and he clicked on the most popr one. He was not sure who had made this song, and neither did he care to find out, but he found that the music was soothing and rxed him before the fight.

    Fully engrossed in the music, Wang Tong had forgotten the passage of time. Meanwhile, in the PA system, more than two hundred thousands people had signed in. DREAM had also made the fight free for everyone to watch which had further increased the number of audiences.

    Many people believed that as long as Wings of Heaven didn''t make mistakes like Solitary Snow, he should be able to win this fight with ease.

    Wings of Heaven possessed much stronger power than Solitary Snow, and with the help of his Dream ranked METAL suit, he should be invincible.

    Neither Wang Tong nor Wings of Heaven had yet signed in. If it were anyone else, they would have signed in early just to bask in the audience''s admiration and attentions. Unfortunately for the fans, neither of the fighters enjoyed the limelight, and none of them replied to their messages.

    There was an hour left before the fight started, and most virtual cafes had already been packed with customers. The crowd had greatly pleased the owners of these virtual cafes. They had never seen so many customers even during the national tournament. The service fees aside, they also made loads of money on the drinks and food the customers had ordered while waiting for the fight to start.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, a dozen people walked into a crowded virtual cafe. They all seemed to carry a chip on their shoulder and held an awful expression on their face. As people felt the squeeze from the movement of the crowd to amodate the dozen new visitors, they turned their head toward the new customers with angry stares. However, as soon as people saw the neer''s uniforms, they choked back any dissidents.

    The new customers were from the Anti-Smuggler Special Unit.

    None of the dozen officers talked after entering the cafe, they simply stood quietly and stared at the screen as if no one else existed in the room.

    Everyone knew how powerful the members of the Special Units were. With the growing pirate activities, the survival rate of the Special Unit had dropped even below the Army. The military dealt with Zergs, and the Special Unit had to deal with the human, which had proven to be even more dangerous.

    Some muted conversation started to mix into the loud debates in the cafe: "What is the Special Unit doing here?"

    "Boss, the total number of user online has reached 30 million!" the excitement made his voice shaky. 30 million was close to one-third of all registered users. This rating had never been achieved even during the final matches of official tournaments.

    Cameron finally felt a sense of relief. He knew that at least, the sponsors would be happy with the match regardless of the oue.

    Einherjar Wannabe signed in.

    Everyone was surprised that Einherjar Wannabe, who was never early for a fight, had signed in before his opponent.

    Ten minutes before the fight started, Wings of Heaven was still nowhere to be seen. The audience began to be agitated, thinking that he might have already given up.

    All kinds of spections spread like wildfire on the inte. Some were convinced that Wings of Heaven had already given up and would not take up the challenge.

    "No way, he had such an OP METAL suit!"

    "Shut the f*ck up!" the younger member of the Special Unit bawled out at the crowd. There was a sense of indifference to life in his tone, although he didn''t speak loudly, his soul-energy-infused voice had shaken everyone.

    The crowded cafe suddenly became deadly silent. No one wanted to get on the wrong side of the Special Unit, not because of respect, but because they knew that the Special Units were full of crazy psychopath that would kill without reason.

    At thest minute before the game started, Wings of Heaven finally signed in.

    The younger Special Unit member who had spoken earlier became excited at the sight of Wings of Heaven, but then he said, "Is that... Captain?"

    "Yes, it is!"

    The Special Unit members looked much more cheerful than they were when they first came in, anticipation and excitement burned brightly in their eyes.

    Wings of Heaven looked calm. He didn''t acknowledge anyone in the arena as if the discussions around him had nothing to do with him.

    Wang Tong studied his opponent''s eyes for a moment, and then he knew that he had picked the right opponent.

    "Ten, Nine... Five... One!"

    "Check."

    "Check."

    The twobatants gestured the referee that they were ready, then the fight was on.

    Einherjar Wannabe vs. Wings of Heaven!

    However, as soon as the match started, people noticed that wings of Heaven didn''t use his signature METAL suit. This unexpected development made the audiences question his sanity.

    "No METAL suit?"

    "He doesn''t want to fight with his METAL suit? And he expects to win?"

    The audiences let out a wave of boo, as they were disappointed at the thought of an extremely short game.

    However, having watched this development, the Special Units on the Moon straightened their back and saluted to their leader. Respect was written all over their solemn faces.

    The other audiences at the same Cafe were shocked by what they saw and wondered who this Wings of Heaven really was.

    "Gosh! He is a member of the Golden Star!"

    Finally, someone in the crowd recognized the faces of the Special Units. Team Golden Star was one of the three strongest team in the Anti-Smuggler Special Unit. They had won many legendary battles, the most famous of which was the battle that eliminated the Wasp, a notorious pirate fleet. The rumor had it that they had ughtered the entire two thousand METAL-armed pirates, and the Golden Star was therefore well known for their mercilessness.

    But who could evoke respect in the cold-hearted members of the Golden Star?

    The answer was their Captain.

    Wings of Heaven did not know that his teammates were watching him. He never cared about what others thought of him and always acted ordingly to his own will. Ever since he had watched the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Solitary Snow, he felt an urge inside of him that eventually led him to this stage.

    Wings of Heaven attacked first without his METAL suit.

    As everyone was expecting the match to end after their first round of exchange of fists, they saw Einherjar Wannabe stumbling back at the impact while Wings of Heaven stood still, steady like a mountain.

    "Gosh! What kind of power is that?"

    The entire exchangested less than one second, but within that one, brief second, the audience didn¡¯t saw an IPA yer in Wings of Heaven, but a TPA fighter with superhuman power.

 Chapter 128: Encore

    Chapter 128: Encore

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    "Give me all you got, this is myst fight, and I don''t want to leave the stage with regrets," Wings of Heaven announced.

    "Your Fist-de is powerful indeed, but I am afraid that it won''t be enough to defeat me." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    The corner of Wings of Heaven''s mouth lifted a bit; he thought that Wang Tong''s words sounded very familiar.

    Suddenly, the two of them rushed for an attack simultaneously.

    They both arrived at the center of the arena almost at the same time. Wings of Heaven used the de-fist techniques again and was able to stand his ground under Einherjar Wannabe''s counter attack.

    The two fists collided into each other and the two fighters both stumbled back.

    The audiences became quiet, and the cheers died down. They started to question the identity and the real power of Wings of Heaven, just like they had questioned Einherjar Wannabe.

    Wings of Heaven attacked again. It was obvious that he had the edge regardingbat experience. His soul reading was maintained steadily around 150 sols as the deadly de-fist came one after another.

    Wings of Heaven didn''t use any popr footwork such as the Inch Step. Instead, his footwork technique seemed straightforward but matched seamlessly with his fighting style.

    The best kind of techniques was usually not the most popr one but the one that fitted ones fighting style the best.

    It was the first time that Wang Tong had faced such an opponent whose attack and movements seemed simple and straightforward, but extremely difficult to be countered. He figured that the Inch Step would be too straightforward, and Wings of Heaven would be able to predict his next move easily. On the other hand, the Butterfly Dash seemed like overkill. Wang Tong conceded that it would be impossible to break his opponent''s solid defense using any of the footwork that he knew.

    This was the first time Wang Tong encountered an opponent who seemed to have morebat experience than he had. What made the opponent even more deadly was that he had gained his experience through fighting human instead of Zergs.

    As Wang Tong was considering his next move, he became caught in a barrage of attacks. The movements of the de-fist were unpredictable as it elerated and decelerated at random intervals. It was deceiving and was packed with deadly force, a perfect technique to kill.

    As Einherjar Wannabe was distracted by his thoughts for less than a second, he paid the price right away and was struck by a blow. The attack sent Einherjar Wannabe''s body flying a few feet away. Initially, when Einherjar Wannabe first detected the iing blow, he wanted to use the Phantom Move to get out of the way. However, his opponent had predicted his intention and was one move ahead of him.

    Silence fell inside the arena.

    "Who the hell is this Wings of Heaven?"

    It would be less surprising to the audience if he were from the TPA league. However, the fact that he was from the IPA league made everyonement over such a waste of talent. He was a powerful thirty-six-years-old fighter, but he was stuck here in the IPA league.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, people watched the members of the Golden Star curiously, wondering if the deadly warrior on the screen was truly their Captain.

    "If that''s true, he must be a powerful fighter, but howe¡ª"

    "If Einherjar Wannabe had not chosen him, we would still be oblivious about his whereabouts. What had happened during that operation was just an ident, he should''ve gotten over it. The intelligence said there were only a dozen scattered pirates, but for some reason, he had encountered an armada."

    That battle had been a brutal bloodshed. The Golden Star had be the most legendary team in the Special Unit after the battle.

    During that fight, their captain had entered a battle trance and ughtered all the pirates but saved hisrades'' lives. However, he had depleted his soul energy during the trance and that was worse than a death sentence to a fighter like him.

    The Golden Star had created a miracle: they killed off the entire fleet of pirates with zero casualties. However, the captain of the Golden Star had since disappeared, and no one knew where he was hiding.

    When the unconscious members of the Golden Star had woken up, their captain was already gone. It was the captain who had saved their lives. However, he alone had to carry the burden of the aftermath with him for the rest of his life.

    He had to leave because he could no longer face his oldrades after being stripped the rights to fight.

    He started to lose grip on reality and even tried to give up his life, but the link between his life and fighting had brought him back. Although he could no longer fight in real life, not even in the TPA, he spent most of his time on the IPA, using the virtual world to numb his pain.

    He could not bring himself to ask hisrades for help. He didn''t need their sympathy.

    When he saw Einherjar Wannabe''s fights, he thought he had seen a glimpse of hope. He felt something very familiar in this mysterious fighter, and he decided to end his debauchery once and for all with a match with Einherjar Wannabe.

    The members of the Golden Star had already recognized their Captain. The name alone was a telltale sign of his identity.

    He was a soldier who had lost his soul energy, just like a carrion that had lost his wings.

    Hisrades gritted their teeth as they also felt the pain of their captain for being denied of what was rightfully his. However, they could not do anything but watch him suffer.

    "No matter where you are, don''t ever bring shame to the banner of the Golden Star!" their Captain used to tell them so, and without a recement, they haven''t heard of these words for a while.

    Afternding a sessful attack, Wings of Heaven paused. "Be serious now, don''t use those useless tricks on me!"

    Wang Tong stood up slowly and rubbed his body where he was hit. "Fine, time to be serious," he thought.

    Einherjar Wannabe set his arms in front of him and was ready to strike.

    "Be careful now!"

    The two of them darted toward each other at the same time again with terrifying speed.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s footwork looked like the Inch Step, but somehow it was different. The two closed in quickly and started attacking each other fearlessly. Bothbatants'' moves didn''t follow any set structures as they seemed to be acting on a whim. Upon closer look, Einherjar Wannabe''s moves were even more impulsive and unnned than his opponent.

    Wang Tong had then reckoned that this opponent was capable of giving him a precious opportunity to test and improve his skills thanks to the huge amount of experience his opponent had.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s arm suddenly moved in the most unthinkable direction and picked up speed to hack at his opponent''s neck. Wings of Heaven delivered a kick at the belly of Einherjar Wannabe in return.

    Bothbatants had attacked the vital points of their opponent''s body, making their attack an instant kill. These moves were so deadly that they were usually not used by PA yers.

    Wang Tong didn''t pay any attention to the deadly kick because he had already calcted that his fist wouldnd on Wings of Heaven''s neck before his kick would. However, his opponent''s neck twisted and turned as if there were no bones in it, the twisted neck would have made people cringe, but it was effective in dodging Wang Tong''s attack. The scale of the battle had suddenly tipped toward Wings of Heaven.

    Faced with a frontal attack, Einherjar Wannabe didn''t try to dodge. Instead, he closed in onto his opponent. He knew that it was already toote to dodge, and if he did, his opponent would follow up with another, even more powerful, killing strike.

    When the kicknded on Einherjar Wannabe''s belly, it was as if it hadnded on a pile of soft cotton. Wang Tong had concentrated his soul energy around his dantian, and the force of the kick was therefore absorbed. Wang Tong then grabbed his opponent''s foot, lock it in ce as he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick at his opponent''s crotch. All the while, Wang Tong remained calm and focused.

    Wings of Heaven managed to block Einherjar Wannabe''s kick with his arm, but Einherjar Wannabe didn''t let go of his opponent''s feet. Instead, he yanked it toward himself with one hand, while he chopped at the neck with the other hand at lightning speed. Wings of Heaven sprung the other direction and turned his back at Wang Tong; meanwhile, his left hand reached the ground, and with the aid of a push, his right feet broke free of the iron mp and kicked once again at Wang Tong''s belly.

    The two were hit at the same time.

    Einherjar Wannabe took a step back as he gathered himself while Wings of Heaven sprung to his feet with a push-up.

    The two locked their eyes onto each other, and they could both see the burning desire of winning the fight in their opponent¡¯s eyes.

    In this first round of attack, Einherjar Wannabe had gained a slight edge. Wings of Heaven conceded that he had underestimated thebat experience of his young opponent.

    Suddenly, a message appeared on the big screen, informing everyone that Wings of Heaven was likely the former captain of the Golden Star. Everyone was shocked by the news, and the real power of Wings of Heaven started to set in.

    Ever since humans entered the age of interster traveling, more and more people were willing to put their life at risk for the luring profit of smuggling. The spread of the mind opening operation and the underground METAL market had also given the criminals high tech arsenals at their disposal. Despite the numerous resolution of the Confederation to get rid of the pirate activity, the vast space had made it extremely difficult.

    A few years ago, the smuggling business had finally reached an unpreparedness level. The four major factions of the Confederation agreed to unite together to fight against the rampant pirate activities, and thus the Anti-Smuggling Special Unit was born.

    Each faction had selected their elite members of the military to form the Special Unit, and therefore, everyone had thought that the Special Unit could crush the pirates quickly, and no one saw iting when they ended up getting stuck in a bloody war ever since.

    The Anti-Smuggling Special Unit had only gained a slight edge over the pirates in all forms of warfare, let it be information warfare or ground battles. But there were also memorable moments like the victory of the Golden Star.

    The captain of the Golden Star was also a legendary figure; however, the battle that made his legend also had decreed his downfall.

    "Why did such a strong fighter is muddling around in the IPA league?"

    Right away, people started to realize that some tragic event must have hit him right after the battle.

    Neither Einherjar Wannabe nor Wings of Heaven had noticed the message on the screen. They stared at each other, both satisfied to have found a worthy opponent.

    Wings of Heaven had wanted to use a fight with a TPA yer as a stepping stone for epting his new role. However, he was worried that no TPA yer would have epted his invitation. He could easily arrange a fight in the IPA league, but the fictitious nature of the IPA league had rendered the fight almost pointless. Einherjar Wannabe''s eptance to his challenge hade at thest moment before he was about to give up entirely; a hope rekindled.

    Slowly but surely, the fighting spirit that had guided Wings of Heaven for so long was awakening.

    Wings of Heaven unsheathed a long de. It looked ordinary, but it had taken countless souls.

    This was his encore, and he didn''t want to leave with any regret.

    As soon as Wings of Heaven took out his de, Wang Tong registered a sudden change in the air, as it started to be filled with soul energies that emanated from his opponent. The soul energy of Wings of Heaven increased dramatically and finally stabilized around 180.

 Chapter 129: God-Slayer

    Chapter 129: God-yer

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Achieving fourth tier Soul Power was already difficult regardless of the fighter''s league. However, soldiers with fifth tier Soul Power would reach over two hundred sols of soul power, a number that was only seen on a handful of veteran warriors. Therefore, Wings of Heaven''s 180 sol soul energy was an extraordinary scene to behold to most PA yers, and some IPA yers swore that Wings of Heaven''s soul energy had exceeded Einherjar Wannabe.

    People liked Einherjar Wannabe not because he was invincible ¡ª everyone knew that he wasn''t ¡ª but because of his fighting style. Although his fame had been soaring, everyone had expected that sooner orter, someone who was much stronger than him would defeat him. Although no one wanted that to happen, they epted it as an inevitable event, while hoping that their idol''s winning streak couldst as long as possible.

    Ever since the invention of the METAL suit, fighter''s soul energy had dictated the ultimate strength of the fighters as techniques had be obsolete. Because of that, it became less and less frequent that people heard about new fighters bing a dark horse and won an impossible fight.

    Regardless if Wings of Heaven was truly the Captain of the Golden Star, he was fighting exactly like a professional METAL warrior rather than an amateur IPA yer. His superior soul energy had given him a definite advantage against Einherjar Wannabe, whose soul energy had hovered at around only 170 or so.

    Many people thought that perhaps this fight would be the one that would eventually halt Einherjar Wannabe''s winning streak.

    Wings of Heaven attacked again, his de cut through the air and forced a deadly sense of threat upon his opponent. He had turned himself into a killing machine.

    These aggressive hacks and shesnded one after another on Wang Tong, all aimed at vital points of his body and were from the most awkward angles. Wings of Heaven''s attacks had only one intention: to kill his opponent. He cared much less regarding methods. Such techniques that directly aimed at opponent''s vital body parts were sneered at by the Academy School of fighting since they were deemed as "cheap" andcked actual skills. Many METAL fighters, such as those in the Golden Star, didn''t agree with the views of the Academy School since they believed that the best kind of techniques were the ones that could finish off their opponents in the quickest way.

    After seeing the deadly techniques on the screen, the members of the Golden Star were convinced that Wings of Heaven was indeed their captain. Their captain had been praised for his quick and effective killing moves that looked dull and unprepared, but extremely effective in a chaotic battlefield. Many pirates had been deceived by his seemingly unsophisticated moves and thought that he was a rookie, but in the end, they all had paid the ultimate price for their mistake.

    "170 is nothing. While at his peak, he has been a fifth tier fighter!"

    Members of the Golden Star watched their captain with admiration, and they were confident that he would win this fight with ease.

    Having been caught in the deadly web of attacks, Wang Tong knew better than anyone else that his opponent was the real master of METALbat. With that unmatched skills in using des, Wings of Heaven could always be one move or half ahead of Wang Tong, keeping the pressure on him.

    Although Wang Tong was surprised by his opponent''s power, he didn''t waste any time on pondering his true identity. Instead, he executed his signature move, the Parallel Shift, and was then out of his opponent''s attack range. Despite the unfamiliar appearance of the technique, Wings of Heaven had immediately understood how the Parallel Shit was carried out.

    It would be unwise for Wang Tong to use the same trick twice once it had been seen through. While fighting Cisco, Wang Tong had also used the Parallel Shift. It was Wang Tong''s self-invented techniques that took much inspiration from the Zergs. It required him to exert an immense amount of pressure to the tip of his toes and was hard to pull off.

    This technique had been caught on camera, and Wings of Heaven had already studied it very carefully. He had formed an idea as to how this seemingly impossible move was achieved and how to counter it. Seeing it in person only confirmed his theory. This was the time to put his research into use. His next move required super human reaction and solid closebat skills, and both were considered crucial and fundamental skills to a good fighter.

    The long de suddenly turned through an angle and cut toward Einherjar Wannabe''s neck in a fluid motion that turned the metal into a stream of silver liquid. The ordinary de had taken on a shimmering hue ¡ª the de aura ¡ª indicating that this attack was impossible to block.

    So far, the attacks of Wings of Heaven had been rather straightforward and to the point. He didn''t care to use any embellished moves that looked more astonishing. It was not to say that he looked down on those moves, it was simply not his style. The style that deployed carefully-choreographed moves were called the Academy School. Wing of Heaven had based his fighting style off of the Academy Style, but through years of real-life battle, he had also gone beyond it and eventually formed his own style: the Neutral School.

    As the captain of the Golden Star, his first and foremost duty was to finish off criminals quickly to ensure the safety of his crew, and he had never failed once. Very rarely would he encounter a tough opponent like Einherjar Wannabe, and therefore he needed to adjust himself ording to the level of his opponents. That being said, after the couple exchange of attacks, the "Warrior" in him was revived, and he could feel himself getting stronger by the second.

    As the de whizzed through the air at Einherjar Wannabe, many in the audiences closed their eyes, unable to find it in themselves to witness the inevitable downfall of their hero.

    The warrior had been awakened, with both superior technique and soul energy at his disposal, Einherjar Wannabe had little to no chance of winning this fight.

    However...

    The audiences heard a series of raging res that sounded like powerful but brisk explosions, and then, they saw the de ¡ª still with its de-aura intact ¡ª being knocked away. Einherjar Wannabe paralleled shifted again and was out of harm''s way.

    Wings of Heaven was also caught off guard. He brought the de closer to his eyes and studied the back of the de, wondering what had happened to it just then.

    Wang Tong flexed his fingers in relief. His opponent''s attack hade too fast for him to use even his fists to defend himself, but he then realized that he could still use his fingers. Leveraging the results of his recent training, he flicked his fingers rapidly at the de ¡ª more than 50 times in a blink of an eye ¡ª and he was able to save his skin in this moment of life and death.

    The sess of his finger technique had also exhrated Wang Tong. This was the best way to test the effectiveness of the micro control of his GN force.

    Although his fingers felt a bit sore after having endured so much strain, Wang Tong was thrilled with the oue.

    Other than Wings of Heaven who was greatly impressed by the move, no one could make out what had just happened. As a veteran Warrior, Wings of Heaven didn''t not blindly believed in soul energy. Although soul energy was a good indication of a fighter''s strength, overly relying on it would make one overlook the role that other factors yed inbat, factors such as fighting styles, skills proficiency, and GN force.

    Wings of Heaven was also in awe of Einherjar Wannabe''s ability to copy other fighters abilities as he had reckoned that the finger flicking was no doubt inspired by Einherjar Wannabe''s former opponent, Cisco.

    On the big screen, DREAM had just updated Einherjar Wannabe''s current level of sol reading, and it remained around 170.

    "That was my self-invented technique: The Blood Craze," as Wings of Heaven spoke, he realized that this might be thest time he would ever use his signature technique. He felt content to have such a powerful opponent in hisst fight. A true warrior''s dream was to die on the battlefield, although his fate had refused him such an honorable conclusion of his life, he decided to use a tough fight to bid the overdue farewell to his military career.

    The audience heard a low booming sounding from the body of the former captain. His soul energy was still on the rise as it had yet reached the peak.

    The eyes of the captain started to glow red as his soul energy soar.

    190, 191, 192... Everyone''s heart was caught in their throat. Would it exceed 200? After the 200-threshold, his soul energy would be so powerful that he could overwhelm Einherjar Wannabe with ease.

    As Wings of Heaven started to tremble slightly, his soul reading finally stopped.

    203!

    Wings of Heaven had entered a near-trance state. Although his soul energy increased by only 15 percent or so, he had jumped an entire soul-tier, which would give him a decisive advantage over Wang Tong.

    What made his soul energy even more dreadful was the sense of death and aggression that made Wings of Heaven seem like a bloody demon straight out of the hell.

    In most cases, the terrifying sense of dread emanating from Wings of Heaven would have paralyzed his opponent.

    The faces of the members of the Golden Star lit up with excitement. They had recognized this scene, and it was a reenactment of that hellish battle against the Wasp. Their Captain had entered a battle trance and ughtered the entire fleet of pirates to save their lives.

    At that moment, their captain had leveled up his soul energy to the fifth tier and unleashed the most terrifying attacks upon his opponents. If it were gods that he was against, he would have been called the god-yer.

    On that day, only half an hour after the Golden Star boarded the pirate ship, they were surprised by the swarms of pirates when they had been expecting only a dozen of scattered criminals. Most of the members went down quickly after being severely outnumbered. When the leader of the Wasp announced their final charge against the few remaining soldiers, Wings of Heaven entered a battle trance, and the rest was only history.

    "Einherjar Wannabe is in grave danger!"

    Cao Yi and his friends were surprised by the identity of Wings of Heaven. They had never expected to see such a powerful fighter with so many stories in the IPA league.

    "That''s Ulysses," Apache had finally spoken. He had been in the Special Unit for over a year and had seen many powerful fighters there, but yet, he had to concede that none were stronger than the captain of the Golden Star, Ulysses.

    "KILL!"

    Ulysses charged at Einherjar Wannabe with a roar. His eyes lit up with craze, and in there, Wang Tong didn''t find his own image but the scene of the battle that had broken this once proud warrior.

    On that day, when Ulysses had uttered the same roar in the same trance, he didn''t think for himself, but only for the lives of his dearrades. He was willing to give up anything, including his life to save his friends.

    With such power and advantages, Ulysses had been, and was, unstoppable.

    By then, it was evident to everyone that Wings of Heaven was indeed Ulysses.

 Chapter 130: Also a Hero

    Chapter 130: Also a Hero

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Despite the carelessness and reduced perception Wings of Heaven suffered after entering the battle trance, he still had superb intuition and years of training at his disposal. That advantage,bined with the deadly power granted by the battle trance, had made Einherjar Wannabe helpless and hopeless in defending himself.

    Even the audience wasn''t sure who they should be cheering for as they became torn apart between their virtual hero and the real-life hero.

    Einherjar Wannabe was soon forced into a corner; he was overwhelmed by his opponent''s sudden surge of power.

    Suddenly, Ulysses hacked squarely at Wang Tong. It was a direct and straightforward attack without any unnecessary feints or embellishments; however, it was more powerful than any attack Wang Tong had seen before.

    The de traveled so fast, its aura left a streak of reddish blur along its path.

    Einherjar Wannabe didn''t flinch; instead, he closed in. Some of his fans had recognized this move and wondered if he wanted to pull out his old trick of stopping the de with his bare hands. That might have worked before, but it would be impossible this time.

    Wang Tong gritted his teeth and poured out his soul energy into his fingers, as they flicked at lightning speed and with explosive force at the de.

    When the de was only a hair-thin distance away from Wang Tong''s head, it finally stopped, followed with a loud shattering noise as pieces of the de fell to the ground.

    Before Wings of Heaven realized what had just happened, Wang Tong raised his hand and hacked with full force at his opponent. Wang Tong''s de-fist was not less deadly than Ulysses''s de as it also took on a de aura. Simr to a de-aura, the aura of the de-fist could disintegrate anything upon contact, and unknown to many people, this was the real power of the de-fist.

    Ulysses was shaken by the attack as he took the strike with its full force. And then the two fighters stood still without saying a word. The audience waited and then was confused.

    "Is that it? This is the end?"

    "None of them had fallen to the ground yet. It can''t be the end."

    "I... lost," Ulysses heard himself saying.

    He then looked up at the sky and heaved a deep sigh. He had never expected to see the real form of the de-fist. Thanks to his opponent''s kindness of not following through with the attack, he was still able to stand on the stage. He was in awe of the immense power this young soldier possessed, and therefore, he decided to give up his forlorn attempt to win the battle.

    "Thanks to you, honorable veteran, I was able to finally understand the real power of the de-fist. It was I who is in debt to you," Wang Tong announced as he bowed deeply at Ulysses. His sincerity was unmistakable.

    "Haha! Hahahaha..." Ulysses suddenly burst outughing. There were many mixed feelings in hisughter: joy, pain, regret all coalesced into a gale ofughter that shot through the air.

    Ulysses signed off, and that was thest time he appeared in the IPA.

    The members of the Golden Star saluted in unison in reverence of their captain. The other in the audience also felt a sense of deep respect to this veteran that rose inside of them. This was a truly meaningful fight.

    In a squalid corner somewhere on earth.

    "Hey, Boss, Boss! Where have you been? Einherjar Wannabe has won again! And again, you have missed it."

    "Yeah, what a pity that you have missed that fight, it was wild!"

    Ulysses cracked a smile and said, "I couldn''t help it, guys! My belly bes upset whenever I am nervous! I had to go number 2!"

    "Haha, fine, you don''t have to watch it, as long as you keep this virtual caf¨¦ running."

    "Haha! Einherjar Wannabe! Hooray!"

    A group of teenagers cheered for Einherjar Wannabe''s victory around Ulysses.

    As Ulysses walked away from the teenage crowd, he somehow felt strangely satisfied.

    In the PA system, although the twobatants had already signed off, lots of people remained online discussing the fight. There were too many unsolved riddles surrounding this fight.

    Someone had checked the polls and announced that, toward the end of the match, the majority of the people of the audiences had thought that Einherjar Wannabe was going to lose due to the unbridgeable gap.

    However, not only Einherjar Wannabe was victorious, he seemed to have done it against all odds.

    "Oh for f*ck sake! He won? Again? HOW!" Miao Xiu''s yelled on top of his lungs, and his rage had startled Luv Ma.

    "Is that excitement or resentment? What the f*ck man." Luv Mar gave Miao Xiu a dirty look for disturbing him.

    "Of course, it is excitement! It''s great news! You know what it means?" Without waiting for an answer, Miao Xiu continued, "It means that only I, Miao Xiu, can defeat that bastard."

    Luv Ma rolled his eyes, "He didn''t even ept your challenge, dude. He had just defeated someone who is a tier above him. That is unthinkable."

    "What''s your estimate of his soul energy?"

    "Hold on." Luv Mar moved his fingers furiously on the keyboard for a while. "175 at its peak... I''m dumbfounded. Did technique really y such an important role? Or was it because he had a much greater GN force."

    "Not likely. Even if he had a stronger GN force at his disposal, with the same level of soul power, the utilization rate of GN force should remain the same. It is evident in this fight that his overall power has remained same as his previous fights. Regarding natural talent, I don''t think he is even as much as me."

    "To be honest, I had felt the same. But..."

    The two of them suddenly found themselves out of words as they stared at each other. But they were thinking of the same thing: the power copy ability. Everyone''s signature moves or coup de grace required specific tactics to implement; therefore, it was almost impossible for someone to pick it up quickly and use it, much less master it. However, Einherjar Wannabe seemed to have had done just that in every fight.

    Not only Miao Xiu found it imusible but also did everyone else. Many more mysteries surrounded Einherjar Wannabe. For example, no one had figured out how he had blocked thest attack and what did he use at the end... was it really the de-fist?

    It wasmon knowledge that a fighter could infuse his weapon with his GN force, and thus creating a de-aura to increase the damage. However, it was much harder to do the same with one''s own body as it required exponentially more GN force. An ordinary fourth tier fighter would be able to create a de aura, but only a handful of very talented fifth tier fighter had supposedly achieved having an aura on their body parts. No one had ever heard of a fourth tier fighter, such as Einherjar Wannabe, achieving the same.

    On top of all the mysteries, Einherjar Wannabe''s strikingly young age had made things even more perplexing.

    The employees of DREAM were engrossed in their work, trying their best to create a video analysis as soon as possible. Ever since Einherjar Wannabe appeared, they weed working over time since they knew that some surprises were guaranteed in store for them. The immense joy of witness miracles at first hand was something even money could not buy.

    When they had first confirmed the identity of Wings of Heaven, they had felt a little bit disappointed, fearing that Einherjar Wannabe''s defeat would be inevitable. Even Cameron had felt unnerved. He had hoped for a tougher opponent so that the fight would be more exciting, but he was also afraid of Einherjar Wannabe''s defeat since once that happened, the mysterious fighter would lose all of itsmercial values.

    When Einherjar Wannabe released his final strike, even the usually-calm Cameron had jumped out of his seat and cheered loudly.

    By then, Cameron felt that even the official tournaments seemed pale and boring inparison with Einherjar Wannabe''s fights.

    As Einherjar Wannabe''s fame grew, his influence had eventually reached beyond the PA system, bringing much-needed attentions to the PA system that was otherwise slowly dying-by-attrition

    The official release of the video analysis had hit the inte soon after the fight, and it had stirred up another wave of disturbance. People''s jaw almost dropped to the ground as they watched Einherjar Wannabe''s fingers jabbed 325 times at the de during thest second of the standoff.

    Some seemingly incredible moves would lose its novelty under scrutiny, but studying carefully at Wang Tong''s move only evoked more curiosity.

    The recording also cleared people''s doubt regarding his aura-infused de-fist. The aura and the techniques were both authentic. Although Einherjar Wannabe didn''t follow through the strike until the end, the attack had shattered Ulysses''s defense and ended the fight spectacrly.

    "What scares me is how calm he was, despite being a crazy bad*ss," Miao Xiumented in one of his online posts.

    Meanwhile, in Bernabeu, students were having a heated debate about the mysterious fighter. Apache was about to leave the video room with a solemn face. He hade to watch this fight willingly, without Cao Yi''s urge.

    Cao Yi stopped him and asked, "Don''t go yet, tell us what you think." Cao Yi then took out a notebook and was ready to record what he was about to hear.

    Apache turned his head around said, "He doesn''t seem like a 16 years old, but rather a veteran." Then he scurried out of the room.

    At the moment of life and death, when most ordinary fighters would have been shaken and paralyzed by the fear of facing the battle trance, Wang Tong did not waver even the slightest. Wang Tong''s calmness and steadfastness had unsettled Apache, for he knew at first hand that it would take years of brutal killing to forge such an adamant will.

 Chapter 131: A Girls Feeling

    Chapter 131: A Girl''s Feeling

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    It was the match that everyone had hoped to witness, and everything seemed to be going on the right track. The sixteen-year-old Einherjar Wannabe had once again created a miracle. If his previous wins were all surprises, this victory would fall under the "mind-blowing" category.

    Most of the time Einherjar Wannabe was intimidating during battles, yet there were also times that he would be careless, especially since he had the "fetish" of knocking out his opponent with their own techniques, which everybody loved and hated at the same time.

    Nevertheless, everyone was eager to find out the real identity of Einherjar Wannabe. They couldn¡¯t help wondering how a sixteen-year-old boy could be so experienced in fights and what sort of tactics he practiced that could sustain battles like this. In fact, even the Five Greatest Tactics wouldn¡¯t be able to do so, if people would have to pick one from those five tactics, the House of Dower¡¯s wless Tactics of the Deva King might be the only one with the highest possibility. Yet they knew that Einherjar Wannabe was not one of the sessors of the Tactics of the Deva King because his movements were not elegant and graceful at all, his movements were too much sloppy.

    However, if that really was the case, was there any tactic in this world that could exceed the Five Greatest Tactics? Somehow the match had brought out a lot of questions that awaited to be answered.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t leave immediately after the match, he sat and tried to remember what just happened. Wang Tong was actually nning to unleash the power of his two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de when Wings of Heaven pushed him to the corner with his brutal attacks. However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t do so because he knew that it wouldn¡¯t bring any benefit to his training since it would only be a temporary solution. In the end, Wang Tong managed to ovee his fear and defended himself from Wings of Heaven¡¯s fatal strike by overclocking his GN Force as he counterattacked. Wang Tong might be able to withstand such an attack in PA, yet he knew he would¡¯ve been sliced into half in real battles due to various circumstances.

    Nevertheless, it was a fruitful battle, and he managed to learn something new. At least, he made a breakthrough and uplifted his confidence, this was important as one would have to believe in one¡¯s own strength in order to thrive.

    Wang Tong¡¯s fight and Soul Energy at the moment was induced through his sixteen nodes Tactics of the de, and he had made a rather strange discovery recently. Apparently, the two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de had significantly boosted his GN Force, yet it did not affect the power of his Soul Energy. However, no one was able to notice this previously, even Wang Ben thought it was his own mistake for not being able to defend himself from Wang Tong¡¯s attack.

    Even Einherjar Wannabe ¡ª the only one who had fully practiced the Tactics of the de ¡ª had no answer to this question. To him, the simplified eight node Tactics of the de was total rubbish. It might be safe for everyone to practice, but it wouldn¡¯t have much help in the practice of one¡¯s Soul Energy, which was obviously why the other tactics were stronger than this one. Furthermore, the Tactics of the de only served as the base of the training process, which allowed one to avoid bing deranged and reduce the chances of turning berserk during the practice of other tactics.

    Wang Tong¡¯s sixteen nodes version was way much stronger than the usual eight nodes version though, which exined why his Soul Energy would skyrocket once mind opened. Moreover, the dangerous life on Norton served as the key for him to master the power within; nevertheless, it had been the two hundred and fifty-six nodes version that had changed himpletely. However, there were still a couple of things that bothered him; one of them being the amount of his Soul Energy that didn¡¯t increase significantly even though the two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de had applied a finishing touch to the mastery. It also exined why there wasn¡¯t any huge contrast when he unleashed his Soul Energy, but it did manage to enhance his abilities to fight. Hence, Wang Tong suspected that the two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de was most probably meant to have a direct effect on his GN Force only.

    Anyhow, that was only his spection since the real exnation was not avable yet. Nevertheless, the mystical Tactics of the de was unlike the other conventional tactics so everything might be possible.

    Wang Tong knew that he would have to train harder because the sixteen nodes Tactics of the de was the core to every connection. His fighter instinct was telling him that things would go terribly wrong if he got obsessed with the two hundred and fifty-six nodes version since power that could be obtained easily was always unstable and unsustainable.

    How he wished he had a mentor by his side, then he wouldn¡¯t have to figure it out through trial and error and guess everything on his own every single time. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t go crazy as time went on.

    Previously, Wang Tong had learned the delicate control of his GN Force through the match against Cisco, as for today, he was able to learn a new hand-chopping technique. Wang Tong then waved his arms to imitate the chopping action and chuckled as he struck a pose at the end, he even began to realize that he was quite handsome when he did that at the final part and might really have what it takes to be a celebrity. Instantly, the unrivaled warrior had turned into a silly, narcissistic boy in the game room.

    Growl¡­ growl¡­

    "Aww,e on, I just fed you!" Wang Tong smacked his belly as he grumbled.

    In order to eat, Wang Tong would have to spend money again, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. He was starving and needed to eat to replenish his stamina since he was drained after the match with Wings of Heaven a while ago.

    "Yes, yes, stop growling. I¡¯m gonna feed you in a minute!" the growl from his stomach got louder as Wang Tong spoke while smacking his own belly. It was obviously "protesting" against him for causing the intense hunger. Wang Tong had gone through a lot of hardships while he was trapped on Norton, yet now he was going through starvation; then again he med the big man up there for making him suffer.

    "Boss, the bill please?"

    "Haha, it¡¯s okay, you can just swipe your card right there. So how was the match? Exciting?" The shopkeeper smiled brightly.

    "Of course, it was awesome! Hey, thanks for reserving the room, by the way, I¡¯d have been damned if I¡¯d missed it!"

    "You¡¯re wee, our shop might be small, but privileges would definitely be provided for the VIPs! Well, see ya next time, go¡­ good night!"

    The shopkeeper waved his hand happily, all thanks to this kid, tonight was yet another full house. With the customers screaming and shouting in his shop and drinks selling fast, the shopkeeper almost called Wang Tong "golden goose" by mistake.

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t suspect anything, as a matter of fact, he thought the shopkeeper was being nice to him probably because he looked cute and honest!

    After leaving DREAM Heaven, the somehow narcissistic Wang Tong went off to assuage his hunger.

    "Xiaoru, I¡¯m sure that my dream of crushing Capth will definitelye true if this Einherjar Wannabe dude bes one of us!" Samantha said as she gulped.

    "Looks like you¡¯re eager to recruit every single elite into Ayrng, Sam."

    "The more, the merrier! Now that I¡¯ve obtained Paradise Ind as the training base, I¡¯m finally able to rx... gosh, I really feel like kissing you right now,e closer my dear little princess."

    "Eww, get off me, you¡¯re disgusting!" Ma Xiaoru might be able to handle the Tactics of the Enchantress, but she was helpless in front of Samantha.

    "Why the long face my dear little princess? What¡¯s bothering you? Wanna talk about it?" Ma Xiaoru had been very moodytely. Even Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s incredible match was not able to get her interested, and Samantha believed she knew the reason.

    "Nothing, I¡¯m fine." Ma XIaoru shook her head.

    "Oh¡­ I think I know why. Did that idiot make you upset again? Didn¡¯t you use the method I taught you? Men will not appreciate you for being nice to them, in order to get their attention, you must act proud."

    "He wasn¡¯t like that!" Ma Xiaoru defended.

    "Oh, so it¡¯s really about that idiot huh."

    "Sam!"

    "Alright, okay, my bad. Why don¡¯t you tell your big sis what¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t believe my methods failed!" Samantha was really curious to know why Wang Tong would ignore such a perfect girl like Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru then began to exin how she applied Samantha¡¯s "proud peacock" method, and Samantha was showing a weird expression after hearing Ma Xiaoru¡¯s words.

    "Sam, do you think¡­ do you think he already has someone he likes?" Ma Xiaoru looked worried. Somehow, her mood swings were caused by the fickle and unpredictable qualities of the Tactics of the Enchantress, but if the person who practiced it were losing her mentality, the tactics itself could be uncontroble.

    Even though she had been practicing hard on her Tactics of the Enchantress recently, her progress had be stagnant. Apparently, not everything could be under control by being rational, especially since her personality was totally different from Samantha¡¯s.

    "Perhaps he¡¯s..." Samantha¡¯s serious look made Ma Xiaoru nervous, could he be¡­

    "Perhaps he¡¯s gay!" Samantha said in a serious tone.

    "Sam! I¡¯m not gonna talk to you if you keep teasing me."

    Samantha couldn¡¯t help teasing Ma Xiaoru, even she was attracted to this kind-hearted and pretty little girl. Nice girls like Ma Xiaoru were getting lesser and lesser, not to mention her wonderful family background, yet that idiot Wang Tong kept ignoring her¡­

    "Do you really like him that much? I mean, you two barely know each other; moreover, there are tons of guys who are better than him." It seemed like Samantha was also curious about Ma Xiaoru¡¯s feelings for the kid as if it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that.

    "Even I have no idea why... Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯mfortable being around him, it¡¯s hard to exin verbally though, I dunno what¡¯s wrong with me."

    "Rx Xiaoru, whether he likes you or not, it¡¯s not a big deal; furthermore, you are not sure of your own feelings as well, so there¡¯s no need to get tangled up with it. Just be normal and be direct at school tomorrow, feel free to talk to him or have lunch together, you don¡¯t have to hide your feelings," Samantha said.

    "You¡¯re right, Sam! Silly me!" Ma Xiaoru jumped up all of a sudden.

    "A-hem, missy, you just shed your panty to me, please mind your image!"

    Without a doubt, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s figure was stunningly gorgeous for her young age, and her prettiness was one of a kind, not to mention she was armed with the Tactics of the Enchantress. Rumor has it that every woman who practiced the Tactics of the Enchantress was hard to be "tamed", yet it would be the best thing to ever happened to a guy if he was able to do so. In fact, the first person who was able to do so happened to be General Li Feng, and it turned out that his ability to hit on girls was just as impressive as his glorious achievements. ording to the legend, even General Rngalos Dower, the greatest rival and also the mightiest Zerg ying partner of General Li Feng, was deeply impressed with his charm around women.

    Even though General Rngalos was known as mankind¡¯s greatest Mr. Perfect, he didn¡¯t marry someone stunningly beautiful. Many Ivantian girls were heartbroken when the news of his marriage was made public.

    Those happened many years ago though.

    It seemed that Ma Xiaoru had also be hard to be tamed, only God knows what would happen in the future.

    "Your figure is better than mine, Sam. I wish that someday I could be like you." All of a sudden, Ma Xiaoru hugged Samantha from behind. Obviously, her practice on Tactics of the Enchantress had also brought up her impishness.

    "Oh you naughty littledy, how dare you to ambush me like that. Looks like someone needs to be punished!"

    The two prettydies began chasing each other across the carpet, if there were men in the room, they would bepletely mesmerized by their pearly white feet. Present or future, these two beauties definitely had what it takes to make the world go round¡­

    Monday Blues wasmon amongst most people, yet Wang Tong looked energetic and excited. It seemed like he was satisfied with yesterday night¡¯s match, and also the fact that he ate well and had a good night sleep.

    He noticed that most people were talking about Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s match, and he had even got the attention of some Ivantians since the former captain of the Golden Star was involved in that fight. When the Ivantians were interested in something, Martians would barge in for sure. Apparently, Martians had frequently beenpeting against Ivantians in recent years, mainly because the economy of Mars was growing strong and rapidly as it was the main transit of the Centaurus Cluster. With such a development, it would be normal for both of them topete against each other.

 Chapter 132: The Twin Sisters

    Chapter 132: The Twin Sisters

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Generally, both Ivantians and Martians had agreed on making Earth as the hub, and even reluctantly agreed to have Earth as the political hub. However, neither of them wouldpromise when it came to deciding which would be the economic hub and the one with the most popr city. Thus triggering the Martians and Ivantians to go head to head against each other in order to prove who was stronger and better.

    Through gaining help from the Kaedeians, Mars had been developing rapidly in recent years and was even turned into a that was suitable for Earthlings to live in. Besides that, unique species of nts were also brought to Mars, transforming its habitat to a green as vibrant as Earth. Furthermore, two out of the threergest spaceports were also located in Mars, which also exined one of the reasons behind their arrogance.

    "Wang Tong, all of us from S will be going out for lunchter, my treat, so make sure youe along, Captain!" Ma Xiaoru said to Wang Tong in a jolly manner. It seemed like Ma Xiaoru had reallye to her senses. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a big deal at all so she really had no reasons to have scruples since youngster shouldn¡¯t be hesitating that much from time to time.

    "Wow, a treat from our dear vice captain, of course, I¡¯ll bring along my appetite!" Wang Tong loved free lunches.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll be expecting your arrivalter!"

    "An invitation to a banquet from the princess, obviously, everyone will be there," Wang Tong joked.

    "That¡¯s very kind of you, I¡¯ll let you sit beside meter then," Ma Xiaoru said in a charming manner.

    "Thank you, your Highness." Ever since Wang Tong defeated Bernabeu and became one of Ayrng¡¯s aces, no one was jealous of him getting too close to Ma Xiaoru anymore.

    Wherever there was free food, Carl would be there. Somehow the word "polite" didn¡¯t exist in his vocabry, no wonder he was called the grandmaster of cheekiness.

    Ma Xiaoru went to confirm her reservation as soon as the ss was dismissed, and Wang Tong went off to inform Zhou Sisi about the lunch gathering; she had to be very busytely for not replying to his message on Sky.

    Wang Tong was always enthusiastic about food, which was why he didn¡¯t want to bete because he knew that Wang Ben and the other few members with a huge appetite wouldn¡¯t be waiting for him even though he was their captain.

    "Ah, there she is, but why is she walking in the opposite direction?"

    Apparently, the way Zhou Sisi walked looked so elegant today, she was wearing a cap, and even the way she dressed looked different, simple yet stylish.

    Wang Tong rushed forward and surprised her from behind, "Sisi!" Then he hooked his right arm on her shoulder and whispered, "You think I wouldn¡¯t recognize you in another outfit?"

    All of a sudden, Zhou Sisi grabbed Wang Tong¡¯s hand and elbowed his ribcage, it caught Wang Tong by surprise, luckily he had good reflexes and managed to defend Zhou Sisi¡¯s elbow strike with his left hand. Then, Zhou Sisi¡¯s elbow strike was quickly followed by another kick aiming toward his crotch, of course, Wang Tong managed to dodge her attack again.

    "Woah Missy, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going a little too far? You could¡¯ve killed your own mentor!"

    "Get off me!" Zhou Sisi seemed to be kind of embarrassed.

    "Okay, okay, don¡¯t hit me. I¡¯m just here to tell you that Xiaoru has invited us for lunch to celebrate the establishment of S, and since you¡¯re not replying to my messages on Sky, I took the trouble to run-around looking for you. C¡¯mon hurry up, Wang Ben and the guys are gonna finish all the food if we¡¯rete!" Wang Tong said with a smile on his face.

    "Oh."

    Somehow Zhou Sisi looked strange today. Usually, she wasn¡¯t that defensive.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Zhou Sisi asked.

    "Dunno¡­ you look weird today."

    "You¡¯re thinking too much, c¡¯mon let¡¯s go! I thought you said we¡¯re supposed to hurry?" Zhou Sisi gave Wang Tong a little push.

    "You look weird with a cap."

    "Shut up, I was just trying on a mysterious look today." Wang Tong zipped his mouth immediately, it seemed like Zhou Sisi was having a bad day.

    "The best thing a man can do is to shut the hell up when a woman is infuriated." Quotes by Old Fart.

    As both of them arrived, the other members were already there.

    "What took you two so long? Wow, Sisi, you¡¯re looking different today!"

    "Alright fe, that¡¯s enough. Well, since we¡¯re all here, cheers! Bottoms up!"

    "Vice captain, aren¡¯t we supposed to have alcohol for such asion?" Carl asked aloud.

    "No, we¡¯re having Gansus¡¯ ss in the afternoon, unless you are nning to skip his ss," Hu Yangxuan said.

    "I don¡¯t drink alcohol," Rumi said softly as she rubbed her fingers.

    "Alright, fine, if you guys say so... cheers guys!"

    Everyone raised their sses together and nk for the cheers, creating a joyful atmosphere.

    The boys then began to gobble up. Since they already knew each other, no one was acting shy at all. The girls, on the other hand, kept looking at each other, obviously ashamed of the guys¡¯ embarrassing expressions.

    Tita from the Heavy Arm Force had the biggest appetite amongst the boys, not to mention that he was also the biggest in terms of body size. In fact, the training of the Heavy Arm Force was the toughestpared to the other faculties because Heavy Arm Operators were required to maintain a strong body, which was why their physical training was harsher. Ever since his humiliating defeat against Bernabeu, Tita learned that he wasn¡¯t as strong as he thought; hence he had been working out really hard recently.

    "Hey guys, looks like Einherjar Wannabe had done it again, do y¡¯all think he¡¯s actually some sorta top-notch from another academy?" Tita mumbled while chewing his food.

    "Possible, since weirdos always exist in S-Ranked academies. Apparently, they don¡¯t like topete in school, but they¡¯ll rampage at some other ces!"

    "Nevertheless, the oue was absolutely mind-blowing! His opponent was a fighter with fifth tier Soul Power, yet Einherjar Wannabe was able to defeat him with his level fourth tier Soul Power, he is really something else." Although they were the top-notches of Ayrng, they were thrilled when watching Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s matches every single time. His strength and ability were off the chart.

    "Yo, everyone is having a conversation yet you¡¯re still eating." Zhou Sisi gave Wang Tong a little push.

    "Oh, wha¡­ yea, he¡¯s good, really good," Wang Tong murmured a few words and carried on with his feast.

    At the other end of the table, Wang Ben was also eating in silence. Instead of spending timementing on Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s amazing performance, he¡¯d rather focus his mind on what he could do to ask for a rematch.

    As a matter of fact, Wang Ben was incredibly excited after watching the match between Einherjar Wannabe and Wings of Heaven. Einherjar Wannabe was special to Wang Ben since that guy was the one who made him who he was today. However, the more excited he felt, the more prudent he would get. If Wang Ben was still the old him, he would have been eager to challenge him again, but he had changed! Now, all he wanted was to be well prepared in order to push himself further, and Wang Ben would not ask for a rematch unless he was able to reach his own expectation. Furthermore, he knew it would be meaningless if he were to re-challenge him without any preparation.

    Wang Ben assumed that Einherjar Wannabe would like to see him again in the battle ring too, but he definitely did not want someone who wasn¡¯t fully prepared. Apparently, Wang Ben was quite pressured by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s recent performances, yet he didn¡¯t back down and turned those pressures into urges instead.

    Zhou Sisi was left speechless as she was a bit disappointed in Wang Tong¡¯s pdash attitude.

    "I heard that Einherjar Wannabe has be the most wanted person of Capth right after Cisco was defeated, and a lot of students have been sending him challenge invitations ever since," Ma Xiaoru who was sitting right next to Wang Tong changed the subject all of a sudden, she began to envy the natural intimacy between Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi, which was kind of impossible for her to achieve.

    "Students of Capth have always been ambitious, but unfortunately for them, Einherjar Wannabe isn¡¯t someone who could be easily defeated. In fact, these youngsters will never stand a chance against Einherjar Wannabe¡­ unless you¡¯re one of the Four Princes," Hu Yangxuan said.

    Hu Yangxuan didn¡¯t over-exaggerate Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ability because there were still quite a handful of aces hidden among the students of Capth, and besides Capth, there were also a lot of young aces in the Court of the Temr. Usually, higher ranked disciples in the Court of the Temr were not interested in battles like this; however, he had no idea if the hidden aces of Capth would be interested since those weirdos were always full of surprises.

    "I still can¡¯t believe that we will be facing off against Capth soon," Kyaero said while touching his head, he felt that it was already a huge honor just being able to participate in such event, as most of them who entered Ayrng would never expect such privilege.

    "Hmph, what¡¯s so amazing about Capth? As soon as we crush them into pieces, then it will be the moment for Ayrng to bask in the glory again! Hahaha!" Carl was full of confidence as usual. No one said nothing as heughed, but Carl wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all. Most probably because he was born with an optimistic personality, he was always joyful.

    Zhou Sisi shook her head as she stared across the fellow elites of Ayrng.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Sisi? You seem quiet today, it¡¯s not like you."

    "Yea, are you feeling okay, Secretary Zhou?" a few of the boys questioned.

    Bam¡­

    Suddenly, someone m-opened the door as Zhou Sisi was about to speak, and everyone couldn¡¯t believe what they were witnessing; the poor Carl almost stuck his chicken drumstick into his nose. Wang Ben and Wang Tong were the only ones who were still eating when this happened, but Wang Ben stopped eating too when he looked up, but Wang Tong had no idea what happened as his back was facing the door.

    "What¡¯s wrong fes?"

    Wang Tong turned around and immediately got stunned by what he saw; there were two Zhou Sisi¡¯s! One was standing by the doorway while the other one was joining them at the dining table! What in the name of God was going on here?!

    "There you are, Yiyi!" Zhou Sisi was surprised as well.

    "Sis!" The other "Zhou Sisi" got up from the dining table and gave Zhou Sisi a big hug while kissing her on the face.

    "You naughty girl! Oh, I¡¯m so sorry guys, this is Zhou Yiyi, my twin sister!"

    The other "Zhou Sisi" took off her cap and revealed her long dark hair, "Hello everyone, I¡¯m Zhou Yiyi, the younger twin sister, nice to meet you all¡­ you guys have been very entertaining." Zhou Yiyi then burst intoughter.

    "You¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re..." Carl stood up all of a sudden, and the rest of the group finally realized what was going on. Both Zhou Sisi and Zhou Yiyi¡¯s figures were identical, and Zhou Yiyi managed to fool their eyes since she was wearing a training outfit and she covered most of her face with the cap; however, the group was able to see the difference between those two girls as Zhou Yiyi took off her cap.

    Zhou Sisi had the appearance of a good student, while Zhou Yiyi, on the other hand, looked vibrant and rebellious. Although the two of them looked exactly the same, somehow people were still able to differentiate the two of them from their silent and active personalities.

    "You¡¯re YIYI from Happy Girls!" Tita yelled, apparently the tough guy was also one of those Happy Girls fans.

    Happy Girls was currently the most popr teen idol group consisting of three members, one from Earth, one from Moon, and one from Mars; two of them were Earthlings while the other one was a Kaedeian girl.

    These girls were the biggest rising stars in recent years. All three of them had their own characteristics, and their voices and images were widely epted amongst the younger generations, not to mention that they were also very talented in singing; hence their fame skyrocketed as soon as the album entitled "Happy Girls" was released.

 Chapter 133: Recon Zergs

    Chapter 133: Recon Zergs

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    "No wonder I thought Sisi looked like YIYI. Turns out both of you are really twin sisters. Good God, and you¡¯ve been keeping this secret from us since day one!"

    "Yea, Sisi, you should¡¯ve told us earlier since we¡¯re friends!"

    "Kiddo, you¡¯re the one who caused this trouble, so fix it yourself." Zhou Sisi waved her hand helplessly. However, Zhou Yiyi stuck out her tongue instead. Although both of them were at the same age, people were able to see that Zhou Sisi was obviously the older twin sister as Zhou Yiyi was still behaving like a child.

    Everyone sat back down, and apparently, most of them were still overwhelmed by what had happened awhile ago, Wang Tong, on the other hand, was terribly ashamed of making that horrible mistake.

    "I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re sneaking out again huh?" Zhou Sisi pulled Zhou Yiyi toward her.

    "C¡¯mon sis, I barely had the chance to go home, so of course, I had to sneak out! Just so you know, I¡¯ll be going back tonight in order to get prepared for the Sub Zero Pr Concert."

    Most of the boys got excited by the unexpected appearance of a celebrity. To be honest, Zhou Sisi herself was already quite pretty amongst the girls, but now that they had learned about her idol twin sister and her resemnce to Zhou Yiyi, suddenly they all realized that Zhou Sisi had be even prettier.

    However, not everyone seemed to be interested, as the others were busy looking at the twins, Wang Ben and Wang Tong carried on with their feast.

    Everyone left right after Carl got his signature from Zhou Yiyi, leaving the twin sisters to do their catch-up. Thankfully this was a military academy, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting discovered by crazy fans.

    "Yiyi, can¡¯t you stay a bit longer?" Zhou Sisi said as she held her little sister¡¯s hands. Both of them had made their own choices, Zhou Sisi enrolled in the Academy of Ayrng, while Zhou Yiyi decided to pursue her dream of bing an idol. In the end, the two of them had achieved their goals, and this was the first time they got to see each other after parted ways for more than a year.

    "Don¡¯t worry sis, this time I¡¯ll be staying on Earth a little longer, and your ticket for the concert is already with me, so pleasee and see me perform on that day."

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely be there as long as nothing special urs!"

    "So that¡¯s Wang Tong huh, the dude that you were talking about?" Zhou Yiyi gave a rather ambiguous smile as she said.

    "Did you say something weird to him just now?"

    "Nope, but that guy sucks, Sis! I suggest you look for another one," Zhou Yiyi replied.

    "Shut it, kiddo! You¡¯re talking nonsense again."

    "C¡¯mon sis, you¡¯re only a few minutes older than me, but I do feel that the other prettydy has some feelings for him too," Zhou Yiyi was talking about Ma Xiaoru.

    Zhou Sisi smiled and said, "Just take care of yourself, no need to worry about me, I¡¯m fine."

    "Yea, yea, I¡¯ll be a good girl. Anyway, promise me you¡¯lle to my concert or I¡¯ll stop listening to you, Sis! Haha, of course, you can bring him along."

    "We¡¯re just friends and schoolmates, it¡¯s not what you think it is."

    "Hmph, that picky bastard! You want me to help you talk some sense into that idiot, Sis?" Zhou Sisi seemed to be pissed.

    "Don¡¯t do anything stupid!"

    "I¡¯m standing up for you, Dear Sister. Most importantly, just now I heard they were saying about challenging Capth, is that true?" Obviously, Zhou Yiyi was quite familiar with Capth.

    "Haha, yea, you¡¯ll support me right?"

    "Of course, Sis, you can do it! Let¡¯s keep up the good work together!"

    "It¡¯s hard to believe that YIYI is actually Zhou Sisi¡¯s twin sister."

    "It¡¯s even harder to believe that you¡¯ve mistaken her as Zhou Sisi and brought her along, that¡¯s hrious dude!" Hu Yangxuan joked.

    "Shut up dude, you and everyone else didn¡¯t realize either that she was not Sisi." Wang Tong was obviously embarrassed by his mistake, but who in the world would have thought that she was actually her twin sister?

    "Nevertheless, I have to say, I just realized that Sisi has be much prettiertely," everyoneughed as Hu Yangxuan said that.

    Zhou Sisi chose to keep it as a secret from everyone because she didn¡¯t want herself to be the center of attentions because of this, and it also exined why she was so good at singing and dancing. Perhaps Zhou Sis might also have be another sessful idol if she had chosen the same path as her twin sister, yet Sisi pursued her own passion and joined the military instead.

    Both sisters had different personalities even though they were twins.

    Zhou Yiyi left right after lunch as she had a busy schedule ahead; nevertheless, she was d to sneak out and visit her dear sister even though they could only chat for a little while.

    Despite that the secret of her idol twin sister got discovered, Zhou Sisi remained the same, so was Wang Tong and the rest of the group; not to mention that both Wang Tong and Wang Ben were not some regr star-struck teenagers.

    After that little incident, everyone went back to attend Gansus¡¯ lecture. This time, Ma Xiaoru took the initiative to sit beside Wang Tong after realizing that she had no reasons to distance herself, all she had to do was to act normal. Ma Xiaoru felt more rxed after she managed to ovee the awkwardness.

    "So, what do you think about Yiyi? Beautiful isn¡¯t she?" since Gansus hasn¡¯t arrived, Ma Xiaoru took the chance to ask Wang Tong.

    "Yes she is, but you look prettier," Wang Tong answered honestly.

    "That¡¯s very kind of you."

    "Well of course, since it would be impolite for me to bite the hands that fed us good lunch," Wang Tong joked.

    Ma Xiaoru got angry and gave Wang Tong a good hard pinch when no one was watching. Of course, Wang Tong didn¡¯t scream in the ss since it would be embarrassing, so he bit his lips and endured the pain.

    "Yo, Wang Tong, are you not feeling well?" the other guy sitting beside him asked.

    "Nah, he¡¯s good, I think he ate too much just now." The guy was totally mesmerized by Ma Xiaoru¡¯s charming and cheerful smile.

    How Wang Tong wished he could pinch her back for his revenge, but obviously he would never do that since the other ssmates might be watching, and it wasn¡¯t right to hurt ady.

    After all, women always got the best of men.

    In the end, Wang Tong had no choice but to endure the pain, while Ma Xiaoru smiled at him triumphantly.

    The whole ss shushed when Gansus¡¯ heavy footsteps echoed through the doorway of the ssroom as everyone knew Gansus preferred silence. Then, Gansus stomped his left foot on the ground, examined everyone and began his lesson: "Today we¡¯ll be learning about another type of Zerg. These species of Zergs might be weaker in terms ofbatpared to the other Zergs, but they all have onemon ability, which is flying."

    The Airborne Zergs were one of the most notorious kinds of Zergs among fighters because they could expose the whereabouts of mankind¡¯s troops, and their flying ability was really a pain in the *ss. However, there was nothing to be worried about during full force attacks as these Zergs would be handled by units specialized in anti-airborne warfare. Additionally, the Airborne Zergs were also the weakest in terms of defense.

    "Take a look at this, this creature here is a Meganeura Zerg[1], ormonly known as the Green-eyed Zergs. They are one of the mostmon types of Airborne Zergs which specialize in reconnaissance surveys." The image was quickly followed by the detailed data of the Meganeura Zergs. Their size was about three meters in length, their main arsenals were a pair of ws and the tail spine, which allowed them to stab and fling their victims up in the air. The Meganeura Zergs also specialized in closebats. Theirrge, green eyes had absolutely no dead angles, and they also had excellent flying speed.

    "Since y¡¯all have gone through and understood its profile and data, now I¡¯d like to hear about yer thoughts." Gansusid down the question to the ss.

    Being the most active student in the ss, Carl raised his hand and volunteered to give his opinion, he loved to talk, and nothing could¡¯ve stopped him.

    "Go ahead, Carl."

    "Sir, these Green-eyed recon-bastards are one of the most expendable cannon fodders in the legion of Zergs. They have weakbat abilities, all we have to do is to avoid getting detected on the battlefield as fast as we can and kill them as quickly as possible once we see them, or else our whereabouts will be exposed."

    "Anyone else wanna add anything to that?" Gansus asked after hearing Carl¡¯s thoughts.

    Apparently, everyone else in the ss too had the same thoughts as Carl, since these lowest ranked Green-eyed Zergs were no strangers to most of them, no one said anything in addition since they had no other thoughts; however, some students did briefly discuss it among themselves.

    "Thank you, Carl. Well, it seems like all of ya think that the Green-eyed Zergs are only some sorta weak recon scouts and there¡¯s nothing to be feared as long as ya stay out of its radar huh?"

    Everyone in the ss nodded and began to think what would Gansus say; as far as they knew, those were the only data in its profile, and there was really nothing scary about recon scouts.

    "However, these type of Zergs would already be obsolete if we could perfectly avoid their detections. Yet, these Green-eyed bastards still exist up until now even though the Zergs keep on evolving, which means that they are still very useful in the battlefield. The fact is, it is impossible for us to avoid being detected by them, even if we proceed cautiously in the thick jungle. Those huge eyes are not just ordinary eyes, they are actually made out of hundreds of thousands ofpound eyes. Normally, those eyes won¡¯t react to rocks, trees, and the other stuff, but they¡¯re very sensitive when ites to detecting mankind, like spotting charcoals in and full of snow, easy peasy!"

    "Sir, how far are they able to see?"

    "Good question, I¡¯d say around five hundred meters to about one kilometer even in a rough environment. When these creatures detect humans, they¡¯ll directly send the image of what they saw to the brain of their leader."

    "Oh God, so it means we will be detected anyway?" the ss immediately kicked up a fuss.

    Even though Gansus was a strict lecturer, he had never forbidden his students to speak up or having discussions in his ss.

    "What I¡¯m trying to say is, no one can ever escape from the vision of the Green-eyed Zergs," Gansus made the final conclusion.

    "But sir, that means we could be ambushed by Zergs anytime on the battlefield!"

    "Yea, don¡¯t we have any sort of technology or mechanism that could deal with those creatures?"

    Somehow Gansus was fed up with these hot-blooded idiots.

    Bang bang bang!

    "Silence, silence, I said silence! Like I said previously, these creatures will be handled by a recon team specialized in anti-airborne warfare during full force attacks. However, most of the time, the recon teams will be unavable during squadron missions, and when you happen to encounter the Green-eyed Zergs, that means your team¡¯s whereabouts is already exposed, so the only thing you can do is to act ordingly to the situation," Gansus exined.

    "Sir, so you were saying that they¡¯ll definitely see us if we see them, am I right?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, and don¡¯t you guys ever think that there might be exceptions. There are 99% chances that the Green-eyed Zergs would have already transmitted the info of your whereabouts when you encounter them, and since their job is done, they will definitely switch to attack mode."

    "But Sir, why would these creatures continue to stalk us instead of just directly attack when they see us?"

    Notes:

    1: Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period, which resembled and are rted to the present-day dragonflies. Wikipedia

 Chapter 134: Wang Tongâ€™s Doubts

    Chapter 134: Wang Tong¡¯s Doubts

    <strong>Trantor:</strong>Double_L

    <strong>Editor:</strong>Tehrn

    Gansus gave a stone-cold sneer and exined, "Luckily for us, these creatures have low IQ, or else we would be dead for sure. Listen up, even though the Green-eyed Zergs have good visions, they are also the ones with the lowest rank in the legion of Zergs. They are ¡®programmed¡¯ to transmit images of what they saw before switching to attack mode, so we can actually see it as a chance for us to improvise ording to the situation."

    "You mean we can actually beat them at their own game?"

    "That¡¯s right, we can use their tricks against them! Although we should never underestimate their capabilities, we should also never overestimate them. Since the Green-eyed Zergs are the ones with the lowest rank, they might be good at observing and detecting, but they don¡¯t have the ability to analyze what they see! They can¡¯t tell if the info they obtained are true or false since it is always up to the ones with the brains to analyze."

    Everyone began to understand after hearing Gansus¡¯ exnation, at least now they knew that it was not going to be one man¡¯s responsibility when it came to fighting off Green-eyed Zergs during full force attacks. Moreover, both recon team and intel analysis department of the military would have their own sets of skills to handle these creatures, and thankfully, mankind was still able to outsmart the Zergs in terms of intel gathering. However, instead ofrge-scale battles, most of the fights against the Zergs were mainly dispersed warfare in the recent decade, which was why normal troops should also be cautious and pay attention to these creatures as it would be a matter of life and death even though it might not have anything to do with the overall situations.

    Everyone nodded, they seemed to have understood one thing in Gansus¡¯ lessons: remember the methods and act spontaneously when encountering that particr species of Zerg.

    Wang Tong tilted his eyebrow and hesitated to speak; however, Gansus was able to notice his minor change of expression.

    "Wang Tong, ya wanna say something?"

    Wang Tong paused and said, "Sir, recently I¡¯ve been doing a lot of readings about Zergs, but it seems that some of the info in those materials are already outdated and became unusable. Besides, most of the things you said in ss are not even mentioned in the textbooks."

    "Hmph, that¡¯s because the authorities of the Earth Confederation are always busy expanding their military might, and although some of them have been focusing on education development, yet it is still not enough."

    "I¡¯ve seen these Green-eyed Zergs before; however, if I¡¯m not mistaken, they¡¯ve also evolved into another type of Green-eyed Zergs. The new ones are smaller in size, approximately one meter long, the color of their bodies are scarlet instead of the generic green, and they are extremely weak in their attacks, but their flying speed is twice as strong as the conventional ones. The rough estimation of their charging speed is around two hundred kilometers per hour. Not to mention they¡¯re also quite aggressive, but I¡¯m not sure if they share the same archetype with themon Green-eyed Zergs."

    Gansus was surprised to hear what Wang Tong said, and everyone else in the ss was also started by Wang Tong¡¯s words. Aside from being a teacher, Gansus was also the expert in the study of Zergs, and for the sake of his lessons, he had a lot of friends andrades who were constantly updating him with thetest info about Zergs. Not every teacher in Ayrng was as hardworking and passionate as him.

    "So you¡¯ve seen them before?"

    "I can¡¯t be specific, but they do share a simr appearance. These smaller ones are very timid, and they generally don¡¯t participate in battles. Personally, I think they might be the ones givingmands," Wang Tong exined further. He had no proof as the info was all based on his observations during previous battles.

    Gansus remained silent for a while and said, "Let¡¯s continue after ss." Then Gansus asked Wang Tong to sit down and carried on with his lesson about Green-eyed Zergs.

    "Way to go, Mr. Know-it-all," Ma Xiaoru praised impressively.

    "Nah, it¡¯s just my luck."

    Somehow Ma Xiaoru was unable to fully understand Wang Tong, it didn¡¯t seem like he was acting and showing off, but everything he did was beyond what people usually achieved. Most of the students had never seen a Green-eyed Zerg before, let alone its archetype.

    However, everyone had gotten used to Wang Tong¡¯s extraordinary performances as they had already been learning together for quite some time.

    Gansus asked Wang Tong to follow him to his office as soon as the bell rang. Obviously, Gansus was very keen to learn about this himself even though it was way above the sybus.

    "Take a seat." Gansus¡¯ office was very simple but surprisingly neat and tidy. "Ya want something to drink? I¡¯ve only got water."

    "Water will do, Sir."

    "So tell me about this weird looking Green-eyed Zerg that¡¯s not included in the archive of Zergs." Gansus looked very interested.

    Wang Tong began to tell him what he saw, and Gansus seemed to be amazed by what he had heard, "It¡¯s absolutely a miracle for you to be able to survive on Norton."

    "Sir, I¡¯ve had this thought for quite some time, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s okay to say here."

    "Don¡¯t be a wimp, feel free to say anything in my office."

    "I have a feeling that the Zergs are using Norton as an experimental base. During myter days on Norton, I¡¯ve been spending quite some time observing these creatures. Not only I¡¯ve discovered that their species have increased, but apparently, they were also fighting among themselves. ording to what the biologists said, the Zergs should be self-evolving creatures, but from what I saw, it felt like more like a breeding farm controlled by another party which allows the Zergs to kill each other in order to survive. Besides the new Green-eyed Zergs, there are also quite an extensive amount of Zergs which are not avable in the archive."

    Gansus lit up a cigarette and said, "What¡¯cha said is totally different from what we¡¯ve heard, the Confederation had been spending more than a year eradicating those troops of Zergs, yet they didn¡¯t manage to discover what you just said when they were doing their extermination. If what¡¯cha said is true, then it¡¯s possible that the legion of Zergs is plotting something disastrous."

    "I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure, Sir, but if they really are plotting something big, that would also mean that their intelligence has tremendously improved."

    "It¡¯s possible since these creatures are very good in evolution. However, the only thing I could do in my position is to submit a report to my old pals and see if they can offer any help, yet I¡¯m not sure if the Confederation would be taking this seriously."

    "I see, to be honest, what I saw might only be a part of the big picture, since I could only move around the area of my hideout and the radius was very small."

    "Actually, this is what I¡¯m concerned about, it does sound like a biological research facility since the small area was turned into a breeding farm that consists of a Zergs¡¯plete pyramid system... Anyway, I¡¯m very impressed with yer splendid memories, I can¡¯t believe ya can remember everything clearly," Gansus praised him, although there was no proof to backup Wang Tong¡¯s ims, yet Gansus believed that his student would never lie.

    Gansus too had no idea why would the Zergs attack Norton since they had beenying low for the past years, yet arge-scaled legion of Zergs suddenly invaded Norton, but they only managed tost for a year. Everything sounded suspicious since the Zergs were not stupid enough to waste their forces to do something that meaningless.

    The Earth Confederation had always been bragging about its unrivaled military might, yet somehow it sounded like they had underestimated the capabilities of the Zergs. To be honest, mankind was able to live in peace now all thanks to General Li Feng¡¯s splendid battle strategiesbined with the help from the FFC Corporation¡¯s advanced technologies, and there was also the god-like de Warrior who dealt a fatal blow to the Zergs at the beginning of the war. However, neither of them were able to exterminate these creaturespletely. In fact, the Zergs¡¯ tenacity had surpassed all other lifeforms throughout the gxy as they were able to survive anywhere, whether it was a tiny or even a cluster of meteorites. Not to mention the Zergs¡¯ mysterious Space Hives that were capable of performing Hyper Jump and leap through spaces even though they were bio organisms, which was another reason why mankind couldn¡¯t destroy thempletely.

    Throughout the battles with the Zergs, mankind was constantly researching new methods to counter the Zergs, while the Zergs¡¯ evolution patterns also tended to focus more on countering mankind. Many people knew that learning and researching were the greatest strength of mankind; however, people began to worry if the Zergs would also develop the same ability throughout as they evolved because the whole gxy would definitely be doomed if this really happened. Nevertheless, it would be pointless worrying about it since no one was able to predict what was going to happen next.

    "It has nothing to do with my memory, Sir. I just happen to use some of them as the ingredients for my ¡®meatballs¡¯ since there was nothing to eat on Norton, and I¡¯ve been constantly switching to another type of Zerg as I might get bored of eating the same type every day," Wang Tong looked embarrassed as he said that.

    Gansus might be tough, but the words from Wang Tong was more than enough to send a chill down his spine. Those monsters... were they edible?

    "Kid, I have to say, you really are something else! By the way, I think it would be better for you not to talk about this in public since the Confederation is still submerged in his period ofcency, and your ims might provoke certain departments, not to mention you¡¯re also one of the survivors of this incident."

    "I understand. Thank you, Sir!"

    "You may go now. Remember kid, stay sharp and focus, what you¡¯re learning now will definitely be able to aid you when you put your expertise to good use in the future."

    "Yes, Sir!"

    Gansus felt pleased while staring at Wang Tong¡¯s back as he left, originally he chose to stay away from power struggles and became a teacher because he was tired of fighting among each other. After defeating thest force of Zergs in the Sr System, he was expecting peace for at least another few decades, but he had never expected that these creatures would rise from their own ashes in less than ten years.

    In the middle of his thoughts, Gansus moved his wrists, wondering if he was still as tough as he used to be.

    Mankind was made out of advantages and disadvantages; no man wasplete without having a few weaknesses, and contradictions were always the essence of life.

    After running a few thoughts, Gansus decided to write the report he mentioned a while ago. Anyhow, he decided to take the trouble to give those guys a heads-up, as there were still a few guys in the Confederation who were willing to hear him out.

    Ironically, no man would be satisfied with being able to live in harmony. During the few years of peace, the former forces led by the Five Houses and the new military government were not able to see eye to eye on a lot of matters and ended up creating economic conflicts and power struggles...

    Wang Tong received a message from Samantha¡¯s Sky once he left Gansus¡¯ office, he had not been hearing from her sinceing back from Bernabeu. However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t expect anything since he knew Samantha had moved on and she was busy preparing for the huge tournament against Capth.

    Apparently, she had something to announce for the training program.

    Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben,[_epted suggestion_] and some of them were already there when Wang Tong arrived, and they were smiling as he walked in; the group was quickly joined by Tita, Kyaero,[_epted suggestion_] and the rest. It was the same ten candidates against Bernabeu, and it seemed like Samantha would be relying on the same team for the fight against Capth.

    The candidates of Capth were way much stronger than the elites of Bernabeu. In fact, Bernabeu kept challenging Capth in recent years,[_epted suggestion_] but they kept getting defeated; even though Apache was able to win in one of the rounds, yet generally speaking,[_epted suggestion_] Bernabeu was the one who got owned [_epted suggestion_]most of the time. Rumor has it that Capth didn¡¯t even send out their top candidates in the previous tournaments.

 Chapter 135: Bucket Full of Confidence

    Chapter 135: Bucket Full of Confidence

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Unlike Ayrng and Bernabeu, the S-Ranked academies like Capth or Yalden didn¡¯t have to plot anything or even persuade anyone to join them when it came to elite recruitment because every ambitious student would do whatever it took to enroll in these ultimate academies. Undeniably, Capth was like a colossal fortress standing in their way.

    This time, it was still ten candidates as Samantha didn¡¯t add anyone else to her list. Somehow, this looked dismaying because it had also reflected Ayrng¡¯s problem of their talent shortage. Obviously, the candidates against Capth had to be unique as normal students would be useless in this situation. However, the ten elite candidates of Ayrng were only able to defeat Bernabeu by a hair, let alone the almighty Capth. Aside from Carl who was over-confident as usual, the other candidates were looking very upset since they knew their odds of winning would be extremely low.

    After waiting for a short while, the team was finally joined by Samantha, who was looking charming as always.

    "Listen up everyone, I¡¯m sure all of you already know why you were summoned. That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve decided to send all of you to a special training program in order to ensure a good result during the tournament against Capth!"

    "Ma¡¯am, what do you mean by ¡®good result¡¯?" Wang Tong asked in a funny manner.

    Samantha red across Wang Tong and replied, "Of course, I¡¯m talking about iming the victory! Do you think I would waste so much of my time, money, and effort on nothing and watch all of you get owned by Capth¡¯s candidates?"

    "Capth, here wee!" Carl yelled.

    "Ma¡¯am¡­ do you think we¡¯ll able to do it?" Rumi was theplete opposite of Carl, she had no confidence at all, the others too seemed to be depressed.

    "Obviously, now would be impossible, but I¡¯m pretty sure you boys and girls would do fine after the training, so please have faith in yourselves!"

    Samantha seemed confident, then she continued, "In addition to that, Ayrng will be teaming up with Bernabeu against Capth, so Bernabeu too will be sending over ten candidates, and you all will be training alongside with them. In the end, we will select ten of the most outstanding students among all of you as our final candidates against Capth!"

    "Joining forces with Bernabeu? That¡¯s absurd ma¡¯am!" Carl and the others were startled by the news.

    Samantha smiled and said, "Do you guys think you¡¯re already good enough to be the final candidates? The only way for all of you to improve is throughpetitions. The first phase of our training will be held at FFC¡¯s Paradise Ind. I¡¯m sure this full-fledged experimental base of the FFC will be the perfect venue to shape up you guys."

    "Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t you think this is too good for Bernabeu?" Tita seemed frustrated as the team fought very hard in order to obtain this once in a lifetime opportunity, yet Samantha had decided to share it with Bernabeu instead.

    Samantha looked around the crowd sternly and replied, "Do I have a choice? You will still be able to represent Ayrng if you¡¯re strong enough, but if you¡¯re still not strong enough, then step aside and let the aces from Bernabeu handle the job. I¡¯m doing this to prevent you guys from embarrassing yourselves in front of Capth!"

    "Ma¡¯am, I think you¡¯ve underestimated our potentials, we¡¯ve already defeated Bernabeu, so of course, we will also be able to crush Capth, am I right, Captain?" Carl looked toward Wang Tong.

    "Captain?" Samantha too turned toward Wang Tong, "I¡¯m d you guys have chosen your own captain, which saves me a lot of trouble. Oh, another thing, Principal Martyrus will be handling the first phase of the training all by himself, so be prepared!"

    "Ma¡¯am, so you were saying that the final candidates against Capth will be chosen based on our performances during the training, am I right?" Wang Tong asked.

    "That¡¯s right, all ten spots will be yours if all of you are strong enough, or else you¡¯ll be joining the benchwarmers if you¡¯re not. Do take note that Bernabeu will be sending over their best elites as well like Apache, Cao Yi, and the others... and of course, dear Best who couldn¡¯t wait to see you again," Samantha looked at Wang Tong when she said that, she was still surprised to see him gotten over her that fast.

    "Since we¡¯ve defeated Bernabeust time, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing to be feared of, so bring it on!"

    "That¡¯s actually not bad, I haven¡¯t had enough funst time." Obviously, Wang Ben was eager to try his hands on Apache.

    "Very good, I¡¯m d all of you are not scared by my announcement, go back to your rooms now and pack your bags, we¡¯re flying over to Paradise Ind tonight. Dismiss!" Samantha ordered as she waved her hand.

    "We¡¯re leaving tonight? For real?"

    "Is there any problem, Mr. Carl?"

    "No Ma¡¯am!"

    Everyone gathered around Ma Xiaoru once Samantha left. "Xiaoru, since Paradise Ind is a property of your family, why don¡¯t you tell us some internal information so that we have more advantages than Bernabeu?"

    "Sorry guys, I have no idea since I¡¯ve never asked anything about Paradise Ind. All I know is that Paradise Ind is an important base for researches and experiments, and all I can tell you is that the training will be much harder than you will expect."

    "Stop trying to take some advantages, Carl. I think ma¡¯am principal was right, we really don¡¯t deserve the chance of fighting Capth if we can¡¯t even defeat the guys from Bernabeu, not to mention that most of us were not able to give our best performances previously. Since this is an opportunity for us to improve, I¡¯d really like to see if all of the elites from Bernabeu are as strong as I expected!" Kyaero said while grabbing his fist. He would always remember his terrible defeat during the tournament against Bernabeu, and he had sworn to be better ever since. Clearly, Samantha had ignited the me of victory in every student¡¯s heart. No one liked to be defeated, and losing was the most terrible moment to be remembered.

    "Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m a chicken, of course, I¡¯ll be going will all of you, I¡¯m not afraid of them!" Carlughed.

    Everyone then went back to pack up their bags.

    Zhou Sisi was walking in the same direction as Wang Tong, "Hey Wang Tong, don¡¯t you think what happened back there was well yed by ma¡¯am principal? Apparently, she has pushed all of us to the edge of the cliff!"

    "So do you agree with her method or totally disagree with her?"

    "Haha, every one of us is in the danger zone except you, Ma Xiaoru, and Wang Ben, and I¡¯m also hanging on the edge of the danger zone, but I¡¯m fine with this arrangement since I was hoping for some excitement!"

    Wang Tong smiled as he heard that, he knew Zhou Sisi would be thinking like that since she had always been a headstrong andpetitive person even though she looked gentle. Wang Tong still remembered that Zhou Sisi would always bruise her fingers when she was busy practicing her Cloning Technique, yet the girl didn¡¯t evenin once.

    "I¡¯m feeling the same way. Instead of focusing on Bernabeu, we should be worrying about Capth which is also known as Earth¡¯s Ultimate Academy. Their elites are way stronger and even more hardworking than all of us, not to mention how superpetitive it is in this academy. There¡¯s really nothing much we can do except giving our best performances if we badly want this victory!"

    "Looks like you¡¯re having doubt about us too."

    "Everyone is doubting us, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we won¡¯t stand a chance. Actually, all of us have our own uniqueness and specialty; however, most of us arecking training, so hopefully, every one of us will be able to improve and be better on what we are good at," Wang Tong exined.

    "You¡¯re right, everyone said that Principal Martyrus is one of the best principals amongst A-Ranked academies since he¡¯s very good at discovering the talents and potentials of his students; however, I have to say that I¡¯m really proud of Principal Samantha¡¯s generosity. I can¡¯t believe she is able to share the slots with another academy," Zhou Sisi couldn¡¯t stop admiring their principal who was only a few years older than them. Without a doubt, Ayrng was given a new life under the administration of Samantha, and no one had underestimated her ever since. However, no one knew if the changes wouldst forever or she was just another ny-day wonder.

    "I¡¯m looking forward to participate in this training program very much, and I¡¯m terrifically excited to see Principal Martyrus, whose ability is well-known amongst A-ranked academies, teaming up with Principal Samantha who is very good with her brains." Somehow Wang Tong was a little unsatisfied of his usual courses, he was quenching for stronger power and bigger challenges. Honestly, the lessonstely tended to focus more on theoretical stuff, even METAL Combat sses and the lessons about Zergs were unable to satisfy his strong thirst for knowledge.

    "But I didn¡¯t expect everything to happen in such a hurry, she barely gave us anytime to get ready."

    "Haha, we are students of a military academy, and we will also be joining the military after we graduate, so we should learn to be prepared for anything at any time."

    "Yea, yea, enough of those big theories, I know what you mean. It is easier for boys since you guys have fewer things to pack; however, girls are more troublesome, got it?"

    "Yup, loud and clear. So did your sister go back to her ce?" Wang Tong quickly diverted the conversation.

    "Oh, sounds like you¡¯re very interested in her even though you two just met each other, I have to tell you that my sis has a high taste in men though," Zhou Sisi acted defensive all of a sudden.

    "No thanks, she¡¯s not my type, she almost turned me into Mr. No-nuts with her Nutcracker Kick," Wang Tong instantly crossed his hands when he said that. He would definitely not be able to sleep in peace at night if Zhou Yiyi was his girlfriend.

    "Hey, it¡¯s all your fault pervert! This is your first time meeting her yet you¡¯re bold enough to wrap your hands around her shoulder! Lucky for you, I¡¯ve been talking to her about you a couple of times, or else I¡¯m sure you would have already been dead by now." Zhou Sisi smirked impishly, she absolutely enjoyed watching Wang Tong embarrassing himself.

    "Hey! I didn¡¯t harass her, I did that because I thought she was you! Oh, so you¡¯ve been telling her about me huh, no wonder she agreed following me to the restaurant after that, you little fiend, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?"

    "Because you¡¯re a dummy that¡¯s why. See yater, alligator!" Zhou Sisi said as she walked toward her dorm.

    Wang Tong faked a smile, all of a sudden he began to realize that Ma Xiaoru was a wonderful girl; given by the fact that most of the beautiful girls were hard to handle, and it was even harder if the girl was pretty and popr. However, Ma Xiaoru was nothing like them; aside from looking gorgeous, she was also kind and gentle, it was like the personality of a real princess.

    Wang Tong shook his head and cleared his thoughts. Basically, he had nothing much to pack aside from a few clothes since most of his valuable belongings were inside his Space Crystal. He assumed they would also be providing clothing for all trainees as Paradise Ind sounded like an ind in the middle of nowhere with no supermarkets, and how he wished they would also take care of their daily meals, then he would be able to save more money. Wang Tong couldn¡¯t help smiling as he began to calcte how much money he would be saving.

    Everyone from S was already gathered at the field in the evening. As the helicopternded, Samantha gave them the signal toe on board, and the team hopped into the chopper one after another, none of them needed to worry about their luggage, all thanks to the convenient and handy Space Crystal.

    Approximately ten minutester, the helicopter docked itself to an aircraft, then everyone boarded the aircraft, which was actually the chartered flight toward Paradise Ind.

    Their flightnded at Base No.5 on Paradise Ind, which was a semi man-made ind in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It was called a semi man-made ind because most of its infrastructures and facilities were built on the expansion around the original ind. The ind was one of FFC¡¯s private property, and tens of kilometers radius around the ind were well-protected by the FFC¡¯s private armies.

    As one of the Five Houses of mankind, the House of Ma definitely had the privilege of owning an ind and its surrounding water. Moreover, the FFC was also known as one of mankind¡¯s wonder corporations as it had kickstarted the new era for mankind with its innovative technologies.

 Chapter 136: Its Too Much

    Chapter 136: It''s Too Much

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    It''s Too Much

    The FFC had given mankind not only technical innovations such as the space crystal and the METAL suit, but also an episode of the mysterious rtionship between the FFC, General Li Feng, and the de Warrior.

    Stories and legends aside, the human world had improved their standards of living thanks to the FFC.

    After many years of technology advancement, the FFC had remained a heavyweight yer in the military industry. However, it was no longer the hegemony that it used to be. Both the Moon and Mars had their independent military research and manufacturing facilities that rivaled the FFC. Thepetition had be fierce, as every faction was trying to gain an edge in the next wave of innovation.

    The standard METAL suits could be divided into six tiers, each to be used by the fighters of equal soul power. However, these were merely the standardized versions, and even the sixth tier was no match to the one used by the de Warrior. Therefore all the research institutes devoted themselves in technology advances in order to re-create the god-like abilities of the de Warrior.

    The Human''s discovery of the GN force had opened the door to endless power. There were only two key factors in better harnessing this power: one was to realize one''s potential, and the other was to use the various tools.

    The FFC owned many boot camps simr to the one Wang Tong and his friends were going. Although it would not be a top secret facility, it was an ideal ce for training. Not only it was equipped with all kinds of training equipment, but there were also living, breathing Zergs on the ind used as training targets. Conventional wisdom had taught human that to defeat their enemy, they had to know their enemy first. Besides, there were many things that a human could learn from the Zerg race. For example, if the human gained the key to unlock the secret of the Zerg''s never-fading life force, they would also be able to spread throughout the Universe without the struggle of finding an inhabitable.

    The flight could not be any more pleasant as Samantha''s luxurious private ne was equipped with different kinds of entertainment units to keep everyone upied.

    "Attention everyone, I need you to sign a waiver form please."

    The students stopped what they were doing and were curious as to why Samantha suddenly became so serious.

    As they studied the content of the waiver, they realized that it was a waiver form for liabilities of injuries and even death.

    Wang Tong and Wang Ben signed the form without any hesitation. People thought that the two weren''t scared because they were the strongest and thereby would have the lowest chance of having an ident. However, following Wang Tong and Wang Ben, the usually skittish Rumi had also signed the waiver without any sign of backing out. Rumi''s action had motivated the rest to sign the paper, after all, no one wanted to be the coward that bailed his friends.

    Samantha was impressed by everyone''s willingness to ovee their fear and thought that their action was a step in the right direction.

    Since there were still a few hours before the ne would arrive in Paradise Ind, everyone decided to take a rest to prepare for the training.

    At around 5 am, the ne started to approach its destination. The morning sunlight shone on the broken surface of the sea, rendering the sea into a shimmering blue. Everyone was woken up by an obnoxiously loud rm.

    "What! What''s happening? Are we gonna crash?" Carl rushed out of his seat with only a pair of underwear.

    The rest of his teammates slowly appeared as well, although much better dressed.

    Samantha was already dressed in her formal attire, and she wore that signature charming smile on her face. "Wee to Paradise Ind! I wish everyone good luck from here on, as you will be tested by Principal Martyrus."

    "Here?" Tita looked out through the window, "We are still above the sea."

    "That''s right, you are still 3 kilometers away from the ind."

    "You are suggesting that we swim across the 3 kilometers of water?"

    "Ahah! I always told others that you are not as dumb as you seem, Carl. You are right! Farewell then..." Samantha waved a hand at the students.

    Before the students had time to take in Samantha''s message, they found that the floor beneath them opened up. All the while, they had been standing on a trap door.

    "What the¡­ ARHHHH! ARHHHH! MOM!"

    The ten of them were falling through the air like dead rocks.

    No one had seen thising, they knew the training would be gruesome, but no one had been expecting it to be terrifying and deadly.

    The students initiated their GN forced one after another as they quickly realized that free falling at this height would mean death. Unfortunately, the skittish Rumi was so scared by the height that she had passed out. Sensing that Rumi was in danger, Wang Tong grabbed her body, trying to protect her from the fall. "Everyone! Control your GN force. Carl! What the heck are you waiting for? DO something!"

    Carl was still panicking, although he had already initiated his GN force, he quickly lost control as he was near the verge of a mental break down.

    "ARHH¡­ I... NO! No swim! Help! ARHHH!"

    Not far away, Tida also let out a heart-wrenching wail: "Why do I need to swim? It''s METALbat, METAL, not LIQUID!"

    The crisis seemed to have risen from multiple fronts, but Wang Tong''s hands were tied. He could not help butment at the cruel methods of his principal.

    The surface of the sea was fast approaching, Wang Tong mmed his palm downward, creating an uplifting force that helped to slow him down. He would be finending into the sea at fast speed, but Rumi had a rtively fragile body, and he had to make sure thending would not break any of her bones.

    A dozen feet away, Wang Ben speared toward the sea and at thest moment before impact, he punched at the water with his fist, making a massive explosion, and the force turned the sea underneath into a big whirlpool. Meanwhile, the forced lifted Wang Ben''s body up, he backflipped and then descended slowly into the disturbed water below.

    Hu Yangxuan also plunged into the sea safely using his GN force, although hisnding was less spectacr than Wang Ben.

    The most graceful of all was Ma Xiaoru. Ma Xiaoru''s tactics could amplify her GN force many times than usual under life-threatening circumstances, and therefore, her descent was the most steady.

    The rest of the students all plopped into the sea making a huge ssh around them, luckily, no one was injured.

    Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan swam to Tita and Carl to give them a hand. The pair was probably the only two Academy students of the entire Confederation who didn''t know how to swim.

    "I''ll do a headcount!" Wang Tong announced. They all knew right away that their training had already begun and the first test was to get to the ind.

    "Wang Ben."

    "Here."

    "Hu Yangxuan."

    "I''m all right." Hu Yangxuan waved his fingers in the air.

    ...

    No one was left behind, and even Rumi had wakened up by a few ssh from the cold sea water.

    "Carl, Tita. You two would have to learn to swim right now. There are still three kilometers ahead of us," Wang Tong told them.

    They could take turns to carry the two; however, Wang Tong knew that greater challenges were waiting for them on the shore; therefore, they couldn''t afford to waste too much energy right then.

    Wang Tong was the only one who had thought that far ahead. The life on Norton had taught him many things, but the most valuable lesson was to be prepared.

    The two had agreed to learn swimming on the spot, and Hu Yangxuan had volunteered to teach them. Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was assigned to take care of Rumi who was still recovering from the shock.

    Carl had quickly gotten a hang of it, but Tita was still struggling. However, with the aid of his GN force and the other ssmates, he could manage just fine.

    Everyone looked toward the direction of the ind, and they saw a speck in the distance. "That must be it!" Carl had just learned how to swim and felt the urge to swim as fast as he could. But he had depleted his energy in just 30 seconds.

    Ten minutester, more and more students started to feel exhausted, and hopelessness began to set in.

    Half an hourter, except for Wang Tong, all the other students were so tired that they felt as if their body had be a heavy rock. While they looked for the ind, they were all disappointed to find out that they were not getting any closer than where they had started.

    They huddled together and decided to take a break and reconsider their n.

    "Are we even heading to the right direction?"

    Not only were they tired, to have been submerged in the water for so long had also taken a toll on their inner bnce. Ma Xiaoru had protected herself with a GN shield, but Zhou Sisi and Rumi had not.

    The environment also seemed to have added to their torture as the sun beat down on their head, draining their determination.

    "The direction must be correct. There is nothing else around, except for that spec."

    "Then why are we still not there yet? Would it be a miscalction on our principal''s part?"

    Some students started to waver as various kind of spections sprout out.

    Wang Tong considered their options calmly. He had gone through hell on Norton; this seemed like a stroll in the park. Although neither Ma Xiaoru nor Wang Ben had endured the same level of crisis as Wang Tong did, they both held a calm expression and did not panic.

    The sun beat down on them ruthlessly. It not only made them grumpy and flustered but also taken away the precious water inside of their body.

    Wang Tong knew that a decision needed to be made; it had be a time of life and death. Whatplicated Wang Tong''s option was the fact that he was not alone, and therefore, he had toe up with a solution that could ensure everyone''s safety.

    "Who has brought food?" Wang Tong asked.

    Everyone stared at Wang Tong with disdain as Wang Tong''s question had reminded them how hungry they were since they had been thrown off the ne without breakfast. Rumi fluttered her eyes, and she looked so sad as if she could break into tears at any minute. "I... I have brought some snacks," she muttered, her voice was barely audible.

    When she took the snack out of her crystal, everyone''s excitement had turned into disappointment as they saw it was a few bags of "Cheesy Cheese" cheese stick. Without water to go with it, it would only make them even thirstier.

 Chapter 137: Count on Me

    Chapter 137: Count on Me

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Count on Me

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh after knowing that none of them had prepared for this kind of situation.

    "Here, I have five bentos and ten bottles of water. Take them and eat a little at a time."

    Everyone regarded Wang Tong as if he was their savior.

    "Gosh, do you always carry this much food while you are out?"

    After Norton, Wang Tong always carried a few days of ration with him whenever he was on a long trip. However, he miscalcted and didn''t bring enough this time.

    Wang Tong should be able to sustain his own life in the sea for a dozen days with ease. However, he would not give up on his friends.

    Every student got a bottle of water and a half box of bento. It was the cheapest lunch bento sold near the school, but by then, it had be more precious than gold.

    "Captain, you are a not only a genius but handy to have around in any situation."

    With water and food, the students seemed to have found hope once again.

    "Ok, everybody, please watch how much you eat. We will rest for three minutes and set out again." Wang Tong knew that the longer they stayed here, the direr the situation would be.

    To conserve their water and food was easier said than done. Only Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan who had undergone self-discipline training were able to stop after only one sip of water. The rest students chuck the whole bottle down their throat to quench their thirst.

    Wang Tong also took a sip and put his water bottle away; he knew that survival was more important than a few brief seconds of satisfaction.

    After a brief respite, the students set out toward the ind again. No one spoke a word; instead, they focused on conserving their energy, as well as their GN force.

    They had swum for another hour, and to their dismay, the dark spec still looked the same size. It was either that they were not moving at all, or the ind was moving away from them at the same speed.

    Wang Tong had to stop again and let everyone to take a rest.

    The thirst was more unbearable than the hunger. As Tita and Carl were about to chuck the remaining bottles of water, Wang Tong bawl out at them: "Stop! Only two bottles are left, what are we gonna do after that?"

    Everyone stopped what they were doing, and suddenly the situation seemed to have taken a more dire turn.

    Carl and Tita looked at the bottle of water, took a small sip to wet their parched lips. The other students followed their example, despite how unsatisfying that was.

    "Wang Tong, something¡¯s not right. Where the hell is Paradise Ind?"

    "Did Principal mess up? Should we send a distress call?" Kyaero asked, hoping that they could get some assistance.

    "It''s no use, there''s no reception here," Zhou Sisi replied helplessly.

    "Xiaoru, do you have the coordinates of the ind?" Wang Tong asked. His question made everyone look at Ma Xiaoru with anticipation for good news.

    Ma Xiao shook her head wearily and said, "If I knew, I would have been there already."

    As the group''sst hope had shattered, they started to believe that Samantha had messed up the coordinates. The situation was so dire and real that it didn''t seem to be a test.

    "Everybody listen up! We have no choice but to move forward. But first, we need to conserve our fresh water. I will keep all the water close to Ma Xiaoru. We will take a break and drink some water every half hour from now on. When we do, girls should drink the water first, and then us," after finishing announcing his decision, Wang Tong gave his water bottle to Ma Xiaoru, and then everyone followed him. Ma Xiaoru noticed that only Wang Tong''s bottle was still full while most of the bottles were already half empty.

    Ma Xiaoru ced the bottles into her crystal one after another, she knew that she was in charge of the life source of the entire team.

    They decided not to talk about their situation anymore as they knew that any talks would only affect the already low morale.

    Five minutester, they set out again.

    The sun above baked them relentlessly with scorching heat. Around them the seawater looked alluring, tempting them with its fresh blueness.

    Rumi had passed out again due to exhaustion; therefore, her friends carried her in turns. Despite her small frame and lightweight, fatigue had made the task extremely challenging.

    As they slowed down, their break time started to drag out. Ma Xiaoru took out a half empty bottle and handed it over to Rumi. Everyone watched Rumi taking a sip of water and eagerly waited their turn. Rumi handed the bottle back to Ma Xiaoru who took a small sip and gave it to Zhou Sisi, who then passed around the boys. When the water bottle was finally in Wang Tong''s hand, he only licked the bottle''s opening and gave it back to Ma Xiaoru right away.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong noticed that Rumi seemed to be hallucinating and was about to drink the sea water. Wang Tong caught her cheek right before she was able to do so.

    "Don''t do it!"

    "Thirsty..." Rumi muttered. "Just... one sip?"

    "Shut up! No means no! Sea water will only make you even more thirsty," Wang Tong bawl out at Rumi.

    "Wang Tong is right! We can do it guys. We are the best of Ayrng!" Carl announced excitingly, although his voice had be husky and dry.

    "Let her take just one sip, Rumi is not as strong as you. I am afraid she won''t be able to make it." Ma Xiaoru pleaded as she regarded Rumi sympathetically.

    Wang Tong finally nodded.

    Tita and the others were afraid that they would lose their self-control and follow Rumi to drink the salty water, so they looked the other way while Rumi took a gulp of the water. Ma Xiaoru swallowed hard, closed the bottle cap and put it back to the space crystal.

    Wang Tong gestured everyone to move on; the break was over. Ten ck dots then filed toward the dark spec, Paradise Ind, on the other side of the horizon.

    It was noon eight hourster, the hottest part of the day. Water would evaporate at an increased rate even without much exertion, let alone the group of struggling students in the middle of an endless sea. The dark spec didn''t get anyrger, but thanks to this dot in the far distance, the students haven''t yet given up the mission.

    Ma Xiaoru opened her crystal and took out theirst bottle of water, it was Wang Tong''s, and it was still full.

    Even Wang Tong had felt a slight fatigue, and his endurance was slowly slipping away.

    It was worse to get stuck without water in the sea than in the desert, since, there was nothing more tempting than the dangerous seawater around.

    A few times, some of Wang Tong''s team members attempted to steal the water from Ma Xiaoru, and both Hu Yangxuan and Wang Ben had be so tired that they didn''t even notice, but luckily, Wang Tong had remained vignt and stopped them right away.

    The sun had reached the zenith, hanging in the sky like an enormous eye that looked down on this groups of helpless students.

    Under everyone''s anticipating gaze, Ma Xiaoru finally cracked open thest bottle and moved next to the mouth of Rumi.

    "Here you go, Rumi."

    Rumi''s kept his mouth closed and shook her head.

    "It''s fine Rumi, the rest of us are still fine. You need it."

    "You guys go ahead, I don''t move much so I don''t need that much water."

    Ma Xiaoru looked around and said, "I am still fine anyone?"

    Zhou Sisi also shook her head.

    "It''s not the time to be a hero. You two, if you want to live, drink! Now!" Wang Tong announced. He knew that no one would drink that bottle of water if Rumi and Zhou Sisi had refused to drink it, and without drinking, they couldn''t move any further.

    "Wang Tong, you need to lead us, you should have some," Wang Ben said to him.

    "I''m all right, you guys can go ahead," Wang Tong replied. Truth be told, Wang Tong felt that his throat was on fire, but he also knew that his ssmates would need the water much more than he did.

    "Captain, just drink it! We know that you didn''t really have much water earlier," Kyaero said. He had noticed that every time it was Wang Tong''s turn to take the water, he only wet his lips by slightly touching the bottle.

    "Wang Tong, it''s you who are trying to be a hero. These bottles of water are yours anyway," Hu Yangxuan said it with an ugly grin on his face.

    "Wang Tong, go ahead... drink it... And just leave me here... I don''t want to slow everyone down anymore..." Rumi struggled to let out a few words. She knew that she had been a burden to the team so far.

    "Don''t even think about it! We came here together, and I am not going to leave with anyone left behind. Now just drink, the more you talk, the more thirsty you will get."

    "Wang Tong, you are the man! If we ever make it back alive, I will follow your orders," Carl said with a husky voice. He didn''t realize how big of an "if" it was.

    "We can never make it at this speed. I propose that Wang Tong takes this bottle of water and move ahead of us to find the ind. Once he seeds, he can then return with help," Zhou Sisi said.

    Some students looked at each other not sure what to make of this proposal. "I agree, that seems like the only option we got." Wang Ben nodded in agreement.

    "Let''s vote!" Ma Xiaoru announced.

    Zhou Sisi''s motion was passed as everyone agreed to her proposal. Hu Yangxuan patted on the shoulder of Wang Tong and said, "I will be counting on you now. If you get me out of here, I can hook you up with any girl you want."

    Wang Tong had finally conceded that this was the only option for his group. He epted the bottle, gulp down a mouthful of water and then he returned the still mostly-full bottle to Ma Xiaoru.

    "Wang Ben, Xiaoru, Hu Yangxuan, look after everyone! I will be back!"

    Without saying any more words, Wang Tong cranked up his GN force and darted toward the dark spec in the distance.

 Chapter 138: Undeniable Strength

    Chapter 138: Undeniable Strength

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Undeniable Strength

    Wang Ben was not only surprised to find out how fast Wang Tong could swim, but also moved by Wang Tong for sharing his food and water with everyone while putting his own survival at stake.

    Ma Xiaoru stared at the direction of Wang Tong. Her heart was touched by Wang Tong''s altruistic act of saving thest bit of water for everyone else, despite the fact that he would need it more than anyone.

    Rumi was on the verge of passing out again. Ma Xiaoru propped her head up and let the water touched her lips while other students remained where they were, trying to conserve their energy.

    After Rumi had regained her consciousness, Ma Xiaoru passed the bottle around. After everyone had taken a sip from the bottle, they looked toward the direction where Wang Tong had gone.

    Wang Tong knew then that he was the hope of the entire team. He was not sure if Samantha had given him the correct coordinates, but the situation had be so urgent that there was no time for him to think. He needed to act right away.

    Thatrge gulp of water he took should be able to sustain his body for a while since he had already sealed off his body using the Tactics of the de to minimize the loss of water.

    In addition to using the tactics, another important factor that could help him survive such condition was his will. Unlike his ssmates who were practically still "children", Wang Tong had experienced much harsher conditions on Norton. Therefore, he could remain calm and focused like an adult.

    Wang Tong swum at high speed for about an hour, to his dismay, the dark spec remained the same size. Wang Tong could no longer ignore his feeling that something just didn''t add up, so he stopped to re-evaluate his next move.

    He knew that he had been moving ten times faster than he did with his ssmates. At this speed, there should have been some degree of change in the size of that dark speck. "Unless¡­ that is not the ind at all!" Wang Tong thought. Wang Tong was tempted to set off again toward the ck speck to figure out what exactly that was. However, he calcted that he might not be able to do it with the little energy left in him, especially when he wasn''t even sure if he could reach that dark speck in the first ce.

    It was then clear to Wang Tong as to what he should do next.

    Regardless of what it was in front of him ¡ª either it was a mistake at Samantha''s end, or a survival test ¡ª Wang Tong''s first and foremost task was to find food and water.

    Wang Tong turned around and started to swim back. After one hour, he had reached the area where he had separated with the group. To his surprise, his ssmates were nowhere to be seen. Wang Tong searched around the area and still didn¡¯t find anyone. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air...

    When Wang Ben gulped thatrge jug of water down his throat, he felt that he had never been so satisfied before.

    Inside a submarine, Samantha watched at her students with her signature smirk. "Drink slowly."

    Alongside with her students were those from Bernabeu, including Apache. They were also drinkingrge jugs of water as if they had been thirsty for days.

    Martyrus regarded the group and said, "This was your first test. It was designed to test everyone''s essential skills as a METAL fighter."

    The students looked at each other in horror. They had never heard of such test, and they felt terrified at the thought of what would be involved in the real training.

    "Mister Martyrus, why didn''t you rescue Wang Tong."

    "Yea, he had the least amount of water," the students from Ayrng agreed. They had already formed a bond with their leader, and it hurt them to think that Wang Tong was still out there suffering.

    "You guys are so gullible. Do you really believe whatever Wang Tong says? Maybe he has more water and food in his space crystal," someone from Bernabeu sneered at the students from Ayrng.

    Since it was a test, the students'' actions were closely monitored by satellite surveince cameras. After the desperate students from Bernabeu had been rescued, they had learned that Wang Tong had brought with him water and food which allowed the group from Ayrng to survive much longer. The thought of losing to Ayrng had made some of Bernabeu''s students turn green and bitter.

    "What''s your problem?" Hu Yangxuan uttered a threat with an ugly grin.

    "Hold your horses, both of you," Martyrus spoke out with a deep booming voice. The agitated students suddenly shriveled and backed away from each other.

    In addition to Martyrus and Samantha, there were 19 students and a handful of workers inside the submarine. What had happened today was just a test, and Paradise Ind was still many miles away. However, the two principals had learned a great deal about the students during this surprise test.

    At first nce, Wang Tong had brought food and water and saved the day out of sheer luck; however, Martyrus knew that it had nothing to do with luck. Instead, Wang Tong had done so because he was always prepared and vignt. To further observe Wang Tong, Martyrus ordered to leave him out there a bit longer.

    So far, Martyrus could not find any fault in Wang Tong as he seemed to be the perfect student that he had been searching for ever since he had be a teacher.

    He noticed that Wang Tong was not only a strong METAL fighter but also a natural leader. Like Wang Tong, Apache also had excellentbat and survival skills, but he was not good at motivating people and was not a good team yer.

    Wang Tong was born with the re of a leader, but Martyrus knew that he had not yet seen the real potential of this young man and therefore, Martyrus had decided to uncover his real potential using the most effective method: despair.

    Martyrus reckoned that friends had yed a significant role in evoking Wang Tong''s fighting spirit and boosting his morale; therefore, the old fox had separated Wang Tong with his friends, waiting for loneliness and despair to set in upon the young boy. Driven by curiosity, Martyrus decided to push Wang Tong to his limits.

    The image of Wang Tong on the Tv screen quickly draw everyone''s attention.

    Wang Tong had then realized that his only option was to move forward. However, he also reckoned that he would need to find food and water first.

    He still had the bento, so he had figured that finding food was less urgent than finding water. It seemed that the only way to find water was by hunting fish. However, while he was traveling back and forth, he didn''t notice any fish around this area.

    Wang Tong finally felt that his GN force started to be sluggish; therefore, he decided to stop for a while to practice a round of tactics to stabilize his GN force output.

    In contrary to what Martyrus had calcted, Wang Tong didn''t feel any negative emotions; instead, he was slightly excited by the challenge ahead. He remained confident that eventually, he would be able to find a way out.

    Afterpleting a few rounds of tactics, Wang Tong felt much better, and even the ruthless force of the sun seemed to be waning. Although he was still starving, his GN force had stabilized. He then charged up his body with soul power; as the soul power started to emanate out from his body, he allowed it to reach deep down into the ocean.

    To his surprise, he felt a strong surge of power underneath the ocean, and it suddenly shot through Wang Tong''s body. For a moment, Wang Tong felt that this energy had connected his sea of consciousness, and as he was going to municate" with this energy, their connection was suddenly lost.

    Wang Tong had then realized that this energy was the soul energy of other marine creatures. Every kind of conscious creatures had its own soul power since the soul power was simply the energy from its consciousness. However, human''s soul energy was the strongest among all.

    Through the very weak connection of the soul energy, Wang Tong registered that this marine creature he had detected was descending into the depth. He heaved a sigh of disappointment. Wang Tong had wished to catch this creature, but now it had escaped.

    "What''s going on?" Samantha asked the worker who was manning the radar.

    "It seems that there was arge marine creature that had just passed by him."

    The creature''s escape had taken a toll on Wang Tong''s patience. However, he calmed himself quickly, realizing that the situation was only going to get worse if he suddenly lost his marbles.

    A half hour had passed while everyone watched as Wang Tong rested in the water motionless. His audience had started to be more impatient than him.

    Martyrus nodded in approval of Wang Tong''s calmness. To be level-headed and make the right decision under even the worst circumstance was essential to a strong leader, and Wang Tong had done just that.

    Quietly and slowly, Wang Tong dived down into the sea. In less than five minutes, he resurfaced again while holding a giant fish in both hands.

    Wang Tong hacked the fish into pieces and sucked its blood. Despite the salty and fishy taste, the water in the fish''s blood should be able to quench Wang Tong''s thirst for now. Wang Tong then took out a kitchen knife and filleted the fish into slices of Sashimi.

    "Umm¡­ Better than Zerg meat!" Wang Tong mumbled as he ate, "Damn, I forgot to bring soy sauce!"

    No one spoke in the submarine as they were trying toe to terms with what they just saw.

    Wang Tong kept the remaining fish in the space crystal to keep it fresh.

    Martyrus smiled at Samantha knowingly and said, "That''s enough, let''s fish him out of there."

    Wang Tong had sessfully found out the way to survive. Therefore, the test had be meaningless. Wang Tong was the most amazing student Martyrus had discovered in his 30 years as a teacher.

    "Who said that our Captain Wang Tong had a secret stash of water?" Carl bawled out at students from Bernabeu.

    The student named Shi Liang lowered his head and said quietly, "Sorry, my bad."

 Chapter 139: Passed the First Test

    Chapter 139: Passed the First Test

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    Passed the First Test

    When Wang Tong appeared inside the submarine, he was greeted by cheers and apuse.

    "Principal, what the heck!? Next time you should give me a heads up!" Wang Tong forced a smile on his face.

    Samantha''s face bloomed like a flower: "Good job! You have given me face in front of Martyrus, and I will give you your rewardter. Go have your body checked first."

    "Kiddo, congrattions! You have passed the first test. I wish you good luck with your next challenge... you will need it." Martyrus beamed from side to side. At the thought of gaining a secret weapon against Capth, heughed so loudly that his mustache was trembling.

    Although Wang Tong looked alright, Samantha had decided to give Wang Tong a check up just in case.

    "Take your cloth off andy down on the bed," Samantha said. There were no doctors in the medical room, only a principal, and her student. Wang Tong''s mind raced, wondering if he was going to strike lucky.

    "Why are you gawking at me? Haven''t you heard that I graduated with an honor''s degree from a Medical School?" Samantha registered the desire in Wang Tong''s eyes and drew the boundaries.

    Samantha had been the best student at Capth, no only she graduated with the best marks, her graduation thesis had also made a significant contribution to the advancement of human medical technology.

    Samantha watched as he took off his shirt, revealing his tenacious body that left her in awe. Not only was Wang Tong''s body in excellent condition, but his energy had also recovered significantly after a brief respite.

    Samantha patted Wang Tong''s shoulder and said, "All good, get up now." As her hand touched the firm and muscr shoulder, Samantha had to look the other ways as she found Wang Tong''s body devastatingly attractive.

    Wang Tong put on his cloth and sat on the bench without any intention of leaving. He cracked a smile and said, "What about my reward?"

    "What do you want, you little brat? And talk quietly!" Samantha draw closer to Wang Tong, afraid of others hearing their conversation. All the while, she avoided Wang Tong''s gaze.

    Samantha had made a wrong move. She had underestimated her attractiveness and overestimated Wang Tong''s self-constraint. Wang Tong had been tempted by her red and sulent lips, and by then he could no longer hold that burning desire. Samantha sensed Wang Tong''s intention and was about to back away; however, it was toote. Suddenly she found herself inside of Wang Tong''s firm embrace, and his mouth pressed tightly to hers.

    Samantha struggled to break free, sort of, but Wang Tong''s body was like a ma that attracted her closer. Wang Tong sensed a slight hesitation on Samantha''s lips, so he frenched her with ease. He had never heard of the term "French Kissing" until a few night ago when his buddy, Hu Yangxuan, described it to him. Just like Hu Yangxuan had promised, it indeed felt good.

    Wang Tong''s tongue had caught Samantha off guard as her already-thinning defense crumbled.

    They held each other for a while before they let go.

    "It was sweet!" Wang Tong said as he noticed Samantha''s face was flushed red.

    Samantha finally broke free and attempted to recover herposure but failed. She conceded that Wang Tong was not a typical student who she could pin under her thumb. She regretted that she didn''t realize earlier that underneath his seemingly meek appearance was a shameless rascal, and she regretted not kicking him out of Ayrng when she still had the chance.

    "Look away!" Samantha hid from him as she gathered herself and tidied up her clothes.

    "Attractive principal and her student!" Samantha had already found the headline for the next day''s newspaper should this scandal was leaked to the public. Her face reddened. She would not let this happen. Any scandal would be detrimental to her dream: Ayrng''s rise, so she realized that she had to lock up her desire and feelings.

    "Get out now, don''t let the others wait."

    "What about you?"

    "I need a bit of time. Seal your lips out there!" Samantha threatened Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong could not register any condescension in Samantha''s tone ¡ª like he would expect from a principal ¡ª instead, he felt that Samantha spoke like those girlfriends on Tv shows.

    There was nothing wrong with the two flirting with each other if the society could turn a blind eye to their rtionship in a more formal setting.

    Samantha watched Wang Tong as he left the medical room. She struggled to calm herself but failed again. "Gosh, what the heck has happened to me! No, I can''t give up my dream because of this¡­ idiot!" However, she could not bring herself to deny the satisfaction she had felt while she was in Wang Tong''s embrace.

    "What did the doctor say?" Wang Tong''s friends surrounded him as soon as he appeared in the meeting room.

    "Everything is fine, and I am already fully recovered. Rumi, how are you doing, you¡¯re not going to take more rest?" Wang said with a smile.

    "d to see you here and safe. Thank you, Captain."

    "Don''t thank me, thank the team."

    The submarine had surfaced while the students were talking. They noticed a hatch door propped open on the ceiling.

    "We are almost there. Come up here now, it''s stuffy down there."

    The students filed out of the submarine through the hatch door to the deck above them.

    They quickly noticed arge ind looming in front of them. This was the FFC Paradise Ind. It was Ma Xiaoru''s first time arriving on this ind, and she already had a feeling that the time she spent here would be memorable.

    Before Martyrus''s sudden test, Ma Xiaoru was still on the fence, hesitating to solidify her rtionship with Wang Tong. However, Wang Tong''s valor had deeply moved her and made her decide to work their rtionship toward the next level.

    She was born from a prominent family that had very strict family disciplines regarding the way she carried herself. Therefore, although Ma Xiaoru was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was not spoiled and had learned through family disciplines always to be level-headed and understating. However, she felt that Wang Tong''s charm came mainly from how different he was; he was reckless and even selfish most of the time, but during a crisis, he would turn into a trustworthy and selfless leader. Ma Xiaoru conceded that if it was she who had brought food and water with her, she might not share them with the group as Wang Tong had done. When everyone had given up fighting for survival, only Wang Tong had given them hope and encouragement.

    Ma Xiaoru had never met a man who had such a sense of responsibility and valor.

    As the heir of the House Ma and the FFC, Ma Xiaoru had grown up listening to tales of her ancestor and General Li Feng. Her favorite story about General Li Feng was the story about Princess Tang Ling of the GDA falling in love with General Li Feng while they were both students. Even after the family had openly opposed her marriage, she still stood with her lover and supported him wholeheartedly. In the end, General Li Feng''s rise to power had proven to her family that her choice was right.

    Ever since Ma Xiaoru had heard of that story, she had always dreamed that one day, she would be able to find and date someone like General Li Feng, and she felt that she had found what she was looking for in Wang Tong after the events in the sea. When Wang Tong had given her thest bottle of water and swum away by himself, Ma Xiaoru had tried really hard not to follow him, to care for him.

    Wang Tong walked onto the deck and stretched his body. He had already let go of all the stress and felt rxed under the sun.

    "Ha! Xiaoru, your family business is everywhere! If I can''t find a job, would you let me work for you?" Wang Tongughed, and everyoneughed with him. Ma Xiaoru nodded trying not to reveal her happiness at the thought of having Wang Tong with her every day even after graduation. Even the students of Bernabeu felt lighthearted and joined in the prattle. The training had just started, so they figured that there were ample opportunities to earn some face for Bernabeu, and there was no need for them to dwell on their recent loss.

    Martyrus and Samantha also walked out to the deck. "Mister Martyrus, have they also arrived? "

    Martyrus nodded. "Yes, they arrived early. Our kids are enjoying themselves while they still can."

    "We shouldn''t underestimate our students. You have seen their performance today, and I doubt the hotshots from Capth could do any better."

    "Therefore, I can''t wait for tomorrow''s show!"

    The students were airlifted toward the ind. From their vantage point, the students realized how huge the ind was as its shoreline stretched out endlessly.

    They were dropped off at the center of arge structure, while the workers were bustling with their business without paying any attention to the visitors.

    All the student first underwent a physical check. The FFC had dedicated a significant amount of employee to their training since it was a work-order that came directly from their stakeholder.

    The two principals watched the workers casually without interfering with them as they went on with analyzing the test results.

    An hourter, the test was finally done. Martyrus gathered everyone around him.

    "I''d like everyone to go around the table to introduce themselves."

    Ayrng:

    Battle Commander: Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, Hu Yangxuan, Zhou Sisi, Carl.

    METAL Fighter: Kyaero.

    Information Warfare: Rumi.

    Heavy METAL: Tita.

    Fleet Management: Chen Chung.

    Bernabeu:

    Battle Commander: Shi Liang, Luo Manman, Deng Jia.

    METAL Fighter: Apache, Cao Yi.

    Information Warfare: Zhang Kui, Zhang Yan.

    Heavy METAL: Scarlet.

    Fleet Management: Stia, Xie Chengxun(Best).

    "Excellent, now everyone knows each other, let''s start the first training."

    Although everyone was still tired, no oneined.

    "This is officer Massa, and he will be in charge of your physical training."

    Officer Massa stepped forward. He was wearing a military uniform, and his solemn face was blemished with countless small scars making it look like a bitter squash.

 Chapter 140: Nightmare Came True

    Chapter 140: Nightmare Came True

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

    A Nightmare Coming True

    "I will leave them to you now," Martyrus smiled as he spoke to Massa.

    "I will make sure that they are well trained after my session."

    Martyrus and Samantha sauntered off after they handed over the responsibility to Massa. Seeing that the principals had left, the students heaved a sigh of relief and thought that they finally would have a chance for a brief respite.

    "Greetings everyone. My name is Massa, I will be your training officer for the time of your stay. I wish to have a good rtionship with you at the end of my session, so please heed and follow my instructions. I understand that you guys are all exhausted after drifting in the ocean for so long. Therefore, I have decided to give you guys a day off and start your training program first thing tomorrow.

    "Where we are standing right now is District B, where most of your training activities will take ce. Your dorms are to the left, and you will find your names on the doors," although Massa''s face remained stoic, his voice was soft and caring, unlike the stereotypical foot drill officers.

    "Sir, does that mean we are done for the day?"

    "Correct. That''s it for today. We will start first thing tomorrow! I sincerely hope that you will carefully follow my instructions tomorrow. The two principals have already decided that whoever fails the physical training will be sent away immediately." Massa turned around and stomped away.

    Feeling relieved, the students sauntered off to their rooms. They were surprised to find out that they wouldn''t need to share their space with anyone since all of them were assigned to an individual dorm. They started to doubt if the training conditions were as bad as the rumors had it.

    Some students drifted off as theyy on thefortable bed, and some, like Carl, who rolled around in his bed without feeling any weariness. To his surprise, he realized that his dorm even came with a Tv. "Hooray! This is much better than I had thought!"

    Carl wasn''t the only one to think that, and most students were still excited by the new environment. They visited each other and discussed the dramatic turn of events that had urred earlier that day, when they were still soaked in the seawater in the morning, wondering if they were going to die of thirst. However, now they were dressed in their pajamas, enjoying the clean andfortable beds.

    "Bro, look what I got!" Carl took out a deck of poker.

    The boys, including Hu Yangxuan, rushed toward the cards. The events from earlier had been very stressful, and a round of poker was much needed to let go of that stress. The training wouldn''t start until the next day anyway.

    None of the girls were interested in ying poker, as they had more important things to do, such as bubble bath, face mask, and so on... and tried to rejuvenate their skin after being exposed to the sun for so long.

    Ma Xiaoru had packed over a dozen different type of creams and shampoos, and she was sitting with Rumi and Zhou Sisi, exining the functions of every one of them.

    Girls loved their beauty products, and no one could change that. The three chatted excitingly, sharing their experiences of using different kinds of products.

    Wang Ben and Wang Tong didn''t join the fun; instead, they went straight to their rooms. Wang Ben was never interested in any form of entertainment other than practicing his tactics. Wang Tong, on the other hand, knew that he needed to rest well for tomorrow. He thought of reminding his friend of the gruesome training ahead, but after seeing the happy smiles on his friends'' faces, he decided to drop the matter.

    To Wang Tong, there was nothing better than cultivating his tactics to kill time; therefore, Wang Tong didn''t go to bed right away. Instead, he started to practice the Tactics of the de.

    Remaining patient while in solitude was crucial to cultivation. Although Hu Yangxuan had the same talent and capacity as Wang Ben, but unlike Wang Ben, hecked the patience and could not stay focused for an extended period of time, and therefore, his overall power also fell short.

    The students from Bernabeu heard the excitements of their neighbors and found out that they were ying poker. Poker was one of the mostmon means of entertainment; however, it was the only game on this ind. Therefore, Bernabeu''s students also decided to join in. The boys quickly formed two teams, team Ayrng vs. team Bernabeu. Since the official training hadn''t started yet, the pugnacious boys, fueled by their testosterone, had decided to move theirpetition to the table top.

    The room was soon filled with raucousughter and shouts. To Hu Yangxuan''s surprise, Best was not only good at spaceship simtion, but he was also a seasoned poker yer.

    Like Wang Tong and Wang Ben from Ayrng, Cao Yi didn''t join the poker fever; instead, he was carefully writing down the details of the events that had urred today. He quickly noticed that they had made many unnecessary mistakes while they were stranded in the ocean. They might have been able tost much longer if they had calmed down and thought about their situation.

    He also analyzed the teamposition of both Ayrng and Bernabeu. Bernabeu''s team was stronger overall; however, theycked apetent leader. Although Apache was a capable and well-rounded fighter, he resented leading, considering it a waste of time.

    Cao Yi figured that the reason behind Apache''s preference for operating alone was his experience in the Special Unit. Due to the high risk, the members of the special unit were trained to be independent, and no one wanted to be the burden of the team, and therefore, no one had ever asked for help, nor had ever offered any help.

    Apache had thought about ying the role of the leader; however, he had realized that none of his team members was worth his effort, except for Cao Yi.

    Apacheid on his bed, reflecting today''s event in his mind. He never liked the look of Massa, and his overly kind gesture had raised Apache''s rm. He believed that there must be more than what just met the eyes.

    Apache didn''t warn anyone since he thought that the best way to learn for these rookies were from their mistakes.

    Life had taught him that failure was always more useful than sess, providing that one was willing to learn from their mistakes.

    Apache finished his dinner, practiced one round of his tactics, and went off to the bed. He didn''t even bother to say goodnight to his ssmates.

    Cao Yi wanted to discuss his findings with Apache; however, he saw that Apache''s door was shut and figured that he was already in bed.

    In the meeting hall, raucousughter and shouts came wave after wave. Rumi had been exhausted and could not stay up, so she went to bed soon after Wang Tong had left. Inside of Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi''s dorm, the two girls chatted happily without realizing the passage of time.

    Despite themotions the students were making, no one hade to stop them. They felt that the rules on this ind were even less strict than at school. It was as if the boot camp had turned into a tourist camp.

    Wang Tong had fallen asleep; he needed to rest. It had been a long day and more intense training was still ahead of him. Although he had superb endurance, he figured that there was no need to waste any of his energy on games either.

    Suddenly, the siren in District B went off. The noise from the siren was insistent and earsplitting.

    "Attention. Please gather in the hall in five minutes!" a synthetic voice announced through the speaker.

    Wang Tong heard the siren, rushed to the meeting hall and saw that Apache and Wang Ben had already arrived. The three of them stood in the hall without saying a word to each other.

    Two minutester, Cao Yi also arrived, followed by Ma Xiaoru. Four minutester, Officer Massa appeared.

    "Pfff... Only five?"

    He then looked at his watch and started to count down,"Ten, nine, eight, seven¡­ two, one!"

    Wang Tong heard a series of wailsing from the other students¡¯ dorms. Carl screamed as he felt an electric current shot through his body. In a blink of an eye, he was already out of his bed and did not intend to return to it.

    When everyone arrived the meeting hall, they were separated into three groups.

    "Sir. I think it''s too early!"

    "It has just passed midnight, and I told you yesterday that we will start training today!"

    Everyone was shocked as they didn''t expect Massa to have taken the meaning of "First thing tomorrow" so literally.

    "Students from Battle Command, METAL fights, and Heavy METAL, run two kilometers with 20-kilogram weight bags. The others do it with 10-kilogram bags. Whoever waste for the assembly, double it for yourself. You won''t have breakfast before you finish it. Go, NOW!"

    The ones who had been ying poker dropped to the floor after hearing Massa''smands. They had just been electrocuted out of their bed ¡ª some of them hadn''t even fallen asleep yet ¡ª now they had to undergo intense training.

    There was arge field outside of the main structure of district B. Their weight bags were already prepared for them there.

    "Sir! Can I use GN force?" Shi Liang asked.

    Massa threw him a stern nce which made Shi Liang''s hair stood on ends.

    "No," Massa said stoically.

    "Start Running, NOW!" Massa turned around and urged the students to start running.

    The students unwillingly picked up their weight bags and started their training. The bright flood lights hanging high up illuminated the field as if it were day time, and somehow, it made the students feel even more tired.

    Massa stood in the middle of the field, holding an electric taser, making sure that whoever had fallen behind would get stunned. "It is not a punishment," Massa thought to himself, "it is just to help them wake up."

    By then, everyone had realized how naive they were in thinking that the training would be easy, yet, this was only the beginning.

    The basic training not only aimed to improve their physical condition but also to mold the students into ever-vignt soldiers with iron wills.

    Although Massa was pleasantly surprised that there were five of them that had arrived on time, he felt that the overall quality of the students was sub par.

    The students quickly split into three groups. The first group consisted of only six students: Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, Wang Ben, Cao Yi, Hu Yangxuan, and Apache. The second group was thergest, and the third group consisted of only two girls: Rumi and Stia. Both of the girls were sick after a tumultuous day and had not recovered yet. As the two frail girls struggled to catch up with the second group, theymented over the cruel joke that life had yed on them.

    The students of the first group carried out the training without any difficulty. Not only were they well rested, but jogging early in the morning was also their long-term habits. Therefore they felt that the training was just a stroll in the park and finished it very quickly without any difficulty. They returned to Massa after they were done.

    "Stand at ease!"

    Massa turned his attention to the profiles of the students who had already finished. He quickly found out that a couple of them needed additional strengthening in certain areas.

 Chapter 141: Special Training

    Chapter 141: Special Training

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    "Alright boys and girls, time for your next warm-up exercise!" Massa ordered, followed by the emergence of a one-meter wide running track surrounding the field as he snapped his fingers; a strange glow seemed to have illuminated both sides along the running track.

    "Breakfast will be served after all of you havepleted the twentyps jog." Massa grinned.

    Wang Tong and the other students obeyed silently. As they walked onto the running track, all of them were startled by a sudden increase of the pressure, their backpacks got heavier, and their movements were constrained by a greater gravity force.

    "Go!"

    Everyone thought that it was going to be easy at the beginning, but Massa would never give anyone a chance to ck off. He had given everyone the same harsh training regardless of their strength and stamina, and obviously, there would be punishment for those who performed badly or made mistakes in the training. The running track was actually a maic runway that was capable of generating a gravity twice stronger. However, Massa would be holding back on them today as this was only their first day of training.

    Everyone was stressed out by the "warm-up exercise" due to the fact that they were prohibited from utilizing their GN Force; not to mention that all of them had just finished their first set of training a moment ago. No one said a word as they jogged; however, most of them were pretty exhausted due to the series of physical activities.

    One of them being Hu Yangxuan who took more time than the others during the first set of training because of the punishment for beingte. Apparently, he had overslept because of spending the whole night ying poker. Anyhow, he would also have to join the others for the second set of training. Hu Yangxuan had been cking off ever since he had left the Court of the Temr, and the handsome youngster had gotten used to the freedom of doing things that he liked and thefort of Ayrng. However, his days of cking were over since he was given the same harsh training as Wang Tong and the others, and it was time for him to get rid of his sluggish attitude.

    Instead of correcting their problems and horrible habits in one shot, Massa decided to take it slow as he preferred doing things step by step.

    No one dared to pull any tricks with their GN Force because Massa was able to detect even the tiniest scent of it and he would tase the cheater with his taser. Aside from being strict, somehow he was also quite cruel.

    Wang Tong was the lead runner; honestly, he enjoyed training like this since his previous training in the academy wasn¡¯t as helpful, and he wasn¡¯t able to do much by himself because he was not a professional trainer.

    Even though his knowledge had increased dramatically, yet somehow, Wang Tong felt that his physical fitness had decreased ever since he had left Norton, and he had been craving for more practices in order to ensure his best performance, which also exined why he was so excited about this training.

    As for Wang Ben, he was running right behind Wang Tong. Apache, on the other hand, looked rather rxed since he was very good with his speed, and the training here was simr to the ones he had at the Spatial Anti-Smuggling Bureau. However, Ma Xiaoru seemed to be gradually slowing down; no doubt her stamina was better than most of the ordinary people there since she had been practicing the Tactics of the Enchantress, but she wasn¡¯t able to unleash its best performance due to the prohibition of utilizing her GN Force, which caused her to be exhausted in no time.

    Meanwhile, Massa was standing there with a straight face as he closely monitored their individual performances. Those who ran in the leading positions were obviously the stronger ones, and they would be doing fine in the military, but some of them were extremely weak; generally, the overall performance of this team was uneven, and there was a huge gap in terms of strength and stamina amongst all of them.

    Rumi felt like she was going to faint at any time, yet she was still holding out. Even if her body was in a good shape, her stamina was still drained by the heaviness of her backpack, not to mention that she had used most of her strength during the previous part of the training; within minutes, she was seen sweating abnormally.

    The other teammates began to worry about Rumi¡¯s condition as her face was as pale as a ghost. However, Massa didn¡¯t give a damn about it, he would still tase her with his taser if her speed dropped to a certain level.

    In the beginning, everyone was only unhappy with his strictness, but Massa¡¯s cruelty began to piss everyone off when he did that to Rumi, thinking that he had gone too far and it might kill her.

    Bzzzt¡­

    Rumi screamed and fell as she was struck by the taser, this time Carl was fed up and yelled, "Are you crazy? You could¡¯ve killed her!"

    Massa went forward and scolded him with a scornful expression: "What do you think you¡¯re doing, young man?"

    "I¡¯m remonstrating against your method of training! We¡¯re guys so we might be able to take it; however, Rumi is weaker than most of us!"

    Bzzt¡­

    Unable to negate Massa¡¯s taser, Carl fell onto the ground after being tased three times. Everyone gathered around him immediately as he fell down, and apparently, all of them were mad at this ruthless coach for treating them like a bunch of ves.

    Massa stared at the bunch of angry trainees and scolded them again with an intimidating expression: "Back on the track now! All of you!"

    "With all due respect Sir, there should be a borderline for harsh training like this, this is too much for us!" everyone began to voice out their opinions. Apparently, most of them were quite pampered at home despite being students of military academies, and they didn¡¯t like the way they were treated. They were able to ept waking up before dawn for special training; however, they were not able to tolerate Massa¡¯s cruelty and his torturing methods.

    Massa stared coldly at the group of kids; as their coach, he was only paid to conduct their physical training, but other than that, it was none of his business. Hence instead of wasting his time arguing with them, he shouted, "There are only two options: One, hop on the next flight and get the hell outta my face. Two, you do what I tell you to do!"

    Everyone kept quiet instantly even though they were angry, instead of behaving like crybabies, they knew that they had no choice but to follow his orders in order to be stronger before challenging Capth.

    Although Wang Tong agreed with Massa¡¯s methods and was capable of sustaining this level of physical stress, he knew that most of them were not as tough as him, especially Rumi who was known to be exceptionally weak; he felt bad seeing his teammates suffer.

    In the middle of that, Rumi got up and carried her backpack, then she said in a trembling voice as she struggled to jog, "It¡¯s okay guys, thanks for worrying, but I¡¯ll definitely finish this training!"

    "What are you all looking at? Carry on! Ten moreps for each of you!" Massa ordered in a domineering tone.

    That made Carl and the others even angrier, yet they chose to bear with it even though they hated Massa¡¯s guts; since Rumi too was not giving up, of course, all of them would also stick to the very end.

    "If I ever see anyone of you trying to avoid your training by using your teammates as an excuse again, then you can get lost!" Massa red at Carl as he scolded them mercilessly.

    In fact, they were also trying to stop Massa from torturing them aside from standing up for Rumi.

    Massa became stricter than he was a while ago. He even sneered as he monitored their performances as if he was trying to seek vengeance for what had happened previously. He began tasing anyone who slowed down a little and was yelling about continuously. Somehow, that previous retaliation from his students had forced him to reveal his true cruelty.

    "Faster! Faster! Faster, you pigs! Are you trying to challenge Capth with this level of strength? Not a chance!"

    Carl kept his head down and grumbled. He swore to avenge the humiliation from Massa. Tita and the rest were also infuriated, yet all they could do was to release their anger through jogging.

    Everyone knew that they would fail directly if they gave up on their training, they were here to outrace each other and to be selected as one of the final candidates against Capth. Since all of them were able to have each other¡¯s back during yesterday¡¯s critical moment, of course now, they would also choose to stick together.

    Everyone began cheering for Rumi as they ran past her, Wang Tong noticed that Rumi needed motivation very much as he saw her struggling, and he knew he had to do something.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong, who had been jogging in a constant speed, began to elerate, and Wang Ben and Apache followed instantly. After twops, both Ma Xiaoru and Cao Yi werepletely left behind; however, Wang Tong was still gradually eleratingp afterp; soon, Wang Ben and Apache began to sweat due to the two times gravity, yet Wang Tong¡¯s speed was getting faster and faster. The two of them looked at each other and wondered if Wang Tong was actually a machine; nevertheless, they were still able to keep up with his speed.

    The trio formed into a weird formation, as Massa focused his eyes on Wang Tong who was leading in front, the first thing that came to his mind was the three of them were just being childish and tried to show off. As soon as Massa pressed one of the buttons, immediately the three of them felt an increase of the pressure, and their backpacks became heavier.

    Massa decided to teach the three of them a lesson by altering their pressure to four times gravity force. Instantly, Wang Ben and Apache were held back by the sudden increase of the pressure and were no longer able to elerate. However, Wang Tong only staggered a little and continued his eleration; apparently, he wasn¡¯t affected at all.

    Immediately, the other students knew that their crazy-a*s coach had increased the weight of the trio¡¯s backpacks when they saw the blue light on their backpacks shing and reacting to the running track. Yet Wang Tong was unaffected and maintained his eleration, which somehow turned into a silent motivation to the others.

    "Keep it up, fes!" Carl shouted.

    He loved screaming and shouting, and he was also a unique existence amongst all of them, he might be simple minded and impulsive from time to time, yet he was a very bright kid.

    Wang Tong purposely retaliated in another way in order to boost their spirit. The way he ran generally became a motivation to the other teammates, which also indirectly increased their energy and reduced their level of fatigue; everyone seemed to be able to feel some sort of spiritual cheer whenever Wang Tong jogged past them at an incredible speed.

    As for Rumi, the heartwarming cheer was even able to help her regaining consciousness whenever she felt like fainting.

    On the other hand, Massa was still standing there looking solemn as he observed Wang Tong in silence. In fact, Massa was totally surprised by Wang Tong¡¯s performance as he had never heard of anyone like this in Ayrng and Bernabeu. In the beginning, he had assumed that Wang Ben was the one with the best stamina, yet he didn¡¯t expect that this kid was even stronger than the son of General Hu Ben.

    Nevertheless, Massa still assumed that Wang Tong was just being childish and tried to show off his anger by running fast, and he expected that Wang Tong would slow down after three or fiveps due to the physical stress. To him, Wang Tong was just an amateur who knew nothing about endurance.

    Massa ignored Wang Tong and continued to focus on tasing those who slowed down ¡ª especially the troublemakers like Carl ¡ª of course, the pain was extensive, and it would make their legs going numb, yet the unpleasant sensation was able to keep them conscious.

    Carl had no choice but to bear with it, at that moment, he had totally forgotten about restoring the glory of Ayrng. All he wanted was toplete the training; after all, Carl wasn¡¯t some irresponsible punk who would use the others as an excuse to run away from challenges. Sometimes, anger was also able to turn into motivation.

    To Massa¡¯s surprise, Wang Tong was showing no sign of slowing down after fiveps, he had never expected to see such an extraordinary student amongst these kids from the academies. Generally, having strong fighting abilities didn¡¯t mean that the person would also have good stamina, and only a few would pay attention to the training of their physical strength in this era that only focused on the utilization of the GN Force.

    In the end, Wang Tong was the first toplete the training.

 Chapter 142: A Baron in Space

    Chapter 142: A Baron in Space

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    "Sir, I¡¯vepleted my training!"

    Massa remained emotionless, "Good, you may have your breakfast now!"

    "Sir, permission to stay?"

    "Hmph, whatever, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you about missing out your break time though!" Massa said impolitely.

    Nevertheless, it sounded like a warning as if he would increase the difficulty of his training since he had so well-performed previously. However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t care much as he returned to the field and began cheering for the others, especially the weakest Rumi, who was almost at her limit. Wang Ben hoped that his act of support and cheers would help her to remain conscious.

    Somehow, Massa ridiculous actions had united the spirit of the whole team, and with the support from Wang Tong, Rumi was able to grab hold of herself.

    "Sisi, adjust your breathing, take deep breaths and maintain your paces. Yup, yup, keep it up!" Wang Tong said.

    Zhou Sisi waved her hands. "Your face¡­ too big¡­ blocking my view..."

    Wang Tong touched his own face and then realized that Zhou Sisi was just joking with him.

    Everyone was going full force and brought out their best performances to break the limit!

    As soon as Wang Ben and Apache had finished theirps, both of them also decided to stay and cheer for the others even though they were not good with words.

    "Somehow I feel bad for Massa, yet I believe that he is the only one who has what it takes to build up their fighting spirits." Samantha smiled as she recalled how many hardships she had overcame in order to hire this extraordinary guy as their coach; nevertheless, it seemed to be worth it.

    "I think that Wang Ben is the reason he has agreed to help since this would be his chance to repay General Hu Ben¡¯s kindness. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think that he would have been interested in a bunch of random kids."

    "Haha, I doubt that," Samantha said as she looked at all of them through her monitor.

    Martyrus knew what Samantha meant; apparently, aside from Wang Ben and Apache, Massa seemed to be interested in Wang Tong as well.

    An intense and sadistic coach like Massa would never be interested in training ordinary students, he would only be able to exercise his expertise when it came to training the ones with potential. Nevertheless, the oue was great regardless of the methods he used, and Martyrus had expected that everyone would give up in the middle of it, yet their pride and spirit were ignited under Massa¡¯s stimtion, and they managed to bear with it until the end.

    Everyone except Rumi hadpleted the training, yet all of them chose to stay and cheer for her; finally, she managed to finish after the sunrise, but she immediately passed out as she reached the finish line. Somehow, Massa knew that it would happen, but he remained emotionless as he watched two paramedics carrying Rumi to the infirmary.

    Massa looked at his watch and said, "You guys are too slow, breakfast time was already over before you all could finish jogging. The next morning sessions will begin after a thirty minutes break!" Then he left.

    Noticing that it was already morning, everyone sat on the ground and enjoyed the sea breeze. Yet deep down they were actuallyining about this horrible ce, as well as their insane coach and his terrible training methods.

    "Everybody, get up! Up! Don¡¯t sit! Stop lying down Tita, or else you¡¯ll be even more exhausted! Hurry up and initialize your tactics!" Wang Tong said all of a sudden, Wang Ben and Apache were also saying the same thing as the three of them pulled up those who were lying on the ground. If they chose to rest, their bodies would ache andter, none of them would be able to move a muscle. Instead of lying down, all of them had to bear with the tiredness and initialize their tactics, only then would they be able to remove therge amount of nucleic acid remaining in their bodies caused by anaerobic exercises.

    Apparently, Massa had sessfully strengthened everyone¡¯s stamina limits through his previous training.

    Soon, everyone got up on their feet and began initializing their tactics under the supervision of Wang Tong and the others. It was an unpleasant sensation indeed, but they had to do it for their own good. Soon, Wang Tong, who was also very exhausted, also joined the crowd and began initializing his tactics. In fact, Massa purposely gave them thirty minutes to do so, or else they would be doomed in the next session.

    After half an hour, they were told to get up and gather up within five minutes unless they were interested to be given a "rxing" electric massage.

    "Attention! At ease, stand up straight! What¡¯s wrong with you, born with a pair of crooked eyes?"

    "No Sir, the head of the person in front of me was too big, it blocked my line of sight!" Carl was being mischievous again. Of course, Tita¡¯s head was bigger since the overall size of his body wasrger.

    Everyone was tickled by Carl¡¯s joke while some of the girls almost burst intoughter, but soon they began to worry if he would be punished by Massa again.

    "Oh, really? Why don¡¯t youe with me to the base, and I¡¯ll show you how not to get distracted by someone else¡¯s head?" Massa replied.

    Of course, Carl was not afraid of his threats.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t stop Carl because he knew that the only way for Carl to improve was by learning it through the hard way since he was the weakest overall amongst all of them. Rumi might be weak in terms of physical strength, but she was very good in Intel Programming Battle which had low requirements for stamina. However, being one of the Command Force¡¯s student, Carl basically had no expertise other than his optimistic attitude, only God knew what else he was good at.

    Yet Carl was not a fool, he loved this team, and he enjoyed spending time with everyone; hence he would work harder through his own methods and try his best not to get disqualified.

    In fact, everyone else too was trying their best to be one of the final candidates.

    Massa led Wang Tong and the whole team back to the base, but instead of more physical training, the next session was theoretical lessons. Even though it was quite awkward to sit down and watch Massa giving lessons, still it was better than training nonstop.

    "I¡¯m going to teach you all about muscle training for each part of your body. This lesson is mainly for the students of Heavy Arm ss, METAL Combat ss, and Command Force, but those from the other sses also need to pay attention as each and every one of you will be participating in the next practice after this."

    Massa¡¯s lesson was a new experience for all of them, instead of talking about GN Force, Massa¡¯s lesson tended to focus on the energy cirction of the human bodies through their acupuncture points, which somehow had a few simrities with the GN Force. Generally, stamina was also a kind of energy force, even though it seemed to have some kind of connection with the GN Force, yet no one was still able to prove it.

    The military had always been emphasizing on physical fitness, while a number of Houses and ns also advocated physical training; but unfortunately, they were not able to prove their theory of the importance of stamina since no one in these Houses and ns had ever made any great achievements.

    Most of them got drowsy in the middle of the lesson; even though Massa knew they would get tired and sleepy, yet he had tricks up his sleeves to "help" them stay awake... Basically, it was impossible for someone to fall asleep in his lessons!

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t show any sign of tiredness, and he waspletely drawn to Massa¡¯s lesson. For some reason, he believed that what Massa said would be very useful, and it seemed to have something to do with his Tactics of the de; it could even be one of the hidden arcanes of the Tactics of the de.

    Although Wang Tong had put all of his effort in the practice of the Tactics of the de, there were still many aspects that he didn¡¯t understand. In short, he only knew how to utilize it, but he didn¡¯t know anything about its principles and also the deeper elements of the Tactics of the de.

    Basically, the energy force was believed to be generated from a person¡¯s Dantian (the Cinnabar field), which was also known to be mankind¡¯s focal point of Qi (Aura) since ages ago. However, this ancient belief was immediately reced by the theory of the GN Force as soon as it was published; nevertheless, the theory of Qi had its scientific value as well.

    Even though Massa was talking about physical fitness and stamina, yet Wang Tong decided to input the same theory into the Tactics of the de because some of its principles seemed to be able to prove his hypothesis about the Tactics of the de being a "Dual Core" tactic.

    The EMF had always been known as the source of the energy force; however, Wang Tong began to suspect something else as he was paying attention to Massa¡¯s lecture. He began to think about the connection between the energy force, the Dantian, the Soul Energy, and the GN Force.

    He doubted that the EMF was the source of the energy force, and since he had been practicing the Tactics of the de, Wang Tong clearly understood that the GN Force was actually much greater than the energy force, and the Soul Energy was one of the "tools" to enhance the GN Force. In conclusion, he believed that the sixteen nodes Tactics of the de only served as the main foundation of his abilities, yet it was also the key that would lead him to its true strength and the arcane hidden within.

    "Although the physical strength can no longerpete with the potency of the GN Force, someday you¡¯ll realize that having something your opponent doesn¡¯t is more than enough to alter the oue, especially in a dead heat situation," Massa¡¯s voice remained ponderous. He didn¡¯t care if they were listening or not, all he wanted to do was to say everything he wanted to say. Massa would never beg them to listen as they should treasure the chance of learning something new by themselves. Furthermore, these kids were the elites of two A-Ranked academies, so they were obviously old enough not to be spoon-fed anymore.

    The students should know that they were not participating in this special training for the sake of their academies, their principals, or anyone else but for themselves! They shouldn¡¯t even be here if their mindset wasn¡¯t right at the first ce.

    Nevertheless, most of them were trying their best to stay awake and listen. Normal fighters might not have to worry about stamina and physical fitness, but physical training waspulsory for them as they were elites, and they aimed to be the best.

    However, Wang Tong was deeply interested in this topic, somehow to him, the theory of the EMF and the theory of the Dantian sounded like the theoretical basis of his Tactics of the de, and Wang Tong would be able to make partial exnations about the Tactics of the de by changing a few of Massa¡¯s words. Wang Tong was very excited to learn something new, Massa¡¯s lesson would be able to provide him with a stronger pertinence and also improve his mastery in his practice of the Tactics of the de.

    "Sir, I have a question."

    No one was thinking of asking any question as they were all trying their best not to fall asleep, yet Wang Tong¡¯s question got them to pay attention immediately as they knew he would be asking something important, even the students from Bernabeu too were paying attention to it.

    "Sir, I¡¯m very impressed by this novel theory, I¡¯d like to ask if there is any tactic that doesn¡¯t base on one¡¯s Soul Energy, or is there any tactics that could use something else as its core foundation?"

    Massa shook his head and answered, "Firstly, this wasn¡¯t a novel theory at all. Human bodies have been the most important factor in determining victory or defeat during the era of the Power Armor, which was many years before the theory that ¡®Soul Energy invigorates the GN Force¡¯ was introduced to the public. During that time, mankind was known to train themselves and raise their fighting abilities through learning some of the ancient tactics; however, no one was able to be the almighty fighter as the human body itself is not as strong as it looks. No matter how great the mastery is, the human body still won¡¯t be able topletely defend itself from weapon attacks. The reason I¡¯m saying this is because I want all of you to understand that physical training is also one of the crucial co-factors of bing strong."

    Wang Tong sat down and didn¡¯t ask any further question. Judging from Massa¡¯s words, most of the tactics were using the Soul Energy as the core foundation, yet he wondered if the Five Great Tactics were also the same.

    For some reason, he began to believe that his tactics was really the same tactics used by the de Warrior, and he was quite motivated by this idea.

    However, Wang Tong had never dreamed of repeating the myth of the de Warrior, nor he wanted to create a legend of his own. Wang Tong¡¯s dream was to be a fleet captain, a well-respected person with a number of people under hismand, someone with countless benefits, but most importantly, he wanted to live an enjoyable life with low risks and dangers.

    In a nutshell, he wanted to be a baron in space.

 Chapter 143: Comprehension

    Chapter 143: Comprehension

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    However, Wang Tong¡¯s dream of bing a fleet captain might be difficult to achieve as he had no family background and most importantly, he had no backstage supporters. In fact, this wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved by having strong fighting abilities, if he failed to be a fleet captain, Wang Tong would have to be a foot soldier, which he hated.

    Anyhow, Wang Tong didn¡¯t bother to think too much at the moment; other than being inspired by Massa¡¯s overall theory, somehow nothing else that was saidter by Massa mattered anymore.

    Massa finished his lecture with the same boring expression: "I¡¯m giving each of you ten minutes to discuss among yourselves and revise what I said a while ago, after that, there¡¯s gonna be a series of training for everyone."

    However, the students were too exhausted to have any discussion. While most of them were taking the ten minutes to get some rest, Wang Tong was excitedly applying the theory to his own tactics even though it wasn¡¯t enough time for him to perform aplete routine. Nevertheless, he had made up his mind to examine the utilization of the Tactics of the de with a different perspective. Wang Tong might not know anything about the Five Greatest Tactics, but he did believe that there was nothing as mystical as his Tactics of the de. It was able to initialize on its own even if Wang Tong was unconscious, which also exined why Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy was getting stronger and stronger.

    Wang Ben was a hardworking person, and so was Cao Yi; apparently, both of them were also using the ten minutes to practice on their own. In fact, they would do it whenever they were spare time. Generally, there would be one hundred different oues even if one hundred people with the same potential were practicing the same tactics; in the end, it all depended on their own efforts.

    The rest of the morning was fully upied by all sorts of training; however this time, they were in different groups. For instance, Rumi and those from Intel Programming ss were scheduled for the training of their hands and fingers reflexes and also visual discernment practices; the level of difficulty was much harder than the ones they had at their respective academies.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and the rest of the team were scheduled for something special.

    "Basically, the students of the Command Force, METAL Combat ss, and Heavy Arm Force are most likely the ones who will engage directly with the enemy¡¯s troops. The capability of doing so requires a strong body and an indomitable willpower, and you will need to challenge the limits of your body in order to improve your willpower. So, without further dy, everybody, drop down and gimme two hundred push-ups."

    Everyone was stunned, especially Ma Xiaoru, Zhou Sisi, and Luo Manman from Bernabeu. The three of them might be the students of Command Force, but in the future, they would be working in the fleets for sure, and the chances of them getting the position of a foot soldier were basically zero, so it was unnecessary for them to ramp up their stamina. Nevertheless, an order was an order, and they were not in the position to object Massa¡¯s arrangement.

    Massa then turned toward Wang Tong. "You, forward!"

    "Yes, Sir!"

    Thump¡­ Massa threw a heavy backpack to Wang Tong.

    "I¡¯m giving you a prize since you were the first toplete this morning¡¯s training, from now onwards, you¡¯re required to carry this in all of our training! Is that clear?"

    Everyone sensed the menacing aura in Massa¡¯s words, more than enough to send chills down their spines.

    "Roger that, Sir!" Wang Tong carried the backpack withoutining.

    All of a sudden, Wang Ben stepped forward and said, "Sir, I¡¯d also like to have one of that!"

    Massa grunted, "Hmph, Wang Ben I see, the son of General Hu Ben. Very well, since I heard that many from Capth are waiting to teach you a lesson, it¡¯s time for you to train harder in order not to disgrace your old man." Massa then threw a backpack to Wang Ben.

    Apache stepped forward as well. "Sir, me too!"

    Massa nced at Apache and threw him a backpack, after that he turned to the rest and said, "Anyone else? Feel free to step forward."

    Cao Yi stepped forward while scratching his head, Massa said nothing and handed him a backpack as well. Unwilling to get left behind, Hu Yangxuan sighed then stepped forward and requested one. Somehow Wang Tong¡¯s great performance had pushed all of them closer to the edge of the cliff.

    As for the others, it was not that they didn¡¯t want to make an effort, but everyone had their own limits. If they were to carry one of those, the weight would crush them to death for sure.

    "MOVE IT!"

    Everyone dropped down and began doing push-ups immediately; however, this time none of them chose to go fast, they conserved their energy and tried their best to maintain their breathings and body conditions instead. Apparently, they were afraid that there might be some other difficult trainingter waiting for them.

    "Lift your *ss! What¡¯s wrong with your hips!" Massa then swung his baton onto Carl¡¯s butt without any hesitation.

    Carl had no choice but to bear with it. His arms were aching, but he wasn¡¯t going to admit defeat since Wang Tong and the rest of them who were carrying the backpack didn¡¯t show anyint. After all, those who were less talented would have to contribute more effort than the others.

    On the other hand, the other batch had also been busy, especially the students of Battlecraft Combat Force. Best was looking proud while training, he wasn¡¯t troubled at all by these basic training since his super operating maneuvers were achieved through all of his previous training on reflexes. Nheless, Massa knew that Best was stronger than most of them, so he also had specially prepared a lot of difficult tasks for Best.

    Within minutes, Carl was already experiencing cramps on his extremities; meanwhile, Rumi was also having a hard time on her Intel Programming Training, the different waves of discernment training had caused her eyes and brain to go dizzy, not to mention that the condition of her body wasn¡¯t quite well at the moment.

    "Remember, your enemies will never strike during the day you are at your best, so you¡¯ll also need to prepare yourself to face your strongest enemy at your weakest condition, only then will you be able to be a real unrivaled one!"

    "Hurry up and straighten your postures, and don¡¯t you even think about pulling any tricks as doing so will only mean that you¡¯re lying to yourself!" Massa said as he walked around them with the baton in his hands, getting ready to punish anyone who tried to cheat.

    Finally, lunch was served after a bundle of hellish training in the morning. Aside from Wang Tong and Wang Ben, usually most of them would be a little picky when it was about food and wouldin about the lunch provided by their academies from time to time; yet today¡¯s lunch was totally a feast! Everyone went crazy when they saw therge portions of good food that were served. Even Rumi, who used to eat slowly and politely, was seen gobbling up her food, it was an unbelievable scene indeed.

    Clearly, the only way to handle over-pampered babies was to have them going through hardships; same goes to soldiers, officers or trainers in the military would always have tricks up their sleeves when it came to handling troublemakers. Furthermore, mankind had been depending on its own adaptabilities to strive for sess since the beginning of time; hence the human body was not as fragile as it looked like.

    "Is there any more food?"

    "Yup, here you go!" the cafeteria staff said as heid down another dish on the table. He was amazed by their appetite, and apparently, all of them were enjoying the dishes even though nothing special was served.

    "Fes, remember to control your appetite! Don¡¯t overeat, or else you¡¯ll get sickter in the afternoon," Wang Tong reminded everyone. So as he said that, some of them, who were trying to go frenzy, stopped eating immediately. They knew Wang Tong was right about self-control, and it was important to stop when one¡¯s tummy was full. Since they expected to have physical activitiester in the afternoon, it would be better for them to feast on during dinner.

    Ma Xiaoru had never been through any hardship even though she was born and raised in a strict family, and this special training was definitely one of the toughest challenges she had ever faced; however, she didn¡¯t even grumble once about the privation.

    Most of them from Ayrng and Bernabeu were expecting that the little princess of the FFC would request special privileges since she had no reason to be like the others. Unlike the others who needed to squeeze every bit of their effort in order to make miracles, Ma Xiaoru was able to achieve anything without going through all the troubles; she could easily be a fleet captain if she wanted to, yet she insisted not to take any shortcut. Most of the team had beenining since day one, yet Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t make a single fuss about it.

    Honestly, most of them were deeply impressed by Ma Xiaoru¡¯s personality; usually, people from rich families would act friendly and amiable all the time, especially girls who actually thought they were real princesses. However, Ma Xiaoru was nothing like those.

    Everyone gathered and lined up immediately as soon as the bell rang, this time they managed to gather up before Massa could say a word, fearing that he might be giving out more "add-ons" to their training sessions.

    "Hmph, that¡¯s more like it, but still far away from bing a soldier. I think you will all be enjoying this afternoon¡¯s training! We¡¯re heading to the beach..."

    Everyone hopped into the chopper and got to the beach. The moment their feet hit the sand, the students werepletely mesmerized by the zing sun, the panoramic view of the ocean, the beautiful sand, the lofty coconut trees, and the rippling waves. How the boys wished they could remove Massa from the view and pitch a few camps, maybe even have a couple of juices while enjoying their poker game and watching the beautiful girls having fun by the sea. What a paradise.

    Nevertheless, their dreams were crushed by the wave as they saw Massa¡¯s boring face.

    "This afternoon¡¯s session is gonna be endurance training, and y¡¯all will be doing this IN the sea." Massa then gave everyone a pair of anklets and ordered them to put it on.

    Everyone¡¯s expression went pale the moment they put on the pair of anklets, they were very heavy.

    "Very well, now, attention! March ten steps to the front!" Everyone managed to march like soldiers since they were the students of military academies. All of them began to wonder what Massa was thinking as they stood in the sea while waiting for the next order.

    "The task is going to be sightseeing around the ind, as simple as that. This is the starting point of your round-ind tour, only those who can make it back before eighteen hundred hours will be served dinner, only if you can¡­ haha¡­ now get moving!"

    Everyone¡¯s expression turned solemn as they heard the word "dinner", it took a while for the helicopter to reach here; judging from that, the ind was definitely much bigger than they had imagined.

    Some began to grumble as their sadistic coach ordered them to start moving.

    Soon, they tended to discover that their anklets were actually more than a pair of conventional ankle weights; Apparently, they were also able to standardize their routes; the hindrance might be lesser if they travel closer to the shore, but it would set off the warning siren if they exceeded the preset perimeter, meaning that the anklets could not leave the designated depth of the seawater.

    Carl and the rest were unable to bear with it anymore and began to curse Massa for his sadistic tortures.

    Although they didn¡¯t like it, still they had to keep jogging; nevertheless, their situation was betterpared to Wang Tong and the other few. The hindrance from the seawater was an immense stress on both legs, and it would even cause them to lose their bnce.

    The sea water by the shore had lesser buoyancy, but still, it was able to cause a loss of bnce, and now Wang Tong and the others finally realized the benefit of this training. As a matter of fact, Massa¡¯s training methods might be too much for normal students and ordinary soldiers, but these tasks were definitely necessary for the training of elites and special forces.

    They were here to be trained into elites, it would be impossible for someone to seed while having all of the leisures and pleasure, as one would never make bricks without straws.

    Somehow, Wang Tong and the other few managed to realize one thing: even if they were having the same training and showing the same effort and persistence, the oue would vary if they were not being serious about it.

    As the saying goes: "You reap what you sow." A hundred percent of effort meant that the oue would also be a hundred percent. Yet if one chose not to take it seriously, the result would never be as effective.

    In fact, it was also the same when it came to the practice and initialization of the tactics. Although there was no vivid difference between a casual round of initialization and a serious round of initialization within a period of time; however, it didn¡¯t mean that there was no difference at all.

 Chapter 144: A Special Reward

    Chapter 144: A Special Reward

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    A sudden change would take ce once the effort had reached a certain level, and usually, people would call this achievement prehension". However, theprehension would never ur out of the blue; the umtion of hard work and effort were the key factors for this to happen.

    Wang Tong had been training in a serious attitude, he was actually very happy for this kind of training because he would be able to initialize his Tactics of the de while training his physical fitness. Wang Tong was d that he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting disturbed and was able to be fully concentrated on his training; moreover, he didn¡¯t have to worry about meals and rentals. Everywhere could be Wang Tong¡¯s paradise... as long as he didn¡¯t have to worry about money.

    Everyone began to adjust their pace gradually in order to adapt to the hindrance of the seawater, and they had also adjusted the strength of their movements in order to stabilize their center of gravity.

    A lot of things could be learned as long as they settled down their attitudes, it was always better to calm down and do as they were ordered instead of wasting their time and emotion on grumbling andining about it. After all, their own fate would be up to them to decide.

    They might be young, but they were not a bunch of fools. They knew that they had to look for their own ways of learning as soon as possible. Rumi, for instance, who was only fourteen years old, might be the youngest amongst the team, yet she had been able to learn a lot of new things in her own way. Nevertheless, Rumi was still the slowest amongst the team, luckily she had Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi apanying her, or else she would not have been able to hold out for sure.

    Teamwork and support were not about taking someone else¡¯s ce during the training, but to share the joy and pain with each other.

    However, speed was still the crucial factor in this training, as they might lose their chance of having dinner if they couldn¡¯tplete before the designated time.

    As most of them in the leading position had begun to slow down, Wang Tong was still running while maintaining his speed as if he were some kind of monster that would never get tired. It might be normal if he were utilizing his GN Force, but that was impossible since Massa prohibited the utilization of GN Force. The rest of the team would probably be stunned if they found out that Wang Tong was actually initializing his tactics at the same time.

    Wang Tong discovered something weird while he was exercising and practicing the Tactics of the de at the same time, he noticed that the overall cirction of the sixteen nodes tactics had be slower, but the fluency of the delicate processes controlled by his Dantian (the Cinnabar field) had improved instead. Wang Tong felt a sense of warm current circting within his body and continuously eliminated his fatigue.

    In the end, Wang Tong became the only one who was running happily. While the others were trying their best to keep up; some of the strong-willed ones were seen silentlypeting against each other during the training.

    Of course, Wang Tong was the first whopleted the training, luckily his anklets detected no signs of GN Force, or else Massa would definitely suspect him of cheating. In fact, Massa had been keeping an eye on Wang Tong since the beginning of this training because Wang Tong¡¯s physical fitness and stamina were incredibly amazing, and Massa needed to be sure if there was any foul y, yet he was surprised to find nothing suspicious at all. Massa couldn¡¯t help staring at Wang Tong, wondering if he was really a human for not being out of breath after such a hectic task.

    "You may head back for dinner," Massa said emotionlessly, he didn¡¯t praise Wang Tong at all.

    As Wang Tong was trying to put down his backpack and remove his anklets, Massa stopped him and said, "No, don¡¯t remove them, put these on as well."

    Massa threw him a pair of maic wrist weights and said, "Wear these on your wrists 24/7 from now onwards and do not remove them unless I say so. Understand?"

    "Yes, Sir!" Wang Tong saluted.

    Massa nodded emotionlessly, and as soon as he pressed a button, Wang Tong¡¯s arms and legs were immediately bounded by the maic force.

    "Since normal weights have no effect on you, I¡¯m giving you this special reward, take your time to get used to it," Masa was clearly sending Wang Tong a message not to mess with him.

    Apparently, that was the real function of these weights, and Wang Tong would have no choice but to adapt to the immense maic force.

    "And don¡¯t even think about using your GN Force!" Massamanded and went off to see how the others were doing, somehow Wang Tong didn¡¯t notice the faint smile on Massa¡¯s face as he left.

    Barely able to move a muscle, Wang Tong stood on the beach like an idiot. He had no idea what Massa did to the anklets and wrist weights, all Wang Tong knew was that he had to break out from this huge maic force as soon as possible!

    Wang Tong tried his best to adapt to the maic force; however, it was way more difficult than he had expected.

    Obviously, Massa had basically understood the capabilities of his body through the previous training, which was why Massa decided to skip the basics and let Wang Tong took on the toughest difficulty. The definition of training was to discover, stimte, and create a breakthrough in one¡¯s hidden potential. Nevertheless, Massa was also trying to seize the opportunity to show Wang Tong that he was the boss.

    In fact, Massa had already been nning to let Wang Tong try out something different the moment he finished the round-ind jog since the level of Wang Tong¡¯s potential was much higher than most of his teammates. Massa would have to train him to the standard of the special forces in the military.

    Both Wang Ben and Apache arrived at the finish line ten minutester, they were surprised to see that Wang Tong was still standing on the beach like a wooden pir; a wooden sign with the words "Do Not Disturb" written on it was ced right beside him as well.

    Wang Ben and Apache wanted to know what had happened to Wang Tong, but they were too hungry to do anything else. In the end, they decided to hop on the chopper and head back to the cafeteria first.

    Apparently, the two of them were the only ones who were qualified for dinner, supposedly Cao Yi and Hu Yangxuan could also make it, but the extra weights had slowed them down drastically and caused them to miss dinner.

    The rest of the team were even slower, but at least they could have some restter. It has been a tiring and unforgettable day indeed.

    As night falls, the students were seen running toward the finish line one after another; everyone was terribly exhausted, especially the two big fes from Heavy Arm Force. Nevertheless, all of them came back in one piece.

    The chopper had been traveling back and forth, sending students back to their base one by one; it seemed like they would have to starve tonight as there were no restaurant or cafeteria here since it was only a small ind right next to Paradise Ind.

    However, Wang Tong, who was the earliest to arrive, was still standing at the same spot, he shut his eyes and was looking serious while trying his best to expand his arms and legs. No one dared to walk toward him as they saw the wooden sign, wondering if he had done something which angered the "Mold-face" Massa.

    "Mold-face" was apparently Massa¡¯s new nickname.

    It was already veryte when Ma Xiaoru, Zhou Sisi, and Rumi arrived. They were obviously thest batch toplete the training. Rumi was extremely drained and looked like she was about to copse anytime, today¡¯s training was way over her body¡¯s limit. Even though she was weak, her willpower had proven that she was a strong fighter.

    "Alright, you three are thest ones, get to the chopper."

    "Sir, what about Wang Tong?"

    Massa looked across toward Wang Tong who was standing still on the beach, then he sneered and said, "That¡¯s his reward, don¡¯t bother."

    The helicopter took off as Massa shut the door close, Wang Tong was the only one that was left behind, still standing at the same spot like a sculpture.

    Rumi was immediately put on the drip by the doctor, and lucky for her, the fatigue could be handled easily by thetest medical technology. Moreover, the medical facility in Paradise Ind was second to none, which was why both principals were not worried at all.

    Meanwhile, in the chopper, the twodies were very worried about Wang Tong, "Sir, if we leave him there, how would he be joining us for tomorrow¡¯s training?"

    "Training? Haha, don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be able to move for at least ten days since he is prohibited from utilizing his GN Force," Massa said.

    Those maic weights were specially designed for the training purposes of the special forces in the military. Actually, the users were required to generate a little amount of GN Force in order to maintain their movements, and it would also consume a lot of stamina. Massa didn¡¯t tell Wang Tong because he wanted to reduce Wang Tong¡¯s arrogance; the youngsters should never be arrogant as this attitude would hinder their improvements.

    Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi felt bad for Wang Tong, both of them wished to plead for him but decided not to do so as they saw Massa¡¯s stone-cold expression; knowing that their pleas would only worsen the situation.

    Wang Tong stared helplessly at the chopper, with thest batch of students gone, he was the only person on this deserted ind in the middle of the vast ocean. The sunset was long gone, and he was still maintaining the same position at the same spot.

    No dinner was served to those who arrivedte, but fortunately, Apache and Wang Ben who went back first managed to smuggle some food for the others. Somehow, those two guys, who were bad at making conversations, managed to persuade the kitchen staff for that. After all, both of them knew that the rest of them would be toasted tomorrow if they didn¡¯t eat anything.

    Everyone finished their food without leaving a trace, at the beginning they were afraid that "Mold-face" Massa would barge into their dorm any minute, but luckily for them, he didn¡¯t show up after thest training and probably went off for dinner.

    None of them dared to sleep immediately, as they had to initialize at least two rounds of their tactics in order to replenish their stamina, or else they wouldn¡¯t be able to move a muscle tomorrow. Sleep itself would never be enough for one to recover from this level of physical stress.

    Rumi¡¯s situation was worse than the others as her tactics was weak and the condition of her body was barely holding up. Fortunately, Ma Xiaoru helped her to initialize her tactics for two rounds, and she was able to get better after that. The Tactics of the Enchantress was basically the only one from the Five Greatest Tactics that could help others to initialize their tactics.

    "Thank you very much, Xiaoru. I¡¯ll try my very best!" Rumi was able to regain her strength after initializing two rounds of her tactics.

    "Keep it up, we¡¯ll be here for you." Ma Xiaoru smiled, apparently she also didn¡¯t expect the special training would be this hard; nevertheless, she understood that this sort of training was necessary for them in order to vanquish Capth. No pain, no gain.

    However¡­

    "What¡¯s wrong, Xiaoru? Where¡¯s Wang Tong by the way? I thought he was the first one to finish the training, where did he go?" Rumi asked, clearly Wang Tong had already be a well-respected figure in her heart.

    Ma Xiaoru then exined Wang Tong¡¯s situation to Rumi.

    "That¡¯s definitely an extra training from our coach, but how could he left him alone in the deserted ind, not to mention without any food, water, and shelter." Rumi seemed to be quite worried.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure Wang Tong will be able to survive. You should probably go get some rest, tomorrow is going to be another rough day."

    None of them were interested in a game of poker this time, not even if the god of gamble were to arrive tonight; they were too exhausted to open their eyes after initializing their tactics and fell asleep almost immediately. It was definitely a day to be remembered.

    Two memorable days to be exact.

    Within minutes, the whole room was filled with yawns and snores.

    While everyone was asleep, Wang Tong was still standing alone on the beach, he didn¡¯t move at all because he wanted to get used to the force. This position was the best he could maintain, and the force would tighten the gaps again if he tried to move a muscle, which was why it would be impossible for him to walk as he would instantly fell on the ground for sure.

    For some reason, a blissful feeling emerged within Martyrus¡¯ heart as he saw Wang Tong. It was probably the sense of pride as a teacher. Martyrus was feeling proud to witness one of his students growing and improving little by little.

    "Principal Martyrus, I¡¯ll leave the rest to your care. It¡¯s time for me to prepare what¡¯sing next."

    "Rest assure, Principal Samantha. I have faith in all of them." Martyrus nodded.

    Apparently, Martyrus had already foreseen a couple of possible improvements the moment Samantha brought him this n, yet somehow he still had underestimated the potential of the students.

 Chapter 145: No Big Deal at All

    Chapter 145: No Big Deal at All

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The special training program would be able to carry on if this time was a huge sess. It would be specially designed for the aces and elites in the academies, and it would prevent from neglecting the talented ones.

    Martyrus knew that Massa might have gone a little too far after leaving Wang Tong alone on the beach, but that was because he had witnessed too much life and death situations on the battlefield, and he had chosen to hide his feelings because of that; apparently, being strict was his way of caring. Soldiers or fighters should always be prepared for any crisis, even during peace; not to mention that the Earth Confederation wasn¡¯t peaceful at all. A crisis would always be lurking around, whether it was the endless streams of pirate smuggling cases or the threats caused by those horrible Zergs. Ordinary people might be able to enjoy their lives, but the soldiers had to be prepared for war at any time.

    It might be a little harsh for the students; however, brilliant disciples were born under the supervision of a strict teacher, and furthermore, they were the sessors of the future generation.

    As a matter of fact, Massa was not a sadist, he did that because he wanted to find out the limits of every student. He would reduce the harshness once he noticed their limits and then gradually increased the difficulties in order to break their limits. As for Wang Tong, Massa was strict with him probably because the boy had caught his interest since it was rare to find a student with such capabilities.

    Martyrus couldn¡¯t wait to see Wang Tong¡¯s performances as well, he was very excited for the uing surprises from Wang Tong.

    It seemed like God was really trying to test Wang Tong¡¯s faith. Not only there was no moon that night because the night sky was overcast with dark clouds, but strong currents of wind also roared across the vast ocean, and within minutes, the ind was hit by a ferocious squall.

    The sea might have been gentle and peaceful during the day, but it had turned violent as the thunderstorm raged, and every corner of the beach was mmed by surges from the waves.

    Instantly Wang Tong felt even lonelier. He would have to face the frightful darkness and the intimidating force of nature all by himself on this deserted ind.

    Rooarr...

    Lightning jagged across the night sky followed by peals of thunder. Theyers of dark clouds seemed to be getting heavier, turning into a pressuring aura above the stormy sea. It was definitely a power that should be feared and respected by mankind.

    Yet Wang Tong remained still like a sculpture, he wasn¡¯t affected by the strong currents of the wind and the huge surges from the waves at all. There were times when Wang Tong was hit by the wave, but his feet never moved an inch.

    Wang Tong was not giving up, he clenched his teeth and was determined to get through this; if he chose to retreat, all of his hard work would be wasted. How he wished he could initialize the Tactics of the de to counter the force of the wave, but he was told by Massa not to utilize his GN Force, and clearly this training was to improve the limit of his willpower.

    He had to ovee all the struggles as this was his chance of self-discovery, he had to see himself clearly in order to transcend himself!

    Another surge was mmed upon the beach as if mother nature was trying to intimidate the young man by showing off its dominance.

    Wooosh¡­

    A giant wave about ten meters tall came crashing down toward him, yet Wang Tong stared at it with his eyes wide open, no fear at all.

    Rooarr¡­

    Wang Tong stretched his arms wide open and stood firm like an iron pir, then he unleashed a warcry to "wee" its arrival.

    Whammm¡­

    "Sir, a category three typhoon ising this way, and I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going tost for at least a day or two. Should we take him back?" one of the teaching staff asked.

    Massa shook his head, he didn¡¯t sleep because the monitoring system was temporarily down due to the immense thunderstorm. However, thest image he saw was Wang Tong¡¯s "fight" against the huge surge, which exined why he wasn¡¯t too worried since Wang Tong was tough, and Massa knew he would not die easily.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was also having trouble sleeping because she couldn¡¯t help worrying about Wang Tong. Even though she was staying in the bunker, she was still able to hear the sound of the thunder roaring and the waves mming on the beach, yet she could only hope that Wang Tong was alright under the heavy downpour.

    The next day, Massa didn¡¯t wake them up in the middle of the night but at four in the morning instead; everyone was awakened by the annoying rm. Nevertheless, they had learned their lesson and gathered up within five minutes.

    "Not bad, you kids are lucky today, this is the best weather for outdoor training, so let¡¯s begin!"

    Everyone carried their backpacks and started jogging. No one bothered to ask why there was no day-off since it was raining because they already knew that "Mold-face" Massa would only call a day-off if it were raining daggers outside. Anyhow, it seemed like all of them had regained their spirit after a good rest. Everyone was in good shape and was fully concentrated on the training. One would be at its best when their vital essence, energy, and spirit were fullybined.

    Down at the training field, everyone was seen running in the rain even though the thunderstorm persisted, and since Massa was unable to use the maic weights under the heavy downpour, Wang Ben and the other guys were told to double-up the weight of their backpacks.

    "Faster, move it, c¡¯mon, even pigs are running faster than all of you! The sky ain¡¯t raining torpedoes, so speed up!" Massa waved his baton and yelled like a mad man in the middle of the field. In fact, even the heavy storm was unable to cover up his loud voice.

    While Wang Ben and the rest of the team was busy training, Wang Tong was also busy "fighting" against himself and mother nature. He had been spending the whole night getting hit by waves for more than tens of times, yet he still managed to remain still.

    Wang Tong¡¯s level of determination waspletely off the chart, he would never give up unless he was dead, but to be honest, he still would never give up even if he died!

    Unnoticed by the others, Wang Tong held on tight to himself no matter how many times he was hit by the waves. Fear was born within one¡¯s weakness; however, once one overcame the weakness, one would be fearless!

    He clenched his teeth and stared at the ocean with his fiery eyes as if he was taunting the ocean.

    Day two came to an end, yet everyone still couldn¡¯t get used to the training even though they had experienced the difficult tasks on day one. Aside from Massa¡¯s sadistic methods, the bad weather and challenging environment were also the reason they were terribly exhausted. However, all of them were seen initializing their tactics spontaneously when there was time, in order to maintain the conditions of their bodies.

    Everyone was so tired that they had almost forgotten about Wang Tong.

    The gale persisted at night even though the heavy rain had started to turn into drizzle, and all of them were sleeping soundly as they needed to recharge for tomorrow¡¯s training. However, the boy was still standing by the sea¡­

    The typhoon finally died down on the third day, the zing sun had shined upon Paradise Ind once again. The water on the ground had already evaporated as they finished their morning jog. After the tiring exercise, everyone got into the chopper and head to the beach once again. Due to yesterday¡¯s typhoon, they had been unable to train on the beach; however, the weather was fine again, and obviously, there was no way they could escape from the round-ind marathon.

    Nevertheless, everyone was worried about Wang Tong; they wondered if he was okay since he was left alone by the sea for a couple of days, but when they asked Massa, he only told them to mind their own business and threaten to increase their tasks if they carried on asking.

    "Hey look, it¡¯s Wang Tong! He is still standing there!" Hu Yangxuan yelled out as he saw the familiar figure through a window of the chopper, the others leaned toward the window when they heard that and were all amazed to see that Wang Tong still standing by the sea.

    Everyone wanted to rush toward Wang Tong when the choppernded on the beach, but they were instantly stopped by Massa and his baton.

    "You are not here on vacation! If you wanna catch up, do it after the training. Now go get yourselves ready. I know some of you were hiding food in the roomst time, so this time I¡¯ve notified the kitchen staff not to give anyone a single piece of bone if the person can¡¯t finish the training before the time limit!"

    Everyone stood still and gazed across as Massa walked toward Wang Tong by himself. He wondered if the kid was still conscious.

    "Hey Wang Tong, squeak if you¡¯re still alive!" Massa said. He appreciated Wang Tong¡¯s bravery, but obviously, the kid wasn¡¯t smart enough; those maic weights were specially designed as the training gear for the elites in the special force, and the user had to infuse a little amount of GN Force in order to move. In the beginning, Massa wondered if he had gone too far, yet he couldn¡¯t resist to use it on Wang Tong ever since he witnessed his amazing performance.

    Wang Tong turned toward Masa and smiled, "Sir, can I join the training?" Wang Tong asked as he waved his hands, his movements were slower than usual, but he was already able to move.

    Massa was stunned and absolutely amazed by what he saw; however, he remained calm, "Hmph, not bad, c¡¯mon, the training will begin in a minute."

    "Yes, Sir!" Wang Tong saluted and then ran toward the team, his paces and movements were way slower than before.

    Massa almost fainted when he saw Wang Tong¡¯s movements, he couldn¡¯t believe he was still able to run!

    Yet Wang Tong expected that anyone who epted this training was able to do so, and somehow he thought his performance was bad since he had used a long period of time to adapt, not to mention that the coach had noment on his training. However, he felt great about "defeating" the ocean, his spirit was uplifted as the sea returned to its calmness and the sun shined bright again; he was filled with the will to prevail against anything. It was indeed an indescribable feeling of the satisfaction of being victorious.

    Although Massa remained emotionless, he was actually deeply impressed by Wang Tong¡¯s outstanding performances.

    Everyone cheered as Wang Tong returned to the team; however, they were forced to put their catch up aside since it was time for Massa¡¯s brutal training. Apparently, all of them had realized the importance of food as their training required a lot of physical strength and energy. Massa would never reduce his training if they didn¡¯t eat, so they really needed to bring out every inch of their effort for the sake of getting food.

    Wang Tong was starving. He had never felt so exhausted before, and the past two days had been extremely torturing.

    "Everyone, listen up, I¡¯m adding a new rule into our next training: instead of taking care of your teammates, I¡¯d like all of you to run on your own."

    "Sir, shouldn¡¯t we be focusing on teamwork since we are a part of the military?" Carl asked.

    "Hmph, you wouldn¡¯t be asking this silly question if you knew the meaning of teamwork. Well, let¡¯s do it this way instead, all of you will be granted dinner if half of the team is able to make it back before the time limit, but if you fail, no one¡¯s getting food tonight. How¡¯s that for teamwork?"

    "Bring it on!" Wang Ben said, obviously he was kind of pissed off.

    "I¡¯m fine with it, I¡¯m on a diet anyway." Apache squinted his eyes and leered at Massa.

    It seemed like Massa had be the "public enemy". They were tired of their coach acting like he knew everything and were all keen to prove to the "Mold-face" devil that he had underestimated everyone. It was time to show him what real teamwork looked like!

 Chapter 146: The Last Moment

    Chapter 146: The Last Moment

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Massa didn''t care to exin himself to the students and said, "Start, now!"

    The students started running unwillingly along the shoreline. Wang Tong had quickly fallen behind, as he felt that it was hard to move with the four electromaic bracelets on him at the same time.

    A few minutester, Wang Tong fell face down into the sea water.

    "Are you OK, Wang Tong?" Karl asked.

    "Move on! If you want to have breakfast today, you better look after yourself first!" Karl heard Mr. Horse Face''s angry voice behind him. He shook his head helplessly and started running again.

    "Hey kiddo, how do you like the training now? Do you want me to remove your weight bag before you beg me to? "

    Although Massa asked in a stoic voice, he had grown concerned about Wang Tong''s safety. He was afraid that he had pushed Wang Tong to his limits and any more stress might break him at any moment.

    Wang Tong stood up, cleared the water on his face, then smiled at Massa and said, "Sir, I am fine. I can do it!"

    Wang Tong turned around and started to tread the sand and water. He had no time to waste as he had already fallen behind. Massa paused for a second, shook his head and muttered, "Little fool."

    Massa felt that Wang Tong was not only a powerful fighter, but he was also mature and intelligent. He had a hunch that Wang Tong had already gained a certain measure of his concern, and was impressed by his unprecedented talents in both physical and mental faculties. Massa believed that one day, this boy might just be the prize of the Confederation.

    Massa alsomented over how different this training session had turned out. He had initially wanted to focus on Wang Ben. Wang Ben''s father, General Hu Ben, had helped Massa many times during his career, so he had thought to repay the general with a little bit of tough love for his son. However, Wang Tong seemingly came out of nowhere and had somehow stolen the limelight and became the primary focus of his training program.

    "Well, looks like tougher times are ahead of Capth." Massa thought to himself.

    Although the training routines were the same asst time, Massa had made it almost impossible for the students to pass as a group, since they needed eight more of them to reach the finishing line in time in addition to the two that had passed the testst time. Despite the almost non-existence odds of seeding their task, everyone tried their best because they didn''t want to be looked down upon by Mr. Horse Face.

    Wang Ben and Apache led the group as the rest of the students struggled to catch up. They had forgotten about all their doubts as they focused entirely on the task at hand.

    Apache was the first one to reach the finishing line. Speed always had been his strong suit even without using the GN force, thanks to his daily jogging exercise. Jogging was the habit that he had kept even during the stressful days he spent with the Special Unit. Most of his teammates were in their 30''s, and had served the Unit for many years. During years of service, they had witnessed so many heart-wrenching tragedies that eventually drove them to rely on various kinds of chemicals to numb the pain inside of them. However, Apache was practically still a student who had not yet been tainted by the dark side of his profession, and therefore, he was more upbeat and kept a more positive attitude than his older teammates.

    Following Apache and Wang Ben, Hu Yangxuan and Cao Yi soon arrived at the finishing line as well. As Martyrus watched Hu Yangxuan celebrate his sess, he concluded that Hu Yangxuan was a student of tremendous potential since he would always do better when under pressure. Martyrus was not surprised by Cao Yi''s results either, since he knew that based on Cao Yi''s previous test results, passing this test was well within his capability. Cao Yi''s performance was always steady and reliable, so if he had done it before, there was no surprise that he could do it again.

    So far, there were only four students that had made the cut, and the team was still quite a way from the target of 10 students. Everyone had predicted the four best students to pass the test, but no one could predict what was going to happen from there on. Luckily, time was still on the students'' side.

    Soon, Ma Xiaoru emerged and became the fifth student who passed the finishing line. Exhaustion was written all over her face when she stopped. It was evident that she had given all she had for this test. Massa nced at his watch and waited for other students cidly.

    After a long while, the sixth student arrived, and to everyone''s surprise, it was Karl. Although Karl had never appeared to stand out among his peers, he was willing to risk his own life when the situation called for it. He knew that he was neither as smart as most of his peers nor was he observant and diligent like Cao Yi. Therefore, he was aware that it would be his only time to shine during the task of running, a task that could not be any simpler and more straightforward. Then and there, he was ready to give up his life if that was what it would take. He gritted his teeth and swallowed the pain as he ran, and before he knew it, he was already standing at the finishing line.

    Karl copsed onto the ground as soon as he passed the finishing line. Both Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan pick him up, and then Hu Yangxuan patted excitedly on his shoulder, congratting him on his sess.

    Karl was burnt out. When he passed the finishing line, he finally let go of thest breath and lost control of his limbs as he plopped down on the ground. After he finally gathered himself, he found his body was in excruciating pain. He tried his best not to wear it on his face, but couldn''t hold it when Hu Yangxuan patted him on his shoulder.

    Half an hourter, both Deng Jia and Scarlet arrived. They were among the best of Bernabeu, and their sess spoke loudly of the coaching skills of Martytrus.

    Eight had passed, and there were still two more to go. Both Bernabeu and Ayrng had then been pushed to their limits. Thanks to Mr. Horse Face, the two schools had forgotten about any old feuds, uniting together under the same banner to fight against the cruel and inhuman officer.

    No one had expected it when they saw the sexy looking girl reach the final line. It was none other than Bernabeu''s Luo Manman. Her cultivation focused not only on the psychological ability, but also her body''s flexibility and bnce, obviously for increasing her sexuality, thereby enhancing the seductive power of her tactics. She eventually found out a way to remain bnced while trudging in the sand and water, and used it to finally finish the test in time.

    There was one more to go. Only one.

    Had Wang Tong not been hindered by his constraints, the student''s victory should have been already in his bag. However, Wang Tong was at this point stuck knee deep in trouble, finding it hard toe up with a solution. The four maic rings interfered with every move of his; it was difficult enough for him to stand still, let alone running against the time in the water. Despite the difficulties, Wang Tong remained steadfast. Massa couldn''t believe that Wang Tong was able to remain in the game for such a long time. He started to wonder if Wang Tong would be able to surprise him and actually finish the test.

    "Who is behind you?" Apache asked Luo Manman, no longer able to remain silent.

    "I think it was Kearo and Shi Liang. but I am not too sure though."

    A few moments passed, and soon there was only half an hour left before the time ran out. The students gazed into the distance, trying to search for any sign of their teammates. To their dismay, they had seen nobody so far.

    Wang Ben waited patiently. The importance of the test had gone beyond the matter of lunch, and he only wanted to prove to Massa that their so-called "Team Spirit" did exist. Although Wang Ben knew that it was unrealistic to expect others to die for their teammates, the sense of being in a team was not entirely useless as Massa had purported.

    Being an officer did not amount to being right.

    Wang Ben wasn''t alone in that thought, and the other students wanted to prove to Massa that team spirit was something worth fighting for.

    "That idiot Shi Liang, he should have eaten more food to have more endurance, instead of being on a diet all the time."

    Everyone had their obsession, and Shi Liang''s obsession happened to be himself. He cared for his skin and body more than a girl. He knew much more about cosmetics than his tactics, and no wonder he would fall behind in the test.

    Regarding the remaining contestants in Ayrng, despite their effort to pass the test, they were simply not up to snuff. The only exception was Karl, who was a unique case in himself.

    "Ten minutes left." People heard Massa''s cold voices. However, they still didn''t see anyone at the other end of the finishing line.

    "Hey look! There''s someone!" Cao Yi yelled at the top of his lungs.

    "Who is that?" Karl managed to pick himself up and watch, as a frail figure approached the finishing line.

    It wasn''t Wang Tong; it was Zhou Sisi.

    The turn of event had caught everyone off guard, as they were actually expecting Shi Liang or Keyaro. Zhou Sisi did not stand out among her peers, and she was also a girl; naturally, people thought that she would be weaker than her male counterparts.

    Zhou Sisi ran as fast as she could. To her surprise, she didn''t copse due to exhaustion, and she found things were quite the opposite, as she felt her soul power movements became more fluid as she went on.

    Ever since the ident in Wang Tong''s bedroom, her soul energy had be more active. However, the improved soul energy alone won''t be enough to make the cut, as her strong feeling for Wang Tong also yed an important part. She felt motivated to ovee her exhaustion every time she thought about the image of Wang Tong suffering alone by the shore. Wang Tong didn''t eat anything for two days, and it could be life-threatening for him if he still couldn''t have anything on the third day.

    Towards the end, Zhou Sisi had already forgotten the reason why she was running. She only remembered that she could not stop no matter what.

    Wang Ben led the other students who already passed the test to cheer for Zhou Sisi. Massa nced his watch from time to time, as if he was hoping Zhou Sisi to fail.

    "Sisi, you are almost there."

    "You can do it!"

    "Run! RUN!"

    The students screamed hysterically. Neither hunger nor fatigue mattered anymore, as they only wanted to win.

    Zhou Sisi''s mind turned nk. She was no longer able to use her tactics, since she had lost the control of her body. Her will alone pushed her forward, despite the heavy feeling in her legs. She had almost reached her limit.

    Her vision had be a blur a few minutes before she was even close to the finishing line. But after she heard her friend''s cheers, she regained some of her consciousness and then realized that she was almost at the finishing line.

    "Thirty seconds left."

    She heard the stoic voice of Massa. The voice was cold like ice, and the chilling effect somehow brought Zhou Sisi even closer to reality as she started to realize that she had to speed up.

    A few secondster, the students beside the finishing line were spattered with sea water as Zhou Sisi fell to the ground.

 Chapter 147: The Legend

    Chapter 147: The Legend

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The shoreline suddenly became quiet for a moment, before a wave of deafening cheers and apuse erupted. Zhou Sisi''s ssmates carried her over their head and tossed her into the air in celebrating her sess.

    Massa turned his head and looked the other way, allowing the corner of his lips to lift slightly. He noticed that Zhou Sisi had used GN force at thest moment. Although it was forbidden, Massa decided to let it ride since he knew that Zhou Sisi didn''t do it intentionally. Although his students might not agree with him, he thought his goal was not to torture the kids but to train them into a stronger fighter. He was satisfied with their results even if Zhou Sisi had failed, and therefore, decided to be lenient for once.

    The sky was quickly taking on a dark gray tone. It was almost eight when Rumi appeared at the finishing line, and Wang Tong was still somewhere behind her. Starved and exhausted, Wang Tong finally conceded that it was a tough task than he had initially thought. He remembered that Old Fart had told him to always leave some energy just in case, and regretted that he didn''t follow through his lesson.

    Everyone waited patiently. When Wang Tong figure first appeared at the other end of the finishing line, Massa''s face turned ck. It was five to Eight.

    "If Wang Tong can¡¯t finish the test in five minutes, you guys can join him in his ''diet'' tonight."

    "We had a deal! That''s not fair." Karl leaped to his feet and shouted indignantly.

    "Yes, we did have a deal, but now, I am adding another term to our agreement, that is to have everyone pass the finish line before eight should you want to have dinner. You were talking about team spirit, isn''t Wang Tong part of your team? "

    "You despicable..." Karl was about to throw himself at Mr. Horse Face but was stopped by Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan.

    "Calm down, we still have time."

    "Wang Tong! Hurry up. You got 4 minutes left!"

    All the students yelled at Wang Tong, trying to remind him of the time limit. However, Wang Tong could not hear anything since he was already half conscious. Assailed by extreme hunger and exhaustion, Wang Tong felt he was in a test that would never end.

    The student noticed a smug smile had crept onto Massa''s face. They gritted their teeth, fighting their urge to give Mr. Horse Face a lesson.

    A few moments had passed, but Wang Tong didn''t seem to have noticed that his ssmates were calling out to him.

    While half leaning on Ma Xiaoru, Zhou Sisi had a light bulb moment as she shouted at the top of her lungs," Wang Tong! Hurry, roast duck is almost ready!"

    Surprise shed across Wang Tong''s face, and he seemed to be recovering his consciousness by the second. "Roast Duck! Roast Duck? Where is the roast duck!"

    "Wang Ben has it! Hurry up! He is going to have it all!"

    "NO! Leave some for me!"

    Wang Tong looked like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on as he sprung towards the finishing line. He could no longer feel any hunger. The only thing he was thinking about was the tender, juicy duck meat.

    He quickly reached the finishing line with the speed that terrified everyone.

    "Duck! Where is the duck? You didn''t even leave some bones for me? Urghh!" Having failed to find the promised duck, Wang Tong ran around in circles hysterically, as his teammates stared at him like watching a freak.

    Wang Ben didn''t know what to make of what he had just seen. ¡®What does it have anything to do with me?¡¯ He screamed in his mind.

    Zhou Sisi posed a V with her index and middle fingers, celebrating her sess. She had deployed the ultimate tactic against Wang Tong, the Tactic of the Roast Duck!

    A few momentster, Wang Tong finally recovered his memory and conceded that roast duck was simply a ruse.

    Massa sneered at the students as he tried toe to terms with what had just happened. A few words finally escaped his mouth:" Get to the Chapa. Enjoy your dinner."

    The crowd boiled over as they danced and cheered on seeing the disappointed look of Mr. Horse Face. They had finally proven themselves and what they believed to the patronizing officer. They even requested roast duck to be one of their dinner dishes.

    All the students were ted after their first victory over Mr. Horse Face. However, everyone knew that it was not the end of their battle, and they could not let their guard down just yet. Wang Tong''s return was a weight off a few students'' mind, and therefore, everyone slept well that night. The joy of victory made the students ce greater trust in each other, and thus, they felt the even greater joy of being trusted.

    Wang Tong fell asleep almost as soon as he sank his body into the soft bed. Despite the tortuous training, he was happy that he had learned to cope with the four "bracelets" on his body.

    Four o clock in the morning, the ear-splitting rm set off as scheduled. Massa looked at his watch as he waited for the students to arrive. He was relieved to find out that the students had finally learned to be on time as all the students had arrived within only five minutes, and appeared to be well rested.

    Perhaps Mr. Horse Face wanted to ''reward'' everyone''s sess yesterday, and he had increased the intensity of everyone''s training yet again. His method was more personal this time, as he had given Karl a much greater increase in intensity than anyone else. Massa didn''t like the fact that Karl had talked back to him a few times and therefore, had decided to let him pay the price of being a hero.

    However, Karl was unruffled by the almost impossible training intensity. The more Massa challenged him, the more stubborn he became. As a result, Karl passed out twice during his training, and even Rumi felt sorry for him.

    Wang Tong''s "reward," was unsurprisingly even more severe than Karl¡¯s. Not only he needed to struggle with the four "bracelets", but Massa also ordered him to carry weight bags. No one knew how heavy those weight bags were, but from Wang Tong''s expression, it was easy to conclude that they were not light.

    The maic rings were special ordered form the Military. Therefore, it was hard to find anything like it in the domestic market. Even in the Military, these rings were used only on those gifted soldiers. Massa had intended to use these rings on Wang Ben, but then quickly realized it would be too much for him.

    Ever since those rings immobilized Wang Tong, he became even more serious about his training. The existence of these rings meant that there were people in this world who could not be stopped unless the rings were used against them, just like him. At the thought of a potentially more powerful fighter as his opponent, he felt pressured to push himself to the limits.

    The intensive training went on for a few days, during which, students got used to getting up at four o''clock. Although the first couple mornings were torturous, the training seemed to have reinvigorated them, and eventually, they could spring out of bed a few minutes before the rm went off.

    Physical training not only increased the students'' endurance, but also improved their overall strength, including soul energy and GN force utilization. Although it had minimal effect on increasing the amount of soul energy, they all felt the flow of soul energy became more fluid, and therefore, it was a huge improvement overall.

    On the tenth day, something happened that everyone found to be incredulous; Massa didn''t show up in the morning assembly. Although none of the students liked Mr. Horse Face, his absence somehow made them felt ufortable.

    Ten minutes after four, and Massa was still nowhere to be seen. Instead, Principal Martyrus appeared.

    "Everyone, you have sessfully finished your first phase of the boot camp training: physical conditioning session. I wish everyone to continually improve your body and endurance even after the session is over."

    Martyrus could sense the difference these ten days had made on the students, even though he wagered that the student themselves hadn¡¯t noticed it yet. They had been green and childish, but now, they projected themselves as a professional soldier.

    As soon as the students heard the announcement, they felt hollow on the inside. Over the ten days, the only thing they wanted was to defeat Mr. Horse Face. However, when they eventually passed Mr. Horse Face''s training session, they missed him like an old friend. Perhaps, that was what''s called a "Frienemy."

    "How could he just leave us hanging here? I was still going to prove myself to him."

    Martyrus regarded Karl with his observant eyes, "You guys have passed this session. I''d like to point out that Officer Massa had taken a vacation leave from his work toe to train you guys. For that, all of us should be very appreciative of him. Therefore, I hope you practice what you had learned from him and don¡¯t let him down. "

    "Principal, who exactly is this Massa?" Luo Manman asked curiously. She had noticed that not only Massa''s training method was right on the spot, but he had also hit the mark regarding student''s characters. He applied his ever-increasing expectation on only those who he saw fit for it. For some rtively weak and less confident students such as Rumi, he offered constant encouragement to make them feel stronger. As for students who werezy, such as Karl, Massa had pushed them the hardest. As that was the only effective way to make them move. Wang Tong was the most special case of all students, because Massa deemed him as a genius. Massa had simply given him the hardest challenge and kept verbal stimtion at minimal, regardless of encouragement or scolding.

    "I wasn''t going to reveal his identity to you guys, but I do hope one day you would meet him again in a different setting. Massa is the captain of the strongest special force in the Military: Unit G."

    Karl''s was astounded by the revtion, "For real? Him? The Special Force?"

    "Ha ha. You guys are still babies in the woods. Once you have entered the Military, you will understand what their training is like. Truth be told, officer Massa had been very gentle towards you guys for thest ten days." Martyrus smiled, and then he shifted his gaze at Wang Tong," Wang Tong, Officer Massa left a message for you."

    Wang Tong was perplexed as to why Massa had left a message only for him, but everyone else guessed that the message perhaps was Massa''s acknowledgment of Wang Tong as the strongest fighter of the group.

    "Officer Massa said this: Army would be your heaven."

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and replied, "Thanks, that''s very kind of him to say that."

    When Martyrus heard it from Massa the first time, he almost couldn''t believe his ears. Massa was never generous in his praise, much less outright telling someone that he was the perfect soldier. Wang Tong never wanted to join the army, since his dream was to get rich as soon as possible. However, after having trained by Massa, he found that the idea of being a soldier had started to grow on him.

    "What about these things?" Wang Tong asked Martyrus as he pointed at his bracelets.

    "Officer Massa said that those were your gift."

    "Karl, Officer Massa also left a message for you." The announcement caught Karl off guard, and made him wonder what kind of message would an officer with high expectations give to a bottom ranked trainee.

 Chapter 148: Curiosity

    Chapter 148: Curiosity

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "He didn''t think that I am up to snuff?" Karl said in a low voice. Martyrus shook his head," He told me you shouldn''t be a METAL fighter..."

    "I knew it! He never liked me, but do you have to announce it in front of everyone?"

    "Easy now! I am not finished yet. We think that you shouldn''t be a METAL fighter, BUT, you are very talented in space battle. If you want, I can team you up with best. "

    "Talented? Me?" Karl scratched his head as the words start to sink in.

    Martyrus regraded everyone briefly and announced, "Today is your day off. You are allowed to walk wherever you like within District B. You can take a rest or keep on training, it is up to you. Should anyone want to visit the beach, a helicopter will be waiting for you out in the field. Just remember one thing: tomorrow, we will start the second round of the boot-camp training. Now dismiss!"

    Everyone was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected day-off, and felt equally apprehensive fearing that it was another trap. None of the students returned to their bed. Instead, they started their daily jogging. The ten days of gruesome training was effective in transforming them from children to soldiers

    By then, Wang Tong hadpletely gotten used to the four bracelets. He knew that Massa had wanted him to keep on using them with good intentions.

    The bracket itself was not a heavy burden, but the tremendous electromaic force that it imposed on the wearer could bend the will of even the strongest soldiers. Any ordinary fighter would have to use GN force to fight against the restraint, but Wang Tong was able to ovee the electromaic force without using GN force. Amazed by Wang Tong''s power and his potential, Massa had crafted hisst message to encourage him to join the army to take his training to the next level.

    Perhaps Wang Tong was still inexperiencedpared to a veteran, but his young age would give him enough time to be a more seasoned fighter. Massa believed that as long as Wang Tong followed the correct training, he would be one of the best fighters in the entire Confederation.

    Unknown to Massa, Wang Tong had never wanted to join the Army, as he believed that he could seek out other easier ways to be sessful. This was a firm belief that took hold in Wang Tong''s mind ever since he was a child, thanks to Old Fart''s pragmatic influence.

    After the morning jogging, the students returned to their quarters to rest. Although Martyrus didn''t mention the type of training in store for them in the second session, the students already knew that it would not consist of resting and entertainment. Therefore, they decided to rx while they still could.

    After the breakfast, most students chose to surf the inte. The intense training had actually disconnected them from the world, so they eagerly read news about the outside world.

    "It''s only one day, every minute counts. What are you nning to do?" Ma Xiaoru asked Hu Yangxuan.

    Hu Yangxuan had ultimately given up hispetition with Wang Tong. Wang Tong had impressed everyone, especially Ma Xiaoru, in thest ten days. Even Wang Tong''s meager background had somehowplimented his achievements. Hu Yangxuan oftenmented over the fact that his prestigious family name seemed to be more of a hindrance than a help.

    Everyone had registered the apparent intimacy between Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, and Zhou Sisi, but no one had spoken out about it. Luckily for Hu Yangxuan, he was the type of guy who knew when to pursue and when to stop. After he hade to terms with his non-existing chance of winning Ma Xiaoru''s heart¡ªwhich happened very quickly and painlessly¡ª he had diverted his attention to Luo Manman, the so-called "Seductress."

    "Me? Nothing, I guess."

    "Would you care to spar with me, Wang Tong? I don''t want to train by myself, and it gets boring." Wang Ben asked Wang Tong.

    "Lame. You know that we likely won''t have the day off for another couple weeks!" Zhou Sisi chided at Wang Ben.

    "I am not sure, and we will see how I feel like in the afternoon. I want to spend the rest of the morning training. It feels weird if I don''t have my fair share of physical training every day, you know, as if something is not right."

    "OCD! Ha ha!" The girlsughed.

    "What''s thetest breaking news?" The students browsed through the major events that had happened in the past ten days, trying to spot out the ones that were rted to the war with the Zergs. Now and then, these sneaky creatures would surprise the Confederation, and therefore, the military had to be always cautious about suspicious maneuvers of the Zergs army.

    "The news was bloated with propaganda and entertainment; it''s so hard to learn any truth from garbage programs like these. And what is this pile of shit, ''Keep Up with the Zhao-Da-Xians?'' Don''t even mention the fake news!" Someonemented loudly, frustrated by theck of quality journalism in the Confederation News.

    Wang Tong looked through the section on PA fights. He had been away from the PA system for over a week, and therefore, he was quite happy when he finally had the time to turn on a PA system terminal. Compared to virtual fighting, training was just too boring.

    As soon as Wang Tong signed into the online forum, he was greeted with a slew of discussions that disyed the audience''s unease and impatience due to Einherjar Wannabe''s disappearance.

    Einherjar Wannabe had appeared regrly once every week, and therefore, when he suddenly disappeared for over a week, the IPA yers¡ªwho had been regarding Einherjar Wannabe as their number one idol ¡ª had be restless. However, the TPA yers weren''t surprised since every fighter needed time to recuperate. He had already defeated a fighter that had been one tier above him, which had made him a target for a challenge for other much stronger opponents. The TPA yers conceded that it was wise of him to stay put for a couple of weeks to avoid any further attention.

    After all, Einherjar Wannabe''s overall power was determined by his soul tier, including his GN force. He might have won one battle against an opponent that was one tier higher than him using his techniques, but it did not amount to being invincible, especially considering that high tier fighters with even better techniques were not unheard of.

    It was no longer the era of de Warriors, when techniques were the decisive factor in a fight. In the current era, soul power trumped over everything else.

    As the IPA yers poured out their frustration and impatience in the online forum, other yers simply waited. They knew that it was only a matter of time before Einherjar Wannabe took up another challenge again. Einherjar Wannabe''s challenges came from both IPA and TPA league, but DREAM approved only 20 of them based on their unique abilities.

    The prolonged waiting had also instigated many doubts regarding Einherjar Wannabe''s real strength, as some believed that the reason behind Einherjar Wannabe''s disappearance was his fear of defeat.

    Afterward, one hurtful spection came another. Some spread the rumors out of jealousy while some were simply haters, and they did what haters did best. Einherjar Wannabe''s absence only added more fuel to these hurtful and mostly unfounded spections, since he couldn''t defend himself.

    The two sides yed the war of words for many days without any sign of giving up. The supporters of Einherjar Wannabe believed that his absence was only because he was busy, while the haters had insisted that he had fled out of fear and cowardice. The haters¡¯ main argument was that if he were really busy, he would have said so instead of disappearing and leaving everyone hanging.

    As Wang Tong scrolled through the fierce discussions, he found the debate bing increasingly funny and ridiculous. Therefore, regardless of how malicious some of thements were, Wang Tong didn''t let them bother him. However, Wang Tong''s friends had gotten fired up about the hateful remarks.

    "These guys are ridiculous! What is there to argue about? They are just jealous!"

    "No kidding. This guy for example, what a jerk! He thinks he knows everything, and look how much he talks! Gosh, he must love his own voice."

    "Well, haters gonna hate. Wang Tong, you remained my first choice as an opponent. Once I have improved my Fist of the Racing Tiger, I promise I will give you a nice challenge!" Wang Ben announced with his usual seriousness in his voice. Einherjar Wannabe had somehow reminded Wang Ben of Wang Tong.

    "Come on! This is the day-off, no talk of fighting please." Ma Xiaoru smiled and said.

    "I agree! We are still just students, so be a good student Wang Ben. Try to get along with your ssmate peacefully." Zhou Sisi nodded.

    Girls¡¯petition had always been more discreet, but no less destructive and rampant.

    Wang Tong had be speechless at the pages after pages ofments. "Do they get paid to do this? Their inte bill must be enormous!"

    Wang Tong didn''t let any of thements¡ªgood or bad¡ªaffect him, and maintained his inner peace. It was a state of mind that only a handful of people could achieve. He had realized that thesements were merely noises until Einherjar Wannabe joined the fight again. Wang Tong conceded that it was better to stay put for the time being, because not only did he need to focus on his training, but partaking in PA fights right then would also risk exposing his disguise among his peers.

    Truth be told, manyments from the opposing side were not entirely unfounded, such as their statement of someone much stronger than Einherjar Wannabe existing in the PA system. There were many strong fighters whose power had remained a mystery to the world,rgely because that no one had dared to challenge them in the real world. Wang Tong then realized that if these fighters did exist in the PA system, the PA system would be his best shot at fighting an opponent who was stronger than him. Wang Tong decided to spend more time on managing the brand of Einherjar Wannabe to attract more powerful fighters. As for the fame and poprity that came with it, Wang Tong considered them merely unnecessary by-products. Wang Tong didn''t want to be famous, nor did he want any grand adventures. He only wanted to be a captain of mediocre skills who carried little responsibility but no fewer privileges.

    Wang Tong''s mind drifted away as he dreamed of his life as a captain, surrounded by attractive looking female officers. He didn''t even notice that he had started to drool.

    "What the heck are you watching! Is it porn..." Zhou Sisi noticed Wang Tong''s silly smile on his face.

    "What you talking about? No! I was simply enjoying the feeling of making so much progress over the past ten days. It had been such a great opportunity for us." Wang Tong pulled himself back to the reality and put on a smile.

    "Indeed! I never expected to have learned so much in an Academy. The boot camp was also unique in its training methods" Wang Ben nodded in agreement.

    Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi looked at each other in dismay, and both held the expression that said, ¡®All the boys think the same, especially these two.¡¯

    "Us girls just wanna have some fun! Let''s ditch these two, don''t let them get in the way of our day off." The two girls finally decided to give up persuading the two to enjoy their holiday.

    "Wang Tong, would you like to explore the ind with me? I am getting bored." Wang Ben asked. He cared about those onlinements even less than Wang Tong, so he had quickly got bored after reading the news.

    "Good call! I had wanted to do that for a while now, but had never gotten the time!"

    The two were both fearless teenagers who had a strong sense of curiosity about everything. Ever since their arrival, they were intrigued by the world out on the other side of the fence surrounding District B. Those fences were made of tall steel poles connected with electrically charged meshes. The danger and challenge didn''t deter the two boys¡¯ interest in the slightest.

    When the two arrived at the training field, they saw Apache walking about, inspecting the fence as if he was also trying to find a way out.

 Chapter 149: Adventure

    Chapter 149: Adventure

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Apache saw Wang Tong and Wang Ben walking towards him. He nodded at them and said, "I knew that you two would be here too."

    "Did you find any way out?"

    "No, not that easy¡­ Look." Apache picked up a rock and threw it at the fence. Before the rock had even hit the fence, it was blown into dust. They didn''t even have to identify the direction from where the st came from.

    "How do we get out of here then?"

    "There are no gates around here, but I believe there must be a central control room that can shut off the security system. There ought to be a way out of here!"

    "Ah right! We can ask help from the Zhang brothers." Apache called out aloud. The three of them found the Zhang brothers in their dorm ying virtual games. It wasn''t any game one could buy in the store, since it was custom designed by the brothers themselves.

    "Hey captain, what''s up? " Zhang Kui and Zhang Yan dropped their controller as soon as they saw Apache walk into their room."

    "I''m wondering if you two would be able to hack the security system on this ind so that we can go out and explore." The brothers were a pair of rebellious teenagers, so they immediately became excited after hearing their n. They were further emboldened with Apache''s support, since he would protect them even if shit hit the fan.

    "Awesome! We were tempted to try that anyways." The two of them took out their personalputers from their space crystals and connected it to the local security as they became increasingly excited by the second. As the elite students in the faculty of Information Warfare, their favorite activity was hacking other defense or security systems.

    After a brief second of waiting for the perfect moment to start their strike, Apache gave the order: "Now!"

    The Zhang brothers quickly went into action. They were infamous troublemakers ever since they were kids. They had created some serious disturbance on the inte and made their name as two of the most notorious hackers. Fortunately for them, their talent was discovered by Martyrus, and thetter took the brothers into his school. Their schooling focused primarily on information warfare, as they had already given up the rest of the subjects.

    Martyrus was a great teacher, because he knew when to develop a student in all areas and when to focus on only a few subjects. That being said, Martyrus''s patience and devotion were the keys in delivering a solid training program while being swamped by administrative matters.

    A Thousand miles down the ocean, inside an enormous control room, the siren suddenly went off. However, the workers did not seem to be surprised by it, as they went on with their work as usual.

    Both Martyrus and Samantha were inside the room, and an old man apanied them.

    "Dr. Maggis, what do you think about the abilities of these two boys?" The old man stared at the threat level on the disy as he cracked a smile and said, "Not bad. But we can make it more exciting for them."

    Dr. Maggis dialed up the defense level through a hologram on the control board. The defense level the security system cranked up instantly. On another CCTV screen, people saw the Zhang brothers furrow their brows.

    "Captain, the security setting here is harder to hack than those of the trust fundspanies," Zhang said as he operated hisputer, prying at the security system for weak spots.

    "Can you do it?"

    "Of course captain! Since when have we let you down?" Zhang Kui smiled casually. Wang Tong and Wang Ben knew they wouldn''t be too much of help, so they stood aside and watched quietly.

    "Doc, let those three pass for now, and we will teach the two insolent boys a lessonter." Martyrus cracked a smile. He felt fortunate that Dr. Maggis was here, so finally, he could show the two brothers Mountain Tai.

    "Are you sure you want them out? There are ... Zergs everywhere out there."

    "No worries. That tall one is Apache; he has been a member of the Special Unit for over a year now. Wang Ben, the one on the left, is the son of General Hu Ben. The one in the middle is the strongest of the three. He has even impressed Principal Martyrus."

    "One of the goals of this boot camp was to challenge the students to push themselves to their limits, to help them prepare for the merciless battles in real-life. Unfortunately for these three, our regr training wasn''t challenging enough." Samantha smiled as she exined to Dr. Maggis.

    Samantha had to leave the Paradise Ind for a while and had returned right after Massa had left. She had heard about Massa''sments regarding Wang Tong, and found it hard to believe. She couldn''t remember ever hearing Massapliment anyone. Massa''sments also reassured her of Wang Tong''s immense potential.

    Both principals understood that as a teacher and coach, their duty was to help the students find the bnce between overconfidence and thepleteck of it. They both felt that the Wang Tong was on the side of overconfidence, and therefore, they decided to correct the course by giving him even tougher challenges.

    The day-off was only a ruse deployed by the two cunning principals. The trap had been carefully set for everyone, and Wang Tong was the first to rise to the bait.

    "Ha ha! Done! " Zhang Kui and Zhang Yan high-fived each other after they had sessfully breached the securitywork. Suddenly, a door-sized hole appeared on the electrically charged fence.

    "Well done!" Apache patted on the two brothers¡¯ shoulder; he knew this twoputer geniuses wouldn''t let him down.

    The Zhang brothers pounded their chest while holding an expression that said, ¡®Yea bro, you can count on us!¡¯

    "Sh*t! The system ising back on!" Zhang Yan suddenly shouted out. The two brothers fumbled to regain control of the system. The security system was not supposed to recognize their hacking codes, since they had been carefully embedded into the main codes. The brothers were impressed by FFC''s security system''s ability to detect hackers; this had never happened to them before.

    "Let''s move ahead, leave these to the experts." Apache gestured Wang Tong and Wang Ben to follow him before he darted past the hole on the fence. Wang Tong and Wang Ben followed Apache to the other side of the fence, and the hole was shut immediately. The two brothers also fell into disarray as they found out that the FFC system was trying to breach theirputer''s mainframe.

    If the FFC controlled their system, it would be the greatest humiliation to the brothers. The boldness of FFC''s action was on the same level as a METAL''s fighter who tried to disarm his opponent.

    After a brief moment of disorientation, the hackers quickly gathered themselves and focused on defending against FFC''s invasion.

    "They had fended off the B-level threat that I had injected into their system. Not bad at all, considering their very limited resources."

    "Tell me about it. I was practically speechless after identally discovering their hacking ability on a business trip to the juvenile detention center where they had been held at. I ''liberated'' them and sent them to my school. Well, I never regretted it ever since, although, they do need some training."

    "Training your student at our expense? You are indeed cheap like they had told me." Dr. Maggis chided jokingly.

    "It''s an excellent opportunity for the kids to learn from the best." Unable to hide his pride in his students, Martyrus let a smirk creep onto his cheeks. Although Martyrus was confident about his student''s skills, he reckoned that the two brotherscked resources to aid their talents, especiallypared to their opponent: the FFC corporation.

    The insistent sound ofwork rms broke Martyrus''s train of thoughts.

    "Ha! The two punks seem to have sniffed out our ruse. They are attacking the system now. Interesting! Well, they asked for it!"

    On the main monitor that spanned the entire length of the room was a mosaic of dozen different CCTV screens, one of which showed that Zhou Sisi and Ma Xiaoru had ''identally'' triggered a space battle mission and were forced toplete the mission before they could exit the room.

    These traps were not random, but were nned carefully by Samantha and Martyrus.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong, Wang Ben, and Apache had finally entered the real Paradise Ind. Many exotic nts surrounded them, and some were not even native to Earth. It urred to the three boys that this ind seemed to be an enormous ecob, leaving them in awe of the incredible financial power of the FFC corp.

    The boys'' spidery senses were tingling: eighty percent of FFC''s profit came from weaponry deals. So there would be more than just nts on this ind.

    Wang Tong paused and inhaled the air with a gulp, tasting it carefully in his mouth, and then said, "It''s like a Zoo here, for Zergs."

    "I suppose so. I can only think of one reason for FFC to establish such arge ecob. But why? Isn''t studying Zergs the responsibility of the confederation?" Wang Ben agreed. Although he could not sense any Zergs around him,mon sense had told him that danger was out there. Nevertheless, he was impressed by Wang Tong''s incredible sense of smell.

    "Who cares about ''why''? If there were any Zergs here, I wouldn''t mind being the gardener of FFC''s ecob." Apache was excited at the promise of killing Zergs.

    "I hope there are enough bugs for all of us." Wang Ben joined Apache and flexed his fingers.

    As the three of them walked carefully towards the center of the forest, they could hear a deep, raspy growl from the deep and dark end of the woods.

    As they went further into the woods, they noticed how different it looked from the ground than it did from up above in the air. The ind appeared to be covered with normal vegetation of tropical climate, but down here, the trees grew as tall as a skyscraper. It was evident then that the whole ind was under some kind of visual distortion field, another fine example of FFC''s unequivocal wealth.

    Thinking of the ''treasures'' hidden in the forest, the boys became increasingly excited.

    After ten minutes of walking, Wang Tong signaled the team to stop as he bent down to a strange looking nt, touched it and then said with dismay: "This ind might not be what we had expected."

    Wang Tong''s concern worried the other two boys as they knew that Wang Tong had a fair share of experience dealing with the Zergs. They asked cautiously, "What''s wrong?"

 Chapter 150: Zergsâ€™ Revolt

    Chapter 150: Zergs¡¯ Revolt

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "The Zergs on this ind are more organized than those on Norton. I can only tell that much from the scent they left behind. They could be more powerful too, but I am not sure until I see them. If my guess is right, it bids the question as to how FFC was able to capture these powerful creatures. I know that Zergs show self-destructive behavior under human captivity."

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh. He was jealous of the FFC''s ability to tame these wild Zergs. While on Norton, Wang Tong had tried many times to pacify Zergs, but all attempts were to no avail. Apache struggled to grasp the method that Wang Tong had used to arrive at his conclusion, and deep down, he believed that Wang Tong was merely bluffing.

    "How did you know? We haven''t seen a single Zerg yet."

    "Yea, but they can see us. We have already stepped into their territory, and they are everywhere." Wang Tong straightened his back and looked around him. His eyes shed with excitement instead of fear.

    "Awesome! I can''t wait!" Apache shouted out. He appeared even more excited than Wang Tong. The three of them kept on moving further into the woods and not far away from them, a surveince camera watched them silently and coldly.

    "These are bold little punks! Release the Zergs in the first zone of control. Let''s see how they react to surprise attacks." Dr. Maggis announced to his workers with an ugly grin.

    The entire ind, down to a single grass de, was under the control of FFC. The ind might appear to be benign form the outside, and it was full of deadly traps and secret passages. The FFC had exercised extra caution and had absolute control while handling the most dangerous weapon on the ind, the Zergs. Therefore, no one at the control room was concerned for the safety of the students. After all, the Zergs that the students were about to face was rtively weak anyways.

    The method of ''releasing'' Zergs involved shutting down the istion devices. These devices created illusions and emitted disturbance signals to prevent the Zergs in proximity tomunicate with each other. Stronger disturbance signals were to be used in the case of more powerful Zergs. The interference signals had been proven to be effective despite the fact that there was no consensus on how the Zergsmunicated with one another. Some believed that theymunicated by scent, like an ant, while others insisted that theymunicated through electromaic waves. The more imaginative scientists even purported that the Zergs''munication method was multi-dimensional, that it was a "gene-level control of information flow via the astral space" as they put it in one of their thesis. Zergs''munication method was also one of the research subjects at the Paradise Ind.

    In addition to the istion devices, FFC had also imnted a construct in the Zergs¡¯body. FFC could remotely initiate these constructs to inject a dose of poison into Zergs bloodstream, which would immediately render the Zergs immobile and dead within a few seconds. Since this poison was needed to be ced deep into Zergs¡¯ biological system, it was not suitable for the battlefield, but extremely effective in a controlled environment.

    The FFC was also interested in the progression of Zerg''s mutations, but those research subjects were locked deep down inside the third zone of control, due to their dangerous and unpredictable nature.

    Suddenly, the three boys heard raspy noises among the thickets around them, as the bushes and the trees were disturbed by many unseen showdowns hidden in the darkness. The boys could almost see the fans and ws around them. There were hundreds of them, seeminglying out of nowhere, encircling the three boys. The three of them readied themselves for a battle, and somehow, they seemed even more excited than the Zergs.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong paused and furrowed his eyebrows. He sensed a greater danger lurking deep in the woods; it was far more sinister than the immediate threat they were facing. Worried that he would deter his team''s courage, he decided to keep it to himself for now.

    When the Zergs initiated their attack, the ground trembled, and the noise of exoskeletons rubbing against each other was so loud that the boys couldn''t even hear their own voices. Hundreds of Zergs rushed toward their prey simultaneously like a giant tsunami wave that was about to engulf a stranded boat.

    They boys didn''t expect this many Zergs, and the scene had shocked them. The two of them had only encountered such scenario in a battle simtor. Unlike the battle simtor, every bit of threat to their life at this moment was as real as the Zergs rushing toward them.

    Not only the boys, but also the ones in the control room were surprised by what they saw. Dr. Maggis jumped right back to his seat to reevaluate his calctions. He had only intended to release a couple of dozen Zergs, but by then, there were at least a couple hundred jumping around on the screen.

    Siren suddenly went off; its sound was even louder than when the Zhang Brothers attacked the security system. The sound indicated the presence of the highest level of threat on the ind.

    "ALARM! ALARM! SYSTEM BREACHED. DEFENCE SYSTEM WILL SHUT OFF IN...SIX ZERO SECONDS. REPEAT..." A countdown appeared on the screen as red lights started to sh about. The whole ind entered top level of emergency.

    The workers inside the control room started to hustle to get ready for evacuation, but when they nced at the main screen, they paused to watch in disbelief.

    The cameras showed that the Zergs had swamped the ind. They had revolted against the humans. There were approximately 350 Zergs on the ind ording to estimates, but the reality suggested that there were thousands of them. There were so many of them that it was impossible toe up with an urate number. The Zergs popped out from the ground underneath one after another like resurrected nightmares.

    "How is it¡­ possible?" One worker gasped. All Zergs on the ind were sterile. Therefore, they had no means of reproduction.

    There was no time for the FFC workers to ponder on the cause, as the Zerg army would arrive at the central control room in about twenty minutes. Although the control room was buried underneath, it would not escape Zergs death clutches since many breeds of Zergs were capable of boring into the earth to this depth.

    Samantha and Martyrus''s face turned pale, but Dr. Maggis was still calm: "Everyone, get into the S-11 emergency tunnel ASAP. This is not a drill. Move, NOW!" After the announcement, Dr. Maggis turned to the two principles and said, "Looks like the training will have to be interrupted." His grave face suggested the magnitude of the crisis. The tell-tale signy bare in front of them: the strong defense system had been breached, and the sterile Zergs had been somehow reproducing hatchlings all this while. Dr. Maggis coulde up with only one exnation: someone was after the FFC, someone who was very powerful.

    The guard captain had gathered all the students and led them to the control room, including the Zhang Brothers. The two brothers had initially put up some resistance against the captain since they had taken the guard captain''smand to leave the area as FFC''s method of cheating during their standoff in the cyberspace.

    "Captain Colleen, dispatch the F-14 unit to extract the three students who are still outside the wall. The rest of us will evacuate this ind right now. Principals, after you please." Dr. Maggis was not only the chief researcher, but also the one who could really call the shots on this ind.

    "Unit number 5, escort ourdy!"

    "Roger!"

    The FFC would make sure the safety of Ma Xiaoru under any circumstances, even at the expense of this entire ind that they had poured so many resources into.

    The students were still wondering about what had just happened, second guessing if this was another one of their teacher''s treacherous plot to "test" them. As they evacuated the ind under the escort of heavily armed soldiers, the situation perplexed them even more.

    "Is it another petty show staged by our principals?" Karl touched his chin as he mumbled to himself. The ''show'' started to be a little bit too real when he noticed that the workers were also among the evacuees. Ma Xiaoru was surrounded by guards as they made their way to the muster point.

    "Mydy, we need to get out of here."

    "What happened?"

    "My Lady, my name is Dr. Maggis, I oversee this ind for your family. There is a ...an emergency... and I need you to evacuate this ind for your safety. Help is on their way."

    "Dr. Maggis, please make sure that everyone''s safety is your priority." Ma Xiaoru announced calmly. She had gone through many drills like this ever since childhood. Her safety had always been at the forefront of her families'' concerns.

    Luckily, the Paradise ind was well prepared for a crisis like this. The guards led the evacuees to the emergency tunnel, through which, theynded into a submarine and set off to the sea. Fifty miles away, the private mercenaries hired by FFC were on their way to the danger zone.

    Maggis was very clear of what he should do: first, he had to ensure the safety of Ma Xiaoru. Second, he had to make sure that no Zergs would escape the ind. After all, if they did, they would quickly reproduce to massive numbers and wreak havoc on earth.

    "Captain Rino, fetch that son of b*tch Lanes!"

    "Doc! Lanes and his cohorts havemitted suicide!"

    Maggis''s face turned ck. He couldn''t fathom as to who he was dealing with, who would dare butt head with the FFC?

    "Doc, This is Colleen. The Zergs have controlled the area outside the wall; we can''t go any further. We are standing by and request to abort the mission."

    The extraction unit intended to kill their way into the thicket, but somehow, their action instigated retaliation more intense than what they were capable of handling. The sheer number of Zergs shocked the guard captain.

    Maggis''s enemy was not only able to bribe personals from his inner circle, but also knew the fact that the Zergs were capable of concealing the part of the horde that was still fertile. Dr. Maggis concluded that he was dealing with someone as powerful as the FFC. But what worried him the most was the sinister undertone reflected in the timing of the attack: it happened during Ma Xiaoru''s visit.

 Chapter 151: Intervention from the Military

    Chapter 151: Intervention from the Military

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Being an expert on Zergs, Dr. Gimmers was certain that there was already a leader or even an Encephalon Zerg among the Zergs on Paradise Ind. The Encephalon Zergs were the most mysterious creatures of all. Although mankind was well-aware that these Encephalon Zergs were the realmanders and masterminds of the Zergs, they had never caught one before, which was why no one had any idea of how it looked like or how it was created. In fact, the other Zergs would even devour the Encephalon Zergs in order not to let them be captured by mankind.

    Nevertheless, the three students were his biggest concern; however, there was really nothing he could do for the time being. He hoped the three poords were able to hang in there while waiting to be rescued by the FFC¡¯s troops.

    "Dr. Gimmers, the Zergs have found the entrance on the ground, and they¡¯re trying to escape."

    "Lockdown the base, we¡¯re getting out from here as well."

    "Copy that!"

    Dr. Gimmers remained calm since those creatures were still struggling to break free, and he wouldn¡¯t mind destroying the whole of Paradise Ind as long as he could hunt down and capture the Encephalon Zerg. Dr. Gimmers then initiated the full lockdown protocol, and a giant steel wall began to rise from the sandy beach while countless pole-shaped iron barricades were immediately connected by a strong energy stream, forming a cage around Paradise Ind. Even though the ind was practically messed up, the Zergs would never be able to escape that easily.

    Nobody except Dr. Gimmers had the authorization codes for every protocol, the codes were too important to be obtained by anyone else because even if there were really no Encephalon Zerg, there seemed to be still quite a lot of highly intelligent Zergs that existed on Paradise Ind! Yet somehow the traitor was capable of sabotaging the controlling system on this ind.

    Everyone managed to get on a watercraft docked beside the ind within ten minutes while waiting for the FFC¡¯s troops; Paradise Ind had be a quarantined fortress, and nothing would be able to escape as it has beenpletely locked down.

    Ma Xiaoru, Samantha, Martyrus, and Dr. Gimmers then headed toward themand room immediately. However, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s impatience kicked-in the moment she learned that Wang Tong was currently trapped inside Paradise Ind.

    "Dr. Gimmers, didn¡¯t I tell you to put everyone¡¯s safety as the first priority? Send in your men to look for them at once!" Ma Xiaoru looked solemn and instantly turned into another person.

    Samantha and Martyrus didn¡¯t say anything because they were not in the position to do so. Obviously, Ma Xiaoru was givingmands as the major shareholder of the FFC instead of a student of an academy.

    "I am following your orders miss, but those three students have traveled into the deeper region of Paradise Ind, and my rescue team is not able to infiltrate deeper. Right now it¡¯s useless, even if we send every security personnel to join the rescue, it will only cause more casualties. Right now, all we can do is to pray for their safety while waiting for our troops!" Dr. Gimmers kept his cool and exined clearly to Ma Xiaoru. Judging from her temper, Dr. Gimmers knew that someone she cared about had to be amongst the trapped trio.

    "That¡¯s it, I¡¯m going in!"

    "Calm down, Xiaoru. You¡¯re still unable to handle those creatures since you haven¡¯tpletely mastered your Tactics of the Enchantress. Right now, you have to trust Wang Tong and the others; moreover, this doesn¡¯t look like an ident, which is why you have to keep your cool!" Samantha stopped Ma Xiaoru and said in a serious tone.

    "Please remain calm, miss. This incident isn¡¯t as simple as it looks like, and I believe we were set up by some other powerful party," Dr. Gimmers exined. As the person in charge of Paradise Ind, obviously, he was also one of FFC¡¯s core members.

    Times had changed, the House of Ma had be one of the Five Greatest Houses, and the FFC too had changed after all these years, silently influencing the lives of mankind and especially the development of Earth. Gradually, the influence became bigger and bigger, and in the end, the FFC had gained control of seventy percent of the METAL Suits manufacturing industry and also forty percent of mankind¡¯s Space Crystal production; whichter on, triggered a lot of hatred from the emerging forces. However, the House of Ma was able to form a concrete alliance with the House of Li, which enabled both houses to stay out of numerous troubles.

    Nevertheless, something would happen in each era, and the FFC were used to those "surprises", but things had gone a little too far this time.

    "Dr. Gimmers, something¡¯s happening, it seems like a military troop is heading this way!"

    Gimmers was startled as he swiped his finger onto the monitor. Apparently, an unknown military troop was advancing toward Paradise Ind at a high-speed, outracing their private mercenaries. Those troop had the emblem of the Confederation Army.

    "Attention to the iing party, stop immediately, this is a private property of the FFC Corporation!" Dr. Gimmers made the announcement through his monitor, he was curious as to why the Confederation Army was able toe out of nowhere at such a "perfect" timing. Ma Xiaoru and Samantha both looked at each other, knowing that the Confederation Army would only make things worse. Somehow, something more troublesome had appeared before they were able to find Wang Tong and the other two.

    Ma Xiaoru took a deep breath and calmed down, she needed to remain patient for everyone¡¯s sake. As one of the shareholders of the FFC, she knew how she had to behave during a crisis.

    "This is Colonel Zhao Yongzhuo of the Eighth Confederation Army speaking, ording to our source, there was an outbreak of Zergs in Paradise Ind, and the situation has threatened the safety of Earth. Based on Act Thirty-Six of Article X under the Confederal Constitution, military forces have the right to take over Paradise Ind and annihte all threats!" A military officer in his thirties appeared on the monitor, and immediately everyone in themand room knew he was from the Golden Hawk Union when they saw the golden hawk emblem on his chest.

    The Golden Hawk Union was a non-political party formed by military personnel. The golden eagle emblem was a sign of courage, motivation, and anti old-forces; they imed to be mankind¡¯s real alliance and were well-received by the younger generations in the military, especially those who had no family background and had to work their way up the rankingdders. Eventually, the spirit of the golden hawk had even influenced the political circles of mankind.

    When people mentioned "old-forces", they were actually talking about the Five Great Houses. Although the Five Great Houses were crucial to the development of mankind hundreds of years ago, they had gradually begun to interfere with the freedom and democracy of mankind, and they were known for their corrupted images ever since scandals about them manipting elections and having connections with pirates were spread out.

    However, the battle between the old forces and the emerging forces was never made public since the Five Great Houses were still deeply rooted in themunity.

    Nevertheless, a colonel like Zhao Yongzhuo would never operate on his own if there was no order from a higher-up.

    "Colonel Zhao, this is Dr. Gimmers speaking. I¡¯m the person in charge of this ind. As you can see, the FFC has everything under control. Our private mercenaries will be here at any minute, and they will take care of everything, so don¡¯t worry!" Gimmers stood strong.

    "Dr. Gimmers, my job is to protect the safety of Earth and its people. Obviously, you¡¯ve lost control of the ind, and if any Zerg escapes, you¡¯ll be held responsible!" Zhao Yongzhuo replied, thirty warships of the Confederation Army had reached Paradise Ind as they spoke, which didn¡¯t sound like a coincidence at all.

    Yet Gimmers didn¡¯tpromise, he would do his best to protect the ssified data of Paradise Ind, not to mention he still had to find the Encephalon Zerg hidden on this ind for the sake of his future experiments.

    "Colonel Zhao, the FFC has enough firepower to protect the safety of Paradise Ind, and I guarantee that not a single Zerg will be able to escape from this ind. ording to the Confederation Constitution, you have no rights to trespass a private property. I¡¯ll call for military backup if the situation is really bad; however, I have everything under control, so I¡¯m asking you to stay out of this!" Gimmers said in a demanding tone. He would never let the FFC fell into the hands of the military.

    "Dr. Gimmers, both you and I know that we would never be able to suffer the consequences on our own. ording to thew, the experiments on Zergs are only approved if their numbers are below three hundred and if all of the creatures have been sterilized, but clearly, the number of Zergs on Paradise Ind has exceeded the amount stated; hence the military has the rights to interfere. You¡¯re wee to file aint to the Confederation Court if you want to, but right now, we will be taking over!" Zhao Yongzhuo didn¡¯t back down, he knew the FFC would never pick a fight with him, and his superior would handle the pressure from the FFC, so all he had to do was to proceed as ordered.

    Dr. Gimmers didn¡¯t expect the person would be this bold. Mankind had already gone head to head with each other before handling the outbreak of Zergs. However, since the FFC¡¯s private mercenaries had arrived, Gimmers would not give in, and the FFC Corporation would never surrender to a tiny colonel of the military, even if they had to open fire.

    Ma Xiaoru ordered Dr. Gimmers to stand back and took over the monitor. "Colonel Zhao Yongzhuo, this is Ma Xiaoru speaking. The FFC will agree to let your troops enter only if you agree to work with our troops. Three students are currently trapped in the deeper regions of the ind; hence the priority tasks are to control the situation and also to search and rescue. I¡¯ll leave Dr.Gimmers to make the arrangements for the search and rescue since he is the one who¡¯s the most familiar with the ind!"

    Zhao Yongzhuo didn¡¯t expect that Ma Xiaoru, the princess of the FFC, was here. He remembered that the order from his superior was only to surround and seize Paradise Ind and didn¡¯t mention anything about retrieving anything. Since he wasn¡¯t nning to look for any trouble, he nodded in agreement, "I¡¯m not in the position to reject if this is Miss Ma¡¯s decision since this is an emergency. Please open the entrance of Paradise Ind for our troops."

    "Miss¡­ I¡¯m afraid this is a bad idea," Dr. Gimmers did not agree with letting the Confederation Army interfering.

    "I¡¯ll take responsibility for any consequences, but right now, please arrange your search and rescue party as soon as possible!" Ma Xiaoru was trying her best to suppress her anxiousness while maintaining her Tactics of the Enchantress. Right now Ma Xiaoru was no longer the charming, pretty girl in ss, she had be a charismatic leader of the FFC.

    Dr. Gimmers hesitated but agreed to her decision in the end since it would only worsen the situation if he chose to reject Ma Xiaoru¡¯s order.

    "Attention to all units of the FFC, proceed to C-2 Entrance at once! Annihte every Zergs in the area and rescue the three students who are currently trapped inside!"

    Dr. Gimmers also ordered another five squadrons to enter Paradise Ind; however, their task was to infiltrate the designated area to capture the Encephalon Zerg alive. Whether it was the Encephalon Zerg or not, the Zergs had to have a leader among them, and as themander of Paradise Ind, Dr. Gimmers was certain that the leader would only hide in a special area, and he would do whatever it took to capture it.

    Of course, he would never tell this to the Confederation Army.

 Chapter 152: Besieged

    Chapter 152: Besieged

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The Confederation Army had proceeded to N-2 Entrance, and the troops from both sides were seen fully prepared to infiltrate the ind. It would not be easy for the Zergs on the ind to withstand the attacks from both sides since they were on human territory.

    Under Ma Xiaoru¡¯s supervision, Dr. Gimmers turned on Sky and essed FFC¡¯s surveince system, then he entered a three-dimensional passcode in order to open two of their emergency gateways; however, nothing happened after waiting for about ten seconds.

    "What on earth is that, Dr. Gimmers?" Ma Xiaoru¡¯s sounded unpleasant, she had been controlling her anxiousness, but she was about to reach her limits.

    Dr. Gimmers became nervous as he remembered that all of those who practiced the Tactics of the Enchantress had strange tempers, and he would never want to piss her off since there was practically nothing that the princess of the FFC couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t do.

    "Miss, it looks like our system has been sabotaged by someone else, probably the traitor, and right now, I¡¯m unable to open the emergency gateways," Dr. Gimmers exined as he tried to activate the protocol again.

    "I¡¯m not interested in hearing your exnations, Dr. Gimmers. Fix it and save my friends now!"

    Dr. Gimmers knew he would definitely be held responsible for this; however, he didn¡¯t expect that the traitor would be so detailed and almost sabotaged everything they had. Nevertheless, he really would like to know why that person would go through all the troubles just to do this. Fortunately, he was the one who handled the overall defense mechanism, or else it would certainly cause a mayhem and eventually develop into a catastrophic incident if the Zergs escaped; not to mention that the Zergs were extremely hard to exterminate, just like cockroaches.

    Which was why the Zergs that were brought back to Earth for experimental purposes had to be sterilized in the first ce, but clearly there were a few missed outs on this ind. Dr. Gimmers didn¡¯t want the military forces to enter Paradise Ind in the first ce because he was trying to hide this from them. He knew that the FFC¡¯s image would be affected once this was made public, or even worse... this would be the perfect chance for the ones behind this to uncover all of the secrets that belonged to the FFC!

    Meanwhile, the Confederation Army had begun tounch their attacking protocol; meanwhile, everyone else was suspecting their "spontaneity".

    "Why don¡¯t we let Zhang Kui and Zhang Yan give it a shot?" Martyrus said as he saw the frustration on Dr. Gimmers¡¯ face. Dr. Gimmers might have his scientific knowledge and contributions in experiments, yet obviously, he was not a good crisis handler.

    A cunning old fox like Martyrus clearly knew this wasn¡¯t a simple ident but a set-up from some other party, and based on Samantha¡¯s calm expression, she seemed to have figured it out as well. The principals of military academies were just like politicians as they were also able to ess ssified information that wasn¡¯t made public. Moreover, some principals of S-Ranked academies were even powerful enough to influence both military and political circles.

    "I¡¯m afraid we will have to give them a try!" Dr. Gimmers agreed after a small hesitation since he wasn¡¯t familiar with this category. Things had begun to fall apart and what happened was way out of his expertise.

    As the rest were seen worrying about Wang Tong and the other two who were still trapped on Paradise Ind, the Zhang brothers showed great enthusiasm when they knew they were wanted for their expertise. Virtual system attacks normally required all sorts of equipment, but all thanks to Principal Martyrus, both Zhang Brothers were already given aptop which contained state-of-the-art software and resources that would get the job done. Martyrus didn¡¯t set any boundary for the two of them as long as they promised not to do anything crazy, this was his method of cultivating talents. He knew that the Zhang Brothers would have to unleash their capabilities in order to improve, which was why he decided to let them handle the virtual system attack. Martyrus had never expected that their expertise would be needed in such asion.

    The Zhang Brothers asked no questions and began to do their "thing"; however, they seemed to look puzzled as they essed the system.

    "What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Why the long faces?" Martyrus asked.

    "Sir, someone nted an intelligent, five-dimensional randomizing program into the system, we have never seen something like this before."

    "Cut the crap, will both of you be able to handle it?"

    "Yea, but we won¡¯t be responsible if the whole system falls apart!" Zhang Yan said.

    Martyrus looked at both of them and ordered, "Fix it!"

    "Haha, leave it to us then!" The two of them immediately began their attack. On the other hand, the Intel Programming personnel of the military had also begun to attack Paradise Ind¡¯s system in their warships.

    Dr. Gimmers was certain that Paradise Ind¡¯s ultimate defense system would never be subdued that easily. The five-dimensional randomizing program was the most expensive program for the time being, and it seemed that the traitor¡¯s target was not to destroy everything but to nt a digital virus by using its position in thispany as a cover. Somehow, the randomizing program had triggered the self-defense mechanism of the main system which wouldn¡¯t let anything go in or out. How Dr. Gimmers wished Allens, who was the expert in this category, was here to help, but right now, he had no choice but to leave it to the kids.

    The enthusiastic brothers began to exercise their expertise; however, they were still struggling to break through the ind¡¯s defense mechanism; meanwhile, everyone else could only wait patiently since they were not able to do anything else.

    Judging from all aspects, Ma Xiaoru knew that this was definitely not a coincidence. It looked more like a set-up from the Golden Hawk Union in order to break down the FFC, but Ma Xiaoru seemed to be more worried about Wang Tong and the other guys instead of the ind itself, and she felt bad for involving the boys into this matter.

    Obviously, the Confederation Army was trying to trample FFC¡¯s concession on experimenting the Zergs. They knew that their special rights to conduct experiments on Zergs would be withdrawn as the high-risk activities had turned intoplete chaos, and even if the FFC was able to continue, they would have to go through a lot of trouble for the settlement. Not to mention that this was the perfect opportunity to sucker punch the glory of the FFC.

    Ma Xiaoru was quite familiar with these sort of battles since she was born and raised in this family, and she had been learning on how to cope with this sort of pressure since a young age, which one of her tasks included the practice on the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Meanwhile, Zhao Yongzhuo was seen urging his tech personnel to speed up as they needed to seize every single opportunity; nevertheless, they had underestimated the system itself. Gaining control of the system was not as easy as they had expected.

    After a while, the Zhang Brothers seemed to look troubled. Apparently, the two of them were unable to handle everything at once.

    Finally, Rumi stepped up and asked, "How can I help?"

    "Can you do it?" Samantha asked.

    "I think I¡¯ll be able to help by working on the inscribed figure group of Hill¡¯s Angle. It should be able to shrink down the probabilities of the code," Rumi seemed shy when she was questioned by Samantha.

    "Hop in, what are you waiting for?" Zhang Yan said. The two of them were troubled by the massive intelligent program, and they realized that it was hard to keep up as the main system would refresh immediately as soon as they destroyed one of its sequences. Unfortunately, no one else was able to help, and it seemed like both parties were racing against each other in order to finish their businesses and get out as soon as possible, yet right now they had no choice but to wait patiently even though it was really hard to remain calm.

    Originally, Wang Tong¡¯s party was only nning on killing a few Zergs to warm up; however, they had never expected that things would get nasty. Wang Ben and Apache seemed to have gotten ready to fight, but instead of fighting, Wang Tong unleashed a yell then grabbed the two of them and ran off. They wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against that number of Zergs since they were not wearing METAL Suits. Their only choice was to FLEE!

    However, the Zergs also knew how to terrorize their enemies, especially when there was a leader inmand; apparently, those creatures were not nning anything fancy since they were only up against the three of them. Wang Tong sensed that the situation was about to go south; hence instead of ying the hero, their best strategy was to escape.

    Wang Ben and Apache followed Wang Tong as he ran, and immediately the three of them knew that something went wrong when they noticed that the walls on the field were gone, the ground was locked down, giant walls were pulled up on around the beach, and the sky was shielded by an energy barrier.

    Of course, the three of them would never stand quietly while waiting to be rescued, the trio realized that they were not the target of those creatures, but they were attacking the base frenziedly instead in order to get under. The trio decided to hide in the wild for the time being to avoid unnecessary contact. Nevertheless, they would engage the Zergs if there were only a small amount of them.

    The three of them hid on top of the trees using the leaves as their cover, then they chose to cover their tracks by withdrawing their Soul Energy in order not to be discovered by the Zergs.

    As soon as Wang Tong finished his surveince on top of the tree, Apache asked immediately, "What the hell happened?"

    "I have no idea, everywhere seemed to be filled with Zergs. I guess that Paradise Ind is actually an experimental base for Zergs, and for some reason, the Zergs on this ind had gone berserk. Based on the incredible amount of Zergs, I believe the base had beenpletely locked down, now all we can do is to wait for the troops."

    Yet Wang Tong knew that the METAL fighters on this ind would never be able to handle this number of Zergs, so in conclusion, their luck was terrible. For some reason, Wang Tong noticed his peculiar "fate" with the Zergs as he would always get surrounded by these creatures whenever he was in the wild; hence he would have to be more careful next time.

    Apache and Wang Ben were confident; however, unlike Wang Tong, who was looking like a disappointed tourist, the two of them looked solemn.

    "Instead of waiting, why don¡¯t we fight our way out?" Wang Ben said in a deep voice.

    "Yea, since they are all just a bunch of weaklings, I¡¯m sure the three of us will be able to handle them!" Apache nodded in agreement.

    "Forget about it guys. Based on what I saw just now, those were just the usual recon units that also serve as expendable cannon fodders. The stronger ones stayed hidden on this ind, not to mention that they are more familiar with the terrain than the three of us," Wang Tong exined since he was very familiar with these creatures.

    Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t need to worry so much if he were on his own, there would be plenty of ces for him to hide since Paradise Ind was a huge ind, and it would buy him a lot of time until the arrival of the military troops. He was certain that the Confederation Army would arrive in no time since this was happening on Earth.

    However, Apache and Wang Ben seemed to believe more in their judgments, and both of them didn¡¯t like the idea of staying still and waiting to be rescued because to them, right now was their best chance to head toward the beach, and it would be toote if they were surrounded here by Zergs.

 Chapter 153: The Fight

    Chapter 153: The Fight

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    "Wang Tong, since higher-ranked Zergs are lurking around, I think we really should head to the beach as soon as possible while those creatures are still focusing on attacking the base, we would be safer once we reached the beach," Wang Ben said.

    "Yeah I agree, those are just a bunch of creepy crawlies. We are here to train to be stronger, not to be sissies!" Apache agreed on Wang Ben¡¯s idea, he wasn¡¯t afraid at all since he had been through a lot during his training days at the Spatial Anti-smuggling Bureau.

    "Let¡¯s treat this like a simtion!"

    Wang Tong knew that both of them were eager to get physical, and it would only ruin their moods if he insisted on staying put. Although it was risky, they still had a point; hence Wang Tong had no chance but to agree as well, after all, it would be safer if the three of them to stick together.

    "Alright, but make sure you don¡¯t fall into an entanglement, or else we will be toasted," Wang Tong said. He totally understood Wang Ben and Apache¡¯s heroic impulse, but he chose to remain calm; based on his experiences on Norton, the Zergs were not as simple-minded as they expected.

    "I¡¯ve seen a lot of talented ones, but you¡¯re definitely the first one who¡¯s strong yet way too cautious." Apacheughed and shook his head, he might have said "cautious", but he actually meant "chicken".

    Wang Tong faked a smile, then he began to n out their fighting strategy.

    Although the three of them managed to travel in stealth mode, yet it wasn¡¯t very useful as the Zergs were everywhere on Paradise Ind, they were discovered by the creatures within minutes and were forced into a fight.

    Wang Ben was the first to strike as if he had been holding back his anger since his arrival on Paradise Ind, he immediately unleashed his Fist of the Racing Tiger and punctured a hole in the body of a Scythe Zerg. Apache sneered and unsheathed his Horseyer as he leaped across, shing every Zerg on his path like a hurricane.

    However, Wang Tong sighed as he saw them fight, knowing that this was not how they should engage!

    Unlike the other two who were enjoying themselves and creating epic violence scenes by sting the creatures into pieces or shing them into halves, Wang Tong¡¯s attacks were simpler, yet always hitting them at their sweet spots.

    Wang Tong managed to advance in a jiffy. Wang Ben and Apache were able to keep up with him at the beginning, but their formation quickly began to fall apart. Apache was still okay as he was good with speed, but Wang Ben could barely keep up because he had been using too much strength fighting every single Zerg; his punches might be ferocious, but the effectiveness was just like Wang Tong¡¯s simpler attacks. Nevertheless, not everyone was able to control their own strength, or perhaps this was how the Fist of the Racing Tiger should be.

    Wang Tong had no choice but to slow down, but they werepletely surrounded by Zergs again in no time. Obviously, they had underestimated the battle intelligence of the Zergs, and since the base built by the FFC waspletely locked down and the creatures were unable to break through easily, the Zergs would automatically swarm around when they discovered the traces of humans, and of course, their leaders were keen to capture the three of them.

    Having no fear of death, the lower-ranked Zergs began to charge toward the three of them. Even though the trio managed to kill tens of these creatures, their numbers kept increasing. If the three of them were stuck in a lower terrain, they would be "flooded" to death.

    "This is getting worse!" Apache said as he licked his lips, his Horseyer was covered with the disgusting body fluid of Zergs, and it was getting heavier due to the weight of the gooey substance.

    However, the real higher-ranked Zerg was still staying hidden, waiting for the right moment for an ambush.

    "Stay alerted guys, they¡¯re trying to catch us alive. I¡¯m pretty sure their boss is hidden on this ind as well!"

    "Damn, don¡¯t tell me there is some kind of brain-juice sucking monster," Apache joked.

    "Nope, it does exist. I¡¯m not sure if it is an Encephalon Zerg, but I¡¯ve seen a lot of other higher-ranked species on Norton. My advice is to look out for those with a stinger on the lower part of their abdomens!" Wang Tong wasn¡¯t joking around, he had seen higher-ranked Zergs before which were capable of doing so; not only were they able to suck out the brain fluid of humans, but they would even kill their own kind. However, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t sure why they would do that since he was neither a biologist nor a Zerg, and the only thing that he knew was to kill them before they killed him.

    "This is endless, you two cover me, I¡¯ll st us a way out!" Wang Ben said as he killed two Zergs with three punches; meanwhile, Apache managed to ughter a Skulk Zerg.

    This never-ending process was tiring, but luckily, their stamina has improved a lot after being trained by Massa, at least they were now able to make a calm and sober judgment. Somehow, Wang Tong sensed that something was fishy as he noticed they had only been fighting lower-ranked Zergs, and it would be bad if they wasted too much strength on them. Furthermore, he noticed that Wang Ben seemed to be not as calm and cool as he usually was, but he decided not to undermine the confidence of hisrades.

    Apache, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the thrill of the fight as he unleashed his warcry, he was excited to witness the true power of the Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Apparently, Wang Ben needed quite some time to prepare, leaving only two attackers in their party, which instantly increased Apache and Wang Tong¡¯s stress because the swarm of Zergs kept multiplying. As the two of them were busy warding off Zergs, Apache realized that Wang Tong was surprisingly much stronger than he thought he was, given by the fact that he was able to cover Wang Ben almost by himself.

    Meanwhile, Wang Ben¡¯s Soul Energy was pumping up, and he began to let out a heavy growl. Wang Ben was infuriated, sometimes there were things that he was unwilling to do but couldn¡¯t reject, yet he would still do them even though he didn¡¯t understand why he had to do so.

    "ROAR!!!"

    Wang Ben roared aloud, instantly boosting his Soul Energy. The impact of the sound wave was so powerful that it even managed to knock off a few Zergs.

    "Roar of the Tiger!"

    "Dash of the Tiger!"

    Wang Ben unleashed the real Fist of the Racing Tiger, and every of his attack was packed with GN Force; it was so powerful that nothing could stand in its way. Wang Tong and Apache covered Wang Ben¡¯s sides and rear as he charged with all his might, emitting an incredible strength as well as a menacing aura!

    He had turned like a mini armored tank, he was unstoppable.

    Apache and Wang Tong gasped as they saw his dominating aura, no wonder that the Fist of the Racing Tiger was known as the mightiest punch of the Earth Confederation, without even mentioning that Wang Ben was surprisingly full of hype today.

    "Soar of the Tiger!"

    Wang Benunched himself forward like a missile and eliminated a handful of Zergs in front of him, and soon, he managed to create an opening. Finally, together with the advantage of the terrain, the three of them were able to break out from the entrapment.

    They ran as fast as they could while the creatures were in pursuit; however, within minutes, Wang Tong forcefully stopped both Apache and Wang Ben.

    Swoosh¡­

    Countless of spikes suddenlyunched up from under the ground like pistons; meanwhile, dark matters started to fall from the top of the trees.

    More Zergs seemed to be waiting for them, and the breakthrough a while ago was actually a set-up from the Zergs¡¯ leader when it learned that the lower-ranked Zergs were unable to stop the three of them anymore.

    Finally realizing their adventure and training had all turned into a matter of life and death, the trio leaped onto the tree branches and dashed upward. Apache was shing his way up while Wang Ben and Wang Tong kept dodging the Zergs¡¯ attacks; due to the protection from their GN Force, they wouldn¡¯t be killed instantly if they got hit by the Zergs; however, they would be doomed if the creatures managed to block them off.

    The three of them unleashed every inch of strength in their bodies and made it to the tree tops, but Wang Tong¡¯s sense of danger was tingling, and almost immediately, he realized that they were tricked by the creatures again!

    There were two species of Zergs that didn¡¯t exist on Paradise Ind. One of them being the Flying Zergs, and the other one was a creaturerger in size; however, there was a type of umon Zerg living on this ind: the Web Zergs, ormonly known as Corrosive Webs, was one of the species that belonged to the middle-ranked Zergs. They looked like tough, spherical cocoons most of the time, and normal attacks had no effect on them. However, they would turn into giant webs when they attacked, and the webs would transform into a corrosive matter as they trapped their preys inside, killing both the prey and itself then melted everything into a gory liquid. This type of Zerg was even able to destroy Heavy Armed Units aside from killing the METAL fighters, with its capability of melting almost everything, this species of Zerg was like the upgraded version of the Kamikaze Zerg, only stronger and deadlier.

    Tens of Web Zergsunched themselves toward the three of them; meanwhile, the ground was filled with Skulk Zergs, ready to stab them to death if they chose to descend.

    Wang Tong¡¯s party would have more choices if they were wearing METAL Suits, but now their only chance was to charge!

    The Web Zergs in sphere mode were tough as steel, but as they turned into web mode, their tenacity would increase, and they would be super sticky, which was why the three of them were being very careful not to let those creatures stick to their bodies.

    Wang Ben and Apache were fearless as they were left with only one option: CHARGE!

    Without further hesitation, Wang Tong threw out a shadowy item toward the Zergs like firing a bullet, then he turned toward the other two and said, "Leave them to me!"

    The Web Zergs shrank and turned into greenish smog immediately when got hit by Wang Tong¡¯s throwing attack, Apache and Wang Ben then descended down to eliminate the bunch of Skulk Zergs. Although the two of them had never fought side by side before, they knew exactly how to work with each other. Apache was in charge of drawing the attention of the creatures since he was more nimble, while Wang Ben was in charge of attacking every Skulk Zerg that gave away its position.

    Right above Wang Ben and Apache, Wang Tong seemed to be having a dangerous waltz with the Web Zergs; however, none of the webs were able to stick to Wang Tong¡¯s body as he attacked; somehow, the three of them managed to stabilize the situation around them.

    Wang Ben and Apache also seemed to be dancing with the devil, and the huge amount of Skulk Zergs and theirbination attacks had begun to exhaust both of them. All of a sudden, a loud roar thundered across the woods.

    Those who hissed were mostly lower-ranked Zergs, but those who roared were definitely higher-ranked Zergs. Soon after the roar, four monstrous figures came charging toward Wang Tong¡¯s party. The huge figures appeared to be approximately three meters tall, their heads looked like giant wolves while their bodies were like ginormous goris, and they all had dark and shiny exoskeletons that looked like steel.

 Chapter 154: The Bloody Brawl

    Chapter 154: The Bloody Brawl

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Were-kongs!

    These monsters were not an original species of Zergs, yet somehow the Zergs had managed to create these hybrids during the war with mankind. Their blood was red like most of the animals on Earth instead of themon greenish blood of Zergs, and they were born with incredible strength. Even though they were about three meters tall, they were not thergest in terms of size; however, they were capable of smashing a hole through armored tanks with a single punch.

    Dr. Gimmers would definitely be shocked if he saw what was going on because they were not among the list of experimental species. Unlike living beings on Earth that could only reproduce with their own kinds, the higher-ranked Zergs were able to give birth to numerous species, including hybrids.

    The Skulk Zergs seemed to be excited as they released their spikes one after another. The four Were-kongs then roared and began to charge; two running toward Wang Ben, and the other two running toward Apache.

    Apparently, those ginormous creatures were surprisingly fast and nimble as they were specifically designed to fight in terrains like Earth. In the beginning, Apache thought that he would be able to dodge their attacks like a piece of cake, but he was shocked to find himself being attacked from both sides in a sh.

    Bam¡­

    Apache had no choice but to defend their attacks with all his might in order to dodge the spikes of the Skulk Zergs; however, the impact felt like he was being hit directly by a train, instantly breaking apart and canceling every bit of GN Force in his body; he was caught off-guardpletely.

    In fact, the attacks of the Were-kongs were categorized as ignition attacks, so instead of using a passive physical defense, the best way was to actually initialize the right amount of GN Force into the parry.

    Wang Ben¡¯s eyes turned blood-red, ready to unleash his Fist of the Racing Tiger again after another loud warcry. He stomped heavily on the ground, then charged toward the iing ws of the Were-kongs as he roared.

    Wham!

    The force of the recoil sent Wang Ben¡¯s body backward, while the attacking Were-kong staggered after the impact and had its mouth and fangs bloodied by the forceful punch; however, the other Were-kong was storming toward him like a hurricane.

    Bam!

    Wang Ben threw out another punch, only this time it was too rushed, and the force was smaller than the previous punch.

    Wham¡­

    An enormous impactnded right onto Wang Ben¡¯s body, causing him to cough out blood and even knocked him off horizontally, breaking about seven or eight trees before the impact stopped.

    In the meantime, Wang Tong had eliminated most of the Web Zergs above. During his time on Norton, Wang Tong managed to learn that the weakness of the Web Zerg was its core sack, and once the core sack was broken, the corrosive matter would kill the Web Zerg instantly. Apparently, Wang Tong¡¯s instinct was telling him that they might be ambushed by these creatures, so he picked up a few stones just in case and hid them in his pocket when they were busy escaping a while ago, and it turned out that it really happened.

    However, Wang Tong knew the situation had be worse as he heard the thunderous roars of those Were-kongs, he hadn¡¯t expected that those monsters were right here on Paradise Ind as well, and their existence confirmed to Wang Tong that the leader of Zergs was nearby!

    Wang Tong descended quickly and tried to grab Apache, but as he was about to do so, the two Were-kongs, who were chasing after Apache, flung a punch toward his back and sent him flying and rolling toward the other side of the woods. Apache¡¯s defense was weakerpared to Wang Ben, not to mention that he hadn¡¯t seen thating at all; hence he was knocked out by the monstrous punch, and he would die ¡ª or at least be crippled ¡ª if the Were-kongs were to throw another punch at him.

    Wang Ben was struggling to get up, but when he noticed the two Were-kongs that were after him were charging toward him again, he ground his teeth and got up with all his might; he was ready for battle again, and if he were to die, he would choose to die like a fighter.

    Wang Tong managed to rush toward Wang Ben, then he grabbed his fists and began to channel his energy, but immediately, he felt a painful stinging sensation as he was trying to recover his bnce, the hidden Skulk Zerg had punctured his tight with its spike.

    "You little!" Wang Tong was totally pissed off when he saw that. He snapped off its spike with his fist, then forcefully pulled the Skulk Zerg out from the ground and smashed it dead with his punch. All of a sudden, Wang Ben felt an intense pain on his back, and within a second, he fainted and copsed on the ground.

    The Were-kong then grabbed the unconscious Wang Ben by his neck and threw him toward Apache, both of them were guarded by a Were-kong, while the other three turned toward Wang Tong.

    As Wang Tong suspected, the hidden boss wanted them alive, as it was probably trying to look for an escape route from their brains.

    Wang Tong pulled out the remaining spike on his tight, then he spat out his bloody saliva and said, "That hurts, sonuvab*tch, I¡¯m sick of this sh*t!"

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong¡¯s demeanor changedpletely.

    Yet the three Were-kongs didn¡¯t care much and charged toward Wang Tong at once like three torpedos.

    Bam¡­ Bam¡­ Bam¡­

    Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy didn¡¯t increase much; however, by channeling the energy from his Cinnabar Field, he was granted superhuman strength which enabled him to repel those three monsters with three strikes at once.

    Wham¡­

    Wang Tong aimed his fists toward the ground and went berserk, wrecking a Skulk Zerg that was hidden under that area.

    The other Were-kong, who was guarding the unconscious Wang Ben and Apache, joined the other three immediately, knowing that they were now facing a super strong opponent.

    Swoosh¡­

    Four ginormous figures charged ferociously at the same time; however, Wang Tong remained still, and as they approached, Wang Tong flung out a forceful punch!

    SLAM!

    Blood oozed out from one of the creatures as the force from Wang Tong¡¯s fist drilled a hole through its chest!

    Immediately the remaining three Were-kongs moved into a defensive formation, but Wang Tong disappeared in a sh. All of a sudden, Wang Tong reappeared on the head of one of the remaining Were-kongs, puncturing its elbow with his left fist and shattered the rock-solid exoskeleton into fragments, then he brutally decapitated the creature with a single tear.

    "Hasta vista, you ugly-a*s looking chimpanzees!"

    The remaining Were-kongs were pissed off as they witnessed two of their own got killed in a jiffy, and suddenly, the other Zergs around the area also seemed to have gone crazy and began to charge toward Wang Tong.

    "Stop making me mad!"

    Wang Tong threw out a punch and knocked off a fang of one of the Were-kongs, then he lifted it up by its chin and threw it out like a baseball aiming toward the other Zergs that were charging at him.

    "Stop making me mad!"

    "Stop bugging me!"

    Wang Tong kept repeating these words to himself as he finished the enemies off one by one. Apparently, he had developed this habit when he had been trapped alone on Norton, and even though he had managed to rectify this habit after returning to Earth, for some reason, the environment seemed to have triggered this old habit again.

    He grabbed both remaining Were-kongs with his hands and waved them around like a pair of giant sticks, sweeping off the enemies around him. More and more Zergs were getting killed by Wang Tong¡¯s ferocious attack, especially the inferior Zergs that were exceptionally weak against his menacing power. The Skulk Zergs around him seized the opportunity for an ambush, but as their long vertebrae were approaching a three-meter radius around him, their attacks stopped as Wang Tong dispersed his Soul Energy through their spikes and caused them to explode one after another, turning the Skulk Zergs into puddles of green, bloody mess.

    Wang Tong, who was still holding the two monstrous creatures in his hands, stretched his neck and yelled, "You want a piece of me?!"

    Another batch of Zergs swarmed toward him again, Kamikaze Zergs flew in from all directions and exploded like a continuous chain of grenades; however, Wang Tong was unhurt as he used the bodies of the two Were-kongs as his "meat-shield".

    While Wang Tong was busy with his bloody brawl, the troops outside were still busy hacking the system. Zhao Yongzhuo was getting impatient, he had been waiting for almost an hour, yet the bunch of so-called "experts" still couldn¡¯t get the doors to open.

    Nevertheless, he wouldn¡¯t dare to charge in by force because he knew that he would be the one to be med if his impulsive action caused any Zerg to escape. On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s team was still struggling with the system as well. Carl was getting nervous like his butt was on fire, yet he was no help to the situation at all. Rumi and the Zhang Brothers were giving all of their efforts to solve the "puzzle"; however, the randomizing program was way tougher than they had expected, not to mention that most of the tech experts on Paradise Ind were killed in this ident.

    The other students kept quiet and tried not to disturb the three of them, everyone wanted to help, but there was really nothing they could do. Zhou Sisi sat on the other side quietly, knowing that being nervous would only make things even worse.

    Suddenly, Zhang Yan shouted, "Done! I¡¯ve calcted all of its variations, the decoding process will beplete in three minutes, counting down as we speak! The doors will be opening soon, so tell your troops to get ready, and be careful not to let any Zerg escapes!"

    Paradise Ind had be a mess. Some of the creatures were still trying to get into the base, and the forest on the east coast waspletely ruined. Wang Tong was sitting on the head of a Were-kong corpse, his body was covered with greenish goo, most people might find it disgusting, but Wang Tong was practically "immune" to the smell since he had eaten them for a year.

    Wang Tong took his time to clean up his body while mumbling to himself, he didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of another ambush. All of a sudden, he noticed some movements among the bushes, and he grabbed the thing by his hand in a sh. It appears to be a plump and "meaty" creature that somehow looked like a magnified tapeworm.

    "C¡¯mon, stop struggling, you little piece of sh*t!"

    The worm-like Zerg kept moving its mouth as it struggled, then itunched a tentacle-like siphon toward Wang Tong; however, Wang Tong¡¯s reflexes were quicker and managed to tie a knot to its siphon.

    "You want a piece of me huh?" Wang Tong grabbed the worm-like creature by its head and pped it continuously.

    It screamed after being pped and tried to attack Wang Tong with its siphon again; however, it failed since Wang Tong had tied a knot to its siphon. Apparently, this type of Zerg was not good in attacking, given by the fact that it used to be fed by inferior Zergs.

    Wang Tong seemed to be having fun with it, then he gave it another p, making its body turn like an empty beer bottle.

    "Stop bugging me!"

    As it stopped, the creature screamed crazily again, Wang Tong sighed and said, "What an ugly looking a*s!"

    p¡­ p¡­ p¡­ p¡­ p...

    Wang Tong carried on pping the weird creature that looked like a human brain, soon its plump body was swollen up by the continuous hits.

    "Stop messing with me!" Wang Tong yelled as he pped, momentster the worm-like creature stopped moving, it had seemed to be weakened by his "attacks", surprisingly its defense was even weaker than the inferior Zergs.

    Grunt¡­ Grunt¡­ Grunt¡­

    The creature was grunting non-stop, either it had decided to surrender, or it was traumatized by the ps; nevertheless, Wang Tong felt good about it. After finishing his "torture", Wang Tong decided to leave no traces behind, so he dug a hole and buried the creature head side down, then he stood aside and waited for the "magical" moment.

    Momentster, a tiny explosion urred, and the ground was shaken like a little earthquake. Soon greenish liquid gradually oozed out from the burial spot; Wang Tong then made a victory sign happily with his hands as he saw that. Somehow he came up with this killing technique after encountering this type of Zerg a couple of times. The creature might look like the mysterious Encephalon Zerg; however, Wang Tong knew that it was only one of the higher-ranked leaders among the legion of Zergs. It could have been themander of the Zergs, but it was definitely not the one that was controlling everything... or maybe, it could be a new species of highly intelligent Zerg that was created to fight against mankind, yet somehow it might be a little too weak for an intelligent creature.

 Chapter 155: Taken into Custody

    Chapter 155: Taken into Custody

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    The idea of keeping the worm-like creature as a specimen did cross Wang Tong¡¯s mind; however, he decided not to do so because this creature was generally the root of all evil. Keeping it as an experimental specimen was totally suicidal since it was able to lure out more Zergs towards the person who was carrying it. Wang Tong hade across these creatures a couple of times, and he had learned that when the creature knew it was about to die, it would shrink and dry out like a dead jellyfish, not without letting out a dying squeak which Wang Tong hated. Furthermore, he found the blob-like structure on its head that enabled it to blend into the environment extremely disgusting; hence he came out with the technique of killing these creatures by burying them head side down, just like how he used to nt vegetables when he was a kid.

    Wang Tong immediately fell in love with the burial-annihtion method the first time he heard that little explosion, it was like a victorious st even though it sounded quite weird.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong heard a loud whiz that came from the other side of the woods. Knowing that it wasn¡¯t a sound made by the Zergs, Wang Tong copsed in fatigue, wondering why the troops would always arrive when he had finished all the killing.

    The Confederation Army managed to get into Paradise Ind a short while after the FFC¡¯s private mercenaries moved in. Their METAL fighters were immediately engaged with the remaining Zergs, yet somehow it looked more like a mess-cleaning battle since there was only a handful of Zergs roaming the area. Furthermore, since the Zergs¡¯mander had been tortured to death by Wang Tong, it was only a matter of time for the troops topletely extinguish the Zergs on this ind.

    Instead of only focusing on killing Zergs, Zhao Yongzhuo also immediately sent a few of his men to conduct a search and rescue operation after learning that Wang Ben was among the trapped trio; mostly because Wang Ben was quite popr and he was afraid to offend General Hu Ben. Furthermore, Zhao Yongzhuo also seemed to notice that this wasn¡¯t entirely an ident, yet he asked no questions as his job was only to follow and execute the orders from his superior.

    Even though the chances of them surviving was very little since the three of them could have already been eaten by the enormous legion of Zergs on this ind, he still prayed for their safety.

    As for most of the FFC¡¯s private mercenaries, their main objective was to secure the base, and as long as the base wasn¡¯tpletely destroyed, the corporation would be able to minimize their loss. On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru and the others began to search for Wang Tong¡¯s party under the protection of their own troops, everyone was extremely worried.

    Suddenly, one of the Confederation¡¯s squadron discovered a huge open area filled with piles of corpses of Zergs and three unconscious young men that were lying on the ground.

    "Sir, we¡¯ve found them!"

    "How many of ¡®em?"

    "Three, sir. All unconscious, badly wounded."

    "Very well. Bring them back at once, and remember not to let anyone from the FFC found out about this."

    "Copy that, sir!"

    The Confederation soldiers then signaled the others to bring in three sets of clothes, and after changing their clothes, Wang Tong and the other boys were quickly carried back toward their fleet.

    Zhao Yongzhuo, who was giving orders in themanding fleet, sighed in relief when he was told that Wang Ben survived. Obviously, the objective of this mission was to sabotage the public image of the FFC; however, it would be an entirely different story if Wang Ben died or was critically injured. Fortunately, Wang Ben was safe and sound so the next step would be collecting evidence to prove that the experiments on Paradise Ind had vited thew. The FFC would definitely have a tough road ahead since they would soon be questioned for the exceeding numbers of Zergs and the chaotic incident on the ind itself.

    As a member of the younger generation in the military who was loyal to the Confederation, the first thing that Zhao Yongzhuo did was of course to report the status of Wang Ben and also the current situation to his superior. To his surprise, he was immediately given a new order after delivering that news, one that sounded weird, but he decided to do as he was told.

    Approximately ten minutester, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s team received the information about Wang Tong¡¯s party being taken into Zhao Yongzhuo¡¯s fleet, and Martyrus and Samantha were both infuriated at the military for detaining their students!

    "Colonel Zhao, why are you taking our students!?" Principal Martyrus of Bernabeu questioned in a serious tone.

    Despite Samantha being the sessor of DREAM Corporation, it was only a businesspany that had nothing to do with the military. Not to mention that she was still very young, her family might be rted to the House of Ma and the de Warrior, but that didn¡¯t mean the military would listen to her. However, Martyrus was different since most of the elites graduated from his academy; hence Zhao Yongzhuo wouldn¡¯t dare to offend the old principal.

    "Principal Martyrus, I¡¯m sorry, but we have to detain Wang Ben, Apache, and Wang Tong because they are witnesses and also suspects of this incident!"

    "Are you kidding me, Colonel? The three of them being involved is obviously a coincidence! These students are also the victims, so please release them at once!" Samantha got angry, the military seemed to have gone crazy for dragging students into the pond of muddy water.

    "Please calm down, Principal Samantha. I¡¯m just carrying out my duty as ordered. The number of Zergs on Paradise Ind was about five thousand, which has already exceeded the regted limit from the government; however, more than one thousand Zergs were already dead when we arrived, and we suspect that something must have happened, which is why we have taken them into custody for further questioning. However, please note that they are in safe hands, and the military will provide the best medical treatment for the three of them. I promise that we will not do anything to them before getting the permission from your side!" Zhao Yongzhuo replied formally.

    After Zhao Yongzhuo delivered the news about Wang Ben to his superior, he was immediately ordered to send the boy back, which then led to all the dramas. Zhao Yongzhuo was no idiot as he also had sensed that something was definitely going on, yet he had no idea why he was ordered to bring all three of them back to the military. Probably this was only about Wang Ben, and the other two were just "unlucky bystanders".

    Nevertheless, Zhao Yongzhuo decided not to worry about that; however, he was startled when his subordinates showed him the images of the battlefield. Within the radius of a few hundred square meters, every inch of the ground was filled with piles of Zerg corpses. It was definitely done by some ace fighter since it was technically impossible to be aplished by the three boys, but the question was: who on earth did that?

    Judging from their anxiousness, clearly it wasn¡¯t someone from the FFC¡¯s side, but if that was the case, why would an ace from another party appear on this ind?

    ording to the legend, the eldest sessors of the Five Great Houses were born with a "protector". Of course, that was only a legend, and since legends couldn¡¯t be served as scientific exnations, Zhao Yongzhuo would have to look into the facts and search for a better exnation.

    "Do remember, Colonel, you will be held responsible if anything happens to them!" Ma Xiaoru said with a solemn expression; obviously, she waspletely pissed off.

    "I¡¯m only following the orders from my superior. Feel free to contact the chiefmander if there¡¯s any question." As a member of the Golden Hawk Union, Zhao Yongzhuo wouldn¡¯t care too much about Ma Xiaoru¡¯s threats.

    For Ma Xiaoru, due to her involvement in this incident, she knew that she had to think of a better solution to this as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would be a bigger matter once it was made public by the media, not to mention that the prestige of the House of Ma was put at stake.

    Both Samantha and Martyrus didn¡¯t expect that the military would be so harsh this time; nevertheless, they were relieved upon knowing that Zhao Yongzhuo didn¡¯t intend to harm the three of them. However, both principals had no idea why the military wanted to detain the boys. Both principals turned to each other, and immediately, they knew that the two of them were having the same doubts.

    Most people were well aware of the power struggle between the Golden Hawk Union and the old forces, which exined why no one was too astonished about the intensity and also the set-up against the FFC; however, everyone seemed to be confused about the detention of the three boys. Eventually, people from both sides began to gossip about the incident discretely.

    The three boys managed to regain consciousness after getting some simple medical treatments. Apache and Wang Tong were puzzled as they came to realize that they were surrounded by armed METAL fighters; somehow the rescue had turned into imprisonment.

    Zhao Yongzhuo went down to check on them as soon as he was told that the boys had regained consciousness; however, he only released Wang Ben from the detention.

    "I¡¯d like to meet my father."

    "The general is waiting for you." The face of a serious looking middle aged man then appeared on the screen as Zhao Yongzhuo connected the video call. The man only had one single facial expression and showed no signs of any other emotion as he saw his son. Wang Ben was the one who spoke first: "I¡¯d like to go home."

    "You heard the boy, Colonel Zhao."

    "Yes, General!" Zhao Yongzhuo acknowledged the order, yet he couldn¡¯t help wondering about the awkwardness between the boy and his father. Even though he wasn¡¯t serving under General Hu Ben, Zhao Yongzhuo chose to follow the orders due to the general¡¯s well-respected reputation.

    "You don¡¯t want to bid farewell to your friends back there?"

    Wang Ben shook his head gently and said nothing. After that, Zhao Yongzhuo ordered his men to escort the boy out.

    Although the three boys were injured, they only suffered minor internal injuries, and no bones were broken. The medical team managed to heal most of their wounds by using a cell regeneration treatment; however, they would be sent for further detailed treatments when they got back.

    In the beginning, Zhao Yongzhuo thought this time that he had scored the jackpot, but as he was about to visit Paradise Ind by himself, the man received a new order. It was a strange order indeed, he was told to send both Wang Tong and Apache back to the headquarter immediately.

    As a member of the military, his only duty was to follow orders; however, he was well aware that the two kids were innocent, yet someone else was trying to use the boys as a scapegoat.

    Most of the Zergs on Paradise Ind had been annihted by well-trained METAL fighters, and both parties were sending more troops to the ind for a thorough extermination. However, it seemed like themanders of both parties were arguing with each other in front of the base; apparently, the troops from the Confederation Army were demanding an "inspection" in the base, but the FFC¡¯s troops refused to let them enter.

    The outbreak of the Zergs was under control; however, a sh between the FFC and the military had urred, and the tension was escting.

    Samantha and Martyrus both understood that instead of caring about the tension, right now they should be focusing on finding a way to rescue the trio because the students still had to attend training for their uing challenge; however, the military was not giving them any answers. Hence the only thing Martyrus could do was to ask around using his connections to the military; nevertheless, he was sort of disappointed at the military for involving kids into this mess.

    As for the rest of the students, they couldn¡¯t do anything aside from staying put in the watercraft. Apparently, there was still a lot of training remaining to do. Everyone would have their second round of training respectively ording to their assigned sses in the academy. For example: Battle techniques for the students of METALbat sses; Battlecraftbat strategies, operation and control maneuvers, and also some basic awareness for the students of Command Force; while the students of Heavy Arm Force would be learning about the controlling maneuvers for the Heavy Armed Chariots and also the distribution of physical strength. Even though Zhang Yan, Zhang Kui, and Rumi did a good job a while ago, they would still have to learn more about defensive techniques in Intel Programming Battle aside from offensive techniques only; the three of them still had a long way to go.

    Carl and the rest had no choice but to focus on their training and leave the rest to both principals; however, everyone was relieved that the three of them were safe even though they were held in custody; after all, they were wrong for trespassing. Anyhow, everyone expected that the military would only ask them a couple of questions since they were only students, especially since the principals were still around.

    Both parties had been spending the whole day confronting each other, and no one was backing down. However, Martyrus received the news at night that Wang Ben went back to Europe, while Apache and Wang Tong were taken back to the military¡¯s headquarter for further interrogation. Things were getting weirder and weirder, they began to wonder why the military would only release Wang Ben, and why did Wang Ben choose to go back to Europe instead of returning to the team. Furthermore, what on earth was the military trying to get from Wang Tong and Apache?

 Chapter 156: Fair

    Chapter 156: Fair

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_, Tehrn

    Wang Tong and Apache were confused. Both of them were taken away after a brief medical treatment, and they could somehow feel that they were taken into custody judging from the serious looks of the METAL Fighters. However, they couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Wang Tong kept asking for an exnation, but no one answered them; the boys felt like they were talking to a bunch of dummies.

    They had no idea where this ce was. The boys were locked up in a cell, and no one was telling them what was going on.

    On the other hand, Wang Ben¡¯s ne hadnded, and he was immediately taken to themand center by a military truck. Apparently, General Hu Ben was waiting for him.

    Wang Ben was grabbing his fists throughout the journey and was a bit shaken when he saw his father, but he wasn¡¯t excited.

    "You¡¯re back," General Hu Ben said coldly, as if he had expected what Wang Ben would say next.

    "Father, what¡¯s going on? Why were there so many Zergs on the ind? Is the military trying to frame the FFC?" Wang Ben seemed agitated.

    Actually, Wang Ben purposely invited Wang Tong for tonight¡¯s "adventure". His admission to Ayrng was not a coincidence, and of course, it had nothing to do with that letter. Everything was only a part of a n.

    General Hu Ben was one of the members and also an important figure of the Golden Hawk Union. Their mission was to weaken the power of both the House of Li and the House of Ma in the Earth Confederation, and in order to seed, they had first to deal with the House of Ma. Without them, the House of Li would be a toothless tiger. However, the FFC was not an easy target, which was why General Hu Ben had sent Wang Ben to befriend Ma Xiaoru, and no one had suspected anything fishy about it.

    After knowing that there would be a special training, Wang Ben¡¯s mission was to infiltrate Paradise Ind and look for FFC¡¯s secretboratory. Wang Ben epted it because he wanted to prove himself to his father, but all of a sudden, everything seemed to look like a filthy trap judging from the overwhelming number of Zergs and the perfect timing of the Confederation Army. Everyone knew that experimental Zergs needed to be sterilized at the beginning, yet, the Zergs on Paradise Ind had obviously multiplied. Hence, the military had clearly been plotting this since a long time ago, and his infiltration was the trigger of this event.

    "You¡¯re here just to say this?" General Hu Ben kept his straight face and red at Wang Ben.

    "Father, what you did was despicable, and I¡¯m disappointed with your decision. I need a better exnation!" Wang Ben ground his teeth. He was ashamed of himself as he remembered the moment when Wang Tong saved him, and it hurt his feelings. In the beginning, he had agreed to help because he wanted to be recognized by his father. But as time went by, Wang Ben hated himself because of the betrayal and the fact that he was a spy, and what had happened today had totally pissed him off.

    "Despicable¡­ haha." General Hu Ben chuckled as the word caught him by surprise. Nevertheless, no one would have the balls to say this in front of him other than his son, perhaps because he was still a teenager. However, he had never nned on giving Wang Ben an exnation. He stood up and said, "I¡¯lly out two options on the table again: either you continue to stay in Ayrng as a spy, or you get your *ss to Capth."

    "But father, that¡¯s not fair!"

    "You want me to be fair huh? This is the biggest exnation you will get!" General Hu Ben said firmly. Not everything needed an exnation, and he would understand when the right time woulde. What had happened today proved that Wang Ben was not suitable to y a part in politics. Aside from knowing how to fight, one would also require other knowledge in order to be a general or a famous warrior. In conclusion, his son was too naive!

    Wang Ben¡¯s body was shaking because of his anger and frustration, but eventually, he calmed down and replied with all his strength, "Capth!"

    It hurt when he said that word, the pain was unbearable¡­ this was an absolute betrayal. His friends were doing their best to get ready for their challenge against Capth, yet he was abandoning them and switching sides to Capth. However, he¡¯d rather do that than continue to stay in Ayrng as a spy. He couldn¡¯t forgive himself for hurting his friends.

    General Hu Ben waved his hand and decided to let him be¡­ one had to pay the price in order to grow, and the best way to learn was to learn from one¡¯s mistakes!

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and Apache were taken somewhere else. Apparently, they were arranged for a series of body check-ups.

    "Anything suspicious?"

    "Everything seems fine. Their Soul Energy is quite active for their age, but it would still be impossible to handle one thousand Zergs."

    "How about their injuries?"

    "No broken bones. They should be alright."

    "Alright then, I¡¯ll take over."

    In the military, every sort of injury was known as minor injury, except for bone fractures. Although Wang Tong¡¯s leg was severely injured, somehow the attack had missed his bone, and the wound had healed after giving cellr treatment. However, he was weakened by the attack, and he would need time to recover.

    Unfortunately for the boys, no one cared about them and treated them like students from military academies.

    Even those who detained them had no idea what was going on. The only order they were given was to take the boys into custody and lock them up in the prison cell of the headquarter. Things were not going ording to standard procedure, yet, they had no choice but to follow every single order from their superiors.

    "Alrightds, be careful inside," The sergeant who escorted them somewhat felt bad for them and gave them a friendly reminder.

    Wang Tong and Apache were shocked as they arrived at the ce they were taken to. The ce looked like hell, and everyone inside was ring at them.

    This ce was where the military held their suspects. Everyone knew that ces like this were a mess when a bunch of "energetic" fes were ced in the same space, and it would really be a miracle if no one started a fight.

    The inmates seemed surprised to see Wang Tong and Apache, as they didn¡¯t expect the arrival of two young boys.

    Apache had never been to a ce like this, but he had heard a lot during his internship at the Anti-Smuggle Special Unit. "Well, looks like we¡¯ve offended someone. We were sent here obviously on purpose."

    "Offended someone?" Wang Tong seemed startled. He had always been cautious not to offend anyone, let alone someone in a higher rank.

    "I guess it¡¯s me, I¡¯ve probably stepped on somebody¡¯s tail when I was with the Unit, and the person is now looking for payback," Apache thought for a while and said. There was no way that Wang Tong could¡¯ve offended anyone, and the possibility of it being his fault was higher since he did participate in a few events in the Unit. But Apache had no idea whose tail he had stepped on. Nevertheless, this "prank" seemed to have gone too far as they were only a couple of nobodies.

    Wang Tong smiled and said, "So, meaning we will have to fight again?"

    "Most probably." Apache seemed to have noticed a bunch of unfriendly res. Not only was this ce filled with violent people, but there were also the "abnormal" ones who had gone crazy after getting locked up for too long and couldn¡¯t control their sexual desires. Apache used to hear about it when he was with the Unit. However, he had never imagined being treated like this someday.

    "Here theye." About ten inmates walked toward the boys. The leader then checked on Apache and Wang Tong, and the way he looked at them felt horrible.

    As the boys grabbed their fists and prepared to fight, a warden came knocking on the cell and asked, "Which one of you is Apache? Step forward." Then, the warden turned towards another person and said, "You, get in and enjoy yourself."

    Both boys looked at each other, then Apache stood up and got escorted away by two METAL Fighters. The warden didn¡¯t even look at Wang Tong as he closed the cell gate and isted the rest from the outside world. The person who got pushed into the cell a minute ago was about the same age as Wang Tong, mumbling and shaking in fear.

    The new inmate looked even more delicate. Wang Tong and Apache had been working out so their skin tone was darker and their bodies were more muscr. However, they could tell that the new inmate was fairer, even though the ce was dark and dirty. Eventually, the gang of thugs turned their attention to the new inmate. Somehow a guy that looked like a girl would be "satisfying" as well.

    "You wanna join us, lil¡¯ kid? I can offer you protection if you want to." The thugs got the new inmate surrounded near the corner of the wall. They were almost drooling as they approached.

    "What are you doing? I¡­ I¡¯m a guy!"

    "Hahaha, we¡¯re guys too, so don¡¯t be scared, a¡¯ight?"

    "Don¡¯te near me, or I¡¯ll scream for help!"

    "Scream for help? Haha, you heard that? Well, go ahead. I like it when you spice things up. I can¡¯t believe they¡¯ll send in a lil¡¯ss, hell yea! It¡¯s been years since Istid my hands on a woman!"

    All of the thugs went crazy and turned into a pack of "craving" wolves when they heard the word "woman". Even the other inmates got interested as they heard that.

    "I¡­ I¡¯m not a woman!" The new inmate was extremely scared ¡ª like a deer surrounded by a group of lions ¡ª and had never expected that this would happen in a military facility.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t want to get involved at the beginning, but his guilty conscience and busy-body were telling him to save the poor fe. So he tapped the leader¡¯s shoulder and said, "Hey man, why don¡¯t you leave the new fe alone."

    The leader of the thugs didn¡¯t expect that thisd would be bold enough to act as the middleman.

    "F#ck off, you¡¯ll get your turn after I have had enough fun..."

    Wang Tong decided to fight, and instantly, the prison was filled with screams and shrieks. However, it wasn¡¯t the leader who was screaming... Wang Tong had stuffed the leader¡¯s head into the *ss of his "sidekick" who was standing next to him.

    Within a second, the whole prison cell had turned into a ughterhouse. Two of the guys, who wereughing happily a moment ago, could be seen crying like pigs who were about to be killed.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t nning to stop as he was having a lot of fun. The rest of the thugs then charged towards Wang Tong. Apparently, they were not very good at fighting, and none of their GN Force was more than two hundred. The strongest amongst them was the leader, but no one had expected that Wang Tong would have been so good at fighting.

    Within minutes, their head and b*ttholes were "joined" by Wang Tong like Lego parts, except for one of the thugs who got lucky because the number of members of the gang was an odd number. However, Wang Tong patted his hands and smiled as he turned towards him, nning on what to do with him next.

    "D¡­ don¡¯te an¡­ any closer... HELP! HELP! SOMEONE¡¯S TRYING TO KILL ME!" Thest thug cried for help as he banged on the cell gate like a mad man, hoping to get the warden¡¯s attention.

    Meanwhile, the warden was smoking outside the premises. He was ordered to send the new kid into the cell and let the other inmates have some fun with this kid. Apparently, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had received orders like this, and since all of them were a bunch of rascals, things would clearly get messy immediately.

    Nevertheless, the warden wasn¡¯t nning on caring, so he turned on the soundproofing mode and turned off every CCTV, leaving no evidence behind.

 Chapter 157: Hes a She

    Chapter 157: He''s a She

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_, Tehrn

    The other two hundred inmates in prison kept quiet as the fight went on. The leader of the gang of thugs (gang of homos to be exact) was Season, who had an incredible Soul Energy counting to about one hundred and fifty Sols. Yet everyone was stunned when they saw that a strong person like him got owned by a boy in a single strike.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t stop even though a few of the gang members were struggling with all their might. Wang Tong grabbed thest thug by the head and banged it continuously on the cell gate while mimicking his cry, "Help, help, help!" Then he mmed his whole body into the wall, and the guy fainted immediately.

    "Anyone else up for some body massage?" Wang Tong said with a smile. However, the others stayed silent since they were all Vicars of Bray. Even a few of the "bosses" among them decided to stay out of this when they witnessed Wang Tong¡¯s speed and uracy; he wasn¡¯t clearly some weakling to be messed with.

    The new inmate who got rescued grabbed onto Wang Tong¡¯s shirt immediately, recognizing him as the protector from any harm.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t want any more trouble. "Let go."

    She shook her head. Of course, one would never give up on thest hope of salvation.

    "I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a guy, a woman, or a shemale, let go at once and sit your *ss down over there." Wang Tong had no time to care about the others. He couldn¡¯t even understand what was happening to him.

    Finally, she let go when he realized that Wang Tong wasn¡¯t nning on abandoning her. However, she was still staying close to Wang Tong and followed him wherever he went.

    No one dared to mess with Wang Tong ever since he showed off his ruthlessness. Some of the inmates went over to help those got their heads stuck in their friends¡¯ *sses, and those who were not involved could only imagine the unbearable pain of getting their *sses shoved. Injuries and traumas like this would require a long time to heal, and it seemed like they would never be interested in shoving *sses or getting shoved again.

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t expect that this would be over like this, as the people in this ce were all criminals, and they might seek revenge through ambushes or set-ups. Yet he decided not to worry too much, he wasn¡¯t worried at all.

    Despite all of the screaming and shouting a while ago, no actions were taken by the authority. Obviously, the warden had decided to stay out of this.

    Wang Tong then sat in one of the corners of the prison cell, with the new tag-along staying close to him. The person seemed afraid of Wang Tong ¡ª probably because he was fierce and brutal ¡ª yet her instincts told him that he would never hurt her. But even if he did, it would still be better than getting "eaten" by the other wild boars in the cell.

    Wang Tong closed his eyes and thought about Apache¡¯s words. He doubted that all of this was because of Apache. However, Wang Tong really couldn¡¯t remember who he had offended, even though he sensed that the one who was targeted might actually be himself. Whether it was past or present, he was always cautious, not to mention that the incident on Norton had died down, and he had nothing to do with it anymore. Wang Tong really couldn¡¯t recall anything. Although he was on Paradise Ind today, he had nothing to do with the rampage of the Zergs on the ind.

    Perhaps he got targeted because of his Tactics of the de?

    If that were the case, he would have been taken to ab instead of a prison cell.

    In the end, Wang Tong gave up thinking. He had no reason to fear anything since he had no family, and if anything really happened to him, all of his belongings would be inherited by Old Fart as his pension.

    Wang Tong was tired by the little exercise a while ago. Hence, he decided to quietly initialize his Tactics of the de and get prepared in case something happened again. Since his Tactics of the de had led him to victory since day one, he was sure that the other inmates would not be able to mess with him easily.

    Wang Tong chose to keep his distance from the girl because he didn¡¯t want to get him involved in his own mess. Soon, his frustration began to calm down, and his thoughts became clearer as he initialized the Tactics of the de. Wang Tong realized that the whole incident was probably connected to the FFC, and had nothing to do with him, because it would be too much for screwing a small potato like him with all of these big actions. If he were right, he would be released in no time.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong felt more rxed as he noticed that the probability of his thoughts was getting higher.

    Except for those inmates who got injured, everything in prison seemed to have returned to normal, and no one was willing to mess with Wang Tong. However, the rest of the inmates were still unwilling to give up on the tag-along. They would do everything to get their hands on her, and some of them even began to make a move. After all, men were perverted animals, not to mention the men in a prison. These sexually driven animals would never give up simply because of Wang Tong¡¯s existence, and their desire would be stronger instead. They kept staring at the girl like they were trying to "eat" him alive.

    The poor girl was frightened by all of those menacing res, but she had nowhere else to hide, so she moved herself closer to Wang Tong. The bunch of perverted pigs was extremely turned on by her shy and timid reaction, and if Wang Tong were not around, she would definitely be r*ped to death. Without a doubt, that delicate body would never be able to withstand the terrifying sex drive of more than two hundred men.

    Wang Tong gradually dispersed his Soul Energy and began to scan the prison cell to get a better "look" at what was going on. He could clearly feel the anxiety of the sexually aroused inmates, and he also could tell that someone was getting ready as well. Something was about to happen soon.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong seemed to have noticed something, and he began to realize that Old Fart¡¯s past advice was not nonsense at all.

    After an hour of peace, those thugs who were beaten up by Wang Tong were finally feeling better, but they didn¡¯t dare to look at Wang Tong anymore. They also didn¡¯t ask to speak with the warden. Obviously, they knew that the warden would never even bother anyway.

    Finally, the other three leaders stood up, and were immediately followed by their gang members. Noticing that something wasn¡¯t right, the girl turned toward Wang Tong and tried to ask for help with teary eyes, as the huge crowd of people approached. She was unaware that the button of her shirt was loosened, the fairy white skin was clear to be seen. The dirt on her face was washed away by her own tears, revealing the true fairness of theplexion, and she happened to be a very prettydy. To be honest, it would be more than enough to turn everyone into a beast if she was just an ordinary girl, let alone a beauty like her. It seemed like nothing would be able to stop those inmates from going berserk anymore.

    "Hey man, why don¡¯t we make a deal? You give us the girl, and I promise that no one will ever mess with you again," said one of the leaders who was a ck dude.

    "Listen, dude, we know you¡¯re strong, but it wouldn¡¯t do you any good if you decide to make us your enemies. How about this? All of us can take turns, and you will be the first to have some fun."

    "I bet your Soul Energy level is at Rank four, and so is ours. So it¡¯ll be a mess if you decide to fight us. So waddaya think? Make friends with us, and we¡¯ll punish the f*g for your sake, sounds good?"

    Apparently, there were four leaders amongst all prisoners, and they all had their own gangs. However, the other three hated the guts of the gay leader, but they had never thought of mingling with him. Since he was screwed by Wang Tong, the other three saw it as the perfect chance to get rid of him for good.

    Obviously, those three leaders were still afraid of Wang Tong. The boy might have the Soul Energy of a Rank four fighter, but his actual strength was more than that. There was no point of messing with someone who wasn¡¯t going to stay here for very long or avenging the defeat of the f*g. However, they would do whatever it took to get their hands on the girl, because no one knew if she would be released soon.

    "No, no, please don¡¯t, don¡¯t hand me to them, I¡¯ll give you whatever you want." The girl said as she tried to grab onto Wang Tong, but Wang Tong dodged and shrugged his shoulders. "Do whatever you want, it¡¯s none of my business. Just pretend that I¡¯m not here."

    The other inmates were surprised by his "kindness". However, something didn¡¯t seem right... unless he was trying to ambush them while they were busy having fun.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Do I look like I¡¯m joking? Or are you trying to ask me toy the bed for you guys?" Wang Tong then returned to his corner and closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t wish to see any of what was going on next, and was nning to stay out of this matter.

    "Geez, thanks, dude. Hey, fes! Let¡¯s dig in!"

    "D¡­ don¡¯te any closer, there are so many of you. I¡­ I¡¯ll only give my body to the strongest person, or I¡¯d rather kill myself than letting all of you r*pe me," The girl backed down in fear.

    "Hey, Kanro, let me have her!"

    "Stop bullshitting, Simon, f#ck off!"

    "Yo, who says you two are the bosses, huh?"

    The three of them began fighting each other, and clearly, this wasn¡¯t the first time they had fought. The three of them were just forming a temporary "alliance" in order to get the girl.

    Wang Tong sat there and did nothing. He really wasn¡¯t nning to care about what was going to happen. Meanwhile, the girl waspletely frightened by the arguing men, and all of a sudden, the ck dude named Kanro grabbed the girl by her neck.

    "Are you trying to make us fight each other? Not a chance, li¡¯l b*tch!"

    "Haha, all three of us can do her at once, and we¡¯ll leave her to the rest once we¡¯re done!" Simon yelled, followed by the cheer from his underlings. However, it seemed like the girl¡¯s delicate body would never be able to survive after a few rounds.

    Wang Tong stayed put like a statue. He wasn¡¯t showing any guilty conscious this time.

    "Help me, Wang Tong. I can¡¯t believe the student from a military academy is actually a chicken..." The girl cried in fear. Although her scream might be able to evoke the sense of justice in most men, it would also cause the beasts to be even more sexually aroused.

    Wang Tong stretched himself and yawned, then he said, "Heydy, you¡¯re more than capable of bing an actress. I¡¯m trying to get some sleep here, so keep it down okay?"

    Somehow, the prettydy had managed to release herself from Kanro¡¯s grip before Wang Tong could finish his words.

    The three leaders were stunned by the unexpected event. After all, men were always blinded by their impulses. However, before Kanro could react and unleash his Soul Energy, the girl had alreadynded a lightning-fast kick to his balls. Kanro couldn¡¯t even scream as he began tossing and turning in pain on the ground.

    The girl turned toward Wang Tong and smiled. "How did you know?"

    Wang Tong chuckled, "Why should I tell you?"

    "Aww c¡¯mon, you¡¯re a man, so don¡¯t be so stingy. How did you know besides me calling out your name a while ago?" The pretty girl threw Wang Tong a wink. Judging from the way she spoke, she was definitely older than him, and he could tell that she was experienced.

    After all, seduction required skills.

    "First, a warden would never throw a pretty girl into a cage full of men unless he was blind, and second, you were good at pretending to be scared, but a scared person would never have the mood to toy with her fingernails," Wang Tong replied with a smile.

 Chapter 158: A Surprising News

    Chapter 158: A Surprising News

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_, Tehrn

    The girl smiled back. "Smart kid, how could you tell that I wasn¡¯t afraid? I was caught up in the middle of these sickos for real."

    "Ma¡¯am, the act of fear is not as simple as you think, and please don¡¯t tell me that you were sent here to kill me. I¡¯m only a poor student who has nothing in his possession, or are you here because you¡¯re interested in me?" Wang Tong joked.

    The girl replied with a bright smile, "Wow, students nowadays are better than I¡¯d expected. But first, I have to correct one thing, please don¡¯t call me ma¡¯am, I¡¯m too young for that title as you can see. Second, I am really here because of you. As for the reason..." She continued with a cunning grin, "that¡¯s a secret."

    Finally, the rest of the inmates realized that they got screwed, so everyone charged towards her instantly. Within minutes, everyone stayed put as they witnessed their leaders getting owned in a sh. Her Soul Energy count was four hundred Sols, meaning that she was able to knock out everyone in the cell in a blink of an eye... and without sweating at all!

    Wang Tong squinted. He had never met anyone that strong before.

    The girl then wiped her hands with a piece of tissue and threw it on the ground as she finished. Then, she walked towards the gate and knocked on it a few times. Immediately, the gate started to rise gradually. She turned back and looked at Wang Tong. "I believe we¡¯ll meet again soon, Mr. Wang Tong. Take care."

    She was then escorted out by two wardens. It was clearly a set-up since the beginning, and those perverted pigs happened to be the bunch of supporting characters in this mini "si".

    Knowing that Wang Tong was another "dangerous" person, the rest of the inmates retreated and stayed put quietly. Wang Tong started to make his own analysis after hearing that he was targeted. He doubted that it was a probe, because he had never met her before, and he was not rted to anyone in the military.

    Things were getting more and more confusing, and eventually, Wang Tong gave up trying to put back together the pieces of the puzzle one by one. ¡®Whatever will be, will be.¡¯

    Obviously, the incident on Paradise Ind would take time to settle. Both the FFC and the military had sent their own men to do the negotiation, and things might get even messier in the future. Hence their special training would have to shift to another location. Fortunately, the first phase of the whole training wasplete, so Martyrus and Samantha decided to shift the whole team to Bernabeu for their uing training.

    Although both Bernabeu and Ayrng had simr hardware, Bernabeu had a better environment, training systems, and trainers than Ayrng, especially in Battlecraft Combat and Intel Programming Battle.

    However, Martyrus and Samantha were frustrated about two things. The first one was Wang Tong and Apache¡¯s detention; both principals had contacted the military regarding this, and finally, the military had agreed to release the two boys after a series of investigations and finding out that the boys had nothing to do with the incident. Both principals were very mad about this, but they could do nothing about it. Nevertheless, Martyrus and Samantha had prepared to file aint against the military and ask for a proper exnation because this was not a small matter. But clearly, the military was only going to punish a few officers as their "sincere" apologies, retaining the dignity of both sides.

    Yet, both principals were equally puzzled by the second problem. Apparently, Wang Ben had requested to be transferred to another academy, and not just to any other academies: he wanted to be transferred to Capth, which was giving Samantha a severe headache. Without Wang Ben, their odds of winning would be severely affected. Wang Ben didn¡¯t give any reason when he left, causing Samantha to be very confused. But still, she would have to face the reality.

    Wang Ben¡¯s strength made him in the top three amongst his fellow trainees, and he was improving quickly. Both he and Wang Tong had been learning a lot within these few days. He was a tough fighter with lots of potential. Samantha valued Wang Ben very much, and even saw him as one of her important element in restoring Ayrng. But everything had vanished the moment he stepped out of Ayrng¡¯s gate.

    Samantha decided to break the news to everyone when Wang Tong and Apache returned safely. She didn¡¯t want to hide anything from her students. However, this shocking news might deeply impact the spirit of the alliance which was badly weakened already.

    Wang Ben¡¯s enrollment to Capth had just made their colossal opponent even stronger, turning the bad situation into worse. Nevertheless, Samantha remained positive, as she knew that it was important to retain the fighting spirit regardless they won or lost; furthermore, she had never thought of crushing Capth in one shot.

    After spending a night waiting on the watercraft, Wang Tong and Apache were finally brought back by a military vessel early the next morning. Samantha seemed calmer when she saw that the boys were okay. Then, she gathered everyone around and broke the news about Wang Ben¡¯s transfer to Capth.

    "Transfer to Capth? What the f*ck? Are you kidding me?" Karl was the first one to react. "Is he insane? How could he join the side of our enemies?"

    The others were shocked to hear that too.

    Wang Tong and Apache looked at each other. They had been worried at the beginning, but they hadn¡¯t expected that it would be more serious than they could even imagine.

    "Ma¡¯am. Are you sure? Wang Ben would never..."

    "There¡¯s no mistake, and he didn¡¯t say why. But the academy has approved his transfer due to his special case, and the agreement between him and the academy. Moreover, Ayrng has no ce for fence sitters. Perhaps all of you will be meeting him in Capth, and by then, he will not be your ally, but your enemy. So be prepared," Samantha said.

    "That ba*tard! Sonuvabi*tch! Traitor!" Karl banged on the table angrily as the others shook their heads. Everyone was disappointed and infuriated because they had been fighting together, training together, and going through hardships together as a team. Yet, Wang Ben chose to leave and join the other side at this critical moment.

    Wang Tong remained calm even though he was stunned by the news. However, based on his understanding of Wang Ben, Wang Tong believed that he had to have a good reason for doing so. Nevertheless, he wasn¡¯t frustrated by his decision, as long as he knew that he was doing the right thing.

    Samantha then glimpsed at Wang Tong and noticed that the kid was quite good at keeping his cool. "As we all know, Wang Ben is very strong, so without a doubt, he will receive a series of intensive training when he arrives in Capth. Furthermore, I¡¯m certain that he will be participating in thispetition. Even if we don¡¯t take into ount the fact that that he is very familiar with our strengths and weaknesses, our odds of winning have be even smaller."

    Martyrus stood aside and observed everyone¡¯s expression. Even the candidates from Bernabeu were saddened by the news. To be honest, the students of Bernabeu had been really depressed for failing all of their previous attempts. But this year, however, the students had regained their confidence as they were given another chance by coborating with Ayrng. But Wang Ben¡¯s sudden change of side had caused them to be crestfallen again.

    Wang Tong looked at everyone¡¯s expression, then he smiled and said, "Ma¡¯am, our odds of winning against Capth weren¡¯t very high anyways. Now, I believe that we already have a better reason to train harder." Wang Tong turned toward the team and continued, "We will prove to Wang Ben that he has made the wrong choice... by vanquishing Capth!

    "Karl, anger is a sign of weakness. If you wanna say anything to Wang Ben, say it after we defeat Capth!

    "There¡¯s practically nothing to fear, since we¡¯re all only a bunch of nobodies!

    "Let¡¯s fight with all of our might!

    "Yeah, time to defeat them and destroy their reputation!"

    Everyone seemed to believe that Capth was the one behind the incident. But no one would have the time to figure out what was going on, as the hardship they were about to face was tougher than before, and they were all required to be extremely focused in their uing training.

    Anyhow, Samantha noticed that they were still not quite confident about themselves, even though they had regained their fighting spirits. However, it was normal, since they were aware that their enemies were extremely strong.

    "We will be heading to Bernabeu for our uing training. Principal Martyrus has prepared your training programs, so listen up folks. If you really want to prove to Wang Ben that he was wrong, all of you will have to muster two hundred percent of efforts during your training!" Samantha said. Wang Ben¡¯s decision to leave would more or less affect Ayrng¡¯s reputation, and the media might even be reporting it as Ayrng¡¯s fault due to the poor level of strength, which was not enough for Wang Ben¡¯s growth.

    Nevertheless, they would still have to take on Capth, and the students would have to maintain their spirit and confidence, or else this would be the end for Ayrng.

    "I¡¯m not going to discuss every detail. All you need to know is that all of you will be facing a bunch of geniuses, hard-working geniuses to be exact, and you¡¯ll have to work even harder in order to defeat them. Suck it up as there¡¯s no room for regrets anymore!" Martyrus said. This was a challenge that they had to ovee, but once they seeded, they would be unstoppable.

    Everyone got ready and flew back to Bernabeu in their private charter flight. No one said a word in the ne throughout the journey, and even the talkative Karl kept quiet. Honestly, the gap between their strength was not the reason for their sadness. Everyone was sad because of Wang Ben¡¯s betrayal.

    After all, they were a group of teenagers who valued friendship more than anything else.

    On the other side of the, Wang Ben was all alone, feeling even more hurt, and staying silent ever since. The only thing he did was training non-stop to tire his body and tire his mind. In that way, he wouldn¡¯t have to think about anything else.

    However, some things were not meant to be forgotten, like his happy life in Ayrng, all of the fun he had, and the hardships they had been through together. He was confused, and couldn¡¯t understand why his father didn¡¯t value the emotion that he held dear, and used it as a tool of betrayal.

    "WHY!?

    "WHY!?"

    Wang Ben flung punches after punches towards the wall. His hands were bleeding, yet he was still depressed. He couldn¡¯t forget the life and death moment when Wang Tong saved him and took a hit for him! Wang Ben sat down helplessly, grinding his teeth in anger. The immense pressure had caused him to fell into a great dilemma.

    Meanwhile, General Hu Ben quietly observed his miserable son through the window. He might be a famous warrior of the Earth Confederation and a legendary general who worked his *ss up from a foot soldier all the way to his current position, yet he was aware that he wasn¡¯t a good father, and wasn¡¯t good at expressing himself.

    The clock was ticking.

    Everyone remained silent as they reached Bernabeu, and they were immediately given the schedule of their uing training. This time, all of them would be training ording to their own subject, and Martyrus had hired a team of professional trainers to shape them up thoroughly. This was the best way of getting them trained. As for their performances, it would be all up to them.

    After all, trainers would only provide guidance, and the students had to rely on themselves to master what they had learned.

    The team kickstarted the next morning by doing the weighted jog; somehow this had be their daily routine. However, Wang Tong was not as solemn as everyone else. Taking on Capth might mean a lot to most of the team, but Wang Tong remained optimistic, not because he was confident to win against Capth, but because he had been through a lot when he was young. Without mentioning all of the life and death moments on Norton, which exined why he wasn¡¯t caring too much about it, all that mattered to him was that he would have to give every inch of effort into it. Instead of feeling pressured, he was more interested in going head to head with the elites from Capth.

 Chapter 159: Peerless Palm Strike

    Chapter 159: Peerless Palm Strike

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_, Tehrn

    Wang Tong would be taking part in two events, one of them being METAL Combat and the other Battlecraft Combat. These two were the most important subjects of the Command Force. To be honest, Wang Tong was not very good with his overall perspective and operating maneuvers, yet he was chosen in Battlecraft Combat due to his superb Cloning Technique, which amazed everyone.

    Their schedule on the first day was jam-packed with tons of lessons that were meant to strengthen their willpower. The teacher was "feeding" them a huge amount of information, and the lessons on the next day were all based on the information they learned on the day before. In short, they needed to understand everything as fast as possible in order to keep up with the ss.

    It seemed like Principal Martyrus had suggested Karl to join the Battlecraft Combat training, but judging from his performances on day one, he was even worse than Wang Tong. Nevertheless, Carl remained positive and didn¡¯t show any sign of backing down.

    Generally, everyone seemed depressed over Wang Ben¡¯s absence. But from another perspective, it caused them to be more focused on their training, which was definitely a good sign. Martyrus decided to keep an eye on them instead of altering their mentality right away, because they had to ovee this hardship by themselves in order to improve. Nevertheless, Martyrus would create a n to boost their confidence little by little.

    After so many years, Martyrus had finally seen a hope of vanquishing Capth, and he wished it would work this time. He was already an old man, but he really wanted to see Bernabeu defeating Capth while he was still the principal. He wouldn¡¯t mind getting help from Ayrng, as long as his dream was achieved.

    Wang Tong tossed himself onto his bed after one whole day of training, tired as a dog. Today¡¯s training of their technique in METAL Combat was easy, and he managed to finish the task given by the trainer without a sweat. However, Battlecraft Combat was definitely killing him. His brain had almost exploded after memorizing every single battle strategy. But, in order to be a fleet captain, his knowledge in Battlecraft Combat was more important than METAL Combat, not to mention Wang Tong¡¯s dream was to be a Baron in space. However, Ayrng was very weak in this category, and even though Wang Tong was able to learn some techniques like the Cloning Technique by himself, he would not be able to master battle strategies, tactics, overall perspective, and operating maneuvers on his own. Nevertheless, the difficulty was beyond Wang Tong¡¯s expectation.

    Best was no doubt the one with the greatest performance amongst the trainees, proving that he was really the world¡¯s third strongest Battlecraft Combat yer. Aside from Apache, he was definitely the one with the highest chance of winning. But unfortunately, he had always lost because both the No.1 and the No.2 of the Earth Confederation were in Capth. However, this time, he wasn¡¯t nning on losing! After being defeated by Wang Tong¡¯s superb controlling maneuver, Best had learned his lesson and began to train harder upon realizing the importance of controlling maneuver. As long as he was able to improve, their chances of winning would increase as well, even if they were only able to win one round!

    It didn¡¯t feel good to always be a runner-up, let alone the second runner-up.

    Wang Tong tried to revise what he had learned today, but in the end, he jumped up and gave up. "Dammit! My dder is gonna explode!"

    "Go take a p*ss, you idiot. No one¡¯s stopping you!" Einherjar Wannabe appeared and replied.

    "Oh! What brings you out this time?" Wang Tong said in a happy tone. Seeing Einherjar Wannabe during this stressful period of time was definitely helping him release some of his stress.

    "What do you mean by that? I can obviouslye out whenever I feel like it!"

    "So how¡¯s it? Are you gonna be a super Einherjar soon?" Wang Tong teased.

    "Super your *ss, I¡¯m bored as hell! Hey kid, let¡¯s go for a fight. I seriously need some excitement!"

    "Damn, can¡¯t you see I¡¯m in the middle of a special training program? Do you know what I¡¯m saying?"

    "Aw... shut up and stop pretending to be a good boy! Hurry up! Aren¡¯t you bored? C¡¯mon let¡¯s go!" Einherjar Wannabe egged on Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was bored too, to be honest, and he was kind of frustrated over Wang Ben¡¯s incident. Although he thought that Wang Ben was wrong in leaving the team at this critical moment, he still believed that there had to be a reason behind his unexpected action.

    "Alright, let¡¯s go. Time to show you my improvement!" Wang Tong boasted.

    "Hmph, I¡¯ve only been away for a few days, and someone¡¯s getting cockier," Einherjar Wannabe jeered.

    Einherjar Wannabe might always be quarreling with Wang Tong, but actually, he was the only person with whom Wang Tong would share his secrets. Wang Tong was more than happy to have Einherjar Wannabe as hispanion. However, the rebellious teenager was not very good with expressing himself.

    Anyhow, a battle was the best method to forget about all the troubles!

    Einherjar Wannabe logged in.

    He chose to log in on a Wednesday instead of the weekend, and after two weeks of absence, Einherjar Wannabe was finally back.

    Wang Tong and Einherjar Wannabe read through the list of challengers sorted out by the administration. "Wow, Kid, way to go!"

    "Of course, don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m quite the celebrity here?" Wang Tong said in a proud manner.

    "Yea yea¡­ Well then, let me pick one for you..."

    As Einherjar Wannabe began to go through the list with great interest, Wang Tong looked at him and wondered what the feeling of being inside the Space Crystal was. Was it a space of nihility? If that were the case, the emptiness would really drive a human crazy. Anyhow, Wang Tong decided not to ask since Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t mention anything before.

    "Hey, Kid, stop spacing out, say something! Tell me what¡¯s going on recently."

    "Nah, nothing much."

    "There¡¯s gotta be something, tell me anything! Hey, what the f#ck¡¯s that shitty song? Turn it off, it¡¯s irritating."

    "You¡¯re out-of-date mister, this is thetest trend." Wang Tongughed as he turned off the background music. To be honest, he¡¯d rather listen to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s loud voice than thetest songs, and in the end, Wang Tong briefly told Einherjar Wannabe what happened recently.

    "Hmm, interesting, stay alert Kid," Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t give a lot of advice because Wang Tong would know what to do, and Einherjar Wannabe knew that he was not as patient and cool-headed as Wang Tong.

    All of a sudden, something caught Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s eyes. "What the f#ck, how dare this dude call himself Peerless Palm Strike? Not on my watch! Hey kid, finish this dude off!"

    Einherjar Wannabe picked the yer with the ID that said "Peerless Palm Strike".

    Wang Tong did remember Einherjar Wannabe mentioning before that he had practiced palm strikes before, or perhaps it was one of his expertise.

    "Rx, anyone can call themselves anything in the virtual world. Take it easy."

    "Hmph, he should change his name if he isn¡¯t strong, and if he insists on not changing, we¡¯ll beat the crap outta him!" Einherjar Wannabe was pissed off and felt like punching the dude right on his face.

    Wang Tong suddenly had an idea as he was staring at Einherjar Wannabe. He sighed and said, "Normally, yers rmended by the administration are aces. Perhaps he really has what it takes to be the Peerless Palm Strike. Why don¡¯t we pick someone else?"

    "Nonsense, I¡¯ll pick no one else but him! It¡¯s time to teach this dude who the top dog is!" Einherjar Wannabe turned even angrier when he noticed that Wang Tong was trying to chicken out. A fighter like him would never back down from challenges, especially since Wang Tong was using his "name" as his ID.

    "Sigh... Of course, I want to help you teach the dude a lesson since we¡¯re buddies. But my body still hasn¡¯t fully recovered from the fight on Paradise Ind, and I only wish to utilize my sixteen nodes Tactics of the de¡­ there¡¯s a huge chance I might get bullied, and I don¡¯t want to dirty your name." Wang Tong waved helplessly, unwilling to ept the challenge.

    "Cut the crap. I¡¯ll teach you a few moves, and I guarantee you¡¯ll not be bullied¡­ Wait, why are you so enthusiastic all of a sudden? Oh, so you were trying to fool me, huh!?"

    "I¡¯m doing this for your own good, just in case one day you vanish, and all of your tactics and techniques get wasted. Trust me. Teach me, and I¡¯ll make you proud." Wang Tong was well aware that Einherjar Wannabe was strong, but he was a gritty miser who didn¡¯t like sharing.

    "Yawn, I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go back and get some sleep," Wang Tong then pretended he was trying to leave.

    "Alright, you win. I¡¯ll only do it once, so you better pay attention!"

    "Bring it on!" Wang Tongughed. Since he already possessed the almighty Tactics of the de, the only thing he needed to do was to master it step by step. However, he still didn¡¯t have any killing moves. In Wang Ben¡¯s case for example, although General Hu Ben¡¯s tactics were not the strongest of all, his Fist of the Racing Tiger was an amazing martial art that was able to strengthen one¡¯s GN Force. Furthermore, it seemed like every ace and elite had their own killing moves; apparently, most of them were family heirlooms.

    Wang Tong had seen the Fist of the Racing Tiger a few times and even managed to mimic it, but he still felt that it was missing something. He was certain that there was something unique about this tactic. However, Wang Ben was still unable to discover this hidden part... otherwise, General Hu Ben would never have been able to be one of the Ten Greatest Warriors of the Earth Confederation.

    Although secrets like these were always passed down to the male descendants only, Wang Tong was still unable to obtain any information from Wang Ben regarding this.

    Nevertheless, he already had an ace by his side. Whether he was the real Einherjar or not, he had to have some tricks up his sleeves.

    In the end, Wang Tong picked Peerless Palm Strike as his opponent.

    The news immediately spread across the whole PA at the speed of light.

    Einherjar Wannabe had arrived!

    All of his supporters showed up. Everyone felt like they had been waiting for ages for this moment, even though Einherjar Wannabe was only gone for less than two weeks. Most of them were expecting an epic match during the weekends as a stress releasing entertainment. In fact, no one was thinking this way when he showed up the previous weekends. But after his disappearance, everyone felt like their weekends were missing something, and they were quite depressed about it.

    Without much hesitation, Einherjar Wannabe had selected Peerless Palm Strike as his next opponent. Normally, yers would go by all sorts of names in PA. There were some crazy names like "Emperor of Chaos", who sounded strong but were actually noobs and rookies. Nevertheless, this Peerless Palm Strike dude was rmended by the administration, so he should be really strong.

    Meanwhile, Cameron was finally relieved; after all, Einherjar Wannabe was his golden goose, and his sudden disappearance almost scared the crap out of him.

    Cameron was excited when he saw that Einherjar Wannabe logged in, and so were his staff members. Everyone got into position and made sure everything was alright for the sake of Einherjar Wannabe, and even finished preparing the personal data of the rmended fighters. Whoever Einherjar Wannabe chose, they would provide him with the respective information.

    Peerless Palm Strike was definitely the strongest one in the list.

    ID: Peerless Palm Strike, TPA yer, real name: Jiang Long, Ivantian, No.1 student amongst third graders of the S-Ranked Lustre Academy on Moon, and sessor of the House of Jiang¡¯s Firmament Palm Strike.

    The Firmament Palm Strike was known as one of the Ten Greatest tactics of the Ivantians, and was also known as the world¡¯s mightiest palm strike. It was as popr as Earth Confederation¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger.

 Chapter 160: Zhang Jinâ€™s Doubt

    Chapter 160: Zhang Jin¡¯s Doubt

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_, Tehrn

    Jiang Long, neen-year-old, a genius boy who caught everyone¡¯s attention and was directly epted by Lustre Academy at a young age. Simr to the Earth¡¯s Academy of Capth and the Academy of Yalden, intense rivalries were alsomonly found in Moon¡¯s Lustre Academy, and Jiang Long was definitely the top-dog of the younger generation.

    He was unrivaled, along with his spectacr Firmament Palm Strike. He had never lost a single match, and managed to remain as the No.1 student amongst third graders. Apparently, the other S-Ranked academies had be interested in Einherjar Wannabe after Cisco¡¯s defeat.

    "Boss, Einherjar Wannabe picked you as his opponent."

    Jiang Long had just finished his warm-up. Then, he wiped off his sweat and sneered, "Good, he has a good taste after all!"

    Within minutes, Peerless Palm Strike responded to the challenge. Cameron wished that he could postpone the fight due to the principles of business interests, but Einherjar Wannabe would never approve. So, all he could do was to spread the news as hard as he could.

    The fight would take ce in half an hour.

    Later, Peerless Palm Strike¡¯s personal data was uploaded to the official website, and many strong fighters were surprised by what they saw.

    More and more students from Lustre Academy logged in, and they were also somehow surprised by the pairing. Aside from them, there were also quite a lot of students from Estre Academy. This was the perfect opportunity to observe and learn.

    Half an hour was more than enough for Jiang Long to prepare himself. Actually, he wasn¡¯t very interested in Einherjar Wannabe; in fact, he didn¡¯t even mind if his opponent was Einherjar Wannabe or Rookie Wannabe. He only wanted to challenge him because of his fame. Moreover, Jiang Long wasn¡¯t even interested in Cisco, mostly because he had inherited the sense of pride of his fellow Ivantians. Even though he was also a student from an S-Ranked academy, Jiang Long disdained students from both Capth and Yalden. The only thing that caught his attention was Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s capability of defeating the Fist of the Racing Tiger, and apparently, he was also able to mimic it. Furthermore, Jiang Long wanted to challenge him because Einherjar Wannabe was able to vanquish a fighter with level five Soul Energy even though he was only a fighter with level four Soul Energy. Obviously, one had to have an extraordinary method of utilizing their GN Force in order to achieve that level of strength.

    Different methods of utilizing the same amount of GN Force would have a different output of power and effects. The Fist of the Racing Tiger and the Firmament Palm Strike were known for being amongst the greatest tactics because both had unique utilization of GN Force.

    This was why Jiang Long was now very interested in defeating this mysterious opponent that he was about to face.

    Meanwhile, at the Estre Academy, someone was also paying attention to this uing match. Without a doubt, Patroclus was the biggest celebrity in this academy. But instead of looking like a warrior, he looked more like an artist. He barely participated in any fights. He was not even a student of the Command Force or METAL Combat, but he majored in music instead, which exined why some girls would find him attractive. Nevertheless, strange events like this would only happen to the House of Dower. Usually, the eldest son of a family would have to be the sessor, but it seemed like Patroclus, who had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King, wasn¡¯t interested in fights and battles at all. Some even suspected that he behaved like this because he actually didn¡¯t master the tactics of his family at all.

    Patroclus was indeed keeping a low profile; however, wherever there was a descendant of the House of Dower, there would also be a descendant of another family, one known as "the House of Intelligence." ¡ª the House of Zhang.

    The House of Zhang served as the most prominent supporting pir of the Ivantians, and their people were in every corner of the Moon. Their descendant in Estre Academy was Zhang Jin, a second-grade student of the Command Force.

    Zhang Jin was a warm person and was well-received by most of the students. She was also the first freshman who got elected as the President of the Student Council; the way she handled things was peerless indeed.

    Zhang Jin¡¯s dorm was luxurious, Wang Tong would never be able to afford any of her furniture, even if he were to work his *ss off.

    Zhang Jin was looking at the series of info about Einherjar Wannabe since he was bing more popr recently. Somehow, she found some simrities between him and the de Warrior, even though there was no proof of the connection between them. Being the sessor of one of the ancient Houses, Zhang Jin was quite interested and wondered if they were really rted to each other. Nevertheless, she knew that it was practically impossible, because what happened hundreds of years ago was not a miracle, only a legend.

    If miracles only happened once a century, then legends would only be born once every millennium.

    Jiang Long¡¯s fight against Einherjar Wannabe had caught Zhang Jin¡¯s attention. The House of Zhang was known to possess the world¡¯s greatest intelligence sources, and Jiang Long had been on their radar. In fact, the House of Zhang always paid attention to every elite of the Ivantians, especially the talented ones who would be the hopes for the future generations, and the House of Zhang would provide any help to support these elites.

    Apparently, each family of the Five Great Houses had their own uniqueness in their operations. As for the House of Zhang, the way they operated was to provide only strategies instead of getting directly involved, and they would provide assistance to any other parties if necessary. They didn¡¯t care much about personal benefits as long as it could help the development of the Ivantianmunity, and this ancient tradition had created a unique bond between the Ivantians and the House of Zhang. It took them hundreds of years to recognize each other, which gradually strengthened the House of Zhang¡¯s existence amongst the other Houses. In fact, the House of Zhang was the only one that was not envied by the other parties.

    Zhang Jin was surprised after going through the summarized data of Einherjar Wannabe; however, it wasn¡¯t because of his strength. She had seen a lot of strong fighters, and she was even one amongst the only few who knew Patroclus¡¯ actual strength. To her, only House of Li¡¯s Li Shimin would have what it took to pull out a fight against him amongst the younger generation.

    What caught Zhang Jin¡¯s eyes was actually Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s speed of growth, and his most terrifying ability to absorb the tactics and techniques of the other fighters. However, the most important question was, of course, what kind of tactics did he practice?

    Zhang Jin was familiar with the tens of thousands of tactics created by the Earthlings, the Ivantians, and even the Kaedeians. Yet, she had never heard of any tactics that were able to mimic the others.

    What sort of tactics would possess such an amazingpatibility?

    Zhang Jin then began to go through the information in her mind as she watched the footages of his battles. The descendants of the House of Zhang loved to think; their Tactics of the Conscious Heart might be weak in terms of battle might, but they possessed other extraordinary abilities. To her, solving problems was an entertaining business, and any difficult tasks that fell into her hands would be simplified in no time, not to mention that she was a living archive of various information.

    "Omniscience" was the best word to describe the descendants of the House of Zhang.

    They were the experts of reasoning and troubleshooting.

    Soon, Zhang Jin was able to find the answer that she had been looking for, and it was a surprising answer indeed.

    The Tactics of the de!

    Only the Tactics of the de would possess suchpatibility, but what sort of Tactics of the de would show such an amazing strength?

    Could he really be the descendant of the de Warrior himself?

    Zhang Jin¡¯s heart began to race.

    Every youngster wished that they were born during that legendary era, because everyone was curious about the appearance of the mysterious warrior.

    Zhang Jin was willing to trade her life for the answer. In fact, every descendant of their family was willing to exchange their lives to obtain that answer.

    Nevertheless, it took her a while to calm down, knowing that thoughts would be twisted if a person was taken over by desires.

    The word "Jin" in her name meant calm and patience, and she would have to truly understand the meaning of her name in order to master the Tactics of the Conscious Heart.

    In their family history, there was an ancestor who belonged to the same era as the de Warrior. Her name was Zhang Linjing ¡ª also the creator of the Tactics of the Conscious Heart ¡ª and she was the only one who was able to achieve the highest state of the tactics known as "The State of Anatta".

    The family history also stated that Zhang Linjing somehow shared a unique connection with the de Warrior; in fact, she was able to achieve the State of Anatta after getting the help from the de Warrior. However, Zhang Linjing had disappeared after defeating the Zergs, and no one had ever heard from her since.

    Since then, no one in the House of Zhang was able to reach the highest state.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was holding his breath as he concentrated while observing Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s movements. It only took nine seconds to unleash the palm strike, but it took Wang Tong twenty minutes while remaining still to understand what was going on.

    Instead of spending his precious "freedom" apanying Wang Tong, Einherjar Wannabe took the time to stroll around the PA, but he immediately returned as the match was about to begin.

    "Hey, yo, figured it out yet? Hurry up, the match is about to start!" Einherjar Wannabe seemed happy because Wang Tong had been spending his time figuring out what was going on, which also proved that Einherjar Wannabe was stronger than Wang Tong had expected!

    Wang Tong lifted his head and said, "This is not just some regr palm strike, huh? Hehe, I think you¡¯re trying to hide something from me, but¡­ hehe."

    "Hey, Kid, I¡¯m an Einherjar for god¡¯s sake! I¡¯m not hiding anything from you. So cut the crap, go out there and fight like a man! I¡¯d like to see how much you have mastered. I don¡¯t care what kind of techniques you¡¯ll be using, just make sure you kick his *ss with all your might!"

    "Haha, got it, boss!" Wang Tong had been thinking a lot, and it seemed like he would need to get Einherjar Wannabe to teach him more in the future.

    "Hold on, when you defeat him with a palm strike, make sure to mention my name and the name of my tactics¡­ It¡¯s called..." Einherjar Wannabe scratched his head and got frustrated, "Dammit, how could I forget such an important thing, sh*t¡­ A¡­ just call it the Supreme Palm Strike!"

    "Nope, I¡¯m not gonna embarrass myself. Since your palm strike looks evil, let¡¯s call it the Sucker Palm instead!"

    "Sucker your *ss, this wasn¡¯t evil at all! It should be called the Fair and Square Palm Strike instead!" Einherjar Wannabe scolded.

    "Heh, I was just joking. Enough talking, I¡¯m going in!" Wang Tong essed PA without saying thanks to Einherjar Wannabe. He couldn¡¯t wait to demonstrate what he had learned a while ago.

    Wang Tong rarely used his palm to attack, so it still felt kind of awkward. Nevertheless, he was nning on paring" with his opponent¡¯s Firmament Palm Strike, and he needed to think of another way to learn, since Mr. Einherjar Wannabe had only taught him half of his technique. However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t feel bad about it because he wanted to make this his own technique through understanding by himself.

    "Boss, the number of people logging in has multiplied by 20 within half an hour..."

    Cameron¡¯s staff members were startled by what was happening. They didn¡¯t expect that many people would show up due to the short notice; however, the number of spectators went beyond their imaginations. It appeared that everyone was interested in the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Jiang Long, especially the Ivantians.

    Cameron touched his chin and tried to remain calm. His career had been "saved" by Einherjar Wannabe, and the PA business was getting better. He saw an opportunity even though it was not enough to cover his previous losses. Nevertheless, he was able to buy some time from the board of directors.

    Cameron prayed for Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory, and although his chances of winning were low, he still believed in miracles... or to be exact, his only option was to hope for a miracle.

 Chapter 161: To be at Daggers Drawn

    Chapter 161: To be at Daggers Drawn

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Jiang Long logged in earlier than Einherjar Wannabe. His avatar was exactly how he looked like in real life: tall, fit, and handsome like a standard Ivantian. His hands were undoubtedly solid and firm since the House of Jiang was pretty famous for their martial art techniques that focused on them. ording to a legend, their ancestors were the ones who had figured out all of the tactics from ancient martial art manuscripts.

    The Firmament Palm Strike emphasized on the bnce between force and flexibility, and apparently, it was pretty well-known across the Moon. Moreover, one of the famous dojos there was owned by the House of Jiang. Based on its overwhelming power, the Firmament Palm Strike was indeed "The Greatest Palm Strike of All".

    Furthermore, the actual strength of Jiang Long shouldn¡¯t be underestimated as well since he was crowned as the No.1 amongst third-year students of Lustre Academy.

    The crowd was cheering in the arena. In the beginning, Jiang Long expected that most of the spectators were here to cheer for him since he was quite a celebrity himself and that Firmament Palm Strike of his was also something that most people had been talking about. However, to his surprise, almost eighty percent of the crowd was here to cheer on Einherjar Wannabe and believed that he would win in the end.

    Apparently, everyone was longing for one thing: Witnessing whether or not Einherjar Wannabe would be able to mimic the Firmament Palm Strike just like how he did with the Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    If he really pulled it out, that would be totally absurd!

    Nevertheless, Jiang Long thought it was only bullsh*t. He believed it would be impossible for someone else to defeat him using his own tactics because the Firmament Palm Strike was not as straightforward as the Fist of the Racing Tiger. Moreover, Jiang Long felt that he was superior to Wang Ben since he hadn¡¯t needed a second attempt to be mind-opened. This match would be his chance to show everyone who was the boss.

    It was pretty easy to identify the IPA yers and the TPA yers among the crowd. The excited ones were obviously the IPA yers because to them this fight was nothing more than a circus show; in contrast, those who were sitting patiently were, of course, the TPA yers.

    This match had sessfully drawn the attention of many Ivantians, especially the students from various academies, and most of them were mainly from academies across the Earth Confederation. Apparently, watching Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s matches had recently be an educational entertainment due to the fact that the number of strong opponents was growing, not to mention the challengers were mostly aces from different academies.

    Atst, Einherjar Wannabe logged in, this time he was pretty punctual.

    Jiang Long sneered as he moved his wrists and got ready to fight.

    Checked!

    Checked!

    Crowds roared in excitement as the match begun!

    "Everyone said you¡¯re good at mimicking others, but today you shall witness something that¡¯s impossible to mimic!" Jiang Long spoke confidently and sprung into action as he said that. He wasn¡¯t wearing any METAL Suit since Einherjar Wannabe himself wasn¡¯t wearing any. His ego was telling him that wearing a METAL Suit would make him look like a chicken; after all, he was the sessor of his family¡¯s Firmament Palm Strike, and only cowards would need one. He would make Einherjar Wannabe regret not wearing a METAL Suit for his protection.

    Jiang Long unleashed a strike with his palm without giving Wang Tong any time to respond, the attack wasn¡¯t even his Firmament Palm Strike; however, the sessor of the Firmament Palm Strike was able to turn ordinary moves into scary attacks.

    Wang Tong immediately countered Jiang Long¡¯s palm strike with a punch. He might not be an expert in palm strikes, but he was definitely very familiar with punches.

    Bam¡­

    Both fighters unleashed their GN Force as they began to brawl, but no one was backing down. The uniqueness of Jiang Long¡¯s tactics was its capability to randomly switch between fierce and softer strikes, which would create a huge physical and mental stress to his opponents, and this was especially effective against most of the ferocious tactics with straightforward fighting style. However, that was only an idle theory since this was the first time the two of them fought against each other. Many of the spectators were eager to see if Jiang Long¡¯s Firmament Palm Strike was really able to outshine Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s version of the Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Soon, Wang Tong learned the difference after exchanging blows for about ten times. He managed to discover that the Fist of the Racing Tiger was the best amongst all ferocious punching tactics because it was able to magnify the power of the GN Force; however, the punches would be weird, and the power would also plummet if any other aspects were added into it. Yet unlike punching tactics, palm strikes were totally different as it consisted of a lot of variations, and the user could alter the attributes of his attacks through different patterns. This was why the Firmament Palm Strike was known to be the mightiest palm-based tactics of all, and also why it was crowned as one of the Ten Greatest Martial Arts of the Ivantians; the Firmament Palm Strike was no doubt the real deal.

    As their fight went on, Wang Tong was able to notice Jiang Long¡¯s superb proficiency in his tactics and also his vast experiences in hand-to-handbats. Wang Tong was impressed by Jiang Long¡¯s perfect implementation. His movements were delicate, and the way he struck was wless, not to mention that the pattern of his attacks was unpredictable, yet every single strike was smooth and clear. Perhaps all of these were due to Jiang Long¡¯s ssic "perfectionist" personality of the Ivantians; nevertheless, it still made him very different from Wang Ben.

    If Wang Tong wanted to further borate the differences between Jiang Long and Wang Ben, he would judge them based on their psychological differences. Obviously, Jiang Long was steadier and more mature than Wang Ben.

    Wham¡­

    Every punch and palm strike was like a sh between GN Forces. Jiang Long was quite happy with his opponent, at least Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t some weakling that wasn¡¯t worth his time. Einherjar Wannabe was even stronger than he had expected, and it was not surprising that so many other aces had failed to defeat him. However, Jiang Long still believed that it was a dumb move to mimic the others.

    All of a sudden, Jiang Long began to change his posture. The spectators immediately held their breaths as he stretched his right arm as it seemed that Jiang Long was about to unleash his Firmament Palm Strike after a series of warm-ups.

    Jiang Long began infusing his palms with GN Force as he gradually initialized his Soul Energy. Wang Tong, on the other hand, was paying attention to his movements. Suddenly, Jiang Longunched a palm strike that was totally different from his previous attacks; the output of the GN Force was basically the same, but the way he struck had changed, and noticing the difference, Wang Tong decided not to counter the attack with his fists but instead unleashed a chop attack!

    Wang Tong then unleashed a ferocious chop with his right arm, but Jiang Long was able to foresee and dodge the attack through observing Wang Tong¡¯s posture. In fact, every single tactic required to surprise the opponent in order to bring the maximum oue; however, some moves like the chop attack was too easy to be identified, which exined why Jiang Long was able to alter his pace and dodged Wang Tong¡¯s "karate chop" before it hit him. Generally, fighters who were good at punching attacks or palm strikes also needed to master their pacing, which basically was divided into steady paces or swaying paces, or else their lower torso would be an easy target for their opponents.

    Jiang Long¡¯s pacing was just like the style of his Firmament Palm Strike, variable and unpredictable; the opponent would be stressed out by predicting his movements upon entering the strike zone of the Firmament Palm Strike.

    It was Jiang Long¡¯s turn to strike back after dodging Wang Tong¡¯s chop attack, he then countered with a palm strike that was infused with an immense amount of GN Force, which somehow felt like the forceful Fist of the Racing Tiger. Wang Tong¡¯s first reaction was to dodge his attack; however, Jiang Long sneered as he saw Wang Tong¡¯s reaction, and, he wouldn¡¯t give his opponent a chance to escape!

    The quintessence of the Firmament Palm Strike was, in fact, the inner-dispersal of the GN Force, and the immense force was disguised under a simple-looking attack; nevertheless, Jiang Long was impressed by Einherjar Wannabe for being able to sense the might of his palm strike.

    To Jiang Long, his palm strike was second to none!

    Wang Tong acknowledged that dodging would only confuse his own pace and rhythm, it was practically impossible to shake off the bnce of a well-trained fighter like Jiang Long, not to mention that Wang Tong first had to do something about his Firmament Palm Strike.

    Bam¡­

    Wang Tong had no choice but to take the hit. Immediately, the attack sipped through his skin, and the extreme force prated his bones like a drill; waves of impact even managed to sh onto his defense made of GN Force. It took Wang Tong seven steps back to cancel the impact of Jiang Long¡¯s attack; on the other hand, Jiang Long struck a confident posture after the attack, like he was trying to tell Wang Tong that this was only the beginning!

    Wang Tong shook his arms as he realized the power of the Firmament Palm Strike, it was indeed wless tactics. However, Wang Tong immediately came up with an idea to counter his palm strikes, but before that, he knew he had to give Jiang Long some pressure in order for him to unleash his ultimate strike!

    Jiang Long struck again with the same pattern. Apparently, he had decided to use the same pattern because he was confident that Einherjar Wannabe would never be able to figure out a way to counter the Firmament Palm Strike. Only this time, he shall deliver the final blow and shatter everyone¡¯s expectation on this character; furthermore, he wanted to teach him a lesson for being a copycat.

    But to his surprise, Wang Tong didn¡¯t dodge or counter with any chop attacks or punches. As the palm strike approached, Wang Tong was seen infusing his index finger with GN Force while pointing toward Jiang Long¡¯s palm!

    Immediately, Jiang Long backed down, not because he was afraid of any fingerstyle attacks, but because of the overwhelming amount of GN Force on Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fingertip that would cause him a lot of trouble if the attack manages to hit his palm. It was known by martial arts practitioners that palm strikes inhibit punches, punches inhibit fingerstyle attacks, and fingerstyle attacks inhibit palm strikes. The fingerstyle attacks were the most difficult tactics to learn and also the easiest to counter amongst those three major types of attacks, and even Cisco had only chosen to improve the nimbleness of his fingers but not to improve the cohesion of the GN Force.

    It also exined why only a few chose to practice fingerstyle tactics. Wang Tong, himself, was not a practitioner as well, yet he had the advantages in this category because he was used to the cohesion of the GN Force in his Tactics of the de. In fact that was not even a fingerstyle attack, he was just infusing GN Force on his fingertip; nevertheless, it was able to startle Jiang Long.

    As Einherjar Wannabeunched his "fingerstyle attack", Jiang Long was pissed off by the fact that Einherjar Wannabe had gained the upper hand, which triggered the quiet crowd to cheer out loud again; he was jealous.

    "Jiang Long is about to suffer," Miao Xiu made a jollyment.

    "I don¡¯t think so. Although the theory of inhibition does exist, yet it totally depends on one¡¯s actual strength. Jiang Long is known to be one of the aces of Lustre Academy, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to handle things like this." Luv Ma shook his head.

    "But Einherjar Wannabe is not a nobody either, I¡¯ll give him two thumbs up if he is able to mimic the Firmament Palm Strike by the end of this match!" Miao Xiu replied while chewing his bubble gum. Luv Ma often joked that Miao Xiu would soon be toothless because he loved to chew on tens of gums at a single time.

    "Thumbs up or not, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s stronger than you." Luv Ma rolled his eyes at Miao Xiu.

    Miao Xiu bit back, "My dear friend, I heard that your beloved has returned. Would you like me to deliver a love letter on your behalf?"

    Luv Ma blushed. "You sonuvab*tch! I swear I¡¯ll sterilize you if you say another word!"

    "Woah, rx bro, take it easy!" Miao Xiu replied, yet he didn¡¯t stop making fun at Luv Ma and even teased him like a sissy, instantly Luv Ma was pissed off and felt like hitting him with a chair.

    "Woah, stop, something happened!" Miao Xiu surrendered, he was surprised to see the calm and steady Luv Ma would lose his cool when the name of House of Zhang¡¯s little missy was mentioned. Miao Xiu wasn¡¯t interested in the little missy of a rich family at all, not to mention that she was a t-chested girl, and he preferred girls with big knockers; however, he began to wonder if Luv Ma was interested in t-chested girls.

    Something did happen back in the arena. Jiang Long finally realized that Einherjar Wannabe knew nothing about fingerstyle attacks, but the guy was only trying to shoot out concentrated GN Force toward his palm, somehow Jiang Long was angry at Einherjar Wannabe for underestimating his Firmament Palm Strike.

    Jiang Long then began to increase the number of his attacks as they exchanged blows again; however, Wang Tong was not able to hit his palms. The center of his palms might be his weakness, yet Jiang Long had been practicing for years and of course knew how to ovee his weakness through altering the pattern of his palm strikes, which would be able to weaken fingerstyle attacks. In another word, the fingerstyle attacks would not be able to cause any harm to the Firmament Palm Strike since the attacks couldn¡¯t reach the center of his palms; however, he was still able tounch an extensive range of attacks since the Firmament Palm Strike was unaffected.

    Jiang Long managed to turn the table after three strikes, and immediately, he unleashed a series of ferocious attacks with his Firmament Palm Strike, once he went full-force, the opponent would be trapped in a vortex of palm strikes. Finally, Jiang Long had gotten serious.

    Basically, people who studied unique tactics hated those tactics that were specifically designed to counter them, like the daggers drawn the rtionship between a snake and a heron. Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s little tricks had upset and taunted Jiang Long for good.

 Chapter 162: The Absolute Advantage

    Chapter 162: The Absolute Advantage

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Now that Jiang Long had unleashed the real power of the Firmament Palm Strike, and Wang Tong knew he would lose if his "fingerstyle attack" was not able tond a direct hit on his opponent¡¯s palms. The immense power of the Firmament Palm Strike was gradually weakening Wang Tong¡¯s defense; each strike was getting tougher and tougher, while Jiang Long¡¯s momentum was getting stronger and stronger!

    "Die!" Jiang Long seized the opportunity and boosted his Soul Energy, then he aimed his palms toward Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s head and unleashed a series of attacks infused with a huge amount of GN Force.

    Wang Tong sensed that there was no way to dodge the attacks, and he knew that punches were ineffective because they would be easily countered by his opponent¡¯s GN Force, his only option was to counter with his "fingerstyle attack"; however, his fate would be sealed if that failed.

    Wang Tong stretched out his arm and pointed toward Jiang Long again, yet Jiang Long disdained and sneered; he was not going to be fooled by the same trick twice! All he needed to do was to slightly alter the pattern of his palm, and he would be able to nullify his opponent¡¯s attack. Jiang Long then tilted his palm strikes in a sh, knowing that this wouldn¡¯t affect the power of his own attacks; however, it would cause his opponent to miss his target.

    "So long, sucker!"

    Suddenly, Wang Tong grinned and unleashed an energy force from his middle finger¡­

    BAM!

    The recoil of the impact shifted Wang Tong¡¯s body backward as a sharp pain hit his fingers. Apparently, the continuous force of the Firmament Palm Strike almost caused his fingers to snap.

    Jiang Long was startled, he hadn¡¯t expected that the attack from his index finger was a decoy. It was already difficult for most people to concentrate their energy force on the tip of one finger, and it would take years of hardcore practices for one to do it with two fingers simultaneously; however, Einherjar Wannabe had pulled it out! Jiang Long wondered who on earth was that guy.

    Now that Jiang Long had realized that his opponent was a lunatic who would really spend time doing this kind of things with two fingers. He began to worry since it would be harder for him to identify the decoy and the real strike, and if he hesitated, he wouldn¡¯t be able to unleash the maximum power of his Firmament Palm Strike.

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s technique was practically useless most of the time; however, it happened to be exceptionally good against the Firmament Palm Strike.

    Jiang Long ground his teeth and suppressed the extensive pain on his palms by force. The initialization of the GN Force on his right arm was almost disabled by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s finger, and Jiang Long¡¯s right palm would have been punctured if Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s GN Force was a bit stronger!

    It seemed like Jiang Long had no reason to hide his actual strength anymore, he decided to go full force and crush Einherjar Wannabe with his own hands!

    Jiang Long¡¯s Soul Energy kept increasing, showing no sign of stopping even though the counting had reached one hundred and eighty Sols. Both Einherjar Wannabe and Jiang Long started to train since a young age, they were earlier than their peers in terms of receiving Soul Energy training, yet Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s Soul Energy count had never exceeded one hundred and eighty. Jiang Long¡¯s high amount of Soul Energy was due to an unexpected event when, during his training, he had almost gone berserk. Luckily, he had been saved by the members of his family in the end, and ever since then, his Soul Energy improved drastically. He was only neen years old when he became a Rank 5 fighter, and his Soul Energy was more than two hundred Sols!

    Ulysses was over thirty years old when he became a Rank 5 fighter, although it was indeed an honorable event, it wasn¡¯t outrageous since he was gifted and he had been working hard to earn the title. However, it was absolutely mind blowing when Jiang Long was given the title of a Rank 5 fighter!

    "Damn, is he trying to go further than Rank 5?" Miao Xiu was startled, he used to think he was not a bad fighter himself, but with his Soul Energy, he was still far from bing a Rank 5 fighter.

    The difference in numbers might not be as huge as it looked like; however, it took a lot of hard work and effort for one to increase their Soul Energy count and advance to Rank 5. The earlier the advancement, the greater the hope of bing a top-ss fighter, and most of the Rank 6 METAL Fighters had done whatever it took to advance to Rank 5 before reaching twenty-five year old. After all, the best condition of mankind¡¯s bodies was during their earliest twenty years, and every second counted.

    Somehow, Miao Xiu was kind of jealous when he saw Jiang Long¡¯s performance. In fact, the other students from various academies were watching the match ¡ª whether they were from Earth, Moon or Mars ¡ª everyone was jealous and envious of Jiang Long; nevertheless, they admired his sess.

    Would Jiang Long be able to go further than his current rank?

    Roar!

    Jiang Long wasn¡¯t even paying attention to the crowd because he knew he would be able to do it, and no one would be able to exceed him! In the beginning, he wasn¡¯t nning to put in all of his efforts; however, many people were watching, so of course, he had to go full force to protect the honor of his family¡¯s Firmament Palm Strike and also the reputation of Lustre Academy!

    For some reason, he felt like this was the perfect chance to show those idiots from Estre Academy that the arrogant Patroclus was not the only genius in this world, and he wasn¡¯t some nobody to be messed with!

    His Soul Energy had reached two hundred and eight Sols!

    If he were still a Rank 4 fighter, eight Sols wouldn¡¯t make any big difference. However, these eight Sols were definitely more than enough to prove the gap between him and the other Rank 5 fighters!

    Basically, a fighter¡¯s ranking was decided ording to a person¡¯s Soul Energy and GN Force. When a person¡¯s Soul Energy exceeded two hundred Sols, not only their Soul Energy would be stronger, but changes would also ur in the intensity, quality, and speed of the channeling of the GN Force. Furthermore, a person would have the right amount of GN Force to unleash other special attacks once bing a Rank 5 fighter!

    Everyone was eager to know what would happen next.

    People often wondered why no one was able to create a new legend in the PA system, and the best answer to this question was because of the Soul Energy! The practice of the Soul Energy required time, and ordinary people also required time to turn into a genius. Even though both Einherjar Wannabe and Jiang Long were equally gifted ¡ª perhaps Einherjar Wannabe might be stronger in terms of talent ¡ª yet Jiang Long had a three years head start in terms of training, and three years were all he needed to outrace Einherjar Wannabe!

    After all, he was already a Rank 5 METAL fighter!

    Jiang Long was able to feel the immense amount of GN Force in his body; it felt amazing to be in control. He remembered seeing his father¡¯s joyful tears during the day he was promoted as a Rank 5 fighter. Although the Firmament Palm Strike was a great tactic, yet none of its previous sessors was ever able topete for the legendary Einherjar position, and unfortunately, his father too was unable to advance further after reaching Rank 6. In order topete for this legendary title, one¡¯s Soul Energy had to exceed two hundred Sols before reaching twenty years old, and every Einherjar throughout history had already be Rank 5 fighter before twenty years old, without any exception!

    Even though that didn¡¯t mean that Jiang Long would be guaranteed to be an Einherjar since he became a Rank 5 fighter before reaching twenty years old; nevertheless, it was still a hope that kept him going, at least he had surpassed his forefathers.

    No one was surprised when Ulysses was promoted to Rank 5; however, Jiang Long¡¯s promotion was definitely a big surprise to the Ivantianmunity, and they were sure that he would be a great character in the future.

    This exined why he had the rights to be arrogant!

    Being able to be promoted as a Rank 5 fighter at the age of neen, Jiang Long was no doubt a living legend, and his sess marked the beginning of his tale.

    Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe remained calm on the other corner, everyone was curious if he would be able to create miracles once again?

    Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe couldn¡¯t find a n to counter the Firmament Palm Strike, and with the huge gap between their GN Force, he knew that his previous gimmick wasn¡¯t going to work anymore. His "finger power" would no longer be able to withstand Jiang Long¡¯s massive palm force, he was practically inhibited by Jiang Long¡¯s tremendous Soul Energy!

    "I wasn¡¯t nning to use this on you in the beginning, so you should be proud of yourself foring this far." Jiang Long felt that his GN Force had eased up the stiffness on his wrists, the powerful feeling had boosted his confidence to the max.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t offended and replied with a smile.

    "My advice to you is that you don¡¯t expect that I¡¯m same as that old-timer Ulysses. Since this is going to be your final stage, why don¡¯t you take the opportunity to show us what you got?" Jiang Long seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps it was because this was his first official debut-match and he didn¡¯t want to end it hastily. After all, his strong performance would require the support of a strong opponent!

    Jiang Long then tried to taunt Einherjar Wannabe to attack. The action was somehow arrogant and sort of disrespectful; however, none of the spectators booed because the gap between their capabilities had proven that Jiang Long was rightful to be arrogant. After all, he was the wonder boy who managed to be promoted as a Rank 5 METAL fighter before twenty years old.

    Wang Tong stayed put, he too was trying to provoke him to attack.

    This time, however, Jiang Long was insulted, and heunched an attack!

    The power of the Firmament Palm Strike was definitely stronger than before, and even though Wang Tong had seen the attacks of Ulysses, he was able to tell that Jiang Long¡¯s attacks were more flexible and more powerful.

    The only word that would be able to describe the iing strike would be "vigorous". Wang Tong had already felt its pressure before reaching strike zone; it was an overwhelming sensation indeed.

    The Fist of the Racing Tiger was ferocious, and it definitely had the aura of a fierce tiger. The Firmament Palm Strike, however, felt more like a roaring lion; the intense pressure didn¡¯t require ferocious impacts at all, yet it was still very intimidating, and the secret lied within one¡¯s Soul Energy.

    The GN Force yed a crucial part in the utilization of the tactics, the same technique would have different oues as one¡¯s GN Force changed, not to mention that the Firmament Palm Strike was already an amazing tactic.

    Now that the strike was infused with the GN Force of a Rank 5 fighter, Wang Tong finally felt the true power of the Firmament Palm Strike. It wasn¡¯t a huge dispersal of GN Force; however, it did felt like it contained countless waves of force, and overall it looked like a single strike, but it was actually made up of a series of continuous strikes, lingering and fatal at the same time.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t nning to confront the attack and chose to dodge in a sh instead. Jiang Long sneered as he noticed that his opponent was about to y tricks again, and there was no way he would let Einherjar Wannabe push the match into a draw, not on his watch!

    Instead of confronting Jiang Long on the battlefield, Einherjar Wannabe decided to dodge and negate his attacks; somehow the nimble movements felt like Skyscraper. The moves were suitable for extending the distance between each other; however, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s supporters were unable to ept this decision.

    They knew that someday Einherjar Wannabe would be defeated, but they didn¡¯t wish to see him like that, they were expecting that he would lose after pulling a good fight. Nevertheless, that was uneptable!

    "Well, he¡¯s doing it again!" Miao Xiumented. Obviously, Einherjar Wannabe was observing the utilization of his opponent¡¯s Firmament Palm Strike. The stronger the GN Force, the greater theyer of the forces; however, Jiang Long wouldn¡¯t be able to hide all of the movements in his tactics since he was "only" a Rank 5 fighter.

    Nevertheless, only Einherjar Wannabe was insane enough to pull off this crazy stunt because if he didn¡¯t pay enough attention, he would definitely be KOed once he got hit.

    Zhang Jin wasn¡¯t surprised that Jiang Long was promoted as a Rank 5 fighter. She had been keeping an eye on the boy through the House of Zhang¡¯s widespread intelligencework and was well aware that Jiang Long was definitely a rising talent. Nevertheless, she was surprised by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s bold act of observing his opponent¡¯s movements even though he only possessed the Soul Energy of a Rank 4 fighter; either the boy had underestimated Jiang Long, or he was being overconfident.

    Einherjar Wannabe was clearly on the disadvantage side since the rank of his Soul Energy was lower than Jiang Long, yet he was still maintaining a carefree attitude as if he was not afraid of losing at all; how could he be bold enough to do that?

    Nevertheless, Zhang Jin believed that a motive was hidden behind every action!

    Finally, Einherjar Wannabe stopped dodging and unleashed a palm strike!

    Jiang Long was amused by his half-*ss "palm strike". He couldn¡¯t help but think what a fool his opponent was to counter his real palm strike with his phony palm strike and started to wonder how that huge idiot could survive for such a long period of time.

    Wham¡­

    Jiang Longunched a forceful palm strike and sent Einherjar Wannabe flying across the arena for more than ten meters. Without a doubt, with his powerful GN Force and tactics, Jiang Long had the upper hand!

 Chapter 163: Burst of the Bubble

    Chapter 163: Burst of the Bubble

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Wang Tong¡¯s body shifted backward by the immense recoil, but fortunately, his Tactics of the de had been initializing at an incredible speed and nullified the pration of his opponent¡¯s GN Force; however, he was definitely startled by the continuous waves of attacks!

    The variation of GN Force served as the key to this intimidating power, and although creating waves of attacks wasn¡¯t difficult even for his Tactics of the de, Wang Tong had no idea how to maintain continuous waves of attacks.

    Jiang Long was shocked when he saw that Wang Tong recovered and charged toward him. Somehow his opponent had miraculously survived the attack, which was practically impossible because Jiang Long was certain that he had delivered a knockout strike a while ago. Jiang Long thenunched another palm strike infused with traction and managed to cause Einherjar Wannabe to stagger because of the attack. This time, Jiang Long demonstrated his capability of controlling his strength by removing the torrential force in his attack. Even though it didn¡¯t send his opponent flying across the arena, the lethality was deadlier than before; that was the ultimate technique of the Firmament Palm Strike which was called "The Entanglement of Death"!

    Jiang Long roared while unleashing his continuous palm strikes, instantly turning Einherjar Wannabe into a raft in the middle of a roaring sea that was going to be crushed into pieces anytime soon.

    Wang Tong had been giving his best performance, he had altered his pacing and defended as hard as he could; however, he was extremely stressed out trying to hang on under such disadvantages. Nevertheless, it was still the perfect chance for him to understand the true power of the Firmament Palm Strike, even if he was only able to understand a part of it.

    Jiang Long waspletely dominating the match, yet his opponent was stronger than expected. He decided not to end this hastily as he wanted to see how long could Einherjar Wannabe sustain, and he would let everyone in the world know that there was no such thing as a miracle!

    Miracles were basically a wild hope from weaklings!

    Wang Tong had taken two hits, and the pain was unbearable, but suddenly he realized something as the force prated his skin. With his countless battle experiences, Wang Tong even managed to analyze the psychological state of Jiang Long.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tongunched a strike with his palms while he was moving back.

    Bam¡­

    Knowing that his opponent was no match for him, Jiang Long countered with another palm strike. However, Jiang Long was surprised as he soon felt that the force from Einherjar Wannabe was simr to his Firmament Palm Strike, and the tangling force looked exactly like the Firmament Palm Strike¡¯s ultimate technique!

    That bastard was copying his attacks!

    Jiang Long dodged by moving backward, then he red at Einherjar Wannabe and said, "Time to show you something that you¡¯ll never be able to mimic!"

    This was not a match anymore!

    Even if Jiang Long were to win in the end, he would still feel that his precious tactics were stolen by Einherjar Wannabe, so finally, Jiang Long decided to end this misery.

    Wang Tong was quite interested in the Firmament Palm Strike in the beginning; however, he seemed to have already lost interest in it after watching Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s demonstration before the match started; nevertheless, he wanted to take this fight between Jiang Long as an opportunity for him to study the theory of palm strikes.

    Jiang Long pumped up his GN Force as he held his right wrist with his left hand, his face went solemn, and momentster, lightning seemed to gather within his w-like right hand, creating a thunderous roar.

    Zap...

    "Thunderbolt Strike!"

    "So he¡¯s really going to use it." Zhang Jin smiled, she seemed to know what was Jiang Long thinking, and she understood that a perfectionist like Jiang Long wouldn¡¯t be happy even if he managed to win at the end, which was why he wanted to end this match as quickly as possible. However, she wondered if Jiang Long was upset for not defeating Einherjar Wannabe sooner.

    That was the consequence of being frivolous, he was too confident and proud of himself which created an opening for his opponent; countless failures and defeats throughout history were caused by this attitude. Hopefully Jiang Long was able to learn a lesson, there was still a chance for him to get ahold of himself.

    Perhaps she was too demanding; however, there were only a few among mankind that had the ability to see through human nature, and she might be the only one amongst the younger generation.

    The Thunderbolt Strike was the trump card of the Firmament Palm Strike, and surprisingly Jiang Long had already mastered the technique even though he was just promoted to Rank 5. Every person who had fought against the Firmament Palm Strike knew about this technique very well, and no one had ever deciphered its secret; however, they knew that METAL Suits would only be able to block off a tiny part of the Thunderbolt Strike as the attack mostly dealt direct damage to the enemy¡¯s inner body instead. In short, the Thunderbolt Strike was powerful and destructive.

    Attacks that could break through one¡¯s defense were lethal in real fights. Only a handful of people¡¯s GN Force could provide a strong enough defense for themselves to resist, so the Thunderbolt Strike was no doubt one of the best technique in this pro-offensive era.

    Everyone was impressed to learn that Jiang Long had mastered this amazing technique at the young age of neen. Since almost no one could withstand the power of the Thunderbolt Strike, he might be already one of the top ten fighters amongst the younger generation. Only a person with a stronger GN Force would be able to defeat him.

    Nevertheless, Jiang Long had had enough!

    The IPA yers were astonished by what they were witnessing. The Thunderbolt Strike was known to be one of the most imperious attacks of mankind and could hardly be seen in reality, yet they were lucky enough to witness this extraordinary technique in PA!

    Being able to possess such level of strength at such a young age, Jiang Long was no doubt a "glitchy diator". Not to mention Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t armed with any METAL Suit, which made him extremely vulnerable!

    It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe was startled by his Thunderbolt Strike; somehow, he kept staring at Jiang Long¡¯s attack and did not move a muscle at all.

    However, some of the spectators were hoping to see if Einherjar Wannabe would be able to mimic the Thunderbolt Strike!

    Jiang Long sprung into action, aiming his lethal right hand toward Einherjar Wannabe, knowing that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fate was sealed as heunched his right palm. Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s eyes were still focusing on Jiang Long¡¯s Thunderbolt Strike, he was so concentrated as if he had found his beloved.

    Wang Tong knew he had discovered something new. He was mesmerized by the wonderful sound of the lightning, the thunder. Wang Tong thought that Einherjar Wannabe had already shown him the secrets of the palm strikes, but as he learned about the Thunderbolt Strike, only then was he able to understand the true, hidden secrets of palm strikes.

    However, he had no idea how to mimic that!

    Nevertheless, he decided to fight back, but he was only able to counter with an ordinary palm strike!

    Jiang Long knew that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ordinary palm strike was no match to his Thunderbolt Strike, perhaps this was his opponent¡¯s final struggle.

    Time for the final showdown.

    Cameron fell back onto his chair, this was it, his career was over.

    Usually, Zhang Jin wouldn¡¯t make any assertion before the match ended, this time, however, all she did was shook her head. Einherjar Wannabe was going to lose, and she hadn¡¯t expected that the first time she watched him fight would also be hisst fight.

    The final oue was revealed.

    Jiang Long was stunned, everyone else was shocked by what they had witnessed!

    Zhang Jin paused as she was about to turn away.

    It was a devastating strike. But instead of Einherjar Wannabe, it was actually Jiang Long who was defeated.

    As both fighters shed their palms onto each other, everyone expected that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s right arm would be blown off, but his arm remained unhurt.

    In a sh of a second, Jiang Long¡¯s right arm exploded like a balloon! After that, Jiang Long instantly copsed, his eyes were wide opened; he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.

    In fact, no one believed what just happened in front of their eyes... "What on earth was that diabolic palm strike?!"

    No one knew what was going on!

    Even the ferocious Thunderbolt Strike would only be able to fracture its opponent¡¯s arm! However, Jiang Long¡¯s right arm wasn¡¯t broken, it exploded! It was as if Einherjar Wannabe had installed C4 on Jiang Long¡¯s arm as their palms shed into each other. Everything was blown off and destroyed in a blink of an eye as if someone had crushed a raw egg, and an immense amount of energy force was dispersed throughout the arena as it exploded.

    Wang Tong finally understood Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s palm strike¡­ absolutely gory and brutal, even Wang Tong was stunned to see what he had done.

    Again, people couldn¡¯t help wondering what on earth was the true identity of Einherjar Wannabe.

    Wang Tong left the arena after the match, leaving the crowds with a bundle of questions.

    On the other hand, Cameron said his prayers and took his medicine immediately; apparently, the excitement was a bit too much for his heart to handle... Then he turned toward his staff and tried to calm them down, "Rx people, it seems like we¡¯re not going anywhere after all."

    Miao Xiu and Luv Ma turned toward each other, they were the earliest ones to follow Einherjar Wannabe in PA. While the others were expecting him to lose, somehow the two of them knew that Einherjar Wannabe had tricks hidden in his sleeves; however, they were totally stunned by his violent palm strike that was able to shatter the Firmament Palm Strike and the Thunderbolt Strike like porcins.

    "Any idea what the hell was that?"

    "I might need to check my database... or perhaps look into the archive..." Luv Ma gulped as he answered, he still seemed to be in shock.

    "Check on what? Your brain is already a living archive for every single information! What are you going to search for if you have no idea what that is?"

    "So what should we do?"

    "Time to pay your crush a visit, you idiot. This is the perfect chance to look for her since she knows more than both of us!"

    "Erm¡­ I think it¡¯s kind of a bad idea¡­ not to mention it¡¯s alreadyte..." Luv Ma hesitated and scratched his head.

    "Don¡¯t be a sissy, it wouldn¡¯t do any harm since we¡¯re just going to ask her a few questions, plus aren¡¯t the two of you in the same circle? C¡¯mon, man up you idiot!"

    Luv Ma hated when Miao Xiu called him a sissy, so he summoned his courage and dialed Zhang Jin¡¯s number on Sky-Net. Luv Ma had been admiring Zhang Jin since the day he enrolled in Estre Academy, and he even joined the same Reasoning Club as Zhang Jin; however, both of them had only met a few times.

    Howl¡­

    The whole arena was filled with cheers, Firmament Palm Strike or not, nothing would be able to stand in his way!

    Einherjar Wannabe KO-ed his opponent with his own fighting style as always, and this time, he had demonstrated an unknown palm strike loaded with an immense amount of ignition force that was able to outshine the one and only, Thunderbolt Strike!

    The cheersted for more than ten minutes. For some reason, the people were unwilling to leave the arena even though the match had ended, and Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t going to make another appearance anytime soon, yet they chose to stay and feel the excitement a little longer.

    Everyone was excited, except for one.

    Jiang Long had no idea how Cisco had felt before that, but now he knew, and he was way more devastated than Cisco. The oue of this match had never crossed his mind because he was destined to win. However, he had lost in the end... badly.

    He was always proud to be born in his family, he had given all his effort in the practice of the Firmament Palm Strike as he had sworn to foster and enhance their family¡¯s pride and almost went berserk because of that. In the end, his hard effort guided him to be a Rank 5 fighter at the age of neen years old... the celebration in his family, his father¡¯s smile, everything felt like yesterday¡­

    Everyone said he was a super genius, he himself thought so as well, but even with his talent, he had also given his best effort. But unfortunately, he had still lost!

    He was defeated by someone that only possessed the Soul energy of a Rank 4 fighter, he didn¡¯t expect that the Firmament Palm Strike that he used to brag about would be so fragile. Suddenly, he felt as if the whole world had turned gray, he was sweating in fear, and he did not even have the strength to get up on his feet.

    Did he make any mistake? What could it be? Was there another palm strike tactics that was even deadlier than the Firmament Palm Strike?

    He had been spending his time doing research on various palm strike tactics and even studied ancient martial art manuscripts. Nevertheless, the intimidating force from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s attack still lingered around his body, haunting him like a ghost¡­

    Jiang Long remained still while his mind was bing number gradually...

 Chapter 164: Iâ€™m Not Sleeping in the Streets Tonight

    Chapter 164: I¡¯m Not Sleeping in the Streets Tonight

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    After the defeat of Cisco, Jiang Long, the No.1 among Lustre Academy¡¯s third graders, the sessor of the Firmament Palm Strike, and also the boy wonder who was promoted as a Rank 5 fighter at neen years old, was defeated as well.

    His defeat was more devastating than Cisco¡¯s; however, it was also more convincing than Ulysses¡¯ defeat. Everyone started to believe in the possibility that Einherjar Wannabe might be the next living legend.

    Uproars emerged in the official forum and also in tons of other forums. As soon as Einherjar Wannabe became a hit, the number of threads kept increasing day by day. Apparently, people were not only excited about Einherjar Wannabe, but also his ability to draw the attention of those hidden elites and aces.

    Was he truly invincible?

    He was challenging everyone across the world, waiting for the next contender!

    The legend was born! Who would be his next target?

    A demonic palm strike that was able to terrorize the Firmament Palm Strike!

    Who was he?

    Was he really the reincarnation of an Einherjar himself?

    A sixteen-year-old super genius, ready to challenge the almighty Five Great Houses!

    The real mightiest palm strike of all!

    Giving his opponents a taste of their own sauce ¡ª uncovering the secrets behind Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s mysterious tactics!

    Even the people on the Moon and Mars were startled by this uproar. Only a handful of people had actually heard of the name Einherjar Wannabe; however, Jiang Long was definitely a famous celebrity on the Moon, and not a single person was able to believe that a strong fighter like him would be defeated by someone who was three years younger than him.

    How was he able to defeat someone stronger than him? What sort of tactics and techniques was he using? What sort of powerful palm strike was able to outshine the Thunderbolt Strike?

    No one had ever seen anything like this before. Obviously, the Firmament Palm Strike was not an invincible tactic, but nobody had ever heard of any other tactic that was able to subdue the Firmament Palm Strike with less amount of GN Force. Not only Einherjar Wannabe had defeated the Firmament Palm Strike, but he had also demonstrated an obvious yet ferocious power.

    It was indeed a huge gap in terms of strength!

    Another crazy night for everyone even though it wasn¡¯t during the weekend¡­

    Luv Ma looked nervous as Zhang Jin answered his call, and surprisingly, Zhang Jin agreed to meet the two of them. Luv Ma was overjoyed, while Miao Xiu tried his best to hold onto hisughter.

    Both of them had never been to Zhang Jin¡¯s ce, she weed the two of them with a dazzling smile: "Please,e in gentlemen, make yourselvesfortable."

    "Wow, what a beautiful ce! Thanks for having us." Miao Xiu pushed Luv Ma aside and went in first, somehow he was born to be impolite.

    "You¡¯re wee, Miao Xiu. C¡¯mon in Luv Ma, don¡¯t be shy. I was just thinking about asking you a few questions," Zhang Jin gave a warm wee.

    Miao Xiu didn¡¯t expect that Zhang Jin would be able to recognize him, no wonder the House of Zhang was also known as "the House of Intelligence"... and judging by the fact that she was able to mention his name, perhaps she was also well aware of his personal data.

    What a terrifying woman, perhaps she would be even spying on her own boyfriend when he was taking a leak?

    Luv Ma rxed as Zhang Jin gave him a warm wee, "Actually, both of us were watching the match between Einherjar Wannabe and Jiang Long a while ago, and we¡¯d like to ask you if you have any idea what was that final palm strike used by Einherjar Wannabe."

    "I see, but before we get to there, can I get you guys anything?"

    "Water will be fine." Luv Ma seemed shy.

    "I¡¯d like a cup of Blue Mountain... make that two instead, c¡¯mon bro, don¡¯t be shy!" Miao Xiu was really treating himself at home, and since they were invited to her ce, of course, he would ask for something expensive.

    Zhang Jin smiled and served them what they asked for.

    "Luv Ma, I know you and Miao Xiu have been keeping an eye on this Einherjar Wannabe fe, you¡¯ve been doing a lot of video analysis after all... so since you guys had been following all of his matches, who do you think he is?" Zhang Jin sat across them and asked.

    Usually, people would speak their thoughts immediately when Zhang Jin asked a question like this; however, Luv Ma remained calm. He thought for a while as he knew that Zhang Jin wasn¡¯t looking for the conventional answers; she was asking for a real thought.

    Miao Xiu noticed his good friend needed time to think, so he decided to buy him a little time: "That kid is very picky, I¡¯ve been trying a few times to challenge him again, but unfortunately, I¡¯m not lucky enough to be chosen."

    "So you are saying that you¡¯ve lost once?" Zhang Jin smiled gently.

    "Ahem, you don¡¯t have to be so direct, that was only an ident... not to mention that I didn¡¯t give my best effort at that time!" Miao Xiu didn¡¯t like to be looked down by girls.

    Zhang Jin nodded and turned toward Luv Ma who seemed to be hesitating as he said, "It might sound weird, but whenever I see him, he would remind me about the de Warrior."

    Zhang Jin smiled as she understood what Luv Ma was trying to say: Einherjar Wannabe was a strange existence. Although it was technically possible for any of the Five Great Houses to bring up a strong fighter like him, but if he had really been trained by one of the Houses, there would have been some sort of traces in his tactics! However, what other tactics would pack such an incredible power aside from the Five Greatest Tactics?

    Unfortunately, Zhang Jin was not able to find the answer.

    "Zhang Jin, do you have any idea where did thatst strikee from? ording to what I know, there¡¯s no such attack in any tactics in the Court of the Temr."

    Zhang Jin tried to recall her memories.

    "I¡¯ve been doing my research regarding all sorts of palm strike tactics, but nothing as terrifying as this was ever recorded in history, perhaps my database is iplete?" Luv Ma said.

    "I do have some ssified information about a simr palm strike tactic that existed a few hundred years ago, but please keep this to yourselves."

    The word "ssified" immediately got Luv Man and Miao Xiu¡¯s attention.

    "Around three hundred years ago, during the early years of the great war between mankind and the Zergs, there was an extremely powerful METAL fighter whose origins were unknown; however, he was able to terrorize the legion of Zergs with his dominating strength. ording to the existing data, everything he touched would explode within a split second, and after analyzing the data, I¡¯d say it is some kind of inner force tactics," Zhang Jin exined carefully.

    The mysterious warrior shared the same era as the de Warrior, but he appeared slightlyter than him. No one knew where he came from or how he possessed the strength of an Einherjar; however, they knew that he was seen ying and charging toward the enemies during critical moments, ughtering mountains and mountains of Zergs; he was practically invincible.

    However, as soon as the epic war ended, the mysterious warrior was nowhere to be found.

    However, Zhang Jin was not able to confirm if Einherjar Wannabe was using the same technique as the mysterious warrior since the data was from tens of decades ago, but judging from the overall appearance, it really looked like the technique of the mysterious warrior.

    "For some reason, his existence was not made public, and some even said that the mysterious warrior was actually the de Warrior himself."

    "Shut the front door, are you saying this kid is really the reincarnation of an Einherjar himself? By the way, what¡¯s the name of that palm strike?" Miao Xiu was extremely curious.

    "Haha, I¡¯ll need to dig deeper for that. The palm strike used by Einherjar Wannabe might not be the same as our mysterious warrior¡¯s since there have been some cases of simrities between tactics, which were only coincidences. Furthermore, there are also differences in terms of GN Force, so there¡¯s no point of being suspicious. After watching that match, I believe that he is just an ordinary person who came across some extraordinary tactics by chance, then he decided to use the PA as a tform to improve his skills and increase his battle experiences."

    "...Still, what on earth is that powerful tactics?" Luv Ma seemed puzzled; however, he was happy that Zhang Jin had solved a part of the puzzle. Anyhow, mysteries were born from mankind¡¯s imagination, for instance: men created their belief in God.

    "It could be the Tactics of the de." Zhang Jin giggled.

    Both of the boysughed when they heard her joke; nevertheless, both of them knew that they would be able to solve the mystery someday... as long as Einherjar Wannabe stayed active in PA.

    More and more people began to pay attention to the existence of Einherjar Wannabe, especially people like Zhang Jin.

    Jiang Long¡¯s defeat marked the beginning of tougher challenges awaiting for Einherjar Wannabe...

    "It¡¯s all your fault!"

    "Don¡¯t me your mistakes on me, punk-*ss kid!"

    "So you¡¯re ming me? You¡¯re the one who insisted on taking a look at the sea, old jerk! What the hell¡¯s wrong with you, acting sentimental all of a sudden?"

    "Shut up punk! I¡¯m still in the prime of my life, what¡¯s wrong with taking a look at the sea? Geez, why do I always feel like I¡¯m about to remember something¡­ Dammit!"

    "Let it go, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to remember."

    Wang Tong was standing in front of Bernabeu¡¯s front gate talking to himself while thinking of a way to sneak back in since it was already way past his curfew.

    "Well, climb over, you idiot!"

    "I¡¯ll get busted by the surveince cameras, you fool! Not to mention that there might be high-voltage fences as well, I don¡¯t wanna die this young!"

    "Well, I¡¯ve given you my ideas, the rest is up to you. I''m sure you¡¯ll be able to take care of yourself, I¡¯ll head back to bed first then, adios!" Einherjar Wannabe went back into the Space Crystal as he said that.

    "Curse you, filthy jackal!" Wang Tong was pissed off. He shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the sea after his match against Jiang Long because Einherjar Wannabe insisted on taking a look since it was just nearby. He even managed to persuade Wang Tong by "threatening" him. One of these threats was that if Wang Tong insisted on not going, Einherjar Wannabe would definitely nag him throughout the night.

    In the end, Einherjar Wannabe had spent the whole night yelling at the sea like a madman, and Wang Tong¡¯s ears almost went deaf because of him. As Einherjar Wannabe finished his sentimental wailing, Wang Tong realized that they were alreadyte.

    God dammit!

    It was way past his bedtime, and he was sleepy as hell, he needed to think of a way fast, or else he would have to wait until the morning for the gate to open.

    Finally, Wang Tong decided to try out Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s idea, he found a safer spot and prepared to climb over.

    "Wang Tong¡­ what are you doing out there?"

    Wang Tong was scared by the sudden voice and squatted down immediately; however, the voice sounded quite familiar.

    It was Zhou Sisi.

    "Oh, erm¡­ nothing, I was just trying to get in..." Wang Tong replied nervously.

    Zhou Sisi giggled, "Yea, I guess you¡¯re having too much fun."

    "Haha, well, yea¡­ what brings you here thiste?"

    Zhou Sisi blushed and replied, "I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I went to the nearby drugstore to buy some medicines."

    "Oh, really? Are you feeling better?" Wang Tong seemed worried. Normally, everyone¡¯s health condition was good and wouldn¡¯t get sick easily because the practice and training of their GN Force were able to improve their immune system.

    Zhou Sisi¡¯s face turned redder. "Well, it¡¯s not what you think¡­ enough bullsh*t, you idiot! Look at the time, get in!"

    Wang Tong scratched his head. He didn¡¯t even say anything! Girls sure had strange tempers...

    "How do I get in? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to wake everyone up."

    "Use your card!" Zhou Sisi said as she swiped her key-card at the door and got in.

    Then, only at that moment did Wang Tong remember the key-card that Martyrus had given to the nine of them. It would grant them ess to various facilities in Bernabeu, one of its function included opening doors...

    Wang Tong nced at the wall as he swiped his card and went in, ming Einherjar Wannabe for causing him such troubles¡­

 Chapter 165: Itâ€™s Wrong For Being Too Strong

    Chapter 165: It¡¯s Wrong For Being Too Strong

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    A group of special students was seen gathering in Bernabeu¡¯s training field early in the morning. Everyone was carrying heavy backpacks and began to jogp afterp on their own, this had never happened before in Bernabeu.

    The students might have finished the first phase of their physical training; however, that didn¡¯t mean that the whole training program had ended. They needed to keep on training on their own in order to stay focus, as there was no more time for them to ck off.

    So far the students had learned one thing: they were not challenging Capth for the sake of their academies, but for their own glory.

    Nevertheless, everyone had set their very own goals about what were they trying to achieve, and how much effort they were nning to put in.

    Obviously, everyone had watched the epic match between Einherjar Wannabe and Jiang Long, including Wang Ben, the young man with a raging heart; however, he seemed to have calmed down a lot after watching that fight. He had noticed simrities between his ex-teammates and Einherjar Wannabe, and between Capth and Jiang Long. Jiang Long had all of the advantages while Einherjar Wannabe was a nobodymoner, yet he was able to defeat the colossal existence and created another "peasant¡¯s miracle". It made Wang Ben believe that his ex-teammates might also be able to ovee the enormous challenge ahead of them.

    Without a doubt, their opponents were mightier, but not invincible. Nevertheless, the team shouldn¡¯t be afraid as all of them were only humans; they had two legs, two arms, and one brain, so they had weaknesses as well.

    The whole team was actually very depressed since Wang Ben had left, and without him, everyone felt that their chances of winning had gotten narrower. However, all of them knew that instead of worrying too much, they should summon up their courage, confidence, and faith and show their best effort. The right thing to do was to keep challenging themselves and giving their best performances!

    Amongst the group, Carl was the one with the best performance; in fact, he had been improving day after day even though his effort was still far away from increasing their chance of victory, but he did manage to inspire most of his teammates to be optimistic and confident. Carl also had a funny motto, which was "to create your own path by walking on the shoes of the others".

    After a brief "counseling session" from the psychology maestro, Principal Samantha, everyone¡¯s fighting spirit was burning up again, and the whole team had bounced back, eagerly preparing themselves for the uing challenges.

    Nevertheless, confidence originated from tough training, and everyone in the team enjoyed the satisfaction they got from their daily training. Although they had no idea how strong they had be, they believed that they had improved a lot, which also gradually increased their confidence.

    They had to stay strong and give their best performances no matter who their opponent was and hopefully breaking their own limits to create miracles. But most importantly, they had to stay strong and not be overwhelmed by their opponents¡¯ aura; otherwise, their performances would be affected, and they would lose their chances to win.

    In fact, Capth¡¯s dominating strength could also be its weakness. They would be underestimating Bernabeu and Ayrng since both academies were basically lower ranks academies filled with average students, which would also cause them to reveal their vulnerabilities, and that would be Ayrng¡¯s cue to seize their victory. If Bernabeu and Ayrng¡¯s alliance was able to bring them one or two victories, the pressure would be on Capth¡¯s side instead of theirs.

    Wang Tong was the busiest trainee as he waspeting in both METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat, while the rest would only have to focus on one category. Ma Xiaoru was assigned for METAL Combat of course, and since Wang Ben had left, Hu Yangxuan had taken his ce as one of the main fighters by default. Soon, he came to realize his immense responsibility and the seriousness of this issue: the idea of vanquishing Capth had never crossed his mind, and restoring Ayrng¡¯s former glory was not as easy as he thought it would be. Nevertheless, Hu Yangxuan was training very hard and even managed to restore his Soul Energy to the condition that he had when he was at the Court of the Temr. On the other hand, Zhou Sisi was focusing on Battlecraft Combat.

    Everyone was told not to count on receiving blessings from the goddess of fortune in the uingpetition against Capth; instead, they should be focusing on their own training to maximize their chances of winning.

    Wang Tong might be their hidden weapon in METAL Combat; however, his basics in Battlecraft Combat were quite bad. Both of his operating maneuver and overall perspective were bad and wouldn¡¯t be able to support his ultimate knockout technique. In short, he was lucky that day to win against Bernabeu¡¯s Best.

    This was why Wang Tong needed to train for Battlecraft Combat.

    Double the work, double the excitement.

    In order to enhance their performances in METAL Combat, Wang Tong, Apache, Hu Yangxuan, and Cao Yi were often given the toughest mission by their coach, almost turning them into a bunch of robots. Yet, Wang Tong was not afraid of tough, physical training as he enjoyed the amount of exercise. However, he waspletely stressed out when it came to Battlecraft Combat training.

    Somehow, he and Carl had be the examples not to follow for the other trainees, often getting scolded in the midst of every lesson.

    "Are you an idiot, Carl? How many times do I have to tell you to pay attention to your operating maneuvers!? Do you hear me? Use your brain and figure out the best timing to attack!" the coach mmed on Carl¡¯s table and scolded him. Poor Carl had no choice but to bear with the embarrassment. He tried to figure out the right timing to strike, but he failed in the end as he was entrapped by the enemy¡¯s legion of fleets.

    FlyWing was a living legend of Battlecraft Combat, and a four times champion in the Confederation League. Unfortunately, he made a terrible mistake once while serving in the military that caused him to resign out of guilt. However, Principal Martyrus had managed to find him a few years before and recruited him as Bernabeu¡¯s coach. He was a bad tempered person, and Best was his greatest disciple. Thanks to him, Bernabeu was able to excel rapidly in this subject.

    Nevertheless, having good students was as crucial as having a good teacher.

    "Wang Tong! If Carl is an idiot, what do you think you are?" FlyWing stood in front of Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was frustrated, he was having a hard time learning operating maneuver. Somehow, it required the right touch, kind of like learning martial arts. He might be talented in METAL Combat, yet he definitely sucked when it came to Battlecraft Combat.

    "Another idiot¡­ Sir?" Wang Tong replied cautiously.

    The whole ss went silent for a moment and burst intoughter immediately. All of the trainees seemed to be amused by his sense of humor!

    Somehow, FlyWing also found him entertaining, yet he tried his best to hold back hisughter.

    "Ahem, stopughing, you sure are an idiot with a quick response. Come to think of it, it¡¯s time for me to force you to reduce your APM by half, it¡¯ll cause you to think with your brain instead of using your *ss!" FlyWing said.

    FlyWing then mentioned to the ss that Wang Tong was insanely strong in controlling maneuver, but being too strong in that would cause him to overlook his real problems during real fights. He might be able to defeat average opponents with his controlling maneuver, but that would be useless when he was facing off against an elite opponent, causing him to turn into a fighter with muscles but no brain.

    Wang Tong was enlightened by FlyWing¡¯s lecture, he finally understood why he wasn¡¯t able to thoroughly execute what he had learned even though he was able to understand the teacher¡¯s lecture in ss. Indeed, if the speed of his controlling maneuver was the same as his opponent¡¯s, without a doubt, there would be huge gaps of difference in terms of overall skills.

    All of the students in Bernabeu were professionally trained, the first thing they focused on was the training of awareness, which was the basics of everything. However, no one had ever taught Wang Tong about that as he learned everything from scratch by himself, which was why it would take some time and special effort for him to correct his mistakes.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong was able to realize his problems in a jiffy, he was born to be smart after all.

    Somehow, he even managed to find simrities between METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat. "Operating maneuver" actually meant that one¡¯s had to have the control of the overall situation during battles. Wang Tong was able to improve rapidly in METAL Combat because he had been practicing Old Fart¡¯s Tactics of the de since he was young, whichter strengthen his basics as well; however, he had never received any sort of training for Battlecraft Combat before and focused only on the speed of his hands, which exined his poor performance in operating maneuver.

    Everything had its own advantages and disadvantages. Of course, having strong controlling maneuver was great, but at some point, it would affect Wang Tong¡¯s mastery of operating maneuver. This was exactly why he needed a good teacher, he needed the guidance from someone else for this challenge.

    Wang Tong was grateful, even if the guidance was only a little.

    Fortunately, FlyWing was fair to both Ayrng and Bernabeu¡¯s students, and apparently, he was quite confident about Zhou Sisi because of her splendid performances and also because of her cautiousness and steadiness. Moreover, she had a good potential in operating maneuver, and most importantly, she was different from most of the boys who would give up whenever troubles urred.

    A goodmander would never give up, even when he was about to be defeated, he would stay and fight to the very end! It was important not to give up because countless of lives were at stake in real battles!

    That was the reason why FlyWing wanted his students to treat every training as a real battle, and no one was allowed to rely on luck or make any mistake. Sorries and other excuses would not be epted!

    Everyone started to be dauntless ever since Wang Ben had left, which wasmon since they were all youngsters, yet somehow it wasn¡¯t a bad attitude judging from this critical times.

    "WANG TONG!"

    Someone roared all of a sudden.

    The loud roar even managed to startle the students outside the building. Wang Tong expected he might have done something wrong that upset FlyWing.

    Wang Tong¡¯s innocent expression caused everyone else to giggle. Obviously, Wang Tong and Carl were not only FlyWing¡¯s favorite sandbag, they were also everyone else¡¯s favorite amusement.

    "How many times do I need to repeat myself? Don¡¯t use your speed, use your operating maneuver! Don¡¯t use your hands, use your brain!" FlyWing was furious.

    Wang Tong might have won in the simtion against Stia; however, winning was not the point. FlyWing wanted him to think of a way to ovee the disadvantages and not forcefully winning against her by relying on controlling maneuver. Apparently, only Best was able to win against Wang Tong by using his overall perspective and obtaining as many advantages as he could, while, at the same time, he prevented Wang Tong from using his controlling maneuver. Best was able to do so as he was known to be the one with the best operating maneuver throughout the Earth Confederation, the other trainees had no chance to win against Wang Tong¡¯s insane controlling maneuver.

    "Sir¡­ calm down. You see, I¡¯m not able to control myself during critical moments." Wang Tong scratched his head. Men were more impulsivepared to women, and Wang Tong was a man exceptionally impulsive, which was why he would forget whenever his adrenaline rose. Actually, his operating maneuver had improved a lot, but it was still far from FlyWing¡¯s expectation; his movements were still a bit stiff!

    "Oh, really? In that case, I¡¯m restricting you to use only one hand in our uing training. You can choose your left or right hand between matches. With that, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to control yourself in no time!" FlyWing came up with that idea suddenly, and it was a good method to restrict Wang Tong from over-relying on controlling maneuver indeed!

    When he found it difficult to use his controlling maneuver, he would have no choice but to switch to operating maneuver.

 Chapter 166: The Inner Force

    Chapter 166: The Inner Force

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    FlyWing turned around and red at Carl with a straight face after scolding Wang Tong, the boy used to be bold, but this time he waspletely intimidated.

    "Mr. Carl!"

    "Yes, Sir!"

    "Why do you like ambushing your enemies?" FlyWing asked calmly.

    "I have no idea why, Sir. I think it¡¯s because it¡¯s fun to confuse the enemies?" Carl preferred to follow his guts when he did things.

    "Fun, huh? What do you think will happen to most of your crew if you do that?"

    "Die, I guess?" Carl scratched his head, he still needed a solution for that problem.

    FlyWing didn¡¯t say a wordter, knowing that it would take days to point out every weakness of Carl. Noticing that the coach was trying to be nice with his scoldings, the rest of the ss tried to hold on to theirughter.

    FlyWing then continued to mentor the rest of the ss. He had noticed that Zhou Sisi was the fastest to improve, and although her speed was slower than Wang Tong, her hands were still the fastest amongst girls. Moreover, she possessed outstanding alertness and perspective, which made her a talent for this subject and a suitable candidate as amander. On the other hand, being a girl, Zhou Sisi had more advantages than Best in certain categories as she was calmer and more humble; however, she needed more practices to ovee her weaknesses.

    Everyone was exhausted after attending sses for the whole day, but their tiredness was nothingpared to the fatigues of the students in Heavy Armed Forces; their bodies were totally stressed out by the intense physical training.

    Everyone¡¯s happiest moment was definitely during lunch and dinner breaks. Unlike the harshness they had been through on Paradise Ind, Bernabeu¡¯s cafeteria served good food every day, and all of them were able to fill up their tummies happily, but somehow, the other students of Bernabeu were intimidated by them because the cafeteria would turn into a "war zone" as they arrived.

    "Fes, Cao Yi has made a video, and he¡¯s gonna show us tonight," Hu Yangxuan said.

    In the beginning, the students of both Ayrng and Bernabeu were not that close; however, they managed to get along very well after spending so much time training together.

    "It¡¯s nothing special... I¡¯ve just finished editing the footage of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯stest battle, but I wasn¡¯t able to upload it immediately due to our tight schedule. Anyway, have a look guys, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll help us in every aspect," Cao Yi seemed shy about it.

    "Of course, we¡¯ll watch it, your version is way better than the official one!"

    "Yea, I can¡¯t wait to watch it."

    All of them seemed interested. Everyone else might have seen it a few times already, but the students of this special training program had been busy as bees. Even Cao Yi, who always managed to upload his analysis videos on time, had no choice but to postpone his upload schedule even though he had managed to finish the editing during some of his free time. Somehow this had be one of his favorite pastimes; moreover, he was able to find something new every time he did that and even managed to increase his knowledge and experiences.

    "Haha, do share with us then," Ma Xiaoru said as sheughed in a gentle manner.

    It seemed like Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t troubled by the incident on Paradise Ind. In fact, a giant corporation like the FFC would definitely have its own team of experts to handle all sorts of troubles, which was why she didn¡¯t have to get involved for too much; instead, she would rather focus more on her own training.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t very interested, but he didn¡¯t dare to spoil the mood since everyone was so excited, perhaps he would treat it as a "revision".

    Everyone gathered around for the video session at night, and even though most of them had watched it live, a live telecast was way more different than an analysis video, especially Cao Yi¡¯s version which always managed to discover something new.

    "Jiang Long was definitely his strongest opponent up until now."

    "Indeed, with his ultimate Firmament Palm Strike, he was definitely a strong fighter to be feared of." Hu Yangxuan sighed. He always thought that he was better than the others upon graduating from the Court of the Temr, but in fact, the vast world was filled with all sorts of talents, and it seemed like the number of talented people had increased in recent years, emerging like geysers; however, no one could tell if it was a good or bad sign.

    A strongpetition was the key factor in creating powerful characters, but at the same time, it was also a sad situation for geniuses. During the era of de Warrior, for example, there were Rngalos Dower, the Prince of Perfection; Zarta, the Fierce One; Georgio, the Great; Zachery, the King of Pirates, and so on. All of them were unrivaled geniuses that might have been able to create their own empire if they were born in a different era; however, being born in the same era as the de Warrior, their talents were bounded by his existence. From another perspective, their existence had highlighted the uniqueness of the de Warrior.

    Undeniably, legends were always born in the midst ofpetitions between talented ones.

    The numbers of elites and aces had skyrocketed in the recent two hundred years, and many talents and famous warriors had emerged from the various Houses, the Court of the Temr, the military academies, and dojos. Nevertheless, people began to wonder why would Einherjar Wannabe choose to make his debut in this period of time.

    Clearly, Cisco and Jiang Long weren¡¯t thest elites he would choose to challenge, and everyone knew that he was just getting started.

    Everyone still gasped in the middle of the video even though this was not the first time they had watched the fight. The palm strike Einherjar Wannabe had used at the end of the match was forceful and brutal indeed.

    All of a sudden, Ma Xiaoru saw something weird. "Cao Yi, rewind a little bit, a bit more¡­ okay, stop! Yes! That¡¯s the part, can you zoom in?"

    A few of the students realized something as they looked at the erged image, they were puzzled by what they were witnessing, and even Cao Yi, who had made this video, was unable to notice that in the beginning.

    "Inner force!"

    "It has to be!"

    Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan knew a lot because she was the disciple of the House of Li, while he was the disciple from the Court of the Temr.

    "Inner force? What¡¯s that? What are you guys talking about?" Carl looked confused.

    The others too looked confused and had no idea what was going on since surprisingly, the only ones who were able to notice it were Apache, Cao Yi, Hu Yangxuan, Ma Xiaoru, and Zhou Sisi.

    In the final scene, it seemed like Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t using any strength in his unknown palm strike when he was up against Jiang Long¡¯s Thunderbolt Strike, and Ma Xiaoru felt strange when she saw the wide distance between both fighters.

    The distance was quite obvious, meaning that both yer¡¯s palm didn¡¯t touch each other. Miscalcting the distance was, in fact, a fatal mistake for Jiang Long¡¯s Thunderbolt Strike, but on the other hand, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s palm strike was able to deal damage without making contact.

    Everyone still seemed puzzled after hearing Ma Xiaoru¡¯s exnation.

    "That¡¯s outrageous! I thought that attacks should be ¡®the harder the better¡¯, an attack without using any strength, what¡¯s the point of that?" Kyaero asked.

    "Basically, the utilization of the GN Force is separated into three different stages. What you were saying is the first stage which is also known as the Actual Force Stage, every movement from the attacker is real at this stage, and it emphasizes on the level of strength and impact. The second stage is called the Inner Force Stage, its effectiveness and lethality are much higher than the first stage, and it is hard to be detected. However, this is extremely difficult to master, and the fighter needs to possess a high amount of GN Force."

    "In another word, the Inner Force is better in prating defenses. To make it simple, you might be able to shatter a rock with a single punch, but the impact would not be able to shred a piece of paper, let alone a piece of cloth. As a matter of fact, one would also be able to ess the Inner Force if he or she is able topletely master the Firmament Palm Strike. The Inner Force is definitely the uniqueness of the Entanglement of Death, or to be exact, even more powerful than the Thunderbolt Strike; however, Jiang Long¡¯s GN Force is nowhere near that stage," Ma Xiaoru carried on with her exnation.

    "How powerful is that defense pration really?"

    "For instance, you¡¯re fighting a Zerg with a tough exoskeleton, you¡¯ll be able to transmit the force directly into its body if you have mastered the Inner Force, and if you are fighting against another human being, conventional METAL Suits will bepletely useless against it."

    Everyone began to discuss among themselves after knowing such an intimidating technique. They finally knew why Jiang Long was knocked down in one hit, no one would be able to withstand such a demonic strength.

    "Damn, so does it mean it ispletely unrivaled?"

    "Not really, but it¡¯s difficult to counter. So far I¡¯ve never heard of anyone, who¡¯s below thirty years old, that is able to utilize the Inner Force without any problem," Ma Xiaoru said.

    "Could it be that Einherjar Wannabe is actually someone possessed by the ghost of an ancient warrior?"

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was listening happily. After learning about the Inner Strength, he was basically able to confirm that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s technique was some kind of Inner Force attack; however, the technique itself was quite suicidal. Luckily, Wang Tong¡¯s Tactics of the de was a dual core tactic or else he would also have been severely injured after making that move. Nevertheless, his body would not be able to handle the immense stress from this technique.

    "The Inner Force is usually treated as an ultimate killing move, but attacks like this will also deal extensive damages to the fighter itself. However, I wonder how Einherjar Wannabe, who is only a fighter with a level four Soul Energy, was able to nullify the damage from the recoil." No one was able to answer Ma Xiaoru¡¯s question.

    "So what¡¯s the third stage?" Cao Yi was curious, he was guessing that it was probably something even stronger than the Inner Force.

    "It is called the Vanity Force Stage, but it is only essible by Einherjars; however, I¡¯m not sure about the details. Anyhow, regarding Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s attacks that are simr to the Inner Force, that¡¯s only my personal theory, and it might not be true as there are still many techniques that are waiting to be discovered. Nevertheless, I still doubt that it is really the Inner Force, after all, it takes someone with a higher Soul Energy to achieve this stage," Ma Xiaoru said. It might look like she wasn¡¯t consistent with her own point of view, but she would rather choose not to believe that a sixteen-year-old boy was able to utilize the Inner Force. Even Ma Xiaoru, herself, who practiced the Tactics of the Enchantress since a young age, was not able to make such achievement.

    Everyone watched the video again, but this time no one was gossiping and tried their best to study every battle technique instead; every student had their own way of learning.

    This was the first time that Wang Tong watched his own fight as a spectator, and to be honest, it felt really good! He used to be uninterested in watching his own fights, but now, as he watched carefully, he was able to discover things that needed to be improved¡­ but still, it was kind of awkward.

    Wang Tong dozed off in the middle of the video; his mind was filled with FlyWing¡¯s theories. He understood that he would only be a second-rate yer if he only relied on his controlling maneuver and his so-called "proficiency". He needed to master the crucial factors of Battlecraft Combat as soon as possible if he really wanted to be a first-rate yer.

    He had to ovee everything on his own in order to be stronger, but first, he needed to understand everything that he didn¡¯t know. Wang Tong knew he had to make a breakthrough in this critical moment or else it was going to be a defect that would stick to him forever.

    With his extraordinary sense of danger and imagination, Wang Tong soon began to simte battle scenarios in his mind.

    On the other hand, Zhang Jin seemed happier these past few days ¡ª excited and anticipating to be exact. She had finally obtained every information about Einherjar Wannabe, and she even managed to obtain a few intel from DREAM Corporation. Right at this moment, she was able to confirm that Einherjar Wannabe was not something created by DREAM, and in fact, even DREAM was trying to get familiar with Einherjar Wannabe, but he eventually rejected all of their offers.

    In the end, there was no way to contact Einherjar Wannabe.

    Zhang Jin was interested because she had finally discovered the real identity of that mysterious palm strike. For some reason, a mystical technique that had vanished for more than three hundred years had resurfaced all of a sudden, what could it mean?

 Chapter 167: Cool Down

    Chapter 167: Cool Down

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Tehrn

    Zhang Jin was certain that she already had more than enough information to make a bold hypothesis; it seemed like eighty percent of her previous theory was right after all. In fact, every descendant of the House of Zhang would make bold hypothesis even if the possibility was only twenty to thirty percent; not to mention that this time, things were far more interesting.

    She was certain that Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯te from nowhere, she inferred that he was actually a boy who had randomlye across this extraordinary power and decided to give it a go in PA. Knowing that his age of sixteen was more than enough to narrow down her reasoning, she even ruled out the possibility of him being an Ivantian after observing his behavior. It might be impossible for many to do so, but Zhang Jin had no problem with it since she was very familiar with the way an Ivantian walked and talked. Furthermore, she could tell apart the difference between Ivantians, Earthlings, and Martians, which left her with only two other options: Einherjar Wannabe was either an Earthling or a Martian.

    Zhang Jin focused in her profiling and analyzed a few possibilities. She even managed to rule out that Einherjar Wannabe was from one of the Five Great Houses and concluded that he was only an ordinary boy who had been blessed with a fantastic encounter. However, the encounter itself was not enough as he would need someone to teach him the basics. Zhang Jin was also certain that his GN Force was not lower than one hundred and fifty nodes due to the vastpatibility of his tactics, and its difficulty had clearly exceeded something that could be learned from a random martial arts guidebook or Space Crystal found in the streets.

    She realized that Einherjar Wannabe must have a good mentor that was able to help him with the powerful tactics, so Zhang Jin tried to recall if anything simr had happened and been reported in recent years.

    Everything had been abnormally secretive, perhaps the tactics was actually stolen from another family?

    However, nothing simr had happened to the Five Great Houses. In fact, it has been really peaceful in the recent twenty years, and incidents like this didn¡¯t even ur in famous dojos.

    It seemed like Zhang Jin¡¯s reasoning hade to a dead end, so she put down her documents and calmed down by taking deep breaths. Since the data was not enough, she would have to dig deeper to understand the whole picture.

    Her biggest dream was actually toplete the unfinished business of her forefathers, which was to figure out the real identity of the de Warrior. Zhang Jin had doubts about the fact that her ancestor, Zhang Linjing, actually knew the real identity of the de Warrior, but for some reason, there was no written evidence about it. Zhang Linjing had to know since she was the creator of the Tactics of the Conscious Heart and also the only person who had reached the highest level. Obviously, there should be more information if she had no idea who he was and was looking into him. However, there was not even a single piece of paper about it, which meant that Zhang Linjing might have known everything herself!

    Zhang Jin had always been looking for an opportunity, a difficult task that would provide her enough challenges and could significantly boost up her Tactics of the Conscious Heart once she had found the solutions. It seemed like the topic about Einherjar Wannabe was quite interesting; however, Zhang Jin still doubted that it would be enough for the boost.

    After putting down the files about Einherjar Wannabe, Zhang Jin then turned to thetest update regarding the three main political forces. These forces had been going head to head against each other in terms of military, politics, and lifestyle; they would even slit each other¡¯s throat in order to obtain the greatest benefit. Thetest topic was the argument regarding the ownership of the Hyper-Conductive Maite that was recently discovered on Norton, and the struggle was getting more and more intense; however, Zhang Jin had no reason to be concerned about it.

    On the other hand, the Academy of Ayrng, which General Li Feng graduated from, had finally begun to rise after falling into a deep slumber for a long period of time, all thanks to Samantha and Ma Xiaoru. The twodies might have had what it took to lead Ayrng toward the victory against Bernabeu; however, the chances of defeating Capth were almost zero.

    Judging from Capth¡¯s behavior, they would probably send out their freshmen to take on Ayrng and Bernabeu, but even so, Ayrng and Bernabeu would definitely have a hard time handling those freshmen...

    The second phase of the special training program had been held in Bernabeu, while the third phase would be held in Ayrng since the new facilities had been installed and the new dormitories had been established. In other words, Wang Tong was finally able to return to his own room.

    Samantha even created a new dorm sorting system for the sake of Ayrng. She had recently divided the dorms into three categories, and the students of the A-ss were given the dorms with the best condition. Regardless of theints she might receive, Samantha had decided to do what she thought was best for Ayrng since she was the principal of the academy. She knew that those who were against her would shut up if she was able to show them the improvement. Moreover, a better reputation of the academy would also be able to create positive effects to every student.

    This would be the final dashing period for the team as they would be facing the Goliath, Capth, in a week¡¯s time. Samantha only wished for one thing: nothing else but Victory!

    She needed a miracle for the sake of her ambitious n that no one would ever dream of, and if they were able to defeat Capth, this would be the first step of her achievement.

    However, things were not looking good, and maybe even worse than she had expected. Originally, she believed that her chances of winning would be higher since she had Ma Xiaoru as her ace, but it wasn¡¯t as perfect as she had expected. Ma Xiaoru¡¯s influence was not as huge as it seemed, and it couldn¡¯t be helped because that was Ma Xiaoru¡¯s personality, but Samantha knew that it wasn¡¯t right to be over-demanding.

    The bad became worse after Wang Ben¡¯s sudden decision to change side, and Samantha had been having headaches about it. Not only Wang Ben was a strong fighter, but he was very familiar with both Ayrng and Bernabeu, especially regarding her secret weapon, Wang Tong, which was no longer a secret. Clearly, Capth would target him soon, unless they didn¡¯t see him as a threat... Nevertheless, she was only hoping that her enemies would underestimate them, instead of praying that luck would be on their side.

    Samantha knew that Wang Tong was strong and had already witnessed his capability of making miracles during thepetition against Bernabeu, but she wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to do the same against Capth. Samantha patted her cheeks and told herself not to give up and to stay confident. Otherwise, she might have to retake her Ph.D. in psychology¡­

    Knock knock knock¡­

    "Enter, please."

    Wang Tong entered her office. Samantha smiled and asked, "What¡¯s up?"

    "Mis¡­ Ma¡¯am, why can¡¯t I have a new room?" Wang Tong almost called her by the nickname he gave her, but he knew he had to be more polite in the academy.

    Samantha kept her cool even though she was smiling inside. She knew Ma Xiaoru fancied Wang Tong, and there was nothing between him and herself, but somehow it felt like they were having an affair... anyway, it wasplicated.

    Perhaps this was what human nature really looked like.

    "Mr. Wang Tong." Wang Tong was mesmerized by Samantha¡¯s dazzling smile. "I did this for your own good. You see, obviously, as a member of the F-ss, you¡¯ll be given a new room even prettier than thetest ones, but not now."

    "Erm, Ma¡¯am, is it possible for me to have one right now? Since I¡¯ve been going through all sorts of hardship for the sake of the academy..." Wang Tong didn¡¯t give up. He had just found out that there was a pastry chef on duty on every floor of the new block, but most importantly, it was FREE!

    Wang Tong adored freebies!

    "I¡¯m guessing you want one because of the free food?"

    "Ahem, of course not! I asked for one because I was hoping to have a better study environment... for the sake of the academy!" Wang Tong said.

    "Really? But my guts are telling me that you ARE aiming for the free food." There was no way to hide anything from Samantha.

    "Nah, perhaps it¡¯s just your illusion!" Wang Tong replied confidently.

    "Hmm, I know you¡¯re doing this for the academy, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with this. I believe you¡¯ll be able to advance to the A-ss after the next exam, so why don¡¯t you bear with it for a while? I believe you¡¯re not going to ruin everything because of this, am I right?" Samantha replied in a gentle manner.

    Wang Tong knew that the gorgeous principal wouldn¡¯tpromise, but it was still worth a try for the freebies. Nevertheless, Samantha was strict when it came to her policies.

    "Yea, I know, but dear pretty missy, I¡¯m not happy with the unfairness though." Wang Tong advanced three steps toward Samantha.

    Samantha frowned and wondered what the idiot was going to do this time. Ever since he had forcefully kissed herst time, Samantha had been trying her best not to be alone with this kid because she was afraid that he would cross the line. Men were impulsive animals after all.

    "Mr. Wang Tong, please stand where you are!" Samanthamanded with a solemn expression. She had to control Wang Tong or else things would be ugly. She might be able to control herself, but Wang Tong was not very good at behaving himself.

    Wang Tong adored Samantha from the bottom of his heart, and he was certain that Samantha also fancied him a little; however, he hadn¡¯t expected to be treated this coldly and became kind of depressed. Perhaps he had been too confident about himself, or he was being too optimistic. After all, Samantha owned DREAM Corporation, she was Ayrng¡¯s principal, and she was also a girl genius, so obviously, she wouldn¡¯t be attracted to a nobody like him.

    Wang Tong cooled down and took two steps back. "I¡¯ll leave you to your work, Ma¡¯am." Wang Tong turned around and left after saying that. He wasn¡¯t someone who liked to mingle around, so since she didn¡¯t like him, he would leave her alone!

    m¡­

    Wang Tong¡¯s mood was reflected on the door of Samantha¡¯s office.

    Samantha was frustrated too. Things seemed to have gone a little out of control, and she hadn¡¯t expected that it would turn out like this. In the end, she was able to control herself since she was fine living without love.

    However, she was feeling bad after what had happened.

    Wang Tong raised his head and looked at the sun. No wonder Old Fart always said that women were troublesome. It really felt bad, and he wondered if this was how breaking-up felt.

    Right now, he really needed a drink, so Wang Tong dialed a number with his Sky-Net. "Come out now."

    "Huh? I¡¯m having a sster!" Hu Yangxuan faked a smile and replied.

    "Are you gonna sit there and do nothing while your good friend is heartbroken?"

    "What the hell? Hold on, I¡¯ming!"

    Hu Yangxuan was good with women, and he was always able to give good excuses to his "girlfriends" for not showing up. Since his teacher was also a woman, he was able to think of a good excuse to sneak out.

    The two boys went to a pub. "Are you sure that you wanna drink? I remember that you¡¯re not good with alcohol."

    "All I want now is to get drunk. I¡¯m counting on you to carry me hometer."

    "I knew it! Oh whatever, I¡¯ll be your drinking and chattingpanion today." Hu Yangxuan shook his head helplessly, Wang Tong was his friend after all.

    "Is it me or does everything gets messier recently? Dammit man, even Wang Ben has escaped without any reason... What the hell¡¯s wrong with the kid? Sigh..."

    Both of them frowned in frustration, things were really not looking good.

 Chapter 168: Men Should Be Brave!

    Chapter 168: Men Should Be Brave!

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Forget about him, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find out once we reach Capth. So, what¡¯s the story? Got rejected by our gorgeous principal?" Hu Yangxuan asked as he ordered his drink.

    "F#ck my life!" Wang Tong finished a pint in one gulp, and so did Hu Yangxuan, "Rx amigo, tell me what happened. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel better once you said it."

    Wang Tong then told him what happened a while ago. Hu Yangxuan immediately burst intoughter as he heard Wang Tong¡¯s story, "My friend, yours is nothingpared to my experience. I enrolled in Ayrng back then because I fancied Ma Xiaoru. In order to get her affection, I didn¡¯t mind putting my future at stake. But she would only see me as a friend no matter what I did. So, you really should be grateful. If your level of unhappiness is sitting here drinking beer, I might have to swallow the whole Pacific Ocean in one big gulp. So cheer up man!" Hu Yangxuan finished his pint as he said that. Clearly, he still hadn¡¯t fully get over her. Nevertheless, it was normal for someone to feel sorrow after sacrificing so much for the sake of a girl.

    "Why are women so troublesome? Affection is supposed to be simple. You can only choose between like or dislike. I don¡¯t get it, why?" Somehow, Wang Tong noticed that this question was even moreplicated than Tactics of the de.

    "Buddy, you might be an expert in METAL Combat, but you¡¯re definitely a rookie in terms of love and affection. But don¡¯t worry, because you can learn from me¡­ Understanding women is a huge philosophy after all!"

    "Sure, I¡¯ll be counting on you, Dr. Hu."

    "Very well, hear me out. First of all, you should learn how to see things in another perspective. Generally speaking, rtionships between a younger male and an older female are not that eptable yet. Especially you, my friend, who hasn¡¯t settled down yet. In other words, it¡¯ll be easier if you don¡¯t expect too much."

    "Shut up A-hole, I¡¯m very serious about it!"

    "Don¡¯t shut me up, I¡¯m being serious too! This is not something you can control. As for Samantha, look at her, she was the prettiest girl in Capth.,Aa lot of boys had confessed to her, but they were all rejected in the end. She was aiming to be the principal of Ayrng as soon as she graduated. Do you know what that means?" Hu Yangxuan looked at Wang Tong with the eyes of a wise man.

    "What?" Wang Tong seemed confused.

    "Means she¡¯s determined you fool. She has her own path to pursue, or I should say, ambition. Obviously, she had already nned her life goals when she was studying at Capth. She would only concentrate on the path she has chosen, and wouldn¡¯t be distracted by anything else. If I¡¯m not wrong, she was cold to you because she¡¯s beginning to lose control of the current situation and also herself." Hu Yangxuan exined thoroughly. Honestly, he admired Wang Tong¡¯s bravery of taking on a hard challenge like this. Judging from the current situation, Wang Tong was already halfway towards sess. If the admirers of Samantha were to find out about this, they were definitely going to be SO jealous. After all, Samantha wasn¡¯t someone who would easily fall for a person, not to mention the boys who confessed to her during school days were only a bunch of unemployed "casanovas".

    "It¡¯s tooplicated, man."

    "Hey buddy, you should know that you¡¯ve done quite a good job back there. At least, you¡¯re able to upset Samantha. You should know that the worst kind of love is called one-sided affection. Look at me, I¡¯m your greatest example. Oh, what the hell, bottoms up dude!"

    "Cheers!"

    Somehow Wang Tong felt better after hearing Hu Yangxuan¡¯s analysis.

    "Actually, in order to make a smartdy like our pretty principal fall for you, you have to be straightforward. If you¡¯re able to tell that she¡¯s kinda interested in you, why don¡¯t you make a deal with her? You can seriously give up if she rejects, as mingling too much would only hurt you deeper. But if she epts your deal, you¡¯re definitely a lucky man, and everything else would be up to your own performances. You must have the ability of a superhuman if you wish to make a beautifuldy fall for you, especially a beauty of S-Ranked difficulty." Hu Yangxuan continued to exin like a wise man.

    "I have to say, my friend, you¡¯re totally a genius! You can seriously be an author if you do not wish to stay in the military anymore!"

    Wang Tong mmed his arm onto Hu Yangxuan¡¯s shoulder, then ran off the pub like a breeze of wind. After listening to Hu Yangxuan¡¯s words, he realized he had found his solution. This would be the best way for Samantha to make up her mind. If she rejects, at least it would be the best way to end his misery!

    "Yo, yo, I haven¡¯t finished. Wait for me!" Hu Yangxuan finished his beer and stood up. As he was about to leave, he noticed someone was pulling his shirt.

    "Why are you pulling my shirt?"

    "Sir, the bill¡¯s two thousand and three hundred. Three hundred is on the house, so the total would be only two thousand. Cash or card?"

    "... WANG TONG, THE BILL!" Aside from being Wang Tong¡¯s drinking and chattingpanion, apparently, he was also his autopay machine.

    Back in the office, Samantha had not been doing anything since then. She wasn¡¯t able to concentrate as her mind was confused. Apparently, she had underestimated the influence of affection. In fact, a calm person would find it more difficult to control oneself when a loophole was discovered, because the person would begin to lose confidence.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong barged into her office without knocking, and the smell of alcohol was all around his body. It seemed like Wang Tong was trying to use alcohol as his confidence booster. He knew he wouldn¡¯t have the balls to do so if he wasn¡¯t drunk.

    Although Old Fart used to say women were troublesome, yet he had also mentioned that men should be brave regardless of the oue. Men should strike whenever they found the perfect timing. However, Old Fart seemed to have owed arge sum of money after saying that.

    "Wang..."

    Samantha sensed trouble and tried to stop Wang Tong, but her reflexes were slower than him. Wang Tong hugged her tightly in his arms and surprised her with a deep kiss.

    Within seconds, Samantha stopped struggling as she began to understand her feeling. The only action she took was pressing the button and close the door of her office.

    Wang Tong only let go of Samantha when he noticed she was out of breath. Samantha didn¡¯t know if she should be angry or happy. Anyhow, things really had gone out of control.

    Wang Tong could tell that Samantha was also interested in him from their kiss a while ago. Furthermore, he was not some regr childish kid since he had been through a lot, and his mental age was older than his peers. Moreover, he had never thought about interfering in Samantha¡¯s ambition. After all, Wang Tong was not somebody who would randomly give up.

    Even if he were to give up, he would still need to find out why.

    As Samantha was nning to talk, Wang Tong silenced her by cing his finger gently over her lips, "Listen to me. I know you have more than thousands of excuses to reject me, and I know they would all sound right, and most of them would be facts. But even so, I¡¯m not giving up on you. Life is short, youth is even shorter¡­ and there¡¯s no way to buy back youth. All I¡¯m saying is ¡­I don¡¯t want the both of us to regret!"

    Samantha smiled, "Alright then, do tell me what you¡¯re trying to propose. But first, release me."

    "Let me hug you a little longer!" Wang Tong insisted.

    Samantha shook her head helplessly. Nevertheless, she enjoyed this feeling.

    "Why don¡¯t we make a deal? Give me four years, and I¡¯ll prove to you that us being together is right!"

    "Haha, you¡¯re as capricious as always." Samantha knew what Wang Tong was trying to say. However, he was still very young and four years were too little for him to prove anything. She would never fall for a person simply because of those boring secr conditions. But at least, the guy had to be able to win her heart.

    "Am I not being mature? I think it¡¯s lessplicated that way. How about this, let¡¯s make another deal, using thepetition against Capth as a bet. Are you in?" Wang Tong was trying his best to win the heart of the beauty in his arms. The stronger she looked, the greater he desired to protect her.

    "I¡¯m listening."

    "I¡¯ll defeat Capth, but you have to promise me not to fall for another guy within these four years!" Wang Tong sounded very serious.

    "Are you sure you want to make a deal with this?" Samantha wondered how men could be so confident without any reason. No one would dare to make a deal by using "defeating Capth" as the bet.

    "Of course, I¡¯m sure!" Wang Tong was very confident. He had been improving from time to time, and also been learning a lot in PA recently. Since he was able to defeat a strong elite like Jiang Long, he expected the candidates of Capth would be almost the same.

    "Deal!"

    "However, promise not to ignore me during this period of time. if I¡¯m distracted because of this, I might lose and mess up everything!" Wang Tongughed.

    "Hmph, clearly that¡¯s your true purpose for all of this. I really can¡¯t believe a tough guy like you could be such a miser. But make sure you can keep this as a secret between us, or else, my days as Ayrng¡¯s principal would be over." Samantha said shyly like a teenage girl in love. She was helpless in front of Wang Tong even though she was always rational. However, Wang Tong did know her weaknesses very well. If it weren''t because of the previous deal they made during thepetition against Bernabeu, she would never develop any rtionship with Wang Tong, and things would still remain under control.

    "Well¡­ you see..." Wang Tong hesitated.

    "Oh God, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve told someone about it!"

    "I swear to God I didn¡¯t say anything. But somehow, Hu Yangxuan managed to guess it."

    Samantha wished she could find a hole and hide herself from the embarrassment.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Hu Yangxuan would never mention this to anyone. I swear, except him, no one else knew about it!"

    "It¡¯s all your fault!"

    Knock knock knock¡­

    "Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s a video call from Senator Leston. He wishes to speak with you."

    "Okay, Thank you very much."

    Samantha was sort of unwilling to leave Wang Tong¡¯s arms. She might be cool, but that didn¡¯t mean that the warmth from a man would not be able to melt her heart. However, women were always better than men when it came to self-control.

    "What are you looking at?"

    Samantha had no idea how gorgeous she looked at this moment. People always said that the prettiest moment of a girl was the time she fell in love, and a cool beauty like Samantha was even prettier.

    "Go wash your face and sober up. Make sure you do your best and walk the talk!"

    "I¡¯ll vanquish Capth alright¡­ for the sake of our future!"

    Wang Tong left the principal¡¯s office happily. Compared to what happened in the afternoon, it was like heaven and hell.

    Samantha shook her head and stared at Wang Tong¡¯s back as he turned around and left. She enjoyed this blissful feeling very much.

    "Good day, Senator Leston."

    "Principal Samantha, I¡¯ve contacted tens of other senators, but they are demanding more results. Apparently, defeating Bernabeu itself was not enough."

    "I¡¯m well aware of that. Rest assured Senator, I¡¯ll provide what you¡¯re asking for."

    "Anything good happened recently, Principal Samantha? I have to say that I¡¯m impressed by your capabilities. However, please make sure you¡¯re able to stay calm. Being too emotional is not a good sign in this industry." Senator Leston said in a calm voice.

    "Thank you for your kind reminder, Mr. Senator." Samantha nodded gently without giving any exnation.

    "Very well, everybody has high hopes for you."

    Samantha turned off the screen and touched her cheeks. They were still hot¡­ all thanks to that little imp.

 Chapter 169: Powerful Foes

    Chapter 169: Powerful Foes

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Actually, the special intensive training was not as hectic as it seemed once all of them had gotten used to it. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t as scary as the public imagined.

    D-Day had gotten closer.

    Meanwhile, the representatives of Capth had gathered around. This time, their main candidates would beprising of first-grader freshmen, and the seniors would be serving as their backup supports. No special preparations were made since each day in the academy felt like intensive training!

    After years of trial and error, S-Ranked academies had finally developed an ideal set of elite education system in recent years, that would foster a great number of quality-assured elites in no time.

    Capth was already famous among talented youngsters since it was an S-Ranked academy. Furthermore, the academy happened to have its own intel gathering group which spread all over the gxy, "head-hunting" for talented young ones. Once they found someone, whether the person was an Earthling, Ivantian, Martian or Kaedeian, they¡¯d do whatever it took to get the person to enroll in Capth.

    That was how an S-Ranked academy operated.

    Tens of students were seen gathering in a ssroom. They were all minding their own business; some were watching stuff, some were chit-chatting, and some were even sleeping. A few of them were also day-dreaming while staring outside the window. All of them seemed to be waiting for someone.

    Minutester, a middle-aged man opened the door and walked into the ssroom.

    The fifty-three-year-old man was Halmond Sandler, Capth¡¯s vice principal, who had been working at the academy for more than twenty years. Obviously, the principal of Capth would not be interested in dealing with the "weaklings" from Ayrng and Bernabeu. Basically, the principal would only be seen during big events like the academy¡¯s founding ceremony and so on. After all, principals of S-Ranked academies would be busier in both politics and military eventspared to principals of A-Ranked academies.

    Capth itself had four vice principals. However, they were not to be underrated as they were even busier and more hardworking than most of the principals of A-Ranked academies. Vice Principal Halmond was in charge of external affairs, like academic exchange programs. He had been doing this for five years, and Capth remained as the unrivaled titan in every event.

    "Attention." Halmond pped and gathered the team, "I assumed everyone knows why you¡¯re here."

    "Sir, our opponents are just a bunch of A-Ranked weaklings. What¡¯s all of this?" One of the students asked.

    Apparently, there seemed to be too many aces in a single team for this time. Normally, Capth would only gather a team like this if they were to take on another same ranked academy. For instance, if the opposing S-Ranked academy¡¯s team were formed by freshmen, they would also be sending out a team of freshmen. If seniors were included in the opponent¡¯s team, they would also do the same, and normally, Capth would only send out freshmen if their opponent were A-Ranked academies.

    However, it seemed serious this time.

    Earth Confederation¡¯s first and second best yers were chosen for Battlecraft Combat. As for METAL Combat, there was the first graders¡¯ No.1, and also a few elites, while the other elites amongst first graders were chosen for the other categories as well. It seemed a little too much since they were only up against the lower ranked academies.

    Halmond smiled and continued, "I believe there are a few moreing in. I¡¯ll begin to exin when the others arrive."

    The rest of the students seemed surprised. They were already the best of the best, who else would they need?

    Two seniors walked in a few minutester. Mot only were those two the top-notches amongst second graders, but also the first and second best yers in the Battlecraft Combat category. Everyone was startled by their appearance.

    However, they weren¡¯t the only ones Halmond was waiting for. He nodded as soon as he heard another footstep approaching.

    A girl walked into the ssroom, ady from a noble family to be exact.

    Here name was Li Ruo-er. Although surname Li was one of the mostmon surnames in Earth, she was notmon at all, because she was the descendant of the House of Li, and also happened to be the younger sister of Li Shimin, the Little Emperor. She was one of Capth¡¯s new recruits for this year. Capth was founded by General Li Feng, which was why House of Li¡¯s descendants would pick Capth if they were to enroll in any academy. In fact, every descendant of House if Li was given an extraordinary level of freedom in this academy, and they had the rights to choose not to learn tactics taught in the academy for obvious reasons. They were also given absolute freedom in terms of learning and studying.

    Everyone knew Li Ruo-er had enrolled in Capth, but she was barely seen attending sses since she had the right to do so. Nevertheless, everyone was stunned by her amazing elegance.

    Apparently, she was also practicing Tactics of the Enchantress, which exined the kaleidoscopic aura and charm that was able to fascinate its beholder!

    Everyone was drawn to her as soon as she stepped in. Although Li Ruo-er was only wearing ordinary school uniform, it felt like she was wearing an expensive gown instead. It took quite a while for fellow elites to regain themselves.

    "Ahem, so it seems like there¡¯s no need for me to make any introduction. Now, let¡¯s begin the briefing. As all of you know, Capth¡¯s academic exchange with the other five A-Ranked academies will be held in five days from now."

    "Sir, we have this every year, but why are we including Ms. Li Ruo-er and the other two seniors this time?" Wally said. He was the top student of Command Force amongst first graders who would be participating in METAL Combat.

    Halmond gently lifted his hand and got their attention, "There are two reasons behind all of these. First, the academy¡¯s founding ceremony is approaching, so we have to make sure to win in every round. Second, this time, we have to be more careful and not underestimate some of the students from the A-Ranked academies."

    The students seemed to not be paying much attention as they were seen still doing their own stuff while Halmond was speaking, because they were confident that no one would ever be able to outrace them even they were to take everything at their own pace. While their enemies were busy trying to figure out how to defeat them, all they had to do was to bring out their best performances during D-Day.

    Their strong sense of arrogance originated from their actual strength, and also the pride of being one of Capth¡¯s students.

    Halmond shook his head and continued, "Wally, I suggest you not to underestimate them. Apparently, Bernabeu, which had been one of the top five A-Ranked academies, was defeated by Ayrngst time. And this time, both of these academies are teaming up to challenge us. Not to mention the Battlecraft Combat boy genius Best would be representing Bernabeu this time. Are you guys confident in defeating him?"

    Although the top freshmen yers were strong, they were not confident in beating Best at all. sh, Bisu, and Best were known as the Marvelous Trio in Battlecraft Combat. Unlike METAL Combat, Battlecraft Combat emphasized on talent instead of experience. These three boys were crowned as the geniuses of Battlecraft Combat, and they were basically unrivaled.

    sh was known for his amazing perspective while Bisu was famous for his unbelievable controlling maneuvers, and Best was a genius in operating maneuvers, which exined why they were the Marvelous Trio in this category. Only sh and Bisu had what it took to handle Best. After all, Capth couldn¡¯t afford to lose as the founding ceremony was drawing nearer.

    "Mr. Halmond, I¡¯ll be able to handle Best by myself. There¡¯s no need of dragging big brother into this mess. It¡¯s a bit too much for both of us to handle Best himself only."

    "Haha, things would be easier if there¡¯s only Best that requires our attention. However, someone was able to defeat Best during the match between Ayrng and Bernabeu. Apparently, his opponent had owned him by using only controlling maneuvers." Everyone was stunned when they heard about it from Halmond.

    "...That¡¯s absurd! Is he that bad already?"

    "No, he¡¯s not. In fact, he had improved a lot after receiving lessons from FlyWing, and the kid had been training hard in order to defeat the two of you. However, rumor has it that his opponent was able to KO him by demonstrating an amazing Cloning Technique, and got him surrounded by two hundred and thirteen fleets. Since you¡¯re good in this Bisu, any thoughts?"

    "Seriously? I didn¡¯t expect the dying Ayrng had such a genius in their team."

    "Anyhow, we must win at all cost. Ms. Li Ruo-er, I¡¯m sure you know why you¡¯re here."

    "Mr. Halmond, you can leave Ma Xiaoru to me. To be honest, I¡¯ve been longing to have a duel with her." Li Ruo-er smiled. Her gentle voice was truly mesmerizing.

    Variability and charm had always been Tactics of the Enchantress¡¯s greatest weapons, uncertainty was the key to gaining total control.

    "I¡¯m counting on you then." Halmond nodded. Finally, the rest were aware of the seriousness of this uing event. No one was truly confident in winning against the House of Ma¡¯s descendant who was extraordinarily skillful in Tactics of the Enchantress. However, Li Ruo-er still had the upper handpared to Ma Xiaoru.

    House of Li versus House of Ma, the battle between two "enchantresses", everyone seemed excited about it.

    "Aside from that, Apache was also one of the alliance¡¯s aces. He is another one not to be underestimated. Not to mention, the other academies had also been busy training their own aces in recent years. So please take note about this. Our opponents might be strong, but we are stronger¡­ We are the victors, and we are invincible. We will be celebrating the uing founder¡¯s ceremony with our victory for sure!"

    "Haha, Mr. Halmond, I¡¯m sure we¡¯re definitely gonna crush them, since sh, Bisu and Li Ruo-er are joining us this time." Wallyughed.

    "By the way, where¡¯s Wang Ben? Wally, didn¡¯t you tell him we¡¯re having a briefing?" Although Wang Ben¡¯s situation was kind ofplicated, his participation would definitely boost Capth¡¯s chances of winning. Not to mention the fact that he was strong and very familiar with Ayrng, even though Capth needed none of that information to win, the academy wished Wang Ben could participate in one of the fights to prove his strength and also boost their reputation.

    "I did, but I think Wang Ben didn¡¯t wish to take part." Wally shrugged. He wasn¡¯t very happy with Wang Ben because he felt that his No.1 title was being challenged. After all, Fist of the Racing Tiger was not something to be underestimated.

    As soon as he said that, Wang Ben walked into the ssroom with a straight face. It seemed like he had gone back to his old self upon enrolling in Capth. He didn¡¯t make any friends, but had been training non-stop instead.

    "Sorry for beingte, I was training just now." Wang Ben said.

    "Haha, no worries. Take a seat, Mr. Wang Ben. I heard you do not wish to take part in thispetition, am I right?" Halmond asked.

    "No, I¡¯d love to take part." Wang Ben sat down and said calmly.

    "Oh, I see. However, something tells me that you¡¯re having doubts about our chances of winning." Halmond joked.

    "Yes, our chances of winning are not as high as we imagine, because our opponents are stronger than we¡¯ve expected!" Wang Benmented in a straight tone. He was behaving like how he used to be before mind-opened. Apparently, he had locked himself again upon arriving in this new environment.

 Chapter 170: To Know Yourself As Well As The Enemies

    Chapter 170: To Know Yourself As Well As The Enemies

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Stop fooling around Wang Ben! Aside from Ma Xiaoru, you were Ayrng¡¯s only asset, not to mention we¡¯re sending out every elite to take them on, which basically leaves them no chance. I bet you chose to join us at thest minute because you saw how strong we are." Wally was annoyed by Wang Ben¡¯s attitude, because Wang Ben didn¡¯t respect him as one of Capth¡¯s No.1.

    On the other hand, Li Ruo-er seemed to be interested in Wang Ben as she kept staring at him. Currently, Wang Ben was the biggest gossip of Capth, because he declined Capth¡¯s invitation and chose Ayrng instead, but in the end, he came back to Capth. So, everyone assumed he switched to Capth because he was unhappy with Ayrng¡¯s current status.

    Wang Ben kept quiet. Then, Li Ruo-er smile and said, "Mr. Wang Ben, since we¡¯rerades now, why don¡¯t you tell us everything you know, like who¡¯s the one we should be paying attention to in Ayrng?"

    Everyone turned towards Wang Ben. Somehow, Li Ruo-er was able to influence everyone in the ssroom.

    "I¡¯m not the strongest fighter of Ayrng, and neither is Ma Xiaoru. The strongest of them all is actually Wang Tong." Wang Benmented calmly.

    Everyone looked puzzled and confused, wondering if there was really such a strong person.

    No one had ever heard of Wang Tong. If he were really that strong, he would be already famous throughout the world. And why would he choose Ayrng if he was that strong? In short, who was this fe that emerged out of nowhere?

    "I assume this Wang Tong fe is one of your friends?" Li Ruo-er asked all of a sudden.

    Wang Ben startled as he felt a sharp pain in his heart as Li Ruo-er said that. Somehow, Li Ruo-er¡¯s vision was extremely "sharp", as it was able to prate his feelings.

    "It¡¯s ok, you don¡¯t have to say if you don¡¯t want to."

    Wang Ben chose to ignore Li Ruo-er, then he stood up and said, "If that¡¯s all, I¡¯d like to be excused Mr. Halmond. I¡¯ve another training to attend to."

    "Alright, you may go now." Halmond nodded. There were a lot of special students in Capth and they were not to be treated as ordinary students, which was why they were usually given a few special rights and freedom.

    As soon as Wang Ben left, Halmond continued with a smile, "What Wang Ben said was also what I was trying to warn you guys. The one who defeated Best was none other than this Wang Tong fe."

    How did Ayrng get their hands on someone who was so talented in both METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat?

    "You call that a friend?" Wally shook his head. If Wang Ben had kept quiet, Ayrng might be have been able to surprise Capth. But now that he had said that, Capth would be prepared for him, and this Wang Tong fe would never be able to create any miracle as long as they remained cautious.

    "You¡¯re wrong, Wally. He said that because he was trying to tell us that none of us would be able to stand a chance against Wang Tong." Li Ruo-er exined gently.

    Meanwhile, Wang Ben was walking in the campus by himself. He looked at the sky, feelingplicated inside.

    He was no chicken no matter how bad the situation was, because he was born as a fighter. Perhaps this was his chance to challenge Wang Tong. Nevertheless, he had to win in order to prove he didn¡¯t make the wrong decision!

    He would prove that his father was right through victory!

    Nevertheless, no one was able to understand how he felt right now.

    The representatives of Capth seemed excited and began to pay attention after having an interesting briefing. To be honest, they wouldn¡¯t care much if those were only the words from Halmond, because he was always using the same trick every year. After all, teachers were always afraid of their students making careless mistakes. However, things like this barely happened in Capth.

    "So, who¡¯d you choose, Bisu?"

    "Of course, that Wang Tong fe. Cloning Technique of two hundred and thirteen, huh? Interesting!"

    "Don¡¯t be too excited, as he might not be as strong as you think. Stay cool. Obviously, Mr. Halmond would highlight our opponent¡¯s strength in order to get our attention. My guts are telling me that this dude was very weak in his operating maneuvers. He was able to win because he had speedy hands and good Soul Energy, which is why he was able to do that in the end." sh smiled as he said that. Apparently, both of them were not happy about the current situation, because no one amongst seniors and juniors of Capth was able to challenge them. Of course, there was Best, but if he didn¡¯t make any improvements, it would be meaningless as well.

    Sometimes, being invincible would make one felt lonely. sh knew this feeling very well.

    "You¡¯re right. It¡¯ll be boring if that¡¯s really the case. He¡¯s totally a rookie if he doesn¡¯t know anything about operating maneuvers. Controlling maneuvers by itself are practically useless. Thank god you reminded me, or else I would really be disappointed."

    "Haha, we shall see soon."

    "Yo boss, look at the arrogance of that punk Wang Ben, behaving like he¡¯s the real No.1!"

    "Hmph, I¡¯ve always been trying to see how strong he is. I¡¯ve been waiting for him to challenge me, but there¡¯s no response at all. To be honest, I¡¯m kinda disappointed." Wally said.

    "Well, I think that¡¯s because he¡¯s a coward. After all, he made the mistake of going to Ayrng and came back to Capth monthster, which proved that he was not as strong as we assumed, since he made such a terrible mistake. If it wasn¡¯t because of his old man, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be rotting at Ayrng by now."

    "Anyhow, he is the sessor of Fist of the Racing Tiger. So he has to have something inside his pockets, and we shall see how strong he really is."

    Normally, top students would always wait for someone to challenge them, and Wally had been expecting Wang Ben¡¯s challenge. But Wang Ben chose to train every day instead ever since he came to Capth, and was always keeping quiet in ss, like he didn¡¯t want to make any friends or talk to anyone. Wally dared not to challenge because he was uncertain of Wang Ben¡¯s strength. However, he would be able to see how strong was Wang Ben since he would be taking part in the uingpetition.

    As for the nobody called Wang Tong, Wally chose not to pay attention to him since the level of strength between Cpath and Ayrng was totally not same. If he was strong in Aynrg, that meant he was only normal in Capth!

    Clearly, Wang Ben had to learn that he was no longer one of the rubbish of Aynrg, but a glorious member of the almighty Capth. He had to learn the sense of pride.

    Meanwhile, Samantha seemed unhappy about hertest intel. She had been wishing that Capth would underestimate them, but right now, it seemed like the n was not going to work.

    Capth¡¯s candidates were mostly freshmen, but there were two second graders who were the best of the best in Battlecraft Combat, and their freshmen were also dominating in the other categories. Apparently, Capth and Yalden had been dominating most of the subjects this year.

    Ayrng had Ma Xiaoru as its trump card, but Capth managed to recruit Li Ruo-er in thispetition, which had basically murdered the other academies.

    Furthermore, Capth¡¯s founder ceremony was during the event, which exined that they were trying to secure Capth¡¯s invincible status for the sake of the celebration.

    "Xiaoru, tell me everything you know about Li Ruo-er¡¯s Tactics of the Enchantress."

    This was also one of Samantha¡¯s worries. Apparently, the tournament would be using KOF system, meaning that the candidates may take part in multiple categories repetitively. One could even stay in the ring and knock out every other fighter if necessary. Although Li Ruo-er might not participate in the end, they still would have to figure out a way to defeat her in order to vanquish Capth.

    Ma Xiaoru seemed calm as she heard that, "I¡¯m not too sure."

    "Have you girls ever fought each other during your time at the House of Li?" Samantha seemed curious.

    Ma Xiaoru smiled and replied, "The House of Li was huge, and I only met her for a few times during family dinner. You can say we know each other since we¡¯ve chatted for a few times, but we¡¯re not close. If you want me topare myself to her in terms of our tactics, I¡¯d say she looked more like an enchantress than I do."

    Samantha got even more worried. This meant that Li Ruo-er was also someone not to be underestimated. Although direct descendants were more talented, that didn¡¯t mean that they were more powerful since many of them were mboyant yboys and ygirls, which exined why so many huge families had disappeared into the history from time to time.

    Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Tactics of the Enchantress seemed weird, since she still wasn¡¯t able to totally behave like one. Samantha was worried if that was because of her iplete mastery. However, she didn¡¯t tell Ma Xiaoru about it.

    Amazing tactics like this required full devotion and concentration of both mentor and disciple, or else, its power would be affected. Obviously, House of Li¡¯s mentors would give their best to coach their own descendant. However, due to the agreement between House of Li and House of Ma, the mentors had no choice but to teach Ma Xiaoru as well. But only God would know if they had skipped any important parts when she learned. After all, Ma Xiaoru was not the direct descendant of House of Li.

    "Don¡¯t worry Sam, Capth might be strong, but they¡¯re not invincible. You can leave Li Ruo-er to me." Ma Xiaoru smiled and said as she noticed Samantha¡¯s worry.

    After using all sorts of methods to get her hands on the intel, Samantha¡¯s confidence plummeted after reading the content. As a former student of Capth and the current principal of Ayrng, Samantha knew both academies very well, and she was well aware of the huge gap between her own students and Capth¡¯s.

    Actually, Samantha was able to tell that something seemed to have happened between Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-er, judging from Li Ruo-er¡¯s unexpected participation, which meant she urged to take on Ma Xiaoru in the uing tournament. However, Samantha didn¡¯t know the reason she wanted to fight. Perhaps she only wanted topare her own tactics with Ma Xiaoru¡¯s, or maybe there were some other reasons.

    "Well, we have no choice but to march on. Tell everyone to gather up."

    "Rx, Sam. Everyone has been training very hard throughout the weeks. I have faith in the team, and I have faith in you!" Ma Xiaoru nodded.

    Ayrng and Bernabeu¡¯s trainee gathered up at the meeting auditorium. All of them had been doing a great job throughout the special training program, and they appeared to be more confident and energetic after going through tons of hardships together.

    As Samantha walked in, Hu Yangxuan whispered to Wang Tong, "Our gorgeous principal seems to have gotten prettiertely, way to go bruh!"

    Wang Tong stomped his feet onto Hu Yangxuan¡¯s as he heard that, seeming embarrassed about it.

    "First of all, thank you for your hard work. Principal Martyrus and I are very impressed with your improvements. D-Day is approaching, and I¡¯ve obtained the name list of Capth¡¯s candidates. Some of them are popr, and some are not. Principal Martyrus and I have also collected a bit of information regarding their candidates, and I¡¯m about to show it to all of you, so that you can learn more about your opponents, and maybe think of any methods to counter them."

    Samantha seemed worried as she noticed their spirit of excitement. Hopefully, they¡¯ll still be optimistic about this after the briefing.

 Chapter 171: Monsters Everywhere

    Chapter 171: Monsters Everywhere

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Let¡¯s begin with Intel Programming Battle. Capth¡¯s ace will be King, a first grader. He was recruited by Capth for his excellent and extraordinary skills in this category. Zhang Kui, Zhang Yan and Rumi, pay attention. I¡¯m about to show you a footage of one of his recent battles in Capth."

    The Zhang Brothers were familiar with the name "King". As Samantha yed the video footage, they saw a decent and rather thin young male with a paleplexion. However, his eyes were menacing.

    In that video, King fully demonstrated his insane algorithm and also his spectacr cogitation. So, it was obviously andslide victory. However, the most unbelievable thing about the match was the fact that King was actually up against four opponents at the same time. Not to mention the fact that those four were not amateurs, but the Intel Programming Battle pros of Capth, and they were strong. Yet, the four of them were beaten like crab-cakes even though four brains were working on the algorithm, while on the other hand, King seemed very rxed and confident throughout the whole match.

    Most people only knew that King was strong because he was able to defeat four opponents at the same time, since they wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to the technical stuff. However, the faces of both Zhang Brothers immediately turned pale after witnessing that insane footage.

    "Next, Heavy Arm Brawl. They¡¯re sending out Jia Gang." Samantha then waved her hand and swiped to the next footage about Heavy Arm Brawl.

    Basically, students majoring in Heavy Arm wererger in terms of body size. GN Force wasn¡¯t really that important in this category, but one had to have a bold physique and awesome stamina for the operation. Students needed to be strong because the operation would bring immense physical stress to one¡¯s muscles and bones, which was the reason why there were almost no Kaedeians in Heavy Arm sses, since most of their bodies were thinner and smaller.

    Scarlet and Tita were huge, but Jia Gang wasrger than them. It was almost like the body of a bodybuilder, muscr and tough; after watching the footage of how Jia Gang fought, both Scarlet and Tita wentpletely silent.

    Samantha didn¡¯t say anything and carried on, "Capth will be sending out their No.1 among the first graders for Battlecraft Combat, the candidate known by the ID: Kal. He was crowned rookie of the year andter recruited by Capth after winning the first ce in Battlecraft Combat. Aside from Kal, they would also be sending out sh and Bisu for thispetition."

    Kal was a neer, so there was not much info about him, but sh and Bisu were no strangers to most people, as they were known as the geniuses of Battlecraft Combat throughout Earth Confederation. It seemed like Capth was trying to break a butterfly with wheels.

    No doubt they were nning for an overkill.

    There were a lot of video clips regarding sh and Bisu¡¯s Battlecraft Combat matches. Most of them were quite educational; Samantha selected two of the recent ones and yed for the whole team. Everyone was immediately startled by what they saw.

    sh¡¯s performance was perfect. His terrifying perspective and all-rounded control werepletely out of this world. Turning his opponent into a chess piece in a game of chess, yet he was the chess yer instead, whoever was up against him would be swirled into a whirlpool of despair for sure.

    Bisu, on the other hand, was known for his top-of-the-world controlling maneuvers. But unlike Wang Tong, Bisu was good in every other aspect besides that. It was like he had turned Battlecraft Combat into a video game with his controlling maneuver. He was practically undefeatable even if his opponent had four arms.

    "Mr. Karl, where are you going?"

    "I need some fresh air..."

    "Me too..."

    "Sorry, I need to use the restroom."

    Obviously, everyone was kind of depressed by the information regarding those monstrous elites. Nevertheless, Samantha had expected them to react like that. Everyone left except students in charge of METAL Combat, and the info Samantha was about to feed them would also be sort of hard to swallowed.

    "METAL Combat had always been the main event of the wholepetition. Winning this category is equal to winning the wholepetition, which is why Capth would be sending their best candidates for sure. Aside from the top three fighters of their first graders, they are also sending out the descendent of the House of Li, Li Ruo-Er, andst, but not the least, Wang Ben."

    Samantha didn¡¯t show any footage of Li Ruo-Er and Wang Ben, because it would be pointless since both of them were well-known for their capabilities. Instead, she showed them the video clips about Wally, Capth¡¯s No.1 fighter among first graders, who was extremely skilled in sword fights. He specialized in confusing and defeating his opponents with his dazzling stabs and shes. There was technically no way to defend against his perfect sword-strikes. Wally¡¯s fighting style was rather elegant and magnificent, unlike Wang Ben¡¯s straightforward and clear-cut attacking methods.

    As for Li Ruo-Er, no doubt everyone would be expecting a duel between Tactics of the Enchantress. Not to mention anything else, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were equal in terms of strength and ability.

    Nevertheless, based on the current situation, Ayrng and Bernabeu¡¯s best hope of winning Capth would lie in METAL Combat for sure.

    Wang Tong was amazed by the top three fighter¡¯s strength and their skills in battles, but somehow those three were still manageable. However the descendent of the House of Li was definitely the biggest challenge of all.

    He had always been hoping to see the real power of Tactics of the Enchantress. Even though he had fought Ma Xiaoru before, yet that wasn¡¯t a true battle, and she didn¡¯t get the chance of showing him the absolute dominating strength of Tactics of the Enchantress, which made it one of the Five Greatest Tactics. That previous fight was like a friendly match between acquaintances.

    Wang Tong seemed to be kind of excited after learning about the descendent of the House of Li. He had been wishing to test out his original Tactics of the de against Li Ruo-Er¡¯s magnificent Tactics of the Enchantress. He was curious if Tactics of the de would be able to withstand the great amount of pressure from her Tactics of the Enchantress. It was normal for those who practiced Tactics of the de to develop this kind of curiosity.

    As the saying went, "Cream always rises to the top". Every talented person seemed to love challenges, and sometimes, it wasn¡¯t driven by fame, but because of the huge enjoyment from the process of challenging itself.

    "Good, you guys are still with me!" Samantha was relieved. If they were to ask for fresh air, Ayrng and Bernabeu¡¯s fate would be doomed for sure.

    "Ma¡¯am, can I have a copy of the data? I¡¯d like to do some research, and perhaps I could find some useful information for everyone." Cao Yi asked while scratching his head.

    "No problem. However, make sure doing that doesn¡¯t affect your training."

    "Yes, Ma¡¯am."

    "Alright, that¡¯s all for now. Remember, learn from your enemies to know yourself better. Be prepared for what you¡¯re about to face¡­ Dismiss."

    Ma Xiaoru intercepted Wang Tong as he was about to leave along with Hu Yangxuan and the rest, "Wang Tong, I need your help."

    "Oh, Sure." Wang Tong nodded.

    The two of them walked alongside as they talked, "So, you were saying that Li Ruo-Er was actually targeting you?"

    "Haha, it¡¯splicated and kind of personal. Anyways, I knew I¡¯d be facing her someday¡­ You don¡¯t have to look so grim, it¡¯s not that serious. She is just hoping to settle the score with me."

    "Since both of you are practicing Tactics of the Enchantress, there might be a huge chance of hurting yourselves. Are you feeling confident?"

    "Not quite, since she practiced earlier than me. Descendents of the House of Li are known to be talented, and judging from what I saw, her practice in the tactics has reached a certain level, probably even higher than mine. But, I¡¯m not nning to lose!"

    "So, do tell what I can offer to help!" Wang Tong patted his chest and said. Now that the thing between him and Samantha had gone back on track, he could finally act more normal around Ma Xiaoru, and started to treat her more like a friend.

    "Obviously Li Ruo-Er knows more than I do regarding Tactics of the Enchantress, which puts me in a bad position. So, I was hoping if you could be my sparring partner." Ma Xiaoru said.

    "I see, so you are nning to use Li Ruo-Er¡¯s confidence of winning for your own good, huh?" Wang Tong nodded. Generally speaking, Ma Xiaoru was standing in a disadvantageous position.

    "I¡¯ll tell you about the detailster."

    "Why wait? Let¡¯s begin today after training. Judging from the situation, it might take us some time to find the perfect solution. So, I think the earlier we start, the better." Wang Tong replied excitedly.

    "That¡¯s perfect!" Ma Xiaoru seemed touched. Usually, she didn¡¯t likepeting with others. However, she did have her own reason for defeating Li Ruo-Er.

    Most of the time, Ma Xiaoru would have the advantages when she was up against most of her opponents, not to mention she had not even utilized the ultimate moves of her Tactics of the Enchantress before. However, those advantages would turn into disadvantages if she were to fight against Li Ruo,-Er given by the fact that Ma Xiaoru¡¯s practice progress and battle experiences were slightly lower than her opponent. But most importantly, Ma Xiaoru knew lesser intel than Li Ruo-Er.

    Recently, Wang Tong was performing badly in his Battlecraft Combat training. He was defeated from time to time, because he was only allowed to use one hand in a single match, which made it impossible for Wang Tong to use his controlling maneuver. However, he really was able to learn something new during his multiple defeats, Wang Tong noticed he had begun to pay more attention to his timing and also his perspective on the overall situation, due to the fact that he was restricted from giving in to his usual habits. Nevertheless, it required the perfect touch to aim for the perfect timing. It didn¡¯t matter much if he was extremely good in his maneuvers, but if he was put in a handicapped situation, every second mattered.

    It seemed to remind Wang Tong of his early days in Norton, when he would be extremely cautious with his movements. He began to feel the essence of battle as he paid more attention to it, not to mention FlyWing was giving him advice from time to time. It took him quite some time to see results, but a little failure didn¡¯t matter as long as there was an improvement.

    Finally, Wang Tong had finished his maneuvers and analysis training. He was sorting out the information he learned today as he walked out the ssroom, and noticed Ma Xiaoru was already waiting in the hallway.

    "Master Wang, what brings her here?" Zhou Sisi asked.

    "I¡¯m helping her to think of a n to counter Tactics of the Enchantress. By the way, you seemed to have remarkable improvementstely. I guess soon it¡¯ll be my turn to call you Master Zhou." Wang Tong joked.

    "Aw, shaddup. Don¡¯t even try to divert the conversation. Well, enjoy your time with the prettydy¡­ and be careful." Zhou Sisi seemed kind of jealous.

    "Don¡¯t worry, although Tactics of the Enchantress is strong, I¡¯m not that easy to be defeated."

    "I mean, be careful not to get eaten by the prettydy, you idiot!"

    Zhou Sisi¡¯s rtionship with Ma Xiaoru was a little awkward. They didn¡¯t hate each other, but they also were not very fond of each other. However, Wang Tong was unaware of the awkwardness as he shook his head. But even if he knew, he still would have no idea how to handle the girls.

    Anyhow, Wang Tong was blessed with the luck of a fool in this kind of a situation ording to Hu Yangxuan, yet mister expert said he wasn¡¯t as blessed as Wang Tong if he were to be ced in simr situations.

    Wang Tong immediately knew Ma Xiaoru was nning to head to the Sky Mansion when he saw her maglev vehicle, clearly because the academy was not the perfect venue for their own fight.

    "You can drive?" Wang Tong asked. He had never tried driving before, or to be exact, his financial status didn¡¯t allow him to develop expensive hobbies. Nevertheless, he was born and raised in a city filled with metro and other public transports. Hence, there was no point of him getting one of those maglev vehicles.

    "Yeah, but I barely drive since it has the autopilot function." Ma Xiaoruughed and replied. Somehow, she looked prettier than usual today. She had let her hair down, and was seen wearing a simple white dress that set off her gorgeous figure. There was also a faint scent of orchid¡­ Somehow, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Tactics of the Enchantress started to look different, and even Ma Xiaoru herself felt weird about such changes. But her training days at the House of Li had ended a long time ago, and for some reason, she had no intentions to head back and ask for the exnation.

    "Let¡¯s go."

    "You wanna give it a try?"

    "Nah, I¡¯m too broke to break one of your belongings."

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t quite familiar with the brand of the vehicle, yet, judging from the expressions of other people, it was definitely one of those super expensive ones. Nevertheless, Wang Tong was sure that the House of Ma was rich enough to own a few of these.

 Chapter 172: Allelopathy

    Chapter 172: Allelopathy

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Don¡¯t worry! C¡¯mon, take this as my chance of repaying you for your kindness of helping me!" Ma Xiaoru then pulled Wang Tong to the driver¡¯s seat. Of course, Wang Tong was more than happy to be offered an opportunity like this. He knew Ma Xiaoru wouldn¡¯t mind, since she was rich, and he had always been craving for the excitement of eleration.

    "That¡¯s the push-to-start button, the touch control panel and that¡¯s the autopilot button. Just push that button if you feel that you¡¯re not able to drive, simple as that." Ma Xiaoru said. Driving itself was really simple, and the rest were basically entertainment functions. Wang Tong then started the engine and began to feel the rush of adrenaline, as the maglev vehicle rose up. It really felt different from those smaller ones, and definitely looked cooler than Hu Yangxuan¡¯s.

    "Hold on tight!" Wang Tong said in excitement. He loved the feeling of adrenaline rushing throughout his body, kind of looking like a boy with his new toy. Actually, he had wanted to try driving when he was in Hu Yangxuan¡¯s vehicle back then, but in the end, he didn¡¯t ask for it. Nevertheless, Wang Tong had already learned most of the basics while watching Hu Yangxuan drive.

    It was definitely a good quality maglev vehicle, because the vehicle didn¡¯t rattle as it rose up slowly, even though it was driven by a rookie. Since Wang Tong had learned how to pilot a Battlecraft in his previous training, he was able to get used to every function in a jiff. Soon, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s vehicle began to move and elerate.

    "Woah, cool!" Wang Tong loved the thrill of speed. Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru seemed to be startled by the sudden excitement.

    Wang Tong began to drive like a racer, as he had gotten familiar with the maneuvers, and within minutes, they heard police sirens wail behind their vehicle. However, neither of them knew that it was illegal to drive that fast in the city. The only thing mister rookie knew was to shake off the police as soon as possible.

    "Hold on tight Xiaoru, I¡¯m going to shake them off our tail now!"

    Wang Tong stepped on the pedal and elerated, yet their vehicle was still closely followed by the police. Two maglev vehicles were seen zigzagging across buildings. Wang Tong was getting more and more excited as he pushed his driving skills to the limit; he was even turning corners by drifting the vehicle, really looking like a racer.

    Of course, the police was unable to drive like him, not to mention their vehicle was not as fast as Ma Xiaoru¡¯s. Soon, their vehicle had gone out of sight.

    "Dammit! That was fast! What the hell was that vehicle?"

    "That brand¡­ oh nevermind, let¡¯s head back to the precinct."

    "What¡¯s the matter with you? I¡¯m sure we can catch that fe and lock him up for ten days or maybe half a month!"

    "That maglev vehicle belongs to the House of Ma, you idiot."

    Both cops looked at each other, "Giving a speeding ticket to the House of Ma? Nah..." They gave up the idea immediately.

    Wang Tong sighed in relief when he noticed the police was out of sight. Honestly, what happened minutes ago almost scared the crap out of him. Ma Xiaoru, who was sitting right beside him, giggled as she saw his amusing expression.

    "What¡¯s wrong, was it bad? Oh god, please don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re gonna arrest me soon."

    "Two minutes ago, you were driving fast like a madman, and now you¡¯re scared like a chicken. Get a grip!" Ma Xiaoru said. Actually, they could¡¯ve just pulled over and given the officers a few good reasons instead of turning it into a street chase.

    Wang Tong scratched his head, "I was kinda excited and went crazy¡­ My bad! Luckily I didn¡¯t take the wrong turn."

    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine since we¡¯re about ten minutes earlier than our expected time of arrival."

    This wasn¡¯t Wang Tong¡¯s first time visiting the Sky Mansion, so he decided to show himself around while waiting for Ma XIaoru to get changed. Minutester, she came back in her training outfit.

    "Wow, so you really are getting serious huh. Looks like I¡¯ll have to be extra alertter." Wang Tong joked.

    "Make sure you don¡¯t go easy on me. I¡¯ve been spending a lot of time recently to prepare for this. Hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to seed in one shot!"

    "Are you nning to perform Tactics Advancement?" Wang Tong asked, knowing this might be a difficult task.

    "How do you know about Tactics Advancement?" Ma Xiaoru looked at Wang Tong in surprise. Somehow, he always didn¡¯t know things that weremonly known by others, but he would know things that he wasn¡¯t supposed to know.

    "Kinda heard of it before. But no one is here to monitor you. Are you sure you wanna do this?"

    "I¡¯ll be fine, Tactics of the Enchantress might be unpredictable, but it¡¯s quite stable when ites to Tactics Advancement. I¡¯ll handle the rest by myself." Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t want to trouble the House of Li and worsen the situation, since the deal between the two houses was already settled.

    "So, how can I help?"

    "There are ten stages in the two hundred and one nodes Tactics of the Enchantress. Right now, I¡¯m at the fourth stage. However, I couldn¡¯t improve my tactics ever since I got out from the House of Li. If I were to fight Li Ruo-Er with my current level, I''d never stand a chance to defeat her. So, I have to advance to the next stage as soon as possible!" Ma Xiaoru seemed very serious about this battle. Somehow this fight meant a lot more to her than what met the eye.

    Wang Tong had no idea what was going on with her, yet Mr. busybody was eager to help when he saw Ma Xiaoru¡¯s enthusiasm. Moreover, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s performance was crucial to their crusade against Capth.

    "The Tactics Advancement of Tactics of the Enchantress is a bit different as it requires a sparring partner. For the first phase, I¡¯ll attack you with my Soul Energy. It¡¯s kinda like a mental and emotional attack. All you need to do is defend by strengthening your willpower and make sure you¡¯re not distracted; Tactics of the Enchantress focus on attack. Hence, I need to boost up my attacks in order to advance."

    "Haha, thank you for recognizing my strength. Hopefully, I¡¯ll not copse before you finish." Wang Tong was curious why Ma Xiaoru had confidence in him.

    "Honestly, not everyone who is stronger than me would be able to withstand Tactics of the Enchantress¡¯s mental and emotional attacks, but I do have faith in you. Somehow, I can tell that your tactics weren¡¯t affected by mine when I first saw you, and for some reason, my Tactics of the Enchantress started to change after knowing you. It seemed to have be calmer like it was inhibited by something. Anyway, I might be wrong, as this is only my recent analysis. Nevertheless I do believe in my hunch as a girl." Ma Xiaoru¡¯s wisdom shined through her eyes as she exined, but clearly all her words were not mere intuition. Somehow, Wang Tong felt that he might have done something back then and given himself away. But he was always being cautious, so it would be impossible for Ma Xiaoru to find out anything.

    Or perhaps he was just being skeptical.

    "What are you staring at?" Ma Xiaoru questioned.

    Wang Tong then realized he had been staring at her chest as he was dozing off a while ago, so it got kind of awkward.

    "Ahem, nothing... I was thinking that I¡¯ll be fine since my only task is to defend with my willpower. As you know, my Tactics of the de were the steadiest of them all, so I¡¯m sure I can handle that."

    "Yea, that¡¯s also why I have faith in you. Obviously, there are still a lot of aces and various of tactics out there, but among the people who are practicing Tactics of the de, I¡¯ve never seen anyone strong like you. These tactics might have a slow progress, yet they are definitely the steadiest. However, before we begin, I have to tell you that I¡¯ll be unleashing my maximum level of Soul Energy in order to increase my possibility of advancement. I¡¯ve been trying a lot of times by myself, but there¡¯s no way I could seed without an opponent."

    "Bring it on! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m tougher than you think. Not even an attractive woman can break me." Wang Tong winked as he goofed around.

    "You little¡­ I¡¯m being serious here. If you¡¯re not able to withstand my attacks, I¡¯ll have to stop immediately."

    "But is there another way to advance?"

    "I¡¯m afraid no, there¡¯s no other way besides that. ording to my calction, it¡¯ll take me another half a year if I were to advance step by step. Unfortunately, we haven¡¯t got much time."

    Although the best method was to seek help from the House of Li, yet it would be kind of ridiculous, if the reason for seeking Tactics Advancement were to defeat their own sessor.

    "Rx, I¡¯m sure the first phase will be alright. What about the second phase?"

    "If you¡¯re able to defend against the attacks from my Soul Energy, we will be able to move on to the second phase. All you have to do is to attack me, and the rest will be up to me."

    "Okay, let¡¯s do this, let¡¯s get ready!"

    Both of them then began to initialize their tactics respectively, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t surprised, since he also did the same thing when he was practicing Tactics of the de. Einherjar Wannabe even helped him by giving advice; the only thing different was he didn¡¯t have to fight another person. All he needed to do was to boost his Soul Energy. Apparently, there were times when theplete version of Tactics of the de would develop a strong current of force, like a calm and beautiful sea turning into a ferocious roaring sea in a split second.

    Nevertheless, this was a great opportunity for Wang Tong to witness the power of two hundred and one nodes Tactics of the Enchantress. However, it would be impossible for him to learn and mimic Tactics of the Enchantress under such circumstances.

    It was not a coincidence for Wang Tong to be able to learn Tactics of the de easily, one of the reasons being his practice since childhood. But, he was unable to find out the biggest reason behind all this, and even Old Fart didn¡¯tpletely know why.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru decided to initialize a full cirction in order to push their Soul Energy to the maximum limit. As theypleted their preparations, both of them opened their eyes, "Let¡¯s begin!"

    Ma Xiaoru began to release her Soul Energy gradually, filling the room with tons of pressure. Soon, she decided to increase the output of Soul Energy since Wang Tong was doing alright.

    The currents of Soul Energy slowly started to turn into an Energy Storm. Unlike physical battles, Tactics Advancement was more simr to mental brawls, which focused more on a person¡¯s mental toughness and attributes. The most terrifying part about Tactics of the Enchantress was its fluctuating ability to change and cause hallucinations to its opponent. Ma Xiaoru kept monitoring Wang Tong¡¯s expression, as she might have to stop if something happened. So far Wang Tong was doing okay, and Ma Xiaoru was impressed by his level of strength.

    Soul Energy was different from fighting ability. One might do good in fighting, but that didn¡¯t mean the person¡¯s Soul Energy was good as well, and vice versa. In order to be an ace, one had to develop a strong fighting ability and Soul Energy. Obviously, Wang Tong was good in battles, a born fighter if one may say. But Ma Xiaoru was kind of surprised when she found out Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy was also quite impressive.

    Ma Xiaoru was relieved when she noticed he was doing fine, then began to increase her output of Soul Energy again. The Energy Storm was getting stronger as well.

    Apparently, the training room was not an ordinary room, but a custom-made chamber instead. It was built from expensive materials that were able to iste the dispersion of Soul Energy. This room was specially built for Tactics Advancement, in order to increase one¡¯s chances of sess.

    Wang Tong seemed to be waiting¡­ waiting for the hallucination!

    However, for some reason, he was only able to feel the pressure from Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Soul Energy. Clearly, her Soul Energy had exceeded two hundred sols and no doubt that was the true strength of the pretty little princess. Nevertheless, Wang Tong was impressed that Ma Xiaoru, who was an introverted and low profiled person who didn¡¯t like showing off, was even able to go full force on him when they fought, which was very rare amongst girls.

    On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru was also startled by Wang Tong¡¯s level of strength!

    She decided not to hesitate, since Wang Tong was still doing alright. Then, she boosted her Soul Energy to the maximum state in order to break the limit and advance to the fifth stage of Tactics of the Enchantress.

    It would be scary if she were making an attack with that intensity of Soul Energy. However, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to deal any damage since she was only using it to pressure her opponent. But most importantly, Wang Tong still wasn¡¯t able to feel any signs of hallucination¡­ Instead, he was feeling quitefortable.

 Chapter 173: The Pleasure of Bullying

    Chapter 173: The Pleasure of Bullying

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Perhaps Tactics of the de contained some kind of a mystical power that was able to inhibit Tactics of the Enchantress¡¯s unique ability. Finally, Wang Tong had to believe that the tactics that he had been practicing were none other than de Warrior¡¯s legendary Tactics of the de. Only the legendary fighter would have the ability to create such a mystical power!

    Great! He was officially one step closer to his dream of bing the Baron in space!

    The great amount of Soul Energy began dispersing in every direction due to the presence of a resistance force, which also enabled Ma Xiaoru to use the force as a booster to her Soul Energy. She would be able to obtain a greater boost as long as Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy remained still like a solid boulder!

    Ma Xiaoru began to go full force, gradually showing the true power of her Tactics of the Enchantress. Meanwhile, Wang Tong himself had also made a discovery. He noticed that he was able to feel the initialization of Tactics of the Enchantress. Although it wasn¡¯t a detailed feeling, he was still able to understand the situation.

    While he was defending against Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Soul Energy, Wang Tong also noticed the initialization of his own tactics had also be faster, as if his Tactics of the de were drawn to her Tactics of the Enchantress. It was a remarkable feeling indeed.

    Judging from the resonance, Wang Tong was wondering if there were such things as masculine tactics and feminine tactics.

    Many researches had been done regarding Pair Practicing Tactics. It was believed that this practicing method was simr to the theory of Yin and Yang, and would be able to enhance the power of both parties. But for some reason, its practitioners would be extremely vulnerable to the allure of evil. Hence, the Confederation had banned this sort of a method to be imparted publicly. However, some families would still pass this to their next generation, but most of them were not famous.

    Undeniably, both Yin and Yang would be attracted to each other as the Soul Energy from both male and female began to react to each other. But, it would require an extra level of effort to turn this attraction into propulsion.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong¡¯s sanity was unaffected, and his mind was still clear. He noticed that Tactics of the de had been "consuming" the Soul Energy from Tactics of the Enchantress like it was some kind of a "supplement". However, that didn¡¯t mean that Wang Tong was engorging Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Soul Energy itself. Instead, his body was actually absorbing the unrecyble Soul Energy released from Ma Xiaoru¡¯s body. He wouldn¡¯t mind it since his tactics were enjoying its "meal, " and he wasn¡¯t feeling ufortable, so he preferred to "let it be" when he was in practice mode.

    On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Soul Energy was still increasing. This would have be a breaking news if she were an ordinary person. But, being the sessor of tactics of the Enchantress, of course, she would have this amount of Soul Energy. In fact, as both sessors of the House of Ma and also Tactics of the Enchantress, she had to be strong, or else, she would be despised.

    Ma Xiaoru had been burdened by stress like this since she was young. However, instead of developing an ambitious and arrogant personality or the urge to create her own business, Ma Xiaoru preferred the life of a normal person. But, she was born without this option. She was a smart girl, which exined why she would always give her best effort even if that were something that she didn¡¯t like. So far, she had never let anyone down.

    Wang Tong was looking at Ma Xiaoru as he enjoyed his "meal". He realized that she was actually a lively and lovely girl with a beautiful mind. Unfortunately, she was born in aplicated environment. However, she didn¡¯t back down despite her gentle personality, because she was willing to sacrifice, and she would throw in all of her effort for the sake of her identity.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s body was seen releasing a purplish aura as her long hair fluttered. Her Soul Energy was rising uncontrobly. She wanted to say something, but she was unable to control her body anymore. Her Tactics of the Enchantress was initializing like it had gone berserk. She felt that her mind was fading out, like she was about to fall into a dark hole.

    However, Wang Tong was feelingfortable as his tactics continued to consume her Soul Energy. Aside from its power, Tactics of the de was also able to initialize by itself, yet it would be slower if it weren''t driven by consciousness. However, he noticed that the speed kept increasing as he kept feeding on the Soul Energy; it was strange indeed.

    "Yo kiddo, are you nning to get her killed?" Einherjar Wannabe appeared from nowhere, staring at Wang Tong like a madman. Instantly Wang Tong regained his conscious, and discovered that Ma Xiaoru had fallen into an abnormal state.

    "What¡¯s going on?"

    "You really are an idiot! Tactics of the de and Tactics of the Enchantress are both Pair Practicing Tactics, yet you¡¯re only absorbing her Soul Energy without channeling your own Soul Energy to her body, which is basically simr to murder¡­ Wait a minute, why would I know all about this? Oh dammit, I can¡¯t remember!"

    "Hello! Stop talking to yourself and tell me what to do next. I was absorbing because I thought it was only some kind of unrecyble Soul Energy. I didn¡¯t mean to do that!"

    Somehow, Wang Tong felt like kicking Einherjar Wannabe on his head!

    "Well, give it back you idiot!"

    "How?" Wang Tong was frustrated as he kept scratching his head. Somehow, Tactics of the de were too strong and kept causing him trouble from time to time.

    "Hmm, lemme think..." Einherjar Wannabe thought hard as he ced his chin on one of his palms, which got Wang Tong more frustrated¡­

    "Hurry up! Aren¡¯t you an Einherjar? You should be able to solve this easily!"

    "It¡¯s simple. All you have to do is make love to her, and everything will be alright once your Soul Energy is connected to each other. Perhaps, your Tactics will also have great improvement!" Einherjar Wannabe giggled all of a sudden, like he had remembered something.

    "Oh cut the crap, A-hole!"

    "Hmph, I was just kidding, you idiot! I really suspect there is something wrong with you for not falling for a prettydy like this. If I were twenty years younger¡­ two hundred years younger¡­ Oh whatever, release your own Soul Energy and try to synchronize with hers!"

    Wang Tong immediately channeled his own Soul Energy toward Ma Xiaoru. Fortunately, there were no rejection as he fused his Soul Energy to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s, yet Soul Energy was still dispersing. But this time, Wang Tong controlled his Soul Energy and stopped the absorption.

    "Okay, what¡¯s next?"

    "Well, let¡¯s see, how¡¯s your rtionship with the littledy over there? If you guys are close, then you can give her a push which will also help her toplete the Tactics Advancement. But if both of you are not that close, then all you have to do is stabilize her Soul Energy."

    "She¡¯s my friend, of course, I¡¯ll help her advance!"

    "Bravo, brave-ass. However, Tactics Advancement is not as simple as you think. Boost up your own Soul Energy and refill her weaker parts with yours. Follow her pace to advance!"

    Einherjar Wannabe looked like a rxed bystander¡­ But how did he know about Tactics of the Enchantress? Why would everything sound so familiar? Pair Practicing Tactics? How did he know about that? Did he once have a Pair Practicing partner?

    Einherjar Wannabe remembered two blurry figures, but he still couldn¡¯t get a vivid picture of the shadowy figures no matter how hard he tried, and he felt his energy depleted whenever he tried to remember.

    "Hey, hey,e back here. Good god, what¡¯s going on with Xiaoru¡¯s Soul Energy? Is this working?"

    "Haha, difficult isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s how Tactics Advancement is supposed to be, you jack-ass. To be honest, I was kinda pissed off when I noticed the smooth progression in your practice of Tactics of the de. Tactics that contain more sources of GN Force are harder to be learned and more difficult to achieve Tactics Advancement/ The more sources of GN Force it contains, the longer the progress and the more Soul Energy it requires¡­ Unlike you, you lucky ba*tard!"

    "Hey, this is not the time to goof around. Look at what¡¯s going on now, will ya?" Wang Tong hated it when he had to ask for his help. One day, he would kick him right in the face for sure!

    "What¡¯s the matter? You look angry. You don¡¯t need my help? Fine, I¡¯ll stay out of this then!" Einherjar Wannabe sneered at Wang Tong. He could tell Wang Tong was kind of infuriated.

    "Ahem, of course, I need your help, my dear mentor. You¡¯re my master, my Einherjar and also my dearest friend> Of course I respect you!" Wang Tong said unwillingly while grinding his teeth.

    Einherjar Wannabe enjoyed Wang Tong¡¯s expression like this very much; it was sort of entertaining.

    "Now that¡¯s better." Einherjar Wannabe then noticed their Soul Energy had increased to the right state and continued, "Hold on to your current Soul Energy. Later, when you felt an immense pressure, unleash all of that energy and ovee that pressure as hard as you can. Once you..."

    Wang Tong¡¯s expression changed all of a sudden before Einherjar Wannabe could finish his sentence, as he began to felt an immense pressure and also the huge deficit of Soul Energy from Ma Xiaoru¡¯s side. Apparently, she had used too much at the beginning which caused theck of Soul Energy at the next part of the process. However, it wasn¡¯t all her fault as her Tactics of the Enchantress had never paired up with Wang Tong¡¯s terrifying Tactics of the de before.

    Now that Wang Tong knew what to do, he wasn¡¯t intimidated by the immense pressure at all and continued to channel his Soul Energy. A white radiant light was seen fusing with the purplish radiant light. Wang Tong could feel a strong force of inhibition, and he was trying his best to ovee the force.

    Einherjar Wannabe stood aside and observed in silence. Somehow, it felt familiar, yetplicated at the same time. Je couldn¡¯t tell if it was nostalgia or hatred. Nevertheless, he had made quite a breakthrough for remembering something. At least this meant he did exist in this world before.

    Wang Tong noticed they were about to seed and he yelled as he unleashed thest push, "Go f**k yourself, motherf**ker!"

    Wham¡­

    Everything went calm¡­

    It felt wonderful, like he was thrown into a pool of water after surviving in a desert without water for three days.

    Ma Xiaoru¡¯s Soul Energy gradually swirled back into her body like a purple phoenix, and Einherjar Wannabe disappeared without a trace. Wang Tong immediately adjusted his breathing; it had been a tiring process. Nevertheless, he was happy about the improvements of his Soul Energy.

    Apparently, there were loads of benefits for practicing dual core Tactics of the de. But for some reason, Wang Tong found it extremely difficult to improve his Soul Energy. Furthermore he was not able to find aparison for his Cinnabar Field Energy from the second core, and he had no idea how good he was doing. Despite the slow improvement progress of his Soul Energy, he was still able to maintain his cheerfulness and didn¡¯t stress himself for a better solution.

    Anyhow, he was able to learn a lot in this dual Tactics Advancement with Ma Xiaoru. Somehow, he felt the bond between him and Ma Xiaoru had be stronger. He liked this feeling very much, like both of them had been knowing each other for a long time.

    Wang Tong decided not to interrupt Ma Xiaoru. Nevertheless, she was still the biggest beneficiary of this process and he was only the beneficiary by chance. But he was still feeling happy since he was able to help a friend.

    Wang Tong went off to get himself a drink while keeping an eye on Ma Xiaoru, in case anything happened.

    Right now, he needed to think of a way to exin what happened! Too bad Einherjar Wannabe disappeared, or else he could ask for his help. He needed to think of a way fast!

    All of a sudden, a mischievous idea sparked his mind¡­ He was born to be a bully after all.

    Nevertheless, this was another way to express friendship.

    Ma Xiaoru took longer time than Wang Tong toplete one cirction of initialization, as she needed some time to regain herself after the tiring process. An hourter, she began to regain her conscious. However, she would still have to continue her initialization.

    She was worried if anything happened to Wang Tong as she regained her conscious. However she was relieved when she heard Wang Tong drinking water in big gulps, cup after up.

    Ma Xiaoru giggled. Of course he would do that since it was free...

 Chapter 174: Fortune Bringer

    Chapter 174: Fortune Bringer

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Finally, Ma Xiaoru opened her eyes after two hours of initialization. On the other side, Wang Tong was bored to death.

    "Oh, you¡¯re awake! How was it? Are you okay? Did it work? Sessful?" Wang Tong asked.

    Ma Xiaoru¡¯s face was blushing, perhaps it was the excitement of achieving Tactics Advancement, or maybe it was the warm feeling from Wang Tong¡¯s care.

    Ma Xiaoru nodded!

    "Haha, see? I told you it¡¯ll work!" Wang Tong grabbed his fist.

    "All thanks to you. I owe you a big one..."

    "Nah, don¡¯t say that. Of course, I¡¯ll be there for you when you need me. Speaking of which, I¡¯m starving." Wang Tong was still hungry, even though he had drunk a lot just now.

    Ma Xiaoru blushed again. She was overjoyed when she heard what Wang Tong said, "Let¡¯s go check out the kitchen, shall we?"

    "Haha, sure, I love making my own food!" Actually, Wang Tong had checked out her kitchen a while ago.

    It was already quitete, and Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t want to wake her maids up. So, they decided to creep into the kitchen like thieves. The only thing Wang Tong remembered about her kitchen was its spaciousness. How could he forget a kitchen that was bigger than the house he used to live in with Old Fart.

    Old Fart used to brag about him being born in a wealthy family, and how good his early life was. How Wang Tong wished he could show Old Fart what the true meaning of "wealthy" was.

    Speaking of Old Fart, he really had not been in touch with Wang Tong for a long period of time. Perhaps he was having too much fun somewhere else.

    "Ahh!"

    Ma Xiaoru made fun of Wang Tong by putting a dollop of cream onto his face. The little princess giggled over her mischievousness.

    Wang Tong sighed and shook his head, then said in a deep voice, "How dare you make fun of me? I¡¯ll make you pay for sure!"

    Wang Tong then dipped his fingers into the cream and charged towards Ma Xiaoru. However, she dodged and said, "You can¡¯t catch me, you big elephant!"

    "Oh, taunting me huh? You asked for it, take that!"

    Wang Tong wiped Ma Xiaoru¡¯s pink cheeks with a handful of cream. Her face was covered in cream like a facial mask.

    They were having fun.

    Ma Xiaoru sat beside Wang Tong, quietly looking at him gobbling up the food, and even poured him a ss of water. The boy was enjoying his food, while the girl was enjoying her view. To Ma Xiaoru, it was indeed a blissful moment, and at some point, she even forgot about her tactics Advancement.

    Perhaps, one really didn¡¯t need any reason to fancy a person.

    She wasn¡¯t sure at the beginning, or maybe she was struggling. But now, she had finally realized that she did adore Wang Tong after all.

    "Hey, you¡¯re not eating? This is good stuff!"

    "Nah, help yourself. Have some water, or else you¡¯ll choke."

    "No worries! This body of mine was specially designed to gobble up anything. Back then, when I was at Norton¡­ Well nevermind, I don¡¯t wanna affect my appetite." Even though Wang Tong had an iron stomach, he would still feel nauseous as he remembered those disgusting "meatballs".

    "Here, have some rock melon juice. It¡¯s delicious too."

    "Oh, thanks¡­ Wow, not bad!"

    "You want more?"

    "Yea, you bet."

    Ma Xiaoru was happy as she saw Wang Tong enjoying himself. Somehow, she looked like a wife serving her husband with good food.

    Meanwhile, someone was sleepless back at the dorm. Apparently, Zhou Sisi had been spending her night checking downstairs to see if the two of them had returned from their little detour. However, there was no light in Wang Tong¡¯s room, which meant that the heartless bastard was still somewhere out there! Hu Yangxuan was also looking for Wang Tong. Since the kid wasn¡¯t around the campus and also wasn¡¯t replying his messages, automatically he knew that Wang Tong was still at Ma Xiaoru¡¯s ce.

    Their days in Bernabeu were getting shorter. The teachers had stopped feeding them with information and gave them time to make their own preparations instead. Nevertheless, the teachers were still around, ready to answer any of their questions.

    Everyone knew what would they had to do after obtaining the intel regarding Capth. Carl locked himself in the training chamber to work on his secret strategies of Battlecraft Combat. The Zhang Brothers and Rumi were also seen working out on their counter strategies. Their opponents were too strong, hence everyone had to find out a loophole as soon as possible for the sake of their victory.

    The Heavy Arm team had no other options but to train harder. Boosting their physical strength was the best they could do for now.

    Wang Tong was also busy making his own preparations. His Battlecraft Combat maneuvers had improved a lot, and he had even remembered the crucial points. He was happy to regain the sense of control, and was now confident of knowing what he was supposed to do and what he was about to do. Furthermore, he was also confident in understanding and predicting his opponent¡¯s movements. In other words, Wang Tong was finally able to make decisions based on his opponent¡¯s strategies and mental state.

    The atmosphere of Ayrng was getting better all thanks to the special team, and also the encouragement from the challenge against Capth itself. Aside from caring about her special team, Samantha was also focusing on the rest of her students, and also the facilities of the academy. She was keeping herself busy, doing her best to bring in more benefits to Ayrng, especially activities that were good for her students.

    Military academies were not much different than ordinary schools, especially at times like this. Instead of sitting there and do nothing like a big boss, they had to take the initiative to polish themselves from inside out. Staying passive would be practically "suicidal".

    However, Samantha was not hasty. The first step would be lifting the status of Ayrng in Shangjin. Although Ayrng was already the best around Shangjin, they still had to do better in order to remind everyone of its past glory.

    For the sake of its resurrection!

    Once the condition of Ayrng improved, thepetition amongst students would also be more intense. Although it would be difficult for some students, they had to learn that this was part of the game. Only the fittest would be able to survive, and the rest would be eliminated, or even expelled. All of this was for the sake of Ayrng¡¯s future, and Samantha was very strict with this matter; mercy was not an option.

    Everyone was seen spending the next few days getting readied. Finally, the weekend had arrived. Their time of departure was scheduled on Sunday afternoon, since it would be a long flight towards Capth. Apparently, Ayrng and Bernabeu¡¯s alliance was not the only one who was participating in this event. There would be four other A-ranked academies joining as well, and they were also aiming to be the next S-ranked academies. Hence, they shouldn¡¯t be underestimated as either.

    Nevertheless, Capth was not intimidated at all. Although they would be challenged five times in a row like a tag duel, they wouldn¡¯t bother to give a damn, because they were confident of their strength.

    Aside from challenging Capth, this event would also be thepetition between A-ranked academies, and the whole event would take about one week.

    Samantha and Martyrus then gathered all of their students and praised them for their performance throughout the training. Somehow, Martyrus felt that the final oue was not important anymore as he looked at his energetic students. Perhaps it was due to his age, but Martyrus was not as ambitious as he used to be after Bernabeu¡¯s defeat against Ayrng. Now, all he wished to see was the improvement amongst his students. As for their future, it would be up to them to decide.

    List of candidates:

    Intel Programming Battle:

    Main lineup: Zhang Kui, Zhang Yan

    Substitute: Rumi

    Heavy Arm Brawl:

    Main lineup: Scarlet

    Substitute: Tita

    Battlecraft Combat:

    Main lineup: Best, Zhou Sisi, Wang Tong

    Substitute: Carl

    METAL Combat:

    Main lineup: Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, Hu Yangxuan, Apache, Cao Yi

    Substitute: Luo Manman, Deng Jia

    Although some of them were not selected as the final candidates, they would still be joining everyone towards Capth. After all, this was still an important event in their lives, even though they were not able to participate in any matches.

    Carl was shocked when he heard that he was selected as the substitute; he was expecting himself to be eliminated¡­

    "Enjoy your Saturday, folks. We¡¯re leaving towards Capth on Sunday afternoon!"

    "Yes, ma¡¯am!"

    Wang Tong secretly gave Samantha a wink, and she was startled by his sudden mischievousness. Luckily, no one noticed what happened.

    The group meeting was dismissed, and everyone went back to make their own preparations again. Carl, who was surprisingly selected as the substitute, headed back towards the training chamber and continued with his secret strategy. Carl had even invited FlyWing to the training chamber, as he would demonstrate his new idea to his coach.

    "Principal Martyrus, why did you pick Carl?"

    The result of Bernabeu¡¯s Styia was obviously better than Carl¡¯s. Although Carl had been working really hard, he was still weakerpared to the rest.

    Martyrus smiled, "Actually, he was chosen by FlyWing. Perhaps he really is talented."

    Samantha nodded. The selection of candidates was actually decided by every trainer ording to each student¡¯s personal performances. However, Carl was truly one of a kind; first, he was rmended by Gansus, and then Massa, and now even got selected as one of FlyWing¡¯s rmendations. Hopefully, he would be able to meet their expectation.

    Apparently, teachers would not only judge a person by his or her results. Instead, they would also look into the heart of a student. Clearly, teachers trusted that Carl had his own good qualities.

    He might have the potential to be stronger, but that didn¡¯t mean he was strong enough already, as he might be affected by some factors, especially his perspective. Nevertheless, from this moment onwards, everything would be up to him to decide.

    "Hey Wang Tong, did you do anything to Ma Xiaoru yesterday?" Zhou Sisi asked Wang Tong directly.

    "Yup, I did."

    "YOU!"

    "I helped her to achieve her Tactics Advancement. Now we¡¯re officially one step closer to victory!" Wang Tongughed.

    "You¡­ you jerk!" Zhou Sisi stormed back towards her room.

    Wang Tong looked at the sky and scratched his head, wondering what did he do wrong. No man would be able to fully understand women after all.

    Wang Tong had nothing much to pack, since he only had a few things in possession. A new shirt was added to his belongings, which was the team jersey given by the academy a while ago.

    "Hey, old man, c¡¯mon out. I was thinking of having a match in PA." Wang Tong knocked on his Space Crystal.

    "Shaddup you idiot! I¡¯m not old. As you can see, I¡¯m still strong and fit." Einherjar Wannabe appeared.

    "Yea yea, judging from your age, I should¡¯ve called you mister fossil instead." Wang Tong waved his hand. It was kind of disgusting when Einherjar Wannabe was trying to act like he was still young.

    "Hmph, well hurry up then, what are you waiting for? I¡¯m not gonna teach you anything this time though!"

    "What a miser, let¡¯s go." Wang Tong closed the door and headed towards DREAM Heaven.

    The shopkeeper was overjoyed when he saw his "fortune bringer" finally arrive.

    "Hey boss, got any room for me?"

    "Well of course, you¡¯re the VIP after all. Here you go, your usual room." The shopkeeper answered with a smile. Wang Tong felt good as he sat down at his usual spot, then he swiped his fingers and turned on the VR system.

    Ding Dong!

    System notification: Einherjar Wannabe logged in.

    Bam¡­

    The whole PA went crazy in a sh. Many yers had been camping in PA waiting for this to happen. They knew weekend was his preferred time of logging in.

    Nevertheless, whether Einherjar Wannabe would appear or not, many would still be there, waiting for his arrival.

 Chapter 175: Deep into the Tactical Core

    Chapter 175: Deep into the Tactical Core

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Pick one." Wang Tong said generously. Actually, he was trying to thank Einherjar Wannabe for always helping him at the critical moment.

    Einherjar Wannabe nced over the list of challengers and noticed the number of challengers had increased. It seemed like a lot of weaklings had backed down after Jiang Long¡¯s defeat, but at the same time, that match had also drawn a lot of attentions of those who were stronger.

    A lot of them were IPA yers. They appeared to be quite excited, hoping that Einherjar Wannabe would choose one of them as his opponent this time. Apparently, all of the IPA yers in the list were equipped with high-ranked METAL Suits. But that was okay, because Einherjar Wannabe wouldn¡¯t mind if his opponent were strong in the virtual world or in reality, as long the opponent worthed his time. He was no doubt the most wonderful opponent an IPA yer could get. They couldn¡¯t wait to see if Einherjar Wannabe would really pick an IPA yer this time.

    Everyone waited with their eyes wide open. The awkward silence meant Einherjar Wannabe had not made any decision yet.

    "Hey, kiddo, what¡¯s this?" Einherjar Wannabe pointed at the spinning globe icon.

    "That¡¯s Battlecraft Combat. I¡¯m also having lessons for this subject. Unlike METAL Combat, Battlecraft Combat is a battle between yers bymanding their own fleets¡­ Kinda like dogfights."

    "Battlecrafts huh¡­manding fleets¡­ hmm, I think I¡¯ve done it before. Perhaps I¡¯m really a genius¡­ Yeah, I have to be a genius!" Einherjar Wannabe started to brag about himself repeatedly.

    "So, now you¡¯re interested in this too?"

    "C¡¯mon, let¡¯s do this."

    ¡­

    Wang Tong was speechless, as he stared at the crazy and demanding ghost. But Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t mind giving it a try, since he had been training hard for this recently, not to mention he was genuinely interested as well. However, he had never paid much attention to the Battlecraft Combat in PA, and he wasn¡¯t sure about the performances of other yers.

    Wang Tong then decided to click on the icon. Apparently, Battlecraft Combat was also a part of PA, but unlike PA, there were no IPA and TPA in this function, because ordinary people were also capable of operating it. However, their speed in operating and making judgment was obviously going to be slower.

    Wang Tong sent out a challenge request.

    System Notification: Einherjar Wannabe sent a challenge request.

    System Notification: Einherjar Wannabe sent a challenge request.

    Everyone stunned, even Cameron though there was something wrong with his ears.

    "What the hell¡¯s going on?"

    "Boss, Einherjar Wannabe really is requesting for a Battlecraft Combat."

    "What the f*ck¡­ That kid was insane!" Cameron was left speechless. He wondered why he would give up METAL Combat and dip his feet into Battlecraft Combat instead.

    Even the dumbest kid would know that Battlecraft Combat was way different from METAL Combat. METAL Combat was all about throwing heavy punches with one¡¯s GN Force, but Battlecraft Combat was all about the brains, a different kind of fight.

    Why would the dude choose something that didn¡¯t have anything to do with his expertise? This would only increase his probability of losing!

    Most importantly, this was not how the business worked!

    Cameron was infuriated. However, he couldn¡¯t do anything because he had no rights to interfere Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s choice. He was the one who had topromise on this matter.

    "Get me someone who¡¯s not that strong, someone with a beautiful battle record and moderate strength... God, I really wanna kill this troublemaking sonuvabitch!"

    "Roger that, boss."

    "Boss¡­ something¡¯s not right."

    "Hmm?"

    "More than a thousand yers have reacted to his challenge request. Would it be kinda awkward if we arrange someone to fight with him?"

    Mostly, those who liked METAL Combat also enjoyed Battlecraft Combat. Some might only be interested in either one. Nevertheless, they would also watch the matches because the excitement of dogfights was very different from some hot-blooded one-on-one brawls.

    "What are you thinking?" Wang Tong asked as he was getting familiar with his maneuvers.

    "Idiot, first you should bombard the whole area with these, and you should be focusing on air control!"

    "Dude, you got it all wrong. The ground control abilities of air forces are limited, especially in a difficult terrain like this. So, the strategy should be a cooperation between air forces and ground forces!"

    "Cooperate my a*s! I know what you¡¯re trying to say, but you have to know what the true meaning of control is, which is to let your opponent follow your rhythm. It¡¯s all about maniption for god¡¯s sake!"

    "Yeah yeah¡­ Since you know a lot, tell me, what¡¯s this?" Wang Tong questioned while pointing at one of the battlecrafts.

    Einherjar Wannabe replied, "...I don¡¯t care what it is called. All I know is it¡¯s one of air forces¡¯ fleet¡­ Kid, what I¡¯m trying to say is, it¡¯s all about control. Whether you¡¯re having a one on one brawl ormanding fleets at war, make your opponents be one of your chess pieces and have fun toying with them. This is what you call an ace¡­ Get it?"

    "Yea, I¡¯m a human, of course I understand."

    "Then why would you set your formation like this? Your Soul Energy should have no problem controlling this, and you¡¯re a smart kid. Yet, you¡¯re being so defensive. What a fool! Like I said, air control!"

    "Shh, if I choose to focus on air control, it¡¯ll bepletely game over if my opponent attacked me with a ton of ground forces!"

    "Are you an idiot? You¡¯ll be able to finish them off in a jiffy if you choose to strike first. That¡¯s how you get the job done!" Einherjar Wannabe seemed kind of frustrated over Wang Tong¡¯s stubbornness.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong was enlightened by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s lecture. Of course he would do that, since his control ability was better than most of the people. Everything became clear in a sh.

    "You really are a genius, my friend! I¡¯m starting to get what you meant. To control is actually to lure and manipte the opponent, something like tricking them to engage by going defensive, or trampling their rhythm by going offensive."

    "I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to say. Remember this core theory: air forces are designed for interference, and ground forces are designed for battle. Whether you¡¯re against mankind or Zergs, it¡¯s the same theory!" Einherjar Wannabe exined proudly.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t give him a damn though, he needed to concentrate. There wasn¡¯t much time left, and he needed to think of something quickly. He needed a strategy that had never crossed his mind, something that was capable of turning the table!

    "Boss, we¡¯ve sorted out the first batch of rmendations, but it seems like Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t interested at all..." One of the staff members seemed worried.

    Einherjar Wannabe was smart. Perhaps he had noticed that the list of people they provided was not strong enough. They might have good results, but their abilities are not up to his expectation.

    "Give him a few minutes. Perhaps he was looking through the list."

    Fifteen minutes had passed, and Cameron finally began to worry. Did Einherjar Wannabe really notice something?

    "Change it!"

    "Right away, boss."

    Einherjar Wannabe really was a troublesome golden goose. Cameron was worried if his weak heart would be able to sustain any further. Hopefully, the kid wouldn¡¯t pick someone too strong to handle.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was eager to test out his new idea. During his days of training, his mind was filled with operating maneuvers, strategies and techniques, butcked creativity. Thankfully, his creativity was finally back, and he couldn¡¯t wait to test out his new idea on his uing opponent. He would seize this opportunity to prove that he was right.

    Like what Einherjar Wannabe was saying a while ago, reconciliation would directly affect a person¡¯s perspective, operating maneuvers and also the control of timing! Everyone knew the importance of reconciliation, but what if he were tobine reconciliation and attack?

    It seemed like Wang Tong had finally pieced his puzzles together. Mow all that was left was implementation.

    Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe was still a nobody in Battlecraft Combatmunity, even though he was already a celebrity in METAL Combatmunity. Yet people were shocked to see the well-known Einherjar Wannabe be bold enough to step his feet into Battlecraft Combatmunity, bravo indeed!

    A number of strong yers were eager to fight him. They¡¯d like to see if he would also be able to create a legend in the Battlecraft Combatmunity.

    "It seems like he is quite famous. So many people are willing to challenge this guy."

    Meanwhile, at the Kaedeians Royal Academy at Mars, this situation seemed to have caught the interest of a girl. Being the best neer of the Royal Academy, she was undoubtedly talented in Battlecraft Combat. Not every Kaedeian would be able to perform well in METAL Combat, but they had definitely dominated Battlecraft Combat. Apparently, Kaedeians were born for this task, and most importantly, they were strong in setting fleet formation.

    Mankind Confederation was almost the same when it came to fleet formation, despite a few minor differences amongst Earthlings, Ivantians and Martians. However, due to the uniqueness of their bodies and the difference in terms of abilities, the fleet and ground forces formation of Kaedeians was very different from Earthlings¡¯. Both parties had their own specialties, but generally speaking, Kaedeians would have the upper hand in this field. Kaedeians had always be the strongest in terms of Battlecraft Combat, but of course, their number of fleets still fell under the control of the Confederation. Not to mention all of these years, they still abided by their oath of allegiance. Hence, there was nothing much to be worried about.

    Nevertheless, Earthlings were always proud of themselves, and had been spending years to prove to everyone that they were the strongest of all in all aspects. But in general, their losses were still greater than victories. Furthermore, Kaedeians preferred to keep a low profile. They would learn from their mistakes and kept their victories to themselves. Thankfully, the personalities of most Kaedeians were able to work along with the arrogance of Earthlings, or else, they would¡¯ve beenpletely wiped out by the greedy mankind.

    Rhin was curious of why so many people would challenge someone with zero wins and losses. Perhaps he was another ace or elite from Earth?

    He had to be some kind of a hidden ace!

    Rhin was exceptionally hardworking recently, as the assessment from Her Highness was around the corner. Even though she was already the best neer, she would still have to show more effort in order to be Her Highness¡¯s readingpanion, which was a stepping stone towards her dream of bing one of the ministers; it was an honor of fellow Kaedeians for one to be a public servant.

    Kaedeians had been living their lives with gratitude ever since making peace with Earthlings. Everyone was aware of the fact that it would require a lot of effort for the sake of peace, which was why every Kaedeian was hoping to serve their country, even if it would cost their lives.

    Rhin was very nervous for her uing assessment. If she were to challenge the Earthling, perhaps it would be a beneficial match. Rhin smiled as she responded to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s challenge request.

    Ding Dong¡­

    A series of Kaedeian characters appeared on the monitor. Apparently, Kaedeians would use their real names as their PA ID¡¯s. These ID¡¯s were quite eye-catchy as well because of their uniquenguages. But of course, they would be followed by the tranted version in thenguage of the Confederation.

    Rhin was one of the toughest ones amongst the Battlecraft Combatmunity in PA. Kaedeians were known to be talented in Battlecraft Combats, and Rhin was definitely one of the celebrities among themunity.

    Unlike Earthlings, Kaedeians were not busybodies, but they had also underestimated the busybodiness of Earthlings. Most Kaedeians were natural born exotic beauties, and a lot of men would be attracted by their gentleness, not to mention they were outstanding in terms of Battlecraft Combat. This was why every Earthling from different academies would be paying attention to each year¡¯s best neer of the Royal Academy.

 Chapter 176: Noob?

    Chapter 176: Noob?

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Apparently, Rhin had no idea how popr she was. After all, she was seldom seen in PA. Nevertheless, the Kaedeian missy was not aware of the uproar she caused whenever she showed up in PA.

    On the other hand, PA¡¯s official administration even used Rhin as the "ambassador" to attract yers, and they didn¡¯t even pay her for using her image. Somehow, Earthlings would always make use of the generosity of Kaedeians. After all, Kaedeians were very kind to Earthlings.

    Rhin versus Einherjar Wannabe?!

    Every Battlecraft Combat and most of the METAL Combat fighters who were waiting for Einherjar Wannabe were stunned when they saw Rhin respond to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s challenge request. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s decision. If he were to ept her challenge, it would literally be "the sh between Earth and Mars".

    Wang Tong was no God. Of course he¡¯d ept Rhin¡¯s challenge!

    Wang Tong chose her as his opponent because the name of a Kaedeian looked cool and sounded nice. Furthermore, Wang Tong was aware of Kaedeian¡¯s talent in this category; in short, Rhin was the best choice amongst the list of opponents.

    "Hmm, this Kaedeian seems strong for being highlighted by the system. She has to be an elite!" Wang Tong concluded after looking at her profile.

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t wait to demonstrate what he learned in his recent training. People used to say that there were no weaklings amongst Kaedeians. Hence, Wang Tong would really like to see how good they were and how sick their aerial and ground attack methods were.

    "Well hurry up, pick that one with the long-a*s name. You know how much I LOVE those unique ones!" Einherjar Wannabemanded as he pointed at Rhin¡¯s ID.

    "Yo mister, have some respect. Those are Kaedeian writings." Wang Tong sighed over Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s rudeness.

    In the end, Wang Tong selected Rhin as his opponent, and their match would begin in ten minutes. The other Battlecraft Combat lovers seemed excited about the match.

    This was definitely the best excitement ever.

    Meanwhile, Cameron sat back in his chair. He was sick of this nonsense and felt like wanting to strangle every single staff. Clearly, they had forgotten his order about cing the stronger opponents at the bottom of the list.

    "Boss¡­ we¡¯re sorry..." His staff members apologized carefully. Actually, they did follow his order, but they didn¡¯t expect Rhin would appear out of nowhere and respond to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s challenge request. And they didn¡¯t even expect Einherjar Wannabe would ept immediately.

    Within minutes, yers who didn¡¯t use to pay attention to Battlecraft Combats had found out that Rhin was Kaedeian Royal Academy¡¯s best new recruit. Apparently, she was even capable of almost wiping out every single freshman of every academy on Earth Confederation.

    It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe had a delicate taste in choosing opponents after all!

    Einherjar Wannabe gave Cameron not just heart attacks, but headaches as well. The kid¡¯s insanity was driving Cameron crazy and torturing him to death.

    "Boss, what do we do next?"

    "Of course we¡¯re not going to call it off since the choice has been made. The only thing we could do now is spread the news and promote this match. It¡¯s now or never!" Cameron roared.

    "Yes sir, right away!"

    The record of Rhin¡¯s Cloning Technique was at two hundred and nine fleets when she was epted into the academy. However, that was her past record, and no one knew what her current record was.

    It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe had chosen a "suicidal mission" this time.

    On the other hand, Einherjar Wannabe seemed happy about the data he was reading, "Wow, she¡¯s good! Hey kid, go out there and teach this missy a lesson, make the Earthlings proud, will ya? Go get ¡®em!" Einherjar Wannabeughed.

    Wang Tong chose to ignore him though. He was well aware that the opponent he was about to face was a real tough one. Apparently, the speed of this girl was almost the same as him, and she was skillful in other aspects as well, since it was in her blood. Wang Tong knew that he would never stand a chance if he were to challenge her before having those lessons. But now that he had improved, he would really want to see how good he had gotten!

    Both yers were warming up and clearing their minds, Rhin seemed serious about this match. She was picturing Einherjar Wannabe as a strong opponent, getting herself ready for a real battle.

    Tons of Battlecraft Combat and METAL Combat yers had gathered up in the arena within minutes. However, most of the Battlecraft Combat yers were there to watch Rhin¡¯s performance.

    People did enjoy watching matches like this. After all, matches that consisted of Kaedeians were like learning materials, because their performances were always wless and looked like a piece of art.

    However, Battlecraft Combat yers didn¡¯t seem to care about Einherjar Wannabe. Basically, the number of Battlecraft Combat yers wasrger than the number of METAL Combat fighters in every academy; usually, they were here for learning purposes.

    Nevertheless, everyone wished that Einherjar Wannabe wouldst a bit longer, and hopefully, he wasn¡¯t some kind of noob that had no idea what on earth this was.

    Check!

    Check!

    Both yers entered speed checking mode and began to warm up their fingers. In the meantime, they were also allowed to check the uracy of the lock-on ability of their Soul Energy here. However, this check was optional. Both yers were not able to see their opponent¡¯s checking, but spectators were able to watch both yer¡¯s checking situation.

    The screen was then divided into two columns, and hundreds of thousands of Zergs appeared as the match began. Rhin was the first who made a move. Her fingers then moved at an incredible speed and lit up the skies with countless explosions, hitting every single Zerg precisely.

    She was seen cloning out two hundred fleets in no time, without even breaking a sweat.

    Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe was also making his move¡­ and he was also able to clone two hundred fleets in a short period of time! Perfect!

    Everyone was finally relieved as they saw Einherjar Wannabe was not a noob. They didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to do something that even Kaedeians were struggling to achieve.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was already excited. He couldn¡¯t wait to go head to head with the girl!

    The supporters and fans of Einherjar Wannabe began to sing and cheer. As they had expected, Einherjar Wannabe was capable of doing anything!

    The battle had begun!

    Both yers were seen setting up their formation. Their controlling maneuvers were wless. Nevertheless, this was just the basis of this category, which meant there was not even 0.1 millisecond of deviation between both yers.

    Both yers¡¯ performances were about the same in the first three minutes.

    Excitement and anxiety ran through every spectator¡¯s heart as the battle between strategies was about to happen!

    Kaedeians were known to possess a number of unrivaled battle strategies. The strategies might not be as perfect as they seemed, however, the Kaedeians were able to "adjust" everything to perfection. In fact, Earthlings stood no chance against Kaedeians in this category, unless the person was extremely talented.

    Apparently, Rhin had chosen the hardest strategy of all, which contained loads of kaleidoscopic elements, known as Art of the zing re. This strategy required delicate controlling maneuvers and high mentality of the user. Even the Kaedeians found it difficult to pull out. But if one were able to pull it out, victory would be guaranteed in no time. Normally, Kaedeians would only use this when they were facing a tough opponent in battles.

    Many yers sighed when they noticed Rhin chose that strategy. Judging from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s impressive performance, she might stand a chance if she chose the radical Art of Lightning, and might be able to win if she was able to seize the chance. Nevertheless, Art of the zing re was a piece of strategy held dear by most Kaedeians. They were the only ones who knew how to use it, and only they were able to pull it out with perfection.

    Furthermore, Kaedeians had been improving this piece of strategy over the past decade, and were able to maximize its performance. Apparently, this strategy was even epted by the Kaedeian troops, and it was able to increase the effectiveness against Zergs while minimizing casualties of the troops at the same time.

    On the other hand, Battlecraft Combat yers shook their heads as they noticed a bunch of IPA yers cheering and shouting at the other corner. But it couldn¡¯t be helped; after all, they had no idea of what was going on.

    As the crowd turned towards Einherjar Wannabe, they were shocked by his outrageous strategy. Perhaps, he was a noob after all! Apparently, the crazy fe was busy developing a team of T-5 model Fighter Jets, which was absurd because this type of aircraft was only good against ground forces, but was very weak against air forces. His destiny would be sealed if he were up against stronger aerial forces. Furthermore, this type of aircraft was not the strongest anti-ground forces of all. In short, what the hell was he doing?

    Was he nning to gain control of the overall situation?

    Everyone who was excited about Einherjar Wannabe moments ago was very disappointed over his insane actions. He really a was noob after all!

    Soon, both yers began their reconciliation procedures, and both yers were doing good in this. However, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ground forces seemed not enough, perhaps due to the uneven allocation of resources. Rhin was about to begin her first wave of attacks in less than five minutes, but how was Einherjar Wannabe supposed to counter her attacks?

    This was totally absurd!

    Everyone was disappointed and wanted to leave!

    Some were unwilling to see. After all, most Earthlings were not a fan of watching their own kind getting owned by other races. Some decided to get back to their own business instead. After all, no one would like to waste their time watching a boring fight between a Kaedeian genius and a brainless Earthling!

    On the other hand, Rhin felt strange as she continued to build her own troops. It seemed strange that her opponent was clueless about battle strategies. Somehow, Einherjar Wannabe had begun to interfere before she could finish building her troops, but his firepower was obviously not enough. What was he trying to do?

    Rhin then set up her defense cautiously. Even though Einherjar Wannabe had obtained the upper hand in terms of technology development, he would still be toast in no time once she charged in with her ground forces.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was seen enjoying himself. Somehow, he had forgotten who his opponent was, and began doing things at his own pace. He finally understood the kind of "control" mentioned by Einherjar Wannabe a while ago. It felt great indeed!

    He was able to see what was his opponent was doing. Instead of making attacking units to attack his opponent¡¯s respawnable forces, he chose to attack her radar stations and interfere with her progress!

    Rhin was good enough to notice Einherjar Wannabe was getting better in his "worthless" actions. Surprisingly, she wasn¡¯t able to advance much with her ground forces, but her opponent was able to slow her down gradually by disturbing her base with a few aircrafts. Something had to be going on, after all, his controlling maneuvers were as good as hers!

    In the end, she chose to dy her advancement. Meanwhile, Wang Tong was performing good in his operating maneuvers. His, new bases were almostplete, and he had set up a decent defense across ground area. However, he wasn¡¯t stopping. Rhin noticed that instead of stopping, Einherjar Wannabe was still developing T-5 model Fighter Jets for some reason.

    Soon, people began to understand the true meaning behind Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s insane actions. He was trying to build an invisible troop!

    The technology of invisibility was first created by Kaedeians, and it had be one of Earthling¡¯s main military forces after years of development. However, they required more money to be built, and the opponent¡¯s radar systems had to be destroyed beforehand in order to ensure their best performance. Due to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s interference earlier, people were surprised to find that all of Rhin¡¯s radar stations had been destroyed!

    Goodness Gracious, perhaps Einherjar Wannabe was about to create another miracle again!

 Chapter 177: The Ultimate Strategy

    Chapter 177: The Ultimate Strategy

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    While Einherjar Wannabe had deployed his invisible troops, Rhin was still struggling with her own army. Aside from constantly getting bombarded by her opponent¡¯s frustrating jets, her base was also exposed apparently, and Wang Tong was able to observe the overall situation perfectly.

    His invisible troops would be reaching in five minutes.

    MATCH OVER!

    Everything cked out before she could respond to his attacks!

    Einherjar Wannabe had sessfully subdued the ultimate Art of the zing re in eleven minutes and thirty-five seconds, and Rhin was forced to surrender!

    Rhin had no choice but to surrender since she had lost all of her radar stations. Without radar stations, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s invisible troops were technically invincible. However, she had no idea how Einherjar Wannabe managed to overpower her in such a short period of time. Her defeat was totally absurd, as she didn¡¯t even have the time to demonstrate her superb controlling maneuvers.

    Everyone else was also shocked to witness the unbelievable scene, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder how exactly Einherjar Wannabe won!

    After a short consideration, Rhin decided to re-challenge Einherjar Wannabe.

    Wang Tong agreed and epted her invitation without hesitation, as he also wanted to get familiar with the feeling under the pressure of Rhin¡¯s operating maneuvers!

    "Einherjar Wannabe versus Rhin, round two begins in twenty minutes."

    All of the spectators went crazy, especially fellow students of various military academies, they even chose to skip sses in order to watch the uing match.

    "Oh my god, check this out!"

    "Art of the zing Fire was defeated!"

    "Einherjar Wannabe subdued Kaedeian Royal Academy¡¯s No.1 in ten minutes!"

    More and more students were seen givingme excuses like stomachache, headache and so on in order to skip sses for the sake of the match. After all, Einherjar Wannabe had sessfully defeated the unrivaled Art of the zing re! Moreover, he won with his strategy instead of controlling maneuvers.

    Finally, round two began.

    Rhin kicked off with the same setup, because she believed that her Art of the zing re was wless, and her previous loss was due to herte deployment of troops. This time, however, she would not make the same mistakes!

    On the other hand, Einherjar Wannabe was busy developing his own nes, doing exactly what he did in the previous game. As Rhin was about to deploy her troops, Einherjar Wannabe sent in his interference again, and she was unable to defend against it. Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe had obtained the upper hand in the air, and although Rhin had done her best to defend, in the end, she wasn¡¯t able to protect her radar stations. Minutester, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s invisible troops charged in again, and game over encore!

    The time was even shorter this time, nine minutes and thirty-five seconds.

    However, Rhin was still unconvinced by her defeat, and wondered why she wasn¡¯t able to demonstrate her controlling maneuvers as always.

    In the end, she asked for round three!

    This time. Rhin gave up her Art of the zing re and began her set up with the Art of the Lightning. She decided to focus more on attacks!

    Unlike the previous matches, Einherjar Wannabe chose to build up his defense first this time. Earthlings were known for their strong and tough defenses, and the defenses in Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s base were outstanding. Most people knew that the theory of defense was easier than offense, yet the Art of the Lightning was designed to subdue its enemy through superb controlling maneuvers. However, Einherjar Wannabe was able to defend with his wless controlling maneuvers, nullifying most of Rhin¡¯s attacks. At the same time, he even managed to send in fighter jets to destroy Rhin¡¯s base without using invisible troops, tearing her whole strategy apart.

    MATCH OVER!

    She was thoroughly defeated!

    Rhin almost broke into tears. Her original intention of challenging Einherjar Wannabe was to learn from the matches, but now, she was totally owned by his dominating strength!

    Rhin wondered if he was a senior student from another academy. But as she opened his profile, she was shocked to see he was only a sixteen-year-old peer instead. Both of them were at the same age, but Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s absolute power waspletely absurd.

    Although she was ashamed of her defeat, Rhin held onto her awkwardness and asked, "Would you mind telling me¡­ what sort of strategy was that?"

    Hundreds and thousands of students who were stunned by the matches were seen fixing their eyes on the screen, waiting for Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s reply. Apparently, what happened just now was even more exciting and outrageous than the usual METAL Combats, because everyone got to witness a brand new strategy aside from the amazing controlling maneuvers. Even the Kaedeians had no idea what that battle strategy was!

    Wang Tong was pleased with his performances. In the end, he managed to understand the true meaning ofmand, even though his battle strategy was notpleted. Finally, he learned the essence of perspective and timing. After all, war was all about seizing the right timing. As long as there wasn¡¯t any mishap, the opponent would never stand a chance, and might even able to fool the opponent with illusional tactics.

    However, Wang Tong had never thought of a name for his "strategy", since he had never considered it as one. It was more like a feeling instead. As long as he mastered this "feeling", he would be able to utilize any battle strategies.

    Noticing that his battle strategy emphasized on airborne attacks, he managed to think of a catchy name for it ¡ª Art of the Soaring Heaven!

    After answering Rhin¡¯s question, Wang Tong logged out immediately. He felt great even though he didn¡¯t get to join any METAL Combats. Moreover, the previous matches had significantly boosted his confidence.

    "Art of the Soaring Heaven?" Rhin murmured the words repeatedly in her heart. She had never suffered any defeat like this before. She was able tost until the end in her previous matches with her seniors, but she totally didn¡¯t stand a chance in front of that man. She waspletely dominated.

    It was indeed a feeling that she had never felt before.

    Art of the Soaring Heaven!

    Einherjar Wannabe dominating in Battlecraft Combat!

    The almighty Mr. Know-It-All!

    Was he the reincarnation of Einherjar?

    Art of the zing re was finally defeated after fifteen years!

    Was there anything he couldn¡¯t do?

    Art of the zing re crumbled after twenty years of dominance!

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory had once again be thetest gossip. However, aside from the virtual PA, it had also created an uproar in the real world. Normally, some people wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to METAL Combat, because it was basically only a duel of strength. But unlike METAL Combat, many were drawn to Battlecraft Combat, since it was a match between brains, especially if it were a duel between strategies!

    This time, it was Art of the zing re that got defeated!

    While Wang Tong was traveling towards Capth on the ne, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s victory had gonepletely viral. Everyone was talking about it. Some students even uploaded the videos of all three matches onto thework of their academies, and the videos even managed to catch the attention of many Battlecraft Combat teachers. Everyone was startled by the amazing footages.

    Undeniably, Rhin was pretty skillful herself. However, many students then mimicked Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s battle strategy and realized that Art of the Soaring Heaven was able to subdue Art of the zing re easily, unless the yer who used Art of the zing re had reached the peak performance. In other words, Art of the Soaring Heaven had overpowered Art of the zing re unless there were improvements, or else, it would be eliminated for sure.

    Apparently, Kaedeian Royal Academy had paid attention to those matches, as it had quite a big impact. The Kaedeians still couldn¡¯t believe that their ultimate strategy was defeated that easily.

    Nevertheless, it took a very talented person to create a battle strategy in Battlecraft Combat, and it took tons of practices to be shaped to perfection. Regardless of Earthlings, Ivantians or Martians, geniuses in terms of Battlecraft Combat had been emerging continuously over generations. Some even managed to be famous captains and generals. But those people were only able to improve and strengthen existing strategies or demonstrate amazing abilities in battles, yet none of them had ever invented a strategy.

    After all, the hardest thing to do was to invent! Only God and de Warrior had what it took to invent something!

    However, Einherjar Wannabe had demonstrated to the world that miracles still existed in the post de-Edge Era.

    More and more people had gotten interested in the topic, and every news seemed to be talking about Einherjar Wannabe.

    Battlecraft Combat experts even confirmed that this waspletely a new strategy. It might seem iplete, but they were certain that there would be more changes and it would kickstart a revolution.

    Everyone seemed pleased by the name "Art of the Soaring Heaven". After watching those videos, experts were certain that there would be improvements in the future. However, Rhin was apparently too weak to trigger Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s improvement. Obviously, her strategies were no match against his, not even her controlling maneuvers were able to aid her.

    "Shut the front door!" The team was startled by the unbelievable news. They weren¡¯t paying attention to the matches because they were trying to rx themselves and some were busy doing revisions. They did hear something about the uproar, but were not sure if those were only rumors. But now, they werepletely stunned by this surprising news.

    "Art of the Soaring Heaven? How dare he use such a punchy name? I need something like that too!" Carl eximed. He hade up with an ultimate strategy too, but didn¡¯t have time to think of a name for his strategy. He knew it had to be something punchy if he wanted to be famous. Hence, he began to think of a name.

    "Rhin was the best student amongst first graders in the Kaedeian Royal Academy, her Cloning Technique was more than two hundred fleet-counts, and her AMP was definitely above four hundred fifty. She was absolutely not a weak opponent!"

    "Einherjar Wannabe is truly a monster!"

    "Art of the Soaring Heaven, I¡¯ll start researching on this once I got home."

    "Forget about it, don¡¯t get distracted. One has topletely master a battle strategy in order to fully demonstrate its power, or else it¡¯ll be kinda awkward."

    The team continued their discussion about Einherjar Wannabe after the news ended. Meanwhile, Wang Tong was listening to his music while submerging in his own thoughts, yet it wasn¡¯t about Art of the Soaring Heaven. In fact, every battle strategy had its own pros and cons, and one had to pay attention to his opponent¡¯s set up. Airborne recon and interference were only one of the early strategies, and one must remember to act ordingly if the opponent was preparing the counter measurements.

    The sense of control was kind of like mastering Tactics of the de; everything depended on battle experiences.

    Wang Tong was able to think of a few formations and battle strategies. He felt good about it even though the strategies were still far frompletion. Somehow, he knew that the tournament against Capth would be very fruitful.

    Meanwhile, at Capth, sh and Bisu were also watching the three matches.

    "Big bro, this piece of strategy seems interesting. It seemed like one was able to develop anti-aerial systems at the beginning, but it would ruin the yer¡¯s pace and widen the time gap if he or she chose to do so. Somehow, this battle strategy focused more on the early game, and requires decent controlling maneuvers."

    "Hmm, interesting! I¡¯m guessing those were only the first parts of his strategy, and he still hasn¡¯t shown any countering maneuvers in his fights. Obviously, the following parts of his strategy were all based on the early game."

    "Which is why I said, it is still early to crown him as one of the strongest yers. He is still fresh in this category, and I¡¯m sure the Kaedeians would do something about it very soon."

    "Which is why we have to seize the chance of challenging if he appears again. I¡¯d really like to see how strong he is, and I have to say he has quite a good battle perspective."

    "Yea, after all, he was able to improve game after game in those three matches."

 Chapter 178: Despised

    Chapter 178: Despised

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Capth was founded by General Li Feng hundreds of years ago. After going through countless of ups and downs across centuries, Capth was able to develop into a well-known S-Ranked academy. It was indeed a splendid academy that had gone through tons of hardships.

    Throughout generations, students of Capth had been contributing a lot to the development of humanmunities.

    Although the front gate of Capth looked normal, it was indeed filled with pride. Especially the unique statue on its gate, it was the sculpture of young General Li Feng gazing across the universe. For centuries, no one had ever surpassed the achievements of this legendary figure. But as time went by, the legendary hero ended up being nothing more than a stone-cold statue, and younger generations only saw him as an unreachable existence. They were not as passionate as the older generations anymore!

    This was the first time Wang Tong and the rest of the team stepped foot into Capth. They had never dreamt about walking on the campus of this academy, yet Samantha had provided them a chance to prove themselves in the uing tournament.

    No one had ever imagined that a bunch of nobodies from Ayrng would be able to stand right next to the elites of Capth.

    Everyone was agitated as they looked at the statue. This was indeed a historical moment to be remembered, and they were definitely filled with excitement for being able to visit the best academy throughout Earth Confederation.

    The academy itself was filled with thetest and best hardware and facilities. After all, Capth was crowned as the society leader amongst S-Ranked academies. They were the ultimate existence in every aspect.

    Originally, both Samantha and Martyrus were supposed to lead the team. But in the end, Martyrus decided to stay and wait for news in his own academy. Somehow, he knew that this stage didn¡¯t belong to him. In fact, it belonged to Samantha as well as the fellow students.

    Nevertheless, Samantha felt strange on returning to the academy she graduated from.

    They weren¡¯t treated as special guests. Apparently, there were also four other academies joining this tournament. These four academies only had one thing in mind, which was to crush and defeat Capth at all cost!

    "Haha, this year¡¯s Bernabeu was hrious!"

    "I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re teaming up with Ayrng, pfft!"

    The team was soon joined by a group of students wearing olive green uniforms. They all had an L-shaped badge above their academy¡¯s emblem.

    Those students were from the Academy of Crusx, an A-Ranked academy equally matched with Bernabeu. Obviously, rivalry amongst A-Ranked academies was normal, as they were all fighting to be S-Ranked academies. As a matter of fact, all of the five academies invited to Capth were almost the same in terms of strength, and each team was very proud and happy to be here.

    Nevertheless, some liked to prove their strength and bravery by taking on stronger opponents, while some others preferred bullying the weaker ones to show off their dominance.

    In the eyes of other academies, Bernabeu had definitely be weaker this time. Either Apache and Best had be worse, or the rest of the teammates were a bunch of fools, or else, they could¡¯ve never been defeated by Ayrng.

    However, Ayrng had Ma Xiaoru this time, and people couldn¡¯t help but wonder why a brilliant girl like her would choose to go to Ayrng. In fact, they were quite upset about the waste of her talent. Clearly, she was one of the aces in the team, but still, the girl alone was not enough to shape the final oue. After all, Bernabeu¡¯s candidates were too weak this time.

    "Did any of you hear dogs barking just now?" Carl asked aloud all of a sudden. Everyone could hear his loud voice clearly.

    Immediately, the eyes of the students of Cruxs turned red; it became an awkward situation at the reception counter.

    "You guys want a piece of me, huh?" Apache taunted coldly. He was not afraid to take on anyone that was trying to mess with him. After all, he had been hanging around in the Anti-smuggle Special Unit for a year.

    "Calm down, you folks." The teacher of Capth interrupted immediately. It would definitely escte into a fight if the teacher didn¡¯t stop them quickly, and Capth¡¯s reputation would be affected if things like that happened on their campus.

    Both parties red at each other, and the other students didn¡¯t make a move since he recognized Apache and was well aware of his capabilities. In the end, everyone backed down.

    Somehow, Wang Tong looked a bit disappointed. He was actually hoping for a "warm-up" brawl.

    Everyonepleted their registration under the awkward atmosphere and left the counter.

    Meanwhile, all of the principals were having a brief meeting about the uing schedules in the meeting room.

    Since the other A-Ranked academies were here to challenge Capth, they would need to draw lots in order to decide the order of fighting. Obviously, theter would be the better, as there would be enough time to observe the strength of Capth¡¯s candidates.

    In the end, Ayrng picked the best order and its candidates would be thest to challenge Capth. Somehow the other principals were not happy about it, as they couldn¡¯t believe that the weakest team was given the best opportunity. Fate was clearly not on their sides.

    On the other hand, Halmond seemed to be worried instead of being relieved, because that meant it would be a bit more challenging for his students. But he was okay with it, because youngsters needed challenges in order to improve. Nheless, what mattered the most was victory.

    The principals chatted for a while and dismissed. Martyrus used to be the one who did the talking since he was familiar with the other principals, but the situation got a little bit awkward this time due to the presence of young Samantha. Apparently, the older principals were not very fond of someone who became principal using the help of family connections. Not everyone was as big-hearted as Martyrus.

    In the eyes of those older principals, Samantha was more of a threat than Capth. More or less, their unpleasant feeling was created by jealousy.

    "Ah, Principal Samantha, wee home." Halmond smiled kindly.

    "Samantha will do, Mr. Halmond. Thank you for your kindness. Hopefully, my students and I would be able to learn from all of you this time." Samantha replied respectfully. Back in the days when she participated in tournaments, Mr. Halmond was the teacher who led their team. Everything just felt like yesterday, yet they were now meeting each other in different roles.

    "Haha, a ragged colt may make a good horse after all, which is why I¡¯m not letting my guard down and have gathered a team of elites." Halmondughed. It seemed interesting for being able topete against his own student.

    Being the vice principal of an S-Ranked academy, Halmond seemed wiser and more big-hearted than the others.

    "Please be gentle with us, Sir. There¡¯s no need to go all out." Samantha chuckled.

    "Haha, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re trying to bewitch me with the psychology stuff I taught you back then. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m the mentor of your Ph.D. To be honest, I¡¯ve prepared this team of elites because of you, most of it because you¡¯re one of my favorite students, and I know you quite well. You wouldn¡¯t go this far if you were not at least fifty percent confident in your team."

    "Sir, this time, it¡¯s only forty percent, but I still want to try my luck." Samantha knew that she couldn¡¯t fool Halmond. Not only was he an excellent teacher, but he was also an expert in psychology.

    "Very well, I shall see you in the arena then!"

    "Please treat us with care, Sir."

    Halmond nodded. As he was leaving, he turned around and said, "Oh by the way, I heard you¡¯ve recruited an amazing freshman. I¡¯ll be expecting his performance then."

    Samantha was startled, and replied with a smile. Clearly, the battle had already begun, and Mr. Halmond would not be making any careless mistakes this time. Her little trick of surprising Capth had failed in the end, and they had no other options but to fight them face to face!

    However, Samantha was uncertain if her team was up for the challenges ahead after going through all of the special training. Of course, she was here for the final victory, but even if she lost, she still needed to build up their confidence and let everyone know that Capth was not as intimidating and unreachable as it looked like. She had to imnt this mindset in her team and have them spread the idea to the rest of the students once they returned to Ayrng.

    Ayrng¡¯s odds of winning were almost nil since Halmond was already prepared. Yet, it would mean exactly the same if everyone was able to build up their confidence. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t suffer great humiliation. However, Samantha had Wang Tong in her team, so it should be fine.

    As Samantha thought about Wang Tong, her heart skipped a beat, yet she immediately gathered herself and calmed down. Right now, she had to stay focus and maintain her mentality. Aside from it being apetition between students, this tournament was also thepetition between principals, and she had to make sure that she was not despised!

    She immediately regained her confidence as she reminded herself that her sess was built on her own, without mastering any utilization of Soul Energy. If she had seeded her Mind Opening Operation, she would be an even more frightening existence.

    Even though she didn¡¯t possess any Soul Energy and talents, she was blessed with other capabilities. Because she was unable to utilize GN Force, she was able to concentrate herself in other fields and build up her own achievements.

    Although Capth being challenged by five other A-Ranked academies was not as hyped as the collision between S-Ranked academies, it was still a huge event, and people were excited about it.

    Students of Capth loved tournaments like this because it was able to boost their confidence. In recent years, A-Ranked academies had improved a lot, and were even able to cause them a few troubles. Yet, the students of Capth were okay with a few bumps. In fact, they loved seeing how students of A-Ranked academies "panted" in between matches.

    Nevertheless, the elite candidates from A-ranked academies would also be selected as elite students if they were to enroll in Capth; after all, their standards were almost the same.

    The Academy of Cruxs was the first in the order. The decent academy would be facing off Capth in the arena. Students were able to watch the live telecast of all matches for free; as for watching it live in the arena, students would have to get tickets from their teachers as early as possible due to the huge number of spectators.

    The matches were in fact battles between aces. High standard matches like these were definitely the perfect entertainment and learning materials for all.

    Teams of the other participating academies were also weed to watch in the arena. The candidates of all other four academies had already sat down in the arena before the match began.

    Cao Yi had even prepared hisptop, as making notes and records was one of his hobbies and specialties. Although they had already obtained enough data, he wanted to makeparisons between the avable data and their live performances. Data was only for references, and one would have to see it live in order to believe it. He wanted to analyze the capabilities of Capth on his own. Since Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance was thest to fight Capth, there was definitely enough time for a little more preparation.

 Chapter 179: Might of the Victor

    Chapter 179: Might of the Victor

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Students from the other four academies were busy checking each other out, probably because they were all elites. It seemed like the rest of the academies were also forming their teams by blending senior students with the freshmen. Hence, only a few recognized each other while most of them were new faces. Seniors were crucial in tournaments like this. If a team were made uppletely of freshmen, they would definitely be defeated by Capth miserably.

    As students from Capth entered the arena, the candidates from other academies instantly felt like they had be chimpanzees in a zoo. It was a strange feeling indeed as the students from Capth showed no signs of respect and were very proud of themselves, even though the participating candidates were the elites of their respective academies.

    Yet, it couldn¡¯t be helped since they were the students of a famous S-Ranked academy.

    Nevertheless, everyone would admire "celebrities" like Ma Xiaoru; people from every academy was seen drawn to her automatically.

    The first match was survival challenge. Unlike the previous one between Ayrng and Bernabeu, the scenario this time would be selected from the S-Ranked archive; the difficulty would be extremely high, and the sess rate would be lower, and even the students of Capth would find it difficult.

    Finally, the match began, and everyone focused on the monitor immediately, staring at the live feed of every participant down there. The winning condition of this S-Ranked difficulty scenario was simple, which was to reach the designated goal and survive until one of the teams waspletely wiped out. There was no time limit in this around, which was sort of unfavorable for Capth. Yet, the candidates of the S-Ranked academy were up for a challenge, in fact, they were not quite bothered by it.

    The difference between Capth and Cruxs was just like how Ayrng and Bernabeu used to be, not to mention a few candidates from Capth were extremely strong. The awaiting candidates were seen gasping and startled by Capth¡¯s amazing performances. However, Wang Tong fell asleep in the middle of the match. Apparently, he had been spending the whole night brainstorming his Battlecraft Combat strategies; no wonder he was so exhausted.

    As for the rest of the team, some were sighing, and some were pping as they continued watching the match. Surprisingly, Capth didn¡¯t send out all of its team members to take part in this round; even the renowned Li Ruo-Er was nowhere to be seen. Apparently, Capth was confident enough to only send out five students in this round.

    In the end, Capth won by 2:0. Clearly, the S-Ranked difficulty was much tougher than expected. The result of this match was not able to fully demonstrate the real performances of Capth. After all, the S-Ranked difficulty was also too much for their own candidates. However, Capth was about to show their extreme dominance in the uing rounds.

    Up next would be Intel Programming Battle, which was King¡¯s field of expertise. Apparently, this boy genius was able to own his opponent even though the opposing guy was a third grader. The poor guy was absolutely crushed, even though he had two more years of experience than King.

    King rubbed his eyes after the match ended; it wasn¡¯t even challenging. King¡¯s victory had officially kickstarted Capth¡¯s killing spree! The poor third grader lost not because he was weak, but because King was way too strong!

    In the Heavy Armed Brawl, Jia Gang had sessfully owned his opponent with his brutal strength; the difference in terms of strength between him and his opponent was like heaven and earth. As soon as Jia Gang won, he immediately unleashed a fierce roar and showed off his muscr body, sort of looking like a giant grizzly bear.

    It seemed like Capth was not nning to go easy on their opponents after all.

    Students from the other academies felt uneasy, as their ears were surrounded by the cheers from Capth¡¯s students, most probably because they were about to face the same opponents very soon.

    Clearly, watching their opponents¡¯ live performances was way more torturing than looking at their personal data.

    Battlecraft Combat was Cruxs¡¯st chance of scoring points. It would be alright if they lost, but nothing was more humiliating than getting zero points throughout the tournament.

    In the next three rounds of Battlecraft Combat, Capth had decided to send out another first grader, Kal, to "entertain" their guests!

    Battlecraft Combat and METAL Combat were the most important subjects in every academy. These subjects were also the most popr subjects amongst students, mostly because those who were able to shine in this two subjects would be the next celebrities in their academies.

    Capth¡¯s students went wild as Bisu showed up in the spectator seating area; he was truly a celebrity of the academy. Somehow, the candidates from other academies were startled by Capth¡¯s list of candidates. Clearly, Bisu was already more than enough to single-handedly destroy each and every one of them, yet it seemed like Capth had gone a bit too far to put in sh on the list as well. However, today they would be joining the spectators instead of participating in the matches.

    The candidate from Cruxs was pissed off. Clearly the two of them were sitting in the spectating area because they were confident that Kal was definitely capable of handling all three rounds by himself.

    Bisu, however, turned towards the students of Ayrng and saw his old rival Best. Both geniuses acknowledged each other¡¯s presence instantly.

    Finally, the match began, and Kal¡¯s performance was absolutely spectacr, it didn¡¯t take him long to beat the crap out of his opponent. Capth wasn¡¯t even bothered to switch out Kal, as they were confident that he would be able to win three rounds in a row!

    In round two, Kal had obviously won the moment he unleashed his Art of the Hellfire Spark at the very beginning, knocking out his opponent within ten minutes.

    As for round three, Kal¡¯s opponent made a terrible mistake at the beginning due to the nervousness of fighting against a stronger opponent. Hence Kal was able to subdue the poor dude easily and won three times in a row, scoring another three points for Capth.

    The students of Cruxs were terribly crestfallen, as all matches of Battlecraft Combat ended.

    Up next would be METAL Combat, which was the main focus of every academy. As for the unrivaled Capth, this was definitely their best field of expertise.

    Capth was still using the same strategy by sending in the first grader for the first round. This time, they sent in Wally, and he managed to nail it perfectly. However, Capth wasn¡¯t nning on letting him fight four matches in a row, but giving the other candidates and substitutes a chance instead. In the end, Capth defeated Cruxs by 3:1; obviously, Cruxs¡¯ win in round three was a "constion prize" from Capth. After all, it would be too humiliating if they were crushedpletely.

    Nevertheless, nine points were more than enough for Capth to prove its dominance.

    The students of Cruxs did nothing but sigh after all matches ended. They were extremely confident yesterday, but now, they were terribly devastated.

    As Cao Yi summarized his data, he realized that Capth was not imprable, even though their opponents were very strong. For example, there were a few candidates in METAL Combat that Cao Yi thought that they would be able to defeat. Yet, Cao Yi knew that this was not the strongest formation of Capth.

    In the end, challengers lost dreadfully on day one.

    Students of Cruxs went right back into their hotel rooms right after the humiliating defeat and got scolded by their teacher-in-charge. Obviously all of them were totally ashamed of their poor performances.

    "Yo Wang Tong, wake up! Stop dozing off." Hu Yangxuan said. In fact, Hu Yangxuan himself was ying his video game all the time, since matches like these were not worth watching; he woke Wang Tong up as the tournament ended.

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t move a muscle. Then, Zhou Sisi turned around and said, "It¡¯s meal time dummy!"

    Wang Tong bounced up right when he heard the word "meal", "Where? Where¡¯s the food?"

    Students of Capth that were leaving were surprised to see an idiot like that being selected as a candidate to take on Capth. What a total bullsh*t!

    Wang Tong wiped away his saliva and said, "Sisi, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re lying to me! As your punishment, you¡¯ll have to give me your portion!"

    "Hey, don¡¯t bully Sisi!" Ma Xiaoru interrupted.

    "Haha, I was just joking."

    "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re able to fell asleep in the middle of those exciting matches. It¡¯s kinda disrespectful to the almighty Capth, don¡¯t you think?" Hu Yangxuan joked.

    "Aw shaddup. Who says I was asleep? I was actually thinking. Meanwhile, you¡¯re ying games the whole time. Now, who¡¯s disrespectful huh?"

    "Hey fes, cut the crap. Things might get messy if you two carry on joking." Carlughed as he noticed the unfriendly res from the students of Capth.

    "Haha, rx! Take it easy, I¡¯m just joking." Carl turned around and tried to cool down the atmosphere.

    All of a sudden, Bisu walked towards the team, "Are you Wang Tong?"

    Wang Tong looked around and pointed at himself, "Well, the name might be a bit dull, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m the only one with this name here."

    "Very well, I¡¯ll be waiting." Bisu turned around and walked away cooly after he said that. At that moment, the students of Capth finally realized that Wang Tong had to be something else for being acknowledged by Bisu, no wonder he was so arrogant.

    However, Wang Tong replied shyly, "Erm¡­ you don¡¯t have to wait for me. I¡¯m not interested in men." Bisu almost fainted as he heard that ridiculous reply, yet he kept his cool and maintained his demeanor as an elite.

    "Well, looks like Capth had been studying about us. I¡¯ve no idea if I should be happy or worried to hear that." Cao Yi said. Clearly, Capth knew about the capabilities of their alliance, which also meant that it¡¯ll be harder for them to win by surprising their opponents.

    "It seems that he¡¯s very calm for not falling for the taunt easily. That¡¯s an elite right there." Ma Xiaoru said, and Zhou Sisi nodded in agreement.

    The more they learned about Capth, the more they agreed on its S-Ranked title. Not only were the students stronger, but they all appeared to have the attitude and aura of an elite.

    Due to the unexpected early end of day one, the other academies were given the afternoon to prep themselves. As the host of this event, Capth had been very generous about this; they even allow the other academies to ess certain areas in order for them to get familiar with the environment.

    To be honest, there was nothing much to prep for METAL Combat and Heavy Armed Brawl, since those categories were all about the strength of the fighters. However, the team did have to discuss on the strategies of Intel Programing Battle and Battlecraft Combat.

    After witnessing Kal¡¯s performance, Carl seemed to be more confidence instead of depressed. He was seen practicing by himself afterward. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to participate, since Best had higher chances of winning after all. Yet, Best would have to brace himself to take on his greatest enemy Bisu, and the intimidating sh, who had never been defeated ever since he mastered his battle strategy. No wondered sh was nicknamed "The Excalibur".

    Cao Yi seemed to have be the team¡¯s "secretary", as he seemed to know a little bit about everything. He even did a few researches regarding Intel Programming Battle. Although he wasn¡¯t as talented as the Zhang brothers and Rumi, yet he would still be seen constantly providing them suggestions and thoughts. Furthermore, he was even able to make wless analysis regarding Battlecraft Combats.

    Carl then pulled Cao Yi away to discuss something with him secretly. Even though no one thought that Carl would have the chance to take part, they were impressed by his seriousness. He seemed to be possessing a self-satisfying level of confidence.

 Chapter 180: Alliance of Noobs

    Chapter 180: Alliance of Noobs

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The next day was London Military Academy¡¯s turn. Their situation was slightly better than Cruxs¡¯, but still, only managed to win one more round throughout the tournament. However, the students of London Military Academy were quite happy. At least, they were not the one with the lowest points.

    Clearly, the Academy of Capth was filled with aces and elites, as they had sent out different candidates in the same categories, and those new candidates were still able to win round after round, not to mention those were not even the strongest ones.

    Nevertheless, everyone knew that London Military Academy would be weaker.

    Washington Military Academy was scheduled to take on Capth on day three. They were, in fact, top-notch amongst all A-Ranked academies. Washington Military Academy had always been drooling to be the next S-Ranked academy, and they had always been known as Capth¡¯s greatest rival.

    The arena was already fully packed early in the morning. Everyone was expecting an exciting tournament.

    As usual, the tournament began with the Survival Challenge, and Washington Military Academy already demonstrated a surprising performance; the challengers might have lost, yet they were able to pressure their opponents by a close score of 2:3. The other A-Ranked academies instantly saw a ray of hope; perhaps, Washington Military Academy would really be able to cause a miracle.

    Washington Military Academy suffered another loss in Intel Programming Battle. Yet, they bounced back by sessfully obtaining a breathtaking victory in Heavy Armed Brawl and scored one point finally! It was not an ordinary point because it was a proof of them winning the whole category. Apparently, the candidate named Ali was born with an extraordinary physical strength, which then led him to be the super-elite, and also the hidden ace of Washington Military Academy. However, the uneasy surprise had heightened the awareness of Capth.

    Students from the other academies were deeply encouraged by that round. They finally realized that Capth was not as invincible as it seemed like!

    Meanwhile, Jia Gang, who lost that round, was deeply saddened by his carelessness. He med himself of underestimating the funny-looking fe, and in the end, he was bitten back by his own ego.

    Just as the candidates of Washington Military Academy saw a ray of hope, Capth decided to send out Bisu for Battlecraft Combat, as it was time for him to "warm-up". In a sh, he managed to defeat three opponents in a row with his superb controlling maneuvers. The matches were so quick that his poor opponents didn¡¯t even get to see what really happened.

    It was totally outrageous! Yet to Bisu, those were nothingpared to his usual warm-ups.

    Both Bisu and sh were crowned as the living legends of Battlecraft Combat, and no one would be surprised if both of them would be two outstanding fleet captains in the future, or perhaps they would even create their own histories.

    The excitement of Washington Military Academy immediately died down; they werepletely overwhelmed by Capth¡¯s dominating capabilities.

    The tournament was followed up by the long-awaited METAL Combat, and Wally sessfully won four times in a row without breaking a sweat, showing no mercy to the guests. In the end, Washington Military Academy managed to score only one point like Cruxs.

    The Academy of Capth was indeed an indestructible fortress.

    Nevertheless, Washington Military Academy was still able to shake the arrogance of Capth. At least they had managed to force Capth to send out their aces and exhausted them a little bit; but nothing more than that. What¡¯s worse, that wasn¡¯t even Capth¡¯s strongest formation.

    On day four, To-So Military Academy¡¯s fate was even more depressing; they suffered a devastating humiliation of 0:10. Obviously, Washington Military Academy¡¯s surprising performances had triggered their alertness and bloodthirstiness, but To-So Military Academy was the one to suffer in the end.

    Students of the A-Ranked academies who were pretty confident a few days ago were utterly crushed after day four; the humiliation was unbearable. Without a doubt, every academy had recruited quite a few talents of their own. However, they had forgotten that elite "head-hunting" was not a difficult task in the era of talents blooming across the continent, and being one of the best S-Ranked academies, Capth would never miss a chance of recruiting their own aces as well. Regardless of Capth or the other A-Ranked academies, everyone had been busy all year round, recruiting talents and aces for the sake of their fame and glory.

    Halmond didn¡¯t show up during thepetition against To-So Military Academy; there was no point of him being in the arena since the oue was not a suspense at all. However, he was very excited about facing Samantha¡¯s team, a team led by someone who was one of his best students. And to be honest, he was actually overjoyed by the rivalry between him and his former student!

    Anyhow, people seemed not quite interested in the final tournament. The Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance sounded quite weak to most of them. After all, two weak parties teaming up would only make themselves even weaker! Moreover, there was no way that the alliance would be able to do better than Washington Military Academy.

    Only a handful of Capth¡¯s students showed up, as most of them were already bored of watching their team owning every single academy, not to mention their aces might not be participating since the alliance was too weak for them to get involved.

    Any match would have its own spectators if a tournament were held in some ordinary academy. However, this time the tournament was held in Capth, and due to the pride of enrolling in an S-Ranked academy, the students of Capth were quite "picky" when it came to battle matches.

    Yet, unlike how the others reacted, Capth¡¯s team seemed to be paying attention to the alliance. Perhaps it was due to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s presence, or perhaps it was because Samantha was a former student of Capth, even Vice Principal Halmond had shown up.

    As for the other academies, apparently, only Cruxs¡¯ team showed up in the spectating area. Yet no one knew if they were here to see the alliance got humiliated or for other purposes. Clearly the rest of the academies had given up on them.

    Samantha led the team into the arena; this too was the only day she showed up. Obviously, she knew that the matches during the earlier days were not worth her time at all, since that wasn¡¯t Capth¡¯s true performances.

    "Vice Principal Halmond, what sort ofpetition system shall we use this time?" Samantha addressed him in a formal manner. The sh between the teacher and the student was about to begin.

    "I¡¯ll leave that for you to decide, we¡¯re not bothered at all!" Halmondughed in confidence.

    "Since this event was all about self-discovery and learning from each other, actually, I have an idea. Why don¡¯t we imply KOF system for both Battlecraft Combat and METAL Combat?"

    "So, you were saying, three wins out of five rounds for Battlecraft Combat, and four wins out of seven matches for METAL Combat?"

    "Indeed, so that everyone would get a chance to learn from each other."

    "Haha, it seems like you¡¯re pretty confident today, Principal Samantha. Very well, I ept your idea!" Acknowledging that this method would only increase the winning rates of Capth, Halmond had no reasons to turn down Samantha¡¯s idea.

    Li Ruo-Er finally showed up at the arena, and everyone seemed to have gathered their attention on both Ma Xiaoru and her for today, not to mention the girls were even more attractive as they showed up in their uniforms.

    Both girls looked at each other. Li Ruo-Er gave her opponent a rxed and confident nce, like she knew she would win in the end. On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru kept her cool and stayed alert. In fact, their battle had already started the moment they saw each other. Only Tactics of the Enchantress users were able to demonstrate such psychokic "attacks". Both Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru seemed to have shown an outstanding mastery of Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Round one would be S-Ranked difficulty Survival Challenge as always. Capth would be sending out Li Ruo-Er, Cisco, Terrance, Wang Ben, and Wally!

    Students of Capth were stunned by the "luxurious" formation. Aside from Li Ruo-Er, there were both former second grader No.1 Cisco and the current second grader No.1 Terrance, first grader No.1 Wally and the incredible Wang Ben. Everyone wondered why would Halmond arrange the super formation that was normally used against another S-Ranked academy to fight against a team of weaklings. It was like he was trying to shoot down mosquitoes with machine guns.

    "What a team, Principal Halmond!" Samantha was surprised too. She didn¡¯t expect Halmond would get so serious in the first round.

    "Likewise. Frankly, I¡¯m saving the best for Ayrng because all of us appreciate your participation very much! May the best team win." If Halmond hadnt said that in a serious manner, the whole sentence would sound like an irony instead.

    The spectating students were confused because Li Ruo-Er was clearly more than enough to handle Ma Xiaoru. Yet Wally, Terrance and Cisco¡¯s participation seemed a bit too much¡­

    Even though Cisco had lost his No.1 title, he was still an elite amongst second graders. However, he seemed to be emotionally traumatized after the fight with Einherjar Wannabe. Yet, Halmond didn¡¯t give up on him. A talented person like him needed to learn how to bounce back from defeats, which was why Halmond arranged his participation in this round.

    Nevertheless, Halmond was not able to understand Wang Ben. Clearly, he still cared a lot about Ayrng, but he insisted on fighting against them. At first, Halmond wondered if Wang Ben was trying to let them win, but he immediately excluded that idea because the kid was the son of the honorable General Hu Ben, and he wouldn¡¯t disgrace his family for sure.

    Meanwhile, students of Ayrng were obviously infuriated as they saw Wang Ben¡¯s appearance.

    Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance would be sending out Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong, Apache, Hu Yangxuan and Cao Yi.

    Apparently, the students of Capth only knew Ma Xiaoru, and had no idea who the rest of the were. Although Apache had won before, that was a long time ago, and no one seemed to remember his name.

    Both teams decided to only send in the best candidates, because the weaker ones definitely had no chance surviving the scenario with an S-Ranked difficulty. Meanwhile, the spectating students were thrilled. Everyone knew how precise was Principal Halmond¡¯s observation. and this formation meant that the opponents were very strong!

    The scenario was then randomly drawn, and everyone went silent when they saw the drawn map. Apparently, the scenario was absolutely insane; the difficulty was impossible to be exact. However, the spectators thought that the alliance was lucky in drawing that map, as it would be humiliating to suffer a defeat in an easy scenario instead.

    All of the ten candidates were randomly ced at the edge of the map, and everyone was given the same set of equipment. This time, it would be a race towards the designated goal, and those who were unable to finish before time limit would be eliminated, just like how the military treated its soldiers who failed their given missions.

    In tough challenges like this, candidates had no choice but to go head on with even moreplicated Zergs, well-equipped with higher intelligence and stronger powers. However, some of the Zergs¡¯ data was altered in order to make them slightly stronger. After all, tougher difficulty would be able to increase fighter¡¯s chances of survival during real battles.

    This time, all of the ten candidates didn¡¯t rush off blindly, but they began after taking their time in checking the equipment and memorizing their routes.

    Everyone was given a navigation system which was able to detect Zergs¡¯ presence at some point. However, the screen of the navigation system was filled with red dots, which indicated Zergs. Hence, it was kind of useless in this scenario. If anyone of them were to encounter a horde of Zergs, he or she would be toasted for sure.

    Nevertheless, the coaching teacher had provided the team with some tips on handling S-Ranked scenarios like this. But to Wang Tong, those "tips" were a bit too technical for him, not to mention all of them had to beat the time limit as well. In the end, the best method was to charge!

 Chapter 181: Clear-cut

    Chapter 181: Clear-cut

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong was well aware that this was the time for him to prove himself to Samantha. Instead of talking, he knew this was the best time to do something to answer the affection of an amazing girl like her. Moreover, Capth¡¯s candidates had really drawn Wang Tong¡¯s interest.

    He remembered Old Fart saying once, "Women had to be won by conquering their hearts. If there¡¯s someone you adore, then show her your strength!"

    Wang Tong was well aware that Samantha really wished for a final victory, yet she didn¡¯t put in too much hope because the gap in terms of standards was too big. The bigger the desire, the greater the disappointment; but without a victory, Wang Tong would not be able to win Samantha¡¯s heart for good.

    Realizing that this was his final chance, Wang Tong finally got serious. Knowing that his opponents were all elites, he would have to be extra careful as well!

    Wang Tong started as the slowest amongst all candidates, and he didn¡¯t use any of the given equipment because they were in his way. Instead, Wang Tong chose to follow his own instinct. Soon, he realized that his sense of smell had picked up an unfamiliar scent. Even though he used to live in a zoo of Zergs back at Norton, yet all species were not covered. However, almost like Cao Yi, Wang Tong had a good habit of summarizing things. Wang Tong was born with a good memory, and was able to store all experiences in his brain.

    As a matter of fact, Zergs had a strict division of species, almost as strict as their ranking system. Their evolution patterns were mostly traceable, as they were all based on the specific primal species. Different Zergs might have a different level of ferociousness. However, most Zergs of the same species had the same characteristics. But the fighters would need to have a calm judgment under huge pressure when fighting against those creatures in order to find the simrities.

    Both Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were advancing at an incredible speed. As the match went on, people started to notice the difference. They began to realize that Apache was speedy butcked variations. On the other hand, Ma Xiaoru seemed to have unleashed her real strength under Li Ruo-Er¡¯s pressure. Bothdies were leading and had even outraced everyone else, after all, the two of them were the sessors of Tactics of the Enchantress. Meanwhile, spectators in the arena seemed to have increased as they found out that Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were participating. Everyone¡¯s attention was still focused on the two "princesses".

    People seemed to likeparing the two of them with each other since they both studied the same tactics. The House of Li was deeply rooted in the military while the House of Ma was Earth Confederation¡¯s one and only financial tycoon. So, of course, these twodies would always be living under the spotlight. Fortunately for thedies, public media had been very nice to them.

    After all, if any of these two families were being offended, Zergs would be the only "party" that one could turn to.

    Obviously, Zergs were not very fond of "unweed guests", and they would swarm in from all directions in order to eliminate the threats. The long-awaited battle had finally begun, and this was, in fact, the test of one¡¯s strength, experience, intelligence and different capabilities. No one would be able to extinguish all of the Zergs. Winning required a good strategy, unless he or she possessed the strength of an Einherjar.

    Somehow, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were able to free themselves from being surrounded by Zergs by demonstrating an extreme speed and variousbinations of movements.

    As for the rest of the candidates, they were all being very cautious and kept themselves hidden while advancing at a moderate speed. Yet, encounters were unavoidable in the base of Zergs. When one was being surrounded, shaking them off as quickly as possible was important because that would be like achieving a stage by stage victory.

    S-Ranked difficulty focused on survival and speed. It might be a bit too tough for most of them. However, this was the standard of Capth. The elites of Capth didn¡¯t even bother to look at the scenarios of lower ranked difficulties, as most of them had high requirements for themselves.

    The elites of Capth usually trained in S-Ranked difficulty scenarios. However, luck was still an important factor when it came to winning. Obviously, the candidates of Ayrng would find it even more difficult. Even though they had been taught by the coach and went through a lot of special training, situations like this would still be a bit too much for them.

    Hu Yangxuan and the rest of the alliance weren¡¯t the only ones who were surrounded by Zergs. Apparently, the candidates of Capth were also stuck in a mess, as Cisco, Wally and Wang Ben too were surrounded by hordes and hordes of Zergs. Wally tried to break off by unleashing a burst of GN Force. However, he was trapped again within less than ten meters.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped because the scenario was randomly drawn and it was truly outrageous.

    On the other hand, Cao Yi seemed to be doing better as he was moving very carefully. He managed to stay calm as he knew that he wasn¡¯t in a rush. Although he was weakerpared to the others, Cao Yi was aware that there was still a chance for him to win if he could stay calm and focused. His strategy was to proceed ording to the surrounding situation. This was why Cao Yi was seen advancing at a slow speed. He would stop and observe the situation if there were Zergs around the corner, and would choose to avoid confrontation if he were able to do so. Even if that weren¡¯t possible, it was better to make clear observations before attacking.

    However, he would never be able to reach the final goal if he kept traveling at that speed. But clearly, Cao Yi wasn¡¯tpletely focused on winning. He was here to train for improvement.

    Wally, on the other hand, was keen on showing off. But more importantly, he was eager to prove himself better than Wang Ben. Unfortunately for him, his burst of GN Force had drawn the attention of even more Zergs, and he was struggling to kill all of them.

    Nevertheless, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were still the strongest of all. Both of them were moving with an extreme nimbleness like swordmasters, and always managed to dodge the Zergs before getting surrounded. This level of variation was all driven by the Tactics of the Enchantress. Others who practiced different tactics would¡¯ve died of exhaustion already if they were to move like how they moved.

    Aside from movements, bothdies were also performing amazingly in terms of attacking, slicing through enemies with their superb sword skills. Clearly, both of them had been professionally trained, and they were equally experienced. However, the only thing that got everyone else worried was their stamina.

    Wang Tong seemed to be advancing at a decent speed. He wasn¡¯t going full force yet as there was still time. He was waiting for the perfect timing. To be honest, he hated those Skulk Zergs, but the ruckus caused by the other candidates had provoked every single Zerg in this map. Unlike mankind, Zergs were not able to invigorate each other through words andnguages. However, they were able to secrete a substance that would stimte all Zergs to go rampage and significantly boost their strength while toughening their defense at the same time. Normally, fighters would never hope to fight against a provoked Zerg, and would prefer to ambush those creatures instead.

    However, that was what Wang Tong wanted, because only then would he be able to tell what was going on, as the creatures¡¯ scent waspletely dispersed throughout the environment. Nevertheless, this round was going to be rough, as engaging in tough battles in their base would be unavoidable.

    Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru¡¯s strength was truly terrifying, and were able to startle the students of Capth and Cruxs. They might be at the same age as everyone else, yet the gap in terms of strength was indescribable. With the absolute dominance of such incredible tactics, no wonder the Five Great Houses were still thriving today.

    As for the reason behind House of Ma¡¯s glory, aside from staying away from politics, the most important reason had to be their development of the state of the art technologies. Even though the number of technologies were not many, they were still able to let the House of Ma maintain its unshakable position and unique existence among the other four Great Houses.

    Rumors had it that the House of Ma actually possessed a piece of technology left down by the de Warrior himself. Even the House of Li had no idea what the secret was. Due to an agreement made ages ago, the House of Li had no rights to know what it was.

    It seemed like the agreement was made by General Li Feng himself.

    Minutester, both Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru too were being attacked by Zergs from all directions. Most importantly, they had no idea what was going on in front, as their Soul Energy detection was only able to cover an approximately ten meters radius. It might sound amazing, but the detection ability was not able to keep up with their moving speed. Hence random encounters were somehow unavoidable.

    As they were being attacked, both "princesses" were still able to counter while not affecting their traveling speed at all, which was totally absurd. Even though bothdies were not in the same area, it did feel like both of them werepeting against each other.

    As for Best and the other candidates from Bernabeu, they finally realized that Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t even demonstrate her true strength during their previous tournament against Ayrng. If it weren¡¯t because of the agreement made by both principals, all of them would have been KO-ed by her alone.

    Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were the first, but their speed had started to decline, and their battles had be more difficult, not to mention that their stamina had also started to decline after charging for a long period of time. They needed to conserve energy in order to look out for any ambush.

    Bothdies were seen using the same strategy; to both of them, the early stage of the round were easier even though it was quite difficult for the others, which was why they chose not to waste any time and dashed towards the core of Zergs¡¯ base. As for now, they would need to be more careful and utilize the time they saved earlier at this stage.

    Clearly, both princesses were not some brainless beauties. They appeared to have great minds even though they didn¡¯t have great knockers.

    However, a dandy once said, "Not to judge b*obs by women¡¯s cup sizes."

    Everyone was absolutely drawn to thedies while they were fighting; they were indeed the perfectbination of beauty and strength. Even the teachers were truly amazed by their performances. Normally, people would either scream and shout or keep a long face while demonstrating their tactics. However, Tactics of the Enchantress were less loud and coarse; no matter facing what sort of situation, Li Ruo-Er would always show an elegant faint smile while Ma Xiaoru would remain gentle as always. Even her sword skills looked gentle, but actually were very lethal. Only a dying Zerg would be able to tell the fear from her attacks as it was being sliced into half.

    Somehow, the whole arena was packed with spectators after a while, and the monitor seemed to be focusing on Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru only. Since Li Ru-Er was barely able to be seen in Capth for most of the time, a lot of spectators seemed to havee just to witness her elegance, not to mention people were excited about the sh between House of Ma and House of Li¡¯s descendants.

    As for the other candidates, their situations were shown in the smaller windows on the monitor. Apparently, the personnel in charge of the control room were well aware that the spectators didn¡¯t care much about the other candidates. Even though Wang Ben was famous, his case was still not as interesting as Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru¡¯s.

    Wang Ben had been demonstrating a stable performance. He seemed not to be worrying about the time. At first, the students of Capth were worried if he would purposely let their opponents win, yet they were immediately relieved as they noticed that he was doing good while Wally was still struggling.

    It seemed like Wang Ben and Cisco were the second fastest candidates.

 Chapter 182: S-level Difficulty

    Chapter 182: S-level Difficulty

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Hu Yangxuan, Apache and Cao Yi¡¯s cing was right behind Wang Ben and Cisco¡¯s. However there was still quite a gap between those two batches, and it was clearly caused by the difference between strategies. Even if everyone were able to survive in the end, the gap between both batches¡¯ advancement speed would still roughly show the difference in terms of their overall fighting abilities.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was still the slowest candidate of all. However, he was seen closing the gap between him and the third batch of candidates. Wang Tong could¡¯ve elerated early as the match began, but he chose not to do so due to theplicated scent he picked up from this S-Ranked scenario. He needed to get familiar with the surrounding first before he could speed up afterward. If Wang Tong were to charge recklessly at the beginning, he would be thoroughly drained in this round of bloody brawl with the Zergs, and he wouldn¡¯t have enough stamina for the uing matches.

    The other candidates too were thinking about the same thing. Since they were unable to reach the goal in time, it would be better for them to conserve energy and survive this round. Even though that had nothing to do with winning, still they need to do so in order to defend their reputation as aces.

    Wang Tong was calcting time while advancing. Noticing that the clock was ticking and his analysis was not done yet, Wang Tong knew that it would cause him to be eliminated in the first round. In the end, Wang Tong decided to speed up and charge in order to keep his promise to Samantha!

    "Damn, they¡¯re so lucky!" One of the students of Cruxs sighed as he envied Capth¡¯s and the alliance¡¯s amazing performances. Clearly their team would never be able to keep up in that harsh situation.

    "They looked good because they had Ma Xiaoru in their team, but I think they¡¯re still not gonna make it in the end. Li Ruo-Er was clearly leading." Li Ruo-Er was indeed leading Ma Xiaoru by two minutes, and even though bothdies were equally strong, Ma Xiaoru would still be pressured by Li Ruo-Er, who was up ahead of her.

    On the other hand, Halmond remained calm on his seat. The situation might have looked bad, but he was certain that Li Ruo-Er was slightly stronger than Ma Xiaoru. Nevertheless, Samantha was lucky as both teams were given this hideous scenario. If the difficulty were to be lower, Capth would¡¯ve won in no time. However, Halmond realized that he still had underestimated her team. Surprisingly, her team was doing quite well even though they were facing such a difficult challenge.

    As expected from Samantha¡¯s leadership!

    Halmond recognized Apache, who had wonst time because his opponent held back. After all, Capth would still have to look after its challenger¡¯s reputation. Back then, the kid was too naive, but he had improved now and became more rational. The other candidates seemed to be doing fine too. Halmond turned towards Hu Yangxuan, a decent, talented kid from Court of the Temr. Obviously, Capth was quite familiar with Court of the Temr, since Terrance, the current No.1 amongst second graders, was also one of the Temr¡¯s disciples, and he was also Hu Yangxuan¡¯s upperssman.

    As for Cao Yi, the boy was truly talented, as he knew how to act ording to his strength and was able to keep calm and stay focus. Hence, he should be able to shine in the future. Geniuses would often make mistakes, and some even wouldn¡¯t appreciate their gift, while a focused and cautious person like him would be able to go ces. In fact, Halmond saw a bit of himself in Cao Yi. He too was not a born genius, and wasn¡¯t as talented as his ssmates. Yet, he was hardworking and had sessfully be the vice principal of Capth, and those talented ssmates of his were unable to achieve anything in the end.

    Nevertheless, Principal Martyrus was still one of the best in terms of recruiting talents.

    Yet, Halmond seemed to have forgotten someone else¡­

    Halmond was confident that he had everything under control, and he was certain about the final oue that it would be either a draw or they would win by a close victory. Li Ruo-Er¡¯s slight advantage over Ma Xiaoru was all he needed.

    This level of difficulty might have restrained his team¡¯s performances, but they should learn that life was fair, and luck wouldn¡¯t always be on their side. Instead, they should be oveing every difficulty with their true strength. If they were able to keep calm, victory would be on their side.

    After all, it would be wrong if they were too arrogant.

    "Oh?"

    "Look at that speed!"

    "Did you see that? That dude sped up in a blink of an eye!"

    "Go get it, hombre!" Carl jumped up and cheered, without even bothering about the other spectators. The word shyness was definitely not in his vocabry.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was still elerating. For some reason, he was able to increase his speed even though the pressure was getting bigger from time to time.

    "So that¡¯s Wang Tong huh. Isn¡¯t it a bitte to start charging now?" Halmond murmured to himself, or perhaps to Samantha as well.

    "Sir, don¡¯t make conclusions until the very end. You taught me that once." Samantha smiled. To be honest, she was relieved as Wang Tong made his move after such a long time. She was anxious because no one was able to make it yet, not to mention the Survival Challenge was all about testing one¡¯s experience and overall strength.

    As for now, all Samantha could do was to trust Wang Tong while watching his performance through the monitor and cheer for him from the bottom of her heart.

    Wang Tong was seen dashing across the map. With his detection ability of approximately thirty meters in radius and his knowledge about Zergs, Wang Tong was able to roughly identify the species of Zergs and the number of Zergs within this radius. This was why he was able to be fully prepared to attack way before encountering the creatures, making sure that he stayed out of troubles and saved a lot of time.

    After five minutes, Wang Tong had overtaken Hu Yangxuan and the rest of the third batch members. The ability to detect was very crucial in a dangerous environment like this, and Wang Tong was basically born with the advantage of telling the numbers of Zergs with his Soul Energy and identifying their species through his sense of smell. Most candidates might need to think of a strategy, but Wang Tong knew Zergs very well, just like how they knew themselves. Also, the way he fought was based on his instinct, wasting no time at all.

    Unlike most people, Wang Tong was able to notice that Zergs¡¯ attacking moves were basically instinctive formations. In fact, Einherjar Wannabe taught him how to do so back at Norton, which was why he was able to save himself from hordes of Zergs from time to time. Speedy judgment was crucial in battlefields, and fighters should be able to have spontaneous reflexes that responded quicker and more precise than the brain, like an instinct.

    Wang Tong¡¯s spontaneous reflexes kicked in like a natural instinct. He knew he had to do so in order to win, or else he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his promise to Samantha. As a man, promises had to be kept at all costs. He remembered Old Fart used to say that, and then there was also his habit of pawning anything valuable in the house for fulfilling his promises to thedies.

    Wang Tong was dispersing a murderous aura because he felt the sense of pressure which was quite different from what he had felt on Norton. He would¡¯ve stayed hidden while advancing if this was Norton, because exposing to the environment was very dangerous. But he had no choice except exposing himself to danger and getting familiar with the environment. This was after all how mankind trained themselves since the beginning of time.

    Time was running out fast, and Wang Tong was still charging towards the goal. He had sessfully overtaken the second batch of candidates, and was seen approaching like a hurricane, stunning everyone else among the crowd. Meanwhile, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru, who were leading in front, had slowed down and were proceeding carefully. As the descendants of House of Li and House of Ma, they had to achieve everything that seemed impossible for most people because they were the offsprings of legends. Although thedies were able to keep their cool while confronting crisis due to the might of their Tactics of the Enchantress, yet both of them sensed that they were no longer able to elerate.

    The system would announce the name of any candidate that was able to make it to the core area of the map. Li Ruo-Er was expecting her and Ma Xiaoru¡¯s name to be announced as they entered. However, she was quite surprised to hear a third name announced by the system.

    The other candidates of Capth stood up unwittingly, and the spectators had gone quiet. Everyone was very nervous!

    For the first time, students of Capth felt an uncertainty towards their victory.

    Although Wang Tong was still falling behind bothdies, he was closing the gap rapidly. Unlike Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru, the way Wang Tong charged was intimidating and strange. Somehow, he always managed to get ready to fight even though there was still a distance between him and the enemy. And for some reason, he would always change his routes whenever some special species of Zergs or pack leader Zergs were waiting in front, like he had known everything in advance.

    His speed was mind-blowing.

    Li Ruo-Er immediately felt the pressure as soon as she realized that it was currently two against one. She didn¡¯t expect someone that strong in the opposing team.

    Wang Tong too was getting worried as the time was disappearing quickly. Apparently, he was greatly burdened by the creatures. He had even made a few mistakes in his recent judgments and almost ended up getting KO-ed by one of the Zergs. The Zergs were also getting stronger; their species had increased, and their scent had got even moreplicated. If there were more options, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to advance like this. After all, the lesser the risks, the better.

    Wang Tong gathered himself and stayed focused in order toplete his mission; nothing would be able to stop him now.

    One minute to go, the three of them were approaching the finish line. Wang Tong had narrowed the gap!

    Halmond started to get worried a little. The spectators were holding their breaths, wondering who was going to win this round.

    Was it going to be them?

    Furthermore, this was how S-Ranked difficulty looked like?

    All of a sudden, a strange hissing sound came out of nowhere, and the pathway ahead was blocked entirely. Then, Skulk Zergs and its pack leader Zerg began to attack, intercepting Li Ruo-Er, who was the first one who was trying to reach the goal. She was being attacked from all directions under themand of the pack leader Zerg.

    Even the descendant of Tactics of the Enchantress would never be able to break through that easily.

    Time was running out. However, Li Ruo-Er would never be able to pass through even if she were to unleash a series of GN Force, because in the program, the creatures were modified to be very defensive in order to protect the core area. Just like how they would protect their Space Hives, they would protect the area at all costs, even if meant using their bodies as meat shields.

    Li Ruo-Er then unleashed her Sword of the Enchantress in an elegant manner, slicing up Zergs into halves as she moved. However, she was still unable to move an inch closer, and was even pushed back because she wasn¡¯t equipped with any METAL Suit. Her GN Force alone was unable to defend against too many attacks, and to get hurt would be even more dangerous as she might get herself KO-ed before she could reach the goal. Nevertheless, she believed that no one would be able to pass through if she was unable to do it.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru too had unleashed two continuous shes with her Sword of the Enchantress, and slew a huge amount of Zergs. However, she wasn¡¯t able to get through at all. Hence, in order not to get KO-ed by the stronger Zergs, Ma Xiaoru chose to switch from going offensive to defensive.

 Chapter 183: Struggling?!

    Chapter 183: Struggling?!

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    System Notification: Survival Challenge ending in ten seconds!

    Everyone was holding their breaths. Apparently, while Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were held back by the hordes of Zergs, someone else was pushing his way through the creatures!

    Wang Tong was frustrated while taking hits from the creatures, cursing the one who created this system for making the virtual "attacks" feel so real! Nevertheless, he was not giving up. He had to make it through for the sake of the happiness of his life.

    However, the Zergs were definitely not bothered by his motivation for winning, andpared to the other twodies, this boy seemed to be even more tougher to handle. Somehow, Wang Tong was not afraid of getting hurt, or to be exact, he would choose when to get hurt in exchange for greater benefits. Only an experienced fighter would know the strategy of "sacrifice".

    However, knowing when to get hurt was not enough to ovee this situation.

    The countdown had begun, and Wang Tong was still trying to elerate. The finish line was just steps away, yet he was intercepted by tons of Zergs. Moreover, if he chose not to take a few steps back, he would be immediately KO-ed by those creatures. Somehow, his all-out charge had sent him into a dead end.

    Halmond was nervous as hell. If this round ended in a draw, he could still say it was because of the harsh difficulty. But if Samantha¡¯s team won, they would be up for a bad start.

    Five¡­ Four¡­

    Students of Ayrng held their breaths. The admiration towards Wang Tong from Carl and the rest of the team had reached another level, and everyone acknowledged Wang Tong as their real top-dog. It might be difficult, but still, they wished Wang Tong would be able to create a miracle.

    Zhou Sisi prayed hard as she closed her eyes and put her palms together. Being a Catholic, she ced her faith in God, hoping that there would be a miracle!

    Wang Tong then unleashed a force and blew the surrounding Zergs away. He had not given up yet, and he would fight until the very end.

    Rzzz¡­!

    Wang Tong made a harsh hissing sound as he charged into the middle of the surrounding Zergs. As soon as he did that, the creatures froze their actions. Somehow, the sound had got them confused. The hiss had sessfully bought enough time for Wang Tong to make a counterattack!

    Two¡­ One!

    Ding Dong!

    ¡®Time¡¯s up! S-Ranked Survival Challenge cleared¡­ Congrattions Wang Tong!¡¯

    In fact, it was Wang Tong¡¯s head that had made it to the finish line. The scene was embarrassing, but what mattered was he had won the round.

    Students of Capth were left speechless. It was unbelievable that someone had eventually done it!

    The candidates of Capth were also stunned by what happened. Wally and a few other candidates looked startled, because they couldn¡¯t believe that someone could really clear an extremely difficult scenario like this.

    Or, perhaps something was wrong with the system?

    Li Ruo-Er was the first to step out, wondering who on earth was this Wang Tong fe!

    Meanwhile, the other candidates of the Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance rushed towards Wang Tong immediately as they cheered. Ma Xiaoru was even holding his hands.

    "Great job buddy! I knew you can do it!" Ma Xiaoru said with a smile. As Li Ruo-Er noticed how cheerful and happy her rival was, the young mistress of the House of Li slightly frowned.

    At that moment, it became clear to the students of Capth that Wang Tong was, in fact, the actual ace of Ayrng!

    Halmond calmed himself and said, "Congrattions, Principal Samantha. He is truly an amazing talent. No wonder you looked so confident."

    "Thank you for your kindness, Principal Halmond. That smart kid just got lucky." Samantha was more than happy. However, she kept her politeness.

    "Round one goes to Ayrng. Next round would be Intel Programming Battle!" Halmond announced in a serious tone. Then, he looked towards his team with his pressuring vision, signaling his team to grab hold of themselves!

    The candidates of Capth were infuriated. They had never been in such a humiliating position before; no academy had ever dealt such a heavy blow to them before! Especially a team like that!

    However, Wang Ben didn¡¯tin while he was resting by the side, because he was the only one who knew Wang Tong very well. The dude might look silly, but his level of strength was beyond imagination. One had to be fully prepared in order to defeat him.

    "Yo Wang Ben, you knew that dude huh? Anything you wanna share with us?" Wally asked. He remembered Wang Ben did mention that dude before, but no one paid any attention during that time because no one expected he would be that good.

    Wang Ben lifted his head and replied, "Now it¡¯s toote for that."

    "So, you mean I¡¯m no match for that punk huh, is that what you¡¯re trying to say?" Wally got pissed off by Wang Ben¡¯s attitude. He had always been mad at Wang Ben for not showing any respect to him.

    "Yea, you¡¯re no match for him." Wang Ben replied with a straight face.

    Wang Ben¡¯s reply made Wally really mad. As Wally stood up and tried to walk towards Wang Ben, Li Ruo-Er unleashed a scent of Soul Energy and interrupted with a smile on her face, "Let¡¯s not fight amongst ourselves since we¡¯re a team. Don¡¯t embarrass yourselves, okay? I¡¯m sure Wang Ben didn¡¯t say that intentionally, since he is a man with a few words. If this Wang Tong fe is really that good, why don¡¯t y¡¯all leave him to me?"

    Wally calmed down as he realized that he had almost made another mistake due to his hot-temper. He had to remain calm like the others in order to protect his image. Wally¡¯s face rxed, as he remembered that an ace should maintain its sportsmanship all the time.

    "But before going head to head with you Miss Li, that kid would have to go through me first!"

    "Yea, round one was only a gift from us. From now onwards, we¡¯re the ones who will be winning all the remaining matches!" Terrance nodded. Being the No.1 amongst second graders, he was embarrassed about their previous loss. He was the leading candidate of the second batch a while ago, and he could¡¯ve won if he had more time.

    Now that Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance had won the first round, Capth was falling behind by the score of 0:1. Up next would be Intel Programming Battle.

    As for the other students who were not in the arena, all of them stopped when they heard the announcement about their team losing the first round. No one was able to believe their ears.

    "There must be a mistake in the announcement. It¡¯s Survival Challenge we¡¯re talking about, how could this go wrong?"

    "Let¡¯s go check it out!"

    "You must be joking! Losing to a team of weaklings, how¡¯s that possible?"

    More students began to gather at the arena. The candidates of Capth looked tensed, knowing that their failure had caused an uproar.

    "Everyone survived the S-Ranked Survival Challenge? Really?"

    "Oh my god, even Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru failed, but a nobody named Wang Tong got through instead? That¡¯s absurd!"

    "Holy crap, who¡¯s that dude? Is he strong?"

    "Apparently, he¡¯s just some ordinary kid with a Level four Soul Energy, but everything about him seems strange!"

    The arena was instantly filled with discussions. Some of the students still found it hard to believe.

    "Haha, way to go, my man! I knew you could do it!" Carl threw Wang Tong a friendly punch.

    Wang Tong dodged and replied, "Woah easy dude, you almost killed me with that punch."

    "Good job!" Zhou Sisiplimented with a thumbs up. God seemed to have answered her prayers.

    Wang Tong¡¯s victory and everyone else¡¯s survival had boosted the morale of the team significantly, and even caused an immense pressure on their opponents. Zhang Kui would bepeting in the next round.

    Wang Tong sat on his chair and thanked his luck. He had actually put himself into danger a while ago as he charged, and luckily remembered the hissing sound which saved him. Somehow, he discovered that the hissing sound of Zergs during battles were not ordinary war cries, but some sort of simple and effectivemands. At first, he mimicked the hiss because it sounded funny, and it was able to confuse lower ranked Zergs. Yet, he didn¡¯t imagine that it would also work in a situation like that, enabling him to make miracles happen during desperate times.

    He felt grateful, it seemed like God didn¡¯t want his first love to end that quickly.

    The Zhang Brothers had been preparing a lot of strategies for this day; they seemed confident about winning. Tension rose as soon as the match began. However, King was stronger than they had expected. Sometimes, hard work would not guarantee a winning ticket. Zhang Kui had been defending with all his might, yet he was still unable to stand against King¡¯s terrifying attacks. Clearly, King had gone full force in order to heighten the team¡¯s spirit. In the end, Zhang Kui was defeated within minutes.

    Capth won the second round.

    Zhang Kui seemed depressed about his loss, feeling that he had disappointed Zhang Yan and Rumi. But it couldn¡¯t be helped, as his opponent was too strong.

    "Cheer up buddy, we¡¯re just getting started. It¡¯s not the end of the world." Wang Tong said. Clearly, Capth had decided to strike back in order to defend their "unrivaled" title.

    Next round would be Scarlet versus Jia Gang in Heavy Armed Brawl, and Scarlet waspletely overpowered by Jia Gang¡¯s dominating skills and power. Basically, there was no element of surprise in Heavy Armed Brawl. Capth had be the leading team with the score of 2:1. Everyone seemed rxed again. Perhaps the alliance really was lucky in the first round.

    Up next would be Battlecraft Combat, and things were starting to get serious. As requested by Samantha, this category would be held using KOF system.

    Whoever obtained three victories would win this round of challenge.

    The geniuses of Capth were getting impatient. The final two categories were apparently Capth¡¯s strongest subjects, not to mention they had dominated the Battlecraft Combat of Earth Confederation.

    For the first match, Capth would be sending out Kal, who was the ace amongst first graders.

    The alliance started to look nervous. Best was the first challenger of this category since he was the most confident one.

    The first match was filled with excitement. Apparently, freshman Kal didn¡¯t hold back at all and fully demonstrated his strength, showing superb controlling maneuvers and dealing wless attacks. Best was KO-ed after thirty-five minutes.

    Best¡¯s operating maneuvers might be excellent, but his strategies had been fully deciphered by Capth¡¯s analysis team not long ago. Furthermore, the speed of his hands was slightly slower than Kal, which was why Best¡¯s chances of winning were very low. On the other hand, Kal was seen grabbing his fists and celebrating after winning that match. He had finally proven his strength!

    Best sat quietly in the control room. He couldn¡¯t believe that he would lose to a newbie. The students of Capth then gave Kal a round of apuse for his job well done. sh and Bisu smiled as they looked at each other. They were pleased to see Kal¡¯s amazing performance. On the other hand, Best did improve, and his skills were better than Kal for sure. But in the end, Battlecraft Combat was full of uncertainty, which was why sh was the best because of his steady performances since the very beginning.

 Chapter 184: My Own Victory

    Chapter 184: My Own Victory

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The first match of Battlecraft Combat ended with Best¡¯s loss, and the gap between Capth and Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance had widened again. It seemed like their victory in the first round was just a coincidence.

    Members of the Alliance were devastated over Best¡¯s defeat; everyone seemed crestfallen. Wang Tong wondered if he should be the onepeting next. However, he wished to have a bit more time to rest. He needed to regain enough energy for the sake of the uing matches.

    "Lemme do it. I promise I¡¯ll beat the crap outta him!" Carl stood up all of a sudden. He seemed unaffected while the others were depressed.

    However, everyone in the team looked at each other. They were more confident about Zhou Sisi or Wang Tong. After all, the risk of losing would be bigger if they sent Carl up.

    "I think it¡¯s worth trying." Cao Yi agreed. Everyone then dropped their doubts as Cao Yi said that, because he was the most trustable and rational person in the team. Furthermore, he had been helping Carl with his secret strategy recently. Surprisingly, he was never annoyed by Carl¡¯s attitude.

    "Go get¡¯em, bro!" Wang Tong said that as he noticed that Zhou Sisi wasn¡¯t ready for the challenge, not to mention her techniques and strategies were simr to Best¡¯s. Hence, the possibility of winning would be very low. Everyone from the team should be able to trust Carl since he volunteered himself confidently.

    "Second match: Kal versus Carl."

    This would be a battle between two individuals with simr names. On Capth¡¯s side, Kal seemed to be very excited about defeating Best, because he didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to win against an ace yer of Battlecraft Combat with his own strength. Clearly, the victory had significantly boosted his confidence. As Kal looked at his opponent, he wondered if the Alliance had given up, sending some weakling to take him on. In fact, the only thing that got Capth¡¯s team confused after going through the Alliance¡¯s data was this dude named Carl. No one was able to tell why would Ayrng and Bernabeu recruit this clown in their team.

    "Excuse me judge, are you sure about that this dude is my opponent? If I were to be a bit more disrespectful, I¡¯d really love to crush him with only one hand."

    Kal was very arrogant in this match, perhaps it was due to the previous victory. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped because Kal might literally be able to single-handedly defeat a weak yer like Carl.

    Yet surprisingly, Carl didn¡¯t talk back. Instead, he was busy preparing himself and warming up his fingers.

    Kal might have said something arrogant, but he immediately focused himself upon entering battle mode. He kept telling himself not to get nervous and make careless mistakes. As long as he was able to do it like how he used to perform, he would be able to make a perfect victory without breaking a sweat!

    This was Carl¡¯s first time taking part in a majorpetition like this. Yet to his surprise, he wasn¡¯t nervous at all.

    He should be nervous, but he was totally calm!

    Instead, he was kind of excited and presumptuous, like he was trying to release the energy that had been sitting inside for a very long time at once. He had been preparing for this day, and he was grateful that throughout his journey, his teachers had never given up on him and his teammates had never thought that he was a disgrace.

    He had been longing for a day like this, a day for him to finally shine, and the excitement within had turned into calmness.

    "Looks like he¡¯s doing good. I can sense a strong fighting spirit in his eyes." Wang Tongmented.

    "But, isn¡¯t it a bit too risky? I think it¡¯s better to let Sisi handle this match." Ma Xiaoru seemed worried.

    "Haha, Sisi, I noticed that your hands are trembling just now. Clearly, you¡¯re not ready yet, so it¡¯s best for you to stay outta this. I might sound a bit harsh, but I think Carl was the calmest candidate amongst all of us." Wang Tong said in a serious tone.

    Zhou Sisi nodded in silence. Without a doubt, she was not confident at all. Even Best had lost, so there was no way that she would be able to win. She seemed sort of depressed and ashamed. Ma Xiaoru went over and held her hands while ming Wang Tong for being so harsh on the poor girl.

    Nevertheless, Ma Xiaoru respected Wang Tong¡¯s greatness and strength. She admired his cool yet fierce attitude.

    Meanwhile, Carl¡¯s operating maneuvers seemed kind of weird as no one had ever seen such a strange strategy before. Apparently, the dude was building an air base first instead of making anything else. Was he trying to mimic Art of the Soaring Heaven?

    However, the key to every strategy was the precise timing of development, and imitation without understanding this would only worsen the situation. After a series of recons, Kal seemed relieved, as it looked like his opponent was not the hidden ace. Perhaps, the Alliance really had given up.

    Kal¡¯s strategy was to finish his operating maneuvers perfectly and knockout his opponent with a single wave of attacks. However, he did develop an anti-aerial system just in case that dude was also able to pull off some insane Cloning Techniques. Kal needed to end this as soon as possible.

    But before Kal could send out his units, his opponent had already begun to attack. On the other hand, Carl was "high" as hell, as he was the kind of person who would break the limit in critical moments. This exined why he could be one of Massa¡¯s favorite trainees. There were basically two types of people, some who were very skillful but would freak out due tock of confidence, and others who were born fearless and would be more excited as the tension rose. Usually, these type of people possessed an unimaginable level of strength.

    Carl fell under the second type of people, not to mention that he had prepared something huge for the sake of this asion.

    Carl¡¯s strategy was to interfere his opponent by deploying Heavy Armed Units via airdrop!

    Although Kal¡¯s ground troops had the advantage in terms of numbers, he was definitely overpowered by the long-range attacks of Carl¡¯s Heavy Armed Units, and Carl was attacking like a madman, constantly bombarding at random ces and continuing his developments in his own base.

    At that moment, sh and Bisu began to look worried. Obviously, this was a new strategy that they had never seen before!

    A brand new battle strategy!

    While most people were busy copying and rectifying things that were created by someone else, some people preferred to create and invent. They were not afraid of failing and being embarrassed. Instead, they liked to let their imaginations run free.

    So did Carl! Apparently, he had sessfully created this airdrop strategy that sounded impossible and absurd at the beginning!

    Kal was nervous. He wanted to go all out, yet he couldn¡¯t leave his base unprotected. Meanwhile, Carl¡¯s troops were gradually increasing. Soon, he would be able to surpass his opponent¡¯s number of troops and outrace him in terms of operating maneuvers and developments!

    No one had expected this!

    Vice Principal Halmond was petrified. How was this possible?

    The tables werepletely turned. Carl, who students of Capth addressed as "Fake Kal" due to the simr pronunciation of their names, had obtained the upper hand. Kal might be more talented than Carl, but Carl was able to outwit him and create a huge advantage.

    As mentioned in "The Art of War", instead of power, strategy was actually the key towards victory! However, there was also a one and only exception throughout the millennia, who was known as the legendary de Warrior.

    Geniuses might be more talented and skilled in mimicking other strategies, but they were nothingpared to those who had the ability to create and invent!

    Carl had clearly won in terms of creativity!

    After all, the world would never run out of mimickers, but not everyone had what it took to be a creator!

    Carl was confident and unbreakable as always; the only thing he had been waiting for was a perfect chance for him to shine!

    Carl, who had obtained the advantage, was doing better and better. He was even constantly terrorizing his opponent. Everyone was amazed by his perfect sense of timing. On the other hand, Kal¡¯s base waspletely toasted.

    Kal was able to ept being defeated by Best. However, he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that he was being owned by some weak nobody that he had never heard of. After all, Kal was an elite trained by Capth¡¯s Battlecraft Combat team. He hung into it and even tried to turn the tables with his own strength. Kal was unwilling to lose, because this was his stage of creating miracles!

    Yet, Carl had be unstoppable; nothing else would be able to stand in his path!

    Finally, Samantha understood why would so many people rmend Carl. To be honest, she had never expected Carl to win a battle at the beginning. To Samantha, it would be fine for Carl if he could weaken the opponent a little.

    However, Carl won!

    Kal had removed his hands from the control panel. He had decided to give up.

    The fifteen-year-old Kal broke into tears. He was unable to ept his failure. He had never imagined that the first defeat that he suffered would be so cruel.

    The other candidates of Capth kept quiet; no one was expecting this result. For some reason, the students of Washington Military Academy had also arrived at the arena, and they were also stunned by Carl¡¯s amazing battle strategy.

    Clearly, this wasn¡¯t some half-assed coincidence; it was really a new battle strategy!

    Cao Yi, who was always keeping a low profile, too couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement and grabbed his fist. They had really taken a big risk to create a new strategy, and they had been very careful in every step. It was indeed unimaginable for two students to achieve this, not to mention both Carl and Cao Yi were not even top-notch aces.

    Today, everyone would remember the name, Carl!

    Halmond and Samantha were able to notice that there were still ws in this new strategy. However, they were sure that sooner orter, Battlecraft Combat yers from every academy would study and refine it after watching the video footage of this battle, because this new piece of strategy was clearly very effective.

    The yer who created this masterpiece would also have the right to name it.

    Halmond calmed down and looked at Kal. He understood Kal¡¯s current feeling, after all, one would always fall in a battle between two geniuses.

    Being the senior of Kal, sh went over and patted his back, "You did great, leave the rest to us."

    At this point, everyone had finally realized that Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance was not an alliance of random weaklings, but abined force of aces. This was their best team formation.

    Kal wiped his tears; he was still feeling bad for losing.

    As the host of this tournament, Halmond kept his cool and said, "Young man, we¡¯re all impressed by your new battle strategy. Right now, you have the right to give it a name, and you¡¯ll be honored forever in the history of Battlecraft Combat!"

    Even teachers would never be able to have this kind of honor, let alone students.

 Chapter 185: The Battle of Control

    Chapter 185: The Battle of Control

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The usually impulsive Carl began to scratch his head; this was one of Wang Tong¡¯s bad habits, "C¡¯mon Cao Yi, gimme something, this belongs to us!"

    Cao Yi shook his head and replied, "It has nothing to do with me man, you¡¯re the one who came up with this, and I¡¯m just a helper."

    "Yo boss, why don¡¯t you name it?" Carl suddenly turned towards Wang Tong, who had never looked down on him since they met each other, and even had faith in him for supporting him to participate in this match. Carl was grateful to Wang Tong, and really wanted to take this opportunity to repay his kindness. Hence, Carl wanted him to give it a name.

    However, Wang Tong smiled and declined, "It¡¯s yours, brother. Just give it a simple name that suits you."

    "Haha, you got it boss. Alright then, Vice Principal Halmond, the name¡¯s gonna be Art of Carl-ism!"

    "Art of Carl-ism, good name!"

    As Carl was about to grab his fist due to the excitement, he sensed a sharp pain, and realized that his wrists were swollen.

    Apparently, Carl had been using every ounce of his strength a while ago, and he was forced to speed up his operating maneuvers due to the pressure from Kal. He was so focused that he only got to realize that his wrists were swollen after the match. His right hand had gone numb, and was no longer able to muster any strength. Unfortunately for Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance, Carl, who had just demonstrated Art of the Carl-ism, would no longer be able topete, and Bisu, who was very eager to try his hands against the new strategy, felt quite sorry for Carl.

    During break time, all of the students were seen discussing what happened. No one was expecting Ayrng to have someone that strong in their team. For the first time, Carl became the topic of everyone¡¯s gossip. Everyone was saying that he would have a bright future awaiting him. After all, it would be impossible for someone not to be famous after inventing a new battle strategy, especially if the person was a student. It was known to everyone that in the world of Battlecraft Combat, a creator or inventor would always be more celebrated than a yer.

    Carl had sessfully made everyone remember his name; he was the real deal after all!

    Sadly, Ayrng had lost an important game-changer due to Carl¡¯s injury. Yet, even if he weren¡¯t injured, it would still be a bit risky for him to take on sh and Bisu. Those two geniuses had been paying attention to every bit of his movements, which was why it would be tough for Carl to win, not to mention there were still some ws in his overall maneuvers. Nevertheless, the previous match had greatly boosted Carl¡¯s confidence, and he would be able to improve significantly in the future training. This was the time for him to grow.

    As the elite of Capth and the ace of its Battlecraft Combat team, Bisu was well aware of what he would have to do next.

    Halmond was surprised by Carl¡¯s ability. However, he still believed that the final victory would belong to Capth. In fact, Halmond had even discovered Carl¡¯s weakness after that match, which was hisck of basic knowledge. If Carl really wanted to shine in the world of Battlecraft Combat, he would really need to pick up as quickly as possible.

    Cleverness was a gift, yet practice was the key towards sess.

    Meanwhile, everyone was focusing on the Alliance. Now that Best had lost and Carl was injured, who else would they send in?

    Then, everyone turned towards their final hope, Wang Tong!

    Wang Tong stood up and said, "Vice Principal Halmond, I¡¯m the next candidate."

    "Ah, finally. I believe you and Bisu share quite a few simrities. This student of mine is very talented in controlling maneuvers, have fun."

    "I see¡­ Well, please be gentle then, Mr. Bisu."

    Of course, Bisu would never be gentle, since Capth needed to win. Instead, he would be giving his very best to crush Wang Tong and break him into pieces.

    After all, Capth would do whatever it took to defend its own glory!

    Both candidates walked towards the center stage, and Bisu began to warm-up. It had been long since thest time he was that excited, it was a pity though that his opponent was not Carl.

    As a top-notch Battlecraft Combat yer, it was obvious that he would be so excited about a new strategy; and Bisu too would like to show his best performance right now.

    "Hey Kal, raise your head. We must learn to embrace failure, so that we could learn from our own mistakes."

    "Copy that, sh!" Kal was still quite depressed due to the unexpected loss. He needed time to recover and learn.

    Although sh was only slightly older than Kal, yet he was very steady. Clearly, his maturity came from his better talents.

    As sh looked at Bisu, he knew that his best friend was in the best condition. Carl¡¯s new strategy had really gotten Bisu excited, and had even stimted his urge to give his greatest performance.

    In Battlecraft Combat, any technique would be intimidating once it reached its maximum level, especially controlling maneuvers.

    However, Wang Tong seemed rxed while roughly doing his warm-up exercises. But he had no intention of taking him lightly. In fact, Best had been mentioning a few times about his extraordinary controlling maneuvers, which were very different from the Kaedeians.

    "Is Wang Tong gonna be alright?" Tita and the rest of the team were worried because this match was extremely crucial. Wang Tong¡¯s performance in this round would decide the fate of the Alliance. If he won, their hope would still be alive, but if he lost, it would be game over for sure.

    Yet, Wang Tong had not given up, since this was his chance of putting some pressure onto Capth. Moreover, Wang Tong had no fear of yers who excelled in controlling maneuvers.

    Match three began!

    Both yers were demonstrating extreme speed in controlling maneuvers. What showed on the monitor was unbelievable, as their deviation was nearly 0.01 second. Somehow, all of the spectators were amazed by this breathtaking scene. At some point, they even wondered if both of them were really humans.

    Students of Capth were unable to believe their sights. No one had ever expected someone would be able topete against Bisu in terms of controlling maneuvers. They wondered how a strong yer like Wang Tong could stay unnoticed, and why would he choose to join a weak academy like Ayrng.

    They even began to feel the intense pressure!

    Bisu too had noticed that his opponent was able to keep up with his pace, which was totally unexpected; even sh was unable to beat him in controlling maneuvers, yet this fe was right in front of him!

    In fact, Bisu had beenining about being unable to improve due to the absence of stronger opponents. To him, mastering controlling maneuvers was the key to an absolute victory, and nothing else would matter!

    With the narrow gap of strength between him and sh, Bisu had always been trying to train himself harder in order to im sh¡¯s title as the strongest yer. Yet, he would need a stronger opponent in order to achieve his ambition.

    Atst, that person has arrived!

    Bisu smiled, revealing one of his canine teeth as he began to speed up his controlling maneuvers. Bisu was trying to pressurize Wang Tong, wondering if he would be able to keep up.

    The monitor was showing both yers¡¯ instantaneous data and average data. Bisu¡¯s average APM had already reached five hundred, and was even able to hit above five hundred and ten at his fastest speed; the terrifying speed and precision of his hands were totally beyond imagination!

    On the other hand, Wang Tong¡¯s average APM was about four hundred and ny-eight. Hence, he was able to keep up with Bisu.

    The students of Capth were expecting Ayrng to surrender after Carl¡¯s injury. Yet, to their surprise, Ayrng was saving the best forter.

    This was definitely not the Ayrng they were familiar with.

    Even though Wang Tong was strong, unfortunately for him, the candidate of the unrivaled Capth was the "King of Controlling Maneuvers" Bisu.

    Judging from the current situation, both yers had chosen to begin the match by doing a stable setup, which was Earth Confederation¡¯s favorite all-rounded setup. It seemed like none of them would be demonstrating any new battle strategy. In fact no one would expect Wang Tong to surprise them with anything new since Carl had already done so, which even caught Halmond¡¯s attention. However, they were afraid that Wang Tong would also be able to use Art of Carl-ism. Nevertheless, students of Capth were relieved after watching how he did his setup.

    As a matter of fact, imitation of another battle strategy would not be powerful enough. The key of sess was to really understand the strategy itself in terms of timing and operating maneuvers. Most importantly, this mastering process took quite some time.

    It was easy to tell that most of the spectators who were watching the match were quite familiar with Battlecraft Combat, and they had noticed that Wang Tong was forced to speed up due to Bisu¡¯s elerating pace. Wang Tong would need to outrace Bisu¡¯s speedy hands in order to win, unless he had other tricks hidden in his sleeves. But soon, everyone realized that Wang Tong¡¯s controlling maneuvers had reached its maximum level and his operating maneuvers had also reached its limits.

    Both Bisu and Wang Tong had been doing recons on each other at the beginning, and unleashing interfering attacks at each other in the middle of the match. It seemed like the end of this match would be happening in no time due to Bisu¡¯s amazing performance. To be honest, he could have attacked directly if he was hoping to end this as early as possible. Yet, he chose tounch his attacks at the end, because it would be safer since he was unable to obtain most of the advantages earlier. Bisu was afraid of getting ambushed if he were to attack blindly. Hence, he chose to develop aplete fleet and crush his opponent with his almighty controlling maneuvers!

    Even sh dared not to drag the match and fight him at the end. In fact, it would be exactly what Bisu was hoping for, if the opponent chose to counter him with Cloning Technique.

    "This seems good for our team captain. He will be able to win if he unleashes his Cloning Technique, right?" Rumi asked. However, everyone else in the team had their doubts.

    "Bisu¡¯s APM was the highest amongst the academies throughout Earth Confederation. Wang Tong might be strong, yet Bisu is stronger. Wang Tong¡¯s Cloning Technique is incredible because he has the perfect sense of bnce. It is obvious that Bisu will not give Wang Tong a chance to do so since he was aware of that as well. Based on the overall situation, the one who clearly controls the pace is Bisu, and I¡¯m sure that he already has the perfect n to counter Wang Tong¡¯s Cloning Technique."

    Of course, Bisu would never be controlled by his opponent¡¯s pace. He would do anything to make sure that Cloning Technique wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    Unfortunately, Wang Tong seemed to be unable to notice this, and he was still focusing in his operating maneuvers. Compared to thest match with Bernabeu, it was clear that Wang Tong had improved a lot. So far, there was no mistake in his performance. However, it was not good enough. If he were to be a fleetmander, he would need to read his enemy. Yet, he was heading towards the exact spot where his opponent wanted him to be; in short, Wang Tong had fallen into his opponent¡¯s trap.

 Chapter 186: Strong Enough to Leave the Opponent Speechless

    Chapter 186: Strong Enough to Leave the Opponent Speechless

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    sh grinned as he noticed that Bisu was about to end the match with something that was originally created by Bisu to be used against him. sh was curious of what sort of strategy Bisu hade out with; he wanted to know if it would really be able to subdue him.

    Both yers had finished developing and equipping their fleets. It was clear to the spectators that Bisu¡¯s hands were faster and he was more experienced than Wang Tong. Somehow, the "quality" of Bisu¡¯s troops seemed better. Nevertheless, both of them had gotten ready for the final showdown.

    Candidates of Capth were well aware of Wang Tong¡¯s fantastic Cloning Technique, which was almost as good as the Kaedeians¡¯. He was obviously blessed with a great sense of bnce and impressive synchronization of his left and right hands. However, Kaedeians¡¯ Cloning Technique was not an unrivaled technique, as there were also much stronger techniques in this world.

    Both of them gathered their fleets atst. They had also been doing a great job in reconnaissance, as both yers were able to tell what was going on at the other side.

    Bisu was the first to make a move the moment he sensed the right timing. On the other hand, Wang Tong had also begun to unleash his Cloning Technique. Based on the number of the increasing fleets, he would be able to win in no time.

    However, people seemed to be more interested in how Bisu would counter Wang Tong¡¯s Cloning Technique.

    The match was getting more and more intense!

    Both Bisu and Wang Tong were almost adjusting their breathing at the same time while firing at each other in space; both of them seemed well-matched in terms of technology development.

    The match had turned into a race between two pairs of speedy hands!

    FIRE!!!

    All of a sudden, the war zone was bombarded with rounds of explosions, turning it into a sea of mes. The system then began to scan and calcte a number of fleets destroyed after a "tug-of-war" of less than three minutes.

    Generally speaking, Battlecraft Combat was not only a battle of fleets and control, but also apetition of a feetmander¡¯s operating maneuvers and battling methods. However, the final decision would still be based on the oue!

    Bisu grabbed his fist in excitement; he had sessfully demonstrated his perfect creation: the ultimate Art of the Celestial Blossom!

    Usually, final showdown between fleets would take ce after both yers finished setting up their formations, and researchers of Earth Confederation had even tested and concluded that the Triangle Formation was the most efficient one during battles. But, casualties would be unavoidable in battles like this, regardless of formations and strategies. Yet, Bisu was confident that he would be able to do better with his brilliant controlling maneuvers.

    They key of his Art of the Celestial Blooming was to move his fleets around constantly while executing rhythmic attacks, so that he would be able to reduce casualties, and at the same time, enhance his firepower. However, this sort of strategy was difficult to master as the user could potentially be an easy target if his or her controlling maneuvers were slower, or the formation wasn¡¯t perfect, absolutely suicidal.

    However, Bisu was confident in doing so, because he had that sort of speed and precision in his controlling maneuvers!

    As shown on the monitor, Bisu¡¯s highest APM had increased to five hundred and forty-seven, even higher than the count that he was able to achieve in his previous training! Not to mention the fact that it was the Utilizable APM!

    It was a perfect strategy indeed!

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of getting locked on by Wang Tong¡¯s cloned fleets, because his extraordinary strategy had enabled most of his fleets to negate Wang Tong¡¯s attacks!

    Meanwhile, the crowd waspletely amazed by Bisu¡¯s superb controlling maneuvers. Although he wasn¡¯t able to demonstrate a new strategy like Carl, he had created something amazing with his out-of-this-world controlling maneuvers!

    However, Bisu¡¯s excited face immediately turned pale after one second. He was utterly petrified by something impossible.

    Apparently, ny percent of Bisu¡¯s fleets were annihted¡­ He was the one that was losing!

    No one amongst the spectators could believe what they were witnessing! Everyone started to wonder if there was something wrong with the system. Even Halmond was shocked. In fact, he had been having a strange feeling at the beginning as Wang Tong walked in, like he could tell something bad was about to happen to them.

    Students of Capth were infuriated. They would¡¯ve suspected the opposing team cheated if this match didn¡¯t take ce in their arena and using their equipment. The only possible exnation was a system malfunction urred at the end of the match. However, the possibility of this to happen was extremely low.

    The system then analyzed the status of Wang Tong¡¯s fleets. Apparently, his rate of casualties was fifty-eight percent, but this percentage was more than enough to buy him a victory. Furthermore, Wang Tong had also amazed everyone with his insane APM count of five hundred and seventy-nine!

    Bisu was shocked by Wang Tong¡¯s APM. He had always been proud of his APM, yet this time, he waspletely overpowered. Apparently, Wang Tong¡¯s controlling maneuvers during critical moments were even stronger than him!

    Bisu epted his fate of defeat, yet there was still one thing he couldn¡¯t understand. He was desperate to know how could Wang Tong¡¯s Cloning Technique able to withstand his Art of the Celestial Bloom.

    In reality, the fleetmander would typically take over the control of the entire armada by infusing his or her own Soul Energy into the Commanding System during the critical final showdown. Generally, themander¡¯s Soul Energy and techniques were the key factor to the number of fleets in control, and also the attacking methods. The fleetmander would need to possess immense Soul Energy as well as mastering everyplicated controlling technique in order to enhance the armada¡¯s firepower. Nevertheless, thisst resort was only meant to be used in case of emergency, as it would cause a great amount of damages to the user¡¯s body. The fleetmander would require a long period of time to recover in reality.

    In fact, only a few amongst hundreds of thousands of Command Force students would have the chance to use it in the future. Yet, every student was required to learn this, because this could be their saving rope in real battles.

    One had to master this in order to be a fleet captain or fleetmander.

    Bisu¡¯s Art of the Celestial Bloom was meant to be used at the end of a battle. Not only could this glorious strategy nullify the lock-on from the cannons of the cloned fleets, this also happened to be one of the greatest methods of dodging the attacks from Zergs¡¯ Space Hives during battles. The main focus of his method was to counterattack while maintaining the minimum casualties of his fleets. It might be slower and the hit rates were lower, yet it wouldn¡¯t matter since the counter attacks were mostly grouped artillery attacks; the most crucial part was nothing but controlling maneuvers.

    On the other hand, fleet formations would be based on the enemy¡¯s formations and also the sufficiency of one¡¯s APM. Obviously, it would be even more difficult and burden one¡¯s body and Soul Energy in real battles. However, students would be focusing more on creativity instead.

    Nevertheless, Bisu¡¯s ultimate attack was ferocious and amazing.

    The monitor then reyed the loser¡¯s performance, and all of the spectators were startled by his brilliant performance. In fact, the whole Pan Sr System and the Kaedeians would be amazed by his breathtaking strategy. It seemed like Carl¡¯s surprising performance had stimted Bisu¡¯s perfect controlling maneuvers; he had even exceeded his previous performances during training.

    Which brought in the next question, how was Wang Tong able to survive?

    Aside from Wang Tong, everyone was suspecting him of cheating, even Halmond. Samantha and the other candidates from every other A-Ranked academy had no idea how he did that. Clearly, it was something more than the ordinary Cloning Technique.

    Everyone finally understood what on earth that insane APM of more than five hundred and fifty was, as the monitor showed Wang Tong¡¯s rey. Apparently, he had unleashed an extraordinary Cloning Technique that was out of this world!

    Normally, Kaedeians¡¯ Cloning Techniques were either cloning from left to right or right to left in order to maintain the efficiency and fluency of the process. Bisu¡¯s strategy was specifically designed to counter the "conventional" Cloning Techniques. Yet, he had never expected Wang Tong would demonstrate some sort of centralized Cloning Technique known as Axis Cloning!

    Group of fleetsmonly dispersed starting from the outer part, yet Wang Tong¡¯s version was totally different, which exined why Bisu was unable to target all of his fleets. Not only was that Axis Cloning the perfect counter of Art of the Celestial Blossom, it had also significantly improved upon the glitches of Cloning Techniques.

    This sort of Cloning Technique was not something new, but it was barely used because of the high requirement of speed and physical fitness. Most importantly, it also required skills in locking on moving targets, not to mention there were also series ofplicated controlling maneuvers that required precise judgments. It was basically impossible for most people.

    In the end, Bisu suffered a devastating defeat. Although Wang Tong had won, he had lost more than half of his troops during the final showdown. Even though Bisu was unable to utilize Cloning Techniques, he was slightly better than Wang Tong in terms of both qualities and quantities of his fleets.

    If Wang Tong was not able to pull off that fantastic Cloning Technique, Bisu could¡¯ve won by obtaining the advantage and outrace him in the second and third phase of their match. But unfortunately, Bisu had lost his main forces in phase one, which further exined his defeat.

    Two upgraded battle strategies were demonstrated in this match. Yet, whether it was Wang Tong or Bisu, both of them had clearly amazed everyone else with their insane APM and scary abilities, and had even achieved something unimaginable by the Kaedeians!

    If the video of today¡¯s match were to be shown to fellow Kaedeians, it would definitely scare the crap out of the students and teachers of the Royal Academy.

    Even if Bisu were to fight against one of the aces from Kaedeian Royal Academy, he would never suffer a devastating loss since he was still able to deal quite a damage to the Kaedeians with his Art of the Celestial Blossom.

    Yet, for some reason, Art of the Celestial Blossom had made Wang Tong¡¯s Axis Cloning look even stronger.

    After all, in the battle between two geniuses, one would stand and the other would fall.

    Bisu sighed as he sat down emotionlessly, but wasn¡¯t upset over his defeat. Originally, he was nning to create another historical moment today by demonstrating his Anti-Cloning Technique strategy. He was hoping to announce something that would surprise the Kaedeians.

    However, Bisu¡¯s ultimate strategy waspletely overpowered by Wang Tong¡¯s outstanding Cloning Technique; he was no longer the focus of the people.

    Momentster, Bisu stood up slowly. As one of the senior students of Capth, Bisu was definitely tougher than Kal, and he would never lose the pride of Capth even though he was defeated!

 Chapter 187: Evenly Matched

    Chapter 187: Evenly Matched

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Students of Capth remained silent as they began to feel the immense helplessness of losing.

    Wang Tong sat still as well. To be honest, he had never practiced that technique before, and this was his first time using it. As soon as Wang Tong mastered the Cloning Technique, he had immediately noticed a w in the technique itself, yet no one had ever thought that it needed to be improved because it was already mighty. Also, the technique itself was already quite difficult to be mastered.

    In fact, this idea came to Wang Tong from nowhere as soon as he saw Bisu unleashing his killing moves, most probably because of his superb sensitivity, understanding, and talent in this category. Unlike the mastery of Soul Energy which had to be achieved step by step, Battlecraft Combat focused more on the yer¡¯s flexibility and the ability to control.The consumption of Soul Energy would be higher during battles in reality, while the required output of Soul Energy during training would be forty to fifty percent lowerpared to real battles, in order to ensure the convenience of training. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem since Soul Energy would be stronger as one¡¯s age increased.

    Wang Tong was gifted indeed. Together with his Tactics of the de which had been supplying him with more than enough amount of Soul Energy to fortify his controlling maneuvers, no doubt he was extremely pleased with the excitement within!

    All thanks to Bisu¡¯s amazing performance, Wang Tong was able to get the idea of Axis Cloning. Somehow, his instinct against crisis had enabled his hands to react faster than his brain.

    Honestly speaking, Wang Tong was surprised by his own performance as well.

    Fate yed an extremely important role today in his mastery of this ultimate Cloning Technique.

    Everyone was left speechless by their superb performances. Their astounding battle strategies and techniques were definitely enough to cause an uproar amongst academies. This match was definitely a sh of titans.

    There was no loser in this match.

    Both Wang Tong and Bisu then stood up and shook each other¡¯s hands in silence; the feeling at that moment was truly beyond words.

    Halmond sighed, yet he kept his cool and smiled towards the winner, "I believe there¡¯s no need for me topliment on anything else. Ladies and gentlemen, let¡¯s give a round of apuse to our candidates for their mind-blowing performances!"

    Everyone in the arena got up and apuded to the two of them. No one was screaming or cheering; the whole arena was only filled with the sound of thousands of pping hands.

    Bisu¡¯s feeling wasplicated. Somehow, it was beyond words, and perhaps this was the heaviest round of apuse he had ever received.

    "The fourth match will begin shortly after a ten minutes break," Halmond announced.

    No one was expecting Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance would be leading by 2:1 in Battlecraft Combat KOF.

    The other students of Capth were shocked by Bisu¡¯s defeat. At first they assumed that Bisu lost because of some careless mistakes, but then were blown away as they got their hands on the match summary. They couldn¡¯t believe that there would be someone else with a stronger APM than Bisu!

    It waspletely absurd to think that someone like that existed in Earth Confederation! Not to mention that person was one of the students of a dying A-Ranked academy!

    The arena waspletely flooded with spectators during the past ten minutes.

    Li Ruo-Er might have seemed like not paying much attention to Ayrng¡¯s side throughout the match, in fact, she had been paying close attention to every reaction of Ma Xiaoru. Things were not going on as nned for Capth, yet Li Ruo-Er remained calm and did nothing but observe in silence.

    Aside from Li Ruo-Er, Wang Ben was also remaining calm despite Capth¡¯s critical situation. He had been keeping a straight face throughout the tournament.

    Capth had always been unrivaled in Battlecraft Combat ever since the emergence of Bisu and sh. Both geniuses had been dominating everypetition across Earth Confederation for the past two years. sh and Bisu were the only ones that were qualified toment on anything in this category. In fact, aside from Earth¡¯s ranking, both of them were even crowned as top yers in the ranking of Ivantians, Martians and Kaedeians.

    However, Capth was now on the edge of getting defeated.

    The whispers of the crowd died down as sh walked towards the center stage. sh looked steady and calm, even though he would be facing a real tough opponent. After all, this young second grader who had been under the military¡¯s recruitment radar was Capth¡¯s ultimate final fortress. sh was their savior in every critical situation.

    Fellow students of Capth immediately regained their confidence as soon as sh stood up. He wasn¡¯t called "Control-Killer" for nothing.

    sh was so perfect that even the finest controlling maneuvers would never stand a chance against him. He was an all-rounder with an outstanding perspective, that was unrivaled across Earth Confederation, not to mention he was also a very experienced yer.

    He was indeed an opponent to be feared, as sh was the guarantee of an absolute victory.

    Everyone from Capthid their hopes on sh for this uing crucial match. They even kept quiet and tried not to affect his performance.

    Wang Tong might have owned Bisu in the previous match, yet it would still be useless if he couldn¡¯t defeat sh. ording to the agreement, the only way to win this category was by obtaining three victories.

    Before the match began, both yers walked towards each other and shook hands, their grips quite firm! After that, they walked back to their control room to get prepared and warm up.

    Everyone was curious as to whether it would be the almighty perspective that would be dominating, or would sh be crushed by Wang Tong¡¯s insane controlling maneuvers.

    The arena waspletely packed with students of Capth, as everyone was dying to witness this ultimate final showdown. This was definitely the climax of the day.

    The fourth match had begun!

    Both yers immediately began their operating maneuvers. Since most of the spectators were also Battlecraft Combat yers, they were immediately able to tell that the setting up of both yers were close to perfection. It was like watching someonepeting against his reflection. As the match progressed, sh began to implement his elegant and absolute dominance.

    As for Wang Tong, he somehow seemed to be chickening out and focusing only on defense instead.

    However, ying defensive or not, sh would still never be bothered by it as he would only make the right decision based on the situation. Clearly, Wang Tong would choose to y it safe because he knew that his high APM would be useless against him.

    But did Wang Tong really think that he could win by ying defensive?

    sh¡¯s key strengths were his perfect sense of timing and his ability to seize the slimmest chance. Yet this time, he wasn¡¯t nning on unleashing any massive attacks, because Wang Tong had been developing his ultimate defense at the very beginning. Any sort of taunt was basically useless against him.

    Wang Tong¡¯s hands were speedy enough to handle those kinds of attacks while using the gap times to expand his troops.

    Not only did sh¡¯s two rounds of taunting attacks end up useless, those attacks had even helped Wang Tong at some point. sh began to sense something weird. Judging from the current situation, Wang Tong had already obtained a little advantage, and his advantages were increasing.

    Just as sh had nned.

    However, Wang Tong showed no signs of attacking, and continued to expand his base and also increase his operating maneuvers. His recon troops were constantly circling around his base area; he had set-up a wless defense.

    This was not the first time sh fought against a defensive opponent, and he had no problem handling this sort of opponent as he would strike during his opponent¡¯s deployment vacancy period. sh was very good in terms of operating maneuvers, yet his operating maneuvers were different from the others as it would be based on his opponent¡¯s battle strategy. His method of ying was to observe and counter ordingly. Most people had their own ways of thinking and reacting to the situations, yet sh was amazingly able to make the right move at the right time.

    sh¡¯s strategy to counter Wang Tong¡¯s ultimate defense was to expand his army by developing an anti-defense force. Yet, sh didn¡¯t go full force on that, because Wang Tong¡¯s defense was really tough. If he were to expand blindly, he wouldn¡¯t have enough troops to defend if Wang Tong chose to ambush. Most importantly, Capth¡¯s victory would be doomed.

    Of course, sh would never be making such mistakes. He immediately began to expand steadily while increasing the number of his troops. He was also keeping an eye on Wang Tong, and would strike at once if he were able to find any w in his defense.

    After all, the greater the defense, the easier it would fall apart during crisis.

    Unlike the previous matches, both yers seemed to be pressuring each other this time in a chilly atmosphere.

    The first one who made a mistake would be the one who would lose.

    Everyone seemed to wonder if Wang Tong was trying to drag the match into a war between Battlecraft fleets.

    sh might be in trouble if this match was really dragged into a space dogfight. After all, Wang Tong had single-handedly crushed Bisu, and even created the insane Axis Cloning. Basically, he was almost unrivaled in this part.

    Halmond knew that sh was well aware of this, and obviously knew better than anyone else. Wang Tong was trying to deplete and exhaust his army and strike back when he had established a difference between their military might, which would be fairly dangerous to sh himself.

    sh was still waiting for a chance to strike. He had been provoking Wang Tong since the very beginning, yet his opponent remained still. He really needed to draw out Wang Tong¡¯s troops in order to find out his weakness. However, instead of attacking sh after gaining the advantages, Wang Tong maintained his defense and was still continuing to expand.

    Students of Capth began to look anxious. Clearly, sh had more time to develop his army and maintain the advantage of his troops in terms of quality and quantity, since Wang Tong was ying defensive. Yet, it was still not enough to destroy Wang Tong¡¯s "iron fortress", not to mention the fact that Wang Tong also possessed insane controlling maneuvers.

 Chapter 188: To Win Without Any Confrontation

    Chapter 188: To Win Without Any Confrontation

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Oh no, this is bad! Bisu, do you think it¡¯s gonna get worse if sh was dragged into a dogfight?" Kal seemed worried. He had somehow recovered from his sadness after sitting beside Bisu.

    Bisu shook his head, "Wang Tong¡¯s defense is very unique, way different from the ordinary ones that we know of. It feels like some sort of pressure that is asking to be attacked, and my guts are telling me that this is definitely a trap."

    "But he¡¯s clearly ying defensive. How¡¯s he gonna attack?"

    "Take a look at the movements in Wang Tong¡¯s base. Reinforcement is always arriving in time no matter which part of his base was attacked. The whole thing that he has built in the very beginning is a trap that would make you be impatient and force you to attack, or trick you to let your guard down while focusing on expanding your troops. Overexpansion of your troops would weaken your current defense and create opportunities for your opponent to attack. Wang Tong¡¯s extraordinary controlling maneuvers is definitely more than enough to break one apart!" Bisu began to feel an immense pressure from Wang Tong, yet Kal wasn¡¯t feeling anything. It was not because he was weaker, but because his experience was not as much as Bisu¡¯s.

    Somehow, Wang Tong¡¯s current performance looked even stronger than his previous performance against Bisu!

    However, this time, he wasn¡¯t focusing on controlling maneuvers and chose to focus on battle perspectives like sh. As both yers were battling each other to obtain the initiative, Wang Tong was seen continuously applying an invisible pressure to sh, forcing him to attack or expand. And sh knew that he would be dragged along under Wang Tong¡¯s pace if he were to fall into his opponent¡¯s gimmick. After all, a Battlecraft Combat yer like sh that focused on perspective and timing would never want to be dragged under the opponent¡¯s pace, even if he were forced into a struggling battle. However, sh seemed to be held back by Wang Tong¡¯s unusual ying method.

    Kal noticed that Bisu seemed disheartened after a while, like he had given up.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Bisu?"

    Bisu didn¡¯t say a word. Somehow, the ultimate Battlecraft Combat yer that he and sh had always expected to see was finally born! Wang Tong was definitely the super-fighter that possessed both an impressive perspective as well as outstanding controlling maneuvers.

    Bisu and sh had always been wondering if there was really a person who possessed the skills of the two of them. If that person really existed, he or she would definitely be able to im the title as the true No.1 in Battlecraft Combat.

    Yet, this wasn¡¯t something that could be learned easily. Even Bisu was weak in terms of perspective while sh¡¯s highest APM was only around five hundred twenty. However, sh was able to be the top yer because he was doing better than Bisu in terms of operating maneuvers, and had better performance during multiple engaging battles. Yet, sh was not the strongest amongst mankind because there were still Ivantians, Martians and Kaedeians that could do better than him. Although Kaedeians were humble, they happened to be extremely talented in Battlecraft Combat as well.

    The close-to-perfect yer that they had dreamt about just happened to be right in front of their eyes. And to be honest, both Bisu and sh had never expected someone from Earth Confederation to surpass the two of them.

    However, not a single spectator seemed to be able to understand Bisu¡¯s thoughts. The students of Capth were evenining about sh¡¯s indecisive actions. Apparently, they had been hoping that he would take the initiative and beat the crap out of Wang Tong! To them, it was quite wasteful to give up the chance of attacking an easy target. But instead of attacking, sh was only provoking Wang Tong since the beginning of the match, which had never happened since his debut.

    Nevertheless, sh was still someone to be feared; he was also known as the "War Machine" because his battle strategies was always able to counter his opponent¡¯s movements, not to mention he was also able to adjust the details in every single existing battle strategy and make it into his own original strategies withpletely different effects. Moreover, his attacking timing, choice of battlefield, and army formation were as perfect as the Ivantians. This was why Bisu was no match for him, even though he was better in terms of controlling maneuvers.

    sh was incredibly gifted, and even though his battle strategies didn¡¯t look majestic, they always managed to crush his opponents badly. Thus, people soon began to acknowledge his strength.

    Halmond had been keeping quiet since the beginning of the match, sh was one of his favorite disciples. That kid was unique as he was able to turn every piece of strategy into something else. In the beginning, teachers used toin about this bad habit of his and his unwillingness to change; his winning rates were low, and he seemed to have a lot of crazy ideas and feelings that wouldn¡¯t work. However, Halmond soon found out that this was actually sh¡¯s talent and immediately recruited him, turning him into one of Earth Confederation¡¯s best candidates. sh¡¯s extraordinary sense of timing was definitely a gift from God; he was definitely a precious rare talent throughout the past decades. Furthermore, sh was very hardworking. He had been training extremely hard ever since he was recruited by Halmond. People now knew him as the genius and unrivaled sh, yet no one knew about his hectic past.

    However, Halmond soon realized how terrifying Wang Tong¡¯s talent was. At first, he was amazed by Wang Tong¡¯s victory against Bisu by demonstrating amazing controlling maneuvers, but this time, he was shocked to find out that Wang Tong was even able to control the overall pace.

    Wang Tong¡¯s level of strength was totally absurd!

    Halmond then looked towards Samantha. He had never thought of underestimating her, yet, she was apparently still being underestimated by him!

    sh also realized that he had finally met his strongest opponent since his debut. Halmond knew that sh would be able to obtain a groundbreaking confidence if he was able to win, but it would be very difficult.

    sh was on the passive side in this match instead of Wang Tong, and if he were unable to stay focus, he would be toasted for sure.

    Meanwhile, Samantha was very proud. She was absolutely convinced by Wang Tong¡¯s dominance!

    Wang Tong was in his best condition, demonstrating something that waspletely different from his Art of the Soaring Heaven. Art of the Soaring Heaven specialized in using offense as its defense and taking control of the attacking pace. Yet, what he was doing now was turning defense into offense, pressuring his opponent with an iron defense. This was definitely a good strategy against strong yers like sh, and at this point, he was still hoping for sh to take the bait.

    Yet, Halmond seemed to notice that Wang Tong might be talented, but he wasn¡¯t a natural yer, as he required stimtion to fire up his engines. Halmond learned about this while watching his previous match with Bisu, and sh¡¯s level of strength too had triggered his amazing performance at the beginning.

    Wang Tong got the idea for this strategy after watching the footages of sh¡¯s previous battles. Originally, he was nning to pump up his defense and drag the game into a dogfight since he was quite confident about his Cloning Technique. But as the match progressed, he suddenly realized that he was able to pressurize his opponent with this sort of defensive strategy, and he was given more options because of that, including finishing the match without a final showdown. However, Wang Tong chose to y it safe as his opponent was the amazing sh, and that person¡¯s operating maneuvers were perfect and spot on. sh had even tried to lure Wang Tong to attack by creating a few loopholes on purpose. Wang Tong could¡¯ve attacked if he were his previous self, and the one who would have been doomed would be him if he had responded carelessly.

    It seemed like sh¡¯s battling method and style was kind of artsy.

    Wang Tong was learning sh¡¯s methods of controlling the situation as he battled, and wanted tobine it into his defensive strategy. Somehow, Wang Tong felt great and motivated to learn his opponent¡¯s advantage for his own good.

    On the other side, sh seemed to look nervous for the first time, because so far, he had neverunched any real attacks against Wang Tong. Wang Tong still had a few loopholes in the beginning, but as the match progressed, sh noticed that Wang Tong¡¯s strategy was getting better and better. And although he had been trying to counter with a few methods, his methods didn¡¯t work in the end.

    At that point, sh realized that Wang Tong was as good as him, which also exined why Wang Tong¡¯s perspective was never disturbed and his strategy was unaffected. sh could tell that Wang Tong¡¯s actions were getting more and more proficient.

    sh¡¯s serious expression slowly turned into a gentle grin. He was well aware that things would be different if he were able to win this match. In fact, he had been longing for an opponent like this.

    sh had no intentions to pursue fame and glory, all he wanted was an improvement! Now that the opponent he had been longing for had finally arrived, it was time for him to unleash one hundred percent of his strength.

    Both yers were gradually closing the gap between each other. For the first time, yers were focusing on expanding army instead of technology development.

    Only about ten people amongst all spectators were able to tell what was going on. Even Kal had begun to understand this intense battle between twomander-like yers! It took Kal quite a while, but he also had eventually noticed that instead of focusing on area controls, both of them had always been focusing on situational controls!

    Meanwhile, Best and Carl happened to be the only ones that were able to tell what was going on. Since Best was skilled in operating maneuvers, he could easily smell the pressure within Wang Tong¡¯s strategy. Clearly, the opponent would fall into Wang Tong¡¯s trap if he or she were to attack. But if the opponent followed to go defensive, Wang Tong, who had been doing it first, would obtain the advantage for sure; if his opponent chose to expand, the opponent would also need to constantly look out for any signs of disturbance. Keeping in mind the interfering attacks from someone with an APM of five hundred and above was very tense.

    Perhaps, Best knew better that Bisu, as all he saw in Wang Tong¡¯s strategy was nothing but despair. Suddenly, Best remembered one of the strategies of war, which was to win without any confrontation.

 Chapter 189: Absolute Suppression

    Chapter 189: Absolute Suppression

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    sh was able to weaken his opponents with his operating maneuvers. However, Wang Tong seemed to have shown a different level of operating maneuvers.

    Perhaps sh was the only person who would be able to stay focused and fight on while being locked in a stalemate for such a long period of time. If someone else was put into his position, that person might have already surrendered long ago. In fact, only the yer himself would be able to understand that sort of depression and desperation.

    Although it had only been a couple of months since the previous tournament against Bernabeu, Wang Tong had improved drastically in this short period of time, and Best knew about this better than anyone else. sh would¡¯ve already been defeated if he had no new tricks up in his sleeves. Yet, if he couldn¡¯t think of any way to disrupt Wang Tong¡¯s amazing operating maneuvers, there would be no way that he couldst until the final showdown.

    Best was curious of Wang Tong¡¯s pressuring defensive strategy; he had never seen anything like that before!

    This iron defense was controlled by a person with the maximum APM of above five hundred and seventy, who at the same time possessed a robust recon team and a great awareness of the overall situation. Basically, Wang Tong was unrivaled if he chose not to go offensive and kept maintaining a strong defense instead.

    Finally, sh couldn¡¯t wait any longer and chose to attack one of Wang Tong¡¯s new and weaker base. He had to seize this opportunity to attack if he didn¡¯t want to wait until the final showdown.

    Students of Capth immediately cheered in excitement. Finally, sh had made a move instead of remaining still. The match had been quite boring as both yers were acting like two cowards, and all they did was just checking on each other instead of attacking; it was kind of embarrassing.

    However, sh decision surprised Bisu. Although sh had a good perspective, Bisu was able to understand the situation better since he was a spectator. Apparently, this was not the chance to strike yet. Nevertheless, this was the only opportunity sh had, because if he chose not to strike now, he¡¯d be owned by Wang Tong in no time for sure.

    The battle has gotten intense as soon as it began. Wang Tong had a huge team of Heavy Armed Units that served as his defense line, not to forget he was also armed with his precise control. Controlling speed was all that mattered at this point. With his super APM, Wang Tong would be able to handle sh¡¯s attacks while continuing to expand his operating maneuvers.

    However, sh still chose to go full force even though he was struggling to destroy Wang Tong¡¯s base, and within minutes, the casualties of sh¡¯s army had increased drastically. Not only that, he was unable to destroy Wang Tong¡¯s base. sh also realized that he would soon be surrounded by Wang Tong¡¯s troops if this continued. Hence, he chose to retreat after sacrificing a great amount of his units.

    Carl and the rest of the alliance candidates cheered; the chance of subduing sh at one fling was finally here!

    Meanwhile, the students of Capth were fairly anxious. Kal even noticed that he was sweating a lot while watching this match; he was no longer depressed about his defeat.

    It was a scary battle indeed!

    Wang Tong¡¯s strategy was to tempt his opponent to attack him, and if his temptation seeded, it would be game over for his opponent. Even sh could no longer wait and charged towards Wang Tong, which was definitely a huge mistake.

    Everyone was expecting Wang Tong to strike back. However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t do so. Instead, he regrouped his troops and carried on with his defensive y. Wang Tong¡¯s legion was expanding again!

    That was indeed one hell of a defense!

    To sh, that was definitely a close shave. Although sh did lose a great number of troops, he was given enough time to regenerate and replenish. After a short while, sh had gained back the number of troops he lost. He was really lucky, and Wang Tong had just missed his chance to end this.

    Yet, sh wasn¡¯t happy at all. Instead, he was also hoping for Wang Tong to attack him. In fact, sh would be given a chance to turn the table if Wang Tong chose to strike back. But Wang Tong had noticed that somehow and didn¡¯t go after him.

    Nevertheless, sh couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Wang Tong was really trying to defend all the way until the final showdown, or was he an idiot.

    If that were the case, he would focus on technology development and assemble his armada as soon as possible. After all, sh was very confident in his own skills, and he believed that he would still have a chance to win even though Wang Tong was very good in controlling maneuvers.

    But if he really decided to focus on technology development, what should he do about his defense? sh was well aware that his defense was not as good as Wang Tong¡¯s, and there would be a temporary opening once he switched his strategy. If Wang Tong was able to foresee the timing to strike in this short period of time, it could mean grave danger to sh.

    sh knew that acting indecisive was very dangerous in a battle, so he immediately decided to change his strategy and focus on technology development instead! sh also decided not to provoke Wang Tong anymore because he would never be able to get past his tough defense, and he had lost enough troops by doing that just now. Wang Tong obviously didn¡¯t have the intention to strike either. The situation had developed into a race of technology development, and whoever finished first would have a bigger chance to win.

    sh waspletely focused on his technology development; he was getting ready for a final showdown!

    Meanwhile, Bisu and Kal were grabbing their fists firmly. In the beginning, they were worried that sh would be tricked by Wang Tong. Luckily, sh noticed that and immediately changed his strategy. However, Wang Tong was still busy developing basic troops instead of developing his technology.

    This was a chance for sh to turn the table!

    The students of Capth saw a shimmering ray of hope!

    Wang Tong¡¯s timid defensive strategy had backfired on him!

    sh¡¯s main troops were seen searching for a chance to pressurize Wang Tong, ready to attack at any moment. He had stopped developing troops and totally focused on technology development. In the meantime, he purposely acted like he was trying to look for trouble by flying his troops over Wang Tong¡¯s base, sh did that in order to create an illusion of him expanding his army.

    Furthermore, it would be a good way to lure Wang Tong out since he would need to make sure if sh was hiding his troops around Wang Tong¡¯s base; this had turned into a psychological warfare!

    As it turned out, sh had also outraced Wang Tong¡¯s technology development since he had been focusing on defense throughout the match.

    sh¡¯s perspective, precise judgment and decisiveness were the reasons why he was the greatest Battlecraft Combat yer in Earth Confederation. In fact, those were the requirements that every yer should embrace.

    Perspective was indeed the most critical skill to be mastered.

    Wang Tong¡¯s advantage would be taken away by sh in less than five minutes; the battle of brains was getting more and more intense!

    sh had finally revealed his dominance!

    Students of Capth were very excited when they saw a chance of winning. The match had been going on for more than an hour, yet it only felt like ten minutes. Nevertheless, they were ready to win in any minute.

    Meanwhile, Bisu, Best, Carl and the other candidates were breathing heavily. If sh were able to survive this crucial period of time, he would be the winner for sure.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong changed his strategy, deploying all of his troops from the base at once!

    The face of Bisu and his other teammates turned pale immediately, because Wang Tong had chosen to strike at the perfect period of time, the most vulnerable period for sh¡¯s army.

    It wasn¡¯t a taunt, but an all-out-attack!

    Wang Tong was not nning for a face-to-face battle with sh, but directly aiming for his technology development instead!

    Things were already toote for sh. The defense of his base was not as tough as Wang Tong¡¯s. Hence, there wasn¡¯t enough time for him to stall at all. All he could do at this critical situation was to destroy as many troops as he could.

    sh then deployed his main team and charged towards Wang Tong¡¯s base, but Wang Tong¡¯s iron defense would be able to buy him enough time to stall, and even though his technology development was weaker, he possessed a great number of troops. But most importantly, Wang Tong had struck before sh couldplete his technology development.

    The virtual space waspletely ridden in the mes of war.

    sh sighed as soon as his technology development center was destroyed. In fact, he knew that he was going to lose when Wang Tong unleashed his attacks. He was defeated by an absolute suppression from his opponent, and luck had nothing to do with it at all.

    sh chose to give up even though he still had a few bases and a decent number of troops. He was too tired to further embarrass himself. His fate was sealed.

    He waspletely owned by an incredible opponent.

    Finally, the undefeatable sh had fallen.

    As the system announce the final result, everyone froze and remained silent, as if the time had stopped.

    Wang Tong closed his eyes and recalled what happened a while ago. In fact, the previous sess of his offensive strategy in PA had given him the idea of going defensive this time, and he couldn¡¯t believe that it worked too!

    Wang Tong treasured rare opportunities like this. Only strong opponents like sh would be able to stimte his inspirations. Eventually, all of his intensive training had paid off very well, and battling against amazing opponents like Rhin, Bisu and sh had helped him improve dramatically.

    Nevertheless, a number of ws still existed within his battling methods and strategies. But after achieving great sesses, his next step would be focusing on the improvements of his strategies and also to increase his battle experiences.

    As Wang Tong opened his eyes, he noticed that sh was already waiting for him outside his control room. Wang Tong was quite surprised.

    "Congrattions." sh kept his cool even though he lost. He lost fair and square, and although it might sound strange to the others, he was actually quite happy for being defeated by a yer that possessed the same level of strength like him. He was no longer lonely in being at the top of the peak!

    "Thank you very much!" Wang Tong epted sh¡¯spliment happily.

    Roar¡­!

    Carl and the rest of the team rushed onto the stage and had him surrounded.

    "You did it man, you¡¯re the best! We won!"

    "It¡¯s unbelievable! I can¡¯t believe he really did it!"

    "Yup, we have defeated Capth in this round! I¡¯m happy to pinch your face if you still think that this is just a dream!" Zhang Kuiughed.

 Chapter 190: Surprisingly Well-Matched

    Chapter 190: Surprisingly Well-Matched

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance had defeated Capth in the Battlecraft Combat category. Even though it wasn¡¯t the final victory, it was still something worth celebrating, as no one expected that they could go this far.

    Everyone was shocked that both candidates that were ranked No.1 and No.2 in Earth Confederation had lost; it was still kind of unbelievable.

    While everyone in the alliance was cheering, the students of Capth could do nothing but silently watch them. They had finally realized how defeat tasted like.

    "Congrattions to your team." sh shook Best¡¯s hand; they finally had time to greet each other.

    "Thanks, but I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy or not. Clearly, a monster has been born in themunity of Battlecraft Combat." Best faked a smile. After all, Wang Tong was not a student of Bernabeu, and his emergence had caused themunity to reshuffle its rankings.

    Somehow, sh felt the same way too, but a big part of him was filled with anticipation, because he had finally found the perfect rival. After staying at the top for that long, perhaps it was time to recharge himself through suffering a defeat.

    The candidates of Capth then headed back into their resting lounge while leaving the victors to celebrate on the stage. Somehow, the sorrow of Capth and the astonishment from the students of the other academies were the best "trophy" for the alliance.

    On the other hand, Halmond sighed while faking a smile. To be honest, he was ready for anything, but didn¡¯t expect this to happen.

    "Congrattions, Principal Samantha. Our current score is 2-2, and I¡¯m looking forward to this afternoon¡¯s METAL Combat. Now, if you would excuse me, I¡¯m going to check on my students."

    "Thank you, Principal Halmond, and yes please."

    The other candidates of Capth were standing outside the lounge, and as Halmond approached, Bisu pointed his finger towards the door. In fact, Bisu had no problem with defeats since he was ranked below sh. However, sh had never tasted defeat for quite some time already, and it felt bad, especially in matches like this that didn¡¯t involve luck.

    Halmond smiled and said, "Let¡¯s take a short break and go get some lunch. Let¡¯s not forget about this afternoon¡¯s matches as those are even more important¡­ sh needs space to calm down, and all of us should trust him. After all, the students of Capth are not crybabies; we are fearless fighters. So suck it up, because this is only a small obstacle in life!"

    "Rest assure Principal Halmond, we¡¯re gonna crush them this afternoon for sure!" Wally grabbed his fist and said. Obviously, he was quite mad about the previous matches.

    Halmond nodded and dismissed the team huddle.

    sh was all alone in the resting lounge, wiping his face with a towel¡­

    Not only Capth was unable to obtain the final victory before noon, they were even forced into a 2:2 draw with the Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance! Most importantly, Capth¡¯s Battlecraft Combat team which,h was also known as Earth Confederation¡¯s strongest team, had been devastatingly defeated by the score of 1:3!

    Most of Capth¡¯s students were still unable to ept the fact they were defeated in the previous round, while the other students who didn¡¯t go to the arena were shocked to hear about the result. Especially the news about both Bisu and sh losing to the same guy, it was absurd indeed!

    It was known to all that age had nothing to do with one¡¯s performance in Battlecraft Combat, which exined why sh was able to dominate in this category. Even the students from Yalden were intimidated by his level of strength. Yet, no one expected that his dominance would end right here!

    Who on earth really was this Wang Tong fe?

    The Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance immediately became the center of attention while the team was having a lunch break at Capth¡¯s luxurious cafeteria. Ironically, they had been branded as a "team of weaklings" for the past four days. No one cared or paid any attention to them, and people were disrespectful to them. Yet now, the team had be the hottest topic of everyone¡¯s gossip.

    The alliance¡¯s dining area was filled withughter and cheers. Most of them seemed rxed and pleased with the current result, as they had never imagined that they would be this good, except for Wang Tong, Apache and the rest of the team. In Wang Tong¡¯s point of view, the final victory was the only thing that mattered. As for Apache, he was not the type of person who would celebrate another person¡¯s victory, not to mention he still had to fight in the afternoon. However, they couldn¡¯t force everyone in the team to think the same way as them, as the most important thing in this tournament was the team¡¯s confidence. After all, instead of personal victory, this tournament was all about team victories.

    Nevertheless, Carl had proven to the others that he was not a weakling through the previous match, and he had what it took to be put on this team at the very beginning.

    The alliance headed back to their resting lounge after lunch. They had to rest and recharge themselves for the sake of this afternoon¡¯s rough battles. There was no turning back, and they were already one step closer to defeating Capth.

    On the other hand, Samantha was congratted by the principals of the other academies during lunch break. The alliance looked weak in the beginning, and the principals too didn¡¯t expect that they could make it this far. Yet the craziest thing was their victories had nothing to do with Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan, but some random folks named Wang Tong and Carl. The principals were also amazed by the brilliant performances of the other two students who had lost in thest two categories.

    If the alliance were able to continuously amaze everyone, Ayrng would definitely be able to regain its former glory as the top notch amongst A-Ranked academies in no time, and it seemed like Samantha really meant business.

    The uing matches in this afternoon had created an immense uproar amongst the students of Capth, who were somehow cool and arrogant in the beginning. Everyone was excited to witness the team that drove Capth to the edge of a cliff, and those unbelievably strong candidates of those two A-Ranked academies!

    Halmond had decided to change the venue for the uing matches to a bigger arena, due to the increase of spectators. Apparently, Capth did have such facility because they had been hosting quite a lot of big events from time to time. Initially, this intercollegiate tournament was held in the current smaller arena since it was only a small event.

    The number of spectators had increased dramatically. Then there would also be the epic battle between Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru; everyone was eager to find out who was the stronger "enchantress"!

    Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, and the other candidates were initializing their tactics in order to maintain their best condition in the uing matches, and those who had already finished their part in the tournament were hanging around freely. They were obviously happy about their pleasant performances.

    All of a sudden, Li Ruo-Er barged in and wished to speak with Ma Xiaoru.

    The team turned towards ma Xiaoru. She nodded and said, "It¡¯s okay guys, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back in a minute.". No one asked anything as Ma Xiaoru walked out. After all, both "celebrities" of Earth Confederation had their own privacy too.

    Finally, Ma Xiaoru came back after she was gone for more than ten minutes. Everyone seemed curious of her conversations with Li Ruo-Er, yet they chose not to ask because she obviously wouldn¡¯t tell. Even the busybody Carl knew this was the time to keep quiet.

    The second half of the tournament finally began at half past one in the afternoon. This would officially be the epic final showdown between Capth and Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance. Apparently, a number of familiar faces had also attended aside from students and teachers of Capth. As it turned out, they were the senators of Earth Confederation. They originally came to Capth for its founding ceremony. However, they didn¡¯t expect that they were just in time for this interesting event.

    It was known to everyone that it was easy for the principals of military academies to step foot into politics, since they possessed enough influence and connections to make everything even easier. In short, military academies were the best ce to kickstart one¡¯s life as a politician, especially principals that had good rtionships with the current politicians.

    In fact, principals of S-Ranked academies had much higher chances of getting hired for an important role in the senate, not to mention he or she would also be able to have a huge influence throughout the military.

    After a while, the students of Capth began to look excited, and even the principals of every other academy stood up as an older man walked into the arena. He was about seventy years old, yet looked very sturdy.

    The man was none other than the most respected figure throughout Capth, Lieutenant General rk; the Principal of Capth had arrived. Events and celebrations were always more exciting when the principal was around, not to mention those who had graduated from Capth would be back as well. They were mostly ordinary students when they graduated, yet all of them had be well-respected warriors when they returned to Capth. Some of those students had even be fleetmanders and generals, and more of them were expected to attend since it wasn¡¯t war period currently.

    Honestly, rk seldom attended events like this, as he would let his vice principals handle them for most of the time. He would only make an appearance in a few important events, yet he surprised everyone by showing up at this tournament. Even Halmond was surprised to see him.

    rk was indeed well respected amongst the students of Capth. In fact, he was one of the greatest principals of Capth. rk was nicknamed the "Blood and Iron" Principal of Capth, after he managed to repress a military coup by teaming up with the principal of Yalden. It was the time when an emerging military and political force (which was currently known as The Golden Hawk Union) had decided to get rid of the House of Li and house of Ma. Originally, the union wanted rk as the new president of Earth Confederation, but rk declined and halted the union¡¯s plot with his influence. Later, he managed to put an end to the ruckus as both House of Li and House of Ma agreed to step back.

    rk didn¡¯t do that because of any special connections with both House of Li and House of Ma, it was simply because out of the three main political powers, Ivantians¡¯ political forces were the ones that needed to be feared. As a matter of fact, after going through their own civil war for more than two hundred years, the Ivantians had sessfully formed their own political system, and the people on Moon were very supportive of having their very own political system led by both House of Dower and the "Iron Curtain" House of Zhang. Although Ivantians were also a part of mankind, they tended to dislike Earthlings because they were once repressed by the de Warrior during the strongest period of their nation. Environmental conditions yed an important part in a nation¡¯s military and political situation. Moon was too small and too fragile to be a ce for someplicated power struggles, which was why its people preferred both new and old forces to work together instead.

    However, the situation on Mars was kind of different. Although Martians were known to be aggressive, religion yed a critical role in its political system. In fact, Church of the Deity partially ruled Mars as approximately ny percent of the Martians were its followers. Furthermore, House of Lie was closely rted to the Church itself, and although Martians were democratic like the Ivantians, yet it looked like they were living under the dictatorship of a family, as the House of Lie would eliminate any rebellious forces at all costs. However, this type of political system seemed to fit Mars very well.

 Chapter 191: A Legendary Character

    Chapter 191: A Legendary Character

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    On the other hand, Earthlings wouldn¡¯t worry too much about Kaedeians, other than their rtively close rtionships with House of Lie. After all, both races had been sharing the same since ages. Nevertheless, Earthlings were thankful for the sacrifices made by these two races during the great war against Zergs. The bravery of both Martians and Kaedeians definitely was the key factor of mankind¡¯s sess and final victory. General Li Feng too had to agree that the people on Mars feared nothing in order to ensure the survivability of mankind, even death.

    Martians and Kaedeians had been going through ups and downs together, which was why these two races were so close to each other.

    During the glorious days of General Li Feng, even the almighty General Rngalos Dower had to admit that he was no match for the legendary general. But, the glory of Earth Confederation began to decline year after year following General Li Feng passing away. Soon, mankind gave up monarchy and had the world ruled under a parliamentary system. Even though Earth Confederation had the most seats, yet Earthlings were getting weaker and weaker due to theiridback habits. But luckily for Earthlings, an Einherjar would be born in the House of Li from time to time. Moreover, House of Ma was also able to frequently amaze the universe with their advanced technologies and inventions. These two houses had been ensuring Earthling¡¯s position as the alpha race since day one.

    Hence, rk prevented the struggle from happening. It was clear that Earth Confederation could never afford to lose both House of Ma and House of Li, and this political struggle would only sabotage Earth Confederation¡¯s power within the Pan Sr System Alliance. Without power, Earth Confederation would be reced by Ivantian¡¯s advanced technologies and the geological advantages of Mars; not to mention both Centaurus Cluster and Andromeda Gxy were also beginning to rise and prosper.

    People were well aware of the consequences, yet most of them would only be making decisions based on their personal interests.

    Nevertheless, rk was bold enough to smoothen things out with both forces and sessfully suppress the political conflict. Later, he was well-respected as the peacemaker of Earth Confederation. Even the master of House of Li had to address rk as Mr. principal. After the incident, it had be a tradition for the younger generations of House of Li to enroll in Capth.

    Only the big names in the military and politicalmunity would have the honor to hang around rk. Yet, Samantha was special because of her ancestor¡¯s connections with both House of Li and House of Ma. If it weren¡¯t because Galber was one of General Li Feng¡¯s important partner, and also the only one who was able to get in touch with the de Warrior, Samantha would never have had the chance of getting such privilege.

    Unfortunately, Galber¡¯s descendants were not as outstanding, and the family tended to survive with the help from House of Ma. Things got better after they took over PA. However, it would be quite difficult for the family to get involved in politics again.

    Most military and political personnel were aware of Samantha¡¯s sess in bing the principal of Ayrng upon graduation. However, they didn¡¯t bother much.

    Yet, the well-respected principal was kind, and had Halmond invite Samantha to sit right next to him. As for Halmond, he was only allowed to stand behind Lieutenant General rk, even though he was Capth¡¯s vice principal.

    Samantha could feel those unfriendly res of jealousy as she sat down beside rk.

    "Thank you for having me, sir." Samantha greeted and behaved like a student, even though she was already a principal herself.

    rk smiled gently, "Now, that¡¯s how an energeticss from Capth should look like! But remember my child, being too pushy would only make things worse."

    Samantha was startled but remained as calm as possible. Clearly, rk wasn¡¯t addressing things rted to this tournament, aspared to the other mega events, this tournament was nothing to him. Yet, Samantha¡¯s guts were somehow telling her that rk was talking about something else.

    Seemed like it would be impossible to hide everything from this amazing principal!

    "Yes, sir. I¡¯ll keep it in mind." Samantha epted rk¡¯s advice politely even though she was kind of confused.

    rk smiled back and didn¡¯t say anything else. In fact, rk rarely gave opinions or advice to the others due to his current position. Yet, he didn¡¯t mind giving his advice to Samantha since she used to be a student of Capth.

    Samantha managed to snap out from her confusion and calmed down as the second half of the tournament began. However, she would definitely look into the meaning of rk¡¯s words when she got back to Ayrng.

    Finally, the long-awaited METAL Combat matches had begun. So far, the Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance had been doing great, and this was the chance for them to be famous!

    "Hey look! Is that Senator Caroo?"

    "That¡¯s General Kathro right there!"

    The number of famous persons, along with Principal rk¡¯s presence, had caused the team to freak out a little. Nevertheless, Carl was able to remain rxed. In fact, he was quite excited to know that so many people would be here this afternoon to witness their glory.

    "Hey buddy, we¡¯re gonna be famous once we eliminate those punks!" The others were trying not tough when Carl said that.

    "Wake up, Carl. We¡¯re still a long way from winning. We would have to just do our best as Capth would be pulling out their A-game for sure after suffering those terrible defeats." Bestmented.

    Unlike Battlecraft Combat, METAL Combat required Soul Energy, which was based on one¡¯s tactics and mastery. Contingency might have yed a big part in Battlecraft Combat, but it definitely had nothing to do with METAL Combat, since it was obvious that the students of Capth had been practicing better tactics than the students of Ayrng.

    "Take it easy buddy, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be alright!" Carl replied confidently. Those who didn¡¯t know Carl might have thought that he was an idiot for being that confident. Yet, the team had been spending time with him for months, and they knew that this was his way of self-cheering. To be honest, this carefree and rxed attitude would make a huge difference during the fight!

    One would be able to perform smoothly as long as he or she remained calm.

    "So, Capth is sending out Wally for round one. Anyone?" Wang Tong asked.

    "I¡¯ll do the honor!" Hu Yangxuan stood up and replied.

    Wang Tong nodded. Hu Yangxuan had been training quite hardtely, and Wally seemed like the perfect opponent for him.

    Wang Tong¡¯s goal was to aim for the final victory, and he also knew that this tournament was not just about him, but for the sake of Ayrng. This tournament was the perfect opportunity for self-motivation and self-improvement, and Wang Tong had shown his best performances in Battlecraft Combat. So now would be the time for Hu Yangxuan to show his talents.

    Not to mention, the opposing team would be saving their stronger aces forter. Hence, this was definitely the chance to obtain one win.

    Hu Yangxuan was ready for the challenge ahead.

    Participants would be fighting each other in Capth¡¯s TPA, which was slightly different from the conventional TPA. Capth¡¯s TPA was programmed to simte the consumption of Soul Energy, even though it wouldn¡¯t cause any harm to the participant¡¯s body.

    Meanwhile, Wally seemingly wasn¡¯t bothered at all by the fact that his next opponent was a Temr''s follower.

    Check!

    Check!

    Wally wielded his rapier, a type of sharp-edged de that wasmonly used by ancient western noblemen. This type of weapon was famous for its rapid stabs and amazing agility.

    On the other hand, Hu Yangxuan was equipped with a sword and a round-shield. Clearly, he had done his researches about Wally.

    This was a duel between two fighters of the same level, as Wally was Capth¡¯s No.1 amongst first graders while Hu Yangxuan was a Temr''s follower. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the students of Capth, Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan were the only elites that Ayrng had.

    Wally sneered confidently while looking at the round-shield on Hu Yangxuan¡¯s left hand.

    The first match had begun!

    Wally immediately activated his Soul Energy and unleashed his GN Force. Knowing that offense was the best defense for rapiers, he began to unleash his rapid stabs. He bet that his opponent didn¡¯t know that a shield would never be able to parry all of his attacks.

    Wally had constantly been changing his pacing while striking Hu Yangxuan with his rapid attacks. Instantly, Hu Yangxuan was amazed by Wally¡¯s amazing skills and the fearsome agility of the rapier!

    After a while, Hu Yangxuan was injured. Somehow, his shield was able to parry the first strike, but was unable to ward off the following strike. Hu Yangxuan had been trying to counter, yet Wally always managed to dodge and stay out of his striking distance.

    Wally then ced his rapier in front of his chest and tried to provoke Hu Yangxuan. Luckily Hu Yangxuan was able to keep calm and get into position. Although Wally possessed an amazing agility, yet his attacks were not deadly enough.

    Hu Yangxuan then began to unleash his counter attacks. It seemed like he really had mastered the basics he learned at Court of the Temr, and managed to keep Wally busy with his continuous shes. Hu Yangxuan¡¯s pacing was stable, and he was exceptionally skilled in defending with GN Force. Clearly, Court of the Temr had done a great job in training such an amazing elite.

    Furthermore, Hu Yangxuan was able to read his opponent¡¯s rhythm and also sense his opponent¡¯s desire to attack while maintaining his stability. It was clear that Hu Yangxuan was no longer the arrogant kid he used to be after going through so many things. The way he fought had be more mature, and he even learned how to read minds.

    Hu Yangxuan noticed that Wally wasn¡¯t only some bloke with a big mouth, as his family had been practicing rapiers for centuries and they had even created their own battling methods by infusing GN Force into their rapier attacks. It might be sort of useless on the battlefield, but it was definitely strong in a duel.

    Clearly, Wally wasn¡¯t called No.1 for nothing.

    The fight was already intense as soon as it began. Hu Yangxuan had been hit for a few times, yet he was still unable to deal much damage to Wally. After all, attacking a moving target was not an easy task.

    Only Apache, who possessed incredible agility, would be able to deal with Wally¡¯s speed.

    "Things are not looking good for Hu Yangxuan."

    "That slick sonuvab*tch, how I wish he stops bouncing here and there. Cao Yi, have you done any research on how to handle this crazy dude?" Carl asked.

    Cao Yi scratched his head and answered, "Honestly, I did, but his speed is much quicker than I expected."

    On the other hand, Apache was looking elsewhere, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t paying any attention to the match at all.

    Meanwhile, Hu Yangxuan was still struggling to deal with Wally. It seemed like Wally was more patient than expected. Hu Yangxuan chose to use a shield in the first ce because he was hoping that it would be able to frustrate his opponent and cause him to make mistakes. Basically, Hu Yangxuan was thinking on the right track, but somehow had forgotten that rapier users were known to be patient. They tended to behave like venomous snakes, urately jabbing little by little.

    Wally had obviously obtained the upper hand in this match, and he was waiting for the right moment to unleash his knockout strike.

 Chapter 192: Ms. Fantastic

    Chapter 192: Ms. Fantastic

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Hu Yangxuan had been wounded six times, yet he was still unable to inflict any damage to Wally. The students of Capth were excited as they realized that Wally was about to win. Wally then thrust his rapier as he unleashed a tide of rapid stabs by channeling a st of GN Force!

    Wally¡¯s Soul Energy reached one hundred and eighty sols as he rapidly fired his stabs like a shower of arrows. His rapier was dancing like a mesmerizing but deadly flower.

    The indefensible rapid stabs from a rapier were truly terrifying. In fact, rapiers possessed the highest frequency of attackspared to any other existing weapons.

    However, Hu Yangxuan wasn¡¯t defending this time; in fact, he had been waiting for this since the beginning. Wally was able to maintain his upper hand because his Soul Energy was about the same level as Hu Yangxuan¡¯s, and his attacking methods had sessfully inhibited Hu Yangxuan¡¯s performance. To be honest, Apache was the better choice of facing off Wally, yet Hu Yangxuan insisted on fighting him because he had a n.

    Knowing that Capth had saved its best candidates forter, Hu Yangxuan was determined to take Wally down. At least he would be able to lessen the burden of his team!

    As soon as Wally attacked, Hu Yangxuan dropped his shield, dashed forward and flung his sword to unleash the sh of Temr!

    He was nning for both of them to perish together!

    Immediately Wally regretted his decision to finish him off, but it was already toote. Wally knew about the sh of Temr, and he knew that he would be KO-ed if he chose to dodge. However, he didn¡¯t expect Hu Yangxuan would choose to use this bold strategy.

    It was kind of barbaric, to be honest.

    Unlike his older self, Hu Yangxuan had awakened. After going through the special training with Wang Tong and the rest of the team, he had finally learned that fame wasn¡¯t what mattered most in a fight, and a fighter would try to win a battle at all cost, even if it meant to sacrifice everything. Right now, winning was all that mattered!

    Bam¡­!

    GN Force from both fighters shed with each other.

    Clearly, Hu Yangxuan¡¯s strategy was to pretend to be defensive and strike back as soon as he forced his opponent to unleash a kill strike! This was his bravery as a fighter!

    Wally was furious about the oue as Hu Yangxuan¡¯s decision of perishing together had forced him to be eliminated. Although he was still alive, yet he would be knocked out for sure if it was a fight in reality. Originally he was nning on showing off in front of those honorable guests by demonstrating an "all-kill". Unfortunately, his n was ruined by Hu Yangxuan¡¯s outrageous strategy.

    As he was about to throw a tantrum, Li Ruo-Er looked at him in the eyes and said, "Wally, mind your manners. You were eliminated because of your opponent¡¯s sessful strategy. So suck it up."

    Wally calmed down instantly. Now that the battle had ended, throwing a tantrum would only affect Capth¡¯s reputation.

    Students of Capth were saying that it wasn¡¯t fair, yet the guests from the military seemed pleased about the match. To them, this was how a duel should look like. After all, this was not some kind of stage performance.

    Results were shown on the monitor after a while¡­ The winner was Wally!

    Finally, the students of Capth were relieved and pped vigorously. Although both fighters perished together, Hu Yangxuan was the first to be hit by Wally¡¯s rapid stabs. If this were a real fight, Hu Yangxuan would be killed, and Wally would be seriously injured instead.

    Now that Capth had obtained the first victory, things seemed to be not looking good for Ayrng. Unfortunately for Ayrng, the first match was a loss instead of a draw. They were so close to that, yet it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Hu Yangxuan sighed. Things didn¡¯t work as nned even though he had made his calctions. Wally was better than he expected. Nevertheless, he still felt good for taking him down together.

    Samantha too was happy at the final oue. Hu Yangxuan had clearly improved a lot. At least, he had learned to put down his pride as a Temr¡¯s follower and care less about fame. Samantha was happy and relieved that her tough training was able to help Hu Yangxuan improve dramatically, and she hoped that he would be able to continue improving in the future as well.

    After all, Court of the Temr was only a gateway towards sess. Yet, to thrive or not all depended on the followers¡¯ determination.

    As for the second match, Apache stood up all of a sudden and pointed towards Cisco, "Your turn!"

    Clearly, the gauntlets had been thrown!

    Everyone was surprised by the alliance¡¯s bold action to call for a challenge!

    Wang Ben, who was supposed to go next, went back to his seat, and Cisco walked forward to ept Apache¡¯s challenge. There was no room for him to back down!

    Halmond nodded as one of the teachers whispered something to him. Obviously, the candidates were all fired up, and this tournament was getting more and more interesting.

    No one had expected Hu Yangxuan, a Temr¡¯s follower, would choose to perish together with his opponent, and no one had imagined that Apache would challenge Cisco publicly.

    A year ago, Apache, who was in second grade, got defeated by first grader Cisco. After that, Apache, who was devastated by the defeat, headed off and joined the Anti-Smuggling Special Unit in order to improve his skills. Finally, he was back at Capth, ready for a rematch!

    Cisco, who was originally Capth¡¯s No.1 amongst second graders, too had hit the bottom of the rock after getting defeated by Einherjar Wannabe in PA. Shortly after his defeat, he was forced to handover his title as No.1.

    In fact, the students of Capth had been doubting his performance. However, he shouldn¡¯t have problem handling opponents like Apache.

    None of them talked much as both fighters were men of a few words.

    Check!

    Check!

    Both fighters were seen getting ready for the fight. Apache was ring at Cisco while doing his warm-ups, "I hope you were not wasting any time throughout the year!"

    "...Do I know you?" Cisco looked confused.

    Apache grinned, what an arrogantd!

    Swoosh¡­

    Apache dashed towards his opponent at an extreme speed and thrust out his long de. On the other hand, Cisco was seen fighting with his bare hands. It seemed like Cisco had changed a lot. Somehow, it felt like he had gotten weaker.

    However, Wang Tong was able to tell that Cisco had definitely gotten stronger. Hopefully, Apache was prepared for the uing challenges.

    As the fight went on, it was clear that Apache had be fiercer after attending the special training and he seemed to have improved a lot. In fact, Cisco could be in danger if he were his old self. Last year, Apache, who had continuously defeated two of Capth¡¯s candidates, was surprisingly defeated by Cisco, who was still a freshman at that time. Apache clearly remembered the look on Cisco¡¯s face, notpletely filled with despise, like he was trying to tell Apache that his level of strength was only average in Capth. After that, Apache went off on a journey of self-improvement like he had to put his life at stake. In the end, his training paid off, and he was finally back.

    Time for a long-awaited revenge!

    Wally was startled when he saw Apache dashing across the ring like a hurricane. He didn¡¯t expect Apache to be that strong, and if Wally were still fighting in this match, he would be doomed for sure.

    Wally¡¯s fighting method was weak against nimble opponents, not to mention Apache was extremely experienced. Clearly, Apache had been training extremely hard, and he had definitely improved a lot. Even the attacks from his long de had be deadlier than before.

    While everyone was focusing on Cisco and Apache¡¯s duel, Ma Xiaoru had slipped out from her team. On the other side, Li Ruo-Er too had disappeared. Bothdies walked into the smaller arena that they had been using earlier this morning. No one was there except those two stunning beauties.

    "Dear Xiaoru, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days, yet you¡¯ve be prettier." Li Ruo-Er smiled gently.

    "Ruo-Er, why are we fighting?" To be honest, Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t intend to fight her at all.

    "My dear sister, this is our deal remember? Not to mention I¡¯ve agreed to skip this tournament just like you¡¯ve asked. Actually, I¡¯ve never wanted to participate. I don¡¯t think we should be ¡®performing¡¯ in public like ordinary people."

    "Ruo-Er, your brother is amazing, and I admire his talents, but you can¡¯t force me to fancy him because of that."

    "I¡¯m aware of that, and I¡¯m not forcing you to fall in love with him. All I¡¯m asking for is a chance. Like I¡¯ve said, I¡¯d like you to go on a date with my brother if I win. But if I lose, I¡¯ll back away from this business."

    This was Li Ruo-Er¡¯s deal with Ma Xiaoru, and she would fight Ma Xiaoru whether she liked it or not. She let Ma Xiaoru to choose if she wanted to fight officially in the ring or privately somewhere else. After a brief consideration, Ma Xiaoru decided to settle this privately, in order to lessen the burden on Wang Tong. As a matter of fact, she wasn¡¯t totally confident in winning against Li Ruo-Er, and she could tell from Wang Tong¡¯s determined eyes that he was desperate for the final victory. Moreover, this happened to be the perfect opportunity for Ma Xiaoru to settle this frustrating business with Li Ruo-Er.

    "Okay, deal."

    "Very well, dear sis. However, there¡¯s one thing that I need to tell you. It seemed like Wang Tong¡¯s love interest was our dear sister Samantha. ording to my observation, the way she looked at Sam felt different." Li Ruo-Er said.

    Bothdies began to fight. Ma Xiaoru remained calm, yet she was kind of startled.

    Wang Tong fancied Samantha?

    All of a sudden, Li Ruo-Er unleashed her attacks!

    On the other hand, Apache seemed to have suppressed Cisco. Based on the overall situation, Cisco¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t be weaker in terms of strength; his Kunai was still as good as it used to be. However, the power of his attacks seemed to have decreased. Meanwhile, Apache¡¯s performance was getting better and better.

    In fact, Apache had been learning all sorts of aggressive techniques during his internship at the Anti-Smuggling Special Unit, and had evene up with some techniques for countering Cisco¡¯s Kunai. They worked well with his advantage in terms of speed as well.

    The students of Capth were surprised to see the level of strength Apache possessed. To them, he had to be the strongest candidate of the Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance. Some of the students even began to remember him; he was the speedy fighter that had defeated two candidates of Capth.

    Apache had returned, and this time, he was ready to crush the candidates of Capth with his bare hands!

    Apache gradually took control of the pace and had sessfully inhibited Cisco¡¯s Kunai with his good sense of distance. Apache¡¯s good memory enabled him to counter Cisco¡¯s attacks precisely.

    He was seen pulling off a fantastic performance with his patience and skills.

 Chapter 193: A Beggar Could Never Go Bankrupt

    Chapter 193: A Beggar Could Never Go Bankrupt

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    However, Cisco had also been keeping his patience and fought steadily, making it difficult for Apache to totally subdue him. Both fighters were trying to exhaust each other out, and whoever managed to expose their opponent¡¯s loophole would be able to win this match.

    Students of the other academies were amazed by this spectacr match. They didn¡¯t expect the Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance had such a brilliant fighter in their team. Even though it was unlikely for them to win, it was fascinating because it had been ages since thest time Capth was driven into the corner by an A-Ranked academy.

    After alternating his pace and continuously attacking for more than twenty minutes, Apache had managed to find a loophole within Cisco¡¯s Kunai techniques and decided to go for the knockout strike.

    This was the perfect chance for Apache as he channeled all of his GN Force and charged towards Cisco like a raging tornado.

    Wham¡­

    It seemed like Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance was about to obtain their first win.

    However, Carl and the rest of the team was shocked to witness what happened next.

    Apparently, Cisco was still standing, yet it was Apache instead who was blown away by an enormous wave of GN Force.

    The upper hand was clearly on Apache¡¯s side. However, he was no match for Cisco whose Soul Energy had reached two hundred and four sols. It was the soul energy of a Level Five Fighter!

    Cisco had dominated with his superb GN Force!

    Even the students of Capth were surprised that Cisco possessed the strength of a Level Five Fighter!

    The crowd went silent for a while, then immediately followed by a round of thunderous apuse. The students of Capth were cheering, especially all of the second graders; the confident Cisco they knew was finally back!

    Even Terrance, who was his rival, couldn¡¯t help apuding for Cisco. Advancing as a Level Five Fighter had always been the dream of every youngster of his age, and Cisco had made Capth proud today.

    Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance had yet suffered another loss. Clearly, Capth was sending a message to everyone, they were not some ordinary academy to be messed with!

    Yet, Cisco wasn¡¯t as happy as expected. Instead, he remained calm. In fact, he was no longer interested inpeting for the No.1 title, because it was technically useless. All that mattered to him was to defeat Einherjar Wannabe. Although he had managed to obtain the power of a Level Five Fighter after the defeat, he didn¡¯t dare to ask for a rematch when he found out that Jiang Long, the sessor of Firmament Palm Strike, who was stronger than him, was defeated too. In order to defeat Einherjar Wannabe, he needed to be stronger than this!

    Random victories like this were nothing to him.

    Cisco had no intentions to show off when he unleashed that amazing surge of power. He did that because he wanted to get rid of Apache¡¯s mingling attacks as soon as possible.

    The arrogant Wally remained silent. To be honest, he had been despising Ciscotely, hoping that this loser would disappear from their sight instead of hanging around the team and disgracing the academy.

    After winning the match, Cisco said nothing and quietly waited for the next challenger.

    Meanwhile, the big shots who were sitting up there began to make their ownments about this tournament. Of course, most of them were praising how strong Capth was and also praising the teachers for saving a student from his misery as well as Capth¡¯s splendid educational system.

    Pride and toughness were the key values of a student of Capth. No one in Capth was a failure, as temporary setbacks were the drive of one to be stronger.

    The spectating second graders of Capth were screaming Cisco¡¯s name, the name of their former No.1. Most of his supporters were devastated when he fell off from the top, yet Cisco managed to bounce back, and unfortunately for the alliance, the former No.1 still packed a punch.

    "Looks like this tournament is gonna end soon." Bisu sighed. It seemed like Capth¡¯s METAL Combat team had remained unrivaled. However, the Battlecraft Combat team was definitely a disgrace.

    Capth was leading by 2:0.

    "I doubt it." Wang Ben replied with a straight face.

    The whole team was pissed off by his unexpectedment.

    "You seem to miss your friends quite a lot, Wang Ben. But I have to remind you that this tournament is about skills and strength. Please know your ce when youment!" Wally scolded. Wang Ben¡¯s disgustingment had just made his bad day even worse. Moreover, he didn¡¯t understand why would Wang Ben thinks that an academy of weaklings like Ayrng was able to make miracles. Clearly, Capth was the one on the upper hand.

    How Wally wished that Wang Ben would stay at Ayrng instead ofing here! However, Wally wouldn¡¯t say that in front of the public, yet, he bet his team was thinking the same thing as him too.

    Wang Ben didn¡¯t pay any attention to Wally¡¯s scolding; he wasn¡¯t bothered by that kid at all.

    Level Five Fighter was one of the highest honor that one could get, especially for a second grader like Cisco. Although Capth was known as one of the greatest academies, still the odds of hitting such achievement from time to time were very low.

    It seemed like it would be alright to let Cisco handle the rest. After all, Cisco had already dominated the stage with his superb Soul Energy.

    Apache was shocked, but it couldn¡¯t be helped as his GN Force was obviously weaker than Cisco, and he wasn¡¯t skillful enough yet to ovee the gap between both of their GN Force.

    Things were definitely not looking good for the alliance as the remaining candidates were only Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru, and suddenly, everyone realized that Ma Xiaoru was missing!

    "Guys I have a message from Principal Samantha. She said that Xiaoru will not be participating today, and Li Ruo-Er too will not be participating today either. She also said to let Wang Tong decide for the further arrangements." Zhou Sisi panted as she just came rushing back with Samantha¡¯stest orders.

    The team was startled by Zhou Sisi¡¯s news. Although Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er¡¯s decisions to pull out was not bad for the alliance, yet they were still being put in a difficult situation. Not to mention Cisco was still active in y, and it would be too risky to send out Wang Tong right now, since the team still needed him to deal with the uing stronger opponents. If this exhausted him right now, there would be no chance for them to win at all.

    "Cap, I¡¯ll go." Cao Yi stood up and volunteered. Honestly speaking, aside from Wang Tong, he was theirst hope that still packed a few punches. Cao Yi knew that he wasn¡¯t good enough to be their final trump card. After all, he was no match against Wang Ben, and it was unlikely for him to knockout Terrance, the new No.1.

    During the ten minutes break, Cao Yi understood that all he needed to do was to significantly exhaust Cisco with his unique battle methods.

    Wang Tong patted on Cao Yi¡¯s shoulder, "You don¡¯t have to worry too much, just see it as a rare chance to go head to head with a Level Five Fighter."

    Cao Yi nodded.

    Meanwhile, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru¡¯s duel was getting more intense, not to mention it was a real fight instead of a duel in the simtor. Bothdies fought like they were performing a graceful and elegant, yet deadly waltz. It was truly a fight like no other.

    In this mega-showdown between Tactics of the Enchantresses, the battle between Soul Energy was even more lethal than their swordfights. For those who practiced super tactics like Tactics of the Enchantress, GN Force infused attacks might be even more aggressivepared to most of the conventional tactics, yet the direct attack through channels of Soul Energy was definitely way deadlier than GN Force.

    Technically, one¡¯s fate would be sealed once the opposing fighter managed to prate his or her mental defense.

    In other words, Soul Energy was actually the strongest form of power. Yet, one would require tons of practice in order to shape it into a form of attack. However, the Five Greatest Tactics were the ones that had the most advantages in practicing Soul Energy attacks, which exined why Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru were able to do it.

    Those who practiced one of the Five Greatest Tactics were able to baffle their opponents with surges of Soul Energy, making their GN Force infused attacks even deadlier when the opponents were hit by their Soul Energy. Obviously, that was the reason why they were called the Five Greatest Tactics.

    Tactics of the Enchantress specialized in phantasmagoric Soul Energy attacks. Hence, instead of using swords, they were battling each other using Soul Energy most of the time. In fact, Li Ruo-Er was trying to weaken Ma Xiaoru¡¯s mind by mentioning that Wang Tong was in love with Samantha. Whether she believed it or not, her Soul Energy would be affected if she weren¡¯t able to focus. That was the main reason why those who practiced Tactics of the Enchantress were not allowed to fall in love, as it would be a disadvantaging loophole.

    Unlike Tactics of the Enchantress¡¯s phantasmagoric Soul Energy attacks, House of Lie¡¯s Tactics of the Incandescent Fire enabled its users to turn their Soul Energy into a terrifying pyromantic forces, which were strong enough to directly scorch their opponent¡¯s mind.

    "Dear sister, it seemed like you¡¯ve gotten stronger."

    "You¡¯re not bad either!"

    In the beginning, Li Ruo-Er thought that she would be able to defeat Ma Xiaoru within minutes with her Soul Energy and GN Force attacks. However, it seemed like Ma Xiaoru was tougher to break than she expected.

    Back at the main arena, Cao Yi walked towards the ring bravely. He was confident about his detailed pre-battle researches, and had even done his homework on Cisco. As the fight began, Cao Yi was seen continuously shing towards Cisco with his dual des, hoping that it would be able to tire him out. At the same time, Cao Yi remained cautious and tried not to mingle, since Kunai was specially designed for closebat. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get away if he got too close.

    Even though Cao Yi had more knowledge about Cisco than Apache, unfortunately, he was not as strong as Apache and was knocked out by Cisco after fifteen minutes without unleashing his power of Level Five Fighter.

    To be honest, it waspletely normal for gaps to exist between A-Ranked academies and the almighty Capth. Generally, the crowd of spectators realized that they had expected too much. The current score was 3:0. Clearly, Capth had secured their final victory, and had put the alliance one step closer to misery.

    Cao Yi was depressed. He was hoping that he couldst a bit longer, but it couldn¡¯t be helped as Cisco was too strong indeed. Apparently, things didn¡¯t go as he had nned because the gap between them and Capth was wider than expected.

    Wang Tong smiled and said, "Why the long faces? We¡¯ve made it this far. Look at all those people, they¡¯re here to see us. A beggar could never go bankrupt. So, cheer up fes, this is not the end. Leave the rest to me!"

    Wang Tong warmed up his fingers and headed towards the ring. Everyone had shown great improvements after the special training. Although it was not enough to bring down Capth, still this opportunity had increased their experiences. They had done their part, and the rest would be his matter. He still had to fulfill his promise with Samantha.

    Wang Tong was kind of excited.

    rk seemed pleased about Samantha¡¯s ability to keep calm regardless of winning or losing. Clearly, Samantha was hoping for a miracle in this afternoon¡¯s tournament, and even though her team was pushed to the edge of defeat by the score of 3:0, somehow, she was still able to keep her cool, which was very important for those who wished to get involved in politics!

 Chapter 194: Instant Kill!

    Chapter 194: Instant Kill!

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Samantha might be able to deceive everyone else, but definitely not rk. He knew that she became Ayrng¡¯s principal in order to get involved with politics, not to mention she had House of Ma behind her back. Obviously, House of Ma¡¯s n was to stop relying on the other parties for their survival, and they were betting on this descendent of Galbor to shine once again in politics, which might be able to aid them in the future as well.

    Only a person with great perspective like rk could know of her true intentions. However, if Samantha pushed herself too hard, this could be the end of her conquest. Nevertheless, rk had no issues with this former student of Capth. In fact, he agreed that Earth Confederation¡¯s administration needed new blood like her to bnce everything out. This was the only way to ensure Earth remained as the center of the universe.

    He would love to see new faces like Samantha in the politics. Yet, it would be hard for her to be the next political legend like her ancestor Galbor, as there was only one de Warrior in this world. If she could learn to be patient, there might still be chances for her to shine.

    Nevertheless, rk realized that he seemed to have overestimated Samantha¡¯s team. He was certain that Samantha waspletely depressed even though she remained calm on the outside. After all, she had been working so hard to surprise the whole Earth Confederation, yet her hard work didn¡¯t pay off obviously.

    She was so close to achieving her dream, what a pity!

    Actually, Samantha remained calm because this was all within her expectations. In fact, it was her idea to let Ma Xiaoru offset Li Ruo-Er, and she let Wang Tong handle the rest.

    Honestly, Samantha wasn¡¯t sure if she should put her faith in this childish kid. She didn¡¯t want to do so at first because it was too risky, but she did in the end. Perhaps, she saw this as a chance to summarize her feelings for Wang Tong. Meanwhile, she was also giving herself an opportunity for a new life. If Wang Tong won, she would have a reason to enjoy romance, and if he lost, she would have a reason to end this fantasy instead.

    After all, falling in love was not a part of her dream, and it was already toote to give up as she had alreadye this far.

    Wang Tong walked towards the center stage and smiled as he saw Cisco, "I¡¯m alright, if you wanna take five."

    Cisco was startled by Wang Tong¡¯s arrogance. Honestly, his fight between Apache had only consumed a bit of his stamina, and he didn¡¯t even break a sweat during his fight with Cao Yi. Clearly, there was a huge difference between Level Four Fighters and Level Five Fighters, unless he was as uniquely talented as Apache, or else there was no chance Wang Tong could win.

    Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe was a special case.

    "No need, let¡¯s begin," Cisco said calmly. Clearly, he had learned to take it easy after suffering the defeat from Einherjar Wannabe, and he had a new perspective on winning and losing. But most importantly, he had finally realized that instead of only simple victories, all he wanted was greater strength, and his dream was to dominate in the martial artmunity!

    The crowd began to whisper as soon as Wang Tong walked up, and it caught the attention of a few big shots.

    Halmond then exined the situation to rk discreetly. The surprised principal smiled and said, "Oh, a rare young talent of Earth Confederation¡­ I have to see it for myself!"

    The rest of the VVIPs became quite interested as rk said that.

    At first, people thought that Wang Tong was lucky for being the only candidate who reached the goal during the S-Ranked Survival Competition. Yet, the surprise carried on as he surprised the crowd by defeating Bisu and sh in a row in Battlecraft Combat category, which had been dominated by Capth for quite a few years.

    People couldn¡¯t wait to see what surprises would Wang Tong create in METAL Combat.

    The fourth match was about to begin. If Capth were able to win this time, they would be crowned the final victor, and the tournament would be officially over.

    Both fighters were ready.

    Cisco observed Wang Tong calmly. He didn¡¯t expect that the alliance had decided to send him instead of Ma Xiaoru. Aside from his amazing performance in Survival Challenge, Cisco also heard that Wang Tong had deep knowledge regarding Zergs. But unfortunately, Wang Tong would be taking on him instead of Zergs. Zergs could be easily deceived, but definitely not him.

    The fight began!

    Cisco was in his best condition, and it seemed like this would be another easy win. Too bad he couldn¡¯t have the chance to take on Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Wang Tong seemed kind of nervous. His body was tense as he was trying to focus, like he was thrown into a den of a lion.

    On the other hand, Cisco was rtively rxed and focused. He was carefully observing Wang Tong¡¯s condition, and realized that his Soul Energy was quite impressive, but still had a long way to go from reaching Level Five. Clearly, his odds of winning were low, unless he practiced some sort of super tactics.

    "How long do you think this is gonnast?"

    "About three minutes?"

    "That depends on Cisco. If he unleashed his power of a Level Five Fighter, this should be over within seconds."

    "Who cares! Ayrng and Bernabeu were lucky enough to get this far already."

    Apparently, students of the other academies were discussing the alliance. No one had expected that this team of underdogs would be able to cause Capth a hard time.

    "Well, looks like someone¡¯s not gonna get a chance to fight today. Capth is the best, and those weaklings would never stand a chance." Wally was pissed off by Wang Ben¡¯s serious looks, like he was trying to say that this was just the beginning.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t bother about Wally, then he got up and turned towards Terrance, "I¡¯m gonna do some warm-ups, captain."

    Even Terrance was kind of mad about Wang Ben¡¯s attitude. Even though Cisco was no longer top-notch amongst second graders, still a Level Five Fighter like him would still be able to win. Wang Ben had been seriously too arrogant. His well-known Fists of the Racing Tiger might be superb, but still it was weakerpared to Cisco¡¯s strength.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong remained still as he got into position. His eyes were locked onto Cisco, yet he didn¡¯t make any moves. Clearly, he was being cautious since Cisco was not moving as well.

    Cisco was upset about his opponent. It seemed like his power of a Level Five Fighter had startled his opponent and made him nervous. Since Wang Tong was unable to show his best performance, he would never stand a chance to win.

    It was time to end him from his misery.

    Cisco then charged towards Wang Tong like a hurricane, aiming his Kunai towards Wang Tong¡¯s neck. This was the end!

    Wang Tong, who had been acting nervous in silence all this time, finally made a move! He widened his eyes and unleashed a loud roar that shook the ground, followed by a direct straight punch!

    He didn¡¯t even reposition himself, and he wasn¡¯t affected by Cisco¡¯s attack at all!

    Cisco had no time to react, and it was already toote for him to increase his Soul Energy output!

    Wang Tong¡¯s simple yet forceful straight punch mmed directly onto Cisco, one punch KO!

    Everything happened in less than two seconds, fast and furious indeed!

    End of match four, Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance managed to win a match atst.

    Everybody was stunned by what happened. In fact, no one knew what went on in the past two seconds!

    Wang Tong moved and rxed his body. He knew that he needed to end the matches as soon as possible. Honestly, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t interested in fighting Cisco at all. In fact, he was very familiar with Cisco¡¯s fighting methods since he had fought him in PA before, and apparently nothing much improved except for his Soul Energy. The nimbleness in his battles was still as slow as before. Clearly, Cisco thought that hisst defeat was due to theck of Soul Energy, which was why his Soul Energy had dramatically improved. Yet, it seemed like he was too obsessed with Soul Energy and forgot to improve his qualities as a fighter aside from pumping up his GN Force.

    In short, Cisco was only good enough for one punch.

    No one amongst the crowd could imagine that Wang Tong was this ferocious as he didn¡¯t look intimidating at all. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t acting nervous at the beginning. Instead, he was gathering his force and waiting for the right moment to strike. As for Cisco, he was too confident and thought Wang Tong was afraid of him. But it was already toote when he realized it.

    Most importantly, judging from his timing, it seemed like Wang Tong was very familiar with Cisco¡¯s movements.

    Wang Tong¡¯s cunning move had caused an uproar amongst the spectators! No one expected that he would "y dead"!

    As the uproar continued, Cisco too was unable to ept the fact that he had lost. Everything happened in just a sh, and he wasn¡¯t even ready at all!

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t bother much, as he knew that things were about to get messy in the next fight.

    Some other aces amongst the spectators had different opinion about this match. Obviously, one-hit-KO was not as easy as it seemed. It should have been Cisco instead who possessed a superb Soul Energy and possibly could have been able to perform something like this. Even if his Soul Energy had not reached the highest level, he should be able to perform better than Wang Tong in terms of perspective and judgment. Yet, he was mysteriously knocked out by Wang Tong, and for some reason, Wang Tong seemed to be very familiar with Cisco¡¯s movements.

    Yet, everyone wondered how he could learn so much about Cisco? If he were able to achieve that by observing his performances in the past matches, it would be unbelievably insane.

    Halmond was well aware that Cisco had not fully regained himself yet from hisst defeat against Einherjar Wannabe. It had nothing to do with his GN Force, but because it had deeply affected his confidence, causing him to lose his precise sense of judgment. Clearly, his opponent was intimidated by him, yet his hasty attack had given his opponent a deadly opportunity to strike back. As for Wang Tong, he was indeed extremely talented in situation analysis.

    His analysis ability was as good as House of Zhang¡¯s Tactics of the Conscious Heart.

    Wally and the rest of the team were shocked to see Cisco make such a terrible mistake. Clearly, he was way better than this. But, sadly there was nothing that could be done right now since it was an official tournament. Perhaps, Wang Tong was really way stronger than they had expected, and unfortunately, Wang Ben was right about this guy.

    Finally, it was Wang Ben¡¯s turn to take on Wang Tong.

    It has been days since Wang Tong¡¯s arrival at Capth, yet both of them didn¡¯t have a chance to talk. Atst, they would be facing each other in the ring, and obviously, there was no turning back.

    Wang Ben was seen discussing something with one of the teachers. The teacher looked surprised and went off to seek on Halmond¡¯s assistance.

    "Cap, I¡¯m concerned. Will Wang Ben decided to y dirty and let them win instead?" Wally seemed worried.

    Terrance turned towards Wally with a mean look, "Shut up, you¡¯re talking too much."

 Chapter 195: The Beginning of the Real Battle

    Chapter 195: The Beginning of the Real Battle

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Terrance seemed to have understood Wang Ben¡¯s feeling. Clearly, he didn¡¯t want to switch school to Capth in the first ce, but he had no choice due to some reason. He could tell that Wang Tong was a close friend of Wang Ben. Judging from Wang Ben¡¯s personality, the stronger their friendship, the greater his fighting strength would be. Without a doubt, this was a match not to be missed. After all, Wang Ben seemed to be the only one in Capth who was the most familiar with Wang Tong. Regardless of the result, it was time for Wang Tong to reveal all of his capabilities.

    After listening to the teacher¡¯s words, Halmond frowned and shook his head, "No, that¡¯s too dangerous!"

    "What¡¯s the matter, Halmond?"

    "Sir, Wang Ben was requesting for a real fight with Wang Tong, but that would be too dangerous!" Halmond seemed frustrated about his troublesome students. A real battle could cause serious damage if the students were not able to control themselvespletely, which was why most METAL Combat matches were held using PA system instead.

    "Haha, youngsters nowadays are very brave indeed, I¡¯m happy that our academy has raised a good fighter. Very well, I ept Wang Ben¡¯s proposal, and permission would be granted if Mr. Wang Tong is okay with it as well." rk said in a calm manner.

    "Yes, sir."

    No questions were asked as long as rk gave the green light.

    After hearing Wang Ben¡¯s proposal, Wang Tong sneered and replied, "Sure!"

    Honestly, Wang Tong was also kind of bored with TPA. Although he had no idea why Wang Ben decided to leave Ayrng, Wang Tong could tell that he had his own reasons. After all, things wouldn¡¯t always go smoothly as nned. Since they couldn¡¯t berades, bing rivals was not a bad idea too.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, the fifth match between Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance and Capth would be switched to a real duel."

    Everyone went crazy when Halmond made that announcement. After all, virtual battles would never be as good as a real fight.

    Nevertheless, this was a huge test for Wang Tong. A real fight would not only consume his Soul Energy, but his stamina would also be drained as well. Not to mention he would still have to face Terrance, the No.1 among second graders in the match after this.

    "What the hell? Wang Ben you traitor, that¡¯s insane!"

    "What¡¯s wrong with that guy, how could he be so ruthless!"

    "All those ups and downs we¡¯ve been through¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m disappointed."

    Tita and the rest had no idea what happened to Wang Ben and why he became so aggressive all of a sudden. Most importantly Wang Tong had even agreed to his proposal!

    Wang Tong ignored theirints and took center stage with a straight face. All he wanted to do now was to fight Wang Tong.

    "Wang Tong, I¡¯m okay if you wanna rest a little longer?"

    "Haha, let¡¯s begin immediately. I can¡¯t wait." Wang Tongughed. Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t feeling bad at all. It was kind of like the time when Old Fart disappeared without saying a word. Wang Tong wasn¡¯t upset at all, because he understood that everyone else, including friends and family, had their own choices in life. This was why he decided to smile when they saw each other again.

    Wang Ben had mixed feelings when he saw Wang Tong¡¯s smile. In order not to regret his decision, he would use his fists to prove that his father was right about everything.

    The fight had begun!

    The whole arena went quiet as Wang Ben initiated his Soul Energy, which also unleashed a fierce aura. That was the energy he had been holding on to for the past month.

    Roar¡­!

    The aura around Wang Ben¡¯s body roared like a tiger, and his stone-cold res were extremely intimidating.

    Ha¡­!

    Wang Ben¡¯s fighting aura was more than enough to prove how good he was. On the other hand, Wally¡¯s face went green when he saw Wang Ben¡¯s ferocious aura. He immediately knew that Wang Ben could¡¯ve easily subdued him.

    Wang Ben had transformed into a ferocious tiger with that intimidating aura.

    Even rk nodded andplimented, "He is as good as his old man."

    Samantha hadplicated feelings as well. How she wished Wang Ben was still a student of Ayrng. But sadly, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Judging from his performance, he had definitely be stronger. Clearly, her special training had helped him improved a lot. But unfortunately, he had switched sides.

    Wang Tong was surprised by Wang Ben¡¯s intimidating aura. He licked his lips knowing that the bar had been raised.

    Wang Ben¡¯s eyes looked like he would like to eat Wang Tong alive. Those who didn¡¯t know them might have thought that the both of them were sworn enemies.

    Wang Ben unleashed his war cry and dashed forward, followed by his Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Along with its thunderous roar, the punch resembled a fierce tiger charging towards its prey. No wonder it was known as Earth Confederation¡¯s mightiest punch. The unpretentious yet forceful punch was definitely more than enough to intimidate any opponent.

    However, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t nning to dodge at all. He immediately ignited his GN Force and thrust a punch.

    Wham¡­

    A huge amount of GN Force dispersed across the arena as their fists met. Both fighters took a few steps back due to the immense recoil. The spectators were startled by Wang Tong¡¯s performance. No one could believe that he was strong enough to take on Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Wang Tong stretched his neck while admiring Wang Ben¡¯s ferocious aura> He was very excited to see Wang Ben¡¯s fighting spirit. At this moment, it had nothing to do with winning or losing; all he wanted was a proper duel with Wang Ben.

    On the other hand, Wang Ben too had noticed Wang Tong¡¯s agitated spirit as their GN Force shed. Although his advantage in Soul Energy was higher than Wang Tong, yet Wang Tong was able to counter with his colossal aura, like an unshakable titan.

    However, unlike the conventional punches, Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger was as tough as steel!

    Wang Ben took a deep breath and flexed his forearms. Then, he unleashed a gigantic force of energy as he shouted, "Roar of the Tiger!"

    Clearly, he wasn¡¯t trying to drag the match as he had decided to unleash his killing move this early.

    "I¡¯ve been waiting!"

    Wang Tong repositioned his body and unleashed his Butterfly Dash. He too was well aware that mingling with Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger was a bad idea! However, before the crowd could admire Wang Tong¡¯s brilliant Butterfly Dash, he was knocked back by another punch.

    Wang Ben didn¡¯t make a continuous attack. Wang Tong¡¯s Butterfly Dash didn¡¯t bother him at all as his center of gravity would never be affected while he waspletely focused. Wang Ben¡¯s strength was overwhelming, and he had been waiting for this day to take on Wang Tong.

    "Go full force, Wang Tong. If you really want to defeat Capth, first you¡¯ll have to go through me!" Wang Ben pointed towards Wang Tong and said in a deep voice.

    Suddenly, Wally realized everyone was admiring Wang Ben¡¯s dominating aura. Clearly, his elegant style was no match to Wang Ben¡¯s macho-ness. He might still remain the No.1 amongst first graders, yet somehow, he could tell that he was no longer the strongest. With Li Ruo-Er and Wang Ben¡¯s existence in Capth, his title had surely be worthless.

    Wang Tong rubbed his chest as he got up. Wang Ben had surely improved a lot, thus, he had no reasons to hold back anymore.

    Both fighters flung a punch at each other again!

    Wang Ben was clearly one of the few that knew how strong Wang Tong was, and he still had no idea how he lost to himst time. However, he was determined to win this time!

    Wang Ben¡¯s Soul Energy was around one hundred and eighty sols while Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy was around one hundred and seventy sols. At his age, Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy was impressive indeed. However, it was not the strongest level yet, and the reading of his GN Force would be simr to his Soul Energy based on the existing data.

    Yet, Wang Tong was bold enough to use his fists and took on Earth Confederation¡¯s mightiest First of the Racing Tiger. Either he was fearless, or he was a fool.

    The atmosphere of the arena froze. Students of Capth had never imagined that it would be this intense. Upon his enrollment in Capth, Wang Ben had been keeping a low profile. He didn¡¯t bother even though people were discussing about him, and many had even underestimated him at the beginning. Clearly, they were all wrong.

    Wang Ben had fully demonstrated the essence of Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Roar!

    Bam!

    His steel-hard fists were dispersing a menacing aura. This set of tactics was specially designed to counter and subdue those elegant-looking tactics and techniques. Only real hard kicks and punches would be able to put up a good match against it!

    Which was why Wang Tong chose to fight him with denser techniques. Without a doubt, Wang Ben had improved a lot!

    Wang Tong had to make a breakthrough in this critical situation.

    Wham¡­

    Wang Tong thrust his fist for a straight punch, while Wang Ben countered with his roaring Fist of the Racing Tiger. Clearly, Wang Tong was going to lose since Wang Ben had the upper hand in terms of GN Force.

    All of the spectators gasped as soon as they saw a figure being knocked back¡­ It was Wang Ben!

    Wasn¡¯t Fist of the Racing Tiger known as the mightiest punch of all? What happened exactly?

    Wang Tong remained unharmed. The straight punch resembled the one he used to one-hit-KO Cisco.

    Cisco¡¯s face went pale as he realized that Wang Tong¡¯s punch wasn¡¯t a simple GN Force infused strike. Instead, it was also surrounded by an overwhelming menace, which also exined why Wang Tong was able to stand against those opponents who possessed higher GN Force than him. Without a doubt, his instinct during crisis was not to be underestimated.

    Wang Ben got up to his feet unhurt. The sessor of Fist of the Racing Tiger was trained for this kind of impacts. Basically, tactics of most military families were based on one same practicing method, which was to learn taking hits before learning how to fight.

    This was very crucial while facing stronger enemies. In short, the tougher the body, the higher the chances of victory. After all, whoever that was able tost longer in a brawl would win.

    Wang Ben didn¡¯t stop and charged towards Wang Tong again with his Fist of the Racing Tiger. He would never back down no matter how strong was his opponent.

    Wang Tong was amazed by Wang Ben¡¯s improvements. He didn¡¯t expect that Wang Ben was able to defend against his forceful attack. Wang Tong¡¯s punch attack originated from the palm strike that he learned from Einherjar Wannabe. Apparently, that palm strike of Einherjar Wannabe was not martial art but a murderous technique instead. It was extremely brutal and required two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de to fully unleash its strength. Even though it was able to prate any sort of defenses, it would also inflict a great deal of recoil damage to its user. The user could be killed after unleashing a few hits if he or she didn¡¯t possess strong GN Force for self-protection. Based on the existing facts, Wang Tong now believed that Einherjar Wannabe was really an Einherjar in his past life, and de Warrior might be the only one that was capable of trapping his soul into the Space Crystal.

 Chapter 196: Surpass

    Chapter 196: Surpass

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s palm strike technique might be useful during real battles. However, it wasn¡¯t suitable to be used during tournaments. Furthermore, Wang Tong still wasn¡¯t confident in dealing with its recoil damages. Although Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t teach him anything else since then, Wang Tong had not been wasting any time at all. In the end, he sessfully deciphered the usage of strength in the technique and redeveloped it into a punching technique. Even though the punching technique was less powerful, Wang Tong would be able to use it continuously since he had significantly reduced the recoil damage.

    Moreover, it was enough to cause Wang Ben a lot of trouble.

    Wham¡­

    Wang Ben had thrown out more than ten forceful punches in a sh. Wang Ben¡¯s performance felt murderous, causing some of the spectators to wonder if both Wang Ben and Wang Tong were sworn enemies in the beginning.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was seen defending steadily. So far, he was able to demonstrate his wless defense against all of Wang Ben¡¯s punches. In the eyes of Wang Tong¡¯s opponent, his previous performances in Battlecraft Combat would be described as disgusting!

    So disgusting that it had given sh goosebumps!

    Yet, he had once again shocked everyone with his active performances in METAL Combat.

    Wang Tong sessfully parried Wang Ben¡¯s punches, and quickly knocked him off with a somersault and a double-kick. Wang Ben was finally wounded by Wang Tong¡¯s ferocious attacks; he was seen bleeding on the corner of his mouth.

    It was an unbelievable fight indeed. People had always doubted Wang Ben¡¯s capability before this, yet, now all of them were amazed by his outstanding performance and extremely powerful Soul Energy.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath and stabilized the cirction of his Tactics of the de. Undeniably, Wang Ben¡¯s mightiness made him a ferocious fighter in the battlefield. Sooner orter, he would be able to dominate the entire universe with his Fist of the Racing Tiger. After all, he was the "Golden Boy" of Earth Confederation. In fact, he could¡¯ve dominated already if it weren¡¯t because of Wang Tong¡¯s insane performance.

    Wang Ben got up and wiped off the blood from his mouth, then looked towards Wang Tong with a tenacious expression, knowing that he had no reasons to hold back anymore.

    As a fighter who was skilled in punching techniques, Wang Ben didn¡¯t continue his attacks since he could tell that obviously there were something strange about Wang Tong¡¯s punches. Not only he was unable to break through with his Fist of the Racing Tiger, but the impact dispersed from Wang Tong¡¯s punch had also inflicted quite an amount of damage to his body, and even inhibited the performance of Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    However, Wang Ben wasn¡¯t surprised at all. Instead, it was rather expected from Wang Tong¡¯s mysterious attainments in martial arts. Nevertheless, Wang Ben had always been admiring Wang Tong¡¯s strength! He would have to bring his A-game if he wanted to win.

    Roar¡­!

    Wang Ben was flinging his fists with all his might and his Soul Energy was increasing rapidly. Instead of wasting time like Cisco, Wang Ben mustered all of his strength and charged his GN Force count to two hundred instantly. Everyone was able to tell that the nature of Wang Ben¡¯s GN Force had changedpletely, and Wally¡¯s face was even paler when he saw that.

    The reason of him being ignored by Wang Ben was simple, Wally was definitely no match for him.

    Wang Ben had been demonstrating his standard power as the sessor of Fist of the Racing TIger since the beginning, and right now, his performance had escted from standard to extreme!

    He wasn¡¯t an ordinary student in the first ce. He was the son of General Hu Ben, and he possessed a greater political influence and had a brighter futurepared to most of the ordinary people. His standard represented the standard of Earth Confederation¡¯s younger elites.

    Months ago, Wang Ben had fallen into a great despair due to the failure in his first attempt of Mind Opening Operation. Yet, he was able to bounce back within a short period of time and advanced as a Level Five Fighter. Since then, the whole world was left speechless by his amazing breakthrough.

    Nevertheless, Wang Ben had no intention of stopping at two hundred. As the son of a military officer who had been through hell, Wang Ben feared nothing, not even death. However, his life was filled with dilemmas, one of them being Wang Tong, whom Wang Ben had been seeing as a brother after he took a hit for him during the incident on Paradise Ind. Also, Wang Tong had saved them from various situations as well.

    After all, they had gone through thick and thin together, just like real brothers! However, Wang Ben was unable to go against his father, which triggered Wang Ben to transmit all of his anger and dilemma into strength, or else he would definitely go crazy!

    Roar¡­!

    Wang Ben¡¯s Soul Energy had reached two hundred and thirty sols! How did he do that?

    Back then, everyone was so jealous and envious when Jiang Long, the neen-year-old sessor of Firmament Palm Strike, became a Level Five Fighter. Yet, a moment ago, the fifteen-year-old Wang Ben, who had also recently be a Level Five Fighter, startled everyone with his astonishing two hundred and thirty sols Soul Energy!

    Everyone stood up from their seat, knowing that they had just witnessed the birth of another miracle! Wang Ben¡¯s splendid performance had made him a proud sessor of General Hu Ben¡¯s glorious career in the military! Not to mention a sessor with a promising future would have what it took to make changes in the current political and military forces, especially the middle forces.

    If this weren¡¯t a match, Wang Ben would¡¯ve been surrounded by people immediately. Yet, there was only one thing in Wang Ben¡¯s mind for now, which was to defeat Wang Tong!

    Wally was absolutely stunned. Originally, he had been eagerly wanting to challenge Wang Ben because he was extremely confident with his rapier. After all, there was no way he could simply surrender his title as the No.1 amongst first graders. However, he would have no choice but to surrender the title now, regardless if he were willing or not.

    Besides him, even the second graders were intimidated by Wang Ben¡¯s strength. Clearly, everyone in Capth had remembered Wang Ben¡¯s name even though he only enrolled recently. He had be thetest celebrity amongst the aces in this magnificent academy.

    No one would ever doubt Wang Ben. The reason he remained silent was not because he was weak and timid, but he was just trying to keep a low profile.

    Samantha knew that Wag Ben was really strong, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would have such improvement after his enrollment in Capth. She had no idea if she should be happy or sad about that.

    The team members of the alliance kept quiet too. They were upset by the fact that Wang Ben was not one of them anymore.

    It seemed like the cool Apache was the only one who could understand how Wang Ben felt. After all, troubles and dilemmas were the best stimtions for one to make a breakthrough in his or her training of Soul Energy.

    Without a doubt, Wang Ben had made it.

    It was hard for people to change their personality in a short period of time, especially folks like Wang Ben.

    Wang Ben was way different from Cisco, even though both of them were Level Five Fighters. Not only was Wang Ben more persistent, but his GN Force too had also reached the highest level, making him impossible to be ambushed.

    Wang Ben was still the first one who struck back, as more and more people began to wonder if Wang Ben really hated Wang Tong that much. Nevertheless, both of them were only students, so what sort of hatred could it be?

    This time, Wang Tong dashed towards Wang Ben instead of staying put. Clearly, he sensed that it would be bad if Wang Ben managed to fully charge his energy force.

    Bam¡­

    Wang Tong was the one who got knocked back this time.

    The stronger the GN Force, the denser the Fist of the Racing Tiger would be. In fact, most of the techniques and also the inner force within Fist of the Racing Tiger required GN Force, and the stronger, the better. Since Wang Ben had sessfully be a Level Five Fighter, of course there would be improvements.

    Wang Ben didn¡¯t pursue his opponent. Instead, he yelled out loud as he was all fired-up, "Wang Tong, defeat me if you want to win!"

    Wang Tong got up while shaking his head with a fake smile. Of course he would like to win, but not like this. However, since this was what Wang Ben asked for, he would give him the fight he had been longing for.

    Wang Tong charged his Soul Energy until one hundred and ny sols, which made some of Wang Ben¡¯s supporters giggle. They thought he was going to advance to Level Five as well. However, they were relieved they saw it didn¡¯t happen. After all, not everyone was capable of bing a Level Five Fighter.

    Wang Tong grabbed his fists and channeled his GN Force towards them, emitting the sound of thunder. On the other side, Wang Ben was observing cautiously.

    "Here Ie!"

    Squib Dash ¡ª Thunder Punch!

    Wang Ben didn¡¯t back down. Instead, he chose to counter with his two hundred and thirty sols Soul Energy, unleashing his "Descent of the Tiger!"

    Swoosh!

    Wham!

    Both fighters were hit back by the recoil; their attacks were equally strong!

    Everyone was amazed by what they were witnessing. How on earth was a Level Four Fighter able to stand against the Level Five Fist of the Racing Tiger?

    Wang Ben held his fists together and began to infuse his body with GN Force, then roared and dashed across the ring, leaving mirage images of his movements as he did that. His energy was rising, and his Soul Energy was clearly on the upper hand in this situation. As the roar echoed, Wang Ben¡¯s Soul Energy even took the form of a tiger as he dashed.

    Bam¡­ Bam¡­

    Both fighters shed against each other again. None of them chose to defend this time because it was technically impossible. The roar of a tiger and the sound of thunder were still echoing around the arena as they exchanged punches with each other.

    Wang Ben slightly had the upper hand. Furthermore, his Fist of the Racing Tiger was technically more than enough to subdue Wang Tong. But even though Wang Tong was ced in a disadvantageous situation, his attacks were still effective and that strange looking Thunder Punch of his was still able to withstand Fist of the Racing Tiger¡¯s ferocious impacts.

    After parrying four of Wang Ben¡¯s heavy punches, Wang Tong saw an opening and immediately threw a punch towards Wang Ben¡¯s chest. But it was somehow ineffective, and the impact was absorbed by Wang Ben¡¯s body in the end. Later on, Wang Ben countered by throwing another powerful punch towards Wang Tong.

    Wham¡­

    Both fighters were separated by the impact from the punch. Not only forceful attacks like these were fairly exhausting, fighters could also be seriously injured. Unlike a stage performance, their fight had be a bloody and brutal brawl.

    Wang Ben was not interested in giving u. He understood clearly that he would never be able to defeat Wang Tong with only the normal Fist of the Racing Tiger. He would have to unleash his killing move if he wanted to win. Then, Wang Ben lowered his body and oveid his palms onto each other, mimicking the movement of a tiger!

 Chapter 197: M...Monster!

    Chapter 197: M...Monster!

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Did you notice that Wang Ben¡¯s battle rhythm focused on charging attacks?" Cisco asked suddenly.

    "Indeed, it seems like he isn¡¯t confident in winning at all." Terrance nodded as he acknowledged the pressure within. Honestly, both him and Cisco were strong, but definitely not stronger than Wang Ben. It would put him in a troublesome situation if Wang Ben lost in the end, not to mention it would be an inglorious victory for Terrance if both Wang Ben and Wang Tong were severely injured after their fight, and it would never feel right.

    "Terrance, how does Wang Tong¡¯s weird punching technique be able to stand against Fist of the Racing TIger?" Wally was amazed by what he saw.

    "Perhaps it is due to the way he utilizes GN Force. Normally, people would focus their GN Force around their fists during battles to enhance the effectiveness of the attacks. Fist of the Racing TIger is powerful because it has a different way of distributing GN Force to maximize its damages. As for Wang Tong¡¯s mysterious Thunder Punch, judging from the unusual rumbling sound, I think it also had a different way of distributing GN Force."

    Terrance closely observed every detail and changes in the ring. If Wang Ben lost, he would have to fight next, and he had to make sure that there were no mistakes on his turn.

    Wang Ben charged towards Wang Tong once again. However, his pacing changed this time. Normally, Wang Ben¡¯s pacing was simple and straightforward in order to match his Fist of the Racing Tiger. But this time, Wang Ben was seen utilizing Dash of the Tiger created by General Hu Ben!

    Back then, Wang Ben had no choice but to take straightforward steps because he wasn¡¯t powerful enough to master everything. Yet, as soon as he was promoted to a Level Five Fighter, he immediately began to master the essence of Dash of the Tiger.

    Everyone knew that martial arts were all about bnce. Since the weakness of punch-style fighters was their lower torso, hence they would have to practice matching pacing as well in order to maintain the strength of their tactics and also protect themselves. As for Wang Ben, he had significantly increased the power of his tactics by unleashing Dash of the Tiger!

    Wang Tong immediately focused. He wasn¡¯t going to charge recklessly towards Wang Ben who hadbined Fist of the Racing Tiger with Dash of the Tiger, enabling him to drastically improve his aim and timing. Somehow, this was more intimidating than the power of a Level Five Fighter.

    As Wang Ben was boosted by Dash of the Tiger, he hadpletely turned into pressuring attack mode, giving Wang Tong a hard time to defend against the true strength of Fist of the Racing Tiger. Wang Ben managed to throw out two punches in a sh, and Wang Tong instantly felt the pain, while his body was shaking after defending against it. Somehow, the impact managed to prate his defense even though Wang Tong had sessfully blocked the punches.

    Noticing he had nullified Wang Tong¡¯s defense, Wang Ben aimed at Wang Tong¡¯s shoulder and unleashed Leap of the Tiger, sending him flying across the arena.

    It was an intense takedown.

    Every student of Capth cheered aloud with their thunderous apuse. This match had definitely proven Wang Ben¡¯s status as an elite in Capth. Everyone acknowledged that he should be the true No.1 amongst first graders.

    "Halmond, send a letter to General Hu Ben after this to thank him for raising such an incredible son."

    "Yes, sir," Halmond replied politely.

    It seemed like the principal was very pleased with Wang Ben. No wonder he was so supportive towards the Golden Hawk Union. Obviously, this newly risen political and military force would be able to strengthen Earth Confederation. However, there was nothing much they can do for now because House of Ma and House of Li were still the main foundation of Earth Confederation. The only thing rk could do was to recruit new and strong blood, not to mention Wang Ben¡¯s status was different from the others.

    One¡¯s personality would bepletely reflected in his or her battling methods. Basically, rk could tell that Wang Ben was an obedient yet clear-minded kid based on the information when he entered Capth, his past performances in Ayrng, and also the incident on Paradise Ind; which was why rk liked him very much.

    Obstinate kids like him had be lesser in recent years.

    "Get up!" Commanded Wang Ben. He didn¡¯t want this fight to end so soon!

    Wang Tong gathered himself and got up slowly. Wang Tong would be able to defeat Wang Ben for sure if he were just using regr Fist of the Racing Tiger. However, things had changed as he added in Dash of the Tiger. Clearly, these tactics were not something to be taken lightly. After all, they were known as one of Earth Confederation¡¯s greatest tactics.

    Wang Tong was left with two choices, the first one was to expose his two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de in public. Even though it was hard to be noticed, but things would really get messy if someone were able to notice that, which was why he dared not to use it here. He wouldn¡¯t care much if he were still his old-self, but times had changed, and he had a lot of secrets to keep. He also had to cover for Old Fart, just in case he was actually a Level-S fugitive.

    As mentioned by Massa, he would eventually have to take those off someday, even though he still wished to wear them a bit longer.

    As soon as Wang Tong scanned his thumbprint, those maic cuffs he had been wearing since the special training came off and fell hard onto the ground.

    Students of Capth were very familiar with maic cuffs; those were, in fact, military grade insane training devices. The people of Capth were stunned and silenced as soon as Wang Tong removed his restrains.

    A while ago, Principal Halmond was very confident that they were going to win in no time. Yet, his face immediately turned green after this jaw-dropping scene urred¡­ Was Wang Tong actually a monster?

    Principal rk was surprised as well. He hadn¡¯t seen such surprise in many years, then he turned towards Samantha and smiled from the bottom of his heart. He was very pleased that Samantha was indeed fully prepared for this day. rk had to admit that she did very well this time.

    Samantha was able to notice the envious and suspicious res from the crowd, but it didn¡¯t bother her. All of a sudden, she hadpletely forgotten about those politics and ambitions of hers, as Wang Tong¡¯s manliness had melted her heart. It was an indescribably sweet sensation indeed.

    Finally, everyone understood why Wang Ben chose to go mainly offensive. It was outrageous to see a fighter with two sets of maic cuffs was able to withstand the ferocious attacks of a Level Five Fighter.

    What a monster!

    "Don¡¯t tell me you were trying to defeat me while wearing them." Wang Ben gave Wang Tong a cold re as he said that in his stone-cold voice.

    Wang Tong rxed his wrists and feet. His body felt weird after removing those restrains, and it seemed like a great idea to try out his improvements on Wang Ben. As soon as a person got used to the strength of those maic cuffs, their effectiveness would gradually decrease. Noticing that he had often forgotten about those restrains on his arms and legs, Wang Tong realized that it was time for him to take them off.

    Wang Tong knew that as soon as he released those cuffs, his strength and speed would be significantly boosted; it would literally give him wings.

    Wang Tong smiled and replied, "Well then, here Ie!"

    The figure of his body disappeared the moment he finished his sentence¡­ What an incredible speed!

    Wang Tong dashed towards Wang Ben in a blink of an eye, and Wang Ben threw out a punch with his instinct. However, it missed Wang Tong due to his incredible speed. As soon as he got behind Wang Ben, Wang Tong unleashed his dynamic Thunder Punch towards Wang Ben¡¯s back.

    With no room to counter, Wang Ben was knocked away by the forceful attack.

    What a monstrous speed!

    Even Apache, who was proud of his speed, got startled by what he had witnessed. That was insanely fast! He would have already lost if he were to fight against an opponent with such a speed.

    Wang Ben stood up, then adjusted his breathing and unleashed a thunderous roar. He charged towards Wang Tong with his Dash of the Tiger and thrust his Fist of the Racing Tiger¡­ but it missed!

    Wang Tong managed to dodge it with his amazing speed. He angled his nimble body, then threw out another punch towards Wang Ben!

    Wang Ben took another hit, his speed no match against Wang Tong¡¯s! Aside from his speed, Wang Tong¡¯s strength had also increased a lot. The punch had caused Wang Ben to cough out blood.

    The crowd watched in silence, and the people of Capth were never this nervous before.

    Wang Tong stood still and hoped that Wang Ben would give up. He had no intentions to harm a friend. In fact, he had been holding back, knowing that Wang Ben could¡¯ve been killed if he went full force.

    However, Wang Ben didn¡¯t surrender. He got up and wiped off his blood, then charged towards Wang Tong once again like a beast. But obviously, he wasn¡¯t able to hit Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong had no choice but to throw another Thunder Punch towards Wang Ben. This time, it got him on his underbelly and shattered his defense. Unable to control his body, Wang Ben was sted off by the impact and hit hard on the ground.

    Wang Tong knew the pain would be unbearable if a person were hit at the underbelly by a strong impact, and he wished Wang Ben would surrender this time. Even though it was a strong punch, Wang Tong didn¡¯t inflict any damage to his bones.

    After coughing out a pool of blood, Wang Ben held together and got up.

    "Sir, this is..." Halmond seemed worried. He had no idea why would Wang Ben insist on getting up.

    rk waved his hand and stopped Halmond from interrupting. Halmond had no choice but to stand back.

    Soldiers were meant to get injured, not to mention the number of brawls like this had decreasedtely throughout the academies. Back then, battles amongst academies used to be bloody and gory, and students were used to getting hurt. Yet, those fights had be entertainment somehow ever since the emergence of TPA.

    Fights without injuries were not the real deal! After all, it was all about blood and gore!

    Soldiers and fighters were meant to be bloodthirsty.

    Wang Ben stared at Wang Tong straight in the eyes, and once again dashed across and unleashed his Descent of the Tiger!

    Wham¡­

    It was followed by another forceful punch. People began to wonder if he were in fact immortal¡­

    Bam¡­

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, he grabbed Wang Ben by his fists and took a few steps back, followed by a strong thrust with his knee towards Wang Ben¡¯s abdomen. With Wang Ben¡¯s fists still in his hands, Wang Tong tilted his body and finished off with a grappling toss! Wang Ben was thrown hard towards the ground.

    His attacks were practically useless now.

    Everyone remained silent. This was not the Capth they used to know anymore.

    Candidates of Battlecraft Combat were stunned as well. They couldn¡¯t believe that he was the guy who had defeated Bisu and sh a while ago! Most importantly, wasn¡¯t Wang Tong the main candidate of Battlecraft Combat?

    The crowd wasn¡¯t expecting Wang Ben to get up, yet he managed to stand up even though the impact had caused his body to stagger. However, his vision was blurry, and didn¡¯t even have the strength to wipe off his bloodied mouth.

    Unlike fights in the virtual space, injuries hurt in real battles. Normal, students could¡¯ve been dead already if they were hit like this continuously.

    Wang Ben had no reasons to continue fighting as he had already proven his capability in this match. There was no reason for him to fight the insane monster who had been wearing two sets of maic cuffs.

    Students of Ayrng said nothing as well. Obviously, Wang Ben was not fighting for the sake of Capth, as he wasn¡¯t someone who would care much about glory. However, they couldn¡¯t help wondering why Wang Ben wanted to carry on fighting.

 Chapter 198: Brothers

    Chapter 198: Brothers

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Did Wang Ben really hate Wang Tong that much?

    How full of hate was he that he would want to put his life at stake?

    Wang Ben said nothing as he took a deep breath. Judging from the flow of his Soul Energy and GN Force, he was definitely getting ready for another attack! More importantly, Wang Ben¡¯s Soul Energy had exceeded two hundred and thirty sols even though he was staggering due to Wang Tong¡¯s attacks. His persistence was scary indeed!

    Wang Tong became solemn all of a sudden as he noticed Wang Ben¡¯s tiger-ish aura getting clearer. Instead of bing weaker, Wang Ben¡¯s energy would be stronger when he was injured, and it would be more terrifying than his normal state. Wang Tong was clear that he had to proceed with caution.

    Wang Tong began to channel his GN Force as well. Even though he was still unable to advance as a Level Five Fighter after removing those maic cuffs, Wang Tong was blessed with significant improvements in terms of speed and strength, and it seemed like Massa¡¯s theory was right after all. GN Force wasn¡¯tpletely based on one¡¯s Soul Energy. In fact, Tactics of the de was the earliest proof of this theory.

    Wang Tong¡¯s fists began to glow as his GN Force umted. The faint sound of thunder was immediately followed by surges of faint blue sparks.

    No one had ever seen such a punching technique before!

    Wang Tong decided not to hold back anymore, he would put an end to Wang Ben¡¯s persistence!

    As soon as they umted enough strength, both fighters charged towards each other in a burst of speed; it was the final showdown between Dash of the Tiger and Squib Dash!

    Wrahhhhhh¡­!

    Hhaaa¡­..!

    Flight of the Tiger!

    Thunderbeast Strike!

    Whamm¡­

    Waves of energy dispersed across the arena. Wang Tong¡¯s Thunderbeast Strike had sessfully prated Wang Ben¡¯s GN Force. In fact, his Thunder Punch was based on the theory of GN Force dispersal. Even Fist of the Racing Tiger was no match for it. Since Wang Ben¡¯s attack was nullified, he was forced to take the recoil damages!

    Both fighters remained still as the energy wave diminished.

    Wang Tong¡¯s fist was one centimeter away from Wang Ben¡¯s chest. If that hit, Wang Ben would definitely be severely injured. However, Wang Tong took the risk of injuring himself instead and held back the immense force from his fist. His face turned pale because of that.

    "Why, why did you stop?!" Wang Tong asked angrily. He hated himself for betraying a friend and hated his previous identity as a spy. Yet, it couldn¡¯t be helped. He was acting persistent in this match because he was hoping to be killed. At least that would lessen the suffering and regret in his heart.

    "My brother." Wang Tong grabbed hold of Wang Ben, who was on the edge of fainting.

    It couldn¡¯t be seen or exined, but that was the real trust between brothers!

    Paramedics came in and carried Wang Ben away. Although he wasn¡¯t hit by Wang Tong¡¯s immense force, he would still have a hard time to deal with the recoil damages from Fist of the Racing Tiger. As he was carried away, Wang Ben was seen clenching his teeth as he covered his eyes with his palms, and tears streamed down his face¡­

    Wang Tong adjusted his breathing. His face was still quite pale. However, nothing would be able to stop him now. He looked across and yelled, "Who¡¯s next?!"

    Apparently, Wang Tong was the only challenger in the recent decade that had the guts to be so arrogant!

    His yell echoed across the arena, and he was standing tall in the middle of the ring, waiting for the next opponent!

    Carl and the rest of the team were very impatient, demanding Capth to send out their next candidate as soon as possible.

    In the end, Terrance got up as he noticed that he was thest avable candidate in his team. Obviously, there was no escape to fight. However, he noticed that Wang Tong had suffered a great deal of recoil damage after withdrawing hisst punch.

    To be honest, he really didn¡¯t want to take the advantage when his opponent was injured, but it couldn¡¯t be helped because he came in as a representative of Capth and not himself.

    Instead of switching back to TPA, this match would be another real brawl as well!

    Terrance took off his uniform and made his way to the middle of the ring. There was no time to stop!

    Meanwhile, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru had returned from their absence, and it seemed like their "match" had ended as well. None of the girls were injured, and they looked normal. As usual, those who practiced Tactics of the Enchantress were skilled in controlling their facial expression, which was why no one could tell who had won in their own battle.

    Originally, Li Ruo-Er wasn¡¯t intimidated by Wang Tong at all. But somehow, she began to feel the pressure after witnessing his previous performance. Obviously, Wang Tong was no match for her older brother, but as she noticed his manliness and unruliness, Li Ruo-Er began to understand why Ma Xiaoru was attracted to him. And to be honest, the boy was fairly attractive indeed!

    Even though she couldn¡¯t hear the conversation between Wang Ben and Wang Tong, she could tell what were they talking because she was also a lip reader. Li Ruo-Er¡¯s expression turned solemn as she noticed how focused Ma Xiaoru was.

    The current standing between Capth and the Alliance was 3:2. Momentster, one of the staff members was seen whispering something to Halmond, and the standings was immediately changed to 3:3. In other words, Ma Xiaoru was the winner in her previous fight with Li Ruo-Er!

    The crowd was startled as they turned towards thedies, yet Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru remained calm and unaffected by their uproars. Nevertheless, no one asked why they didn¡¯t fight in this arena due to the unique statuses of both thedies; even rk chose not to interfere as long as they didn¡¯t break any rules. Anyhow, this was only a small matter. People couldn¡¯t do anything about it except ming themselves for missing the chance to see their fight.

    Ma Xiaoru looked towards Li Ruo-Er in surprise. She didn¡¯t know why Li Ruo-Er would do that, because there was apparently no winner in their fight a moment ago. Even though Wang Tong managed to help Ma Xiaoru push her Tactics of the Enchantress to the next level, she was still unable to defeat her and only managed to end their fight with a draw. Ma Xiaoru had fulfilled her objective of diminishing Wang Tong¡¯s burden, but she didn¡¯t expect that Li Ruo-Er would give her team such a huge "present", which was awesome because she could tell that Wang Tong¡¯s body would only be able tost another match. Anyhow, Ma Xiaoru looked towards Li Ruo-Er with a thankful expression, and Li Ruo-Er returned her gratitude with a warm smile,pletely different from her previous attitude.

    After checking how his body was holding up, Wang Tong knew that he would have to end this as soon as possible. Forcing himself to withdraw the punch had caused him to suffer a great deal of recoil damage even though he had enough protection with his cinnabar field. Now that Terrance had be Capth¡¯s No.1 amongst second graders, he was not someone to be underestimated. Hence, Wang Tong would have to act with extreme caution.

    Terrance picked sword as his weapon. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t going to hold back.

    As a matter of fact, having a weapon or not didn¡¯t make a big difference for most elite fighters, all that mattered was one¡¯s capabilities. Nevertheless, not only having the right weapon could enhance a fighter¡¯s battle performance, but it would also give the fighter a handful of advantages. Terrance had no time to consider what people might think about him. He had to win this match in order to secure Capth¡¯s final victory.

    Judging from Wang Tong¡¯s facial expression, Terrance could tell that Wang Tong had suffered plenty of recoil damage. But despite Wang Tong¡¯s internal injury, Terrance was still cautious against his speed and that mysterious punching technique. Honestly, the best way to win was to drag the match as long as possible. But as Capth¡¯s No.1 amongst second graders, Terrance would never conduct such dishonorable actions.

    Being the strongest fighter of his grade, he had to have the self-confidence in order to carry on improving.

    Terrance gathered himself and began to focus, telling himself that this was just a friendly tournament for self-improvement!

    Wang Tong remembered Hu Yangxuan tell him before that most of the Temr¡¯s followers preferred to use swords and sabers. He was also aware that Terrance was sort of like Hu Yangxuan¡¯s senior, and this guy was fairly well-trained under the guidance of Capth. Hence, Wang Tong would have to act fast, as remaining entangled for too long would only worsen the condition of his injuries.

    Fortunately, Terrance would be thest fighter for today, or else, Wang Tong would have no choice but to unleash his two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de in order to carry on. After all, he was only an ordinary boy, and his body was not made of steel.

    Terrance would be his final opponent for this afternoon!

    Wang Tong and Samantha¡¯s eyes met as he gazed across the arena. For the first time, Wang Tong was able to feel the care and passion of ady for a guy, and all of a sudden, he felt that a tide of energy was rushing through his body.

    Old Fart was right after all, women were really the stimnts of men.

    The final match, Wang Tong versus Terrance.

    Terrance¡¯s Soul Energy had exceeded one hundred and ny sols in a sh. However, it was still far from bing a Level Five Fighter, not to mention it would be absolutely insane if an academy were able to obtain three Level Five Fighters in a row. On normal asions, Capth would already be celebrating the outstanding achievements of both Cisco and Wang Ben already. Yet, no one was feeling the joy after witnessing the asses of those two powerful fighters get kicked by some dude who came out of nowhere. Honestly, people of Capth were extremely depressed today, like they were from an A-Ranked academy and their opponents were from an S-Ranked academy instead.

    The match had begun, and although he was the No.1 fighter in Capth, Terrance proceeded with caution as he was facing against the one who had already knocked out two Level Five Fighters. He chose sword as his weapon in order to avoid direct contact with Wang Tong¡¯s Thunder Punch. It seemed like Terrance was well aware that Wang Tong¡¯s punching techniques were extremely deadly.

    Wang Tong wasted no time and charged towards Terrance as soon as the match began. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible because his condition was getting worse. He could feel the surges of pain radiating from within his body as the thunderous sound from his fists rumbled across the arena.

    Nevertheless, Terrance was also well aware of Wang Tong¡¯s physical condition. He chose to remain as still as possible; he was quick, but he had no intention ofpeting against Wang Tong in terms of speed.

    Somehow, Terrance had focused all of his strength into dodging Wang Tong¡¯s Thunder Punches, and managed to parry one of Wang Tong¡¯s punch from the side. The impact from Wang Tong¡¯s punch knocked Terrance away for seven to eight meters, yet it was still a perfect defense.

    Terrance¡¯s GN Force was slightly weaker than Wang Ben¡¯s. However, he was more detailed, cautious and experienced than Wang Ben. Although Wang Tong had the upper hand in terms of speed, Terrance was still able to react to most of his actions, and the key was to remain as calm as possible!

 Chapter 199: Rise to Fame

    Chapter 199: Rise to Fame

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Ben had failed to remain calm and totally submerged into the extreme state of madness while fighting against Wang Tong. Thus, he wasn¡¯t able to bepletely focus on what was going on and got KO-ed in the end by Wang Tong¡¯s extreme speed. Yet, Terrance was different. During his days in Court of the Temr, he was taught to remain focused and calm even when facing off opponents¡¯ extreme speed and rapid attacks.

    Without a doubt Wang Tong¡¯s Thunder Punch was insanely strong. However, the thunderous sound from his fists had given away his position, leaving Wang Tong no choice but to throw out another attack. The more strength Wang Tong mustered, the worse his cirction of tactics of the de would be.

    Although Tactics of the des were able to discharge the impact from outer attacks spontaneously, it was bitterly slow in terms of discharging recoil damages. Nevertheless, Wang Tong didn¡¯tin about it because he made that choice himself.

    Old Fart might be a jerk, but there was one thing that he was absolutely right about: a man should never regret his own decisions.

    Before this, Terrance was hoping to fight Wang Tong in a proper manner. But as the fight proceeded, his fighter instinct was telling him to pick the most effective battling method because Wang Tong had given him too much pressure. Only Wang Ben would choose to fight this monstrous guy like a normal person.

    Despite the intense pressure, Terrance was still able to read Wang Tong¡¯s thoughts. Obviously, his opponent was gradually reaching his own physical limit; the only thing he needed to do was to wait. It might sound filthy, but that was what real battles looked like. Terrance remained calm and held on tight to his strategy of exhausting Wang Tong, and his splendid defense forced Wang Tong to keep on attacking.

    Actions that consumed GN Force would rapidly worsen one¡¯s internal energy. Eventually, the fighter would be sluggish and weak when his or her body reached its limit.

    Wang Tong began to feel the symptoms. Clearly, he was too hasty and forgot that Terrance was also a steady expert in fighting. Wang Tong¡¯s intense utilization of GN Force had caused huge troubles to his inner cirction, and things would get worse if he carried on, not to mention it wasn¡¯t easy for a person to recover from internal injuries.

    Wang Tong could tell that he was gradually bing sluggish after Terrance defended against two of his punches. It seemed like Terrance was also an expert in timing, judging from the way he unleashed a few strikes to test him upon realizing that Wang Tong¡¯s strength was getting weaker. As an ace fighter who was trained and educated by Court of the Temr and Capth, Terrance had been demonstrating an exceptionally steady performance so far.

    Wang Tong was left with no choice but to exhaust him by attacking continuously. In the end, Terrance had obtained the upper hand in this fight. If it weren¡¯t because of Wang Tong¡¯s mysterious Thunder Punch, Terrance would¡¯ve charged already. Nevertheless, he was still remaining calm, and decided to fully take control of the situation before dealing the knockout strike.

    Carl and the others seemed nervous as they realized things weren¡¯t looking good, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since the candidate of Capth didn¡¯t conduct any foul y in securing the upper hand.

    Wang Tong immediately felt an intense pain as soon as he was hit by Terrance¡¯s palm strike. Fortunately, he had good endurance and managed to shake it off. Wang Tong had been observing while engaging in the battle. He had toe up with something to defeat a steady fighter like Terrance as soon as possible. However, it would be difficult to find a loophole in his movements.

    As soon as Terrance had the battle under control, he flung his sword and unleashed one of Court of Temr¡¯s sword strike technique ¡ª the Multi-Edge sh!

    Rounds of GN Force came shing towards Wang Tong like a hurricane, forcing him to dodge by moving constantly. Even though his speed had decreased dramatically, knowing that he would soon reach his own limit, Wang Tong took the risk to try out another counterattack.

    Wang Tong clenched his teeth and infused his fists with GN Force, then charged straight towards Terrance with a thunderous roar!

    Everyone wondered if he were trying to go for a suicidal final attack.

    Yet, based on Terrance¡¯s observance about Wang Tong¡¯s Thunder Punch, that movement seemed more like a struggling attack! Hence, instead of retreating and giving Wang Tong a chance to counter, Terrance infused his GN Force around his sword and dashed towards Wang Tong. He was confident that his sword would reach Wang Tong first before Wang Tong¡¯s Thunder Punch could reach him!

    Without any opportunity to avoid, Terrance¡¯s sword pierced through Wang Tong¡¯s right shoulder, but at the same time, this had also narrowed down the distance between both fighters. All of a sudden Terrance noticed that he had entered Wang Tong¡¯s strike zone and retreated backward immediately; he would never take the risk of getting hit by Wang Tong.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong faked a smile. To be honest he was already too sluggish to fling out a big punch due to the overuse of GN Force. However, it seemed like his n had worked. Wang Tong then pulled out the sword on his right shoulder. Although he would not be able to move his right arm anymore, but he did sessfully snatch Terrance¡¯s sword and nullified his GN Force.

    As he held onto thefortable grip of Terrance¡¯s sword, Wang Tong knew that now was the time to end this.

    Terrance couldn¡¯t believe that Wang Tong would use such bold and deadly methods just to take away his sword!

    None of the students had ever expected that Wang Tong would be this crazy. His unpredictable actions had scared the crap out of many students. However, losing his sword wasn¡¯t a really big deal to Terrance. Moreover, Wang Tong¡¯s injury had worsened and his vitality had definitely gotten weaker.

    Wang Tong swallowed his bloody saliva, realizing that the harmonious life on Earth had caused his body to be weaker. Back then, this kind of injury was nothing to him. Anyway, it was time to put this to an end.

    As Wang Tong gradually infused the sword with GN Force, he couldn¡¯t help but notice how good the sword was, since it was able to sustain his GN Force without any problem.

    Terrance was shocked and his pupils contracted all of a sudden as he noticed the tip of his sword vibrating while it was sustaining Wang Tong¡¯s GN Force¡­

    Wang Tong held the sword in his hand and charged towards Terrance like a projected arrow. Terrance saw Wang Tong was approaching and immediately stepped back while infusing his body with GN Force; he was confident that he would be able to dodge it!

    Terrance¡¯s body was approximately one centimeter away from the tip of the sword in Wang Tong¡¯s hand. However, Terrance¡¯s face instantly turned green as he felt a chilly sensation around his abdomen¡­ Could it be the aura from a sword strike?

    "Damn!", Terrance couldn¡¯t help cursing. This was definitely his worst day in life. As soon as he said that, Wang Tong unleashed his final attack byunching a kick towards Terrance¡¯s chest.

    Wham..

    Blood sttered across as Wang Tong¡¯s kick sent Terrance flying to the other corner of the arena and crashnded right onto the wall. Terrance¡¯s abdomen was already dyed red by his own blood.

    The referee immediately stopped the match to avoid any fatality, while the paramedics who were already standing by rushed towards Terrance immediately.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong felt a weird dizziness while he was telling himself not to act like a daredevil next time.

    Thud¡­

    Wang Tong copsed; this was his first time he was feeling happy to faint.

    Carl and the rest of the team rushed towards Wang Tong, but were stopped by the staff members. Later on, both Wang Tong and Terrance were carried away by the medics.

    "Haha, what a bold and intelligent fighter! Congrattions Principal Samantha, you¡¯ve recruited a marvelous genius!" rk stood up and continued, "Excuse me as my old body needs to take a break. I¡¯ll leave the guests to your care then, Halmond."

    "Yes, sir."

    Everyone stood up as they saw rk get up from his seat. Meanwhile, the monitor began to make an announcement about Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance¡¯s final victory. Aside from that, there was also an announcement regarding Wang Tong and Terrance¡¯s conditions. Apparently, their injuries were under control and was being treated by the medical team.

    Carl and a few other guys immediately jumped around like monkeys, while some of the girls were busy crying. This had been their toughest journey, and no one had ever dreamt about winning. Yet, their dream had finallye true!

    An ordinary kid named Wang Tong had risen to fame in a single day. He would be remembered as the savior who made a hugeeback and single-handedly crushed the almighty Capth!

    His level of strength was unimaginable indeed!

    On the other hand, everyone from Capth was extremely depressed. No one was ready for an overwhelming defeat. A moment ago, they were still widely known as the unrivaled Capth. Yet, their undefeatable record was shattered by a boy who no one had ever heard of; it was a bitter feeling indeed.

    In short, Wang Tong had prepared an extraordinary present for Capth to "celebrate" their Founding Ceremony.

    Despite feeling depressed, Halmond gathered himself and hosted the closing ceremony of this tournament. This was the first time he had to deliver a closing speech as a loser, and that feeling sucked.

    Samantha held onto her excitement and delivered a speech to thank Capth for hosting this wonderful tournament. Aside from that, she also praised her students for their extraordinary efforts at the end of her speech. In fact, she had always been extremely generous in praising her own students.

    It might have sounded a little arrogant, but it wasn¡¯t at all since they were the only team amongst A-Ranked academies that managed to defeat Capth. Furthermore, the performances of every candidate in all matches had been very impressive indeed.

    "Did you see hisst attack? Was it really the aura from a sword strike?"

    "I have no idea. In fact, I¡¯ve never heard of any Level Four Fighter who was able to do that."

    "If the sh was deeper, it would¡¯ve dealt serious damages to his internal organs."

    "So, you were saying that he had been controlling his strength?"

    "I think it was just a coincidence, or it was because he hadn¡¯tpletely mastered the technique. After all, no one would be so considerable in such situations."

    "Anyway, today was truly embarrassing. Let¡¯s just wait for tomorrow¡¯s announcements."

    "Yea, worst defeat ever."

    A few of the paramedics were seen chatting about what happened after checking on Wang Tong¡¯s condition. They noticed that he was extremely well-built and his vitality was amazing, even though his Soul Energy was just slightly above average. To be honest, the medical team of Capth had treated numerous elite fighters like Wang Tong, and there was really nothing unusual about his body. However, they were truly surprised by his amazing vitality, yet there were not much medical researches regarding vitality, since it depended on the activeness of the cells in a person¡¯s body.

    Ancient medical manuscript of the Orientals had always been emphasizing on the theory of blood and Qi cirction. It saw life as a form of energy force, yet people had abandoned such theory in the era which was ruled by Soul Energy.

    Wang Tong had fallen into a deep meditation state, yet, his body was able to initialize Tactics of the de even though he was unconscious. This auto-initialization would be able to speed up his recovery. Nevertheless, a person would be left in a paralyzed state in such a condition and would not be able to move even a muscle. Somehow, it felt like submerging into a nightmare. Perhaps one would be able to wake up from it if the person mustered enough strength to open his or her eyes, but based on Wang Tong¡¯s condition, it would still require some time for him to wake up.

    Most of the time, Wang Tong practiced tactics of the de with trial and error, and sometimes, he would even have to make some bold decisions. Fortunately, he had been practicing sixteen nodes Tactics of the de since he was younger, which was able to provide enough protection and prevented him from going berserk from time to time.

 Chapter 200: Mystical Orb of Light

    Chapter 200: Mystical Orb of Light

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Things didn¡¯t look good. Although the auto-regeneration ability of Wang Tong¡¯s Tactics of the de was exceptionally strong, the damages caused by his own body had gotten worse. In fact, most of the superior tactics had to be passed down by mentors because they that had greater Genome Nuclear Sources, and were known to be moreplicated and contained higher risks. Mentors would be able to aid the proteges by sharing their energy force if anything happened, which also exined why most of those aces and elites were born in big families. Even though countless decent fighters had emerged throughout generations and there were also a great deal of truly talented ones, yet most of those people would choose a wrong path in the end and some would even stop improving; some even lost their minds after going berserk. In the end, the remaining small amount of people were the only ones who thrived.

    "Hey, he¡¯s not doing good! Vitality is dropping!"

    "Hurry up and put him into the T-33 XMD Capsule."

    "Yes, doc!"

    "What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t he doing fine just a while ago?"

    "I have no clue, it¡¯s definitely strange because even Terrance, who suffered more severe damages, is doing fine already."

    "Could it be there is something wrong with his tactics?"

    A few doctors immediately went to check on Wang Tong. Apparently, his Soul Energy and body condition wasn¡¯t very stable, and even the doctors had never seen something like this before.

    Wang Tong was then ced into a medical capsule, his body still shaking and trembling.

    In his fuzzy state of consciousness, Wang Tong could tell that his body was gradually losing control, and he could feel that something within his body was about to burst. But he was too weak to do anything about it. All of a sudden, Wang Tong saw a golden shimmering light glowing in his EMF, and the light got bigger and bigger. As soon as the orb of light became as big as his fist, it began to move around Wang Tong¡¯s body, and he could feel that he was regaining his senses as the orb of light passed through every part of his body. In the end, he gave up struggling and followed the golden orb of light. His body was instantly filled with a warm sensation¡­

    Samantha consulted the doctor about Wang Tong¡¯s current condition, but even the doctor had no exnation for it. Luckily the medical team was able to get to him in time before Wang Tong¡¯s critical condition escted. The doctor told Samantha that Wang Tong¡¯s condition had returned to normal and everything was under control. Hence, he should be waking up in no time.

    Samantha was immediately relieved after hearing the doctor¡¯s exnation. Samantha then turned towards Wang Tong¡¯s capsule, her heart filled with a warm sensation as she knew that Wang Tong had risked his life for her ambition. Even she felt a sharp pain in her heart when she witnessed Wang Tong getting stabbed by Terrance back then.

    She wasn¡¯t able to keep her cool anymore; her heart waspletely filled with Wang Tong.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru, Zhou Sisi, Carl and a few other teammates were anxiously waiting outside the ward, and were finally relieved after knowing that Wang Tong was fine. On the other hand, the whole Ayrng was filled with cheers and tears when the rest of the students received the news about their victory against Capth. No one had expected this could happen.

    "Rx kids, he¡¯s gonna be fine! You¡¯re free to enjoy the rest of the evening in Capth." Samantha smiled and said to her students. Nevertheless, she would be staying to take care of the rest of the procedures.

    As soon as her students left the ward, Samantha silently stared at Wang Tong, who was still lying in the capsule. She gently ced her hand on the ss and said, "Get well soon. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to fulfill the promise between us."

    Samantha instantly blushed and was embarrassed of what she said¡­ and as soon as she said that, a couple of air bubbles gushed out from Wang Tong¡¯s mouth. Samantha shook her head and wondered if Wang Tong was actually trying to talk to her.

    "Hurry up you little perv. I¡¯m not gonna wait for too long, you hear me?"

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was still following the golden light orb in a mystical journey of power discovery. The light orb was warm, and it released a pleasant and wonderful vibe. As Wang Tong¡¯s Tactics of the des slowly recovered, he noticed that the inner cirction of his Soul Energy was also letting out a dim golden glow.

    Ma Xiaoru came in after Samantha left Wang Tong¡¯s room, her feelingsplicated as she saw Samantha walk away. Although her fight with Li Ruo-Er ended up in a draw, yet Ma Xiaoru knew that it was because Li Ruo-Er had been holding back. Due to certain circumstances, Ma Xiaoru had to keep her distance with the House of Li for the sake of the rtionship of both Houses with Earth Confederation. Without a doubt, Li Shimin was a perfect guy. However, Ma Xiaoru had no feelings for him at all.

    People might ask why so, yet Ma Xiaoru wouldn¡¯t bother exining because this was how she felt. If she had to find a reason, she would say it was because Li Shimin felt unrealistic and she found Wang Tong more attractive because he was ambitious and faithful, even though he might look like a fool or a jerk from time to time. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help falling for him.

    After overhearing Samantha¡¯s words to Wang Tong, only then Ma Xiaoru found out that Samantha really had feelings for Wang Tong, and Wang Tong fancied Samantha as well.

    Somehow, Ma Xiaoru was deeply saddened, because Samantha was the only one that she didn¡¯t want topete with. As Ma Xiaoru stood in silence and gazed at Wang Tong, she couldn¡¯t help develop a strong feeling for him, so close yet so far.

    Perhaps, it was time for her to move on.

    After a while, Ma Xiaoru left with a solemn expression¡­

    Minutes after Ma Xiaoru left the room, Zhou Sisi came in and stared at Wang Tong through the ss window. Then, she gently knocked on the window and said, "Wang Tong you jerk, I can¡¯t believe that you would be bold enough to hit on our principal. Honestly, I think Xiaoru suits you better¡­ Sigh, what the hell am I saying. Get well soon my dear mentor, I¡¯ll be praying for you!"

    Zhou Sisi developed aplicated feeling as she stared at Wang Tong, the "Sleeping Beauty". She felt like she would never be able topete against Samantha and Ma Xiaoru, but at least she would be able to see Wang Tong as her close friend. Perhaps she really did fancy him, but she knew it wasn¡¯t romance.

    After making sure that no one was around, Zhou Sisi gave Wang Tong a gentle kiss through the window and then bolted out the room like a child who did something wrong.

    Momentster, another figure cameughing gently as he walked in, "Haha, yo Mr. Casanova, how¡¯s it feeling to have so many visitors? Hmm, if so many prettydies would care about me, I wouldn¡¯t mind taking your ce, you know? Anyway, get well soon buddy, everyone¡¯s waiting for you to return as their hero." Hu Yangxuan said as he gently knocked on his capsule.

    Then, Hu Yangxuan grabbed a chair from the corner and sat down right next to Wang Tong¡¯s capsule and said, "Oh by the way, Wang Ben¡¯s alright, but it would take about half a month for him to recover. Both of you idiots are tiring everyone out. However, I could say that you¡¯ve just be a celebrity, and looks like it¡¯s time for me to teach you how to deal with fans. Or else, you¡¯ll be drowned by the screams and cheers of those fangirls out there."

    "To be honest, I think Sisi was right. I also think that Xiaoru is the better one for you. Principal ¡®Mac-Gorgeous¡¯ is a person who has her own dreams to pursue. Instead of love, work is the focus of her life. But Xiaoru is different. Although she is the sessor of FFC, she¡¯s kind, gentle and understanding. She¡¯s definitely the best candidate for a wife, am I right?" Hu Yangxuan continued.

    "Oh, so I¡¯ll take your air-bubbles as a yes then. Coming to think of it, Sisi ain¡¯t that bad either. Oh well, rest assure as I¡¯m not gonna hit on her since she fancied you as well."

    After talking non-stop in the ward, finally a nurse barged in and asked Hu Yangxuan to leave Wang Tong alone. Before he left, Hu Yangxuan even bragged about going to hit on the pretty girls of Capth. If it weren¡¯t because Hu Yangxuan was a handsome young man, the nurse might have kicked his ass already.

    Even Wang Tong would¡¯ve chased him out if he was conscious. Clearly, the young man had forgotten that one had to tone down in the ward.

    Breaking news: Ayrng defeated Capth in the mind-blowing tournament!

    The fantastic Principal Samatha, a gorgeous beauty who created miracles!

    An absolute different founding ceremony for Capth: Ayrng-Bernabeu Alliance¡¯s truly unexpected victory in the Inter-academy tournament.

    Wang Tong: the absolute genius of both Battlecraft Combat and METAL Combat!

    The rise of a new star: Yay or nay?

    Every newspaper throughout Earth Confederation was reporting the same news on the following day. Back then, when Samantha became the principal of Ayrng, most people didn¡¯t give a damn and thought that it was just a game of the rich ones. Some even thought that she was naive.

    Yet, Samantha immediately began to apply her ideas as soon as she took over Ayrng,pletely reshaping its image. In the end, the former top student of Capth managed to create another miracle. Through her leadership, Ayrng, which had been known in recent years as an academy of weaklings, had finally defeated the unrivaled Capth!

    There were immediately hundreds and thousands of good reviews regarding Samantha. As of now, Samantha was no longer the naive girl who everyone had been talking about. She had finally be one of the greatest assets of Earth Confederation, a talented leader with vibrant capabilities in politics.

    Meanwhile, Ayrng had also received a lot of attention from themunity. The academy was approached by numerous enterprises which were willing to sponsor Ayrng and create schrships.

    Being one of Earth¡¯s top ten financial hubs, without a doubt Shangjin contained a handful of multi-million corporations. Yet, none of them had financially supported Ayrng back then because the academy was weak and worthless. However, the academy had once again risen to fame due to Samantha¡¯s administration, and also the tremendous efforts of Ayrng¡¯s new blood. Hence, with this level of fame and publicity, of course the corporations would never let a chance like this slip away from their hands.

    As for the students of Ayrng, this victory had significantly boosted their fighting spirit. They were now willing to work harder in order not to embarrassing themselves as well as the academy.

    Honestly, no one would ever wish to be treated as the underdog. As long as there was a chance to strive and a person to lead them, they would want to be sessful as well.

    The news of defeating Capth was definitely greater than the time Ayrng defeated Bernabeu. All of a sudden, a lot of VIPs in Shangjin began to brag about them being supportive of the new administration of the new principal. Some of them actually stood against Samantha¡¯s new policies at the beginning, saying that her methods were unfair. But now, they switched sides and began to praise that her policies were effective in improving thepetitiveness of fellow students.

    Even Wang Tong began to receive a lot of attention, especially after his excellent performance in Battlecraft Combat. After all, he was the boy genius who had single-handedly crushed sh and Bisu, who were known as Earth Confederation¡¯s strongest duo. As for his performance in METAL Combat, without a doubt his strength was being recognized, but it wasn¡¯t very convincing because the ones he fought were not the strongest fighters of Capth. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t get to fight Li Ruo-Er and the other top-notch elites of third and fourth grade. Nevertheless, Wang Ben¡¯s outstanding performance had also boosted his reputation to a certain extent.

 Chapter 201: A Night of Passion

    Chapter 201: A Night of Passion

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    What was fascinating about the development was the fact that the public seemed to be more interested in Samantha and Wang Ben than Wang Tong.

    Wang Ben always had been at the focal point of the public¡¯s attention. His recent ascension to the Sixth Tier had granted him an aura enough to impress even the Military personals. His sess also gave the face to his father, General Hu Ben. No one med the general¡¯s son even after his defeat, as they understood that failure was merely part of a fighter''s life.

    It was generally epted that although a fighter could improve his or her tactics and techniques over time, the overall strength of one¡¯s soul energy was set. The military experts were impressed by Wang Ben¡¯s soul energy. After careful observation of the fighting footage between Wang Ben and sh, some experts even concluded that Wang Ben''s soul energy had exceeded that of his father in his youth.

    In addition to studying Wang Ben¡¯s fighting footage, the experts were also very interested in the unique fighting style of Karl. Although the experts debated over the superiority of the two fighting styles, they all agreed that Ayrng¡¯s former glory had been fully restored.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t care about theck of attention given to him; he could only think of one thing: his date with Samantha. Wang Tong woke up early in the morning after the golden blur of light had finished circling his body. He had already recovered much of his consciousness and thought that he could use a few more round of tactics to recuperate. But the golden glow disappeared.

    The nurses carried Wang Tong out and then informed Samantha about his recovery.

    "Ugh¡­ What is that smell?"

    "Did he poop in there?"

    "It smells like it!"

    "Eww, hurry up! Clean it! Gross!"

    "We need to sanitize it! Complete sanitization!"

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t smell the horrible stench from parts of his body until he was somewhat cleaned. A few more minutester, he felt like a newborn baby, clean inside out.

    He then remembered that the golden hue had conducted aplete overhaul of his internal systems. It was the second time he had experienced this and smelled the stench, the first time being on the of Norton.

    While the nurses continued their job, Wang Tong searched deep inside for that golden glow but to no avail. Wang Tong was struggling to think of anything that could traverse inside a cultivator¡¯s sea of consciousness when a wild guess urred to him: the glow could be the spirit of the de Warriors. They had sensed Wang Tong¡¯s life was on a thread and therefore came to the aid of their sessor.

    Finding that his theory was perhaps far-fetched, Wang Tong decided to drop the thought and enjoy his bubble bath. He liked the fragrance of the body wash and agreed that when no one was watching, he would bottle some up forter uses.

    Joy stuck him again when the nurses gave him a set of new clothing.

    "FREE new shirt! Awesome!" He thought to himself.

    Wang Tong looked at his image in the mirror, adjusting the new shirt around his body. His wounds still ached as he did so, but it was not unbearable.

    When he was ready, he opened the door and found Samantha¡¯s sassy looking figure greet his eyes at the entrance. Wang Tong zeroed in and embraced her immediately. Before Samantha was able to utter a word, Wang Tongid a finger across her lips.

    "Shush...The wall has ears."

    Samantha rolled her eyes; being discrete had never been Wang Tong¡¯s strong suit.

    Body against body, Wang Tong could no longer contain his burning desire, so he kissed Samantha deeply. Samantha didn¡¯t resist. He had been trapped inside for too long, and had almost forgotten how sweet Samantha¡¯s kiss felt.

    The two of them spent a long time together in the medicalb, rekindling the mes. When they finally finished their business and walked out of theb, they were relieved to find out that their absence did not seem to raise any questions. The students had already left days ago, and only Samantha stood behind. After the doctor had informed her that Wang Tong would wake up in a few days, she decided to push interviews aside and wait for Wang Tong''s recovery. She made the decision not only because she needed to stay with Wang Tong during this critical time, but also because she never found this propaganda useful. She believed that only by walking the talk could she be able to secure the future for Ayrng.

    "What kind of ¡®business¡¯ shall we attend to today?" Wang Tong threw Samantha a ce that clearly was an invitation.

    "Not THAT kind of business."

    The two of them walked together, and soon, Wang Tong felt the urge to kiss Samantha again so when there was no one around, Wang Tong rose to the opportunity to steal a kiss from Samantha¡¯s soft and cushy lips.

    Samantha was not expecting that, and her little resistance was futile. She felt a slight remorse for starting this rtionship, but she also knew that by then it was already toote. Her mental resistance was as venerable as physical under Wang Tong¡¯s assault.

    The kiss marked the beginning of their first official date. Following Wang Tong''s lead, she tried almost everything that was considered fun by a teenager: arcade machines, basketball. Samantha was quickly invested in all the games, and she found that it was much more fun to y with a living person than robots as she did in her childhood.

    Samantha couldn¡¯t remember how many times sheughed today. On any given day, she would find the artistic style of the Capth¡¯s campus rigid and boring. But somehow, theirughter was able to transmute this old and tiring school into a colorful and exciting carnival.

    After the dinner, the pair arrived at a hotel that Samantha had booked ahead of time. She found their stay in Capth uncustomary, if not inappropriate during their post-match celebration.

    Wang Tong jumped onto arge bed and let his body sank.

    "Get your dirty ass out of my bed. Yours is next door."

    "Ouch¡­ my wound¡­ I am afraid I can¡¯t move." Wang Tong winced. He sounded as convincing as a poor salesman on his first day of work, but fortunately for him, Samantha was blinded by love and was ready to buy anything that he had to sell.

    "Don¡¯t move, let me see what¡¯s going on."

    As soon as Samantha get closer to Wang Tong, she found herself in a firm embrace. The room suddenly became quiet, as the two listened to each other¡¯s young and restless breaths.

    Samantha could read the desire in Wang Tong¡¯s eyes, so she let her body rx and lowered her head into Wang Tong¡¯s chest. Wang Tong picked up the cue and started to unbutton Samantha¡¯s clothes and then peeled them off like an eggshell, revealing the tender, soft white. A euphoria short through Wang Tong¡¯s body when he saw two impressive peaks, half covered in intricatelyced bras, set squarely in front of his eyes. The euphoria then turned into heat in his body and started to emanate out, slowly baking this fruit of young love into a delicious pie.

    Wang Tong caressed one of the breasts gently through the padding. He could feel the softness of her breast and a faint suggestion of something small but firm and aroused in the middle of his palms. Wang Tong¡¯s other hand traced along the bra and found the lock that kept the final secrets of the night. Inexperienced and in a hurry, Wang Tong¡¯s first attempt broke the lock. His unbearable urge made Samantha''s skin tingled and warm.

    She shut the light, and in the darkness, they took each other''s breath away.

    Wang Tong woke up with Samantha¡¯s body in his arms; he realized that he was a man now.

    Samantha snuggled up to Wang Tong. It had well passed her usual waking up time, but the warmth andfort of Wang Tong''s arms made her want to stay in bed as long as she could.

    As Wang Tong traced along the silky skin, and a me rekindled inside of him.

    "Want to do it again?"

    It was more of a demand than a question.

    "No, just snuggle like this."

    "Just one more time. It will be good, I promise."

    "...not unless you promise that you will be more gentle."

    It surprised even Wang Tong how quickly she had agreed to it. So they burned the rest of their bodily desires in the bed and didn¡¯t get up until around noon.

    When Samantha lifted the nket, they both saw a pool of red on the bed sheet.

    "What are you staring at? It¡¯s all your fault!" Samantha cried out. Her childish tone surprised herself. The taste of the forbidden fruit had turned her into a teenage girl.

    She was fearful of this change, as the weight of Ayrng''s future felt heavy on her shoulder. But she was determined to amodate the two drastically different roles: a lover and principal.

    "Can I keep it?" Wang Tong asked, pointing at the sheet.

    "Not in a million years! You little prick" Samantha threw the bed sheets into her space crystal.

    "Mind your words, principal." A grin shed across Wang Tong¡¯s face.

    "You little shit, you are asking for it!" Samantha jumped onto the bed, and the two rolled around until Wang Tong was again on top of her.

    "Stop, I am starving, no more funny business!"

    "Well, not if you agree that I am the principal at home, and you will obey my orders in bed."

    "Fine, fine! You are the principal when we are in bed. " Samantha said unwillingly as she shot Wang Tong a stern nce.

    After a hearty breakfast, Wang Tong set off to the airport by himself, while Samantha waited for the next flight for the sake of being discrete. Although their affair was not illegal, it might give unnecessary pressure to both of them.

    Samantha sat by the window as she watched the disappearing figure of Wang Tong in the distance; a sweet smile found her lips. Like any other girl, Samantha had dreamed of her prince charming on his white stallion, but she had never been able to find him, until now.

    A sweet ache rose inside her. She knew that it was going to be a bumpy ride on this prince charming''s white stallion.

 Chapter 202: The Unruly Super METAL

    Chapter 202: The Unruly Super METAL

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The ringtone from the Sk broke Samantha''s train of thought. A voice rose from the terminal, "Congrattions, Principal Samantha, the job was well done. Your inter-party rating has increased by five points."

    "This is only the first step. How much does Feyrac know?"

    "Nothing escapes that old prick, but he had always remained neutral. Despite the humiliation of Capth at your hand, I can tell that he still favored you much more than anyone else. After all, we are all very clear about the pivotal role you would y in re-bncing of power between the Golden Hawk Union and the Great Houses."

    "We might be able to count him as an ally in the future. But for now, it''s hard to say." Samantha announced with a stone cold expression.

    "Well said, principal." The person on the other end of themunication smiled and then signed off.

    On the distant Moon, many people from an S ss academy had also watched the battle between Ayrng-Bernabeu alliance against the Capth.

    Capth''s defeat was an rming news to them, as it made them wonder if they too could be defeated by an A ss Academy.

    As the member of the Zhang family, Zhang Jin would never let any valuable information slip away unnoticed. As she watched the tournament, it suddenly urred to her that Wang Tong was that silly boy she had rescued from Norton. When this silly boy defeated Bisu and sh, she couldn''t believe her eyes. Zhang Jin had studied countless battles and she could tell that Wang Tong''s strength was unprecedented.

    After she had watched the entire battle, she closed her eyes to reflect on what she had learned. As she did so, the innocent looking face of the simple-minded boy kept reurring in her vision. She wondered how Wang Tong could be able to retain that innocent smile under such reduced circumstances on Norton.

    "What are you pondering about?" Zhang Jin heard a refined voice at the door.

    "An interesting person." Zhang Jin replied.

    "Ah... he is interesting indeed." A young man looked at the screen. But he didn''t seem to be impressed by the strength of thebatants at all.

    "Sister Jin! Sister Jin..." Miao Xiu rushed into Zhang Jin''s room, dragging Luv Ma behind him. He halted abruptly when he saw the young man standing inside the room. The suddenly stop almost threw Luv Ma off bnce.

    The young man turned his elegant face and smiled," Long time no see, Miao Xiu."

    "Patroclus!"

    The Prince of the Ivantians, the epitome of a perfect human being.

    "Hff... I don''t feel good, see you." Miao Xiu turned his heel and disappeared, leaving Luv Ma standing alone at the threshold, feeling slightly embarrassed. Luv Ma lowered his head and muttered," Excuse him, you know he always acts like that."

    "That''s fine. Come in, please."

    Luv Ma had gotten to know Zhang Jin pretty well ever since he was dragged into her study room by Miao Xiu for the first time.

    "Sister Jin, please pause the video for a second," Patroclus spoke.

    Zhang Jin paused the video and watched as Patroclus smiled knowingly.

    "What did you see?" Zhang Jin could not resist the curiosity.

    "I''m not entirely certain of my findings yet. I wish I could meet this guy." Patroclus pointed at Wang Tong on the screen.

    "Anyhow, thank you for the documents, I will be on my way now."

    Luv Ma watched as Patroclus set off. Luv Ma could not sense anything extraordinary in this boy other than his exceptional features, much less grasp how Patroclus could scare away a brazen and shameless brat like Miao Xiu.

    Somewhere on the Earth.

    "Our young master has been exposed."

    "Has the situation been stabilized?"

    "Not quite, I am worried that they would make risky moves."

    "Let''s wait then."

    "Perhaps we need to send a few more muscles to protect young master. The risk is too high."

    "I will arrange it. Do you know what is the essential attribute of an important leader?"

    "..."

    "It''s luck! If luck were against him, even an Einherjar wouldn''t be able to protect him, and if it were with him, even an Einherjar wouldn''t be able to harm him."

    Riding the momentum of Ayrng''s recent victory, Samantha furthered her n of revitalization and improved rtionship with Bernabeu. The two schools hit off immediately, thanks to their former alliance.

    Ayrng still fell behind S ss Academies in many aspects, and therefore Samantha decided to first catch up with the A ss academy. The two schools soon signed a four-year n of exchanging students.

    In order to motivate Wang Tong and other students who had partaken in the tournament, Samantha decided to fly them to the Arctic for the HG''s concert as a reward.

    Samantha not only understood the importance of keeping her students motivated, but was also a master of motivation. She knew that the award should be what the students really wanted, instead of the more traditional form of awards.

    The Crystal Arctic world was one of the most magnificent venues on earth, and the group HG was also the most popr girl band at the time. Therefore, the news of their award indeed made other students envy their sess.

    Wang Tong was less excited about the concert than being able to spend another vacation with Samantha. Ever since they had returned, Samantha had been extremely busy with work. So the two of them onlymunicated through sk. They both understood that their affair had a higher risk of being exposed in Ayrng, and the scandal would jeopardize her career.

    Wang Tong understood that he could not destroy Samantha''s dream in the name of love; he needed to grow up and be stronger.

    Feeling excited by his vacation, Wang Tong felt the urge to share the news with someone. After all, there had not been too many joyful events in his life so far. He thought about Old Fart and his disappearance, and then hemented over that he could not brag about his sess at Capth to him. Wang Tong wished that he won the lottery, because he was sure that Old Fart would appear the day after.

    Wang Tong then thought about someone else he could confide in, so he opened the crystal and summoned the old ghost.

    "Did you know that it was uncouth to disturb an elderly at such ate hour?... Oh¡­oh? Did you..." Einherjar Wannabe rounded his eyes at Wang Tong, surprise written all over his face.

    Wang Tong wondered if Mr. Wannabe had noticed the change in him after the night of passion.

    "Did you wash your bone marrow? Who did it for you?" Mr. Wannabe asked.

    "What are you talking about? "

    The question caught Wang Tong off guard. He pursed his lips, disappointed at Mr. Wannabe forpletely missing the point.

    "Hum...hum... Can you feel any difference? Such pure energy, even I cannot achieve that... Hum... it feels very familiar. Who the hell is it?"

    Mr. Wannabe was lost in his futile attempt to remember his past, but his words reminded Wang Tong that he indeed had felt a faint difference in his soul energy. But he had been quickly distracted by his affair with Samantha, so he didn''t investigate further.

    "Channel your soul energy into the space crystal now, Do it slowly."

    After pondering for a while, Mr. Wannabe finally spoke.

    "Why?" Wang Tong asked curiously.

    "Hurry up! Don''t waste my time."

    Seeing how anxious Mr. Wannabe was, Wang Tong slowly channeled some of his soul energy into the crystal. The space crystal was quickly filled to the brim with soul energy, and Wang Tong noticed the difference in his soul energy right away. He found it hard to stop the flow of energy from his body to the crystal into Einherjar Wannabe. Mr. Wannabe''s face became serious as he focused on absorbing the energy. His eyes were filled with anticipation and lips twitched from time to time, as if he were waiting for the perfect moment to break free from his confinement.

    "Shit, I can''t stop, you are sucking my soul energy dry."

    "Nonsense, start the Tactics of the de! NOW!"

    Wang Tong didn''t have other options, so he initiated the tactics. A golden glow shot out from his body as a new wave of energy gushed into the space crystal. The image of Mr. Wannabe became a blur.

    Suddenly, the two were both startled by a strong force that pulled them together.

    "F*ck, what''s going on!"

    In a blink of an eye, the two were surrounded by a golden light after a deafening re.

    Wang Tong woke up a few momentster. His first feeling was that of being trapped ufortably inside a hard shell.

    "Curse that counterfeit Einherjar!" Wang Tong shout out.

    He then was distracted by a distinct nk; he raised his arm to rub his eyes so he could observe his surroundings better, but was surprised to find out that something was covering the back of his hand.

    When he saw what it was, his heart was caught in the throat. He was going to shout in excitement, so he covered his mouth instinctively to muffle his voice.

    "What the heck is this?"

    He walked to a mirror and confirmed that he was not dreaming.

    "Gosh! it is... is a METAL!"

    The METAL suit covered his entire body. In order to wear a full body METAL, one had to at least achieve level six soul power.

    Wang Tong was eager to try the METAL with his tactics, but he noticed the METAL suite started to give off a golden light, and the light was turning brighter by the second. As the light became brighter, Wang Tong saw a figure inside the light. It was Einherjar Wannabe with an ugly expression on his face.

    "ARHHHH! Who turned me into a METAL suit! My power is wasted! Aeons of cultivation were stolen from me! ARHHH!!"

    As the light turned even brighter, pieces of the METAL suit started to ke off from Wang Tong''s body and vanished into thin air.

 Chapter 203: 15 Seconds of Fame

    Chapter 203: 15 Seconds of Fame

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Ojiisan, have you ticked off any bigwigs recently?" Wang Tong put on a smile as he probed Mr. Wannabe for more information on that full METAL suit.

    "I have no idea. I''m not feeling well. See youter."

    "Waite a second! Let''s talk about it."

    "I''ll talk nothing. I know what you are thinking, but it is simply IMPOSSIBLE!" Mr. Wannabe shouted out grudgingly.

    "A former Einherjar turned into a suit of armor, what a despicable act!"

    Wang Tong watched as Mr. Wannabe disappeared. He marveled at the amazing crystal Old Fart had given him as he tried to pull all the threads together: the crystal, Mr. Wannabe, de Warriors, the Tactics of the de, and the golden glow, what was their connection?

    "Am I destined to be a great power or am I simply lucky?"

    "Where did Old Fart steal the crystal from? The Great Houses? No...it can''t be. If anyone of the five houses possessed the power inside the crystal, the bnce of power within the Confederation would have been disrupted."

    "Where did this mysterious crystal came from then? Mysterious... hum... could it be the Hall of Valha?"

    "Nah...Nah....the Hall of Valha is a sacred ce. Not even the Einherjar dare break in without permission, much less the Old Fart."

    Wang Tong rolled around on the bed, unable to find an answer and eventually fell asleep.

    When Wang Tong woke up, he felt that what had happenedst night seemed like a dream. It was a pleasant dream nevertheless, one that had set Wang Tong''s mood for a nice and productive day. He decided to set the matter aside for now since he would rarely use a METAL suit while in school, and neither could he bring himself to force Mr. Wannabe to turn into a suit of armor unwillingly. Above all, he didn''t want anything to distract him from dating Samantha.

    Wang Tong''s ssmates started to see him differently ever since he came back from Capth. Every morning, he received pink envelopes containing girl''s love letters. He might not have noticed any changes in himself, but to the girls of Ayrng, he had transformed from a sheepish no-ount into a brave and charming lover. Looking at the pile of letters ridden with unwanted affection, Wang Tong suddenly understood how Hu Yangxuan had felt.

    At lunch, Wang Tong grabbed a seat next to Hu Yangxuan and consulted him humbly on methods of dealing with girl''s unwanted attention. His question led to a burst ofughter among his friends.

    "Hey, I never thought that you would beg me for an answer. Do you remember you had just thrown me under the bus?" Hu Yangxuan jested loudly.

    "We were under reduced circumstances. If I didn''t do what I did, I might be kicked out already, am I not right Sisi?" Wang Tong said half-jokingly as he shot Zhou Sisi a nce.

    "Wang Tong! Don''t you dare mention that!" Zhou Sisi chided.

    "Haha! Cao Yi had already contacted us. He said we could hang out; maybe we will watch a PA show together or something. It is a good way to learnbat skills anyways." Karl said.

    Almost every student at the tournament got their fighting styles named after them, except for Wang Tong. The debate was fierce among the experts if Wang Tong''s technique was truly unique.

    A few of Wang Tong''s friends felt indignant for theck of recognition for Wang Tong, but he didn''t care about trifles such as the name of his fighting style. He knew that as long as he continued perfecting his skills, there would be many other opportunities for him to prove himself.

    The Old Fart had helped Wang Tong nourish such a healthy attitude towards unfair treatment as he grew up. As a result, Wang Tong firmly believed that things such as other people''s opinion were out of his control, and therefore, he would never be swayed by it either.

    Wang Tong''s friend started to regard him even higher because of the forbearance he had disyed. If it were anyone else, he or she would have thrown a fit in front of the officialmittee for such a biased treatment.

    Ma Xiaoru had be much quieter ever since she came back from the Capth. Her temperament was tender as always, but she seemed to be less lively and kept things to herself. Hu Yangxuan noticed her changes but was unable to help her, which made him feel sad and pity her even more. Zhou Sisi, on the other hand, seemed to have adjusted well to the Wang Tong''s affair.

    Perhaps Wang Tong was the only person who had not yet sensed the changes in these two girls. He had been too busy enjoying his first true love and had no time to pay attention to anyone else. And even if he did, he was too insensitive to understand why their mood had been so low.

    Although Hu Yangxuan was younger than Wang Tong, he was much more experienced in things dealing with intimacy and love. The long period of secret crush on Ma Xiaoru had also made him more sensitive to others'' feelings.

    Hu Yangxuan knew that the brighter the smile on Wang Tong''s face, the more hurtful it would be to Ma Xiaoru.

    It had been a few days ever since they came back from Capth, and the excitement of the tournament still lingered as the students discussed new discoveries they made during the battle ceaselessly. Rumimunicated with the Zhang brothers every day and had gained help from them in improving her techniques. Quickly, the bond between the two schools strengthened and themunication no longer were limited to exchange students. Both schools supported the exchange of knowledge since both principals knew that it would be helpful to the students.

    Seeing the students be motivated, Samantha pulled another trick under her sleeve as she glorified the deeds of the students who attended the tournament and made them superstars.

    As the fighter who had turned the tides and defeated the Capth with one strike, Wang Tong was not only extremely popr in Ayarlng, but also in Bernabeu. Everyone was eager to find out almost everything about him, from histest training routing to whom he was friends with. Wang Tong had practically be the leader of both Ayalrng and Bernabeu.

    What made Wang Tong special was his unimpressive family background. He, like many other students, was an ordinary person from an average family. Therefore, most students find him more rte-able and easier to see as their idol. Martyrus was aware of that, and he would not let any selling point go wasted.

    "Dream BIGGER, Work HARDER. You can be the next Wang Tong!"

    Martyrus shouted out his new slogan during the school meetings, despite its cheesiness.

    When Wang Tong and his friends first established the S club, it was half serious and half for fun. But now, it turned into a fully fledged student organization consisting of students from both Ayrng and Bernabeu, with Wang Tong as the elected club leader. Apache, Cao Yi and a few other students from Bernabeu also joined the group. Apache didn''t want to join the team since he was toozy to partake in any group activities, but as soon as Cao Yi appeared at his doorstep and handed him the application form, he agreed to it right away. Apache had experienced Cao Yi''s persistence first hand, so he decided to ept his request rather than suffering his constant pestering.

    In addition to that, Apache figured that sooner orter he would have to ask fo favors from Cao Yi, especially in collecting intelligence. Cao Yi was an excellent observer and was learned in many subjects. He could not only converse with Best about fleet management but was also able to exchange ideas on information warfare with the Zhang Brothers. He was a ¡®jack of all trades, master of none¡¯ kind of person. His well-rounded personality made him the perfect coordinator between the two schools.

    Membership applications arrived at the S club''s mailbox like snowkes in a blizzard. To control the number of members, Wang Tong raised the bar of bing one. However, the higher requirement only motivated more students to apply, so much so that even some senior students had asked for memberships. The rising poprity had had certainly increased its influence within the two schools.

    "Sisi, I don''t need an office." Zhou Sisi stopped Wang Tong on his way to home. Thetter was to inform him about the new installment of the club leader''s office.

    "Shifu, you need to be responsible for what you have started. Do you know how many people right now are waiting for the membership? If we manage the club well, the S club could be the most sessful student club ever in history."

    She had been calling Wang Tong "Shifu" whenever the two were alone for so long that Wang Tong had already gotten used to it.

    "Not my business. Can you deal with it?"

    "No worries! I can handle the small details. We just need you to decide on important matters, such as admissions."

    "I feel like your servant." Wang Tongined. Although Zhou Sisi had handled most of the errands for the club, there was still a lot of other business that needed the attention of the club leader.

    "It''s not for me, it''s for everyone." Zhou Sisi pressed Wang Tong down on a chair and handed him a pile of filled applications.

    "Here are the twenty that I had handpicked among the other thousands of applications. Take a look."

    "Haven''t you agreed to handle this for me? I have full trust in your ability. I need to go somewhere else right now, urgent matters!"

    Wang Tong slipped his shoulder out of Zhou Sisi''s hand and darted away before she could catch him again.

    Zhou Sisi gritted her teeth as she watched Wang Dong disappear. She looked at the pile of applications and felt a sense of remorse for joining the S club. She joined the organization for Wang Tong, but even though he belonged to another woman, she still felt that she could not leave him.

    "After all, he is still my Shifu. I''m still better off than Ma Xiaoru. She has lost everything." The thought of Ma Xiaoru''s misfortune somehow made Zhou Sisi feel better about herself.

 Chapter 204: A Season of Love

    Chapter 204: A Season of Love

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Zhou Sisi, like many other girls, was easy to be content. Perhaps, she still subconsciously saw her and Wang Tong be together eventually. Her intuition was not entirely unfounded. After all, the odds of a principal and a student sustain a long-term affair were slim.

    One could say that Zhou Sisi was addicted to Wang Tong, and her addiction kept her sitting in the office, sorting through the thousands of applications night after night.

    Wang Tong waited patiently for Samantha''s message after he had finished the routine assignment. Samantha''s message came around midnight, and Wang Tong sneaked his way to the principal''s office and found her still working.

    Wang Tong thought it was a golden opportunity to pull a prank on the unsuspecting principal, but after seeing the unblinking look on her face, Wang Tong didn''t have the heart to disrupt her. So, he sat down beside her quietly. He lolled his head against one of his palms, elbow resting on the edge of the desk, and studied her attentively. The look on her face right then was not the same as neither the confident principal nor the innocent love; she was fully absorbed by her work, quiet and elegant.

    After a while, Samantha heaved a sigh and finally noticed Wang Tong sitting beside her.

    "Ha, I didn''t even see you!" Surprise glittered her eyes and made the two dark pools even more mesmerizing to Wang Tong.

    "Don''t work too hard, sweetie."

    "Hey, call me principal in my office!" Samantha chided with a deadpan face, and a warmth rose inside of her heart. She was used to only thinking about the school and her n, dealing with endless errands and emails, seeing fake smiles on tired faces but rarely once heard anyone so sincerely care about her wellbeing. He cared about her, and he made her care about herself too. The warmth made her realize that Wang Tong had grown up a lot in this brief period of time. He had gotten mature and responsible. She believed that in a few years, he would be able to take on more responsibilities and achieve greater things. It wasn''t without any pride when she thought about her role in Wang Tong''s transformation, much like when she saw how well things had turned out in Ayrng.

    "Come give me a kiss." Wang Tong opened his arms to Samantha.

    Samantha sat still and nced at Wang Tong before she gave in, knowing that Wang Tong would only keep on bugging her if she didn''t give him what he wanted.

    "I heard that you have been really poprtely. You got love letters even from Bernabeu." Samantha said as she pinched the tip of Wang Tong''s nose after missing the same spot.

    "Tell me about it! But I think the girls had made the right choice. I am much better than their ssmates, after all."

    "Stop bragging about yourself, or I will kick you out of my school!" Samantha chided with a deadpan expression.

    Wang Tong looked around, pressed his mouth closer to Samantha''s ear and whispered something dirty.

    "No! NO!" Samantha refused and started to break free from Wang Tong''s embrace.

    Samantha''s resistance was futile. Unlike the other boys of simr age, Wang Tong knew about the importance of taking initiatives, thanks to his difficult childhood experience and savage life on Norton.

    Samantha had sumbed to Wang Tong''s assault almost too easily. Ever since their first time taken the forbidden fruit together, Wang Tong had been restless and eager for more like a junky longing for his fix.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t care about the inappropriate locale, Samantha did. However, the more she worried about being caught in the act, the more excited she became. Wang Tong also performed better than the first time, making her feel much more pleasant.

    After an abrupt and forceful pration, a loud but short squeal escaped Samantha''s half-opened mouth. She then instinctively covered her mouth with one hand although she knew that there were no one around. Her raspy breath quickly turned in an alluring moan.

    She had offered all of the sweetness and juice of her ripened fruit to Wang Tong. After having survived the dangerous environment, Wang Tong had developed a craving for sex. His first experience with Samantha had set his desire lose, and it poured out from his body like a flood breaching a dam.

    There was nothing shameful about a strong sex drive, especially for fighters. It was the most basic need of a human. The fact that the two were lovers only made their sex more passionate.

    Wave after waves of simtion seized Samantha and pushed her higher and higher when she reached the peak, and she was afraid that she was going to scream at the fall, so she tired best to not make a sound. As a result, she tightened every single muscle inside her body, not knowing that it only intensified the pleasure for both of them.

    After they were done, they were covered in sweat. Samanthay inside of Wang Tong''s arm, exhausted, but satisfied. She noticed that Wang Tong looked much more muscr when naked, and it was hard to make the connection between this body with a high school student. The scars on his body added even more manliness to his appearance.

    Samantha touched one of the scars and asked: "How was it on Norton?"

    "It was fine at that time. But looking back now, I am surprised that I didn''t go nuts there."

    Wang Tong''s hand reached Samantha''s delicious curve and caressed it.

    "It felt too good you know. Only if I knew that it would be so good, I would have raped you a long time ago." A grin shed across Samantha''s face.

    "Only I got to be the aggressive one."

    "So bossy! Did you know you have already gotten the longer end of the stick?" Samantha furrowed her brows and poked the firm chest of Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong smiled nkly in reply.

    "How is Xiaoru doing?" Samantha asked abruptly. She had not seen Xiaoru for a few days, thinking that she was probably avoiding her on purpose.

    "Same old, I guess?"

    After hearing Wang Tong''s brief description of the group''s interaction inst few days, Samantha heaved a sigh," How dumb can you really be?"

    Wang Tong scratched his head and was dumbfounded by Samantha''s words. Samantha dropped the matter and started to clean the crime scene.

    After Wang Tong was gone, Samantha started to be worried about the impact of their current affair on her beloved sister Zhou Sisi. The worst was that she could not do anything since any move she made would only exacerbate the situation. Unlike Wang Tong, Samantha felt guilty of hurting Ma Xiaoru, and wondered if she needed to clear the air with her.

    Nevertheless, spring was indeed a season of love.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was ying an overly melodramatic song on her harp. She had been depressed ever since she learned about the affair between Wang Tong and Samantha. She found it hard to concentrate during ss, and had given up her training entirely.

    Her tactics instructor had warned her about the danger of being too sentimental, and were against her cultivating the Tactics of the Enchantress. He knew that if her nature was sentimental, not only would she never be a real enchantress, it could even be dangerous for her life. The Ma and the Li Family didn''t heed the instructor''s advice and continued her training nheless. They did so merely to honor the family tradition, but not to help Ma Xiaoru be a powerful fighter.

    A few yearster, although Ma Xiaoru didn''t change her temperament at all, she had somehow altered the way the tactics worked. Therefore, despite the disadvantages, Ma Xiaoru was able toplete the fifth level of the Tactics of the Enchantress which impressed even Li Ruo-er. Li Ruo-er thought that Ma Xiaoru had done the impossible, and believed that she and her brother would be a perfect fit.

    The sound of the harp stopped abruptly. She could never finish a song when she was bothered even the slightest, let alone when her only lover had run away with her closet friend.

    Even then, she still wasn''t fully convinced that she had lost Wang Tong to Samantha. After all, they hadn¡¯t publicly announced their rtionship yet. She still could not let Wang Tong go because he was too good to let go so quickly. He was nonchnt and mature, but innocent at the same time; his calmness and steadfastness tugged at her heartstrings every time danger knocked on the door. Ma Xiaoru knew that he was a keeper through and through, since no trickery nor pretense could escape the eyes of the enchantress.

    Sometimes, Ma Xiaoru wondered if it were better to let Wong Tong go since Samantha was more mature and charmingpared to herself. But whenever she thought about the two getting together, she felt a cutting pain in her heart.

    The more Ma Xiaoru thought about Wang Tong, the more depressed she became, and the more risks she exposed herself to while using the Tactics of Enchantress. Should she start the Tactics of the Enchantress right then, she would be on the brink of bing deranged in seconds. Samantha had always been her support and provided counsel when she needed it, but now, not only couldn''t she help her, but she had also be the source of Ma Xiaoru''s miseries.

 Chapter 205: Derangement

    Chapter 205: Derangement

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ma Xiaoru wasn''t aware that her troubled thoughts had already been slowly nibbling away her sea of consciousness. The state of derangement started quietly from inside the cultivator and gradually manifested itself through changes in physical appearance. The whole process would take days on end, so when the cultivator noticed the apparent changes, it would already be toote.

    After considering the situation, Samantha decided to clear the air with Ma Xiaoru. She felt that without Ma Xiaoru''s consent, she would never feel the same while being with Wang Tong.

    Even without talking to Ma Xiaoru, intuition had told Samantha that her best friend had already learned about the secret affair. Theck ofmunication was a telltale sign. She knew that she had been Ma Xiaoru''s only support system, but then Ma Xiaoru should not even seek help from her since she was the main instigator of her distress. A sense of guilt rose inside of Samantha as she approached her room.

    "Xiaoru...Xiaoru!"

    Samantha rushed to Ma Xiaoru, who had passed out on the floor. As Samantha was about to move her body to the bed, she jerked her hand back immediately as if zapped by lightning. Although Samantha was not a METAL fighter, she guessed based on Ma Xiaoru''s current condition that she was likely in the state of derangement.

    Never touch a deranged!

    Samantha informed house guards about the development, and soon lights were lit up in every room and workers were bustling about, trying to find any help.

    "Miss Samantha, please remain calm and do not let anyone go near ourdy. Have the house medic take a look first, and we will be there in a second."

    Unable to do anything, Samantha felt useless and overwrought.

    The painful look on Ma Xiaoru''s face made her heart sink, "Could it be because of me?" She thought to herself.

    When the masters of the Ma family had finally arrived, they immediately started to stabilize Ma Xiaoru''s soul energy, despite the difficulty imposed by the powerful Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was enjoying a beautiful morning. He was surprised to see that Samantha''s sk was offline, and Ma Xiaoru was absent from ss. It was difficult for him to imagine Ma Xiaoru skipping a single ss, so he wondered what had happened to her.

    Wang Tong had guessed many reasons for Ma Xiaoru''s absence, but none hade nearly half as close to the reality. Eventually, he got a message from Samantha around noon. She sounded extremely worried for Ma Xiaoru, and told him about her suspicion that Ma Xiaoru had fallen into the state of derangement mainly due to their secret affair.

    The message unnerved Wang Tong and made him reflect on how things could have developed to such a dire state.

    ording to Wang Tong, everything had been fine and dandy just a couple days ago. He could tell that Samantha felt extremely guilty and regretful, and her feelings made Wang Tong''s heart ache.

    Wang Tong knew that he would be lying if he said that he didn''t feel anything for Ma Xiaoru. After all, it had been a tough choice to choose Samantha over Ma Xiaoru. Although he had never intended to hurt her, neither had he foreseen what was happening right then. Therefore, he never took any precautions to prevent such an event.

    He med himself for not noticing the beautiful things around him as the memory of Ma Xiaoru flooded his mind. He remembered her warm smile every morning and her patient tutoring; the scenes appeared in front of his eyes like images from a projector.

    Wang Tong felt regret, not for choosing Samantha, but for the fact that he didn''t keep his distance from Ma Xiaoru and had given her false hopes.

    "How can I help?" Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Wang Tong decided to skip the ss in the afternoon and visit Ma Xiaoru, despite the fact that he was about to skip Gansus''s ss.

    "The Tactics of the Enchantress was the most dangerous tactics... Qait... I have the tactics of the de, and I remember that Mr. Wannabe told me that it was the best cure for derangement!"

    After remembering the unique ability of his tactics, Wang Tong shot a dozen messages to Samantha, exining why they should let him give it a try.

    Wang Tong had helped Ma Xiaoru improve her level of cultivation before using the same tactics. Therefore, Wang Tong was very confident that his tactics would be helpful.

    "If I can improve it, I can fix it!"

    Ma Xiaoru''s unpredictable and vicious sea of consciousness might seem horrible to others, but not to Wang Tong. He had already gotten used to danger.

    Wang Tong''s confidence did not amount to Ma Xiaoru''s family''s permission to let him give it a try. Curing derangement was not something one could just "give a try". Anything Wang Tong did would have consequences on Ma Xiaoru''s physical and mental health.

    Ma Xiaoru''s father Ma Dutian''s face looked tired and taut. He hade back from the Moon while working on a top-secret project that had the potential of changing human history. However, when he learned that his daughter was in danger, he rushed back to Earth right away.

    Ma Xiaoru''s parents, Ma Dutian and Wu Xin, didn''t have much time to look after Ma Xiaoru due to their work, but they both loved their daughter very much. They were extremely worried when they heard the news of Ma Xiaoru''s derangement.

    Wu Xin was a top-notch six tier fighter, and Ma Xiaoru had inherited most of her mother''s traits. Ma Xiaoru''s father, on the other hand, was mediocre as a fighter, but he was incredibly intelligent and was the most sessful businessman, the owner of the tech behemoth FFC. General Li Feng had nned the division between tactics and technology. He knew that only by dividing the power to different households could there be bnce and peace on Earth.

    The Li Family had inherited all the secrets of the martial arts while the Ma family chose to be the keeper of the most advanced technologies. It was worth noting that house of Ma had never invented anything since they were merely keepers of the existing ones. They release new "breakthrough" following a predetermined timeline given by General Li. To that end, house Ma reverenced General Li even more than the Li Family.

    General Li''s decision was brilliant. Should he leave all his knowledge and power to his own offspring, peace and prosperity would notst half as long as the Confederation. Sure, a mighty authoritarian empire might rise, but it would soon fall because of corruption and chaos. Because of General Li''s wise decision to bnce the great powers, there had not beenrge-scale warfare for three hundred years. A peaceful and prosperous confederation was the prerequisite for defeating the Zergs.

    "Xin, don''t worry too much. Her condition is being stabilized. Let''s wait for the masters from House Li."

    "Something or someone must have done this to Xiaoru! I need an exnation!" Wu Xin demanded as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

    "I know only bits and pieces. We should focus on bringing Xiaoru back first." Ma Dutian answered with a solemn face.

    "Boss, the Li''s have arrived."

    "Come in please."

    Samantha waited nervously beside Ma Xiaoru. She watched as the masters from House Li marched into the room. It was the first time she saw Li Shiming.

    Following Li Shiming''s lead were Li Ruo-er and a few elders who were masters of the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Li Shiming and Li Ruo-er stood beside Ma Xiaoru and watched the other masters channeling and calming Ma Xiaoru''s soul energy.

    In about an hour, the crisis was finally averted, and the masters stopped their channeling.

    "Master Li, would there be anyplicationster?" Wu Xin asked, looking worried.

    "I don''t think so. Instead, I want to congratte you and your husband about Xiaoru''s progress. We detected that she has reached the fifth level of the tactics. Her sea of consciousness was disturbed by some kind of stimtion, and the disturbance was amplified by the new depth of the tactics she had just reached, thus resulting in a temporary trauma." The master said calmly with a smile.

    After hearing that his daughter was safe, Ma Dutian untied the knots on his face and turned to Li Shimin and Li Ruo-er while saying," Good job you two!"

    "Don''t mention it! You shouldplement Ma Xiaoru instead. She defeated me at the tournament. My brother still makes fun of me for that!" Li Ruo-er said with a mischievous smile.

    "Is that right? Shiming, don''t make fun of your sister, she had obviously let my daughter win! Ha Ha." Ma Dutianughed loudly.

    "I had been practicing the Tactics of the Enchantress even since I was a child, and I just entered the fifth level very recently. Xiaoru, on the other hand, has proven to be a much faster learner than me. She achieved the same level in just five years. I believe today''s ident would serve a good lesson for her to think twice before forcing everything down into her mind as fast as she wanted." Li Shiming said, his voice filled with respect and sincerity.

    "Brother Ma, although I was able to stabilize her condition this time, it doesn''t mean that it wouldn''t happen again. Should it happen again, the disturbance might do great harm to her soul energy."

    "What should we do then and what has caused all this? We should ask Samantha!" Wu Xin Stood up and was about to walk to Samantha, but her husband stopped her.

    Ma Dutian then turned towards the masters and said," Dear masters, please take a rest in my mansion for now. We will carry on from here. Please, treat it as if it''s your own home."

    "Haha, don''t worry about it uncle Ma! Your house is so much more fun andfortable than ours!" Li Ruo-er couldn''t wait to try the advanced appliances and equipment. The mansion of the House of Li severelyckedfort to keep fighters'' biggest enemy,ziness, at bay.

    Compare to Li Ruo-er, her brother Li Shiming was much more mature and reserved. Wu Xin couldn''t help noticing what a fine young man he was, and thought that he must be a good match for her daughter.

 Chapter 206: Shrewdness

    Chapter 206: Shrewdness

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Without a doubt, Li Shimin was a fine young man. Not only was he the top-notch elite amongst the younger generation of Earth Confederation, he was also a well-disciplined person who had zero negative news about him. Wu Xin had met him a few times and noticed that the young man was polite, confident and wasn¡¯t as arrogant as those boys from rich families, not to mention Li Shimin had never caused any troubles during his training days in the military base.

    Such a fine gentleman!

    Wu Xin then summoned Samantha into the room right after Li Shimin left. This time however, Ma Dutian halted his restless wife from her series of interrogations.

    "Sam, people from House of Li told me that Xiaoru¡¯s EMF isn¡¯t very stable. I want to know why. In fact, I¡¯m sure you that you know what¡¯s been troubling her, so please tell me everything so that I don¡¯t have to go find out by myself." Ma Dutian said with a solemn face. Although this dominator of Earth Confederation¡¯s economy wasn¡¯t a top-notch fighter, yet he did have an irresistible majesty.

    Nevertheless, Samantha knew that this would happen someday, and she was in the dilemma of telling the truth or not.

    "Sam, you¡¯re the closest person to Xiaoru. I know she¡¯d definitely tell you all of the things that she wouldn¡¯t want to let the both of us know. So tell me, who bullied Xiaoru?" Wu Xin had been a hot-tempereddy since she was young, and even though her temper had be better after marrying Ma Dutian, still she would go "berserk" if she found out that her precious daughter was bullied by someone else. Back then, Wu Xin was very popr in school, and almost all of her admirers got their asses kicked after getting rejected. Yet somehow, she ended up fancying the average looking Ma Dutian, who at that time was still hiding his identity as the sessor of House of Ma.

    "Nothing much happened recently, but I think there¡¯s only one thing that would affect Xiaoru..." Samantha replied with a simplified version of the story, mentioning that Ma Xiaoru fell in love with a boy in Ayrng, yet the boy only treated her as a friend.

    Wu Xin was pissed off before Samantha could finish her words, "That sonuvab*tch, how dare he treat Xiaoru like that? Find him! I¡¯mma kick his ass!"

    Ma Dutian looked at his wife and said, "Calm down honey, we can¡¯t force someone to fall in love with our daughter anyway. Sorry for taking your time, Sam. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very busy at the moment. Don¡¯t worry about Xiaoru, I¡¯ll keep you updated."

    "I¡¯d like to stay, uncle. Right now, Xiaoru is more important than the other stuff."

    "Samantha, you¡¯re not a kid anymore. Hence, you should learn what¡¯s important and what¡¯s not. Don¡¯t worry, the Elder from House of Li is with us. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine." Ma Dutian insisted, hence Samantha had no choice but topromise.

    "Remember what you¡¯ve promised in the beginning. So far, you¡¯ve been doing a good job, but from now onwards, you¡¯ll be facing a tough road ahead. So be prepared!" Ma Dutian gave Samantha a solemn advice.

    After Samantha left, Wu Xin and Ma Dutian were the only ones in the room, then Wu Xin crossed her arms and stared at Ma Dutian, "Looks like you know something, my dear husband. Why don¡¯t you be a good boy and spill it all out for your beautiful wife here? Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you!"

    The manly Ma Dutian instantly became a timid little man as soon as his wife said that. In fact, Wu Xin would behave like an obedient wife who stayed behind her husband whenever there were outsiders around. But when there was no one else, Wu Xin would be the boss.

    "Rx my dear wife, I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know. Calm down." Ma Dutian said with a wry smile.

    "Hmph! Tell me, who on earth had the balls to upset our dear daughter?"

    "Well, it¡¯s just a small matter amongst youngsters..."

    "Cut the crap and just tell me everything, and don¡¯t you dare hide anything from me, unless you prefer to have your bones broken today!" Wu Xin threatened Ma Dutian while pulling one of his ears.

    "Alright, alright, his name is Wang Tong, Xiaoru fancied him but the kid fancied Samantha. Aside from that, Xiaoru also had another love rival named Zhou Sisi. Actually, this was just a small matter that triggered the instability of her EMF after achieving a great advancement in her tactics. Now that I¡¯ve told you everything, promise me not to release your anger on the other kids, okay?" Ma Dutian said with a smile.

    "Hmph, you think this is a joke?" Wu Xin was pissed off. No wonder Samantha acted like she was trying to hide something from her just now. Yet, even though Wu Xin was hot-tempered, she was not an unreasonable person.

    "Don¡¯t worry too much my dear, it¡¯s just puppy love. Instead, we should be worried if they were mingling with each other."

    Wu Xin began to calm down, then said, "Oh, by the way, I think Li Shimin is a good kid, and it seemed like he¡¯s interested in Xiaoru as well. Wouldn¡¯t it be a match made in heaven if the two of them got together?"

    "Let¡¯s see how it goes, honey. As you know, both Houses are still being targeted by the public. If there¡¯s another marriage between both families, we would definitely be the enemies of the state. Most importantly, Xiaoru is simr to you, she has no interest in boys from rich families at all." Ma Dutian gazed passionately at his wife.

    "You and your sweet talk. So, what are we gonna do next? Going back would only make Xiaoru even more upset."

    "I¡¯m sure the people from House of Li have already found a solution for that." Ma Dutian replied calmly, "Since Xiaoru¡¯s condition has gotten better, I think it¡¯s time to see what¡¯s their suggestion for this."

    The Elder from House of Li¡¯s advice was to seal off Ma Xiaoru¡¯s memories of her past months at Ayrng, and transfer her to Capth immediately. She would be taken care of by Li Ruo-Er in Capth, and at the same time, helped out with her tactics of the Enchantress.

    "Sealing off memories? Would it have any side effects?" Wu Xin seemed worried.

    The Elder who was in his forties gently shook his head and said, "This is the safest way to handle her Soul Energy fluctuations. Xiaoru¡¯s memories would be released after her Level Five tactics and EMF had settled down. It would be just like having a dream, and wouldn¡¯t cause any harm to her body."

    "It¡¯s our fault too Uncle, I didn¡¯t expect Xiaoru was that talented." Li Shimin med himself.

    "Haha, you don¡¯t have to feel bad Shimin. I¡¯m sure it was just a coincidence." Ma Dutian said.

    "Coincidence your ass, Xiaoru inherited my talents. Of course, she¡¯s good!"

    "I¡¯m so jealous of your family, Auntie Wu Xin. Everyone seems so cheerful. Unlike our strict old man who only treats his kids with a grim face. Ahh, how I wish I could be your daughter instead." Li Ruo-Er said while holding Wu Xin¡¯s arms.

    "Haha, I¡¯d like that too my pretty child, but I¡¯m not strong enough to fight against your Einherjar daddy if he came to our ce looking for you." Wu Xin smiled and gave Li Ruo-Er¡¯s nose a gentle pinch.

    "Haha, it¡¯s okay to count on us since we¡¯re just like a family. Dutian, right now is the best time to seal off Xiaoru¡¯s memories since she is still asleep. When she wakes upter, you¡¯ll just have to tell her something else, for instance, she went for a trip to another." The Elder exined with a smile.

    After a brief consideration, Ma Dutian nodded and said, "Thank you Elders. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you then."

    Ma Dutian was well aware of a couple of hidden secrets of House of Li. Judging from the appearances of those two Elders, they seemed to be rted to Zhou Zi, the enchantress, who happened to be one of General Li Feng¡¯s confidantes.

    "You¡¯re wee."

    Ma Xiaoru was asleep in her room like a little princess. However, she had no idea that her memories of some people and incidents would be gone when she woke upter¡­

    "O sickness and pain, begone!"

    Both Elders were gathering their Soul Energy around Ma Xiaoru as they began to chant the sorcery. Without a doubt, Tactics of the Enchantress contained greater riskspared to the other tactics. In the beginning, Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t showing a lot of interest in the tactics, not to mention her personality was not that suitable for practicing Tactics of the Enchantress, and her progress had stopped after leaving House of Li. Yet, no one expected she would be able to make such a breakthrough.

    Nevertheless, sealing off memories was the best way to handle the situation of going berserk.

    Both Li Shimin and Li Ruo-Er left after making sure that Ma Xiaoru was okay when she woke up. In fact, Li Shimin shouldn¡¯t have been here in the first ce since he was on duty in the military. He actually broke thew and came here when he found out that something happened to Ma Xiaoru, but he didn¡¯t mention anything to anyone.

    They boarded the private ne that was scheduled to pick them up at House of Ma¡¯s mansion. After taking off, Li Ruo-Er stretched herself and said, "Brother, I won!"

    "Alright, what do you want?" Li Shimin smiled.

    "Hmph, yea yea, you and your poker face. Don¡¯t you wanna know how I did that?" Li Ruo-Er said proudly.

    "Haha, let¡¯s see. After noticing Xiaoru had reached Level Five, you challenged her to a duel on purpose, then you purposely told her about Wang Tong fancying Samantha as soon as her EMF was unstable, making it into a ticking time-bomb. Am I right?" Li Shimin said.

    "Hmph, that¡¯s not fun at all. My n was so perfect, yet you¡¯re able to know what I¡¯ve nned in such a short period of time¡­ BORING!"

    "Well, you¡¯ve been a great help this time." Li Shimin said.

    "Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want my future sister-inw to be snatched away by a poor little whimp. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t expect Uncle Ma would agree so easily, big brother. You¡¯re officially this close to achieving your dream!" Li Ruo-Er patted on Li Shimin¡¯s shoulder.

    Li Shimin smiled unpleasantly, like he was trying to say that he would be able to achieve anything anyway if he wanted to. Moreover, Li Ruo-Er had never doubted her brother about that.

    "So, tell me dear sis, what do you want?"

    "Haha, my only request is to keep your hands off Wang Tong. He¡¯s mine!" Li Ruo-Er giggled as she yed with her fingers. Unlike the innocent look in front of Wu Xin, right now, Li Ruo-Er looked like an evil enchantress.

    "Oh?"

    "I¡¯m your sister, of course, I¡¯d know what you¡¯re trying to do." Li Ruo-Er smiled at his brother. If she didn¡¯t make this request, Wang Tong would definitely be dead in less than three days.

    "Alright then, but make sure you ¡®take care¡¯ of him after you get bored. I don¡¯t wanna leave any troubles behind my back." Li Shimin said as he nced through the documents from his Sk.

    "Yup, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of my future sis-inw, and no one will be able to get close to her!" Li Ruo-Er hopped up and left the cockpit cheerfully.

    Later, Li Shimin dropped the conversation and focused back in his work. To him, everything had been settled already.

    Meanwhile, at House of Ma, Wu Xin was busy taking care of her precious daughter. As soon as she woke up, Ma Xiaoru was told by her parents that she went on a gctic voyage and was hit by a space storm. Fortunately, she was alright, but she had missed Ayrng¡¯s enrollment ceremony. In order not to cause any trouble to Samantha¡¯s strict policies, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s parents decided to transfer her to Capth, and she would be taken care by Li Ruo-Er there.

 Chapter 207: Crescent Moon

    Chapter 207: Crescent Moon

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "But mom, I wanna hang around Sam. People in House of Li are too strict. They make me ufortable."

    "Haha, don¡¯t worry. Ruo-Er is an energetic and happy-going girl. More importantly, your condition is still unstable after your EMF reached Level Five, and Ruo-Er will be able to take care of you in Capth."

    "Oh? Howe I have no idea about my tactics reaching Level Five? Was it a blessing from that ident?" Ma Xiaoru immediately checked on her EMF after hearing about that, and it was definitely a sudden surprise.

    "Calm down, you don¡¯t have to rush. Right now, you need to rest. Are you hungry my dear? You want mommy to get you anything?"

    "Cool, I¡¯m starving mom. I missed your food!"

    Meanwhile, Ma Dutian was having a conversation with another man dressed in a ck outfit.

    "Do you think it¡¯s coincidence, or perhaps there was something wrong with her tactics?"

    "There was nothing wrong with her tactics, probably she was just being careless during the progress of her tactics advancement. Judging from the reactions of the people from House of Li, it seemed like they really didn¡¯t expect mdy would be able to advance to Level Five within such a short period of time. Yet, I have a feeling that Li Ruo-Er did know about this after her duel against mdy. Nevertheless, those are only my spection. After all, they are only kids."

    "Kids huh..." Ma Dutian looked solemn, "Hmph, yet this happened right on the day that we got our hands on the new technology. My guts are telling me that Li Taoche was particrly interested in on ourtest VZPE Battery."

    "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too dangerous to send mdy to Capth?"

    Ma Dutian shook his head, "That¡¯s the safest ce since it¡¯s one of the areas of House of Li. They¡¯ll be held responsible if anything happens. I won¡¯t let them get away with it!"

    Anyone that messed with House of Ma and infuriated Ma Dutian would never be able to get away unharmed!

    "What do you think about Li Shimin?"

    "Better than his old man." The man in ck outfitmented.

    Ma Dutian closed his eyes and said nothing. Again, he was different from his timid character that got bullied by Wu Xin a while ago.

    After Ma Dutian ended the conversation, the man in ck outfit stepped back and walked through a door that suddenly appeared on the wall. The door vanished as soon as the man disappeared.

    Rumors had it that House of Ma¡¯s Sky Mansion was filled with secrets, as new technologies would emerge every couple of decades¡­

    Honestly, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s transfer didn¡¯t affect Ayrng very much as her role in promoting Ayrng has been done. Moreover, the academy had also improved significantly based on the recent performances of fellow students. In fact, Ma Xiaoru leaving Ayrng would also increase thepetition amongst students. After all, her uniqueness had overshadowed the other students in the academy.

    Right now, Ayrng had be the academy of ordinary people.

    Nevertheless, this wasn¡¯t made public yet.

    "Sam, didn¡¯t you promise to let me help you? Why did you listen to my mom in the end?" Ma Xiaoru was chatting with Samantha through Sk.

    "Miss genius, your sudden advancement to Level Five had shocked everyone in House of Li. So, of course, they¡¯ll prefer you to stay with them at this moment. And since your EMF is still unstable, you should be more careful in your future training, okay?" Samantha advised.

    "I¡¯m surprised too, I really didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯ll be able to unlock Level Five after taking a nap. Hehe, I might really be a genius indeed!"

    "Xiaoru, promise me you¡¯ll take care of yourself after enrolling in Capth, alright?"

    "You sure you don¡¯t need my help, Sam?" Ma Xiaoru was still looking adorable as always. Perhaps she would be happier by forgetting what happened in the past six months.

    "Haha, I¡¯m only using your name as a gimmick in order to achieve my goals. Are you trying to ask for an endorsement fee?" Samanthaughed.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll listen to mum. But I really hope that I¡¯ll be able to help you, Sam."

    "I still have a few things to handle right now, Xiaoru. I¡¯ll get back to youter, promise." Samantha felt guilty every time she looked into Ma Xiaoru¡¯s innocent eyes. Samantha felt like she had done the worst thing and broken Ma Xiaoru¡¯s heart.

    Samantha remembered the time Ma Xiaoru confessed to her about fancying Wang Tong, yet in the end, she had "stolen" Wang Tong from her.

    Samantha had always been a fearless and honest person, but she was deeply depressed about this matter. Somehow, she even felt ashamed to look at Ma Xiaoru.

    As for her story, Samantha told Ma Xiaoru that she hadter found someone pretending to be her and helped out Ayrng during the time she was unconscious. Fortunately, Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t participate in any METAL Combat matches during the tournament against Capth. But even if she did participate, they could say it was a stand-in hired by the House of Li. Moreover, people from House of Li would make sure that no one talked about this in the future.

    Samantha stared nkly at the window. It was a sunny day but her heart was not cheerful at all. She knew that she would have to make everything right in order to return to her normal self.

    Mankind was born to be greedy, yet sometimes, it would be difficult to act greedy.

    After days of consideration, Samantha realized that it would be inappropriate for her to continue her rtionship with Wang Tong. Perhaps she could be greedier and enjoy Wang Tong¡¯spanion if Ma Xiaoru was okay, but now that Ma Xiaoru had lost her memories, Samantha felt bad to look her in the eyes. Under these circumstances, she would never be able to continue her rtionship with Wang Tong.

    In fact, Samantha¡¯s rtionship with Ma Xiaoru was even deeper than the one she had with Wang Tong. To her, Ma Xiaoru was her dearest little sister whopletely trusted her and shared everything with her¡­ She didn¡¯t even confront Samantha when she found out that Wang Tong was in love with her. Yet, this time, Samantha realized that she had hurt the dearest person in her life.

    Samantha¡¯s face went pale upon realizing that. Then, she gathered herself and sent a message to Wang Tong¡¯s Sk. It was time for her to put everything to an end before it was toote.

    This time, she didn¡¯t use her dream and career as excuses. She made up her mind and told Wang Tong about the true reason behind their breakup.

    Samantha felt weak after writing that message, but there was no time for her to lie down and cry as there were still a lot of things that required her attention. Now that her tasks had multiplied after Ayrng¡¯s sess, perhaps work would be the best remedy for her broken heart.

    Samantha might be strong in many things, but she was just like someone else when it came to love and rtionships.

    Actually, Wu Xin didn¡¯t tell Samantha that Ma Xiaoru¡¯s memories were only sealed off temporarily. Perhaps, Wu Xin was still a bit mad about Samantha. After all, her daughter was hurt because of Samantha¡¯s involvement, even though she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Nevertheless, Wu Xin was still quite upset because it was her daughter that got hurt.

    Wang Tong then received the message from Samantha. He was shocked to hear that Ma Xiaoru¡¯s body went berserk and nearly got her killed after learning about the rtionship between Samantha and him. To be honest, he was surprised to learn that the little princess loved him that much, and it broke his heart when he learned about Ma Xiaoru lost her memories for the past six months due to this incident. After all, human life was made out of memories, losing it would mean losing all of the happiness they shared together, and Wang Tong¡¯s name would be erased from Ma Xiaoru¡¯s mind from now onwards.

    Everything would be turned into a piece of nk paper.

    Wang Tong had noment about Samantha¡¯s decision of breaking up with him, and he didn¡¯t n on seeing Samantha. Perhaps it was because their rtionship was still in an early stage, or perhaps Ma Xiaoru was as important as Samantha in Wang Tong¡¯s heart.

    He suddenly remembered the silly girl who waited for him in the self-study room, the girl who would just smile at him every time he waste¡­

    "Dammit, what have I done!"

    Wang Tong realized that he had never rejected Ma Xiaoru thoroughly, maybe it was because he was still bad in keeping distance with girls. Regretful or not, she was already hurt.

    Wang Tong was spacing out for the rest of the day, Hu Yangxuan didn¡¯t dare to ask him, but he seemed to have guessed what happened. After all, Hu Yangxuan was a bright kid, and he was one of the few who knew that Ma Xiaoru would be transferred to Capth soon.

    Hu Yangxuan dragged Wang Tong along with him after school. No one said anything as they walked towards the pub. Nevertheless, Hu Yangxuan knew that right now Wang Tong needed someone to get drunk with him.

    Apparently, Hu Yangxuan was upset too about Ma Xiaoru¡¯s transfer. In the beginning, his aim of enrolling in Ayrng was to date Ma Xiaoru. Even if she weren¡¯t interested in him, he would still like to admire her from a distance. But unfortunately, his muse would soon be gone¡­

    Gulp after gulp, mugs after mugs, somehow, today¡¯s beer tasted extremely bitter.

    First it was Old Fart, then Wang Ben left, and now, even Ma Xiaoru was leaving. Thank god Wang Tong still had Hu Yangxuan by his side, or else he would bepletely lonely.

    Even though it was okay to be alone, yet it was an unpleasant feeling. The saddest thing was not being able to have someone to share your happiness with.

    Wang Tong waspletely wasted, but at least he would be able to forget about everything for tonight. Both boys then hooked their arms on each other¡¯s shoulders and wandered on the streets, mumbling words while walking in their staggering steps¡­

    The boys fell to the ground before making back to the academy¡¯s entrance. A shadowy figure noticed the boys were drunk outside, then immediately looked for the security guard to help carry the boys back to their dorms.

    "Thank you, mister! They¡¯re drunk because something bad happened to themtely."

    "Don¡¯t worry youngdy. I¡¯ve been there myself. I¡¯ll let them go this time, after all, they were the pride of us Ayrng."

    "Thank you very much for helping."

    "Haha, so who¡¯s the one you like miss? If I were twenty years younger, I would definitely ask you out." The security guard then smiled and sighed after turning towards the drunk boys, "It¡¯s good to be young."

    Zhou Sisi shook her head as she witnessed the drunk and asleep Wang Tong kick Hu Ynagxuan off his bed. Aside from Hu Yangxuan, Zhou Sisi was the other student who knew what happened. She was upset to see Wang Tong behaving like that, and couldn¡¯t help wonder how he would behave if she were the one who left instead.

    Wang Tong suddenly whispered a name in his sleep. It wasn¡¯t Samantha, but Ma Xiaoru, and he was saying it in front of Zhou Sisi.

    Somehow, people would only learn what they really wanted after losing it. Without a doubt, Wang Tong was attracted to Samantha¡¯s sexiness, cheerfulness, and strong-willed personality. However, he had mistaken it for love.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru was always right by Wang Tong¡¯s side, and asked nothing in return from him. It was clear that Wang Tong would be happy with her, but instead, the boy liked challenges, and ended up fancying someone way out of his league. Anyway, it was already toote.

    Zhou Sisi then adjusted Wang Tong¡¯s nket and covered Hu Yangxuan with a piece of bed sheet. After taking care of the boys, she quietly closed the door and left.

    It was a beautiful night, and the crescent moon was hanging brightly in the dark sky...

 Chapter 208: Super Energy

    Chapter 208: Super Energy

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The next day, both Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan were having a headache due to the hangover. Nevertheless, Wang Tong had felt better. Perhaps it was time to forget about everything for the sake of everyone else.

    It was time for him to gather himself!

    Hu Yangxuan went back to sleep after ss. His body felt more tired than Wang Tong¡¯s because he had been sleeping on the floor for the whole night.

    However, Wang Tong grabbed Hu Yangxuan before he could leave, "No more sleep my man! We have to cheer up. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go for training. We need to let everyone know that we didn¡¯t defeat Capth due to a coincidence. We need to train harder!"

    "Spare me from your torture, buddy. At least lemme have some sleep!"

    "No time for naps, go get the rest of the team as well. Or else, we¡¯ll turnzy again!"

    "Alright, alright, let go of me. What do you wanna train?"

    "METAL Combat of course! We¡¯ve been wasting too much timetely. My body is covered with rust." Wang Tong answered energetically.

    "Huh? Can we do it some other time? I¡¯ve notpletely recovered yet!"

    "Nope, right now, we¡¯re the only main fighters of Ayrng¡¯s METAL Combat team. I won¡¯t be able to do this alone. Are you trying to run away as well?"

    "Calm down, I¡¯m not going anywhere. Oh f*ck it, let¡¯s do this!" Hu Yangxuan joined Wang Tong in the end, as he would never let himself held back by women! After all, men should be focusing on their career instead of wasting their time thinking about girls.

    However, Hu Yangxuan soon regretted apanying Wang Tong in his torturous training, as he was screaming in pain from time to time¡­

    Wang Tong notice that he had gotten quite free recently. Hence, he began to fill up his free time with different activities in order to move on. He had never contacted Samantha ever since the breakup, and Samantha too had never called him since that day. However, he did hear a lot of things about her.

    Aside from his own training, Wang Tong had also begun to input his effort in building up their "S" Society. Besides the lessons in ss, he realized that one¡¯s personal training was also very important, as it would help enhance the learning process.

    The original members of "S" Society had be the main aces of Ayrng. Rumi no longer needed any supervision after joining the special training, and she even managed to recruit a few students who also majored in Intel Programming Battle. Although they were not extremely talented, these students showed a great interest in this subject. Furthermore, these strong-willed students would also have the chance of learning through battling with the Zhang Brothers.

    Besides Rumi, Tita had also recruited five new members to his team, and since then, he had been training them hard with tons of physical activities. However, he was even more strict about himself, and he trained harder than anyone else. To the other students, Tita might be one of the heroes, yet Tita knew that he was, in fact, one of the weakest in his team. He was in charge of Ayrng¡¯s Heavy Armed Brawl team, yet he had never won a single match. After watching the match between Scarlet and Jia Gang, Tita was well aware of the real distance in terms of strength. He had to work harder!

    He might be the best in Ayrng, but he was definitely less skilled and talentedpared to the other candidates from different academies. Hence, he had no choice but to train harder in order to be one of the best in this category!

    Aside from being the chairman of the society, Wang Tong was also the one that everybody looked up to. Wang Tong was in charge of Battlecraft Combat and METAL Combat, while Zhou Sisi took the role as his assistant. Hu Yangxuan had also be more serioustely, and his job was to get "beaten" by Wang Tong everyday. After all, he was the only one in Ayrng that was strong enough to be Wang Tong¡¯s sparring partner.

    During their spars, the brave Hu Yangxuan would always charge towards Wang Tong while shouting "By the power of the almighty Temr!". However, he would always get KO-ed in the end by Wang Tong. In fact, "S" Society¡¯s medical expenses had been gradually increasing ever since Wang Tong became the main person in charge.

    A week had passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Tong was going through a report submitted by Zhou Sisi regarding thetest updates of every academy. Wang Tong found this very important as information was one of the crucial factors of sess!

    Nevertheless, that information was prepared by Cao Yi, who was extremely skilled in intel-gathering. Sometimes, he was even able to obtain intel from Moon and Mars, with the help from the Zhang Brothers.

    Something big happened this week; it was a huge announcement from the CEO of FFC.

    Apparently, they had found the solution to the energy source problem that has been bugging mankind during intergctic explorations!

    Before that, antimatter energy was the only option for energy source during intergctic explorations. However, this energy source was extremely difficult to be extracted. After years of research and development, FFC had finallye up with an advanced option for an energy source, known as VZPE Batteries!

    With the VZPE Battery, mankind would be able to set off into real intergctic explorations without worrying about energy source!

    This was, in fact, the "infinite energy" that everyone was dreaming about!

    Studies of quantum physics had always been mentioning about an enormous energy force in the vacuum space that was subject to fluctuations about a dormant zero average-field condition. This energy was known as Vacuum Zero-point Energy, or VZPE. Its existence had been proven by scientists through conducting researches and precise measurements based on Casimir¡¯s theory (Casimir Effect is a small attractive force that acts between two close parallel uncharged conducting tes. It is due to quantum vacuum fluctuations of the electromaic field.). Basically, it was like a vast powerhouse in a vacuum space where fluctuations of energy existed in both positive and negative space. This energy existed in a vacuum state as it contained no physical particle, and this new battery was able to generate power through extracting energy from the positive space. Atst, after many years of experimentation, the theory finally came to life.

    With FFC¡¯s technology, they had finally invented the VZPE Battery, allowing mankind to ess infinite energy source!

    Energy had always been one of mankind¡¯s core issues, but from now onwards, this invention would change everyone¡¯s lives, from daily lives to voyages into the vast universe!

    This tremendous announcement had instantly created an uproar throughout mankind¡¯s universe, and had even rippled its way to Centaurus Clusters and Andromeda Gxy.

    As a matter of fact, both Centaurus and Andromeda were not discovered by spacecrafts. They were actually randomly discovered through Hyper Jumps. Before that, scientists had been observing and researching for years in order to pinpoint their exact locations. Nevertheless, they had failed for many times throughout the process. And because discoveries like that would cost a fortune every time and Hyper Jumps were incredibly risky at that time, there had never been another discovery after Centaurus and Andromeda.

    However, with the new VZPE Battery, mankind had finally opened the gateway to the vast universe, and with the assistance from Hyper Jump technology, mankind¡¯s intergctic era had finally begun!

    Yet, that didn¡¯t mean mankind would be treating outer space like their backyard. Instead, it was a doorway for mankind¡¯s future generations. After all, humans were destined to move further as time progressed, as stated by Albert Einstein in his Theory of Rtivity.

    This also exined why House of Ma was able to stand tall amongst other Houses. Somehow, they were always able to surprise the world with a piece of new technology every few decades, and people wouldn¡¯t even see iting many time. Their life-changing inventions covered all aspects of mankind, some even suspected that House of Ma was actually hiding a top-secret technique or possessed extraterrestrial technologies in their household. Nevertheless, those were only spections, and House of Ma undeniably possessed an excellent R&D team that surpassed the Ivantians.

    This sudden announcement had once again enabled the House of Ma to be the center of attention amongst the other Great Houses, while Ma Dutian, the current sessor of House of Ma, had be the man of the year. Somehow, this technology in his possession was even greater than the past inventions of Space Crystal and METAL Suits!

    In terms of strength, House of Ma might look like the weakestpared to the other four houses. However, some suspected that House of Ma was actually the strongest of all, because they could be possessing some high-tech firepower that hadn¡¯t been made public yet. But in the end, those were only spections. After all, they looked more like businessmen than fighters. Nevertheless, no one dared to mess with House of Ma, because people needed their inventions to thrive and prosper. After all, they were the hope of mankind¡¯s evolution.

    Many forces had been trying to infiltrate House of Ma by sending in spies from time to time. If their espionages ended up dead, House of Ma could be definitely considered to be hiding something. But every spy they sent in was able toe back alive with no broken bones. Most importantly, they were not able to find any proof that House of Ma was hiding any sort of secret technology. In short, House of Ma was a colossal business tycoon of this world.

    No hidden technologies, no extraterrestrial spacecrafts, nothing secretive. Yet, new technologies were introduced every few decades.

    Additionally, House of Ma actually wasn¡¯t as weak as it looked. After all, they were one of mankind¡¯s Five Great Houses. And this fact was well acknowledged by their friends, allies and enemies across the universe.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru had also be to center of attention as soon as the little princess of FFC transferred to Capth. Surprisingly, no one asked why she transferred to Capth, because it seemed normal to most people. After all, she had done her part in helping Samantha. Also, a normal academy like Ayrng didn¡¯t suit her uniqueness.

    FFC¡¯s stock price skyrocketed like never before, and their wealth was definitely second to none.

    However, the principal of Capth, Lieutenant General rk, stood up and scolded the media for creating too much disturbance for the academy, and that it would affect the learning progress of the other students. Furthermore, Capth didn¡¯t like their students being dragged into the gossips of the outside world.

    Basically, he was asking for the reporters to back off from Ma Xiaoru¡¯s life. Fortunately, people did listen to rk from time to time.

    The media knew not to mess with both House of Ma and rk, so they obediently backed off. After all, both parties were powerful enough to make things quiet.

    Although the media coverage on Ma Xiaoru had stopped, that didn¡¯t mean that her fame had decreased. When people mentioned FFC, the first thing that came to their mind was VZPE Battery, followed by the name Ma Xiaoru. Rumors had it that her Tactics of the Enchantress had improved a lot, and was even able to defeat Li Ruo-Er, not to mention she was gentle, charming and well-mannered. She instantly became the dream girl of the year, and almost everyone was crazy about her.

    On the other hand, scientists seemed to have gone crazy as well. Apparently, every physicist, astronomer, engineer, and mathematician was overwhelmed by FFC¡¯stest invention, and they were amazed by the versatility of this VZPE Battery. Finally, the problem that had been bugging them for years had been solved for good.

    To most of the scientists, this was a pure scientific breakthrough that widened their knowledge, and had nothing to do with money at all.

    FFCter decided to organize a special conference regarding this invention. In fact, FFC would always share partials of their technologies with the rest of the world. But of course, FFC would still be keeping VZPE Battery¡¯s core technology to themselves. After all, those were their business secrets.

    Still, it was able to create a gigantic uproar amongst forces and corporations of different aspects.

    In general, mankind¡¯s future was in Ma Dutian¡¯s hands!

 Chapter 209: Return of the Golden Goose

    Chapter 209: Return of the Golden Goose

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong slowly turned off his Sky-Net. He saw the picture of Ma Xiaoru¡¯s life in Capth; she was smiling like an angel.

    Then, Wang Tong pinched himself; time for him to get over it!

    "Dear mentor, you done with that? Here you go, have some coffee." Zhou Sisi walked towards Wang Tong with a cup of aromatic coffee in her hands.

    Wang Tong shook his head gently, "Nah, I¡¯m good, thanks. Oh, by the way, you can just call me Wang Tong next time."

    Wang Tong was trying to keep his distance with Zhou Sisi, as he didn¡¯t want to hurt another girl again.

    It startled Zhou Sisi for a while, then sheid down the coffee on his table and said, "You know, not every girl who was close to you would fall for you at the same time. Rest assured, you¡¯re not my type. I prefer boys like Hu Yangxuan. Unless either one of us transferred to another academy, you really don¡¯t have to distance yourself from me, because it¡¯ll just make everything seem awkward. And by the way, I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re such a mawkish boy!"

    Zhou Sisi then turned around and walked away, "Enjoy your coffee while it¡¯s hot, it¡¯ll taste bad if it gets cold."

    Wang Tong stared at Zhou Sisi, then turned towards the cup of aromatic coffee and said, "Thank you..."

    However, he didn¡¯t notice the disappointment in Zhou Sisi¡¯s heart at all...

    It had been a quiet weekend. After their crusade against Capth, both Ma Xiaoru and Samantha had disappeared from Wang Tong¡¯s life. And since Hu Yangxuan had also gone home for the weekend, Wang Tong was left alone once again.

    After going through tons of ups and downs, Wang Tong finally understood what "worry" tasted like. Nevertheless, it was time for him to gather himself and get busy, he had to move on.

    Fortunately, Wang Tong was an optimistic person who would never let things like this get in his way.

    Wang Tong still got up early in the morning for his training, even though it was a weekend. Aside from doing his regr training, Wang Tong also began to work on the improvement program for himself as well as for "S" Society.

    Basically, the students of Ayrng were still weakerpared to those from the other academies. If Hu Yangxuan and he were first ss students, Zhou Sisi would be second ss, while the rest of the team was only close to second ss. Now that Wang Ben and Ma Xiaoru had left, Ayrng¡¯s situation was not looking good. Instead of relying on a few students, the academy needed an overall improvement. Fortunately, the students of Ayrng were recently showing great enthusiasm in general.

    Surprisingly, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t alone in the morning as the amount of people training in the field had increased significantly. This was way beyond imagination, because not many students would show up at this hour in ss during weekdays, let alone their precious weekends. Many would prefer to rx rather than working out. However, students recently seemed to have realized that their time in the academy was actually the best time in their lives to learn. After all, this knowledge would be very useful in the future.

    Recently, Wang Tong was selected by Gansus as his assistant, and since he was also getting paid for his work, it was definitely killing two birds with one stone.

    Although Wang Tong¡¯s knowledge about Zergs was straightforward and effective, the way he understood things was not systematic enough. Sometimes, he would be confused by his own understandings or even end up with funny conclusions. Knowing that normal lessons would never be able to satisfy Wang Tong anymore, Gansus decided to hire Wang Tong as his assistant, enabling him to acquire more experience and precise knowledge while helping him in dissecting Zergs and preparing reports.

    After bing his assistant, Wang Tong realized that Gansus was more than an ordinary teacher. Moreover, he possessed extraordinary knowledge in extraterrestrial studies, which was totally different from those that were usually seen in data and reports.

    Aside from work and studies, Wang Tong didn¡¯t talk much, and Gansus too was not very interested in his private life. Hence, Wang Tong was veryfortable spending time around this teacher.

    Gansus was totally differentpared to the other teachers. He even told Wang Tong that it would be fine for him to skip his ss and focus on his own tasks instead. Normally, a teacher would never say such things to his or her students, even if the students were above average standards.

    Nevertheless, Ayrng needed unique students and teachers like them. Ever since Samantha took over Ayrng¡¯s administration, Gansus had gained more freedom. Back then, Gansus was bound by the traditional teaching methods where all of his decisions required approvals and permissions, and students were not interested in his unique teaching methods. However, times had changed, and Gansus¡¯ poprity was increasing day by day, making him the role model amongst teachers.

    Instead of pleasing the students, Gansus emphasized on improving his students¡¯ performances as well as increasing their enthusiasm, and he did it.

    Wang Tong¡¯s morning workout was quite simple. First, he would go for a five-kilometer run to wake up his body, followed by one thousand pushups using different fingers. Then, he would carry on his training at the Gravity Chamber andter begin to initialize his Tactics of the de for one cirction. After finishing every training, he would then have his breakfast and do some readings.

    Basically, that was the daily routine of Wang Tong¡¯s morning.

    At noon, he would be seen working alongside Gansus. Surprisingly, both Gansus and Wang Tong were able to get along very well. They had simr personalities and didn¡¯t talk much except exchanging information. If he were happy, Gansus would tell Wang Tong stories about the days when he was serving the military or some of his spections about Zergs. Most of Gansus¡¯ spections were yet to be proven, but Wang Tong was smart enough to identify which one was useful and which one was not.

    Normally, people would lose their appetite after performing dissections on those horrible creatures, except Gansus and Wang Tong, who were still able to have their lunch with great appetite as usual. Some were trying to be like them, yet it didn¡¯t bother Gansus because in general, no one was as strong-willed as the two of them. Even if a person were able to eat as normal in the afternoon, he or she would definitely throw up or even have nightmares at night. People were terrified by the foul smell, those disgusting internal organs and the gooey slimy liquid of Zergs, but all of these didn¡¯t disgust Gansus and Wang Tong at all. To them, it was like dissecting frogs and handling ydough, and they were extremely interested in the structures of Zergs and the secrets within those creatures¡¯ bodies.

    Then, Gansus would treat Wang Tong for dinner after work. Apparently, Gansus was very friendly, and thankfully, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t shy either. To Wang Tong, Gansus¡¯ treat was satisfying enough even though it was mainly simple dishes from the academy¡¯s cafeteria. After dinner, both of them would call it a night and part ways. It was a strangebination indeed, and perhaps Wang Tong was the only person who was able to hang around Gansus.

    Without worrying about love and rtionships, Wang Tong had be energetic once again. Nevertheless, he hoped that things would continue to keep him busy. After all, it took time for every bit of his emotion to die down.

    Perhaps he should bury his feelings into the bottom of his heart and turn those unforgettable experiences into sweet memories.

    Fortunately, Einherjar Wannabe had calmed down a lot after turning into a METAL Suit. Wang Tong was able to understand his depression. After all, Einherjar Wannabe had been trying so hard in order to find a way to get out from the Space Crystal, and no one would be able to handle such an unexpected oue.

    Anyhow, Wang Tong really wanted to help Einherjar Wannabe, but he was too busy recently and had no time to bother at all. Perhaps only Old Fart would be able to tell where the Space Crystal came from. Sadly, Old Fart was still missing in action. There were times when Wang Tong would wonder what on earth was Old Fart hiding from him, and how he wished Old Fart would resurface and make sense of everything that had been bothering him.

    Luckily, Wang Tong was not a person who liked getting to the bottom of a question. Those things that he had no idea at all, Wang Tong would set them aside and let them be. After all, whatever would be, would be.

    Normally at this hour, Wang Tong would be chatting and chilling out with Zhou Sisi, but he had learned his lesson after the incident. Perhaps it would be better for him to be alone and keep his distance. Suddenly, Wang Tong realized that he had not been logging into PA for quite some time. Hence, Wang Tong decided to go check it out. Maybe he would be able to find an opponent if he were lucky.

    The moment Wang Tong stepped foot into DREAM Heaven, the shopkeeper almost rushed out and gave him a hug, "Long time no see my friend! Been busy with ssestely?"

    "Haha, yea, tons of homework."

    "Haha, indeed! I heard that Ayrng has be popr recently. The people of Shangjin were extremely proud of you guys. I¡¯m even nning to send my kid to Ayrng in the future."

    "Wow, good for you mister. Got any room for me?"

    "Of course, the usual." The shopkeeper was overjoyed to see Wang Tong. He had been fussing about business getting badtely. However, he was confident that business would be better when the "Golden Goose" arrived.

    The shopkeeper enthusiastically handed Wang Tong his ess card, then immediately said his prayers to the God of Prosperity.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t check the forum. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t really interested in what people thought about him. He remembered Old Fart used to say, "Instead of worrying about how the others see you, you should be focusing on how you feel about yourself". Lately, Wang Tong had been thinking a lot about Old Fart; sometimes he would remember his cute reddish nose.

    Although Einherjar Wannabe had been missing in action for quite a long period of time, his poprity still didn¡¯t die down. In fact, his existence in PA had even caught the interest of a number of Martians and even Kaedeians.

    Kaedeians were exceptionally unique and exotic. Even though Earthlings and Ivantians had seen Kaedeians before, yet to them, Kaedeians still felt like those foreign beauties from western countries. Only Martians were familiar with them, after all, both Martians and Kaedeians were living on the same. However, Kaedeians were rarely seen by Earthlings and Ivantians.

    Kaedeian was a matrilineal race. Hundreds of years had passed, yet themunity status of Kaedeian men remained low, but they seemed fine with it. Nevertheless, the confederal government would never interfere with the customs of other races. Which also exined why the Kaedeians in PA were mainly female yers.

    Judging from the current society, Ivantian girls were known to be more perfect and elegant, and they also had better contours. Martian girls had darker toned skins and were more energetic, perhaps it had something to do with the environmental factors on Mars. Martian girls were known for their great enthusiasm and straightforward attitude, and it might have something to do with the influences from Kaedeians. However, Mars had a more patriarchal societypared to Earth and Moon. As for Kaedeians, its governance was fully controlled by females. However, they did follow the rules of Earthlings when they had to deal with them, and would remain silent most of the time. Their beauties were out of this world, like the muses and goddesses of ancient Greek mythology, but the extraterrestrial version of them.

 Chapter 210: A Stronger Opponent

    Chapter 210: A Stronger Opponent

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    As for Earthling girls, the best way to describe them was they looked "Earthy". Or to be exact, Earthling girls looked more like human beingspared to the girls from other races, which was why they were respectively popr amongst mankindmunities.

    Instead of getting upset, Kaedeians actually didn¡¯t mind being admired by the other yers in PA. In fact, they wouldn¡¯t get too close with Earthlings under normal circumstances. Nevertheless, romantic rtionships between Earthlings and Kaedeians were very weed in themunity, and both parties had been working very hard in order to maintain the harmonious rtionship in the alliance. Normally, if a Kaedeian decided to start a family with an Earthling, they would adopt a Kaedeian or Earthling orphan as their child.

    Wang Tong too was fairly attracted by Kaedeians; they did look amazing in an exotic way.

    System notification: Einherjar Wannabe logged in!

    Nowadays, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s poprity was second to none in PA, especially after he sessfully defeated Kaedeian¡¯s Art of the zing re with his Art of the Soaring Heaven, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fame rose like never before.

    The word of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s appearance spread across immediately like wildfire. More Kaedeians began to log in, all there to battle Einherjar Wannabe. Apparently, many yers and technicians had been trying out his Art of the Soaring Heaven. However, they discovered that it wasn¡¯t as good as it looked. In fact, battle strategies were not as simple as they looked; same strategies being used by different yers would have different oues for sure. Since Einherjar Wannabe only battled one yer in the previous Battlecraft Combat, many had doubted his capabilities. Nevertheless, people were still very interested in his battles and would like to know more about him.

    Wang Tong¡¯s recent focus in Battlecraft Combat was to finalize his Art of the Soaring Heaven and also his Art of the Iron Wall, one offensive strategy and one defensive strategy. In order to shape them into perfection, first, he would have to look for every small w within his strategies. In order to make them better, he would have to take part in battles. Challenging elite yers would be the best way to fine-tune his own strategies.

    Strangely, Wang Tong had a reason why his battle strategies were not as vivid as Carl¡¯s. He had inputted too much stuff that focused on overall perspectives and timing, and his strategies mainly based on his own feelings in battles. Thus, they all looked weird and funny in the end.

    Wang Tong had been trying out his Art of the Iron Wall against Zhou Sisi and Best during training, but the improvements were not as much as he expected. Moreover, Wang Tong didn¡¯t dare to use Art of the Soaring Heaven, because he was afraid that his secret identity would be busted by a good yer like Best, unless someone else in his team had already been trying out Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    Cameron¡¯s team immediately got busy when Einherjar Wannabe showed up. They were always standing by for his appearance. Now that his team had provided everything Einherjar Wannabe would need, all Cameron had to do was to wait in patience and see who he would pick as his opponent.

    Currently, more yers were trying to challenge Einherjar Wannabe, and Cameron¡¯s staff had taken the trouble to sort out a list of impressive challengers. However, Cameron had also sent Einherjar Wannabe another system notification, requesting him to inform the administration about his arrival one day earlier. If he weren¡¯t able to do so, it would be great if he could standby for a moment and give some time for his opponents to get ready. Surprisingly, Wang Tong replied and agreed to Cameron¡¯s suggestions.

    Wang Tong had decided to fully concentrate on his training; the stronger his opponents, the better he would be able to focus. Moreover, he would not have to think about anything else besides focusing on his training.

    Since herst defeat, Rhin had been busy researching the methods of countering Art of the Soaring Heaven. She even asked her ssmates to imitate this strategy that was used by Einherjar Wannabe. However, she realized that no one else was able to be as perfect as Einherjar Wannabe. Not only did their versions contain a lot of ws, but Rhin was also able to knock them out with her Art of the zing re like a piece of cake.

    In other words, the best way to conduct her experiments was to challenge Einherjar Wannabe once again.

    However, she realized that Einherjar Wannabe had never fought the same opponent twice. Apparently, he was only interested in newer and stronger yers. Even though Rhin had improved a lottely, still she wasn¡¯t really confident in winning against Einherjar Wannabe.

    As a matter of fact, Kaedeians had discovered a bunch of ws within Art of the Soaring Heaven after using it a few times during simtion battles, especially its super weak defense in the early stages. It would never be able to stand a chance as long as the opposing yer developed a decent anti-interference system. Hence, many Kaedeians began to ignore this strategy.

    Nevertheless, Rhin sought her senior Parese¡¯s assistance. Parese was one of the members of Her Highness¡¯s Guard Regiment, and she was also Kaedeians Royal Academy¡¯s No.1 among second graders. After all, Rhin was the only person who did fight against Einherjar Wannabe for three matches, and she could tell that his Art of the Soaring Heaven was way different from the conventional ones!

    However, most of her friends were telling her that the reason she lost was due to the element of surprise. She was caught off guard because she had never seen such strategy before. Now that it had been widely researched, his strategy would never be as intimidating anymore.

    Opportunistic strategies like this could be easily countered. All that a yer had to do was able to set up a perfect recon at the beginning of the match, and deliver a sudden ambushter, catching the enemy off guard and ending the match with the speed of lightning.

    Nheless, Rhin still had her doubts, which was why she sought Parese¡¯s assistance. She needed guidance from an experienced Kaedeian fighter.

    It took her quite some time to persuade Parese. After all, most of her time was upied by her position as Her Highness¡¯s Royal Guard, not to mention she also needed time for her own training and also learning political knowledge. Unlike Earthlings, Kaedeian¡¯s government constitution resembled the political status of the Medieval Ages.

    The reason Parese agreed to help wasn¡¯t because she wanted to avenge the defeat of a fellow Kaedeian. After all Kaedeians were unlikely to fight against Earthlings. She agreed to help Rhin because only Einherjar Wannabe was able to demonstrate the real Art of the Soaring Heaven, and she also believed that it wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Furthermore, Parese was also quite curious about how strong the real Art of the Soaring Heaven was.

    Rhin had been eagerly waiting for Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s appearance. She had to show the other Kaedeians that his Art of the Soaring Heaven was not as weak as it seemed, and it was extremely effective against their existing battle strategies. Although Kaedeians weren¡¯t interested in the fight of reputations, still it didn¡¯t mean that they had no sense of crisis. After all, their home was based on another race¡¯s, so they had to build up their own strength in order to survive and thrive.

    Wang Tong was looking at the two lists of challengers prepared by Cameron¡¯s staff, one for METAL Combat and one for Battlecraft Combat. Apparently, the challengers in METAL Combat were mainly yers with morous IDs but funny battle results. Meanwhile, the challengers in Battlecraft Combat looked more promising.

    After much consideration, Wang Tong decided to select an opponent who had participated more than one thousand matches and with the winning ratio of more than eighty percent. Based on the avable data, Wang Tong was certain that his next opponent was definitely not some random weakling from nowhere.

    Nevertheless, luck would decide on how strong his opponent really was.

    Just when he was about to press the ept button, a long and unique name caught his eye. Wang Tong had no idea what the Kaedeian writings said, but he was definitely attracted to the trantion at the end that said: Parese, Kaedeian Royal Academy¡¯s No.1 among second graders.

    Wang Tong instantly changed his mind and selected Parese instead. He had always been longing to fight against Kaedeians, because their operating maneuvers and awareness were very differentpared to Earthlings. He was certain that having a match against a Kaedeian girl would be able to bring him some inspirations.

    Wang Tong¡¯s main focus was to strengthen both the Art of the Soaring Heaven and the Art of the Iron Wall to a certain level before he passed both strategies to his team. It might sound cruel, but there was no other option for Ayrng at this moment except getting stronger and stronger. Moreover, Wang Tong was a man who would keep his promises. So, he would still be assisting Samantha in strengthening the academy while letting her know that she wasn¡¯t alone at all.

    He knew he would be able to do that.

    Ding Dong¡­

    System notification: Einherjar Wannabe would be fighting against Parese in Battlecraft Combat.

    Wang Tong let his opponent decide when she wanted to start; nevertheless, the sooner, the better.

    Rhin smiled immediately when she saw Einherjar Wannabe ept Parese¡¯s challenge. In fact, she was quite confident that Einherjar Wannabe would pick Parese, because he was obviously a man in search of greater strength.

    As for METAL Combat, Wang Tong scrolled down his list to spot his next opponent. Since Wang Tong had already fought against Ivantians before, this time, Wang Tong picked a Martian opponent instead.

    Wang Tong chose this opponent because of his unique name, Hwo Quan. It was a real name, in fact, Hwo was an exclusive surname of a family on Mars. They were known for being House of Lie¡¯s faithful followers since ages. Generations of the Hwo family had been serving House of Lie ever since they fully obtained Mars¡¯ governance. In return, people from House of Lie would select a few youngsters from Hwo family from time to time and would be teaching them Tactics of the ze.

    Wang Tong was eager to witness the power of its extraordinary zing attacks.

    Nevertheless, it was basically his wild guess because no one was able to tell if this Hwo Quan fe was really a member of the Hwo family. Nevertheless, Wang Tong was already happy enough to have Parese as his opponent.

    The notification about Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s uing matches was immediately spread across every game developed by DREAM; such a convenient free publicity!

    Regardless of being a PA yer or not, most people were definitely interested in matches like these. As soon as the news spread, the virtual universe was once again lit up by an incredible uproar.

    Even the server indicator of PA had turned from blue to red, meaning the number of users logging in was skyrocketing persistently. The unprecedented appeal of Einherjar Wannabe was absolutely amazing in this era which was already filled with different varieties of entertainment!

    Recently, people even began to wonder if a God-like all-rounder such as Einherjar Wannabe really existed.

    It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe was really nning to dominate both categories, but he would first need to ovee the gigantic obstacles in front of him.

    If he were only trying to dominate METAL Combat, people could still imagine that he was actually an ace from nowhere who received strict training since a young age andter miraculously mastered some high-level tactics randomly and began to dominate with his extraordinary talent and hardwork. At least, people were still able to "exin" why he was able to perform like a real Einherjar.

    However, this person was also trying to dominate Battlecraft Combat, which was not something that could be easily mastered by someone from a family that practiced martial arts. Battle strategies required recon and teamwork, especiallyplicated strategies like Art of the Soaring Heaven. Anyhow, Einherjar Wannabe would really need to bring out his best game if he wanted to make Art of the Soaring Heaven into a proper battle strategy.

    In general, METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat were twopletely different territories, and Einherjar Wannabe was up for a challenge like never before.

 Chapter 211: Double Battles

    Chapter 211: Double Battles

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe was trying to dominate one more category than the legendary de Warrior!

    METAL Combat emphasized on one¡¯s battle experience and capabilities, whereas Battlecraft Combat emphasized on a person¡¯smanding and operating methods. To Einherjar Wannabe, he had no other options but to go big or go home this time.

    With Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fame gradually getting bigger, people were somehow expecting that he would eventually be challenged by much stronger elites and possibly even Level Six Fighters. They wondered if he would be able to handle the heat when that day really arrived? Would his level four Soul Energy still able to create miracles against opponents with such an overwhelming difference?

    In fact, a great deal of strong fighters had been born ever since General Li Feng created METAL Combat. However, none of those fighters were able to dominate both METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat. However, people did believe that it was a matter of time for such a human being to appear someday.

    Perhaps it would really be Einherjar Wannabe, but only if he were able to win this time.

    PA administrationter uploaded the yer¡¯s information of both challengers in order to create a surprise element and increase their publicity. After all, they were only here for bigger business and paychecks.

    Parese, a second grader from Kaedeian Royal Academy, not only was she the No.1 student in her grade, but she was also a member of Her Highness¡¯s adherent. It was almost certain that she would be a famous character amongst Kaedeians in the future. After all, those who got the position as Her Highness¡¯s adherent had bigger chances of bing a general in the future. Based on her information, Parese was definitely a yer that would cause Einherjar Wannabe some troubles.

    Obviously, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s Art of the Soaring Heaven had caught the attention of fellow Kaedeians. Hence, they had sent out a much stronger yer to defeat Einherjar Wannabe and his surprising strategy.

    As for Hwo Quan, it seemed like he was indeed one of the members of Hwo family from Mars, and apparently, he was also one of the top-notches in his family. Only the strongest and toughest kid of the Hwo family would have the chance to learn Tactics of the ze, and it seemed like Hwo Quan had mastered it.

    This meant that tonight, Einherjar Wannabe would be going head to head against tactics of the ze, which was also known as one of the Five Great Tactics of mankind!

    In fact, some even said that it was the fiercest tactics amongst all five!

    After missing in action for half a month, Einherjar Wannabe was finally back, and people were fairly excited to witness the two uing matches.

    In the beginning, the administration intended to postpone the matches to Sunday, but their n failed as both challengers showed up before they could make the announcement. Even if they werete, they would still never agree for sure. To them, it had nothing to do with profits or publicity. All they were interested was the chance to face off against Einherjar Wannabe.

    Cameron was well aware of that, hence he had no choice but to make this as eye-catchy as possible.

    Battlecraft Combat would begin at 2000 hours sharp¡­ The match would feature Einherjar Wannabe against Parese.

    METAL Combat was scheduled at 2100 hours (subjected to change), Einherjar Wannabe versus the almighty Hwo Quan. It would be the most anticipated match of a lifetime!

    Right after General Li Feng created METAL Combat, a great deal of martial art geniuses had been trying to invent tactics that would surpass the Five Great Tactics. In fact, intimidating tactics like those had been recorded in history before, but they contained a lot of ws, and most of the ws would badly hurt its users or even cause a fatality. Hence, up until now, there was nothing that could overpower the unrivaled Five Great Tactics.

    These five tactics were literally mankind¡¯s strongest tactics.

    As a matter of fact, not even a single decent tactics was seen used by someone else in a fight when PA firstunched, let alone the Five Great Tactics. However, it all changed when Einherjar Wannabe showed up, as his mightiness waster challenged by Fist of the Racing Tiger and Firmament Palm Strike one after another. And now, even Tactics of the ze was about to make its debut in this virtual space. The anticipation of people got bigger and bigger. As long as Einherjar Wannabe remained undefeated, stronger challengers would definitely show up one by one, and to most people, this was the type of show that they had been dreaming of.

    Nevertheless, the biggest question remained, was Einherjar Wannabe able to remain unrivaled?

    Meanwhile, at Capth, Cisco, Wally, Wang Ben and the rest of the team were patiently waiting for the match to begin. Although none of them were lectured by Halmond, they still med themselves for losing to Ayrng, and they had to get stronger and aim for much bigger glory in order to offset the humiliation that they had brought to Capth. Honestly, losing was not a big deal since they were still young and there would be plenty of chances for them to shine, but before that, they had to improve themselves. Ayrng¡¯s victory had rmed Capth that they were about to be overtaken by the aces from other A-Ranked academies.

    After all, to maintain a situation was definitely harder than to create one, and the most important factor to do so was to keep on improving.

    Wang Tong¡¯s dominance had shown them that they were not as undefeatable as they thought, not to mention there was still another monster in the virtual world that went by the name Einherjar Wannabe.

    Without a doubt, Einherjar Wannabe had literally exceeded every peer around his age.

    As for Wang Ben, he was immediately recognized as Capth¡¯s No.1 amongst freshmen for his outstanding performance in the previous tournament, without even challenging someone else to a duel. Everyone was certain that his level of strength was more than enough to dominate both first grade and second grade of Capth, and as time went by, he would definitely be stronger and stronger.

    After all, actual strength was the only thing that mattered in Capth, and Wang Ben¡¯s family background had nothing to do with his current achievement.

    However, Wang Ben¡¯s straight face remained the same even though he had be No.1. It seemed like he had decided to go by that attitude until graduation. Surprisingly, his coolness and cold reactions had increased his poprity in Capth instead. Everyone agreed that the cool expression was a perfect match for his top-notch identity.

    Cisco was the first amongst the team who suggested to pay attention to Einherjar Wannabe, and to be honest, he was quite surprised by Wang Ben responding to his suggestion as well. But it didn¡¯t seem strange because Wang Ben was also defeated by Einherjar Wannabe once. But his defeat had instead blessed him for sessfully going through his second Mind-Opening Operation. Hence, it was expected for Wang Ben to have a respectful attitude towards Einherjar Wannabe.

    Aside from the team, many other students of Capth were also joining them to watch the live streaming. Some of them were actually here to be in the same room with Wang Ben and the other celebrities of Capth, instead of watching Einherjar Wannabe.

    Meanwhile, the students of Bernabeu and Ayrng had created a shared room in PA so that all of them could discuss together while watching the matches. Students of Ayrng were, in fact, one of the earliest ones who had noticed Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s existence right after his debut. As for Bernabeu, Cao Yi had even done some research on him before, which was why the students of both academies would pay attention to the uing matches and organized this group viewing session.

    "Where¡¯s Wang Tong?" Apache asked, still looking as cool as always.

    "Something happened to himtely, but he¡¯ll be alright, don¡¯t worry." Zhou Sisi replied briefly.

    Apache didn¡¯t ask anything further since he wasn¡¯t someone who liked sticking his nose into someone else¡¯s business. But somehow, he could tell that it had something to do with Ma Xiaoru. Even though everyone had learned about Ma Xiaoru¡¯s transfer to Capth, still they were curious why would she and Wang Ben do that.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m recording the match for him."

    "Guys, remember to pay attention to his Art of the Soaring Heaven. It¡¯s time to see if his creativity was a yay or nay." Best said.

    "I thought he had proven its capabilityst time?" Carl asked.

    "Haha, not everyone is as lucky as you and your Carl-ism. Your strategy is vivid and organized, and you¡¯re using your real identity when you demonstrated it, which was why Carl-ism was immediately approved by the ministry. As for Wang Tong, the ministry didn¡¯t approve his Art of the Iron Wall because it wasn¡¯t vivid enough. New battle strategies are seriously not as easily approved as you think they would be. Although Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s Art of the Soaring Heaven was vivid at some point, it wasn¡¯t as perfect as it seemed after being tested. It could be easily subdued as long as the opposing yer ambushed earlier with Art of Lightning. Hence, it still requires some fine-tuning, or maybe, Einherjar Wannabe is able to prove that it works fer. Yet, I doubt that would happen." Best exined.

    After his previous amazing performance, Carl had be famous, at some point, even more famous than Wang Tong amongst the Battlecraft Combatmunity. After all, not many academies were aware of his matches in the previous inter-academy tournament. Moreover, the news would only mention about Capth¡¯s careless mistakes, and some people would instead suspect that it was an under-the-table agreement between Capth and Ayrng. However, Carl¡¯s Art of Carl-ism was an officially approved battle strategy, and the people of every academy would remember those names who had created something new. Even teachers would be researching his new strategy in order to exin to their students during ss.

    Soon, his fame would get even bigger.

    Best really envied Carl¡¯s achievement as he would be remembered by history for his creation, and people would bring up Carl¡¯s name whenever his strategy was being used. However Best himself would only be remembered by most people as the decent ace yer amongst his batch, and nothing else.

    Carl nodded after hearing Best¡¯s exnations. Despite his sudden sess, his doggedness remained the same. Sometimes, people did wonder if he really were the person who created Carl-ism.

    Nevertheless, he wasn¡¯t arrogant and had been trying his best to keep on improving. As Gansus predicted, Carl would definitely shine someday, and he was destined to go ces.

    Upon returning to Ayrng after the tournament at Capth, Carl had been training even harder, because he was well aware that someone else might KO him someday with the Art of Carl-ism that he created, and he would never want that to happen. After all, one would have to create long-term achievements in order to maintain his or her dominance.

    Meanwhile, on Moon, Zhang Jin was seen chatting with her team while waiting for the matches. Her guests were well treated by her hospitality as there was a selection of brewed coffee, fresh fruit juices, and even delicate pastries.

    Ivantians did know how to enjoy life, even if they were only students.

    Luv Ma and Miao Xiu had be Zhang Jin¡¯s regr guests. Lately, Miao Xiu had been busy challenging the aces in the academy, and had even be the No.1 amongst freshmen, but wasn¡¯t too happy about that because there was still one b*stard amongst first graders that was yet to be challenged. Although none of the direct sessors of all Five Great Houses were in the academy, still he thought that he wasn¡¯t worth being called No.1; the title was kind of humiliating instead.

    On the other hand, Luv Ma had finally gotten more familiar with Zhang Jin, and his affection and admiration towards her had gotten bigger as well. To him, Zhang Jin had an indescribable and attracting vibe; she was definitely the most perfect dream girl of his life. However, Luv Ma didn¡¯t dare fancy her because she was absolutely way out of his league. Nevertheless, Luv Ma was still fairly excited about being able to hang around the perfect and smart muse of his.

    In fact, Luv Ma had even decided to serve House of Zhang after graduation, and it would even be better if he could be one of Zhang Jin¡¯s core members.

    While the world was busy guessing Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s real identity, Zhang Jin seemed to have discovered something. Even though she still couldn¡¯t confirm Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s true identity, yet she was able to find some clues from his tactics, and she needed some time to confirm her spections.

    Based on the old data from her archive, the real Einherjar Wannabe was dead for ages without a doubt. However, she still wasn¡¯t able to find any record of that person¡¯s real identity. In fact, his existence seemed controversial at that period of time.

    Nevertheless, Zhang Jin needed rock-hard evidence in order to prove everything.

    As the sessor of House of Zhang, her duty was to make sure that both history and intel were based on facts.

 Chapter 212: Overwhelming Dominance

    Chapter 212: Overwhelming Dominance

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Meanwhile, on Mars, students of the Kaedeian Royal Academy were fairly excited about the uing matches. The girls couldn¡¯t wait to see how different was his version of Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    One of the key factors of battle strategies was improvisation. The moreplicated it was, the harder for it to be subdued. One would need to participate in bigger battles from time to time in order topletely master the essence of a new strategy.

    People would like to see if Art of the Soaring Heaven was really designed to counter Art of the zing re.

    Rhin was sitting down with a solemn expression. She was joined by a group of students who were the experts in this category. Apparently, they were also watching the matches in order to gather enough data and evidence for their research on Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    Both yers were given more than half an hour to prepare themselves. The first match was about to begin, yet the numbers of spectators was still increasing. Clearly, they were all interested upon seeing Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s name was mentioned.

    Cameron was certain that Einherjar Wannabe would never let him down. But unfortunately, he still wasn¡¯t able to have Einherjar Wannabe under his control. How he wished Einherjar Wannabe would act under hismand? Recently, Cameron had been trying to figure out Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s real identity. Apparently, his random appearance was not very good for business development. Hence, Cameron was thinking of approaching him in person by tracking him down with the clues that Einherjar Wannabe left behind. Nevertheless, Cameron was also worried that Einherjar Wannabe might actually be a yer who was owned by another organization.

    Whenever yers logged into PA, the system would be indicating their general whereabouts, for instance, a certain district on Earth. If Cameron could find the exact login location that matched Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s login time and customs, Cameron might have a big chance of tracking him down.

    In fact, a lot of mediapanies had also been asking DREAM regarding Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s real identity. But DREAM didn¡¯t say anything about it, not because they didn¡¯t want to, but they were clueless as well.

    Turned out Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s IP address was untraceable. He was on Earth alright, but his location was bouncing here and there, which was something that they had never seen before. Even though Cameron had recently received the permission from DREAM¡¯s board of directors to track Einherjar Wannabe down, it was still quite difficult judging from thetest technologies he had. Nevertheless, his technicians were now thinking of a way to solve this.

    Cameron couldn¡¯t help wondering how Einherjar Wannabe was able to log in at different locations from time to time, and he suspected that Einherjar Wannabe actually had a special team of people with advanced technologies to help him. Hence, his ID was able to bounce here and there. After all, a single person would never be able to do so. If Einherjar Wannabe did have a team to support him, that would mean that the opposing party was bigger than he could imagine, and he didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what they were really trying to do¡­

    The stronger and more secretive Einherjar Wannabe became, the more worried certain departments and organizations would be. Even though they didn¡¯t do anything at this point, yet they would want an exnation from DREAM at some day for sure if Einherjar Wannabe defeated one of the sessors of the Five Great Houses. However, that was unlikely to happen for the time being.

    Nevertheless, when that day came, even God would not be able to answer his prayers for sure.

    "Any update on the tracking?"

    "Negative sir. Apparently, the opposing party is better than we expected. We couldn¡¯t even narrow down the location with our power source tracking method. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re dealing with a much bigger corporation." One of the technicians looked startled. After all, as thepany which developed PA, DREAM was armed with all sorts of advanced technologies, yet they were unable to trace Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s whereabouts at all.

    Some even wondered if he was actually a ghost that lived in the virtual world.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was seen warming up and exercising his wrists. His opponent had to be even stronger since she was Rhin¡¯s upperssman. Wang Tong was fairly excited and hopeful that it would be a good match.

    However, it seemed like Wang Tong didn¡¯t notice that his Space Crystal was letting out a faint shimmering glow¡­

    As for the shopkeeper, he was smiling happily at the counter. The golden goose had once again worked his magic and "summoned" a bunch of customers in a blink of an eye. Even the open monitor area in his shop was fully packed with people. Those people were seen talking nonstop, and the excitement was heating up. However, the shopkeeper didn¡¯t mind the loudness at all since the more excited they got, the thirstier they would be, and he would be able to sell more drinks tonight.

    Both yers showed up in the arena at 2000 hours sharp. Everyone was full of anticipation, eager to find out if Einherjar Wannabe would be able to maintain his standard in a more difficult challenge like this.

    The match was about to begin, and every student from various academies was watching this match in all sorts of methods.

    Everyone knew that battles in Battlecraft Combat were not for entertainment at all, yet this match had caught the interest of ton of professional yers, and the spectators¡¯ turnout was even much higher than Earth Confederation¡¯s previous tournaments.

    Apparently, everyone was here to see if Art of the Soaring Heaven was really that invincible.

    In fact, a battle strategy had to be verified for its effectiveness. The stronger it was, the moreplicated it would be, and more loopholes it would contain. But, if the strategy was too simple, it would be too boring and people would lose their interest.

    Einherjar Wannabe and Parese were both doing their final adjustments. Theirplicated hand speed exercises were more than enough to dazzle the crowd.

    Finally, the match had begun!

    The match immediately became a mirror battle as both yers¡¯ hands were evenly quick at the beginning phase. None of them wasted any time, and every detail was done to perfection. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t surprise many people as most of them were also able to copy those robotic movements that didn¡¯t require any thinking. However, something did happen after a minute.

    When Einherjar Wannabepleted his air base, people immediately knew that he was about to demonstrate his Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    Meanwhile, Parese was seen using Kaedeian¡¯s favorite Art of the zing re. As the No.1 amongst second graders in Kaedeian Royal Academy, Parese was more mature and steadier that Rhin, hence her Art of the zing re was, of course, better than Rhin¡¯s. Furthermore, Parese¡¯s controlling maneuvers seemed impressive as well. Clearly, she didn¡¯t panic even though she was facing the famous Einherjar Wannabe.

    Recons from both yers were pretty decent as well, and they paid attention to every detail of their movements. It seemed like neither yer kept any secrets from each other in the beginning phase, while the match further developed to one that resembled the previous fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Rhin. But as Einherjar Wannabe began to deploy his ne, Parese¡¯s ground forces were seen getting into formation. Apparently, she had shortened her financial development stage to create a ground formation that targeted Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s gimmicks.

    As Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ne approached, Parese deployed a small group of troops to counter his airborne attacks.

    Both yers began exchanging fire, and it seemed like Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s strategy waspletely busted. Apparently, his ne was unable to destroy her radar tower since he was unable to deal with the defense on the ground, and things were not looking good.

    If Einherjar Wannabe were unable to deal with her strategy, without a doubt, Parese would be turning the table in no time.

    As a matter of fact, Parese¡¯s controlling maneuvers was rated top-notch in her academy, not to mention her way of reconnaissance and utilizing Art of the zing re was differentpared to the others. Instead of hastily destroying Wang Tong¡¯s ne, she nned to guard her radar towers while conserving forces and waiting for the perfect chance to ambush in one shot.

    However, just that everyone was wondering if Einherjar Wannabe would back down and think of another way, his second fighter jet hade to the rescue. It seemed like he was demonstrating parallel dual controlling maneuvers!

    One of his nes was busy attacking Parese¡¯s radar towers while the other one was seen subduing the opponent with its airborne advantages. Parese knew about the importance of radar towers, so she had no choice but to defend them with all of her might, even if it would cost her to lose a great deal of troops.

    Parese¡¯s controlling maneuvers were wless, yet for some reason, she was always this close to getting rid of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s nes.

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s nes were traveling inpletely different patterns even though he was controlling them with parallel dual controlling maneuvers, as one was in charge of attack and the other one was in charge of interfering. The effectiveness and uracy of Parese¡¯s troops immediately dropped since she had to separate her troops in order to deal with two nes, and she was unable to afford losing so many troops.

    Both yers were trying their best to control the current situation. Parese then took over with her strongest controlling maneuvers and secured the statuses of her radar towers!

    Everyone was looking at the huge monitor. They could tell that Einherjar Wannabe was getting KO-ed soon since his invisible team was basically useless in this situation.

    All of a sudden, Parese¡¯s siren went off at her base, and her face went pale as she turned around to see what was going on. Turned out Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ground troops had approached her base, and even though it wasn¡¯t veryrge scale, still it was more than enough to deal her the finishing blow.

    This time, Einherjar Wannabe demonstrated the parallel tri controlling maneuvers, adding frontal attacks and rear interference into his attacks.

    In the end, Parese helplessly surrendered.

    Everyone began to wonder if that was, in fact, the true power of Art of the Soaring Heaven!

    It was indeed a sudden victory of Einherjar Wannabe. However, people were able to learn that nes were not only good in recon and interference, they also enabled a yer to select his or her preferred strategies ording to the situation. Obviously, Parese¡¯s operational awareness was very good as she was able to defend her radar towers from getting destroyed while subduing Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s parallel dual controlling maneuvers. However, during this process, Parese¡¯s operational maneuvers had be slower, and she had to burn out her financial development in order to produce more troops for this struggling battle. Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe had developed enough forces and was already very familiar with Parese¡¯s base.

    Even if Parese were stronger, she would never be able to stand against his three hasty controls; it was definitely a sudden knockout.

    Wang Tong then licked his lips and drank some water. To be honest, what happened just now was actually a quick change of ns because the opposing yer¡¯s strategy was specifically designed to be used against him. But instead of going with different strategies after observing and understanding opponent¡¯s performance, Wang Tong¡¯s overall strategy remained unchanged, and he focused on understanding opponent¡¯s situation first before improvising the strategy to deal with it.

    The first match ended in less than ten minutes. Somehow, it did feel like a performance.

    Students of the Kaedeian Royal Academy was stunned and silenced by what happened a while ago. Apparently, they were still unable to figure out what it was. Moreover, they were curious if Einherjar Wannabe won by controlling maneuvers or an upper hand in strategies.

    Parese shook her head. To be honest, her chance of winning was higher, victory was so close yet so far. She might have had a bigger chance to win if she chose to go for an instant all-out attack a few minutes earlier.

    However, she had made the wrong choice.

    On the other hand, Rhin seemed to have realized that Art of the Soaring Heaven actually had another key factor, which was the superb controlling maneuvers of Einherjar Wannabe.

    People would always feel like they had a chance to win when dealing with his Art of the Soaring Heaven. After all, it did look weak at the very beginning.

 Chapter 213: Undefeatable

    Chapter 213: Undefeatable

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Parese immediately requested for a rematch, and of course, Wang Tong epted happily. However, changes had to be made to his strategy since his opponent would definitely give him more pressure this time. Without a doubt, Wang Tong would be doomed if he deployed his invisible troops like how he used to do.

    Round two began without wasting any time. This time, Parese chose to deploy with maximum speed while Wang Tong chose to y defensive at the beginning and deploy his nester. As usual, their controlling maneuvers were evenly matched. However, the defensive side had the better advantages, and right after Parese¡¯s unsessful attacks, Wang Tong immediately deployed his nes and blew off her radar towers. In the end, Parese surrendered before Wang Tong could send over his invisible troops.

    Rhin and her schoolmates remained still and silent. She was well aware that her senior was not able to keep her cool after the previous defeat, and seemed to have run out of ideas for going all out at the very beginning. But clearly, she had no other choices because Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s strategy was incredibly strong.

    It took quite a while for Parese to calm down, then she clenched her teeth and requested for a third rematch.

    Apparently, she still had onest trick up in her sleeves!

    On the other hand, Wang Tong seemed to be more and more familiar with his own strategy. He even discovered a crucial factor of Battlecraft Combat, which was to immediately make up his mind on a certain strategy as soon as one noticed the opponent¡¯s intention, and also not to rely on luck. Victory would eventuallye as long as he was able to make a firm decision regarding his choice of strategy. However, most importantly, he had to first make sure that there was no mistakes in his controlling maneuvers.

    Wang Tong happily epted Parese¡¯s request for a third round.

    Meanwhile, students of every academy were seen discussing excitedly amongst themselves. Top-ranked yers like sh and Bisu had realized that in order to deal with new strategies like this, regardless of going defensive or offensive at the early stage, it would definitely turn into a dogfight in the end. This type of strategy was actually a sort of offensive strategy that was based on gaining control of the overall situation, and only those who had a great deal of confidence in their controlling maneuvers would be able to do so.

    Yet, the most terrifying thing about strategies like this was their versatility. Instead of going step by step like a math form, it could be improvised on judging the overall situation. After all, stubborn strategies were practically suicidal.

    sh seemed to know what Parese was up to. He wasn¡¯t sure in the previous round, but he could instantly see her pattern in the third match. Unfortunately for sh, his hands were not as quick as Bisu¡¯s, or else he would really love to fight against Parese. But even if his hands were speedy enough, his odds of winning would still be very low because she seemed to be very skilled in her own strategies.

    The third match had begun!

    All of a sudden, shughed and surprised the other students of Capth. Then, he sighed and continued, "It seems like the Kaedeians have used up everything they have."

    sh was clear of what was going on while the others remained confused. sh might not be stronger than Parese. However, he was still able to read the overall situation and tell what was going on with his extraordinary perspective.

    As sh predicted, one minuteter, everyone began to notice that Parese was demonstrating the same setup as Einherjar Wannabe. Turned out Parese¡¯sst resort was to use Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s strategy against him.

    The match instantly escted to a battle of obtaining total control. Both yers were demonstrating parallel dual controlling maneuvers as well as aerialbat maneuvers at the same time, focusing on the overall operating maneuvers as they battled.

    Through connecting Soul Energy to the system, mankind had created individual overall controlling method, and this method required superb mastery in terms of control and multitasking.

    Aside from performing the same setup, they seemed to strike at the same time as well.

    Wang Tong was fairly excited about this one-on-one dogfight, and there was no reason to hold back.

    Parese was demonstrating impressive controlling maneuvers. After all, Kaedeians were known to be extremely skillful in this category. However, she could vividly feel the gap between Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s controlling maneuvers and hers.

    Aside from being one of the ace fighters of Kaedeian Royal Academy, Parese was also given the nickname of "The Elegant Crusher". Undeniably, Parese had demonstrated her best performances. Both Einherjar Wannabe and her APM had exceeded five hundred at this point. At the same time, both of their bases were also very busy at the moment. However, their difference in terms of strength was clearly seen on the monitor as soon as the camera switched to another angle. It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe was leading in terms of development, and to make things even scarier, he had deployed his second ne towards her base.

    It was definitely another bold decision of Einherjar Wannabe. After all, no one would have the guts to attack whilepeting against a stronger opponent in terms of control.

    As for Parese, it was obvious that she had reached her limit in terms of maintaining her operating maneuvers andpeting against Einherjar Wannabe. In other words, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s magnificent and precise controlling maneuvers had clearly outraced Parese.

    Kaedeians had always been proud of their controlling maneuvers, yet this time, they didn¡¯t expect to meet someone who possessed a greater dominance than them.

    Einherjar Wannabe quickly proceeded to his parallel tri controlling maneuvers, and immediately deployed a jet fighter to start bombarding Parese¡¯s base with his spiral bombing attack.

    Parese was able to do nothing but sit still as she helplessly watched herst resort get sted in front of her.

    As usual, the match ended in less than ten minutes.

    There were two types of reactions instantly spreading across the society. While the Battlecraft Combat yers in PA were cheering aloud and praising their superstar with thunderous apuse, the other spectators from various academies remained silent instead.

    They were all praying not to fight a guy like this in the future. After all, no one would like to have their asses kicked by an intimidating yer like Einherjar Wannabe.

    sh¡¯s vision and judgment were incredibly urate as he was able to exactly tell what would happen at the beginning and in the end. However, the only thing that he didn¡¯t foresee was the huge gap in both yer¡¯s overall performances.

    As the No.1 amongst second graders of Kaedeian Royal Academy, Parese was basically unrivaled in the category of Battlecraft Combat. Yet, she had never imagined that she would suffer such humiliating defeats.

    In METAL Combat, general capabilities and actual strength were the key factors of victory. Hence, there wouldn¡¯t be many changes in one¡¯s battle results regardless of fighting one match or ten. However, Battlecraft Combat was different, as it contained too many variables as well as battle strategies. Due to the heap of existing imponderables, winning and losing was normal to most yers, and they would focus on the victory ratio instead.

    However, it was obvious that Einherjar Wannabe was not interested in victory ratio. His terrifying dominance and monstrous attacking methods had got him surrounded by an intimidating aura, like he was trying to warn his opponents that they would never be able to defend against his insane attacks!

    Normally, students would cheer for the victor after witnessing a spectacr victory. But tonight, they were unable to do so because they were somehow "traumatized" by the insane dominance of another peer.

    Wang Ben and the rest of the Metal Combat fighters were able to understand why sh and his team kept quiet. After all, the pressure from Einherjar Wannabe was way too intense.

    Nevertheless, people began to wonder who else would be able to subdue Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s mighty Art of the Soaring Heaven!

    Parese seemed pale. She was actually hoping that mirroring Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s battle strategy would be able to change the oue, but instead, it got even worse. As a matter of fact, Kaedeians possessed a strong sense of pride, and they didn¡¯t like to copy methods used by Earthlings. Yet, Parese chose to copy Einherjar Wannabe, but still wasn¡¯t as good as him in the end.

    Zhang Jin smiled andmented, "Looks like the Confederation would have no choice but to approve his battle strategy. It might look simple from the outside, but is actually the most difficult one amongst all existing battle strategies."

    "This strategy is ridiculously insane, not only because it requires parallel controlling maneuvers, but also it would consume a lot of Soul Energy. Parallel dual controlling maneuvers is already difficult as it emphasizes on wless precision, but the bar is literally too high when it also requires parallel tri controlling maneuvers." Luv Ma nodded in agreement.

    "Even if he didn¡¯t use Art of the Soaring Heaven, Einherjar Wannabe would still be a tough opponent as he possesses an outstanding perspective, wless controlling and operating maneuvers. No matter where he goes, he would still remain as the incredible dominator." Cao Yi shook his head as hemented. He was truly overwhelmed by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s superior performance.

    "Art of the Soaring Heaven definitely is meant to be used by Einherjar Wannabe. However, he does remind me of somebody else." Best said.

    Everyone else knew who was Best referring to, and immediately a wild thought came across their minds: how would Wang Tong¡¯s superb defensive strategy handle Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s outrageous Art of the Soaring Heaven?

    Unfortunately, Einherjar Wannabe would never be interested in a nobody from Ayrng. After all, Wang Tong was still not THAT famous yet.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was exercising his fingers while taking a rest. Matches like these were extremely tiring, not to mention Parese had given him enough pressure from the very beginning. Wang Tong was fairly impressed by the controlling maneuvers of Kaedeians as their bodies were softer and nimblerpared to Earthlings. Hence, they were able to handle controlling maneuvers that were much more difficult. In short, their nimbleness and strong bones served as a couple of huge advantages during the execution of controlling maneuvers.

    In recent years, none of the strongest yers amongst Earthlings had been able to obtain an upper hand when they fought against Kaedeians, and Einherjar Wannabe was the first to achieve this. People often suspected that the victory against Rhin was just a coincidence since she was still quite a rookie. But he had once again proven that nothing was a coincidence. Parese was Her Highness¡¯s royal guard, and he would never be able toy a finger on her if he weren¡¯t good enough.

    To Wang Tong, the three matches were definitely more than enough to break a sweat. Through battles like these, he would be able to forget about everything else and enjoy the excitement from the challenges.

    All three matches took less than ten minutes toplete each. Einherjar Wannabe had been pressuring his opponent at the beginning of every match andter turn it into dominance.

    Wang Tong too had gotten more familiar with his strategies. The main objective of his Art of the Soaring Heaven was to gain control of the overall situation instead of deploying invisible troops for the win, as that was only one of the things he could improvise during a fight.

    Changes like these were able to make his strategy moreplicated, and creating more pressure on the opponent at the same time.

    "Goddammit! These bunch of idiots got me waiting for ages! What took them so long?" Hwo Quan was extremely impatient already. He was bored to death while watching those two shooting at each other with airnes.

    None of the students from the Academy of Deity said anything because they were well aware that Hwo Quan was extremely hot-tempered. He was one of Lie Kent¡¯s favorite adherents as both of them shared the same attitude and liked to act before they thought. Hwo Quan was very loyal to Lie Kent. In fact, Hwo Quan grew up getting trained with Lie Kent. Thus, his Tactics of the ze were not to be underestimated.

    Normal tactics would never be able to stand against Tactics of the ze. Its uniqueness was the incinerating element within one¡¯s GN Force upon initialization. Hence, it was able to deal extra damage to the opponent. In fact, the greater the mastery, the heavier the extra damages.

    Rumor had it that the level nine of tactics of the ze would enable its user to vaporize the opponent in one single strike. Moreover, equipping METAL Suits wouldn¡¯t be able to do any good as the power of its incineration was extremely intense, unless the opponent had been learning the other four tactics for self-protection.

    One of the things that Hwo Quan hated the most was waiting. The only person in this world he would wait for was his boss Lie Kent. Hence, he had decided to teach Einherjar Wannabe a big lesson for letting him wait. He would burn all of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s glory into dust with his one and only Tactics of the ze!

    The second challenge was about to get messy...

 Chapter 214: Arm of the Blazing Kirin

    Chapter 214: Arm of the zing Kirin

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The next match seemed much more interesting. After all, METAL Combat was still the favorite of many people since it was much easier to understand than Battlecraft Combat. Furthermore, one of the fighters was, in fact, the sessor of tactics of the ze.

    This fight was, in fact, the duel between two of the Five Great Tactics.

    The match would begin in five minutes. The live broadcast waspletely packed, and the viewers from all threes had exceeded fifty million people. The level of excitement was like never before!

    Hwo Quan was known as one of Lie Kent¡¯s "Ferocious Four. Of course, he was also famous for hanging around Lie Kent and disturbing themunity like a bunch of hooligans. Nevertheless, setting his attitude aside, without a doubt Hwo Quan¡¯s talent was not to be underestimated.

    Wang Ben and the rest of the team were fairly excited. They couldn¡¯t wait to see how Einherjar Wannabe would stand against the Tactics of the ze¡¯s incinerating attribute. After all, it was almost impossible for someone to subdue Tactics of the ze without equipping METAL Suit. Moreover, the incineration would ur even if it were a normal sh between GN Forces.

    Not to mention, Hwo Quan had also been ying the role as Lie Kent¡¯s "human sandbag", aside from learningpanion. In other words, Hwo Quan¡¯s strength was trained by getting his a*s kicked since a young age. Hence, the standard of his strength was definitely above average.

    Although Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger was known as one of the strongest tactics, it was nothingpared to the Five Greatest Tactics of the mankind.

    This match had received a lot of attention from the public, mostly because Tactics of the ze was involved in it. As a matter of fact, only the people of House of Lie preferred making public appearances like this. The rest from the other four Great Houses preferred to keep low profiles instead.

    "Haha, this is gonna be fun, and looks like Quanny the dog is even more arrogant than usual today." Li Ruo-Er teased while hugging Ma Xiaoru by her arms.

    "Shh, keep it down Ruo-Er."

    "Rx, they can¡¯t hear us from here." Li Ruo-Er smiled towards Ma Xiaoru.

    Two of the students from Capth who were sitting in the front row stood up and gave away their seats immediately when they saw Li Ruo-Er smile towards them. Then, the boys went off and stood happily at the back like a couple of puppies enjoying their treats.

    Wang Ben gave Ma Xiaoru a cold nce, then turned around and focused back on the screen.

    It seemed like Wang Tong had no intention of questioning Ma Xiaoru about her transfer to Capth, because he had his own secrets to keep as well.

    "Ruo-Er, is that Wang Ben?"

    "Yup, that¡¯s the boy genius among us first graders whose Soul Energy has exceeded two hundred and thirty sols within half a year after mind-opening. He was also recently added to the top ten ranking of Capth. Impressive, isn¡¯t it?" Li Ruo-Er smiled.

    "Shh, quiet¡­ Seems like he hates me. Have I done something that offended him?"

    "Nah, you think too much. He¡¯s always like that with his emotionless expression. You don¡¯t have to bother with him." Li Ruo-Er was trying to divert Ma Xiaoru¡¯s attention.

    However, Ma Xiaoru felt like she recognized Wang Ben even though it was her first time seeing him¡­ or perhaps it was just her imagination.

    It was easy for Li Ruo-Er to disregard Hwo Quan. In fact, she was the only one in this room who could do so. After all, people from House of Li were born with the right to be arrogant, especially his almighty brother Li Shimin, a.k.a "the Little Emperor". In fact, Li Shimin and Lie Kent were the only two within the Five Great Houses who had fought each other. That match ended with Li Shimin defeating Lie Kent, instantly raising the former¡¯s poprity throughout the Earth Confederation.

    Unlike Lie Kent, Li Shimin was often praised by the people for his down-to-earth reputation, like the boy next door. He had never asked for any special treatment in the military, and he preferred to be treated like an ordinary kid.

    In short, Li Shimin was not as mysterious as Patroclus the "hermit" and also the young Cardinal of Church of the Deity. But most importantly, he wasn¡¯t as troublesome as Lie Kent the phnderer.

    As for Hwo Quan, without a doubt, he was the perfect candidate to test how good Einherjar Wannabe really was. After all, everyone was curious if Einherjar Wannabe was really that God-like, or he was actually just an extremely vulnerable weakling who was only able to withstand a punch or two¡­

    Li Ruo-Er and her Tactics of the Enchantress were just like a match made in heaven, not to mention Li Ruo-Er¡¯s personality did resemble a lot to a real enchantress. As for Ma Xiaoru, her condition remained the same. Nevertheless, Li Ruo-Er still wondered how Ma Xiaoru able to achieve level five of Tactics of the Enchantress. But it would be fairly impossible to know the answer since Ma Xiaoru¡¯s memories were sealed off for the time being.

    Surprisingly, Li Ruo-Er had been incredibly friendly to Ma Xiaoru upon her arrival at Capth. The reason of them not being close back then was because they barely had time to get familiar with each other. Moreover, with Li Ruo-Er being able to freely manipte her expression and emotions through Tactics of the Enchantress, she was able to turn herself into someone Ma Xiaoru wasfortable with. All it took was a little bit of time.

    Li Ruo-Er¡¯s next step was to use her influence to guide Ma Xiaoru into fancying Li Shimin, and when the right time came, the marriage between House of Ma and House of Li would be the biggest gossip of the entire universe. To be honest, Li Ruo-Er didn¡¯t really care about the oue; all she enjoyed was the fun and excitement of being the matchmaker and maniptor in this series of events.

    Apparently, the reason Li Ruo-Er stopped her brother from killing Wang Tong was just because she saw him as a good chess piece to spice up this "drama". Somehow, the game would lose its excitement if everything went just as she had nned.

    An impish smile seemed to be hiding at the back of Li Ruo-Er¡¯s pure and elegant face.

    The atmosphere in the auditorium was immediately altered by the presence of both Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru as they sat down. The students of Capth couldn¡¯t help staring at those two beauties while concentrating on the match.

    Finally, the match between Hwo Quan and Einherjar Wannabe had begun.

    Hwo Quan was almost two meters tall, quite tall for a Martian, not to mention he seemed powerful indeed. Martian fighters looked distinctive from Earthlings and Ivantians. In fact, all three races were fairly easy to be told apart. Although Martians actually originated from Earth, yet their temperament had changed a lot after living on Mars for many generations.

    Both fighters entered the virtual arena. Wang Tong had regained his strength after initializing Tactics of the de for one cirction during his break. As for Hwo Quan, he didn¡¯t even bother to warm up his body.

    Lately, Wang Tong noticed that his Soul Energy had improved a lot ever since his encounter with the golden light orb. With such an improvement, he would normally already be a Level Five Fighter. However, Wang Tong felt that his Cinnabar Field seemed to be holding back his Soul Energy, and automatically assumed that the failure to break through was due to theck of Soul Energy. Hence, he had been training even hardertely and trying to umte more Soul Energy for the advancement.

    Judging from Hwo Quan¡¯s physical appearance, he was obviously an impulsive fighter. Nevertheless, Hwo Quan was well aware that a person¡¯s appearance could be decisive. Hence, he had been spending some time looking into Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s profile before the fight in order to understand his opponent thoroughly.

    To be honest, Hwo Quan really wasn¡¯t interested in Einherjar Wannabe since he wasn¡¯t a PA fan. The reason Hwo Quan took on Einherjar Wannabe was because someone else was interested in this fe. So, he decided challenge Einherjar Wannabe in order to find out who on earth was hiding behind the "mask"!

    As a matter of fact, everything in this universe could be imitated except for the Five Great Tactics. Even though Einherjar Wannabe had been surprising everyone with his ability to mimic the other fighter¡¯s tactics, but definitely not his!

    "Yo, ready to get you¡¯re a*s kicked?" Hwo Quan yelled across with huge confidence.

    Wang Tong smiled while giving him a signal to strike at him anytime.

    Hwo Quan was holding two warhammers when he arrived, but he decided to drop them on the ground when he saw Wang Tong wasn¡¯t armed, "Well then, here¡¯s a couple of punches for you!"

    Roar!

    Hwo Quan¡¯s body was surrounded by a reddish glow as his GN Force ignited, looking dangerous and intimidating like a ferocious ogre.

    Hwo Quan¡¯s warcry was immediately followed by him thrusting a fierce and hard punch towards Wang Tong. That punch was totally different from Wang Ben¡¯s Fist of the Racing Tiger. As it turned out, Fist of the Racing Tiger¡¯s fierceness was generated from the inner strength. However, Hwo Quan¡¯s powerful punch was instead generated from the outer physical strength of his body, like he was born with such a monstrous ability.

    Wham¡­

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t wait to witness his opponent¡¯s Tactics of the ze. He was curious of the secret behind these extraordinary tactics which was also known as one of the Five Great Tactics.

    But as Hwo Quan¡¯s punch approached, Wang Tong¡¯s "spidey sense" kicked in and noticed the grim smile on Hwo Quan¡¯s face. Suddenly, Wang Tong sensed another ginormous pressureing towards him, and at the same time, he noticed Hwo Quan¡¯s left arm puff up, like magma-hot me was trying to burst through his arm. Then, a thunderous roar shocked the whole arena as Hwo Quan¡¯s fistnded on Wang Tong.

    Being one of the younger generation¡¯s "Fab Five", and also the sessor of House of Lie, Lie Kent had been receiving the toughest training from the best coaches since childhood. He was even sent to a special department to enhance his Soul Energy. With Hwo Quan as his sparring partner, Lie Kent had been trying out his tactics and techniques against him, and using him as a sandbag day after day. This was why Hwo Quan¡¯s capability was definitely not something to be taken lightly.

    That punch immediately reminded everyone that Tactics of the ze was not something that could be learned by anyone else!

    Bam¡­

    Bullseye!

    The impact from the punch sent Wang Tong flying across the arena. It was a brutal and forceful punch indeed¡­

    That was the power of Hwo Quan¡¯s "Arm of the zing Kirin"!

    Hwo Quan stretched his neck after throwing that punch. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t very satisfying. He did warn Einherjar Wannabe that he was going to throw him "a couple of punches", yet Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t get his hint at all. Perhaps the fe was dumber than he expected?

    To him, it seemed like both Earthlings and Ivantians had be extremely weak recently, and TPA seems to be filled with nothing but weaklings. No wonder a jackass like that was able to "seed and dominate". Furthermore, those No.1¡¯s from various academies seemed to be even worse. Perhaps the era of Mars had finally arrived!

    Hwo Quan took a quick nce at Einherjar Wannabe, who was currently lying on the floor, while waiting for the system to dere a one-hit knockout. It seemed like his young master was right about that fe.

    ¡­

    All of a sudden, Hwo Quan flung his fist towards the ground and followed by another downward thrust that shattered the arena floor.

    Wham¡­ Bash¡­

    A burst of me then engorged the shattered arena floor. Einherjar Wannabe, who was lying on the ground earlier seemed to have vanished.

    Suddenly, he reappeared and charged towards Hwo Quan with a chopping attack. Hwo Quan noticed his presence and immediately leaped and dodged without breaking a sweat. Surprisingly, he was able to perform such nimble movements despite his colossal and well-built body.

    Swoosh¡­

    Both fighters took a few steps back as theynded on the ground almost at the same time. Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s abdomen was scorched by Hwo Quan¡¯s burning fist.

    Hwo Quan¡¯s thick brows frowned. He didn¡¯t expect Einherjar Wannabe would be able to withstand his Arm of the zing Kirin. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t that weak after all!

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was still feeling the burning sensation in his abdomen. Aside from EMF, the other strongest defense in his body would be the Field of Qi, which was generated by the cirction in his abdomen. If it weren¡¯t because of the cirction from his Tactics of the de, Wang Tong would¡¯ve been knocked out instantly a moment ago.

 Chapter 215: Onslaught

    Chapter 215: Onught

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong might be experienced in fighting Zergs, but he was definitely still quite inexperienced in fighting against other human beings. After all, human brains were way moreplicated than those creepy crawlies. Nevertheless, Wang Tong really didn¡¯t expect that the first forceful punch was only a decoy. Clearly the number of talented fighters in this world was way more than he expected.

    However, Wang Tong did feel happy for getting hit, as that was a chance for him to witness a totally different initialization of GN Force. Even though that punch was packed with an intense power, yet he didn¡¯t feel any sort of incinerating force at all aside from the burning sensation. Perhaps Tactics of the ze was kind of overly exaggerated?

    Or maybe it was because his opponent still wasn¡¯t strong enough to do so?

    Meanwhile, Hwo Quan was also wondering why Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t knocked out by his ferocious punch. He began to suspect if Einherjar Wannabe actually possessed a rare and unique type of defensive GN Force.

    Nevertheless, the tougher his opponent, the more excited he would be.

    Thump¡­

    Hwo Quan unleashed a mighty stomp, and his bulky body was seen dashing across the arena, turning him into a colossal titan on fire as he charged towards Einherjar Wannabe!

    Wang Tong remained still as he began to initiate his Tactics of the de. It was time for him to see how strong Hwo Quan really was.

    Einherjar Wannabe roared like a tiger and countered with Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Hwo Quan grinned. He was surprised that Einherjar Wannabe would counter with such a worthless technique, "Take this, loser!"

    The sh between the zing fire and the roaring tiger!

    Hwo Quan wasn¡¯t bothered by the sh at all, because the me from his Tactics of the ze was strong enough to scorch through any sort of obstacles easily.

    Bam....

    Wham...

    Both fighters were evenly matched, and the battle then immediately escted to a match of closebat. After analyzing Hwo Quan¡¯s body structure and tactics mastery, instead of going full force, Einherjar Wannabe seemed to have chosen a more rxed sparring method to mingle with Hwo Quan while searching for an opening to finish him off.

    Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s imitated Fist of the Racing Tiger was much weaker than Hwo Quan¡¯s real Tactics of the ze. After all, loud cries had absolutely nothing to do with the power of a punch.

    If this situation carried on, Einherjar Wannabe would be in deep trouble.

    Wham¡­

    Both fighters took a few steps back after throwing more than fifty punches at each other. Hwo Quan seemed to have gotten more arrogant. As for Wang Tong, he realized that Hwo Quan¡¯s punching techniques were not as good as he thought, and he seemed to be relying on the power from Tactics of the ze instead. In general, Hwo Quan¡¯s punching techniques was no match for the Fist of the Racing Tiger. However, Wang Tong did feel surprised by the force from his arm. Based on Wang Tong¡¯s observation, Hwo Quan would need time to prep himself before unleashing this altered form of GN Force.

    "Anything else you¡¯d like to show me?" Wang Tong asked. Without a doubt, this was a rare opportunity for him to witness the unique techniques from such ultimate tactics.

    However, he seemed to have pissed Hwo Quan off.

    Li Ruo-Er couldn¡¯t helpughing when she heard that. She began to notice that Einherjar Wannabe was actually quite cunning himself, and he was definitely nning something. Nevertheless, his question sounded a bit childish, like a kid asking for more candies.

    Hwo Quan looked puzzled. Without a doubt, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s GN Force seemed a bit strange. At this point, he should¡¯ve been knocked out by his toxic me already. Yet, Einherjar Wannabe was still looking fine after getting hit by his zing Punches and also the horrendous strike from his Arm of the zing Kirin.

    Einherjar Wannabe would never be able to neutralize the poison from his toxic me, especially since he hadpletely taken the hit from his Arm of the zing Kirin¡­ unless he practiced any of the Five Great Tactics.

    But right now, instead of waiting for the toxic me to work its magic, Hwo Quan wanted to smash Einherjar Wannabe into pieces instead!

    Hwo Quan focused his vision and tilted his body. The reddish aura that surrounded his body had was bing hotter as he was umting strength.

    Einherjar Wannabe was standing on the other end like a spectator, waiting for his opponent to prep himself.

    "Charge of the zing Kirin." Ma Xiaoru said softly.

    "Haha, that¡¯s just brute strength. However, it really does suits Tactics of the ze. Einherjar Wannabe seems to have totally underestimated Hwo Quan. Although the exquisiteness of Hwo Quan¡¯s techniques was not as good as the previous opponent, the most fearsome thing about Tactics of the ze is its ability to unwittingly finish off its opponent. Haha, I¡¯m actually quite curious of how Einherjar Wannabe is feeling right now." Li Ruo-Er said with a fascinating smile.

    "Do you mind giving a further exnation, Ms. Li Ruo-Er?" Wally, who was sitting far back, asked all of a sudden. However, some did suspect that he was just trying to strike a conversation with the beautifuldy.

    "Unless he practiced the other four Great Tactics or some powerful tactics like Fist of the Racing Tiger since a young age, the poison from Tactics of the ze¡¯s toxic me would have prated into his body upon contact. In fact, I believe that the poison has spread across fifty percent of his body already, and it would be a matter of time for the effect to kick in. Perhaps there¡¯s a dy in the live streaming." Wally was mesmerized by Li Ruo-Er¡¯s gentle smile as she exined.

    After all, no one wouldn¡¯t be attracted to her beauty and charm.

    ording to Li Ruo-Er¡¯s exnation, a biological "time bomb" had been nted into Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s body.

    All of a sudden, Hwo Quan charged towards Einherjar Wannabe in a sh. He didn¡¯t yell as he charged, but the momentum of his attack was even fiercer than before!

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s sense of danger was tingling again!

    Upon narrowing down the distance between him and Einherjar Wannabe, Hwo Quan¡¯s enormous body suddenly gained speed in a blink of an eye, dashing with the speed three times faster than before like a derailed express train!

    This time however, Hwo Quan didn¡¯t strike with his fists because he knew it would be ineffective against Einherjar Wannabe, as punching was not part of his mastery. Instead of practicing basic techniques, Martians tended to focus more on those epic techniques.

    Hwo Quan unleashed the Dash of the zing Kirin!

    Hwo Quan¡¯s left arm became three times bigger than before, huge enough to cover Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s whole body. It really looked like a train that was trying to ram him down.

    Wang Tong quickly defended. However, brute force like this would still be able to deal some serious damages regardless of defending or not.

    In general, the charging action at the beginning was just an ignition to the real attack, which normally would be unleashed as the range was narrowed down to three meters. As for Hwo Quan, he seemed to have infused the GN Force from the toxic me into the charging force with his Arm of the zing Kirin, which was packed with GN Force from Tactics of the ze. With its wide striking area, it seemed like more than half of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s body was located within the strike zone.

    Without the protection from a METAL Suit, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s defense was practically useless!

    As both fighters shed, Wang Tong¡¯s body was shot across the arena like an arrow, followed by a hardnding as his body hit the barricade of the arena.

    Hwo Quan stood proudly while thinking what an idiot his opponent was. Originally, Einherjar Wannabe could¡¯ve just being knocked out by the poison from his toxic me. Yet, that fe chose to piss him off by taunting him to a fight. If this were a real battle, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s bones would¡¯ve beenpletely shattered already, not to mention he would still have to deal with the poison from his toxic me. Without a doubt Einherjar Wannabe would beg to be killed right away¡­ Hwo Quan couldn¡¯t help showing off a grim smile as he imagined Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s struggling expression.

    That was definitely a one-hit-KO!

    Hwo Quan turned towards the monitor. However, the system was not showing the "knockout" notification. Could it be some sort of technical problem?

    All of a sudden, everyone gasped as they witnessed Einherjar Wannabe get up on his feet. He was nowhere near bing a Level Five Fighter, yet Einherjar Wannabe was miraculously able to withstand the power of tactics of the ze.

    To be honest, Hwo Quan¡¯s techniques were not bad, judging from the connection between his GN Force and Soul Energy. However, the effectiveness was surprisingly weaker than it seemed. With Wang Tong¡¯s current defense, there was no way Hwo Quan would be able to win against him. Meanwhile, it seemed like Hwo Quan was still waiting for something to happen to his body. But Wang Tong didn¡¯t feel anything strange for the time being.

    Hwo Quan waspletely startled when he saw Einherjar Wannabe patiently fix his attire¡­ That was absolutely absurd!

    Meanwhile, students from various academies were seen chatting amongst themselves with discretion. No one had any idea what was going on. As for Li Ruo-Er, Ma Xiaoru and those who understood the power of Tactics of the ze, they were also surprised to see what happened.

    "Howe he wasn¡¯t affected by the poison from his toxic me?"

    "Perhaps he has sessfully blocked it? The poison should never be able to prate into his system if his GN Force defense mechanism remains intact." Cisco said.

    As Li Ruo-Er was about to say something, Wang Ben, who had been keeping quiet, suddenly said, ¡®The poison from Tactics of the ze is extremely permeable, it would gradually prate the body even though the opponent had sessfully defended it. Only those who practiceplicated tactics of the same level would be able to neutralize the poison. Another option would be suppressing it with an offensive GN Force."

    Obviously, Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t the one who was offensive in this match, which meant there had to be something weird with his tactics!

    Could it be Tactics of the Vayu? Or maybe it was Tactics of the Deva King?

    Only those two amongst the Five Great Tactics were the ones that Einherjar Wannabe could possibly practice. Could Einherjar Wannabe possibly be the secret descendant of those two Houses?

    Suddenly, Hwo Quan remembered that he was here to find out who Einherjar Wannabe really was.

    "Haha, I guess I¡¯m on the right track. After all, Earthlings and Ivantians love to mystify things and at the same time increase their own influences. If I¡¯m not wrong, either he¡¯s one of the Dowers, or he¡¯s the A-hole Li Shimin himself!" Lie Kent said whileughing out loud.

    Sitting opposite to him was a young man wearing a grayish robe with an aloof expression, smiling as he heard Lie Kent¡¯s im.

    "Actually, there¡¯s no need for you to uncover his secret identity."

    "But I¡¯m sick of him!" Lie Kent revealed an impish smile. One of his greatest enjoyments was to make others miserable.

    Hwo Quan became more solemn. Clearly, his toxic me was useless against Einherjar Wannabe. Hence, he would have to speed things up and leave no chance for Einherjar Wannabe to regain himself.

    Hwo Quan unleashed another Charge of the zing Kirin!

    On the other side of the arena, Wang Tong remained still and lifted up his arms, moving his palms into an arc shape.

    Was he trying to defend by catching Hwo Quan?

    Wham¡­

    A loud bang echoed through the arena as Hwo Quan¡¯s Arm of the zing Kirin ram into Einherjar Wannabe directly. This time however, Wang Tong¡¯s fingers clung onto Hwo Quan¡¯s arm, stopping him from charging further.

    At the same time, everyone immediately turned towards Cisco when they saw that. Clearly, Einherjar Wannabe got that idea from his previous battle with Cisco. It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe had always been able to surprise everyone by "stealing" the techniques from other fighters and make it into something even scarier.

    Sadly, he would only be able to use the techniques he "stole" from his previous fight this time, as Tactics of the ze was inimitable after all.

    Wang Tong focused every inch of his strength into his muscles while Hwo Quan was still trying to break away as he ground his teeth. He was infuriated when he found out that Einherjar Wannabe was only using his fingers to defend against his ultimate Charge of the zing Kirin!

    Later, Hwo Quan was seen yelling aloud as he mustered the strength on his legs. Apparently, he was trying to ram Einherjar Wannabe into the wall and turn him into "meat sauce".

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong quickly gathered his strength as he roared aloud, and then he jammed his fingertips into Hwo Quan¡¯s shoulder! Hwo Quan couldn¡¯t believe that his Arm of the zing Kirin that was loaded with GN Force had been severely wounded by Einherjar Wannabe. The pain was extremely intense.

    Then, Wang Tong immediately countered with a roundhouse kick and sent Hwo Quan¡¯s colossal body straight to the ground.

    Cisco¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but envy at this point. He had been training the strength of his fingers in order to improve the effectiveness of his Iron ws. However, it seemed like Einherjar Wannabe was quicker than him!

    Without a doubt, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fingers had be as strong as steel.

    Hwo Quan¡¯s left arm had recovered from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s attack, but the pain was extremely unbearable since he had preset the level of pain for this virtual fight to "extreme" before the match began.

    Yet, the intense pain seemed to have thoroughly infuriated Hwo Quan. He got back up and "summoned" the warhammer that was still lying on the floor. As long as he still had one arm left, there was still a chance for him to pound Einherjar Wannabe to death with his hammer.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong realized that his opponent had run out of techniques. It was time for him to study how to generate the force like Hwo Quan by altering GN Force, or was it a uniqueness of his tactics?

    Suddenly, a strange feeling emerged from his body. Wang Tong couldn¡¯t help but stagger and take two steps back.

 Chapter 216: One-Strike-KO

    Chapter 216: One-Strike-KO

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong¡¯s face suddenly turned red, and he felt that his body was boiling.

    Hwo Quan burst intoughter as he saw that, "Hey A-Hole, you¡¯re good, but you¡¯ve definitely underestimated me and the ultimate Tactics of the ze. Right now, the poison from my toxic me has prated into your heart. Even if I choose not to fight you, you¡¯ll still be knocked out in less than five seconds!"

    Hwo Quan was extremely overjoyed!

    Obviously, nobody liked to be a loser, and surely Hwo Quan didn¡¯t either. In fact, Hwo Quan didn¡¯t really care if his opponent was actually from House of Dower or House of Li. All he wanted to do now was to swing his hammer and smash the sh*t out of this Einherjar Wannabe fe!

    Wang Tong was surprised by his current condition. Clearly, there wasn¡¯t any abnormality with his EMF. However, he did sense something burning in his cinnabar field. Most probably that was the "poison" that Hwo Quan was talking about.

    Yet¡­

    As Wang Tong began to initialize his Tactics of the de, instead of prating into his heart, the poison from Hwo QUan¡¯s toxic me immediately moved along with the flow of energy in Wang Tong¡¯s body, instantly turning the incineration into a warm andfortable sensation.

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t believe howme these Tactics of the ze that everyone had been talking about were. After all, nothing would be able to stand against his real version of Tactics of the de!

    Five seconds had passed, yet Einherjar Wannabe was still standing!

    Hwo Quan dashed forward and mmed his warhammer towards Wang Tong. However, Wan Tong calmly raised his right hand and caught it¡­

    Wham!

    Hwo Quan didn¡¯t hold back his strength at all, but he never expected that Einherjar Wannabe was still able to muster his strength even though he was poisoned.

    Wang Tong sneered at his opponent, and then unleashed a palm strike¡­

    A red aura dispersed from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s palm, as red as an inferno!

    Was that the Firmament Palm Strike?

    Or perhaps Tactics of the ze?

    No, that was the Firmament zing Palm Strike!

    m¡­!

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s palm directly hit Hwo Quan on his abdomen, and Hwo Quan¡¯s face immediately turned green upon impact, like a wave of energy had burst through his defense and instantly transformed into pirs of mes that began to incinerate his insides.

    "That¡¯s impossible¡­ How did you learn Tactics of the ze...?"

    Hwo Quan was lying on the ground with his eyes wide opened. He waspletely stunned by the fact that Einherjar Wannabe was able to initialize Tactics of the ze!

    There was no injury on the side where he was hit. However, there was a distinguish burn mark on the back of his body. The camera was even able to capture and make it into a three-dimensional close-up.

    People began to wonder what on earth was that palm strike that was able to deal such a bizarre looking damage¡­

    Some suspected it was Tactics of the ze judging from the scorch mark. Yet, how the hell was Einherjar Wannabe able to imitate the ultimate Tactics of the ze?

    Apparently, every spectator from the Earth, Moon, and Mars were absolutely startled by what they saw. They even wondered if there was really anything that couldn¡¯t be learned by Einherjar Wannabe.

    Even Tactics of the ze from the Five Great Tactics was not able to stop him¡­

    Lie Kent¡¯s face immediately went solemn. It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t someone from House of Li or House of Dower, but clearly it wasn¡¯t someone from the House of Lie either!

    Bang¡­

    Lie Kent was so pissed that a m from his handpletely shattered the marble table, "Goddammit! Who the f*ck is this ugly-ass troublemaker?"

    "Calm down, Lie Kent. Obviously, that dude didn¡¯t know Tactics of the ze. The palm strike was just a way for him to release the poison in his body. Yet, I¡¯ve never seen such a brutal palm strike before." Michaux Odin said with a smile.

    "No, you don¡¯t get it because you¡¯re not familiar with Tactics of the ze. There¡¯re only two ways when ites to dealing with the poison umted in one¡¯s body, either directly neutralize it with your family¡¯s Tactics of the Deity or to forcefully suppress it and spit it out with Tactics of the Vayu. Yet, this A-hole was capable of infusing the poison into Firmament Palm Strike, which is a totally different case!" Lie Kent exined. He seemed to have calmed down a little.

    Nevertheless, Michaux Odin seemed to have gotten used to Lie Kent¡¯s short-temperedness, "Interesting! However, I do believe that the ones that paid most attention to this were the people from House of Li."

    "Hmph, Li Shimin!" Lie Kent¡¯s eyes were zing with mes of fury¡­

    Einherjar Wannabe had once again hit the headlines with his sneaky mimicking skills. The number of his supporters was getting bigger, and in fact, many even hoped that he would be the next Einherjar. After all, Einherjar Wannabe was literally the best candidate for stopping those from the Five Great Houses from reigning the title.

    Without a doubt, Einherjar Wannabe had be the final hope of most people. After all, no one had reallye this close to surpassing the elites from the Five Great Houses.

    The fact that Einherjar Wannabe was able to mimic Tactics of the ze had immediately blown everyone¡¯s mind. Especially the people on Mars, it had even created an uproar throughout the media. Everyone was extremely curious if Einherjar Wannabe really knew how to utilize Tactics of the ze!

    Some even suspected if he was actually someone from House of Lie, and things were getting moreplicated as the rumors and suspicions developed!

    It seemed like the focus had turned towards Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s final palm strike instead of his victory. The fact that Einherjar Wannabe mimicked the Tactics of the ze was indeed more than enough to shock the whole universe.

    Tactics of the ze was a set ofplicated tactics of above two hundred nodes. It was insanely difficult to practice due to its strong incinerating attributes. Every single attack of this tactic contained recoil damage, and the stronger the attack, the more careful one had to be during practice. In fact, all Five Great Tactics had to be taught by masters and mentors. Practicing in secret was already incredibly dangerous, let alone mimicking during a fight.

    If Einherjar Wannabe really were able to mimic tactics of the ze in a short period of time, it would make his identity even more mysterious. And most of all, what sort of tactics were able to overpower the world renowned Five Great Tactics?

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s fight had be the number one topic on Earth, Moon, and Mars. Even the media corporations began to focus on Einherjar Wannabe, instantly turning him into a worldwide online celebrity.

    Everyone was questioning the same thing: how was he able to do that?

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was somehow disappointed. If it were a real battle, he would have the opportunity to study further about Tactics of the ze. Nevertheless, it might sound a bit arrogant, but he did believe that his two hundred and fifty-six nodes Tactics of the de was the best tactics of all, and the other tactics were actually created based on Tactics of the de. All of those tactics hadter developed their own circting effects as time went by. However, there was not a single set of tactics that would be able to absorb and fuse with the other tactics, and no one would even imagine something like that existed.

    A strange idea came to Wang Tong¡¯s mind. He suspected that the "poison" was actually some sort of derivatives of one¡¯s Soul Energy. In short, Wang Tong believed that the incinerating sensation was actually caused by a double-dosed attack on the mental and physical self. Perhaps that was the secret of Tactics of the ze¡¯s dominance.

    Normally, Soul Energy only served as an agent of extracting GN Force and turn it into attacking power. Yet, Tactics of the ze had fused Soul Energy into GN Force itself in its attacks. And to top it off, its incinerating attribute had enabled the attacker¡¯s Soul Energy to "sneak into" the opponent¡¯s body and begin dealing mental damages while physical damages were dealt by GN Force itself.

    Double dosage of damage indeed!

    Somehow Tactics of the de looked simr to Tactics of the Enchantress. However, Tactics of the Enchantress¡¯s mental damage was more direct. The attack could even control her enemy without taking any action if her practice had reached a certain level. Nevertheless, this would still be depending on the level of mental resistance possessed by the opponents.

    As Wang Tong looked at the extra abilities of the other tactics, Wang Tong couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Tactics of the de only consisted of boring attacking methods.

    Wang Tong began to submerge into his thoughts. Up till now, he had fought against both Tactics of the Enchantress and Tactics of the ze. Both of these tactics contained their own uniqueness. Furthermore, both tactics were simr when it came to turning Soul Energy into an offensive usage. As for Tactics of the de, Soul Energy was only an agent in GN Force extraction, just the same as the other tactics.

    Wang Tong really wanted to reexperience the burning sensation from Tactics of the ze. Unfortunately, his own Soul Energy was not able to do so. Honestly, Wang Tong was impressed of Tactics of the ze¡¯s attacking methods, and surprisingly, the way he unleashed Firmament Palm Strike by infusing the fiery Soul Energy umted in his body was somehow simr to the effectiveness of Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s original Palm Strike.

    Sadly, Wang Tong¡¯s imagination was limited, not to mention his current position was not suitable for him to do too many experiments. The only thing he could do was to remember the burning sensation as much as possible.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong was still bothered by the question of whether it was the Soul Energy that possessed the incinerating element or the Soul Energy causing GN Force to develop a fiery attribute? He knew that this question could not be solved for now. After all, Tactics of the ze would never be so intimidating if it were that simple.

    "Oh, leaving already? Why don¡¯t you stay for a little longer?" The shopkeeper was sad to see his "golden goose" leave, "Hmm, looks like your credit has finished."

    Wang Tong, who was busy thinking, was surprised by the shopkeeper¡¯s words, "Excuse me?"

    "It seems like you¡¯ve used all of your credits. Would you like to reload?"

    Wang Tong was stunned, then he suddenly remembered that he had been spending a lottely, especially during the wonderful days he had with Samantha. He had totally forgotten about the importance of ie.

    "Ahem, maybe next time."

    "You sure? We¡¯re having a promotion right now!" The shopkeeper seemed worried when he saw his golden goose wasn¡¯t going to reload.

    "Haha, it¡¯s okay. Maybe next time." Wang Tong was kind of embarrassed. Lately, as he had been focusing on "S" Society, causing him to have less time to do part-time jobs, not to mention his previous training had also taken a lot of his free time. It seemed like Wang Tong had no choice but to cut down his expenses in order to survive, which included cutting down his visits to DREAM Heaven.

    Wang Tong began to calcte his expenses as he walked out the door. He really had been spending too muchtely. Hence, he would have no choice but to eat less expensive food in the future. As for his clothing¡­ it seemed like he really had overspent a lot for going on dates with Samantha.

    As Wang Tong was busy thinking of ways to cut down his expenses, the shopkeeper of DREAM Heaven was seen chasing him from behind.

    "Hey kid, hold on for a sec¡­ Congrattions, you¡¯ve just been selected as our lucky customer, and we¡¯re giving you one hundred credits for free!"

    "Lucky customer?" Wang Tong suspected there was something wrong with the shopkeeper, but so far, he couldn¡¯t think of anything fishy.

    "Here, take it. Today¡¯s my birthday and also happens to be the opening anniversary of my shop. You¡¯re so lucky!" The shopkeeper lied.

    The shopkeeper then hurried back to his shop after handing Wang Tong the card. The shop was still fully upied by the rest who were busy discussing the match on the forum.

    Bump!

    "Ouch, my head!" Wang Tong immediately ced his hands on his head and slowly walked back to Ayrng after identally knocking his forehead onto themp post.

 Chapter 217: The Real and The Fake Tactics of the Blaze

    Chapter 217: The Real and The Fake Tactics of the ze

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    "Were those the Tactics of the ze?" Miao Xiu was thinking as he stroked his chin. It didn¡¯t look like tactics of the ze, yet it seemed simr.

    "Nope." Zhang Jin replied positively.

    "Oh? But..."

    "Although it¡¯s not the Tactics of the ze, it has proven that the Tactics practiced by this man were not afraid of the poison from its toxic me, and were even able to store it for his own usage¡­ In fact, none of the Five Great Tactics are able to have such ability."

    Einherjar Wannabe might have logged out, yet the uproar was still escting. If Tactics of the ze was not able to hold him back, it seemed like nothing from the other four Great tactics would be able to subdue him either.

    The Five Great Tactics had always been the mightiest existence of all tactics that were unreachable for most people, which also exined why the Five Great Houses were always staying on top of the pyramid. Deep down, everyone had been hoping to create other tactics that would be able to surpass the Five Great Tactics.

    Eventually, Einherjar Wannabe had done it.

    Nevertheless, how would the Five Great Houses react to this?

    Hwo Quan¡¯s defeat was not the main focus of this match, but it was the fact that Einherjar Wannabe had achieved something that the other existing tactics were unable to achieve.

    Every media source seemed to have instantly focused on this shocking news.

    Mars¡¯ FLT Channel had even requested to interview Lie Kent himself, and Lie Kent happily epted the interview.

    The interview was broadcasted throughout the whole universe. Amongst the sessors of the Five Great Houses, Lie Kent was the only one who enjoyed showing off as well as living under the spotlight.

    After a series of bber, the voluptuous and sexy reporter then asked something that everyone was concerned about, "Is that true that the final strike used by Einherjar Wannabe was in fact Tactics of the ze?"

    Lie Kent was deeply fascinated by the beautiful reporter sitting in front of him. Sexy, steamy girls were always his cup of tea. However, he was acting serious in front of the camera.

    "Yes, that¡¯s definitely the Xinfa of Tactics of the ze. ording to what I know, Tactics of the ze were the only tactics that possessed an incinerating GN Force in this world."

    "So, you are saying that he literally knew how to use Tactics of the ze?" The beautiful reporter asked again.

    Her question seemed to have pissed a lot of the viewers off. Clearly it wasn¡¯t the Tactics of the ze. They were surprised that the voluptuous reporter would ask such a dumb question.

    However, sexy girls would never get Lie Kent angry. He happily answered, "It¡¯s NOT the Tactics of the ze. In fact, it was none of the Five Great Tactics, and I believe it would be the strongest tactics of all. Even the perfect tactics of the Deva King would never be able to do so, let alone the other tactics."

    People were surprised that Lie Kent would praise another human being, especially due to the fact that Einherjar Wannabe was an Earthling. However, Lie Kent still managed to make room for discriminating Li Shimin.

    "Are you nning on challenging Einherjar Wannabe?" The beautiful reporter asked.

    "If Einherjar Wannabe is a Martian, perhaps I¡¯m already fighting him as we speak."

    Lie Kent then waved his hand, signaling that it was time to end the interview and time for some "rxing" activities instead. In Mars, girls would never let go of any opportunity to get close with Lie Kent.

    Zhang Jin turned off her TV and started to giggle. She was amused by the way Lie Kent discriminated against the Tactics of Vayu saying they were weaker than Tactics of the Deva King, and also the way he hinted that Li Shimin was a loser and trying to taunt him to challenge the unknown Tactics that had surpassed the Five Great Tactics. In the end, if Li Shimin did take the taunt and challenge Einherjar Wannabe, his reputation would still be affected regardless of winning or losing. Lie Kent had always been trying to mess with Li Shimin, and it seemed like his troublemaking ability was just as good as hissciviousness.

    Zhang Jin was really eager to see how would Li Shimin respond to Lie Kent¡¯s taunt. However, judging from Li Shimin¡¯s endurance, he would never be simply provoked by such a taunt.

    As for Einherjar Wannabe, it seemed like he had overly exposed himself to the public and attracted the attention of a few parties. Whether they were the old or the new forces, they seemed to be extremely tempted in his dominating new Xinfa that was capable of mimicking Tactics of the ze and any kind of tactics simply by engaging in a single battle. After all, the party that got their hands on this set of tactics would have the ability to expand its forces and rise as an empire.

    Possessing a set of powerful tactics had always been how the great forces in Earth Confederation secured their political status, except for House of Ma, which instead maintained its status through inventing state-of-the-art technologies from time to time.

    As a matter of fact, Zhang Jin would also be attending the conference organized by House of Ma at Earth Confederation. Of course, she would never miss such an opportunity to witness the magnificent VZPE Battery. Although she wasn¡¯t sure how advanced its development was, yet since FFC had made a public announcement regarding this, Zhang Jin assumed that this technology was already suitable to be used in the military.

    With this further improvement in the energy source, FFC would be able to hit the jackpot by providing an upgrade to the Energy Barriers of Space Battlecrafts. Fortunately for House of Ma, their profit didn¡¯t cause any conflict of interest amongst forces, and this recent invention was very well-received instead.

    Meanwhile, an uproar had spread across Capth, Ayrng and Bernabeu. Every student seemed to be busy discussing the unbelievable incident. In the beginning, most of them thought that Einherjar Wannabe was nothing more than a performer and people enjoyed watching him fight because it was entertaining. However, students began to realize that things seemed to have changed after witnessing all of the aces and elite fighters get defeated one after another.

    Not only that Einherjar Wannabe was able to mimic the Tactics of the ze, but every other tactics as well. Most of all, he was even capable of subduing a Level Five Fighter with his Level Four Soul Energy¡­

    If all of these weren¡¯t achievable by Tactics of the Deva King, then what on earth was that?

    Who the hell was Einherjar Wannabe?

    All of these questions seemed to have driven people crazy, and Einherjar Wannabe had immediately be an existence from another dimension.

    Not only did he possess an ultimate set of tactics, at the same time, he was also extremely talented in Battlecraft Combat. He had even created Art of the Soaring Heaven that overpowered the Kaedeians. Yet ironically, no one in Earth Confederation had evere across such a genius in all existing academies. What a joke!

    Einherjar Wannabe had to be a student in reality since he was only sixteen years old, yet both Yalden and Capth, which were the biggest S-Ranked academies on Earth Confederation, didn¡¯t have the record of having such student.

    Or were they trying to hide him from the public?

    There was a rumor in the forum, saying that Einherjar Wannabe was actually an ordinary kid in a military academy with average scores. Still, it would be impossible to identify which one since the majority of the students were average as well.

    "Young master¡­ sir!"

    "Did you find him?" Li Shimin asked. He looked smart in his neat military uniform.

    "Even DREAM was trying to find out who he was, but apparently, his ID was untraceable."

    "Einherjar Wannabe had brought a tremendous amount of profits to the whole PA. Perhaps he is one of DREAM¡¯s..."

    "Do you want me to send someone to look into it?"

    "Never mind. Someday, I¡¯ll personally make him show himself." Li Shimin replied coldly.

    To be honest, Li Shimin wasn¡¯t bothered by Lie Kent¡¯s taunt at all because he knew what that idiot was thinking. However, thest thing he wanted was Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s existence ruining the reputation of the Five Great Houses. After all, House of Li did have the biggest influence amongst the five Houses. Einherjar Wannabe might be doing good in provoking history, but soon, Li Shimin would personally make sure that his "legacy" ended immediately. In the end, there could only be one "God" in this world.

    Li Shimin was confident that he was the only one who would be the almighty God.

    He had gone through every file about Einherjar Wannabe. Yet, Li Shimin would still need some time to piece the puzzles together in order to figure out Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s real identity.

    It would be extremely hard for most people to look for such a mysterious character. However, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Li Shimin. Now that Li Shimin had learned that Einherjar Wannabe was a sixteen-year-old boy from Earth Confederation, all he had to do now was to throw in a bit of stimnt and make him reveal himself.

    Nevertheless, Li Shimin was also wondering how such a secretive character, or perhaps organization, was able to stay hidden in Earth Confederation without getting noticed.

    Anyhow, Li Shimin decided not to spend too much attention on this shadowy figure as he had more important things to attend to. After all, Einherjar Wannabe was only a "superhero" in the virtual space, unlike de Warrior, who was the real deal in the real world.

    The next day, someone wrote a letter to the Battle Strategy Committee and requested them to acknowledge Art of the Soaring Heaven as a legitimate battle strategy. For the first time, themittee had agreed to acknowledge a battle strategy that was created by an unknown individual.

    Meanwhile, DREAM was still trying their best to pinpoint Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s whereabouts, but his ID was totally untraceable. Instead of letting theputers run an automatic trace, DREAM still preferred to let human beings handle everything. After all, mistakes caused by machines were much more disastrous than mistakes made by humans.

    Although high-tech machinery had lightened the burden of mankind, yet mankind seemed to have much more confident in themselves than machines andputers.

    Einherjar Wannabe still remained the number one gossip amongst students of different academies. Surprisingly, no one would say that Einherjar Wannabe was a "clown" after the match simply because he was able to mimic Tactics of the ze. Instead, they began to admire the flexibility and variability of his mysterious Tactics.

    In fact, the Confederation had been secretly trying to persuade DREAM to let their special task force take over the investigation of Einherjar Wannabe. It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe was immediately branded as a potential threat to the Confederation government after the match in PA. Hence, they decided to take further actions on finding out who he was.

    To be honest, the Confederation government wouldn¡¯t need to be so tense if de Warrior didn¡¯t exist. Undeniably, de Warrior was the liberator of mankind. However, no one could confirm if Einherjar Wannabe was a savior or a doombringer that was created by some secretive organizations that were nning to destroy the world.

    If he were really a terrorist, the situation would be extremely dangerous.

    The Confederation government had been trying their best in fighting crime, but there still were a great deal of terrorists living and hiding in variouss, especially the notorious space pirates who had been terrorizing people for many years. After all, no matter how good the administration was, there would still be loopholes in the system.

    There would always be conflicts among democracy, freedom, and supervision, while bad guys and terrorists would always find ways to take advantages of the ws in the system.

    Although the government had been trying its best to bring peace to the universe, the conflict amongst politicians, military, and scientific research institutions had been progressively escting in recent years. However, people seemed to have developed more faith in scientists rather than believing the words of politicians and military officers. After all, scientists yed an important role in the development of mankind.

 Chapter 218: All The Best

    Chapter 218: All The Best

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Parliament remained as the supreme governing body, while the military was in charge of homnd security. As for the Scientific Research Institution, instead of being controlled by the military, they had formed an independent force that possessed the technologies of mankind development (For instance, the Battlecraft Combat Department).

    This was why FFC¡¯s VZPE Battery technology had received a lot of attention from the Scientific Research Institution. It seemed like the whole institution was totally focused on this matter.

    Confederation government did promise DREAM that they would be conducting the investigation secretly, but the request was immediately declined by DREAM. Clearly, they were afraid that the government¡¯s interference would ruin their profit in PA.

    After all, having Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s identity exposed by the task force would cost them dearly. Not only that DREAM would be losing Einherjar Wannabe forever, but they would also be losing the whole PA. Hence, they would never do anything to ruin their own business. However, DREAM was aware that they were only a smallpany that didn¡¯t have the influence to stop the government from doing what they wanted. Nevertheless, they said no and hoped that there would be a negotiation with the government.

    Obviously both sides had their own agendas in this issue. In the end, the Confederation government agreed topensate for the unavoidable losses throughout the investigation, while DREAM had also agreed to let the special task force take over the investigation starting from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s next appearance.

    Nevertheless, the higher authorities of both parties had agreed to keep this deal as a secret amongst themselves. After all, things would definitely getplicated if the public found out that the government was trying to take down Einherjar Wannabe even though he didn¡¯tmit any crime.

    As for Wang Tong, he had been spending the whole Sunday training in the gym. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t interested in tactics of the ze at all. However, he did seem interested in the way it utilized Soul Energy as a support in every attack.

    Tactics of the Enchantress¡¯ methods of utilizing Soul Energy was not very suitable for Wang Tong since his Soul Energy was only at Level Four. He might be able to use it defensively but definitely not for offensive purposes. However, Tactics of the ze seemed better because it didn¡¯t depend on one¡¯s Soul Energy. Furthermore, Hwo Quan was also only a fighter with Level Four Soul Energy. In Tactics of the ze, aside from being used to extract GN Force, Soul Energy was also able to alter the attribute of one¡¯s GN Force as well as being used as an enhancement in attacks.

    Wang Tong was trying his best to analyze the secrets of this set of tactics, but it was extremelyplicated. Perhaps, Lie Kent wouldugh out loud if he found out that Wang Tong had been working his ass out to figure out what on earth was the Tactics of the ze.

    Wang Tong had been trying very hard to recreate the zing sensation by initializing his own Tactics of the de, but it failed no matter how many times he tried. Unlike Firmament Palm Strike or Fist of the Racing Tiger, which he could recreate with tactics of the de, Tactics of the ze seemed to be on a different level.

    Yet, Wang Tong believed that he was able to do so. He was confident that he would be able to catch the feeling if Hwo Quan could hit him another time in reality. After all, those hits on TPA were not enough for Wang Tong to memorize the burning sensation with his body.

    Wang Tong felt hungry and opened his eyes. He was surprised to see Zhou Sisi sitting at the corner while staring at him.

    "Oh hi Sisi, wassup?"

    "Gosh, you¡¯ve been sitting here for a whole day. What¡¯s on your mind?" Zhou Sisi asked.

    "Really? I thought it was only one hour or two, no wonder I¡¯m starving like hell." Wang Tong scratched his head and was embarrassed by his growling stomach.

    "C¡¯mon let¡¯s go, I¡¯m starving too." Zhou Sisi got up and rubbed her tights.

    "You¡¯ve been sitting there whole day waiting for me?"

    "Nah, but I did drop by a few times to check on you."

    "What¡¯s up?"

    "I heard that you¡¯ll not be going for the Pr Concert next week, but everyone else in the team would be going. Since we¡¯re given this privilege by Madam Principal, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s kinda waste?" Zhou Sisi said.

    Wang Tong faked a smile, "Nah, you guys go ahead. I¡¯m not in the mood."

    Suddenly Zhou Sisi pinched Wang Tong¡¯s face and said, "Hey, cheer up young man, get up and move on already. The Wang Tong I know is not a coward nor a loser!"

    Wang Tong stood up in embarrassment, "How did you know? Dammit Hu Yangxuan, you jackass!"

    "Hey don¡¯t me the others. You two werepletely wasted that night and had been sleeptalking for the whole night." Zhou Sisi smiled and teased Wang Tong.

    "What¡­ did I say?" Wang Tong was shocked after learning that he had the habit of sleeptalking after getting drunk. Since when did he inherit this bad habit from Old Fart?

    "Everything. However, I didn¡¯t remember all of the contents. SO, don¡¯t act like a sissy anymore. Look at Principal Samantha, she wasn¡¯t troubled at all and was even able to finish her tasks orderly. Rx buddy, look forward and move on already." Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t expect that she would y the part as Wang Tong¡¯s romance counselor.

    Wang Tong was embarrassed by the fuss he had made while he was drunk¡­ Wang Tong thought that he had walked back to his room by himself that night, but it seemed like both he and Hu Yangxuan were helped by Zhou Sisi in the end.

    "Thank you, Sisi." Wang Tong said it from the bottom of his heart.

    "For what?" Zhou Sisi flicked her hair.

    "Everything. Thank you very much."

    "So, are you going or not?"

    "Why not? How could I miss the chance to support your dearest twin sister? Perhaps I could even get her signature¡­ andter post it on the online auction..." Wang Tong said cunningly.

    "I¡¯mma hit you hard if you do that!"

    "Easy, don¡¯t forget I¡¯m your mentor!"

    Wang Tong then ran towards the cafeteria, somehow chatting with Zhou Sisi had cheered him up. Clearly, it was time for him to truly move on and stop being emotional. Everything would be better if he could stand up and take a step forward.

    Samantha did promise the team a trip to the Pr region if they were able to defeat Capth, and it seemed like she really did keep her promise. Concert or not, this would still be a rare opportunity to visit the Aurora City. Everyone was eager to see how the city looked like.

    Most importantly, Zhou Sisi¡¯s twin sister would be performing along with the team members of her idol group "HG". Of course, no one would miss such a chance to get close to the pop stars and have fun with each other.

    Even though human beings didn¡¯t have to rub scent on each other like animals when it came to socializing, yet to spend time together in reality was definitely way better thanmunicating in the virtual world.

    To be honest, Wang Tong was looking forward to getting together with the team, especially since he had now opened his heart and freed himself from the negatives. It was time for him to really consider his future.

    Whether he was really trying to search for Old Fart or bing the Space Baron, Wang Tong would have to work harder in order to achieve his goals. Wang Tong had promised himself that he would walk the talk in order to not waste his life.

    Aside from learning how to love, it was also important for a guy to learn the significance of thinking on her behalf. Since Samantha had already decided to pursue on her own ambitions, why wouldn¡¯t Wang Tong do the same?

    She would never be satisfied by him clinging to her in a rtionship.

    Wang Tong adored Samantha because she possessed the elements of hope that Wang Tong admired. Nevertheless, it might be better for both of them to part ways. After all, Samantha still had to fight for her dreams, and Wang Tong also had his own goals to achieve.

    Wang Tong then calmed himself down and began to analyze her feelings for Ma Xiaoru. To be honest, Ma Xiaoru was indeed a better girlfriend for him, because she was willing to sacrifice her own dreams and career for the one she loves. Perhaps, she was willing to do so because she was the sole sessor of FFC, but even if she had done that, would they be able to live happily forever after?

    The answer was obvious. The house of Ma was a huge family with great influence, but he was just a nobody from nowhere. Ma Xiaoru was out of his league!

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong had finally got back on his feet after spending some time in the vortex of love. Instead of waiting for the others to amodate themselves for him, it was time for him to change his attitude towards everything.

    Ma Xiaoru? Samantha?

    Honestly, no one had the answer for that for the time being.

    Anyhow, Wang Tong had let go and freed himself from his misery. Finally, he had gone back to his old self.

    "You sure y¡¯all areing, sis?"

    "Yup, that¡¯s the prize for our victory!"

    "Congrattions to all of you, you guys are amazing indeed. I can¡¯t believe y¡¯all really defeated Capth. Oh, by the way, I heard that the boy was the star of the whole tournament. Plus, I¡¯ve even shown his dance to our producer. It blew his mind, and he¡¯d like to meet him badly."

    "Erm, let¡¯s see how it goes. After all, soldiers are not that interested in this business."

    "Sis, don¡¯t jump to the conclusion that quickly. Oh, I gotta go. It¡¯s time for my rehearsal. I¡¯ll do my best too!"

    "Okay, all the best!" Zhou Sisi turned off her Sk.

    She was proud of her sister Zhou Yiyi. No matter what she did, she would always put all of her efforts into it.

    As for Zhou Sisi, she had also been busy making her own ns and learning hard. Honestly, she was well aware of the existing gap in terms of strength, but that didn¡¯t mean that she would fail in the end. Zhou Sisi was confident that she would be able to improve as time went by, including the rtionship between Wang Tong and her.

    Zhou Sisi had been practicing her Cloning Techniques every day. Instead of focusing on speed, she decided to begin with her uracy. Aside from improving her Cloning Techniques, her daily training would also be able to improve her controlling maneuvers, Soul Energy Lock-on and many other categories.

    Unlike Wang Tong, who chose to focus on METAL Combat and Battlecraft Combat, Zhou Sisi seemed to have developed an interest in all sorts of knowledge about the vast universe, especially about all sorts of dangers that people would face during space voyages and battles. She had been spending a lot of time expanding her general knowledge recently.

    After all, reading had always been one of Zhou Sisi¡¯s favorite pastime. She would always do a bit of reading and initialize her tactics before going to bed.

    That was a part of Zhou Sisi¡¯s daily routine.

 Chapter 219: One Step Further

    Chapter 219: One Step Further

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    After finishing his night-time practice, Wang Tong noticed that it was time for him to have a little chat with Einherjar Wannabe. Basically, Wang Tong¡¯s life changed upon his encounter with this mystical Space Crystal, yet he realized that he had never thanked Einherjar Wannabe for that, which was kind of rude.

    Moreover, he really had to put more effort into helping Einherjar Wannabe.

    "Yo kiddo, wassup?" Einherjar Wannabe looked pissed. Clearly, he was still depressed over what happened previously.

    Wang Tong replied politely, "Mister, perhaps it¡¯s time for us to have a good little chat. Let¡¯s take this opportunity to sort a few things out."

    Einherjar Wannabe was stunned by his unexpected attitude, "What¡¯s wrong with you kiddo? Lovelorn?"

    Wang Tong forced a smile. Perhaps it was really more obvious than it seemed, "Yea, but it¡¯s not about that. There¡¯s something that we need to sit down and sort out."

    Einherjar Wannabe was surprised by the sad-ish politeness of that stubborn kid, and replied normally, "What¡¯s on your mind? First thing first, don¡¯t you dare ask me to teach you anything."

    "It¡¯s not about that. I¡¯m just curious of what¡¯s going on with this particr Space Crystal and the mystical power of these Tactics of the de. There¡¯s something I have to tell you. Apparently, Tactics of the de was a dual-core tactics that consisted of the upper cirction powered by EMF and the lower cirction which was in fact the Qi cirction of one¡¯s Cinnabar Field¡­ I made up that name myself. Thebination of both the cirction was able to generate a great deal of strength, which has proven that this is actually the real Tactics of the de. Also, there is a huge possibility that this Space Crystal originally belonged to de Warrior himself." Wang Tong said.

    Wang Tong did not tell Einherjar Wannabe back then because the guy always acted weird and secretive. As Old Fart said, "It is wise to always be somewhat reserved to someone else before knowing him or her properly.".

    Yet, Wang Tong somehow noticed that first, he would have to open himself to the others if he wanted to be treated back the same way. After all, both Einherjar Wannabe and he had no families at all, and for Einherjar Wannabe, the only person he could talk to would be nobody else but Wang Tong.

    Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t expect Wang Tong would take the initiative to talk about this stuff. To be honest, he knew that this had been bothering Wang Tong for quite some time, but since he wasn¡¯t very sure himself, Einherjar Wannabe chose to keep quiet instead.

    "I promise you, Mister¡­Someday, I¡¯ll definitely get you out from this Space Crystal."

    "What¡¯s wrong with youtely? Too many sis? It scares me when u suddenly be so sentimental!" Einherjar Wannabe had been waiting to say this since the beginning.

    No one would like to stay forever in vanity where time and space doesn¡¯t exist. Somehow it felt worse than death.

    "Nah, just that I think I¡¯ve grown up a bit after going through a lottely, haha." Indeed, Wang Tong had been through a lottely.

    "Good for you, now back to business. It seems like de Warrior is our only lead for now. Why don¡¯t you tell me something about the de Warrior? I¡¯ll see what can I recall." Einherjar Wannabe said.

    "Easy, there¡¯re tons of documentaries about the legendary de Warrior, I¡¯ve got one right here which is quite detailed, hope it helps." Wang Tong then yed the video clip, and both of them watched together.

    One was sitting down, and the other one was floating.

    It was a detailed documentary indeed. Almost everything about de Warrior was mentioned in the video, from his first appearance to the amazing battle he fought.

    The whole documentary was about two hours. Both Einherjar Wannabe and Wang Tong began to think as soon as they finished watching the video.

    "Unfortunately, I¡¯m unable to find Old Fart, or else he¡¯ll be able to tell me where this Space Crystal came from, and perhaps it¡¯ll give us some idea. There¡¯s also a ce called the Hall of Valha that still contains clues about the de Warrior, but it was currently being guarded by Court of the Temr, and even the Temr¡¯s followers are not allowed to enter. Rumors have it that it holds the gateway to another dimension which even the current technology is unable to decipher. Even if it¡¯s possible, still Court of the Temr would never let outsiders ess the Hall of Valha. To them, the de Warrior is their God of Creation. ording to them, all existing tactics, including the Five Great Tactics, actually originated from de Warrior himself." Wang Tong exined.

    Einherjar Wannabe said, "Hey kid, do you think I¡¯m actually from that era?"

    "Possible, perhaps you had offended de Warrior, or maybe you were the viin at that time."

    "Perhaps, but I really can¡¯t remember."

    "Or maybe de Warrior was trying to save you. After all, he wouldn¡¯t pass you his Tactics of the de if he didn¡¯t trust you." Wang Tong made another assumption.

    "Yo, are you tryin¡¯ to mess with me?" Einherjar Wannabe red at him.

    "Of course not. I¡¯m just trying to make sense of everything. To be honest, I don¡¯t care who you really are. After all, you¡¯re still the Einherjar Wannabe I know. Right now, we should be focusing on getting you out instead." Wang Tong scratched his head. As a student, there¡¯s no way he could have ess to some advanced technologies, "Let¡¯s say you¡¯re really in the state of a spirit, does that means all you need is just a body? Even so, it¡¯s illegal to clone a person."

    "Things aren¡¯t as simple as you think kid. Right now I¡¯m in the state of an energy force, yet materialization urs when I turn into a METAL Suit; which means I¡¯m able to transform into something that¡¯s in a solid state. However, it seems like I¡¯m unable to control my transformation. As for the de Warrior, he seemed to be a good person based on historical facts, but still, I¡¯m not buying it." Einherjar Wannabe said.

    "Oh, I have an idea. If we were to make Einherjar Wannabe more God-like in PA, it might be able to catch the attention of the person who once owned that Space Crystal, or maybe we¡¯ll be able to attract the attention of certain rted parties. Perhaps then they¡¯ll be able to help us." Wang Tong said.

    Wang Tong seemed to be unaware that Einherjar Wannabe had already caught the attention of many parties. Instead of his real identity, they seemed to care more about his Tactics.

    "Sounds good. But still, it¡¯s better for us to proceed with caution. Judging from your current capabilities, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re able to protect the Crystal by yourself. To be honest, I¡¯m not happy about you, but I do hate more about the Crystal being held by another person. Furthermore, Old Fart might have lied to you about the Crystal. Perhaps the Crystal does belong to him."

    "For God sake, this is getting moreplicated!" Wang Tong smacked himself on the head, "Oh, by the way, did you notice the changes in my Soul Energy? After my previous injury at Capth, a golden light orb seemed to have appeared in my EMF. Maybe it has something to do with your unexpected transformation." Wang Tong then tried to describe how the light orb looked like.

    "Light orb?" Einherjar Wannabe couldn¡¯t recall anything about this strange phenomenon at all.

    "What¡¯s it like to be inside the Space Crystal? Are you able to find anything else?"

    "Nothing but vanity. I can either remain conscious or go into sleep-mode. Most of the time I¡¯ll be drifting around in an unconscious state, or else I¡¯ll definitely be crazy. I can definitely sense there¡¯s something else, but I can¡¯t control or decide anything at all, one of them being Tactics of the de." Einherjar Wannabe seemed to be frustrated by all of these troubles. Sadly no one else would be able to help the both of them.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong felt bad for Einherjar Wannabe, but he kept quiet about it. Obviously, Einherjar Wannabe was a tough guy. He didn¡¯t give up his hope despite being stuck in despair. Wang Tong believed that Einherjar Wannabe had to be some big shot back then.

    "Rx kid, things like these take time. As for your Tactics of the de and the light orb, I¡¯m guessing that changes would ur to the Space Crystal whenever there¡¯s improvement in your performance. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we try to build up the image of Einherjar Wannabe in PA and see if it catches the attention of any party? Meanwhile, you can try to train harder and improve more, then we shall be able to monitor those strange phenomena!"

    "Yea, I was thinking about the same thing!" Wang Tong grabbed his fists.

    "Brace yourself kiddo. If de Warrior was able to do it, so can we!" Einherjar Wannabe said in excitement.

    In fact, the way Einherjar Wannabe saw Wang Tong had changed a bit after their little chit-chat!

    Einherjar Wannabe seldommented on Wang Tong¡¯s practice because Old Fart had done a good job in fortifying Wang Tong¡¯s basics, and there was no problem in Wang Tong¡¯s initialization. Nevertheless, Wang Tong¡¯s dual-core tactics did surprise Einherjar Wannabe, as not even he himself was able to do so. Moreover, Wang Tong¡¯s tactics had exceeded two hundred nodes, but it totally had nothing to do with the Five Great Tactics.

    Einherjar Wannabe didn¡¯t allow Wang Tong equip the METAL Suit that he transformed into, because Wang Tong¡¯s Soul Energy was too weak. His body would never be able to sustain the pressure, and he would be the first to pass out instead of his opponent.

    Although super METAL Suits would usually grant much better defense and offense, yet at the same time, these armors would consume a lot of Soul Energy. For instance, the Suit of Einherjar that was only essible to the Einherjar himself was able to grant its user enough strength to blow up the whole city. But it had to be maintained by an extensive amount of Soul Energy, or else, the user¡¯s vitality would bepletely drained.

    Without a doubt, Wang Tong was very strong, but his Soul Energy was only at Level Four. Einherjar Wannabe was worried that something bad would happen to Wang Tong, which was why he had been telling Wang Tong to proceed with caution.

    However, Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t that good in giving advice in a sentimental way.

    Yet, Wang Tong didn¡¯t mind. Instead, he was quite touched when Einherjar Wannabe warned him. He knew Einherjar Wannabe hated guys acting like sissies.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong realized that he had found the right person to help him practice the Soul Energy infused attacking methods.

    Wang Tong was fairly surprised when he discovered that Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s tactics consisted of thunder attributes. It was absolutely stunning and destructive at the same time!

    Einherjar Wannabe seemed pleased about Wang Tong¡¯s reaction. Just as Wang Tong suspected, techniques like these were based on one¡¯s utilization of GN Force.

 Chapter 220: Men Were Supposed to be Macho

    Chapter 220: Men Were Supposed to be Macho

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Human bodies consisted of the elements of wind, water, earth, fire, metal, and wood, and advanced tactics were able to infuse these basic elements into the attacks, like Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s thunder attribute that actually belonged to the element of wind. In order to achieve so, one must first identify his or her own element. Elements were represented by a few genome nuclear sources, and these genome nuclear sources first had to be identified during the developing process of GN Force.

    Wang Tong immediately understood the general idea after listening to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s exnation. He was happy that he had once again learned something new. Normally, people would only care about the increase of Soul Energy after initializing their tactics and didn¡¯t bother to analyze the element of their genome nuclear sources. To be honest, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference even if they knew about their elements. After all, the whole theory was kind of abstract. Only those who understood it would want to give it a try.

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s exnation helped Wang Tong a lot, but still, it was quite difficult to identify his own element. It would be even better if Einherjar Wannabe were able to help him in person. After all, things would proceed smoother if a mentor was by his side. But unfortunately for Wang Tong, Einherjar Wannabe was not a "person". Hence, he was on his own this time.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong was more than happy about the current information he had. Now that he had understood the overall theory, all he had to do next was give it a shot.

    Wang Tong had decided to improve his strength as much as possible, and hopefully this time, he would be able to catch the golden light orb during his training!

    In fact, Wang Tong had evene across a ridiculous idea to injure himself badly and see if the light orb would appear as nned. But this insane idea was immediately rejected by Einherjar Wannabe.

    In the end, all they wanted to do was to solve the mystery behind that damn Space Crystal!

    Wang Tong was deeply impressed by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s patience and dignity. If he were in Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ce, he would¡¯ve used every method he could think of in order to break free.

    Einherjar Wannabe once said, "A man can lose anything, but not his dignity!". His words touched Wang Tong¡¯s heart.

    Wang Tong was even busier during the following week. However, he seemed to be even more energetic. Honestly, he was afraid of being bored, but now that he had found the goal that he wanted to achieve, he wouldn¡¯t mind working his ass off in order to do so.

    Meanwhile, as the leader of "S" Society, Wang Tong had made up his mind to put more effort into shaping the team, not only because of victories, but also in order to catch up with those S-Ranked academies.

    One of his biggest actions was recruiting more members in order to form a refined Battlecraft Combat team. As a matter of fact, Wang Tong realized that the training andpetitions that they had been participating in were too simple. Instead of theoretical stuff, the team needed some refinement.

    The refinement was all about teamwork. Aside from strengthening the basics, training of would also be focusing more on real battles. Other than that, there would also be specific tutorials regarding the Weaponry System, Intel System and Supply System of Battlecraft fleets. It was important for the team to know that these systems were notmanded by one person, but weremanded respectively by the Fleet Commander, Commander¡¯s assistant, and Fleet Tactician.

    For instance, during final showdowns, the Fleet Commander or any person in charge would have to connect his or her Soul Energy with the entire fleet. It was easier said than done because it actually consisted of a series of procedures that had to be mastered to perfection, one of them being requesting for permission from higher authority to take control of the entire fleet.

    If the crew were not able to cooperate or had bad sense of timing, the entire fleet would be wiped out by the enemies before the connection was made.

    Basically, Battlecraft Combat only focused on battle strategies and perspectives, while refined Battlecraft Combat contained more exposure regarding real battles.

    Another example would be Cloning Techniques. In basic Battlecraft Combat, most of the Kaedeians were able to demonstrate Cloning Techniques under any circumstances while Earthlings were able to do so against a smaller group of enemies. However, it would not be that simple in refined Battlecraft Combat. Instead of simply pushing a few buttons, one would have to look for a well-aimed angle while piloting a ginormous vessel, not to mention there might be a slight time dy while adjusting the aiming angle. In short, one¡¯s ability to establish perfect control in basic Battlecraft Combat would not guarantee that he or she would also be able to do the same in refined Battlecraft Combat.

    It was, in fact, more difficult than it seemed.

    Basically, those who were capable of cloning more than two hundred fleets in basic Battlecraft Combat would likely be able to clone thirty to fifty fleets in real battles, but only if they could first establish excellent teamwork amongst the crew.

    There was no such thing as a refined Battlecraft Combat team in Ayrng. After all, they had been performing badly in the basic Battlecraft Combat, let alone this advanced category. Furthermore, it had been ages since thest time a student of Ayrng became a Fleet Commander. In fact, Fleet Commanders were always admired by the society. Most of them were top-notch elites from variouss, and only those who passed the real battle simtion were able to be one.

    Almost everyone dreamt of bing a Fleet Commander. After all, no one would turn down the chance of being able to take charge of the entire armada of Battlecraft fleets and bing the conqueror of the universe. Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers wouldpete against each other for this exquisite position in the army.

    In order to return Ayrng to its former glory, Wang Tong decided to take on this challenge. Hence, he knew that he had to do something in order to brace himself for thepetition ahead.

    In the end, Wang Tong managed to select enough candidates from the "S" Society to form the new team. Fortunately for Wang Tong, Samantha had previously purchased a whole set of equipment which allowed his ns to proceed. Furthermore, Samantha was very supportive regarding this new project of "S" Society. After all, she would be okay for Wang Tong to do as he preferred as long as it wouldn¡¯t ruin Ayrng¡¯s image and reputation.

    Later, Wang Tong eagerly led his team to test out their refined Battlecraft Combat maneuvers, and everyone was immediately startled by their test results.

    All failed.

    The whole team was a mess. What was worse, the whole armada was wiped out by the Space Hives of Zergs before they could fire a single cannon.

    All of them were depressed and frustrated about the huge increase in difficulty. Suddenly, the basic Battlecraft Combat began to look like child¡¯s y.

    Sadly, none of Ayrng¡¯s teachers were able to provide them any guidance in this category.

    Yet at the edge of despair, Bernabeu came to the rescue. Cao Yi hadbined Bernabeu¡¯s lessons and practices on refined Battlecraft Combat into a course book and gave it to Wang Tong. All these years, while Ayrng was gradually getting worse, Bernabeu had been busy improving themselves. And in fact, Martyrus had never given up on refined Battlecraft Combat. However, the difficulty was too much for them even though they had Best, who was extremely talented in operating maneuvers. After all, there would be more peoplepeting for the Fleet Commander position for sure if the entire subject was as easy as the basic version.

    Fortunately, the students of Ayrng didn¡¯t give up despite the terrible result. Somehow, they had expected that it would be this difficult. Carl even swore to ovee every challenge with the team under Wang Tong¡¯s leadership!

    Carl¡¯s frenzy was out of the world. Basically, everyone except Wang Tong felt bad for the previous failure, yet it didn¡¯t bother Carl too much. To be honest, Carl¡¯s recent improvements were amazing, which also exined why no one was offended by his big mouth.

    Carl even engraved the words "World¡¯s Second Best" on his shoulder as a self-motivation.

    Wang Tong was the best, so he would be the second best.

    Being crazy and arrogant had always been Carl¡¯s way to push himself further.

    Of course, the team didn¡¯t forget about the other subjects while focusing on the studies of refined Battlecraft Combat. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the happiness the challenges and improvements. Most importantly, everyone in the team was bringing out their A-game, and no one felt tired at all because they were working together as a team!

    Time flew by, and another week had passed. As promised, Samantha had booked their flight tickets and amodations, and also selected Mr.Simon as the teacher-in-charge of the team¡¯s trip to the Pr Region.

    ¡®All work but no y makes Jack a dull boy.¡¯ Everyone seemed to be fairly excited about this trip as they began to pack their bags and luggage.

    Meanwhile at Capth¡­

    "C¡¯mon Xiaoru, let¡¯s go together. You have toe with me!"

    "But I¡¯m really not a fan of HG." Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t interested at all. She had never been a fan of pop idols, and to be honest, the songs of HG seemed too boring for her.

    "It¡¯s not about the songs, all I¡¯m saying is you¡¯ve been training a lottely, and I had also been busy training because of you. Hence you and I seriously need a break!"

    "Can I stay here, please?"

    "Nope, you¡¯reing with me. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s been ages since ourst time having fun together. You have toe with me!" Li Ruo-Er kept nagging Ma Xiaoru.

    In the end, Ma Xiaoru had no choice and agreed to apany Li Ruo-Er. To be honest, she would love to travel to the Pr Region and visit the famous Aurora City too.

    Meanwhile at Moon¡­

    "Thanks again for inviting me." Luv Ma said while packing his bags.

    "You¡¯re wee. Actually, my intention of this trip is to meet Capth¡¯s very own Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru, and also to know more about this VZPE Battery. Anyway, I could use an assistant." Zhang Jin joked.

    Lately, she discovered that Luv Ma was quite a talented person. He might be inexperienced, but this boy seemed to be very good in statistics and analysis.

    "This would be my first time traveling to Earth, I¡¯m looking forward to it!" Luv Ma said excitedly.

    "Haha, me too!" Zhang Jin said. She didn¡¯t pack too much for the trip.

    It was time for her to meet the sessors of both Houses on Earth, and she could tell that this would be an extremely enjoyable trip.

    In the boys¡¯ dorm, Miao Xiu was seen hugging Luv Ma¡¯s left thigh, "Don¡¯t leave me here buddy. I wanna go too!"

    "Bro, it¡¯s not up for me to decide. This time Zhang Jin only nned on taking me along¡­ And we¡¯re there for business, not pleasure."

    "That¡¯s not fair dude, why don¡¯t you try asking her. I can be treated as baggage if she wants to!" Miao Xiu seemed to be quite desperate about visiting Earth.

    Luv Ma then kicked Miao Xiu to the side. He knew the reason Miao Xiu wanted to visit Earth badly was none other than hitting on Earthling girls.

    Two hundred years ago, the location of Aurora City was just a ce roamed by animals. Yet right now, it had be one of the Earthlings¡¯ greatest wondends.

    In fact, Pr Region had the best ecosystem throughout Earth, and it was often visited by the elites. As for the Aurora City, it was being known for its marvelousbination of human technology and the elegance of mother nature.

    This ce also happened to be the most expensive city to live in due to the high demand in this small region. As a matter of fact, the real estate pricing of this area was simr to the prices on Moon.

    A lot of world-renowned bigshots happened to be living in this city, and at the same time, scientists had also discovered that this was the perfect ce for doing scientific research. Within decades, Aurora City had developed into the hub of business, entertainment as well as research and development.

    Although the surrounding temperature was below fifty degree Celsius, yet it was always filled with warmth and happiness. People were seen having afternoon tea in a za filled with blossoming flowers while enjoying the snowy view outside the protective barrier. Sometimes, there were even pr animals passing by or checking on the people inside the barrier. This ce was indeed a perfect heaven.

 Chapter 221: Touring

    Chapter 221: Touring

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    When the Aurora City project was first proposed, it had met with voices of concern from the environmentalists. They argued that thend was better left alone to preserve its natural habitat. However, despite the different opinions at the beginning of the project, the city was built without much pushback. Since the natural scenery was the main draw of the city, the developers had poured billions upon billions of dors on preserving the environment. Looking back, those investments on the environment were well worth it.

    Earth was humankind''s homnd, and therefore, it had a particr attraction to every earthling. The City of Aurora was built at the most highly sought-after tourist destination on earth. Therefore, after it was built, the Aurora City had be the first choice for event organizers regardless of the type of the events.

    But who had initiated this project?

    FFC had taken up thirty percent of the share, the Li had ten percent, and the Zhang had fifteen percent. The three families controlled fifty-five percent of the total share, and in other words, they had the total control over the fate of the Aurora City. The rest of the forty-five percent was divided up between numerous investors and banks. The City had been hugely profitable and ever since its opening day, all the shareholders had made a bucket load of fortune.

    The Aurora City nevercked sensational news and events. But this time, the importance of the event that was about to be held was unprecedented. Scientists from all over the Gxy came to witness the announcement of the VZPE battery. To the researchers, the secrets of the VZPE battery were something worth dying for.

    The event also had attracted thousands of media personnel, be in the form of traditional journalism or the modern virtual style. Every news agencies rolled up their sleeves, trying tond an exclusive interview with the inventor of the VZPE battery.

    Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer stood on the hundredth floor of the "Hotel Point Zero", looking down at the beautiful city. It was the first time Ma Xiaoru visited the city, despite her family being the biggest shareholder. She could have visited here long ago, but she felt the excess of luxury was not really her style. She had lived a simple and in life in her parent''s house until she was sent off to the Li Family, who were well known for their ascetic way of living.

    The great houses knew that a powerful family meant nothing if it didn''t have a solid sessor, and therefore, the current great houses focused most of their attention on the growth of their children.

    "It''s so pretty here. Let''s get out and have some fun."

    "Nah, we will attract too much attention out there. Everyone is on a hunt for clues about the VZPE battery. We better stay in here." Ma Xiaoru didn''t even want toe to the Aurora City, much less sightseeing. She agreed toe here because she felt a tug inside her as if she was here to fulfill a forgotten promise she had made long ago.

    "Are all the Enchantresses obedient like you, or is it just me who is too rebellious? Maybe it¡¯s thetter, and that exins why my brother scolds me for not listening to him."

    "I wish I could be like you! I wish Samantha was here. I''m sure she will like it."

    Li Ruoer''s eyes shed," She perhaps wouldn''t want to be here."

    "Yea, rebuilding Ayrng is not an easy task." Xiaoru had clearly missed the point.

    "Hold on a second." Li Ruoer darted out of the room and was back in a second with a pack of clothing. "Put them on." She said to Ma Xiaoru.

    "What are we doing?"

    "Going out there, of course."

    "There''s bodyguard out there."

    "That is exactly why we will need the disguise. We are too powerful for anyone to hurt us. I am more worried that we would identally hurt anyone else. It would be easier to sneak away with this if you know what I mean. Come on now, put them on. I don''t want to stay in here forever." As Li Ruoer spoke, she had already started to change her clothes.

    Ma Xiaoru shook her head and did as she was told.

    "It''s better if I go with her. At least someone will be looking after her." Ma Xiaoru thought to herself.

    In addition to the science fair, the Happy Girl was also holding their concert here, bring a drastically different crowd than scientist and engineers. Within a few days, most of the hotel rooms were booked, and the price of the rest of the hotel rooms had risen to double or even triple the regr price. Wang Tong and his friend could tell that Samantha had spent a lot of money on them this time. Only through her connections was she able to secure rooms for her students.

    Samantha even invited the students from Bernabeu. Although Bernabeu was an A ss academy, Martyrus did not have the same resources as Samantha to splurge on the students. Samantha did this as a way of returning the favor of Martyrus for helping her bringing Ayrng on the right track.

    The students were excited when they saw the faces of their former teammates. The girls decided to go shopping together, and the boys went off together for sightseeing.

    Walking with their ssmates, Wang Tong and Apache felt bored, and they found the sightseeing was not half as exciting as dissecting a Zerg.

    The ones that were having the most fun were Shi Liang and Hu Yangxuan. Hu Yangxuan''s family was wealthy, so budget wasn''t an issue to him. He had been to the Aurora City before when he was a child before he went to the Temr.

    After a while, even Hu Yangxuan had lost interest in the bustling streets, so the boys started to talk about their recent findings in their studies.

    "My friend in the Anti Smuggling unit told me that the Confederation is considering a new military campaign. There is still some resistance on Norton apparently." Apache announced.

    "What? What do you mean resistance? I thought our fleet had wiped them all out."

    "That was in the space. The progress had been slow on the ground. They had conducted many bombings, but the Zergs would simply hide under the ground; it was hard to cause any real damage to them. So, the Confederation had been mired in a war that they would never win. "

    "What''s worse is that they had realized that the war had cost them too much, even more than the benefit they could get after fully taking control of Norton. The Ivantians have already left the campaign, and the Earth military is in negotiation with the Martians." Cao Yi said.

    "I knew it would happen. Once the Zerg took hold of a, it is almost impossible to eradicate them. This is going to be a longer war than we thought. I have heard that the Martians are leaving soon as well. Some congressmen had proposed to draft Academy students to join the war. Whoever serves the military would be able to boost his or her school grades, and retain the rank he or she had obtained during the campaign when rejoining the military after they graduated." Apache''s eyes glinted as he talked.

    "It''s a good proposal, but I wonder if the new soldiers would slow down the veterans or even worse, get them killed." Best felt that this proposal was not likely to be passed.

    "A calm sea does not make good sailors, and there will be casualties. That is why the proposal had set a minimum requirement for the students to be drafted into service. They had to be at least in their third year, and a rmendation letter from the academy was also required."

    "There is no way it will be passed."

    "When it was first tabled, only the Li family had supported it, saying that a soldier should not be a soldier if he or she were afraid of sacrifices."

    "That''s pretty convincing."

    "Haha, what we are seeing is just a show. The politicians were ying another entirely different game under the table. That being said, I am very interested in visiting Norton, so I hope the proposal will be passed." Apache felt that his growth at school was too slow.

    Truth be told, Apache''s level had far exceeded the limit of whatever benefit the school''s training routing could provide. Only a cruel and real war would be able to bring his ability to the next level.

    "What do you think, Cao Yi?" Wang Tong asked.

    Cao Yi scratched his head and said," I wish I could go. After all, I can collect a lot of first-hand information even if I don''t partake in the fighting."

    Everyone''s eyesnded on Wang Tong. He did not like the idea of returning to Norton. Even thinking of the nutrient pill made me gag.

    "I will... think about it." He said eventually.

    "Well, it''s still too early to decide anyway. The politicians change their minds faster than they change their mistresses. Nevertheless, the rank we gain would be very beneficial since we don''t have an advantageous family background." Apache said.

    "That''s for sure. The ground experience would be an assetter when we apply for a position on a fleet. They said the confederation is making it a policy in the future that anyone working on the fleet needs to have experience fighting on the ground." Best announced.

 Chapter 222: Hidden Talent

    Chapter 222: Hidden Talent

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Not everyone had the real-lifebat experience like Apache. No matter how excellent a student was, when standing face to face with a Zerg, feeling terrified was inevitable. Lack of enough time to build trust and learn the team tactics would also shorten a student''s service life or life altogether.

    Graduates of some top-notch schools such as Capth would be automatically promoted after only a year of service. The likelihood of these officers partaking in a realbat fresh out of their ivory tower was very little. Even if they were given the opportunity of going to Norton, they were likely not going to ept it since they were already guaranteed a higher ranked position and no longer need to do the dirty groundwork in order to increase rank. The reason that Apache wanted to join the war was not for medals or ranks, but to improve himself as a fighter.

    "We can talk about itter. Today we are on vacation, so let''s rx. We deserve it!" Apache cracked a smile.

    "Agreed!"

    As the boys walked along the street, they saw three of their female ssmates ahead of them. They all had a satisfied smile on their face after a splurge in a shopping mall.

    "Aren''t you girls tired?"

    "Tired? Are you kidding me, Wang Tong? We are going to shop until we drop!" Rumi said

    "Yea, many things are going on here. Zhou Sisi is going to take us to the rehearsal of the HG. Do you guys want toe along?" A seductive smile appeared on Luo Manman''s face. Everyone had already gotten used to that as it was the side effect of her tactics to be unintentionally alluring.

    "Not interested," Apache replied with a nk face.

    "You are always so uptight. All you know is fighting. Did you know that rxing and resting is half the battle? Plus, it''s not rude to show some support for my sister, you know." Zhou Sisi''s words had hit the mark.

    Apache was eventually dragged to the rehearsal stage by his friends unwillingly.

    Inside the Aurora City, the temperature was kept constant at 25 degrees. The city also had the best scenery and the freshest air on Earth. As the students walked on the clean and neat streets under the towering skyscrapers, they dreamed of having their own ce in this city.

    The environment also attracted Wang Tong, and he reasoned that if he could purchase a house here for Old Fart, Old Fart would never run away.

    The city also had a very developed public transit system, and its services were free, paid by the massive amount of goods and service tax the consumers paid.

    They had soon arrived at the DREAM theater. It was named after the DREAM corp since they had eighty percent of the share. Since it was built, it had quickly be the most prestigious theater on Earth. Every performer considered it an honor to perform here, since only the most sessful ones could make it to the waiting list.

    HG had been the most popr band recently. Although some critics had considered their music tasteless fab, they were highly praised and popr among the teenagers.

    The likeness of Sisi with her sister Yiyi shocked everyone at Bernabeu. Without much makeup on the singer, she looked exactly like her sister.

    Yiyi returned to her rehearsal after saying hi to everyone. Hu Yangxuan''s eyes darted around to follow the attractive looking girls on the stage While Wang Tong was starting to get bored. Apache had already picked a corner to sit down, with his eyes closed.

    As the song died down on the stage, the HG had finished their rehearsal. Yiyi walked to her sister with another man.

    "Sister, this is Director Mike."

    The young man stood beside Yiyi was slim and small framed. He looked more feminine than a poster girl.

    Mike''s pinkie finger was held up at all time, and the unnatural way he carried himself made Wang Tong cringe.

    Mike was one of the top managers and directors at the time. Not only HG, but many other famous bands had also signed a contract with him. Fame and financial sess had made him look down on these uncouth students from Military Academies.

    "Are you the performer in that dance video?" Mike''s eyes glinted as he saw Wang Tong. The light in Mike''s eyes made Wang Tong''s hair stand on their ends.

    Yiyi stuck her tongue out and apologized," Sorry sister, I had identally sent that dancing video of you and Wang Tong to Mike. I thought it was my training video."

    "Wait, what? You can dance?" Apache couldn''t believe his ears. He had thought Wang Tong was just as tasteless in the art as he was.

    "Buzz off! I was just shuffling." As the future captain of the Confederation fleet, Wang Tong could not taint his name by debauching in acts of pleasure.

    "Oh my god, It IS you! You are very talented, you know. Just like, quit your school already. You will be like so super popr, and you know what I mean? " Mike told Wang Tong, and a few specks of spittle flew out from Mike''s mouth as he waved his hand in the air excitedly. His pinkie finger remained held up.

    "Wang Tong I support you. One lesspetitor for me anyway, ha-ha" Hu Yangxuan jested.

    "You feeling itchy?" Wang Tong threw a threatening nce at Hu Yangxuan.

    "Common Wang Tong, don''t keep us waiting." Luo Manman said.

    Many other students agreed with Luo Manman. They all wanted to know if Wang Tong was as good a dancer as he was a fighter.

    "No! Never! "Wang Tong refused. Seeing some of his ssmates had already turned their recording device on, Wang Tong was afraid that he would forever be aughing stock should he agree to humiliate himself on the stage.

    "Just once Wang Tong, we all want to see!" Zhou Sisi pleaded.

    Wang Tong looked around and found that everyone''s eyes were filled with sincere anticipation. He knew that he had already walked into a trap and it was toote to pull out.

    "Be a man, do the right thing! Don''t let these sons of b*tches look down on you, boss!" Karl yelled at him while smiling knowingly at the attractive looking girl beside him.

    ¡®Curse you, Karl! I thought we were friends." Wang Tong screamed in his mind.

    "Fine, I can dance, but no one is allowed to record!"

    Mike was stunned when he first saw the video recording. He was convinced that he saw not only dance moves, but also strength, passion, and art!

    Many people looked down on an artist and considered their creations useless. But they didn''t realize the amount of care and effort the artist had poured into their work, as they were driven by the will of creating something perfect. Even Mike knew that his work was not yetplete; itcked a particr power or strength.

    Mike was not looking for money nor fame, he had both already. What he was looking for was a muse. He had found his muse in Wang Tong''s dance video. Wang Tong''s moves were raw but powerful, and filled to the brim with emotion. The brilliant performance made Mike doubt if Wang Tong was actually a choreographic master.

    The music rose at one snap of Mike''s finger. The theater workers brought Wang Tong a set of morefortable clothes to change to, but Wang Tong politely refused; he didn''t want to put in too much effort anyway.

    Wang Tong stood at the center of the stage motionlessly as the rest of the people waiting. Some workers were not happy with a young boy interrupting their work, but they had already gotten used to the entricity of Mike as it was not the first time they had to ept his bizarre requests.

    Mike folded his arms in front of him and waited restlessly. Five minutester, Wang Tong still didn''t make a single move, and his audience wondered if he had gotten stage fright.

    Wang Tong was not suffering stage fright. Instead, he was finding the right feeling. He knew he could do it, but for some reason, he felt his whole body was frozen, and he could not even move a toe.

    Mike seemed to have noticed the problem and took control of the DJ pit. The music changed suddenly as the pitch soared higher and higher before it took a sudden plunge. The virtual environment around the stage had also transformed into a jungle scenery. The music wasced with the roars of Zergs and the sound of iron and blood.

    "That was it! that''s the feeling!"

    On the stage, Wang Tong started to move.

    Suddenly Wang Tong was no longer a student, but he had be a jungle warrior, fighting countless Zergs by himself.

    Wang Tong''s dance originated from the moves of military training, and these were highly difficult moves that only a few dancers could achieve.

    The music''s tempo took a turn, and so did Wang Tong''s hallucination. He had be a Zerg and was roaring bloodthirstily at the deep thicket.

    Wang Tong smelled the promise of danger, hunger, and blood, and the smell reminded him the days on Norton. The survival instinct kicked in and Wang Tong felt like his heart was about to explode out from his chest.

    Soldier - never look back!

    Fighting - thest battle!

    Mike looked like he was in a trance as his body trembled with the fast-paced beats. He had been the best DJ of the world. Otherwise, he would not be able to match his music with Wang Tong''s passion.

    On - thest battle

    Meet - the unstoppable trample!

    The music stopped, and Wang Tong ended his dance with a slightly nted stance. Time seemed to have stopped as the performance stole everyone''s breath away.

    Even Apache was impressed and deeply moved by Wang Tong''s emotion although Apache knew nothing about dancing.

    "That was ... awesome! Boss, you should really consider switching your profession."

    Zhou Yiyi''s eyes gleamed. She could feel that Wang Tong had understood her pursuit and desire for delivering a perfect performance. Although many people called her a "pretty doll" because of her profession, deep down, she knew that every job was the same and deserved respect.

    A soul-crushing shriek suddenly shot through the entire theater and startled even Wang Tong. It was the sound of Mike crying.

    Mike''s eyes were filled with tears, and he stared at Wang Tong unblinkingly. Somehow Mike''s stare made Wang Tong feel a sense of chill.

    "Um... thank you for the stage Director, Mike. I will be going home now."

    "Ahh! Don''t go, Wang Tong. Please! Do stay. What do you want? Tell me¡­ I can give you anything you want!" Mike shrieked as he chased after Wang Tong off the stage.

    Mike stopped when he saw Zhou Sisi and said to her, "Aren''t you Yiyi''s sister? Do you know Wang Tong well? Please do help to make Wang Tong stay with me. He is my muse!"

    Zhou Sisi was caught off guard. She widened her eyes in surprise and shook her head "I can''t make him do anything."

    "I don''t mean to crush your dream, but our boss is the future of the Confederation, and we all need him." Karl pouted and said.

    Everyone nodded. They found it hard to connect Wang Tong''s artistic side with his unsophisticated look and mind.

 Chapter 223: For the Greater Good

    Chapter 223: For the Greater Good

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Hu Yangxuan looked around him and noticed the obsessed look on every girl''s face as they stared at Wang Tong. He had learned a new lesson, ¡®Never bring Wang Tong with him to anywhere there were girls.¡¯

    "Hey Hu Yangxuan, does he have a girlfriend?" An attractive and sultry dancer asked Hu Yangxuan.

    "Yea, of course. So many of them. He is the biggest yboy I have ever seen." Hu Yangxuan felt a sense of satisfaction after he had framed his best friend.

    "Oh really? That''s perfect! That means I will have a chance with him as well!"

    Hu Yangxuan felt like he was about to copse to the floor.

    "Are you OK, Hu Yangxuan?"

    "Yea, yea, just ¡­ old wounds..."

    In fact, it was an old wound that would never heal.

    Staring at the starry sky above, Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. He had shed all the stress and pressure with that dance. He felt happy to have agreed to dance because he needed it after all. He felt his heart was much lighter and his body energetic after all the stress was gone.

    One thing he knew for sure was that he was not going to be a dancer, no matter how good he was. He knew that greater things were waiting for him in life.

    "Sifu, you rock!" Sisi had already caught up with him.

    "Do you think that I can do this for a living? I heard people make a lot of money." Wang Tong simpered.

    "If there were no threat of the Zergs, I would rmend you consider switching profession. But I think our world needs a great general more than a great dancer." Zhou Sisi contemted the question and said.

    "I am no general, ha-ha. I think I like dancing; it''s a good exercise."

    Augh escaped Zhou Sisi''s lips," Haha, I knew you like to be on the stage."

    "Ha-ha, it was alright. Being under so many people''s attention was nice. No wonder so many people want to be famous. But, I think I will get bored of that kind of life very quickly."

    "That''s for sure. You are born to be a soldier. Watch out though; Mike will not let you slip away so easily."

    "What could he do? We will leave here right after our vacation anyways."

    "True that."

    "Yiyi, PLEASE! I beg you!" Mike pleaded Zhou Yiyi to help him recruit Wang Tong.

    "I wish I could help you Mike, but we are just acquaintance."

    "But how about your sister? She seems to know him well. Please, just one performance, just one!" Mike stered an innocent look on his face while he begged Zhou Yiyi with a whiny voice.

    "Mike, you know he is from a Military Academy, and they don''t like to be associated with us. I have heard that Wang Tong and his friend are here only because they defeated Capth." Yiyi hinted at the fact that there was better future waiting for Wang Tong than being a dancer.

    "I know all their stupid rules. We can cover his face with a mask and let him appear during HG''s performance as a mystery guest. That ought to surprise everyone. The shock effect alone would be able to push HG''s poprity to a new height. You know, I always felt that your band was too... soft, for theck of better words. Therefore, you NEED him. It would be critical to your sess. Hell, it might as well be the deciding factor of whether you will forever remain as the most popr band or eventually be forgotten. You NEED his energy!"

    "Is it really that...?"

    "Yes, it IS!"

    "Even if he wanted to join our performance, he won''t have the time..."

    "Of course he will! I can guarantee you that much! Talk to your sister first." Mike uttered anxiously. "Ah... and I will pay for his friend''s concert tickets, as well as all of their expense while staying in the city."

    "Are you sure Mike? Those girls looked like shopaholics. It''s not going to be cheap."

    "I can tell that his friends have great influence on him. So yes, as long as Wang Tong agree to join us, I will cover all of his friend''s cost." Mike finally revealed the manly side of him as he pounded his t and bony chest.

    "Alright then, I will give it a try."

    If one could not confront his enemy directly, then one should try to nk him.

    It was the Saturday morning. Wang Tong woke up on time and finished his morning routines as usual. He then opened the door and was startled by what he saw outside.

    A row of people stood outside of his door; their expression screamed anticipation.

    "Er...you guys..." Wang Tong watched his friends with a quizzical expression.

    "Boss, I think you should give it a try, even if it is just once. It would be the most precious memory!" Karl announced earnestly.

    Wang Tong stared at these familiar faces and felt like they were strangers, "How dare you..."

    "Wang Tong, Karl is right. You should ept the request, for everyone!" Hu Yangxuan held Wang Tong''s hand and shook it sincerely.

    "You.." Wang Tong felt dark clouds were gathering around him, and it looked like he had no way out of the approaching storm.

    "Apache, are you with them too?" Wang Tong turned his face to Apache. His gaze held Apache''s like a drowning man grasping onto hisst piece of drifting straw.

    "Yes, they do speak for me," Apache said without any hesitation.

    "What the f..." Wang Tong screamed in his mind.

    "Tell me, how much did he give you. I want to know the price."

    "What? What? We are bros! Why would we sell you for money? Our friendship is priceless! You think too much!...Er...fine..." Karl gave up after the icy hood of Wang Tong''s nce caught him. "Well... I always wanted a stereo system."

    "A stereo... and you..." Wang Tong had gotten so mad he could not even finish his sentences.

    "Boss, calm down. How would I sell you for merely a set of stereo? It was the OPIO! The limited edition! Please boss, I really wanted it!" Karl''s only interest was in collecting stereo sound systems. The OPIO was a handcrafted system for the most advanced collectors, and it was no longer for sale on the market. The set that Karl was promised was from Mike''s personal collection.

    "What about you?" Wang Tong turned his head to Hu Yangxuan. He saw twough lines etched onto Hu Yangxuan''s face despite his extreme effort to notugh.

    "Hehe...hehe...He was going to set me up with a supermodel. Her name is Yeda. Hehe...hahaha... You have to see her face...hehe."

    "Dear club leader, please, for the greater good, ept his request. I... overspent on my credit card while shopping yesterday... so..." Luo Manman held a sweet and innocent smile. Mike had promised to not only pay for her credit card debt, but also give her a free dress, custom designed by her favorite fashion designer.

    Wang Tong felt cold and empty inside; he had finally touched the harshness of the world. He turned his head to Apache and wondered what had changed Apache''s mind.

    "Don''t stare at me like that. You know I hate this ce and always want to get out of here." Apache shrugged his shoulders. He said it nonchntly, utterly devoid of guilt or remorse.

    To get out of the perimeter of the Aurora City, the visitor needed to battle against countless red tapes and paper works. But with Mike''s connection, it could be easily arranged for Apache within an hour.

    "We all wanted to see you dance again. They will let you wear a mask and be very discrete about this as well. At the end of the day, it is your choice." Zhou Sisi felt guilty after seeing the pressure everyone had been giving Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong stared at his friends indignantly and said," Remember this day when I sacrificed my dream and principals to your worldly desires! You guys better... better lend me money next time I ask!"

    For the greater good, Wang Tong decided to ept the request. He could care less about how well his performance was, but he wondered what Mike''s n was. There was only one day left until the concert. Was he going to start from scratch?

    Mike was ted after hearing that Wang Tong was going to join in. His eyes glinted as he thought about his artistic and financial achievements after this brilliant n was done. Although he was an artist by trade, he was also a natural businessman.

    As for what he could get out of Wang Tong''s performance, Mike decided to focus on absorbing as much inspiration from him as he could. Mike knew that he couldn''t keep Wang Tong, and therefore he couldn''t turn it into a long-term business.

    Mike and Wang Tong exchanged a few ideas on how to seamlessly merge Wang Tong''s performance with that of HG. Ever since hearing Mike''s DJ performance, Wang Tong had gained a bit of respect for this feminine looking man. Wang Tong knew that it was not an easy job to match music with his emotions, and only the best of the best artist could do that.

    After a few hours of discussion, they had decided to let Wang Tong go freestyle, counting on his spontaneity.

    Their n was as crazy as Mike''s personality. Mike had given up on rehearsal and decided to let Wang Tong roam free before the show started in the night. He told Wang Tong that he needed a little bit time with himself to prepare.

    After Wang Tong was gone, Mike started his work. Under Mike''s fingers, the audio mixer changed its tunes from one to another seamlessly; his creativity poured out at once like water from an opened floodgate.

    Many great pieces of art were born in an instance, like a spark. There was no need for revisions since the first version was usually the best.

 Chapter 224: The Concert

    Chapter 224: The Concert

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Meanwhile, the preparation of the FFC''s technology conference was underway. The purpose of the conference was for the scientists around the world to gather together and explore scientific topics.

    All the scientists seemed to have the same question this year," Was the technology for the VZPE battery really ready as FFC proimed it?" Their doubt was not unfounded, since it was well known that there were many unsolved technical bottlenecks even in the theory stage.

    This science conferencested a long time and was divided into different sessions. The first session was the meet and greet with the media, the second session was the primary panel discussions, and the final session was the caucus panel discussions. The secrets of the VZPE battery would be announced at thest stage, and by then, only a handful few who had earned a seat on the caucus panel would be able to attend.

    Despite the high clearance level of the project, news of its progress still found its way to the public''s ears. Rumors had it that the FFC had already possessed the essential technologies in making the VZPE battery, but they had been meeting headwinds in a few very particr manufacturing processes. FFC intended to iron out these kinks during the conference with the help of scientists around the world. Otherwise, the FFC would never willingly disclose their secrets.

    The announcement that the VZPE battery would be showcased during the conference was an opportunity of a lifetime for the most scientists to witness something truly revolutionary. The scientists came here for the knowledge, but the military came for its application.

    The project had been under the military''s radar ever since its conception. To the military, the VZPE battery meant only one thing, a new generation of mother-ships.

    Eons ago, when the first "mother ship"¡ªthe aircraft carrier¡ªwas introduced to the world, it had brought the naval warfare to a new era. Nowadays, the desire for a superss mother ship that could outss the Space Hive of the Zergs stroke a resemnce to that of the ancient nations caught in an arms race.

    The only piece of the puzzle in creating this gigantic super ss mother ship was its power supply unit. As the mother ship grew in size, the demand for power grew exponentially. Designing a mother ship had be the art of bncing the firepower and the capacity of its shield, as both were power hoggers.

    However, the VZPE battery promised to solve the problem by providing nearly limitless energy. With that in hand, the humans would be able to create mother ships that were practically space death machines for Zergs.

    Regardless of how long it would take FFC to invent such a battery, the Military could not pass up on it. Therefore, they had been installing spies inside the project team ever since the project had kickstarted. During this conference, they had also dispatched an entire unit of covert operation team, disguised as civilians.

    Due to the importance of the technology, the Aurora city had significantly beefed up its security. Even the Confederation''s secret police unit had been requested to station in the city during the conference. Although the invention of the VZPE battery would be great news for all human race atrge, it would more or less unnerve the Ivantians and the Martians as they would feel threatened by Earthling''s technology advancement. Everyone knew that the alliance of the human race wouldst as long as the Zergs, and the eventual infighting was inevitable. Nevertheless, Human race''s unity had improved by leaps and bounds over the recent hundred years, thanks to a centralized government and colonization programs in other gxies.

    There was another acute problem threatening the peace of human race: the three colonies in the Andromeda Gxy that were still underdeveloped due to its rtively young age. It took the Martians three hundred years of hard work to finally tame their. The three colonies served merely as the outlet for the mounting pressure of poption on earth, but theycked severely in resources andmerce. The only resource-rich, Norton, was under the Zerg''s upation, and Norton''s extreme gravity decreed that it could only be used as a supply node, and was not suitable for settlement.

    The only hope seemed to lie at the of Ceres. It was a marvelous that was situated between the Mars and the Jupiter. As the moon of the Mars, it was quickly colonized and developed by the Martians to be one of the most developed ces in the known Universe.

    Ceres was also important strategic-wise, as it was the gate to the human world. It served as a port formerce between the sr system and the other systems. The Martians even built a space portal on Ceres that would warp spaceships directly to the Andromeda Gxy.

    The Ceres had its own government, which was in an alliance with the Mars. Although the Ceres had an independent military, the had always been the focal point of battles between greater powers as they raised numerous political intrigues and proxy wars to establish its dominance.

    The appearance of Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer in the Aurora City was no doubt a sensational news to all the major yers. However, the Great houses had formed unwritten rules to leave each other''s proteges alone before they had officially assumed power. Considering the power of the two houses, no one would dare trail them into their intrigues.

    However, the two still doubled their guards. Some people would do anything if the price were right, especially during such a critical time.

    After one day of walking about and sightseeing, Ma Xiaoru''s mood got brightened up. She never expected that she would like the Aurora City so much, and she also found Li Ruoer every friendly. She thought that if she stayed here with Li Ruoer, the two might very likely be best friends. When Ma Xiaoru first started cultivating the Tactics of the Enchantress, the two girls had frequently butted heads against each other, arguing about who was the better enchantress. However, ever since the two entered the academy, they had grown up and realized how meaningless thepetition was, so they had dropped the matter entirely. What made the two hit it off after so many years was their affection towards each other''s altogether opposite personalities.

    Women were strange creatures¡ª when they were together; they had to be either friends or enemies.

    "Xiaoru, let''s go watch the HG concert! I heard Mike always puts up quite a show. I don''t want to listen to a bunch of old men talking about their ''science.''"

    The rumors had it that the Li family was very interested in the technology of the VZPE battery, and they were nning to gain ess to the technology via some special connections. But Li Ruoer seemed utterly devoid of interest in talking about the battery. Otherwise, she would be able to get into the final session if she wanted to.

    "Sure!" After having tasted the benefits of fresh air, Ma Xiaoru agreed to head out again.

    "Great! The ticket is on me. Maybe, we will meet someone interesting." Li Ruoer cracked a smile. Her eyebrows curved gently above a pair of gleaming eyes full of anticipation.

    The concert finally started amidst the screams of fans. Mike had brought everyone seats in the VIP lounge, which had the best view of the show. Wang Tong was shocked when he learned about the price: 200 grand.

    Apache didn''t attend the concert, and he was already on his way to explore the Arctic. Mike had fulfilled his promise, and within hours, Apache had gotten a pass and the best exploration equipment.

    In another VIP lounge not far away, Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru lolled in a giant sofa, waiting for the show to start.

    The opening song was called "Soaring." It had a sunny tune and a fast tempo. When the song was over, the tsunami-like cheers made Wang Tong marvel at the magic of the stage. He imagined how exhrating it would be if it were him standing on the stage. No wonder so many people were eager to be famous, even after taking the money out the equation. The rush of being worshiped by thousands would worth every sacrifice they made along the way.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh. It urred to him that in some way, being worshiped as the best singer was not that much different than as the best fighter. Thetter was exactly what he wanted in his life, although it was also more difficult than the former.

    The HG''s performance was very sessful so far. They were talented and had practiced hard. With Mike''s guidance, they had delivered one hit after another.

    The fans'' enthusiasm had already turned into a fever. Thanks to the energy barrier, the stage was still holding under the crushing force of thousands of fanatic teenagers.

    It was the first time Hu Yangxuan and his friends stayed in the VIP lounge. The enjoyment of the performance aside, it had ttered their vanities.

    Many fans had to be sent to the emergency room after passing out due to over-excitement. The HG group also invited a few superstars as their special guest. As the concert reached its climax, the HG thought it had been the most sessful concert they had ever held.

 Chapter 225: Artistry Explosion

    Chapter 225: Artistry Explosion

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The concert had so far followed Mike''s n perfectly. As the HG''sst song "happy girl" ended, the concert was also about to finish. However, the crowd lingered and didn''t want to leave.

    The concert had alreadysted over two hours; the HG went to the backstage after the "Happy girl." The lighting on the stage dimmed down. However, no one came out to the stage to announce the end of the concert. Everyone was wondering if Mike had nned a surprise.

    Suddenly the light at the corner of the dark stage lit up. It was Mike himself stood in a DJ pit, dressed in a tuxedo.

    "What is happening?"

    Mike had retired long ago, and it had been ages since hisst performance.

    Another stage light lit up at the center of the stage. It started with a tiny spec and increased its size gradually to reveal a person in the middle.

    By then, the audience knew a surprise had been in store for them, and the mysterious guest heightened their curiosity.

    As the light turned brighter, the audience noticed a cold glint on the performers face; he was wearing an iron mask.

    The music started. It was a dance performance!

    Was Mike crazy? This was HG''s concert, and it would make sense if a dance artist opened the concert for them. But why would Mike arrange to have the dancing as the final show?

    The pitch of the music changed, and the audience watched as the dancer''s unique moves started to gain more energy.

    Most of the stage was unlit except for the two stage lights following Mike and the dancer. This was an unconventional setup since most of the shows would utilize the virtual environment to heighten the audience''s experience.

    Mike seemed to have broken every rule of conventional stage design.

    Mike had decided to cancel the visual aid at thest moment before the show started. It had urred to him that Wang Tong''s stage needed only himself and any other elements were unnecessary, if not a distraction to his audience.

    He wanted to show the audience the power of pure art.

    Mike changed the tempo, and the dancer''s steps also pick up speed. While everyone enjoyed the dance moves, they found Mike''s DJ work had depicted the dancer''s emotion precisely.

    On the stage, Wang Tong had forgotten everything, including himself. His performancepletely absorbed him. Therger the stage, the easier it was for Wang Tong to deliver a better performance.

    Wang Tong thought about the lonely time he had spent on Norton. He thought about the helplessness while being chased after by Zergs, and the darkness of the mine cave. However, he remembered that he never gave up his hope, and had believed that he would live to see another sunrise.

    Suddenly, the music''s tune took a turn and started to sound stressful, eerie and pressing. The sudden change made the audience''s heart caught in the throat.

    Wang Tong''s Zerg-like moves suddenly changed into a robot dance. He wasmemorating his only friend on Norton, the little Charcoal. The music then exploded into an almost fric craze, and so did the dancer''s moves.

    Someone had lived a meaningless life and would soon be forgotten, and someone had died with a purpose and would be remembered forever.

    In Wang Tong''s eyes, Charcoal was no longer a robot, but a real soldier. He would never leave his friends behind and had faced the danger alone to save hismand''s life.

    The music reached its climax as the dancer was twirling and swirling like a wind across the stage.

    The dancer''s powerful steps trampled the stage floor, making the stage shake, and so did the audience''s hearts.

    This was an entirely different form of art than HG''s teenage pop music.

    It was..unstoppable!

    Wang Tong had almost entered a trance as he danced as if his dance had transcended into a disy of the power of the soul.

    Finally, the audience heard a re and watched as the dancer executed a 360 degree elevated conical flip. The dancer''s body shot straight up in the air while spiraling like a bullet out of a grooved gun barrel.

    Every sense of the audiences was stimted to the point they were starting to be dull and blurry. The only feeling left in them was the feeling of their warm emotion; it was the closest to the feeling of their own soul.

    The masked dancernded back to the floor on thest note of the music.

    Mike''s eyes were flooded with tears. This was the first time in five years he had cried, because it took him five years to finally break his creative bottleneck that he had been criticized for.

    This was real music and real art.

    This was the meaning of life.

    The center stage light shrunk in size until it had returned to a tiny spec. The masked dancer disappeared.

    The stage returned to total darkness, contrasting the bright and hopeful emotions in everyone''s heart.

    Ten secondster, the lighting in the theater turned on, and an explosion of cheers and apuse erupted from the audiences.

    Everyone was crying, shrieking and rushing towards the stage. The music had touched their soul so profoundly that it had hollowed their minds. They could think only one thing: to reach the stage and touch the dancer. Soon the theater fell into chaos.

    The media were shocked by the development, They rushed back to their studio, trying to be the first to im this sensational news.

    "What kind of dance move was that?"

    The dancer''s ability to touch people''s heart using his dance was unprecedented.

    The industry would soon recognize Mike''s achievement of discovering such a real gem. It was only a matter of time for the dance industry to be dominated by him.

    The post-concert meeting with the media had runte for two hours as everyone demanded the organizer to disclose the identity of the masked dancer.

    Compared to an average audience, and the dance impressed the soldiers in the military to an even greater extent. They had seen not only dace moves, but also a series of militarybat stances rearranged into a coherent and passionate dance.

    Also, the soldiers had noticed that the dancer had portrayed not only a human warrior but also another creature, the Zerg, by imitating the Zerg''s march.

    After seeing the Zerg''s moves, some experts realized that the steps could be easily turned into an effective and damagingbat technique.

    While the soldiers were still mesmerized by the dancer''s Zerg moves, the dancer had suddenly changed character again into a lone star gunner, fighting his enemy in the vast expanse of the desert.

    Wang Tong''s dance not only touched the ordinary audiences and the stony-heart soldiers, but also the enchantresses. Li Ruoer and Zhou Sisi had felt the rise and fall of their emotions while watching the show.

    Li Ruoer''s face was taut after the show had ended. The fact that someone would be able to affect her mood was unheard of, and it stressed her out.

    Ma Xiaoru had an entirely different experience than Li Ruoer. She felt the dance had awakened something inside of her that used to be very important to her, but she couldn''t remember what it was no matter how hard she tried.

    Karl led his friend to the backstage. They lifted Wang Tong and cheered for him in excitement. They were much luckier than the feverish fans still outside.

    "Hey Boss, how about you teach me some of those moves. Chicks dig that!"

    "Wang Tong, you ROCK!"

    Zhou Sisi and Luo Manman''s eyes shed with admiration.

    Mike had ordered everyone to leave Wang Tong and his friends alone after the show. Mike watched Wang Tong from afar and heaved a sigh," I think I would never touch a mixer again."

    Like knew like. Wang Tong also looked in the direction of Mike and marveled at his ability to stimte his creativity with music.

    Wang Tong walked toward Mike, and for the first time, he shook the hand of this feminine looking man and said," Thank you."

    So many emotions and meanings were wrapped in these two in words, but to Mike, this was more than enough.

 Chapter 226: Savor of the Enchantress

    Chapter 226: Savor of the Enchantress

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Mike nodded in disappointment and gave up his persuasion, because he was able to see the strong will of Wang Tong. After all, not all men would easily give into the temptation of money and power. "Go now, or else you¡¯ll be surrounded by the press¡­ Sigh¡­ Remember not to forget about a friend called Mike when you¡¯ve sessfully joined the military someday." Mike then waved and let them go. In order not to be noticed by the keen press, Mike told them to escape from the rear exit.

    Soon, the post-concert meeting began. Originally, this meeting should only be attended by a couple hundreds of media press, but the appearance of the masked dancer had attracted the attention of more than two thousand mediapanies. Some other mediapanies were even trying to approach this matter with different methods.

    The conference room instantly turned into a room full of chaos. Everyone¡¯s mind was blown away by the superb dance moves of the mysterious dancer.

    Meanwhile, at the concert hall, a small number of audiences left because the venue was too crowded, yet more than a hundred thousand spectators were unwilling to leave. Apparently, they were still waiting for the masked dancer to reveal his real identity.

    Mike was flooded by a flood of questions, and all of those questions were about the masked dancer.

    "Mr. Mike, how old¡¯s the masked dancer and where¡¯s he from?"

    "Mr. Mike, do you know the name of his dance moves? Do you know its origins?"

    "Mr. Mike, in your opinion, is the concert a huge sess? Is the mysterious dancer from one of your next projects?"

    ¡­

    Questions from the press kept piling up, but unlike his talkative personality, Mike chose to remain silent this time. He used to think that music was just his stepping stone towards fame. However, this mindset had changed after meeting Wang Tong. Originally, he was just an artist focused on making his own music, yet, he waster blinded by the allure of fame and lost himself. Nevertheless, Mike had finally realized his true self after meeting Wang Tong.

    The host signaled everyone else to calm down as Mike slowly stood up and said, "I¡¯m aware of your concerns, so allow me to exin briefly. As a matter of fact, the masked dancer was a friend of mine who¡¯s not in the entertainment business, and I asked for his help this time due to an unexpected happening. It was only a one-time favor, so it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯d make another public appearance in the future."

    There was a short pause in the room, and the press began to bombard Mike with more questions.

    "Mr. Mike, so you were saying that he¡¯s a male? How old is this person?"

    "Mr. Mike, the mask and all the fuss, are these your gimmicks of trying to increase publicity?" One of the reporters asked.

    Publicity gimmicks weremon in the world of entertainment business. In fact, Mike had been known for doing things like this. Back in the days, the quick-witted Mike would¡¯ve argued with the reporter to heat things up, yet this time, Mike faked a smile and replied, "If what you said is true, I¡¯d be very happy right now. Do you think all of this was just for show? In fact, this dance is a revolutionary set of movements. It¡¯s art, it¡¯s powerful! Do you think I really have to go through all of this just to increase some publicity?"

    Mike was replying the questions from the press by questioning back the reporters, yet he was being cautious and tried not to overdo it. Or else, it would look fake, and the press would suspect that he was hiding something else.

    "Mr. Mike, why didn¡¯t you reveal that person¡¯s true identity to everyone? In fact, many are still waiting for you to tell them who he is in the concert hall as we speak!"

    Actually, the press was not interested in how the public reacted. All they cared was the real identity of that mysterious figure. If they were able to find out who he was, they would be able to dig up more stories about this person.

    "I promised him that I would keep his identity a secret because he doesn''t want his life to be affected. Are you guys good in keeping secrets?"

    "Of course, I promise I won¡¯t write anything about it!"

    "Haha, well, so can I." Mike said with a smile on his face.

    The press immediately realized that they were tricked.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, personally, I do hope he¡¯ll perform once again. So let¡¯s put this to an end and treat it as if it was an extra performance. Starting from now I¡¯ll only be answering questions regarding HG."

    Clearly, the press cared more about the masked dancer than HG. Everyone was dazzled by the emergence of this mysterious man that hadbined his creativity with performing art.

    In the end, the press conference turned into a battle of wits as the press kept pushing and tried to squeeze in questions about the masked dancer while asking about HG. Nevertheless, Mike was smart enough and didn¡¯t get deceived by the press throughout the interview.

    Amongst HG, only Zhou Yiyi knew about Wang Tong, yet she had already promised not to reveal his identity, and fortunately, the rest of the members knew nothing about him. Being one of the big shots in the entertainment business, Mike was really good at keeping secrets.

    Aside from him, perhaps no one would¡¯ve foreseen that there would be such a huge impact.

    In the end, the whole press meetingsted for more than one hour, and the pretty girls of HG werepletely neglected. Yet, Zhou Yiyi didn¡¯tin. After all, she was absolutely amazed by Wang Tong¡¯s revolutionary performance.

    As a matter of fact, Zhou Yiyi didn¡¯t believe that there was such thing as an extraordinary genius, but everything changed after she met Wang Tong. Her sister had always been talking about how strong Wang Tong was, but she had never been able to understand the level of strength he possessed. To her, Wang Tong was only a soldier who possessed extreme physical fitness and outstanding cleverness. However, she burst into tears at the backstage after witnessing his marvelous dance moves.

    It was way more perfect than the previous ones, the moves were absolutely mind-blowing. Even Mike would never be able to mimic Wang Tong¡¯s dance moves.

    Perhaps, this was also the reason Mike realized what he really wanted.

    As for Zhou Yiyi, she had finally learned the true meaning of art. It had been a wonderful and emotional night. In fact, Zhou Yiyi even felt like writing a song about this unforgettable experience.

    Everyone else was startled by her idea.

    Mike would¡¯ve already achieved what he wanted if his original intention was to earn some publicity, yet all of this would be meaningless if the masked dancer, and of the fuss was just for show. In the beginning, the press decided to dig up the real identity of the masked dancer by themselves upon realizing that Mike had no intentions to reveal who he was at all. However, Wang Tong had already left when that happened. In the end, the press looked into the wrong direction and began their search by going through the personal information of Mike¡¯s stage crew.

    In order to outrace each other, the press began to "fight" among themselves in order to obtain as much exclusive content as possible.

    Sadly, the masked dancer had vanished without a trace. In fact, the press had been trying every method they could, but the security measures were extremely high recently because FFC was having their own conference as well. In the end, nothing was found, and the press was deeply saddened.

    Wang Tong and the team left happily after the concert ended, and the girls immediately began their shopping spree. After all, there weren¡¯t many girls that could resist the temptation of shopping. As for the boys, Mike kept his promise and got them what they had always wanted. Carl had been hugging his hi-fi set for the rest of the day like it was his long-lost lover.

    Yet, Wang Tong didn¡¯t ask for anything. To him, the experience was the best gift. It had uplifted his emotion, and he felt energetic once again.

    Honestly, his thoughts were simr to Apache¡¯s. To him, all that mattered was the opportunity to take a break. Although Aurora City was warm and beautiful, yet a rxing trip was not his cup of tea. Instead, he would really like to see how surviving in this harsh environment felt like.

    Wang Tong¡¯s body was tougher than Apache¡¯s. Hence to him, a parka was more than enough for this climate. In fact, Apache had left Wang Tong an ess pass. After all, Apache had known Wang Tong long enough that he could tell what he wanted.

    Wang Tong went back to sleep while the others were crazily having fun in Aurora City. He had decided to go for a little "adventure" around the South Pole region on Sunday morning.

    Meanwhile in the other room, Ma Xiaoru was taking her bath while Li Ruo-Er was sitting on the sofa thinking in silence. She might have looked calm on the outside, but she was extremely nervous inside.

    In fact, she was utterly surprised by Wang Tong¡¯s capability. Li Ruo-Er knew he was an interesting person. After all, he was fancied by both Samantha and Ma Xiaoru at the same time. To her, Wang Tong was more like a toy, perhaps his presence could even strengthen her Soul Energy as well as practice of Tactics of the Enchantress. Nevertheless, it was obvious that she would get rid of him when she had grown bored of this boy. Li Ruo-Er believed that he was definitely fir for being her "toy". After all, he was the one who had conquered the heart of Ma Xiaoru.

    Obviously, Li Ruo-Er knew about the presence of the team as well. To be honest, this wasn¡¯t her first timeing to Aurora City. She was totally not interested in HG¡¯s concert, and of course, this trip was never about apanying Ma Xiaoru and rxing. The only reason that Li Ruo-Er came to Aurora City was none other than the VZPE Battery, and clearly, Ma Xiaoru knew nothing about it after observing her movements for a few days. Hence, Li Ruo-Er decided to set this aside. After all, this had nothing to do with her. To Li Ruo-Er, conquering men would be her way to conquer the world.

    Instead, she had decided to focus her attention to Wang Tong and his team. As a student of Capth and the young miss of House of Li, Ayrng¡¯s victory was definitely an unforgettable humiliation. After witnessing Wang Tong¡¯s performance, Li Ruo-Er hade up with an idea to mess with this young man.

 Chapter 227: Elemental GN Force

    Chapter 227: Elemental GN Force

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Nevertheless, Li Ruo-Er still couldn¡¯t decide if she should mess with him right now or to let things develop for a little longer. She was worried that things would not be able to proceed as nned if Ma Xiaoru bumped into Wang Tong too early, not to mention her memories were only sealed off recently. It might even ruin her brother¡¯s ns if this triggered her to regain her memories. After a short period of consideration, Li Ruo-Er still decided to bring Ma Xiaoru along. To her, nothing was more important than the pleasure and excitement of this "drama", not even her brother.

    "Xiaoru, are you done? I¡¯ming in."

    "Hey, wait for a while, I¡¯m still drying myself!"

    Li Ruo-Er had already undressed while Ma Xiaoru was talking. Instantly, the steamy bathroom was cramped by the presence of two sexy and voluptuous naked figures. Ma Xiaoru then wrapped herself in a towel, "Geez, you¡¯re always so impatient."

    "Hey Xiaoru, why don¡¯t we take a bath together?"

    "Huh, no... no way!" Ma Xiaoru dashed out while Li Ruo-Erughed out loud when she saw Ma Xiaoru¡¯s expression.

    Li Ruo-Er was just like a little mischievous imp while Ma Xiaoru was gentle, mature and unlikely to get angry, which was why both of them were able to hang around each other happily.

    "Xiaoru, would you like to know the real identity of the masked dancer?" Li Ruo-Er said while gently caressing her body. She had always been proud of her perfect body; it was truly a gift from God. As a girl who practiced Tactics of the Enchantress since young, she could easily get whichever guy she fancied. But sadly, she had never done this to anyone because none of the guys in this world could draw her attention, not to mention normal guys were not worthy to be paired with her dazzling beauty.

    Somehow, Li Ruo-Er was kind of narcissistic.

    But with that lustrous dark long hair, fair and radiant skin and also her perfect breasts and curvy waist, she had what it took to be narcissistic.

    "Oh, do you know who he is?" Ma Xiaoru asked. For some reason, she really wanted to know who he was.

    "Well of course."

    "But that¡¯s impossible! You were with me all day long for the past few days!" To be honest, Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t a big fan of concerts like this, but she was totally attracted to the masked dancer. Perhaps it was because of the mysteriousness, but Ma Xiaoru would really want to find out who that guy was.

    She watched his dance again when they came back to the room, and Ma Xiaoru couldn¡¯t help feeling a familiar yet strange sensation, which exined why she was extremely curious about his identity.

    "It¡¯s a secret. Anyway, follow me tomorrow if you really wanna find out who on earth the person is that has been hiding behind the mask!" Li Ruo-Er said in a mischievous tone.

    Every student of military academies had been taught that one¡¯sbat performance was respectively rted to the point performance, maneuverability, overall Avionic performance as well as weaponry performance. In general, the VZPE Battery was able to significantly enhance the mentioned factors. Hence, it had currently be the most valuable technology throughout the universe.

    It was clear to all that there would be some huge changes in the military development once this technology was used.

    The SPM Conference began with a brief introduction by FFC regarding the theories behind this technology. They introduced the power extracting "core", which happened to be the keyponent of VZPE Battery. However, FFC didn¡¯t exin how it was made. Even though this crucial technology had solved the extraction procedure of VZPE energy, yet that didn¡¯t mean that the super armada would be constructed in no time.

    Construction of the super armada required the precise calction of total energy output, redesign of the overall blueprint, and most importantly, the utilization of this whole technology. As of now, the VZPE Battery was only being known as an alternative source of power extraction, because the real extraction would also involve new elements aside from just a couple of technical problems, not to mention the extraction of those elements was not as simple as it seemed.

    Whenever a problem was solved, another or even more problems would pop up as always. Yet, learning how to solve problems was actually an important process of having improvements.

    After the basic introduction, people seemed to have understood that this technology was not a dream anymore. However, it still needed to be improved in order to be used in the development of military and daily household usage!

    Aside from the extraction of the new elements, FFC also had to think of ways to modify it. For instance, they were still working on the way to shrink this ginormous battery. Although it was useable, this battery was still too big, and for now, it could only be used as one of Earth¡¯s power hubs. But to be honest, VZPE Battery would be worthless if it only served as a power hub. After all, almost every still preferred sr energy, nuclear energy, and antimatter energy, that were more mature and trustable.

    Nevertheless, if the future remained as predicted, VZPE Battery would be recing all of those in the future, as well as widening the universe of mankind for sure!

    FFC¡¯s session with the press ended after the discussion on a few topics. As for the uing sessions, only physicists, mathematicians and other experts of rted fields were allowed to attend. Apparently, they would be discussing their ideas of solving the current difficulties in VZPE technology. After all, true knowledge and techniques would only be possessed by those with real talents. Yet before they began, everyone had to sign the confidentiality agreement that was prepared by FFC in order to protect their own technology.

    As the session began, the hall was filled with loud discussions among scientists.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was seen walking alone in the wild right outside Aurora City, but he was still remaining in the safety perimeter. Apparently, the developer of Aurora City had set up a safety perimeter around Aurora City, because they knew that the rich ones loved excitement. In other words, this area of "wilds" was totally safe.

    Wang Tong hated such a ridiculous restraint and decided to walk further, but his buzzer began to wail as soon as he left the perimeter. "You have left the safety perimeter. Please stop going further and turn back to avoid dangers!"

    The snowynd became quiet once again as Wang Tong ripped off his buzzer and turned it off. The weather was colder than he expected, but it didn¡¯t bother Wang Tong since he had been keeping himself warm with a bit of GN Force. Obviously, Wang Tong was much stronger than the ordinary people. After all, he did survive the harsh conditions in an environment with five times greater gravity.

    A few minutester, Wang Tong noticed that his body had gotten used to the coldness and didn¡¯t need to keep himself warm with his GN Force anymore.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath of the cold and pure air of the snowynd, feeling his body get refreshed and energized instantly.

    "Is he crazy?" Ma Xiaoru said while looking at him from a distance.

    "Most probably." Li Ruo-Er suddenly remembered Wang Tong¡¯s performance during the tournament against Capth. Nevertheless, it was nothingpared to her strength.

    "I still think this is a bad idea." Ma Xiaoru said after realizing that they had left the safety perimeter. It could be dangerous if they chose to travel further.

    "C¡¯mon, this is fun. Do you really wanna go back and have your butt followed by those bodyguards? I¡¯m sick of them to be honest."

    "Ruo-Er, that¡¯s their job. So let¡¯s not make it difficult for them."

    "But we¡¯vee this far already, and you¡¯re asking me to turn back now? Sometimes, I do wonder if you¡¯ve actually practiced Tactics of the Enchantress or Tactics of the Good Mistress." Li Ruo-Er was surprised that Ma Xiaoru had be such a coward. During their younger days at House of Li, Ma Xiaoru was alwayspeting with her. Yet, she hadpletely changed after leaving House of Li. In fact, Li Ruo-Er would even have thought that Ma Xiaoru had be weak if it weren¡¯t for of her recent advancement.

    This waspletely abnormal in terms of Tactics of the Enchantress.

    In the end, Ma Xiaoru had no choice but to follow Li Ruo-Er since she insisted on following the guy.

    Wang Tong gazed upon the massive cier on the snowynd, then he closed his eyes and began to think about attributes¡­

    Attributes¡­

    Elements¡­

    "He¡¯s not moving. Is he okay?" Ma Xiaoru seemed a little worried.

    "Don¡¯t bother."

    The twodies had been following Wang Tong for quite a while, and they expected that he would stop. But instead, he was still traveling further. They seemed a little worried because the navigation system might not work if they were too far away from Aurora City.

    Actually, Wang Tong was well aware that the was being followed, but he didn¡¯t bother too much because he was neither rich nor particrly handsome. Hence, he didn¡¯t have to worry about being robbed or kidnapped.

    The cold air was giving Wang Tong the inspiration that he had been searching for. Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s previous "lectures" about attributes had given him some new inspiration.

    As a matter of fact, attributes and elements did exist within the bodies of mankind. However, that didn¡¯t mean that everyone had what it took to unleash the hidden elements. Moreover, it had to be incorporated with the corresponding tactics.

    For instance, Tactics of the ze could only be learned by those with fire attributes. The stronger the attribute, the better the performance would be. Of course, in the end, one¡¯s talent would still be ying an important part in the learning process.

    There were no existing methods of detecting attributes. Most of the time, it required the observation of a mentor who practiced the same tactics, which was the reason why the practices of attributes were not so popr. Family members of House of Lie practiced the same method in the discovery of attributes, but luckily for them, most Martians were born with fire attributes, and some of them were even born with profound talents. Hence, people from House of Lie were mostly born to practice Tactics of the ze.

    Although Wang Tong understood the theory, yet his Tactics of the de was unlike Tactics of the ze that could easily draw out the power from one¡¯s attribute. However, he did believe that he would be able to discover his own attribute through looking into his own genome source carefully.

    Wang Tong had no idea what his attribute would be, but he was certain that the cold weather would inspire him a little. That was also the intention of this little "field trip".

    Wang Tong began to initialize his Tactics of the de in the middle of the snowynd, and then began to observe the changes of his genome source under this chilly weather.

    Wang Tong came up with this idea because he remembered that Einherjar Wannabe had also taught him about the resonance of one¡¯s attribute with the environment.

    Obviously, Wang Tong would choose to freeze himself rather than jumping straight into a burning furnace.

    The initialization of his Tactics of the de was doing well in this pristine environment. Wang Tong was focusing on his observations, and within minutes, he was overjoyed upon noticing that a genome source on his left chest was responding to the environmental condition. After one round of initialization, he had found five genome sources that responded to the coldness of this environment!

 Chapter 228: Polar Blizzard

    Chapter 228: Pr Blizzard

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong halted his practice as soon as he made the unexpected discovery. After all, it would be fairly dangerous to train in an environment with extreme weather. Since his "mission" had been aplished, Wang Tong decided to head back after remembering the five responding genome sources.

    "Mr. Wang Tong, are you practicing some kind of sorcery in the middle of this beautiful environment?" Li Ruo-Er said as she approached Wang Tong, followed by the shy Ma Xiaoru.

    "You are..." Wang Tong nced at the unexpected "guest". He wasn¡¯t sure who was the person in the thick jacket that was standing behind, but Wang Tong was sure that both of them were from Capth.

    "You little- !" At first, Li Ruo-Er was surprised by the fact that he didn¡¯t remember her. But she immediately realized that he did that on purpose, "I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so forgetful, Wang Tong."

    "Ahh, isn¡¯t this the famous Ms. Li Ruo-Er? I¡¯m guessing you must have something important to tell me since you¡¯ve been stalking me for the whole day, eh?" Wang Tong reacted coldly. This was not what Li Ruo-Er expected.

    "Who said I¡¯m stalking? This ce isn¡¯t yours, and clearly, we¡¯re just going for a stroll."

    "Really? Well farewell then. Sorry for interrupting your stroll." Wang Tong was not interested in mingling with the bossy youngdy of House of Li.

    "Ah, before you go, I just wanna say me and my friend here LOVED your dance. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re such a good dancer." Li Ruo-Er said as soon as she noticed that Wang Tong was trying to leave. Since she had been following him for the whole day in this cold weather, of course, she would never give up the chance to mess with him.

    Wang Tong gave her a cold grin and said, "May I know what are you trying to say?"

    Wang Tong had never liked Li Ruo-Er¡¯s guts, perhaps it was due to her aggressive and bossy attitude like a spoiled princess.

    "Ruo-Er, let¡¯s go back." Ma Xiaoru was afraid that this might turn into a fight, so she went forward and stopped Li Ruo-Er.

    As Wang Tong was about to leave, he was startled and turned around upon hearing that familiar voice¡­ He had always been wishing to see Ma Xiaoru again. In fact, Wang Tong got a bit emotional as he recalled all the happiness and regret all these times, but Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t notice that.

    On the other hand, Li Ruo-Er was fairly happy. Things were about to get even more interesting.

    Unlike the other animals, humans were born withplicated emotions, and the basics of Tactics of the Enchantress was none other than the maniption of emotions.

    "Oh, now you¡¯re not leaving?" Li Ruo-Er said suddenly.

    Wang Tong couldn¡¯t move a muscle, no wonder those glittering eyes looked so familiar¡­

    Ma Xiaoru was feeling weird as the stranger in front of him stared at her, "Sorry if we disturbed you, Mr. Wang Tong. We were just a bit worried when we saw you wandering around. We mean no harm."

    Wang Tong remained silent. Ma Xiaoru¡¯s voice didn¡¯t change at all. He couldn¡¯t help remembering all those days and nights they spent discussing and doing revisions together, as well as all those ups and downs they had been through together. Sadly, the Ma Xiaoru he knew didn¡¯t exist anymore¡­

    The current Ma Xiaoru standing in front of him was just a stranger with no memories of all those times they spent together.

    Wang Tong suddenly remembered that Samantha once told him that Ma Xiaoru needed to be treated with care, especially not to bring up anything in the past since her memories for thest six months had been sealed away.

    Wang Tong began to suspect Li Ruo-Er was trying to mess with him. After all, she knew about Ma Xiaoru¡¯s condition, yet she chose to bring her along.

    "Why don¡¯t we head back together." Wang Tong decided not to mingle with her for good.

    "Oh? But we wanna stay here for a little longer."

    "Ms. Li Ruo-Er, the climate in the Pr Region is extremely unpredictable. We shouldn¡¯t be staying here for too long."

    Ma Xiaoru felt strange as she checked on the guy in front of her. Apparently, this boy named Wang Tong seemed to care a lot about her, totally different from what she expected the masked dancer would be.

    "Are you the masked dancer?" Ma Xiaoru asked all of a sudden.

    Wang Tong turned towards Ma Xiaoru. To be honest, he was dying to see that familiar face again, but he chose to hold back his emotions. After all, his heart was still quiteplicated.

    "Yes, but please don¡¯t tell anyone else. That¡¯s only a one-time thing." Wang Tong admitted confidently.

    Ma Xiaoru nodded her head. Actually, she was quite touched, because the whole world was busy finding the real identity of the masked dancer yet Wang Tong didn¡¯t deny. She didn¡¯t expect that he would trust the two of them.

    "Hey, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯ve trusted us too much? Aren¡¯t you scared that we would tell the whole world about your secret identity?" Li Ruo-Er was enjoying herself teasing Wang Tong. Perhaps it was the right decision to save him from her brother.

    "Haha, why should I be worried? First of all, you¡¯ve already known about it since the beginning. Secondly, I¡¯m pretty confident that you wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. Moreover, nothing would happen even if you tell everyone." Wang Tong had no reasons to be polite in front of Li Ruo-Er. He was not some random dude that could be threatened so easily!

    After all, to dance or not was up for him to decide, and even if his identity were revealed, the media would never be able to prove anything as long as he kept denying.

    Ma Xiaoru was having a bad feeling, "Ruo-Er, let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s getting windier. Looks like the weather is changing."

    "No, I¡¯m not going back! You can go back yourself if you want to!" Li Ruo-Er seemed pissed after she failed to provoke Wang Tong. Most importantly, she couldn¡¯t imagine herself listening to Wang Tong¡¯s advice to head back.

    "I suggest you listen to me, Ms. Li Ruo-Er. It¡¯s getting colder here. I suspect a blizzard ising this way." Wang Tong said after observing the sky.

    "A blizzard? In a day with such fine weather? No Way!" Actually, Li Ruo-Er was trying to say: "Listening to you? Are you out of your mind? Who do you think you are?"

    Li Ruo-Er marched forward after saying that. Ma Xiaoru had no choice but to follow her, then she turned towards Wang Tong, nodded and said, "Excuse me."

    Practicing Tactics of the Enchantress had definitely improved Li Ruo-Er¡¯s wits, but in the end, she was still a fifteen year old girl, and there were always times that she would act capricious and childish.

    In the end, Wang Tong chose to follow the two of them. To be honest, he could leave Li Ruo-Er by herself because he remembered that Ma Xiaoru once told him that she was not particrly fond of the people from House of Li. However, he couldn¡¯t bear himself to leave Ma Xiaoru in this dangerous environment.

    Wang Tong could tell that the weather was about to change. Apparently, the five genome sources in his body had been sending some sort of signal to his brain since a while ago.

    In fact, animals were known to possess an ability to sense changes in weathers and climates, for instance, the detection of earthquakes and tsunamis. As for human beings, this ability was forgotten during the process of evolution. As men began to unlock their own power and potential, they were also rediscovering the forgotten abilities that connected them to mother nature and even the vast universe.

    Additionally, there was a huge possibility that actually one of the reasons behind General Li Feng creating all of these was to alter the development direction of mankind. The Mayans had proven that the development of technology would only lead to more destructions, and it was already toote for them to change their fate when they realized the importance of training their bodies. Many yearster, General Li Feng invented METAL Suits. It might look like an invention to ward off Zergs, yet this was also a creation to alter the fate and development of humanity.

    Nevertheless, these could only be conjectured by the further generations. Although no one would be able to tell the real intentions of General Li Feng, there was one thing for sure, general Li Feng had created a new chapter in the history of humanity.

    The weather seemed to be changing a lot quicker than Wang Tong had expected. After all, pr climates were always unpredictable. Within minutes, thend was taken over by strong currents of wind and heavy snow.

    It would be a rather beautiful scenery if they were inside Aurora City, sitting in a warm room and having a cup of hot Earl Grey while spending the rest of the afternoon watching the blizzard outside the barrier.

    However, this spelled disaster to all three of them. Apparently, they were being put in an extremely dangerous position in the wilds, not to mention they weren¡¯t fully prepared for this unexpected happening. Somehow, they had forgotten that mother nature was not something that could be messed with.

    Wang Tong seemed to have braced himself for such things, but clearly Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru weren¡¯t prepared for this.

    "Ruo-Er, let¡¯s head back."

    In the end, Li Ruo-Er gave up as the strong current of wind raged ferociously. After all, no one would like the idea of ending up dead as a snowman in the heart of South Pole Region.

    Bothdies were wearing good jackets that were able to automatically adjust their body temperatures. However, the environment was getting harsher. In order not to be blown away by the strong winds, they had no choice but to channel enough GN Force to stabilize themselves.

    The sky was getting dark, like the beginning of the apocalypse. The whole sky seemed like it was about to fall and crash onto them.

    Apparently, it was toote to get back, Wang Tong didn¡¯t expect that the weather would change in a blink of an eye. Luckily, his ability to improvise was better than bothdies. Even if they were to speed up, still they would never be able to make it back to Aurora City, not to mention the high risk of getting lost in the middle of the snowstorm.

    Wang Tong immediately grabbed bothdies by their hands, "Hold tight, Xiaoru, and cover your mouth. I¡¯ll find us a shelter!"

    Li Ruo-Er was startled and pissed when she noticed that he was bold enough to grab her by the hands. Li Ruo-Er then tried to break free by flinging her arm, but not only that she had failed to break free, her mouth was immediately covered with snow while she was trying to speak.

    As for Wang Tong, he had no time for games. If Li Ruo-Er flung her arms again, he would choose to let go and only focus on Ma Xiaoru.

    Wang Tong remembered that there was an ice-capped mountain on the right side of the region, which would be a good ce for shelter.

    All of them had unleashed their GN Force in order to speed up their travel, but the blizzard was getting worse as they walked. Pr Region might be wonderful when it was at peace, but it would instantly be a living hell once it raged.

    The bodyguards of bothdies were stunned by the sudden change of weather. They had been trying to keep a distance with thedies in order not to make them angry. However, bothdies had wandered off too far from them. In the end, they had no choice but to save themselves first. After all, aside from the Einherjar himself, no one would dare to mess with this extreme weather.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was still grabbing thedies by the hands while traveling as fast as he could with every bit of his GN Force unleashed. He had to proceed ording to his memory and senses because his vision waspletely blinded by the raging blizzard. Although Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er were almost equally matched against Wang Tong in a battle, they had no experience at all in surviving this harsh environment. Hence, they had no choice but to stick to Wang Tong. In a situation like this, Wang Tong would have to be fully focused in order to make quick decisions, or else all of them would be doomed in no time.

 Chapter 229: Three is a Crowd

    Chapter 229: Three is a Crowd

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    The three of them rushed towards the ice-capped mountain at full speed. Fortunately, both Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er possessed decent stamina, or else, Wang Tong¡¯s energy would bepletely drained. Throughout the whole journey, all Wang Tong did was navigating in front, and thankfully, both of them were strong enough to keep up.

    Wang Tong immediately noticed that there was no entrance to the cavern> However, it would be impossible for them to search for another hiding ce now. So in the end, Wang Tong had no choice but to use his chopping attacks to hack up an entrance. Wang Tong would rather lose an arm than freeze to death under this raging blizzard.

    Wang Tong gathered all of his strength and unleashed more than ten strikes to the thinner parts of ice in no time. Wang Tong remembered that he did hack up a cavern once during his time on Norton. However, he didn¡¯t expect that thisyer of ice was way thicker than the rocks on Norton.

    Nevertheless, he was lucky enough to smash off chunks of ice, and then the trio immediately crawled into the cavern.

    It was still daytime, yet the whole area waspletely covered in darkness, Aurora City hadpletely vanished from their line of sight. The three of them were absolutely on their own. If it weren¡¯t because of Wang Tong¡¯s precise judgment, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru would¡¯ve already been lost in the middle of the blizzard.

    Anyhow, all of them were safe for the time being despite the horrible situation out there. This ice cavern was the perfect shelter for such extreme weather.

    Wang Tong sighed in relief. He was really lucky enough to smash off that huge chunk of tough ice, or else they would be in deep trouble.

    Wang Tong took out his bone knife and infused it with GN Force, then began to widen up the space. After all, it was quite tight to fit the three of them.

    "Thank you." Ma Xiaoru said as she stared at thend of darkness. What happened earlier was indeed a close shave. Wang Tong smiled back. It seemed like Ma Xiaoru was still as polite as she used to be.

    Ma Xiaoru then turned towards Li Ruo-Er. Honestly, Li Ruo-Er was also traumatized by the raging blizzard, yet she said in an unyielding manner, "Hmph, this is just a piece of cake. Nothing can stop me!"

    "Ruo-Er!" Ma Xiaoru pulled Li Ruo-Er by her sleeves. She knew that Li Ruo-Er was talking about the super METAL Suit inside their Space Crystal. Actually, the Soul Energy of bothdies had already reached Level Five, yet they were taught by their families to keep it a secret from others for their own good. Their level of Soul Energy was good enough for them to equip the METAL Suits for not more than half an hour, and with those powerful METAL Suits, they would be able to make it through this blizzard without much problem.

    However, it would still be too dangerous for the both of them, as the only way to make it through this blinding snowstorm was to equip the super METAL Suits and race towards Aurora City. Yet, this method was extremely risky because they could be in grave danger once their energy waspletely drained.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong didn¡¯t pay much attention to Li Ruo-Er. After all he was not that kind of person who would like to entertain a bossy and arrogant girl like her, and he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by her words. Still, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t spiteful. After all, she was just a spoiled kid who was lucky to be born into a wealthy family.

    Wang Tong¡¯s hacking process had sped up a lot by infusing GN Force into his bone knife. Even though it wasn¡¯t razor sharp, it was hard enough to shave off boulders of ice in no time. Within minutes, Wang Tong had widened up the space inside the cavern. Since the interior of the cavern was bigger than the entrance, Wang Tong could even make it windproof by stuffing the entrance with a block of ice.

    Li Ruo-Er was surprised to notice that her Sk had no signal in this area. She didn¡¯t expect that the blizzard had even affected the maic frequency. It seemed like they had no choice but to wait for this blizzard to die down. However, most of the time, blizzards were very unpredictable. It couldst for a short while, or it couldst for months. If itsted that long, they would be doomed for sure.

    Moreover, only bigger air vessels in Aurora City would be able to take off in such extreme weather condition.

    Aurora City itself was not affected by the blizzard due to its tough energy barrier. However the people from House of Li and House of Ma were busy looking for ways to rescue the youngdies, yet all search and rescue activities could only be carried out when the blizzard died down a little.

    "Well, looks like we will be staying here for quite some time. Any of you brought any food?" Wang Tong asked and then continued saying, "If youdies don¡¯t mind, I have some here for us to share."

    Wang Tong would always prepare some water and nutrient pills in case of emergency. After the incident at Paradise Ind, he had learned the lesson regarding the importance of food.

    Li Ruo-Er rolled her eyes when she saw that all Wang Tong prepared were just some cheap mineral water and pills that she had never seen before. After all, she had been living the life of a princess and had never been in such miserable situation before.

    "I brought something." Ma Xiaoru then took out some water, a good amount of delicious food, and even some daily necessities from her Space Crystal.

    "Xiaoru¡­ are you nning to move out?" Li Ruo-Er was surprised to see what Ma Xiaoru packed, because she would only store a few necessities and some weapons in her Space Crystal.

    "Honestly, I dunno. All I remember was someone had once told me to be prepared for emergencies, and it seems like the person was right." Ma Xiaoru smiled and replied.

    Wang Tong felt bad as he stared at Ma Xiaoru¡¯s gentle smile. He was the one who taught her about that. Wang Tong was surprised to find out that she remembered this even though her memories were sealed off. Apparently, she was still left with faint memories of those things that she had once held dearly, for instance, some important words or advice.

    "Wow, I wonder who¡¯s that person." Li Ruo-Erughed, and immediately knew who said that after noticing Ma Xiaoru¡¯s puzzled face and Wang Tong¡¯s weird expression.

    "I believe that it would be my brother. He¡¯d say things like that from time to time." Li Ruo-Er gave Wang Tong a funny nce while lying to Ma Xiaoru that it was Li Shimin¡¯s idea. She knew Wang Tong was not bold enough to tell her the truth.

    "Perhaps. It seems like the blizzard is still raging. Looks like we have no choice but to be prepared for a longer stay. Since we¡¯ve got enough food and water tost for a couple of weeks, I think we should widen more space and make each of us a room." Ma Xiaoru said.

    The three of them were able to remain calm in such critical situation because they were strong enough to survive. Moreover, they knew that the people in Aurora City would be looking for them in no time.

    "Yea let¡¯s do it, but I think two rooms are more than enough. Let¡¯s begin then!" Li Ruo-Er said as she arrogantly nced at Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong chose not to bother Li Ruo-Er, because he knew that she was just trying to mess with him. Now that Ma Xiaoru had already lost her memories, Wang Tong was afraid something bad would happen to her again if he tried to tell her what happened in the previous months.

    She was lucky to recover from her berserk state by sealing off a part of her memories, and Wang Tong couldn¡¯t imagine what could save her if she were to go berserk again.

    In the end, all Wang Tong could do was to pretend to be okay. To him, faking his emotions was way harder than fighting against a horde of Zergs.

    Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er were busy hacking the wall of ice with their high-quality swords that they had been storing in their Space Crystals.

    "Hey Wang Tong, why don¡¯t youe over and help us? Didn¡¯t anyone teach you aboutdies first?" Li Ruo-Er seemed to be enjoying her "ice-sculpting" project. However, she needed someone else to do the cleaning up.

    In the end, Wang Tong began to help both of them to clean up as thedies carried on with their hacking. Honestly, Wang Tong would never give a damn about Li Ruo-Er¡¯s taunts. He remembered that Old Fart had once told him that a real man should never be spiteful against women.

    But to be honest, Old Fart was quite spiteful himself.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong didn¡¯tin much since it was a ce for Ma Xiaoru to stay.

    Since they were not trying to stay here for too long, bothdies had managed to hack up a space that was about ten square feet wide. As soon as Wang Tong finished cleaning up, Ma Xiaoru then took out her warming mat from the Space Crystal and ced it on the floor. Then, she said, "I only have one warming mat. Why don¡¯t you stay here and share with us?"

    "No, I disagree!" Li Ruo-Er eximed.

    Wang Tong replied with a smile, "I¡¯ll be fine. This temperature is okay for me."

    "Please let me know if you¡¯re cold, Ruo-Er might be rude, but she¡¯s actually a kind-hearted girl." Ma Xiaoru said softly.

    "Hmph, this is who I am!" Li Ruo-Er said while resting in her room. Ma Xiaoru shook her head and smiled helplessly.

    "Xi¡­ Ms. Ma Xiaoru, why don¡¯t you go get some rest. I¡¯ll be fine by myself. Meanwhile, you can try sending a message back to Aurora City. After all, we shouldn¡¯t be staying here for too long."

    "Alright, let us know if you need anything then." Ma Xiaoru nodded.

    Wang Tong then began to hack up his own room as quickly as possible. He didn¡¯t mind how big or small was it. All he wanted was a ce to rest.

    To be honest, he was quite thankful for this unexpected blizzard, or else, he would¡¯ve never been able to spend time with Ma Xiaoru again.

    As soon as Wang Tong finished hacking and cleaning his own room, Li Ruo-Er and Ma Xiaoru had already finished turning their room into a cozy little hut. Both Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru had brought along quite a decent amount of useful items, yet Li Ruo-Er¡¯s Space Crystal was only filled with stuff that wouldn¡¯t do any good in this situation.

    The temperature was rather cold, yet the three of them were still able to handle since they were all fighters. The three of them stared nkly at the raging blizzard as they ate some food. They had no other methods to make contact with Aurora City, hence their only option was to wait for the rescuing team. However, they knew that the search and rescue party would not be able to work in this situation, not to mention it would be extremely risky to perform a search in this weather.

    Li Ruo-Er had no intentions to share anything with Wang Tong. Even though they were stuck in this mess together, she had been busy chatting with Ma Xiaoru while signaling Wang Tong to keep his distance in order not to trigger any unnecessary happenings.

    "I¡¯m going to sleep. Wake me up if there¡¯s anything. Remember to initialize your tactics from time to time in order to maintain your body¡¯s condition." Wang Tong knew what Li Ruo-Er was trying to tell him. After all, he was afraid that something would happen if he got too close with the girls. After all, it was best for him to keep his distance from Ma Xiaoru for her own good.

    "Ruo-Er, I think we should be more kind to him. After all, he did save us from the blizzard."

    "Yea, yea I know, actually I¡¯ll know what to do in this situation even if he¡¯s not around." Li Ruo-Er would never thank Wang Tong, "Anyway, I believe that this blizzard will die down soon."

    "Fingers crossed."

    Both girls were extremely exhausted after spending the past four to five hours saving themselves, and they began to feel sleepy due to the warmth from the mat. In the end, they decided to take a quick nap since it was boring in the cavern.

 Chapter 230: Never Back Down

    Chapter 230: Never Back Down

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong began to initialize his tactics in his own icy room. To be honest, this was the perfect chance for Wang Tong¡¯s own practice. In fact, the resonance of the five genome sources in his body had be stronger ever since the blizzard began. Hence, Wang Tong decided to make use of this environment to strengthen his basics. Moreover, the natural coldness seemed to be able to enhance the resonance.

    Unlike most ordinary people, an experienced fighter would always make use of the environment for his or her own good.

    The harsher the surroundings, the more energetic Wang Tong would be, and obviously, he would never miss such an opportunity to enhance his practice. Wang Tong¡¯s brutal experiences at Norton had shaped him into a tough survivor. In fact, even Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er would never be able to do what Wang Tong had achieved, even though they had also been through some harsh training. In short, Wang Tong¡¯s past experience was what differed him from most ordinary students.

    Wang Tong gradually fell asleep after he finished initializing his tactics. However, Wang Tong¡¯s Tactics of the de would still carry on initializing by itself even though he had fallen asleep. It couldn¡¯t be helped since the continuous initialization of tactics was the only way to survive Norton¡¯s five times greater gravity. In this case, the continuous initialization of tactics of the de would be able to protect Wang Tong from hypothermia.

    In other words, this auto-initialization of tactics of the de would be able to act as a protective barrier that could keep Wang Tong¡¯s body from harm in a harsh environment.

    However, it seemed like Wang Tong had forgotten that only his version of Tactics of the de was able to do so, while Tactics of the Enchantress had no functions like this!

    As Wang Tong woke up the next day, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was morning or noon, because everything was still blinded by the blizzard. Since there was no sound from the girls¡¯ room, Wang Tong decided not to wake them up and carried on with his initialization. This time, he was surprised to discover that the five genome sources had started to change after absorbing the cold aura. Wang Tong could feel an icyyer of GN Force channeling from his palms.

    Wang Tong smiled satisfyingly. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was lucky enough to learn that in such a short period of time, and he decided to brag about his unexpected discovery to Einherjar Wannabe as soon as he got back.

    The wind was still roaring outside, Wang Tong checked his watch and noticed that another hour had passed, but still there wasn¡¯t any sound from the girls¡¯ room. Wang Tong got a bit worried and decided to check on them.

    Soon, Wang Tong discovered that Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er were still lying on the mat. However, their faces looked quite pale and immediately Wang Tong realized that this was bad. What was worse, the girls were having a fever.

    In general, those who practiced martial arts were unlikely to fall sick, and to fall sick would mean that the body had reached its limits. Things wouldn¡¯t be that bad if the girls listened to Wang Tong and initialized their tactics, but it seemed like they had forgotten about it. In the end, the coldness gradually prated into their body, not to mention their bodies were practically vulnerable without the protection of GN Force. Hence, they developed the fever.

    "Xiaoru! Xiaoru! Hey, wake up! Wake up!" Wang Tong then tried to wake the two of them. However, the girls could barely remain conscious. Their bodies were feverish hot, and they were murmuring about the coldness and headache. Things were not looking good at all.

    Wang Tong was well aware that they were all in deep trouble, and there was no way he could find any help in the middle of this snowstorm. Normally, fever wasn¡¯t some sort of big issue, but it could develop into a life-threatening situation in this extreme environment.

    If it weren¡¯t because they were wearing the jackets and sleeping on the warming mat, bothdies would¡¯ve been frozen to death already.

    This was Wang Tong¡¯s first time surviving in a cold and snowy region, as for the girls, this happened to be their first time being stranded in the wilds, and he absolutely had no idea that the girls¡¯ bodies were that weak.

    Wang Tong looked outside and noticed that the blizzard showed no sign of dying down. The ground was covered with thickyers of snow, and it was quite dim. Their lives could be in grave danger if they chose to head out. But if they chose to stay, Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er would be dead for sure.

    The condition of bothdies was gradually getting worse. However, no one had brought any medications in the Space Crystals. Even if Wang Tong were to give them his clothes, still it wouldn¡¯t make any difference.

    Wang Tong was not a hesitant person. However, the blizzard was raging continuously. Nevertheless, he was aware that time was running out, and if they were to wait any longer, their body temperature would start to drop, and the girls would be doomed.

    ording to his map on Sk, Wang Tong could roughly identify the direction towards Aurora City. However, this would be a gamble of death. If he failed, nobody would live.

    After checking on the weather, Wang Tong decided to head out. In fact, he wasn¡¯t going to pack anything because this had to conserve his stamina. There was only one chance. Whether they seeded or not, the three of them would not being back to the shelter as soon as they marched towards the blizzard.

    Wang Tong knew that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer as he saw Ma Xiaoru¡¯s suffering expression, and even though he was not very fond of Li Ruo-Er, he had no intention of leaving the spoiled princess here by herself. After all, he was raised as a gentleman.

    Wang Tong then carefully fed both Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruo-Er some water. Fortunately, bothdies were able to regain some consciousness after drinking some water. After that, he quickly exined what happened to the both of them.

    "That¡­ would be too d¡­ dangerous¡­ We¡¯ll be... fine..." Ma Xiaoru mustered her strength and said. Apparently, she was already too weak that she could barely speak.

    Yet, Wang Tong insisted on his dangerous n.

    Li Ruo-Er didn¡¯t say anything because she didn¡¯t want to show her weaker side. Honestly, she was aware that her current condition was very bad. Unlike men, women¡¯s body would suffer greater damages after being exposed to the coldness for too long.

    "I¡¯m not gonna waste any time. Hey Ms. Li, I¡¯m not molesting you, but I¡¯m gonna carry you on my back and carry Xi¡­ Ms. Ma Xiaoru on the front. So please bear with me."

    "Do you think you can make it?" Li Ruo-Er said as she stared at the blizzard.

    "Never tried, so don¡¯t know. Since we still have the map, I say we give it a shot!" Wang Tong replied. To be honest, he knew that this would be too risky, but hopefully, the blizzard would be getting weaker in a while, and then the rescue team would respond immediately.

    But what if the blizzard got worse?

    Both girls were extremely weak, and the coldness would eventually trigger otherplications. Hence, leaving the shelter would be their final chance of survival.

    Li Ruo-Er then said nothing and turned towards Ma Xiaoru.

    For some reason, Ma Xiaoru felt like she could trust Wang Tong as she looked into his determined eyes. Something was telling her that this guy would definitely be able to bring them back alive.

    After a pause, Ma Xiaoru nodded in agreement to Wang Tong¡¯s n, while Li Ruo-Er remained silent as always.

    Wang Tong then fed them some water again. However, this time they were unable to swallow anything. Apparently, the water was too cold and had be undrinkable.

    After strapping up their jackets, Wang Tong tied Li Ruo-Er tightly on his back and carried Ma Xiaoru with both arms. Then, he took a deep breath and took onest glimpse at the map. Since the majority of his vision was blinded by the blizzard, Wang Tong would need to rely on his other senses throughout the journey.

    Wang Tong was trying to say something as he looked at Ma Xiaoru, but in the end, he chose not to and marched into the blizzard.

    Instead of retaining his energy, Wang Tong decided to fully initialize his Tactics of the de, because this had be a situation of life and death. If Wang Tong were alone in this mess, his chance of survival would still be high. But now, with the lives of twodies on his hands, Wang Tong would have to be more careful.

    The total weight of bothdies was approximately one hundred kilograms. To be honest, this would be a piece of cake for Wang Tong under normal circumstances. But the rough terrain, raging wind and also their bulky clothing had increased Wang Tong¡¯s burden, causing his energy to burn out even quicker.

    Wang Tong could feel that the tiredness was kicking in as time went by, and instead of running, he had to proceed step by step in order to maintain his bnce in the rough terrain. In fact, Wang Tong was using most of his strength to maintain his own bnce while carrying bothdies. He would be dead in no time if he were to elerate. Moreover, he had to stay focused and secure the both of them. If he dropped one of them, he would never be able to find her back in this terrifying weather.

    Half an hour had passed, yet Wang Tong realized that the distance that they had traveled was only how far they would normally walk in five or six minutes. If this continued, the three of them would be buried by this evesting snow.

    Li Ruo-Er¡¯s consciousness had gone from bad to worse. Apparently, she was currently having her periods, and it would cause her body to be weaker. Thus, her condition seemed to be worse than Ma Xiaoru¡¯s. But still, none of them were looking good.

    As the wind raged, Wang Tong¡¯s breathing became heavier. It seemed like God was trying to test their faith by putting them on this suffering journey.

    Wang Tong remembered his previous training on Paradise Ind and decided to organize his stamina and GN Force properly in order to not overstress his body. Somehow, he felt like thanking Massa for his lecture about stamina. Fortunately, Wang Tong had been keeping on training on his own on a daily basis, or else, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk this far.

    Ma Xiaoru was also feeling Wang Tong¡¯s heavy breathing. ording to Li Ruo-Er, she had never met him before, and only Li Ruo-Er herself had met Wang Tong once during the tournament between Ayrng and Capth. But they had never fought because Li Ruo-Er was secretly dueling with her body double in order to protect her identity. Yet, Ma Xiaoru somehow sensed a familiar kindness and warmth, like she had known him for quite some time.

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong was hit on the head by something that was driven by the strong wind. He waspletely caught off-guard by the "attack" and began to feel a slight dizziness. However, Wang Tong chose to ignore and carried on marching forward. Ma Xiaoru could barely open her eyes, but she could tell that Wang Tong was beginning to struggle, and she was getting more ufortable. If it weren¡¯t because of the familiar feeling of safety, she would¡¯ve given up already.

    "Wang Tong, whether we could make it back or not, th¡­ thank you very much." Ma Xiaoru mustered her strength and said to Wang Tong as she saw his shivering face.

    Apparently, Wang Tong was only wearing a single piece of shirt in order to get a better grip on bothdies and also to lighten his burden.

    A strong current of wind raged across when she was saying that, hence Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t able to tell if Wang Tong had heard what she said or not. Soon, her consciousness had also gotten worse.

    Wang Tong¡¯s speed was getting slower as he marched forward step by step. Then he said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely get you back to safety!"

    The blizzard carried on raging, terrorizing every inch of the icy terrain. Yet, the boy showed no sign of giving up and continued to move forward!

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong could tell that his alertness was getting bad as his stamina decreased. Currents of freezing wind had caused his body to go numb. Soon, Wang Tong even began experiencing hallucinations. If it weren¡¯t because of the girls, Wang Tong would¡¯ve fainted already.

    Wand Tong hung onto the small cluster of warmth from Ma Xiaoru and soldiered on!

 Chapter 231: Unstoppable

    Chapter 231: Unstoppable

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong slowly made his way in the blizzard, each step requiring all of his willpower and strength. But Wang Tong believed in himself, and would never give up.

    After a while, Wang Tong paused to check his direction. He noticed that the two behind him were not doing very well. Li Ruoer''s body had already be stiff, and Xiaoru was in an even worse condition. She had lost her consciousness, and her body temperature was dropping drastically.

    The blizzard howled as if it wereughing at Wang Tong. Wang Tong realized that their walking speed was too slow, and even if they could eventually make it to the Aurora city, Xiaoru might be in grave danger. He needed to do something to help with their situation.

    Wang Tong''s eyes glinted, and then he shouted," Einherjar Wannabe!"

    "Hey, kiddo! You got at the most half hour in you. This is not a game, and there will be consequences!"

    "I will take her to safety even if it leads to my death."

    Mr. Wannabe stopped talking. He knew that he would not be able to change Wang Tong''s mind. He still remembered that day when the stupid kid risked his life to save that low tier robot. Mr. Wannabe knew that Wang Tong would not leave anyone behind.

    "Come on."

    "Get ready, kiddo!"

    Wang Tong channeled his GN force, and a golden glow erupted from his body. Wang Tong shouted at the top of his lungs." METAL!"

    In the darkness of the blizzard, Wang Tong''s body shone with golden light, as if a lighthouse lit up the promise of home.

    Wang Tong clutched the two girls under his both arms and started to run against the gale.

    With the protection of the METAL suite, Wang Tong''s speed had increased five folds, and he was able to see clearer in front of him. However, all these benefits came at the cost of drastic depletion of his GN force.

    Wang Tong focused entirely on his speed. He had traveled another half hour against the wind... but the Aurora city was still nowhere to be seen.

    Wang Tong suddenly realized that he had made a terrible mistake in calcting direction, he had overlooked a key variable: the earth''s rotation.

    "Hey kiddo, time is almost up. You need to think for yourself!"

    Wang Tong pretended he didn''t hear Mr. Wannabe''s earnest suggestion. He recalcted his course in his mind and turned his face about 25 degrees to the left.

    The wind was still howling. Wang Tong started to feel dizzy, a sign of his soul energy being overspent. His soul energy had reached only level four, but he was wearing a full coverage METAL suit. This was a suicidal act.

    Wang Tong didn''t mind the pain. He was willing to suffer any consequence as long as he could deliver the two to safety.

    Mr. Wannabe also became quiet. Two secondster, Wang Tong felt that the rate of depletion of his soul energy seemed to have slowed down. A few more minutester, it had suddenly urred to him that Mr. Wannabe was helping him with his own soul energy.

    A grin shed across Wang Tong''s face. Although he was confident in his calction, he was not so sure if he would be able to reach his destination.

    "Remove the METAL."

    The METAL suit retracted. "Mr. Wannabe, if I die here today, please find someone else to save you from your prison."

    "You idiot! I can hold my ground for a bit longer yet!" Mr. Wannabee howled out at him. Without the protection of the METAL suit, Wang Tong was one step closer to his demise.

    Wang Tong clutched the two girls tighter under his arm and prepared for his final exertion. In a blink of an eye, the ruthless snow had already reached to his knee.

    "I am Wang Tong. No one will stop me!" Wang Tong shouted and then he drew a gulp of fresh air and started running again. Wang Tong knew that this would be his final chance. Once he stopped, he would not be able to move again.

    A few momentster, Wang Tong started to lose the feeling of his body. Soon, he began to lose his consciousness, except for only one thought," Keep running."

    A light appeared in the distance, but Wang Tong was no longer be able to tell if it were the Aurora City or heaven.

    "Xiaoru...If..."

    Before Wang Tong could finish his mumble, he copsed.

    When he woke up, he saw that sparkly stars surrounded him, yet he could still not feel his body. Wang Tong was convinced that he was dead and this was heaven.

    "Is this heaven? Gosh, this is boring."

    "Of course not."

    A voice behind him answered abruptly and startled Wang Tong. Wang Tong turned back and saw a thirty-year-old looking man with a very familiar face.

    As Wang Tong realized where he had seen the face in front of him, he waved his arms in the air and asked in disbelief," Are you...General Li Feng?"

    "Haha, you can call me Li Feng, or de Warrior." Li Feng cracked a smile.

    Wang Tong pinched his cheek, and he still could not feel anything. He was more convinced that he had been dead and this was his afterlife.

    "You didn''t die. You are in the soul dimension of the space crystal. Your soul energy had reached two hundred, and therefore, you had unlocked my interactive message. I know you have lots of questions, and this is the time to ask."

    Wang Tong calmed himself. He found it incredulous that General Li Feng and the de Warrior were the same person.

    It took a while for the reality to sink in.

    "Is my space crystal yours?" Wang Tong wanted to know from whom the Old Fart had stolen the crystal.

    "That''s right, and you are my protege." Li Feng looked at Wang Tong approvingly.

    "Why didn''t you leave the Tactics of the de to your family? Like you did with the Tactics of the Vayu and the Enchantress?"

    "Haha... The reason was simple: Bnce. The same reason why I didn''t leave the technology to my family. Instead, I gave it to the Ma."

    "You are not afraid that I would be stronger than your family members? Based on the secrecy, I would bet that the Tactics of the de is more powerful than any other tactics you had left." Wang Tong asked.

    "When you have reached a higher state, which you will, you will understand my intention. ''Goldie'' had chosen you as my sessor, it means that there is going to be great danger ahead of the human race. Your task is to save the world."

    "Er... Great General Li. I wonder if that ''Goldie'' made a mistake? I am rather useless, and always have been, so I had never dreamed of carrying the weight of the world on my shoulder or that sort of a thing. Could you please... maybe... choose another protege? " Wang Tong paused to think for a second and then said," How about your kindred, Li Shiming? He is a hell of a bad ass fighter."

    General Li was caught off guard by Wang Tong''s request," ''Goldie'' has already chosen you. That, I cannot change. But it''s up to you to ept it or not."

    Wang Tong was surprised howid back General Li was about the whole "save the world" business.

    "Are there any other questions?"

    "What happens if I have conflicts with your family in the future? say, they want to kill me for the tactics of the de."

    "You and my family are all the same to me, so I won''t choose a side. But, if possible, please don''t be too hard on them."

    Wang Tong scratched his head and wondered why General Li would ask him to go easy on the House Li. The Great House Li could kill him like killing an ant, and the best he could do was to poke them with his antenna.

    "Fine, I will do my best." Wang Tong answered candidly.

    Li Feng cracked a smile and said," That will be it for now. You are losing your soul energy so you should head back now. I will see you again when you are ready."

    "Hold on, Wait! What''s up with that Ojisan in the crystal, can you save him?"

    A faint smile crossed General Li''s face," That is his fate.", and then, the image of General Li disappeared, leaving Wang Tong annoyed by the vague answer.

    Suddenly, the world around Wang Tong started to crumble, revealing a vast whiteness.

    In the Emergency care facility inside the Aurora City.

    Ma Xiaoru recovered her consciousness, and she remembered that it was Wang Tong who had saved her.

    "It was a miracle!"

    "No kidding! He carried the two under his arms and banged his head on the energy barrier while running full speed."

    "The two girls were wrapped up pretty well, so they were fine, but that poord had already turned into an ice sculpture by the time the rescue arrived. It has been two days, yet his condition still hasn''t been stabilized."

    "I wish someone would do that for me..."

    Two young nurses chit chatted.

    The glow of light that Wang Tong had seen the moment before he copsed was indeed Aurora City. The three were soon discovered by patrols and were sent to the hospital.

    Although Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer''s condition was not great, it was not life-threatening thanks to their heavily padded jackets. Wang Tong, on the other hand, was in a much grimmer state. When he was sent to the hospital, he had lost all functions of his body except for the brain, so he was practically dead, and only alive theoretically.

 Chapter 232: Zhang Jin

    Chapter 232: Zhang Jin

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer''s return and recovery was a huge weight off both family''s hearts. They felt lucky that the two were unharmed.

    The blizzard came without any warning and trapped the two girls. After having learned that Wang Tong was also caught in the storm, Samantha used up her connections to find help, but she could not change the cruel reality that there was nothing she could do other than wait.

    She never thought Wang Tong would return alive, much less be able to save the other two girls.

    "It''s quite a romantic trip." Karl nodded his head at Wang Tong admiringly. He had thought that Wang Tong had taken the two girls with him touring the Arctic.

    "If it were you, there would be one more frozen stick out there on the tundra." Luo Manman said to Karl.

    "Hey, don''t be mean. I know I am not as heroic as boss, but I''m more handsome. At the least, I would be a ''handsome'' frozen stick." Karl tossed his hair and posed in front of everyone.

    The news of Wang Tong''s recovery had brightened everyone''s mood.

    Wang Tong''s friends stood outside the emergency room and watched as Wang Tong slept. Wang Tong was as unlucky to have encountered the blizzard as he was lucky to have survived it.

    They said everything had a silver lining. Perhaps this incident was a blessing in disguise for Wang Tong.

    After confirming with the Doctor that Wang Tong would be OK and his recovery was only a matter of time, the students left the Aurora City, leaving only Zhou Sisi to look after Wang Tong once he woke up.

    It had been a few days since Zhang Jin and Luv Ma had arrived at the City of Aurora, and yet Zhang Jin had made little to no progress in getting any information on the VZPE battery. It went without saying that the FFC had been extra cautious with the Iron Curtain Zhang. As the heir of the Zhang Family, Zhang Jin knew that much and so, she had let her family''s covert unit do the work on the streets. She had focused on an entirely different mission: to collect information on Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer.

    However, even that had proven to be impossible with her limited resources in the Aurora City.

    Nevertheless, the news of the two girls'' rescue had eventually reached Zhang Jin. The name of their rescuer, Wang Tong, caught Zhang Jin''s attention. She wanted to know if it were the same person as that simple-minded boy she had saved from Norton. Every time Zhang Jin thought of Wang Tong''s innocent smile, she always felt a sense offort. Her interest had already been piqued once when she heard about Wang Tong''s name in the news about the tournament at Capth, and her curiosity was heightened again.

    The medical facility in the Aurora City was the best on earth. The two of the most advanced industries of the Confederation were that of Medicine and Aerospace. Unlike Aerospace, the level of medical development was directly linked to a city''s concentration of wealth. Since it rted to a matter of life and death, some of the medical equipment was up for sale at a heftier price tag than that of a spaceship.

    To Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru, money was not an issue. Therefore, the entire hospital was devoted to curing the two girls. The doctors and the nurses were aware that if anything happened to the two, they might as well quit their job and choose another profession because they would never find a job in the medical industry ever again.

    As the two princesses'' rescuer, Wang Tong had received the same special treatment. Even the director of the hospital had shown up in his room a couple of times, making sure that Wang Tong was recovering. Under so much care and attention, Wang Tong recovered rapidly. Truth be told, there was no need for Zhou Sisi to stay with him since the nurses were very diligent and careful. However, Samantha had ordered Zhou Sisi to stay, fearing that the loneliness after Wang Tong woke up would affect his recovery.

    Wang Tong''s body recovered much faster than his depleted soul energy. However, he felt that as long as he was awake and conscious, his soul energy would be recharging slowly but surely.

    The free food and amodation had made Wang Tong wish that he could stay here just a bit longer. Why would he go back and live in squalid while he could live here like a king?

    "Have another one." Sisi careful peeled another orange.

    Wang Tong opened his mouth, and Zhou Sisi fed the slice of orange into his mouth. He didn''t even need to move a finger.

    "Sisi, we should head back in a couple of days. This ce must be expensive." Wang Tong mumbled as he chewed on the orange. He knew that Samantha needed money to pay for Ayrng''s development, so he thought the money was better spent on where it was needed instead of his personal indulgence.

    "Not yet. You will stay here a few more days. Don''t worry; you are now as precious as a panda bear. You can''t imagine the rank of the persons that had visited you when you were unconscious. They made it look like you were important enough to be on the cover of the ''Guose'' Magazine."

    Zhou Sisi stuffed another slice of orange into Wang Tong''s mouth. The Guose magazine was the most popr female-focused magazine. The main draw of the magazine was its cover page that promised a disy of the most sessful and handsome gentlemen of the time, such as Li Shimin from House Li.

    "Who visited me?"

    "Both the house lords of the Li and the Ma. You had saved their princesses'' life. What an idiot you are! Didn''t you know that you almost died because of that? Can''t you use your brain? They all say that it was a gant act and it ought to win the hearts of thedies. How did you know the Zhang''s?"

    "Zhang? What Zhang?" The question dumbfounded Wwang, Tong.

    "There''s only one Zhang, you silly. Zhang, the Iron Curtain. They had also inquired the doctor about your condition and said if the hospital needed any assistance in improving your condition, they would be more than happy to provide the aid. Three of the five great houses were concerned about your safety; I won''t stress about the medical bill if I were you."

    Zhou Sisi found it hard to make the connection between the penniless Wang Tong and the Great Houses.

    "The Iron Curtain? I have no idea!" Wang Tong pulled a poker face as he spoke. He didn''t want to sound like a name dropper.

    "Wang Tong, you don''t remember me?" Zhang Jin knocked on the door and asked with a warm smile.

    "Lieutenant Zhang?"

    "Haha. I am no longer a lieutenant, just call me Zhang Jin. I am in the second year at the Starry Sky Academy. Hi, Zhou Sisi."

    Zhang Jin wore an earnest and warm smile on her face. She was not sexy like Samantha, nor mischievous and cute like Li Ruoer. Yet, she was easy going, friendly and trustworthy.

    "Zhang...Jing..ahh! You are from the Iron Curtain Zhang!" Wang Tong pretended that he had just realized the connection. His acting was terrible but passable.

    "I have heard that your condition had been stabilized, so I decided toe visit you myself. You are the luckiest person I have ever met: First it was Norton, then an Arctic Blizzard¡­ I wonder what it would be next time. Haha" Zhang Jin set the fruit basket aside on a coffee table.

    "I see you every time I have a close call with death. You might be my lucky star." Wang Tong jested. He was pleased to see Zhang Jin again. Although they had only met once, Wang Tong felt that they were old friends.

    "I knew I was right about you being a badass. No wonder you could survive that long on Norton. I bet that you were just fine on Norton with or without our rescue."

    "Don''t joke about that, it''s not funny. If you guys came a secondter, I might as well have be a nut job."

    The two girls in the roomughed simultaneously at Wang Tong''s entrguage.

    "You risked your life for the two beautiful princesses. Are you going to marry them soon?" Zhang Jin teased Wang Tong.

    "Er...I never thought that much. They needed my help, and therefore I offered it. As a matter of fact, if not because they were both sick, they wouldn''t need my help... when the ..."

    "Oh,e on, don''t pretend you never thought about marrying them and tried so hard to impress them! You almost lost your life for God''s sake!" Zhou Sisi cut Wang Tong short. Sisi really liked the way Zhang Jin carried herself. She was in full control during the conversation, but still not pushy. She had the perfect look like a typical Ivantian, butcked the annoying pretentiousness.

    "She is right! You should rightful ept any gratitude from the two houses, including their precious daughters. Don''t be so fake and pretend you don''t want it!" Zhang Jin''s words hit the mark. She posed like an elder sister. Wang Tong felt the urge to confide in her and seek advice on things that puzzled him.

    "You guys have a party here?" Wang Tong heard Li Ruoer''s mischievous voice at the door, and there was a sharp edge in her voice. She had recovered much faster than Wang Tong.

    "Ruoer..."Trailing behind Li Ruoer, Ma Xiaoru pulled Li Ruoer''s sleeve. She felt slightly embarrassed, after all, Wang Tong had saved their lives.

    "Thank you, Wang Tong. Let me know if you need anything in the future. I promise I will get it for you."

    Wang Tong''s heart sank after hearing Ma Xiaoru''s gratitude. He then quickly stered a smiling face and then said, "You are wee."

    Even Zhou Sisi had felt the awkwardness of the two''s conversation, but she felt a squeeze on her hand from Wang Tong, suggesting her to keep quiet.

 Chapter 233: Complete Madness

    Chapter 233: Complete Madness

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Not even the slightest gesture would escape the Enchantress. As Li Ruoer noticed the small but intimate interaction between Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi, she felt the rush of anger shoot through her body.

    "Xiaoru, it looks like they are busy. Let''se another time." Wang Tong swore that the cutting edge in Li Ruoer''s voice could kill.

    Zhang Jin turned her head halfway, so the hood of her nce caught Li Ruoer as she slowly said, "I have heard that Princess Li had reached the fifth level of the Enchantress. I had expected more control over her emotion than this."

    There was perhaps only one person who dared to call Li Ruoer out in such manner, and she happened to be sitting right in front of her.

    "Zhang Jin? Why are you here? How do you know Wang Tong?" Li Ruoer quickly calmed herself after seeing Zhang Jin. Zhang Jin was right, ever since Li Ruoer met Wang Tong, it had be increasingly easier for her to lose her temper, and it had deeply troubled her.

    Zhang Jin turned her face towards Li Ruoer and then said, "That is my business. But, feel free to ask around if you are so interested. Maybe, you will even find out the answer."

    Zhang Jin''s taunt didn''t seem to irritate Li Ruoer as thetter cracked a smile and then said, "You better be careful, Sister Zhang. Nothing good wille from getting so close to this womanizer."

    Clearly, Li Ruoer didn''t appreciate her lifesaver as much as anyone else did. Wang Tong didn''t mind, and he had never expected much appreciation from the two.

    Zhou Sisi could no longer listen to this conversation and was about to retaliate, but Zhang Jin was one step ahead of her, "OH, someone is jealous."

    Li Ruoer''s face turned ck. Zhang Jin knew exactly which button to push so Li Ruoer knew that she would never win the argument. After all, the tactics of the Enchantress was particrly vulnerable to that of Zhang Jin.

    "Hff... Dream on!"

    Li Ruoer turned her heel without half a second¡¯s hesitation. Ma Xiaoru smiled awkwardly and said," My apologies...we were supposed to ... I''m sorry." Finding herself atck of words, Ma Xiaoru bowed quickly and set off to catch up with Li Ruoer. She knew that although Li Ruoer''s physical wound had recovered, it would be a while until she got over the trauma.

    Li Ruoer had med Wang Tong for everything. She was convinced that if Wang Tong stood put and didn''t roam free, nothing would have happened.

    Zhang Jin shrugged her shoulder and then said," Sorry to crush your dream, Wang Tong. Your princess just ran away."

    "You are badass, Zhang Jin. We needed to show that bitch some color. She''s so spoiled!" Zhou Sisi said.

    "Sorry about it, Zhang Jin, to get you involved. You know, I never expected them to thank me. I just did what I had to do. I will save her even... even if she is an UNGRATEFUL LITTLE PRICK." Wang Tong raised his voice at the end, knowing that Li Ruoer was hiding next door listening to their conversation.

    The three of them tried their best to notugh out loud after hearing a heavy thude out from the room next to them. Clearly, Wang Tong''s words had tipped off the Enchantress again.

    "Take care, Wang Tong, I wille revisit you."

    "Thank you. One more thing, is there a way for me to get the heck out of here sooner? I''m turning into a couch potato."

    "I''ll see what I can do. Let me ask the doctor first. If he thinks that you would need more time, you better do as you are told or else I will make sure of that!"

    After Zhang Jin was gone, Zhou Sisi locked the door and turned toward Wang Tong," OK, can you tell me now? Please?"

    "Tell you about what?"

    "About Zhang Jin. She came here for the VZPE battery conference, not for you. If you two were just acquaintances, she would nevere visit you, much less stand up for you during the argument." Zhou Sisi sat on the edge of the bed and rounded her eyes at Wang Tong.

    "I have met her once on Norton, and she was the lieutenant of the rescue team. That''s it, I swear. Maybe it was old feuds between her and Li Ruoer that made her rattled up." Wang Tong didn''t feel that her attention was out of ce.

    "Fine, I believe you. I''m going to report to the principal now. Make sure you rest more."

    Wang Tong nodded. His heart still ached after seeing that familiar yet strange face of Ma Xiaoru. She had changed, the old Ma Xiaoru was no longer there.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh andid down. He stared at the geometric patterns of the ceiling andmented over the recent tumultuous events.

    The saving grace of the incidence was that no one was hurt. He also made a mental note to avoid Li Ruoer, her name spelled trouble.

    "Kiddo, Stop sighing! It will make you look old."

    "Mr. Wannabe, are you alright?"

    "I''m not a wimp like you. I will be fine." Mr. Wananbe only appeared when there was no one around. He then said, "Zhang Jin has a soft heart. She protested for you on purpose."

    "Oh? for what purpose?"

    "Hmm... Are you an idiot or are you an idiot? She was protecting Zhou Sisi. Think! If it were Zhou Sisi that spoke out for you against Li Ruoer, do you think that poor girl would still have a future or even a life?"

    "Oh shit! What about my future?"

    "Haha, you selfish prick. Well, I don''t know! Your better option might be to recruit her into your harem."

    "Oh, f*ck off. I don''t have a harem, neither do I want the trouble. Didn''t you see how vicious she was? Anyhow, guess who I had just seen?"

    Wang Tong briefly went over his encounter with General Li. The topic immediately piqued Mr. Wannabe''s interest. Despite the fact that he felt Wang Tong could have asked more meaningful questions for him, Mr. Wannabe had found the first clue in solving his predicament; it was General Li Feng.

    "Don''t overthink it. If the youngster from the Li came looking for his ancestor''s secrets, just get rid of him."

    "I still feel like I should let his family member ''save the world.'' You know me, frail and fragile like a little ant... Am I supposed to save the world with my powerful antenna?"

    "Bullshit! You are the chosen one. Chosen by that ''Goldie'' or ''Gandhi,'' or whatever the f*ck his name was. That means you are more powerful than that little prick from the Li. I have confidence in you! Let me know if you need my help, and I''m on your side!"

    Wang Tong felt like that if Mr. Wannabe could give him a pat on the shoulder, he would. Mr. Wannabe wouldn''t offer his help for free; it had urred to Mr. Wannabe that the more powerful Wang Tong became, the more secrets of the crystal would be unlocked, and the closer he would get to his freedom. Therefore, helping Wang Tong was the same as helping himself.

    "Well, thank you. Whether I will stand a chance or not, at least you have some clue about your own problem now."

    "Yes! From now on, I will be your personal trainer. F*ck the rules, great houses, and all that horse crap! Those were for the underachievers. Life is about living in the moment. I am a ghost with dementia, and you are a penniless teenager. We have nothing to lose! It will be Einherjar and Wang Tong on an adventure! Einherjar and Wang Tong, son! Einherjar and Wang Tong on an adventure forever! It''s Einherjar and Wang Tong! Einherjar and Wang Tong forever for HUNDRED YEARS!"

    Wang Tong shook his head as Mr. Wannabe shouted frically, spittle flying out of his mouth uncontrobly. The old ghost was letting dementia get the better of him again, as if he was triggered by a fragment of an ancient memory.

    "Calm down you old fool! I want to tell you that I have discovered five cold nuclear cores. Perhaps it matched the disposition of my GN force, which was why I could use it."

    "We will talk about thatter, son. You need to recover. Signing off now."

    Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe''s conversation was interrupted by a series of knocks on the door, as a beautiful nurse walked in. "Mr. Wang, it''s time for your treatment."

    "Thank you." Wang Tong felt shy when the young and attractive nurse came close to him and stuck a needle in his arm. The process had been much less awkward when he was unconscious, but now, Wang Tong could smell thevender perfumeing from the sumptuous body and was unable to find a ce to set his gaze.

    "Take a rest now. Ring the bell if you need me please."

    "Than...thank...oh shit!"

    Wang Tong remembered seeing the world spinning before he copsed to the bed, unconscious.

    A ray of Intense bright light.

    A ssh of cold water.

    Wang Tong finally woke up, realizing that he had been kidnapped. Hemented that humancked scruples as much as Zergs did. He made a mental note of being more careful next time, if there were still a next time.

    Judging by the nodes on his hands, he could tell that the culprit didn''t want him to die, yet.

    "Could it be for the Tactics of the de?" Wang Tong''s mind raced. He hoped that it wasn''t the case.

    As Wang Tong regained his sight, he was surprised to find out that he was in a middle of an empty storage room, and there were no signs of nightmarish devices one would typically expect in a torture chamber. He was even more surprised to see Li Ruoer standing in front of him, holding a bucket of water.

    "Wang Tong, do you like my surprise?" Li Ruoer batted hershes as she spoke flirtatiously.

    Wang Tong calmed his nerves and announced. "Did you know how many codes of conduct you have just vited? As the heir of the House Li, you should have known how to behave properly!"

    Wang Tong felt an excruciating pain as a batonnded on his thigh.

    "What the f..."

    Li Ruoer smiled lustfully at the Wang Tong''s contorted face. She set a chair squarely in front of Wang Tong and then sat down, every movement of hers spelling lust. "Tell me please, I want to know everything about the rules. Look, I have even brought the police baton, just in case if you are... naughty. "

    Wang Tong red at Li Ruoer as realization dawned on his face. No wonder Zhang Jin had to protect Zhou Sisi from this woman. She had utterly gone mad.

 Chapter 234: Eye For Eye, Tooth For Rump

    Chapter 234: Eye For Eye, Tooth For Rump

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Ruoer''s swift revenge had caught Wang Tong off guard.

    Li Ruoer closed in onto Wang Tong and patted Wang Tong''s face like patting a dog, "Aren''t you mad at me? Aren''t you mad that the girl who you just saved is doing this to you? Please don''t. Because a piece of sh*t like you doesn''t deserve to get mad at me. DON''T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I can end your life with a FLICK!"

    The more she talked, the better Wang Tong understood what she was going through. Wang Tong reasoned that she must feel ashamed after being rescued by a no-ount. It made her look weak and therefore had hurt her fragile self-esteem.

    As Wang Tong thought about his situation, Li Ruoer''s batonnded on him again. This time, Wang Tong exaggerated the pain on his face.

    "You still look down on me, don''t you? Why don''t you use your GN force as protection?" Li Ruoer narrowed her eyes as she spoke. She squeezed her eyelids as if she could squeeze some truth out from it.

    Wang Tong remained silent, staring at his tormenter indifferently. He figured that if he had used GN force to protect himself, Li Ruoer would also fuse her attack with more GN force. The fact that she had not done so seemed to suggest that there was still some reason left in her.

    "You think I wouldn''t kill you, don''t you?"

    "You crazy b*tch,e at me!" Wang Tong said coldly. He had studied his bondage. Although he couldn''t tell what kind of material it was, it was fastened securely. He reasoned that he might be able to break the bondage using his GN force, but he had only one shot, so he waited for the perfect moment.

    Wang Tong watched as Li Ruoer kicked delivered a kick squarely at his belly. She had used her GN force, so the kick sent him flying until he smashed into the wall.

    "You have a dirty mouth. Well, we will see how long you could do this. To put it simply, you will die here today, unless..."

    Wang Tong leaned against the wall and slowly, stood up back onto his feet. "If you want to kill me then just do it."

    Wang Tong''s bone ached. He counted himself lucky that Li Feng didn''t leave his Tactics of the de to his heirs. Otherwise, they would be even more corrupt and degenerative. It urred to Wang Tong that it was time to re-introduce some basic housekeeping rules for the Li family for the sake of their glorious ancestors.

    "Haha¡­ How many kicks do you think you have in you? BUT, if you are willing to kowtow trice while barking like a dog, I might consider letting you live." A sardonic smile etched onto Li Ruoer''s face.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief and then grinned," That''s it? Kowtow and bark? Why didn''t you say so? I can do it hundred times if you have the time."

    Surprise shed in Li Ruoer''s eyes, "...What? You...you are willing to do it?"

    "You bet I do. I don''t want to die so young."

    Li Ruoer rolled her eyes and said," I know you want me to release you. I''m not dumb. Even if I did, you''d be dead before you could touch me."

    "Li Ruoer the Enchantress¡­ Yes, of course, I have heard of your name and methods. It''s fine if you kept me as is, I''ll still do as youmand." Wang Tong pleaded earnestly.

    "Haha, well, you are smarter than I thought. Here." Li Ruoer pointed at the space in front of her and gestured Wang Tong to kowtow at that spot.

    Restricted by his bondage, Wang Tong lowered his body slowly, but halfway down to his knees, Wang Tong''s body sprinted forward at Li Ruoer like a cannonball.

    Wang Tong''s head strike squarely at Li Ruoer''s chest. Before Li Ruoer had gotten up from her chair, Wang Tong channeled his GN force into his wrist, twisted his arms and shattered the bondage. Wang Tong had been preparing for this moment since he got kicked in the belly. While Li Ruoer wasn''t paying attention, Wang Tong took the opportunity and froze the bondage with his icy soul energy. That was the reason why the bondage could be broken with ease at the right moment.

    Wang Tong didn''t hesitate and delivered a furious punch at Li Ruoer, who was still trying to regain bnce. Wang Tong had fused the power of his tactics into this blow, considering the strength of his opponent.

    The punch sent Li Ruoer flying. Her body thudded heavily onto the ground at the corner of the room. Her resistance was nearly nonexistent, a telltale sign that she was still recovering from the ordeal in the blizzard.

    Wang Tong didn''t feel any remorse for punching a girl. He wouldn''t hurt her if she didn''t threaten to kill him earlier. Although Wang Tong never expected gratitude for saving her, neither did he expect vengeance.

    Wang Tong walked to Li Ruoer and picked her up with a cold and indifferent expression on his face. He was surprised to see the crazedugh on Li Ruoer''s face. "Do it! Kill me, you coward! DO IT!" Li Ruoer taunted at Wang Tong, knowing he wouldn''t have to heart actually to kill her.

    Li Ruoer suddenly heard a loud and crisp snap and then a burning sensation on one side of her face. She heard Wang Tong''s voice, "You made me break my gentlemen''s rules."

    "Wang Tong! You...You dare SLAP ME?" Li Ruoer''s voice broke at the end of her desperate shriek.

    Li Ruoer finally tasted bile in her mouth, No one ever touched her as she grew up, much less pping her in the face. Even her brother Li Shiming had reduced his methods to coxing as one would do to a child.

    Li Ruoer heard another snap, and the other side of her face was burning, while her ear started to ring.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "The first p was to teach you the importance of saying ''Thank you'' when someone saves you¡¯re a*s. The second one was to teach you not ever again to break thew and kidnap anyone. Think about what you have done, for the sake of General Li."

    "Wang Tong, why don''t you just kill me already! I swear I will hunt you down as long as I am still breathing."

    "Kill you?" Wang Tong regarded Li Ruoer from head to toe, and then said, "Too dirty for my hands. I could if I wanted to, I could squish you dead like a bug. God, you are so pathetic! Is that all you learned from General Li?"

    Blood rushed into Li Ruoer''s head as she took the insults. She wished she was not injured so she could let Wang Tong have a real taste of the enchantress right then.

    Finding it impossible to channel her soul energy, Li Ruoer resorted to a more primitive strategy as sheshed her teeth onto Wang Tong''s hand.

    The pain stole Wang Tong''s breath. Despite the pain, Wang Tong shook his hand violently and said, "Let go! I will knock your pretty little teeth off if you don''t !"

    Li Ruoer didn''t mind the threat. She registered Wang Tong''s pain, so she clenched her jaw even harder.

    Wang Tong refrained from hitting her face. He was certain that if he did, he and all of his friends might as well find a way to befriend the Zergs quickly.

    "Let go... Let go you... are you a dog? Is that why you are so b*tchy? Ahh..."

    Seeing Wang Tong didn''t have the heart to actually knock her teeth out as he imed, she became emboldened. Out of utter desperation, Wang Tong raised his hand and spanked her with all he got.

    "Hurts!"

    The pain made Li Ruoer bit even harder. Wang Tong didn''t give in, and he continued his punishment until Li Ruoer''s lower rump started to be swollen.

    Wang Tong felt a slight hesitation in Li Ruoer''s bite, so he jerked his hand and finally pulled it out of the trap. The motion threw Li Ruoer off bnce as she stumbled back a few steps.

    Wang Tong held his bleeding hand, trying to cope with the excruciating pain.

    "She is nuts! She ispletely nuts! WTF is wrong with the Li?"

    Li Ruoer thudded on the ground and started crying loudly.

    "Cry your eyes out!" Wang Tong muttered. He studied the room and discovered that there was no apparent exit. Then he tested the wall with his punch, but it too wouldn''t give in.

    Wang Tong''s eyes found the crying nut case on the ground, and considered that he would have to put up with her until he knew how to get out of here.

    "Stop crying now. STOP!" Wang Tong howled out at Li Ruoer, and thetter suddenly became quieter.

    Wang Tong noticed a pair of watery eyes gaze indignantly at him and it suddenly urred to him that Li Ruoer was rather attractive looking when she was quiet. Her innocent face then was marled by patches of dirt and sod which made her look particrly pitiful. Wang Tong''s callous heart softened. Suddenly, the frail body on the ground sprinted towards Wang Tong. Wang Tong ducked, and he heard a distinctive sound of two rows of teeth sping, locking down on each other.

    Li Ruoer''s boldness had rattled Wang Tong again.

    He picked up Li Ruoer and without saying a word, beat her on the rump furiously. He no longer cared about the consequences of his action. First and foremost, he thought that he needed to show her the consequences of her actions.

    After a while, Li Ruoer stopped making any sound altogether. Wang Tong paused, fearing that he had beaten the girl to death. But upon closer look, instead of a dead girl, he had found a pair of bloodshot vengeful eyes, filled with the promise of madness.

 Chapter 235: Tactics of the Bladder

    Chapter 235: Tactics of the dder

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Li Ruoer, how about we have a deal? You know there is no way you will win today, so just open the door."

    "No way, I''d rather let us both die here." Li Ruoer looked at Wang Tong as if she wanted to swallow him whole. Her determination ruffled Wang Tong. He remembered that Old Fart used to tell him not to mess with women, and it appeared that he was right.

    Wang Tong studied Li Ruoer and reasoned that his top priority should be finding a way out of here. Despite the immense influences exerted by House Li, Wang Tong figured that they would not dare kill him outright under so many watchful eyes.

    "Miss Li, I am just a street dog. Wouldn''t it be a shame if people found out that you had died with me?"

    "The humiliation and the wrong you had done to me were beyond words. So, you can waggle your tongue all you want, but you are NOT getting out of here. " A mad curve found the corner of her lips; she would no longer listen to any reasons.

    Wang Tong became desperate. He had disappeared for a while; Zhou Sisi must be getting worried.

    "Li Ruoer, you better do as you were told. I have many methods that you don''t want to know."

    "Oh really? Try me! " Li Ruoer lifted her head with pride.

    Wang Tong closed in onto Li Ruoer, and thetter slowly stood up and locked her eyes with Wang Tong''s.

    "Miss Li, how would you exin to people if they found you naked here?"

    The question caught Li Ruoer off guard.

    "What...what are talking about?" There was fear in her voice.

    "Oh, Don''t you worry. I have zero interest in ...this." Wang Tong said as he studied Li Ruoer from head to toe. "I know eventually someone has toe rescue us. What if they saw your naked body?"

    "You...you are an asshole!" Li Ruoer shouted. There was an edge of calm in her voice that threatened to crumble.

    "You made me do it." Wang Tong said indifferently.

    "No, you won''t ... You... can''t!" Li Ruoer shook her head; fear was slowly festering inside of her.

    "You spoke too soon, mydy."

    "Thene! Even if I die, I will haunt you!" Li Ruoer gritted her teeth.

    Li Ruoer watched in fear as Wang Tong''s hand inched toward her body. She closed her eyes, trying to lock the tears within.

    "I WILL KILL YOU¡­I WILL KILL YOU..." She repeated in her mind.

    Wang Tong stopped, his scare tactic didn''t work on her.

    Recognizing that nothing was happening to her, Li Ruoer opened her eyes and saw Wang Tong was already trying to find another way out. Wang Tong''s eyes found Li Ruoer''s and the two stared at each other for a while until Li Ruoer broke the silence, "Beg me, and I will let us out."

    Wang Tong looked away. He punched at one side of the wall, but it didn''t budge.

    "Don''t waste your energy; we are in a vault. Not even a missile could prate these walls, much less you."

    The thought of Li Ruoer evacuating a vault just for her sick game made Wang Tong speechless.

    Wang Tong tired another few punches until his knuckle started to bleed, but there was not even a dent on the wall. Wang Tong gave up and decide to just wait for the rescue.

    "We will see who would be the first to die of thirst and hunger." Wang Tong thought to himself. "Wait...thirst..."

    Wang Tong slowly turned his head toward Li Ruoer, and an ugly grin crossed his face.

    "What... what do you want, pervert."

    "Shut up, drink!"

    Wang Tong took out the bottled water and poured it into Li Ruoer''s mouth. In about ten minutes, Wang Tong had forced all four bottles of water into Li Ruoer.

    "You want my stomach to explode? Four is not enough you idiot."

    "Not stomach." Wang Tong said slowly and quietly.

    "Uh? Wait, what? Not stomach, what then? Hey! What?" Li Ruoer yelled at Wang Tong as thetter sat down and waited.

    A few momentster, Li Ruoer found the answer she was looking for.

    She wanted to pee very badly, but she wouldn''t allow herself to lose face in front of this jerk Wang Tong. Wang Tong watched Li Ruoer''s contorted face and tired his best not tough.

    "Don''t hold it, it will explode. I''m not joking with you." Wang Tong said with a smile, and he started to whistle a little tune.

    "Wang Tong, I want you to know that I will remember this day and you will pay for what you have done to me! I swear under the name of my ancestor!"

    Li Ruoer soon became panicked. Even Wang Tong''s life would not be able to repay the humiliation she would have suffered, as the stakes had grown too high. So, she pushed a button on the tel and said, "Open the gate!"

    Arge alloy metal panel cracked open, and four fully armed men stood at the gate. Wang Tong could tell that the four were top notch fighters, and a duel with any one of the four could be a fierce battle for Wang Tong.

    The leader of the four saw the injured Li Ruoer and immediately issued amand to the other three, "Kill him!"

    "No, let him go! Get the f*ck out of here!"

    "Mydy... you..." The guard was perplexed by her order.

    "You too, get the f*ck out of here! NOW!"

    "But..." The four looked at each other, unsure what had happened.

    "If anyone of you dares to hurt him, I will personally strangle you to death. Do you understand?" Li Ruoer uttered a threat while pressing down on her lower belly; it almost came out.

    Wang Tong shrugged. He knew that Li Ruoer didn''t spare his life out of kindness, she saved his life only because she wanted to kill him with her own hands.

    "Calm down, Miss Li. Anger builds up pressure inside of you if you know what I mean. See you...ah... I mean... NEVER!" Wang Tong waved his hand nonchntly and set off.

    After the four guards were gone, Li Ruoer slowly got up. Half-leaning against the wall, she gritted her teeth and swore that she would make Wang Tong pay ten times for what he had done to her.

    As soon as Wang Tong walked out of the building that he was held in, he was surprised to find out that he was just a block away from the hospital.

    "I need to get the heck out of this city." Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Zhou Sisi was walking back and forth inside the medical room as Wang Tong appeared. Wang Tong gestured her to be quiet.

    "We need to get out of here!"

    "Why?"

    "Pack your stuff now."

    "We haven''t done the paperwork yet."

    "No time for that. Let''s move."

    Curiosity was written all over Zhou Sisi''s face. Seeing Wang Tong''s dirty outfit, she knew that he had been in a fight, but she found it incredulous that a fight would break out in Aurora City.

    Wang Tong felt his body ache, exhausted and weak. Li family controlled this hospital, and Wang Tong could not afford to fall into another one of their traps.

    Ten minutester, Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi were on their way to the airport.

    Li Ruoery on her belly on a medical bench; a few nurses were tending her wounds on her rump. No one dared to speak a word, but Li Ruoer knew that the horrified expression on the nurses'' face was a tell-tale sign that Wang Tong had gotten her pretty good.

    "I''ll kill you...I''ll kill you..."Li Ruoer repeated in her mind.

    A few knocks on the door broke Li Ruoer''s train of thoughts.

    "Who the f*ck is that?" Li Ruoer bowled out.

    He anger stopped the person at the door. He stood in the hallway and announced the news fearfully, "Mydy, they...They have reached the airport. Shall we..."

    "What!" Li Ruoer stood up, but the pain on her rump made her wince.

    She chewed on the news for a while and gritted her teeth, then said, "Let them go. Remember, none of this had happened, do you understand?"

    "Yes, mydy, nothing ... had happened."

    Wang Tong''s heart was in his throat until they safely boarded the airne. He briefly described what had happened to Zhou Sisi, omitting a few embarrassing details.

    "What a spoiled little bitch! I want you to sue her!" Zhou Sisi said indignantly.

    "Save it. We don''t have any evidence anyway. I have already taught her a lesson. As long as we don''t see each other, which I''m sure we won''t, I''ll let the sleeping dog lie."

    "Gosh, the people of the Great House, why are they so different from Ma Xiaoru?"

 Chapter 236: Raise the Bar

    Chapter 236: Raise the Bar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "No kidding. I don''t even want to think about that, so disappointing. Ah... I forgot to bid farewell to Zhang Jin."

    "That''s fine, just shot her a message on Sk."

    "Yeah, alright." Wang Tong nodded as hemented over how quickly things had gotten out of control.

    In Wang Tong''s Emergency Room, Ma Xiaoru sat on the bed and stared into the distance through the window pane. Wang Tong''s voice echoed in his mind.

    "Xiaoru, you must be strong! I will save you!"

    Her eyes were flooded with tears. Wang Tong had saved her again. Recognition dawned on her face as she finally understood why Wang Tong seemed so familiar as she remembered his warm smile.

    When Wang Tong was carrying the two girls back to the Aurora City, to protect the two girls, he had channeled some of his GN force into their body. Due to the unique effect on the Tactics of the de, Wang Tong''s GN force had removed the seal on Ma Xiaou''s memory.

    When she woke up from hera, the first thing she thought about was to reconnect with Wang Tong. But in the end, she didn''t have the heart to do so. She remembered that Wang Tong belonged to Samantha, and Samantha was her best friend.

    ¡®His eyes lingered elsewhere.

    The Arctic wind carried that memory.

    A city was waiting for me.

    Love had already drifted away.

    Because of him, I use to believe in tomorrow,

    If it were a dream,

    then let the dreamer sleep.¡¯

    Wang Tong was worried for his safety on the first couple of days back at Ayrng. He thought Li Ruoer would follow him to seek revenge. However, nothing happened during these few days. Media''s attention was focused on Aurora city because of the VZPE battery, so Wang Tong thought that Li Ruoer had reasoned that it was too risky to make a move while being under so much attention.

    Wang Tong didn''t care even if Li Ruoer did make a move, he would just have to just deal with it ordingly. He was convinced that not all members of the Li family were crazy like her. Someone ought to stop her if she dared do anything crazy outside Aurora City.

    School life was peaceful, and Wang Tong needed it.

    He reflected on the moment that he had broken the bondage, and realized that he could not have pulled it off without the cold GN force.

    "Mr. Wannabe, do you think all this is just an borate scheme? The crystal and all. "

    Mr. Wannabe hovered in the air and chewed on the question. He had been busy remembering if he had any rtionship, if not feuds, with the de Warrior.

    "I don''t see that being the case. Your ability was the same as that of the de Warrior."

    "General Li Feng was too stingy! If he wanted me to save the world, then he should have given me something better, like the power of invincibility or what not. Heck, even a fleet of spaceships would be better than what I have. I can''t even save myself in most cases." Wang Tongined. Although the Tactics of the Balde was powerful, it was nheless only a tactics and was useless while facing an army.

    "Don''t you think I should return the crystal to the Li? Li Shimin ought to have an easier time than me in saving the world and solve the mystery of the crystal."

    It hurt Wang Tong''s head to think about the whole "save the world " business. He just wanted a quiet and simple life.

    "Are you dumb or are you dumb? If he got hold of the crystal, there would be no more ''world'' to save, because he would destroy it. At any rate, if you gave them the crystal, what do you think is going to happen to me? OK, let''s stop the unnecessary worrying and focus on the benefits you could reap from it, shall we? " Mr. Wannabe scowled as he spoke.

    "Kiddo, being so hesitant is never your style. Why don''t you forget about all this and try to reach level 6 instead, so you can unravel more secrets in this damn crystal? "

    "True that. I do need to focus on my cultivation. Should I not have discovered the ice GN force, Li Ruoer would have already killed me." Wang Tong''s heart raced even thinking about Li Ruoer''s crazedugh.

    "I am impressed. Unlocking the special attribute means that you have already reached level five. You have learned a lot from that Arctic trip, but you still need to practice your special ability in realbat."

    Wang Tong knew Mr. Wannabe was right. So far, the coldness from five of his GN nodes could only alter the temperature but could not do any real damage. What made it worse was that the cold effect could only be triggered when Wang Tong''s life was under threat, which meant that Wang Tong could never have full control over it. Wang Tong realized that he needed to first focus on gaining more control over the cold effect.

    "The cold effect only happens when I feel my life is under threat. But, where could I find the opponent who could do that to me? Definitely not in Ayrng." Wang Tong pulled his hair as he spoke with frustration.

    Wang Tong was right; danger was not that easy toe by in a controlled environment.

    "Why don''t you try the PA system? Crank up the realism to 120 percent."

    "That''s suicidal! No one would ept the battle request anyways."

    "Well just ask! Based on your poprity right now, I don''t think it would be a problem."

    Wang Tong nodded as he agreed with Mr. Wannabe. Suddenly, a glint shed in his eyes, "What about Lie Jian? He is the heir of House Lie and the best at using the Tactics of the ze. Don''t you think that it will be easier for him to draw out my cold GN force? You know, ice and fire."

    "I guess so. Heck, I haven''t seen a good fight for so long. Based on your description, it sounds like it is going to be an uphill battle for you. It would be a good opportunity to see exactly how much stronger you have gotten."

    "I have just reached level 5. I suspect that Lie Jian has already reached the peak of level 5 if not even higher."

    "Great! I can''t wait to see you¡¯re a*s getting handed over to you! Haha"

    "Hehe, don''t draw your conclusion so soon. It''s not that easy to defeat me."

    The two startedughing. They didn''t care about the oue of the match. As long as it served as good practice, it would be a good fight.

    Wang Tong took action right away. He rushed to the Dream Heaven, the virtual caf¨¦ that he hadn''t visited for a while. He was surprised to find out the owner had installed a statue of a mascot at the entrance.

    As Wang Tong walked into the virtual cafe, he saw the ce had beenpletely renovated, and looked much cleaner and spacious.

    "Hi, Is this your first time here?"

    "A receptionist? How much money did the owner make? " Wang Tong thought to himself.

    "No, here." Wang Tong gave the receptionist his membership card.

    "You are the VIP member. Terminal number 5 please."

    "Ah...Ah...ha! Isn''t it my lucky..Er... Wang Tong? How are you doing! Long time no see! "

    "I''m doing great. You have a good memory."

    "Of course! Did you see my new caf¨¦? I have renovated everything. Make sure you tell your friends, OK?"

    "Sure thing!" Wang Tong nodded. The owner had been kind to him, so he thought he shouldn''t refuse the request.

    The receptionist''s eyes were filled with admiration. Finally, she had met the "lucky charm" her boss had been talking so much about.

    When Wang Tong walked into room number 5, he saw that the small room had also been fully renovated. There was even a juice machine right next to the terminal. It suddenly urred to Wang Tong that a cup of juice would have cost more than what he had paid.

    "How generous, but what a bad business decision." Wang Tong muttered to himself.

    Outside the room number 5, the owner too, muttered to himself. "Thank God, my lucky charm has returned!"

 Chapter 237: Charcoal Revived

    Chapter 237: Charcoal Revived

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong turned on the terminal, signed in and then sent a letter to the DREAM development team. Should it be any other yer, the letter would never have reached its destination, but DREAM had delegated a team to handle all of Einherjar Wannabe''s request, so Wang Tong''s requested were received immediately.

    "Boss, we have received a letter from Einherjar Wannabe."

    "Oh? Forward it to me." Cameron''s eyes sparkled. He was mired in a pile of paper works, but the news caught his attention immediately.

    Upon reading the letter, Cameron''s face turned ck.

    "Ridiculous." Cameron lit up a cigarette, "Lie Jian is not just any no-ount that he could challenge as he pleases."

    The fight could be amercial sess, but, Cameron was worried that Wang Tong would lose the battle since the gap between the two yers'' strength was unbridgeable.

    After having chewed on his options for a while, Cameron replied Wang Tong and asked him politely to reconsider his decision.

    "Perhaps we should pick another opponent?" Mr. Wannabe asked.

    "It''s alright! From amercial point of view, DREAM is the benefactor, I am not. Let¡¯s see them pass up the opportunity to make money."

    "Is that all? You are not afraid that once you have piqued too much of their interest, they will decide to investigate your identity?" Mr. Wannabe''s words had hit the mark. It suddenly made Wang Tong feel that his identity might have already beenpromised.

    "Ojisan, let''s hit the road. You are right. Sooner orter, DREAM would be able to find us out." Wang Tong was agitated with paranoia. Even the familiar face of the caf¨¦ owner seemed ominous.

    "Calm down Kiddo. I don''t think things are that simple. If they wanted to figure out your identity, they must have already had done so. Your previous fights had stirred up things quite a bit, but they didn''te bother you. So why now?"

    Wang Tong considered what Mr. Wannabe had said and found it reasonable. He had raised the suspicion when he defeated Huo Quan, yet, nothing had happened to him. So, Wang Tong reasoned that DREAM might not have the capability of tracking him down.

    But why? Wong Tong found it incredulous that an omnipresentpany like DREAM was not able to track a user''s location. Even the Zhang brothers from Bernabeu could do that much without a sweat.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong noticed his crystal was shing.

    Wang Tong put reached into the crystal and searched with his soul energy.

    "Yes, master."

    Wang Tong was startled by the voice and jerked his hand back. He looked at Mr. Wannabe, and thetter shot him a look that said: "What the heck was that?"

    "Who was that?"

    "Yes, master."

    A ck box rose out from the space crystal; it was Charcoal''s mainframe. Wang Tong was shocked.

    "Hey, Kiddo, what the heck is that thing?" Mr. Wannabe asked.

    Wang Tong gestured him to be quiet and then asked the ck box, "Did you speak to me?"

    "Yes, master." A voice came out from the ck box as it suddenly morphed into a miniature version of Charcoal.

    "Char...Charcoal? Is that you?"

    "Yes, master. I am Charcoal. Charcoal- Goldie 2"

    The light inside Charcoal''s visual sensor shed as he staggered a few steps before he regained bnce, "Master, I am your assistant, Charcoal-Goldie 2."

    Wang Tong scratched his head.

    "Charcoal-Goldie 2?"

    "Master, you had met the minimum requirement to unlock me. MINIMUM REQUIREMENT: FIFTH LEVEL SOUL ENERGY."

    "Hold on a second, can you please tell me what are you first?" Wang Tong was confused.

    "Master, I am your assistant. I am the incarnation of Goldie." Charcoal said.

    "Who is Goldie?" Wang Tong found his exnation as clear as mud, "OK, how about you start from the beginning?"

    Charcoal then exined the rtionship between Goldie, the de Warrior, and General Li Feng. Based on what Wang Tong had understood, Goldie was an intelligent life form from another dimension, and the technology of FFC was inherited from General Li Feng. Even the rate of the ''new'' technology being ''discovered'' was decreed by General Li before he passed away. The purpose of this seemingly redundant micromanagement was to prevent the human from gaining too much power at once.

    Wang Tong started to gain measures of respect towards General Li Feng after hearing the responsibility he had carried on his shoulders. Then and there, he realized that it was his turn to take the weight.

    "Alright Goldie, since you have already merged with Charcoal''s mainframe, I think I''d prefer calling you Charcoal. How about that?"

    Charcoal-Goldie 2 nodded.

    "Where is General Li Feng?"

    "He is gone. Perhaps you will follow him one day, but that would be your decision. I only assist."

    A smile appeared on Wang Tong''s face as he found delighted to have a loyal assistant, "Charcoal, could you assist me with my rent next week? Do you know what I mean?"

    "Master, thismand is...unavable...Execution attempt failed."

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes. "What a stingy general! It won''t hurt him to leave me a couple million credit or so." Wang Tong muttered.

    "What else can you do for me?"

    "Master, someone was trying to trace your IP address, and I had blocked their attempt." Charcoal said.

    Wang Tong shrugged, he figured that this was probably the only function of charcoal.

    "What about that Einherjar Wannabe? Can you help him get out of the crystal?"

    "Master, my level of clearance depends on your soul energy. I am not able to ess that data based on your current soul level."

    "OH! For f*ck¡¯s sake... How much can you ess?"

    "One percent."

    Looking at the dead-serious expression of charcoal, Wang Tong wanted to curse out loud at his former owner. "Why don''t you make it fifty percent, you stingy Li?" Wang Tong screamed in his mind.

    But then, as he watched the familiar face of Charcoal, a smile appeared on Wang Tong''s face. Charcoal was alive, and that was something worth celebrating.

    "That will be it for now; I will call you when I need any help."

    "Yes, master. " Charcoal bowed in a cumbersome manner. Theic appearance of Charcoal had brightened Wang Tong''s mood.

    Wang Tong thought that despite the stinginess, General Li Feng had done him a favor. Without him and Goldie, Charcoal would still be a piece of metal lying in his space crystal.

    For some reason, Einherjar Wannabe had temporarily lost consciousness while Charcoal was out of the crystal, but he regained consciousness as soon as Charcoal disappeared. Wang Tong went on and told Mr. Wannabe about what had happened. Mr. Wannabe appreciated Wang Tong''s honesty since he could have chosen not to tell him anything.

    "That''s strange. Oh.. What about your invitation? Did the DREAM reply?"

    Wang Tong was surprised to find out that it had already been an hour since charcoal came out from the Crystal. He checked the message, and it looked like DREAM and agreed to his request and posted his challenge on DREAM''s official website.

    Cameron had wanted to give Wang Tong the cold treatment by not replying his request. However, the joke was on him as he started to get anxious seeing Wang Tong didn''t make a move for a long time. Cameron eventually gave in and conceded feeling that he could not change Einherjar Wannabe''s mind. During that one hour, Cameron felt being ignored, as if DREAM and the PA system wasn''t crucial to Einherjar Wannabe at all, and that had scared the sh*t out of him.

    The Mysterious Einherjar Wannabe was in full control of the situation because everyone needed him, but he, as it had appeared, was not interested in anything. Cameron regretted ying his little game with Einherjar Wannabe, and decided to agree to all of his requests from now on.

    As for right then, Cameron figured that he should try as much as he could to persuade Lie Jian into this match.

    Facing a sessful businessperson, Wang Tong had won his battle by ident.

    If Wang Tong was aware of the passage of time during that one hour, he might have wavered. Wang Tong would not afford to be disconnected from the PA system as it had be the only viable option for him to improve himself. He made a mental note of being more cautious and not to reveal his identity, so he could keep on reaping the benefits of the PA system while remaining anonymous.

    While Cameron wasmenting over his wrong move, Wang Tong was surprised by how quickly his request was approved.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh and said, "There are lot of nice people in this world after all."

    The news of Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge to Lie Jian had shocked everyone. If Lie Jian epted the request, it was going to be a fight of a lifetime.

 Chapter 238: Fathers Counsel

    Chapter 238: Father''s Counsel

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Cameron had sent the challenge to Lie Jian on behalf of Einherjar Wannabe. In the invitation, it specified that the realism would be cranked up to 120%

    That was a tant taunt to Lie Jian, a member of one of the most hawkish families of the great houses.

    Some believed that the battle was Einherjar Wannabe''s retaliation for the fight instigated by Huo Quan. The bigger question was: "Would Einherjar Wannabe win the fight if Lie Jian epted the challenge?"

    It wasmon knowledge that no outside of the great houses had ever defeated anyone who was a part of them. Therefore, this fight was not the same as any fight, and it was a test to the power of the great houses. As one of the most influential fighters of his generation, Lie Jian had never lost a battle except for once when he was against Li Shiming, and even that had been a close call for his opponent. Should the two fight again, it would be hard to forecast the results.

    Everyone was worried for Einherjar Wannabe, who was only a fourth level fighter as he had to stand up against a fifth level warrior from a great house.

    The news about the fight had also reached beyond the PA circle. Ever since he defeated Huo Quan, Einherjar Wannabe had be the target of hatred for people who didn''t like earthlings.

    Shocked by Einherjar Wannabe''s bravery, students from both earth and the moon waited impatiently for Lie Jian''s reply.

    Some audiences had reasoned that Einherjar Wannabe''s bravery came from his arrogance. They believed that Huo Quan''s defeat had convinced Einherjar Wannabe that all fighters from the Mars could be easily defeated.

    Such a brazen taunt angered the Martians. To them, Einherjar Wannabe didn''t only send a challenge to Lie Jian, but also insulted every Martian.

    The onlinemunity soon became sizzling with debates between the earthlings and the Martians. The Ivantians remained neutral and just wanted to enjoy the fight.

    Truth be told, Lie Jian didn''t have to ept this challenge, because he no longer needed to prove himself to anyone. However, the real stake in this fight to Lie Jian was his family''s reputation. As the heir to the Lie Family, he could not afford to overlook any element that threatened to weaken his family''s position.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong had much less burden. He thought that if Lie Jian wouldn''t ept his challenge, then he would dly ept the reality and find himself another opponent.

    Wang Tong browsed the website as he waited for Lie Jian''s reply. He suddenly realized that his dance video had gone viral online. He figured that it had be so popr because the name of HG and Mike must have grabbed viewer''s attention.

    The entire entertainment industry went crazy over the masked dancer as they tried to figure out his identity. However, all their attempt had failed.

    There had been some trails behind the dancer that was still hot, but Li Ruoer had ordered them to be covered. Without enough evidence, no one could make the connection between an ordinary student with the best dancer they had ever seen.

    Wang Tong shook his head after reading thements. He wondered what the fuss was all about since he only moved his body with the music the way he felt like it. It proved to him that he was not meant to be in the entertainment industry. Perhaps, he thought, being an entertainer would be a good fit for Hu Yangxuan, but he doubted Hu Yangxuan would be willing to give up his future as a soldier.

    As the protector of human civilization, the social status of a soldier had been elevated higher than that of any other profession.

    Wang Tong decided to sign off the terminal and go home. He didn''t bother to look at the heated debate on the online forum about his challenge, neither did he care about other people''s opinion about him. He reminded himself to check his mailbox more often in a couple of days to see if his challenge had been epted. He figured that he had been using the terminal quite a while, and he shouldn''t take advantage of the kind owner.

    The next day, Wang Tong came to school as usual. The S club had been running very well, thanks to Zhou Sisi. But, Samantha seemed to have encountered a conundrum.

    As per the new edicts of the confederation, all military academies were to dispatch some of their students to Norton to help the army to eradicate the Zergs. The confederation''s goal was to help the ground tropes by enlisting fresh blood into their ranks while offering the students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the harshness of war. Most of the students would not be assigned abat mission. Instead, they would be doing ground keeping works in the barracks.

    It all seemed noble and grandiose on paper, but as a principal, Samantha understood the reasons for such a move at a much deeper level.

    Samantha knew that recently, the council and the military had been butting heads over the matters of campaign funding.

    The pan-human race council had been dominated by Earthlings ever since General Li. However, things seemed to be changing rapidly. Martians had publicly challenged Earthling''s position a few times, and had exerted significant influence on the new colony states, thereby weakening the earthling''s position in the council.

    The debate over the funding of the Norton campaign was also part of the Martian''s n to challenge the earthing''s dominance.

    Under pressure from both outside and inside of the council, the Li family eventually came up with apromise that was this so-called ''official edict'' in Samantha''s hand.

    The students''cked experience and had weakbat skills, but they were, nheless, incredibly cheap.

    From a strategic point of view, the confederation''s military academy system was not without its weakness. It had done little to no help in advancing thebat ability of the next generation soldiers since the best graduates all eventually ended up bing officers who would not partake inbat. This had caused the officers of the military to be out of the touch with the foot soldiers at the bottom. General Li Feng, on the other hand, was a paragon of earnest and bravery. He started from the bottom and worked his way to the top, and therefore, he understood the difficulties the first line soldiers had.

    However, right then, the idea of having the best academy graduates spend time among the ranks of the foot soldiers would seem like a joke. The students then were more pragmatic, as they considered bing an officer as fast as they could their only goal. Therefore, Samantha knew that this edict would meet student''s resistance as soon as she had finished reading it.

    Anyone could do the math themselves: the risk was too high, but the benefit was nonexistent.

    The students were not very eager to volunteer for the program. So far, Ayrng had no student who had shown his or her interest yet.

    There was no position in the fleet, but even if there were, Samantha, reasoned, the situation wouldn''t change the slightest since the life on a ship out in the nowhere was excruciatingly dull.

    Confederation had sensed theck of motivation among academy students, but there had been no data to draw any conclusions. Therefore, they had purposely decreed the enlistment a voluntary act, so the edict served a census across academies. So far, Ayrng had zero volunteers.

    House Li.

    "Are you looking for me, father?" Li Shiming asked respectfully.

    "You volunteered to go to Norton?"

    "Yes, father."

    Li Daozhe turned around to face his son. Lights reflected off the hard lines etched to his face. His gaze was soft and caring, but his figure projected a sense of dominance. He was the backbone of the Confederation: Einherjar Li Daozhe.

    "You had done well in the recent series of events, although your methods could be more discrete."

    "Please father, I am listening."

    "The exercise on Paradise Ind was near wless, but your involvement won''t escape Ma Dutian."

    "Father, I had just visited Uncle Ma. He seemed normal to me. Plus, we had cleaned all evidence on the ind."

    "Hehe. Don''t underestimate your Uncle Ma; he is smarter than anyone else. Theck of evidence was a telltale sign. Who else, except for the Li Family could have done so much damage without leaving any evidence?"

    Li Shiming chewed on his father''s words for a while and bowed deeply, "Thank you for your counsel, father. But, what should I do next?"

 Chapter 239: Planning the Attack

    Chapter 239: nning the Attack

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Daozhe waved his hand in dismissal of his son''sck of patience, "You had been brash indeed, but it is also good to teach the Ma a lesson. We need to let them realize that without the Li, House of Ma means nothing. You should have thanked your sister; she had handled things better than you this time. Ma had agreed to order their daughter to return to Capth, and that means they had felt the pressure."

    "Do you mean that Uncle Ma has agreed to marry Xiaoru to me?"

    "Maybe, or maybe not. Ma had already made apromise, so I cannot afford to pressure them further. The rest is all up to you. Look to your sister for help if you need it. Ruoer is a rebellious girl, but she knows the right from wrong better than you do."

    "Yes, father. I will handle it with Ruoer as soon as Ie back from Norton."

    Li Daozhe watched his son calmly and then said "You have done the right thing. Have you ever thought why our household''s influence is weakening as we speak? It is because we had be out of touch with reality and what''s going on outside ourfortable bubble. I am d you didn''t make the same mistake as I did. Go now; I will wait for your good news."

    "Understood, father. I am honored."

    Li Daozhe nodded, and he gestured his son out of his study.

    The house of Li might appear that they were only slightly less active than the time of General Li, but that appearance was far from the truth. They had not only lost all of its edge over the other great houses, but it was also on the brink of losing their most important ally, the Ma. Li Daozhe had achieved the status of Einherjar, yet, his mismanagement had eventually eroded the influence of his family to its lowest.

    Since Einherjar Wannabe had chosen Lie Jian as his opponent, the match had piqued the interests of the Kaedians as they wanted to study Lie Jian''s Art of Soaring Heaven further.

    A tough choiceid in front of Lie Jian. Should he ept the challenge and win the battle, it would substantially boost his family''s reputation, but should it be any other case, he would be aughing stock.

    Lie Jian''s nickname was ''brute.'' It was a name given by his earth and Ivantian counterparts due to his uncouth and brash actions that were the paragon of Martian traditions.

    Nheless, Lie Jian was not dumb by any stretch of imagination. He initially wanted to cause some trouble for Li Shiming, but he didn''t expect thetter to just ignore him and then Lie Jian ending up shooting himself in the foot as he received a challenge invitation from Einherjar Wannabe.

    Ever since Lie Jian lost the match against Li Shiming, he had been training extra hard, biding his time to regain his honor in a rematch.

    It urred to Lie Jian that perhaps Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge was the moment that he had been waiting for.

    After thinking about it for a while, he decided to ept the media''s interview. He had announced that he had taken Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge. As a fighter and a martian, he would face any difficulty with mettle, unlike certain cowards on earth.

    The news of Li Jian''s reply went viral. Soon, Lie Jian had chosen a close family member as his champion to fight in the battle with Einherjar Wannabe. His name was Lie Wushuang.

    Lie Wushuang was Lie Jian''s cousin. As the number one fighter of the Lie family, he mostly kept to himself when he was not on a battlefield. He was a fourth-year student, but he had already been serving the military.

    Lie Jian''s decision of letting Lie Wushuang be his champion was a smart move before he fully understood the strength of his opponent. It not only reduced his risk of failure, but also saved his reputation. He had ordered Lie Wushuang to be ruthless in the battle and to teach this ballsy Einherjar Wannabe a lesson that he would never forget.

    During the meeting with the media, Lie Jian pointed his finger directly at the Li Family, saying that the Li family should have stood up and fought this pretender, Einherjar Wannabe. After all, the Li family had been the de Warrior''s closest ally. He went even further to say that he had mistaken the Li family''s rank for its mettle and suggested that the Li had be weak.

    Lie Jian''s n was clear: he would test Einherjar Wannabe''s ability with his cousin, and use this as an opportunity to put pressure on the Li, continuing building the atmosphere for a rematch with Li Shiming. The more aggressive Lie Jian acted towards Einherjar Wannabe, more the credibility of the Li Family would erode.

    Lie Wushuang would obey Lie Jian¡¯s order and give all he had during the battle with Einherjar Wannabe. Lie Jian''s dominance over the younger generation was not due to his purer bloodline, but because of his strength as a fighter.

    Everyone was ted by the news of the battle. Should Einherjar Wannabe be able to defeat both Lie Wushuang andter, Lie Jian, the oue would pose a significant question to the world: who the hell was Einherjar Wannabe? To make the matter more perplexing, the mysterious fighter was only 16 years old.

    The battle was arranged on the weekend. After reading the message, Wang Tong was happy. It didn''t matter which Lie epted his challenge, as long as they knew how to use the Tactics of the ze. He hoped that Lie Wushuang was strong enough to evoke the cold GN force inside him, so he could learn to control it.

    After Wang Tong confirmed the battle, he started to mull over another decision he had to make.

    Ever since the school had announced the Confederation''s new edict of recruiting students to Norton, the students had been extremely reluctant in responding. Wang Tong understood where they wereing from. After all, even Wang Tong would never want to return to that hellish destitute. However, the school needed an icebreaker to break the chain by being the first one to volunteer.

    Wang Tong never thought about the politics behind the edicts, but he knew that experience on Norton would aid the study in the future. The students would have an entirely different attitude towards school and training after being baptized in the war.

    Although Wang Tong had already gained his fair share of experience with the Zergs, he was still attracted by one specific reward: it would be easier for him to get into a fleet when he graduated, should he be a volunteer.

    Without any prestigious family background, Wang Tong knew that he had to grasp any advantage that he could reach topete with the princelings of the Confederation.

    Charcoal was bustling about in Wang Tong''s room, helping him clean and tidy up the ce.

    "Ojisan, do you think I should volunteer?"

    Mr. Wannabe''s eyes were glued to the TV,ughing from time to time. He had been enjoying his Ojisan life and had no brain cells left for Wang Tong''s trouble

    "If you want to." Mr. Wannabe answered casually.

    Wang Tong knew that he would not be able to get an answer from Mr. Wannabe. He had already made up his mind, and he had decided to enlist himself, not just for the reward, but also to help Samantha. For some reason, the thought of Samantha tugged at Wang Tong''s heart.

    The next day, Wang Tong had announced his decision to the S club. As the model to Ayrng''s students, Wang Tong was no less influential than Samantha. So, Wang Tong''s decision had motivated every student in Ayrng.

    Students were passionate, if not irrational. They would act on a whim as long as someone gave them motivation.

    As soon as Wang Tong decided to go to Norton, the other students started to reconsider their decisions. Apache at Bernabeu had already volunteered himself, but Wang Tong''s application needed to be approved since he was still a first-year student.

    The most sensational news rte to the edict was that Li Shiming had also decided to be a volunteer. He didn''t choose to serve the fleet as a perfunctory demonstration of his ''bravery'' like most people had expected. Instead, he had chosen to join the ground troops where it was the most dangerous.

    It had been a while since anyone from the Great House experienced the life as a foot soldier.

    Even if it was a show, it was a very risky nheless.

    In Ayrng, more and more students followed Wang Tong''s lead and enlisted themselves every day.

 Chapter 240: An Anonymous Recommendation

    Chapter 240: An Anonymous Rmendation

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Hu Yangxuan didn''t want to assume the risk of being killed by Zergs, since his family had been counting on him to pass down the family name. Although he was hand-picked to attend the Temr''s court, he never liked adventures. That being said, he did acquire the taste for group activities, so he eventually decided to go to Norton if his friends were going.

    Karl had always followed Wang Tong wherever he went, so he had signed up as a volunteer the minute he knew that Wang Tong was going to do so. Due to his excellent performance in the tournament, one of the fleet captains had noticed his name and requested him to his fleet. Everyone knew that serving in the navy was the quickest way to climb to the top, so most of Karl''s ssmates were very jealous of his luck.

    Karl wanted to refuse the invitation and join the ground forces where Wang Tong was going to be, but his appointment in the fleet was set in stone, so he had no other choices but to obey the order.

    The fleet captain was very impressed by Karl''s performance during the tournament. As a young fledgling, Karl had established a unique technique that was named after himself, and he had quickly be famous outside of Ayrng.

    The few students who had taken the initiative to join the military had given a measure of pressure to the rest of the students. In a few days, the number of volunteers at Ayrng started to increase steadily.

    It was clear then that the influence of the S club had exceeded all the other student groupsbine. It had also exerted its influence in the Bernabeu thanks to Cao Yi. Cao Yi had been working diligently on all matters of the club since Apache was toozy to do anything. That being said, Best and Luo Manman also helped Cao Yi in handling some minor tasks. Despite the considerable influence of the club, only the members of the club knew that their leader was Wang Tong, the boy who had defeated Capth.

    The victory of the Ayrng and Bernabeu alliance over the Capth was the hard earned honor for both schools, and it was Wang Tong who had saved the day. Otherwise, Wang Tong would not be the club leader so quickly.

    Cao Yi''s initial intention of working for the S cub was to make the exchange of information between the two schools more convenient. However, he didn''t expect the club to develop such a far-reaching influence.

    Having heeded Zhou Sisi''s suggestion, Wang Tong published a motivational letter in the name of S club to his schoolmates. The message called out to all students who were confident and determined to be future soldiers to challenge themselves and partake in the campaign.

    Zhou Sisi drafted the letter, and Wang Tong signed it. The passionate rhetoric and Wang Tong''s scintiting speech had motivated a lot of students.

    ¡®Do you want to be the next Wang Tong?¡¯

    ¡®Do you want to be a real soldier?¡¯

    ¡®Take your first step TODAY!¡¯

    ¡®Let the danger on Norton be your stepping stone to your sess!¡¯

    This motivational speech would be meaningless in other schools since no one knew who Wang Tong was, but it had proven extremely effective in Ayrng and Bernabeu. Thanks to Wang Tong''s emotional speech, all the members of the S club had volunteered to go to Norton. Although their application still needed to be approved since most of them were in their first year, they had made their voice very clear.

    Humans were strange creatures since they were willing to risk their life for their pursuit. Danger meant challenge and challenge meant opportunity and sess.

    For a whole week, the S club had sessfully carried out their own campaign and created a wave of enthusiasm among the students of Ayrng and Bernabeu that was rarely seen in any other academies.

    Although the battlefield was dangerous, the government and the military would ensure the safety of the future of the Confederation.

    Watching the pile of applications in front of her, Samantha was pleasantly surprised and also afraid at the same time. She knew right then that only a few out of these hundreds of applications would be approved. As the principal, she was responsible for the safety of her students, and therefore, she would have to make sure the applicant was qualified to join the battlefield.

    Thanks to the S club, Samantha and Martyrus had been two of the luckiest principals in the matters of filling their quota. Although the military didn''t set a clear quota, principals knew that it was essential to provide a satisfactory number of ''volunteers.'' If they didn''t, there might be an adverse effect on the rtionships between the academy and the military. And everyone knew that a good rtionship with the militarily was the key to running a military academy.

    There were only so many new positions with a promising outlook for new graduates, and thepetition was fierce. Therefore, the "rtionship" would be the determining factor in securing these positions.

    The students'' enthusiasm at Ayrng and Bernabeu had greatly pleased the military. Feeling pressured, the other principals started working hard on encouraging their students to partake in the military campaign on Norton.

    Although the military didn''t set a quota, it did set an upper limit on the number of volunteers from each school. In a few days, the situation had reversed entirely as the students got all excited by propaganda and motivational speeches, and were practicallypeting with each other for the rights to be the volunteer. The military soon followed up with an announcement saying that they would be looking for another group of volunteers when the first group had done their duties.

    Wang Tong had submitted his application, and all he could do now was wait for it to be approved. As Samantha stared at Wang Tong''s name on the approved list, she was dumbfounded.

    Samantha had never handed in Wang Tong''s application for personal reasons. She had reasoned that it was better and safer for Wang Tong to continue his school since he was guaranteed to earn more reputation during future tournaments. She was confident that Wang Tong would do well on Norton, but she also understood the way military worked: reward was reserved only for those who prevailed, even if it meant that they had to steal it from someone else.

    Samantha was caught off guard when she saw Wang Tong''s name on the list, and It had urred to her that someone had been messing around with the application.

    Samantha quickly pulled her strings in the military to investigate. Her friend told her that someone had rmended Wang Tong and he would definitely be sent off to the Norton unless any unforeseen event happened that stopped him from leaving Earth.

    However, even Samantha''s source in the military was not able to confirm the identity of the person who made the rmendation.

    Samantha sank her body into the chair, feeling exhausted. She heaved a sigh and rubbed at her temples as she started to miss Ma Xiaoru.

    The right sense was always cruel. Many politicians had warned about the danger of an infatuation to one''s career. Once one became sentimental and emotional, they would quickly lose their judgment, and their love would also quickly be his or her weakness, ready to be taken advantage of by opponents. This had been the unbroken rule for many professionals, and there had never been any exceptions.

    Samantha wasn''t sure if Wang Tong truly wanted to return to Norton. If he had gone back to his nightmare in the name of helping her, she would do anything she could to stop his foolish act.

    The motivation of the person who had rmended Wang Tong seemed perplexing. It could be as benign as someone wanting to challenge Wang Tong after witnessing his incredible performance during the tournament at Capth, or, it could be more sinister as someone wanting to hurt Wang Tong and thinking that Norton would be the perfect ce to finish him off.

    After thinking on it for a while, Samantha decided that thetter was not very likely since the odds of a student offending anyone as powerful as the instigator was very little. Eventually, she had decided to talk to Wang Tong and see what his thoughts were.

    Karl had already received his approval to join the fleet, which made Wang Tong jealous.

    Wang Tong knew that the odds of him being assigned to a fleet was very small, so he took what he got and tried to be positive. After all, the 5G environment would be very useful in improving his tactics.

    Karl would be leaving for Norton next week, and the students who were assigned to the ground units would leave a week after that.

    Wang Tong thought the timing worked well since he still needed to finish that battle with Lie Wushuang. While Wang Tong was still pondering on his schedules, the ring tune of Sk startled him.

    Wang Tong read the message and it was from Samantha, she wanted him to go to her office.

    When Wang Tong arrived at Samantha''s office, he saw her sitting quietly at the other end of her desk, waiting for him. The two of them stared at each other without saying a world.

    Finally, augh escaped Wang Tong''s teeth and broke the silence.

    "What''s up, principal?"

    "Grab a seat, how''s everything going?"

    "Could be better." Wang Tong grimaced.

    Samantha smiled knowingly. She took off her sses and said, "Good. I was wondering if you had forgotten about your first love. I have heard that women would always remember their first man, but men were the exact opposite."

    Wang Tong grinned with a slight hint of indignation in his eyes.

 Chapter 241: Lie Wushuang

    Chapter 241: Lie Wushuang

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    As a matter of fact, Ma Xiaoru wasn¡¯t the main reason for what happened between Wang Tong and Samantha. After all, Samantha had her own career goals and ambition which she would never give up, while Wang Tong also had his own path to pursue that he wouldn¡¯t give up. Not to mention he would never get Samantha involved in the mysteries and secrets that had been burdening him for years.

    In short, both Wang Tong and Samantha would never choose to give up for the sake of each other, which was why they were not destined to be together.

    Wang Tong was more mature than he looked. After all, he had really been through a lot since the day he met Old Fart. Hence, Wang Tong didn¡¯tin or me Samantha for it. At least he knew that Samantha had never treated him like an expendable pawn.

    "Wang Tong, as ordered by the military, you¡¯ll be assigned to the Ground Forces on Norton. But before that, I want to ask you¡­ Is this your real intention, or are you doing this for me?"

    "A bit of both I guess. But since the order has been given out, I¡¯m willing to go."

    "Actually, I never submitted your application form, yet your name still appeared in the military order. I have no idea if it is a chance for you to seed, or a setup. After all, Norton is an extremely dangerous ce as you know." Samantha said.

    The first thing that popped into Wang Tong¡¯s mind was Li Ruo-Er, but still, he was very grateful for Samantha¡¯s warning. Someone had obviously gone through a lot of trouble to put Wang Tong into this situation. Either the person was trying to observe him or using this as a chance to eliminate him for good.

    Wang Tong was well aware that he had offended Li Ruo-Er on many asions, and the infuriated little enchantress would do anything to make him suffer and burn.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very familiar with Norton¡¯s environment. To me, this seems more like an opportunity to seed, making me one step closer to be a Battlecraft Commander. Rx, it¡¯ll be a piece of cake for me." Wang Tong smiled and replied with confidence.

    If this really were Li Ruo-Er¡¯s plot, then it would be best for him to go, because he was worried that it would cause people around him to be involved in the mess between him and Li Ruo-Er if he chose to stay at Ayrng. Anyway, Wang Tong doubted that Li Ruo-Er would be able to turn his life into a living hell, because to him, Norton was just a walk in the park!

    To Wang Tong, the was just like a child¡¯s theme park filled with creepy crawlies, not to mention he still had Einherjar Wannabe by his side. Although he was only able to equip the METAL Suit for a short period of time, still it would be more than enough for him to escape.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯lle back in one piece!"

    Both Wang Tong and Samantha stared at each other in silence. Honestly, Wang Tong was the only person that had ever seen the gentle side of Samantha. He was certain that after they bid farewell, Samantha would have no problem in doing her part as Ayrng¡¯s multitasking principal. However, he couldn¡¯t help wondering what was in front of him¡­

    Still, Wang Tong believed that this was a good opportunity for both of them to prove themselves to each other. Who knew, maybe there was a chance that they could get back together if they seeded. Even if they really couldn¡¯t get back together, the sweet memories they had together was already more than enough for Wang Tong.

    Both of them officially engaged in their own "quests" the moment Wang Tong closed the door of Samantha¡¯s office¡­

    The members of "S" Society decided to throw Carl, Rumi and the others who were going to Norton a farewell party on Friday afternoon. After all, they all deserved to enjoy themselves before exposing themselves to the unknown dangers that were lurking on Norton.

    Hu Yangxuan even sang them a song with his passionate vocals. In the end, the mic hog was kicked off the stage because he had sung too many songs.

    As for Wang Tong¡¯s team, they were scheduled to leave within the week after Carl¡¯s team departed. The military didn¡¯t inform them about the exact time of departure, but they were told to get packed and standby.

    As always, Ayrng¡¯s students would be thest to leave.

    Saturday seemed a lot more quiet than usual. Aside from the excitement, everyone also began to worry about the challenges ahead. After all, they knew nothing about Norton aside from some basic information mentioned in the overall data.

    Wang Tong had nothing much to prepare this time, since he knew that it would never be worse than his previous experiences. Wang Tong was feeling a different kind of excitement, yet he wasn¡¯t too bothered by it, and carried on with his regr workouts instead.

    The increase in Soul Energy had given Wang Tong a lot more benefits as soon as he became a Level Five Fighter. Aside from his Soul Energy, Wang Tong could also tell that the cirction of his Cinnabar Field had improved as well, even though the improvement couldn¡¯t be reflected in his Soul Energy. Yet, something was telling Wang Tong that the improvement of his Cinnabar Field was far greater than his EMF. Hence, he was really looking forward to tonight¡¯s battle!

    Wang Tong visited DREAM Heaven after dinner, and it seemed like the shopkeeper had told his staff to treat Wang Tong nicely. The business of the shop seemed great as it was already jam-packed with yers before Wang Tong arrived. Obviously, everyone was agitated about the biggest fight of the weekend.

    Tonight, Einherjar Wannabe would be challenged by Lie Wushuang, a Level Five Fighter who was also one of House of Lie¡¯s direct descendants. Being a Fourth Grader in Academy of the Deity, Lie Wushuang was a super experienced fighter, and his Soul Energy was off the chart. If it weren¡¯t because of Lie Kent¡¯s order, Lie Wushuang would never show up in PA. Nevertheless, it couldn¡¯t be helped; unlike the other four Great Houses, the sessor of House of Lie loved to live under the spotlight.

    Many even used all sorts of illegal methods to watch the live stream of this anticipated brawl. But surprisingly, the government didn¡¯t interfere this time, partially because they were afraid of offending the powerful House of Lie.

    The government decided to stay out of this. After all, DREAM would be the only one that would be held responsible if there were any problem.

    People of the others might have never heard of the name Lie Wushuang, but this top descendent of House of Lie was extremely popr in Academy of the Deity, and was being idolized by the younger generations of Martians.

    Church of the Deity¡¯s Cardinal had the Four Fencers by his side, while Lie Kent was always apanied by the Ferocious Five, and Lie Wushuang was one of them. It seemed like Mars was the only that could ept religious governance and dictatorship of one family, as these methods would never be epted by the people of Moon and Earth. Even the religion of de Warrior himself ter known as Court of the Temr) had no such influence at all. And as time went by, Court of the Temr seemed to have be less famous than it used to be. Court of the Temr might be based on Earth, yet their "shadows" could still be found across Moon. Ever since de Warrior established the rule that prohibited Ivantians from interfering in Court of the Temr, thetter then developed into a non-political society that focused only on nurturing elite fighters as well as strengthening the basics of the talented ones. Aside from that, they also served as the guardians of the mysterious Hall of Valha.

    However, Court of the Temr was not that popr at Mars, as Church of the Deity and House of Lie had rooted deeply into the hearts of fellow Martians. In Mars, Church of the Deity was the one who nurtured young elites, and surprisingly they were able to cooperate perfectly with House of Lie, thus creating the current political overview.

    As a matter of fact, fellow Martians were pretty embarrassed over Hwo Quan¡¯s defeat, yet their confidence rose again as Lie Kent had decided to send in one of his strongest sidekicks to challenge Einherjar Wannabe, and everyone was fairly excited about it.

    The hype was even bigger on Earth. Fights like this had caused the number of yers logging into PA skyrocket, and helped DREAM¡¯s share price increase significantly by three percent, big enough to make their rivalpanies extremely jealous.

    The other reason behind the increase of DREAM¡¯s share price was actually the recent performance of Ayrng. Apparently, Samantha, who was Ayrng¡¯s principal as well as the biggest shareholder and future sessor of DREAM, had been doing an excellent job. In fact, she had even surprised a lot of experts with her intelligence, proving her abilities in multitasking and juggling between a military academy and a multi-million corporation. However, some did sense a deeper meaning in the CEO of DREAM¡¯s decision of letting her daughter take over the administration of a military academy. After going downhill for a long period of time, DREAM had finally caught the attention of many people recently.

    The founder of DREAM, President Galber, was known as the right-hand man of the legendary General Li Feng, as well as the only one who spoke on the de Warrior¡¯s behalf. This unique identity had granted the Galber family a well-deserved position in the history.

    As for Cameron, he had been busying with his preparations for the match, while being closely monitored by the board of directors. Although the workload had increased a lot, his staff members were pretty excited about the fact that the number of yers had broken the record of PA since it began.

    Nevertheless, breaking the record itself wasn¡¯t enough at all. Honestly, more people were looking forward to see the rise of the next de Warrior. But sadly, Einherjar Wannabe was not as God-like as the legendary de Warrior. Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe still hadn¡¯t demonstrated his ultimate uniqueness!

    Miracles only happened once in a blue moon, and as of today, there were only four divine existences that were closest to God being known by men, namely Buddha Sakyamuni, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed and the de Warrior¡­

    Wang Tong then proceeded to his usual room, and this time, both Mr. Einherjar Wannabe and Charcoal would be joining the audiences. Apparently, Charcoal was very excited about the uing battle.

    Unlike Lie Kent, Lie Wushuang behaved more like a soldier. He showed no interest in whatever interviews, and all he cared about was to fulfill Lie Kent¡¯s order.

    Both fighters remained silent as the crowd went wild. Most of the audiences were Earthling and Ivantian students from various academies. It seemed like the students were here to observe and study Einherjar Wannabe, probably hoping to find his weaknesses.

    As promised, the battle would begin at 2000 hours sharp.

    Both yers then entered the battle ring. Einherjar Wannabe requested for the realistic level being adjusted to one hundred and twenty percent. On the other hand, Lie Wushuang requested for the ring temperature being adjusted to forty degree celsius.

    It was known that Martians had better adaptation than Earthlings and Ivantians. Although Mars had been developed into a liveable, it¡¯s environment was still not as perfectpared to the natural Earth and synthetic Moon.

 Chapter 242: The Authentic Blazing Palm Strike

    Chapter 242: The Authentic zing Palm Strike

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Those who practiced Tactics of the ze were definitely not afraid of high temperature, which was incredibly handy because people would always have to deal with extreme temperatures while spending time in the outer space.

    Both fighters were allowed to make one request for this battle, and it seemed like Wang Tong was quite happy about Lie Wushuang¡¯s idea. Perhaps the higher environmental temperature would be able to strengthen the sheer cold power that he had recently unlocked.

    Meanwhile, the students of every military academy seemed to have gathered at their own auditoriums, and were patiently waiting for the live stream to begin. In the beginning, the teachers were not that interested. But ever since Einherjar Wannabe and his unrivaled capabilities gradually rose to fame, they immediately became interested and even noticed that they were able to enhance the observation skills of fellow students through watching Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s battle.

    All eyes seemed to be focused on Lie Wushuang. After all, he was the top-notch fourth grader of an S-Ranked academy.

    The fact that he was older than Einherjar Wannabe also meant that he had attended more training in terms of Soul Energy, which was the key factor in one¡¯s performance during battles. Instead of a Level Five newbie, Lie Wushuang obviously looked more like a Level Five veteran fighter who was experienced in manipting his Soul Energy. Generally speaking, he waspletely different from Hwo Quan.

    People began to wonder if Einherjar Wannabe would be able to create another miracle this time, as he would be facing a stronger version of Tactics of the ze.

    However, some were more eager to know if Einherjar Wannabe would be able to mimic Tactics of the ze!

    Everyone was waiting patiently.

    Both fighters were seen doing their final checks.

    Just like how Martians normally looked like, Lie Wushuang was pretty tall and well-built. But unlike Hwo Quan¡¯s impatient personality, Lie Wushuang looked steadier, like an experienced fighter. In fact, it was Wang Tong¡¯s first impression on Apache. However, it seemed like Lie Wushuang was even steadier than him.

    Despite his appearance of a student, Lie Wushuang¡¯s hidden killing aura could not be underestimated.

    Meanwhile, Lie Wushuang was also checking Einherjar Wannabe out, and immediately learned that he wasn¡¯t using his real appearance as the avatar, because it looked too in and dull. Actually, Lie Wushuang was never interested in fighting such an opponent, but he had no choice because he was ordered to do so. Still, he never took it lightly, because Martians treated the opportunity of participating in battles as a sublime privilege.

    Both fighters¡¯ stamina was put to the test under the elevated temperature, as their energy consumption would increase in this situation, not to mention the level of pain had also been adjusted to one hundred and twenty percent.

    Lie Wushuang raised his arms and ignited his GN Force, demonstrating what Tactics of the ze really looked like as his scorching hot aura spread across the arena. People immediately realized that Hwo Quan was nothing but a goliath-looking rookie. After all, being one of the Five Great Tactics, Tactics of the ze was not as easy to be mastered as it seemed. In fact, not even the Einherjar would confidently say that he hadpletely mastered a Xinfa, because it contained a great amount of technical stuff. After all, different people would achieve different masteries even though they were all learning the same set of tactics.

    Lie Wushuang immediately obtained the upper hand. Not only was he not affected by the heat, he seemed to be enjoying it while his opponent was troubled by it.

    Basically, Hwo Quan¡¯s attacking methods were quite boring, aside from the fact that he could demonstrate Tactics of the ze. However, Lie Wushuang was totally different, as he was armed with the Authentic zing Palm Strike. This set of attacks was created by the descendants of House of Lie, and basically, it was a series of palm strikes infused with Tactics of the ze. Since Lie Wushuang was Lie Kent¡¯s right-hand man, of course he was given the opportunity to master this ultimate heritage of House of Lie.

    Lie Wushuang unleashed his forceful zing Palm Strike that was packed with a bundle of pressure. The attack was pretty intense, and even Wang Tong¡¯s GN Force was unable to defend against the scorching pressure.

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t back down. Instead, he decided to try out his defending methods because that was one of the main reasons he epted this challenge.

    Lie Wushuang was surprised when he discovered that Einherjar Wannabe was trying to take on his palm strike with another palm strike. He began to wonder if Wang Tong was trying to make fun of him.

    Bang¡­

    Wang Tong was shot backward due to the recoil from the impact, yet Lie Wushuang remained still. The difference in terms of strength was very clear. Even Wang Tong was a bit startled as he stared at his reddish palms. Obviously, without equipping METAL Suits, there was no way that a person could defend against the zing Palm Strike simply by generating defense with GN Force. That was one of the reasons why Tactics of the ze was known as one of the Five Great Tactics.

    While engaging in battles, the attacker using zing Palm Strike would generate a scorching hot pressure. It would be like fighting against a human torch, and the sensation was not pleasant at all.

    The match immediately reached its climax as soon as it began. Unlike the other fighters, Lie Wushuang had no intention to mingle with Einherjar Wannabe at all. His GN Force kept increasing while rapidly unleashing his zing Palm Strike. People who were watching on Mars cheered aloud when they witnessed Lie Wushuang¡¯s performance. To them, Earthling¡¯s gimmicky fighting styles and Ivantian¡¯s step-by-step methods were nothingpared to Martian¡¯s engaging methods. After all, battles were all about dominating the opponent with full-strength!

    Five minutester, Lie Wushuang¡¯s GN Force had reached Level Five, and his Soul Energy remained at two hundred and forty nodes. It seemed like he had dominated the whole fight with his zing Palm Strike, turning Einherjar Wannabe into a weak little clown.

    The development of this match seemed pretty obvious. Lie Wushuang¡¯s Level Five Soul Energy had overpowered Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s Level Four Soul Energy. With Tactics of the ze being one for the greatest tactics of mankind, Lie Wushuang¡¯s zing Palm Strike was boosted to the maximum by the forty degree celsius heat and the realism level of one hundred and twenty percent. It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe had dug his own grave this time!

    Somehow, he asked for it.

    Einherjar Wannabe could only dodge by moving as swiftly as possible. Apparently, none of his techniques were effective against Lie Wushuang¡¯s zing Palm Strike. But most importantly, he barely had the chance to deal any counter damage. As for Lie Wushuang, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t even afraid of Einherjar Wannabe at all. The more Einherjar Wannabe struggled, the more he would suffer.

    Meanwhile, Lie Kent was watching the match happily, while a brte hottie was sitting on hisp. To him, life was all about enjoyments, one of them being watching an interesting fight while having a sexydy in his arms.

    It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe had made a huge mistake by expecting Lie Wushuang to be simr to Hwo Quan. Hwo Quan¡¯s amateur Tactics of the ze was absolutely nothingpared to Lie Wushuang¡¯s version. In fact, Einherjar Wannabe might have stood a chance if he was also able to neutralize the poison from Lie Wushuang¡¯s me. Yet for some reason, things were not looking good¡­

    "Master, that punk is totally no match against your mightiness!" The sexydy said in a flirty manner as she kissed Lie Kent¡¯s chest.

    Lie Kent signaled thedy to switch her position in order not to block his view. Apparently, Lie Kent was almost certain that the climax of the fight wasing soon. After all, Lie Wushuang was one of Lie Kent¡¯s best guys. With his Soul Energy of about two hundred and fifty sols, Einherjar Wannabe would never stand a chance even though he was hopping here and there like a bunny.

    The pressure from Lie Wushuang¡¯s attack was getting more and more intense, and the heatwave from his movements was getting bigger and bigger. Meanwhile, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s movements were gradually getting slower. In the end, he had no choice but to y defensive. Without a doubt, the poison from Lie Wushuang¡¯s me was beginning to kick in. For the first time, Einherjar Wannabe was pushed into a passive situation, and he wasn¡¯t able to do anything at all. If this continued, this match would end up with Lie Wushuang¡¯s unrivaled dominance in less than a minute.

    Wang Tong was extremely frustrated with his current situation. Originally, he expected that the high-temperature environment and his opponent¡¯s zing me would be able to stimte and enhance his sheer cold power. But it didn¡¯t happen as nned. Not even a breeze of cold air was unleashed from Wang Tong¡¯s GN Force as he initialized Tactics of the de.

    Wang Tong was a little panicked. He had no idea why this happened, and even began to wonder if this sheer cold force was only able to be used in the South Pole and other environments of cooler temperature.

    Instead of fighting, Wang Tong seemed to be focusing on the problem he was facing. While he was busy thinking, he was hit by one of Lie Wushuang¡¯s palm strikes all of a sudden!

    OVER!

    Meanwhile, Lie Kent was standing in the middle of his spacious living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, where his well-built naked body waspletely surrounded by the magnificent view of Mars, as he had the sexydy in submission and he made love to her.

    m¡­

    Wang Tong was hit hard, and the poison immediately began to prate his body.

    Without a doubt, the high temperature and the one hundred and twenty percent realism had be the perfectbination for zing Palm Strike. Einherjar Wannabe was doomed for sure.

    Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s bad performance had caused the crowd to go silent¡­

    Although Lie Wushuang was a tough opponent, they still couldn¡¯t believe that Einherjar Wannabe would bepletely overpowered like this.

    The students of every military academy on Earth were stunned. Obviously they were supporting Einherjar Wannabe since he was from Earth, while Lie Wushuang was a Martian. Somehow, Earthlings were always born with a hint of racism in their blood.

    Lie Wushuang seemed to be very confident in his attack!

    While the sexydy was busy providing her "service" to Lie Kent, the impulsive Martian suddenly pushed thedy aside.

    Instead of being attracted to the woman, Lie Kent was more interested in this match!

    Back at the arena, Wang Tong got back on his feet as he finally figured out what was going on. Lie Wushuang¡¯s attack almost knocked him out, but because of that, his problem was solved atst!

    It was dead simple!

    Wang Tong found himself pretty amusing. All this time, he had been understanding the simple theory in aplicated way, which was why the mastery was not as good as he expected.

    Still, Wang Tong would like to conduct the "experiment" one more time. And of course, the b rat" of his experiment would be Lie Wushuang.

    The audiences were all relieved when they saw Einherjar Wannabe get up, they felt he might still have a chance!

    Meanwhile, at DREAM Heaven, the crowd had also begun to cheer aloud. After all, they were just a bunch ordinary people who truly believed in miracles!

    Einherjar Wannabe grinned and dashed towards Lie Wushuang with a palm strike.

    Swoosh¡­

    No one was able to believe their eyes!

    Einherjar Wannabe had unleashed the zing Palm Strike!

    Was he really the reincarnation of God?

    Unlike the previous version he used against Hwo Quan, this time it was absolutely the real deal!

    Bam¡­

    Lie Wushuang was startled as well. Based on the fiery yet familiar sensation from the hit, without a doubt Einherjar Wannabe had unleashed the genuine zing Palm Strike!

    However, this set of techniques had to be guided by a mentor. Not only was it impossible to be learned by oneself, the learning process was also quite dangerous, as those who practiced were fairly prone to the risk of going berserk. Without the monitoring and guidance from the seniors from House of Lie, the practice of zing Palm Strike would be a chronic suicidal activity.

    Wham¡­ Wham¡­ Bang¡­

    What happened a while ago hadpletely blown Lie Wushuang¡¯s mind!

 Chapter 243: Ice and Fire Combo

    Chapter 243: Ice and Fire Combo

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    All five Great Tactics had a decent number of sessors, yet they were difficult to be spread to the public because the learning processes required mentors. Furthermore, the disciples had to be protected while learning, because the process was somewhat dangerous. In order to thoroughly master everything, the training would have to be guided by seniors or mentors. This was why the Five Great Houses weren¡¯t worried about their tactics being stolen, not to mention no one dared to mess with them uptill now.

    Einherjar Wannabe had sessfully demonstrated the genuine zing Palm Strike, and even used it against Lie Wushuang himself. Yet, being Academy of the Deity¡¯s elite fighter amongst fourth graders, Lie Wushuang managed to keep his cool.

    Instead of being surprised, Lie Wushuang decided to treat Einherjar Wannabe as another fighter who knew Tactics of the ze. After all, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s Level Four Soul Energy was no match for him at all!

    However, he seemed to have forgotten that if Einherjar Wannabe was just an ordinary Level Four Fighter, he would¡¯ve been knocked out by the previous attack already.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong was extremely excited!

    Hell yes!

    Finally, he had figured it out!

    All this time, he had been focusing on channeling the sheer cold GN Force from the specific genome sources, yet it wasn¡¯t thatplicated at all. During that time when he was kidnapped by Li Ruo-Er, all Wang Tong did to channel the force was just telling himself that he needed the sheer cold genome force!

    It was just that simple!

    In other words, Soul Energy served as the guide of the elemental GN Force instead of the genome sources!

    Wham¡­

    Wang Tong took a step back due to the recoil, yet the impact was strong enough to push Lie Wushuang back for three steps. This time, Lie Wushuang was startled. He had no idea that he would be knocked back by a lower level fighter, not to mention he was attacked by his own zing Palm Strike!

    The students of every academy on Earth were mesmerized by the unexpected happening, while the students on Moon seemed to be discussing this discretely. Yet on Mars, every Martian who was watching seemed to be shocked by that moment. What happened a while ago was absolutely unbelievable!

    Lie Wushuang took a deep breath as he began to feel the pressure. Einherjar Wannabe seemed to possess an extraordinary amount of GN Force, or else his Soul Energy level would never be able to achieve so.

    Soul Energy might be able to lift one¡¯s fighting spirit, yet it was unable to enhance one¡¯s ability to fight!

    Lie Wushuang then maximized his Soul Energy and decided to charge towards his opponent with all his might. After all, he was still having the upper hand in terms of Soul Energy level!

    Lie Wushuang¡¯s Soul Energy skyrocketed to two hundred and seventy sols!

    Yet, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s Soul Energy was only one hundred and eighty sols!

    Based on the current difference, somehow, this match looked sort of unfair.

    However, Lie Wushuang remained solemn and calm, even though he had the advantage.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong seemed to have discovered another conclusion. Apparently, aside from Soul Energy, the channeling of elemental forces also required the cirction of one¡¯s Cinnabar Field. Both Soul Energy and Cinnabar Field had to work with each other in order to achieve so.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong began to doubt Mr. Wannabe¡¯s theory about elements. As Old Fart would always say, what looked real might be false, and what looked unreal might be the truth.

    Most people believed that the body was fixed with only one element, yet Wang Tong had his doubts regarding this statement.

    Meanwhile, Lie Wushuang¡¯s aura had turned into an intimidating, fiery goliath, as he unleashed his tactics of the ze. The pressure was extremely intense, and it seemed like Lie Wushuang had made up his mind to fully utilize his advantage in terms of Soul Energy.

    Whoosh¡­ Howl of the zing Daemon!

    Lie Wushuang yelled as he charged towards Einherjar Wannabe with his erged zing palms, like he was trying to perish with Einherjar Wannabe together!

    Apparently, Martians were born with an impulsive personality, and they would strike at all cost whenever they felt that their lives were threatened!

    Wang Tong grinned when he noticed that the proud fighter had finally lost his patience¡­ Payback time had arrived!

    As soon as Einherjar Wannabe unleashed his attack, the whole arena was stunned once again¡­ All of a sudden, the whole atmosphere waspletely frozen still¡­

    Palm strikes were strong against punches, punches were stronger than finger strikes, yet finger strikes were good against palm strikes. Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe countered by using his finger!

    People wondered if Lie Wushuang had forgotten that Einherjar Wannabe was also very skillful with his fingers aside from palm strikes. Perhaps, Lie Wushuang had never watched any of his previous matches.

    Furthermore, that was not some ordinary finger strike!

    It was the Fingers of Frost!

    Lie Wushuang yelled in pain as the force from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s finger prated his body. Although Lie Wushuang was a veteran fighter, no one would be able to bear the pain that was sent directly by an opposite element, not to mention the level of realism was already preset to one hundred and twenty percent.

    The bone-drilling pain was extremely intense. Lie Wushuang immediately felt like a scorching furnace that was thrown into the Arctic Ocean. Within seconds, he waspletely knocked out by the pain.

    Originally, Wang Tong was nning to finish him off by adding a palm strike in order toplete his experiment on elements. Yet, Wang Tong abandoned the idea the moment he saw Lie Wushuang¡¯s condition. Wang Tong was actually trying to stimte his own senses by increasing the level of pain, but he didn¡¯t expect that this would happen.

    Everyone in the arena was horrified by the unexpected happening. Meanwhile, Lie Wushuang¡¯s avatar was nowhere to be seen. Apparently, he was forced to retire due to safety issues.

    Back at Academy of the Deity, Lie Wushuang copsed onto the ground right after he was removed from PA. His face was pale as a ghost and was trembling badly while lying on the ground. As a matter of fact, this had never happened before in the history of PA. Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s elemental force was too strong.

    Instead of being sent to the hospital, Lie Wushuang was immediately handed over to the people of House of Lie.

    Meanwhile, Lie Kent immediately rushed to see Lie Wushuang. He suspected that the sheer cold aura had prated deep into Lie Wushuang¡¯s body and had to be neutralized by a stronger fiery force. But, it turned out that Lie Wushuang had suffered some sort of mental damage from Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s elemental force and needed some time to recover.

    Lie Kent was absolutely amazed by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s surprising performance. In fact, Soul Energy had been utilized by people across the universe for many years, yet this was the first time someone demonstrated the sheer cold element GN Force. It was mind-blowing indeed!

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was standing in the middle of the arena in silence. He had discovered that both scorching and sheer cold forces were just different forms of Soul Energy, or at least that was how he tried to make sense of it.

    After three minutes of thinking, Wang Tong gave up and logged out.

    No one said a word as they stared at Einherjar Wannabe during those three minutes.

    As for the staff members of PA, all of them were seen gathered in front of the monitor. They had been witnessing the performances of a great deal of strong fighters and the birth of a few miracles for years, yet they were still surprised by what Einherjar Wannabe had achieved.

    Fire? Ice? DOUBLE ELEMENT?

    One elemental force was already enough to shock the whole Confederation, yet this man had demonstrated two different elemental forces!

    Cameron¡¯s mind waspletely blown away. This victory was beyond his expectation!

    Einherjar Wannabe had done it again!

    Students from different academies regained their senses, yet no one cheered and apuded. Instead, they were all wondering what had happened a while ago. How on earth was an Earthling able to do that?

    The demonstration of dual elemental hadpletely subverted their general understandings about Soul Energy!

    Was EInherjar Wannabe really the reincarnation of God?

    Immediately, Einherjar Wannabe was being crowned as the new God of the post de-Edge Era!

    ¡­

    For the first time in this era, people were addressing a second person with the title of "God".

    Somehow, he was simr to de Warrior, creating new theories in the utilization of Soul Energy and elements. People were all the more eager to find out who was hiding behind the mask of this Einherjar Wannabe character.

    Einherjar Wannabe had be an existence of whole another level. In the eyes of most people, he was invincible!

    Not only was he undefeatable even if one possessed greater level of Soul Energy, his scorching and sheer cold elemental forces were out of this world. People had no idea what sort of tactics would be able to support these contrasting elements. Normally, doing so would cause the fighter to go berserk. But, Einherjar Wannabe had sessfully mastered it!

    Nevertheless, people like Cisco and Jiang Long were finally relieved. All these months, they had been feeling bad for their defeats. But now, they had realized that they lost simply because Einherjar Wannabe was an existence of another dimension.

    Instead, they should be proud of being able to fight with him!

    Zhang Jin, who was attending a conference on Earth, waspletely amazed by Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s performance. In the beginning, she suspected that Einherjar Wannabe was the descendant of de Warrior himself due to the simrity in their palm strikes. Yet surprisingly, Einherjar Wannabe was beyond what she had imagined. But still, Zhang Jin believed that the two of them were somehow rted. After all, only de Warrior himself was strong enough to create something this powerful.

    Even if Einherjar Wannabe was not rted to de Warrior, both of them most probably came from the same ce. Could it be the Divine World?

    Wang Tong packed his stuff and left DREAM Heaven after logging out. Somehow, the shop had turned into a pub, and Wang Tong just couldn¡¯t stand the crowd¡¯s crazy screams and shouts. Still, he had no issues with the shopkeeper¡¯s decision to sell booze. After all, he was just trying to profit from his business while giving the customers what they wanted.

    Charcoal had finally shown himself around Mr. Wannabe after being ordered by Wang Tong to do so. To Charcoal, Wang Tong was the only person that mattered, and he would only take orders from Wang Tong himself.

    Wang Tong was amazed and pleased by the supreme loyalty of this man-made "android". Honestly, Wang Tong couldn¡¯t tell if Charcoal belonged to the "family" of robots. In fact, there were still a lot of questions regarding Charcoal that he was not able to answer.

    "Yo kiddo! How did you do that?" Mr. Wannabe asked excitedly. He too couldn¡¯t believe that Wang Tong was able to possess two different types of elemental forces!

    Wang Tong grinned, "Oh, finally there¡¯s one thing that you don¡¯t know¡­ Wonderful!"

    "Hmph, don¡¯t get too cocky kid. I might not have heard of dual elements, but that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s impossible for the others to achieve. You¡¯re just lucky for being born as a genius!" Mr. Wannabe scolded back.

 Chapter 244: Showdown

    Chapter 244: Showdown

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tongughed while Mr. Wannabe scolded. Although he was not able to disaffirm Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s theory on elements, it had still inspired him to discover the method of utilizing elements.

    Wang Tong got the idea of his scorching element from House of Lie¡¯s tactics, while the idea of his sheer cold element actually came from his previous experience at the pr region, as well as his urge to counter Lie Wushuang¡¯s fiery attacks.

    In fact, those happenings served as Wang Tong¡¯s triggers to unlock those elements. However, he was not able to unleash the forces of other elements, because his EMF had nevere across any of those elements before, and Wang Tong was not able to make that up.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong¡¯s biggest discovery was his ability to copy his opponent¡¯s element through making contact with it, and somehow, his copied version was even stronger than the opponent¡¯s original version.

    Sometimes, by utilizing the right opposing elements, fighters would be able to generate a great deal of damages to his or her opponents, just like Wang Tong¡¯s battle a while ago. Honestly, Lie Wushuang would be left unhurt if Wang Tong had only infused his attacks with normal GN Force. Yet, by infusing the opposite element, Wang Tong was able to significantly enhance his attacks and maximize the damages dealt.

    Wang Tong too had begun to ept the fact that he was quite a genius. He was very proud of his wless and risk-free decisions.

    In the end, Wang Tong got lectured by Einherjar Wannabe for being too cocky. However, Einherjar Wannabe couldn¡¯t help wondering how Wang Tong demonstrated the dual elements that effortlessly. Yet, instead of begging Wang Tong for answers, Mr. Wannabe decided to find out on his own. After all, he was the almighty omniscience Einherjar Wannabe.

    Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe decided not to put too much effort into finding out. After all, Wang Tong had inherited de Warrior¡¯s mystical Tactics of the de.

    Most of all, this was the first time Einherjar Wannabe discovered something that he didn¡¯t know. Moreover, he was deeply surprised by Wang Tong¡¯s godly improvements.

    Upon noticing Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s troublesome look, Wang Tong decided to reveal his "secrets". However, he was stopped by Einherjar Wannabe before he could say anything.

    "Hush, I¡¯ll figure it out by myself!"

    "Rx, big guy, take it easy."

    "No, no, no, I insist on figuring out by myself!" Einherjar Wannabe threw down the words and returned to the Space Crystal in a sh.

    Wang Tong was well aware that the utilization of elements was not as simple as it seemed. Now that he has unlocked the door, the rest of his mastery would be all up to his imagination.

    The overjoyed boy then happily skipped and hopped on his way home, while the other people on the street stared at him thinking he was a lunatic.

    No one in the administration of PA dared to bring excessive publicity to Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s recent sess, as it might sabotage House of Li¡¯s position and infuriate them.

    Moreover, the de Warrior would always remain as the existence closest to God, and the only legendary warrior of mankind.

    However, most people reacted differently. To them, de Warrior¡¯s legend was already centuries old, and had be unreal. Some even doubted de Warrior¡¯s ability to destroy the whole armada of Battlecrafts by himself, and wondered if it was just an overexaggerated "fairy tale" created by the Confederation to boost mankind¡¯s fighting spirit. After all, that sounded simply fake, and seemed impossible for a normal person to achieve.

    Nevertheless, no one cared to find out the truth, since it was already ages ago. Furthermore, de Warrior¡¯s tale did help a lot in boosting the fighting spirit of mankind during their fights against Zergs.

    Yet, a new legend had been born ¡ª a boy wonder named Einherjar Wannabe!

    Basically, Einherjar Wannabe was the only level four fighter in this world that possessed the ability to subdue level five fighters. Most importantly, he was the only one who possessed two elements!

    Not to mention he was only sixteen!

    Two private forums seemed to have be big hits right after the match. One of them was called "Hero¡¯s de", founded by Skyscraper himself. Being a PA fighter as well as a student of a military academy, Skyscraper had begun to upload his own analysis videos on Einherjar Wannabe recently, and the new perspectives in his videos seemed to have drawn a lot of attention from TPA yers. Hence, the forum was getting more and more popr.

    The other forum was called "Rise of the King". It was the first forum to discover the amazing abilities of Einherjar Wannabe. In the beginning, it was just an unpopr forum with only a few viewers, yet all of a sudden, it was packed with PA yers and had instantly gone viral.

    The uproars in those forums had proven that Einherjar Wannabe represented a miracle, and apparently, more people had begun to ce their faith on him!

    After all, Einherjar Wannabe had never once let them down, even though he would face tough challenges from time to time; not even once.

    Unlike the other elites or even Einherjars who focused only on hand to handbats, Einherjar Wannabe was even able to miraculously dominate Battlecraft Combat aside from dominating METAL Combat. His signature battle strategy, Art of the Soaring Heaven, was truly amazing. Even the elites from Kaedeian Royal Academy were not able to withstand for more than ten minutes.

    In fact, no one except him in the Confederation was able to achieve so, let alone the descendants of the Five Great Houses, who were lucky to be born in different well-respected families.

    One post in "Rise of the King" even boldly predicted that Lie Kent would not be challenging Einherjar Wannabe, as he would never want his a*s to be kicked by a nobody!

    Apparently, Einherjar Wannabe had begun his conquest as the people¡¯s new God!

    As soon as that rumor was posted in the forum, even more people were turned into Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s supporters. It seemed like Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s splendid performance had prated deep into their hearts.

    As a matter of fact, mankind would always need the presence of an idol, regardless of the era!

    Even the Five Great Houses had always been trying to be the spiritual sustenance of mankind. However, they were yet to achieve that. As for Martians, they found their sustenance in the Church of the Deity. However, Court of the Temr seemed not to be interested in gaining poprity amongst citizens of Earth and Moon. Instead, they chose to hide behind curtains while silently training generations of elites.

    Moreover, even if Court of the Temr did wish to expand their forces, the Confederation would never let that happen.

    Nevertheless, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s influence had begun to spread like wildfire.

    As for Lie Kent, people were somehow curious about how he would respond to Einherjar Wannabe.

    Momentster, Lie Kent responded through the live telecast on Mars, agreeing to fight Einherjar Wannabe, but only if Einherjar Wannabe agreed to one condition, which was to fight in a real duel. As the descendant of House of Lie, Lie Kent would never bother to waste his time in those childish "games".

    To Lie Kent, real men were not supposed to fight in the virtual world like sissies!

    Lie Kent even left Einherjar Wannabe to decide on the venue, date and time, as long as he agreed to show up in person!

    What a tricky response indeed!

    Nevertheless, Lie Kent really meant what he said. After all, he had ced the pride of his family at stake the moment he challenged Einherjar Wannabe. However, he wasn¡¯t scared at all. Instead, he saw it as a good opportunity to boost up his poprity.

    Still, being one of the descendants of the Five Great Houses, Lie Kent had to maintain his "supremacy". Furthermore, his tricky request had also once again caused a lot of people to question Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s real identity.

    Most importantly, would Einherjar Wannabe take the bait?

    If he really wanted to be the next God, Einherjar Wannabe would need to show that he really had what it took. Just like the mysterious and secretive de Warrior, he was crowned as people¡¯s God in the end because he suddenly disappeared and left no traces behind.

    However, that was centuries ago, when the detection methods were not as advanced. In fact, Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s secret identity would immediately get revealed as soon as he showed up.

    Given the fact that Lie Kent was not an ordinary person, a duel in the virtual world would do him no good, as people were eager to see him betting the pride of his family into a life and death battle in reality. Compared to Einherjar Wannabe, who had nothing to lose, Lie Kent seemed to have more burden on his shoulders.

    Lie Kent did wish that Einherjar Wannabe would take the bait!

    At the end of the broadcast, Lie Kent turned towards the camera and arrogantly taunted, "So, are you chickening out, Mr. Einherjar Wannabe?"

    Gauntlets were thrown for sure!

    Yet, there was no immediate response from Einherjar Wannabe. In fact, most Martians were born to be straightforward and outgoing, and they hated people like Einherjar Wannabe who were always secretive.

    People were expecting to see the sh of titans!

    Generally speaking, the difference in terms of terrain and culture had caused Earthlings, Ivantians, and Martians to develop different ideologies. Based on personalities, Earthlings appeared to be moderate, while Ivantians were proud of themselves, and Martians were very outgoing.

    Nheless, Earthlings were okay with Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s secretive characteristic. To them, this should be how an unrivaled fighter looked like.

    As for Ivantians, aside from strength and secretive characteristics, arrogance was also another key personality of a strong fighter!

    The Ivantians did believe that they were the most perfect racepared to Earthlings and Martians. Ivantians represented the future, while Earthlings represented the old times; they seemed not to give a damn about Martians though.

    This was why Ivantians were mostly born with a great sense of pride. Same went for the House of Dower, who seemed to be keeping a low profile, but in fact, chose to keep their distance because they didn¡¯t like to bepared with the other houses.

    However, even the Ivantians did recognize Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s strength and mysteriousness.

 Chapter 245: Returning to Norton

    Chapter 245: Returning to Norton

    Trantor: Double_L Editor: Hitesh_

    Nevertheless, Martians had a totally different criterion when it came to the recognition of a strong fighter. To them, an ace had to be brave, ferocious, and never back down from any obstacles.

    In the eyes of Earthlings and Ivantians, Lie Kent always looked like an irrational fool. Yet, in the eyes of fellow Martians, Lie Kent was a cool and straightforward person who followed his heart regardless of situations, which was why they admired him a lot.

    After all, cultures were expected to vary on differents.

    In recent years, the development of Mars had increased significantly due to their strategic whereabout, causing Martians to be extremely proud of themselves. In their point of view, Martians were the toughest fighters throughout the human race, and they had sacrificed a lot in the development progress of mankind.

    Many years ago, Mars was being known as the battleground of Martians and Kaedeians against Zergs, a living hell indeed.

    Somehow, this was also another reason why Martians were born aggressive.

    As soon as Lie Kent made that announcement, all fellow Martians cheered, and couldn¡¯t wait for that day toe.

    To be honest, Martians would be extremely disappointed if Lie Kent were to fight Einherjar Wannabe in the virtual arena of PA. Some even thought that it would be a disgrace to the great House of Lie!

    Generally speaking, Martians were never fond of Li Shimin and Patroclus; they hated Li Shimin¡¯s guts for ying down-to-earth. As for Patroclus, they disliked him because he would always distance himself and act like a sissy instead of showing off his actual power, and they had no idea why he would do that.

    Without a doubt, everyone on Earth would be supporting Einherjar Wannabe if he were to face off against Lie Kent. After all, Earthlings were born with a great sense of pride for their own race, and not to mention they hated Lie Kent¡¯s arrogance.

    In fact, they couldn¡¯t wait to see Lie Kent get his ass kicked by Einherjar Wannabe.

    The supporters of both Einherjar Wannabe and Lie Kent soon began their "chat war" on the official forum, causing the traffic to be slow. As the "chat war" kept escting, there was still no reply from Einherjar Wannabe himself.

    Actually, Wang Tong was well aware of what was going on, yet he was uncertain about going to Mars.

    It was not only because he couldn¡¯t afford the travel ticket, but he would soon be joining the troops towards Norton. Hence, he decided to put it aside and let the uproar die on its own. After all, there was not enough time for him to bother that much.

    Most importantly, Wang Tong couldn¡¯t think of any ways to protect his secret identity if he agreed to do this. As Einherjar Wannabe, Wang Tong would be able to try out his new fighting ideas without any worries. Yet, if he chose to reveal himself, he would immediately be ced under the spotlight. Somehow, it also meant putting his life at stake, and he would never want that to happen.

    Instead of paying attention to the uproar, Wang Tong would rather focus on training and perfecting his own elemental forces, especially when it came to the mastery of interchanging between two different elements.

    Carl and the rest of the team were the first batch to leave for Norton, while Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi were scheduled to depart two dayster.

    As for Mr. Wannabe, he decided to do nothing but watch TV for as long as possible, because life would never be as easy as soon as they arrived at Norton.

    Since Einherjar Wannabe wasn¡¯t replying to Lie Kent¡¯s request, the Martians immediately became arrogant and assumed that Einherjar Wannabe was afraid of Lie Kent. Almost all of their TV channels even began to trash Einherjar Wannabe and Li Shimin while ttering and touting their "almighty highness of Mars".

    In the eyes of Martians, Einherjar Wannabe and Li Shimin were nothing but a couple of timid chickens.

    Mr. Wannabe was infuriated when he saw that. How he wished he could strangle Lie Kent to death immediately!

    "Yo Wang Tong, let¡¯s teach that arrogant as*hole a lesson right now. I¡¯m sick of him sullying my name!" Mr. Wannabe roared angrily, as mad as a lion.

    "Chill man, we¡¯re leaving for Norton in two days, and we have no time for this idiot at all. Most importantly, how are we supposed to get to Mars?"

    "Ask him toe to Earth then!"

    "Like I said, we¡¯re leaving in two days. Right now, it¡¯s already toote for us to make such a demand. Furthermore, how am I supposed to reveal myself as Einherjar Wannabe?" Wang Tong replied with augh.

    "But.. that m*therf*cker is too cocky!" Mr. Wannabe couldn¡¯t hold back his anger. Apparently, those television programs sure did a good job in teaching him how to swear.

    "Haha, rx! Martians are all like that. Even the de Warrior himself had the lineage of Martians." Wang Tong smiled and said.

    "What the f*ck man? How I wish I could teach them a lesson right here right now!" Mr. Wannabe was trying to cool down his fury. He would really consider teaching those Martians a lesson if only he had de Warrior¡¯s legendary METAL Suit...

    All of a sudden, Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe turned towards each other the moment the word "METAL Suit" came across their minds.

    No one would be able to recognize Wang Tong as long as he was equipping the METAL Suit!

    Yet, there was another catch. Apparently, Wang Tong¡¯sck of Soul Energy would not be able to support the METAL Suit for a long period of time, and his face would be revealed the moment he unequipped the METAL Suit.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong remembered the mask that he once wore on stage. That simple mask sure did a great job in protecting his identity. However, he was afraid that his identity would be discovered easily by using facialparing technology. But perhaps, this problem would be solved if he would wear a ghoul mask that people normally wore during Halloween.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong shook his head and dropped that idea; he had no time for this kind of fuss.

    As Old Fart always said, ¡®Do the right thing instead of keeping it real.¡¯

    Mr. Wannabe was pretty upset, but there was nothing he could do except watching television. Within minutes, Mr. Wannabe¡¯s anger was washed away by some funny sis¡­

    Two dayster, Wang Tong had once again boarded the spacecraft towards Norton. Although he was travelling back to the same, yet it feltpletely different, not to mention he was also apanied by different people this time.

    The first batch consisted of more than ten thousand students in all five spacecrafts, and they were also apanied by teams of soldiers; it seemed like Earth Confederation was trying to eradicate the pests on Norton as quickly as possible.

    For most of the students, this was their first time leaving Earth, and amongst them, only a few had been to Norton before. One of such students was Wang Tong, who had never dreamt of revisiting that living hell once again.

    Even though there wasn¡¯t much stuff inside a military spacecraft, yet it was way better than his previous ride, morefortable to be exact. The cabin was filled with excitement from fellow students, yet it seemed like most of them were not aware of the purpose of this "field-trip".

    Most people assumed that mankind hadpletely taken over Norton, and all that was left to do was to exterminate the remaining Zergs. Yet in reality, the military¡¯s requests for reinforcement had been gradually increasing for the past two years, and based on the current situation, they were still far from gaining total control of the.

    Back then, Wang Tong didn¡¯t pay much attention to that, since it was none of his business. But now, things were different as he would be heading back to Norton again, and he needed to recollect his past experiences and new knowledge about dealing with Zergs as soon as possible. After spending months studying in Ayrng, Wang Tong realized that what worried him the most was not the number of Zerg¡¯s legion, rather it was their huge andplicated species breakdown.

    Wang Tong even began to suspect if there was actually another reason for Zergs to invade Norton instead of simply to ambush mankind¡¯s army.

    New species of Zergs had once again being discovered on Norton, and of course, those species had yet to be included in thetest textbooks. Somehow their process of evolution had be quicker in recent years, which was exceptionally strange, unless this was also part of their n¡­ What if they were able to think like humans and managed tobine R&D with their evolution abilities?

    Wang Tong shook his head and decided not to let his imagination go wild. However, the whole universe would be in deep trouble if that really happened.

    "Attention to all passengers¡­ Extreme speed cruising will begin in one hour. Please gather at the vessel cabin immediately!"

    Wang Tong proceeded as told. Apparently, the students of Ayrng were being distributed to different toons, and there were no familiar faces in the one he got sent to. This time, the military had decided tobine students of all academies together and redistribute them to different groups, hopefully to bnce the level of every team.

    The students in this vessel were all from S-ranked, A-ranked, as well as B-ranked academies. Only a small amount of students from B-ranked academies were recruited as foot soldiers, because their performances were weakerpared to the others. As for the students from A-ranked academies, they served as the main forces, and were distributed to various departments in the army. Most of the students from S-ranked academies were recruited in the Battlecraft Fleet crew.

    The purpose ofbining students from various academies together was to build-up rtionships between academies, as well as to stimte thepetitiveness amongst students.

    Most of the students in Wang Tong¡¯s toon had not seen each other before, and some outgoing ones had even begun to chat with the other team members. Although Wang Tong was quite talkative himself, yet the mixed feelings about revisiting Norton had killed his mood of talking.

    Wang Tong¡¯s toon consisted of about twenty students, and without a doubt, the most popr student had to be the one from Yalden. After all that was the student from one of Earth Confederation¡¯s strongest academy. Soon, that person became the center of attraction, and was seen happily chatting with the other toon members.

    Instead of joining their chit-chat, Wang Tong decided to close his eyes and get some sleep before extreme speed cruising, he was hoping to get enough rest before reaching Centaurus Cluster. It appeared that Wang Tong wasn¡¯t the only one who remained silent, but Wang Tong could tell that they kept quiet due to nervousness.

    Mankind might have found ways to boost up one¡¯s physical strength, yet they still couldn¡¯t find a way to ovee their shyness.

    As the spacecraft shut all cabin doors and began to cruise at extreme speed, most of the students soon began to fall asleep. Wang Tong had fallen into a deep slumber, and soon, he would be waking up in a different continent of the universe.

    Wang Tong saw Ma Xiaoru in his dream. The charmingdy was gently smiling at him while whispering his name in her sweet voice¡­

    "Ladies and gentlemen, we would be arriving Norton shortly. This is the first being discovered in the Centaurus Cluster that is suitable for mankind to live in, as well as full of mineral resources..." A brief introduction of Norton was being yed on the cabin¡¯s monitor as students began toe out from their sleeping capsules and gather in the lobby. Many of them were startled by the magnificent view of the outer space and that beautiful.

    Most of the students were extremely excited. Some were even seen grabbing their fists, as this would be their chance to perform and build up their own portfolios!

    "Haha, it seems like our future generals are quite excited."

    "Sir, would you like to teach them a lesson?"

    "Not now. Let them be for the moment. I¡¯m sure their officer-in-charge will shape them upter."

    Two officers sneered while observing the excited students through the ss window. Somehow, they were extremely annoyed by the fact that they were given orders for taking care of those kids by the military. After all, they were all trained fighters and proud warriors, not nannies and babysitters!

    Without a doubt, the garrisons were absolutely not fond of those lucky little brats, yet they had no choice but to obey for the order from their superiors.

    "At least they can be our "housekeepers" for the time being, since they¡¯re still weaker in terms ofbat performances."

    "Well, perhaps that kid from the S-ranked academy would be more useful."

    "Compared to the others, he might be better in terms of abilities, yet hisck of experience would only make him a burden for us on the battlefield. Hence, we have to teach all of them the rules of this ce. Even though they have signed the life and death agreement before getting on board and the Confederation is okay with a number of casualties, still they need to know the basics of surviving this war between the mankind and Zergs!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    Norton¡¯s five times stronger gravity kicked in as their spacecraft entered its thick atmosphere. Almost all of the students began to cheer as the vessel prepared tond.

    However, Wang Tong kept calm while the others were busy getting excited. He was amused by their crazy cheers like "Men conquer all!" or "Send Zergs to Hell!" and so on. Those people had no idea what was going to happen in the future.

    Anyhow, they were just a group of students filled with passion. Sooner orter, their passion would be washed away by reality for sure. Hopefully, the whole mission would only be "exterminating the remaining Zergs", as stated by the military.

    Finally, their spacecraftnded on Norton¡¯s Headquarter Base. Apparently, the reconstructed building was five times bigger than thest one that was destroyed by Zergs, and it also had a better defense system.

    Everyone got off the vessel and queued up at the assembly area ording to their ID number, and each unit was then being ordered to different ces under the lead of their respective handling officer.

    Wang Tong¡¯s unit of twenty students was then finally greeted by their handling officer, "Ladies, wee to Norton. I¡¯m Sergeant Turner, and I¡¯ll be responsible for shaping you bunch of sissies into real men. Only then we¡¯ll be able to kick some Zerg-asses!"

    Turner arrogantly scanned across the whole team. He was pissed off by this bunch of weaklings who couldn¡¯t even stand straight!

    "Mr. Turner Sir, but we¡¯re already men!" Some random guy from an A-ranked academy replied proudly. He was unhappy to be called a sissy, since he was already the well respected top-notch in his academy. But most of all, he didn¡¯t sign up for this to be treated like a low-ranked foot soldier.

    Turner walked towards the boy and stared at him ferociously, yet the male student bravely stood still and stared back.

    All of a sudden, Turner attacked the student without giving any warning, and broke the student¡¯s left arm before he could defend with his GN Force.

    The student was left alone crying in pain.

    "Medics, get this weak-ass sissy out of my sight!" Turner roared.

    "Listen up you bunch of p*ssies, I don¡¯t care how you were pampered back then. From now onwards, you will be treated like a low ranked soldier, and you have no choice but to obey to my orders, IS THAT CLEAR?" Turner roared again, and the rest of the team replied discreetly.

    "I CAN¡¯T HEAR YOU!"

    "UNDERSTOOD, SIR!"

    "From today onwards, your only reply will be YES SIR! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

    "Yes, Sir!"

    "LOUDER, YOU BUNCH OF PUNK-A*S WEAKLINGS!"

    "YES, SIR!"

    "Good! That¡¯s the first step of bing a standard soldier. Now, pay attention. As soldiers, there are three rules that you need to obey; Number 1, follow orders! Number 2, follow orders! Number 3, follow orders! Do I make myself clear?"

    "Yes, Sir!"

    Turner scanned through the team of neen dumbasses once again. All of the students were given the same military uniforms as normal soldiers, yet they were instructed to wear their school badges on the right side of their uniforms in order to tell them apart.

    Turner walked around the team and stopped in front of the boy from Yalden, "Forward private, announce yourself!"

    "Zhao Zhiting from S-Ranked Academy of Yalden, Sir!" Zhao Zhiting stepped forward and announced himself briefly yet full of spirit. After all, S-ranked academies like Yalden did provide an excellent academic training to their students. The only problem would be hisck of military exposure.

    Nevertheless, Turner was quite happy with Zhao Zhiting¡¯s soldier-like performance, and could even do better if he were given proper military training.

    "I¡¯d like you to be the unit captain in-charge for this group ofdies. Do you ept?"

    "Yes, Sir!" Zhao Zhiting answered spontaneously and saluted. To him, this was his opportunity to shine brightly.

    Bing a captain was fairly important, as it meant that he or she would be a few steps aheadpared to the other students. Generally speaking, students would be assigned to respective annihtion teams across Norton uponpletion of their training. As for those who became unit captains, they would be recognized as mankind¡¯s future leaders, and would even be given the title of Corporal if they passed with flying colors. Hence, being two steps ahead of the race was extremely important for one¡¯s career path.

    However, Turner didn¡¯t let Zhao Zhiting return to his position, because he noticed that some of the students were unconvinced by his decision.

    "It appears that some of you are not convinced by my decision, but let me be straight, only the toughest would be chosen as leaders, or else, the safety of the rest of the team would be jeopardized due to one¡¯s weak performance. So, anyone would like to challenge him?" Turner sneered with his ruthless expression. Without a doubt, higher ranked officers were allowed to directly appoint someone to be captain, yet he or she would still need to go through the whole team in order to convince them.

    Meanwhile, some other teams had already begun their challenges in the training field. This would be the first round of duel that students had to participate in Norton.

    Even though Yalden was the strongest academy amongst the rest, that didn¡¯t mean that all of its students were the strongest. There could still be chance for the students of the other academies as long as the students of Yalden didn¡¯t major in METAL Combat!

    Clearly, one¡¯sbat intelligence totally had nothing to do with one¡¯s academic performance.

    Suddenly, a tiger-like roar echoed from the other end of the training field. It appeared that one of the students was being surrounded by the rest of the unit.

    Of course, the owner of that familiar roar was none other than Earth Confederation¡¯s direct descendant of Fist of the Racing Tiger!

    Wang Ben¡¯s actual strength was obviously the mightiest amongst his unit. Hence, he would have to go through the whole team in order to convince them! Anyhow, it was clear that none of them would be able to win, since Wang Ben was already a Level 5 fighter, not to mention he was armed with Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    "That¡¯s enough. I now dere Wang Ben as your new unit captain!"

    Everyone could tell that the officer-in-charge was very fond of Wang Ben, not to forget that General Hu Ben¡¯s poprity across thend force as well as Wang Ben¡¯s dramatic life experiences. Hence, most officers did treat Wang Ben like a real fighter.

    After all, an eagle would never hatch a dove!

    As for the rest of his teammates, they were finally convinced by the might of this peer.

    "Quit staring the others. Come out if you want to be the unit captain. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you that your unit captain has to be the strongest amongst all of you, or else, the whole unit would be doomed!" Turner yelled, and a few stood up to challenge Zhao Zhiting immediately.

    The rules were simple, which was to win by knocking out the opponent. Three amongst the unit decided to challenge, yet none of them were able to knockout Zao Zhiting. After all, he was a Level 4 fighter who possessed approximately one hundred and fifty sols of Soul Energy. Clearly those who were still at Level 3 or even Level 2 would never be able to knock him out.

    Same went for the other units. Basically, those who became unit captains were third or fourth graders who possessed the Soul Energy of a Level 4 fighter.

    Soon, most teams had finished with their own duels, as there was obviously a distinctive difference in terms of skills and Soul Energy.

    Zhao Zhiting frowned as he stared at his teammates. He didn¡¯t expect that they were so weak, and he couldn¡¯t even imagine how good this team would be able to perform.

    As for Wang Tong, he originally assumed that the missions on Norton would be individual assignments, yet he didn¡¯t expect that new recruits were arranged to act as a unit in order to ensure their safety on this dangerous. In other words, he would have to obey his superiors, since he was in the military, and he didn¡¯t like the idea of having his life held in the hands of another person.

    In the end, Wang Tong realized that he had no choice but topete for the unit captain position. At least, Wang Tong knew that he would be able to make all the right decisions if he became captain, and most importantly, he would not have to put his own fate in the palms of another person.

    Wang Tong made up his mind and got up, "Sir, I¡¯d like to challenge!"

    "Hurry up then!" Turner didn¡¯t expect someone else would be willing to challenge Zhao Zhiting. After all, there was a huge difference in terms of skill between him and the rest of the team.

    Zhao Zhiting nced at Wang Tong for a few seconds, then threw out a punch without giving any warning. However, Wang Tong had no intentions to dodge. Just as Zhao Zhiting¡¯s fist was about tond on Wang Tong¡¯s face, Wang Tong swiftly countered with a chop attack onto the back of Zhao Zhiting¡¯s neck, instantly knocking him out without a fuss.

    One hit K.O. in a blink of an eye.

    Turner was stunned. Being one of the veterans in the military, he was pretty experienced himself, yet he was not as observant as Massa.

    "Who are you? What sort of concealed weapon were you using?!" Turner said after examined Zhao Zhiting. He couldn¡¯t believe that a Level 4 fighter like Zhao Zhiting would be knocked out that easily.

    "Sir, my name is Wang Tong, I¡¯m a student of A-ranked Academy of Ayrng, and I didn¡¯t use any concealed weapons, sir!" Wang Tong stood still and said confidently.

    Turner turned towards Wang Tong with a suspicious look. After all, he couldn¡¯t detect any sign of Soul Energy from Wang Tong, not to mention Wang Tong managed to negate and counter Zhao Zhiting¡¯s attack without breaking any sweat, which was fairly impossible if the boy weren¡¯t equipped with concealed weapons.

    "Stand straight you punk. Are you trying to mock me?!"

    "No, Sir!"

    "Then spill it out. What are you hiding?!"

    "Sir, I¡¯m not hiding any weapon, and I¡¯m not familiar with concealed weapons!"

    Unfortunately, not everyone would be easily pleased in the military, and for those hard-headed officers, they would stick to their own thoughts no matter what sort of reasons or excuses were given.

    Turner was pretty upset. Not only that Zhao Zhititng, the person he chose, was defeated by a kid from nowhere, but he was also unhappy about Wang Tong¡¯s "arrogant" attitude.

    Without giving any warning, Turner raised his baton and smashed onto Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was a straightforward person. He would never escape from punishment if he knew that he was wrong, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was an obedient sheep. Since he didn¡¯t do anything wrong, his mind automatically ssified the iing baton-strike as an "attack".

    As Old Fart used to say, ¡®No mercy against enemies.¡¯

    Wang Tong effortlessly angled his body and dodged the attack, then countered with another chop attack and instantly knocked out Sergeant Turner.

    The whole training field was dead silent. Everyone understood that their livesid in the hands of their respective officers-in-charge, not to mention those officers were also their superiors in the battlefield. Hence, everyone knew that they were not allowed to attack their officer-in-charge!

    Yet, Wang Tong knocked out his officer-in-charge.

    To be honest, most of the students were sick of their officer in-charge¡¯s arrogant attitude, but since they had chosen to join the military, they learned to obey orders. Since they were new recruits, of course, they would also learn how to bear with it. After all, it was rather normal for officers to act a little arrogant.

    Unless one¡¯s name was Wang Ben, who had a powerful military family to back him up¡­

    Soon, Wang Tong found himself surrounded by a group of fighters equipped with METAL Suits, instantly causing the situation to escte.

    All of a sudden, one of the fighters charged towards Wang Tong without any warning. It startled Wang Tong a bit, yet he managed to negate and fight back. For some reason, Wang Tong believed that this was a setup from Li Ruoer. After all, the House of Li was powerful enough to hire a few people to mess with him.

    Wham! Wang Tong countered by throwing out a punch towards the fighter who was wearing a 2nd ss METAL Suit, knocking him back for more than ten meters and shattering the entire suit. The fighter was seen lying on the ground unconscious.

    The rest of the gang of fighters then drew their des and charged angrily towards Wang Tong. However, it didn¡¯t scare Wang Tong at all. Instead, he was pissed that they were really trying to kill him.

    In a blink of an eye, Wang Tong threw out another punch towards the other fighters and shattered all of their armors. Somehow, their METAL Suits were not as tough as they seemed.

    Within seconds, all four fighters were seen moaning in pain while rolling on the ground.

    Suddenly, the siren rang, followed by the entrance of an officer as well as a huge group of METAL Fighters. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

    "Colonel, this student attacked his officer-in-charge as well as four METAL Fighters."

    Wang Tong stood still fearlessly. After all, he would not be able to undo what was done. As Wang Tong turned towards the colonel, he was surprised by what he saw, and so was the colonel.

    It was Massa!

    Massa kept his cool and said, "Hmph, you little b*stard, how dare you attack your officer-in-charge. Exin yourself right now!"

    The other soldiers expected that Massa would immediately take the kid into custody. Instead, he chose to question the kid on the spot, but no one said anything, as Massa was not an ordinary officer.

    "I¡¯m here to be a soldier, but not a ve!" Wang Tong exined confidently. He was relieved for being able to meet Massa in this ce.

    After listening to the further exnation from his men, Massa replied, "Seems like you¡¯re quite confident about yourself, kid."

    "Sorta."

    "Very well, you¡¯re excused from the training program. From tomorrow onwards, you¡¯ll report for duty at Praddo District D instead!"

    Massa¡¯s decision of sending Wang Tong to Praddo District D caused an uproar amongst the other students, while a few other instructors were seen shaking their heads. Colonel Massa was originally serving in the special force, but he was assigned to Norton recently, and became one of the main officers. Soon, he was even given the nickname "Viper".

    In fact, the whole Norton was the battleground of mankind against Zergs, yet Praddo District D was a living hell. The chances of Wang Tong making it back in one piece was very rare.

    "Yes, Sir!" Wang Tong replied and saluted.

    "Follow me!"

    Wang Ben, who was standing amongst the crowd, intended to stand up for Wang Tong. Yet upon seeing Massa¡¯s arrival, Wang Ben knew than Wang Tong would be alright.

    "Hehe, long time no see, coach!" Wang Tong said in a happy tone as he followed behind Massa.

    "Knock it off, you troublemaking good-for-nothing. Were you nning to kill everyone if I didn¡¯t barge in?" Massa replied in a cold tone.

    "Of course not, coach. However, it seemed like your men were trying to bully me, and I am rather pissed right now." Wang Tongined.

    Massa was well aware of such "bullying", as most soldiers were not very fond of those pampered students. Yet, everyone would leave one eye open as long as the bullying wasn¡¯t too much. After all, pampered students had to be taught a lesson in order to grow tougher.

    Unfortunately for those guys, Wang Tong was not the kind of kid to be messed with.

    "Hmph, stop causing me troubles, will ya? Go on and get your arms and legs stretched in Praddo!" Massa said.

    "Thanks, coach!"

    "Listen up kid, that area is infested with Zergs, as well as the toughest territory to conquer throughout Norton. Be careful, and don¡¯t miss me if you die!"

    "Don¡¯t worry coach, I won¡¯t let you down!" Wang Tong replied.

    Wang Tong was well aware that this was the only way for Massa to save his a*s. After all, Wang Tong still had hit a superior officer, regardless of reasons, and it would upset the veterans if Massa didn¡¯t punish Wang Tong. Hence, since Wang Tong was not afraid of challenges, and it would be meaningless to have Wang Tong training with the bunch of newbies, Massa decided to send him to Praddo, literally killing two birds with one stone.

    Massa even noticed that Wang Tong had improved significantly over this period of time.

    In the end, Wang Tong was officially assigned to Praddo District D.

    Fortunately, Wang Tong¡¯s incident didn¡¯t cause the uproar to escte. It was obvious that students were all terrified of Praddo District D upon hearing the high number of casualties in that area. For some reason, Zergs in that area were extremely aggressive, unlike the other areas where Zergs were ying guerri. Praddo District D would be covered with blood and gore every day.

    Military recruited students from various academies in order to assign them to the less aggressive secured territories, while focusing their main firepower on those Zerg infested areas. The main reason of all that was to seize those important mining areas that the legion of Zergs was currently sitting on.

    The war had been going on for a long period of time, yet the military was still unable to fully control Norton, which upset the congressmen a lot, because that meant higher military expenses as well as greater pressure from the public. The confederation was afraid of getting disgraced from its own people, as well as being discriminated by Martians and Ivantians.

    As a matter of fact, Massa¡¯s arrival on Norton had nothing to do with the war. He and his men were actually sent to Norton for a special mission. In short, "Colonel" was only his cover for the ssified assignment.

    "Lorr, what happened just now? Why were they attacking the kid named Wang Tong?" Massa asked coldly while flipping through his documents.

    Lieutenant Lorr was one of those who knew about Massa¡¯s real identity. He found out that those fighters were from another department, which was being handled by a ruthless man with great authorities, someone not to be messed with.

    However, Lorr decided not to tell the truth, "It¡¯s just a small misunderstanding, Colonel."

    Massa lifted his head and red at Lorr fiercely. Since Lorr was in-charge of the personnel department, of course, he would know what was going on. Even though taking down an officer was a serious offense, yet armed METAL Fighters had no reasons to barge in.

    After all, Wang Tong was just a normal student from a military academy, and based on Massa¡¯s understanding towards Wang Tong, he would never hurt anyone unless he felt threatened.

    "Cut the crap, Lieutenant Lorr. Stop wasting my time!"

    Lorr wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "I¡¯m sorry Colonel¡­ Actually¡­ the party who¡¯s responsible for the fuss is rather¡­ untouchable."

    "Do continue. If that¡¯s really the case, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything." Massa said with a stiff smile.

    Finally, Lorr was relieved and said, "It¡¯s the House of Li. They wanted us to teach Wang Tong a lesson. I¡¯m sorry sir, but it¡¯s not up to me to disobey their request."

    "Oh, really? Tell me everything. Perhaps, I can help you as well." Massa smiled and said.

    Realizing that Massa was also trying to kiss House of Li¡¯s ass, Lorr decided to tell him everything...

    To Wang Ben as well as the sons and daughters or rtives of a few other congressmen, this trip to Norton was a chance for them to "polish" their portfolios.

    However, the biggest "celebrities" of all had to be Li Shimin, Li Ruoer, and Ma Xiaoru. To be honest, their participation had given the military a hard time, because they had to ensure the safety of these "princes and princesses". If anything happened to them, those military officers would be doomed.

    As for Li Shimin, he was known as one of Earth¡¯s top-notches amongst the younger generation, as well as the descendant of Einherjar Li Taoche. Everyone knew that Li Shimin was mature and had a finesse in terms of handling problems. Since he was quite experienced himself, he was assigned to one of the main battlefields in Norton. So far, Li Shimin¡¯s performance on the battlefield had received many praises. Some even thought that he was fit to be a general.

 Chapter 246: Fresh Blood

    Chapter 246: Fresh Blood

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    However, everyone was concerned that Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru would eventually be more of a hindrance than help. The two girls had limited experience on the battlefield, and they were not very good at following orders. It would take a full squad team just to keep them alive, much less expecting them to kill any Zergs.

    The best option seemed to be keeping them on the ship and waiting for their feverish dream of bing a heroine to cool down eventually. However, both of them had insisted on joining the ground force.

    The two girls'' requests had given the military a lot of pressure. However, the officers couldn''t simply reject their requests while all eyes were on them. If they did, rumors of "special treatment" would sprout out and would deteriorate the Military''s already eroding reputation. On the other hand, they couldn''t afford to let the two girls get injured either.

    Ma Sa had spent some time trying to figure out the situation. He was sent here with a different agenda, so he didn''t want to invest too much time on unrted matters. However, he became alert once he learned that Li Ruoer intended to hurt Wang Tong. Ma Sa happened to know about the temperament of both Li Ruoer and Wang Tong. So, he decided to keep the two separate to protect Wang Tong. Ma Sa really liked Wang Tong, not only because he believed that thetter had great potential in him, but also because of his approachable personality.

    Ma Sa had decided to assign Li Ruoer to Li Shimin''s battle unit, hoping that her brother would have greater control over her untamed spirit. Meanwhile, he had appointed Ma Xiaoru to Wang Tong''s group, after having recalled their close rtionship.

    Ma Sa handed over the revised list to Lore, "Make sure you follow my orders."

    Lore nced over the list and nodded. It was a sticky situation for Lore, so he decided to do as he was told, and reasoned that should the sh*t hit the fans, he would me everything on Ma Sa.

    Wang Tong received a piece of level one METAL suit despite that his level was much higher. Supply shortage was the cruel reality faced by the military, and only a handful of the elites were able to wear higher tier METAL due to the dwindling funding. The poor equipment had undoubtedly hindered the soldiers''bat ability.

    On the same night that Wang Tong had gotten his METAL, he was sent on the ne to district D. Everyone on the ne had a taut face; they were nervous as they were about to confront human''s biggest enemy, the Zergs.

    The shipnded inside a military base, and about a thousand soldiers were transported here together with Wang Tong. Humans no longer could wagerge-scale assault. Instead, they decided to concentrate their forces on a few spots that they considered the possible locations of underground hives.

    Wang Tong was a foot soldier in the ninth toon, third regiment, the eighth brigade of the Norton Field Force. His toon leader was second lieutenant Jansining, a forty-ish veteran soldier.

    In the two days that followed, Wang Tong had experienced a unique atmosphere within the group. Jansining had left him only one order: think more and talk less. He was told to follow the group closely and not y hero under any circumstances. What real soldiers didn''t like about heroes was that they were usually suicidally gloomy when sober, and homicidally insane when drunk, as an ancient wise man used to put it.

    Jansining was well aware of Wang Tong''s strength when he gave him the order. However, a battle was not won by one man. Rhe most efficient way to strike a blow to the enemy while staying safe was to work as a team. The danger would be more likely to sprout out if Wang Tong went off the grid and disrupted the team''s strategy with his careless actions.

    Within the next two days, Wang Tong had fought in four encounters. He struggled with the other eleven soldiers as a team regardless of the strength of enemies in front of them. Jansining was a fourth level soldier with a second tier METAL while the rest of the soldiers were in their third level and were wearing first tier METAL.

    The battles had been intense, Wang Tong followed every single order, and there was no difficulty for him in understanding the intention in all of the orders. The twelve of them worked closely and covered each other''s back. Jansining was right, should any one of them decide to fire a gun without following the order, they would only end up shooting themselves in the feet.

    Jansining knew that these top-notch students possessed higher soul energy than himself. However, unlike the PA system that the students were familiar with, this was a real war, and soul energy was not the only factor in winning a real war.

    Within the two days, Wang Tong had learned many things that he would never have learned from any textbook, and he recorded them in his field book.

    ¡®First, make sure I am ready before entering the battle. The Zergs had learned to sneak up on human soldiers, so I had to be always prepared.¡¯

    ¡®Second, always keep my soul energy at a minimum level, and never turn if offpletely. This was to reduce the reaction time during a sudden attack or ambush, and it was paramount to know the right amount of soul energy to maintain for myself since continually maintaining an unnecessarily high level of soul energy would tire me out pretty quickly.¡¯

    ¡®Third, don''t chase after a fleeting Zerg. There could only be more danger where that b*stard came from, but you got just one life.¡¯

    ¡®Fourth, help each other. Saving my teammate is equal to saving myself.¡¯

    ¡®Fifth, practice tactics every night. Regardless of the tactics I cultivate, always practice it before I go to bed. The stronger I am, the more likely I am to survive.¡¯

    ¡®Sixth, take care of my METAL. Treat it like my high school sweetheart, regardless of she was pretty or not.¡¯

    Every day before Wang Tong went to bed, he would practice one round of tactics and clean his METAL meticulously.

    Although those small insights he had learned were minor actions, Wang Tong had paid a costly price for every single one of them.

    There are memory chips inside the METAL that covered the entire body to form the firstyer of protection at only critical parts of the body. In other words, the METAL suit would not protect the soldier''s entire body. In most cases, the best protection against oneself was to kill the Zerg as fast as possible.

    After a day of Zerg-killing, Jansining called a meeting with everyone.

    "Wang Tong, you have been on our team for over two days. How do you feel?" Jansining lit up a cigarette and asked calmly. Wang Tong''s teammates appeared to be busying with their own work, but they were all listening to the conversion attentively.

    "I wish I could be more involved." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "Boss, thisd is quite a material. He didn''t even flinch when he first saw those bugs. I say let him join us."

    The one who was talking was called Third. He had two elder brothers, and they all died on the battlefield. No one knew his real name, so his teammates called him Third

    After hearing Third''s praise, the other teammatesughed agreeably. Third''s observation was right, this ''burden'' sent by the military had really exceeded their expectations. A worthy fresh blood would always be a weing sight.

    "Seems like you get along pretty well. Tell you what, I will give you an actual duty tomorrow. Show us what you can do."

    Jansiningughed. He had excluded Wang Tong in most of the team actions by ordering him to stand aside and watch. However, after two days of observation, Jansining had felt that Wang Tong seem to be more mature and experienced than he had thought.

    "Hey you little sh*t, try to take on one of us first! Haha"

    Everyone was instantly excited after hearing the promise of a brawl. Brawling might seem barbaric to peaceful civilians, but it was a simple team-building exercise for soldiers at the front line.

    "Lieutenant, assign me an opponent please!"

    "Hey! Be careful what you wish for. Haha. Fine, you can try a few punches on Big Head. See if his head gets any smaller. Haha"

    "Big Head, be careful, this little prick is at the fourth level. If you lose, I''m going to make you clean up bug sh*t for a week! Haha"

    "Oh, for f*ck¡¯s sake! I didn''t sign up for this! Welld,e at me then, show me what you got."

    "Please"

    "Save your courtesy for your mama, kiddo! "

    Big Head hurled his fist at Wang Tong''s chest. A lethal direct attack was a soldier''s most used method, since they didn''t have the luxury to think and n their moves when the Zerg''s w was just an inch away from them. Their simple attacks were potent and deadly, to make sure that every strike would kill at least a Zerg. Otherwise, the human would be quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of Zergs.

    During the battles on Norton, the humans had discovered a new kind of Zerg: the Hive Queen. It was harmless by itself, yet it was capable of producing a significant amount of Zerg offspring in a very short period. Therefore, these Hive Queens had be the main target of military''s operations, and they ought to be eliminated first. The Hive Queen''s death meant the demise of all Zergs in the same hive.

    Researchers also found out that Zergs ate almost anything. They could quickly turn anything or, anyone, into pure energy to power their body. Some higher form of Zergs such as the Space Hive could directly absorb energy from lower form counterparts to quickly amass a significant amount of energy to perform unbelievable feats such as space warping.

 Chapter 247: Call of Duty

    Chapter 247: Call of Duty

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Big Head''s strike was effective. However, he would not be able to even scratch Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong blocked Big Head''s fist with a palm and pushed his opponent; the tremendous GN force threw Big Head flying backward and then thudded heavily on the ground. Wang Tong had defeated Big Head without even delivering a strike.

    "Balls! This little jerk is way overpowered. You guys must know it and wanted to make fun of me." Big Headined loudly as he struggled to get back to his feet. Everyoneughed, their voiceced with a certain degree of respect.

    Wang Tong pulled Big Head up. He didn''t consider Big Head an unworthy opponent because he knew that on the battlefield, it was hundreds of opponents like Big Head he would have to deal with.

    The glory belonged to only a few at the very top, but these foot soldiers were the real hero.

    Big Head shook his head and red at hisrades.

    "Wang Tong, what exactly is your soul level?"

    Jansining was very pleased with Wang Tong''s performance. It was excellent news for the team to have such a capable new addition. What made Wang Tong even more likable was theck of arrogance and self-importance. Jansining had seen so many kids from the ivory tower who yed hero like a pompous idiot on the battlefield, making themselves the perfect form for the doom of their entire squad.

    Therefore, Jansining was not only impressed by Wang Tong''s incredible power but more so by his ability to be a team yer. Jansining had observed him over the two days, and he noticed that Wang Tong had been following his orders and never caused any extra burden to the team.

    Jansining also noticed that Wang Tong didn''tin about the seemingly mundane orders, and he reasoned that it was because Wang Tong had understood his intention. Jansining figured that if all the students from the academies were like Wang Tong, the humans might have a chance in the war against the Zergs after all.

    "I have just reached the fifth level. But please keep it between you and me. Not even my close friends knew about that yet." Wang Tong scratched his head and said.

    Wang Tong''s answer made Third choke on the water he was gulping down.

    "Sh*t! How old are you? Your profile says you are in your first year at Ayrng, and you said are at the fifth level already?"

    "I ...was lucky¡­ Haha" Wang Tong answered. He could choose to omit the details, but he had to be honest about his strength with hisrades who shared the same fate with him.

    "Haha, Lieutenant, we have picked up a life saver! If we have a fifth level as our vanguard, we would be invincible." Big Headughed candidly; he was relieved that Wang Tong was much stronger than him, which exined his defeat.

    "Given time, I believe this kiddo would be ourpany''s best fighter" Big O announced.

    "Ha ha, Big O, perhaps it would be safer to let little O follow behind this kid instead of you. I think our child soldier here could protect your younger brother better than you."

    The Orien brothers were not identical twins; the big one was called big O, and the one with the smaller frame but no less muscr was called little O. Although Little O didn''t want to admit it, he was not as tough as Big O, and therefore, Big O always protected him on the battlefield while Little O focused on dealing damage.

    "Hey, you a*shole, I can protect my brother, alright?"

    "Common bro, I had told you many times, I can protect myself! I am a soldier too, a veteran at that!" Little O bawled out at his brother. Wang Tong reckoned then that the Orien brothers were only 3 or 4 years older than him, but they had the bearings of being much older and experienced warriors.

    "Wang Tong, would you like to be our vanguard?"

    "Yea Sir!" Wang Tong answered without hesitation.

    "Goodd!"

    "Kiddo, tomorrow, we kill Zergs!"

    Everyone encouraged Wang Tong in their own ways. They hoped that this young but robust soldier would be able to increase the team''s damage output significantly.

    The ninth toon that Wang Tong was stationed at was fighting at the forefront of the army. They killed Zergs during the day and rested in the night. Depending on how far they had to travel into the hostile area, their mission couldst a few days.

    Human force dominated the air. However, when bombing failed to kill off all the Zergs, which happened a lot, the ground force would be put into use.

    Most of Wang Tong''s mission involved little skirmishes, and therefore, the ninth toon wouldn''t have the support of armored vehicles, since those were reserved for onlyrge-scale assaults involving at least a dozen regiments. These massive battles had been bing rare each day, thanks to the Zerg''s guerri tactics.

    The military kept a Bug Score for each toon. However, the ninth toon would not be on the top of the list, since toons filled those positions with an average solider level of at least four.

    Although Wang Tong had been epted into the toon, he wasn''t as excited about killing Zergs as a fresh recruit would. After all, he had killed tons of Zergs before.

    The district D covered arge area on a that was three timesrger than Earth. The sheer size had increased the difficulty in the search for the enemy. The military researchers had concluded that the best method to eradicate an entire poption of Zergs was to kill its queen. Although the rate of reproduction of normal Zergs was extremely rapid, the time it took for the queen to copy itself and be mature was very long.

    Only while wearing the METAL could the soldiers withstand the 5G environment, but their steps were still cumbersome andborious. They knew that killing all the Zergs on Norton was a wishful thinking of the government. So, their current focus had been to protect the human settlements. Not only the militarycked the resources to eradicate the Zergpletely, they also felt theck of motivation in doing so, since the human world had no interest in this barren other than a few of the mines.

    "Wang Tong, when we spot Zergster, don''t rush into action. Attack only on my mark. Do you understand? There would be plenty of Zergs for you to kill, I promise!" Jansining said.

    The duty of the fourth regiment was to scout nearby areas of the human settlement to make sure that Zergs would not suddenly overrun the settlement. They were also permitted to actively find and kill any Zergs within the proximity of the settlement.

    Their search covered arge area inside District D. Although they fought mostly in small skirmishes, they could never let their guard down. Those who did were already dead

    "Aren''t you excited kiddo? " Overbiteughed, disying a row of gleaming teeth.

    "Calm down Overbite. " Thirdughed at Overbite and turned to Wang Tong as he said, "When this wimp killed his first Zergs, he puked for three days! Haha"

    "Buzz off! I know we are friends and all, but watch what you are saying."

    Overbite was in charge of the detection equipment that could sense any biological activities within a few hundred meters. However, every soldier would tell that he or she would never rely solely on machines; instead, they followed their sixth sense.

    The vehicle had been running for about an hour when the rm on the detection unit suddenly went off. Wang Tong jumped off the car with his teammates.

    "How many?"

    "Five at twelve o''clock and three at three o''clock," Overbite answered.

    "Wang Tong, why don''t you take a shot at this."

    Jansining knew that as a fifth level fighter, Wang Tong would not have any difficulty finishing off at least a few dozen Zergs by himself in theory. But he wanted to make sure Wang Tong''s mettle and bravery, so he had only assigned him five lower-tier Zergs.

    Wang Tong''s senses tingled and noticed that the machine was wrong: there were six Zergs in front of them instead of five. A Skulk was lurking quietly behind his five brothers.

    Ever since Wang Tong arrived Norton, he had been feeling very energetic thanks to the 5G environment. His tactics had also improved by leaps and bounds. His quick adaptation to the gravity contrasted the experience of other students who struggled to get used to the extreme gravity.

    Zergs were much more adaptive than their human counterparts, but no scientist had discovered why that was the case. The highest form of Zerg known to human was the Encephalon Zergs, but no one knew how or what was giving the orders to the Encephalon Zerg.

    There were many mysteries around the race of Zerg: where did theye from? How did they build the hive? Where was their main base?

    Before the Zergs were eradicated, the humans had to be vignt. Some believed that to discover more secrets about the Zerg was useless in helping the war. Those people believed that humans only needed to know one thing about the Zergs: they meant death.

 Chapter 248: New Backbone

    Chapter 248: New Backbone

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The other team members followed Wang Tong, as thetter stepped into the half circle formed by Zergs. Five sickle Zergs jumped at Wang Tong at the same time, each brandishing their pair of sharp and deadly arms.

    Wang Tong stood still while holding the de. His teammates thought Wang Tong had been stupefied by the terrible scene until they saw a glint from the curve of the de. In a blink of eyes, the five Zergs had been chopped into pieces, their remains scattered all over the ground.

    The air was suddenly filled with a thin mist of Zerg''s blood, and it touched Wang Tong''s skin like a thin veil of crimson silk as it fell through the air. The smell of the blood triggered Wang Tong''s memories.

    Wang Tong yanked his de up and tightened his grip on the handle, whitening his knuckles, and then stabbed the ground under his feet with full force. A stream of ck blood squirted out from where he had stabbed, apanied by an agonizing shriek. The detection equipment also went off, indicating that there was a skulk right underneath Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong held the de with two hands and channeled his GN force to the tip of the de buried under the earth. Then, he twisted the handle to make sure the skulk stood dead.

    "Lieutenant! Missionplete!"

    "Attaboy! Quick and clean! Have you done this before? You look...more proficient at it than us."Jansining said as he patted Wang Tong''s shoulder heavily. He registered that Wang Tong''s move and skills were unlike that of a new recruit, but instead of a veteran.

    What really impressed Jansining was Wang Tong''s control over his GN force based on the life force left in his enemy. He noticed that Wang Tong used only thirty percent of his GN force while delivering the killing blow, because the skulk was injured and using any more GN force would be a waste.

    "Balls! How did you do that?" Overbite asked incredulously. He wondered how Wang Tong would be able to detect the skulk while the equipment had failed.

    "Haha! I have been a survivor on Norton, and it wasn''t my first time killing Zergs."

    "I knew it! Finally, the military has sent us someone useful!" Jansining beamed with relief; he knew that with Wang Tong''s help, his team''s survival could be secured.

    "Lieutenant, I think he is just lucky. I don''t believe it for a second that the youngsters nowadays are able to handle six Zergs by themselves."

    "I agree. There had been lessons in other toons. Allegedly, a young boy from the S ss Academy was assigned there, and he went nuts after killing a few Zergs. He couldn¡¯t handle it, and it was just too stressful, so he ran back to his mama''s bosom¡­ Haha." Little Oughed.

    Little O was right, wartime life was not something that any student could stomach. The 5G gravity and the vicious Zergs were indifferent to the level of the academy where the student came from. The real challenge was not even in the mortal danger. Instead, it started when a young student had to witness his teammate being brutally murdered by grotesque creatures.

    Wang Tong''s power had brightened everyone''s mood. They had been troubled by the thought of looking after a useless little prick. But instead of a worthless little prick, they had gotten a bug spray.

    The members of the ninth toon were genuinely in awe with Wang Tong after thetter told them about his survival story on Norton. After hearing the story, what they had witnessed suddenly made sense to them.

    Jansining rearranged the teamposition and positioned Wang Tong at the front center as the main damage dealer.

    Jansining reasoned that with Wang Tong as the backbone of the team, the other team members ought to feel safer and fight more confidently. Wang Tong''s detection ability could also provide extra safety to the team by reducing the chance of being ambushed.

    Their current mission wouldst three days, and by the end of the first day, they had already reached their highest kill count per day. Thanks to Wang Tong''s ability and power, the ninth toon could face off at least a few dozen Zergs; it was a vast improvementpared to their previous capability.

    As they continued their mission, everyone noticed that Wang Tong understood the Zergs better than most veterans. Not only Wang Tong had first-hand experience in dealing with the Zergs, but he had also learned a great deal from the textbooks. When Wang Tongbined the two elements together, he had be the know-it-all on Zergs. He had even given field lectures to a few veterans in his team about the most efficient way of killing certain types of Zergs.

    In the night, while everyone was helping set up the camp, Overbite walked the perimeter of the camp and installed detection lines. Unlike the restless Zergs, the humans needed to sleep to recuperate. Every time a team was on an extended mission, they were given the necessary supplies for setting up a safe camp inside enemy lines. Thanks to the space crystal, this equipment could be carried around very conveniently.

    "Come one bros, we shall toast to wee our new addition! " Jansining raised his cup.

    "Drink up, you pu**ies! For our good luck!"

    Being surrounded by this groups of vigorous and boisterousrades, Wang Tong felt like he had found the life he had been looking for. On the battlefield, everyone was willing to die for each other, and off the battlefield, they could freely throw banter at each other. This was not a toon but a family, and this life was the life of real men and real soldiers.

    Wang Tong still felt a slight disappointment whenever he thought about Turner, but he reminded himself that the military had more members than just an isted case. Most of the soldiers he had met so far were selfless in devoting their lives to the greater good.

    "Now, I''d like to announce that Wang Tong would be our second inmand. He will assist me in my task when I am still alive, and if I get eaten by one of those b*stards out there, he should be your new toon leader!" Jansining cracked a smile and announced loudly. His voice boomed inside the simple camp.

    "What the hell is lieutenant talking about?"

    "Yea, that''s nonsense lieutenant. With Wang Tong on our side, we could finish off over a hundred Zergs unharmed."

    "Hell yea!"

    "That being said, I got no beef with Wang Tong''s promotion. Thed knows the bugs so well, it''s like he was one too! Haha. My sword is at yourmand, Wang Tong!"

    "Aye!"

    Wang Tong''s poised moves during the battle had opened his teammates'' eyes to a new level of efficiency in killing Zergs with precision and effortlessness. Wang Tong had also shown a solid understanding of the usage of battle formations.

    It was clear then that Wang Tong was an intelligent and skilled fighter. But while everyone was rejoiced about gaining such a capable teammate, Wang Tong had noticed a hint of concern sh in Jansining''s eyes.

    "What''s the matter, lieutenant?"

    Jansining lit a cigarette and puffed a cloud of smoke before he replied slowly, "It''s nothing. Take a rest, you had fought well today and must be tired now."

    "This is nothing lieutenant. I''m still new to the team; you don''t have to assign me as ..."

    "Then why do you ept it?" Jansining cut Wang Tong short, his eyes glinting.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and said, "You all have already epted me as part of your team. So, I decided to be honest with you guys. I know I am capable of leading a toon, and you, too, need my help. Therefore, I thought there was no need to be overly courteous."

    "Well said! During the time of war, I, as the toon leader, have the rights to assign my second inmand. I had considered Third, since, in addition to his solid performance, he also liked to kiss my ass and all. However, things seemed even more, simpler since you arrived. Your ability is well above any one of us here. But, tell me, why did you choose toe to us?" Jansining puffed smoke after he asked his question.

    Base on Wang Tong''s ability, he could have started as a higher ranking officer and would never need to walk this perilous path with the foot soldiers. So, it bade the questions of Wang Tong''s real motivation in joining the ninth toon.

    Wang Tong felt slightly embarrassed by his answer: Samantha.

    Jansining seemed to have seen thorough Wang Tong''s sentiment. He patted on Wang Tong''s shoulder and said, "There''s no need to be embarrassed by your decision. We all had our fate, and now out fates are intertwined with each other. I hope you understand that and do all you can to protect your teammates."

    "Yes, lieutenant. You can count on me!"

    "Yes, I believe in you. You were born to be a soldier. The way you handled the de, gosh... I really wish that I were you. You will do great things in the army, trust me. I am seldom wrong in reading a person."

    "Lieutenant, what''s our mission this time?"

    "Nothing big. We are on our way to meet up with members of other toons. They had discovered a hive from the space a couple of days ago and mobilized us to the AOI to finish off the Queen. It would be arge scale frontal assault, so there won''t be as much coverage. You will see what I mean when you get there. "

    Scouting missions on Norton were much less dangerous than assaults on Zerg''s hives, as the sheer number of Zerg couldpletely overwhelm the soldiers, should the estimates of enemy force be slightly off.

    The only viable strategy in carrying out a frontal assault was to push forward and kill the queen as soon as possible. That meant the soldiers would have to go underground into thebyrinth of deadly tunnels that were practically death traps prepared by the Zergs, and hope that they would find the Queen after the next turn. Despite the extreme danger, there had been no other better ways to kill a queen.

 Chapter 249: Exchange of Fire

    Chapter 249: Exchange of Fire

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    That was the real reason why Jansining would promote Wang Tong even though he was still a new member. If it were anyone else he had promoted, hisrades would have protested and rmended friends such as Third or Big Face. But they trusted Wang Tong and knew he was much stronger than any one of them. Therefore, they had agreed with Jansining''s decision.

    War was cruel, and it had no ce for overwrought politeness.

    Wang Tong felt a strange feeling that was a mixture of fear and motivation. He had gotten used to fighting alone, but right then, the had to protect a whole team, even though he knew that it was impossible for him to look after everyone.

    "Kiddo, don''t stress about it. We are not entirely useless." Jansining was a good leader; he could always read his team member''s mind urately.

    Jansining had never studied psychology or mind reading sses. But ever since the first time he saw Wang Tong, he knew that thisd was verymitted and trustworthy. He might talk like azy little prick, but through his actions, he was pulling more weight than anyone else.

    "Lieutenant, I didn''t mean to think that way." Wang Tong exined. He knew that it would be an insult to consider a soldier useless.

    Jansining puffed a cloud of smoke and pulled out a picture from his inner pocket.

    "Here, look, this is my baby girl. Isn''t she cute? She is five now, learned to call me Papa just before I left¡­ Haha. " There was a rare tenderness in his voice.

    "The other one is my wife. A school teacher¡­ fell in love with me because I am a tough soldier, haha!" Jansiningughed proudly.

    Wang Tong saw a cute little girl and a beautiful woman in the picture. Jansining had a happy andfortable family.

    Wang Tong wondered why Jansining would choose to forsake hisfortable home and join the war. "Lieutenant, why did you decide toe to Norton? It''s too dangerous...What if..." Wang Tong didn''t finish what he was supposed to say. He was supposed to ask if Jansining had thought about what would happen to his wife and child should anything happen to him on Norton.

    Jansining threw away his cigarette and squeezed it under his heel. Then, he turned to Wang Tong and said calmly, "I am a soldier."

    The profoundness of this simple answer shocked Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong felt ashamed whenparing himself to Jansining. On the battlefield, no one was fighting for the promotion, nor were they fighting for the future of the Confederation. They were fighting for their loved ones, protecting their family with their own sacrifices.

    Although soldier was a profession that had started ever since the beginning of human civilization, not a lot of people had understood the real purpose of being a soldier.

    Thanks to Jansining, Wang Tong finally understood it.

    The next day, the ninth toon kept on pushing forward. Since they had entered a jungle, they had to give up using their vehicle and walk their way out of the jungle. Overbite was in charge of carrying everyone''s space crystals as he trailed after the team.

    If they followed the nned route, the ninth toon and other toons would be able to form a stranglehold on the hive and maximize their chance of encountering Zergs on their way.

    Although humans could not sieve through the entire, when hives popped out around the human settlement, the military would spare no expense to get rid of them. The mines had strategical importance to humans, since its production had be the primary source of funding for this war.

    Just like the humans, Zergs were also an inhabitant of thes. Therefore, the rhetoric of good verse evil seemed old and tired in describing this war. Instead, this war was all about establishing dominance on a resource-rich over another race.

    Wang Tong looked around him and found hisrades much more rtable and likable than the mboyant TV personalities who would only talk but never acted.

    For a while, killing Zergs meant only survival to Wang Tong. But right then, he found his actions seemed to have gained a certain measure of profoundness.

    "I got a reading here! About thirty of them, twelve o''clock. Overbite, let them taste some steel and attract them here."

    "It''s all on me, Lieutenant."

    Overbite shot at the Zerg''s ambush location and revealed the wave of deadly ws and fans rushing towards the ninth toon.

    "Everyone, get ready!"

    It was not the first day that the ninth toon was in the business of killing Zergs, so the soldiers were ready in a second and were eager to kill.

    Wang Tong led his squad to engage the Zerg head on. He noticed that the enemyposition was moreplicated than previous encounters, perhaps due to their proximity to the hive. There were a few higher level Zergs mixed in between a few dozen lower level ones. Seeing the new enemies, a newfound interest caught Wang Tong''s mind, making him excited to test his tactics on these new Zergs.

    A few seconds into their engagement, everything was under Wang Tong''s control, and the number of Zergs dwindled rapidly. Wang Tong nced at hisrades and saw everyone was holding their ground and making kills.

    In a few more minutes, all the Zergs were killed.

    "Little O, don''t rush to the front next time. Stay close to me."

    "Bother! How many times do I have to tell you? I am a soldier too. Plus, we have Wang Tong at the forefront of the line. I can handle a few more bugs."

    Little O had killed two Zergs, and he was very proud of that record. Everyone had fought more aggressively thanks to having Wang Tong in the team. Therefore, it took the team a lot less time to finish off the group of enemies than they used to.

    "You fool! Didn''t you know that idents do happen sometimes? And you are breaking the line. I repeat it, stay no more than within five meters from me!"

    "No way, what''s the fun in that?" Little O protested.

    "Stop babbling, you two! Little O, your brother was right. It''s not a bad idea to form a good habit on the battlefield." Jansining stopped the two brothers'' bickering; it had been a familiar sight to the members of the ninth toon.

    "Lieutenant, the bugs are evolving as we get closer to the hive. We better watch out. The Kamikaze Zergs are real nasty f*ckers."

    "Overbite is right, and we better be careful. Iron Tooth, can you handle those terrorists if they get in our way?"

    "No problem." Iron Tooth nodded confidently. He was responsible for keeping an eye out for any sudden attacks while the toon was doing its business.

    Iron Tooth got his nickname for biting an eyeball off a Zerg once, although that had almost lost his life. He lived, and the name stuck too.

    "That will be it for now. We have lots of time, but we should arrive there earlier so we can recon the area."

    Jansining gestured everyone to move on. The sooner they got to their destination, the more time they could use to take a respite before the final battle.

    As Wang Tong walked on, he was continually detecting Zergs around his vicinity. Suddenly Wang Tong sprinted upwards, and his teammates saw a bright sh in the air before two chunks of flesh that used to make up one Meganeura Zerg thudded onto the ground. Jansining''s face became taut at the sight of the dead flying Zerg.

    "They have found us. All guns ready."

    Everyone suddenly tensed up their bodies as they started to get ready for a tough encounter.

    Overbite''s eyes were glued to the detection unit. A few secondster, the detector went off followed by a humming noise from underground, suggesting something monstrous was on its way towards the soldiers.

    "The Tank Zerg! Move ! Move! Find cover! NOW!" Jansining shouted at the top of his lungs. Before anyone was able to move a muscle, they saw a dozen dark dots zigzag toward them.

    "Kamikaze Zergs!"

    Wang Tong reacted much faster than hisrades. He unsheathed the de and stopped the Kamikaze Zergs with a few sweep attacks.

    Suddenly, the ground in front of them gave in, and a giant bug wiggled its way out from the depression. The Zerg was about ten meters long and was armored in hard and dark colored cretin. At one end that resembled a head were set a pair of horns that looked like fangs.

    The Tank Zerg let out a howl which made the ground tremble. A dark red beam shot out from its mouth.

    It was corrosive fire, and it could melt even METAL suite. Usually, the Tank Zergs were left for the armored vehicles, but the ninth toon did not have one.

    At the sight of the red beam, soldiers gave up their formation and scattered away. They watched as Spider Zergs crept out from the giant hole left by the Tank Zerg.

    "What a day! Everyone spread out!"

    Although the Tank Zerg had devastating firepower, it was very slow and cumbersome. Jansining wanted his soldiers to kill off the Spider Zergs fist before they could focus their fire on therger creature.

 Chapter 250: Detection Failure

    Chapter 250: Detection Failure

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The ninth toon spread out and retreated while the Spider Zergs were hot on their heels.

    "Balls! Did this detector broke?"

    Overbite knocked the handheld detector with a fist agitatedly. He was confused by what he saw: red dots all around them.

    They heard another howling, and the rocks and earth around them started to tremble. Behind a piece ofrge boulder next to the team, another Tank Zerg emerged, apanied by a wave of spider Zergs. The situation had gone beyond the control of a toon.

    "Retreat! Retreat!" Jansining shouted, but the shouts of the Zergs had drowned his voice.

    It was then clear to Jansining that they had entered a hive. Hemented over the inurate information they had received from the higher-ups. They had missed the location of the hive by a day worth of travel.

    But, there was no time formenting, Jansining figured that he should lead his team out of this hellhole as soon as possible.

    "HQ, this is Jansining of the ninth toon. District D, Area number 5991. Hostile activities. Requesting air aid! I repeat! Area number 5991, requesting air aid!"

    Jansining didn''t hear a reply; instead, he heard a constant white noise.

    "WTF?"

    "Sir, our signal is being intercepted."

    Overbite''s said it helplessly. The intervention of such a high tier Zerg confirmed Jansining''s suspicion: they had walked right into a hive.

    "Lieutenant, we are surrounded. What should we do now?"

    "Pull back, get into that cave!"

    Jansining watched as wave after wave of Zergs popped up from the ground around them. He thought today would be the day that he said goodbye to the world. He felt that it was a pity to have Wang Tong''s life wasted by an erroneous information. The best thing he could do right now was to dy the inevitable as long as he could.

    However, as soon as the toon walked into the cave, the Zergs quietly surrounded them and didn''t follow them in there.

    "Curse these bugs. What are they gonna do now?"

    Wang Tong studied the cave and noticed that this could be dug out by the Zergs. He suspected that the further they went into the cave, the more likely they would encounter another army of Zergs.

    "They seem like they are waiting for something, or maybe they want to capture us alive." Wang Tong said solemnly. He conceded the fact that there was no way out of this situation.

    "All we can do now was to hold our position and wait for the rescue team. Wang Tong and I would secure the entrance. Big Head, give us some cover. I want you two brothers to keep exploring the cave, but don''t go too far. The rest of you stay put and wait for my further orders."

    The Zergs waited a few more moments and started to charge at the cave entrance. Wang Tong and Jansining closed into the wave of enemies. The cave entrance was narrow enough to allow only a dozen or so Zergs to enter at the same time, so it became a choke point in the Zerg''s advance, and helped the soldiers'' defense.

    In a blink of eyes, a dozen Zergs fell to the ground. Wang Tong knew that Jansining couldn''t keep on going much longer, so he said: "I''ll cover here, Lieutenant! You go inside and help them out! I have a feeling that the bugs want us alive. Otherwise, they would have just shot us with the Tank Zerg."

    The entrance didn''t have much space, so Jansining figured that he might as well leave more room to let Wang Tong do what he did best.

    "Overbite, I don''t care how you do it, but make sure to connect us with the HQ. I don''t want to f*cking die here." Jansining shouted at the top of his lungs. Wang Tong was holding his ground firmly regardless of how ferociously the Zergs charged at him. He didn''t stay inside the cave; instead, he moved slightly beyond the entrance to gain more space. But it was still confined enough so that the Zergs would not be able to gain an edge over him with theirrger body.

    "I know that, lieutenant!" Overbite repeated their coordinates over and over to themunication unit, trying to catch the moment when the interception signal was temporarily weakened. Besides, the longer they could hold out in this cave, the longer the Zergs had to release the disruption signals and the more likely the military would pick up the Zerg''s signals and decide to investigate. After all, the Zerg''s won''t sent out disruption signals for no reasons.

    A few momentster, the Orien Brothers returned from their scouting mission. "Lieutenant, this tunnel is a dead end. We are trapped."

    Everyone''s face turned ck. They were hoping that this tunnel would lead them to a less defended hive and they would find the queen trapped inside, waiting to be ughtered. But, the reality seemed to suggest that the joke was on them.

    "Take a break, Wang Tong. I will take your shift." Big Head shouted at Wang Tong. As Big Head''s voice slipped away, so did the life of half dozen Zergs. They were shredded into pieces, pilling on top of a mountain of Zerg carcasses. The blockade made out of Zerg''s flesh wasn''t able to stop the living ones, as they feverishly ate the remains of their own kind until they had cleared a new path to the cave entrance.

    Wang Tong didn''t refuse hisrade''s assistance like some gant knight in the fake fairy tales. This was a war where no pixies or fair godmothers woulde down from the sky to rescue him.

    As Wang Tong retreated to the inner cave, he watched as five of hisrades worked together, barely able to ward off wave after wave of Zerg''s. Ten minutester, Jansining took another five soldiers to take over the shift. The amount of Zergs seemed countless, but human''s energy was limited. The team had been stretched pretty thin, yet, the amount of Zergs outside the cave seemed to be increasing.

    Wang Tong watched as the Zergs outside the cave formed a dense nket that covered the earth. He thought it was more ustrophobic outside than it was this tiny dark cave. He felt tired, but he reminded himself not to give up hope because that was the only thing his toon had left.

    "Dear master, you are in extreme danger."

    Wang Tong heard a voice in his head. He looked around to see if anyone was talking to him. His teammates were either fighting Zergs or taking a rest; no one had paid him any attention.

    "Charcoal, is that you?"

    "Yes master, it is me. The number of Zergs outside the cave has reached the critical number. Please evacuate the cave ASAP! Otherwise, your life will be in danger."

    "Well thank you for telling me the obvious. I would have gotten out if I could, wouldn''t I?"

    "Master, based on my calctions, you have a 100% chance breaking out of here should you wish to initialize your METAL. Plus, the other soldiers would slow the Zergs down for you, so... "

    "That''s nonsense. Any other ideas that won''t get my friends killed?" Wang Tong would never leave his brothers to the death clutches of the Zergs.

    It was Wang Tong''s turn to take the shift. His teammates breathed heavily and said with a raspy voice to their leader, "We won''t make it, Lieutenant."

    Jansining half nced at Wang Tong wh,o was killing Zergs with ease, and gritted his teeth. It had been only ten minutes. Even if the HQ somehow discovered their distress signal, it would still take them a while to get here. An air strike would be risky too since it would endanger the soldiers'' lives as well.

    It had seemed to Jansining that all hopes were lost.

    The bugs were going to be tougher to fight once it turned dark outside. Most Zergs hadpounded eyes that could see as good as in daylight in pitch darkness.

    Unable to find a solution, Jansining led a few soldiers to take Wang Tong''s shift.

    Although Wang Tong breathedboriously, he could still hold out for a while. However, he was worried for his teammates as they had been depleting their soul energy rapidly. Once their soul energy dropped to the point that they wouldn''t be able to sustain their METAL suit, they wouldn''t be able to fight back at all.

    "Charcoal, think something. Help us out!"

    Wang Tong closed his eyes as he focused on visualizing the image of Charcoal in his mind. Charcoal blinked but didn''t respond.

    Suddenly, a light shed in Wang Tong''s eyes. He then asked: "Goldie 2, is there any way out of here?"

    A golden glow started from charcoals body and worked its way through Wang Tong''s chest to his dantian.

    "Master, there is a natural cave behind us that could lead us out of here."

    "Who the hell are you?"

    "I am your assistant Goldie 2. I had fulfilled your first wish: revive charcoal. I am now reconfiguring his weapon, so you would be able tomand him on the battlefield."

    "Are you sure there is a way deep in the cave?"

    "Positive. There is a barrier, however, roughly 10 meters thick."

    Upon hearing the information, Wang sprang to his feet and shouted out to Jansining, "Keep holding them off. I think I have found a way out." Wang Tong''s announcement gave everyone a second wind.

    Soon, Wang Tong arrived at the dead end. He fused his de with GN force and started digging. Despite the fact that Wang Tong''s de was made out of military grade titanium, the tough rock on Norton had made the digging process painfully slow.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong''s eyes turned a golden color, and two rays of bright beams shot out from those two pools of molten gold. The rays cut through the rocks as if cutting through butter.

 Chapter 251: Enter the Hive

    Chapter 251: Enter the Hive

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Lieutenant, I can take over from here. You need to take a rest!"

    "Gosh! Wang Tong opened up the tunnel wall!" Overbite screamed with a raspy voice.

    "Big Head, ready the nuke. Let''s send these b*stards to their maker."

    The ninth toon filed through the hole that Wang Tong had just opened up at the other end of the tunnel. The opening was big enough for only one person through at a time, so it was too small for Zergs and would slow them down significantly. The rocks on the Norton were tough, and therefore, it would take the Zergs a lot of effort to get through.

    It took Wang Tong only ten minutes to bore through the 10 meters thick wall. The edge of the opening was straight, and the cut face was smooth. However, no one had the time to ponder how Wang Tong had done it in such a short period as Zergs were still hot on their heels.

    While Big Head was busy setting up the mini nuke, Wang Tong was holding off the Zergs at the entrance. Mini nuke was the most deadly weapon a toon could get their hands on. Since it was meant for mass destruction, the ninth toon usually wouldn''t bring it with them on a regr scouting mission. But they happened to have one this time because they were about to partake in arge scale battle. Jansining had nned to use it at thest moment of their lives to take the lives of Zergs with them, yet he was ted to find out that they didn''t have to die with the Zergs, thanks to the newly dug escape route.

    "Thirty seconds untilunch, we will leave as soon as it is detonated. " Jansining gestured Big Head to move on. He had decided to stay behind to help Wang Tong.

    As soon as the Zergs noticed the mini nuke, they started to hiss and jitter, as if they knew the deadly power of the nukes in their shared memories.

    "Wang Tong, hurry!" Jansining''s palm was sweaty. He got only one shot at this. If he didn''tunch the nuke far enough, he and Wang Tong would both die in the explosion.

    "Lieutenant, leave everything to me! Go with the others!" Wang Tong shouted at Jansining, but he didn''t listen. Wang Tong''s GN force suddenly soared to level five, and in a blink of an eye, he shredded a few dozen Zergs into pieces and created an opening for retreat. As he pulled back, he saw a mini-nuke trace an arc in the air near him.

    "Bullseye!" Jansining rejoiced at his true aim, but he had celebrated too early. A Zerg jumped nimbly out of his rank and sprinted upward with extraordinary speed, then grabbed onto the mini nuke.

    Wang Tong''s eyes locked onto the nuke as he fused his de with GN force, and then threw the de at his target.

    Before the de hit its target, Wang Tong turned on his heel and dragged Jansining into the tunnel. They heard a deafening re and felt the earth tremble beneath their feet as soon as they stepped through the newly dug opening.

    The nuke exploded in mid-air. A shock wave, carrying its immense power, trampled across thend. The Zergs were reduced into ashes before they had gotten a chance to even scream.

    When the roar of the nuke ceased, the dust from the top of the cave had covered everyone''s face. "HAHA, we LIVED!"

    "Let''s keep on going." Jansiningughed and hurried his teammates to move on. He never expected toe out of this devastating battle alive.

    No one wasted time on celebrating their near escape; they followed Wang Tong into the cave, trying to get out of the underground cave as soon as possible. The cave was natural, and as they ventured further, the cave system started to beplicated. They felt like they were lost.

    Everyone started to nce at Wang Tong from time to time. Wang Tong had been probing the cave with his soul energy. However, he was not able to locate the exit, nor was he able to pinpoint the direction they were currently heading, expect for the vague feeling that they were venturing further down into the deep.

    "Goldie 2, please guide us."

    "Yes master. There are two routes, one to the exit, and the other to the queen''sir. Which one would you like to take?"

    Wang Tong felt the urge to pick thetter. He had never seen a Zerg queen, so his curiosity was piqued.

    Wang Tong''s teammates didn''t dare disturb his soul-searching. They knew that only a fifth level soldier would be able to do that. As they marveled at Wang Tong''s ability and experience, they became convinced that he would be quickly promoted into higher ranks.

    Wang Tong exined the choices the toon had right then.

    "Since we are here, we should finish off the queen."

    "Hell yeah! Even if we all die here today, it would still be worth it."

    No one backed down from the dangerous mission. The humans had paid many lives in the battle against its enemies. They said that the foundation of human civilization was made out of the flesh and bones of the soldiers.

    "Let''s do it!" Jansining announced the team''s final decision. They knew that if they were able to get rid of one queen, there would be ten thousand Zergs less on Norton, killing less human soldiers.

    Everyone adjusted their soul energy to a minimum level, conserving most of their remaining soul energy for the encounter with the Queen. Following Goldie''s lead, Wang Tong guided the toon as they slowly approached their destination. Wang Tong had given up his searching using the soul energy entirely, since he felt it was depleting his soul energy too fast. He conceded that even at level 5, soul-searching arge andplicated terrain would still be an impossible task.

    Overbite was overseeing the detection unit, but he had shut off themunication unit. The toon figured that the odds of them returning back to the surface was very slim. So, there was no need for contacting the HQ any longer.

    Wang Tong marveled at his teammates'' courage. He had chosen this route out of sheer curiosity, with full confidence that he would be able to survive the encounter with the queen. However, his teammates had gotten ready to sacrifice their lives before they agreed toe this way. A certain measure of respect to these ordinary soldiers rose inside of Wang Tong.

    These men were the real heroes, and it was an honor and bliss for Wang Tong to fight alongside them.

    Everyone became cautious the closer they got to the queen''s hive. The had walked for over two hours, and some soldiers wondered if Wang Tong had gotten lost.

    Wang Tong didn''t get lost, but it was thebyrinth-like tunnels that had given the soldiers the illusion of being lost. While studying the 3D map projected onto his brain by Goldie, Wang tong marveled at the intricate and sophisticated design of the tunnels, and realized that these Zergs were not as unintelligent as the human had proimed. The design of these tunnels fit Zerg''s ergonomics perfectly, and even had a level of aesthetic appeal.

    After a while, Wang Tong finally stopped walking as he saw a faint light glowing in front of him. The light was soft as the touch of a morning sunlight. But, it wasn''t from the sun, it was from the Zergs'' eggs.

    They looked down from where they stood and saw an open field the size of a ser field, covered with a thick nket of Zerg eggs.

    The scene made everyone''s hair stand on their ends.

    "Wang Tong, we need to finish them off. But we have used up our nuke. Any ideas?" By then, Jansining had installed full trust in this capable new member, and regarded him as the future of the ninth toon.

    No one knew how to destroy these eggs, but they knew that they better do it quickly before they hatched.

    In the middle of the eggs sat an enormous caterpir-like worm. Its body undted unnaturally as eggs continuously popped out from its rear end.

    Soldiers swore that they could hear the heartbeats of the tens of thousands of Zergs in their cocoons across therge field. The sound was irritating and disturbing to listen to.

    Wang Tong was shocked by the sight of the Queen. It looked fat and meaty. Beside it were a few Were Kong Zergs, who were giving orders to the spider Zergs to carry the eggs around.

    Wang Tong had learned about the Were Kong Zergs, and knew they were extremely deadly. The Were Kongs in this cave looked even more potent and vicious than the ones he saw in the textbook. Wang Tong reasoned that it would be a tough fight with these ugly monsters, and he might not even be able to kill the queen with their interference.

    Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion above them, and the ground trembled, as dust ked off from the cave ceiling.

    The explosion seemed to have startled the Zergs. The queen let out an ear-splitting howl, and the Were Kongs went on their the way to scout the surroundings.

    "That should be our reinforcements! Our troops are near! Let''s do it! Kill that ugly mother*cker! "

 Chapter 252: Deadly Battle

    Chapter 252: Deadly Battle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Seeing the Zergs were distracted, Jansining didn''t want to pass up the opportunity to kill the queen. Should the queen retreat into thebyrinth of caves, there would be zero chance of finding her again.

    All of the Zergs'' attention was on the ground troops; this was their only shot.

    "Big Head, Iron Tooth, Big O and Third, did you see the four openings? I want you each to block one of those. I will distract the Were Kong." Jansining spoke with a raspy voice while half-leaning against the rock wall.

    "Lieutenant, I can distract the Were Kong. You can go kill the queen."

    "I am the leader, and I will handle it!" Jansiningmanded.

    "Lieutenant, I will do it. Wang Tong could kill the queen, and you could watch out for us!" Third announced.

    "It won''t work. I had run in with these Were Kongs before, so I can handle them better than anyone could. We only have one shot at this, Please, trust me, only I can do this!" Wang Tong pleaded. The other soldiers were too weak to face off the Were Kong, and therefore, they won''t be able to distract them for longer than a second before they were killed.

    "Alright, Kiddo! We all count on you now!" Jansining nodded and conceded that he would have to let Wang Tong take the risk.

    "Let''s do this brother! It''s a GOOD DAY TO DIE!" Jansining shouted out to hisrades. "Wang Tong, tell us your n."

    "I will engage the Were Kongs first, luring them away from the queen. The others would try to hold off at the four entrances. Remember, no matter what happens, don''te near me. You should be able to finish off the queen after I have lured the Were Kongs out."

    This was a very risky n, but they could no longer back out. Reinforcement was here, but they wouldn''t be able to reach the ninth toon in time. So, the soldiers'' only chance of survival was to kill the queen during the chaos.

    Everyone nodded, and they tightened their grip on the de, getting ready for a tough fight. Wang Tong took a deep breath, then darted out of the cover and threw his de squarely at the queen. One of thergest Were Kong was the first to respond. It sprinted to cover the queen with his giant body. The de prated the Were Kong''s hide and through his body. The other Were Kongs let out heart-wrenching cries before they charged at Wang Tong. Thergest Were Kong pulled the de out of its body and joined the others, as if nothing had happened to it.

    Time was ticking, as the massive Zerg Army rushed towards their queen. Wang Tong couldn''t afford to waste precious time fighting the Were Kongs so close to the queen. He needed to lure them away as soon as possible. He opened up his sea of consciousness and cranked up his soul energy to the fifth level. Two Were Kongs were mere inches away from him, so heunched himself into the air while stepping on two eggs. The eggs popped open under Wang Tong''s feet, and at the same moment, Wang Tong initiated the Tactics of the de and swung his de at the two Were Kongs.

    The de cut through the Were Kongs like cutting through a cake. The two Were Kongs'' dead bodies thudded heavily onto the ground. The other Were Kongs were shocked by the incredible power. At themand of their queen who was shrieking at them with a strange tune, the remainder of the Were Kongs threw themselves at Wang Tong. The queen didn''t seem to be ruffled by the danger. Instead, it watched Wang Tong with a corrupt desire in its two bulgy lidless eyes, tracing Wang Tong''s movements like a greedy vulture.

    If the members of the ninth toon were not veteran warriors, they would be stupefied by Wang Tong disy of strength. Under their lieutenant''smand, the rest of the soldiers rushed towards the four entrances to stop the flood of Zergsing into the chamber.

    Jansining waited patiently. As soon as Wang Tong lured the Were Kong a bit further, he would be able to finish off that defenseless queen. The Were Kongs were incredibly swift. If Jansining made the slightest mistake in estimating the distance, the Zergs would be able to turn back and reach him before he would be able to deliver a single blow at the queen.

    Wang Tong''s attack had killed two Were Kongs, but his palm was numb from the impact. He kept on stepping on and destroying the eggs, trying to infuriate his opponents.

    At the corner of his eyes, Wang Tong noticed that Jansining had initiated his attack as he dashed towards the Queen. The Were Kongs also saw their queen was in danger, so they turned on their heels, but were intercepted right away by Wang Tong.

    The Zergs outside the hive had also reached the entrance. The soldiers of the ninth toon were fighting as hard as they could, trying to push them back. All hope was in the hands of Jansining right then.

    However, Wang Tong realized that he had underestimated the Were Kong''s wits as much as he had overestimated Jansining''s speed. The Were Kongs ignored Wang Tong and rushed directly at Jansining, who was still making his way to the queen.

    Wang Tong''s heart sank. Recognition dawned on his face as he realized that he would have to do the impossible, to kill the queen himself while fighting against the Were Kongs.

    Jansining was aware of his perilous situation. But no matter how hard he tried, he still seemed to be too slow. Jansining bit down his lower lips until it started to bleed. Suddenly, his soul energy increased a few folds.

    Eyes bloodshot, Jansining gathered hisst breath and released it in a heart-wrenching howl as he plunged into the pile of grotesque flesh in front of him.

    Suddenly, the Zergs froze in mid-motion as the Queen screamed agonizingly at Jansining''s near mindless hacks and shes.

    The Zergs paused less than a second before they started to attack with more ferociousness. Some had utterly lost their minds as they plunged towards the soldiers. The sudden development unnerved Wang Tong.

    The soldiers'' defense quickly crumbled under the fric assaults; however, none of the Zergs bothered even to scratch any of the soldiers, including Jansining. Instead, they all rushed towards Wang Tong.

    "Big Head, get Lieutenant out of there. I will distract them!"

    Wang Tong shouted at the Zergs and quickly attracted their attention. The Zergs rush towards Wang Tong like a tsunami wave about to engulf a strangled boat.

    Wang Tong turned on his heels and started running. A few secondster, Wang Tong turned his head so that he was half facing the Zergs behind him, and taunted them, "Come on you dirty bugs! I will let you taste BBQ Zerg meat if you can catch me!"

    Wang Tong loved the BBQ Zerg meat when he was the first time on Norton.

    "Goldie, where the hell are you? Help me! Otherwise, you are going to be a piece of antique and General Li might have to pick a Zerg as his sessor." Seeing there was an intersectioning up, Wang Tong yelled at Goldie.

    "Master, please input destination."

    "Balls, the ground, of course!"

    "Master, based on the energy signal, the ground level is very dangerous right now. The military is conducting an air raid."

    "Then somewhere else that does not have any Zergs!"

    "Turn left please."

    Wang Tong darted to the left. He had thrown away his metal de and picked up a smaller and lighter piece of Zerg''s bone as his weapon.

    The Zergs chasing after Wang Tong had gone nuts. They stomped over each other''s body without following the unspoken order like they always did. The chaotic scene puzzled Wang Tong, as he had never seen Zergs move in such a frenzied motion before.

    Zergs were very intelligent creatures; they strictly followed orders when they were on the battlefield. So, one would seldom see a group of Zergs charging without a formation, let along stomping on each other.

    Meanwhile, on the ground, the air force had finished bombing, and the ground forces were in position, ready to kill off any remaining Zergs. Soldiers lined up behind rows of heavy tanks as the battle groups slowly pushed forward.

    Wang Tong ran as fast as he could, and soon found that there were only a few Were Kongs left, still chasing after him closely.

    Wang Tong felt the leader of the Were Kong looked strange, as if he had stolen some traits from other nightmarish creatures at some point during his evolution process.

    Half an hourter, Wang Tong noticed that there was only the leader of the Were Kong behind him, while the rest couldn''t keep up. Wang Tong stopped running and decided to finish the Were Kong off.

    A smirk crept on to Wang Tong''s face as he studied the empty surroundings. He was going to unleash the most badass move he could think of, and didn''t have to worry about hurting anyone else in case his power went out of control.

    Wang Tong waited until the Were Kong plunged towards him, and then punched at the Were Kong with a fiery fist.

    Dark Fire Fist!

    This was the strongest move Wang Tong had invented. It was inspired by Mr. Wannabe''s palm technique, and Wang Tong added the elements of fire to the GN force.

    The arm of the Were Kong, thick like a tree trunk, exploded as fire spout out from Wang Tong''s fist and prated Were Kong''s body, reducing it to ashes in an instance.

    Wang Tong was shocked by the power he had delivered through the punch.

    Wang Tong would never be able to use this technique in a PA system fight; it was too powerful. The ground started to shake, and Wang Tong figured that he had to leave the cave as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would be buried down here once the cave eventually copsed.

    The humans had two ways of dealing with the Queen Zerg hiding underground: one method was to send elite soldiers down the cave, and the other was to use GBD cannon to deliver a deathly blow through miles of rocks and dirt.

    The battle on the ground ended soon after the ground force was dispatched. The soldiers started to clean up the mess and tend to the wounded.

    High up in the space, a super battleship aimed its GBD cannon at the confirmed location. One direct shot from the GBD cannon would guarantee the death of the queen Zerg.

 Chapter 253: Battle Achievements

    Chapter 253: Battle Achievements

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Once the military had located the queen, they would spare no expense at destroying it. They would use the mass destruction weapon such as GBD if they could. If they couldn''t, such as at the areas where there were human settlements, they would send in the Expendables. In most cases, the team got sent in would never return, and only the luckiest ones would be able to kill the Zerg Queen at the cost of their lives.

    However, this time was different. The soldiers held the Queen''s pair of eyeballs while howling and cheering for the toon that had entered the cave and came back alive,

    "Captain, I request re-entering that cave, I got a kid down there."

    "Lieutenant, I am afraid your soldier is already dead. You have done a good job; you should be proud of him!"

    "Captain, he is a toughd. It was he who distracted the most powerful Zergs. I think he is still alive."

    "Corporal, let us go!"

    All members of the ninth toon had emerged except for one. But, all of them were injured. Big O''s wound was the most serious; his belly was cut open, revealing the pink innards.

    Captain Sun Li considered Jansining''s request for a while and agreed. "Ender, dispatch two extermination squads to the hive. We got a boy down there."

    "Yes, Sir!"

    "Jansining, take a rest. We will handle the rest from here."

    "Captain, I''m fine. Let me go down there with them, please!"

    "Take it easy, son. You will only increase our risk down there." Ender pointed out the truth bluntly.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong had already found his way out of the cave and found the human force. He couldn''t see his toon until he saw a crowd of soldiers and heard them shout "Queen''s eyeballs!". Wang Tong pushed the soldiers away and saw the familiar faces.

    "Lieutenant, sorry I amte!"

    Jansining was persuading Sun Li to allow him to go with the extermination team when he heard Wang Tong''s voice. Jansining looked at Wang Tong in disbelief, "You...you...For f*ck sake! it IS you!"

    Jansining rushed to Wang Tong and embraced him, and the rest of Wang Tong''s teammates followed his lieutenant and lifted their hero up while cheering for his return. Although he couldn''t join his teammates, Big Oid on a stretcher andughed with them. The ninth toon had made a miracle. They had entered the queen''s hive and killed the queen without losing a single man.

    "Captain, this is Wang Tong. He did it! He killed the Queen!" Jansining shouted at everyone. "Hey everyone, this boy is our hero. He killed the queen!"

    Wang Tong''s young age surprised Sun Li, as he shouted out. "Bothers and sisters, it looks like our future is brighter than we thought! Let''s kick more Zerg asses and cheer for our hero!"

    Wang Tong was caught off guard by the unwarranted credit and tried to exin what had happened, "No captain, I didn''t kill the Queen. It was lieutenant, it was lieutenant!"

    Wang Tong shouted, but the thunderous cheers drowned his voice. Soldiers stood on top of the tanks and the boulders as they waved their weapons and cheered for Wang Tong and the ninth toon''s perfect sess.

    Still unknown to the ninth toon was that the initial coordinates of the hive they were given were correct. However, the Zergs had moved away since the soldiers were given the coordinates. The Zergs had incredible hole boring abilities, so they were able to relocate their hive quickly underground. The HQ eventually received Overbite''s distress signal, and the military immediately mobilized the army to the correct location.

    The military had achieved a total victory over the Zergs. Not only had they kill a Zerg Queen, but they had also obtained two eyeballs, which could prove to be precious specimen for the scientists.

    The ninth toon had finished a mission impossible. They were a rtively unknown team, but right then, they had be the paragon of bravery among the soldiers.

    Each member of the ninth toon would receive a third rank golden shield badge, and Wang Tong and Jansining were guaranteed a golden shield badge of the second rank since being able to kill a queen and be back alive was unprecedented in the history of the military.

    Everyone fell asleep right way as soon as they got on the transport vehicle. They had overspent their energy during the battle, so their body desperately needed the recharge. They didn''t let exhaustion and injury slow them down during the fight, all because their iron wills supported them.

    Three dayster, everyone had received their badges. Wang Tong counted himself lucky to have the aid of Goldie. Otherwise, the entire toon might still be buried deep down in that cave.

    Both Jansining and Sun Li also understood the vital role that luck had yed in the oue of the event. The ninth toon''s strength was not remotely close to that of the extermination teams. Yet, not one extermination team hade out of a queen''s hive alive.

    Although luck might have caused their sess, the military could not deny their mettle and bravery. Therefore, no one had opposed to rewarding the soldiers with high ranking badges.

    While the ninth toon waited for Big O''s return from the medical facility, they were ordered to rest and recuperate.

    After the battle, everyone felt respect for Wang Tong for his strength and bravery. Soon, Wang Tong''srades started to ask his opinion on their skills and techniques.

    After a few days, Wang Tong gained a better understanding of everyone''s training background. Everyone practiced the standard thirty-two node version tactics. However, their results varied from person to person based on their inborn talents. Jansining was the only fourth level warrior, and rest were in their third level expect for Overbite who was still a second level fighter.

    Wang Tong reasoned that if the soldiers were given a better set of METAL suit, theirbat strength could be boosted. However, higher tier METAL suits were reserved for only the elite teams such as the extermination squad. Although the ninth toon had be the hero, they didn''t get any special treatment regarding their METAL because the military knew that a lucky miracle did not amount to a leap in their actualbat abilities. When the toon members received their new METAL in recement of their old ones that were destroyed during the battle in the hive, they found out that they had gotten the same tier of METAL as they used to wear. Wang Tong, however, was the exception, as his METAL was upgraded to the second tier from the first tier.

    Truth be told, the soldiers didn''t expect too much from the military to begin with. So, they were quite content with receiving a brand new set of METAL suit.

    The first tier METAL had greatly hindered Wang Tong''s defensive ability. Wang Tong always considered the defense the most critical element in surviving a battle. So, Wang Tong was pleased with his upgrade to the second tier.

    In the days that followed, Wang Tong focused his attention on improving hisrades'' skills. He concluded that improving soul energy was what his teammates needed to focus on during their training.

    Theck of reliable soul energy was a problem at all levels of the military. Most of the soldiers were in their second or the third level, but this amount of soul energy was not enough when they needed to face enemies outnumbered them by hundreds or thousands of times.

    On the day of the final battle between humans led by General Li Feng and the Zergs, the battle created the highest record of human casualties, as it imed 60 million souls. The battle, although costly, had put the Zerg''s advance to a jarring halt. The Zergs were caught off guard by their defeat as they didn''t expect to encounter such a great power on a inhabited by the soft and squishy human.

    Perhaps humans were not the most physically capable opponent the Zergs had encountered along their path of destruction, but they definitely were the most belligerent and cunning.

    General Li Feng had insisted on confronting the Zergs outside the sr system despite the voice of opposition which had argued that fighting outside of the familiar sr system was suicidal. Eventually, General Li Feng was able to persuade everyone that the day Zergs entered the sr system would be the start of human annihtion from this universe.

    The poption of the Zerg grew exponentially. Therefore, if the humans didn''t reduce their number early on and allowed them to reproduce, the sr system could be quickly overwhelmed.

    Although the battle was costly, it had taught the human race the importance of uniting together. Therefore, the alliance of the Earthling and the Kaedians was born soon after the battle was concluded.

 Chapter 254: Princess Warrior

    Chapter 254: Princess Warrior

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong learned that the thirty-two GN node tactics that hisrades were cultivating were called the Tactics of Steel de. It was an offense-focused tactics that transferred the soul energy to pure damage output. It dealt decent damage to lower tier Zergs, but quickly fell short when it was used against better armored higher tier Zergs such as the Were Kong.

    It was almost impossible for Jansining and his toon to switch to other tactics because they had spent a considerable amount of time on their current tactics. Not only was it difficult for them to adapt to other tactics sessfully, but forcing different tactics into their system could also be deadly.

    Wang Tong scratched his head as he struggled toe up with an effective method to improve his teammates''bat ability.

    Members of the ninth toon were down to the earth and not judgemental. To them, Wang Tong was as capable as any elite soldiers despite his young age.

    After a day of training, soldiers were throwing banters at each other while cleaning up their new METAL suits. Jansining walked into the locker room and brought news to everyone.

    HQ had assigned them another student.

    Members of the ninth toon hoorayed when they heard the news, hoping that it would be another badass addition to the team like Wang Tong.

    However, their heart sank as soon as they heard more about this new student.

    She was from one of the Great Houses.

    "What? Are you sure? Is she here on tour or what? What''s there to see on Norton anyways."

    "Haha, we might as well change our job title to travel guides."

    "Why would princess want toe to this sh*thole? Can you refuse the assignment, lieutenant?"

    No one on the ninth toon wanted a useless burden, let alone one that required 24/7 care and protection.

    Wang Tong''s mind reeled as he wondered if it was Li Ruoer who came after him for revenge. If it was true, he not only worried about his own life, but also those of the entire toon. It would be effortless for the Li family to let the ninth toon to ''disappear,'' they just need to order them to go on a suicidal mission.

    Frustrated and feeling helpless, Wang Tong finally regretted ever offended Li Ruoer.

    "This is an order from the higher-ups. We got no choice."

    "Lieutenant, do you think we should pull some tricks on her and scare her away?" Little O suggested.

    "Little O, why don''t you use your brain? This girl is from one of the Great Houses! My question is, why did she choose to join us?" Big Head scowled at Little O and then was immediately puzzled by his newfound question.

    "Wang Tong, you two are of simr age. We will be counting on you to look after her. Don''t let us down." Jansining quickly threw his best soldier under the bus. But unknown to him, he might as well have just sent Wang Tong to his doom.

    "Could you please let someone else look after her? I... I... ouch.. my stomach hurts. I''m afraid I wouldn''t be able to carry out the mission. Iron Tooth, how about you take over my duty?"

    Iron Tooth took a step back into the shadows. "No. I like busty mates, not interested in prickly little princesses. Choose someone else."

    "Ah... Lieutenant, I need to do dishes."

    "OH...right, I need to tidy up my room."

    Soon all the members of the ninth toon were gone, leaving Wang Tong and the lieutenant alone, staring at each other.

    "Wang Tong, you are part of our team now. You are our most trustedrades and the most capable fighter. I am the lieutenant, and I have too many things to deal with every day. So, I have made my final decision to leave the duty of looking after this new member to you. We appreciate your sacrifice!"

    Jansining gave Wang Tong a look that was half pity and half relief before he walked out of the room.

    Wang Tong wiped the bead size sweat off his forehead as he became worried about his safety at the hands of the new team member.

    After Wang Tong mulled over this conundrum for a while, he conceded that he would not be able to avoid the consequences of his actions. He hoped that time would eventually wash away this old feud. However, judging from the current situation, Wang Tong figured that Li Ruoer would return every ounce of suffering she had endured back at him.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh and epted the reality. He reasoned that if Li Ruoer dared to conspire against the toon, he would let her pay a costly price.

    As he regained some confidence, fear overtook him again. He shriveled and cursed at the air, "Damn you, crazy woman!"

    The next morning, everyone had shaved their scruffy faces, styled their hair carefully and put on their cleanest uniform to show respect for the Great House. Although the new member was only a student, her ancestors had contributed to the founding of the confederation.

    When Jansining appeared at the meeting hall, everyone''s jaw dropped at the beauty of the girl following Jansining''s lead.

    "Everyone, this is Miss Ma Xiaoru from House Ma. She is the new member I told you guys about."

    While studying the delicate features on Ma Xiaoru''s face, soldiers of the ninth toon felt a slight ache in their heart at the thought of this beautiful and tender girl fighting against the Zergs.

    "Don''t let her appearance fool you; Ma Xiaoru is a level five fighter. She can defeat anyone of you within seconds."

    "Comrades, I am nothing but a youngster here. I will rely on your advice to make myself a better soldier."

    Wang Tong was shocked by the sudden turn of event. He felt like being elevated into the heaven straight from hell.

    Hundreds of different emotions rushed into Wang Tong''s heart at the same moment. There were all shades of sadness, happiness, and everything in between, colliding with each other and forming a symphony of feelings, that eventually reduced into a wisp of fussy warmth in Wang Tong''s heart. Watching the smile on Ma Xiaoru''s face, Wang Tong felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long while.

    Ma Xiaoru greeted every soldier and soon was standing face to face with Wang Tong. She extended her hand courteously and said, "Wang Tong, nice to see you again."

    "Haha! You two know each other? That makes things much easier, doesn''t it! Wang Tong is a hero; he had proved his mettle in the battle against a Zerg Queen!" Jansining praised Wang Tong generously, hoping to leave Ma Xiaoru with a good impression of Wang Tong. Being in the military for so many decades, Jansining knew that a good impression in the minds of the Great Houses was half the battle in climbing thedders of military ranks.

    "Congrattions Wang Tong. Yes, I have heard about Wang Tong. He had defeated Capth during our tournament."

    "I thought you were from an A-ss Academy¡­ and you defeated Capth?"

    "You little sh*t, we had underestimated you after all!"

    Jansining was shocked by the revtion as well. He had heard about Ayrng, and knew that it used to be a top-notch S ss school but had since fallen and was downgraded into an A ss academy. As a student of an A ss school, it was an incredible feat for Wang Tong to defeat opponents from the S ss.

    "Haha, we will learn from each other!" Wang Tong drew a deep breath and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®Thank gods it wasn''t the other princess.¡¯ He thought to himself.

    "Lieutenant, Ma Xiaoru is at yourmand! "

    "Good! Wee aboard!"

    Jansining was relived after finding Ma Xiaoru was very approachable, unlike other children of the Great Houses. The connection between Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru should also make Wang Tong''s task much more manageable. No matter what would happen, Jansining could not afford to let Ma Xiaoru get hurt, since the Ma family controlled all the equipment of the military, including the METAL suit Jansining was wearing right then.

    Jansining started to announce the team tasks and new training routines, but Wang Tong didn''t pay any attention to Jansining as he was troubled by the thought of Ma Xiaoru''s amnesia. A strange feeling rose inside of Wang Tong as he shifted his eyes towards Ma Xiaoru to study her, ¡®Did she forget everything?" Wang Tong asked himself.

    As if Ma Xiao felt his gaze, she turned her head back and locked her eyes with Wang Tong''s, then a warm smile appeared on her face. Wang Tong looked away immediately, and his heart sank at the sight of the smile. He was convinced there and then that she had forgotten everything.

    Wang Tong then thought perhaps it was for the better. He should treat her like a stranger from now on, which was what he should have done when they first met. It would only be fair for all three of them.

    "Wang Tong, Wang Tong!"

    "Yes, Sir! I will finish the task!"

    "What task? I was only telling you to walk around the camp with Ma Xiaoru and help her to familiarize the environment on Norton. Can you do that without getting distracted?"

    "Yes, Sir! I will finish the task!" Wang Tong repeated mechanically as his teammates snickered.

    ¡®Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t! Why would I agree to that?¡¯ Wang Tong screamed in his head.

    Ma Xiaoru''s approachable personality and good work ethics had made the soldiers rethink their stereotypes about members of the great houses. They conceded that those stereotypes might be wrong, at least it was in the case of Ma Xiaoru.

    Wang Tong walked around the camp with Ma Xiaoru and exined a few things that were not described in the paper handout. Ma Xiaoru was not here for a show, and she wanted to follow Wang Tong''s footstep to start from the bottom, fighting as a nameless soldier.

 Chapter 255: The Familiar Stranger

    Chapter 255: The Familiar Stranger

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ma Xiaoru had gotten a first tier METAL suite like everyone else. After two days of performing simple tasks, Ma Xiaoru had shown everyone her solid soul energy and ability to survive on a with the harsh environment using the Tactics of Enchantress.

    Wang Tong had gotten along with Ma Xiaoru pretty well, pretending that he, too, had forgotten what happened between them while they were at Ayrng. There were very few Zergs they had encountered while performing the patrolling mission, but nothing dangerous. The number of Zergs was dwindling ever since their queen was killed. The military could simply move on to another district, but years of experience had taught them that they should not leave even a single Zerg alive while clearing an area. Otherwise, the Zergs woulde back really quickly.

    Despite the fact that Ma Xiaoru was much stronger than most of her teammates, her tender and soft voice made everyone want to protect her during missions. It was the effect of the Tactics of the Enchantress that had deceived the members of the ninth toon.

    Three dayster, Ma Xiaoru was no longer a stranger to the team. She also started to get to know more from Wang Tong. She was always excited about any small details about this wild, and wore her charming smile every day.

    God hadpleted the world with his final creation: women. Ever since Ma Xiaoru joined the ninth toon, the soldiers'' mood had brightened up a lot, as if Ma Xiaoru''s appearance had relieved some of their stress.

    What happened in the two days that followed had made the soldiers even more impressed with Ma Xiaoru''s ability. Even Wang Tong was caught off guard by her considerable improvements in her tactics ever sincest time he saw her use them. It always had been hard for anyone to have aplete grasp on Ma Xiaoru''s real power, thanks to the deceiving nature of the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    One day, during a regr field clearing mission, the ninth toon nearly walked into an ambush.

    A mutated Spider Zerg, a Skulk Zerg and four sickle Zergs were hiding inside the jungle, waiting for human soldiers to walk into the kill zone.

    Tactics of the Enchantress was well known for its detection ability. Since Ma Xiaoru''s cultivation had reach level five, she had detected these amateur ambushes from far away and signaled everyone to stop.

    The team decided to circle the ambush and kill the skulk Zerg first before finishing off the rest of the Zergs. Ma Xiaoru further stated that the mutated Spider Zerg could be trouble. Based on Ma Xiaoru''s probing using her soul energy, she could tell that the mutant was able to produce an invincible Zerg web and attach it to the tree branches. That would slow the soldiers down significantly once they got caught in the sticky web. Everyone was impressed by Ma Xiaoru''s recon ability and her knowledge of the Zergs. They conceded that they had underestimated the real-lifebat experience of the members of the Great Houses. Jansining was delighted by the addition of another capable soldier.

    The ninth toon was not the worst squad, but it was nevertheless far behind those elite extermination teams. Only the top five toons in a battalion would be granted the title "Exterminator." The ranking of the toons was based on the number of Zergs the team had killed, and it was every soldier''s dream to be in an extermination team.

    Jansining was aware that even with the recent sess of killing the queen, the ninth toon''s kill score was still no match for that of other elite teams. However, Jansining reasoned that with the two new additions, their kill score should increase by leaps and bounds, and they might have a chance in getting that title he had been dreamed of.

    The toon finally returned to the camp after two days of battle. Some chatted with their families over the phone, some were ying poker, and some were resting on their bed. But no one heeded Wang Tong''s advice of practicing tactics whenever they had the time. Everyone''s talent and fate were different; no one on the ninth toon would have to save the world in the future, so they would rather rx and take a rest during their downtime than training like a robot. Wartime life was very stressful and tiring, and resting well was essential for the future battles.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru didn''t feel tired, neither did they felt any stress on the battlefield, due to their superior power and endurance.

    The two sat on top of an armored vehicle, watching the beautiful expanse of the wild. They felt that with some effort, humans would be able to call this ce home after they have gotten rid of the Zergs. The thought gave the two a certain measure of motivation and lit up their eyes.

    "Thank you." Ma Xiaoru said as she wisped a few strands of loose hair off her forehead, tugging them behind her delicate ears.

    "For what?" Wang Tong lolled on the roof of the vehicle. The warm breeze brushed his cheek, making him feel sleepy. He dreaded revisiting this, but once he was here, he felt reluctant to leave.

    Wong Tong wondered whether it was the scenery or the people he had met here that made him want to stay.

    "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to prove myself in front of everyone. I know you had sensed those Zergs too." Ma Xiaoru said quietly.

    "Me? I didn''t notice anything. They like you because you are nice. You don''t need to prove anything, you know." Wang Tong denied.

    Ma Xioaru didn''t argue with him. She simply sat right beside Wang Tong, enjoying the quiet moment that belonged only to the two of them.

    Wang Tong closed his eyes and started to think about Samantha.

    Wang Tong wanted to keep distance with Ma Xiaoru. However, they just got along very well naturally. After all, although Ma Xiaoru had lost her memories, she didn''t lose her likable personality.

    What troubled Wang Tong then was the other enchantress, Li Rouer. He was convinced that she would not forget about their feud, and woulde after him soon.

    The longer Wang Tong had to wait for Li Ruoer''s revenge, the more uneasy Wang Tong became; he could feel that the intensity of Li Ruoer''s rage was increasing by the day. Sometimes, Wang Tong wondered if Li Ruoer had already gone deranged while practicing the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    The exact nature of the tactics of the enchantress remained elusive. Some experts thought that Ma Xiaoru''s personality was too stable, and therefore she wouldn''t go too far in her cultivation of the capricious tactics. However, Ma Xiaoru''s soul energy had been increasing steadily after she broke through the fifth level, and her body had also been strengthening and remaining healthy. Even the masters from the Li family thought it was a miracle that Ma Xiaoru had done so well while so many elements had been working against her. Thus, the lesson was this: no one knew precisely how the Tactics of the Enchantress worked.

    Li Ruoer was angry. She wanted to be assigned to the same team with Wang Tong so she could seek her revenge. But somehow, she was reassigned to the heavy armor squad. Someone had been messing with her n.

    After some probing, she quickly found out that it was Ma Sa behind the change in her reassignment. She could have done away with Ma Sa''s career there and then. But Ma Sa was about to y a critical role in her father and brother''s n, so she hesitated.

    Although she was wild, Li Ruoer was also very smart. She didn''t put her revenge into action right after her arrival. Instead, she understood the importance of putting on a show as the daughter of an Einherjar. She quickly adopted her role and worked and trained hard during the day to show her apparent enthusiasm in front of the watchful eyes, while in the night, she continued brewing her toxic n of revenge.

    Despite the immense influence it had exerted across all levels of the Confederation, the Li family could not dictate the matters of the world, especially in recent years. With their transitional ally, the Ma''s loyalty wavering, and the outburst of the insurgency led by the Golden Hawk, the Li family needed the public on their side more so than ever.

    Quickly, Li Ruoer''s strength and seemingly likable personality had won the hearts of thousands of young soldiers, just like her ancestor, General Zhou Zhi did in the past.

    General Zhou Zhi had always been Li Rouer''s model. Li Ruoer appeared to be an innocent and capable young girl, but under the facade made out of innocent smiles and benevolent gestures was a power-hungry monster spinning her web of influence. Li Ruoer didn''t befriend Ma Xiaoru just because she wanted Ma Xiaoru to marry her brother, she also wanted to prove her ability to her brother and father. It was a reminder to her father that she, too, was an heir of the Li family and deserved his equal attention.

    However, Wang Tong had spoiled her n and humiliated her in the vault. Li Ruoer dreamed of the day of her revenge when Wang Tong would kneel in front of her, repenting his sins, while she delivered the killing blow.

 Chapter 256: Big Heads Song

    Chapter 256: Big Head''s Song

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Perhaps," Li Ruoer thought, "the real reason that my n would never work as I intended it to was due to the Tactics of the Enchantress. Maybe that was why I could be so sunburned at times as well."

    Zhou Zhi used to say that ¡®the best way to increase one''s willpower was to battle with oneself, and regardless of one''s purpose, winning something or someone should be the only goal.¡¯

    Although what Zhou Zhi had said didn''t make sense to anyone who didn''t practice the Tactics of the Enchantress, it was treated as one of the most fundamental tenants of the Enchantress. Every generation of cultivators had their own take on the meaning of these words, but Li Ruoer believed that her understanding was the only correct meaning.

    Li Ruoer''s father had told her that she was the most talented among all who had cultivated the Tactics of the Enchantress. Her soul energy was extraordinarily adaptive, and could be molded into a different shape in a blink of an eye. However, despite the frequent changes, Li Ruoer could always hold onto the threads of order in the chaos, and control the power of the tactics to release its full potential. The hardest part of using the tactics of the enchantress was self-control. The cultivator was exposed to wide range of emotions caused by the tactics by design. Without a tremendous self-restraint, one would easily be deranged. General Zhou Zhi was able to exercise extreme self-control because General Li Feng was her only desire. Thanks to the ''perfect'' mismatch of the wielder¡¯s steadfastness and the tactic''s erratic nature, General Zhou Zhi had be the second most powerful human on earth, closely behind the very source of her power: General Li Feng.

    Li Ruoer often felt indignant that her father and everyone else seemed to considered her brother as the only legitimate heir and ignored her feelings.

    That being said, other than assuming her brother would eventually take over the family business, everyone treated Li Ruoer with the utmost respect. Li family had a considerable influence in the military, thanks to the family tradition of producing Einherjars. Although at times, there were one or two members of other families who would achieve the status of Einherjar, the majority of the Einherjars were from the Li family.

    Regardless of the power struggles, no one would be able to challenge the status of the Li family. The Li family and the other four great houses had be too big to fall.

    On the Mars, House of Lie dictated all matters on the. Their only opponent was the Divine Master Sect, but it was unlikely that the sect would intervene in any worldly matters, as their sect disciplines forbade such actions. On the Moon, the Dowers and the Zhang had reached a mutual understanding, and had divided the monopolization of the Moon between themselves. Thanks to the more advanced technology and the brand of ''elite living,'' life on the moon were much morefortable than that on any other. It had a highly democratic and developed society, which both Doer and the Zhang worked very hard to protect and preserve. Thanks to the two families¡¯ hard work and genuine concern for its people, they had enjoyed a very high approval rating on their home.

    The alliance between the Li and the Ma on the earth was also very stable. The two families had a rough go in the first three hundred years after General Li passed away, but they had slowly rebuilt the earth and brought it back to prosperity. The earthlings were much better at politics than the Martians, and had a greater craving for power than the Ivantians. Driven by the insatiable desire for control and power, the Li Family had slowly extended its influence, in an attempt to seize control of the confederation and the council meetings.

    Li Daozhe had gone so far as to embed his hope in his children toplete the family''s grand n in their names: "Li Shiming"¡ªname of the greatest ancient emperor, and "Ruoer" ¡ª "like the son."

    On Mars, Lie Jian was fuming over his challenger bailing on him without even sending him a notice.

    It was the first time in Jie Jian''s life that anyone had ever dropped the ball on him.

    Lie Jian had been getting increasingly impatient a few days ago. At first, he thought Einherjar Wannabe was ying some trick on him. But as time passed, he realized that his opponent had dropped out the match entirely.

    Lie Jian felt like he had hosted avish banquet but his guest of honor had failed to show up. The reason he requested a realbat was that he had reserved opinions about the PA system''s fairness. After all, it was the untrustworthy earthlings who developed the PA system.

    It had be tough for him to find a worthy opponent, but the only one he had discovered in a long time had decided to hide away from him. Therefore, Lie Jian had since lived in the agony of regret and anger, suffering the torment of waiting.

    In addition to waiting, Lie Jian also sent out his spooks, trying to figure out if that powerful fighter called Einherjar Wannabe really existed, or was he just a ruse yed out by the DREAM to intentionally mess with him and his family. However, Lie Jian''s intuition told him that that wasn''t the case.

    He conceded that, for the sake of his face and his family reputation, he needed to be patient.

    The soldiers of the ninth toon found their life had been bing joyful. Theypleted all their missions with ease, and while they were off duty, they could tease the young "couple," Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru, for their unspoken intimacy. Whenever they made the pair blush, the two would stare at jesters indignantly, and the look on their face would make the soldiers burst outughing.

    Jansining had soon be Wang Tong''s close friend. From time to time, he would pull out the picture from his inner pocket and brag about her cute daughter. Jansining was the only member of the toon who had a kid, and therefore, he was the only who felt the guilt of not being able to be there for his lovely daughter as she grew up.

    Luckily, Jansining''s wife was very supportive and understanding. Although it was an honor to be the wife of a soldier who fought for the safety of mankind, the wives of the soldiers had to take on more stress in their lives and endure the loneliness. Jansining understood what his wife was going through, so he video chatted with his family whenever he got the chance.

    Whenever Jansining video chatted with his wife and daughter, the other soldiers would crowd the screen with their faces, trying to take a look at the cute little toddler.

    They quickly learned that the little toddler had a sharp mind and sharper tongue. When Jansining introduced Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru to her, she asked tantly if the two were dating, and then immediately asked her father the meaning of the word "dating."

    The one that got jested by her little sharp mouth the most often was Big Head. Big Head was her godfather, so she decided to sing a song to him, and it went like this:

    Big Head has a big head,

    Raining and pouring but don''t you fret,

    Stay close under his chin,

    and I guarantee you

    that you won''t get wet!

    The little girl sang the song and pped her small hands together as if measuring the tempo. Her seriousness and the hrious lyrics sent everyoneughing. Big Head smiled amiably at the camera while trying to endure his teammates''ughter.

    It was these little moments that made Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru feel like they were home, and appreciate the deep connections they had built with the soldiers.

    It had been a while since the two studentsnded on Norton, and Ma Xiaoru had been adapting to the new environment very quickly. Wang Tong admired Ma Xiaoru''s ability to adapt so quickly to such an austere and harsh lifestyle. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and was used to plush life and busy streets. It was her adaptive and easy going personality that had helped her adjust.

    The number of Zergs had been dwindling ever since the ninth toon had killed the queen, and soon, the entire area had been cleared of bugs. The ninth toon was praised publicly at a gathering, and received a trophy for killing the queen.

    The human force slowly pushed forward. It was hard to discover the location of the hives, and even when they did, killing the Zerg Queen also presented a problem. Since the GBD cannon could not guarantee the death of the queen, the military had to dispatch extermination teams to their. But so far, only the ninth toon and came back alive from such a mission.

    Once the military was certain that there was no more Zergs left, they put up a defense perimeter and moved on District E. News hade that there was substantial Zerg activity in District E, so the promise of killing Zergs motivated all the soldiers on the day they left District D.

    The terrain in District E was much moreplicated than that of District D, due to its dense coverage of forest. When the military discovered a group of Zergs hiding in the woods, the standard practice was to bombard the woods until there were no trees left to conceal the Zergs. Luckily, the scourge of the environmentalists hadn''t reached this yet.

    There are only two goals for a soldier on Norton: Kill Zergs and stay alive.

    "Guard up, everyone! Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong, you two be really careful. The situation could get messier than you could imagine here."

    "Roger that, lieutenant!"

 Chapter 257: Zergs Counterattack

    Chapter 257: Zerg''s Counterattack

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Even without Jansining''s warning, experience had already told Wang Tong to tread carefully in the forest. Zergs'' evolution had allowed them to blend seamlessly into the woods, which made their ambush more unexpected and deadlier. Although human soldiers could detect ambushes using their soul energy, the higher tier Zergs still posed a real threat in an environment such as this.

    The military had formed an encirclement around District E. The third battalion was not the primary attacking force. Therefore, they were in charge of clearing out the remaining Zergs behind the front line.

    "Lieutenant, when are we going to stop doing these cleaning jobs and have a real mission instead?" Big Headined.

    Big Head felt it was safer on the front line than behind it, because there were more soldiers at the front line while the ninth toon always carried out the clearing mission by themselves. Both humans and the Zergs would agree on that one¡ªthere was safety in numbers.

    "Stop babbling. I wish we could too!" Jansining rebutted. He wanted to join the front line, but he also knew that his teammates need to improve their skills before they could be put to use in an actual battle.

    "It''s bullsh*t! The thirteenth toon had been transferred to the first battalion. They probably have a great time killing Zergs right now. When is it going to be our turn?" Third was also very jealous of the elite teams that got transferred to the frontline.

    To put it simply, the ninth toon was a mediocre toon in a mediocre battalion.

    When Jansining heard that there would be a member of the great house being transferred to their mediocre team, he thought he had heard it wrong. But luckily, Ma Xiaoru had proven to be apetent soldier.

    As they made their way across the field, they killed three waves of attacks. In each encounter, they had Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru at the forefront, while everyone else supported the two with firepower. All three groups of Zergs initially tried to ambush the human soldiers, but with Wang Tong''s experience and Ma Xiaoru''s incredible detection ability at work, the Zergs ended up shooting themselves in the foot by revealing their hideouts.

    As the toon went further into the woods, Wang Tong found that things didn''t add up: the Zergs they had encountered were all higher level Zergs than one would expect to see in an area this far away from the hive, unless, the hive was nowhere near the front line.

    The military had been using the number of Zergs as an indicator of the location of the hive. However, the lesson learned fromst hive battle was that the Zergs would be able to relocate their hive very rapidly, thanks to their incredible ability to bore holes. Therefore, Wang Tong reasoned that the hive in District E had been shifted as well, and most likely was somewhere close to where they were right then.

    Wang Tong shared his thoughts with Ma Xiaoru, and thetter told him that she, too, had a nagging feeling of eminent danger. Unlike Wang Tong who had arrived at his conclusion using logic and observation, Ma Xiaoru relied on her intuition of the Enchantress. It was said that a real Enchantress could predict the future events, and had many seemingly magical abilities. The soul energy was the greatest gift from the creator to mankind. Both wealth and body would eventually run out, but not the soul energy. Its supply was limitless once one was truly enlightened like General Li Feng and Zhou Zhi. Only a few close friends of General Li Feng and Zhou Zhi, such as the Ma family, knew that the two generals'' appearance had stayed at that of age 28 after they reached the highest level of cultivation.

    Ma Xiao had always believed that it was only a legend until she started to reach the higher level in her cultivation and felt the subtle but seemingly magical changes in her body, such as the ability to detect danger ahead of time. She decided to continue the path of cultivation, hoping that one day, she would be able to stay young forever like general Zhou Zhi.

    "We are not getting anywhere. Let''s split up into three groups. Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru, you each take a couple of soldiers and scout left and right nks, and the rest follow me in the center. Keep within 100-meter distance with each other, and keep your radio on; if the situation gets hairy, regroup with the center group. "

    Ninth toon took action immediately. There were only a few Zergs scattered around in the woods, so even if one team encountered enemy, the other teams could quickly rush to their aid. However, time was of the essence. When it turned dark, the Zergs would gain a significant advantage over the humans, forcing the soldiers to quit their mission during the night.

    While the ninth toon was carrying out their mission, Li Shiming and his team had encountered a horrific Zerg counterattack at the camp. The majority of the Zerg army was made out of middle-level Zergs; the number of Tank Zergs alone had reached 18. Although Li Shiming knew that he was within the area where most higher tier Zergs were spotted, he did not anticipate such arge number of powerful Zergs sieging a human camp.

    LI Shiming saw that surrounding the higher tier Zergs were countless lower tier Zergs; he registered that the Zergs might have poured all their forces in this counter-attack, and therefore, if the human coulde out victorious, the number of Zergs in this area would be drastically reduced, at least for a while.

    Despite the horrific scene and the gruesome battles, this scenario was exactly what the military wanted.

    The human was best at defense; breaching the human defense was not an easy task even to a mighty Zerg army such as this. The besieged human force would only need to hold off for about half hour until the reinforcements arrived, and a few minutester, the spaceships would be in position, ready for a devastating ughter from above. Therefore, the situation waspletely in favor of humans the moment the massive Zerg Army showed up. Some soldiers wondered what had made these Zergs act so carelessly.

    Ever since he arrived in the military, Li Shiming had been promoted to a corporal, leading his fire team at the forefront of the formation. His prestigious family name, exceptionalbat ability, and the no-nonsense attitude had won the respect of many soldiers. The quality that soldiers admired in him the most was his bravery. He always led the charge at the front of the line, and fought with the toughest Zerg during battles.

    Li Shiming had quickly be the paragon of bravery and strength. He was also approachable and fair as he treated every soldier equally, regardless of their rank. The soldiers could only sense the air of dignity and honor of being the member of House of Li in Li Shiming, but not the arrogance and pomposity.

    As soon as Li Shiming''s fire team engaged in thebat, a dozen high tier Zergs rushed towards him. There were over ten Were Kongs and a few Nightmares. The Nightmare was a terrible creature that once stuck to a human body would drain all of the life force in a matter of seconds. The mortality rate was extremely high inbat involving Nightmares. In addition to them were the Diamond Beetles. One should not be fooled by its name, since not only was it worthless in a pawnshop, it was also incredibly deadly. The Diamond Beetle got its name due to the almost unbreakable exoskeleton. Only a fifth level warrior would be able to do any real harm to its hard shell, and anyone lower than level five wouldn''t even be able to make a dent on it. The Diamond Beetles were only the size of a human fist, and their attack mode was simple. They charged at the humans at an incredible speed, and used the kic energy to prate anything that was in their way. Although they were small, they were extremely deadly due to being able to prate a dozen soldiers wearing tier one armors on one charge. Even the enhanced armor of the heavy armor tanks would give in after their constant ramming.

    Despite the shocking disy of strength, Li Shiming remained calm. As if the Zerg had sensed that he was the strongest of all soldiers, they all rushed at Li Shiming. Li Shiming held his ground under wave after wave of attacks, and he saved the precious time for the reinforcements and the spaceships to be mobilized. A few minutes after the reinforcements came, the battle was over.

    This was one of the greatest victory human had achieved ever since they had taken the of Norton from the ws of the Zergs. It should take the Zerg a while to recover from such a devastating blow, and humans would not even give them the chance to do that since they had already sent out extermination teams around the area to chase off any Zergs that had escaped.

    Li Shiming''s performance in this battle was perfect; he stood against arge number of high tier Zergs while sustaining only minor injuries.

    Li Shiming was also satisfied with his performance. Although he had taken a significant risk, he had never doubted himself. He believed that all great aplishments came with risks, and he would just have to learn to manage it.

    He was puzzled after hearing that Ma Sa had requested to see him. Ma Sa was a member of the NNT unit, a special unit within a special department. To put it simply, they were the assassins working for the Confederation. They had strict rules about not being involved in political struggles of the great houses. So, members of the NNT unit would usually avoid meeting with the great houses during wartime.

    Li Shiming mulled over Ma Sa''s intention and Ma Sa''s mission on this before he set off to his office. Li Shiming had heard of Ma Sa''s methods, and knew that he was a force to be reckoned with. What made Li Shiming so cautious was the fact that Ma Sa had requested the meeting as the colonel of the NNT, instead of his superior during the war.

    "This is Corporal Li Shiming reporting to you, sir!"

    "Come in please."

    Ma Sa''s eyes locked on to Li Shiming''s as soon as the young soldier walked into his office.

    "Shi Shu, what''s the matter?" Li Shiming asked directly.

    Both Ma Sa and Li Shiming had trained at the Temr''s court when they were young, and one of Ma Sa''s Temr brother stayed with the Temr and eventfully be Li Shiming''s master when he entered Temr. Therefore, Li Shiming had called him "Shi Shu" ¡ª "brother of the master."

 Chapter 258: Material for Evolution

    Chapter 258: Material for Evolution

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Grab a seat. There is some minor detail I''d like to go over with you." Ma Sa knew Li Shiming was trying to kiss his a*s by calling him Shi Shu.

    "Please."

    "I am here on a secret mission..."

    "Shi Shu, you don¡¯t have to tell me the details. I would assist in your mission. It will be my honor to serve the Confederation." Li Shiming said sincerely while looking Ma Sa in the eyes.

    Ma Da admired Li Shiming''s craftynguage at such a young age.

    "House of Li is the pir of the Confederation, so you must have already picked up some clues. We suspect that Zerg''s intention in invading Norton was not to conquer the but to collect material for evolving further. ording to a few survivors, the Zergs killed the ones with lower soul levels, like they always did. However, they had tried to capture the higher-level fighters alive. They didn''t even send out that many space hives. So, their eyes were not on the. It is doubtful that the crafty Zergs slipped up, unless..."

    Ma Sa nced at Li Shiming, whose face had remained cid, and continued, "¡­unless the Zergs were on to something entirely different, and meant to keep it a secret."

    "I was wondering if you would offer me some suggestions as to what exactly do these Zergs want?" Ma Sa asked.

    Silence fell into the room as Li Shiming chewed on Ma Sa''s question under the calm facade, then broke the silence. "I don''t know, but I can gather this much: since you asked me about this but not anyone else, it means that the answer you were looking for also rtes to my experience. The only notable activities I partook was the recent battle. In other words, you are implying that my appearance on Norton had made the Zerg''s change their behavior. But what are they looking for in me?"

    Ma Sa and Li Shiming''s eyes both lit up. Ma Sa marveled at Li Shiming''s incredible ability to pick up clues and his methodical deduction.

    Almost in the same instance, they both realized the only thing in Li Shiming that might have piqued the Zerg''s interest could be his DNA.

    The Zergs constantly mutated their genes to adapt to different situations. Ever since they had encountered human, they had been researching humans, like they had done to them, by tinkering the makeup of human genes.

    Luckily for both parties, they practically knew nothing about each other.

    The source of human''s power flowed in Li Shiming''s blood, and therefore, once he showed up on the battlefield, the Zergs attacked him with abandon. It was not a coincidence that Li Shiming happened to attract the most potent Zergs.

    "Don''t worry soldier. It is not that easy to extract what they want from a few strands of DNA. The vigor of a human soldieres from thebination of the soul energy and his tactics, and not just his physical body. Should the Zergs spawn a new generation of freaks that mimic the way the human body works, they would have to give up their superior brute force, and that might even give us an edge on the battlefield."

    "Shi Shu, it is not unlikely, neither is it unthinkable that Zergs would eventuallye up with a higher form of existence and be more of a threat than they already are."

    "Well saidd. Many clues we picked up had confirmed our suspicion. We had watched yourbat video many times, and it seems that the Zergs never wanted to kill you. Look there on the screen, pay attention to the ground."

    The video yed a clip of Li Shiming''sbat during the earlier heroic battle. Li Shimin was injured, his blood sttered onto the ground. A little turtle like Zerg crawled near the blood and sucked the blood dry before it vanished amidst the chaos.

    "We can only see it after knowing the fact. No one would be able to notice it, much less do anything on the spot during the heated battle."

    "It might not be as bad as we think. At least now we know what they are after. It is also proof that our strategies are working. Otherwise, they won''t be so desperate."

    Li Shiming wasn''t ruffled by the content of the video. He reckoned that it was inevitable for his DNA samples to be collected, since all it took was a strand of hair or a few drops of blood. However, Li Shiming reasoned that despite the ample collection of human DNA samples, it would take the Zergs a while to crack open the secrets of the human genome, just like human''s snail pace in discovering that of the Zergs.

    "Back to the reason why you are here: We had concluded that there must be one of their more advanced brains on Norton coordinating these muscles to execute such a sophisticated n. It is, we believe, a kind of Zerg that we have never seen before ¡ªthe mastermind. It has the highest intelligence and total authority, and it might even be the architect of the hives."

    The conjecture quickly piqued Li Shiming''s interest. The Zerg Queen was only in charge of reproduction, and the Encephalon Zerg was themander during battles. But so far, the humans had not yet discovered the identity of the so-called mastermind that had plotted the course of their destructive path, and made the decision in the grand scheme of things.

    What kind of a Zerg would it be?

    As humans spent more time with Zergs on the battlefield and in theb, they started to peel off and reveal theplexyers of the Zerg''s social structure. Based on the Zergs¡¯ high skill to adapt, one could even argue that the Zergs¡¯ socialposition had mimicked that of the humans. They might consider the humans'' way more advantageous in the sr system, and felt the revolutionary pressure of natural selection.

    Ma Sa said something; it was a request that Li Shiming could neither ept nor refuse. After a while, Li Shiming said in his seemingly cid voice, "This is a matter of great importance to both the Confederation and my family. Please allow me a few days to consider it."

    "Yes, make sure you send the message in an encrypted channel when you reach your decision. Remember, time is of the essence."

    Li Shiming nodded, his expression holding the fragile edge of a calm that threatened to explode.

    Wang Tong''s team had quickly found an entrance. Although Goldie wasn''t entirely sure if there was a Encephalon Zerg at the end of the tunnel, the odds were looking pretty good.

    Wang Tong probed the cave with his soul energy and registered that the size of the cave system was simr to that in which he had killed the Zerg Queen. He held back the team and decided to venture down by himself.

    "Lieutenant, let me go in first. I can feel something is in there."

    "It''s too dangerous to go by yourself. I will go with you. Third, you can give orders in my stead. Overbite, report to the HQ right now, ''possible hostile forces, we are investigating the situation right now.'' " Jansiningmanded.

    "Lieutenant, let me go with him" Ma Xiaoru pleaded. Although Jansining knew Ma Xiaoru possessed incredible power, he could not afford to expose her to this much danger.

    "I can run much faster by myself. Why don''t you stay here and wait for my message? I will be careful not to disturb the Zergs while I scout out the Encephalon''s whereabouts."

    Jansining couldn''t bring himself to agree to Wang tong''s request. However, pragmatism came over him, and he conceded that anyone except Ma Xiaoru would be a hindrance rather than help to Wang Tong. Meanwhile, the same pragmatism had refused him to let Ma Xiaoru enter that cave.

    "Go, but be careful. We want a living brother, not a dead hero. Do you hear me?" Jansining said with a solemn face.

    "Yes, Sir!" Wang Tong saluted confidently.

    "Wang Tong!" Ma Xiaoru called out to Wang Tong who had already half stepped into the entrance. Wang Tong turned back and asked, "What''s up?"

    "Be careful!"

    The tenderness in Ma Xiaoru''s voice sounded familiar to Wang Tong for a second; The words were a thin thread leading into Wang Tong''s memory. But, before he could tug on it and drag out the old Ma Xiaoru with all her affection, the thread snapped. He realized that Ma Xiaoru cared about him just like she cared about otherrades.

    "Don''t worry about me. I have more than nine lives. Be careful out here too; it could be a trap." Wang Tong let out augh and disappeared into the tunnel.

    The cave turned pitch dark soon after Wang Tong entered. Wang Tong could have turned on the illumination unit on his METAL, but he had something better¡ªhis eyes burned with a golden luster in the darkness.

    Wang Tong''s night vision would not give away his location like the illuminating unit would, so he slipped like a shadow in the darkness. He had learned many tricks to cover his tracks while sneaking about on Norton, and even his breath was controlled to minimize the chance of being detected.

    "Goldie 2, what''s the surrounding like?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Master, no unusual life signals so far."

    "Balls! Was I wrong about this? They wouldn''t have built this big cave system for no reason, eh?"

    Wang Tong pressed on, believing in his intuition. Theplexity of the cave was a tell-tale sign that something big was hidden in its bowel. Zergs were intelligent, but they were predictable nheless, if one knew where to look.

    As Wang Tong went further, he noticed that the cave was even more massive and more intricate than the one he was inst time. He doubted that the GBD would be able to prate this far and kill whatever was hidden at the bottom.

    A few moments had passed, yet Wang Tong still had found nothing. Recognition dawned on his face as he realized there were only two possibilities to this strange development: The Zergs had already moved away, or it was a trap.

 Chapter 259: Kill Kill Kill

    Chapter 259: Kill Kill Kill

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong''s heart sank. He wondered if he had been followed ever since his first encounter of the day with the Zergs.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong thought about the crazy behavior of the Zergs who chased after him while Jansining was murdering the queen. The Zergs even passed Jansining despite their queen''s agonizing shrieks¡­ Unless, the shrieking was not a plead for rescue, but it was thestmand: Kill the strongest.

    "Shit!"

    "Master, I have registered arge number of biological signals. They are all converging toward you."

    Before Goldie''s voice slipped away, Wang Tong had initiated his tactics to the full extent and stormed out. He was concerned for the safety of hisrades on the ground, and wondered why the Zergs would want him dead so badly. Then, it urred to him that there must be a Encephalon Zerg somewhere in this cave. Otherwise, these cretins would not have the patience nor the memory to continue their dead queen''s dying wish.

    It was the first time in a long while that Wang Tong ever fell into a Zerg''s trap.

    The situation on the ground was much worse than Wang Tong would like to see. The toon had retreated at first sight of the attackers, but was then forced to separate into two groups withmunications to both Wang Tong and each other cut off by the disturbance signals.

    The lower tier Zergs had encircled the toon, letting the higher tier Zergs flex their muscles against the human soldiers in the middle of the encirclement.

    Very quickly, half of the toon were either mortally wounded or dead. The Zergs inched toward thest two members of the toon, brandishing their sharp ws, some of which still had bits and pieces of human flesh hanging on it.

    "Ma Xiaoru, Imand you to leave the battle!" Jansining shouted.

    "I can''t and I won''t!"

    Ma Xiaoru had initiated her super METAL. Despite its power, it drained her soul energy rapidly. After killing a dozen high-level Zergs, her attacks came with less frequency and vigor. She should have a chance of breaking the encirclement by herself had she focused on escaping from the beginning of the engagement. However, she could not leave herrades to die. So she stayed, struggling to save her teammates'' lives, and then failed. Her teammates died one after another, then it was her turn.

    Jansining had already lost an arm. A piece of bone stuck out from the stub, the whiteness of the bone was jarring against the mush of meat and blood. Having witnessed his brothers'' death, Jansining''s mind had been fried many times over.

    He had known this day woulde.

    "Take this!" Jansining handed over a mini nuke to Ma Xiaoru using the only arm he had left.

    "Bros, wait for me. I aming!" Jansining plunged himself at the Zerg while screaming profanities at his enemies hideous but indifferent face.

    A sharp talon prated Jansining''s chest. Only with slight hesitation, Jansining continued his charge, driving the tip of the w deeper into his body. A warm smile appeared on Jansining''s bloodstained face; hisst thought was his wife and daughter, home sweet home.

    In a blink of eyes, Ma Xiaoru was the only one left on the ughter ground. She felt the flow of soul energy was threatening to falter at any time, and she was aware that the moment her METAL suit turned off due tock of soul energy was the moment of her demise.

    Wang Tong stormed towards his teammates while annihting any resistance he had encountered in an instance. The tip of his de trembled against the immense GN power it was imbued with, and its body hummed like a rumble of thunder. It was the lightening effect of the GN force that could only be unleashed by an Einherjar.

    "Get away! away!"

    Nothing could stop Wang Tong as he screamed and stormed through the tunnel. Goldie''s voice repeated insistently: "Master, please be aware of your power usage. Large hostile force detected on the ground. Large hostile force detected on the ground."

    "Shut up!" Wang Tong bawled out.

    Finally, with a ring thunder, Wang Tong emerged out from the tunnel entrance, but it was toote.

    Ma Xiaoru attempted at the mini nuke, butcked the proficiency in using such a sophisticated weapon with limited time. Before she could aim at the mass of the Zerg army, a Diamond Beetle flew into her wrist and came out from the other end. She dropped the nuke, but another air born Zerg flew by and picked it up before it evennded on the ground. The pain in her wrist sucked the remaining soul energy dry. Her METAL disappeared as a Scorpian Zerg cast a stretchy shadow over her frail body.

    Under the sun, the ground glistered with fresh blood; red, human blood.

    Wang Tong let out a saddened howlced with the unswerving promise of death. His eyes burned with an unnerving golden luster that screamed for vengeance, and his soul energy soared up to an uncountable magnitude. Wang Tong''s soul energy permeated through the air, drawing the Zerg''s attention.

    Wang Tong dashed forward, and with a bright sh, a Diamond Beetle was sliced in half

    The attack had broken Wang Tong''s de in two. The upper portion of the de was then lined by a deadly glow of GN force, forming a sharp edge that protruded out from where it had broken off.

    In one sweep of the de, Wang Tong had ended the life of a dozen Zergs in front of him. Waves of soul energy spilled out from his body like boiling poison in a cauldron. The rest of the Zergs retreated a step back, fearing to wade into that deadly deluge of soul energy.

    Fear was contagious, even among the Zergs. But their collective fear, once sensed by the mastermind, quickly turned into an appetite for power. The mastermind had locked onto his target: the strongest opponent it had met in a few hundred years, a satisfying entr¨¦e.

    Ma Xiaoru''s face was pale, and she still refused to take off that warm smile in front of Wang Tong "If... I will never let you go!"

    Ma Xiaoru reached out to Wang Tong''s face, and her blood-stained finger paused midway before it copsed with her arm.

    It was toote for Wang Tong to be finally convinced that Ma Xiaoru had recovered her memory.

    Throwing his head back, Wang Tong screamed at the sky. Regret and remorse would not bring Ma Xiaoru back, but that heartache was the only thing left of her. Rage burned through the thin pretense of reason, leaving Wang Tong with only one thought: Kill

    "I am sorry Mr. Wannabe; I won''t be able to bring you to the Hall of Valha anymore" Rays of bright lights shot out from his skin as his physical body was no longer able to contain the roaring torrent of GN force.

    As heid Ma Xiaoru''s body on the ground, he felt her body was light as a feather.

    "Kiddo! Kill these bastards!"

    Wang Tong heard Mr. Wannabe''s voice.

    "METAL!"

    The heat of anger had vaporized the tear and sorrow in Wang Tong''s eyes. Instead, the two golden pools burnt with the luster that meant only death.

    "Master. Weapon."

    Two curved des suddenly showed up in Wang Tong''s hands, surrounded by a dark light that threatened to devour all living things.

    Kill! kill!

    Kill! Kill!

    KILL! Kill!

    KILL! KILL!

    The de traced dark and forbidden curves one after another, slicing and cutting through the shell into the flesh of Zergs.

    KILL! KILL! KILL

    More Zergs swarmed at Wang Tong; their sanity seemed to be nibbled away by the extreme disy of power in front of them.

    Among the Zerg forces stood a strange shadow. It was strange preciously because it was standing like a human. There was a particr measure of cidity in the strange shadow that contrasted the crazed action around it.

    The Tactics of the de whirled inside Wang Tong''s body. It was expanding and exerting more control over Wang Tong''s consciousness, like a red hot train engine driving a train towards a rock cliff.

    Wang Tong''s soul energy had long since depleted, what was fueling the me in his body was his life force. Wang Tong didn''t mind; he didn''t expect to get out of this alive.

    Wang Tong let go of his life as he exploded, squished, and twisted the Zerg''s bodies into pulps. But after a hundred Zergs had fallen, another thousand followed suit.

    Wang Tong felt his attacks were slowing down already, and he had been burning Einherjar Wannabe''s soul energy for a while. Fearing that he would kill Mr. Wanna by depleting his soul energy, he turned off the METAL, hoping one day, another luckyd would stumble upon the loudmouthed ghost.

    ¡®Goodbye, Mr. Wannabe.¡¯

    Another wave of Zergs charged at Wang Tong. He picked up Ma Xiaoru''s body and held it tight in his arms.

    Only after she was gone had he truly appreciated her existence. Her care and love were subtle and insubstantial like the air¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t even realize he needed it until it was gone.

    Old Fart always said that money could buy anything except for bribing your way out of regrets. He was right like he always was.

    Wang Tong pressed his lips on Ma Xiaoru''s as if a kiss before bed.

    At thest moment of his life, before the nuke exploded, he finally found his true love.

 Chapter 260: Escaped Death

    Chapter 260: Escaped Death

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong heard the countdown on the mini nuke, and then something else.

    "Level one alert, master''s body has sustained 70% damage. External threat: 100%... Request permission to ess back up energy pack."

    "Permission granted. Initiating back up energy pack."

    The mini nuke swooshed away from Wang Tong''s palm as a golden light started to emanate out from Wang Tong''s body, until it was about ten meters in circumference, and then rose swiftly above Wang Tong''s head and stretched out into two magnificent wings.

    As soon as the eerie shadow among the Zergs saw the mini nuke, it sank into the ground. The rest of the Zergs swarmed to the end of the mini nuke''s trajectory, trying to shield as much damage as they could.

    After a thunderous rumble, a shockwave rushed, and eventually came the agonizing fire; the world was reduced to ashes.

    What did life look like after one died?

    Old Fart always babbled about how the enlightened had a second choice called the "divine path" after their physical bodies perished from this world. Could Wang Tong be presented with the second choice?

    The so-called "divine path" was the ultimate state sought after feverishly by the disciples of the Divine Master sect and the Temr''s court. They believed that General Li didn''t die. Instead, he had chosen the divine path, which led him to immortality. Whenever Old Fart talked about these seemingly illusory stories, Wang Tong noticed a haze in his eyes as if he was yearning for something toe.

    The divine path?

    Although Wang Tong couldn''t quite grasp the full meaning of the words, he knew that this was something beyond one''sbat strength. Therefore, even a real Einherjar could not enter the divine path without specific prerequisites. That being said, Wang Tong reasoned that without the same soul energy as an Einherjar, the divine path would still be elusive to the holiest man in the known Universe.

    Back on the battlefield, Wang Tong had conceded to his doom and was ready to die, but his lingering consciousness caught him by surprise. His surprise was followed by the feeling of being folded, tucked and jammed into a tiny container like a ball of yarn.

    Slowly, Wang Tong found his consciousness, and it was followed by a sharp pain in his chest.

    "Wang Tong, Wang Tong! Can you hear me? If you can, please move your finger."

    Wang Tong moved his finger and heard a wave of cheers.

    Outside therge can where Wang Tong was lying, people cheered and apuded for the miracle. Wang Tong had survived the nuke while standing in the dead center of the st. Was it sheer luck? If not, what else could it be other than the will of the God?

    Although the mini-nuke had limited power, it was deadly for anything within two to three hundred meters. God had been generous that day, as not only had Wang Tong survived, so did three of hisrades.

    Jansining had lost an arm, Third had lost an eye, and Big O had lost a brother. Little O had protected Big O with hisst reaming strength. Like he always did, Little O was one step ahead of Big O, even on their way to death.

    These three survived mainly due to the rolling hills that provided some sort of a shelter. Plus, the three were situated rtively further away from the center of detonation. When the rescue team found them, they had passed out among fallen limbs, and charred Zerg carcasses that looked no different than piles of copsed lumps.

    The ninth toon had finished yet another impossible mission. Members were rewarded greatly, and the military spared no expense in saving their lives. Due to theck of medical equipment on Norton, they were transported back to earth for better treatment.

    The three soldiers'' injuries were manageable so as long as the military kept their medical bill up to date; they would be back to a normal life in no time. Jansining had permanently lost his hand, so the medical experts installed a cyborg arm for him. They had also reced one of Third''s eyes with a cyborg eyeball. Big O didn''t lose anything on his body, but he had lost his brother that he had sworn to protect.

    It was tragedies like this that kept the feud between the Zergs and the human going for centuries. There should be only one survivor between the two rivals.

    Wang Tong had been lying in the medical bay over 20 days, and at this point, many next of kin would have already given up. Even if Wang Tong woke up, he would very likely be a vegetable.

    However, not only had Samantha and the military handled all the medical bill, the Li family had also flown in a soul energy recuperation expert from the moon to help Wang Tong.

    When Wang Tong moved his finger, among the people who watched and cheered stood Li Ruoer with a wicked smile on her face. "I won''t let you die so easily."

    The servants'' hair stood on their ends after hearing Li Ruoer''s words as theymented over the cruel heart of their youngdy.

    After Wang Tong lifted his finger, sleepiness came over him and he quickly fell asleep again.

    In his dream, time seemed to have lost its meaning. When he woke up again, he heard the voice of Jansining.

    "Wang Tong, hey kiddo!" Jansining shouted at the half-conscious Wang Tong as he pounded on the transparent cover of the medical bay.

    "You are finally awake! Time to get up!"

    Wang Tong recognized the three familiar faces, and he noticed the cyborg''s eyeball on Third''s face. It was a grim reminder of what happened that day, and it made Wang Tong feel mncholic.

    Jansining felt for Wang Tong. He had been like Wang Tong when he was at his age, but soon, Jansining reasoned that Wang Tong would see the war for what it was and ept the reality.

    Jansining knocked on the cover again and said, "Be strong kiddo. If you miss the others, then you need to live, and one day. you might seek revenge for them."

    The three outside the medical bay had since long learned to bury their sorrow deep down, lock it up, and throw away the key.

    As the three stered a joyful expression on their faces, Wang Tong felt slightly relieved. He had only one question, "Where is Ma Xiaoru?"

    "We didn''t see her name on the survivor''s list. Only four of us got sent back to earth."

    The smiles on the three''s face faded away. They remembered that Ma Xiaoru had the chance to break through the encirclement by herself, but she stayed nheless.

    Wang Tong felt a pain start from his heart, and it shot through his entire body. His vital readings began to destabilize as the pain increased intensity.

    "Don''t worry Wang Tong, it¡¯s too early to say anything. We survived, didn''t we? Can you remember the rtive location of Ma Xiaoru to the nuke when it went off? Was there any cover?"

    "Yea bro, I think she''s fine. We didn''t hear anything on TV. I say no news is good news. You need to focus on your recovery, and we will ask around for you." Big O said.

    Wang Tong''s vitals started to stabilize as the pain slowly dissipated. He reasoned that if he had survived, given the proximity between him and Ma Xiaoru, the girl should be fine as well.

    Wang Tong finally gained a measure of hope.

    The other''s heart ached at the sight of Wang Tong''s hopeful expression. What if they were wrong and Ma Xiaoru was indeed dead?

    Wang Tong called out to Goldie and Mr. Wannabe, but neither answered him. As he searched deeper into his sea of consciousness, he realized why his call was unanswered. His sea of consciousness had turned into a desert. He realized that he was in deeper trouble then he had thought. He cleared his thought and decided that the most critical task right then was to recover and regain soul energy.

    Samantha watched Wang Tong through the window pane of the emergency room. She felt excited and relieved at Wang Tong''s recovery. She knew that Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru had gone through a lot on Norton, and she understood that true love was not about being joined at the hips. But when she saw that Wang Tong''s first thought after recovery was Ma Xiaoru, she could not help but feel bitter.

    "Principal Samantha, Wang Tong''s condition has been stabilized. As long as we have enough stem cell supply, he should recover back to full health pretty quickly, except for..."

    "Dr. Andrew, if you have anything you need, just let me know," Samantha demanded.

    "The resources are not the issue. It''s just that his soul energy was depleted and we are not having any luck in recharging it." Andrew sighed as he felt sorry for this to happen to a young boy with a promising future.

 Chapter 261: Life Goes On

    Chapter 261: Life Goes On

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Andrew was an expert in soul energy recovery, so his concern had unnerved Samantha. When Wang Tong was brought back from the scorched battlefield, he was practically dead since he had used up all his life force to survive a nuclear st.

    "Aren''t you going to see him, principal?"

    Samantha didn''t speak. After a while, she shook her head and said, "Maybeter, I don''t want to disturb him."

    Andrew nodded; he was touched by the care and attention that Samantha had given to her student.

    While Wang Tong was recovering, the military was pulling out its forces rapidly. When the Earthlings were questioned at the council meeting by the Martians, their answer was, "Routine operation."

    Almost all the students were sent back to their schools without giving any reasons; the situation seemed to suggest that the entire campaign was a slip-up. The politicians boiled over on the matter immediately, calling the whole campaign a failure and a waste of money and lives.

    However, what if they were wrong? Why would the Confederation be willing to risk losing their face and pull back the students?

    Were the casualties among the students too high?

    There had been minimal casualties among the students, and all the injuries were manageable.

    Then why did the Confederation pull them back?

    Ma Sa was a pragmatic person. Despite the NNT''s rule of the drawing the line at dealing with the great houses, his pragmatism told him that some lines should be crossed toplete certain missions. No one on the council would listen to him no matter how much he pleaded, so he needed Einherjar Li Zhedao on his side. Once the council had approved his proposal, the retreat from Norton could be carried out immediately.

    Ma Sa had decided that he would rather destroy the entire than let them obtain any information on the gic makeup of the Li family.

    It appeared that the only viable solution was to destroy the using weapons of mass destruction.

    This was a serious matter, and they couldn''t afford to let the politicians from the Mars and the Moon get involved. Ma Sa had been preparing for this operation for a while, but without any support, it had been difficult to convince anyone to give up their properties on Norton for the sake of the greater good.

    Luckily, Ma Sa had gained a valuable ally, the Li, and soon, he reasoned that he would have the second grief from the Ma. The House of Ma was convinced that the Zergs were after Ma Xiaoru''s gene during the battle.

    The situation was shifting silently and swiftly under the disguise of a routine operation.

    Wang Tong''s body had recovered quickly. During his recovery, Jansining''s constant encouragement and the hope of seeing Ma Xiaoru had helped in stabilizing his condition. He had since figured that his friends had used Ma Xiaoru''s possible survival as a way to coax his level of stress down to normal. After much thought, he reasoned that their white lies might not have strayed too far from the truth. He had reasoned that the Zergs had wanted the powerful fighters alive; the three survivors were the living proof of their intention. Ma Xiaoru was even stronger than those three who had been deemed worthy by the Zerg. Therefore, Zergs would not have killed her. As for the mini nuke, Wang Tong reasoned that it would not be a threat to Ma Xiaoru either. Wang Tong was spared from the destruction of the mini-nuke thanks to the coverage provided by the terrain and Goldie. By the same logic, Ma Xiaoru should have survived the st as well since she was right in his arms.

    No one knew where Ma Xiaoru was and if she were still alive. But in this case, no news was indeed good news.

    What happened on that day still gave Wang Tong the chills. The Zergs had acted unusually as they had attacked one toon with half of their force on Norton. Weren¡¯t they afraid of revealing their location and receiving deadly blows from the space? What were they after exactly?

    Wang Tong wondered if the Zergs hade after him because they knew he was the sessor to their nemesis, the de Warrior.

    Wang Tong decided to give up his train of thoughts as he realized that his priority right then was to recover quickly, so he could find out if Ma Xiaoru were alive.

    A few dayster, Wang Tong was discharged from the medical bay. He learned from hisrades to bury his sorrow deep down and try to cope with the grief from such a traumatic event.

    "I have decided to go home and visit my parents." Big O said calmly. He needed to bury his brother''s remains close to their childhood home.

    "Sure, let me know when you want to be back," Jansining said.

    "You bet I will. I got no rtives left, and my only wish is to kill more Zergs."

    "What about you, Third?"

    "I got an aunt here on Earth who I was nning to visit. I wille back after the visit. You should retire Lieutenant; you got a family."

    Jansining shook his head, "I can''t."

    Jansining loved his wife and daughter, but the thought of giving up the standard that his teammates had bled on made him feel incredibly guilty.

    "Big Head always wanted to see your daughter." Big O sighed.

    Wang Tong''s heart sank at the thought of Big Head and Jansining''s daughter. Big Head wanted to save money and buy the kid a piano as a gift, but he didn''t have the chance to do so.

    Jansining pped his hands loudly, trying to break the darkening mood. "Well... That''s the way it is. Big O, your leave is granted. Let me know when you are back."

    "Thanks, Lieutenant! Wang Tong, keep up the good work, and don''t give up hope!"

    "Will do." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    The three of them knew that Wang Tong had dried out his sea of consciousness, and marveled at Wang Tong''s positive attitude at such a devastating blow to his future.

    After Big O and Third had left the hospital, Jansining stood behind to make sure that Wang Tong had recovered well.

    Although Wang Tong acted as nothing had happened, Jansining knew that he had tucked his sorrow under his stered smile. Wang Tong had been a powerful fighter, and fighting meant everything to him. Jansining figured that the sudden loss of all abilities ought to be a more devastating blow to Wang Tong than any other soldier. Therefore, he stood behind to make sure Wang Tong wouldn''t do anything stupid out of utter desperation.

    Wang Tong would be lying to say that he didn''t feel sorry for himself. Theck of any soul energy had frustrated him a great deal. However, most of his attention right then was on the well-beings of Ma Xiaoru, so he was somewhat distracted from his own misfortune. Plus, Wang Tong was a very adaptive person; he had lived well, rtively speaking, when he had nothing except for a drunken old fool to look after. So, he should be fine in the future even as an Ordinary Joe.

    Jansining''s concern might seem legit when it was applied to most people, but to Wang Tong, it was unnecessary.

    Getting bored, Wang Tong surfed the inte, looking to buy a piano and send it to Jansining''s daughter on behalf of Big Head. However, when he saw the price tag, he almost gave up his thought.

    Wang Tongmented over how unfair the world was. But the bigger the challenge, the more eager Wang Tong wanted to aplish it.

    "But, where could I get the money?" Wang Tong asked himself.

    He could have fought for DREAM in the PA system, but then, he would no longer be a fighter.

    Wang Tong then thought about his other talent: Dancing. He picked up the phone and dialed up Mike''s number.

 Chapter 262: Dawn

    Chapter 262: Dawn

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Making an MV could be cheap, as long as one knew how to do it. Instead of a real stage, one could use the virtual stage and when mixed with some background music, voil¨¤, you got an MV.

    Wang Tong''s only experience in making an MV came from what he had overheard from other professional music video makers while loitering at the backstage before and after his performance in Aurora City. He wasn''t sure if this piece of roughly patched up work would be worth anything, but he decided to give it a go anyways.

    Other than the injury he had sustained in his sea of consciousness, his body had recovered fully.

    After Wang Tong lost his power, the world around him seemed quieter. He enjoyed this quiet, free time, as it gave him an opportunity to put his n of making an MV into action. He went to an inte cafe and started working on his MV right away. He first researched online about the methods of making an MV, and then realized what he had wanted could be aplished easier than he had expected. Since he didn''t like the frivolous decoration, he had decided to go with a ck and white background.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath as he searched for inspiration deep inside his mind.

    Wang Tong was quickly engrossed in his search, slowing teasing out all kinds of emotions. In this material world, he found something real and untouched within the myriad of convoluted feelings, and that was humanity.

    Wang Tong''s dance was a heart-touching performance. Without the GN force, he had given up on tricky moves, but the whole arrangement seemed even more sincere and touching, as it spoke in anguage that everyone could rte to.

    After he had finished recording, tears poured out from Wang Tong''s eyes.

    Wang Tong sent the unedited MV to Mike.

    Three dayster, Wang Tong followed Jansining to his home. It was a beautiful little town called Provence. A fussy warmth rose inside Wang Tang when he saw Jansining embrace his wife and daughter. Wang Tong reckoned that the fussy feeling was a feeling of home.

    "BeiBei, this is Wang Tong. He is a great soldier," Jansining spoke to his daughter, pointing at Wang Tong.

    "Hello, Wang Tong!"

    Watching her cute chubby face, Wang Tong cracked a smile and gently patted at the top of her head, then said, "Hello!"

    Children were innocent because they didn''t know the cruelty of the world. "Papa, Papa! Where is Uncle Big Head? I have already got his gift. I really like it!"

    "Gift?" Jansining was confused. His wife then told him that she had just received a gift from Big Head; it was a piano.

    Wang Tong squeezed Beibei''s chubby little cheek and said, "Uncle Big Head is on a very important mission far, far away. You will understand it when you grow up."

    BeiBei pouted and said, "That''s what grown-ups do, lie! He promised me many times that he woulde, but he never did."

    Wang Tong''s finger trembled slightly as a rush of sadness came over him. Jansining kept silent, fighting his own demons. Jansining''s wife had guessed what had happened, so she said, "BeiBei, you are very selfish. Uncle Big Head is a soldier, he needs to protect other people. "

    BeiBei squeezed her hand together and nodded. "Wang Tong, I am sorry. I just really really miss Uncle Big Head. I want to touch his head."

    On her way home, BeiBei pped her little hands, and sang the Big Head song, "Big Head has a Big Head..."

    All Academies had pulled back their students. Despite the fact that their stay in the military was short, all the students had learned a lot. The most valuable lesson they had learned was the harshness and cruelty of the war. Some students had already epted the reality and started training with a newfound determination.

    The moment Wang Tong stepped into the Ayrng Campus, he reckoned that he had forgotten the person he shouldn''t have forgotten.

    Perhaps there had been more passion between the two when they first started dating, but both Wang Tong and Samantha knew that their infatuation wouldn''tst long. However, Wang Tong never regretted anything he did for Samantha, and he knew that the feeling was mutual. Although Wang Tong had matured a lot during the military campaign on Norton, he held on to the thought that he did love Samantha when they first fell in love, and so did she.

    Wang Tong decided that he wouldn''t meet Samantha before he was fully recovered. He tried every day to use the tactics, but with the very little soul energy he had recovered over a few weeks, he couldn''t move even one GN node. That being said, the small progress in recharging his soul energy exhrated Wang Tong, and it gave him a sliver of hope.

    Wang Tong figured that that reason why Mr. Wannabe and Goldie''s had kept silent might be more than just because of hisck of soul energy. Mr. Wannabe had spent a great deal of his soul energy while Wang Tong was battling the Zergs, and Goldie had practically absorbed all the damage from the mini-nuke for him. Wang Tong felt a sense of guilt, and he wished that he was stronger, so his friends wouldn''t have to suffer for his ipetence.

    The pain and guilt made Wang Tong more adamant in recovering his power. He decided to start from the basics. As long as he was still alive, he would give all he had to find his power back. He made up his mind that he would join up with Jansining, Third, and Big O after he graduated.

    Wang Tong went to Ma Xiaoru''s mansion in Shangjin, but the gate was locked. Suddenly, he felt helpless in this big world. Without his power, he was a nobody.

    If it were Wang Tong when he still had the power, he would have rushed in without permission. However, he had learned a lot from Jansining, so he knew what he should do.

    Although the school life remained the same, Wang Tong couldn''t stop feeling like he didn''t belong there. The ssroom and the ssmates were the same, but the war had changed him.

    Zhou Sisi and Karl had not returned yet, thanks to the Martians interference with the operation. The Martians had tabled a proposal to slow down the retreat process, as they tried to learn more about Earthling''s real intention behind all these maneuvers. All mobilizations were halted until the council made their decision about the Martian proposal.

    The average person wouldn''t care about the military strategy as much as the council did, but their attention was attracted by a breaking news in the entertainment industry.

    A poorly edited music video had gone viral on the inte, and quickly became the most watched music video of all time.

    Mike posted the video, and it was the same mysterious masked dancer dancing to Zhou Yiyi''s song "Dawn."

    No one asked questions about the identity of this masked dancer since their curiosity paled under theparison to the emotions the performance had summoned inside of them.

    The song was not any mainstream pop dance music, but the dance pierced through the pretense of worldly desires like an arrow, and stroke home at the hearts of the audience. It made them see themselves as who they really were¡ªcreatures of sentiments.

    The masked dancer''s performance was soul touching; it would be an insult topare his performance with those empty-brained swaggering of a*ses one saw so often on their home TV.

    The masked dancer''s performance could light up the desires for a genuine rtionship among his audiences, regardless if they were watching from Earth, the Moon or Mars. Despite the different artistic appreciation on every, the video swept through all medias of the human world, as it evoked a universal feeling in humans: life was beautiful.

    "Don''tin it was gone, be happy because it was beautiful" An ancient wise man used to say.

    The video was the most touching to the veteran families, as if it had spoken out loud for their sorrow and reconciliation of losing their loved ones.

    Using the profit he made from the video, Mike had formed a charity for veteran families. Mike had also announced that he would donate all of his wealth to this organization.

    This series of developments had shocked everyone, from ordinary citizens to the politicians. They all found a measure of respect for this seemingly feminine man.

    At Ayrng, the scene in the school lunchroom was unusual: no one was fighting for the best meal. Instead, the students lined up in a row, eyes glued to the screen of a TV.

    It was an interview with Mike about the new MV and the masked dancer. It had been a few months since the release of the MV, but people''s enthusiasm didn''t seem to die down the slightest.

    Wang Tong watched as he stood at the end of the line. He noticed that Mike had changed a lot. He used to wear frivolous shirts and talk with a tense and demanding tone that meant only business. Wang Tong could have seen the money signs in his eyes if he watched close enough. However, the new Mike seemed muchid back. Even the color and style of his clothes were muted, and much morefortable to look at.

    "Mike, did you know that everyone, your friends, enemies, they all want to know what had made you give up your wealth? You had gained so many fans, I included, hehe... But If I were you, I won''t have the gut to give away all my money, you know?"

    The interviewer was the most influential talk show host, yton.

    "When I was young, I worked for my craft, not for the money. But it changed, and I wasted too much time on things that were not really important. The masked dancer made me think a lot about that. I am just an average person like everyone else. I simply wanted to do something meaningful, and I believe you do too." Mike answered calmly. His spirit was free the moment he relinquished his worldly possessions.

    "Hehe, Mike, maybe one day I will do the same and give away all my money. On another note, the dancer, when I watched his performance, he reminded me a lot of my youth. I am not ashamed to tell you that I still cried on the 20th time I watched the video. So, who exactly is this young man?" Like everyone else, yton was eager to know the identity of the masked dancer.

    "yton my friend. I wish I could tell you who he is, but I can''t. One thing about him though, he is a brave warrior, and dancing was just his hobby. He sent me the MV hoping that I would be able to fulfill one of hisrades'' final wish. Hisrades died on the battlefield, but the veteran family didn''t even get anypensation. I wish to bring this issue to the government''s attention, and hope they would table something out that is more effective than my charity in helping these people who bled and died for us." There was a determination in Mike''s voice, and he was rewarded with a wave of approving apuse.

    "Well said, Mike. I will donate five million credits to mike''s charity for veterans. I would like to join forces with Mike and urge the Confederation to pay attention to the living conditions of our veterans and their families. After all, without them, none of us would be here today. Thank you, Mike and thanks everyone. That''s our show tonight."

    Mike had indeed changed a lot.

    The students cheered at the show, but Wang Tong sat at the table and ate his lunch quietly. He knew he could change profession and be a sessful dancer, but he wouldn''t give up what he had started. He had chosen to be a soldier, and he would stick to it. Even if he couldn''t fight, he would still volunteer at the military, help them with other activities that didn¡¯t require fighting.

    Mike had proven to be a trustworthy friend. He might seem crazy in giving up all of his money, but everyone''s life was different, because everyone held a different answer to the meaning life.

 Chapter 263: There She Goes Again

    Chapter 263: There She Goes Again

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Two dayster, all the students had returned to Ayrng. All the faces of the S club lit up with joy as they were eager to share their experience with everyone else. Apache had not responded as he had already been officially admitted to the military due to his exceptional performance. Martyrus let Apache go without any hesitation or remorse; he knew that military, instead of the academy, was where Apache belonged. Plus. It was a teacher''s duty to help the students to get on their true stage.

    Everyone was happy for Apache, and his sess had helped the S club extend its influence. By word of mouth, many A and B ss students learned about the S club and knew that its leader was the incredible fighter that defeated Capth, so they handed in their application without a second thought.

    "Sh*t!... Is this for real?" Hu Yangxuan asked incredulously, mouth wide open.

    The news about Wang Tong''s injury had caught everyone by surprise.

    "Don''t you worry about me. The doctor said that there are still hope for recharging it. Plus, fighting is not the only way of participating in a war. I can still do the logistical work."

    "Balls! Hu Yangxuan, your family, is rich. Why don''t you find him a better doctor?" Karl shouted.

    Wang Tong shook his head and said, "That was not the problem. I had depleted my soul energy, and it''s all up to me to gain it back. Anyhow, thanks for your concern. Haha, stop pulling that sullen face!"

    "Yea, Wang Tong, make sure you let us know what you need, ok?"

    "Don''t worry about it, Boss. Based on your palm lines, I can tell you are destined to be an Einherjar. Maybe this injury was just a blessing in disguise! " Karl announced gleefully.

    "Ha-ha, I hope you are right!" Wang Tongughed. Thepany of his friends had already made Wang Tong forget about the frustration of not being able to use any of his soul energy.

    Everyone wanted to help, but were not sure how, so they all offered their moral support.

    In the night, when Wang Tongid on his bed, he studied his sea of consciousness carefully and found it was still dry as a desert. He missed Mr. Wannabe''s scathing advice, but even his most trusted advisor could not answer his call.

    Wang Tong grimaced. He wondered what would be the point of living if he didn''t have any soul energy to use.

    Could he really be a logistical worker? No.

    Wang Tong tried a dozen more failed attempts to summon his soul energy, and eventually gave up.

    In her dorm, Zhou Sisi buried her head in a pile of books rting to the treatment of soul energy depletion. She found out that depletion happened more often then she had thought. However, so far there was no viable treatment for it. In some of the cases, the soldier regained his soul energy over time, but the new soul energy was only a fraction of what it used to be. Only in a few very rare cases would the soldier regain the soul energy to its former strength, but records rted to those cases all referred elusively to certain "matching force" or "the right moment" as the main contributor to the full recovery. The real meaning of these ambiguous terms escaped Zhou Sisi.

    She also discovered some alternative methods, such as the method of Golden Needle, where a professional energy acupuncture would stimte the soldier''s dantian with a Golden Needle.

    However, not only was it incredibly hard to find a professional energy acupuncture therapist who knew how to wield the "Golden Needles.", but the healing process was also very long as it would take up to decades.

    Cao Yi and the Zhang brothers were also busy in finding a treatment for Wang Tong. They had hacked into high clearance documents hoping to find an answer there. All the while, they felt indignant for Wang Tong as fate had yed this cruel joke on him.

    Life went on, and the world wouldn''t slow down for one person. So, in a few weeks, the students had epted the reality, and so did Wang Tong towards their pitiful look.

    Wang Tong focused his attention on recovering as well as learning to fly the spaceship, one skill that did not require soul energy. Although Wang Tong had lost all of his soul energy, he was more determined than ever to be a soldier.

    He didn''t care about what other people might think of him, but focused solely on doing a great job in what he wanted to do.

    His friends had given him much support. Hu Yang even broke his routine of sleeping that he had so religiously kept for the sake of a younger-looking skin, and joined Wang Tong in his morning exercises.

    Wang Tong was moved by his friends'' whole-hearted support, so he worked even harder, afraid of letting his friends down.

    Half a monthter, on a starry night, Wang Tong walked out of the library quietly. He had been spent much time in the library, researching techniques of fleetbat. Although his micro control was gone with the same wind that blew away his soul energy, he still held a solid understanding of the macro management of the space battle. After much research, he registered that the Soring Heaven and the Art of the Iron Wall could be refined further.

    He hoped that if he could do well in fleet control, he might have a chance of bing a first mate on a fleet without any soul energy. While Wang Tong was engrossed in his thoughts, someone stopped him cold. Even without soul energy, Wang Tong could tell that this person was a powerful fighter.

    "This way, Wang Tong." The man in ck said.

    Wang Tong recognized that voice right away, "You are from House of Li."

    "Ourdy sent us." The man in ck said cidly.

    "I have nothing to say to her."

    "Wang Tong, I might have to fight you into submission before, but now... you better do as I say."

    "Over my dead body!"

    "You got a quite an attitude, don''t you? Lad, I like that. But you know ourdy''s temperament., I would be worried about your friends'' lives if I were you. "

    The man in ck softened his voice. He was just doing his job. As a matter of fact, he liked this kid based on what he had heard about him. He conceded that Wang Tong was extremely unlucky to have offended Li Ruoer when she was at the critical point of breaching into her next level of cultivation. As the agitated soul energy rattled Li Ruoer''s sanity, no one knew what the next crazy action she took would be. This was supposed to be a normal process in cultivating the Tactics of the Enchantress, and this man was hired by the House of Li to look after Li Ruoer when she was at her craziest, and also the most vulnerable.

    Wang Tong nodded as he registered that he had no other options.

    The man in ck led him to a five-star hotel in downtown Shang Jin, where Li Ruoer had rented out the entire floor to ensure secrecy.

    Li Ruoer was in a sleeveless tank top and jean shorts, revealing a pair of beautiful long legs. She waited impatiently for Wang Tong as she nned out her revenge.

    It had been a while since theyst met at the Aurora City, but it still seemed too short to Wang Tong.

    Li Ruoer''s face lit up at the sight of Wang Tong, but her smile quickly faded as she was disappointed by that arrogant and defiant look on Wang Tong''s face.

    "Wang Tong, long time no see. You barely changed at all!"

    "What do you want?" Wang Tong grunted indifferently. He no longer cared about their petty feud as he just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

    Li Ruoer couldn''t stand his indifferent tone and anger sprout out inside of her. The me twisted her lips into a contortedugh. "Who do you think you ARE? You are nothing without your abilities."

    "Perhaps, but I did kick you¡¯re a*s pretty good, and I will do it again if I could." Wang Tong rolled his eyes as he spoke.

    Wang Tong''s words added more fuel to the me in Li Ruoer''s eyes, and made it burned brighter. She wanted to enrage Wang Tong, but it had appeared that it was her rage that had gone out of control. She squeezed her hands, trying to rein in her anger as she wondered what had supported Wang Tong''s pomposity even after losing his soul energy.

    She apuded methodically, and then stood up in front of Wang Tong, "What a hero! Alright then, tough guy, let me tell you why you are here. I had invited you to watch a show with me."

    Li Ruoer knew that physical pain would have little to no effect on crippling Wang Tong''s will. To seed, she needed something more personal.

    Li Ruoer waved her hand as a projection appeared on the wall. The initially blurry image gave an impression of someone sitting on a chair, but as the picture took a few seconds to be clearer, Wang Tong''s heart sank after seeing that the person was Zhou Sisi, and her hands were tied to the chair.

    "This girl must be obsessed with you! She was researching ways of healing you in the library, but unfortunately for her, she forgot about the danger on the streets."

    "You are crazy!" Wang Tong bawled out.

    General Li Feng was wise to not leave the Tactics of de to his sick and morally degenerate b*stards.

 Chapter 264: A Blessing in Disguise

    Chapter 264: A Blessing in Disguise

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "What have I done? I have done nothing! Come on... I just want to watch this show with you. Ohh...She looks so pretty, don''t you think? I wonder if her body is as nice as her face?"

    Li Ruoer nced at Wang Tong and felt that he was getting angrier by the second. ¡®Perfect! it''s working!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh and pleaded, "Release her, and I will give you whatever you want."

    Li Ruoer''s face beamed with satisfaction as and she said, "All I want is to continue watching this show with you. Don''t you want to as well?"

    Wang Tong wanted to calm his anger but failed. He lurched towards Li Ruoer, but without any soul energy, it was like hitting a rock with an egg.

    Wang Tong flew away at a slight touch of Li Ruoer''s fingertip, crashing into a wall. He thought he heard his bone snapping under the pressure. Li Ruoerughed joyfully, savoring every moment "Be patient, Haha! Fine, fine, kowtow to me one hundred times and call me ''master'' from now on. Then, I might let both of you go. "

    Wang Tong stood up slowly, and the pain seemed to make him more alert to details. He found it strange that as an heir of house Li, Li Ruoer would be so careless as to kidnap a girl while risking her family''s reputation. This kind of boldness was notmon among the great house.

    A strange sensation shot through Wang Tong''s body. He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened his eyes again, Wang Tong noticed that the image on the wall had already disappeared.

    It was an illusion created by the Tactics of the Enchantress!

    Wang Tong marveled at the level of effort Li Ruoer had gone through just to torture him. She could have done away with him with ease using her power.

    The development had relieved Wang Tong''s stress since it was clear that Li Ruoer had not gonepletely insane.

    But immediately, Wang Ton was perplexed by another question: how did he see through the illusion without any soul energy?

    Wang Tong held back the pleasant surprise and tried to initiate the Tactics of de, thinking that the tactics might miraculously start working without any soul energy as well. However, he was disappointed to find out that not only his soul energy was depleted, the link between the sea of consciousness and his Dantian had also ruptured. So, the tactics wouldn''t be initiated.

    Wang Tong''s silence burned through Li Ruoer''s patience. She finally asked in an annoyed voice: "Well, are you going to do it or not?"

    Seeing Wang Tong still not answering her questions, Li Ruoer closed in and picked him up while shouting, "Do it! Don''t you care about your friend?"

    "Is this all you can do? I really wish I didn''t say this."

    Gazing at Li Ruoer''s beautiful face, Wang Tong uttered his hatred slowly, "F-*-C-K Y-O-U."

    The rage exploded in Li Ruoer''s eyes. Sensing that Wang Tong would not fall for her trick, Li Ruoer threw Wang Tong into the air and followed with a roundhouse kick.

    She suddenly remembered that Wang Tong had lost the protection of his soul energy, but it was already toote. With only the slightest hesitation, Li Ruoer continued her kick, and Wang Tong crashed back to the same wall that he had crashed into earlier.

    The pain was unbearable, but as the pain propagated to his sea of consciousness, it was sucked dry like a drop of water on a parchednd.

    Could it be the effect of the Tactics of Enchantress? After all, general Li Feng and Zhou Zhi were couples.

    Swallowing down the pain, Wang Tong struggled up and taunted his opponent, "Too soft. Even my grandpa can do better than this."

    Li Ruoer''s eyes turned into two pools of molten anger, "You still think that I wouldn''t kill you?"

    At this critical moment of her cultivation, Li Ruoer''s soul energy was vtile. By then, anger had burned away the thread of order she needed to control the chaotic energy, and her soul energy quickly took control of her body, as it expanded through the air towards Wang Tong. The tremendous soul energy slightly ruffled wang Tong''s mind, but his body seemed to crave it like a kid craving for treats.

    "Good, "Wang Tong thought to himself "Come at me now!"

    Wang Tong yearned for the recovery of his soul energy. He didn''t even mind risking his life for it.

    "Hey, you! I will p your sassy a*s if you don''t hit hard this time!" Wang Tong gave Li Ruoer a scornful look.

    Li Ruoer''s body trembled as boiling soul energy seeped out from her body; she could no longer control the power inside of her. She yanked her hand up and caused a gust, which blew Wang Tong to the edge of the wall. Despite the pain in his muscles and joints, Wang Tong felt the wave of energy was as refreshing as a dampening mist blow over a dry field.

    Wang Tong then knew that this could be his only chance, as long as his body could survive Li Ruoer''s attack.

    "Wang Tong! You asked for it!"

    Li Ruoer''s GN force weighted on Wang Tong like a smothering nket. However, as his soul energy absorbed more soul energy, Wang Tong felt the sea of consciousness was slowlying alive.

    Wang Tong finally saw a sliver of hope as well as the full extent of Li Ruoer''s real power. Her soul power had reached over 300; Wang Tong reasoned that if he didn''t dodge this attach in time, he might be in danger.

    He struggled to make up his mind as to whether he should run away or stay. After all, he had promised himself to never back away from danger. Finally, he mustered all of his courage and gritted his teeth as he darted toward the exit.

    It was locked.

    Li Rouer''s body floated in the air. Her eyes burned with a purple luster, and hair tossed around by the intense soul energy that spilled out from her body. Bottles, cups, phone, andmps rattled violently under the influence of the invisible power.

    Wang Tong wished helplessly that Li Ruoer would forget about him amidst her trance.

    With a full sweep of her arm, Li Ruoer attacked Wang Tong with her soul energy directly. This was the most potent form of attack the Tactics of the Enchantress could unleash.

    Wang Tong''s body tensed up as Li Ruoer''s soul energy surged into his dantian, but Wang Tong didn''t seem to be in any mortal danger. His sea of consciousness gulped down one wave after another of the soul energy from the enchantress. Although at one time, Wang Tong felt he was about to drown in the flood of energy, as his sea of consciousness picked up its speed of absorbing soul energy, the drawing sensation quickly went away.

    Wang Tong''s soul energy was recovering rapidly while the Enchantress''s soul energy was depleted by the second. A few momentster, the enchantress finally used up her power and fell back to the ground.

    Wang Tong still couldn''t move his body, so he stood still and let his body recover. He heard Mr. Wannabe''s voice calling out to him, "Kiddo! What a miracle! You have connected all your GN nodes in your body! Ha! You would be able to walk the divine path in no time! I wish I had this much luck" Hisst sentence was practically a grunt.

    Due to theplicated structure of the human''s GN node, only a few GN nodes could be used at one time. However, it was not the case for the most potent fighters such as an Einherjar, who would be able to use all of the GN nodes at the same time, resulting in an exponentially increased damage output.

    Li Ruoer''s soul energy had been the key that unlocked the mechanism in Wang Tong''s body, that would allow the utilization of all GN nodes.

    Wang Tong felt an intense heat rise inside his dantian, eventually culminating in an explosion within his sea of consciousness. Wang Tong soon registered that this explosion was not destruction, but creation like the thunder of early Spring, signaling the genesis of a brand new world.

    Wang Tong tried the Tactics of the de and found it ran exceptionally fluidly. The smoothness resulted in a newfound rity in the movement of the GN nodes, that enabled Wang Tong to see the moments in his mind.

    He no longer needed to prime the 256-node version of the tactics by first running the eight nodes, then to the 16 nodes, all until the number of nodes eventually reached 256. With the new soul energy, he could start at any number of nodes he wanted to.

    With all the GN nodes connected, there would be no more bottlenecks of cultivation that Wang Tong could not surpass. As long as he continued his training and cultivation, he would be guaranteed to be an Einherjar, and the first person in history that achieved the status of Einherjar through his own diligence.

 Chapter 265: Resurrection

    Chapter 265: Resurrection

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Since Wang Tong''s physical strength had reached that of an Einherjar, his body could output an incredible amount of GN. However, his old sea of consciousness was not strong enough to withstand the strain of discharging such a significant amount of GN force, and would eventually copse under such weight. However, his new sea of consciousness had turned the situation around.

    Wang Tong realized that he had been given a second life. Due to massive consumption of power, Goldie was still in slumber, and Mr. Wannabe seemed to have sustained heavy losses in his soul energy as well. But Mr. Wannabe still guided Wang Tong toplete his first round of the tactics using the new soul energy.

    The room was messy; random object were scattered around the floor and on the bed. Wang Tong conceded that he had underestimated Li Ruoer''s power, and felt pity for her because she wouldn''t be able to level up in her cultivation until she had regained that lost soul energy.

    Looking at the unconscious girl that had identally given him the second life, Wang Tong no longer felt angry. He saved her life once, and now, her debt was paid.

    Wang Tong wanted to walk away then and there, but the joy of regaining his power made him walk to Li Ruoer and wake her up.

    Li Ruoer slowly opened her eyes and saw Wang Tong''s face right in front of her. She yanked her arm to p him, but Wang Tong stopped her hand. "Save it. You almost went into derangement earlier. Karma kills you know; I would consider being a better person from now on if I were you."

    Li Ruoer''s mouth twitched, conceding her defeat as she shouted, "You b*stard! Finish me off!"

    Li Ruoer closed her eyes but held her indignant expression. She had lost control of her power and wasted too much soul energy. She would need at least a couple of days to recover from this incidence. Should Wang Tong have touched her on any other day, she would already have his arm chopped off.

    Wang Tong picked Li Ruoer up andid her down on a sofa, "I don''t want to harm you, and neither do I expect to be friends with you. Let''s just call it off for now."

    Wang Tong turned back and walked away.

    "Wait! You have recovered your soul energy?" Li Ruoer asked incredulously.

    "Thanks to you, yes." Wang Tong turned around and cracked a smile.

    Wang Tong could see a mixture of feelings inside of Li Ruoer through her eyes. He held her emotional gaze for a while and decided to leave the room. The longer he stayed here, the more trouble he would be in.

    "Hold on!" Li Ruoer shouted out to him, but Wang Tong didn''t slow down. He had just recovered, and if he got caught by one of the House Li''s warriors, he was as good as dead.

    "Don''t you want to know what happened to Ma Xiaoru?" As Soon as Li Ruoer finished her sentence, Wang Tong froze in his track.

    Li Ruoer''s lips curled up into a smirk seeing that Wang Tong had yet again risen to the bait.

    "If you beg me, then I might tell you."

    Li Ruoer''s words seemed to evoked reason in Wang Tong''s frozen mind. He took a step towards the door.

    "You a*shole Wang Tong! Ma Xiaoru was so nice to you, and you don''t even care about her injury!"

    "Now I know she is alive. Thanks again!"

    Wang Tong almost lost his voice at the end of the sentence. He tried as much as he could to conceal his excitement, but his excited voice still caught Li Ruoer by surprise. He slowly walked out of the room, trying to look as normal as he could. Then, he shut the door close and copsed against the wall.

    "She is still alive! I knew it!"

    Li Ruoer was shocked as she had never expected Wang Tong to lose his cool. Even when he was under her torture, he had never even flinched. But one word about Ma Xiaoru had almost brought the tear to his eyes.

    Could it be?

    A trace of bitterness crawled under Li Ruoer''s skin.

    No one knew what had happened to Ma Xiaoru since all activities around her had been done in extreme secrecy. Li Ruoer only knew that Ma Xiaoru was gravely injured when she was brought back from the battlefield. However, she reasoned that despite the bell and whistles the Ma Family had gotten, House of Ma would not be able to bring Ma Xiaoru''s life back without experience and powerful soul energy ¡ªsomething the Macked but the Li had an abundance of.

    Li Ruoer knew that her father and brother would not pass up this opportunity, twisting the Ma''s vulnerability to their advantage. So, she was convinced that they were going to table the marriage proposal as a bargaining chip to House of Ma, and Ma Dutian would have no choice but to ept.

    In other words, Wang Tong would never have a chance with Ma Xiaoru.

    Wang Tong dragged his exhausted body to his bed. The excitement still lingered in his mind. He clenched his fists, trying to reflect on the information he had gained about Ma Xiaoru. He no longer held resentment towards Li Ruoer. After all, she had brought him two good news.

    He wanted to visit Ma Xiaoru, to bang on her door and plead to let him in. But, he knew that House Ma wouldn''t crack open the gate for him. He knew he needed to find help if he wanted to see Ma Xiaoru again.

    The only person he thought that might help him was Samantha. However, she was barely on the campus recently. The council had summoned her to report on the results of the student''s military campaign.

    Judging by Li Ruoer''s tone, Wang Tong doubted that House of Ma would even allow Samantha to visit Ma Xiaoru. Wang Tong reasoned that the only person who could persuade Ma Dutian would have to be from the House of Li.

    "Should I go back to beg Li Ruoer?" Wang Tong asked himself. It was a terrible question, and the thought of Li Ruoer gave him the jitters. However, if she were the only one who could help him, then so be it.

    The recovered soul energy had given Wang Tong some confidence in handling Li Ruoer''s devious tricks. He was further emboldened by his suspicion that the Tactics of de was the perfect counter for the Tactics of the Enchantress. If it weren''t the case, Wang Tong figured he would have already been killed by Li Ruoer''s flood of deadly soul energy.

    The next day morning, Wang Tong told Zhou Sisi about the recovery of his soul energy. Zhou Sisi hugged Wang Tong out of sheer happiness. The rest of his ssmates also felt happy for him and the S club. Thanks to his influence in the S club, Wang Tong''s recovery meant the club''s deteriorating morale would soon correct its course.

    When the news reached Bernabeu, Cao Yi and his friends were ted as well. This was a much-needed turning point in the S Club''s recent spiraling down path. The students'' enthusiasm had faded, and the process of recruiting new members had also been halted. Like any other organization, the S club was soulless without an influential leader.

    Cao Yi knew that the main selling point of the S club to the students of A or B academy was its legendary leader, the boy who had defeated Capth. So, Cao Yi was distraught about the club''s future once he heard about Wang Tong''s injury. However, Cao Yi didn''t bring his concern to Wang Tong, fearing it would distract him from his treatment.

    To everyone''s surprise, Wang Tong had done the impossible once again.

    "You rock! It looks like I would never be the number one at Ayrng" Hu Yangxuan gave Wang Tong a warm hug.

    "What''s the big deal! I knew he could do it from the beginning. He is Wang Tong." Lips twitching and hands trembling, Karl''s seemingly calm voice could not hide his excitement.

    Among all of the S club members, Karl had benefited the most by following around and learning from Wang Tong.

    "Haha, yeah that was very lucky. I now just have to wait for it to stabilize."

    "Take your time. We are always here for you!" Zhou Sisi nodded at Wang Tong. Everyone knew that Zhou Sisi had a crush on him, but his heart already belonged to someone else.

    With everyone''s support, Wang Tong became even more focused on strengthing and stabilizing his new sea of consciousness. He didn''t tell anyone that his sea of consciousness hadn¡¯t just recovered, but was washed clean and then refilled with a purer form of energy¡ªan upgrade. If the sea of consciousness was the field where one could harness the soul energy that grew out of it, Wang Tong''s field had an infinite supply of nutrients.

    The S clubbed talked about going to a restaurant to celebrate this great news, but they didn''t end up going since Wang Tong was frail and overeating might hinder his recovery. Instead of going to the restaurant, they decided to help him with the study he had missed while he was in the hospital.

    Wang Tong recognized that although most subjects were entirely useless, there were a few important ones that he would need to catch up with.

 Chapter 266: Attack Missed

    Chapter 266: Attack Missed

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Zhou Sisi had prepared her tutor notes and made it into an interactive program for Wang Tong. She had cleared her schedule so that she could use to time to help him with his study.

    After a night of tutoring, Wang Tong had caught up with most of the materials that he had missed. The two both heaved a sigh of relief. Zhou Sisi didn''t ask him about his soul energy, knowing that she wouldn''t be able to help him on that anyway. After tutoring Wang Tong, she set off to make some night snacks for the two of them.

    Thanks to Wang Tong''s new soul energy, he felt his study was much easier than before. The two chatted joyfully while enjoying the night snack. Wang Tong briefly talked about the incidence with Li Ruoer at the five-star hotel.

    "That girl is crazy! But I am luckier though. Her soul energy had stimted my sea of consciousness. You should be very careful around her. " Wang Tong said while chewing mouthful of food.

    "She is so..." The word evaporated from her mouth, and she found it difficult to find a recement.

    "Don''t take it too personally. I heard that it was normal for the Enchantress to go crazy for a while, side effects and all. Just be careful, that''s all."

    Wang Tong''s concern for her safety made Zhou Sisi feel a sense of warmth. She asked, "Are you nning to find Ma Xiaoru?"

    "I am trying. So far, I have gotten no luck. Even her Sk is offline."

    "I am sure she would contact you once she is awake. But if she is still in aa, I don''t think House of Ma would let anyone be near her. That being said, since Li Ruoer knows about her condition, I suggest we start with her." Zhou Sisi reasoned. Zhou Sisi always felt that Ma Xiaoru would be a better girlfriend for Wang tong than Samantha, not only because thetter was a principal, hence the scandalous undertone, but also because Ma Xiaoru was a more caring person than Samantha.

    "To ask her for help? I would if I could trust her. But I don''t trust a coo coo." Wang Tong shook his head quickly. He would give in to Li Ruoer if all she wanted were to beat him up. But he was convinced that what Li Ruoer wanted was much grimmer than that.

    "Let me handle it for you." Zhou Sisi smirked.

    "Fine, but don''t confront her face to face. No one knows what she would do. Be careful!" The thought of Li Ruoer''s ability to create illusions made Wang tong worried for Zhou Sisi.

    Zhou Sisi smiled and then said, "I know I know! Eat your food and shut up, will you? I''m going to head home soon. Don''t forget to review what we had gone through today."

    "Will do!" Wang Tong answered as he extended two fingers into a V. His new sea of consciousness had been very useful in helping him remember all of the knowledge in the textbook.

    After Zhou Sisi left, Charcoal appeared out of the crystal. Although Goldie was still in the recovering mode, Charcoal was unharmed, and was able to act without Goldie''s control.

    Although charcoalcked the same intelligence as Goldie, he had been weaponized and would help Wang Tong on the battlefield.

    Wang Tong patted the top of Charcoal''s head and gave amand, "Charcoal, would you please help me with cleaning the dishes?"

    "Yes, Master!"

    Despite the new weapon updates, Charcoal had been doing what he used to do all the time: cleaning.

    Wang Tong started to cultivate the Tactics of the de. He used to have to prime the tactics by first moving a smaller number of nodes and slowly progressing to the full version of 256 nodes. However, with the new sea of consciousness, he would be able to initiate all GN nodes at the same time. As he looked down at the GN nodes and the Soul energy surrounded them, He was surprised to find out that they had changed their color to gold.

    The morning next day, Hu Yangxuan dragged Wang Tong to the training field as he had been doing every morning since Wang Tong''s injury. After Wang Tong''s soul energy had recovered, his life also returned to normal, and so did the S club. New members joined the group with even greater enthusiasm as they were marveled at Wang Tong''s miraculous recovery.

    They were convinced that Wang Tong was not only powerful but also very lucky.

    After a day of ss, Wang Tong''s head felt heavy after learning about many equations andw of physics. He wished that the de Warrior should give him another gift: a calctor brain. With his friends'' help, Wang Tong barely passed the exams. Cao Yi also joined ranks among Wang Tong''s tutors. Everyone wanted him to be not only a force to be reckoned with on the battle field, but also a well-rounded leader.

    The second the ss bell rang, signaling the end of a ss, Hu Yangxuan picked up his textbook and darted towards the door with Wang Tong hot on his heels. But when he got to the door, he was stopped cold in his track. Wang tong didn''t have the time to react, so he rammed into Hu Yangxuan.

    "Balls! Move, will you? Why stop?" Wang Tong cupped his forehead with his palm. But when he saw what had stopped Hu Yangxuan, he was shocked.

    Li Ruoer stood right in front of him, blocking the sunlight behind her. Wang Tong''s hair stood on ends as he felt a coldness crawl under his skin.

    Due to the Great Houses'' appreciation for their privacy and their substantial influence in the Media, not a lot of people knew what Li Ruoer looked like. However, Hu Yangxuan would stop for a beautiful girl at any time, regardless of her family background.

    Before Hu Yangxuan started drooling, Wang Tong closed in and asked in a cold voice, "What do you want?"

    "Doesn''t Ayrng ept visitors? Just want to see what this famous historical academy is all about." Li Ruoer said in an innocent voice.

    "Wang Tong, you gonna have to talk politely to our beautiful guest." Hu Yangxuan then turned around and smiled at Li Ruoer, then said, "Your face is beautiful¡­ and familiar. Have we met before? Do you need a guide?"

    Li Ruoer ignored Hu Yangxuan. She threw Wang Tong a nce and then closed in. Wang Tong''s body tensed up, ready to use his tactics at any time.

    Li Ruoer approached Wang Tong very slowly and without any ill intention. She hooked her wrist into the crook of Wang Tong''s arm and whispered into Wang Tong''s ears. "Do as I say¡­ Otherwise, you will never see Ma Xiaoru."

    Wang Tong''s body rxed, but his mind was even more tensed up since Li Ruoer''s threats had stricken home.

    "That''s it. Make me happy and I will lead you to her." After her words, Li Ruoer nced at Hu Yangxuan pitifully, "Sorry handsome, I''m here for my boyfriend."

    Wang Tong wanted to protest, but he couldn''t find the words.

    Disappointed and frustrated, Hu Yangxuan went off to the lunch room. He swore that he had seen that girl somewhere.

    "That girl was hot¡­ and she looked so familiar!"

    "No kidding, I think she looked like Li Ruoer."

    "Li Ruoer?"

    "How do Wang Tong and Li Ruoer know each other?"

    After a night of reflecting on her strategy so far, Li Ruoer conceded that she had overlooked Wang Tong''s personality. She decided to use more devious and indirect methods to continue her n of revenge.

    "Wang Tong, how many girlfriends do you have? Zhou Sisi was at my door first thing this morning."

    "Where is she now?" Wang Tong thought to himself.

    "What? Why are you so afraid of me? I don''t bite!" Li Ruoer beamed joyfully as if she really meant no harm to him.

    "Are you sure? Plus, do you know anything that''s called friendship? Oh, wait... I forgot that you don''t have any friends." Wang Tong rebuked.

    " Careful, Wang Tong! Be very careful!" Li Ruoer chided.

    "I am honest. that''s what you want me to do right?" Wang Tong protested.

    "Whatever. Anyhow, you can forget about Ma Xiaoru. Her father had already agreed to her marriage with my brother." Li Ruoer said while watching Wang Tong''s change of expression.

    "Xiaoru is safe now? Thank God!"

    "Are you listening or not? I said MARRIAGE with my brother!" Disappointed by Wang Tong''s gleeful expression, Li Ruoer reminded Wang Tong about the marriage.

    Wang Tong rounded his eyes at Li Ruoer and then said, "Ma Xiaoru didn''t agree yet, so it doesn''t count."

    "Are you really that dumb? Do you think Ma Xiaoru will have a say in this matter?" Li Ruoer watched at Wang Tong''s face carefully, waiting for the panic to surface at any moment.

    However, she was disappointed again.

    After having been to death and brought back alive, Wang Tong had finally realized that Ma Xiaoru was his true love. He had promised himself that he would never give up on her as long as he was still breathing.

 Chapter 267: A Deal Is A Deal

    Chapter 267: A Deal Is A Deal

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    It had urred to Wang Tong that it was the time for him to make an effort in winning Ma Xiaoru back, and theck of family background should not be his excuse.

    Li Ruoer would never understand the strong bond between Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru.

    "If your father is going to marry you off to someone you dislike, tell me, what would you do?"

    "That''s easy¡­ I''ll kill you." Li Ruoer answered with a sharp edge in her voice.

    "You see my point now?" Wang Tong shrugged.

    "Dream on. I would never choose you as my lover. Ew."

    "That makes two of us."

    "Whatever. I''m hungry, let''s go to the cafeteria."

    "Maybe somewhere else? I will...pay?" Wang Tong scowled and said unwillingly. Someone in the cafeteria would eventually recognize Li Ruoer, and Wang Tong didn''t want any rumors to spread.

    "Did I really hear you say that you will buy me lunch? Why am I not feeling honored? Well, I only want some cafeteria food, and yes, you are still paying for it. Let''s go!"

    Wang Tong gritted his teeth and followed Li Ruoer to the cafeteria.

    As soon as the two stepped into the cafeteria, silence fell into the hall. The rumor was true; the heir of House Li, Li Ruoer was here. Upon entering the lobby, Li Ruoer quickly stered a poised and aloof expression onto her face and switched her identity from a crazy little prick to a cold and distant goddess, whose appearance would make any young man smile.

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes as he tried to improvised a n to y along with Li Ruoer''s trick.

    "We will see who isughing in the end." Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Wang Tong led Li Ruoer directly to Karl''s table. "Give us some space. This is Li Ruoer; I think she won''t need an introduction. She was our OPPONENT during the tournament at Capth. " Wang Tong put extra emphasis on the word "opponent."

    Li Ruoer had seen through Wang Tong''s n, so she said polity to everyone, "It was a good fight, and it is nice to meet you all again."

    "Please sit."

    In a blink, an ample space appeared at the table.

    Wang Tong cursed at his ssmates in his mind. He wanted them to refuse to give her a ce at the table by reminding them about the feud between Ayrng and Capth.

    No matter what kind of hint Wang Tong dropped, no one except for Zhou Sisi would be able to pick up the cue, as they were unaware of what had happened between Wang Tong and this seemingly doe-eyed girl.

    "Be our guest! What would you like to eat? Meat? Vegetable? Salty or sweet?" Hu Yangxuan puffed out his chest to make himself look manlier in front of the beautiful youngdy.

    "Yea, let us know. Ayrng''s cafeteria is pretty well known for its¡­ "

    Seeing his friends were no help, Wang Tong interrupted the conversation, "She will eat anything, right?"

    "I''m not a piggy. A little bit of vegetable will do. I have a body to keep." As soon as Li Ruoer finished her words, she was greeted with more praises for her beauty, most of which came from Hu Yangxuan.

    As Wang Tongmented over the ineffectiveness of his improvised n, Zhou Sisi came and sat down at the table. As she looked at Li Ruoer, she didn''t seem to be surprised. Instead, the two girls held each other''s knowing gaze for a fraction of seconds before they looked away. Wang Tong was puzzled by this detail, so he dragged Zhou Sisi to a corner and asked, "What the hell is going on?" Wang Tong lowered his voice but not the urgency in his tone.

    "Don''t you worry about it. Everything is under control. I will exinter." Zhou Sisi patted Wang Tong''s shoulder and said.

    Zhou Sisi'' calm and assuring tone somehow made Wang Tong feel even more unnerved. He worried that Li Ruoer had cast a spell of the Enchantress on the innocent girl.

    Wang Tong conceded that his only option seemed to be ying along. Also, Wang Tong found that Zhou Sisi''s pronunciation of words was clear, unlike the hypnotized slur that one uttered when under mind control spells.

    Everyone, expect for Wang Tong, had enjoyed the lunch. Wang Tong constantly worried about his friends¡¯ lives as they chatted with the seemingly benevolent princess from House of Li.

    After the lunch, Li Ruoer continued with her n as she clutched Wang Tong''s arm and dragged him out of the cafeteria.

    "Please! Can you smile just once? Am I really that bad of a person?" Li Ruoer''s face lit up with glee. Thanks to Zhou Sisi''s idea, she finally found a way to torture Wang Tong by embarrassing him and stressing him out.

    Wang Tong didn''t want to carry out any unnecessary conversation, so he asked, "What''s next?"

    "Hold your horses. If you behave well today and make me happy, I can let you see Ma Xiaoru as early as tonight. However, if you dare piss me off again... "

    "All right, all right! Enough threats."

    "Good. Now, show me a smile, will you? You should feel honored to be my boyfriend, even if we are just pretending."

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes at her outrageousment.

    In the cafeteria, the S club sat in a circle.

    "Sisi, how was our acting?"

    "Very good!" Zhou Sisi gave everyone a thumb up.

    "How dare she underestimate us! She thought we were all under her spell."

    "We will let Wang Tong handle the rest." Zhou Sisi nodded.

    "I think my acting skill is the best among all of you. I can tell that she was charmed by my looks."

    "You can only charm yourself with that face of yours!"

    "None of you had acted as calm as I did in front her seduction. I would never let lust affect me, unlike you guys!" Karl announced.

    The rest of the students rolled their eyes at the two narcissists.

    It turned out that Zhou Sisi had orchestrated the entire event. She had registered that only Li Ruoer would be able to help Wang Tong, but their grudge held against each other had made things moreplicated. Based on the information Zhou Sisi had gathered about the two''s confrontations, Zhou Sisi wagered that Li Ruoer''s intention wasn''t to harm Wang Tong but to humiliate him. Zhou Sisi reasoned that if she could help Li Ruoer reach her goal safely, she might be able to strike a deal with her to help Wang Tong.

    To put her n into action, Zhou Sisi also enlisted help from Hu Yangxuan and other friends of Wang Tong to put on a show for the enchantress in the cafeteria. That being said, Hu Yangxuan would be lying to say that he was merely acting and was not attracted by Li Ruoer at all. After all, Li Ruoer''s beauty was irresistible to any young man.

    After the show was over, the curtain fell and the stage was cleaned. Zhou Sisi conceded that it was all she could do for Wang Tong, and the rest was up to him.

    Wang Tong soon realized that he had to fight an entirely different battle this time. Li Ruoer didn''t scream or yell for his death. Instead, she smiled satisfyingly every time she squeezed a few credits out from his half-empty pocket.

    Although Wang Tong felt sad to see his hard-earned money being wasted on useless trinkets, he understood that he had to keep the show going. He also learned that a bit exaggeration of his painful expression might help him to end her spending spree sooner. So, Wang Tong yed on.

    After an entire afternoon of splurging using Wang Tong''s money, Li Ruoer seemed to be finally satisfied. Wang Tong was surprised by how quickly her anger had been pacified, since he was expecting more outrageous orders from her after she had used up his money.

    The two hopped onto a luxurious limousine that Li Ruoer had arranged. Wang Tong sat in the backseat with a solemn face. A feeling rose inside of him that was a mixture of anticipation and anxiousness.

    Li Ruoer''s expression became calm and cid as soon as she stepped into the car. "Ma Xiaoru had gotten injured twice, and you were involved in both cases. To put it simply, you didn''t really leave a good impression on her dad. If you really want to see her, we have to do secretly."

    Hearing that she had finally started to talk about what he wanted to hear, Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. "How is she doing right now?"

    "You two were both lucky. The nuke didn''t harm her, but she was in no better shape than you. Her soul energy was also depleted thanks to the overuse of super METAL."

    Li Ruoer gave Wang Tong a side-nce as she marveled at Wang Tong''s miraculous recovery. Even right then, she could feel his fresh and vigorous soul energy pumping through his body. She conceded that it would only be a matter of time before Wang Tong''s sea of consciousness was fully charged with higher grade soul energies.

    "My family had dispatched our best therapist to help her. However, the progress has been slow. My father had also requested Uncle Ma''s permission to marry Ma Xiaoru to my brother. " Li Ruoer said indifferently. She knew that it was more of a ckmail than a request.

    "Why do you want to tell me this?"

    "Because you intrigue me. I had never thought you would have a chance with Ma Xiaoru, but then I realized that I was wrong. I had made sure that Ma Xiaoru returned Capth, and I had also made sure that you survived in the hospital. The reason I want to help you is because I believe you are the only person that would pose any real threat to my brother." Li Ruoerughed alluringly.

    Wang Tong kept silent. What he had heard so far didn''t bode well. He realized that he had unknowingly gotten involved in a family feud. However, one valuable information he had gained from Li Ruoer was that the Ma didn''t seem very cooperative in dealing with the Li.

    Li Ruoer studied the severe expression on Wang Tong''s face, attempting to guess his thoughts.

    "Aren''t you afraid of your family eventually figuring out your intention?"

    "Ha-ha. You mean you would tell them that? Well, think again!"

    Wang Tong marveled at Li Ruoer''s enormous ambition held inside her petite body, and wondered if she believed that everything in the world could be reduced to just a game between her and her brother.

 Chapter 268: The Source of All Problems

    Chapter 268: The Source of All Problems

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The news Li Ruoer brought to him didn''t deter Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong boarded her private jet and arrived at a Vi somewhere in Europe. This vi and the few hundred square kilometers area around it that was the property of House of Ma. Thanks to Li Ruoer, no one stopped them as theynded at the private airport.

    When Wang Tongnded, he noticed that the entire ce was heavily guarded. Even the guards at the entrance wore METAL suits. Wang Tong didn''t overthink about it. After all, he was not here to fight but to see Ma Xiaoru.

    "Wang Tong, you can watch her from a distance. Don''t worry; I will let you know if her situation gets better or worse in the future." Li Ruoer whispered in Wang Tong''s ear.

    Wang Tong wasn''t sure if Li Ruoer was going to pull any trick on him. But so far, she seemed genuinely helpful. "Thanks anyway." Wang Tong replied.

    The two of them walked through the entrance, and Li Ruoer used her identification card for the both of them. Therefore, no one stopped them. "There are three levels of security check ahead of us. If anyone asks who you are, just tell them that you are from House Li. We had sent many of our experts to help Ma Xiaoru. Remember, Ma Xiaoru was still very frail, and cannot withstand any stress or strain on her body and mind."

    Ma Xiaoru''s words sounded like she genuinely cared about Ma Xiaoru''s life, which made Wang Tong change his opinion of her quite a bit.

    Right before the two were about to pass through the final gate, two METAL warriors stopped them.

    "Lady Li, our Lord has ordered that no one was allowed to disturb ourdy."

    "This is an expert specializing in soul energy recovery. I brought him here today with me to help Ma Xiaoru. "

    "I will send the request through. Would you please wait here for a second?" The METAL warrior requested.

    Li Ruoer''s brow furrowed and then she said with a cold and sharp voice, "Get out of my way! How dare you question me? Are you going to question House of Li as well?"

    The two METAL Warriors were ruffled by Li Ruoer''s harsh tone. They looked at each other helplessly and were going to let Li Ruoer and herpanion through when a voice came out from inside of the room.

    "Ruoer, let him in. I want to see him."

    The two soldiers straightened their backs as soon as they heard the voice. Li Ruoer grimaced and heaved a sigh, "Let''s go. Remember, don''t do anything stupid!"

    "This is?"

    "Ma Dutian. Ma Xiaoru''s father. "

    Wang Tong didn''t care because he understood Ma Dutian''s feelings as a father. Even if Ma Dutian intended to beat him up, Wang Tong reasoned that he would not resist.

    "Ruoer, you can take a rest outside. I want to see him alone." Ma Dutianmanded. Li Ruoer didn''t protest. Instead, she gave Wang Tong a stern stare, a final reminder to behave himself in that room.

    Following a METAL fighter, Wang Tong stepped through the seventh checkpoint, and saw one of the most influential men of the Confederation sitting in front of him.

    Rumors had it that Ma Dutian was a mediocre fighter. He had shown limited talents during his youth, so he had chosen to cultivate the tactics of Vayu, which he gave up halfway through. However, Ma Dutian was the best at managing business, just like all of his ancestors.

    However, when Wang Tong saw Ma Dutian for the first time, he had sensed that he had the purest form of soul energy within him. It was hard for Wang Tong to believe that Ma Dutian had been a dropout.

    Wang Tong was able to sense the quality of other''s soul energy because the Tactics of the de was the granddaddy of all other tactics. Wang Tong could use his soul energy as a standard measurement topare with other people''s soul energy, and then make an assessment. All the tactics of the world could be in one way or another traced back to the Tactics of the de. The fact that Li Feng had chosen to leave the Tactics of the de in this world meant that it could be a trump card over other deadly tactics, such as the Tactics of Vayu and the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Wang Tong and Ma Dutian held each other''s gaze for a second and Wang Tong didn''t find any anger in thetter¡¯s eyes. Instead, his eyes were filled with disappointment. Then suddenly, a light shed in Ma Dutian''s eyes, and he said, "Sit, please."

    Wang Tong felt nervous meeting with one of the most influential men in the world, but the tense feeling onlysted a few seconds before it disappeared. He grabbed a seat and sat down calmly.

    Ma Dutian didn''t speak but stared at Wang Tong for a while. The silence unnerved Wang Tong again.

    "Your tactics¡­ Who taught you them?" Ma Dutian asked abruptly.

    Wang Tong''s heart sank at the question, worried that Ma Dutian had somehow deciphered the origin of his real power.

    Wang Tong conceded that the rumor about Ma Dutian were merely rumors. The real Ma Dutian was a very powerful cultivator.

    Ma Dutian had seen through Wang Tong''s thoughts and was surprised to realize that this young boy could feel his real power. "You can feel my power? Hehe. Interesting. I have eluded that from everyone in the world, but not a 16-year-old boy. Haha."

    Ma Dutian''sughter lightened up the mood of the conversation significantly. Wang Tong was convinced that Ma Dutian meant him no harm. He was the father of a caring and friendly girl, a living proof of her father''s friendliness and righteousness.

    "It was the Tactics of the de. My... stepfather taught me that. I can feel a pure energy pulsing inside of you, the kind of energy that only appears within an Einherjar. " Wang Tong said. He decided that there was no point in hiding anything, since Ma Dutian would be able to see through his lies easily.

    Ma Dutian smiled the topic away and then asked, "I thought your sea of consciousness was depleted."

    "Yes, but luckily I got it back. Not sure how I did it though." Wang Tong had spoken the truth; he had no clue how his sea of consciousness had recovered.

    "You are indeed lucky. Well, since you are here, feel free to take a look. She is still in aa, so she won''t be able to speak. "

    Wang Tong was surprised how quickly Ma Dutian had epted his request.

    The thought of Ma Xiaoru made his heart ache. An immense guilt rose inside of him as he said, "I am sorry."

    Although Wang Tong had nothing to do with Ma Xiaoru''s injury, he had failed to protect the girl he liked, and that was a sin to a real man. Ma Dutian was pleased by Wang Tong''s sense of ountability, and he nodded approvingly.

    "You will leave her alone after seeing her for thest time today." Ma Dutian announced. Wang Tong''s body froze. He knew that Ma Dutian had disapproved his affection for Ma Xiaoru.

    If it were before he met Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong would have given up. However, ever since he met Ma Xiaoru, many things had happened, and Wang Tong had learned one valuable lesson: Don''t give up on one¡¯s true love.

    "Uncle, how can I prove that I am worthy?" Wang Tong asked in a calm voice. The cidity in Wang Tong''s voice caught Ma Dutian by surprise.

    "I wager that you have heard about the marriage proposal between my family and House of Li. Ma Xiaoru had put her life in danger twice for you. The first time she lost her memory, and the second time she almost lost her life. Without her, you''d be dead for a long time."

    "You are right. For the sake of Ma Xiaoru''s feelings for me, please give me a chance to prove that I am worthy of her affection." Wang Tong pleaded.

    Wang Tong knew that this was his only chance.

    Ma Dutian held Wang Tong''s gaze and then asked, "So, you think you are worthier than Li Shiming?"

    "First, yes, I am. Second, Ma Xiaoru doesn''t like him. Third, you don''t want to see their marriage happen either."

    Wang Tong''s list of reasons were like three arrows that each had hit the mark squarely.

    Ma Dutian finally smiled, as a newfound interest in this young boy shed in his eyes. Wang Tong wasn''t sure if what he said was appropriate, so he had turned into a bundle of nerves.

    "You better walk the talk, young man. There is going to be a pan-sr system tournamenting up, and all of the top fighters of the Great Houses would attend that tournament. If you could be the champion of the tournament, I will deem you worthy of my daughter''s hand. How about that?"

    Wang Tong tried to control the tion sprouting out from his heart, and nodded his head.

    "Leave here as soon as you see her. Don''t let her mom catch you here. She will skin you alive, and that''s not a joke." Ma Dutian waved his hand.

    A door opened, and a robot led Wang Tong to an inner chamber.

    Ma Dutian sat down next to a desk and knocked on it twice. A shadowy figure appeared behind Ma Dutian''s reclining chair.

    "Is that him?"

    "Yes, master." The shadow whispered.

    "Young and inexperienced. He would be dead in no time should the Li find him first. Luckily, I am a step ahead of the Li. " Ma Dutian cracked a smile.

    "Master, what is your n?"

    "I don''t care if it is Li Shiming or Wang Tong, as long as Xiaoru is happy. Wang Tong needs to prove himself worthy, and I will give him a chance to do so."

    "As you wish, master."

    An eerie light shed in the shadow''s eyes that clearly weren¡¯t human.

 Chapter 269: Humansâ€™ Counter Attack

    Chapter 269: Humans¡¯ Counter Attack

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Across the ss pane, Wang Tong finally saw Ma Xiao''s face, and a tear streaked his face right away.

    Wang Tong never felt so concerned about someone''s well being that he knew he would give up his life for her. Before he met Ma Xiaoru, he never felt so happy and sad for anyone or anything. The whole world meant nothing to him, but after he had found his true love, Ma Xiaoru had be his world, and she meant everything to him.

    Ma Xiaoru lied in the medical bay as if she were sleeping. Ma Dutian''s request had given him a sliver of hope. It was a fight he had to win, and nothing would be able to stop him.

    Li Ruoer watched the development with curiosity and questions. She didn''t expect Ma Dutian to be so friendly with Wang Tong, much less epting Wang Tong''s request of proving himself.

    The marriage between the two houses came at a very high price for the Ma. Not only were they going to send their daughter to the Li, but also all the secrets of the VAPE battery. It was also the most critical matter on House of Li ''s agenda. If things didn''t get hairy again on Norton, Li Shiming would have returned earth and focused on wooing the bride and her family.

    The real intention behind the Enchantress''s sudden change of heart to help Wang Tong was much more devious than it appeared. She had wagered that Ma Dutian would reject Wang Tong''s request outright, and therefore, Wang Tong wouldpletely lose hope. Without the hope supporting Wang Tong, Li Ruoer reasoned that he would copse from within very quickly.

    She had not been deceived by Zhou Sisi''s little trick. After all, she was merely ying along just like everyone else. However, even with the loaded dice, Wang Tong was still the biggest winner in this rigged game.

    Had Ma Dutian done it in the name of love? No.

    Li Ruoer knew that sentiments such as love belonged only to ordinary people in the streets. There was only one motive in Ma Dutian''s decision: to gain the upper hand against other Great Houses.

    But, Wang Tong was just a nobodypared to House Li. So, how did he manage to persuade Ma Dutian?

    Wang Tong turned around and was startled by Li Ruoer, who was standing behind him. Li Ruoer was surprised when she saw the tear streaks on Wang Tong''s cheeks. She never expected to see Wang Tong being emotional, much less cry.

    Wang Tong felt that he owed her a favor. If it were not for Li Ruoer, he would never have gained the chance to prove himself to Ma Xiaoru''s father.

    Family background aside, Wang Tong believed that he was the worthiest of Ma Xiaoru''s hand.

    The two of them left the vi quietly. Wang Tong knew that it was time for him to act.

    Li Ruoer wanted to ask Wang Tong many questions, but she was not sure where to start. Her mind raced as she wondered if she had spoiled her bother and father''s n. They had forced house of Ma to a corner by using Ma Xiaoru''s recovery as a bargaining chip. But, Li Ruoer knew that it did not mean that Ma Dutian wouldn''t change his mind on the issue of the marriage.

    Li Ruoer figured the only saving grace of this development was that she had gained Wang Tong''s trust. Soon, Li Ruoer would be able to unleash the real power of the Enchantress onto the unsuspecting victim.

    At the thought of Wang Tong''s suffering, Li Ruoer''s lips curled up into a faint smile.

    "You got a love problem, Wang Tong? I will solve it for you." Li Ruoer thought to herself.

    Wang Tong had caused her enough problems. Every time they had a run in, Wang Tong was always able to stir up her soul energy by humiliating her. The worse was thest encounter when she had wasted all of her hard-earned soul energy, and so, she had to start from scratch in leveling up. Wang Tong had practically be the biggest roadblock in her cultivation, and had left Li Ruoer with no choice but to do away with him.

    Without Wang Tong''s disturbance, Li Ruoer would be the youngest person in reaching the highest level of the Tactics of the enchantress among all cultivators except for the creator of the tactics.

    She was born with a mischievous and deceiving personality, a perfect match with the Tactics of the Enchantress. She secretly hoped that Wang Tong would be strong enough to withstand her initial attacks, because Li Ruoer''s power fed off on Wang Tong''s power.

    Meanwhile, the council meeting was discussing a pressing issue. Based on the NNT''s report, the Zergs were conducting an unprecedented experiment to further evolve their species by mixing superior human gene with that of the Zergs. The war had provided an excellent opportunity for them to collect human gene samples.

    After reviewing all the evidenceid out by the NNT, the Li family conceded that the Zergs intention in this war was not to conquer the, but to conduct their hideous experiments.

    The progress of the cleaning up the had been slow, NNT argued that the Zergs would gain the upper hand and reach a breakthrough in their research if the military didn''t take action right away. The only viable option NNT had proposed to eradicate the Zergs in such a short period was to annihte the.

    This proposal shocked the council since its implication would be significant. There were many parties involved in the development of Norton, and convincing any one of them to give up their investment would be nearly impossible. The Zergs had been collecting the human genes for a while, which it was an indication of their slow progress in hacking into the human gene. However, if they ever seeded, the oue could be catastrophic. The time was ticking.

    The students had already been pulled back, and the military''s retreat would only be a matter of giving the orders since House Li were among the firm supporters of the retreat n.

    It seemed that Ma Sa''s n was about to follow through, but he had overlooked another critical yer, the Golden Hawk. The Golden Hawk had been the strongest opposer of the retreat n, and they were convinced that the NNT had broken its vow of not getting involved in politics, and had formed a secret alliance with the House of Li. However, after seeing the evidence Ma Sa had given to the council, they changed their mind. Golden Hawk had always been the most hawkish faction, and they were more eager than anyone else to deliver a fatal blow to the Zergs. After watching the video of Zergs collecting Li Shiming''s blood, the Golden Hawk wagered that once the Zergs evolved into a creature as powerful as Li Feng, that would be the end of human civilization.

    However, the theory of a Zerg-Li Feng hybrid super being sounded preposterous to the majority of the council members. More than half of the council member opposed the retreat n, and the opposers were also backed by the environmentalist who thought the humans would be no different from the Zergs if they destroyed an entire and the lives on it for the sake of their own well-being.

    The two voices shed with each other and the only thing that NNT could do was wait. Their jurisdiction was the investigation, but not in the decision making. After insistent persuasion and lobbying by the Li, the recent opinions of the council members seemed to favor the retreat n finally. After all, despite how ridiculous their theory sounded, it was not unthinkable. And if the Zergs seeded, that would be the end of the human race.

    Once again, survival instinct trumped morality andmon sense.

    As the earthlings seemed to have reached a consensus on the issue, the Martians threw another wrench into the gears by dispatching a few fleets towards Norton. The secrets were no longer a secret, since everyone had heard the news that the military was going to blow up the. If the earthlings did that, the Martian investments would be all lost. The Martians had recently finished constructing a warp portable on its moon to Norton, betting on the prosperity on the after the war. If Norton were reduced to ashes, so would their years of investments.

    After the Martians, the Ivantians followed suit to protect their precious metal mines, and the council was back to the drawing board.

    At this point, the situation had already gone out of control. Even the mighty House Li was finally silenced under the pressures from all sides. Ma Sa knew then that his n had failed. The most likely oue from this political disaster was a full force attack led by all three factions. However, that, Ma Sa thought, was exactly what he wanted to see from the beginning.

    "Father, that was the summary of the council meeting." Li Shiming said.

    "Ma Sa has already gotten what he wanted."

    "What do you mean?"

    "He knew it was impossible just to blow the apart. That wasn''t his intention. He simply wanted the Confederation to see the danger they are in by suggesting a desperate and extreme method. His n was a ruse to coax the Confederation to dispatch more forces to the battlefield."

    "I see! Why did you y along?"

    "The oue is not bad for us, is it? Zergs are everyone''s enemy, plus now, NNT owes us a huge favor. Ma Sa is a very influential person, and it doesn''t hurt to keep him close to our side. Sometimes, you need to focus on the future instead of the present."

    "Yes, father."

    "There is no need for you at the front line any longer. You should return and focus on handling your marriage proposal."

    Every four years, the young warriors of the Confederation would gather together in a tournament topete for the title of the champion. It would not be an easy task for Wang Tong, but if he started to focus on strengthening his new sea of consciousness, he might have a chance.

    The student''s experience in the military campaign had put a positive spin on their preparation for the tournament, as it motivated them to train with a newfound determination.

    On the battlefield, the students had finally realized how small and vulnerable they were. The ruthless war would not give them a second chance to revisit the chapter on Zerg''s attack formation, nor would it give them another few weeks to strengthen their body so that they could move just an inch further away from death. If they didn¡¯t train hard, they would have to the pay the ultimate price¡ªtheir lives.

 Chapter 270: A Wrench From Mars

    Chapter 270: A Wrench From Mars

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The students'' motivation also helped the S club extend its member list. S club had be a tform where students from A ss academies could exchange information and insights. It also existed as a reminder of their determination to surpass the S academies. The Zhang Brother had established an online forum for all the S club members to facilitate the exchange of information. The most talked topic was the fleetbat techniques, such as the one used by Karl.

    After confirming Ma Xiaoru''s condition, Wang Tong had no more things to worry about, so he spent all his time on cultivation and physical training. He would have a work cut out for him when he faced the Li in the tournament. He thought it was ironic that he had gotten his tactics from Li Feng, yet he would have to stand up against his descendants.

    Unlike when he first started cultivating, Wang Tong was no longer hasty in making progress. After going through the war and witnessing hisrades'' death, Wang Tong felt that he was not as powerful in a real war as he was in the PA system. It lit up the determination in him to train with much more attention to the detail and technical finesse.

    In addition to the cultivation of soul energy, he also poured more vigor into learning textbook knowledge that would help him make a decision on the battlefield. After the war, he had noticed that a right decision could save more lives than a power fighter. For example, if he had seen that the cave he entered into was a trap, Ma Xiaoru would not have been injured, and Big Head, Iron Tooth, and Over Bite would still be alive.

    Nothing seemed to be able to disturb Wang Tong any longer, so he returned to his study with resolution.

    Hu Yangxuan had also learned valuable lessons from the battlefield. The 5g environment shocked him at first, but then, he conceded that this was something that he had to work hard to get used to if he wanted to be a real soldier.

    As Wang Tong was experimenting different training routines, he found that his soul energy was recovering rapidly. With the solid understanding of the techniques he had acquired andbined with the real-lifebat experience, the power of his Tactics of the de had increased by leaps and bounds. This unexpected benefit had made him understand the importance of the depth of one''s sea of consciousness. The academy''s teaching had focused mainly on charging and exploding one''s soul energy in one deadly attack. This method was effective in tournaments when one needed only to face a few opponents, but it would tire the user out very quickly on a battlefield. Endurance and stamina became more critical yers in a real war against the Zergs. Wang Tong had slipped up many times because he didn''t pay attention to his overdrawing soul energy. Luckily, Goldie had saved himst time, but Wang Tong knew that Goldie wouldn''t be there for him all the time. He needed to find a way to increase the depth of his sea of consciousness.

    Wang Tong had never been more craving for power as he was then. However, he never regretted his training methods in the past, because back then, he had no ambitions but only one goal in his life: to improve his and Old Fart''s living condition.

    Thest battle seemed to have gravely injured both Goldie and Mr. Wannabe, but Charcoal was unharmed. Looking at Charcoal''s blinking eyes, Wang Tong envied his robot friend''s simple life.

    Wang Tong had been preparing for his fight with Lie Jian, but his bigger problem was travel expense. He wouldn''t be able to afford a ticket to the Moon, much less the Mars. Besides, he felt that he was unprepared, since he was still recovering from his injury and recharging his sea of consciousness. After all, Lie Jian was the best among fighters of his age.

    Lie Jian vented his anger and frustration on the PA system, brutally murdering any yers that dared to fight with him. Mr. Wannabe had teased out his thirst for a real fight, but then dropped the ball on him. So, Lie Jian sent out his four deadliest fighters on the PA system, looking for an alternative before Mr. Wannabe resurfaced again.

    This was the origin of the recent infamous incident on the PA system called the "Martian Killers." The four Martians challenged anyone they saw fit, and murdered whoever dared to ept their challenge. So far, they had been victories in all their fights.

    The four of them were all capable of deploying poison me, which would melt the METAL suit upon contact. Many students from the A-ss academy had epted their challenges, but they all failed the moment the agonizing me burned through their METAL and scorched their virtual flesh. To force Mr. Wannabe to fight with him, Lie Jian had practically held the entire PA system hostage, turning it into his own yground.

    Lie Jian hoped that his outrageous brutality would also be able to draw out one or two worthy opponents among the ranks of the Great House. However, none of the fighters from the Great Houses had risen to the bait.

    The four killers were all top notch fighters in the S ss academy, who had mastered the Tactics of the ze. Therefore, without the intervention of the great houses, they were invincible in the PA system.

    There were some that might be able to hold their ground against the four, but they either didn''t have any interest in fighting them, or were afraid of Lie Jian''s power. For example, none of the fighters from the S ss Academies on the Moon had partaken in stopping Lie Jian''s rampage. They understood that Lie Jian was after the earthling boy Einherjar Wannabe. So, if they intervened, it would make them look like the earthling boy''s goons.

    The four Martians'' target was very clear: powerful fighters of age thirty and under.

    Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi were discussing techniques for the close quarterbat.

    "The Lancaster''sw has stated this: Providing a linear formation during close quarterbat, the strength of eachbatant is proportional to the number of units to the power of two. Therefore, if the average strength per unit of the blue army were four times that of the red army, 100 unit of the blue army would be equivalent to 400 red army units in rangedbat. However, in a close quarterbat, when the blue army was decimated, the red would still have 346 units left. " Zhou Sisi said patiently.

    "Hmm...close quarterbat must be very beneficial to us humans since the Zergs outnumber us."

    "Thisw could also be used while fighting against the humans. The military had also deployed this strategy, which was why they could afford to downgrade the solider''s METAL suit to tier one. As long as the soldiers were well positioned, their power as a team could grow exponentially, thanks to the Lancaster''s Law."

    "Ah ha! I see now. So, the humans would be able to even out the disadvantage of the smaller number of force and the lower tier METAL."

    "Hey, Boss! Look at this! These four sons of Martian b*tches were posting their challenge notice again. For f*ck sake, I can''t believe you could just sit through this!" Karl rushed in and interrupted the discussion.

    "Forget it. I''m still recovering. Otherwise, I will pack them each a knuckle sandwich and send them home."

    "I have checked their profile, and these four are all hell of a fighter. Lie Wushuang was also among the four; perhaps he was the leader. He must have been quite touchytely, since Einherjar Wannabe had parried his Tactics of the ze with a single finger. The other one worth noting is the so-called Fire Beast, Lie Xuan. It had said that she could dish out an incredible amount of damage when her inert ability was triggered."

    "She is also extremely hot, hence the name: Fire Beast. Her body is like..." Hu Yangxuan joined in the conversation and traced an exaggerated hourss shape with two of his fingers. He had been increasingly fickle in his love affairs after he knew that Ma Xiaoru had already set her eyes on Wang Tong.

    "Hu Yangxuan, do you want to give it a try and fight against her? I think you can do it. Teach her a lesson!"

 Chapter 271: Enchantress versus Enchantress

    Chapter 271: Enchantress versus Enchantress

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Karl shouted at Hu Yangxuan, encouraging him to ept the challenge.

    "I am already toote. Haven''t you heard that there were already two who had risen to the challenge? Wang Ben and Jiang Long. It would be quite a show to watch. " Hu Yangxuan cracked a smile.

    "Wang Ben?" A sense of pity rose inside of Karl. Among all the S Club members, he had admired Wang Tong and Wang Ben the most. He admired Wang Tong for his power and ountability, and respected Wang Ben for his iron will and steadfastness. However, after the tournament at Capth, Wang Ben had be much quieter, perhaps because he felt guilty that he couldn''t fight alongside with his friends.

    "Alright Karl, cheer up. Your sad face is going to upset your fans." Zhou Sisi jested.

    Karl had an excellent performance while working on the fleet. His execution of Karl''s Style was the most effective. With the improvement of his soul energy and micromanagement, he was making progress in his technique by the day. In addition, he had made up his mind about joining the fleet, since he had conceded that he was not that talented in METALbat.

    "Among the four troublemakers, there was one nicknamed the "lightning kicks". His name is Qin Kun, and his kicks are extremely powerful. Thest one of the four is from the Sect of the Divine Master."

    "Sect of the Divine Master? Why would they follow Lie Jian''s order?"

    "The two have a strong alliance on the Mars."

    "What about these sect members? Are they...strong?" Karl asked curiously.

    "Although the sect is not one of the Great Houses, they are simr to the Temr''s court. Have you ever heard the saying that ''all tactics are from the court''? Well, the sect is the only exception to that rule. The sect has its own unique tactics and training methods." Hu Yangxuan announced as he was stuffing potato chips into his mouth.

    Although the sect of the Divine Master was only active on the Mars, unlike their Temr counterpart, one should not mistake their obscurity for weakness.

    "So...you mean a good show is about to start? Perfect!"

    In afortable and spacious room, Ma Xiaoru lolled on the bed with a book in her hand. A breeze blew in and revealed the gorgeous scenes outside of the room. Ma Xiaoru stared into the distance, not minding the wind that had tousled her hair.

    "Who are you thinking? Don''t lose yourself, my princess." Li Rouer jested.

    "Ruoer, could you please tell my dad to let me return to school? It''s too boring here."

    "I wish I could. I count myself lucky to be able to stay here with you thanks to our same tactics. They somehow think our simr soul energy would help you recuperate. Otherwise, I would have to be kicked out of here as well. I have never seen your dad so mad before."

    "My body is recovered. It would just take some time to recharge my soul energy. I can''t stay here forever, you know."

    "Why are you so antsy to get out of here? Ah-Ha... you want to see my brother? A, how cute."

    "Stop it. Can you look someone up for me?" Ma Xiaoru had been thinking about Wang Tong ever since she had awoken, and she had wagered that Wang Tong was still alive. Due to Ma Xiaoru''s protest, the marriage between the two family had been put up on hold. Ma Xiaoru wished that her parents could ept her real love interest, but she knew it would be impossible for her mom to like Wang Tong, since she was convinced that Wang Tong was the culprit behind Ma Xiaoru''s serious of unfortunate events.

    "Already did! That prick is reveling in his new life right now. I suggest you worry about yourself first."

    "Ruoer, I have another favor to ask. It might be difficult for you..."

    "Spit it out. I don''t like it when you are so cautious around me. I know you are not interested in bing my sister inw, but I am still interested in bing your friend."

    "I feel bad for leaving Ayrng, and Wang Ben has also left. So, I was worried that Samantha might be having a difficult time. Could you please help her?" Ma Xiaoru pleaded. In addition to Wang Tong, she was also worried for Ayrng since they had recently lost two of their best students.

    Li Ruoer''s brow furrowed as she reflected on the question. The Li Family was the strongest supporter of Capth, and it was a well-known fact. Should she change her school to Ayrng, there would be consequences. However, Li Ruoer reasoned that if she could stay at Ayrng, she would be able to bring news about Wang Tong to Ma Xiaoru.

    "Well, that was a tough one. But alright, I will help you." Li Ruoer answered hesitantly.

    Ma Xiaoru hugged Li Ruoer out of sheer excitement, "Thank you so much! I don''t know how I would be able to repay you for this."

    Li Ruoer looked out of the window, trying to hide the faint smirk on her face.

    "Don''t you worry about it! But tell me, you want me to help Wang Tong or Samantha?" Li Ruoer asked.

    Ma Xiaoru flushed and then said, "You know the answer to that one."

    Ma Xiaoru''s openness caught Li Ruoer off guard.

    "You have no idea the feeling I had when I thought I was going to die. I have never felt so regretful, and I thought if I could live again, I should be with the someone who I truly love."

    Watching as the longing for love burnt in Ma Xiaoru''s eyes, Li Ruoer felt like Ma Xiaoru was a different person. She wondered what exactly had happened between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong that had changed her so drastically.

    "Don''t be melodramatic, please! That''s infatuation; love is too big of a word. Anyhow, I will spy on your love interest for you." Li Ruoer replied. Her goal was to gain Ma Xiaoru''s trust. Therefore, she never praised her brother nor would she nder Wang Tong behind his back.

    Li Ruoer was convinced that what had attracted Ma Xiaoru in Wang Tong was his grassroot background. Somedies of the great houses were particrly fascinated with that quality, thanks to the widespread media''s re-rendering of love stories. Time, Li Ruoer reasoned, would eventually break the spell. But any external force that attempted to separate the two before time had worked its magic would only pull the two closer.

    Ma Xiaoru smiled away Li Ruoer''s hint that Wang Tong was fickle in his love affair.

    "Don''t smile at me like that. You know all men''s brains are in between their crotch. Both of our dads had been yboys before they settled down."

    "Fine. I didn''t say you were wrong. That is why I need you there." Ma Xiaoru answered.

    Looking at the gleeful expression on Ma Xiaoru''s face, Li Ruoer was not convinced at all that Ma Xiaoru was worried about Wang Tong''s fidelity.

    "You are not worried that he might take an interest in me? I am, too, an Enchantress, you know." Li Ruoer narrowed her eyes as if uttering a threat.

    "Haha. Well, you should try it. I want to see what''s gonna happen." Ma Xiaoruughed.

    Li Ruoer gave up. Ma Xiaoru didn''t seem to doubt Wang Tong at all, no matter how hard she tried to nt the seeds of doubt into her mind. Humans were such strange creatures; their determination could be as imprable as a formidable castle, but once the suspicions and paranoia ate away the pirs of the mighty structure like the scourge of termites, the castle would crumble in an instant.

    The series of miraculous incidences that happened to Wang Tong made Li Ruoer fall into deep thought. How did he survive the Arctic Blizzard when both Ma Xiaoru and herself had given up hope? How did he survive the nuke st? How did he manage to persuade Ma Dutian? One question bade another, and soon, Li Ruoer realized that there must be more than what met the eyes.

    She then pulled her thoughts back to her family business. The top priority for her family right then was to settle the marriage agreement. Li Ruoer had tried to separate the two before they had officially dered their feelings for each other. However, her n backfired on her. Without Li Ruoer''s maniption, Wang Tong would still be with Samantha, and none of these problems would have urred.

    She figured that her best option right then was to make Wang Tong fall in love with another girl, perhaps herself. She conceded that she would take much pleasure in dumping Wang Tong after Ma Xiaoru and her brother''s marriage was set in stone. Ma Xiaoru''s request right then had just given Li Ruoer a cause belli to put her n into action.

    Satisfied with the promise of revenge, Li Ruoer''s face beamed from side to side. She left Ma Xiaoru''s room after chatting with her for a bit longer. All the while, Li Ruoer had overlooked one detail: Ma Xiaoru was also a cultivator of the tactics of Enchantress.

 Chapter 272: Paragon of Perfection

    Chapter 272: Paragon of Perfection

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong''s soul energy had reach level four after a week of recovering. Although he would have to breach the bottleneck of level five once again, Wang Tong was confident that when he did, he would be much stronger than he had ever been. He was also optimistic that he would make vast improvements in the field of spaceshipbat.

    Previously, Wang Tong had been relying heavily on his APM technique, using his excellent micro control to subdue opponents. He had also used this strategy in his invention of twobat styles.

    Students from six different academies had joined the S club so far. In addition to Bernabeu, there were Kucusu, Washington, Salo, three A-ss Academies, and one B ss Academies named Turnbull.

    The weekend was the day for the students of different academies to flex their muscles andpete against each other. The match between Wang Tong and Karl was thest match of the day. Everyone was eager to witness how the inventor of Karl Formation would execute his own technique. After toppling three opponent defenses, Karl challenged Wang Tong directly, skipping through the rest of thepetitors

    Karl''s challenged had unnerved Hu Yangxuan, since thetter was not very confident in Wang Tong''s condition after recovery. Hu Yangxuan worried about the reputation of Wang Tong as the club leader should he slip up and lose the fight.

    Wang Tong epted Karl''s challenge candidly. For a while, he had registered Karl''s frustration, and he reasoned that Karl must have sensed certain shorings in hisbat techniques, but was not sure how to pinpoint it due tock of a worthy opponent. The only two that Karl knew would stand up against him were sh and Bisu. However, the two had not been active ever since theirst defeat, so Karl could only practice with Best, and it got boring pretty quickly.

    This was Wang Tong''s first spaceship battle since he was injured and already, Wang Tong was confident that he would win with ease. He felt that he could read much more than before in between the lines of Karl''s deployment, and he quickly picked up his opponent''s weakness.

    Karl had lost three matches in a row and was caught off guard by the catastrophic defeat. He watched the rey many times, trying to figure out how he had lost.

    Even Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised by the ease in his victory, and he was pleased with the new-found ability tomand the fleets as a whole to crush the opponent''s weak points.

    No one left the exercise room after the match as they lingered to discuss the recent event on the PA system. Without Einherjar Wannabe, the martian brutes had dominated the PA system until the two strong opponents emerged recently: Wang Ben and Jiang Long.

    Wang Ben epted their challenges because of his friendship with Einherjar Wannabe, while Jiang Long had done so for the sake of his reputation.

    The four Martians were a rowdy lot; not only had Einherjar Wannabe fallen victim to their profanities, but also many other great fighters, including Jiang Long. As the heir to the Firmament Palm Strike, Jiang Long was well respected among the fighters on the moon. His reputation has suffered coteral damage from the crossfire between the fans of the Einherjar Wannabe and the four Martians. To save his reputation as apetent fighter, he decided to ept the challenge.

    Jiang Long would be up against Lie Wushuan, and Wang Ben''s opponent would be Qin Kun.

    When the group turned on the TV, Jiang Long was already defeated by Lie Wushuang. Despite the vigorous attacks of the Firmament Palm Strike, both the soul energy and experience of Jiang Long had fallen short during the contest. Lie Wushuang was a much more experienced fighter. He fought his opponent patiently, biding his time until his opponent tired himself out.

    When Jiang Long copsed onto the ground, the martian audiences cheered for their hero''s victory. Their voice wasced with shouts of taunt and contempt.

    Jiang Long felt indignant; he registered that he had lost the battle not because of theck of soul energy, but because the tactics he had cultivated were inferior to the Tactics of the ze.

    He had recognized his opponent''s advantage from the beginning of the match, and had wanted to finish him in the first few strikes before Lie Wushuang was able to materialize the power of his tactics. However, Lie Wushuang didn''t give him a chance and dominated thebat from the first moment till thest.

    Other audiences were appalled by the Martians'' excessive pomposity. Some even booed at the cheerers.

    "I can''t stand this! These Martians are arrogant and conceited b*stards! Why would they humiliate other fighters like this?"

    Looking at Jiang Long who had copsed on the ground, Lie Wushuang extended his thumb downward with a smug look on his face. The Martians pompous actions had angered the Ivantians and the Earthlings.

    Although Wang Tong really wanted to teach these four bullies a lesson, he conceded that he should exercise caution, as he was not sure if he would be able to defeat Lie Jian without a fully recharging his sea of consciousness.

    The audiences had been expecting Wang Ben to revenge the fallen warriors, but the performance of Lie Wushuang make them doubt if even Wang Ben would be able to defeat the Martian. Although Wang Ben had leveled up to the fifth level, his opponents were no less potent than him. Three out of the four Martians were already graduated and serving the military, while the other one was the official member of the Sect of the Divine Master. It was clear that they had never nned on having fair fights.

    Even after defeating Jiang Long, Lie Wushuang still felt anger burning inside him. Despite the double attribute of Wannabe¡¯s GN force, he wouldn¡¯t lose the battle if he had paid more attention. After all, he held an advantage in terms of superior soul energy.

    "Is this all you Ivantians got? What a pathetic, useless piece of sh*t." Lie Wushuang bawled out at the audience.

    Ivantians had two of the five greatest tactics. However, one of the two was not meant forbat, and the other was so difficult that even the House Dower had not been able to seed in their cultivation for many generations.

    "Bullsh*t!" Lie Wushuang spat on the floor and was about to leave when someone stepped calmly onto the stage as silence fell into the entire arena.

    This young man¡¯s face could be said to be elegant, if not slightly effeminate.

    "If you can counter just one strike from me, I will consider it your victory. "

    Li Jian leaped out of his chair in excitement as the sudden turn of event caught him off guard, "More and more interesting!"

    Li Shiming had also been watching the live broadcast. When he saw the newbatant, he pushed aside the paperwork and furrowed his brows.

    The ostentation smug on Lie Wushuang''s face faded away as soon as he saw the approaching young man. He immediately tightened his body into a defensive posture.

    If there were one young fighter that Lie Wushuang needed to be wary of, it would be this one right in front of him, the paragon of perfection: Patroclus Dower.

 Chapter 273: Super! Tactics of the Deva King

    Chapter 273: Super! Tactics of the Deva King

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Wushuang''s new opponent snuffed out the pompous me in an instant. Lie Wushuang used to listen to his cousin, Lie Jian,menting on the heirs of the great houses, and concluded that only Patroclus''s tactics were perfect.

    The Tactics of the Deva King were well known for its difficulty, as they were difficult to master it even for the heir of the Dower family, until Patroclus.

    Patroclus''s appearance had caught everyone off guard, because it went against his usual quietness and lowkey lifestyle. Sensing that he had no way out of this confrontation, Lie Wushuang decided to ept the fight.

    The silver lining for Lie Wushuang was that he would only need to counter Patroclus''s strike once. Lie Wushuang wagered that he would have a chance to save face after all.

    Patroclus didn''t bring any weapon, despite the fact that the Dower were well known for their skills in using spears, as thousands of Zergs had died under the tip of Rngalos Dower''s silver spear. Wielding a spear had always been an honor in the Dower family, and only the ones that had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King would earn the rights to wield a spear. While faced with such a weak opponent, Patroclus figured that there was no need to use a weapon, much less a spear.

    The other Martians'' faces became taut; they knew that Patroclus would very likely ruin their n.

    Martians were a very conceited lot; their obsession with their own bloodline was even more undue than that of Earthlings and the Ivantians.

    Patroclus stood still, holding a calm expression on his face. He looked more like an onlooker rather than abatant. He was sending a message to Lie Wushuang: ¡®You should attack first. Otherwise, you would lose for sure.¡¯

    The entire arena became so quiet that one could even hear a pin drop. The DREAM was also shocked at this development.

    Everyone stared at Lie Wushuang and wondered why he hesitated to make the first move. Some med him for holding back the first appearance of the Tactics of the Deva King in many years.

    Wang Tong was also staring at Patroclus, waiting to see his tactics. However, he felt that Patroclus was staring at him with a belligerent expression, so much so that Wang Tong felt his body had started the Tactics of de by itself. Wang Tong reasoned that it would either self-defense or the excitement of meeting a strong opponent. Either way, Wang Tong was intrigued to see the real power of the Tactics of the Deva King.

    Lie Wushuang finally attacked. He used the ming palm technique and bore down on Patroclus with resolution.

    Facing the attack that had reached two hundred seventy soul energy, Patroclus stood still at about ten steps away from Lie Wushuang, and stared at the approaching attacker with calm.

    On Lie Wushuang''s third step, he suddenly stumbled and then fell. He never got back up again.

    Was that the power of the Deva King?

    Patroclus didn''t even move!

    Ivantians apuded with their usualposure. Their expressions remained poised and civilize. To them, there had been no question about the oue of this match, since they knew that once the Dower family had agreed to something, they never let the Ivantians down.

    Patroclus didn''t even grace the Martians a nce as he turned around to the audience and then announced, "Have you seen this? If you want to challenge me, I will dly ept."

    He bowed and then disappeared.

    Wang Tong''s blood was about to boil. He knew that the Patroclus was speaking to him instead of the Martians. Somehow, Wang Tong had a nagging feeling that Patroclus knew that he had used the de Warrior''s Tactics of the de.

    Patroclus had made a move; it was not done with his body, but with his soul energy. He had invaded the fire attribute of Lie Wushuang''s soul energy with his ice attributes. The invasion had rattled Lie Wushuang''s sea of consciousness until it crumbled.

    Control of the elemental attributes was the real power of the Tactics of the Deva King. As the only perfect tactics of the entire world, the Tactics of the Deva King required much deeper understating about soul energy than any other.

    Seeing the power of the Tactics of the Deva King, Wang Tong would finally rte to Li Feng''s joy of having Rngalos as apetent opponent and friend. Wang Tong was the only person who understood the motives of Patroclus''s appearance and what had instigated it. Patroclus was after Einherjar Wannabe, because thetter could alsomand different elemental attributes.

    "Kiddo, this guy would almost definitely be your strongest opponent in your life." Wang Tong heard Mr. Wannabe''s voice.

    Wang Tong nodded in agreement. Tactics of the Deva King was the closest to the Tactics of the de. No wonder even the de Warrior himself had marveled at the power of Rngalos.

    However, Wang Tong was convinced that if Li Feng could gain the upper hand in their rivalry, so could he.

    "Hold on, kid! You are still recovering. It would be too dangerous for you to fight him right now. "

    "What made you think that I will?" Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "Well, you sounded like you were going to."

    "I was just thinking about it. If he could provide all the transportation fee and amodation, then maybe, just maybe¡­ I will consider his challenge. "

    Mr, Wannabe was speechless at Wang Tong''s stinginess, and found it hard to connect Wang Tong with an image of a macho hero.

    "Balls! Be a man, do the right thing! " Mr. Wannabe bawled out at Wang Tong.

    "Don''t get so rattled up; you are still recovering as well." Wang Tong smirked. However, he knew that Mr. wannabe was right. He was still recovering and fighting such a strong opponent without being at his best was a shameful waste of an opportunity.

    Mr. Wannabe had left, but Wang Tong''s excitement lingered. He had learned a lot from Patroclus''s fight. However, Wang Tong was still confident that he would be able to defeat Patroclus once he was fully recovered. His confidence partly came from his tactics and partly from his unwavering personality.

    Wang Tong didn''t care about many small day-to-day issues, but regarding the things that he did care, he would never give up in his pursuit.

    "Omg! Boss, have you seen that? I say it''s magic. He didn''t even move¡­ Could his smile kill as well?" Karl scratched his head, unable toprehend what he had seen on the match rey.

    Everyone else was in the same boat, and they turned to Wang Tong for an exnation.

    Wang Tong smiled and then said, "Perhaps that was the power of Tactics of the Deva King."

    Even Hu Yangxuan could not grasp what was going on. None of Wang Tong''s ssmate had yet reached that deep of understanding about the soul energy.

    "Brother Shiming, what do you make of this? Who is Patroclus challenging?" A young man who sat beside Li Shiming asked him a question. This young man was called Porten, and he was the son of the chair of the councilors, a firm supporter of the Golden Hawk.

    Li Shiming smiled nkly and then answered, "The Tactics of the Deva King are indeed very powerful. To answer your question, Patroclus was challenging Einherjar Wannabe."

    Porten was surprised by the answer, "Are you sure it was not you? I have heard that the Einherjar Wannabe was simply a nobody. Fifteen seconds of fame, that''s all."

    "This Einherjar Wannabe''s tactics and techniques are bizarre, and he is not a nobody. I already have a rough idea of who he really is."

    Porten''s eyes glinted, and then asked, "I have heard that even the DREAM could not pinpoint his identity, How did you do that?" Porten had also conducted his own research, and clearly, he had failed.

    "It was easier than you think. If you table out the time that he was online, you will notice a pattern. He only shows up on the weekend during the night, so he has to be a student. He had disappeared from the PA system for the entire duration of the student''s military campaign, so I wager that he must be one of the students that got sent to Norton."

    Li Shiming nced over the shoulder of Porten and looked at the image of Patroclus on the screen.

    Every heir of the Li family was told that there was only one real opponent in his life: the heir of the Dower.

    Even the fame and reputation of Li Feng was not able to tump that of the Rngalos.

    Patroclus had broken his quietness, and he was going to lead the Dower family back to their former glory. To rival such a strong adversary, Li Shiming reasoned that the House of Li would need someone as powerful and influential as Li Feng.

    "Good call! Well, let me do the heavy lifting for you. I promise I would figure out the identity of this sneaky little fish." Porten announced.

    Li Shiming''s expression remained cid and indifferent.

 Chapter 274: The Pirate King

    Chapter 274: The Pirate King

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Xuan and the other martian fighters looked at Lie Wushuang''s nk expression with confusion. Even Lie Wushuang himself had no idea how he was defeated.

    Lie Jian gestured everyone to be silent as he mulled over Patroclus''s challenge. Lie Jian knew that while facing an opponent such as Patroclus, he needed to control his urge to act on a whim.

    After a while, Lie Jian suddenly spoke to screen, "You have also taken an interest in Einherjar Wannabe. Einherjar Wannabe... Interesting."

    It urred to Lie Jian that he would have to re-evaluate his opponent. He had thought that Einherjar Wannabe was just a freak; he might be powerful, but his power would notst long. However, Patroclus''s involvement was a sign that Lie Jian''s initial estimation of Einherjar Wannabe was incorrect. He knew that Patroclus would never interfere with Lie Wushuang''s rampage since he wouldn''t care to fight with such weak opponents.

    When the earthling and the Martians were still filled with admiration and disbelief, most Ivantians were calm. They knew that their prince would be able to teach the Martians a lesson, since he was the paragon of perfection. Not a single Ivantian would doubt the heir of the Dower, especially Patroclus Dower.

    The Ivantians considered Parooclus the closest to his ancestor Rngalos in terms of looks, power, as well as personality.

    When the Ivantians talked about power, they didn''t mean the strength of the GN power or soul energy; they also referred to the overall control of the battlefield. Back in the days of Rngalos, he had destroyed eighty percent of the Earth Fleet by waiting over ten years for the perfect moment to strike. It had proven that in addition to strength, he also possessed wisdom, and that was what set him apart from other Einherjars.

    Patroclus had inherited the talent and the tradition of working hard. However, it was yet to see if he would be able to unleash his power to its full potential. He needed a strong opponent, since without one, his power and strength would all be useless.

    Although Patroclus considered a few of the young fighters his worthy opponent, the Ivantian public was convinced that neither Li Shiming or Lie Jian would stand a chance against their perfect prince.

    The match came to a jarring halt as the four Martians retreated. Their original intention was to force Einherjar Wannabe to fight with them, but it seemed that the joke was on them as they had be theughing stock.

    The audiences boiled over on inte forums about the recent fight.

    The match was reyed over and over again, and through every rey, everyone marveled at the power of Patroclus to defeat such a strong opponent without even moving a finger.

    The reality was cruel to Lie Wushuang, since he didn''t even know how he was defeated and had be adder for his opponent to reach a new height in his poprity.

    The poprity of Patroclus had soared, and in a few days, he reced Einherjar Wannabe as the second most popr public face, closely following the number one on that list: the masked dancer. Although Einherjar Wannabe had shown an incredible power, Patroclus''s disy of strength was even more impressive. He had proven that the legend surrounding him was correct. His perfectionism might be the only quality that could out-rival Einherjar Wannabe''s mysteriousness in winning public''s attention.

    He was the pride of the Ivantians. It was the power of House of Dower and Patroclus that had given them the sense of nonchnce and indifference regardless of what Li Shiming or Lie Jian aplished.

    Wang Tong finally realized that Patroclus was the opponent he really needed.

    Wang Tong had also realized the gap between him and top fighters from the Great Houses. People like Patroclus not only cultivated the deadliest tactics of the world, but also had instructors that used to be Einherjar. These teachers would not only teach Patroclus about the secrets of the tactics, but also strategies that did not involve fighting.

    The thought of the gap between Wang Tong and his opponent made him sleepless as he rolled back and forth on his bed.

    Wang Tong was caught off guard by the power of Patroclus. He registered that Patroclus''s power did not only came for his soul energy, but also his confidence and a good understanding of his opponent.

    Due to theck of a challenge, Wang Tong had started to overestimate his strength. He paid the price for his conceit on Norton, so he reckoned that maybe he should reconsider his match with Lie Jian. He conceded that a battle was only meaningful when the power of the two fighters was close. If it were otherwise, like the one-second fight between Patroclus and Lie Wushuang, Wang Tong reasoned he would not be able to learn anything from it.

    Wang Tong genuinely felt that he needed much improvement in many areas.

    Although Wang Tong had experienced the moment of life and death on the battlefield, he conceded that it was different than the life-threatening moment during a duel.

    In fact, there was one teacher right beside him, the real Einherjar Wannabe. However, his teaching skills were limited, to say the least. So, Wang Tong reasoned that the best way to learn from Einherjar Wannabe would be to fight him. Wang Tong only needed to figure out how to get his teacher out of his prison.

    As Wang Tong pondered on the possible method of helping Mr. Wannabe jailbreaking out of the crystal, his soul energy slowly seeped into the crystal, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. He figured that if this crystal indeed belonged to the de Warrior, Li Feng must have gained advanced alien technology when he was alive. The thought of Mr. Wannabe saving his life on Norton made Wang Tong feel a sense of guilt. So far, Wang Tong had not attempted to fulfill his promise to Mr. Wannabe of taking him to the Hall of Valha. With the guilt in mind, he remembered that the reward for the top ten students of the pan-sr system tournament was a ticket to the Temr''s boot camp. Since the Temr were the guardians of the Hall of Valha, Wang Tong reasoned that if he could make it to the Temr''s court, he might have a chance delivering Mr. Wannabe to his destination. A sliver hope rose inside of Wang Tong.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong''s world went dark. He felt that he had traveled into another space and time. He tensed up his body and drew out his soul energy, and in a blink of eyes, he was back on his bed again.

    Wang Tong was very confident that he was not hallucinating, so he wondered if he was able to enter the crystal, as Mr. Wannabe did.

    As he mulled over the question, his soul energy seemed to have found a gate in the crystal space, so he entered.

    As soon as he entered the crystal space, he saw Einherjar Wannabe''s solemn face.

    Wang Tong looked around and found that they were standing on a barren ground like an ancient battlefield that sprawled endlessly to the horizon.

    Einherjar Wannabe stood up slowly and said, "Kiddo, you are finally here." His eyes burned with an eerier luster.

    "Is this where you stay? Amazing!" Curiosity was written all over Wang Tong''s face.

    Mr. Wannabe''s lips curled into a smile as the world around them started to take shapes.

    "Do you have any idea how boring it is down here? But its OK now, I finally got a ticket out of here!"

    Mr. Wannabe''s words alerted Wang Tong. He realized that the gate behind him was closed and he had no way out of here.

    "Save your energy. Since you are here, might as well have some fun." The smile on Mr. Wannabe''s face became even more twisted. "We are friends, so I will give you another chance. If you can survive for ten days, then I will let you leave. If not, I will have your body."

    An other-worldliness shed in Mr. Wannabe''s eyes.

    Wang Tong''s heart sank. He had noticed that something was off about Mr. Wannabe the moment he had met him. However, ever since Wang Ton befriended Mr. Wannabe, he seemed to have gotten used to the old ghost''s strangeness.

    Mr. Wannabe looked at Wang Tong as if he had seen through Wang Tong''s thoughts. "I saved you not because I cared about you, it was because I don''t have the patience to wait for the next idiot to pick the crystal up. And curse this damn seal, I can''t even lure you in here. But I strike lucky after all. Haha... Well I know we have been through a lot together, so I give you two options. The first option, you will stay here and let me go out with your body. But don''t worry, I will find another scapegoat for you soon. Second. We will fight for ten days. If you are still alive after ten days, I will let you return unharmed. "

    Seeing Wang Tong was unruffled by his dire situation, Mr. Wannabe nodded approvingly and said, "Do you have any other questions? I will give you one day to prepare, and within that one day, you can do whatever you want. Lad, don''t me me for this, it was all because of that jerk Li Feng. I will take revenge for both of us when I get out, don''t you worry about that!"

    Wang Tong was shocked by the insult Mr. Wannabe threw at Li Feng. Watching Mr. Wannabe''s conceited expression, recognition finally downed on Wang Tong''s face, "You have recovered your memory?"

    Mr. Wannabe let out a wickedugh and then said, "You bet. I am the Pirate King Zachery"

 Chapter 275: Friend Turned Enemy

    Chapter 275: Friend Turned Enemy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Zachery was the most powerful pirate because there were no other pirates who could defeat the three factions¡¯ alliance and challenge the Confederation publicly.

    He made the first contact with the Kaedians and brought the scourge of war to earth.

    The Pirate King Zachery was one of the brightest stars in the history of interster pirating history. He could have made history if he had not been confronted by the most powerful man in the world¡ªThe de Warrior.

    During that time, Zachery was the only person whose power could rival Li Feng and Rngalos.

    However, all that he had built up had been destroyed by Li Feng. Wang Tong reckoned that Einherjar Wannabe was a much more terrible opponent than even an Einherjar because of his brutality.

    Wang Tong conceded that he could not let such a maniac let loose in the real world, so he decided that he should do whatever it took to keep Mr. Wannabe in here.

    Wang Tong always believed that there was no free lunch, and this turn of event had proven that he was right.

    Ever since he had gotten this space crystal, he had gained a lot of help from Mr. Wannabe. He had been extremely cautious in keeping the crystal a secret, but it seemed that Mr. Wannabe had be the greatest threat after all.

    No, not Mr. Wannabe, it was the Pirate King Zachery.

    Zachery looked relieved after revealing his secrets. He would be lying to say that he did not form any friendship with Wang Tong, and it was in the name of their friendship that he had given thetter the second option.

    Zachery waved his hand and turned around, looking at the gray expanse of the horizon. He was so close to getting out of his jail. Without Li Feng and Rngalos, he would do whatever he wanted, and no one would be able to stop him.

    Using Wang Tong''s identity, Zachery was confident that he could quickly take advantage of the power of House of Ma and House of Li. Eventually, he would be able to bring chaos to the human world once again, and he would sit on his throne of bones, watching the world burn.

    To put it simply, he was the most dangerous person in human history.

    Seeing that Zachery was not looking at him, Wang Tong ran away even knowing that Zachery looked away on purpose to give him an opportunity to run away from him. Wang Tong had only one day to prepare for the battle, so he could not afford to waste too much time.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t know why Zachery was in the crystal, he knew Zachery was imprisoned by the de Warrior, which made him an enemy of Li Feng. The thought of fighting General Li Feng''s enemy made Wang Tong concede that he would have his work cut out for him for the next ten days.

    Despite their friendship, Wang Tong reasoned that he would not be able to get out of this jail without defeating Mr. Wannabe.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong realized that this might be an excellent opportunity to defeat the Pirate King once for all, as he recalled that Mr. Wannabe was gravely injured while defending Wang Tong on Norton.

    Wang Tong wagered that Zachery had told him about his injury out of sheer confidence. The Pirate King''s confidence was not unfounded, since he was the only person that was able to stand up against Li Feng and Rngalos.

    Despite Zachery''s injury, Wang Tong reasoned that he would not afford to rely on that one advantage entirely. A newfound determination rose inside him as he realized that his only option was to win, so that the Ma Xiaoru and his friends would not fall victim to this evil pirate.

    Wang Tong kept on running for a few more minutes until he could not sense Zachery''s presence any longer, and then he stopped. As he studied his surroundings, he realized that this ce was a virtual space, and therefore, no matter how long he ran for, he would never reach the exit.

    After understanding how the crystal space worked, Wang Tong then wondered if Zachery purposely gave Wang Tong the false hope that he could run away from this crystal space.

    Wang Tong registered that the uing battle was not only apetition of soul energy, but also wits. Wang Tong reckoned that he should carefully analyze every word spoken by Zachery to see if they contradicted each other. It would not only help Wang Tong to avoid deception, but it was also a good way to seek out the truth among lies.

    This was the first time Wang Tong had encountered such an opponent that not only tried to outpower him on the battlefield, but also tried to outwit him with words

    However, Wang Tong had decided to never give up regardless of how powerful and deceiving his opponent was.

    Wang Tong kept on studying the terrain. He reminded himself to think with a clear mind and never to be mired in details. The more doubts he had, the harder it would be for him to see through deceptions.

    Wang Tong remembered that Zachery had overspent his soul energyst time at the Aurora city, and it took him a while to recover. While on Norton during Wang Tong''s previous battle, Zachery had spent much more soul energy than he did at Aurora city. Therefore, Wang Tong was convinced that Zachery had not been fully recovered yet, but he wasn¡¯t certain about how much he had already recovered.

    Wang Tong decided to probe Zachery first. After all, his enemy would only be stronger the longer he waited. He suspected that Zachery had avoided fighting right away by intentionally tricking Wang Tong to run away from him, saving him some precious time to recuperate his soul energy. However, Zachery had underestimated Wang Tong''s intelligence and determination.

    Wang Tong had only been running for half a day, so he was confident that Zachery would be able to catch up with him. He studied the terrain and tried to find a good ambush spot.

    Wang Tong looked around and found a Zerg Hive. Since this world was somewhat of a copy of the real world, it was not surprising to find Zergs here as well. Wang Tong reckoned that he might be able to defeat Zachery with the help of Zergs. `He found it ironic that in this virtual world, he would have to fight alongside with his enemies from the real world.

    Wang Tong killed off a few lower level Zergs and smeared their blood and flesh all over his body to hide his scent, then continued searching for an evenrger hive.

    Wang Tong finally found what he was looking for after two hours of searching. He crept into the hive and buried himself in the dirt. All he had to do then was to wait for Zachery to turn up. While buried under the earth, Wang Tong started to initiate the Tactics of the de. Soon, he felt as if he himself had be one with the world around him.

    From time to time, there was a Zerg who stepped on Wang Tong''s head, but luckily, the cave was too small forrger Zergs to enter. So, Wang Tong''s head was not instantly squashed into meat paste.

    Slowly, Wang Tong fell asleep and forgot the passage of time.

    He woke up to the heavy thuds of Zachery''s boots on the ground. He was finally here.

    Zachery knew that Wang Tong was hiding among the Zergs, and he found Wang Tong''s nughable.

    Zachery knew Wang Tong was inside the hive, but the entrance was where the trail went cold. It was clear then that the Tactics of the de was capable of concealing the user entirely.

    The world inside the crystal was both real and an illusion; it was real because the Zergs would be able to deal real damage to other entities such as Zachery and Wang Tong. Meanwhile, the life force of these Zergs were entirely conjured up by the power of the crystal.

 Chapter 276: Fighting An Einherjar

    Chapter 276: Fighting An Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although Zachery could not pinpoint the exact location of Wang Tong, he knew his prey was not far away.

    Sensing Zachery''s approaching soul energy, the Zergs poured out from the hive to respond to Zachery''s tant taunt by walking so close to their territory. A wave of Zergs threw themselves at Zachery, and Wang Tong saw Mr. Wannabe''s real power for the first time.

    In a blink, a hill of Zergs bodies piled up in front of Zachery.

    More Zergs rushed toward Zachery.

    Zachery opened up his sea of consciousness and unleashed a shock wave that disintegrated all Zergs around him, as he slowly levitated into the air. His body was surrounded by cracking energies that resembled lightning. The lightning-like energy jumped around form Zachery''s one hand to the other, resembling a deadly lightning bolt in his hands.

    "Come out!"

    "Come OUT!"

    Every shout that tumbled out of Zachery''s contorted mouth sent a small earthquake across thend. Wang Tong remained still, but his soul energy was able to sense exactly what was happening outside.

    Wang Tong wagered that although Zachery had already known that he was inside the hive, the old pirate was not able the pinpoint his exact location. Zachery''s shouts also confirmed Wang Tong''s suspicion that his opponent was still injured. Otherwise, he would have already stormed in and annihted any living thing inside the hive.

    Wang Tong was unruffled by Zachery''s taunts as he continued thinking methodically. Wang Tong had already given up the hope of getting out of the crystal space alive, and all his remaining hope was to trap the psychopathic ghost here even if it meant that he, too, would have to be trapped for eternity.

    The Zergs were not ruffled by Zachery''s disy of strength either. After waves of cannon fodder came the humongous tank Zergs and other higher tier Zergs. From within the hive, Wang Tong could hear the outrageous roar of the Zergs that were charging out of the hive to punish Zachery for his conceit.

    Wang Tong reasoned that although Zachery was a powerful fighter, years of confinement might have made him underestimate the strength of Zergs.

    However, he soon learned how wrong he was. Wave upon waves of high tier Zergs rushed at the old ghost, but they were dead before they could even make a scratch.

    For the first time, Wang Tong witnessed the usage of GN shield in real lifebat. As long as Zachery had enough soul energy, the Zergs would not be able to harm him due to the protectiveyer of GN force that covered his body.

    Wang Tong reasoned that the wless defense was what gave the powerful fighters such as Zachery and Einherjar the ability to unleash a massive amount of damage while staying unharmed.

    The Zergs had poured all of their forces in the hive at Zachery, yet, the old ghost stood his ground and did not waver the slightest.

    "It looks like Zachery was never injured. Could I be wrong in thinking it was otherwise? " Wang Tong asked himself. He held back the urge of rushing out with the Zergs, still fearing the power of Mr. Wannabe''s palm strike.

    "He would p me into a pulp like a fly if I go out there." Wang Tong reminded himself.

    "Should I bug out?" Wang Tong''s mind raced. He knew that if he made a wrong decision, there would be only death waiting for him in the crystal space.

    The Tactics of the de was still running inside of Wang Tong''s dantain, quickly calming his mind. Wang Tong remembered Old Fart¡¯s saying that to win a girl''s heart, one needed to act like as if he didn''t care. So, Wang Tong reasoned that if one wanted to kill his enemy, he should first conceal his power. By the same token, if Zachery were shouting taunts at him, his real intention might be trying to scare Wang Tong and send him running.

    Wang Tong found it puzzling that ever since Zachery had engaged the Zergs, he had not yet moved forward an inch. With that much power, Wang Tong reasoned he should have already made his way into the hive a while ago.

    "Was he afraid because he was indeed injured?"

    "But he didn''t look like he was injured at all."

    "What is he hiding?" Wang Tong''s mind raced as questions kept on popping up.

    Wang Tong decided to head out and find out the answers to his questions himself.

    Hiding in the shadows of the Zergs, Wang Tong slowly sidled up to Zachery. As Wang Tong got closer, he could see that the pirate''s powerful soul energy was maintained at a constant level without any sign of depletion. Things didn''t seem to add up, so Wang Tong paused and pondered the cause of this strange finding.

    A few momentster, realization dawned on Wang Tong''s face as he figured out another strategy used by Zachery: recycling of soul energy. As long as Zachery remained still, he would have an unlimited supply of soul energy due to recycling. Therefore, he could continue killing Zergs until they were all dead.

    This was an amazing unheard technique!

    Wang Tong conceded that he would have to break Zachery''s recycling circle. Otherwise, when the Zergs were all dead, so would he be.

    He only had one shot at this!

    It would be a dangerous task even if he seeded. However, Wang Tong knew that he didn''t have any other options.

    Finally, the Zergs had sent out their highest tire warriors: Were Kongs, Diamond Beatles and a few other Zergs that even Wang Tong could not name. Sensing the new wave of strong opponents, Zachery adjusted his GN force to prepare for thebat engagement.

    Zachery''s adjustment finally presented an opportunity for Wang Tong to strike, so he dashed out of his cover and attacked at Zachery.

    Zachery''s lips curled up slightly as thousands of GN force tendrilsshed out at Wang Tong. Seeing his opponent''s counterattack, Wang Tong gritted his teeth and continued his strike without any hesitation. Wang Tong had channeled all of his power into this strike, counting on it to interrupt Zachery''s energy recycling. However, Wang Tong reasoned that if Zachery still wanted to survive the Zerg''s attack after his recycling was disrupted, he would need to reserve some energy instead of pouring them into this counter-attack.

    When Wang Tong''s fist pounded on Zachery''s chest, the tendrils of lightning shot though Wang Tong''s body almost simultaneously. Wang Tong felt the taste of blood in his mouth which almost make him gag, but he didn''t hesitate as he carried the punch with its full intent. Zachery''s recycling was interrupted, and as a the Zergs swarmed at Zachery, his soul energy started to drop down slowly.

    Zachery''s face turned ck at this turn of events. Out of sheer rage, he mmed a fist on the ground, and the earth trembled due to the incredible force.

    After finishing off a few Zergs in front of him, Wang Tong stated to run away from Zachery, who was then too busy fending off swarms of vicious Zergs to pay attention to Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was injured by the attack of the lightning tendrils, but he could still run fast. His top priority right then was to find a hiding spot to lick his wounds.

    Another advantage that gave Wang Tong the courage to attack with abandon was his incredible ability to heal, which, Wang Tong wagered was an ability that the old ghost did not possess.

    The pain in Wang Tong''s body was unbearable. A few times, Wang Tong wished that he could slow down and take a breath, yet he carried on. Hemented that he couldn''t even hide in another Zerg hive since after having sustained such a lethal blow, any Zerg would be able to gobble him down the throat with ease. So, Wang Tong kept on running.

    A few hourster, the sky turned dark. Wang Tong finally stopped and buried himself again in the ground. He prayed that he wouldn''t be spotted by a Zerg or any other dangerous animals.

    Wang Tong could barely survive a gentle touch of the lightning tendrils, much less a full-on assault. At the veryst moment, before the lightning GN force was going to crush Wang Tong''s sea of consciousness, the Tactics of the de saved Wang Tong''s life by engulfing the lighting GN forcepletely. Wang Tong''s new and purer form of soul energy had also helped during the process of dissolving the belligerent energy in the lightning GN force. As the golden energy flew across Wang Tong''s body, it slowly transformed the trapped invading energy into that of Wang Tong''s. Although the emerald colored lightening force was extremely stubborn in the process of transformation, Wang Tong''s golden energy was persistent and carried out the procedure with tenacity.

    Wang Tong''s breath slowed down. He felt like his body had ceased to exist, and only his consciousness floated in this dreamlike time and space. Wang Tong felt that life inside of the crystal seemed to be ethereal, and was beyond death and decay. Only In this world, Wang Tong found that he could finally devote both his soul and body to the fight.

    Wang Tong had identally unlocked the ultimate fighter mod.

 Chapter 277: The Great Escape

    Chapter 277: The Great Escape

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After one night of recovery, Wang Tong already felt much better. He was convinced that his amazing healing ability was a unique strength that he needed to utilize, so he quickly improvised a n that hinged on his faster healing speed.

    His n was simple, to let Zachery keep on fighting the Zergs until he burnt out.

    With his new strategy in mind, Wang Tong waited impatiently for Zachery to show up. However, after waiting for two hours, there was still no sign of Zachery.

    Wang Tong figured that Zachery must be recuperating somewhere out there, and he could not afford to let him do that. So, he decided to head out and hunt him down.

    Wang Tong''s opponent was not a simple-minded brute. Instead, he was a cunning pirate king. Zachery had anticipated Wang Tong''s strategy, and therefore, decided to give up chasing and wait for Wang Tong toe after him instead.

    In order to defeat Zachery, Wang Tong would have to find him first, but where the heck was Zachery? Or, a better question would be, how did Zachery find him?

    Wang Tong chewed over the question but failed to find an answer, as he got more and more anxious. The anxiousness also seemed to slow down the rate healing, which made him feel even more stressed.

    Wang Tong quickly realized the vicious cycle he had fallen into, so he held back his train of thought and tried to calm himself first.

    A day had passed, as both Wang Tong and Zachery spent the day in unease and waiting.

    On the fourth day, Wang Tong waspletely recovered, so he made up his mind this time to seek out Zachery, since if he didn''t do so, the odds of him winningter were only to going to get smaller.

    Although he didn''t know where Zachery was, he figured that the easiest way to find the pirate king was to head back the way he hade.

    Wang Tong headed towards the ancient battlefield where they had first met, thinking that Zachery wouldn''t wander too far away from there.

    After six hours, Wang Tong could already sense Zachery''s powerful soul energy. The air around Wang Tong seemed to waft towards the direction were Zachery''s soul energy was detected. Wang Tong wagered that this was Zachery''s unique way of recovering his soul energy by absorbing the energy inside this world.

    Wang Tong paused, fearing that Zachery might be able to detect him the same way Wang Tong would detect him. Instinct told him that he had to interrupt him.

    Wang Tong then guessed that Zachery had already found him, and the reason that he didn''t attack him was because he was still too weak to do so.

    Wang Tong was almost right. Zachery was indeed hiding and licking his wounds. He could have done away with Wang Tong then and there without recovering his soul energy. However, he figured it was too risky.

    Wang Tong had taken form in the crystal space through his soul energy, and if Wang Tong perished from this world, he would still have a body to return to in the real world. However, this soul energy form was the only form that Zachery had. Simply put, if he died here, he would be gone forever.

    Zachery reasoned that if he actively sought out Wang Tong, he would risk overdrawing his soul energy again. However, if he bid his time and waited for the perfect moment, Wang Tong could be dealt with in one strike.

    Wang tong probed his opponent with his soul energy a few times, attempting to lure Zachery out of his hiding spot. Failing that, Wang Tong gave up and disappeared for three days.

    Three dayster, Wang Tong showed up again. After sensing that Zachery had only recovered a small amount of his soul energy, he nodded and pressed forward.

    This discovery encouraged Wang Tong as he strode toward Zachery''s hiding spot without worrying about any danger. In Wang Tong''s hands, he held a box with arge boulder attached to it.

    Wang Tong paused at about a hundred meters away from the source of the soul energy. He cracked a wicked smile, and then hurled the stone towards the location of Zachery''s hiding ce.

    The box rattled after itnded right beside Zachery, and then a dozen tiny creatures escaped out from it and scattered while chirping along their way.

    When Zachery realized that these were Encephalon Zergs, it was already toote for him to block the message sent to their ferocious cousins from these seemingly harmless creatures. The Encephalon screamed in unison, and soon, the ground started to tremble due to the fast approaching Zergs.

    Wang Tong immediate went into hiding after he had dropped the Zerg bomb on his enemy. Within the three days, he had spent most of his time finding Zerg hives and capturing their Encephalon to make a home-made bomb.

    Wang Tong''s heart sank after having sensed Zachery''s approaching soul energy that threatened to reveal Wang Tong''s hideout.

    However, the Zergs acted faster, as a tsunami of Zergs rushed towards Zachery.

    In about five minutes, the first wave of Zergs appeared. The Encephalon had only provided the Zergs with a general direction, and when the Zerg army was close by, they were led by Zachery''s soul energy that was burning like a bright torch in the night.

    Wang Tong sunk in the shadows, biding his time. He was curious as to how Zachery would handle this situation. When the opportunity presented, Wang Tong would join the Zergs and attack Zachery with abandon.

    Zachery didn''t run away. Instead, he presented Wang Tong another incredible disy of strength.

    Zachery was convinced that Wang Tong was trying to use the Zergs to defeat him. However, Wang Tong simply wanted Zachery to burn out by not letting him take a rest.

    Wang Tong''s harassment tactic was brilliant. If Zachery chose to break free from the Zerg''s encirclement and chase Wang Tong, Wang Tong would run away. Later, when Zachery had finally cleaned up all the Zergs and decided to stop and recuperate, Wang Tong would then lure a new wave of Zergs towards their old neighbor.

    Although there had been some challenges in capturing these Encephalon Zergs, Wang Tong believed that it was nothingpared to standing up against Einherjar Wannabe.

    He thenmented over how despicable Zachery was, since the ten days limit had already passed and he was still here.

    Within the few days of skirmishing with Zachery, Wang Tong had broken three bones, and it took him another three days to fully recover. On the bright side, Zachery could not sleep nor rest well, as he had been fighting the Zergs for days on end.

    Despite the fact that Wang Tong''s opponent had been bing more and more cunning and hard to deal with, he didn''t lose hope as time passed. Every time he was on the brink of falling into despair, Ma Xiaoru''s tender and soft gaze would always bring him back.

    He would not die here!

    Wang Tong lived on the edge every day ever since he arrived at this crystal space. He needed to not only find a way to improve his own power but also to prevent Zachery from recovery. He knew that once Zachery was back to his full soul energy, Wang Tong would have lost the battle.

    Wang Tong lived under immense stress every day; his tough enemy had somehow made him miss the Zergs on Norton. Wang Tong would have to harass Zachery at least twice a day in order to do some real harm to the pirate king''s soul energy, and every harassment was as dangerous as a suicidal mission. Zachery had mortally injured Wang Tong a few times, but every time, Wang Tong was able to recover in a few days. Time had lost its meaning to Wang Tong in this perpetual motion of fighting and running away, but Wang Tong had not yet felt that he had weakened Zachery enough for him to confront him directly in a fight.

    However, Wang Tong was not entirely devoid of any advantages. He had learned to blend his soul energy perfectly into Zerg''s life force, so that he would not be detected while skulking near his enemy among the Zergs. Therefore, should Wang Tong decide to attack, the element of surprise would always be on his side. Also, Wang Tong possessed much faster-healing speed than the old pirate.

    The immense pressure had helped Wang Tong improve his soul energy by leaps and bounds. Wang Tong was no longer certain what level of his soul energy he was currently at. However, he knew that it was still not enough to counter even one strike from Zachery. Therefore, in order to save his life and to see Ma Xiaoru again, Wang Tong decided to hold back the thought of fighting Zachery directly, at least for now.

 Chapter 278: Soga

    Chapter 278: Soga

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Protecting Ma Xiaoru from this crazy maniac had be the only thing that supported Wang Tong in continuing his fight in this dreamlike world.

    Wang Tong stood on a cliff while looking down. Beard and mustache had grown stubbornly on his face, as craftiness shone through his eyes. He had matured a lot over the year he had spent in the crystal, and not only hisbat ability had increased, but also his willpower.

    It was the time to harass Zachery again. He had to stop Zachery from absorbing the energy from the world. Otherwise, the pirate king would only be stronger until he was unstoppable.

    Zachery was sitting underneath the cliff, eyes closed. Suddenly, the pirate opened his eyes and shot Wang Tong a re. Wang Tong immediately sensed that Zachery had already fully recovered.

    Wang Tong gasped and then noticed Zachery had already disappeared from under the cliff.

    Half a secondter, Wang Tong could feel Zachery''s soul energy pressing down on him. The strength of the soul energy confirmed Wang Tong''s suspicion: Zachery was fully recovered.

    It was already toote for Wang Tong to run away. Wang Tong cranked up his soul energy to get ready for the battle. He had previously reached the peak of level five, so his soul energy had soared to five hundred in a blink of eyes. In real life, Wang Tong''s soul energybined with the Tactics of the de should make him almost invincible. But when faced with the Pirate King, it seemed less than adequate.

    Zachery nodded approvingly and allowed Wang Tong some time to charge up his soul energy to its maximum capacity. Zachery reasoned that since he had already recovered, finishing Wang Tong was merely a matter of time. So, he was in no rush anyways.

    "Let me see what you have learned in this one year," Zachery said calmly.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath. Although he had been avoiding confrontation with Zachery at all cost, he knew right then that the time for the final battle hade.

    "Charcoal, gear up!"

    Wang Tong had been relying on Charcoal''s weapon ability extensively ever since he was trapped in the crystal world. Wang Tong was not sure how Charcoal had gotten into this world, but this little robot had already saved his life many times.

    A ck light shed around Charcoal, and then he turned into a spear. Wang Tong had fought Zachery ny-three times, and every time he had tried a different weapon that charcoal was able to morph into. He knew that spears were the only weapon that could fend off Zachery''s palm strike.

    Wang Tong''s understanding of weapons was different than that of a weaponry expert. He neither knew or cared about the elegant spear technique of the Dower family, which made the spears such a praised option for weapon masters. His choice of using spear was hinging on the fact that only the aggressive and overbearing attacks of the spear would be able to rival Zachery''s overbearing palm strikes. He believed that spear was the only weapon that could help him to survive.

    Wang Tong had spent a half year trying out different weapons, and eventually decided to stick with the spear.

    Zachery stood with pride, but his eyes were filled with admiration. He conceded that it was not only Wang Tong''s talent, but also his hardwork that had made him into such a potent genius.

    Zachery, too, had been a sshing genius and an invincible warrior until he met Li Feng. However, it seemed like time had changed, since it was then his turn to end Li Feng''s protege''s path to glory.

    Wang Tong attacked, as a ck light dashed across space in between the two fighters. Speed was the key attribute in Wang Tong''s attack, it went so fast as if it had broken breached the very fabric of time.

    However, the lightning-fast attack was quickly stopped by a giant palm. It was apparent that the speed in a physical sense would not be of any threat to Zachery.

    As the spear collided with the palm, it unleashed a wave of GN force that ripped apart the Zergs around them.

    Wang Tong didn''t falter. He channeled GN force into the spear once again, and the spear started to spin like a drill. As the spear spun faster, GN force arched from the tip of the spear to its body from time to time. Once delivered, the GN fused spearhead would be able to drill through any form of defense.

    In the real world, this technique would be another breakthrough in human history for bringing out the so-called auxiliary force, a technique that had been long deemed impossible.

    Zachery extended his left hand and wrapped his soul energy around the spinning spearhead. Time seemed to have slowed as the spearhead slowed down its speed, until it was motionless.

    Wang Tong''s second attack was resolved by Zachery as well.

    Wang Tong reasoned that in order to gain control of the battle, he would have to act aggressively. However, despite arge amount of GN force that had been consumed in those two strikes, Wang Tong did not gain the upper hand as he had expected.

    "Is that all you can do during yourst moment? You disappoint me." Zachery shook his head. After Zachery had regained his soul energy, the gap between the two was unbridgeable.

    Zachery''s soul energy soared as the wind started to howl. The clouds, as ifmanded by Zachery''s soul power, scuttled to block sunlight, as the wind howled across thend. The insistent howling of the wind wasced with the rumble of thunder in the distance. This was Zachery''s real power.

    "You are finished. I will honor you with my most powerful coup de grace." Zachery sounded calm and cid, and there was a certain measure of respect in his voice. He reasoned that if it were any other opponent, he or she would have been defeated by him a while ago, if not by the elements of the harsh world.

    Truth be told, Wang Tong was very much like Zachery, as both of them had the habit of disregarding rules. However, they had taken two very different paths.

    Zachery extended both of his hands as lightening tumbled through the sky and into his body. Soon, Wang Tong felt the power emanate from Zachery seemed to take a physical form, as it pressed heavily onto Wang Tong''s body.

    Was this the power of the Einherjar?

    Was Wang Tong really going to die?

    Wang Tong had given all he got, but the gap in their power was enormous. Wang Tong felt that he was losing control of his body, and he wondered if this was how it felt to be disintegrated by an Einherjar''s coup de grace.

    "Kiddo, remember, even the strongest have their weakness." Old fart said with a joyful expression as he handed over an ice cream cone to Wang Tong. He was in a good mood since he had finally won a round of ckjack.

    He had bet his life on a game of ckjack with the so-called "Casino King," and he won.

    Wang Tong still remembered the taste of the ice cream Old Fart had bought for him on that day.

    "I cannot die yet. He must have some weakness!"

    A golden light shot out from Wang Tong''s eyes. He had finally breached the level five bottleneck and ascended to level six. The golden energy then quickly surrounded the coal back spear.

    Wang Tong attacked with abandon as golden energy pierced through the web of lightning protecting his enemy.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong felt a mighty blow as pain shot through his body. He finally tasted the real defense of an Einherjar.

    Wang Tong tasted blood and bitterness in his mouth; he knew that if he could cultivate another year, he might have a chance at defeating Zachery.

    "Get up Kiddo!" Wang tong felt a forceful kick on his butt. He sat up and saw Zachery was right in front of him.

    "You finally wake up¡­ I thought you were dead!"

    "You" Wang Tong stared at Zachery with his mouth open. Zachery looked slightly different then; he looked more like Einherjar Wannabe.

    "You have graduated my Academy of Hell. Get up now. That''s all I can teach you." A warm smile appeared on Mr. Wannabe''s face.

    "You...you...you" The dramatic turn of event had made Wang Tong forget how to speak.

    This had been a terrible joke.

    Mr. Wannabe cracked a smile and then said, "I told you that you were inexperienced. How could I be such a bad guy? I read some story on the inte and thought that I might be able to trick you. Haha! I was right; you are dumb as a stump."

    A mixture of feelings came over Wang Tong as he felt that Mr. Wannabe''s joke was too over the top.

    "Don''t look at me like that. I know I have great acting skills¡ªAH!"

    Wang Tong threw himself at Mr. Wannabe without any hesitation, and the two scuffled like kids until both were tired out and released each other.

    Watching the starry sky above him, Wang Tong felt relieved and calm.

    "Kiddo, the world outside is more dangerous than here. Be careful"

    "I will be fine as long as you don''t pull another one of your jokes on me."

    Before Wang Tong finished his words, he noticed that Mr. Wannabe seemed to be fading away. He touched Mr. Wannabe''s shoulder, and his hand went through the ghost''s body, and Wang Tong felt nothing.

    "What the hell? What''s going on?" Wang Tong jumped to his feet and looked around him. The world was fading as well, and he was slowly pushed out of the crystal space.

    "Mr. Wannabe! Are you still alive? Answer me!"

    Even Wang Tong''s voice was fading away as the world around him disappeared. Mr. Wannabe had used up his soul energy to create this world, and staged his show to force Wang Tong to be stronger.

    Nheless, Wang Tong''sst moment strike had impressed Mr. Wannabe, not only because of its power, but also because of Wang Tong''s resolution.

 Chapter 279: Im Hungry

    Chapter 279: I''m Hungry

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong let out a heart-wrenching cry at the quickly fading world. He hated to be in a position where he would not be able to repay the help he had received.

    Like most heroes when they were sober, they always liked to either me everything on themselves or refuse any favor from others.

    "Oh, shut up, will you! I''m not dead !"

    "Balls! Why didn''t you answer me? I thought you had a heart attack or something." Wang Tong then immediately remembered that, as a ghost, Mr.Wannabe most likely didn''t have a heart.

    "You little prick! I had lost a lot of my energy, so I probably won''t be able toe out of the crystal for a while. Try to stay alive; I still need you to take me to the Hall of Valha! Yourst"

    Mr. Wannabe''s voice faded away before he could finish his sentence. He was telling Wang Tong that hisst spear attack had gravely injured him, but Mr. Wannabe thought it was a good sign as it had proven Wang Tong''s strength.

    Wang Tong was going to ask Mr. Wannabe to speak up when a bright white light shed in his eyes.

    "Wang Tong! Wang Tong! Time to go to the ss!"

    Wang Tong heard Zhou Sisi''s voice outside of the door. He ran to the door and saw Zhou Sisi''s familiar face and then smiled.

    Zhou Sisi furrowed her brows as she saw Wang Tong''s suspicious smile. "Hey, What you smiling at? Are you thinking of cking off again? You are the S club leader; you should lead by being an example." Zhou Sisi announced as she ced her hands on her hips. However, Wang Tong kept his smile as if he was enjoying Zhou Sisi''s voice.

    "Sisi."

    "What?"

    "I am hungry." Wang Tong said as he rubbed his belly.

    "Let''s go eat then."

    As they walked towards the cafeteria, Zhou Sisi felt something was off about Wang Tong, but she could not put the finger on it. What could have happened in one night anyway?

    Zhou Sisi shook her head; she was convinced that Wang Tong had been cking off, and that''s why he acted so wired.

    ¡®Closer observation and a more frequent reminder of his duty are required.¡¯ Zhou Sisi thought to herself.

    Although he had spent an entire year in the Crystal space, the time in real life had only been less than twelve hours. Wang Tong appreciated Mr. Wannabe''s help. He felt that he was not fighting alone, as so many friends stood behind him and supported him.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s estimation of where Wang Tong stood in the real world was very urate. Wang Tong should be victorious in most of the fights he would encounter in the future. However, his power was inadequate should he want to be the champion of the pan-sr system tournament.

    The pan-sr system tournament had attracted manypetitors from across all sevens. Although the opening day was still far away, the tournament had already be the most talked about topic.

    The earthlings had always been the biggest yers in the tournament, as they always encouraged the students to participate, and set an additional reward for winners.

    In addition to the military academies, disciples of the Temrs would also join the matches. The most significant difference between the Temr''s court and their Martian counterpart, the Sect of Divine Master was their outward involvement in worldly matters. The Temrs were the guardians of the human race, so their interests were in the wellbeing of the world, while the divine masters cared mostly only about their personal cultivation towards the Divine Path.

    The moon held their usual indifferent and aloft attitude. They recruited students and partook in the fight without any passion for victory. To the Ivantians, the tournament was merely a test to the students. The age difference among thebatants was quiterge, as they could be as young as 14 or as old as 25.

    An interesting fact about the tournament was that most of the champions were younger than the average age of allbatants.

    Martians were the most devoted to the tournament since to them, it was a great opportunity to brag about themselves. During almost every tournament, they would send out all of their top fighters such as Lie Jian. Lie Jian had attended the tournamentst year, and was expected to snatch away the title of champion. However, he was defeated by Li Shiming in the showdown when the title of champion was already near his fingertips. Despite the fact that the title of the second strongest fighter was less than what the Martian''s had expected, they were quite satisfied with the oue. After all, the oue of one fight would not be enough to define the superiority of one fighter over another, especially when both fighters were at such a high level.

    The Martians had been preparing for the tournament for a while. They were determined to do their best regardless of their opponent taking the tournament as seriously as they did. The Lie family had also trained a group of solid fighters in preparation for the tournament. They had learned from their failure in thest tournament and deepened the ranks of middle tier fighters. This time, the Lie Family nned to use thesepetent middle tier fighters as cannon fodder to pave the way towards sess for their starfighter: Lie Jian.

    Rumors had it that both the sect of divine masters and the Kaedeians were going to send a few of their fighters to the tournament as well.

    In addition to the Earth, Moon, and Mars, Crete had also sent in their contestants as the rising star among the three traditional big yers.

    Crete was the moon of the Mars, and had achieved incredible development in the recent hundred years. The miracle of the Crete''s growth was in part due to the Martian''s eagerness in proving themselves equal in every aspect to the Earthlings. Earth had a developed moon, so should Mars. The Crete not only had significant economic power, but also was of considerable strategic importance to the Mars and the Sr System. As the great achievement of Martians, Crete had reduced the pressure from overpoption on Mars.

    Unlike the absolute autonomy that Moon had enjoyed, the Crete had always been under the tight grip of the Martians. From time to time, a violent uprising would erupt on Crete, followed by the Martians condemning the Earth and Ivantians'' involvements in instigating the insurgency. In reply, thetter two parties would me the uprising on Martian''s oppression on the freedom at Crete. Despite the fierce debate, any uprising was usually quickly dealt with using more oppressive means, and then there would be peace until the next revolution and rinse repeat.

    The Crete was built with the sweat and blood of millions of Martians, and therefore, they would not give it up freely.

    Although all the academies on Crete were under the control of the Martian Education system, they had sent in their ownbatants in addition to the Martians'' team.

    Another band of warriors came from the distant Andromeda Gxy. For a while, the Andromeda gxy had been an undeveloped no man''snd. However, due to the absence of Zergs, it had enjoyed an extended period of rapid growth. Some people had been refereeing the remote colonizeds as the backyard of human civilization.

    Although that the three colonizeds had gained tremendous development with the help of technology breakthrough made on Earth, they were also entirely under the Confederation''s control. Ever since the conception of these colonies, the Confederation had established a serious ofws to ensure its dominance in the future. To put it into simpler terms, colonization on threes were well nned and organized ahead of the settlement, unlike other colonies where the rule wouldn''t be improvised until the poption had reached a certain threshold. To prevent the rise of localism, all the officials of the government on colonies were assigned by the Confederation, and their term on each wouldst no longer than four years.

    Many of the rules served to tighten the Confederation''s control and prevent insurgence of local separatists. Unity was the key to surviving the scourge of Zergs. Ever since the de Warrior had blocked off the portal where Zergs had transported from into the human world, no more Zergs reinforcements had been added into the Zerg army. In other words, the Zergs that the humans were fighting right now were the offsprings of those that had teleported here hundreds of years ago. That being said, no one could guarantee that the Zergs would never reopen another portal again. With the looming threat hovering above the human fate, human race atrge finally learned to work together and focus their effort on coborating in technology advancements instead of infighting.

    The number of participants for this year''s tournament was unprecedented. In order to defeat the ever-evolving Zergs, the humans would need to make sure that their next generation was getting stronger as well.

    Manyrge corporations had been contacted for sponsorship, and rumors had it that the Ma family would be one of the tinum sponsors. Therefore, it was very likely to see a super METAL suit as the reward.

    Although many people were excited about the tournament, no one had heard anything from the strongest fighters yet.

    Li Shiming, Lie Jian, Patroclus, MiXiu, Odin, and Heidi were the five of the strongest warriors of their age.

    Li Shiming and Lie Jian had joined the tournamentst year, and they met at the final match. It was a fight that many people still talked about even after four years.

    So far, none of the five fighters had stated their stance on whether they were going to join the tournament or not, but people were confident to see at least one of them: Lie Jian.

    The academies had already started to ept applications, so Wang Tong applied. Not only he had to fulfill the promise he made to Ma Xiaoru''s father, he also needed to get into the Temr''s court so he could deliver Mr. Wannabe to the Hall of Valha.

 Chapter 280: The Powerful Presence

    Chapter 280: The Powerful Presence

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After the ss, everyone gathered at the S club''s meeting room. Every student group had their own meeting ces, and S club''s meeting ce was muchrger than other student groups, thanks to its substantial influence. At the meeting, Zhou Sisi handed out application forms to everyone.

    "Please everyone, feel free to put your name down. You have been warned though. There are many tough fighters this year from just earth alone. I will count myself lucky to be able to make it to the yoffs." Zhou Sisi cracked a smile.

    The qualifier games were carried out on each before each sent their students into the yoffs. This year''s finale would be held on the Moon, in the newly renovated starry sky arena.

    This Arena was of historical significance to the human race, as the de Warrior had fought against Rngalos here hundreds of years ago. Although there had been many other significant fights since then, no fight coulde close to the significance of this particr one.

    The starry sky arena was finally back into service after being fully renovated.

    Hu Yangxuan finished the application and handed it in, "There are so many pretty girls on the Moon¡­ I just can''t pass up this opportunity."

    "Very well, let''s form a training group! If the age could go as high was 25, we might even have to fight newly graduated students who are now soldiers." Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

    Wang Tong wanted to consolidate what he had learned in the crystal space. He appreciated the critical lesson that Mr. Wannabe had given him. Without it, Wang Tong would still be filled with a blind self-assurance that his power was on par with that of Patroclus. However, the days he had spent in the crystal had made he realized how arrogant he was. Should he rise to the challenge and fight Patroclus without the leveling up in the crystal space and careful preparation, he would have be aughing stock as Lie Wushang did.

    Wang Tong knew that Patroclus''s interest wasn''t in him per se. Instead, it was in Wang Tong''s tactics after seeing the unfamiliar tactics'' ability to control different GN attributes.

    "Training together? I was hoping to do it by myself since you have already recovered." Hu Yangxuan pulled a taut face. He had been the only person that had been deemed worthy of Wang Tong''s training partner. Unfortunately, Hu Yangxuan found that being Wang Tong''s training partner was an unbearable task because he could never win.

    "No way!" Everyone replied to Hu Yangxuan in unison.

    The overall strength of Ayrng students had been improving by the day, and campus had also turned into a very positive learning environment. Although it stillcked students who could rival top level fighters, Ayrng''s rise to prominence would only be a matter of time.

    The tournament was divided into two groups: METALbat and the fleetbat. The fleetbat was on a much smaller scale than the METALbat, and the Kaedeians dominated it. Human''s feverish devotion to the METALbat always puzzled the Kaedeians, since to them, the fleetbat was the determining factor in winning arge scale battle.

    The difference in the Earthlings and Kaedeian''s take on METALbat stemmed from their different cultures. The earthlings loved the visceral feeling of a METALbat, and considered winning a METALbat the only way to prove themselves.

    The tournament was very much like the ancient games of Olympics that had helped to keep the torch of human determination in self-improvement lit.

    It would never be a good thing for a race to be overly reliant on machines and technologies, and neither was it reasonable to abandon technology altogether. Therefore, it was essential to strike a bnce between the two extremes. Li Feng had discovered GN forced, and thereby changed the course of human history. However, he didn''t give up on technology. Instead, he used it to enhance the already powerful GN force.

    Members of the S club handed in all of their applications. The tournament would be carried out in two stages; the first stage would be the fleetbat, and the second stage would be the qualifiers and the yoffs of the METALbat.

    After everyone had left the meeting room, Wang Tong dragged Hu Yangxuan to the gym to test his new powers.

    Zhou Sisi watched as Wang Tong walked out of the locker room to thebat gym. She had a nagging feeling that something was not right about Wang Tong, but she couldn''t pinpoint exactly what it was. Zhou Sisi had been worried for Wang Tong, as she was not confident that Wang Tong would be able to reach his former peak condition in such a short time.

    Zhou Sisi had learned that the depletion of Soul energy was curable, but not only the process would take a long time, the treatment also had very rarely restored the patient''s full power.

    However, Zhou Sisi could feel the strong energy inside of Wang Tong right then. Despite all signs that pointed to the same conclusion, Zhou Sisi couldn''t bring herself to believe that Wang Tong was fully healed. She knew that the higher her expectation was, the harder the reality would hit her.

    Hu Yangxuan and Wang Tong had both changed into sparring gear. Despite his cking behavior, Hu Yangxuan had been training very hard ever since he came back from Norton, and he reasoned that with Wang Tong''s injury, he might have a chance in defeating Wang Tong this time.

    Hu Yangxuan was excited about this fight, and so was Wang Tong. Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised by his new ability to urately detect Hu Yangxuan''s inner flow of energy, as if he saw through Hu Yangxuan''s body. Thanks to this unique ability, Wang Tong already had Hu Yangxuan''s number before the fight had started.

    Wang Tong felt the new ability was refreshing, and the promise of finding out his other new skills made him even more eager to start the fight.

    Hu Yangxuan seemed to have noticed the change in Wang Tong. He furrowed his brows to ponder on his suspicions, as disbelief glinted in his eyes.

    This was...impossible!

    Hu Yangxuan found it incredible that Wang Tong had changed so much in just one night. Just yesterday, Hu Yangxuan had found no problem in picking up clues in Wang Tong''s movement as to when and how to attack. But right then, Hu Yangxuan felt he waspletely lost and was unable to initiate a single blow.

    This situation would only ur when one fighter''s power was much more potent than the other. As a former disciple of the Temr, Hu Yangxuan had this disabling feeling before, but that was when he had to face a fighter of the sixth level. Unless, Hu Yangxuan reasoned incredulously, Wang Tong had already reached level six!

    Hu Yangxuan''s suspicion was correct. Wang Tong''s soul energy had improved by a miraculous amount in the crystal space thanks to the effective but harsh methods of Mr. Wannabe.

    Wang Tong wanted to examine the results of his training in the crystal space, and already had given his opponent a great measure of pressure before the fight had even started.

    Sensing the immense belligerent energy in Wang Tong, Hu Yangxuan faltered as pea-sized sweat appeared on his forehead. He wanted to make a move, but Wang Tong''s presence seemed like a huge mountain that pressed on him, restricting his movements. Hu Yangxuan conceded that Wang Tong''s ability had greatly exceeded that of people of his age group, because Hu Yangxuan had only seen this kind of power once from a Temr Elder.

    Zhou Sisi wanted to warn Hu Yangxuan about the danger, but she was in the same boat as Hu Yangxuan, as she struggled even to speak out loud. Wang Tong''s presence seemed to project an unseen force that gripped firmly onto everything around him.

    Sudden the door was mmed open, and Karl rushed into the gym.

    The sudden development disrupted Wang Tong''s focuses, and as soon as he was distracted, Hu Yangxuan thudded heavily onto the ground, breathingboriously.

    Zhou Sisi was also exhausted and leaned against the wall. Seeing this strange scene, Karl scratched his head and asked. "Did I interrupt anything ?"

    Hu Yangxuan waved his hand and said, "Quite the contrary, you might as well have just saved me. Gosh, I was going to be suffocated." Confused, Karl looked around the room and wondered what was happening in here before he entered.

    "Wang Tong! that was too much for Hu Yangxuan, even I felt it !" Zhou Sisi pressed her chest, surprise written all over her face.

    "Shit! Boss, did youe up with a new technique?" A broad smile appeared on Karl''s face.

    "Wang Tong, have you leveled up again? No Level four fighter could do what you just did!" Hu Yangxuan''s words had hit the mark.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "I had a dreamst night and I was...enlightened if you will."

    Hu Yangxuan slowly got up to his feet and mumbled, "Bullsh*t! There is no such thing as enlightenment."

    What Wang Yong had experienced was much gruesome than just an enlightenment, as he had to live with the Zergs for a year, and had to worry about Zachery''s attack constantly. It was hell.

 Chapter 281: Charcoal Is a Genius

    Chapter 281: Charcoal Is a Genius

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong grinned as he reflected on the hellish time he had endured to gain more power to fight Li Shimming. Wang Tong knew from the beginning that as the protege of Li Feng, his fate would cross path with that of Li Feng''s descendants, regardless if Wang Tong had met and fallen in love with Ma Xiaoru or not.

    "Boss, what are they talking about? Try it on me!" Karl said as he pointed the finger at himself. Karl had also made a significant improvement in his soul energy, but he didn''t spend much time on training METALbat skills. Instead, he had chosen to focus on fleetbat.

    Hu Yangxuan wanted to warn Karl about Wang Tong''s new power, but it was already toote. As soon as Wang Tong initiated his tactics, Karl''s face turned bleak and stumbled back a few steps before he was pressed against the wall.

    It took Karl a while to gather himself.

    Looking at Karl''s painful expression, Wang Tong realized that he was too hard on his friends. While in the Crystal space, he had gotten used to attack his enemy relentlessly and forgotten the importance of controlling his energy while in the real world. His ssmates were not Zachery, so they would not be able to withstand nearly as much power as Zachery could.

    Hu Yangxuan and Zhou Sisi helped Karl to his feet, "Oh shit! Boss, are you trying to kill me? I felt like being dropped into an icy pool!"

    Hu Yangxuan nodded and then said, "Wang Tong, that move was brilliant. But excuse me, I wouldn''t be able to spar with you any longer¡­ I want to live."

    Wang Tong''s power had even caught him off guard. However, he knew that the magnitude of his current power was only the bare minimum of what it would take to survive in a real war.

    "I am not sure if I want to attend the tournament any longer if I would have to stand up against freaks like you." Hu Yangxuan announced helplessly.

    "I disagree. We all have our roles to y and try our best. You should still attend." Zhou Sisi encouraged Hu Yangxuan.

    "I will. I will. I was just saying how unfair it is. It''s tough to be a friend with Wang Tong, you know. Luckily, we also have you in our rank." Hu Yangxuan cracked a smile at Zhou Sisi.

    "Let''s all try our best. Especially you, Wang Tong."

    "Will do."

    "Awesome! Boss, we can finally fight alongside each other again! Oh, I am here to tell you guys that our school has made it to the top ten list!"

    "What''s the ranking?" Zhou Sisi asked.

    "Number six." Karl beamed from side to side. Ayrng had never been on the top ten list, but ever since it had defeated Capth, Ayrng had brought a lot of attention and fame to itself.

    "Not bad! But I say we will show them that they had still underestimated us!" Wang Tong patted on Karl''s shoulder and said.

    "Well said, boss! We want to be number one!"

    Wang Tong usually would like to stay low-key. However, he was affected by Karl''s ambition and spirit, and felt he was ready to march into the tournament.

    "Very well. Let''s use the school intr for our training and invite Cao Yi as well."

    Everyone agreed.

    Every academy, as well as the military, had set up the intr to be used inside their institutions. Students would only need to use their student ID to log in to the school intr. They logged onto the intr and looked for their allies from Bernabeu. Without Apache, Cao Yi had quickly be the leader of Bernabeu.

    Cao Yi was pleasantly surprised by Wang Tong''s recovery. He had been worried that Wang Tong would not be able to reach his former strength after the soul energy was depleted. However, right then, it seemed that his worry was unnecessary. The group of students developed a new set of training methods that aimed to learn from Wang Tong''s far-superior skills.

    After the training, Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi walked home together.

    Zhou Sisi could feel that Wang Tong had been increasingly opening up to her, and considered her as a trustworthy friend. However, the thought of being "befriended" made Zhou Sisi feel bitter.

    Zhou Sisi had prepared herself for the worst, and being Wang Tong''s friend was far from the worst that could happen. She conceded that she would be content seeing Wang Tong''s happy face every day.

    Wang Tong went straight to bed and didn''t turn the light on. Charcoal stood beside the bed, faithfully protecting his master.

    Wang Tong loved Charcoal''s presence when he went to bed, because it made him feel that he was not alone. Without Charcoal''spanionship, Wang Tong would have already gone mad in the crystal space. Wang Tong liked to talk to charcoal, and he found out that the robot was an excellent listener. He oftenmented that without Charcoal, he would not speak a single word after he got home.

    Wang Tong understood that despite the immense power of the Tactics of the de, the other five major tactics were no less potent. Besides, what determined a fighter''s ability was not just the type of tactics they had cultivated, but also their talent and the amount of time they had spent on honing their skills. Wang Tong reckoned that Li Shiming ought to be a more powerful fighter than him, because not only was Li Shiming talented, through years of cultivation, he had also built a more solid foundation than Wang Tong. Also, he had an experienced father who could continuously provide him with guidance.

    Thanks to Mr. Wannabe''s boot camp, Wang Tong had gained a more realistic view of his power.

    Wang Tong conceded that Patroclus must have a more urate estimation about Wang Tong''s power, and therefore, the reason for his challenge must be because he was impressed by the tactics, but not by Wang Tong as a fighter.

    If it were anyone else who had piqued Patroclus''s interest, he or she would be thrilled. But Wang Tong couldn''t find any joy in him, because his goal was to defeat Patroclus.

    The deal Wong Tong made with Ma Dutian seemed simple. However, as Wang Tong mulled over his situation, he started to doubt if the Ma would be able to fulfill their end of the deal and reject House of Li''s request should he seed the mission.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong realized that Ma Dutian had also hinged his decision on the oue of the tournament. Should Wang Tong able to prove himself and defeat Li Shiming, Ma Dutian would also gain an excuse to back out of the marriage proposal.

    Wang Tong was right. As a figurehead of a great house, the crafty Ma Dutian would not disclose his real intention up front. But, he had believed that Wang Tong was smart enough to figure it out himself.

    Wang Tong had thought that Ma Xiaoru''s father would humiliate him for asking his daughter''s hand, since the Li and Ma had been traditional allies, and Li Shiming was also apetent young man. Therefore, Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised when he was given a second chance to prove himself. It would have made thing easier for Ma Dutian if he had rejected Wang Tong, but Ma Dutian''s love for his daughter''s had eventually changed his mind.

    Wang Tong mumbled his thoughts to Charcoal, and thetter listened quietly.

    "Charcoal, how would I make Li Shiming attend the tournament? He didn''t seem to be that interested."

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh and continued his mumbling, "It would be easy if it were Lie Jian who I had to defeat. I could always lure him into the tournament using Einherjar Wannabe''s identity, but Li Shiming was never on PA."

    "..." Charcoal muttered something quietly.

    "Oh, Sh*t! You are a genius, Charcoal!" Wang Tong embraced Charcoal and kissed on its cold metal panel out of excitement "Now, clean the room for me. I want it to be tidied up before I am home."

    Wang Tong rushed out as soon as he released Charcoal.

    Wang Tong realized that the best way to lure Li Shiming to the tournament was to use a bait whose power was at par with Li Shiming. Charcoal had reminded Wang Tong that he just so happened to have one such bait wrapped around his little finger.

    When Wang Tong arrived at the familiar virtual Cafe, the owner of the cafe almost broke into tears as he had missed his lucky charm day and night. Without Wang Tong visiting the cafe, his business seemed to be slumping.

    Wang Tong was puzzled by the tears held in the owner''s eyes as he walked into his VIP room. All this while, he wondered why Lie Jian didn''t challenge Patroclus to avenge the defeat of Lie Wushuang.

 Chapter 282: Inner Thoughts

    Chapter 282: Inner Thoughts

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After much thought, Wang Tong finally understood the reason why Lie Jian hesitated in challenging Li Shiming. Despite the fact that Lie Jian was eager to have a match with Li Shiming, he would have to put his family name in danger if he failed. He would be deemed too careless by the elders of the family, thereby weakening his position in the family.

    However, Lie Jian was convinced that practicing with someone that was at the same level as him was the best way to improve himself. Therefore, he was insistent on the fight with Einherjar Wannabe. Lie Jian had challenged Einherjar Wannabe to fight in a real lifebat instead of in the PA system, because not only Lie Jiancked trust in the PA system, there was also the added secrecy to protect information regarding his tactics.

    Lie Jian might seem brash, but he was a crafty fighter with great attention to detail. He only wanted to use Einherjar Wannabe as a stepping stone to achieve his ultimate goal: defeating Li Shiming. Lie Jian also reasoned thatpared to Patroclus; Wang Tong was not only easier to defeat, but also more likely to ept his challenge. Therefore, he was the ideal opponent.

    Once Wang Tong had gained a better grasp of the situation, he found it easier to draft his challenge letter as well. Wang Tong didn''t have to worry about secrecy, because so far, he did not have any secret weapons hidden under his sleeves. All of his attacks and defense moves drew its effectiveness from his experience, and therefore, it would be impossible for other people to copy. The only secret he had was the name of his tactics.

    Wang Tong finished the letter in one go and sent it out without giving it a second round of edit. The message in the letter was clear: he would only ept the challenge in TPA.

    Wang Tong went offline as soon as he sent out the letter. His online status had already alerted thousands of PA yers, but before they could send him a single message, Einherjar Wannabe had already gone offline.

    The DREAM had intercepted the message the moment it was out of Wang Tong''s mailbox. After reading the contents of the letter, they decided to do whatever they could to make sure that Lie Jian received and read this letter.

    Although Patroclus''s appearance at the PA System had attracted many people''s attention, he had disappeared ever since. It wasn''t to the DREAM''s benefit to have the four Martians defeated by the Ivantian prince, so DREAM was ted to see that Einherjar Wannabe had finally resurfaced again and responded to Lie Jian''s challenge.

    The DREAM knew that they would have to spare no expense in making sure that this fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Lie Jian were carried out.

    Meanwhile, Li Shiming had just returned to Earth from Norton.

    "There have been some changes in your marriage proposal." Li Zhedao said.

    "Father, I thought the marriage was already set in stone?"

    "I have told you to tread carefully with House of Ma. Despite what you have done out there on Norton, if you fail to secure the marriage, you have failed altogether."

    "Anything happened to Ma Xiaoru?" Li Shiming asked cidly.

    "Focus your attention on the Ma and don''t waste your time on anything else."

    "Yes, father."

    "Hey brother, pissing dad off again? Haha¡­ Where is my gift anyways?" Li Ruoer smiled as she asked.

    "It''s in the living room. Is that Wang Tong still alive?" Li Shiming shook his head and asked his sister.

    "I didn''t expect him to be so lucky to survive a nuclear st. But fret not, everything is under my control. Ma Dutian and Wang Tong seemed to have formed some kind of a pact. If wesh out right now, I am afraid that our action might only be a hindrance rather than help." Li Ruoer said.

    "If what you said was true, then I agree that it would be toote to do anything. My only question is how Wang Tong managed to persuade Ma Dutian. Is Wang Tong really that powerful?" Li Shiming said calmly. He already knew that his sister had a lot to do with helping the Wang Tong and Ma Dutian forming the pact, whether she did it intentionally or not. However, Li Shiming didn''t feel like he needed to me her at all.

    Watching her brother''s calm demeanor, a sense of respect rose inside Li Ruoer. She had always admired his brother''s coolness, as if he always held the solution to all problems.

    "He was not bad, but not nearly as powerful as you. Level five at the most."

    "Hehe, is that so? First year and already at level five? I think there''s more than what meets the eyes." Li Shiming cracked a smile, trying to squeeze more information from his cunning sister.

    Sensing her brother''s will to intervene, Li Ruoerined, "We had a deal. You said you will leave this Wang Tong to me. My n has just started."

    "Gosh... I didn''t say anything yet. Fine, fine, just go ahead. I will handle things on my end." Li Shiming said indifferently.

    "You are really full of yourself. You are not worried at all that you might not be able to marry Ma Xiaoru? To tell you the truth, I can sense that Ma Xiaoru is serious about her rtionship with Wang Tong. You know how spoiled she is by her father, so I do worry about you."

    Li Shiming shot her sister a side nce and then said, "I am not worried because you will make Wang Tong fall in love with you, and then you will dump him. Problem solved!"

    Feelings ashamed for having her trick seen through, Li Ruoer stomped the ground frustratingly and then uttered, "Can you be nice to me just once?"

    Li Ruoer held higher regard for her brother, even higher than for her Einherjar father. Although the House Li had abundant potent fighters, theycked skills in political intrigues, a skill that the Ma was a master of. However, unlike his father and all his ancestors, Li Shiming had demonstrated an acute sense for political matters, and was astute in handling affairs with other houses.

    After Li Ruoer had left, Li Shiming lounged on a sofa, enjoying this precious quietness.

    Li Ruoer didn''t transfer directly to Ayrng. Instead, she had chosen apromise to satisfy both Ma Xiaoru and her family duty. By pulling some strings in the school system, she made the principal of the Capth to send out a student group to visit Ayrng, and she had conveniently be one of the visiting students.

    While on Moon, Samantha was pleasantly surprised by Capth''s request. It could be a turning point in Ayrng''s history. Ayrng had wanted to establish a formal rtionship with Capth, but Capth had always ignored Ayrng''s request, much less extending the olive branch willingly to the A ss academy.

    Samantha knew there was more than what met the eyes, and a nagging feeling told her that Wang Tong must have something to do with it. Samantha''s devotion to her career was what had defined her, so although the thought of Wang Tong made Samantha feel guilty, she was determined not to change her course for anyone.

    The only silver lining for Samantha after the breakup was to see that Wang Tong had chosen the right person: Ma Xiaoru.

    Despite the recent failure in her love life, her career had been progressing rapidly. She had turned the formally decadent school around and brought it back to the right track.

    Although Ayrng was still far behind from the peak of its former glory, everyone was impressed by what the young principal had achieved in such a short time, and could feel her will of making a positive change. Samantha''s ultimate goal was to be a politician, and she thought Ayrng would be her perfectunchpad. She had won the hearts of both older generations for restoring the school''s former glory, as well as the younger generation for her ability to bring about change.

    She had also gained the favor of the military by providing resources for their training in the PA system.

    She had invested heavily in herself in the recent years, and it seemed like it was about time for her to reap the benefits. Samantha believed that without the hefty initial investment, she wouldn''t be able to aplish anything. Soon, the Confederation would witness the rise of the youngest female councilor, and the change she would usher to the world.

    Wang Tong was shocked by the news about the visiting student group from Capth.

    "Are you serious? Stop pulling my leg¡­ It''s not funny." Wang Tong announced incredulously. Although he no longer held a grudge against Li Ruoer, fear was rooted deeply in his mind.

    "It''s real, boss. Capth had extended their olive branch to us this time. Isn''t it weird? There will be a student group of about thirty members visiting our school. They would spend some time here, studying with us." Karl said excitedly. Karl was not alone in his excitement. All of his ssmates were pleasantly surprised by Capth''s 180-degree turn of attitude towards Ayrng.

    The even more striking fact about this student group was that Li Ruoer was also one of the participants, despite the discreetness she was well known for at Capth. Li Ruoer announced that she was interested in learning more about the school where her greatest ancestor General Li Feng graduated from. And therefore, she had jumped aboard.

    Knowing the feud between Li Ruoer and Wang Tong, Zhou Sisi became worried. She knew that the Enchantress was as dangerous as a ticking bomb.

    Wang Tong also questioned Li Ruoer''s motives. He doubted that Li Ruoer would sacrifice her Family''s benefit for her friend. However, she had indeed helped himst time and brought him to Ma Xiaoru. If not for her help, Wang Tong would not have gained the chance to prove himself to Ma Dutian.

    Unsure of the real intention of Li Ruoer, Wang Tong pondered on with a puzzled expression.

    "Boss, don''t you worry about it! She is in our hood, and we will show her who is calling the shots here." Karl pounded his chest and announced as everyone marveled at his ability to think positively regardless of the situation.

 Chapter 283: What Do They Want?

    Chapter 283: What Do They Want?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "She is just a girl¡­ I will handle it for you!" Hu Yangxuan cracked a smile and then said. Wang Tong held on to Hu Yangxuan''s hand and pleaded. "I''ll be counting on you for it¡­ Don''t let me down."

    It would be a weight off Wang Tong''s mind should Hu Yangxuan be able to distract Li Ruoer while he was busy training for the tournament.

    "Haha. I will make her regreting here!" Hu Yangxuan said with a smug expression.

    "She is an Enchantress. So, be careful not to be enchanted, if you know what I mean" Zhou Sisi reminded Hu Yangxuan.

    "Don''t you worry. I was a capable disciple of the Temr."

    Wang Tong wasn''t sure why Li Ruoer was here, but he was determined not to let her get in his way of defeating Li Shiming.

    Regarding the fleetbat, Wang Tong would have three training partners: Zhou Sisi, Karl and best. Zhou Sisi had improved the most among all of her ssmates. Although Zhou Sisi''s techniques might fall short whenpared to the others, her calm and attention to detail¡ªboth invaluable qualities of a fleetmander¡ªwould make up for herck of micro control.

    Although the advantage of the three opponents was clear, so were their downfalls. In a matter of a few simtions, Wang Tong had already gained a deep understanding of their technique, so there was no chance for the three to win against Wang Tong anymore.

    Regarding METALbat, Wang Tong''s training partner was Hu Yangxuan and Cao Yi. asionally, he would also test his soul energy against Luo Manman. However, because of the vast gap between the two, Wang Tong had improved very little in doing that.

    Although Wang Tong felt confused as to if he was his friend''s training partner or their coach, he conceded that weak opponents were better than none.

    Wang Tong wanted to fight with Lie Jian because he was eager to find out how he would fare among the strongest. Wang Tong considered Lie Jian a perfect opponent, since he was the weakest among the elites. So, he would be a good stepping stone for Wang Tong to challenge more

    Meanwhile, Lie Jian was also brewing his n. He marveled at Patroclus''s ability to finish off Lie Wushuang without lifting a finger. Lie Jian wasn''t afraid of Patroclus and his tactics, but he was intrigued. He wagered that he would only gain a better idea of Patroclus''s tactics if he were standing in the same arena as him, which is not likely to happen for a while. As Lie Jianmented at theck of a decent opponent in his life, he thought about Einherjar Wannabe again.

    Lie Jian had never believed that Einherjar Wannabe was only 16 years old because it was not impossible to cheat one''s age on the PA system. Lie Jian was certain that the age of Einherjar Wannabe would be around 20 to 25.

    Lie Jian was good at many things, but notpromise. However, the urge to fight a worthy opponent had rattled his firm stance, tempting him to ept the fight in the PA system.

    He figured that if he didn''t ept Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge in the PA system, Patroclus definitely would. So, he reasoned that it would be a pity to lose such a perfect practice target to his opponent for some minor details.

    Therefore, Lie Jian decided to ept Wang Tong''s terms. Yet, he figured that he needed some preparation before the fight.

    After the school was done, Wang Tong headed straight to the virtual cafe to check if Lie Jian had replied his message. He was greeted by the owner''s gleeful face. The lucky charm had worked. His business had turned around right after Wang Tong''s visit.

    Although Einherjar Wannabe didn''t ept or refuse any challenges, his appearance at the PA system alone was a sensational news. Without an official exnation of Einherjar Wannabe''s action and intent during that brief period he was online, all kinds of rumors spread across the inte.

    Wang Tong turned on the terminal and saw Lie Jian''s reply, and epted all of the terms of conditions Lie Jian had listed.

    ording to Lie Jian''s new terms, the PA match would take ce on the weekend, and it would be a closed-doorpetition, meaning that no recording nor public was allowed during the game, and eachbatant was allowed to bring only one witness to the arena.

    Despite the peculiar terms, Wang Tong singed the contract and sent it away. Wang Tong couldn''t care less about the forms and conditions of the fight, as long as the fight would be able to reveal his position among the elites.

    Who would Lie Jian bring with him as a witness?

    And who would Wang Tong bring?

    The question pressed on Wang Tong since no matter who he brought with him to the fight, he ran the risk of blowing his cover at a very critical time before the pan-sr tournament.

    After the meeting with Ma Dutian, Wang Tong realized that he had unknowingly gained a certain measure of conceit after having been under so much attention which had made him think that he was the focus of the entire world, and that his slightest move would have a significant impact on the world. However, Ma Dutian had taught him that he was nothing but a tiny drop in the sea and so was the significance of his actions.

    So, Wang Tong wondered what would be the harm in revealing to the world his identity as the heir of the de Warrior anyways.

    After clearing his thoughts, Wang Tong found that being the heir of the de Warrior had turned into a burden for him. After recalled the brief encounter with General Li Fen, Wang Tong conceded that the extra pressure of being the heir was added by himself, since Li Feng didn''t expect him to achieve great deeds or save the human race just yet. With the burdens out of the way, Wang Tong decided to worry less and do more from then on, and his train of thought came back to his problem at hand: who should he bring him as a witness? And then a perfect candidate came to Wang Tong''s mind.

    The visitors from Capth arrived Ayrng on Tuesday, and they were greeted with a red carpet treatment. Although Principal Samantha was not able to attend the weing ceremony, many of the Shang Jin''s politicians had made it.

    Walking at the front of the team was their instructor, someone who Wang Tong knew: Mr. Harmon Sandler

    Among the group of visiting students stood a third-year student called Porten, who was the son of the head councilor. Everyone at Capth knew that he had a crush on Li Ruoer, and had embarked on the helpless journey of courting her.

    Wang Tong also saw sh, Bisu, and Kal among the ranks of the Capth visitors. However, he was disappointed that he didn''t see Wang Ben''s face.

    Judging by the students that Capth had sent, it was clear then that they meant business. Despite being honored, Ayrng was caught off guard by Capth''s splendid entourage.

    Wang Tong was one of the student representatives of Ayrng. As the leader of the S club, he had be somewhat famous. Many visitors recognized Wang Tong, and Mr. Sandler had even nodded at him with a smile.

    The visitor''s attention given to Wang Tong had made other Ayrng''s students jealous. They didn''t expect Wang Tong to have such a far-reaching poprity.

    The opening ceremony was soon over, and it was time for the meet and greet. Wang Tong decided to sneak away quietly as he didn''t want to run into Li Ruoer.

    As soon as Wang Tong turned around towards his dorm, someone called out to him.

    Wang Tong turned around and saw sh walk to him and greet him. "Long time no see, Wang Tong."

    "Wee to Ayrng!"

    "Thank you! You know, we hade here specifically to train with you and Karl. As you know, we would be both allies and opponents in the pan-sr tournament. I look forward to learning from you."

    "Haha! well, I could learn a lot from you as well."

    "We shall see. I have to warn you though, I have improved a lot ever since myst defeat, so watch out! Haha."

    "Well you too, haha!" The two shook each other''s hand as both faces were lit up with glee.

    "Ah, on another note, Wang Ben wanted me to send you a message. He said he will do all he could to defeat you in the tournament, so he wants you to be prepared." sh said with a broad smile on his face.

    Wang Tong could tell that Wang Ben had already be friends with the candid and open sh.

    "I will wait for him, and I hope he won''t let me down."

    The two smiled knowingly at each other before they parted.

    Li Ruoer and Porten had be the most popr students among all the visitors.

    Porten had been a famous prodigy, as he had finished all the university subjects at the age of five. His expertise was not in METALbat but research rted to battlefieldmand and strategies. He never wanted to be the boots on the ground. Instead, he focused on his reach andmunication skills to pave his way into politics. He firmly believed that he was born to be a leader.

 Chapter 284: Fifty Shades of Ambition

    Chapter 284: Fifty Shades of Ambition

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The PA system had published another sensational news. But, the news was both exciting and saddening. DREAM had announced that Lie Jian and Einherjar Wannabe would have a close-door duel.

    DREAM had signed the confidentiality letters, so nothing about this match would be disclosed to the public.

    In addition to the two legendarybatants, they had both invited a witness. The identities of the two witnesses seemed to be even more mysterious than the closed-door match.

    Lie Jian had invited the young master from the sect of Divine Masters, Michaux Odin, as his witness, and Einherjar Wannabe had invited Patroclus.

    When Patroclus had subdued the four Martian killers, people were wondering if Patroclus had sent out a challenge to Einherjar Wannabe. The two fighters'' rtionship had be even more perplexing after Einherjar Wannabe invited Patroclus as his witness.

    It was well known that no one had ever been able to persuade Patroclus, but it seemed that Einherjar Wannabe had done the impossible, because Patroclus had epted his request without any hesitation.

    Wang Tong was not surprised that Patroclus had epted the invitation. He was no longer worried about his identity, and thought that instead of worrying, he should stick to what he thought was the right thing to do.

    Wang Tong''s message to Patroclus was straightforward, "Come see me if you want to know who I am."

    Wang Tong''s ultimate goal was to force both Patroclus and Lie Jian to partake in the tournament. After spending a year in the crystal, Wang Tong seemed to have been affected by the recklessness of the preliterate king, and started to wonder why he often lived like a worrier instead of a warrior.

    He had realized that he was no one''s puppet, and not even fate could tell him what to do. So, he made up his mind to do things on his own terms and be truly himself.

    Zhang Jin was shocked after hearing that Patroclus had agreed to be Einherjar Wannabe''s witness. She already found it strange when Patroclus intervened the rampage of the four Martians, and right then, the development seemed to get even more puzzling.

    "Pat, are you sure you would be able to get more information on him this time?" Zhang Jin was one of the very few people who knew the number of Patroclus''s direct line.

    On the disy screen, Zhang Jin saw Patroclus was practicing ichibana¡ªthe art of flower bouquet. He treated every petal with care, andyered the flowers into a splendid disy of beauty and color. Patroclus smiled and then said,"Jin, I am very sure this time."

    "You mean " Zhang Jin''s face became taut. The identity of Einherjar Wannabe was the biggest mystery of the PA system, and she knew that only Patroclus would have the ability to solve the riddle, because he would be able to see through Einherjar Wannabe''s cover like Rngalos could through that of the de Warrior.

    Their fate was intertwined.

    Patroclus had finished his ichibana creation, and he was smiling at it satisfyingly. Zhang Jin watched as Patroclus suddenly smashed the beautifulposition of flowers into broken fragments of colors in a fit of rage.

    Zhang Jin wasn''t surprised by Patroclus''s outburst of anger. Patroclus gathered himself and grimaced, "When I first started to take an interest in him, I could feel a surge of power inside me. I have tried many ways to subdue the power, but it''s only getting stronger."

    "What did he say in his invitation?"

    "He''s very open. He said if I want to know who he is, I should attend as his witness. I can''t refuse." Patroclus smiled helplessly, but his voice was filled with anticipation.

    "There might be some difficulty in detecting his real identity in the virtual world, but I have confidence in your ability."

    "Jin, I am very confused and lost. If his tactics could really control the elemental attributes of the GN force, then he has to be the heir of the de Warrior, but¡­"

    "I know how you feel. You are afraid of being disappointed if he was too weak."

    "The force inside me... I have been trying many ways to control it, but it''s been gaining force ever since Einherjar Wannabe appeared. My tactics are also feeding it, making it even more difficult to manage. I think something in my blood has awakened and it is hungry."

    Zhang Jin felt for Patroclus. He had been alone for too long, and suddenly he seemed to have sensed the promise of a worthy opponent and a realpanion. His anticipation had made him doubt himself, and turned him into a bundle of nerves as he was afraid that it was only a false rm.

    But Zhang Jin knew from deep down that Patroclus had nothing to worry about; the chosen one had finally returned.

    Patroclus was considered the reincarnation of the perfect warrior, Rngalos, and same as Rngalos, Patroclus needed to keep his thirst for power and blood in check, and rein in his inner daemon.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s power had somehow awoken the dark side of Patroclus''s power, even though that Einherjar Wannabe''s strength was still far behind that of Patroclus.

    Sensing Zhang Jin''s concern for him, Patroclus cracked a smile and said, "Don''t you worry Jin. I am only going to confirm his power, and that''s it. If he were indeed as weak as I thought, I would go on a vacation to make myself feel better."

    "Let me know if you need a travel buddy." Zhang Jin said with care in her voice.

    Patroclus nodded as he shifted his gaze to the pile of broken flowers and then he shook his head helplessly.

    Lie Jian was ecstatic. He was pleasantly surprised that Wang Tong would be able to bring Patroclus with him, someone as quiet as a mute and as still as a rock.

    The development was turning more interesting to Lie Jian by the second. Lie Jian had invited Michaux Odin to detect the inner workings of Einherjar Wannabe''s soul energy, especially his ability to control the elemental effect of his GN force. Although it would be difficult to do so in a virtual reality setting, Lie Jian thought it would still worth a try.

    What really made Lie Jiang''s day was that he had heard Li Shiming had been trying to be a witness as well, but was refused by DREAM. The thought of Li Shiming being left out of such a significant match filled Lie Jian with satisfaction.

    No one that had done wrong to House of Lie had been able to rest well until they were dead, and Lie Jian was confident that this time was no different.

    "Michaux, I need you to help me this time. Can you try to use your ability to probe Einherjar Wannabe''s tactics? They have made it sound like he is invincible, and it would be a good opportunity to see exactly how he had done it." Lie Jian smiled and asked Michaux politely. There was nothing to hide from the young master, since his only desire was to reach the divine path. Therefore, he would not take an interest in the worldly matters.

    Michaux nodded and then said, "I always admired Patroclus."

    "Nah, he should have admired you, young master."

    "I could tell that Patroclus has some information that we don''t have."

    "That''s not the point. We are only interested to know how his ice elemental GN force would able to counter my fire attack, that is if he weren''t defeated by me first."

    There were many kinds of ambitions, and Michaux''s was to seek the Divine Path through cultivation. The divine masters believed in the divine path, and they considered the de Warrior a proof of its existence. They believed that Li Feng had merged his soul with the universe and achieved the ultimate state of existence after his physical body had perished. Although the first divine master had failed to enter the divine path, he was very close, so close that he had left a road map for his followers. However, to embark on that journey meant one had to forsake worldly possessions and desires.

    The public was rattled up by not being able to watch the fight. They protested to the DREAM, but nothing would be able to change Lie Jian''s mind in keeping the content of the match a secret.

    Even though the public wouldn¡¯t be able to watch the fight, they still hoped that they would learn about the oue.

    They knew that it was impossible to hear anyments about the match from Patroclus and Michaux, so they all counted on Lie Jian''s loud mouth to reveal a thing or two about the match.

    Meanwhile, in Ayrng, the fleetbat simtion room was packed with students who were watching a routine exercise between Capth and Ayrng. Capth had walked the talk and started training with their A ss counterparts as soon as they have arrived.

    The Capth''s primary goal was to study Karl and Wang Tong''s strategies to prepare for the uing tournament.

    The exercise right then was just a probe to get a better understanding of Ayrng''s overall strength in fleetbat. Wang Tong slipped up a few times and let sh gain the upper hand. Wang Tong''s minor mistakes should not have been a problem while fighting against amon opponent, but sh was not an ordinary opponent. Instead, he was one of the best at fleetbat. Therefore, once sh detected Wang Tong''s mistake, Wang Tong''s defense crumbled in an instant.

    Wang Tong was pleased by sh''s ability to detect his weakness, and was convinced that his defeat would eventually make him strong enough to face the mighty Kaedeians.

    After the practice, the group of students gathered around and shared their insights on the match.

    "Wang Tong, your skill has gotten worse. Time is ticking, and you better try harder."

 Chapter 285: A Different Person

    Chapter 285: A Different Person

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Just one or two good fighters wouldn''t be enough to defeat the Kaedeians, since the average skill of the Kaedeians is well above that of the Earthlings. Ever sincest time they were defeated by Wannabe, they had be more cautious. So, I wager they would send out their best fighters for this tournament." sh said.

    Capth didn''t draft sh into the Norton campaign, so while Wang Tong was toiling in the war, sh had trained hard and had since be more skillful than Wang Tong in fleetbat. sh had also studied Wang Tong''s Art of the Iron Wall, and with diligent practice, his execution of the Art of the Iron had be even more potent than Wang Tong.

    The practice exercise served a reminder to Wang Tong that unlike the "Talented Three" from Capth, he was not prepared for the tournament.

    "It''s a good thing to have found out where your problems are. The training would be broken down into two sections. You guys can train on your own in the morning and the evening, while the afternoon will be used exclusively for fleetbat." Zhou Sisi said. Although she wasn''t the leader of the S club, since she handled everything within, she had be the de facto leader. Therefore, everyone agreed to her arrangement.

    Ever since Karl defeated Kal, he had also been working diligently to improve his skills. He had been victorious in all of his recentpetitions, and made a name for himself. To differentiate the two, people called Kal the little K and Karl the Big K.

    Karl was more well known than Kal, thanks to his unique fighting style. Kal, on the other hand, was younger and less experienced. However, his skills hadbined the best of sh and Bisu, and therefore, he had more potential than Karl.

    "It has just started, don''t feel sad for one loss." It had been a while since Wang Tong had tasted defeat. During the simtion, his rhythm was off slightly, and created an opening for a fraction of a second. However, that was all it took for his opponent to prate his defense. Wang Tong registered that sh''s APM had improved substantially, and he marveled at how much one would enhance his skills when under pressure.

    The confidence that shed in the eyes of the "Talented Three" was the unmistakable sign that they had earned their confidence through hard work and patience.

    Kale and Kal had reached a stalemate. Unlike Wang Tong who had been fighting in the war, Karl had been focusing on improving his Fleet battle skills while he was on the Norton mission. Karl understood that he could no longer rely on his unique fighting style, since most people would have already gotten used to it or devised countermeasures. Although the strategies were set in stone, the execution of the strategy still yed a significant role in fleetbat. Karl was exceptionally good at his performances, taking advantage of his opponent whenever he could, and was able to quickly evaluate the cost and benefit of every move and make adjustments.

    However, even with a good strategy and perfect execution, Karl still lost a few matches to Kal due to a few minor slip-ups.

    "Well done everyone. Looks like it was a good decision toe to Ayrng!" Harmon apuded at the student''s performance. Everyone had been focusing on the fighting, and therefore, no one had noticed that Harmon was in the room as well.

    "Principal!" All students from Capth stood up in unison, their voices filled with respect.

    Harmon waved his hand, willing them to sit down, "Don''t call me principal here; I am your fan. I am very pleased to have seen your ardent efforts in improving yourself. I am confident that you will be victorious in the fight against the Kaedeians."

    Harmon was a master motivation speaker, as he had secured the students'' confidence with only a few words. Harmon understood that encouragement was the best tool to motivate the students to be stronger.

    "Wang Tong, your performance seemed to becking. As the star fighter of the Ayrng, you should learn topromise between fleetbat and METALbat. If you don''t have the time to focus on both, you will have to make a decision." Harmon said sincerely.

    Wang Tong nodded and then said, "Thank you, Principal Harmon."

    Wang Tong was very confident with his ability in both fleetbat and the METALbat. Ever since his training in the crystal space, he had been feeling much more vigorous and energetic, and this newfound energy had motivated him to be the strongest in both areas. He knew that what he needed most right then was to adjust the fleetbat skill to his new soul energy, and he thought that practicing with the Capth visitors would be an excellent opportunity to do just that.

    Unlike Metalbat skills which could take years of training to improve, improving fleetbat skills would take a much shorter time when the conditions were right. Wang Tong had an unmatched soul energy as well as a solid foundation in micro controls. Therefore his skills would improve very swiftly.

    Wang Tong didn''t argue with Harmon, thinking that his intention was good after all.

    Li Ruoer was getting bored. She wanted to focus on getting close to Wang Tong. However, he was always busy with her schoolmates, training in the gym. Her ssmates'' devotion in the tournament also seemed to have made her, and her little game, irrelevant.

    Li Ruoer found sh and his friends were the most boring, since they only cared about their dreams and ambitions. Porten was far more interesting than the rest, but his materialistic mindset was a big turn off.

    Li Ruoer had been observing her target quietly, and she was shocked to found out how much Wang Tong had changed over the course of a few days.

    Thanks to her Enchantress ability, Li Ruoer was able to observe Wang Tong''s flow of energy clearly. She found the difference between the current energy in Wang Tong right then aspared to a couple of days ago was huge. It was as if Wang Tong was apletely different person.

    To seek the answer to her newfound question, Li Ruoer joined the METALbat exercises. Hu Yangxuan''s face lit up with glee as soon as he saw Li Ruoer joining them. He took the opportunity to talk to the beautiful girl, despite the ire of Porton towards his actions.

    Hu Yangxuan didn''t like Porten either, but both had acted gantly in front of the girl they both liked.

    Unknown to Hu Yangxuan, he had helped Wang Tong by keeping Li Ruoer entertained. Wang Tong stepped into the gravity room and cranked up the gravity to 10g.

    Only the 10g environment would be able to stimte the immense power inside of Wang Tong, the power that was given by Einherjar Wannabe.

    Wang Tong''s practice followed a set of straightforward moves. He never liked the rigid and long forms; instead, he liked simpler moves, since it gave him more freedom to improvise differentbinations during a real battle. What he had learned in the PA system had told him that an adaptable set of moves was much more powerful than a long and rigid one.

    However, the rigid set-moves wasn''t useless either, as they could be extremely effective when used at the right moment. Even the Einherjar had their own set ofbo moves, such as the devastating Vayu''s Vengeance used by Li Zhedao.

    Sometimes, Wang Tong felt that he held the trigger for a floodgate that, once opened, would unleash a flood of events into the world. The sense of his importance to the world made Wang Tong feel satisfied. He knew that there were many secrets in him, and he had been holding them back as much he could. But what for?

    For survival?

    He conceded that no harm woulde to him, even if he let the world know that he was the heir of the de Warrior then and there.

    Wang Tong adjusted his soul energy as he conditioned his body. Although he had gained considerable power inside the crystal space, the dream-like nature of the crystal space required Wang Tong to take some effort to blend his newfound power with the real world. His opponent was going to be Lie Jian, one of the strongest fighters. So, Wang Tong had to be at his peak condition.

    Suddenly Wang Tong''s eyes glinted, and he slowed down his tactics as he saw Li Ruoer walk into the room.

    "Wang Tong, you are full of surprises." Li Ruoer found it hard to believe that Wang Tong was training in the 10g environment. Looking at the determination shing across Wang Tong''s face, Li Ruoer finally started to wonder if she had created a monster for House of Li.

 Chapter 286: The Upper-Class Elite

    Chapter 286: The Upper-ss Elite

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    However, Li Ruoer couldn''t afford to doubt herself. She needed to believe in herself, since that was the number one rule in cultivating the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Li Ruoer believed that if she wanted to aplish great deeds as General Zhou Zhi did, she needed to have an unwavering faith in herself. Without the determination and confidence, General Zhou Zhi would never have been able to pin Li Feng under her thumb and be the only person who had power over the legendary general.

    "Oh nice, we have met again. Why am I not surprised?" Wang Tong said sarcastically. He made a mental note toe to the gym earlier next time.

    Despite the rancor in Wang Tong''s words, his voice had betrayed some measure ofpromise. After all, Li Ruoer had led him to Ma Xiaoru and earned him a chance to prove himself to Ma Dutian.

    Li Ruoer smiled alluringly; even Wang Tong had to admit that her beauty was unmatched among the prettiest girls he had seen. In addition to her beauty, she carried a certain air around her that could charm any man to kneel in front of her and call her a queen.

    "Well, I am pleased to see you again, and I like your silliness. I like you, you know?"

    Wang Tong''s face remained cid. He had prepared his mind for far worse than Li Ruoer telling him she had a crush on him.

    "You are funny. I would be surprised if we ever meet again, much less dating." Wang Tong said honestly. He was convinced that nothing good woulde out of befriending this devious enchantress.

    "Well, yet we have met again, right here. I think we are meant for each other." Li Ruoer insisted.

    Wang Tong decided to give up and simply ignore her from then on. He looked away and started training by himself, hoping that Li Ruoer would leave him alone if he stopped talking to her.

    "I just thought that I had never fought you before. Don''t you get bored training by yourself? You know better than me that I am the mostpetent fighter here in Ayrng. So, what do you say if we spar together, and... Let me help you, eh?" Li Ruoer said as he gazed at Wang Tong, waiting for Wang Tong ''s reply.

    "No." Wang Tong didn''t want to have anything to do with the spoiled princess.

    "Oh really? You are not afraid that I will tell people that you have taken advantage of me?" Li Ruoer put on a seductive smile and then asked.

    "Don''t be ridiculous! What advantage?"

    "Don''t be so mean. Even if you didn''t take advantage of me, do you think your friends out there would believe you?" Li Ruoer threatened Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong narrowed his eyes and shed a wicked smile, "Do you really want to have an affair with me that bad? Well, so be it! I don''t care."

    "Really? You are not afraid that the rumors about our affair might spread to your lover''s ears?" Li Ruoer pressed Wang Tong with more questions.

    "She would know that those are only rumors." Wang Tong said seriously, thinking that Li Ruoer had underestimated their rtionship and Ma Xiaoru''s wits.

    Out of words and vexed, several different expressions shed across Li Ruoer''s face until she decided to settle on a seemingly sweet smile, "Very good, Wang Tong. Laugh all you want right now. But let me remind you that I have lots of time. We will see who would beughing in the end." Li Ruoer turned on her heels as soon as she finished her words. Wang Tong could tell that she was pissed.

    After a year of fighting the evilest person in the world: Pirate King Zachery, Wang Tong had gained not only strength but also wits. The experience of dealing with the shrewd old ghost had lent Wang Tong the ability to see through Li Ruoer''s little game, as if it were a child''s y.

    Unknown to Wang Tong, his body and mind were slowly adapting to the new self that was reborn in the crystal space, and therefore the confidence and the ability to predict the Enchantress''s intention even caught Wang Tong off guard. Slowly but surely, the two Wang Tong: the one in the real world and the other in the crystal space, were merging,plimenting each other''s power.

    After making sure that Li Ruoer had left the gym, Wang Tong cranked the gravity dial even higher, trying to push himself to the limit.

    As soon as Li Ruoer walked out of the gravity gym, she saw Hu Yangxuan and Porten arguing about something. Contempt was written all over their faces. Suddenly, Li Ruoer sensed a tremor inside the gravity gym. Wang Tong had maxed out the gravity setting and quickly realized that his soul energy would echo the gravity force and end up being destructive to his environment. So, Wang Tong quickly turned the gravity setting off, fearing that he had to pay for any damaged equipment. To Wang Tong, a fine was more terrible than Li Ruoer.

    Wang Tong walked out of the gravity gym and walked away without sparing Porten a nce. Wang Tong was aware of his special background, and knew that although he made apparent efforts to mingle with average students, contempt towards students like Wang Tong was firmly rooted in his mind. Wang Tong conceded that once Porten graduated from the Academy, he would be promoted directly to the top position, where every decision of his would determine the lives of thousands of soldiers. It made Wang Tong feel sick to see that the promise of special treatment had given Porten a sense of superiority over other students, and the fact that he was reveling in it.

    Porten had considered his importance to the world on the same level as that of Li Ruoer, one more reason for him to be so determined to win the princess'' heart. If Ma Xiaoru married Li Shiming, and he married Li Ruoer, Porten reasoned that the three families would form the strongest alliance the Earthlings had ever seen.

    "As for who would lead the alliance," Porten continued his plot, "¡­it defiantly won''t be Li Shiming." The alliance of the two strongest families ought to strike fear into the hearts of theirpetitors, say, the council. Therefore, Porten wagered that the confederation would definitely rely on someone who they could trust to keep their power in check, and Porten would be the best candidate for that position.

    Porten had already nned out his moves for the next twenty years. He despised Li Shiming for being a simple-minded brute,cking the precision and finesse when it came down to the battle of wits. Li Shiming''s problem, Porten had thought, was his reliance on his strength. After all, only a person who can''t even lift a knife would kill using ploys.

    Porten was also aware of Li Ruoer''s thoughts, but he didn''t mind her scornful look. When the time was right, he would make a proper woman out of her, despite the fact that she was the Einherjar''s little princess.

    Li Ruoer followed Wang Tong out of the gym, and Porten grimaced at Hu Yangxuan, giving him an expression that read, ¡®If you want her, you better get used to being ignored.¡¯

    Compare to Porten, Hu Yangxuan was much less infatuated with the Enchantress, since he had seen a much better one: Ma Xiaoru. In addition to the sheer boredom that had driven him to join the ranks of Li Ruoer''s admirers, Hu Yangxuan also thought that he could distract Li Ruoer for Wang Tong.

    So, In the name of helping his bro, Hu Yangxuan put on a warm smile and set out on the quest for Li Ruoer''s heart.

    After the physical training, Wang Tong went straight to the simtion room. Once he got there, he found the ce was already packed with students. Cao Yi and Best were also among the group of students, discussing a certain technique with each other. Since the two shared amon enemy¡ªKaedeians, they seemed to get along much better.

    sh had shown everyone a stunning disy of skills and unmatched control of the fleet. He had thoroughly studied Wang Tong''s Art of Iron Wall, and made a few adjustments to fit better with hismanding style. Using the Art of Iron Wall, Fash was able to make his opponent yield, without even firing a single st.

    It urred to Wang Tong that hisst victory over sh had wakened up a powerful opponent. sh had hoped to further improve his skills by practicing with Wang Tong during his visit. However, he was slightly disappointed to find out that Wang Tong had already fallen behind him. That being said, his trip to Ayrng was not entirely without benefits, for he was impressed by the vigor and positive influence of the S club, so much so, it had turned around his opinion on A ss academies.

    There was no guaranteed winner in the field of fleetbat, due to the ever-changing scenarios. Subjective interpretation also yed an important role in the execution of techniques, and therefore, fully understanding the opponent was also an essential part of winning a battle.

    The members of the S club could feel the improvement they were making every day while practicing with the best of the best in the Confederation.

    Wang Tong knew he couldn''t rush it in order to catch up with his friends, since real improvements were made slowly, one match at a time. He was confident, nheless, that he would eventually be able to be much stronger, because he didn''t lose the solid foundation in fleetbat, and had just gained a powerful soul energy.

    Despite being defeated numerous times by sh and Bisu, Wang Tong''s enthusiasm intensified after each defeat, and both Wang Tong and his opponents could feel the small but tangible improvements in his skills after every match

    By the end of the day, sh was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Wang Tong had caught up with him. Earthlings needed more than just one or two reliablebatants to stand against Kaedeians and Ivantians.

    The gene modification programs had given the Ivantians an edge in doing almost everything. Despite the difficulties in the earlier years of the program, Ivantian scientist eventually discovered the gene that would select the best genes for the next generation. At that point, they figured that they could finally stop tinkering the genes manually and let nature do its job to create the perfect humans.

    Unlike their neighbors, the Kaedeians, the Martians were notorious for their horrible fleetbat skills. No matter how hard they tired, they would not be able to catch up with Kaedeians, and therefore, the Martians had given up the practice altogether.

 Chapter 287: Motivated

    Chapter 287: Motivated

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Good morning everyone. I have news for you." Simon walked into the room. He had been promoted to the position of Dean. "The school had just heard the Temr say that the top one hundred students would be able to visit the Hall of Valha."

    "Fat Simon, are you sure? I thought that was only for the top ten students." Karl jumped out of his chair and asked incredulously.

    Simon smiled and then said, "You are correct, It was only the top ten that could train with the Temr, but they are opening up the hall for more people. It has been a hundred years since anyone from outside of the Temr''s court has stepped inside of the hall of Valha."

    "So, you mean thepetition would be fierce?" Karl pouted.

    "Not really. But definitely more people would attend the tournament, that''s for sure." Simon answered.

    Since no one had ever been to the Hall of Valha, it remained as an elusive and mysterious ce to most people. Some students who had insisted that the Hall never existed were convinced that it was only a ruse yed out by the Temr to increase the number of participants of the tournament.

    Upon hearing the news, Wang Tong smiled, cherishing his incredible luck. He was determined to go to the Temr''s court, and was ready to search every corner of the court to find the Hall of Valha. Yet, he found his ticket to the Valha was already set on a te for him by the Temr.

    On the distant Norton, the Confederation alliance had joined forces and was hammering a devastating blow to the Zergs. Although the military expenses piled up high like a hill, weighing on the shoulders of the alliance, it was still a much cheaper option than destroying the and losing all the investments.

    The news reported one victory after another, without telling the public that there were more human troops on the ground then Zergs.

    However, Norton was almost hollowed out a few thousand meters underneath the ground, where the humans could not gain ess. A few hundred thousand Encephalon and Queens gathered around, and among them stood a humanoid shadow.

    A circle of fleshy balls whose surface pulsed as if it were alive surrounded the shadow. The humanoid creature screamed,manding the Queens toy more balls. The balls started to undte and creep towards the humanoid shadow, until a few dozen balls hadpletely covered it up.

    Wrapped in the balls, the shadow started to evolve.

    ¡­

    Wang Tong sneaked out of campus after his weekend training. He had been looking forward to the fight with Jie Jian.

    When he arrived at the virtual cafe, he saw a crowd of people was already at the gate, waiting to get in. Wang Tong started to worry if he would be able to get a machine.

    The receptionist recognized Wang Tong and led him into the caf¨¦, "Don''t worry about it the crowd; we had reserved your VIP room. Quality of the service is our guarantee."

    Wang Tong arrived at the familiar VIP room, logged onto the terminal and then signed in as Einherjar Wannabe.

    The DREAM had prepared an isted arena for the fight. Although DREAM had signed the agreement to carry out the fight behind closed doors, they had allowed the public to loiter outside of the arena.

    When Wang Tong arrived at the arena, thousands of people were already waiting for him at the gate. Sensing that Einherjar wannabe had arrived, DREAM cracked opened the eastern gate. A golden carpet immediately appeared under Einherjar Wannabe''s feet, guiding his way to the gate.

    The PA yers boiled over at the sight of their hero, the yers eager to see him win the fight. Lie Jian had looked down on the IPA yer and made a few rudements before, tantly calling them amateurs.

    Although it was a tant verbal abuse in the eyes of the earthlings, to the Martians, Lie Jian''sment was not only true, but also gave him a manly and no-nonsense character.

    A few hundred thousand people rushed towards Einherjar Wannabe. Thanks to the energy barrier, he was spared from being crushed by his own fans.

    Wang Tong was unruffled by the wave of feverish fans; he had seen much worse than fans.

    "Einherjar! Send that little b*stard home!"

    "Knock his f*cking head off!"

    "Kill, kill, kill!"

    The cheers of the public were deafening. They had wanted to see this fight for too long, and right then, all that suppressed anticipation exploded into a mindless thirst for violence.

    Suddenly, the western, northern and the southern gates also opened up, and three golden carpets found their way to Lie Jian, Michaux, and Patroclus.

    The volume of the cheers reached a new height, as the public were taken over by their excitement on seeing so many legendary fighters at once.

    Despite their young age, all three fighters remained calm at the sight of the turbulent sea of people.

    The four proceeded into the arena as the gate shut behind them.

    All news outlets started their "broadcasting". It was barely a broadcast since no one knew what was going on inside the arena, and all the public could do was watch a few experts arguing about their spections based on the change of soul energy they had sensed.

    Doubts towards Einherjar Wannabe had never been umon, as many people called him a cheater and a coward. However, all the doubts were washed away after his appearance at the arena.

    As soon as the four young men walked into the arena, they found the loud cheers disappear. The four looked at one another for a while, until the three of them decided to settle their gaze on Einherjar Wannabe.

    Einherjar Wannabe cracked a smile, "Thank you foring. I knew all of you have the same question, and I promise that you will get the answer you seek today."

    Einherjar Wannabe''s words had hit the mark. The mysterious Einherjar Wannabe had held many secrets: his identity, tactics, age, etc. Each answer was more irresistible to the Great Houses than the one before.

    "Great! I like your attitude!" Patroclus praised, then he turned to Lie Jian, "Lie Jian, I wonder if you are willing to let me fight on your behalf?"

    Unlike Lie Jian and Mi Xiu, who were still wondering about Einherjar Wannabe''s real identity, Patroclus had already seen through the cover, because just at the first sight, his tactics of the Deva King had reacted the only way it would in front of an heir of the de Warrior.

    The legend had returned, and the Dower had been waiting for him for three hundred years.

    Patroclus could not hide the anxiousness inside him, and even Lie Jian and Michaux found Patroclus out of his character.

    "Patroclus, this is our fight, not yours. You are a witness, so do just that." There was no way that Lie Jian would let Patroclus fight in his stead.

    A smile found the corner of Michaux''s lips as he unfurled his soul energy and spread it across the arena like a web. The presence of Michaux''s soul energy seemed to have soothed Patroclus''s mind and evaporated his eagerness to fight "Ah... of course. That was rather...untoward of me. "

    "Alright then, let''s do it!" Lie Jian announced.

    Lie Jian licked his lips, revealing a row of teeth. He wondered what had made Patroclus act out of character, and he conceded that the only way to find out the answer was to fight.

    Without even moving a muscle, Patroclus and Michaux pushed back about 20 meters. If there were audiences around, they would be stunned by the two witness'' moves.

    Lie Jian extended his right hand, and the soul energy that had taken the form of fire burnt brightly on his skin. Lie Wushuang''s soul fire paled under theparison of Lie Jian''s much brighter and more intense ze.

    These were the real Tactics of the ze.

 Chapter 288: Layered Fist of Tong

    Chapter 288: Layered Fist of Tong

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Jian''s soul energy reached two hundred and thirty. If it were anyone else, the amount of soul energy at disy would be considered significant, but it was rtively unimpressivepared to Lie Jian''s real power.

    The unusual tension in the air told Wang Tong that Lie Jian''s power was beyond the simple soul energy and the GN force. After all, the five major tactics were at par with the Tactics of the de. Within Lie Jian''s seemingly normal soul energy, Wang Tong could sense something lurking behind, something more powerful and sinister.

    Both Michaux and Patroclus had sensed the strong energy behind Lie Jian''s facade, but neither of them seemed to be surprised by it. They knew what they had felt; it was the power of the double GN force.

    By then, Wang Tong had also realized that his opponent had double GN force at his disposal, so he cherished the intense training he had endured in the crystal that had brought his skill to the next level. Otherwise, Wang Tong concluded, he would be defeated in an instant.

    As soon as Wang Tong initiated his tactics and opened up his soul energy, the other three''s faces turned ck.

    They had sensed a fifth level soul energy in the Einherjar Wannabe''s start-up phase, which meant that Einherjar Wannabe''s real soul energy ought to be even higher. This was not the power they had been expecting from the mysterious fighter.

    Wang Tong cranked his soul energy to just above two hundred, and felt that it should be enough to counter the belligerent pressure emanated from his opponent.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s disy of strength had finally satisfied Patroclus''s curiosity; all of his questions were answered by then. Patroclus no longer wanted to watch the battle, so he went up to the audience section, found a seat and sat down with his eyes closed, savoring this blissful moment.

    "Good evening everyone, this is the live broadcast of the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Lie Jian. Although, we cannot see what is going on inside the arena, we can still feel it with our soul energy. As we know, this is a fight of the century, and bothbatants had invited ¡ªOh! We have noticed that Einherjar Wannabe''s soul energy has reached the fifth level. This will be the first time Einherjar Wannabe ever reached the fifth level. If I recall correctly, he was able to defeat a fifth level warrior while he was only at the fourth level. It really makes one wonder what would happen today behind those closed doors!"

    The people outside of the arena shouted in excitement, despite the very little data they had about the situation inside.

    Lie Jian felt exhrated by his opponent''s level of strength. He knew that Einherjar Wannabe had been hiding his real power, but he didn''t expect the mysterious fighter to be so powerful.

    With a ring sound, Lie Jian dashed forward. There was only one word in hisbat vocabry: attack.

    The zing GN force quickly spread throughout Lie Jian''s body, turning him into a weapon. Despite the fact that the Martians were masters of modern military stylebat, Lie Jian knew how to use all kinds of ancient weapon, and was also a master of fist and palm strikes techniques. Lie Jian knew that the Martians were a rtively new civilization, and therefore, they needed to learn from their more ancient counterparts. Lie Jian had spent a lot of time and money, seeking masters of martial arts from earth and moon, and invited them over to Mars as guests. Due to the restriction of their soul energy, these martial artists might not be deadly on the battlefield. However, the new techniques they had brought to the Martians were invaluable. Lie Jian had then improved his own techniques by merging the essence of the old masters¡¯ techniques with his.

    The Li were the masters of the sword, and the Dower were the masters of the spears, but Lie Jian was the master of everything, and he didn''t even need a weapon.

    Lie Jian''s attack was powerful, direct and came with strong intent. As the cultivator of the Tactics of the ze, Lie Jian was able to unleash any technique''s full damage potential.

    In addition to the Tactics of the ze, which had given the attack a unique elemental attribute, the technique was an improved version of an ancient martial art called the Zhong Zheng Fist. It was an old technique that focused on the attack with wide open forms, to achieve maximum damage. It had be doubly deadly, with the added effect of the Tactics of the ze.

    So far, Lie Jian had only met one person who had countered this move, and it was Li Shiming.

    What would Einherjar Wannabe do?

    Michaux''s expression remained calm; he knew exactly how powerful Lie Jian''s attack was. However, he reasoned that if Einherjar Wannabe couldn''t even counter Lie Jian''s first move, he would not deserve this stage.

    Facing such a deadly attack, Wang Tong didn''t even flinch. He arched his back into a defensive posture as lights shed in his eyes.

    Wang Tong attacked at Lie Jian with a knuckle-whitening fist, as he roared out his battle cry.

    Wang Tong moved so fast that even his shadow could not catch up with him.

    The two fists collided, and Lie Jian stumbled back a step. The power carried by the fist told Lie Jian that this was going to be a much tougher fight than he had expected.

    "Fantastic technique! Its power was definitely above that of the Fist of the Racing Tiger. Do you have a name for it?" Lie Jian''s knuckle ached at the impact. Einherjar Wannabe countered his unswerving attack with ease. Looking at his opponent, Lie Jian registered that Einherjar Wannabe''s defense had dissolved even the effect of the poison fire.

    Lie Jian registered that not only Einherjar Wannabe possessed exceptional tactics, he must have also learned his techniques from a great master.

    "Layered Fist of Tong!"

    "Good name! You have opened my eyes today. But I think our fight will end here!"

    Lie Jian brought his fists back and set it about his waist while he charged them with more GN force. Lie Jian conceded that the GN force in his previous attack wasn''t enough to prate his opponent''s defense, and therefore, he decided to pump more GN force into his second attack.

    Should Einherjar Wannabe be able to counter his second attack, Lie Jian reasoned he would be able to reveal his real power to the mysterious fighter finally. The first two attacks were merely probes. Lie Jian also hoped that Einherjar Wannabe would be able to pass this test, because the martian was eager to study his ability to control double elemental attributes.

    Lie Jian''s fists turned red, and he was about to use the Zhong Zheng fist again. Whenbined with the Tactics of the ze, the Zhong Zheng fist was almost invincible. It was also difficult to masterpared to other fist techniques, as it focused a lot on projecting fear into opponents¡¯ hearts, simr to the Fist of the Racing Tiger. That being said, with the discovery of the GN force, the Zhong Zheng fist would be useless without beingplemented with powerful tactics such as the Tactics of the ze.

    Lie Jian didn''t invest too much GN force in his first attack, since he was not sure about his opponent''s strength. However, after sensing that his opponent''s skill was on the same level as him, if not better, Lie Jian had increased the effect of the Tactics of the de in his second attack. Lie Jian reckoned that his opponent''s strike was very simr to the Firmament Palm Strike from the Ivantians. However, Einherjar Wannabe''s execution seemed to give the technique a more sinister undertone. Luckily, the Zhong Zheng fist was well known for its ability to ward off sinister and devious tricks, so it allowed Lie Jian to attack with abandon.

    A tremor shot through Wang Tong''s body, not because of terror, but excitement. A million words of appreciation rushed through his mind that he wanted to say to Mr. Wannabe. Without him, Wang Tong would never be able to stand against such a powerful opponent and enjoy such a thrilling fight.

    Two lightning bolts suddenly appeared in Wang Tong''s hands, and he rushed forward to meet his opponent''s charge head on.

    Michaux''s face finally betrayed a hint of surprise; he had never seen a lightning attribute before.

    For the longest time, the Lie''s fire attribute was considered the most aggressive attribute. Although the fire and ice were technically adversarial elements, overall, the fire element had always been the more aggressive one. Despite the fact that Wang Tong''s ice attribute was rare, its rarity did not amount to its dominance.

    The lightning attribute, however, was not only never seen before, but also seemed more aggressive and powerful than the fire.

    In a blink, the two fighters exchanged a dozen round of punches. Despite the crazed looked in Lie Jian''s eyes, his attack was meticulously woven into each other, without leaving any loose ends.

    Wang Tong''s move, on the other hand, had some rough edges, but he carried out his seemingly random attacks with confidence and with apparent ease.

    Lie Jian had to be watchful of Wang Tong''s lightning element, as it crackled and sputtered, eager to lick its opponent''s flesh.

    Lie Jian''s patience was wearing thin, so he cranked up the intensity of his attacks. He found it hard to believe that Einherjar Wannabe was able to counter his attacks with a much lower soul energy than his.

    While the two were in the heat of the battle, Lie Jian suddenly changed his techniques from fist to palm. Lie Jian was famous for his unique palm technique, that was deadly despite its rather slow and mellow method of delivering. It was living proof that most people''s stereotype of the Lie''s blunt and aggressive nature was wrong.

    Once the Tactics of the ze had transitioned to its higher form, it became much deadlier despite the change in its method of delivery. The abrupt change in the flow of the battle would also throw opponents off bnce.

    While Lie Jian was switching forms, Wang Tong seized the opportunity and attacked Lie Jian with Ice Finger Strike. The transition from lightning to ice was so fluid and wless that no one else would have been able to do it.

    Michaux had finally witnessed Einherjar Wannabe''s ability tomand two attributes, and he found that there was no need to watch the fight any longer. Wang Tong''s perfect transition between the two elements made the young master believe that this young boy would be able to dominate the whole world, as long as he wanted to.

    Michaux threw a nce at Patroclus and their eyes locked onto each other.

    They both knew that the dominance of the five major tactics would finallye to an end after three hundred years.

 Chapter 289: Goals Achieved

    Chapter 289: Goals Achieved

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Facing Einherjar Wannabe''s Ice Finger, Lie Jian only hesitated for a very brief second, then continued his attack. Lie Jian knew that the shift in his flow of movements would open up a tiny gap, but he didn''t expect his opponent to be able to change his GN force attribute immediately and take advantage of the small opening. Lie Jian didn''t falter; instead, he cranked up the intensity of the me and bore down his fist on Einherjar Wannabe.

    As soon as Wang Tong''s finger jabbed at the center pressure point of the Lie Jian''s palm, his brow furrowed. The force Wang Tong had encountered in Lie Jian''s palm was not an offensive one, but defensive.

    Lie Jian twisted his face into augh as he clenched his fingers into a fist, holding firmly onto Wang Tong''s finger, he was about to twist the finger off of his opponent''s hand. However, Wang Tong reacted before he could do that as he jabbed the clenched fist with two of his other fingers and broke its hold. The two fighters broke off the engagement and retreated at lightning speed.

    Lie Jian rubbed his hand as it was still painful after being jabbed by Wang Tong''s icy finger. Wang Tong had also be more alert, realizing that his opponent was not only agile, but also very cunning.

    Wang Tong conceded that he had never met an opponent like Lie Jian in the PA system.

    Wang Tong''s performance also exceeded Lie Jian''s expectation. He had thought to use this fight as a practice, but it was evident that not only was Einherjar Wannabe powerful, he was also smart and experienced.

    Wang Tong struck again, his fist roaring like the Fist of the Racing Tiger did. Despite the simrity in Wang Tong''s Layered Fist of Tong and the Fist of the Racing Tiger, Wang Tong preferred his technique due to its unique hidden ability to break his opponent''s defense. After weeks of practice, Wang Tong felt that he had already mastered the technique, and therefore, was eager to see how Lie Jian was able to defend against it.

    Lie Jian threw his fist at Wang Tong''s¡ªfist against fist.

    The two fighters both focused heavily on offense, and they were equally experienced and possessed equally deadly tactics. Therefore, a reckless fight with no regard for technical finesse was inevitable. It was almost impossible to defeat their opponent using superior techniques alone, because both of them were too busy countering each other''s attacks to think of any meaningful strategies on the spot.

    The fight had quickly turned into apetition of more GN force and damage output. Wang Tong could feel that his opponent had already doubled his GN output. However, the Poison Fire was not able to harm Wang Tong''s tactics of the de even the slightest. Wang Tong''s lightning force started to gain intensity, and after a few dozen punches, Wang Tong seemed to have gained a slight edge over Lie Jian. This development had turned everyone''s expectation around as both witnesses, and Lie Jian himself had expected Lie Jian to be the one who would control the flow of thebat.

    Michaux was caught off guard to see that although the power in Einherjar Wannabe''s attacks was greater than that of Lie Jian, he had consumed less soul energy than his martian counterpart.

    Patroclus closed his eyes, but his observation was even sharper than Michaux. He had noticed that the most significant difference between the two yers was in their fighting tempo.

    It was evident to Patroclus that both fighters were trying to control the flow of thebat, and so far, the odds were against Lie Jian.

    Patroclus believed that Einherjar Wannabe, as the heir of the de Warrior, would eventually win the fight.

    The Dower''s always believed that only the heir of the de Warrior would be deemed a worthy opponent. Therefore, the Dower had kept quiet for centuries, waiting for their real opponent to appear.

    The aloofness of the Dower had given them the reputation of being unambitious. However, that was far from the truth, because House Dower had devoted themselves to making the human world a better ce. They were concerned by the corruption on earth and the recklessness of the Martians, and they considered the two factions hidden dangers to the integrity of human civilization. House of Dower was convinced that if they could be the head of the three factions, and rece the earth and martian bureaucrats with Ivantians, the world would be a much better ce. However, all of those dreams were simply that, dreams. Dowers knew that as soon as the de Warrior returned, he would have the ability to shatter the perfect world they had created, and he would for sure. The de Warrior was a firm believer that it was the imperfections that defined the human race.

    Wang Tong''s marled personality seemed to be a living proof of de Warrior''s unswerving faith in imperfection.

    Patroclus could feel the heavy weight on his shoulder, but he was also confident in his ability. So, he doubted if Einherjar Wannabe could truly stop him.

    In the arena, Lie Jian held his ground firmly and started to gradually increase his soul energy to counter Wang Tong''s deadly attacks. Every attack delivered by Wang Tong meant death, and every move carried the thirst for blood. Wang Tong''s extremely violent and reckless fighting style seemed to make the Martian''s attack pale underparison in terms of aggressiveness.

    Despite the minimal edge he held over his opponent, Wang Tong conceded that it would be difficult for him to dominate the arenapletely. Wang Tong sensed that Lie Jian had concealed his real power in front of Patroclus, unwilling to reveal the coup de grace to his ultimate rival.

    In contrast to the empty and quiet arena, the outside area was packed with excited audience. Thousands of pairs of eyes glued to the disy board showing theparison of the two fighter''s current soul energy readings. Looking at the insurmountable numbers, most academy students felt both admiration and despair. Among these students, many were even from the S-ss Academies.

    What really sounded impossible was the fact that Einherjar Wannabe was able to reach the same level of defense and offense ability as his opponent, but with less soul energy.

    Was this really possible?

    Was he one of the Dowers?

    If that were the case, at least it would offer some sensible exnation to the mysterious fighter''s power, since Dower was also one of the five Great Houses.

    Was he a genius?

    Not likely. There had always been a ceiling as to how much inborn talent could improve one''s overall power, and Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s ability was well above that upper limit.

    In addition, no genius would be able to achieve such high degree of aplishment in all aspects of being a fighter, but Einherjar Wannabe had done just that. He had perfect tactics, techniques, skills as well as control. It was impossible!

    The fight had gone on for ten minutes, and Lie Jian still wasn''t able to gain the upper hand after changing half a dozen techniques. On the other hand, Wang Tong''s attack seemed toe with a greater frequency and vigor. Lie Jian could sense that his opponent had also reserved his strength and concealed his real power.

    Lie Jian started to wish that Patroclus was not present.

    The two fighter''s fists collided, releasing a shock wave that jolted both fighters. Wang Tong took a dozen steps back and quickly gathered himself, but Lie Jian stumbled back and wasn''t able to regain his bnce until a few secondster. It was a clear sign that Wang Tong''s power was superior to Lie Jian, and it vexed the Martian to have lost his face in front of the spectators. Lie Jian finally decided to unleash his real power regardless of the presence of Patroclus.

    Suddenly, Patroclus appeared in the arena.

    "I felt like this fight had turned into a waste of time. Perhaps you two could rearrange another fight and just call it off for the day?"

    "I agree. It really isn''t my thing to fight in the PA anyways. It felt weird." Lie Jian agreed.

    The other three looked at Einherjar Wannabe, waiting for his reply.

    Wang Tong knew they had finally risen to his bait. "Alright, see you all at the pan-sr system tournament! You will find what you are looking for there!"

    "I will be there!" Patroclus had been waiting for the invitation ever since he walked into the arena. He was eager to re-enact the scene of that epic battle centuries ago, and he yearned to rewrite the history. As a powerful fighter, nothing would intrigue him more than changing the course of history using his fighting abilities.

    Lie Jian and Michaux looked at each other for a while and then Lie Jian broke the silence, "Very well, I will be there too."

    Michaux still looked calm. Although he wanted to ept the offer, it was against the doctrines of his sect. Wang Tong threw Michaux a side-nce and then said, "Michaux, have you heard of something called spiritual essence? "

    A shock came over Michaux as lights shed in his eyes, "What do you know about the spiritual essence?"

    "Come to the tournament, and I will tell you." Einherjar Wannabe cracked a wry smile. He had since learned that Mr. Wannabe had existed in the form of spiritual essence, instead of soul energy.

    "I will be there for sure." Michaux agreed to Wang Tong''s request without any hesitation. It was the first time that he had ever heard of the word "spiritual essence"ing from someone other than a divine master

    Wang Tong nodded in satisfaction. He had reached his goal and made the tournament into an even more exciting event.

    Wang Tong knew that the more powerful fighters were involved in the tournament, therger its impact would be, and he hoped that he could eventually make arge enough impact to drive the real culprit behind his serious of unfortunate events out of the shades.

    Einherjar Wannabe signed off.

 Chapter 290: The Future of The Kaedeians

    Chapter 290: The Future of The Kaedeians

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Einherjar Wannabe left the battlefield, leaving the rest three in the arena.

    Looking at the effeminate features of the young Ivantian prince, Lie Jian asked, "Dower, have you figured out who this so-called Einherjar Wannabe is? "

    "Just an old family friend." A faint smiled appeared on Patroclus''s face. "On another note, it looks like you are going to reach a new level in your cultivation. Congrattions."

    Shocked by having his levels revealed, Lie Jian improvised a calm expression, "I wish we could arrange a fight one day. I''d be looking forward to that. "

    "Brother Dower, haven''t you already reached the sixth level in your cultivation? Your pure and natural energy that is untainted by the worldliness is rather admirable. Should you choose to forsake the world and embark on the journey of seeking out the divine path, you would achieve a higher state of existence than any of our divine masters. " Michaux said.

    "You have thought too highly of my ability. I am nobody but an ordinary human." Before Patroclus''s voice slipped away, his image started to fade. Patroclus signed off as well.

    Lie Jian and Michaux both looked at each other with knowing eyes before they also signed off. This fight had already revealed more than what they had expected.

    "Where did they go?" Thousands of audiences outside of the arena held the same question.

    Who won? Was it a draw?

    Where did they go?

    The public boiled over to the sudden halt of the match. Since all the four fighters inside the arena had already signed off, even DREAM had no clue what had happened.

    The audiences found it would be impossible to get any information from Einherjar Wannabe and Lie Jian, much less the elusive Patroclus and the self-abnegating young master Michaux. However, the more forbidding the information had appeared, the more eager people were in wanting to know the details about the fight.

    Wang Tong walked out of the morous cafe with joy written all over his face. Although he had taken the risk of blowing his cover, he found the thrill of living on the edge refreshing.

    He was not Li Feng, and therefore, he would ept any kind of challenge people threw at him. He was still single, so he had nothing to worry about.

    Wang Tong figured that it was about time that Old Fart would show up after causing him so much trouble. The first thing he was going to do after he met Old Fart was to ask him for the money that he had got by selling him to Norton.

    Wang Tong carried a tune with him as he padded home. He had finally found his own way of doing things, and no longer cared about what the other three in the arena would think about him. He would dly ept the reality should they discover his true identity.

    The next day, everything seemed normal.

    The only person who had seen through Einherjar Wannabe''s disguise was Patroclus. However, he intentionally kept the secret to himself, so that his scared battle with the heir of the de Warrior would not be tainted by the profane and twisted views of the world.

    The silence of the four participants did not amount to the silence of the intemunity, where numerous spections flourished. Even the usually loud-mouthed Lie Jian who liked to brag about how awesome he was after every fight had kept quiet.

    However, the seemingly calm spell was broken in the afternoon by a flood of breaking news.

    Lie Jian was the first one that had announced that he would partake in the uing pan-sr system tournament. However, he didn''t care to exin what had given him the motivation.

    The fight had made Lie Jian realize that he still had a lot to do in order to prepare for the tournament. He was annoyed because not only he wasn''t able to win the fight as he had expected, he had also let Patroclus discover his exact level of power.

    Although the media was excited about Lie Jian''s announcement, they felt that it was not a surprise. However, their jaw almost dropped when Lie Jian said he was also announcing on behalf of Michaux Odin.

    What had made the young master to make such an unprecedented decision? Didn''t he know that none of the masters of the sect had ever partaken in a tournament?

    One news bade another. A few minutester, Patroclus had announced that he would also join the tournament.

    The second news shocked even the council members. It was evident that something had instigated the three to decide to partake in the tournament. But neither the councilors nor any journalists knew what exactly it was.

    Right around the afternoon, even Li Shiming could no longer keep his silence and announced that he, too, would join the tournament. Although Li Shiming was not sure what had happened during the PA fight, he was confident the strange development had something to do with Einherjar Wannabe. He conceded that if he remained silent, he could be perceived as being weak and irrelevant in others eyes. Luckily, Li Shiming had already obtained a list of names that could belong to the real Einherjar Wannabe. Soon, this list would be reduced down to less than a hundred, and by that time, the real Einherjar Wannabe would no longer be able to hide away from him.

    This would be the first time in history that all the "Four Princes" met in the same tournament. Arguments about who woulde out as the champion spread across the inte like wildfire.

    Wang Tong was delighted at the oue, as his goal had finally been achieved.

    "Old Fart! I don''t believe that you would still pretend to ignore me when I''m on that big a stage!" Wang Tong thought to himself.

    Ma Xiaoru was watching the news on TV when she heard the TV hosts'' debate regarding what had happened during the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Lie Jian.

    She wondered who Einherjar Wannabe was for a brief minute, and then started to think about Wang Tong again. She had heard from Li Ruoer that Wang Tong had been fully recovered and was strong as a bull.

    Ma Xiaoru hoped that her recovery could pick up speed as well. She wished to attend the tournament to cheer for Wang Tong. She was practically living in jail right now, partly because her treatment prohibited excessive outdoor activities, and partly because her parents¡¯ fear of losing her again.

    Ma Xiaoru wanted to find Wang Tong, yet, she needed to consider her parents'' feelings as well.

    Meanwhile on Mars, in the city of Morattis¡ªthe capital city of the Kaedeians, a strange atmosphere permeated in the air.

    It was time for the Kaedeians to be reborn.

    "High Priestess, are you sure he was the prophesied one?"

    Inside the Kaedeian pce, beautiful women walked about and not a single man could be seen. The powerful men on Mars had tried many times to conquer this group of women warriors, but failed. The Kaedeians believed that only one man had ever almost won their hearts, and it was General Li Feng.

    Inside a small but cozy boudoir sat a dozen Kaedeians. Even after a few centuries, the Kaedeians were still governed by women, much like the human society that was still dominated by men.

    After the soul energy had been discovered, the Kaedeians had also adopted the new form ofbat and changed their fighting styles. Soon, they found that the Kaedeian warriors were born for battles using soul energy, thanks to their innate ability to pick up subtle changes in the soul energy.

    They had also divided their warriors into two categories:bat, and nobat.

    The nobat category included the priestess. They served only the queen, and were ready to die for her at any moment.

    The human scientist had already decreed the unpredictable nature of the known universe. To make a prediction or prophecy, one would need to break down all the variables at the quantum level, forming an initial state. Then, through emtion of future scenarios, one could reassemble all the initial variables into a tangible form that human could observe, hencepleting a prediction. However, the scientificw stated that human observation would directly alter the quantum state, and therefore, the above-described approach would never work.

    Putting it simply, since the human activity was constantly reshaping the world, the future was unpredictable.

    However, Kaedeians had defied the scientificw, by mastering their soul energy.

    Despite the Kaedeians'' inborn ability to channel the soul energy, only a handful of Kaedians could be priestess. Although they couldn''t fight like a warrior, they made prophecies that had yed a vital role in the Kaedeian''s history.

    The priestess believed that the uracy of their prediction was dependant on their level of soul energy. The higher the soul energy, the more focused they would be while connecting the threads of the material world against the flow of time.

    To the pragmatic earthlings, the function of the priestess seemed to be merely for religious purposes.

    Sitting right in front of Heidi was a girl of simr age. They two both had exceptional beauty; however, the head priestess was blind.

    To see into the future, one would have to give up the view of the present.

    "Mydy, my ability is limited. But I saw that there... will be shes of many great souls. Our fate will be altered."

    Silence fell into the room as everyone waited for Heidi to respond to the head priestess'' vision. The head priestess held a calm expression, as if she saw somethingforting in her vision.

 Chapter 291: Ruthless

    Chapter 291: Ruthless

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Even the council was shocked when Heidi announced her decision of partaking in this year''s tournament. It would be the first time in history that all of the elites of the younger generation had gathered in one event.

    The most powerful three of the five were Patroclus, Li Shiming, and Lie Jian. Each one of them possessed one of the most potent tactics, and their talents and experience had made them even deadlier.

    The sect of the divine masters had always kept things to themselves, so no one knew exactly how powerful their young master Michaux Odin would be. Nevertheless, his mysteriousness had stirred up great interest among the public.

    The most puzzling participant of all was Heidi. The Kaedeians wouldn''t participate in such a tournament for no reason. So, everyone wondered what had motivated her to be part of thepetition.

    Was she here to test her power?

    Nheless, the stage was set for an exciting show to take ce. Unlike thest tournament, there were much more elite warriors this year, and evenst year¡¯s participants such as Li Shiming and Lie Jian had since improved their skills significantly. The number of elite fighters seemed to suggest that there wouldn''t be any room for unknown warriors at the podium.

    The Temrs had already agreed to open the Hall of Valha to visitors who had entered the top hundred. However, it was well known that the hall of Valha was never open to any Kaedeians. Therefore, people wondered what the Temr would choose in between their tradition and their promise to the tournament participants.

    The earthlings had fought alongside the Kaedeians for centuries. Not only had the earthlings gotten used to the Kaedeian''s existence, they also started to appreciate their power and beauty. The Confederation had adopted multiculturalism and promoted the idea that all human races belonged to the same family. Therefore, should the Temrs decide to block the Kaedeians warriors out of the Hall of Valha when they had earned the rights to enter, it would be considered rude and untoward even from an earthling''s point of view.

    The recruitingmittee of the tournament felt relieved as they were struggling toe up with a method to make the tournament more appealing to the prince and princesses. But right then, it looked like they didn''t have to worry about it after all.

    Such as fire was the only way to test the authenticity of gold; the ability of a real fighter could only be tested in the fiercestpetition. Despite their rare appearance in public, the five major tactics always had been at the center of public''s attention. It was very rare to see the five major tactics at the disy. Only on the rare asions could one catch a glimpse of its power, and even then, the power at disy was only a fraction of the real ability. However, things would be different at the tournament, since it would be hard for the elite fighters to hide any of their secrets while fighting equally potent opponents.

    The Sky Arena, the legendary stage, would soon wee another legendary fight. The Ivantians were confident that they would be a good host for this tournament. The moon not only had advancedary transportation, but also five space cities, enough to amodate the crowd of visitors from all over the space.

    Since all other forms of sports had already died out a thousand years ago, no other sports events couldpete with the tournament for the public''s attention.

    Thanks to the participation of many elite fighters, this tournament had attracted the focus of the entire confederation before it had started. Everyone guessed as to who would take home the title of champion, but none of them were certain of their predictions.

    Affected by the elites'' enthusiasm, the Temr had also unprecedentedly decided to send four of their disciples to the game. These disciples were carefully chosen among those so-called "Inner Court Disciples". They were the disciples deemed worthy to stay at the court, waiting to be groomed into future Temr after their training hadpleted,

    Everyone knew about the Inner Court Disciples, and the fact that only a very few of the disciples would eventually make their way into the inner court. Therefore, although people practically knew nothing about these fourbatants from the inner court, they believed in their strength unequivocally.

    All the elite figures weed the four disciples with joy. They knew that without Rngalos, there wouldn''t be a General Li Feng, and therefore, a stronger opponent meant a stronger self.

    Ma Dutian''s lips curled into a smile as he read the news about the tournament.

    "What''s making you so jolly?" Wu Xin asked her gleeful husband curiously. Her husband had been troubled by an unresolved technical difficulty of the new battery technology. He had hoped to solve the technical problem at the science conference in Aurora City. However, the conference was fruitless due to the influence from the Li.

    "This kid is ballsy! Look what he had done!" Ma Dutian extended his arm and a projection of the new paper unfurled in front of his wife.

    Wu Xin nced over the new paper and found out that her husband was referring to Wang Tong, "You do like this boy a lot! I want to make it clear, if he fails to prove hispetency, I would never talk to him, much less letting him go near our daughter!"

    "He is still young. But don''t you feel anything unusual about this boy? "

    "Don''t distract the topic! We are talking about his strength and abilities. It means nothing even if he is the heir of the de Warrior. The de Warrior is dead." Despite her disapproving tone, Wu Xin not only believed in her husband''s choice, she also could sense Ma Xiaoru''s feeling toward the boy.

    "It''s his luck!"

    "Luck?"

    "That''s right! Every hero needed luck. Without luck, House of Ma wouldn''t be as powerful as it is today. It was luck that made him into the heir of the de Warrior, and it was luck again that had made him get acquainted with Xiaoru, and thereby gain a protector, me."

    After Ma Dutian had confirmed Wang Tong''s secret identity, he had made up his mind to protect the kid if he had to.

    "Are you suspecting that he is the Einherjar Wannabe?"

    "I am not just suspecting, I am very sure of it. I had told him that I would only consider him worthy of Xiaoru if he could win the title of champion at the tournament. He knew exactly what I meant, and had tried to lure Li Shiming out using Lie Jian." So far, Ma Dutian had been delighted with the results of Wang Tong''s actions.

    Ma Dutian had taken an interest in Wang Tong not only because he had discovered that Wang Tong was the heir of the de Warrior, but also because Wang Tong possessed something he really wanted.

    After thorough research, Ma Dutian learned that Wang Tong was an orphan raised up by a stepfather whose only intention was to milk money from Wang Tong. After selling Wang Tong to Norton, his stepfather had sold the house and ran away, leaving Wang Tong, a 16 years old boy, to survive by himself.

    "I see. Do you think the Dower''s kid has also noticed anything? He had been acting strangelytely. "

    "Very likely! It only makes the matter more interesting, don''t you think? I say, what about being a bit nicer to the poord?"

    "Don''t even think about bringing him here before Xiaoru has fully recovered!"

    "Yes, yes, my love. But what I meant was that maybe it wasn''t a bad thing to let the two talk to each other from time to time. It might even be beneficial to Xiaoru''s recovery." Ma Dutian''s words finally stroke a chord with his wife.

    Ma Dutian smiled knowingly, and watched as his wife scuttle to check on Ma Xiaoru. Although he was impressed by Wang Tong''s bravery and sharp-wit, as one of the most influential men on earth, no one¡ªincluding his wife¡ª knew what his real intent was.

    At the Lustre Academy on the moon, the students were shocked to see Patroclus at the gravity gym. He had started to take his training more seriously ever since he had announced to join the tournament. Many students wanted to spar with the Ivantian prince who almost never showed up in the gym. However, it would be considered uncouth in the Ivantian culture to interrupt someone''s training uninvited. Therefore, Patroclus''s ssmates merely watched his training from a distance, and left him undisturbed.

    This tournament meant a great deal to all of the heirs of the great houses. Once they had inherited the glory of the family, so did they inherit the burden.

    However, all Ivantians were confident in the power of their prince, thinking that not even the de Warrior had stopped the rise of Ivantians, much less a few students. This tournament would be the best stage for Patroclus to show the world the power of the Ivantians.

    Patroclus smiled away other people''s hope for him. He had never felt happier before, and he thanked the gods every day for giving him an opportunity to fight with Einherjar Wannabe.

    Inside the gravity gym, Patroclus reflected on the years that had been wasted due to the bottleneck in his cultivation. The insurgence of Einherjar Wannabe provided him an opponent strong enough to help him breach his bottleneck and change the history.

    In the private gym of House of Li, Li Shiming also started his preparation for the tournament. Thepetitive character of House of Li decreed that it would not ept failure. If Li Shiming wanted to push the influence of House of Li to a new height, he knew that he had to win the hearts of the masses by winning the title of champion.

    Inside the gym, Li Shiming copsed on the ground, and towering in front of him stood his father, Einherjar Li Zhidao.

    Holding a cold expression on his face, Li Zhidao bawled out, "Get up!"

    Wham!

    The Einherjar kicked his son in the side.

    "Get up!"

    Another kicknded on Li Shiming''s body.

    "GET UP!"

    Only echo answered the Einherjar''s infuriated voice.

    "He hase, but you are far from being prepared."

    Li Zhedao turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Li Shiming crawling on the ground in agonizing pain.

    To achieve great deeds, one must be ruthless.

 Chapter 292: Its a Trap!

    Chapter 292: It''s a Trap!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    On Mars, Lie Jian was cultivating the Tactics of the ze with the unique method that had been passed down for generations.

    He sat inside a giant cauldron that had turned red hot as it was engulfed by the soul energy from ten other cultivators surrounding the cauldron.

    Lie Jian''s face was contorted as he endured the unbearable heat. He couldn''t forgive himself for the slip up that had caused him to lose his bnce while fighting Einherjar Wannabe. The humiliation made him understand that he was still too weak topete against either him or Li Shiming.

    Only more painful cultivation could make him stronger and redeem his lost pride.

    The average people always seemed to be jealous of the great houses'' disy of strength, but forgot to look into the excruciating process that the members of the great houses would have to endure to maintain the appearance. The members of the great houses valued the honor of the family more than their own lives.

    A painful howling came out of the cauldron, but the ten red robed trainers didn''t stop their mes.

    In the fire, a new warrior would be reborn.

    On the tallest mountain peak of Mars was set the tallest building on Mars¡ª the Tower of the Divine Master¡ªwhose height was forbidden to be surpassed.

    Michaux Odin sat quietly by himself while cultivating the tactics that required the most extreme form of asceticism. He was not allowed to drink, eat, or move his limbs while sitting for days on end. To the members of the sect, Michaux wasmunicating with the divines. However, to a regr person, it was a form of torture.

    Michaux''s face was eerily calm and devoid of any sign of life.

    The inte had quieted down a lot after all the elite warriors had announced their decision to join the tournament. There was no point in arguing the oue of the fight, since the tournament will start pretty soon. No one doubted that these elites would be able to make their way to the finals. The participation of the elite fighters did not deter the average student''s motivations; instead, it made the students more determined to perform the best they could during the tournament. Therefore, everyone in Ayrng trained with greater intensity, as no one would like to fail on that legendary stage.

    Wang Tong enjoyed watching the scene of intense training in the gym. Although, after having endured the practice in the crystal space, he could no longer take any training in the real world too seriously.

    However, Wang Tong knew that he couldn''t lower his guard, since winning a duel was no less difficult than winning a real-life battle, as certain moves were prohibited, and there were no environmental elements to take advantage of.

    Unlike Wang Tong, who was confident in his power, Zhou Sisi was anxious for him. She noticed that Wang Tong had no time to spend on METAL training, since he had the sses during the day and had to partake in the fleetbat training in the afternoon all the way till evening.

    Everyone else was focusing on their METAL training since that was the meat of the tournament. However, Wong Tong seemed to fail to see what was really important, and spent most of his time training with sh and Bisu.

    No time to train? Wrong! Wang Tong had more than enough time.

    Since he had already mastered the method of entering the crystal space, he could spend time training in the crystal space. Not only time flew much slower in the crystal space, but Wang Tong could also change its gravity at will.

    Five hours of training was equivalent to one hour of time in real life. So, Wang Tong had more than enough to spend on his METAL training.

    Somewhere on earth¡­

    "Young master, we seemed to have attracted too much attention this time. Shall we cool the situation down a little bit?"

    "Hehe, No. We need to have patience. It is normal for an extraordinary person to do extraordinary things. "

    "We only have got one shot at this, and we risk blowing our cover. Don''t you think it was a bit too early to reveal....and you had just started your cultivation."

    "It''s not up to us. The moment he inherited the de Warrior''s power, the situation had already been out of our hands."

    "Young master, our life is a little bit... destitute. Would you like me to change that for you?"

    "Hardship makes one stronger. I am fine."

    ¡­

    "One more fight!" Hu Yangxuan was infuriated by the increasing gap in power between him and Wang Tong.

    Cao Yi grinned wryly after seeing thebat strategy that he had devised for Hu Yangxuan crumble under Wang Tong attacks. Cao Yi was also caught off guard by Wang Tong''s huge improvement that appeared so suddenly.

    Wang Tong had spent most of his time in fleetbat, and had barely any time to spare on METALbat. Yet, his skills and power were greatly improved. No matter how aggressive Hu Yangxuan''s attacks were, Wang Tong countered it with ease.

    Li Ruoer apuded Wang Tong''s disy of skills. She was told by Wang Tong to not visit the S club''s training room, by masking his sparring as a private event, but she came anyway.

    Wang Tong''s bigger problem was the fact that Li Ruoer had joined the S club and be one of the official members. Due to her influence and the special background as a visiting student, Wand Tong found ack of legitimate reasons to refuse her applications.

    "Wang Tong, when are we going to fight like that?" Li Ruoer smiled and then asked.

    Wang Tong''s mind raced at the question. He thought that it could be an excellent opportunity to teach her a lesson before she got too confident and caused him more trouble. Also, Wang Tong was very interested in getting to know the power of her Tactics of the Enchantress.

    "It''s time for fleetbat. Perhaps we could do it on another day, eh?" Wang Tong asked as he put a smile on his face. He was determined to do away with his problems this time once for all.

    Li Ruoer was surprised how quickly Wang Tong had agreed to her request, since she didn''t expect him to do so. Li Ruoer was slightly flustered at the fact that Wang Tong had always acted against her expectation.

    Li Ruoer nodded and then said, "You can pick the time." She had been observing Wang Tong for a really long time, and all signs had pointed to the same conclusion: Wang Tong had been hiding his real power. Therefore, Li Ruoer was not too confident about her fight with Wang Tong.

    Watching Wang Tong swaggering off the arena, Li Ruoer felt a sense of regret for epting the fight. She reckoned that her recent breakthrough in her soul energy had somehow made her irrational.

    Porten had been busy as well. To make him look less desperate, he had decided to leave his love interest along for a few days, and instead, he focused on investigating the real identity of Einherjar Wannabe. He wagered that it was not a coincident that everyone that had acquainted the mysterious fighter had decided to join the tournament.

    Porten had always despised these members of the Great Houses, as he considered them simple-minded brutes. He believed that in this post-modern society, wits and cunning would trump brute force. The sess of General Li Feng was only an isted case during a time when the human race was faced with extinction.

    Nevertheless, he conceded that Li Shiming was the only one among his great house counterparts who was smart enough to use his brain. However, Porten had outsmarted him and turned Li Shiming into one of his pawns. The thought of using other people to his advantage made a smug look appear on Porten''s face.

    The list of names had been reduced to thirty. Soon, he would learn the true identity of Einherjar Wannabe.

    He had made a list based on the fact that Einherjar Wannabe had disappeared during the period of the Confederation''s Norton campaign. Once Porten located the mysterious fighter, he would try to recruit his talent. However, in the case of failing his recruiting attempt, Porten conceded that he would have to do away with the fighter before anyone else found him.

    Porten was convinced that Einherjar Wannabe was a student from one of the S-ss academies, with a prestigious family background. Therefore, Wang Tong''s name was quickly dropped from the list.

    There were five who were under Porten''s radar, all of them from families that owned business in the information warfare industry, and therefore, had the capability of blocking off any tracing signals.

    The feetbat skills in Ayrng had quickly be famous among other academies. Representing the highest level of achievement in feet battle at Bernabeu, Cao Yi, and Best were also sent to Ayrng by Martyrus to further their training.

    sh, Bisu, Best, Karl, Kal and Wang Tong had formed an all-star training group. They had formted specific training routines, each aimed towards one of their needs.

    It was apparent that Capth had a more detailed and advanced training method than the other two academies, since it focused on the all aspects of fleetbat, such as physical conditioning, micro control, as well as soul energy maniptions.

 Chapter 293: Fully Recovered

    Chapter 293: Fully Recovered

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    It was hard for anyone to deny the talent of Wang Tong, since he had caught up with his friends in a very short period.

    Once Wang Tong got going, there was really nothing that could stop him. As he continued his improvement, he knew that he was about to break through a bottleneck.

    sh had also felt the vast improvements in Wang Tong''s performance, and therefore suggested to have a final fight with him. The visiting students were about to return to Capth soon to prepare for the uing tournament. Despite the fact that Kal and Karl were still trying to best each other, sh felt that they had reached their goal of the visit.

    News about the final fight had spread like wildfire; Everyone was excited about the fight, as everyone thought that thepetition would be exciting enough, as long as each opponent disyed just eighty percent of their skills.

    At the beginning of the first round of the match, the audiences saw both contestants use the Art of Iron Wall as their starting formation. It was a formation that was well known for its wretchedness, as it would ruthlessly rattle the attacker''s confidence until it crumbled.

    Both contestants had focused heavily on their defense. The defense focused strategy had changed quite a lot ever since Wang Tong had first invented it. Everyone marveled at sh''s perfect macro management that wasplemented by his wless micro controls. He was able to make quick and urate predictions about his opponent''s moves based on the current status of the battle, and make effective adjustments based on his predictions.

    The defense was the ultimate strategy, since once the attacker got frustrated with failure, he would eventually slip up and make a mistake. Meanwhile, the defender would be able to continually adjust his fleet position until they were at the most advantageous position to strike a blow at enemy ships. This strategy was the essence of the insights sh had gained during his stay in Ayrng.

    Wang Tong''s lightning micromanagement had also allowed him to hold his ground firmly. There was no apparent winner after a few bouts of harassment and skirmishes.

    However, despite the fact that sh seemed to have gained a slight advantage regarding the number of fleets, people who knew the two fighters well started to feel worried for sh. They knew that Wang Tong possessed the incredible ability in micro control, and despite sh''s better fleetposition and ship stats, micro control would be the determining factor at theter stage of the battle.

    Lo and behold, Wang Tong finally decimated sh''s entire fleet and won the battle by relying on his unmatched skill in micro control.

    Seeing that Wang Tong had fully recovered his full power, the students from Capth conceded that they would never cross path with Wang Tong during the finals of the tournament.

    The only person that might be able to rival Wang Tong''s micro skill was Bisu. However, Bisu could not urately read opponent''s motivations, so it was not likely that he would be able to survive until theter stage of the battle. Certain talents were innate and unteachable. For example, even if both Bisu and Wang Tong observed the same battle formations, their interpretation would be drastically different, which would then lead them to choose drastically different actions.

    All aspects of the battle were difficult to improve when the fleetmander had reached a high level. However, the most difficult of all was the ability to make the right decision.

    The members of the S clubs were shocked after the first match was over. The micro control skills they had just witnessed were the best of what they had seen. Despite his defeat, sh''s incredible skills had given the members of the S club a chance to see the real power of Wang Tong. Although Wang Tong had his own fighting style, the Confederation never named his style after him, since they understood that to achieve Wang Tong''s fighting style required near perfect judgment, which was almost impossible to achieve. So, they found it was pointless to name anything that could not be repeated.

    As a matter of fact, Wang Tong''s fighting style was the most effective when deployed in theter stage of the battle. Despite its huge draw on the user''s soul energy, it was the best way to secure a victory and crush the opponent''s confidence.

    Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi were both observing the battle quietly. They could tell that even after spending a considerable amount of mind power and soul energy, Wang Tong didn''t seem to be tired. On the other hand, sh appeared to be exhausted after the fierce battle.

    Both Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi came to the same conclusion that Wang Tong''s physical condition and soul energy were unparalleled.

    With a brief rest, the two fighters started the second round. Wang Tong''s starting formation had caught everyone off guard; it was the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    Wang Tong wanted to test his ability tobine the defense and offense, since he knew that when faced with the most potent fighters from outside the earth, defense might not be a wise option. So, he decided to sharpen his offensive skills as well.

    The Art of Soaring Haven had gained huge poprity over the timergely due to its effectiveness. However, the entire n of attack was hinged on the fact that themander was able to elude his moves from his opponent. After all, once enemy scouts discovered the main fleet''s position during the early stage of the battle, the defenseless fleet would be met with a catastrophic defeat.

    Everyone was shocked by Wang Tong''s choice as they thought the Art of Souring Heaven would be extremely risky to use against sh, who had an acute sense of enemy''s intentions.

    The audiences soon realized that their worry was not unfounded, and they watched as Wang Tong''s forces were discovered and crushed by sh in an instant. sh thereby won the second round and set the score to 1 to 1.

    No one paid much attention to the scoreboard since it was just practice, and both fighters were there to learn. sh furrowed his brow as he reflected on thest fight. Despite his victory, he conceded that the Art of the Soaring Heaven was much more potent than he had thought. sh had once considered adopting the Art of Soaring Heaven, but eventually gave up due to its almost impossible requirements on themander''s AMP micro control abilities.

    sh reckoned that if Wang Tong would able tobine the two fighting styles, he might make the tournament even more entertaining to watch.

    During the third round, Wang Tong repeated hisst strategy and used the Art of Soaring Heaven as the opening formation. However, he was more careful in concealing his forces this time. After a few rounds of harassment and skirmish, both fleets broke their initial formations and forced the twomanders to deploy incredible skills in improvising ns on the spot under a chaotic situation. After a few minutes, seeing no one was gaining an edge as the battle turned into a stalemate, the twomanders ended the battle with a draw.

    The three rounds ofpetitionsted over two hours, and both participants felt that not only they had a great time, but they had also learned a great deal from each other.

    sh was aware that Wang Tong was trying out new fighting strategies during the match. He conceded that Wang Tong had a more creative mind than him, since all he had done was improve upon others¡¯ techniques, but Wang Tong had continuously invented new ones. It was not easy to reinvent a new fighting style, since it required a perfect sense of timing in terms of when to attack or defend. Any smallest changes to the opening formation would make the entire strategy ineffective.

    The two students looked at each other, and for a second, they both thought they were looking into a mirror. They shook hands cordially. "Wang Tong, I will see you at the tournament!"

    "You bet! I look forward to fighting alongside with you!"

    The two smiled at each other knowingly. They knew that they had both be the strongest fleetmander among their circle of friends. However, they both conceded that there would be much stronger opponents waiting for them at the tournament.

    The audiences were pleased to have recorded their fleet battle. The recording would serve as their study material for a while before they fully grasped the strategies that had been deployed. The other members of the S club had since given up the hope of surpassing the two; they only wanted to improve their own abilities.

    Wang Tong checked his sk and noticed that Li Ruoer had been sending him messages persistently. She asked Wang Tong out for dinner together before the promised duel. Wang Tong checked the clock and realized that he had ample time for a dinner, so he replied and confirmed Li Ruoer''s request.

    "Is everything alright?" Zhou Sisi asked.

    "Yea. She asked me out for dinner. If she was really up to something, it''s better to deal with it sooner thanter. Plus, she is paying." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "Don''t lower your guards. Remember that the tournament ising up, and you can''t afford to have anything bad happen to you right now. I know you would do well in the tournament, so don''t let her stop you." Zhou Sisi was confident that Wang Tong would be victorious at the tournament.

    "Thank you! You have worked hard as well, so I believe that you would do as well as me."

    "You think too much of me." Zhou Sisi''s face lit up with glee. "But, as long as you and your elite friends are not my opponents, I should be able to handle myself."

    "I am sure you would!" Wang Tong patted on Zhou Sisi''s shoulder. The two''s rtionship had deepened significantly over time.

    With a clear goal in mind, Wang Tong had be determined in his course of actions, and was convinced that Ma Xiaoru would be fine under her parent''s wings of protection.

    Zhou Sisi felt a warm and fussy feeling rise inside her as she watched the disappearing image of Wang Tong. She hade to terms with being Wang Tong''s friend, and was content with the way her first love had concluded. She reminded herself to focus on her study and learn from Samantha to be a confident and sessful woman.

    With the newfound motivation, Zhou Sisi walked back to the simtion room and started to study the recording of the fight between Wang Tong and sh.

    After arriving at his dorm, Wang Tong took a shower and spruced himself up. He was determined to put an end to whatever Li Ruoer was scheming, so that he could finally focus on his training.

 Chapter 294: Her Name Is Rosy

    Chapter 294: Her Name Is Rosy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    A maic levitation vehicle was already waiting for him when Wang Tong stepped out of his dorm. Without asking a question, Wang Tong hopped straight into the car. The man in ck that had "invited" him over to Li Ruoer''s residencest time sat with Wang Tong in the back seat. Despite his cold expression, the lines on his face seemed softer than thest time they met. The vehicle dropped them off in front of a luxury restaurant.

    Unlike Ma Xiaoru, Li Ruoer liked anything that wasbeled with the word "luxury," including the venue she had chosen for their dinner. Wang Tong didn''t mind; he was not paying anyway.

    Wang Tong strolled into the restaurant and found out that Li Ruoer had reserved the entire venue for their dinner. Wang Tong had already gotten used to hervishness, however, he found it hard to adjust to the awkward quietness of the restaurant. Privacy and quietness were considered a luxury on earth, but Wang Tong was most afraid of silence, since it had nearly driven him into madness while he was stranded on Norton.

    Wang Tong struggled to rein in the memories that threatened to break their confines and flood Wang Tong''s mind. Hemented being overly sentimental every time he saw Li Ruoer.

    Looking at the well-dressed Li Ruoer, Wang Tong found it hard to ignore her beauty. Stylish makeupplemented her face, and her body emanated an irresistible attraction.

    All this while, Wang Tong''s mind reeled as he tried to figure out if it were a trap. Anything could happen when it came down to dealing with the Enchantress.

    Wang Tong had thought of many ways in which Li Ruoer might start their dinner date, including a roomful of men in ck. However, he didn''t expect to be greeted with an attractive and amiable princess.

    "Why don''t you sit down, you silly?" Li Ruoer said in a tender voice.

    The curve of her lips hadplimented her elegant facial features, the same way her stylish white dress did to her body. Her dress had a low cut neck, revealing the ivory colored skin on her neck and a deep groove that promised treasures within.

    Her dress looked simple in design, but she had made sure that no man would be able to resist her beauty.

    Seeing the slightly dazzled look on Wang Tong''s face, Li Ruoer figured that her time spent on putting on makeup and dressing up wasn''t wasted.

    Wang Tong was indeed dazzled by Li Ruoer''s appearance. He cupped his forehead in surprise and then asked "Are you alright? What''s up with the fancy dress?"

    Li Ruoer''s attractive smile suddenly froze and then faded away.

    "Don''t make fun of me. I was trying to be nice."

    Li Ruoer held back the knot of fire in her belly as she wondered how Ma Xiaoru would have ever fallen in love with such an idiot. The questions in her mind made her feel self-conscious, as she started to doubt if Wang Tong would consider her as charming as Ma Xiaoru.

    "Anyone? I am going to order. I am starving!" Wang Tong''s loud voice shot through the dining hall, disrupting the serenity of the string quartet ying in the background.

    A waiter appeared and filled the two''s sses with wine.

    "Are we ready to order?" the waiter asked.

    Li Ruoer stered her smile back to her powered face and then said, "He is hungry, he could go first. "

    "Why don''t you join me? Let''s order together."

    The waiter was unimpressed by the uncouth behavior of the young man, but he didn''t show it on his face. He quickly took the order and retreated to the kitchen.

    "Their foie gras is very famous."

    "Is that so? I never had that before." Wang Tong nodded, pretending he knew what the strangely named dish was. In a few seconds, the dish was already prepared. Wang Tong smelled the distinctive fragrance of liver, and he knew the contents of his dish. "Ah... foie gras...reminds me of Zerg liver. It was chewy and juicy¡ª"

    Li Ruoer''s face turned darker by the second as she listened to Wang Tong''s vivid description of the Zerg''s liver. The knot inside her belly burst into me again.

    "Calm down, calm down." Li Ruoer reminded herself.

    Li Ruoer knew that she had to remain calm while trying to exert influence onto Wang Tong, because once she lost it, she would be the one to be influenced.

    Li Ruoer took a breath and gathered herself, then said in a friendly tone, "Is that right? that''s interesting; I would love to try it one day."

    Wang Tong showed her a broad smiled, seemingly impressed by how mature and amiable the Enchantress had be. Wang Tong had already seen through her fake appearance, but he wasn''t ruffled by whatever was hidden under her disguise, because he was convinced that the tactics of the Enchantress would do little to no harm in front of his Tactics of the de.

    Even the brain in between Wang Tong''s groin was smart enough to register the danger hidden under her carefully powdered face.

    Wang Tong wolfed down the dishes on the table while Li Ruoer watched him with a wicked smile. The perverse curve on her lips suggested that she was savoring this moment when her prey was still unaware of what was going toe after him.

    "Does it taste good? I wonder how do you like the taste of the NDBS?" Li Ruoer narrowed her eyes, "Oh, sorry. I forgot that you might not know what it is. It''s the newest hallucinogen, expensive but popr."

    With only the slightest hesitation, Wang Tong continued gulping food down his throat. "You said expensive? I would like to have more please."

    Li Ruoer was caught off guard by Wang Tong''s answer. She rebutted. "Do you really think I wouldn''t dare to do that?"

    Wang Tong shrugged, "I don''t care, but I was brought up being told that I should not waste anything. You said it is expensive, and it would be doubly wrong to waste expensive things."

    Li Ruoer wasn''t sure what to make of Wang Tong''s preposterous answer. She was bluffing as she didn''t add anything to his dish, but her bluff did not work.

    Wang Tong reasoned that even if Li Ruoer did intend to drug him, she wouldn''t do it in front of the restaurant workers. In addition to that, he didn''t sense anything suspicious in the inner thoughts of the waiter and Li Ruoer¡ªan ability he had picked up while training with Mr. Wannabe in the crystal space.

    "Whatever. Finish your food and then show me what you got."

    "Sure! But it is boring while there''s nothing at stake, don''t you think so?"

    Li Ruoer was staggered by Wang Tong''s change of manner from a rowdy teenage boy to a candid and openhearted man.

    "Sure, what do you want?" Li Ruoer said with a seductive voice; Wang Tong knew right away that it was the Enchantress talking.

    Wang Tong smirked and then said, "If I win, take me to Xiaoru, I need to talk to her."

    Li Ruoer was flustered after failing to distract Wang Tong''s mind away from his lover, as Wang Tong had remained practically immune to her seduction. She was extremely confident in her attractiveness, and with the aid of the Tactics of the Enchantress, she ought to be able to charm any man with ease. So, why did she failed to spellbind Wang Tong''s animal instinct?

    "What if you lose?"

    "Tell me what you want, I will try my best as long as it wouldn''t harm anyone." Wang Tong answered with confidence.

    "Phf! Do you take the House of Li for gangs in the streets? I will think about it and let you knowter. "

    Wang Tong didn''t protest. He never thought he would lose the fight, and the same unswerving confidence came over Li Ruoer as well.

    "Done eating, let''s start!"

    "We are not doing it in a restaurant, you fool. Follow me!"

    "All good to me!"

    Wang Tong''s manly voice tucked at Li Ruoer''s heartstring, but she quickly gathered herself as her resentment towards Wang Tong intensified. She made up her mind to teach him a lesson that he would never forget.

    Wang Tong waited for Li Ruoer in a well-lit gym. It was clear then that Li Ruoer was well prepared for their showdown, as the gym was not only secluded but also soundproof.

    A few momentster, Li Ruoer appeared in the gym. She had removed her dazzling dress and changed into her gym clothes. Her long dark hair were pulled back into a ponytail, resting right above a long de strapped to her back.

    "Pick whatever weapon you like." Lir Ruoer snapped her fingers, and the wall opened up, allowing a weapon rack to slide forward into the room. Wang Tong saw a plethora of different weapons, including some he couldn''t even name.

    Wang Tong tried some of the weapons in his hand, and felt that their craftsmanship was superb, as they allowed soul energy to flow at the wielder''s will. Although it paled underparison with Charcoal, any weapon on the rack would be considered a brilliant creation by a master craftsman.

    "Are you done?" Li Ruoer''s held a cold expression devoid of the enchanting smile she put on earlier. Since Wang Tong was unaffected by her charm, she had decided to give up on that route altogether.

    Her failure in charming Wang Tong didn''t deter Li Ruoer. Instead, she felt relieved that she could finally focus on ending the matter with a much less subtle, and more visceral approach.

    Li Ruoer watched as Wang Tong picked up a hammer and a shield.

    "I am a coward. Therefore, I choose the most powerful weapon."

    Li Ruoer shot Wang Tong a stern nce and rebutted, "Stop joking around, or else I will carve you up!"

    "I knew it! Therefore, I need a shield ¡ª"

    Before Wang Tong finished his words, he saw Li Ruoer unsheath her long de, gleaming like a mountain creek under the moonlight. Wang Tong narrowed his eyes as he sensed the energy that came off from the de. He reckoned that it was a weapon that had been passed down by generations of the enchantress. Over centuries of usage, the de had developed on a certain power of itself.

    Li Ruoer looked at the tip of the de as if she were fascinated with her weapon, and then she said, "Her name is Rosy."

 Chapter 295: Practice Target

    Chapter 295: Practice Target

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Nice name! Any story behind it?" Wang Tong chewed on the possible meaning of the name. He wondered if it used to belong to Zhou Zhi.

    "It belonged to a girl with rosy cheeks who loved power instead of powder." Li Ruoer confirmed Wang Tong''s suspicions by alluding to General Zhou Zhi.

    As her words ended, the de started to dance with Li Ruoer''s hand.

    Wang Tong sensed that Li Ruoer had used double GN force. Although Ma Xiaoru''s soul energy was at par with Li Ruoer, with the double GN, Li Ruoer''s damage output was much higher. The usage of the double GN force was a secret kept only among the direct decedents of the creators of the five most potent tactics, and it had be one of the prerequisites of an Einherjar. There had been people outside the great houses that had achieved the sixth level in their cultivation. However, because they weren''t aware of the double GN force, they would never be an Einherjar.

    Since there had never been an Einherjar in House of Ma, it was clear that the Li Family had hidden the secrets of the double GN force away from even their closest allies. However, the Ma had also many closely guarded secrets that were unknown to the Li.

    It was the first time that Wang Tong had ever seen such a practical yet deadly swordy. He conceded that Li Ruoer was not only a master Enchantress, but also possessed robust physical attack capabilities. Unknown to Wang Tong, despite the enchanting effect of the Tactics of the Enchantress, the tactics was meant to be used duringbat. Wang Tong had pushed Li Ruoer to a corner after defeating her in a few rounds of a battle of wits. The defeats and humiliations had hindered Li Ruoer''s cultivation. So, Li Ruoer had also nned to attend the tournament, and just like the girl with the rosy cheeks, she too, craved power.

    However, Li Ruoer was more devoted to her climbing up thedder of power than Zhou Zhi, since she was convinced that she wouldn''t meet a man who would steal her heart the way Li Feng had from Zhou Zhi.

    Quickly, the room was filled with ngs of the metal hitting against each other. The sword carried a formidable force, with a striking technique that had been refined and improved over three centuries.

    Li Ruoer worked hard to be the most powerful woman. She never considered herself less worthy than anyone else, including her brother. Although she also knew that the world did not revolve around her wishful thinking, she believed that as long as she continued improving herself, she would be the strongest one day.

    She wanted to prove to the world that the Tactics of the Enchantress was the most powerful of all tactics, including the Tactics of Vayu of House of Li.

    The Enchantress rained her attacks on Wang Tong and forced him into a defensive position. Wang Tong had thrown away the hammer, since it was heavy and cumbersome. However, he had kept the shield. Once he infused the shield with GN force, it became a very useful tool for defense against Rosy. Wang Tong registered a sinister intent that threatened to kill in Li Ruoer''s every strike, despite the fact that it felt less belligerent than most swordy techniques. Wang Tong reminded himself to be careful, not to be fooled by any seemingly benign moves. He reckoned that the enchantress had used him as a practice target for her cultivation, as hemented her underestimation of the practice target''s power.

    After a forceful double-jab from the de''s tip, the shield shattered. The force threw Wang Tong off bnce and made him stagger a few steps back. Li Ruoer rested her hands on the pommel of the de and watched Wang Tong struggle to regain his bnce. The shimmering de seemed to have turned even brighter; the GN force was awakening the memories of generations of the enchantresses, releasing their power into the de.

    "Wang Tong, is that all you got? I will do away with you today!" Li Ruoer was slightly disappointed after seeing Wang Tong had failed to live up to her expectation. However, she would dly get rid of her trouble.

    Wang Tong threw away the remaining pieces of the shield and cranked up her soul energy. Having experienced the real power of both the Tactics of ze and the Tactics of the Enchantress, Wang Tong marveled at the difference and simrity between the two tactics. The two tactics had drastically different attack techniques and GN force attributes. However, they both used double GN force as the foundation of their damage output method.

    "Come on, be nice! You are supposed to be ady. Fine, I am done warm up now. Bring it on!"

    "Save your bluff, show me what you got now while you still can. I promise you won''t have a second chance!" Li Ruoer was disappointed by Wang Tong''s power, since she had so far sensed only a fifth level soul energy, and he had very mediocre defensive and offensive abilities.

    Wang Tong held a nonchnt smile as he clenched his fists. His fingers seemed to have squeezed out Li Ruoer''s energy surrounding him, and reced it with his own hungry GN force. Li Ruoer felt his power as well, and her face suddenly turned ck.

    She had never felt so much energy from anyone of her age, not even from her brother.

    Knowing that any resistance was futile, Li Ruoer pulled her soul energy back to defend her sea of consciousness against the assault of Wang Tong''s powerful force. All this while, the enchantress wondered how Wang Tong could have achieved this much power at such a young age.

    Wang Tong licked his lips in excitement. The same outburst of energy field had paralyzed one of the disciples of the Temr, Hu Yangxuan. Therefore, Wang Tong was pleased to see that Li Ruoer didn''t even flinch, and marveled at her incredible ability to react to changes duringbat.

    Eyes burning with a luster that meant vengeance, Li Ruoer attacked again.

    Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised to see that his opponent was still able to attack while being under his overbearing energy field. He remembered what a nightmare it had been on the day that he had to break the spell of Mr. Wannabe''s energy field. Wang Tong figured that the masters of the House of Li must have taught Li Ruoer the way of countering the powerful energy field, and therefore, she would be able to handle it with ease.

    Wang Tongunched himself at Li Ruoer, fist boring down on the enchantress. He meant to overpower his opponent with greater GN force. However, his opponent was ying a different kind of game.

    Wang Tong''s attacked opened himself up and gave Rosy and opportunity to slide in. Li Ruoer was unaffected by Wang Tong''s energy field and carried out her attack wlessly.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong found Rosy appearing right above his head anding towards his neck. He tried to stop in his tracks, but was carried forward by his momentum. Luckily, the de missed him as it swooshed by his ear. Even with the protection of the GN force, Wang Tong could still feel the deadly coldness from the de.

    Wang Tong marveled at the enchantress''s power, but was unruffled. Ever since the training in the crystal space, he had forgotten what fear was like.

    Li Ruoer attacked again, and Rosy cut open the air in front of Wang Tong''s nose. Wang Tong managed to bend backward in the most awkward way and threw a kicked at his opponent. The unexpected and unusual maneuver made Li Ruoer lose her bnce while trying to dodge the kick.

    Both fighters pulled themselves back, and the two suddenly gained a dozen meter distance between them.

    Li Ruoer was a very powerful fighter. However, since she was a girl and was younger, she had always been under the shadow of her brother. There had been only one female Einherjar in the past few centuries, so her family didn''t expect her to be a warrior either.

    The tip of rosy trembled as Li Ruoer channeled more GN force into it, making the body of the de start to vibrate and hum. Li Ruoer also cranked up her soul energy all the way to two hundred and sixty.

    "Rosy''s Smile!"

    Li Ruoer attacked with the de in such a way that it was hard to tell if it were the Enchantress wielding the sword or the other way around. The body and weapon had merged into one. Imbued with deadly GN force, the tip of the de pierced through Wang Tong''s energy field and aimed squarely at Wang Tong''s head.

    Wang Tong threw himself at the attacker with a powerful punch. He was convinced that since women were naturally weaker than men regarding physical strength, he needed to y to his advantage and subdue the Enchantress with force.

    Wang Tong''s aim was true, but Li Ruoer''s de seemed to shift its track slightly in the most unfathomable fashion. The still trembling de tip traced an arc as it glinted in the air and it cut through Wang Tong''s clothes, and into his flesh. Li Ruoer''s attacks were deceivingly in, but underneath every seemingly straightforward attack was a sack of poison that would be unleashed at the most unsuspecting moment.

    Wang Tong no longer held back his power and punched the de with his signature move: the Layer Fist of Tong. Instead of attacking Li Ruoer, Wang Tong decided to focus on her de, Rosy. It was a daring move since if there were the slightest weakness in Wang Tong''s punch, he might never be able to punch again for the rest of his life.

    The de and the GN force infused fist collided with each other. Li Ruoer''s body trembled as a flow of GN force surged back and forth between her body and the de.

    Suddenly, Rosy was knocked off course, creating an opening. Wang Tong took the opportunity and closed in on the Enchantress. Wang Tong had registered that the perfection in the Enchantress''s executions had be her enemy, since it had made her moves very predictable.

    Once Wang Tong got close to Li Ruoer, he attacked with abandon and rained punches and kicks onto the Enchantress and her de. Li Ruoer held her ground firmly and continued to execute her defensive moves wlessly. From time to time, she was even able to sneak in one attack or two, trying to break the engagement. However, Wang Tong was able to dodge these attacks using the most unlikely and daring moves so that he wouldn''t break the momentum of his aggression.

    The flow of thebat had gone under Wang Tong''s control as he forced the Enchantress to a corner and pinned her down. Despite Rosy''s initial absorption of the force in Wang Tong''s attacks, Li Ruoer still found it difficult to handle the power that had passed through the de to her hand and though her body. Despite her usage of the double GN force, she could feel that her opponent''s attack was gaining more vigor and energy after each strike.

 Chapter 296: Score Settled

    Chapter 296: Score Settled

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong was wholly engrossed in attacks and started to overlook defense. He charged up GN force to his fist and hewed at Li Ruoer with abandon. The GN force ignited the air and released a ring sound. Li Ruoer did not flinch, as she calmly blocked the attack with the de. The impact forced the two warriors to break the engagement.

    Wang Tong cracked a smiled and licked the blood off his right hand. He admired the de for its power, as he did not expect to get hurt while his hand was charged fully with GN force. The taste of the blood triggered a flood of memory rushing into Wang Tong''s mind.

    Li Ruoer gathered herself and examined the body of Rosy to make sure there was no damage. She was shocked by Wang Tong''s strength, as she was convinced that her strike should have been able to chop Wang Tong''s arm off. However, it seemed that Rosy was only able to graze the boy''s skin.

    "Wang Tong, you are full of surprises. However, our fight ends here. You will be the first person to have seen the Enchantress''s coup de grace!" Li Ruoer announced with unswerving confidence.

    Li Ruoer''s confidence piqued Wang Tong''s interest as he wondered what the enchantress''s coup de grace would look like.

    Wang Tong watched as Li Ruoer set the de about her waist, and the index and middle finger of the other hand pressed lightly on its mid-upper section. Wang Tong noticed Li Ruoer''s eyes start to give off a faint purple luster, which was gaining intensity by the second. Without sensing any wind, Wang Tong was surprised to see the Enchantress''s hair being tossed around and getting disheveled by some unseen force.

    Suddenly, a strange light appeared at where Li Ruoer''s two fingers had rested.

    "Shit! It was a light of a sword aura formation." Fear came over Wang Tong as soon as he saw the deadly light.

    Li Ruoer''s soul energy had already crept quietly up to three hundred. This was her real energy level, and it was unmatched by any fighter of her generation. However, the soul energy was not what set her apart from the others.

    "Enchantress''s Song!"

    Li Ruoer''s dream-like voice hummed a tune as the strange light at her fingertip expanded into thousands of sharp rays of de aura. As ifmanded by Li Ruoer''s humming, these deadly de aura flew to Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong''s body tensed up as he marveled at such peculiar method of using one''s soul energy.

    At the sight of the deadly coup de grace, Wang Tong did not waver; instead, he became even more excited.

    In a blink, these de auras intertwined to formed thirty shimmering aura des. They lined up in a rotating circle, each de seeming to have a thousand facet, as a thousand lights bounced off of its surface. It turned the sword formation into a splendid disy of both deadliness and astonishing beauty, a fittingbination as the coup de grace of the Enchantress.

    Wang Tong opened up his sea of consciousness as the golden soul energy spilled out into his hands. Wang Tong would not dodge the iing attack; instead, he was determined to face it head-on. He could have sneaked in a cheap attack while Li Ruoer was charging up her sword formation. However, the yearning to test the Enchantress''s ultimate power had prevented Wang Tong from doing so.

    All thirty-six aura des hadnded at their mark and exploded. The thirty-six explosions rattled the building as an avnche of ster fell off from the ceiling. Behind Wang Tong, a giant hole appeared from the immense force of the de aura.

    The purple luster faded as Li Ruoer regained some of her conscience at the sight of the havoc she had wreaked. She didn''t mean to kill Wang Tong after all, and for a second, Li Ruoer was worried for Wang Tong''s safety.

    As Li Ruoer was unnerved by the potential death of Wang Tong at her hands, she heard a st from a pile of cement and concrete and then saw Wang Tong walk out from the explosion with a golden light in his eyes.

    As Li Ruoer locked her eyes onto Wang Tong''s, she immediately lost her consciousness.

    It was the soul energy override, an ability Wang Tong had learned from Mr. Wannabe in the crystal space.

    The key to performing the soul energy override was to synchronize one''s soul energy wave with that of the opponent. Wang Tong was just hit by Li Ruoer''s soul energy des, so the memory was fresh. Hence, the synchronization was easily achievable.

    Having gained temporary control of Li Ruoer''s sea of consciousness, Wang Tong searched it using his own soul energy while hungrily absorbing its power. As soon as he reached the bottom of Li Ruoer''s soul energy, he was shocked by theplexity and intricacy.

    After a few moments, Wang Tong was ready to pull his soul energy out. He couldn''t sustain the connection for too long, since Li Ruoer was a high-level fighter who possessed exceptional soul energy defenses. He had seeded in overriding her soul energy only because she had lowered her guard due to her concern for Wang Tong''s life.

    Before he left the enchantress''s consciousness, Wang Tong paused and decided to take a final look at the real form of the enchantress. He eventually found her in a corner, but instead of a teenage girl, he saw only a little girl curling in on herself. Helplessness and loneliness were written all over her face.

    "Is this really Li Ruoer?" Wang Tong was shocked.

    In front of the girl, on the ground was a doll, and the little girl extended her arm, trying to reach it. But, her fingers were shy of a few inches. Despite the futile attempt, the girl was insistent in her action. Wang Tong felt a slight pity for the helpless little girl, so he walked to her and pushed the doll closer to her.

    And then he saw a golden sh¡ª

    Li Ruoer staggered back a couple of steps, face pale as purple lights flickered in her eyes. She asked, "Wang Tong, what have you done?"

    Blood had seeped through Wang Tong''s clothing. Although he had survived the Enchantress''s coup de grace, he had underestimated its power and didn''t put up a full defense. However, he conceded that getting beaten up was the best way to understand opponent''s real power.

    Wang Tong held Rosy in one hand and pointed its tip at her owner''s chest. "You lose."

    Li Ruoer was stupefied by what had just happened. She remembered seeing the golden light in Wang Tong''s eyes, but she could no longer recall what had happened next as if she had just wake up from a dream that she had already forgotten.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then turned the de around, so the handle was facing Li Ruoer, "Li Ruoer, it''s just a spar. "

    Li Ruoer took over the de as her face turned bleak. She stomped on the ground out of sheer frustration, "I will honor our deal. But remember, this is not the end of it!"

    Li Ruoer turned on her heel and ran away without even sparing Wang Tong a nce. Wang Tong smiled wryly. What he saw in her soul energy seemed to suggest that behind the shining facade, the life in the Great House was nothing to be jealous about.

    After the duel, Wang Tong returned to his dorm and found that Zhou Sisi had been waiting for him. Ever since she learned about the duel, she had been worried for Wang Tong. As soon as she saw Wang Tong''s blood-soaked clothing, she was infuriated.

    "This had gone too far. Let''s call the police!" Zhou Sisi said angrily.

    It took Wang Tong a while to realize that Zhou Sisi was referring to the blood on his shirt, so he said, "Nah, it''s no big deal, just some scratches. You should have seen Li Ruoer, and I think she is the one who should call the police. But anyways, the tactics of the enchantress was potent. You should have seen the way she used her soul energy...It was incredible!"

    Zhou Sisi swallowed down the anger and started to dress Wang Tong''s wounds. Despite the bloody appearance, these wounds really meant nothing to Wang Tong.

    Even Li Ruoer had failed to understand how Wang Tong could have survived her coup de grace. Li Ruoer was confident that her coup de grace would be able to carve her opponent up even if he or she was wearing a METAL suit, much less wearing practically no protection at all.

    Wang tong had been too reckless with Li Ruoer''s sea of consciousness. Anyone who had mastered the art of soul energy override would understand that it was extremely harmful to alter other''s consciousness. However, Wang Tong only knew the way to enter the sea of consciousness, but was unaware of the danger he might have imposed to Li Ruoer.

    Wang Tong lied on the bed as the images of the aura de shed in his mind like a movie. He conceded that the members of great houses were masters of disguising their real powers. He reasoned that if Li Ruoer knew how to do it, so would Lie Jian. However, Lie Jian would rather lose face than reveal his real power in front of his nemesis, Patroclus.

    After the fight, Wang Tong not only gained insight into the Enchantress''s technique, but also on the Enchantress''s training method. Since both Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer had reached about the same level of soul energy, Wang Tong reasoned that Li Ruoer''s much higher damage output was a telltale sign that Ma Xiaoru''s training method needed adjustment. He had even formted in his mind the adjustments he believed that were required to bring Ma Xiaoru''s damage to the next level. However, hemented the fact that Ma Xiaoru was not here with him. Otherwise, he could test his theory right away.

    Suddenly, another question pressed on him.

    "How did Ma Dutian gain his power? And why didn''t he notice the obvious shorings in Ma Xiaoru''s training?" One question bade other. Sensing theplexity of the problem, Wang Tong started to feel tired, so he pushed the matter away.

    "I am fine; these are just scratches. No biggie. I covered my face though. See? No scratches on my face."

    Wang Tong''s words made Zhou Sisi forget about her anger and burst intoughter. She chided gleefully, "Idiot! Are you turning into Hu Yangxuan? That''s very attractive."

    "Haha, of course not! Hu Yangxuan only has his face, but I got not only the looks, but also the personality. "

    Zhou Sisi shook her head and decided to ignore his silliness.

    After an hour of working, Zhou Sisi was finally done taken care of Wang Tong''s wounds. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and then said. "That will be it for today. Lay on your back and don''t move. Next time, think before you act, and please use the brain in your head, but not the one in between your legs! You struck lucky once by surviving the nuclear st, but your luck would eventually run out."

    "Yes, madam!" Wang Tong smiled broadly.

    "Just shut up and rest, will you?"

    Zhou Sisi didn''t leave Wang Tong until she cleaned up the room and made sure he had everything he needed for tomorrow.

 Chapter 297: A Bully

    Chapter 297: A Bully

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong smiled satisfyingly as he enjoyed the benefit of having Zhou Sisi around¡ªfree maid service.

    After Zhou Sisi was gone, Wang Tong found it hard to sleep as he suddenly realized how bad his injury was. Some of the wounds almost reached his bones. Although he didn''t feel much pain while fighting, as he lied down, he found the pain had made it hard for him to rx.

    "Come out Charcoal, talk to me!"

    "Yes master, what do you want to talk about?"

    "Do you know any bedtime stories? "

    "Yes. A long time ago, in a gxy far, far away, there was a service robot called R2Charcoal..."

    Soon, the room was filled with Wang Tong''s snoring. Being able to fall asleep as quickly as possible was a prerequisite of being apetent fighter.

    Meanwhile, somewhere else on earth, someone was suffering from insomnia.

    In avishly decorated room, a girl curled up into a ball at one corner. Ever since she arrived home, she had felt a warm and fussy feeling rise inside her. She also sensed something else amidst the warmth and fuzziness, something that she had never felt before¡ªa gentle caress on her heart by a pair of warm hands

    "Tenderheartedness is poison for sess." Li Ruoer repeated to herself.

    As the heir to the House Li, she needed only a pragmatic mind and a cold heart; there was no ce for kindhearted sentiments. Only ruthlessness could make a formidable warrior.

    She knew that her father wanted her to behave like a warrior instead of a girl, and help him in reasserting House of Li''s control over the world. Although House of Li appeared to be prospering, its influence had been shrinking to just a fraction of what it had been during the time of General Li Feng. So much so that members of the House of Li constantly felt that they were living in disgrace.

    Li Ruoer had grown up watching her brother''s training under her father''s unforgiving methods. Some of the disturbing scenes that she had seen had haunted her childhood. Time, atst, had not only made her get used to the harsh training, but had also twisted her mind and molded her into a cold-hearted power-monger.

    She had never seen her father smile once, not even when she tried to please him by subjecting herself to the training of inhuman intensity. It was never good enough for him.

    However, Li Ruoer never gave up, and finally, her father had noticed her efforts and started to regard her approvingly. All she wanted to do was to please her father. Therefore, although her father never smiled at her, nor did he verbally acknowledged her hard work, his approving look was enough to make Li Ruoer feel happy.

    Later, when Ma Xiaoru visited House of Li with her parents, Li Ruoer''s eyes were green with envy at the sight of the amiable Ma family. Ma Xiaoru was living a life of her dreams: her parents always wore a smile in front of her, and everyone could tell that Ma Xiaoru''s father cared about her more than anything in the world.

    She hated Ma Xiaoru for having what she didn''t, and she was convinced that Ma Xiaoru would never understand her. While Ma Xiaoru was enjoying a colorful childhood, all that Li Ruoer had was the Tactics of the Enchantress and Rosy.

    Hatred and jealousy fueled her motivation to be stronger than Ma Xiaoru, and therefore, she became even more devoted to her training.

    However, tonight, she had tasted defeat for the first time. What bothered her the most, in addition to her frustration, was the fact that she had forgotten about the number one rule of being an Enchantress: be ruthless, as she had worried about her enemy¡¯s life.

    Wang Tong was surprised that Li Ruoer had left with the visiting students without causing any more troubles. As calm and quietness started to set in, the first phase of the tournament, the fleetbat, was about to begin.

    Any student could represent their academy in the battle, and therefore, it also became a testing ground for the overall fleetbat abilities of different academies.

    DREAM provided the simtion tform. It was an excellent opportunity for thepany¡¯s PR campaigns, since all the major news outlets had pledged to follow all stages of the Fleet Combat closely. In recent years, the fleetbat had increased poprity against the predominant METALbat due to its unique focus on the battle of wits. Since the soul energy was not a determining factor, the members of the great houses did not have the huge advantage like they would in METALbat. The reward for having an excellent fleetbat skill was enticing as well, since the rank of a fleetmander was very high in the navy.

    Ordinary students wouldn''t think so much about the potential benefits of winning the tournament, since in addition to having fun, they just wanted to use the stage to prove themselves.

    The school-widepetition was finished very quickly in a couple of days, and every school had chosen their ten best fleetmanders. The seeded yers from Ayrng were Wang Tong, Karl, and Zhou Sisi. Although the three were all listed as the seeded yers, their skills were wide apart. Most of the members of the S club had be the seeded yers of their schools as well.

    "Ladies and gentlemen! This was a fantastic fight! sh, the king of the fleets, the ultimatemander, themander of the space!" Even the host could no longer hold back his excitement after watching sh''s thrilling performance.

    sh had made a name for himself as the "Ultimate Commander", and therefore, fearing his power, a few of opponents had unleashed coup de grace from the very beginning as a surprise tactic. However, not only was sh able to fend off their surprise attacks, but he had also spotted their mistakes and turned into his advantage until the enemy fleets were decimated.

    "Gods! This is the skill that would bring the Kaedeians to their knees. This is Bisu every one; he is the superstar of fleet battle, the god of APM. He is practically a bug in the simtion, if you will. I am 110% sure that the champion of the fleetbat tournament would be from earth this year!" Another host announced in a high pitch voice. Bisu''sbat style was drastically different than sh, as he relied solely on his unrivaled micro control skills.

    Compare to sh, Bisuid bare his intention in front of his opponents. When he possessed such incredible micro skills, he wouldn''t need to worry about concealing his moves. His insistent micro control would eventually overwhelm his opponents, regardless of how useful their countermeasures were.

    As a rising star from Capth, Kal''s talents in mastering all aspects of fleetbat had made him victorious in all of his matches so far.

    "Karl! Karl the invincible! The young man who had made history. Although he was faced with a tough opponent from Yalen, he won the fight like it was a piece of cake! Congrattions Karl, you have passed!"

    On the big screen, Karl disyed the victory pose that he had been practicing overnight¡ªA big Y.

    "Congrattions Zhou Sisi! She has be the second female student who has passed the selection process. 2 to 3, it was a close call! Let''s wish her good luck in her futurepetition."

    Although the opponent''s skill and the level were higher than Zhou Sisi, she was able to turn her opponent''s slip up into her advantage and eventually surprised everyone and won the match. After spending days dealing with freaks like Wang Tong, Zhou Sisi had not only improved her patience, but was also able to remain calm under stressful circumstances. It was her patience and calmness that had allowed her to catch her opponent''s mistake and turn the tide of the battle.

    In front of the camera, despite Zhou Sisi''s effort to remain calm, excitement was written all over her face.

    In another virtual simtion room, the seed yer from Yalen stared nkly at the scoreboard. Yalen had trained him for the specific purpose of defeating sh. However, he lost the match zero to three.

    Wang Tong felt that the match he had just finished was less intense than even his usual warm up as he demolished the opponent with ease.

    The show host heaved a sigh and then announced, "This is incredible! Who would have thought that Ayrng would have such a powerful fleetmander? Congrattions Wang Tong! With his victory, Team Ayrng has secured their ticket to the final phase!"

    On the big screen, Wang Tong looked calm. The opponent''s ability was so limited that he barely felt that it was a victory; instead, he felt like a bully.

    Wang Tong was still rtively unknown, and even hisst victory over sh was yed down as a fluke. The oue of the fleet battle was highly unpredictable, and therefore, people were not surprised to see one fluke or two from time to time.

    In the end, thirty yers from the earth had entered the final match. In addition, there were fifty Ivantians, ten Martians, and six Kaedeians that that also earned the ticket to the final stage, tallying the total numbers of the contestant at one hundred and fifty.

    Out of the hundred and fifty contestants, eight of them would enter the final four. All final four matches were broadcasted live across all corners of the universe.

    As the yoff started, so did the realpetitions. After weeding out the weak ones, the fight between the remaining hundred and fifty students would all be tough matches.

    After having made their way to the final stage, no one wanted to stop halfway to the Hall of Valha.

    Zhou Sisi struck lucky and won another battle against a Martians. The Martians were well known for their pathetic fleetbat skills, and even the ones that had entered finals were much weaker than fighters from others. Therefore, no one was surprised by Zhou Sisi''s victory.

    Karl was less fortunate than Zhou Sisi, as his first yoff proponent was a Kaedeian. However, Karl''s excellent skill had made good fortune irrelevant. Using his unrivaled technique, he won the match three to zero.

    Karl was ted at his victory as he jumped up and down while iling arms wildly. A lot of people were surprised by Karl''s excitement, thinking that the famous Karl should have expected his victory. However, despite Karl''s poprity and fame, not a lot of people knew that he used to be a nobody in the F ss.

    Life was a miraculous journey for people like Karl.

 Chapter 298: Power Attack

    Chapter 298: Power Attack

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong met with strong resistance from the Ivantian called NADD¡ª the rising star from the Lustre Academy. NADD was pleased with meeting an opponent from earth, since he believed that the opponent from Mars was too weak, and the ones from Kaedians were too strong. It was the first time he partook in the tournament, and therefore, despite his confidence in his ability, he needed an opponent at the appropriate level to help him to adjust.

    The two yers started their warm up. As Wang Tong performed his warm-up exercise, listening to the cheers of the audience, he thought it was a good day to start his victory.

    All the other students from Ayrng had already finished their matches, and therefore they all attended Wang Tong''s game. Due to his lesser poprity, Wang Tong had only half the number of the audience than Karl.

    "Boss! Go !" Karl shouted loudly, unable to hide the excitement from his earlier victory.

    Most of the audiences were from the S club, and they were here for Wang Tong. As a second-grade student group, it was an extraordinary achievement to have three of their members entering the finals. Motivated by their aplishments, they came to cheer for their leader''s match.

    There were a few from the Lustre Academies, and the rest of the audiences were ordinary public.

    The entrance of two new audiences stirred up the viewers. It was a beautiful girl and a handsome teenage boy. Their appearances were scintiting, attracting more attention than the two contestants in the simtion room. They were the Ivantian Prince Dower and the youngdy from House of Zhang.

    Why did the twoe here?

    Excitement shed in NADD''s eyes, as he was convinced that the two honored quests hade to watch his performance. As a sense of pride rose inside him, adrenaline shot through his body. He was all the more determined to defeat his opponent with his best performance ever.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile after seeing Patroclus had teamed up with Zhang Jin.

    "He is very confident, don''t you think? Instead of preparing for the fight with you, he is reveling in the fleetbat. " Zhang Jin said quietly.

    Zhang Jin was much smarter than Li Shiming, and since thetter could deduce the identity of the Mysterious Einherjar Wannabe based on his disappearance during the Norton Campaign, so could Zhang Jin. Plus, she had full confidence in Patroclus''s senses.

    However, Zhang Jin had never thought that the boy she had rescued from Norton would be the one to change the course of human history. Shemented failing to reach that conclusion the minute she saw Wang Tong on Norton. She should have known better that no one other than the heir of the de warrior would be able to survive the by himself for a year.

    What kind of tactics would render all the five major tactics ineffective? Zhang Jin remembered the sense of familiarity when she first saw Wang Tong.

    She conceded that Wang Tong still had a long way ahead of him. The world had changed since hisst incarnation, so she decided to wait and see if the fame of the de Warrior would eventually trante to power and strength.

    Patroclus''s effeminate face showed a faint and almost insubstantial smile.

    All the girls¡¯ attention gravitated toward him, some peeking at him and some outright ogling. Thus, it seemed that if the Ivantian prince were faced with a female opponent, he wouldn''t even need to fight, since his charming looks alone would be able to make his opponent throw herself at his feet.

    It was hard to find a single shoring in Patroclus. Unlike most Ivantians, he was not even pretentious. Perhaps, his only downfall was his perfection, if perfection could be counted as one.

    The battle started.

    Wang Tong could tell from NADD''s initial formation that he was about to focus on early aggression.

    Wang Tong and NADD both sent out their scouts, the Mirage. Both scouts met each other and NADD attacked first.

    Three seconds after the engagement, NADD''s unit exploded into pieces while Wang Tong''s proceeded forward.

    A wave of apuse erupted from the audiences. The members of the S club had been worried about Wang Tong''s performance, but seeing his easy victory, they were relieved and cheered in excitement. NADD attempted to showcase his micro control skills. However, he waspletely overwhelmed by his adversary. The Ivantian had lost his edge over Wang Tong already. He attempted to win back the control of the battlefield by pushing out a wave of suicide ships. However, that move was also countered by Wang Tong with ease. Wang Tong''s final counterattack crumbled NADD''s defense and ended the battle in just under seven minutes.

    Zhang Jin was slightly disappointed by NADD''s performance. She figured that she and Patroclus''s appearance might have disturbed his concentration during the battle. Losing a scout ship at the beginning would not constitute a considerable disadvantage. However, due to his eagerness to prove his ability, he had forced himself into an aggression when his fleet were not yet ready. His desire to prove himself eventually became his downfall.

    Wang Tong didn''t feel the need to celebrate his victory at all; it was all too easy for him.

    During the second round of the match, while NADD was still trying toe to terms with his defeat, his fleet was already engulfed by Wang Tong. Another catastrophic failure.

    After losing two fights in a row, NADD''s face turned pale. It took him two defeats to realize his opponent''s real power, and was finally waken up from his illusions.

    Teetering on the edge of defeat, NADD knew that with one more mistake, he would fall into the chasm of failure. The thought gave him immense pressure. He didn''t even dare look back at the faces of the two honored guests. The thought of their disappointed alone had already been fraying the edge of his sanity.

    NADD''s hands were shaking, unable to execute even the most basicmands, and Wang Tong immediately defeated him with ease.

    It was clear then that NADD''s insufficient forbearance had hindered his ability. Such was the unpredictability of the fleetbat; many things could have gone wrong to render the hundreds of hours of training before the match useless.

    There were people who got extremely nervous and slipped up under pressure, such as NADD, and there were also people who got excited and performed even better, such as Karl.

    The audiences cheered for Wang Tong''s victory. Ayrng and Capth became the only two schools whose participants had all passed their first yoff match.

    Samantha also sent a message to the participants, congratting them and wished them good luck in the following matches.

    "What do you think of it, Jin?"

    "I can tell that he is more powerful than he appears. Don''t overthink things. I understand where you areing from." Zhang Jin cracked a smile, trying to hide her excitement.

    She doubted that her family elders would believe what she was going to tell them. The significance of the news she was about to bring to her family was so profound that she had to remind herself to be very cautious.

    "I will need your help¡­ Don''t let the news leak out from the Moon. I don''t want the media to bother him."

    "You seem very sure about this."

    Patroclus put on a faint smile,"Jin, do you believe in destiny?"

    Patroclus had wanted an opponent who was as invested in their fight as he was. He was slightly disappointed on seeing that Wang Tong had partaken in the fleetbat instead of focusing on his METAL training. The Ivantian prince was convinced that Wang Tong did this because he was overly confident, if not conceited.

    Zhang Jin knew precisely what Patroclus was vexed about, but she didn''t interpret Wang Tong actions the same way Patroclus did. From the couple times of brief encounters with Wang Tong, Zhang Jin was already convinced that the earth boy was neither conceited nor arrogant. Therefore, she was confident that there were more than what met the eyes in Wang Tong''s participation in the fleetbat tournament.

    Whatever was hiding underneath the in view had piqued Zhang Jin''s interest. On the other hand, she was also very confident in Patroclus''s strength, especially when he was serious about his opponent, which didn''t happen too often.

    Meanwhile, inside a conference room on earth, two young men smiled at each other amiably.

    "Brother Li, congrattions on your sess!"

    "Thank you, brother Porten." Li Shiming smiled.

    "I knew you were busy, but I have important news for you. I have reduced the candidates down to five." Porten said as he waved his arm in the air and a projection appeared, listing the details of the five potential "Einherjar Wannabe."

    Li Shiming smiled faintly and then said, "No matter who he is, he would definitely show up in this year''s tournament."

    "Hehe. Brother Li, if I were you, I would do away with this fool who dares to mock your ancestor. He is a disgrace to House of Li" There was anger mixed in Porten''s voice.

 Chapter 299: Zhou Sisis Victory

    Chapter 299: Zhou Sisi''s Victory

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Shiming didn''t change his expression, "You are right Porten. But I don''t have the time, so I think I will have to let the matter rest for now."

    "It''s a piece of cake. I can do away with the kid for you."

    "That would be nice of you. Thank you so much."

    "Don''t mention it. I am still hoping to be your future inw, you know."

    "That is my hope too."

    "Great! I will be counting on you then."

    "Ruo¡¯er should feel lucky to have someonepetent and responsible as you looking after her."

    "Haha, thanks! I will be off now. "

    The two nodded, and their image disappeared from the screen.

    "My lord, how would this idiot be a good match for ourdy? "

    "Hehe, Uncle Quan, don''t you worry about it? Plus, we do need an ally at the council meeting." Li Shiming said to the house minister Li Quan.

    "I know. I just felt indignant that you would have to rub shoulders with arrogant fools like him."

    Li Shiming smiled faintly. To restore the former glory of his family, his father had spent most of his life on his cultivation, without realizing that in this day and age, force alone would no long be able to bring in power and influence. Although Li Zhedao was a great fighter, he was no de Warrior.

    The only way to dominate the world, Li Shiming believed, was tobine physical strength with a crafty method and be as resourceful as he could.

    The most important quality to a great man was to tolerate others.

    Li Zhedao had great ambitions when he was young, as he had sworn to take control the entire council. However, he had been mired in the matters on Earth, unable to even exert his influence further than the sr system. His failure was partly due to his conceit and theck of tolerance for the unctuous politicians. Although tolerance and shrewdness were what his fathercked, Li Shiming had the abundance of both.

    The tension between the Li and the council had been significantly relieved thanks to Li Shiming''s work. Although Li Shiming was not yet the house lord, as the first heir in line, he was able to represent his father on many asions. Thanks to his apparently mellower personality than his father, people were more inclined to deal with him instead of his overbearing father.

    They said it was easier to change a country''s borders than to change a person''s personality. Thus, when Li Zhedao realized what he hadcked all this while, he found it hopeless in changing himself. However, he thanked the gods for having a son who was much more resourceful than him.

    "Have you researched thoroughly? Are you sure that Wang Tong is the Einherjar Wannabe?"

    "There is no conclusive evidence to prove that just yet. However, he is really suspicious. Do you want me to¡ª"

    "It¡¯s already toote. He had made contact with the Ma, giving them one more reason to break our alliance."

    "Should we expose his identity?"

    Li Shiming smiled, "Hehe. Don''t you think that is exactly what he wanted? Li Jian might havecked a sharp mind, but it''s not easy to deceive Patroclus."

    "Ah! No wonder that little Dower prick showed up during the match but had done nothing!"

    "Patroclus was much smarter than that brute Li Jian. Now, they are all going to partake in the tournament. This is a stage that I cannot pass up now, can I?"

    Li Quan''s face became serious as a sense of respect rose inside of him, "You are the most observant and resourceful, my lord."

    "Thank you. You are excused now. "

    "Yes, my lord."

    Li Quan was the house minister of House Li. He had watched as Li Shiming grew up, so he knew the young master of House of Li very well. As Li Shiming grew older, Li Quan more frequently found himself marveling at the young boy''s forbearance, a rare and valuable trait for a powerful leader.

    After Li Quan was gone, Li Shiming pped his hands, and a man cloaked in ck appeared like a phantom emerging out of the shadow.

    "Master, I am here to serve."

    "Dispatch number ten, get rid of Wang Tong."

    The man in ck cloak nodded and then disappeared back into the shadows again.

    Li Shiming gave the order as if he had done so for many years. Wang Tong was just another minor wrinkle in his master n that he needed to iron out.

    Li Quan was a critical member of the family, and also a public face. Therefore, Li Shiming could not let him know about the dirty work, let alone allowing him to dirty his own hands. However, Wang Tong must die, not because he was potentially the Einherjar Wannabe, but because Li Shiming felt he had spent too much time on his marriage proposal.

    Li Shiming opened up a notebook, found the name of Wang Tong and put a cross right beside it.

    He took a deep breath and then ced the notebook back into the crystal space, then he stepped into the gym. As the heir of House of Li, he had only one purpose in this world, to reassert House of Li ''s control over the human race.

    The fleet battle experts marveled at the brilliant disy of skills from the students.

    The Kaedeians and the Ivantians remained the mostpetitive groups, but the team from Earth had caught up with the two very quickly.

    Team earth''s rise wasrgely thanks to a few fresh blood: sh, who was unbeatable due to his Macro skills and acute sense of enemy intentions, Bisu, who had unrivaled micro control, and Karl, who was invincible simply because he was Karl.

    This fresh blood had made the earthlings see hope in not only entering the final eight, but also obtaining something much more glorious¡ªtitle of the champion.

    "Haha! Did you guys see that? I am on the front page!" Karl smiled broadly.

    "Keep it to yourself, and stay low key. Come on Karl, do I have to teach you how to behave like a famous person?" Hu Yangxuan rebutted.

    "What? I am letting everyone know about the news. Is that not how a famous person should do?" Karl said, seemingly confused.

    Everyone heard hisment andughed at him "As the founder of your fighting style, you have be more popr than you think. Don''t act like you are so surprised by the news coverage; you should pretend its normal even if you are."

    Clearly, Karl had not realized his incredible fame and poprity, and rightfully so, since he had to deal with powerful monsters such as Wang Tong.

    "These guys areme. They didn''t say anything about our boss!"

    "Hehe, boss like to keep things to himself so that he won''t reveal too much to his opponent. You should learn from him." Tita cracked a smile and said.

    "What? That''s deceit! I like to fight openly." Karl was visibly distressed for being unable to bring himself to be as cunning as Wang Tong.

    "They were just pulling your leg! Your fighting style is the most adaptive, so you don''t have to worry about hiding your strength." Zhou Sisi encouraged Karl.

    "You are the best, Sisi! Win face for us girls of the Ayrng!" Rumi waved a small fist in the air, unable to hide her admiration for Zhou Sisi.

    "I had been lucky, that''s all. I expect that It would be harder for me as I progress through the yoff games. But it would be a good practice for me nheless."

    All members of the S club apuded for Zhou Sisi''s positive attitude. As the most active member of the S club, Zhou Sisi was observant in everyone''s troubles, and tried her best to guide them through their difficult times. Therefore, many members held Zhou Sisi in high regard.

    Everyone agreed that without Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi, there would not be the S Club, much less its current prosperity.

    "As the members of S club, we have only one word to say in the face of difficulties ¡ªFIGHT!"

    Wang Tong raised the soup bowl and willing everyone to do the same.

    "FIGHT!" The bowls consummated in a toast.

    So, it was the new Ayrng, full of fighting spirit and energy, determined to regain its former glory.

    "Gods! Am I really seeing this? Zhou Sisi has yet survived another close call. Three to two again, everybody! Her calmness has turned the situation around and helped her to defeat her opponent from the Moon. Let''s once again congratte the amazing fighter."

    Even the game host was not able to hold back his admiration. To him, Zhou Sisi'' victory was a miracle. He had watched as Zhou Sisi lost the first two rounds, and when he thought that she was about to lose the third round due to being overtaken with stress, she remained calm had defeated her opponent, who had lowered his guard in the third round.

    Even with the score settled at one to two, neither Zhou Sisi nor anyone else had seen any hope of winning the next round. However, Zhou Sisi''s previous victory had lent her confidence, and reminded her not to give up until it was over.

 Chapter 300: Always Be The Winner

    Chapter 300: Always Be The Winner

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Zhou Sisi remained calm and started the battle with a single base, and focused heavily on early aggression. Her opponent, who failed to foresee Zhou Sisi''s change in strategy, was unprepared when Zhou Sisi''s harassment came. A few secondster, Zhou Sisi won the fourth round and evened the score.

    Everyone apuded for Zhou Sisi''s methodical and calm approach, as well as her perseverance. There was never ack of talented fleet battlemanders who had excellent skills and abilities. However, only those who had the iron will to carry through difficult times with calmness would eventually be sessful in their career.

    Natural talent might give an academy student fifteen seconds of fame, but it was tenacity that could make a realmander out of a mere teenager.

    During the fifth and the final round of battle, Zhou Sisi did what she did best¡ªadjusting her mentality. She let go of her desires of winning, and focused her mind entirely on the match. Her strategy also took a 180-degree turn as she focused on developing fleet economy instead of early aggression.

    The defeat ruffled the Ivantian, so he decided to y safe as he deployed many costly defense systems while emptying his fleet coffer in the process. However, after his scout finally found Zhou Sisi''s base, he realized that the earthling girl''s economic advantage had enabled her to create a much more productive and well-defended base than his. After the reality set in, the Ivantian calmed down and conceded that he should attack right then. The Ivantian''s aggression worked for a while in the beginning, thanks to his superior micro control. However, the little advantage he had stolen during skirmishes was not enough to topple the formidable defense of Zhou Sisi''s base. As the battle carried on until thete stage, the two yers finally lined up their fleets and were ready for the showdown, and that was when the Ivantians slipped up again.

    It would be unfair to call it a slip-up, since he didn''t actually do anything wrong but simply overlooked Zhou Sisi''s micro ability.

    Zhou Sisi used her coup de grace: the colon technique.

    Although her execution of the technique was not as fluid as Wang Tong, her usage of the Kaedeian''s traditional technique had disheveled her opponent. Zhou Sisi seized an opportunity and defeated the Ivantain after only one around of fire.

    Sitting in the audience seat, Wang Tong gave Zhou Sisi a thumbs-up.

    Zhou Sisi held her trembling hand together, excitement written all over her face as her victory set in.

    This battle was a textbook example of the weak oveing the strong.

    The students form Ayrng cheered loudly. No one had thought that Zhou Sisi would be the winner. However, she proved to everyone that being cool-headed was more critical than micro skills.

    As soon as Karl''s match began, he became engrossed in the battle. Practice made a man perfect, and Karl had gradually be a force to be reckoned with. His power had gone beyond skills and techniques, as it had blend in with his instinct.

    Karl''s opponent attacked with abandon at the beginning. However, Karl ''s instinct had told him that his opponent would focus heavily on early aggression. Therefore, when his opponent''s fleet arrived at Karl''s well-defended base, it was obliterated right away. The opponent acknowledged his defeat without the slightest indignation.

    A full-on assault early on was a double-edged de, as once it failed, the sudden setback would almost undoubtedly erode themander''s confidence.

    In the second round, Karl reversed the role and became the early aggressor. With his unrivaled micro skills and the element of surprise, Karl won the second round with ease.

    The third round quickly turned into Karl''s solo performance. There was no need to worry that Karl would lower his guard, because he always went all out, regardless of his opponent''s strength.

    After Karl and Zhou Sisi''s match, everyone waited impatiently for Wang Tong''s to start. Wang Tong seemed to have a piece of work cut out for him this time, as his opponent was a seed fighter from Royal Kaedeian Academy called Rhimo

    Convinced that it was her destiny to bring home the title of champion, Rhimo was confident that she would end this match quickly with a score of three to none.

    Wang Tong had already recovered to his full capacity, and therefore, he decided that there was no need to hold back his strength any longer. What he should do instead was to push himself to the limit, and Rhimo would be a perfectb rat.

    The overwhelming victory had astonished the host and the audiences, including those from the S club who had seen Wang Tong''s previous power first hand.

    sh was the only person that had expected such an oue, since he was the only person who knew that Wang Tong''s real power was well above that of most of the fleetbat contestants.

    Wang Tong won the second round in a blink of the eyes without any difficulty.

    Leveraging his unmatched discernment, Wang Tong had unleashed his full potential. Thanks to the Tactics of the de, Wang Tong had achieved unimaginable power, and instead of holding them back, Wang Tong conceded that he needed to practice them to make the power part of his instinct.

    Mr. Wannabe''s training had not only strengthened Wang Tong''s body, but also had ¡ªalthough unintentionally¡ªchanged his mindset, making him more willing to brave his boundaries. It was a much-needed transition for Wang Tong.

    The Tactics of the de was the king of all other tactics, and therefore, its user needed to have the personality of an assertive ruler to use it to its full intent.

    Although it would be difficult for Wang Tong to tell the difference between arrogance and assertiveness, there would be only one rule that Wang Tong would need to adhere to: be the winner.

    After a few rounds of yoff games, the host finally announced the final thirty-two contestants.

    There were six from the Earth, sh, Bisu, Karl, Best, Wang Tong, and Zhou Sisi. Ayrng had unprecedentedly gained the greatest number of students on this list school wise.

    The Kaedeians had twenty-six contestants on the list, while the Ivantians had ten. No one from Mars had reached the list.

    From there on, the battles would all be intense shes between top-notch students, and luck would no longer y an important part in the oue.

    After Wang Tong had defeated Rhimo with ease, he had quickly turned into the media''s new favorite.

    Soon, the thirty-two students started to battle against each other for a seat in the final sixteen.

    sh and Bisu were the first in making their way into the final sixteen list. sh had defeated his opponent with the same score of three to none. He had performed his skills wlessly so far, and was almost invincible. He had quickly be the most expected yer to win the title of champion. The earth confederation was also very pleased with sh''s performance so far, and hoped that this boy would be able to prove to the world that earthlings were no less capable in fleetbat than the Kaedeians.

    During his battles with the Kaedeians, sh had demonstrated exactly that. He made it clear that the Kaedeians did not have a huge advantage from their race. Instead, having the right mindset during the battle was the key to winning a fleet battle.

    Bisu had won his match with a score of three to one. Although his freakish AMP ability could overwhelm his opponent, his AMP was far from powerfulpared to that of Kaedeians. However, his training with sh and taught him the ability to predict enemies moves, as well as the method to control the flow of thebat. Thanks to these newfound skills, Bisu was able to defeat his tough Kaedeian opponent eventually.

    Karl had also entered the final sixteen as his ability was almost god-like. The former F ss student had never imagined that one day, he would be considered one of the most powerful students of anything.

    After his victory, Karl disyed his signature victory pose. The public loved this honest young man, and many had joined his fan club.

    Unfortunately, Best lost his battle two to three to a Kaedeian. He had tried his best, but he conceded that the gap between their power was unbridgeable. Best had expected this to happen, as it was hard to predict the oue of any fleetbat matches. Although he had lost, he still considered it a good fight.

    "Congrattions to Wang Tong again! Three to zero and made yet another breakthrough for Ayrng! Two of the three contestants from Ayrng have already got their ticket to the next round."

    Wang Tong waved his arm nonchntly. He was at his peak condition, so no ordinary opponent would pose a real threat to him. His opponent, a Kaedeian girl, was still dumbfounded by her defeat. She remembered that Wang Tong made a straightforward move, and her fleet crumbled without any apparent reason. All the while, the girl was confident that she had carried out her tactics wlessly.

    The members of the S club were ecstatic at the news. Two of their members had already entered the final sixteen. They believed that the fame of their club was about to reach a new height.

    Right after his match, Wang Tong hurried to Zhou Sisi''s session to offer his encouragement.

    When he got there, he found Zhou Sisi was mired in a fight against an opponent from the moon. He was the top fleetbat seed yer KKK. He was a well-known contestant among the small circles of the fleetbat enthusiasts. His ability was on par with sh even under the most conservative estimation.

    His excessive brutality was well known, just like his fleetbat abilities. Zhou Sisi''s skill had fallen short during the fight, as the Ivantian was slowly nipping away her fleet force, as if teasing her. Although Zhou Sisi possessed dauntless courage, her failure was evident.

    KKK loved to y with his prey before he finally finished them off. In the end, KKK tantly revealed all of his base locations to mock his opponent, hoping the humiliation would force her into submission.

 Chapter 301: Forcing It Through

    Chapter 301: Forcing It Through

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As the most skilled in the Luster Academy, if not among all the Ivantians, KKK was also notorious for his battle style. To put it simply, it wasn''t the victory he sought after, but the pleasure of torturing his opponent''s mind.

    Therefore, he had gained a nickname the "Death God."

    Many people disliked him, but no one could deny his power.

    Zhou Sisi''s match started at the same time as Wang Tong''s. However, when Wang Tong had already finished his game, Zhou Sisi was still in the second round after losing the first.

    The second round was the exact copy of the first, as KKK pour out his forces in the very beginning to overwhelm Zhou Sisi and rattle her confidence. Although this method was despicable, it worked pretty well.

    Despite his notorious reputation, KKK was very popr among the Ivantians. In addition to perfection, the Ivantians also worshiped power and cared very little about personality.

    After having gained an unfair advantage, he started to torture his opponent again by nipping Zhou Sisi''s confidence, one morsel at a time. KKK particrly enjoyed this form of slow torture on young and attractive looking female victims.

    After a slow but painful burn, Zhou Sisi eventually lost the battle. She had tried her best and didn''t yield until thest minute. The gap in their skill was simply too great.

    KKK''s skill was on par with sh, and at that level, it was almost impossible to slip up. Therefore, Zhou Sisi was not able to catch an opportunity for a counter attack.

    After her defeat at the hands of the sadistic Ivantian, Zhou Sisi felt a knot of fire in her belly. No matter how hard she tried to calm herself, the me inside of her burnt only brighter by the second.

    In the third round, Zhou Sisi had chosen Karl''s unique method. However, her opponent had already seen through her intention and was prepared. When the two forces engaged, Zhou Sisi''s micro control fell short once again.

    The third round should have ended in ten minutes; however, it took well over thirty. It the end, when Zhou Sisi finally conceded her defeat, she turned the anger into her determination to train even harder, so she could revenge the humiliation she had suffered.

    Zhou Sisi gritted her teeth and typed in "gg." However, she got an infuriating reply from her sick opponent, "hey pretty girl,e to my ce. Let me teach you how to fight." Thement also caused many boos from the audience.

    Wang Tong smiled wryly andmented at the variety of freakish individuals that lived among them.

    Wang Tong walked into Zhou Sisi''sbat studio and found her was still there, reflecting on her defeat. This defeat seemed to have destroyed all of her confidence that she had slowly built up, and was catastrophic for a buddingmander.

    "Leave me alone!" Zhou Sisi shouted after hearing footstepsing toward her.

    Wang Tong paused for a brief second and then walked to Zhou Sisi. He patted her shoulder and said, "Get up where you have fallen. That''s how you be stronger."

    Zhou Sisi leaned against Wang Tong and then muttered, "Let me lean on you just a little longer. Just a little longer please."

    The list of final sixteen was fresh out of the oven, and they were as followed.

    Earth: sh, Wang Tong, Bisu and Karl

    Moon: KKK, Vitas, GoRush, Cold

    Kaedeians: Paris and seven others.

    After random grouping, everyone was assigned an opponent. Both Wang Tong and Karl were up against Kaedeians.

    "I was hoping to teach that Ivantian b*stard a lesson!" Karl growled.

    "Don''t worry about it, Sisi. I''m sure boss will revenge you."

    "He is done for!"

    KKK''s opponent was Bisu.

    "Although we had been opponents before, we are all from the Earth. So, I promise I will let him regret ever bullying an earthling."

    Bisu was very interested in this controversial opponent. Although the Ivantians were the so called "new humans," not all of them were suave and deferential. Some were outright psychopaths, such as KKK. Despite their superior gene, they seemed tock a firm moral bearing.

    Zhou Sisi quickly walked out of the shadow of her defeat. She had epted this tournament as a practice, an opportunity for her to understand the area which she needed to work onter. The stake was higher in the tournament, and therefore, her opponent was willing to release their full power, thus making the battle scenarios more akin to that in real life.

    Adjusting mindset had always been Zhou Sisi''s strongest suit. She had turned her defeat into a turning point in her life as she had realized that, as a student, she had been living in her own bubble, and the world outside her bubble was a harsh and unforgiving one.

    In real life, the price for such a catastrophic defeat was not just a deted self-confidence, but also many lives.

    Although painful, the defeat had taught Zhou Sisi a powerful lesson.

    "Karl, if you ever cross path with him, make sure you are as calm as possible."

    Karl nodded. "Don''t worry about it. If he ever bes my opponent, I will crush him."

    Wang Tong nodded in agreement.

    The final sixteen started.

    Karl''s first final sixteen match was significantly harder than the ones he had finished before. After the fourth round, the score settled at two to two and then there was the showdown.

    This could be thest battle they would ever partake in this tournament. So, the Kaedeian decided to y safe as she used the opening that she was the mostfortable with. She had also expected Karl to do the same.

    However, Karl didn''t use his signature opening; instead, he poured all of his force in a surprise attack early on and caught the Kaedeian off guard.

    No one had expected Karl to leave his mostfortable moves and take so much risk in a high stake battle.

    When Karl saw the "gg" on the screen, he howled again with his signature victory pose.

    Unlike any other fighters who had fought with their skills and discernment, Karl had fought with his instinct and an unswerving confidence.

    Karl entered the final eight, and his sess had even caught himself off guard.

    While watching the live broadcasting, Samantha could feel that her student''s hard work had finally paid off. She also felt a new sentiment that tugged at her heartstrings, which was the friendship between a teacher and her students. She too, felt excited and proud of her students'' victory, and felt sad when they were defeated.

    "Principal Samantha, Councilor Randolph is here."

    Thanks to the sess of Ayrng, Samantha had quickly earned a group of supporters, and Councilor Randolph was one of them.

    When Karl got his ticket to the final eight, students from Bernabeu also cheered loudly for him for bing the first earthling to have entered the stage for the final eight.

 Chapter 302: Forbearance

    Chapter 302: Forbearance

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    While everyone was going to celebrate for Karl, he himself had disappeared. His friends found it strange that he would pass up such an opportunity to bask in others¡¯ admiration.

    "Granny, I have got into the final eight. Have you seen me on TV?"

    "Yes! Granny knew that you would be sessful one day! You have to give face to your deceased parents."

    "Thank you, granny. I will be even stronger."

    No one knew that the seemingly lighthearted boy was raised by his grandmother, because his parents both died right after he was born. Without the welfare money, Karl might not have been able to even attend the academy. Although Karl was never confident in his own ability, his granny was always very supportive of him. She was convinced that Karl would be sessful, since he was talented like his father. In order to please his grandmother, Karl always carried out the study with his unique methods, despite beingughed at for being foolishly stubborn.

    Today, he had finally proven himself and entered the final eight.

    In a grocery store of a ghetto district, the old women''s eyes glued to the TV as she mumbled, "This is my grandson, Karl!"

    She had always been proud of Karl, although he had been simply a mediocre student from an average school. However, Karl had right then turned into the top fleetmander of the confederation, and he was the first one from Earth to enter the final eight.

    This was the best record that the Earth Confederation had ever achieved thus far.

    "Karl, the real genius!"

    On the Tv screen, the two hosts gave Karl two thumbs ups, and inside the convenience store in the ghetto, people boiled over as they cheered loudly for him.

    Right after a brief celebration for Karl, the second match started, which was between Bisu and KKK. Bisu had encountered the greatest threat in this tournament. In a blink of an eye, he had lost two rounds in a row to the Ivantian.

    "Hehe, is this what represents the best of the Earth yers? Stupid and naive, are you hoping that I would go easy on you?" KKK said with a high pitched voice.

    "yer KKK, please refrain from making any personal attacks." The judge warned him.

    "Sir, am I wrong about what I have just said? You can ask him yourself." KKK retorted.

    Bisu''s face turned ck. He swallowed down his pride and tried his best to hold back his urge to punch the Ivantian in the face.

    sh''s heart sank as he saw the expression on Bisu''s face. He registered that Bisu was about to fall into KKK''s trap.

    KKK aggravated Bisu at the beginning of the match by insulting him for his slip-ups in earlier matches. Angered by KKK''s words, Bisu attacked his opponent with abandon from the beginning of the game. However, KKK was well prepared as he had lined his base up with cheap defense tactics and had easily defeated Bisu. The same pattern repeated in the second round. It was clear then that KKK had not only a sharp mouth, but also a sharp mind.

    Unlike METALbat where anger sometimes could trante to power, getting overly emotional would only lead to irrational decisions and slip-ups during fleetbat.

    Although Bisu was very clear regarding what his opponent was after, anger had prevented him from taking the appropriate measures in the third round. After his defeat, he punched the dashboard in an uncontroble fit of rage.

    KKK swept back his long and carefully coiffured hair, "Is this the best micro-control of the Earthlings? How disappointing! I hope you are better than this, sh."

    If sh were the best fleetmander the earth had seen, then his Ivantian counterpart would be KKK. Their battle styles were very simr as well, as they both possessed well-rounded skills, as well as ability to unleash unscrupulous moves whenever they were called for.

    KKK never wasted his energy in provoking his opponents if he were fighting someone other than earthlings. Earthing''s emotions were vtilepared to residents of others; the difference was particrly drastic whenpared to the ever-stoic Kaedeians.

    Knowing the earthlings'' weakness, KKK had repeatedly assaulted his earthling opponents and made them lose their nerve.

    sh smiled away KKK''s insult. As the top fighter, he was convinced that he would win in a heartbeat in a fight against the arrogant Ivantian.

    After Karl, KKK had also entered the final eight.

    The third match of the day: sh vs. Cold.

    sh''s calm demeanor after having witnessed hisrade''s defeat did not amount to being totally devoid of indignation and anger. He had woven the anger into his strategies, and Cold had, unfortunately, be the scapegoat and lost the match zero to three.

    sh repeated a simple and effective strategy as he seized three perfect timings, and overwhelmed Cold''s based on mass infantry. Cold heaved a sigh after the battles and conceded that his ability to control the overall flow of the battle paled inparison with that of sh.

    sh didn''t need to y mind games with his opponent as KKK did; his skills were his best weapon.

    The fourth battle: Wang Tong vs. Birance

    Birance was the top fleetmander among the second year students of the Kaedeians. This fight had quipped the interest of the Kaedeian team captain Rhimo, and she had given orders to Birance to spare no expense in stopping Wang Tong from entering the final eight.

    Wang Tong twisted his wrist and stretched his neck, trying warm up the muscles. The simtion room was already packed with audience. Most audiences from earth were pleased to see that there were so many beautiful young Kaedeian girls around them.

    ording to the information she was given, Birance was supposed to treat her opponent as Einherjar Wannabe. She conceded that if the information was correct, she had a piece of work cut out for her. However, she also reckoned that if Wang Tong was unaware that his cover had already blown, she might have the element of surprise.

    The Kaedeians withheld the information they had and carried out the match as if it were just another regr tournament game. As one of the princess''s guards, Birance''s power was at par with that of Paris. She was convinced that only the Art of Soaring Heaven might stand a chance against her.

    There were three hosts for the game, one from the Earth, one from the Moon, and the third a Kaedeian.

    Although Kaedeians were fierce protectors of their traditional way of life, they had also attempted to learn the best from the human society, and tried to blend in as much as they could. They had eventually won the hearts of the human with their humility as well as their beauty.

    Kaedeians had studied humans well, and therefore, they were aware of the xenophobic nature of human mind. In order to alleviate the risk of falling victim to the ugly side of the human world, Kaedeians had brought the two races closer via arranged marriage. The girls were told to obey their human husbands, and therefore, once they got sent to the earth, the audacious and independent Kaedeian girls would quickly be the most obedient wives, even more than earthling girls. After a few hundred years of investing in themselves, the Kaedeians and already be a force to be reckoned with, and therefore, the need for arranged marriages was gone. Only on infrequent asions could one hear the news of an earthling and Kaedeian getting married to the love of their life.

    Since the human and the Kaedeians could not produce offsprings naturally, most of the couples resorted to adoptions or test-tube babies.

    The two started their battle.

    As everyone had expected, Wang Tong used his most confident technique.

    Wang Tong''s starting strategy amused Birance, since it was the mostmon, run of the mill defense tactic. Letting go of her worries, Birance unleashed her aggression.

    However, as soon as the battle started, Birance was surprised by the passive-aggressiveness of Wang Tong''s defense tactic, as it allowed him to sneak his fleet in and behind the aggression forces whenever he could find the opportunity to do so. After a while, as Wang Tong''s forces were getting more diverse, different shipsplemented each other''s strength, and his fleet started to turn the tide of the battle.

    Birance''s first attack of the first battle was therefore dissolved by Wang Tong''s passive-aggressive expansion. Although Wang Tong had gained the upper hand, he didn''t initiate anyrge-scale attacks. Instead, he continued to nip away his enemy¡¯s territories. To keep Wang Tong''s expansion in check, Birance was forced to wage another attack on Wang Tong, and losing more territories in the process.

    It was clear then that Wang Tong''s defense lines were only a trap, and once his enemies were in the trap, it was almost impossible to get out.

    Although the aggressive encirclement tactic was what the Kaedeians were well known for, Birance conceded that her strength had been turned into her downfall by her shrewd opponent.

 Chapter 303: The Ultimate Weapon

    Chapter 303: The Ultimate Weapon

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The two didn''t drag the match on as Birance had typed in gg after seeing that there was no chance of winning.

    This was the first time a human had sessfully defended against Kaedeian''s attack. It broke the unspoken rule that an earthling should always attack first when fighting against a Kaedeian, since any defense was proven to be useless under their incredible aggression skills.

    However, Wang Tong''s victory in the first round could just be a fluke. Based on the statistics, of all the human victories over the Kaedeians, 90.45 percent of the time, it was the Earthlings who had attacked first, and only 9.55 percent of the time had they won the battle with a defense focused strategy. Wang Tong''s sess could be that 9.55 percent. Many experts of fleetbat had ignored the 9.55 percent of the chance as legit victories, and concluded that the best way to defeat Kaedeian was to be aggressive.

    "This young man called Wang Tong has struck lucky again, as he had turned his opponent''s impatience into his advantage. It seems like Birance had underestimated him" The host from the Moon smiled while announced her take on the first round of the match.

    "Wang Tong has done a good job. He probably had realized that there was no way he would win by attacking, so he had focused on defense." Zhang Jie, the earthling host, announced. Although Wang Tong had won the first round, the real fight had just begun.

    The Kaedian host remained silent and didn''t speak.

    "Miss Dina, you are the expert from the Royal Kaedeian Academy. What do you think about the two''s performance?"

    Although Dina''s age was well over forty, she still looked like as if she was in her thirties. Kaedeians held the advantage over the earthlings regarding longevity and the ability to retain their youth. Not only did they live longer, their appearances also didn''t seem to change much as they aged. Even on their death, they usually looked like in their fifties.

    They spent most of their life looking like a twenty years old. The humans had studied their gene, hoping to gain such fantastic ability. However, they quickly found that the Kaedeian genes were ipatible with that of Earthlings.

    "I think Wang Tong has done a good job in controlling the flow. His performance was great, and I hope it was Wang Tong''s normal strength." Dina paused without giving any morements.

    "Round two, start!"

    At the beginning of round two, Wang Tong had put up the exact same defensive strategies. The repetitive use of the same strategy was a tant taunt at his opponent.

    Right after the first round, Birance had excluded the possibility that Wang Tong was Einherjar Wannabe, since she was convinced that the aggressive Einherjar Wannabe would definitely use the Art of Soaring Heaven instead of any other aggression tactics, much less using defense-rted tactics.

    Without anything to be worried about, Birance decided to release all of her power to the opponent, as she was confident that she would be able to outy her opponent with her superior ability.

    Birance didn''t attack recklessly this time. Instead, she ned her moves methodically as she intentionally left some openings in her formation in order to lure her opponent into the trap. However, Wang Tong had deployed the Art of Iron Wall, and therefore, he wasn''t tempted by the lure at all.

    That being said, Wang Tong didn''t simply let his fleet sit in the base and rot. Instead, he had proactively sent out harassment to exert pressure on his opponent.

    After a while, Birance''s patience was wearing thin. She felt the pressure start to weigh on her, pressing her to make an attack.

    Finally, she made a move. Her initial formation was tight and seemed formidable. However, only a few secondster, she realized that what awaited her was a failure.

    shughed satisfyingly after seeing that Wang Tong had recovered to his full ability. Therefore, there would be no doubt that Wang Tong would eventually win the match. sh conceded that even if the match dragged on until the final stage, the Kaedeian would lose the match due to Wang Tong''s incredible clone technique.

    sh concluded that the only way to defeat Wang Tong was to be mindful of even the slightest imperfection in his controls, and turn it into an advantage.

    Wang Tong defeated his opponent in the second round with ease and greatly irritated his opponent. Wang Birance felt that Tong''s defense was imprable, and she conceded that her defeat in the first round was not a fluke either. Instead, she registered that it was a new technique that Wang Tong had tried out many times before the tournament.

    The hosts found themselves hard pressed to grasp the nature of Wang tong''s new fighting style. Wang Tong'' had mix-and-matched existing defense techniques that had been deemed ineffective against Kaedeians into his opponent''s nightmare.

    The score was two to none. It was unimaginable.

    At Ayrng, every student was watching the live stream of the match. When they saw that Wang Tong had won the second round, the school was filled with cheers and apuse.

    After Birance exchanged something with her coach, the third round started.

    Wang Tong once again deployed a defensive formation in the beginning. It was a ballsy move if not an outright taunt.

    Having learned her lessons, Birance also changed her tactic and focused on her defense instead. The two gradually built up their economy and research and amassed huge fleet. Everyone''s hearts were caught in their throats as a showdown was about to erupt at any time.

    "It looks like Birance has learned her lessons. We are soon going to witness the final confrontation, and as we all know, that is the Kaedeians'' strong suit. "

    Dina masked a faint smile and then said, "It is still too early to say that, don''t you think? I believe Wang Tong has a backup n." Everyone felt Dina was very humble, as they all knew that the clone technique was Kaedeian''s traditional technique. Due to physical and gic differences, human''s execution of the method was far less efficient.

    sh touched his chin as the development amused him. He had noticed that Wang Tong had purposely passed up two great opportunities to obliterate his opponent''s fleet. It urred to him that Wang Tong had intended to engage the Kaedeian in a showdown from the very beginning. Was Wang Tong going to unveil his real power already?

    sh conceded that if he were Wang Tong, he would have waited until the veryst battle to unveil his real strength.

    A small skirmish finally triggered the final battle.

    Birance''s eyes glinted as her hands started to speed up until her fingers had be blurry shades. She was about to unleash the pride of the Kaedeians: the clone technique.

    Everyone was surprised to see that Wang Tong had not yet made any countermeasures at all in this moment of life and death.

    Even sh was caught off guard by Wang Tong''sck of response.

    A thousand missiles glided across space towards Wang Tong, while releasing a thunderous crackling noise.

    Birance was confident that this one round of fire would destroy at least eighty percent of Wang Tong''s force.

    However, before Birance was able to pull her mind out of the joy from the promise of victory, the rm went off and warned her about the iing hostile fleet.

    Birance found it hard to believe her eyes as she watched Wang Tong''s fleet march towards her unharmed by her attack.

    Before she could make a singlemand, her fleet was engulfed by fire and light.

    "Winner is¡ªWang Tong!"

    All the viewers were shocked, and silence fell into the room.

    The big screen disyed the rey immediately.

    In slow motion, people were able to see that Wang Tong wasn''t doing nothing while Birance had executed the clone technique. Instead, he had also used the clone technique, not to counter the attack, but to dodge. This was unheard of, because the amount of AMP required for clone-dodge was practically unachievable.

    On the screen, theputer had calcted Wang Tong''s AMP, and it was 563!

    The simtion room was so quiet that one could even hear a pin drop.

    Wang Tong had proven to the Kaedians that they were no longer the strongest in terms of final battles.

    A tsunami of apuse and cheers erupted amongst the audience. The students at Ayrng, Bernabeu and the members of the S club all fell into an ecstasy at the sight of Wang Tong''s victory.

    That was their leader¡ªWang Tong!

    The ultimate coup de grace of Earthlings.

 Chapter 304: The King of Cheapness

    Chapter 304: The King of Cheapness

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    When Wang Tongbined his new fighting style, the Art of Supreme Defense with the clone technique and created the ultimate form for victory.

    Wang Tong''s new technique had devastated his opponent as she had failed to discern any weak link in his defense. His insane AMP had also made the clone technique even more overwhelming than that of Kaedeians. Birance conceded that she saw no hope of winning the fight.

    Wang Tong had revealed his real power in this round of the match and unleashed a remarkably adaptive tactic. Even if Birance was able to gain the upper hand over Wang Tong in the beginning, her defeat was still inevitable.

    All the major forums on the inte reviewed andmented on Wang Tong''s technique. Many had proposed the idea that Wang Tong had invented his own fighting style. However, this thought was quickly turned down by the authority as they found something was off in the way Wang Tong''s techniques were executed.

    People who liked Wang Tong called him the ultimate weapon, but most people simply thought that he was cheap. The Kaedeian had tried to lure Wang Tong into a confrontation from the beginning. However, Wang Tong had turtled in his base with an imprable defense.

    Most top-level fleetmanders favored aggression over defense, because an attack would always allow them to control overall flow of the battle. However, Wang Tong''s unbeatable defense had broken that rule.

    Wang Tong, therefore, very quickly was dubbed as the "King of Cheapness" due to his almost infuriating tactic that was able to make the strongest fleet think twice before attacking. However, Wang Tong doubled down on his cheapness with his clone technique, since no opponent would be able to avoid falling victim to his insane AMP.

    A lot of fleetmanders who were watching the match had initially conceded that the only way to defeat Wang Tong was to take over his base as soon as possible using rush tactics. However, after seeing Wang Tong''s incredible AMP, they doubted if the rush technique would even be useful. Once engaged in a battle, Wang Tong''s enemy would only lose more territories, resources and time by throwing away wave after wave of canon fodder. Eventual, even the experts conceded that they don''t have a viable solution to counter Wang Tong''s cheap¡ªor, perfect¡ªtechnique.

    Karl felt indignant for Wang Tong. To him, all strategies were good strategies as long as they were effective in doing one thing: eliminating opponents.

    Not only did Karl find Wang Tong''s tactic legit, he also enjoyed watching the splendid disy of strength at the end of the battle. He was convinced that the people who called Wang Tong cheap were merely jealous of his power.

    Karl was not alone in his indignation, as his sentiment was shared by most Earthlings. However, the Martians, despite their miserable fleetbat skills,ughed at Wang Tong for being a coward.

    Most Ivantians''ments sounded bitter as well. They disagreed to give Wang Tong credit for inventing a new style, andshed out at him on the forums, calling him despicable. They had gotten used to the earthlingmanders who always acted on a whim and were never able to resist the temptation of being aggressive. Therefore, when they saw Wang Tong who possessed exceptional self-control, they found it hard to adjust their expectations, and thought Wang Tong was cheap instead of smart.

    Some people had admired Wang Tong''s ability to control the flow of the battle. They noticed that Wang Tong''s defense was not merely waiting to be hailed upon. Instead, it was able to erode the enemy''s confidence by constantly throwing ranches in their ns. They conceded that Wang Tong had the best micro control as well as the acutest battle awareness.

    Unfortunately, this group of the rational audience remained in the minority.

    Despite the sarcastic undertone, Wang Tong loved others'' description as he thought "cheapness" fitted pretty well with the nature of his new technique. Any opportunity for a full-on aggression was precious, and therefore, he needed to make sure that he had a decisive advantage before the two forces engaged. In most circumstances, Wang Tong reasoned that his clone technique would allow him to get a drop on his opponent.

    Being cheap also signified patience.

    Anyone could wage a full-on assault at any time. However, even he strongest fleet would crumble in an instant if the timing was off.

    All teenagers dreamed of being a hero: charging out of their rank and killing off all the enemies with a single swoop.

    Wang Tong had learned at first hand that heroic fantasy was not only fictitious but also extremely dangerous. He conceded that although he needed bravery and mettle on the battlefield to ovee his enemy, he also required importance of patience to survive.

    That being said, it was critical that the patience was not wasted. So, he also needed to actively seek opportunities to harass opponent to tip the scale of the battle, one hair at a time. In other words, he needed to be passive-aggressive.

    Wang Tong''s new technique hinged on his proficiency in the art of Iron Wall. Without a solid defense tost until every end of the battle, everything was merely empty talks.

    Ayrng had made another miracle. Most people had thought that they would at best break into the final sixteens. However, by then, two out of three Earthlings on the final eight list were from Ayrng.

    The other earthling was sh from Capth.

    The final eight list was fresh out of the oven. Soon, the new king of fleetmand would rise among these eight young warriors.

    sh-Capth

    Wang Tong-Ayrng

    Karl-Ayrng

    KKK-Luster

    GoRush-Starry Sky

    Paris-Royal Kaedeian

    Niche-Royal Kaedeian

    Lora Pasiu- Royal Kaedeian

    Three Earthlings, two Ivantians, and three Kaedeians. This was the best result earthlings had ever achieved in the history of the tournament.

    The field of the fleetbat seemed to be divided equally among three factions.

    Thanks to its student''s excellent performance, Aynrg''s fame had reached a new height. All the media around the globe were focused on the tournament and its rted news. Therefore, more and more people started to notice Ayrng as the rising star among academies on earth.

    Since Samantha was directly responsible for the rise of Ayrng, she also quickly took center stage and was praised for his ability to revitalize the fallen school.

    She had doubts in some of her progressive methods, fearing that she might have bent the students too hard. However, it seemed like she was right after all, in bringing about radical changes to the school to break the student''s bad habits.

    Although Samantha''s political and financial resources had more or less made her task easier, she had proven herself to the council as a capable leader. In addition to her ability, the fact that she was not "mind-opened." had made her popr among the council members. The council had been divided into two major factions: the mind-opened, and the ordinary humans. After undergoing the mind open operation, a human would get arge boost in many areas. Although the Confederation had set quotas to the number of ordinary human on the council in order to bnce the power, thepetition between the two factions was fierce. As a normal human, Samantha had quickly be the normal human faction''s favorite.

    Samantha''s prestigious family background and her special connection with House of Ma had also given her an edge among thepetitors who wanted a seat on the council. All the council members agreed that there shouldn''t be any surprise in Samantha''s appointment as the new addition to the council, and all they need to do was to wait for the perfect moment to make the announcement.

    Wang Tong and Karl had undoubtedly be the most popr students of Ayrng. Many girls even started to send love letters to thetter.

    Wang Tong got a message from Li Ruoer, who had been quiet for a while. She informed Wang Tong that as long as he was able to make it to the final, she would bring Ma Xiaoru with her to watch his performance.

    Although it was still quite a way from meeting Ma Xiaoru in person, the message had lit up Wang Tong''s hope.

    Zhou Sisi didn''t feel jealous of Wang Tong''s feelings toward Ma Xiaoru. She genuinely hoped that the couple would eventually stay together. However, she also conceded that the drastic difference in the two''s social status was undeniable.

    Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi had already started to prepare the analysis on Wang Tong and Karl''s opponents. They were going to the moon with the twomanders as their assistants.

    Although Hu Yangxuan wanted to go the moon to support his friends, he eventually stood behind to continue training for the uing METAL tournament.

    Karl''s sess had transformed him from a no ount to a hero, and the change in him had greatly motivated other students.

    Everyone around Karl agreed that he was the most devoted to his training, since other than training, Karl didn''t have any other hobbies, expect for listening to loud dance music. He loved to listen to music, especially when he was training, as he felt that the music was able to intensify his awareness and make him more passionate about achieving his goal.

    Wang Tong had one week before he had to pack everything and leave for the moon. He practiced the fleetbat regrly to maintain the battle awareness, and he also continued his cultivation in the crystal space.

    Wang Tong had the sneaking suspicion that he was being watched ever since he had finished the match. He thought it was either an illusion or someone really powerful stalking him, and he suspected that it was most likely thetter.

    Although he had suspected that he was being followed, Wang Tong acted normally every day and hoped that he was able to fool the stalker into believing that he was an easy and unsuspecting target.

 Chapter 305: Assassin

    Chapter 305: Assassin

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong waited for three more days, but the secret stalker still didn''t reveal himself. Wang Tong could constantly feel the sense of danger, and wondered if he had tipped off someone important.

    Wang Tong didn''t waste too much time pondering, since there were too many questions that even he didn''t have an answer for. It could be anyone; he would just have to handle it when it came.

    Wang Tong knew that stalking was aborious work at first hand while he was in the crystal following Mr. Wannabe. A sense of pity rose inside him for the secret stalker, which made Wang Tong decide to give him an opportunity to reveal himself.

    During the midnight of the same day, Wang Tong walked out of his dorm and started wondering around in the sleepy campus. The school was quiet and the night was dark¡ªperfect time for unspeakable things.

    Wang Tong carried a tune while stretching his muscles as if warming up. He then started a countdown.

    Five, four, three, two and ...one!

    Before Wang Tong''sst word slipped away, a light glinted in the darkness as a shadow appeared, sending a shockwave of soul energy around him. Wang Tong registered that the attacker was at least a level five warrior.

    The dark shadow thrust his fist at Wang Tong, and to his surprise, the fist went through him, as if his target was simply a mirage. Immediately, he felt a dark presence surround him and pull him into an unknown dimension.

    The assassin was staggered by the force, and after he finally regained bnce he found himself in a virtual world. He knew right away that he had walked into Wang Tong''s trap.

    Wang Tong felt his surroundings with his soul energy and noticed an anomaly behind a bush. He marveled at the assassin¡¯s excellent soul energy, butmented over hisck of experience, since he had fallen into his trap so easily.

    By then, Wang Tong had mastered the usage of the crystal. He found out that it could absorb soul energies and trap an unwitting enemy inside it.

    The assassin''s attention had been focused his attention on Wang Tong. Therefore, he didn''t notice the crystal had been quietly altering his soul energy.

    Wang Tong appeared in the side of the virtual world and regarded the unnerved assassin. He looked to be in his thirties, and had a soul energy of three hundred¡ªa solid fighter.

    The assassin didn''t speak a word and attacked as soon as he saw Wang Tong. Wang tong didn''t have to worry about being discrete here in the crystal space, so he unleashed all of his soul energy and raised his fist, hewing at his enemy. The GN force tumbled out from Wang Tong body and the impact of Wang Tong''s punch sent the assassin flying backward.

    Surprise and shock shed in the assassin''s eyes. His target was entirely different than what was on the profile he was given. The profile indicated that he should be a fifth level fighter at most, and his soul energy shouldn''t have exceeded three hundred. In other words, Wang Tong should not be able to detect him, much lessying a well-disguised trap for him to fall in.

    Wang Tong''s lips curled into a wicked smile, and then he said, "Don''t tell me who you are, because I am not interested at all."

    Kong...

    Wang Tong punched his enemy anew. His strike was spot on, and the assassin copsed onto the ground. Wang Tong studied the assassin whilementing on his weakness.

    Wang Tong didn''t know that his opponent wasn''t weak, but he was simply too strong, since the crystal space had intensified his power. In the crystal space, he was the strongest, a God-like existence.

    Thinking that the battle was over, Wang Tong turned around. The assassin suddenly came back alive and thrust a sharp de at Wang Tong. However, Wang Tong disappeared after the assassin took only a couple steps.

    It took the assassin a while to realize that he was left alone in the virtual world, and he turned into a bundle of nerves as he ran around in circles, unable to find an exit.

    Wang Tong watched everything from above, then his hand turned red like molten metal. In a blink of the eyes, the assassin''s body pulverized and then evaporated like steam on a cold day.

    After getting rid of his trouble, Wang Tong walked back towards his dorm. He could finally enjoy a good night sleep, without having to worry about being assassinated in the middle of his sleep.

    Wang tong yawned, ¡®It''s time for bed.¡¯ There was a lot of training to finish tomorrow, and he also needed to practice with that assassin''s trapped soul essence. Perhaps, Wang Tong thought, he could even make him reveal his employer''s information.

    The assassin had never overlooked Wang Tong, as he had been extra careful ever since he started the mission. He could have done away with the boy as soon as he got the mission. However, his employer had cautioned him to be careful and try to kill the target in one strike, in order to minimize the evidence. Therefore, he had been following and studying his prey for a few days. Even with all the caution and nning, the assassin had failed nheless.

    As a top assassin, he had trained in various imprisonment methods, and none hade close to what he had just experienced.

    Five o''clock in the morning, Wang Tong was up and was ready for his morning exercise. He suddenly remembered that the assassin was still trapped inside the crystal, so he scanned with his soul energy and to his surprise, he found no trace of any soul essence.

    The assassin had relinquished his final form of existence.

    Wang Tong shook his head in disappointment. He wanted to use the assassin''s soul essence as his practice target, but he had already given up to avoid leaking any information regarding his employer. Wang Tong couldn''t help but admire the assassin''s professionalism.

    It urred to Wang Tong that whoever he was dealing with ought to be a force to be reckoned with.

    Instead of being traumatized by the assassination like any average human would, Wang Tong felt that it was a weing change to thezy andfortable life at school.

    "Boss, this was the summary of the event." Parler was Ma Dutian''s right-hand man. He was not only a powerful fighter but alsopetent in everything else aside from being very resourceful.

    Ma Dutian smiled faintly, "Not bad! What do you think of it?"

    "The assassin must be from the Dark Shadow of the Li. These assassins are worth their salt, but they had underestimated Wang Tong after all."

    Only a very few people knew that House of Li was still in control of one of the deadliest assassin group. This group had been affiliated with House of Li ever since General Li Feng was in power, andter, it had shifted its role to that of protecting the personal safety of members of House of Li.

    "I was asking about your opinion on Wang Tong."

    Parler paused to reflect on the question, and said after a while "I am not sure about this boy."

    "Haha, even you can''t get a handle on the boy''s real power?"

    "Yes. I can tell that this young man possesses the experience and willpower that is unheard of among his peers. His age seemed to contradict the power in him we have seen so far."

    Ma Dutian lolled in the sofa and watched quietly on the screen as Wang Tong killed the assassin with ease. He saw a cold and vile demon inside the young and energetic body, forming a perfect contradiction. There had been one such person in history that had presented such an enigma, and he had made a new world for the humans to thrive in. Ma Dutian wondered what Wang Tong would create or destroy with his unimaginable power.

    One weekter, Wang Tong, Karl, Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi arrived at the moon. They were received by the tournament hostingmittee and were sent to their amodations.

    If Earth represented the human''s glory history, then Moon represented human''s future, as everything on the moon looked modern and was of cutting-edge technology.

    Thousand years ago, the moon had still been a barren rock, and after centuries of development, it had be the bastion of human civilization. The streets on the moon were the cleanest and the most well organized among all other human settlements. The citizens of the moon also enjoyed the best welfare program, and thergest degree of freedompared to that of others.

    Despite its low rate of street gang crimes, the moon was a haven for white-cor criminals.

    It was the first time the four earthling students ever visited the moon, and therefore, they were shocked by the neatly arranged streets and beautiful city scenery.

    It was a city built on sophisticated artistic taste.

    In arge room, Karl leaped on to a soft and huge bed.

    Cao Yi studied the various equipment catering to their basic amenities while taking notes from time to time. The room even came with a hologram projector and a service bot.

    Seventy percent of the Ivantian families used the service bots, a number which dropped down to twenty percent on Earth, and twelve on Mars. These three numbers were an indication of the level of development of the three human worlds.

    Although the moon was smaller than earth and mars, itspact size also made the development and management of the settlements a more manageable taskpared to Earth and Mars.

    The four shared the same room with a service bot to take care of any need they would have.

    After they had taken a brief tour of the city, the students returned to their rooms and started to discuss tomorrow''s match. But it was hard toe up with any concrete n before they knew who they would be fighting against.

    Karly on the bed and said, "As long as I''m not up against Boss, I can handle pretty much anyone."

    "Hehe, it''s not very likely you will meet Wang Tong. Don''t worry about it." Zhou Sisi cracked a smile and said.

 Chapter 306: Free Admiration

    Chapter 306: Free Admiration

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I have gathered all the profiles; it would all depend on tomorrow''s seeding result." Cao Yi scratched his head and was about to consult his database.

    "That''s alright. There''s no need to trouble yourself with the data. It is too much to go through right now anyways." Wang Tong smiled broadly and marveled at Cao Yi''s seriousness in conducting almost any task.

    The service bot brought the dinner to everyone. Since they didn''t need to pay for their food, the four ate until they couldn''t move. The service bot had to go back and forth from their room to the kitchen four times before they were full.

    After spending more time with the boys, Zhou Sisi had also started to eat more. Her vigorous training also required her to replenish her body with nutrients. That being said, she still ate the least amount among the four.

    Although Cao Yi didn''t wolf his food down the throat as Karl did, the amount of food he ate was rather impressive.

    After the dinner, the four started an intense pillow fight.

    Meanwhile, in another room, sh was writing his diary quietly. He felt the pressure on his shoulder as he had carried the hope of millions of people from earth. The Earthlings had always hopped that they would be able to break the monopoly of the Ivantians and the Kaedeians in the fleetbat.

    sh had be their only hope of making their dreame true.

    After sh finished his diary, he did some exercises and then went straight to bed.

    The next day morning, the service bot woke up the students one after another.

    Karl was still snoring as he was drooping all over his pillow. When the service bot got close to him, Karl threw the saliva tainted pillow at the robot and knocked it off bnce. The three other students watched the funny scene at the door and burst outughing.

    "Karl! Time for breakfast!"

    "Breakfast? Where? I didn''t have any yet!" Karl sprang out of his bed, eyes darting left and right.

    Wang Tong coughed and then said, "Time to get up Karl."

    "Yes, boss!"

    When the four arrived at the arena and immediately, they found themselves surrounded by the media. Since the seeding process directly influenced the oue of the tournament, it had attracted the attention it had rightfully deserved. The earthlings were particrly invested in this year¡¯s tournament, since three Earthling students had unprecedentedly made into the final eight.

    The host introduced the eight students in great detail as the media aimed their lenses at the students.

    The seeding process was simple: everyone was to pick up a ball with a number on it from a ck box.

    KKK went first, and his number was five. When he saw one of the Kaedeians hold a number 6 ball, he made a wicked smile as hemented letting the Earthlings escape his clutches again.

    Wang Tong held a number three ball, and one of the Ivantians had a number four. Karl drew a number seven, and he was relieved at the thought that he wouldn''t encounter Wang Tong until the final fight for the champion.

    sh looked at his number one ball in his hand, and the number three ball in Wang Tong''s hand, then smiled knowingly at Wang Tong.

    Group one:

    sh vs. Paris

    Wang Tong vs. GoRush

    Group two:

    KKK vs. Niche

    Karl vs. Lora Pasiu

    The seeding was done, and everyone had found their opponents. They all counted themselves fortunate that there was nopetition between fighters from the same just yet.

    The eight fighters knew that there were no substantial gap between them regarding skills, and the oue of the battle hinged mostly on their performance.

    After the seeding, everyone returned to their room to prepare for their fight the next day.

    In the hallway, KKK smiled at GoRush and said, "Lucky you, picked up an earthling."

    GoRush smiled and then said, "Haha, don''t be so rude. The earthlings already had their fare share of misfortune. If they had two of them fighting against each other, at least one would make it to the Final Four. It looks like they won''t be able to make history this year despite all the hype. "

    The Ivantian emphasized the word "history," reminding the earthling students their insufficient track record in the field of fleetbat.

    Wang Tong shook his head.

    Karl also remained calm. He knew that talk was cheap; only results would prove them wrong. Although the Ivantians¡¯ overall skills were far behind that of the Kaedeians, they were much more ostentatious than thetter.

    The three Kaedeians remained calm and stoic. However, their beauty was undeniable.

    "Boss, let''s show him some color. This idiot won''t stop babbling."

    "That''s because he is afraid."

    "Afraid?"

    "KKK is very good at using his opponent''s psychological weakness. Didn''t you notice that he never stalk shit about the Kaedeians? That is because he knows that his words won''t affect them. However, he knows that us earthlings are more emotional, and therefore, he uses his ploy on us. But, he did it because he fears us. Otherwise, he won''t have to do it. " Wang Tong exined.

    "Sh*t, that''s despicable!"

    "It''s alright. The more you pay attention to our world, the more freaks like that you would get to notice. He won''t be thest one, so it''s a good opportunity for us to test our patience."

    "Boss..."

    "What?"

    "I admire you!"

    "Oh, you! just buy me a dinner."

    "No!" Karl refused without a second thought.

    "You just said you admire me."

    "Admiration is free, but dinner is not."

    The fourughed together.

    Psychological control was a science, and that was why most scientists would be so sessful in other areas with the help of their ability to manipte other''s emotions.

    Samantha, for example, was a master in the art of maniption.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, what you are watching is the live stream of the pan-sr system tournament, the fleet battle session''s final eight matches. We have over five thousand media outlets reporting live from the arena, with more than two hundred thousand live audiences. The first match of the day is between sh of Capth and Paris of Royal Kaedeian. This is going to be an exciting match, since earthlings had never able to find a viable solution to counter the Kaedeians attack. Let''s hope that sh would bring us some surprises today. "

    The Ivantian host announced with a gleeful voice. However, his money was not on sh, since he believed that he was still a rtively inexperienced yer, and earthlings overall fell far behind Kaedeians in fleet battle.

    sh remained cid, and so was his opponent, Paris. It would be the first time sh ever fought a tough Kaedeian yer who was as methodical as him.

    The first round began.

    Paris started the game with a normal opening, and sh had also used the mostmonly used opening formation.

    Seeing the earthling boy not pulling any tricks from under his sleeve, the audiences worried if he would be able to survive the Kaedeian''s attack.

    Neither of the two deviated from the set strategies in the first dozen minutes. However, a few minutester, sh had sent in his first wave of attacks. Everyone thought that this first wave of attack would be cannon fodder under the Kaedeian''s defense.

    The two forces engaged and both sides sustained heavy losses; it was a better oue than what sh had expected.

    In a few moments, sh had pushed out his second wave of attack among the audiences disapproving criticisms.

    sh''s economy had already fallen behind.

    sh had gained a slight advantage in the second round of attack, but he didn''t have many ships left after the skirmish ended. Paris seized the vacuum of her opponent''s force and started an aggressive expansion, hoping her expansion of bases would aggravate sh to attack her again. Even if sh wanted to expand, Paris thought, it would be already toote, since she had taken control all of the resources nodes on the map.

    Everyone was surprised to find out that sh didn''t expand his territory.

    Paris had built four bases, and her fleet economy was also through the roof. Despite being constantly harassed by sh''s fleet, her forces were increasing its rank by the second.

    Finally, arge battle broke out in the very middle of the map. Although sh had ended up destroying all of Paris''s fleet, he did not have enough force left to take over even one of Paris''s four bases.

    The situation was not looking too bright for sh.

 Chapter 307: Annihilation

    Chapter 307: Annihtion

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    However, sh''s reinforcement kept on pouring in. Another wave of infantry pressed forward towards Paris''s base. As long as Paris was able to defend against this wave, she would be able to force sh into a ''gg''.

    "Eh? What is going on? Where is Paris''s reinforcement?"

    The host screamed as sh quickly made his way into Paris''s base during a vacuum of thetter''s unit production chain.

    The two bases that Paris had just built had slowed down her unit supply. In other words, the period of force vacuum was induced by sh''s careful nning using the other two bases as bait.

    sh remained calm, as most of his forces were already in front of the Kaedeian''s base. Under hismand, heavy armored units started pouring steel onto the small group of METAL fighters defending the base.

    The base was in danger.

    While the main force was making tailwinds, two smaller units were dispatched from sh''s base and circling the map to the other two defenseless bases.

    Paris finally typed in "gg."

    The simtion became quiet as everyone was shocked by the turn of events.

    sh flexed his neck muscle after his victory. What he had shown was the true sense of strategy, as he was able to foresee the disconnection in his opponent''s unit supply without using any scouts.

    "Sh*t, sh is getting sneakier. His ruse was the most convincing one I have ever seen."

    Excitement shed across Wang Tong''s face as he was eager to fight against such a powerfulmander who had learned to seize total control of the battle.

    Kaedeians exchanged a few muffled words to each other as theirrade''s defeat dumbfounded them. sh''s strategy was not only in and simple, but also held a few rough edges. They were convinced from the beginning of the battle that sh was going to be defeated in seconds.

    KKK''s face became gloomy. He had seen through sh''s ruse; however, he struggled to find a counter.

    Most audiences didn''t realize the real reason behind sh''s victory. Instead, they considered the earthling boy had struck lucky in this round and caught an opening in the Kaedeian''s defense by ident. What they failed to understand was that as the top fighter among Kaedeians, Paris would not make such a critical mistake without any particr reasons.

    Five minutester, the second round started.

    The two started the match with the same openings.

    sh remained calm as he started to prepare his first wave of aggression; Paris was more vignt this time as she focused on defense instead of expansion. During the early a couple skirmishes, Paris was able to gain a drop on her opponent. However, about 15 minutes into the game, sh sent out a massive wave of forces, and once it engaged inbat with Paris, her defense forces started to falter again for no apparent reasons. Very quickly, the Kaedeian''s base copsed, and Paris was forced to type in "gg" again.

    The second round was even more peculiar than the first to the audience.

    The score was at two to zero; the earthling was already half a step into the gate of final four.

    Kaedeians requested a time-out at the match point to revise their strategy. Paris looked confused and helpless after being defeated twice in a row. The weak link in her units were very hard to detect even in her own scrutiny, as it wouldn¡¯t show up until her forces were engaged inbat. She couldn''t refrain from marveling at her opponent''s acute battle awareness, and the ability to foretell future.

    After the time-out, the third round started. sh sipped some water, and still looking cid.

    As soon as the third round started, some of the audiences shrieked in excitement as they noticed that the Kaedeian was about to unleash her coup de grace.

    It was the forward base formation, the most extreme form of the Kaedeian''s fighting style. Usually, only the ones that had earned the match point would use such a risky move. However, desperation had driven Paris to take the risk, hoping to surprise her opponent. Despite its element of surprise, this method would expose her base outside of her defense line. Therefore, once it was detected, she would face immediate annihtion.

    sh seemed unsuspecting of her unique opening formation as he opened the game with his usual strategies and sent out his scout. Everyone calcted that by the time sh''s scout reached Paris''s base, so would the Kaedeian''s first wave of the rush. Without anything to defend himself, sh would lose this round in a heartbeat.

    "Gosh! sh''s scout is moving towards the south. Did he already realize his opponent''s strategy? "

    The host shouted out, and the earthlings among the audiences boiled over at the development. They had be anxious for sh after seeing Paris''s unorthodox move. However, as they were about to lose hope, sh surprised them again.

    The scout had detected Paris''s hidden units, and although the scout was quickly done away by Paris''s infantry, information sh had gathered should allow him to prepare for his opponent''s attack. Once sh had amassed a group of units, he would be able to easily defeat Paris''s meager force due to her crippled economy.

    After Paris had gotten rid of the scout, she sent out the small harassment force into sh''s base, hoping to interrupt sh''s fleet economy.

    Meanwhile, Paris had given up on scouting. Instead, she ordered the construction of a starport at the corner of her base behind a little hill.

    This was a brilliant move.

    Although Pariscked the number whenpared to sh''s forces, she wagered that most of Fash''s units would be ground units, and wouldck the air defense capabilities. Therefore, she was confident that her airborne units would catch sh off guard and tip the scale of the battle in her favor.

    However, as everyone was marveling at Paris''s ingenious move, one of sh''s scouting units turned around right before Paris''s base and moved towards the little hill at the left corner of the map. Everyone''s hearts were caught in their throats as the scout zeroed in on Paris¡¯ construction unit who were bustling about, building the starport.

    Kaedeian audiences face turned pale at the sight of the unwitting constriction unit murdered by the scout unit.

    A wave of cheers erupted from the audiences.

    When Paris realized her construction unit had been destroyed, her body seemed to sink into her chair as if life had been sucked out from her body.

    sh had demonstrated a God-like ability to control the flow of battle and predict enemy¡¯s intentions. He had fulfilled the wishes that Capth had instilled in him.

    sh''s power was unimaginable!

    Everyone was shocked by the incredible disy of strength. "sh from Capth, everybody¡­ He is INVINCIBLE!"

    The giant arena was filled with cheers and shouts, celebrating King sh''s victory.

    "What a bada*s! " Karl was impressed by what he saw, and he was one of the very few people who were able to discern the full extent of sh''s power in addition to his apparent victory.

    "This is getting interesting!" sh''s incredible power ignited Wang Tong''s fighting spirit as he started to doubt if he would be able to ovee him in a battle. This uncertainty and the sense of challenge was refreshing to Wang Tong. He dly epted the challenge in his mind, as he was determined to win the tournament in front of Ma Xiaoru.

    "sh, could you please tell us how you feel after getting the ticket to the final four?"

    In front of the camera, sh remained calm and level-headed, like a perfectmander. "The opponent was pretty strong, and she had fought well. As for me, I have only one goal¡­ to be the champion."

    "Well, I believe you have spoken out loud today for all the earthlings who were watching your match with us. Tell me, who do you think would be the biggest challenge on your way to the tittle of the champion?"

    "Haha, everyone is a good challenge. I love fighting, and I always look forward to fighting any of the contestants." sh cracked a smile and then announced candidly.

    "Thank you sh. We hope you are able to continue your good work in the rest of your matches."

    In the afternoon, Wang Tong and GoRush''s match started. Wang Tong was a new addition to the earthling team, as he was rtively unknown to the public before he joined the tournament. His opponent was the Ivantian''s strongest fleetmander who focused on early aggression, GoRush. GoRush was the most powerful at the very beginning of the game, and so far, no one was able to fend off against his early rush attack.

 Chapter 308: The Turtle King

    Chapter 308: The Turtle King

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    To be the strongest at early aggression required a thorough understanding of all kind of opening formations. Meanwhile, Wang Tong was the best at turtle-ing inside his formidable defense, and hence the nickname, the "King of Cheapness."

    Judging by the two contestants¡¯ ability, this match ought to be an interesting one. It would be like the test between the sharpest knife and the sturdiest shield.

    The first match''s map was called "Crusade."

    The two acted as if they had followed a script: GoRush started with his ssical aggression formation while Wang Tong started with his signature turtle formation.

    Both yers were sessful in scouting out their opponent''s position on the map. GoRush quickly sent waves after waves of units at his opponent.

    Wang Tong did not let GoRush''s harassment affect him, as he defended his base while carrying out his strategy on his own terms. He could discern clearly which wave of attack was a feint, and which was the real deal. Therefore, GoRush was not able to gain any advantage during the early period of the match. Frustrated, GoRush unleashed the strongest move he knew as he lined up all the forces he got in front of Wang Tong''s defense line.

    This had always been his killing blow to enemy fleets thanks to his insane AMP ability.

    The engagement started right away. In a blink of an eye, GoRush''s AMP soared up to an insane amount of 550, as everyone wandered if he was on steroids. His hand moved so fast over themand dashboard that one could almost see steam rise from the back of his hand. His fleet lined up neatly and attack orders were lucid and clear, as if straight out from a textbook.

    However, only ten secondster, the tide of the battle turned.

    "This is... INCREDIBLE! While faced with the devastating blows from GoRush, Wang Tong''s defense has stopped the invading armada cold! This is a perfect defense! With only less than 20% losses, Wang Tong has made the aggressor pay with over 70% of his forces. GoRush is retreating. He has retreated his force! OMG! Wang Tong... Wang Tong''s AMP has reached 570, even more than GoRush. I think that''s our new record everyone! 570!"

    There he was, the Turtle King in all his glory.

    GoRush didn''t bother putting up a fight with his remaining forces; instead, he typed in "gg." He conceded that he was not the very best at theter stage of the match, and therefore, his chance of winning after failing the initial rush was close to none.

    GoRush gathered himself and was ready for the second round. At the beginning of the second round, instead of using two-base opening, GoRush used only one base, which allowed him to start his harassment even earlier.

    He was convinced that the longer he waited until his first unit was out, the more prepared Wang Tong''s defenses would be.

    The two both sent out the scouts early on, hoping to shed some light on their opponent''s opening tactics. However, the two scout units crossed the path, and started an engagement. So small and insignificant was the scout unit, that most yer wouldn''t want to waste their precious AMP on it. However, Wang Tong had controlled the small-sized unit, and even used the "positioning" technique that was usually used onrger units. The smaller the unit, the harder it was to apply the "positioning" technique. However, Wang Tong had sessfully blocked the path of his enemy''s scout numerous times, and eventually drained the scouts¡¯ life bar to zero.

    GoRush had never encountered such an opponent in any of his previous matches. Although he only lost a scout unit, he felt humiliated, and he knew that the damage of losing a scout in the very beginning of the game might seem small, but it would propagate to an obvious disadvantageter on.

    As blood rushed into his brain, GoRush lost him coolness and decided that since the harm had already been done, he might as well attack all out then and there.

    Karl couldn''t help butugh at the Ivantian, "He could lie all he wanted to, but it is not going to change the reality that he sucks."

    Zhou Sisi shook her head and conceded that one should always be careful and remain calm while fight against Wang Tong. She doubted GoRush would win this round, since he had made a critical mistake from the very beginning and lost his sense of reason. Wang Tong''s scout loitered around GoRush''s base and fled whenever GoRush sent his units to chase after it.

    A knot of fire was burning brighter inside GoRush''s belly by the second.

    As a top yer among the Ivantians, GoRush was able to hold back his anger until he had finally amassed a sizable fleet. However, when he pushed his fleet to Wang Tong''s base, the formidable defense made him want to cry.

    Even the Ivantians sitting in the audience''s seat felt embarrassed and wanted to leave their seats. Go Rush''s ring oversight of technical finesse was a disgrace to his title as one of the strongest among Ivantians.

    GoRush''s heart sank. However, it was already toote, so he sent his force to their doom.

    In a few minutes, Wang Tong had annihted GoRush''s force while only sustaining minor damages.

    The entire roundsted only ten minutes, and it had changed the score to two to zero.

    The Ivantian audiencesmented over GoRush''sck of wits, since he had yed to his opponent''s strength by attacking blindly.

    GoRush curled up into a ball in utter frustration and confusion. He wanted to change his tactics, but Wang Tong had forced him to veer back to the old track using his superior micro control. He conceded that even if he were able tost until the end of the match, he would still be threatened by the clone technique. With everything working against him, he wondered what he should do next. No matter how hard he picked at his brain, he could note up with a solution to his conundrum.

    The referee didn''t give him too much time to ponder as he announced the start of the third round. His mind went nk, and the voice of his coach shouting at him next to him sounded like a blurry hum.

    On the big screen, everyone saw GoRush''s panicking, as uncertainty and nervousness was etched onto his face.

    The battle started, and GoRush used the only method he could think of at the time: double base rush. Although it seemed like his typical opening, many experts and top fleetmanders could sense that GoRush had turned on autopilot, and was no longer invested in the match.

    As the match progressed, GoRush''s moves became increasingly more mechanical, and the dy in his reaction was palpable. He seemed tock even the most basic foresight to the flow of the battle.

    Wang Tong started his game with the same old turtle defense and waited patiently for his opponent to knock on the gate.

    Zhou Sisi shook her head. Although GoRush had been rude before the match, she still felt slight sympathy for him after seeing Wang Tong shatter his confidence.

    In the first two rounds, Wang Tong had teased out GoRush''s best abilities, and then went on topletely obliterate the Ivantian''s self-confidence.

    In the third round, having lost all his hope, GoRush just wanted to match to end. GoRush mechanically pushed out his fleet, but the fleet was ambushed by Wang Tong.

    A few minutester, GoRush conceded defeat.

    After the battle, GoRush felt he was hollowed out. Unlike Paris who had lost her match against sh because of sh''s incredible ability, he had lost the battle because of he had lost his will to carry on.

    GoRush plunged himself into the restroom and refused any interviews.

    Although Wang Tong''s defense didn''t shine because his opponent was too weak, more people started to regard him as the King of Cheapness, the Turtle King.

    It was very rare for anyone who possessed the same AMP skills, such as Bisu, to focus on defense, as it seemed to be a waste of incredible AMP.

    The two earthlings'' ascension to the final four meant that at least one of them would show up in thest match. In other words, the earthlings would finally, for the first time in history,pete with different factions on the final stage of fleetbat.

    sh, the perfectmander and Wang Tong, the Turtle King, they would both consider it an honor to fight against each other. However, since they were not seeded in the same group, they were more than happy to show the entire world their strength and prove that they were worthy of the tittle of the champion.

    Who would be able to stop the two?

    The answer was "no one." They were both one of a kind and the best of the best.

 Chapter 309: Strong Opponent

    Chapter 309: Strong Opponent

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Cheers could be heard everywhere in Ayrng; teachers had canceled sses for the students to watch Wang Tong''s game. Everyone felt that Wang Tong''s victory did not only belong to himself, but also to all the students of Ayrng.

    It had been a while since Ayrng had a victory in any tournament. It was much needed for this school full of glorious history, and had brought Ayrng back to the public''s attention.

    Some of the older teachers who had seen Ayrng falling from grace when they were young held tears in their eyes. An approving smile rose on Gansus''s ever stoical face as he considered Wang Tong had done a great job in punishing the Ivantians for their deceit.

    "Congrattions, Wang Tong! You will meet sh in the final battle. Do you think your victory wasrgely due to your opponent''s slip up?" The host was an Ivantian, and he still couldn''te to terms with GoRush''s defeat.

    "Hehe, yeah, perhaps. Or maybe he was not yet ready for serious tournaments. I look forward to the match with sh." Wang Tong replied, the sarcastic undertone making Karl smile. It had urred to Karl that he might have overestimated the Ivantian''s ability, since it was then clear that the Ivantians were also prone to the effect of emotions.

    The first seed group had finished its matches, and the two contestants from the earth: Wang Tong and sh, were about to meet again in the semifinals. It would be a battle between two incrediblemanders: one possessing God-like battle awareness, and the other having an imprable defense. But who would prevail?

    Both Wang Tong and sh had waited for this fight. Although it was not the final fight for the championship, they were happy to have each other as the opponent.

    Wang Tong and sh''s victory had motivated Karl, making him more eager to send the arrogant KKK home.

    The first day''s match was over.

    sh was not surprised by his and Wang Tong''s victory, and he wrote down his thoughts in the notebook.

    The ring-tone of the Sk broke his train of thoughts.

    "Congrattions, you have done well today." A soft and caring voice rose from the terminal.

    "Thank you." sh put away his pen. Respect flickered in his eyes as he watched the person on the screen.

    "I don''t have anything urgent to say; I just want to tell you that I want you to defeat Wang Tong. Make sure that he won''t show up in the final. " Although being caught off guard by request, sh nodded and said, "Wang Tong is my nemesis, I will go all out in this fight." After turning off the Sk, sh heaved a sigh and conceded that he would have no choice but to win.

    Meanwhile, in another room, Wang Tong''s face remained indifferent while Li Ruoer spoke to him over the Sk.

    "You had struck lucky again. Once you have passed sh, I promise I would bring Ma Xiaoru to the arena."

    Li Ruoer''s voice sounded cold and distant, but Wang Tong didn''t mind, knowing that the enchantress meant him no harm.

    The second half of the quarter-final was about to begin.

    KKK enjoyed his host advantage as he basked in the thunderous cheers of the Ivantian audiences. While he was not engaged in fleetbat, KKK was a very approachable and polite young man. Therefore, he had won over the hearts of many fans.

    The Ivantians knew that during a battle, two contestants wouldpete both in terms of physical strength, as well as psychological conditioning. Therefore, they took KKK''s rude and arrogant behavior as a ploy of his battle.

    The Ivantian''s opponent was Niche from the Royal Kaedeian academy. The Kaedeian had gained considerable pressure from this year''s tournament after they saw the rise of excellentmanders from Earth and the Moon. Their unique fighting style had prevailed until a few days ago, when an earthling boy called Wang Tong had sessfully countered it.

    The battle started.

    KKK didn''t use any psychological tactics, knowing that it would be useless against a Kaedeian. It was time to rely only on his skills. After five rounds of battle, KKK won the match with the score of three to two.

    Despite the final victory, it had been a close call for KKK.

    Karl pouted and then jested, "His skill was just so-so. Looks like Boss and I would see each other in the final. Haha!"

    "You better focus on your fight at hand. " Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    Karl waved his hand and then said, "A piece of cake. The Kaedeian had an obvious venerable spot. I will show you."

    Cao Yi smiled knowingly.

    "We will take you up on that. Don''t you slip up and lose the fight!" Wang Tong threatened Karl.

    "Don''t you worry. I am every calm and level-headed. It''s impossible for me to slip up. Hahaha!" Everyone shook their head at Karl''s silliness.

    Although one of the Ivantians had entered the semi-final, the Ivantians had felt it would be a pity if KKK failed at the quarter-final stage. With the host advantage, they were confident that KKK would be able to get rid of the Kaedeian.

    Although KKK was able to defeat Niche, Niche was far from the strongestmander of the Kaedeians. The title for that went to Karl''s opponent, L.

    Although L was only a third-year student, many Kaedeians, including Paris, were her students since she was already a member of the Royal Kaedeian''s instructors. Usually, for the sake of secrecy, Kaedeians would not send out their best fighter to a tournament. However, Wang Tong''s appearance had made them break that rule.

    KKK had heard of L. As he learned that Niche was L''s student, his face became gloomy as he started to worry about the possible encounter with L in the semi-final. He was convinced that Karl was going to be destroyed by L.

    KKK''s fear was shared by his schoolmates, as the students at the Lustre Academy had already started to research ways to defeat L. L''s fighting style was in and simple, but extremely effective. She was able to ovee her opponent without infuriating them, as every defeated opponent was able to learn something new after finishing one match with L.

    Niche''s failure had forced the Kaedeians into a tight spot. In other words, L had to win since the honor of her entire race was at stake.

    L conceded that not only the Kaedeian''s opponent''s had gotten used to their fighting style, they had also improved their skills by leap and bounds in a short period.

    Shemented over the fact that humans were very much like the Zergs regarding their adaptivity.

    The Kaedeians had conducted numerous researches on Zergs and humans, and the more experiment they performed, the clearer it had urred to them that Human race was much more dangerous than Zerg.

    They found out that humans seemed to be engineered by their creator for interster expansion, because they had unrivaled ability to learn new technologies and absorb new ideas. The Kaedeians conceded that the only way to keep the human power at bay was to contain it before its development gained any real momentum. Otherwise, there would be no room in the vast space for Kaedeians.

    No one knew the exact terms in the pact that General Li Feng had made with the Kaedeians. But ever since, the Kaedeians had decided to work with the humans instead of against them.

    The Kaedeians were aware that the humans worshiped strength, and therefore, they knew they needed to disy their strength to win their human counterpart''s respect. Fleetbat was the stage they had chosen to present their power.

 Chapter 310: Unbridgeable Gap

    Chapter 310: Unbridgeable Gap

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Even with Cao Yi''s industrious research, the fact that L was the instructor as well as the strongest Kaedeian yer had eluded him. When the host announced L''s background, everyone stuck their tongue out in surprise and admiration of her power.

    Although Karl had made his way to the quarter-final stage, not only his experience paled inparison with his opponent, his over-reliance on the Art of Kyle also exposed him to a certain degree of risk.

    Although as a new offense focused fighting style, the Art of Karl had not been countered by any opponent, that did not amount to its invincibility. L knew that with careful nning and a solid AMP, any fighting style could be countered effectively.

    "Karl, be careful and rx! You are already in the quarter-final, and your mission is alreadypleted." Cao Yi told Karl.

    Karl replied with a wicked smile, "Just a Kaedeian instructor¡­ She is not worthy of Boss, I am."

    Wang Tong nodded at his confidence and then urged him, "Get rid of her!"

    This was thest match in the quarter-final. All the participants of the tournament were sitting in the audience seat, waiting to enjoy the show.

    Both fighters entered the control room and started to warm up. Everyone watched as L''s fingers danced over the keyboard and her AMP jumped to 520.

    Everyone''s jaw dropped when they saw L''s AMP reading and registered that she was much stronger than other Kaedeian yers.

    The expression on Paris''s face remained cid; they were confident in their instructor''s ability.

    Karl was the only person in the arena who was not even slightly worried about himself.

    "This Earthling boy is reckless."

    "He would know that he is in deep trouble very soon."

    "The Art of Karl is worthless in front of L. I bet the battle would end in ten minutes."

    "Hehe, I say less than ten minutes."

    L had earned a nickname at the Royal Kaedeian Academy, the Crimson Lightning, after the bloody scene left behind the whirlwind of her attacks.

    L''s clone technique was also far superior to Paris. After all, she was their instructor.

    The battle finally started.

    One minuteter, the two almost mirrored each other''s move. However, thanks to the slight edge L held regarding AMP, she was half a second ahead of her opponent. Although it seemed insignificant, it would give the Kaedeian a noticeable advantageter in the game.

    Karl used his signature tactic, the Art of Karl. However, the audiences worried if the Art of Karl would be useful against L. Before Karl was able to produce airdrop units, L''s first wave of attack was already at Karl''s doorstep and blocked the way of the drop ships.

    Although Karl had used these same tactics many times, he had never met anyone who would able to get the better of him in terms of timing. He panicked and did nothing as he watched his dropship being destroyed by his opponent. L hadid bare Karl''s weakness and defeated him using only a single rush.

    L won the first round with ease in under eight minutes.

    The audiences were not aware that Karl''s defeat was not because that Karl was weak. Instead, it was because L was too powerful.

    L represented the most potent power among the Kaedeians. She had not only the most reliable micro control, but also a premonitory skill that could urately predict an opponent''s next move. Her strength came from her genes, and therefore, there was nothing Karl could do to catch up with her.

    Seeing the Kaedeian''s performance, KKK''s heart sank. L was even more potent than he had expected. He doubted anyone, including himself, would be able to ovee her in apetition.

    Karl''s defeat was a huge blow to his confidence. He thought the Art of Karl was invincible, since no one so far was able to counter it effectively. However, with her superb genes, L was able to do the impossible, and finally found a weak link in the seemingly wless strategy.

    L looked rxed and chilled. She held her ever stoical expression and narrowed her eyes, as if she were contemting something. She never thought anyone would be a threat to her. If there were one person, she thought, that might pose even the slightest problem, it would be sh, as he possessed the same premonitory skill that allowed him to assess the flow of the battle quickly.

    She was convinced that it would easy to defeat Wang Tong, since Wang Tong relied too much on his defense and the clone technique¡ªboth were ineffective when used against top-level Kaedeians.

    "Boss, Karl seemed to be having a hard time." Cao Yo was anxious. He knew that although Karl was apetentmander, he was not invincible. The Kaedeian had sent a crushing blow right at Karl''s soft spot, and it ought to hurt.

    Wang Tong knew Karl was in trouble, but he too was not sure how to help him. He registered that the Kaedeian''s ability was unique, since it drew its power from their genes. In other words, it was not a fair fight, since the Kaedeians were fighting with an inherent advantage.

    Karl had turned into a bundle of nerves. He had been relying on the Art of Karl, and had never considered the possibility of the strategy being countered. His mind raced as he tried to improvise a new n for the next round.

    The time was up, and the second round was about to start.

    Karl gathered himself and went back to the simtion room.

    Unable to find an alternative strategy, Karl had decided to double down on the Art of Karl. He had shrunk his economic development in the beginning to gain the precious resources to produce units. Karl was aware that it was unwise to alter anything in the tried and tested opening, since the slightest change would result in a drastically different oue. However, Karl conceded that he had no choice but to take on the risk.

    L noted the change in Karl''s strategy, and she knew right away that she needed to prepare for early offense. She wagered that Karl would not have many ground troops, and therefore, she reasoned that it would be wise to beef up the air units and rush the tech tree.

    Watching the game had started to be like watching a slow train wreck. As Karl slowly built up his first group of units, L had umted a greater number and more powerful air units.

    Although sh was only in the audience, he could still sense L''s power. His instructor had warned him about L, and told him that only by defeating L would the Kaedeians'' monopoly over fleetbat finally be over.

    sh wagered that he would only have 50 percent chance of winning a fight against the Kaedeian, as he was hard pressed to find a method to counter her brilliant micro control and judgment. The difficulty in defeating L was amplified by the fact that Kaedeian''s genes had made her tactics more efficient and deadly.

    When L''s deference destroyed Karl''s dropship, so was Karl''s confidence and his n. He knew that his ploy had been seen through.

    No one had cheered for L''s sess, since it wasn''t the Kaedeians custom to cheer for their fighters. Karl''s defeat saddened the earthlings, and the Ivantians were shocked by L''s disy of power. Both factionsmented the fact that whenever they saw a sliver of hope in catching up with the Kaedeians, they always crushed their new hope ruthlessly.

    Karl''s eyes lost the usual gleam. He had been very confident in his ability; some might even call it conceit. However, he didn''t let his pride blind him right then, as he could see clearly that the Kaedeian was much stronger than him.

    "It looks like Karl was about to give up. What a pity! Although he had done a great job in the previous fights, the invincible Kaedeian defeated him with ease."

    "I would argue that he had already done a good job in this round. His defeat wasn''t due to hisck of skills, but it was because his opponent was too strong. He had lost even before he had entered the simtion room because of his opponent''s advantage in her genes."

    The host''sment had hit the mark. However, no war was fought with fairness in mind, like the war against the unscrupulous Zergs.

    Wang Tong could no longer sit through Karl''s suffering, so he requested a timeout. Although he knew that no matter what he told Karl, he would not be able to turn the tide of the battle with words.

    "Boss, it seems like I am going to lose again," Karl said helplessly, his voice shaking slightly.

    Wang Tong grabbed Karl''s cor was pulled the shivering boy closer to him. "No way! We never surrender to anyone. Did you remember when we were stranded in the sea and when death was looming above our head? You didn''t even flinch then. So why do you look like a coward right now?"

    "Boss... I¡ª"

    "On Norton, none of myrades ever lost their hope even when Zergs surrounded them. This is only a game, where is your mettle?" Wang Tong bowled out at Karl; his voice boomed inside the arena.

    "Boss, I get it! I will try my best. I know that I am already a freak anyway, I wouldn''t care less about what other people think of me." Karl shouted out as he pped himself a couple of times, as if trying to wake himself up.

 Chapter 311: Reckless

    Chapter 311: Reckless

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Go now. I will be waiting for you on the final stage."

    Karl gritted his teeth and started back to the simtion room with a newfound determination.

    "Hehe, looks like your grandson is going to lose this round. The Kaedeian is way out of his league."

    A throng of people crowded at the entrance to his grandmother''s shop. Ever since the tournament started, this store had be the most frequented stop in the neighborhood.

    "My grandson will win. He is a genius, just like his father!" Although the olddy could not grasp what was happening on the screen, she was convinced that her grandson would be victorious.

    Her stubborn belief made the people shake their heads. The gap in the two yers'' power was substantial, and they felt pity for the olddy who had to suffer from her grandson''s inevitable defeat.

    The olddy didn''t mind other''s opinion. She knew that Karl would win eventually.

    The third round started.

    Karl had finally given up on the Art of Karl as everyone had expected. Two defeats in a row would be a costly enough lesson for Karl to relent his signature moves along with his pride eventually.

    However, would Karl still be as powerful as he was without the Art of Karl?

    Karl wagered that his change in the strategy ought to make others look down on him. But he didn''t mind and thought that whoeverughed at him was simply too dumb to understand him.

    "Karl''s moves are getting more chaotic. He lined up some defense units and then started to chase the tech tree instead, and now, he is constructing a starport. I find it rather confusing. "

    "Hehe, don''t be so harsh on him. Don''t forget that his opponent is L. "

    "Touch¨¦. However, I do feel that the other three quarter-final matches were more entertaining to watch than this one. There is barely any surprise. "

    L didn''t choose to rush her opponent. She wagered that as long as she kept umting forces while bidding her time for the perfect moment to strike, she should be able to win this round with ease.

    Karl went for a second base. To untrained eyes, this was almost a suicidal move because it stretched his already meager defense thinner while his opponent was lurking near his base, waiting for the perfect moment tosh out.

    "No way!" sh suddenly shouted out, disbelief shining in his eyes, "Is...Is this for real?"

    Cao Yi clenched his fist. He had been practicing this new strategy with Karl for a while, but it would be the first time to be used outside of their training room.

    "It looks like a knockoff version of the Kaedeian''s TABT tactic."

    "This is suicidal. L''s anti-stealth technique was about to bepleted at any time now."

    Whilements and snickers swelled in the arena, Karl had amassed a considerable forced and charged them out towards L''s base. The backbone of the force was TABT stealth machine, an almost forgotten unit.

    L would not let such a golden opportunity slip away as she had encircled Karl''s force at the very middle of the map.

    Needless to say that L had detected the TABT. However, she considered TABT the most useless units, since they could be easily detected with radar.

    Karl was engrossed in his assault. Every time radar scanned an area; he would pull his forces back and move the TABT forward to cancel out the radar''s detection. Then immediately, he would charge his army at the enemies, rinse and repeat. After a few rounds of going back and forth, audiences noticed something astonishing was happening: L''s forces were almost gone.

    Everyone was stunned by the turn of events: Karl had won the battle at the center of the map.

    This was unbelievable! Once Karl had gained control over the entire middle section of the map, he exerted his force further into L''s base. Without any defense, L''s base was obliterated in mere seconds.

    Karl had won a round!

    Even when all odds were stacked against him, he managed to win a round back.

    When Karl saw the "gg" on the screen, he howled in delight.

    Everyone wondered if he had won because of the new battle tactics that Karl had invented or was the victory just a fluke.

    The victory ted the audiences in Ayrng and Bernabeu. The previous two defeats had been unbearable to watch.

    Karl''s grandmother smiled nonchntly and then announced to everyone, "Told you so."

    Everyone was speechless at Karl''s victory. They had never seen any battle tactic more interesting than Karl''s.

    Despite the chaotic execution, Karl had won a round and regained some confidence.

    "Thisd is extremely lucky!"

    "Indeed he was, or maybe L had lowered her guard after leading the game with two points."

    "Perhaps she felt it was more in line with the Kaedeian''s humble philosophy to hold back her power and allow Karl to take a brief respite."

    However, Wang Tong, sh, and Bisu realized that Karl''s victory had more to do with his new battle tactics than luck.

    The fourth round was about to start, and this round would be able to put the arguments between the two school of thoughts to rest.

    With the sudden turn of events, the audiences watched the game with a newfound eagerness.

    Karl''s eyes glinted. He had relented the thoughts of fame and victory to focus solely on the battle at hand; he had finally entered the Karl mod.

    "Battle start!"

    L had deployed her signature strategy, while Karl had surprisingly used the mostmon two bases opening tactic. To defend against early aggression, a stout defense was necessary for the two-base tactic. However, its focus on defense would give the opponent an opportunity to take control of the map during the process, and thereby, giving the opponent more options during thete game.

    L knew that once she had fended off the main wave of the attacking out from the two bases, she would be able to defeat the opponent with ease. GoRush was an expert at the traditional two-base tactic, and he found many rough edges in Karl''s execution.

    As everyone was wondering if Karl would deploy the TABT tactic again, they watched as Lpleted the upgrade of her radar facility. She had a sneaking suspicion that Karl was going to use the TABT strategy and therefore, she had yed much more conservatively to avoid repeating her mistake.

    She didn''t have to wait long until her suspicion was confirmed after her scout noticed that Wang Tong had started to amass TABT units. However, unlikest round, L was well prepared, as she had produced arge group of anti-stealth units.

    Karl didn''t mind his opponent''s countermeasure and continued to deepen the rank of his stealth units.

    After much waiting, he finally found the right moment to attack as he charged his units into his opponent''s rank. L had already positioned her units and covered the entire area with upgraded radar; she was ready for the battle.

    Karl''s fingers immediate gained speed as he started to control the TABT units while adjusting the charge formation. When a radar scan hit his stealth units, he would pull them back and fill the position with TABT to interrupt the radar signal before he let his stealth units loose again.

    Although Karl didn''t execute any extravagant moves, his strategy and tactics worked.

    People watched in disbelief as they saw L''s defense started to crumble.

    The three hosts shouted out in surprise together.

    Karl''s forces rode over L''s crumbled defense line into the main base, as reinforcements followed suit.

    Despite the Kaedeian''sst-ditch effort to save her base, she watched the base being burned down as she conceded her defeat.

    Without waiting for an official surrender. Karl stood up from his chair to receive audiences'' feverish apuds and cheers for his remarkable victory.

    The game hosts were agitated as they found that they were on the brink of discovering yet another new fighting style invented by Karl. The marvelous new strategy hinged on the fact that the radar was not able to eliminate the stealth effect of the TABT unit. If the stealth unit was able to avoid the peak of the radar signal, the remaining radar signal was not able to provide a constant stable detection, and thereby, hindered the effectiveness of L''s defense.

    Karl pounded on his chest like an animal, and then let out a shout.

    Karl was so passionate after his victory that he had affected everyone in the arena. Passion was unique to the earthlings, as it was different from the Kaedeian''s indifference, or the Ivantian''s aloofness.

    A swell of cheers and excitement rose among the sizzling audiences.

    If Karl had invented another unique tactic, he would be the most remarkablemander in human history.

    Karl was particrly stubborn in embracing the spark of creativity, however absurd the idea was. Yet, it was the very stubbornness, which so many hadughed him for, that led him to his sess today.

    Right then, it was L''s turn to be confused and unsure of what to do. She was convinced that she had executed every move with caution, and therefore, her unexpected defeat dumbfounded her.

    People in the little grocery store also boiled over, cheering for Karl''s victory.

    They were convinced that the olddy''s grandson was destined to be the greatestmander, like anyone who was able to invent two fighting styles.

    In contrast to the excitement on everyone''s face, the olddy held an indignant expression that read, "Told you so!"

 Chapter 312: My Name Is Karl!

    Chapter 312: My Name Is Karl!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    With the score evened out at two to two, Karl conceded that regardless of the oue of the final fight, he would be able to walk away from the tournament without any regret.

    Although L was still very young, she was already one of the instructors at the Starry academy. Therefore, she felt there was no need to dwell on the loss or gain of one game. Herck of interest in the oue also stemmed out from her indifferent personality that was the defining character of Kaedeians.

    The fifth and the final round was about to start.

    L went into the fight with determination, as she was confident that her superior skills and ability would be able to ovee Karl''s strange fighting style.

    At the beginning of the battle, Karl had surprised everyone again by using the Art of Kale after it had failed him twice.

    Karl''s mind was filled with resolution, and his increased willpower seemed to have enhanced his performance, as it turned into the best execution of the Art of Karl the audiences had ever seen.

    Marveling at Karl''s ability, everyone thought that he was born to be a fleetmander.

    Karl''s sudden change in strategy had caught L by surprise. When L finally noticed the difference, it was already toote as L had already invested heavily in preparing for an entirely different game.

    "Everyone, this is going to be Karl''s one-man show." The host announced.

    As Karl started the final attack, unleashing the power of the Art of Kyle, he seemed to have fallen into a battle trance.

    His harassment came from all directions, and even L''s insane AMP wouldn''t stop her defense from crumbling.

    "This is turning into a demonstration of how to execute the Art of Kyle!"

    "Perfect, just...perfect!"

    The hosts could not find any better words to describe Karl''s ability.

    A few minutester, L was still struggling to defend her base. If it were anyone else, the battle should have already ended the second Karl had unleashed the final attack. However, Karl''s reinforcements kept oning to the front line, and soon, L found herself defending against an invading army that was twice the size of her defensive force.

    Everyone could tell that L didn''t want to give up, and they understood why. As thest hope of the Kaedeians, she couldn''t give up without having exhausted her resources.

    "WINNER is ¡ªKARL!" The host finally shouted after the Kaedeian''sst unit was destroyed by Karl.

    Karl stood up slowly. As everyone thought he was going to shout, he kept quiet and gave himself a thumb up and then announced, "I ¡ªAM¡ªKARL!"

    His words filled all earthlings with immense pride. Karl had transformed from a no-ount to the superstar of the fleet battle, like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon to embrace a new life.

    After seeing such a provocative pose, many of Karl''s female fans fainted immediately.

    The moment L conceded her defeat, she also realized that although the earthlings were imperfect, they were the most creative ones.

    This match started out as the most boring one among the quarterfinal matches. However, it had by then be one of the most enthralling fights to watch. A superstar was born in this game, and his name was Karl.

    Cheers could be heard at every corner of the earth as people were ted by Karl''s victory. At Bernabeu, students found it hard to make the connection between the fledgling they saw only months ago with the confident, supermander on the screen.

    Kal watched the screen with gloomy eyes. He had trained hard ever since he had lost the match with Karl, and dreamed of eventually defeating Karl and bing the only K that people know of. However, Karl''s performance had shattered his dream.

    Bisu patted Kal on the shoulder and said, "There are many other things you could be better at than him. He is born to be a fleetmander, and there is no pointpeting against him. "

    Team-Earthling had unprecedentedly gained three seats at the semi-final, which belonged to sh, Wang Tong, and Karl.

    The strong suits of the three didn''t ovep, as everyone excelled at one unique aspect of fleetbat. This year of fleetbat undoubtedly belonged to the earthlings.

    After seeing Karl''s victory, Samantha jumped out of her chairs and hooray-ed like a child.

    Two of the four semi-finalbatants were from Ayrng. Ayrng had never achieved such aplishment, as this had never happened even during the time of Li Feng. Samantha had done it. She had not only brought funding and discipline to Ayrng, but she had also discovered geniuses hidden among ordinary students.

    In a splendid manor somewhere on earth, Ma Xiaoru hugged Li Ruoer out of sheer excitement "Ruoer; we did it! They did it!" She said with a happy voice.

    Li Ruoer masked a smile on her face. She was convinced that Karl was about to lose the third round. However, after a brief exchange of words with Wang Tong, Karl had turned the situation around.

    The drastic effect of Wang Tong''s words had piqued her interest.

    As the heir of House Li, she was trained to be a great leader and a motivational artist. She always regarded her brother Li Shiming as a brilliant leader like her ancestor Li Feng, who was able to attract talented minds around him.

    While she was dealing with Wang Tong, she felt that she was, although unwillingly, attracted to the boy, as her mind gravitated towards him uncontrobly.

    "Ruoer, if Wang Tong wins one more fight, you promise you will talk to my dad, right?" Ma Xiaoru asked expectantly.

    Li Ruoer nodded with a smile, but her eyes betrayed her jealousy.

    During the semi-final, Wang Tong would be fighting against sh, while Karl would be up against KKK.

    In two days, as the semi-final unraveled, there would be even more intense fighting in store for the world to see. KKK was the best Ivantian yer; his skills paled underparison with L, yet, Karl defeated L. Therefore, everyone thought that there would be no surprise to see Karl beat his opponent and enter the final match.

    The pompous Ivantians would have never thought that the joke would be on them.

    Wang Tong and his friends celebrated their victory in their amodations. None of them were surprised by Karl and Wang Tong''s victory.

    "Well done Karl! I was wondering what you and Cao Yi were up to."

    "Haha, Boss, I had never thought of using it. But I had no other options at the time."

    "Karl''s performance was excellent. Even when we were practicing, we never thought that it would one day be used." Cao Yi said sheepishly as he scratched his head.

    "That''s right. We only practiced it as an ambush, but it seemed like it worked well even in a legit battle. Am I a genius or am I a genius? Haha!"

    The three burst outughing at Karl''s goofiness. They were happy that Karl was able to walk out of his defeat and regained full confidence. There would be many roadblocks on his way towards a sessful future, and therefore, it was essential for him to learn how to restore confidence after a defeat.

    "Why don''t we head out and walk around while we are on the Moon?"

    "That right! let''s celebrate!"

    "I agree, Boss. We haven''t really toured around the ce yet ever since we have arrived."

    Wang Tong nodded and decided to take the day off to rx.

    With the help of the service bot, the four changed clothes and rushed to the streets of the Moon. Although Shang Jin was a decent sized city on Earth, it seemed like a squalid ghettopared to the Metropolitan of the Moon.

    It was dubbed as the most fabulous city mankind had ever built, and the students felt that it had lived up to its reputation.

    They said one wouldn¡¯t have visited the moon until they visited the Einherjar Memorial Hall thatmemorated the fight between the de Warrior and Rngalos.

    It was a confrontation between the most mysterious warrior, the de Warrior, and the pride of Ivantians, the perfect human, Rngalos.

    Since no one knew what the de Warrior looked like, the Hall exhibited only the statue of Rngalos.

    The four students stared at the statue in utmost reverence. Although Li Feng was the highmander of the human alliance, without Rngalos''s support, his rise to power would be much more difficult. The alliance between the two was the cornerstone upon which the current human world was built.

    Wang Tong was the only person who knew the real identity of the de Warrior, and he marveled at General Li Feng''s self-control in holding the secret for so many years.

 Chapter 313: Stay Together

    Chapter 313: Stay Together

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    It was hard for anyone to not think about the sight of the battle between the two most powerful warriors.

    Karl''s eyes lit up with resolution, and then he turned to Wang Tong, "One day, you would be as strong as these two!"

    Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi smiled away Karl''s wishful thinking. Both of them agreed that Wang Tong was a powerful fighter. However, he was still a mortal, unlike the two legends who were considered gods.

    They were the miracles because what they had done could never be repeated. They had saved the human world from the brink of extinction while it was under the attacks from both the Kaedeians and the Zergs. In a twisted way, Li Feng and Rngalos''s rise to power was also a product of their time.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile, thinking that Karl had spoken half the truth. As the heir of the de Warrior, he indeed had the potential to be as powerful as his predecessor.

    That being said, Wang Tong felt that he was very different than General Li Feng, as he did not possess grand ambitions, nor did he enjoy the burden of saving humankind.

    The four loitered in the Ivantian streets until the night was turning dark. Wang Tong checked his watch and realized that it was time for his cultivation. Although he was upied with the fleetbat during the day, he never stopped his cultivation. Using the crystal, he was able to train as much as his opponents would.

    Wang Tong separated from the other three and started back to the amodation, leaving the three in awe of Wang Tong''s self-control and determination.

    Although Wang Tong never liked to be alone, he enjoyed the quietness of the crystal space. He registered that the crystal space was the best ce to further his soul energy, as the effect of cultivation was increased with the increased difficulty. He wondered if Li Feng had purposely left the crystal to him, knowing that the Tactics of the de alone would not be able to help him be his heir.

    Although cultivation was more efficient inside the dream-like space, it¡¯s still progressed at a snail''s pace. Persistence and forbearance had remained the key to achieving more powerful soul energies.

    Meanwhile, in House of Ma, a "family meeting" was in progress.

    Ma Dutian and Wu Xin had rejected Ma Xiaoru''s request to go to the Moon outright.

    "Mom, you had agreed that as long as Wang Tong entered the final, I would be able to go to the Moon to watch his match and ¡ª"

    "He is not in the final yet, is he?" Wu Xin cut her daughter short.

    Li Ruoer stood beside Ma Xiaoru and knew that the Ma parents were merely putting on a show for her. Since they had already received her family''s marriage proposal, it would be considered untoward if Ma Xiaoru''s parents allowed their daughter to see her secret lover freely.

    "Uncle and aunt Ma, just let her go. She was Wang Tong''s ssmate as well as arade; I think she should go. I am sure if you ask my brother, he would say the same. It''s normal to have friends, and even I want to cheer for him because he is from earth. Don''t you worry about her safety, I will be her bodyguard!"

    "Well, since Ruoer has put it this way... Fine, bute back as soon as the game is done."

    "Yes, old man! Haha, roger that!"

    Although Wu Xin was in a good mood because of the recovery of Ma Xiaoru''s sea of consciousness, she still had a reserved opinion about Wang Tong. However, she believed in her husband''s discernment, and thought that her cautious husband would not ce so much faith in Wang Tong for no reason.

    She also understood that sometimes, the best way to guide a teenage girl was to let go instead of tightening the noose. As Ma Xiaoru''s mother, she didn''t care less about who Ma Xiaoru married to, as long as he was able to look after her daughter. To protect her daughter from making costly mistakes, she watched over Ma Xiaoru''s shoulder.

    The perfect candidate for Ma Xiaoru, Wu Xin thought, not only had to be someone Ma Xiaoru loved, but also had to have the sense of responsibility. After all, once the two got married, the groom would inherit the FFC and its secrets together with Ma Xiaoru. Therefore, the integrity of an entire family was at stake.

    Wu Xin knew that House of Ma held unimaginable secrets, but she never asked her husband for details.

    Li Ruoer had spoken out her family''spromise to Ma Xiaoru''s request, and therefore, Ma Dutian had finally agreed to his daughter''s demand. Meanwhile, he allowed Li Ruoer to apany Ma Xiaoru, not only for safety concerns, but also a promise to the Li that nothing would happen between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong during the visit to the moon. To be frank, although Wu Xin considered Li Shiming a fine young man, she never liked House of Li either.

    Her parents'' permission had put a skip into Ma Xiaoru''s steps. She had already forgotten that Wang Tong was still in the semi-finals, and to get to the final, he would need to ovee the so far invincible sh.

    Li Ruoer thought Wang Tong would have at most 50% chance of defeating sh. While looking at Ma Xiaoru who acted like Wang Tong was already in the final, Li Ruoermented the amount of damage infatuation would do to one''s wits.

    As Ma Xiaoru walked away with Li Ruoer, Wu Xin shook her head and marveled at the wisdom of Li Ruoer at such a young age. Before the "family meeting," Wu Xin had already exchanged a few words with Li Ruoer, asking her take on the marriage. Li Ruoer made it clear that Li Shiming was very much into Ma Xiaoru, but since Ma Xiaoru was still too young, she rmended Wu Xin not to push her daughter into the marriage. Li Ruoer also agreed with Wu Xin''s notion that only the strongest would be able to hold Ma Xiaoru''s hand, and she thought the tournament would be an excellent opportunity to weed out the weak.

    Wu Xin didn''t disclose the conversation to Ma Xiaoru. Ma Dutian''s intention in offering Wang Tong an opportunity had eluded Wu Xin. However, for the sake of fairness, she reasoned that House Ma should also provide Li Shiming a chance as well. Compared to Wang Tong, who had rushed to ask for Ma Xiaoru''s hand, Li Shiming seemed more respectful in his approach as he wanted to start things slow.

    However, Li Shiming''s opinion was a drastic contrast with that of his father. Li Zhidao treated the marriage as a business; it was nothing more than the forging of an alliance.

    Although Wu Xin knew that Li Shiming''s wedding proposal was not entirely without his father''s influence, she was happy to see that Li Shiming didn''t see things in the same extreme perspective as his father.

    Recently, Ma Dutian had been very busy with the technical difficulties in the new battery FFC was working on. They were almost there, but a few technical wrinkles stubbornly persisted to exist.

    Despite the already astronomical cost that House of Ma had invested in the research, Ma Dutian poured more money into the advancement of technology every day, because he was convinced that making the scientific breakthrough was the only core value that House of Ma could bring to the world.

    ¡­

    After Wang Tong finished his cultivation, he went straight to bed to make sure he was well rested for thepetition. Wang Tong and sh knew each other well, and therefore, they both knew that there would be a tough fight ahead of them. The promise of seeing Ma Xiaoru at the final match lent Wang Tong determination. He knew that he couldn''t let Ma Xiaoru down.

    The next day morning, Wang Tong woke up and found out that Cao Yi and Karl were already gone.

    "Where are Karl and Cao Yi?" Wang Tong asked Zhou Sisi.

    "They said they are going to prepare by themselves, and told you not to worry about them." Zhou Sisi said.

    Wang Tong nodded. He agreed that Karl''s opponent was not an easy target, and the more he prepared, the better.

 Chapter 314: Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger

    Chapter 314: Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Very well, I will be off to my training now!"

    "Go, Wang Tong, go! Make sure you defeat sh!"

    "You bet I will!" Wang Tong flexed his muscles in front of Zhou Sisi. His task today was to familiarize himself with some details of his opponents, and to discuss methods of psychological tactics with Zhou Sisi.

    This day went fast, and after Wang Tong had finished training, he went to bed without Cao Yi and Karl.

    The next morning, the arena was packed with people, including many fleetbat researchers who came to observe the performance of both Wang Tong and sh.

    There were two major research groups in the world. One of them focused on the METALbat; how to improvebat ability had always been the enduring question of the human society. The current focus of the research was to enhance the sea of consciousness. Creating new tactics was a difficult task, if not outright dangerous due to the high risk of entering derangement. There had been unfortunate incidences where a cultivator had gone deranged after inventing powerful but unstable tactics. Many lives were lost in the process of containing the deranged cultivator, and therefore, the Confederation had made stringent regtions on the publication and practice of any new tactics.

    In addition to the METALbat, the other branch of research focused on the Fleet battle. Although the Fleet battle research was not as influential as the METALbat, they helped the military to evaluate fighters and assess their fighting styles. Therefore, their recognition was particrly important to young and aspiring fleetmanders.

    Every faction hosted their own tournaments for fleetbat, although those events were at a much smaller scale. The new fighting styles of the contestants during this year¡¯s tournament had proven to be a huge draw. Truth be told, even the audiences had gotten tired of seeing the Kaedeian''s fighting style after it had dominated the arena for so many years. So, Karl''s victory seemed to have breathed a new life into the field of fleetbat. Everyone wondered what kind of surprise Karl had in store for them during his semifinal fight.

    Fighting styles aside, Wang Tong and sh were the two who possessed the power equal to a real-lifemander. The navy loved sh''s calm and methodical approach, and they believed that once sh was recruited to the military, he would very quickly be one of the high ranking officers tomand an entire armada.

    Talentedmanders like these three were a rare sight among earthlings. Therefore, the military hoped that the three earthling boys would continue their training and keep up with their excellent work.

    Every seat in the arena was already taken, as everyone was eager to see the winner between the one with the perfect battle awareness and the other with the cheapest defense.

    Both Wang Tong and sh had already entered the quiet prep-room. Outside the prep-room, the host of the event touted the sponsors¡¯ products.

    On the big screen, the audiences could see the calm expression on the two yer''s faces. They both seemed rxed but alert at the same time¡ªa sign of their incredible emotion control.

    "Bisu, I am a little worried about sh," Kal said.

    "It''s hard to tell. If we hadn''t visited Ayrng and waken Wang Tong up from his slumbering state, I bet sh would win the match in a heartbeat. However, ever since our visit to Ayrng, Wang Tong has fully recovered his power. That being said, sh''s skills have also improved by leaps and bounds. But I know this much, the title of Champion would belong to either one of them, since neither KKK nor Karl are their equal."

    Seized by anticipation, Bisu bit his fingernails. As a yer as well as one who was obsessed with the Fleet Combat, the tension of waiting was unbearable.

    Anyone who was an avid fleetbat yer would know that neither Karl nor KKK would not have any chance winning when fighting against Wang Tong or sh.

    There were a few thousands of audiences in the first section. They were well-known yers and researchers from various institutions. The front row was reserved for the media, and the middle section was reserved for political or military leaders. Many military leaders had attended the event, since the incredible power of the two yers had piqued their interest.

    These expectant viewers constant exchanged words with each other, as anticipation crawled onto their face.

    "I wager their major confrontation would happen mid tote game," Bisu announced. As both a friend and enemy, Bisu knew the two better than anyone else.

    "Touch¨¦. Wang Tong''s clone ability means that sh has to deal with him before the final stage of the fight; mid-game would be sh''s only chance. "

    Although the two fighters'' fighting styles were drastically different, they both possessed abilities to adapt to any situation, which made them impossible to defeat using regr methods. The oue of the game would, therefore, be unpredictable, since it hinged on the two yers real-time performance.

    Any battle tactic would have a brief period of vacuum in its force, and the same went for Wang Tong''s cheap defense tactics. A good yer knew how to hide that period of vacuum, and a better yer, such as sh, would be able to sniff those supply vacuums out using constant harassments.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong''s defense was passive-aggressive; it allowed him more time to adjust his unit lines to cover up any openings.

    It would be a fight between the perfect aggression and the perfect defense.

    "Ruoer, I am so nervous right now. But look at him, isn''t he handsome? " Ma Xiaoru held both hands together and felt both excited and nervous. Although she was not in the Arena, the 3D projection had made it look like as if she was.

    Li Ruoer was speechless and then replied, "You are blind."

    Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile. She should have known that Li Ruoer wouldn''t understand her.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, Zhang Jin cleared her desk and turned on the TV. She had been studying a few cases involving the FFC, House of Zhang''s mainpetitor in the tech sector.

    The TV showed a shower of advertisements before the fight began. The amusing ads had made Zhang Jin feel rxed.

    Zhang Jin cracked a smile. She had a teful to think about every day, and therefore, she had learned to tone herself down at the end of every busy day. It was essential to do so to prevent a nervous breakdown after spending too much time at work.

    To put it simply, she had learned to strike a bnce between work and her life.

    While the pre-gamemercials were still touting their products, Zhang Jin thought it would be a good time for a bubble bath. As she rested herself into the tub full of water, Wang Tong''s energetic and beaming face emerged out from her memories. She had never thought that Wang Tong, the boy she had rescued from Norton, would eventually walk up to the stage of the semi-final of the tournament, much less his connection with the de Warrior.

    After three hundred years, the de Warrior finally returned, and even House of Zhang could not resist the profoundness of the development and was tempted to get involved.

    She wrapped her wless body in towels and lolled onto a sofa. The timing was perfect as the match had just begun.

    A hostile fire burned inside sh. He was determined to win the fight, not only because he wanted to, but also because HE had ordered him to do so.

    "The first round¡ªstart!"

    It was clear that none of the yers would like to assume too much risk in the first round, as they both used rather ordinary openings.

 Chapter 315: Battlefield Control

    Chapter 315: Battlefield Control

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Seeing that Wang Tong had deployed his usual defensive formation, sh cranked up his unit provision, making sure that he had an edge regarding number. All the while, he managed to strike a bnce between economic development and the supply of forces.

    The two had both exhibited excellent judgment regarding the overall flow of the battle from the very beginning.

    Both yers had achieved their goal in the early stage of the match.

    There was no apparent winner in the early scouting and harassment. Despite Wang Tong''s passive-aggressive defense, sh was able to put the pressure on his opponent''s line and prevent it from creeping forward while maintaining an advantage in the economy. The two yers knew each other too well, and therefore, they both had to be very careful to not to make the slightest mistake, since even a minor slip up would not slip away unnoticed under their opponent''s nose.

    Ten minutester, the game entered the middle stage. sh''s third base was already making a significant contribution to the invading force, while Wang Tong''s third base had just finished its construction. sh had gained the upper hand in terms of both strength and economy, but Wang Tong''s turtle defense was also nearpletion. It was the right time for sh to wage a full-on assault since. Without a stable economy, his opponent was at his weakest.

    This was the most dangerous time for Wang Tong. He had paid a hefty price to build up his defensive line; the rank of his force was thinner, and his economy was meagerpared to his opponent. If he were dragged into arge scale battle thatsted more than two minutes, his sluggish economy would turn around to bite him in the arse.

    It all came down the sense of timing, an unteachable skill.

    sh didn''t attack as soon as he noticed the weakness in his opponent. He waited for another five minutes, gathering more forces in the process, and then charged his units out of his base to Wang Tong''s newly constructed third base.

    The third base was extremely important to Wang Tong since, with the first two bases'' resources dwindling, the support of his entire force hinged upon it. Sensing the urgency, Wang Tong detached a significant number of units to aid the third base''s defense. Forces from two sides engaged in a fierce battle immediately. Units on both sidesplimented each other''s power while mobilizing swiftly without losing formation. Both yers had their advantages, as Wang Tong relied heavily on his defense while sh counted on his superior number of units and his stronger economy.

    The two forces fired at each other as units dropped like flies. sh''s attack had struck a hefty blow to Wang Tong, since his attack came down on Wang Tong when he hadn''t yet gotten the chance to break even the cost of building the third base. Besides, the third base was rtively remote from Wang Tong''s medic units, and therefore, he did not gain much benefit for fighting as the defender.

    The two engaged in a fierce battle; both waited for their opponent to slip up while sustaining heavy casualties. It was a moment of life and death.

    Slowly but surely, sh''s reinforcements started to gather force. It began as a trickle of units, and in a short period of time, it had already formed a steady stream. In a few moments, sh had doubled his units.

    This had again proven sh''s terrific ability to control the flow of battlefield by snatching even the slightest opportunity, and turning it into profit. Wang Tong was in danger; if he lost his third base, he might as well have lost the round. The criticalponent in any defensive tactic was to maintain a steady economy during the middle phase. It would be less important during thete game, since micro control would start to take center stage.

    sh gathered his force in front of Wang Tong''s base and was ready for the final charge.

    Suddenly, sh noticed red lights sh on his dashboard, informing him that his second base was under attack by stealth fighters.

    In the heat of the battle, Wang Tong leveraged his superior soul energy and micro, and sneaked a transport ship out of his base under sh''s nose. However, he didn''t drop the fighters right away. Instead, he had reserved it until thest moment, right before Wang Tong''s base was about to be swallowed whole by his opponent''s force.

    Although the four stealth fighters were rtively cheap units, they had wreaked havoc on sh''s base, ughtering defenseless units.

    sh suddenly found a dilemma being presented to him. If he chose to save his base, he would have given Wang Tong the precious time to beef up his defense. However, if he decided to do the otherwise, his number of bases would be reduced to two, and even if he were able to obliterate Wang Tong''s third base, they would both continue the rest of the game with two bases¡ªnot that much of advantage after all the units were lost.

    Only after the slightest hesitation, sh doubled down on his determination of destroying Wang Tong''s third base as he charged his force into his opponent''s base and a fierce battle started anew.

    While dealing with the ever-changing tide of the battle at the front line, sh also started to produce units in his base to counter Wang Tong''s harassment. However, that was exactly what Wang Tong wanted ¡ª a distraction.

    Since Wang Tong was on the defensive side, many defensive facilities had drastically reduced his AMP required at the front line. Therefore, he was able to control the four stealth units to dodge and charge at his will. On the other hand, both his invading army and the home base screamed at sh for more attention and AMP, and while sh was struggling to keep up with everything, his unit production fell short.

    Wang Tong''s timing was perfect, as the sudden halt in sh''s unit supply staggered him, giving Wang Tong the precious time to prepare for the final battle. When sh eventually killed the four stealth fighters, Wang Tong had already passed the critical moment and started to tip the scale in his favor.

    So brilliant was Wang Tong''s maneuver, that only four units had changed the tide of the battle.

    sh wasn''t ruffled by the development, as he immediately started to focus on gathering more forces to keep the pressure on Wang Tong. He had conceded that he had missed the best opportunity to cripple Wang Tong''s economy, and without a constant harassment, Wang Tong''s expansion would very quickly get out of control.

    Although it seemed that sh still had a chance of winning this round, the battle had already ended when Wang Tong''s third base was up and running again.

    sh''s battle awareness was brilliant, but it failed to predict Wang Tong''s incredible maneuver.

    The battle had finally entered thete stage where it started to be an arms race for humongous battle-cruisers. With the aid of his clone technique, Wang Tong won the final battle with ease.

    The score changed to one to zero in favor of Wang Tong.

    Cheers and hoorays rose from Ayrng at the sight of Wang Tong''s victory. It was an honest victory using honest skills, since there were no tricks nor deceiving involved after both opponents had seen through each other''s ploy.

    These two fighters were able to find out ws in near wless strategies. This ability was what set them apart from other contestants.

    "Brother Shiming, you have thought too highly of this kid. It''s a waste of our time." Porten said while he was visibly irritated.

    He was not fond of Wang Tong, not only because of his low-ss status, but also because of the seemingly intimate rtionship he had with Li Ruoer.

 Chapter 316: Counter Attack

    Chapter 316: Counter Attack

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Despite his despise towards Wang Tong, Porten tried to hide it from the others.

    "Hehe, Brother Porten, sh is a very talented student. He ought to be one of your mostpetentmanders, don''t you think? "

    "Brother Shiming, you have a soft spot for talents, which I understand. But look at him! There would be plenty ofmanders like him, so no sense in putting all your eggs in one basket. I have heard that he needed a lot of money for the treatment of his sick mother. It''s going to cost you a fortune, you know. You even allowed his game to disturb your critical close-door cultivation and troubled yourself to watch his game. But look what you got¡ªa failure."

    Li Shiming remained calm, "Brother Porten, it''s not a distraction. I need to take a break too."

    "Haha, I know what you are worried about, but fret not! I wager that even if Wang Tong were able to enter the final, he wouldn''t be able to take home the title of Champion." Porten said with conviction.

    Porten believed that he could alter anything he wanted to as long as he had enough power. It was part of the reason why he was so obsessed with power.

    Li Shiming nodded, his face calm as usual. He believed that sh would not disappoint him.

    The second round began. The heat of the battle cranked up, but the two yers became calmer, as they both understood that passion should be reserved for another time, and only being methodical and calm would lead them to their victory.

    The two yers started the game with the same opening tactic asst round; Wang Tong started to build up his defense lines while sh steadily increased the rank of his force.

    It took mettle and confidence for sh to repeat the same tactic that had failed once.

    Did he do it because he didn''t know any other opening tactic? Or was it because he thought his opponent''sst victory was merely a fluke?

    The answer would only be revealed after the battle had concluded.

    sh was m as he carried out his strategy, while Wang Tong''s scout kept a tap on his every move.

    The game seemed like a review of thest one till the mid-stage, when sh had gathered a considerable force and was ready to strike a blow at Wang Tong''s new base.

    Everyone wagered that the pressure on sh ought to be immense, since he had led the same invading army against the same defense force under the lingering despair of hisst defeat.

    Kal was one of the audience members who had be worried for sh. He and sh had prepared more than one opening strategy before the match, and he wondered what had made sh hesitate in deploying the other strategies.

    Bisu''s face held a gloomy expression. He knew that should sh fail this round, he would be pressed against by an even greater pressure.

    Zhang Jin curled herself up into a ball under the nket and watched the match with great interest. "Marvelous..." She murmured to herself as she admired sh''s incredible battle awareness.

    sh was a real genius in fleet battle, even though he never invented any new fighting styles as Karl did. His ability to discern the flow of the battle was what set him apart, and made him almost immune to any adverse effect of the opponent''s strategies.

    Despise crawled back onto Porten''s face, but this time, he kept theining to himself. Nheless, he thought it was unwise for sh to use the same tactic that had been proven a failure.

    Meanwhile, a faint smile found the corner of Li Shiming''s lips, as he had realized that he had discovered a real genius, since only a real genius would have the confidence to expose himself to so much risk.

    The progression was the same as thest game: sh led his army to Wang Tong''s fresh-out-of-oven third base, threatening the existence of Wang Tong''s economy.

    However, Wang Tong was more prepared this time, as he had installed a few ambush units along the enemies'' way, and also sent in his reinforcements ahead of time.

    On the other hand, sh had also beefed up the guard in his base, making sure that Wang Tong would not be able to drop another sneak attack on him.

    Unable to find an opportunity tond a drop ship, Wang Tong decided to focus on the defense. Although sh did not possess the unbelievable AMP like Wang Tong, he had superior control over the formation of his units to make up for his disadvantage.

    sh''s strong suit, in addition to battle awareness, was in his wless unit makeup and formation controls¡ª skills that were unteachable at school.

    Wang Tong''s third base was in danger, and withoutnding a sessful sneak attack at the enemy¡¯s rear, Wang Tong felt hard-pressed to defend the waves of attacks.

    Wang Tong''s third base was gone in a few moments.

    Although the beginning of the fight resembled that of thest one, the oue was drastically different. Having his only economic node being destroyed, Wang Tong''s hands were tied as he watched sh quickly amass arge fleet and open the fourth base.

    sh didn''t choose to wage a full-on war with Wang Tong right away, as he knew that the defense inside the remaining two bases was formidable. One mistake and he might quickly lose all the advantages he had built up to this point. Therefore, he decided to bide his time and wait just a bit longer.

    sh''s expansion had inevitably put pressure on his opponent, tempting Wang Tong toe out of his turtle shell. Wang Tong held back his urge of rushing his remaining force out of the defensive line, since losing those remaining units meant he would have lost the match.

    It was evident then that this match would notst until thete game.

    sh''s forces patrolled around the resource nodes, making sure that Wang Tong would not have any chance of establishing another base, while the attack units kept on spilling out from all four of his headquarters.

    Wang Tong finally conceded his defeat and typed in "gg."

    The score evened at one to one.

    Students at Capth boiled over, unable to contain their excitement. They had finally seen what they wanted to see, a perfectmander.

    sh''s victory using the same strategy as thest game had undoubtedly eroded his opponent''s confidence, as the message was clear, ¡®You can turtle in all you want, but I could still whoop your ass until you submit.¡¯

    sh had shown everyone the meaning of real confidence. Instead of losing faith in his ability after a devastating blow, he had remained adamant and eventually overcame his opponent like a real battlemander.

    "What luck!" Porten pouted as a few words escaped her teeth.

    "He had outshined his opponent in his ability to control the flow. He knew that he had lost the game in the middle stage of the first round, yet he didn''t give up untilte game. He did this to feed his opponent a taste of heroic victory, a lure if you will. He knew that the revenge would be ten times sweeter when it was done when the opponent was the least suspecting." Li Shiming said as he nodded in approval of sh''s ability.

    sh had countered Wang Tong''s turtle strategy, and that meant Wang Tong would not be able to use the cheap strategy on sh in theing fights.

    sh had also proven that the acute sense of enemies'' intention and battle awareness were deadlier than any fighting styles.

    Zhang Jin watched the development curiously as she wondered what Wang Tong would do next.

    sh was a paragon of both confidence and skills; the earthlings were lucky to have gained such a genius.

    As everyone became curious as to what Wang Tong would do next, they watched as Wang Tong''s lips curled into a wicked smile.

    Across the simtion room, sh smiled back with a pair of knowing eyes.

    The two''s strange exchange of smiles had dumbfounded the audiences, as they found it hard pressed toe up with the meaning behind those smiles.

    The third round started. The two fighters were all on their own since as the top fighters in the world, no one was able to offer them better advice on what they should do than themselves.

    Wang Tong''s supporters felt anxious, as they worried that pressure would bend Wang Tong''s will and lead him to make mistakes. They also wondered what Wang Tong would do once his cheap turtle tactics had been countered.

    The audiences boiled over at the sight of Wang Tong''s opening formation. It was the Art of Soaring Heaven.

    Some people''s jaw almost dropped after seeing a yer whose was best at defense deploy an aggression focused tactic. Some people marveled at Wang Tong''s recklessness in braving the riskiest and the most challenging tactics in the world.

    If Wang Tong wanted the element of surprise, he had already lost it a few minutes into the battle after sh''s scout had sessfully sniffed out Wang Tong''s intention for early aggression.

    As sh readied his anti-air units, Wang Tong''s first assault ship sailed out of the starport.

    Although sh''s defense mobilization and reconnaissance was impable, everyone was caught by surprise by what happened when Wang Tong''s force charged into sh base,

 Chapter 317: Tit For Tat

    Chapter 317: Tit For Tat

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    If Wang Tong''s defense was able to infuriate his opponent, his attack was capable of sending his opponent straight into despair. His attacks obliterated sh''s defense units and set the entire base aze.

    When sh noticed that Wang Tong had rolled out stealth units, he conceded defeat and typed in "gg."

    The arena fell into a reverential silence.

    Wang Tong''s execution of the Art of Soaring Heaven was as wless as that of Einherjar Wannabe. Beautiful control and perfect timing. It was...impable.

    Everyone conceded that this was the most potent early rush they had ever seen.

    sh was caught off guard by the sudden change in Wang Tong''s switch from defense to aggression. sh had been preparing himself for an early attack, but he didn''t expect that the Art of the Soaring Heaven would be knocking on his gate, since it seemed out of Wang Tong''s conservative character.

    The Kaedeians looked at each other in disbelief. They had been trying hard and failed to counter the Art of Soaring Heaven, and had since convinced that once the Art of Soaring Heaven was deployed in its full intent, it was invincible.

    KKK and his Ivantian cohort had turned pale as they were shocked by the freakish power of both sh and Wang Tong.

    Everyone knew Wang Tong as the turtle king, but then it seemed like they might have to pick another nickname for him.

    In less than ten minutes, Wang Tong had turned sh''s base into ashes and forced the so-called perfectmander to surrender. Wang Tong''s victory had increased the pressure on sh, and made him ponder on his next move.

    The problem sh had was this: Knowing that an early rush was possible, sh had to sacrifice some economy to build up his defense. However, if he lost the bet and Wang Tong started the fight with defense in mind, he would have lost the precious time to build up an invading army. He conceded that even if he could think of a proper solution to this conundrum, he might still not be able to win, because his opponent was no one other than Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was eager to see how sh would be able to counter his Art of the Soaring Heaven to help him improve his skill further. Wang Tong hade up with thebination of the two tactics, thinking that it would be invincible. However, he was still not satisfied, as he hoped that someone, someday would be able to find the ws that had eluded his eyes.

    Wang Tong was convinced that only sh was able to do that.

    sh requested a timeout. He needed some time to think about his next move, since if he lost the next fight, the gate of the final match would deny his entry.

    The audiences sizzled. This had been the most suspenseful game they had ever watched, as both yers possessed unique skills and power.

    The Perfect Commander versus the Ultimate Weapon¡­Who would prevail?

    The moment Wang Tong had mastered the Art of the Souring Heaven, he had be invulnerable.

    "Go, Boss! Go!" Karl shouted from the audience seat. Zhou Sisi noticed that he wore a brace on his arm, and she immediately became worried.

    Cao Yi exchanged a nce with Zhou Sisi, and then he shook his head slightly.

    "Let''s worry about Wang Tong for now. I will exin itter."

    "The Art of Soaring Heaven!I knew it was him!"

    "...You mean... This Wang Tong is Einherjar Wannabe?" Porten asked incredulously.

    Li Shiming nodded.

    "I have his profile; he is a nobody. Are you sure?" Porten still held his doubts as he found it too fast to draw a conclusion based on only the fighting style.

    "Doesn''t matter anymore. Let''s see if he would be able to win this round." Li Shiming didn''t want to bother arguing with Porten, so he brushed away the question.

    Porten registered Li Shiming''s conviction and realized that he had been holding back his opinion all the while.

    Zhang Jin sipped on her juice while enjoying the excellent show unfold. Rarely anything would be able to pique Zhang Jin''s interest as Wang Tong could. She always wondered what this boy would bring to the world with his power.

    Ma Xiaoru hopped up and down in excitement, while Li Ruoer was trying to hold back her excitement after seeing Wang Tong''s Art of the Soaring Heaven. It was clear to her that both Wang Tong and sh had already reached the pinnacle of the fleetbat.

    Although the fleetbat was not as visceral as METALbat, watching it was no less entertaining nor less suspenseful to the viewers.

    For the first time, Li Ruoer found that Wang Tong''s manliness was attractive.

    Ma Xiaoru waited for Wang Tong''s third victory in joyful anticipation; one more round and she would be able to see Wang-lovely-Tong in person.

    Meanwhile, sh shut himself inside the resting room, eyes closed. He knew he had arrived at the most critical moment, and without a calm mind, he would lose all that he had earned.

    He simply could not afford to lose at this stage.

    Everyone knew him as the genius of the fleetbat, but no one knew his story.

    His mother''s illness had struck a devastating blow to his family. To pay the medical bill, sh had worked part-time, but that wasn''t enough. So eventually, he got involved in more risky business: underground gambling, so that he could barely make ends meet.

    When Capth decided to recruit him, everyone thought it was a good thing for the boy. However, the first thought that popped into his mind were questions such as how he would be able to afford the tuition, and who would take care of his bed-bound mother.

    He dreamed of studying at Capth. However, students were forbidden to partake in any underground activities.

    When sh was about to reject Capth''s offer, someone he thought he would never be associated with had shown up and turned his situation around.

    That person never asked sh for anything in return, until recently, when he had suggested sh repay his doubt by winning the tournament. That had been the first time he ever made a request, and it was a request that sh found hard pressed to leave unfulfilled.

    The resting room remained silent as sh scrapped his mind for any method of defeating Wang Tong.

    "There must be a weak link, must be!" He reminded himself.

    In an urgent care unit of an A ss hospital somewhere on Earth, a middle-aged woman watched the TV screen expectantly.

    The referee announced the start of the fourth round. Winning this round meant that Wang Tong would be able to see Ma Xiaoru.

    Seeing that Wang Tong had mastered both the defensive and the offensive tactics, everyone thought that sh stood no chance against the Ultimate Weapon of Earthlings.

    sh showed up just in time. He seemed calm as usual, although some had noticed a glint flicker in his eyes.

    "Battle ... Start!"

    People noticed that Wang Tong''s opening tactic was still the Art of the Souring Heaven.

    What would sh do? The suspense was unbearable.

    Wang Tongid his strategy under in view, and wished that sh would be able to catch the w in his tactics that he had failed to notice.

    "Wang Tong has used the Art of Soaring Heaven again. And sh...Ah ... sh... sh has also used the Art of the Soaring Heaven! Am I really seeing this? Is he going to keep up with Wang Tong''s micro?"

    Everyone''s breath was caught in their throats. It was well known that the Art of the Soaring Heaven was extremely difficult to pull off, as it required wless execution and an insane amount of AMP, something that sh was not well known for.

    "I have to say that sh''s choice does make some sense."

    In a few moments, both Wang Tong and sh had popped an assault ship from their star ports simultaneously. Knowing that he would lose a confrontation in a heartbeat, sh circled his ship around Wang Tong''s base, as if he were trying to drag out the early phase of the game.

 Chapter 318: The Ultimate State

    Chapter 318: The Ultimate State

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong had already registered that his opponent''s intention was in dragging on the game for as long as possible. After a few rounds of the game of cat and mouse, sh''s unit''s life bar had drained to almost zero while Wang Tong''s were still nearly full.

    However, since sh had lured Wang Tong''s unit closer to his base, sh was able to reinforce the first unit with another one fresh out of the star-port.

    The critical element in sessfully pulling off the Art of the Soaring Heaven was to destroy the ground radar early on, and to do that, one needed first to establish dominance in the air.

    Because of the simrities in the two yers'' intentions, the opening had be the most critical stage of the fight. Two of sh''s air units had joined forces and destroyed Wang Tong''s unit. However, Wang Tong''s reinforcement was already on its way. Also, Wang Tong had also started the construction of stealth units. Therefore, he registered that his first and foremost goal was to uproot sh''s ground radar, so that his stealth units wouldn''t be detected.

    Wang Tong was convinced that as long as his second fighter jet arrived at the front line, he would be able to regain the air dominance by relying on his superior AMP.

    However, what sh did next had caught everyone by surprise. He ordered the construction of another base instead of focusing on his unit production. Some audiences saw some sense in it, since one base could only provide enough resources to support one radar station. An additional radar station would definitely help during the heat of the battle.

    By then, the effect of sh''s dy tactic deployed in the very beginning started to shine. By dying Wang Tong''s production of the stealth units, sh had gained precious time to build a second base, and therefore, acquired one more ground radar. People finally started to realize that sh''s moves, from the dy tactics to constructing the second base, were inextricably connected, and essential to the ultimate sess of the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    Once the second base was built, sh quickly packed up the entire first base and moved it to the second base, leaving only a sparsely guarded encampment as a ruse. This was a high risk and high reward kind of move. After all, if the secret relocation of the base were detected too soon, sh would have no choice but to concede his annihtion.

    However, sh''s premonitory senses had foretold that Wang Tong would rush his first base with air units while holding back stealth units, an imperative foresight in the sess of sh''s poly.

    Two minutester, under the belligerent attacks, sh''s first base was sacked by Wang Tong, and the radar station was destroyed. Suddenly, sh found himself surrounded by so many stealth units that even his reinforcements would not be able to push the attackers back.

    As sh''s defensive line was on the verge of copsing, a radar signal rang across the battlefield and revealed Wang Tong''s hidden units.

    Wang Tong''s stealth units perished as fast as their shape appeared out of thin air. It was all toote when Wang Tong had finally realized that there was another radar hidden in the second base. The investment in the stealth tech had eaten up Wang Tong''s fleet coffer, and by then, he was hard-pressed to scarp even a penny out of his economy.

    After pushing the attack back, sh consolidated his defensive forces and started producing more units. sh''s defensive formation was no less "cheap" than that of Wang Tong, asyers uponyers of defensive measures encircled his two bases without allowing even the smallest blind spot to exist.

    sh had started to y the game on his own terms as he sat backfortably in his base, focusing on unit upgrades and production. Meanwhile, Wang Tong''s economy had been stretched thin by the crippling economy¡ª the side effect of failing the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

    To be fair, sh didn''t ovee the Art of the Soaring Heaven in a real sense of oveing a battle style. However, the fleet battle was not hypercritical debates of fighting techniques on paper; it changed from match to match, as the oue was affected by the minutest maneuvers. Despite the significant risk sh had assumed for his strategy, his conviction in his ability to foretell Wang Tong''s predicable moves had given him confidence. His meticulous logic had guided him in every step he had taken. However preposterous his strategy might have sounded to other yers, he had seen a sliver of hope through the veil of uncertainty.

    Thus, sh had gained a small advantage, and he grasped it firmly in his hand. Although Wang Tong quickly established a second base, his economy and tech progression had fallen far behind sh.

    When the match finally progressed to mid game, sh sensed the opportunity was ripe for attack. Without bothering himself with a third base, he rushed his units out of the formidable defense into Wang Tong''s zone of influence.

    In mere minutes after the engagement had broken out, Wang Tong gave up and conceded defeat.

    The Perfect Commander had proven his perfection to the whole world once again.

    The audiences stood up to cheer for such a marvelous disy of skills of both contestants.

    Cheers and shouts rose from Capth''s campus as students were ted by their schoolmate''s victory. Meanwhile, in Ayrng, everyone''s face became taut as they sensed the looming pressure.

    "This was, by far, the most fantastic and suspenseful match that I had ever seen! Unbelievable performance!" As the vice president of the Fleet battle research division, the senior game host heaved a long sigh after his loud praise.

    "Indeed. These two yers are well above the average ability of students of their age."

    The two boys had excelled at every aspect of the fleet battle, and the two hosts suddenly found themselves at ack of words to praise the two yers.

    sh''s victory seemed to have happened by chance, but it was the result of careful nning and methodical delivery. sh had proven to have mastered the art of psychological maniption and possessing a wless sense of timing.

    After watching the game, all the other yers felt a looming sense of pressure as they were shocked by sh''s incredible disy of power. They also wondered what Wang Tong felt after experiencing sh''s ability first hand.

    Much like the previous round when Wang Tong had stolen the victory from sh''s fingertips using a sneak attack, sh had returned the favor by deploying an equally deceiving ruse.

    Such was the capriciousness of the tide on the battlefield; no one was able to auger the direction of the wind.

    On the big screen, Wang Tong seemed to have fallen into deep thoughts.

    "Haha, Wang Tong must have already been preparing his victory pose, but who knew that Boss would be able to stun him with two consecutive blows in the face," Kal shouted out as he pped his hands in excitement.

    "Incredible! It looks like Wang Tong has be uncertain. He would learn quickly that it was not that easy to walk out of a devastating defeat as sh did. " Bisu announced.

    Taking the sarcastic undertone out of Kal''sment, he had hit the mark by suggesting that Wang Tong had underestimated his opponent.

    Ma Xiaoru was aware that the real-time performance¡ª heavily influenced by psychological conditions¡ªwas the wild card that would drastically affect the oue of fleetbat.

    The thought of Wang Tong losing the next round unnerved Ma Xiaoru, as distress etched onto her face. She prayed that Wang Tong would remain level-headed during the next game.

    Li Ruoer wasn''t sure what to tell Ma Xiaoru, as she too felt helpless in her current situation. Although she was somewhat detached from the significance of the fight, she found herself being helplessly jealous of her infatuated mind.

    Everyone was studying Wang Tong''s expression as they registered something seemed to be amiss.

    A faint smile crept onto Li Shiming''s lips as he wagered that Wang Tong''s failure in the fleetbat would ultimately affect his performance during the METALbat as well. sh had done an excellent job.

    Li Shiming knew that Wang Tong''s impoverished childhood would have drawn out his eagerness to be famous. Losing the fame and glory that was so close to his grasp ought to discourage him significantly.

    Li Shiming was convinced that sh would win the fifth round, even if Wang Tong were the heir of the legendary de Warrior.

    "Wang Tong, please enter your simtion room. The match is about to start."

    Despite the impatience in referee''s tone, sh waited quietly. Truth be told, he had considered it an honor to fight against Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong finally opened his eyes and walked into the simtion room.

    The fifth round was about to start.

    As soon as the referee announced the start of the match. A series of wild cheers rose among the audiences, who were unable to contain their emotions.

    On the screen, the audiences saw that both yers had started the game with the Art of the Soaring Heaven.

 Chapter 319: The Final Showdown

    Chapter 319: The Final Showdown

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Simr to the fourth round, sh didn''t rush for the second base. Instead, he focused on producing more anti-air units since he wagered that his opponent would not fall for the same trick twice.

    Although Wang Tong''s expression was cid, a luster burned in his eyes. He seemed to have picked up the clue as he adjusted his strategy. Instead of producing stealth units, he chose to go with standard infantry, and instead of aggression, Wang Tong focused on expansion.

    Audiences felt that something was amiss, but they couldn''t put the finger on it.

    Zhang Jin rested her head on the cup of her hands, and batted her eyshes, "Is it possible?" She muttered to herself, seeming astonished by what she had seen.

    Wang Tong drove his force further to the furthest point of his expansion. Meanwhile, sh had finished building up a formidable force, but instead of charging it into Wang Tong''s base, he used the force as an escort to open up new bases. Things were looking good for sh so far; Wang Tong seemed to deploy neither the Art of the Soaring Heaven nor the turtle defense.

    After a few small skirmishes on multiple fronts, the two both started using the aggressive Art of Karl, hoping their opponent would slip up amidst the flurry of actions.

    Both yers hadpetent micro control, and therefore, both held their ground firmly. The audiences were surprised to realize that Wang Tong was as efficient in his attack as he was in defending.

    Zhang Jin stood up from the sofa and stretched her body. "What a pity, the battle had already ended." She said and then she started off to the gym.

    sh could feel that the scale of the battle was tipping in his favor. His second base had started production, and he had tried air-dropping a half dozen units deep into Wang Tong''s lines. Although the air-drop units were not able to do much damage, it had served its purpose of distracting Wang Tong.

    While sh was steeped in his content for the apparent course of the battle, Wang Tong started a full-on assault.

    Although sh was caught off guard by Wang Tong''s action, his units were prepared.

    Both sides immediately sustained heavy casualties, but continuously supply of reinforcements had help the two armies to hold their lines.

    sh was determined to hold off Wang Tong''s attack. As long as he could defend this bout of attack, sh reasoned that Wang Tong''s inferior economy would put him in a disadvantageous position.

    However, as sh focused on the confrontation with Wang Tong, he heard the system alert for the low reserve of his fleet coffer. It suddenly urred to him that Wang Tong had timed this attacked so that the depletion of his economy was inevitable¡ªmuch like what sh had done to his opponents.

    sh never thought that he would be staggered by the same perfect sense of timing that he was also well known for.

    Wang Tong''s face was calm, but his mind was racing. He was ted to have finally grasped the meaning of the so-called "timing." He realized that to obtain the perfect timing, he should start from the beginning, since the first move would directly affect his opponent''s subsequent movements.

    Wang Tong enjoyed the feeling of having his opponent pinned under his thumb unwittingly from the very beginning. The joy also made Wang Tong understand the source of sh''s confidence.

    Withoutmitting too much effort, Wang Tong had obliterated sh''s defensive line. All that Wang Tong had to do was to merely send in his forces, since the oue of the battle had already been determined.

    After having mastered the tactics of defense and aggression, as well as the strategies of obtaining the perfect timing, Wang Tong had finally lived up to his nickname, the "Ultimate Weapon."

    WINNER¡ªWang Tong!

    Wang Tong finally won the semi-final and entered the finals.

    Although the two had mixed and matched many different fighting styles in their match, the game was the rivalry between two of the most potent fleetmanders that earthlings had ever seen.

    In the earlier rounds, the experts in the audiences were convinced that sh were going to win the match, because they believed that Wang Tong''s fighting style, however powerful it was, was no match to sh''s ability to control the timing and the flow of the battle.

    However, after having witnessed that Wang Tong had learned from his opponent''s strong suit, everyone was convinced that Wang Tong had reached the pinnacle of fleet battle, because he had mastered both thebat tactics and battle strategy.

    Thest match was the epitome of confrontation between two ultimate powers. Their battle had gone beyond the skills on the keyboard, and reached deep into their mind and psychology. Wang Tong had won the psychological war, since he was able to walk out of the shadow of defeat, and didn''t give up the fight. In the end, the defeat only spurred his determination.

    So subtle was Wang Tong''s control over the flow of thest battle that many audiences considered his victory a coincident after failing to see Wang Tong''s careful nning from the very beginning.

    Everyone rose to cheer and apuse; they were not only cheering for the victor, but also for sh. The brilliance of the two yers¡¯ performance had outshone the oue of the fight.

    The two yers walked out of their simtion room and bowed to each other, then shook each other''s hand heavily. All the while, they both held a knowing smile.

    sh was an unusual talent in fleetbat, yet he was stopped cold on his way towards the title of champion.

    However, sh was content to have such an opponent, as he would not feel lonely for the rest of his career as a fleetmander.

    Audiences from the three factions had given up their differences and joined together in praising the two yers.

    When Wang Tong returned to his resting room, he was greeted by his ted friends.

    "Haha! Well done, Boss! I knew nothing would be able to stop you! To Hell with those who dare challenge you!" Karl shouted as if he had won the battle.

    "My job is done. Now it''s your turn. Get rid of KKK, and we will meet on the final stage. "

    Cao Yi smiled wryly and then said, "I am afraid that''s not gonna happen."

    Cao Yi exined briefly what had happened on the night of the incidence. Karl had insisted visiting the local Ivantian bar, but he had unintentionally started a fight and broke his arm in the process. Therefore, he would not be able topete in the tournament any longer.

    Karl had kept his injury away from Wang Tong, fearing that it might affect his mood while fighting against sh.

    Seeing Wang Tong''s knitted brows, Karl apologized, "I''m sorry Boss, it was my bad."

    "Not entirely your fault. I wager the Ivantians must have recognized you as the opponent of the Ivantian yer KKK, and therefore injured you intentionally. " Zhou Sisi said.

    Wang Tong registered that there was some sense in Zhou Sisi''s suspicion. Karl said he had barely offended the Ivantian hooligan, and it was clear that the Ivantian wanted to instigate a fight to injure Karl. Wang Tong was convinced that KKK was behind this.

    However, without any evidence, there was nothing the earthling students could do. Plus, they were on the Ivantian turf, Wang Tong doubted the local authority would treat it fairly.

    The three watched as Wang Tong gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw.

    "Boss... Don''t clench your jaw so hard. It looks ...scary." Karl said as he scratched his head with his good arm.

    "Sisi, would you please draft aint to the tournamentmittee? I want to see how they would respond to it. KKK...I will let you regret even wing out of your mother''s womb." Wang Tong said as anger burned inside his eyes.

    He was certain that he would make Ivantian worm pay.

 Chapter 320: Revenge

    Chapter 320: Revenge

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Students at Ayrng had boiled over Wang Tong''s victory. After defeating sh, Wang Tong had proven himself as the King of the Fleet Battle. Wang Tong found it hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, he had been struggling to recover his depleted soul energy.

    Wang Tong had be not only the pride of Ayrng, but also all the other A ss academies.

    Xiaoru hugged Ruoer in a fit of excitement. She knew Wang Tong would be sessful, and she was right.

    Perhaps the only person who was troubled by Wang Tong''s disy of strength was KKK.

    However unwilling he was, KKK would have to face Wang Tong in the final. Karl''s injury had forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

    KKK didn''t mind the investigation; he knew that the Ivantian task force would only brush the incident off with some perfunctory statements. Plus, the person who was directly involved in Karl''s injury had already fled the Moon, out of the task force''s justification.

    However despicable the method was, KKK had finally entered the final, and despite the power of his opponent, he was convinced that he still had a chance due to the randomness in the fleetbat''s oue.

    "For f*ck sake! He almost had him!" Porten shouted out angrily and kicked at the coffee table heavily.

    "Brother Porten, don''t be so caught up in a minor defeat. Plus, I am very pleased with sh''s performance. "

    "You are too forgiving! Sometimes, you need to tighten the noose too. Doesn''t matter, I wouldn''t let Wang Tong take the title of Champion home. We can''t rely on KKK, that guy is an idiot. Without my help, he couldn''t have even handled Karl and his friend Cao Yi."

    Li Shiming cracked a smile and then nodded. "No need to y the same card twice. Plus, themittee has already formed a task force investigating the incidence."

    "What are we supposed to do? Let Wang Tong take the championship? " Porten retorted indignantly.

    Li Shiming smiled away the question. He knew that Porten wouldn''t risk getting his hands dirty again.

    Porten signed off, and Li Shiming turned off the terminal.

    "My lord, let me get rid of that guy, I promise no one would know who did it." A dark shadow whispered behind Li Shiming.

    Li Shiming waved his had in dismissal, as the dark shadow faded away slowly.

    It was already toote to kill Wang Tong. The failure of the first assassination attempt had already alerted the Ma. Li Shiming conceded that any additional bold move would disrupt the intricate bnce between the two families.

    He had only one shot at handling the problem in the simplest way, and he had missed his opportunity by then.

    Plus, Li Shiming had prepared something even more painful than death for Wang Tong. He would allow Wang Tong to enter the final and defeat him in front of Ma Xiaoru''s eyes. Li Shiming wanted to make Wang Tong see himself for who he really was, a piss poor orphan who grew up in the ghetto. He wanted to show Wang Tong the consequences of asking for things that did not belong to him.

    Li Shiming was involved in Karl''s incidence as well; he knew it from the beginning that the other two fools, KKK and Porten, would never handle the issue and escape without his help.

    After the battle, sh reflected on his defeat in the resting room by himself. He didn''t feel remorse, because he knew that he had already done his best. Although he would not be able to im the championship, his defeat had shown him the areas where he could improve.

    The ringing of Sk disturbed his train of thought.

    "I am sorry," sh said immediately after he turned on the Sk terminal.

    Instead of scathing criticism, sh heard Li Shiming''s apuse. "You had done very well in this match. Although the oue was not what you had expected, your battle does not end here. I believe there is a bigger stage waiting for you out there!"

    "I..."

    "Don''t me yourself too hard on the defeat, but fight harder next time, and let your mother and I be proud of you. "

    Li Shiming shut off the terminal. He didn''t mind giving sh a second chance, since he was full of potential.

    The news of Wang Tong and KKK''s final match spread quickly.

    Samantha had taken time off to go to the Moon City and cheer for Wang Tong. She also pressed her concern to the investigation team regarding Karl''s injury, as she doubted that it was a random ident.

    Samantha invited the four students to a dinner. When Karl walked into the room, he didn''t even seem to be bothered by the unfortunate event at all.

    "Karl, you must feel relieved, don''t you?" Samantha asked.

    Wang Tong hadn''t seen Samantha for a while, and he couldn''t help notice that she had be even more beautiful than she had ever been. Wang Tong was enjoying her attractive features like enjoying a painting in the public museum, as his admiration was devoid of any sense of attachment and belonging. Their reuniting had turned out to be much less awkward than they both had thought. Although they had broken up, they didn''t leave any feud or regret behind, as they simply let go of each other to chase after their dreams.

    "You are very observant! What''s in me for defeating KKK anyways? Only to be bullied by Boss again. Too much trouble for too little reward." Karl waved his hands as if he wanted to drop the matter.

    Zhou Sisi and Cao Yi shook their heads. Although Karl was brave, if not reckless, he faltered and grew timid every time he was up against his mentor, Wang Tong.

    Truth be told, Karl was one of the two people who had truly possessed the ability to fight against Wang Tong. The other person was sh. However, even the thought of fighting Wang Tong would send a wave of panic through Karl''s system and turn him into a bundle of nerves.

    "It''s all on you now, Wang Tong. As for Karl''s incident, I am very certain that KKK was involved. I will make sure the investigation fulfills its duty. You have to make KKK pay for what he did during the final."

    "You bet. I will make him give up on his fleet battle career entirely." Despite the smile on Wang Tong''s face, his voice held an edge of calm that threatened to explode.

    "Wang Tong, your Art of the Soaring Heaven was awesome. I have heard peopleparing you with Einherjar Wannabe. "

    "Bullsh*t! Boss''s execution was much more fluid than Wannabe. Even I could defeat Einherjar Wannabe if he dared ept my challenge! " Karl retorted.

    Wang Tong smiled away the topic and then said, "We use the same fighting style, so they ought to look simr."

    There were too many dangerous secrets in Wang Tong, so he had tried his best to hide his secrets away from his friends. He had be more vignt ever since the assassination attempt, as he had started to worry for the safety of his friends.

    "The less you know, the safer you are."¡ªQuote from Old Fart.

    Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer had already arrived the Moon city. They were both very familiar with the city, since both of their families owned business assets here. They arrived in secrecy and waited for the match patiently. Xiaoru had wanted to meet Wang Tong, but she then thought it was better not to disturb his preparation for the game.

    Unknown to Ma Xiaoru, Li Ruoer had already informed Wang Tong of their arrival, hoping that the excitement would distract Wang Tong from his training. However, Wang Tong was unaffected by her ploy.

    Li Ruoer had hoped that KKK would be able to orchestrate another "incidence," but the thought of Wang Tong''s fighting ability told her that it was impossible for KKK''s goons to harm Wang Tong as they did to Karl.

    An Earthling and an Ivantian had finally once againpeted for the championship after so many decades. Although it wasn''t a breakthrough for the Ivantians to enter the final stage, it was for the earthlings.

    KKK was a typical Ivantian fighter, as he had impable micro control, as well as a good sense of overall strategy. After generations of gene modification programs, the Ivantians held an advantage over the other subraces due to their carefully selected genes.

    However, this time, facing an equally potentmander Wang Tong, how would KKK handle the challenge?

    Over ny percent of the audiences were Ivantians, and therefore, KKK had also held a home advantage.

    After waves of shouts called out his name, KKK stepped out from behind the stage. His stride held the same confidence as a champion.

    Wang Tong had also stepped onto the stage. Under his calm appearance, currents of seething anger rolled and surged, seeking revenge.

    KKK threw Wang Tong a contemptuous nce, trying to infuriate the earthling boy.

 Chapter 321: Final Victory

    Chapter 321: Final Victory

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong smiled indifferently, he knew that he could mess around with KKK''s soul energy right then if he wanted to, but he didn''t do it, not because he was afraid of the investigation, but because he wanted him to "enjoy" the match with a lucid mind.

    Xiaoru and Li Ruoer had also arrived at the tournament. Ma Xiaoru wanted to sit in the front row. However, after Li Ruoer''s persistent coaxing, they stayed in a VIP room.

    Wang Tong flexed his fingers before he rested them on the keyboard. He didn''t want to show the "cruel" side of him in front of Ma Xiaoru, but he had already promised everyone to make the Ivantian pay for what he had done.

    The closer it was to the start of the first round, the louder the Ivantians cheered for their yer. Most Ivantians still believed that KKK would win the match with a score of three to none.

    As everyone wondered what opening would Want Tong chose to use, they discovered in disbelief that it was the Art of Soaring Heaven, the strategy that had only been countered once by sh ever since its conception.

    To everyone''s surprise, when KKK''s scout was on his way to Wang Tong''s base, Wang Tong''s scout stood still in the middle of the path, as if it were waiting to intercept and destroy KKK''s scout.

    "Wow, that''s a ballsy move! I hope that Wang Tong knows what he is doing. "

    "Rumors had it that Karl''s injury wasn''t a coincidence, and the tournament had already dispatched a team investigating the event. If that were true, I understand Wang Tong''s anger, but I hope he won''t let the anger get the better of him."

    The two hosts, one from the earth and the other Ivantian. Both were so infatuated with their yers that they didn''t care to hold back the edge in their exchange ofments.

    Even knowing that it was a trap, KKK spurred his scout forward to meet its opponent. The Ivantian was convinced that Wang Tong would not be able to gain any advantage while they were both using the same unit.

    However, as soon as the two scouts started firing at each other, KKK immediately felt the power of Wang Tong''s superior AMP, so he quickly pulled his scout back and danced around Wang Tong''s unit, trying to avoid a confrontation. After a few moments, KKK knew that he had to pull the unit back to the base. Otherwise, it would be lost for good. He also wagered that it would be a victory for him once his scout escaped alive, since failing to finish off the scout would undoubtedly infuriate Wang Tong and make him lose his inner bnce.

    As KKK''s scout''s life bar was drained to almost zero, it turned on its heels and started back.

    When everyone thought that Wang Tong was about to lose his prey, Wang Tong''s scout executed an incredible move, blocking his enemy''s escape route and killing the other scout after firing a couple of shots.

    "Gosh! Do I see this? Isn''t it the METAL fighter Milotour''s 720-degree spin?"

    "This is incredible! Perfect micro control, Perfect! "

    While Wang Tong was battling against KKK''s scout, he also started constructions at his base. The Art of the Soaring Heaven did not allow even the slightest mistake in timing. However difficult it was to pull off the Art of the Soaring Heaven, Wang Tong had done it with ease.

    KKK had never experienced the real Art of the Soaring Heaven, since none of his practice partners were capable of doing so.

    Some experts argued that KKK had lost the game the moment he had lost his scout.

    Already, Wang Tong had gathered arge group of force and charged out toward KKK''s base.

    "Hold on! Is it just me or there was a construction unit mixed with the invading force?" It wasn''t just the host, everyone had seen the construction unit and was equally perplexed.

    The audiences were even more shocked when they saw that instead of attacking KKK''s base, Wang Tong''s stealth units loitered outside the perimeter of KKK''s base while his construction unit started building an HQ right next to the gate to KKK''s main base.

    Seeing the tant taunt, KKK''s face was contorted by anger. He was still a long way from setting up the radar to counter the stealth units, and therefore, he did not know how to respond other than sit and watch his enemy''s base being built. The helplessness made KKK taste bile in his mouth.

    Bisu shook his head andmented that KKK''s control was even worse than his, and he was convinced that KKK''s defeat was imminent.

    "I bet he was involved in Karl''s injury. It''s not smart to piss Wang Tong off." Bisu said and then shook his head.

    sh nodded, "Wang Tong''s psychological condition was extremely stable, so KKK''s little trick won''t work on him. He would soon find out that he had ended up shooting himself in the feet."

    KKK had attempted breaching the blockade, but without the aid of radar, all of KKK''s units that dare stepped out of his base were ughtered by Wang Tong''s stealth units.

    KKK''s hands were tied, and he conceded that he was trapped inside his base, and forced to watch Wang Tong''s buildings being erected in front of him like a permanent mark of humiliation on the map.

    Ivantians audiences became silent at the turn of events. They had hoped to see a fierce battle, but what they got instead was a scene of bullying.

    A few momentster, KKK typed "gg" and conceded his defeat. Being pushed to the corner and unable to do anything, KKK found the embarrassment unbearable. However, this was only the beginning of his torment.

    The second round started. Infuriated, KKK was still trying toe to terms with his defeat. No one in any official tournament had used such a humiliating method, since those strategies were reserved only when the strongest yers wanted to toy with their ythings.

    In the second round, Wang Tong didn''t use the Art of Soaring Heaven. Instead, he had built up his base following a standard two base strategy. After KKK''s scout discovered Wang Tong''s seemingly beguine opening, he was convinced that it was time for him to avenge his defeat.

    KKK had used the Ivantian''s preferred strategy thatbined both the aggression and the defense. It had been proven to be powerful when used against other ordinary yers. As soon as Wang Tong''s scout sniffed out KKK''s intention, Wang Tong knew that KKK had risen to the bait, and soon it would the time to deliver a soul-crushing blow.

    Lured by the promise of revenge, KKK''s became more focused on his micro control and the management of his base. Meanwhile, Wang Tong carried out the game nonchntly, and his two base opening tactic seemed dullpared to that of KKK.

    Both yers were gathering forces. When Wang Tong started building the transport ships, everyone realized he was about to use the Art of Karl.

    "A dyed Art of Karl. Interesting... It looks like Wang Tong''s intention was more in embarrassing his opponent than defeating him."

    "I say he was ying with fire. KKK was a force to be reckoned with after all, and he was not a rookie."

    "I agree. It is too risky. If he wanted to avenge Karl, there were many safer approaches."

    Despite theck of evidence, everyone knew that KKK was involved in Karl''s incident. Although many audiences sympathized with Karl''s injury, they also worried that the thought of vengeance would disturb Wang Tong''s calmness and lead him to his downfall.

    As Bisu and Kal exchanged their concerns about Wang Tong''s dyed deployment of Art of Karl, sh shook his head and said, "There is no need to worry about Wang Tong. He knows what he is doing. His battle awareness means that he wouldn''t need to follow any strategy strictly."

    No one knew Wang Tong better than sh regarding fleetbat. sh was convinced that although Wang Tong''s strategy looked like a mix match of different styles, he was in full control of the moves, including the most critical aspect of fleet battle: timing.

    Seeing that Wang Tong had held back his force and didn''t attack, KKK started reckless expansion and built his fourth base. He was confident that as long as he was able to gain the upper hand in the early game concerning the economy, he would be invulnerable in thete game thanks to the sheer magnitude of his economy. All the while, he snickered at Wang Tong''s incoherent strategy that seemed tock a solid goal.

    In a few more minutes, KKK reasoned that his new bases would be up and running, and he was confident that even if Wang Tong started an assault right then, his force would be able to hold their ground for more than a few minutes.

    Zhang Jin yawned and stretched her body. She was hoping to watch a more exciting confrontation, but this game bored her. Besides, she was disgusted by KKK''s despicable act, so she had utterly lost her interest in the game. She walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of juice, and when she was back in front of the TV, she saw Wang Tong''s army had already charged into KKK''s base¡ªjust like she had predicted.

    It wasn''t until Wang Tong revealed his real intention that the audiences realized the reason behind Wang Tong''s prolonged inactivity¡ªHe was preparing four additional lines of attacks, all airdrop units.

    The four airdrop units, the main invading army, and the base formed six fronts that required Wang Tong''s attention, but he had managed everything with confidence and ease.

    Arge-scale battle broke out immediately. Although KKK was able to hold his ground at the front line for a while, Wang Tong''s superior micro control had quickly overwhelmed him, as KKK was slowly losing his edge.

    As KKK started to panic for the slowly crumbling defense, he found fire suddenly surrounding his buildings behind the defensive lines. He had finally noticed the four groups of airdrop units wrecking havoc deep inside his base. Controlling six fronts at the same time, Wang Tong still looked rxed; his opponent was too weak.

    KKK''s front line units dropped like flies, and buildings in his base copsed one after another. He was defeated, inside out.

 Chapter 322: Reaching the Peak

    Chapter 322: Reaching the Peak

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    KKK was speechless; the second blow had even dulled the anger after the defeat of the first round. His experience had told him that Wang Tong was intentionally humiliating him, which only added more salt to the wound.

    The veryst few moments of the battle were just torture. Wang Tong''s message was clear: "You should have never attended the tournament."

    KKK''s face was pale and expressionless like a piece of bleached parchment. His thoughts became a blur, and the only thing he felt was the belligerence in his opponent''s attack. Although Wang Tong''s strategy seemed incoherent, KKK could never find an efficient way of oveing it.

    The sudden loss stupefied KKK, and hismand halted as he had forgotten that he was still in the match.

    Wang Tong had won the second round without any suspense. Shocked by the difference in the two yer''s performance, many audiences were disappointed by KKK.

    KKK called a timeout. He needed to calm himself before he could carry on with the third round. Seeing their yer had lost two games in a row, the Ivantian audiences pulled taut faces and kept silent.

    Students in Ayrng and many other A ss academies cheered and shouted at the top of their lungs, celebrating the defeat of the despicable enemy. They hoped that Wang Tong would make the Ivantian repent what he had done, and let him carry the guilt for the rest of his life.

    A few instructors from the Luster Academy had entered the resting room, trying to offer their counsels and encouragement to KKK, who was on the brink of breakdown. Despite theirforting words, the instructors too knew that KKK''s mental state had been shaken beyond immediate help. The next fight would not only be KKK''sst fight, but it would also be torture for him.

    However miserable the outlook of the next fight might be, KKK had to carry one. But, he had failed to muster the courage to step onto the stage again.

    "Mister...I...I paid people to beat Karl up. I confess. Don''t let me go on to the stage again, please!" KKK said with a pale face, eyes holding tears. He had a suspicion that he would be humiliated even more at thest round.

    The teachers looked at each other and were not sure what to make of KKK''s confession. They eventually decided that KKK should keep the revtion to himself for now and finish the match for the sake of the honor of their academy.

    Failing to withdraw from the game, KKK started back to the stage unwillingly.

    The Ivantians cheered at KKK''s return. They believed that this round would be an excellent opportunity for KKK to retaliate, since Wang Tong ought to have lowered his guard after winning two rounds in a row.

    The third round began.

    Wang Tong no longer cared about the kind of opening strategy he was to use, since his goal on this stage was not to win as quickly as possible, but to embarrass KKK for spoiling his fight with Karl.

    Wang Tong used his newly invented Art of Infinity, and started gathering force for attack without building any defense. Thereby, he was able to expand quickly and also kept the pressure on his opponent through constant harassment. When the game progressed to the mid-game, KKK was still hanging in there with two bases, not knowing that Wang Tong had already built ten. Thinking that he still had a chance, KKK tried his best to micro the unit production and build up the defense. Bead sized sweat appeared on KKK''s forehead. Meanwhile, outside the simtion room, many Ivantians had already started to leave the arena.

    After enjoying a period of quietness without Wang Tong''s harassment, unit production in KKK''s two bases was burgeoning. Looking at therge group of force he had gathered, KKK seemed to have found a sliver of hope.

    KKK had utterly lost track of time as he had failed to realize that it was already thete game, and his force was pathetic from ate game standard.

    As soon as KKK''s force that was equipped with the most rudimentary weapon and armor stepped off the base, they were greeted with a modern armada.

    KKK had finally realized that he had chosen the wrong opponent, but it was toote.

    Three to zero, Wang Tong won the first ce in the fleet battle category of the Pan sr system tournament.

    As soon as KKK walked out of the simtion room, a few investigators took him away.

    This final fight had the most significant disparity between yer''s power, and its significance paled underparison with the semi-final between Wang Tong and sh.

    The earthlings in the arena cheered loudly for Wang Tong''s victory. This year''s tournament had turned the new page in the history of earthling''s fleetbat. From then on, the earthlings had gained the confidence topete with yers from other factions.

    ¡®We are the champions, my friends,¡¯

    ¡®And we''ll keep on fighting ''til the end.¡¯

    Karl rushed into the resting room; he was angry at the revtion that KKK instigated the bar brawl. Although he kept on telling people that he would not want to fight Wang Tong, it had always been his dream topete against his idol on the stage.

    The moment KKK saw the investigators, he knew that his fleetbat career was done for.

    Wang Tong looked over Karl''s shoulder and saw the face he had been dreaming every night. Unable hold back his blissful excitement, Wang Tong hugged Ma Xiaoru and kissed her lips.

    Both of them had waited this moment so long that it sometimes seemed like a lifetime, and the kiss was like a reincarnation of their love in their next life.

    Zhou Sisi looked at two with blessings and jealousy. She bitterly conceded that it was time for the two to reunite finally.

    The scene staggered Li Ruoer, and after she gathered herself and started watching the two lovers quietly, the scene seemed to breathe a new air into her sea of consciousness, like the warm spring breeze that woke up thendscape.

    She was astonished to find out that her cultivation had just breached though another bottleneck.

    An unnamed feeling towards Wang Tong had been festering inside of Li Ruoer, and it had deeply bothered her. Although she had contained the feeling using her enchantress''s power, the two lovers¡¯ blissful moment had lent the contained emotions more power, as it rushed back into Li Ruoer''s mind with new found strength.

    The thought came to her like a blow to her mind: She was in love, and sadly, her lover was with someone else.

    It was that drastic flux of emotion that had helped her breach the cultivation bottleneck. However, Li Ruoer found it hard to be happy about her advancement in cultivation.

    At the awards ceremony, even the Ivantians joined in the cheers of the earthlings. Perhaps it was their way of redeeming themselves after the shameful conduct of KKK.

    Themittee had decided to raise the amount of award for Karl not only aspensation, but also a recognition for his contribution to the fleetbatmunity.

    As one of the brightest stars on the stage, Karl was finally regarded as a genius.

    At this stage, Wang Tong had taken another significant step in his life. He was determined that from then on, he should protect his loved one and her honor like a real man, and strive to achieve higher goals.

    A tide of cheers and shouts and flowers rose from the arena, turning it into a sea of joyful celebration.

    After the fight, Wang Tong, Karl, and sh were dubbed as the "Magnificent Three" of the Earth Faction. This would mark the beginning of their glorious path.

    After the ceremony, many people joined the after-party. Although Ma Xiaoru wished that she could spend more time with Wang Tong alone, her butler had followed her everywhere like her father had ordered him to.

    Samantha had hosted a party for the boys and invited yers from other academies. Although these students were opponents on the stage, they had be close friends when they were not in apetition. The Team Earth had a smashing sess at this year''s tournament, as the results had exceeded everyone''s expectation.

    As the leading contributor to the phenomenal sess, Ayrng was the most significant winner of all earth academies, and everyone agreed that the glorious Ayrng was back.

    Meanwhile, people also found that Ayrng''s sess was merely a reflection of the ability of its beautiful and wise Principal Samantha.

    As the time drew near for the intake of new students, Ayrng had be the third most sought after academies, closely following Capth and Yalen.

    Many students applied at Ayrng, not only because of its fame, but also because of Samantha.

    Sometimes, when Samantha was alone in her room, she thought about the time she had spent with Wang Tong, and knew that they could have been together if it weren''t because of the age gap and her n for her future. She had told herself many times that Ma Xiaoru was a better girlfriend than herself, but her heart kept on telling her otherwise.

    Nheless, she was content with the current state, in which she still maintained a friendship with both Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru while making significant progress in her career.

    Although Wang Tong had won the first ce in the Fleetbat, his challenge had just started, as he was about to face the METALbat tournament very soon.

    Fleet Combat was a rtively expensive sport, and therefore, only a few students from well-off parts of the human world was able topete in the tournaments. On the other hand, METALbat was much cheaper to train, and therefore, there had been many dark horses that hailed from some unknown parts of the world in the previous tournaments. In other words, therge pool of contestants had added more wild cards for already established fighters to deal with.

 Chapter 323: The Fantastic Five

    Chapter 323: The Fantastic Five

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    However unpredictable the opponents'' power might be, there were fivebatants whose victory was always guaranteed, as long as they were not fighting each other. They were Patroclus Dower, Li Shiming, Michaux Odin, Lie Jian, and Heidi.

    Unlike the ancient time when the sons and daughters of the extremely rich and powerful would quickly turn to debauchery, all of the current great houses'' children were forces to be reckoned with. About to inherit their family''s power, they were in the heat ofpetition with each other, trying to carve out more influence for their reign in the future. Although Li Zhedao had established some measure of dominance over the other families, without the support of the Ma, the Li''s influence would shrink significantly. Patroclus''s father, the current lord of house of Dower, had been out of the game since he could never finish the Tactics of the Deva King. Meanwhile, although Lie Jian''s father waspetent and smart, he was not able to ovee thebined force of Li and the Ma. Therefore, the lords of the great houses hoped their children would carry on the unfinished battle and be able to fulfill their dream of dominance.

    Patroclus was the one who was most likely toplete his father''s unfinished business. It had been a sensational news when the public heard that he had finished the Tactics of the Deva King. Until recently, the Dower family had been the dominating power since General Li had passed away. Although everyone admired General Li Feng''s power, people knew that there would never be another Li Feng.

    Although the Dower family mostly kept things to themselves, they were a powerful and ambitious household. Many Ivantians believed that Patroclus would be able to quickly subdue any opponent across the human world, just like how his ancestor, Rngalos, had once obliterated the entire armada of the confederate with ease.

    Among the five great houses, the Dower was the quietest, but also the most feared.

    Some famous mystics had predicted that the world was on the brink of drastic changes. It was indeed hard to turn a blind eye to the sudden outburst of talented individuals. These gifted warriors not only came from the great houses, but they also rise from their grassroot origins. Many of these talents were still hidden among the ordinary people, waiting to be discovered. For those hidden talents, the METAL tournament was the best stage to promote themselves.

    The Ivantian host changed the advertisement banner for the Fleetbat hanging at the gate of the arena with arger one that showcased the five incredible warriors: Patroclus, Li Shiming, Lie Jian, Michaux, and Princess Heidi.

    The five represented the pinnacle of power, and they were the idol of the public, destined to carry on the legend of their forefathers.

    On the banner, Lie Jian was shown to be covered in me; his expression was sharp and belligerent.

    Michaux was wrapped in a in gray monk robe. The holy book of the Divine master he held in his hand seemed to have adsorbed the expression from the face as he stared into the distance indifferently.

    Li Shiming was shown in a formal military attire with the legendary sword of the Wind God¡ª Vayu, as resolution shone through his eyes.

    Patroclus was shown standing beside Li Shiming, wielding the legendary silvernce of Rngalos.

    The four formed a circle, and in the middle of the ring stood a beautiful girl. She was the princess of the Kaedeians, Princess Heidi.

    Underneath the five warriors, a line read, "Defeat them, and you will be the legend!"

    The words and the picture evoked the sublime enthusiasm of the young warriors and made their blood boil.

    The audiences were also excited at the promise of seeing the fight between Li Shiming and Rngalos. The perfect sessor of Rngalos against the most well-rounded heir of Li Feng, who would prevail?

    The unprecedented attendance of Michaux and Heidi had added more fuel the audiences'' enthusiasm.

    With the appearance of the "Fantastic Five," this year''s tournament had thergest cast aspared to any of the previous ones.

    In addition to the yers from the three major factions, many other warriors who hailed from others would also attend this year''s tournament.

    Wang Tong was greeted as a hero upon his return to Ayrng. Even the politicians from the city of Shang Jin had attended his weing ceremony. As one of Ayrng''s most prominent patron, the governor of the City of Shang Jin was delighted to see that the school was finally brought back on the right track. Ayrng''s sessful revitalization would evidently attract more talents to the city, and therefore, help its growth. As the leading figure in ushering in a new era for Ayrng, Wang Tong had caught the attention of many city authorities.

    Only after the weing ceremony did the three students realize that they had be extremely popr on earth. Zhou Sisi had received letters from the navy that expressed their interest in grooming her into a future fleet officer. Due to women''s inert ability to remain calm under pressure, female graduates made up most of the officers in a fleet. Also, Zhou Sisi was much more well-rounded than Karl and Wang Tong, as her grades in other subjects were much higher. Therefore, the military also included her into the list of future high-ranking officers.

    After the celebrations, Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi returned to his dorm. Perhaps it was the sudden quietness in the room, or maybe it was the champagne, Wang Tong felt dizzy as if he was living in a dream. He had never felt so happy before.

    Seeing that the dust had started to settle on the desk, Zhou Sisi began to clean the room instinctively.

    "There''s no need to clean it; it''s going to get dirty anyway." Wang Tong smiled, as an uncertainty flickered in his eyes.

    "You are an important person now. I need to make sure your living space is up to the snuff." Zhou Sisi cracked a smile. She knew that when Wang Tong got Karl''s revenge on KKK, he also did it for her. Zhou Sisi knew that Wang Tong liked to keep things to himself even when he had done others a favor. Even though she wasn''t bothered by her defeat, as she knew that defeat was part of fighters life, Wang Tong had won her trust by protecting her confidence and self-esteem.

    "Haha, looks like the S club would be very helpful to many people! I think I need to work harder as a club leader."

    "Well, I''m d we are finally on the same page! The club was invaluable to not only Ayrng, but also other academies." The growth speed of the S club had even caught Zhou Sisi off guard, and the victory of its three members had pushed the club''s fame to a new height. In addition to the three that attended the tournament, Cao Yi had also earned a name for himself as the most proficient analyst. His notebook containing information of fighters from all over the gxy was the holy grail to most cultivation trainers. Cao Yi shared his invaluable study notes with all members of the S club to help them improve their abilities.

    "Haha! I would never think that I would be famous and important one day!" Wang Tong blurted as he spread himself on the bed. He wasfortable with Zhou Sisi''s presence, and felt that he could talk about anything with her.

    "Hey! May I remind you that you still have a long way to go? One moment of cking up would make you fall behind otherpetitors. Me, for example! "

    "That would be nice, being taken care of by apetent female warrior had always been one of my dreams! Haha."

    Zhou Sisiughed with him, knowing that Wang Tong would be thest man on earth who would like to be dependent on others.

    "Anyhow, your room is cleaned up. I hope it willst more than three days." Zhou Sisi announced as she surveyed the room, as if admiring her work.

    "Thank you! See you tomorrow!"

    "Adios!"

    After Zhou Sisi was gone, Wang Tong started to marvel his recent good fortune. Not only had he snatched the title of champion of the fleetbat, but he had also met Ma Xiaoru in person. Starting tomorrow, he would devote all of his time on training for the METALbat. The thought of Old Fart tugged at his heartstrings. Somehow, he was convinced that Old Fart would show up during the METAL tournament, and he would have answers to Wang Tong''s many questions. Despite the trouble he had caused for Wang Tong, Wang Tong smiled broadly at the thought of reuniting with Old Fart.

    Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer had also returned to earth. Although Ma Xiaoru didn''t spend too much time with Wang Tong, she could feel his genuine efforts to prove himself to her parents. Their different social ss didn''t deter Wang Tong. Instead, the challenges only made him more determined in his course. His bravery and conviction had deeply moved Ma Xiaoru, and convinced her that he was a keeper.

    Ma Xiaoru knew that to make their rtionship work, she needed to be stronger and offload some of Wang Tong''s burden for him. Therefore, Ma Xiaoru made up her mind to be more active in following up with her doctor to speed up her recovery.

    Li Ruoer had quickly picked up the subtle changes in Ma Xiaoru''s mind. However positive and weing the changes might be, Li Ruoer was convinced that Ma Xiaoru''s new found determination was a product of infatuation, and therefore, it would fade away quickly like a spark on a cold day.

    Both Li Ruoer and her brother believed that Ma Xiaoru would eventually lose interest in Wang Tong, and it was this belief that led to their seemingly considerate gesture of allowing Ma Xiaoru and her lover''s meeting. That being said, they merely loosened the noose but not the rope, as everything was still under the Li''s control.

    Wang Tong''s victory in the fleetbat was not entirely a bad thing, since the higher the Li allowed him to rise, the more painful would be when he fell.

    As for the fact that Wang Tong was able to ovee her Tactics of the Enchantress, Li Ruoer had kept it a secret, fearing that it would make her look weak. Even mentioning of the word "weak" was frowned upon in House Li.

    Thanks to Wang Tong, Li Ruoer had breached the critical bottleneck in her cultivation, and therefore, she was confident that she would be able to avenge her defeat with the new power.

    She wanted to prove to the world that a woman could be as powerful as a man.

 Chapter 324: New Hope

    Chapter 324: New Hope

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As the starting day for the tournament drew near, participants of the METALbat started the final preparations for the qualification matches. Everyone, including the "Fantastic Five," would have to go through the qualification process. This would provide a few luckybatants with the precious opportunities to experience the most potent tactics first hand.

    Meanwhile, the advertisement for the METAL tournament had reached every corner of the street. The tournament had gained support from both the military as well as many politicians, since it was not only able to encourage more people in the confederation to take up a career as a soldier, but it was also a check up on the averagebat strength of youth in different factions. Therefore, the tournament provided a reliable assessment of the future recruits to the military.

    What had added more hype to this year''s tournament was the special award offered by the Temr''s court. No one outside of the inner court had ever been allowed into the Hall of Valha, not even members of the House of Li, since the Temr believed that only the chosen ones favored by their god¡ªthe de Warrior¡ªwould have the right of entering the sacred grounds.

    Rumors had it that the real intention behind the unprecedented decision of the court was to find the chosen one that would be the Master of the Temr. The Temr''s augur had seen war and turmoil in their dreams, and therefore, they needed to get ready and find the heir of the de Warrior as soon as possible.

    But who and how would they choose among the qualifiedbatants?

    Regardless of the unanswered questions, the thought of bing the leader of the Temr was tempting enough for all the participants of the tournament.

    The Temr always had been a force to be reckoned with, and therefore, all families were eager to have the Temr''s power on their side. The other four houses knew that once House of Li had gained the support of the Temr, they would quickly dominate the different factions. Therefore, preventing Li Shiming from entering the Hall of Valha had be the priority for fighters from the other four houses. It had been aforting thought for the members of the other houses that the Temr''s court had never offered the House of Li any special treatment. From the Temr''s point of view, de Warrior''s blessing belonged to the entire humanity.

    Wang Tong was determined to enter the Hall and try to find out the real answer to Mr. Wannabe''s confinement. Therefore, the award for the tournament was an opportunity he could not pass up.

    Karl had taken over the businesses of the S club after the Fleet Combat tournament, so that Wang Tong would be able to focus on his preparation for the qualifications.

    To defeat the strongest fighters in the world, he needed to be much stronger. However, Wang Tong started to be restless as he felt theck of a practice partner around him. He had learned a lot from practicing with Mr. Wannabe, but he wanted more than that, as he thought that he was far from reaching his full potential.

    Thanks to the space crystal, Wang Tong had plenty of time to spend on training. However tedious the exercise was, Wang Tong never once felt he was bored. Instead, he cherished every extra second he had, because he knew that while he was training, so were his opponents. Wang Tong knew that behind every splendid victory were countless hours of work and sweat.

    Wang Tong not only had the crystal to help him with the cultivation, Samantha had also ordered a new set of equipment for the students who would partake in the tournament to strengthen their physical condition.

    Wang Tong had gained ess to the most advanced equipment at school, and no one felt that Samantha was ying favorites. Wang Tong had be the synonym of Ayrng, and almost all the students called him by his nickname: Boss.

    Although Wang Tong had won the champion title at the Fleet battle tournament, everyone from Ayrng and Bernabeu knew that Wang Tong''s real interest was in METALbat.

    Although there would be the treacherous road ahead of Wang Tong, no one had lost their hope in him, as they believed that Wang Tong would eventually be the strongest fighter in the world.

    The S club had two managers, one was Zhou Sis who was in charge of the fleetbat, and the other was Cao Yi, who was reprehensible for matters rted to METALbat.

    Cao Yi was one of Wang Tong''s practice partner. After countless defeats, no one, including himself, knew what his level of power was any longer.

    Hu Yangxuan had disappeared, as he had decided to enter an extended period of close-door cultivation¡ªan extremely intense form of cultivation that often yielded surprising results. Seeing that even Karl had made a name for himself, Hu Yangxuan felt the urge to be stronger. Since the Temr''s Court had announced the participation of the Inner Court Temrs, many of whom were friends with Hu Yangxuan, he felt the sense of urgency as he feared that he might lose face in front of his old friends.

    Despite their eagerness to improve themselves, they quickly conceded that they wouldn''t improve much if they didn''t have a pool ofpetent practice partners. Even Apache had disappeared with only one note left to Wang Tong, "Be Careful."

    Wang Tong had set an excellent example for the other students, as he had shown everyone the importance of making small steps every day. Therefore, everyone dared not ck up, and the students had quickly formed a very positive andpetitive environment, with everyone training with a newfound enthusiasm.

    Despite Samantha''s busy schedule, she managed to persuade Massa to offer a boot camp session for the tournament participants.

    These students would be representing the earth confederate, and therefore, helping them was not against the interest of the TNN. Plus, Massa confessed that he liked working with students.

    TNN was full of powerful fighters, and therefore, Wang Tong was ted by the opportunity to spar with them.

    Wang Tong had been training day and night nonstop, slowly gathering strength inside his sea of consciousness. He had also been testing one of the secret weapons he had learned from the fight with Li Ruoer.

    Meanwhile in Capth¡­

    Wang Ben had disappeared from school and cocooned himself in his private training chamber. His dedication to his training sometimes made his mother''s tears stream from her eyes.

    Unlike his father, Wang Ben''s mother was the much more tender caregiver. Although she had been sad when Wang Ben failed his mind opening operation, she conceded that it might be a good thing since her son would finally drop the idea of bing a soldier and risk his life every day.

    After Wang Ben''s sessful second operation, his mother epted the reality and supported him wholeheartedly. From her son''s determined eyes, she knew that Wang Ben was happiest whenever he was fighting.

    Wang Ben punched at the practice dummy with the Fist of Racing Tiger. The tactics sent a wave of roar throughout the training room, and the fist made arge indentation on the metal dummy.

    "Is this the Fist of Pussycat?" A cold voice rose behind Wang Ben.

    Wang Ben turned around and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Sorry, father."

    "Punch me with all you got. Think of me as your enemy¡­no, your nemesis." General Hu Ben announced.

    Wang Ben drew arge gulp of air and started charging his soul energy. When it was charged up, he punched at his father as his fist roared in the air.

    Konng!

    Wang Ben crashed into the wall behind him, and blood spilled out from his mouth.

    "If you want to attend the tournament, you need to do better than. Otherwise, you might as well stay home with your mom!"

    Hu Ben walked away after leaving his son a cold and hard advice.

    After General Hu Ben was out of his son''s sight, he wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled approvingly. Although he was pleased with his son''s power, he knew that his son still had a long way to go topete with the heirs of the great houses.

 Chapter 325: Playing Dumb

    Chapter 325: ying Dumb

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Inside the gym of the Starry Sky Academy, a dozen students, including Miao Xiu, copsed on the ground. These were the top students of the academy, but their opponent was Patroclus.

    Since the Starry Sky Academy suffered a catastrophic defeat during the fleetbat tournament, their principal had requested Patroclus to train with the rest of the students to quickly improve their abilities.

    Although the public''s attention was only on the few famous yers, the confederation''s interest was broader, and they would use the tournament to assess the overall quality of academies.

    Patroclus was instructed to spar with his ssmates once every three days, but so far, no one had been able to evennd a blow on him.

    This was the power of the Deva King!

    "Let''s change it to once every week," Patroclus said calmly without any contempt in his voice. He had realized that his ssmates were unable to make any progress in three days. Therefore, he might as well give them more time to reflect on their techniques.

    After about ten minutes, Miao Xiu was the first one to be able to stand up. All the while, hemented that he was unable to even scratch Patroclus, much lessnding a solid blow.

    "Let''s not give up yet. It had taken him twice as much time to defeat us thanst time." Erro said.

    "That''s right! I will make him regret that he even sparred with us next time." Miao Xiu stood up and then announced. Right after he had spoken, the sharp pain in his leg made him sat down again. No oneughed at Miao Xiu, since none of them were in any better shape.

    Although they knew that they were out of Patroclus''s league, and they shouldn''t let their defeat bother them. They had been the top students, and they found it hard to adjust to the fact that Patroclus was able to defeat theirbined force with ease.

    When they first received the order for the special training with Patroclus, they had hoped that they would be able to prove to Patroclus that fighters from outside of the great houses could be as potent as him.

    The Ivantians were no lesspetitive than the Earthlings, although they were less likely to express their feelings outwardly.

    All of these students had been confident that they would impress the world with their power. However, these students felt their hopes were just wishful thinking right after the first session of training with Patroclus. Some of them felt so devastated that they had even dropped out of the tournament altogether.

    The ones that remained decided tobine their forces to ovee their opponent. Although Patroclus was their prince, they still felt indignant about their constant defeat, and strived to ovee him as a team.

    The Ivantians held an advantage over the Earthlings and the Martians thanks to their enhanced genes. However, this advantage seemed to have turned into a double-edged de, since it had given the Ivantian students a sense of superiority, which gradually festered into contempt. After a while, the Ivantians started to ck up, and their training intensity was no match for that of students from Mars or Earth.

    Despite the inevitable deterioration of students'' enthusiasm, the elites on the moon had remained astute, and were fully aware of the problem. They believed that a defeat in the tournament was not entirely a bad thing, since it would be able to remind the Ivantians that their opponent''s hard work would eventually pay off and help them catch up with them.

    No race had survived the history without a sense of urgency.

    This year''s tournament not only had a great turnout, but it had also ignited the human''s fighting spirit. It had be evident that the overall fighting ability of the human race would be greatly improved after the tournament.

    Princess Heidi had brought a convoy of fighters with her to the tournament. It would be an excellent opportunity for the humans to take a sneak peek at the female warrior''s mysterious way ofmanding the soul energy.

    Since the Kaedeians had always acted alone during military missions, the Zergs would probably know more about the Kaedeian''s soul energy than humans.

    The Kaedeians had always eluded their real power from the humans. However, once Princess Heidi and her elite guards entered the tournament, they would no longer be able to do so. Everyone wondered what had made the Kaedeians break their tradition.

    Some people thought that it was due to the pressure from the other three factions, and others were convinced that the Kaedeians and the Confederation had reached some kind of a deal. Although no one was certain in their conjecture, they all agreed that the Kaedeians were a wee sight at the tournament.

    Wang Tong, Cao Yi, and Hu Yangxuan were on a train to an unknown destination. Although the exact location was ssified, the three boys knew that it would be a military base for the TNN. Based on TNN''s reputation, they knew there was a rough time ahead of them, and somehow, it made them feel light-hearted.

    Ever since the three factions had united their force after TNN had proposed the Norton Project, TNN was no longer involved in the operation, since it was out of their jurisdiction.

    With more free time on his hand, Massa was more than happy to see how much Wang Tong had improved.

    When he first heard the news of Wang Tong''s soul energy depletion, Massa was sad and felt pity that such a great talent was wasted.

    The TNN was a unique department of the Confederation, in the sense that they didn''t swear an oath to any particr faction within the human society. Instead, their loyaltyid in the confederation, and protecting peace on earth was their only goal. Despite its far-reaching influence, the number of core members of the department was small. However, every member of the TNN was a force to be reckoned with.

    Although TNN usually wouldn''t invite outsiders to train with them, Massa''s interest in Wang Tong had driven him to make an exception to the rules and epted Samantha''s request.

    The windows of the train were covered, but Wang Tong could still hear the whirl as the train passed through buildings¡ªthey were inside a city. But after a while, the soft whirl be intermittent, and then eventually disappeared.

    "You have arrived." The train engineer announced.

    As soon as the three walked out of the train, they found themselves standing in front of arge and heavy door. The stuffiness in the air told Wang Tong that they were underground.

    A big red circle was etched into the door, and within the circle were three bold letters: TNN

    "What an ugly gate!" Hu Yangxuanughed. "I could teach the TNN some proper graffiti art."

    "Then you would never leave this ce." Massa''s voice boomed.

    "Instructor Massa!" The three quickly straighten their backs and solute.

    Massa waved his hand disapprovingly, "You are in a military camp, call me Sir."

    "Yes, Sir!"

    "Follow me, and don''t touch the gate."

    As the heavy gate shut slowly behind them, the three had officially started their boot camp training.

    Massa gave Wang Tong a side way ce as surprise shed in his eyes. Wang Tong didn''t seem to be injured at all, and his soul energy was powerful. Massa could feel its pulse as they walked down the corridor.

    ¡®This is...interesting!¡¯

    Judging by Wang Tong''s performance in fleetbat, Massa had suspected that Wang Tong''s recovery was quick and well. However, the boy''s current state had caught him off guard. Perhaps, Massa reasoned, the nuclear st was a blessing in disguise after all.

    After the four had passed a few checkpoints, they arrived at a big hall. The workers here were bustling about their own business, and didn''t seem to notice the three boys.

    "This is the central control room, and your training room is downstairs."

    The four walked to the end of the hall and then took an elevator down. After five minutes, the elevator door finally slid open to a hallway. The boys could hear painful shrieksing from the other end.

    "Cao Yi, Hu Yangxuan, you two would join the junior camp, and this is your instructor. I am sure you are all familiar with each other."

    As the three boys heard the familiar metallic footsteps, they were shocked¡ªIt was Gansus.

    "What? Didn''t expect me ?"

    "You jerk! You had been ying dumb all the while!"

    "Haha, he was not dumb at all. His nickname is Tiger." Massa cracked a smile.

    "Hu Yangxuan and Cao Yi, follow me!" Gansus announced.

    "What about Wang Tong?" Hu Yangxuan asked. He thought they would be training together.

    "I will be in charge of this little prick. He has improved a lot, and I better give him the hospitality he deserves." Massa''s words made Wang Tong''s hair stand on their ends.

    "Sir, we would like your hospitality as well!" Hu Yangxuan urged. He didn''t want to be treated differently.

    "Well, you have to pass me first!" Gansus didn''t give Hu Yangxuan a chance to retort as he picked up the two boys by their cors and dragged them down the hallway.

    Gansus seemed to have changed into an entirely different person. At TNN, Gansus''s voice was no longer ear deafeningly loud like it was at school. But somehow, it carried more power and authority.

 Chapter 326: Hidden Power

    Chapter 326: Hidden Power

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After the two other students walked away with Gansus, Massa threw Wang Tong a nce and then said, "Follow me, I want to show you something."

    The two filed into Massa''s office, and then he turned on the monitor. Wang Tong saw his oldrades on the screen alive and well.

    Eyes glued to the screen, Wang Tong watched as his old friends fought against Zergs, and he was surprised to find out that their skills had improved significantly. The scene in front of Wang Tong was drastically different from what Wang Tong used to see while he was on Norton. Jansining''s right arm had been reced with a cyborg''s arm, which was powerful and nimble enough for dealing with any Zergs. Meanwhile, Third''s cyborg eye had also lent him the incredible ability to detect hidden Zergs. Big O''s soul energy was able to surround his body and form an imprable protectionyer¡ªan ability that might have been triggered by losing his brother.

    "This was theirtest video feed. I know you were eager to know how they are doing. By the way, they wanted me to tell you that they still look forward to fighting with you. " Massa smiled as he turned the monitor off.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and felt relieved after seeing that his oldrades were doing well. It was clear then that the military didn''t give up on their recovery.

    "Sir, I have started to feel more excited about the training now."

    "Don''t be too confident just yet. I have to warn you that so far, only a few were able toplete my training program." Massa smirked expectantly.

    Without taking a rest, the three started their training right away.

    Massa and Gansus stood on one side of a ss panel, watching their students on the other side.

    The first training course was soul energy attack¡ªthe most basic training for elite fighters. As high-level fighters, knowing how to attack with soul energy was critical, since it very often dictated the oue of the match.

    "Tiger, they are your students, so I will let you choose the number." Massa grinned.

    The "number" that Massa referred to was the strength of the soul wave that was simted inside the training room. This was the first test every TNN soldier had to endure.

    "Cao Yi, one hundred sol, Hu Yangxuan, one hundred twenty, and Wang Tong... start with two hundred."

    The workers at TNN were shocked by Gansus''s decision. Two hundred sol could be a deadly force, and if Wang Tong was not as strong as Gansus had expected, he was as good as dead.

    "Haha, you have lots of confidence in this boy. Well, we will have it your way! " Massa announced without any hesitation.

    Meanwhile, inside the training room, the three looked at each other, unsure of what would happen next.

    Suddenly, they felt a wave of soul energy surround them, and the sudden force caught them off guard. Since it came invisibly, it was harder to prepare for ahead of time than fighting against a physical assault.

    Cao Yi and Hu Yangxuan''s faces quickly became bleak at the sudden and belligerent force. Although challenging, Hu Yangxuan was able to hold his ground. He had experienced this kind of training before while he was training at the Temr''s Court. However, the training at the Court was carried out in a muchrger space instead of the confined training chamber. As the soul energy reflected off from the walls, it seemed to have gained more intensity. The two quickly readied their soul energy for defense.

    The two students had performed well so far, as they had much exceeded the average performance of students, and even ording to TNN''s standards, would be considered solid fighters.

    Although the soul energy wave in Wang Tong''s chamber had started from two hundred, Wang Tong didn''t seem to be affected by it the slightest, as he acted as nothing had happened to him.

    Massa and Gansus looked at each other and then smiled knowingly. "We had underestimated him after all. He didn''t even flinch."

    "His power has reached at least that of a mid-tier TNN soldier. It is clear to me that his soul energy depletion was a blessing in disguise after all¡­ And a blessing to us as well." Massa said as he nodded.

    "Cao Yi, one hundred and fifty, Hu Yangxuan, one hundred and seventy. Stabilize the waves. Wang Tong, crank it up to three hundred. Let''s see how long he canst." Gansus announced to the workers.

    The dial on Wang Tong''s training chamber suddenly jumped up, indicating the soul energy inside had reached an abnormally high value. Since depletion of soul energy would hinder the output of GN force, most fighters would choose not to squander their soul energy in suchrge quantities. Therefore, such a high-level soul energy attack was notmonly seen in a normal battle. In a real-life battle, only seventy percent of the soul energy attack would eventuallynd on their opponents, since defensive measures would dampen the rest thirty percent. However, inside the simtion tank, it was impossible for the students to adequately defend against the attack, since it came from all direction.

    Hu Yangxuan and Cao Yi conceded that the only thing they would do then was to be calm and try to spend their soul energy as conservatively as possible without crippling their defense. Keeping a cool head was half the battle, since the more soul energy they poured into their defense, the more likely their mind would be eroded by illusions.

    Although the test was unspeakably cruel, it reflected the style of the TNN truthfully. Unlike the academies that had chosen to focus on a steady progression when it came down to the students'' training, TNN was well known for its extreme methods to achieve a sudden breakthrough. Although TNN''s method was less popr, it was no less efficient.

    As the two instructors looked through therge window, they saw that Wang Tong still acted as if the violent soul energy attack was nothing. The two instructors both had the suspicion that Wang Tong''s training chamber was broken, as they ordered the workers to double check the connections.

    "Sir, all output lines are hot. His vital signs are normal as well. There is no apparent increase in heart rate, and his soul energy output is rock steady, but just enough to cancel the attack waves."

    Inside the training chamber, Wang Tong cracked a knowing smile at Massa and Gansus.

    The equipment at TNN was much more advanced than even those in the S ss academies. However, its soul energy output fell short underparison with that of Einherjar Wannabe, whom Wang Tong had been training with. The three hundred sol seemed to be a piece of cake. Also, Mr. Wannabe was much more cunning and methodical in the delivery of his attacks than the machines.

    Although it might seem to be a great idea to releaserge amount of soul energy inside a confined area mechanically, the predictability made it too easy to defend for a high-level fighter such as Wang Tong.

    "What should we do next?"

    "He seemed to be more eager to test his limit than us. I say we crank it up to four hundred. What do you think?"

    "I say four fifty. "

    Massa waved his hand at the worker as thetter cranked up the dial to four hundred and fifty excitedly.

    "Turn off the other two; they have reached their limit."

    "Yes, sir!"

    After their test was over, Cao Yi and Hu Yangxuan were exhausted and drenched in sweat. Unable to pick themselves up to their feet, they bothid on the floor as they watched Wang Tong smile at them nonchntly.

    "I have to give credit to these two as well, they have trained hard. " Massa nodded approvingly. He reckoned that without intense training, the two would not havested this long.

    As Massa looked to the other side of the room, he found that the soul energy attack still seemed not to affect Wang Tong.

    The development stirred both instructors, as they knew that that much soul energy would make even a fifth level fighter''s stomach churn.

    Thanks to the gruesome training Wang Tong had to endure in the crystal space, not only he was able to withstand the powerful wave of soul energy, he had done it with ease.

    "Marvelous! What a genius!"

    "I bet thisd is going to pull the rug from under the Great Houses."

    "Golden Hawk must be pleased."

    "I know that you wanted to recruit him into TNN. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t agree to Samantha''s request. However, I think it¡¯s better if you forget about it. This kid is a genius and a perfect material for a general. He would only be a lunatic if he stayed in TNN, like us." Gansus gave Massa a sidelong nce as he spoke.

    "The Great House and the Golden Hawk has controlled the council; you know more than me that we need him. Plus, he needs our protection." Massa said.

    "He has done well so far without our protection, hasn''t he? I don''t think the discrete lifestyle here at TNN suits his bearings. " Gansus shook his head.

    "Tiger, I would hold on to my opinion. We cannot afford to pass up a talent like Wang Tong. He would do well in TNN, I can see that even now."

    "He would rise to power no matter where he stays. I am afraid that the TNN''s shrewd methods might go against the grain with his kindhearted nature. The military would be a much better ce for him."

    "Hehe¡­ Well, I guess there is no point in arguing about it between us. It alles down to his own decision."

 Chapter 327: The Bloody Bats

    Chapter 327: The Bloody Bats

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although Massa was the head of TNN, he was extremely polite while talking to Gansus. There were many members of the TNN such as Gansus who were anonymous to the world, but were feared by even the most powerful.

    After seeing that Wang Tong was unaffected by the machine''s soul energy attack, the two had finally caught a glimpse of the real power of Wang Tong. At full capacity, the machine was capable of cranking out five hundred sols of soul energy, and at that point, if the tester were still unchallenged, the test would be pointless.

    Everyone marveled at the fact that Wang Tong was able to level up to level six at the age of seventeen, as well as his incredible ability to hide his real power for so long.

    "Tiger, should I leave his training to you? To tell you the truth, I can already feel the itch in my bones." Massa said with a yful smile.

    "I am but an old and crippled cat nowadays. It''s all on you now!"

    "Haha, don''t be modest, it feels weird! Fine. I will take the first crack at it. I have seen many people with strange powers at TNN, but no one interests me more than this boy." Massa said as he rolled up his sleeves.

    Massa was not only the head of the TNN, but the 5th deadliest soldier of TNN.

    The only criteria that constituted a level six fighter was soul energy of at least five hundred sols, and Massa was without any doubt a sixth-level fighter.

    Although sixth level fighters were umon, it was considered by many experts the standard of human''s fighting capability. It was wildly excepted that it was harder to reach the next level¡ªthe Einherjar¡ªthan it was from level one to sixbined.

    However powerful a level six fighter was, he or she would never be able to ovee an Einherjar, since Einherjar''s power came from an entirely different realm, and they had possessed knowledge that went beyond any ordinary person''sprehension.

    Legend had it that when Li Feng and Rngalos had reached the peak of career, their cultivation had both went even further than Einherjar, as they had achieved a state of so-called "super-Einherjar." It was said that the only person who was stronger than the two was the de Warrior, since the mystical warrior was considered immortal.

    Despite the difficulties, all level six fighters dreamed of bing the Einherjar one day. Once they did, they would possess a power that was unbridled by the human body''s physical limits. Likewise, all the Einherjars throughout the history had never stopped improving themselves to transcend above their current level as Li Feng and Rngalos did. The world and the people in it hadn''t seen a super Einherjar for centuries, and therefore, whoever was the first to reach the state of super Einherjar would be the new overlord of the entire human world.

    Wang Tong''s drastic improvement had given Massa some measure of hope in breaking the Great Houses'' monopoly over the titles of Einherjar. The newfound hope spurred Massa''s desire to test Wang Tong''s power himself.

    Massa would rightfully represent the best of the level six fighters, as he possessed both an unrivaled soul energy and experience.

    After Wang Tong felt that the soul energy force had waned, Wang Tong knew that he had caught Massa''s attention. That was on his agenda, to practice with the top fighters of the TNN. Although Mr. Wannabe''s training was effective in improving Wang Tong''s power, Wang Tong believed that it would also be helpful to practice with someone whose power was simr to his.

    Ever since Wang Tong saw how effective Mr. Wannabe''s training had proven to be, Wang Tong wagered that his opponents such as Li Shiming and Lie Jian would possess greater power than he had imagined, since they, too, were likely having been trained by Einherjars.

    In addition to the Li and the Lie, Michaux Odin would also pose a significant threat to Wang Tong, thanks to his mysterious ability to control the soul energy. General Li Feng used to jest with Rngalos that the only person in the world who had possessed deeper understanding regarding soul energy than him was the sect leader of the Divine Master Sect at that time.

    Although the Divine Master died on the battlefield, his method of training had been passed down through generations. Part of the reason that contributed to Michaux''s indifferent demeanor was the fact that he was able to peer through the worldly matters and see things clearer than anyone else, at a higher state of existence.

    As for Wang Tong''s opponents from Kaedeian, Wang Tong wagered that they would also pose a significant threat due to their inborn ability to be in tune with the soul energy, thereby granting them higher damage output and control. Wang Tong gritted his teeth and conceded that he needed to be much stronger to fulfill his promise to Ma Xiaoru and her father.

    Massa had removed his jacket, and was about walk into the training room as a wave of brightughter erupted from behind him. "Boss, no need to bother yourself for a student. Let us have some fun too!"

    Without the TNN emblem on their uniform, anyone would take the group of TNN fighters for a group of misfits. The leader of the group was a busty woman, the curves of her body were entuated by the tighttex that she wore like a secondyer of skin. The second member''s head was cleanly shaven and shiny, as if it were oiled, and the third had a bright green Afro, and was wearing a pair of dirty, over-sized pants.

    Massa turned around toward the three, "Your mission is done already?"

    "Don''t underestimate the power of the Bloody Bats Squad. The mission was a piece of cake." One of the members threw a round object in a bag at Massa, its size and the way it rolled around on the floor eerily resembling a human head.

    "They are the Bloody Bats Squad. They formed about two years ago" Massa turned to Gansus and cracked a smile." They are quite efficient when fighting as a team."

    "Boss, who is that cripple?" The Skin Head asked, all the while chewing a piece of gum in his mouth like an insolent high school student. As an organization, TNN was somewhere in between military and an insane asylum. Therefore, the rules could not be as strict as they were in the actual military.

    "Hey, cripple! Why are you standing side by side with our boss? Come down here and let me teach you some respect!"

    Upon hearing the challenge, both Massa and Gansus burst outughing. Gansusmented that fewer and fewer people would recognize him after he had left TNN for so many years.

    "Hey, old man! Haven''t you heard of us? We are the Bloody Bats! The A-unit of the TNN! "

    "It is nice to be young. Well, since they are so interested, why don''t we let them help Wang Tong warm up?"

    "Hehe, good call. That would teach them to shut their traps."

    As the leader of the Bloody Bats, Liva was not only the strongest, but also the most observant. She had noticed a strange tattoo on Gansus''s arm that resembled the head of a tiger.

    Everyone knew that the top ten fighters of the TNN all had their unique tattoos. Massa was ranked number 5, and his symbol was a ming stallion. But which one was the tiger?

    Suddenly, Liva''s face turned pale as she remembered that the owner of the tiger tattoo was the number three fighter, nicknamed ¡®Furious Tiger.¡¯

    Once a TNN, always a TNN. Under emergency situations, Gansus would need to answer the call even though he had detached from the organization and had adopted a new life.

    "What''s up, captain?"

    "No...Nothing. Shut up, will you? Be respectful to the elderly! " The female captain bawled out at his skinhead teammate.

    "Elderly? Respect him?" Skin Head was still oblivious to Gansus''s identity, since he had not detected any trace of power from him. However, he had forgotten that the most potent fighters were also the best at hiding their real power.

    Massa pped his hands to attract the team''s attention. "I have arranged an opponent for you. As long as you could finish off the boy inside the training room, I will let you guys handle S-level missions. "

    "Shit! Are you sure? You alwaysined that we are under-qualified for that!" The skinhead scratched his shiny head and asked incredulously.

    "We have a deal! I will take you up on that, Boss!"

    "Since when have I failed to fulfill my promise? But mind you, you guys only have one shot. You can go all out; I don''t care how you do it." Massa gave Gansus a knowing smile. Many unspoken memories of their youth spent together at TNN were hidden behind their curled lips.

    Missions in TNN were categorized based on their difficulties into three sses, B, A, and S. Although being able to carry out A-ss missions at such young age was already a feat that the Bloody Bats should be proud of, the young and reckless team would not be satisfied until they had been proven worthy of the highest level missions. Then, they would persistently challenge the S ss missions regardless of how difficult and dangerous they were.

    "Well, since Boss has put it that way, we might as well go in to fight him together." Liva pulled back some of her teammates who had already step forward towards the training room. Liva and her teammates had requested countless times to ess the S ss missions, and all their requests had been turned down. She registered that the boy in the training room was a tough nut to crack. Otherwise, Massa would not agree to y such a high stake game.

    "Go now." Massa nodded approvingly at Liva''s discernment.

    "Would the five fledglings make the cut? Although Wang Tong is much younger, he is as experienced as you and me." Gansus asked.

    "The Bloody Bats is not a team to be trifled with. You will see."

    The three members of the Bloody Bats, Liva, Afro, and the Skin Head, filed into the training room.

    "Hey kiddo, I don''t care who you are, you are going to get owned today!" Skin Head gave Wang Tong a stink eye.

    "Wang Tong, this will be your second test. They are the A ss units of TNN. I hope you could learn a thing or two from them." Massa''s voice rang across the training room.

 Chapter 328: Eye-Opener

    Chapter 328: Eye-Opener

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong shrugged as he scanned the three opponents. His attention was drawn immediately by three prominent features: two big bosoms, a bold shiny head, and a fearsome Afro.

    "Hey kiddo, are you ready?"

    The three were slightly disappointed after seeing how young their opponent was, as they doubted that the boy would be as powerful as they thought.

    Wang Tong stared at the skinhead curiously, as if he were trying to refrain from asking him a question. After a brief pause, Wang Tong broke the silence, "Your head is so... bright and ...shiny! How did you do it?"

    The skinhead was not impressed by Wang Tong''s question, and he took it as a taunt. "Captain, let me go first. I want to teach him some respect."

    Seeing Liva nod, Skin Head cranked up his soul energy and drew out the GN force. Judging by the soul energy, Wang Tong could tell that the Skin Head was a fifth level fighter.

    The Bloody Bats'' over-the-top behavior was hinged on their superior abilities. Unlike the age of power suites when dark horses constantly challenged the positions of their higher tire counterparts, the METAL suits ushered in an era of absolute dominance of a few geniuses. The rtive stability had lent conceit to the powerful, and encouraged ostentatious behavior.

    Although Skin Head looked like he was only in his early twenties, he had already reached a high level of soul energy. Furthermore, his real-lifebat experience ought to make him deadlier than any academy graduate. He threw himself at Wang Tong with abandon, bashing his opponent with his bold and shiny head. The heavy weight of his body made him look like a charging tank.

    Wang Tong side-stepped swiftly and the skinhead, carried by his momentum, was about to crash straight into the wall. However, right before Skin Head was about to kiss the wall, he suddenly changed his pace, and as if by magic, he walked onto the wall and then to the ceiling. In a blink of eyes, Skin Head was already right above Wang Tong''s head, boring his fist down onto Wang Tong as he fell.

    Wang Tong watched as Skin Head finished the entire sequence in one go, and realized that his opponent had archived this stunt by altering the gravity around him using his GN force.

    As Skin Head thought he was about to finish off his opponent with a deadly punch, Wang Tong suddenly yanked his right arm up and unleashed a wave of unseen force that sent the descending Skin Head back up to the ceiling. The impact created many cracks "under" Skin Head''s body, on the ceiling.

    A faint smile hung on Wang Tong''s face. He had seen this trick before, and had countered it many times while fighting against the Pirate King Zackery. So difficult was the fight in the crystal against Mr. Wannabe''s imagined persona that Wang Tong had seen and exhausted all the tricks one could perform with the GN force and soul energy. Therefore, when he saw Skin Head''s iteration of the trick which Wang Tong had already learned by rote, Wang Tong merely acted out of instinct and resolved the attack in an instant.

    Being pinned upside down on the ceiling, Skin Head wiggled his body, trying to break free from his opponent''s GN force. However, regardless of how hard he had tried, his body remained on the ceiling as if he were glued to it.

    Seeing his teammate in trouble, Green Afro jumped into the fight and punched at Wang Tong with a fist imbued with explosive GN force.

    Sensing the iing danger on his side, Wang Tong threw a nce at the attacker and hurled a fist to greet him.

    The two fists collided with a loud st. Green Afro was sent flying backward by the force of Wang Tong''s punch, as a flurry of sters and dust fell from the cracked ceiling. Before the dust settled onto the ground, Wang Tong registered Liva attacking him with a stream of soul energy from the corner of his eyes. As an expert at using soul energy, Liva had many methods to turn the soul energy into a lethal weapon at her disposal. This time, she had chosen a technique called "pinpoint explosion." The purpose of the pinpoint explosion technique was to disrupt Wang Tong''s movements by applying soul energy at pivotal joins on Wang Tong''s body, where movements were hinged upon. The disruption to Wang Tong''s movement would give the Bloody Bats some time to join forces. Then, they might have a chance of winning this fight.

    A sharp thread of soul energy darted across the air and reached its destination on Wang Tong''s body. However, Liva watched in surprise as her victim smiled at her, seemingly unaffected by her attack.

    Green Afro finally picked himself up, but his defeat still disheveled him. His explosive GN force had been invincible until now. The force in his opponent''s punch had made him realize that his power was mere child''s ypared to that of Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong turned his head over towards the two instructors on the other side of the giant ss pane and then asked, "Are you two going to join us or not?"

    "Haha! You were right! These youngsters are no match for Wang Tong." Gansus smiled wryly. He really liked Wang Tong, and if not because he knew what was best for Wang Tong, he too would recruit Wang Tong into TNN as Massa suggested. After many years of service at the school, Gansus had changed his view on many things, and was no longer the brutal and merciless Tiger that he used to be. The positive change in him came with a hefty price¡ªhis leg.

    Massa shook his head and smiled, "We got too caught up with his young age."

    "Thisd is going to grow up to be one of the toughest son of a gun in the Confederation. We should count ourselves lucky to be able to witness his growth."

    "Among the three major factions, the Earthlings need the fresh blood like him the most."

    "Earth is the origin of all humans in the known universe. It should also be where the new legend is born."

    Massa threw away his jacket and heaved open the door to the training room. "You three are done here. Get out now."

    Skin Head thudded back on to the ground after Wang Tong released him, and Liva also managed to gather herself after Wang Tong untangled her soul energy from his.

    Dumbfounded, the Bloody Bats walked out of the training room while they were still trying toe to terms with their defeat.

    Gansus waved at them to join him in watching the fight.

    Liva plodded towards Gansus. The defeat had taken the wind out of her sail. She could sense that the opponent was much stronger than the three of thembined.

    "Sir, may I ask who that boy is?" Liva asked curiously. The catastrophic defeat still shook her voice.

    As Gansus smiled away the question, Liva suddenly felt the ground trembling underneath her feet. She knew right away that Wang Tong and Massa had started fighting.

    The two hurled fist at each other and both were staggered back a few steps by the impact.

    Skin Head rubbed his light bulb-like head and watched incredulously as Wang Tong managed to hold his ground against Massa.

    "Well doned! I have never thought that you could achieve such great power so quickly. I will no longer hold back my soul energy, so be careful!" Massa announced. He was exceedingly pleased to see how powerful Wang Tong had gotten.

    "We shall see!" Wang Tong shouted. He had been waiting for this fight for too long; all his previous opponents were either overpowered or too weak.

    The two fighters exchanged a few rounds of attacks. The impact of their GN forces filled the room with ring noises like the drumbeat on the battlefield. Seeing that Massa had improved his ability in his absence, Gansus nodded approvingly.

    As Gansus nodded again and again following Massa''s every excellent execution, the three teenagers were shocked by the power at disy.

    Although Massa had subconsciously cranked up his soul energy until it reached level six, Wang Tong did not even flinch as he fended off the attack with only a level five soul energy. This had really impressed his audiences.

    The twobatants were thoroughly engrossed in the visceralbat, and had forgotten that they were in the training room. Massa seemed to have gained an edge in terms of skill and magnitude of soul energy, but Wang Tong''s quick reflexes and efficient movements made him look like a battle-hardened warrior. He was able to prevent his stronger opponent from gaining any tangible advantages.

    Gansus was well aware of Massa''s strength, and he registered that Massa didn''t go all out in the fight. Most TNN''s top fighters, including Massa, excelled at extremely deadly attacks. But Gansus could tell that Massa''s moves were far from posing any real danger to Wang Tong, since he had used only seventy percent of his power. Despite that, Gansus was surprised to find out that Wang Tong appeared to be able to fend off Massa''s attack with ease.

    Gansus knew that Wang Tong would be a force to be reckoned with the first time he saw him. But after a year, Gansus conceded that he had underestimated this boy after all.

    Green Afro''s jaw almost dropped to the floor as he watched the two''s fight incredulously. He would have never thought that anyone under twenty would be able to stand against Massa. Green Afro was not alone in his surprise, as all his teammates were in awe towards Wang Tong''s incredible power at such a young age, and conceded that the fight was a real eye-opener. They had finally learned what was required to take on the S ss missions.

    As the audiences were steeped in awe with Wang Tong''s power, the fight carried out without any clear winner for a while, until the two finally decided to give up, fearing that the reckless force would destroy the training room if they continued.

    Exhausted but pleased, Wang Tong sat down on the floor. This fight had offered him a precious opportunity for self-evaluation.

    On the other hand, Massa conceded that he had to re-evaluate his training n, since he doubted that he would be able to efficiently train Wang Tong after seeing how powerful he had gotten. Only a half year ago, Massa was still confident in taking on the role of Wang Tong''s coach. However, right then, he was not so sure any longer.

    "Lad, your special training has finished. While you wait for your friends, do you mind hanging around here at TNN?" Massa said as he picked up Wang Tong to his feet.

    "Yes, Sir!"

    "No need to call me sir anymore, call me Old Ma. Gansus was against the idea of recruiting you into TNN as a formal member. He said it would limit your future, and I agree with him. That being said, I think it would be helpful for you to gain some understanding of TNN. " Massa said earnestly. He had already treated Wang Tong as one of his close friends, after the young boy had reminded him so much of his youth.

    "No problem. I''m sure I would like it here."

 Chapter 329: Boot Camp Training

    Chapter 329: Boot Camp Training

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although neither Wang Tong nor Massa had executed their attacks with the intention to kill, they had both gotten a number on each other''s power. Massa reckoned that Wang Tong had already reached such a high level that the training he could offer to Wang Tong would be unnecessary. The only areas that Wang Tong could still improve, Massa reasoned, was his soul energy cultivation and battle experience.

    Massa knew that the best way for Wang Tong to improve was to partake in morebat. He could have ordered the elite TNN fighters to fight with Wang Tong, but since it was against the TNN rules, Massa had refrained himself from doing so.

    Massa conceded that from then on, it would be up to Wang Tong himself to actively seek the opportunity for training, since it would be harder to find an opponent as Wang Tong leveled up.

    Wang Tong was well aware of this problem, and he didn''t expect anyone in TNN to assign him a training routine that would magically solve his problem for him. He counted himself lucky that he would have the opportunity to spar with Massa, since otherwise, it would be a waste of timeing to the TNN''s facility.

    The Bloody Bats quietly watched as Massa and Wang Tong walked out of the training room, their eyes devoid of conceit.

    "Massa, I think you need to dust your skills off!" Gansusughed. He found it entertaining to see Massa being forced into a draw by a young boy.

    "Buzz off! You can try it for yourself." Gansus rolled his eyes.

    "You three, get about your business."

    "Yes, boss!"

    Wang Tong felt Liva''s gaze rest on him, and when he looked at her, he saw her bat her long and curvy eyshes at him, followed by a wink. Wang Tong''s heartbeat suddenly elerated.

    Truth be told, Wang Tong had rarely experienced the tant seduction of the opposite sex. There were plenty beautiful teenage girls around him, but no one had ever seduced Wang Tong as Liva did.

    Although Wang Tong was rtively inexperienced in dealing with the lust of a woman, he was able to maintain hisposure and was unmoved by the lure.

    Gansus and Massa had been watching the subtle development, and they nodded after seeing Wang Tong''s incredible self-control.

    After the workers led the boys out of the training room, the two instructors stayed to reflect on the fight.

    "I say, he is the best among the youngsters. How much power did you hold back?"

    "I used over 60% of my real power, but I have a feeling that Wang Tong had been holding back his power as well. It is hard to get a number on him."

    "His cultivation is built on a solid foundation. I can tell that he is almost as experienced as you and me. The only thing about him that I am still unsure of is the exact level of his soul energy. What''s your take on his abilitypared to the other five from the Great Houses? "

    The words "Great Houses" made Massa heave a sigh as he said, "It''s hard to tell. But one thing I know for sure is that the tournament would be a fascinating one to watch. We have been working our a*s off trying to weaken the influence of the great houses. However, seeing that their children were getting stronger, I suppose that we would be disappointed again."

    "Hmmm...Sounds like you had exchanged a few moves with Li Shiming already?"

    "There was no need; he is one of the best hands down. One thing that makes him even more potent than his father is his ability to bide his time for the dyed reward."

    "Do you suppose that Wang Tong could be helpful for the Golden Hawk to bnce out the power?"

    "Tiger, you know better than anyone that no one could stop the wheel of history. Although powerful, Wang Tong is no match to the House of Li by a long chalk. To tell you the truth,pared to Li Shiming, I am more afraid of Patroclus from the Dower."

    "Ah...The Ivantians have been quietly biding their time for a while, and I suppose it is about time for them to flex their muscles again."

    "After lying on the firewood and tasting gall for so many years, they have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel after Patroclus finished the Tactics of the Deva King. The Dowers have always been an astute lot. They figured that it would be pointless to sit on a throne when there was no need for a king, but they had sensed something terrible wasing. The world is about to change, and they have also be restless."

    "Li Shiming would be their strongestpetitor in climbing thedder of power. But, I am not sure if the Li alone would be able to stop them. Power and influences aside, the Li had isted themselves from the people of Earth after many years of mismanagement. Li Shiming would have a work cut out for him, that''s for sure."

    "Hehe, sounds like you like the Li boy?"

    "Very much so, haha! He is one of my favorite among all the other from the Great Houses. Lie Jian seemed like the most unimpressive contestant in the game. He fell short not only in terms of his fighting skills, but also because of the hasty and reckless manner he used to handle situations. That being said though, there were two wild cards at the Martians¡¯ disposal¡ªthe Sect of the Divine Master and the Kaedeians."

    "Agreed! We shouldn''t have so hastily offloaded the Kaedeian insurgence to the Martians."

    "We didn''t have much choice back then. Anyhow, we better be prudent during this year''s tournament. I can see the dark clouds gathering."

    "I''m aware of that. The stage is already set, but there are still too many moving parts. It could get hairy at any time."

    To most ordinary people, the tournament was nothing but a visceral enjoyment. However, to some special organizations such as TNN, they had to be constantly vignt, in case the situation escted quickly into a mess. Under the splendid facade of the tournament, sinister dark currents moved about, ready tosh out at any moment. The involvement of the Temr and the Kaedeians only added more uncertainty to the already convoluted web of powers that were about to entangle with each other.

    "Have we got any information on Einherjar Wannabe?"

    "No dice. We are short staffed. Doesn''t matter though, he is going to show up at the tournament. So, we have ample opportunity to observe him." Massa answered. He had been investing most of the department''s resources on the current battle with the Zerg.

    "I haven''t seen so much action going on at one time for years," Gansus said as he heaved a deep sigh. A whim of nostalgia came over him, and for the first time in a long time, Gansus felt wary for the uncertainty in the future of human race.

    On the second day of the students'' arrival at TNN, Cao Yi and Hu Yangxuan had officially started their training with a few TNN members chosen by Massa himself.

    Instead of training with his friends, Wang Tong stood on the side and studied the training methods of TNN to see if he could learn a thing or two. Massa seemed to have disappeared since the first day. Wang Tong had been his priority, and therefore, after he realized that Wang Tong no longer needed his guidance, he decided to leave the rest of the training to himself.

    Gansus was in full charge of Cao Yi and Hu Yangxuan''s training, making sure that Hu Yangxuan''sziness would not get the better of him. Although Hu Yangxuan had improved his attitude by leaps and bounds ever since he arrived the TNN''s training camp, he still carried an air of casualness that Gansus had been trying hard to help him get rid of. On the contrary, Cao Yi required Gansus''s minimal attention, as he always executed his instructor''s order to the letter. Also, Cao Yi held a much more positive attitude than Hu Yangxuan. He would return to his training with renewed determination after failure, and neverined that training was too painful.

    Gansus had be even more stringent and unforgiving than while he was at the Academy. Meanwhile, Cao Yi and Hu Yangxuan had also enjoyed being surrounded bypetent opponents. Liva and her team members saw to it that their desire for sparring was met, and the Bloody Bats were also very interested in knowing more about Wang Tong¡¯s power, as they sparred with him whenever the opportunity presented.

    Wang Tong conceded that even TNN''s training camp was not adequate for him at his current level. Although there were many strong fighters in TNN, they were scattered around the world. Without being an official member of the TNN, Massa found it hard pressed to summon them back to the training camp for no legitimate reasons other than practice with an academy student.

    That being said, Wang Tong was delighted when Gansus granted him ess to TNN''s data vault. The vault contained precious records and analysis on various tactics. Although some of the documents were ssified, the sheer volume of the information meant that Wang Tong was bound to find something useful. Although the tactics and techniques recorded in the vault were considered useless by many, they provided an excellent source of inspiration for Wang Tong to draw from.

    Wang Tong wasn''t born in a prestigious family, neither was he jealous of the great houses'' renowned tactics. His heart was in the techniques that seemed ordinary yet unique in their own ways, much like himself.

    Despite the huge amount of information, Wang Tong was determined toplete watching all records in the vault. Therefore, he had spent most of his time in the vault by himself, studying the records with extreme patience.

    TNN had taken care of his food and amodation, so that Wang Tong could go on with his study undisturbed.

    Even his friends seemed to have forgotten about him after every day''s dreadful training under the supervision of Gansus.

    Although Massa and Gansus had reserved opinions about Wang Tong''s obsession in the vault records, fearing that it would just be a waste of time, the two instructors left Wang Tong to his own device and didn''t intervene. They knew that at this stage, Wang Tong would know better than anyone else about the ways of improving himself.

    After spending half a month in the TNN training facility, the three students finally packed up their bags and returned the school to get ready for the tournament in a few days.

 Chapter 330: Back To School

    Chapter 330: Back To School

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although the three students had improved in different areas after spending half a month at the TNN training facility, they all left with one thing inmon: confidence.

    At the transit terminal where Cao Yi and the other two were about to part ways, Cao Yi turned to his Ayrng friends and said, "Thank you for the great time we had spent together."

    "Thank you too! I will see you on the Moon!" Hu Yangxuan replied.

    "Yea! Time to show them the results of our secret training." Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

    "Cheers!" Cao Yi waved his hands and soon disappeared in the throng of people at the transit station.

    Although Hu Yangxuan had worked hard to improve himself, he felt that Wang Tong was the main reason why he was able to pick up the ck. Hu Yangxuan had a good family background, and he had also trained in the Temr. But, this head start wouldn''t carry him too far without the constant encouragement of Wang Tong.

    After the half month of training at the TNN, Hu Yangxuan had gotten rid of his bad habits, and was then more devoted to his training than ever.

    After the two returned to Ayrng, they were surprised to find out that their school had also changed a lot. A brand new building was erected at the ce where Wang Tong and his gang used to hang out all the time, and they found out that this new building was filled to the brim with new and advanced equipment. Due to Ayrng''s recent outstanding performance, the school board had received increasingly generous donations. After spending much time investigating Ayrng''s sess at the tournament against Bernabeu, and subsequently, Capth, the investors were confident that Ayrng would prevail at theing pan sr tournament.

    It wasmon knowledge that unlike the local tournaments, the stage at the pan-sr tournament belonged to the great houses. But, thepetition went beyond the battlefield, as the cooperation also fought against each other to carve out their share of the profit.

    The final matches would be held at the legendary Sky Arena, and the rest of the matches would be taken ce at twelve different cities across the moon.

    As a sport, METALbat enjoyed greater poprity than Fleetbat, since the ability of the METAL warriors was tied directly to the fate of human race. It was in everyone''s interest to not only enjoy watching the fight, but also assess the likelihood of their survival in a Zerg attack based on the performance of their soldiers.

    Every had received a quota for participants based on their poption and the results of previous participation. Considering the unprecedented amount of applications themittee had received, the tournament hostingmittee had decided to increase the quota to meet the demand. Although the minimum requirement for the applicant''s soul energy was level four, themittee had set up a special application stream to process the applicants who were lower than level four but possessed much higher damage output.

    The public academy students had made up the bulk of the applicants. The tournament was an opportunity for students to showcase their ability and be recognized by future employers. However, there were also participants from private schools. Driven by the promise of increasing their fame, many private schools had set aside heft prizes for thebatants they had sent to the tournament should they prevail.

    Thanks to the new investments, Wang Tong was assigned a new living quarter. Although the living standards were much higher here in the new building, Wang Tong missed his old dormitory beside the girls'' apartment.

    Wang Tong found out that he had somehow be the center of his schoolmates'' attention after he had defeated so many formidable opponents for Ayrng. He was no longer the "Caretaker Wang". Instead, he had be a hero, especially to the girls, and his presence inspired respect rather than snickers.

    Due to Wang Tong''s grassroots origin, most students at Ayrng felt Wang Tong rtable. Therefore, Wang Tong enjoyed wholehearted support from his male schoolmates, as no one seemed to be jealous of his sudden rise to fame.

    Wang Tongid in hisrge and soft bed, trying to view himself in light of his new fame. However, didn''t find it particrly enjoyable. Wang Tong was not bothered by hisck of enjoyment for being adored. He knew too clearly why people liked him, and was too cool to care. He was Wang Tong, and Wang Tong never cared about what other people thought of him.

    Wang Tong''s train of thoughts were disturbed by approaching heavy footsteps towards his door. Wang Tong smiled knowingly, his friends were here.

    "Mowhahah! Boss, you are home, finally! Common, give a fist-pump! Holy sh*t! The rumor is true!" Karl was the first one who rushed into the room, and he stared at Wang Tong''s new room in disbelief. Lumi, Zhou Sisi, Tita, and Zhen Zhong followed suit.

    "What does the rumor say? How did you guys know that I am back?"

    "Principal Samantha definitely yed favorite! They said that your room was the best, and it was true! Look at this! They said Samantha herself had seen to the renovation of your room." Karl smiled broadly.

    "Your room was the second best, if not the same, Karl. Would you like to exchange room with me?" Tita jested.

    The positive study environment at Ayrng had encouraged the students more than any instructor would. When all the students were engrossed in a friendlypetition, they seldom felt that their tedious school work was unbearable, since the burden was shared by everyone. As time passed, the students would have unwittingly improved themselves.

    Thus, most of Wang Tong''s friends had already seen the rewards for their hard work. In addition to Karl, who had made a name for himself at the fleetbat tournament, Lumi had also snatched a gold medal at an information warfarepetition. Skittish as she had always been, Lumi had somehow taken away the gold medal like a boss. Due to Lumi''s petty size stature, everyone had taken care of her like a younger sister. With Lumi in the group, the S club felt more like a family than a student group. One would be hard-pressed to find any drama within the group, since the students were all focused on fighting for amon goal. Although the group might seem immature or idealistic, their youthful energy was admirable.

    Wang Tong was delighted to see the faces of his friends again. The weight on Wang Tong''s shoulder meant that it was almost impossible for him to take a break and rx. His only source of outlet for venting the stress was spending quality time with his friends. In addition to that, ever since his destiny was revealed to him by general Li Feng, he could feel like a normal human only when he was with his friends.

    Sisi kept her quietness as always when she was hanging out with Wang Tong in a group. She quietly studied Wang Tong''s face, trying to discern even the smallest change since she saw himst time. Although she didn''t speak a word, she had never felt so content before.

    "Stop ogling, your eyeballs are going to fall out!" Lumi quietly reminded Zhou Sisi.

    "Hey, I am not ogling!" Zhou Sisi retorted.

    "Fine, fine, whatever you say. " Lumi pulled a naughty face at Zhou Sisi.

    "Is it just me or you are really bold today? "

    "Haha, i am emboldened by our Boss''s return, and finally, someone else other than you would be calling the shots," Lumi said with her hands on her hips.

    "Sisi would always be the one calling the shots, haha. Don''t cause me any trouble, please." Wang Tong said with a smile.

    "Boss, tell us what happened at the TNN boot camp!"

    "Ah-ha, I have prepared something for you guys. Here, look!" Wang Tong turned on the sk and sent a file to everyone. "This is what I managed to get out of TNN''s vault. It contains the most updated technical analysis. Don''t forward the files to just anyone. We can only share it among ourselves."

    Everyone fumbled in their crystal to find the Sk terminal, and started reading the material that was relevant to their major.

    "Boss! I found information regarding the new RFF system. This is awesome! Not even the Zhang Brothers could get their hands on it! " Lumi eximed, her face beaming from side to side.

    "The martians'' heavy METAL assembly instruction! Cool! Thanks, boss!"

    "I am d you guys find it useful." Wang Tong nodded. He had spent a lot of time inpiling the material. Since all the information in the file were harmless research material, Ma Sa had made an exception and allowed Wang Tong to bring them out of TNN. Gansus had also requested a copy, as he intended to use it in his ss.

    "Gosh! This is a lot of information. Boss, you are awesome!"

    Zhou Sisi was also engrossed in the sea of information. From fleetbat to METALbat, many topics in thepiled file had caught her attention. Dabbling in almost all subjects, Zhou Sisi was a master of none, but the broad knowledge base was critical to a fleetmander, since familiarity in all subjects would help her maintain a clear mind and make the right decision at the right time.

    She firmly believed that all the hard work that was beyond the requirement of her current curriculum would eventually pay off one day.

 Chapter 331: Tournament Start!

    Chapter 331: Tournament Start!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Somewhere in Europe, far away from Shangjin, Ma Xiaoru was training as hard as her friends. To return to her friends, she would have to prove to her parents that she had recovered from her ailment.

    All the while, Li Ruoer had greatly pleased Ma Dutian by keeping her daughterpany. Ma Dutian was confident that with thepany of another Enchantress, his daughter''s soul energy would replenish much faster.

    The Ma and the Li were inextricably connected, and their tight rtionship seemed to have blurred the boundary of many terms. Intrigue was only half a step away from an alliance, and infighting in the morning could quickly turn into a pleasant lunch by the noon.

    By then, the Li had focused entirely on the pan sr system tournament, as they considered it as important as the marriage with the Ma, if not even more so.

    Li Shiming reckoned that the marriage and the pan sr tournament were not mutually exclusive. As long as Li Shiming was able to prove himself at the tournament, the Li would have the upper hand in negotiating the terms of the marriage. Li Shiming was confident that once Ma Xiaoru saw his gant victory, she would fall in love with him helplessly in a heartbeat.

    To the Li, the sess of their master n seemed to hinge entirely on the oue of the METAL tournament.

    At the onset of the summer break, the stage of the METAL tournament finally drew back its curtain; a fantastic show was about to get started.

    To get to the final stage on the Moon, all participants, regardless of their levels, would have to undergo the qualification matches on their home.

    The qualification match had attracted the media''s attention. On the first day of the qualification match, both Li Shiming and Patroclus had fought their matches on their home. Although Li Shiming''s victory was already in the bag, the appearance of Li Shiming had driven many people rushing to the arena to watch the fight.

    There were over twenty qualification matches taking ce at the same time on the earth. The METALbat was not only the most popr form of entertainment, but it also helped to secure victory against the Zergs by strengthening the public''s bodies and sharpening their minds.

    Under Wang Tong''s lead, the students at Ayrng had also started the first round of qualification match. Although Wang Tong was the champion of the fleetbat, no one had paid any attention to him, since all of the media''s attention was on Li Shiming.

    In addition to Li Shiming, Li Ruoer had also joined the tournament. She had quickly be another hot topic, because it had been a while since an Enchantress had partaken in the sport.

    Despite arge number of matches, the media could only focus on a very few to broadcast. Li Shiming''s fight was not just the Earth media''s top pick, but also that of others, since fighters on the others had treated Li Shiming as one of their toughestpetitors.

    Li Shiming''s opponent was a nobody from an A-ss academy whom no one had paid any attention to.

    As Li Shiming appeared inside the arena, the audiences boiled over, and their shouts and cheers wereced with respect.

    This was not the first time that Li Shiming ever felt the glory of his family. But this time, he felt an impending inevitability in the grace of his ancestors for the first time. He knew then that the deeds of his ancestors would, and should, never be forgotten. It was his duty to carry on the me, protecting it so that its light would never wane.

    "LI SHIMING!-LI SHIMING!-LI SHIMING!"

    The shout of the audiences was intoxicating. When he younger, Shiming might have flushed in a fit of self-indulgence. But, he had grown up, and had be custom to the frenzied crowd. Li Shiming masked his face with a faint and aloof smile, then he bowed to the audiences. Li Shiming''s natural and unaffected manner struck a chord with the audiences, as a wave of ring apuse erupted in the arena.

    "What''s up with the hype?" Karl said indignantly.

    "Don''t be jealous. When you are as powerful as him, you would be popr as well."

    "It''s hard. He holds an advantage in the tactics he uses. We are born to serve the prince on his high horse."

    "Hey, don''t be so pessimistic!" Karl shouted. Karl had dabbled himself in METALbat before he switched to Fleetbat. Therefore, he knew the importance of tactics to a fighter''s power. Although he wanted to see his friends remain hopeful in their victory, he conceded that the power gap between his friends and Li Shiming was huge, despite the fact that he still saw a sliver of hope in Wang Tong.

    The fight had begun. Li Shiming''s opponent, Dong Liang, shouted a battle cry and then hacked at Li Shiming with a de. He knew that the odds were against him, but the hopeless situation seemed to have spurred his courage and lent him mettle.

    Li Shiming was a good fighter, and an even better showman. He waited until the tip of the de was only an inch away from his neck, then he suddenly snatched the de with two fingers¡ª a familiar troupe in many movies. Dong Liang struggled to get the de out from in between Li Shiming''s index and middle fingers, but the mp was iron-tight. All the while, Li Shiming stood still and did not attack his opponent, nor did he take away the de. Dong Liang''s face flushed red and finally let go of the de handle. He stepped back and bowed to his opponent, "I submit. You have won."

    Dong Liang had realized that the gap between his power and that of Li Shiming was unbridgeable, and continuing the fight would be pointless, especially when Li Shiming had already given him face and didn''t humiliate him in front of the crowd.

    A wave of cheers rose from the audience. Although everyone had expected Li Shiming''s victory, they praised his consideration for the dignity of the weak.

    Li Shiming bowed to the audiences again before he retreated to the backstage. He had won not only a fight, but also the hearts of his viewers. Li Shiming knew that to he needed the public''s opinion on his side to sit on the throne of the world. He reckoned that there was nowhere better than the stage of the tournament for him to perform PR stunts.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, the Ivantian Prince, Patroclus, had also shown up at his qualification match. Even the Ivantians were excited by the rare opportunity to take a glimpse at Patroclus''s power. All the Ivantians believed that the title of champion of the tournament belonged to Patroclus, and even Li Shiming was no match for their prince.

    Patroclus''s opponent was a second-year student at the Starry Sky academy. Like many participants of his age, he was a fourth level METAL fighter. Knowing that it was hopeless to win the fight, the boy wanted to give up the match before it even started. However, neither the organizingmittee nor the audience would allow him to spoil their show. After a while, the young boy plodded into the arena with a solemn face.

    As desperation festered inside the Ivantian boy, he charged up his soul energy and hurled himself at Patroclus like a religious martyr. Before the tip of the boy''s sword found its target, Patroclus suddenly disappeared into thin air. Seized by despair and hopelessness, the boy was not able to stop his movement, and he crashed into the wall behind Patroclus. The de bounced off the wall, and the back of de hit the poor boy in the face and knocked him out.

    Game over.

    Zhang Jin watched the short and almostical ending of Patroclus''s first fight, and she fell into deep thought. Just like Rngalos, Patroclus was perfect, not only inbat, but also in anything that could lead him to more power. What was hidden under his power frightened Zhang Jin. She knew that no one would be able to stop Patroclus once the beast inside him finally woke up.

 Chapter 332: Kaedeians Livelihood

    Chapter 332: Kaedeian''s Livelihood

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although the gene modification program was prevalent among Ivantians, Patroclus was an exception even among those who imed to have altered their genes to the perfect state.

    Despite being the exemrs of perfect humans as they were, both Patroclus and Rngalos conceded that they carried the burden of their ever-growing ambition. Therefore, Patroclus had devoted his life to suppressing his inner desires, so that he won''t bring disaster to the world.

    Patroclus envied Rngalos for having a worthy opponent who could offer the opportunity to safely release his power. The thought always brought a question to his mind, ¡®Who would be my Li Feng? Would it be Li Shiming or Wang Tong?¡¯

    Zhang Jin could tell that Patroclus was ready for a change that was extraordinary and terrible, the change that would be ushered in by his destined adversary who had yet to reveal himself. However, she also wondered if either Wang Tong or Li Shiming would be powerful enough to prevent Patroclus from bing a monster. Genius and madman were merely two sides of the same coin.

    Zhang Jin made a mental note that she should spend more time on observing Wang Tong. She had been too busy piecing the information together regarding the new battery technology. Data from all sources told the same story: FFC had already possessed about 80% of the core technology, and was only a few steps away frompleting the project. However, the progress of the remaining 20% had been extremely slow.

    Meanwhile, on Earth, Wang Tong had defeated his first opponent as everyone had expected. All of his friends had also prevailed in their first matches.

    The students from Bernabeu, especially Apache, had done an excellent job in the qualification matches. After disappearing for a while, Apache''s power seemed to have be even more potent.

    This tournament was not much less of a test to the academy students than it was to others, as many people like Apache, who had already graduated, had also joined the matches. Although the graduates were less in number, they posed a serious threat to those who were still at school due to their much mature experience.

    The decision of including older teenagers into the tournament had gone under scrutiny before the organizingmittee officially epted it. In the end, everyone on themittee agreed that challenges were not a bad thing to students. After all, a calm sea wouldn''t make good sailors.

    There had been no big surprises so far in the oues of the qualification matches. Since the oue of the METALbat was dictated by thebatants'' soul energy, it was very rare to see a dark horse in the tournament. Plus, every contestant had been cautious in their moves, to make sure that they wouldn''t slip up.

    On Mars, Lie Jian had finished his match with ease. In addition to Lie Jian, Michaux had caught everyone''s attention because of his attack using pure soul energy. So overbearing was the attack that his opponent didn''t even have a chance to defend himself.

    It was evident that the members of the sect possessed a much deeper understanding of soul energy than an ordinary fighter. While the entire world was obsessed with new methods of turning one''s soul energy into GN force, the sect of Divine Masters had looked to the old ways, as they believed that soul energy attacks were the purest and the most effective form of attack, while GN force was merely a trick of the desperate. However, the Sect of the Divine Masters seemed to be alone so far in their belief.

    One should never mistake the sect as a group of passive monastic hermits, because all members of the sect were fearsome warriors, who were not afraid of standing up for themselves. They had been the vanguard of the Martian regiment during the Zerg invasion. Only a few people had witnessed the Sect''s unique coup de grace that had been passed down through generations, and all ounts of witnesses suggested that the sect''s understanding of soul energy had allowed them to unleash a tremendous power.

    On the first day of the tournament, the title for the most popr fighter went to Princess Heidi. Although most of the human world had already adopted a democratic system based on the concept of civil contract, the Kaedeian society was still a monarchy. The queen held absolute power over all matters of Kaedeian life. Although many people viewed it as a tant assault on the democratic world, the servile nature of human race drove them to admire and romanticize the Kaedeian Monarch.

    Dubbed as the most elegantdy in the civilized world, Princess Heidi sauntered into the Arena. The strict caste system had decreed that whenever a Kaedeian partook in a tournament, the princess was not allowed to fight with her subjects. The organizingmittee had made an exception to amodate the Kaedeian''s custom; they would agree to anything as long as the Kaedeians were willing to stay in the tournament.

    Heidi had finished off her first opponent with elegance and ease. Her opponent was too weak, and the fight ended in mere seconds. Eyes glued on the princess, the audiencesmented the ipetency of her opponent, who was unable to drag out the game just a bit longer so that they could enjoy the view of the graceful princess.

    The Kaedeian girls all had small but exquisite features on their face. The proportion of their bodies and faces were even more pleasing to the eyes than the Ivantians. The Kaedeian''s mere presence would evoke earthly desires in a man''s heart, and spun misogynistic fantasies in their minds. Sadly, Kaedeian royals were forbidden to marry a human, despite the rumors that General Li Feng had once broken that rule and asked for the hand of a Kaedeian royalty.

    As the Kaedeian''s neighbor, the Martians desired their beauty more so than Earthlings or Ivantians. The Martian mainstream media had been working industriously in coxing the public to envision a marriage alliance between Lie Jian and Heidi. Lie Jian had also ostentatiously shown up at Heidi''s first match; he cheered for Heidi while ogling at her tantalizing features like a hungry carrion. Lie Jian''s intention hardly escaped the public''s watchful eyes, as tales about Li Jian''svish parties to entertain the Kaedeian princess filled every corner of the martian street. However, so far, Lie Jian''s mboyant personality had been a hindrance than a help for his pursuit.

    After the fight, Heidi quickly returned to her castle. She was agitated not because of the fight, but because of what the augur had told her about the return of the chosen one, that marked the sacrifice of a Kaedeian Princess.

    The Kaedeians revered the de Warrior as a god, not because of his mercy, but for his godly destructive power. To the earthlings and the Ivantians, de Warrior was their benevolent savior, but to the Kaedeians, he meant war and destruction. However imprable the royal Kaedeian navy had been, it was decimated by the de Warrior within seconds, and that was the first time the Kaedeians felt small and helpless. Eventually, they bent their knees to their new god.

    They had sincee to terms with the fact that their survival was hinged upon their servitude to their new god. The recent technology breakthrough didn''t lend them conceit. Instead, it had redoubled their reverence, as they looked through the lenses of science and discovered that the power of their god was even greater than they had initially thought.

    Kaedeians knew that the number of Zergs that human was currently fighting was only a tip of an icebergpared to its actual size. Otherwise, the Zergs wouldn''t be able to devour highly advanced civilizations along their destructive path. The bulk of the Zerg army, Kaedeians believed, was stopped in its track by the de Warrior. However, even the de Warrior could only stop them instead of eliminating them, and one day, the scourge of the Zerg would return with renewed intensity. Already, the Kaedeian augurs had been dreaming destruction and fire. Heidi''s instinct told her that a bloody storm was returning, and so was the de Warrior.

 Chapter 333: Super Einherjar

    Chapter 333: Super Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Through centuries of scientific development, the Earthling and the Kaedeian individuals were finally equipped with necessary means to ovee Zergs in one on onebat. However, the Zerg race held a decisive advantage over the humans in their number.

    The Zergs were capable of consuming an entire, since they could multiply infinity and rapidly. Even the newest mass destruction weapons seemed to fail to wipe out the Zergspletely.

    Wang Tong took a shower after his routine cultivation; his mood was brightened by thefortable life the new apartment had offered.

    Charcoal also enjoyed the new environment, as he repeatedly circled the room like a kid in a new house. Charcoal''spanyforted Wang Tong when heid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling nkly to let go of his stress. As Wang Tong did so, from the corner of his eyes, he caught a dark ghostly apparition; the haunting image spurred him out of his bed as he screamed hysterically like a little girl.

    "Mr. Wannabe! Please! Could you give me a heads up next time you want to show up?" Despite the horrified look on Wang Tong''s face, he was pleased to find out that Mr. Wannabe had recovered fully, as his presence pulsed with powerful soul essence.

    Mr. Wannabe nced at Charcoal, and thetter greeted him as amicably as the binary codes couldpute.

    "Hey, old man! It looks like you have fully recovered. What about another round of the ''Zachery the Pirate'' game?"

    Mr. Wannabe didn''t reply. Instead, he held a serious expression and red at Wang Tong, dragging out the silence.

    Sensing something was amiss, Wang Tong sat up and asked, "What''s up?"

    Mr. Wannabe heaved a sigh and then replied, "I have recovered much faster than I had thought, and I remembered something about my past."

    Wang Tong straightened his back as the gravity of Mr. Wannabe''s words set in. "You recovered your memory? That''s awesome! Tell me what you have remembered!"

    Mr. Wannabe''s face twisted as if he were mustering the courage, and eventually, a few words tumbled out between his teeth. "I need your help, please!"

    "Yea...spit it out. I will... try my best." Wang Tong was disheveled by Mr. Wannabe''s unusual courtesy.

    "I need you to arrange fights for me against all of the current Einherjars."

    Wang Tong paused for a second to reflect on Mr. Wannabe''s request. To an ordinary human, the Einherjar was a god-like existence, but Wang Tong believed that there ought to be a way to coax them into a fight.

    "It would be hard, but I can try to track them down first. Nothing is impossible." Wang Tong announced with determination; he was unruffled by the challenge ahead. Wang Tong didn''t press Mr. Wannabe with more questions regarding the reason behind such an odd request, knowing that Mr. Wannabe would tell him only when he was ready to do so. However, Wang Tong had other questions rted to the task.

    "Once we have tracked them down, how are you going to convince them to fight with you?" Wang Tong asked.

    Wang Tong''s question had taken the wind out of Mr. Wannabe''s sail. He furrowed his brows at the thought of wasting his time in the crystal space weighted heavily on his mind. Silence found its way into the room.

    "Master, do you require my assistance?" Charcoal suddenly broke the silence.

    Just as Wang Tong was about to dismiss him, he noticed the two golden lights shining in charcoal''s eyes. Wang Tong paused and then asked, "As a matter of fact, yes! I would like you to bring Mr. Wannabe out of the crystal."

    "Master, the request is beyond my current configuration."

    "Hmm... Can you let him fight in the PA system?"

    "Yes, master. As long as you permit me to ess the virtual battleground."

    Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe exchanged a knowing nce.

    "You are the best, Charcoal! Common, give me a kiss!" Wang Tong picked Charcoal up and pressed his lips to Charcoal''s iron cheek.

    "Master, please don''t! Your bodily fluids are going to make me rust. Besides, my exterior cover was not sterilized, and it might make you sick. Oh¡ªNo¡­" Charcoal protested helplessly.

    Wang Tong patted Charcoal''s head and then said, "Fine, fine, you can go about your business now."

    The development had given Mr. Wannabe a sliver of hope, and somewhat brightened his mood. However, he was still not convinced that they could coax any elite soldiers, much less an Einherjar, to willingly battle a ghost in a game. It sounded preposterous even to Mr. Wannabe himself.

    "Don''t lose hope just yet! You always taught me to think positively. Now, it''s time for you to practice what you preach."

    "I don''t need you to remind me, you little prick! Tell you what, thanks to my recovered memory, I have already found a way out of here by myself." Mr. Wannabe said as a smug crept onto his face.

    Wang Tong jumped out of his bed and cheered, "For real? That''s...AWESOME! So, you can get out as long as you fight with an Einherjar? Is that it?"

    "You need to calm your underpants. Aren''t you afraid that I am the evil pirate king? I don''t even know who I am. What makes you think that I''m a nice guy?" Mr. Wannabe turned his face and then cast a chilly sidelong nce at Wang Tong.

    "Whatever, you can be whoever you want, but you would always be the Mr. Wannabe I know. Plus, I am no saint either." Wang Tong smirked as he retorted.

    "Don''t try to kiss my a*s; I will fart on you! Anyways, my memories seemed toe back after I wasted so much energy on you little ungracious prick. During my recent recovery, I was enlightened by some long forgotten knowledge that I used to possess.

    You see, Einherjar''s power was the limit of a human body. However, being a human is more than just being a stinky sack. Look at me for example! I have noticed that my ghostly form might have given me a unique edge to take my cultivation to the next level, to be a ... Super Einherjar, and to finally set me free from this imprisonment."

    "... Super Einherjar? Is... that a thing?"

    "Balls! Of course, it is! ''Li b*stard Feng'' was living proof! It''s just... very hard! If you think the transformation from level six to Einherjar was difficult, well, think again. The only way to be a Super Einherjar is to relent their physical existence in this world and reach nirvana in battle. It is much easier said than done." Even as Mr. Wannabe spoke about the matter, he projected an overbearing presence that left Wang Tong in awe.

    Although the illusive power of the Super Einherjar sounded tantalizing, for now, Wang Tong reasoned that his priority was to be an Einherjar.

    "If that''s true, I wager that the other Einherjars would have realized it as you did. You mentioned that the only way to transcend into the next level was through a battle with another Einherjar, and that exins why no one had ever done it, because it would be a political earthquake if two Einherjars ever fought with each other. Now, how do you think they would react to the appearance of an Einherjar on the PA system, which has no political affiliations ?" The promise of seeing the fight between two Einherjars made Wang Tong''s eyes glint. There had been no confrontation between Einherjars for more than two decades.

    "As for Einherjars, there are two on earth, two on the moon, and another one on the Mars. I will find a match for you." Wang Tog said as he beamed from side to side.

    Mr. Wannabe pouted and then said, "You are too young, too simple, and sometimes naive. There are more than just six Einherjar in the world. The ones that you mentioned must have already reached at least mid-tier. Oh. I had seen one on TV before¡­ Li...Zhidao, he is no doubt a high tier Einherjar."

    "Tiers?... Is that also a thing?"

    "Balls! of course, it is! Come on now, think with that oversized head of yours and get me a dozen of Einherjar to beat up already!"

    Wang Tong grimaced and pondered on. After a while, he said, "You could use my ID in the PA as a disguise. We will have to be prudent of course, and probably would require some assistance from DREAM."

    "Ah-ha! I like that idea. Send the Invitation now!"

    "For god''s sake! I need to think about it and n ahead! We are fighting Einherjars, not squashing flies."

    "Ah... I see. Alright, I have faith in whatever the swindle¡ªI mean strategies you will cook up¡­ Haha!" During the battle in the crystal, Mr. Wannabe was impressed by Wang Tong''s ability to deceive and cheat his opponent.

    "I learned from the best." Wang Tong smirked.

    "Well, don''t dawdle then. Hurry up!" The thought of the thrilling fight invigorated the old ghost. He eventually disappeared into the crystal to wait there in excitement.

    Wang Tong was pleased with the development; two birds with one stone. On one hand, letting Mr. Wannabe use his ID would lessen others'' suspicion on him, and on the other, the fights between Einherjars would definitely be an invaluable lesson for him.

    Above all, Wang Tong was the happiest about the fact that he could finally do something to help Mr. Wannabe.

 Chapter 334: Zhang Jins Probing

    Chapter 334: Zhang Jin''s Probing

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong was confident that his ID at the PA system should help Mr. Wannabe find some opponents, but he doubted if any Einherjar would be interested just yet.

    Only a coward wouldpensate his ipetency by picking on someone who was much weaker, and no Einherjar that Wang Tong knew of was a coward.

    Although many Einherjars looked down on the PA system, they did not despise the tform itself, but rather the weaklings that filled its stage. Should a worthy opponent show up, Wang Tong reasoned that even the Einherjars would jump the gun on it.

    Although Wang Tong was not familiar with the lives of Einherjars, he wagered that theck of opportunity to fight with a worthy opponent ought to have frustrated them. Perhaps, Mr. Wannabe would have a chance after all.

    Sensing the promise of sess, Wang Tong reminded himself to n the stage carefully. To minimize the suspicion, they would have to increase the difficulties of the fight gradually, to make it look like as if Einherjar Wannabe had been increasing his power steadily.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was eager to learn from the fight, to find out the limits of human capability. Wang Tong conceded that with a level four soul energy, he had no chance of winning if he were to fight against a level six fighter. All the while, he wondered how Mr. Wannabe would fare if he were to be tossed into the same situation.

    The thought of seeing Mr. Wannabe''s fight and to have his question answered exhrated Wang Tong. Truth be told, he felt that his improvement hade to a halt, and he reckoned that the tournament would be an opportunity to breach this bottleneck. However, he found the wait unbearable, as he was continually frustrated by the weak opponents he had met during the qualification matches. Should he be able to materialize the fights between Mr. Wannabe and other Einherjars, thebats, themselves would be the best shot he would have at further improving himself. He believed that he not only could he learn through fighting by himself, but also through observing fights between highly skilled yers.

    Soon, Wang Tong drifted off to sleep with a pleasant smile.

    The next day, Hu Yangxuan had also seeded passing the area-qualification match. Wang Tong also saw his old friend Wang Ben on the stage.

    It had been half a year since thest time they met each other. Wang Tong was pleased to notice the improvement in Wang Ben''s power, as he finished off his opponent with one single punch. After the tournament with Capth, Wang Ben had since walked out of his defeat and learned many lessons, the most valuable of all being that instead ofining, he needed to act proactively to change his life. He had started to understand that his father''s choices did not matter; his sess and happiness had always been in his own hands.

    The fighters who caught the most attention of the day were the four inner disciples from the Temr''s Court. Each of the four fighters wielded a weapon- de, sword,nce, and halberd.

    The Court''s training method drastically differed from that of the military. Instead of focusing on maximizing the damage output as the military did, the court focused on increasing the power reserve.

    Unsurprisingly, the four inner court disciples had passed their qualification match without any difficulties.

    The four fighters were:

    Zhang Buyu, the Whitewater de

    Yao Bai, the Swing Lance

    Ye Kai, the Gentlemen Sword

    Wu Gang, the Rebellious Halberd

    In the district of Shangjin, theck of high-level fighters meant that the fight between contestants was less lopsided, but more entertaining to watch than that of other districts. Although It only took Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan a couple of minutes, if not less, to defeat their opponents, many fights between A-ss students had dragged on for an hour, since the tournamentmittee had adopted a lenient stance regarding rules and time restrictions. Themittee understood that to most students, the tournament was simply a chance to learn, since they knew that their chance of winning was slim. Sometimes, a good fight could be a life-changing lesson as well.

    After the intense and exhausting training, Hu Yangxuan decided that he could finally rx during the tournament while he was not fighting. He had quickly turned the qualification matches into "bird watching" activities, as his eyes darted left and right, scanning attractive looking girls. Despite Wang Tong''s recent rise to fame, Hu Yangxuan had always enjoyed a rtively stable fan-base. Unlike Wang Tong, who rarely spent time socializing with other schoolmates, Hu Yangxuan was a social butterfly. Therefore, a lot of students found him more approachable than Wang Tong. The mere presence of Wang Tong would cast a solemn air about him, like a battle heartened veteran, and it was a conversation killer.

    "Wow! Look at that pair of beautiful legs!" Hu Yangxuan shouted as he ogled at a girl standing in the distance. The students around him burst outughing. Wang Tong was quickly bored of the bird-watching, and therefore, he started back to his new apartment before the other fights were finished.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t think that any opponents at the qualifications would pose a threat to him, he conceded that he would need to prepare well for the fights with opponentster on. He had tried to watch a few video recordings of the "Fantastic Five". However, their opponents were so weak that Wang Tong hardly found the footage useful in analyzing their moves.

    That being said, those videos did confirm a lot of rumors about their power.

    Michaux for example, Wang Tong was impressed by his aggressive soul energy. Just as the rumors suggested, the young master'' fighting style was aloof and calm.

    As for Princess Heidi, Wang Tong could not find anything extraordinary about her based on the video clip other than her exquisite face. However, he conceded that he could not evaluate Heidi''s power using such a weak opponent. There ought to be more to her ability than what met the eyes.

    On the way back to his apartment, Wang Tong indulged himself with a BBQ skewer from a food truck vendor. After taking the first bite, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. Wang Tong paused for a second while chewing the meat industrially, then turned and saw a girl in an oversize hat and oversize sunsses. He was surprised to find out that it was Zhang Jin.

    "Follow me¡­ We need to talk." Zhang Jin urged.

    "Sure."

    The two walked away from the mor near the arena into a little alley. Zhang Jin finally asked, "You are brave to follow me. Very confident, aren''t you."

    "Haha, no, I am the most skittish. I didn''t notice youing until you were right next to me."

    "Don''t be modest. I can tell what you think. I have the Tactics of the Conscious Heart, remember?"

    "Ah-ha! I see." Wang Tong scratched his head as he admired Zhang Jin''s ability to conceal her power. "Anyhow, what''s up?"

    "Nothing, just want to see how busy you are. It''s no easy job to please the House lord of Ma, isn''t it?"

    "It''s... fine. How are you doing?"

 Chapter 335: The Last Fight?

    Chapter 335: The Last Fight?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I''m doing fine. Jokes aside, I was wondering when Einherjar Wannabe would show up at the PA system again? It''s kinda boring without him, don''t you think?"

    Zhang Jin asked as she batted hershes, as if reminding Wang Tong about her telepathic ability due to the Tactics of the Conscious Heart.

    "Yea? Yea...I mean, he had been quiet for a while. But haven''t you heard? He had just sent out a challenge invitation, but it is only for anyone who has soul energy of five hundred and above. Damn it! I was hoping that I would get a chance to spar with him." Heart hammering, Wang Tong stered a disappointed look on his face.

    Zhang Jin didn''t speak for a while, and instead, she observed Wang Tong''s shifty eyes. When Wang Tong''s eyes finally locked onto hers, they both smiled at each other knowingly. Wang Tong knew that Zhang Jin knew that he was hiding something.

    Finally, Zhang broke the awkward silence and then said, "I am looking forward to watching the fight then. So, he wanted to fight a level six fighter? I truly admire his ambition. I wonder how powerful he is exactly."

    "I say he is crazy. Maybe he won''tst long. On another note, do you have a boyfriend?"

    Wang Tong''s sudden question disheveled Zhang Jin.

    "No, why?"

    "Do you want me to set you up with anyone? I know lots of handsome boys who would love to please you."

    Zhang Jin had just taken a sip of coffee before Wang Tong''s reply came out of his mouth. She rounded her eyes and stared at Wang Tong incredulously, unable to hold back the urge tough. Ultimately, her mouth gave in, and she spayed coffee all over Wang Tong''s face.

    Not only Zhang Jin was the daughter of one of the five great houses, but she was also considered one of the most beautiful women in the Confederation, and knew it herself. However, she had just heard a boy sincerely worried that she might becking suitors. The foolishness aside, it was Wang Tong''s expression while he expressed his concern that had tickled Zhang Jin.

    It wasn''t until Wang Tong had wiped away the coffee on his face that he had realized how silly his question was. He conceded that he had gotten too familiar with Zhang Jin, and forgot about her family background.

    "Ah... I am so sorry. Let me help you!" Zhang Jin was modified by her sudden burst, as she offered her help to clean up Wang Tong''s face. All the while, the humorous development lingered, and she had to fight back the urge tough out loud again.

    "That... that''s fine." Wang Tong was visibly distressed by the embarrassment. Nheless, he had sessfully diverted the topic, and the thought offered him somefort despite the cost of making a spectacle of himself.

    "And thank you for your offer. If I ever have trouble finding a boyfriend, I would definitely give you a call."

    "I don''t think you would need my help on that. Come on, let''s stop talking about it, as if it weren''t embarrassing enough. I could help you on other matters too, you know? Just let me know."

    "Sure... On that note, I do have a small favor to ask you. I always wanted to watch the Einherjar Wannabe''s fight live, but I don''t want to go alone. Would you please go with me?" Zhang Jin had finally found the opportunity to unleash her coup de grace.

    "No problem!" Wang Tong agreed without any hesitation. All the while, he felt lucky for his near escape of blowing his cover had it been himself fighting as Einherjar Wannabe.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t mind others to know that he was the heir of the de Warrior, he felt reluctant to acknowledge that he was Einherjar Wannabe, while the real deal¡ªMr. Wannabe¡ªwas still alive and well.

    Wang Tong held his BFF, Mr. Wannabe, in even higher regard than the de Warrior.

    Feeling that she could no longer get any information out of the boy, Zhang Jin parted ways with Wang Tong after the two walked a few blocks in the alley. She was surprised how quickly Wang Tong had agreed to her request, and the development spurred doubt inside her. After Zhang Jin was gone, Wang Tong skipped towards the virtual caf¨¦ while carrying a pleasant tune.

    The exchange with Zhang Jin had proven Wang Tong''s caution in dealing with the Great Houses was not unnecessary. His would-be opponents were backed by their families'' tremendous financial and intelligence resources, that would make Wang Tong''s effort seemughable. Wang Tong wagered that although Zhang Jin was driven by curiosity¡ªa beguine intention ¡ªthe same could not be said about his real enemies.

    Wang Tong had thought that he was ready for the world to know his identity as the de Warrior''s heir, but right then, heughed at his naivete. He conceded that he had been over-confident after the training in the crystal space, and he should have heeded the warning after the assassination attempt. After much thought, Wang Tong decided to double down on his disguise and only reveal his secret under reduced circumstances.

    The METALbat tournament would no doubt be a feast for the fans, especially those who were not able to pass the "mind-opening" operations. Their failure in the operation only spurred their passion for the sport.

    Although the public''s fever for the tournament was at par with that of previous years, a different expectation hung about in the air during this year''s tournament, as many IPA yers waited online for the return of their idol¡ªEinherjar Wannabe. Rumors spread over the inte regarding the reason behind his disappearance. Some said that he was defeated by Lie Jian and had forfeited his career as a PA yer. Others were convinced that he simply didn''t have time for the PA fights, because he had joined the tournament. Many had adopted the theory that the mysterious fighter was actually an academy student based on his inactivity while school was the busiest.

    With that assumption firmly rooted in people''s mind, Wang Tong had quickly fallen under their suspicion after he had earned the title of champion at the fleetbat tournament. However, after having examined Wang Tong''s solid yet seemingly ordinary METALbat ability, the public quickly ruled out Wang Tong''s name from the list of candidates.

    Like many other hidden truths of the world, the real identity of the mysterious fighter was set behind a shroud of self-contradictory evidence, denying an audience to the public.

    So loyal were the IPA fans that even months of fruitless waiting did not erode their patience. Unlike the IPA yers, who fiercely believed that Wang Tong was invincible, many TPA yers simply took the prolonged silence as Einherjar Wannabe conceding his defeat against Lie Jian. In the TPA yers'' eyes, Einherjar Wannabe was not invincible, not by a long shot. His failure in defeating Lie Jian meant that he would forever be counted as an amateur.

    No doubt that Einherjar Wannabe could return to the PA at some point in time, but what of that? Would he then resort to fighting against opponents who were weaker than Lie Jian? What was the point then in being so obsessed with his real identity? Those were the questions that gued the TPA yers'' minds. Although most of the TPA yers was impressed how far Einherjar Wannabe had gone, they believed that his glory days were numbered.

    However, when Einherjar Wannabe appeared monthster, he pulled the rug from under the TPA yers by announcing that he could challenge anyone who has soul energy of five hundred or more.

    The news hit Einherjar Wannabe''s fans and foes like a nuclear bomb. Challenging people with soul energy higher than five hundred meant he would stand up against the highest level of fighters that were below Einherjar. The undertone of the challenge seemed to suggest that even Einherjars were included in the message as well.

    Many TPA yers doubted that as a seventeen years old boy, he would be able toprehend the gravity of his actions.

    However, the news was exhrating for Einherjar Wannabe''s supporters and the DREAM. After Cameron had epted Wang Tong''s request, he knew that there was no way for DREAM to back out of this deal due to its profoundness. Therefore, he decided to double down on DREAM''smitment.

    Hours after DREAM posted Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge, they published an ad on major media outlets to entice the public.

    "Are you still sad that you weren''t able to witness the legend of the de Warrior? You don''t have to any longer. Watch Einherjar Wannabe retell the story and reenact the legend! "

    After DREAM had drawn a connection between Einherjar Wannabe and the de Warriors, public''s views on the mysterious fighter were instantly split into three factions¡ªthe die-hard supporters, the ones still on the fence, and the haters.

    A quick online poll suggested that over ny percent of the public were "haters." The mere thought ofparing a 17-year-old boy to the god-like de Warrior was sphemous.

    Did the PA system be desperate for an audience, or was it going to be Einherjar Wannabe''sst performance? No one would know the answer, since so far, not a single level six fighter had risen to the challenge yet.

    Any level six fighter would have enjoyed a respectable reputation, and there was no point in tainting their name by bullying a kid in a game.

 Chapter 336: Baby Steps, Please!

    Chapter 336: Baby Steps, Please!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After reading thements on a few major online forums, Wang Tong had noticed that the tournament had more or less diverted public''s attention away from the PA system. Many of his supporters had also left the discussion after a long but fruitless waiting.

    Nheless, Wang Tong''s fan base was still solid. Therefore, he wagered that there were still hope in sessfully carrying out his n. Once he was able to find the first level six opponent, Wang Tong thought, the rest of the n would unfold smoothly.

    Wang Tong simply could not wait to see the fight between Mr. Wannabe and a high-level fighter, as he constantly wondered what kind of performance he would see.

    The thought of Mr. Wannabe standing in the arena again tugged at Wang Tong''s heartstring. It had always been Wang Tong''s wish to help his ghost friend fight again. Wang Tong knew better than anyone that there was nothing worse for a fighter than being denied the rights to fight.

    Wang Tong opened his inbox and found out that it was filled to the brim with responses to his challenges, although none of the respondents were actually from a level six yer. Wang Tong shook his head and turned the terminal off.

    After reading the news about Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge, Li Shiming furrowed his brows, as he wondered what the mysterious fighter''s intention was.

    Li Shiming found that Einherjar Wannabe''s goal was so unrealistic that it wasughable. There was a wide range of power among the level six fighters, since five hundred sol of soul energy marked only the entry level of the level six. Some of the level six fighters could be as powerful as an Einherjar. Li Shiming wagered that it was arrogance rather than bravery that had inspired such an absurd challenge.

    Although Li Shiming had too little time to spend on too many businesses, he had closely followed Wang Tong''s every move. A report from one of his spies had caught his attention; it described a meeting between Wang Tong and Zhang Jin. Based on the close ties between the Zhang and the Dower, Li Shiming deduced the Zhang Jin was there probing the boy''s identity on behalf of Patroclus.

    The thought of the Zhang and Dower''s alliance made Li Shimingment about their broken alliance with Ma. Should the Li have gained the wholehearted support of the Ma, they would have already dominated the entire world.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong''s every move had also been watched closely by Patroclus on the Moon. After being informed that Zhang Jin had a brief meeting with Wang Tong, Patroclus found the probing redundant. Not only did he have an unswerving faith in Wang Tong''s real identity, but he also was afraid that the probing would force Wang Tong to make his identity public while he was not yet ready for the consequences.

    As for Wang Tong''s challenge to all the level six fighters, despite the absurdness, Patroclus was not altogether surprised. Patroclus was well aware of how powerful some of the level six fighters could get, as there were at least two living examples of such fighters in his family. However, Patroclus was convinced that the chance of such powerful level six fighters showing up in the PA system was almost zero...almost.

    On that note, Patroclus turned on the terminal and called Zhang Jin on the Sk.

    "Jing, I need your help¡­"

    Zhang Jin cut him short as she knew exactly what Patroclus was going to ask, "No problem, let''s give him an opportunity, since he was so confident. That shall confirm his real identity."

    "Hehe, thanks, Jin, you know me the best!"

    Patroclus and Zhang Jin had decided to y along Wang Tong''s ruse and arrange a level six opponent for Einherjar Wannabe. After all, it would be an effective test to see if Wang Tong was really the heir of the de Warrior.

    Due to the strict family rules, Patroclus found it hard pressed to convince any of his family members to partake in the challenge, and therefore, he needed Zhang Jin''s help.

    "Ding-Dong"

    A message alert suddenly caught Wang Tong''s attention¡ªa challenger! Wang Tong looked through the profile, and it seemed like the challenger was indeed a level six fighter through and through.

    He was a thirty-six years old Ivantian named Peter Lynn. He was also the captain of one of the Silver Units in the Anti-Smuggling Force. It was well known that the Silver Unit was one of the top three units of Ivantians special forces, and every captain of the unit had been freakishly powerful. More importantly, one of the minimum requirements for being a captain was to reach level six in their cultivation.

    Peter Lynn had sworn loyalty to House Zhang, and he had received the order to dispatch Einherjar Wannabe on the PA system.

    At first, Peter Lynn had found the order strange. He had heard of the name of his opponent, but why would the Zhang wanted him to defeat someone on a gaming system? However, the emblem of House Zhang on the message''s seal meant that the order came from the high up. Therefore, Peter Lynn put aside his questions and epted the task without any hesitation. This was the first time since Peter Lynn had sworn the oath to the House Zhang that he had received an order from someone who was so close to the center of power.

    Although he was convinced that he would be able to defeat a 17 years old boy with ease, the high profile of the task giver seemed to suggest that there was more than what met the eyes.

    Even after studying some of Einherjar Wannabe''s fighting videos, Peter Lynn found it difficult to see himself failing the mission. Despite the fact that his opponent wielded a strange tactics and utilized double GN force, Peter Lynn noticed that the boy was somewhat inexperienced in controlling his GN force, which, Peter Lynn believed, would be the boy''s downfall.

    Unlike the soldiers in the Military who were under strict rules, the members of the Anti Smuggling(AS) Units enjoyed a much greater measure of freedom during their own time. However, it was rare to see an AS unit member show up in the PA system, since the widespread pirating activity meant that the SA units had enough practice in real life already.

    Peter Lynn stared at the emblem on the broken seal and felt the gravity of this mission for his future. He didn''t want to be stuck at the Silver Unit. Now that his employer had finally taken notice of him, it was the time for him to prove himself. Holding the letter in his hand, Peter Lynn felt that as if he was holding the key to his sess.

    Wang Tong epted the challenge without any hesitation. Although he was convinced that Peter Lynn''s power was much weaker than Mr. Wannabe, he decided to take baby steps for Mr. Wannabe''s first couple fights.

    DREAM delivered Wang Tong''s reply immediately and started to arrange the logistics of the match. The match was set to happen before the start of the final matches of the tournament to minimize distraction. However, many media persons seemed to be uninterested in the match between Einherjar Wannabe and Peter Lynn. To them, the realbat of the "Fantastic Five" was much more enticing than the PA fights.

    Although people were naturally drawn to Einherjar Wannabe''s mysteriousness, his prolonged inactivity had more or less dulled the public''s interest.

    That being said, the news about the match had been sensational among the die-hard fans of the PA system. They reckoned that the oue of the fight would be conclusive evidence in determining the real power of Einherjar Wannabe and the oue of his fight with Lie Jian.

    Wang Tong was pleased by the timing of the fight, since the school was canceled during the tournament. Therefore, he had nothing to do until the finals started.

    Seeing that the fight had been arranged, Wang Tong sauntered away from the inte cafe.

    "Oh, balls! I waited for two days, and I only got a newbie?" Mr. Wannabe grumbled while hovering in the air. Ever since his soul energy recovered, he had been much more active, and started toe out of the crystal more often than before.

    "He is not a newbie. Baby steps, please!"

    "Fine. Fine!" Mr. Wannabe sat down on top of Charcoal''s head. "Let''s go charcoal, let''s watch some movies."

    Wang Tong smiled amiably after seeing how well Mr. Wannabe and Charcoal had gotten along. He found it difficult to make the connection between Mr. Wannabe and the malevolent Zachery. However, as the memory of the Pirate King in the crystal space shed in his mind, Wang Tong shuddered and felt less certain of his conviction.

    Wang Tong shook his head to clear the thoughts, and started off to the gym. There would be tough battles ahead, and he needed to work harder. The thought of his opponent falling at his feet pleased him, somehow, Wang Tong wondered if he were the heir of the unscrupulous Zachery, instead of the benevolent General Li Feng.

 Chapter 337: Pretender

    Chapter 337: Pretender

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The qualification matches were carried out amidst mor and enthusiasm. All three major factions had treated the tournament as their top priority, and they had set aside prizes to encourage their fighters.

    Thepetition in the tournament was a real-life depiction of the rivalries between factions. The stake was high, since the oue of the matches directly influenced the public''s perception of the power of different factions. A faction that was perceived to be strong would be much stronger because of that.

    The three colonizeds had fought against the other factions'' attempt to annex their yers. In the end, the threes in the Andromeda Gxy were allowed to partake in the tournament as independent factions.

    That being said, for the time being, the three major factions wagered that the three newly independents would not pose too much of a threat to them, since they had never heard of any exceedingly powerful fighters from thoses.

    As the qualification matches at Shangjin District carried on, Ayrng started to fight against the nearby five A-ss Academies. Although Ayrng had enjoyed a brief period of improvements, it''s overall power were still quite a way from that of the S ss Academies. However, the elite fighters at the Ayrng fought with such potency that they had been practically invincible.

    Wang Tong had won another fight with ease, and once again, he was disappointed by his opponent''s power. Meanwhile, as the leader of the S club, he was adored by the audiences. Many members of the club who were not from Ayrng had never met him until right then.

    However, Wang Tong did not indulge himself in the vanity affairs; his ambition was much greater than just being adored by students.

    Hu Yangxuan, on the other hand, seemed to be reveling in the attention he had garnered. Although he had be much stronger after the training at TNN, his moves were still showy as ever.

    As the Temr''s disciple, he had already built a rock-solid foundation for his cultivation. Under the constant encouragement of Wang Tong, Hu Yangxuan had transformed from an ordinary student to a potent warrior.

    During one of his qualification match, he had encountered a level five fighter, who had already graduated. Despite his inferior soul energy level, Hu Yangxuan eventually overcame his opponent thanks to his superior techniques and experience.

    Hu Yangxuan''s victory had not only caught many off-guard, making the fight one of the most memorable ones so far, it had also encouraged the other students at Ayrng. Before they saw Hu Yangxuan''s victory, students at Ayrng had thought that it was absurd for them to fight against a level five yer. But right then, they seemed to be less afraid of such an opponent.

    Many students at Ayrng hade to the arena and watched their schoolmates'' qualifications matches. Whenever students from Ayrng won a fight, swells of cheers and apuse would rise from the audiences which spurred the Ayrng contestants to fight even harder in their next round.

    Karl had shown up in the arena and stole some of the cheers from whoever was fighting on the stage. Ever since the fleetbat tournament, he was seen by many of his schoolmates as the only person who was able topete against Wang Tong in addition to sh.

    "Haha! congrats to everyone!" Karl shouted out to his friends.

    "Come on Karl, do you really have toe crash the party? You better buy everyone dinner tonight."

    "No problem! I will buy, and you will pay" Karl pounded his chest and announced.

    "Thank you, that was very...nice of you." Hu Yangxuan grimaced, and said with a sarcastic tone.

    Karl put one arm over Hu Yangxuan''s shoulder and then said, "You are wee Prince Hu. You know, money is the source of all evil. I am simply helping you unload your worldly burden. You can thank meter when I have spent all of your money."

    The others looked at each other and tried to hold back theirughs.

    "Alright everyone, I was told that there would be a fight of Einherjar Wannabe on the PA system. We should watch it together. Plus, I have a guest tonight that I want to introduce to you all. " Wang Tong cracked a smile and then announced.

    "Oh? Who is that, Boss? Have you been keeping secrets from us again?" Karl asked.

    "Haha, turn around and see for yourself. "

    Zhang Jin had quietly approached the group as Wang Tong announced the invitation. She waved at everyone and then said with a beautiful smile, "I am that ''secret'' guest, nice to meet you, Karl."

    Everyone was shocked by the development, since the one standing right before them was one of the most brilliant young adults in the confederation.

    "Nice to meet you." Karl hurried a reply and then murmured to Wang Tong. "Boss, I find it hard to see a connection between you and rich people. "

    "I will take that as apliment." Wang Tong said.

    "Sister Jin!" Zhou Sisi called out to Zhang Jin with a smile. During their brief interaction at the hospital, Zhou Sisi had already been captured by Zhang Jin''s wits and kindness.

    "Long time no see, Sisi. You look so pretty!"

    "Save the courtesy forter, let''s go have a feast today. I will buy!" Hu Yangxuan suddenly announced. The presence of beautiful girls could always tease out his generosity.

    "NO! I will buy, and you will pay! We talked about this." Karl retorted as everyoneughed.

    Eager to impress the charming guest, Hu Yangxuan wanted to take everyone to a fancy restaurant. However, Wang Tong had chosen to go to the DREAM cafe. Although it had just been recently renovated, it was no more than a mom and pop venue after all.

    The sudden drop in sales and the disappearance of his lucky charm after the renovation had distressed the owner of the cafe, so when he saw Wang Tong and his friends, the owner''s face bloomed like a flower.

    "Wee, WELCOME! Wang Tong, it''s been a while. We have missed you. Are those you friends, pleasee in!"

    "Where is your receptionist? Are there still spots at the booth close to the TV? we are here to watch the fight."

    "Yes, of course, there would always be seats avable for you and your friends."

    All the while, the owner''s eyes were fixated on Zhang Jin, as he found her face surprisingly familiar. As if noticed the owner''s stare, Zhang Jin looked to the owner and smiled. Her smile reminded the cafe owner of her identity, and the sheer gravity of the fact sent a tremor down to his knees. The cafe owner took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. However, he could not hide his shaky fingers.

    A few minutester, it was the owner who had delivered the drinks to the group on a silver tter. "This first round would be on the house. Let''s toast for Wang Tong''sing victory at the METAL tournament." The owner shouted out to everyone in the cafe.

    Unfamiliar faces turned to Wang Tong as they suddenly realized that they were in the same room with the champion of the fleetbat tournament.

    "Hey, what about a second round too?" Karl shouted out.

    Wang Tong smiled and then said, "This is Karl, my bro."

    The owner had immediately recognized the name, "The Art of Karl, ah-ha! Of course, your second round would be on me as well!"

    The crowd in the cafe cheered for both Wang Tong and Karl with a great measure of enthusiasm.

    "I didn''t know you are so popr here." Zhang Jin jested.

    "Just so-so." Wang Tong replied. Although he would rather enjoy a low key setting, he appreciated everyone''s support. It made him feel good about himself.

    The owner was a shrewd businessman. The mor inside the cafe had quickly attracted more customers, and some even sent messages to their friends, inviting them toe over to spend time with Wang Tong and Karl.

    Amidst the cheers and shouts, Charcoal slipped into the terminal number five, while Mr. Wannabe rode on its square head.

    Charcoal turned on the terminal and connected Mr. Wannabe to the PA system.

    Excitement contorted Mr. Wannabe''s face. Finally, after centuries of imprisonment, he would enjoy the thrill of a battle.

    Two golden lights shone in Charcoal''s eyes as he announced, "Establishing a connection, ten percent...twenty...fifty... a hundred. Connectionplete."

    Everyone who was already waiting for the fight watched as Einherjar Wannabe stepped into the arena.

 Chapter 338: Return of An Einherjar

    Chapter 338: Return of An Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Einherjar Wannabe stood still and felt the grains of sand under his feet, savoring every moment in the palpable world like one would in a fictitious wondend.

    As a warrior, he yearned for only one thing: Battle.

    As Mr. Wannabe strode across the threshold of the arena, a strong mixed feeling shot through his body. The sentiment belonged only to himself, since no one would be able to fathom the profoundness of this one single step to a ghost who had long parted his way from the tangible world.

    With an unswerving conviction that glory and fame would return to him soon, Einherjar Wannabe continued his steps and strode into the battleground like an Einherjar.

    Peter Lynn had already been waiting for his opponent. Many years ago, he might have enjoyed fighting in the PA system. But right then, he considered it no more than a child''s y.

    A cheer erupted from the IPA audiences as soon as they saw Einherjar Wannabe. Even the warrior''s prolonged silence didn''t seem to dull their enthusiasm.

    Most TPA audiences, however, were still on the fence, and unsure whether Einherjar Wannabe wouldst long in this fight.

    "VICTORY!" someone shouted out loudly. Enchanted with the unwavering belief, the voice pierced through the air and persuaded many IPA yers to stand on their feet and join the chant. "Victory¡­Victory¡­Victory!"

    The DREAM workers were shocked by the audiences'' enthusiasm. The poll before the match didn''t seem to indicate that. Plus, due to the slip up in DREAM''s advertisement, many DREAM''s workers had been uncertain of how this match would turn out.

    The same concern was shared by Wang Tong as well, and the audiences'' enthusiasm had caught him by surprise. But, he genuinely appreciated them for their unconditional support. Wang Tong was confident that Mr. Wannabe would give them an excellent show in return.

    Zhang Jin''s jaw almost dropped when she saw Einherjar Wannabe appear in the PA system while Wang Tong¡ªthe prime suspect ¡ªwas sitting right next to her.

    "How...How is that possible?"

    Zhang Jin knew that everyone''s ID was gene coded, so there was zero chance that someone else was fighting in Wang Tong''s stead. Her mind raced as doubts sprouted. Were she and Patroclus both wrong about their conjecture, or was the whole event a hoax? No matter how hard Zhang Jin had tried to solve the puzzle, she failed.

    Einherjar Wannabe looked at his feet while listening to the swell of cheers and shouts. He felt as if he had traveled back to the old days. A knot of fire started to burn inside him, awakening the old memories.

    "Match begin!"

    Peter Lynn studied the seventeen years old boy; he wondered how this match had happened in the first ce. What had made his employer so interested in such an ordinary boy.

    Peter Lynn was aware that the House of Zhang loathed conceit among their employees. Therefore, he didn''t dare lower his guard.

    A de appeared in Peter Lynn''s hand out of nowhere, and he started to channel his energy into the de, until it was crackling with lightening GN force. Peter Lynn raised the de and attacked the boy. As a veteran level six fighter, his execution was wless and deadly without measure.

    Peter Lynn was sure that his opponent didn''t move while he attacked, but when the de finally fell towards the boy, it cut through the air where the boy was standing and missed the target. The boy was seen standing a few inches away from the de.

    Peter Lynn didn''t hesitate as he attacked again. This time, his GN fore projected further out from his de, effectively extending the reach of his weapon. It was the technique popr among the Ivantians. When used right, it would be able to hail attacks on opponents continuously. Peter Lynn''s second attack aimed at Einherjar Wannabe''s neck. He was convinced that this attack should end the match then and there, since he had made this move many times before and never missed once.

    However, the attack missed again, as the boy disappeared into thin air and then reappeared right in front of where the tip of the de had rested.

    Peter Lynn''s heart sank at this development. He registered that his opponent didn''t even use his GN force, and worse, he had no clue as to how the boy had done it.

    The pressure was mounting. His promotion and a brighter future were hinged upon the sess of this match; he could not fail.

    The thought of his failure spurred Peter Lynn to recharge his de with GN force and attack with abandon at Einherjar Wannabe anew.

    Einherjar Wannabe didn''t engage inbat this time. Instead, he swayed his body deftly left and right to dodge the attacks while maintaining a close distance with the veteran soldier.

    After a few dozen continuous assaults, Peter Lynn still failed tond a solid blow, but he didn''t give up, as he continued the lightning fast, although mechanical, moves. The close distance had given the Ivantian veteran an edge regarding speed, as he was able to unleash more than twelve attacks in one second.

    But no matter how fast and furious the attacks were, nonended on Einherjar Wannabe so far.

    The audiences'' breath was caught in their throat as the suspense of the fight seized their attention.

    Eyes glued to the screen, Wang Tong marveled at Mr. Wannabe''s seemingly effortless evasion; only an Einherjar was capable of pull off such a defense. Wang Tong''s eyes were quick enough to pick up Mr. Wannabe''s moves. However, the method to execute these moves escaped him.

    The constant missing had eventually thinned Peter Lynn''s patience, and was slowly driving him deeper into madness. He had been at it for over half a minute, and still, his attacks had been useless.

    Sensing that Peter Lynn''s soul energy had faltered, Einherjar Wannabe immediately unleashed his counter-attack. Calling it a counter-attack was an understatement, it was more like a cataclysm on the battleground.

    A deafening ear re came out from Einherjar Wannabe''s body and sent a shockwave throughout the arena, stirring up the dust. The ring noise seemed to have numbed Peter Lynn''s senses, as he simply stood still and did not even move a finger.

    Mr. Wannabe''s power shocked Wang Tong, and he registered that the match was near its end.

    When the dust finally settled, Peter Lynn fell onto his face and never got up.

    Shocked by the sudden turn of event, TPA yers looked to the disy board, trying to get a reading of the soul energy in Einherjar Wannabe''sst attack. However, the disy board showed nothing. Either the attack was not based on soul energy, or the amount of soul energy was so significant it had fried the soul energy sensors; no one knew.

    Throwing his head back as he stared into the sky, Mr. Wannabe stood in silence. Although he had finally gotten the chance to fight again, his opponent was too weak; he needed someone much more powerful than Peter Lynn.

    Although he didn''t regain any lost memories, he could read the silhouette of the shadows cast by his forgotten memories to know this much: he had been a formidable warrior.

    After a while, the referee finally announced, "Einherjar Wannabe, Win!" A tsunami of cheers followed the announcement.

    No one, expect Wang Tong, had anticipated such a result. Many had believed that even a draw would be an incredible victory for Einherjar Wannabe. However, not only had Einherjar Wannabe won the match, he had done so with ease.

    Among the different methods of utilizing the GN force, sound wave attack was widely used among warriors of all factions. However, none of the sound wave method''s power came close to the roar that Einherjar Wannabe had used.

    The oue of the match had caught many experts by surprise. Before the fight, they had been convinced that Einherjar Wannabe was a rtively unknown warrior in real life, who sought glory in the PA system. It wasmonly believed that no ordinary fighters, regardless of how powerful they were among their peer, could ovee a reputable, level six warrior. However, the power that Einherjar Wannabe had disyed suggested that he was not a nobody. It was impossible to go unnoticed in real-life while having such great power.

    The mysterious fighter had surprised everyone with his power so many times, that the experts wondered precisely how powerful Einherjar Wannabe was, and who exactly was Einherjar Wannabe. Was he really a seventeen years old boy?

 Chapter 339: Whos Next?

    Chapter 339: Who''s Next?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Hu Yangxuan and his friends looked at each other in bewilderment. They had thought that it would be a tough battle. However, it had ended in mere minutes.

    A question rang like a bell in Hu Yangxuan''s mind. If Einherjar Wannabe was really only seventeen years old, who would be able to stand against him in the tournament?

    In a matter of seconds, analysis videos of the fight were uploaded to the inte. While watching the video in slow motion, the students noticed that one of Einherjar Wannabe''s feet had never left the ground while he was dodging Peter Lynn''s attacks. He had pivoted his body on that feet and spun like a top.

    To the students, the technique as unimaginable.

    In Cao Yi''s analysis video, he also pointed out the fact that Einherjar Wannabe''s eyes had been closed while he was dodging the lethal attacks, as if he were savoring the battle.

    As for the roar, no one was able to offer any conclusive analysis, since the technique was beyond the measuring capability of all known instruments. However, it had proven to everyone that Einherjar Wannabe was not just a copycat. His own attacks were even deadlier than what he had copied from other yers.

    Loneliness flickered In Einherjar Wannabe''s eyes at the end of the tournament. Everyone could feel his yearning for a stronger opponent.

    An Einherjar Wannabe''s fan club called the "Martial Hall" was formed on the same day. His fans included people who were mind opened and those who weren''t. They believed that Einherjar Wannabe''s decisive victory against the level six yer meant that he was invincible in the PA system.

    His young age only highlighted his achievements, making the performances more akin to miracles. Perhaps, Einherjar Wannabe was the returning savior, the heir of the gods.

    The fight had proven that Einherjar Wannabe''s soul energy was boundless, and he had broken the code of cultivation by ignoring the age factor.

    The Marshal Hall''s member-list had expanded rapidly. More and more people were convinced that it was Lie Jian who had lost the battle during hisst "close-door" fight against Einherjar Wannabe.

    However, the voice of concern from those who opposed Einherjar Wannabe was loud as well, and the situation quickly escted beyond DREAM''s control.

    Some suspected that DRAM had cheated the PA system for Einherjar Wannabe to win. However, many audience members, who were experts in virtual security, had quickly cleared the air by stating that they could not find any trace of evidence supporting the conjecture.

    Samantha had also dered in a TV interview that DREAM would do anything they could to ensure the fairness of the fight.

    Like Einherjar Wannabe, who had won the hearts of his fans using his excellent performance, Samantha had done the same to the councilors thanks to her superior management skills. Samantha''s ancestor, Galber, had been one of the first members of the council, and he was also a fierce follower of the de Warrior. Samantha''s family had always honored their rtionship with the god-like de Warrior, and considered themselves as "servants" who waited patiently for the return of the god.

    With many odds in favor of her, Samantha had quickly risen to fame and garnered much higher support than all of herpetitorsbined. Since Samantha was a woman, she also easily gained the support of the feminist groups.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabee were watching the rey of the fight.

    "I told you to be careful and not show your power all at once. It would raise other''s suspicions."

    "Balls! I used only a fraction of my power! What do you want from me? " Mr. Wannabe retorted while straddling on top of Charcoal''s shoulder. Charcoal had protested in the beginning, but after a while, he seemed to havee to terms with his new function as a bench.

    "Just be careful! " Wang Tong knew that to continue to keep a lid on other''s suspicions, they needed to be prudent in choosing Mr. Wannabe''s next opponent. Slow and steady would win the race after all.

    Wang Tong noticed that so far, everyone seemed to be trapped in the box, thinking that only one person would be able to use one ID in the PA system. Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe needed to y along and act as if Einherjar Wannabe had gradually gained more power, and reinforce the false assumption in the audiences'' mind. Wang Tong knew that to lure Einherjar into a fight; he would need to slowly coax the public''s opinion into thinking that the mysterious fighter was also an Einherjar, thereby creating a temptation that no real Einherjar would resist.

    With the increase in opponent''s power, Wang Tong reasoned that he would also be able to learn more by watching the fights. However, Wang Tong reckoned that it would take some time to get to that point, since he didn''t expect any powerful level six fighters to rise to the bait just yet.

    "What about a fight with me, Mr. Wannabe? I need a warm-up before my daily cultivation anyways!"

    "You? No, I don''t want to hurt you before your tournament." Mr. Wannabe brushed Wang Tong''s request off with a casual answer.

    "You have to! Otherwise, I would unplug the TV. It won''t take long! " Wang Tong threatened Mr. Wannabe.

    "Fine, fine, be quick about it!"

    The two then disappeared into the crystal, leaving Charcoal alone in the room. But only two secondster, Mr. Wannabe appeared in the room again, and he immediately was engrossed in the TV show as if nothing had happened.

    Inside the virtual space, Wang Tongid on the ground; he was defeated faster than he had thought. In order not to miss any of his show, Mr. Wannabe didn''t hold back his power, and therefore, the fight ended in mere seconds.

    Wang Tongid on his back as he stared at the sky quietly. The pain in his body constantly reminded him of his defeat; he had a creeping suspicion that something was off. Otherwise, he would not be defeated so easily.

    As he reflected on the fight, he remembered that Mr. Wannabe''s soul energy was never that impressively high. Wang Tong also noticed that unlike other fighters who would need to maintain their soul energy at a certain level in order to effectively wield it, Mr. Wannabe''s soul energy reading changed drastically. But every time it was summoned, it woulde to Mr. Wannabe''s aid obediently.

    After a while, Wang Tong dragged himself to his feet and started his cultivation. What he had learned from the brief confrontation with Mr. Wannabe had reaffirmed the importance of soul energy. Without solid soul energy, any grandiose ambitions were nothing but empty talk.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, Patroclus and Zhang Jin had quietly re-watched the recording of the fight. After the video ended, Zhang Jin asked. "What is your take on this?"

    Patroclus shook his head and then replied, "I don''t know, something was not right."

    "That''s what I felt too. I think we might have underestimated the Einherjar Wannabe."

    "I think this only proves that he is the heir of the de warrior! That''s exciting!" Patroclus''s face suddenly beamed.

    "I''m d to see you so happy."

    "Thanks to you, Jing!"

    Einherjar Wannabe''s return and his victory against a level six fighter had shocked the PAmunity, as people be more eager to see what would this seventeen years old boy be. However, the one victory was not enough to pique the elite fighters'' interests. Therefore, Einherjar Wannabe re-posted his challenge.

    That being said, Einherjar Wannabe''s roaring technique had caught the attention of a few powerful fighters.

    In addition to the five major tactics, many other equally powerful tactics had been invented, and the tens of the most powerful ones formed the so-called "Miraculous Ten." Two out of the ten tactics in the "Miraculous Ten " deployed sound wave attacks, and they were the number six¡ªTactics the Soul Harp, and the number eight¡ªTactics of the Thunder Drum.

    Ivantians used tactics of the Soul Harp, which started as a soul energy technique simr to that of the Tactics of the Enchantress. After centuries of improvement, it had be deadly tactics that would kill its opponent unwittingly using the sound wave of a harp. At the highest level, the Tactics of the Soul Harp would even be able to take control of opponent''s mind, much like an Enchantress would.

    On the other hand, the tactics of the Thunder Drum originated from Mars. The creator of the tactics had been a drummer in the military marching band in addition to being a talented cultivator. He had invented the ingenious tactics identally when he fused his drum beats with soul energy to save hisrades, who had been surrounded by Zergs. The story of him inventing the tactics had been retold many times on Mars, and eventually, it had be a legend.

 Chapter 340: Greater Challenge

    Chapter 340: Greater Challenge

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Einherjar Wannabe''s fan club, The "Marshal Hall," touted Mr. Wannabe''s Lion Roar technique as the equal of the other two renowned tactics. Although the Ivantians didn''t mind it, the bold im had greatly upset the Martians.

    Zambrotta, the Master of the War Drum Hall on the Mars, was pleased by the support of his people on the Mars. The Soul Harp had been the only tactics that were neck to neck with Thunder Drum regarding fame and power. Others had tried to rece them, but they had all failed. The thought of Einherjar Wannabe''s fans blindly pping the title of "sound wave attack" to a roar wasughable to Zambrotta. Also, he found the name of the fan club resembled an insolent parody on the name of the "War Drum Hall."

    Zambrotta was a powerful and ambitious cultivator, and the same went for the other nine masters on the list of the "Miraculous Ten." Truth be told, it was hard to rank the power of the ten cultivators, except for the top three, who had a palpable advantage over the other seven. And for the rest seven cultivators, their rank was primarily determined by their fame of their sect and the size of their followers. On the other hand, it was also crucial for a sect to be adamant in their effort to improve their rank on the list, since the more famous a sect was, the more followers it would attract.

    Thepetition was fierce, and not losing a battle in public was one of the most effective ways to retain the sect''s rank. Over time, the sect leaders, such as Zambrotta, grew content and conservative.

    Although Zambrotta had reached the ultimate level in his cultivation, he had yet to find a sessor who was as talented as that of the Sect of Soul Harp. Therefore, Zambrotta knew that a defeat would impact the sect significantly at this most vulnerable moment.

    All things considered, Zambrotta decided to remain silent despite the voice of anger surrounding him. However, that changed ever since he had received the letter from House of Lie.

    Lie Jian had been infuriated by Einherjar Wannabe''s return and the subsequent victory. It spoke loudly to the public about the humiliating oue of hisst fight with the mysterious fighter. After seeing Einherjar Wannabe unleash the sound wave attack, an idea sprung into his mind. Hadn¡¯t the sect of the War Drum''s request to establish a branch in the city of Esell just got shelved by House of Lie? To maintain the dominant power on Mars, House of Lie not only needed to utilize the talents from the Hall of War Drum, but also prevent them from growing too powerful and too bold.

    Lie Jian reasoned that he would use Zambrotta''s request as a reward to lure him to ept Einherjar Wannabe''s challenge. If Zambrotta seeded in defeating Einherjar Wannabe, it would not only be sweet revenge, but would also serve a reminder to those who thought that the House of Lie had be weakened. As for the construction of another War Drum''s branch, Lie Jian nned to use government red tapes to slow its process as much as possible.

    As Lie Jian had expected, Zambrotta had epted the deal right away. Zambrotta knew that this was the only chance he had in growing his sect''s influence.

    With Zambrotta rising to the challenge, Einherjar Wannabe finally found a fighter that was in the elite ss.

    The Lord of the Thunder Drum¡ªZambrotta!

    Although the level six fighters seemed only to make up a fraction of the total human poption, the actual number of level six fighters was not small at all, due to human race''s gargantuan poption base. However, there were only a handful of level six fighters who could stand out among their peers, because the determining factor in a level six warrior''s power was his or her tactics.

    Thanks to the incredible power of his unique tactics, Zambrotta ranked high among his peers.

    At one time, he had been an unchallenged champion on Mars until he was defeated by Lie Jian''s father, Lie Jintian, who was at the time on the verge of bing an Einherjar. The fight between the two most potent level six warriors had been intense. Only after a few hours of struggle, the Tactics of the ze had finally ovee the Thunder Drum by a small margin.

    Even till this day, Lie Jintian still marveled at the incredible power of the Thunder Drum whenever he reflected on the fight that had helped him rise to fame.

    Unfortunately for Zambrotta, ever since he was defeated, he seemed to have lost his steam. Therefore, he had never breached through the sixth level and reached the state of Einherjar.

    Nevertheless, Zambrotta was respected on Mars as one of the grand masters, since his sect had over four thousands followers. Therefore, everyone felt that his would-be opponent, Einherjar Wannabe, was out of his league.

    One thing worth mentioning was the fact that although the Moon and the Earth government also tolerated the existence of sects, they had strictly prohibited these sects from recruiting any followers. On Mars, however, this sect follower could swear loyalty to their sect masters who carried out agendas different from the government. But on the other twos, even the sect masters would have to align their goal with that of the state in order to exist.

    All three factions had chosen their own development path, and therefore, the culture and customs varied wildly among them. Martians had always been firm believers of Darwinism, and thus, the society saw to it that the emergence of new power to challenge the old authority was unrestricted. However, on the Earth and the Moon, such insurgence would never be tolerated in the first ce.

    It was this unique martian culture that had spurred Zambrotta to ept House of Lie''s request. Zambrotta was aware that although he was a rtively new yer in the game of power, his sect had gained huge influence on Mars, and it was only a matter of time before he would have to confront House of Lie. Meanwhile, he wagered that his rise to power had not gone unnoticed, and soon, House Lie would be on the move against him as well. House Lie had been tightening the noose already by denying his request of establishing a branch. Zambrotta feared that if he didn''t make a move quickly, he might lose the initiative.

    DREAM was pleasantly surprised by Zambrotta''s reply. Cameron doubted that even the DREAM officials would be able to persuade someone as powerful as the sect leader of the Thunder Drum to the fight. Cameron had received a series of instructions from every top level of the DREAM corporation, ordering him to spare no expense in preparing for the fight.

    The Lord of the War Drum Hall was the most influential fighter the PA system had ever seen ever since its conception. Everyone believed that Zambrotta had epted the challenge because he was interested in Einherjar Wannabe''s Lion Roar technique.

    Right after Zambrotta''s announcement, workers at the DREAM had already encountered their first problem in organizing the match, the problem being the martian''s weapon. Unlike other warriors who fought with iron and steel, Zambrotta fought with a legendary war drum. The War Drum Hall had sent a formal request to the PA system, stating that for the sake of fairness, it was absolutely paramount to create a replica in the virtual space for Zambrotta to unleash his full power.

    Wang Tong weed the request since his first and foremost concern was the opponent being too weak like thest challenger, Peter Lynn. However, a gut feeling told Wang Tong that Zambrotta was much stronger than Peter Lynn, despite the fact that they were on the same level.

    Due to theplication in re-creating the war drum, the fight wouldn''t be carried out until next week.

    When Wang Tong told Mr. Wannabe about the exciting news of his new opponent, Mr. Wannabe simply grunted in reply, and didn''t even care to look away from the TV screen. To Mr. Wannabe, all level six warriors were fodders, and only a real Einherjar would pique his interest.

    After three days of intensepetition, the qualification matches were close to their end. There were three hundred and fifty sessful candidates from the Shangjin district, and all of them would go to Yalen to fight against other thousands of warriors from all over Earth for the rights of representing their home.

    The sessful students would then be sent to the Moon to attend the yoffs.

    Although Ayrng had improved its overall strength by leaps and bounds over one short year, the qualification match had indicated that Ayrng stillcked in the METALbat department. Only six students from Ayrng had prevailed in their qualification match and earned the rights topete at Yalen.

 Chapter 341: Carnival

    Chapter 341: Carnival

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The six students who made the cut were Wang Tong, Hu Yangxuan, Kyaero, Sayni, Sunfang, and Jiang Xiuzhe. Three among the six were first-year students, and the other three were in their fourth year. Although no one seemed to have high hopes for the students'' performance at Yalen expect for that of Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan, it was already a victory for Ayrng, since this was the first time in decades that any student from Ayrng had ever passed the Shangjin district''s qualification match.

    This year''spetition was incredibly intense due to the participation of many graduates who had not been drafted into the army.

    This tournament was an excellent opportunity to promote themselves for those who were working at private firms, to impress potential employers tond them the next employment contract.

    The city of Cypress, the city where Yalen was located, had be a carnival ground. Wang Tong had thought that he would arrive earlier than others, but he already saw throngs of teenagers in different school uniforms hanging about in the streets.

    Wearing the school uniforms not only made it easier to identify friends from foes, but it also gave the students a sense of honor and belonging. Wang Tong sensed that every contestant was enthusiastic about theing fight.

    In addition to the academy students, Wang Tong had also seen many students from private schools. Founders of these private schools were of the same age as Wang Ben''s father, General Hu Ben, and their power was also at par with each other. Not all of the powerful fighters were found in the military, due to its bureaucracy, which would hinder their personal and financial growth. Also, the military was already filled to the brim with talents from prestigious families, making it impossible for a talented person with an ordinary background to stand out among his peers.

    General Hu Ben had been a rare exception, as he had worked his way up from the very bottom. However, not everyone could be as lucky as him.

    To the citizen of Cypress, team Capth was their nemesis, since Yalen and Capth were the only two S-ss Academy on Earth, and thepetition was fierce. This year, both schools'' performance had been steady so far. There were one hundred and twenty students from Capth, and one hundred and ten from Yalen that had made into the-wide qualification. Students from the S-ss academies made up the bulk of the contestants, and didn''t leave much room for the others.

    The A-ss academies each had no more than forty sessful candidates. In total there were over five thousand contestants that had arrived at Cypress. However, only less than ten would remain in the end.

    The feud between Capth and Yalen was entrenched in the students'' minds. Yalen''s students had even hosted a celebration party when they had heard the news of Capth''s defeat by the Ayrng-Bernabeu alliance.

    However, it was this very feud between the two schools that had kept thempetitive.

    Every student had to be ID''ed before they entered the Yalen campus. The ID process was quick and easy, and Yalen had set up a dozen identification booths at the two squares near its campus.

    When Wang Tong arrived at the town square, it was already packed with students. The team from Ayrng was only a drop in the ocean of contestants. Wang Tong marveled at the poprity of METALbatpared to Fleet battle.

    "Look! They are from the Capth!"

    "Wow! that''s a lot of people!"

    "No kidding! I see Li Ruoer, Wang Ben, and...Cisco? Balls, they had even sent in their fourth-year student. That''s cheating!"

    In mostpetitions, Capth never dispatched their fourth-year students. However, the challenge of this year tournament had made them break the rule.

    The tournament happened only once every four years, and it represented the pinnacle of strength and skills. Therefore, no school would pass up the opportunity to showcase their power.

    The crowd opened up to make way for Team Capth. Leading the team was Li Ruoer, the first Enchantress to partake in the tournament.

    Although no one knew exactly how powerful Li Ruoer was, since her tactics were one of the five major tactics, people were convinced that she was worth the role of the team captain. Strapped to the back of the enchantress was the legendary sword "Rosy."

    To the left of Li Ruoer stood Wang Ben. Wang Ben''s power had increased a great deal, and he had passed his qualification matches with ease. His growth had surprised everyone at Capth. In a year, he had already defeated the fourth year student, Cisco.

    Anyone who had fought with Wang Ben felt a sense of helplessness under his merciless attacks.

    To the right of Li Ruoer stood a young man who was about a few inches taller than the enchantress. There was a badge with four lines on his school uniform; his name was Turbolix, the number one of fourth-year students at Capth. He was about to graduate and join the military.

    Turbolix also came from a prestigious family, as he was the heir of the "Wind Cloud Kick" technique. It was one of the top ten techniques on Earth.

    The three students that formed the front line of the team were all teenagers that were destined to rise to fame, and had more or less convinced the world that they were worthy of their roles.

    The three''s ambition was as great as their power. Unlike the older generations of their families, they were not content to be just an heir of famous tactics. They wanted to be involved in the politics using their family background as a stepping stone.

    All the other students looked at the team from Capth with envy as thetter paraded across the town square. The emblem of Capth, a three-headed sphinx, seemed scintiting under the bright sunlight.

    Li Ruoer was the first to finish the identification process. She typed in her student number, ced her palm on the scanning station, and then looked into the pupil imitating device.

    Right after Li Ruoer had finished her process, a swell of mor rose from the students at the town square. Another group had just arrived; their emblem on the uniform was a fire-breathing dragon, and they were the home team.

    Students from Yalen should have already finished the identification process. Therefore, it was not difficult to interpret their appearance as a taunt.

    The dragons and the sphinxes finally met and formed two lines that were three meters apart. They stood face to face, chest puffing up as if they were measuring each other.

    "Balls! Are we just going to stand here and watch this?" Hu Yangxuan shook his head. He could have been one of the Capth''s students. However, he had eventually chosen Ayrng, a decision he had never regretted.

    "It''s not the number that matters. Look there!" Zhou Sisi announced.

    Hu Yangxuan then saw four boys in in robes saunter towards the booth. Their hair were pulled back and tied up into a bun ¡ªan archaic hairstyle that one could see on TV. Hu Yangxuan recognized them immediately; they were from the Temr''s court.

    The one carrying the de was Zhang Buyu, the shortest was Yao Bai, the most handsome looking one was Ye Kai, and the most muscr one was Wu Gang.

    Legend had it that the Temr''s court was the birthce of all tactics. No one had ever seen an inner court disciple; their prestige and secrecy had immediately piqued everyone''s interest.

 Chapter 342: Super Space Hive

    Chapter 342: Super Space Hive

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The four young disciples didn''t seem to pay attention to the stares that surrounded them, as they continued sauntering towards the ID booth nonchntly. Although the Temr''s Court distanced themselves from the conflicts between major factions, they had not withdrawn from the world altogether. It was evident that the four inner court disciples were excited about the fight, and were confident in their ability.

    The four didn''t even spare a nce at the students from S-ss Academies. However, they all cast a sidelong nce at Li Ruoer. The rtionship between House of Li and the Temr could be traced back to the age of General Li Feng. So far, the Temr stillcked tactics that could out-rival that of the five dominant houses.

    "The Inner Court." Hu Yangxuan gasped and then heaved a sigh.

    "What about them?"

    "Majority of the Temr''s disciples, such as me, only received training in building up soul energy. Only the inner court disciples were worthy of learning the secret tactics of the Temrs. "

    When Hu Yangxuan had first attended the Temr''s Court, he had lived a different life and dreamt different dreams. His life goal at that time was to take over the family business and therefore, bing a Temr''s disciple was only the icing on the cake. Never once he had thought that he would be so invested in bing a fighter. At the hindsight, Hu Yangxuan found his former goals childish andughable.

    Among the four inner court disciples, one was Hu Yangxuan''s old friend.

    In addition to the three big yers¡ªCapth, Yalen, and the Temr''s Court¡ªthere were many other renowned fighters at the town square. Representing their districts, these fighters meant business here. Although they were not from S ss Academies, they had brought with them potent tactics and techniques that they had inherited from their family.

    Based on recent statistics about the makeup of the contestants, thebats would bring over half of the current renowned private tactics¡ªones that were not taught by academies¡ª into the tournament. It was apparent that all contestants wanted to use the tournament to spread the influence of the tactics they practiced.

    Once a tactics had reached enough influence, it would earn the recognition of the Confederation, and all practitioners would receive a tag with the name of the tactics on it. Wang Tong watched as many cultivators wearing such badges greeted each other perfunctorily. The act wasughable to Wang Tong, as he knew that many of these people had never met each other, and they were merely faking their friendliness.

    "Ah-Ha! Isn''t it Brother Hu? Long time no see!" Ye Kai, the Gentlemen Sword, walked towards Hu Yangxuan as he spoke.

    Hu Yangxuan had been avoiding eye contact with Ye Kai. However, he was spotted by his old friend after all. Hu Yangxuan forced a smile and then replied, "Oh Hi, Brother Ye!"

    "Nice to see you here brother, and hi everyone, my name is Ye Kai." Although Ye Kai seemed very friendly, everyone could still feel that Hu Yangxuan was somehow embarrassed by this encounter.

    "Allow me to introduce¡­ This is...my court brother Ye Kai. He was one of the chosen disciples to enter the inner court. He is a master of swordy, there''s no doubt about that." Hu Yangxuan announced.

    Before Hu Yangxuan had time to introduce his friends in Ayrng, Ye Kai saw the other three had already finished their identification processes and were calling him over. Ye Kai nodded to his teammates and then turned to Hu Yangxuan. "My court brothers are calling me; I need to go. I hope I get the chance to fight with you, brother Hu!" Ye Kai bowed at everyone and then started back to his teammates.

    "How old is this kid? ''Brother'' this and ¡®brother¡¯ that, he sounded like an old man... Haha." Kyaero jested.

    "Fifteen." Hu Yangxuan heaved a sigh. The conversation with Ye Kai had taken the wind out of his sail.

    "What? The Temr had chosen a kid to do their biddings?" Sayniughed.

    "He seemed very... polite and educated. No wonder they call him the gentleman." Sisi announced. She was impressed by Ye Kai''s courtesy, since as an inner court disciple, Ye Kai ought to be much stronger than Hu Yangxuan.

    Hu Yangxuan grimaced and then rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a scar. "He did this to me."

    Everyone stared at the long and ugly scar incredulously, unable to draw a connection between the refined young man and his savage act.

    As if Hu Yangxuan had sensed everyone''s disbelief, he went on and borated on the details, "He is a Mr. Nice only when he is out ofbat. When he is on a battlefield, he could turn into a monster faster you can blink. I had been unfortunate enough to be his examiner for his entrance exam, and that was when he did this to me. He had injured a lot of teachers during training as well. Simply put, nine out of ten inner court disciples are insane, if not outright monsters."

    Hu Yangxuan shook his head again. The shback made Hu Yangxuan doubt if he were ready to stand up to the challenge ahead.

    "Nine out of ten? Haha, so there was at least one warden in that insane asylum after all!" Sun Fang joked.

    "Wrong. He was no warden, he was the craziest of them all. But, he was more methodical than the others, which made him even scarier. I can say that among all of our friends, only Wang Tong could stand up against him."

    "You are talking about Zhang Buyu, the so-called White Water de?" Wang Tong asked.

    "How did you know that?" Hu Yangxuan asked in disbelief. Zhang Buyu''s real power had always been a secret even among the outer court disciples.

    "Among all the four disciples, his energy flow was the strongest and the steadiest." Wang Tong replied.

    "Uh?... What''s energy flow?" Jiang Xiu was confused by Wang Tong''s jargon.

    "Haha, don''t even bother yourself trying to figure it out. He says that gibberish all the time" Kyaero announced with a broad smile.

    Wang Tong scanned the morous mob at the town square; he could feel their swelling enthusiasm and vibrating vigor. All of them had been waiting for this day for too long.

    Suddenly, a presence of a strong force drew away Wang Tong''s attention. As Wang Tong sought the source of the power, the din of the world around him seemed to have disappeared altogether. Wang Tong was not the only one who had felt the sudden insurgence of the powerful presence, as Zhang Buyu had also felt the power hijack his senses. He paused and started to scan his surroundings.

    "What''s up, Brother Zhang?" Yao Bai asked.

    Zhang Buyu''s face remained stoic, "Someone is watching us. Not Li Shiming though, it is someone perhaps even stronger than Li Shiming."

    "Master had warned us about potential tough opponents hidden among the people. Maybe this it?" Ye Kai spected.

    "Don''t take master''s words literally. He was just warning us not to overlook any opponent."

    "I have probed all the fighters here who were on the same level as us, but I still couldn''t locate the source of the energy I am getting." Zhang Buyue announced.

    "Bahh! It''s difficult¡­ Too many people here. Anyhow, you two stay low¡­ Remember what master had said."

    "Roger that!"

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was ted by the powerful presence; it was just anotherb rat for him to test his new techniques.

    "Well, since we are here at Yalen, we might as well enjoy the S-ss environment. "

    "Agreed!"

    Except for Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan, none of the Ayrng''s students had high hopes for the oue of their matches. Being able to join the yoff matches on the moon would be their greatest achievements.

    Wang Tong wasn''t bothered by Li Ruoer''s presence, since he had long since forgiven her for helping Ma Xiaoru. Based on his experience of fighting against Li Ruoer, Wang Tong was confident that she would do well in this year''s tournament.

    After team Ayrng had loitered in the Yalen''s campus for a while, everyone received a message containing the details of the-wide qualification matches.

    To minimize unnecessary injuries, the qualification match would take ce in the virtual space in three days. The email didn''t reveal any details, but everyone wagered that it would be abination ofbats and survival tests.

    Meanwhile, in the outer space, a spaceship from the Andromeda Gxy had entered warp space. Aboard the ship were METAL figures, who were on their way to the tournament.

    "Captain, two more hours till we reach the sr system."

    "Slow it down."

    "Yes, captain."

    The spaceship glided slowly across a backdrop of countless stars. The ship seemed like a grain of sand in the desert.

    As the ship was about to exit the hyperspeed, a dark shadow loomed in front of it. The rm on the ship went off, warning the passengers of the encroaching danger. The ship had nothing to defend itself, and was soon engulfed by the dark shadow.

    Slowly, the shadow exited the hyper speed and emerged from the warp space; it was an enormous creature that was half machine and half flesh.

    A Space Hive!

    No one had seen a Zerg Space Hive so hideous in its design and so vast in its size. It hovered in the dark space, as a green light glowed from inside its half translucent substance. After a while, the belly of the space hive convulsed, and from its rear end, the ship was pushed out like a newborn infant.

    The space hive convulsed more violently and opened up a portal in front of it. The glowing space hive quickly went through the gaping hole before the portable closed itself.

    Such was the power of the Zerg''s continuous evolution¡­ It had defied all human knowledge, and made space travel possible for carbon-based living organisms.

    The human ship went on its journey as if nothing had happened.

    Three dayster, the qualification test had officially started at Yalen.

 Chapter 343: Promoted

    Chapter 343: Promoted

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The confederation had spared no expenses in making sure that the test was effective in picking the gem out of the sand.

    As the students signed into the virtual space, they found themselves in a bleak-looking ancient battleground, as they waited impatiently for their turn of the test. Since there were no details of the test posted, no one knew what it entailed.

    "Attention everyone, the test will start momentarily. The top ten contestants of the test would earn the right to enter the y-off directly, without partaking in the qualification matches."

    Outside Yalen''s simtion room stood Zhou Sisi and the friends of the other contestants. Although Zhou Sisi was certain that Wang Tong would pass the test as long as it involved straightforward fighting, she was anxious for him, fearing that it would be tricky and require the contestant to use their brains more than their muscles.

    The crowd inside of the simtion room boiled over after hearing the announcement. The reward for acing the test was tempting.

    "Right now, you are at the starting location of your test, and before you is a maze filled with Zergs and virtual fighters. Your goal is to get out of this maze as quickly as possible, or kill as many monsters and vital fighters as possible. You will be graded in terms of both speed and number of kills. Only the top ten contestants will pass the test. The maze will open in five minutes. May the odds be in your favor!"

    As the announcement faded away, the students saw a giant clock appear in the sky.

    Outside the simtion room, the screen disyed a map with groups of shimmering dots, with each dot representing one yer.

    As soon as the clock started ticking, the contestants swarmed towards the entrance of the maze. However, there were a few fighters, such as the four inner court disciples, who didn''t seem to be in a hurry.

    Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan didn''t join the excited crowd either, as they waited for the crowd to dissipate. After a while, Wang Tong announced, "Let''s start!"

    Hu Yangxuan nodded, and then the two disappeared into the maze.

    Once the two stepped through the threshold, they found themselves alone in the maze¡ªthe virtual system had automatically switched to single mode. Inside thebyrinth, the system had made sure that the challenge was fair but unique to everyone.

    The Inner Court Disciples were unruffled when they find out that they were separated from each other, since it did not affect the difficulty for them anyways.

    This test format was not umon. However, the current test was much more intense than any other simr test the students had undertaken.

    Wang Tong didn''t want to waste too much time on the test, as he had seen through the illusions in the maze with ease.

    Outside the testing room, the crowd watched as a couple hundred dots on the screen moved directly towards the exit; those yers could see through the illusion of the maze just like Wang Tong did.

    However, among the couple hundred who were heading towards the right direction, some could only detect the path right in front of them, and others could see the path miles away clearly in their head. The further they could see, the more time they would be able to save.

    That being said, even if the contestant was able to wade through the illusions efficiently, they still had to face the real challenge, that was the Zergs and the fighter bots.

    The Zergs and bots were powerful foes, even though their numbers were kept at the minimum. They were ced at strategic locations, so that an encounter was inevitable.

    A few dozen out of the couple hundred contestants slowly outpaced the rest and formed the leading group.

    The Tactics of the de was the bane of all illusions, and even the master of all illusions¡ª the Enchantress¡ªwas helpless in front of Wang Tong, much less the illusions created by AI. To Wang Tong, differentiating the illusion from reality had already be an instinct.

    Wang Tong darted towards the exit without taking any detours. All the while, he was eager to beat up some Zergs.

    In addition to Wang Tong, a dozen others, including Li Shiming, were able to see through the illusionary walls with ease too, and they ran straight towards the exit.

    Wang Tong soon met his first opponent ¡ªa virtual bot. The bot had about level four soul energy; it would be a tough opponent for any contestants except for Wang Tong.

    With a single strike, Wang Tong had ended the bot''s service life; the bot exploded behind Wang Tong, who had already pressed on. Cool guys wouldn¡¯t look at explosions after all.

    In a different virtual space, Li Shiming had also just finished his first opponent and was on his way again.

    In addition to Wang Tong and Li Shiming, the four inner court disciples also saw through the illusions and stormed directly towards the exit. So determined they were in achieving the best results in the test that they were leading the first formation.

    The four didn''t bring their weapon with them, but it did not slow them down.

    Li Ruoer had quickly made her way to the front of the line. The illusion was mere child''s y for her. About twenty contestants had formed the leading group, and they would bepeting for the top ten.

    Ten minutester, Li Shiming had finally made his way to the exit. As he stepped out of the maze, the system disengaged the single mode, and Li Shiming saw someone else was already there waiting for him.

    "Brother Zhang Buyu, long time no see."

    "Brother Li, our master asked me to send your father a message. He missed your lord father a lot, and looked forward to having another round of Go with him."

    "I will deliver the message for you. Father had been busy. Otherwise, he would have already visited Master Huang."

    Zhang Buyu nodded, then he heard footstepsing from the direction of the maze exit.

    "Brother Zhang! Brother Li! How long have you been waiting? Ah! I am exhausted!" Ye Kai rushed out of the maze and smiled broadly.

    Since Li Shiming had also attended the Temr''s Court before, the disciples didn''t mind calling him "brother."

    As soon as Ye Kai walked out of the exit, Li Ruoer followed suit.

    "Nice to see you, Sister Li!" Ye Kai smiled at Li Ruoer.

    Li Ruoer acknowledged Ye Kai with a nod, then she cast a knowing nce at her brother. The four waited at the exit for the rest of the six contestants, who would join them at the finals.

    The fifth contestant that went through the exit was a fighter who looked like in his early twenties. He was followed by Yao Bai, Wu Gang, and the others. Turbolix was the ninth yer that emerged out from the exit.

    Li Ruoer stared at the exit expectantly, wondering why it took Wang Tong so long to finish the test.

    Finally, Li Ruoer watched as Wang Tong sauntered through the gate. The exit shut off immediately behind Wang Tong, signifying the end of the test for top ten contestants.

    Many strong fighters, such as Wang Ben, were not included in the top ten list. Instead of speed, he favoredplete annihtion of Zergs and bots in the Maze, and therefore, he didn''t make it to the top ten regarding speed.

    As if Wang Tong had felt Li Ruoer''s stare, he looked towards the Enchantress, who immediately looked away. Her expression was cold as ever. Among all the hotshots, Wang Tong felt he had once again be a no ount. Many of the top ten yers had no idea who this boy was, as they had been expecting Wang Ben or other elite fighters from S-ss academies.

    "Hi, are you friends with Brother Hu?" Ye Kai asked.

    "Are you always so talkative?" Wang Tong replied with a question.

    Embarrassed by Wang Tong''sment, Ye Kai scratched his head, trying to find words in his mouth. "Ah...Haha...hmm... I like to make new friends, that''s all."

    "Haha, don''t mind me, I was just kidding!" Wang Tongughed.

    "Come here, Ye Kai!" Wu Gang called Ye Kai over to him, as he didn''t want him to talk to a stranger who could potentially be their opponent.

    "Fine, brother!" Wu Gang''smand seemed to have taken the wind out of Ye Kai''s sail as he plodded back to his group.

    The ten yers waited for a few minutes, and a gate opened up in front of them. They couldn''t see anything through the gate except for light.

    As the ten yers stepped into the light, they were greeted with cheers and apuse. They had earned their ticket to the final matches on the moon.

    Zhou Sisi walked to Wang Tong and said, "I knew you could do it!"

    "Haha, thanks! Should we wait for Hu Yangxuan?"

 Chapter 344: Too Much Hype

    Chapter 344: Too Much Hype

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Unsurprisingly, Li Shiming was immediately surrounded by media. The journalists liked Li Shiming, because he had always been very cooperative with them. Over time, the two had formed a symbiotic rtionship, in which the media fed on Li Shiming''s news while friendly coverage protected thetter''s reputation. Li Shiming''s father, however, had an entirely different rtionship with the journalists. It was toxic, to say the least.

    "Congrattions, Shiming! We all had expected your sess. But, what do you think about the overall strength of your fellow fighters on the Earth?" A journalist from ETV asked him. ETV was one of the most extensive news channels in the Confederation.

    "They had fought very well. I think us earthlings would do a great job in this year''s tournament."

    "That is good to hear. Now, we know that you are determined to hold onto your title of the champion, but who do you think would be your toughest opponent? Would it be Patroclus, Lie Jian, Michaux, or Heidi?" Everyone stared at Li Shiming as they waited for his answer.

    Li Shiming cracked a smile and then said, "I think everyone who partakes in the tournament will have the chance of winning the tournament, not just those four."

    "Thank you Shiming! Let''s wish him sess, and thank you for the interview."

    "You are wee." Li Shiming shook the reporter''s hand courteously.

    Li Shiming always provided the answer the public wanted to hear, which exined his poprity. People tended to believe whatever was on TV, especially what was repeated over and over. It was very rare to see an heir of the House of Li working at the Military, since most of them merely attended the military symbolically, for a very brief period. Li Feng was the only one who had continued his military career even after he had be a General.

    Not only did the family business need the leader of House of Li''s constant attention, but all of Li Feng¡¯s descendants were powerful fighters, who were not likely to subjugate themselves to the rules of the military. Therefore, House of Li had always sent their associates to the military instead of attending the service themselves. However, Li Shiming seemed to be different than his predecessors, since he seemed to be willing to start a long-term career in the military. His willingness to put his boots on the ground had struck a chord with the public.

    However, Shiming''s inclination of joining the military had greatly unnerved the Golden Hawk. They feared that once the Li had gained full control of the military, and with the help of Ma, the two families would be able to dictate all matters on Earth.

    On the other side of the arena, Li Ruoer was also epting an interview. Much like her brother, Li Ruoer was also a favorite of the public for obvious reasons.

    The tactics of the enchantress could alter one''s appearance, and when it reached the highest level, it would be able to slow down the aging process. Sadly, these tactics were not avable to the public, and only the members of the House of Li would be able to enjoy its benefits.

    While Li Ruoer was answering the journalist''s questions, her attention was on Wang Tong.

    Seeing the intimate interactions between Zhou Sisi and Wang Tong, Li Ruoer felt anger sprouting inside her. It didn''t bother her to see the intimacy between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong. However, for some reason, the sight of Zhou Sisi beside Wang Tong just got on her nerves.

    As shemented over her irrational discontent, it suddenly urred to her that she might have fallen in love with Wang Tong.

    "How is that possible?"

    Ever since her childhood, she had been dreaming of marrying someone like her brother. Wang Tong seemed to be on the opposite end of the spectrumpared to his brother.

    Was it curiosity?

    Li Ruoer''s mind raced, trying to find out the culprit, but failed.

    "Ruoer, Ruoer!" Li Ruoer heard her brother calling out to her.

    "What''s up?"

    "We need to take a picture together for the advertisement of the tournament."

    Li Ruoer nodded. All the while, Li Shiming didn''t even spare Wang Tong a nce, as if the thorn by his side had never existed. Li Shiming knew that his real threat was not this annoying clown, but Patroclus. He had been preparing for that day for years; he wouldn''t let Wang Tong spoil the mood.

    "Congrattions Wang Tong! After winning the championship at the fleet battle, you have sessfully entered the finals of the METAL tournament. " A reporter finally spoke to Wang Tong after she had interviewed all the hotshots.

    "Thank you!"

    "What is your goal in this year''s tournament? Final thirty-two perhaps?" The reporter asked.

    "Oh... I don''t know. But I will try my best."

    "Haha, you are very humble! We look forward to seeing your excellent performance." The reporter wrapped up the interview quickly with a perfunctory statement. Airtime was precious, so she would have to leave more frames for the brother and sister pair of House of Li.

    "What an idiot! You are not humble." Zhou Sisi said as sheughed in her mind.

    "Well, I am trying to be." Bing a champion was the only way Wang Tong would continue the rtionship with Ma Xiaoru, as his victory over the "Fantastic Five" would lend credence to House of Ma''s rejection of Li''s marriage proposal.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t tell Zhou Sisi about his grand ambition, Zhou Sisi had already guessed that much. However, she reckoned that it would be too early to say if Wang Tong''s goal was realistic before he had fought with Li Shiming.

    In truth, even Li Shiming was not sure if he would prevail in this year''s tournament, due to the presence of arge number of high-level fighters.

    The public''s opinion seemed to favor Patroclus than Li Shiming, since much hype had been generated after the elusive fighter, the so-called "Perfect Human", had announced his participation in the tournament.

    The poll for the support rating of each yer was conducted throughout the entire Confederation. When the public was asked who they thought would be this year''s champion, over forty-three percent of the public favored Patroclus, and thirty-seven percent favored Li Shiming. Only twenty percent favored Lie Jian, whose support rating had dropped drastically after his defeat by Li Shiming.

    Li Ruoer seemed to be distracted while talking to the camera, but her beauty and charm still seized the public. Although Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru were equally beautiful, Li Ruoer was the more popr one of the two due to her bond with General Li Feng. Her appearance also struck a resemnce with General Zhou Zhi, who were considered having the most elegant oriental features.

    While chatting with Zhou Sisi, Wang Tong had registered Li Ruoer''s searing re. However, he never looked towards the enchantress, as he knew that would only mean trouble.

    Although Wang Tong wanted to ask Li Ruoer about how Ma Xiaoru was doing, he managed to hold back his urge. Winning the match was his priority, and his only hope to be reunited with Ma Xiaoru. The least he wanted right now was to have Li Ruoer causing him any trouble

    After an hour, the second group of qualified contestants also appeared out of the maze exit. There were about fifty of them, and Wang Ben, Apache, and Cisco were among them.

    Out of the fifty people, twenty of them were from S-ss academies. It was a testament to their overall power.

    Wang Tong watched as Apache walked out of the exit. He had be a brawny and swarthy fellow, and his eyes glinted like obsidian in the shadows.

    "Not bad!" Apache grunted at Wang Tong. When Apache first heard the news of Wang Tong''s victory at the Fleet Combat Tournament, he was afraid that Wang Tong had forgotten what was more important to a real man. To Apache, Fleet Battles were merely games.

    After Apache walked out of the exit, Cao Yi also followed suit.

    Soon, Wang Tong found himself surrounded by friends from the S Club, since many of the contestants in the second group were members of the club.

    Zhang Mi was an intern at ETV. She wanted to interview the Li siblings, but she had to wait until the senior reporters were done with their questions. While waiting for her turn, she scanned the room and noticed Wang Tong and the throng of students surrounding him¡ªshe smelled an opportunity.

    She turned on the database and went over the background of Wang Tong, as well as his sess at the Fleet Battle Tournament. Zhang Mi''s brow furrowed; it would be hard to sell the interview to the chief editor (who was grumpy 90% of the time), if the main focus was the fleet battle. She conceded that the public was only interested in the prince and princesses from Great Houses, and therefore, Wang Tong''s story had practically no value to a journalist.

 Chapter 345: Stage Was Set

    Chapter 345: Stage Was Set

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As Zhang Mi was about to give up, she identally hit the drop-down button and noticed Wang Tong''s extraordinary resume: sole survivor of the Norton attack; led Ayrng and defeated Bernabeu, and then Capth; the Champion of the Fleet Battle, leader of the S-Club.

    Zhang Mi''s instinct tingled, she had found a treasure!

    "Hmm...S club? What the hell is that?"

    The name sounded familiar to Zhang Mi. However, she did not know where she had heard about it. After quickly doing some research, she learned that it was a student club among many lower ss academies. Zhang Mi conceded that she had no chance in interviewing the hot shots. So, all her hope in having anything juicy for her editor''s eyesid on this boy named Wang Tong.

    After about an hour, the third group appeared out of the maze. Zhang Mi watched as more students gathered around Wang Tong.

    "Was he their leader? No... he doesn''t look like a leader at all." Zhang Mi''s mind raced. She kept quiet and observed the interactions between Wang Tong and his friends.

    As the test progressed, more S club members appeared, and as soon as they saw Wang Tong, they closed in to greet him. Suddenly, the hallway was filled with banters andughter from Wang Tong and his friends.

    The attention Wang Tong had drawn even made some of the members of the great houses jealous. They wondered what had made these students so eager to talk to a no ount?

    At the end of the day, Kyaero was the only other student from Ayrng that had to pass the test right before it ended. Thanks to the torturous training with Wang Tong, his strength had improved a great deal, and therefore, he was able to pass the test. All other contestants from Ayrng didn''t make the cut. Sayni wasn''t too upset about his failure. He was already in the fourth year when the new Principal Samantha came to Ayrng. By then, he had already wasted three years, and it had been toote for him to pick up the ck.

    The screen disyed the list of yers that had passed the test and was eligible for the yoff matches on the Moon. The Earth government had chosen this testing method due to its ability to conceal the contestants''bat moves.

    The Moon had taken a simr approach, although their test was rather straightforward. They had designed a test focusing on the student''s primary skills duringbat such as soul energy, GN force control, and speed. The second phase of the test was virtualbat. However, the students'' opponents were virtualbat bots instead of real humans.

    Patroclus and his family members were determined to do well during this year''s tournament on their home. Even a minor defeat would be disgraceful to the sacred battleground of the legendary Sky Arena.

    Meanwhile, on Mars, the qualification process was much more straightforward, as they had adopted the traditional one on one fight. The Martians despised the shady methods of the Earthlings and the Ivantians, and they believed that their tricks would only make them grow weary and weak.

    Li Jian, Michaux, and Princess Heidi had significantly beefed up the rank of Martian contestants. The Martians were determined to defeat both earthlings and Ivantians on the Moon and usher in a new age, in which the Martians dominated thendscape of METALbat.

    All-wise qualification matches would be wrapped up in a few days. The Moon government had readied the city for the arrival of all qualified fighters.

    Before the yoffs of the tournament happened, another exciting event would unfold first. It was the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Zambrotta, the lord of the War Drum Hall.

    Ever since the de Warrior, no one expected Einherjar Wannabe to have given people so much hope for breaking the boundary between what was fiction and reality.

    After Einherjar Wannabe defeated all the powerful fighters of his age, he had inevitablye to face even more powerful fighters. This time, his opponent was a professional elite fighter¡ªZambrotta, the top ten fighter of the confederation. This fight was bound to be a cataclysmic event that would shake thendscape of the PA system, regardless of its oue.

    After finishing the qualification test, Wang Tong could finally enjoy watching the fight between Mr. Wannabe and Zambrotta undisturbed. To Wang Tong, watching a fight between two powerful fighters was like appreciating a piece of fine art. Although the supporters of Einherjar Wannabe were loud and feverish, there were also many who supported Zambrotta for his courage. Many fighters at his level had long since sumbed to content.

    Zambrotta had carefully prepared for this fight. He didn''t let the opponent''s age lower his guard. As long as he was on the battlefield, he would do his best.

    DREAM had finished reconstructing Zambrotta''s legendary weapon¡ªthe Thunder Drum¡ªin the virtual space. They had guaranteed that it was as good as the real one, and it would not hinder the execution of his coup de grace. Hearing this news, Zambrotta simply shrugged, since he had never intended to use his coup de grace in the fight.

    The virtual area was packed with audiences already, waiting impatiently for the fight to start. The mysterious seventeen-year-old boy had lit up the curiosity in everyone''s eyes. Even if the boy failed to deliver a solid performance, watching Zambrotta execute his renowned tactics would be well worth the price for the ticket to the duel.

    Before the fight, Wang Tong and signed a contract with the DREAM on the behalf of Mr. Wannabe. Based on the contract, ten percent of the ie generated from the ticket sale would go to Einherjar Wannabe. After having experienced so much financial struggle, Wang Tong conceded that although money was not everything, it did make the world go around. After all, he didn''t want to always resort to performing dance shows every time he needed money.

    As Wang Tong grew up, he started to see the importance of money. That being said, he didn''t intend to use the money to improve his life qualify. Instead, he needed money to achieve his higher goals in life.

    Wang Tong knew the revenues from the ticket sales would not be a small number. Although his offer of 10% had been modest, it was the ''Goldilocks'' market value that Charcoal had calcted after he had tapped into the market database. Charcoal''s hacking ability had also helped to conceal the path of the money transfer. He would make sure that no one would be able to trace the final destination of the fund, thus protecting Wang Tong''s secret identity.

    After having experienced his first fight in centuries, Mr. Wannabe appeared to be calmer than thest time. He could also feel that this opponent was much stronger his time around.

    Zambrotta didn''t show up until five minutes after Einherjar Wannabe had arrived. Like anyone else, Zambrotta needed money for his family, and therefore, he had also charged PA system for his participation.

    Zambrotta was fashionablyte like all famous people. He was in a ck shirt, that was decorated with the emblem of the Thunder Drum. On Mars, thousands of Zambrotta''s followers cheered for their leader, and no one seemed to be paying any attention to Einherjar Wannabe.

    On the other side of the Arena, Mr. Wannabe''s patience was thinning. The smug look on Zambrotta''s face made him want to finish him off then and there.

    However, something at the back of Mr. Wannabe''s mind ¡ªa D¨¦j¨¤ vu¡ªsuddenly calmed him down. His opponent seemed to be powerful enough to be able to tease out a sliver of his forgotten memory. However, as soon as Mr. Wannabe tried to engage that memory, it evaporated into thin air.

    After Zambrotta stepped into the arena, he cast a nce at the opponent, and the smug on his face suddenly disappeared.

    Brows furrowed, Zambrotta held the drumstick in his hand and hesitated to attack.

    "Something is not...right. Why am I feeling a more powerful presence than Lie Jingtian?" Zambrotta asked himself as his mind raced to find an answer. Although Einherjar Wannabe didn''t move a muscle, his watchful eyes followed every minute detail in Zambrotta''s movements, from the slightly trembling hand to a twitch on the face.

    The audiences murmured to each other as they were perplexed by what was happening. Einherjar Wannabe looked like he was mired in his troubled memory, while Zambrotta hesitated to attack, as if he were faced with the toughest opponent in his life.

    The scene in the arena was quiet, but dramatic nheless.

    The two fighters stood still while staring at each other, dragging out the silence.

    Finally, Einherjar Wannabe heaved a sigh and then said, "It has been a while since I heard the beat of the war drum. Please, indulge me."

 Chapter 346: Total Knockout

    Chapter 346: Total Knockout

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Einherjar Wannabe''s ostentatiousment had outraged the followers of Zambrotta. It was a good thing that majority of his followers were not present at the arena. Otherwise, riots might have already broken out.

    However, Zambrotta himself didn''t seem to be offended, as he took out the thunder drum and set it in front of him.

    Einherjar Wannabe put his hand behind his back, as if he were going to enjoy a drum performance.

    "What...What the heck is going on?" The audiences were disheveled by the development, confusion written all over their faces.

    With the first beat of the drum came a shockwave of GN force. When the GN force was delivered in the form of the sound wave, not only was it more potent, but it was also extremely difficult to defend against. The shockwave that covered such a wide range was so powerful that it teased out the audience''s imagination, and painted a picture in their mind of a brave and young Zambrotta eliminating hundreds of Zergs.

    "Mountain Quake!"

    Zambrotta threw his head back and let out a thunderous roar. Each syble of the sound carried an energy that ripped Zambrotta''s shirt open, as his soul energy surged. All level six fighters started with five hundred sol. However, by this time, Zambrotta''s soul energy had reached over six hundred sols and was holding steady.

    As the drumbeat started to gain speed, waves after waves of shock rippled throughout the arena. The audience could sense that these shock waves werepounding, gathering strength as they traveled towards Einherjar Wannabe. Zambrotta''s cultivation had reached such a high level that he could easily control the direction which the energy waves moved.

    Despite being assailed by increasingly powerful waves of energy, Einherjar Wannabe stood still with his eyes closed, as if he were savoring the delightful sound of heaven.

    The belligerent drum was beckoning his forgotten memories, peeling off its callousedyer one after another, until power started to seep out and build up inside of Mr. Wannabe''s body. A vision came to Mr. Wannabe: he stood at the bow on one of the thousands of battlecruisers that surrounded him. Mr. Wannabe remembered that he was invincible, and his armada was unsinkable.

    Seeing his attack having no effect, Zambrotta''s face twisted into a knot. The Mountain Quake was the first phase in the three phases of the Tactics of the Thunder Drum. However, Zambrotta remembered that even Li Jingtian had to put up some defense when he unleashed the phase one attack during their fight many years ago. Why was his seventeen years old opponent seeming to bepletely unaffected by the attack?

    "Earth¡ªQuake!"

    Zambrotta roared again as he initiated the second phase. Being caught off guard by his opponent''s power, he activated every GN node he was able to mobilize in his body.

    "There is no way that this guy is only a seventeen years old kid! " Zambrotta told himself.

    The drum beats immediately gained such frequency and vigor that the harmful energy waves started to seep out from the protective shield over the arena towards the audiences. Even as the DREAM workers fumbled to increase the intensity of the protective shield, there were already a few dozen IPA yers sitting in the front row who had been injured by the rogue energy. DREAM had never hosted a match between such powerful yers before, and they had thought that a protectiveyer that could shield 700 sol would be adequate. However, they had overlooked the fact that soul energy''s damage output varied significantly based on the delivery method, as well as synergy with one''s GN force. Simply put, a mere number was not enough to measure it.

    As amercial group, DREAM had plenty of experts in ounting, but none in METALbat. Otherwise, they would not have made such a mistake.

    The tempo of the beat slowed down; however, the intensity increased substantially. Every pound carried more energy than the one before it, and all of them charged directly at Mr. Wannabe''s sea of consciousness.

    It was a well-known fact that the sound wave attacks could not only harm one''s body, but also the sea of consciousness, causing hallucinations. The only way to fend off such attack was to shut off one''s auditory system.

    Despite being under such a powerful and potentially deadly assault, Mr. Wannabe didn''t take any countermeasure. Instead, the drumbeat seemed to soothe his soul as he listened attentively. The energy wave had practically no effect on him whatsoever.

    Wang Tong didn''t focus on what he saw¡ªthat was just white noise. Instead, he listened carefully to the tempo of the drum beats as Mr. Wannabe did. The flow of the forceful beats pulled and tugged at Wang Tong''s imagination, teasing out inspirations in his mind.

    Although Wang Tong was already on his way towards the state of Super Einherjar, he was not there yet, not by a long chalk. Looking back at the human history, only a handful of individuals had achieved such state.

    As the drum beats be heavier, Zambrotta had gathered enough GN force at the tip of the drumsticks to unleash his coup de grace¡ªthe "Sky Quake!"

    The master of Thunder Drum clenched the drumsticks, whitening the knuckles. Even as Zambrotta raised them high above his head, crackling GN force zapped out of the tip of the drumsticks before itnded on the drum, with the weight of mountains. On the disy board, Zambrotta''s soul energy reading had soared up to above seven hundred, but that was only the soul energy carried by one ripple among the turbulent sea of energy.

    Using his GN force, Zambrotta channeled the waves together,pounding their effects until the previously invisible waves start to take form in front of naked eyes. The "waves" undted in the air, distorting and warping the space-time as they closed in towards Einherjar Wannabe. It was impossible for Einherjar Wannabe to dodge Zambrotta''s coup de grace, since it came from all directions.

    The follower''s enthusiasm seemed to have spurred Zambrotta''s determination and confidence. Even he himself was pleasantly surprised by the amount of power came out of his coup de grace. This would be a perfect ending to mark the beginning of a new era, in which the War Drum Hall would finally rise to power!

    As the deadly waves of energy loomed around Mr. Wannabe, distorting his view, he saw shadows lurking in the waves and battle cries that turned into heart-wrenching howls. Mr. Wannabe remembered: he had been there with those shadows, and he had left something important behind. A wave of overwhelming grief and regret came over Mr. Wannabe. Whatever he had lost, he had lost it for good.

    Suddenly, at the corner of Mr. Wannabe''s eyes, he registered an iing attack that pierced through the shadows, and the lurking shadows disappeared immediately, breaking the only connection between him and his past. Losing his memory the second time, Mr. Wannabe threw his head back, opened his mouth, and howled a heart-wrenching cry.

    "WHY?"

    The words formed an overbearing force that meant death. Zambrotta''s face turned pale and staggered back to get out of harm''s way. The energy waves that he had been weaving thest ten minutes were washed away by Mr. Wannabe''s cry.

    The followers of the War Drum Hall froze in the face of such a catastrophic turn of event. Some of the senior followers had seen with their own eyes that even an Einherjar had trouble defending against Zambrotta''s coup de grace. What happened then was beyond theirprehension.

    Einherjar Wannabe straightened his head, and he saw his opponent''s legendary weapon¡ªThunder Drum. Suddenly, the drum appeared in Einherjar Wannabe''s hand as if by magic.

    By then, Mr. Wannabe had already forgotten about Zambrotta; he was not a worthy opponent. However, while staring at the drum in his hand, he could sense a wisp of the old memories that he saw in the shadows still linger inside of him.

    Suddenly, Einherjar Wannabe hit the drum.

    With a forceful drumbeat, a tsunami of energy gushed out from the impact. The energy spill into Zambrotta''s sea of consciousness and ripped it apart.

    Zambrotta''s mind went nk as he copsed to the ground.

    Einherjar Wannabe then hit the drum again, this time with both hands. His movement was slow. However, the audience was surprised to see that Einherjar Wannabe''s two hands became four, and then eight.

    When the first pair of handsnded on the drum, nothing hade out except for a tiny din, but with each extra pair of hands hitting the drum and merging its outline with the one before it, the moderate din quickly became an ear-deafening re.

    Blood spilled out of Zambrotta''s mouth, nose, eyes, and eyes, as his face contorted into a painful knot. All the while, he held onto the pair of drumsticks as if that was the only thing between him and death. One more attack, and Zambrotta''s mind might shatter.

    Everyone watched as Einherjar Wannabe slowly raised his hand, on which his opponent''s life rested. Einherjar Wannabe was no longer a seventeen years old boy, but a deadly hell-bound monster.

    While struggling to retain his remaining sanity, Zambrotta suddenly came to a moment of epiphany: to release the most power from the Thunder Drum, he would have to relent the drumstick as his opponent did. But, it was toote. When Einherjar Wannabe''s hand fell on the drum once again, his sea of consciousness would be shattered beyond recovery.

    As Mr. Wannabe was about to hit the drum again, a dark presence loomed ahead of him and then charged at his sea of consciousness. Mr. Wannabe faltered and then slowly moved his hand away from the drum. The dark presence also dissipated as he did so.

    Without giving anyone a heads up, Einherjar Wannabe signed off, leaving the audiences in shock and bewilderment.

    "What had just happened? Why did he stop?"

    Zambrotta face was nted to the ground. He had met many tough opponents, but no one was as deadly as Einherjar Wannabe. He conceded that if the fight had taken ce in real life, he had already been dead many times over.

    Zambrotta staggered back to his feet and then walked to the Thunder Drum. He folded his hands as he prayed to the long-dead founder of the Tactics of the Thunder Drum before he signed off.

    Although no one knew for certain what had happened, they all registered that Einherjar Wannabe had held back his power at the veryst moment, and thereby spared Zambrotta''s life.

    After five minutes of silence, the official results finally came out¡ªWinner: Einherjar Wannabe!

    An explosion of cheers, shouts, and curses erupted from the audiences. No one signed off, as there were simply too many unanswered questions.

    A seventeen years old boy defeated a Martian grandmaster? Even an Einherjar might not be able to boast such an achievement.

    Who would dare ept his challenge next?

 Chapter 347: The Second Legend

    Chapter 347: The Second Legend

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Truth be told, no one, not even Einherjar Wannabe''s die-hard fans, had thought that he could win the fight. However, not only had Einherjar Wannabe defeated his opponent, he brought Zambrotta into submission by copying his power.

    "What kind of a fighter would be able to subdue a grandmaster at the age of seventeen?" As the question rang inside of the mind of the audience, they remembered another legendary fighter who lived on the earth three hundred years ago.

    The DREAM haduded Einherjar Wannabe''s victory as a triumph in the human history, and no one disputed the bold im. Some even doubted if the de Warrior would be able to aplish the same achievement when he was only seventeen.

    Soul energy cultivation was much more difficult than power-suit training, since it required more time and patience. Only a very few privileged ones, such as Li Shiming and Patroclus, who were born with superior genes and were taught more potent tactics, might be able to break the rule and defeat someone much older and experienced than them. However, even though Li Shiming and Patroclus might have a chance of winning such a fight, they would never be able to win it by copying Zambrotta''s power like Einherjar Wannabe did.

    On the main page of the Martial Hall''s website, arge banner read, "Submit yourselves to the new god!"

    It was such a decisive victory that it had silenced all voices that questioned Einherjar Wannabe.

    The DREAM also doubled down on their boldness as they changed the advertisement to "The strongest human is here, waiting for your challenge."

    Should Einherjar Wannabe be a middle age man, the public might as well think that one of the Einherjar was having an episode of midlife crisis. However, that was not the case, since Einherjar Wannabe was only seventeen, and he also possessed the ability that no Einherjar would possess¡ª"Power Copying."

    Einherjar Wannabe''s victory was the victory of the entire human race, especially for the earthlings. Centuries ago, when crisis gued the Earth, the de Warrior came to their aid. Three hundred yearster, the Ivantians and the Martians had surpassed the Earth in technology development as well as political influence, leaving only an empty title as the origin of the human race to the earth.

    However, the title itself possessed a magical power that the other two factions had overlooked. It had summoned the de Warrior centuries ago, and now, an incarnation ¡ªEinherjar Wannabe!

    The miracles that the Einherjar Wannabe performed were real, and so must be the legend. Deny it the Ivantians and the Martians might, but they could not ignore the boy''s victory, and their inability toe up with a reasonable exnation.

    History tended to repeat itself, as when de Warrior first emerged, no one was willing to ept his god-like power until he saved them from destruction.

    However heated the debate was between the believers and the haters, the day went on.

    On his way to the apartment, Wang Tong reflected on today''s fight. Something was amiss in the way Mr. Wannabe acted in the arena; he seemed to be thirsty for bloodshed.

    When Wang Tong arrived at his apartment, he found Mr. Wannabe and Charcoal were already watching TV together. Having sensed Wang Tong walking into the room, Mr. Wannabe grumbled, "Don''t ask me anything, I¡ªDon''t¡ªKnow!"

    Wang Tong took off his shoes and then said, "I am not going to ask anything. It was a good fight, but I think I could have done better."

    Einherjar Wannabe shook his head and then said, "Since when have you learned to brag about yourself? But to tell you the truth, you are not wrong. He is no match for you." Mr. Wannabe had spoken the truth. He knew Wang Tong''s real power better than anyone else, and his recent advancement in his cultivation had caught Mr. Wannabe by surprise. It seemed that nothing was more effective in spurring a young boy''s motivation than his beautiful lover.

    "Mr. Wannabe, how the hell did you amplify the energy like that? It was impossible to achieve such power output with only one strike." Wang Tong asked with a smile.

    "No time to exin it to you. You go figure it out yourself." Mr. Wannabe waved his hand in dismissal. However, something was hidden in his seeming ordinary movement of the hand.

    Wang Tong paused for a second and a moment of epiphany came over him. Although he was not one hundred percent sure about his conjecture just yet, he decided to test it during his training.

    The next day, all media persons regretted theirck of interest in thest PA fight, and immediately devoted their resources to the PA system as the oue of the fight came to light.

    All major news outlets started to contact DREAM and tried to secure the live coverage during Einherjar Wannabe''s next fight. Meanwhile, the public started to specte Einherjar Wannabe''s next opponent. Everyone had thought that the mysterious fighter would only choose the younger generation. However, hisst fight had proven that age was not an issue to him.

    Thanks to the frequentparison between the legend of the de Warrior and Einherjar Wannabe, even the initially indifferent Ivantians and Martians started to pay attention to the recent development of the PA system.

    PA had set aside five million credits as the reward for whoever was able to defeat Einherjar Wannabe.

    In academies across the Confederation, the identity of Einherjar Wannabe quickly be the second most talked about topic following the Tournament.

    "Earthling, seventeen years old, that could be any one of my friends!"

    Lie Jian had watched the recording of Einherjar Wannabe''sst fight four times, and he found it hard to believe that this insanely powerful fighter was the same boy he fought just a month ago. Unable to control his urge to fight this powerful opponent again during this year''s tournament, Li Jian squeezed the disy panel until it crumbled.

    Zhang Jin was bewildered after watching the fight between Einherjar Wannabe and Zambrotta. She was convinced that the mysterious fighter was not seventeen years old; he was an Einherjar! But how was that possible? Which Einherjar in their right mind would pull off such a prank?

    While mired in questions that had no answers, Zhang Jin closed her eyes and started the Tactics of the Conscious Heart, trying to sort through the information. Although she was no longer sure if Wang Tong were Einherjar Wannabe, she was confident that Wang Tong had something to do with the mysterious fighter. She reasoned that the riddle would answer itself the moment Wang Tong encountered Patroclus during this year''s tournament.

    "Is the world already on the verge of a new era?"

    The thought brought Zhang Jin a smile. She knew there was no need for further spections, since time would soon answer everything.

    The students who had passed the qualification test were being sent to the Moon along with their cheerers. Zhou Sisi was appointed as the cheerleader of Team Ayrng. Samantha had generously offered to pay for all of the students'' travel expenses.

    As the heir of the DREAM corporation, Samantha was no doubt the biggest winner of the recent events. DREAM had been half reliant on House of Ma before the rise of Einherjar Wannabe. However, the recent surge of PA''s poprity had strengthened their position significantly in dealing with the Ma. Also, ever since Einherjar Wannabe''sst victory, DREAM''s stock price had risen over nine percent¡ªthe greatest uptick ever since thepany went public.

    Samantha could feel that her dream of bing a councilor was about toe true.

 Chapter 348: Ive Got Practice

    Chapter 348: I''ve Got Practice

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The busier Samantha was, the emptier she felt inside. As her career advanced, thendscape of her love life became starker. Whenever she was lonely, the time she had spent with Wang Tong always came back to her. Things were simpler back then. Samantha wished Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru happiness, as she knew she had forever lost her sweet young love.

    Personality determined one''s fate, and thus it was. Ma Xiaoru''s nature had driven her to be so foolish that she would sacrifice anything for her love. Although her kind was bing increasingly rare in the modern world, so were the ones who were genuinely happy, and didn''t mind to bebeled as "foolish."

    By then, Samantha had conceded that the terms "a smart woman" and "happiness" were mutually exclusive in the real world.

    Although she was happy with her career advancement, she felt that she still needed more to fill up the hole in her heart.

    Meanwhile, on a spaceship bound for the moon, the students from Ayrng were ted about their trip. There were about seventy of them, and it would be the first time visiting the Moon for most of them. Karl was engrossed in talking to a few girls that surrounded him about his great achievements on the Moon during the fleet battle tournament. It was impossible for him to not brag about himself.

    At the other end of the spaceship, Kyaero remained quiet, and was nervous about theing fight. He knew that as a fourth level fighter, his qualification test was a close call. Being able to attend the final did not mean that he was no longer one of the weakest among the attendees. He feared that he would make a spectacle of himself while facing even stronger opponents than his fellow fighters from the Earth.

    "Hey Kyaero, what''s up with that face? Let''s go to the pool house and have some fun!" Zhen Zhong asked.

    "I''m not in the mood."

    "Everyone, don''t overthink things. You have already done a good job at the qualification test, and you need to rx now. No need to stress yourself out. Look at Hu Yangxuan¡­ He has much more things to worry about than you." Zhen Zhong said as he dragged Kyaero to the pool table.

    "Ah-ha! How about that? I told you I would kick your ass!" Hu Yangxuan shouted out as he pounded a fist at the pool table.

    "We are not done yet. One more round, and I will show you my real skill!" Karl rolled up his sleeve and announced.

    "You have already lost three rounds. I want to y with someone who actually knows how to y. "

    "I do," Kyearo replied.

    "Hold on," Karl yelled at the two and then turned towards other students. "Come on now! Hu Yangxuan versus Kyaero, the floor is open for your bets. Stand to the left if you bet on Hu Yangxuan, and to the right if you bet on Kyaero! "

    "What if I am not betting?" Lumi asked.

    "Stand in the middle please."

    The crowd of students was quickly separated into three groups. Karl scanned the groups and then announced, "Hey Hu Yangxuan, you are not as popr as Kyaero after all."

    "I don''t care. I will show them who is better."

    The game they were ying was a variation of the standard billiards game. The more hits the white ball had in one shot, the higher the score. After ten minutes, Hu Yangxuan won the game by a minimal margin.

    A smug look crept onto Hu Yangxuan''s face as he said, "Haha! Told you so! Who''s next? "

    Seeing there was no one answering his challenge, he scanned the room and quickly found Wang Tong, who was standing at the other side of the ship and staring into the distance through a window.

    "Wang Tong, what about a round of billiards with me? Come on! Give me a chance of winning against you."

    "I will pass. I haven''t touched a cue for ages."

    "Just one round, boss! Have some fun! Let''s worry about the tournament after we have reached the Moon." Lumi pleaded.

    "Fine, fine. I will do it, just for you." Wang Tong finally cracked a smile and agreed.

    "Don''t you worry Wang Tong. I won''t embarrass you too much in front of everyone, maybe just a little. Haha! You go first!" Hu Yangxuanughed, thinking that he finally would best Wang Tong at something.

    Billiards was not an expensive sport. However, knowing how frugal Wang Tong was, Hu Yangxuan was confident that his opponent was much less experienced than him. Hu Yangxuan not only yed it every day, but also received private lessons from the pros.

    Wang Tong picked up a cue and handled it in his hands. The spaceship boasted first-ss entertainment utilities, and Wang Tong felt it was rightfully so. The cue was straight, and slid smoothly against Wang Tong''s fingers. The coldness of the wooden stick reminded Wang Tong about the old times.

    As Wang Tong hunched down and was ready to strike, his fluid movements and professional stance surprised Hu Yangxuan.

    The white ball struck home and caused an explosion of colors against the green of the table top, and three colored balls sank into the corner pockets.

    Wang Tong shook his head as he felt his skills had grown sluggish.

    As Wang Tong continued ying, his score quickly shot through the roof.

    Three thousand five hundred and eighty to ... zero!

    ''The winner is Wang Tong!''

    Hu Yangxuan swallowed down his indignation. However, his face was red as an apple.

    Everyone burst outughing at thisical development. They had thought that Wang Tong was a nerd who was only interested in studying and math textbooks. However, his skills at billiards had proven otherwise.

    "It looks like you have at least four to five years of hard training behind you." Kyaero marveled. "It''s almost at the professional level."

    "I hate you. Why didn''t you tell me that you are this good?" Hu Yangxuan grumbled, still feeling hurt by his humiliating defeat.

    Wang Tong grinned at Hu Yangxuan. Although no professionals had ever trained him, he did not tell anyone either that ying billiards at underground venues used to be his family''s primary source of ie.

    "I had yed a lot when I was young. Another round?"

    "No way!" Hu Yangxuan had enough of defeat. He retreated and decided to neverpete with Wang Tong on anything.

    "Wang Tong, I want to learn."

    "Yeah, me too."

    Everyone followed Zhou Sisi''s request, and Wang Tong quickly became the center of the group''s attention.

    Karl and Hu Yangxuan grimaced at each other knowingly.

    "It''s all your fault. You should have left him alone."

    "Well, it''s not like I know everything about him." Hu Yangxuan grumbled as he walked out of the pool house.

    On the streets of the Moon City, it was evident that METAL tournament had garnered much more public attention than the fleet battle tournament. From the neon signs to the huge colorful banners, the streets screamed the unbearable anticipation. There were over six hundred yers on the moon, and if one counted their friends, the number would reach thousands. Audiences from all corners of the universe would gather around, and their number was estimated to reach six figures.

    Despite the huge logistical challenge, Wang Tong could tell that the Ivantians were well prepared. Although it wasn''t Wang Tong''s first time visiting the Moon City, the sheer volume of people on the streets gave him a drastically different feel.

    Many of Wang Tong''s friends were first-time visitors, and they were interested in almost anything in front of them. So advanced was the public infrastructure on the Moon that many of them werepletely alien to the students from the Earth.

    Unlike their friends, the contestants were less interested in sightseeing, as they needed to prepare for the enormous challenge ahead of them.

    On the same day that Wang Tong arrived the Moon, he found out that the match schedule was already set up. With no time for a short respite, Wang Tong and his fellow teammates quickly went over the schedules and rules.

    Upon reading the schedule, it urred to the students that all of the team Ayrng''s fighters had a match on the first day.

    The yoff was grouped into eight sections. All three factions would then each assign eight first-ss seeded yers and eight second-ss seeded yers into the eight sections, and the results were listed as follows.

    The first section: Patroclus, Moon

    The second section: Li Shiming, Earth

    The third section: Li Ruoer, Earth

    The fourth section: Lie Jian, Mars

    The fifth section: Michaux Odin, Mars

    The sixth section: Heidi, Mars

    The seventh section: Li Xing(heir of the Thunder de), Moon

    The eighth section: Zhang Buyu, Temr

    The other eight seeded yers were Ye Kai (Temr), Guan Dongyang (Martian, Heir to the Sect of the Hidden Path ) Turbolix (Earthling, Heir of the wind cloud kick), Tevez (Ivantian, heir of the Dark Moon), Sammill (Kaedeian), Gongsun Wuce (Ivantian, heir to the Gongsun family), Wuma (Earthling, heir of the Dark Witch), and Allen Smith (Ivantian, heir of the Golden Wheels)

    The sixteen yers from each faction represented their best shot at winning the tournament. Although Wang Ben and many others had practiced renowned tactics, they didn''t make it to the top sixteen, because they were less popr, or because they were deemed to have fallen from grace after the previous catastrophic defeat.

    In the legendary Sky arena, the opening ceremony of the sixteenth pan-sr METALbat tournament was about to draw back its curtain. The opening ceremony nevercked big-name performers ever since its conception. There were stars such as Mike, as well as heavyweight politicians such as Dous, the chairman of the confederation council. Almost all the powerful men and women on the Moon had gathered inside the VIP room. Since the game had taken ce on the Moon, it was expected of them to show up in support of their fighters. Plus, the House Lord of the Zhang as well as the Dower ¡ªtwo of the most influential yers in the politics on the moon¡ªwould also show up. Therefore, no politician dared to be absent.

    The exuberant opening ceremony boasted the Ivantian''s marvelous technical advancements and substantial financial clout. The area of a few kilometers around the arena was covered with a virtual reality projection. Its scale and cost had deeply impressed the Martians and the Earthlings.

 Chapter 349: Headbutt Is Legit

    Chapter 349: Headbutt Is Legit

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The most popr pop group, HG, also performed at the opening ceremony, with a song called "God of Fighting." It was an upbeat song and had lifted the audience''s spirit. The attendance of almost nine hundred thousand people strong audience had also broken the record of any live event; it was indeed a testament to the poprity of METALbat.

    As the song arrived near its final line of lyrics, a haughty figure walked onto the stage. When the man stepped into the stage light, the music came to a jarring halt. He was the Einherjar on the Moon, the House lord of the House Dower¡ªAndalidis Dower.

    Audiences watched as the Einherjar slowly raised the clenched fist until it was in front of his face, and then suddenly, he opened his fist. An intense light shot out from his palm and lit up the entire arena. It was not a visual effect; it was the power of the Einherjar.

    "Ladies and Gentlemen, the sixteenth METAL tournament¡­ START!" The host shouted, almost losing his voice.

    The first fight was between Patroclus and a Martian opponent called Luther Charles. The announcement of the battle ted the audiences who came to watch Patroclus''s fight.

    All major media houses were live-streaming the event, and many journalists were outside the arena, interviewing pedestrians about their views on this year''s tournament.

    "Hello everyone, my name is Lulu. As we all know, this year''s tournament has reached the highest strength of audience ever recorded in history. Meanwhile, right where I am standing, at the Moon City''s square, people have gathered to watch the show together. A rough estimate gives us a whopping two million people here. Let us hear what they have to say about this year''s tournament." Lulu, the journalist, announced to the camera and then walked towards an Ivantian. "Hello! Can I ask you a question? Who do you think will be the champion of this year''s tournament?"

    "Our prince Patroclus, no doubt about it! He is UNSTOPPABLE!" the young Ivantian shouted while waving a fist in front of the camera. Perhaps, only the METAL tournament would make an Ivantian lose his usual coolness and aloofness.

    Wang Tong was assigned to the third section. In five minutes, he had kicked his opponent out of the arena. He didn''t intend to waste too much time and energy in these earlier fights. Therefore, he had finished the fight as fast as he possibly could without raising any suspicions.

    Starting with Wang Tong, all of Ayrng''s fighters finished their fights in the morning. The Sky Arena was sorge that it was able to host more than ten fights at one time. But, only the major matches, such as that of Patroclus, would take ce at the most prominent main stage, while the rest of the matches would fill up the secondary stages.

    Wang Tong finished his opponent with ease. By then, a Level Five Warrior was a piece of cake for him.

    After the Match, Wag Tong dashed towards stage number 32, where Kyaero''s match was taking ce. Unfortunately, Kyaero''s first opponent was Qin Kun, one of Lie Jian''s henchmen, and one of the leading instigators of the brutal Martian insurgence at the PA system a while ago.

    When Wang Tong arrived at the stage, he saw Kyaero half beaten and lying on the ground.

    "Hey, noob! You are done. You shouldn''t havee to the Moon, you know? It''s embarrassing! " Qin Kun spat on the ground irritatingly.

    Knowing that his opponent was much stronger than him, Kyaero had been thinking about giving up. However, as a man, he could not stomach the insult.

    Qin Kun''s words spurred Kyaero''s fighting spirit, and he was back to his feet and charging at the Martian brute with a clenched fist. Without turning around to face his opponent, Qin Kun had sensed the iing attack. He turned his hip around and thenshed out his leg like a whip. Kyaero''s vision suddenly blurred and his body was sent flying by the kick.

    Qin Kun shook his head and then finally turned around. "So, this is what they call a fighter on the Earth? Pathetic! Try me again. " Qin Kun curled his index finger, taunting Kyaero to attack again.

    Such tant over-the-top insult was very rare among the Earthlings and the Ivantian fighters, since only the harsh environment on Mars would breed such a tough culture in which modesty was perceived as weak.

    However, Kyaero struggled back to his feet again and was about to attack his opponent again.

    Wang Tong found Zhou Sisi near the stage, her eyes filled with worries. "Do something, Wang Tong! If this continues, Kyaero will be gravely injured."

    Wang Tong shook his head and then said, "Sisi, you don''t understand how a man''s mind works. To a man, there is something far important than his life. This fight is no longer about winning¡­ it''s about honor and dignity."

    If Kyaero submitted to this Martian brute, he would never get over his humiliation, and as guilt and self-doubt took hold in his mind, he would never progress in his cultivation.

    Qin Kun kicked again, and the kick sent Kyaero flying once again. Nevertheless, Qin Kun secretly wished that Kyaero wouldst a bit longer, so that he could have more fun with him. So far, Qin Kun was pleased by his persistence.

    "Too slow, too SLOW!" Qin Kun caught up with Kyaero and kicked at his left hand. With a crisp snap, Kyaero''s left wrist was shattered. Despite the pain shooting through his body, Kyaero gritted his teeth, trying to hold back a wince as bead-size sweat appeared on his forehead.

    "Haha, your bone crunched like lettuce." Qin Kunughed.

    Kyaero drew arge gulp of air and then attacked the Martian suddenly. However, the Martian was faster; heshed out a kick at Kyaero''s right wrist with lightning speed.

    With the kick came another loud snap.

    As if shocked by electricity, Kyaero''s body flew back. The Martian had fused a level four GN force at the tip of his toe to make sure that the earthling boy would never stand up again.

    Qin Kun had made sure that by then, Kyaero''s body would not allow him to join any more matches. This was a despicable strategy devised by the Martians, a group of brutes that firmly believed in the survival of the fittest.

    "What an a*shole! He did it on purpose! This is not virtual space, you b*stard!" Karl shouted.

    Although everyone from Ayrng felt indignant for Kyaero, they conceded that the only way to stop Kyaero''s suffering was surrender.

    Wang Tong didn''t speak a word as he watched Qin Kun carefully. He would pay for this.

    Kyaero managed to pull himself back up again; his arms were dangling below his shoulders.

    "Not bad! Still able to stand up, eh? Well, you are one hell of a punching bag. Haha! Come on now,e at me again. Try hit me! Haha! I will submit if you can even touch me." Qin Kunughed again; his voice was filled with contempt.

    Body trembling, Kyaero shambled towards the Martian. Qin Kunughed again; his voice getting increasingly high pitched "Oh? Haha! Are you going toe kowtow to me?"

    Qin Kun was well aware of the power on hisst kick. He wagered that the earthling boy would copse at any time before reaching him.

    Lo and behold, a fit of a cough suddenly seized the earthling boy, as blood spilled out of his mouth and nose. As Qin Kun expected the boy to fall to the ground, Kyaero''s eyes suddenly lit up as heunched his body at the Martian like a cannonball.

    Since Kyaero had been sparring with Wang Tong, whose attack was much more powerful than that of Qin Kun, Kyaero had significantly toughened his body and will. All the while, Kyaero had been waiting for the Martian to lower his guard, so that he would strike at his most venerable spots.

    Although Qin Kun reacted immediately, the point nk distance had given Kyaero an edge. As heart-wrenching shirk shot through the arena as Kyaero had sessfully annihted Qin Kun''s groin with a head-butt.

    As Qin Kun rolled around on the ground, hands cupping over where he was hit. Kyaero stood still, savoring every second of it.

    Attacking the groin vited the tournament rule, however. After careful examine from a panel of referees, an exception to the rule was made. The panel had assumed that Kyaero had aimed at Qin Kun''s chest. However, due to the extreme humiliation he was under, Kyaero had missed the target and identally hit Qin Kun''s groin.

    Therefore, the winner was¡ªKyaero!

    Students from Ayrng rushed onto the stage after the announced was made. They watched as Kyaero was carried out by a stretcher; his tournament had ended, but he had won like a real man.

    "Balls! You are bada*s, bro! " Karl shouted out to Kyaero as he hugged his friend on the stretcher.

    "Don''t... please...Don''t hug me. It hurts." Kyaero winced.

    "Good job Kyaero! " Zhou Sisi also gave Kyaero a thumb up. She had thought Kyaero would lose the battle, but his perseverance had eventually paid off after all.

    "Hehe... thanks to Boss''s brilliant idea. What he taught me kicks a*ses! " Kyaero winked as he spoke. He had known all the while that only the most brutal attack would be able to grant him victory against a brute.

 Chapter 350: The Power of the Divine Master

    Chapter 350: The Power of the Divine Master

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After Kyaero was carried out by medics, Zhou Sisi tugged at the Wang Tong''s sleeve and asked, "What the heck is it that you taught him?"

    Wang Tong waved off the question and then said, "Nothing. I only told him that even the strongest have weaknesses. The hairier the situation, the calmer he needs to be. That''s all!"

    Knowing Wang Tong, Zhou Sisi didn''t believe a single word out of his mouth. Wang Tong looked over Zhou Sisi''s shoulder and found Karl snickering while giving him a thumbs up.

    While training with Kyaero and Hu Yangxuan, Wang Tong did not restrict their sparring to regr moves. Instead, Wang Tong had exhausted all tricks he knew, regardless of how despicable they were. Although Hu Yangxuan and Kyaero had both fallen victim to Wang Tong''s tricks, they had also learned to be cunning and calcting while fighting.

    It was fortunate for the world that Wang Tong was not an outright evil person either, because he never fought with fairness and righteousness in mind.

    While students from Ayrng felt remorse for the loss of a fighter on the first day, the rest of the audiences were caught by surprise, and found Kyaero''s unlikely victory remarkable. Kyaero''s headbutt had broken a bone in the Martian''s leg, a fair price for his conceit.

    It took Hu Yangxuan a while to dispatch his Ivantian opponent. Not only was the Ivantian tougher than expected, but Hu Yangxuan had also been very cautious while fighting, trying to avoid injury.

    Unlike the fleet battle, METALbat might take a toll onbatants'' health. Therefore,batants needed to be careful while fighting to avoid unnecessary injuries.

    Except for their close friends, hardly anyone in the audience was paying attention to the fights happening on the side stages. On the main stage, bright stars came and went, taking their victories away without any suspense. However, the audiences'' enthusiasm was not dulled the slightest by theck of dramatic development. Most of the audiences didn''te here to watch the fight, but to bask in the glory of the fighters'' noble origin, and worship them like zealous apostles.

    After watching Kyaero''s fight, Wang Tong''s attention was immediately drawn by Li Shiming''s match. He marveled at Li Shiming''s perfect control of his power, as it was just enough to overwhelm his opponent, but not so much that would make him look like a bully.

    Each of the three factions had developed their own focus regardingbat training. The Earthlings focused on mental stability, the Ivantians pursued perfection, while the Martians valued strength above all other things.

    Li Shiming''s humility and strength had owned many members of the audience''s hearts, including many Ivantians. Ivantians were obsessed with the purity of bloodlines and power, and it seemed that Li Shiming had both.

    Both Ivantians and Earthlings were convinced that the final battle would be between Patroclus and Li Shiming, despite their drastically different convictions as to who would be the winner.

    That being said, there were still a significant number of people from the Mars who believed that the title of champion could belong to Lie Jian, Michaux, or Heidi.

    The first match in the afternoon was between Lie Jian and his opponent. The Martian prince finished off his opponent with one deadly punch. Although any physicalpetition could be dangerous, the death of an opponent could potentially constitute a manughter charge in any regrpetition. However, the pan-sr tournament had been an exception, as unfortunate idents happened during almost every tournament. If not for the pressing need for the promotion of physical fitness among human due to the impending invasion of Zergs, such a dangerous sport would have been banned.

    At three o''clock in the afternoon, a much-anticipated match was about to start. It would be Michaux Odin''s virgin appearance in a publicpetition.

    Wang Tong sat in front of the TV and waited patiently. He didn''t even bother to buy a ticket, knowing that the Martians would have grabbed them all. As the heir to all Martian''s spiritual leader, Michaux had enjoyed as much poprity as Lie Jian on the Mars, if not more.

    No one knew why Michaux had broken the Divine Master Sect''s tradition of never being involved in public affairs.

    Michaux''s opponent was an earthling from an A-ss academy, a solid level five fighter called Saru.

    Saru was unruffled by the fame of his opponent, as he doubted a vegetarian monk would pose any real threat to him.

    Unlike the Martians, Saru was not obsessed with the Sect of the Divine Master. He was convinced that the power of Michaux was grossly overrated, since he had never heard any victory of the young master. Nevertheless, Saru reasoned that it would be a good opportunity for him to make a name for himself.

    Saru was hopeful that he could be able to defeat the monk by relying on his much more diversebat experience.

    The arena was packed, and everyone''s attention was on the main stage.

    Saru sauntered onto the stage while brandishing his de. If there were any cheers for him, they had been drowned by the flood of boos. Displeased by the audience''s response, Saru turned to the side where most Martians sat and gestured them to shush.

    "I like this dude! Go Earthlings, go!" Karl squatted on top of a sofa and yelled at the TV. Karl enjoyed watching the fight with a group of friends instead by himself, as the former felt much more exciting

    Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan remained silent as they waited for Michaux''s entrance. Although Michaux didn''t intervene in Wang Tong''s fight with Lie Jian, Wang Tong could tell that the young master''s soul energy was exceptionally powerful.

    As the din in the arena became louder due to Saru''s ostentatious entrance, a thin figure appeared on the stage. A reverential quiet suddenly fell onto the arena, cutting the mor off like a pair of scissors. At the sight of their spiritual leader, all Martians set their fingers on their chest¡ª a salute to the young master.

    Although the sudden quietness didn''t tease out a single word from the young master, the martian''s devotion had unnerved Saru.

    The two fighters faced and bowed to each other cautiously.

    Saru set his de about his waist and charged up his soul energy to two hundred and thirty. Hands folded and eyes closed, Michaux didn''t make a move, as if he had already deemed Saru unworthy.

    With his Patience wearing thin by his opponent''s annoying pretentiousness, Saru let out a battle cry and charged at Michaux, with the tip of the de aimed squarely at Michaux''s chest.

    Michaux opened his eyes slowly, and made a slight change in his hand gesture.

    The charging earthling suddenly face-nted into an invisible wall that came out of nowhere. Saru copsed to the ground; he was knocked out.

    "The Winner is Michaux Odin!"

    Only the Ivantians and some Earthling audiences cheered loudly for Michaux''s performance, as the Martians were too deep in their religious belief to see the fight as a normalpetition. Michaux was their god, just as the de Warrior was to the Earthlings.

 Chapter 351: Soul Mastery

    Chapter 351: Soul Mastery

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Karl had been hoping to watch a heated battle, but the fight had ended much faster than he thought.

    "Balls! Is that it? What kind of an attack is that?" Karl was dumbfounded by what he had seen. Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan threw each other a knowing nce, as they had both registered Michaux''s incredible power.

    "Hey, you! Say something. Howe it ended so suddenly?"

    "Karl, this is the so-called direct soul energy attack. The divine sect believed that the soul energy was the source of human ''s power, and despised the usage of GN force. Saru was not prepared for such an attack, and therefore was caught off guard. "

    "Ah, Soga! So, if one were prepared for his soul energy attack, would he be easy to defeat? Michaux didn''t look that tough." Lumi announced.

    "Hehe, you are not entirely wrong, Lumi. However, no one knows exactly how good his defense is." Hu Yangxuan nodded.

    Wang Tong shook his head and disagreed. "I can feel that Michaux''s soul energy is one of the strongest among all the contestants. I don''t think his defense would be weak."

    "...Is he really that powerful? Would he be the champion?"

    "Hehe. If he wanted to, then yes. But I don''t think he is here for the title of the champion." Wang Tong said expectantly. His soul energy was at par with Michaux, and he looked forward to fighting against him.

    All the heirs of the great houses had defeated their opponents without any suspense. As Li Ruoer walked on to the stage, she garnered even more attention than her brother Li Shiming, partly because of the charm of the enchantress. The tickets of her match were sold out in minutes by male audiences.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t want to attend the enchantress'' match, all of his male friends were excited about the fight, and had persuaded him to join them. Wang Tong noticed that Li Ruoer had changed a lot ever since thest time he saw her. She had transformed from a capricious teenage girl into a cold and distant beauty whocked any cardinal desires. Herck of interest somehow made Wang Tong feel relieved.

    Li Ruoer''s indifference didn''t dull the admiration of the audience. Her opponent, an Ivantian, was unnerved by the fame of the daughter of an Einherjar.

    But, Li Ruoer finished the match in under a minute, without even using her legendary sword "Rosy." After the match, Li Ruoer scanned the crazed audiences, and then fixed her gaze at the camera.

    Although Wang Tong was sitting miles away from the arena, he was caught off guard by the searing re. The stare was so intentional as if it were meant for him. Li Ruoer then looked away and walked into the resting room quietly without leaving a word to her fans.

    On the other side of the arena, Heidi also defeated her opponent with ease. So quick were her phantom-like moves that the opponent didn''tnd a single blow on her before he was defeated.

    In two days, all of the eight seeded yers had won their first round of the match, and none of the matchessted more than five minutes.

    Thus it was, as the power of the great houses lied in thebat strength of the family members, especially the heirs who were going to seed the power.

    Although Lie Xin from the Thunder de and Zhang Buyu from the Temr''s court were not from the five major houses, they were no less powerful than their great house counterparts.

    Although no one knew exactly how powerful Zhang Buyu was, the fact that he was the seeded yer from the Temr''s court ¡ªthe birthce of all Tactics¡ªspoke loudly about his strength.

    Although the Thunder Sword Sect from the Moon was not a part of the fiver houses, the current house lord, Lee Moshan was an Einherjar. Rumors had it that Lee Moshan had even defeated Patroclus''s father, since the old Dower wasn''t able to finish the Tactics of the Deva King. Lee Moshan''s fame was at par with that of Li Zhedao, since both of them used swords. They were regarded as the top two sword masters of the world. Although they both had entertained the idea of fighting with each other, the fight between the two sword masters never materialized for one reason or another.

    Even on the Moon, Lee Xin was considered the only person in the Confederation who would be able to stand up against Patroclus. Many years of dormancy had somewhat eroded the influence of House of Dower on the moon and given rise to the House of Lee. House of Lee had enjoyed the unbridled expansion power on the Moon untiltely, when Patroclus had announced that he had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King.

    Lee Xin had since challenged Patroclus to a duel, but thetter had refused the challenge.

    All Ivantians was hopeful to see the two houses put the matter to rest in a duel. Be it the Deva Lance or the Thunder de, only one of them could dominate the moon!

    In addition to Patroclus, Lee Xin was also looking forward to the fight with Li Shiming, since that would be the fight between the heirs of the top two sword masters. However powerful his opponents were, Lee Xin was convinced that he would be the unmatched champion of this Tournament, and Thunder de would prevail.

    Three dayster, Wang Tong was about to partake in his second fight. His second opponent was an Ivantian. As the third disciple of the Lunar Soul-Mastery, the second opponent was much stronger than his first opponent.

    The Soul-Mastery was an emerging new technique in using one''s soul energy. It started as off-shoot branch of the prominent tactics that focused on using soul energy. However, it quickly grew into a category of its own. There were, by now, hundreds of different soul mastery sects across the three factions.

    In simpler terms, a soul-mastery was a way of channeling one''s soul energy to achieve the seemingly supernatural effect.

    The soul-mastery was generally useless against Zergs. However, it was particrity effective against humans. Although most of the soul-mastery fighters were physically weaker than their normal counterparts, they always had the element of surprise by their side. Due to its ineffectiveness against the Zergs, The Confederation had tried to ban the soul-mastery many times. But, the sect members of the soul-mastery were able to talk their way out of extinction each time. Eventually, the confederation had given up on the matter entirely and let the soul-mastery influence grow stronger by the day.

    Cultivators following the way of soul-mastery saw it as a part of a greater evolution in human history. They despised the usage of brute force as well as GN force, and believed that the soul energy was a much more elegant solution to resolving the conflicts between human. This year''s tournament would provide the soul-mastery cultivators a perfect opportunity to state their case to the world and disy their power.

    "Boss! Crush him! Crush!" Karl waved a fist in the air excitedly. Karl was not alone. On the earth, pubs and virtual clubs were filled with people watching the fight, all of them cheering for Wang Tong.

    In the Dream Cafe, the plump owner was pleasantly surprised to see Wang Tong''s face on the screen.

 Chapter 352: Puppet Show

    Chapter 352: Puppet Show

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong''s opponent was Han Linu from the Lunar Mastery. Although he was not listed as one of the seeded yers, his power was considered at par with them.

    As the strongest member of the third generation at the Lunar Mastery sect, Han Linu was considered by most people to be the winner of this fight. Not only had he mastered the Lunar Mastery, but he had also invented a unique mastery himself, which had surprised even his master. During his first fights, he had won without even using the Lunar Mastery. Therefore, everyone was eager to see his techniques during the fight with Wang Tong.

    The crowd boiled over as they saw Wang Tong and Han Linu stepped onto the stage simultaneously.

    Wang Tong studied his opponent and was surprised by hisck of expression on the face. When Wang Tong probed his opponent with soul energy, he was shocked to discover that his opponent''s sea of consciousness was empty.

    Wang Tong immediately registered that something was amiss. He cranked up his soul energy as a golden light glinted in his eyes. Already, he had detected a strand of soul energy that was attached to the back of his opponent''s head. Tracing back along the strand of soul energy, he found the source of energy ¡ªan audience member who looked precisely like Han Linu.

    "Match, start!"

    Wang Tong suddenly requested a timeout before the referee''s announcement had faded away.

    "Wang Tong, do you have any questions?" The referee ran to Wang Tong and asked, seemingly unimpressed by Wang Tong''s mischievous behavior.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then answered, "My real opponent is still sitting down there." Wang Tong pointed towards the source of the soul energy.

    Wang Tong''s reply disheveled the referee. After a while, he said, "What do you mean? Your opponent is right here, right in front of you."

    As the referee was convinced that Wang Tong had an episode of stage fright, a young man stood up from the direction where Wang Tong had pointed, and he walked slowly toward the stage.

    "Well done, I didn''t expect you to see through my trick." The young man said as he apuded.

    The referee closed into the audience and announced, "Mister, this is abat area. Onlybatants are allowed here."

    The young man took off his sunsses and hat and thenughed, "Haha, I AM thebatant."

    The referee was shocked by the young man''s likeness with the Han Linu on the stage. He looked at the young man in front him, then looked at the Han Linu on the stage, and then looked back at the young man before realization finally dawned on him.

    "Han Linu, you have vited the rules of the tournament, I thereby denounce your qualification for the fight. The winner is¡ª"

    "Mister, the match has just started, and he has already revealed himself. I think we can carry on the match now." Wang Tong suddenly cut the referee short.

    "Wang Tong, this is not up to you. The rules are there, and everyone has to follow them." The referee was adamant in his decision.

    Wang Tong smiled and then shrugged his shoulder.

    Han Linu also cracked a smile as he found his opponent pleading for his qualification rather amusing.

    Han Linu sauntered towards his double on the stage, grabbed onto its scalp and pulled. The action had removed the double''s skin and revealed a mechanical robot.

    "Sir, this is only my weapon. It is part of my mastery. I am going to use the unique technique of the Lunar Mastery¡ªThe Puppeteer. "

    Han Linu bowed to the audiences and announced, "This is mybat puppet."

    Everyone realized that they had watched a match between a puppet and a human in Han Linu''sst game, and were shocked that the puppet had won.

    The referee was not sure whether to believe Han Linu or not. He had never heard of such thing.

    "I believe him. Let''s not hold back the fight any longer. " Wang Tong didn''t want to waste too much time.

    The referee hesitated slightly and thenmenced the match again. The situation was apparently beyond his pay-grade, but he found it reasonable for a puppeteer to use his puppet as the weapon.

    "You are Wang Tong, aren''t you? I wonder what made you so brave. Puppet One, Attack!"

    The puppet heard themand and threw its body at Wang Tong. Although the movement of the puppet was mechanical, Wang tong could sense the thousands of strands of meticulously controlled soul energy behind it.

    Wang Tong punched at the puppet, trying to gauge its strength.

    "Haha, Wang Tong, my puppet was custom made from Titanium alpha-alloy. It''s indestructible!"

    Wang Tong suddenly changed his course as he circled the puppet and closed in again.

    Han Linu was unruffled by the iing attack. He took a quick breath, set both hands on his chest, and then shouted, "Now!"

    Wang Tong''s body came to a jarring halt, as if an invisible wall stopped him. Behind Wang Tong, the puppet had already changed its course, running towards him. Han Linu''s soul energy soared up to two hundred and sixty.

    Han Linu started to think that he was going to finish this fight with ease. "Wang Tong, did you take me for a helpless puppeteer? Well, think again."

    A swell of cheers and apuse rose among the Ivantians audiences, and a smug look appeared on Han Linu''s face.

    The students from Ayrng remained silent. They felt indignant for Wang Tong, as he had to fight an indestructible puppet and a level five fighter at the same time.

    As the puppet closed in, Wang Tong punched heavily at its body, shattering its outer shell and revealing the shiny inner mechanicalponents.

    "Haha. The human body is weak. But, webined the soul energy and technology to create the most powerful weapon and the perfectbat strategy. Don''t waste your time and energy; even a level six fighter won''t be able to destroy my puppet."

    Han Linu touted his puppet as a crazy evil scientist would to his-devouringser beams. The Lunar Mastery had been investing many resources in the technique of the puppeteer, and it didn''t seed until Han Linu gave it a try. His sess was mainly due to his unique soul energy that was able to be broken down into extremely fine threads. Over time, the technique matured, and the Lunar Mastery finally decided to reveal it to the world. The Lunar Mastery wanted to prove to the world thatbining the soul energy with technology was the right direction for the human''s military development.

    The soreness in Wang Tong''s hand had proven Han Linu''s im regarding the puppet''s indestructibility. Wang Tong had thought that the puppet was operated by a serious of mechanical contraptions hooked up to a power source. However, after a few close observations while exchanging blows with the puppet, Wang Tong was surprised to see that the puppet seemed to be powered by soul energy, as itckedplex mechanicalponents inside.

    "It''s amazing, isn''t it?" Han Linu asked as his eyes glinted. He was convinced that after this year''s tournament, the Lunar Mastery would finally be as influential as the five great houses.

    After exchanging a few rounds of blows, Wang Tong watched as the Puppet retreated to the front of Han Linu, eclipsing its master''s figure. Suddenly, the puppet and the puppeteer seemed to merge into one, and it charged at Wang Tong anew. Wang Tong immateriality saw through the illusion. As the fused figure was about tond a blow, it suddenly separated into two, each wielding twin des. Suddenly, Wang Tong found himself surrounded by four sharp des.

    "Komm!"

    The attack cracked the floor where Wang Tong was standing. However, Wang Tong was no longer there. Instead, he reappeared about four meters away from where he was standing.

    Han Linu shook his head and then said, "I thought I was good at concealing power. Seems like you are even better. We should talk after the match."

    It had finally urred to Han Linu that Wang Tong was no ordinary fighter. Otherwise, he would not be able to detect his usage of a puppet, much less escape hisst attack.

 Chapter 353: Wang Tongs Claw

    Chapter 353: Wang Tong''s w

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong shrugged and also conceded that the opponent might be stronger than he had thought.

    As the intensity on the arena cranked up, so did the excitement among the audiences. Suddenly, a few gasps erupted among the excited murmurs as an unexpected guest sat down among the spectators. The guest was Michaux Odin.

    "What is he doing here?"

    "Is he here to watch the fight? Did he think that one of those two fighters is actually worth his time?"

    The journalist Zhang Mi was ted by this development. Conceding that she would never have a chance interviewing the big names, she had been following Team Ayrng¡ªspecifically, Wang Tong¡ªever since the qualification match.

    She had found no news-worthy material during Wang Tong''s first match, but it seemed that things were taking a very dramatic turn with Michaux Odin''s appearance.

    Despite the attention his appearance had attracted, Michaux had remained calm and stoic. A few of his followers sat around him, separating him from the rest of the crowd.

    So unique was Michaux''s soul energy that Wang Tong had picked up his presence as soon as he entered the arena. Wang Tong cast a nce at the young master and smiled at him knowingly.

    Having registered the exchange of nces between Wang Tong and Michaux, the puppeteer asked, "Do you know Michaux? Did hee here to watch your fight?"

    "Hehe, maybe, or maybe he is here for your puppet show."

    "I don''t have time for your jokes. To tell you the truth, the only person I don''t want to fight among all the contestants is Michaux. Since he considers you worthy of his attention, I guess there is no excuse for me to keep on holding back my power any longer."

    The puppeteer moved his hand and traced a circle in the air. Wang Tong watched as three more exact copies of the puppet appeared out of thin air.

    Han Linu was controlling three puppets at the same time.

    "I must apologize for my meager force. These puppets are very hard toe by. "Han Linu gave Wang Tong an ugly grin.

    If weren''t for Michaux, Han Linu would never use these many puppets in a fight with a no ount.

    The earthlings protested against such an unfair fight. Wang Tong was practically fighting against four level five fighters at the same time.

    Even as the earthling audiencesined loudly about the unfairness, the referee released an instruction from the organizingmittee, stating that Han Linu''s technique was legal.

    To clear the air with the angry mob, the referee announced loudly, "Han Linu possesses one of a kind web-like soul energy, and he uses these puppets as one would with a weapon. The organizingmittee has made its ruling¡ªthe match will continue."

    "Web Soul Energy? What the heck is that?"

    The web soul energy was a unique and very rare form of soul energy. It was the most highly praised by fleetbatmanders, as the fine threads of soul energy meant unmatched micro control during a battle. However, the urrence of the web soul energy was extremely rare; the odds were one out of a million, if not even smaller. Judging by the power of the fighter the Lunar Mastery had sent in, it was evident that the Lunar Mastery, like the great houses, hade for the title of champion of the tournament.

    Wang Tong watched as Han Linu''s soul energy covered the bodies of the puppets like a thin web, granting the puppets the same ability and soul level as the puppet master.

    Even an amateur would have noticed that Wang Tong was in danger.

    "What a d*ck move!" Karl cursed as he disproved the Iranian''s cheap strategy.

    "Calm your underpants, Karl!" Hu Yangxuan pressed Karl back to his seat.

    "Calm my a*s! This is just not fair. Three more? Heck, next time, I might as well bring abat drone with me."

    "Combat drone is nothingpared to these puppets. I had learned about this technique before while I was at the Temr''s court. The puppet master could control up to five puppets at one time through five of his fingers. The Temr told me that it was tough to find anyone who was talented enough to use the technique. The Temr''s themselves had been looking for such talent for years, but without any sess. That being said, you need to believe in Wang Tong. He... should be fine...I think"

    "Thanks, that''s very assuring," Karl said sarcastically.

    "Young Master, it seems that the Mastery had improved themselves by leaps and bounds. But...Hehe... They are still no match for you...hehe..." One of the servile sect guards whispered to Michaux.

    Michaux cracked a smile. "Not just me, he would not stand a chance against Patroclus, and... this Wang Tong."

    The four sect-guards looked at each other in disbelief.

    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Han Linu had removed his cloth, revealing a tenacious body. Unlike other Mastery fighters, Han Linu relied on his body as much as he would on his puppets.

    "Resonance!"

    As the Ivantian puppet master shouted themand, his soul energy soared to over two hundred and seventy sols, and then so did his puppets.

    As world''s first level five puppet master, Han Linu was very confident in his abilities. Each one of his puppets was as threatening as a level five fighter.

    Two des suddenly appeared in the four puppet''s hands. In a blink of an eye, Wang Tong found him surround by eight sharp glinting des.

    The four puppets closed around Wang Tong swiftly, without giving Wang Tong any opportunity to break the encirclement.

    Han Linu grinned and then announced, "You can give up now. I don''t want to hurt you... or do I?"

    "Hurt me with your dolls? Your mom never bought you boy-toys or what?" Wang Tongughed as he stood still at the center of the shrinking encirclement.

    Han Linu yanked his hand, channeling soul energy into the puppets as the eight sharp des bore down onto Wang Tong.

    Sitting in the audience seat, Lumi covered her eyes, fearing that Wang Tong would get hurt.

    Wang Tong didn''t evade the blow. Instead, he had something to show to Michaux, something he had promised to show the young master¡ªthe meaning of soul essence.

    When the eight des were mere inches away from Wang Tong''s head, the four puppets'' attack suddenly came to a jarring halt, as if they had been turned off. Wang Tong strolled out from under the eight des.

    The sudden turn of events dumbfounded Han Linu, and a sense of fear slowly crept into his heart. Han Linu didn''t expect anyone other than the Divine Master Sect to be able to interrupt his puppetry, as the construction of these puppets were exquisitely designed to prevent interference. Han Linu was convinced that Wang Tong would not be able to disrupt his control unless he was a level six fighter. What was even more disbelieving to him was that even a level six fighter would not be able to achieve what Wang Tong had done so effortlessly.

    In the beginning, Han Linu could feel that the connection between him his puppets still existed, although something was preventing the puppets'' movement. However, with a loud snap of Wang Tong''s finger, even the connection between the puppeteer and the puppets was lost.

    The sudden loss of connection with his puppets sent a chill down Han Linu''s spine. The puppets, on the other hand, started to dance and move like drunkards. After a few seconds, the puppets stopped moving altogether.

    Michaux''s eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of the moving puppets. He had finally found what he was looking for¡ªthe soul essence¡ªencapsted inside the puppets.

    The soul essence was a well-kept secret among Einherjars. It would not grant one unlimited soul energy, but would steer the cultivator closer towards immortality. Although cultivation of soul energy would help extend one''s life, the source of soul energy¡ªthe sea of consciousness¡ªwas tied directly to the cultivator''s life force, which was deemed to perish over time. Therefore, the only way to achieve real immortality was through obtaining soul essence.

 Chapter 354: Complete Victory

    Chapter 354: Complete Victory

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The soul essence was not only the secret to immortality, but also the key to bing a Super Einherjar.

    Even among the Einherjars, the soul essence was not a well-understood subject. The leading parties in this field were the Divine Master sect and the Temr''s court. They both agreed that the soul essence was the most effective in staving off malignant elements such as the effect of Soul Mastery.

    Michaux Odin was not only the one-in-a-million genius, but he was also regarded by the sect elders as the most likely candidate to be the second person in the sect history to obtain the power of soul essence. His power lied in his extraordinarily powerful sea of consciousness, which had given him a decisive advantage in cultivating the soul essence. The sect elders believed that with the unique cultivation methods that they had taught the young master, Michaux would be the first person to achieve immortality in 300 years.

    Compared to the members of the great houses, Michaux did not carry the burden of bing an Einherjar. His motivation was purer, and therefore, he was more focused on his goal. Michaux had always thought that no one would have known more about the soul essence than him. However, he was surprised to see the existence of soul essence in someone else''s body.

    There were a number of reasons why Wang Tong would never understand theplicated feeling inside Michaux right then. For one, Wang Tong barely understood what the soul essence was, because he had never read theplex and intricate theories of the mysterious power. Wang Tong''s approach to any new power had always been "get it first, understand itter."

    Wang Tong had firste in contact with the soul essence through Mr. Wannabe. He had always suspected that it was Mr. Wannabe''s soul essence that had allowed thetter to exist in the crystal space. Otherwise, the power of the crystal would undoubtedly have eroded Mr. Wannabe''s soul energy over time. Wang Tong''s suspicion was confirmed while he was trapped inside the crystal space, fighting the Pirate King Zachery. If not for his attempt to tap into this new source of energy, Wang Tong would have been defeated by Zachery in a heartbeat. Although Wang Tong was lucky enough to possess the power, he practically knew nothing about it. Nevertheless, Wang Tong was convinced that the new power he had discovered was the ultimate prize in cultivation, and therefore, he decided to learn more about it from the experts such as Michaux.

    The key to the Mastery of spells was to use soul energy to disturb opponent''s sea of consciousness. However, since Wang Tong''s sea of consciousness was already infused with soul essence, he was practically immune to any soul energy attacks.

    Han Linu tasted bile in his mouth when he watched the puppets slump to the ground. He was dumbfounded as to how his opponent was able to cut off his connection with the puppets.

    Most of the audiences thought that the puppeteer simply slipped up at the most crucial moment of the battle, and some even suspected that Wang Tong was one of the practitioners of the Lunar Mastery.

    "Haha! I told you guys that petty tricks are not reliable. You just can''t count on it to work every time." Karl shouted at the top of his lungs.

    "Calm your underpants, Karl. The mastery didn''t fail by itself; it was Wang Tong''s doing. Perhaps, he has learned the Mastery as well¡­ Nah... it can''t be. I didn''t see him use any hand signs. Hmmm... strange." Hu Yangxuan mumbled to himself as Wang Tong''s method of countering the mastery was entirely different than what he had seen at the Temr''s court. Wang Tong''s technique of breaking the mastery had eluded everyone, including the puppeteer himself. By then, not only Han Linu had lost his weapons¡ªthe puppets, his confidence had also taken a toll.

    After a while, the puppeteer finally gathered himself. "Ha! Interesting! I would never think that there is such a powerful fighter on Earth. Which school are you from?"

    "A-ss Academy, Ayrng." Wang Tong answered.

    Although Han Linu had searched hard in his memory, the name of the school still escaped him. He smiled awkwardly as then said, "Sorry.. never heard... of it. Well, it doesn''t matter! Count yourself lucky, because today, I will show you my real power. "

    Suddenly, a curved de appeared in Han Linu''s hand, and his fingers of the other hand started to form and shift into various signs. All the while, Han Linu''s lips moved quickly and quietly, as if he were murmuring to himself. As Han Linu''s fingers finally stopped dancing, he looked up at Wang Tong, eyes glinting as he roared, "Sword Attack¡ªWeb of Heaven and Earth!"

    Wang Tong hurried a few steps back, and he watched as thousands of golden tendrils sprouted out of the tip of Han Linu''s de. These sparkling tendrils formed an intricate web that threatened to engulf Wang Tong. This was the ultimate form of the technique "Web of Heaven and Earth." The web of golden tendrils was infused with the arcane power that Han Linu harnessed from his cryptic cultivation.

    Although Han Linu''s movement was rather ordinary, the sudden explosion of the deadly golden web had made the strike more lethal than the coup de grace of a sword master. Once trapped inside the golden web, even a level six fighter would bepletely immobilized long enough for Han Linu to finish off the fight.

    Wang Tong had been quick to evade the attack, but he was still too slow, and was trapped and immobilized by the web.

    "Han Linu has materialized his soul energy!" One of the hosts shouted in surprise.

    The turn of events had put a spin on the mundane match between the two fighters. No one had expected the two fighters to disy such power, that was fit for the final match of the tournament.

    Wang Tong cranked up his soul energy, trying to break free but to no avail. The harder he worked against the web, the tighter the constrictions became.

    With his puppets destroyed, the web attack was Han Linu''sst hope. While he had been worried that Wang Tong was able to move quickly and render his web attack useless, looking at his struggling opponent then, Han Linu finally heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that once Wang Tong was trapped, any resistance would be futile.

    "Just give it up. This web is our sect''s secret weapon. It''s not made out of just soul energy, as you might have already guessed. Your GN force is useless. No one but an Einherjar might have a chance of getting out of the trap."

    Seeing the situatione back under his control, Han Linu took a deep breath and tidied up his tousled hair. All the while, he marveled at his near escape from aplete defeat.

    Han Linu''s concern was not unfounded, since this web attack was meant to be used together with his puppets to cover all angles. With the puppets destroyed. Han Linu was not entirely certain that the attack would be effective.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then replied, "This web might not be as powerful as you think."

    Although Wang Tong was not sure what kind of material these webs were made out of, he was certain that there were soul energies attached to it. He reasoned that he would be able to disable the trap once he absorbed all the soul energy that was attached to its substance.

    Thanks to the Tactics of the de, Wang Tong''s soul energy was adapted to absorbing soul energy, as he had performed such task¡ªintentionally or not¡ªon Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer. Ever since Wang Tong had obtained soul essence, his ability to absorb other''s soul energy also had improved significantly.

    "Ha! Fine! I will allow you three seconds to get out." Han Linu closed into Wang Tong while brandishing his de, threatening to attack at any moment.

    Before Han Linu got any closer, his jaw almost dropped when he saw the golden web suddenly lost its luster. The sudden turn of events also disheveled all the sect members. They had witnessed a boy disable the two deadliest weapons of the Lunar sect: the puppets and the golden web.

    As the golden shimmer disappeared, the web became just an ordinary web made out of a clear material that looked like stic. Wang Tong easily tore the ''stic'' web apart and freed himself.

    "What else do you have, use it all on me! Otherwise, I am ready to kick some a*s!" Wang Tong shouted as he flexed his wrists. He didn''t enjoy a second when the web restricted his movement, and it was now time to attack.

    "Hold on a second, please, PLEASE! I ...I... surrender!"

    Only with the slightest hesitation, Han Linu surrendered to his opponent. Many more fights were waiting for him, and he figured that there was no sense in getting injured in a losing battle, especially while he was already down on his luck.

    Wang Tong was shocked by the puppet master''s plea, as he found it out of character as a warrior.

    As if Han Linu had heard Wang Tong''s thoughts, he shrugged helplessly and then said, "Well, you have disabled two of my weapons in a row, so what else am I supposed to do? Let''s hope that I will never fight with you again."

    As the heir of one of the most powerful Mastery sects, Han Linu was well aware of the importance of withdrawing from danger and preserving the strength of his sect. There was still a long way ahead of him, with the hope of the entire sect on his shoulder. Therefore, he needed to be prudent.

    The students from Ayrng were ted by Wang Tong''s victory against the heir of the Lunar Mastery. They felt that despite the splendid disy, the Lunar Mastery''s technique was very ineffective, as it appeared to have failed twice.

    However, the sect members knew that it was impossible for Han Linu''s weapons to have identally failed, since they were as reliable as human GN force. Although no sect member was willing to admit it, the failure of the weapons had proven that Wang Tong possessed extraordinary power and knowledge about their sect''s secret weapons.

    "Haha! Boss, this dude only looks tough, but he fights like a girl."

    "No kidding. I was expecting much more from him."

 Chapter 355: Look Down on The Templars

    Chapter 355: Look Down on The Temrs

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong and Karl''s feeling was shared among the audience. They came into the arena already with prejudice against the covert Mastery sects, and Han Linu''s defeat seemed to have lent credence towards their bias.

    Head lowered, Han Linu walked off the stage; it was an embarrassing fight indeed. He was quickly surrounded by his fellow sect members and was bombarded with questions. The sect members were well aware of Han Linu''s strength, and they had never thought that he would be trounced. One thing they were certain was that Han Linu''s defeat was not because of a slip-up, but rather due to the extraordinary opponent.

    The oue of the match had taken the wind out of the Lunar Mastery''s sail, as the members of the sect plodded out of the arena, faces reddened with anger and shame. Should their opponent be any famous fighter, such as Patroclus or Michaux, the defeat would be much less humiliating.

    Nevertheless, a defeat was a defeat. However, there was still a silver lining for the Lunar Mastery sect, since Han Linu still had two more matches to prove himself.

    Wang Tong had won the match, and that was something worth celebrating for the Ayrng''s students.

    Hu Yangxuan pulled Wang Tong aside and asked, "How did you do it?"

    "Do what?"

    "Don''t pretend you don''t know what I am talking about. How did you break the Mastery''s spell?"

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and conceded that he could not beguile Hu Yangxuan, the former Temr disciple. "It''s nothing new, just a different way of controlling soul energy. My soul energy happened to be particrly effective in breaking the Mastery''s spells." Wang Tong had spoken the truth, since there weren''t any sophisticated techniques used during the fight.

    Hu Yangxuan nodded, and he knew Wang Tong was telling him the truth. From the battle, he could tell that Wang Tong''s moves were very straightforward andcked finesse. Plus, everyone at Ayrng knew that Wang Tong''s soul energy was extraordinary, so Wang Tong''s im about his soul energy''s effectiveness against spells was not unthinkable.

    Although the web-like soul energy¡ªan inborn attribute of a fighter¡ª had made Han Linu an extremely powerful caster, Wang Tong, on the other hand, was even more powerful.

    "Wang Tong, I''m d you can teach these pricks a lesson about never looking down on grass-root fighters!" Hu Yangxuan announced, his filled with resentment. Ever since he had met his inner court brothers, Hu Yangxuan seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder constantly.

    Hu Yangxuan''s second match went smoothly, and his opponent was also a fellow court brother from the moon.

    Despite the Ivantian''s futile resistance, Ha Yangxuan had achieved a decisive victory. It was evident that his strength and skills were much superior to his fellow court brother. Not only had Hu Yangxuan improved his fighting skills during his boot-camp training under Ma Sa, but the excruciating sparing with Wang Tong had also significantly toughened his will.

    Although Ayrng had lost one of three contestants, the other two fighters were already on their way towards the final yoff matches.

    Bernabeu and Ayrng were sister schools, and therefore, they both followed each other''s match results closely. So far, there were only Apache and Cao Yi who remained in the game, although Cao Yi had already lost one round.

    Apache, on the other hand, had improved his skills significantly ever since he joined the military. Therefore, he had remained undefeated.

    By then, almost all the yers had fought at least one match, and thepetition was extremely fierce. Everyone agreed that this year''s tournament was thergest gathering of the world''s toughest fighters, some of whom were rtively unknown before the tournament.

    It was worth mentioning that fighters from the Ceres and Andromeda Gxy had also fought ferociously like everyone else. Despite the consensus that they were most likely not to be seen at the final stage, their disy of strength had caught many off guard.

    After another three days of fierce battles, one hundred and twenty-eight fighters had finally made it into the final yoff. These fighters represented the strongest of the young generation, as they included top fighters from all factions ands.

    Even for a significant event such as the pan-sr tournament, the strength of the yers varied greatly from year to year. Thest tournament, for example, had no top fighters except Li Shiming and Lie Jian, despite it being an improvementpared to the one before it. Not only had there been ten times more yers than an average year, but the incredible prowess of these yers was also unprecedented.

    The most anticipated segment of the tournament was finally about to draw back its curtain.

    From then on, every round was a yoff, and only the winner would earn the rights to fight in the next round; there were no second chances.

    Lie Jian, the strongest fighter of the Martian coalition, and his opponent, the wielder of the Heavenly Halberd, Wu Gang from the Temr''s Inner Court, kicked off the final yoffs.

    No doubt this would be a fight to remember, since bothbatants were renowned fighters from prestigious backgrounds.

    "Ladies and Gentlemen, the first battle of the yoffs for the top-sixty-four positions is about to start! On one side of the arena stands the heir of the Tactics of the ze, symbol of the martian''s spirit! LIE¡ªJIAN!"

    All martian audiences stood up from their seats at the announcement, howling and shouting the name of their champion. Lie Jian was in a vibrant red gym suit. His eyes held an unswerving belief that he would annihte whoever stood in front of him.

    "Lie Jian''s opponent is from Earth, the birthce of all tactics, the powerful, mysterious and sacred Temr''s Court! His name is Wu Gang, the HEAVENLY HALBERD!"

    Waves of cheers and apuse erupted from the audiences. This match was bounded to be an uphill battle for both contestants. However, the poll had suggested that eighty percent of the audiences believed that Lie Jian woulde out as the winner. It was evident that the public still held the five major tactics with high regard.

    At the announcement of his name, Wu Gang sauntered onto the stage with a halberd strapped to his back.

    After the two fighters bowed to each other, the fight finally began amidst a tsunami of cheers and shouts.

    Even though Lie Jian was faced with the Temr''s inner court disciple, he held the Martian''s signature haughty expression. On the other hand, Wu Gang looked indifferent as he slowly loosened the halberd on his back.

    "Show me what a Temr''s Disciple can do!"

    "Be careful what you wish for!" Wu Gang answered as he brandished the sharp halberd.

    "Hehe... Why do I feel that I will be disappointed?"

    The Martian''s insult had angered Wu Gang. The young Temr cranked up his soul energy to three hundred and ny as he charged at Lie Jian, the tip of his halberd pointed squarely at the Martian''s chest.

    Sensing the iing attack, Lie Jian started his tactics as a burst of soul energy shot through his body. Fist infused with zing power, Lie Jian pounded directly at his attacker without any hesitation.

    With a deafening re, Lie Jian''s body jerked forward slightly to finish the punch, as Wu Gang staggered backward after the impact as the force of his attack fell short. It was evident that Wu Gang was just probing his opponent, as he didn''t use his full strength.

    Wu Gang quickly regained bnce and pushed forward with a wave of halberd attacks. Each thrust of the halberd was faster and more powerful than thest. Meanwhile, Lie Jian held his ground and met the attacks head-on with fiery fists. It had be clear to Lie Jian that he could not waste time on defense and evasion while facing such belligerence. His only hope lied in subduing his opponent with an overbearing aggression.

    In the heat of the battle, the stage turned into a crazed swirl of glowing fire, and silvery steel. The impact of the fist and the halberd sent explosions after explosions. Suddenly, the audiences watched as a burst of fireball exploded on the stage, and Wu Gang was sent flying by the intense wave of heat.

    Lie Jian paused and watched as Wu Gang struggled back to his feet. "Hehe...Is that all you got?"

    Wu Gang held back the pain and swallowed down the anger as he conceded that his opponent was truly powerful. Not only he needed to counter Lie Jian''s attack, but he had also needed to watch out for the deadly Poison Fire constantly. Although he had learned a great deal about the Tactics of the ze from the books, Wu Gang conceded that it was much harder to ovee the deadly tactics than it had appeared on paper.

    The other three inner court disciples remained calm at the development. They had anticipated that Wu Gang would have to fight an uphill battle. However, they were also confident that their court brother would be able to pull it through.

    "Don''t hold back your strength. Show me the Heavenly Ten Strikes!" Lie Jian demanded. It was evident that House of Lie was also familiar with the power of the Temrs.

    Without saying a word, Wu Gang charged up his soul energy, and in a blink of an eye, his soul reading had broken through four hundred¡ªthe top limit of level five soul energy. This impressive amount of soul energy spoke loudly about the power of inner court disciples.

    By then, deadly GN force had been burning at the tip of Wu Gang''s halberd. The young Temr bent backward and held the halberd like a spear, then hurled it with all the force he could muster. Even as the halberd pierced through the air with lightning speed, Wu Gang ran to the projectile at an even faster pace and kicked its end, giving it even more velocity.

    Heavenly Ten Strike¡ªFlying Serpent!

    Faced with such a deadly attack, Lie Jian didn''t even flinch, and he punched at halberd with abandon. As the impact sent a shock wave throughout the arena, Lie Jian staggered back a few steps, almost losing his bnce. Wu Gang quickly followed with another attack, pointing the halberd at Lie Jian''s head while sweep-kicking below his opponent''s knees.

 Chapter 356: Belligerent Force

    Chapter 356: Belligerent Force

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wu Gang''s technique was called the "Double Dragon Sprout."

    However, Lie Jian was unruffled by the deadly double attack, and he channeled soul energy into his upper and lower body to form a defense. Even as the double attack inched closer to its target, Wu Gang doubled down on his attack. The young Temr yanked his halberd, lending him enough force tounch himself forward to deliver three GN force infused kicks. This was the next level of the Temr''s technique, the Three Essences of Heaven and Earth! The three kicks were aimed at face, chest, and belly.

    So powerful were the attacks that Lie Jian realized that meeting the attack head-on certainly meant injury. Therefore, to cushion the triple blows with both hands, Lie Jian took a step back to alleviate some of the forces.

    As soon as Wu Gang finished the three kicks, he immediately followed with an attack with the halberd, striking the Martian from the above. Wu Gang had learned to use his soul energy to control his halberd, and therefore, his hands were free, which allowed the genius young Temr to repeat his triple attack while his opponent was distracted by the blow from above.

    Lie Jian swayed his body to avoid the halberd bearing down on him. However, he was hit by a heavy kick to his legs. This was the first time since the beginning of the tournament that Lie Jian had been hit. He was hit by the fourth level Temr strike called "Four Seals of the Temr."

    Each one of Wu Gang''s strike carried a tremendous amount of soul energy and GN force. As he was carried away by the sheer momentum of his attacks, the young Temr soon entered a battle trance. Without thinking, he unleashed the next level of attack, the Fifth Annihtion!

    Wu Gang brandished the halberd in both hands; each strike was faster than thest, until the halberd had turned into a blurry shadow of sharp edges and pointy tips. This technique was very simr to that used by sword masters. However, the use of halberd had significantly increased the attack''s potency. If Lie Jian were hit by the blow, he might as well have lost this match.

    As the audiences started to worry for Lie Jian, They watched as a smug crept onto the Martian''s lips while he steadied his body. Suddenly, a pair of ming hands reached into the blurred shadow and gripped the halberd, stopping its dance.

    Wu Gang''s attack was supposed to be his finishing move, however, not only was his weapon snatched away, but the sudden halt of the attack had also hampered his energy flow and caused some energy to go rough, damaging the internal organs.

    The kick that Wu Gang delivered to the Martian had alsoe at the costly price; the fire poison coated on Lie Jian''s body hadtched onto the young Temr''s feet upon contact, and by then, it had already seeped into its victim''s bloodstream.

    As soon as Lie Jian gripped the handle of the halberd, he channeled another gush of poisonous me at the unsuspecting Wu Gang. The two injections of poison had given Wu Gang so much pain that the agonizing burning sensation almost immobilized him.

    However, Wu Gang gritted his teeth and forced another burst of GN force from his body, which gave him enough strength to hold onto the halberd and tug it hard towards himself. To Wu Gang''s surprise, the Martian suddenly released his hold on the halberd, and the Temr''s force made him lose his bnce.

    After Wu Gang had gathered himself, he heard Lie Jian p his hands. "Good technique! But unfortunately, you have only learned the first five of the ten strikes in the Ten Heavenly Strike. You need more practice."

    Wu Gang checked his condition and registered that the poison me had reached deep into his system and bonded itself with the free-flowing energy. The bond was so deadly that any attempt to draw soul energy would result in an insurgency of damaging poison me.

    Even as the top fighter at the Temr''s inner court, Wu Gang was helpless against the poison me inside him, and the only thing he could do was to suppress the poisonous effect with more soul energy.

    The Martians were ted by the turn of events. Their breath was caught in their throat while they watched as their champion was under the five waves of deadly attacks. After all, the Temr''s power was no joke.

    Sensing that the poison me and seeped deep into his opponent, Lie Jian reckoned that the fight was over, so he turned around and started to get off the stage.

    "Hold on! The fight is not over...yet." A few words tumbled out of Wu Gang''s blood-smeared lips.

    Lie Jian paused and turned around slowly. "You are courting death." His voice was eerily calm.

    Wu Gang gave him an ugly grin and then said, "The Tactics of the ze, haha... It was powerful indeed, but don''t forget that you are fighting a Temr! I will show you the true meaning of power, the Hexii-Hex!"

    "Hexii-Hex? In the miserable condition you are in?"

    "Doesn''t matter. I can do it as long as I have one breath left in me."

    Wu Gang started to channel soul energy again, and his hand gripped the halberd so tight that his knuckles turned white. Suddenly, a burst of GN force shot though Wu Gang''s body. Wherever the GN force reached, the poison followed, burning the Temr from the inside. Wu Gang screamed from the unbearable pain, but he didn''t reduce the intensity of his GN force. Then came another burst of energy inside the Temr, with even more intensity than thest burst.

    "Brother Wu, stop! It''s too dangerous!" Ye Kai shouted at the top of his lungs. However, the heart-wrenching screams of Wu Gang drowned out his voice.

    Suddenly, Wu Gang''s scream stopped, and he started to recite a chant to himself as the outline of his body started to be blurry. The audiences watched in astonishment as two more "Wu Gang" appeared side by side with the real one. The pain had contorted the Temr''s face, as the poison started to wreak havoc inside his body.

    "Ten Heavenly Strike¡ªHexii-Hex!"

    Wu Gang and his doubles charged at Lie Jian simultaneously, each carrying a sharp halberd.

    Lie Jian had remained calm and counterattacked methodically.

    Right after the impact, the doubles disappeared instantly. As the audiences heard the nk of the halberd hitting the ground, they saw only Lie Jian''s haughty figure standing still with pride.

    Body red with the fiery poison, Wu Gang struggled a few seconds to get back to his feet before he eventually copsed to the ground.

    Lie Jian turned around and didn''t even spare his opponent a nce as he walked off the stage. All around him, the arena was filled with cheers and chants of his name. "Lie Jian¡ªLie Jian..."

    Even the Temr''s Court was no match for the belligerent Tactics of the ze.

    Meanwhile, in the second section, Li Shiming was fighting against a fighter from Ceres, who cultivated unique tactics called the Tactics of Lightning. The tactics allowed him to fight with such speed that all his previous opponents had been defeated without having the time of making a move.

    Montaly, the Ceres fighter circled Li Shiming with incredible speed while taunting him loudly, "See this? Can the wind god Vayu be as fast as me? Haha! Wind will never be faster than light!"

    Li Shiming stood motionlessly, while Montaly started to elerate. A few secondster, the Ceres fighter seemed to have disappeared, as there was only a circle of shadows around Li Shiming. Many figures danced in and out of the darkness, but it was hard to tell illusion from Montaly himself.

    Feeling confident that his disy of strength had dazed his opponent, Montaly suddenly appeared behind his opponent and stabbed his back with a pointy dagger. Speed and the element of surprise was the perfect recipe for victory, and once he took Li Shiming down, Montaly reasoned that he would be one of the most popr fighters in the Confederation.

    "What? Where¡ª"

    After losing his target, Montaly started running again, but his opponent was nowhere to be seen.

    Suddenly, he felt someone was following him, so he paused and turned around. Despite the unmistakable feeling of being stalked, he had seen no one behind him.

    The development had unnerved Montaly, and he started to pick up speed to lose his follower. However, no matter how fast he ran, he could always feel that Li Shiming was only one step behind him.

    Tired of ying the game, Li Shiming caught up with his opponent, grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up from the ground. Montaly shook his limbs and wiggled his body helplessly, then finally conceded his defeat.

    The winner was ¡ªLi Shiming!

    Meanwhile, in section one, Cao Yi had met the toughest opponent he probably would ever face as a fighter¡ªPatroclus.

    In Bernabeu, even the air breathed like despair, as no one hoped of seeing their ssmate winning this match.

    Cao Yi studied the calm and cid Ivantian in front of him and found it hard to make the connection between him and a god-like warrior.

    Despite the challenge ahead, Cao Yi knew that this was his once in a lifetime opportunity to make a name for himself. He reminded himself to remain calm and not be affected by his opponent''s overbearing fame.

    Cao Yi tensed up his muscles while he poised two curved des in front of him. His slightly curved posture made him look like a Zerg ready to attack. Suddenly, Cao Yi bolted forward and raised his des at Patroclus. The two curved des had already gained ayer of shimmering de aura.

    As the de aura gained intensity, the audiences gasped as they were astonished to see such powerful de aura from a level five fighter. Some of the Ivantian audiences even turned to the fighter profiles, trying to find out more details about the earthling boy.

    However, what happened next reminded everyone of the unbridgeable gap between the level five fighter and the heir of House Dower.

    With a nonchnt and straightforward wave of a hand, Patroclus had snuffed the brilliant shimmer on the de. The force also hit Cao Yi''s body and stopped him cold in his track.

    Cao Yi copsed to the ground, and that was the end of the fight.

    Even with the de aura, a level five fighter stood no chance against the perfect human.

 Chapter 357: Instant Kill

    Chapter 357: Instant Kill

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    In the fifth section, Michaux Odin was patiently dispatching his first opponent, an Ivantian named Miao Xiu. He too was a disciple of the Temr''s court.

    After having experiencedbat against Patroclus, Miao Xiu feared no one by then, not even the young master of the Divine Master sect.

    The atmosphere inside the arena was heavy. As a Temr''s disciple, Miao Xiu had a basic understanding of his opponent''s capability. He knew that the Divine Master sect''s techniques excelled at attacking using soul energy. However, he was also very confident in his ability to defend against soul energy attacks.

    The key in defending against the soul energy attack was to protect the head. As a matter of fact, a typical soul energy attack''s effectiveness was greatly limited by this countermeasure. Some audiences who knew about the defense strategy reckoned that the young divine master had met a worthy opponent, as Miao Xiu channeled all his defensive soul energy to his head.

    Luv Ma heaved a sigh of relief while watching the match from the audience seat, although everyone else from the Starry Sky Academy had been worried for Miao Xiu ever since they learned that he would be standing up against Michaux in his first round of yoff match. The tournament had always been a great stage for students from the S-ss academies. However, with the participation of the members of the great houses, many top fighters from the S-ss academy had tasted defeat. Even as the S-ss academy of the host city, the Starry Sky Academy had also been gued by stronger fighters. There had been twenty students from the Starry Sky that had made it to the final yoff. However, in just a couple days, the number had reduced by half.

    Miao Xiu had spent a lot of timeing up and practicing this soul energy defense strategy. Although the soul energy of the young master was a force to be reckoned with, many believed that the physical strength of the sect members was sub-par. Therefore, Miao Xiu had shutoff his sea of consciousness altogether, and instead, nned to rely solely on his physical prowess to ovee his opponent.

    Miao Xiu was well prepared for this fight. To him, the young master was not nearly as powerful as his would-be opponent, Patroclus.

    "Are you ready?" Michaux cracked a smile and then asked.

    "I am whenever you are. I will try not to hurt you too much, only a little." Miao Xiu answered with a threatening voice as he cracked his finger joints loudly.

    With a whirl of air around him, Maio Xiu hurled a fist at the young master at lightning speed. He doubted that the wimpy looking young master would be able to evade his attack.

    Michaux remained calm as he crossed his hands and made a simple sign.

    "Break." The young master announced lightly.

    An unseen force suddenly struck the unsuspecting Miao Xiu, andnded a heavy blow on his forehead. The Ivantian suddenly copsed to the ground and stopped moving altogether.

    "The winner is Michaux Odin!

    The young master''s decisive victory crushed the dream of his would-be opponents of using deference strategies to counter his attacks. So powerful was the young master that a level five fighter waspletely defenseless in front of him.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong had also met a tough opponent, the seededbatant of the third section, Guan Dongyang, the heir to the sect of the Hidden Path. Guan Dongyang was 25 years old, and had established himself as one of the most fearsome fighters on Mars. Rumors had it that his mastery techniques were so deadly that even the Enchantress, Li Ruoer would not be able to best him inbat. Some still doubted the strength of the enchantress, and believed that it was mostly her family fame that had helped her make it to the list of seededbatants.

    Guan Dongyang''s powerful abilities had not only shaped the Hidden Path into a formidable presence on Mars, but had also earned him a nickname¡ªAgni, god of fire. He had annihted all his opponents ever since he had entered the tournament.

    In contrast to his opponent''s reputation, Wang Tong was an unknown no-ount. Therefore, in the public''s eyes, Wang Tong had finally spent his luck that had helped him in winning over the previous fighters, and he was about to face his defeat. The public''s sentiment was also shared by Wang Tong''s ssmates at Ayrng, as they sat nervously in the arena, fearing for his imminent defeat. On the other hand, the audiences from the Mars seemed much more rxed, as they were confident that they already had gotten the victory in the bag.

    Although Wang Tong had defeated a powerful opponent in hisst fight, the public believed that Wang Tong''s victory was due to Han Linu''s puppeteer-equipment failure rather than his inferior power. In addition to marveling at Wang Tong''s luck, the public was also deeply impressed by Han Linu''s skills. Despite the minor setback, Han Linu had defeated both opponents he had encountered after the fight with Wang Tong, and pushed the poprity of the Lunar Mastery to a new height.

    Both Karl and Hu Yangxuan were sitting in the audience for Wang Tong''s fight. Although Hu Yangxuan was well aware of Wang Tong''s power, he still could not stop worrying about his friend. Little was known about Wang Tong''s opponent, since the Hidden Patch was very secretive, and they kept their tactics and abilities hidden from the public''s eyes. Based on the recording of Guan Dongyang''s previous tournament fights, although it was clear that his soul energy had reached four hundred, the exact cause of his opponent''s defeat escaped Hu Yangxuan. Not only did Guan Dongyang possess solid soul energy, but he also had the elements of surprise on his side, since no one knew what to expect from him.

    Despite his concerns, Hu Yangxuan had a gut feeling that Wang Tong would win the fight.

    Ever since he had entered the yoffs, Wang Tong had be more excited about fighting against increasingly tougher opponents. There would be so much to learn from so many powerful fighters.

    Guan Dongyan studied the excited expression on the face of the boy who was eight years younger than him, and thought how naive he was to be so brave even as he was faced with an inevitable defeat.

    Guan Dongyang didn''te to the tournament to seek personal glory. At his age, he couldn''t care less about fame. Instead, he hade to the tournament to promote schools of Mastery, and let the world know that the five tactics no longer dominated the confederation. The five tactics had grown old and tired, and it was the Mastery''s turn to lead the humans towards victory.

    With such a great mission in mind, Guan Dongyang didn''t want to waste too much energy on the fledgling in front of him. He nned to finish the fight fast, preferably under one minute, if possible. Although Guan Dongyang had set his first choice of opponent to be Li Ruoer, he was convinced that, unlike the "Magnificent Five," Li Ruoer was not his worthy opponent; she was only a stepping stone.

    While Wang Tong warmed up his body, he was increasingly excited about the fight, as he could feel that there was something powerful hidden deep underneath Guan Dongyang''s seemingly cid sea of consciousness.

    Ever since the start of the yoff matches, the organizer had set aside a dozen rows of seats for fighters who were still in the game. Those seats had a much better view of the arena than even the most expensive seats, and therefore, Hu Yangxuan dly took up a spot in the middle.

    There weren''t a lot of people sitting with Hu Yangxuan when he first arrived. However, a momentter, someone else showed up and sat right next to him.

    "Long time no see. I hope there is no one sitting beside you?" Hu Yangxuan heard an icy but familiar voice, and recognized the voice immediately. It was the Enchantress, Li Ruoer!

    Hu Yangxuan wondered why the enchantress didn''t stay in the resting room, since she had a match right after Wang Tong finished his.

    Enchanted by Li Ruoer''s beauty, Hu Yangxuan cracked a smile and said incoherently, "No, no one. Sit, sit here, please."

    After Li Ruoer sat down, she was appalled to see Wang Tong''s exaggerated and cartoon-ish warm-up exercises. "Is he ever serious about anything?"

    "Hehe, it depends. He could be very serious about certain things and certain people." Hu Yangxuan said, alluding to Wang Tong''s personal life.

    Li Ruoer remained quiet. If she had registered the allusion, she didn''t show it on her face.

    "Look! It''s Li Ruoer!"

    "Why is she here?"

    "Of course, she is here to watch Guan Dongyang! He is the toughest opponent in her section."

    "Ah...maybe. I wish Wang Tong couldst longer down there. I just can''t get enough of the nice view."

    "Watch your tongue! You don''t want to mess around with the Li."

 Chapter 358: Fire Breathing Serpent

    Chapter 358: Fire Breathing Serpent

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Based on the opinion poll from the online magazine "VAIN," Li Ruoer was most men''s dream girl. Not only did she have a look that belonged to the centerfold, but her Tactics were also rumored to have enhanced her cardinal knowledge. Any hot blooded man could not resist fantasizing her naked body under that cold and aloof cover.

    As everyone fixated their eyes on the Enchantress, Han Linu, the puppeteer, also walked into the arena. As a seeded yer in the third section, he decided to study his opponents carefully. After the fight with Wang Tong, he had quickly patched up his puppets. However, the defeat still took a toll on his confidence. Before he had met Wang Tong, he had thought that there were no real roadblocks for him in the third section¡ª not even Li Ruoer or Guan Dongyang. He had wagered that the fight against the two-seeded fighters would be tough, but it was not impossible to win. However, the fact that the no-ount Wang Tong had so easily defeated him had made him doubt his previous estimate of his opponents'' strength. Even the Lunar Sect could not figure out how Wang Tong was able to disable both of their sect''s secret weapons.

    Han Linu pondered over the cause of his defeat as he sat quietly, waiting for the start of the fight. Sooner orter, he would have to meet either Wang Tong or Guan Dongyang, and he did not want to be humiliated again.

    Right before the match started, another famous fighter, Michaux Odin, showed up.

    The young master had just finished a fight mere minutes ago, and he hade to watch the match without even taking a break. But, why? Did he really think that either of the fighters was worth his time? If so, was it Guan Dongyang who he hade to see? Unlikely! Although the members of the Hidden Path were brave fighters who wouldn''t flinch even when they were up against the House of Lie, they would never dream of challenging the absolute authority of the Divine Master.

    Although Guan Dongyang had never met Michaux Odin, he had publicly imed that thetter was his only equal and worthy opponent on Mars. He didn''t even care to acknowledge the House of Lie.

    In fact, Guan Dongyang feared to fight the young master, especially after watching hisst fight, which had proved how futile soul energy defense methods were when used against Michaux.

    The audience was surprised by Michaux''s sudden appearance, but they failed to find a reason for it. Some had even spected that Michaux had shown up because he had taken an interest in Li Ruoer, despite the sect''s celibate doctrine.

    Michaux didn''t mind the murmurs that surrounded him. He walked to the other side of the arena and sat down quietly by himself. Nothing in this world could interest the young master, as he cared only one thing and one thing only¡ªimmortality.

    Michaux had heard many stories about Guan Dongyang on Mars, and he knew that he was not an easy target, even for himself. Therefore, he was interested to see how Wang Tong would deal with him.

    By then, Michaux was sure that the Einherjar Wannabe that had defeated Zambrotta was not Wang Tong, as he could tell that thetter was not as strong as the former.

    As the referee finally announced the start of the match, Guan Dongyang started the attack right away. Guan Dongyang crossed andyered his fingers as they quickly changed through a few dozen different hand signs. As the Martian''s soul energy soared, he suddenly folded his hands and thrust his arms out at Wang Tong.

    After a ring explosion, Wang Tong was struck by a hidden force, as if he were struck by lightning.

    "Thunder Fingers!"

    It was an advanced version of the soul energy burst attack.

    Invented by the members of the Mastery, the soul energy attack was miraculously enhanced by deadly GN force. Although GN force deteriorated quickly upon contact with soul energy, the Hidden Path had invented a method to prolong the effect of GN force after it was fused with soul energy. Thanks to the Thunder Fingers'' long range, it was a very deadly strike that was almost unavoidable.

    Guan Dongyang threw a nce at the referee, suggesting him to announce the end of the match. He was convinced that Wang Tong was already defeated, since his Thunder Fingers was as powerful as any attacks used by Michaux Odin, although it was less well known.

    Just as Guan Dongyang was about to turn around and start off the stage, he saw Wang Tong stand up, dust himself off, and then crack a smile. "Is that all you got?"

    Guan Dongyang gasped as he saw his opponent was well and alive after sustaining a deadly blow. The Thunder attack was not only able to subdue any level five fighter, but it would also gravely injure any level six fighter. Looking at Wang Tong, the Martian noticed that he was practically unscratched.

    Wang Tong''s patience was wearing thin, so he attacked with his arms open and disappeared into thin air.

    "The Earthling''s Inch Step?"

    Sensing attacksing from his front, Guan Dong sidestepped and evaded the invisible blow. However, he suddenly felt a chill against the nape of his neck¡ªWang Tong''s fist was already bearing down on him at lightning speed.

    Guan Dongyang fumbled to get out of harm''s way, and finally evaded the deadly blows after a few close calls.

    Wang Tong appeared right where he was standing and announced with a smirk on his face, "Hurry up and show me your true power while you still can!"

    Wang Tong could feel the unmistakable sense of power inside his opponent. Although he had learned a great deal from Mr. Wannabe, the Mastery''s arcane method of cultivation and channeling energy still escaped him.

    With soul essence in his possession, Wang Tong thought that it would be a pity if he didn''t master all forms of cultivation in the world. When the GN force was first discovered, everyone felt that they had found the ultimate source of power. However, by then, mastery seemed to have provided human an alternative method to achieve even greater power. The human race was such a fabulous race; driven by their curiosity and will to improve, they were able to continuously broaden the scope of their abilities, and inch towards immortality, slowly but surely.

    That being said, the arcane knowledge of the Mastery was well hidden and fiercely guarded. Therefore, only during the tournaments could Wang Tong have a chance to peek into its true power.

    Guan Dongyang nced over the shoulder of Wang Tong and saw Michaux staring at the earthing boy attentively.

    Guan Dongyang folded his hands again. As the Martian''s lips moved softly, ayer of soul energy appeared and covered his body.

    As the soul energy umted, everyone was astonished to see that Guan Dongyang didn''t channel any GN force out of his body.

    "Drake Fire!"

    As the Martian shouted out the name of his technique, a dragon made of dancing mes spurred out in between his palm and flew towards Wang Tong. The sudden attack caught everyone off guard.

    "Is this magic?"

    "The dragon has to be an illusion; it must be useless."

    The fiery serpent hit the ground under Wang Tong''s feet and caused a massive explosion. Amidst the dust and smoke, Wang Tong saw Guan Dongyang had moved to his side, and his firefly fist was already bearing down on him.

    "Fist of the Fire Drake!"

    The first punch hit squarely on Wang Tong''s chest, and the Martian immediate followed with another punch, whichnded on Wang Tong''s belly.

    Wang Tong stumbled back for a dozen feet and finally lost his bnce as he fell to the ground.

    Everyone''s hearts were caught in their throats as they realized that the fire-breathing serpent was not an illusion. The crumbled floor where the blownded was a testament to its existence.

    "What kind of an attack was that?"

    "It is not GN force. It is something much more powerful!"

    Guan Dongyang about-turned to face Michaux as he pointed at Wang Tong on the ground and then at himself. Guan Dongyang wanted Michaux to know that the Hidden Path was no any less potent than the Divine Master, and eventually, he would defeat the young master like he did to Wang Tong.

    Seeing the martian''s incredible power, Li Ruoer furrowed her brows. What troubled her most was the martian''s unique technique, as she doubted if anyone in the House of Li would be able to repeat it.

    Under most circumstances, the soul energy was merely a medium to release GN force. However, not only could Li Ruoer not sense any GN force in the martian''s attack, but she also felt something entirely different and new to her.

    Michaux Odin studied the martian as if he had just solved a riddle. He was one of the very few in the arena who knew that they had just witnessed the Mastery cultivators'' greatest contribution to the world.

    Although Guan Dongyang was far from the strongest soul mastery cultivator that Michaux had ever seen, the young master conceded that his power was immense.

    Wang Tong didn''t disappoint the audience, as he quickly stood up from the dust and gathered himself.

    By then, Wang Tong''s clothes had already been reduced to pieces and strands. While he marveled at his opponent''s power, he was also disappointed that he had once again failed toprehend the Mastery''s technique. But, he knew that he was close.

    Without wasting any further time, Wang Tong started the attack. He conceded that he needed to force his opponents to unleash even more powerful attacks for him to learn the mysterious technique.

    Wang Tong stormed at the Martian using the most popr move on Mars, the "Martian Dash."

    Enraged by Wang Tong''s audacity, Guan Dongyang charged up his soul energy until his right arm was engulfed in me. Then, he hurled the ming fist at Wang Tong as he shouted, "You are courting death!"

    Wang Tong did not waver at the counter-attack as he carried out his move with unswerving determination. As Wang Tong''s soul energy reached four hundred and thirty, he finally unleashed his famous fist strike¡ªthe Layered Fist of Tong!

 Chapter 359: The Source of Power

    Chapter 359: The Source of Power

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong charged into the ball of mes and delivered a blow to Guan Dongyang, snuffing out the fire in the process. Wang Tong''s attack struck home, as Guan Dongyang stumbled a few steps back before he finally copsed to the ground.

    Wang Tong calmly put out the fire on his arm. "Use your coup de grace. These little tricks are useless on me."

    The desire to learn the arcane energy of the Mastery burned brightly in Wang Tong''s eyes. He knew he was very close to unlocking the secrets.

    Guan Dongyang swallowed the pain and managed to pull himself up. He marveled at the power of his opponent, as fear started to set in. Guan Dongyang knew that the power between casters of the Mastery was not that much different than any ordinary fighter of the same level. Despite the few tricks up their sleeves, the mastery casters were significantly weaker physicallypared to their regr counterparts.

    By then, Guan Dongyang finally realized that his opponent was as powerful the heirs of the great houses. No wonder even Michaux had shown up to watch the fight.

    The pain in Guan Dongyang''s body had awakened him from his dream of defeating the Great Houses. He had registered that the overall power of the earthling boy was at par with his. However, the boy''s physical prowess was superior; to fight him with fists would only mean defeat.

    With one of his arms injured, Guan Dongyang suddenly lost ess to many of his powerful spells. However, he reckoned that this might be the only opportunity for him to unleash his ultimate power before his opponent started to get the upper hand of the battle.

    The Martian suddenly charged up his soul energy to four hundred and fifty. The powerful energy surrounding the martian''s body spiraled outward quickly, forming an ever-expanding circle. As the Martian''s lips moved softly, something else started to lurk inside the sphere of energy. The temperature inside the energy sphere rose dramatically, and in a blink of eyes, Guan Dongyang was engulfed in mes.

    "Is that real fire?"

    Wang Tong gazed at his opponent while he expanded his soul energy to gauge the ming power and search for its source.

    Although Guan Dongyang was only a level five fighter, his power right then had exceeded that of a level six fighter. Without the enhancement of GN force, it was impossible.

    The temperature on the stage kept on rising, as the red-hot energy soon breached the energy shield and set off the rm in the arena. By then, Guan Dongyang''s entire body had already been engulfed by the me. Although he had lost his right arm, his will was still strong enough to pull off this powerful spell.

    As the strongest caster of the young generation of Mastery cultivators, he carried the hope and responsibility of his entire sect. He could not be stopped so quickly by a no-ount, since it would not only be a humiliation to himself, but also to all Mastery cultivators.

    The area had fallen into chaos as the audience sitting in the front row scrambled to escape the encroaching heat-wave. Some members of the audience had initiated their energy shields to protect themselves from the harmful energy. Despite the havoc it had wrecked, everyone marveled at Guan Dongyang''s tremendous power. No one had ever seen such horrible power in real life, much less during a tournament.

    The tournament organizer quickly patched up the energy shield and contained the ming power.

    Inside the energy shield, Wang Tong felt that he was parched. However, his opponent seemed to be unaffected by the heat as the Martian watched him with a joyful expression.

    "Come on, Wang Tong! Be proud of yourself. You have just witnessed the ultimate form of energy in our world. You are a part of a change in history! Haha!"

    Guan Dongyang shouted out in hysteria. The power he had unleashed had reached at least the entry level of level six, if not even higher¡ªan incredible amount of energy at such a young age.

    The development dumbfounded everyone, including Han Linu. Han Linu had believed that his soul Mastery was the most powerful among all of the Mastery cultivators. However, his power seemed to have paled inparison with Guan Dongyang''s fire bending spells.

    As if the scorching heat were not enough of a punishment for his opponent, Guan Dongyang waved a hand and summoned a giant fireball to fall from above Wang Tong''s head. As the fireball was only inches away from Wang Tong''s scalp, it exploded into thousand pieces of molten metal. It seemed that Wang Tong had only one option¡ªrun!

    However, Wang Tong knew that he could not run away from the stage, so the best defense right then was to be aggressive. He charged up his soul energy to employ a protective shield around his body, as heunched towards the fire-bender.

    Seeing Wang Tong''s iing attack, a curl found the corner of Guan Dongyang''s cold lips. He waved his left hand gently, and out of nowhere, a giant firewall suddenly appeared in front of Wang Tong, stopping him cold. The Martian waved again, and another firewall erupted. This time, it was even closer to Wang Tong. Wang Tong was forced to channel more soul energy and GN force to protect himself from the inferno-like environment as he retreated.

    Guan Dongyang made a hand sign with his left hand as he uttered a spell from his mouth. Suddenly, a fiery serpent came alive from the firewalls, slithering towards Wang Tong at lightning speed. Having spent most of his soul energy, Wang Tong didn''t have any means to protect himself, so he turned around and ran with the serpent at his heel.

    "Hahaha! This is my real power that you had wanted to see so bad! Now you have it! A new era in human history will begin today, and everyone will remember that it started with your defeat!"

    The fire serpent had forced Wang Tong into a corner, as ittched its fangs onto Wang Tong.

    Guan Dongyang''s sudden burst of power had attracted everyone''s attention. By then, all media personnel had started live-streaming this fight. Everyone was impressed by the martian''s unique power, and thought that his techniques were revolutionary.

    Although the Ivantians and the Earthlings had dominated thendscape of METALbat, Guan Dongyang''s disy of strength had shown that the Martians were catching up very quickly.

    With a ring explosion, the fire serpent''s attack hit home. Guan Dongyang stood proudly inside a circle of dancing mes, ready to im his victory.

    Han Linu heaved a sigh of relief, cherishing the fact that he didn''t encounter Guan Dongyang early in the tournament.

    As the dust settled, the audiences saw the martian''s attack had created a giant crater on the floor. Not only the force of the fiery attack had gone beyond that of any GN force strike, but it was also a ranged attack, unlike most GN force strikes.

    It was an ability that no one had ever seen before.

    The earthlings and the Ivantians were stupefied by the disy of power, while the martian audiences had already boiled over at the promise of their victory. Meanwhile, it was deadly quiet in the campus of Ayrng and Bernabeu as they moaned Wang Tong''s defeat. As the leader of the S-club, Wang Tong had been everyone''s only hope. However, his opponents were simply overpowered. Wang Tong did not stand a chance while fighting against such unprecedented techniques and the insane amount of power.

    Guan Dongyang waved at the referee, willing him to call in the medics. However, as the referee scanned Wang Tong''s vital signs, everything seemed to be normal. For the sake of contestant''s safety, the referee decided to enter the stage to check on Wang Tong.

    However, right before the referee was about to step onto the stage, a human-shaped me suddenly appeared out of nowhere, starting to dance and swirl wildly. As the fumes and the me thinned, Wang Tong appeared from the fire.

    "Awesome! It was AWESOME!" Wang Tong shouted with an excited but strange expression on his face. Wang Tong felt a euphoria shoot through his body as he realized that he had finally cracked the door to the secret power of the Mastery.

    In the moment of epiphany, he had learned that the fighter''s power and cultivation for the Divine Path were not mutually elusive. In other words, the closer one was to the Divine Path, the more power one had. Wang Tong wagered that the Divine Masters had long since discovered the secrets, but they had kept it to themselves all the while.

    Seeing Wang Tong was unharmed, both Li Ruoer and Hu Yangxuan heaved a sigh of relief as they threw each other a knowing nce. Michaux Odin remained calm, as he had expected this turn of events. However, he was also clueless as to how Wang Tong had done it.

    Michaux was further perplexed by the stark contrast between Wang Tong''s incredible ability and hisck of understanding of his power.

 Chapter 360: Cure For The Sickness of Arrogance

    Chapter 360: Cure For The Sickness of Arrogance

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Guan Dongyang was speechless at his setback, "How... Howe?"

    Although his attack was powerful and covered arge range, it was spread too thin across arge space, and therefore gave Wang Tong ample time to absorb his energy.

    Wang Tong had discovered that the secret of Mastery''s technique was to fune the vibration frequency of soul energy to that of the arcane power to control the unseen power that filled up the world. From this discovery, Wang Tong drew three basic conclusions about the mastery''s power: first, the higher the soul energy, the more arcane power could be brought under control; second, the key to unlocking the power, once the resonance was established, was those cryptic hand signs; and third, the Martians were fond of fire, and hence the arcane energy he had summoned attained a fire attribute.

    Wang Tong conceded that this unique technique was superior to the traditional GN force in terms of attack power. However, its defects were also very obvious.

    As the ground exploded under Wang Tong''s feet, Wang Tong suddenly disappeared from the arena, and half a secondter, reappeared right in front of Guan Dongyang. Guan Dongyang was fast to react. However, his physical strength and speed was not even a fraction of Wang Tong''s.

    Before Guan Dongyang was able to defend himself effectively, Wang Tong kicked in his side, and the Martian immediately copsed to the ground. By then, Wang Tong had already gotten a number on his opponent. Based on the meager GN force the Martian had offered throughout the fight, Wang Tong wagered that although Guan Dongyang''s Mastery attack was powerful, his physical conditioning was inadequate.

    Silence fell into the arena as the audience waited for Guan Dongyang to stand up. However, he never did.

    "The winner is Wang Tong!"

    There was no doubt that Guan Dongyang''s performance was historical, as he had introduced a revolutionary technique to the world. However, he had lost the match for no explicable reason.

    Standing on the crumbled floor and walls of the arena, Wang Tong smiled satisfyingly.

    Han Linu was stupefied by Wang Tong''s victory as he murmured to himself, "What...What happened?"

    "Is he made of Adamantine Alloy?"

    This was the first time that the arena called in the repair crew to patch up the facility. However powerful Guan Dongyang''s attack had been, he was still defeated by a no ount.

    Zhang Mi, the journalist, was ted by the oue, and a bold headline appeared in her mind, "The Bane of the Fire God."

    As if annoyed by the smug look on Wang Tong''s face, Li Ruoer pouted her lips and grunted lightly. Li Ruoer''s bitterness was loud and clear to Hu Yangxuan; he knew that the Enchantress was jealous.

    "Li Ruoer, do you know what Wang Tong''s expertise is?"

    Li Ruoer was caught off guard by the question, then she shook her head.

    "Curing the sickness of arrogance." Without sparing the enchantress a nce, Hu Yangxuan sauntered out of the arena.

    Ever since the tournament progressed to the yoff matches, all the fighters, except for the Magnificent Five, no longer held back their power, as they were all eager to prove themselves in front of the world.

    In contrast, the heir of the great houses had by far only used a fraction of their full strength. But even so, the power at disy was already impressive. This was particrly true about the only two female seeded yers¡ªHeidi and Li Ruoer.

    The other two seeded fighters¡ªLi Xin and Zhang Buyu, had also demonstrated their incredible abilities. With his Thunder de, Li Xin had been invincible. His sword attacks were infused with thunder attributes, which would paralyze his opponents upon contact.

    So far, Zhang Buyu from the Temr''s inner court was able to finish off each one of his opponents with a single strike, regardless of the type of opponent he was faced with. After enduring so many fights, there was not a single scratch that could be found on his body, all thanks to his incredible sword techniques.

    Although no one was certain as to who would be the winner should the two fighters pit against the Magnificent Five, time would offer the answer eventually.

    In addition to these renowned fighters, another previously unknown fighter hade to light, and he was Wang Tong. His name became popr ever since he had unexpectedly defeated Guan Dongyang, the second strongest fighter from the Mars.

    Some METAL enthusiast had uploaded the sorry condition of the battleground to the inte, and the video immediately went viral. Not only the structure was damaged, but some parts of the arena had also been scorched by the intense heat, bing crystallized. It was hard to imagine how Wag Tong had survived such a deadly bombardment.

    Soon, a reporter from the ETV had published an article detailing the background of the dark horse Wang Tong.

    The article had indicated that he was not only a METAL fighter, but also the champion of this year''s Fleetbat tournament. He had defeated not only the Perfect Commander sh but also demolished the confidence of the notorious Ivantian yer KKK. Ever since he joined the METALbat, he had made his way to the yoff with ease and finished off the Puppet Master Han Linu. While faced with the second-seeded fighter of his section, Wang Tong had disyed unimaginable power and incredible skills.

    If there had been any doubts regarding the strength of Guan Dongyang, the crumbled arena had cleared all of them. However, the same destructive energy that had almost demolished a building had barely scratched Wang Tong.

    Ever since the beginning of the tournament, all fighters except for a handful of overpowered fighters had sustained injuries to some degree. However, there was not a single scratch on Wang Tong even after his fight against the strong fighters from the Mastery.

    People couldn''t help but wonder what was behind Wang Tong''s winning streak.

    Even if it were true that Guan Dongyang had overlooked his physical training, his level six soul energy would have made him a nightmare for any fighter.

    All clues pointed to the same conclusion¡ªWang Tong was a much more powerful fighter than any of his opponents.

    After Zhang Mi had published her in-depth analysis about Wang Tong, the article became highly referenced by other newspapers.

    Zhang Mi had been following Wang Tong for a while, and the more she observed, the less she found she knew about this mysterious fighter. However, Zhang Mi was very certain that Wang Tong was very powerful. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be the leader of the influential student group, the S club.

    This tournament had provided an opportunity for the S Club members to meet with each other. There were many student groups such as the S club in different academies. However, almost all of them had served as a promotion club for one or more of the great houses. The S Club''s rise to power spoke loudly of the ordinary students'' desire to be recognized. No one wanted to forever live under other peoples'' shadows.

    Another great aspect of the S Club was its openness. The members shared their experiences freely, and never tried to hide anything from fellow club members. The transparency had nurtured a healthy club culture, which reinforced its reputation.

    The S-Club covered many subjects. Not only did it have branches set up for METAL and Fleetbat, but it also had members from the Information Warfare and Heavy METAL.

    Although Li Ruoer signing up in the club was a part of her scheme, her action had, although unintentionally, helped the S Club to spread its influence to the S ss Academies.

    Wang Tong never cared about the fame of the club. To him, what was the most precious about the club was the rtionship he had built with his fellow club members. Wang Tong''s sentiment was shared by all the other S-Club members, as they found the club activities had filled the void during their dull and tedious school life.

    Slowly, the S-Club had be the most prominent student club in the confederation, although its leader was still oblivious to how popr he had be.

    Each one of Wang Tong''s victory tugged at the heartstrings of thousands of club members. Their leader''s victory had empowered them and given them a sense of belonging. Although the members of the S Club were from different schools with different backgrounds, they were united under one banner like one family.

    Despite the overwrought efforts of Li Shiming and his sister to win over the public''s hearts, the brother and sister pair would never have achieved as much recognition and approval of their ssmates as Wang Tong did. As the heir of House Li, no ordinary students would find Li Shiming as approachable as Wang Tong.

    As Zhang Mi''s article gained poprity, she was assigned to follow up with Wang Tong and the S Club. She knew that for Wang Tong to maintain his fame, he would need to continue winning battles.

 Chapter 361: Gentleman From the Templars Court

    Chapter 361: Gentleman From the Temr''s Court

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The resting room was already packed with students from Ayrng. Although some of them had lost in the tournament, they decided to stay and enjoy watching the rest of the tournament.

    Wang Tong stared at his friends'' shirts and asked, "What are you guys wearing?"

    "Isn''t it pretty? Lumi came up with the idea." Zhou Sisi announced.

    Everyone sewed the emblem of the S-Club to their shirt; some sewed it on the chest pocket, and some did it on their back.

    "Club leader, we are all counting on you!"

    "No kidding, you are ourst hope!"

    "Don''t let them look down on us!"

    Sensing everyone''s high spirits, Wang Tong felt the responsibility on his shoulder grow. He knew that he had to win this tournament for his beloved friends.

    On the other side of the resting room, Karl and Hu Yangxuan was chatting about something, and then they both burst outughing.

    "Haha! Well said, ''the sickness of arrogance''¡­ It''s rich! "

    "Listen up everyone, our boss''s expertise is curing those hotshots'' arrogance! Let them taste our real power!"

    "You bet!"

    Amidst the mor, Wang Tong patted Hu Yangxuan''s shoulder and said, "Your fight this afternoon is going to be a challenge. Are you ready?"

    "Don''t worry! I am prepared." Hu Yangxuan replied calmly.

    Hu Yangxuan''s next opponent was Ye Kai, the Gentlemen sword. He was not only the second-seeded fighter of his section, but also one of the four inner court disciples that got sent to the tournament.

    Wang Tong didn''t press Hu Yangxuan with more questions, as he knew that words wouldn''t make the fight any easier. However, he was still concerned about Hu Yangxuan, since he knew that Ye Kai was a powerful young Temr.

    In the afternoon, Hu Yangxuan faced Ye Kai in the fifth section.

    Except for a few earthling students and members of the Temr''s court, there weren''t many other audience members at this match, since the two fighters were both from the earth.

    The members of the S club watched eagerly as both fighters entered the arena. Hu Yangxuan was one of the toughest fighters from the S Club, and since the club had already lost Cao Yi, he had be the club''s only representative in this tournament in addition to Wang Tong.

    "This guy looks so young. Maybe, Hu Yangxuan has a chance at winning this round. " Karl said lightheartedly.

    "There is a gap in power between the Inner and the Outer Court. I don''t think being older would help Hu Yangxuan much." Cao Yi grinned.

    "Come on, don''t be so pessimistic! Look at him, he looks wimpy!" Karl rebutted.

    Cao Yi shook his head and decided to drop the matter. Although he and Hu Yangxuan had improved a lot during their boot-camp training, they had also opened their eyes to the existence of a greater power that they had never imagined of. Therefore, Ca Yi knew this fight would not be easy for Hu Yangxuan.

    Wang Tong sat quietly; he reckoned that Hu Yangxuan had trained harder than most people, and it would be a pity if he lost this fighter so early in the game.

    However, Wang Tong also registered that Ye Kai could be the strongest, even among the four inner court disciples.

    Ye Kai bowed to Hu Yangxuan and greeted him with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Court Brother."

    "No need for the formality, we are opponents now." Hu Yangxuan replied in a serious tone.

    "Hehe! Court brother, I really don''t want to hurt you. Why don''t you just give up?" Ye Kai asked with an earnest expression. The audience boiled over at the question, as they wondered why the young Temr would ask such a preposterous question.

    However, Ye Kai didn''t look like he was jesting, while Hu Yangxuan didn''t seem to be offended either. The other three inner court disciples remained calm, as if they had anticipated such a proposal.

    "I won''t surrender until you slit my throat with your sword. " Hu Yangxuan replied.

    "Fine, if that is what you wish!" Ye Kai said as he inched towards Hu Yangxuan. Hu Yangxuan stared at his opponent and stepped back, maintaining the distance between him and the inner court disciple. All this while, both fighters had cranked up their soul energy, and the scene on the stage was extremely intense.

    "Balls! What are you afraid of? Do away with him already!" Karl shouted at the top of his lungs. But before Karl was able to utter another word, he was pressed back to his seat by Zhou Sisi.

    Hu Yangxuan took another half step back and then he attacked as he hewed his de at Ye Kai.

    They both moved too fast for the audience to see clearly what was going on. As the two fighters passed each other, a gush of blood spattered onto the ground; the blood belonged to Hu Yangxuan.

    Ye Kai had cut into the flesh on Hu Yangxuan''s chest. However, thetter didn''t mind his wound as his eyes remained fixated on the young Temr.

    Ye Kai was impressed by Hu Yangxuan''s speed; that cut was supposed to be much deeper than just cutting into the flesh.

    "Congrattions brother, you have improved a lot!"

    No one at Ayrng knew what to make of the young Temr''sment. To most in the audience, the actions were too fast for them to follow, and all they saw was Hu Yangxuan getting injured for no apparent reason.

    "Amazing swordy!" Wang Tong was impressed by Ye Kai''s skills. He had reckoned that the young Temr didn''t even unsheathe his sword in thest attack.

    From the other side of the arena, Zhang Buyu threw Wang Tong a nce.

    Zhang Buyu knew that Hu Yangxuan was much weaker than Ye Kai. Ye Kai was able to counter every single technique used by the Temr thanks to his inborn ability to see through the flow of energy in every move. Zhang Buyu knew that for the sake of Hu Yangxuan''s life, he should surrender right away, because once Ye Kai unsheathed his sword, his life would be at stake.

    Hu Yangxuan took a few steps back and attacked again. He was aware of Ye Kai''s special ability, and therefore, he reasoned that anything he learned from the Temr would be useless. The only moves at his disposal were the ones that he learned from the TNN boot camp. However, since he had just picked up those techniques, he was not very confident in his proficiency.

    As the two fighters exchanged another blow, Hu Yangxuan''s body gained another deep wound. This time, the cut had reached his bones.

    Hu Yangxuan had received two deadly blows right at the beginning of the fight, but worse, he could not even make out how his opponent had done it.

    "Brother, just surrender already. You won''t win this match." Ye Kai almost sounded like he was pleading.

    "Buzz off! Draw your sword, NOW!" Hu Yangxuan rebutted.

    Ye Kai shrugged and then said, "What''s the point? We have done this before. "

    "Ye Kai, stop dawdling! Finish him off!" Yao Bai shouted to his fellow inner court brother from his seat.

    Although Karl and his friends were not sure what had happened between Ye Kai and Hu Yangxuan in the past, it sounded like the two had already fought before and thetter had lost that fight.

    Despite his nickname of the Gentlemen Sword, everyone at the Temr''s Court knew him as a reckless martial arts enthusiast. He could be an even-tempered and polite fellow on a normal day. However, once he drew his sword, he would turn into a monster in a heartbeat.

    Hu Yangxuan had fought him before, and he had chosen to surrender, as he had thought that was the sensible thing to do then.

    However, even since Hu Yangxuan left the Temr, he had changed a lot, and he could no longer surrender to an opponent before he shed hisst drop of blood.

    "Draw your sword! Otherwise, we will be doing this forever!" Hu Yangxuan demanded.

    Ye Kai''s body swayed to the side and disappeared, reappearing right in front of Hu Yangxuan. His sword was still sheathed. Hu Yangxuan didn''t retreat this time. Instead, he closed in towards his opponent, blocking the sheathe attack with one hand while delivering an uppercut to Ye Kai with the other.

    Hu Yangxuan''s aim was on point. He stumbled back a few steps due to the impact, but was pleased to see that his punch had opened up a wound on Ye Kai''s face.

    Ye Kai covered his face with the palm as pain burned like fire in his eyes.

    "Shit! Hu Yangxuan is asking for it!"

    "He hates being hit on the face the most!" Wu Gang heaved a sigh; he had learned it the hard way.

    Even inside the inner court, only a handful of people were able to injure Ye Kai in a battle. Ye Kai had overlooked Hu Yangxuan''s mettle, and was caught off guard by his counterattack.

    As Ye Kai uncovered his face, an eerie smile hung on his lips. Hu Yangxuan knew that the real Ye Kai had just arrived on the stage.

    Hu Yangxuan dropped the formality as he curled his fingers at Ye Kai and taunted him, "Come on now, show me how powerful you are."

    With the two wounds on his chest, Hu Yangxuan had never looked more macho before.

    With a sudden din, Ye Kai disappeared into thin air, and then the audience saw a bright light pierce through Hu Yangxuan and explode.

    Hu Yangxuan''s body was blown away, but he knew that the energy in the form of light was released as Ye Kai pulled out the sword.

    Ye Kai hovered over Hu Yangxuan like a wraith, and then the young Temr struck with his sword again.

    Hu Yangxuan didn''t have much time to think, so he blocked the attack with his de. Another explosion blew him a dozen feet away.

    As Ye Kainded on the ground lightly, everyone finally saw the long glinting sword in his hand; its name was the Gentleman.

    With only two strikes, Ye Kai had gravely injured his opponent, as his attack was capable of ignoring any defense or armor.

    Karl was shocked by the development. Although he was not a METAL fighter, he could feel the immense power of the boy from the Temr''s Court.

 Chapter 362: Commando Hu

    Chapter 362: Commando Hu

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    By then, even Karl wished that Hu Yangxuan would give up the fight then and there, as he started to fear for Hu Yangxuan''s life.

    Hu Yangxuan quickly gathered himself and closed in towards the boy. Although the attack had mutted his left hand, Hu Yangxuan didn''t show a hint of faltering.

    Ye Kai''s face became eerily strange again. With a light din, the inner court disciple disappeared and reappeared above Hu Yangxuan, as he bore down on him with the sharp tip of the sword.

    Wang Tong had understood the young Temr''s basic strategy by then: fast movement speed and formidable swordy. Wang Tong conceded that this was a deadlybo, and Hu Yangxuan''s defeat was imminent.

    Hu Yangxuan raised his right hand and blocked the first two attacks. However, the second strike had slit open his palm, and he was not able to defend himself against the third blow.

    The sharp edge of the dended on Hu Yangxuan'' shoulder¡ªinches away from the neck¡ªas it cut into the flesh against the corbone.

    This third blow was much worse than all the other injuries that Hu Yangxuan had already sustained. Everyone felt that Hu Yangxuan had done enough to prove his mettle, and it was time to call it off.

    However, Hu Yangxuan ignored his grave wound, andughed out loud."Haha, brother, your sword is soft like a grass de."

    Hearing the taunt, Ye Kai''s face contorted, but he slowly gathered himself and replied, "I can tell that you have improved a lot ever since you left the court, but you are still no match for me. So, don''t push me any longer."

    "Are you sure?" Hu Yangxuan was unruffled by the young Temr''s threat, as he stared back into his eyes.

    "So be it! To honor our brotherhood, I will show you the Temr sword master''s ultimate technique."

    Ye Kai slowly lowered the sword to his chest as he burst open the sea of consciousness, letting out a flood of soul energy. In a blink, the young Temr''s soul energy had soared above three hundred and fifty. Although it was not the greatest sol reading in this tournament, considering his young age, it was rather impressive, and would be too much to handle for Hu Yangxuan.

    Ye Kai started his attack by charging at Hu Yangxuan. The tip of the sword pointed directly at its target, and all the while, the sword shimmered and traced out a shiny path in the air.

    "The Churning Strike"

    Hu Yangxuan also charged forward as soon as the young Temr shouted out the name of his technique. Hu Yangxuan hurled his de at the iing attacker while he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Churning¡­my a*s!"

    Ye Kai was caught off guard by Hu Yangxuan''s sudden outburst of profanity. However, after only the slightest hesitation, he carried on his attack. The sword that Hu Yangxuan had hurled at the young Temr didn''t even make it to its target before it crumbled into pieces. The Churning Strike was closing in onto Hu Yangxuan quickly. Without anything to protect himself, Hu Yangxuan would be paralyzed, if not killed instantly, if the strikended with its full intent.

    Truth be told, the audiences were very impressed by Hu Yangxuan''s perseverance. He went into the battle with a decisive disadvantage. However, he didn''t waver, and held his ground firmly, despite the grave injuries he had sustained.

    Suddenly, Hu Yangxuan darted forward and extended his right arm, trying to grab onto the shimmering sword.

    This was a suicidal act, since the shimmering de Aura was capable of slicing and dicing Hu Yangxuan''s arm like a piece of butter. The frightening scene had forced some fainthearted girls such as Zhou Sisi and Lumi to cover their eyes. Karl was stupefied by the sudden change of Hu Yangxuan''s personality; he found it hard to make the connection between themando Hu and his usual yboy persona.

    If Hu Yangxuan were betting on his court brother to hold back the devastating attack to avoid the consequences, he would be greatly disappointed. A swordmaster such as Ye Kai would never forsake an attack once it had been carried out. Lo and behold, Ye Kai hewed the de at his former court brother without any remorse or hesitation.

    However, what happened next had surprised everyone. Despite the fame of being the prodigy of the inner court and the number one sword master of the Temr, Ye Kai''s sword was stopped cold in its track, as it was grasped firmly in Hu Yangxuan''s hand.

    With glowing energy and blood covering Hu Yangxuan''s right arm, his fingers looked more like ws.

    Zhang Buyu stood up from his seat in astonishment.

    "No one had ever been able to stop Ye Kai''s sword attack with bare hands. It is incredible!"

    As a deep growling came from Hu Yangxuan''s throat, his eyes burned with ember luster that threatened to kill. While holding his opponent''s de firmly in one hand, Hu Yangxuan rained fists on to Ye Kai''s face with the other hand.

    Ye Kai was not prepared for such a desperate situation, as he had never thought that anyone would catch his de. After a shower of fists and knuckles, Ye Kai''s face was smeared with blood and was covered with open cuts.

    As Hu Yangxuan was about to rain another bout of punches, he sensed a wave of energy was being forced into the de, so he let go of the sword and kicked the half-conscious young Temr away from him.

    Ye Kai stumbled back a dozen feet and was finally able to regain bnce, along with much of his consciousness. Hu Yangxuan also breathed heavily, as thest bout of the attack had spent a lot of his energy.

    Although his counterattack was sessful, the energy in the de he had just felt unnerved him. Nevertheless, Hu Yangxuan figured that the knuckle sandwiches he had fed his opponent should have interrupted the young Temr''s momentum.

    Members of the S club stared at the stage with their mouths gaping in surprise, as they marveled at the miraculous turn of the tide.

    Inside Ayrng''s Zerg Lab, Gansus gulped down hard liquor as he munched on Zerg meat. As a member of TNN, he had never thought of taking an apprentice. However, not only had Hu Yangxuan''s talent deeply impressed him, but the boy''s will to improve himself had also moved him. He had witnessed Hu Yangxuan''s transition from a spoiled rich kid into a responsible and iron-willed soldier. Hu Yangxuan''s transformation had reminded Gansus so much about his own teenage years.

    Gansus was born into a wealthy family and had wasted his talent in debauchery. However, his life was forever changed after his parents were murdered during a Zerg raid. Filled with regret and guilt for not being able to protect his family, he dived into cultivation head first. After years of gruesome training, he has finally earned his nickname¡ªTiger Dynamite.

    Only a few people had seen his coup de grace, the "Tiger w", and many of them had only seen it before their death.

    "Goodd! Be a man, do the right thing! Haha!"

    "Hu Yangxuan! You are badass!" Karl jumped out of his seat, took off his shirt, and waved it the air while shouting loudly. A cameraman captured the moment, and the reporter quickly identified him as the famous Karl, the creator of the "Way of Karl."

    Everyone from Ayrng stood up to cheer for Hu Yangxuan''s bravery and astuteness.

    Hu Yangxuan''s Tiger w would never work if he had not beguiled his opponent by slowly coaxing him into taking a more and more offensive stance.

    Despite his temporary sess, Hu Yangxuan was exhausted, as he had overspent his energy in the attack. On the other side of the stage, Ye Kai leaned on his sword and was still trying to gather himself, but he seemed to be recovering by the second.

    "Hahahaha...." Ye Kaiughed hysterically, looking nothing like a ''gentlemen.''

    Feeling worried for Hu Yangxuan''s life, the other three inner court disciples furrowed their brows and shook their heads. They knew that Ye Kai was about to lose himself, and there would be bloodshed.

    Only Zhang Buyu knew how Ye Kai had gotten his nickname. He was there when the boy injured the Temr swordmaster. Later that day, the master had given the boy the nickname ''Gentleman'' as a reminder for him to restrain his reckless power.

    As Ye Kai continued his uncontrobleughter, his soul energy burst to four hundred and fifty.

    He was not the gentleman of the Temr''s court; he was a monster.

    If Hu Yangxuan were still the yboy that everyone was familiar with, he would have already abandoned the fight. However, the new Hu Yangxuan didn''t even think of giving up. Instead, he seemed to be even more focused on the fight.

    Hands clutched into fists, Hu Yangxuan pounded on his chest and howled. The action sent a wave of GN force throughout the arena. Hu Yangxuan''s eyes had turned into pools of moltenva, and his muscles seemed to have bulked up significantly.

    "What kind of a technique is this!"

    The audience jumped out of their seats as they were astonished to see that Hu Yangxuan''s sol reading had reached four hundred.

    As Hu Yangxuan started howling, his red-hot body has grown a few sizesrger; he must have been stimting his tissue growth with some energy.

 Chapter 363: A Real Mans Desire

    Chapter 363: A Real Man''s Desire

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Gansus sat on a pile of Zerg carcasses while chewing the rubbery Zerg meat.

    "Balls! Ma Sa has taught him some stuff too! My Tiger wbined with his Blood Rage¡­ Haha! It''s going to be interesting!"

    Ma Sa''s special power called the "Blood Rage" could boost the user''s soul energy output by more than two folds, and it was this ability that had earned him his nickname¡ªthe Hell-bound Stallion. Needless to say, the training for this ability was excruciating. However, Hu Yangxuan had made it.

    Standing on the stage, Hu Yangxuan looked no longer like a dandy young stud. Instead, he had be a bloodthirsty stallion from the inferno¡ªa symbol of destructive power.

    Power was what he had been thirsting for. Seeing Wang Tong''s improvement, Hu Yangxuan didn''t want to fall behind his friend. Despite his carefree and nonchnt personality, when Hu Yangxuan had his mind set on something, he could be fiercely adamant.

    The two fighters stood on the stage; one was an elite sword master, and the other was a level five warrior with mysterious powers.

    Ye Kai attacked first as he charged at Hu Yangxuan with the shimmering sword. Ye Kai had already lost control over his power, while Hu Yangxuan had also fallen into a battle trance. So overwhelming was the Blood Rage ability that Hu Yangxuan no longer had the mental power to think about the consequences of his attacks. He knew that this was his only chance at defeating his old opponent and avenging his old wound. As a real man, what else could Hu Yangxuan ask for other than his honor and pride?

    Blood sttered with an audible "zing." Hu Yangxuan allowed the deadly sword to pierce his body, letting it get stuck in between his ribs. All the while, energy powered out from the wound along with blood.

    Ma Sa had told him to refrain from using the "Blood Rage" unless necessary, because once the "Blood Rage" was triggered, it could drive even the most level-headed fighter into madness in exchange for the overwhelming power.

    Hu Yangxuan used Tiger w and mped the de with his right hand, while hewed his left fist at his opponent. Ye Kai didn''t let Hu Yangxuannd a solid blow this time as he shifted his body in the most unnaturally flexible way and dodged the attack. Meanwhile, he charged up some soul energy into the de-wielding hand, and was able to pull the stuck de out from Hu Yangxuan''s rib cage. Even as the blood smeared de was being forcefully extruded from the flesh, the deadly de Aura had started to shine through the caked blood.

    The match had by then turned into a battle for life and death between a berserk Tiger and a cold-blooded hunter. It was more visceral an experience than watching thousand-men strong armies crashing into each other.

    The ding of the two powerful fighters exchanging blows grew louder by the second. A few secondster, both fighters were gravely wounded by their opponents, but neither was able to gain an edge over one another.

    Hu Yangxuan felt the pain, but he continued the fight. Along with the pain, he felt pride; he had finally caught up with Wang Tong, Wang Ben, and Karl. He finally saw the world for what it was¡ªa cruel and harsh ce, where nothing could be taken for granted without fighting hard for it.

    After an ear-deafening explosion, the two fighters were engulfed by a burst of intense light. When the light and the mor faded, the audiences saw two fighters standing still on each end of the stage, both covered in blood.

    Finally, Hu Yangxuan copsed to the ground, as the "Blood Rage" subsided. Before Hu Yangxuan''s knee was about to drop to the ground, Ye Kai rushed to hold his copsing body, blood dripping from the tip of the "Gentleman."

    "Brother, this was one of the most satisfying fights I had ever fought. " Ye Kai announced calmly but sincerely.

    "The winner is ¡ªYE KAI!"

    This was a fight that every earthling should feel proud of. The audiences stood up to apud the two fighters'' excellent performance.

    There was no ce for cowardice in the war with the Zergs. Every fighter should be ready to fight until thest drop of blood. This fight between the two earthling boys was not infighting, but a testament to the earthling warriors'' mettle and spirit.

    During the days of its conception, the pan sr system tournament was designed to inspire the fighting spirit. However, hundred years of peace had turned the tournament into a feast of personal glory.

    "OMG! Commando Hu, I LOVE U!" Karl shirked as tears streaked his face. After this fight, everyone would remember Hu Yangxuan as the young warrior form the A-ss academy, Ayrng.

    Even Zhang Buyu and other inner court disciples watched Hu Yangxuan with a newfound respect. He had broken the inner court disciple''s prejudice against the outer court, and proved that anyone with hard work would able to be a worthy fighter.

    A flurry of reports about the details of the match came after the fight. Although Hu Yangxuan was not a renowned fighter, his perseverance and bravery had be the focal point of all reports.

    It was unfortunate that Hu Yangxuan would not be able to enjoy the shlights of the journalist until he had awoken from aa. The Blood Rage had overdrawn Hu Yangxuan''s soul energy, and therefore, he would likely be bedridden for a long time to recover.

    That being said, it was a small price to pay for his dignity. After the fight, Hu Yangxuan no longer feared any opponent, as he was confident that he could pull through just about anything.

    Thanks to Hu Yangxuan, the A-ss Academy Ayrng had once againe to the public''s attention. As people noticed the vast improvement of the school ever since the new principal''s arrival, Samantha''s fame also soared quickly. With its fast growth, the public started to anticipate the old school to reinstate its former glory.

    Every S-Club member could not be prouder of their membership on that day. Slowly but surely, the S-club started to gain strength and influence across all schools in the confederation.

    After the match, Zhou Sisi wrote and published an article, praising the fighting spirit of Hu Yangxuan and insisting on the academy''s responsibility of nurturing such mettle in every student''s heart, in addition to passing down technical knowledge.

    Meanwhile, in the arena, Ivantians took up most of the seats to watch their prince Patroclus''s fight. The Ivantian audiences didn''t know anything about Patroclus''s opponent, and neither did they care.

    Patroclus''s opponent was another warrior from the S-Club¡ªApache. He was considered by the club members as the second strongest fighter within the club, closely following Wang Tong. However, his opponent was the invincible Patroclus.

    Everyone, including Apache, was convinced that the Ivantian woulde out as the winner. But, it didn''t dull Apache''s anticipation for the match at all.

    "Don''t let the Ivantians look down on us!" Cao Yi encouraged Apache before the match.

    "Do it for Bernabeu!" Luo Manman said.

    "Hehe, don''t worry. Even Hu, the pretty boy, had turned into amando, much less me. I won''t give up that easily."

    Apache sauntered to the stage, and as he watched the cid face of the Ivantian prince, he drew a deep breath to ready himself for the toughest fight of his life.

    Patroclus didn''t bring any weapon. It appeared that no one so far was worthy of seeing hisnce.

    The referee blew his whistle¡ªthe match had finally started.

    Apache was well aware that his advantage was his speed. With his level five soul energy, Apache reasoned that he might have a chance after all, despite it being a very slim one.

    ''Slow and steady wins the race, but fast and furious can set the pace.''

    Before the referee''s whistle blow had faded, Apache had stormed towards his opponent like a gale. Instead of attacking right away, he had used therge space on the stage to put on speed and charge up the kic energy in one decisive blow.

    Apache never dreamed of fighting a prolonged battle with a far superior opponent.

    He ran around Patroclus in a circle and soon, he had gained such speed that his body had turned into a blurry shadow.

 Chapter 364: Nearly Immortal

    Chapter 364: Nearly Immortal

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Apache didn''t slow down. As he increased his speed, his movement had drawn the air away from the center and created a wind wall around Patroclus.

    When Apache finally reached the limit of his speed, the space in the middle of the circle had be aplete vacuum. By then, if Patroclus wished to break through the encirclement, it would already be toote.

    As the wind wall shrunk in size, a tornado appeared at the center. Suddenly, a glint appeared above Patroclus''s head that was unmistakably steel.

    It was Apache''s coup de grace¡ªVacuum Tornado!

    Apache wagered that Patroclus would allow him time to deliver his coup de grace due to the Ivantian''s personality. However, once Apache''s coup de grace was released, he doubted if Patroclus would be able to counter it.

    Apache bore down his de on Patroclus, who was restrained by the vacuum from all sides. When the de was only inches away from him, the Ivantian prince raised his finger and blocked its tip. The tip of the steel de started to lose its edge and be dull.

    Apache spun his body and turned the de into a drill as he continued forcing the de down. However, no matter how hard Apache pushed on the de, the spinning tip didn''t move forward even by a hair. As the vacuum effect waned, Patroclus swept his left hand and forced Apache to spin even faster like a top, although unwillingly. When the wind wall dissipatedpletely, Patroclus swept his right hand again and forced Apache''s spinning to go further out of control. Apache was carried by the uplifting force of his motion and flew away like a wild kite. Finally, he hit the energy barrier and thudded heavily to the ground.

    After copsing to the ground, Apache fell unconscious, and was not able to get up again. He was not even able to harm a single hair on the Ivantian Prince.

    Not until the big screen yed a slow motion of the earlier fight did the audiences realize what had happened on the stage. Not only did the audiences finally realize that Patroclus had been standing in a vacuum all the while, but they had also witnessed him defend himself with a single finger.

    Patroclus''s disy of power had unnerved all of his would-be opponents.

    "The winner is¡ªPATROCLUS!"

    With the host''s final announcement, the match closed its curtains. Although Apache had prepared well for this fight, he was still far too weak to stand up against Patroclus.

    By the evening, the first round of the yoffs was concluded. There were no surprises in the oues of battles, except for the defeat of Guan Dongyang, the so-called fire god Aegis.

    Among all the fighters that had made the cut, Wang Tong knew only one of them personally¡ªWang Ben.

    The remaining fighters mostly came from the Earth, Moon and the Mars. However, there were a few from the Andromeda Gxy that had also made it.

    The second round was about to draw back its curtain, and everyone knew that thepetition was only going to be fiercer.

    The Puppet Master, Han Linu, had encountered Li Ruoer. Unfortunately for him, his puppets were quickly sliced and diced out ofmission by Li Ruoer''s de "Rosy," and he was forced to surrender.

    Although the Puppeteer Soul Mastery was powerful, it fell short in front of the top fighters of the Confederation. That being said, people did see hope in the mastery, as some believed that Han Linu might have a chance of winning the match should he have brought more puppets with him.

    Wang Tong didn''t hold back his power during the second round of the yoff, so he quickly finished off his opponent, who was a top-notch level five warrior.

    After three days of intensepetition, thirty-two warriors remained in the tournament. They were one step closer to their ultimate goal. The name of the fighters was listed below:

    Section one: Patroclus, Jiang Long, Samuel, Zader

    Section two: Li Shiming, Gong-son Wuce, delus, Victor

    Section three: Li Ruoer, Wang Tong, Athena, Lei Long

    Section four: Lie Jian, Wang Ben, Tervis, Mo Xie

    Section five: Michaux Odin, Ye Kai, Zhang Fan, Qin Yue

    Section six: Heidi, Turbolix, Ye Bai, Ma Tiangang

    Section seven: Li Xing, Wu Ma, Zhuo Bufan, Euler.

    Section eight: Zhang Buyu, Allen, Smite, Dolores, Duan Ren.

    The rest of thepetition was not only a matter of strength, but also that of luck. For example, one fighter could be slightly stronger than the other in a different section. However, the stronger fighter might be defeated quicker if much more powerful foes surrounded him than his weaker counterpart.

    The involvement of the great houses in this year''s tournament had also shaken things up a lot for the S-ss students. In the previous tournaments, most top students from the S-ss academies were able to make it to the top 32 list. However, they were all eliminated early on during the game this year.

    In addition to the surge in the number of great house members, this year''s tournament also had increased number of fighters outside of the traditional three big yers¡ªEarth, Moon, and Mars. One of those fighters, Zader from Ceres, had made it to the top 32rgely due to his luck that kept him away from the powerful fighters.

    In addition to Zader, another dark horse of this year''s tournament was Wang Tong. Unlike Zader, Wang Tong didn''tck powerful opponents during the tournament.

    Both Wang Tong and Zader had made the history as the first non-Great-House, non-S-ss, and non-sect fighters ever to have made it into the top 32.

    Meanwhile, on Earth, a girl was closely following Wang Tong''s fights. During some nights, she even dreamed of Wang Tong''s victory in the final.

    Ma Xiaoru had never been happier than when she saw Wang Tong sessfully enter the top 32. Also, Wang Tong''s performance during his fight with Guan Dongyang had greatly impressed Ma Xiaoru''s parents. Wu Xin finally budged under her daughter''s incessant pleading and agreed for her to watch the rest of Wang Tong''s fights live on the Moon under one condition: she would have to apany Ma Xiaoru to the Moon.

    Ma Dutian was not worried about his daughter at all. Therefore, he didn''t disagree with his daughter''s trip to the Moon. Plus, his attention right now had beenpletely on the new battery technology.

    "Master, I have thoroughly investigated. Or initial suspicion was correct¡­ Wang Tong''s stepfather was not a simple character. He is very likely rted to the incidence that happened in the Hall of Valha twenty years ago."

    Ma Dutian nodded. "Have you found out his whereabouts?"

    "Not yet. He is in hiding."

    "Keep looking¡­ I need more details."

    "Yes, master."

    Ma Dutian paused for a second and then said, "Be careful! I want no bloodshed."

    "Understood, master."

    Ever since the match entered the top 32 yoffs, even some Einherjars started to pay attention to the fights. The oue of the battles would not only affect the fighter''s personal fame, but it was also pivotal for the future of the sect or house the fighter represented. Despite the paramount importance of the tournament fights, another event was able to steal some of the audience''s attention away from it.

    Qin Lanyue, the lord of the Soul Devouring Sect who had retired more than twenty years ago, wanted to challenge Einherjar Wannabe to a fight in the PA system. Not only was Qin Lanyue a top fighter among Ivantians, but her stepdaughter, Qin Yue, had also out-performed her opponents and entered the top 32 in the tournament.

    Einherjar Wannabe had promptly epted the challenge and arranged the time of the fight. The news of the fight had surprised most top fighters of the Confederation, since they knew that Qin Lanyue was not the kind of person who would easily challenge another warrior.

 Chapter 365: The Magnificent Princess

    Chapter 365: The Magnificent Princess

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although Lan Qingyue was in her early thirties, she had sacrificed everything for her cultivation and remained single. As one of the most beautiful women in the world, she was as famous for breaking men''s hearts as well as being a powerful cultivator.

    It must be Zambrotta''s defeat that had evoked her interest in Einherjar Wannabe. As Zambrotta''s old rival, Lan Qinyue was well aware of the difficulty in cultivating to the ultimate power of the Thunder Drum. Zambrotta had tried his entire life and still failed to uncover the secret. However, Einherjar Wannabe had done it in just one go.

    And, he was only a seventeen years old boy? Impossible!

    His seasoned drum beat was a tell-tale sign that he was a battle-hardened warrior instead of a fledgling as he imed.

    Truth be told, Lan Qinyue was more interested in the music than learning the fighter''s tactics, and neither was she interested in winning the fight¡ªshe simply wanted to get acquainted with this mysterious fighter.

    Even as the tournament was about to enter its most exciting stage, the event at the PA system was able to garner a significant amount of attention. Everyone couldn''t stop imagining what would happen if Einherjar Wannabe had partaken in this year''s tournament.

    Wang Tong epted the challenge on behalf of Mr. Wannabe as hemented over the inconvenience of being so famous. Einherjar Wannabe''s disy of power had silenced all doubts that used to surround him, especially after his battle with the thunder Drum Zambrotta.

    While Wang Tong was having fun at the tournament, Mr. Wannabe was getting increasing bored, and heined aboutck of opponent to Wang Tong incessantly. As soon as he learned that someone had challenged him, he pleaded Wang Tong to ept the challenge right away without even knowing who the challenger was. Wang Tong was more than happy to arrange the fight, as at least Mr. Wannabe would finally stopining for a while this way.

    Wang Tong''s next opponent was a mysterious Kaedeian called Athena. Heidi had brought eight of her personal guards to the tournament, and Athena was one of the two personal guards that had made it into the final 32.

    The first fight of the final 32 yoffs started with the battle section six, between Heidi and Yao Bai from the Temr''s court. Although the Temr''s court was well known for their powerful warriors, Yao Bai''s opponent was the formidable number one seeded fighter of the Kaedians. Therefore, no one was certain who the winner would be.

    The match started in a crowded arena. At this stage of the tournament, every match was bound to be a splendid disy of power. The audiences were able to watch fighters that they otherwise would never able to see in real-life.

    The Kaedeian princess was dressed in a blue over-all, yet the slightly baggy dress did not hide her soft curves. At the other side of the stage, Yao Bai stood with ance strapped to his back, the fire of battle burning in his eyes.

    "Please." Representing the Temr''s Court, Yao Bai tried his to be as courteous as he could in front of a nobledy.

    As soon as the two fighters finished bowing to each other, Heidi attacked immediately with her sword-like weapon. These swords were unique to the Kaedeians, and were called the Cinquedeas. It was shaped like a sword, with numerous unique motifs carved into its body. Since the Kaedeian race was isted from the Human race until a few hundred years ago, they had developed their unique weapons that were suited to their own culture.

    The Phantom Dash!

    Heidi had eliminated many opponents with this signature Kaedeian technique. So far, none of her opponents had been able to see through her elusive footwork.

    In a blink of an eye, Heidi was right in front of her opponent, and before the rest of her illusions had disappeared, her chinquedea whizzed at the young Temr. However, Yao Bai was well prepared, and had already charged up his soul energy. With a loud "vroom," the young Temr thrust hisnce and blocked the iing de.

    With a loud nk, Heidi''s first attack had been countered, and the impact staggered her, pushing her a few feet back.

    "Mydy, I am a Temr. So, perhaps you could try a little bit harder?" Yao Bai asked courteously as he stered a smile on his face.

    Heidi cracked a smile, which unintentionally subverted the minds of all the males in the arena. Even her opponent had to hold back his urge to kneel under her feet. After gathering himself, the young Temr slowly cranked up his soul energy, and with a forceful twist of his wrist, thence vibrated, sending out waves of energy.

    "Take this!" Yao Bai shouted as he plunged thence into his opponent.

    Infused with energy, thence turned into a silver dragon it darted towards its prey.

    Thence gave off such a bright aura that it lightened up the whole arena. Heidi''s movement was elusive and swift, casting a flickering shadow on the wall against the bright light.

    It was a no-brainer that the Kaedeian princess was one hell of a fighter. However, no one knew exactly how powerful she was. In addition to her power, another aspect that made her stand out among the Magnificent Five was her exquisite beauty. So far, Yao Bai was the toughest opponent she had encountered during this tournament.

    Since the beginning of the match, Yao Bai appeared to have gained the initiative. The four inner court disciples didn''t disappoint the audience, as all of them had fought ferociously during their matches. If Wu Gang didn''t encounter a member of the great houses, he would have entered the final 32 with his brothers.

    Among the four inner court disciples, Yao Bai was the most aggressive,rgely due to the characteristics of his weapon, thence.

    Lance was the weapon of kings, and the king of allnces was the Deva Lance from House of Dower.

    That being said, thence techniques passed down from the Temrs were no less powerful than that of the Dower; they were just less well-known.

    Faced with Yao Bai''s overbearing attacks, Heidi was not able to gain any advantage during the fight. Although Heidi''s dream-like movements had tricked many opponents before Yao Bai, the young Temr was not affected by them. As an inner court disciple, Yao Bai had undergone rigorous training to counter illusions. Therefore, he was able to strike true in every single strike.

    That being said, despite the fact that Yao Bai was able to control the flow of the battle, Heidi was able to stand her ground firmly, and counter her opponent''s belligerent attacks with ease.

    While dancing around the deadlynce, Heidi seemed to be observing her opponent rather than fighting.

    After observing her opponent for a while, Heidi slid the thin sword along the handle of thence and tapped at the tip of thence effortlessly. With an almost inaudible din, thence was stopped cold in its track. Heidi''s seemingly unintentional strike was powerful enough to halt the heavynce there and then.

    Yao Bai reminded himself to be more prudent, as Heidi''s "gentle" tap on thence tip had revealed that she had only used a fraction of her real power so far.

    Holding thence with both hands, Yao Bai started to twist and turn it until it had be a whirlwind in his hands, and then charged at his opponent. The tip of thence danced left and right, hard for anyone to tell where it wouldnd.

    CLANK!

    Heidi met the attack with her de, and her strike hit home as it interrupted the young Temr''s attackbo. Even as the young Temr was trying to figure out what had happened, Heidi''s de slid up against thence towards Yao Bai''s hand like a serpent slithering up a tree.

    The follow-up attack caught the young Temr off guard. He had no time to think, although he was puzzled as to how Heidi had moved so close to him so fast.

    Instinct told Yao Bai that his opponent was very deadly, and he could not let her gain the upper hand under any circumstances. The young Temr suddenly shouted as his soul energy soared up to four hundred and sixty. The sudden outburst of energy agitated thence as it started to tremble with the movement of energy in the air. Somehow, Yao Bai felt that he could no longer reach the highest energy output no matter how hard he had tried, as if his opponent could even counter his energy flow.

    Princess Heidi studied her opponent carefully for a few seconds and then heaved a sigh of disappointment.

    The young Temr shouted three more times, pumping his soul energy throughout his body. With a twist of thence, Yao Bai charged out at his opponent.

    So powerful was the attack that thence seemed to have sucked away all the air around it, forming an area of low pressure at its tip. In a blink of an eye, the sharp tip pierced through the swirl of low pressure and whizzed towards Heidi at lightning speed.

    Holding the de in one hand, the Kaedeian princess disappeared like a phantom. Half a secondter, she reappeared right in front of the charging young Temr and stopped his motion cold with a de against his neck.

    Yao Bai found it hard toe to terms with his defeat, as he had noticed no illusions, neither did he sense any flow of soul energy.

    "The winner is ¡ªPRINCESS HEIDI!"

 Chapter 366: Undead Ghost?

    Chapter 366: Undead Ghost?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    It was an unbelievable victory. Although Heidi was a powerful fighter, so was her opponent. Her finishing move was so effortless, it was as if Yao Bai was an entry level no-ount.

    Yao Bai plodded into the resting room with his head lowered. It was evident that the defeat had taken the wind out of his sail. It would be lesser of a catastrophe if his opponent didn''t finish him off so easily. He could feel that the Kaedeian princess had possessed some special ability that was able to lower his max energy output. It was a technique that he had never heard of in the Temr''s court.

    Despite their valiant efforts, two of the four Temrs were already out of the game.

    This year''s tournament was also a significant event for the Temrs, since it had been a while since the so-called birthce of all tactics had shown any real power to the world. Therefore, Yao Bai and Wu Gang''s easy defeat was uneptable.

    Meanwhile, breaking news came from the PA system: the DREAM had confirmed an error in the system, and corrected Einherjar Wannabe''s age to more than two hundred years old.

    It was Einherjar Wannabe''s fans who had first discovered this technical slip-up. This was the first time this mysterious fighter''s profile had ever been changed, but the change was too significant to overlook.

    "Over two hundred years old? OMG... How is that possible?"

    Mere seconds after the change had been discovered, the news had quickly be viral. Everyone was talking about it, and everyone wanted to confirm the details with DREAM.

    Cameron was bombarded with questions that he had no answers to. "Telus, haven''t you finished your investigation?" Cameron shouted.

    "Boss, you got tele¡ª"

    "F*ck off! I don''t have answers!"

    "This.. is from the higher up."

    Cameron took a deep breath and took over the phone. The workers watched as Cameron''s overwrought expressed slowly rxed, and then turned into a smile.

    "Yes, boss, I will make sure of it."

    After the phone conversation, Cameron announced, "Reply to all of the media with all that we know."

    "Boss, don''t you think it will¡ª"

    "Just do it!" Cameron cut one of his worker short.

    In a few minutes, the DREAM official website announced that they would online stream the review of Einherjar Wannabe''s profile. Even the DREAM employees were shocked by the data, much less the public. Never had there been so much excitement among the onlinemunity.

    "What will the review tell us?"

    "A system error, or was Einherjar Wannabe, an immortal?"

    It wasmon sense that humans cannot live for more than two hundred years, since so far, human technology was not able to rece the aging gene yet.

    Somehow, Cameron wished that all this was just a system error. But, what if it was not? Cameron found it hard even to fathom the implications of their findings.

    An employee walked to Cameron, trembling uncontrobly as he said, "There are over.. ten billion people watching the review online."

    This unprecedentedly amounted to viewers even a councilor election was not able to garner. There had been more than one hundred media outlets that were live streaming the event. Although the review was a very tedious process, and not a lot of viewers actually understood what the technicians were doing, people rushed to their TV to watch the event anyways.

    Meanwhile, on the Moon, many people had abandoned the tournament to watch the live stream as well.

    After checking and double checking, DREAM had concluded that there was nothing wrong with the system record. The system had used two hundred years as the upper limit of yers'' age. However, Einherjar Wannabe''s age was well beyond that.

    "How is that even possible?"

    A young fledgling turned out to be a ten thousand years old egg; this turn of events was too dramatic.

    There was no doubt that a two hundred years old warrior would be as deadly as an Einherjar, and Einherjar Wannabe''s performance seemed to have confirmed that. However, the immaturity and inexperience in his previous fights were also obvious. As he progressed through more fights, he seemed to be slowly recovering his power and experience.

    When he had defeated Zambrotta, he was ready to challenge anyone in the world.

    Wang Tong had received the news as well, but he was not surprised by Mr. Wannabe''s age.

    "Mr. Wannabe, exactly how old are you?" Wang Tong nced at Mr. Wannabe, who was busy watching Tv.

    "How would I know? Like I have the time to count!"

    Although the soul essence would never perish, Mr. Wannabe was trapped inside the crystal. Otherwise, his form would allow him to travel between worlds with ease.

    Mr. Wannabe threw Wang Tong a sidelong nce and said, "I need to straighten my soul essence to achieve my freedom, and therefore, I will have to fight anyone, even that wench."

    Wang Tong shook his head and replied, "That...wench... is more powerful than most men in the world."

    "Bah! A woman should know her ce. Fighting is only for the men!"

    Wang Tong shook his head. Clearly, the old ghost still clung to his two hundred years old values.

    Wang Tong decided to take a break before his fight against the Kaedeian Athena. Ever since he learned that he was about to fight the Kaedeian, a strange feeling had been nagging him constantly, as if something terrible was about to happen during the fight.

    After a few rounds of cultivation, Wang Tong had calmed his mind and was ready for the fight.

    Cheers and shouts filled the arena. Some were cheering for the future of the S-Club, and some were cheering for the beautiful Kaedeian warrior. Athena''s features were so exquisite that they made the Kaedeian girl seem to be straight out of a painting.

    Athena was already used the man-gaze of her audiences. She was not here for her personal glory, but to fulfill the prophecy, to find out the man that was promised by the prophet.

    So far, the most likely candidate was one of the four heirs of the great houses. However, to avoid oversight, the Kaedeians were ordered to test every fighter that they encountered.

    Wang Tong wanted to finish the fight as fast as possible, so he charged at his opponent right away. Even as Wang Tong was still a few paces away from his opponent, he released a burst of soul energy that increased his speed tenfold. Already, Athena knew that her opponent was not an Average Joe. Kaedeians were extremely sensitive to soul energy, and she could tell right away that Wang Tong''s power was above her.

    Without much time to think, Athena cranked up her soul energy and met the iing attack with her de.

    One corner of Wang Tong''s lips curved at the sight of his opponent''s reaction. While continuing the attack, he changed the tempo of his charge. The sudden change in the flow of the battle threw the Kaedeian off her bnce. Before the Kaedeian was able to gather herself, she saw a fisting at her ¡ªit was toote to block.

    Voomp!

    The impact sent Athena''s body and her sword flying. However, she quickly pulled herself up and stared at Wang Tong. She could not believe her eyes, but her heart was telling her that she had found what she was looking for.

 Chapter 367: Ice Mastery

    Chapter 367: Ice Mastery

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Athena took a deep breath. To make sure that her feelings did not cheat her, she would have to test the boy''s real power. So, she released the full capacity of her soul energy and let it soar to over four hundred and fifty. This was thergest amount of soul energy the audiences had ever seen ever since the beginning of the tournament.

    Athena carefully channeled her GN force into the sword and charged at Wang Tong. Wang Tong didn''t hurry to defend himself. Instead, he measured the flow of energy carefully and confirmed that the Kaedeian''s soul energy was slowly invading his sea of consciousness. The intrusion was pervasive, yet hard to detect. Although Wang Tong was not sure what technique the Kaedeian had used, he fought back the intrusion by repelling it out of his system. Already, Athena''s charging speed seemed to have slowed down, and Wang Tong saw an opportunity to strike.

    As the Kaedeian de whizzed across the air, Wang Tong grabbed firmly onto the de handle with one hand, while two fingers of the other hand found the Kaedeian''s neck and rested against it like a tip of a dagger.

    "You have lost" Wang Tong announced coldly.

    Wang Tong had seen through the trick that the Kaedeian had used against many opponents before him. Although the invasion of the sea of consciousness had been very effective, it was useless against Wang Tong.

    Athena held back her excitement as she conceded her defeat. She bowed to Wang Tong almost reverentially, a gesture that caught Wang Tong off guard.

    The match ended in a matter of minutes, and it took the audiences a few seconds to take in what had just happened.

    "The winner is¡ªWang Tong!"

    Wang Tong''s every victory marked another significant step in Ayrng''s history. Even a draw would be a great achievement for Wang Tong, much less winning so easily.

    Zhang Mi, the journalist, had also been following Wang Tong''s every step. She noted that ever since Wang Tong had entered the yoffs, he had defeated his opponents with decisive advantages.

    "Was that because his opponents were too weak? Not likely" Zhang Mi wrote in her report. "Not only were all the remaining fighters renowned warriors, but it was also very unlikely that the Kaedeians would send a weak fighter to the tournament."

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Wang Tong flushed under the fiery gaze of Athena, and wondered if it was the Kaedeian''s custom to stare so longingly at their opponent after the match.

    The cameraman also gave a portrait shot of Athena''s face. The young girl did not look like she was upset by her defeat, as her eyes burned with a luster of desire and anticipation.

    "His opponent is too weak! Nevertheless, this kid does worth his salt." Wu Xin announced.

    "Mom! He is the best!" Ma Xiaoru imed.

    Wu Xin cracked a smile. She agreed that Wang Tong had done a very good job getting this far into the tournament. However, his next opponent was Li Ruoer, and Wu Xin was convinced that he would finally taste defeat.

    "I want to see him."

    "I knew you would say that. I suggest not. His next opponent is Li Ruoer. You don''t want to distract him preparing for his next fight, do you?"

    "Wang Tong will win, I am sure of it. He is not afraid of the Tactics of the Enchantress."

    "Hehe, how would you know that?"

    "I had sparred with him before using tactics of the Enchantress. It was useless against him."

    Wu Xin padded her daughter''s head and said, "You silly girl, do you really think House of Li would teach you the real Tactics of the Enchantress?"

    "But¡ª"

    "But, you still felt that you are more powerful than most of your ssmates?" Wu Xin helped her daughter finish her words.

    Ma Xiaoru nodded. Not only could she feel the power inside her, but her soul energy had also reached over two hundred.

    "The key of the tactics of the Enchantress was its cultivation method. House of Li must have reserved the most salineponent of the cultivation out of your training, so that you would never reach your full potential. Can''t me them though, as we don''t share all of our technology with them either. " Wu Xin said and then heaved a sigh.

    Ma Xiaoru knew that any actions of House of Ma and Li would affect the intricate bnce of power of the world. Striking a bnce among major households was essential for maintaining a harmonious and peaceful confederation, especial when the Zergs were still lurking at their doorstep. Due to its unique situation, House of Ma had be the pivotal point where the unity of the confederation rested upon. Whenever House of Li showed singes of weakening, House of Ma would help them re-exert its former influence. On the other hand, if House of Li grew too powerful, House of Ma would need to adopt other necessary means to counter the Li''s clout.

    Although Li Zhedao was a martial arts genius, he was a political amateur. Therefore, House of Ma had oftene to House of Li''s aid due to Li Zhedao''s constant missteps in the political realm. However, things had changed ever since Li Shiming had risen to power. Not only was he capable, but he was also dangerously ambitious. It was impossible to expect him to be content with the status quo. If the power of House of Li were not being kept in check, Li Shiming''s ambition would disrupt the world''s bnce and bring chaos to the world.

    With House of Ma''s help, Li Zhedao was managing to w House of Li out of the rock bottom, and there was no doubt that his powerful son would not only recover House of Li to its full glory, but he would also seek to exert even more influence in the confederation. The responsibility of keeping the Li''s ambitions in check weighed heavily on House of Ma. Wu Xin knew that with the marriage between her daughter and Li Shiming, the struggle to maintain bnce would be even more difficult, if not outright impossible.

    Looking at the infatuated expression on Ma Xiaoru''s face, Wu Xin remembered her teenage years and the foolish thing she had done.

    In the second section, a much-anticipated battle had started. It was the match between the heir of the Gong-son Family and the most popr fighter on the earth¡ªLi Shiming.

    The two had already exchanged a few rounds of attacks, and Li Shiming had tasted the power of his soul mastery opponent. Gong-son Wuce had started the fight with waves of aggressive attacks, while Li Shiming was able to hold his ground, carrying out the fight prudently.

    "Li Shiming, draw your sword! You won''t be able to defend yourself if you don''t!" Gong-son Wuce shouted.

    Gong-son Wuce was one of the most renowned warriors on the Moon before Patroclus had announced hispletion of the Tactics of Vayu.

    "Please." Li Shiming gestured the Ivantian to carry on the fight, but without any intention of using the Sword of Vayu.

    Gong-son Wuce had not only reached the pinnacle of a level five warrior''s power, but he also had the soul mastery at his disposal. Defeating any one of the heirs of the Great Houses would be a confidence boost for the Ivantian, and ready him for the next goal¡ªEinherjar.

    Li Shiming had wanted to finish the fight quickly. However, the unique power of his opponent had piqued his interest, and he wanted to wait and see what kind of coup de grace the Ivantian had up his sleeve.

    Gong-son Wuce tilted the sword upright while charging up his soul energy. In a blink of an eye, he showered the audience with magic.

    "Scales of the Ice Dragon"

    A sphere made out of floating symbols appeared in front of the Ivantian, as thousands of sharp icicles shot out from the ball towards Li Shiming.

    Li Shiming''s brows furrowed. He was prepared for the sudden burst of aggression as he countered the icy attack with punches, shredding the icicles into tiny pieces.

    However, even as the icicles fell to the ground, Li Shiming felt an intense bitter-coldnessing at him. He suddenly realized why his opponent had suggested him to use his weapon to block the attack, because the icicles were only the first wave of attack.

    Energy waves thrust about around Gong-son Wuce, tousling his long dark hair. With a sweep of the de, another wall of floating text and symbols appeared.

    "Rage of the Ice Dragon!" The Ivantian shouted out the name of his coup de grace, as an ice dragon suddenly emerged from the wall.

    "Is that an illusion?"

    Guan Dongyang had already proven to everyone that mastery was not an illusion. Gong-son Wuce had repeated the same trick, except for this time, it was an ice dragon instead of a fire drake.

    Li Shiming was caught off guard, and had lost the time to evade the attack, so he was forced to turn on his soul energy shield. The ice dragon opened its mouth trying to swallow Li Shiming whole, as it lunged onto the energy shield.

    "Bang!"

    It was such a terrible strike that the entire arena trembled on impact.

    Gong-son Wuce looked toward the direction of the impact, but all he could see was dust and smoke. When the dust and smoke finally settled, he watched as an ice sculpture appeared in front of him¡ªLi Shiming was frozen in his ce.

    Layers uponyers of ice caked over the body of Li Shiming, and the weight of the ice itself would be able to crush ordinary people into pulp. Gong-son Wuce had finally proven to the world the power of mastery, and opened everyone''s eyes to a new dimension of cultivation.

    Gong-son Wuce waited patiently. Ten secondster, if Li Shiming were not able to get out of the ice, he would have won the battle.

    This was the first time Gong-son Wuce had used his coup de grace, and he was exceedingly satisfied with the results.

 Chapter 368: Vayu Unsheathed

    Chapter 368: Vayu Unsheathed

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The House of Li had been feeding on the leftovers of Li Feng''s achievement for too long, and it was time for a new order.

    Ten seconds had passed, and the battled had ended.

    "Brother Gong-son, why are you in such a hurry? Let me enjoy your power for a bit longer."

    With a wave of loud cracking noise, the ice shattered and revealed Li Shiming, who was unharmed. A few strands of loose hair were hanging over his forehead.

    "It was a powerful attack! I can tell that the mastery has improved significantly over the years. I should congratte you on that!"

    Seeing that Li Shiming was unharmed by his coup de grace, Gong-son Wuce''s face suddenly paled. He had never fought anyone who used the tactics of Vayu before, and his experience so far had confirmed that all the rumors about its power were true.

    "Brother Gong-son, is there anything else up your sleeve? I am eager to learn more about the power of mastery."

    "Hehe, I am impressed by the Tactics of Vayu as well. You can count that previous attack as a warm-up. Nowes the real deal."

    "Enlighten me, please." Li Shiming gestured the Ivantian to proceed. However this time, his tone was much more humble than it was earlier. He wagered that without the protection of the tactics of Vayu, that ice dragon strike would have gravely wounded him.

    Gong-son Wuce threw the de into the air and the steel de somehow magically floated above his head. Although many other fighters had done it, a floating sword was rather useless in a real battle. However, as everyone had suspected, the Ivantian didn''t do this just for show.

    Standing below the de, Gong-son Wuce shifted through a dozen hand signs, and the flying sword started to tremble violently. The air around the sword also moved about wildly, whizzing against the sharp edges. In a blink, the de was covered by frost, and then the frost turned into crystal clear ice.

    Li Shiming knew that this sword was more than just an ordinary sword coated with ayer of ice. It was infused with GN force with the cold elemental attribute. Li Shiming was not unfamiliar with GN force attributes, since the Tactics of Vayu had a unique attribute as well.

    Gong-son didn''t give Li Shiming much time to admire his techniques, as hemanded the de to whiz through the air at Li Shiming. The lightning speed of the sword suggested that the bond between Gong-son and his de was no ordinary soul energy connection.

    "Zing!"

    The icy de traveled though Li Shiming''s body as if it went through thin air¡ªAn illusion?

    It was not an illusion. Li Shiming simply evaded the attack with an incredible speed that was faster than what naked eyes could see. People had forgotten that the Tactics of Vayu was once crowned the fastest tactics.

    Gong-son Wuce didn''t give up as hemanded the de to follow its target. With all the concentration he could muster, the Ivantian could barely keep up with Li Shiming.

    Suddenly, Li Shiming turned around and charged at Gong-son Wuce like a phantom. Gong-son Wuce had anticipated this surprise attack, and with a wave of a hand, a row of solid ice materialized in front of him. Carried by his momentum, Li Shiming was not able to stop. But, instead of ramming into the wall, he ran up along the ice.

    It took Li Shiming only a fraction of a second to adjust his movement, and a deadly ice de was only inches away from him already. Even as Li Shiming hurried to outrun the ice de, Gong-son Wuce fed another wave of GN force into the weapon, increasing its speed.

    So far, no one other than Gong-son Wuce had been able to force Li Shiming into such a tight corner.

    "Zing...Bamm!"

    The ice de racked open and was shattered into thousands of fragment. The de that took Gong-son Wuce three years to perfect had been reduced into a pile of frosty dust on the ground.

    Despite feeling pity for the loss of a powerful weapon, Gong-son Wuce was not surprised at all.

    Finally, Li Shiming had unsheathed the legendary weapon, the sword of Vayu.

    Holding the slender sword, Li Shimingnded gracefully back to the ground "Brother Gong-son, as you wished, I have drawn my sword. Don''t disappoint me."

    Standing confidently on the stage, Li Shiming seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person. He was no longer the heir of House of Li, but rather seemed like the heir of the entire world.

    Sensing the sudden surge of power in his opponent, Gong-son Wuce was as excited as he was afraid. He figured that it would worth it even if he were defeated by the legendary de of Vayu.

    The Ivantian crossed his hands and started to chant. Two ice des appeared from behind his shoulders out of nowhere. In a blink, the two des whizzed at Li Shiming with incredible speed.

    Li Shiming raised "Vayu" to block the attack. However, as soon as the sword came into contact with the ice des, another two spherical energy balls erupted.

    "Ice Seal!"

    The ice GN force suddenly gushed towards Li Shiming, but thetter was prepared. Li Shiming twisted Yayu over with an intense force. The legendary weapon sent out a sharp energy wave that cut open the air like gutting a fish belly.

    "Zing!"

    The energy wave traveled too fast for Gong-son Wuce to react, and carved arge wound on the Ivantian''s body, sending him stumbling back for a dozen meters.

    "Try harder, Brother Gong-son, or you won''t be able to try at all."

    Although the ice attribute was unique in its own ways, it was not enough to ovee Li Shiming and "Vayu."

    Gong-son Wuce rubbed his chest where he was hit, and the wound was frozen over immediately. He licked the frozen blood off his finger; the taste of iron in his mouth,bined with the excitement of fighting someone so powerful, pushed him closer towards a trance.

    So far, Gong-son Wuce had only released a fraction of his mastery power. Since he saw Li Shiming had used his legendary sword, he figured that he should no longer hold back his power either.

    Gong-son Wuce ripped open his shirt, pumped his fists together, and shouted like an animal; his soul energy surged exponentially. An icy flower with its petals forming the pattern of a snowke bloomed underneath the Ivantian''s feet. The flower quickly transformed from a two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional ice statue. All the while, Gong-son Wuce''s soul energy had reached four hundred and eighty-three; he was infinitesimally close to level six.

    The icy GN force quickly surrounded the entire arena, and the Ivantian had already turned into a white soldier with a pair of glinting silvery eyes.

    "Ice Tsunami!" Gong-son Wuce shouted and waved his hand. Suddenly, Li Shiming felt an immensely powerful forceing down on him from above.

    Li Shiming didn''t try to evade the attack¡ªhe knew it was useless. Instead, he blocked the attack with his de.

    "Komm!"

    A deafening re erupted from the impact; for a while, no one could hear anything. With an upward cut, "Vayu" had sliced open the energy that was boring down on Li Shiming, and he immediately plunged the de towards his opponent without any hesitation.

    "nk!"

    Gong-son Wuce''s ice shield was shattered, and the impact sent the Ivantian backward until he hit the energy barrier.

    The white frost on the ground contrasted the darkest shade of the crimson blood. Li Shiming walked slowly toward his opponent. "You have done well¡ªmastery has done well. But, it''s still not enough."

    Li Shiming extended an arm to the Ivantian, who had already copsed on the ground, struggling to get up.

    Gong-son Wuce had met many opponents, but no one was as polite as Li Shiming.

    "The winner is ¡ªLI SHIMING!"

    Although Gong-son Wuce was defeated, he had proven the effectiveness of mastery to the world by forcing Li Shiming to use his legendary sword. This fight had no doubt increased the mastery''s poprity among young people, especially those who dared to experiment new methods.

    Meanwhile, in the first section, Patroclus was fighting his opponent¡ªthe Kaedeian Samuel.

    They had been exchanging a few rounds of attacks, and Samuel had already felt pressure to stand her ground.

    The beautiful Kaedeian gritted her teeth¡ªit was time to test her limit.

    Samuel charged again at Patroclus with abandon, but she failed to protect her vulnerable spots. Sensing his opponent''s mistake, Patroclus smiled and punched at the Kaedeian girl''s belly. The punch hit square and finished the fight then and there.

    In the fifth section, an attractive looking young girl called Qin Yue, who was the heir of the "Soul Devour" sect¡ªnamed after their weapon/instrument, the soul-devouring harp¡ª was about to fight against Michaux Odin.

    "Young master, please allow me to y a song for us." The girl asked slowly.

    "Please, indulge me." The young master answered politely.

    The peaceful and amicable scene made the audience think that the two were flirting with each other instead of fighting.

 Chapter 369: The Top Sixteen List

    Chapter 369: The Top Sixteen List

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Michaux didn''t seem wanting to attack either. There were many ways of fighting a battle with sound waves, and both Michaux and Qin Yue had decided not to go with a physical method.

    Qin Yue was a quiet and elegant-looking girl. She slowly plugged the harp and made a few notes. The attack of the soul-devouring harp was pervasive; the victim wouldn''t even realize he or she was under attack.

    Michaux stood quietly and listened attentively, as if he were enjoying the music. The music was indeed soul touching; slowly, Michaux could feel that he was getting younger, and in a few seconds, he had to be a kid that he used to be. In front of Michaux stood a haughty figure. The man patted Michaux''s head and asked, "Child, would you like to be the new divine master?"

    Michaux nodded, and then, just like that, he had be the young divine master; it was as simple as that.

    Since then, he had learned that this man''s name was Divine Path, and he had followed him so closely that Divine Path had be all that he cared for in his life.

    "But, who exactly are you?"

    "What do I want?"

    "Why do I follow you?"

    One question bade another, and Michaux could answer none of them. To follow the Divine Path, he had forsaken kinship and friendship, and forgot about love and hate. Even after he had finally grasped the Divine Path, then what? The answer was simple: emptiness¡­boundless emptiness.

    Michaux was not alone in his feeling, as Qin Yue''s music had driven the emotions of all audiences up and down.

    Qin Yue was not here to fight but to return a favor to the Divine Sect for her master. The former divine master had enlightened Qin Lanyue, and the enlightenment had helped her make the breakthrough in her cultivation. Although Odin was a genius in cultivation, he knew practically nothing about living a normal life. Qin Lanyue reckoned that his nativity in real life would ultimately hinder his cultivation, and therefore she had sent Qin Yue to enlighten him.

    Michaux Odin felt lost in his blind pursuit of the Divine Path, and he also felt something more primal pushing him from the inside. Michaux had kept a celibate life voluntarily, since the Sect had never banned the cardinal knowledge. Right then, Michaux felt the burning of an unnamed desire for the first time while looking at the beautiful girl in front of him.

    The harp also drew all the audiences deeper into their memories, memories filled with grievance, craze, and bliss.

    Unlike the thunder drum, the soul-devouring harp''s attack was much more personal, as it was tied directly to one''s memories, the building blocks of the soul.

    If the instrument practice could be counted as one type of cultivation, the music would be the tactics. When the instrumentalist finally reached the deepestyer of his or her soul using music, it was considered the equivalent of a cultivator having reached the Divine Path.

    Michaux''s face changed through a series of expressions, and perhaps it was the first time he had ever felt so many feelings and emotions bundled all together, toiling inside him.

    After a while, Michaux slowly opened his eyes, and the music stopped as well.

    "Much appreciated! " Michaux''s voice held the edge of a calm that threatened to explode. No one knew what the music had done to the young master.

    Qin Yue put away the harp and bowed. "You are more than wee. My master wanted me to tell you that be prepared for the path you have embarked, for it is a lonely one. "

    Michaux cracked a smile and replied, "At least I have loneliness apanying me."

    Qin Yue was slightly shocked by the answer she got. She hesitated for half a second and then turned to the referee. "I concede my defeat."

    If one understood the two''s fight, they would perfectly understand the oue. Otherwise, the fight and the result would be outright preposterous. Although many people came to the tournament to seek glory, not everyone was here with that same goal.

    "The winner is ¡ªMichaux Odin!"

    In the third section, Li Ruoer used "Rosy" and defeated Lei Long, while in the fourth section, Lie Jian sent Mo Xie home with only one single punch.

    In the seventh section, Li Xin, the thunder de, had defeated a strong opponent, Yo.

    In the eighth section, Zhang Buyu took the victory with ease.

    The oues of the fights suggested that the Magnificent Five still dominated thendscape of METALbat.

    There were, however, a few non-great house fighters remaining in the fight. Based on his insane attack power, Ye Kai had defeated a member of the House of Zhang, Zhang Fan. Wang Ben, on the other hand, had also risen to power and finished off many powerful foes, such as Tevez, a mastery cultivator from the Dark Moon.

    Turbolix, the heir of the Wind Cloud Kick, had defeated a house member of the Ma. This was not much of surprise, since the Wind Cloud Kick was already a renowned technique in the Confederation.

    Gradisca, the heir of the Ninjutsu Mastery, had defeated Victor.

    There had been a couple of dark horses this year as well. One of the dark horses was Zader from the Andromeda Gxy, and the other was Wang Tong, who had defeated the Kaedeian, Athena.

    However, everyone was convinced that the two dark horses would soon end their journey in the Tournament, because Zader''s next opponent was Patroclus, while Wang tong was going to fight Li Ruoer.

    Soon, the top sixteen list was published.

    Patroclus vs. Zader

    Li Shiming vs. Gradisca

    Li Ruoer vs. Wang Tong

    Lie Jian vs. Wang Ben

    Michaux Odin vs. Ye Kai

    Heidi vs. Trubolix

    Li Xin vs. Wu Ma

    Zhang Buyu vs. Allen

    By then, the tournament finally had arrived at the most exciting phase.

    Wang Tong''s sess in making his way into the top sixteen had been a huge aplishment for Ayrng. He had quickly gained arge poprity among the masses, since they felt he was more approachable than members of the great houses. Everyone hoped that Wang tong could continue his winning streak.

    Wang Tong''s biggest fan was the owner of the Dream Cafe near Ayrng''s campus. Despite the boom of his business, thanks to his connection with Wang Tong, the owner had always reserved the terminal number five for his lucky charm.

    Wang Tong and Zader had be the only two fighters who did not have a prominent background. Compared to Wang Tong, there was even lesser information avable about Zader due to his far-away homnd.

    After looking at the final sixteen list, Hu Yangxuanmented about the intensity ofpetition that was going to be there.

    The final sixteen matches started without given the fighters any time for a rest after their recent fights. The first match was between Patroclus and Zader, the perfect human versus the mysterious fighter from thend far away.

    The huge arena was already packed with audience, including the rows that were reserved forbatants. It would be a precious opportunity for many fighters to watch a fight between two of the most powerful fighters in the world so closely. The famous audiences included the Li brother-sister pair, Lie Jian, and Michaux. Wang Tong was also sitting among these renowned fighters.

    Patroclus walked to the stage. Like all of his previous fights, he didn''t bring hisnce with him.

    Zader looked rather pedestrian; medium height, medium built, prudent and calm. Zader''s weapon was a short pike, which was about a meter in length.

    The match started with a tsunami of cheers. Zader attacked first, as he lunged the short pike towards Patroclus with an incredible speed. His Zerg-like movement looked very much like that of Cao Yi.

    Patroclus waited until the pike was only an inch away from him, then swept his hand and diverted the attack effortlessly. Meanwhile, he took a step closer to his attacker and punched with the other hand.

    The punch hit square and forced Zader stumbling meters back until he lost his bnce and fell to the ground.

 Chapter 370: Mutation?

    Chapter 370: Mutation?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Even without using the Deva Lance, Patroclus was already invincible among his peers. Everyone knew that if there were any chance of gaining an edge on Patroclus, it lied with the initiative of the fight, since any odds would be lost once Patroclus started his attack.

    To everyone''s surprise, Zader managed to pull himself up from the ground with ease, as if nothing had happened to him. All of Patroclus''s previous opponents were defeated after receiving one strike.

    Although he couldn''t put the finger on it, Patroclus had felt something was off in Zader''s powerpared to all the other opponents he had encountered so far. Perhaps, Patroclus thought, it was because he was from a distant gxy.

    With such great distance, even the same tactics might be taught very differently. Therefore, Patroclus wagered that Zader had used a tactic that was unique to the Andromeda Gxy.

    Zader stretched his body after he gathered himself. Eyes glinting, he growled and then dove towards his opponent with his short pike.

    "Balls, how did he get this far into the tournament?"

    "No kidding! I bet he is weaker than most A-ss Academy students."

    Zader''s attack does not follow any set patterns; it was direct and powerful. He had won all of his previous fights not with technique bu,t with overbearing brute force. His fighting style seemed to suggest that Zader was in an extremely fit physical condition.

    As the short pike became a whirlwind in Zader''s hand, he attacked with abandon, without paying any consideration to defense. From the crazed attacks, the audiences could tell that Zader was determined to poke at least one hole on Patroclus, even though he was deemed to lose the game.

    "Why is he in such a hurry? Being able to poke Patroclus once won''t give him the victory he wants." Hu Yangxuan shook his head. Hu Yangxuan had just recently got the doctor''s permission to get out of the bed, and he hade to the arena to watch the fight that he simply could not miss. After all, there was a huge difference in watching the fight live versus watching it on TV.

    "Komm!"

    Patroclus''s strike hit home again and forced Zader to stumble a few meters back. Patroclus didn''t follow up with more attacks. Instead, he paused and stared at his opponent. "What are you looking for?" He asked.

    Zader picked himself up quickly. Despite his deft movement, he was injured, as his blood spattered on the ground.

    To everyone''s surprise, his blood was green.

    Could it be that the people who lived in the Andromeda Gxy had green blood? Of course not! Even Kaedeian''s blood was red, just like that of every other human sub-races.

    Despite the strange development, no one paid much attention to it during the heat of the battle. Zader could have born with a mutated gene, and the mutation was not unheard of anyways.

    Zader pressed a hand on the wound. Even from a distance, Patroclus could discern an unnatural undtion under Zader''s skin. When Zader removed his hand, the wound had beenpletely healed. Zader licked his lips with an abnormally slender and long tongue, as the cold light flickered in his eyes.

    "INSTRUCTION¡ªobtain gene of the top fighters!"

    Zader had already collected ample gene samples. Compare to the human gene pool on Norton, the tournament hosted a feast of various human genes. After a few days, Zader had obtained more human genes than he would on Norton for an entire year. By then, he only needed one moreponent to finish his mission¡ªthe gene of the strongest fighters.

    After receiving a couple blows from Patroclus, Zader knew that his final prey was standing right in front of him.

    "Git the jineee! The JINE! JINNNEEE!"

    Zader''s words became a deep, beast-like growling.

    "What the hell is he mumbling?"

    "God knows! It was the first time he even talked."

    "Yeah, I don''t recall him ever said anything before. His voice is creepy."

    "No Kidding!"

    Despite the audiences'' meanments, it was hard to deny that the fighter from Andromeda had an alien and eerie vibe. As Wang Tong watched the foreign fighter, an idea suddenly urred to him: Could Zader be a Zerg in disguise as a human?

    Although even Wang Tong didn''t think that it was likely, the consequence of such an event would be catastrophic.

    "What''s up?" Hu Yangxuan asked Wang Tong curiously.

    "Nah, nothing. I had a brain fart."

    "I don''t think Zader could win this match. Patroclus is too powerful for him." Hu Yangxuan said.

    Wang Tong nodded; Patroclus was one of the toughest fighters he had ever seen, and the promise of fighting against him filled Wang Tong with anticipation.

    On the battlefield, Zader retaliated with more ferocious attacks. What puzzled Patroclus the most was that Zader didn''t seem to want to defeat him. Instead, he simply wanted to stab him with his pike.

    Patroclus danced around the short pike, evading the blow effortlessly. He locked his eyes with Zader''s; he was certain that there was something hidden underneath that pair of nearly lifeless eyes.

    "Komm!"

    Zader''s attack missed its target as itnded heavily on the ground and caused an explosion, showering its vicinity with rocks and concrete blocks. Zader didn''t mind the deadly projectiles falling around him. He immediately threw himself at Patroclus, pointing the pike squarely at the Ivantian''s heart.

    Patroclus ducked down and evaded the attack, followed by a chin-kick that sent Zader flying into the air.

    Miao Xiu knew the weight of the kick from his first-hand experience. He was convinced that Zader was done for after having received such mighty blow. Due to Patroclus''s overwhelming power, none of his ssmates were willingly spar with him.

    As soon as Zader received a blow, a gush of green blood spilled out from his mouth. Before he hit the ground, Zader screamed with the most inhumane voice, and suddenly, a pair of wings forced their ways out of Zader''s skin on his back.

    Everyone was shocked by this terrifying scene.

    The audiences looked again to make sure their eyes didn''t deceive them. They watched as Zader hovered in the air with a pair of grotesque bat-wings. Zader''s face contorted, as if he was perversely enjoying the pain in his body. His bones started to growrger, stretching his skin until it came apart at some ces.

    Finally, the organizingmittee had realized the gravity of this development. They had previously received reports that all the Andromeda fighters had disappeared after their match, but themittee didn''t bother to investigate, since the Andromedians were a very discrete lot.

    "Human, Dieee!"

    Zader shouted as he swooped down on Patroclus. All the METAL fighters found his GN force very unfamiliar; it did note from his sea of consciousness, but it was directly from his physical body.

    "What kind of a monster is that?"

    The wings had lent Zader speed and agility as he showered Patroclus with thrusts and pokes.

    All the while, no one in the arena knew what was going on.

    Wang Tong''s heart sank at the sight of the human-zerg hybrid. He had heard from Ma Sa about the infiltration of Zergs into the human society while masquerading as a human. However, he was surprised that the Confederation didn''t do anything to stop it.

    "Shit...Is he after Patroclus''s gene?"

    Although Wang Tong was not sure why the Zergs needed human genes, he was certain that humans could not allow the Zergs to seed.

    Although Wang Tong was confident that Patroclus should be able to defeat Zader, it would be a disaster should the Zergs get their hands on even a single drop of Patroclus''s blood.

    Li Shiming''s face paled as he realized that Zader was actually a Zerg. Hemented that years of peace had made humans forget about their imminent danger, and allowed the Zergs to evolve to such advanced state.

    Despite the fear and anxiousness among the audiences, Patroclus remained calm.

    "Do you want my blood? Come get it!"

 Chapter 371: Test Subject

    Chapter 371: Test Subject

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Patroclus''sments seemed to have aggravated Zader and driven him deeper into rage The lesser reason left in him, the more savage he became. By then, Zader had turned into a level six warrior, and his power was still increasing by the second.

    Despite the belligerent attacks, Zader was not able to gain a decisive edge over Patroclus. Patroclus, on the other hand, didn''t rush to attack. Instead, he studied his opponent patiently.

    "Are you the best your race could offer? Pathetic! " Patroclus cracked a smile, his eyes full of contempt. "Looks like you guys are falling behind humans after all."

    Patroclus'' words were broadcasted all over the Confederation, and it significantly boosted the confidence of all Human soldiers.

    Patroclus was right. The reality was that the Zerg had started to favor human genes during their evolution; nothing spoke of their fear towards the humans louder than that.

    Zader attacked Patroclus with abandon. But this time, the Ivantian prince didn''t evade the attack.

    "Komm!"

    A GN force infusednce suddenly appeared in Patroclus''s hand, and with one single thrust, it impaled the unwitting Zader.

    Zader wiggled his body, trying to break free from thence, in vain.

    Suddenly, Zader''s mouth opened up, and long tongue protruded out as it speared towards Patroclus. However, before the tongue was able to reach him, it bent over itself and pierced into Zader''s face.

    Zader finally thudded to the ground, still wiggling his body. No matter how hard he tried, he was not able to release himself from thence that had skewered him like a piece of Zerg meat.

    By then, the Tournament organizingmittee had already arrived at the arena with security staff and a couple of Zerg specialists, who were eager to get their hands on fresh specimen.

    The security squad had quickly transferred Zader into a clear tube, and the referee also announced Patroclus''s victory.

    Patroclus''s performance was perfect; he had demonstrated that he was as powerful against Zergs as he would be against a human.

    The audience showered the Ivantian with cheers and apuse. Patroclus''s victory over a Zerg had won the heart of all viewers. It was such a convenient public rtion stunt that would make even Li Shiming feel jealous.

    After the first match, Patroclus had secured his ce in the final eight. Meanwhile, the military on the moon had started an investigation on not only the background of all fighters from the Andromeda Gxy, but also the whereabouts of all the missingbatants.

    Meanwhile, in the outer space, figures floated in the darkness while watching the events unfold on the moon.

    "What a pity!"

    "Although the host''s power was increased after being taken control of, the intelligence was impeded by the hosting process. We need a better host!"

    "The sess rate was too low, I think the average host could at least pass as special units in our army."

    "It has been over a hundred years¡­ Our time is running out. We need to break through the space-seal as soon as possible!"

    The dark figures slowly disappeared into the distant stars.

    The Invading Zergs that the human had fought a few hundred years ago only constituted the tip of the icebergpared to the bulk of the Zerg army, despite the fact it almost brought the human race to the verge of extinction. After the de Warrior created the space-seal, blocking the way of the Zerg''s main army to the sr system, the invasion was halted.

    After hundred years of the great war, the vanguard of the Zerg army had sustained huge casualties, and was forced to retreat, with the human military hot on its heels. After another hundred years of development, the humans had finally gained ess to the GN power, and therefore, had earned a decisive advantage over the remaining Zerg force. After a few sessful military campaigns, only a small amount of Zergs still hopelessly resisted the human. To seek salvation, this small group of Zergs started to evolve.

    The strength of the Zergs was not in the individual, but the collective force of the horde. The remaining Zergs'' new goal was not only to gain power from the human genes, but also break the space-seal and lead the horde to the sr system.

    No one in the entire space was yet able to stop the horde.

    Patroclus'' performance had boosted the human''s confidence in eventually winning the war against the Zergs. An hour after the first match, the second match was about to start. It was the fight between Li Shiming and diolus from the Ninjutsu mastery.

    Ninjutsu was an ancient technique from the far east. It focused on the training of the fighter''s willpower. Due to its deadliness, it had be very popr in recent years. Thanks to the cruel training methods, all Ninjutsu warriors were extremely disciplined and deadly.

    Li Shiming was well known for his chivalry. Everything he did and every word he said was aimed at exerting more influence. Yet, Li Shiming''s opponent diolus seemed calm and unafraid of the heir of House of Li.

    As soon as the match started, diolus unsheathed a long de and charged at Li Shiming with a unique style of footsteps.

    "Puf!"

    A ball of smoke erupted in between the two fighters when diolus was only a few feet away from Li Shiming. A shiny de then pierced through the smoke and aimed squarely at LI Shiming''s chest. Li Shiming blocked the attack calmly. The force of the impact reminded Li Shiming of his opponent''s extraordinary power.

    As the smoke dissipated, diolus bombarded Li Shiming with his strikes. Such aggressive attacks had made defense irrelevant, since the opponent would be too busy evading to even think of attacking. diolus''s attack was already gaining frequency and vigor. Li Shiming estimated diolus''s power to be around the very top of level five.

    diolus''s attack was direct, but powerful. However, Li Shiming didn''t seem to want to use his sword ''Vayu''.

    With the aggressive attacks, diolus had controlled the flow of the battle, and the intensity of his attack was still increasing by the second. It was one of the characteristics of Ninjutsu to force oneself to the limit; every fight was a fight of life and death.

    Bright de aura spread out from every impact as diolus chained his attacks, attempting to finish off Li Shiming.

    Most fighters who were in Li Shiming''s situation would focus on defense and wait for the aggressor to slip up. However, Li Shiming did not intend to y the waiting game.

    In a blink of an eye, Li Shiming darted across the deadly de aura and closed onto diolus.

    This sudden development surprised diolus as he hesitated slightly. The slight hesitation was enough to interrupt the battle flow. He was forced to channel more energy to gather himself and initiate the attack again.

    However, Li Shiming was not backing down. Instead, he inched even closer towards his opponent, despite the deadly blows around him. diolus''s power was not remotely close to that of Li Shiming. He was only good as a practice target for Li Shiming to ready himself for the fight in the finals.

    During a confrontation of two equally powerful fighters, the pacing of the fight became a critical factor that would affect the oue.

    Some fighters such as diolus would like to give all they had from the beginning. However, Li Shiming had taken his time, and slowly released his full power.

    Without realizing that he was walking into Li Shiming''s trap, diolus was still convinced that he had the upper hand.

 Chapter 372: Fret Not

    Chapter 372: Fret Not

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    diolus''s aggression had utterly overwhelmed Li Shiming, as aggressive attacks showered thetter. Although it would be hard for anyone to hold his or her ground under such a gruesome assault, diolus reminded himself to be careful and not to let the other gain an opportunity to overturn the situation.

    Although Li Shiming held his ground with ease, eventually, diolus had seen an opportunity to release his coup de grace.

    "Kill!" diolus suddenly shouted.

    In a blink of an eye, rays of bright lights shot off from diolus''s de as it slowed its pace. The de seemed to be absorbing energy from its surroundings, and soon, it had built up a vast amount of energy that could destroy the entire arena.

    As arge amount of energy poured out from the tip of the de, Li Shiming stared at his opponent with awe. He slowly reached out his right hand towards the de. Suddenly, a whirlwind appeared in Li Shiming''s hand, and he hurled it towards the de. The energy in the whirlwind was no less than that in the de. Although diolus''s attack had used the divine level energy, Li Shiming''s whirlwind attack had also demonstrated his immense real power.

    The explosion rippled throughout the arena, and before the dust had settled, diolus''s de slowly fell into Li Shiming''s hand.

    By then, the de had been devoid of any energy, just like its owner, who was by then devoid of any will to fight.

    diolus stood up slowly. He realized that there was no point in continuing the match, since Li Shiming''s power was way above his.

    diolus folded his hands and bowed to Li Shiming.

    "The winner is LI SHIMING!"

    By then, the audiences realized that it had been Li Shiming who had controlled the flow of the battle, despite him being on the defensive side. In addition to his immense power, the strict self-control Li Shiming had demonstrated had deeply impressed the audiences.

    After the two rounds of matches, the first day of the final sixteen yoffs also came to an end. Everyone was engrossed in discussing the performance of Patroclus and Li Shiming. Also, the "Zerg incidence" had also been discussed widely over the inte.

    The initial response from the Ivantian government regarding the incidence was that Zader had been a human. However, the Zerg had somehow taken control of his body and mind, using methods still unknown. The experts were working industriously to uncover the truth, and so far, they had concluded that the parasite inside Zader was dead, and it would not be able to seek another host.

    Although the incident didn''t create any immediate damages, its implications had deeply concerned the Confederation.

    As for the remainder of the fighters from the Andromeda Gxy, the Ivantian government had also discovered their whereabouts. However, since their cover had been blown, they all hadmitted suicide.

    Ever since the incident, the confederation had picked up the ck and boosted the number of patrols inside their domain of control, especially inside and around the Andromeda Gxy. Thebatants were unaffected on their home, and therefore, they must have been attacked on their way to the moon. Although the confederation had substantial military capital, it was not enough to cover the vast and endless space. When the transport ship was attacked by the Zergs, it didn''t even have time to send out a distress signal.

    To the members of the council, the fate of a dozen human being was not their main concern. Their priority was to find out the culprit, and prevent such incidents in the future.

    The investigators had confirmed that once a human was taken control by the Zerg, it could undergo physical changes, which could be detected using X-ray equipment.

    In a very short time, all three major spaceports had purchased such equipment. Everyonemented that in the age of genome modifications, the humans were forced to resort to primitive technologies such as X-ray.

    Nheless, it had proven to be an effective method in preventing simr incidences.

    Meanwhile in Ayrng, everyone was worried for Wang Tong, as he was about to face his toughest opponent, the Enchantress Li Ruoer.

    Not only did Li Ruoer have the Tactics of the Enchantress at her disposal, but she also had the legendary sword, "Rosy." Although Li Ruoer was not invincible, as many METAL experts had pointed out that Li Ruoer''s attackscked intensity and endurance, everyone at Ayrng agreed that Wang Tong''s victory was only wishful thinking.

    Also, Li Ruoer also enjoyed a much wider fan base than Wang Tong. Apart from Ayrng, Bernabeu, and the S-Club, the remaining audiences supported Li Ruoer.

    Even the S-Club members knew that the time to challenge the real power of their leader hade.

    The Sky arena was packed with audiences who wanted to watch the third match in the final sixteen yoffs, and almost all of them were here to watch Li Ruoer, the de facto "Princess" of all earthlings.

    Time could change a lot of things, but so far, the royal-like status of House of Li had not changed.

    However, among the supporters of Li Ruoer, a group of audiences sat close to each other and cheered for Wang Tong. All of them wore a shirt with a big S printed on it. Many of Wang Tong''s supporters were also contestants of the tournament.

    Although ny-nine percent of the audiences were supporters of Li Ruoer, as a previously unknown fighter, Wang Tong''s sess in the tournament had been impressive.

    Regardless of the oue, Team Earth would have already earned two of the eight seats in the final eight yoffs.

    As a matter of fact, should Li Ruoer win the fight and enter the final eight, she could even tag team with her brother and further increase Team Earth''spetitiveness in the final.

    Although it was still too early to discusses the details of strategies in the final yoffs, earthlings would need to use any advantage they had, since no one, not even an Einherjar, could guarantee to prevail in a fight against other powerful fighters.

    Wang Tong sat inside of the resting room, listening to the waves of cheers calmly. Karl stood behind him, and was rubbing his boss''s shoulders, trying to rx him.

    "Don''t you fret, boss. Just think of it as a normal battle. I believe in you as much as I believed in the de Warrior!"

    "Karl, can you please stop jittering? "Hu Yangxuan asked.

    "Buzz off! It''s my method of rxing! We can finally teach those Great Houses some lessons!" Karl announced loudly in a shaky voice.

    "Can you two be quiet? The more you talk, the more nervous we feel!" Zhou Sisiined. Her face was overwrought, and hands were clenched into fists.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile. "It''s not as bad as you think."

    "Haha, what did I tell you? Only you weaklings would feel nervous, not our boss!" Karlughed and said. Everyone, except for Wang Tong were unnerved by Wang Tong''s next opponent, but the person in question seemed to be very rxed.

    Apache stood quietly against the wall and then said slowly. "Don''t waste your time worrying about him. He is not even afraid of death."

    Wang Tong simply smiled. Truth be told, he really found it hard to be nervous about this fight.

 Chapter 373: Rosys Rage

    Chapter 373: Rosy''s Rage

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong was well aware of Li Ruoer''s power, and he knew that even if she had made a breakthrough in his cultivation, the Enchantress would not pose any threat to him. The only roadblock for Wang Tong was Patroclus and Li Shiming.

    Although Michaux was also very powerful, he did not care about the oue of the tournament as much as the other two rivals of Wang Tong.

    Li Ruoer sat in the resting room by herself. She had been expecting this fight for a while, as she was eager to avenge her previous defeats.

    The quietness in Li Ruoer''s resting room contrasted the chatters in Wang Tong''s. To be born in a Great House meant loneliness and responsibility. Friendship, like many other sentiments, had always been irrelevant in her life. However, since she had never experienced those sentiments, she never cared for them either.

    As she walked out of the backstage, she was greeted by bright stage lights and deafening cheers.

    Unlike his friends, Wang Tong was very calm as he sauntered to the stage. He marveled how much his life had changed, as he would never think that he would fight face to face on a stage with the heir of House of Li one day. ''Eat your heart out, Old Fart!''

    ording to everyone else, including Li Shiming, Li Ruoer already had the victory in the bag, Li Shiming knew her sister''s power the best, and he was convinced that only Patroclus and he could defeat her.

    As soon as Li Ruoer saw Wang Tong, she quickly forgot about her determination of defeating her opponent. Standing in front of the man who had known her from inside out, Li Ruoer faltered.

    Ever since she had met Wang Tong, many things had happened between the two, and Li Ruoer had finallye to terms with her feelings toward Wang Tong¡ªshe was going to confront it directly.

    Li Ruoer knew that today was thest chance she had to put an end to her infatuation. "Rosy" hummed quietly, and Li Ruoer smiled knowingly; today was the day.

    The two locked their eyes; many words had been exchanged in that exchange of nce.

    The game started!

    "Wosh"¡ª"Rosy" was unsheathed.

    Audiences were shocked by the sight of "Rosy." They wondered why Li Ruoer would bother using her legendary sword on a no ount.

    Despite the murmurs among the audiences, Li Ruoer focused on the fight. As long as she could defeat Wang Tong in this fight, she would be able to escape the torment of her infatuation and make another breakthrough in her cultivation.

    The thought of her responsibility as the heir of House of Li had lent her a newfound determination. Her expression became cold as ice as she made up her mind to do away with Wang Tong. No one would know anything about what happened between her and Wang Tong if he were dead.

    Wang Tong immediately picked up the threat. However, instead of being concerned for his life, Wang Tong was more interested in seeing how much Li Ruoer had improved.

    Li Ruoer attack, and a de aura flew towards Wang Tong. Wang Tong dodged as the attacknded on the ground and exploded. Despite the deadliness of Li Ruoer''s attack, her moves were beautiful and elegant.

    Seeing that Li Ruoer had improved a lot, Wang Tong racked a smile and released the "Layered Fist of Tong."

    "Komm!"

    LI Ruoer met the attack head on, and the force in the impact had told them both that their opponent was much stronger than they were when they foughtst time.

    "Rosy" danced around Wang Tong, emitting rays of de Aura as Li Ruoer used the illusive footstep to beguile her opponent.

    The two knew each other''s power very well, and therefore, they gave all they had from the very beginning. Li Ruoer''s excellent understanding of swordy was hidden inside the details of her moves. Despite the smoothness of every twist and turn of her de, it was as deadly as a poisonous viper.

    No one expected Wang Tong tost long under such powerful attacks. Not only Li Ruoer''s soul energy was at the top of level five, but she had also used the renowned Tactics of the Enchantress.

    The twobatants had exchanged over a few hundred rounds of attacks, and the audiences observed every single exchange. Everyone was astonished to see that Wang Tong was able to stand his ground despite the aggressive and deadly attacks pouring on him.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong shouted as he punched at Li Ruoer, and thetter turned her sword to block the iing attack.

    "Komm!"

    Both fighters were pushed a few feet back by the explosion.

    "You have improved a lot. However, you are still not going to defeat me." Wang Tong announced.

    LI Ruoer''s eyes glinted as she said, "Don''t you dare underestimate me! You will pay for it!"

    Wang Tong shrugged, "Sure, try me."

    A knot of fire burned inside Li Ruoer; she had reminded herself to remain calm. However, Wang Tong''s words had ignited her anger like a spark near a tank of gasoline.

    "Rosy" started to tremble in Li Ruoer''s hand as she pointed its tip directly at Wang Tong. She channeled GN force into the de and then said, "I will show you the power of my sword."

    Why was "Rosy" such a legendary weapon?

    All legendary weapons, such as "Vayu", "Rosy", and "Deva Lance" had some essence of Einherjars'' life force in them, a power that could not be exined using science.

    As the energy in the sword poured out towards Wang Tong, he could sense that the sword seemed to havee alive under the Enchantress''s summoning. The development suddenly piqued Wang Tong''s interest.

    As Wang Tong marveled at Rosy''s power, he was surprised to notice that Li Ruoer had held back her power.

    "Rosy''s Rage!"

    Li Ruoer''s body flickered and suddenly emerged above Wang Tong. She hovered in the air using only her GN force. Rosy had to be a scintiting beam of light, as the rays of lights emitted from the center of the spot of brightness resembled the petals of a pink lotus flower.

    The bright de Aura soon encircled Wang Tong and closed in on him at once.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong found himself bombarded by de aura attacks.

    The ground trembled along with the waves of explosions. Before this fight, everyone thought that any fighter who was able to release de aura could be counted as a powerful fighter. However, the terrible scene had shown the audiences the real power of de aura.

    As the dust settled, Li Ruoernded back on the ground. Truth be told, she didn''t want to use the legendary weapon. The reason she brought Rosy with her was more because of the family tradition than necessity.

    Everyone''s breath was caught in their throat as they worried about the safety of Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong covered his head with both arms, while his body was surrounded by ayer of golden energy shield.

    "It...hurts..." Wang Tongmented as he licked a wound on his arms.

    Unlike many other fighters, Wang Tong excelled in endurance and resilience, thanks to the gruesome training in the Crystal Space. It wasmon knowledge that being on the defensive side was much harder than on the offensive. Therefore, everyone was astonished to see that Wang Tong was unharmed without using a METAL suit.

    Seeing the familiar golden shield surrounding Wang Tong, Li Ruoer''s heart sank.

    "It''s my turn!" Wang Tong flexed his wrist and started the attack right away. He used the "Layered Fist of Tong" and charged at Li Ruoer.

    Even as the fist was only an inch away from Li Ruoer''s face, she remained still. Seeing that Li Ruoer didn''t counter his attack, Wang Tong was forced to halt his attack. However, almost simultaneously, Li Ruoer shifted her body back, so that to ordinary audience''s eyes, it was as if she had evaded Wang Tong''s attack. However, the suspicious interaction didn''t escape the powerful fighters such as Lie Jian. Lie Jian was slightly annoyed by the development, although he was certain that Wang Tong had been charmed by Li Ruoer. Despite Li Ruoer''s prestigious family background, her beauty, and power deeply attracted Lie Jian, and he was convinced that one day, he would able to ask Li Ruoer for her hand.

    Wang Tong didn''t stop his attack because ofpassion for a defenseless woman¡ªLi Ruoer was far from that. He stopped because he knew that Li Ruoer had just felt the real power in the Tactics of the de.

    Unlike the energy that was intentionally released in an attack, Li Ruoer had felt a more powerful and purer presence of energy that was unintentionally emitted from Wang Tong while he executed the Tactics of the de.

 Chapter 374: Silver Lining

    Chapter 374: Silver Lining

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Not everyone was able to release the pure form of energy which Li Ruoer had just sensed. Wang Tong didn''t do it on purpose. Instead, it was the soul energy of Rosy that had triggered it.

    Seeing the perplexed expression on Li Ruoer''s face, Wang Tong cracked a smile. He knew that this day woulde sooner orter.

    Despite Li Ruoer''s efforts in gathering herself, her mind raced, and so did her heartbeat. The existence of such power had been a well-kept secret inside House of Li, since it was the loss of such power that had contributed to their decline.

    "It''s impossible! It must be an illusion." Li Ruoer told herself. Li Ruoer''s heart sank, as the thought of Wang Tong''s power unnerved her. But, she paused her train of thoughts; she still had to fight to the finish. As she cranked up her soul energy, she channeled her GN force into "Rosy."

    Wang Tong watched as the Enchantress started her tactics. He was surprised to find out that the tactics of the Enchantress were not nearly as powerful as the Tactics of the de. He marveled at General Li Feng''s foresight. If Li Feng had left the more powerful tactics to his offspring, House of Li would have already be the tyrant on the Earth.

    Although it wasmon knowledge that all young generation fighters were level five or below, Li Ruoer''s soul energy kept on increasing, and didn''t seem to be slowing down.

    The event host shrieked as he read out Li Ruoer''s sol reading. "Four hundred and ny! She is very close to advancing to level six!"

    "Can she do it? Will she level up?"

    "Komm!"

    There and then, this year''s first level six-fight fighter appeared on the stage. Some members of the audience stood up in shock, as they also realized how powerful the other final eight contestants were.

    Li Ruoer had proven that even as a member of the Great Houses, she did not forget about her training, like other members of the Great Houses.

    Seeing that Li Ruoer had leveled up, Lie Jian''s eyes glinted as he became more determined in pursuing the Enchantress.

    The audience poured waves after waves of cheers and apuse for Li Ruoer. Some of them were convinced that Li Ruoer would be the first female Einherjar in hundreds of years.

    Li Ruoer enjoyed the empowering cheers from the crowd; it made her feel that she belonged to this stage. She threw a sidelong nce at Wang Tong, and noticed that even he seemed to be impressed by her disy of strength.

    The development had unnerved Ma Xiaoru, and she started to worry about Wang Tong. Although she was happy for her close friend''s advancement of cultivation, she also felt despair for her own condition. As an Enchantress, Ma Xiaoru knew that once Li Ruoer had advanced to level six, she would finally be able to release the full power of "Rosy."

    Ma Xiaoru had never thought that Li Ruoer could make such leaps and bounds in her cultivation. All the while, a sense of inferiority rose inside her.

    Wu Xin patted her daughter''s head and said, "Don''t worry! It is already an aplishment for Wang Tong toe this far. If you really like him, you should like him for who he is, not because he is the champion."

    Wu Xin had been a very stubborn girl, who always knew what she wanted. When she fell in love with Ma Dutian, she didn''t do it because of the fame of House of Ma. Instead, it was love that connected the two even till this day. Ever since the two first started dating, Wu Xin had never changed her heart, despite the vicious rumors and doubts around her. It was Wu Xin''s personality that had convinced her to not interfere with her daughter''s affair. Plus, after days of observation, she had also started to like Wang Tong for his sense of responsibility and his incredible mettle.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Li Ruoer slowly pointed the tip of Rosy at Wang Tong, as if she wanted to pop the bubble that she saw Wang Tong had been living in.

    Although Ma Xiaoru had alwaysined about problems in her cultivation with Li Ruoer, thetter felt that she was the luckiest girl in the world; she had the most caring parents in the world.

    Unlike Ma Xiaoru''s parents, Li Zhedao had never looked at his daughter in her eyes, because he felt Li Ruoer was too weak. Instead of seeing the people around him as family and friends, Li Zhedao categorized them as either the strong or the weak. Ma Xiaoru had no idea of the istion and hopelessness Li Ruoer had endured ever since she was a kid. However, it was that very sense of loneliness and helplessness that had lent Li Ruoer the strength to train harder each day.

    Li Ruoer was no more talented than Ma Xiaoru. She had be stronger simply because she was still in the gym training while Ma Xiaoru had already gone home, spending time wither her lovely family.

    By then, no one thought that Wang Tong would win the fight, as there was no way that Wang Tong was able to defeat a level six fighter.

    A cold silence fell inside of the Dream Caf¨¦. Although the owner was not sure what was going on, the forlorn atmosphere told him that his Lucky Charm was doomed.

    Wang Tong pumped his fists together with a smile, and then cranked up his soul energy. Truth be told, he was very impressed by Li Ruoer''s improvement. He had never thought that a girl would be able to possess such endurance and talent. Through strict self-discipline and training, she had be a real fighter. Despite her other faults, Wang Tong acknowledged her as a worthy opponent.

    Wang Tong''s soul energy kept on increasing, and it reached four hundred and ny quickly. Everyone''s breath was caught in their throats as they watched Wang Tong getting closer to advancing to level six.

    Karl grabbed onto Hu Yangxuan''s arm in excitement. He could not believe his eyes. Hu Yangxuan was also shocked by the turn of events, so much so that he didn''t even feel the pain in his arm under Karl''s iron grip.

    Zhou Sisi''s eyes lit up with admiration and glee. She had gone through so much hardship together with Wang Tong that it was impossible for her to not fall for him.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong''s soul energy finally reached level six.

    There he was, this year''s second level six fighter, and a previously no ount from an A-ss Academy, standing on the stage and reaching out his arms to embrace the cheers.

    Even as the heir of the House of Li, Li Ruoer''s advancement was seen as impressive, much less that of Wang Tong.

    Lie Jian''s eyes lit up at the sight of Wang Tong''s sol reading, as realization suddenly down on him that Wang Tong was the fighter he had been looking for.

    Patroclus had been watching the fight quietly in his house. Seeing Wang Tong''s advancement, he simply smiled faintly.

    Li Shiming could no longer sit still and watch the fight. It was not Wang Tong''s power, but something else that had deeply disturbed him.

    Wu Xin was shocked by the turn of events too as she pondered the possibility of Ayrng unprecedentedly cranking out a level six fighter.

    "I told you so, mom!" Ma Xiaoru said with pride, but she, too, was surprised. Although Ma Xiaoru knew that Wang Tong was a powerful fighter, she didn''t think that he could reach level six so fast.

    On the stage, the two fighters started the fight again.

    As the two fighters advanced their soul level, so did the intensity of the fight. With Rosy in her hand, Li Ruoer looked just like the War Maiden, Valkyrie. She had to win this battle. Otherwise, she would never have a chance again.

    "Kom! Kom!"

    Wang Tong blocked the sword with both fists. So powerful was the legendary weapon that Wang Tong was not able to execute his "Layered Fist of Tong" whatsoever.

    Wang Tong took a few steps back while Li Ruoer slowlynded on her feet. She had learned from herst encounter with Wang Tong, and used as little soul energy in her attack as possible. The majority of the damage in her attack was physical,ing from the legendary "Rosy."

    Wang Tong felt a gust of wind as he saw Rosy turn into a beam of light. The beam of light was already sending rays of light made out of de Aura at him.

    "Phoenix''s Dance!"

    The audiences watched as thousands of de-Aura rays flew towards Wang Tong from all directions, and worried if Wang Tong were able to fend off so many attacks at once.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong crossed his arms and shouted, then a giant ice shield suddenly appeared around him, blocking the de Aura.

    Under the powerful attacks, the ice shield didn''tst long. However, even as the ice shield cracked open, Wang Tong stormed out from his cover and punched at Li Ruoer.

    Li Ruoer''s face suddenly paled as she hurried back, hoping to cushion the blow. However, the fist had reached further than she had thought, as Wang Tong''s strike hit home.

    No one had expected such a turn of events. A student from Ayrng had not only reached level six, but alsonded a solid blow on the heir of House of Li.

 Chapter 375: Enchantresss L-Bomb

    Chapter 375: Enchantress''s L-Bomb

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The two Masterybatants, Gong-son Wuce and Guan Dongyang, were shocked to find out that Wang Tong''s techniques were very close to that of Mastery.

    Wu Xin had a million reasons to be alerted; she knew that her husband had hidden something from her. One thing she was certain of was that Wang Tong must have received training elsewhere in addition to Ayrng. Even if Wang Tong were a genius, without proper training, he could never reach level six. However, Wu Xin also knew that if she were wrong, the boy was deemed to be the next Einherjar.

    Ma Xiaoru seemed to have registered her mother''s concerns, although she didn''t have answers either.

    Unlike many new level-six fighters such as Li Ruoer, Wang Tong''s soul energy output was exceedingly stable. With the level six soul energy, Wang Tong started to be more aggressive.

    Ever since the fight with Guan Dongyang, Wang Tong had been experimenting with the power of nature¡ªthe way of Mastery. The results of the experimentation had surprised Wang Tong. Not only was using mastery a viable option for him, but his soul essence had also strengthened his soul mastery power.

    At the same time, Wang Tong conceded that he needed to spend more time in controlling the power of the mastery. Since the source of the mastery power was from outside¡ªunlike the GN force which came from the cultivator himself¡ªthe external power would sometimes harm its summoner''s sea of consciousness. Wang Tong had the first-hand experience when he had identally drawn too much external power into his system. He conceded that to make the mastery more efficient; he would have to strengthen his soul energy.

    Li Ruoer gritted her teeth, enraged by the blow she had received. Slowly, Li Ruoer dug the de into her arm. Even as the blood oozed out of the wound, Rosy started to humming, and Li Ruoer''s eyes started to burn with a purple luster.

    Li Shiming jumped out of his seat and shouted, "What the hell is she doing?"

    Li Ruoer calmly locked her purple eyes onto Wang Tong''s. "I will defeat you, no matter what!" Li Ruoer said as some unseen force floated around her, blowing the loose folds of her shirt.

    The Tactics of the Enchantress had a very extreme coup de grace that was quite self-harming. It was very unwise for Li Ruoer, as a new level six fighter, to use those drastic measures.

    But, the honor and the dignity of her and her family was at stake. Hence, Li Ruoer simply could not afford to lose the battle. She knew what had to be done, since if she were defeated by Wang Tong once again, she might not have the courage to even stand face to face with him from then on.

    "Kom!"

    Purple energynced upward and engulfed the Enchantress. Even the Rosy had turned purple by now. Wang Tong registered the seriousness of the situation: It was not Li Ruoer who controlled Rosy at this moment, but it Rosy that was controlling Li Ruoer.

    The situation was turning more dangerous by the second. Wang Tong took a deep breath and readied himself to embrace anything that woulde up next.

    Li Shiming stormed out of his house, trying to stop his sister''s foolish act, but he paused after taking only a few steps.

    "Stop her? Think again!" Li Shiming told himself.

    Li Shiming knew that the honor of his entire family was at stake, and he could not simply show up and force his sister to announce defeat.

    "She has made a choice, and now she will have to live with the consequences."

    The Blood Sacrifice was a technique that was rarely used by even a veteran level, six Enchantress. Despite its power, it could easily drive the cultivator into the state of derangement.

    The energy poured profusely into Li Ruoer from Rosy instead of the other way around. This reversed process was very dangerous.

    Everyone in the arena could feel the immense power pouring out of the edge of the purple de. Wang Tongmented his lucky of encountering someone who had be as powerful as an Einherjar. He wagered that Li Ruoer must have used a secret technique that was unique to the House of Li, with which they could use their blood to summon the power of a former Einherjar inside of "Rosy."

    Wang Tong conceded that this fight was going to be more troublesome than he had thought.

    As Li Ruoer''s eyes turned into pools of purple mes, she started an attack.

    Rosy cheeks,

    lost soul,

    flower blossomed,

    to whom its beauty owe?

    Even the sky above the arena started to take on a purple hue as the energy of the Einherjar weighed on the audiences like a heavy nket.

    The pressure was much more intense on the stage. The floor of the stage had already started to crack, and many small fragments defied gravity as they were lifted upward by the purple energy.

    Once released, the Enchantress coup de grace was able to shatter any opponent''s sea of consciousness. So, Wang Tong focused on his defense and closely guarded his soul essence.

    "Enchantress''s Apocalypse!"

    Li Ruoer pointed Rosy at Wang Tong; the ground trembled as she plunged the tip into Wang Tong''s chest.

    Suddenly, two beams of golden light shot out from Wang Tong''s eyes. He crossed both his hands as ice walls erupted from the ground and surrounded him.

    However, the ice walls were too weak to defend against the Enchantress''s coup de grace; they shattered as soon as they came in contact with Rosy.

    In a blink, the tip of Rosy was only an inch away from Wang Tong. Having no other deference, Wang Tong grabbed the de with one hand to slow the attack at the expense of a severe injury. Wang Tong''s left hand followed with attacks not on Li Ruoer, but on Rosy. After an intense wave of jabbing, the de finally slowed down.

    Although the de had lost its momentum, it was still inching closer towards Wang Tong''s chest slowly.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath and then shouted at the top of his lungs.

    The shout quickly turned into sound wave attacks that were aimed at Li Ruoer. If Li Ruoer had not bound her soul energy with Rosy, she would have been able to fend off the attack with ease. However, right then, she simply did not have enough soul energy to defend herself. As a result, she suddenly lost control of Rosy. Wang Tong seized the opportunity and threw it to the side.

    The purple color slowly faded away and Li Ruoer copsed onto the ground, her face pale as a ghost.

    Wang Tong helped her sit up and then asked, "Why do you have to try so hard?"

    Tears streaked across Li Ruoer''s cheeks.

    "I...like you."

    Wang Tong was caught off guard, as he had never expected to hear these words from her. There had always been too much animosity between the two, and Wang Tong almost lost his life a few times because of her.

    Seeing Wang Tong''s shocked expression, Li Ruoer swallowed down her pride and bitterness. She knew that once she revealed her final secret to Wang Tong, she would be as vulnerable as a naked babe.

    Wang Tong was stupefied by the development. As far as he knew, Li Ruoer loathed him and regarded him as her rival ever since they had met.

    While Wang Tong was stillmenting the capriciousness of women, Li Ruoer fainted in his arms. Wang Tong stood up slowly, still dazed by what had happened. He had created the most shocking news ever since the start of the tournament: A no-ount had defeated the heir of House of Li.

    It took the students at Ayrng five minutes to finally take in what had just happened. The host was so shocked that he had a problem pronouncing Wang Tong''s name.

    Even with the power of an Einherjar at her disposal, Li Ruoer was still not able to defeat Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong had be famous overnight across the entire Confederation. This was a tough fight, but Wang Tong had achieved total victory.

    The S-Club members shouted the name of their leader while "Faith Hilling" their shirts, making the bright S stand out.

    On thebatants'' section, everyone stood up to congratte Wang Tong. Karl was jumping up and down his seats, shouting Wang Tong''s name.

    Wang Tong remained calm as Li Ruoer''s words still rang in his ears. He was not sure what to make of those words, neither did he know how to deal with Li Ruoer from then on.

    Ma Xiaoru held back her urge of visiting Wang Tong, and went to visit Li Ruoer as soon as the battle was over.

    Bothered by the potential plot her husband had hidden from her, Wu Xin wasn''t in the mood of stopping her daughter to visit her friend. She dialed Ma Dutian''s number and the line connected right away, as if Ma Dutian had been expecting her phone call.

    "What do you have to say?"

    "Oh my love, why so serious. I miss you so much!" Ma Dutian said with a sweet smile.

    "That''s not what I want to hear, Ma Dutian!" Wu Xin''s voice became even more scathing.

    "Ah...oh... you meant that boy. Yea, yea, I knew that he might be...The One."

    "You mean The One?" Wu Xin was shocked by the revtion.

    "You bet, my dear!" Ma Dutian said with a broad smile.

    "How is that possible? Is he still alive?"

    "God knows, but I am sure that no one other than him was able to achieve what he had done, not even in three hundred long a*s years. "

 Chapter 376: Uphill Battle

    Chapter 376: Uphill Battle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I think your approval of his rtionship with our daughter had in part contributed to his audacity." Wu Xin said.

    "Hon, you know me. I will do anything for Xiaoru. If Xiaoru were not interested in him, I would never agree to that. Anyways, our family matters aside, de Warrior''s reappearance means only one thing¡­Humanity is in crisis again."

    "That''s an overstatement. Haven''t we already controlled the spread of the Zergs?"

    "Yea, but there was something... Anyways, we need to know more about his boy, especially about who is behind him." Ma Dutian knew he had to be extremely cautious, since one minor misstep could cause a disaster to the world.

    "If he is the de Warrior, there must be something to prove it?"

    "Hehe, let''s wait until the tournament is over. Once he finishes the tournament, he wille talk to me, and then I will ask him about it."

    "Me too, I can''t pass up the opportunity of talking to a de Warrior."

    "That''s good. Watch out while you are on the Moon. I know the Li probably already know as much as we do, if not more."

    "Yeah, yeah. I am not a kid." Wu Xin nodded and then turned off the terminal. If Wang Tong were the de Warrior, she felt it was her responsibility to protect him from harm.

    Ma Dutian hung up and talked to an android right beside him.

    "Still not working?"

    "We are unable to connect at the nuclear level. If he is the de Warrior, why don''t we let him give it a try?" The android asked.

    "That''s my opinion too. We have been working on the new battery for too long. Maybe, only the de Warrior would be able to help us. How''s the progress on the construction of the BSG?"

    "The Battlestar is ready, except for the power unit¡ªthe battery."

    Ma Dutian nodded. The Battlestar Gctica was the project he had been working on for his entire life, and the onlyponent missing was its power supply. Ma Dutian conceded that he would have to ask Wang Tong for a solution after all.

    Although Ma Dutian still knew very little about this boy, he was convinced that there was someone extremely powerful behind him, helping him along the way.

    Meanwhile, on the moon, Zhang Mi, the journalist had been promoted to the senior reporter at the ETV thanks to her sessful program on Wang Tong. The chief editor named Hitesh was very pleased with her work, and even made a move on her, asking her out for dinner.

    She dug deeper into Wang Tong''s past and created a special program based on it. The program was a smashing hit, as everyone was very interested in knowing more about this mysterious boy.

    The special program had not only given more information about Wang Tong, but it had also reminded everyone of the former glory of Ayrng. Two heroic figures had graduated from this crestfallen academy, Li Feng and Rngalos.

    As Ayrng had fallen from grace and reached rock bottom, Samantha walked in and made drastic changes to the school. Ever since then, Ayrng seemed to havee back to life and improved significantly in METAL and Fleetbat.

    Truth be told, the roles which Wang Tong and Karl had yed in revitalizing the school were much greater than those of Ma Xiaoru and Wang Ben.

    People saw the first sliver of hope in seeing a glorious Ayrng when Wang Tong and Karl had prevailed in the fleetbat tournament and with Now, with Wang Tong''s advancement into the final eight, the promising outlook of Ayrng already seemed like a reality.

    Exactly how strong was Wang Tong?

    Would Ayrng restore its former glory?

    Was Wang Tong the reincarnation of the two legendary fighters?

    Ever since Wang Tong''s victory over Li Ruoer, questions rted to Wang Tong had be the second most searched items online. The most popr items were still rted to Einherjar Wannabe.

    Ayrng''s rising to fame couldn''t havee at a more convenient time, since it was around August, and many students were deciding which school to go to. Although Ayrng was not yet as famous as Capth, it had be very popr among the citizens of Shangjin. Not only did Ayrng boast the best fleetbat program in the entire Confederation, but it also hosted the most influential student group, the S-Club. As flurries of applications arrived at the Admission''s office, the department head of the Admissions finally felt that he was working at a top academy.

    The final battle for section four was about to draw back its curtain. It would be a fight between Lie Jian and Wang Ben.

    Wang Ben sat quietly inside of the resting room, surrounded by darkness. He needed a period of solitude to reflect on his life, and on what this fight meant for him. In addition to his father, the most influential person in his life had been his friend Wang Tong. Sometimes, he wished that he could live Wang Tong''s life, no longer constrained by his birth.

    This match was deemed to be an uphill battle for bothbatants, since both fighters were aggression-focused.

    The arena was packed with Martians who came to watch Lie Jian''s performance. They had been getting bored with the sophisticated but mundane fights and had been looking forward to Lie Jian''s much more visceral performance.

    Wang Ben walked to the stage amidst the cheers of the audiences. He nced across the stage with a cid expression. Wang Ben never cared about fame; he was on the stage for only one thing, fighting a tough opponent.

    Wang Ben was also very adamant in upholding his values, which was a nice way of saying that he was stubborn. For example, he could have passed the maze quickly without fighting the Zergs. Instead, he had to make sure that all Zergs were dead, and almost lost his ticket to the tournament because of that.

    Every coin had two sides. Although Wang Ben was hindered by his stubbornness at times, in the long run, he had greatly benefited from his iron will.

    Although the story of Wang Ben''s two mind-opening operations had been aughing stock among many members of the great houses, by now, no one considered him a failure, but a paragon of perseverance.

    Wang Tong and his friends had also arrived at the arena. Although some of the Ayrng students didn''t want to attend Wang Ben''s match, Wang Tong had convinced them toe in the end. Wang Tong knew that Wang Ben didn''t switch school willingly; he must have been forced to do so by his father.

    Everyone on Team Ayrng hade to the arena, except for Karl, who still held a grudge against Wang Ben''s betrayal.

    As Wang Ben nced at the audiences, his eyes paused for a brief second on Team Ayrng, then he looked away, as a warmth rose inside him.

    Among all the students of Ayrng, the one person who was able to catch up with Wang Tong''s progress was neither Ma Xiaoru nor Hu Yangxuan; it was Wang Ben.

    As a swell of cheers erupted among the Martian audiences, Lie Jian sauntered onto the stage. He threw away the cape, revealing the swarthy and brawny body underneath as he raised his fists in the air as a response to his fans.

    Lie Jian did not think Wang Ben would be a tough opponent, since thetter had to try twice just to pass the mind-open operation. However, he thought it would be fun to humiliate General Hu Ben by defeating his son.

 Chapter 377: Hand To Hand

    Chapter 377: Hand To Hand

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Both fighters had arrived on the stage with the unswerving conviction that they would be the victor. Neither of them was known for modesty; it was all in or all out.

    Wang Ben initiated his tactics and charged up his soul energy to four hundred and twenty. This was an incredible amount for someone whocked many advantages that Lie Jian had, and was the result of hundreds upon hundreds of hours of hard work.

    Wang Ben had only been mind opened for less than a year, yet he had already reached the top of the level five; such an achievement was unprecedented, so much so that even his opponent Lie Jian was caught off guard by his rate of improvement. Surprise aside, Lie Jian was not a bit worried about his victory; a stronger opponent would only make the fight more entertaining for him.

    Lie Jian started his tactics of the ze as his eyes slowly turned into pools of molten iron.

    "Kom!"

    "Tiger''s Roar!"

    "URHHH!"

    The ground under both fighters trembled, and the two contestants disappeared into thin air simultaneously.

    The Racing Tiger versus the Fist of Fire.

    Wang Ben''s supporters held onto their seats as they be worried. Not only was the Fist of ze powerful, but it was also infused with the vicious fire poison. If Wang Bene to contact with the fire poison, he might as well have lost the fight.

    "Kom!"

    After the impact, Lie Jian stood where he had appeared while Wang Ben stumbled a few steps back.

    A smug crept onto Lie Jian''s face as he said, "Fist of the Tiger? Haha! more like the Fist of pussy-cat!" Lie Jian was well known for his conceit, and many fighters had be the victim of his poisonous tongue.

    Wang Ben was unruffled by the taunt; he checked his system and found out that the fire poison did not break through his defense. The Fist of the Racing Tiger was the most righteous force in the world, and therefore, its cultivator was practically immune to any devious tactics, such as the fire poison.

    As Wang Ben charged up his soul energy again, his body trembled slightly, and then he shouted out the name of his technique.

    "The Eighteen Tigers¡ªMountain Tiger!"

    Lie Jian didn''t flinch as he closed in onto Wang Ben, and was going to face the attack head-on.

    "Kom!"

    The impact sent a wave of explosions throughout the arena, followed by a swelling of cheers. The audiences loved watching the intense hand to handbat more than those that heavily relied on soul energy.

    "Kom!"

    Lie Jian''s fiery fist blocked the attack with ease while the Martian invaded Wang Ben''s defense with waves of fire poison.

    However deadly the fire poison was, Wang Ben simply didn''t care as he retaliated with abandon. Although Lie Jian''s defense had prevented him from releasing the full power of Fist of the Racing tiger, Wang Ben was not deterred by the setback. Instead, it spurred him to attack with even more vigor.

    The stronger the opponent, the more powerful was the Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Wang Ben''s fists were gaining frequency and vigor by each strike, and his soul energy was also steadily increasing. Every single blow was meant to kill. However, Wang Ben''s increasing power didn''t alert Lie Jian. Wang Ben was still too weak to be a worthy opponent for him; he could be a practice target at best.

    Wang Ben could sense the contempt in his opponent, but he remained confident that he was no less powerful than Lie Jian.

    By the tenth blow, Wang Ben finally started to slowly gain the upper hand in the battle, as his soul energy was about to surpass that of Lie Jian. Lie Jian was forced into a corner; it was toote for him to crank up his soul energy, since a sudden increase in soul energy would guarantee an opening in his defense.

    Before the discovery of GN force, physical strength was the dominating factor on the battlefield. However, to use the physical strength, one would first need to practice the inner breathing and increase the strength slowly. At the same time, the soul energy also needed to be increased slowly using tactics. Lie Jian had nned to focus on aggression and finish the fight as soon as possible. Therefore, his soul energy had been increasing at a much slower rate than his opponent.

    By then, Wang Ben had overwhelmed Lie Jian with his attacks, The energy inside him bound with his will, so his execution of moves was wless and deadly.

    Wang Ben''s overwhelming power also came from the solid foundation he had built ever since he was a child. General Hu Ben was known for being a strict mentor, and Wang Ben had followed his father''s orders faithfully< never thinking of cking off.

    Although the foundation he had built didn''t show its effect immediately after his mind open operation, over time, it had lent Wang Ben significant strength during the most difficult times.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Ben''s punch hit square, and Lie Jian was blown a few feet out.

    Suddenly, silence fell into the arena.

    Lie Jian gathered himself and cracked a smile; he was pleased by his opponent''s power.

    Lie Jian reckoned that Wang Ben not only had the perfect physical defense, but he was also resistant to the poison.

    "Oh, shit! When did he be so powerful?" Hu Yangxuan was astonished by Wang Ben''s strength. He noticed that Wang Ben didn''t use any tricks or element of surprise. He was trying to subdue his opponent by only force.

    "Lie Jian was holding back his strength. We will see. " Wang Tong cracked a smile. Nevertheless, he was impressed by Wang Ben''s improvement, and he figured that it must have something to do with the fact that Wang Ben had opened his mind in his second operation.

    "Kom!"

    Suddenly, Lie Jian''s fists were engulfed in mes. Unlike soul Mastery, these mes were infused with Li Jian''s own soul energy.

    Wang Ben remained calm as he clenched his fists, getting ready for whatever woulde next. All the while, both fighters'' soul energy were burning and toiling inside their sea of consciousness.

    "Come on!" Lie Jian shouted and attacked first.

    Wang Ben followed and charged at the attacker head on.

    "Kom...Kom-Kom!"

    In a blink, the two had exchanged a dozen blows. Both fighters attacked directly, trying to subdue their opponent.

    "Gosh, is he stupid or something? Why can''t he use some tricks like a feint or a dodge?"

    "Hehe, you said it as if he has a choice. He can only defeat Lie Jian with a direct attack. " Turbolix said.

    "Wang Ben''s improvement is very impressive. When he first came to Capth, he was even weaker than me!" One of thebatant from Capthmented.

    "Well, have you noticed that Wang Ben had spent practically every single minute of his life on training? Practice makes one perfect! Plus, he is also very talented." Turbolix said.

    "What about his cultivation? He has already reached level five in such a short time." Another student said.

    "He didn''t have a life, that''s why. No girlfriend and no hobbies equal no distraction. " Turbolix answered. He knew that these students were simply jealous of Wang Ben''s achievement, but had failed to see the hard work behind it.

    Turbolix had been watching Wang Ben ever since he entered Capth. Although at the time, Wang Ben was much weaker than most students, Turbolix had concluded that he would catch up very quickly, because he had the most important quality for a powerful cultivator: perseverance. The real advancement wouldn''te overnight. Instead, it was built upon thousands and thousands of mundane repetitions.

    Nevertheless, Turbolix was also impressed by Wang Ben''s improvement, and he believed that no one in the confederation had ever made such a great leap in their cultivation.

    "Kom!"

    GN force sttered out form the impact of two fists as both fighters took a few steps back. Lie Jian had received a solid blow on the chest, while Wang Ben had gotten three. Each blow Wang Ben had received was infused with fire poison. By then, Lie Jian was convinced that his fire poison had already worked its way into Wang Ben''s system.

    Wang Ben would feel the poison slithering in his blood vein as he tried to contain it with soul energy. The pain would be unbearable to any ordinary human. However, Wang Ben acted as if nothing had happened.

    Wang Ben''s mettle and determination had impressed even Lie Jian.

 Chapter 378: One Simple Punch

    Chapter 378: One Simple Punch

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Jian wanted to give Wang Ben more pressure, since he was concerned that thetter would eventually be able to ovee the fire poison. As the belligerent punch almost reached Wang Ben, Lie Jian folded the energy like folding a piece of cloth, andpletely changed its property.

    "Palm of the Fire Cloud!"

    Lie Jian was well versed in many techniques in addition to the tactics of the ze Thanks to his solid foundation that he built using the Tactics of the ze, Lie Jian was able to master any tactics that heter practiced.

    Wang Ben took a deep breath and shouted as he punched back at his opponent. It wasmon knowledge that the softer energy inside the Fire Cloud Fist was the bane for overbearing forces such as that of Fist of the Racing Tiger.

    Although Fist of the Racing tiger was a powerful tactics, Wang Ben had yet to know how to use it to counter soft energies.

    After a few rounds of attacks, Lie Jian seemed to have gained the upper hand just like everyone expected. A few momentster, Wang Ben was hit squarely in the chest.

    Wang Ben stumbled back as blood spilled out of his mouth; he swallowed the rest of it down, along with the pain.

    Finally, Wang Ben had tasted the power of the Magnificent Five.

    Standing in front of him, Lie Jian looked haughty as ever; his power was undisputed.

    Meanwhile on the Earth¡­

    Wang Ben''s mother was worried about the safety of her child. Although she knew that as a soldier''s mother, she should have expected this, she found it difficult to watch her son being beaten up in front of her. What made her angrier was that her husband was not even watching their son''s fight with her. His excuse: too busy.

    Looking at the conceit on Lie Jian''s face, Wang Ben smiled as he freed all the GN forced that he had used to keep the fire poison in check. As the GN power surged inside his system, so did the fire poison. Pain shot through Wang Ben''s body. However, he contorted his face and managed to bear the pain inside with his iron will.

    Lie Jian was impressed by Wang Ben''s perseverance; he didn''t attack right away. Instead, he waited patiently for his opponent to drop to the ground as the fire poison slowly went out of control.

    Wang Ben had overlooked the power of the fire poison. In a few moments, the poison had reached Wang Ben''s sea of consciousness, and was wreaking havoc inside.

    The pain aside, Wang Ben felt his body starting to spasm; he was gradually losing control of his muscles.

    Students from the Ayrng were unnerved by the development. Although Wang Ben had betrayed them once, they had been friends after-all.

    "What the hell are you doing? Don''t get defeated by that Lie-Lame-Jian! F*ck him! I have been ying fire ever since I was a kid!"

    A loud voice rang among the quiet students from Ayrng; it was Karl. No one knew when he had sneaked into the arena, but his unsavoryments had drawn many dirty looks from the Martian audiences.

    "F*ck it! Finish this douchebag! I forgive you!"

    Karl shouted at the top of his lungs while waving his fists in the air. Lie Jian threw a sidelong nce towards the noise, but didn''t bother to find out who the heckler was.

    "Do you know him, this low-life garbage?" Lie Jian asked.

    "What kind of garbage are you?" Wang Ben said as he struggled to pick himself up off the ground.

    "Ah-ha, you can still talk? How impressive! Are you going to surrender or you want me to make it easier for you?"

    "We are not done yet!"

    By then, Wang Ben had gained full control of his body, and the spasm had disappeared; even the fire poison seemed to have faded away.

    "Fire Poison? What a joke! It''s just a trick." Wang Ben announced, his strong voice suggesting that the fire poison had been cured.

    Hu Yangxuan and Wang Tong exchanged a knowing nce. They had never heard anyone that could break the fire poison so easily.

    "Based on the information I have gathered, the fire poison was a type of soul poison. It was not lethal, but it was meant to inflict unbearable pain for a period."

    It was the first time that Lie Jian''s fire poison had ever failed. Lie Jian was aware that any tactics could fail. For example, if the fire poison were used against Einherjar Wannabe, Lie Jian was certain that not only was it useless, but Einherjar Wannabe would also be able to take advantage of the free energy inside the fire poison. That being said, Einherjar Wannabe was a much powerful fighter than Wang Ben, and therefore, Lie Jian was perplexed by the development. Moreover, Wang Ben''s courage to break the fire poison with his will alone¡ªa feat even Lie Jian himself wouldn''t dare attempt¡ªhad deeply impressed the Martian Warrior.

    "You are a true warrior. Fine, as a token of respect, I shall show you my coup de grace! " Lie Jian announced. He had decided topletely overwhelm Wang Ben in order to wane his confidence. All the while, Lie Jian marveled at the huge improvement Wang Ben had made in just under one year.

    "Kom!"

    The GN force inside Lie Jian suddenly boiled over as his soul energy reached the top of level five. his eyes turned into two pools of molten iron.

    Wang Ben knew that Lie Jian was about to unleash his coup de grace, so he dug in his heels and took a deep breath to get ready.

    The sess of oveing the fire poison had lent Wang Ben confidence, and he knew that the reason Lie Jian decided to release his coup de grace was that he was afraid. On that note, Wang Ben had already gained the upper hand.

    However confident and determined Wang Ben was, he could not ignore the immense power of his opponent. By then, Lie Jian''s soul energy had reached four hundred and ny, while Wang Ben''s remained at four hundred and fifty. Wang Tong knew the actual power of the two fighters could differ greatly from their sol readings.

    Lie Jian''s soul energy was finally fully charged, and suddenly, he shouted, "Double Winged Fire Drake!"

    As Lie Jian''s GN force erupted out of him, the stage turned into a sea of fire. From the mes, a fiery beast charged out and galloped towards Wang Ben.

    Wang Ben didn''t even flinch; he didn''t choose to use any advanced moves to counter the attack. Instead, he punched directly at the beast, the same punch he had been practicing ever since he was a child.

    This was a direct punch, the most straightforward attack. But, Wang Ben had practiced it countless times, a million times or a hundred million times¡ªhe couldn''t remember.

    "Kom!"

    The fist punched through the beast like a piece of paper, and Lie Jian could already feel a deadly forceing at him.

    Lie Jian immediately followed with two more attacks, as two more beasts charged at Wang Ben.

    Wang Ben''s fist cut through the two beasts like cutting through butter, andnded a solid blow on Lie Jian. Lie Jian was sent flying; his limbs dangled from his body in the air like that of a rag doll.

    A reverential silent fell inside of the arena.

    Wang Ben had done it!

    Wang Tong nodded in approval; the fist-technique was extremely powerful. Although it was in and couldn''t be simpler, it was able to ovee Lie Jian''s coup de grace.

    The Martians couldn''t believe what they had just seen. Their prince''s coup de grace was countered!

    Zhang Mi, the journalist, made a mark on Wang Ben''s profile. She found it hard to believe that it was purely a coincident that Wang Ben had studied at Ayrng and had been a member of the S-Club. She couldn''t help but wonder what Samantha had done to the school to bring it back from its slump.

    Wang Ben saw Karl give him a thumbs up, and smiled, it was the first time he smiled ever since he left Ayrng.

    Inside a military officer''s room, a group of military officers cheered for Wang Ben''s sess.

    "Only one year! Atta boy!"

    "Yeah, his rate of improvement is crazy!"

 Chapter 379: The Harp Goddess

    Chapter 379: The Harp Goddess

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I won''t feel jealous of him if I were you. I had been to his house once when he was only six, and I guess what I saw? The kid was practicing that same old punch, and both his fists had been struck into pulp. That was when he first started training. I asked him if it hurts, and guess what thed said?"

    Everyone shook their heads as curiosity burned in their eyes.

    "He said, ''it doesn''t matter.'' I was shocked!"

    On the stage, Lie Jian finally struggled to his feet; it was a humiliation to be struck by such a simple punch.

    "Kom!"

    Lie Jian recharged his soul energy, and the fire-elemental GN force immediately surrounded the Martian. The promise of another round of attacks kept everyone on their seats.

    Lie Jian''s soul energy didn''t stop rising, and in few moments, it had reached level six, just like Li Ruoer and Wang Tong. His injury seemed to have lent him strength, and then and there, the third level six fighter of the year was born.

    As the GN force rolled inside him, Lie Jian charged at Wang Ben like a ming lion.

    Wang Ben rushed to counter the attack as the fist of the Racing Tiger roared in the air. However, by then, the difference in the two fighter''s power was too big, and Wang Ben was no longer able to defend himself effectively. Soon, he received a dozen solid blows on him, and thest strike had sent his body flying to the other end of the arena.

    Seeing the sudden turn of events, even Karl sat down in his seat quietly. The difference between a level five and a level six fighter was unbridgeable. If Wang Tong hadn''t reached level six in time, he would never have been able to defeat Li Ruoer either.

    After thest bout of attack, Lie Jian reestablished dominance. As he thought that the match was over, he watched as Wang Ben stand up from a pile of rubble.

    Lie Jian was shocked, but then he gathered himself and asked, "Do you wish to court death?"

    Wang Ben stood still and didn''t answer.

    As Lie Jian readied his fist to strike again, Wang Ben suddenly copsed to the ground and didn''t get up again.

    "The Winner is LIE JIAN!"

    The medics rushed towards Wang Ben; they knew he was in a dire situation.

    The Martians boiled over as the host announced Lie Jian''s victory. As they poured cheers and apuse at Lie Jian, a sense of respect towards the Earthling boy rose inside them.

    The son of General Hu Ben had proven to the Martians that not all Earthlings were despicable schemers.

    Wang Tong suddenly appeared next to Wang Ben before the medics did. Without saying a word, he channeled his soul energy and covered Wang Ben''s body with it. Wang Tong watched as the fire poison was lured out by Wang Tong''s soul energy. However, as long as it came in contact with the golden energy, it evaporated into thin air.

    After all the fire poison were eliminated that way, Wang Ben finally regained some consciousness. Wang Tong cracked a smile and said to him, "Rest now! We should hang out sometime."

    Wang Ben looked at Wang Tong with a pair of eyes filled with sorrow and remorse; the people in Ayrng were his only true friends.

    Although Wang Ben''s training had forced him into seclusion, no one liked to be alone forever. Only the ones that had suffered from loneliness knew how precious true friendship was.

    Wang Ben nodded as Wang Tong patted on his shoulder. The medics finally arrived and carried Wang Ben off the stage, not paying much attention to Wang Tong.

    All the while, Lie Jian had been standing at the other end of the stage and watching the interaction between the two. The seemingly ordinary boy was the second level six fighter of the year, and had defeated Li Ruoer. ording to Michaux, he was supposed to be Einherjar Wannabe as well, although Lie Jian was no longer certain on that one.

    Wang Tong looked up and locked his eyes with Lie Jian''s; they didn''t speak a word to each other.

    All matches that were scheduled for today had been finished. However, another equally enticing match was about to start. As soon as the final match was over, everyone rushed to the nearest bar to watch Einherjar Wannabe''s PA fight.

    Ever since Einherjar Wannabe defeated Zambrotta, he had be the synonym for the phrase "Everything is possible." The debate over his age had also stirred thing up. Till this day, no one knew for sure if he were a real human or a ghost.

    After all, who could live for over two hundred years?

    To add salt to the injury, the PA system had verified Einherjar Wannabe''s age to be 16 years old when he first joined the PA system. The verification process during a user''s first registration was very strict, and therefore, it was not likely that PA had made a mistake.

    Tonight, Einherjar Wannabe was about to face Lan Qinyue, the grand master of the Soul Devouring Sect. She was a well-known fighter among the Ivantians, and was regarded as the goddess of martial arts on the moon, not only because she had single-handedly destroyed hundreds of Zergs, but also because of her beauty and many of her Einherjar level pursuers.

    At the age of thirty, Lan Qinyue had retained her youth through her cultivation. As a result, hr look never changed ever since she was eighteen. However, her wisdom that had umted over the time shone through her pair of wide eyes.

    Not a lot of people knew what had motivated Lan Qinyue to challenge Einherjar Wannabe. Ever since she retired from the military, she had been focusing on her music and grooming her disciples.

    Wang Tong and his friends had already been waiting for the fight to start. Wang Tong liked watching Mr. Wannabe''s fights, and he wondered how he would fare in this fight against such a beautiful woman. Too bad that Mr. Wannabe had lost his memories. Otherwise, Wang Tong would love to hear his wild stories.

    Everyone was in a good mood since Wang Tong had won his fight against Li Ruoer without even a scratch. After the fight, many students who had not yet joined the S -Club quickly handed in their application. They werepletely mesmerized by his performance.

    In addition to Wang Tong, Hu Yangxuan''s disy of mettle had also won the hearts of many fans, although he had ultimately lost the fight.

    Since Wang Tong had invited everyone from the S Club to join him in watching the PA fight, over three hundred students hade to the meeting hall and turned it into a theater.

    Knowing the gravity of the fight, DREAM had shut off all other PA fights to prepare for this one.

    The Harp Goddess had already arrived, but Einherjar Wannabe was still nowhere to be seen. Sweat crept onto Cameron''s forehead as he prayed that he would not bail on the matchst minute.

    Although there was still half an hour before the start of the match, and Cameron knew that Einherjar Wannabe had the habit of being "fashionablyte," the stake was too high to be so nonchnt this time.

    Fans raised the picture of Lan Qinyue high up in the air; although she was not as beautiful as Heidi, her unique mannerism and her wisdom were what captivated the world.

    Wang Tong nodded as he felt that she would be a great match for Mr. Wannabe. He wondered if Mr. Wannabe would feel bad for striking such a delicate and elegantdy.

    Meanwhile, inside Wang Tong''s dorm...

    "HA!! You cheated! Charcoal, you are an a*shole! You cheated!" Mr. Wannabe shouted furiously. He was ying poker with Charcoal and got a little bit too carried away.

    "I would like to remind you about your fight in half hour."

    "Don''t change the topic! One more round, you sneaky b*stard!"

 Chapter 380: Hero Incognito

    Chapter 380: Hero Incognito

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Five minutes before the match started, Einherjar Wannabe was still nowhere to be seen. Cameron chucked down a couple of pills to calm his nerves. The show ratings were increasing by the second, yet the stage remained half empty.

    By then, even Cameron''s subordinates could feel their boss''s nerves. Everyone held their breath and dared not toment on the situation.

    On the stage, Lan Qinyue was calm. She plugged the virtual harp and felt the differencepared to her real one. Although itcked a soul like the one in real life, it should suffice for the fight tonight.

    Standing beside Lan Qinyue quietly were her disciples. It was a sect rule that no one was allowed to speak when their master was tuning the Harp.

    Two minutes until the start of the fight, and Einherjar Wannabe was still missing. The ads had been pouring into the PA system ever since this morning; every second of airtime would cost a big fortune. If Einherjar Wannabe bailed on the match, DREAM would walk right into a legal disaster.

    In thest minute, Cameron heard a din from the system: Einherjar Wannabe had arrived. Finally, Cameron heaved a big sigh of relief.

    Therge screen on top of the virtual stage turned into a countdown, the anticipation keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. There were more than two million subscribers online watching this fight at the same time. Some of them were here to see Lan Qinyue, but more were here to watch Einherjar Wannabe.

    Lan Qinyue stood up as her disciples walked off the stage. Although Einherjar Wannabe had defeated Zambrotta, he was not the only one who had done that, as Lan Qinyue had also defeated the Thunder Drum a long time ago. In other words, what drove Lan Qinyue to challenge Einherjar Wannabe was not his previous victory. Instead, it was the couple of drum beats that Einherjar Wannabe had made at the end of hisst battle. As Lan Qinyue watched and listened to the drum beat, her intuition told her that she had to meet this mysterious fighter to seek the answer and truth.

    Einherjar Wannabe walked onto the stage and studied the beautiful women. Although the countdown had already finished, neither of the fighters seemed to have the intention of making a move.

    Lan Qinyue stared the old ghost back without saying a word, dragging out the silence.

    "Little wrench, I am in a hurry here. So, I have only time for one of your songs." The old ghost said impatiently. He never liked talking to women. Plus, there was something inside of this girl''s eyes that had unnerved Mr. Wannabe.

    Although Einherjar Wannabe''s pompousness had caught Lan Qinyue by surprise, she didn''t mind it, since the mysterious fighter''s age had lent him credence to his superior wisdom.

    "Moon Dust!"

    Lan Qinyue''s soul energy started climbing as she plugged the strings with her immacte fingernails. Every plugging of the string sent a sound wave that waspletely different, but equally deadly as that of Zambrotta''s drum beats. The attack from the harp strings was much more pervasive, and therefore, harder to defend against. Already, the floor on the stage had started to disintegrate under the omnipresent energy from the harp.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s face turned serious right away, as he had sensed that this girl was not only more powerful than Zambrotta, she was very close to reaching the level of Super Einherjar.

    The main theme that Lan Qinyue had woven into this song was the "four immeasurables" taught in ancient canons. Such a highly spiritual theme had made the music devoid of any worldly pleasures.

    Suddenly, Einherjar Wannabe pped his hands loudly and broke the spell of the music, startling the harp goddess.

    "I can''t stand it! You are alive and well, so why do you have to be so pessimistic about the world. This is what happens when you are over thirty and still single, you turn into a pretentious nihilist! In my time, we called your kind Hippies! Einherjars are human too. They get married and have babies too! Get a life already!"

    Lan Qinyue was stupefied by Einherjar Wannabe''s outburst of scathing criticism. She had firmly believed that only by detaching herself from the world would she be able to advance to the next level of her cultivation.

    Einherjar Wannabe gathered himself from his rage and said, "Fine, fine, keep on going. I still have some time." Mr. Wannabe was disappointed by the values of present-day top fighters. He wondered what had happened to the world that had made everyone so pathetic and fragile. He remembered that when he was young, all the Einherjars upheld more traditional values, and reveled in "traditional activities" such as feasting and wh*ring wherever they went. Most important of all, no oneined about the world, since the world was simply a ce to be conquered and enjoyed.

    Thus it was, the main drive in human evolution being desire, and to be detached from the world full of desires was to take the fuel out of the engine of self-improvement.

    Lan Qinyue seemed to have seen some sense in Einherjar Wannabe''s criticism, so she asked, "Thank you, but I have one more question. Can ying harp really help me find The Way?"

    Although her peers and her disciples respected Lan Qinyue for her knowledge, when it came down to cultivation towards the level of Super Einherjar, she was just an amateur.

    Einherjar Wannabe was shocked by the question. Something in between the lines was beckoning his memories toe back.

    As fragments of memories rushed into Mr. Wannabe''s mind, he vaguely remembered someone he loved, but their love was painful. He saw in the reflection of one fragment that someone was chasing after a swarm of Zergs; his face was contorted with anger and despair.

    Who was that?

    A shadowy figure appeared in another piece of memory, and the figure spoke in a voice sweeter than honey.

    Suddenly, Lan Qinyue felt a deadly power emanating from Einherjar Wannabe. She could feel that it was the power of an Einherjar, but it was much stronger than any Einherjar she had met.

    The powerful energy not only made La Qinyue tremble uncontrobly, but it also brought her a sense of forlorn and dread.

    Einherjar Wannabe was also visibly distressed by this power, and therefore, he gathered himself and managed to keep the spread of the energy in check. He then threw Lan Qinyue a nce and then said coldly, "Let''s start."

    The energy that was still floating about was much calmer, and gave Lan Qinyue an opportunity to study it carefully. She registered that it was filled with bitterness and sweetness of love. Suddenly, she had a moment of Epiphany.

    The harp started singing again as music quickly filled the arena. This time, the rhythm had gained a very different vor; it was like abination of all human emotions.

    Einherjar Wannabe listened to the music as strong feelings roiled inside him. Time seemed to have turned back to when he had been a deadly warrior, and he killed Zergs to numb the pain inside him.

    Someone he kept as the apple of his eyes had left the world, but he remained, living inside a cold, empty husk.

    The music gradually wove the fragments of memories together, and Mr. Wannabe could finally discern the face of that girl who had left him.

    No longer was Mr. Wannabe able to remember what had happened, but he was content to be able to see her again.

    Meanwhile, the music had bonded Lan Qinyue and Einherjar Wannabe''s souls, and therefore, she could able see into his memory as well as Einherjar Wannabe could, if not even clearer.

    She saw a warrior storm through swarms of Zergs and leave piles of carcasses behind. In a matter of hours, he had finished all Zergs on the entire.

    Standing on a pile of dead Zergs, high as a mountain, the warrior took out a picture of a girl from his pocket and stared at her with love and sorrow.

    Although everything seemed to have happened in an instance to Lan Qinyue, she was deeply shocked by what she had seen in that sh of memory. She watched Einherjar Wannabe in front of her, and she no longer saw a PA avatar. Instead, she saw a lone-star traveling through eons, seeking the love that he had once lost.

    As the music ended on thest note, tears poured out of Lan Qinyue''s eyes.

 Chapter 381: The Third Wheel

    Chapter 381: The Third Wheel

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    But why? Why did such a hero remain incognito for so long, and who exactly was he? For the first time, Lan Qinyue had felt that she was genuinely interested in someone.

    Einherjar Wannabe cast an icy stare at Lan Qinyue and announced, "If you say one word to anyone about what you saw, I will kill you." And then, he signed off.

    Audiences strained their ears to capture the fading echoes of the music. The scores were perfectly touching and mesmerizing. As many men saw the tears on the face of the Harp goddess, they wished they could do something to ease her sorrow.

    Everyone was so emotional at the time that no one seemed to remember why they were there, nor cared about the oue of the match.

    After a while, people finally managed to gather themselves and started to reflect on the fight. Did Lan Qinyue win?

    To be fair, no one would be able to judge the oue of the fight except for the fighters themselves.

    The result of the fight aside, Lan Qinyue knew that she was finally about to advance in her cultivation. However, she also conceded that she had fallen in love with that lone-star¡ªa warrior consumed by love.

    After Lan Qinyue signed off, she sent a letter to DREAM, acknowledging her defeat.

    What technique did the two use while they fought?

    Why did Lan Qinyue break into tears towards the end?

    One question bade another, but no answer hade.

    Wang Tong finished watching the fight with red eyes and wet cheeks. The music reminded him of Ma Xiaoru, and the moment when he thought that she had left him for good.

    The fight had clearly gone beyond a normal person''sprehension, and what people failed to foresee at that time was that it wouldter on change the human history.

    After the fight, many analyses of the fight surfaced on the inte, and their interpretation of the fight diverged significantly from each other, some being outright preposterous.

    Einherjar Wannabe didn''t even move a finger, yet he had subdued the powerful harp goddess; not even an Einherjar was able to achieve that.

    After watching the fight, Wang Tong felt the urge of holding Ma Xiaoru close to him. Knowing that was impossible, he felt depressed. So, he decided to chat with Mr. Wannabe to rx a bit. As soon as he was about to leave the hall, he received a message over Sk. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when he read the message. He quickly excused himself from his friends and ran towards the arena number one.

    Arena one was empty, except for one girl sitting in the audience seat. She wore a baseball cap and a familiar ponytail.

    Wang Tong closed in and hugged her tightly. There had been many things Wang Tong wanted to tell her, but words just evaporated from his mouth by the sweetness in the air.

    In contrast to the scene inside arena one, Li Ruoer had been troubled by her seemingly senseless infatuation. As soon as she woke up from hera, she had kept on thinking about Wang Tong.

    However, she never regretted anything. Instead, she felt relieved after confessing her feelings to Wang Tong.

    Too many things had happened between Li Ruoer and Wang Tong. She was curious at first, then provoked, tricked, rinsed and repeated. Her cultivation was also greatly affected by her rtionship with Wang Tong. Despite her defeat, her injury had given her the precious time and distance to reflect on her actions and her rtionship with Wang Tong.

    She couldn''t help but notice that she could find Wang Tong at every turn of the corner in her life. It was as if her life entirely revolved around him alone.

    The pain in her lower back reminded her of the first confrontation with him, when he had so ruthlessly spanked her. She no longer held the grudge for what he had done to her. Instead, she felt a refreshing feeling of being conquered, something she would otherwise never feel as the heir of House Li.

    When she first approached Ma Xiaoru, she wasn''t sure how it would turn out due to her ulterior motives to "befriend" her. However, as she spent more time with Ma Xiaoru, the innocent girl started to grow on her, and eventually, the two became real friends.

    However, their friendship hadplicated the already murky situation. Li Ruoer wanted Wang Tong, but she didn''t want to hurt her friend.

    Li Ruoer had never been so altruistic, and therefore, the fact that she cared for Ma Xiaoru''s feeling was refreshing to her. It was against her former belief, yet it made her feel so good. Li Ruoer finally fell asleep with a taste of sweet bitterness in her mouth. In her dream, she was married to Wang Tong, together with Ma Xiaoru.

    Li Ruoer felt well rested the next day and was in a good mood because of her dream. After breakfast, she heard a doorbell ring.

    As soon as she cracked the door open, she was greeted by arge bouquet of blue flowers.

    "Hey girl, are you feeling better?" Lie Jian poked his head out from behind the bouquet and smiled, revealing two rows of healthy teeth. Flowers and a handsome face should strike a chord with any girl''s heartstrings. However, Li Ruoer was annoyed.

    "None of your business. Do I know you?" Li Ruoer side with a distanced voice. He hadpletely ruined her mood.

    "Of course! Haven''t you heard that the great houses are one big family? I could be your cousin if that''s the case."

    Li Ruoer felt hardpressed to get mad at him, and neither did she want to offend House of Lie. "Thank you for the flowers. I am a bit tired, so..."

    "Well, let me cheer you up then!" Lie Jian was still very confident that he had won the girl''s heart with the flowers.

    Li Ruoer didn''t know how to respond, as she was surprised by Lie Jian''s confidence. Too bad the Enchantress was injured. Otherwise, there would be one more name to be added to her list of victims. Nevertheless, Li Ruoer let Lie Jian into the house.

    Half a secondter, the door cracked open again, and Ma Xiaoru poked her head into Li Ruoer''s room. She was caught off guard by the presence of Lie Jian. Ma Xiaoru had brought Wang Tong with her to make peace with Li Ruoer. After all, she didn''t want to be stuck in the middle of a bitter rivalry between her boyfriend and her best friend.

    Lie Jian''s eyes shined as he spotted another beautiful girl. Immediately he recognized her as the heir of House of Ma.

    A rush of testosterone shot through Lie Jian''s body, as what was in between his legs overrode the control of what was on his shoulder. He wondered what it would feel like to be in bed with both girls at the same time, ''Threesome is awesome.''

    However, Lie Jian''s eyes lost its luster as soon as he saw Wang Tong trailing behind Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru registered the despise and conceit on Lie Jian''s face, so she moved to eclipse Wang Tong from the Martian''s view.

    "You can hide him now, but he will have to face the great house sooner orter! "Lie Jian announced.

    The two girls looked at each other, and were not sure what to make of hisment.

    "My Ladies, why don''t we go out and have some fun? I know a perfect spot for us to hang out." Lie Jian heard himself talking. Lust hadpletely subjugated his mind.

    Ma Xiaoru linked her crook of the arm with Wang Tong''s and said, "Nah, I have ns with my boyfriend already."

    The announcement disheveled Lie Jian. He wagered that Wang Tong had won Ma Xiaoru''s heart after he had defeated Li Ruoer.

    "Well, I hope you don''t mind a third wheel?" Lie Jian asked. He was confident that he would be able to change Ma Xiaoru''s mind with time.

    Li Ruoerughed out loud and held onto Wang Tong''s other arm, then said, "Excuse you, the third wheel is here!"

 Chapter 382: Gloves Are Off

    Chapter 382: Gloves Are Off

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Jian stared at Wang Tong for a second and conceded that he was a bit toote to join the harem game. Therefore, he found a random excuse and left Li Ruoer''s room.

    The two girlsughed out loud as soon as Lie Jian walked away. Wang Tong wiped away the sweat from his forehead and marveled at the two girls'' courage to refuse Lie Jian.

    "Don''t fret! You are Xiaoru''s precious babe. I won''t snatch you away from her."

    "Whatever! If you want him, I can offer you half of him."

    "I''m afraid someone is not going to protest that. Haha! Hey Wang Tong, don''t just stand there and do nothing. Do you mind peeling an orange for me? Haha!"

    Theughter of the two girls erupted from the room. Although Wang Tong had no idea what was on LI Ruoer''s mind, he was certain that she no longer meant any harm to him.

    Meanwhile, the fight of the fifth section was about to start.

    It was a fight between Michaux Odin and Ye Kai from the Temr''s Court. Ye Kai''s Gentleman''s sword skill had impressed everyone when he used it for the first time, and therefore, everyone anticipated an excellent performance from him. As for the young master of the Divine Master sect, so far, no one was certain of his exact power. However, Ye Kai had prepared himself well, and had since improved his defense against soul energy attacks.

    As soon as the match started, Ye Kai started the attack with abandon, wishing to finish the fight in one strike. It was obvious that he did not want to engage in a prolonged fight.

    The tension on the stage kept the fellow inner court disciples on the edge of their seats. To prepare Ye Kai for the fight, they had cast a protective shield on him to help him fend off Michaux''s soul energy attack.

    This protectiveyer would give him an edge during the heat of the battle if Michaux chose to deploy his soul-energy focused tactics.

    Michaux used the same tactics as before, as he crossed his hands while quietly staring at the iing attack and then he shouted out, "Break!"

    Suddenly, Ye Kai stopped in his tracks as a gush of blood squirted out of his mouth. As if struck by an invincible force, Ye Kai''s body was thrown into the air before thudding heavily back to the ground.

    Silence fell into the arena.

    Even the inner court disciples were shocked by the development, as they watched how ineffective the protective shield was. However powerful Ye Kai the Gentlemen was, he was finished under one second by Michaux.

    Slowly, Michaux bowed to the audience as if he had just finished a routine exercise.

    Although Martians were familiar with Michaux''s power, many Earthlings and Ivantians had doubts in their mind regarding his real power before the fight. However, after the fight, those doubts were all gone. Ye Kai didn''t even get a chance to zero in on him.

    Inside Li Ruoer''s room, as Wang Tong and the two girls marveled at how quickly the fight had finished, they all found it hard to grasp the technique Michaux had used. Li Ruoer could tell that Michaux had used soul energy attack, since it was simr to the attacks of the Enchantress. However, she couldn''t exin why even the well prepared Temr had failed to defend against the straightforward soul energy attack, considering that the Temrs were well known for their soul energy damage resistance.

    Michaux Odin had entered the quarter-finals without any difficulties.

    In the sixth section, the Heir of the Wind-Cloud kick, Turbolix, was about to fight against Heidi, the Kaedeian Princess. Although the Wind-Cloud kick was a renowned tactic in the confederation, Turbolix had lost the battle to Heidi. After-all, Turbolix''s power was at par with Wang Ben at most.

    After the fight, Heidi had also entered the quarter-final.

    In the seventh section, Thunder de Lee Xin fought against the Dark Witch Wu Ma.

    The Dark Witch was an important branch of the Mastery, and it emphasized heavily on the damage output. Unfortunately for Wu Ma, Lee Xin not only had an innate ability to resist all forms of soul energy attacks, but he was also taught personally by his Einherjar father. Wu Ma lost the fight in a few minutes, and Lee Xin entered the quarter-finals.

    In the eighth section, Zhang Buyu from the inner court fought against Allen Smith, the heir of the Golden Wheels.

    Although Zhang Buyu had finished all of his matches so far with only one strike, the Golden Wheel focused heavily on defense, and countered the attack. As long as long as Allen was able to fend off the first attack, the tactics of the Golden Wheel would be able to retaliate continuously, until his opponent used up all of his energy.

    However, Zhang Buyu was able tond a solid blow on Allen on his first attack like he always did, and finished the match then and there.

    Finally, the roster of fighterspeting in the quarter-finals hade out.

    Patroclus, Ivantian

    Li Shiming, Earthling

    Wang Tong, Earthling

    Lie Jian, Martian

    Michaux Odin, Martian

    Lee Xin, Ivantian

    Heidi, Kaedeian

    Zhang Buyu, Earthling

    They were the strongest eight among all young fighters of the Confederation. All eyes would be on these eight deadly fighters to find out who would prevail and to im the title of Champion.

    Right before the start of the intense quarter-final, the fighters finally got a much-needed break. They had already proven their power by earning a seat this far into the tournament, and all of them needed time to prepare for the next fights. They knew that all the fighters in the quarter-finals hade not just for the sake of participation, but to im the title of champion.

    The next couple rounds of matches would be not only a test of their strength, but also their strategic thinking. It would be crucial to strike a bnce between winning the very next fight and preserving strength for any ensuing battles.

    The anticipation was immeasurable; everyone was curious as to who would be the final victor. Nevertheless, it was still too early to judge. After all, the final result would dependrgely on the yet-to-announced match-up of fighters.

    By far, the most likely Champion had remained to be Patroclus. Not only did he have the home advantage, but his performance had also impressed everyone. To a lot of audiences, Patroclus was a reincarnation of the legendary Rngalos. Therefore, without the intervention of another de Warrior, Patroclus would be invincible, like Rngalos had been before he encountered Li Feng.

    The second most popr fighter for a long time had been Li Shiming. However, that had changed as Michaux usurped that position after defeating the mighty Ye Kai with one strike.

    Everyone was excited to see more of Michaux''s techniques, and to learn more about the secrets of the Divine Masters. The Divine Master Set was no less influential than the Temr''s Court. However, unlike the Temr''s court, who had publicly imed to be the birthce of all tactics, the Divine Master had upheld a humble tradition, and kept most of the sect''s secrets to themselves.

    It was this very secrecy that had added much fuel to Michaux''s already ming poprity.

    The third most popr fighter was Li Shiming, closely following the two ahead of him. That being said, the ranking did not equate to saying that the other five fighters were less powerful than the three.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru were enjoying the quality time they had spent so far. However, they both knew that the next few fights would be uphill battles, and therefore, they refrained from intimate andborious activities. Ever since he gained the soul essence in the Crystal Space, Wang Tong had noticed that he had gained a new ability to examine the condition of other''s sea of consciousness. Therefore, he had been examining Ma Xiaoru''s sea of consciousness to find out the culprit of her slow improvement.

    "Take your jacket off, Xiaoru." Wang Tong announced.

 Chapter 383: Have Me Now

    Chapter 383: Have Me Now

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Right now?" Caught off guard by Wang Tong''s request, Ma Xiaoru''s heart fluttered.

    Thanks to the inte, she had read a lot about what it meant to take their rtionship to the next stage, and she had been looking forward to that moment. She knew that this was what she was supposed to do as a girlfriend, and therefore, she quickly swallowed down her fear.

    Watching the flickering shyness in Ma Xiaoru''s eyes, Wang Tong knew his words didn''te out right. However, the thought of intimacy throbbed in his mind as hormones coaxed him to take an advantage. Wang Tong hesitated, still feeling remorse over what had happened between him and Samantha, then made up his mind to take things slowly this time.

    Wang Tong was very certain that he would always be faithful to Ma Xiaoru. However, he was not sure if he could provide enough for her. Wang Tong knew that Ma Xiaoru wouldn''t protest if he decided to make a move then and there. However, he had promised to her father that he wouldn''t touch her until he had proved himself. Wang Tong eventually decided not to break his promises.

    "Ruoer, I want to do a check-up on you. I want to find out what had been hindering your cultivation." Wang Tong cracked a smile and then threw his jacket to the side.

    "Why...didn''t you tell me so earlier?" Ma Xiaoru blushed and lowered her head as she twiddled corner of her shirt in between fingers.

    Wang Tong suddenly closed in and embraced Ma Xiaoru. "I do want to do it. I think about it every night!"

    "We can... do it." Ma Xiaoru said quietly.

    "I know. You know I love you so much that I will do anything for you. But, I need to gain your parents'' approval yet. If anything happened to you before that, I don''t know what your parents will think of me." Wang Tong pressed Ma Xiaoru against his chest while brushing his fingers against her soft and blushed cheek.

    Ma Xiaoru was deeply moved by Wang Tong''s honesty and sense of responsibility, so she nestled herself in Wang Tong''s arms and said, "No matter what happens, we will always be together."

    "Right. Now, can you take off your clothes?"

    "You jerk, I was still talking to you." Ma Xiaoruughed and then punched at Wang Tong. Nevertheless, Ma Xiaoru eventually obeyed the order and took off her shirt, revealing a tight body that was half concealed by a piece ofce underwear. Lights reflected off her fair skin as Wang Tong''s heart started to beat like a hammer.

    "What... about this?" Wang Tong pointed at herced bra.

    Ma Xiaoru raised her head slowly and said, "Well, you can help me with this one."

    Hands trembling, Wang Tong clumsily took off Ma Xiaoru''s bra, and he was shocked by the beauty of her alluring naked body. As blood rush through his body, Wang Tong felt his soul essence start to quiver as if it, too, was aroused by the scene.

    Wang Tong struggled to gather himself and asked Ma Xiaoru toy on the bed. Wang Tong reminded himself of his yet to startbat, and was eventually able to calm himself.

    He raised both arms as Ma Xiaoru''s body was lifted by an unseen force into the air. As Wang Tong channel his soul energy into her body, his face turned serious and said, "Xiaoru, listen to me. Make sure you follow my lead."

    As soon as Wang Tong''s soul energy entered Ma Xiaoru''s system, he found that something was amiss. Although Ma Xiaoru''s body was fully recovered, many of her GN nodes were still damaged and hollow.

    This was beyond the capability of any medical doctor. Ma Xiaoru''s healthy and robust GN nodes had be dormant and sluggish. Although the condition was not life-threatening, it would hinder her cultivation if not outright deteriorate her power.

    If the situation worsened, it would be a devastating blow to someone like Ma Xiaoru, who was used to being apetent fighter.

    Wang Tong tried to fix some of the nodes, but found that his double-GN force was ipatible with that of Ma Xiaoru. Wang Tong finally realized the seriousness of the situation; he had heard of the depletion of soul energy, but he had just learned that one''s GN force could also be drained.

    Wang Tong pulled back his GN force and sat down with a solemn face. Ma Xiaoru knew that something had gone wrong.

    "What''s going on inside me?"

    Wang Tong stered a smile on his face and answered, "Nothing. I just realized that you are not yet fully recovered."

    Ma Xiaoru smiled softly and kissed Wang Tong on the forehead "You are the worst lier I have ever seen. I have already died once, so just tell me what it is. I''m not afraid of it."

    Wang Tong heaved sigh and conceded that he could not hide anything from Ma Xiaoru. "It''s your GN nodes; I think they are damaged. Don''t worry though, I promise I will find a cure." Wang Tong announced while distress and worry were written all over his face.

    Ma Xiaoru held up Wang Tong''s face with both hands and kissed him. "I''m not afraid. I have you to protect me."

    The two then embraced each other firmly. Cheesiness aside, the feelings of the two teenagers towards each other were pure and genuine, since they had gone through such difficult time together that no ordinary person could even fathom.

    "Don''t worry. I will find the cure!" Wang Tong announced with conviction.

    "Don''t force yourself too hard, some stuff in our life is better to be left to fate." Ma Xiaoru was not very hopeful that Wang Tong would be able to find a cure after all of her family doctors¡ªexperts in the field of medicine¡ª had failed. Plus, she would be satisfied with her life as long as she was with him. Looking at Wang Tong''s concerned expression, she suddenly felt that this misfortune was well worth it.

    Wang Tong fixed his gaze on Ma Xiaoru''s face and felt content to have a princess''s affection. Unlike his predecessor Li Feng, Wang Tong had never harbored grand ambitions. However, he was willing to do anything for his loved one.

    "There must be a way, you just have to believe it. Let me tell you a secret¡ª"

    "Well, don''t tell me if it''s a secret." Ma Xiaoru cut him short andughed. Right now, she only wanted toy in his boyfriend''s arms and think of nothing else.

    "Xiaoru, if I tell you that I am the heir of the de Warrior... would you believe me?" Wang Tong asked.

    "You are ... who? WHAT?" Ma Xiaoru didn''t see iting, and was rendered dumbfounded by the question.

    "The de Warrior, Li Feng, the greatest legend of human history." Wang Tong smiled. Already, he noticed that MA Xiaoru seemed to have gained some confidence in his im of curing her.

    "That is why I said I could find a cure. Didn''t you notice that my tactics are unique?"

    "That''s right. I had been wondering all the while why your tactics are so effective against the tactics of the Enchantress."

    "It''s because I used the two hundred and fifty-six node version of the tactics of the de. The normal version had only eight nodes."

    Ma Xiaoru was so shocked by the revtion that she almost screamed out loud.

    "You want to know more?" Wang Tong said with a smug look. It felt good to brag about himself in front of his girlfriend.

    "Hold on, let me get ready."

    The two thenid on the sofa together as Wang Tong started to tell her stories from his life. An hourter, from the corner of his eyes, Wang Tong caught Ma Xiaoru crying.

    "What''s wrong? Did I say anything that upset you?" Wang Tong asked.

    Ma Xiaoru stood up without saying a word. Any remaining concern and hesitation in her had capitted in the face of Wang Tong''s moving and heroic stories. She quickly took off her underwear and cuddled into Wang Tong''s arms and said, "I am yours, and I want you to have me, now."

 Chapter 384: First Night of Love

    Chapter 384: First Night of Love

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ma Xiaoru was not interested in the stories of the de Warrior, but her heart sank quickly when she heard about Wang Tong''s numerous injuries. Ma Xiaoru only cared about her boyfriend and no one else, not even the legendary de Warrior.

    In that sense, Wang Tong was extremely lucky.

    However, his luck didn''t stop there, as Ma Xiaoru was offering her first night to him. He realized that if he refused Ma Xiaoru again, it would be not only cowardly, but also rude.

    To the two young lovers, nothing would be sweeter than this moment, not even the joy of winning the tournament.

    Fame and glory had nothing to do with what was happening right now; it was pure love. The only thing that Ma Xiaoru wanted was to find someone she truly loved, and when she finally found him, he happened to be as madly in love as she was.

    The rest of the night lost its meaning to them, and before they knew it, the sun hade out; it was a new day.

    Wang Tong stayed in bed. They had done it so many timesst night that he barely had time to sleep. But still, he felt energetic in the morning. This was not Wang Tong''s first time, and therefore, he knew how tost longer to enjoy the satisfaction of the flesh to its fullness. Although it was Ma Xiaoru''s first time, the Tactics of the Enchantress had made things much easier for her. No only her tactics had heightened Wang Tong''s pleasure, but thebination of the Enchantress and the Tactics of the de had greatly enhanced the power of Wang Tong''s soul essence¡ªa benefit even Wang Tong didn''t realize until muchter.

    Ma Xiaoru was still asleep, with a faint but sweet smile hanging on her rosy cheeks. The scene evoked a sense of pride inside Wang Tong; he knew his life would no longer beplete without her.

    Wang Tong held back his urge to wake up his girlfriend to quench his new found lust. Instead, he channeled out his soul energy into Ma Xiaoru. To his surprise, he found that Ma Xiaoru''s GN nodes were already starting to recover.

    "Perhaps the Tactics of the de is the cure?" Wang Tong was ted by the thought. He recalled the momentst night when he was about to relieve himself, he felt that his soul energy was so closely intermingled with that of Ma Xiaoru that they were practically one. The union of their soul energy had also given him an explosion of pleasure that was beyond physical sensation.

    ''What had happened at that moment?'' Wang Tong thought. Perhaps, no one other than Li Feng would be able to answer this question, since his wife, Zhou Zhi, had also cultivated the Tactics of the Enchantress.

    Wang Tong kissed gently on Ma Xiaoru''s forehead before he cleaned himself up and started his daily practice.

    As soon as he started cultivation, he was shocked by the huge improvement in his power. He had never felt so much improvement in one night. The more he advanced his cultivation, the more difficult it was to improve. The Tactics of the de only provided a solid framework for Wang Tong, and he had since been struggling to beef up his power by increasing his soul energy. However, the process had been extremely slow, despite being rightfully so.

    The promise of a huge advancement had given Wang Tong a newfound carefulness. Instinct told Wang Tong that the first round of practice would be crucial in determining the actual improvement he could harvest, so he took his time to finish the first round to maximize the benefit.

    As soon as Ma Xiaoru opened her eyes, she found Wang Tong hovering above the ground, surrounded by a golden hue. He had be so powerful that Ma Xiaoru suddenly feltck of words to describe it. Was it the power of the de Warrior? No, this was the power of her boyfriend.

    Wang Tong finally took a deep breath as the golden hue dissipated. He immediately felt Ma Xiaoru''s gaze on his half-naked body.

    "You are awake."

    "Yeah! Your power is so... different."

    "Haha, yes! But, I can''t let my guard down. I bet both Li Shiming and Patroclus are no less powerful. How are you feeling? I have checked your GN nodes this morning, and they are already recovering."

    Wang Tong said as he jumped on to the bed and spooned Ma Xiaoru''s naked body. "Looks like the Karmamudra had worked!"

    "There is no such thing! You pervert!" Ma Xiaoru blushed at the mentioning ofst night''s passion.

    "It''s true. Think about it; our tactics are the same as Li Feng and Zhou Zhi''s. We just need more experiments to prove it." Wang Tong said as he cracked a smile.

    Ma Xiaoru nodded. Deep down, she was ready to agree with whatever Wang Tong would say from then on.

    It wasn''t until breakfast that Ma Xiaoru mentioned that her mother was also on the Moon.

    "Let''s go see my mom together. I was supposed to go homest night...You know how she is..." Ma Xiaoru paused, wondering if she should continue.

    Wang Tong understood Ma Xiaoru''s concern, and he felt that there was no point in hiding anything from Wu Xin. He was unable to hide anything even if he wanted to anyways.

    "Ok, let''s go meet the inws."

    "Who is your inws?"

    "Your mom!"

    Although Wang Tong had anticipated this moment, he was unnerved by its possible consequences. Wang Tong wanted to see Ma Xiaoru happy. However, if her mom were strongly against their rtionship, he would be stuck in a very tough position. Nevertheless, Wang Tong conceded that he had no way out.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru were greeted by the butler''s ingratiating smile. "Ma''am is in the living room."

    Xiaoru pulled Wang Tong closer to her; she was more nervous than Wang Tong, as she was worried that her mom still held prejudice against Wang Tong.

    However, she was adamant that she would spend the rest of her life with Wang Tong, regardless of what others might think.

    The two plodded into the living room, and Wang Tong saw Wu Xin rxed on the sofa, reading a newspaper without any sign of distress. Realization suddenly downed upon Wang Tong that Wu Xin had already acquiesced their action¡ªit was time to cement his rtionship with Ma Xiaoru.

    Wang Tong closed in with a few bold strides and bowed deeply to Wu Xin "Nice to meet you Mother inw. I wish you a nice day!"

    An amused grunt escaped Wu Xin''s mouth and then she said, "Who the heck is your inw? You don''t feel shame, do you?"

    "Mother inw, I promise I will look after Xiaoru. "Wang Tong announced sincerely.

    "Mom! Don''t talk to him like that!" Ma Xiaoruined.

    Wu Xin rolled her eyes at her daughter and then said, "I didn''t do anything yet! Wang Tong, since you had taken her first night, I hereby announce you her fianc¨¦. You can take her hand the day you im the title of champion."

    Ma Xiaoru was caught off guard by her mother''s announcement, overtaken by joy. She didn''t know what to say.

    Wang Tong was also shocked. "Thank you, would-be-mother-inw." Wang Tong hurried to reply and bowed to Wu Xin one more time.

    "Ru''er, I have something to ask him, alone." Wu Xin announced. Ma Xiaoru left reluctantly, but she nodded at Wang Tong before she disappeared behind the door, willing him to rx.

    After Ma Xiaoru was gone, Wu Xin gestured Wang Tong to sit down. "Don''t be afraid. We will be one family soon. I know that you are hiding a lot of things from us, but that''s not what I want to talk to you about. I only want to ask you this¡­ Will you devote yourself to my daughter''s happiness?"

    Wang Tong had been expecting threats. However, he only felt a mother''s love for her daughter.

 Chapter 385: The Eight Quarter Finalists

    Chapter 385: The Eight Quarter Finalists

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I promise I will!"

    "Love is the easy part; it is loving that''s hard. Although Xiaoru has a kind heart, there would be the time when you two find yourself quarreling with each other. I hope you would be mindful of her feelings."

    Wu Xin knew that it would be useless to threaten Wang Tong. However, she really hoped that Wang Tong and her daughter would stay together and be happy forever and after.

    "Xiaoru is the best girl I have ever met, and it is my honor to protect her. Thank you!" Wang Tong announced.

    Wu Xin nodded in approval.

    Wang Tong had a sneaking suspicion that House of Ma had already discovered some of his secrets. He also reckoned that since House of Ma had acknowledged his rtionship with Ma Xiaoru, they would have to get ready for the ire from House of Li.

    "Very well, go find your sweetheart now. She must be waiting for you outside." Wu Xin finally cracked a smile and nodded.

    Wang Tong bowed to Wu Xin one more time before leaving the living room. When he saw the gleeful smile on Ma Xiaoru''s face, Wang Tong felt like the luckiest person in the world.

    In the living room, a knowing smile hung on Wu Xin''s face. Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong were just like her and Ma Dutian when they were teenagers, brave, wild, and silly.

    Although Wu Xin conceded that Li Shiming was a good candidate for her son-inw, Wang Tong''s genuine and unvarnished personality was much more to her liking.

    Although Wang Tong was the heir of Li Feng, Wu Xin conceded that he would not be able to bring any immediate benefits to House of Ma. However, being the heir of the de Warrior meant that he would be more than capable of protecting Ma Xiaoru, and that would be enough for Wu Xin for now.

    In the long run, when both Wu Xin and Ma Dutian got old, Ma Xiaoru would have to carry on the family business. In that sense, a marriage with House of Li might seem to be the most reasonable choice. However, fate had a habit of throwing a curveball from time to time, and no one could have predicted the emergence of Wang Tong.

    Before the meeting with Wang Tong, Wu Xin had not only dug into his experiences, but also learned a great deal about his personality and reputation. She had quickly discovered his secret affair with Samantha. However, Wu Xin was not disturbed by her discovery. Instead, she reasoned that the fact that Samantha¡ªa brilliant young girl ¡ªhad fallen for him spoke loudly of his qualities.

    The ringing of sky abruptly stopped Wu Xin''s train of thoughts. It was Ma Dutian.

    "Haha¡­ Xin, still feeling bad for giving away our daughter?"

    "Puhh...She is all grown up. It''s hard for me to see..."

    "Wang Tong is a goodd, don''t worry."

    "Did you find out anything else about him?"

    "Well. I didn''t choose him, you did."

    "Whatever! You know what I mean."

    Although the two had been married for decades, they still enjoyed harmless squabbles like a pair of newly married couple. This would be a rare scene in House of Li.

    The main difference between House of Li and Ma was in their goals. House of Ma was content to have found their rightful ce in history while House of Li burned in the egocentric mission of dominating the Confederation. Every generation of House of Li had to prove their superiority to the world, and therefore, they had be quite unforgiving to their family members.

    After Ma Xiaoru left her house, she had been walking around in the streets while holding Wang Tong''s hand. With her mother''s approval, they could finally hang out in public as a couple.

    Although Wang Tong knew that Wu Xin''s approval did not amount to his final sess, since he still needed to prove himself, he didn''t share his concern with Ma Xiaoru, as he didn''t want to make her worry.

    "Tong, let''s go hang out with Zhou Sisi and Karl."

    "I see, you want to make the announcement." Wang Tong smiled.

    "Of course! I want them to let them know that we belong to each other from now on."

    "Ok, let''s go."

    The crowd cheered as the two appeared in front of them hand in hand. The sudden change of House of Ma''s attitude had also surprised everyone. The group went straight to a restaurant to celebrate the lovers'' reunion.

    A few days had passed, and the seeding ceremony for the quarter-finals was about to start. There were over ten thousand media journalist that had applied to enter the arena. However, only a few were granted the pass.

    All eyes were on the seeding process, as it would y a significant role in shaping the oue of the remaining fights.

    Suddenly, a streaky sh of light appeared on the stage as Zhang Buyu walked out of the backstage. The light came from his long glinting de. He folded his hands and bowed to the audiences, polite as ever.

    After the MC announced his name, the backdrop on the stage showed a projection of highlights from Zhang Buyu''s previous fights.

    When the images finally faded, a lightning sh zapped across the stage, and with the din of a ring thunder, Lee Xin sauntered onto the stage with his legendary Thunder de. His dramatic entry won him lots of teenage girls'' screams.

    Before the screams had died down, the lights on the stage changed from blinding lightning shes to dream like soft shades, as the only female contestant¡ªKaedeian Princess Heidi¡ªappeared in front of everyone.

    After the MC announced Heidi''s name, the projector projected the image of Mars onto the stage backdrop. As the camera panned closer to the red, Mars turned into a ball of fire, and Michaux slowly walked out of the mes.

    Suddenly, the me burned with more intensity, as another Martian walked out of the zing fire. He was Lie Jian, the Martian prince.

    The me waned after Lie Jian''s entrance, and the stage was slowly swallowed by darkness. Despite the darkness, audiences could vaguely discern an even darker outline of a human figure. As the mysterious fighter stepped into the light, everyone found out that he was Wang Tong, the dark horse of this year''s tournament.

    Suddenly, a ring p shot through the entire arena, and thousand trumpets followed with a few powerful high notes, as the two most popr fighters stepped onto the stage at the same time.

    They were the heir of House of Li, Li Shiming, and the perfect human, Patroclus. All the audiences held the same question in their mind, "Will they re-enact their ancestor''s legendary fight a few centuries ago?"

    The eight fighters stood under the stage light. They represented the ultimate power of their generation. The most anticipated moment was about to arrive, as the names of the eight yers rolled on the screen.

    "Ding-a-ling!"

    The first group: Li Shiming vs. Lee Xin.

    It would be not only a confrontation between two young swordmasters, but also a fight between "Vayu" and the "Thunder de."

    Lee Xin was very pleased with his position, since his opponent was not Patroclus, and he always believed that he would be able to defeat Li Shiming.

    The second group: Michaux vs. Wang Tong.

    The announcement had unnerved all earthlings, as they doubted that Wang Tong would be able to defeat the young master. To everyone''s surprise, they both looked at each other and smiled knowingly, as if they were both pleased by the seeding result.

    The third group: Patroclus vs. Heidi. It would be a fight between two hotties.

    The fourth group: Lie Jian vs. Zhang Buyu.

    After the final announcement, the seeding ceremony finally lowered its curtain. The next day, stage lights lit up again as the real battle of the tournament started.

    The MC shouted the names of thebatants, but the feverish cheers of the audiences drowned his voice. This would be the first official fight between "Vayu" and "Thunder de."

    Both fighters stepped onto the stage amidst waves of cheers of their supporters.

 Chapter 386: Wind and Thunder

    Chapter 386: Wind and Thunder

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lee Xin''s eyes glinted as he realized what a great opportunity it was. Should he defeat Li Shiming, he would be able to push the fame of House Lee to a new height.

    Facing his hawkish opponent, Li Shiming appeared calm. He had seen many powerful fighters, and therefore, he was unruffled by Lee Xin''s threatening stare.

    Li Shiming hade to terms with the fact that his life revolved around being challenged, and had already gotten used to it.

    As for Lee Xin, he was one of the strongest fighters his family had ever produced, and was determined to add his family name to the list of great houses. On the Moon, the Lee family had already exerted a significant influence.

    The two fighters bowed to each other; since they were both trained by their Einherjar Fathers and shared equal talent, this fight was bound to be an uphill battle for both of them.

    Unlike a fight between two ordinary fighters, this fight meant a great deal, not only to the two fighters, but also to their family.

    The audience-seat was packed; no one wanted to pass up the opportunity to watch and learn from the two level six fighters. This kind of learning was especially useful to other level six fighters, since they were on the same level.

    Ma Xiaoru and Li Ruoer also attended the match, seated in the VIP section. Although Li Ruoer had since learned that House Ma had officially acknowledged Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru''s rtionship, she didn''t mind it. Ever since her defeat, she had decided to distance herself from her troubles for a while to recuperate.

    Plus, Li Ruoer was moved by the way Ma Xiaoru treated her. Reflecting on her previous wrongdoings against Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong, Li Ruoer felt only regret and bitterness. If she lost her best friend Ma Xiaoru, she would have lost everything.

    "Xiaoru. you are so lucky." Li Ruoer blurted. Her words seemed to havee out of nowhere, as everyone else was on the edge of their seats waiting for the fight to start.

    Ma Xiaoru knew that Li Ruoer was disappointed after being defeated by Wang Tong. She wagered that in Li Ruoer''s eyes, Wang Tong had practically stolen the victory from her. However, Ma Xiaoru was surprised to find out that Li Ruoer didn''t hold any grudge against Wang Tong, especially considering her high self-esteem.

    "Ruoer, I am sure you will get what you are looking for soon. I noticed that Lie Jian seemed to have taken an interest in you."

    Hearing the name, Li Ruoer furrowed her brow and said, "He is so annoying! I have never seen anyone so full of himself. Eh? Does Wang Tong know Michaux? Look, they are talking to each other."

    Wang Tong and Michaux sat in the front row of the reserved section, chatting with each other. The audiences around them gossiped as to why the no-ount Wang Tong would suddenly be friends with the young master. Even Karl and his friends were astonished by their friendship.

    Wang Tong and Michaux didn''t mind the murmurs around them.

    "What do you think of this fight, Brother Wang?"

    "I think Li Shiming will have an edge during the battle."

    "Both House Li and the Dower knew the way of the divine path, and had worked hard to uncover its secret. However, neither of them had scratched even the surface. That being said, despite arge amount of information we gained about the divine path, the Divine Master Sect is still far from unearthing its true power by a long chalk. What do you think we have done wrong? " Michaux asked.

    "Brother Odin, what do you think is the difference between focusing solely on soul energy versus focusing solely on physical strength?" Wang Tong replied with a question and then cracked a smile.

    "What is the meaning of soul essence?" Michaux decided to get straight to the point.

    "It''s hard to describe in words. I can show it to youter when we fight." Wang Tong announced.

    Michaux was surprised by Wang Tong''s candid answer. "Brother Wang, why do you trust me so much?"

    Wang Tong smiled faintly and said, "It''s for my own sake." And then, the two looked at each other with a knowing smile.

    The match finally started with thunders cheers. On the stage, both fighters stood still while charging up their soul energies. So far, both fighter''s sol readings were very simr.

    "Zeng!"

    At that moment, the twobatants unsheathed their des simultaneously.

    "nk!"

    As soon as the two des collided, Lee Xin pulled the Thunder de back and channeled GN force into the longsword. The Tactics of the Thunder de was an aggression-focused tactic, with an emphasis on controlling the GN force. When fully released, the power of the Thunder de would be overwhelming to fighters of any level. Lee Xin took the initiative and attacked first. An explosion of GN force erupted as the Thunder de knocked the Vayu to the side, and its tip thrust squarely at the chest of Li Shiming.

    Li Shiming had been trying to prevent his opponent from gaining the initiative, but he had clearly failed. So now, he was forced into a defensive position.

    Lee Xin''s strike technique was taught by his Einherjar Father, called the "One-hundred-and-eight Cuts of the Thunder de." It had been Lee Xin''s father, Lee Moshan''s infamous coup de grace.

    Although Lee Xin was confident in his ability, he was not so dumb to underestimate Li Shiming''s power. He figured that instead of defending against Li Shiming''s powerful attack, he might as well unleash the coup de grace from the beginning and keep the pressure on Li Shiming. After all, one of the most important factors in winning the battles against a high-level fighter was to gain the initiative.

    Li Shiming''s face twitched as he was visibly unnerved by the turn of the tide. He channeled more GN force into Vayu andshed it out, trying to stop the Thunder de''s aggressive attack. However, the Thunder de did not change its course after the impact; Lee Xin seemed much more determined in winning the fight than Li Shiming.

    Already standing at the top of a mountain, Li Shimingcked the drive to climb even higherpared to other fighters, who were still on their way to the top.

    The de Aura shot out from the shimmering Thunder de, threatening to kill. The Thunder de had always been shrouded in mystery. Rumors had it that Einherjar Li Moshan had spent half of his life looking for this legendary weapon. It was not only able to withstand the immense power of the tactics of the Thunder de, but it would also be able to absorb power from naturally urring thunders.

    "Li Shiming is ballsy as hell. Did he want to challenge to the power of the Thunder de?" Ye Kaimented.

    Ye Kai had been looking forward to this fight ever since he was defeated by Michaux. Plus, swordy was also up in his ally¡ªone more reason to not miss the fight.

    "Shiming might appear to be one the defensive side, but he has a knack for gaining insights on his opponents. When Temr Elders'' werementing on this year''s contestants, they all agreed that Li Shiming was one of the most powerful fighters." Yao Bai nodded. He wagered that Li Shiming should be able to turn the tide when the timing was right. However, he conceded that Li Shiming''s act of holding back his power at the beginning was a very risky, move since his family reputation was at stake.

    However, no one knew for certain what Li Shiming was thinking, and what trick he had hidden up his sleeve,

    Even on the defense side, Li Shiming''s moves were still graceful as ever. On the other hand, Lee Xin''s strikes were aggressive and vicious. As Lee Xin increased the intensity of his attacks, his GN power started to take on the lightning attribute, which further increased its damage output.

    Lee Xin had gained the control of the flow of the battle, and he did not intend to hand it over freely to his opponent. So, he doubled down on the attack and quickly reached level six soul energy.

    After witnessing the ascension into level six of previous fighters, the audiences were not surprised by Lee Xin''s advancement.

    As soon as Lee Xin advanced to level six, a ring thunder appeared above the two fighters, and the Thunder de''s strike suddenly increased its vigor drastically.

    By then, Wang Tong, Michaux, and Patroclus had realized the unique power of the Tactics of the Thunder de. Not only was the Tactics of the Thunder de a deadly sword technique; it was also able to absorb power in the lightning. This unique ability, coupled with a level six soul energy, would make the cultivator as deadly as any Einherjar in the world.

 Chapter 387: The Seal of Thunder

    Chapter 387: The Seal of Thunder

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    While everyone''s focus was on the sword "Thunder de," Michaux and other top fighters had noticed something else on the stage. It was a web of an unseen force, looming over the stage.

    "The Seal of Thunder!" Michaux marveled.

    On the stage, a soul-energy seal was slowly taking shape amidst the roiling dark clouds. This was the unique power of the Tactics of the Thunder de.

    Wang Tong''s eyes glinted. He was astonished to see that Lee Xin was able to cast such a powerful spell while engaging in a full-fledged assault at the same time.

    Wang Tong always had been very curious about the Mastery''s techniques, and had attempted to copy some of their abilities by linking his soul essence with the energy in nature. He conceded that harnessing the nature''s energy would be extremely convenient while fighting arge amount of Zergs, since he would not have to worry about exhausting his soul energy in the prolonged battle.

    Despite having the soul essence, Wang Tong found it hard to master the Mastery abilities. He hoped that watching Lee Xin''s fight would help him improve his skills. Wang Tong''s intention was shared by other top fighters, as they were all eager to learn as well.

    On the stage, Li Shiming knew he had to walk a very fine line between learning from his opponent''s techniques and total failure.

    Up till now, Li Shiming was able to hold his ground despite the aggressive attacks. His training had focused not only on aggression, but also defense. Li Shiming carefully and swiftly countered every rise and fall of the Thunder de. Infused with the power of the lightning, sizzling electric tendrils surrounded the de. Every impact would cause an ear-deafening crackling and rumbling.

    Lee Xin became increasingly focused as the battle intensified. A shimmering light started to cover his entire body, making him look like the God of Thunder in ancient paintings. So powerful were his attacks that every strike would force Li Shiming to take a half step back to dull the impact. To make the matters worse for Li Shiming, the Thunder de never attacked in a straight line. It would take a sudden turn at any time during the attack, zig-zagging like lightning that scarred the night sky.

    As Lee Xin''s attack had be increasingly difficult to defend, he slowly started to gain the upper hand in the battle.

    A thousand sparks erupted from each impact of the two legendary des, intensifying the suspense of the fight.

    Although Lee Xin had started to take a noticeable advantage in the fight, Li Shiming''s expression remained calm. However, the seemingly waning vigor of Li Shiming''s counter-attack unnerved his supporters.

    Patroclus and Zhang Jin, on the other hand, watched the fight unfold calmly in one of the VIP balconies.

    "This is impressive. Toplement his own power, Lee Xin has drawn the energy from nature. I think Li Shiming had underestimated his opponent this time." Zhang Jin eximed.

    Patroclus cracked a smile, "Jin, it is you who have underestimated Li Shiming. He is no less powerful than me."

    Patroclus''s replied had caught Zhang Jin off guard. "Really?"

    "Hehe, House Li is very shrewd. People only talk about how difficult it is to cultivate the Tactics of the Deva King, but rarely do they mention that the Tactics of Vayu were no less difficult or powerful. Too bad Li Shiming''s fathercked talent, otherwise..." Patroclus paused as he was distracted by the fighting scene on the stage.

    Zhang Jin burst outughing, "Haha, I dare you to find another person in the world who could im that Einherjar Li Zhedaocks talent. Fine, I believe you. But, I want to see how Li Shiming could get himself out of this" Cultivation required the cultivator''s absolute devotion, and therefore, Zhang Jin wondered how powerful could a power-monger such as Li Shiming be after he had wasted so many hours on politics.

    The "One Hundred and Eight Cuts of Thunder de" were not merely 108 strike techniques, since all 108 moves could bebined in random order to form millions of different variations.

    Everyone knew that Li Shiming could level up with ease if he chose to. However, Li Shiming had maintained his soul energy at level five, without any intention of advancing into level six.

    By then, Lee Xin was convinced that he should be able to defeat Li Shiming with his much superior soul energy. However, despite the ever-increasing intensity of his attack, Li Shiming seemed to be able to counter the attack with just enough power before his defense crumbled.

    Lee Xin was eager to defeat his opponent, and he would not give Li Shiming any chance of turning the tide. Therefore, he doubled down on his attacks.

    "Kom! Kom!"

    "nk! nk!"

    As soon as Li Shiming''s de Aura was about to get an inch longer, it was immediately suppressed by the Thunder de. It happened so fast that majority of the audiences could not even tell what was happening on the stage, other than swirls of de Aura dancing in all directions.

    The Ivantian audiences cheered loudly for Lee Xin; they believed that sooner orter, Li Shiming would slip up and allow him tond a solid and decisive blow.

    The thought of defeating Li Shiming ted all Ivantians. Although the impact of the rise of Li Feng could still be felt today, the tattered influence of House Li had encouraged the Ivantians to reim dominance of the Confederation.

    If Li Shiming lost the battle, it would be another decisive blow to the reputation of House Li.

    Suddenly, stormy clouds that had been hovering above the stage gathered around, as something bright roiled within, threatening to pierce through the dark clouds with its brightness.

    Meanwhile, Lee Xin''s soul energy soared, the energy around him made his hair stand on their ends. However, Li Shiming still refused to crank up his soul energy despite the imminent defeat.

    All Earthling audiences were on the edge of their seats by the development. Many of them felt that Li Shiming was going to give the victory away freely to his opponent.

    Wang Tong''s mind raced; although he was certain that Li Shiming would not give up so easily, he was perplexed as to what this guy had nned for his next move.

    The Seal of Thunder was finallyplete! There was no escape once trapped inside the web formed by the cracking lightning serpents.

    Lee Xin knew that his moment had finallye, so he unleashed the deadliest final eight strikes.

    "Zeng!"

    The Thunder de suddenly increased its size and hewed at Li Shiming, as it released all of the energy stored within. Everyone realized that Li Shiming hade to the moment of life and death.

    A curl crept onto Lee Xin''s mouth; it was only the beginning.

    Li Shiming watched as a few strands of lightning escape the dark clouds and charge into the Thunder de¡ªthe second attack wasing.

    Li Shiming drew arge gulp of air right before he was overwhelmed by thousands of tendrils of crackling lightning. He tried to defend against the attack using his GN force, but to no avail. Already, the second attack was on its way.

    Sensing that there was no other way out, Li Shiming forced his soul energy to increase and then broke free from the first attack. He then quickly raised Vayu to block the second attack. However, he had underestimated the power in the attack, and was blown away, losing the precious chance to defend himself.

    Seizing the opportunity, Lee Xin followed with another attack. The Seal of Thunder had given him a decisive advantage in controlling his opponent''s movement, turning the fight into his solo performance.

    The third attack hit home and sent Li Shiming''s body flying. With his bnce gone, Li Shiming failed to fend off the fourth and fifth strike. The fifth strike had even cracked open his GN defense and injured him.

    After having received the sixth attack, Li Shiming''s hands started to tremble and nearly dropped Vayu.

    However, Lee Xin had slipped up during his seventh attack and missed his target, giving Li Shiming a moment to catch his breath.

    Finally, Lee Xin unleashed thest attack, the eighth and the finishing move.

    Lee Xin pointed the Thunder de at the ground as the dark clouds started to shrink in, like they had received amand. With an ear-deafening re, the clouds had formed a giant lightning ball above Li Shiming''s head.

 Chapter 388: Never Forget the History

    Chapter 388: Never Forget the History

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    People started to realize that if the situation continued, Li Shiming might be in mortal danger. All would be lost for House Li if Li Shiming were killed on the stage there and then.

    Lee Xin knew that this overbearing attack was necessary to defeat Li Shiming. He had been attacking for a while, and therefore, he had consumed much more physical strength and soul energy than his opponent. The hope of defeating Li Shiming would hinge on this one final strike. Therefore, he would have to make sure that this one counted. His opponent''s safety was already out of the equation, since Lee Xin had always treated the tournament as a real battlefield.

    The lightning ball was huge. It swooped down like a fallen star, aiming directly at Li Shiming''s head.

    However, Li Shiming smiled faintly and disappeared into thin air right before the lightning ball hit him. One of the abilities of the Tactics of Vayu was the extremely fast speed, and therefore, Li Shiming simply dashed out of harm''s way. However, Li Shiming was still under the Seal of Thunder, and therefore, the lightning ball was able to detect his movement and trail behind him closely. As the lightning ball was about to hit Li Shiming, Li Shiming charged up his soul energy and swept Vayu in the air, causing a gale that immediately surrounded the lightning ball and slowed it down. Meanwhile, Li Shiming executed an almost impossible maneuver and shifted his body out of the way as the lightning ball whizzed past him.

    Lee Xin was caught off guard by the backfire and instinctively raised the Thunder de to block the iing lightning ball.

    "Kaboom!"

    The entire arena trembled after the impact.

    Lee Xin was hit by his own coup de grace. When the dust finally settled, the match was also over.

    Although Li Shiming didn''t dominate the fight, he had won the match using to his calmness and experience.

    Cheers from the Earthling audiences erupted like an explosion. This was a suspenseful match, and the Earthlings had been holding back their cheers and apuse for too long.

    Li Shiming shook his head, seemingly disappointed at the real power of the Tactics of the Thunder de.

    "He handled it very well. What an experienced and deadly fighter!" Michaux eximed. This fight would not be nearly as memorable if Li Shiming hadn''t held back his power. Li Shiming had proven his might as well as wits by oveing a level six fighter using only level five soul energy. It was obvious then that Li Shiming had been very confident about his ability from the beginning, and he had just shown that his confidence was founded on solid performance.

    Although he was disappointed by his opponent, Li Shiming bowed to his audiences polity before he was about to walk off the stage.

    "Li Shiming, where are you going? We have just started."

    "Kom!"

    Lee Xin appeared in front of Li Shiming, blocking his way. The lightning had burned off his clothes, revealing a lightning-shaped-tattoo on his chest.

    Li Shiming paused in his track, surprise written all over his face. "I knew you were better than this!"

    "Hehe. My father had invented this new cultivation method by absorbing the nature''s energy, and thanks to that breakthrough, he was able to be the only Einherjar who was not from the five houses. However, people usual mistakenly think that that is all he is good at. "

    Even as the heir of the Thunder de spoke to Li Shiming, his body started to shimmer with a green luster. As soon as he finished thest word, Lee Xin disappeared into thin air.

    Li Shiming''s instinct told him that an attack wasing, so he raised Vayu to block. The attack was powerful, and Li Shiming was forced to take a few steps back.

    Li Shiming sensed that Li Xin didn''t only utilize the soul energy in hisst attack, but also the energy from the lightning ball. He suddenly realized that Lee Xin had practically turned himself into to a vehicle like the Thunder de to contain the absorbed energy.

    "Li Shiming, if you want to fight Patroclus, you better pass me first." Lee Xin reappeared in front of Li Shiming and announced.

    Li Shiming cracked a smile as he posed Vayu about his waist. As he charged up his soul energy, a gale swept across the stage like a hurricane. Suddenly, the wild wind turned into a thousand tiny des, hurling towards Lee Xin. Finally, Li Shiming had reached level six!

    "Haha! Awesome! Now I don''t need to hold back my power either!" Lee Xin shouted andshed out the Thunder de at Li Shiming. However, he missed his target as Li Shiming disappeared right before the blow was about tond on him. Seeing that his first attack had missed, Lee Xin followed with a few dozen blows, but none of them hadnded on target.

    Thus it was, the real power of the Tactics of Vayu was its incredible speed.

    Suddenly, Li Shiming appeared above Lee Xin as he bore down on him with a powerful attack¡ªThe Vayu''s Denial!

    Although Lee Xin was a very powerful fighter, he was not nearly as fast as Li Shiming. The blow struck home and the impact sent an explosion throughout the arena.

    Lee Xin had sessfully blocked the attack with Thunder de. Li Shiming quickly changed his position, and everyone watched as Lee Xin''s body was picked up by an invisible hand. As Lee Xin wiggled in the air to break free, he started to spin as if he were held in the center of a tornado. A thousand tiny des appeared from thin air and started to attack Lee Xin, nibbling away his defense.

    Suddenly, the tornado hurled his body to the other end of the stage. Even before Lee Xin was about to thud back to the ground, a dark shadow appeared right above him. It was Li Shiming, and he bore down both GN-force-charged fists at the defenseless Lee Xin.

    The fists hit squarely at Lee Xin''s chest andpletely crumbled his defense.

    "Kom!"

    After the dust had settled, Li Shiming finally unsheathed Vayu. On the other end of the stage, Lee Xin lied inside a small crater in the floor motionlessly.

    This was the true power of Li Shiming, heir to the legendary general Li Feng.

    The Earthlings shouted out his name feverishly. Any attempt to undermined House Li''s dominance was futile. On the other hand, the Ivantians were shaken after their fighter''s defeat, as they marveled at Li Shiming''s ability. Not only was he able to lure his opponent to unleash the full power of the Thunder de, but he also annihted Lee Xin once he had seen enough.

    Patroclus smiled faintly; he was satisfied by Li Shiming''s performance.

    "Are you sure you can handle that?" Surprised by Li Shiming''s power, Zhang Jin was no longer certain if Patroclus would be able to defeat him with ease.

    "No." Patroclus cracked a smile. "I won''t know for sure until I fight him."

    "Well, well, after all these years, you two will finally make an end to the centuries-old feud." Zhang Jinmented.

    "There is someone else."

    "Who?"

    "Wang Tong. Jin, I have never been so happy before." Patroclus sauntered out of the room after he finished his words.

    Wang Tong and Michaux smiled at each other knowingly, and Wang Tong said, "It''s our turn."

    "See you in a bit!"

    As the two patted on each other''s shoulder and left for their preparation room, people around them felt they were more like friends than opponents.

    Unlike thest fight, the fight between Michaux and Wang Tongcked any suspense, since everyone believed that Michaux would be the winner. Although Wang Tong had been lucky and even defeated Li Ruoer, everyone thought that his lucky streak would end here.

    All students of Ayrng had been waiting for this glorious moment, regardless of their odds of winning.

    Under thousands of pairs of anticipating eyes, Michaux and Wang Tong walked onto the stage at the same time. In the private session, Li Shiming sat in the front row, watching the two quietly.

    Everyone shouted the name of their fighter at the top of their lungs. Karl was so excited that he almost passed out from shouting for too long.

 Chapter 389: Missed the Target

    Chapter 389: Missed the Target

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The two fighters stared at each other as they felt the noise around them start to tune down. This was a fight that required their absolute concentration, since what was at stake was not simply a victory or a defeat, but something much greater than that.

    "Divine Preaching!"

    Michaux shouted as he switched through a few hand signs. The hand signs had caught other Mastery casters off guard. They knew that Michaux would never use hand signs while unleashing his attacks, unless he was going to double down on his attack.

    "Break!" Michaux shouted.

    ''Kaboom!''

    As if struck by a nuke, the entire arena trembled. The roar of the explosion could be heard miles away. Even while sitting behind the energy shield, the audiences could sense a shocking way of energy sweep across them.

    Everyone was shaken by Michaux''s performance, as they had finally realized that he had been holding back his power while fighting against his previous opponents.

    After seeing such a deadly attack, everyone at Ayrng thought that Wang Tong had lost the battle there and then.

    Suddenly, the front row audiences heard someone was dusting his clothes amidst the plume of dust on the stage. As the dust and the smoke settled, they watched as Wang Tong stood with tattered clothes and a broad smile on his face.

    "Awesome power!" Wang Tong eximed.

    Michaux had missed his target!

    Michaux had never missed his target before, so most people started to wonder if Wang Tong had actually evaded the attack.

    The students of Ayrng cheered after seeing that Wang Tong was unharmed. Although Wang Tong was well known in Ayrng as the strongest fighter¡ªnot only in METALbat but also in fleetbat¡ªno one had thought that he would be able to sustain such a powerful blow from the young master.

    After having experienced Michaux''s attack first hand, Wang Tong conceded that the soul energy attacks were indeed as powerful as what the other had imed. Not only was the amount of soul energy in the attack enormous, but the attack was also aimed directly at the sea of consciousness. If Wang Tong didn''t have the soul essence guarding his sea of consciousness, he would have been defeated just like all the other opponents of Michaux.

    Having missed his target, Michaux was overtaken by astonishment, as his eyes glinted with curiosity.

    Wang Tong clutched his fists and smiled faintly. Suddenly, he poked the air in front of him with one of his index fingers and then he announced, "Break!"

    "Kaboom...Kaboom... KABOOM!"

    A serious of explosion erupted on the ground, with a pattern that was the same as that of Michaux. The sts let loose a storm of grit and sands hurling towards Michaux.

    Michaux mmed a palm down on the ground, sending a wave of soul energy to counter the iing storm, and eventually subsided the intensity of the storm.

    Everyone was in awe of the level of power at the disy. After a reverential silence, a wave of cheers erupted from the audiences.

    "Who is Wang Tong? Howe he was able to stand his ground against the young master?"

    Not only had Wang Tong surprised everyone by his powerful attack, but Michaux''s superb defense ability had also caught many audiences off guard.

    It was obvious by then that the fight was not going to end any time soon.

    "Brother Wang, are you nning to defeat me using my own ability?" Wang Tong''s attack amused Michaux. Sensing the power in Wang Tong''s attack, Michaux was ted to finally fight the mysterious fighter one on one.

    "Hehe. I do want to try!"

    Before Wang Tong finished thest word, he cranked up his GN force and charged at Michaux. It wasmon knowledge that although Michaux was the master of soul energy, his GN force was rtively weak. Therefore, by using GN force infused attacks, Wang Tong was trying to use his opponent''s weakness to his advantage.

    Wang Tong unleashed the "Layered Fist of Tong" at Michaux, wondering how he would be able to defend against his attack this time.

    Seeing the iing attack, Michaux stood still and didn''t charge up his soul energy. Why was he thinking? Why didn''t he counter the attack?

    Right before Wang Tong''s blow reached him, Michaux finally swept his right hand across and cast a golden shimmer around him. Wang Tong''s fistnded squarely on the golden shield. However, it could cause no damage at all.

    Wang Tong took a step back to take in what had just happened.

    Wang Tong flexed his wrist. The punch had sent a numbness throughout his arm, as the power in his blow was reflected back to himself by the golden shield.

    A brief momentter, Wang Tong attacked again with the Layered Fist of Tong. He doubted that the golden shield would be able to withstand the same attack twice.

    Having seen through Wang Tong''s intention, Michaux smiled and stood his ground. Wang Tong unleashed over twenty strikes in a blink, but none of them were able to make a dent in the golden shield.

    Inside the golden light, Michaux waved his hand and the ground in front of him exploded, stopping Wang Tong cold in his track.

    "Brother Wang, pure GN force attack is useless against me."

    Having sensed how powerful his opponent was, Wang Tong cracked a satisfied smile. Although Michaux''s defense was not perfect, for example, it might be breached if Wang Tongpounded the force inside each punch, it was a huge improvement over any form of defense Wang Tong had ever seen. The reason why Wang Tong didn''tpound the force in his punches was that it would take a long time, and no one would wait for that on a real battlefield.

    Wang Tong conceded that Michaux''s defense would be the most annoying element of the fight. It was simr to Wang Tong''s golden shield, but much more powerful.

    Wang Tong took another few steps back, and Michaux''s golden shield faded away as silence fell into the arena.

    Seeing that Michaux was still unharmed after having received the belligerent bombardment from Wang Tong, some of the audiences had realized how wrong they had been in assuming that Michaux''s defense was his weakness. So far, the match was a draw, and everyone wondered what could happen next.

    "Ruoer, I am so nervous." Ma Xiaoru held on to Li Ruoer''s hand and said.

    The development on the stage made Li Ruoer furrow her brows. She wondered howe an Ayrng student could be so powerful. Why did House Ma ditch the marriage proposal with her brother in favor of this no ount? Why did Wang Tong suddenly be so close with the young master Michaux? One question bade another, but Li Ruoer had found no answers.

    Wang Tong folded his hands and made a strange hand sign, that looked exactly like that of Guan Dongyang.

    "Fire Drake!"

    A giant fire serpent spurred out from a wall of fire and charged at Michaux.

    Michaux didn''t flinch as he set up the golden shield again, with the fire dragon plunging right into him. The impact caused an explosion, sending a shock wave throughout the arena. After the smoke dissipated, Michaux walked out of the cinders and ashespletely unharmed. He extended his arms, sending a force wave out that snuffed the remaining fires around him.

    "Brother Wang, I hoped you would show me what I really wanted to see." Michaux shook his head and said. He then linked his fingers and extended his arms, mumbling some words as if casting a spell. Suddenly, the same fire dragon appeared in front of Wang Tong and lunged at him.

    There was no time for Wang Tong to evade, so he swept his hands and sent a wave of bone-chilling wind at the fire dragon, freezing it instantly.

    All the Mastery fighters couldn''t believe their eyes; the two on the stage had repeated their coup de grace with such ease that they didn''t even require the aid ofplicated hand signs. The fact that Wang Tong was able to cast spells as easily as Michaux was the second shock for the Mastery fighters.

    Wang Tong didn''t give Michaux time to connect his attacks, so he quickly pressed his left hand down on the ground, as a gaping hole suddenly appeared underneath Wang Tong''s feet. Suddenly, Wang Tong disappeared from thin air, as if he had fallen through the hole under him. Michaux could still sense his whereabouts, so he charged up his soul energy and attacked Wang Tong with lightning that fell from the sky. However, Wang Tong was always one step faster than the lightning attacks. When he was close enough, he delivered a sweep kick at Michaux''s feet to throw him off bnce.

 Chapter 390: War of Gods

    Chapter 390: War of Gods

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong had reckoned that frontal attack would never work against Michaux, and therefore, he decided to switch tactics and strike from below.

    Michaux reacted quickly, as he sprinted up and kept hovering in the air using soul energy. Wang Tong also adjusted his position swiftly and punched at Michaux from underneath.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong''s strike was on point. However, he quickly realized that Michaux''s golden shield covered his whole body, and therefore, his sneak attack from below was as useless as a frontal attack.

    While hovering in the air, Michaux pointed a long finger at Wang Tong, and suddenly, hundreds of hissing lightning appeared above the arena, scarring the night sky with bright zig-zagging streaks.

    "The Seal of Thunder!"

    The seal covered arge area, and therefore, Wang Tong couldn''t evade the attack. Sizzling lightning rumbled across the sky and bore down on Wang Tong. Wang Tong swallowed down the pain and numbness in his body, focusing on defending against the aggressive lightning strikes.

    By then, Guan Dongyang and Gongson-Wuce had been rendered speechless by the power of the young master. They just realized that their Mastery techniques were not unique inventions, since the Divine Masters had been using them since long ago. Also, both Mastery warriors could only harness natural energy that waspatible with their soul energy attributes. However, Michaux had shown that he couldmand more than two types of natural powers.

    Without giving Wang Tong a moment of respite, Michaux connected his attacks and cast more lightning strikes on him after the initial attack. After a few seconds, Wang Tong had already received more than dozen solid blows.

    As another angry lightning wheezed across the sky towards Wang Tong, he raised his left hand to block the hissing and buzzing bundle of electricity. The lightning reached Wang Tong''s fist, and instead of continuing traveling through his body, it bundled together and clung to his fist. Wang Tong smashed the lightning-imbued fist at the young master. However, even with the aid of the lightning element, Michaux''s golden shield was still imprable.

    Such defense was almost impossible to break. Wang Tong quickly realized that as long Michaux was still under the golden shield''s protection, he would never defeat him. Already, Michaux''s lightning attack had started anew, and Wang Tong was forced into passive defense. He wanted to counter the lightning strikes by attacking the young master. However, since Michaux was hovering high up in the air, Wang Tong had no way of approaching him without risking being struck by the web of lightning.

    Wang Tong knew that it was about time to get serious.

    Wang Tong opened up his arms as a ray of golden light shot out of his body and pierced through the web of thunders. Wang Tong flew through the opening in the web until he was above Michaux''s head, then he bore down his fists on Michaux.

    Wang Tong knew that if he could not breach his defense, the only other way of defeating Michaux was to overwhelm him with unconventional power.

    Although Wang Tong didn''t use the Layered fist of Tong, the golden light shot out from his fists was able to prate through the energy shield. Even as an experienced veteran warrior, the young master was caught off guard by the development. He tried to evade the attack, but it had already been toote as one of Wang Tong''s fist jabbed into his left shoulder.

    "Kom!"

    Michaux was mmed to the ground as his golden energy shield shattered.

    No one other than Wang Tong had so much as touched Michaux, much less injure him. So, the scene had shocked everyone, including Lie Jian. Lie Jian was well aware of the defensive capability of the golden shield, and he knew that no one could have broken it so easily.

    Michaux struggled to his feet slowly while holding his left shoulder. He was not a METAL fighter, and therefore, he was more susceptible to physical injury than other fighters.

    Wang Tong tried to tame his tousled hair, and realized that his hair were messier than he thought. Both fightersughed at each other like old friends.

    "Looks like this match won''t end until I use my real power," Michaux said as he took out a staff from his space crystal. This staff was passed down from generations of Divine Masters, and it was the symbol power in the sect.

    Michaux charged soul energy into the staff, and suddenly, the staff seemed to have increased Michaux''s power by ten folds. He lightly touched his left shoulder with the staff, and a creamy white light spread from the point of contact, until it was over Michaux''s entire body. Michaux flexed his shoulder; it felt much better already.

    The healing process was straight out of a magic show, and the energy emanated from Michaux suggested that he had be much stronger than when the fight had first started.

    As Michaux held the staff, memories of the past generation flushed into his mind. He remembered that the Divine Master Oderades fought with the de Warrior. He remembered that during that fight, the de Warrior also used the golden soul energy that was identical to that of Wang Tong. There was only one exnation.

    The thought of fighting the heir of the de Warrior had spurred Michaux''s fighting spirit. He eagerly wanted to know the full extent of the legendary warrior''s power.

    Michaux quickly swept the staff in the air and summoned a storm of soul energy that covered the sky and trembled the ground. Amidst the chaos, the audiences could only see the bright creamy light emanated from the tip of the staff.

    "Not bad! I doubt anyone else could make Michaux this excited." Lie Jian was ted by the development.

    As the soul energy storm increased size, it started to erode the energy shield cast over the stage. Already, the audiences could see ripples on a thinyer of transparent energy.

    Michaux floated in the air and turned towards the referee. "Please tell the audiences to stay back. My next move is too powerful."

    The referees hurried to gather together toe up with a n. They had been worried about the energy shield that threatened to shut off, so they had ordered technicians to fix the problem but to no avail.

    All the martian audiences had been retreating to the back rows ever since Michaux started the soul energy storm, and the rest of the audiences followed them after they heard the warning from the referee.

    Wang Tong''s eyes were fixated on Michaux as he marveled at his immense powering from three sources: Michaux''s soul energy, the energy in nature, and the energy stored in the staff.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong''s cranked up his soul energy, and instead of using it to channel GN force, he connected the flow of his soul energy with the natural energy around him, copying his opponent''s strategy.

    Slowly, a golden hue covered Wang Tong''s body, and it was increasing its intensity by the second. In a few moments, the stage had been divided into upper and lower sections. Michaux''s soul energy storm dominated the upper level, and Wang Tong''s golden energy filled the lower level. The two waves of energy soonpeted with each other, trying to force each other out.

    Despite the energy shield cast over the stage, some of the deadly power leaked out to the audiences. As those audiences who remained in the front row felt the power of the leakage, they knew they had made a mistake. What was worse was that this was only the beginning of the final showdown, and neither of the fighters had moved yet.

    As more audiences started to retreat, the reserved section had only a handful of fighters left. Among them were Li Shiming and Patroclus; even Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru had left for safety.

    After most of the audiences had reached safety, the arena initiated anotheryer of energy shield. Having learned their lessons, the organizingmittee was well prepared to protect the audiences.

    Floating In the air, Michaux looked like a godly grandmaster, while on the ground, Wang Tong stood haughtily like a giant. Truth be told, not only his opponent inspired Wang Tong''s technique, but without the overbearing power of Michaux, Wang Tong would also never think of adopting the new technique. He was exhrated by the new energy that he absorbed from the ground, as if he had be one with the earth.

    Michaux saw Wang Tong''s excited expression and smiled knowingly. To execute the ability, Michaux needed to leverage the power of the staff. However, he watched as Wang Tongmanded the nature''s power at his will without any aid. For Michaux, the energy in the staff acted as a barrier between the primordial force of nature and his soul energy. Without it, his sea of consciousness would be shredded into pieces by the wild force. However, Wang Tong didn''t seem to need any protection...Could it be¡­?

    Realization suddenly dawned upon Michaux, so he shouted to Wang Tong, "Wang Tong! Is that ... Soul Essence?"

    Suddenly, the soul energy storm turned into a wild gale and swept across the field. The usually calm and cid young master could no longer hold onto his patience.

 Chapter 391: Power of the Sky

    Chapter 391: Power of the Sky

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Michaux could not ept the reality that someone else had gained the soul essence before him. Plus, Wang Tong was still far away from being an Einherjar. How would he have learned about the power of soul essence?

    "Kom!"

    Michaux mmed the staff down as a ray of cold light shot out from the tip of the staff. Meanwhile, Wang Tong charged up his GN force and sent a ray of golden light into the night sky.

    As the two rays collided, they unleashed an immense energy that threatened to copse the firstyers of energy shield. As energy poured out profusely from the two fighters, both Li Shiming and Patroclus tightened their face and initiated their personal soul energy shield,

    Outside the danger zone, no one could make out what was happening on the stage, as they murmured their admiration with awe.

    The two fighters'' performances had exceeded the audiences'' expectation towards those of top fighters. Everyone was astonished by the incredible power of this generation of young fighters.

    As the swirl of energy slowed down, the two rays of lights faded away. Wang Tong could sense the drastic difference between pulling the natural force with soul energy and being one with the natural energy. However, the risk of backfiring in blending oneself with the primordial force was significant, and such consequences could be catastrophic.

    Fortunately for Wang Tong, after having survived the nuke st ordeal on Norton, his body had been purified by the soul essence. Therefore, his soul energy was much morepatible with the natural force, thus lowering his risk.

    Although Wang Tong knew practically nothing about the soul essence, today''s fight was a solid first lesson for him.

    Michaux stared at Wang Tong with envy. He had spent his entire life studying the soul essence, yet he was still denied its secrets.

    Spurred by indignation, Michaux attacked again. He raised the staff above his head using his left hand while making a dozen hand signs with the right hand. Suddenly, the firstyer of energy shield that had been invisible so far seemed to have turned into a glistering fluid, as it flowed into the staff like water being siphoned into a beaker¡ªMichaux was absorbing the energy in the shield.

    Wang Tong smiled calmly. Michaux''s move didn''t scare him. Instead, he felt more rxed than before. He marveled at the unique advantage that the Tactics of the de had given him, as he reckoned that Michaux''s method of obtaining energy was much inferior to his. Instead of bing one with the natural force, Michaux was channeling it using his soul energy.

    As the energy gathered inside the staff, a fiery bird appeared out of nowhere, hovering above it. The bird was a vivid representation of the Divine Master Sect''s sigil¡ªthe undying phoenix.

    Realizing that a coup de grace wasing, Wang Tong mmed the ground with a fist, and the rocks and debris started to tremble and rotate around the little crater, until they gained enough velocity and started to levitate. In a blink, Wang Tong had wrapped himself with a swirling tornado, with a few rays of golden light piercing through the cracks of the hurling rocks from time to time.

    Sensing the promise of a devastating collision, Patroclus and Li Shiming finally abandoned their front row seats and retreated to safety. This was the first time for the Martians to see their young master unleash his true power.

    Michaux shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was filled with sorrow and anger.

    "me of the Pure Soul!"

    The fiery phoenix swooped down on Wang Tong with a menacing intent. It hit head-on against the golden ray of light, and made its way through half its length. Wang Tong gathered his strength and punched at the Phoenix. The impact release so much heat that it had turned air into hot steam. The suddenbustion sucked air into the vacuum, and Wang Tong suddenly felt being suffocated. Michaux''s second attack was on its way already. Wang Tong hurried to defend, but the belligerent attack kept on raining from above. The fiery bird inched closer towards Wang Tong''s head as the sphere of golden light shrunk its girth.

    Michaux''s eyes glinted with a new found confidence. Although Wang Tong had gained the soul essence ahead of him, he knew nothing about his new ability. In other words, Wang Tong still fought with the old mindset, and Michaux believed that that would be his downfall.

    Karl''s face had turned pale after seeing such disy of strength. Although the two fighters'' techniques were beyond his understanding, he could tell that they had taken the fight to the next level. He could also sense that Wang Tong had arrived at a critical moment in his cultivation, and the oue of this fight would directly affect his advancement. The more Karl thought about it, the more worried he became for him, since Wang Tong''s opponent was the young master Michaux, who was feared even by Li Shiming and Patroclus.

    A smug look crept onto Lie Jian''s face as he noticed that Wang Tong was struggling. He watched as Wang Tong''s golden energy started to wane. Once the fiery bird reached Wang Tong, he could be crushed by the deadly force in an instance. Lie Jian believed that Wang Tong''s focus was no longer winning, but surviving.

    The fizzling line of contact between the two energies was only a few feet away from Wang Tong''s head. Already, Wang Tong could smell the stench of burnt hair. He hadn''t been in such a passive position ever since his battle against Mr. Wannabe in the crystal space. His dire situation convinced him that Michaux was a better fighter than him. However, Wang Tong would never give up.

    Wang Tong''s mind raced as he tried toe up with a solution. Since hecked even the most fundamental understanding of the soul essence, thinking had been difficult.

    The situation was getting worse. Being forced into a corner with no way out, even a minor slip up would have cost Wang Tong''s life. He had to act quickly¡ªbut how?

    "Wang Tong is in danger. He should surrender right now, or he will be injured!" Li Ruoer heaved a sigh of resignation. She tried to hide her sympathy in her voice but failed.

    Michaux Odin was too powerful of an opponent for Wang Tong. Not only was he the Martians'' spiritual leader, but he was also much more powerful than people had predicted. Michaux was not from the Great Houses, but he had proven to be as deadly as great house members, if not more so.

    Wang Tong had done a great job getting so far into the tournament, but it appeared that his journey would have to end here.

    "Xiaoru! Come back!" Li Ruoer suddenly found out that Ma Xiaoru was walking towards the danger zone by herself. Her sea of consciousness was wide open.

    The MC also noticed the sudden development and announced that the heir of House Ma was approaching the stage despite the grave danger. No one had rushed to rescue Ma Xiaoru, since it would be too dangerous to walk right into the storm of chaos without any protective gear.

    Li Shiming and Patroclus wanted to pull Ma Xiaoru out, but they were at the other end of the arena, and therefore, would not make it in time to reach her.

 Chapter 392: Turn the Tide

    Chapter 392: Turn the Tide

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The familiar sense of Ma Xiaoru''s soul energy had caught Wang Tong by surprise. From the corner of his eyes, he caught her approaching the stage, and was frightened.

    Wang Tong''s slight distraction had given the fiery bird advantage, and allowed it to press forward by another few inches. Wang Tong would lose the fight if he couldn''t stop the bird.

    By then, the oxygen around Wang Tong had been sucked clean by the vacuum. He conceded that the only way of surviving was to shield his sea of consciousness with his GN force. Even then, Wang Tong fingered that the odds of surviving the attack were extremely small. What was worse was that the shockwave from the impact would kill Ma Xiaoru as well.

    Suddenly, Wang tong realized that Ma Xiaoru had walked to the stage because she wanted to die with him.

    Wang Tong never feared death, not even during the moment of life and death. He would always remain calm until he found out a solution. However, there and then, Wang Tong found that he could hardly think straight.

    Li Feng used to say that emotion was the source of the strongest power in humans. But, how could one harness the power?

    Wang Tong rounded his eyes as he doubled down his defense. For the sake of Ma Xiaoru, he could not lose the battle.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong''s eyes started to burn with a golden luster. Ma Xiaoru''s danger had triggered and unleashed Wang Tong deepest emotion and given him strength.

    A burst of golden whirlwind appeared around Wang Tong. However, the fiery bird didn''t waver.

    Seeing Wang Tong''s unyielding fighting spirit, a sense of respect suddenly rose inside of Michaux. However, he knew that his coup de grace was unstoppable, and Wang Tong had already reached his limit.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong struggled to resist the force from above, but he could barely lift his arm above his shoulder. Truth be told, what he wanted to do was practically impossible.

    Wang Tong knew that if he still wanted to win the fight, he would have to find out a way to turn the tide right now.

    Inside Ayrng, a fist-clenching, teeth-gritting quietness fell in the campus. Everyone''s thoughts were the same.

    Wang Tong pushed himself closer to a trance as the situation became more urgent.

    Finally, a golden energy burst out from Wang Tong and shot straight up into the air. Wang Tong pushed his arms up slowly as his eyes turned into a mixture of gold and blood. Suddenly, the energy in the air stopped moving about, and even Michaux sensed the sudden change in the flow of energy.

    "Kom!"

    The golden energy flowed anew and took on a snake-like shape as it shot higher up into the air, then released a deafening roar.

    A dragon slowly rose from the ground and pushed its head against the Undying Phoenix. The phoenix''s movement was slowed down already. Despite the temporary setback in Michaux''s attack, no one had thought that Wang Tong had a chance of turning the tide of the battle. However, only three secondster, the audiences learned that they were wrong. The golden dragon opened its mouth and swallowed the Undying Phoenix, then soared into the sky towards Michaux. Michaux was ready to defend against the iing dragon, but so powerful was the attack that the golden dragon shredded Michaux''s defense and blew the young master away.

    The giant dragon continued soaring higher until it blended into the starry sky.

    "Kom!"

    The entire arena trembled, and suddenly the floor caved in. When the dust finally settled, the stage had turned into ruins.

    Wang Tong held Ma Xiaoru in his arms and shouted, "Are you out of your mind? Why did youe so close?"

    In the distance, Li Shiming paused before he could reach Ma Xiaoru. His eyes glinted as he felt something was amiss.

    Losing control of his body, Michaux was about to thud onto the ground, but was rescued by Lie Jian. If Michaux fell from such height, he would be gravely injured. Nevertheless, when Lie Jian looked down on Michaux''s face, he noticed the young master was unconscious.

    Ma Xiaoru didn''t answer Wang Tong''s question. Instead, she touched Wang Tong''s face and smiled. She had been ready to die with her lover.

    As soon as Ma Xiaoru''s fingertip touched Wang Tong''s face, his eyes returned to their normal color. Seeing that the shockwave had injured Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong picked her up and rushed towards the medic station.

    Staring at the stage that had been reduced to piles of rubble, the audiences wondered how the two were able to wreak such havoc.

    The MC finally gathered himself and announced the decision of the referee panel.

    "The winner is¡ªWANG TONG!"

    The audiences boiled over after hearing the announcement. This result was the most uncalled-for of all tournament fights!

    Cheers erupted from the entire city of Shangjin, as the citizens celebrated this unexpected victory of Wang Tong. Inside every house, and around every corner of the streets, everyone stopped what they were doing and joined the celebration. This was a miraculous victory that would mark a new era for Ayrng as well as Earthlings.

    The students and the teachers hugged and congratted each other. No one had thought that Wang Tong would be able to win. However, he had done the impossible and created a miracle.

    Inside the Dream cafe, the owner was so excited for his lucky charm''s victory that he mmed a half-empty beer bottle on the ground and announced to all of his customers, "Let''s celebrate! All drinks are on me!"

    Ever since Wang Tong had made a name for himself in the tournament, the Dream cafe had be the most popr inte cafe in the entire Shangjin. The room of terminal number five had been permanently reserved for Wang Tong''s personal use.

    Meanwhile, in the sky arena, the MC shouted out Wang Tong''s name, and all the audiences followed.

    "Wang Tong¡ªWang Tong!"

    Although this fight had brought danger to the audiences, it was such a marvelous fight that it was truly worthmemorating even hundreds of years from now.

    After the fight, over a hundred thousand media outlets unequivocally praised the significance of the fight. Not only was it a fantastic fight to watch, but the two fighters had painted a brand-newndscape for the future of METALbat.

    "The darkest dark horse of all time¡ªWang Tong!"

    "The pride of Earthlings, the bane of Martians."

    "An average Joe, but feared even by the Great Houses."

    Heroic headlines fell like a flurry of snow, and other talk shows also started to focus on the topic.

    "I do believe that Wang Tong is worthy of the title ''The darkest dark horse.'' "

    "I agree too! He has proven himself as powerful as the Great Houses''batants."

    "I think we should call him the Magic Boy instead."

    "Haha, that sounds kinda trashy."

    "What about the Dragon Warrior?"

    "Oh! That one is great. Fits his finishing move as well!"

    From then on, Wang Tong was dubbed as the Dragon Warrior.

    The inquisitive journalist also quickly sniffed out the love affair between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong, and therefore, the two''s rtionship had quickly be the second most talked about topic. Most people thought the two were a very cute couple, and gave them best wishes. The only ones who were disgruntled about the love affair were the House of Li, since they had been nning the marriage between the Li and Ma for years.

    Ma Dutian was very pleased after watching the fight. He conceded that Wang Tong was capable of protecting his daughter, although he had freaked out when he saw Ma Xiaoru walking right into the danger zone.

 Chapter 393: A Fledgling Among Einherjars

    Chapter 393: A Fledgling Among Einherjars

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong carried Ma Xiaoru and rushed into the medic room.

    "She is fine. She only got minor injuries from the shockwave... How are you doing? Would you like a check up?"

    "I am fine¡­" Wang Tong announced.

    Before Wang Tong could finish his words, he felt the world turn dark, and then his copsed to the floor.

    People around Wang Tong were shocked by the sudden development, and they started to perform all kinds of checks on him, trying to figure out if he were still alive. After a while, they noticed Wang Tong''s snores; he had fallen asleep.

    In another Medic room, Michaux was still in critical condition, and had been carried into the medic bay for intensive care. He knew that he had to evade the attack when he caught the glimpse the golden dragon. However, he was grazed by the dragon''s w, and had almost lost his life.

    The power of the natural force as too powerful for a human to withstand, and this power would be the new trend among cultivators.

    Looking at the unconscious Michaux floating in the medic bay, Lie Jian felt a heavy weight on his mind as he pondered the reason for his defeat. To Lie Jian, Wang Tong had done the impossible. However, the thought of someone as powerful as himself ted him.

    "Rest well, Michaux. I will avenge you."

    Lie Jian said as he clenched his fist; Wang Tong, Patroclus, Li Shiming, either one of them would be an interesting opponent for him.

    The first two of the quarterfinals were finished. Although Wang Tong and Li Shiming had led Team Earth to aplete victory, the two fighters would face each other during their next fight. Wang Tong''s recent rise to fame undoubtedly had given Li Shiming a lot of pressure.

    In addition to the gain and loss on the stage, the two alsopeted for Ma Xiaoru. On that front, Li Shiming seemed to have lost his advantage. Losing Ma Xiaoru would be a more devastating blow to House Li than losing a tournament.

    No one in House Li had believed that Wang Tong was the heir of General Li Feng, as they reasoned that Li Feng would have chosen one of his family members instead. The fact that House Ma had believed such nonsense had given Li Shiming another reason to strike Wang Tong down.

    Karl and his friends had been waiting outside the medic room ever since Wang Tong had copsed. A few hourster, the doctor informed them that Wang Tong had simply fallen asleep.

    "Can you believe that? Who falls asleep like that?" Karl eximed.

    "What a waste of our time!" Hu Yangxuanmented, even though his voice was filled with joy. He reasoned that since Wang Tong was not seriously injured, he should be able to be patched up quickly and ready for the next fight, the semi-finals.

    Just like the sleepless crowd on the Earth, no one on Mars found it easy to fall asleep, as they struggled toe to terms with the defeat of their young master. What was worse was that Michaux was defeated by a dark horse that no one had ever heard of.

    After the fight, Wang Tong had officially imed his spot among the heirs of the Great Houses.

    Zhang Mi, the journalist, had worked overnight in pushing out the first draft of the fight to her editor. However, popr as the topic might have seemed, it was not the most eye-catching headline of the day. There was another more sensational news: Einherjar Lee Moshan had challenged Einherjar Wannabe.

    This news had shocked the entire Confederation. Einherjars had always been a strategic arsenal for the three factions, and therefore, they rarely participated in any realbat.

    In the three hundred years after the Great War with the Zergs, the three major factions of the Confederation had reached a consensus that no regional skirmish, however heated they were, should warrant themissioning of Einherjars. This was also an unspokenw among Einherjars themselves, and it was very rare to see two Einherjars fighting with each other. Every Einherjar had sworn loyalty to the faction he or she belonged to, and therefore, any conflict between two Einherjars would quickly escte into a conflict between two factions.

    After all, humans''mon enemy were the Zergs, and the purpose of every Einherjar''s life was to make sure of the human race''s survival.

    Before Einherjar Wannabe became a viral sensation, all Einherjars represented the confederation instead of themselves. So, what had spurred Lee Moshan to make such a drastic decision?

    As the rumor spread, many people believed that Lee Moshan was infuriated after having learned that Qin Lanyue had fallen in love with Einherjar Wannabe after their fight.

    Einherjars were not gods, and therefore, they were susceptible to emotions, if not more sopared to an ordinary human. For Lee Moshan, unable to marry Qin Lanyue had been the only hurdle of his life that he could note to terms with. Since Lee Moshan could not win her heart, he refused to ept the fact she had fallen in love with someone else.

    Rumors aside, the fight would be very beneficial to both fighters'' cultivation, since they were bound to learn a great deal from each other. That benefit alone had made every Einherjar tempted to challenge Mr. Wannabe, and Lee Moshan was the first one to make a move.

    To most ordinary viewers, the fight between two Einherjars was a fight between gods. Therefore, no news would trump its gravity.

    Employees of DREAM were shocked when they received the challenge letter from Lee Moshan. No one had thought that a simtion game would be able to attract the attention of an Einherjar. Regardless of the oue of the match, it would be a huge win for the PA system. However, one question remained, "Would Einherjar Wannabe ept the challenge?"

    Such a question was out of the DREAM''s control, and therefore, they could do nothing other than sit and wait for the reply. Ever since its conception a few months ago, the onlinemunity "Marshal Hall" had increased its members by almost ten folds. After Einherjar Wannabe''s victory over Qin Lanyue, he had be a synonym of hope for ordinary citizens of the confederation.

    Wang Tong finally woke up the next day and left the hospital with Ma Xiaoru as if nothing had happened. Both of them were fine, and had fully recovered from their minor injuries.

    After the two returned to Wang Tong''s room, Wang Tong wished to introduce Ma Xiaoru to his only "rtive," Mr. Wannabe.

    "Mr. Wannabe, this is my future wife, Ma Xiaoru. Xiaoru, this is my old bro, Mr. Wannabe." Wang Tong announced as he beamed from side to side. He didn''t know what to call Mr. Wannabe, since he saw the old ghost as a friend and tutor at the same time.

    Ma Xiaoru hurried to bow to the old ghost. "Nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of Wang Tong."

    "Hehe, good girl. That idiot is lucky to have you! You can call me Mr. Wannabe." Mr. Wannabe said with a smile. However, Wang Tong noticed that a sadness shrouded Mr. Wannabe''s eyes.

    "I have good news for you. Einherjar Lee Moshan has challenged you in the PA. What do you say?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Lee Moshan? You mean that fledgling?" Mr. Wannabe replied without any delight in his voice.

 Chapter 394: An Old Ghost

    Chapter 394: An Old Ghost

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although she had heard from Wang Tong that Mr. Wannabe was a warrior, Ma Xiaoru was taken back by the Mr. Wannabe''s audacious statement.

    "You mean, Lee Moshan is only an entry level Einherjar?"

    "Yes. Charcoal had already looked him up for me. He is a 100% noob¡­" Mr. Wannabe paused as he studied Wang Tong with a clear intent. "What about you fighting him instead of me?" Mr. Wannabe finally asked.

    Wang Tong was shocked by the question while Ma Xiaoru had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from screaming out loud.

    "Coward! He is just a puny weakling. What are you afraid of? He won''t be able to reach Einherjar Level in the virtual world anyway. You need to fight him in real life!" Mr. Wannabe pouted and said.

    Wang Tong suddenly realized what Mr. Wannabe was getting at, "So... you mean I''ll fight him with a METAL suit?"

    "Bingo! " Mr. Wannabe eximed, beaming from side to side.

    "But where?" Wang Tong''s eyes lit up with new found interest.

    "In the space. With super METAL, you would be able to fight in the space. This way would provide a cover as well. I think you should fight him after your tournament though. You are ...not ready just yet. But, you might be ready after the tournament."

    Mr. Wannabe had been watching Wang Tong''s improvement for a long time, and he knew that since he had missed his chance of advancement into super Einherjar, he should provide as many opportunities for Wang Tong as he could.

    Wang Tong''s eyes glinted as his mind raced. Finally, he nodded slowly and said, "Let''s do it!"

    Mr. Wannabe smiled approvingly. He cast Ma Xiaoru a nce and then said, "Don''t worry about him. That Einherjar-dude is a weakling."

    Although Ma Xiaoru had her fair share of conversing with top notch fighters, she was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Wannabe''s unswerving confidence.

    "Xiaoru, Mr. Wannabe is telling the truth. You can trust him. He is over a few hundred years old, so he must have some mojo. Even if I can''t defeat Lee Moshan, I can always run away." Wang Tong winked at Ma Xiaoru and said.

    "Do whatever you want. I''m always here for you. But, don''t risk your life, please."

    "Don''t worry. I''m pretty tough." Wang Tong smiled.

    "I can testify that! Especially when he is in front of you. It''s the power of love...Haha¡­" Mr. wannabe jested.

    "Get lost!" Wang Tong cut Mr. Wannabe short.

    Ma Xiaoru gave Wang Tong a shy smile. "Is that true? Tell me,e!" Ma Xiaoru said and then she dragged Wang Tong away.

    Mr. Wannabe looked at the joyful couple and smiled like a father watching his growing son. Perhaps the old scars did not matter any longer. Mr. Wannabemented because the life now was so much more beautiful.

    The news of Einherjar Wannabe epting Lee Moshan''s challenge had quickly be the most sensational news. What made this fight much more exciting for members of the marshal hall was that it would take ce in real life, in the space.

    Only in the space could the two fighters unleash their maximum power without the fear of hurting anyone else.

    Everyone felt excitement and anticipation in the air. Many audiences had never heard of a fight between two Einherjars before, much less seen one.

    Although no one knew how powerful Einherjar Wannabe was, they had watched his opponents fall one after another, and each one was more powerful than thest. Finally, the warrior shrouded in mystery was about to confront a real Einherjar.

    The news of the fight had deeply disturbed the council. They knew that Einherjar Wannabe was finally ready to reveal himself in real life. Despite the gravity of his actions, the Confederation knew that there was nothing they could do to stop him. Plus, he had the populous on his side.

    The confederation had spent a great deal of energy trying to figure out his real identity. However, whenever they thought that they had a lead, the mysterious fighter would throw a curve ball at the investigation and spoil their previous efforts.

    Even the golden rule of elimination had failed, since the rule had indicated that the fighter was just an academy student. However, the PA system had confirmed his age to be over two hundred years old.

    By then, all efforts in discovering Einherjar Wannabe''s identify had failed.

    Nevertheless, the failures didn''t dull the great houses'' interest in the mysterious fighter, since they gradually felt threatened by his existence. The establishment never weed changes, since they only cared about the status quo. But, Einherjar Wannabe had be an unstable element in the society, and therefore, he had be an inconvenience.

    Meanwhile, Li Shiming and Porten were drinking together while watching a TV show about theing fights.

    "Bother Li, it appears that we were wrong about this Einherjar Wannabe." Portenmented. However, he could not hide the snicker on his face.

    He had been wearing the same snicker ever since he heard the rumors about Ma Xiaoru''s rtionship with Wang Tong. It ought to be a devastating blow the House Li. Life was a zero-sum game; others'' failures might as well be Porten''s gain.

    Li Shiming gave him an aloof smile.

    Li Shiming''s sense of superiority always disgusted Porten. He furrowed his brows and announced, "It was a tant insult to fight an Einherjar. How dare he!"

    "That''s too much. He is nothing but a clown."

    "Oh? Why did you say so?"

    "He always had been a clown. Maybe he is powerful, but he is also out of the league of the rest of the Einherjars. Such provocation would only end in humiliation. He thinks that people like him. But, people don''t like him because he is the savior, people liked him because he is funny, like a clown." Li Shiming exined. General Li Feng had be powerful, not only because he was powerful, but also because he had saved the entire human race.

    Porten''s eyes glinted as realization dawned on him. "That''s one very astute remark you have made! Once a clown, always a clown. Haha!"

    Li Shiming smiled. Of course, he had oversimplified Einherjar Wannabe''s character, but right then, he didn''t have much energy to waste on such irrelevant matters. His priority right then was to get rid of Wang Tong.

    Porten had seen through Li Shiming''s calm disguise, and knew that he was concerned about Wang Tong.

    Was it because of Ma Xiaoru?

    Porten had known Li Shiming for many years, and it was the first time he had ever seen him truly troubled by someone.

    "Uncle Lee has such short temper. Can you believe that he challenged Einherjar Wannabe?" Qin Yue rushed into her mother''s room and announced the news to Qin Lanyue.

    Qin Lanyue was caught off guard by the news. She paused for a second and asked her daughter, "What did you say?"

    "Mom, what''s up with this Einherjar Wannabe? What is he hiding? Why can''t he show everyone who he is? Coward!"

    "Nonsense, he is not a coward."

    "How did you know? You only fought him once."

    Qin Lanyue smiled and patted her daughter''s head. "Trying to trick me, aren''t you? Although I don''t know him very well, I can tell that he was as much a superhero as a viin, but not a coward."

    "Wow, that''s a rareplimenting from you. Now I''m curious if he could defeat an Einherjar. Imagine two duds duking out in the space: Phew-Phew! Phew-Phew!"

    "Don''t be silly. There is a reason why he set the stage in the space. The virtual technology is not capable of emting the full power of an Einherjar." Qin Lanyue announced.

    "Are you sure he has reached the Einherjar level? He calls himself a wannabe, remember?"

 Chapter 395: The Same Actor but Different Stories

    Chapter 395: The Same Actor but Different Stories

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Qin Yue''s doubts were not unfounded, since it was not umon for level six fighters to possess stronger soul energy than an Einherjar. Therefore, soul energy should not be the only measurement of a warrior''s strength.

    "Hehe, you think I would miss an Einherjar right in front of me?" Qin Lanyueughed. She didn''t need to look too hard at the mysterious warrior to sense that loneliness which uniquely belonged to an Einherjar.

    The third quarterfinal was about to lift its curtain. The arena had already beenpletely renovated and looked brand new.

    This match was between the Ivantian Prince, Patroclus, and Heidi, the Kaedeian princess.

    Patroclus walked onto the stage, dressed in a silver overall. As soon as he appeared on the stage, the Ivantian audiences showered him with a tsunami of cheers. It was obvious that the Dower family had cultivated a good reputation on the Moon.

    A few secondster, Heidi sauntered out from the backstage with the beauty that outshone the brightest star in the night sky.

    As both fighters appeared on the stage, the match had inadvertently turned into a model show.

    Manyizens had already mentioned that the two would make the sweetest couple if they got married. No Ivantians would object to that notion, since the union would very likely bring the Ivantians another perfect human as Patroclus''s sessor.

    The two fighters had drawn an unprecedented number of audiences, and even the reserved seats were packed, as everyone wanted to see the full power of Patroclus. Even though he was about to face the Kaedeian prince, most audiences believed that Patroclus would win the fight without a sweat.

    Wang Tong appeared in the arena with Ma Xiaoru while holding her hand. Although the two were practically joined at the hips, Wang Tong didn''t wear his affection on his face as Ma Xiaoru did.

    Ma Xiaoru was a METAL fighter, but ever since she got together with Wang Tong, she felt less and less interested in fighting.

    Standing right beside the couple, Li Ruoer finally burst out, "The whole world knows about you two. Can you two show any more public affection?"

    Ma Xiaoru blushed after hearing her friend''sment.

    "Wang Tong, who do you think will win the fight?" Zhou Sisi asked. Almost everyone was convinced that Patroclus could only be defeated by the de Warrior.

    "Patroclus." Wang Tong said without any hesitation.

    "Really? You don''t think Heidi stands any chance?"

    "Hehe. Power aside, I don''t think Heidi wants to be the Champion anyways."

    Sisi was perplexed by Wang Tong''s answer, as she wondered why Heidi would join the tournament if she didn''t even want to be the champion.

    "Princess Heidi, please," Patroclus announced courteously.

    Heidi unsheathed her de while Patroclus remained calm and didn''t seem to want to use his weapon. Everyone felt that Patroclus''s confidence had gotten the better of him. However, most people didn''t care about Patroclus''s confidence that borderlined on conceit, since they figured that he would win the game anyways.

    Heidi cranked up her soul energy, which made her look even more goddess-like. Unlike human''s soul energy that could burst into action, the Kaedeians'' soul energy increased at an even rate, signifying the female warrior''s calm temperament.

    Slowly, Heidi''s GN power opened up like a blooming lotus flower. Despite the serenity of the scene, her GN force was deadly powerful. Without even making a move, Heidi had already advanced to level six.

    Ever since the first contact, humans had always been curious about the gic makeup of the Kaedeians. The Kaedeian royal line carried its traits with an excellent stability and consistency that even the House Li and House Dower could not match.

    "Z-oink Z-oink!"

    Heidi started the attack with her de as waves of de Aura lurched towards Patroclus, who remained still as the de Aura wheezed by. Heidi had aimed around Patroclus but not at him, so that her blow wouldnd on target as long as Patroclus moved an inch in any direction. However, Patroclus had seen through Heidi''s tactic and remained still.

    Heidi cracked a smile and marveled at his keen observation and formidable judgment. No wonder, she thought, they called him the perfect human.

    Although Heidi''s ultimate goal in the tournament was not Patroclus, she conceded that she was intrigued by the Ivantian''s power.

    Heidi cast a sidelong nce towards a corner of the arena.

    "Hey! I think Heidi nced at me!" Karl shouted out.

    Hu Yangxuan pped Karl''s head and rebutted, "Not you, she was looking at me."

    "Ohe on, you two! Neither of you are more handsome than the one in front of her." Sisiughed out loud. However, she also registered the Kaedeian princess''s nce and found it strange.

    Noticing that Heidi was distracted, Patroclus paused and smiled. "Are you here for him as well?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "We are here for the same person, although my goal is entirely different than yours. I am here to defeat him, to put an end to the so-called de Warrior once and for all." Patroclus said as his eyes burned with a luster that held an unswerving conviction.

    Heidi had doubted her judgment. However, after hearing Patroclus''s words, she was confident that Wang Tong was indeed the man she had been waiting for.

    The noise from the audiences drowned the voice of the MC, "The two fighters haven''t started fighting right away. They are having a conversation, something about the ''de Warrior''!" Although the MC couldn''t hear a thing, he had read their lips and the words "de Warrior" blurted out. Suddenly, the two words seemed to have killed all mor in the arena, as a deadly silence fell.

    Even after three hundred years, the mere mention of the de Warrior would draw everyone''s attention immediately.

    Li Shiming''s face paled, as he too had been reading the two fighters'' lips, and had realized that his would-be opponents were after the heir of the de Warrior.

    Li Shiming clenched his fists, as he knew they were talking about Wang Tong and not him. It was uneptable¡ª as the heir of Li Feng, he had to do away with Wang Tong. There simply was no other option.

    "That''s good that we have this mutual understanding. Come on then, the only way to reach him is over me." Heidi cracked a gorgeous smile that captivated the hearts of all male audiences.

    "Kom!"

    Both fighters charged up their soul energy simultaneously. They shared not only the same ultimate goal, but also the same unwavering determination. Patroclus wanted to show it to the world that the legend of the de Warrior would no longer repeat itself, and House Dower would im the empty throne; he would finish the task that Rngalos had left.

    Patroclus hacked his right arm at Heidi, and suddenly, it turned into a deadly de shimmering with de aura.

    "Arm de!"

    Heidi evaded the attack as Patroclus''s strikended on the ground and caused a sizable explosion. Before the dust had settled, Heidi had already lunged at Patroclus with unpredictable footsteps.

    This would have been a fair fight if Heidi hadn''t mentioned the de Warrior. A century-old feud had lent power to the beast inside Patroclus, threatening to unleash destruction that was beyond his control.

    Driven by the call of the inner beast, Patroclus didn''t evade the attack like he normally would. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the deadly de with his bare hands.

    Having sensed Patroclus''s intention, Heidi changed the course of the de and slid it up to under the Ivantian''s neck. However, before she could finish the move, she noticed that Patroclus''s fingers were already near the tip of her de.

    Being caught off guard, Heidi retreated abruptly as she heard Patroclus shout at her.

    "Show me your real power. Little tricks like that won''t work!"

 Chapter 396: Return of the Moon King

    Chapter 396: Return of the Moon King

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Patroclus struggled to keep his voice down but failed; the beast was about to be unshackled.

    After gathered herself, Heidi suddenly realized that the fingers she had seen earlier were nothing but an illusion; it was a technique that struck a resemnce with that of the Kaedeians.

    She raised the de high above her head and started to chant in Kaedeian tongue. Despite the smooth sound of each syble, no one other than Kaedeians knew what she was chanting.

    The MC knew a little bit of Kaedeian, and therefore, he tranted her chanting into broken sentences.

    "Power of the Gods...lend me...your servant...METAL!"

    Suddenly, the de lit up with an intense light, as something slithered along it down to Heidi''s hands, arms, finally reaching her body. When the blinding light subsided, people watched with astonishment as a full METAL suit appeared on Heidi.

    The tournament had forbidden the usage of mechanical METAL suits, and therefore, Heidi''s METAL suit ought to be made out of different material.

    "Interesting! Using the natural force to form a METAL suit, eh? Do you have a name for such technique?" Patroclus smiled amusingly.

    "Phantom METAL."

    Not only had Kaedeians been searching for new recements for human METAL suits, but they had also been researching different ways of harnessing the natural force as the Mastery did. They had soon discovered that the METAL suit made out of the natural force could achieve 100% synchronization with the wearer, and were convinced that the natural force would be the future of cultivation.

    Although the new invention would not immediately affect the still-powerful METAL suit industry, it would have a huge long-term impact.

    Wearing the Phantom METAL, Kaedian Princess lunged at Patroclus again.

    "Kill!"

    The audiences watched as Heidi charged forward with a deceptive footstep, that was meant to confuse the opponent.

    Patroclus closed his eyes and opened up his arms, as if he were going to embrace the attacker.

    Heidi thrust one arm forward as a de appeared in her hand out of nowhere. However, some experienced warriors in the audience found out something was amiss: such attack would not release the full intent of the thrusting motion. This kind of a slip up should not have happened during a fight between such powerful fighters.

    Even as the audiences wondered what had gone wrong, Heidi reached out the arm, and suddenly, five ice serpents slithered out from under her sleeve andshed out at Patroclus.

    "Kom!"

    It was obvious by then that the GN force de attack was merely a cover, and the real strike was the five serpents materialized using the natural force. Only the Kaedeians would be able to transition from GN force attack to natural force so smoothly.

    As soon as the five ice serpents materialized on the stage, the air seemed to have gotten colder. It was a clear sign that Heidi was much more skilled at wielding the natural force than even the Mastery warriors such as Guan Dongyang.

    The ice serpents exploded when they were near their target. A thousand icicles sted at Patroclus and sealed him inside an ice shell, immobilizing him in the end. However, everyone, including Heidi, knew that Patroclus would not be subdued so quickly. Therefore, the Kaedeian princess attacked again as she jammed the sharp tip of the de into the ice statue. Then, she opened her arms as a circr magic seal appeared under her feet. Luminescent colors lighted each letter and stroke that made up the seal. As the circle started to turn by itself, the temperature inside the arena dropped dramatically. A few momentster, heavy snowkes fell from the sky as Heidi industriously changed multiple hand signs,manding the motion of the luminescent seal.

    Gong-son Wuce had only heard of such technique before, and it was called the Seal of Sub Zero.

    "Seal!"

    A thousand thin wisps of cold air rose from the center of the seal, twisting into numerous strands of energy that rushed into the ice statue.

    The temperature in the arena had dropped to below forty degrees. Most audiences in the reserved seat had initiated their protective shield to ward off the biting coldness.

    All of this was happening when the arena energy shield was still functioning.

    As everyone was convinced that Heidi would heavily leverage on her Phantom METAL, she started to use soul energy. Her unpredictability reminded the audiences of Wang Tong, the Dragon Warrior.

    Ayer of scintiting frost had crept onto the surface of the floor while tiny crystals formed on the ice statue, until the surface of the statue looked almost metallic.

    "The Absolute Zero Ice Cage!"

    Afterpleting her coup de grace, Heidi retracted the METAL and revealed her pale and exhausted face. The METAL was used to ward off the extreme coldness while she was casting her spell.

    A reverential silence fell in the arena, followed by a cracking noise from the firstyer of the arena energy shield.

    Inside the ice cage, the Ivantian Prince''s expression looked serene and otherworldly, suggesting that he might never get out of the cage again. Heidi was very confident in the power of the ice cage; it would take even an Einherjar a while to get out from there, much less Patroclus.

    Seeing that Patroclus was utterly immobilized, the referee started the countdown.

    Heidi had done all she could to capture Patroclus inside the cage. Unlike a male fighter who would seek to solve the problem by force, Heidi had chosen a peaceful solution.

    Five secondster, seeing Patroclus was still trapped inside the ice cage, the Ivantian audiences started getting nervous. He was their Prince, and if he lost, all Ivantians would have lost.

    "Eight!"

    The Ivantians rounded their eyes in disbelief as the referee continued the countdown.

    "Kom!"

    Suddenly, a wave of blue energy pieced the icy cage and sloshed over the stage.

    "Nine!"

    "Kaboom!"

    The ground trembled as if the earth were about to turn upside down. Another wave of blue energy shot through the air and stripped apart the first and secondyer of energy shield, until the third and thest shield finally blocked it.

    As Patroclus emerged out of the ice, he was holding something in his hand: the legendary weapon of Rngalos, the Deva Lance!

    "Kom!"

    Patroclus stabbed the butt of the Lance into the ground, and the entire world trembled as the stage suddenly copsed in front of everyone''s eyes.

    Heidi attempted to ward off the belligerent attack, but she was immediately blown away by the insurmountable energy. When the havoc subsided, people saw the entire stage was destroyed, except the few square inches of a floor under Patroclus''s feet.

    The Devance had finally revealed itself to everyone in the hands of the heir of Rngalos. Although Patroclus''s opponent was a lovely princess who only sought peace, Patroclus had struck her down as if she were a menacing demon.

    Staring at the god-like Patroclus on the stage, people suddenly remembered the nickname for Rngalos¡ªAsura, the Demon God.

    The beast inside him was finally let loose.

    Patroclus didn''t spare the half-conscious Heidi a nce. Instead, he reached out and pointed at a corner of the arena, drawing everyone''s eyes to the same spot.

    He did not point at Li Shiming, nor Lie Jian. At the corner of the arena sat only one remainingbatant¡ªWang Tong.

    The MC shrieked in excitement, "That''s Wang Tong! WANG TONG! The heir of Rngalos has pointed at Wang Tong!"

    Everyone was taken back by the turn of the event since they had expected Patroclus''s goal was to defeat Li Shiming. Meanwhile, they wondered why a dark horse would have evoked such intense interest in Patroclus.

    Wang Tong remained calm and smiled faintly. He could feel the excitement of Patroclus, since the same excitement had been roiling inside Wang Tong ever since the start of the match. Wang Tong was eager to experience the power of Patroclus''s deadly strikes first hand.

    So confident was Patroclus that he didn''t even turn back to make sure he had defeated his opponent before he sheathed the Deva Lance.

 Chapter 397: Establish Dominance

    Chapter 397: Establish Dominance

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    However, Patroclus had forgotten to acknowledge Li Shiming, which had rubbed the heir of House Li the wrong way. Li Shiming had worked hard to improve himself, and therefore, he could not stomach the humiliation of being ignored.

    For Li Shiming, this tournament should and only be about House Li, and there was no room for the Dower. His loathing towards Wang Tong also increased ten folds, as he believed that only a member of the House Li was fit for inheriting the power of the de Warrior, not some low-life no ount. As Li Shiming''s thoughts went on, his eyes held a luster that meant death.

    Suddenly, a chubby round face appeared close to Li Shiming''s eyes. The face beamed from side to side and shouted, "Go Wang Tong Go! Go Ayrng Go!"

    It was Karl.

    Feeling embarrassed, Hu Yangxuan and Zhou Sisi hurried to drag Karl back to his seat.

    "The winner is¡ªPATROCLUS!"

    This had been an easy victory for Patroclus, since he had only started to be serious when he used the Deva Lance. It was obvious then that Patroclus''s previous fight must have been excruciatingly boring for him, yet he held his patience to wait for the fight against Wang Tong. All the while, Wang Tong''s excellent performance was Patroclus''s only constion.

    After Wang Tong''s fight against Michaux, Patroclus was finally certain that he would be up against the heir of the de Warrior. After having watched Wang Tong''s fight, even Patroclus was no longer certain of his victory. Meanwhile, this feeling of a suddenck of confidence and superiority was exhrating for the Ivantain Prince. Ever since he had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King, Patroclus had always been able to achieve whatever his heart desired. Despite the obvious convenience, the forlorn boredom from ack of challenge had turned his life into a drudgery.

    Truth be told, Patroclus had nned his attack so that thence only grazed Heidi. Otherwise, the Kaedeians might have to choose another princess from the royal bloodline, because Heidi would never leave the Moon alive. Hisnce attack was more of a symbolic gesture, a manifesto of his determination and a response to Wang Tong''sst match.

    Wang Tong was one of the handfuls that had understood his intention clearly and well. When Wang Tong saw Patroclus''s stunning performance, he finally understood the "frenemy" rtionship between Li Feng and Rngalos. In addition to Patroclus, Wang Tong conceded that he had an additional opponent: Li Shiming.

    Seeing Wang Tong had attracted the attention of the Ivantian Prince, Ma Xiaoru felt proud of his boyfriend.

    "The youngsters nowadays are incredible!" Wu Xin marveled. She had thought that the tournament would be a child''s y. "But... how did Patroclus know about Wang Tong''s hidden identity?"

    Ma Dutian cracked a smile; he was also very pleased by Wang Tong''s performance. "Perhaps it''s his sixth sense, hehe. I look forward to their fight. However, Wang Tong will have to cross Li Shiming first. Xin, it''s a different time now. I doubt anyone can stop Patroclus if Wang Tong failed." Ma Dutianmented. Until a few minutes ago before he had seen Patroclus''snce attack, Ma Dutian had no idea what it meant to be the heir of Rngalos.

    "Wang Tong will defeat him! And he will be my son inw."

    "Hehe, fine. You sound as if I don''t like that boy. Anyhow, just for your information, your son inw has told your daughter everything about himself. In other words, she now knows much more about the de Warrior than both of usbined."

    "You mean..."Wu Xin was taken back by the news.

    Ma Dutian nodded. "I am d that they trusted each other."

    "I agree. That''s something you can learn as well. "

    Ma Dutian gave his wife a shy smile and then said, "I''m always... open to you."

    Wu Xin rolled her eyes at Ma Dutian, but with a sweet smile on her face.

    All media outlets praised the victory of Patroclus, and the fight was described as an easy win for the Ivantian prince.

    Many experts had pointed out that although Patroclus hadn''t broken free from the ice cage until thest moment, he had many opportunities to interrupt Heidi before she hadpleted the spell. They spected that Patroclus did so to demonstrate the invincibility of the tactics of the Deva King to the world.

    Many debates were also carried out around the fact that the two fighters both mentioned the de Warrior before the fight started. Moreover, as people started to connect the dots, they realized that Patroclus had always attended Wang Tong''s fight even before he had be famous. All signs indicate that something must have been going on between the two fighters even before the tournament had started. By the same line of reasoning, it was easy to conclude that Patroclus was not merely taunting Wang Tong at the end of his match. Instead, there seemed to be more significant issues that needed to be settled between the two.

    What had made Patroclus taunt the Dragon Warrior? What kind of a story had happened between the two? Questions came one after another, but people knew that they wouldn''t find out the answers until the two started fighting.

    So far, threebatants had seeded in their quarterfinals, but who would be the fourth one? Would it be Lie Jian from Mars or Zhang Buyu from the Temr?

    Everyone waited for the fight to start with great anticipation.

    Inside the resting room, Lie Jian flexed his wrist impatiently. He was disgruntled by the fact that Patroclus had pointed at Wang Tong and not him.

    Lie Jian''s goal was clear; he needed to get rid of thest hurdle ¡ª Zhang Buyu¡ª before he reached his ultimate goal, Patroclus.

    Soon, the final match was about to start. The arena maintenance crew had been working round the clock to rece the entire stage. This wasn''t the first time they had to do it, and therefore, they had finished the repair faster than expected. However, recharging the first and secondyers of the energy shield would take a much longer time. Therefore, the tournamentmittee had decided to continue the fight with only the thirdyer on. Meanwhile, themittee had ordered the safety crew to turn on two more energy shields in addition to the three existingyers during the semifinals.

    Even with such rigorous safety precautions, a small line of fine print was added to the ticket of the first row seats, indicating the risk of injury for sitting so close to the stage. Nevertheless, these tickets were sold out in a blink, as everyone wanted to witness the fighter''s greatness despite the danger.

    Zhang Buyu sat quietly inside the resting room as he reflected on his previous fights. Although the most well respected Temr trained him, he knew that he needed to see more and his cultivation should not be restricted within the Court.

    "Wish you good luck!" Ye Kai said nervously. Thest couple of fights had opened his eyes to another level of power.

    "Who is this Wang Tong? Why does Patroclus care so much about him?"

    "I''m not sure. But I sense that he is behind the huge improvement of Hu Yangxuan as well."

    "Did it ever cross your mind that he could be the heir of the de Warrior?" Wu Gang asked abruptly.

    "Haha! You have been listening to rumors again." Ye Kaiughed.

    The two fighters stepped onto the stage at the same time, as a swell of thunderous cheers weed them. Thest two fights had set the bar so high that Zhang Buyu wished that he could live up to the expectations of the audience.

    Lie Jian was in a ming red gym shirt, topped with red hair curled up like the mane of a lion. A fire burned in his eyes, as if he could not wait to tear his opponent apart with bare hands.

 Chapter 398: Power of the Flame

    Chapter 398: Power of the me

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wild and untethered, Lie Jian swore to show the world his unchallenged dominance. With his back facing the opponent, Lie Jian waved his fists in the air to stir up the audiences.

    Zhang Buyu remained cid, but his eyes were as sharp as the de strapped to his back.

    "Let''s start!" Lie Jian waved at Zhang Buyu, willing him to attack first. Lie Jian had been interested in seeing Zhang Buyu''s de strike. So far, Zhang Buyu had finished all matches in one blow. However, this time, he was about to face Lie Jian, member of the Great Houses. So, things could work out quite differently.

    Zhang Buyu slowly unsheathed the de called White Water as he gradually became more serious. He knew that Lie Jian was not an ordinary opponent, and an uphill battle was ahead of him.

    "Kom!"

    Zhang Buyu charged up his soul energy and easily reached level six. The other three Inner Court disciples watched their court brother''s advancement in disbelief. Although Zhang Buyu was the most powerful among four of them, none of the three court brothers had realized that he had already been able to reach level six. Zhang Buyu was a very humble person and mostly kept things to himself. He was also very supportive of his younger court brothers, and therefore, everyone in the inner court regarded him as the amiable elder brother instead of a powerful warrior.

    The sol reading indicated that Zhang Buyu''s soul energy had reached six hundred.

    Ye Kai finally remembered that the grandmaster used to tell him that he had great talent, butcked perseverance and focus like Zhang Buyu. Zhang Buyu had been focusing on practicing the White Water de ever since he joined the court; his focus and dedication had finally paid off.

    Just like many other inborn abilities, focus and patience was also a talent that could not be learned.

    Lie Jian was taken back by Zhang Buyu''s sol reading, since it was the highest shown on the board ever since the beginning of the tournament.

    Zhang Buyu focused his attention on his de, trying to be one with the de instead of its wielder. Over time, he had concluded that the biggest hurdle in mastering the de technique was to ovee his own ego; he should let go of himself and let the de take control.

    While training, Zhang Buyu focused heavily on the techniques that allowed him to win the battle with one decisive blow. Because of that, the grand master used toment that he was the most talented de user. The decisive blow saved Zhang Buyu from making unnecessary moves, thus reducing the chance of making errors.

    The rings on the back of White Water were filled with energy, and started to rattle against the metal. Lie Jian recognized his opponent''s power right away, and thought that this fight was going to be very interesting.

    Lie Jian pumped his fists, and a GN de suddenly appeared in his hand. As the heir of the Great House, Lie Jian was well versed in many weapons, including des. The advantage of using a de was in its aggressiveness, and such character was in line with that of the Tactics of the ze.

    As Lie Jian channeled more GN force into the de, the GN de started to catch fire as the me''s intensity increased by the second.

    The weapon conjured from the GN force was much better at transmitting the wielder''s energy than a regr weapon, thus giving Lie Jian more leverage during the battle.

    The air on the stage burned with smoke and belligerence. Although Lie Jian''s GN de was a more advanced technique, Zhang Buyu held an advantage in his higher soul energy.

    Such a high sol reading was rightfully earned by Zhang Buyu from years of hard work while being driven by his obsession with Martial Arts. This aspect of his struck a resemnce with Wang Ben.

    The fiery GN de and the White Watershed out almost simultaneously; each causing a small explosion in the air. The two fighters'' bodies turned into two streaks of light that were on the course of collision.

    They did not collide. Instead, they seemed to have barely brushed each other''s shoulder. They didn''t stop until they were a few dozen feet apart in the opposite direction of each other; and then came the thunderous roar as the stage splitting in half.

    A gush of blood stted onto the ground from arge seared-wound on Zhang Buyu''s chest. Despite the injury, Zhang Buyu turned his back towards his opponent as if nothing had happened to him.

    Although there was no visible wound on Lie Jian''s body, his face had turned pale like a piece of paper. Suddenly, a gush of blood spewed out from his mouth.

    The rowdy Martians who were ready to cheer for their victory suddenly became quiet.

    Cheers and apuse erupted from the Temr''s Disciples instead. Although Lie Jian''s GN de had greater damage output, the Martian''s move was far from capturing the essence of the way of des.

    The seemingly simple strike from Zhang Buyu was a result of years of perfection, like a speck of diamond extract from a mountain of coal.

    He was the de, and the de was him; that was the essence of a perfect de strike.

    Lie Jian finally lost his bnce and dropped to one of his knees. The GN de also faded away.

    The audiences gasped at the development.

    "Honey, did you see what happened when they exchanged blows?" Ma Xiaoru asked.

    Wang Tong shook his head. "It''s incredible! I think only Lie Jian knows what happened."

    The development had hit home for Wang Ben. His training method was very simr to that of Zhang Buyu; the only difference was that instead of using a de, Wang Ben choose to rely on his fist. However, Wang Ben conceded that Zhang Buyu was able to use the technique much more freely than him. In other words, Wang Ben could only use the technique when the condition was right, but that was not the case for Zhang Buyu. It was hard for Wang Ben to wrap his mind around the number of hours Zhang Buyu had poured into his training to summon such unyielding force at will.

    Zhang Buyu regarded Lie Jian with a slight sympathy, then said, "You better call for a medic right away. I must have cut through your GN nodes; it isn''t a joke."

    "Ahh-Hahahaha! Awesome! Excellent!" Lie Jianughed as he slowly picked himself up. This deadly blow he had received was a wake-up call for him. Superior damage and good technique were the two sides of the same coin. He never thought that someone of his age would have achieved such a great understanding in the way of des. Lie Jian conceded that he had underestimated his opponent.

    If there had been any sympathy on Zhang Buyu''s face, it was gone after Lie Jian''s outburst. Lie Jian rubbed the corner of his mouth, smearing the blood over his cheek as his body started to catch fire anew. Zhang Buyu furrowed his brows: charging up soul energy was the most unwise action when GN nodes were damaged.

    Another stream of blood spewed out from Lie Jian''s mouth, but he didn''t drop to his knee this time. Instead, he pounded his chest and shouted as me engulfed his body.

    A defeat was¡­ UNACCEPTABLE!

    The ultimate form of the ze¡ª Phoenix Reborn!

    Zhang Buyu was caught off guard by Lie Jian''s outburst of actions. He noticed that not only was the Martian fully recovered, but the energy emitting from him was much greater than before. The GN me spread from the Martian''s body across the entire stage.

    Lie Jian gave the young Temr an ugly grin and said, "Let''s do this again!"

    Zhang Buyu raised the White Water and was about to strike.

    "Seriously! He is still fighting?"

    "Damn, Brother Zhang knew only that one move. If he repeats too many times, that a*shole might gain an advantage over him."

    The young Temrs were overwrought by the development. They had never seen Zhang Buyu use any other moves other than the straightforward attack that he had already demonstrated. Hisck of variety in his moves might set him in a disadvantageous position.

    Despite the iing attack, Lie Jian didn''t raise his defense, as if he wanted to taunt Zhang Buyu.

    Holding the de above his head, Zhang Buyu took a deep breath as he twisted the handle of the de about his wrist while he gathered strength.

    A de was not just an extension of the wielder''s body, nor was it deadly simply because of its sharp edge; the power of any de was in its soul.

    Suddenly, Zhang Buyu struck again; his move was simple and elegant as ever. As a sense of respect rose inside Lie Jian, as the Martian hurled his fist at the attacker.

    The ground exploded and blood stted over the rubble. Zhang Buyu had cut through Lie Jian''s defense, into his flesh.

    However, that was not the end. Lie Jian suddenly grabbed the back of the White Water as me engulfed it. In a blink, the de was reduced into a pool of molten steel.

 Chapter 399: Heir of the Legend

    Chapter 399: Heir of the Legend

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Despite the injury, Lie Jian knotted his face as he punched at Zhang Buyu with the full might he could muster. Having lost his de, Zhang Buyu was practically defenseless at the moment.

    The two were so close, and the blow came so suddenly, that Zhang Buyu didn''t even have a fraction of a second to react. His GN defense was quickly overwhelmed by the me, and menacing fire poison started to invade his system.

    The blow sent the young Temr''s body flying like a kite with its string cut, until he hit the energy barrier and thudded back to the ground.

    The other three inner court disciples gasped and jumped out of their seats in surprise. Lie Jian''s attackcked any appreciation for technical finesse, and was overwhelmingly powerful.

    Lie Jian licked the blood off his knuckles as he savored the feeling of striking an opponent down.

    In Lie Jian''s world, strength always trumped over skills.

    Lie Jian posed as he pointed a finger at the sky; a cue for his fans to start their worshiping.

    "LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN..."

    "LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN! LIE JIAN..."

    Lie Jian cupped his ears, willing his fans to shout louder. Soon, he reasoned, his name would be hailed across the entire Confederation.

    The list ofbatants making it into the semi-final was fresh out of the oven: Li Shiming, Patroclus, Wang Tong, and Lie Jian.

    This was perhaps the mostpetitive semi-final the public had ever seen, and anything was possible. By then, no event in the entire Confederation was more important than the tournament.

    Some people argued that perhaps the only year which the world had seen a roster of strongerbatants was three hundred years ago, during the time of Li Feng and Rngalos.

    Since Li Shiming and Patroclus had still held back their power during theirst fight, their following fights were bound to be even more exciting to watch.

    The semi-final was to start in three days. Meanwhile, in light of the few close calls of public safety catastrophe, the tournamentmittee decided to use those three days to beef up the security measures.

    However, the potential danger had spurred more ticket sales, as everyone wanted to experience the thrill of being so close to the great power. Soon, all semi-final tickets were sold out. The number of audiences for this year''s semi-final was over ten times more thanst year.

    The first match of the tournament would be between Wang Tong and Li Shiming.

    "Boss, you kick a*s! I don''t think you will have any problem handling Li Lame Shiming." Karl announced.

    "We already know that Lame-Li is asme in the bed as he is on the stage. Haha!" Hu Yangxuanughed out loud.

    Since Wang Tong had already made a miracle by making it to the semi-final, he was not burdened by the desire for the title of champion. However, Wang Tong had his motivation of winning the fight: Ma Xiaoru. He needed to prove to Ma Xiaoru that she had made the right choice.

    "OK guys, stop giving him pressure. Do your best Wang Tong." Zhou Sisi said.

    "Can''t say that I''m sold on my victory yet, but I won''t be defeated that easily either." Wang Tong held Ma Xiaoru''s hand and announced with conviction.

    "Do your best. I don''t care if you are the champion or not" Ma Xiaoru blushed as she spoke.

    "You are too soft on him. Better let him know of your expectation earlier on! Haha." Zhou Sisi jested without any jealous undertone. Zhou Sisi hade to terms with the fact that Ma Xiaoru would be a much better girlfriend for Wang Tong than herself.

    After a few hours of chitchatting, the group left Wang Tong''s room. Everyone knew that Wang Tong needed to rest to face the formidable opponent, Li Shiming.

    Wang Tong and Wang Ben fist pumped a goodbye like two bros before thetter left without saying a word. But, the simple gesture spoke louder than any words.

    Although Wang Tong knew that the journey ahead was treacherous, having his friends around had given him courage and determination to press forward until the end.

    After everyone had left the room, Wang Tong about turned and leered at Ma Xiaoru. Ma Xiaoru knew what he was thinking, so she rebutted, "You have a match. We can''t do it."

    "Haha! Babe, don''t be afraid. Haven''t you forgot about Karmamudra? You see, I haven''t fully recovered fromst match and I need your help."

    "Oh? How?" Ma Xiaoru was taken back by the news and lowered her guard.

    "Ah-Ha!" Wang Tong grabbed Ma Xiaoru''s arm and threw her onto the bed. "Of course, I''m not injured. But you can still help me! Haha!"

    "You¡ª" Ma Xiaoru was cut short by Wang Tong''s fiery kisses, and then the two rolled around on the bed, hands all over each other.

    Soon, the air in the room was sweetened by the caressing, kissing, and groping. The two''s soul energy also intertwined with each other, effectively enhancing Wang Tong''s flow of soul energy.

    That night, Ma Xiaoru let Wang Tong enjoy her ripe fruit until thest drop of juice.

    Meanwhile, inside Li Shiming''s dark room, he sat cross-legged on the floor while cultivating the Tactics of Vayu. The closer it got to the semi-final, the calmer he felt.

    Li Shiming was convinced that Wang Tong must die at his hands. He hade to terms with the fact that only he was capable of doing away with Wang Tong. Also, he wanted to do so to send a message to whoever was pulling the strings behind the scene: only an heir of House Li could inherit the power of the de Warrior.

    By then, anger inside Li Shiming had burned away any sense of reason in his mind. He believed that only the blood of his enemy could wash away the humiliation.

    Inside Patroclus''s room, the Ivantian Prince was arranging a flower bouquet. Zhang Jin watched as a tapestry of colors appeared right in front of her eyes, each petal seeming to tell a different story.

    "You are in a good mood."

    "Of course," Patroclus said quietly; still busy with the flowers.

    "You were kind of a d*ck, you know? Heidi is a girl, and you punched her in the face. That''s a bit too much, don''t you think?" Zhang Jin questioned him indignantly.

    Patroclus smiled and said, "I already held back my power. There is no difference between a man and a woman on the battlefield."

    Zhang Jin shocked her head and said, "What if one day you would have to fight me?"

    Patroclus paused and then said, "That will never happen."

    Zhang Jin didn''t press on; she knew Patroclus was right. He could prevent that from happening like nipping the bud off the branches.

    Inside a hospital, Lie Jian was receiving treatment on his damaged right hand. Although he was the only injuredbatant, with the help of advanced Ivantian medic equipment, the doctors should be able to patch him up in time.

    Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

    "Come in!"

    "Master, we have finally found some clues, but¡ª"

    Lie Jian furrowed his brow "But what?"

    "But, it was not Wang Tong. He was seen watching Einherjar Wannabe''s show a few weeks ago."

    "Hum... Does Patroclus know of this?"

    "Hard to say... Oh, and we have heard rumors that Patroclus seems to be convinced that Wang Tong is the heir of the de Warrior. So far, Li Shiming has been silent on it."

    Lie Jian was shocked by the news. He waved a hand as the man in ck slowly backed out of the room.

    "Oh, for f*uck sake! I knew something was not right! They think I don''t exist? B*astards!" Lie Jian was infuriated on being treated as irrelevant. He gritted his teeth and swore that he would avenge this humiliation.

 Chapter 400: The Worthy Heir

    Chapter 400: The Worthy Heir

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The thought of Li Shiming''s embarrassment made Lie Jian giggle. There had been a secret organization created by General Li Feng to seek his sessor after his death. However, after hundreds of years, no one had ever heard of anything from this organization. The group remained silent even when Li Shiming started to rise to power. House Li''s embarrassment didn''t stop there when House Ma rejected their marriage proposal. The recent series of events ought to have dealt a devastating blow to the reputation of House Li.

    Although Lie Jian felt lighthearted after savoring the trying situation that House Li had to endure, he couldn''t get the alluring shapes of Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru off his mind. Such a shame that one of them was already taken and deflowered. But, Li Ruoer was still single. Lie Jian decided to make a move before he lost the opportunity again.

    Lie Jian knocked on his table, and a servant plodded in.

    "Master."

    "I want to know everything about Li Ruoer. Her favorite color, her hobbies, sports... You know what I mean."

    "Yes, master."

    Days of inactivity on the bed due to his injury and the thought of Li Ruoer had fanned the me of bodily pleasure in Lie Jian. A beautiful young nurse happened to walk in right when the martian was about to find a way to relieve himself.

    "Master, I have brought you the wine you had ordered."

    This nurse was one of his entourage that he had brought to the moon from Mars. Usually, he wouldn''t even spare a nce at such a low born girl. However, her appearance right then was rather convenient to quench Lie Jian''s perverse thirst.

    "Come closer." Lie Jianmanded.

    The young nurse hesitated, but plodded toward the martian unwillingly nevertheless.

    Lie Jian lurched at the young girl and dragged her onto his bed. The young girl sobbed; she was too scared to cry.

    Three dayster, the first semi-final match was about to start. At the end of the match, people would find out who was a better fighter between the Heir of House Li and the Dragon Warrior. The match was rich due to the drama between the two warriors. However, the drama didn''t stop at their personal life, as rumors had started to spread that Wang Tong was the heir of the de Warrior.

    It was believed that only the heir of the de Warrior could reach the full power of the Tactics of the de, and coincidentally, Wang Tong also used the Tactics of the de to its full intent.

    Also, it had been believed that once the heir of the de Warrior revealed himself to the world, a genius warrior would also be born into house Dower, such as Patroclus. Although these theories held no more validity than children''s bedtime tales, poprity had lent credence to the im that Wang Tong was the next de Warrior.

    The fact that Patroclus had ignored Li Shiming and challenged only Wang Tong meant that the Ivantian prince was more interested in thetter. If Wang Tong were not the next de Warrior, why would Patroclus, the heir of House Dower, the frenemy of the de Warrior, do that?

    The spections had cast a different light on the match between Wang Tong and Li Shiming. Many believed that the de Warrior and General Li Feng were the same people. If that were the case, then who would be the worthy sessor, Wang Tong or Li Shiming?

    All things considered, Li Shiming was not only General Li Feng''s kinsman but also nearly perfect in most areas. On the other hand, Wang Tong had already gotten his foot in the door as he had mastered the de Warrior''s Tactics of the de.

    On the paper, the two seemed to be equally qualified as the heir, and therefore, the answer hinged upon the oue of the match.

    Based on a conservative estimate, there would be over one billion people tuning in while the match was on air. Although neither of thebatants had made a statement to clear the air on the rumors, people knew that their answer would be waiting for them at the end of the match.

    "Someone is leaking information about our young master."

    "Do you know who that is?"

    "We are still investigating. It must be someone influential and powerful."

    "Should we start our operation then?"

    "Not now. We should wait for Grand master''s order."

    "I am afraid that would be toote."

    "He should be fine right now. But, we need to find out the source of the rumors soon."

    The voices faded away.

    Truth be told, most people wouldn''t give a dime about the heir of the de Warrior, neither did the tournamentmittee. However, the drama provided an excellent marketing gimmick.

    After the MC announced Li Shiming''s name, the heir of House Li strode onto the stage with confidence and purpose. Respect rose inside everyone''s heart regardless of where they came from.

    Li Shiming stood at the center of the stage quietly, as if he were holding a moment of silence for his ancestors and their glory, the same glory that he had sworn to bring House Li back to.

    After a while, Li Shiming raised his arms into the air as a swell of cheers erupted from the audiences. Although the match was hosted on the home of the Dowers, the Ivantians knew that House Li was the dominating House of all great houses.

    Before the cheers for House Li had subsided, Wang Tong appeared on the stage. Hearing the thunderous cheers, Wang Tong finally understood how much general Li Feng meant to the world even three hundred years after his passing.

    Suddenly, an unexpected question urred to Wang Tong: If he had be the next de Warrior, would he choose an outsider as his heir?

    Wang Tong wholeheartedly agreed that Li Shiming was much better than him in many ways. Yet, the de Warrior had chosen him instead. The thought didn''t scare Wang Tong as it would a couple years ago. But there and then, Wang Tong only felt a sense of responsibility and eagerness to get stronger to protect his loved ones and the world.

    This match had been long overdue. ''Bring it on, Li Shiming!''

    Li Shiming locked his eyes with the man he should have done away with while he was only a pathetic worm. Li Shiming had ignored him for too long. When he finally realized how big of a threat Wang Tong was, he had already lost his woman, as well as his right to inherit what was rightfully his.

    Li Shiming gave Wang Tong an ugly smile, "It''s a big day for both of us."

    Both fighters'' eyes lit up with eagerness to defeat their opponent. Li Shiming had made it clear that he knew all about Wang Tong''s secrets, and today''s match would be their showdown.

    To Li Shiming, this could be the final hurdle he had to ovee in his life. Defeating Wang Tong would not only solve the problem at hand, but it would also prove that even Li Feng could make mistakes.

    "Now, show me what you have learned." Li Shiming announced as his soul energy soared to level six in a blink.

    Wang Tong mirrored his opponent''s action and charged his soul energy to level six as well. Two streams of energy roiled in the air, shing with each other. But, the audiences were unable to tell who held the advantage.

    Both fighters shouted at the top of their lungs as they lunged at each other. Neither of the fighters held back their power in the bare-knuckle round.

    As the dominating faction on earth, the birthce of martial arts, House Li had a long tradition of martial training. Li Shiming''s every move had been improved over hundreds of years, so that not even a breath was wasted.

    "Incredible! Li Shiming used over ten different kinds of fist techniques, but they blended in with each other so perfectly."

    The interpreter of the fight was a senior researcher called Zhang Zhongren. He had been and still was a die-hard supporter of House Li.

    "Wang Tong''s moves are also very interesting! They are not from any technique that I know of, but are extremely effective." The other interpreter, Rockefeller, announced.

    "In a fight between high-level warriors, the basic training still matters. And at that, Li Shiming is much better than Wang Tong." Zhang Zhongren said with conviction.

 Chapter 401: The Speed of Vayu

    Chapter 401: The Speed of Vayu

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I dare say that both in terms of natural talent and skills, Wang Tong was ahead of the gamepared to many other fighters. Li Shiming should be careful, otherwise¡­" Rockefeller smirked as he praised Wang Tong, but he was once again cut short by fan-boy Zhang Zhongren.

    "Perhaps, he is well rounded like you said, but that would mean that his skills are too spread out. And, you don''t need me to remind you of the importance of having a focus in cultivation, do you?"

    "Buzz off. That fanboy knows nothing about Boss." Karl grunted.

    Meanwhile, Li Ruoer and Ma Xiaoru were having entirely different feelings about this fight. Ma Xiaoru''s only wish was to have Wang Tong win the game so that they could finally be together officially, while Li Ruoer''s feelings were much moreplicated. On one hand, she wished her brother would win, since she was also a member of the House Li. On the other hand, she wanted Wang Tong to win, since she was also hopelessly in love with her former rival.

    To any ordinary fighter, it would be an honor to stand on the semi-final stage. However, Li Ruoer knew that Wang Tong wouldn''t care about the honor or fake glory; he was on the stage for entirely different reasons.

    "Kom... KOM!"

    On the stage, Wang Tong hadnded a blow on Li Shiming, but he had also received a kick in the side.

    Wang Tong felt that his Layered Fist of Tong had fallen short against Li Shiming''s formidable double GN force defense. Plus, Li Shiming also possessed incredible control over the flow of his GN force, which made Wang Tong''s attack even more impossible tond.

    Much like Wang Tong, Li Shiming was also taken aback by the power of Wang Tong. He had used the powerful "Swirl Kick" that should blow any level six fighter a few feet away. But, Wang Tong still held his ground even after being dealt a direct blow.

    After a few rounds of punches and kicks, Li Shiming was surprised to find out that Wang Tong had used the real version of the Tactics of the de.

    "Your Tactics! Is it the de? " Li Shiming''s eyes were lit up with astonishment. There were only a handful of people who knew about this version of the Tactics of the de.

    Wang Tong flexed his body and then announced. "Yes, the authentic version!"

    Li Shiming could feel that the tactics pulled and pushed the energy smoothly inside Wang Tong''s system. The thought that Wang Tong had gained his family secret had infuriated the heir of House Li. It was hard for Li Shiming to wrap his mind around the fact that the precious heirloom, of which he had been denied inheritance, would have fallen into the hands of such a low life scum.

    Spurred by jealousy and anger, Li Shiming lunged forward with such force that he seemed to have bent the space itself. He then pounded his fist on Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong blocked the punch instinctively; the impact made him feel like he was hit by a semi-truck. Despite his effort of anchoring himself by digging his heels into the ground, Wang Tong flew a few dozen feet back, leaving two deep tracks on the ground.

    Wang Ben pulled a taut face as soon as he saw Li Shiming''s attack. It was the Air Breaking Fist. He was surprised to see how easily Li Shiming had pulled off such an advanced fist technique, even though he had focused his training mostly on swordy.

    Also, Wang Ben was further taken back by the fact that the powerful attack had only forced Wang Tong a few dozen feet back, without doing any real damage.

    Wang Tong quickly gathered himself and shook his arms as a stream of energy flew through them. Suddenly, he disappeared and then re-emerged only a few feet away from his opponent, then charged.

    Wang Tong raised his hand, which by then had already turned into a de. Li Shiming stood still and didn''t evade the attack. When the GN force infused hand-de was only a few inches away from him, he suddenly thudded his boots heavily on the ground, sending out a shockwave that immediately blew out the shimmering GN de Aura on Wang Tong''s hand.

    So powerful was Li Shiming that anymon techniques would be useless against him. His ability to snuff the de aura was the testament of his incredible talent in martial arts.

    However, just when Li Shiming thought that he had countered Wang Tong''s attack, the floor exploded underneath his feet, blowing him into the air. Wang Tong didn''t hesitate as he lunged up and delivered an uppercut to his falling opponent.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong''s strike had hit home, and Li Shiming was blown a few dozen feet away; it was Wang Tong''s tit-for-tat response to the blow he had received earlier.

    Zhang Jin shook her head andmented, "Li Shiming shouldn''t have underestimated Wang Tong. Although he never received any formal training, he was still mighty powerful. What do you think Patroclus?"

    "Those are not important things. You will see." Patroclus answered.

    Zhang Jin was bewildered by Patroclus''s answer. But, she conceded that no one would understand anything between the three of them anyway.

    To put it in simple terms, Li Shiming had undergone formal training which he excelled at. Meanwhile, Wang Tong had embarked on an entirely different route that was unique to himself, and could not be repeated. For example, it might take Wang Ben months of repetitive training tomit a move to the muscle memory, but it would only take Wang Tong an afternoon to master it. Wang Tong''s unique advantage was his knack for understanding almost anything rted to martial arts. This advantage was much more important for those who had reached high soul energy level. A perfect and quick understanding of new techniques was what would set Wang Tong apart from other level six fighters.

    On the stage, the two fighters closed in again, and the fight turned into a brawl. However, the audiences could still tell that the two fighter''s fighting styles were wildly different.

    Although Wang Tong''s movescked the purpose and fluidity of textbook move sets, it was incredibly efficient and effective.

    Both fighters had by then realized that they had met a powerful foe, and therefore, both of them slowed things down and tried to find out each other''s weakness beforemitting to a full-on assault. Such weakness might be found in the opponent''s techniques, but it could also be a w in the way that different moves were connected.

    However, even after a while, none of the fighters had shown any sign of such a weakness. The battle quickly turned into a stalemate.

    After a few rounds of fruitless probing, both fighters backed away from each other. Li Shiming expected Wang Tong to use the new Mastery moves he had just learned, But, Wang Tong didn''t feel that the time was right to attack with soul energy yet, and he was right. During a fight with such a high-level warrior such as Li Shiming, any significant moves that required concentration and perfect timing would easily open a window for the opponent to take advantage of.

    Li Shiming''s patience was wearing thin, so he revealed his legendary de Vayu. He figured that if Wang Tong kept his guard high, it would be almost impossible to find any weakness in him. Therefore, he might as well finish the match with his most potent attacks.

    As the silver de slithered out of the dark-skinned sheath, the glinting tip traced a curve in the air and pointed directly at Wang Tong, like a viper quietly watching his prey beforeshing out with its venom. Seeing the de, Wang Tong pull a taut face; he knew things were about to get serious. However, he still insisted on fighting barehanded.

    Since there was still some distance between him and the de, Wang Tong decided to test the water using some ranged attacks. He folded his hands, and a fiery drake appeared in front of him, lurching at Li Shiming. No one saw Li Shiming move, but the fire dragon was sliced in half by a sh of a metallic light.

    Li Shiming heaved a sigh and then said, "Are you trying to test me with such a pathetic trick?"

    Before Li Shiming''s voice faded away, he disappeared into thin air as he charged at Wang Tong at lightning speed, the Speed of Vayu!

    Wang Tong barely had enough time to evade the attack. He felt an icy wind blow across the nape of his neck; the coldness made his hair stand on their ends. When he finally gathered himself, he saw a few strands of hair were cut, and had fallen to the ground.

    Although Wang Tong had evaded the deadly de, he did not see the second kicking. Wang Tong was sent flying into the air. However, before he had fallen back to the ground, Li Shiming caught up with him and elbowed him in the side, sending Wang Tong''s flying sideways. Using his incredible speed, Li Shiming repeated the attack from below Wang Tong again.

    In a blink, Wang Tong had received three consecutive blows, two of which was dealt while he was in the air.

    "This...This is the power of the Vayu! The SPEED of VAYU! Haha!" Zhang Zhongren shouted andughed.

    "Li Shiming might have already reached level seven in his cultivation. Such speed will be hard for anyone to catch up." Although Rockefeller was a supporter of Wang Tong, he had to concede that the Speed of Vayu had given Li Shiming a decisive advantage.

    Wang Tong slowly picked and gathered himself up. Li Shiming stood still and didn''t attack, as he tried toe to terms with the reality. So far, he was very disappointed with Wang Tong''s strength, and the weakness in him had added salt to Li Shiming''s injury of being denied the right to inherit Li Feng''s power.

    Deep down, Li Shiming would rather see an overpowered Wang Tong than a weakling.

 Chapter 402: Murderous Intent

    Chapter 402: Murderous Intent

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong picked himself up to his feet and dusted his clothes whilementing his careless slip-up.

    Before the smirk on Li Shiming''s face faded away, Wang Tong disappeared and reappeared above Li Shiming, with his fists boring down on him.

    Without any hesitation, Li Shimingshed out Vayu to counter the attack. In a heartbeat, a dozen de Aura shot out at Wang Tong. However, Wang Tong easily evaded the attacks with phantom-like movement and closed in on Li Shiming. Wang Tong struck with a knee bash, but it was blocked by Li Shiming, and then he quickly followed with another Layered Fist of Tong. Li Shiming didn''t have time to react to the second attack and was blown in the air. Before Li Shiming thudded back to the ground, Wang Tong shouted as thousands of icicles materialized in his hand and flew towards Li Shiming.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong''s third attack struck home.

    Silence fell into the arena after the audiences witnessed Wang Tong''s amazing speed. However, Wang Tong didn''t intentionally speed up his moment. After having been dealt a blow by the Tactics of the Vayu, the tactics of the de automatically gained the same speed capability.

    Wang Tong finally understood the importance of the tactics of the de, and why Li Feng would leave these tactics for his true heir instead of any blood kin.

    Li Shiming rubbed away the blood at the corner of his lips. He had registered that Wang Tong had copied his speed ability, but speed was only one of many abilities up his sleeve.

    "Zzen!"

    Li Shiming and Wang Tong both disappeared from the view simultaneously.

    "Kom!"

    "Kom, KOM!"

    The audiences could see nothing but shes of light on one end of the stage and asional sparks on the other.

    Cao Yi watched the fight with disbelief. Such speed would impose a tremendous burden on fighters'' body, so much so that it was impossible to pull it off for any ordinary human. What made the feat even more impossible was the constant violent impacts which would add more burden to their already overloaded body.

    Apache watched the scene with a knotted face. Although he had been proud of his speed, he could only use the speed ability once during a battle, since any more usage would tap too much into his system and cause premature failure of his body. However, the Tactics of Vayu had sustained Li Shiming''s speed all the while, and so did Wang Tong using whatever tactics he was using.

    "Kom!"

    As a GN explosion erupted in the air, the two warriors finally appeared into everyone''s sight.

    Judging from his tattered clothes, Wang Tong had received more blows than Li Shiming, who floated in the air with his usual pomposity. He didn''t seem to be impressed by Wang Tong''s ability to reach the same speed as him.

    Seeing Li Shiming''s seemingly cid face, Li Ruoer shivered. Only his sister would be able to detect the tumultuous undercurrent inside Li Shiming. Wang Tong''s tant copying of the speed ability of the Tactics of Vayu had infuriated Li Shiming. Such an insult would never be tolerated, and the punishment for him was death.

    Li Ruoer could see the menacing luster inside her brother''s seemingly calm eyes, that held the thin edge of reasoning. If the situation continued to escte, Li Ruoer worried that it would go out of control.

    In everyone else''s eyes, Wang Tong had made history again for being able to catch up with the speed of Vayu. Although many people still believed that Li Shiming would im the victory, in the end, they conceded that it would be a much harder battle for the heir of House Li than they had expected.

    A curl hung on the corner of Li Shiming''s lips as his soul energy spread out to cross the stage like a nket. Such powerful presence of energy could only be felt when veterans such as General Hu Ben were fighting on the battlefield. In fact, there was another name for such soul energy, thebat qi.

    Surrounded by belligerent soul energy, people felt like time had been turned back, and it was Li Feng who stood on the stage instead of Li Shiming.

    The energy started to gather and quickly formed a whirlwind beside the Vayu. By then the fight was no longer a tournament match between two academy students; it had turned into a battle of life and death between two deadly warriors.

    Everyone in the audiences could feel the unmistakable sense of menace in the air. Li Shiming''s soul energy was infused with his intention to kill, seeping out of the energy barrier and digging its ws into somebatants'' old wounds.

    It was hard for those audiences to imagine what it would feel like to face Li Shiming one on one like Wang Tong did. Such force and overbearing presence could only be achieved from hard training in the military. It was clear then that Li Shiming had endured hardship during his Norton expedition, and his enlistment was not just a perfunctory gesture.

    With a turn of a wrist, Li Shiming poised Vayu closer to him, but the movement stirred up the soul energy which could be felt even by the audiences.

    Only Patroclus and Lie Jian were unruffled by the flow ofbat qi, as no one other than the two knew that Li Shiming had already be so powerful.

    Zhang Zhongren, the fanboy, and Rockefeller both stared at each other in astonishment.

    Although Li Shiming was a new level six fighter, he had already been exposed to many aspects of being an Einherjar. Such an advantage was unheard of among most level six fighters.

    "With such Einherjar-level soul energy, Wang Tong would be hard pressed to win the game. That being said, Wang Tong has already offered us many memorable moments during his journey in this year''s tournament, and his defeat, although inevitable, would be a victory for him in a way. "

    "Hehe, seems like Li Shiming worked hard while he was in the military. I used to doubt the news report about him saving an entire colony all by himself, but now it seems like that was not fake news at all."

    "Yes, of course, that was true. I doubt any of his would-be opponents could say the same about their military service." Zhang Zhongren said with a smug.

    "Maybe that''s true, but every fighter has their own merits and faults. We will have to wait and see how the fight turns out."

    Although Rockefeller felt sorry for Wang Tong''s imminent defeat, he had to ept the reality.

    On the stage, Li Shiming hadpletely overwhelmed Wang Tong thanks to his immense and omnipresent soul energy. Another silvery glint shed across the stage toward Wang Tong.

    "Zzen!"

    Despite the blood gushing out of Wang Tong''s wound, he didn''t evade the attack. Instead, he stared at Li Shiming and studied his move unblinkingly.

    Li Shiming had hidden his murderous intent deep down to the finest detail of his execution. However, Wang Tong was keen enough to pick up the cue right away¡ªLi Shiming wanted him dead.

    It urred to Wang Tong that he had miscalcted the great houses'' tolerance for his audacious moves. However, since Li Shiming had made the message clear, Wang Tong conceded that it was about time to stop fooling around.

    Wang Tong drew arge gulp of air as the wave of energy surged through his body. Suddenly a golden light lit up inside Wang Tong''s body, sending a whirlwind of energy up into the air.

    The golden energy shed into Li Shiming''s sea of soul energy as Wang Tong quickly registered the malicious intend hidden under the flow of Li Shiming''sbat qi.

    Thebat qi that Li Shiming emanated out was much more potent than soul energy. It was usually used by veteran warriors on the battlefield while fighting against the Zergs. However, the minimum requirement of using thebat qi was level six soul energy, and therefore, thebat qi was rare to be seen. So far, only the Einherjars were able to master this technique.

    It was said that the Einherjars could subdue a level six fighter by using only thebat qi alone, without even lifting a finger.

    Opposite Li Shiming''sbat qi, Wang Tong countered it with hisbat qi. It was immediately obvious to Hu Yangxuan that he had already encountered Wang Tong''sbat qi many times while sparring with him, although he didn''t know what it was at that time.

    "Arghh!"

    Wang Tong shouted as hisbat qi shot through the entire arena. In half a heartbeat, Wang Tong''sbat qi was about to ovee Li Shiming''s.

 Chapter 403: The Phantom Cut

    Chapter 403: The Phantom Cut

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The world seemed to have blurred out while Wang Tong was in the heat of the battle with Li Shiming. However strong Wang Tong could be, he wouldn''t be able to unleash his full potential without the aggressive attacks of his opponent.

    As everyone thought that Wang Tong had reached his full power, he continued to impress them by multiplying the power of hisbat qi. Although Li Shiming''sbat qi was powerful, it seemed to have quickly fallen short.

    Under such pressure from Wang Tong, Li Shiming was forced to defend himself. He conceded that he had miscalcted Wang Tong''s ability. Li Shiming''s initial scheme was to use hisbat qi to create an illusion of battle going out of control, so that it would be easier for him to deliver the murderous strike amidst the chaos. However, he didn''t expect Wang Tong to be able to hold his ground firmly.

    Lie Jian''s face had be taut. He was taken aback by Wang Tong''s disy of power. Lie Jian conceded that the only person he knew who was as powerful as Wang Tong was his Einherjar father.

    The MC Zhang Zhongren became quiet, since he simply couldn''tprehend what was going on.

    Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller cast a knowing nce at each other; not every audience knew that the two fighters had already reached the Einherjar Level as they did.

    Although not every Einherjar had a powerfulbat qi, the fact that both of them possessed such ability was a true sign of their promising future.

    Were they destined to be Einherjars?

    The importance of this game was palpable, since the two fighters'' performance seemed to suggest that the earthlings were about to gain two more Einherjars, a development that would have far-reaching political influences.

    Both Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller knew that it was two entirely different stories to the world between a promising young warrior and a potential Einherjar.

    Meanwhile on the moon, more than a few lightnings streaked across the sky. To a pair of trained eyes, those were not lightning, but energy flows of Einherjars that were echoing the presence of a new member. Some of those Einherjars who responded to Wang Tong''s power were entirely unknown to the world.

    Some audiences such as a couple of council members had already started to ponder over the implication of the appearance of another powerful fighter on the earth in addition to Li Shiming. Meanwhile, most audiences were only interested in the progress of the match. Li Shiming had lost the edge over his opponent and was forced to be on the defensive side.

    The match started to take on a sinister undertone as soon as both fighters started using thebat qi.

    Both warriors started attacking at the same time, as two explosions erupted on the ground under their feet. The Vayu wheezed in the air with a brilliant de aura around it, while Wang Tong''syered fist of Tong hurled towards Li Shiming with the might of a god. Wang Tong wished to dedicate this match to his teacher Mr. Wannabe by defeating his opponent with the Layered Fist of Tong, which he had learned from the old ghost.

    "Kom, Kom!"

    Every impact of the fist and de sent a shockwave throughout the arena. It was still quite obvious that Li Shiming had an edge regarding speed. Ever since the start of this round of attacks, both warriors gave all they had, and did not allow their opponent any time of respite. So careful and well nned were their executions that neither of them was able to spot a weakness in the other''s moves.

    Although Wang Tong''s attacks and defense seemed to be improvised on the spot, they were practical and to the point. However powerful were Li Shiming''s attacks, Wang Tong was always able to counter them with ease.

    "Zzen!"

    "Kom!"

    As Vayu cut through Wang Tong''s shoulder, Li Shiming was dealt another blow on his chest.

    Both fighters suddenly took a few steps back at the same time. They both had wished to ovee the opponent with theirbat qi. However, neither of them had seeded. After the training in the crystal space under Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong had be practically immune to thebat qi attacks. On the other hand, Li Shiming''s father Li Zhedao had also taught his son to defend against thebat qi, although the Einherjar''s training method was extremely gruesome. Despite the fact that Li Zhedao had gained the title of Einherjar, he watched as the reputation of House Li tattered right in front of his own eyes. The sense of urgency and Li Zhedao''spleteck of care for his children resulted in the most inhuman training routines that borderlined on child abuse. However, not only had Li Shiming made it through the training, but he also did it with a smile on his face. So reserved was Li Shiming with regards to his feelings that he kept a nonchnt smile on his face even when his body was struggling to keep up with Wang Tong. Such reservedness, shrewdness, and patience were what his father most needed, but alsocked.

    Li Shiming pointed the Vayu towards the ground as he was ready to unleash the ultimate coup de grace of the Tactics of Vayu. Sometimes, the deadliest attack was the quietest.

    "Super Speed!"

    Li Shiming''s movement was so swift that Wang Tong knew that he could no longer rely on his eyes, not even his sixth sense. He could only rely on his instinct.

    "Zzen!"

    The cold de pierced into Wang Tong''s shoulder and almost severed his corbone. Wang Tong knew that any more slip-up might mean only one thing: death.

    Spurred by his anger, Li Shiming attacked again. He shed forward, and before he reappeared, Vayu showed itself first.

    Although the attack was deadly, Li Shiming didn''t make any sound while executing the move.

    "Vayu''s attack: Phantom Cut!"

    This was a renowned technique used by Li Feng three hundred years ago. As many Zergs died under this move as there were stars in the gxy.

    The uniqueness of this attack was its stealthiness, since it would not give off any hint of aggressiveness or sound. While coupled with Li Shiming''s lightning movement, the stealthy attack would make the perfect concoction of death.

    Even with his razor-sharp awareness, Wang Tong didn''t sense the iing attack until it was only a few inches away. Wang Tong conceded that this attack was even more stealthy than the Stealth Zerg.

    Li Shiming''s first attack struck home, and he quickly connected it with two more attacks. Without any shy moments or techniques, Li Shiming was able tond blows on his opponent continuously.

    By then, Li Shiming''s murderous intent wasid bare in front of Wang Tong. The three blows he had received were aimed at his vital organs. Luckily, Wang Tong was able to evade the attack just in time. Otherwise, the battle would have already ended with his bleeding corpse on the stage.

    While staring in Li Shiming''s shiny eyes, Wang Tong knew that he had been making a performance for the audiences to cover up his real n. Li Shiming had purposely appeared to be weaker while waiting for the perfect moment to do away with Wang Tong under the disguise of self-defense, and it worked.

    By then, Wang Tong''s soul energy and GN force had be so powerful that it started to resonate with a few veteran generals'' seas of consciousness. No one would question Li Shiming even if he cranked up his soul energy to the point that it became dangerous.

    No one would know that Li Shiming had orchestrated every turn of the event that led to the death of his opponent.

    Li Shiming started the Phantom Cut as he disappeared into thin air again.

    "Zzen!"

    Rarely any move worked the second time while used against Wang Tong, but the Phantom Cut did. The de stuck home again, and it was another close call for Wang Tong.

    "Does he want to kill Wang Tong?" Zhang Jin shook her head and asked.

 Chapter 404: Two R*scals!

    Chapter 404: Two R*scals!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Patroclus shook his head and replied, "That is not the case, Jin. It is not Wang Tong''s life Li Shiming wants, he only wants to prove his point that the de Warrior should have chosen him instead of Wang Tong."

    If this message didn''t get across, even if Li Shiming got rid of Wang Tong, there would be a second Wang Tong. With the slightest hint of hope, Li Shiming wished that all this was part of a test that the de Warrior had set up for him.

    At this point, anything was possible, and Li Shiming was convinced that he had made the right choice.

    Zhang Jin cast a nce at Patroclus, and immediately knew that Patroclus was right. Nevertheless, it surprised her that Patroclus would have known Li Shiming so well. Perhaps, she thought, the two were not that different after all.

    On the stage, Wang Tong had already received the sixth blow. Although he had prevented the blows tond on his vital points, the strikes had injured him. The match seemed to be about toe to an end. Even after a long fight, Li Shiming''s movements were still fluid and smooth like liquid silver. Although Wang Tong had defeated Michaux, he was pinned under Li Shiming''s thumb and could not fight back.

    Thus it was, the power that had to build three centuries of glory for the House Li.

    Li Shiming gathered his strength and used the Phantom Cut on his opponent again. However, as the tip of the sharp de glided through the air, it missed its target by a margin.

    Wang Tong''s evasion worked this time, and seizing the opportunity, he finally unleashed the Layered Fist of Tong. The sudden development had caught Li Shiming off guard, but his incredible speed had saved the day again as Li Shiming shed out of harm''s way.

    The close distance finally gave Wang Tong an opportunity to study Li Shiming''s move up close. It only took half a millisecond for Wang Tong to see through Li Shiming''s tricks. A smile slowly crept onto Wang Tong''s lips as hemented the price he had paid for such an obvious solution.

    Li Shiming didn''t pause after he retreated. Instead, he followed with more Phantom Cuts. So persistent was the phantom cut technique that even Lie Jian had be its victim during thest tournament.

    Having gained a number on Li Shiming''s ability, Wang Tong had predicted the precisending spot of Vayu. Before Li Shiming got close, Wang Tong yanked his fist and hurled it at Li Shiming. Li Shiming was thrown off bnce by the sudden counter-attack and struggled to gather himself and retreat.

    Wang Tong didn''t chase after Li Shiming. Instead, he patched himself up with bandages and announced, "Interesting and marvelous! But, did you know that a real phantom was not only quiet, but also has no heartbeat either?"

    Li Shiming''s incredible speed and the stealthy ability of the Phantom Cut was a double whammy for making the moments undetectable. However, as long as Li Shiming''s heart kept on beating, it sent a loud and clear signal to Wang Tong about his whereabouts, like a brilliant beacon on a starless night. However potent was the techniques of House Li, Wang Tong had out-witted it with his street-smartness andmon sense.

    Both Patroclus and Lie Jian were pleasantly surprised by Wang Tong''s anti-stealth method. However, they conceded that it would be difficult for them to execute such a method while in the heat of the battle.

    Wang Tong''s unconventional technique amused even Li Shiming. He smiled broadly as if he were enjoying the development much more than Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong felt a chill at the sight of Li Shiming''s smile. It irked him that he could never know what the heir of House Li was thinking through his thick mask.

    "Looks like Wang Tong has found the counter for Li Shiming''s Phantom Cut! That was incredible!"

    "The heartbeat? Is it as simple as it sounds?"

    Rockefeller nodded, "What a pity that this moment of epiphany came a bit toote. With his injuries, the remaining fight won''t be any easier. "

    "Mydy, Wang Tong is about to lose the battle. Are you sure he is The One?" If Princess Heidi were right about the identity of the new de Warrior, Wang Tong should have already defeated Li Shiming by now.

    "Let''s see," Heidi answered. She was not only impressed by Wang Tong''s ability to pick up new abilities but also how well those new abilities blended in with his existing moves. Seeing Wang Tong countering Li Shiming''s attack, Heidi had be more certain of the rtionship between the earthling and the de Warrior.

    Li Shiming shed out of the view. Was he going to use the Phantom Cut again?

    Wang Tong struck back with the Layered Fist of Tong, However, instead of using the stealth attack, Li Shiming had used a direct frontal attack with Vayu.

    "Zzen...Zzen...Zzen!"

    Blood sttered again amidst the din of the attacks as Wang Tong was struck and forced back.

    "You won''t defeat me. Tell me, why do you never use a weapon?"

    Although Wang Tong''s fist was as powerful as any weapon, it was no match for the legendary de of Vayu. Therefore, Li Shiming had a huge advantage over Wang Tong by using the de.

    "Do you mean that I am not your worthy opponent if I can''t find a way to counter your weapon Vayu?" Wang Tong licked the blood off his fist and asked. He could tell that Vayu was much more powerful than Li Ruoer''s Rosy. The difference coulde from the power of the wielders, but Wang Tong was not sure of the exact cause of such gap.

    Li Shiming nodded.

    In a real battle, a good weapon was as important as a solid METAL.

    Many people seemed to have forgotten that the de in Li Shiming''s hand was the legendary weapon used by General Li Feng.

    "Did you know this all along?" Zhang Jin asked Patroclus.

    "Haha. Only the Deva Lance can counter the power of Vayu." Patroclus knew that a superior weapon was the only sure way of gaining a definite edge over an opponent whose power was at par with his. Among all the weapons in the world, only the Deva Lance possessed the same power as Vayu.

    In other words, since Li Shiming had a decisive advantage over his opponent due to his superior weapon, his victory was guaranteed. Li Shiming didn''t want to achieve victory solely relying on the hardware advantage, as he had tried many times to subdue Wang Tong using his swordy techniques alone. By then, Li Shiming conceded that he should just finish up the match using whatever method necessary.

    Vayu bore down on Wang Tong with the intention to end the match there and then. The execution was direct and simple.

    "nk! Kom!"

    As a violent shock wave swept across the arena, a goldennce appeared in Wang Tong''s hand, and it blocked the path of Vayu.

    Wang Tong growled as his charged GN force into the goldennce. As if hit by a car, Li Shiming was blown back a dozen feet. Wang Tong twirled thence in one hand before he rested it against his shoulder.

    It had been a while sincest time Wang Tong had to use the weaponized Charcoal. The veryst time was while Wang Tong was fighting for his life the crystal space against Mr. Wannabe.

    "...What? What kind of a weapon is that? Is stopped Vayu!"

    "I have never heard of it before. It must be a new invention."

    Even as the two event interpreters marveled at the power of the goldennce, the battle changed tides on the stage again. Vayu shone with an intense blue light while thence matched it with a brilliant golden hue. Suddenly, another silvery white light shot up from the audience; it came from the Deva Lance!

    "Is that what resonance is?"

    "I thought that was made-up!"

    "We have the Vayu and Deva, but what is the other weapon called?"

    "This is incredible! Who exactly is Wang Tong?"

    A swell of murmurs rose from the audiences as the development piqued everyone''s interest.

    Li Shiming fixated his eyes on the goldennce and asked, :"Does it have a name?"

    Wang Tong''s knee-jerk reaction was to shout out "Charcoal". However, after a second thought, Wang Tong announced, "Einherjar."

    "Lance of Einherjar." Li Shiming repeated its name in his mouth and tried searching for any clue in his memory. After a while of fruitless searching, he said, "You think you can defeat me with that stick?"

    Wang Tong''s wounds had already stopped bleeding. Such injuries are only a little bit worse than scratches for Wang Tong. "Well, I have to try. And, don''t call it a stick¡­ It''s ance." With the Lance of Einherjar in his hand, Wang Tong seemed to have gained more confidence and determination.

    "R*scals! They both had been holding back their power from us!" Hu Yangxuanmented as he shook his head.

    "I don''t me them. My brother said Patroclus could counter any move as long as he had seen it once." Li Ruoermented coldly.

 Chapter 405: Fell From Grace

    Chapter 405: Fell From Grace

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The cameras that were broadcasting the event cut to a close-up special of Patroclus. The crew knew that the Ivantians had been eager to see their Prince''s reaction to such development.

    No one knew exactly how powerful the Tactics of the Deva King were. All they knew was that the Tactics of the Deva King were the hardest tactics to master in the world.

    However, Patroclus was not the main concern of the warriors on the stage. To reach Patroclus, they needed first to finish the opponent standing in front of them right now.

    Li Shiming swept Vayu in the air as his soul energy started to levitate his body. Wang Tong smiled knowingly as he swung Einherjar at lighting speed, hovering in the air at about the same height as Li Shiming.

    For the two powerful warriors, controlling the airflow around them using soul energy was simply a piece of cake. Some of the more talented level six fighters who were on the verge of bing an Einherjar could not only walk in the air, but also in space without any protection.

    Wang Tong''s ability to match whatever Li Shiming unted had made Li Shiming wonder if he were wrong about the de Warrior''s decision.

    What perplexed thementators was the fact that Wang Tong seemed to be unaffected by the severe blows he had sustained.

    "Kom! KOM!"

    Li Shiming and Wang Tong both knew that there was no turning back from here. It was a match of life and death.

    By Then, Li Shiming hadpleted unshackled the energy sealed inside the Vayu, as blue lights erupted from the de, beckoning wild gales around him.

    On the other side of the arena, Wang Tong''s golden energy was no less belligerent than that of Li Shining. Amidst the brilliant golden hue, the Lance of Einherjar scintited like a bright beacon in the night.

    The two fighters started the attack at the same time as they both disappeared from the audiences'' view and reemerged at a close range with each other at the center of the stage. Thence and the de collided again, sending a thunderous roar through the arena. The two yers had forsaken unnecessary moves and focused solely on the GN force output. Such confrontation was a testament to the fighters martial arts foundations.

    Li Shiming had trained hard every day just for this match. His hard work coupled with his unrivaled talent made he firmly believe that no one in the world could exceed him in terms of martial arts foundations.

    "I am Li Shiming, and I will win!"

    On the other hand, although Wang Tong was forced to train like a dog by Old Fart, he didn''t train nearly as hard as Li Shiming did. However, thanks to the gruesome training in the crystal space, Wang Tong was able to hold his ground during this bare-knuckle round.

    Vayu''s de Aura glinted off the shiny de and flew at Wang Tong. Li Shiming started to be more aggressive in his actions. The technique he used was called the Waterfall Flower.

    Each strike carried more de aura than thest. Li Shiming remained calm as he was fully engrossed in the fight. He felt as if it were not the de he was carrying, but the responsibility and the family honor.

    With ance in his hand, Wang Tong didn''t evade any of the attacks. Instead, he let thence meet the de head on. As someone who had butted heads against an Einherjar, Wang Tong was not afraid of a level six fighter.

    Li Shiming carried on the Waterfall Flower to the thirty-fifth move, as the de aura utterly engulfed him, threatening to kill anyone who dared to approach.

    There and then, Li Shimingshed out the thirty-sixth move as the Vayu be blindingly bright. Wang Tong knew that this was the killing move. However, he didn''t retreat or evade the attack. Instead, he plunged into the attacker with thence without hesitation. Wang Tong had such confidence because he remembered that Mr. Wannabe had told him that there was not one in the world who could stop him.

    st Lance of Tong!

    "Kom!"

    The Waterfall Flower was one of the deadliest techniques of House Li. After the first thirty five moves, Li Shiming had charged up a tremendous amount of power in thest strike, making the final attack almost unblockable.

    To a level six fighter, the thirty-sixth move was the apex of skills. On the other hand, Wang Tong seemed ill-prepared as he hurried to improvise an attack with hisnce.

    A blinding burst of light erupted from the point of contact, and the fast-spreading light soon smothered the audiences'' views like a thick nket.

    "Kom!"

    When the light finally faded away, everyone was shocked by what they saw, as over a million audiences gasped in unison.

    Vayu was thrown aside; the tip of thence pierced right through Li Shiming''s shoulder. Was the invincible House Li and the legendary Vayu defeated so easily?

    Li Shiming pulled thence out of his shoulder slowly and painfully. As soon as thence left his body, he fell to the ground, face whiter than paper. Heid on his side,cking any vigor to get up as he stared at Vayu a few feet away from him.

    "Vayu was no match for hisnce?"

    "Why?"

    "It shouldn''t end like this!"

    This defeat was a devastating blow to Li Shiming. The Waterfall Flower had never been countered in the entire history of House Li. However, he had failed and brought shame to his family name.

    Li Shiming reckoned that the fault wasn''t in the technique, since the Waterfall Flower had been proven by Li Feng to be wless. His downfall was his opponent''s overbearing power; he was simply too weak.

    Wang Tong''s eyes were fixated on hisnce as he was taken aback by his performance. He realized that he had gone beyond his damage output limit during thatst strike.

    He didn''t strike just once, but three consecutive times. His skill had surpassed Mr. Wannabe.

    The dead silence still loomed over the arena. No one could believe that House Li could be defeated and neither did they want to see the backbone of the human race crumble.

    Although House Li had be everyone''s easy target to hate and envy, seeing the helpless Li Shiming, all they could think of was how much House Li had given to the human race.

    The remorse inside the arena could even be felt inside Ayrng. No one was cheering for Wang Tong, as they felt sorry for Li Shiming.

    Li Shiming didn''t make it to Patroclus as Wang Tong defeated him with hisnce of Einherjar. The reality was often cruel, as a hero would rise only by stomping on others'' broken backs.

    Before this fight, everyone believed that only Patroclus and house Dower could bring down House Li. However, after this fight, Wang Tong was added to the equation of the power struggle.

    Wang Tong had defeated Michaux Odin and then Li Shiming. Was there anyone who could stop his winning streak?

    Li Shiming gazed at Vayu, and for the first time, he wondered if he deserved this de. All of his ambitions and grand ns seemed more like a joke to him. He could not turn back time, and had be the loser.

    Without thinking much, Li Shiming reached out and grabbed Vayu in his hand. The handle feltfortable; he had gotten used to the feeling when he was as tall as the de itself.

    Ever since he was a child, Li Shiming had sworn to protect his family honor. How could his journey end here?

    For every other member of House Li, Li Feng was no different from a god. However, Li Shiming always remembered his name with a hint of jealousy.

    "Why did he choose Wang Tong but not me?" Li Shiming asked himself.

    Li Shiming tightened his grip, and suddenly, a flow of energy surged into him as realization dawned upon him: if Li Feng could ascend godhood from mortality, so could he.

    He needed to prove to everyone that only he was the true heir of Li Feng!

    Li Shiming''s hands trembled as energy shot through his body. Although his face looked pale, it was gaining a tinge of redness by the second.

    "What a pity!" Zhang Jinmented.

    Like House Ma, House Zhang never had to face the brutalpetition of METALbat, as they excelled in an entirely different, but also important field.

    Patroclus watched Li Shiming quietly and said, "Li Shiming is not done yet. Wang Tong''s attack might have helped him to release his full potential. "

    Zhang Jin was taken aback by Patroclus''sment, as she recalled that Patroclus had confessed that Li Shiming was one of his worthy opponents.

 Chapter 406: The Killing Blow

    Chapter 406: The Killing Blow

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Shiming gathered his strength and soul energy, and passed Vayu to his left hand. Although Li Shiming was right-handed, the de was as deadly in his left hand as it was in his right.

    Despite the fact that Wang Tong''snce attack had ovee Li Shiming''s Waterfall Flower, Patroclus was not all that impressed by its power. However, a tinge of surprise finally crept onto Patroclus''s face when he watched as Li Shiming slowly picked himself up.

    Wang Tong could feel the presence of the power as well. For some inexplicable reason, Wang Tong felt that Li Shiming had be a much more threatening opponent after he had received the blow.

    "Bravo!"

    A loud and clear cheer erupted from the front row seats; it was from Patroclus. It was the first time Zhang Jin ever heard praiseing out of Patroclus'' mouth. He had remained silent even during the memorable fight between Wang Tong and Michaux Odin.

    Ye Kai found it hard pressed to believe what he was watching as Li Shiming gradually merged his soul energies with the de.

    This was the ultimate state for any sword user. So seamlessly was the soul energy intertwined that one could hardly tell the difference between the sword and the wielder.

    So many de masters from the Temr''s Court had tried hard to reach that state. However, they all just failed.

    "Zzen!"

    The silvery de slithered towards Wang Tong at lightning speed.

    "Kom!"

    The two warriors both fell to the ground. Wang Tong had received a blow in his side, but Li Shiming was not having a good time either. Only because of Wang Tong''s incredible battle awareness did he avoid being hit at his vital point. Li Shiming''s attack was so powerful that Wang Tong was caught off guard, and therefore, lost the precious time to evade the attackpletely.

    Although there were a handful of warriors, who had a power superior to Wang Tong, no one had seen a battle awareness as sharp as his.

    On the other side, Li Shiming had pushed his limits during hisst attack, and the overexertion had exacerbated his old wounds.

    It was still hard for anyone to tell the oue of this fight.

    "One with the de! Li Shiming had be the one with the de!" Zhang Zhongren, the fanboy, shouted at the top of his lungs.

    To be the one with the sword did not entirely depend on the wielder''s skills and power, as the weapon''s "will'' also yed an important part. It was as elusive as it sounded, and most people had only heard of such skill in legends. However, Li Shiming had proven to everyone its existence with his actions.

    "Do you think I was finished that quickly?" Li Shiming''s eyes lit up with a new found confidence. He had redeemed his name by unleashing the legendary skill.

    Wang Tong clenched thence tightly in his hand, trying as hard as he could to swallow down the pain. He conceded that Li Feng had a worthy heir after all, but he believed that he was better than Li Shiming. He wouldn''t and couldn''t lose!

    Wang Tong suddenly realized that he was not fighting for Old Fart or Ma Xiaoru; he was fighting for himself. He had known it ever since the beginning, but not until then did he finally became willing toe to terms with his true desire.

    Both warriors slowly stood up and started to gather their strength again.

    "Kom!"

    A swirl of energy burst into action around Li Shiming, tossing his long hair above his shoulder. Vayu hummed as if it were celebrating finding a new owner after three hundred years.

    Patroclus watched quietly, but he could not hide the excitement inside his eyes and at the corners of his lips.

    The God of Wind was reborn!

    Wang Tong spun thence like the de of a helicopter. Whenever thence touched the air, a thousand wisps of golden tendrils were born in the air, swirling and boiling within the tumultuous current. The splendid disy was a testament to the power of the Dragon Warrior, the miracle of the confederation.

    Thence spun even faster as Wang Tong charged up his energy; he finally hade to terms with his insatiable desire for power. With his desire for victory unshackled, Wang Tong wanted it more than ever.

    "Kom!"

    Li Shiming had fully blended himself with the de aura, and both him and Vayu had transformed into an intense brightness that sent a ray of light directly at Wang Tong.

    This was an unblockable attack, since the light seemed toe from all directions.

    Wang Tong was quick to react as he twirled thence, which transformed into a great serpent. Unknowingly, Wang Tong had unleashed the power that was beyond his current level ofprehension, as his attack shifted and warped the space in the most inexplicable way.

    Li Shiming was still hovering in the air, unwitting of what was going on around him when a stream of blood gushed out of his mouth, before he thudded heavily back to the ground.

    This magical development was not only the pivotal moment for this match, but would also be the pivotal moment in the human history.

    As Li Shiming fell to the ground, Wang Tong was just ready tosh out his attack. However, much like his opponent, he was also dealt an invisible blow as he stumbled back, blood gushing out of his mouth.

    No one couldprehend what had just happened; all they saw was that both warriors had fallen to the ground, and that was all that mattered to them.

    "Who will eventually stand up?"

    Li Shiming''s hand twitched once as he struggled to stand up but failed. All the while, he clenched Vayu tightly in his hand, as if he were afraid that it would grow a pair of legs and walk away.

    Wang Tong moved as well. He half leaned on hisnce, and slowly but surely rose to his feet.

    Li Shiming saw the shadow cast by Wang Tong, and finally gave up his effort. He had fallen, and so had House Li. Although Li Shiming possessed the rare talent and had unlocked the ultimate sword master ability, he was still no match with Wang Tong.

    A tsunami of cheers and apuse exploded in the arena. Wang Tong stood at the center of the stage, savoring the victory. Not only he had won the fight, but he also had finallye to terms with his desire.

    The entire city of Shangjin was steeped in celebration. Even the majors and politicians joined the street party and shouted out their excitement like children in Disnend. It was a miracle through and through, and it was the greatest honor that Shangjin ever had in thest three hundred years.

    Karl and his friends rushed onto the stage and lifted Wang Tong high up into the air. The excitement and joy inside every S-club member were beyond description. From that day on, the S-Club was officially recognized as one of the most influential parties on earth because of their leader, Wang Tong, the Dragon Warrior.

    Ma Dutian and Wuxin were taken aback by the result of the match. They were already pleased after Wang Tong entered the quarter-final, and never had they imagined that their would-be son inw would defeat Li Shiming.

    "How...how did he do it?" As a level six fighter, Wuxin had no idea what had happened.

    Ma Dutian grinned and then confessed, "I don''t know either."

    Wu Xin was shocked by her husband''s reply. Even an Einherjar couldn''t see through Wang Tong''s abilities?

    Patroclus''s eyes didn''t leave Wang Tong ever since thetter stood up and imed the victory. For the first time in his life, Patroclus felt being challenged.

    Seeing Wang Tong''s victory, Samantha jumped out of her chair in sheer joy. The only one left for him was Patroclus.

    After so many centuries, another youth embarked on the journey to save the world, and his name was Wang Tong!

 Chapter 407: My Money Was Not On You

    Chapter 407: My Money Was Not On You

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ayrng had be one of the most popr Academies on earth despite the fact that it was an A-ss Academy. Having witnessed Wang Tong''s victory, every young man and woman on earth wanted to join this renowned school.

    After the fight, Wang Tong gained another nickname: Omni-Fighter, as people remembered that he had also won the championship at the fleetbat tournament.

    Wang Tong had set the bar so high that people doubted if anyone would be able to match his achievements. Also, Wang Tong''s sess gave hope to many ordinary people who used to see the tournament as a game for the privileged few.

    The feeling inside Earthlings was mixed with joy and remorse. They celebrated Wang Tong''s victory as much as they mourned Li Shiming''s defeat.

    It was obvious that without Wang Tong, the stage would have belonged to Li Shiming. As a twenty years old fledgling, he had already made a great achievement by bing one with the sword. However, even the most advanced sword technique was not enough to ovee Wang Tong.

    A seventeen years old no-ount defeating an heir of the great houses, such was the legend that Wang Tong had created.

    No one knew the technique Wang Tong had used to ovee Li Shiming. After the match, some Ivantian media interviewed their Prince Patroclus, the wielder of the Deva Lance. Even the Ivantians, who were so proud of the Deva Lance, wondered if Wang Tong''s goldennce was its match. So arrogant were the Ivantians that only a disy of total dominance could shake their pride.

    The interviewer''s question was simple and to the point, "How would the Deva Lance deal with the Li Shiming''s ability."

    Patroclus''s answer, "I don''t know."

    From a technical perspective, being the one with the sword was the apex of sword skills. It was more of an intuition than a trained skill, and its damage potential was boundless.

    Some interviewer asked his opinion about Wang Tong''s counter strike, and Patroclus answered with the same words but with more decisiveness, "I don''t know." Patroclus didn''t even understand what Wang Tong had done, much less give it a name.

    Although Patroclus''s answer was disappointing, people couldn''t help noticing the anticipating smirk on his face.

    Inside Zhang Jin''s studio, the heir of House Zhang was carefully examining each frame, trying to catch a glimpse of Wang Tong''s power. However, the more time she spent on reviewing the tape, the more suspicious it seemed.

    "Patroclus, look! What was going on here?" Zhang Jin shouted out at Patroclus.

    Patroclus closed in and examined the footage; Zhang Jin''s brow furrowed after seeing that Patroclus was not surprised by what he had seen.

    "Look here, watch. Wang Tong''s attack started after Li Shiming had already been struck. Don''t you think someone was helping Wang Tong from behind the scene?" Zhang Jin pointed at the screen. Then she noticed something else: Wang Tong''s attack angle lined up perfectly with the blow that Li Shiming had received.

    "Well, maybe it was Wang Tong. I don''t see anyone behind him anyways." Zhang Jin continued, "Li Shiming also dealt Wang Tong a blow."

    The more Zhang Jin tried to exin the situation, the muddier it felt.

    "Jin, why bother? It''s very obvious. Li Shiming had received a blow before Wang Tong had started the attack¡ªReversed Causality." Suddenly, Patroclus''s eyes lit up with fire.

    "Reversed Causality..." Zhang Jin chewed on the words as the gravity of the revtion setting in.

    "Gosh! Doesn''t that mean he is invincible?"

    "If he knows how to reverse nature''s causality, then yes," Patroclus replied, seemingly unaffected by the discovery.

    "Are you nning to finish the fight before he could use that ability? That is not your usual style, you know?"

    "You know me the best. I had been waiting for so many years, and perhaps I could finally get what I wanted: a defeat. So, who cares about styles?" Patroclus said with glee.

    Unable toprehend Patroclus''s logic, Zhang Jin shook her head and sighed.

    Zhang Jin noticed that as Wang Tong revealed more power after each match, Patroclus had be increasingly lighthearted. But, a question still tugged at Zhang Jin''s heart: How powerful exactly was Wang Tong?

    Zhang Jin knew little about Wang Tong, but she knew a great deal about Patroclus¡ªat least she thought she did¡ªso her estimate of the results of their showdown was fifty-fifty. The odds were much against Wang Tong before his victory over Li Shiming.

    The excitement and anticipation brought a curl onto Zhang Jin''s lips. She conceded that Wang Tong had breathed a new life into thendscape of METALbat, shaken things up, and made them much more entertaining to watch.

    As if time had turned back, Zhang Jin remembered her first encounter with Wang Tong, the wild boy with a robust smile and tatted clothing. Who would have thought that he could make such an impact on the world?

    It was not only Wang Tong''s smile that was memorable to Zhang Jin, but it was also the freedom and liveliness that burned inside his eyes.

    Compare to other fighters, let it be Li Shiming, Patroclus, or Lie Jian, Wang Tong stood on the stage without the constraints and the weight of worldly matters. Therefore, it was much easier for him to show everyone who he was, and unleash his full potential without worrying about consequences.

    Unlike Patroclus who had already gotten too familiar with his power even to bother fighting anyone he considered unworthy, Wang Tong would dly ept any fight or challenge and discover new abilities in the process.

    As Zhang Jin marveled at the dramatic turn of events, Wang Tong''s earnest voice rang in her mind.

    Although Wang Tong had won the battle, it was a costly victory. Bothbatants were gravely injured, and the three days of resting period might not be enough for Wang Tong to fully recover his soul energy.

    No visitors were allowed while both warriors were in the emergency care units. After seeing their powers, the politicians knew that they had gained two Einherjar materials, and they needed to be protected at all expenses.

    Li Shiming was in a more critical condition than Wang Tong. Although his ultimate ability was powerful, Wang Tong''s attacks were so unpredictable that no mortal human could hope to defend against them. However, even after Li Shiming was dealt a blow unwittingly, the amazing technique of One with the Sword had allowed Li Shiming to follow up with a strike and injure his attacker.

    Nevertheless, Li Shiming''s attack came toote, and he had lost the battle¡ªthat was a reality that he had toe to terms with.

    Inside the medic pod, nano-bots were working diligently to fix Wang Tong''s body. Although he was immobilized in the pod, Wang Tong''s mind raced as he tried to remember his final attack. However, he couldn''t remember a thing.

    Without that mysterious final strike, he would not have been able to ovee Li Shiming, not even with his three consecutive strikes of "Layered Lance of Einherjar."

    "Kiddo, you are getting better, especially that final attack. Without it, you would have been dead already."

    "Thank you, Mr. Wannabe. You have been very supportive. "

    "Well, tell you the truth, my money was not on you in thest match. His father is an Einherjar, and he started training much earlier than you. It was a no-brainer."

    Too tired to reply, Wang Tong showed Mr. Wannabe a middle finger.

 Chapter 408: Unscrupulous Strategy

    Chapter 408: Unscrupulous Strategy

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Well, I made it after all!" Wang Tong retorted.

    "Haha, you had learned from the best. Li Feng wouldn''t choose you if I didn''t have any mojo. On the other hand, Li Shiming had done a great job by bing one with the de." Mr. Wannabe praised.

    "Ah... about that¡­ Do you know what happened at the end when I struck him with thence? I can''t remember a thing."

    Mr. Wannabe pulled a tout face and said, "Oh.. mm... you have done a good job, rest well. I have something else to take care of, bye." Before Mr. Wannabe left, he rolled his eyes at Wang Tong. He knew what it was called, Reverse Causality, but he had no idea how Wang Tong had pulled that off. What was worse, Mr. Wannabe didn''t want to admit that he couldn''t answer his question.

    Wang Tong didn''t mind Mr. Wannabe''s perfunctory reply. Not only had Mr. Wannabe provided an immeasurable help to him, but the most saline point in certain techniques could also never be taught. Although Wang Tong was victorious, the fight had exposed some of his shorings. Luckily, those shorings could be mended through strenuous training and conditioning.

    Li Shiming possessed a keen battle awareness, but it was no match for Wang Tong''s survival instincts. Even Mr. Wannabe admitted that he had underestimated Wang Tong''s ability.

    Before the fight, bothbatants had equal power, and both of them had advanced their cultivation in the heat of the battle. But in the end, Wang Tong won the fight with a hair-thin margin.

    Regardless of Wang Tong''s recent improvement, he knew that the fight with Patroclus would be a tougher nut to crack than thest match. He promised himself that as long as he was able to move about tomorrow, he would go and watch Patroclus''s fight with Lie Jian. Wang Tong conceded that he had almost exhausted his abilities while Patroclus was still holding back his power. He wished that Lie Jian would be able to force Patroclus to reveal more about his concealed abilities.

    Everyone knew that as long as Lie Jian was able to defeat Patroclus, he would have gained the title of the champion, since both Wang Tong and Li Shiming would not be 100% after injury. Lie Jian''s strategy was simple, ''Finish the fight as fast as possible and use the fire poison to slow down Patroclus.''

    "Michaux, do you think I will win?" Lie Jian asked.

    Michaux was amused by the question. "You never ask things like that."

    "Hehe, yeah. Somehow, the more I advance my cultivation, the less confidence I have." Lie Jian said as he flexed his wrist. He always told Michaux his deepest feeling as Michaux, a friend since childhood, was the only person he could confide in.

    Michaux smiled lightly and said, "Your winning chance is less than forty percent. It''s not your fault though, Patroclus is just too powerful for you."

    "So, you knew I will lose all the while?" Lie Jian asked without betraying his resignation.

    The young master nodded.

    "F*ck it! Even though the odds are against me, I will show him who I am!" Lie Jian burst out, his face knotted. He was still very confident in his abilities, despite the urge to agree with his friend''s outlook.

    "Let me help you. We can''t let them look down on us Martians," Michaux announced.

    "How? Do tell!" Lie Jian was pleasantly surprised. He knew that the Divine Masters had many tricks up their sleeves. Some might not appear to be deadly on the spot, but they could be useful when deployed at the right time.

    "I learned a secret technique called Soul Transfer that allows me to store a part of my soul energy inside your sea of consciousness to increase your power," Michaux said.

    "Really? Get out of here! Why didn''t you tell me earlier!" Lie Jian''s eyes lit up with glee. He knew that if he could have the aid of the young master, he might tip the scale on the battlefield in his favor.

    Michaux gave Lie Jian an ugly grin and said, "It''s just a small trick, useless for me, and ... could be harmful to you."

    "I don''t care, let''s do it now!"

    "It''s still early. The energy would dissipate over time, so we better time it right."

    "Whatever you say!" Lie Jian announced as he cracked his finger joints. He was willing to do anything for the victory.

    The fight between Wang Tong had Li Shiming had rekindled the passion for METALbat inside every ordinary citizen. However, today, another would-be legendary fight was about to pull back its curtain¡ªPatroclus versus Lie Jian.

    Although Lie Jian had missed his opportunity of avenging hisst tournament''s defeat, his performance had proven that he was back and more powerful than ever. The victor of this match would face the most popr fighter of this year''s tournament¡ªthe Dragon Warrior, the Omni-Fighter, the one and only Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was still unable to move, and therefore, Ma Xiaoru set up a virtual disy unit inside his bedroom. She would be watching the fight with Wang Tong beside his medic pod.

    This match was an opportunity of a lifetime for most young warriors. They would never experience such event the same way after they grew up.

    Inside the arena, the usually aloof Ivantians shouted and cheered at the top of their lungs. Drunken by Patroclus''s intoxicating personality and overbearing power, the Ivantians worshiped him like a god.

    Despite Patroclus''s superior performance, his power was at par with a couple of other contestants that made into the final rounds, such as Wang Tong. However, many people still believed that he was the strongest among all younger generation fighters. The thought came to the audiences so naturally that they didn''t even take a second to think how they had arrived at such a conclusion. In the audiences'' eyes, Patroclus was a god, and he was invincible, was simple as that.

    The mor in the arena started to die down as the contestants were about to enter the stage. Patroclus appeared on the stage first, followed by Li Jian. One looked like a handsome prince from a fairy tale while the other a wild fiery beast.

    After only a brief moment of quietness, the arena exploded with cheers and apuse.

    Not only were the Ivantians were excited about the match, but also the Martians. Once Lie Jian defeated Patroclus, House Lie would exert their influence outside Mars onto the entire confederation.

    Patroclus waved in the air and a wave of ear piercing shrieks from his female fans immediately rose from the audiences. Patroclus was the idol of all teenage girls across the confederation, regardless of their origin.

    Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller weren''t sure what to make of Patroclus''s paparazzi squad. As a warrior, being idolized for the same reason as a movie star was not entirely apliment. Nevertheless, any audience who had dabbled with history would know that it was a blessing/curse of House Dower. Rngalos had also been the sex symbol during his time, and after his marriage, the teenage girl suicide rate of the same year was reported to have tripled.

    Whether Patroclus''s power was at par with his ancestor was yet to be seen, but his poprity among girls was definitely close to that of Rngalos.

    Patroclus turned to face his opponent and said, "Please!"

    Lie Jian returned the courtesy as the two fighters bowed to each other, signaling the start of the battle.

    Lie Jian straightened himself and thrust out his tworge pec-muscles, as me surrounded him.

 Chapter 409: The Reckless Prince

    Chapter 409: The Reckless Prince

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Patroclus was in a white shirt, and he remained still while his opponent charged at him.

    "Patroclus is confident as ever, even though he is facing off Lie Jian." Zhang Zhongren announced, his voicecking the confidence he had during thest match.

    "Haha! That''s for sure. It takes time to charge up his GN force. I think the length of this match solely depends on the performance of Lie Jian." Rockefeller said as he beamed from side to side.

    "Why does the Martian like to show off his body so much? Is he a gay?" Karl asked.

    "Didn''t you know that House Lie owned all the clothing factory on Mars? It''s just an advertisement."

    "Shut up you too! What did Lie Jian do to you?" Zhou Sisi snapped at the two.

    "I just don''t like him. He stares at girls with that perverted look. As the guardian of all youngdies in the world, it is my prerogative to despise him."

    "Buzz off!" Everyone shouted out in unison, and some even gave Karl a middle finger for his shameless im.

    Karl was not affected by his friends'' attitude, so he continued, "I like Patroclus much more than the martian pervert. But nevertheless, it will be most ideal if both of them get badly injured in this fight."

    "I think you should give more support to Lie Jian then, as I am afraid that he will notst long."

    "Are you afraid of Patroclus? Don''t be, because Boss will kick his ass. He is the cure for arrogance, remember?"

    Seeing Karl''s blind confidence, everyone simply smiled back at him. Wang Tong''s disadvantage was obvious. Even if Wang Tong were as strong as Patroclus, his serious injury would set him back during the final. Wang Tong''s only hope of winning the final lied in the degree of injury either of the two fighters would receive during this match.

    In other words, the results of this match would y a critical role in the oue of the final.

    "Lie Jian should pray for an aggressive opportunity. Otherwise, he will not be able to prate Patroclus''s defense."

    "Really? You think so too?" Karl was amazed by how simr his friends'' opinions were, and how different they were from his own. He still refused to believe that Patroclus was as powerful as everyone thought. "Fine, fine! I will support Lie Jian, the pervert! "

    On the stage, Lie Jian had gained the control of the flow of the battle thanks to his aggressiveness. However, so conceited was Patroclus that he didn''t even seem to put in any effort in defending.

    Lie Jian would have been livid if he were facing any other opponent. However, Patroclus''s conceit only spurred him to be more methodical.

    "Kom!"

    Lie Jian hurled hisrge fist directly at Patroclus. Patroclus sidestepped as the fist wheezed pass him just slightly, before it suddenly changed course and aimed directly at Patroclus''s face.

    "Inch Punch!"

    "Kom!"

    "The blownded!"

    Did Patroclus finally receive a blow? The sudden development startled all Ivantians, as they wondered what had just happened. Did the Ivantian prince slip up? No, he would never make such a simple mistake.

    Even Lie Jian was caught off guard by his luck. Seizing the opportunity, he followed the first attack with more fiery punches.

    The brutal attacks rained on Patroclus one after another. The terrifying scene had scared a few youngdies in the audience, who even started to sob.

    After a few seconds of belligerent attacks, Lie Jian suddenly noticed an eerie smile on Patroclus''s face. The creepy smile startled him as he backed away and delivered a roundhouse kick on Patroclus, sending the Ivantian prince flying a dozen meters away.

    Everyone was stunned by what had happened on the stage. A near-invincible warrior gotten beaten up without lifting a finger to fight back. What happened? Was Patroclus high on anything?

    Zhang Jin shook her head in resignation as shemented on Patroclus''s recklessness. It had been so long that Patroclus had almost forgotten what it was like to be injured.

    As Patroclus slowly picked himself up, the audiences were amazed to find out that not only he was unharmed, but his white shirt was also unmarred during that brawl.

    Patroclus ttened the kinks on his cor and smiled broadly, "Is that the Fist of ze? It felt like a scratch."

    The audiences boiled over after Patroclus made such a tauntingment. Meanwhile, the ineffectiveness of Lie Jian''s attacks had taken the wind out of the Martian audience.

    Lie Jian conceded thatnding blows on Patroclus was much like punching a water surface while his target was hidden deep beneath the water. His mind raced as he wondered what technique Patroclus had used. Was it the Tactics of Deva King?

    Realizing that he couldn''t back down, Lie Jian took a deep breath and disappeared from everyone''s view. Half a heartbeatter, he shed out right in front of Patroclus and punched his face with a fiery fist that looked like arge torch.

    However, halfway during his attack, he felt a blow on his chest, and his body flew a dozen feet back.

    Patroclus didn''t even move, or at least, it seemed so.

    The development stunned Zhang Zhongren. Patroclus was supposed to be on the same level as Lie Jian, but the fight seemed to suggest otherwise.

    Lie Jian gathered himself as he swallowed down the pain. A hand sign was seared into his swarthy chest.

    With his GN force in check, Lie Jian started an attack anew. This time, hebined the Fist of ze with the Tornado Kick. However, Patroclus blocked the attack with only a nonchnt wave of his hands.

    Zhang Jin grinned as she marveled at the vast gap between the two fighters'' powers. No doubt that Wang Tong''s victory had spurred Patroclus fighting spirit. Without the stimtion, Lie Jian might have been able to hold his ground for a bit longer. But, Zhang Jin doubted that the Martian wouldst long once Patroclus was ready to unleash his full power, which should happen any minute now.

    In a blink of an eye, Lie Jian hadshed out over fifty punches and over thirty rounds of kicks, but he was yet tond a solid blow. While Lie Jian was still engrossed in pouring fruitless attacks on his opponent, Patroclus seized an opening in Lie Jian''s movement and hacked his GN-infused palm at the Martian. Lie Jian reacted quickly as he ducked and lurched away.

    It was a close call nheless; Lie Jian could feel his hair stand on their ends.

    Although Patroclus didn''t press on, the Ivantians cheered for their prince breaking his opponent''s attacks.

    Lie Jian conceded that if he didn''t switch gears, he would lose the control of the battle very quickly. He gathered strength as a wave of red energy rippled out of him. He stomped the ground under his feet, causing a sizable explosion, punching at Patroclus very slowly.

    As Lie Jian''s fist glided through the air, it turned into an air pump that sucked the air around it, turning the air into liquid in front of the audiences'' eyes.

    "The Octave Fire Fist!"

    Suddenly, the ripples of energy congregated and multiplied their amplitude before it whooshed out at Patroclus. Such a technique was called "Fist Aura," and although it was very simr to the de aura, it was much deadlier than thetter.

    Patroclus took a half step back and shouted, "Break!" The deadly red energy disappeared in an instant. Patroclus gathered himself and asked his opponent with a smug look on his face, "Is that all?"

    Patroclus''s conceit was not unfounded, as he had countered the martian''s deadly attack using just sound wave techniques.

    It was clear then that Lie Jian had almost exhausted his tricks while Patroclus had just been getting warmed up.

 Chapter 410: Unbearable Insults

    Chapter 410: Unbearable Insults

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Jian paused for a second before he could feel the knot of anger in his belly rise to his throat. He gritted his teeth and red at Patroclus as a few words managed to escape his mouth, "I take insult from no one!"

    The fiery GN forced boiled inside the Martian, calling for revenge. His only wish was to eliminate Patroclus from the face of the.

    "The seventh level, Fiery Phoenix!"

    Lie Jian''s body levitated as sizzling angry mes surrounded him. Although the effect struck a resemnce with that of Mastery, Lie Jian''s power came from his GN force instead of soul energy, and it was much deadlier than thetter.

    The development deeply concerned Michaux Odin. Hemented that he had underestimated the Patroclus'' power after all. However, he reasoned that Lie Jian was not entirely without any odds of sess. As long as he could keep the fire of rage burning, he could draw limitless power from his tactics.

    The seventh level of the Tactics of the ze was the highest and the most criticalponent of the tactics. It was said that it could grant a godlike power to the chosen one. Just like the other legendary tactics, the tactics of the ze was surrounded by myths and tales.

    However, was such power enough to counter Patroclus and his Tactics of the Deva King?

    Hovering in the air, Lie Jian had turned zing red from head to toe. He rounded his eyes and knotted his face, looking just like the God of Fire on the murals of ancient temples.

    "What''s up with the temperature? Anyone got some water, please? Having a heat stroke here!" Karl shouted out and then took a sip of water from the bottle Zhou Sisi handed to him.

    No one found his words funny, but many cast a questioning stare at him. Karl conceded that it was not the time for jests, so he lowered his head and became silent.

    As the red-hot GN force expanded, it formed ayer of protective shield around Lie Jian. Suddenly, he swooped down on his opponent from above.

    "Kom!"

    Patroclus raised his right hand as a blinding explosion erupted at the point of contact. Lie Jian''s deadly attack was easily blocked.

    Lie Jian had transformed his body into a weapon as he swooped down. However, Patroclus held his ground firmly, and the stage stayed an equal blend of silver and red. Lie Jian conceded that it was almost impossible to affect Patroclus with his fire poison, since his attack simply bounced off of Patroclus''s silvery protection.

    Lie Jian red at Patroclus and gritted his teeth, trying to swallow down his resignation. He had poured all of his power into thest strike, but Patroclus quickly blocked his attack with a wave of an arm.

    Neither skill nor strength worked, and Lie Jian wondered what he could try next. It was hard for him to admit that the power of the Tactics of the ze seemed so puny in front of the Tactics of the Deva King.

    Although the five significant Tactics were considered equal, many people had forgotten that Patroclus was the only person other than Rngalos who was able to master the tactics of the Deva King. Rngalos had been a legend, an equal of General Li Feng. So, what would it make Patroclus?

    Lie Jian''s patience was wearing thin. Just as Patroclus thought that he had gained a number on Lie Jian''s power, Lie Jian tapped into Michaux''s energy stored inside him. These energies were enhanced by Michaux to counter Patroclus.

    Suddenly, energy shot through Lie Jian''s body as his power surged. The fiery red GN power started to change its color to that of crimson blood.

    The sudden burst of energy brought pain to Lie Jian''s body. Like a rebirth, Lie Jian knew that after of the pain was the new power that would make him stronger than ever.

    Patroclus was taken back by the development. However, he paused for only a brief second and released a wave of energy from his left arm nonchntly. The thrashing energy inside Lie Jian quieted down instantly.

    The development enraged Lie Jian as he lurched towards his opponent without a second thought. However, before he could take a second step, he was thrown off bnce by an unseen force. Everyone watched as a ball of fire plunged into the ground.

    "Kom!"

    No one had seen Patroclus move, but somehow, he appeared at a different ce than where he had been standing. Patroclus gathered strength and yanked his arm up, as car-sized boulders fell from the sky above Lie Jian. When the dust finally settled, the audiences saw a huge crater at the center of the stage, from where the audiences saw Lie Jian stumble out. His shambolic footsteps indicated that he had not yet fully recovered from the blow he had received.

    With their breath caught in their throats, the Martians couldn''t make a sound, neither had they anticipated such a sad ending. Across the stage and amidst the dust and smoke, audiences watched Patroclus''s haughty statue with awe.

    It was obvious that Patroclus was way ahead of his fellow cultivators, and his performance would outshine any opponent. Many people believed that even the reincarnation of the de Warrior was no match for Patroclus.

    Lie Jian bit down on the tip of his tongue until it started to bleed. The pain was good for him right now, since it could clear his mind and make him focus. Even as everyone thought the match was about toe to an end, an eerie smile crept onto Lie Jian''s face, revealing a row of stained teeth that looked as if they were freshly filed. What else could he be hiding under his sleeve?

    Lie Jian took a deep breath and levitated his body again. He looked down at Patroclus and announced, "Patroclus! You will never defeat me! Once I''m done f*cking with you, I will do it all over again over your dead body!"

    Before Lie Jian''s threats faded away, he bore down on Patroclus as the deadly energy shot out of his fists. Everyone was perplexed by the development. Insulting Patroclus with profanity would only spur him to unleash more power; which was not good news for Lie Jian.

    Like everyone had suspected, Patroclus furrowed his brows and doubled down on his counter-attack. In a blink, his right arm was coated with ayer of silver energy.

    Almost simultaneously, Lie Jian let go of his defense shield as he continued flying towards Patroclus.

    "What''s going on?"

    "Something is fishy!"

    By exposing himself to mortal danger, Lie Jian had put the rtionship of two major factions at stake. He was gambling against Patroclus''s conscience while holding millions of innocent lives hostage.

    Martians were firm believers of absolutism, and therefore, they considered it moral to deploy any means necessary for personal gains.

    As everyone was kept to the edge of their seats wondering what Patroclus would do, the Ivantian prince answered their question loud and clear.

    "Kom!"

    Patroclusnded a solid blow on the Martian with full intent.

    Throwing his head back, Lie Jian fell backward as a gush of blood squirted out in between his teeth¡ªhe was done for.

    Patroclus suddenly disappeared, not because he wanted to follow up with more strikes, but he simply didn''t want to be sttered by the blood.

    The development was sad and ironic.

    As the heir of the great house, Lie Jian had to resort to such despicable and cheap measures. And what was worse, Patroclus didn''t even care.

    Before the referee announced the final result of the match, the medics had rushed toward the stage to rescue Lie Jian. No one wanted the ire of short-tempered Martian Legions.

    To everyone''s surprise, Patroclus waved his right hand in the air as an invisible wall formed around the stage, blocking the medics passage. The sudden turn of the event immediately angered the Martians, as a swell ofints and insults rose.

    Michaux Odin rushed to the interpreters'' station and spoke through the mic. "Please be patient everyone. The match has not ended yet."

    The arena suddenly bes quiet, with hope and curiosity looming about.

    Patroclus watched Lie Jian''s copsed body and announced, "Like a phoenix, he will rise again."

 Chapter 411: The King of the METAL

    Chapter 411: The King of the METAL

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The angry martian mob finally quieted down, although they didn''t do so without any confusion. A second life? They had only heard of such ability in great tales and children''s books.

    Even as the doubts and confusion bubbled among the audiences, the fire started anew around Lie Jian, and was increasing its intensity by the second. In two heartbeats, the me had turned into a wildfire, and then transformed into a tornado. It burned with such intensity that the me had turned from red to orange, blue, and then brilliant white.

    An unbelievable sceneid out in front of everyone. Michaux smiled as he watched the utter confusion on the faces of two interpreters. "Patroclus was right. It had been over a couple of centuries that House Lie had used this incredible ability, since it was extremely dangerous."

    After having discussed with Michaux before the fight, Lie Jian conceded that his chances of winning were slim, and drastic measures were needed. Therefore, he hade up with a n that sought victory in the most unthinkable circumstances.

    Lie Jian had already lost one tournament, and he could not afford another failure. He was not only to fight for himself, but for the entire poption of Mars.

    Lie Jian was far from being perfect, but on the battlefield, he was as determined as any perfect soldier.

    A loud and clear shriek erupted from the center of the fire tornado as the swirling mes shrunk in size, until they resembled a human figure dressed in dancing mes.

    "Kom!"

    Lie Jian''s stoic face emerged from the me first. "I''m back."

    Patroclus nodded and then said, "I have been waiting."

    After returned from the River of Styx, the Martian had considerably advanced his power, as the fire GN force had be blue.

    Seeing that Lie Jian had safely returned from his death trip and was stronger than ever, Michaux heaved a deep sigh of relief. Zhang Jin could not believe how reckless Patroclus had be. She reckoned that Patroclus must have seen through Lie Jian''s radical n, but he let him carry it out with full intent anyways. She wondered what Patroclus was after that was worth taking such a high risk for.

    Lie Jian didn''t attack right away. Instead, he shouted to Patroclus, "I want you to know this before I defeat you¡­You have earned my respect today."

    Lie Jian had not always been ready to fight with abandon, as he hesitated until he saw Patroclus''s devastating power. Using the ultimate ability was no better than gambling with his life on the table. However, he was lucky enough to pull it through. Many of his predecessors had also attempted the "rebirth" ability, but most of them were not as lucky as him.

    "Kom!"

    "Fist of Blue ze!"

    Patroclus sidestepped and evaded the attack, but Lie Jian didn''t care since the first attack was merely a test of the new power. The blownded on the ground, and without a din, it melted the solid floor away, creating a fist-sized hole.

    The intense heat and destructiveness of Lie Jian''s new power immediately captured everyone''s attention. Lie Jian was more than pleasantly surprised; the promise of immense power exhrated him and spurred him to attack his opponent again.

    "Kom!"

    Both fighters took a couple of steps back after Lie Jian''s hurried attack. For the first time, Patroclus was dealt a blow from the front. The blue me slightly seared his clean and slender fingers. He conceded that he could no longer fend off the blue poison fire with his GN force.

    Martians were well known for their tendency of acting on a whim, and Lie Jian was no exception. Easily carried away by the sign of encouraging elements, Lie Jian looked nothing like a man just pulled out from death''s jaws as his eyes shone livelily and were eager for victory.

    The Ivantian audience''s hearts sank as the gravity of the development set in.

    Lie Jian scanned the terrified face of Ivantian audiences with a smug look that read, ''Your prince is no longer a match for me.''

    Lie Jian channeled his energy to levitate himself. Despite the spike in his power, he conceded that he was still inferior in terms of skillspared to Patroclus. Therefore, his n became clear: overwhelming his opponent with sheer power.

    As the blue mes surged around him, Lie Jian doubled down on his strategy. He hadn''t mastered the new ability yet, and therefore, it would be wise to finish his opponent in one go instead of being mired in a prolonged confrontation.

    Surrounded by blue mes, Lie Jian swooped down on Patroclus like a blue cannonball. Every Ivantian screamed in their mind as the deadly attack drew closer to their prince. The thought of such belligerent attacknding on Patroclus filled the hearts of the audience with sorrow. Meanwhile, all Martians cheered and shouted, fueling the blue me to burn with an unprecedented heat. Lie Jian knew that Patroclus would not back down; he had been ying along with his n all the while after all, so why would he stop here?

    As Lie Jian doubled down on his attack, he had sworn to let Patroclus pay the price of conceit.

    Lie Jian had learned about the danger of being arrogant the hard way during thest tournament, and he could smell the same mistake from miles away.

    "GO TO HELL!"

    Lie Jian shouted as he born down on Patroclus with his ming fist. But from the corner of Lie Jian''s eyes, he caught a glimpse of Patroclus''s face and his ominous smile.

    The small curl on Patroclus''s lips seemed to turn the world upside down, tossing out the mor and noise and leaving only a tranquil serenity. In this calm and cid world, a silver light emerged and turned into ance.

    Finally, the audiences had seen what they hade for: the legendary Deva Lance.

    The blue me reached Patroclus and immediately bounced off of him. Lie Jian thudded on the ground and helplessly watched the blue me be drawn out by the cool silvery light of thence.

    Rockefeller was speechless at the sight of thence. He had been dedicated his entire life to the research of Ivantian weapons, and it was the first time he saw the holy grail of his search: the Deva Lance.

    The future had already been in the hands of Ivantians on the day of Patroclus''s birth.

    Patroclus''s advantage over his opponent was overwhelming. Even Lie Jian''s coup de grace under the aid of his newfound power had failed to beat him. Since the beginning of the battle, Lie Jian had no chance of delivering a solid blow: the gap in their power was unbridgeable.

    With a simple swing of hisnce, Patroclus had stolen the hearts of all audiences. No one could defeat him as long as he had thence, and the world would kneel before him.

    Inside the medic room, Wang Tong fixed his eyes on the screen as he marveled at Patroclus''s power. His next opponent''s performance had turned his blood boiling. It was notmon for Wang Tong to feel the urge to defeat anyone, but he felt the desire¡ªthen and there¡ªburning in his belly.

    Aside from the eagerness for battle, Wang Tong also felt blessed that the Dower had given him such a capable opponent. Nothing meant more to a warrior than a good fight.

    Patroclus, the heir of gods, had advanced into the final without a single scratch.

    The Ivantian''s excitement was beyond description as they basked under other race''s envious stares.

    All earthlings'' thoughts were on Wang Tong''s injury. They wondered if Wang Tong would be able to recover in time to face his seemingly invincible opponent.

    To most people, the fate of the final match was already sealed. Once Patroclus used hisnce, no one could defeat him, much less a now-wounded dark horse.

    The oue seemed so inevitable that despair quickly spread through the city of Shangjin, and even into Ayrng.

    Wang Tong had tried, and he had already proven himself, but no one expected him to win against a god.

    "Stop moving! The doctor told you toy still!" Ma Xiaoru urged Wang Tong.

    Despite her caution, she helped Wang Tong off the bed and walked out of the room with everyone''s heart hanging in their throat.

 Chapter 412: A Brazen Youngster

    Chapter 412: A Brazen Youngster

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Xiaoru, I can''t just sit here and wait. Let''s start practice."

    Seeing the Patroclus'' power, Wang Tong''s patience was wearing thin. He conceded that he would have only a slim chance of winning the fight if he were at 100%. Without a full recovery, Wang Tong doubted the fight wouldst long. It would be such a pity to end the fight after he hade so far.

    "Hey, kiddo! You bettery low" Mr. Wannabe appeared out of nowhere.

    "Master, your body needs to rest." Charcoal agreed.

    "Do you think I can just sit and let myself be defeated? I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t push myself now."

    Ma Xiaoru was the only person who truly understood where Wang Tong came from. It would be a fight between the heir of Rngalos and de Warrior. It was going to be a hell of a battle if Wang Tong did not fully recover by then.

    A real warrior would never back down from a fight no matter what the reason was. The next fight was not only a fight for the de Warrior, but also for Wang Tong himself to conquer a powerful foe such as Patroclus.

    "Well, I''m sorry to bring this to you, but you don''t stand a chance against him. You might have had a chance if I had met you three or five years earlier." Mr. Wannabe said with a solemn face and credence.

    "It''s not that bad, Mr. Wannabe. I think Wang Tong can still win the fight" Ma Xiaoru replied.

    "A fight? You have mistaken. This is a WAR!" Mr. Wannabe rebutted.

    "A war?"

    "Yes. Patroclus had that craziness in his eyes. He was looking for a bloody brawl, and if you show up limping and injured, it would aggravate him and make him want to take your life. "

    "You talk too much, Mr. Wannabe. I will only be truly defeated if I give up. "

    "As long as you know what''sing... It''s your call, but I still strongly rmend you to give up the next fight."

    Although Ma Xiaoru was taken aback by Patroclus''s ulterior motive, she had long sensed that Patroclus was up to something more sinister than what met the eyes.

    She reckoned that Patroclus had used hisst fight against Lie Jian as a perfect warm-up. Now, he was more ready than ever. So much careful nning had been done by Patroclus to secure the fight against Wang Tong that if thetter showed up unprepared, the let-down alone would be the reason for murder.

    "Don''t give me that sour look. I will be fine! I am the heir of the de Warrior, remember?" Wang Tong rxed and announced. Mr. Wannabe faded out of sight as he thought that there was nothing more to say. Regardless of the oue, bards would sing songs about this fight for generations toe.

    Despite the concerns that weighed heavily on her mind, Ma Xiaoru stered an encouraging smile on her face.

    No doubt the final fight of the tournament would attract million''s attention. The arena had already started the preparation work to turn the fight into an extravaganza.

    As workers decorated the stage, everyone was convinced that the winner would be Patroclus. The activity on the moon was more than thebination of that on Earth and the Mars. Those earthlings who still lingered in the arena would be watching the fight without much anticipation of Wang Tong''s victory. That being said, Wang Tong had already won their hearts for being able toe this far while starting out as a no-ount.

    Most Martians had already left the moon. Only a handful of them remained, and even fewer of them would attend the final fight.

    Despite the reduced rating from Mars and Earth, all major news outlets across the Confederation followed the reparation with enthusiasm. All experts'' outlooks on the result of the fight were the same: Patroclus would win with ease. Even without injuries, Wang Tong was not likely to ovee the Ivantian, and his recent trauma would only eliminate more uncertainties. In the heat of battle, Wang Tong''s injuries would be his downfall.

    Meanwhile, inside a meeting room, the organizingmittee members looked at each other with disbelief.

    "Dy the match for seven days?"

    "That cannot be done. I don''t care who he is. Does he have any idea how important the final match is? Billions are watching."

    Themittee members talked while Zhang Jin sat quietly and listened.

    "Miss Zhang, we wholeheartedly understand where Patroclus ising from, but... this has never happened before. Plus, Wang Tong is already walking about outside the medic bay. So, he should be recovered in no time."

    "I agree! It is unnecessary, if not outright preposterous." Another angry old man chimed in.

    Zhang Jin felt their searing res and conceded that no one on themittee would understand how Patroclus felt. They must have wished that Wang Tong simply ignored Patroclus''s request. Zhang Jin understood the financial implications of dying the final. However, she also knew that Patroclus would not give a damn about those things.

    Nheless, she had delivered the message, and the rest was up to Patroclus and themittee. She knew Patroclus''s request would upset the sleazy politicians. Despite the clout of House Dower on the moon, Patroclus was nothing but another pawn in their game of power. So far, the tournament had been carried out ording to the n, and they hardly saw any reason to disturb the status quo.

    Seeing the strong opposition, Zhang Jin left the meeting with a faint smile that looked too smug¡ªshe knew no one could stop Patroclus from doing what he wanted.

    After Zhang Jin had left, a dozen old menughed out loud.

    "Haha! Too young, too simple, sometimes naive! "

    "Indeed! That''s why we elders need to give them a lesson from time to time."

    "True... But, what about the others? What would they think?"

    "The moon doesn''t belong to the Dower alone. Even if it does, I doubt the Dower family could reach a consensus on this matter."

    "Haha! That''s right! Haha!"

    The crowdughed again, their voicesced with conceit.

    There was an untold truth about the world politics that no politician would like to admit openly: the Zerg should not be eradicated even if they could be. Without the need for weapons and armors, an entire industry would copse and would follow suit. Some politicians saw the fact as a necessary evil, but others saw it as a useful tool in their arsenal of mass maniption.

    "Oh shit! Chairman! Where is the Chairman!"

    "I''m here, what''s the matter?"

    "Patroclus is hosting a meeting with the media. I''m afraid he is going to¡ª"

    "WHAT!" Chairman Wakana jumped out his seat in disbelief and shock.

 Chapter 413: Heir of the Blade

    Chapter 413: Heir of the de

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    One point where Wakana had hit the mark was Patroclus'' recklessness. Despite the low-key attitude of House Dower, Patroclus would never be slowed down by the constraints imposed by others. The Ivantian prince''s sudden disy of resolution had finally awakened the earthlings to the realization that their opponent meant business.

    Patroclus'' actions were against his usual restrained and reticent character. The media meeting had gathered all journalists who provided coverage on the tournament. Everyone watched the young Ivantian Prince with great anticipation, waiting for him to speak out.

    An Ivantian walked to the stage and informed Patroclus that all things were ready.

    Patroclus nodded with a smile and then announced, "Thank you foring. I have only one announcement: I will dy the final match for a week."

    The announcementnded in the crowd like a bomb. Everyone, including all the journalists, was shocked by the news. Sensing the promise of drama, all journalists raised their hands for questions. Like hungry carrions, they smelled a piece of fat and juicy headline in front of them.

    "Mr. Dower, the match was scheduled for tomorrow. Do you think the organizingmittee would approve of your decision?"

    "Touch¨¦! You have the edge over your opponent right now. Why would you want to give it up?"

    Questions came one after another. But surprisingly, none of the questions was about the match itself, instead intending to find out Patroclus'' motive in making such a decision. If Patroclus went with the flow, he would have be the most dominant fighter of his age by tomorrow afternoon.

    As the crowd bubbled with questions, Wakana rushed into the meeting room with a couple of his assistants. His face was pale and taut before he had seen the roomful of journalists. However, even as he stepped into the threshold, his expression turned milder by the second. Dower was not a power to be messed with, and therefore, caution and restraint were called for. As an avid politician with a bulging belly, changing his appearance and mood was much easier than changing his shirt.

    "Mr. Dower, I hope you understand that all of us have to y by the rules, including you. Unless, you can present us with a legitimate reason for being otherwise." Through the smile that Wakana stered onto his face, people could still see the fire of anger seeping out from the folds of his unimpressed double chin.

    Patroclus remained cid and watched the politician quietly.

    "Mr. Wakana is right. All of us deserve an exnation." A clear voice broke the silence.

    Wakana was annoyed by the interruption as he turned his head around and surveyed the crowd for the speaker. "Who''s speaking!"

    Zhang Mi, the journalist, stepped out of the crowd with a confident smile. Ever since her coverage of Wang Tong, she had quickly be the most famous journalist at MTV. The sudden fame had encouraged her; she stared at the fat politician with a trace of despise in her eyes.

    "Rules are made by humans such as yourself, Mr. Wakana. And as a reasonable and rational human being, you would understand that rules could also be bent when called for. Don''t you agree?"

    Agreement from an army of journalists quickly followed Zhang Mi''s question. Faltering, Wakana''s face turned sour and green. He turned towards Patroclus and announced, "You have vited the regtion. I am entrusted by themittee to put things back to order. But first, do exin yourself."

    The room became quiet as everyone watched Patroclus with anticipation. Patroclus surveyed the crowd one more time before he broke the silence.

    "I do it for the sake of fairness," Patroclus announced calmly.

    His words had perplexed everyone, since no one thought the match was unfair in the first ce.

    Wakana was amused by Patroclus''s reply, so he said, "Do you doubt the fairness of the event? I can guarantee you that much!"

    Zhang Jin stood up from her seat. She alone knew what Patroclus meant, and she was going to exin it to everyone else.

    "What he meant, Mr. Wakana, was not the fairness of the entire tournament, but rather the final match. Patroclus is not here to gain the title of the champion. That, he already has; what he is here for is to battle with Wang Tong in his full capacity."

    Everyone felt it strange that the usually reticent Ivantian Prince would have be so passionate about a public tournament. But Zhang Jin''s words finally instilled some sense into the audiences, as they saw the piecesing together.

    Wakana was taken aback by Zhang Jin''s announcement. He paused to search for words, but before he could say anything, the same female journalist that had interrupted him stood up and spoke out again.

    "Miss Zhang, do you happen to know more details?" Zhang Mi asked, her question to the point.

    Zhang Jin smiled and locked her eyes with Patroclus''. It was time for the instigator to speak out for himself.

    Patroclus cast an empty stare at the crowd and announced with a heavy tone, "In seven days, you will witness the battle between the heir of Rngalos and the new Balde Warrior!"

    Patroclus turned his back and walked away as his voice was still hanging in the air. As the profoundness of the meaning in his announcement set in, everyone knew that nothing could change his decision.

    The condition must be perfect, since both fighters had waited for centuries for this match.

    First bubbling with doubts and questions, the room then fell into a deathly silence.

    "The heir of Rngalos? That must be Patroclus himself. But, who is the heir of the de Warrior? Wang Tong?"

    Ten minutester, mor returned to the meeting room as a journalist hurried to report this news to their station. No one paid any attention to the fat politician sitting quietly on a chair, staring nkly into the distance.

    A few minutester, all media were broadcasting the same news.

    "In seven days, you will witness the battle between the heir of Rngalos and that of the Balder Warrior!"

    "The heir of de Warrior!"

    "Wang Tong: The new de Warrior."

    "The biggest news of centuries: de Warrior Reborn!"

    "Wang Tong¡ªwho is he?"

    In a blink, Wang Tong''s name had be the most searched item on the inte, surpassing the second most popr search item by arge margin.

 Chapter 414: Seven Days

    Chapter 414: Seven Days

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As people reflected on what Wang Tong had achieved, the news gained more credence. Only the power of a de Warrior could transform a no ount into a legend.

    The impact of this turn of events was immeasurable. The influence of the de warrior could still be felt three hundred years after his departure. Three hundred yearster, as everyone thought that the era of the de Warrior hade to an end, his heir promptly showed up to prove it otherwise.

    The dramatic development had to pull the rug out from under everyone. However, after people gathered themselves and started to piece evidence together, the entire affair became more convincing.

    The announcement was made by Patroclus, the only possible heir of Rngalos; it had to be true.

    Just as it was prophesied, "Three hundred yearster, in the Sky Arena, history will repeat itself once again..."

    "Perhaps you were stillmenting the fact that you had missed the epic battle three hundred years ago and were unable to witness the creation of legends. There would be another opportunity for you to relive history in seven days! Are you ready?"

    Wakana was soonid off due to his mishandling of the recent case, and the newmittee chair was a fast learner, as he brought himself up to speed with the public''s opinion.

    Ever since Patroclus''s announcement, the ticket price for the final match had risen ten folds, that is if one were lucky enough to get hold of a seller on the ck market.

    The chance to witness a battle on such an epic scale was something that money could not buy.

    This final match had been considered the one that would make an Einherjar out of Patroclus. But, ever since the revtion of Wang Tong''s identity, the atmosphere about the match had changed considerably.

    Wang Tong had achieved greatness against all odds, but the oue of the final matchrgely rested on the degree of his recovery, which was yet to be determined.

    To fulfill the destiny of the match and that of bothbatants, no imperfection should be tolerated during the match; both fighters had to be in their prime condition.

    Patroclus''s proposal was approved without much discussion as no one on themittee dare spoke out against the n. This made the newmittee chair''s job much easier, and hemented his predecessor''s stubbornness that eventually ruined his career.

    With his attitude straightened, the new chair conceded that themittee was at the servitude of thebatant, and not the other way around. He needed to be as amodating as possible to contestants'' requests.

    Enthusiastic fans and journalists surrounded Wang Tong''s room on the first floor. A row of security guards blocked off the entrance, but that did little to deter the fans.

    Inside the room, Wang Tong was chatting with his friends.

    "I can''t believe that Patroclus just spilled the beans! " Wang Tongmented.

    "So¡­ It is all true?" Apache narrowed his eyes and asked.

    "Kind of... I am not rted to Li Feng; our only connection was the fact that I cultivate the Tactics of the de." Wang Tong shrugged.

    "That''s it?" Karl was astonished.

    "That''s it."

    "What about saving the world? Or.. or... destroying a... Or...or..secret coup de grace?" Karl asked.

    "Of course not! I don''t even know if Li Feng is still alive. Do you think I would still be in the hospital if I knew any secret coup de grace?"

    By then, Wang Tong''s friends had gathered enough information to tell that Wang Tong hade across the power of the de Warrior by ident. And that, everyone realized, would make him just about half as qualified as the real heir of the de Warrior. In other words, Wang Tong''s achievements were mostly self-made.

    "Haha! The real heir or not, the news is going to make the S club even more popr." Zhou Sisi announced as she beamed from side to side. She knew there was something special about Wang Tong, so the news wasn''t entirely uncalled for.

    As Wang Tong cast arger shadow on the world, people''s perception of his power seemed to have grown in proportion. It made people wonder that if the power of the great houses were really as "great" as they perceived through the shadowy veil of fame.

    The announcement had lit up the enthusiasm of Martians and Earthlings. In some way, the Martians were more connected with the de Warrior than anyone else, as the legendary warrior had spent most of his life fighting Zergs on Mars. To that end, most Martians supported Wang Tong wholeheartedly.

    Lie Jian watched the news with a helpless smile, then asked Michaux, "Did you know of this all the while?"

    Michaux smiled back and said, "I don''t care about names and titles. But yes, I had my doubts."

    "Well, lucky you! You have found a model to follow. Didn''t the de Warrior ascend to godhood as a mortal?" Lie Jian jested.

    Michaux stood up and looked out of the window into the bustling world of living colors and noises. "There will be an end to materialistic development, but human''s ambition is boundless. To find the divine path is the only way for eternal peace. Wang Tong made me see the light at the end of the tunnel. You too can learn a great deal from him¡­ Join me."

    "Dream on! I can reach the Einherjar level sooner thanter. Plus, I had just passed the test of the Phoenix. I am not worried about hitting a brick wall anytime soon. " Despite his defeat, Lie Jian was very proud of his advancement in cultivation, and rightfully so.

    "You might have been right three weeks ago. But now, we have to follow Wang Tong''s footsteps. It''s not a power he inherited from the de Warrior¡­ It was the secret form to achieve immortality, of which, we are also part of the ingredients. Haven''t you heard of the Super-Einherjar?"

    "What nonsense!"

    "You don''t have to believe me, but it is our Master''s own words."

    "Really? Hmm... That exins it! I was wondering why Patroclus cared so much about that earthling boy. Anyways, all for the better. I was worried that I would lose the goal in my life after I have achieved the Einherjar level."

    Michaux shook his head, "I don''t think Patroclus needs Wang Tong to be a Super Einherjar. The first Super Einherjar in history was Rngalos, so he must have written something down in the Tactics of the Deva King."

    "I HATE that Ivantian dip-sh*t! Luckily, he is not that into political power." Lie Jian grunted.

    Michaux smiled and said, "Are we talking about the same Patroclus? Heir of Rngalos who wanted to rule the world?"

    "You mean...he was pretending his disinterest?" Lie Jian gasped.

    "No. But being someone that powerful, he ought to get bored very easily. Don''t worry, you will always have my full support." As the young master of the Divine Master Sect, helping House Lie was Michaux''s irrefutable responsibility.

 Chapter 415: The Young Master

    Chapter 415: The Young Master

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Despite Wang Tong''s now-revealed identity, no one around him felt that he had changed in any way. If anything, his friends felt immensely proud of him.

    Cao Yi and Zhou Sisi were bombarded by the new applications for the S club. Even before the Ivantian prince''s surprising announcement, Wang Tong had already been the biggest draw of the S club. After the announcement, the S club was forced to remove the registration cap and allow anyone to apply for membership. In addition to applicants from the Earth, Mars, and Moon, Zhou Sisi also noticed a dramatic increase of applications from Andromeda Gxy. Owning a membership of the S club be a must-have for all elite students. The badge of the S club would draw others'' envious look on any campus. This had brought a sense of honor and pride into the hearts of the founding members of the S club. They believed that this was only a start, as the club had the potential to grow even more influential.

    Cao Yi was born to be a manager thanks to his meticulousness and attention to details. Zhou Sisi, on the other hand, was busy collecting information from all the club members and trying to estimate the current influence of the S club.

    From the very start, Zhou Sisi was well aware of two things: first, Wang Tong was not an ordinary student, and he was capable of achieving greatness; second, Wang Tong''s heart would never belong to her. Zhou Sisi thought so many times that she had made up her mind to remove herself from Wang Tong''s life entirely for her own sake, but couldn''t bring herself to put her thoughts into actions. Her obsession with Wang Tong started off as an addiction, and by then, it had be a necessity like oxygen.

    Everyone knew that Wang Tong would be busy preparing for the uing battle, so they didn''t want to stay for too long. However, before they were about to leave the room, four more people walked in without a knock; no one knew how they had passed the security.

    They were the four inner court disciples from the Temr''s court, and they made their intentions clear right away: they wanted to meet the self-proimed heir of de Warrior.

    de Warrior was worshiped as a god at the Temr''s court, and calling oneself his heir was outright sphemous to these four devoted young Temrs.

    As the four closed in onto Wang Tong, Apache stepped out and blocked their way. Wang Tong was still injured, but he was never vulnerable while being surrounded by his friends.

    Zhang Buyu didn''t slow down. He walked pass Apache, almost rubbing his shoulder until he was right in front of Wang Tong. The air inside the room was stall and awkward.

    Suddenly, the four young Temrs saluted to Wang Tong with utmost respect as they announced in unison, "Greetings, YOUNG MASTER!"

    The people in the room was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. Something told them that there was more than what met the eyes about Wang Tong''s power.

    "No...no,no,no. You must have mistaken. I am NOT your young master. I''m not rted to the de Warrior at all!"

    Wang Tong''s reaction slightly amused Zhang Buyu, "We are aware of who you are. Look, this is a letter to us from our grand master." Zhang Buyu turned on the Sk and retrieved a letter.

    "Who is your grandmaster? I don''t know him!"

    "The Temrs are sworn to uphold the values of the de Warrior, to safeguard the humanity. Since you are the heir of the de Warrior, you are our next grand master." Wu Gang said with a serious face.

    Wang Tong looked at the letter which read, "Hey little shit, get rid of that ''Papa-rose'' or whatever the f*ck you call him, ande see me at the Hall of Valha!"

    Wang Tong''s face turned pale¡­ It was Old Fart''s writing!

    "This...this A*SHOLE is your grandmaster?" Wang Tong shouted in disbelief.

    Zhang Buyu was taken back by the disrespectful way Wang Tong addressed the grandmaster. But, the matter was away above his rank, so he kept his mouth shut and head low. As a matter of fact, Zhang Buyu had only received the letter a couple of days ago, and he didn''t know that the grand master even existed before he suddenly appeared two years ago.

    "Well, all I know is that this letter is from the grand master himself and, I assume that you and the grand master know each other already." Ye Kai asked curiously. The tone of the young Temr''s voices suggested that they had alreadye to terms with the fact that Wang Tong was their new young master.

    "Hell yeah! Yes, of course, I know him. He is the reason why I was in so much sh*t. Do you know how much money he owes me? A LOT! You tell him that he better have the cash ready. Otherwise, I will tear Valha apart!"

    Wang tong jumped out of his seat as fire burst out of his mouth.

    The four Temr looked at each other and did not know what to make of the idea that their young master was nning to turn down Valha. If it came to that point, they figured, there was nothing they could do to prevent that.

    Being Wang Tong''s most intimate friend, Ma Xiaoru knew Wang Tong''s joy, although it might havee out the wrong way.

    "Please don''t mind him. Wang Tong and your grand master know each other almost too well."

    "Whatever you say, young master. We will follow your order." The four Temrs bowed to Wang Tong with a measure of respect. The Temrs were as brainwashed as the lunatics in the Divine Master sect.

    "Ok, ok...But I need to finish my fight with Patroclus first. Can we talkter?"

    "Yes, master!" The four answered together and filed out of the room.

    After everyone had left Wang Tong''s room, he cast a helpless nce at Ma Xiaoru andmented, "What the heck just happened?" A mixture of happiness and anger roiled inside him. He wondered if Old Fart knew how difficult he had made his life by leaving him alone.

    Ma Xiaoru hugged Wang Tong from behind, pressing her chest against his iron back, "I understand how you feel. Nothing canpare to the feeling of being reconnected with family."

    Wang Tong enjoyed Ma Xiaoru''s fragrant embrace and took a deep sigh. Deep down, he never med Old Fart.

    "Maybe, he left you alone as a test. Look at you now." Ma Xiaoru said as a sense of pride rose inside her.

    "Thank you, babe. I would never have thought that he was the grand master of the Temrs! He was greedy, greasy, and ... stupid!"

    "Well, not everyone has to be like you. Plus, he had looked after you for so many years, and that was not a minor achievement either."

    "Please, it had always been the other way around. He still owes me lots of money."

    "Fine, fine, let''s talk about something else." Ma Xiaoru said, and then kissed Wang Tong''s forehead.

    "What do you want to talk about?" Wang Tong asked and shifted his gaze to Ma Xiaoru''s bosom.

    "Whatever you want." Ma Xiaoru blushed as she had noticed Wang Tong''s stare.

    ¡­

    Inside a meeting room of house Ma, Ma Dutian was talking to an old gentleman.

    "Grandmaster, I bet you had waited long enough for this moment."

    "It was nothing. I need to thank you for your protection of the child."

    "Haha, he is going to be my son inw. Of course, I need to look after him. On another note, what brings you here today?"

 Chapter 416: The Invitation From a Princess

    Chapter 416: The Invitation From a Princess

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The grand master''s face suddenly became serious, "Whatever I am about to tell you, keep it between you and me."

    Ma Dutian nodded. There was no need to exin the significance of what the grand master was about to reveal.

    Inside the meeting room, Ma Dutian was driven deeper and deeper into terror as Old Fart exined the series of events that led to this point, After a while, he finally gathered himself and heaved a sigh. "So, it is like this, and there is no other way?"

    "No. We can only y by ear. If the human race were wiped out from existence, we could only ept it as our fate."

    "We can only hope for the best. Wang Tong is growing fast...but not fast enough."

    "Don''t bring up that dimwit again. I had almost given up on him, and that was why I arranged for him to go to Norton. But, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise after all."

    "I have a n that might be able to alleviate some of the damage."

    "Do tell!"

    ...

    After Ma Dutian had exined his n, the grand master''s eyes lit up with hope, "That sounds like a n to me!"

    "However, there is still a key piece missing in the technology."

    "Haha! If it all came down to Wang Tong and the Hall of Valha, I wager that the de Warrior has already intervened."

    "I hope so too."

    The crowd gathered outside Wang Tong''s room every day, but thanks to his four "disciples," none of the fans were able to enter the room. Wang Tong''s visitors ranged from ordinary citizens to renowned politicians and even royalties.

    As Princess Heidi nodded at Zhang Buyu, the young Temr blushed and stepped aside to make way for the Kaedeian princess.

    Ever since the beginning of the tournament, Heidi had believed that Wang Tong was the chosen one. However, her pragmatic mind insisted on ying the devil''s advocate until the Ivantian Prince''s startling announcement.

    "Brother Wang, sorry for visiting you without notice," Heidi said courteously and bowed slightly.

    "Please help yourself to a seat and take your TIME." Ma Xiaoru stered a smile on her face and emphasized thest word with a stern re at Wang Tong, who was still slouching on his bed.

    "Thank you, Miss Ma."

    "What brings you here today? I have already told everyone that I am not rted to the de Warrior at all. I don''t even know if he is still alive. I just...know nothing." Wang Tong hurried to finish his sentence.

    A giggle escaped Heidi''s mouth; Wang Tong did not quite fit the character of the heir of the de Warrior.

    "Brother Wang, Ie here to ask you for a favor. We didn''te to the tournament for the title of the champion. Instead, we are here to seek the savior that was promised by the prophecy. I want you toe with me to Mars after the tournament is over. Your visit is of utter importance to the survival of our race." Heidi pleaded.

    The mere mentioning of "savior" scared Wang Tong. There was no war nor genocide, so what was there to save, and HOW?

    Li Feng had practically left nothing for Wang Tong except for the tactics of the de. Wang Tong found it hard pressed to think that he, or anyone, could save the world by himself.

    "Um... I will probably need to stay in the hospital for a while after the final match, and I will need to go to the hall of Valha. I''m not sure when..."

    "It''s not urgent. We will be waiting for your visit to Mars."

    Wang Tong watched Heidi''s pitiful eyes and found it hard to refuse the princess''s request. It urred to him that he might have to wait a long time before he could live a quiet life with Ma Xiaoru in the middle of nowhere.

    "No worries. As soon as Wang Tong finishes the urgent matters on the earth, he will visit Mars." Ma Xiaoru announced.

    Heidi hurried to bow to the couple for their goodwill and left without saying a word. After she had disappeared in the street, Wang Tong turned toward Ma Xiaoru and said, "They are going to get your husband killed!" The word ''husband'' came out so naturally that Wang Tong didn''t even notice it.

    Ma Xiaoru blushed but didn''t rebut. "How could you refuse a princess''s request?"

    "A princess in a kingdom of women... Aren''t you afraid that I would decide to stay there forever?"

    "I won''t let you go if I were."

    Ma Xiaoru''s healthy upbringing had taught her the importance of trust between couples, especially on the part of the woman. Like the sun and moon, one shoe as the other would wait; such it was the nature of man and woman in a marriage.

    "Fine, fine. I will go. But I am not interested in bing a savior at all! All I want to be is a good husband. I want you toe to the Temr''s court with me. I want you to meet Old Fart."

    "Can... can I?"

    "Of course, you can! If the Old Fart dare says otherwise, I will make him puke up all the money he owes me!"

    Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside House Li had never been more embarrassing and humiliating. Their connection with the de Warrior had always been the primary source of power, and the sudden development not only stripped them of their power, but also perplexed them. "Why didn''t Li Feng choose one of his family members as his heir?"

    Li Shiming had sustained much worse wounds than Wang Tong, and therefore, he was still bed-bound. Li Ruoer had been worried for her brother, unsure of how he was going to take the news. However, seeing her brother''s calm and thoughtful face, she knew that her brother would eventually weather the sudden blow.

    Patroclus''s announcement also made Li Ruoer''s mind race. If the de Warrior chose Wang Tong, it meant that he was one way or another rted to House Li.

    "Sister, what did our father say about it?"

    "I didn''t ask. Furious, I guess."

    "You should talk to him and tell him not to butt heads against the Temr right now. Not only are the Temrs behind Wang Tong, but also House Ma, who had been conspiring for a long time. We should be patient and wait for their strength to wane."

    "What would you do?" Xi Ruoer asked.

    "Sigh...No wonder Wang Tong would defeat you. I noticed that the tactics of the de would easily neutralize the power of the Enchantress. I want you to stay out of this from now on. I will wait, let him feast on his fame and sess, and we will strike when he is belly-full and cannot move." Li Shiming said calmly.

    "That''s a good n." Li Ruoer said thoughtfully. The biggest enemy of a hero was not any monster, butcency.

    "Who do you think will be the champion?" Li Ruoer asked. Out of all thebatants, Li Shiming was the most qualified toment on the outlook of the final match. Not only was he the assumed enemy of Patroclus, but he had also fought Wang Tong at first hand.

    "The Wang Tong I knew is no match against Patroclus. However, if he can unleash the finalnce-strike again, I doubt Patroclus will be able to stop him. It would be a draw at best." Li Shiming was still not in favor of Wang Tong.

    "But... he is the heir of the de Warrior!"

    Li Shiming cast a searing nce at his sister and said, "Since when did you start to believe in fame? That was just a title."

    Li Ruoer nodded.

    "That will be it for now. Don''t disturb me if you don''t have anything important to say. I need to reflect and think quietly." Li Shiming said as he closes his eyes. His journey was far from reaching the end; instead, it had just begun.

 Chapter 417: The Final Battle

    Chapter 417: The Final Battle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Shiming knew that the journey ahead of him would not be easy. However, good things never came for free, he had to work for it.

    Even as Li Ruoer walked out of the hospital, her mind was seized by one question, "Could Wang Tong be able to repeat the finalnce-attack?"

    Although her brother was confident that Wang Tong''s final strike was no more than a fluke, Li Ruoer knew that once unleashed, such moves would be muscle memory, and it would be difficult to forget even if Wang Tong wanted to. The Enchantress''s instinct told Li Ruoer that the effect of Wang Tong''s final strike on his cultivation, like that of Lie Jian''s Phoenix''s Test, was more profound than her brother had anticipated. However, knowing her brother''s n, Li Ruoer reckoned that Wang Tong was about to face his biggest challenge yet: his own contentment.

    Seven days, 604,800 seconds, and Wang Tong could not waste even half a second. With Ma Xiaoru''s help in the bed, Wang Tong''s soul energy had been recovering quickly. When he was not in bed with Ma Xiaoru, he was training with Mr. Wannabe inside the Crystal Space.

    Wang Tong knew that the odds were stacked against him, but he had already gotten used to it. Be it on Norton or in the Crystal Space fighting against Zachery, Wang Tong had always been teetering on the thin strip of ice along the border of life and death. It had almost be his method of cultivation, since every time he was pushed into a corner, desperation would drive him to make another breakthrough. Therefore, despite the seemingly imminent defeat, Wang Tong focused on his cultivation to uncover his full potential using the Soul Essence.

    Patroclus had locked himself up inside his room ever since he had made the announcement to the world. As everyone thought that he was about to enter the final stage of preparation in order to further his condition during the final match, Zhang Jin knew that he was just rxing without any training. Even Zhang Jin wondered where Patroclus''s confidence came from. After all, he was about to face the heir of the de Warrior. Just like everyone else, Zhang Jin had be curious as to who would win the final battle.

    Ever since the dramatic turn of events, the tournament had be the most crucial moment in human history, and had drawn everyone''s attention, including those who were previously not interested in the tournament. Based on the results of the public pools, Wang Tong was leading in terms of poprity. Although the Ivantian Prince''s handsome look had helped him win many young girls'' hearts, the mere mention of de warrior was enough to trigger andslide victory in pool results.

    Time flew by, and the seven days had already passed. The Sky arena was re-opened again to the public for the epochal battle.

    The organizingmittee had increased the number of protectiveyers to sixteen. People had started to gather at the arena gate since morning, and by noon, the entire arena was already packed with tens of thousands of people. A few kilometers away from the arena at the lunar za, millions of people gathered together in a giant street party to watch and celebrate the event.

    The camera panned to the VIP section, disying rows of important leaders from all over the world. Among them was Einherjar Andreas Dower, Patroclus''s father. Sitting right beside Einherjar Andrea was Einherjar Lie Moshan, father of Lie Jian. Neither of them seemed to be too concerned with the oue of the match. If not for the heir of the de Warrior, none of the Einherjars would attend this tournament.

    Thebatant section was filled to the brim with defeated contestants. No one wanted to pass up the opportunity to watch such an epic event.

    Li Shiming, Lie Jian, Michaux, and Heidi were sitting in thebatant section with their heads up, none of them seeming upset by their defeat. These top fighters had cultivated nerves like steel, and they knew that showing any hint of sorrow for their failure woulde off as weak in the public''s eyes.

    Plus, some of them, such as Li Shiming and Michaux, had nothing to feel regret for, since their opponent had won thepetition by only a thin margin.

    Although Li Shiming and Michaux were clearly much stronger than the other two, Lie Jian and Heidi, the power one wielded was not necessarily the only measure of the quality of a warrior. When it came down to the depth of one''s understanding of Martial Arts, other aspects would also be considered.

    The historic moment was about to arrive, and the audiences were kept on the edge of their seats as the interpreters of the event, Mr. Zhang Zhongren and Rockefeller, entered the broadcasting room and spoke into the mic. This battle was no ordinary fight, and therefore, both interpreters acknowledged that the Ivantian Prince would not get much home advantage. Wherever the de Warrior went, it would always be his home stage.

    As the start of the match was fast approaching, citizens of the Confederation held their breaths and waited with great anticipation. They had waited for three hundred years for this battle, and finally, they would get what they wanted.

    Inside Ayrng, in the streets of Shangjin, inside all public spaces and pubs on the earth, people had shown up to show their support for Wang Tong, the heir of the de Warrior.

    Outside the entrance to the Dream cafe, people already filed up in wait to get in. This virtual cafe had be the most popr destination thanks to its unique connection with Wang Tong. What was more, people had purported that they had even met the heir of House Zhang, Miss Zhang Jin in this very pub. Because of that, the fat owner had garnered a lot of respect from his customer, as well as from his workers. The owner''s face beamed from side to side. If the profit kept on rolling in, he would be able to open up a second branch in a few months.

    "Praise the Lucky Charm!" The words blurted out of the owner''s mouth, then hurried to cover his face as he realized that his lucky charm had already been the prestigious de Warrior in other people''s eyes.

    It was not only the Dream cafe that had benefited from its connection with Wang Tong. The grocery shop that belonged to Karl''s grandmother had also seen soaring in its revenue. All the customers remembered that the olddy always mumbled to them about "Karl''s good friend," but little did they know back then that the "good friend" was the de Warrior. Thanks to this connection, people started to view Karl and his grandmother in a very different light.

    Under Wang Tong and his friends'' influence, students at Ayrng had improved themselves by leaps and bounds, and so had the reputation of the school. In just a few short days, this A ss academy had already be the most sought-after school in the entire confederation.

    Samantha had arrived at the Moon City to cheer for Wang Tong. Due to her extraordinary work at Ayrng, her application for the council member had been approved without any difficulty. However, there was no time for politics, as she was about to witness her studentplete his final transformation to be the hero of mankind.

    Samantha had done her investigation and thought that she had got a number on Wang Tong''s opponent, Patroclus. She wagered that the Ivantian Prince would fight relentlessly, and would not give up until one of them couldn''t get up from the ground. The same could be said about Wang Tong as well.

    Samantha knew that there was no use in persuading the two to do otherwise, and the only thing she could do was to pray for their safety.

    "Samantha, where is Tong Tong Wang?" A cute little girl asked Samantha curiously.

    "Bei Bei, remember what I told you? It''s Madam Councilor." The girl''s mother hurried to her daughter and scolded her for the faux pas.

    "Oh no, that''s fine. I like to be called Samantha." Samantha said as she picked up the girl and set her on thep. "Your Tong Tong Wang is about to enter the stage. Aren''t you scared?"

    "No, Bei Bei is not scared. Bei Bei''s father was a soldier, and so was Uncle Big Head and uncle Tong Tong Wang. They told me to be brave. "

    "Yes, you are brave, Bei Bei. We all are."

 Chapter 418: Dragon and Tiger

    Chapter 418: Dragon and Tiger

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The time was up.

    As the arena quieted down, Rockefeller slowly stood up and announced through the mic, "WELCOME¡­ to the final battle of the pan sr system METAL tournament! To my left is PA-TRO-CLUS!"

    The name needed no more introduction. Rockefeller announced the Ivantian''s name with such volume and vigor that he felt like he had done the best MC opening of his career.

    Before the announcement faded away, Patroclus walked onto the stage in a silver jacket, while cheers and shouts erupted from the crowd.

    The cheerssted for about six minutes until Zhang Zhongren stood up and cleared his throat to the mic. His voice was much deeper than Rockefeller''s, "To my right, the Earthling, WANG-TONG!" The word "Earthling" evoked the immense pride in all those who shared the same with Wang Tong.

    As Wang Tong walked onto the stage and stood side by side with Patroclus, the sixteenyers of energy shield were initiated one after another. The arena had prepared this fight as if it were a battle between two Einherjars. One could never to be too prepared, especially when the host, the Ivantians, had a bunch of cash to throw away.

    The cheers shot throughout the arena. Women''s faces were wet with tears while standing beside the men who had taken off their shirts off and were waving them vigorously. However, neither of thebatants could hear any of the mor around them. They locked eyes while both momentarily held a faint smile that evaporated quickly.

    They had finally reached thest mile, and both were in the condition that they wished each other to be in.

    The feeling of uncertainty tingled the hair on the back of Wang Tong''s neck, and the sense of imminent defeat churned his stomach. Yet, it was a refreshing and exhrating sensation.

    The twobatants bowed to each other with a great measure of respect. When they raised their torso, two rays of energies shot up on the stage, one golden and the other silver.

    Both fighters were able to control their newfound level six soul energy with ease as if they were veterans.

    "Kom!"

    Both fighters stepped forward and executed the same move, as if one was mirroring another.

    The earth trembled as lively energy rippled through Wang Tong''s body. His fist punched through the fabric of the space with the new technique he had learned, "Space Warping Punch."

    Li Ruoer''s suspicion was right; unlike ordinary fighters, it only took Wang Tong one go to remember a set ofplicated movements by rot.

    Meanwhile, Patroclus finally acted more like a fighter than a disinterested on-looker, as it was clear that his powerful punch meant business. Although Patroclus''s attack was as deadly as Wang Tong''s, his strike did not resonate the same overbearing force in his opponent''s movement.

    "Kom!"

    The two fists collided in the air, sending a shockwave rippling across the stage. However, neither of the two fighters were harmed, as they started their attacks again from point nk.

    "Wang Tong''s punch is the exemr for the school of technique that emphasized strength! Not just any strength, but a perfect blend of hard and soft forces."

    "Patroclus''s punch is even more terrifying. It seemed to have utilized pressure difference to cause harm to his opponent."

    The best, or worst, part of the Tactics of the Deva King was its inclusiveness. Once it was mastered, it would boost the damage output of any other technique that the cultivator used. The general process of cultivating one''s power was to umte small increments at a time. However, ever since Patroclus had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King, he had already reached the pinnacle of technical finesse, and this technical advantage showed clearly during the battle.

    The so-called "pressurized punch" used by Patroclus was much more effective in wounding the opponent than Wang Tog''s brute attack. It could defeat the opponent with only minimum amount of energy.

    Neither of the fighters flinched at the iing attacks. "Wang Tong, you need more speed!"

    Even as everyone thought that the power of the two attacks was at par, Patroclus''s first started to pick up speed, and in a blink, the Ivantian''s power surpassed Wang Tong''s and forced thetter to be on the defensive side.

    As Patroclus rained assaults on Wang Tong, thetter''s defense finally gave in. Losing its protection, Wang Tong suddenly disappeared out of thin air. The final battle was finally about to start.

    Thest bout of attack was only a test of each other''s mettle and strength. Under no circumstances would Wang Tong allow himself to fight so passively.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong suddenly appeared above Patroclus and bore down on him with a belligerent strike. Patroclus didn''t waver as he glided his arm across the air like sharp scissor through silk, and diverted the surprise attack with ease. Wang Tong then doubled down on his aggression and forced Patroclus to crank up his defense. No one, not even Patroclus, dared take Wang Tong''s full-on assault lightly.

    "KOM!"

    Wang Tong finally unleashed his favorite move, the Layered Fist of Tong. This time, he executed the attack to its full intent, knowing that the opponent would be able to take a full hit. As the battle pressed on, Wang Tong started to gain the upper hand in terms of initiative. Patroclus had tried a couple of time to reverse the tide, but failed. The overbearing attacks were too fast to evade and too dense to prate.

    The power of theyered fist of Tongbined with Wang Tong''s rich experience in hand to handbat made the attacks impossible to break through. Patroclus felt that he had been brought to the stage where Wang Tong held a decisive advantage over him. What was worse, the shocking attacks left no room nor time for him to unsheathe hisnce; he had no option but to focus on defense.

    Led by his attack, Wang Tong inched forward as his opponent start to lose the ground.

    It was the first time for the Ivantians to see their prince been pushed back by his opponent. Meanwhile, the earthlings shouted out Wang Tong''s name in a feverish craze.

    Wang Tong waspletely engrossed in his attack while the joy of fighting against a worthy opponent gripped his heart. Wang Tong was well aware of the full power of the Layered fist of Tong, so he knew that he would have already killed his opponent if the opponent weren''t Patroclus. However, not only was he not able tond a single solid blow on him, Wang Tong could feel that Patroclus''s counter-attack was gaining vigor and frequency by the second.

    "Wang Tong is in full control of the battle. His power will soon reach a teau." Zhang Zhongren announced. Experience told him that prolonged fight was particrly dangerous for the aggressor. Rockefeller nodded and agreed with his partner.

    The two experts didn''t make things out of thin air. The battle hade to a critical moment too soon; something was amiss.

    Many people believed that if Wang Tong couldn''tnd a solid blow anytime soon, he was bound to make mistakes as his power continued to increase.

    Suddenly, Patroclus took a 180-degree turn in his strategy and unleashed a counter-attack with abandon as Wang Tong''s fist hurled towards him. It was no better than a gamble. However, little did people know that the dice were loaded since Patroclus had already calcted the damage received on both ends, and he knew that Wang Tong would get the shorter end of the stick.

    But one question remained: Would Wang Tong continue his attack and take a full hit?

    Patroclus''s attack was much more vicious and calcted that Wang Tong''s, so if thetter wasmitted to the exchange of blows, he was bound to lose all the advantage he had built up. Unless, he was willing to take the chance, a chance that had high costs.

    Only the powerful fighters such as Li Shiming could appreciate the maneuver and the finesse in Patroclus''s counter attack. As the two fighters continued their paths, Patroclus''s body suddenly shifted by an inch to the left and evaded Wang Tong''s blow.

    The impossible move both astonished and disturbed the audiences.

 Chapter 419: Freakishly Strong

    Chapter 419: Freakishly Strong

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Having missed his target, Wang Tong was about to take Patroclus'' blow with its full intent.

    Patroclus'' strikended on its target, with the GN force turning the air into liquid as his hand cut through Wang Tong''s defensive shield. However, his face suddenly became pale as thetter kicked him without a sign. Patroclus couldn''t move his body, as if the kick had alreadynded on him.

    After the impact, Patroclus stumbled back a dozen feet before he finally gathered himself. So intricate was the bnce of the power on the battlefield that a slight change could cause the scale to slide from one side to the opposite direction.

    Faint approving smiles crept onto the two Einherjar''s faces. Except for the two Einherjars, no one else could make out what had just happened.

    Patroclus pped his hands as if congratting Wang Tong, "You are like a box of chocte, aren''t you? Nice defense, by the way."

    Picking up the reference, Wang Tong smiled and replied, "And you watch too many old movies."

    In less than a heartbeat, the two fighters were at it again. Wang Tong showered blows onto Patroclus and managed to keep thetter in check. Busy defending himself, Patroclus finally opened up a position in front of his face, and Wang Tong''s attack immediately filled it as the young de Warrior smashed the steel knuckle into the Ivantian Prince''s delicate features. Patroclus was blown to the air and thudded heavily back to the ground.

    It was Patroclus''s first time being beaten by anyone.

    "The energy from theyered fist of Tong had covered Wang Tong''s entire body. Ha! Without using a weapon, it would be impossible for Patroclus to defeat him." Lie Jian said with an ugly and satisfied grin. This advanced version of the Layered fist of Tong worked the same way as his Fire Poison. It allowed the cultivator to be aggressive while still taking a defensive stance. The only difference was that it was much more potent than the fire poison.

    "The effect is very simr to the Reverse Reverberation, a mechanical side effect. I had never thought that anyone would be able to achieve such effect at will." Michaux Odin smiled faintly. Although he was not interested in the specific technical details of the two warrior''s skills, he found the match very entertaining to watch.

    Wang Tong stood still, waiting for his opponent to gather himself. His haughty stature made him look like a real Einherjar.

    The match had escted very quickly as Wang Tong had unleashed abilities that were beyond audience''sprehension from the very beginning.

    Patroclus gingerly picked himself off the floor and ran his slender fingers through his silken hair. The curls at the corner of his mouth suggested that he rather enjoyed the punishment. Without any sign, the Ivantian shifted his body through space, without leaving any trace of his movement.

    Although Patroclus''s technique looked like the Ivantian''s favorite technique¡ªthe Phantom Step, it was not entirely the same. In a blink of eyes, Patroclus had already appeared in front of Wang Tong and punched without hesitation.

    Acting out of instinct, Wang Tong greeted the attacker with a quick jab. However, even as his fist inched closer towards its target, his face suddenly hardened and body stiffened. Patroclus disappeared out of thin air and re-appeared at the corner of his eyes. Wang Tong gathered strength and pulled back as fast as he could. Patroclus didn''t give Wang Tong a moment of respite as he flickered across the stage, chasing after Wang Tong like a nightmare. Conceding that he was not able to urately predict Patroclus''s movement, Wang Tong resorted to a more evasive strategy, trying to avoid being hit. Wang Tong was losing his edge over his opponent very quickly, but thanks to the passive-aggressiveness of the Layered Fist of Tong, he was not in any immediate danger.

    "What a freak! Even Boss can''t figure out his attacks!" Karl moved up and down, unable to stay still. Instinct told him that Wang Tong was in danger.

    After a while, even Wang Tong''s defense started to falter, as he eventually received a blow aimed squarely at his chest. As Wang Tong''s body was sent flying into the air, Patroclus darted out, trying to deliver a follow-up attack.

    "Kom!"

    An invisible wall suddenly stopped Patroclus as he face-nted into it. Meanwhile, Wang Tong had alreadynded on the ground in a push-up position Propelled by a forceful push, Wang Tong''s bodyunched out towards Patroclus like a cannonball. Sudden, the invisible wall started to take a form in front of naked eyes. It was an Ice Wall!

    The Mastery cultivators were all shocked by the development; Wang Tong had already advanced his skill so much that he could summon the power of natural force on a whim. Without any secret hand signs nor cryptic invocation, everything waspleted while Wang Tong was executing a 720-degree turn in the air.

    There was no time for Patroclus to dodge the assault, so he charged up his defense and watched as Wang Tong smashed through the ice wall and rammed into him. Both warriors backed away after the impact without a clear winner.

    "Such Skill! You ARE the de Warrior! "

    "It''s just a small trick." Wang Tong said calmly although he knew he had understated his ability, which required a perfect understanding in the intricate connection between different forces, and most important of all, the connection of natural force with his Soul Essence.

    "What else is he hiding up his sleeve? I had tried to use Mastery as well, but it didn''t work that well." Lie Jianined.

    "You can do it too."

    "For real? How?"

    "In theory, yes. But Wang Tong has one thing that neither of us does."

    Patroclus beamed from side to side and said, "Bravo! So, you had already cultivated the soul essence, eh?"

    The word "soul essence" immediately lit up the fire in the two Einherjars'' eyes, although no one else knew what it was about.

    "Ah! Yes, but it still needs work." Wang Tong replied.

    Patroclus didn''t answer; instead, he threw his head back and heaved out all the anxiety of not having a powerful opponent.

    "Excellent! Are you almost done warming up? Let''s begin!" Patroclus finally announced. So far, both fighters were merely testing each other.

    "So be it!" Wang Tong replied.

    No other fighter could have survived the two warrior''s warm-up session.

    Patroclus reached out his right arm as a silvernce appeared out of nowhere in his hand. Meanwhile, a goldennce also flickered into Wang Tong''s grasp. A burst of wild gale swept across the stage, carrying the belligerent battle qi. Wang Tong''s battle qi soon met its equal as Patroclus also let loose his power.

    Before the real battle started, the battle for dominance had already begun between the battle qi as energies swirled and intertwined, trying to surpass one another.

    With a powerful shout, Lie Jianunched out with the silvery dragon in his hand.

    "Dang...Dang, Dang!"

    Its golden counterpart met the silver dragon, causing sparks to dance about the two fighters as the twonces collided. However, neither of them seemed to be able to get the upper hand.

    Although Patroclus was the more elegant one in terms of movement, Wang Tong''s seemingly unorganized moves had its nonchnt charm as well.

    As the exchange of attacks went on, both fighters picked up their speed. Each impact represented the exchange of an unimaginable magnitude of energy, some of which went rogue and shot out of the stage, prating up to fouryers of energy shield with ease.

    The match turned into a standoff, painting the stage with broad strokes of silver and gold. Whoever slipped up the first would have to deal with the consequences.

    "I often wonder how Patroclus gained suchbat experience. He had never serviced in the military, had he? " Hu Yangxuan asked Zhang Buyu curiously.

 Chapter 420: The Difference in Timing

    Chapter 420: The Difference in Timing

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Patroclus always was on top of the Temr''s watch-list. Although he had received rigorous training from his family, he had never participated in any military drills, neither was he interested in it. I have heard that he is a big fan of poetry and arts." Yao Bai said.

    Zhang Buyu nodded in agreement. "Master used to tell us that the only person who was fit for the title of "genius" was Patroclus."

    Cultivating the battle Qi required years of exercise and real-lifebat experiences. However, Patroclus had gained his battle Qi with neither of those. Instead, he merely relied on his confidence and innate power. What made Patroclus an even deadlier foe was his nerve of steel. One could never predict his next move, neither had they ever seen him lose his focus.

    Even his Einherjar father agreed that it was only a matter of time before Patroclus surpassed him. He knew that his son was destined to achieve greatness ever since thetter was a child. His perfect genes had said it all.

    The focus of Wang Tong''s technique was relentlessness if not carelessness. He knew that he needed to concentrate his energy at one point in order to break through his opponent''s Einherjar-level defense. Despite the overbearing power and intensity, Wang Tong''s attackscked finesses and efficiency.

    On the other hand, Patroclus yed along with his opponent''s strategy and adopted a defensive stance. However aggressive Wang Tong''s attack was, it was not able to pry open his imprable shell.

    By then, a few audiences who had the strategic mind had caught the drift of the battle. Although unnoticeable, Wang Tong''s attack was waning as hisck of training in using ance surfaced. The fact that Patroclus took his time to understand his opponent''s movement would make his further attacks even harder to deal with.

    Wang Tong had almost exhausted all the tricks up his, which he had an abundance of, but he was still unable tond a solid blow. Sensing the imminent turning of the tide, Wang Tong gathered strength as an explosion of golden lights erupted on the stage. He was about to unleash the coup de grace¡ªTriple Drill!

    As energy gathered and waspressed into a singrity at the tip of the Einherjar Lance, it distorted and warped the space-time continuum as a bumble bee would to a spider web. Although the center of the energy was far away from the audiences, they could sense the trembling air as pulses of energy were being pulled into the singrity.

    Spinning at an incredible speed, the sharpnce-tip thrust towards Patroclus, the same move that almost defeated Li Shiming. It was the attack from which Li Shiming had drawn inspiration and finally reached a moment of epiphany on how to be one with the de.

    However, what would Patroclus do?

    Gripped by the suspense, Li Shiming was convinced that Patroclus coulde out unharmed. If he could do it, so could Patroclus.

    "Kom!"

    Another explosion of gold and silver shone so brightly that it was blinding. When the light faded away, the audiences saw the two fighters standing where they had been, as if nothing had ever happened.

    Patroclus linked his hand behind his back and turned to look away. "Why didn''t you borrow the power of causality this time?"

    Wang Tong''s final blow, the Triple Drill, was countered by Patroclus with ease.

    Even Wang Tong was caught off guard by the development, and surprised by the fact that Patroclus had counter-attacked by using the same strike as his,pounding threeyers of forces together.

    Thus it was, the power of the Deva King was indeed omniscient.

    The big-screen reyed thest couple of seconds in slow motion; people watched as Patroclus copied Wang Tong''s move and dissolved the threat.

    The development shocked everyone. Patroclus had countered Wang Tong''s killing blow so easily, as if Wang Tong''s advantage that he had worked so hard to build up meant nothing.

    What about Wang Tong''s Strike of Causality?

    Before the final match, Wang Tong had alreadye to terms with the fact that the causality attack had been nothing but a fluke. He had even sparred with Mr. Wannabe, pushing himself to the limit and hoping the ability would return, but it never did.

    "Well, let''s see if you can force that ability out of me." Wang Tong answered Patroclus while smiling mischievously.

    Patroclus paused for a second, letting the answer set in, and then smiled faintly. "Alright!" He announced as he charged up his energy and disappeared into thin air. Half a heartbeatter, the Ivantian prince re-emerged a few paces away from Wan Tong while plunging the tip of thence into Wang Tong''s chest. Wang Tong reacted quickly and raised the goldennce to meet his attacker. He could feel the air pressing against his face start to burn as Patroclus''snce inched closer to him. To cushion some of the blow, Wang Tong swayed to the side. However, Patroclus and hisnce disappeared and reappeared again like a phantom. Wang Tong quickly adjusted his position and was just in time to block the attack.

    By then, Patroclus had already merged his soul energy with the silver serpent. Like a devil''s slippery tongue, the silverynce weaved in and out, trying to lick Wang Tong''s flesh.

    This was the Dower''s traditional coup de grace, the Phantom Strike!

    "The Phantom Strikes consisted of sixty-two movements, but I had consolidated it for you to a mere twelve!" Patroclus announced.

    Wang Tong was even more shocked by the fact that the Ivantian still had time to exin his tactics and the power of the attack.

    In a blink of an eye, Patroclus had unleashed five of the twelve attacks he had promised, causing Wang Tong to be pushed back for a few feet. Wang Tong had overdrawn his energy during previous relentless attacks, and by then, he had started to fatigue. On the other hand, Patroclus''s moves were not only still elegant as ever, but he also had the energy to exin his techniques.

    "This is the EIGHTH!" Patroclus announced as he struck his enemy with thence heavily. "The Twelfth will be the final blow. Your time is running out! "

    "KOM!"

    As the ninth strikended on Wang Tong. Patroclus''s sol reading had surpassed that of Wang Tong by arge margin.

    "How... How is that even possible?" Everyone was shocked as they saw the seven hundred sol sol-reading on the disy board.

    "This is so unfair! It will take us years to increase just a dozen sols. How are we ever going to catch up with him?"

    With the help of the dominating soul energy, Patroclus''s strike was able to force Wang Tong to take arge step back in order to cushion the blow.

    The gap between the two fighter''s soul energy was unbridgeable.

    Zhang Buyu heaved a sigh and thenmented, "Patroclus opened his mind when he was only five. We shouldn''t be so surprised to see his soul energy grow so powerful."

    Everyone''s jaw almost dropped when they heard the revtion. Mind opened when he was only five?

    Wang Tong would never be in such a passive position if he onlycked skills. Instead, it was his inferior soul energy that really had held him back in thepetition.

    Wang Tong wanted to fight back. However, he sensed the sinister and deadlier attack lurking behind every strikeing at him, so he didn''t dare to let his guard down, much less fighting back.

    So profound was the difference in their soul energy that even the de Warrior''s tactics would not help Wang Tong in the slightest.

    "Young master was a little bit toote when it came down to opening his mind."

    "Touch¨¦! If he had done it five years earlier, the fight might be an entirely different scene."

    "There is no ''if'' in the real world."

    "What a shame! Young master was no less talented than the Ivantian, but the Ivantian had a ten-year head-start."

    "It might not be as bad as you think. Without proper training, an earlier mind open operation wouldn''t have helped young master a bit." Inside the Temr''s Court, the senior Temrs started arguing with each other. The grand master remained quiet and didn''t join the debate.

    "Eleven!" Patroclus shouted as the silver dragon knocked away the goldennce, exposing Wang Tong''s chest. Being caught off guard, Wang Tong suddenly lost control over his GN force and caused the defense to shut down. Without the protection of the GN force, Wang Tong was practically naked. Patroclus had expected that the final blow to be able to trigger Wang Tong''s ultimate ability. However, he was disappointed by Wang Tong''s slip up.

    "KILL!" Enraged by his disappointment, Patroclus''s eyes burned with fire.

    The Phantom strike started off with one hundred and fifty-six attacks. Perfectionism had driven every generation of the Dower to refine the coup de grace, and by the time it was Patroclus''s turn, he had consolidated everything into only twelve seemingly simple moves.

 Chapter 421: Dual Wielding

    Chapter 421: Dual Wielding

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Even at such a young age, Patroclus had disyed incredible martial talent. But, he was not the only one who had possessed such talent; during the days of Rngalos, the Phantom Strike also consisted of eight concise moves. However, his offspring were unable to decipher the condensed movements, and therefore was forced to reverse the move list back to one hundred or so. It had been a significant setback in the history of the Dower family.

    "KOM!"

    Bright lights erupted from the scintiting silvernce as Patroclus thrust thence at Wang Tong''s heart.

    How dare Wang Tonge to the match so unprepared? Didn''t he know that it was not just any battle? It was a sacred duel to appease the gods who demanded sacrifice!

    From the corner of Patroclus''s eyes, he caught an eerie smile creep onto Wang Tong''s face. The curl on Wang Tong''s lips tingled the hair on the back of his neck, as he suddenly realized what was up the former''s sleeve. Patroclus had been focusing on attacks from above, but had entirely overlooked the ones from the opposite direction.

    "KOM!"

    Right before Patroclus was about to unleash the twelfth attack, the earth roared, and then a " pir" protruded out of the ground with such force that made the earth moan. The pir was formed out of concentrated energy, and only the Mastery masters could tell that this energy was the primordial force from the core of the Earth, extruded by Wang Tong using extraordinary Mastery skills.

    However, Wang Tong''s counter-attack had only slowed down Patroclus, but was not able to stop him entirely. Patroclus about turned and rode on his momentum, then plunged thence into the giant pir.

    "Kaboom!"

    Patroclus was blown away by the impact. Such was the power of nature, much greater than that in a human''s body.

    Patroclus whooshed across the stage and struggled to regain bnce. Finally, hended on one of his knees like a meteor, making a sizable crater on the stage. Not a lot of people knew that this was his unique way of diverting the energy in the attack to the ground.

    The invincible heir of Rngalos was finally wounded.

    Wang Tong hade prepared for this battle. He knew that hecked both technical fineness and soul energy. However, he had one unique advantage¡ªthe Soul Essence. Combining the soul essence with Wang Tong''s Mastery skills might give him just enough leverage to turn the tide of the battle. Although it was easier said than done, with the struggle to maintain two power sources being painful, if not tortuous. Wang Tong had still pulled it off, thanks to his immeasurable endurance and perseverance. Thus, Wang Tong''s achievement was not only due to the predestined fortune to be the chosen one, but also because of his hard work and his will.

    Wang Tong finally attacked. Although his opponent had many advantages, thebined effect of METALbat and Mastery, enhanced by the power of the goldennce, was devastating.

    The air caught fire and burned brightly around the goldennce as it closed in on its target. Patroclus acted out of instinct and moved to block the attack. However, he immediately noticed that the injury was much worse than he had thought.

    The situation had taken a turn towards the dark corner for the Ivantians. They wondered what Patroclus would do under the pressure, considering he had never been experienced such circumstances.

    Zhou Sisi had picked up the clues from the panicking looks on the Ivantian audience''s face. ''That''s it! That must be Patroclus''s weakness.''

    Patroclus was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a golden brain. Life had always been smooth sailing, and never once had he seen a ssh of water on the deck, much less the perfect storm that Wang Tong had summoned.

    Miao Xiu and Luv Ma looked at each other with a nk face. They were two of the very few people who knew Patroclus well, and they too sensed the imminent capsizing of Patroclus''s unsinkable confidence. Wang Tong''s biggest strength, they reckoned, was his resilience and ability to cope. In contrast, Patroclus perhaps didn''t even know how to spell the word "stress."

    By then, everyone was aware that Patroclus was about to face the biggest challenge in his life. Wang Tong was merely the instigator, but not the challenge itself. The Ivantian Prince had to learn ways to cope with difficulty or face defeat.

    "Kom!"

    Patroclus''s defense faltered, and he was about to be unable to fend off Wang Tong''s attack.

    "Ice Dragon Tornado!" Wang Tong shouted as he added ice element GN force onto the burning fire GN force.

    It was the first time that GN force of different attributes got mixed. It was only possible because of the new Mastery techniques.

    Although he had a superior soul energy, Patroclus did not know how to deal with the new technique.

    "KOM!"

    The strike hit home, and Patroclus was blown into the air. Wang Tong suddenlyunched himself into the air above him and bore down with thence. All the while, a whirlwind of energy surrounded Wang Tong, blurring the outline of his figure.

    "Kom!"

    Patroclus took another hit from above and thudded to the ground face down, as if he suddenly remembered a date with the floor.

    Wang Tongnded beside the fallen prince lightly.

    The turn of events even caught Mr. Wannabe by surprise. Although Wang Tong had discussed with him the possibility of using two attributes at the same time, Mr. Wannabe didn''t change his outlook on the match. The struggle and pain Wang Tong had endured while practicing the dual attributes had further confirmed Mr. Wannabe''s spection¡ªit was so difficult that it might as well be impossible. Despite the immense pain Wang Tong had to endure, he had made it. After hours of practice, Wang Tong had learned to harmonize the two energies using his Soul Essence, and therefore, eased the pain by a considerable measure. Although there was much more he could do with the Soul Essence, Wang Tong''s ability to harness the power of Soul Essence so far was very impressive.

    So powerful was thebination of soul energy and Mastery that it had even brought down the invincible Patroclus.

    As the dust settled, people watched as Patroclus stood in the middle of the crater, his shoulder half slumped. The blow had clearly taken the wind out of his sail.

    Li Shiming''s heart sank. He wondered how he would have felt if it were him.

    "Patroclus is having some difficulty. The young de Warrior is indeed powerful!" Michaux Odin eximed. Although Patroclus was considered the perfect human, he was a human after all. On the other hand, Wang Tong''s ability had surpassed human''s capabilities. In other words, his power had be irrelevant to the strength of his soul energy.

    "Get out of here! Is he for real? How am I going to fight him?" Lie Jian shouted in disbelief.

    "There is nothing you can do about it," Michaux said calmly.

    "Sucks to be you, Patroclus..."

    "No kidding! I have heard that Wang Tong didn''t have his mind opened until he was sixteen. Who would have thought that he would improve so much in just two years! "

    "Sounds like the de Warrior would dominate the world for the rest of the centuries, just like the good old days."

    "Haven''t you heard? The Temr''s Court has already acknowledged Wang Tong''s status. He is also engaged with Ma Xiaoru; he is not fighting by himself."

    "That''s true, but he does notck enemies either."

    "Touch¨¦, touch¨¦..."

    By then, only the Martians could carry on the conversation regarding Wang Tong with such a nonchnt tone. Every Ivantian''s heart was caught in their throat as they feared that the history would repeat itself. They had waited three hundred years after the defeat of their champion, Rngalos, for the birth of another perfect Dower, but the promised glory was about to slip away because of Wang Tong.

    Patroclus straightened himself; his wound was severe. As he channeled energy into the Deva Lance, the silver light flickered, threatening to distinguish.

    Wang Tong didn''t attack. Despite his opponent''s apparent weakness, he registered that something was amiss. Patroclus''s face was devoid of expression, but his eyes burned with anticipation.

 Chapter 422: The Youngest Einherjar

    Chapter 422: The Youngest Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    This sudden development unsettled Zhang Jin and rendered her at a loss. Should she feel happy for Patroclus''seback, or should she be afraid of what Patroclus would be? It was something she did not know. But, what she was sure of was that Patroclus was about to unleash a power that was unimaginable by mankind.

    The audiences watched in horror as the blue sky took on a tinge of forlorn grayness. Einherjar Li Moshan knotted his face and was shocked by the development. A few secondster, his concern and disbelief were shared by all audiences.

    "Could it be...?"

    Patroclus'' face had an eery tranquility that shattered all doubts about his capability. However borated they might have been, people''s presumptions were na?ve, because one had ever truly understood Patroclus.

    The Deva Lance stopped flickering and started to glow with a dazzling light as bursts of bright energy spilled out from within Patroclus.

    There and then, the youngest Einherjar the world had ever seen was born.

    The entire arena has sumbed to the brilliance of the perfect human, the real genius. Even the earthlings who were still drunken with pride for Wang Tong''s power suddenly quieted down and watched the development with disbelief.

    The age of the youngest Einherjar had been forty, but Patroclus had reduced that number by more than half as he reached the Einherjar level when he was still under twenty! From then on, no one would ever doubt his power.

    All the top fighters, including Li Shiming, Lie Jian, and Michaux had a hard time epting reality. However, Zhang Jin sat quietly and was not the slightest surprised. But she did not feel joy in her heart either.

    In contrast to the significant ramification of the development, Patroclus announced quietly, "I am now fighting at Einherjar Level. Just a heads up."

    Zhang Jin searched for words to describe the otherworldly expression on Patroclus'' face, but eventually, she conceded that an Einherjar''s expression was beyond the descriptive capability of words invented by the human.

    Patroclus had proven to the world that all the presumptions about his power, about who he was, werepletely bogus.

    After three hundred years, the humans had forgotten that there had been two gods. de Warrior was not the only one, because there was also Rngalos. Much like what had happened in the history, not only had the de Warrior found his heir, but also Rngalos Dower.

    Like the sun, Patroclus shed light and warmth into the hearts of the audiences. No one had expected to witness the birth of an Einherjar during a live-cast of the tournament.

    After the dramatic turn of events, Patroclus had rightfully returned to the center of everyone''s attention, as public opinions started to favor him. Many people were convinced that with his transformation, he already had the victory in the bag.

    He was the chosen one, the son of the god, and he would stop history from repeating itself.

    The Ivantians were ecstatic; no one would ever doubt Patroclus''s authority, as he would be the strongest man in the world from then on. The next three centuries would belong to the Ivantians!

    People were no longer certain about their prediction of the upshot as the tide took a 180-degree turn. How would Wang Tong fare against an Einherjar? How powerful exactly was an Einherjar anyways?

    Patroclus opened up his sea of consciousness and weed the unseen forces in every molecule in the air. This was the unique ability of Einherjars as they were able to transform their body into a vehicle that could absorb enormous power from his surroundings.

    "Deva Lance, CHARGE!" Patroclus shouted as a silver light slithered down from the sky at Wang Tong. Wang Tong hurried to safety and watched as the beam of light melted a hold on the floor. Before Wang Tong had time to gather himself, a web of silver lights rained down on him from above. There was nowhere to hide.

    Although Patroclus had just be an Einherjar, his advantage was evident. His effortless ascension had made many levels six warriors'' faces green with envy. If the gods were fair and just, why would they grant power to one so easily while denying it to the others?

    Even Patroclus''s Father, an Einherjar, and the leader of one of the greatest ns in the Confederation, felt that his son was destined for something much greater than him.

    Not only was the Dower the perfect family, but they also had a unique family dynamics. Although Einherjar Andres was Patroclus'' father, he was no more a father than a servant to his son. Andres''s life purpose was to support his son until he imed ownership of the entire world. So power-hungry were the Dowers that they would ignore and abandon any transitional values that hindered their expansion. Because of that, the Dower Family was always considered a bunch of queers.

    Meanwhile, the other Einherjar, Lie Moshan, was deeply disturbed by the scene. He had high hopes for his son, even after his recent defeat. However, after seeing the power of Patroclus, all hopes were abandoned. Watching the power of a great house at full disy, Lie Moshan realized that his family still had a long way to go.

    As the swirl of energy danced about the silvernce, Wang Tong failed to evade the attack; Patroclus''s Einherjar-level attacks had gained an immeasurable vigor and frequency. To put Patroclus''s technique into simpler terms, he had transformed his entire body into GN force and unleashed it along with his attacks. The new technique,bined with the Ivantian''s superior soul energy, had totally overwhelmed Wang Tong.

    The intense exchange of blows kept all audiences on the edge of their seats. Each movement was a near miss of a fatal blow for Wang Tong.

    After five minutes of pounding and jabbing, Patroclus finally stopped the aggression. He hovered in the air and watched the pile of rubble beneath him; thest bout of attacks was merely an Einherjar''s warming-up.

    "KOM!"

    The pile of rubble exploded, sending a plume of dust into the air. From the dust emerged Wang Tong, covered in a golden shield. This was not the first time the audiences saw the golden shield, as Michaux had used it before.

    "Did he just copy your ability?" Lie Jian asked.

    "No, not really. His shield is much more powerful than mine, as it is formed using the primordial force in the earth. It seems that Wang Tong has improved a lot in just a few days."

    "Do you mean that Wang Tong actually has a chance of winning?" Lie Jian asked in disbelief. He had never heard any level six fighter defeat an Einherjar before.

    "I say its fifty."

    Michaux understood the full extent of the power of the Soul Essence, and therefore knew that Wang Tong was not very far from bing an Einherjar. One fact that even Michaux had to admit was that Wang Tong would never enter the state of Einherjar anytime soon; his power still needed to be mature over time. However, he wondered how much of the power Wang Tong could harness before he had the soul energy and cultivation level match with the soul essence.

    Patroclus and Wang Tong each stood in one corner of the stage and locked each other''s gazes. They smiled at each other knowingly while admiration flickered in their eyes. Slowly, the smiles evaporated from their face like honeydew under the morning sun. From then on, they would unleash their ultimate power, and therefore, caution was called for bothbatants.

    Suddenly, the sky was scarred by a light that carried intense energy into the silvernce. Patroclus held thence high up and attacked. However, Wang Tong didn''t move out of the harm''s way.

    "KOM!"

    Even as the tip of thence gnawed a piece of flesh off of Wang Tong''s side, he stood still and did not move by even a hair''s width.

    Only Lie Moshan and Andes nodded in approval since they knew that Patroclus and unleashed a technique called the "Einherjar''s Snare." It would kill any moving creature in an instant.

    After a couple of seconds, Wang Tong finally retaliated as the goldennce re-appeared in his hand.

    "Fire Drake Swirl!" Wang Tong shouted as a thousand spikes pierced the ground under Patroclus''s feet.

 Chapter 423: Power of the Soul

    Chapter 423: Power of the Soul

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The improvement came from not only strength, but also a fighter''s overall responsiveness to changes on the battlefield.

    The twonces collided with each other, spilling out enormous amounts of energy that rippled through space.

    Wang Tong''s recklessness and his whimsical fighting style seemed unprofessional inparison with the Ivantian Einherjar''s set-moves. However, no one other than Wang Tong would have held his ground for so long under an Einherjar''s attacks.

    Nevertheless, Patroclus still had the absolute advantage as long as he kept at it; his victory was only a matter of time.

    The Einherjar Lance wasced with a sizzling GN force as Wang Tong gave all he had in this fight. He had infused his attack with as much natural force as he could harness. Each jab and thrust carried a measure of levity and a sense of nonchnt finality. On the other hand, Patroclus''s direct and purposeful attacks were straight out of textbooks. There was no need to pull any tricks as Patroclus was confident that he could win the match with his Einherjar-level strength alone.

    "KOM!"

    Patroclus managed to open up the wall of ice spikes surrounding him, so he took the opportunity and dashed out of the encirclement, charging directly at Wang Tong. One advantage that Wang Tong had over his opponent was his experience in a real war. Never been the boots on the ground, Patroclus would never learn what it was like in fighting a real battle, much less drawing power from such experience.

    By then, Wang Tong''s pupil had already turned bloody-red as he inched closer towards a battle trance. The risk was high as he went further into a battle trance, but Wang Tong conceded that his options were very limited. After years of training, Wang Tong had learned to enter battle trance by conditioning his mind and emotions. He had learned that his trigger was the scene of the bloody massacre of hisrades on Norton. While in a trance, Wang Tong was practically a hungry beast with limited mental capacity. In exchange, his physical damage was exponentially increased.

    "KOM!"

    A quick jabnded on Wang Tong''s shoulder, which felt like a mosquito bite to the entranced Wang Tong. He hurled his fist andnded it squarely on Patroclus''s face.

    In the trance mode, Wang Tong''s defense was greatly reduced, since the simple mind of an enraged beast would notprehend the act of evasion. There was only one way he could go, and it was forward, no side or back steps.

    Wang Tong knew that this was the only way to victory, since he wagered that Patroclus would be much more afraid of being injured than he would. It was a scare tactic. However, what Wang Tong didn''t take into ount was the entric mind of his opponent. Not only did Patroclus not show any fear, but he also looked to be enjoying the moment.

    As the intensity of the battle grew, so did the recklessness of thebatants'' moves. They exchanged a few bare-knuckle rounds, taking their opponent''s hit with its full intent. But, neither of them seemed to be faltering.

    It was clear by then that Patroclus was more than a wimpy rich kid who couldn''t take a hit. When Wang Tong''s powerful blowsnded on the Ivantian Prince, it was not the pain that flickered in the young Einherjar eyes, but the excitement and fragile edge of calmness.

    "KOM, KOM, KOM!"

    As the heat of the battle intensified, bothbatants had forsaken the cautious approach and started to trade blows directly. Everyone had abandoned the hope of seeing a peaceful ending of this struggle.

    "KOM!"

    The two fighters backed away from each other to take a breath and recuperate. Patroclus''s face was pale as wounds scattered all over his body. Wang Tong had cleverly used the GN force to prate the Ivantian''s defense before he injected the natural forces into the opening. However, none of the natural forces were able to hurt Patroclus more than causing superficial wounds. On the other hand, Wang Tong''s injury was much more severe. That being said, Wang Tong had an inhumanly fast rate of healing thanks to his Soul Essence.

    Patroclus channeled his soul energy and floated into the air as the Deva Lance started to swirl in his hand like helicopter des. The air moved in the same direction as thence as energy poured into Patroclus'' system.

    Everyone realized that Patroclus was about to unleash an Einherjar''s coup de grace.

    The Deva Lance eventually created a silvery ck-hole that started to suck in the energy from even the energy barriers.

    Although Wang Tong could not yet utilize the power of Einherjar, he would not give up the match so quickly. Sensing the enormous pressureing down on him from above, Wang Tong shouted out as fire spilled out of his eyes. The Einherjar Lance hummed, resonating with his owner''s calling. Suddenly, a fire drake appeared out of nowhere and swooped down on Patroclus. It was just anothermon Mastery trick. Wang Tong would be too naive to think that he could stop an Einherjar with it.

    While thinking that, Wang Tong gripped thence and pushed it forward and started chanting. An ice drake appeared right next to the fire drake, interlocking its serpentine body with the fire. However, as the two serpents got closer, wild explosions erupted as the two opposite elements worked against each other.

    Even as the two drakes was about toe apart due to the insistent explosions, Wang Tong doubled down on his attack and summoned a tornado that wrapped tightly around the two deadly harbinger of deaths, binding them together.

    The turmoil inside the tornado increased by ten folds, but the wind-cage held and didn''t give in. All mastery masters were shocked by the scene. They would have never imagined tobined two opposite natural forces together; they wouldn''t be able to pull it off even if they had thought of it. Michaux was also taken aback by Wang Tong''s technique. He reckoned that Wang Tong had used the wind element as a binding force to glue the fire and ice together, a truly precarious move.

    Meanwhile in the sky, Patroclus''s Einherjar attack was ready to be unleashed. The space-time web had already crumbled into one singrity, resting on the tip of hisnce.

    "KOM!"

    Carrying the cosmic energy, The Devace bore down on Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong reacted quickly and removed the binding wind around the boiling concoction of death.

    As the two energies collided, everyone was blinded by a bright sh. No one could hear or see anything, and the world seemed to havee to a halt.

    After a while, a rumbling in the distance broke the silence. As the rumbling increased its intensity, it turned into a roar and then a moan. People started to feel the world tremble under their feet as if the arena would copse at any second.

    When the bright light finally faded, people watched in horror as they discovered thatst attack had destroyed 12 out of the 14yers of energy shields. Thest twoyers opened up at a dozen ces and were barely holding on. The scene at the center of the stage was even more gruesome, as the entire stage had been pulverized.

    In a plume of dust, people found Wang Tong and Patroclus, both standing. Wang Tong''s eyes were blood-shot while the Ivantian Prince was injured at a few ces.

    They were both smiling at each other!

    "HAHAHA!"

    The smiles turned into joyfulughter. This was the most satisfying battle they had ever fought, and they could finally understand the de Warrior and Rngalos. The results of the match no longer mattered, and only the match itself would live forever.

    After theughter, Wang Tong rubbed the blood from the corner of his mouth and announced, "I''m getting bored. Let''s finish it!"

    "Haha! Might as well!"

    Even as the two fighters spoke, theirnces hummed as if they were alsomunicating with one another. The arena maintenance crew had promptly restarted the energy shields, putting the facility back to service.

    Wang Tong squeezed thence and announced, "Charcoal, start!" He stomped the end of thence on the ground as he charged up his soul energy. Patroclus was already hovering in the air, absorbing as much energy as he could.

    Wang Tong clenched thence as he harnessed the primal power from the inner core of the moon. This was the ultimate strike that had defeated Michaux.

    Patroclus''s face contorted as he overloaded his system with energy; this would be his final blow!

    Ma Xiaoru was terrified. She didn''t care about the oue; she only wanted Wang Tong to be safe. But, however overwrought she was, she could not do anything. She felt like she was watching a slow train wreck.

    "KOM!"

    A golden dragon, ten times the size of the fire and ice drakes, charged out of the Einherjar Lance. Meanwhile, a silvery shield was formed around Patroclus.

    Kaboom!

    Patroclus blocked Wang Tong''s ultimate strike with ease. Patroclus didn''t give Wang Tong a second chance as he leveled hisnce and charged at Wang Tong.

    This was the moment of life and death; the suspense made many audiences cover their eyes.

    However, Wang Tong had promised Ma Xiaoru that he would return safely as the winner. In a blink of an eye, the belligerent energy in Patroclus''s attack was absorbed by Wang Tong''snce.

    It was the power of the Soul Essence!

 Chapter 424: Uncrowned King

    Chapter 424: Uncrowned King

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Using the Einherjar Lance as a vehicle, Wang Tongmanded an immeasurable amount of natural power. No one, other than the Einherjar, could have done that.

    Wang Tongunched himself into the air while holding the goldennce to greet his attacker.

    "KOM!"

    The collision caused a powerful shockwave to sweep across the stage and annihte allyers of energy shields.

    Silence eerily crept into the jam-packed arena. The stage was gone while the two fighters still stood their ground and stared into each other''s souls. The difference in power was palpable as Patroclus''s power dominated thest exchange of blows. Patroclus stood with his back straight while carrying thence in one hand with a measure of confidence. On the other side, Wang Tong slouched his shoulder and half leaned on the Einherjar Lance. The damage had overloaded his defense and severely wounded him.

    Everyone''s heart was caught in their throats as they wondered what would happen next.

    After a while, Patroclus finally took a difficult step forward to prove that no matter how powerful Wang Tong was, a level six fighter would never ovee an Einherjar.

    During thest impact, Patroclus could feel that Wang Tong was able to alleviate some of the damage using the intrinsic connection between his soul essence and nature. However, his ability in doing so was very limited.

    As Patroclus took his first step, Wang Tong''s body seemed to have quivered slightly. He looked so beaten-up that he could barely stand upright.

    The Ivantians were ted; they were about to witness the most glorious moment of the Dower family. The legend of the de Warrior that had started with the Dower and would eventually end with the Dower.

    Patroclus took another small but heavy step; each step was a leap for the Ivantian''s history.

    Wang Tong was at his most vulnerable state, and all that he could do was to watch as his opponent strike him down.

    Patroclus attacked again.

    "KOM!"

    The attack hit home and blew away the defenseless Wang Tong.

    Despite the victory, Patroclus''s every single movement was a struggle. It was apparent that his injury was no less severe than Wang Tong''s, but his Einherjar power had supported him until now.

    Patroclus struggled to raise the brightnce again and aimed it at Wang Tong. This was his ultimatum: surrender or die.

    Patroclus wished that Wang Tong would fight till death, as he didn''t want thetter to cower.

    The struggle inside every Earthling''s hearts was beyond words. Surrender? What about the honor and dignity of the de Warrior? Then, should he keep fighting? Wang Tong could barely stand up, much less fight.

    Everyone waited for Wang Tong''s decision quietly.

    A sense of forlorn resignation suddenly rose inside Ma Xiaoru. She clenched her fists and tried to clear her thoughts, but realized that her mind was already a bleak wastnd. She wished that Wang Tong would live, but she knew that her boyfriend would not give up so easily.

    Having received no response from Wang Tong, Patroclus knew it was the cue for him to im his final victory. After this attack, he would have achieved what his ancestor had failed. After this attack, he would finally be the most powerful man in the universe. As Patroclus poured more and more energy in the Deva Lance, he felt his soul was ame; he felt the power of a god.

    Watching the ring tip of the Deva Lance, Wang Tong smiled.

    Everyone gazed at Wang Tong as they screamed in their minds, ''Was the legend of the de Warrior about to end there and then?'' Reality forced them toe to terms with the fact that Wang Tong was no more than poor soul in mortal coil.

    As the world had abandoned hope, Wang Tong finally gathered enough strength to strike back for thest time. He would never give up even if death was already at his doorstep.

    The Einherjar Lance was lighted up by a gush of energy from Wang Tong as it charged at the unwitting Patroclus.

    "KOM!"

    Blood spilled out from Patroclus''s silver jacket as he dropped the Deva Lance. Patroclus lowered his head to study the goldennce buried in his chest. Mouth gaping, Patroclus''s head lolled to one side, and he copsed to the ground.

    The invincible Prince, the perfect human, the son of the god had fallen without a sound. With his fall, the hope of all Ivantians followed suit.

    How was that possible?

    Wang Tong was piratically defeated! He was defenseless!

    Overwhelming nausea came over Wang Tong. He stumbled a few steps but was able to stand on both feet in the end. By then, Wang Tong was unconscious, but a voiced at the back of his skull called out to him, reminding him to stand still.

    After a few seconds of reverential silence, a tsunami of cheers erupted.

    The euphoria of every Earthling was beyond description. This victory belonged to everyone from the Earth!

    The oue of the match had taken the wind out of Rockefeller. He slumped in his chair as he was still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened.

    Had an einherjar failed to defeat a level-six warrior?

    What had just happened?

    The same question rang inside of every Ivantian''s mind. "Why?"

    They were so close to victory, yet so far.

    The me inside Andres Dower''s eyes turned into cold ashes. The dream of the Dower was crushed and stomped upon by a seventeen-year-old fledgling.

    The arena had turned into a sea of colors and celebration.

    Karl was so ecstatic that he couldn''t even speak.

    "B...B...Boss! You''re...are the BEST!" Karl took off his shirt and whirled it in the air.

    Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi embraced each other in sheer excitement. It wasn''t easy for them to watch the match; every minute felt like a torture.

    In stark contrast with the Earthlings, all Ivantians drooped down their heads, and many were sobbing.

    The pride and confidence of all Ivantians had copsed with Patroclus.

    Never before had the Ivantians felt the presence of the de Warrior overshadow, if not entirely subdue their existence.

    Li Shiming watched Wang Tong thoughtfully. Perhaps Wang Tong''s performance had made him ept Li Feng''s decision, and perhaps he had even seen some of his ancestor inside Wang Tong.

    The Martians were not sure which side they should be on. After all, theirbatants had all but failed.

    "The Living Lance of Soul Essence!" Michaux shouted.

    "What the hell is that?" Lie Jian rebutted bitterly. How much had he wished that it was him standing at the center of the stage right then?

    Michaux Odin didn''t spare him an exnation; he knew that the brute would not appreciate a wee-bit of what he had to say. Instead, he apuded for Wang Tong as well as Patroclus. Deep down, the young divine master knew that the real struggle between Wang Tong and Patroclus had just begun.

 Chapter 425: Two Girls One Pillow

    Chapter 425: Two Girls One Pillow

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The tournament had finally closed its curtain. It was an unprecedented sess, which also marked Wang Tong''s coronation. Although he had defeated Patroclus, one victory was hard to convince everyone that Wang Tong was a superior fighter.

    As Wang Tong carried on the de Warrior''s banner, everyone wondered how far he could go and how strong he would be.

    On the other hand, the defeat ought to have been a wake-up call for Patroclus. Would he gather himself after the defeat and seek revenge in the future?

    Both of them were still very young, and their journey had just begun.

    The final match had been epochal, and it would live forever inside people''s hearts.

    Although the Ivantians were upset that their prince had failed to im the title of Champion, Patroclus''s performance had given them some hope that he would one day bring Wang Tong down from his throne. For now, they would let the earthling warm up the cold seat for Patroclus.

    Many powerful fighters, although defeated, had improved themselves during the tournament, and they were all eyeing the title of Champion for next year. But first, they would need to train harder. Although the tournament had ended, it had lit up the enthusiasm inside every fighter''s heart.

    The biggest winner of this year''s tournament was Ayrng and the S club. Membership applications fell into their mailbox like snow in December.

    Unlike Wang Tong, who had lots of friends, Patroclus had only one: Zhang Jin. Although he was recognized as a prodigy at a very young age, his exceptional talent had overshadowed day-to-day life. As a result, Patroclus had always been a loner, and he found it hard to blend in with other schoolmates.

    On the other hand, almost everyone could rte to Wang Tong and easily be friends with him. His circle of friends grew out of control after his victory.

    "Piss off!" Li Ruoer had finally broken thedies code and cussed out loud at Lie Jian.

    Lie Jian''s servile smile didn''t waver. "I have never seen anyone who looked so pretty even when she is mad. My hometown on the Mars is a beautiful ce. Why don''t youe visit me after the trip to Valha?"

    Michaux stood a good ten feet away from Lie Jian; thetter''s ingratiating smile made him want to puke.

    Frustrated, Li Ruoer finally brought out her coup de grace. "I already have a boyfriend. His name is WANG TONG!"

    Lie Jian knew she was bluffing, so he ran his finger through his hair like a hair shampoo model and attempted a smoldering tone, in vain, "Wang Tong is with Ma Xiaoru. Oh, I know everything, baby."

    Disgusted, Li Ruoer paused for a second and then said, "Well, didn''t you know that both my BFF Ma Xiaoru and I are sharing the same boyfriend? "

    At the corner of Li Ruoer''s eyes, she caught the unwitting Ma Xiaoru walking by. Li Ruoer rushed to grab and pulled her in front of Lie Jian. "Ask her for yourself."

    Li Ruoer squeezed Ma Xiaoru''s hand as a signal. Ma Xiaoru had heard many stories about the rascal standing in front of her, and therefore she decided to y along for the sake of Li Ruoer''s sanity.

    "Yes, we had promised each other ever since we were little to share the most powerful man in the world."

    Li Ruer hugged Ma Xiaoru and then cast a searing nce at Lie Jian. "Can you fu*k off now?"

    Michaux nudged Lie Jian and said, "Let''s go unless you want to fight two Enchantresses."

    Lie Jian shrugged, "I know I couldn''t count on you. Anyways, I am no match for Wang Tong right now, but I will bring him down from his high horse one day. Don''t you dare go near him before Ie back for you!"

    Michaux hurried to drag Lie Jian away before the martian brute could provoke the two girls any further.

    Three dayster...

    "How are you feeling?" Zhang Jin took out the old flowers in the vase beside Patroclus''s bed and reced them with a new bouquet. She studied his face as thettery quietly in the bed, his face devoid of any expression, but handsome nheless.

    Patroclus''s wound had healed at an astonishing rate. After the battle, Patroclus conceded hisck of resilience and endurance. Despite the Einherjar level power, Patroclus was about as tough as a ss cannon.

    "I had opened my mind ever since I was five, so it took me twelve years to reach Einherjar. He didn''t open his mind until fifteen, and he still defeated me...Ha-Ha!" Patroclus beamed from side to side.

    Zhang Jin smiled, "Sounds like you are taking it pretty well. I should thank him for finally letting you taste defeat."

    Patroclus smiled and regarded the blooming flowers under the sun. "How is he doing?"

    "Don''t worry. He is more resilient than a cockroach. You should worry about yourself first. Who would have thought that a level six fighter would¡ª"

    "It caught me off guard as well¡­ haha! Cough...cough" Patroclus rubbed his chest where he had received the blow.

    "Be careful! You have not recovered yet. Once you have recovered, we will leave for Valha right away."

    "Temr''s court? I will pass." Patroclus was convinced that he would not learn much at the Temr''s court.

    "They specifically invited you... I think it was about Wang Tong. Maybe ..."Zhang Jin paused, but Patroclus knew what she meant.

    "Ah...Alright, alright. I will visit them, I have never been to the earth before."

    "Great! If you have time, I want you to visit Ayrng with me. I have heard many good things about that school."

    "Ayrng..." Patroclus mauled the words as he vaguely remembered that that was the school Rngalos had attended.

    Wang Tong lied on the soft bed while Ma Xiaoru was spoon-feeding him some food.

    Li Ruoer''s rolled her eyes and scolded, "Why did he need you to feed him? He is already recovered! Pathetic!"

    "It''s ok. He is still weak."

    "He is going to take advantage of you if you spoil him like this."

    After Wang Tong''s secret identity was revealed, Li Ruoer felt more rted to Wang Tong than before. After all, he was her ancestor''s sessor. Although it was no longer a secret that Li Ruoer had a crush on Wang Tong, she felt it hard to be as nice to Wang Tong as Ma Xiaoru would.

    "Wow, what a lucky guy! Ma Xiaoru, don''t be too nice to him!" Zhou Sisi walked into the room and jested.

    "That''s what I told her, but she won''t listen."

    "Boss, there are too many applications for the S-Club. What should we do?"

    "I think we should only ept members who are currently enrolled in school, eh?"

 Chapter 426: The Real Templars Court

    Chapter 426: The Real Temr''s Court

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I see your point, and it reminded me of something that I wanted to talk to you about. As you said, our original intention in forming the S-Club was to facilitate the exchange of new ideas and not grabbing attention. Looking at our club today, it seems to be heading in a different direction.

    Wang Tong nodded.

    "Ah...There is someone who insisted on seeing you¡ª"

    Before Zhou Sisi could finish her sentence, Wang Tong noticed a little head poking through the threshold: it was Bei Bei.

    "Haha! Bei Bei,e e!"

    Having gotten the permission to enter, Bei Bei ran into the room with a skip in her steps.

    "Uncle Wang Tong, you are the BEST!"

    "Cough, cough... Call me brother. I''m not that old."

    Bei Bei was too young to see the humor in it, so she pulled an overwrought face and the rebutted, "Mommy told me to call you that, saying that you are about the same age as daddy."

    "Ok... fine. I will be your ... uncle." Wang Tong gave in.

    The three girlsughed at Wang Tong''s helpless face after watching theical interaction.

    In response to the girl''s snickers, Wang Tong held Bei Bei''s hand and started to introduce the "aunties." "Come here Bei Bei. This is your aunt, Li Ruoer. She has a hot temper. Don''t be like her when you grow up. "

    Li Ruoer closed into the little girl and said with a pleasant tone: "Bei Bei, Call me sister. Do you think I am the same age as your mother?"

    "Sister Li Ruoer is pretty. You are not...aunt." Bei Bei was quick to pick up the cue and wiser in choosing the side.

    "Follow me Bei Bei. I will give you candies and treats, but we won''t give any to that old uncle. OK?"

    "YAY! I like treats!"

    It suddenly urred to Wang Tong that he still had no clue why the little girl would show up in his room, so he asked. "Bei Bei, did youe here by yourself?"

    "No, mommy took me here." Bei Bei said, her mouth half full with rice pudding.

    "Principle Samantha invited Bei Bei and her mother to cheer for you." Zhou Sisi exined.

    "That''s very nice of her. How is she doing?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Very busy! She has been elected as the Earth Councilor, and she still needs to look after the school. She is such a doer. I don''t think I could do those many things at once."

    "That''s good. She has finally reached her goal." Wang Tong eximed.

    Wang Tong fed puddings to the little girl and tried to get as much information from her about Jansining and otherrades as possible.

    The conversation brought out Wang Tong''s memories of the days he had spent on Norton with his belovedrades, and that love-defining moment when he held the dying Ma Xiaoru close to his body. He didn''t notice when his eyes zed over. The couple locked each other''s eyes in a knowing and loving gaze.

    "I can''t stand you two!" Li Ruoer couldn''t bear the couple''s public affection, so she stormed out of the room.

    A few minutester, the doctor came and cleared the room. When Wang Tong was alone by himself again, a mix of nostalgia and aplishment came over him.

    There was no doubt that Patroclus was a stronger warrior than him. However, strength and power alone did not dictate the oue of the match, where Wang Tong''s will and adaptive strategy triumphed. After the tournament, Wang Tong had seen a new field where he could cultivate, and learned much more about his power than he ever would, particrly regarding his Soul Essence.

    "Thank you, Mr. Wannabe. I really appreciate your help."

    Mr. Wannabe and Charcoal both appeared out of the crystal. Wang Tong knew that he would not have been able to bring his opponent down without the help of his old friends.

    "Balls! That Ivantian''s feminine diarrhea-BS must be contagious. He made you so sentimental, gross! Have you recovered yet?" Mr. Wannabe jested.

    "Don''t worry. I will be fully recovered soon."

    "Atta-boy! That''s it! Good job, by the way."

    "Haha, thanks! Have I told you that Old Fart is actually the grand master of the Temr? He is in charge. I think I should be able to free you."

    "Well, what are you waiting for?"

    "On another note, are you...interested in that harpist? She is quite a looker!"

    "None of your business!"

    A few dayster, a space-liner full of young warriors headed towards Earth from the moon. Although the tournament had ended, their journey had just begun. These young warriors were excited about the promise of entering the Temr''s court.

    A couple of hourster, the space linernded at the Washington Bay. Without taking a break, the group headed directly towards the Temr''s Court.

    Although it was not the first time for many earthling teenagers to enter the Temr''s court, curiosity gripped the hearts of all of the boys and girls from others.

    The airne dropped the group of young fighters in a valley and disappeared behind the mountain range. Zhang Buyu and the other three inner curt disciples felt light-hearted as they had finally reached home.

    "Attention everyone, you have entered the territory of the Court. Look above you¡­ You will see the light at the mountaintop. That''s the Hall of Valha. Feel free to look around, and I will meet you up there." Zhang Buyu announced to everyone.

    "Michaux, follow me!" Lie Jian shouted out and started up the mountain. He was eager to be the first one to arrive at the top, so he used his soul energy and started flying.

    It turned out that Lie Jian was not alone, as Li Shiming, Patroclus, and Wang Tong all started flying towards the top. The other fighters had to follow them on foot.

    As Lie Jian approached the teau at the top, he was blown away by the scale of the development. The Temrs had practically turned the entire mountain into a city. Streets weaved into each other and skyscrapers jutted out like teeth of an ancient giant. Lie Jian had imagined the Court to be simr to a senior''splex, but the vibrant and lively scene proved him wrong. Even Wang Tong was taken it back by the ambiance.

    "Hehe, who would have thought, eh?"

    "Haha, this is the real Temr''s court."

    In a heartbeat, the four air-bound warriors had already reached the gate of the city.

    "What an extravagant ce!" Lie Jian shouted.

    "They all seem to be top level fighters."

    "Of course, even a peddle could be a level-six warrior." Li Shiming said lightly.

    Wang Tong was in no mood for sightseeing. He looked left and right, searching for the culprit.

    "Ah...you have finally arrived, young master." A disciple greeted Wang Tong with a deep bow.

    "Yes. No need for the formality. Could you please show me the way?"

    "Hey, are you going to pretend we are not here?" Lie Jian piped up.

    The young disciple didn''t even spare him a nce and replied, "Please help yourself."

    Seeing that he was not alone in the cold-shoulder treatment as Li Shiming and Patroclus also stood quietly beside him, Lie Jian decided to let the matter rest.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was concerned with only one task: finding Old Fart.

 Chapter 427: Where Is My MONEY?

    Chapter 427: Where Is My MONEY?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Let''s follow him and go take a look." Lie Jian announced. The rest of the fighters followed Lie Jian''s lead and filed through therge gate.

    The inner court disciples were not in a hurry to catch up as they took their time and enjoyed the quiet scenery on the outskirts of the city.

    Inside, the city was brimming with cultivators bustling about their business. As soon as the young fighters entered the Court, the mor of street peddlers turned into that of training drills, telling them that they had entered the training ground.

    "Young master, the grand master is waiting for you inside the hall."

    "Thank you, but can you stop calling me young master? It gives me jitters. By the way, what is your name?"

    The young disciple beamed from side to side, revealing a row of healthy and shiny teeth. "My name is Qi Bin, from the inner court, Archery Branch." Qi Bin said as he bowed deeply.

    Wang Tong looked up at the roof line of the giant hall in front of him, and after only the slightest hesitation, he carried on and walked into the building. A few minutester, Patroclus and the other fighters also arrived at the entrance. They stood for a second as they mused over their choices. Everyone wanted to enter the hall; however, they hadn''t received the invitation from the grand master.

    Lie Jian broke the silence and continued; Martians were not well known for their courtesies.

    As Wang Tong walked through the threshold, he was greeted by a dozen old men, all at a simr age as Old Fart. They were arguing about something before they saw Wang Tong entering the hall. He nced over the dozen old men and locked his eyes onto the one in the middle. His face looked the same; however, the rascal quality that had always been a part of Old Fart''s character was gone. Instead, Wang Tong sensed a hint of otherworldliness, perhaps an immortal-like nature, in the old man''s surprisingly radiant face.

    The grand master opened his arms and shouted, "Wee back! WELCOME BACK!"

    The touching scene of the reunion of father and son had coaxed out a few old tears. The other Temr masters backed out of the young boy''s way so that grand master''s warm embrace could greet him.

    Wang Tong''s eyes were red and his face crumpled. He also opened his arms as if he were to return the embrace.

    "Screw YOU!"

    A golden light lit up the poorly-lit hall as Wang Tong charged towards Old Fart with thence. The sudden turn of events stumped everyone. However, the grand master remained calm as a slyness glinted in his eyes.

    Old Fart reached out his right arm and stopped thence.

    "Tsz... Too young, too simple, sometimes naive."

    "F*ck off! Where is my money?"

    "Stingy ungracious brat! You live like a king now. What money are you talking about?"

    "WHAT? A KING? Hell no! You are going to give me my money back, today, right now! I don''t care if you are the grand master or the grand monster. Give¡­me¡­my¡­MONEY! "

    The two spared the trouble of words and went directly into action as they fought inside the sacred court of the Temrs over the bloody matter of stolen allowance.

    Wang Tong was tired after a while, so he paused and stood aside to take a rest, getting ready for the next bout of a brawl.

    "Why don''t you take the other youngsters for a tour of our ce? I wish to speak to him privately. Obviously, he is very excited to see me. " The grand master announced to the other masters.

    Picking up the cue, the rest of the young fighters followed the other masters out of the hall.

    "You are doing very well." Wang Tong half-mocked and half-grunted.

    "You too. Your upbringing was not wasted after all."

    Wang Tong cast a sidelong nce at the Old Fart, "Why don''t you look into the mirror? Grandmaster? Hmph! I wonder if all Temrs are blind."

    "Haha! Who would think, eh? I had tried my entire life getting out of this ursed ce, but now I am back!"

    "Can you tell me what is going on now? It seems like everyone knows something except me."

    "Well,e and join me in my study. It''s about time for you to know."

    After blowing off the steam, Wang Tong and Old Fart had quickly bonded again. Wang Tong could never truly hate Old Fart, since he could never have done anything without Old Fart.

    After Wang Tong listened to Old Fart''s exnation, he learned that the space crystal was from the Temr''s Court, and it was the Temr''s tradition to hunt for exceptional talents across the universe. Even if they couldn''t find the heir of the de Warrior, the search would always bring in some disciples to fill up the rank.

    One day, the grand master Wang Buting, aka Old Fart, heard a baby crying inside the Hall of Valha. Even after a thorough investigation, no one knew whose kid it was. Therefore, Wang Buting had decided to adopt the kid as his own and named him Wang Tong.

    When Wang Tong was four years old, the de Warrior''s sentient weapon responded to the little Wang Tong and sped onto the boy''s arm. This had been great news for the Temr, but no one ever heard what happened to Wang Tong next.

    Behind the closed door, there had been fierce debates regarding what they should do with Wang Tong among the masters. Some suggested that they should leave Wang Tong in the Court, but the grandmaster insisted on training him by himself in the outside world.

    Wang Buting knew that the kid would have to shoulder immense pressure if his connection with the de warrior was revealed. In addition to that, a privileged upbringing might do more harm than good to the kid.

    "See? I did everything I could for you. Look at you now!" Old Fart said proudly.

    "Yeah, yeah. I think I am just your excuse to escape to the real world."

    "Hey, you ungracious little sh*t! I did all this for you!"

    "Fine, fine. Who are my parents?"

    Old Fart was expecting this question. He sighed and then said, "I had been searching for the same answer, but I have failed so far. I think it is up to you to carry on the query. Perhaps you can take the question to the Hall of Valha. "

    "Hall of Valha... On another note, what''s in my space crystal?"

    "Hold on!" Old Fart waved Wang Tong to shut up. "Whatever is in the space crystal, don''t mention anything to anyone. No one can answer your question anyway. That... thing in there is of matter beyond my pay grade."

    "What should I do then?"

    "Seek the question inside the Hall of Valha. I am sure you will find it there."

    "Well, I will then, I guess."

    "Haha! Good, GOOD! Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, let''s ... celebrate? I have some nice vintage saved up here, and those old fools won''t be able to stop me enjoying it with my son, will they? Haha!"

    "Haha, yeah. Let''s go and get ourselvesfortable!"

    When the rest of the young fighters returned to the meeting hall, the father and son had already retired to the cer downstairs.

    "Not bad! You have gotten a nice girl for yourself. Kind of like me. "

    "Tsz... My standards are much higher than yours. " Wang Tong waved his hand. "Xiaoru will be here in a couple of days. You better prepare some gifts for her."

    "Of course, I will! She will be my daughter inw after all." Old Fart smiled.

    Wang Tong downed another gulp of wine and said, "I would have never thought that I could be a hero! Bah! Why don''t you tell me what I should do next, you know, as a hero?"

    Old Fart wiped the wine-stained lips and said, "Well, well, you want to y the hero, don''t you? Want to save the world, don''t you? I rmend you to focus on staying alive first."

    "Ah-ha! That''s the Old Fart I know!"

    "Remember, you are not a superman. Think for other people when you have finally be an Einherjar. As for now, enjoy your life as much as you can."

    "For a second, I was afraid that you are going to tell me BS like ''with great poweres great responsibility''¡­ Haha!" Relieved, Wang Tong patted on Old Fart''s shoulder. However, he didn''t notice the shrewdness on the tip of Old Fart''s curled lips.

    "Lad, you have made a name for yourself. Join us!" Old Fart urged.

    "Buzz off! I don''t want to be the ''Young Master.'' What''s up with that name anyways? ''Master''...sounds like a terrible trantion of a cheesy Martian novel!"

 Chapter 428: Masters of the Templar

    Chapter 428: Masters of the Temr

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Haha! Nothing would have happened if you didn''t reveal your secret identity. To tell you the truth, my options are limited." Old Fart striped a slice of smoked salmon and hand it to Wang Tong.

    "Come on! I don''t like to be followed and watched all day long! I just want a ... normal life."

    Old Fart pped his hands in sheer excitement. "Exactly! Right? There''s ...booze and b*obs outside, but I had to sit here on that cold and mmy seat, listening to the old man preaching! ''Save the world,'' ''don''t save the world''¡­ Bah! I''m so sick of it! For you, there is still one way out of this as long as you are willing to enter the Hall of Valha. I can request to have you training in the outside world, sort of like a sabbatical leave."

    "A leave? Is it temporary?"

    "You idiot! The power over the Temr''s court is quite a fortune that I can pass down to you. What if you got down on your luck out there and wanted toe back here? You know, you will always have a ce to go!" Old Fart rebutted.

    "Hehe... I do see sense now. If I really can''t survive out there, I could alwayse back here and turn it into a private training school or whatnot. It should be profitable."

    "That''s right!"

    The court didn''t restrict the movements of the young warriors. So, as soon as they arrived, the young fighters would join the different branches of the court that they were most interested in and started learning.

    Although the Temr''s Court didn''tck powerful and legendary fighters, Patroclus continued to enjoy his idol status even inside the court.

    Wherever he went, his fans followed him, asking for selfies and signatures. Despite being the home base of the de Warrior, people admired Patroclus for bing the youngest Einherjar the world had ever seen.

    Lie Jian''s eyes had turned green with envy; even Michaux seemed to have more fans than him.

    During the time of their stay, the young fighters had skimmed through many skills and techniques unique to the Court. However, so difficult were these techniques that none could be mastered in a short time. But, the powerful fighters were not here to learn new techniques anyway. Their goal was the secret inside the Hall of Valha.

    The young warriors were granted ess to all parts of the court, which had been an eye-opener for them. Their first impression of the Temr''s training was old school and intense.

    Wherever the boys and girls went, they were greeted by excited disciples, ready to spar with some of the most powerful fighters of their age. All of the disciples had followed the tournament from start to finish.

    Meanwhile, inside Wang Buting''s living quarter, the grand master hosted a family reunion party. There were only three attendants: Wang Tong, Ma Xiaoru, and himself. Old Fart praised the marriage proposal between Wang Tong and house Ma, and had even paid a subsequent visit to Ma Dutian. After the conversation, Old Fart was absorbed in reflection. He realized the heavy burden on Wang Tong''s shoulder, particrly after he had revealed his connection with the de warrior to the world. As soon as Wang Tong entered the real world, he would face formidable opponents who were backed by centuries of umtion of power and wealth. He would need allies such as House Ma. After having toiled in the world more than a half century, he knew well that the world was not a perfect ce, much like the court. However, Wang Tong''s achievement so far had greatly impressed him.

    Thinking so, he nced over at Wang Tong, who were wolfing down a drumstick, and Ma Xiaoru. Their happy faces warmed his heart. But, there was something else. A forlorn darkness lurked behind the intimate scene, threatening to take over. The world was not fair, and some tragedies were inevitable.

    When Old Fart was of Wang Tong''s age, he too was convinced that his fate was in his own hands. After half a century of falling, getting up, and falling again, he had finally given up the hope of shaping up his own destiny. The only wish he had was to make Wang Tong''s life better. While living with Wang Tong in Shangjin, Wang Buting had learned to care for others and change his point of view. He found it hard to force Wang Tong to take up the responsibility that was too heavy for even a grizzled old soul, much less a teenager. As a father, Old Fart would be content with whatever Wang Tong chose to be.

    "Old Fart, are you fasting? Eat more, or you gonna starve." Wang Tong shouted.

    "Buzz off! I''m still young. If you have time, you should visit the other branches of the Court with Ma Xiaoru."

    "Stop that! You know I hate it when you tell me to do things." Wang Tong was in no mood to receive old and tired preaching from those old and tired masters.

    "Xiaoru, you need to work on him. I had been sessful all my life, but I failed to educate him properly. Sigh..."

    Ma Xiaoru giggled at Old Fart''s whimsicalmentation. The joyful old man with a radiant face was very out of character for a grandmaster.

    Ma Xiaoru was grateful for an easygoing father inw. Their marriage from here should be smooth sailing. Ma Xiaoru had reckoned the importance of her marriage, since it would affect not only herself, but also the world.

    Disciples life in the outer court was practically no different from that of a regr academy, except for the doubled down sense of pride and honor. However, the life in the inner court was different. Every inner court disciple needed to follow their master''s order to the letter. Discipline and dedication were essential qualifications of the inner court disciples, and also what set them apart from the outer court.

    In the three centuries after de Warrior''s passing, never once had the Temr''s court failed to produce top warriors thanks to those traditions.

    Most of these mighty warriors were unknown to the outside world. The current grandmaster, Wang Buting, for example, was a living legend while he trained under the de Branch. The same went for all the other ten masters. However, little was known about their power, especially to the outside world.

    The Temrs were not bonded together by blood like the great houses. They were connected by a shared belief, the belief of the de Warrior.

    Ma Xiaoru often wondered what would happen to the world if the Temrs decided to reveal all of their secrets? She knew it was a big question, so she never bothered to seek the answer. Looking at Wang Tong sitting next to her, she felt the same questione over her again. From the outside, Wang Tong was still the same person, going about his business with the same nonchnce and carelessness. But deep inside, Ma Xiaoru knew that he had changed.

    Old Fart left the table as he has some other matters to take care of.

    "Xiaoru, do you think I am ungracious? "Wang Tong blurted out.

    Ma Xiaoru paused for a second and replied, "Why do you say that?"

    Wang Tong finished chewing the food and put down his chopsticks. "I know that he had high hopes for me. Sigh... I never thought life could be soplicated. I just wanted everyone to be happy. But, after what I have been through, I have to admit that it''s not that simple. I can''t make EVERYONE happy."

    "Hehe... You have finally grown up."

    "Don''t poke fun at me. I don''t think I can make the world a better ce. I mean... nothing is wrong with the world, is there. So, I doubt it would need me anyways."

 Chapter 429: Enter Valhalla

    Chapter 429: Enter Valha

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ma Xiaoru''s face lit up with glee, "The world would be a better ce if everyone thought like you. Whatever you decide to do, I will always be with you."

    Wang Tong held onto Ma Xiaoru''s hand and felt grateful for having such an understanding fianc¨¦.

    "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me."

    "There''s no need to worry about it right now. A lot of your questions will be answered inside the Hall of Valha. Don''t forget about Mr. Wannabe. "

    "You bet! He is my priority. I thought my life was miserable, but every time I think of you, Old Fart, and Mr. Wannabe, I feel there is really nothing toin about."

    "Let me guess...your life will be perfect if Li Feng didn''t give you the title of the savior?"

    "Haha, you know me the best. I felt that Li Shiming was a better fit for that role than me. He loves to be the one that''s calling the shots, and knows how to handle responsibilities. Although Michaux and Patroclus are both capable of taking up the challenge, they don''t seem to care about the world as much as Li Shiming does."

    "Nailed it. Michaux cares only about his cultivation, and Patroclus... Dad used to tell me to never trust a Dower." Ma Xiaoru had hit the mark. Three centuries ago, Rngalos had hidden among the earthlings for ten years to destroy the entire human fleet in a blink. But in the end, he switched sides again and aided Li Feng.

    In the three hundred years that followed, the Dower had many opportunities to dominate the world when the other factions were tangled in in-fighting, but they never did. Their quietness, however, did not amount tock of ambitions, as they maintained a tight grip on many aspects of Confederation''s politics.

    As for Patroclus, he had caught people off guard countless times. Not only had he allowed Wang Tong seven days to recuperate, but he had also passed up many opportunities to finish Wang Tong during the battle. The nonchnt and carefree appearance carefully eclipsed the seemingly self-contradicting motivations. Unlike Patroclus, Li Shiming was much easier to read; he never hid his real ambitions.

    "Ah... Why did they have to make things soplicated? Be like me and don''t hide anything. I just want to be a fleet captain and marry you and have kids while we are still young. Haha!"

    "Who said I want to have kids with you?" Ma Xiaoru hurried to pick up a meatball and forced it into Wang Tong''s mouth like jamming a stopper into the wine battle.

    The two talked andughed, painting a rare picture of happiness during this brief moment of respite.

    It had been a while since the Temr''s court had seen so many visitors, and everyone eagerly waited for the opening of the Hall of Valha. For most people, this could be the only chance in their life to step into the sacred hall that held the most important secrets of mankind.

    Zhou Sisi had also arrived at the court a few days after Wang Tong. She was apanied by core members of the S club. Although they were not supposed to be there since she didn''t make it into the final, Wang Tong had invited them to enter the court. It caught Wang Tong by surprise how Old Fart had quickly epted his request, which made him sense the convenience of having his new title.

    "Sh*t! Boss, is this your hood?" Karl gawked at the exuberant city and asked. Since they were Wang Tong''s friends, the court had rolled out the red carpet for them.

    "I have never thought that I woulde to this ce one day."

    "Just saw some disciples during their training session. It was brutal!"

    "Of course, this is where all the badasses are. We are badasses too now! "

    "Where is Hu Yangxuan?" Karl asked.

    "He has old friends here, must be with them. You won''t find Cao Yi and Apache either. One is busy recording everything, and the other¡­fighting."

    "You should join me the day after tomorrow at the opening of the Hall." Wang Tong asked.

    "Are we qualified?" Zhen Zhong asked in disbelief.

    "Of course, I make the rules here. It''s all about luck anyway."

    "Mwahahaha! This is it! That will be my time to shine! I can feel it! " Karl shouted hysterically despite his friends'' eye-rolling.

    "Me too?" Rumi pointed at herself sheepishly.

    "Why not? You never know, you could be the chosen one!" Wang Tong beamed from side to side.

    Rumi blushed. "Ok, I will give it a try."

    To the Temrs, the guardians of the Hall, no other day held more significance than the day of Hall-Opening. This was the third time the Hall had opened to the outside world during the court''s three hundred years of history. The number of people attending the event was unprecedented. In addition to the young warriors from the tournament, the grand master had also called back hundreds of disciples scattered around different gxies.

    The Temr masters were in white robes, chanting an archaic verse at the top of the long stairs that abruptly ended at an altar. At the bottom of the stairs stood hundreds of anticipating warriors.

    "Ah...It''s too hot! Start already!" Karl wiped the sweat off his forehead as heined.

    "Shut up, Karl!" Zhou Sisi refuted.

    Wang Tong cracked a smiled and said, "The proceeding is quite onerous. I almost feel sorry for those old bones up there." Wang Tong also wondered how the Hall of Valha was going to appear out of thin air.

    Patroclus waited quietly with a half-bored, half-arrogant look. On the other hand, Lie Jian was jumping up and down, unable to control his burgeoning anticipation.

    As the master''s chanting ended on a high note, the grand master stepped forward and secured a sizeable golden emblem into a perfectly-fit slot on the statue of the de Warrior.

    The sky answered with a rumbling, and the din ushered in dark clouds. As more distant rumblings joined the carol, the daylight disappeared, and dark imprable clouds smothered the sun. Suddenly, a sh of bright light tore an opening in the shadows, revealing a gate-like structure.

    Basking under the sun, the gate looked magnificent. The Temr masters'' overwrought faces finally rxed, and some of them sighed out in a profound relief.

    Wang Tong was amused by the borated ceremony and the intense look on the masters'' faces.

    The gate cracked open slowly and steadily.

    As light poured out from the other side, all the Temrs and their disciples kneeled before it. This was an old-fashioned miracle in the age of advanced science. Many were stunned by the perplexing development. Did gods really exist?

    As the light rained down from the sky and fell on Wang Tong, he felt his body being lifted, and he actually was. The light guided his body as he floated closer to the gate.

    The masters had anticipated this, since Wang Tong was supposed to be the heir of the de Warrior. The grand master watched Wang Tong with a solemn face; he knew the boy was about to embark on a treacherous path.

 Chapter 430: Noahs Ark

    Chapter 430: Noah''s Ark

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After Wang Tong had ascended through the gate, the Ivantian Prince followed suit. The third chosen warrior was Michaux, and the fourth was Heidi.

    The onlookers were shocked and ted by the number of chosen warriors, but the Temr masters knotted their eyebrows as concern shifted in their eyes.

    Suddenly, a light-headedness came over Karl. He immediate shouted out, "Hey, stop! Who is f*cking with me?" Half a secondter, he realized that he was also afloat in the air.

    Lie Jian''s patience was wearing thin, and he found it hard to believe that the Temr would instead choose a buffoon such as Karl over him. While thinking this, Lie Jian charged up his soul energy and decided to fly himself to the entrance. However, he was unable to lift himself up for no more than three feet before an unseen force nailed him back to the ground.

    Dangling in the air, Karl was speechless. He had never thought he would actually hit the jackpot.

    A few secondster, people watched as Zhou Sisi was also lifted up. However, unlike Karl, Zhou Sisi didn''t seem to be surprised by the development.

    The light in the sky was waning as the gate slowly closed up. Lie Jian was not the only one who was disappointed by the oue, as Li Shiming was also denied the entrance to the sacred hall.

    However upset he was, Li Shiming kept his confident mask on his face, as if he didn''t mind the de Warrior ignoring him even a bit.

    As soon as Wang Tong entered the threshold, he found himself surrounded by a thick fog. This fog reminded him of his first encounter with Li Feng. Amidst the fog, Wang Tong discerned a flickering light that pulled his body closer. When Wang Tong was only a few feet away from the glowing light, he reached into it and felt something familiar: a memory stick?

    "Hello?"

    "Balls! HELLO? Anyone here?" Wang Tong shouted. Even as he was about to ask about how to get Mr. Wannabe out of the crystal space, he felt that the fog was retreating, and the world around him was fading away by the second.

    "For f*ck sake! All these efforts for a memory stick?"

    Patroclus watched the person in front of him. His eyes held the fragile edge of calm that threatened to explode.

    "Can you do it?" The host asked.

    "Do I have a choice?" Patroclus asked.

    "No."

    "Then, why do you ask?" Patroclus turned around and disappeared without even spare his host a final nce.

    "You can ask one question." A voice told Heidi.

    Heidi paused for a second and said, "How would the Kaedians and Earthlings live in peace?"

    "The answer is in your heart."

    Heidi nodded and also disappeared from the sea of fog. She already had the answer, but she kept on denying and refusing.

    But, she would not do it anymore.

    "Hello? Anybody? Where is the treasure?" Karl looked around for any discernable valuables.

    As he looked around another corner, a giant fireball appeared out of nowhere and wheezed towards him.

    "Holy sh*t! Is this the Hall of Valha or the Hell of Valha? Boss! Boss? Help ME!"

    When the fireball was about to engulf Karl whole, his mind held only one thought, "I will nevere here again!"

    Zhou Sisi stared at the elegant face in front of her as a mix of excitement and resignation rose inside her.

    "Are you willing to oblige?"

    "Yes."

    "He needs you. "

    "I know."

    "You will get nothing out of him."

    "I never wanted anything."

    "The end is near. Here, this is for you."

    "Wait. If you know the end ising, why don''t you stop it?"

    The beautiful girl gave Zhou Sisi a mesmerizing smile and said, "When you are looking at things from my spot, you will understand why. The humans can''t survive on blessings; they can only survive through hard work and a perpetual struggle."

    The light surrounding the woman faded, and so did Zhou Sisi''s conscious.

    "Ahhhh! HELP!" Karl jumped out of his bed. "Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! I am still alive?"

    "Yes, Mr. Karl." A Temr''s disciple bowed to him.

    Karl padded himself from head to toe, making sure his limbs were still attached.

    "What...What happened?"

    "You had been in aa for three days after you walked out of Valha." Envy was written all over the boy''s face.

    "Oh... Where is everyone else?"

    "Young master has already awakened. He is in the main hall."

    "Thank you."

    Karl was thest one to wake up. Both Wang Tong and Patroclus were able to walk out of the sacrednd and remain conscious. However, their faces suggested that they had very different experiences.

    Heidi and Zhou Sisi had been staying in their rooms ever since they came out of the gate. As for Michaux, no one had seen himing out, but news reached the court two dayster that the divine master had already safely arrived on Mars.

    All the chosen ones kept things to themselves and didn''t say a word about what had happened in Valha¡­ well, except for Karl.

    "Boss, Boss! They almost got me KILLED!" Karl shouted as soon as he saw Wang Tong.

    "You look pretty lively to me."

    "Yeah! But... But, there''s no treasure!" Karlined.

    People shook their heads in dismay. The gods already blessed Karl, but his foolishness blinded him.

    Ma Dutian and Wang Buting sauntered into a meeting room.

    "It has to be it! What''s the next n?"

    "Are you sure that there are no other ways?"

    "I am afraid not. We can''t make this stuff up. No one knows for sure when the Zerg army would descend upon us."

    "No other choices then..."

    "No. Fortunately, we had been preparing for this day for many years, and it is about time to put our nning into actions."

    "Wang Tong still needs time though."

    "I hope he will be ready before the war starts."

    "Perhaps, I can help. Let me tell you..."

    "Sounds like a n to me!"

    Irritated by theck of attention, Lie Jian left the Earth. Many young fighters had decided to stay for a few more days; it was a rare opportunity to learn from the Temr.

    Wang Tong and his friends had decided to stay at the court a bit longer. On the third day of their stay, they learned the astonishing news on TV: House Ma hadpleted the new battery technology! What was more, they had already built the biggest spaceship the world had ever seen, called the Noah''s Ark!

    With the help of the new energy source, House Ma had turned iron and steel into a formidable space cruiser that was capable of raining destruction on Zergs from gxies away. Thanks to House Ma, the humans had taken a solid step towards gctic domination.

    The deployment of Noah''s ark also meant that the space cities were no longer vulnerable to Zerg raids.

    The ship was two thousand and three hundred meters long in total, weighing over five million ton. This space fortress could amodate over a hundred thousand residences.

    Its weapon system used the cutting edge technology, and was five times more effective than standard weapons. It boasted a one Megaton gun, and its broadsides were filled to the brim with artillery batteries that defended the ship from all angles. The new battlecruiser had made the previouslyrgest ship, the Zeus ss battleship, look like a peanut.

    On its virgin voyage to Andromeda Gxy, House Ma had invited all military experts to be aboard the ship to evaluate its might and endurance. It would pass through a few pirate hot spots, and therefore, the trip should tell a thing or two about its capability in real-life warfare.

    To be invited to sit on the Ark''s virgin voyage was an honor for most people. Although Ma Dutian wished that he could sit on the ship that he had devoted his life to, he had other business to attend, and therefore, Ma Xiaoru would be sitting in for her father. The crew aboard consisted of three teams: the armed force, the tech, and the logistics crew. Although the battlecruiser looked like a hunk of cold metal traveling in the inhabitable deep space from the outside, it was a vibrant city filled with life inside.

    House Ma had invited not only the established experts on the cruiser''s virgin voyage but also many elite students, since it would be an excellent opportunity for the students to learn.

 Chapter 431: Competition

    Chapter 431: Competition

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The Noah''s Ark was capable of cruising between gxies without any protection, as the battleship itself was a flying death machine.

    Needless to say that supporting the life of an entire city and such a gigantic weapon system required a massive amount of energy. Thanks to the new battery technology, House Ma had turned a dream into reality. With the new battery technology, humans had entered a new era!

    House Ma had given themselves one month to prepare for the Virgin voyage, during which they epted applications from all over the confederation to join the crew. The application was open to everyone. However, although the qualification of bing part of the team was not high, it was not the same regarding the captain.

    The captain''s ability to control this flying death machine would directly affect the efficiency of the ship''s weapon system. Whoever would sit in the captain''s cockpit would have to be the most brilliant battle strategist in the world.

    Tomand such a mighty ship would be the dream of all Fleet Commanders. The world boiled over ever since House Ma had announced, and the battle-cruiser''s virgin voyage had be the second most followed news after the tournament.

    Of all the candidates for the crew, the young fighters who excelled during the tournament were the most likely to be chosen. This was promising news to them, since the Noah''s Ark ss battlecruisers were bound to be the next generation mainstream battleships. Studying on board the first-of-its-kind would provide the young warriors precious experience, and help them further their career. The experience gained on this battleship would be much more valuable than that on any other ships.

    Despite the promising future Noah''s Ark would bring to everyone, the Ivantians felt beaten by the earthlings once again after the defeat of Patroclus.

    Before the earthlings had invented the Noah''s Ark, the moon faction had held a decisive advantage concerning fleetbat.

    They were especially proud of their powerful spaceships. However, the Noah''s Ark had wrenched their pride away from their hearts.

    This exined why the Ivantians had been so curious about the development of the new Battery Technology. The Ivantians had also invested an enormous amount of resources in developing their own batteries. However, House Ma was one step ahead of the Ivantians. House Ma didn''t invent the technology by themselves, as their sess was primarily due to the technology left by the de Warrior. This was the advantage that had made House Ma a political powerhouse.

    This was not the first time that house Ma had announced a world changing technology, as it had done that numerous times in the past.

    The sess of the Virgin voyage had suddenly be the most critical point in human history. Therefore, the confederation had spared no expense in coborating with house Ma to assist in their preparation.

    Nevertheless, the sudden breakthrough in the research had caught many intelligence officers off guard. They had been keeping a close eye on the development, and they were aware that the research was put on the shelf after it had reached a bottleneck. None of the intelligence officers would know that the bottleneck was sessfully solved by the memory stick that Wang Tong brought back from the heart of Valha.

    As the House Ma worked diligently on the preparation for the Virgin voyage, faction leaders contact them regarding prospective contracts on the return of the ship from its voyage. Every faction wanted to be the first one to own the new battlecruiser, as they knew that it would boost their political clout significantly.

    On paper, the most conservative estimate suggested that the Noah''s Ark battlecruiser was equivalent to an entire squadron of space fleet at the very least.

    So many things with far-reaching consequences had happened in such a short time, and all of them were rted to House Ma. The most low-key great house had be the center of the Public''s attention overnight.

    Meanwhile, although the public media had tried all the tricks up their sleeves, they had failed to pry any information from the Temrs Court regarding what had happened in the Hall of Valha.

    Since three out of the five chosen ones were from Ayrng, the fame of the school kept on rising. People couldn''t stop asking themselves what had made the de Warrior choose Zhou Sisi and Karl. What did they have inmon with the legendary fighters such as Patroclus, Princess Heidi, and Michaux?

    It wasmon knowledge that whoever had the blessing of the god held the fate of mankind in their grasp.

    The Temrs kept their silence over the event, and the only information the public could get was from Karl. However, his convoluted description about the attack of the fireball painted an even muddier picture about what had really happened.

    Having failed to get any information on the Hall of Valha, the public quickly turned their attention to the Noah''s Ark virgin voyage. They were particrly interested in the drafting of crew members.

    To be chosen as a crew member was only the first step, since the closer the position was to the center of power, the more they would learn about the super battlecruiser.

    "Brother Shiming, why did house Ma keep breaking the status quo?" Porten asked.

    "What is your take on this, Bother Porten?" Li Shiming had returned home. The rtionship between House Li and the Temr had toned down a few notches since Wang Tong had officially be the heir of the de Warrior.

    Porten studied Li Shiming''s face and felt light-hearted due to Li Shiming''s misery. House Li had failed on many fronts. Not only had they let Wang Tong''s real identity pass under their radar, they had also lost another critical political ally, House Ma, because of their oversight. The situation seemed to have turned around for everybody, except House Li.

    Despite the satisfaction of seeing defeat take the wind out of Li Shiming''s sail, Porten loathed Wang Tong and despised his rise to power.

    "I would be hard-pressed to believe that Ma Dutian would ban us from his expensive toy. Two other tasks are the most urgent, the first being the captain. We have to do all we can to make sure that the captain is neutral to all parties. The second is the degree of our involvement. We can''t just be there as a tourist... You know what I am eluding to."

    "I agree with you. But, it''s easier said than done. Based on the information I got, both the Dower and the Zhang will be there as well. Itplicates things by a great degree."

    "Hehe. We can still try."

    "Brother Shiming, if¡ªyou could excuse me¡ª"

    "Go ahead. You can bepletely open with me."

    "In my opinion, you are too soft on the matter of Ma Xiaoru''s marriage. If you could have done what Wang Tong did and popped her cherry first, the situation would bepletely different now." Portenmented.

    Li Shiming cracked a smile and said, "Yes, sometimes I do regret not seizing the opportunity while I still had it."

    "Great! It''s still not toote. I sense that the old fox Ma Dutian is still on the fence on this matter. He had agreed to Wang Tong''s proposalrgely due to that little sh*t''s connection with the de Warrior. Without the influence of the de Warrior, I bet Ma Dutian would choose you over Wang Tong in a heartbeat."

    "You mean Ma Dutian is wavering?"

    "Obviously! Wang Tong cast arge shadow thanks to his new title at the Temr''s court, but when the Old Fox finally sees him for who he is, he would ditch Wang Tong right away. " Porten exined.

    "If what you said was true, Wang Tong is no more than a pawn in his master n. "

 Chapter 432: The Hybrid Monster

    Chapter 432: The Hybrid Monster

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Of course! I bet both of us will be chosen to join the fleet, but he will keep us away from his secrets."

    "I am waiting for the opportunity that I mentioned to you. " Li Shiming nodded.

    "Hehe, brilliant! Although your chance is slim, as long as Ma Dutian is still on the fence, you are likely to regain Ma Xiaoru''s hand. It''s a pity that she is no longer a virgin. I hope you are OK with that¡­" Porten gave Li Shiming an ugly grin. To him, women were no more than clothing that he could change at will.

    Li Shiming didn''t reply, so Porten left it at that. He knew Li Shiming too well; he had purposely folded some sharp edges in hisments to anger the other. An angry beast was always easier to manipte than a calm one after all.

    Li Shiming fell for Porten''s trap for a second. The series of defeats and setbacks had taken a toll on Li Shiming''s confidence and his ability to reason. A few months ago, he would simply shrug off the insult and carry on his business. However today, Porten''s sharp words jabbed at his heart like a cold needle.

    After the meeting was over, the 3D projection of Porten faded away.

    "My lord, should I teach this jerk a lesson?"

    Li Shiming waved in dismissal. "He is a barking dog, but I still have the leash in my hand. I need to keep him for useter on."

    "As you wish, my lord."

    "We need to prepare. I need all information we can get on the Noah''s Ark. The more detailed the information, the better."

    "Yes, my lord."

    A sudden urge to acquire information hade over Li Shiming after his defeat. The situation had gone entirely out of his control right under his nose, yet he had failed to find the culprit based on current information.

    Although Porten''s proposal regarding Ma Xiaoru was very tempting to him, he reckoned that it was a bad move, not because it was immoral, but because the price was too high. In addition to that, Li Shiming reminded himself that in order to achieve greatness, he needed to learn to control his desires.

    Li Shiming was not after Ma Xiaoru''s warm embrace, nor the title of the champion; he wanted the whole world. In a way, the chaos stirred up by mighty warriors such as Wang Tong and Patroclus was not entirely a bad thing, since turmoil would bring opportunities.

    Thinking on these lines, Li Shiming reckoned that the most urgent task at hand was to sieve through the shreds of evidence, piece together critical information, and decide on a logical and clear path amidst the chaotic situation.

    ¡­

    "You are interested in the Noah''s Ark''s expedition?" Zhang Jin asked with astonishment on her face.

    "I can''t pass up such an exciting adventure, can I." After Patroclus'' first ever defeat in his life, he seemed to have changed into a different person.

    Patroclus''s personality shift had unnerved Zhang Jin. It was well known that most geniuses were entric and stubborn. Therefore, Zhang Jin had been quietly observing the Ivantian prince ever since he returned to the Moon, just in case the defeat had done harm to his sanity.

    "Alright! Maybe it''s a good thing for you to go out and have some fresh air. The Noah''s Ark has really caught the Confederation off guard. I was called to assist their investigation as well."

    "Hehe, I don''t think you can pry anything out of me." Patroclus jested and continued his painting.

    He dipped the paintbrush into the water and pped the wet brush on one leg of the easel violently. "Beat the devil out of it," Patroclus said as he turned to Zhang Jin and gave her an eerie smile. The creepy curl on his lips made her hair stand on their ends.

    "Just a happy little tree...right here. " Patroclus said as hepleted the final touch, his voice like a whisper of a ghost.

    "Here, isn''t it pretty?" Patroclus flipped the canvas around and revealed his work to his visitor.

    Zhang Jin was horrified. It was a menacing creature¡ªhalf human and half Zerg, a morbid disy of grotesqueness in full glory.

    What was Patroclus thinking?

    "Jin, you worry too much," Patroclus said after reading Zhang Jin''s overwrought face.

    "I know you have researched this creature. Have you find anything?"

    "It''s an advanced living organism. We still have no clue how Zerg was able to produce such a terrifying creature. But, one thing is clear: the bugs know about us more than we do about them. However, it also seems to suggest that the Zergs are losing confidence in the capability of their bodies."

    "Touch¨¦! But, we can''t rx just yet. I don''t think their ultimate goal was to scare us with their half-blood hybrid. "

    "Since when did you be so interested in the outside world? Why don''t you let the military worry about those issues and focus on your own problems?"

    Patroclus didn''t reply. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the painting and said, "Can''t you feel the energy in the brush strokes?"

    ¡­

    Ever since Michaux came back to Mars, he had locked himself inside the tower of the Divine Masters. Disappointed by his back to back defeats on the Moon and the Earth, his best friend/advisor''s disappearance had added more fuel to the anger inside Lie Jian.

    Lie Jian thought he would enjoy a period of peace after the ordeals on the Earth and Moon. However, the Ark''s expedition had made that impossible. Even if Lie Jian were not yet ready to face Patroclus and Wang Tong, he had to since the family name was at stake. The first thing that Lie Jian would need to take care of was to choose some expedition candidates from the members of House Lie; the more, the better. Since House Ma had revealed the new technology to the public, the other houses would try their best to gain as much information as they could, and House Lie could not afford tog behind.

    Meanwhile, House Ma also knew that it was impossible to stop the other houses from prying. Ma Dutian''s strategy was clear: instead of being overly protective of his hard-earned knowledge, he chose to be inclusive and encouraged anyone who was interested in handing in their application. In reality, he knew that it was impossible for the other houses to replicate the new battery, not with the current level of technology. The knowledge that Wang Tong had brought back from the Hall of the Valha was at least half a century ahead of the world. It included over twenty breakthroughs in multiple fronts of technology.

    The other houses regraded House Ma as a fierce protector of their own secret technologies. However, House Ma never wanted to horde the knowledge to themselves, as they believed that the secrets passed down from the de Warrior belonged to the entire human race.

    House Ma quickly realized that one month was not enough to prepare for the expedition, as it started to attract the interests of people with over-qualified political status. This was meant to be a military mission, but the fame had driven many politicians, who had never seen a drop of blood in their life, to apply.

    The unexpected interested was a double-edged sword to the expedition. On one hand, Ma Dutian was more than happy to ept the generous donations from affluent applicants, since the battery research and construction of the Ark and depleted House Ma''s coffer, on the other hand, non-military involvement would undermine the goal of the mission. Fair treatment of all crew members had also be a problem, as the powerful brought up increasingly ridiculous demands. One of the applicants had even demanded to bring his mistress along with him on this "vacation trip." However, Ma Dutian was not worried, because he had full confidence in the capability of the ship.

    ¡­

    The news about the Ark had immediately piqued Wang Tong''s interest. He had always wanted to be a captain of an unsinkable spaceship. The irresistible temptation of the Ark''s expedition and the boredom at the Temr''s court had caused Wang Tong to make up his mind to return to Ayrng.

    On the day he left, Wang Tong felt light-hearted as he saw the envious look on Old Fart''s face.

    "Eat your heart out, Old Fart!"

    "Xiaoru, will I be on the list?"

    "Don''t you worry, I will make sure of that!"

    "Haha! Awesome!" Wang Tong shouted out. He wished that he could one day be the captain of the super battle-cruiser.

 Chapter 433: Space Battle of the Einherjars

    Chapter 433: Space Battle of the Einherjars

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Thepetition to for the Ark''s crew membership was incredibly fierce. Wang Tong had heard that even the ones with connections inside House Ma were not guaranteed a spot on the team. Therefore, he felt lucky to be able to get enlisted thanks to Ma Xiaoru.

    Ma Xiaoru watched Wang Tong as he was absorbed in the imagination of his life on the ship. She hugged him gently and felt that she had never been so happy before.

    House Ma was not entirely altruistic¡ªprofits would be made, and influence would be exerted after the sessful expedition, and rightfully so, since the Ark project had almost exhausted House Ma''s resources. Ma Dutian had to make sure his efforts were worthwhile.

    Although House Ma had the sole rights on the ownership of the technology and the battleship, they were not free to use the power at will. The captain of the ship would have to obey the Confederation''s orders. Otherwise, it would be treated as mutiny.

    Ma Xiaoru was fully aware of her situation on the ship during the expedition. However, she believed that as long as she worked hard, she would be able to eventually move up the rank despite the watchful eyes around her.

    Although Ma Xiaoru was about to sit in for her father, she knew practically nothing about the ship. Not only was she excited to learn more about the mighty ship, but she was also happy that Wang Tong would be traveling with her. The expedition was sort of like a romantic road trip for the couple.

    Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru finallynded at Shangjin, Wang Tong''s hometown.

    Ma Xiaoru''s fame was no less than a rock star, but the citizens of Shangjin showed their excitement courteously without being intrusive and annoying. Wang Tong was grateful for their politeness. People''s attitude towards him was like day and nightpared to when he was just a no-ount.

    After resting for a couple of days, Wang Tong started his training again. He also looked after the S-Club, since Zhou Sisi was still at the Temr''s Court. Soon, he was overwhelmed by the task, so Ma Xiaoru also stepped up to help him. Her attention to detail made her a great assistant. Even after a few days of recuperation, Wang Tong''s body was still sore from the injury he had sustained during the tournament.

    Although Wang Tong was not able to obtain any solution for Mr. Wannabe''s imprisonment, the old ghost knew that the boy had already tried his best.

    Based on the evidence he had gathered, Mr. Wannabe was convinced that his imprisonment was rted to Li Feng, and he would not be able to get out of the crystal for a while. With a slight sense of resignation, he felt less urged to get out of his entrapment, and started to take time and enjoy his life.

    However, he still thought to finish on the PA system, and Einherjar Lee Moshan''s patience was wearing thin.

    Lee Moshan had learned that his goddess, Lan Qinyue, had left a message for Einherjar Wannabe, but she didn''t receive a reply. The story circted wildly on the inte, and everyone felt that initiating a conversation with a stranger went against Lan Qinyue''s cold and distant personality. Ever since Einherjar Wannabe epted the challenge, he had ghosted the entire PAmunity.

    "Mr. Wannabe, aren''t you gonna do anything about that challenge? " Wang Tong said and yawned. The paperwork of the S-Club had quickly tired him out.

    Mr. Wannabe was ying poker with Charcoal, and he didn''t spare Wang Tong a nce as if he didn''t hear a word. Charcoal sensed that Wang Tong had something important to say, so he put down the cards and listened.

    "He is an Einherjar, and you need to prepare. I have a reputation to keep, you know?"

    "Oh,e on! I am at least as powerful as you are now. I could kick his a*s!" The thought of exchanging blows with an Einherjar excited Wang Tong.

    "Wow, look at you, tough guy. You think you can defeat an Einherjar just because you had defeated Patroclus? That was a close call. By the way, you were not supposed to win." Mr. Wannabe rolled his eyes at Wang Tong.

    "Is Patroclus really that much more powerful than Wang Tong?" Ma Xiaoru asked.

    "Yes. What gave that little sh*t an edge was his adaptive and improvising skills. However, that advantage has a very short shelf-life. He will have his a*s handed over to him on a tter if they have a second battle. The match against Patroclus was more of a test of each other''s power than actual fighting. Otherwise, Patroclus would not have waited until the end to unleash his coup de grace, and give Wang Tong an opportunity to strike his down."

    "Balls! Don''t put me down! After all, I am the winner, am I not?"

    "Yes, yes, you have won. But, I wish that you had lost the match, so that you wouldn''t be so full of yourself. If you keep on acting the way you do, you will be history very quickly!" Mr. Wannabe announced.

    Sensing the harshness in his tone, Mr. Wannabe tuned it down a notch and then continued, "I understand that you need to rest, but you should never let your guard down. I can''t see into the future, but I have the nagging feeling that something terrible ising. You have not only made a name for yourself, but also many enemies. The battle has just begun!"

    "Enemies? What are you talking about?"

    "Are you an idiot? You are a threat to many factions, especially the powerful ones. Anyways, as I said, it''s a suicide for you to fight Lee Moshan right now." Mr. Wannabe refuted.

    Wang Tong reflected on his recent inactivity on the training ground and conceded that cultivation had been put on the back burner. He reckoned that it was very naive of him to believe that the rest of his life would be smooth sailing after he was crowned the champion of the tournament. If anything, his publicity only exposed himself to new enemies.

    Mr. Wannabe was right, Wang Tong needed to keep improving himself.

    "What do you think I should do, Mr. Wannabe?"

    "That''s the attitude I want to see! I know you are thinking of joining the Ark''s expedition, so we have to put an end to the PA match before you leave. You have to try to enter the Einherjar state, and we have to work together." Mr. Wannabe announced. He felt frustrated by Wang Tong''s inability to release his full power.

    Although Wang Tong''s power would increase over time, the sense of urgency had nibbled at Mr. Wannabe''s patience. Patroclus had opened his mind ever since he was five, so he had massive head-start over Wang Tong.

    "Ok, let''s set up a time then, say in fifteen days? Let''s try the power of Einherjar in fifteen days!" Mr. Wannabe shouted.

    "Alright! Fifteen days it is!" Wang Tong pumped his fist in the air as he announced.

    "Xiaoru, you will have to look after the S-club now. I need to focus on my training. "

    "No problem. Why don''t youe over to my ce? It''s much quieter than the school."

    "Awesome!"

    Lee Moshan had finally received a message from Einherjar Wannabe: they would carry out their fight in the outer space in fifteen days!

 Chapter 434: The Riddle

    Chapter 434: The Riddle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although the Ark''s expedition still was the most sensational news, the space battle between the two Einherjars was quickly catching up its poprity.

    This would be a milestone in METALbat history. A fighter so mysterious that he might as well be imaginary was going toe out of the digital backstage to reality.

    There were still many rumors about Einherjar Wannabe''s background floating around on the inte. The previous school of thought that believed Einherjar Wannabe was rted to the de Warrior had been utterly discredited due to the new development at the tournament. However, it only made the real identity of Einherjar Wannabe a bigger mystery.

    A small group of people was convinced that Lan Qinyue was the only person who would know the answer. She had entered the inner world of the warrior during theirst fight, and based on her recollection, Einherjar Wannabe used to be a soldier who had faced thousands of Zergs alone by himself.

    However, no one could recall such heroic deeds in the entire human history since the first contact with the Zerg. At any rate, even if there was such a hero, how could he be still alive after many centuries?

    Was he a ghost? An immortal soul? If so, why would he choose to step into the fighting pit right now?

    Perhaps he had lost his memory, and fighting was the only way for him to hold on to the fading pieces of his past self.

    After she walked out of Valha, Heidi went straight back to Mars. She had achieved her first goal and confirmed Wang Tong''s identity. However, she was at a loss as she didn''t know what to do next.

    "Grand Priestess, what did you see?"

    "The darkness is fast approaching. Hurry up, my Princess!"

    "Is he ready? He is not even an Einherjar yet."

    "We won''t know until he has tried."

    "He only has one shot..."

    "Do your best, Heidi. Let your destiny guide you. You need to prepare for the Ark''s expedition. Our entire race''s survival depends on it."

    Heidi was very confused. The threat of the Zerg had been brought under control over the centuries, so what kind of world-ending catastrophe was the grand priestess talking about?

    Was it a full on civil war? No, there was no sign of it whatsoever. However, a civil war would force the Kaedians into a very awkward position; they would have to choose Wang Tong''s side.

    The more Heidi thought about the mess, the more question surfaced.

    Space pirates controlled many back-water space cities in the darkest corners of the boundless deep space. Although these territories were technically under the control of the Confederation, one would likely get lost without a star chart while trying to navigate to these cities.

    Pirates became a significant yer during the great war between the humans and the Zerg. For a very long time, the Martian government had even funded some pirate activities due to theck of proper space fleet. During the time of financial hardship, the Martian government had painted their warship ck and turned it into a pirate ship. After Martians had finally developed their own fleet, the pirates had already grown out of their control. The Martians eventually drove the pirates out of their doorstep, butcked the funding and the technology to eradicate them entirely.

    In order to reach the backwater ces where the pirates were hiding, the government would need a long-distance cruiser, such as the Ark. Although the pirates had learned beforehand that the Ark wasing after them, they were not afraid. The audacious pirates couldn''t wait for the Ark''s arrival, as they were confident that they would be able to capture it.

    Whoever captured the Ark would yield so much power that even the Confederation would fear them, and he or she would be the Pirate King!

    Soda''s pirate band was a mid-size, rtively unknown band with just over one thousand crew members. The leader of the band, Soda, wore an eye patch, hiding the eye that he had lost during a battle with the Anti-Smuggling unit.

    "My lord, what is your order?" Soda asked.

    "I need something on that battlecruiser."

    "As you wish my lord. We will retrieve it for you." Soda said obediently.

    "You are not strong enough. I will have to do it myself."

    Excitement list up Soda''s eyes as he asked, "Does it...does it mean the new era is about toe?"

    "Gather all of our forces. We need the Ark and two children on it, alive."

    "I understand, my lord. You had chosen your candidates."

    "Go now, don''t disappoint me."

    "Yes, my lord." Soda answered as a light flickered in his eyes that was definitely not human.

    ¡­

    "Ahh!" Wang Tong howled. Inside the virtual space, no one would hear him ande to his aid.

    "I''m almost there. Let''s try it again."

    "Ok!"

    "METAL!" Wang Tong shouted. As soon as a shimmering METAL covered Wang Tong''s body, he stumbled and fell to the ground.

    "Balls! That''s all you got? How many more times do we have to do it?" Mr. Wannabeined.

    "Go on!"

    "Hey, can we take a break? I need to eat something!"

    "No! Keep going!"

    "It''s torture!"

    "I said...KEEP GOING!" Mr. Wannabe refuted.

    In the real world, Ma Xiaoru was preparing a delicious meal for Wang Tong. She had taken on the responsibility of looking after Wang Tong''s life. Although she felt it being difficult in the beginning, she was pleased with her life now.

    Twelve dayster, Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru boarded the Ark to take a peek at the battlecruiser. The giant battleship was parked right in between the earth and the moon. Its size dwarfed all the other transport ships around it, making it look like a floating city. In addition to satisfying his curiosity, another reason that made Wang Tonge to the vessel was to learn about the deep space, since the battle with Lee Moshan was fast approaching. Although he had practice space fighting in a simtion, he was not certain how the real fight was going to pan out.

    Wang Tong reckoned that he had to be very careful during the fight, as the fight was deeply personal for Lee Moshan.

    Despite the wild rumors about Einherjar Wannabe and Lan Qinyue, Wang Tong was certain that Mr. Wannabe was not interested in Lan Qinyue at all. Wang Tong always had a nagging feeling that Mr. Wannabe already had a love interest, but had chosen to keep his silence about it.

    Lee Moshan had proposed the fight to take ce right next to the giant spaceship. He never agreed with the blind worshiping of technology. The location of the battleground was symbolic of his protest. Time of advanced machinery had already past, and only cultivating inner power could bring humans the salvation they needed.

    It went without saying that many spectators would not join the fight. In the space and without any protective measures, the audience would be easy victim of coteral damage.

    A few dayster, the fight was finally about to start!

    Lee Moshan was in a full suit of Einherjar METAL, and the Thunder de was strapped onto his back. With the help of the METAL, an Einherjar could survive the deep space with ease.

 Chapter 435: Ugly METAL

    Chapter 435: Ugly METAL

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Members of the Marshall Hall had been waiting anxiously for the return of the legend. Would Einherjar Wannabe show up as he had promised?

    Despite the technical difficulty of broadcasting a fight in the deep space, the media didn''t encounter many roadblocks, as neither of the fighters opposed to streaming their fight. Watching a live stream of a real fight was a much more visceral experience than watching a virtual session.

    On the screen, Lee Moshan hovered in the space, a solid METAL suit covering his body. His expression belonged to an Einherjar, and it reflected the dominating force inside him. A mere nce at the overbearing countenance would deter any temptation to challenge him.

    All cameras were operated remotely via drones, since standing anywhere near thebat zone indeed meant suicide. Due to the technical limitations, interference and white noise was inevitable during the heat of the battle.

    Although Lee Moshan never opposed the media''s presence, he would notpromise the fight for pixel quality. To Lee Moshan, this was not a publicity stunt. Instead, he wished to use the battle to force himself to make another breakthrough in his cultivation. Since he was rtively new among the rank of the Einherjars, he had less dead weight to worry about, so he could fight whoever he wanted to. Plus, the mysterious fighter''s ambiguous flirting with his goddess made the fight an overdue punishment.

    Based on his performance in the virtual world, it was apparent that Einherjar Wannabe had already reached the level of Einherjar. However, whether his performance in the virtual world could trante equally to that in the real world was yet to be determined. Thebat between Einherjars was much more sophisticated than that of lower level fighters, as many seemingly minor factors would spiral out of control to be the determining ones.

    In general, there were three stages in the Einherjar''s power progression, and the soul energy was also a critical element while gauging thebat ability of an Einherjar.

    Patroclus lolled on arge sofa and watched the broadcast of the battle on a screen. Outside of the twobatants, Patroclus would benefit the most from this fight, as he had the capacity to understand every move of the two fighters and learn from their mistakes or sesses.

    Zhang Jin sat quietly beside Patroclus. She knew that although Patroclus appeared rxed, he needed herpany after his defeat more so than ever. All geniuses, however smart they were, dreaded loneliness, and the best way to distract Patroclus from such forlorn sentiment was a friendly conversation.

    "Is that the METAL of Thunder God? Incredible! "Zhang Jin eximed, trying to strike up a short conversation. Zhang Jin''s excitement was shared with millions of viewers as they marveled at the Einherjar level METAL suit.

    Every set of Einherjar METAL was a work of art, crafted with unmatched skills. It took the time and resources that were equivalent to fifteen level five METAL suits to make just one piece of Einherjar METAL. It was not only expensive, but also a perfectbination of aesthetics and cutting-edge technology.

    So far, there were only a few known set pieces, and they belonged to Li Zhedao, Andres, Lee Moshan, and House Lie. There could be other sets scattered around the world, but no one had found any yet.

    The Thunder God METAL tightly hugged Lee Moshan''s buffed body, and the helmet was crowned with a fist-sized energy crystal. The usage of energy crystal on the METAL suit was reserved for only high tier suits. However, even on a level five or six METAL suit, the size of the crystal was norger than a grain of sand. It was usually embedded in critical parts of the suit, such as the knees and neck, as local reinforcement measures. Such arge chunk of energy stone was a rare sight to behold.

    Without the Einherjar METAL, Lee Moshan looked just like a normal person, but with the METAL, he immediately transformed into a dominating warrior whomanded legions of forces. Such an imposing manner had won him the hearts of many followers.

    Li Shiming watched the screen quietly. He was very close to bing an Einherjar, and once he made the breakthrough, the outlook of his life would improve drastically. However, he was running out of time. Patroclus was already ahead of him, so he needed to catch up. The sense of inferiority had set Li Shiming''s fighting will aze, and forced him to double down on his training. Despite the urgency, Li Shiming also reminded himself not to let anxiety get the better of him. As they said, ''slow and steady wins the race.''

    On Mars, Lie Jian was watching the screen alone without thepany of Michaux, who had locked himself up in his tower. Ever since the tournament, Lie Jian seemed to have lost his old passion for lust. Otherwise, he would have a girl sitting on hisp right now.

    Too many things had happened during the tournament, and even the Martian brute had learned to be modest.

    Although he had passed the test of the Phoenix, his opponents had made even greater leaps in cultivation. So, in rtive terms, his position didn''t change at all, if not having been deteriorated.

    He was faced with the same roadblock as Li Shiming: Einherjar. Lie Jian was convinced that as long as he could enter the level of Einherjar, Patroclus could be defeated with ease.

    Watching Lee Moshan''s shiny Einherjar METAL, Lie Jian''s eyes were filled with the ze of desire.

    On earth, Wang Tong''s friends in a half circle while watching the TV.

    Karl asked curiously, "How much did he pay for the METAL suit?"

    An awkward silence fell into the room. Zhou Sisi finally broke the silence and refuted, "It''s not always about money!"

    "It''s priceless."

    "No kidding! It''s Einherjar METAL. Only the government can afford it... Wait a minute, where did he get it from?" Hu Yangxuan finally registered that something was amiss.

    Money was just one side of the problem. Every Einherjar METAL was not only made out of the most advanced technology, but also the rarest materials in the universe, most of which were outright banned from public trading. So, how did Einherjar Wannabe get his hands on a set of Einherjar suit?

    There could only be three possible providers for the suit. If it were as old as the confederation, it could onlye from House Ma. The origin of the Einherjar METAL suits could be traced back due to its distinct style, and perhaps, the provider of the suit could shed some light on the mystery surrounding the warrior.

    "Is he gonna show up this time?" Everyone waited anxiously.

    Lee Moshan about-turned and looked up. In the sky, a white dot, norger than a speck of light, was approaching the battlefield. Einherjar Wannabe had arrived!

    Everyone in front of TV pressed their eyes as close to the screen as possible, trying to catch a glimpse of the warrior''s face.

    After a while, people noticed that the METAL suit had covered the warrior''s entire body from head to toe, and it was ugly as hell.

    Compared to Lee Moshan''s shiny armor, itcked sophistication and technical finesse. The only worth-mentioning feature of the suit was itsplete coverage of the wearer''s body.

    "Is this a joke? He is gonna have his a*s handed to him!" Karl eximed in disbelief.

    Although all the earthlings were cheering for Einherjar Wannabe, some of them couldn''t help but feel ashamed of such an abysmal set of armor.

    Despite the ugliness, Einherjar Wannabe''s METAL boasted an energy stone set haphazardly on the full hamlet. However, its size was only a fraction of Lee Moshan''s

    "What a clown! If he worked for me, I would at least give him a better set of a suit!" Lie Jianmented.

 Chapter 436: Counterfeit Einherjar

    Chapter 436: Counterfeit Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lee Moshan cast a stern nce at Einherjar Wannabe. The chill in the former''s eyes made Wang Tong''s hair stand on their ends.

    Thanks to the training under Mr. Wannabe, Wang Tong was able to adjust himself quickly, and didn''t let his opponent''s imposing manner get the better of him. Nheless, Wang Tong reckoned that he had to be extra cautious, since this was a real fight in a deadly environment. Even without the threat of his opponent, he would quickly perish without proper protection against the elements.

    Doubts flickered in Lee Moshan''s eyes. He could only charitably assume that Einherjar Wannabe was better equipped inside than the METAL he wore outside.

    Was his opponent really an Einherjar like everyone had imed? Such unorthodox METAL suit and unorthodox tactics!

    "I am Lee Moshan, and this is my Thunder de. What should I call you?" Lee Moshan introduced himself coldly.

    "Einherjar Wannabe. A no ount, just wanting to have some fun!" Wang Tong said in a nonchnt and witty tone.

    Lee Moshan''s face knotted; his opponent''s voice sounded like a fledgling.

    "Fine, if you so choose. Let''s begin!"

    Before Lee Moshan''s voice faded away, lights burst out from the energy crystal atop his helmet and flooded the dark, unforgiving space.

    This was the light that only belonged to Einherjars. This was the power of a demi-god!

    If it were a new Einherjar such as Patroclus, he might find it hard to unleash his deadly force in the outer space, but it was not a problem for a veteran like Lee Moshan.

    The process of transforming the soul energy into damage output through the Mastery was much easier on a where the substance of various attributes was abundant than in the absolute vacuum of the space. Unknown to most people, a primordial force flew freely in the space, although only a handful of top warriors could harness it.

    Wang Tong was quickly overwhelmed by his opponent''s overbearing power, and Lee Moshan felt his hesitation as well.

    Lee Moshan registered that something was amiss: if his opponent were really an Einherjar, he shouldn''t have been surprised by the power. However, if the mysterious fight were not an Einherjar, how could he have defeated so many powerful opponents?

    Wang Tong quickly gathered himself. Although he was not yet an Einherjar, he had the valuable aid of his Soul Essence. It was the power of the soul essence that had thrown Lee Moshan''s senses off.

    Before Wang Tong could decide on an opening move, his opponent was already charging toward him, carrying the momentum of a mountain. Wang Tong registered that Lee Moshan''s power was much deadlier than that of Patroclus.

    Energy gushed towards Wang Tong from all directions, and it was not a move that could be quickly pulled off by a mortal. Luckily, this was not Wang Tong''s first time fighting against an Einherjar, and therefore, he had expected such a struggle. He shifted his body left and right, trying to find a breakthrough, and he did.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong''s body flickered out of the view and reappeared a dozen feet away from where he was floating, out of harm''s way. This one-second evasion was what set Wang Tong apart from 99 percent of the warriors in the world.

    Although Wang Tong was out of the way, he blushed as if he had made a serious mistake. He knew that his opponent had detected the w in hisst movement since he was off six feet from where he was aiming tond.

    Wang Tong''s soul essence could bring the soul energy up a few notches so that it was on par with that of an Einherjar, and Wang Tong had tapped directly into Mr. Wannabe''s GN force so that he didn''t have a disadvantage in that respect. However, since neither of the powers belonged to him, Wang Tong could not control them with ease.

    Mr. Wannabe had given Wang Tong full ess to his GN force as he reckoned that Wang Tong had grown up and needed to learn how to control his power.

    Mettle and bravery were only half of the recipe for victory; the other half was finesse and cunning.

    Lee Moshan was at a loss again, as it was clear as daylight that his opponentcked the basic ability to control his power.

    Could it be that he was not used to fighting in space? Lee Moshan decided that he should observe more before he made a judgment.

    Lee Moshan floated in the space as the outline of his haughty figure was highlighted by the bright lighting off from the energy stone. Suddenly, a burst of energy shot out of the stone, and almost simultaneously, Lee Moshan sliced the space in front of him with his arms. Two bright de Aura materialized out of thin air, forming a cross that charged at Wang Tong. As the de aura flew towards Wang Tong, it increased in size. In a blink''s time, it had grown to the size of a small spaceship.

    Wang Tong knew that he could no longer fight so passively; it was time to face his opponent head on!

    While thinking, Wang Tong raised his fist and channeled GN force into it. As he tapped deeper into the primordial force in space, he felt a gush of energy running generously into his sea of consciousness. Mr. Wannabe was helping him with his power. With a newfound confidence, Wang Tong doubled down on his counter-attack and buried his fist into the center of the cross.

    After a bright sh of light, the cross disappeared, and Wang Tong was unharmed.

    Despite being ill-equipped, Wang Tong was able to fend off the deadly attack of an Einherjar.

    The Cross had shattered into millions of tiny fragments, most of which evaporated into thin air almost as soon as they formed. Somerger chunks of fragments could still be seen around the two warriors, as the omnipresent stars surrounded them in the sea of nothingness.

    With such power, Lee Moshan could have easily eliminated a Level Six fighter.

    "Incredible!" Zhang Jin eximed. How much did she wish that it was her in that suit of Einherjar METAL?

    Zhang Jin was not alone in her excitement, as every young boy and girl watched the screen and wished that they would be as powerful as the two Einherjars one day.

    In addition to envy and admiration, the audiences also felt unnerved by Einherjar Wannabe''s poor equipment. Although he had proven his might in his previous fights, he should have taken the fight with a real Einherjar more seriously.

    "What''s wrong?" Zhang Jin asked Patroclus who pulled a tout face.

    "Something is not right," Patroclus said as he bit his nails nervously.

    "What is it?"

    "Einherjar Wannabe is much weaker than he used to be." Patroclus was a keen observer, and he had caught the small changes in Einherjar Wannabe''s movement. It was too overwroughtpared to his earlier performance.

    Disappointment flickered in Lee Moshan''s eyes. Based on his opponent''sst counter strike, he had already gotten his number, and it was a letdown. At the very most, the so-called Einherjar Wannabe was at the same level as the youngster Patroclus.

    However, Lee Moshan had already epted the challenge, and therefore, he needed to finish it.

    "KOM!"

    Although the audiences couldn''t hear the sound in the space, they knew that Lee Moshan was about to bring the battle to its end.

    Standing face to face with an Einherjar, Wang Tong watched and observed carefully.

    In the eyes of the amateurs, Einherjar Wannabe was doing very well. It seemed that the mysterious fighter''s counterattack had aggravated the real-life Einherjar to unleash his full power¡ªa nod to his opponent''s strength.

    However, that was far from the truth. Wang Tong could feel an immense pressureing at him from all sides. The Battle Qi was so aggressive that he couldn''t even move an inch. Maybe it was for the better since a daring movement might evoke the fire of retribution.

    The dire situation made Wang Tong reflect on his training with Mr. Wannabe. As he did so, he realized that Mr. Wannabe had held back his power for the sake of safety. In addition, it was questionable whether Mr. Wannabe would be able to unleash his full power in the crystal space even if he wanted to.

 Chapter 437: Struggle

    Chapter 437: Struggle

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    It was not the first time that Wang Tong had pondered over such questions, but after the exhrating victory, it was hard for him to stay focused, neither did he feel the need to. However, the fight against Lee Moshan was a wake-up call. As soon as the battle started, Lee Moshan had been the aggressor and didn''t allow Wang Tong even a moment of respite.

    By then, Lee Moshan had gained a pretty good knowledge of Einherjar Wannabe''s overall power. So, he decided to finish the match with his killing blows finally.

    "Zzzen!"

    Lee Moshan looked as if he was standing still despite a flurry of de auras that shot out around him. The de aura attacked Wang Tong from all angles, leaving no room for him to escape.

    This attack was impossible to dodge. What was worse, Lee Moshan had not even used his weapon yet. He was confident that only using his hand-de''s de aura would be enough to finish the match.

    Wang Tong knew that he could not evade the attack. His instincts kicked in as he hurled a fist at the iing de aura without any hesitation.

    "KOM!"

    As Wang Tong''s fist inched closer to the de aura, he doubled down on his attack as he reckoned that GN force alone would not be able to break the Einherjar''s deadly spell. He tapped into the primordial power around him and channeled the energy into his fist. In a blink, Wang Tong''s fist was coated with an iridescent glow.

    "Kom! Kom! Kom!"

    The dark space was lit up by a shower of shimmering de aura. Explosions erupted whenever the de aura collided with Wang Tong''s fist. Wang Tong jabbed out both fists with uracy, eliminating the thousands of de auras one or two at a time. His arms moved so fast that the audiences could not even trace his movements.

    Soon, the battleground was entirely covered by a white glow. No one, except for a few experts knew what was happening inside the white light.

    With an expert''s eye, one would quickly see who had the total control of the battlefield. Lee Moshan''s attacks were everything but serious. However, such careless attacks had exhausted Einherjar Wannabe and forced him to tap into the primordial natural force. Even with the help of the natural force, Einherjar Wannabe''s defense was still inadequate, so much so that he had to use his body to shield vital points from time to time.

    Wang Tong didn''t have much time to n his defense nor a counterattack as he was too upied with dealing with the next blow.

    "Bang!"

    A de aura finally reached Wang Tong and threw him off bnce. Like a master of painting, Lee Moshan had used only a few brush strokes and painted a symphony of deadly colors.

    When the white light eventually faded away, even an ordinary citizen could tell who had the upper hand. Einherjar Wannabe''s usual smirk on his face was gone. Instead, the lines on his face were so hard it looked like it was carved into a stone. On the other hand, Lee Moshan had stood where he had always been, looking imposing as ever.

    The Ivantians heaved a deep sigh of relief. The oue of the fight was clear as daylight now. Although Einherjar Wannabe had reached the power of Einherjar, he was still too weak against a veteran.

    There was no miracle today, and Einherjar Wannabe was not a god. Over the course of human history, the gods visited the mortal world only once every few thousands of years. Even the de Warrior''s godhood was still fiercely debated, since many considered him merely mortal.

    It was clear by then that however smart Einherjar Wannabe was, his power had been blown out of proportion by propaganda, and he was no match for a real Einherjar.

    His name should have been a giveaway: the power of a Wannabe and the real deal ought to be entirely different.

    So far, Lee Moshan had used only sixty percent of his power, while Einherjar Wannabe had spent over ny. Yet, he still struggled to level the field in this fight.

    Despite the relief, the Ivantians also felt a hint of disappointment, as many of them had wished to behold the power of the legendary Thunder de, the de that could decimate an entireir of Zergs in a blink.

    The difference between the twobatant''s power was unbridgeable. Einherjar Wannabe could have kept his fame and glory if he stayed away from the real deals.

    The earthlings watched the development and became increasingly gloomy. There didn''t appear to be even a sliver of hope for Einherjar Wannabe to im the victory. His battered METAL suite was a tell-tale sign of his inferior powerpared to his opponent in his shiny armor.

    The audiences conceded that he should have stayed in the PA system and kept the sense of mystery about him as a disguise over his real power that failed to live up to his fame.

    Most Ivantians and Martians had their money on the real-world Einherjar like rational people would. However, Einherjar Wannabe''s fans¡ªblinded by their fantasies¡ªhad convinced themselves that their hero would swoop down and im victory with ease.

    "Kom, Kom, KOM!"

    After having received the first blow, Wang Tong was dealt a few more in different parts of his body. The match would have already ended if Wang Tong didn''t have the METAL to protect him.

    Wang Tong had taken these hits on purpose as he had realized that it was impossible to break the encirclement without making any sacrifices.

    Wang Tong swallowed down the pain and dug in for a counterattack. He noticed an opening right above him, a result of him taking the few hits, so he seized the opportunity andunched himself up. But, before he waspletely out of harm''s way, he caught a glimpse of a sh below him. Without looking down, he covered his chest with both arms out of protective instinct. He was blown away by a violent gush of energy shooting upwards at him, and the energy prated his defense and shot through his body.

    Just as Wang Tong thudded back to the ground, so did his attempt to counterattack.

    Einherjar Wannabe''s fans were stunned by the development as the inferiority of their idolid bare in front of their eyes. The role of Einherjar Wannabe in the battle had reversed, since it was Einherjar Wannabe who had to hold back his power during his previous fights. But right then, he couldn''t even fight back.

    Ma Xiaoru''s heart wept, as she regretted not persuading Wang Tong to give up such a senseless fight. She should have known that Wang Tong was no match for a real Einherjar. It was true that warriors should fight for their name and honor, but there was no point of walking into a battle knowing he wouldn''t win.

    Acting was the only right option for many things in the world, since it was difficult to draw a line between right and wrong. What would be the point of living if one was so worried about consequences and never chose to act? Wang Tong was never afraid of actions, and that was why Ma Xiaoru found him so addictive. Only if she could have helped him more...

    The thought brought an epiphany to Ma Xiaoru. If she could have pushed her boundary a little more while they practiced the Karmamudra in the bed, Wang Tong might have been able to harness just enough energy from her body to escape the danger facing him right now. A sense of guilt rose inside Ma Xiaoru as she realized that her stubbornness and shyness had hindered Wang Tong''s ability.

    Nevertheless, what was done was done, and it was time to face the problem at hand.

    The blow had paralyzed Einherjar Wannabe. He stood still, and couldn''t even live a finger.

    After decades of cultivation, Lee Moshan had learned to blend his power so perfectly with the natural force that he could change the attribute of the natural force at will. During thest attack, not only had he neutralized the energy in Einherjar Wannabe''s defense, but had also turned them into the lightning element to increase the intensity of his attack.

    "You are too weak for me. Promise me that I will never see you again, and I will let you go." Lee Moshan announced, his voice wasced with disappointment.

    This was the perfect moment for Wang Tong to call it for the day. Should he choose to continue, his life would be at stake.

 Chapter 438: How To Provoke An Einherjar

    Chapter 438: How To Provoke An Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong was aware of his choices and the risks, so he hesitated.

    "I just don''t understand how someone delinquent like you would have won Lan Qinyue''s favor." Lee Moshanined. On the surface, the fight was a battle between two Einherjars. However, the real reason that motivated Lee Moshan to fight was Lan Qinyue. As an Einherjar, he could have anything he wanted in the world, except for Lan Qinyue''s heart. He had courted her fruitlessly for many years, but time didn''t dull his enthusiasm. Even after Lee Moshan was married, he never hid his admiration and affection towards the goddess. Lee Moshan''s current wife was not a fighter, so naturally, he felt theycked amon ground. After their honeymoon period and the birth of a child, Lee Moshan had stopped paying attention to his wife entirely.

    As of recently, loneliness and years of suppressed desires had spurred him to crave for Lan Qinyue even more¡ªa typical middle life crisis. He dreamed of toiling in bed with her goddess and drinking her nectar of love. What a life it would be!

    Lee Moshan''s words didn''t sit well with Wang Tong. He never minded insults towards himself, but he couldn''t bear a second of listening to his opponent undermining Mr. Wannabe''s power.

    Wang Tong was an orphan, so very few people had cared about him, and neither did he care about the rest of the world. However, Mr. Wannabe was one of those who was near his heart.

    Although Wang Tong never admitted it, he admired Mr. Wannabe even more than the de Warrior. Compared to the delinquent Old Fart, Mr. Wannabe was more like a father to Wang Tong in many aspects.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong had reminded himself to remain calm, but he felt the anger already reaching his throat, about to burst out. The anger spurred the GN force to spread across his body and neutralized the paralyzing effect.

    Once he had regained his mobility, he gathered strength and was ready to unleash his retribution.

    Wang Tong attacked with abandon. He had chosen to drop all attempts at defense and use the aggressive Layered Fist of Tong. The defense would be useless if his offense failed.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong''s first strike had missed.

    Lee Moshan flickered in and out of view in a zigzag pattern like a snaking lightning. It was impossible to predict where he would appear next.

    "Haha. Someone''s upset. Anger is not going to take you far. You need strength to back it up."

    "Kom!"

    A de auranded squarely on Wang Tong''s back and made him stagger. Before he had regained bnce, Lee Moshan reappeared behind him like an apparition.

    Another de auranded on Wang Tong and sent him lurching forward. Despite the METAL suit''s protection, he had taken a considerable portion of the damage. Before he had time to react, he was dealt another blow, and it was on his head this time. The consecutive blows quickly snuffed the fire inside Wang Tong as he conceded that he was much weaker than his opponent.

    Strength needed to beplemented by a strong will, and it was the other way around as well. Wang Tong was not the only martial arts genius, since almost every Einherjar was as talented as him.

    With his limbs dangling, Wang Tong''s body floated in space like a ragdoll. He had lost the control of his body. Lee Moshan could have done away with him then and there, but he didn''t think Wang Tong was even worthy of being killed by an Einherjar, and neither was he interested in learning his real identity. To him, the floating Wang Tong was nothing more than a piece of space garbage.

    Thus it was, the fight of Einherjars had reached a very anti-climatic ending.

    No one spoke a word on Earth while on the Moon, everyone was savoring the victory, a payback for their recent defeat at the tournament.

    "Mother..." Qinyue was not sure what to make of the ending. Her mother had never been so obsessed with any other individual as she was with Einherjar Wannabe. However, the oue of the fight made it clear that there was nothing unusual about the mysterious fighter, other than his mysteriousness.

    If Lan Qinyue felt a sense of doubt, she didn''t show it on her face.

    Was that overwhelming sense of regret and sorrow she felt during the fight nothing but an illusion?

    "I can hear your thoughts, you know? And, I don''t like what I hear."

    A voice boomed behind Lee Moshan as he was about to exit the battlefield.

    Lee Moshan was so absorbed in his victory that he didn''t even notice that his opponent had already stood up, and was well and alive

    If the audiences had blinked their eyes, they would have missed Einherjar Wannabe''s lightning fast dash to reach Lee Moshan. Suddenly, a wave of belligerent Battle Qi came over the Einherjar, and it was gaining intensity by the second.

    In a heartbeat, the pulsing energy pouring out of Einherjar Wannabe had reached such intensity that it threatened to tear apart the fabric of space.

    Mr. Wannabe had lost the count of years that he had been imprisoned, and this was the first time he had a body tomand. The feeling was intoxicating.

    Lee Moshan knotted his face and tried to counter the intense energy around him.

    Many audiences had already left their seat, but they froze in their track as they noticed that the battle had not ended.

    Lee Moshan attacked as heunched a fist squarely at Einherjar Wannabe''s face.

    "KOM!"

    The strike hit home, but Einherjar Wannabe didn''t even flinch. Instead, it was the attacker who had stumbled back and lost his bnce.

    As the audiences looked closer, they were surprised to find out that Einherjar Wannabe''s face was not even scratched. Something was slightly off about the warrior that made him look a little bit different if one looked closely.

    Mr. Wannabe stared into the distant stars and was still drunken with the joy of freedom.

    Lan Qinyue''s eyes lit up with glee, ''That''s it! That''s the Einherjar Wannabe she had fought with.''

    Patroclus jumped out of his seat out of sheer surprise and stormed out of the room.

    "Where are you going?" Zhang Jin shouted out her question, but she didn''t receive an answer.

    Lee Moshan didn''t mind the minor setback as he quickly gathered himself. However, he could feel that his opponent''s power had increased by leaps and bounds.

    "Are you the youngster called Lee Moshan? I will give you three free attacks. How''s that" Mr. Wannabe announced?

    Lee Moshan was not sure what to make of Einherjar Wannabe''sment, but he didn''t hesitate. He waved his hands in the air and rained de aura onto his opponent. Einherjar Wannabe did not spare Lee Moshan a nce and took the onught of de aura with its full intent. However, not only was he unharmed, the expression on his face suggested he was very pleased.

    "One down, two more to go." Mr. Wannabe said lightly, but his words carried the weight of a mountain. The world boiled over at the sudden turn of events. The tide of the battle had turned! What was worse, he had called a veteran a youngster! Was that confidence or arrogance?

    "Zzen!"

    Spurred by his opponent''s words, Lee Moshan unsheathed the thunder de in a smooth action which he performed exquisitely. A blinding de aura ran down the sharp edge of the de and flew towards Einherjar Wannabe.

    Even if it were Andres or Li Zhedao, they would have chosen to dodge the de aura. But not Mr. Wannabe. He extended two fingers with a nonchnt finality. As the deadly aura slice through space, it was caught in between the two fingers, and with a subtle and gentle squeeze, the aura had turned into stardust.

    "Two."

    Einherjar Wannabe''s supporters shouted hysterically at the screen as they were unable to vent the immense excitement in any other way. The development had lit up the hope in everyone''s heart to see the power that was greater than the Einherjars.

    Li Shiming couldn''t believe his eyes. Something told him that this Einherjar Wannabe must be rted to the de Warrior.

 Chapter 439: Rise Of A New God

    Chapter 439: Rise Of A New God

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "How...How is this possible!" Qinyue was dumbfounded. She was well aware of the power of the Thunder de, more so than most people, since her master had an unwanted connection with its wielder. It was a de that was capable of cracking open a mountain, but it was stopped so easily by bare hands. She doubted if even an Einherjar would be able to achieve that.

    Qinyue snuck a peek at her master, and just as she had expected, Lan Qinyue''s eyes were filled with infatuation.

    Lan Qinyue was not in awe of Mr. Wannabe''s power, but his imposing manner and his dedication to something near his heart. The mystery itself was killing her.

    "Who is he?"

    Like a butterfly, Lan Qinyue''s heart fluttered as she plunged into the fire of desire.

    There was onest free move left, and Lee Moshan had finally woken up and realized that his opponent was much stronger than he had estimated. It was about time to unleash the killing blow, the full power of the Einherjar.

    Light ran down the Thunder de''s shiny spine, and a thousand thunders appeared in the dead space. As the dark abyss was being torn apart by the sizzling lightning, the thunder de cast a zing light to its surroundings, like a newborn star.

    Lee Moshan had altered the primordial force in space into the lighting element. It was a disy of strength to proim his ownership of the victory.

    This battlefield belonged to him, and so did this world.

    Every Einherjar had their specialty elements, and Lee Moshan''s was lightning. In some aspects, a fight between two Einherjars was apetition for controlling the natural forces. Whoever could control more natural force and turn it into his or her own element was bound to be the winner.

    During so many battles in Lee Moshan''s life, he had never encountered an opponent who had freely given him the full control of the natural force. Did he not care?

    "Father." Li Shiming bowed to Li Zhedao, who walked into the room.

    Li Zhedao didn''t reply. Instead, he stood by the door and watched the live stream quietly. The father and son pair had prepared years for the perfect moment to im what was rightfully theirs, but Wang Tong had stopped them cold in their track. Till this day, they still moaned over their losses.

    Brilliant light shooting out of the energy stone painted the dark space where lightning webbed across, forming a magnificent painting that sprawled across the dark velvety background. Lee Moshan''s sol reading soared as he tapped deeper into the primordial force.

    Across him, Mr. Wannabe looked rxed. Instead of focusing on his opponent, he gazed at a floating space city far away as if he were marveling at its scale. Did that structure remind him of his past? Had he lived in a space city before?

    As Mr. Wannabe was absorbed in reflections, the sound and smell of the city came back to him. It was all so painfully familiar.

    Before Mr. Wannabe could pull himself out of the memory, his opponent was already right in front of him.

    Einherjar''s Power, Thunder st!

    Soaked with the primordial energy, the Thunder de red brighter than the sun as it was hewed at Mr. Wannabe. This attack was so powerful that it could annihte a fifty million ton warship.

    Still, Mr. Wannabe paid no attention to the attack. He simply extended a finger at the de and stopped the attack like brushing away a piece of fallen leaf.

    Lee Moshan was shocked. He had never thought that anyone could have countered his ultimate Einherjar attack with only GN force and a finger.

    Such power was unprecedented, and it didn''t stop there as a new surge of energy kept on pulsing into the finger, one wave stronger than thest.

    Mr. Wannabe reluctantly let go of his gaze on the space city and looked at his opponent. The attack had interrupted his train of thoughts, and awakened him from his intoxicating but painful dream.

    The chill in Einherjar Wannabe''s eyes made even the other Einherjar''s hair stand on their ends. What he had done was outright impossible.

    However powerful was the Thunder de, it could not push further than Mr. Wannabe''s finger. The pulsing energy inside the finger was no any less powerful than all the natural forcesbined.

    "It''s my turn now." Mr. Wannabe said quietly, almost like a murmur. But, the soft words stretched his opponent''s nerves, threatening to tear it apart like ripping a wing off an insect.

    As Mr. Wannabe pulled his finger back, the built-up energy at the tip of the Thunder de gushed forth like a deluge. It was a suicidal move! Such a move would never happen in any other fight, since Mr. Wannabe had to face the danger of being attacked by the sudden release of condensed energy. Even if Lee Moshan wanted to halt the attack, he would have no means to do so. As Lee Moshan was still trying to wrap his mind around the development, Mr. Wannabe had punched at him with a fist. Tightly clenched inside the fist was the power of a small universe. It was not Lee Moshan who Mr. Wannabe was attacking, it was his own destiny.

    "KOMM!"

    Mr. Wannabe''s fist jabbed into the light that surrounded his opponent like a needle into a jar of butter. Nothing could withstand his attack.

    There were rumblings, explosions, and then silence. An Einherjar had fallen as a new god had risen.

    Mr. Wannabe heaved a sigh as he could feel his power diminishing over time. He knew that his time was about toe.

    He felt grateful for having met Wang Tong, for he had given him something he had never had: a family.

    It was all worth it!

    While thinking, Einherjar Wannabe''s body faded into the dark background.

    Looking at the thunder de that had been shattered into pieces, Lee Moshan felt defeated inside out. His beloved de was gone, along with his pride.

    The blow had gravely injured Lee Moshan despite his Einherjar METAL suit. But without it, Lee Moshan would have already been dead.

    Perhaps Einherjar Wannabe had purposely allowed him to live, to wear the scar everyday like a dressed up clown in a parade.

    Einherjar Wannabe!

    Einherjar Wannabe!

    Einherjar Wannabe!

    The one and ONLY Einherjar Wannabe!

    No, he was not a Wannabe. He WAS the Einherjar!

    The Ivantians had failed once again, but admittedly, it was the constant failure and rise again that had forged the unbending will of the Ivantian warriors.

 Chapter 440: A New Epiphany

    Chapter 440: A New Epiphany

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Despite the fact that the Ivantians were somewhat ustomed to defeats, they had to take this particr one very seriously. Einherjar Wannabe didn''t just defeat an Ivantian; it was a provocative act towards all Einherjars.

    "Einherjar Wannabe," the name that used to carry a sense of self-pity now seemed to reflect a hint of sarcastic undertone that undermined the power of Einherjars. Little did they know that the name was just a casual banter between Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe. One could call it either coincidence or destiny.

    Patroclus had finally arrived at the battleground, but he was toote. He carried Lee Moshan back to a nearby spaceship, but found it hard to calm himself.

    Li Zhedao left the room without leaving a word to his son. Andres shut off the screen and quietly sat in the darkness, absorbed in his thoughts. They both held the same question in their mind: Although the world no longer needed the protection of the de Warrior, did it mean that their cultivation could stop at the level of Einherjar?

    Wang Tong had a good rest and didn''t wake up until noon. Yesterday''s fight was "trippy", since he felt like both a participant and a spectator.

    Wang Tong knew that Mr. Wannabe was a badass, but he didn''t know the extent of his bad-ass-ness until yesterday. His power was outright terrifying, and no wonder he had considered Lee Moshan a weakling. Meanwhile, Wang Tong reckoned thatst fight had given him a valuable lesson, as it had demonstrated to him just how badly he needed to improve.

    His journey had just started, and his current power was abysmalpared to the real mighty warriors. Although his power was bound to grow over time, he conceded that he needed to straighten his attitude and rid of his contentment.

    As soon as Wang Tong woke up, he went straight tofort Ma Xiaoru, who had been worrying all night.

    "Don''t you worry about me! I am like a ...a... main character in the Martian novel, protected by an invincible plot armor. Haha!"

    Ma Xiaoru knew he was just joking, so she said, "Don''t be silly. That''s all fiction, but this is real life! I will help you in the bed if you need to..."

    Wang Tong was lighthearted after hearing her reply, but after he noticed the dark circles around Ma Xiaoru''s eyes, he reckoned that stress had rendered her sleepless. He hugged her tightly around him until her breath became even and dream-sweet.

    Even in her sleep, Ma Xiaoru held on to Wang Tong''s arm and wouldn''t let go.

    Wang Tong patted Ma Xiaoru''s long hair and heaved a sigh. He had embarked on the journey of a de Warrior and danger was inevitable. The only way to protect his loved ones was to be stronger. Yesterday''s fight was a close call, and he survived only thanks to Mr. Wannabe. Although Wang Tong had taken the backseat during the second half of the battle, he could sense that Mr. Wannabe''s every move was a condensed form of centuries of knowledge and practice. However, even though Mr. Wannabe could defeat an Einherjar with ease, he still refused to call himself a Super-Einherjar. As Wang Tong became curious about the power of a Super Einherjar, he decided to call on his trusty adviser.

    "Mr. Wannabe, can youe out for a second, please? Mr. Wannabe... Hello?"

    After a while, charcoal appeared out of the crystal, but Mr. Wannabe was still nowhere to be seen.

    "Charcoal, what is he doing in there?"

    "Master, Mr. Wannabe had overspent his soul energy, so he is recuperating."

    "Just normal reputation? He can''t evene out and say hi?"

    "Master, Mr. Wannabe had consumed part of his soul essence duringst fight. I am afraid those damages are irreversible."

    Sensing the seriousness in Charcoal''s words, Wang Tong straightened his back and asked, "What do you mean Irreversible? You just said he is recovering."

    "He can only recover it to a certain extent. To put it simply, he can only do it three more times. After that, his soul essence would bepletely spent, and he would perish forever."

    Wang Tong sat still as a stone as his mind raced. In the past, whenever he called upon Mr. Wannabe''s aid, Mr. Wannabe could always tap into the power of the space crystal. However, the situation yesterday called for using his own soul essence in order to defeat Lee Moshan. Although the Einherjar was defeated, it was a very costly victory.

    Wang Tong had never thought that yesterday''s fight had such devastating consequences.

    "Do you mean that as long as he doesn''t use his soul essence again, he would be fine?"

    "Theoretically, yes. Unlike me, Mr. Wannabe''s existence was not tied to yours. However, if he didn''t intervene, it would be a master who would perish."

    Charcoal had to spell it out loud and clear: Wang Tong was too weak.

    But, why would Mr. Wannabe force him to fight against such a powerful foe? He knew Wang Tong would lose.

    Why?

    As Wang Tong pondered the question, revitalization finally dawned upon him. Mr. Wannabe did so to push him to his limit. Mr. Wannabe never told him directly, but he had noticed that Wang Tong had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation.

    Although it was true that battle was the best way to break the bottleneck, the price to achieve such a breakthrough was too high.

    "Charcoal, why do I have to do this? If everything is fine, which they are, why do I have to be stronger?"

    "Master, the end of the world ising."

    "What are you talking about? Can anyone in this world exin anything like a normal person? If you know what the threat is, then TELL ME!" Wang Tong raised his voice out of frustration.

    "Can not locate answer to that question." Charcoal said with his usual mechanical voice.

    Half-leaning against the wall, Wang Tong felt reality had dealt a huge blow to him. He wished that Mr. Wannabe would have discussed it with him before plunging headfirst into a deadly battle.

    Wang Tong hated when people had to make a sacrifice for him. Deep down he still refused to believe his own destiny, nor did he believe in himself.

    Wang Tong resented Charcoal for failing to report Mr. Wannabe''s true motive to him in time. However, the innocent look on the little robot quickly changed his mind and attitude.

    It was all his fault.

    He should have been stronger and trained harder. None of his friends had ever asked anything from him. All they wanted was for him to be stronger.

    Wang Tong slowly gathered himself and made up his mind to break the bottleneck, not to protect the world, but to the people he cared for.

    "That is it for now. "

    Charcoal disappeared, and Wang Tong shut off the light and went to bed. Even in the bed, he still couldn''t stop thinking about the "end of the world" that Charcoal had mentioned. It could either be a civil war or a Zerg invasion, and thetter was more likely.

    Ny percent of the invitations for joining the Ark expedition had been epted. Within a few days, flurries of young warriors, including a few young Temrs as well as Zhang Jin, had arrived at the Ark to prepare for the voyage.

 Chapter 441: Tour Of The Space Fortress

    Chapter 441: Tour Of The Space Fortress

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    House Ma knew that they wouldn''t hide anything from the public, and therefore, they weed visitors instead of keeping their doors closed. Although most of the crew aboard the ship had thought that the chance of encountering a battle was slim, the Confederation military had drafted a squadron to safeguard their journey.

    There were also many scientists, since many scientific experiences would be conducted during the voyage.

    In addition to the crew members who had a useful post on the ship, there were also those so-called "vacationers", who had paid their way into the expedition. Their main duty was to simply have fun.

    House Ma had depleted their coffers to build the Ark and new battery, and it was time to make those investments pay back. The idea to have the military pay up-front was thrown out of the window after a few meetings in which the military was clear that they wouldn''t pay a penny until they have a clear understanding of the Ark''s capacity. Therefore, House Ma had to look for other sources of revenue, and space tourism was one of them. Since the ship wasuded as thergest and the most advanced ship ever built, the ticket for its virgin voyage was outrageously expensive. Thankfully, they were sold out almost immediately and helped alleviate House Ma''s financial pain.

    All eyes were on this expedition, and it was a make or break moment for House Ma. If the expedition were a sess, House Ma would firmly reinstate its dominant position amongpetitors, but should they fail, House Ma would very likely be kicked out of the rank of the Great Houses. Like many other things, this expedition was a double-edged sword for the House Ma; crisis and opportunity were often two sides of the same coin.

    So far, House Ma seemed to be doing very well, and was confident that their battleship would pass the test. Before they made the announcement, House Ma had already calcted and re-calcted their odds, and they would not make such a big decision and introduce the new ship without knowing that the odds were on their side. Once the Ark had returned to Earth, it would be introduced into the military as an integral part of the space defense program. With its long-distance cruising capability, it ought to deal a blow to the rampant pirate activities. The result would be more safe territory for humans to settle in, and more market for House Ma to unlock.

    The Ark was docked at a military space city while replenishing its supplies and receiving new crew members. The entire spaceship was divided into two sections, thebat area and the living quarters. The living quarters were further divided into sses, just like a space city. It also had a capable team of security staff to maintain order.

    Thebat area was where the technique and military personnel would stay for most of the time during the expedition. It was where decisions were made and orders were given. The captain wielded an absolute authority on board. He or she would be both the militarymander as well as the arbitrator for civil affairs.

    Thepetition for the position of Captain was fierce; some might even say that it had waged war between different factions. The Ivantians and the Martians had decided to stay out of thepetition since they knew their chances of bing a captain on an Earthling''s ship were almost zero.

    After a few rounds of saber-rattling between House Ma, House Li, and the Golden Hawk, a final decision was made. Captain Kaost, a fifty-five years old lieutenant general, was elected to be the captain of the Ark. At the age of 39, he had already been the captain of a Zeus ss battleship, and after three decades of services in the defense department, his prestige and reputation were unmatched.

    Despite Kaost''s solid resume, his appointment as the captain came out as a surprise to many people who were astute in politics. Kaost was not from any Great Houses, and in fact, his public words often bore a certain degree of resentment towards the great houses. Although he did not have partisanship, his actions and beliefs were more in tune with the Golden Hawk. While the fight for the captain had entered a stalemate, House Li had surprisingly veered towards the Golden Hawk and voted for Kaost.

    Some had anticipated the increasinglyrger divide between House Ma and House Li after House Ma''s series of actions that were out of sync with the Li''s interests.

    Once the captain had been chosen, the rest of the positions were decided on very quickly.

    The second inmand on the ship was the first mate. His or her responsibility included mostly administrative work, and providing strategic advice to the captain. Samantha was assigned the position after a unanimous vote. The fame she had garnered for her brilliant management of Ayrng had helped her a long way.

    The day Samantha was sworn into her position, her face showed up on the cover page of the TIME magazine.

    The innocent new graduate from Capth who everyoneughed at for her innocent goals had grown up to be one of the most influential women in the confederation.

    Samantha''s sess didn''t stop there. Due to Einherjar Wannabe''s mind-breaking performance, DREAM stocks had risen more than ten folds, making her one of the wealthiest people in the world.

    Overnight, she had be the epitome of beauty, intelligence, and power. Her every smile tugged at the heartstrings of young men, and her feminist viewpoint had also won many hearts of female supporters. In a few more years, she would be ready for the position of the council chairman.

    Samantha didn''t take the appointment lightly, since she knew that her performance would be crucial for her future promotion. She scanned the data crawling over the dashboard of the ship and took a sip of coffee.

    "Haha! Boss, this is awesome here! Ah! Did they tell you that all of us had been chosen to serve on the ship as well?" Karl shouted out. Almost all of Wang Tong''s friends had been appointed a position on the ship, including Karl, Zhou Sisi, and Lumi.

    "I heard there would be skirmishes against the pirates. I wish that''s true." Hu Yangxuan announced as he rubbed his hand excitingly.

    "Yes, and no. I''m sure there will be battles, but the military will likely handle it for us."

    "Well, we could be useless cannon fodder, but not bosses."

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and said, "Haha, it will be great if I can go out there and fight."

    Since it would still be a couple of days until the ship set sail, the group had decided to explore the interior of the mammoth structure fully. They were immediately amazed by its scale and design. Not only was it a death machine on the outside, but it was also a living city inside. It was practically a flying fortress. Although humans boasted about their perceived control stretching over a few gxies, they barely could maintain a tight grip on various rogue factions within the sr system. The ipetence wasrgely due to a limited capacity of long-distance flights, and that of providing viable conditions over a long period of time. But, the introduction of the Ark would change all of that, and make the universe much smaller than it really was.

    Wang Tong and his friends lived inside thebat area. Sincefort was not the main design criteria in this area, they had to sleep in bunk beds and had the most rudimentary amenities.

    All high-rank officers were assigned amodation in the living quarters; some even brought their families here. House Ma had encouraged crew members to bring families with them, since long-term separation with loved ones was proven to take a toll on the morale.

 Chapter 442: Handyman

    Chapter 442: Handyman

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The Ark had provided the humans with a key to unlock the ability to explore the deep space. When the Ark started mass production, the entire universe would open itself up to humans, and only imagination would be the limitation.

    Everyone believed that this day woulde in the near future.

    Three dayster, the much-anticipated voyage was about to begin. The Battlecruiser set sail into the frigid space amidst the humming and chattering of thousands of spectators.

    Wang Tong and his friends had soon received their orders, and all of them had to work for eight hours every day.

    "Boss, what is your shift like? I am assigned to a post at themand center."

    Karl stormed into the room and found out that Zhou Sisi and others had already arrived, and the atmosphere in the room was not quite right.

    "It has to be a mistake! Let me talk to them. How could they assign you to the maintenance crew?" Hu Yangxuan said with fire in his eyes.

    "WHAT! Maintenance? Hell no they didn''t! I will talk to them!" Karl shouted.

    "Calm your underpants. We are not sure if it is a mistake yet. I had a nagging suspicion that they did it on purpose." Zhou Sisi said.

    "You mean..."

    "Li Shiming and Patroclus''s treatment was no better. Although they were assigned to thebat units, their rank was pathetic. I have heard that the Captain has quite an attitude, particrly towards Great House''s members."

    "Balls! Boss is not even from the Great Houses." Karl was a loss.

    Although Wang Tong was not a member of any Great House, he was the heir of the de Warrior, and the young master of the Temrs. What was worse, Kaost was also aware that Wang Tong had an unusual rtionship with Ma Xiaoru, whose father was the de facto owner of the ship. Adding all clues together, Kaost was convinced that Wang Tong was even more sinful than those great house members.

    The old captain was determined to use Wang Tong''s case as an example to showcase his absolute power on the ship.

    After hearing Zhou Sisi''s exnation and analysis, the crowd finally understood the reason for Wang Tong and other top fighters'' unfair treatment.

    "That is not fair. He is getting his personal preference into business."

    "That''s the way it is. He has unrestricted power over everything on the ship, even a matter of life and death. You guys bettery low and don''t create trouble for yourself." Apache said coldly.

    "Balls! He can''t do it to me!"

    "He can, and the sooner you ept that, the better it is for yourself. We are not in a school anymore, kid." Apache said with a cold snicker hanging on his face. After toiling in the anti-smuggling unite, he had long since shed the bookish ideologies such as democracy and freedom.

    "The maintenance crew is not that bad of a deal anyways. We are soldiers, and we have to obey our orders." Wang Tong said, but failed to hide the regret on his face.

    "Xiaoru, what did they say?" As soon as Ma Xiaoru stepped into the room. Anxious faces greeted her.

    "It is not a mistake. It''s an order directly from the captain himself." Ma Xiaoru said helplessly. As soon as the ship left the dock, the captain was the only arbitrator in all matters on board.

    Even Zhou Sisi''s position carried more weight than Wang Tong. Not only was Wang Tong dumbfounded by the captain''s decision, but he was also fearful of the boring life under the deck, inside the dark and squalid maintenance room.

    However, an order was an order was an order. By noon, every soldier was to report to their duty, so everyone had to leave for their room to prepare for their first shift.

    Samantha furrowed her brows as she scanned the list of assigned duties. Although she agreed that it was a smart move for Kaost to use Wang Tong''s case to establish his authority on day-one, she felt that his methods had gone overboard.

    Samantha didn''t rush to Kaost and appeal for Wang Tong''s assignment, but decided to wait for a while. She knew that Kaost would not back down since the purpose of this assignment was to make him look strong. Even if he listened to her, he would not change his orders so quickly, as it was bad for the morale.

    The setback in Wang Tong''s life might not be entirely a bad thing anyway. It would be a good reminder to him to not be carried away by his recent sess. The only concern that Samantha had was that Wang Tong would publicly disobey the order and make a spectacle out of himself.

    "Brother Shiming, you are the sneakiest person I have ever met! Now, do you think Wang Tong is going to make a fuss about his treatment?" Porten said with an ugly, smug look on his face. Porten himself had been assigned a cushy position. Kaost was a shrewd old fox, and was well aware of all parties'' interests. Without being an expert at bncing interest of all sides, Kaost would not have been chosen as the captain.

    Kaost''s real target was clear: Wang Tong. The rtively unfavorable assignment of Li Shiming and Patroclus was merely a smokescreen.

    "Maybe." Li Shiming said slowly as he scanned the data files in front of him. However, his joy didn''t escape Porten.

    After pulling some strings, Porten had learned that although Kaost was with the golden hawk publicly, he had maintained a connection with House Li, and their coboration was more subtle than anyone could imagine. The old fox had used the confrontation between House Li and the golden hawk to his own advantage to set him apart from his colleges. He knew that golden hawk would support whoever House Li opposed the most, and conveniently for him, House Li had fought ferociously when golden hawk had proposed his name, along with ten others, on to the table. The next day, the list had reduced to just one: himself.

    Despite the joy all around him, Wang Tong found it hard pressed to be happy. He plodded through a heavy gate and walked into the maintenance office.

    He was a student of METALbat, not a mechanic. All he knew about fixing things was left-lose-right-tight, and that was it! What else could he do other than tighten bolts?

    Although he was disappointed by the assignment, Wang Tong didn''t wear it on his face.

    "You are...Wang Tong?"

    "Yes."

    Everyone paused what they were doing and looked at the young fellow they had seen on TV.

    "I am sure you will do well here! Cheer up!" Dung offered his counsel to the boy who was down on his luck.

    "Yes, sir!"

    "You can skip the formality and just call me Dung. We will show you around here today. Our main duty is to make sure the machinery functions the way they are designed to."

    "OK." Wang Tong nodded and cracked a smile. Dung and his team gave him a friendly vibe, so he knew he was in good hands.

    "Bang Bang Bang!" Someone was at the door.

    A female mechanic in her twenties walked in, and Dung started introducing. "Tee,e here. This is Wang Tong. I want you to show him around."

    "Yes, boss."

    After Tee walked out with Wang Tong in tow, she turned around and asked curiously, "So, you are Wang Tong?"

    "Yes."

    "Cool, call me sister Tee, and you will be under my charge from now on."

 Chapter 443: A New Round Of Competition

    Chapter 443: A New Round Of Competition

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong studied Tee''s earnest expression and mumbled, "Ok, sister Tee."

    "Ha, excellent, Tong Tong. Now, I am going to show you our designated working area. We repair any damaged structures within this area." Tee was genuinely satisfied by Wang Tong''s attitude.

    "The exterior structure? I thought we are in charge of the machines?"

    "You wish! Only the technologist and engineers are allowed to touch those. Stay away from them though; those nerds can make you fall asleep in seconds."

    "We are in charge of district E. Hey, do you want to see space suits?" Tee said as she pulled a lever on the wall, causing a giant gate to crack open slowly, revealing an enormous storage area that was filled to the brim with METAL suits. These METAL were equipped with gravity modules, so the wearer could walk freely in space.

    Over thest three hundred years, not only had the ground forces been getting increasingly reliant on METAL suits and soul energy, but also the space fighters. Although their METAL was much weaker than Einherjar''s, it could ward off the harmful elements in the deadly space.

    Every space METAL''s boots were equipped with a gravity unit, which also served as a propelling unit powered by the wearer''s GN force. Needless to say, such METAL suit was costly, and as a result, only level five or above fighters would be allowed to use them. Luckily, the nature of the fleet battle required only a handful of space fighters, since the Zergs were still struggling to ovee the defense of a battleship.

    Each battleship was equipped with numerous artillery towers. Although these cannons were capable of auto-aiming, the fleet preferred some degree of manual control, since Zergs easily hacked auto-aiming. This was where Karl and sh would shine, as they both had top notch micro control abilities.

    Tee was busy with her own work after showing Wang Tong around. She left him with a pile of documents for him to research.

    It was true that time could change anything, particrly people''s heart. Just a few years ago, the de Warrior was still revered as the savior of the world. But now, everyone''s attention was on Einherjar Wannabe.

    After being cast aside by the public, the heir of the de Warrior ended up working as a handyman. However, he obeyed his order like a good soldier. Soon, Wang Tong was absorbed in the manuals that Tee had left for him, and before he knew it, he had finished his first shift.

    Wang Tong turned off the data screen and went to the cafeteria.

    By the time Wang Tong arrived at the cafeteria, it was already simmering with chattering. After their first day of work on the Ark, everyone was eager to share their experiences.

    Wang Tong ordered a meal and sat down by an empty table. The table didn''t remain empty for long, as his friends entered the dining room one after another. He quickly learned that Zhou Sisi was assigned to themander''s office. How exciting would that be? In addition to Zhou Sisi, Ma Xiaoru was also appointed to the top floor.

    "Wang Tong, how''s your work?"

    "I did nothing. They gave me a bunch of manuals to read over. I think I should be a garage mechanic after I''m done here." Wang Tong pitied himself. The other''s shiny new jobs didn''t help lighten up his mood.

    Everyone offered they constion and tried to convince him that Samantha would not let him stay down there for too long.

    Inside the cafeteria, students naturally formed four groups, each surrounding four young leaders: Wang Tong, Patroclus, Li Shiming, and Lie Jian, and kept their distances from each other.

    Competition between the four groups was a real thing. So far, team Wang Tong had lost round one, since Wang Tong had been assigned to the least important post.

    Wang Tong''s situation didn''t improve in the days that followed. He had been staring at the same manuals for five days, and didn''t receive a single instruction. However, Wang Tong started to get used to theidback lifestyle. He found plenty of time to focus on his cultivation and learn about ship designs.

    During the night, Wang Tong would plunge into the space crystal and train with even greater efficiency. Although he was still far from making a breakthrough, it had improved his soul energy nheless.

    Wang Tong quickly learned that the so-called happiness was a rtive term. If he could feel content with whatever situation he was in, he would always be happy. Just like that old saying went, ''If God gave you a lemon, don''t fancy the orange juice.''

    Meanwhile, on earth, Old Fart was sipping on his orange juice while basking under the afternoon sun. "Haha! That little sh*t must be bored to death by now! It always puts a smile on my face."

    "I have heard he is doing well. Aren''t you afraid that he will lose steam?"

    "Haha, whatever! He has grown up, and we can''t control him anymore. I am only interested in when I can have a grandson in my arms."

    "He will be in my arms first."

    "No way! You can have Wang Tong, but I want my grandson! Remember, he is the heir of the Temr''s court!"

    "Yea, yea, who cares about tamponrs. He will inherit half of House Ma''s assets as well."

    "Haha, you old prick! Well, sounds like he will need to have more than one child."

    "My poor daughter... But, it sounds like a n!"

    "Haha!"

    A few more days passed by, and Wang Tong had already adapted to the new lifestyle, while everyone else was still obsessed with climbing the ranks.

    Soon, Wang Tong realized a surprising benefit of reading manuals. Since he started reading, he found that he was no longer obsessed with fighting. As a result, it had be much easier for him to concentrate on his cultivation.

    Wang Tong didn''t disturb Mr. Wannabe either. He knew that the old ghost woulde out to have some fresh air if he could. His silence meant his recovery was slow, so Wang Tong thought it was better to leave him alone.

    On the weekend, Wang Tong wanted to spend some quality time with Ma Xiaoru, but the third wheel Li Ruoer made it impossible.

    While Wang Tong was in the washroom, Ma Xiaoru sneaked in and exined the situation. It turned out that Li Ruoer was bombarded by Lie Jian and Porten''s onught of unwanted attention, and sought refuge in her room.

    Wang Tong groped Ma Xiaoru and pressed a dozen kisses on her body.

    "Well. What about us? We can''t let her stay here forever!"

    "Pervert! Let me think about it. She had helped me a lot, so I can''t just leave her alone."

    "Why don''t you tell her to choose one of them. She will have to get married one day anyway."

 Chapter 444: Its A TRAP!

    Chapter 444: It''s A TRAP!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "I wish it was that easy. Not everyone can be lucky like me, you know." Ma Xiaoru said, trying to coax Wang Tong into submission.

    Ma Xiaoru''s honey-coated words worked. Wang Tong heaved a sigh of resignation and then said, "Fine, fine. I will go somewhere else. See youter."

    "Alright."

    Being forced out of Ma Xiaoru''s room, Wang Tong wandered around on the warship by himself. The Ark was on its way to Mars to receive thest batch of crew members into its rank. In addition, the Ark would replenish its supplies while it was processing the crew admissions. Although the Ark was a self-sustained city, it would not hurt to have a few extra suppliesying around.

    Wang Tong''s friends had all gone to the shopping district, but he never liked shopping. So, he lost interest in the streets very quickly and decided to head back to the training room.

    One might think that only someone who hated himself, such as Wang Tong, woulde to the training room on the weekend. But he found out that he was not alone; Patroclus was also there. They looked at each other for a brief second and smiled, but didn''t exchange a word. However, the desire to spar danced in both of their eyes. Wang Tong also found Apache and Cao Yi in the training room, and he was not surprised at all. They were both assigned to the space METAL unit, the most awesome job of all, and even got to wear a space METAL once during their training.

    Space METALbat had a very high requirement, and even Apache and Cao Yi felt it was difficult to catch up.

    "Wang Tong, don''t run away. We need to spar together," Apache announced.

    "No problem! I am so bored. A fight should lighten up my mood a little." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "Perfect, see youter then."

    "Boss, there''re some young Temrs here as well. Should we ask them to join us? They had been of great helptely." Cao Yi said.

    The Temrs had been assigned to the same squad as Apache and Cao Yi. Knowing their connection with the young master, the Temrs had offered quite a lot of help to the two.

    Wang Tong nodded. He had been avoiding the Temrs because he still couldn''t get used to their addressing him as the "Young Master". It gave him the jitters every time he heard it. Nevertheless, he conceded that he couldn''t bury his head in the sand forever. The world is not going to change because he was not looking. After being detached from the recent developments for a while, Wang Tong hade to terms with the reality. If he couldn''t deny his connection with the de Warrior, he might as well embrace it.

    As Wang Tong entered the gravity simtion zone, he was greeted by the sweaty Temrs. Respect rose inside him on seeing how disciplined the Temrs were.

    As soon as the four Temrs saw Wang Tong at the threshold, they immediately stopped their training and bowed to Wang Tong.

    "Greetings, Young Master."

    The name made Wang Tong cringe again, but he held back the urge of turning his back and stered a smile on his face, "Would you like to join me for some sparring?"

    The four Temrs looked at each other in surprise. The grand master had ordered them to befriend Wang Tong, so they had been very frustrated by Wang Tong''s constant cold shoulder, until now.

    "That...That is awesome, dude!" Ye Kai beamed from side to side.

    "Shush!" Zhang Buyu red at Ye Kai for not addressing Wang Tong appropriately.

    "That''s fine, that''s fine. Haha¡­ I have encountered some problems in my cultivation, and hope that you guys could help me." Wang Tong announced.

    "We are at your disposal, young master." Zhang Buyu nodded and said.

    Wang Tong felt the jitters again, but he didn''t show it on his face. He nodded and cranked up the gravity intensity.

    He had learned that not only did his body heal faster under greater gravity, but his mind also worked better.

    Wang Tong usually kept the gravity setting at moderate, but today, he felt the urge to challenge himself. So, he cranked it up to as high as possible.

    As Wang Tong entered deeper into the gravity simtion room, he met another familiar face in the 15g zone: Li Shiming.

    The two exchanged a nce before Wang Tong plodded deeper into the 16g zone.

    After Wang Tong had disappeared into the next chamber, Li Shiming cleared the sweat off his forehead and left the gravity room.

    Porten looked at his watch from time to time. He connected the sk and announced to the other end, "Let''s start." An ugly grin found his face after he hung up. The gravity room was prone to mechanical failures, and it would be very unfortunate if someone happened to be inside the chamber when it failed.

    Porten had been nning this assassination almost as soon as he boarded the Ark. He had been watching Wang Tong for a while even on Earth, so he was confident that Wang Tong would use the gravity chamber sooner orter.

    Was it despicable? Yes. But, Porten believed that being despicable was one of humans'' merits.

    Porten approached the gravity chamber. As the mastermind behind the n, he wanted to see how it was executed. Watching his n unfold always put a smile on his face.

    It didn''t matter if he were the Dragon Warrior or the de Warrior. No one could withstand a stab in the back.

    Sirens were suddenly set off inside the gravity rooms as the floor started to tremble. Porten was sitting quietly in a corner like a shadow, watching the chaos unfold. The destruction wouldn''t hurt anyone in rooms of 15g or less, but it would be dangerous for anyone in rooms with greater gravity.

    "ALARM¡ªALARM¡ªALARM¡ªPLEASE EVACUATE THE GRAVITY ROOM IMMEDIATELY¡ªALARM¡ªALARM¡ªALARM"

    Everyone stormed out of the training room, including Li Shiming. The maintenance crew had also arrived, and the preliminary diagnosis indicated that the gravity intensity inside the chambers was increasing exponentially. The crew tried to shut off the system, but to no avail.

    Li Shiming watched the entrance to the training room quietly. There was still no sign of Wang Tong.

    By the time Wang Tong realized that something was wrong, he was already trapped inside the chamber. He banged on the door and tried to pry it open, but failed.

    Li Shiming scanned the crowd that made it out of the training room, and he found Porten''s dark glinting eyes in a shadowy alcove set deeply in the wall.

    Was that disappointment in Porten''s eyes? Was he trying to kill Li Shiming as well?

    Porten had imagined a world without the two most powerful young fighters. Things would be much more interesting for sure, he had thought. Although Li Shiming had gotten away from his deadly trap, killing Wang Tong would give him at least half the satisfaction.

    Inside the gravity chamber, Wang Tong hammered at the door. He could feel the gravity around him increasing by the second.

    Wang Tong had used every trick up his sleeve, GN force, mastery, and even Einherjar Lance, but the door wouldn''t budge. In order to secure the chamber, its doors and walls were made out of special alloy and doubly fortified. Even the emergency exit malfunctioned and wouldn''t open.

    ''Someone must have done this on purpose.'' Wang Tong''s mind raced. But, he quickly dropped the matter as his priority right then was to make it out alive.

    The tech unit had learned of Wang Tong''s situation via a CCTV camera. The profoundness of this incident suddenly came over the captain.

    "I don''t care what you do, do it now!"

    "Captain, the central control system was hacked! We lost all control over it, even our overwrite rights."

    "What about the emergency exit?"

    "It''s blocked, sir!"

    Kaost knotted his face. Someone was trying to kill Wang Tong, which was clear as daylight.

    "Shut off the power!" Kaost shouted.

    "Sir! We can''t. We lost ess to its power supply as well."

    Kaost''s face ckened. He was caught off guard by how quickly the situation had escted.

 Chapter 445: Smoke Screen

    Chapter 445: Smoke Screen

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Move away please!" Patroclus waded through the crowd of people in front of the training room, trying to get closer.

    When he was close enough, Patroclus pressed one palm on the wall as the Deva Lance appeared out of nowhere. Thence sent a wave of energy against the wall, causing thetter to tremble.

    Gathering more strength, Patroclus struck the wall again.

    The gravity inside the chamber had risen to 20g. Wang Tong couldn''t move even a finger, and he felt that even breathing had be an onerous chore.

    Wang Tong had started the tactics to help sustain his life. However, the pain was unbearable. He felt as if his body were going to explode from the inside. The GN force was losing its effectiveness, and Wang Tong finally called upon his soul essence as a faint glow started to surround him, illuminating the entire chamber.

    Outside the chamber, the energy at the tip of the Devance had made it scintiting.

    Einherjar''s Attack!

    "KOM!"

    The wall finally gave in, releasing a violent wave of energy through its opening. Luckily, the crowd had been dispersed, so no one was hurt. Without any hesitation, Patroclus plunged into the hole in the wall.

    Wang Tong was sessfully rescued, but this incident had raised many questions. Captain had called on an investigationmittee to delve deeper into the cause of this incident. It was an audacious move under the nose of an iron-fist Captain.

    Porten had watched the entire ordeal from start to finish. He, too, was surprised by how quickly the situation had spiraled out of control. He had nned to keep Wang Tong inside the chamber for no more than ten minutes. However, many elements of the n were out of his reach for good reasons. Having more control over the event meant Porten had to get his hands dirty, and that was a risk he could not afford to take. If Porten didn''t set the trap, who did then? This was a question that even Porten didn''t have answers for, and he preferred not to ask too many questions.

    The failure of his assassination forced him to re-evaluate Wang Tong''s power. He was taken aback by how resilient Wang Tong was. Even a 20g environment was not enough to kill him.

    ''Damn that Patroclus!'' Porten cursed in his mind. He found it hard pressed to understand why the Ivantian Prince had decided to save Wang Tong. Wang Tong''s death meant one less roadblock for the rise of Ivantians, didn''t it?

    So, there went Wang Tong''s first weekend, sent right back to the hospital.

    When Wang Tong opened his eyes for the first time since the incident, he saw the faces of Ma Xiaoru and his friends. Tear streaks had left marks on Ma Xiaoru''s cheeks. Wang Tong cracked a smile and said, "I am fine guys, I''m fine. I told you I''ve got the plot armor, didn''t I?"

    "Idiot! You almost died if not for Patroclus..." Tears poured out of Ma Xaoru''s red eyes. She could barely finish a sentence.

    "I will let the others know that you are awake." Zhou Sisi rubbed her tears away and started off.

    ¡­

    In the days that followed, residents of the Ark had seen a drastic increase in the presence of security forces. Kaost had felt the pressure from all sides, demanding an exnation. The Temrs were riled up by the incident and had submitted in their protest.

    The Investigation was quick as the evidence was plenty. However, it would be difficult to find the culprit among the thousands of residents aboard the ship. That was not even Kaost''s worse nightmare. As the investigation progressed, they found Patroclus'' hair and fingerprints scattered around the blockade of the emergency exit. The investigation had thus quickly arrived at a dead end.

    Although Patroclus was the main suspect, he was the one that had saved the victim. The two sides of the evidence seemed to contradict each other. But, even if it were Patroclus, what could Kaost do about it? He was not just a no-ount. The consequences of his incarceration would be palpable across the confederation. As Kaost mulled over his next move, he found the odds were tallied against the Ivantian prince as he also had the motive, an act of revenge for his defeat at the tournament.

    Some other opinions had guessed that it was someone else trying to frame Patroclus. Although they didn''t say the name out loud, Kaost knew they were referring to Li Shiming. He was seen around the crime scene right before the incident took ce.

    Kaost heaved a sigh. The feud between the great houses was tearing the humans apart, and that was why he loathed them. He had hoped that his recent authority being reinstated would deter them from making troubles on the ship, but it seemed that it didn''t work at all.

    Whoever the culprit was, he or she was a smart one. Kaost was forced to shelve the investigation after seeing that it was going nowhere.

    After having received Kaost''s decision, Samantha stormed into the captain''s office.

    "Captain, you need to give an answer to everyone!"

    "Hehe, grab a seat and let me tell you my reasons," Kaost said as he smiled at Samantha.

    "Captain, everyone knows that it was a failed homicide attempt. You can''t just ignore it!" Samantha let a few words out of her clenched jaws.

    "Hehe...yeah... Well, grab a seat, please. I am aware of how serious it is, but what do you think I should do? Throw Patroclus behind bars? What if he was framed? "

    "That doesn''t mean that you should halt the investigation. Wang Tong is my subordinate and also my student. I won''t close the case without an answer."

    "Hehe, there is no need to be so riled up. I am deeply sorry for what had happened to Wang Tong, but only unity will bring strength. But, since you insist, I will reconsider my decision and leave the case open. I want you to be in charge of the investigation, but just keep it to yourself, OK? As for Wang Tong, I think it is appropriate to offer him somepensation. How about you see to that? Just don''t let me see him in mybat units." Kaost said.

    "Why?"

    "Do I need to exin myself to you, the first mate?"

    Silence fell into the room, and Samantha knew that it was time for her to make apromise.

    After leaving the captain''s office, Samantha removed the angry mask she had worn while negotiating with the captain. She had been angry for the first couple of days after the incident, but not anymore. She had adopted the angry face only to help her negotiate, and it worked. She had gotten what she wanted, although it came with a caveat that Wang Tong was not allowed to join thebat force.

    Sometimes, it was better to be a no-ount than a hero, especially when the hero was still a fledgling.

    The support of the Temrs might seem like a blessing, but in Wang Tong''s case, it was a curse, since most establishments would now see him as a threat.

    Although Samantha was the first mate, she needed to obey the order of the Captain. Therefore, she couldn''t assign Wang Tong to abat team even if she wanted to. She was aware of how difficult the investigation would be; not the investigation itself, but what would happen after it was done. In some aspects, Kaost had tossed the hot mess to her, but Samantha was not afraid.

    "Wang Tong!"

    Wang Tong heard a familiar voice, and it immediately brought a smile to his face.

    "Zhang Jin? What brought you here?"

    Zhang Jin set a bouquet on the night table and sat on the bed next to him. "You look healthy!"

    "Haha, yeah, apparently so! But, the doctor had banned me from using my GN force for a month! Bah!"

    "Haha, well, maybe you deserve it. I am here to let you know that Patroclus was not behind this."

    "Never thought so, haha... Tell him that I will bring him a twelve pack when I can walk."

    "Haha, will do."

 Chapter 446: Weekly Report

    Chapter 446: Weekly Report

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Zhang Jin proceeded to put more good words for Patroclus into Wang Tong''s ears. She liked both of the boys, and didn''t want to see them be enemies. Although thepetition was inevitable between the two, she wished it was a healthy one, like that between Li Feng and Rngalos.

    "I will investigate into this and give you an answer."

    "Hehe, doesn''t matter. I doubt they would do it again anyway." Wang Tong cracked a nonchnt smile.

    Ever since the incident, Zhang Buyu and his fellow Temrs guarded Wang Tong round the clock. Their primary duty on this ship was to make sure Wang Tong''s safety; it was a direct order from the grand master.

    Zhang Jin knew that Wang Tong was still weak, and therefore, didn''t stay for too long.

    The Ark soon lifted its anchor off the Martian shore and set off deeper into space. The promise of an exciting voyage gripped everyone''s attention. As a result, a few weeks after the incident, no one talked about it any longer, as if it had never happened.

    Samantha had suggested Wang Tong to work in her office. Although it was not in abat unit, he finally could be away from the squalid maintenance room. However, Wang Tong had refused the generous offer.

    The reason for Wang Tong''s refusal was two folds: first, he didn''t want to distract Samantha, and second, he wanted to lure the culprit out of hiding. Having the first mate around him would make it impossible for the culprit to act again.

    "Wang Tong, why don''t you take a rest? " Tee said like an older sister.

    "I''m fine."

    "You know, we were told to look after you from the higher-ups. I mean...really high up."

    "Tzs...I''m not a china doll. I have finished reading all the manuals. Am I going to join the team this afternoon?"

    "Sure. We''d prefer you to just read manual since you are pretty useless anyway." Tee said with a broad smile on her face.

    Wang Tong nodded. He knew it was impossible for him to blend in, since he carried too much dead weight with him, such as his many titles.

    While Wang Tong continued his slow recovery, Li Shiming and Patroclus had started to make a name for themselves. Maybe Kaost had tried to pick on them; he had been giving them more and more difficult missions. However, theypleted each of those missions with greater sess than thest. As a result, they had very quickly gained the respect of their supervisors.

    Although Lie Jian hadpleted difficult challenges with equal sess, his typical Martian attitude had hindered his rise in status.

    Ever since the Ark left thest civilized world, Mars, the captain''s room had quieted down significantly, as there were no more phone calls nor press releases. The real objective of the expedition remained unknown to most people.

    "Captain, this is the report for this week." Hill set the report on the table. Hill had been Kaost''s personal assistant for decades, and was the old captain''s most trusted adviser.

    "What is your take on these little brats?"

    "Patroclus is perfect in technical terms, butcks passion. Li Shiming is a cunning fellow, typical great house heir. Lie Jian is...well... He is a martian through and through, so you know what to expect. Ma Xiaoru doesn''t seem to be interested in anything except her boyfriend. She is unlikely to be a problem in the future. I still can''t get a number on Li Ruoer and Zhang Jin." Hill said.

    "What about Wang Tong?"

    "Problematic...to say the least."

    "Go on. I''m listening." Kaost said as he puffed a cloud of smoke.

    "Hecks the most crucial character of a strong leader, being able to blend in. So far, he still does his own things by himself and keeps a distance from the other co-workers."

    Although Wang Tong was one of the well-known characters on the ship, he had much less support than the great house''s princes and princesses.

    Wang Tong had gained the title of young master solely because of his connection with the grand master of the Temrs. If a new grand master was elected, his im could be revoked at any time. As for his association with House Ma, it was as fragile and fickle as teenage lover''s infatuations.

    "Good, very good!" Kaost nodded at Hill. "I feel like you want to say something?"

    "Captain, I think it''s time to call back agent Tee. She would be more useful in thebat unit."

    "Haha. I know you miss her a lot." Kaost jested.

    Hill blushed and rose up to thement. "That is not why¡­"

    "I know you like her. But, I need her to keep an eye out for me. Don''t worry; she will be back soon. Make sure she knows how you feel about her, OK? She is not going to fall in love with you if you don''t make a move first!"

    "Yes... Yes, Captain!" Hill blurted, still blushing.

    Kaost heaved a sigh and waved at Hill to dismiss him. He was a good soldier and an even better strategist. However, he knew nothing about women.

    Kaost turned his leather chair around to face the window. Captain of the Noah''s Ark? Bah! What a hot mess it was!

    ¡­

    "Who did this?" Tee shouted out.

    Wang Tong stepped into the storage room where he heard themotion, and he found out that two space METAL were damaged beyond repair. He cast a look at Tee''s face and thought that fire was going to spit out from both of those holes.

    "Tee, umm...It''s us... We had been sparing and got a little bit too carried away."

    "You two again? How many times have I told you? How many!"

    The smile on the two space fighter''s faces evaporated as they lowered their head to avoid eye contact with Tee.

    "Wow... They just going to stand there? I thought those two were top space fighters." Wang Tong mumbled a question to one of his co-workers.

    "You have no idea...You need to be careful around her." The co-worker was a small engineer with eyesses.

    "Thanks for the heads up."

    "No problem. My name is Zuoyan by the way."

 Chapter 447: X-Ray Vision

    Chapter 447: X-Ray Vision

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Miss Tee, we are sorry. Just take the cost out of our sries." Tang Hu, culprit number one, spoke under his breath.

    "Oh really? You already owe me two months of your sries!"

    "Oh... Are you sure?" The reality struck culprit number two, named Luo Sen.

    After a while, Tee''s ire finally subsided, but the damage to the suits was so severe that she might as well order new ones. The fighters were instructed to use training suits while practicing, but this rule was universally ignored, as the space fightersined that the training suits could notpare with the real thing. Both fighters were fire team leaders, and they had failed to control their power due to a minor slip up.

    "Zuoyan, get me a new kernel module. These two jerks...!" Teeined. The kernel modules were the most expensive parts on the space suits.

    As a logistics expert, she was aware of the importance of saving parts. However, she was also a fighter, so she forgave the fighters'' mistakes.

    It was better to have damaged equipment than damaged bodies.

    "Wang Tong, look!" Zuoyan nudged him.

    Wang Tong was amazed by Tee''s repairing techniques. She wielded different tools at the same time using her soul energy. Not only was she deathly precise, but also made repairing a one-person job.

    In a blink, the set of the space suit that had been damaged beyond repair had been given a new life. Every soldier was responsible for the maintenance of their space suits, and they would have topensate for any unnecessary damages. Tang Hu and Luo Sen had broken their suits so many times that if they really had to pay up, they would be penniless.

    Wang Tong watched Tee''s every movement with great interest. Although he had remembered the repairing procedure by rot, he had never seen such a repair being implemented. Tee would never give him a shot at this. Without any practice, Wang Tong would only end up wasting expensive parts.

    Engineers surrounded Tee and watched her work with envy, since neither of them had training in soul energy like her. In addition to her repairing skills, Wang Tong was also impressed by her web-like soul energy. Not only was it unique, but could also be deadly when used during a fight.

    "Done!" Tee extended her hand. The two culprits picked up the cue and handed her a small towel to wipe off the sweat.

    "Ah... Thank you! One more thing though...Our boss wanted us to ask you if you have time tonight for a movie?" Luo Sen said.

    Tee wiped the sweat off and didn''t spare him a nce, "Movie? I will pass. I have training this evening."

    "Resting is half the training, isn''t it? Come on, Tee." Tang Hu said in a servile voice.

    "F*ck off! You two owe me so much money and still won''t stop bothering me! If Hill wants me to watch a movie with him, why wouldn''t hee to ask me himself?" Fire burst out of Tee''s mouth. The two space fighter turned on their heels and ran for their lives while they still had the chance.

    Tee turned around and startled her co-workers. She gave them a gleeful smile and said, "If these two evere close to the storage room again,e report to me immediately please."

    "Yes...Yes, ma''am."

    "Thank you! Alright, let''s examine the rest of the suits. Be careful and be thorough, please. The condition of these suits is a matter of life and death."

    As a soldier, Tee knew the paramount need to have a functioning suit while risking her life out there in space. Whenever the fighters finished a mission, all suits had to undergo a thorough check.

    Suddenly, the storage gate opened, and arge truck drove in. On it was a pile of broken suits that had seen much better days.

    Tee''s brow furrowed as soon as she saw the truckload of sorrow.

    "Whose METAL are these? How many Zergs have they killed?"

    "Unit three, eight, and nine."

    Tee shook her head and said, "That''s not our area. Send them back."

    A plump middle age engineer stumbled out of the passenger seat and hurried to Tee. "My apologies, Tee. We are unable to fix any of these. We thought it would be waste, so we brought them here for you to rescue them."

    "Ah, Lao Jiu, you again. Are your teams at each other again?"

    "Tell me about it. Sigh... I have already handed in my relocation application. I can''t do it anymore! Especially in unit three¡­ They drained by operation budget almost overnight, and no one listens to me!"

    "Didn''t captain just approve a thirty percent budget increase for your unit?" As soon as Tee saw that it was Lao Jiu, she knew she had to help him. She had only two troublemakers, Tang Hu and Luo Sen, but Lao Jiu had an army of them to deal with.

    "Thirty percent...sigh... Not even three hundred percent will be enough for those idiots. Can you take a look at these ones, please? I will really appreciate it." Lao Jiu''s face crumbled as he begged Tee for help.

    "I have just finished dealing with Tang Hu and Luo Sen. I can fix at most three more suits. You will have to wait for the rest."

    "Thank you! Thank YOU! You are my savior!"

    "Don''t thank me yet. Do me a favor, and don''t rmend me as your recement if your application is approved."

    Tee nced over the bucket full of broken pieces and picked one up.

    "This is done for. Bunch of idiots." Tee mumbled under her breath and threw the piece on the ground.

    "Tee, can I try? "Wang Tong picked it up and asked.

    "Help yourself." Tee waved an approval.

    Such repair would be hugely taxing on soul energy. Tee''s repair talent wasrgely thanks to her fine and strand-like soul energy.

    Wang Tong at tugged Zuoyan and asked, "Can you help me? I don''t think I can handle it myself."

    Wang Tong let Zuoyan hold a broken armor piece in front of him while he started to channel out his soul energy. Slowly, the hidden patterns of wiring inside of the METAL suit started to surface.

    During the past few days, Wang Tong had buried himself in the repair manuals, since he was bed bound and couldn''t do anything else. It was difficult to understand the manual at first, but with Ma Xiaoru''s patient help, he quickly got the gist of it. Ma Xiaoru was from the family that made these METALS, and therefore, her understanding of the METAL suit was unmatched by any technologist. Her help had proven to be very valuable.

    As Wang Tong continue to focus on the METAL in front of him, his soul energy guided him through one technique of diagnosis after another.

 Chapter 448: A Headstart

    Chapter 448: A Headstart

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Zuoyan, I need a Type-E energy crystal. I''m gonna take a stab at it." Wang Tong had finished the analysis and realized that he needed to fix the energy source first in order to bring the METAL back to life.

    "No, no, no! I thought you were going to look at it. Don''t waste the energy crystals."

    "Just let me try it for once. I know what I am doing." Wang Tong said without looking at Zuoyan as the repairing work upied him. Although this METAL had no life in it, Wang Tong felt that it was moaning to be fixed, like a patient in a hospital.

    "Trust you? Tsz... Famousst words." Zuoyan shook his head. However, when he saw the genuine eagerness flicking in Wang Tong''s eyes, he gave in and handed him a crystal.

    Embedding the crystal into the METAL was one of the most challenging procedures in repairing a METAL suit. Zuoyan highly doubted that Wang Tong would be able to pull it off.

    "Get me some spare parts, and a mixer please" Wang Tong picked up a precipitating saw, turned it on, and sliced off the battered parts of the METAL off like a pro.

    "We need to be quick. I can clean up the area around the crystal, and I need you to agitate the crystal for me. We only have three seconds." Wang Tong said without raising up his gaze from the METAL.

    Zuoyan was amazed by Wang Tong''s familiarity with the repairing procedure. There was no doubt that he would be even more impressed if Wang Tong could really fix the crystal in three seconds. So far, only Tee was able to do that.

    "Now!"

    Wang Tong cranked up his soul energy. The key to fixing the METAL was the control of soul energy, but not its magnitude.

    Zuoyan didn''t have time for second thoughts as he had to act quick. He acted out of instinct and followed Wang Tong''s instruction, agitating the crystal. Suddenly, the crystal appeared in Wang Tong''s hand without him grabbing it, and with a precise cut, Wang Tong sessfully secure the crystal squarely in the socket. A golden glow emanated out of the crystal and coated the METAL. Wang Tong''s quickly finished the rest of the procedure: cutting, loosening, recing the part, and covering it up. He had finished everything in one go like a brilliant calligrapher finishing up his masterpiece.

    When Tee imed that this piece of METAL was beyond repair, Wang Tong knew that what she really meant was that without the energy crystal in ce, it would be hard to start the repair. But, Wang Tong knew there were other ways. His solution was simple; he first powered the METAL with his own soul energy before he embedded the crystal.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief after he finished everything. Repair using his soul energy had brought him a refreshing feeling. Until then, the only usage of his soul energy was to destroy. Although it was just a METAL suit, Wang Tong felt like he had saved a real person.

    "Can I have some water?" Wang Tong asked, his eyes still fixated on the METAL.

    "How did you do this?" A bottle of water appeared in front of him.

    "Just followed the instructions on the manual. Not sure if I had done it right¡ªAh...Tee..." Wang Tong suddenly realized that it was Tee who had handed him the bottle.

    Tee looked at Wang Tong suspiciously. This level of repair could only be sessfully implemented by a level three engineer. Not only was Wang Tong able toplete it, but his speed was also much faster than anyone she had seen. What impressed Tee even more was that she knew that the METAL was already beyond repair, since its main crystal was shattered. But somehow, Wang Tong was able to bring it back to life nheless.

    A swell of murmur rose among the engineers inside the shop; their voices wereced with respect and surprise.

    Lao Jiu stared at the METAL with disbelief. He had never seen anyone able to fix anything that Tee had deemed not repairable.

    Tee put the repaired METAL on her and tested it out.

    "METAL"

    Suddenly, a golden light shot through the METAL and lightened the entire room. Tee quickly turned the METAL off, but found herself surrounded by people.

    "How was it, Tee? Did it work?"

    Tee shook her head and then nodded. The promise ofpensating for the expensive part due to a failed operation suddenly came over Wang Tong. He regretted acting on a whim and without consulting his wallet first.

    "Tee, it worked, didn''t it? What do you mean? "

    Tee looked at Wang Tong, her eyes filled with disbelief. "How did you do it, Wang Tong? How did you upgrade the METAL?"

    "Upgrade?" Lao Jiu wrenched the METAL away from Tee''s hand and pressed it close to his spectacles.

    "Zuoyan, which ss of crystal did you give him?"

    "Its ss E. We only carry ss E in stock. Anything better than that will need approval."

    "Yes, yes! This METAL had been upgraded! How did you do it? Unbelievable!" Lao Jiu''s face was lit up with glee.

    Was it one of the miracles that the de Warrior was capable of performing?

    "Lao Jiu, this is our business. Get out of here now. Leave all the METAL here, please."

    "Tee, just let me hear what he has to say, please! I''m just curious."

    "Do you want us to repair these or not?"

    "Yes, yes... Ok, I will leave you guys alone."

    "Ah-Lao Jiu, keep your lips sealed! Wang Tong, youe with me."

    Zuoyan nudged Wang Tong and whispered, "Be...careful..." After Wang Tong and Tee disappeared behind the door, Zuoyan and his coworkers hurried to pick up the METAL, then started to study it.

    ¡­

    "Grab a seat."

    "Yes, ma''am."

    "Haha, don''t be so serious. There is just something I need to know."

    "Ask along."

    "Have you learned METAL repair before?"

    "No... "

    "Are you telling me that you had learned METAL repairing in just thest few days?"

    "Yes, and no. I have been watching you work, and I had learned a lot from you. I have a good memory, so I remembered all the procedures."

    Tee lolled in her chair while scanning Wang Tong''s face for a trace of lies, but she couldn''t find any.

    "So, you are a natural then. Do you mind sharing your secrets of upgrading the METAL?"

    "There are no secrets. As you said, that METAL was done for, so I thought might as well giving it a boost using my own soul energy. I didn''t know it could upgrade it, hehe" Wang Tong said as he cracked a smile.

    "Bang!"

    Tee struck wang Tong''s head.

    "Why¡ª"

    "Don''t you dareugh!" Tee''s voice carried an edge.

    "What is it now?"

    "Sigh... You have no idea how many hard working engineers have just been undermined by your natural talent. It''s not fair." Tee sighed out her resignation. She knew that even if she could understand Wang Tong''s upgrading technique, she wouldn''t be able to repeat it, since shecked the same powerful soul energy as him.

 Chapter 449: Karmamudra

    Chapter 449: Karmamudra

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    A mixture of envy and resignation rose inside Tee. Wang Tong''s oblivious look didn''t help her ining to terms with the reality that an amateur had easily surpassed her.

    As Wang Tong''s supervisor, Tee knew she couldn''t let her emotion get the better of her. Plus, there was still the possibility that Wang Tong had done it identally.

    "Wang Tong, you have done well today. How about you join me tomorrow. We can fix that pile of garbage together."

    "Awesome!" Wang Tong shouted. Finally, he felt that he was making progress in bing a part of the team.

    "You can leave now."

    Tee shook her head as she watched Wang Tong saunter out of the room. She had heard rumors that the heir of the de Warrior was a cunning and calcting person. However, the boy full of sincerity and energy didn''t seem to fit the description. How would she describe him in the weekly report? Tee pondered on and failed to reach a conclusion. Therefore, she decided to keep on observing Wang Tong for a few more days.

    "You look happy today." Ma Xiaoru greeted Wang Tong, whose face bloomed like a flower.

    "Thanks to you, Tee finally invited me to work with the rest of the team."

    "That''s nice."

    "Phf... When are you going toe work with us, Boss? What''s so exciting about fixing other people''s METAL?"

    "Can you be more optimistic? Wang Tong is making progress. " Zhou Sisi rose to Karl''sment.

    "Sisi, I noticed that your evaluation was always on the top. Can you share some of your experience with us?" Xiaoru asked.

    "Wow, good job, Sisi. "

    "Well, my rating was still far behind Zhang Jin."

    "How about you, Karl?"

    "I am bored. When are we going to fight the pirates?"

    Everyone shook their heads in disapproval of Karl''s childish fantasy for war. War was brutal, terrible, and always tore loved ones apart. If history could have taught the human one thing, it was that war never changed.

    The mentioning of war brought Ma Xiaoru''s thoughts back to Norton. She held out her hand and squeezed Wang Tong''s, and was greeted by a loving and knowing smile.

    Karl watched the couple''s appalling public affection with much displeasure.

    "Hello? You two! We are still here. I am going to see if I can find my soulmate on this ship." Karl started back after he lodged hisint.

    Zhou Sisi''s face darkened a little and then said, "What a cute couple! I have other work to do, so I will leave you two alone for now."

    In the night, the two often engaged in the practice of Karmamudra. Although it might seem like debauchery in other''s eyes, it was one of the most effective methods for cultivation.

    "Xiaoru, let''s aim for the seventh level of the Tactics of the Enchantress." Wang Tong said excitingly.

    Ma Xiaoru nodded with a serious expression. Should Li Ruoer know that Ma Xiaoru was already preparing for level seven, she would be very surprised, since thest time she had heard of Ma Xiaoru''s cultivation thetter was still at level four.

    As the two started the Karmamudra, their soul energy slowly intertwined with each other. Ma Xiaoru had learned to let go of her body and sea of consciousness, and let Wang Tong take full control. As Wang Tong''s soul energy guided the energy inside Ma Xiaoru''s body, he kept on searching for ways to improve her cultivation efficiency by increasing the number of GN nodes. Failing that, Wang Tong realized that he was wrong from the beginning. For some reason, the Tactics of the Enchantress worked much better when only one set of GN nodes fueled it. The double GN attribute might do more harm than good to the Enchantress.

    Syncing the rhythm of the movement of their soul energy, Wang Tong slowly channeled his soul energy into Ma Xiaoru''s body, discing some of Ma Xiaoru''s, and allowing it to flow freely into his own body. As his energy grew, Ma Xiaoru''s body reacted to the foreign energy and tried to push it back. It was critical not to resist her body''s natural instinct. Therefore, Wang Tong would retreat his energy and let Ma Xiaoru''s energy flow back to its owner.

    This push and pull wouldst for the entire night. The constant blending of each other''s soul energy would eventually give birth to a refreshed and revitalized soul energy in both of their bodies.

    When the two first started this practice, it would take them a whole night toplete one round. However, as they got good at it, it would only take them two hours to finish one round. Thanks to Ma Xiaoru''s help, Wang Tong''s injuries were quickly recovered.

    Ma Xiaoru had calcted that the benefit of the Karmamudra was two folds. Firstly, Wang Tong could quickly recover from his injuries, and secondly, the appearance of having fallen into debauchery due to the stigma of Karmamudra would lower the guard of Wang Tong''s enemies.

    Like everything else in this world, the power of any tactics came from the bnce of Yin and Yang, and that was why Karmamudra was such an effective method for improving cultivation. Since Wang Tong''s soul energy was much more powerful than Ma Xiaoru''s, intermingling their soul energies was particrly beneficial for her advancement.

    After each round of Karmamudra, both of their soul energies would return to their owner''s body, releasing a wave of sensation that gave a more intense euphoria than a climax. As the exhration shot through Ma Xiaoru''s system, her body tensed up, face reddened and eyes half closed. Her half-naked body was more inviting and tantalizing than ever. This was the enchantress''s ultimate ability, to reach nirvana together with her lover in a tight embrace of infinite intimacy.

    Wang Tong was reveling in the waves after waves of sensual rushes. After each rush, Wang Tong craved that the next wave would be more intense than the one before. Meanwhile, he marveled at the brilliance of the de Warrior for inventing the tactics of the Enchantress.

    "Babe, we are almost done Karmamudra. It''s about time to finish our business." Wang Tong said as he clenched muscles in his groin, pumping more blood into his jackhammer. It responded by doubling its size.

    "No...Too big..Too¡­" Ma Xiaoru moaned, but she didn''t resist.

    "Haha. I''m only beginning." Seeing Ma Xiaoru havepletely surrendered to him, Wang Tong felt a rush of satisfaction.

    Although physical stimtion was necessary while they were engaged in Karmamudra, it was nowhere nearly as intense as when they got right down to the business.

    Ma Xiaoru felt a slight pain at first, but it onlysted a few seconds. As her body naturally responded to the stimtion, wetting her mouth and area around Wang Tong''s red-hot iron, the pleasure soon intoxicated her.

    It was not the first time Wang Tong toiled in the bed. He knew exactly what he needed. His hands danced around Ma Xiaoru''s body and finally rested on her butt...

    ¡­

    The next day morning, Wang Tong returned to his job and found out that Tee was already there.

    "Come help me. I have already separated them into piles based on the severity of damage." Tee said.

    "Be right there." Wang Tong replied, eager to learn new skills.

    Tee cracked a smile and said, "Well, I think you should open a mechanic shop instead of joining the army."

    "That''s not a bad idea." Wang Tong smiled and then started the inspection. Once he detected the damaged nodes in the internal wiring of the suits using his "X-Ray" vision, his next task was to re-connect the damaged nodes.

    Tee watched Wang Tong''s work in awe. Soul Scoping, a.k.a. "X-Ray vision", was not only a skill of the highest level engineers, but also required a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge of the wiring diagram by rot. How did Wang Tong do that?

    Unknown to Tee, Wang Tong''s ability didn''t rely on memorization or experience. Instead, it relied on his acute sense of soul energy. He could simply trace along the soul energy''s imprint on the METAL to find out the damaged nodes

 Chapter 450: Life Is Not A Popularity Contest

    Chapter 450: Life Is Not A Poprity Contest

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although Tee was one of the best at diagnostics, Wang Tong could finish the job much faster than her. It would take Tee at least five minutes toe up with a conclusion, but Wang Tong needed only a few seconds, and he would know exactly what had gone wrong.

    Tee picked up a piece of METAL that Wang Tong had just dropped and asked curiously, "Can you tell me what is wrong with this one?"

    Wang Tong scanned the METAL and replied without hesitation, "There are eight damaged parts. The worst is at its energy crystal, and then the..."

    After hearing Wang Tong''s diagnosis, Tee''s eyes were green with envy. It had taken her over ten minutes toe up with the same diagnosis, but it only took Wang Tong less than two minutes.

    As Tee was steeped in envy and amazement, Zuoyan and other coworkers walked into the room. Tee gathered herself and announced, "We have lots to do today, so we will team up. Zuoyan, you will help Wang Tong. Qianfen and Locks, you two will follow me."

    "Yes, captain!"

    Zuoyan scurried to Wang Tong and said, "Let me know what you want. I am so d that I can learn from you!"

    "Oh, you... haha! I have a lot to learn as well. Here, I have already gone over these pieces. Why don''t you help me make a list of parts that we need?"

    "I''m on it right away!"

    After Zuoyan took out a notepad and a pen, Wang Tong repeated the parts that each of the METAL required. The long list went on and on, and everyone listened as they fell in awe of Wang Tong''s amazing memory.

    How could he remember the parts for each and every one of the METAL suits without error?

    Although Wang Tong''s coworkers had witnessed a miracle yesterday, they still worried that the youngster might slip up and make a small but costly mistake.

    "Captain, do you think we should double check his work?" Qianfen asked. As a seasoned technician, he was well aware that the devils were in the details.

    "No need." Tee shook her head. She knew Wang Tong was apetent mechanic, and he was able to remember all the parts without any mistake. To many people, the difference between each METAL was seemingly indiscernible. However, to Wang Tong, each piece was unique.

    After Zuoyan had finished making a list, Wang Tong announced, "Let''s start!"

    Zuoyan''s face was lit up with glee. After having witnessed Wang Tong''s skills, the scene of Wang Tong repairing the METAL gripped his mind for the entire night. He couldn''t wait to see his skills again.

    Wang Tong was quickly absorbed in his work, making a few adjustments here and there. Zuoyan also started to learn the cues and knew the exact time to hand in the correct parts or tools. Thanks to the excellent teamwork, they were able to increase their efficiency vastly.

    Soon, Wang Tong noticed that regardless of the type of damages the METAL had received, as long as he used his soul essence to initiate the repair, the rest of the work became very easy. The more METAL he got his hands on, the more he learned about the internalposition of this sophisticated equipment.

    As Wang Tong sped up his repair, Zuoyan quickly fell behind. Tee assigned two extra technicians to Wang Tong to keep up with him.

    Cheers erupted inside the maintenance room as Wang Tong finished repairing thest piece of METAL. By then, it was already dark outside. Wang Tong and his team had finished one week worth of work in just one day.

    Wang Tong wiped the sweat off his forehead. It was hard work, but was worth it. They had worked through the day, and no one paused to take a break. They had learned a lot from Wang Tong, not only his techniques, but also his innovative way of thinking. They started to think outside the box, and were no longer afraid of bending the rules in conventional repairing methods.

    Tee watched Wang Tong with an approving smile. The rumors were true, the heir of the de Warrior was a genius.

    However, she refrained from giving Wang Tong too manypliments, since whether these repaired METAL were up to the mark was yet to be seen. The only way to test them was to put them to use.

    "Well done, everyone! Wang Tong, you did a good job. Zuoyan, please send these METAL to Lao Jiu. "

    "Yes, mam!"

    Everyone was proud of how much they had achieved today. Thanks to Wang Tong, the had done the impossible and saved the lives of many METAL suits.

    Lao Jiu stared at the truckload of brand new METAL in disbelief, as if his eyes had deceived him. He knew that this was possible all thanks to Wang Tong, and therefore, he made up his mind to steal this talent from Tee.

    Tee invited everyone to the pub after they had tidied up the shop. Not only could they celebrate today''s sess, but it was also an excellent way for team building.

    After having gained everyone''s approval, Wang Tong fell in love with his life in the maintenance crew. He realized that the rank of the job was irrelevant, since being happy at work was the most important factor. Plus, his experience so far was not entirely useless in improving hisbat ability. Wang Tong had gained significant insight into the powers and limitations of METAL suits, and he reckoned that this knowledge would help him in futurebats.

    Half drunk while holding a ss in his hand, Wang Tong suddenly decided to use the soul scoping ability on the ss. What he saw amazed him: even something as ordinary as a ssful of wine had an intricate soul imprint. The revtion made Wang Tong curious as to what the world would look like under soul-scope.

    The soul-scope ability had spurred him to think outside the box while cultivating. Sometimes, the bestbat skills were not learned in tactics, but from the seemingly in, day-to-day life.

    Wang Tong had finally realized that in order to further his cultivation, he should not focus solely onbat skills. Instead, he should widen his view and draw inspiration from other aspects of life.

    While thinking, Wang Tong shifted his gaze from the ss to the flower set on the table, and wondered what biological material would look like under the soul scope. He had expected something extraordinary, since he knew that the soul scoping ability was linked to his soul essence, the mysterious power inside all living things.

    At first sight, it was nothing spectacr. However, as Wang Tong looked closer, he discerned many wisps of energy dancing around the petals.

    "The essence of life!"

    Inexplicably, Wang Tong felt that the flower greeted him as a refreshing jet of energy came over him like a crisp morning breeze.

    Everyone watched in surprise as the half-wilted flower in Wang Tong''s hand bloomed, its pleasant fragrance permeating the pub.

    Tee swallowed down her surprise and asked, "Is that a party trick?"

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and replied, "Yes."

    Wang Tong''s calm expression couldn''t hide his overwhelming joy. He had finally gained the key to the secrets of the ultimate power in the universe. How much did he wish that Ma Xiaoru was there to share the joy with him?

    "I just remembered that I have some stuff to finish at home. I will see you guys tomorrow! " Wang Tong said as he stormed out of the pub.

    Tee knotted her brows. Of course, she didn''t believe what she saw was just a party trick. A soldier''s instinct told her that the earthling boy was hiding something from her.

    "Patroclus, since when did you start stargazing?" Zhang Jin asked curiously.

    "Why do you thinking the world allows the great houses to exist?" Patroclus responded Zhang Jin with a question.

    Zhang Jin was taken by surprise and answered without much thinking, "Because it does? I don''t know."

    Patroclus pointed a finger to the distant stars and said, "Compared to the universe, the humans are small and pathetic, weak souls in even weaker bodies."

    "I couldn''t agree with you more. The usage of soul energy didn''t change the fact that the human body is fragile. But, I believe that everything was made equal. If the humans had tenacious bodies like the Zergs, the bnce in the universe would be broken."

    "You are a Zhang through and through. Everything has a reason in your book, doesn''t it?"

    "Yes and no. On a more interesting note, do you want to know what Wang Tong had done this time to impress everyone? "

 Chapter 451: Outer-Space City Network

    Chapter 451: Outer-Space City Network

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Patroclus had only failed once in his life, and it was at the hands of Wang Tong. Therefore, Zhang Jin knew that nothing would pique the Ivantian''s interest like Wang Tong.

    "Do tell."

    "He was dispatched to the maintenance crew, a d*ck move on Kaost''s part, and he has fished repairing over fifty sets of METAL in just one day. His efficiency was practically equivalent to that of the best Ivantian technician I have ever seen."

    Patroclus didn''t seem to be surprised by the news. He cast a sidelong nce at Zhang Jin and asked, "Do you think that my target is Wang Tong?"

    Zhang Jin was taken by surprise, so she asked, "Is it not?"

    "Hehe, he is no match for me. I had allowed him to defeat me during ourst encounter." Patroclus said, his voicecking any emotion.

    "You allowed him?" Zhang Jin was shocked by what she heard.

    "Don''t let him fool you. He is no match against an Einherjar. I just wanted to know what it was like to be the loser for once." Patroclus still didn''t look Zhang Jin right in the eyes. He licked his lips, making them glisten against the pale moonlight.

    "But I saw it, that finalnce strike was¡ª"

    "¡­was incredible, yes. But, he is not powerful enough to control it." Patroclus cut her shot and said with a cold sneer on his face.

    "But...why did you let him..." Zhang Jin was at a loss. She that found the Patroclus in front of her was no longer the candid Ivantian Prince that she used to know.

    "The oue doesn''t matter to me. I live for myself, not for anyone else. If it was otherwise, what would be the point of living? "

    Zhang Jin uttered quietly, "We also live by rules. Patroclus¡­"

    "Jin, you are my best friend, I will never hurt you. But, I can''t promise the same for others. Please, let me go." Patroclus touched Zhang Jin''s face and smiled. There was a sense of crude finality in his actions and words.

    After Patroclus left the room, Zhang Jin found it hard to gather herself. She was deeply disturbed by Patroclus'' recent strange behavior.

    Could he really be the culprit that Samantha was looking for? No, it was impossible!

    The next day, the trainee reviewmittee had made some significant changes to the scoreboard: Wang Tong had risen from rank 55 to the top ten list.

    However, this big change didn''t catch many people''s attention, as everyone was focused on Li Shiming and his team. Li Shiming not only had a silver tongue, but was also an expert in attracting the public''s attention.

    Wang Tong didn''t mind the change on the scoreboard either. To him, his recent breakthrough in his understanding of the soul essence was much more profound than the uptick in ranking.

    Unlocking the full power of the soul essence would grant Wang Tong immorality and invincibility, but he knew that he was still too weak for such power by a long chalk. The first hurdle he had to pass before he could im the real power of soul essence was to be an Einherjar.

    How did Patroclus do it with such ease while it was so difficult for him?

    It suddenly urred to Wang Tong that his finalnce attack shouldn''t have ended the tournament.

    Something was amiss, but Wang Tong couldn''t put the finger on it.

    ¡­

    The Ark had finally arrived at its first outer space depot: the Lun outer space depot.

    Although interster traveling was made possible thanks to the space warping technology, the warping point was rtively far from major human settlements. In order to connect the human settlements with the warping point, the confederation had constructed numerous space depots along the way. Together, these space cities were called Space City Network. It was one of the key elements of the confederations'' space infrastructure program.

    The space depot Lun was the first stop of thework, connecting the warping point to the settlements in the Andromeda Gxy.

    The citizens of space cities had lived a different lifestyle thannd-dwellers. They had their own vibrant and unique culture that couldn''t be found anywhere else.

    Due to their obscure locations, these space cities were easy targets for pirate raids. In order to protect themselves, some of the cities had even reached an "agreement" with the ouws.

    It was easier said than done to construct a space city in the harsh environment of the outer space. Without a huge profit, these space cities would never be built in the first ce. With the increasingly prosperous settlements in the Andromeda Gxy, businesses that connected the settlement with the outside world had be more profitable. The seemingly endless source of revenue had kept the floating cities alive, despite the rampant pirate activities.

    Nevertheless, not everyone fancied a life on the spaceship, since it was indisputably rough and difficult, and the situation had been much worse fifty years ago.

    Fifty years ago, the confederation''s ignorance of the scourge of pirates had led to a rebellion. Although the rebelling forces had eventuality put down their arms, they were able to force the Confederation to loosen its grip on the space cities. From then on, the space city had enjoyed much greater autonomy than any other parts of the world. They had built their own military and even had their own government. The confederation''s initialpromise ended up to be a win-win solution, since the confederation could still reap benefits through taxes, but they also avoided the costly responsibility of guarding these cities.

    After a few decades, the space cities had finally be the breeding ground of pirate bands. The passing through of the Ark was a disy of strength, emblematic of the confederation''s firm new stance on zero-tolerance for colluding with ouws.

    "Captain, Mayor of Lun is on the line."

    "Connect."

    The screen lit up, and Kaost saw an energetic young fellow on the screen. His name was Carmen, mayor of Lun.

    Carmen wore a warm and affectionate smile on his face as he spoke first, "As the mayor of the city, on behalf of all citizens, I wee you and your crew."

    "Thank you for your hospitality. We will be sending you a list of supplies we are in an urgent need of. Your help in restocking those supplies will be greatly appreciated. "

    "It is my honor, Captain."

    "Thank you, Mayor. A lot of us had never been to Lun. Care if you give them a tour?"

    "We are more than happy to provide a guided tour to strengthen our mutual understanding."

    The first meeting between the captain and the Mayor went very well. The promise of touring an outer-space space city had also lightened everyone''s mood.

    "Captain, as a die-hard supporter of the confederation, Carmen didn''t change at all." Samantha piped up.

    "Hehe, we will see. This is only our first stop along thework. There will be difficulties and struggles ahead of us."

    "For the sake of your safety, I should go meet the mayor in person in your stead."

    Kaost nodded in approval before he fell into deep thoughts again.

    Meanwhile, Lun had transmitted a promotion video about the city, and it was broadcasted all over the Ark.

    "Lun, a metropolitan in the outer space... A ce to live; a ce to call home..."

    The screen disyed a "typical scene" on Lun: White fluffy clouds against the deep blue sky, chirping birds and skittish deer filling the emerald colored forest¡­ Meandering rivers that reflected the sunlight, making it look like a stream of gems¡­It was heaven.

 Chapter 452: Reunion

    Chapter 452: Reunion

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The residents on the Ark watched the beautiful scenery with great anticipation. If the space city were truly as beautiful as the promotion video described, they would love to visit it.

    Not only would Ark replenish its supply at Lun, but Kaost would have to carry out the task given by the Confederation as well. The tour would have to wait until the negotiations were over.

    Wang Tong''s workload had been reduced after he had finished that truckload of METAL yesterday, so he had time to gaze out of the window and enjoy the view of the floating city in the distance. He wagered that the people on Lun must be living an affluent and peaceful life. Not only was the city situated at the key transportation node, but it also boasted an imprable defense.

    The Mayor of Lun appeared on the screen. Carmen had inherited over one-third of the property in the city, as well as the title of mayor from his ancestors. Carmen started to introduce the City of Lun in an enthusiastic voice. Wang Tong didn''t like his voice or look. Something about this man made Wang Tong''s stomach churn.

    "Attention! The Ark will connect with Lun in ten minutes."

    Wang Tong knew it was time for him to get back to work, and it was when he saw Tee storm into the room with anger written all over her face.

    "What''s going on, Tee?"

    "Damn that old fool! He was trying to steal my crew. Luckily I noticed what he was up to. Otherwise, I would be so pissed!"

    Lao Jiu had handed in an application to the management, asking for more hands. He had splurged ink on his difficulties, but towards the end, he proposed only one candidate to be added to his team: Wang Tong. Luckily Tee saw the application before it got into the hands of the managers, and threw it right into the paper shredder. The managers knew nothing about Wang Tong''s talent, so they would most likely transfer him to Lao Jiu''s team in order to cate thetter. The squeaky wheel always got the grease after all.

    Wang Tong smiled helplessly. As he was about to provide his constion to Tee, they heard loud and urgent footsteps at the door.

    "Tee, Tee¡­ Get ready! The Three Tigers are here! Would it be that some of those METAL we had repairs had defects?"

    "What are the three tigers¡­? Oh...you mean them?" Tee jumped out of her seat and turned to Wang Tong. "You stay here, Wang Tong. Zuoyan, follow me."

    At the outer gate, Luo Sen threw his body at threerge soldiers to stop them from entering the shop. All three soldiers'' faces were knotted, and it seemed that fire was going to spout out of their mouths at any moment.

    "What brings you three here?"

    "Captain Tee, please hand him over to us."

    Tee cast them an usatory look and said, "He works for me, and I have checked his work. So, if there is any problem, I will be solely responsible for it!"

    "I am afraid it is beyond your pay grade."

    "Well, try me!"

    "What a feisty woman! No wonder you are the right arm of Kaost. Well... we are not here to hurt that boy. In fact, we are here to say "thank you" to him, personally."

    "Don''t you dare take him away from us."

    "Hehe¡­ You and Lao Jiu work for the same department, so you will still see him around. Technically, he will be still working with you. Lao Jiu is getting old and useless. We need help."

    Tee Rolled her eyes and said coldly, "No."

    Tee was never too charitable towards people who she didn''t like. The officers on the Ark had two cliques, one consisted of Kaost''s old subordinates while the other group consisted of fighters from all over the confederation. Tee was one of Kaost''s closest assistant while the three in front of Tee happened to be in the wrong league. In addition, the three brutes were well known for their ignorance andck of care for their equipment. If they knew that Wang Tong could fix whatever they damaged, they would only grow more careless while handling their METAL.

    "So, sounds like you won''t give us face."

    "You had lost your face a long time ago! Walk over my dead body if you want to take him away from me!" Tee refuted.

    "Perfect. I have heard about your fighting skills, and I can finally see it for myself today."

    "Boss, let me do it for you." One of the brutes stepped forward. He wore an eye patch, which made his face look more menacing than the other two.

    None of the maintenance workers dared to rise up to the insult. These soldiers wouldn''t give up until someone spilled blood.

    "Hold on!"

    Wang Tong appeared in the courtyard. He had been listening to the conversation, and could no longer sit in the room and let Tee to protect him.

    "I told you toy low!" Tee grunted.

    Wang Tong didn''t mind Tee''s scathing remark, but he was shocked when he saw the faces of the three troublemakers.

    "Jansining! Third and Big O!"

    "AH-HA! I knew it was my bro, Wang Tong!"

    The four hugged each other. Jansining patted Wang Tong''s shoulder and announced, "We had thought that it was you ever since we heard that there was a Wang Tong on the Ark."

    "You are doing very well, Wang Tong. Much better than us! Haha!"

    "No kidding! What are you now¡­ Heir of the de Warrior? "

    "You guys knew each other?" Tee was rendered speechless by the sudden turn of events.

    "Captain, these three are my friends. Can I take a break and catch up with them?"

    Tee nodded without much thinking.

    "Haha, Tee, we were just pulling your leg. We don''t want to transfer Wang Tong to our team. We just wanted to see him."

    "No worries." Tee shrugged.

    The four filed into a bar Chugging down arge ss of beer, they were all absorbed in the joy of reunion.

    "Captain, I can feel that you all have improved your strength. What happened?"

    "Haha! We are not sure either. After the terrible thing on Norton, ourbat skill and soul energy have been improving by leap and bounds. After the bigwigs noted our improvement, we were dispatched to this Ark expedition. We never thought that we would meet you here again! Haha! We can finally fight together now."

    "Nah... I am just a maintenance guy, not a soldier."

    "Are you kidding me? What the hell is Kaost thinking? You should be at least a fire team leader!" Big O shouted. "Jansining, it seems like we are not the only ones that have been mistreated."

    "Calm down, Big O. Although I''m not onbat duty, I have learned a lot at the maintenance crew here."

    "Don''t worry, Wang Tong. I would talk to Kaost if I got a chance."

    Wang Tong waved his hand and said, "It''s fine. Our Principle, the first mate of the ship, had already talked to him about it. The order is clear: he doesn''t want me to join anybat activities."

    "Haha, doesn''t matter. You are the best wherever you go!" Third gave Wang Tong a thumb up. He was still amazed by Wang Tong''s repairing skills.

    "Ah, by the way,e to visit us often. You can show my crew a thing or two about fighting."

    "Haha¡­ will do!"

    ¡­

    Lun was constructed in the shape of a giant wheel. The passengers of the Ark were ted as they approached the space city; the trip so far had been excellent.

    In the city, everyone watched the gigantic ship with amazement, as they had never seen a ship this big before.

    "Carmen is waiting for you at the entrance, Samantha. The rest is all up to you now."

    "Rest assured, I willplete my mission." Samantha saluted to Kaost.

    "Captain, do you think she will need more protection? Looks like she only has a small team with her." Hill suggested quietly.

    Kaost shook his head and said, "We need to build trust with our friends in the city. Plus, they won''t do anything while our ship is so close to their city. But you have a point¡­ Tell the security not to let their guard down."

    "Yes, captain."

    "And, can you show me the list again?"

    "Yes captain, I will send it to you right away."

    Kaost turned on his sk and double-checked the list of persons who would enter the city. Wang Tong was not on the list.

    ¡­

    "Balls! Howe Patroclus got to go first?" Porten mmed the desk in anger. He thought he would be on the list, since he was the son of the chairman.

 Chapter 453: Sneak Off The Ship

    Chapter 453: Sneak Off The Ship

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Shiming cracked a smile and then said, "You need to calm down Porten. It''s just a show anyway."

    "You mean..." Porten gazed at Li Shiming with confusion on his face.

    "I mean, there is no need to be riled up for such a trivial thing. Plus, it''s a good opportunity for us to observe Patroclus. " Li Shiming said thoughtfully. Action spoke louder than words. Only Patroclus''s actions would tell what he was really after.

    Li Shiming had always thought that Patroclus only cared about his cultivation. However, he wagered that after the tournament, the Ivantian Prince would be more or less distracted by the events unfolding around him. Li Shiming smelled an opportunity for him to catch up while his opponent was sidetracked.

    Patroclus was rtively a newbie in wading through theplicated web of political affairs, but that was not the case for Li Shiming. He had been groomed to not only be a powerful fighter, but also a shrewd politician. As a result, he knew how to bnce his cultivation and business much better than Patroclus.

    Slow and steady won the race after all.

    Having an unmatched natural talent could be a double-edged sword, since theck of challenge would evidently lead to over-confidence, and render Patroclus more vulnerable to conceit.

    Along with this line of thinking, Li Shiming concluded that Patroclus was more inexperienced than Lie Jian. No doubt that he was the most powerful fighter among hispetitors, but history nevercked extremely powerful warriors that failed to reach to the top. Politics was a deadlier weapon than any other tactics.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was absorbed in his repairing work when he heard Tee asking him, "Wang Tong, do you want to get off the ship to have some fresh air? I have heard the scenery on Lun is gorgeous."

    "Uh? I thought we are not allowed to leave the ship without permission." Wang Tong asked.

    "Ha! It seems like you do have some respect for rules. We are not going off the ship just to have some fresh air, kid. We are also going to restock our parts."

    "Awesome! Let me prepare!"

    "What is there to prepare for? You want to dress yourself up like a girl?"

    "Ah¡­ Ok...Let''s go then."

    Everyone knew that Tee was the captain''s closest assistant, so no one questioned them as they sauntered out of the ship to the dock.

    "Aren''t you jealous that Kaost had sent Patroclus as the students'' representative? "

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "No. Why should I?"

    "You are the champion of the tournament, aren''t you? You are the heir of the de Warrior. If I were you, I would be kicking at that old jerk''s door right now." Tee cast a sidelong nce at Wang Tong as she was caught by surprise by Wang Tong''sck of ambition.

    "Tee, is it just the two of us?"

    "Of course, you idiot! Are you expecting them to roll out the red carpet for two mechanics?"

    In between Tee''s scathing words, Wang Tong read the message clear and loud: Tee had left the ship without permission.

    The two of them rented a Maglev from the dock and then drove straight into the heart of the city. As they approached Lun, they found themselves in a modern and bustling city.

    "I thought all space-cities were ghettos." Wang Tong stretched his body, enjoying the fresh air that wheezed by his arm.

    Tee adjusted her aviator sunsses and said, "This is one of the best space cities. But, life here is definitely not easy. It''s harder to see on the surface."

    "Tee, is there something you are not telling me about why we are out about in the city?" Wang Tong asked suspiciously.

    "Nah, you are overthinking." Tee said with a sarcastic smile on her face. She ducked down and inched closer toward Wang Tong, "Shut your trap, or else I will make you regret it!"

    "Ok...I will not talk about it..." Wang Tong could not wrench his gaze away from the half exposed bosom and an alluring deep cleavage right in front of him.

    Seeing Wang Tong''s gawking, Teeughed out loud¡ªmen were all stupid. Her secret mission turned out to be much more benign than Wang Tong has suspected- it was shopping.

    Meanwhile, in front of the main gate of Lun, Samantha was greeted by a Carmen and his entourage which consisted of the powerfulndlords of the city and their family.

    "Councilor Samantha, I have heard so much about you! " Carmen greeted Samantha with a warm smile.

    "Thank you, Mayor Carmen. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet you in person."

    "Ah-of course! It is my pleasure. Come now, we will talk businesster. "

    "I will be following you."

    "Ah¡­No needs to be polite. You are home now, councilor. "

    As the group filed into the mayor''s residence, Samantha was caught off guard by thevish dinner Carmen had prepared for her. ''They are afraid of me.'' Samantha thought to herself.

    A throng of girls quickly surrounded Patroclus, most of whom were still in high school. The way they ogled at the Ivantian made Samantha worried that they were going to eat him alive.

    "Mr. Carmen, can we show Patroclus around?" One of the young girls asked.

    "We have been waiting for him for days! Please approve Mr. Carmen!"

    "Don''t be stingy, Carmen! "

    Carmen grinned and then answered, "Sorry about that, Patroclus. Girls in Lun are very hospitable. Would you like to apany these girls?"

    Patroclus cracked a smile and then said, "Yes, of course."

    All the other male representatives watch in envy as Patroclus walked out with a crowd of young girls.

    After Patroclus was gone, Carmen smiled faintly and waved a signal at his guards. The guards quickly surrounded him and Samantha.

    "Everything is ready."

    "Ready to board the ship?"

    "Yes."

    "Don''t worry; I have already arranged the rest for you."

    Carmen waved again and the guards dispersed.

    "Haha, it was so nice to see you, Councilor Samantha. And, it was my honor to meet the heir of House Dower. However, I know that the heir of the de Warrior was on the ship as well. Why don''t I see him around? Did he not think Lun was up to the scratch?"

    "Of course, he wanted to visit Lun. But, he is on duty today, so he couldn''te with me. If you want to meet with him, I can easily arrange that."

    "Ah, that will be greatly appreciated! I''m not sure you are aware that my ancestors had been supporters of the de Warrior as well."

    Samantha smiled and nodded. She had been looking for an excuse to reassign Wang Tong a new duty, and Carmen''s request made it much easier for her.

    Wang Tong and Tee didn''t drive far, stopping at a duty-free shop and buying some clothing and exotic perfumes. On their way back, they noticed that the space city security had set up a blockade.

    "You, you there¡­ Come here for an inspection!"

 Chapter 454: City Of Zerg

    Chapter 454: City Of Zerg

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong nudged Tee''s elbow and reminded her to avoid unnecessary attention.

    "Hi, we are the workers on the Ark, restocking our supplies." Wang Tong announced to the armed police as he took out worker ID.

    The police turned on the sk andpared the ID with his screen as a smile crept onto his face. Tee knew that the police had recognized Wang Tong, the champion of the tournament.

    "Ah...Mr. Wang Tong, please feel free to explore our city." The police handed Wang Tong''s ID card back ingratiatingly.

    As Wang Tong reached out his hand, the police''s finger grazed Wang Tong''s palm. Suddenly, Wang Tong felt something was odd about this policeman. But a half secondter, the thought was gone.

    After the policeman walked away, both Wang Tong and Tee heaved a sigh of relief.

    The near escape had ruined Tee''s day, so she plodded back to the maglev and was ready to head straight back to the dock. Suddenly, Wang Tong''s face ckened as realization dawned upon him.

    Tee noticed Wang Tong''s overwrought face, so she asked, "You don''t like this ce either, do you?"

    "Tee, how long are we going to stay here?"

    "We have to wait for the meeting to finish, so I would say at least three days. Why? You want to sneak off the ship again?"

    "What meeting?"

    "Do you really think we are here to restock supply? Samantha is in the meeting with the mayor of the city right now to discuss very important political issues. You can save the effort of worrying about the details since it''s way beyond our pay-grade."

    "STOP!" Wang Tong suddenly shouted out.

    Tee pressed on the break out of instinct, bringing the car to a jarring halt. "Wang Tong, what the hell is going on? Stop yelling like this!"

    "Tee, something is not right...not right..."

    "What are you mumbling!"

    "I''m talking about that policeman. He is not a human!"

    Wang Tong''s words disheveled Tee at first, and then she was amused with the foolishness setting in. "Haha! Are you kidding me? I agree that these space dwellers are kinda weird, but they are not aliens?"

    "No, I am serious. I have used the soul -scan on him unconsciously while our hands touched. He is not a human! "

    "Soul-scan? You mean¡ª"

    "Yes, the same ability I use to diagnose problems in the METAL suits. I had been using it on everythingtely, and I can tell a human from a non-human based on their soul energy imprints."

    "Maybe he is a cyborg. It''s prettymon nowadays." Tee said. She had never seen Wang Tong being so stressed out before.

    Wang Tong didn''t answer. His mind raced as he suddenly remembered that he had seen a simr soul energy before. It was during the tournament, on the Zerg-human hybrid. "I think he is likely another hybrid." Wang Tong announced.

    The hybrid monster had been the focus of the public''s attention for a while. However, since Patroclus eliminated it before it could do any real damage, so people quickly forgot about the incident. The origin of the hybrid still escaped the public; some believed that it was a new mutation of the Zerg while others thought that a faction within the Confederation had created the monster.

    Tee''s brows furrowed as the significance of the discovery setting in. If it really were the Zerg behind the birth of the hybrid monster, they should have already infested the entire city.

    "It''s serious. We need to head back and report to Kaost."

    "I will stay behind. I think Samantha will need my help." Wang Tong said. He reckoned that it was better for him to stay in the city, because not only would Samantha need his help, he also ran the risk of being grounded on the ship.

    The more Wang Tong thought about it, the clearer it was to him that Samantha had walked into a trap.

    The sense of urgency spurred Wang Tong to storm toward the city before Tee could say anything, leaving thetter no choice but to head back to the dock by herself. Truth be told, Tee was not entirely sold on Wang Tong''s suspicion. If Wang Tong were not the heir of the de Warrior, she might have ridiculed his im. If Wang Tong were right, Tee thought, the Zerg''s real goal might be sabotaging the Ark expedition!

    With many doubts and questions, Tee turned on sk and tried to connect to the Ark, but a strong disturbance made it impossible. Was it just coincidence that the sk was offline at this moment?

    Tee''s soldier''s instinct was tingling: something was not right. She got in the maglev and drove as fast as she could to the Ark. The Ark''s expedition would determine the future of mankind, so it could not afford to be sabotaged.

    Wang Tong soon realized that he was further away from the city than he had thought. It didn''t take long before he stole a maglev. He was racing against time, so he didn''t have any other options.

    While driving, Wang Tong turned on his sk and tried to contact Samantha, but his signal was blocked by the same disturbance that prevented Tee''smunication. Wang Tong didn''t even think of checking the situation back on the Ark; he trusted that Kaost, being an experiencedmander, would be able to handle any crisis.

    When Wang Tong was close enough to the city to discern the outline of the buildings, he gave up the maglev and started running on foot, as he didn''t want to get pulled over for driving a stolen vehicle. Nothing seemed suspicious in the city, so Wang Tong figured that the Zerg had not made a move against Samantha yet.

    Meanwhile, inside the city, Patroclus and the group of young girls walked out of the mayor''s residence and arrived at the mayor''s private garden. Despite the annoying chattering of the girls and their even more annoyingly vacuous questions, Patroclus enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the garden.

    "Patroclus, do you have a girlfriend?"

    "Yea, we all want to know!"

    Patroclus gave the girls a faint smile and then said calmly, "Is that really the best question you can ask me, Miss Zerg?"

    Silence fell into the garden as the chattering girls were shocked by Patroclus''s remark. The daughter of the mayor finally broke the silence, "Is that how you talk to a girl on the Moon?"

    Patroclus stretched his arms and took arge gulp of air. "What do you think?"

    Silence fell again; this time, even the mayor''s daughter kept her silence. Some pretty faces behind Patroclus had already revealed some of their grotesque nature.

    Patroclus about turned and saw the shifting bones on the girls'' faces; he was not surprised.

    "Your kind''s mutating ability is marvelous. What is the name of this new breed? Paradise-Zerg? Are you really that desperate to be human?" Patroclus said as he scanned the girls in front of him curiously like inspectingb mice.

    Suddenly, all girls dispersed away from the crowd and formed a circle around Patroclus. The mayor''s daughter still faced Patroclus, her eyes dead-locked on him.

    "Impressive! How did you know we are not human?"

    "Hehe, why should I tell you? And what is the meaning of this? No one in this city can stop me, much less you!" Patroclus announced. The temperature in the garden seemed to have suddenly dropped a few degrees.

    Ynsili, the mayor''s daughter, knew Patroclus was telling the truth, as she was well aware of Patroclus''s strength.

    "My dear prince, we are not here to stop you. We only wish you could listen to what we have to say."

    Patroclus nodded. "Luckily you still have some wits about you. Are you talking to me as the paradise inside of you or Ynsili?"

    Ynsili studied Patroclus for a while, and then she gave him an alluring smile. "Haha! of course, I''m talking to you as Ynsili. We had served our god right, and therefore, we were granted evesting bodies. We are neither human nor Zerg, but the ultimate form of evolution." Ynsili said as pride and conviction burned in her eyes. Patroclus knew that she was telling the truth, and was not under any mind control effects.

 Chapter 455: Patroclus Loyalty

    Chapter 455: Patroclus'' Loyalty

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Patroclus remained calm and asked, "Who is in charge here?"

    "That will be my father. However, if you have anything to say, you can tell me as well."

    "Hehe. I am not talking about Carmen; he is nothing but a pawn. I want to see the Zerg who is behind all this. I know he is after the Ark and me, so here I am. Lead me to him!"

    Patroclus stood with an unswerving conviction on his face. His words wereced with contempt toward the humanoid Zergs.

    The sneer on Ynsili''s face evaporated like a drop of water under the desert sun. She loathed the Ivantian Prince for calling her and her father ''pawns''. She believed that with the new body and abilities, they would eventually be the masters of both human and Zergs.

    With her face knotted, Ynsili opened her mouth to refute Patroclus''sment. But suddenly, the anger disappeared from her face like an actressing out of her role. She said with a newfound pleasant voice, "Mr. Patroclus, our master is expecting you."

    Patroclus smiled faintly and followed Ynsili down the path.

    ¡­

    "Move, MOVE!" Tee stormed toward the captain''s office while shouting at the people in her way.

    "What''s the matter?" Kaost was amused by Tee''s usual manner of hustle and bustle; she didn''t change a bit even after joining the maintenance crew.

    "Boss, it''s big! The Zergs are going to take over Lun!"

    "Oh? I''m listening."

    After hearing Tee''s report about her encounter with the policeman, Kaostughed and then said, "That''s it? There is no evidence but Wang Tong''s conjecture!"

    Tee paused for a second as she conceded that Kaost''s words had some truth in it, but not all of it. "Captain, I trust Wang Tong. He would never make a joke out of something serious as this. Plus, mymunication through sk was hijacked as well. This couldn''t be a coincidence."

    "Hehe, I am aware of those disruptions to the signals, and Lun has already checked their system. By the way, where is Wang Tong now?"

    "He stayed in the city..."Tee spoke under her breath.

    "Who authorized it? I entrusted him to you, so how could you let him leave your sight! Call him back right now. Otherwise, you will have to face discipline!" Anger suddenly burst out from Kaost''s eyes as he scolded Tee.

    "Yes, Captain!" Tee turned around and walked out of the office.

    "Wait! What''s your n?" Kaost asked.

    "I am going to get back to the city and find him."

    Kaost paused and pondered for a moment, then said, "Never mind. Just stay here on the ship and stay out of this!"

    Tee left captain''s office with many questions in her mind. She was not convinced that everything was under control. Kaost''s sudden outburst, for one, had raised her suspicion. Why would he get so riled up for Wang Tong''s safety while he imed that there was no danger at all?

    Even Tee knew that dealing with the space city was no better than ying with fire. The rtionship between the confederation and the space city was intense as they already were, and any unnecessary strain would unleash the resentment built up over time.

    Inside the mayor''s residence, the dinner party was already over, and Carmen''s butlers lead the Ark representatives into the guest rooms to rest. Jansining stood outside Samantha''s room to protect her from any unweed visitors.

    It was dark when Wang Tong finally reached the mayor''s residence. After he sneaked past the guard at the entrance, he channeled out his soul energy and probed the enormous pce, quickly locating Samantha. Wang Tong also located Carmen''s room. Fearing that Carmen would notice his probing, Wang Tong didn''t get too close to him. However, from a distance, Carmen''s soul energy resembled that of a human instead of a Zerg. Although Wang Tong suspected that Carmen had been corrupted, he did not have any evidence yet. Carmen was high profile personnel; Wang Tong would rather deal with him by himself instead of with Kaost''s support. He had learned that the world was not entirely ck and white, and the involvement of Kaost and his crew would only make things moreplicated.

    Wang Tong slunk in the shadows like a phantom until he reached the entrance to Samantha''s room. He felt lighthearted after he saw it was Jansining guarding the door. Wang Tong straightened his back and walked out of shadow towards Jansining.

    "Wang Tong, why are you here?"

    "It''s a long story. I need to see Samantha. I suspect that the Zergs are onto something in the city."

    The mentioning of Zergs drained all color from Jansining face, so he hurried to a side and said, "Ok, go right ahead!"

    "Be careful, Jansining. They are trying to bring the battle into the city. Don''t let that happen. Once we are on the ship, we should be safe. The forces in the space city are no match against the Ark."

    "Roger that!"

    Wang Tong''s appearance broke Samantha''s reverie.

    "Saman¡ªPrincipal..." Wang Tong realized that it was no longer fitting to call her by name.

    "Wang Tong!" Samantha quickly gathered herself.

    "Something is going on here, and the Zergs are behind it." Wang Tong got right down to the business.

    "Are you sure?" Samantha asked.

    "Not 100%, but I can feel something was off. If I could meet Carmen, I might have a better idea."

    After Wang Tong briefed Samantha about his encounter with the Zerg-in-disguise-policeman, Samantha''s hair stood on their ends. If the Zergs indeed had found a way to corrupt a human host, the entire city might have already been infested.

    But, what were the Zergs after?

    The next day, Samantha brought Wang Tong to Carmen, who was overly excited to see the heir of the de Warrior.

    "Wang Tong, on behalf of the citizens of Lun, I wee you. You must know that the people of Lun adored the de Warrior." Carmen said with an ingratiating voice.

    "Thank you, mayor. It is my honor to be able to visit the city of Lun." Wang Tong said as he bowed to the mayor. As he did so, he signaled to Samantha that he hadpleted the soul scan. And surprise surprise, Carmen was a humanoid-Zerg. Unknown to Wang Tong, Carmen had noticed his gestures, but he maintained his seemingly servile smile.

    "Where is Patroclus?" Finally, Samantha realized that the Ivantian was missing.

    "Oh, principal Samantha, I haven''t got a chance to tell you the good news yet. You see, the Ivantian Prince had taken a liking on one of our girls in the city. He insisted on hanging out with her today. I think...hehe¡­ they like each other."

    "Ah, that''s good news indeed. However, as part of the team, he has to fulfill his duty. If you see him somewhere, please tell him toe back to the ship as soon as possible."

    "Oh-no... please principal Samantha, we can''t separate the young lovers. That''s just cruel." The mayor said in a forced voice that sounded like whimpering. If he was acting, he had over-done it. "It is such an honor to have Wang Tong here. We must show him around the city!" The mayor quickly changed the topic.

    "Maybe...another time. We have a lot of things to do."

    "No, no, no... Just leave those trivial things to my servants." Carmen said with a broad smile on his face.

 Chapter 456: The Beginning Of The End

    Chapter 456: The Beginning Of The End

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Mayor Carmen, we are here on a very important mission. I hope you will corporate. " Dark clouds gathered on Samantha''s face as she spoke.

    "You humans are no fun. I thought I could y with you guys a bit longer."

    Samantha and Wang Tong heard cking noises and realized that the gates of the halls were all shut; they were trapped.

    "This is mutiny!" A few words tumbled out from Samantha''s clenched jaws.

    "Congrattions Wang Tong, you have seen through our covers. But what are you going to do now? Oh right...you are still injured...Aw...how sad!"

    Carmen waved a hand, and a few dozen soldiers swarmed into the meeting room, surrounding the visitors.

    Carmen linked his hand behind his back and watched his n unfold. "Haha, resistance is futile! All your bases belong to us! "

    "Carmen, what is the meaning of this?" Samantha gathered herself and tried to reason with Carmen. Meanwhile, she readied herself for a tough fight.

    "Haha, well, I guess there is no need to keep the facade anymore. But, I think you know who we are and what we want."

    "So it''s true. You have sold your soul to the Zergs. You are working for cockroaches!"

    "NO! We work for no one but ourselves. But thanks to the Zergs, we have gained a new body. It is a gift that you can never dream of. You stinky dwellers never cared about us, so don''t judge us. You have no idea what it was like!" Carmen''s voice was filled with contempt and indignation. In the eyes of the confederation, people in the space city were second-ss citizens. They wandered around from city to city, and never had a ce to call home. Without a home, they were weak and exploitable.

    As Carmen was still absorbed in the promise of revenge, he heard Samantha shouted out loud, "Charge!"

    Samantha knew this moment woulde, so she had yed along Carmen''s game, trying to gain more time for the Ark''s forces to mobilize.

    Jansining howled as he started firing at the guards that surrounded them. Meanwhile, Wang Tong cranked up his soul energy and initiated the Einherjar Lance.

    Wang Tong decided to go after the head of the operation as he charged toward Carmen directly.

    "Kom!"

    Carmen snatched thence right in front of him with much ease. Wang Tong was taken it back by the development. He thought the attack would be able to injure the mayor at least, if not outright killing him.

    "Hehe, very impressive, young man. But, it''s not enough!" Carmen said with an ugly sneer on his face.

    Samantha didn''t bring too many guards with her, thinking that Patroclus would be more than enough to fend off any aggression. However, the Ivantian warrior was nowhere to be seen. In less than a heartbeat, half of the guards she had brought with her were in by the monsters that surrounded them. Bullets didn''t seem to work on Carmen''s soldiers, as they would stand up and fight again after being hit by a barrage of steel.

    Carmen pushed thence away, sending Wang Tong stumbling back a few feet.

    "Excuse me. I haven''t officially introduced myself yet. My name is Carmen, that, you already know. I am one of the eight Dharmap of our God, like the Einherjar in your world." All the while, Carmen held a contemptuous look on his face.

    Samantha''s heart sank. She conceded that she had underestimated the situation and was not prepared.

    "Join us, Wang Tong! Our master thinks very highly of you. You could be like Patroclus and receive a new, indestructible body. Think about the pleasure while you watch as the world crumbles beneath your feet or as your enemies are brought down to their knees. It''s thew of nature that decrees humanity''s perceptual evolution. So, embrace it, young man. Embrace it¡­ or DIE!" Carmen''s voice changed its tone and pitch as if more than one person were speaking through his throat¡ªif that really was a throat in between his shoulder and neck.

    "I''m not nning on bing a bug anytime soon." Wang Tong said coldly as he inched toward Samantha. Meanwhile, he used his soul energy to call upon Mr. Wannabe. However, he got no answer.

    "Call us whatever you want, but you can''t change the fact that we are superior to both the Zergs and humans. Bybining the two, we have transcended into godhood. If you don''t believe me, ask your friend Patroclus for yourself."

    "So...it is true¡ª" Wang Tong was stunned by the revtion.

    Samantha could tell that Carmen was determined to coax Wang Tong to be the next Patroclus. He must have gotten the order to recruit Wang Tong. Otherwise, he would have already killed him.

    The transcendence from a mortal coil to godhood was a dangerous process, and only people such as Wang Tong and Patroclus who had impable physic and perfect soul energy would be able to withstand the incalcble strain. Carmen had finished half of his task with ease. However, the other half was not budging.

    "And, let me remind you-you don''t have a choice. There will be nowhere to go back to anyways. Hehe...your Ark will cease to exist in just a few moments."

    "Patroclus?" Wang Tong looked over Carmen''s shoulder as if he saw his old friend, an old trick he had learned from Old Fart.

    Carmen was caught off guard, so he about turned. But, before he realized that it was a ruse, Wang Tong dashed past the mayor to Samantha.

    "Follow me¡­ CHARGE!"

    "KOM!"

    The ground trembled as Wang Tong finally unleashed his coup de grace.

    Carrying Samantha over his shoulder, Wang Tong darted out of the room amidst the chose.

    Carmen grinned and murmured, "I won''t let you get away!" In a blink of eyes, Carmen had already caught up with Wang Tong. He raised a sharp de behind Wang Tong''s back and hacked.

    Sensing the iing attack, Wang Tong acted out of instinct. However, he regretted his move as soon as hisnce came to contact with the de. With Samantha on his shoulder, it was impossible to unleash his full strength. As their dire situation setting in, Wang Tong bes increasingly worried about their safety.

    The sense of urgency spurred Wang Tong to open his sea of consciousness fully. Suddenly, Jansining charged at Carmen and groped thetter''s legs to hinder his movement.

    "Wang Tong, take Samantha out of here! Let me handle it here!" Jansining shouted out hysterically; it was basically a suicidal move.

    "Jansining¡ª"

    "Shut up and move!"

    "Pest!" Carmen cursed under his breath as he hewed his de at Jansining. The sharp edge sliced through Jansining''s sword like cutting through butter, andnded on the old soldier''s alloy cyborg arm. The arm was made out of special alloy, and therefore, it was able to ward off the attack, but not for too long.

    Jansining tightened his grip.

    "F*ck off!" Carmen struck again. Blood spilled out of Jansining''s mouth, painting the ground dark-red.

    Swarms of Zerg-Human hybrids surrounded Wang Tong. By then, the humanoids had taken off their disguise, revealing their true faces.

    "Go, Wang Tong! Take care of my daughter!" Jansining shouted.

    "Go? Where? Haha!" Carmenughed.

    "Komm!"

    Wang Tong charged up his soul energy as he stormed out of the room with Samantha. He didn''t have the heart to look back, but if he did, he would see that although Jansining''s body had been severed into two, there was a smile hanging on his face.

    Without wiping the blood off his pants, Carmen announced, "Attack the Ark!"

    "Sir, the Ark is detaching from the dock."

    "ATTACK, NOW!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    The battle ignited instantly on the dock. Soldiers of the Ark quickly noticed that they were under attack by Zergs and their humanoid counterparts. They were surprised to see the two couldmunicate with each other with ease, and fought side by side in the same unit.

    "Captain, we are under attack. Zergs and humanoid Zergs."

    "Captain, we have multiple sightings on the radar. We need to un-dock right now."

    Kaost knotted his brows and announced, "Un-dock."

    "But Samantha and others are still out there." One of the officers piped up.

    "Do as I say!" Kaost shouted.

    In the corner of the cargo storage, a container''s gate swung open from the inside and unleashed a swarm of Zergs.

 Chapter 457: Missing Personnel

    Chapter 457: Missing Personnel

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As the Zergs were about to break the ponderous gate of the storage room, a thousand spikes erupted from the holes on the ground, skewering all of them like Shish taouks. This was not a storage room; it was a ughterhouse specially designed for this particr asion.

    Kaost was not as oblivious as he seemed after all, but what else did he know?

    Kaost looked through the window at the heated battle indifferently. There was only one thing that weighed heavily on his mind, "Where are Samantha and Patroclus?" Out of all the personnel that he had sent to the space city. He only nned to have the two of them to return safely. What had gone wrong?

    Wang Tong hammered his way through throngs of humanoids, as most of the resistance was reduced to pulp under thence of Einherjar. All this while, Wang Tong refuse to look back.

    By the time they arrived at the dock, it had turned into an inferno. Zergs, were everywhere, dead or alive, blocking the passage. The hulking Spaceship was already departing slowly¡ªthey needed to hurry!

    "Samantha, you drive."

    Fire Drake!

    A fire-breathing dragon appeared out of nowhere and plunged its fiery beard into the mass of Zergs. In a blink, it melted a passage in the middle of the sea of Zergs. Samantha brought the Maglev to the already-closing tunnel. However, they saw the spaceship had un-docked; it was toote.

    Wang Tong didn''t have much time to think, so he lifted Samantha out of her seat and threw her over his shoulder as he cranked up soul energy and flew into space.

    When Wang Tong rammed into the Ark, a swell of cheers erupted in themand center; he had made it! However, people quickly realized that there was one person that should have made it but didn''t: Patroclus.

    Zhang Jin could not have peace of mind ever since Patroclus left for Lun. Her heart sank when she noticed that Patroclus didn''te back with Wang Tong. If Wang Tong could make it, so could have he. The fact that he was missing meant only one thing.

    By then, the Ark had gained some distance from the dreadful city, but Carmen''s fleet was still hot on their heel. The space city''s shield was up, so it was impossible to bombard the city from above. With nothing to gain, Kaost ordered the Ark to depart with full speed.

    "Full speed ahead! Ordinates: S134-W45656." Kaost gave the order. He wagered that from here on, themunication with the confederation would be cut off. The Ark would be on its own now.

    Wang Tong slumped in the corner of a room, sorrow and anger written all over his face. Samantha felt guilty: if not for her, he would have saved Jansining. She walked to Wang Tong and pated on his shoulder: "Let''s go, there''s much to do."

    The turn of the events came so sudden that no one was prepared for it.

    Carmen''s space fighters were quickly forming an encirclement around Ark. The Ark glided toward the yet-to-be-closed opening, attempting to avoid a costly fight.

    After Kaost gave the order, the Arc fired into the rank of the aggressor, unleashing a thousand beams of light that lit up the dark space. Carmen''s fleet fired back, sending beams of light of equal intensity into space.

    Thanks to the new power source, the Ark remained imprable under its shield. Its firepower was hundred times more potent than the opponent, and it reduced half of Carmen''s fleet into ashes in a blink.

    Kaost was not overly excited about the victory, as he had expected the Ark to excel in a direct exchange of fire¡ªthat was what it was built for. He ordered the ship to keep straight ahead and finally brought it out of enemies'' range of fire.

    As soon as they were safe, Kaost called a meeting to discuss his current priority, returning back to earth.

    After the meeting, Samantha remained in her seat and waited until everyone except Kaost to leave the room.

    "Captain, I think I have the right to know what is going on!"

    "What do you want to know?" Kaost said as he lit a cigar in between two fingers.

    "Did you know about the Zergs before we arrived at the city?"

    "Are you questioning me? Let me ask you a question first: where is Patroclus?" Kaost said slowly. He was prepared for this conversation.

    Samantha knew she had to answer this questions first, so she briefed the captain about what had happened on Lun.

    Kaost''s face ckened after hearing what had happened. "How... How could it be?" He knew that the chance of Patroclus returning to the ship was zero, and losing a great house heir was no small matter.

    Kaost heaved a sigh of resignation and said, "I did know everything ahead of time. That is why I sent Patroclus to protect you."

    "WHAT?" Samantha mmed the desk.

    "I know what you are going to say, but did you know that¡ª" Kaost stopped talking right away as if he suddenly remembered that what he was going to say could not be shared.

    Kaost stood up and locked his eyes with Samantha. "Remember, it is nothing personal. It is a matter of life and death for the entire human race. We should be ready to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good."

    Samantha knew that Kaost was only exercising the will of the Confederation. She had a feeling that Patroclus knew all of this ahead of time as well.

    As if Kaost had seen through Samantha''s thoughts, he announced, "The real objective of this expedition was to reach the Andromeda Gxy. We have to get there regardless of how difficult it is."

    "Captain, why do I feel like we are just cannon fodder" Samantha half jested.

    Kaost didn''tment on that. Instead, he reminded Samantha in a solemn voice, "Remember your ce, girl. No more questions."

    Wang Tong brought the devastating news to Big O and third. They didn''t cry, nor did they show any sorrow. Instead, they brought out a dozen twelve packs and started drinking in the name of Jansining. They knew that Jansining didn''t go far, and would be waiting for them in the underworld. What was a lifetime to a ghost? In a blink an eye, the four of them would be united again.

    The residence of the Ark was shaken after the Zerg attack.

    "They told me that the Ark was the most powerful spaceship ever built. Why didn''t they kill off all the Zergs?"

    "Lies, it''s all Lies! They must be responsible for the psychological trauma I had endured."

    "Do they have any idea who I am? Turn back at this instant!"

    Kaost let the insults slide off his ego like rainwater from his bald head. After the ranting died down, he stood up and exined their situation.

    "I understand your feeling, and I am confident that Ark would be able to provide safety for all of you. They caught us by surprise, but even so, we could have killed all the Zergs if we wanted to. However, your safety with us is of paramount importance. Therefore, we had decided to avoid frontal confrontation for the time being. Again, I want to assure you that you are absolutely safe on my ship. "

    Kaost''s words of assurance finally cated the angry mob. However, Li Shiming and Lie Jian sniffed out the subtle uncertainty in between the lines. They knew that they had to prepare: a storm wasing. After a few days, Li Shiming and Lie Jian''s spies reported the surprising news: Patroclus had turned himself over to the Zergs, and had willingly transformed into one of those humanoid creatures.

 Chapter 458: Fighting Back

    Chapter 458: Fighting Back

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The rumor reminded the two of their first run-ins with the hybrid monster at the tournament. The thought that the Zergs were secretly preparing for a sweeping attack from inside the human world gave Li Shiming the jitters.

    Whether the rumor was true or not, losing Patroclus was not good news for the Arkmander.

    "Look at him, the old fox is wiggling his tail to make those pig heads think that they are really so special. Haha." Lie Jian whispered to Li Shiming.

    "It''s good to have a united front when the real dangeres." Li Shiming said calmly.

    "What do you think is gonna happen next?" Lie Jian asked. If not for his affection for Li Ruoer, Lie Jian would never talk to Li Shiming. However, having met tailwind in his pursuit, so he decided to cozy up to Li Ruoer''s brother first.

    "I have a feeling that we are not going to turn back. We will keep sailing." Li Shiming said slowly.

    "Oh? I thought the old fox would cave in and return home..." Lie Jian stopped, thinking that it was better to keep his opinion to himself.

    After the near escape and having theirmunication cut off from the base, returning to the sr system seemed to be the most sensible course of action. However, judging based on Kaost''s first reaction after the incidence, nothing seemed to matter more than the life of Patroclus.

    Although the safety of Patroclus was indeed crucial to the captain''s future promotion, as an experiencedmander and an avid politician, Kaost should not have overlooked the danger and sent Patroclus right into the mouth of Zergs. Kaost''s conviction in his action could only mean one thing: the confederation knew about everything all the while.

    Lie Jian nodded as he marveled at Li Shiming''s keen observation.

    Suddenly, the rm went off.

    "Attention, attention. Unknown fleet approaching. Ready your arms."

    "What''s going on, Samantha?" Kaost stormed into themander''s office and asked. Bright dots flickered on the radar screen indicating a mass of iing fleet.

    "Captain, that is a human fleet. Some of the ships had pirate gs on them." Samantha replied; her voice was steely.

    "Prepare for battle. Let''s destroy these sons of b*tches!" Kaost gave the order without much thought. He wagered that the fleets were already under Zerg''s control, since even the space city had fallen victim to the Zerg, much less a band of disorganized pirates.

    The iing fleet released swarms of round objects: these were a particr breed of Zergs with robust and filed teeth that could shred any metal apart in seconds. Although they were vulnerable against concentrated fire, they excelled in numbers.

    Behind the dark clouds of swarming bugs were ranks upon ranks ofrger flying Space Zergs.

    "Artillery Ready¡­ FIRE!"

    The two supercharge cannons at the head of the ship fired at the swarm. Two blinding rays of light pierced the darkness and shredded anything in their path into pieces. However, the first shot was not able to eliminate all bugs, and the enemy ships also fired back to keep the pressure on the hulking Ark.

    The battle had finally begun!

    "Ready your Space METAL!"

    Like all organic matter, the swarming bugs were able to prate through the Ark''s shield. Although the artillery was able to clear away some of the bugs, Space Fighters would have to kill off the rest before they started to damage the ship.

    Third and Big O stood at the front of their squad, ready to kill some bugs.

    Inside the firing room, rows of experienced gunners sat behind the breach of the canons, adjusting their aims and passingmands to the operator. Their uracy rate could be ten times better than auto-aiming. However, manual aiming required a significant amount of soul energy. So, in order to ensure uracy, the shooters rotated shifts every ten minutes or so.

    Karl was waiting impatiently for his turn. All his training and exercising was for this moment. He felt that his blood was boiling.

    "Captain, the enemy has nked us from both sides."

    Kaost thought for a second and asked, "Which side is closer to us?"

    "Left. They are ten minutes away from entering the rang of our artillery."

    "Come left to ny-three degree."

    "Aye, sir!"

    Samantha started to notice that some of the shooters began to show sign of exhaustion.

    "Bring on the reserve!"

    "They are students."

    "Follow my orders, soldier," Samantha shouted, her voice seeming to even cut apart the hearts.

    After a while, Karl finally got his hands on the scope.

    "Thank you, Principal. You are the best! Ah-Ha! You little b*stards! Taste my balls! "

    As soon as the gunners retired from their post, they started to recuperate their soul energy. They knew that these kids were the best of the best in their school, so they shouldn''t be worse than auto-aiming.

    Amidst the chaos, Samantha suddenly realized that this would probably be the new normal should Ark continue its course. Although she couldn''t figure out the confederation''s real motive, she knew she had to prepare the ship for long-term struggles.

    "Confederation¡ªF*CK YAY!" Karl shouted as he shot down one Zerg after another. Although this was his first time holding a real gun, his uracy was a whopping ny three percent. Even Samantha was taken aback by the result: this was the best number she had ever seen.

    The rest of the students didn''t fall behind too far from Karl. Some of them, such as Zhou Sisi, sh, and Bisu, performed even better than the veterans.

    The students'' calm execution and unwavering mettle had won the hearts of the veterans. Other than Karl, who appeared to be on some kind of chemical, the students held a deadly calm on their face.

    As profanity mixed with spit spilled out of Karl''s mouth, the operated suddenly had the urge to kick him out of his chair. But considering his incredible uracy, the operator kept his silence as Karl''s spit rained on him with equal uracy as his aim.

    The students'' help had alleviated much pressure from the firing team. After a brief period of recuperation, the firing team returned to their post.

    By then, the battle outside of the ship had be the key to the victory.

    "Captain, should we let the students join the space battle? They had done a good job helping the firing team."

    Kaost shook his head and said, "Not yet. We won''t call in the students unless we are desperate."

    Kaost had already lost Patroclus, and he didn''t want to lose any other kids.

 Chapter 459: Attack From Both Sides

    Chapter 459: Attack From Both Sides

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The students on the ship were the future of the Confederation. Kaost was determined to not risk any of their lives.

    It didn''t take long before the tide of the battle started to favor the Ark''s soldiers. It was evident that the cohort of pirates had underestimated the power of the most powerful battlecruiser of humanity.

    Somewhere deep in the space, a dark figure was watching the battle on a screen, while on another screen next to it, Carmen knelt on the ground with his head lowered.

    "This is truly a marvelous ship they have got."

    "My lord, this is the technology created by the de Warrior. I believe that the de Warrior is hiding many more such secrets." Carmen said servilely.

    "It''s about time to unveil our true strength. I want this ship captured. Send out our fleet now."

    "Yes, my lord."

    "You have done a good job with regards to Patroclus. Our liege is very pleased."

    Carmen''s face was lit up with glee, "All thanks to you, my lord."

    There was cold silence at the other end of the line, which soured Carmen''s smile on his face. An even colder voice followed, "But, you let Wang Tong slip away under your nose!"

    Carmen wanted to exin for himself. However, his words melted in his mouth and turned into a wail. Things were moving about in his bowels, thrusting and thumping. Tears poured out of Carmen''s eyes as he wiggled his body on the floor like a pathetic worm. All the while, a crimson light shone in the eyes of Carmen''s master. After a time, the light faded and, Carmen also stopping thrashing.

    "I will let you live this time. Do not fail me again."

    "Yes... my liege."

    "Wait." Another voice reverberated in the room, cold and lifeless. "Wang Tong and the Ark are both mines!"

    Despite the heated battle outside of the ship, Wang Tong was ordered to station in the storage room and look after the equipment. He would have stomached unreasonable order if it were not a bloody war outside. He knew he had to get out there and help. However, an order was an order. After breaking the rule and sneaking off the ship, Wang Tong could no longer afford to cross the line again. As anger and indignation roiled inside him as he sat in the storage room and waited. He figured that summoning the Einherjar METAL would save him frommitting the crime of stealing space METAL from the ship. However, ever since thest space battle, Mr. Wannabe had been dormant and didn''t answer Wang Tong''s calls.

    "Why? Why wouldn''t Kaost let me go out there and fight?" The same question rang inside of Wang Tong''s mind over and over again. He knew he would be of great help to the situation.

    "Wang Tong, have some water." Tee handed a bottle of water to him.

    "There''s nothing toin about. You are a soldier, and your only job is to follow orders. It''s not just you. Li Shiming and Lie Jian are ordered to stay put inside the ship as well." Tee consoled Wang Tong. Ever since Wang Tong had rescued Samantha from the Zerg''s death clutch, he had grown on her. She was impressed not only by his strength, but also his ability to remain levelheaded and make decisive decisions.

    Life might not give Wang Tong everything he wanted, but things happened for a reason. Kaost knew that it was imperative to protect the important students, such as Wang Tong and Li Shiming. As pressure from all sides rushed in, Kaost needed to weigh his options carefully, as any decision would have far-reaching consequences, some of which would be extremely unpleasant.

    After a few bouts of firing at each other, the new battery''s advantage started to shine. Despite the intense enemy barrage, the energy shield held steadily and didn''t even flicker. This was almost impossible for ships with conventional batteries.

    With a solid defense against the iing fire, the offensive capability of the ship took full control of the battle and shredded the enclosing enemy ships into pieces.

    Seeing the majority of the fleet turn into dust, the rest of the pirate ships turned on their heels and fled the battlefield. Ark didn''t chase after them, fearing it was a ruse to break their formation. Everyone knew that the cohort was not the main force of the Zerg''s army; it was merely a sample of what was about toe at them.

    The attack didn''t deter Kaost''s aspiration to reach the Andromeda Gxy. However, he ordered the ship to take a detour around any other space cities along the way.

    In the days that followed, Kaost''s decision had proven to be very wise. Nheless, Ark still weathered more than eight skirmishes, both with Zergs and patrols sent from the space cities. Two of such conflicts spiraled out of control very quickly, and Kaost had to give the order to demolish the space cities.

    The scene in those cities was sickening. There was no human left, only grotesque walking husks filled to the brim with rotten corruption. The Zergs had turned the strong bodies into their host, and the weak ones into food.

    As days went by, the battle started to be more intense, and so did the Zerg''s atrocities in the space cities. Without any restocking, Ark''s supply was dwindling. What was worse, the constant discharge had taken a toll on the ship''s battery, and the Ark was forced to stop and let the battery recharge from time to time.

    When Ark left Lun, Kaost was confident that the supply wouldst until they reached his destination. However, the constant fear and stress and driven many wealthy passengers to the brink of madness. As they sought refuge in thefort of food and debauchery, the supply dropped drastically.

    The development had caught Kaost off guard. Desperate, the captain announced a new rationing system on the ship. Meanwhile, he ordered the maintenance crew to work round the clock to repair the ship''s damages.

    The new rationing system had angered the passengers. Shouting slogans such as "Stop the Tyrant" and "Human Rights Matter!", they marched towards the Captain''s office. Kaost acted quickly and squashed the protest with an iron fist. Two leaders of the protesters were incarcerated, and the crowd quickly dispersed. However, the resentment towards Kaost''s rule infested under the seemingly quiet surface. By then, many passengers had realized that the expedition was not what they were promised it would be. They were told that the voyage would be a death blow to the puny ouws, but ever since theynded at Lun, they had been fighting with the increasinglyrger number of Zergs.

    Ever since the defeat on Norton, Zergs rarely engaged in a fight with the Confederation forces. So, the relentless attacks seemed odd. It was as if they were after something on the ship which was precious to them. Was the Ark hiding something from the public? What was the real goal of this expedition? When would Kaost think that enough was enough and bring the ship back to the sr system? One question bade another, but none of them had the answers.

    Kaost sank his body in an armchair, taking a long, hard drag on the cigar in between his fingers. He felt defeated as he reflected on the development so far. The Zergs had evolved; they had be smarter, but no less vicious¡ªthey had be more like the humans.

    Although the Zergs real motive in waging war on Ark still eluded Kaost, he had a nagging feeling that they intended to capture the ship instead of destroying it.

 Chapter 460: Patroclus 2.0

    Chapter 460: Patroclus 2.0

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Running his finger along the heroic cigar, Kaost gathered himself and stood up. As the Captain of the ship, he should not show even a shred of doubt about his actions. Ever since the day he became a METAL fighter, he knew that the real challenge like this woulde one day.

    The Zergs didn''t attack in the following days, which gave the Ark and its crew a short respite. Not only was the tension between the authority and the passengers eased, but the promise of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel also gave everyone a smile on their faces.

    However, Kaost and Samantha were bing increasingly nerve-wrecked as the quietness continued, and even the air felt still and stifled like that before a terrible storm.

    The recent participation in the real war had invigorated many students. It had been a thrilling experience even for the ones who merely observed the battle, much less for those who actually took part in the fighting, such as Karl. Thanks to his near-perfect aim, he was drafted into the firing team. Each day during dinner, students would gather around him and listen to his bragging about the heroic deeds of the day. Ever since the first attack, Karl had be more popr than the heirs of the great houses and rightfully so, as his uracy was the highest on the ship; he was a natural shooter.

    The second best shooter was Zhou Sisi. Not only was she deadly urate with her aim, but she was also an excellent team yer. sh and Bisu''s performance was also outstanding, but they were not as praiseworthy as Zhou Sisi.

    Students such as sh and Bisu could do much better in the ssroom than in a real war. Meanwhile, Zhou Sisi and Karl were the opposite, as the real world situation seemed to have invoked their innate abilities that were otherwise hidden.

    Karl and Zhou Sisi''s talent quickly caught Kaost''s attention. As a veteran in the Confederation force, he had seen many talented soldiers¡ªmany were serving him right at this moment. However, no one couldpare with the abilities of these two. Karl was a deadly shooter while Zhou Sisi, with some training and guidance, would be the best fleetmander the world had ever seen. Kaost made a mental note to remember recruiting Zhou Sisi as soon as he was done this mission. What impressed Kaost even more was their rise to the top from their ordinary family background, much like the path he had taken. Every time he saw the silly but enthusiastic smile on Karl''s face, memories of his teenage years came back and flooded his mind.

    Suddenly the rm went off. Kaost heaved a sight: it had finallye.

    Everyone in themander''s office was shocked by what they saw on the radar screen. Swarms of Zerg Fleets appeared out of nowhere and had already formed an encirclement around the Ark. This was thergest attack the Zergs had waged yet.

    Although Ark was well within their shooting range, none of the Zerg ships fired. Instead, the Zergs kept on shrinking their encirclement.

    When Kaost walked into themander''s office, he could feel everyone''s anticipating gazes on his face. They were afraid; the promise of death loomed in the air.

    Inst hundred years, Human had always fought the Zerg with an upper hand either in terms of manpower or firepower. But it was not the case today. The sudden loss of advantage had taken a huge toll on the morale. Hopelessness was evident on everyone''s face.

    "Captain, there are ten Zerg fleets out there... What should we do?"

    Kaost remained calm and nced at the radar screen, then walked to the captain''s seat and sat down. He was ordered to attract the attention of the Zergs'' main fleet force, and he had seeded.

    "We will fight! This is our only choice."

    "Aye, Captain!"

    "Samantha, gather all the students in the meeting room eight¡­ Now."

    "Yes, sir! I request to go to the front line after our meeting."

    "Your ce is on the ship, inside themander''s room," Kaost said with a taut face and an upromising voice.

    "Yes...Captain." Samantha murmured.

    "This is the Captain''s order. The following students, please go to meeting room number eight: Wang Tong, Li Shiming, Lie Jian, Zhang Jin... "

    The list includes most of the top students of different academies. They paused for a moment after hearing the announcement, and then walked to the meeting ce, all the while wondering what the old captain''s n was.

    "Go now, Wang Tong." Tee knew that she would be on the list as well. The vast number of enemies had formed a terrifying force even for the formidable Ark. Although the spaceship was the strongest the world had ever seen, it, after all, would have a limit to its capabilities, like everything in this universe.

    Soon, Tee heard the radio call out her name.

    The Zergs had poured all of their forces at the Ark. It was evident that all of the previous skirmishes were carefully nned by the Zergs to lure the Ark deeper into the trap. It was unheard of the Zergs pulling off a cohesive strategy; the development had caught Kaost by surprise.

    "Main cannon energy level at thirty percent."

    "Port cannon energy level at sixty percent."

    "Starboard cannon energy level at seventy percent."

    "Auxiliary gun energy level at twenty percent."

    "Replenishing the energy shield. Initiate the backup power source."

    This was a fight of life and death. Ark had given all it had in trying to push the attackers back.

    The battle seemed to have rekindled the fire inside the old captain as Kaost''s face gained lively colors. This battle would determine the fate of the human race, and it was a blessing for Kaost to be themander.

    Suddenly, a shadow streaked across space above the Ark, and then the shadow¡ªvaguely resembling a human¡ªappeared on the screen.

    "Einherjar!"

    "It looks like the Dower''s METAL."

    "Isn''t that the Deva Lance?"

    "Patroclus¡­ It''s Patroclus!"

    "Haha! I knew he that was still alive. He is the heir of the Dower after all."

    "Thank God he is here!"

    The appearance of an Einherjar during the battle gave everyone a confidence boost.

    "Captain, the Zerg fleet has stopped advancing." One of the officers shouted at the top of her lungs. However, Patroclus hovered motionlessly in the space, and didn''t seem to want to join the rank of human fighters. Something was amiss.

    From a distance, Patroclus''s METAL would easily pass for a typical high tier METAL suite. However, upon a closer look at the screen, people quickly found out its oddities. Not only was the arrangement of the METAL pieces unconventional, but the energy crystal was also out of proportion whenpared to its standard counterpart. It flickered with a sky blue light, a color that had never been seen on any energy crystals.

    "Zenn!"

    The dark shadow unsheathed the elegantnce. It was the Deva Lance, and therefore, it had to be Patroclus under the shroud of darkness. From an opening in the moving shadows, people finally caught a glimpse of the face, and it was indeed Patroclus.

    Everyone inside the meeting room eight sensed the strangeness in the development. Doubts and suspicions filled the room.

    Patroclus pointed the Deva Lance at the Ark as everyone heard a voice in their ears, "Wang¡­ Tong."

    The voice wasn''t a usual sound but an energy wave. Instead of traveling through space, it appeared inside the listeners'' ears like a voice inside one''s mind. It sounded angry, and trembled a little due to great anticipation.

    "Wang¡­ Tong!"

    "Come¡­out!"

    Every syble sounded like thunder, and many people were so disoriented by the voice that they had to find a wall for support.

    "Wang¡­Tong! Where¡­are¡­you?"

    As the sound became louder, the dark shroud that surrounded Patroclus''s face started to thin out and revealed a shocking image to the people on the ship.

    Patroclus had turned into one of those humanoid creatures. Although his features didn''t change much, the subtle and creepy transition in the color of his iris was hard to miss.

    People''s hearts sank as the sudden turn of events dumbfounded them.

    How was it possible that Patroclus, the heir to one of the most powerful houses, and a recent member of the unequivocal defenders of the human race, the Einherjars, surrendered to the corruption of the Zergs?

    It might sound like an absurd thing to say that Zergs manipted the prince of the Ivantians, but the sad and undeniable truthid bare in front of everyone.

    At the sight of the hideous creature and the even more hideous realization of what had happened, many people covered their mouths with hands to suppress a scream but failed.

    "Don''t move! You will die if you go out there and fight him right now! "Tee said as she blocked the exit.

    "We need time to charge up the Ark''s defense. Otherwise, if Patroclus starts attacking the ship right now, all of us will be in trouble."

 Chapter 461: Obsession

    Chapter 461: Obsession

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Tee knew that Wang Tong was right. Although the Ark was more than capable of defending against a regr assault regardless of the intensity, the addition of an Einherjar on the enemy''s side had thrown a wild card in the battle. It would take a while for the Ark to be ready for a battle, and during this time, the ship was vulnerable, especially to the attack of an Einherjar.

    "Wang¡­Tong!"

    For some inexplicable reason, the Zerg fleet halted their movement and waited with Patroclus as if the Ivantian prince was theirmander.

    A gate on the Ark slide opened slowly, and Wang Tong appeared behind the gate, wearing a space METAL.

    Both warriors knew that their fight in the Sky Arena was only a prologue to a life-long struggle andpetition, however, neither of them had thought that they would continue their fight in such a particr circumstance.

    "Sh*t! Who let him out of the ship?" Kaost pounded the desk and shouted.

    "It was me, Captain!"

    "Tee? Haven''t I told you to go to the meeting room number eight?"

    "Captain, I would rather be on the front line at this moment. Wang Tong convinced me to let him out and fight the Zergs before they would wage an attack on Ark and catch us by surprise." Tee announced loudly, as her voice held an unswerving conviction.

    Everyone knew that an Einherjar could demolish a spaceship with a snap of his fingers. Therefore, Kaost saw some sense in Wang Tong''s actions.

    "How long until the energy will be fully charged."

    "At least five minutes, Captain!"

    Kaost conceded that it would be the longest five minutes for everyone on the ship. The power of the Einherjar was indisputable. Who would think that the guardians of the human world would turn out to be the biggest threat to their existence?

    Sensing the irony, Kaost suppressed an ugly smile.

    It was evident that Patroclus couldn''t get over the defeat in the Sky Arena, and it was the frustration and desperation that had driven him to seek an alliance with the Zergs. The public''s ability to reason had long since been overshadowed by Patroclus''s superhuman ability, so no one had seen the Ivantian Prince''s fatal w: his inability to cope with failure.

    The betrayal of the Ivantian Prince was a wake-up call to the public that hade toote. By then, no one had the time or the nerve to ponder over their oversight, as they were distraught by their dire situation. Feeling helpless and desperate, they prayed that Wang Tong would be able to fend off Patroclus''s attack long enough for the energy shield to fully charge up.

    As Wang Tong approached Patroclus, he noticed that the corrupted Einherjar didn''t change much regarding appearance. However, Wang Tong could sense the loud-and-clear otherworldliness in Patroclus'' soul energy. It was entirely different than any other forms of soul energy that Wang Tong had experienced. Struggling to keep hisposure, Wang Tong heard his brain scream danger at him.

    Wang Tong paused and watched his opponent from a distance. With the knowledge that Patroclus intended to kill this time, Wang Tong was surprised that he could barely feel any belligerence in the air. Even the Ivantian''s eyes didn''t betray his menacing intent as they stared nkly into the distant stars. It was like a poisonous needle wrapped in a soft nket¡­Wang Tong reminded himself to be very careful.

    "Why?" Wang Tong spoke first. "You are my most admired warrior. Why would you do this to yourself?" Wang Tong was not alone in his confusion, as everyone on the ship wanted to know what had motivated the Ivantian to make such a drastic decision. Hadn''t he realized what his decision meant to the entire human race?

    If Patroclus didn''t betray the Ark, Jansining and many other warriors would not have died.

    Patroclus was amused by Wang Tong''s question, as if thetter was oblivious to the answer that had been right in front of him. He pointed thence to the starlit sky above him and said, "You need to think outside of the box. Otherwise, you would forever remain a pawn in the other people''s game! We have the power and the ability to see through their tricks! All you need is a leap of faith. The universe is boundless, and so is the variety of life forms within it. Why are we so caught up on the idea that humans are the ''right'' form of life? If you can get past that, you will see that the Zergs were not a threat. Instead, they are an opportunity for us to reach beyond the limits of our physical body. Human''s intelligencebined with the Zerg''s biological body will help us conquer the entire universe. "

    Patroclus announced with a deep and passionate voice. The obsession with his belief was written clearly on his face, and was borated by his fervent gestures.

    Wang Tong replied to him with a cold stare, "You are crazy. The Zergs are our enemy. There is no other way around."

    Although Patroclus already knew Wang Tong''s reply, he was still amused by Wang Tong''s naivety. "Haha¡­ Tell me, what exactly is an enemy anyways? You are, and you didn''t even realize it!" Patroclus pointed to the Ark and announced, "Did the old Fox tell you about the real goal of the Ark''s expedition? It was a suicide mission from the start! The confederation had already known about the existence of Hybrid Zergs even before it made its appearance at the tournament. After I defeated it, they tortured that poor b*stard, and eventually, he gave the information the confederation wanted. The main force of the confederation is already on their way toward the Zergs as we speak. The Ark expedition was nothing but a diversion¡­I''m talking about you, Wang Tong. You are the Heir of the de Warrior, and the confederation knew the Zergs would go after you. In other words, you are at least half responsible for the imminent losses of lives on the ship!"

    Wang Tong''s heart sank. "Bullsh*t! If I am the diversion like you said, why would they need to have so many rich politicians on the ship?"

    "To be inconspicuous of course. Plus, the mission cost a lot of money. It''s never a bad idea to carry a few dozen gold purses with you." Patroclus said with a lighthearted smile, as if the lives of thousands of innocent people didn''t matter a wee bit to him.

    Unwillingly, Wang Tong reckoned that Patroclus had spoken the truth. Like the Ivantian had said, everyone on the ship was only a small pawn in aplex game.

    Sensing the resignation in Wang Tong, Patroclus extended his arm to him like an old friend, "Come on Wang Tong, join me! We can redefine our new life, make an entirely different race that is neither human nor Zerg. I have already figured out a name for it: the Immortals. Join me, old friend, and be the god of the immortals!"

    Wang Tong didn''t speak a word; his mind raced as he spiraled deeper into thoughts. Patroclus was half right: yes, every individual was merely a pawn in therge scheme of things, but what made them humans was the unique perspective as an individual. Instead of seeing lifeless ck and white squares of the game board, they would feel and sense emotions that were no less real than the game itself.

    After a while, Wang Tong gathered himself and straightened his back. He pointed the Einherjar Lance at Patroclus''s nose and announced, "I disagree."

    Patroclus smiled; he had expected that reaction from Wang Tong. "Very well. I am d that you rejected my offer. Only you are worthy as a sacrifice for this historical moment! Let your death today mark the beginning of a new race! Did you know that while I was in the Hall of Valha, the de Warrior begged me to help you to fight for the human race? Haha, he had mistaken me for my stupid ancestor! I am not Rngalos. I am much stronger and wiser, and I don''t have to be a pet of some weakling like Rngalos was!"

    The Einherjar Lance and the Devance collided for the first time after the tournament. However, the power dynamics between the two warriors had changed drastically.

    "Kom!"

    Wang Tong jabbed thence at Patroclus, but thetter didn''t evade the attack. The sharp tip of thence plunged through Patroclus''s METAL and lodged in the Ivantian''s chest so securely that Wang Tong couldn''t pull it out. The GN force melted away as soon as it reached the Ivantian''s skin.

    "Behold my new body, Wang Tong. Behold the true power, the power that I can give to you as well. Now, the final call¡­ join me, or DIE!" Patroclus shouted for the first time in his life.

    Wang Tong answered his final invitation with an iron fist.

    Patroclus waved a hand, and the force blew Wang Tong a few dozen feet away. Before Wang Tong could gather himself, he was pinned to a sudden halt by an unseen force, mping him like a giant vise.

    "You are pathetically weak. Don''t worry¡­ I will give you a decent death."

    "Wang Tong, I will shoot him with the super-charged cannon in three seconds. Make your way back to the ship when I do that. The energy shield is almost full."

    Wang Tong tried to wiggle out of the mp, but right before he could break free, he felt a surge of energying from Patroclus. The power was stronger than that of Lee Moshan. Was this the power he had promised in exchange for his humanity?

    Zhou Sisi''s voice urged Wang Tong to hurry as aser beam shot out from the ship at lightning speed. Patroclus smiled and thrust thence to meet theser beam. Thence broke the beam into a thousand tiny specks of dust, and then it sent another beam of energy toward the Ark.

    "Kom!"

    The energy hit squarely at themander''s office as it smashed into the iron-d shell.

    It took half a second for Wang Tong to take in what had just happened, and then he shouted with the promise of vengeance, "Patroclus! ARHHH!"

 Chapter 462: Age of Aggression

    Chapter 462: Age of Aggression

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong''s anger ignited his will to fight. Although he had inferior skills and strength, he was the only hope for the people on the ship.

    Patroclus gazed at the ship that had caught on fire and said, "Look Wang Tong, it''s so pretty. Life is fragile, don''t you think? Zhou Sisi loved you so much that she would ignore Kaost''s order and fire at me. But, she is too weak. "

    "F*ck YOU!" Wang Tong charged up his soul energy and fell into a battle trance. The sudden surge of power inside him broke Patroclus''s spell and helped him regain freedom.

    Wild energies moved about inside Wang Tong as even wilder thoughts gnawed his mind.

    "KOM!"

    Two gushes of energy collided with each other inside his system. The built-up energy drove Wang Tong deeper into the trance.

    "Patroclus, DIE!"

    Wang Tong''s eyes had turned into two pools of molten iron as he gathered strength and struck at Patroclus with the Lance.

    The Causality Attack!

    "Zenn! KOM!"

    Patroclus watched the hole in his chest and said, "You have the perfect power inside you, but what a shame that it is toote now."

    Even as Patroclus brought thence into position for an attack, the fist-sized hole in the Ivantian''s chest quickly healed itself.

    "KOM!"

    The Einherjar''s Attack!

    Blood spilled out of Wang Tong''s mouth, as the presence of his power disappeared entirely from the battlefield.

    The battle was finished.

    People on the Ark watched as theirst hope was crushed by the mighty Ivantian. Li Shiming and Lie Jian looked at each other with fear. They had never thought that Patroclus would be such a monster. Despite the dire situation he was in, Li Shiming was also curious as to whether the situation was any worse back home. The thought made his hair stand on their ends. He conceded that the Zergs hade prepared this time.

    By then, Kaost had locked down the meeting room, but Zhou Sisi managed to sneak out of the room before the lockdown started.

    "F*ck off! Let me out! LET ME OUT!" Karl shouted at the top of his lungs.

    "Get out of my way! This in order!" Ma Xiaoru shouted at the soldiers blocking the exit, her voice filled with frustration.

    "Sorry, this is Captain''s order. We can''t let you out of here." The head of the soldiers was blocking the exit. They had already let Zhou Sisi slip out under their noses, and they couldn''t afford to make another mistake.

    "Move¡­ AWAY! Or else, I will move you myself!" Ma Xiaoru unsheathed her de, her eyes holding an unswerving determination.

    Kaost watched the argument from a CCTV, and sensing that the situation was about to get out of control, he brought out his Sk and pushed a button. The meeting room was suddenly lit by a few beams of intense light, disorienting everyone inside. Before the students could gather themselves, they found themselves floating in the air as if the gravity had ceased functioning. And then, in a blink, the room was empty, with no sight of any students.

    Kaost pulled open a drawer on his desk and took out a small tin box. From the tin box, he fished out a cigar of heroic length. This was the very special cigar he had saved for a very special moment such as this. If the Ark sank, he had decided to go with it.

    "Zennn."

    The energy shield of the Ark was finally fully charged, and a shimmering faint blue cloak quickly wrapped the Ark around.

    The Ark didn''t interest Patroclus; he scanned the space toward the direction Wang Tong was blown away, and quickly found the heir of the de Warrior. It was time for him to bade farewell to Wang Tong, and from there on, there would be only one god of the immortals: Lord Patroclus!

    "What! Still alive?" Patroclus was caught off guard to see that Wang Tong was not dead yet, not by a long shot. "Doesn''t matter. I can do it again and make sure he is dead this time." Patroclus thought to himself.

    Wang Tong''s mind went nk at first, as a nothingness surrounded him. Gradually, he saw a dot in that nothingness, getting closer to him by the second, or minute¡ªtime was a slippery thing in this nothingness. Slowly, he noticed that it was not a dot, but a girl''s face. Her name escaped him for a very brief moment before scenes yed out in the white backdrop, scenes of him and that girl. Then her name came to him: Zhou Sisi, and with it came a flood of emotions.

    Sisi...What was she thinking?

    Themander''s room... smoke and fire... the attack of the Deva Lance¡­

    "KOM!"

    The re wrenched Wang Tong''s mind out of the dreary reverie. The attack of the Deva Lance was already in front of him. He acted out of instinct and blocked the attack with both hands.

    The turn of event amused Patroclus. He snorted and then said, "Very good, Wang Tong. Let''s try it again."

    Still half unconscious, Wang Tong attacked and sent a whirlwind of energy at Patroclus.

    Patroclus didn''t dodge, as he fused hisnce with his soul energies and met Wang Tong''s attack head-on. He wasn''t even trying during thest bout of attacks. Otherwise, Wang Tong would not even be able to scratch him much less blow a hole in his chest. Wang Tong''s attack had tested the regeneration ability of his new body, and Patroclus was more than pleased with the results.

    "KOM."

    Wang Tong was blown away again. Meanwhile, the Ark started firing, which triggered the renewed advancement of the Zergs.

    The war had finally begun.

    Under the insistent and ruthless barrage, the Ark''s shield started to flicker as if it could no longer hold the defense. Meanwhile, the Ark''s firepower was devastating for the swarms of Zergs, as it uprooted one space hive after another, each with only a single shot.

    However, it didn''t take long before the shield was eventually overloaded, and the enemy fire quickly drilled a few holes into the belly of the giant ship.

    The Ark trembled as the enemy fire took out thest battery unit. The tattered ship caved in at a few spots, and dark holes scarred its shell.

    Surrounded by fire and the din of squeaking metals trusses, Kaost entered the code for self-destruction.

    "Kom"

    The door to Kaost''s office was sted open, and a familiar face emerged from the other side.

    "Hi Captain Kaost, long time no see," Patroclus announced with a sneer on his face.

    "The self-destruction function will initiate in ten minutes. All personnel evacuate the ship¡­All personnel evacuate."

    Kaost locked his eyes with Patroclus''s and puffed a smoke ring at him. "Your day wille."

    "Bang!" Kaost pulled the trigger of his .32 caliber revolver pointed at the roof of his mouth.

    Kaost''s body slumped into the leather chair as the color drained out of his face.

    A century of bloodshed had begun.

    The year was 2568 AD, only three hundred years after thest turmoil. And now, the world had fallen into chaos once again. Unlike thest time, there was no de Warrior to save the humans this time.

    However vignt the humans had been, they had overlooked the Zergs ability to assimte the human''s traits through evolution. The de Warrior had been the strongest opponent that the Zergs had seen so far along their path of destruction. After losing all of its edges against human, the Zerg still had a trump card up its sleeves: time. Thus, the Zergs waited quietly in the darkness, tirelessly tinkering the genes of their next batch of brood-lings.

    Although humans had also been studying the Zergs over the three centuries, they were not able to unlock the secrets to their incredible mutating ability, until The Zerg exposed their hybrid mutation pre-maturely during the tournament.

    As the experts in genes, the Ivantians, led by the Dower family, started to study the hybrid monster extensively. Its fusion with human genes finally provided the Ivantians with the much needed clues to crack the unsolved mystery.

    After they had extracted the "Zerg" part of the hybrid monster out of the body, the Confederation had finally learned the Zergs'' insidious n to infiltrate the human world with its own kind. The Ark expedition was therefore initiated as a direct response to sabotage the Zergs'' master n.

    The confederation knew from the very beginning that the Ark''s expedition was the only hope to the survival of mankind, and therefore, they had allowed House Ma to use any means necessary¡ªeither financially or politically¡ª to achieve the final goal: diverting the attention of Zerg army.

    It seeded; while Zergs swarmed the Ark, the confederation''s main force had been dispatched to the hidden hives whose locations were extracted from the hybrid monster''s brain.

    The attack had caught the Zergs off guard. But, even with the element of surprise, the confederation only gained an advantage for a brief moment before they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies. The war quickly dragged into a stalemate.

    However, no one would have thought that Patroclus would betray his own race. With the Arkpletely demolished, the only sce from the Ark expedition was the survival of most of the top young fighters: they were teleported back to the sr system before it was toote.

    A yearter, 2579AD, Patroclus defeated two other leaders within the Zerg army and consolidated his rule. In the same year, Patroclus led the bulk of the Zerg fleet andpletely devastated the human fleet in the Gxy of Mann.

 Chapter 463: New World Order

    Chapter 463: New World Order

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    2570 AD, the tide of the battle shifted again. After years of gathering strength and careful nning, the humans gained an advantage over the Zergs again.

    However, that didn''tst long either. Mid-year, Patroclus challenged Einherjar Li Zhedao and defeated the master of House Li with ease. The event waster called the "Great Fall." After the backbone of the human society was bested, the morale of the army took a toll. After a few defeats, the confederation lost its edge and was forced to the defensive side again.

    After a few battles, humans learned that the percentage of hybrid Zergs in the Zerg poption was very small. It could be further grouped into two categories. One type was like Patroclus, who had retained a lot of his host''s features, and the other was a newer generation. The new generation not only had a lower rate of birth, but was also inferior in many aspectspared to the original hybrid Zergs.

    Patroclus was the sole ruler of the hybrid monsters and their minions, calling himself the God of Immortals. Meanwhile, the real Zergs worshiped someone else, their dark lord Moye.

    Moye and Patroclus held a fragile alliance to work against the confederation army.

    Although Patroclus had eliminated two of the most powerful Zerg warlords who used to work for Moye, Moye was still the de facto ruler of all Zergs. It was Moye who was behind the n of converting Patroclus into a hybrid Zerg in the first ce.

    When Patroclus faced fierce resistance on a Zerg, he finally made up his mind to lead the Zergs into a new direction: Co-existence with the humans.

    As a former human, Patroclus knew the human nature better than any other Zergs. He knew that the human army would only be stronger the more desperate they grew.

    There were three types of immortal Zergs in terms of degrees of mixture of the two races. The first type consisted of those who had beenpletely overtaken by the parasite. They were nothing but a walking husk, fulfilling the wills of the Zerg masters nestled in their brain. The second type of the Zergs were those whose host body didn''t resist the parasitic growth to a full extent, but still retained some human feature. The third group, the most chaotic one, was of those who had resisted the parasite taking over and seeded. These hybrids were not that much different from humans, except for their nearly indestructible bodies. Despite their affinity with humans, the small part of Zerg that remained inside them would initiate self-destruction should it sense its host''s thoughts of betrayal of themon good of the Zerg race.

    All three groups of Zergs were called the Immortals, and they gathered under Patroclus''s banner. Patroclus''s strength and power quickly caught the attention of the Mastermind. He had quickly risen to power and be the second inmand of the Zerg army right after the Dark Lord. Although Patroclus was the least likely to be called a Zerg, he had be the second most powerful individual in all hives across the universe.

    The heaviest blow to the human race was the betrayal of Einherjar Lee Moshan. The Einherjar turned his cloak right in the midst of a battle and epted Patroclus'' "blessing." The turn of event devastated the entire human race.

    2571 AD, Patroclus murdered his own father, Einherjar Andres Dower, and marked the downward spiral of the Dower family. With two Einherjars murdered and the other two betraying their own race, the confederation was finally forced into a tight corner, their hands tied. The extinction of the human race seemed imminent.

    After the fight with his father, Patroclus was gravely injured. However, with his incredible healing ability, a full recovery was only a matter of time. During the time of his recuperation, he had left all of his responsibility to four of his most trusted advisers, and Lee Moshan was one of them.

    Patroclus'' jurisdiction was the Earth and the Moon, while the Dark lord resided near the Mars, overseeing the ongoing war.

    One yearter, the divine master Constantine led a small army and assaulted Moye''s main camp, severely injuring the Dark Lord. Although the Divine Master died during the assault, he had saved millions of lives on Mars.

    Despite the fierce resistance in the Sr System, the Andromeda Gxy had beenpletely subjugated by the Zerg, turning into its weapon manufacturing base.

    However desperate the situation was, the humans had never given up their hope. The frequent and intensebat had improved the human''s METALbat and Mastery skills by leaps and bounds.

    Five yearster, in a small town called Malunsa on Mars...

    "Balls! Lun Duo, are you high or something? I told you many times that we can''t afford to save everyone out there!" Tan Buined.

    "He was dying, and he wanted a sip of water¡ªit was a dying man''sst wish, man. What was I suppose to do?"

    "I just want you to be careful! If he turns out to be a Zerg, Boss is going to skin you alive!" Tan Bu refuted.

    "I know what you are thinking; you are afraid that this dude is going to take your precious little lover away from you. Don''t worry! I don''t think he is that charming. Plus, he doesn''t seem to have any soul energy. " Lun Duo patted Tan Bu''s shoulder and said. The "precious lover" he was talking about was the medic in his squad.

    "Boss is preparing us for an assault against the enemies in Malunsa. We need to be extra careful. Anyways, I will let the matter slide since he turned out to be a human. "

    "Thank you! He is better here than being picked off by the Zergs and turned into one of them."

    "I doubt the Zergs will even care to convert him. He has no soul energy, and therefore, Zergs have no use for him. Well, not like he is that useful for us."

    "You are really a prick, you know that, right? We can''t just let a human die!"

    "Yes, yes, whatever! Now, are you going to drink with me or not?"

    The two METAL warriors walked off the city wall; their shift was over, and soon, another pair woulde to take their post.

    Theck ofmunication had be one of the biggest struggles the confederation had to face on a day to day basis. On the first couple weeks after the Ark incident, Patroclus had ordered his army to destroy the sk system. Without it,s could no longer form an alliance, and were forced to fight on their own.

    In the Zerg-upied areas of the, many guerri forces were formed to resist the Zergs. Most of these guerri forces were from the great houses or influential sects. On Mars, the Divine Master sect and House Lie had joined forces. While the members of House Lie fought on the frontline, the sect members took on the role of medics and stood right behind House Lie, healing their wounds. After years of struggle, the situation seemed to have turned around as the guerri forces slowly regained control in a fewrge cities. This was not possible without the sacrifice that the Divine Master Constantine had made. In addition, Einherjar Lie Jintian was still alive, and was leading the resistance; his son, Lie Jian, was also very close to bing an Einherjar.

    Besides the joint forces of House Lie and the Divine Master sect, there were a few other resistance groups led by other factions scattered around Mars. Divine Master Sect had offered generous aid to all the other groups in the form of sending field medics to them.

    The City of Malunsa used to be a bustling metropolitan before the age of bloodshed had arrived. But by now, it was under the ruthless control of Lord Luoerda, one of the three generals of Moye. Lord Luoerda was well known for his outrageous brutality. Dead human bodies piled up like hills wherever his dark legion passed. He loathed humans, but he loathed the hybrid Zergs even more, and therefore, his army never took live captives.

    Ever since the Zergsid their ws on the human technology, their equipment had be increasingly advanced, and was almost impossible to defeat. Just a few years ago, a METAL fighter would be able to fend off at least a dozen average-sized Zergs. However, the Zergs had quickly learned to equip themselves with METAL, particrly the hybrid Zergs, and severely disrupted the bnce of power.

    Humans'' life on Moon and the Earth was rtively better than that on Mars. Not only Patroclus had given his human subjects a considerable degree of freedom, but he had also made an effort to improve people''s living standards during the war in an attempt to convince more humans to join forces with him. Meanwhile, on Mars, Moye''s method of assimtion was much more direct and brutal. The humans were treated as either food or blood bags.

    Although Zergs had gained many advantages by mimicking the human race, they had also lost many of their original traits. As they grew more like the humans, backstabbing became more frequent, and divisions among Zergs formed. All the internal conflicts eventually amounted to the schism and power struggle between Patroclus and Moye.

    The real puppet master behind the scene, the Zerg''s Mastermind, would y a key role in determining the oue of thispetition. So far, the omnipresent Mastermind seemed to favor Patroclus.

 Chapter 464: Super Mechanic

    Chapter 464: Super Mechanic

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    When Wang Tong opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by bright lights and then heard a musical voice.

    "You are finally awake."

    The bright lights slowly faded away; Wang Tong cracked a smile as he reckoned that he was inside a city. He realized that had been running in the wrong direction and eventually passed out because of dehydration. Someone must have saved him.

    Wang Tong looked left and right without noting a pair of beautiful eyes watched him attentively. "Don''t worry; you are very safe here. What is your name? Where do youe from?"

    "Wang Tong... I don''t know. I was walking in the wastnd."

    Ye Zi furrowed her brows; the boy was lying. The wastnd was what was left after the nuclear bombardment. No one could traverse in that area without the protection of METAL. However, the earnestness in Wang Tong''s eyes seemed to suggest that he had told the truth. The examining crew had checked Wang Tong, and he was clear. Since he was not a hybrid Zerg, the team had opened its arms and weed Wang Tong to its camp.

    "Thank you for saving me." Wang Tong said sincerely.

    "My name is Ye Zi, field medic of team Battle Wolf. It was my duty to save any human here. You should say thank you to Lun Duo; he is the one who brought you here. "

    Wang Tong nodded nkly. "Battle Wolf? Where am I?"

    Wang Tong''s confusion didn''t surprise Ye Zi. It was a trying time for everyone on Mars; the order was toppled by chaos and destruction. Many people were forced to leave their home and seek protection in the cities controlled by House Lie. War had made the road not only dangerous, but also unfamiliar. Many people had lost their lives on the way. Even among those who had reached the city wall, only a small portion were guaranteed safety due to House Lie''s insufficient resources. The imminent danger had spurred the rest of humanity to take up arms and form Militia units such as the Battle Wolf.

    Team Battle wolf fought under themon banner of the Malunsa district. The team''s excellent performance had quickly caught the attention of the Divine Master, and thetter deemed the team worthy of receiving field medics. Therefore, they sent Zi Ye to join the rank of the Battle Wolf. Zi Ye was not only responsible for mending the wounds of the injured, but she was also the instructor of new Mastery users.

    It turned out that Gods didn''t forsake the human entirely. Once a Zerg took control of a host body, the host would lose its ability to use Mastery due to the Zerg''s inability to understand the arcane art. However, Zergs'' most potent weapon was their adaptive ability. Therefore, no one could say for sure that human would forever hold onto the edge in Mastery.

    All Mastery fighters were prepared to end their lives at capture in order to protect thest secret of the human race.

    "Ye Zi, Ye Zi? Did that boy wake up?"

    Tan Bu''s voice approached the medic''s room. As the door cracked open, a head poked through; Tan Bu''s face gleamed as he gazed at the field medic.

    "Come to meet your savior. This is Tan Bu, and the one behind him is Lun Duo." Ye Zi said.

    "Thank you!" Wang Tong announced.

    "You are wee!" Lun Duo spared Wang Tong a nce, and then his eyes returned to Zi Ye''s beautiful face.

    "Hey Furface, save your words. I need your actions. Come out when you feel better and see if you can help with anything around the camp. You need to contribute if you want to stay."

    Furface? Wang Tong rubbed his chin and found a handful of fuzzy beard. He suppressed a snicker and then said, "I can do a lot of things."

    "Don''t be a d*ck, Tan Bu. Hey, you, don''t be scared of him; that''s just him. We won''t leave you alone out there. Is there anything you can do? If your mind is opened, I could assign you to thebat unit. But, it appears that you are not qualified. How about helping around the mechanic shop?"

    "Phff....Whatever! If we recruit everyone, the Battle Wolf would soon be called Meek Sheep."

    Wang Tong''s face lit up with glee and then replied, "Yes, I can be a mechanic. I used to repair METAL."

    Silence suddenly fell into the room. Ye Zi said with disbelief, "Seriously?"

    "Of course! As long as I have the parts, I can repair just about any METAL."

    The other three in the room looked at each other in disbelief. A good METAL mechanic was the most sought-after talent in any camp due to the METAL suits'' importance and itsplexity.

    "Keep bluffing, furface. Don''t we have a few broken METAL in the storage? Let him try it."

    "Don''t feel obligated, Wang Tong. He is just curious." Ye Zi spoke quietly.

    "That''s fine. I''m more than happy to fix those for you." Wang Tong announced.

    Despite the discernible conviction in Wang Tong''s voice, the other three kept their doubts.

    Ten minutester, Lun Duo and Tan Bu stared at the newly fix METAL with shocking disbelief. Despite the low-grade tools and sub-par parts, Wang Tong''s repair was able to breathe a new life into the thirty or so dpidated METAL suits, turning them into deadly weapons again.

    "By the gods! Lun Duo, you have picked up a genius! Furface, you can stay!"

    "Incredible! I doubt House Lie has any technician who shares the same level of skills. Hey, where did you learn this?"

    "I ... I can''t really remember." Wang Tong announced.

    "Ah...That''s fine. We all have things that we don''t want to remember; that''s what war does to us. Tan Bu, stopping bubbling and go tell Boss that we have a new addition. Lun Duo, please arrange amodation for him."

    "Haha! Roger that!"

    The two walked out of the room with a skip in their steps. Wang Tong''s performance had exceeded their expectation. Without a professional mechanic, those METAL suits were abandoned in the corner of the storage room, waiting to be stripped for parts. But, the new addition to Team Battle Wolf would turn the situation around.

    Ye Zi reckoned that it would be hard pressed to find such a talent even in the Divine Master Sect. Wang Tong''s skill was apparent, but one question remained: Why would such a talent end up wandering around in the wastnd?

    "Wang Tong, wee aboard!" Ye Zi reached out her long and delicate fingers toward Wang Tong for a handshake.

    Wang Tong nodded and cracked a smile, but didn''t shake the girl''s hand. "Thank you. I won''t be staying here long, but while I''m here, I wish I can pay you back and fix METAL for you."

    Ye Zi was taken it back and asked, "You are going to leave soon?"

    Not only staying with team Battle Wolf would guarantee Wang Tong''s safety, but he had also justnded a cushy position in the mechanic shop. For most people, it would be a dreame true in such reduced circumstances.

    "I have other things to do." Wang Tong spoke low under his breath.

    "Hey, didn''t you tell me that Furface had no sea of consciousness? Why did I see him use soul energy while he was repairing the METAL?"

    "How would I know? Maybe his soul energy was too small to be detected. At any rate, he can fix my METAL, and that''s all I care."

    "Ah-ha! Speaking of which, do you think we should bring Furface with us when we finally move against the city of Malunsa?"

    "You mean..."

    "Think about it, you thickhead! His skill is needed everywhere; if we ask him to repair other team''s METAL, maybe they would let our team lead the assault. Don''t you think?"

    "That makes sense to me! Come, let''s go ask Boss."

    Guan Dongyang and a few other captains of Battle Wolf had just returned from a mission. He sat in his chair and was absorbed in reflections. The war had been going on for five years. Under his court brothers'' persistent persuasion, he had finally joined Battle Wolf two years ago. As soon as he took charge of his team, he realized how little his power was, so he quickly reached out to the Divine Master Sect and asked for help. Since he had left a good impression on Michaux when the two first met at the tournament, Michaux had offered him his full support and sent him capable field medics. Ever since the Zerg deployed hybrid Zergs in the war, they had learned to not only harm human warrior''s body, but also their sea of consciousness. Equipped with the ability to heal the sea of consciousness, the field medics had be essential in this war, and their status in thebat team also rose considerably. In the same token, the METAL suit mechanic had also be a well-respected profession in any military force due to scarcity.

    When Lun Duo and Tan Bu arrived Guan Dongyan''s office, the team leaders were discussing recent development. Meetings like this were neverfortable to sit through, not only because they were long, but also because of the infighting and bickering among the leaders.

 Chapter 465: METAL Mechanic

    Chapter 465: METAL Mechanic

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Boss, Oh... Ah... Everyone is here." When Tan Bu and Lun Duo stormed into the meeting room, they found out that all the top fighters of the Battle Wolf were in the room with Guan Dongyang.

    "What''s the hurry?" After five years of fighting an uphill battle, Guan Dongyang had matured into a calm and imposingmander. As one of the top warriors on Mars, Guan Dongyang had made a name for himself thanks to his powerful Mastery.

    "Boss, Duo Lun had saved a METAL mechanic out here in the wastnd, a furry-faced dude. He fixed half of our damaged METAL suits. I have tried them on myself, and they work!" Tan Bu announced excitingly.

    "Really? I have never heard of such talent before." Pen Bo said incredulously. He never liked the carelessness in Tan Bu.

    "It''s true! Zi Ye has seen it as well. I say, why don''t we do the ze Company a favor and help them fix their METAL? Maybe, they won''t be so disgruntled about us taking the lead position during the assault."

    Guan Dongyang exchanged a nce with the other leaders and said calmly, "OK, I will deal with itter. You can leave now."

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu nodded and left the room. They were grateful for this opportunity of being the bearer of great news. However, Guan Dongyang was not as excited about this news as the other two had expected. A little favor such as fixing the METAL would not be enough to quell the other factions'' thirst for power. In addition, he doubted that one mechanic would be able to take care of all the damaged METAL suits. Nheless, the news brought somefort to him: a capable mechanic was never a bad thing.

    "I have heard that Michaux has made another huge advancement in his cultivation. This time, he did it solely with soul energy." Pen Bo announced. Although Pen Bo was older than Guang Dongyang, he was not as talented as the young warrior.

    "We owe our existence to the Divine Master Sect. We should be grateful."

    "Touch¨¦! What a talented mastery warrior, that one! It would be hard pressed to find anyone more powerful than him in the recent hundred years." Pen Bo eximed.

    Guan Dongyang shook his head. He used to know someone who was much more powerful than Michaux. If that person was still alive, this war might not be a lost cause like it had been for the past five years.

    Patroclus didn''t give the human a chance. Eliminating his only worthy challenger was the first thing that Patroclus had done after the Zergs tainted him. Although the Temr''s court was still struggling against Patroclus'' rein on the Earth, without the heir of the de Warrior, their demise was only a matter of time.

    Guan Dongyang shook his head and reminded himself that his priority right then was not to save the world, but to save himself and his band of warriors.

    Wang Tong stared at his face in the mirror and let out self-pityingughter. He had decided to let the beard grow and wear it as a reminder of what had happened.

    "Bang Bang Bang!"

    "Come in!"

    Ye Zi walked into Wang Tong''s room, holding a stack of folded clothes. "These are your clothes. Come to join us in the dining room when you are ready."

    "Do I need to pay for food?"

    Ye Zi covered her mouth to suppress a snicker, "Money is useless unless you are in the House Lie''s territory. Speaking of which, let me know if you are heading there. I think I can help."

    Wang Tong shook his head and said, "Nah. Thanks anyways. But, I would like to know the situation on Mars if you have the time to indulge me. I don''t know how to put it...You see, I think I have lost my memory."

    Ye Zi studied Wang Tong''s slightly crumbled face and felt sorry for him. "Of course, I can help."

    Ye Zi was born on Mars, and therefore, she had the Martian''s typical candor. Even years of Mastery cultivation couldn''t mask her eagerness to help. Ye Zi was also caught off guard by her urge to help the boy who she had just met a new hours ago.

    Ye Zi started to introduce the situation to Wang Tong as thetter listened attentively.

    In a nutshell, the condition on Mars was dire. Although the human resistance had gained control in a few cities, which was a considerable improvement, it came at the cost of the Divine Master''s life. The Dark Lord was not dead, and Mars would return to chaos as soon as the Zerg Lord had gathered his strength.

    Knowing that peace would not be secured on Mars until the death of the Dark Lord, House Lie and the Divine Mastery sect had deployed all tricks up their sleeves to assassinate Moye. However, so far, the hiding ce of the Dark Lord still eluded the human assassins.

    Clearly, the Dark Lord had learned how to hide while dealing with the cunning humans. Some factions had even sent in spies, who appeared to the Zergs as captives. But, no one had ever heard anything from those spies since then.

    However, not all hope was lost, as the Kaedeians suddenly took up arms and caught the Zergs who had been focusing on House Lie by surprise. The Zergs quickly found out that not only the Kaedeians were powerful fighters, but also immune to the corruption of parasites due to their gic ipatibility.

    After the Zergs realized how big of a threat the Kaedeians were, they quickly gathered forces and campaigned against the Kaedeian settlements.

    Wang Tong nodded and asked, "Got it! Where can I find the Kaedeians now?"

    "Why? Do you want to visit them? It''s too far. You will have to sneak through areas controlled by the Zergs. It''s impossible." Despite being the voice of reason, Ye Zi told Wang Tong the general direction where the Kaedeians were settled rtive to their location. Immediately after giving Wang Tong the direction, Ye Zi urged him to stay put in the camp and warned him that only the top tier warriors would be able to get to the Kaedeian settlement alive.

    Wang Tong had heard people talking about the three great Zerg generals, so he asked Ye Zi who they were. His face became taut after he was told that the leader of the Zerg army inside the city of Maersa was one of the three notorious generals.

    Wang Tong''s burning desire to punish the Zerg leader for his heinous crime didn''t escape Ye Zi.

    "I know you are angry, and trust me, you are not alone! But, you need to know your ce and do what you are good at. Don''t be silly."

    Ye Zi''s caution caught Wang Tong off guard. He paused for a second and then cracked a smile, "Thank you for the thought. I won''t court death."

    As they heard the noise rose in the dining room, Ye Zi pushed herself out of the chair and said, "Come on! Follow me¡­ I will introduce you to everyone."

    Except for the soldiers who were on duty at the guard post, everyone had gathered at the dining hall. Ye Zi introduced Wang Tong to members of Battle Wolf. Although Wang Tong was not in the battle unit, his fixing of the METAL suits had earned him everyone''s respect.

    After the dinner, a few young girls started dancing around the zing campfire. The Martians always had been a promiscuous lot; the imminent Apocalypse had only served to exacerbate the burning desire for lust.

    There were not many females among their rank, and the most beautiful girl in the camp was Ye Zi. Unlike many other female fighters, Ye Zi had turned down everyone''s request for dancing with her. Each failed attempt aroused a round of snickers and banters.

    "Haha, it looks like only boss has the ability to tame this wild one."

    "What a shame that the boss is already courting someone else!"

    "Lie Xuan? Haha... Now THAT one is a real she-wolf! "

    "Do you think Boss really has a chance?"

    "Hush! Don''t let Boss hear it! I have heard that House Lie had sent a representative to our camp recently. He said that Lie Jian was pleased, but there will be no marriage until Boss has taken over the City of Maersa." A soldier said with pride in his voice that belonged to soldiers from a group that was deemed worthy by Lie Jian.

    "It''s a honey trap! But, I think our boss will be sessful. He had partaken in the tournament before the sh*t hit the fans."

    Those tournament yers who had survived the five years of turmoil had all grown up to be toughest leaders of the human race. Although these individuals'' power was limited while facing hordes of Zergs, they had lit up the beacon of hope in humans'' hearts.

    "Hey furface, why don''t you join everyone on the dance floor?" Ye Zi asked Wang Tong, who was sitting quietly in a corner. Ye Zi was a powerful mastery cultivator, and therefore, she was very sensitive to people''s emotions. Right then, she could feel a mixture of loss and sorrow roiling inside Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong rubbed his furry chin and regretted leaving it like this.

    The soldiers surrounding Wang Tong looked at him with envy. He was the first person to be asked by Ye Zi. However, Wang Tong''s seemingly ungrateful reply turned their sour look into that of despise.

    "I''m a terrible dancer. I will pass."

 Chapter 466: Helping a Beauty

    Chapter 466: Helping a Beauty

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    When the dance party was halfway finished, a few muscr fighters walked to the center of the stage. Despite their perilous life, sparring remained one of the fighters'' favorite pastime.

    The winner of the fight also came with a perk: he would have the right to name a girl among the crowd. If he got the girl''s consent, which happened quite often, then the winner would be able to spend a romantic night with his chosenpanion.

    Wang Tong''s refusal of Ye Zi''s invitation had avoided much unnecessary jealousy. Martians were well known for their xenophobic protectionism, and the adolescent drama of an outsider winning the favor of a camp flower would only add fuel to their aversion toward Wang Tong.

    Under reduced circumstances such as these, women, like many other things had been reduced into resources and properties of men. The method of winning the right to bed a woman was rather unromantic and direct, but it was respectful and orderly nheless. Compared to other parts of Mars, it could even be considered civilized. For those who lived under the control of the Zergs, raping, and robbing women had be a new norm unfortunately.

    The age of aggression not only bred the resistance militias, but also gave a second life to the pirates. These ouws were no better than Zergs when they arrived. They robbed and piged, scrapping any resources they could find, and destroyed anything they couldn''t carry with them.

    Another swell of cheers rose from the camp. A METAL fighter had won three fights in a row.

    "Ross has improved. In no time, he would be the most powerful METAL fighter on Mars."

    "No kidding. I think only Boss could have a chance of winning against him."

    "Haha. Boss is too powerful and deadly. No one would be stupid enough to spar with him."

    "Do you think Ross would try someone challenging more this time?"

    "You mean Ye Zi? Haha, yeah, it''s possible. Other than the boss, I bet only Ross is worthy of sharing the bed with her. What a handsome and strong fighter he is! Maybe Ye Zi is already waiting for him to ask her."

    Ross yanked his arms up as the crowd shouted out his name in unison. He walked away from the center of the camp and headed toward Ye Zi.

    Unlike Earthlings and Ivantians, the Martians were direct when it came down to rtionships. Asking for a girl''s hand without knowing her first was not shunned upon, but encouraged. In the chauvinistic view of the Martians, it was only natural for men to dominate women with their might.

    With Ye Zi''s consent, the two would enjoy a night of passion under the sheets, and such was the way of love on Mars. The world had changed, and humans needed to adapt. Therefore, this seemingly uncouth custom was the best option for humans who needed to struggle to see the sunlight of the next day.

    The crowd was agitated as Ross inched toward his prize. Shouting and cat-calling rose around the proud warrior. Wang Tong followed the person next to him and moved out of Ross'' way. Suddenly, Wang Tong felt a soft hand grab his arm. Ross saw it too, and he was taken it back by the turn of events.

    Wang Tong turned his head and realized that it was Ye Zi. He wiggled his arm slightly, trying to break free in vain.

    "Do me a favor, please!" Ye Zi pleaded; her voice was low under her breath.

    Wang Tong paused; he owed her a huge favor for saving his life, so it would be ungrateful of him to leave her when she needed his help.

    "Who are you?" Ross walked to Wang tong and asked him with a booming voice. He had already defeated threepetitors, and he didn''t mind defeating another one.

    "Wang Tong."

    "I like this woman too. What do you say if we have a fight and the winner will take her home tonight?" Ross asked. The survival of the fittest, such was the way of life on Mars.

    Ye Zi scowled; she knew no one in Battle Wolf could defeat Ross, much less a new addition to the team who had just recovered from a trauma. The crowd boiled over at the promise of another fight. The situation made it difficult for Ye Zi to say anything. Ever since she had arrived at Battle Wolf, she had not yet shared her bed with any of the fighters. The rumors had it that she was not into men at all. Guilt rose inside the field medic as she felt that she had thrown Wang Tong under the bus.

    "Sounds good!" Wang Tong epted the challenge with a broad smile on his face.

    "Good! You have balls, I will give you that! Now,e on!"

    The crowd dispersed, leaving arge empty ground for the two.

    "Furface, don''t be silly. He is a level six fighter. You have no chance of winning against him." Wang Tong''s danger spurred Ye Zi to talk him out of his foolish act, but he didn''t listen.

    "Hehe, don''t worry. I will be fine."

    Ross pounded his hairy chest and shouted at Wang Tong, "Come on, I will let you hit me three times, and it will be your victory if you could knock me back half a step!"

    Another cheer erupted following Ross''s heroic announcement. The gap between the two warriors'' strength was evident.

    "Come on! Don''t be shy!" Excitement contorted Ross''s face. After taking three punches, Ye Zi would finally belong to him.

    Wang Tong walked closer to Ross and punched at the warrior. The punch looked so weak that it resembled more like a staggered push.

    "Balls, he can''t even kill a rabbit!"

    "Weak, too weak! I could have done better than him."

    But in the next moment, Ross copsed to the ground as if struck by a hammer, and didn''t get up.

    Silence suddenly fell around the camp, leaving only the crackling din of the fire pit.

    "What happened to Ross?"

    One second earlier, the onlookers were convinced that Wang Tong''s attack was too weak to even make a scratch. But, a secondter, they started to worry for Ross''s life as heid on the ground motionless.

    Under envious and grudging stares, Ye Zi linked her arm with Wang Tong''s, and the two sauntered off.

    After a time, someone helped Ross to his feet. He was not injured, but he was rendered motionless when the punch destroyed his defense and sent a wave of paralyzing energy into his system.

    When Wang Tong and Ye Zi were out of the crowd''s view, Wang Tong released his arm from Ye Zi''s hold and said, "I''m going to bed. Have a good night."

    Ye Zi didn''t say anything and watched as Wang Tong disappeared into the darkness of the night. The favor aside, Ye Zi''s heart already belonged to someone else, the young master of the divine master sect, Michaux Odin.

    After Wang Tong returned his room, he tidied the room a bit andid on his bed. A service bot suddenly appeared in the room out of nowhere.

    "Charcoal, what do you think about the feeling of the solid ground beneath us, eh? We have finally escaped the space!"

    ¡­

    Wang Tong was awakened by the mor outside his door. The METAL fighters and Mastery warriors had already started the day of training. There were no instructors to watch over their training, and neither was there such need, since everyone practiced as diligently as they could. Life was hard on Mars, and without solid self-defense, even breathing the air could be deadly.

    Wang Tong scanned the training ground for familiar faces, and soon he found Duo Lun resting on a bench. He walked toward him and greeted him with a warm smile.

    "Hey, Furface! What an a*shole you werest night, haha! "

    Wang Tong sat down beside Lun Duo and said, "I didn''t want to do that either. Ye Zi asked me for help, and I couldn''t just ignore her."

    "I never knew that you had a soft spot for girls. Do you hide it under the beard? Haha! Anyways, you don''t need to worry about it; we are a family here. Captain Ross said that he had let you gain an edge because he had forgotten to shield himself with GN force. Even so, you are pretty strong; looks like that hammer you use to repair the METAL is not made out of feather after all. Ha! "

    "Is Ross in charge of the METAL fighters around the camp?"

    "You bet. Battle Wolf is not arge band, but our two bosses, Ross and our Mastery Boss, are two of the toughest SOBs on Mars. Ross is tier fifteen, while the other boss is a tier eighteen mastery fighter."

    "Tier fifteen and eighteen?" Wang Tong was suddenly confused by the unfamiliar jargon.

    Lun Duo took Wang Tong''s confused look as shocking admiration, so he patted Wang Tong''s shoulder and said, "Bro, you are in luck! The Battle Wolf is even feared by the bugs! Once we take over Maersa, all of us will be captains."

 Chapter 467: Do I Know You?

    Chapter 467: Do I Know You?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Hold on a second! I thought the highest level of a METAL fighter was six. Did you just say eighteen?" Wang Tong asked.

    Lun Duo looked at Wang Tong like he was looking at an idiot. "Furface, you really did damage your brain, didn''t you? That was a long time ago."

    Unlike Tan Bu, Duo Lun had an angel''s patience, so he filled Wang Tong up about the developments in thest five years.

    After the war, Mastery gradually became an essential factor in the overall strength of a warrior. Therefore, the conventional method of categorizing soldiers based on their METALbat skill was no longer relevant. Sadly, the new method was created by Patroclus. The evil genius had devised a new system to grade the human fighters that he had forced to work for him. The higher the tier, the better the treatment they would receive.

    As for the original categorizing method, Patroclus concluded it with one word: stupid.

    Despite the categorizing method''s origin, it was surprisingly effective. Therefore, human soldiers adopted the method quickly. But till this day, they still refused to acknowledge its shameful origin.

    The cultivators were granted one of the three titles based on their levels. From level one to level five¡ªthe cannon fodders in Patroclus''s eyes¡ªwere called apprentices. Warriors of level six to ten were called journeyman, and warriors of level eleven to fifteen were called masters. Those who had gained level sixteen and above were all called grand-masters, and their old-time equivalent was mid-level six METAL fighters.

    The change was necessary, since the average strength of human fighters had increased significantly, thanks to the constant warfare and struggle for survival. The advancement in humans''bat ability was a mixed blessing, since it was acquired at the cost of millions of innocent lives.

    The cap of the new level system was twenty, equivalent of a would-be Einherjar in the old times. In addition, as more level six fighters started to mix mastery in their cultivation, they found out the unexpected effect of mastery in facilitating them to advance to the level of Einherjar.

    Level twenty of the new system was the breaking point: once a fighter advanced into level twenty one, their power would be equal to that of an Einherjar. From there, the magnitude of power would no longer be so easily qualified by levels or tiers.

    As the war progressed, the usage of mastery became crucial, and the military''s focus started to slide from METALbat toward the use of mastery.

    The only level twenty-one mastery cultivator in the human world was Michaux. He had single-handedly defined an entire genre of cultivation. Due to his power, even the Dark Lord Moye hesitated to make a move against him without careful nning.

    Wang Tong nodded from time to time as hisrade introduced the new world to him.

    Wang Tong suddenly asked, "What about the fighters who are beyond level thirty?"

    Lun Duo studied Wang Tong''s face and shook his head, "Get real, buddy. You are just a technician, don''t dream about things up in the sky. I have never heard of level thirty before. Even Patroclus was said to have achieved only level twenty-six. At level twenty-six, he is considered the strongest fighter in the world. Sad, but it''s true."

    On the training ground, the METAL and Mastery warriors were divided into two groups, each taking up one side of the facility. Some METAL fighters were practicing fire formations, cover and advance, while the mastery cultivators were shifting and manipting the natural forces around them.

    As a young man walked into the training ground, everyone stopped their routing and saluted with great respect. The young man was Guan Dongyang.

    It had been five years sincest time Wang Tong met Guan Dongyang. Wang Tong found it hard to connect the mature and imposing leader with the fledgling he met at the tournament. Whether the disconnection was due to Wang Tong''s receding memory or real changes in the mastery warrior, Wang Tong could not tell. But, one thing Wang Tong knew for sure was that people always changed.

    By then, Guan Dongyang had be the idol of many martian soldiers. As a level eighteen mastery fighter, he was among the top ten warriors on Mars. If it were not for him, the Battle Wolf''s banner would never be recognized across the red globe.

    "Boss, how was the meeting?"

    "Something is going on inside Maersa. We have decided to dy the attack. Keep on training and wait for my further instructions." Guan Dongyang announced.

    Ross scratched his head andmented, "Balls! What''s the holdup? We should move out in the night and attack the bugs by surprise."

    "Ross, we need to be careful. Zergs are not idiots, and they are much better equipped than us to fight in the darkness. Even if I lead you guys to the city wall, without the other factions'' help, we would only be ughtered."

    Ye Zi nodded in agreement. The resistance forces were too scattered to pose any real threat to the Zergs without joining forces. Thecking centralized authority meant each faction had to fight their own war instead of fighting side by side. Ironically, the different bands of militias were more united when Zergs upied the territory, and as soon as the Zerg influence was pushed out, the coalition would quickly fall apart.

    Despite the chaotic situation on Mars, rumors had it that it was still much better than on the Moon and the Earth.

    Although Ross was a stubborn person, as soon as he finished listening to Ye Zi''s reasoning, he agreed with Guan Dongyang''s decision very quickly.

    "Look there, furface. That is our boss Guan Dongyang! He is the second strongest mastery cultivator, after Michaux."

    "Ye Zi, I have heard we have gained a new member, eh?" Guan Dongyang asked. As the pack leader, not only was it his responsibility to greet the new addition, but he also needed to make sure that the new member was not a spy. Five years of bloodshed had taught him many costly but valuable lessons.

    "Hey, Furface! Boss is asking for you!"

    Seeing that Guan Dongyang was approaching him and Wang Tong, Duo Lun hurried to stand up and saluted.

    " Duo Lun, is this our new brother?"

    Guan Dongyang approached Wang Tong and extended a weing hand to him. Suddenly, Wang Tong was taken over by a rush of memories as he hesitated.

    Lun Duo nudged Wang Tong''s arm and urged, "Furface, what are you doing?"

    Wang Tong wrenched his mind out from reverie and shook Guan Dongyang''s hand.

    "Boss, this furface is a genius. He fixed all of our broken suits!" Duo Lun said with a cheery voice. He was kind enough to put in a good word for Wang Tong, so that thetter could give Boss a good first impression.

    Guan Dongyang studied the face in front of him. The smooth features suggested that the new member was still young, but the flickering lights in his eyes told Guan Dongyang that he had seen and gone through much more than most people at his age. Guan Dongyang furrowed his brows: the face underneath that thick and unruly beard was eerily familiar.

    "Boss, the Thunder Fire and Rock Buster have sent their representatives." A messenger rushed to Guan Dongyang and hurried an announcement.

    Guan Dongyang paused for a second and then continued, "Wee aboard, brother ...furface."

    During that brief exchange of words, Guan Dongyang had already probed this ''furface''s'' soul energy, and was relieved to find out that everything was normal. As a level eighteen mastery warrior, Guan Dongyang could detect not only the inner strength of any individual, but also their intentions.

    Duo Lun smiled broadly after hearing Guan Dongyang''s verbal approval of Wang Tong''s enlistment.

    Ross walked to Wang Tong and patted heavily on his shoulder. "Furface, we need to spar again. Balls! Can''t believe you made me lost face in front of Ye Zi! Haha! Watch out! I will make you pay back!" After throwing a few banters, Ross followed Guan Dongyang out of the training ground. They had visitors; something was not quite right about the sudden visit of the other factions.

    "Furface, what do you specialize at, METAL or Mastery?" Lun Duo asked.

    "Neither. Both of them are just so-so." Wang Tong said and rubbed his nose.

    "That''s not good! You need to specialize at one. What do you think about mastery? I have been learning the basicstely. You know, what they said about it was true! It''s really helpful in cultivation, I can feel it!" Duo Lun said with a smug look on his face. Although he was a METAL fighter, Guan Dongyang had ordered all METAL fighters to learn at least the very basic techniques of mastery, which had proven to be very helpful.

    "Come, follow me! I will show you what I have learned" Duo Lun grabbed Wang Tong''s arm and dragged him to an empty ground.

    What Duo Lun had learned was two sets of moves; the first set altered the gravity around the Zergs to hinder their movement, and the second was a direct soul energy attack for the Hybrid Zergs.

    Although it was innovative, Wang Tong figured that these tricks would not be enough to guarantee the safety of the METAL fighters.

 Chapter 468: This Isâ€¦300!

    Chapter 468: This Is¡­300!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The main function of mastery on the battlefield was to inflict damage. In addition, Battle Wolf was renowned for its group mastery techniques that could cause significant damage to arge mass of Zergs in a blink. To maximize the group mastery''s damage output, the head mastery fighter was the key. Of all the leaders of local militia groups, Guan Dongyang''s mastery level was the highest, and therefore, Battle Wolf''s group mastery was the deadliest.

    Wang Tong didn''t speak a word. He conceded that he had escaped the world for too long, and it was time for him to return.

    As Wang Tong absorbed himself in his reflections, time seemed to have turned back to five years ago when Patroclus merged his body with the Zerg. The Zerg that joined with Patroclus was a special one, one of the two strongest Zerg warlords, the other one being the Dark Lord Moye.

    Even before the merger, Patroclus'' power was already above Wang Tong''s. After the merger hadpleted, Wang Tong was defeated by Patroclus with ease. Zhou Sisi''s sudden death had devastated Wang Tong so much that he could barely continue the fight; it was the final nail on the coffin. Eventually, Mr. Wannabe was forced to use his soul essence the second time to save Wang Tong and make a close escape.

    The five years following that event was the most brutal tragic that humans had ever experienced since the first homo-sapien walked on hind legs. Three hundred years ago, another catastrophe of simr magnitude was on its course heading toward the human world, but came to a jarring halt in its track due to the might of the de Warrior. Three hundred yearster, the humans had forgotten about what had led to the crisis three hundred years ago, and let their selfishness consume them once again. This inability to learn from their past was what spurred Patroclus to seek an alliance with the Zergs, in order to create a better race.

    At times, even Wang Tong found himself agreeing with some aspects of Patroclus'' view. However, Wang Tong could not stand the Ivantian''s betrayal. Plus, Patroclus had to kill Zhou Sisi; blood for blood, it was a crime that could not be forgiven. Wang Tong had sworn to avenge Zhou Sisi and destroy what Patroclus had built up over the years.

    Five years ago, Wang Tong had failed to prevent the seminal disaster that ushered in the age of bloodshed. Over the five years, Wang Tong had been using every awakened minute on training and recovering. He knew that he was racing against time, but he had to be patient. The world relied on him, and so did the trillions of lives in it. Without gaining power and strength, Wang Tong''s return would only trigger another bloodshed and reveal his whereabouts.

    Wang Tong was painfully aware that Mr. Wannabe would disappear forever after one more use of soul essence, and therefore, he could not afford to count on his help any longer. In thest five years, Wang Tong was absorbed in his cultivation, and he was able to unlock the third dimension of the crystal space: the Mastery dimension. Excited about gaining ess to a training ground to practice Mastery more efficiently, Wang Tong plunged himself into the crystal. It wasn''t long before he saw the flickering image of the de Warrior emerge out of the illusory space. The apparition said something to Wang Tong that hadpletely devastated the boy. Li Feng''s image eventually faded away amidst Wang Tong''s outburst of fury.

    "KOM!"

    Duo Lun was dealt a blow and staggered back.

    "Haha! Duo Lun, what did I tell you about relying too much on soul energy?"

    "Balls, Castro! You are two levels above me. Whatever I do will be useless against you!" Lu Duo picked himself up andmented.

    "Haha! Then go on, keep focusing on your soul energy if you don''t want to listen to me." Castro said with a bright smile.

    "If your counterattackes a little sooner, you might be able to defend against Castro''s attack." A voice came from a corner of the training ground.

    Both Duo Lun and Castro turned their heads toward the corner and were surprised to find out that it was Wang Tong. "Furface, it''s not funny. I should have left you outside the camp!"

    "Ah-Ha! The neer! You have something to show me? Come at me, bro! Do you want to taste my fist? Come on! We are the Battle Wolf; we kill bugs for breakfast. Don''t be a coward!" Castro shouted as he brandished the de.

    Seeing that Wang Tong didn''t reply, Castro was determined to ply a valuable lesson for this new member of the team. "When we are out there, we will have to face Zergs that outnumber us ten to one. Are you sure you can handle it? Come, let me show you a thing or two. Have you heard the old movie called ''300''?"

    At the promise of learningbat moves out of a fantasy movie, Wang Tong facepalmed in his mind. From the bits and pieces of information he had gathered so far, he wagered that the strength of the Zerg Army had improved by leaps and bounds. Their battle n was no longer the simple and mindless swarm tactics. Instead, they had grown more calctive and strategic. As a result, human soldiers were no longer able to hold tens of thousands of Zergs with only 300 METAL warriors like the movie had portrayed.

    "You are in luck, Wang Tong. Let Castro teach you a couple of moves so you will have a chance out there."

    Wang Tong waved away the invitation; he didn''t want any trouble. After all, his role right then was a mechanic''s, not a METAL warrior.

    Duo Lun stepped aside to take a rest; however, he couldn''t forget about Wang Tong''s advice.

    "Hey Furface, what do you mean e a little sooner''? Come, show me!"

    "What I meant is that if you block Castro''s attack two seconds sooner so that your de could slide two inches deeper, then you would be able to resolve Castro''s attack. Like this! Once he is interrupted, the momentum will carry him to the side, and then you can sneak in a sweeping kick. Castro is strong in his upper body, but his bnce is far from perfect." Wang Tong exined with a smile.

    "Wang Tong, are you there? We need your help here."

    "OK, be right there!" Wang Tong stormed out of the training ground and left Duo Lun by himself to ponder over the suggestions.

    When Wang Tong arrived at the shop, he was given a METAL suit to repair.

    "Wang Tong, would you please take a look at this METAL? It has some minor glitches from time to time. Better take care of it now before using them out there." The soldier said as he shuffled his feet on the ground nervously. Wang Tong was hisst hope in getting this suit fixed. After the Zergs destroyed the major METAL production lines, the production was forced to transfer to smaller and less advanced nts. Therefore, the quality of METAL suits had fallen significantly. The only METAL production nts still operating on Mars were under House Lie''s control, and even they had very limited production capacities. The scarcity of METAL suits spurred human soldiers to strip METAL parts from hybrid Zergs, particrly the most valuable part of the METAL: the energy crystals.

    Wang Tong scanned the piece of METAL in his hand with his soul energy and nodded. The soldier had kept the METAL in pristine condition; there were no significant defects in this age-old suit except for some normal wear and tear.

    "No problem, I will tune it up for you."

    "Thank you, Fur... Mr. Wang Tong." The young soldier''s face lit up with glee as soon as he heard that Wang Tong could fix his METAL for him. He didn''t walk away; instead, he wanted to watch Wang Tong working.

    Wang Tong didn''t mind the observer. He channeled a trickle of soul energy into the METAL suit, found the hairline crack in the energy crystal, and surgically fused the crack by precisely maneuvering the solder gun. In the end, he sent a burst of energy into the crystal, and thetter immediately lit up with iridescent light.

    Wang Tong handed the METAL back to the young soldier. The soldier studied the shiny new METAL suit with disbelief. Wang Tong had given it a new life, and the final boost of energy made it even more effective in protecting the wearer than what it was designed for. It was not a repair; it was an upgrade!

 Chapter 469: Not A Coincidence

    Chapter 469: Not A Coincidence

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As the war progressed, METAL mechanics had be indispensable. Many talents who could have turned out to be solid soldiers had chosen to be a mechanic instead, and achieved prestigious status in the military nheless.

    Even someone as resourceful as Lie Jian, had to take good care of his METAL. He usually would let the grand master mechanic charge up his METAL before using it. He wagered that Wang Tong could have gotten a respectful and cushy job even at House Lie, so why would he rather stay with Battle Wolf in the middle of nowhere? He could enter any battlefield.

    The young soldier held his METAL in both hands and was still finding it hard to believe what had just happened. Howe there was such a grandmaster level mechanic hidden among the ranks of Battle Wolf?

    ¡­

    "Hahahaha! I won! I really WON! " Duo Lun shouted as he stormed toward the shop. "Furface! Furface! Where are you?"

    As soon as Duo Lun rushed into the mechanic shop, the young soldier called Fang Liang hurried to grab him from the side and covered his mouth with his palm.

    "Quiet, you thick! Master furface is fixing the METAL. What are you talking about anyway?"

    Duo Lun became even more lighthearted when he realized that it was Fang Liang who had intercepted him. They were at the same level, and therefore, no one would be better than Fang Liang for him to share the news of his victory. "I have just defeated Castro! He defeated me one hundred and thirty-two times, and I finally won at the one hundred and thirty third try! I DID IT!"

    Fang Liang was taken aback by the news. Both he and Duo Lun were level eight METAL fighters, and Castro had reached level ten a while ago. How did Duo Lun best someone who was two levels ahead of him? It was impossible! Castro must have held back his power.

    Sensing Fang Liang''s doubt, Duo Lun hurried to his defense, "He didn''t hold back his power. He is still there, paralyzed."

    Duo Lun had spoken the truth; Castro wasying on the ground motionless, waiting for the uncontroble fit of spasm in his system to subside. Castro didn''t even see the attacking. He felt that something was different, and even as he was about to adjust his movement, he was dealt a blow on his neck close to the throat which paralyzed him like an electric shot.

    Castro was still dumbfounded by his defeat after he had regained control over his body and saw Lu Duo dragging Fang Liang into the training camp.

    Feeling the indignation in his throat, Castro shouted, "Hey Duo Lun, one more round! Thest one doesn''t count!"

    "Haha! As you wish! But, what if you lose again?"

    "What do you mean? I have been helping you practice for so many years, and have I ever asked for payment?"

    "Of course, you did. My tuition was your pleasure. If I defeat you again, how about you take care of myundry for a week? Haha! Or, you can somehow set me up with Ye Zi for a date. Your choice!"

    "You? A date with Ye Zi? Forget about it. I''d rather wash your underwear. Come on now, don''t waste time!"

    The two used the same strategy as they had been using for years. Duo Lun started with a solid defense until Castro unleashed the final strike. He followed Wang Tong''s instruction and slid the de two inches further to interrupt Castro''s movement, and then immediately followed with disorienting sweeping kicks. Just likest time, Castro could barely maintain his bnce while defending the attacks from below. On Duo Lun''s fifth round of kicks, he finally found an opening and sneaked his de to Castro''s throat while thetter''s attention was on his feet.

    Castro could not believe his own eyes when he saw the sharp tip of the de right under his chin. It was evident by then that his first defeat was not a coincidence.

    Fang Liang watched with his mouth open. If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he would never believe that Duo Lun would be able to catch Castro''s only w with such ease.

    From a distance, Ye Zi watched the development quietly.

    "Duo Lun, would you like to join me for lunch?" Ye Zi walked to Duo Lun and asked.

    His luck stupefied Duo Lun, and he stammered, "Lun-lun-lunch?"

    "It''s ok Ye Zi. I can just wash his underwear for a week. I will be fine. You don''t have to do that."

    Ye Zi smiled faintly and then refuted, "Castro if you have the time to wash other people''s underwear, why don''t you spend it on practicing?"

    Castro''s face crumpled with jealousy. He watched as Ye Zi and Duo Lun started off to the dining hall.

    Before the two reached the dining hall, Duo Lun already started to disclose all the information he knew about Wang Tong. He stated and reinstated a few key facts about the new member as if he was worried that Ye Zi would not believe what he had to say.

    Meanwhile, inside the mechanic shop, Wang Tong buried his nose in a pile of METAL parts. Suddenly, he was taken over by a fit of uncontroble sneezes; someone must have been gossiping about him behind his back as per old superstitions.

    A few momentster, Wang Tong finallypleted his work. He pushed himself out of a chair and stretched his arms, and then heard the din of approaching footsteps. In a few seconds, Duo Lun poked his head into the room and waved a bag of takeout boxes in front of Wang Tong.

    "Have some food, Furface. You have been working nonstop ever since morning."

    Wang Tong caught the bag from Duo Lun''s hand and started wolfing down the contents of the box.

    "OMG! What are these?" Duo Lun''s eyes lit up at the sight of the pile of neatly arranged METAL parts.

    "Isn''t it Castro''s METAL? I don''t remember its energy crystal ever shining so vibrantly before. What have you done? " Duo Lun''s voice trembled. He recognized Castro''s METAL immediately by the eye-catching graffiti on the helmet.

    "Did you fix this?" Duo Lun asked again. Duo Lun''s mind raced. However naive he was, he had started to suspect that Wang Tong was more than what met the eyes.

    It was evident that Wang Tong had charged Castro''s METAL with his own soul energy. Duo Lun had only heard of such technique in tales, and never believed them to be real. Even if the technique was real, the procedure was extremely taxing on the mechanic''s soul energy. In extreme cases, the mechanic also ran the risk of depleting his own sea of consciousness. Looking at the scrawny arms of Wang Tong, Duo Lun was convinced that he appeared weak because he had overspent his soul energy on these operations.

    Mouth stuffed and unable to speak, Wang Tong nodded a reply.

    Duo Lun handed him a bottle of water and then said, "Slow down furface. You don''t have to fix everything at once. These jerks! Can''t they wait a couple of days before sending in more orders?"

    "Ah, I''m fine. I like to keep myself busy." Wang Tong said and took arge gulp of water.

    Meanwhile, inside Guan Dongyang''s room, the leaders of Battle Wolf were in a meeting.

    "Boss, we can''t pass up such a great opportunity! We could always use more equipment!" Ross announced.

    After the meeting with the representative from the other two factions, Guan Dongyang and Ross learned that Thunder Fire and Rock Buster would like to invite Battle Wolf to join them in a raid on the Zergs'' provisions.

    "I agree that we should participate in the heist, but we need to be cautious. It just seems too... easy." Guan Dongyang scowled.

    Ye Zi sat quietly beside Guan Dongyang. She was impressed by the young leader''s strength as well as his steady and levelheaded approach while making crucial decisions.

    "Boss, I think you are worrying too much. Thebined strength of three factions should be more than enough to best any Zerg transport fleet." Ross argued.

    On paper, this heist seemed to be the opportunity of a lifetime. These provisions included the most sought-after parts, such as the energy crystals. Without those parts to ensure the function of METAL suits, hundreds of METAL fighters'' lives would be at risk. How would Guan Dongyang unify the factions under his banner if he couldn''t even guarantee his soldiers'' safety?

    Guan Dongyang gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind. The location of the heist was far from the Zergs'' main camp in the city. So, Guan Dongyang wagered that even if the Zergs detected their movement, it would take a while for the Zerg reinforcements to arrive.

    ¡­

    "Haha! Well-done furface, and thank you for your suggestions! Is there anything else you think I could improve upon? " Duo Lun beamed from side to side as he told Wang Tong about his victory against Castro.

    "Ok, show me the tactics you have been practicing." Wang Tong said.

    Duo Lun was taken aback by Wang Tong''s directness. Ever since the great war, the matter of tactics had be a very personal topic, and it was usually frowned upon to ask such a question in public. However, Duo Lun trusted Wang Tong, so he didn''t mind. He walked to the middle of the room and started his tactics.

    Wang Tong watched his tactics attentively, paying particr attention to the movements of GN nodes.

 Chapter 470: Night Raid

    Chapter 470: Night Raid

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Duo Lun, would you please do it again? I will help you adjust the GN nodes'' movement. Hang in there, it might hurt a little."

    Duo Lun couldn''t suppress augh and said, "Haha, furface, that''s fine. I don''t want to die yet."

    "Hehe, I won''t harm you. Now tell me, don''t you feel it difficult to progress when your soul energy reaches the fifth GN node?" Wang Tong cracked a smile and then pointed at Duo Lun''s belly.

    Duo Lun scowled, "How did you know? I always thought that I had done something wrong, and it has been freaking me out. It''s very close to my groin, you know."

    "Hehe, worry not. The tactics of sixty-four nodes are very decent, but it requires the practitioner to open a few critical GN nodes. Otherwise, the belligerent GN force would easily harm you."

    "Who told you that?"

    "No one, but I have seen the tactics before. Now, no more questions. Do you want my help or not?"

    "Yes, yes! Tell me what I should do." Duo Lun tugged at Wang Tong''s sleeve and pleaded for his help.

    "Start your tactics now, and do as I say."

    "No problem, right away!"

    As soon as Duo Lun started the tactics, Wang Tong channeled out his soul energy to meet the young soldier. Suddenly, Duo Lun felt a deluge of energy rush into his system and hijack the movement of his soul energy. The sudden development startled Duo Lun. However, he conceded that it was already toote to stop, so he continued to guide his energy to follow Wang Tong''s. After some time, he found out that due to the intrusion of Wang Tong''s energy, the GN nodes had formed a different configuration. Instead of sixty-four nodes, additional sixteen nodes were running in parallel.

    As Wang Tong guided Duo Lun''s soul energy, he marveled at how quickly Duo Lun was able to pick up things. Had Duo Lun met a good teacher sooner, he would have already been one of the best soldiers in Battle Wolf.

    "KOM!"

    After the soul energypleted a cirction through all the GN nodes, it charged up the intensity and speared toward the few sluggish nodes that needed to be opened.

    It was difficult to describe the exhrating feeling inside Duo Lun when the nodes were forced open, like a parched field final meeting the kiss of a downpour.

    "KOM!" Duo Lun knew there and then that his power was increased by at least a few folds.

    The entire process took less than an hour. After Duo Lun had made the breakthrough, he followed Wang Tong''s instruction and finished another round of tactics. The difference was even more noticeable during the second time around. Duo Lun had never felt so much control over his soul energy.

    When Duo Lun finally opened his eyes from deep cultivation, he saw Wang Tong''s face. However, he had the nagging feeling that Wang Tong was hiding something under his furry beard. All the while, Wang Tong behaved obedient and quiet around the camp, but deep down in his chest, Duo Lun reckoned, was a throbbing, fiery heart. What was the desire that fanned the me inside Wang Tong? And, why would he try so hard to hide it?

    "Remember how it felt. It could be difficult to adjust to double GN circtions in the beginning. Remember the bnce between the two circtions'' speed. "Wang Tong took a sip of water and then said.

    Duo Lun was perplexed by Wang Tong''s incredible knowledge of tactics. "Who are you?" He finally asked. He was convinced that only Guan Dongyang would have such profound understanding of the inner workings of tactics. Even if it were Guan Dongyang, Duo Lun wagered that he would not so easily alter the course of movement of another cultivator''s soul energy. What furface had done was unheard of!

    "I have already told you, my name is Wang Tong." Wang Tong said.

    "Balls! How could I have never heard of you? You are...incredible!"

    "Why would I lie to you? I am not that incredible anyway."

    "By the gods! I need to tell the captain about your ability. We could use your talent!"

    Wang Tong shook his head, "Save your energy. I am not nning to stay here for too long. Once I have taken care of some business here, I will pack up and leave."

    Looking at Duo Lun''s suspicious face, Wang Tong cracked a smile and announced, "Don''t you worry, I don''t work for the Zergs."

    "That is not what I am worried about. Are you sure you can''t stay at Battle Wolf?" Duo Lun knew that Wang Tong was not only a grandmaster mechanic, but also a powerful METAL fighter. He couldn''t bring himself to me him for not wanting to stay with Battle Wolf either.

    "Hehe, it was my pleasure to meet everyone here, but we all have things we need to take care of. " Wang Tong said quietly, but Duo Lun was quick to pick up the extraordinary difficulties in the task that Wang Tong wished to aplish.

    "Furface, if you ever need my help, feel free to let me know. I will do whatever I can!"

    Wang Tong smiled faintly and then said, "Sure. I am hungry, so how about starting with some food?"

    Although everyone in the Battle Wolf had strict personal rations, Duo Lun was able to spend some of his personal favors he had umted over time to exchange a couple of delicious dishes for Wang Tong. It was a small price to pay for his advancement in cultivation. He had skipped level nine and arrived at level ten directly; it was a dreaming true.

    As Wang Tong wolfed the meals down his throat, Duo Lun practiced his new tactics enthusiastically. He still couldn''t believe his luck, that a kicka*s teacher would merely fall from the sky into hisp.

    ¡­

    Ever since Guan Dongyang had announced to partake in the raid, the entire camp had been preparing for theing battle. The night before the attack, Guan Dongyang gathered everyone around the campfire and gave them an inspiring speech.

    "I will need one hundred warriors; fifty METAL fighters and fifty mastery users. If you would like to join me, report to Ross."

    Guan Dongyang knew that he would need the best of the best for this mission. Thanks to years of patient guidance, many mastery fighters in Battle Wolf had achieved a high level in their cultivation. Although Guan Dongyang didn''t name anyone, he had expected those high-level warriors to join the fight willingly.

    Despite having the element of surprise, this raid was still very risky. Guan Dongyang knew that they had to be in and out of there quickly before the Zerg army in the city could be mobilized.

    Wang Tong followed Duo Lun to the enlistment station and submitted his application. Ross epted Duo Lun ''s paper, but refused to let Wang Tong join the mission. His reason was two folds: first, Wang Tong was not a fighter in his eyes, and second, Wang Tong had a valuable skill that would be desperately needed after the battle was over.

    The enlisted warriors'' smiled broadly after they had received their shiny new METAL that had just been tuned up by Wang Tong.

    "Duo Lun, we all owe you a huge thanks for finding this mechanic out there."

    "Goddamn it! This METAL feels awesome!"

    "Is this really my METAL? I remembered that there was a crack in my pauldron. It''s gone now!"

    Duo Lun shook his head andmented how little hisrades knew about Furface''s abilities.

    ¡­

    Under the moonless sky, the resistance forces waited quietly for their target to arrive. Thunder Fire had sent three hundred pairs of capable hands, and Rock Buster had sent two hundred. A few hundred paces away from the two factions, Battle Wolf''s mastery warriors hid on the other side of the hill, waiting for instructions. They had been waiting for over twenty four hours, but years of fighting with Zerg had taught them the importance of patience.

    Their n was simple: as soon as the Zergs'' fleet appeared on the trail between the two hills, Battle Wolf''s mastery casters would immediately stun the enemies with an AOE spell. METAL warriors would then charge down the hill toy waste to the fleet. It was evident that Guan Dongyang''s mastery team yed a critical role in the attack.

    A few hourster, the scouts reported the sightings of a few flying Zergs, vanguards of the Zerg fleet. Clearly, the target was very near. After a while, the ground started to tremble.

 Chapter 471: Surrounded

    Chapter 471: Surrounded

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Everyone held their breath and waited until the flying Zergs passed through the valley below. After a while, the ground trembled more violently; the cargo was almost there.

    Guan Dongyang pressed his ear to the ground and listened to the din attentively, and was surprised to realize the size of the transport fleet was much bigger than what he was told. He stood up and looked at the distant valley. It took him only one nce to know that it was not a small force; the entire valley was filled to the brim with swarms of Zergs. Guan Dongyang estimated the number to be at least five thousand. Among those five thousand Zergs, he wagered that there would be at least a couple high tier hybrid Zergs, the so-called dark ones.

    As doubt about the mission sprout in Guan Dongyang''s mind, he was painfully aware that he had no choice but to carry on. Once the bulk of the Zerg army pressed close enough to them, it was only a matter of time until their ambush was discovered.

    Leaders of the other two factions also sensed the urgency, and were caught off guard by how inurate the information was. As one of the leaders took a closer look at the swarms of Zergs, he was surprised to find out that amidst the sea of Zergs stood a giant, emerald colored monstrosity: the Nestor Zerg. And on the back of the Nestor stood a dark one. Behind the monstrosity was a file of Spider Zergs, each carrying a giant cargo box on their back.

    The infighting andpetition between Patroclus and Moye had been fierce. Although Patroclus had adopted the humans'' technology, the Dark Lord had outright banned the use of any human tools. In the eyes of the dark lord, science and technology was the reason that human had be so weak in both mind and bodies.

    Guan Dongyang zoomed the view on to the dark one and was astonished to find out that his power was at least at par with a level seventeen human warrior. Everyone''s attention was caught by the marching Zergs, and no one had noticed a lonely figure and a robot standing on the top of a distant hill.

    Charcoal never liked this barren and dusty red. He preferred the lush greens on Norton. After the war, even the very little vegetation inside the doomed greenhouses was destroyed by the Dark Lord. However maniptive Moye was, his n of turning Patroclus into another one of his puppets had failed miserably. Five yearster, Patroclus had sessfully turned the tables, and as his influence grew at every nook and cranny of the universe. Moye now found himself at the risk of being substituted by his former apprentice.

    The schism between the two most influential warlords was quite pervasive. One would only need to look at the architectural styles of their colonies to see their profound differences. The structures built on Earth and the Moon under Patroclus'' upation was abination of humans'' conventional architectural style and Patroclus'' personal tastes, which was elegant ording to human standards. However, the buildingsmissioned by the dark lord on the Mars were an amalgamation of various alien building styles and Zergs'' burrow-like amodations.

    Ever since the birth of the hybrid Zergs, the Zergs realized the importance of assimting the human culture topletely root out the resistance. The power of the de Warrior also spurred the Zergs to crave the secrets locked inside humans'' mortal coil. The goal of the Zergs was simple, to consume everything in their way. And to do that, they would need to constantly improve themselves to stay at the top of the food chain. Ever since the Zergs entered the milky way gxy, de Warrior became the only roadblock they had encountered. The threat that the de Warrior had posed to the Zerg race was not only due to his immense power, but also the well-yed move of cutting off themunication between the Zergs.

    One of Moye''s main task was to find out the source of de Warrior''s power and reopen the portal that led to the Zerg headquarters.

    However menacing the Zergs seemed to the human, mother nature was rather indifferent to their existence. Perhaps in the eyes of the universe itself, it was humans who were the source of all malice and evil, and Zergs were merely a tool to root out the human race, much like the immune system in the human body.

    Wang Tong watched the swarms of Zergs in the distance and reckoned that being a hero was already a thing of the past. It was only a matter of time before either Patroclus or Moye gained the key to the de Warrior''s secrets, and Wang Tong hopped that it was Patroclus who could do it first.

    "Charcoal, run a scan for me."

    "Master, there are six thousand and one hundred Zergs on the surface, and another nine hundred and twenty underneath the earth. One hundred of those Zergs are level fifteen and above, fifty-three dark ones, and eighteenmander level dark ones." Charcoal announced the numbers mechanically.

    "They won''t be able to fend off the attack. Get ready!"

    "Yes, Master."

    Before Charcoal''s voice faded, Wang Tong disappeared into thin air.

    Meanwhile, at the ambush spot, Guan Dongyang was still hesitant about carrying out the original n.

    The massive escort team was a telltale sign of the item''s significance. If it eventually made its way into the city, it would likely make taking over the city an even harder task than it already was. Plus, there was a high concentration of dark ones among the Zergs, so it would be easier to get rid of them now than picking them off one by one during the chaotic siege.

    "Bothers and sisters of the Battle Wolf, our time hase! We will stop them right here! No Zerg would be able to walk cross us and enter the city!" Guan Dongyang encouraged his fighters and let out a battle cry.

    On the other side of the hill and among the fighters from the Thunder Fire and Rock Busters, the battle spirit was not wavering either. They knew that once these Zergs made their way into the city, it would be even harder to get rid of them. They had arrived at the make or break moment!

    The Zerg army was fast approaching as the stench in the air grew in intensity by the seconds. Everyone held their breath and waited for the order from Guan Dongyang.

    Guan Dongyang locked his eyes on a throng of high-level dark ones: those were his real targets. If the first surprise attack were able to kill the leader of the pack, they would have already won half of the battle.

    "Ready!"

    Fifty mastery users cranked up their soul energy at the same time and followed Guan Dongyang''s lead to start chanting. This spell was a group mastery that was created by Michaux.

    The appearance of the massive amount of soul energy quickly attacked the Zerg''s attention. As swarms of low-level Zergs charged toward the mastery fighters out of mindless instinct, the leader of the dark ones on the Nestor Zerg cast a chilling nce toward the hill.

    Ross rushed out of his hiding spot and charged toward the iing attackers.

    "Follow me! F*ck all these bugs! KILL! CHARGE! CHARGE!"

    "Super Fire Drake!"

    "KOM!"

    A fire drake appeared in the air and charged at the center of the Zerg Army, carrying the power of fifty mastery casters.

    Suddenly, a pair of giant wings spread behind the back of the dark one and lifted it up into the air, leaving the rest of the Zerg Army to the gaping mouth of the fiery dragon.

    Wang Tong''s face darkened. The Zerg he knew would never have dodged such attack; the dark ones fought more like humans than Zergs.

    Seeing the surprise attack miss its target, Guan Dongyang let out a sharp gasp. His heart sank at the thought of the remainder of the fight.

    "KILL!"

    Leaders of the Thunder Fire and Rock Buster led their troops into the clearing. Captain of the Thunder Fire Marcos was charging from the frontline. He was a level seventeen fighter, one of Guan Dongyang''spetitors. However, at this critical moment, he had put away differences and thrown himself into the danger.

    The Zergs on the surface weren''t in a hurry to charge at the attackers. Instead, the ground under the human soldier''s feet caved in, and hundreds of Zergs emerged out from under the ground. Those were Kamikaze Zergs. In a blink, mes of all colors painted the battleground as the Kamikaze Zergs exploded.

    The leader of the dark ones hovered high above the ground, its deadly eyes locked onto one person: Guan Dongyang.

    Every powerful human was a precious specimen for study. The dark one swooped down at Guan Dongyang, and thetter quickly removed himself from the crowd of mastery casters.

    The other mastery fighters reacted quickly, and their fireballs streaked the sky, but none hit the charging enemy. Guan Dongyang furrowed his brow as he realized that the leader of the dark one was on the same level as him. It was going to be an uphill battle, since the dark one was guaranteed to have a better defense than a human fighter of the same level.

    Despite the difficulty ahead, Guan Dongyang knew he had to press forward and seed. The METAL fighters were already wavering under the attacks from all sides. Ten percent of the METAL fighters were dead before they made their way to the bulk of the Zerg force.

 Chapter 472: A Secret Shadow

    Chapter 472: A Secret Shadow

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Pull Back! PULL BACK!" Marcos shouted desperately. If he didn''t give the order then, the entire army would be swallowed whole by the swarming Zergs.

    Marcos fought at the back of the retreating line to protect his soldiers. Around him were a few heavy METAL that he had taken along with him as contingency measures, but right then, it had be a necessity. Even with the slight advantage in firepower, Marcos reckoned that it would be a close call. The thought of a chest buster in him spurred him to double down on his defense.

    Despite being overwhelmed by the Zergs, the two factions'' soldiers didn''t lose their formation while retreating from the battlefield. However, things were much more difficult on the other side of the hill among the rank of the Battle Wolf. The warriors of the Battle Wolf were no lesspetent, and neither did theycked mettle. Their wavering formation was a direct result of being at the focal point of the Zergs'' aggression. Five years ago, the Zergs rarely fought with such purpose. They were usually no better than mindless animals driven solely by their instinct. But right then, they fought like a disciplined army under themand of the dark ones.

    It was difficult for people who had never fought against the dark ones to understand the profound challenges the dark ones had brought to the battlefield. Intelligence used to be the unique gift of the human race, but now, it had been used against the humans.

    Guan Dongyang had no time toment on the dire situation he was in, since he needed to focus on the trouble ahead of him.

    As one of the top fighter on Mars, Guan Dongyang was more than just a level eighteen fighter. His mastery technique, especially that of the fire element, was unprecedented. Not even Michaux could unleash the same amount of fiery destruction as he could.

    After Guan Dongyang and the dark one exchanged a few moves, it was evident that Guan Dongyang was not as nimble and agile as the Zerg Hybrid. From time to time, Guan Dongyang was able to sneak a mastery attack or two at the dark one. But, despite the deadliness of the attacks, none were able tond on the elusive target.

    A few times, the dark one had an opportunity to finish Guan Dongyang off, but he didn''t. It was clear that the dark one wanted to capture Guan Dongyang alive and take him back to the Zergb to further their unspeakable experiments. Even if Guan Dongyang''s genes were proven to be nothing extraordinary, the dark ones would consume him alive to strength their cultivation. A young and able body was the best supplement for the dark ones.

    "Human, be my food!" The dark one evaded another fiery ball and shouted with a husky voice mixed with a wet croak in the throat.

    The dark one suddenly swooped down, but Guan Dongyang didn''t flinch and announced, "Remember! My name is Guan Dongyang¡ªthe Lord of Fire!"

    "Kaboom!"

    A ring of fire rippled out from Guan Dongyang''s position¡ªan onset of the killing blow¡ªand then Guan Dongyang raised his staff. A blinding light shot out of the energy crystal atop the staff. Wherever the light touched, rocks and sands were swooped up, lit on fire, and wheezed toward the dark one. Meanwhile, Guan Dongyang recited a few words and attacked the dark one with the fiery spell at point-nk while the Hybrid Zerg was busy fending against the st of rocks.

    "KOM!"

    The fire spellnded squarely on the dark one.

    "Hehe... Your puny attack can''t even scratch me!"

    "Is that so?" Guan Dongyang sneered. So absorbed in his victory was the dark one that he didn''t even realize that a hidden sharp tip inside the fire spell had pierced through his chest.

    Knowing that the hybrid Zergs had inherited not only human''s intelligence but also conceit and ignorance, Guan Dongyang had custom-made a few spells that would turn the dark ones'' human side against themselves. The normal fire spell was not enough to kill a dark one of the same level¡ªGuan Dongyang knew it, and so did the Dark Ones. Driven by ego, many dark ones would choose to take the fire spell head-on instead of evading it. Little did the dark one knew that Guan Dongyang had hidden a spear tip in the ball of fire, like a deadly trap that looked benign on the surface.

    As soon as Guan Dongyang saw regret flicker in the dark one''s eyes, he charged up his soul energy and set his hands on fire. He reached out his zing fingers into the wounded chest and wrenched out the energy crystal, the hybrid Zerg''s life force.

    "Retreat! Pull Back!" Guan Dongyang shouted as soon as his mission waspleted. It had been a close call; the fire spell had cost a significant portion of his soul energy. So, if he had missed hisst attack, he would have had to face grave consequences.

    As soon as the soldiers of Battle Wolf received the order, they started to retreat up toward the hill. Guan Dongyang used the rest of his energy and sent out a few sts at the jagged cliff face that hugged the trail, sending a cascade of rocks to block the path.

    Guan Dongyang turned his head and darted to catch up hisrades. All the while, hemented for not following his first instinct and give up the n. How naive were they to think that they could have raided the provision unharmed?

    When everyone thought that they had finally gained a moment of respite, the sky suddenly turned dark as the sun was eclipsed by dark smoke that billowed from a huge column of fire boring down on them.

    The hill moaned under their feet as the deadly fire rammed into the hillside slope. It missed the human forces by a few dozen yards andnded on a group of Zergs. Those Zergs didn''t have the chance to let out a cry and were turned into ashes.

    A shadow flickered in between the fire and the smoke. It passed the leader of the dark ones like a phantom before both of them were eclipsed by a gush of billowing smoke. As the bright fire cast a shadow of the dark one onto the screen of smoke, the hybrid Zerg''s head lolled to his shoulder and fell to the ground.

    The human force was surrounded by fire and could not move, but five minutester, Guan Dongyang was surprised to find out that he could no longer sense any dark ones on the battlefield. It was an opportunity of a lifetime to get rid of the rest of the low-level Zergs once for all.

    "Listen up, everyone! All the Dark Ones are gone, and victory is upon us! Follow me! CHARGE! "

    Guan Dongyang shouted. Using mastery, he was able to amplify his voice so that the METAL fighters of the two other factions on the other side of the hill would hear his call to arms as well.

    Marcos knew that it was the opportunity that he could not pass up, so he led his bannermen out of the hill and charged at the Zergs with a newfound determination.

    Although the dark ones were eliminated, the Zergs still held the advantage in number. This time, the human soldiers were able to leverage on their wits more effectively as they quickly held onto a few strategic choke points. After a few minutes of waiting, the slower Heavy METAL finally caught up with the rest of the force and started to bombard the mindless Zergs with deadly steels. It wasn''t until then that the scale of the battle finally started to tip in favor of the human soldiers.

    Although Battle Wolf had the least number of warriors, they were the first in the line of attack. The group of mastery casters worked together and weaved one deadly spell after another. The dead bodies of Zergs quickly piled up in front of them like anthills

    Wang Tong made his way back to the distant hill and watched the rest of the battle quietly.

    "Master, why do we have to waste our time on these weaklings."

    "Hehe, Charcoal, I can guarantee you that they are not weaklings. It seems like I will have to stay around the camp a little longer than I had thought." Wang Tong said as he nodded in approval of Guan Dongyang''s ability.

    "Have you finished extraction?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Yes, master. These are low-level dark ones, so the result was not great. " Charcoal said as he waved a crystal in his hand; it was a crystal simr to that used on Mastery casters'' staffs. Due to theck of production and mining capability, the human had resorted to piging dead bodies of dark ones to gain such precious resources.

    The battle was almost over, and the humans'' victory was sealed. However, Guan Dongyang couldn''t stop asking himself one questions: who was the dark shadow that sent the column of fire down from the sky? Guan Dongyang could tell right away that the fire was a mastery spell, but it wasn''t just any spell. It was one that could only be cast by a level twenty mastery fighter.

    "KILL, KILL, KILL! " Ross shouted and led a group of soldiers down the hill to chase after a few fleeting Zergs.

    "I have killed fifty-three bugs today. How many have you killed, Duo Lun?"

    "Haha¡­ I have squashed eighty-nine of them! I won again!"

    After the warriors had cleared the battlefield, the three factions gathered around the transport cargo to loot the spoils before the Zerg reinforcements arrived.

 Chapter 473: Level Up

    Chapter 473: Level Up

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The battlefield was cleared in just a few minutes, and the Zerg corpses were piled into mountains.

    This was one of the most significant victories human resistance had achieved within the Maersa district.

    The soldiers quickly left the battlefield; they had neither the manpower nor the ammunition to afford another confrontation with the Zerg reinforcements.

    When the warriors returned to the camp, they were greeted by waves of cheers and shouts. However, except for a few exchanges of courtesy, the warriors didn''t speak anymore as weariness had driven them to plunge into their beds. No one had realized how tired they were while they were on the battlefield. But, as soon as they reached safety, being overspent and overexerted, sleepiness came over them like a dull hammer.

    There were supposed to be a celebration, but since everyone had quickly fallen asleep, the celebration was scheduled for ater time.

    Duo Lun had been feeling tired as soon as the battle was over, but while on his way home, as he pondered over his new tactics and how effective they were. Thinking about that, a newfound exhration came over him. As soon as Duo Lun reached the camp, he passed his bedroom and went straight to Wang Tong.

    He eventually found Wang Tong around a corner in the storage room. "Wang Tong, you could never imagine what a victory it was!"

    Wang Tong dropped the piece of METAL in his hand and smiled, "Oh? How were your new tactics?"

    "Too freaking awesome! Without it, I might have already been dead out there. What is the name of the tactics anyways? It''s too good to be true!"

    "It doesn''t have a name. Why don''t you show me the tactics again and let me see if you have improved fromst time." Wang Tong was also curious as to the effect of the double GN cirction.

    "No name? Did youe up with the Tactics yourself?" Duo Lun asked.

    "Haha¡­ Yes, and that is why I will need to make sure that it doesn''t have any side effects."

    "Balls! So, you took me as ab rat? Haha! Well, I was going to thank you for the tactics, but I think I will save my goodwill forter. By the way, if you have any other experiments, make sure you do them on me. Haha!" Duo Lunughed lightheartedly. He was not convinced that Wang Tong hade up with the tactics all by himself, since he was aware of the difficulty involved in creating just normal tactics, much less such a unique one that utilized two GN circtions.

    Wang Tong sensed Duo Lun ''s doubt, but he didn''t rise to the defense. He had created these tactics based on years of experience and his tactics, hoping to spread it across the human world. He reckoned that humanity''s survival relied on unity, and to turn the situation around, he needed to improve the average ability of all human fighters.

    Looking back at humans'' history, Zergs were not the only challenge that the race had faced, but it was the greatest one. As an enlightened demigod, Li Feng was able to see thing clearer. Not only was he hopeful that humans coulde out as the victor in this struggle, but the torment and bloodshed would also teach humans a few valuable lessons, and thus breathe a new life into the stagnate race. However, Li Feng''s optimism was based on the presumption that humans would finally learn to stand up for themselves, instead of relying on the blessing of the gods.

    As the heir of the de Warrior, Wang Tong was aware of his predecessor''s vision, and was determined to carry out his will.

    The thought of spreading the sixteen node version of the Tactics of the de had urred to Wang Tong more than once. But he was forced to drop the idea every time because the major factions already had their tactics. Therefore, Wang Tong decided to create new tactics that werepatible with almost all other tactics in the world. Duo Lun was the first tester; Wang Tong had chosen him because he was his close friend around the camp, and therefore, it was easier for him to monitor his progression.

    Duo Lun finished another round of the Tactics under Wang Tong''s examining eyes. Wang Tong was pleased to see that the double GN cirction functioning well, but he conceded that he needed to continue monitoring Duo Lun''s condition, particrity when he was in an intense battle. Only when Duo Lun''s sea of consciousness was stable under reduced circumstances would Wang Tong acknowledge the sess of the new tactics.

    "I feel like the tactics are also helping with my recovery. I don''t feel as tired as I thought I would." After a round of GN cirction, Lun Dun felt his body was rejuvenated, and his soul energy was recharged to full capacity.

    Wang Tong nodded and then said, "Good job! All signs are normal. You are pretty talented, you know?"

    "Furface, are you a crazy evil genius?"

    "Crazy evil genius?"

    "Bunch of lunatics. They capture humans and lock them up in their dungeons in the name of science. They experiment all kinds of outrageous tactics on those poor victims. No one ever survives their experiments." Duo Lun stered on a knotted face, but his voice had betrayed the lightheartedness. He knew Wang Tong was not one of them.

    "Don''t worry, you won''t die from the tactics. I was thinking of teaching them to everyone around the camp." Wang Tong announced.

    Duo Lun was shocked by Wang Tong''s words. "You are saying that you are willing to share them with everyone?"

    Wang Tong nodded.

    Duo Lun found it hard to believe that when Wang Tong could have held onto his secret tactics and make a fortune out of it, he would willingly share the tactics with the rest of the world.

    "Hehe, don''t be so stingy! I need to do my part for the war. Let''s start teaching the tactics to the warriors of Battle Wolf and see how it fares."

    "Balls! If you were even slightly better looking than you are, I might as well take you as the savior sent by God! If everyone in Battle Wolf knew the tactics, we would take the City of Maersa in no time. OK... Let''s start with Tan Bu."

    "Sounds good!"

    "Haha, awesome, I will go fetch him right away." Duo Lun and Tan Bu were BFFs, and therefore, Duo Lun wanted Tan Bu to be the first person to share the power with.

    Watching as Duo Lun disappeared behind the door, a sense of sorrow came over Wang Tong. Once upon a time, he, too, had friends that he would love to share things with. But, because of his ipetence, he was not able to save their lives.

    After a time, Duo Lun dragged Tan Bu to the storage room. Tan Bu''s sleepy eyes were half closed.

    "Duo Lun, you are such an a*s. It better be important! "

    Duo Lun ignored Tan Bu''sints and turned to Wang Tong as he asked. "Here he is, Furface. Do you think he is up to the scratch?"

    Wang Tong quickly scanned Tan Bu''s body with his soul energy and then nodded.

    "Balls! What are you two up to? Hey, you! Why are you ogling at me? Stop checking me out. I am not interested in men."

    Wang Tong suppressed a snicker and waved his hand, summoning an unseen force to lift Tan Bu up into mid-air.

    "What? What are you doing? I said I am not interested! NOT interested!" Tan Bu shouted and waggled his arms helplessly in the air.

    "Shut up! Do as Master Furface say. Don''t you want to know why my power had been increased so drastically? It is all thanks to master Furface."

    "No! NO! You might be willing to sell your butthole in exchange for power, but not me! I am still a virgin!" Tan Bu continued to struggle. However, only a few secondster, Tan Bu found out that he was no longer able to move his arms, and a few more secondster, he couldn''t even talk any longer.

    Suddenly, he heard Wang Tong''smanding voice. "Start your GN cirction. Now!"

    Subdued by Wang Tong''s powerful soul energy, Tan Bu had no other option but to follow his order. Tan Bu''s body started to rotate and spin in the air as Wang Tong guided Tan Bu''s GN force to wade through his system.

    After an hour, Wang Tong hadpleted one cirction and made the changes at a few nodes. The seed had been nted, and the rest was up to the gardener.

    When Tan Bu woke up, his first thought was that he was sexually vited.

    "How do you feel?" Wang Tong asked. Beside him, Duo Lun wasughing.

    Tan Bu rose up from his bed and was about to shout at the rapist when he felt a gush of energy roiling inside of him. "... I am ... Am I level eleven now? I am... I am! I am level eleven now! Haha!"

 Chapter 474: A Rigged Game

    Chapter 474: A Rigged Game

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The advancement in his cultivation changed Tan Bu''s mind on what had happened. "Furface, if you ever need any help, just say it. I will do the best I can."

    "Hehe, you will still need to reinforce what you have learned, and it might take you a couple of days to adjust to the double cirction."

    "Save your energy, Tan Bu. Do you really think that Master Furface will need your help?" Duo Lun cracked a smile and then said. Although Wang Tong''s exact power still escaped Duo Lun, he could tell for sure that the mechanic''s soul energy was much stronger than the two of thembined.

    "Duo Lun, would you please help Tan Bu to adjust to his new tactics? I will need a break. Let me know if you need anything. "

    "Roger that!"

    Wang Tong felt a joy rise inside him when he saw the smiles on the two young soldiers'' faces.

    Next day, the overdue celebration finally started. After one night of sleep, the soldiers were well-rested, and all of them were chatting about thest night''s intense battle. Many were talking about the mysterious column of fire that beamed down from the sky. After some lengthy discussion, the warriors concluded that it was the work of their leader Guan Dongyang. Warriors of the Thunder Fire and Rock Buster had reached simr conclusions regarding the surprising development on the battlefield.

    Such was the power of mastery casters; the most powerful caster was said to be able to eliminate thousands of Zergs with the snap of fingers.

    "Boss, how did you do thatst night? It was unbelievable." Ross asked at the meeting.

    Also puzzled by the strange turn of events, Guan Dongyang grinned and said, "That was not me. Ye Zi, did you sense the presence of another high-level Mastery user other than me?"

    Ye Zi was caught off guard by the revtion. "What? You didn''t send that fire?"

    "Well, that means no." Guan Dongyang furrowed his brows. Who would that be? Guan Dongyang knew that only a level twenty or above mastery caster would be able to rain that much pain and destruction on the Zergs. But how was it possible that he had missed the presence of such a high-level warrior? Feeling defeated by the questions, Guan Dongyang pulled his hair in a fit of frustration.

    There were only a few mastery casters that had reached level twenty, and none of them were anywhere near Maersa district.

    Could it be anyone from the Thunder Fire and Rock Buster? Impossible.

    "Heck! Who cares who that was, as long as he or she is on our side? Ross, did you hear anything back from the investigation team about the items in the transport cargo? "

    "Nothing yet. I would give them a bit more time. They had just been through a hell of a fightst night."

    "Well done everyone! The victory belongs to every warrior who had shed bloodst night. Ye Zi, please take care good care of my brothers."

    "Will do."

    Meanwhile on the Thunder Fire''s campground, Marcos and Randolph, the captain of Thunder Fire and Rock Buster, were holding a meeting together.

    "Marcos, do you think Guan Dongyang had set that fire?" Randolph asked with a cigar in between his lips.

    "I doubt it. However strong he is, he wouldn''t be able to unleash that mighty blow right after dealing with a level seventeen dark one."

    "So, we are not going to give the share of the spoils?"

    Marcos shook his head. "The Battle Wolf had sustained much fewer casualties than us. It''s not fair to split the spoils equally."

    "I doubt that Guan Dongyang would agree to that. Plus, if it was Guan Dongyang who had sent that column of fire from the sky, then what?"

    "Captain... allow me to provide you with a solution. That super METAL was cream of the crop of the spoil. Why don''t we host a tournament? Whoever wins will take that super METAL home. This way, not only can we divide up the spoils fairly, but we could also use it to find out the real power of Guan Dongyang. " It was Li Xiu who had spoken. He was Marcos''s trusted adviser.

    The others at the meeting quickly picked up the subtle nuance of his proposal. Although there were plenty spoils to be divided among the three factions, one or two of the pieces were so exceptionally rare that they overtrumped the value of the other loot. Due to the scarcity and great value of the precious loot, it was almost impossible to share it equally among the three groups.

    The varying degree of contribution to the battle furtherplicated the issue. Although Guan Dongyang and his mastery caster were responsible for the downfall of the toughest enemies, Thunder Fire and the Rock Buster were the ones that had faced the bulk of the enemies head-on. As a result, the two factions had lost many values resources, including a few expansive heavy METAL.

    On the surface, Li Xiu''s proposal seemed to be the only fair solution to the conundrum. However, the odds would be against the Battle Wolf before the tournament even started. However mighty and powerful the mastery fighters were, they stood no chance against METAL warriors in a one on onepetition.

    Marcos knew that Guan Dongyang would know that the game was rigged, but he wasn''t worried. The METAL factions already had the loot, and the tournament was the only chance that Guan Dongyang could get anything out of this raid.

    Also, the tournament would be a great opportunity to clear some questions about Guan Dongyang''s real power. Everyone knew that Guan Dongyang was a good friend of the almighty Michaux, and their friendship had also cast a mysterious light on the young leader. Marcos feared that the mysteriousness had fanned much of the outrageous ims of Guan Dongyang''s power.

    On the other hand, if the rumors about Guan Dongyang''s power were real, Marcos would have no intention of offending such a powerful warrior, and therefore, he would hand over the spoils willingly.

    They said chaos was adder for the powerful. Although the scourge of the Zergs had brought destruction and corruption, from the many holes it tore out in the fabric of human society emerged many powerful leaders and game-changers.

    The time had changed from five years ago, and so did the power bnce in the human world. The old structure was shattered the moment Patroclus turned to the Zergs. House Dower diminished in a matter of weeks, and House Zhang became the leader of the lunar resistance force. After Patroclus had firmly established his power in the Zerg army, he sent most of the Zerg forces to the Moon and the Earth, leaving the of Mars to hispetitor. Thanks to Patroclus'' familiarity with of the confederation''sbat strategies, he had never lost a battle against the resistance forces.

    A couple of yearster, Patroclus'' brutality had again surprised the world when he ughtered his father. By then, Patroclus had be the most infamous Dower the world had ever known. Whatever contribution his ancestor Rngalos had made to the humanity was smeared by Patroclus'' outrageous cruelty and deceit.

    However powerful and ambitious the House Dower was, they had met an ironic and tragic end.

    Meanwhile, on Mars, the only ce that was free of Zergs'' corruption was the Kaedeians'' city.

    The Kaedeians hadsted this long mainly due to their physical ipatibility with the Zerg parasites. After five years of struggling for survival, Princess Heidi had grown into a capable ruler. She no longer waited for the arrival of the promised savior. Instead, she fought actively against the Zerg invasion while maintaining close contact with the Mars resistance group. Having waited for five years, Heidi''s faith in the prophecy had started to waver as dark clouds loomed over her path.

    Although Kaedeians had fended off the invasion of Moye temporarily, the rtive peace was only a short reprieve; destruction would return when Moye recovered.

    Sometimes, in a fit of indignation, the Kaedeian Princess would even envy the humans. Even if the remaining humans were wiped out, their legacy would stay with Patroclus. However, when thest Kaedeian fell, the world would quickly forget that such a proud and beautiful race ever existed.

 Chapter 475: Sassy Reinforcement

    Chapter 475: Sassy Reinforcement

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The Kaedeian poption had been dwindling even before the war started, and therefore, any Kaedeian life lost was a huge setback.

    "My Lady, mydy... Your queen mother asks for you."

    "I will be there in a minute." Heidi was busy sieving through the reports from all over Mars, many of whom were pleading for reinforcements. The Kaedeians knew that without the resistance forces, the Zergs would be able to gather force and crush down the Kaedeian defense. Therefore, even if Heidi had no manpower to spare, she agreed to support bands of warriors through other means.

    When Heidi finally arrived at her mother''s residence, she was greeted by the queen and many priestesses.

    "Princess, the chosen one has finally arrived." The head priestess announced loudly, her voice trembling with excitement. It had been a long wait after all.

    "The chosen one?" Heidi was taken it back by the news. Ever since Patroclus defeated Wang Tong in the space, she sneered every time someone brought up that name. If Wang Tong couldn''t even defeat Patroclus, how could he save the humanity and the Kaedeians?

    "How is that possible?" Heidi asked. "Didn''t he die five years ago?"

    "Princess, you should never doubt our savior. He was the messenger of the gods, the chosen one. I have seen his halo from far away, and it burned with such intensity like I have never seen before. It has got to be him!" The head priestess could not long hold herposure as she shouted.

    "My Queen, please excuse me." The head priestess apologized after realizing she had been too loud.

    "There is nothing to be sorry for. We all owe you gratitude for discovering the return of the promised savior. What should we do now?"

    "We should send out search convoy to all districts of Mars; we need to find him!"

    "The entire Mars? We neither have the time nor the manpower!" Heidi rose against the head priestess''s proposal. As themander of the Kaedeian forces, she knew they could not afford to lose any more fighters.

    "Princess, please think of it in another way. We have been fighting a long war with the Zergs for centuries, much longer than the humans did. Now, the Zergs have finally made a mistake and merged their gene with the humans, unwittingly giving the humans an opportunity to eliminate the Zergs once for all. We can''t pass up this opportunity." The head priestess urged as wisdom shone in her old eyes. She was not only concerned about the problem at hand, but also the solutions far in the future.

    During the centuries-long struggle against the Zergs, Kaedeians had achieved some victories. But in the end, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies and had to retreat to Mars. A few centuriester, the women warriors were still fighting the war against their old enemy. But this time, the tables seemed to have turned.

    On the surface, the Zergs seemed to have gained the upper hand after they incorporated the human gene into their gene pool. However, the human gene was a mixed blessing to the Zerg in the long run. Not only they had inherited human''s intelligence, but also all of their sins: jealousy, selfishness, lust, and more. These elements sowed the seeds of destruction that would, in time, bear the vile fruit of internal crisis.

    Only five years after the war, the bud of destruction within the Zergs had already manifested itself in the form of the struggle between Patroclus and Moye.

    The news about the return of the savior had lit up every priestess'' face with glee. Ever since the invasion of the Zergs five years ago, life inside the Kaedeian city was dominated by sorrow and fear. Unlike the humans, Kaedeian had been defeated by the Zerg in such a crushing way that even three hundred years of recuperation was still not enough for them to forget the scars.

    Although Heidi had her doubts, she epted her queen mother''s order. However, she reminded herself to not to kept her hopes high. After all, the savior had already failed them once. Like many young souls in the city, Heidi firmly believed that only perseverance and resilience could save their race from the scourge of Zerg.

    In the afternoon, Guan Dongyang got the invitation to the tournament, which immediately lit up outrage everywhere at the camp.

    "Balls! Thankless b*stards! They know that we are mostly Mastery casters, and that is why they called for a tournament! " Ross shouted and thumped his fist on the heavy table.

    Each faction was to draft ten fighters, and the winner of each round would im one-tenth of the war spoils.

    As a small but effective group, the Battle Wolf''s status had always been unclear among the other resistance groups. Guan Dongyang had expected some reluctance in the other two leaders to share the war spoils equally. Even if the other leaders had the decency to give Battle Wolf its fair share, it was impossible to divide the war spoils equally into three portion due to a level sixteen METAL suit, whose value was hard to measure using the other loots.

    As a mastery caster, Guan Dongyang had an inferior defense than his METAL counterparts, and therefore, he was in the great need of such a high-level METAL to protect himself. However, both Marcos and Randolph felt that they could not pass up the opportunity either.

    Guan Dongyang remained calm after reading the invitation letter for the tournament. "Whining andining won''t change the fact that our strength is weaker than them. If it were you, would you be willing to share contents of the loot with weaklings? At any rate, they did not deny our rights to im the spoils. They just want to use the tournament to prevent us from getting that super METAL, that''s all."

    "So, what is your call?" Ye Zi asked. She was tempted to negotiate a better deal with the other two factions as a member of the Divine Master Sect. However, after some thoughts, she conceded that between face and super METAL, the two leaders would choose thetter within a heartbeat.

    Guan Dongyang shook his head and beamed from side to side. "I have news that I wished to announceter today. It would give Marcos a pleasant surprise. "

    "You mean someone from House Lie is going to join us?" Ye Zi asked with a smile.

    "How did you know?"

    "Haha, boss, you never smile like that unless we are talking about Lie Xuan!"

    "Haha! Well yed, boss. That will be a hell of a sassy surprise for the other two factions! Haha!"

    "Yes. Since it''s an internal dispute, House Lie cannot interfere too much, so Lie Xuan wille alone. Our goal is the super METAL; the rest does not matter." Guan Dongyang announced.

    "Boss, you can count on us!" The rest of the soldiers at the meeting room shouted in unison.

    "I will go prepare a guest room for her." Ye Zi volunteered.

    After the meeting, Guan Dongyang dispatched another assistant topile aplete list of the loot, just in case the other two factions changed the contents in the cargo boxes. Two hundred men and women had followed him to the battlefield and bled, some even losing their lives. Guan Dongyang could not let their sacrifice go down the drain. In addition, Guan Dongyang suspected that there was more than just one super METAL among the loot based on the size of the escort team. So, he invited Lie Xuan to join his side in order to gain more odds in his favor

    The young leader of Battle Wolf knew that he would be examined and tested during this tournament, and therefore, it would be a great opportunity to disy his strength and pave the way to his leadership in the uing assault on Maersa.

    ¡­

    "Captain, news about our victory had made its way to many other factions. We are going to have lots of spectators during the tournament."

    Marcos scowled. "They can look, but don''t they dare touch my loot!"

 Chapter 476: Take Me With You

    Chapter 476: Take Me With You

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "The more, the better, Captain. It will be a great opportunity to disy our strength, don''t you think? It will make it easier for you to im dominance in the Maersa district once we push the Zergs out."

    The thought of bringing the other factions to their knees brought a smile to Marcos'' face. He wagered that it would only be a matter of time for the human resistance to kick the Zergs out of the city. Who would be in charge then? The great houses'' power had eroded significantly over time, leaving a power vacuum in the region. To a warlord like Marcos, it was an opportunity of a lifetime to exert his influence and fill the power vacuum.

    "I get what you mean. But, what if those a*sholes want a share of the loot? Man can do terrible things out of jealousy."

    "Boss, if you want to be the leader of the world, you would have to get over the green eyes around you. If you are really concerned about safety, we can restrict the number of participants down to five in each faction. I doubt anyone is going to rob us in broad daylight. Plus, we have the full support of the Rock Buster."

    There were two other factions in the Maersa district whose strength and influence was at par with, if not higher than Thunder Fire''s. For now, all factions were united under themon goal of driving out the Zergs. Those who had ulterior motives were called rogues, and all human factions persecuted them upon sight.

    Two years ago, a band of rogues rose to power on Mars. They raided and piged many settlements within House Lie''s territory, and eventually aggravated the Lord of House Lie, Lie Jintian. Lie Jintian led an army andpletely decimated the band. Its leader, a level twelve METAL warrior, was decapitated by Li Jintian himself. After the victory, Lie Jintian disemboweled the leader and set his heart on a pike as a message to all the other rogues.

    After that turn of events, most bands of rogues put down their weapons, and they either returned home or joined the resistance groups.

    Although Einherjar Lie Jintian was a mighty warrior, he had to be very careful while fighting against the Zergs. The Zergs hade up with methods of capturing and killing any Einherjar level fighter. Einherjars were raremodities during such reduced circumstances; they were not only powerful on the battlefield, but also the embodiment of hope. Losing an Einherjar meant losing half the war.

    As Marcos calcted his odds and weighed his options, he reckoned how much the resistance factions needed a central leader. He had tried many times¡ªto no avail¡ªto bring Guan Dongyang and the Battle Wolf under his wings. However, Guan Dongyang was very confident that he didn''t need anyone''s protection. Plus, Guan Dongyang would rather be his own boss, rather than exchange his freedom for safety in a cage.

    Despite Guan Dongyang''s turning down of his good will, Marcos always maintained a healthy rtionship with the former. Marcos was convinced that the Battle Wolf was an even more valuable ally than the Rock Buster. The indispensable mastery casters aside, Battle Wolf was Marcos'' only way to stay connected with House Lie and the Divine Master Sect.

    "So be it! Don''t you think Guan Dongyang''s decision came a little bit too quick?"

    "Yes indeed. Our report says that a convoy from House Lie is heading toward the Battle Wold. Lie Xuan is the leader."

    "Haha, no wonder Guan Dongyang had replied to my invitation so quickly. Lie Xuan is a gorgeous little hot pepper, right? I have heard that she had reached level seventeen a year ago, and her tactics are the Tactics of the ze."

    "Boss, this tournament is our internal business, so I don''t think House Lie would interfere too much. At most, they would just send one warrior to fight for Battle Wolf. However, for the sake of safety, I think we should invite that man as our champion." Li Xiu pressed his face close to Marcos'' ear and whispered a name.

    Marcos nodded. "He has a bad temper, and is very expensive as well. Do you think he woulde to join us?"

    "Boss, time can make a hero kneel. His life had been difficult, and I have heard a report saying that the Zergs had discovered hisst hiding spot, and he was forced to move again. At this moment, I believe he is more worried about having a covered roof on top of his wife and kids than his face. We can offer to bring his wife and kids under our protection, give them food and amodation, and most importantly, safety. I would be hard pressed to see him turning us down."

    "That sounds like a n! If you can bring him to my camp, I will give you full credit for our sess."

    "Thank you, captain. Once the condition is right, we will quickly rise to power and im the throne of Maersa!"

    "Hehe, don''t celebrate too early. But thanks to you, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. When you talk to him, tell him that it is his responsibility as a martian to join the resistance and fight against the Zergs."

    "Will do!"

    Marcos watched as Li Xiu sauntered out of the room. Marcos heaved a sigh and was absorbed in reflections of his achievements. The Thunder Fire started out as a martial group, not that much different from a gym. In the early years, Marcos focused solely on growth and chose his battles carefully. After a few years of careful nning and a dozen strategic sesses, Thunder Fire''s growth finally started to pick up speed. Marcos was very proud of himself for having created the band from scratch.

    At the war camp of the Battle Wolf, Guan Dongyang gathered the warriors he had drafted to join the tournament around the campfire and gave them an inspiring speech. Wang Tong listened quietly as his mind slowly drifted into a reverie.

    What would have happened if he had managed to kill Patroclus five years ago? Would that have changed the fate of humanity?

    What would happen to his family and friend if he wasn''t there to protect them?

    When Jansining told him to look after Bei Bei, he meant not only to protect the little girl, but also to protect the world in which Bei Bei could enjoy her life.

    However difficult it was to fulfill his promise to Jansining, Wang Tong had to do it.

    For the longest time, Wang Tong was proud of his resilience and perseverance. But right now, he realized that enduring suffering quietly was nothing to be proud of. The real pride should be in actions to change what was wrong, to make the world a better ce, and to end the suffering, like what Guan Dongyang was doing.

    "Furface, what are you thinking?" Ye Zi''s voice wrenched Wang Tong''s mind out of his deep thoughts.

    Wang Tong turned to Ye Zi and asked, "Do you think I can go with you?"

    "You want to go to the tournament? Can you tell me why?" Ye Zi''s eyes locked onto Wang Tong''s face.

    "I am the mechanic, am I not? I can identify how good the loot is."

    "Fine, fine. I will talk to the captain. I don''t think he will say no. "Ye Zi nodded.

    "Thank you, Officer Ye."

    "Save the courtesy. Just call me Ye Zi please, Furface!"

    "Ok, Ye Zi. There is a question that I always wanted to ask you, but I am not sure if it''s appropriate."

    "Ask along."

    "Michaux and the Divine Master Set are well known for their Mastery. I wonder if they provide mastery training to the public?"

    Ye Zi was caught off guard, not by the question, but by the way Wang Tong said it. Michaux Odin was a legendary warrior, and only a few could mention his name with such levity as Wang Tong had just done.

    "Why? Are you interested in bing a mastery caster? You have a pretty solid soul energy, I will give you that. Maybe you should give it a try."

 Chapter 477: The Secrets Of Mastery

    Chapter 477: The Secrets Of Mastery

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Yeah, I am interested." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "Is that confidence I just sensed in you? Hehe. Yes, the Divine Master Sect provides such training, and most low-level mastery casters graduate from their school. Although the mastery might seem easy at the beginning, it is tough to level up once you have learned the basics, much more difficult than METALbat at least. To tell you a secret¡­" Ye Zi covered her mouth and spoke under her breath. "Even Guan Dongyang was considered low-level masterypared to Michaux. Luckily, you canbine mastery casters'' powers to achieve more significant damage. "

    Wang Tong nodded and asked, "Which type of mastery is the most wildly used nowadays?"

    Ye Zi knew right away that Wang Tong was not an ordinary mechanic, or perhaps not a mechanic at all. She answered carefully, "The fire element, because it can deliver the greatest damage."

    "Hehe, don''t fool me. If I were Michaux, I would focus on the ice element." Wang Tong refuted.

    At this point, Ye Zi could no longer hold on to her calm appearance. Her master had told her that there was an elite group within the Sect who focused solely on ice element. She had identally overheard the Divine Master himself state his suspicion that the red glob had an icy core inside.

    But all those were strictly top secrets, and even Guan Dongyang''s mastery had used fire element. How did Furfacee to such a conclusion?

    A question rang loud and clear in Ye Zi''s mind, ''Who is he?''

    He called himself Wang Tong, a name that Ye Zi had never heard of; it had to be fake. Ye Zi studied Wang Tong from head to toe, and other than pity, she couldn''t feel anything else.

    Ye Zi gathered herself and cracked a smile, "I''m... too busytely. We should practice Mastery together once I have some time. "

    Wang Tong smiled and then nodded, his eyes still fixated on Guan Dongyang. Guan Dongyang was about to finish his inspirational speech that had lit up everyone''s spirit.

    There was something in the younger generation of warriors that the older generation such as Marcos hadcked. That very something was everywhere around the camp; it was in their altruistic ideology, their passion for achieving greatness, and the ever-burning desire to save humanity. To these young warriors, the personal gain was not the top priority. It was themon good that they cared about the most.

    The tournament was scheduled in three days, but Guan Dongyang didn''t let the challenge get the better of him, and he carried out the daily routine around the camp as usual. One such routine was drilling with the Mastery casters. Group mastery required coordination, and therefore, practice and constant drilling were necessary. The benefit of training in a group was profound to an individual''s cultivation, since it made it much easier for each caster to tap into the natural energy around them. The Mastery was a rtively new field, and therefore, the cultivators could often encounter pleasant surprises during experiments from time to time. The same could not be said about METALbat, since the techniques were very well established.

    As soon as Guan Dongyang discovered the surprising benefit of group cultivation, he had ordered his mastery casters to practice together every day. After each day''s group practice, Guan Dongyang also took a few minutes to offer his precious advice. During that time, not only did the mastery casters gather around him, but the METAL fighters would also listen attentively to see if there was anything useful for them.

    Mixing mastery and METALbat was what Guan Dongyang had always encouraged. Mastery could help METAL warriors advance in their cultivation, and mastery casters could also benefit from the robust physique on the battlefield.

    Even Ye Zi attended the session and took notes from time to time. Although she had received training from the Divine Masters, she found that she could learn a great deal from Guan Dongyang''s unique and battle-hardened mastery style.

    Wang Tong nodded as he listened to Guan Dongyang''s ss. Guan Dongyang had divided mastery techniques into different difficulty levels, and encouraged the new students to start from the easier ones. This division was considered to be an ingenious creation by almost everyone, but Wang Tong had immediately noticed more than a dozen defects in the theory. In Guan Dongyang''s system, the highest level of mastery consisted only of two offensive moves: fireball and fire drake. Both were the most rudimentary forms of mastery in Wang Tong''s opinion.

    If it were five years ago, Wang Tong would have shouted out his thoughts without considering the consequences. But, the new Wang Tong was no longer the brash teenager, and he had started to appreciate the value of taking things slowly.

    One merit that Wang Tong found in the Battle Wolf''s mastery casters was their solid foundation and strict discipline.

    After Guan Dongyang finished his ss, some of his students kept their silence and summarized the ss in their minds, and some were discussing about what they had learned with their friends.

    "What do you think?" Ye Zi asked.

    "Not bad." Wang Tong nodded. He thought that it was rather impressive for Guan Dongyang to form such a solid Mastery team from scratch.

    "That''s it?"

    "Um... yes?" Wang Tong replied, unsure what else to say.

    Ye Zi searched Wang Tong''s face for any sign that befitted an extraordinary warrior and failed. She found it hard to endure Wang Tong''s levity when talking about the best Mastery fighter in the entire district. In the end, she was convinced that it was Wang Tong''s mechanical skill that had lent him his blind confidence.

    After Ye Zi walked away with Guan Dongyang, Tan Bu and Duo Lun sneaked up to Wang Tong. "Furface, when are you going to teach everyone your tactics?"

    "Hehe, there is no hurry. Let me observe you for a couple more days. How about you meet me at my shop tonight, and I will run some tests on you."

    "Tests? What kind of tests?"

    "You will know when you arrive."

    "Roger that." Tan Bu announced.

    Duo Lun pressed closer to Wang Tong and spoke quietly, "Do you want to join us to see Captain''s sweetheart? The flower of the Mars, the spicy beauty, Lie Xuan!"

    "More like a deadly she-wolf, that one!" Tan Bu piped up.

    Although Lie Xuan was a gorgeous girl, she had a temper worse than that of a raging bull.

    Wang Tong cracked a knowing smile, but the smile immediately evaporated from his face.

    Lun Duo patted Wang Tong''s shoulder and said, "Don''t worry, we will find you a nice girl too."

    "Don''t listen to him. He can barely find himself a girl! Tell you what, the best girl in this area is right inside our medic room. But, there are always more good-looking girls in other war camps. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, right? We just have to fight harder at the tournament, and maybe we will win more than just the loot." Tan Bu said.

    "Only the top fighters are allowed to join the tournament. What are you going to do there?" Lun Duo asked.

    "Which top fighter is willing to be the cargo, driver? If I don''t help them with the transportation, the loot is not going to grow a pair of legs and walk home, is it?"

    Wang Tong shook his head as Tan Bu reminded him too much of Karl.

    "Look! The one in red is Lie Xuan! She is so hot!"

    Wang Tong looked in the direction where Lun Duo was pointing at and saw six members of House Lie. Lie Xuan was easy to identify by her red dress that entuated her curvy and tenacious body. A charming and intoxicating smile lingered on her elegant face. No wonder Guan Dongyang would fall for her.

 Chapter 478: Visitors from House Lie

    Chapter 478: Visitors from House Lie

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    There was another familiar face among the member of House Lie: Lie Wushuang. Lie Wushuang had just turned twenty-seven this year, and his seniority and experience had lent him confidence. Each step he took held an unswerving determination and purpose. Among the half dozen warriors sent by House Lie, he ought to be the strongest.

    "Balls! That''s Lie Wushuang! He is the boss''petitor." Lun Duo scowled andmented.

    "He has no chance! How many years had he stayed close to Lie Xuan, and still no dice? If Lie Xuan were interested in him, they would have already gotten married." Tan Bu shook his head. Clearly, he knew women better than his best friend.

    While they were speaking, the entourage had filed into Guan Dongyang''s room. Lie Xuan held hands with Ye Zi and started chattering like two teenage girls. Everyone''s face lit up with glee; it was evident that Guan Dongyang had kept an amicable rtionship with House Lie.

    As Lie Xuan and Ye Zi walked out of the room and disappeared into the distance, Tan Bu and Lun Duo both heaved a sigh.

    "I would rather die in the bed with a hot muffin than live a single extra day. I have decided, I will work extra hours every day to be one of the super METAL warriors, and find myself a sweetheart as beautiful as those two." Tan Bu thought for a few seconds and then announced with determination in his voice.

    When he finished announcing his newfound resolution, he found out that Duo Lun had already left him, dragging Wang Tong behind.

    "Don''t mind him; he is an idiot." The wind blew a few words out of Duo Lun''s mouth into Tan Bu''s ears.

    "Hehe, everything is possible." Wang Tong said quietly to himself.

    Tan Bu caught up with the two and walked to their rooms together. Suddenly, they heard a voice calling out to them, and they saw Ross scuttling toward them.

    "What are you three doing here?" Ross asked.

    "Nothing, nothing. We didn''t do anything." Tan Bu hurried to reply.

    "I know you guys are peeking at those girls. Everyone knows that you only think with what''s in between your legs instead of what''s on your shoulder. Come, Furface. Boss is looking for you. We have a guest today, so don''t let us down." Rossmanded.

    "What''s up?"

    "I have no idea either, just follow me. Ask less, do more!"

    Wang Tong nodded and waved to the two young soldiers. "Don''t forget to find me tonight."

    When Wang Tong arrived at Guan Dongyang''s room, he was greeted by swells ofughter. Everyone was listening to Lie Xuan''s recent battles while throwing banter at her from time to time.

    Guan Dongyang didn''t pay much attention to Wang Tong when he first heard of his arrival. However, during the battle at the hills, he was surprised by how well his METAL had functioned. Therefore, he thought he owed Wang Tong a formal appreciation.

    Ye Zi knew Wang Tong well, and therefore, she pushed herself up from the chair, walked to Wang Tong, and introduced him.

    "This is the furface of Battle Wolf¡­ An excellent METAL mechanic, palpably the best on Mars! We will take him with us to the tournament to identify the looted METAL."

    Lie Xuan surveyed Wang Tong and heaved a sigh of disappointment. Martians were never good at hiding their feelings. "The best? Do you think the five mechanics of House Lie are any worse than this...loser? "

    Although Guan Dongyang was well aware of Lie Xuan''s personality, her ill choice of words spurred a knot on Guan Dongyang''s face.

    Sensing her words had gone a little overboard, Lie Xuan quickly stered on a whimsical smile andughed out loud. "Haha! I was just joking! Come sit by me, Mr. Furface. We will be counting on you to see through any tricks from the Thunder Fire."

    Wang Tong nodded; time didn''t change her carelessness, but made her made more aware of other''s feelings nheless.

    "Brother Guan, we should take advantage and establish your authority among the other factions. Let those Thunder Fire shoot themselves in the foot." Lie Wushuang announced.

    "Hehe, you have spoken my mind, Brother Wushuang. I will send the Battle Wolf members out first, and you can help out once things start to get hairy."

    Lie Wushuang nodded in approval. He scanned the room and found Wang Tong sitting quietly in his seat.

    "You don''t like to talk, do you?" Lie Wushuang asked.

    Wang Tong''s eyes found Lie Wushuang''s gaze, but he didn''t say a word.

    Ye Zi hurried to reply on behalf of Wang Tong. "He is just a technician, probably too afraid to talk to you at this moment."

    "Lie Xuan, make sure you rest well. We will move out tomorrow."

    "Roger that."

    "Ah¡­ We have other matters to take care of. You two, please continue. " Ye Zi squeezed a wink at everyone and left the room. Ross and everyone else picked up the cue and followed Ye Zi out of the room, leaving Guan Dongyang alone with Lie Xuan.

    Lie Xuan cast a nce at Lie Wushuang, willing him to stay.

    It was true that Lie Wushuang used to be obsessed with Le Xuan, but not anymore. However, Guan Dongyang''s insistent courtship of his former lover annoyed the former like a prick in his side.

    Lie Jian really liked Guan Dongyang''s talent, but his favor was limited to only business. Even though Lie Jian never nned to marry his sister to Guan Dongyang, neither did he ever openly oppose his courtship. Using her sister as a pivot, Lie Jian yed a smart game against two of his most potent associates. He used Guan Dongyang''s actions to stoke the me of jealousy inside Lie Wushuang, and in the end, they both had to ask him for help ¡ªa hefty bargaining chip that he could weigh in when asking the two for their loyalties.

    "Furface, don''t mind what Lie Xuan had said. House Lie folks can be jerks sometimes." Ye Zi said.

    Wang Tong shrugged.

    Ye Zi cracked a smile and then said, "They are very generous this time. Other than Lie Wushuang and Lie Xuan, the other four warriors are all level sixteen. It should give the Thunder Fire some pressure."

    "Is it allowed to have external aid from House Lie?"

    "Of course!" Ye Zi was taken aback by the question.

    "What if Thunder Fire does the same?"

    "Phf... What kind of aid would they have?" Ye Zi snorted.

    "Hey, you! Have we met before?" A deep voice boomed behind the two. It was Lie Wushuang, his eyes locked onto Wang Tong.

    "No." Wang Tong shook his head.

    Lie Wushuang thought for a second; it was true that he never knew any mechanic except for those who worked for House Lie.

    After exchanged a greeting with Ye Zi, Lie Wushuang left with his associates.

    "You should go back and prepare for tomorrow''s task, " Ye Zi said to Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong nodded and walked away. But, he didn''t go back to his room. Instead, he went straight to Duo Lun and Tan Bu''s room.

    "Hey, Furface, how did you know we were here? Did you cast a location spell on us? Haha!"

    "Spell you''re a*s! " Wang Tong cursed for the first time in a long time.

    Sensing that Wang Tong was finally loosening up, Tan Bu said, "Here we go! Let it all out. You know, I was dumped fifty-six times! And look at me now¡­ a chick ma!"

    "I was never dumped." Wang Tong protested, but his voice betrayed him.

    "We know the pain, bro. We neither have the power nor a pretty face like our boss. But, as long as we keep at it, we will be fine. Hey, do you want to know some useful information to up your game a notch?"

    "Oh? Do tell." Wang Tong''s interest was piqued.

    "Haha, there are beauty queens on Mars. The first one is Heidi, but it is impossible to court her because of obvious reasons. The second is the most beautiful and talented medic Susu. She is the founder of the Field Medic Association. The third is the daughter of the Lord of Thunder Drum, Zambrotta."

    "Zambrotta''s daughter?" Wang Tong shouted in disbelief as Zambrotta''s ragged face appeared in his mind.

    "Yes, she looks like her mom. After Einherjar Wannabe defeated Zambrotta, he recovered and regained momentum in the development of the Thunder Drum. After the Zergs'' invasion, he fled with his followers and quickly formed a resistance force. His group is the third most powerful force right after the House Lie and the Divine Master Sect."

 Chapter 479: How Can I Make A Man Out Of You?

    Chapter 479: How Can I Make A Man Out Of You?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Funny business aside, I am here to see if you two are ready for tomorrow."

    "Go ahead. Tell us what to do."

    "Just hit me." Wang Tong opened up his arms and said.

    "Haha! Furface, are you out of your mind? I am level eleven, and Duo Lun is level ten. If we attack you with full force, you are going to get killed." Tan Bu waved his arms in dismay.

    "Are you sure?" Before Wang Tong''s voice faded, Tan Bu and Duo Lun felt a fit of spasm in their legs that threatened to steal their bnce. The two warriors hurried to maintain bnce. However, they found that the more control they exerted over their legs, the more intense the spasm grew.

    The struggle went on for ten minutes, and the two soldiers finally gave up and copsed to the ground.

    Wang Tong scowled; he had expected them tost for at least half an hour. He conceded that although he had improved their damage output, the tactics did nothing to strengthen their endurance. Blinded by their sudden increase in power, they might set themselves up in anger without even realizing it.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lunid on the ground while stared perplexity at each other; they didn''t even know what had happened to them. They struggled to get up, but failed as they realized that their energy and GN force had beenpletely depleted.

    "Start your tactics. Don''t waste such an opportunity!" Wang Tong set his hands on both soldier''s shoulders, sending a rush of energy into their systems.

    Wang Tong looked at the two soldiers and was determined to find out the source of the problem.

    The energy that Wang Tong sent into Duo Lun and Tan Bu lit up their motivation and spurred them to start their tactics anew.

    Wang Tong watched carefully and reckoned that although the new tacticscked in damage, they were easy to learn. But, howe they fell short so badly in terms of endurance?

    Wang Tong mauled over the question when recognition suddenly dawned upon him.

    The issues were with the GN nodes. Although the addition of sixteen GN nodes would boost the damage output, without a solid foundation, it would be hard for the cultivator to maintain the stability of the GN force. In other words, to alleviate the instability issue, Wang Tong could change the tactics so that it would only unlock eight additional GN nodes instead of sixteen.

    However, changing the tactics meant that Wang Tong would have to choose another two testers, since it was already toote for Duo Lun and Tan Bu to alter their GN node configurations. The earlier change to their GN node movement was simply an addition of GN node cirction on top of their existing ones. However, reducing the GN nodes from 16 to 8 meant irreversibly changing what they had already learned.

    This was not to say that Duo Lun and Tan Bu were stuck with an ineffective tactic. Since Wang Tong had already found out the cause of the problem, he would sooner orter discover the cure for them.

    Nevertheless, Duo Lun and Tan Bu felt that they had nothing toin. Wang Tong had already given them more than what they had wished for.

    Wang Tong chose a t rock on the edge of a hill and sat down, looking over into the distance as he watched the purple dusk of Mars. The three of them sat together until darkness surrounded them.

    ¡­

    In the morning, Guan Dongyang and his entourage, including warriors form House Lie, marched toward the camp of Thunder Fire.

    Wang Tong, Duo Lun, and Tan Bu sat inside the transport vehicle; they were the support staff of this mission. After having tasted Wang Tong''s power, the two soldiers had finally acknowledged him as the leader of their trio. The more they know about Wang Tong, the more he resembled the ''Evil Genius'' who tortured humans for fun.

    "Furface, do you think we can eventually be badasses, killing Zergs with the snap of fingers?" Tan Bu asked.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "I don''t think so. I would never want to face a swarm of Zergs all by myself."

    "I mean if¡­ IF you have to face thousands of Zergs, then what?"

    "That''s easy." Wang Tong smirked.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun cast each other a knowing nce.

    "I will run away." Wang Tong said calmly.

    Wang Tong''s answer made the other fighters around them burst outughing. Even Duo Lun and Tan Bu felt embarrassed. Wang Tong didn''t mind themughing at him. He looked through the cracked window into the distance and let the sneers slide off his ego like a breeze off his thick beard.

    In the front of the line, Guan Dongyang and Lie Xuan took the lead side by side. This was a dreame true for Guan Dongyang to fight alongside the girl he loved. However, he was also painfully aware that the reality was far from ideal. Not only did Lie Xuan still treat him as one of her friends, but the sess of the mission with the help of House Lie also meant that Battle Wolf would be branded with the family name of House Lie.

    However, at this point, Guan Dongyang knew that he didn''t have many options.

    Battle Wolf moved through the meandering trails cautiously, trying to avoid contact with the Zergs. Just a few years ago, it was the Zergs that needed to watch out every time they were on a human. Patroclus'' betrayal had turned the situation upside down.

    But, however tough the situation was, human life carried on.

    The fleet traveled slowly to make sure of their safety. In the night, they would make camp wherever they stopped. After dinner, some soldiers would take the night post on the high ground while the rest of the group rested. Ever since the emergence of the dark ones, the Zergs had learned to ambush, and even lure the human forces into their traps. The goal of the Zergs was no longer to kill as many humans as possible; instead, it was to eliminate the most powerful human.

    Ever since the letdown that Duo Lun and Tan Bu had given Wang Tong, he had started to expect more from the two. Every time Tan Bu though of cking off, he swallowed down hisziness as soon as he saw Wang Tong''s demanding eyes.

    A couple of dayster, Wang Tong tested the two soldiers once again, and this time, the two soldierssted even shorter than thest time.

    "Furface, how long do we have to do this for?" Tan Bu protested.

    Wang Tong slowly turned a page of the book in his hand and said calmly, "Till the time you are strong enough."

    Unlike Tun Bu, Duo Lun didn''t speak a word. He knew that Wang Tong''s intentions were good, as he was trying to help them ovee a hurdle in their cultivation. Having Wang Tong as their personal trainer was a blessing of the gods.

    Wang Tong nced at the two and said, "Don''t you two want to be the Super METAL warriors?"

 Chapter 480: Number One Meant Nothing

    Chapter 480: Number One Meant Nothing

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Of course! Zergs killed my entire family, the only purpose in my life is to kill Zergs! Please Wang Tong, can you teach me your tactics so I can avenge my family?" Tan Bu suddenly pleaded with watery eyes. Tragedies like what happened to his family were urring every day. Duo Lun heard a simr case as his and felt a jab at his heart. The foolish mask he wore in the war was his protection, not from the pain, but from bing numb and indifferent to what was happening.

    "Furface, we both know that you are very strong, and we had studied your tactics. From now on, you will be our Shifu, and we will follow you wherever you go. My story is simr to Tan Bu''s. So, please help us to be stronger, such that we can kill as many Zergs as possible." Duo Lun said with his fist clenched tightly. A Zerg ate his sister right in front of him. The terrifying scene of his sister''s legs dangling in the Zerg''s mouth stunned Duo Lun and almost drove him to the verge of insanity. It was Guan Dongyang who had saved him from being the next victim, but he couldn''t save him from the nightmare that haunted him every night.

    Wang Tong had seen through Tan Bu''s facade a long time ago. He understood the hatred toward Zergs that fueled both of these two young soldiers, and therefore, he was willing to pass his tactics to them. Wang Tong knew that he could not save the world by himself. Without everyone taking up arms and fighting for themselves, even General Li Feng couldn''t have saved humanity.

    Wang Tong nodded and then said, "There is no need to rush to a decision. In order to be a super METAL fighter, you will need to build a solid foundation first. Youcked strength and endurance before I taught you the tactics, and therefore, with the new tactics, it would be very easy to overspend your energy. You should know how dangerous that is on the battlefield. If you would like to change that, then you will need to follow my instructions, and be ready for hellish training."

    After hearing Wang Tong''s proposal, Duo Lun and Tan Bu decided to think about their options for a while. Wang Tong agreed, as it was important to think things through before taking any actions. That was the case for the two young warriors, as well as for Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong left the two to their pondering and walked to a quiet clearing in the woods to sit down. The silence around him was familiar, if not cozy. Maybe he was meant to be alone forever, Wang Tong thought.

    "What are you doing out here?" Ye Zi''s musical voice rang behind Wang Tong.

    "You are in a good mood." Wang Tong turned and cracked a smile at her.

    "You too. I wonder how you could remain so amiable every day while the world is falling apart."

    "Oh?" Wang tong rubbed his face. He had surprised that Ye Zi was able to see his expression under this thick curtain of fur.

    "What do you think about the union between our captain and Xie Xuan? I wish they could be together."

    "Oh? That means you already have someone else in mind?" Wang Tong asked abruptly.

    Ye Zi blushed. "Don''t veer off topic; we are talking about our captain!"

    If Ye Zi hadn''t known Wang Tong for a while, she might have taken hisment as flirting. However, she knew that Wang Tong was not interested in her, and neither was she.

    "It''s the Martian''s custom to speak their mind, isn''t it? You are not Martian enough, haha!"

    "Of course, I am, I am a Martian through and through! Yes, I do like another man!" Ye Zi''s face crinkled.

    "Haha, now let me guess. Is that guy the tall, fair, handsome, stud, the most powerful mastery caster on Mars, Michaux Odin?"

    "Yes, every girl on Mars wants to be with him. And one more thing, he is not only the most powerful on the Mars, but also the entire universe. The only Einherjar level Mastery warrior!"

    "The strongest in the universe¡­" Wang Tong heaved a sigh as the former owner of the title appeared in his mind.

    "So what? What can he do in the war?" Wang Tong stood up and said quietly. "I am going to bed."

    Ye Zi was shocked by Wang Tong''s sudden departure; it was the first time that anyone ever left her without proper closure of conversation. She rubbed her face and wondered if she had lost her charm.

    After a while, she conceded that it was not her, but Furface''s entricity that had made the conversation awkward. If Wang Tong was an Einherjar Level warrior and was twenty years older, she might be able to see where he wasing from.

    What did he mean by "so what"?

    Ye Zi''s dream was to advance into level eighteen so that she could receive the certificate from the young master himself. The thought of standing face to face with the young master made her heart skip a beat. She still remembered the first time she saw the young master from a distance. The two pools of dark blue set deeply on his beautiful face; he was perfect.

    ¡­

    The group traveled one more day and finally arrived at the camp of the Thunder Fire. Thunder Fire was arge band, and their camp was the size of a small city. Half of the citizens were militias, and the other half were support staffs, who were also fighters but at much lower levels than their at-arms counterpart.

    The bustling camp gave people the illusion of safety and order. Inside the war camp, Marcos was the king and his orders were the absolute truth.

    Battle Wolf marched deeper into the camp and found themselves surrounded by suspicious looks. In the eyes of the Thunder Fire, Battle Wolf''s demand for an equal share of the spoils was outrageous.

    Despite the unweing mood in the camp, no one dared to even raise their voice at Battle Wolf. Not only was Guan Dongyang''s power well known in the Maersa district, but the sight of House Lie''s crimson sigil would have deterred even the most mboyant troublemakers.

    The warriors from Battle Wolf could sense the fear around them, and it lent them confidence; they straightened their back and lengthened their strides.

    In a situation like this, Tan Bu should have already been jumping up and down to proim his superiority. But, he was tired, too tired to even walk. Wang Tong''s training assignment was brutal, but he followed it through nheless.

    After the band had marched for a while, a warrior with a haughty figure approached them, with a file of well-equipped METAL fighters trailing behind him. The big man was the captain of Thunder Fire, Marcos.

    "Haha¡­ Brother Dongyang, you have kept us waiting! Ah¡­ these two must be the famous Lie Xuan and Lei Wushuang, eh?"

    "Yes, captain Marcos, and thank you for waiting."

 Chapter 481: Meat On A Chopping Block

    Chapter 481: Meat On A Chopping Block

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Hehe¡­ Brother Dongyang, why are you so bitter? Come inside. We have wines and beers! There are other guests that I want to introduce to you."

    Marcos announced as his eyes shifted in between Guan Dongyang and members of House Lie, discerning which way the wind was blowing in between. By studying just a few exchanges of looks between Guan Dongyang and his House Lie allies, Marcos had gathered that House Lie had volunteered their help without Guan Dongyang asking for it. In fact, Guan Dongyang refused House Lie''s help many times and didn''t ept their aid until thest minute. House Lie could have imed the entire loot for Guan Dongyang if he had asked, but due to his reluctance, they only sent in a few warriors as backup.

    In just a few nces, Marcos had learned about the power dynamic between Guan Dongyang and his allies. He reckoned that since House Lie was a force to be reckoned with, he would let Lie Xuan win her round of the match. As for the rest of the nine matches, he would not give Guan Dongyang any chance.

    Wang Tong and other support staffs didn''t have the same privilege as their band leaders, and therefore, they waited outside the inner camp. As Guan Dongyang walked into the inner camp, he found many familiar faces. Not only were the leaders of the Rock Buster there, but also leaders of many other factions, big and small. They all came to watch the tournament and see if they could benefit from any unexpected developments.

    "Balls! When can we join those hotshots?" Tun Bumented. He cast a quick nce at Wang Tong and found that furface was not at all offended by the unfair treatment.

    "Hey, you three, mind where you are going. This is the Thunder Fire''s turf! Not your squalid little wolf den!" A Thunder Fire soldier shouted at them.

    The words got under the Battle Wolf''s skins. Although they were ordered to exercise restraint, some warriors still failed to suppress anger on their faces. However, the battle wolf warriors were disciplined soldiers, and therefore, no one rose to the rudement. Seeing no one replying him, the Thunder Fire soldier sauntered away with a satisfied, smug look on his face.

    "Jerk!"

    "Is that how they treat people who used to fight side by side with them? "

    "I can''t stand it! If not for Boss'' order, I would have squashed his face then and there!"

    "Let''s wait and see who willugh in the end!"

    Afterining about their ostentatious and contemptuous host, Tan Bu and Lun Duo joined Wang Tong at the dinner table. After wolfing down some meal, they started their cultivation.

    Meanwhile, inside the inner camp, the dining table was set, full of delicacies that were hard to find nowadays. However, such a feast wasn''t the focal point of the dining room; it was Lie Xuan and Lie Wushuang. Cups were raised in their names many times as faction leaders turned into an army of toadies that fought amongst themselves to lick House Lie''s boots. After much drinking and obsequious toasts, the group didn''t even touch upon the topic of the tournament within four hours. Finally, Marcos thought that enough was enough, so he cleared his throat and started to talk business,

    "As you all know, Guan Dongyang, Randolph, and I had sessfully intercepted a Zerg''s provision fleet, and we have obtained a lot of loot. But, it was rather difficult to distribute the loot fairly amongst the three of us, and therefore, we decided to do it through a tournament. I have partitioned the spoil into ten piles, and each will be the prize for one round of a match. After ten matches, all the loot will be distributed. I have marked and listed every single piece of loot box, so you know that I didn''t hide any for myself."

    "That sounds fair to me. I will join the tournament." Guan Dongyang announced, and then he started out of the room with Lie Xuan in tow, although Lie Wushuang stayed. He was here representing House Lie, so he needed to remain neutral in this matter.

    "Captain Marcos, you seem very confident about this tournament." Lie Wushuang asked with a faint smile.

    "Not at all. Guan Dongyang is a well-known level eighteen mastery warrior, and none of his soldiers will be an easy nut to crack. Plus, I will have no chance of winning against him if you decide to help him, will I?"

    The question piqued everyone''s interest, and the room suddenly became silent.

    "Hehe, this is between you three¡­ It is none of my business. But, you know the rtionship between Lie Xuan and Guan Dongyang, so I can''t promise that she will stand and watch Guan Dongyang lose the battle."

    "Haha, then let me be frank with you! I will make sure that Lei Xuan wins her round, so that you and House Lie can have adder to get down from your obligation." Marcos announced while he studied changes in Lie Wushuang''s eyes. His proposal had hit the mark; he knew that Guan Dongyang was no more than a pawn in the House Lie''s game. Without the support of House Lie, Guan Dongyang could be easily defeated.

    "Ye Zi, can you tell furface to take a look at the loot? I need a report on it." Guan Dongyang asked.

    "No problem."

    "furface? What is his actual name?" Lie Xuan asked curiously.

    Ye Zi paused for a second and then said, "Who knows? They just call him furface."

    "Interesting...About tomorrow, do you think you can handle it?"

    Guan Dongyang shrugged and then said, "I will have to, even if I can''t. The Battle Wolf''s reputation is at stake."

    Xie Xuan cast a nce at Guan Dongyang and then nodded. "You can count on me tomorrow."

    "Thank you."

    "Yeah yeah, It''s nothing."

    Wang Tong eavesdropped on the two''s conversation and shook his head; Guan Dongyang was too inexperienced in wooing a girl.

    "Stop ogling at her!" Ye Zi scolded him. "I thought you are an innocent boy, but you turned into a pervert at the sight of hot pants and tank tops just like everyone else!"

    Wang Tong didn''t mind as he retorted with a jest, "Hehe, if you dress up like that, I might consider ogling at you too." Before Ye Zi could fire back, Wang Tong waved goodbye at her and ran away.

    Ye Zi gritted her teeth and caught up with Wang Tong, but she said nothing.

    Seeing that Ye Zi and Wang Tong had arrived to examine the loot, the two guards at the gate stepped aside to let them in. Marcos had shown them the sigils of all major factions, and they recognized the star of Divine Mastery on Ye Zi''s shirt right away.

    "Do we need to open these crates?"

    Wang Tong shook his head and set his palm down on the box¡ªsoul scan!

    After some time, Wang Tong finished scanning all ten boxes and found out that the contents of one box was worth more than all the other ninebined.

    "That''s it?" Ye Zi stared at Wang Tong, unsure what he had done.

    "Yea, I have gone through all of them."

    "So? Are you one hundred percent sure about your findings?" Ye Zi pressed Wang Tong for a confirmation. "This is no joke. Our group''s reputation is at stake."

    Wang Tong nodded. "I am very certain. The super METAL is hidden inside the third box. It is at least level twenty or above. The tenth box has the strangest contents. They are expensive but useless; wines, cigars and all that. There is also a little casket in box ten, and there are fifty space crystals inside that little casket."

    Ye Zi was shocked; she realized that what was in the ten boxes was only a small fraction of the loot, and most of them were hidden inside the fifty space crystals in box number ten.

    This was valuable information, and Wang Tong''s ability to see through Thunder Fire''s trick cast him under a different light in Ye Zi''s eyes.

    As a resourceful mastery user, Ye Zi knew thousands of applications of soul energy, but she had never heard of Soul Scan.

 Chapter 482: Hammer Blows

    Chapter 482: Hammer Blows

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The resistance forces strictly forbade cheating during public events. However, Marcos''s actions trod a thin line between cheating and cunning poly, since technically, all the contents were still inside the ten boxes.

    Marcos was convinced that he had everything nned out, but he never thought that Battle Wolf would have a freak called Wang Tong, who appeared to have telepathic abilities. Marcos'' n was simple, using the super METAL as a lure to coax Guan Dongyang into using his most powerful warrior in the third round, so he could easily win the final round when Guan Dongyang no longer had any trump cards to y. However precious the super METAL was, it was the remainder of the loot that could significantly improve the overallbat capacity of Thunder Fire.

    After Ye Zi left for her amodation, Wang Tong led Tan Bu and Duo Lun toward his room. Halfway to their destination, they saw two people walking in the distance; one of them was Li Xiu, Marcos'' adviser, and the other was a middle-aged man. Li Xiu hunched his back like a sycophant while talking to hispany. On the other hand, the other man walked with his chin up. His stride held such purpose and pride as if he was the most powerful fighter on the Mars. Suddenly, the middle-age man paused as he saw a figure in the distance, and uncertainty flickered on his face.

    "Mr. Nithak, why did you stop?"

    "No, nothing." Nithak shook his head and focused at a distance again: the figure was gone.

    The tournament would be carried out at the inner camp, and it was not open to the public. However, since each faction had brought a great many followers with them, the inner camp was packed with spectators nheless. Marcos ordered his guards to keep close eyes on the ten chests full of treasures, just in case jealousy encouraged some onlookers to cross the line.

    All the attendees were well aware of the political moment wedged among the three factions. Rock Buster was on the verge of merging with Thunder Fire, and so, it was a no-brainer that these two would form an alliance against Battle Wolf. Although Battle Wolf was the smallest of the three, it was not the case in terms of its power. Not only was Guan Dongyang a potent mastery fighter, but he also had the help of House Lie.

    "Captain, I have heard that Marcos has invited Nithak, the Hammer, as his champion."

    Among many factions that came to watch the show, Blizzard was one of thergest warbands. Its leader, Aamir, was also one of the renowned warriors of Maersa District.

    Aamir nodded and sneaked a sidelong nce at the middle-aged man beside Marcos. He had been keeping it to himself ever since the beginning of the meeting. Standing right beside Marcos was a skinny little fellow who stered an amiable smile on his face; that was Marcos''s adviser Li Xiu. Thunder Fire''s rising to power wasrgely thanks to him.

    Sometimes, in order to persuade powerful fighters, one would have to look around him. Thunder Fire knew that their hope of enlisting Nithak rested on his son, and the best way to strike a chord with him¡ªa twenty-five-year-old young man¡ªwas a pretty face.

    Li Xiu had sowed the seed of enlisting Nithak many years ago when Thunder Fire saved a young girl from the death clutch of a Zerg. This girl used to be from a powerful house, and was very beautiful, making her a rare and very usefulmodity in the political arena. After a few long talks, the girl had agreed to get to know the young man that Li Xiu had been talking so much about. After having dated him for a few years, the girl finally bore the fruit of their love, and so did Li Xiu''s investments. In order to help his son secure a better position in Thunder Fire, and to give his grandson a better future, Nithak had decided to help Thunder Fire.

    Nithak had always believed that everything would be fine as long as he excelled at METALbat, but life had taught him a lesson, and so, he had to bend his pride.

    For Nithak, deciding toe to the tournament was the hardest part. But once he was at the camp, he felt rxed, since he knew that no one could beat him in a one on one fight.

    Wang Tong and his friends were at the end of the line. Although Tan Bu was very excited about the tournament, he conceded that he would be useless on stage.

    Guan Dongyang was the first in the line, seeming rxed and calm. Even at the sight of Nithak, he didn''t waver.

    "Brother Dongyang, we have been waiting for you! Before we start the tournament, I have two important announcements to make. First is that Mr. Nithak, the Hammer, will join the Thunder Fire. It is Thunder Fire''s great honor to have a legend fighting among our ranks."

    Marcos paused for a second to let the news set in. He scanned the crowd and enjoyed the shocking expression on everyone''s face. On the other side, Nithak nodded perfunctorily.

    "The second announcement is that Thunder Fire and Rock Buster will merge into one unit from now on. Mr. Randolph will be our vice-captain."

    Randolph stood up and announced with a deep voice, "We are all united under themon goal of driving out the Zergs. Only together can we make the world a better ce! I have decided to join forces with Thunder Fire, and I believe, we will eventually kick the Zergs out of Maersa."

    The implication of the second news was even more profound than the first one. Aamir pulled a taut face; he reckoned that thebined force of Thunder Fire and Rock Buster would make them the biggest unit in Maersa. Suddenly, he felt a chill creep into his gut.

    "Furface, look at Aamir''s face. Haha, he is pissed!"

    "Nithak? Didn''t he swear that he won''t join any faction?"

    "God knows¡­ Looks like Battle Wolf is going to have a bad time."

    "Touch¨¦! I bet even House Lie would have to reconsider their approach with Thunder Fire after the merger."

    "No kidding! If Guan Dongyang keeps his silence, Battle Wolf was bound to loss face this time."

    "I have heard that Guan Dongyang even wanted to be the leader of all factions one day¡­ So much for his grand ambitions."

    "Hehe, let''s wait and see. This tournament is going to be rich!"

    Marcos''s face was lit up with glee as he nced at the pale face of Aamir and suppressed a sneer.

    Aamir quickly gathered himself and congratted Marcos. Following Aamir''s lead, every one congratted Marcos for his sess, and no one paid any attention to Guan Dongyang and the Thunder Fire.

    However, Guan Dongyang maintained hisposure under the pressure and waited for everyone to finish their words.

    "Wang Tong, are you sure thest box was full of space crystals?"

    "Yes, I have double checked. I bet they are going to have Nithak during that round." Wang Tong announced, and his guess struck a chord with Ye Zi.

    Ye Zi quickly reported this development to Guan Dongyang, whose face ckened as he realized that he had walked into a trap.

    For the first round of the match, Battle Wolf had sent in Ross, a level fifteen warrior and the strongest METAL fighter in Battle Wolf. Thunder Fire had sent a level sixteen warrior. The one level of difference meant that the Thunder Fire warrior would have a huge advantage over Ross.

    Despite Ross'' effort, he was quickly defeated by the Thunder Fire.

    "Father, these guys are too weak for you. I think I can finish all of them by myself." A young man sitting behind Nithak announced, his voiceced with conceit.

    "Shut up and watch!" Nithak refuted.

    The young fellow pouted. A beautiful girl sitting beside him tugged at his shirt, willing him to control his temper.

    Duo Lun scanned them, and his eyes found that pregnant girl beside Nithak''s son, which sent a tremor down his body.

    "Uh? What''s up?"

    "No... nothing." Duo Lun sighed.

 Chapter 483: Insult Granted

    Chapter 483: Insult Granted

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Balls! What are you hiding? Do you know that girl?"

    "She is my ex." Duo Lun spoke reluctantly. Just when he and that girl were getting serious about their rtionship, the Zergs came and pulled the rug from under their feet. Duo Lun would have never thought that the next time he saw her, she would already be someone else''s wife.

    Aside from a whim of sad nostalgia, Duo Lun didn''t overthink this encounter. He felt happy for his former lover to be able to find a safe home.

    After a while, the pregnant girl also found Duo Lun. A pleasant surprise flickered in her eyes, but it quickly faded.

    Fate was often cruel.

    Although the pair of old lovers didn''t speak a word to each other, the young man sitting beside the woman noticed their exchange of gazes. A knot of fire suddenly lit up in his belly as he shouted at his wife, "Are you cheating on me?"

    The girl looked away and said quietly, "An old friend, didn''t expect him to be still alive."

    "Friend? I don''t think so. You two had been ogling at each other for a while." Hawk raised his voice. When they first shared the bed together, Hawk was upset to find out that she was no longer a virgin. And now, he was convinced that it was that no-ount that had taken his wife''s first time. He could feel the smoldering anger burning in his throat. Since he had found out the culprit, he could not let him walk out of the camp unpunished.

    After Ross was defeated, the referee, Lie Wushuang, announced the start of the second round.

    Guan Dongyang didn''t care much about the second round, since he knew that the super METAL was in the third box. As for the tenth box, which contained the space crystals, Guan Dongyang decided that he might as well give up the idea of winning that round, since he wagered that Marcos would send in Nithak. The Hammer was two level above him, and therefore, winning was nearly impossible.

    After the first round''s victory, Marcos was about to announce his next champion. But suddenly, a high pitched voice came from behind Nithak; it was his son.

    "You,e out here!" He shouted while pointed his finger at a soldier amongst the rank of the Battle Wolf.

    Nithak scowled, but he didn''t stop his son. He reckoned that he had been too protective to his son, and it was about time for him to do what he wanted, and learn from his own actions. Plus, his son was a level sixteen warrior, and therefore, as long as he wasn''t challenging Guan Dongyang, he should be able to handle any other fighter from Battle Wolf.

    Although Marcos didn''t wear his displeasure on his face, he deeply despised this ostentatious fool. Not only did Hawkck strength and wits, but he also had a foul temper. However, Marcos had kept him close because a barking fool was the easiest tool to manipte.

    "My name is Hawk. Guan Dongyang, please name your champion. I want to fight him!" Hawk announced as he pointed his de at Duo Lun.

    Duo Lun was caught off guard by the development. He had felt a sense of hatred in Hawk''s eyes earlier on, but right then, jealousy had driven him to want his life.

    Guan Dongyang gave Hawk a taut face. He knew that if he let Duo Lun go meet a level sixteen warrior, he would be sending him to his demise.

    "Mr. Hawk, our champion for this round is not Duo Lun."

    "Phf! I don''t care! You can have two fighters fighting me at the same time. Come on, let''s start already!"

    Hawk shouted out, his voice filled with contempt and anger. He cast an usatory nce at his wife and found out that her face had turned pale. Although another man already took her before she met him, he was obsessed with her charming appearance nheless. After knowing her for a while, Hawk was surprised to find out that she was very obedient. Pressured by his father and the captain of the Thunder Fire, he had to end the carefree single life and marry the girl. She would not be his first wife, he told himself, as he could flirt with other girls once he gained a firm footing inside Thunder Fire.

    Duo Lun had always been the nice guy, but after hearing Hawk''s insult, he felt the anger inside of his belly about to burst. He stared at Guan Dongyang and was waiting for his order.

    "Go, Duo Lun. You will win this round, I promise! "

    Duo Lun heard furface''s voice in his ears. However, he didn''t see furface''s mouth move.

    Duo Lun believed in Wang Tong''s words, so he stepped forward and announced, "Captain, please approve my request to fight in this round."

    Guan Dongyang was relieved by Duo Lun''s voluntary request. Under the opponent''s outrageous taunt, Guan Dongyang knew that he could not back down, but neither did he want to send Duo Lun to his death with his own hands. Duo Lun''s volunteering to meet the challenge had given him a convenientdder.

    "Approved, be careful."

    "Thank you, captain!"

    Therefore, each side had decided on their champions for the second fight; it would be the son of the Hammer versus a no ount. Everyone thought that Battle Wolf really had run out of steam.

    As the audiences sneered at the no ount''s confidence, Nithak''s eyes caught a glimpse of a strange young warrior.

    Even as Duo Lun unsheathed his de, he didn''t know what would happen during his fight. But, Wang Tong had told him that he would win, so he would have to.

    "KOM!"

    Duo Lun charged up his soul energy and the power inside him shocked everyone in Battle Wolf. Everyone wondered when Duo Lun had secretly advanced into level eleven. The Battle Wolf members could not only feel the leap in the amount of soul energy and GN force, but also the quality.

    Puzzlement was written all over Guan Dongyang''s face. As a high-level warrior, he could tell the different qualities of GN forces. The quality of GN force was a significant factor in determining the max level of a warrior could reach. The quality of the GN force in Duo Lun told him that he had a bright future ahead of him.

    Hawk grunted as he realized that his opponent was only a level eleven weakling. He sneaked another nce at his wife Jin Lin, and was furious to find out that she was flushing while staring at Duo Lun.

    "KOM"

    Hawk poured out his level sixteen soul energy, which immediately dwarfed his opponent''s power; victory was already in the bag for him.

    Nithak nodded in approval. So far, he was very pleased with his son''s cultivation.

    Duo Lun sensed the belligerent power of his opponent weighing on him heavily. However, he didn''t forget that he was fighting as a Battle Wolf, so he didn''t waver.

    "Duo Lun, do exactly as I say. "

    Wang Tong''s voice rang inside Duo Lun''s head again, which lent the young warrior confidence and determination.

    As the referee announced the start of the battle, Hawk didn''t attack right away. He wanted to y with his prey before delivering the killing blow. Like his father, Hawk used arge de. Although Nithak was called the Hammer, he had never lifted a hammer on the battlefield. His weapon of choice was a heavy bastard sword. With each strike, he could send an explosion of energy at his enemy like the force of a hammer blow, and hence, his nickname was ''the Hammer''. As Nithak''s son, Hawk had learned everything from his father. With one strike, he could have blown Duo Lun''s weapon away, and the explosion would crush thetter''s internal organs. However, if he fought that way, his opponent''s demise would be too quick.

    Hawk attacked Duo Lun with only one-third of his real strength, but Duo Lun nimbly evaded the attack. Hawk gave his opponent a stone cold sneer andughed at his cowardliness in his mind.

    He then followed his first attack with a backhand sh; the de wheezed in the air with deadly force. However, Duo Lun evaded the attack again, despite it being a close call.

    After some time, Hawk had rained six more attacks on Duo Lun, but nonended on the target. A swell of murmurs rose among the spectators as they were perplexed by Hawk''s unsessful attempts.

    "Hehe, you are good at hopping around. Maybe, the Battle Wolf should call themselves Little Bunny from then on!"

    Annoyed by his slippery opponent, Hawk decided to no longer hold back his power. He charged up his soul energy and channeled it into the heavy de. Suddenly, the air was filled to the brim with Hawk''s battle qi, which bore down heavily on his opponent with the weight of a mountain. This time, Duo Lun shouldn''t be able to escape the attack.

    What happened next made the audiences let out a sharp gasp: Duo Lun closed his eyes. This was the biggest insult that Hawk had ever faced. Duo Lun would have to die!

 Chapter 484: A Mechanics Threat

    Chapter 484: A Mechanic''s Threat

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Eighteen Hammers!

    This was the coup de grace of Nithak. It was obvious that the Hammer had taught his son well.

    Despite the deadly attack he was facing, Duo Lun remained motionless with his eyes closed.

    "Zenn!"

    A glint of de Aura suddenly shot out of Hawk''s de, beaming directly at Duo Lun''s throat.

    At this moment of life and death, Duo Lun finally moved, and the timing was perfect. He slid underneath the silvery curve that the de aura had traced out in the air, feeling the wind that de aura had stirred up press against his hair.

    He did not look like a level eleven fighter, but resembled someone who was much more experienced and powerful.

    Hawk followed his attack with more hacks and shes, his movement getting wider and losing fluidity. He always had been living under the wings of his father, and therefore, he rarely had any experience in realbat. After having missed many attacks, he felt annoyed and ashamed. Ignoring finesse and technique, he picked up the speed and intensity of his attack in order to bring the match to an end.

    The Battle Wolf cheered after seeing the tide of the battle turning. Tan Bu looked to Wang Tong; he knew that the turn of events was because of Furface.

    "Is this really Eighteen Hammers? It looks like Eighteen Rabid Dogs!" Tan Bu blurted out his insults. Hawk heard Tan Bu''s words loud and clear, and a sudden burst of anger singed his throat, distracting him. In a blink, he caught a glimpse of white sh at the corner of his eyes, and then felt the coldness of steel against his neck. While he was distracted, Duo Lun''s de had pierced through his defense and rested one-tenth of an inch away from his neck.

    Finally, Duo Lun opened his eyes. No one spoke a word in the arena, as they were all stunned by the victory of a level eleven against a level sixteen fighter. Marcos could not believe his eyes, but he swallowed down the defeat and quickly gathered himself as he said, "Hehe, Bother Dongyang''s team is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Impressive! You have won this round."

    Everyone around Marcos could feel the bitterness in his words. After hearing Marcos'' announcement, Duo Lun sheathed his de. He felt joyful, but not proud, since Wang Tong had instructed every move of his. Nheless, it was a good feeling to be considered a powerful fighter, although he was still far from it by a long chalk.

    Even the warriors of the Battle Wolf were caught off guard by Duo Lun''s victory. They would have never thought that the usually quiet and amiable Duo Lun was, in fact, one of the most powerful fighters amongst them.

    Ye Zi knew something was amiss, so she sneaked a nce at furface and found a joyful smirk on his face, a proof that he was responsible for what had happened on the stage.

    As everyone thought that the second round of match was over, they heard an angry roar from Hawk as he attacked Duo Lun from behind.

    "Kom!"

    A fireball hit squarely at Duo Lun''s face, and thetter copsed to the ground.

    It was Guan Dongyang who had sent that fireball in order to defend his soldier from the sneak attack from behind. As the leader of the battle wolf, it was his duty to watch over his soldiers.

    "Captain Marcos, please discipline your soldiers!" Guan Dongyang protested with a stone cold voice.

    Marcos'' face turned red like a lobster in a frying pan. Honesty, or at least its perception, was the most important quality while dealing with other factions. Hawk''s action was outright shameful. If he were not Nithak''s son, Marcos would have done away with him there and then. Plus, what kind of level sixteen soldier would fail to evade the most ordinary mastery spell?

    Marcos was so ashamed that he failed to find any word in his mouth.

    Nithak finally stood up and snorted at Guan Dongyang. "Young man, you are too presumptuous for your own good!"

    "At least I don''t think that I can get away with anything just because of my dad!" Guan Dongyang rose to thement.

    "Good, very good! Let me teach you a lesson today, young man! Marcos, I think you can save the rest of the eight matches and let me fight with this insolent boy to determine the owner of the rest of the loot!"

    Nithak was the oldest and the most powerful in the camp, and therefore, he was offended by Guan Dongyang talking back. In a fit of anger, he announced a daring proposal.

    Marcos'' face lit up with glee; the situation was taking a turn in his favor.

    "I will let you decide, Mr. Nithak," Marcos announced lightheartedly. If both of them agreed with the Hammer''s proposal, it was the same as having Nithak, his best champion in this tournament, fighting for him for eight rounds instead of one.

    As Marcos expected, Nithak insisted on his n.

    Guan Dongyang''s mind raced. If he agreed to the proposal, he would be locked up with a level twenty warrior in a confined space, and his chance of winning was zero. However, he conceded that there was no other option, and he had to do it at this point.

    "Captain, I can help you fight this round."

    A voice rang at the back of Battle Wolf''s soldiers. A young man with unruly beard stepped forward. Marcos frowned, as he could not recognize this face. One of his assistants pressed close to his ear and whispered something to him. But on hearing that, his puzzled frown didn''t go away.

    A mechanic? Absurd!

    Guan Dongyang was caught by surprise. The moment Furface walked into the battlefield, he would be dead.

    "Furface, step back! This is not funny!" Ye Zi urged with an edge in her voice.

    Lie Xuan watched the events unfold with a smirk on her face. Earlier, a level eleven soldier had defeated a level sixteen, and now, a mechanic was going to challenge a level, twenty warriors? Ha! Things were getting more and more interesting!

    Guan Dongyang was about to shot back at Furface when a voice rang in his ear. "Brother Dongyang, it has been a while since west met on the Ark. Let me help you this time!"

    The familiar voice sent a tremor to Guan Dongyang''s body before he even realized who the voice belonged to. After half a second, hope lit up in Guan Dongyang''s eyes.

    It had been five years, so how could he have forgotten the man who faced Patroclus by himself in order to save time for the rest of the crew on Ark?

    As recognition dawned upon Guan Dongyang, he gathered himself and announced, "Brother¡­ furface¡­ Please, go ahead. We will be counting on you."

    The rest of the Battle Wolf warriors could only stare at the two in confusion.

    But, Lie Xuan had picked up the subtle changes on Guan Dongyang''s face. She knew something was amiss.

    "Excellent! What a promising youngd! I am sure you will live longer than me!" Nithakughed.

    Guan Dongyang didn''t mind the Hammer''s satirical jab. "Mr. Nithak, if you canst more than five minutes against my mechanic, I will count it as your victory."

    Everyoneughed; it was a preposterous im!

    Nithak narrowed his eyes and studied Wang Tong''s face. "Who are you?"

    The tone in Hammer''s question silenced everyone; he was getting serious.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then replied, "I am a nobody, just a lowly mechanic. I will try not to hurt you too badly."

    Some people gasped, and someughed at Wang Tong''s absurd confidence.

    Guan Dongyang rxed in an armchair as if he were about to watch a good show. However, his clenched fists had betrayed his excitement.

    Despite the zing anger inside him, Nithak reminded himself to be careful. He had sneaked a soul energy attack at Wang Tong, but he didn''t seem to be affected by it at all.

    Suddenly, a tsunami of deadly energy gushed toward Nithak. Acting out of instinct, Nithak charged up his soul energy to defend, and the two waves of energies collided. The impact sent an overbearing attack at Nithak''s sea of consciousness and gravely damaged it.

    Nithak''s face turned pale like a piece of paper, and he could no longer sense the presence of Wang Tong''s soul energy. He finally realized that his opponent was not a lowly mechanic, but a legendary, Einherjar level warrior.

 Chapter 485: Transition

    Chapter 485: Transition

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Nithak reckoned that if he continued the fight, he would definitively shoot himself in the feet. The young warrior in front of him had reached the so-called "legendary level" in the new ranking system, and therefore, fighting Nithak would be child''s y for Wang Tong.

    Thinking that, Nithak pulled back his soul energy and bowed to Wang Tong, "I concede defeat." He turned to his son and announced without any hesitation, "Let''s go."

    "Dad, he¡­"

    Before Hawk could finish his words, his father gave him a knuckle sandwich and scolded him with scathing fire, "Aren''t you ashamed of yourself, you useless fool?"

    Nithak turned his heel and left the battleground without even looking back.

    Five seconds after the beginning of the fight, the audiences were suddenly wrenched out of their anticipation, and their faces were ridden with disbelief. Some remembered rumors about many of Guan Dongyang''s old friends being top warriors. Perhaps the self-proimed mechanic was one of Guan Dongyang''s powerful friends in disguise.

    Anger, shock, and denial reddened Marcos''s face. He was only able to keep the first loot crate out of all the spoils he had nned to keep. He nced at Guan Dongyang with shifty eyes, still feeling dazed. He hoped that all of this was just a bad dream.

    Since even Nithak had conceded defeat quickly, Marcos found it hard to muster the courage to speak out for himself.

    "Hehe¡­ Hey Marcos, Mr. Nithak has conceded defeat. Are you going to help Battle Wolf load up their truck?" Aamir, captain of the Blizzard, stood up and shouted at Marcos with a smirk.

    "Captain Marcos, the battle has finished. As the referee, I announce the Battle Wolf the victor, and therefore, the owner of the nine loot crates." Lie Wushuang announced coldly. He was surprised by the development as well.

    Ye Zi covered her mouth to stifle a cry. A few seconds ago, she had been worried for Wang Tong''s safety, and now, she could barely hold in her joy.

    "By the Gods! Furface, you are bada*s!"

    "Nithak must have diarrhea today¡­ haha!"

    "Or, Maybe the Hammer was too tired after too much hammering in bedst night! Haha!"

    The soldiers of Battle Wolfughed out loud and joked about Hammer''s sudden defeat. Only Duo Lun and Tan Bu remained silent, as they realized how terrifying Wang Tong''s power was.

    Could he be a legendary level warrior?

    Was that even possible for a young person like him?

    Without his beard, he could barely pass for a twenty years old!

    "Well done, Brother Dongyang! I will tag along next time you are on a mission. I promise you that the Blizzards are not two-faced, back-stabbing a*sholes like some others!"

    "Hehe, you are always wee to join us, Brother Aamir."

    Despite the pain of losing everything, Marcos had to ster on a benevolent smile and congratte Guan Dongyang.

    Soldiers of the Battle Wolf surrounded Wang Tong, asking him how he had done it. Wang Tong shrugged and concluded that his opponent had to be sick today.

    Guan Dongyang didn''t debunk Wang Tong''s disguise; he would have a lot of catching up to do with this old friend in private. Calling Wang Tong a Legendary Level warrior was an understatement. He was Wang Tong, the savior of mankind.

    Lie Xuan had never seen such a strange expression that had shed across Guan Dongyang''s face. What had just happened? Howe Nithak had left the battlefield withoutnding even one blow? Was all of this just another ruse?

    This tournament had been an eye opener for the resistance groups at Maersa District. Not only had they experienced a dramatic turn of events, but also a copious amount of treasures, including an extremely rare piece of super METAL. As the Battle Wolf carried the loot back to their truck, Marcos felt that his heart was bleeding blood.

    On their way home, soldiers of the battle wolf were overtaken by a strange mixture of excitement and bewilderment. The bewilderment came from two particr instances. The first instance was when Duo Lun, a level eleven ¡ªpreviously level nine¡ªno ount defeated the son of the infamous Hammer. But, the second instance was even more perplexing, as a mechanic with nobat experience had defeated Hammer himself in a blink!

    Nithak was a renowned fighter on Mars, and he could wipe out an entire camp of a smaller war-band. However, he conceded his defeat against a METAL mechanic. How was that possible?

    Everyone knew that Guan Dongyang and Nithak had never met before. Otherwise, rumors about the two colluding with each other would have sprouted out before they even left Thunder Fire''s camp.

    Many people believed that Nithak''s defeat was a ploy set by House Lie. They were convinced that House Lie hade to an agreement with Nithak behind Marcos'' back, and therefore, effectively turning the tournament into a show for entertainment.

    During such trying times, soldiers'' allegiances changed more frequently than their underpants; anything was possible.

    The six members of House Lie were all mired in deep thoughts. Knowing that Nithak''s sudden retreat had nothing to do with House Lie, the development seemed even more unthinkable to them than others. Thanks to the Martians'' typical sense of pride, most powerful fighters avoided contacting House Lie. They would rather be the toughest bada*s in their squalid middle of nowhere than bing one of the many guard dogs of House Lie.

    Despite the wide spectrum in the conjectures about what had happened, no one had thought that Wang Tong had ovee the Hammer with his might.

    Guan Dongyang and Wang Tong sat in the same car. They had been talking in private for over a few hours, and not even Lie Xuan nor Ye Zi were allowed to interrupt them.

    Inside the car, Guan Dongyang''s face was red with excitement. He had been telling Wang Tong about the political movement on Mars and the status of the war. Although Guan Dongyang had many questions to ask Wang Tong, he decided to leave those forter after Wang Tong had gained a grasp on the most pressing issues.

    Although Moye''s injury had given the humans on Mars a brief reprieve, once he recovered, which he would sooner orter, then what?

    After having tasted humiliation at the hands of a human, the dark lord would guarantee to double down on his malice andmit more heinous crimes to avenge himself.

    "What is your n, Wang Tong? I will follow your order; you can count on me!" Guan Dongyang pounded his chest and imed.

    "Hehe, why do you choose me over House Lie?"

    "You mean Lie Jian? Well, he could pass for a leader, but he cares too much about his own family. Plus, now that you are back with us, he doesn''t stand a chance!" Guan Dongyang shouted and then realized that he had raised voice unconsciously. Wang Tong''s return not only helped him win the tournament, but also gave him hope for the salvation of the human race.

    Wang Tong shook his head and said, "Nah, I don''t want to be in charge of the Battle Wolf. That''s your job."

    Guan Dongyang pulled a taut face and refuted, "Since when have you be a coward? If it were not for you, we would have been already dead on that Ark! Managing the Battle Wolf is nothing to you. Don''t look down on me. Am I not worthy of teaming up with you?" Guan Dongyang''s voice was filled with candor and trust. He was a man of his words, and had never changed his course for anyone.

    Seeing the determination in Guan Dongyang''s eyes, Wang Tong stood up and shook his hands. "Very well, Dongyang! I promise you that I will get rid of Moye!"

    "Attaboy! Haha!" Guan Dongyang''s tion was beyond words, so he shook Wang Tong''s hand heavily, not intending to let go. He knew that Wang Tong had left out a lot of his stories, but he didn''t mind. To him, fighting alongside the world''s savior was the most exciting and fulfilling thing he could think of.

    When Wang Tong firstnded on Mars, he thought it would be easy to eliminate all the dark ones. However, now he knew that he had been very naive. Guan Dongyang had convinced him that the only way to save the Mars was to join Battle Wolf and prepare for a long war by strengthening the martian soldiers.

 Chapter 486: First Spar In Five Years

    Chapter 486: First Spar In Five Years

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    After swearing loyalty to each other, the two sat down again, and the mood in the room became much lighter.

    "Dongyang, there is no need to tell the others about my identity just yet¡­ Not until we have consolidated power within the Maersa district."

    "Touch¨¦! Many things have changed, and so did people¡­ Lie Jian, for instance." Guan Dongyang said as he nodded in agreement.

    Even though Einherjar Li Zhedao was the direct heir of General Li Feng, he was defeated by Patroclus in the end, much less the alleged heir, Wang Tong. Plus, Wang Tong was no longer the heir of the de Warrior, but simply a powerful warrior. Title and reputation were only useful during peacetime. During the time of chaos, actions spoke even louder than its peacetime counterparts.

    Guan Dongyang knew very well that neither his strength nor the ws in his personality would allow him to lead arge force. However, he could always assist by the side of a realmander.

    Sensing the eagerness in Guan Dongyang''s eyes, Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "I know that you have a lot of questions for me. We have lots of time to catch up in the future."

    "Haha, I wager that Duo Lun had learned a thing or two from you. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to defeat that lousy a*shole. By the way, what level are you at right now? Legendary?"

    "Um... I am not familiar with the current ranking system, but perhaps, yes. I have improved my tactics over the years. We should exchange some ideas when we have time."

    "Perfect! Being a bandleader is a tough job. Sometimes, it is too much for me. At one time, I almost gave up entirely." Although Guan Dongyang was a powerful mastery user, he was not a leader. His unfamiliarity with politics and administrative tasks had greatly limited the expansion of the Battle Wolf.

    However, Wang Tong was the opposite in that respect. Managing a war band required skills and experience, and Wang Tong had both. He had been the leader of the most influential student group, the S club.

    However ipetent Guan Dongyang was in terms of managing the band, no one could ignore his improvement in his cultivation over the five years. Five years ago, Wang Tong had defeated Patroclus as a level six warrior, and five yearster, Wang Tong''s power had risen to such a magnitude that it had be difficult for others toprehend. After a period of rapid improvement, Guan Dongyang''s cultivation had hit a bottleneck half a year ago. He wanted to make another breakthrough, but his hands were tied down by endless paperwork¡­ that is, until Wang Tong showed up.

    Guan Dongyang believed that Wang Tong would be able to summon the sense of unity in the hearts of all Martians, and change the outlook of Mars. He couldn''t wait to be a part of this great transformation.

    Guan Dongyang heaved a sigh of relief as he could finally have time to return to his beloved cultivation.

    Before Guan Dongyang''s formal retirement, there would be a transitional period. However, with Wang Tong''s great power and experience, Guan Dongyang believed that the transitional period would be very brief. The thought of following Wang Tong into battles and liberating the enved humans inside the city of Maersa spurred Guan Dongyang to carry on their conversation.

    Outside Guan Dongyang''s private vehicle, Lie Wushuang wondered what had taken the two to chat for so long. He reminded himself about the goal of their mission: to enlist Guan Dongyang to House Lie. Lie Wushuang turned to Lie Xuan and said, "When you get a chance, you need to find out what Guan Dongyang is up to."

    "You mean he is hiding something from us?"

    "You really think that a level eleven no ount could defeat a level sixteen warrior, and a mechanic could ovee Nithak without making a move?" Lie Wushuang asked quietly.

    "No. I know Guan Dongyang is a powerful mastery caster, but he is not strong enough to lead soldiers that powerful, not yet." Lie Xuan knew of Lie Wushuang''s suspicion. Guan Dongyang could have long since advanced further beyond level eighteen. From the information they had collected about the raid, they learned of a mastery spell that required level twenty or higher mastery fighters to perform. It had to be Guan Dongyang.

    "Let''s give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, young maser values him highly. Power of a Mastery Fighter is a very slippery thing to measure. Young master had told me a couple of times to not to be too fixated on levels when it came to evaluating Mastery users." Over the years, life had taught Lie Wushuang many lessons, and made his observation keener. From the events that happened at the tournament, he could tell that Guan Dongyang had matured a lot as a leader. He was no longer brash and direct as he used to be. Whatever trick he had pulled from his sleeve had worked well against Marcos, causing thetter to lose almost everything from the tip of his fingers.

    "I disagree!" Lie Xuan snorted.

    "Lie Xuan, what is going on with you two anyway? If you really like him, then be with him. If not, then stop keeping him in that awkward friendzone. You are not a kid anymore." Lie Wushuang scolded Lie Xuan like an older brother.

    "Should I call you mom? I don''t know¡­ He is a nice guy, but weck chemistry between us. He is not... manly enough, except for today at the tournament. I hope he can keep at it." Lie Xuan said. She had given the matter a great deal of thought, and had decided that however nice Guan Dongyang was, he could not give her the thrill of living on the edge she always craved for. In a fit of frustration, the furry face of the mechanic shed for a fleeting second in her mind.

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu had kept things to themselves. Despite being the closest friends of Wang Tong at Battle Wolf, they didn''t speak a word about the mechanic.

    "What is the deal with Duo Lun?"

    "He is heartbroken after seeing his old lover. Practicing tactics keeps his mind cool." Tan Bu said with a smile.

    "Furface, I have learned a valuable lesson today thanks to you. It''s like having a second life. From now on, my life is yours." Duo Lun was deeply touched by Wang Tong''s help, and his victory had given him more than just joy¡ªit was a lesson for him to fight back against evil. Although Duo Lun appeared to be an amiable and easy going person, he had a very sensitive soul. Wang Tong''s help had saved not only his life, but also something he held closer to his heart than even life: dignity.

    Tan Bu patted Duo Lun''s shoulder and said, "Furface, you will be our boss from now on. We will follow you wherever you go!"

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "I like your resolution. But, don''tinter that I didn''t warn you about the hardships."

    Duo Lun and Tan Duo looked at each other and smiled knowingly. "We are ready!"

    That night at the camp, Duo Lun and Tan Bu regretted ever agreeing to be subject to such inhumane training. When the two had overspent their energy andid on the ground, Wang Tong walked to them and told them that it was just a taste of what was going toe.

    After he finished training with Duo Lun and Tan Bu, Wang Tong returned home. But before long, he looked out of the window and saw the full moon hanging brightly in the night sky, and knew that the moment had arrived. Wang Tong disappeared into thin air and reappeared outside the camp in a clearing, where a dark showdown had been waiting for him.

    "You really can''t wait¡­ Hehe."

    "Hehe, it had been five years! Let''s start!" The shadow spoke up; it was Guan Dongyang.

    "Show me what you have learned over the five years!" Wang Tong announced.

    Guan Dongyang knew that he didn''t need to hold back power, so he unleashed all of his soul energy at once.

    "Infinite Fire Bolt!"

    Guan Dongyang sent a flurry of bolts at Wang Tong, lined up in a straight line. Wang Tong didn''t evade; instead, he waved the left hand, and the bolts fell to the ground as if they had hit an invisible wall.

    Guan Dongyang was shocked by how easily Wang Tong had blocked his attack. Five years ago when he was only a level six warrior, Wang Tong had disyed unmatched intuition during the battle. Five yearster, he was back and stronger, with the same acute sense of battle awareness. Guan Dongyang already saw no hope of winning the fight.

    However, the stronger the Wang Tong was, the more Guan Dongyang wanted to continue the sparring.

    "Red Lotus!"

    Mastery was not only about absorbing the natural forces but to channel them as well; one would need a lot of skill in this department. In a blink, the ming fire bolts on the ground sprang back to life and floated in the air. They twisted and weaved into each other, forming a fiery red glob.

 Chapter 487: Mastery Intuition

    Chapter 487: Mastery Intuition

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong nodded in approval of Guan Dongyang''s splendid move. He didn''t simply merge the fire bolts. Instead, it was aplicated configuration designed to increase damage output.

    Wang Tong opened his mouth as if murmuring something as a creepy smile appeared on his face. Suddenly the crackling ball of fire changed direction and flew toward Guan Dongyang.

    "I will give you some challenge."

    A plume of me shot out from in between Wang Tong''s hands, and the end of the me column immediately engulfed the fireball. After being heated and charged up by more heat, the fireball started to spin as its me turned blue.

    Guan Dongyang was stunned by Wang Tong''s power. He had achieved the ultimate degree of maniption of the natural force. Anything in his hand could be reformed and reshaped into a weapon of his choice. Only imagination was his limit.

    From time to time, people could still hear about the news of a lower level METAL fighter besting a high-level warrior. However, this would never happen during a fight between mastery warriors; only the level difference between Mastery warriors dictated the oue of every fight.

    That being said, Guan Dongyang didn''t n to give up even after noticing the huge power gap between him and Wang Tong. This was the first time they had sparred in five years, and he needed to prove to Wang Tong that he had improved.

    Locking his eyes on the fireball that was spinning faster by the second, Guan Dongyang started the technique that he was the mostfortable with: the fire drake. After Guan Dongyang summoned the fiery breathing dragon, he didn''t unleash it at Wang Tong. Instead, he held onto the dragon by snatching it by the tail while initiating another mastery to buff the dragon''s damage.

    "Vayu''s Fire!"

    "Roar of the Tyrant Drake! "

    Two warriors unleashed their attacks at the same time.

    "Kom!"

    The fireball and then the fire drake collided, and the collision spilled out a deadly wave of energy at both warriors.

    Guan Dongyang''s body shed out of view and reappeared above Wang Tong. He knew that the Fire Drake was not enough to ovee Wang Tong''s attack, and therefore, he had the next move nned out.

    As a staff appeared in Guan Dongyang''s hand, Wang Tong could feel a pulsation in the air, and he knew that it was the result of Guan Dongyang tapping deep into the natural forces. Wang Tong reckoned that Guan Dongyang wasn''t lying when he said that he had improved during his absence. However, that wasn''t enough to defeat him.

    Wang Tong knew that he had been standing on the shoulders of giants when it came to his power; it was abination of hard work from the de Warrior, Mr. Wannabe, and himself. As for the crystal space, particrly the third level, the level of mastery, although it was not useful to Wang Tong, he noticed that the Mastery system it had outlined would be very useful. If he could introduce that system to the world, it would advance the currentndscape of Mastery cultivation by a few decades.

    Guan Dongyang finally attacked again.

    "Inferno Hell!"

    It was an area of effect attack, an original technique created by Guan Dongyang based on his experience on the battlefield.

    Although it was an area of effect spell, the damage was no less potent. One of the advantages of the mastery was that the damage, even in an area of effect spell, could be ramped up by absorbing more natural forces.

    The Inferno Hell held a deadly force as it spilled out hot mes that were above thousands of degrees. Guan Dongyang was very confident that this killing blow was about to pull the rug from under Wang Tong.

    However, when he looked down, he was disappointed, so much so that he almost wanted to give up his career as a mastery caster.

    Wang Tong was unharmed. Furthermore, what really frustrated Guan Dongyang was the fact that Wang Tong didn''t even put up any defense.

    "Come down now, don''t float up there like a big, fat balloon." Wang Tong cracked a smile, and then stomped on a little cinder on the ground, putting it out.

    Guan Dongyangnded on the ground, then rubbed his sweaty forehead while saying, "If I were Patroclus, I would have done away with you as soon as possible. What level are you at now?"

    "It''s not about the level, it''s a certain feel. If you really want to put it in words, I would call it the Mastery Intuition. I know you have felt it before. Don''t doubt yourself and believe in your own feelings." Wang Tong said.

    Guan Dongyang nodded. "Mastery Intuition? Are you saying that thoughts and feelings hold power as well?"

    "Hehe. Mastery''s Power is just one manifestation of the omnipresent energy in the universe, isn''t it? The source of the Mastery Intuitiones from our hearts. It is like a resonance between our thoughts and the world around us. It''s hard to describe, and you will know when you finally get it." Wang Tong said with a smile.

    Guan Dongyang pulled his hair in excitement; he wagered that his urge to learn from Wang Tong right then was simr to his soldiers'' when they wanted to learn from him. Wang Tong had pointed him in the right direction and lit up a beacon in the darkness of the unknown.

    "When I am back at the camp, I want to be in charge of mastery training. Most of your soldiers have a solid foundation, so I am sure that they would only need minimum guidance to improve."

    "Haha, sounds like a n! They are a lucky lot for being taught by two most renowned mastery users! Haha!"

    Suddenly, a cautious look shed across Wang Tong''s face. Guan Dongyang noticed the strange movement in the air as well. The two looked at each other with a knowing smile; it was time to teach them a lesson.

    In addition to the approaching malice, another realization suddenly dawned upon Guan Dongyang. He had been fighting inside a mastery space, an area that was protected by some kind of illusion spell. Despite the heated battle inside the mastery space, no sound nor light was leaked to the outside.

    "They are humans." Guan Dongyang said and then heaved a sigh.

    Battle Wolf''s camp was already alerted, and most of the loot crates were gathered together at the center of the camp.

    "What should we do? Scare them away?" Guan Dongyang asked.

    "We need to learn to avoid conflicts. Every human life is sacred. You can try a new mastery spell I have been experimentingtely."

    "Oh? Do tell!" The promise of learning a new mastery spell immediately piqued Guan Dongyang''s interest.

    Wang Tong briefly talked about the new spell; although the spell required the minimum amount of soul energy to cast, it was almost impossible to grasp its concept. When Guan Dongyang finally got it, he felt like another door in the mastery cultivation had opened up to him.

    "I will leave the rest to you." Wang Tong waved at Guan Dongyang and then started to the camp.

    "What about you?"

    "I need to sleep!" Wang Tong yawned.

    Guan Dongyang rolled his eyes at Wang Tong''s levity during an enemy attack.

    As instructed by Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang flew himself into the sky, and then observed the approaching enemy.

    "Boss, I think they have detected us!"

    "Balls! Are you an idiot? There is only a handful of them. Why do we need to be hidden? It''s so dark out here. If we get in and out of there quickly, no one will notice who we are!"

    "Yes, we better be quick. Four or five other groups are hiding on the other side of the bush!"

    "Boss, the Lulu Spy Unit are on the move. What should we do?"

    "For f*ck sake, let''s charge! Otherwise, there would be nothing left!"

    Suddenly, a bright sun rose into the dark sky, lighting up the surrounding area around Battle Wolf''s camp. It revealed an encirclement around the camp, formed by men from different resistance factions.

 Chapter 488: Ladies Man

    Chapter 488: Ladies'' Man

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The intense light made the men cover their eyes.

    Guan Dongyang estimated that there were about two hundred of them. He reckoned that if all of these men rushed into the camp at the same time, they were bound to wreak havoc. Perhaps, Guan Dongyang thought, House Lie was not as influential as he had felt to deter dangers.

    "Good evening everyone. Your enthusiasm deeply touches me ining to bid me farewell." Guan Dongyang spoke with his soul energy, sending the message directly into the ears of the intruders.

    The booming voice in their heads,bined with the intense blinding light, stunned the intruders.

    No one knew what was going on. Was it a mastery spell? God knows!

    "KOM!"

    A ring explosion erupted in the distance, sending a plume of yellow smoke billowing up to the night sky. "I am cultivating a new mastery. It has been... unstable. Please watch out where you step, my friends."

    The intruders looked to the directions of the explosion and found out that half of a hilltop was shaved clean off, leaving an ugly scar that bubbled smoke.

    Suddenly, the light disappeared, and the sudden darkness blinded and disoriented the intruders for the second time. Even after the intruders finally regained their visual senses, no one dared make a move closer to the camp.

    After some time, these men turned their heels and slid into the darkness, running where they came from.

    Seeing the enemies retreat, a swell of cheers rose in the Battle Wolf camp. They had won a battle without firing a shot.

    Driven by greed, the raiders came to the camp, but were terrified of Guan Dongyang''s power. They feared that if they aggravated Guan Dongyang, he would rain death on them while his Mastery trickery blinded them. Between the loot and their life, they would choose thetter on any given day.

    Wang Tong knew that these raiders, consumed by their greed, were not vile men before the war broke out. Therefore, there was no sense in harming their lives unnecessarily.

    Nheless, the incidence exposed the human world''s desperate need for unity.

    Having learned their lessons, the battle wolf didn''t let their guard down after the raiders retreated.

    They rode out again at the break of dawn. On their way, House Lie seemed to have changed their opinion toward Guan Dongyang afterst night''splications. Not only did Lie Wushuang initiate conversation with Guan Dongyang, which he had never done before, but his tone was no longerced with condescension. Guan Dongyang''s performance had caught them off guard. Lie Wushuang was convinced that Guan Dongyang was very close to the legendary level. Seeing how strong the leader of the Battle Wolf had gotten, Lie Wushuang felt that he would have to change his approach as well.

    Lie Wushuang was not alone in his change of attitude, as Lie Xuan also started to see Guan Dongyang under a different light after yesterday''s event. She reckoned that the mastery he usedst night could easily disorient an entire army of warriors. Using his area of effect spells, Guan Dongyang could have done away with the two hundred or so raiders with a few sweeps of hands.

    The mastery Guan Dongyang used was not the elemental fire Mastery that he was most familiar with. The fire mastery consisted only a fewmon spells and their variants. After being poprized among mastery casters, it was quickly getting old.

    The originality of the light spell aside, the incident was also a reminder to House Lie that as a near-legendary level warrior, Guan Dong had more tricks up his sleeves than he showed on the surface.

    The thought of Guan Dongyang''s surreptitious act behind her back made Lie Xuan knot his brows. She always thought that she had Guan Dongyang wrapped around her little finger. He should have reported to her any of his recent development without her even asking. Lie Xuan finally conceded that it was time for her to change tactics.

    In the morning, she called for the shotgun in Guan Dongyang''s vehicle and on their way home, she, for the first time, started to talk about herself to Guan Dongyang.

    However, Guan Dongyang had followed Wang Tong''s advice and appeared cold and distant. Regardless of how obviously Lie Xuan hinted at yesterday''s event, he kept things to himself and brushed off his heroic act as if it was nothing.

    Guan Dongyang could tell that the chemistry between him and Lie Xuan was changing with each mile they traveled. He marveled at Wang Tong''s incredible ability to capture a girl''s heart.

    He remembered that back in the old days, Wang Tong had been adies'' man. Not only was he Ma Xiaoru''s fiance, but many other girls had also publicly disyed their affection. Li Ruoer had ditched Lie Jian for him; Princess Heidi had openly invited him to her residence, and even his principal, Samantha, favored him over all other students.

    Those were the girls who were still alive, and there was also Zhou Sisi, the girl who had given her life for Wang Tong.

    Guan Dongyang remembered the saddened faces of Wang Tong''s friends after they have heard about his death. Why would they treat Wang Tong as their best friend? It was because Wang Tong treated them the same way.

    Wang Tong had always valued his friends more than personal power, and that was the difference between a monster and a human. Guan Dongyang knew that he and Wang Tong were the same type of person: he would rather die for friends than live like a king in loneliness.

    Lie Xuan couldn''t suppress the feeling that something was different about Guan Dongyang afterst night''s turn of events. It was hard to put it in words. Perhaps, he was more confident than his former self, more like the man that Lie Xuan dreamed of marrying.

    Realizing how close she had gotten to the man she could love for the rest of her life, Lie Xuan blushed.

    By lunchtime, House Lie had washed the condescending tones out of words and joined the Battle Wolf at the same camp table.

    Guan Dongyang wished that he could exin what happenedst night to Lie Xuan, but Wang Tong told him not to. He didn''t want any major power to know that he hadnded on Mars yet.

    "Dongyang, have more vegetables. They''re good for you." Lie Xuan said and carefully picked some greens from the sd bowl, setting them on Guan Dongyang''s te.

    The rest of the table was so shocked by Lie Xuan''s feminine voice and caring expression that they stopped eating altogether, with mouths wide open.

    "What are you gawking at? Do you want to court death?" Sensing the attention on her, Lie Xuan poured out her scathing fire at them. Lie Wushuang quickly buried his head into his te but failed to suppress a few snickers.

    Guan Dongyang''s mood bloomed like a flower, but Wang Tong had told him to never show his joy on his face, so he tried his best to keep a cid expression, and didn''t even offer his appreciation for Lie Xuan''s attention. All the while, Guan Dongyang felt that Lie Xuan was going to spit fire at him for his arrogance, but she didn''t. He sneaked a peek at Lie Xuan after he had eaten the greens on his te: A caring smile was still on Lie Xuan''s face.

    Everyone around the camp could tell that Duo Lun and Tan Bu had been acting strangely ofte. They talked much less at the dining table, and they trained their body and exercised their tactics studiously like there was no tomorrow.

    Wang Tong had sessfully instilled the value of hard work into the two''s minds.

    After lunch, the band set out again without loitering around, fearing any furtherplications.

 Chapter 489: The New Inferno Hell

    Chapter 489: The New Inferno Hell

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong and Duo Lun returned to their post after the tournament was over, and no one paid much more attention to them, since everyone, including House Lie, was convinced that their victory was a setup.

    However, this trip back to Battle Wolf''s camp was deemed to be a tumultuous one from the very beginning. In the afternoon, everyone felt a discernible vibrationing from the ground, and there could only be one cause: Zergs.

    Guan Dongyang could have flown to the sky and gotten a better view of the situation, but he didn''t, fearing that he might give away his whereabouts to the Zerg scout. Instead, Guan Dongyang charged up his soul energy and scanned the surroundings. However, the Zergs were still far away, so his soul energy couldn''t reach far enough. When he was wondering what he could do other than waiting, Wang Tong''s voice rang beside his ears.

    "Three dark ones, and about two thousand Zergs... They must be searching for the lost shipment."

    Guan Dongyang marveled at the convenient way Wang Tong spoke to him without exposing himself, so he decided that he would have to learn it from him.

    Seeing that everyone was waiting for his instructions, Guan Dongyang repeated the information that Wang Tong had told him. Lie Wushuang and Lie Xuan looked at each other with astonishment. They, too, had searched the surroundings with their soul energy, and had failed to reach a conclusion due to the far distance from the Zergs. However, Guan Dongyang had done it.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes. Well, since we are already here, might as well finish them off. Three dark ones mean three more energy crystals." Guan Dongyang cracked a smile.

    Guan Dongyang gave an order to his men, and the driver quickly drove the cargo truck into a cave while the rest of the soldiers ran up to the top of a hill and hid behind tall bushes.

    "Dongyang, don''t you think it''s a bit too risky? We don''t have a lot of guns." Lie Xuan asked. Although she preferred direct confrontation, she never walked into any situation without assurance for sess.

    Without Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang would have heeded to Lie Xuan''s warning, but since Wang Tong was among his rank, he was convinced that they would prevail.

    Wang Tong delivered another instruction to Guan Dongyang. Thetter turned to Lie Xuan and Lie Wushuang and then said, "Lie Xuan is right. We don''t have enough men to handle the dark ones and the Zergs at the same time. Could you two please slow down the three dark ones for us? I need a little bit of time to prepare for a spell."

    "Hehe, no problem. I always wanted to see your Mastery skills with my own eyes." Lie Wushuang announced. However, he was not without doubt about Guan Dongyang''s daring move against the Zergs. Guan Dongyang''s tone suggested that he was going to face the two thousands of Zergs by himself. It could be a suicidal move without knowing the levels of these Zergs. However powerful the mastery spells would be, it was questionable that they would be enough to deter two thousand Zergs.

    Truth be told, even Guan Dongyang was not one hundred percent sure about "his" n. The Zergs had adapted to the power of mastery very quickly, and recently, he found that each battle he fought was getting harder than thest.

    When the Zergs were close enough, Guan Dongyang flew out of his hiding spot and hovered at the top of a hill. He then let the soul energy flow out of his system. The Zergs suddenly stopped and looked in Guan Dongyang''s direction, waiting for attack orders from the dark ones.

    The three dark ones acted immediately as they attacked Guan Dongyang with a three-prong formation, and the rest of the Zergs followed suit.

    Lie Xuan and the warriors of House Lie channeled out their soul energy and charged at the three dark ones. As soon as they closed in onto the main Zerg force, they saw the Zergs cover the slope beneath them like a thick carpet of deadly ws and fangs.

    They could only hope that Guan Dongyang''s n would work.

    Despite the difficulties ahead, Lie Xuan was not concerned about their lives. Unless there were Elite Zergs among the enemies'' rank, they could escape the Zerg attack with ease if the situation got hairy. Elite Zergs were special Zergs that were bred to fight against high-level human warriors. They consisted mostly of suicide bombing Zergs and the ''Grey Mantis'', both of which could inflict huge damage by exploding themselves.

    These Elite Zerg Unites were humans'' biggest concern in today''s battlefield. Due to the Queen Zerg''s incredible reproduction ability, any hive could produce an army of such deadly Zergs in a matter of weeks.

    The energy crystal topping Guan Dongyang''s Mastery staff pulsed with energy. Guan Dongyang knew that he wouldn''t be able to rely on the staff, since it was only half full after many uses without charging up. He wondered if even the "Inferno Hell" could clear the battlefield with only half of its effectiveness.

    Nheless, Guan Dongyang believed in Wang Tong''s n, so he started to prepare for the mastery spell. Lie Xuan and Lie Wushuang could sense the energy rippling out of Guan Dongyang''s direction. Lie Wushuang furrowed his brows: the intensity of the spell was clearly not enough to handle that many Zergs, at least not yet.

    Suddenly, the sky darkened and bubbling ck clouds appeared out of nowhere, unfolding like a giant wool nket. Soon, thunder and lightning followed suit. Guan Dongyang''s hair was tossed up by a wild gale, and around him, shimmering energy of all colors formed stands that twisted and weaved into each other.

    Even dark ones that were mired in the battle against Lie Xuan felt the sudden surge of power behind, so they turned their heels and charged toward Guan Dongyang.

    Lights beamed out of Guan Dongyang''s eyes, and he repeated spells intensely in his mouth. He looked nothing like the Guan Dongyang everyone had known for years; he was a different person.

    No one but Tan Bu and Duo Lun had noticed that Wang Tong was missing. But, they didn''t tell anyone, and no one was interested either.

    The promise of seeing another new Mastery spell from their leader ted the warriors of Battle Wolf.

    Everyone was too distracted by what was happening to notice that Guan Dongyang''s movement was slow by half a beat. It was the result of him following Wang Tong''s instructions. Although the onset of the Mastery spell looked like the one Guan Dongyang had always used, its power was on an entirely different level.

    Guan Dongyang followed Wang Tong''s instructions to the letter. He knew that he was performing an extremely deadly spell, whose exact power still escaped him.

    "KOM!"

    The ground opened up under the Zerg''s ws, and fire sprouted out from the cracks and crevasses like tongues, licking the Zergs and melting their hard shells like rubber. Above the Zergs'' heads, thousands of red specs appeared in the sky, falling down on them as they increased in size. In a blink, these specks grew to the size of smoldering boulders, and smashed directly into the mass of Zergs. Visibly even from a distance, giant Zergs were smashed into pulp, leaving a gooey clump of green mass on the ground.

    If the Zergs had their interpretation of hell, this was it.

    Standing on top of a hill at some distance away from the battlefield, Lie Xuan still felt the heave waves. She wondered what type of mastery Guan Dongyang had used.

    Had Guan Dongyang already advanced to the legendary level?

    When everyone was mesmerized by the shower of Zerg flesh and blood at the foothill, the dark ones turned around and sneaked out of the battlefield. Their goal of the mission was to find out the whereabouts of the lost cargo shipment, and they had seeded.

    "Don''t let them ran away!" Lie Wushuang shouted and then rushed down the hill after the dark ones. He charged up his GN force and channeled it out from the tip of his de as de aura beamed at a dark one. The strike hit home, and one of the dark ones slumped to the ground and didn''t get up.

    Lie Xuan caught up with one of the other dark ones and used her Seven me Kicks on him. The seventh kicknded on the dark one''s head, and the force sheared therge head off the dark one''s shoulder like a pair of scissors. The rest of the four warriors from House Lie swarmed thest dark one and chopped it into pieces.

    When they were done, they looked around the battlefield and saw piles of charred Zerg bodies. Their green blood had formed little streams at the bottom of the piles. Warriors of the House Lie doubted if even Michaux''s spell could have topped the power of the one used by Guan Dongyang. No wonder their house leader had valued Guan Dongyang''s loyalty above anything else.

    While floating in the air, Guan Dongyang felt that his sea of consciousness was near depleted. Even with the help of the energy crystal, the mastery was too taxing on his system. As he was about to fall from the sky, he felt a warm flow of energy appear in his body, supporting his body and rekindling his will.

    Guan Dongyang''s mind was whirling. He had never thought that anyone could have channeled soul energy into another individual through air, but Wang Tong had done it! The entire theory of mastery was based on the fact that everything in the world, humans included, had a unique soul energy. But, Wang Tong was able to bypass the difference and lend his energy to Guan Dongyang; it was outright impossible!

    Guan Dongyang conceded that he wouldn''t be able to understand the inner workings of Wang Tong''s technique for a while, so he let the matter rest for now.

    After some time, the battle was finally over. Everyone saw the piles of Zergs and then looked at Guan Dongyang as if he was the god of war. Wang Tong was also very pleased with the results, as Guan Dongyang hadsted longer than he had thought.

    When Guan Dongyang finallynded on the ground, his face was as pale as a piece of parchment paper. "Let''s move out of here, quick!" He spoke with a feeble voice.

    "Hey, furface, what was the mastery called?" Duo Lun asked curiously.

    "Hehe, let''s call it the new Inferno Hell."

    "Do you know captain well?" Tan Bu asked.

 Chapter 490: The Helpful Loot

    Chapter 490: The Helpful Loot

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Yes, you can say that. Why do you two have so many questions?"

    "We are just curious. We wagered that you ought to be some kind of hotshot back then?"

    "I am not a hotshot. I always had been a no ount. Now, buzz off!" Wang Tong refuted with a broad smile on his face.

    Fearing that Wang Tong was going to increase their training load as punishment for their curiosity, Duo Lun and Tan Bu decided to stop pressing him for questions. However, neither of the two young soldiers could stop specting his real identity. They scrapped their memory of any legendary warrior who shared the same name as furface. Wang Tong¡­Wang Tong! They suddenly realized that the answer was right under their noses all this while.

    Could he really be the Wang Tong? If he wasn''t, who else could make Guan Dongyang listen to his orders?

    Wang Tong¡­the only person who was feared by even Patroclus himself.

    "What? He destroyed the entire Zerg Army?"

    "Yes, boss. I have seen it with my own eyes. He rained ming rocks from above onto the Zergs, and the earth opened up, spitting fires and all. I am sure there had been over two thousand Zergs¡­ All dead in a matter of minutes."

    The news took the wind out of Marcos'' sail, and he slumped on the armchair like a deted balloon. Anger had driven him to disclose Guan Dongyang''s itinerary to the unsavory bands of resistance forces. He coaxed them to ambush Battle Wolf, using the treasures as a lure. After Guan Dongyang deterred those raiders without firing a shot, Marcos ordered his scout to closely follow the Battle Wolf, hoping for furtherplications.

    Seeing was believing. Still unconvinced by the report, Marcos rode out towards the battlefield where Guan Dongyang ughtered 2000 Zergs.

    The scene at the bottom of the hill churned Marcos''s stomach; the report was as real as therge pile of decaying Zerg carcass.

    "Are you sure the Guan Dongyang did this? Not the mechanic?"

    "I swear by the gods it was him! He floated in the sky before the attack started."

    Marcos''s mind raced. Nithak had warned him about the mechanic, telling him to stay away from him. But, he didn''t seem to be concerned about Guan Dongyang.

    Unable to find an answer to this perplexing development, Marcos was at a loss.

    The news about Guan Dongyang''s victory soon spread across the Maersa district, and the sudden rise to fame had even caught him off guard.

    Most people had a grasp on the power of a level eighteen METAL warrior. However, no one knew about the power of a level eighteen Mastery warriors. Guan Dongyang''s disy of strength had proven that the world not only needed to reassess the power of Guan Dongyang, but also the validity of the ranking system for the Mastery Warriors.

    Despite the lighthearted mood and celebrations that take ce in Battle Wolf''s camp, life carried on as usual. When they finally unloaded the loot, they were shocked to realize what a jackpot they had just hit. There were countless pieces of equipment, too many for an only 200 strong war band.

    Battle Wolf''s logistical specialist, lieutenant Hamir, beamed broadly ever since Guan Dongyang returned with the loot. The loot had deepened his department''s pockets, and made him one of the most important logistical specialist on Mars.

    Hamir''s eyes sparkled when he first saw the content inside the fifty space crystals: fifty rare high-level METAL suits for warriors ranging from level ten to fifteen. These fifty METAL suits should help the shortage of METAL suits in Battle Wolf. When the crisis was at its worst, some METAL fighters had to meet the enemies with their flesh in order to protect the Mastery casters at the back of their rank. That was how bad the situation was for normal METAL suits, and it got even worse for METAL suits with energy crystals. Most energy crystals had to be saved up for the Mastery users to cast the powerful spells, and it was not umon for a mastery caster to consume an energy crystal in just one or two uses.

    Listening to the triumphant music around the camp, Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang enjoyed their personal spoils: wine and cheese. These products would have passed for a middle-ss household''s daily grocery item before the war, but right then, they were luxury items.

    "Wang Tong, from now on, my soldiers'' lives are at your disposal. What is your n?" Guan Dongyang asked with a drunken voice.

    "Balls! Are you really that light weighted?"

    "Don''t worry! I will help you, as long as you return the favor in the future."

    "Thanks. We start by taking over the City of Maersa." Wang Tong studied the map in front him, which was ridden with marks that wove into a web of power.

    "Right now? Don''t you think I am still a bit too... weak?" Guan Dongyang had fought this war for a much longer time than Wang Tong. He knew better than Wang Tong that things took time, and rushing things might end up with him shooting himself in the foot.

    "I am not just talking about the Battle Wolf. I am talking about all the human forces at Maersa. I think even if all of the factions join forces, they would still not be enough to make it across the city moat." Wang Tong said with a smile.

    Guan Dongyang was taken it back by Wang Tong''s assertion.

    Sensing his friend''s uncertainty, Wang Tong said, "Trust me. Other than a few of you in Battle Wolf, I can hardly see anyone standing a chance in a full-fledged war against the Zerg."

    Although Guan Dongyang was still not sold on Wang Tong''s opinion, he knew that at least thetter was serious. Guan Dongyang shrugged and then said, "Looks like you have already been training Tan Bu and Duo Lun. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have improved so fast. If you are willing to teach everyone what you have taught those two, I believe we will make ourselves heard in the courtroom of the divine masters very soon."

    Ambitious lights shed in Guan Dongyang''s eyes. Although Guan Dongyang was a talented mastery caster, Michaux''s power and influence would have dwarfed his in a heartbeat. Their gap started at birth. Michaux was put under the best tutor as soon as he learned how to walk. Having lived for his entire life under the shadow of another powerful mastery caster had made Guan Dongyang eager to prove himself by oveing various obstacles.

    "No problem! I have prepared universal METAL tactics for the METAL warriors. As for the Mastery casters'' training, I still need some time. Feel free to send me freeb mice."

    "Haha, be careful what you wish for!" Guan Dongyangughed and then said, "I think Ye Zi is starting to get suspicious about you. You won''t be able to hide things from her for too long."

    Wang Tong thought about it for a second and then said, "You mean I need to change my name?"

    "I don''t think it''s necessary. Sorry to tell you this, but I don''t think a lot of people still remember you any longer. Plus, your name is such amon name anyways. "

    "Really?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Yes, and it is especially the case on Mars. Many people had believed that you were dead. I just want you to know that you need to keep it a secret from Ye Zi. If Ye Zi knew about your identity, so would the divine master sect and House Lie. Lie Jian has changed a lot... His motives are very questionable after the Zerg invasion."

 Chapter 491: You Are Lab Mice

    Chapter 491: You Are Lab Mice

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong nodded in agreement. He had felt that Lie Jian had cared only about himself and his family even before the war broke out.

    "Haha, can I be your adviser? If we work together, the Battle Wolf can be as great as the Divine Master sect." Wang Tong winked at Guan Dongyang.

    "Awesome! I will help you quell Ye Zi''s suspicion then. By the way, Ye Zi is a very nice girl. Not interested?"

    Wang Tong paused for a second and then shook his head. "No. "

    "Come on, Wang Tong! We have fought wars together. You can tell me anything. I am not going to ask you how you have survived the five years because we all have to look forward. Don''t overthink your past. Only God knows if we can still see the sunrise from the east tomorrow anyways." Guan Dongyang consoled Wang Tong, hoping he would be able toe to terms with what had happened.

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes and then said, "Tell me what to do after you have learned how to handle Lie Xuan."

    Although Guan Dongyang''s words were lighthearted banter, they were not unfounded. He had noticed Ye Zi''s eyes shift to Wang Tong more often than being a coincidence, so he suspected that this talented medic had fallen for Wang Tong.

    Guan Dongyang watched as Wang Tong sauntered away, then shook his head as he was absorbed in reflections of the old time. Ever since Wang Tong entered the semi-finals of the grand tournament, Guan Dongyang had a nagging feeling that he was going to have a standoff against Patroclus, and he was right.

    He still remembered that epic battle between the perfect human and the heir of the de Warrior. A powerful man was able to attract women naturally, but Wang Tong was more than just powerful; he was one of a kind, and his return marked the beginning of a new era.

    "Lie Xuan, I think we are done here. Boss needs our help, so what will be your call?" Lie Wushuang asked.

    Lie Xuan had never thought that the decision would be so difficult to make. She had thought that she would pack up everything and leave for House Lie without any hesitation. But, when the time eventually came, she faltered.

    Lie Wushuang heaved a sigh and then said, "To tell you the truth, I believe that the future of the Mars belongs to Guan Dongyang. You have to draw your line now. If you really love him, then stay. If not, the boss could really use your help. But, I have to warn you that a strong and ambitious man such as Guan Dongyang would never care about a woman''s feelings."

    In Lie Wushuang''s eyes, Guan Dongyang and Lie Jian were the same types of persons, since they both would give up anything in their life in exchange for power and influence. To them, a long-term rtionship and a woman was more of a hindrance than help on their path to dominance.

    "Lei Xuan, you are not a kid anymore. Think about it and do what is best for yourself."

    Lie Xuan closed her eyes to muster enough conviction, and then she announced without any hesitation, "I will stay! I never wanted to think too much about things. I just want to be myself."

    Lie Wushuang heaved a sigh and then said, "Fine, but remember, House Lie is always your home."

    Lei Xuan nodded as tears streaked across her rosy cheeks. She knew that it was possible that they would never be able to see each other again.

    Meanwhile, Duo Lun had injured himself while training. So, Wang Tong and Tan Bu had to turn to Ye Zi for help.

    "What the heck are you guys doing? Is it suicide or training?" Ye Zi piped up while tending Duo Lun ''s wounds. Duo Lun had overexerted himself and lost control of his GN force. The rogue GN force bounced back and injured him. Safety should have always been the number priority while training.

    "Sorry Ye Zi, it was all my fault. I will be more careful next time."

    "I know this is not your fault, the fault is in your teacher. Furface, could you please be more careful about your training methods next time?" Ye Zi turned to Wang Tong and asked with an usatory voice.

    Wang Tong masked a smile and then replied, "Yes, ma''am."

    Wang Tong didn''t want to argue with Ye Zi about the details of the training methods, and neither did he n to change. Duo Lun had chosen this path, so he had to take full responsibility for the consequences.

    Ye Zi turned to Duo Lun and said, "Duo Lun, you need to rest for a couple of days until you can start training again."

    Duo Lun nodded.

    Wang Tong stood up and walked to him after Ye Zi was gone. "Duo Lun, this is all your own fault. You wouldn''t have gotten hurt if your foundation were solid enough. Remember, while you are on the battlefield, fight with your brain instead of your life. If you make the same mistake again, I will not allow Ye Zi to look after you. You are a dead man on the battlefield if you don''t train hard anyway, so you might as well die in my training room, under my watch!"

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu looked down and shuffled their feet on the ground nervously. To them, Wang Tong was the absolute authority, and therefore, they didn''t dare talk back at him. Although Wang Tong was an amiable fellow, when it came down to training, he would turn into the devil himself in the snap of a finger. Wang Tong had spent a lot of time on these twob mice, experimenting different versions of the tactics on them. His goal was to groom these two soldiers into the backbone of Battle Wolf.

    Despite being constantly under Wang Tong''s fire, Duo Lun and Tan Bu knew that his intentions were good. If they didn''t keep at it, their band brothers would soon catch up with them once he started to spread the tactics among the ranks of Battle Wolf.

    ¡­

    The loot was much needed during this difficult time, and it allowed the Battle Wolf soldiers to focus on improving their tactics instead of survival. Everyone dreamed of kicking the Zergs out of the City of Maersa, but the human forces were still too weak to even make a dent on the city wall. Therefore. Wang Tong waited patiently, digging in for a long war.

    The next morning, Lie Wushuang left with the other four warriors of House Lie, but Lie Xuan stayed. Seeing her face in the empty living quarter assigned to House Lie guests, Guan Dongyang''s face lit up with glee.

    "Brother Dongyang, take care of her, please." Lie Wushuang pleaded before he left.

    "Don''t worry. I will protect her with my life."

    "I believe you. As for the attack on the city, I am afraid that House Lie''s hands are tied at the moment. You are on your own. But, we wish you can seed."

    "I will, and thank you."

    After the guests were gone, Guan Dongyang called for a meeting, during which, he assigned Wang Tong as the new instructor for METALbat and mastery.

    A soft susurration of doubts crept across the crowd as Guan Dongyang made the announcement. However, no one raised their voice to protest against the decision. Battle Wolf''s main focus in the next a few months was to improve itsbat ability. Although they were literally sitting on a pile of treasure, without improving themselves, they would eventually spend their fortune dry.

    Guan Dongyang didn''t give his soldiers much exnation about the new training program, since he thought that Wang Tong would borate on that when he started training.

    Before Wang Tong started the training, he decided to handpick a few soldiers with great potential to form a focus group. He needed ten METAL fighters and then Mastery casters.

    Wang Tong''s method of sieving out the best candidates was simple, the soul scan. When Wang Tong used the soul scan on Ye Zi, her senses pricked, but she wasn''t sure what Wang Tong had done to her. Lie Xuan crossed her arms and leaned against a wall in the corner as she pondered over Guan Dongyang''s decisions.

    After some time, all ten soldiers were chosen, and the focus group was formed. It included many familiar faces, such as Ross, Ye Zi, and Hamir.

    Guan Dongyang dismissed everyone except for the members of the focus group.

    Ross'' patience was wearing thin, so he piped up, "Boss, what the heck is this guy doing? He is wasting our time!"

    Guan Dongyang ignored Ross and turned his head towards Wang Tong.

    "Starting today, you will be under my supervision. The reason I picked you guys was that you are all too weak. Pathetically weak! My training is¡­ unconventional to say the least. I hope you can make it to the end" Wang Tong said with a cold and disinterested voice.

    "How dare you, Wrench Monkey! "Ross shouted.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then waved his right arm gently.

 Chapter 492: Pressure Test

    Chapter 492: Pressure Test

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "KOM!"

    Ross was struck by an invisible force and blown into the air, then pinned onto a wall.

    "I don''t like to be interrupted. Many of you might not like me, but that''s fine. If I can fix your METAL suit, I can also fix your attitude."

    Everyone was stunned by the development. Wang Tong used neither mastery nor GN force, it was purely a soul energy attack, and it had pinned a level fifteen METAL warrior on the wall like a fly.

    Guan Dongyang pped his hand to attract attention, and then he announced, "The ten days from now on will be life-changing. I hope you will appreciate this opportunity. If you really can''t do it, please let me know, and I will be more than happy to let you withdraw. But, if you are willing to stay, make sure you obey the orders."

    Ross finally picked himself up from the ground and rushed to the group. "Captain, he had attacked me by surprise. It doesn''t count!"

    Guan Dongyang nced at Ross and found indignation written all over his face. He knew that in order to quell everyone''s doubts, Wang Tong would have to convince them himself.

    "Ross, don''t you remember what I had told Nithak? I gave him five minutes, so I will give you three seconds. If you canst for more than three seconds, then I will cancel the new training program." Guan Dongyang smiled. He was more interested in seeing how Wang Tong would handle this challenge than what would happen to Ross.

    "Boss, are you kidding me? Even if he is a legendary level warrior, I can stillst for at least three seconds!" Ross said with disbelief.

    "Start!"

    "Yes!" Ross said as he charged up his soul energy and then looked to Wang Tong. But, he didn''t see Wang Tong; instead, he saw a giant fireball right in front of him. He wasn''t sure what happened next, but when he regained some consciousness, he found that he was pinned to the wall again at the same spot.

    Everyone was shocked by Wang Tong''s skills. They had never seen anyone who could cast a fire spell so quickly. And Ye Zi was more shocked by the development than anyone else, but for a very different reason. She had seen someone else use the exact same spell before.

    "Instant Cast!" Ye Zi gasped.

    "Hehe. It was not strictly instant. There is still some dy. This is one of the most basic technique in Mastery, and I expect all of you to master it by the end of the training session."

    Hamir and the other warriors exchanged a few fearful nces. Some of them had heard of the "Instant Cast" before, and it was reserved for only the best of the best at the Divine Mastery sect. After mastering the technique, a mastery warrior could release a mastery spell quicker than a METAL warrior would release GN force.

    Was Furface a Mastery Caster?

    Everyone murmured about their spections regarding the identity of their new instructor. However, Duo Lun and Tan Bu remained silent; they had seen much more powerful acts from Wang Tong.

    Ross dragged his body back to the group and then said, "You win! I will listen to your instructions from now on!"

    "Listen up mastery casters, during the first stage of your training, we will focus on the element of speed. As for METAL warriors, I have other ns for you."

    "That''s easier said than done. How can we increase our speed?" Hamir asked.

    "Take it slow. Start with increasing your soul energy." Wang Tong said.

    "Me too?" Guan Dongyang asked.

    Wang Tong shrugged and then said, "Up to you."

    Guan Dongyang announced to everyone, "We will try our best, and we will beat him in the end. "

    Wang Tong nodded as he marveled at Guan Dongyang''s skill in fanning his soldier''s morale.

    Although no one knew how they would be able to best such a powerful warrior, Guan Dongyang''s words made them forget about their doubts and start to focus on their soul energy training.

    ¡­

    During training, the mastery casters could sense Guan Dongyang''s soul energy from a distance. As they were marveling at their captain''s powerful soul energy, Wang Tong opened up his arm and sent an invisible web of energy toward the mastery casters.

    Everyone felt it right away. As if entangled in a made out of heavy wires, the mastery casters felt the heaviness in their body and mind. They then cranked up their soul energy in an effort to counter the attacking from Wang Tong. However, as soon as their soul energy was about to overturn the situation, they felt the weight of the getting a bit heavier, forcing the soldiers to increase their soul energy by another notch, until they had reached their limits.

    Ye Zi had known this type of training method as a one on one training technique between two mastery casters of simr levels. However, Wang Tong had proven to be able to handle twenty soldiers at the same time, including one level eighteen mastery genius.

    Guan Dongyang was pleasantly surprised by the discovery of another training method. All this while, he wondered how Wang Tong had done it with such ease.

    With Wang Tong''s web of soul energy increasing in intensity, even Guan Dongyang started to feel weariness. However, he was convinced that he could pull through it.

    Wang Tong smiled and then said, "That was for you to warm up¡­ Now is the real test. I will ce on you a soul energy one level higher than your current level."

    "KOM!"

    Guan Dongyang''s face paled in an instant. Wang Tong''s soul energy bore down on him with the weight of a mountain. However, he didn''t flinch and remained steadfast in his defense. He knew that calmness and patience was the only weapon he had while facing a foe who was much more powerful than him. Slow and steady would win the race, while going fast and furious would only get him killed.

    After weeks of training, Tan Bu and Duo Lun had reached the same conclusion as Guan Dongyang, so the two increased their soul energy very slowly, striking a fine bnce between relieving pain and conserving energy. Meanwhile, they dug in for a long struggle.

    Wang Tong looked at the two young soldiers and nodded in approval.

    After a while, the other soldiers started to fall to the ground one after another. None of them were able to get up after they had copsed.

    With his eyes closed, Guan Dongyang covered himself with ayer of soul energy while enduring the strain on his system. As a level eighteen Mastery caster, he would not be struck down so easily. Wang Tong was pleased by Guan Dongyang''s performance so far, and he reckoned that thetter had improved a lot ever since the tournament.

    Ross'' face was knotted and contorted by the pain. Bead-sized sweat had joined into a trickle, running down his broad face; he was on the verge of copsing. When his legs finally gave in, his attempt to make his fall as graceful as possible failed miserably.

    As most of the mastery casters retreated from the test, Ye Zi remained on the training ground. She was trained by the divine masters, so her foundation was more solid than most warriors of Battle Wolf.

    After some time, all soldiers wereying on the ground except for four: Guan Dongyang, Duo Lun, Tan Bu, and Ye Zi.

    "Excellent, the four of you can enter the second stage." Wang Tong announced.

    The first stage subjected the soldiers under soul energy attack that was one level higher than them, and the second phase would up the game by a notch: it would be two additional levels instead of one.

    "KOM!"

    When the level twenty soul energy came down on Guan Dongyang, he felt that his body was about to buckle under the weight, but it didn''t. Swallowing down the pain, Guan Dongyang slowly cranked up his soul energy again, pushing his limit further.

    Ye Zi thought she could weather phase two as she did in phase one. But, as soon as the additional soul energy weighted on her, she fell to the ground immediately.

    Although struggling, Tan Bu and Duo Lun stood with their shaky legs. They gritted their teeth and let the sweat slide down their body, forming a little puddle beside their feet.

    After a while, Tan Bu felt like he was losing consciousness, as the world turned nk. The image of his sister being devoured by the Zerg reyed right in front him.

    "No! NO!"

    Tan Bu shouted in his mind as terror, anger, and pain gripped him. The white nothingness gnawed at his mind and soul.

    "Away!" He shouted, "AWAY!" He charged up all of the soul energy that was left in him.

    "Kom!"

    As Tan Bu fell to the ground, he advanced into level fourteen.

 Chapter 493: Level Up

    Chapter 493: Level Up

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong nodded as if he had been expecting Tan Bu''s breakthrough. Traumatic experiences often formed the nuclei from which power would grow.

    Standing beside the copsed body of Tan Bu, Duo Lun still hung in there. Ever since he came back from the tournament, he had devoted all of his time to cultivation as if he was obsessed with training.

    There were only two soldiers left standing by now. Unlike Guan Dongyang''s painful expression, Tan Bu''s face was cid and indifferent to his physical suffering.

    A few secondster, a smile of resignation found Duo Lun''s mouth as the young warrior finally copsed to the ground.

    As soon as Duo Lun and Tan Bu fell, they passed out, a sign that they had reached their limits. Those who still had the energy to look left and right after failing, such as Ross, had given up too early. Ross'' mind reeled as he witnessed Tan Bu''s advancement into level sixteen. He found it hard to believe that he was no longer the strongest METAL warrior in Battle Wolf, as the title now belonged to Tan Bu.

    Guan Dongyang was then the only person left standing on the training ground. It was evident that his power was much greater than his band brothers. However, it was not necessarily a good thing to have a wild gap between one member of the band and the rest. A war band should always work as a team, and the asymmetrical distribution of strength among the members could turn out to be a recipe for failure.

    After having weeded out the weaker soldiers, Wang Tong could finally focus on Guan Dongyang. As the golden shimmer burnt brighter inside Wang Tong''s eyes, he doubled down the attack on Guan Dongyang.

    The soul energy field was a very effective method of pushing normal soldiers to their limit without harming them. However, Guan Dongyang was not an ordinary soldier. Wang Tong conceded that he needed to add a little spice to the normal routine.

    "Kom!"

    Guan Dongyang''s vision went nk, and then he saw the scene that he had buried under the deepestyer of his memory, in an attempt to forget it.

    "Dongyang, you are the hope of the mastery. You need to live!"

    "Shifu, let me go and fight them!"

    "Fight? Hehe. You will have a lot of fighting to do, but not right now. Take your brothers and GO!"

    "Shifu, we all owe our lives to you. Let us fight for you, for our sect, even if it means our death!"

    "You fool, leave me and leave Mars¡­ NOW!"

    When the Zergs came down on the Mastery Sect, Guan Dongyang wanted to die in the battlefield while defending his Shifu. But, his Shifu persuaded him to save himself, and in turn, save the future of the Mastery.

    When he finally made it to the safety, he heard Shifu''s heart-wrenching crying from the room that was filled with Zergs. Beside him were five of his sect brothers, including Hamir; they were thest hope of the original Mastery Sect.

    Guan Dongyang never left Mars, but neither did he ever return to what was left of the Mastery Sect''s headquarters. He had spent all of his courage in the final retreat, and had nothing left in him to ward off the guilt. Even if the world had already forgiven him for not fighting until thest drop of blood, he could not forgive himself. But, what other choice did he have?

    "KOM!"

    A surge of energy gushed out of from Guan Dongyang''s body and shot up to the ceiling.

    He had finally breached the bottleneck. After the rogue energy subsided, Guan Dongyang locked his eyes with Wang Tong.

    A level neen Mastery Caster was born.

    However, it would still take Guan Dongyang a while to get used to his new power.

    Ye Zi gazed at Wang Tong with reverential silence. Although she was not sure how Wang Tong had achieved it, she watched as he brought both Guan Dongyang and Tan Bu to the next level in their cultivation. Tan Bu, in particr, had skipped two levels and leaped from level twelve to level fourteen. Such a great leap was unheard of.

    Although Guan Dongyang had only advanced one level in his cultivation, his achievement was no less than that of Tan Bu, because at a high level such as level eighteen, gaining any advancement was near impossible due to the tremendous difficulties involved.

    The rest of the onlookers were also shocked by the development. As they watched the twenty soldiers lying on the ground, they knew that Wang Tong was about to usher in a new era to the Battle Wolf.

    This was the first day of Wang Tong''s training, and it would be thest day that any Battle Wolf soldiers would have ever doubted Wang Tong.

    ¡­

    In the few days that followed, Wang Tong started to teach the soldiers the way of double GN cirction. Since Guan Dongyang was very familiar with the subject, he offered his help, which made the process much easier. From the results of the few days of practice, Wang Tong noticed that the double GN cirction worked miracles in improving the power of the low-level soldiers. But, it seemed to have a much smaller effect on the high-level soldiers.

    Regardless, little help was better than no help at all. After Ye Zi had tried the double GN cirction for a few days, she found that the small effects had umted to a discernible improvement in her soul energy movement. The results of Wang Tong''s training spoke louder than words. So, Ye Zi was quickly mired in admiration for furface''s ingenuity in creating such helpful tactics that werepatible with all tactics.

    The Double GN cirction was particrly effective for warriors of level fifteen and below. But, since Wang Tong''s version of the double GN cirction was an add-on effect instead of the result of actual double GN nodes, its effect was greatly reduced for higher level warriors.

    Wang Tong had studied the method that the Tactics of the Enchantress had used to reduce the double GN cirction to a single one. Based on his study, he reverse-engineered this version of the tactics that allowed the cultivators to expand the single cirction into a double cirction.

    However useful these tactics were, they came with a catch: in order to double the GN circtions, the cultivator would need the aid of a powerful warrior who knew the exact point at which the expansion should take ce.

    Although the expansion processed could be done by the cultivator himself, it was much easier with the help of a powerful warrior who knew what he or she was doing.

    Wang Tong had helped all twenty members of the focus group in expanding their GN cirction. When they were powerful enough and had gained more understanding about the process, these twenty soldiers could then help others to expand their circtions.

    As the days passed by, Wang Tong gradually became the idol of Battle Wolf''s soldiers. They respected and adored him not only because he was strong, but also because he had helped them be more powerful.

    The recent development of the Battle Wolf dumbfounded Lie Xuan. In her opinion, Battle Wolf should be taking advantage of their loot and expanding their group. But instead, she found out that the entire camp had been focusing on only one thing: training. Guan Dongyang had been so absorbed in his training that, at times, Lie Xuan felt like she was being ignored.

    Sensing that something strange was going on, Lie Xuan requested to join the training.

    Ye Zi was pleasantly surprised by Lie Xuan''s decision. It was always a good thing to see another female warrior among the ranks.

    After some initial testing, Wang Tong threw Lie Xuan right into the intense training.

    Every day, the focus group would receive METALbat training in the morning and mastery training in the afternoon. In the evening, Wang Tong required everyone to finish an intense physical training routine.

    After five days of the hellish boot camp experience, the focus group had finally met his expectation, and he reckoned that it was time to improve theirbat techniques.

    Ever since the dark ones entered the battlefield, the Zergs started to fight with an increasingly higher level of intelligence. They had learned to ambush and use different formations while facing differencepositions of human forces. These changes in the Zerg''s fighting style had spurred the humans to use greater caution and nning.

    ¡­

    One day, Wang Tong suddenly called off the soldiers'' normal training routing and ordered the focus group members to stand still in a row with their backs straight. Lie Xuan felt a little bit of out of ce while standing with weaklings on her left and right. She felt that she had returned to her academy days.

 Chapter 494: Divine Burst

    Chapter 494: Divine Burst

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    However, having seen that everyone, including Guan Dongyang, had followed Wang Tong''s order to the letters, Lie Xuan was hard-pressed to make herself the exception. Plus, she had had just reaped benefits from his tactics, and therefore, she thought that she should return the favor by ying along.

    Wang Tong scanned the METAL fighters in front of him with a cold nce and then said, "Today, I am going to teach you guys a very practical usage of soul energy. This technique is called Divine Burst. As you might or might not know, both GN force and mastery are only a manifestation of the soul energy. There is practically no limit on the amount of power you can harness from the soul energy. Let me show you what I mean. Duo Lun and Tan Bu, please step forward."

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun removed themselves from the row of soldiers with long strides.

    "You can begin now." Wang Tong announced.

    The two unsheathed their long de simultaneously. Duo Lun was level eleven while Tan Bu had just reached level fourteen. A difference of three levels would definitely show in whatever they were going to demonstrate. The anticipation kept everyone on the edge.

    The two soldiers attacked each other at the same time. Their long des collided in the air as the sound of metal hitting each other reverberated in the room.

    "nk! nk!" Every strike sounded harder than thest.

    The rest of the soldiers were astonished by how much the spar resembled a real fight in a deadly way. Leveraging on his superior soul energy, Tan Bu was able to gain the upper hand; each strike he delivered carried the force that meant to kill.

    Without knowing that the two were best friends, any on-lookers might take the scene as a life and death duel between two soldiers deadlocked in a blood feud.

    "Zenn!"

    Due to the level differences, Duo Lun could not evade each and every strike, so more than a few shes cut open his skin, and blood sshed out of the wounds. However, Tan Bu didn''t seem to mind his friend''s injury as he doubled down on the resolution in each attack.

    Although Duo Lun had to face a warrior who was three levels above him, he fought bravely. From time to time, he was able to sneak in a counter-attack despite his injuries.

    The two fighters knew each other''s fighting style well and had simrbat moves. Therefore, everyone was very impressed by how long Duo Lunsted in the fight without any advantages.

    Suddenly, a golden light shed across Wang Tong''s eye, and Duo Lun''s body quivered slightly as if a rush of electrical current had run through his system. Immediately after that, Duo Lun''s strikes started to gain more frequency and vigor, and everyone watched in disbelief as the battle slowly turn into a heated deadlock.

    The two''s reactions were exceptionally fast, and neither of them showed the typical ws that weremonly observed in low-level soldiers. As one of Tan Bu''s thrust attack missed its target, he immediately followed with a side sweep to the left where his opponent had dodged to, as if he knew Lun Dun was going to jump to the left all the while. Duo Lun, on the other hand, effortlessly blocked Tan Bu''s follow-up attack with his de, then glided his de across the spine of the other de, towards Tan Bu''s chest. Tan Bu retreated, but it was already toote as the sharp tip pierced through his defense and into his flesh. Blood welled from the hole left by the strike.

    "Stop!" Wang Tongmanded. The two immediately paused what they were doing and returned to their ce in the line of METAL warriors.

    "This is what I wanted to show you, a special little trick to¡­ "

    "Captain, shouldn''t we look after Duo Lun and Tan Bu''s wounds first?" Lie Xuan cut Wang Tong short as she was concerned about the two young soldiers. She gave Wang Tong an usatory nce for his ignorance of hisrades'' wellbeing.

    "Miss Lie Xuan, their injury was minor, just scratches and bruises. They better get used to it¡­ The sooner, the better." Wang Tong said in a disinterested voice.

    Lie Xuan scowled. She nced at the two young soldiers and was upset to find out that neither of them were even remotely interested in having their wounds tended, despite the small puddle of congealed blood formed at their feet.

    What was worse, Lie Xuan''s protest didn''t even catch the attention of a single soul in the training room.

    Wang Tong continued. "The main function of the GN force is offense, and its intensity is rtively the same for warriors of simr levels. However, using that little trick that I had just shown you, any fighter can boost their attack frequency and intensity, as well as movement speed. This technique is based on a school of thoughts called ''Light Overdraft.'' As its name suggests, you are pretty much borrowing your futurebat capability and spending them now. A word of caution¡­ Don''t keep this ability active for longer than five minutes. Use it wisely."

    Lie Xuan watched as everyone listened to Wang Tong''s words attentively, some nodding their heads from time to time.

    Although Wang Tong came off as arrogant and insensitive, Lie Xuan had to ept the fact that she was alone in that assessment. Even after she entered the battlefield, hundreds of House Lie foot soldiers were willing to protect her with their lives. As a result, she barely understood the feelings of low-rank soldiers.

    Supplied with the best tactics ever since she was a child, Lie Xuan would never understand an ordinary soldier craving for the opportunity to improve their strength.

    What Wang Tong had given everyone was not only a few tricks, but also hope and opportunity to be strong.

    In the eyes of the soldiers, Wang Tong''s training was not a duty, but a blessing. Any advice and suggestion Wang Tong had offered could save their lives or help them realize their dreams one day.

    Everyone knew that Lie Xuan had gotten used to her privileges, and therefore, no one heeded her seemingly kind andpassionate suggestion.

    "Captain, would the Divine Burst interfere with the output of the GN force?" Ross asked.

    "Definitely¡­ But, its effect varies from person to person. It requires some degree of adjustment. When you are finally used to it, it will help to increase yourbat ability by at least ten percent."

    Wang Tong announced, and then started to demonstrate the technique.

    Everyone watched Wang Tong''s move while trying to grasp its concept. Those who got it knew immediately that it required one to think outside of the box in order to fully understand it.

    However, understanding it was only the first step, and the real battle started when the soldiers attempted the technique themselves. So delicate was the linkage between the soul energy and the GN force that even the smallest distraction would cause it to snap and the technique to fail.

    There was only one method to master the technique: more practice.

    Lights of determination glinted in Duo Lun and Tan Bu''s eyes. They had tried their best toprehend Wang Tong''s moves and words. Plus, they also had the advantage of experiencing the benefit of the technique at first hand. They realized that the sudden increase in movement speed would be very useful during a moment of life and death. Duo Lun remembered the sensation of hyper-awareness when Tan Bu''s de wheezed toward him. Within a fraction of a second, his brain had already calcted the precisending spot of the de, and before he knew it, his body was already preparing for the counterattack, that had eventually pierced into Tan Bu''s chest.

    After having followed Wang Tong''s instructions for a few rounds, the soldiers started to practice against each other. Some got injured during the process, but no one stopped. They knew that if they didn''t give it all they had in the training room, they would quickly perish out there in a real war.

    Wang Tong tried to distance himself from anypassionate feelings toward his students. His merciful thoughts could be the students'' downfall in the future.

    Wang Tong scanned the room and assessed the progress of every student. He quickly found out that the students'' biggest hurdle came from adapting to the technique''s unconventional way of transforming soul energy into GN force. Many students were still struggling to make the change from conventional methods that they were used to.

    After some time, Wang Tong announced a decision: those who could not adapt to the new method would have to leave the focus group. No one wanted to get kicked out of the focus group after they had devoted so much time. So, his announcement drove the students to train with more determination and intensity.

    While the students were training, Wang Tong walked to the mechanic shop and used the spare time to fix a few more METAL suits. After a few hours, when Wang Tong returned to the training room, he was pleased to find out that none of the students had given up despite the difficulties. He nodded as a sliver of hope rose inside him, and then he returned to his repairing work again.

 Chapter 495: Slave Driver

    Chapter 495: ve Driver

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The subject of the morning training focused on the application of what they had learned over the days. Guan Dongyang led the exercises as soldiers struggled to bnce their old and new GN circtions while stabilizing their GN force.

    Around noon, Ye Zi arrived at the mechanic room to invite Wang Tong over for lunch. Wang Tong''s all-epassing skills had impressed her. She had never heard of anyone who was not only a mastery caster, but also a METAL fighter. On top of that, he was an incredible mechanic.

    Ye Zi wondered if there was anything that Wang Tong could not do: perhaps having babies? It was a fleeting thought, but Ye Zi then immediately scolded herself for having such a foolish idea.

    "Captain, time for lunch." Ye Zi shouted at Wang Tong. But, there was no reply, as he was absorbed in his work.

    ''Disassemble, repair, and reassemble''¡­ Wang Tong finished the job in one go, breathing a new life into each and every METAL suit that had been damaged.

    He wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled satisfyingly. He really enjoyed being a mechanic, particrly the satisfaction and sense of aplishment. To him, it was the best form of taking a rest, to be away from his troubles.

    Looking at thest METAL suit that he had finished repairing, Wang Tong smiled. It was the first time for Ye Zi to see such a child-like, innocent smile on his face.

    "Ye Zi,e look at this piece of METAL. Didn''t I do a good job? Haha." Wang Tong turned to face Ye Zi and then asked.

    Ye Zi blushed as she replied, "Time for lunch. If you starve to death, everyone is going to me me for not taking good care of you."

    "Lunch already? Ah-ha, that is why my belly feels so weird! Do we have roast today?"

    "Yes, only for you. "

    Wang Tong smiled joyfully. In addition to repairing METAL, he also loved to eat.

    "Ye Zi, after the mastery training in the afternoon, can I ask you a few questions about the usage of mastery in the medic field?" Wang Tong asked on their way to the dining room.

    "You know about that?"

    "Just a little. I also wanted to get a better idea of the development of the Divine Mastery Sect. You are the only medic in Battle Wolf, so it must be a lot of work for you. I am nning to train a few soldiers and let them be your assistants."

    "Thank you for the thought, but it is easier said than done. Not every soldier is fit for being a field medic. Even in the Divine Mastery Sect, the chance that a sect member would be up to the scratch for being a medic was very small. Oh! One more thing... The creator of the medic upation was not the young master, but the head medic, Susu."

    "Susu? Isn''t she one of the three beauties on Mars?"

    "Yeah, yeah. Looks are always the only thing that guys are interested in. Susu is our young master''s sister. Although she is not very famous outside of Mars, she is one of the most influential people in the sect. If she were a man, she might have already be the heir apparent of the sect. "

    "Good to know. So, is the medic a type of nonbat mastery?"

    "No. It can be deadly when it needs to. Our young master made sure it is that way himself." Ye Zi said with a smug look on her face.

    Sensing Ye Zi''s admiration toward Michaux, Wang Tong shook his head andmented that Michaux''s cult of personality was a bit over the top. However, he quickly realized that a cult of personality could be a very effective tool for uniting people together during such a tumultuous time. Perhaps, he should try it at some time.

    The mastery casters sat around Wang Tong at the dining table. They patiently waited until Wang Tong had picked thest grain of rice from his te, then started to bombard him with questions. Wagering that the soldiers'' questions might get out of control, Wang Tong decided only to answer ten questions. Any more questions would have to wait until tomorrow.

    It was a strategy he had learned from Zhou Sisi. She always talked about the smart usage of unavability in social interactions.

    There were so many things that Wang Tong could have learned from her if she were still alive.

    How was Xiaoru and what exactly happened to Zhou Sisi? Where were Karl and Hu Yangxuan?

    Wang Tong halted his train of thoughts. He knew that it was a rabbit hole with no return. He then heard Guan Dongyang start speaking.

    "You all know that Mastery is a ''young'' profession; it is only six years old. However, within the six years, we have established ourselves as the most effective method of eliminating Zergs. Therefore, we have seen rapid growth in the number of mastery casters within the recent years. Although the mastery casters excel at damage output, it is gued by weak defense. As a response to that weakness, I n to build a new mastery unit here in Battle Wolf that excels at both offense and defense. I can guarantee you that, in time, our mastery team would be even more powerful than that of the Divine Mastery Sect."

    After Guan Dongyang finished his speech, he turned the focus onto Wang Tong. Wang Tong nodded. "I fully agree with Guan Dongyang, except for one thing." Wang Tong looked around and found out that everyone''s face held an incredulous expression as they heard his disagreement with their captain.

    "In order to surpass the mastery unit of the Divine Mastery sect, we would have to be willing to make some sacrifices in the training room."

    The soldier''s face crumpled as Wang Tong''s words sent a chill down their spines.

    "Mastery is a very broad topic, and what we have discovered so far is less than the tip of an iceberg," Wang Tong said as he snapped his fingers and a dancing me appeared at his fingertips. Wang Tong snatched up the little me and hurled it across the room. The me turned into a fireball, a dragon, andstly a spear, before itnded on the ground.

    "This is only a small trick. It might have been a marvelous spell years ago when Mastery was first invented, but as the Mastery advanced, so did its power. Starting today, I will teach you more than a dozen different mastery spells, and I hope you can find the one that suits your the best."

    The mastery casters stared at Wang Tong in disbelief. They had never heard of anyone who knew over ten different kinds of mastery spells.

    "In order to master the spells, you will first need to build a solid foundation. I will make it mandatory for all mastery casters to pass the "Instant Cast" test."

    Some soldiers winced at the difficulties ahead. The warriors they knew who could use Instant Cast were at a much higher level than them. But, despite the seemingly impossible task, no one protested since they knew Wang Tong would not care anyway. If he wanted it, then they had to deliver.

    Wang Tong then started to exin the Instant Cast step by step. The core concept of the "Instant Cast" was to increase the speed at which one drew out the natural force. Any other mastery teacher would warn the students about the danger in doing so. Therefore, in the eyes of some soldiers, Wang Tong''s instructions were the perfect recipe for derangement.

    However, Wang Tong knew that they would be safe because he had just taught them how to double GN cirction. Although the double GN cirction had little effect in improving a high-level METAL warrior''sbat ability, it was crucial in protecting the mastery casters from the harm of rogue natural energy.

    Nevertheless, such practice was not 100% safe, and it would have been outright banned during the peaceful times. However, humans had little to no choice other than taking the risk under such reduced circumstances.

    Despite the protection of the double GN cirction, the soldiers still suffered an excruciating pain from the invasion of rogue natural energies.

    Hamir pleaded, "Wang Tong, is there any other way? I am afraid that it is too painful for most of us."

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said,, "Do you think the Zergs on the battlefield would listen to your pleading? I have already said it¡­ there is no other way."

    The Mastery casters looked at each other with despair; they knew that Wang Tong would not listen to their pleading. Some soldiers even started to whimper.

    Sensing the morale wavering, Guan Dongyang stood up and announced, "We are all veterans, and have lived through many battles. This is nothing! You can do it!"

    "Yes, captain! Be a man. Do the right thing!" Someone chimed in.

    Under Guan Dongyang''s encouragement, the soldiers gathered strength and fought back the pain. Everyone was wet from their sweat, but no oneined ever again.

    Ye Zi gritted her teeth as she battled with the rogue energy that sent waves of paralyzing pain through her system.

 Chapter 496: What Makes Us Human Is Trust

    Chapter 496: What Makes Us Human Is Trust

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Hamir and the other Mastery casters didn''t give up either. After each failure, they would swallow down the pain and start anew. Guan Dongyang looked at Hamir with distraught and guilt. He and Hamir went all the way back to the time in Mastery Sect. Hamir was one of his sect brothers who had escaped with him from the Zergs'' death clutch. Ever since Guan Dongyang formed the Battle Wolf, Hamir had always been his right-hand man, and was in charge of logistics and supplying provisions for the band.

    Guan Dongyang sneaked a peek at Wang Tong, but thetter''s stoic and stone cold face deterred him from pleading for his sect brother. He heaved a sigh of resignation, as the sight of poor Hamir suffering made his heart ache.

    "Remember, pain is good for you. Try to understand the pain and feel the energy in it. That is what makes the connection between your soul energy and the natural force." Wang Tongmanded.

    Ye Zi had wanted to speak up against the cruelty, but considering that they didn''t have many other options other than doing what Wang Tong said, she decided to keep her silence for now.

    Wang Tog didn''t pay any attention to the disgruntled look on the soldiers'' faces. He scanned the room callously like a cold-hearted ve-driver.

    If it were five years ago, no one would have even thought of trying such a risky method. However, under Guan Dongyang''s encouragement, the soldiers mustered their strength and decided to press forward.

    Although no one had gone deranged so far, the pain was unbearable.

    Hamir bit down on his lips as sweat ran down his cheeks. Wang Tong walked to him and then patted on his shoulder. Hamir suddenly let out a saddening wail and fell to the ground.

    The rest of the mastery warriors paused their practice and walked to Hamir to make sure he was alright.

    Guan Dongyang shouted in amanding voice, "Step back!"

    Wang Tong nodded at Guan Dongyang, and thetter heaved a sigh of relief. Hamir had finally made it.

    As Wang Tong helped Hamir to his feet, despite his pale face, he looked at Wang Tong with gratitude.

    After an entire afternoon of pain and suffering, only Hamir was able to pass the test.

    When Wang Tong thought that it was enough for the day, he waved to dismiss the soldiers and then left the training room without a word.

    He knew that he had been an a*shole today. The soldiers might be able to endure one day of hardship and inhumane training, but would they be willing to withstand the same thing until they passed the test?

    As soon as Wang Tong stepped out of the training room, he heard someone catching up with him.

    "Wang Tong, you can''t treat the soldiers like that. You are not the one doing those exercises, so you won''t understand how painful it was! As a medic, I question your methods!" Ye Zi announced in a scathing tone. "I will also advise captain to cancel this ridiculous training."

    Wang Tong held Ye Zi''s angry gaze for a moment and then asked, "How do you know that I don''t understand how it feels?" Wang Tong then turned his heels and walked off without even sparing her a nce.

    Ye Zi had much more to vent to Wang Tong, but she felt the words evaporate in her mouth at Wang Tong''s question.

    Wang Tong didn''t take a rest. Instead, he went back to the mechanic shop and started repairing the METAL suits.

    Regardless of how hard Wang Tong pushed the soldiers to their limit, in the end, it was up to the individuals to decide how much they wanted tomit to the training.

    METAL repairing could usually soothe Wang Tong''s mind. However, he found it hard to suppress theplicated emotions inside him. He dropped the METAL suit and leaned against the wall as he was absorbed in reflection.

    He never wished to be so cruel, but what other choices did he have?

    Pain?

    They had not experienced real pain yet.

    He rubbed his furry chin and realized that he had turned twenty two this year.

    At this point, the shop''s gate cracked open, and Duo Lun and Tan Bu walked in. Wang Tong wrenched his attention out of his thoughts and stered a smile on his face. "Is it time for dinner?"

    When Wang Tong turned to face the two visitors, he realized that the entire focus group had trailed behind them. Hamir stepped forward and then said, "Captain, starting today, you can train us with whichever method you like. We are not going toin."

    "Yes! We''d rather die in the training room than inside a Zerg''s mouth! " Ross announced.

    Ye Zi remained silent, her face darkening with many questions in her mind. Who was this man, and what was he hiding underneath that smile?

    Ye Zi bit down her lip and then bowed. "I am sorry, Captain." Ye Zi wanted to say many more, but no other words came out.

    Wang Tong was surprised by this turn of events as warmth rose inside him. Loneliness was one of the deadliest killers of a man, especially when one was with the persons he cared about. Wang Tong had lived the happiest moments in the five years when he was with Battle Wolf, and the imminent resentment from the group would have been his nightmare.

    But everyone had eventually realized that his intentions were was good, and that he really cared about them.

    The ability to caring for each other was what separated humans from the Zergs.

    "What is the meaning of this? You think I will go easy on you tomorrow? Don''t worry, my goal is to build the best team on Mars. So, you better work your a8s off until our goal is achieved."

    The soldiersughed at Wang Tong''s sarcastic joke. After the training, Ye Zi had gathered the soldiers to condemn Wang Tong''s inhumane training methods. But, before she was able to finish listing the crimes that Wang Tong hadmitted, Duo Lun and Tan Bu rose to herment and defended Wang Tong. The debate quickly turned into a heated argument.

    Tan Bu made it clear that what Wang Tong was doing was no different than Ye Zi''s job as a medic: saving people''s lives. Ye Zi could cure a wounded soldier, while Wang Tong was able to teach the soldiers to avoid getting injured altogether. Duo Lun further exined that although Wang Tong might appear to be insensitive to others'' feelings, he was a very kind person, and had helped him many times.

    In the end, both soldiers announced that they trusted Wang Tong with their lives not because he was strong, but because he had made them strong.

    ¡­

    The next day morning, when Wang Tong was brushing his teeth, he saw his furry face in the mirror. After yesterday''s event, he knew that he had gained everyone''s trust, and therefore, he thought that it was about time to put things in the past behind him. He took out a razor and shaved off the beard.

    When he walked into the training room, he found that Ross had already lined up all the soldiers and was waiting for him. Everyone stared at his new face with surprise and some confusion.

    This handsome young man had sharp features that were chiseled out, and his eyes were two pools of darkness. Who was he?

    "Hey bro, this is our training room." Ross asked as he failed to recognize the young man in front of him.

    "I know what it is." Wang Tong said with a smile.

    "Captain? Is it really you?"

    A swell of gasps rose in the room. Everyone had thought that Wang Tong was close to his thirties. But without the beard, he looked barely twenty years old.

    Castro threw his head back and eximed, "I am no longer the most handsome man in Battle Wolf anymore... Why?"

    "Because you were never the most handsome one." Tan Bu said with a broad smile.

    "Well, I mean among the METAL fighters," Castro said as he brushed his hair with his fingers.

    Wang Tong couldn''t suppress a snicker, and then announced, "Jokes aside, we are going to focus on the Divine Burst technique today. I gave you guys some time yesterday to practice, so show me your improvement now. Let''s start with you Lie Xuan."

    Lie Xuan sauntered to Wang Tong and announced with a sassy smirk, "Piece of cake!"

    Lie Xuan carefully channeled out his soul energy and pulled off the Divine Burst with ease. A smug look hung on her face after she was done, and she cast Wang Tong a nce that could almost pass for a taunt.

    Wang Tong nodded. "Excellent! Next, Ross!"

    Ross hadpleted the technique without any difficulties, but Wang Tong knew that he was still far from able to use the technique amidst the chaos of a real war.

    "Tan Bu and Duo Lun, it is your turn. I want you to use only level eleven soul energy."

    "Yes, Captain!"

    "Look carefully, everyone! I want you to remember that this trick is only useful when you were able to deploy it under pressure, such as in realbat."

    As Tan Bu and Lun Duo unsheathed their des, the belligerence in the air wafted in all directions. Lie Xuan was shocked by such strong Battle Qiing off from the two low-level warriors.

 Chapter 497: Martian Match Maker

    Chapter 497: Martian Match Maker

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Lie Xuan was surprised by the fact that Duo Lun and Tan Bu''s improvement was greater than most other warriors, including herself.

    The two young soldiers had always sparred diligently, and they gave their 100% attention and effort while doing so. Therefore, the two were able to reap full benefits of the training. On the contrary, soldiers who had done a half a*s job while training would have gained little to nothing.

    As the two young soldiers increased the intensity of attacks, some onlookers cheered for them even though their technique and moves were very simple and unsophisticated, especially in the eyes of Lie Xuan.

    Amidst the exchanges of hacks and shes, Tan Bu suddenly started the Divine Burst ability while Duo Lun''s de hurled at him. Tan Bu''s sudden increase in speed caught thetter off guard. Tan Bu rose to the opportunity and sneaked in a flurry of attacks at Duo Lun when thetter was trying to regain his bnce. As a result, Duo Lun suddenly lost the edge he had gained earlier.

    However, Tan Bu''s attacks were not able to end the match as Duo Lun dug in to hold his ground. When the effect of the Divine Burst finally passed, Duo Lun retaliated immediately and started his Divine Burst ability. The increased speed and vigor in Duo Lun''s attack quickly helped him regain his advantage and slowly push Tan Bu to a corner.

    Ross looked at the two soldiers'' performance as a feeling of shame crept into him. He had been too content with his ability, believing that no one in the focus group would have wielded the Divine Burst ability better than him. But, Duo Lun and Tan Bu had proven him wrong.

    Feeling ashamed for himself, Ross, the former champion of the Battle Wolf, wanted to turn on his heels and run away. After some time, he conceded that running away wouldn''t solve the problem, and the only solution for catching up with his former subordinates was to work harder.

    "Stop!" Wang Tong announced.

    The two young soldiers paused immediately after hearing themand. They had already gotten used to such high-intensity training, so they didn''t even need to take a deep breath to gather themselves. It was evident that they had not only trained during the day, but also during their downtime.

    "This is the practical use of the Divine Burst technique. I can''t teach you when or how to use it during abat situation. You will have to find that out yourself. Lie Xuan and Ross, please demonstrate what you have learned." Wang Tong said.

    "Captain, can you change the opponent for me?" Ross''s face crumpled. He would rather fight Ye Zi than the sassy princess from House Lie.

    "Why, Ross? Am I not a worthy opponent?" Lie Xuan rose to Ross''ment.

    "Oh¡­no, no. Let''s start then."

    Three of the soldiersughed at Ross'' reluctant expression; this fight was going to be entertaining.

    "You, you three,e with me. " Wang Tong said with a broad smile on his face.

    The three soldiers whoughed at Ross lowered their head and followed him out of the room. Before Wang Tong walked out, he turned back and announced, "Ah, mind your own business, no matter what you hear."

    The words sent a chill down the three soldier''s spines.

    Wang Tong then led the three soldiers into a separate room next door, and before long, wails and painful howls could be heard even across the brick wall.

    "Ross, please!" Lie Xuan urged. She didn''t bring any weapon with her.

    Ross unsheathed his de and reminded himself to be careful.

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu didn''t partner up this time. Instead, each of them found a new partner in order to share their knowledge. Wolves fought in packs, and therefore, sharing and teamwork were what made Battle Wolf a formidable war band.

    As everyone sparred and practiced, the cry and shouts in the room next door kept going on.

    After two hours, the mor next door finally subsided. When the three soldiers filed into the training room, they were drenched in sweat. Wang Tong announced, "These three will take a break for now, and the rest of you can keep going. Duo Lun, let me know when it''s time for lunch."

    "Yes, Captain."

    Wang Tong turned around and sauntered off while whistling a happy tone.

    As soon as he disappeared, the soldiers surrounded the three "survivors" and asked them what had happened. "Balls! You guys look like you have just gotten back from hell."

    "Hell? No, no. It was a heaven, heaven for a sadist." One of the three soldiers refuted sarcastically.

    "It was... sigh... " Lu Dun failed to muster enough courage in him to repeat what he had been through. He didn''t want to relive that experience ever again.

    "Did you three at least learn how to use the Divine Burst after all that? "

    Suddenly, the three saddened faces lit up with a shred of joy. They nodded. ''Was that confidence flickering in their eyes?'' Lie Xuan wondered.

    Questions sprouted into Lie Xuan''s mind. Who was furface? How would he be able to teach three useless foot soldiers, theirbined levels being still lower than Lie Xuan, to use a technique that had taken her so long to wield?

    "Why don''t you three take the day off?" Ross saidpassionately.

    "No Lieutenant, we just need to catch our breaths. Furface said we should practice more right after we have gotten the gist of it."

    Moved by the three''s devotion, the rest of the soldiers nodded and felt happy for them to have made the breakthrough.

    ¡­

    Wang Tong retired to his shop and started tinkering with the METAL suits again. He knew he didn''t have much time left with Battle Wolf. The Zergs inside the City of Maersa were bound to seek retribution after their valuable cargo shipment was raided. Although Wang Tong had convinced the Battle Wolf to stay put in order to avoid running into Zerg forces, it would only be a matter of time for the Zergs to knock on their doors.

    When Wang Tong picked the members of the focus group, he had focused solely on their physical conditions. However, after a few days of hellish training, he reckoned that these soldiers not only had a strong body, but also an iron will.

    Lie Xuan stood at the threshold and watched Wang Tong meticulously putting pieces of the METAL suit together. She concluded that such patience was extremely rare in powerful warriors like him. As she marveled at Wang Tong''s qualities, it urred to her that House Lie could use a talent like him as well. Without any hesitation, Lie Xuan decided to enlist Wang Tong.

    "Furface, time for lunch. Are you fixing METAL suits? Wow, you are so talented. Do you have a girlfriend?" Lie Xuan asked.

    Wang Tong looked up and said stoically. "Yes."

    "Oh-oh... really? Is she from the Battle Wolf?" Lie Xuan kept on prying for more answers from Wang Tong.

    "No, she is not on Mars." Wang Tong answered disinterestedly.

    "Long distance rtionship, eh? It must be difficult, in this day and age, you know? With themunication being cut off and all that... Have you thought about finding a new one on Mars?"

    Wang Tong grinned. "You want to be my matchmaker?"

    "Well, why not? Do you really want that girl to wait for you for god knows how long? Man are idiots!" Lie Xuan shot back at Wang Tong.

    "Hehe, not everyone is like Lie Jian." Wang Tong said with a knowing smile.

    "Do you know my brother?" Lie Xuan asked, but she didn''t defend his brother''s promiscuous lifestyle. Ever since the Zerg invasion, Lie Jian had taken a long, hard look at his personality, and had turned his unsavory habits back a few notches.

    "Hehe, no. But, everyone here on Mars talks about him. Let''s go eat now, before there is nothing left. Those soldiers eat like pigs."

    ¡­

    In the afternoon, when Wang Tong walked into the Mastery caster ss, everyone except for Guan Dongyang was surprised by his new look, just like the morning ss was.

    "Today we will work on the Instant Cast. This is the bread and butter of any Mastery caster''s ability. Killing Zergs is empty talk without knowing how to cast spells efficiently."

    "Furface, are we going to learn new spells?" Hamir licked his lips in excitement.

    "Of course! How about the Mastery tornado?"

 Chapter 498: Mastery Tornado

    Chapter 498: Mastery Tornado

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Tornado?" The name quickly piqued everyone''s attention.

    "Yes, this is a mid-level wind elemental Mastery. I want our team to specialize in the wind-fire hybrid mastery. By mixing the two, we would be able to multiply our damage output."

    The promise of the new and powerful masterybination kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

    "Hybrid Mastery?" Ye Zi''s mind raced. She had learned of such method while she was with the Divine Mastery sect. However, she had never heard of anyone mentioning it outside the Sect, much less putting it into action.

    However preposterous Wang Tong''s n sounded to be, no one doubted it, not even Ye Zi.

    Guan Dongyang firmly believed that Wang Tong''s n was not an overshoot. In fact, he would never doubt anything that Wang Tong told him. His job right now was to carry out Wang Tong''s will, and there was no need to ask questions. The fate of the Battle Wolf was at Wang Tong''s disposal ever since Guan Dongyang and Wang Tong''s exchange of hearts on the way back from the tournament.

    "Wang Tong has plotted out the course for us. We only live once, so we can''t pass up the opportunity to be remembered throughout history as the most bada*s mastery warriors. I have already said all I want, and the rest will depend on our actions!" Guan Dongyang encouraged the mastery casters, his voice holding an unwavering determination.

    "Yes, Captain!"

    ¡­

    Despite yesterday''s training, the Instant Cast remained an impossible hurdle for most mastery casters except for Ye Zi and Hamir. Wang Tong knew that he shouldn''t push the casters too far too quickly; things such as the mastery cultivation took time and patience.

    After a while, Wang Tong ordered everyone to take a break. He sat down beside Guan Dongyang and started chatting with him.

    "Is there still no news from the City of Maersa?"

    "Nothing. It''s been strangely quiet in there." Guan Dongyang replied. The inactivity of Zergs had confused him.

    "I don''t like it. We need to send out some scouts. Are you sure our camp is safe?"

    "No one knows of our location other than ourselves. But you are right; we need to double the guards."

    "What''s going on with the other factions?"

    "Also quiet. But, their silence is less rming than the Zergs''. I think they are still recovering from the shock."

    "I bet that they are waiting for us to make a move on the City. We are still too weak to scale that wall. At best, we can lure the Zergs out of the city into the open."

    "I agree. It''s not just the walls¡­ The Zergs have burrowedplicated tunnels under the city, linking them with surrounding areas and giving them much greater mobility than us."

    "They are a smart lot! The dark ones live in the city, and the primal Zergs hide under the earth. I have never seen a better use of space."

    "To hell with those pests, digging holes everywhere. "

    "What do you think of their decision of bing more like humans?"

    "It might have given them a short-term advantage, a huge one at that. But, they have overlooked the dark side of human traits. Zergs had always excelled in unity, but one will only need to nce over the human history to know why human traits would not sit well in a Zerg colony. I have the full confidence in humans'' eventual victory. " Guan Dongyang announced.

    "Yes, and no. You are right in saying that the dark ones are prone to human weakness. But, you are wrong because our biggest enemy is not the dark ones." Wang Tong said with a thoughtful smile.

    Guan Dongyang''s answer was based on his experience on Mars, which was the most optimistic one among all other majors. The reason behind that was not because the Marscked Zergs, but because Mars'' Zergs were mostly low-level first generation primitive Zergs.

    On the Earth and the Moon, the situation had deteriorated beyond control. Not only Patroclus had killed humanity''sst hope, Einherjars, but one Einherjar''s switching of alliance had dealt a devastating blow to their morale as well.

    All the torment and suffering of the human race could be traced back to one person: Patroclus.

    If he hadn''t betrayed his own people, the Zergs would have never taken control of the Earth and the Moon. Patroclus was not only the best strategist the world had ever seen, but he knew the weakness in the confederation. Instead of spreading the gue of distrust and infighting among the Zergs, Patroclus used it against the human forces.

    Under the pressure of Patroclus and the hybrid race, the immortals, that he had created, the human resistance force was on the brink of annihtion.

    Not only did Einherjar Andres die in his attempt to undo his mistake, but Einherjar Li Zhidao was also gravely injured while trying to stop Patroclus frommitting more crimes. Till this day, Li Zhidao was still recovering from his wounds. Although Li Zhidao was able to deal a few powerful blows to Patroclus, the Ivantian''s new body had allowed him to recover at an incredible rate.

    Some believed that Patroclus had fully recovered a while ago, but he was biding his time, using the human resistance as a bargaining chip to help him exert influence under the nose of the Queen Zerg. Some even believed that Patroclus was using the time to cultivate a new powerful tactic.

    Wang Tong patted on Guan Dongyang''s shoulder and then said, "I look forward to the challenge to fight him for the third time."

    "Hehe, only you would say that."

    As time flew by, the ten days of boot camp training were was finally over. Although Wang Tong still taught the higher level techniques, the members of the focus group had taken up the responsibility of training the other soldiers.

    From there on, Wang Tong felt that his job had be much easier. Considering therge differences in soldiers'' levels, Wang Tong didn''t require everyone to be on the same page immediately.

    During the METALbat sses, Wang Tong taught the warriors a new skill: me Cut. Before he took over the training, Guan Dongyang had always encouraged the METAL warriors to learn Mastery, but the drastically different exercise had spread the soldiers'' focus too thin. The me cut had struck a fine bnce between the soul energy, GN force, and the natural forces.

    In addition, based on Wang Tong''s observation, he had found out that most Martians'' inner energy was morepatible with the fire element, which exined why the House Lie had always been using fire-rted tactics. Wang Tong was confident that thebination of the me cut and the Divine Burst should be able to increase the overallbat ability of Battle Wolf.

    Wang Tong was also aware that in addition to increasing the overall power of the team, he also needed to groom a few exceptionally tough warriors as leaders and champions of the band. Wang Tong hoped that the members of the focus group would eventually be able to fill that role.

    In addition to the me Cut and the Divine Burst, Wang Tong also taught a few selected soldiers the Six Death shes. This was a special technique that Wang Tong had created based on his years of fighting with the Zergs. Each one of the six strikes aimed at the vital points of the Zergs, and would cause instant death. So deadly were these sword techniques that the METAL fight would have to be very careful even when training.

    Things got a little bit moreplicated when it came down to the mastery training. Wang Tong could only provide instructions about the basic theories, while it was up to the mastery casters toprehend the meaning over time and apply the theory in real fights.

    When Wang Tong started to teach the mastery casters the group mastery usingbined elements, even he was caught off guard by howplicated the stuff could get. However, thanks to the solid foundation that Guan Dongyang had provided to the mastery warriors, they eventually ovee the difficulties and started to grasp the concept.

    While the rest of the team was improving by leaps and bounds, Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang also sparred with each other from time to time. Since Guan Dongyang had just advanced into level neen, he needed to adjust to his new power. The adjustment process could have taken him at least three to five years, but with Wang Tong''s help, he felt he had made huge improvements every day.

 Chapter 499: Survival Of The Fittest

    Chapter 499: Survival Of The Fittest

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Sometimes, Wang Tong wondered if Patroclus had joined the Zergs as an undercover agent. Espionage had been the Dower family''s traditional perk anyways. Perhaps, someone at the House Dower had foreseen the power dynamics decades ago, and had nned Patroclus'' switch of allegiance. However, if that were the case, why did Patroclus did all he could to see to the human race''s extinction?

    Or, maybe Patroclus had initially turned to the Zerg as an undercover, but the merging process had consumed his ability to reason, and driven him to madness, giving him the idea of creating his own race, the immortals.

    Wang Tong had denied the reality and his responsibility for five years, and he reckoned that it was about time to finally face his destiny.

    On the za inside Battle Wolf''s camp, the soldiers practiced the me Cut in unison. Their movement held a deadly force that threatened to crush anything in their path. It was an encouraging sight to behold.

    In half a month, Wang Tong had established his authority within the group. His words carried more weight than even that of Guan Dongyang, although part of this change was thanks to Guan Dongyang''s unwavering support.

    Sensing the great improvements in the soldiers of the Battle Wolf, Wang Tong started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When he first started training the soldiers, he never thought about what would happen in the end. However, as he witnessed the growth around him, a vision of the future started to take shape in his mind.

    Wherever Wang Tong went, the soldiers around him beamed from side to side; eager to show off their recent improvement as they exercised with greater enthusiasm and vigor.

    Everyone knew that Wang Tong had a soft spot for food. Therefore, some soldiers had smuggled food from the kitchen to his shop in exchange for a one on one tutoring session.

    The risk of being caught stealing food out of the kitchen by Hamir was a small price to pay for powerful abilities.

    Lun Duo and Tan Bu also grew their power very quickly and had be the left and right-hand men of Ross. Seeing that everyone was catching up with him, Ross devoted more time to his training. Not only did he have a solid foundation, but Wang Tong''s help had quickly improved hisbat abilities, which helped him strengthen his confidence amidst the fiercepetition.

    When Wang Tong arrived at the Mastery''s ssroom, everyone was talking about the Mastery Tornado that Wang Tong had promised to teach them. Some discussion had turned into a heated debate, but Wang Tong didn''t interfere, neither did he rify the student''s questions. He knew that fully understanding a mastery spell was a long process, and only through debating over and over again could one fully grasp the concepts. Being told of a concept and fully understanding it were two entirely different things.

    Guan Dongyang gave Wang Tong a knowing smile as soon as he saw him. He was the first one to grasp the inner workings of the Mastery Tornado fully. Although even a mid-level mastery would be able to wield it with ease, its power would grow as the cultivator leveled up.

    The Fire drake was the run of the mill kind of Mastery, so, as soon as the wielder reached level sixteen, its damage output would fall shortpared to the caster''s potential. Therefore, Guan Dongyang had used the self-invented Inferno Hell as a step-up from the normal fire drake. However, ever since he reached level neen, he started to use Wang Tong''s new version of the Inferno Fire.

    "Although the wind and the fire elements arepatible with each other, you will likely have to wait until level twenty to be able tobine them effectively." Wang Tong smiled at Guan Dongyang and said.

    "Hehe, I have already known that. Did you intend to use the Mastery Tornado as a group mastery? I had always thought that we had too many casters in our group mastery. However, when I was experimenting with the fire and the wind element yesterday, I realized how wrong I was: we need more men!"

    "Hehe! There are seventy mastery casters in Battle Wolf. I estimate that we would need at least two hundred casters to mix the two elements sessfully."

    "Two...Two hundred?" Guan Dongyang asked incredulously.

    "Yes. Haha... On another note, since the Zergs have decided to turtle inside the city, we might as well pay them a visit. Would you like to join me?" Wang Tong said with a smirk.

    "Haha, that sounds interesting! Count me in!"

    "Me too!" Lie Xuan announced from behind the two.

    Wang Tong scowled. "This is a risky mission. Let the men handle it."

    Guan Dongyang furrowed his brows; he knew Wang Tong was about to experience some shock.

    "Haha, I won''t go if it isn''t dangerous. Dongyang, what do you say?" Lie Xuan walked to Guan Dongyang and linked their arms.

    Guan Dongyang suppressed a scowl, and without any hesitation, he threw Wang Tong under the bus, "My sweetheart is a powerful fighter. I say we should let her tag along."

    "Fine, fine. But, you need to listen to orders. "

    "Look at yourself. All of us are top warriors on Mars. Why are you so afraid of puny bugs? Alright, I will listen to your orders, mister. Are you happy now?" Lie Xuan said with a mischievous smirk on her face. She wanted to enter the city to gain more information for House Lie.

    Since Guan Dongyang had lived around the city for over five years, he knew a lot about the city and its surrounding areas. As he was showing Wang Tong the Zergs'' defenseyout around the city, a soldier stormed into the room.

    "Captain, a messenger from the Blizzard Band wants to see you."

    Ever since the fall of Thunder Fire after the tournament, Blizzard has risen to be the most influential war band around the area. However, they have remained distant from Battle Wolf and never sent in visitors, until now.

    "Wang Tong, let''s find out what they want."

    "Hehe, I bet they want to form an alliance with us."

    Uniting all the factions under the banner of the Battle Wolf had always been one of Guan Dongyang''s goals. However, Battle Wolf was still too weak to be the leader of the factions.

    Inside the meeting room, Guan Dongyang met with two of the Blizzard''s messengers. "Captain Guan, we have a message for you from our Captain."

    Guan Dongyang cracked a smile and then asked. "What is so important that it needed to disturb Captain Aamir?"

    "The Thunder Fire and the Rock Buster have gathered forces against you. You need to move your camp soon."

    Both Guan Dongyang and Wang Tong were shocked by the news. "That is impossible! I don''t think Marcos would make such a stupid mistake."

    "Hehe, Captain Guan, I think you have thought too highly of that jerk. Well, that was the message I needed to deliver. Goodbye to Captain Guan."

    "Thank you. Please say thank you to your captain for me. "

    The sudden turn of events had put a halt to Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang''s n of infiltrating the city. They couldn''t afford to fight on both sides.

    Regardless whether the news was true or not, Guan Dongyang had to treat it carefully. He called off the training and assembled a meeting.

    No one could believe what they had heard when Guan Dongyang told them about the news.

    "We need to figure out the truth sooner thanter. I can''t think of any reason why the Blizzard would spread false news."

    "Balls! We were nice to them, but this is how they treat us? "

    While everyone was venting their anger and disbelief, Hamir sat in his chair quietly. He was always the calm one. He nced at Lie Xuan and then asked. "Lie Xuan, do you think House Lie would be able to help us out?"

    Lei Xuan didn''t reply; instead, she thought about the question for a while. Before she provided her answer, Ye Zi shook her head and then said: "Not likely. The Thunder Fire must be prepared for this attack, so they should know that Lie Xuan is with us, yet they still moved against us. I can tell that they are counting on House Lie''s inability to act on the situation."

    "These guys are nuts!"

    "Captain, what should we do? We can''t just sit and wait for our death."

    Lie Xuan frowned. She knew that although Battle Wolf had greatly improved its strength over thest few weeks, a joined assault of Thunder Fire and Rock Buster would devastate the smaller and still budding war band. Ye Zi was right. However powerful the House Lie was, Maersa district was too far away from the power center to control effectively. Plus, this was an internal dispute between two local warbands, so House Lie have little to no reason to interfere.

    "I will go to talk to Marcos. Maybe, I can talk some sense into his thick skull. We can''t afford a civil war right now with the Zergs right at our doorsteps." Lie Xuan announced.

    Guan Dongyang saw the sense in her n. Negotiation seemed to be his best option right now.

 Chapter 500: Bring On The War

    Chapter 500: Bring On The War

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "A*sholes, they are A*SHOLES!" Ross shouted.

    Despite the urgency, Guan Dongyang didn''t seem too worried. He would have been stressed out if he got the news a year ago. However, now that he had Wang Tong, he could afford to stay calm.

    "Wang Tong, what do you think of this?"

    "Easy¡­ If they really want toe, let theme. We will make sure that they don''t return."

    Silence fell into the meeting room. Not even Lie Xuan could have made such a bold statement. Wang Tong''s words sounded more like Ross''s rant.

    "Wang Tong, you know that we are much smaller than those two bandsbined. Why don''t you think about the bigger picture?" Lie Xuan rose against Wang Tong''s n.

    Wang Tong stood up and said, "So tell me, what is the bigger picture? Is it being pushed around by bullies? Regardless of our strength, we always have only two options: stand up for ourselves or continue being bullied."

    "That''s fine, but the Battle Wolf is still too weak to fight back." Lie Xuan shot back.

    "I disagree! As a matter of fact, Guan Dongyang and I had been talking about moving against the Zergs, and Captain Marcos has kindly provided us an opportunity to test our strength." Wang Tong said as he cracked a smile that showed his confidence.

    No one understood where his confidence came from though.

    Guan Dongyang remained m. He knew Wang Tong had spoken the truth. With the increased power and their familiarity with theplex terrain around the camp, defeating Thunder Fire was not impossible.

    Ye Zi wanted to put her two cents in, but she thought that since both Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang had already made up their minds, there was no point in saying anything. She reckoned that Marcos'' move was courting death, since he had set himself up as the enemy of two of the most powerful men on Mars.

    "Hehe, I agree with Wang Tong. We can''t make others think that we are weak. I believe that this battle will be the one that will help us establish our dominance in Maersa district." Guan Dongyang announced with conviction in his voice.

    Hamir still thought it was a bad idea to fight the enemy head-on. He grinned andmented the fact that ever since Wang Tong arrived in the Battle Wolf, Guan Dongyang agreed with everything he said, even if he was going to put the Battle Wolf on a suicidal mission.

    Lie Xuan was an outsider, so she spoke no more and let the Battle Wolf sort it out by themselves.

    "Boss, you finally said it! I have been waiting for you to make this decision. The Battle Wolf is ready forbat; no one will waver in front of our enemy! " Ross shouted. No one was surprised by his words, since fighting was the only solution that Ross knew to all problems.

    Both Tan Bu and Duo Lun were Wang Tong''s die-hard supporters, and therefore, they unequivocally supported his decision.

    "Hehe¡­ Lieutenant Ross, we will fight them for sure. But, the method will need more discussion. Our enemy not only has the advantage in numbers, but also their equipment." Wang Tong said.

    "Even if we wanted to retreat, we would have nowhere to go. Therefore, fighting is our only option! We will teach the Thunder Fire a lesson." Someone chimed in.

    Hamir furrowed his brows; he was convinced that without the aid of House Lie, Battle Wolf was doomed. However, he also saw the sense in Wang Tong''s suggestion. If Battle Wolf kept on avoiding conflicts, it would never be able to establish itself among other resistant factions.

    "Ok everyone, first thing first. We need to prepare for the battle. Second, the Blizzard was the one that gave us the information. They have extended their olive branch, and therefore, I think it''s likely that they will side with us."

    "I can talk to them on your behalf." Hamir volunteered. Since they wouldn''t count on House Lie this time, they needed to seek other allies. Thunder Fire''s rapid expansion had threatened Blizzard. As they said, ''An enemy''s enemy is a friend.''

    "Excellent! Ross, send a patrol out, and make sure everything is under control."

    "Roger that!"

    As everyone left the meeting room to go back to their posts, Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang, Ye Zi, and Lie Xuan were left alone in the room.

    Lie Xuan stretched her arms and yawned, "This is too much talking for a poor soldier like me." She left the room with sassy footsteps. Guan Dongyang''s eyes were glued to her firm and round butts.

    "Ye Zi, don''t worry. We will be fine, and Battle Wolf will weather this storm."

    History had taught Wang Tong a lesson that crisis sometimes could be adder to power if used correctly. After he had got a grasp on the political scenario in the district of Maersa, he conceded that without uniting the scattered resistance forces, humans were doomed.

    However, who would rise to the challenge to im dominance in the region and unite everyone?

    Life had taught Wang Tong many things, and one for them was that being nice sometimes would never get him anywhere.

    His original n, as heid out earlier in front of Guan Dongyang, was to use the surprise attack on the Zergs to cast the Battle Wolf as the savior and leader of the district. However, Marcos suddenly gave him an even more direct solution.

    Wang Tong wagered that as long as he could rein in the factions by disying might, he should be able to form a united front against the Zergs. However, there would still be two more problems: first, the coalition would be cobbled together with the fear for Battle Wolf''s power, so it would sooner orter fall apart; secondly, if he attracted more attention to himself, it would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord noticed his existence. If Moye knew of his whereabouts, so would Patroclus.

    Nevertheless, Wang Tong conceded that he had no other options. After much thinking, Wang Tong realized that although this would be a huge challenge for Guan Dongyang and his band, it would also be a good experience for Battle Wolf if they were able to pull through it.

    Ross had sent in a few covert agents into Thunder Fire and quickly confirmed that they had been rapidly deploying their forces around the area of Battle Wolf''s camp. Although Ross was still not sure what their motivations were, he could not exclude the possibility that they were preparing for a war.

    When Ross'' report reached Battle Wolf, Guan Dongyang acted without any hesitation. Although Battle Wolf had a disadvantage in numbers, they were more united than soldiers of any other factions.

    Despite the superior forces, Marcos knew they he had to tread carefully after having seen the tremendous power of Guan Dongyang. If Guan Dongyang decided to use the same mastery that he had used on the Zergs, his soldiers would be reduced into ashes in a blink just like the Zergs did. However, Marcos hade prepared this time, and Wang Tong knew it.

    Wang Tong wagered that Marcos'' solution to Battle Wolf''s mastery ability would be Nithak. Wang Tong had scared him awayst time using his soul essence, so perhaps Nithak had realized something was amiss and came to find out himself?

    Wang Tong knew that this time, he would have to make sure Nithak never returned. He would be the perfect touchstone as Guan Dongyang''s level neen power.

    "Boss, why do we have to warn them? We don''t owe the Battle Wolf anything. Plus, you know that the Battle Wolf would be crushed by the Thunder Fire soon orter anyway." Hans, Aamir''s adviser,mented.

    Aamir smiled and then said, "I like Guan Dongyang. He is the only person who thinks not only for himself, but for everyone on Mars. I am willing to save him. I hope he will choose to avoid the Thunder Fire instead of courting death."

    "Captain, the Thunder Fire''s expansion is too rapid, and before long, they are going to dip their fingers into our territories. If Battle Wolf was eliminated, the next one would be us. I have heard that even the underground world is warming up to Marcos."

    "That''s what they do, a bunch of fools on the fence. Anyways, have you investigated the area where Guan Dongyang''s masterynded on?"

 Chapter 501: Peace Negotiation

    Chapter 501: Peace Negotiation

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Aamir cracked a smile. Although Hans was also a level eighteen Mastery Caster, his name was not nearly as well-known as that of Guan Dongyang. The levels of a caster only tranted to his or her soul energy, but not the exact power.

    "Sigh... Guan Dongyang is a real talent. He is already one of the top five casters on Mars. Based on the damage he had done to the Zergs, I suspect that he has already advanced into level neen." Hans said with admiration in his voice. His eyes were filled with reflection and jealousy. He was turning forty this year, and he was still stuck at level eighteen. Each day, he scraped the bottom of his mind to find a sliver of inspiration, but it was not that easy. For many years he had tried to advance his level but failed. One difference between the METAL fighter and the mastery casters was in the level at which they would start to understand the Divine Way. The METAL fighter would need to reach level twenty, while the Mastery caster would only need level sixteen.

    "Is that so? Now I am interested." Aamir rubbed his stubby chin and then pondered if he should get involved in this mess.

    Aamir thought hard about it as he weighed his options. Although Guan Dongyang was a powerful mastery caster, even Lie Jian was not able to bring him under his wings. Hence, Aamir knew that at most, they could be allies, and Guan Dongyang would never bow to him. However, Aamir reckoned that he was very different than Lie Jian, as he didn''t want a guard dog, but a strong and reliable ally whom he could trust.

    Plus, if he helped Battle Wolf in pulling through this difficult time, it would be easier for him to ask them for help in the future. In such reduced circumstances, no one could say for sure when they would need a hand.

    After having made up his mind, Aamir waited patiently for Guan Dongyang toe and ask for his aid.

    Meanwhile, at Battle Wolf''s camp, everyone was on high alert, and its scouts followed the Thunder Fire''s movements closely.

    After realizing that they didn''t have enough men to fight their enemies out in the open, Guan Dongyang dug in for a siege defense. However, he didn''t order to beef up the camp defense, and left it in its meager state. Was it a ruse or an oversight?

    Wang Tong stood on top of a watchtower and studied the terrain below. There was nowhere to hide outside this valley ¡ª either they would be chased down by the pursuing Thunder Fire, or be ambushed by Zergs. Therefore, it would be even more dangerous for Battle Wolf to run away, instead of digging in for a fight.

    The only way to get stronger as a resistant force was to taking over other factions. However brutal and cruel the process of assimtion was, it was a small price for the eventual victory against the Zergs. Not only did the humans have to pay the price for their sess, but also the Zergs. In order to further strengthen themselves, they had given up many traditional Zerg traits and be more like the humans.

    One of the unsolved mysteries about the Zergs was their origin, since no one knew where they came from, not even the Kaedians. The Kaedeians were the first race to have encountered the Zergs. That happened during a time when Kaedeians were fearless space travelers instead of dwellers. One of the Kaedeian spaceships had run into a Zerg horde during a random expedition. The Kaedeians were confident that they could squash the Zerg Fleet with ease. However, the Zergs'' power quickly gave them a dose of reality. As the Kaedeians pulled back during the war, they brought the scourge of the Zergs to the rest of the civilizations.

    Wang Tong decided to go down the hill and survey the terrain himself. Like a phantom, he shed in and out of view. One second, he was at the eastern edge of therge opening, and in the next, he was already behind arge rock to the west.

    Charcoal suddenly appeared beside Wang Tong and announced, "Allpleted, master."

    "Very well! "

    "You are in a good mood, master. "

    "Hehe, why not? Tell me a joke and brighten up my mood even more."

    "Master, we have been through this... I can''t tell jokes."

    "Yeah, yeah. Well, can you at least give me the number?"

    "Yes, master. They are within three kilometers."

    "Excellent! Let''s find a chair and wait for our show to start!"

    "Captain, as you have advised, I have spread the news about our attack." Li Xiu said with an obsequious smile.

    "Hehe, good. Let them be scared."

    "Scared they will be! We need to give some pressure to those despicable weaklings." Li Xiu nodded in agreement. Their goal in the attack on Battle Wolf was not to eliminate them, but to disy their strength in front of all factions.

    "But, the report seemed to suggest that the Battle Wolf didn''t run away as we expected. They are going to fight." Randolph said.

    "Let them fight. They only have one Mastery caster, and I doubt he would be able to wreak havoc by himself. Plus, we have Nithak on our side. Maybe, Guan Dongyang won''t even get the chance to use his mastery." Marcos said with a broad smile. After Nithak had received the news about what happened during Battle Wolf''s Zerg encounter, the absence of the mechanic''s role in their victory made him realize that he might have been fooled by thetter.

    He had never heard of any young warrior who had reached the legendary level other than Michaux. The more Nithak thought about it, the more he was convinced that it was Guan Dongyang who had tricked him to believe that the furface was a powerful warrior.

    Unable toe to terms with the blow to his ego, Nithak offered to fight against Guan Dongyang again.

    "What is our n, captain?"

    "In order to establish our authority, we need to do two things¡­ show off our strength and get rid of Blizzard. The attack on Battle Wolf is our first step, and we have to make sure that we seed. The goal of this operation is disying our might. Therefore, we can''t attack with surprise¡­ It will have to be a direct frontal attack."

    "A marvelous n, boss! The world needs a ruler like you." Li Xiu said servilely.

    Everyone else chimed in and apuded Marcos'' n.

    Thunder Fire had poured all of their force into this operation. The formation marching toward Battle Wolf was made up of five thousand well equipped and well-trained warriors, as well as five hundred heavy METAL units.

    The five thousand warriors were mostly high-level warriors. The merger of Thunder Fire and Rock Buster had deepened Thunder fire''s ranks significantly. In addition, there had been a few other smaller factions that had joined the Thunder Fire.

    By then, it was already toote for Battle Wolf to escape.

    Despite his imminent victory, Marcos had sent a negotiator to his enemy''s camp as a perfunctory gesture to avert the crisis. The price Battle Wolf had to pay was to be part of Thunder Fire.

    "Please consider the offer, Captain Guan. You don''t want the two hundred warriors of yours to die, do you?" Li Xiu was the person that Marcos had sent to Battle Wolf.

    Guan Dongyang might have been tempted to surrender for the sake of hisrades'' lives, but he knew he didn''t have to because he had Wang Tong.

    Guan Dongyang cracked a smile and then replied, "Why don''t you go back and tell Marcos that he better give up the attack and surrender for the sake of his five thousand warriors?"

    Li Xiu''s face cked and then he fired back, "How dare you! You have left us with no other options!"

    "Try me!" Guan Dongyang''s smile evaporated from his face, and he cast a chilling nce at Li Xiu.

    "Why? Do you want to kill me to vent your desperation? I never feared death the moment I joined Thunder Fire." Li Xiu asked.

    "No. I need you to tell Marcos to clean his neck for my de. Get out of my sight¡­ NOW!" Guan Dongyang waved a dismiss and sent an unseen force at Li Xiu, who was blown out of the meeting room in a blink.

 Chapter 502: Essence Buzz-saw!

    Chapter 502: Essence Buzz-saw!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Li Xiu scrambled to his feet and ran towards the Thunder Fire''s camp without saying a word, and that was it for the negotiation.

    Wang Tong walked into the meeting room. "So?"

    "They will start the attack soon."

    "Li Xiu is quite a character, isn''t he?" Wang Tong remarked.

    "You think so?"

    "There are many types of talents. As the chief adviser of the Thunder Fire, he had the guts to walk into our Camp, which means he is not just a pretty pin cushion. What a shame that he chooses to serve Marcos. Are you ready for Nithak?"

    "If it were a few months ago, I would say no. But now that I am level neen, at least I get a chance, however slim it is."

    "It''s good that you think that way. You can focus solely on Nithak, and not worry about the rest. "

    "Hehe¡­ I have been waiting for you to say that."

    Guan Dongyang knew that the oue of his fight with the Hammer would make or break his overall n. He had been waiting for this fight for a long time, so he was determined to win.

    Wang Tong scanned the one hundred or so soldiers that made up the expendable unit.

    "Ross, are you ready for this?"

    "Don''t worry boss. We are all ready to give up our lives for your band."

    "Nah, Nah, no one is going to die. This is not a suicide mission, but a test of your recent training. Although, you guys could use a little bit more time to perfect what you have learned."

    Wang Tong said as he gave everyone an approving smile.

    Ross was caught off guard by Wang Tong''s benevolence and calmness. Ross would be lying to say that he wasn''t scared. However effectivest couple month of training had been, the Thunder Fire was ten times stronger in number, and could easily overwhelm them. However, Wang Tong''s words helped to soothe their overwrought nerves and instill a much-needed confidence in them.

    "Go now. Find out what they are up to right now."

    Wang Tong climbed up the watchtower and saw heavy METAL units pressing ahead of their marching column. The Thunder Fire''s n was clear: they knew that Guan Dongyang wouldn''te out of the camp due to Nithak, and therefore, they were nning to attack the camp defense with the slow but deadly heavy METAL.

    News of this battle quickly spread throughout the district. Thunder Fire''s decisive advantage had made the battle seem more like a show.

    The heavy METAL pressed closer to the camp, trampling down whatever was in their way. These deadly war machines had the ability to level the camp defense in a blink once they got close enough.

    Behind the bulky and slow heavy METAL were rows after rows of METAL fighters.

    Once the Battle Wolf''s camp was within the heavy METAL''s shooting range, they paused, aimed their missileunchers, and thenunched thousands of ballistic missiles toward the camp wall. The missiles exploded before they were able to get too close to the wall, as if they had hit an invisible wall. Was it energy shield?

    Ye Zi had asked aid from Michaux, and the young master and sent in a few energy shield stations to help the Battle Wolf''s defense. That was all he could do.

    However, after only one round of intense bombardment, the energy shield ran out of juice, and the camp was exposed.

    Guan Dongyang watched the battle unfold from the top of the watchtower with Wang Tong on his side.

    He knew that if the next barrage reached their camp, many lives would be lost.

    Wang Tong reached out his hands, and two golden balls appeared. Guan Dongyang had no idea what they were, but he could feel that they held tremendous energies within. However, it was difficult for Guan Dongyang to discern whether it was GN force or natural forces that were packed inside the balls.

    The golden balls started to spin and let out a whirl with an increasingly higher pitch. In a blink, they ttered into discs.

    Wang Tong drew arge gulp of air as if he replenished the energy that he had spent to cast the spell.

    Everyone inside the camp was stunned by the first round of shelling. The second round was about toe. Ross and hisrades looked at the steel monsters in the distance and then looked up at the watchtower where two figures stood still against a golden light.

    "Dongyang, go¡­ NOW!"

    Guan Dongyangunched himself into the sky, and then a deafening voice boomed down at the invaders.

    "Nithak,e out and meet your death."

    Nithak heard the voice calling him out. He smirked and then disappeared into thin air. When he reappeared, he was already hovering high up in the sky.

    "Kiddo, surrender now, and I will let you live."

    "Nithak, you are getting old and easily confused. What a pity that I have a do away with such a high-level warrior."

    "You are courting death! " Nithak''s face was contorted with anger, as if fire was going to erupt out of all holes on his face. He waved a hand, signaling the heavy METAL to attack.

    Before the cannons were able to fire another shot, Wang Tong unleashed the two spinning discs, each of whom had grown to about three meters in size. They shot at the artillery column and sliced into their gun barrel like butter. In half a heartbeat, the two discs had demolished a dozen or so heavy siege cannons.

    The Art of Soul Essence¡ªEssence Buzz Saw!

    The two golden discs didn''t stop and continued to wreak havoc deeper into the enemy rank. A few Thunder Fire soldiers threw themselves at the discs in an effort to stop them. Their bodies were sliced in half before they could even utter a cry.

    Seeing that a few dozen more siege cannons were turned into piles of scrap metal, Nithak turned around, intending to rush and stop the discs. However, his path was blocked by Guan Dongyang.

    "Mr. Nithak, you are fighting me, don''t you remember?"

    Before Guan Dongyang finished his words, he started a mastery and unleashed a fire drake at the Hammer.

    Nithak sent out a wave of soul energy and shattered the fire drake in an instant.

    "Incredible! You have already reached level neen¡­ No wonder so many people kept on telling me about you. Too bad for you, today will be the day you die!" Nithak changed his mind about saving the screaming heavy METAL warriors below him and decided to focus on the level neen mastery caster.

    The two golden discs were unstoppable, and not even the heavy METAL warriors were able to alter their course, much less stationary equipment.

    As the golden discs wheezed past their heads, the METAL warriors that survived heaved a sigh of relief. But when then looked ahead, they were terrified to find another two of such discs that were charging towards them.

    Gold was the color of harvest, but the four golden discs were harvesting life instead of crops that nurtured life.

    Warriors inside the camp watched the ughter with awe and terror. They had never seen anything that was so efficient in iming lives from this world.

    Wang Tong walked out of the watchtower and towards a group of soldiers. "Hey, how are you guys holding up there?"

    The levity in his voice made the soldiers'' hair stand on their ends. Was Wang Tong a human or a demon from hell?

    "We are waiting for your orders!"

    The five hundred heavy METAL that used to be the pride of the Thunder Fire were decimated by Wang Tong. The ear piercing squelching noise of the discs sawing into Metal and the wet sloppy noise of them cutting into flesh had driven the survivors mad. They dropped their weapons and turned on their heels.

    Marcos was shocked by the sorry state of his vanguard.

    Li Xiu was stunned by the scene as well. In front of them, the ground where the five hundred heavy METAL warriors stood was painted with red blood leaking out of their bodies and ck grease from the machines. There had been five hundred warriors standing there, and now, there was no one left.

    Wang Tong didn''t follow up with more attacks. He hoped that Marcos could rein in his foolishness and retreat.

    "Captain, what should we do?" Li Xiu was almost losing it, and didn''t know what to do next. The setback had dealt a huge blow to their morale. However, if they pulled back, they would be aughing stock for the rest of their lives.

    Marcos swallowed down the humiliation and reckoned that his hope rested on Nithak. But somehow, he had a nagging feeling that something worse was waiting for him.

    In theory, a Mastery caster would never be able to win a one on one fight against a METAL warrior. There were only a very few of the mastery casters who could fight against METAL warriors, and Guan Dongyang happened to be one of those few exceptional casters.

 Chapter 503: Inferno Cauldron

    Chapter 503: Inferno Cauldron

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As Guan Dongyang turned on his soul energy protection shield, he rammed into Nithak with abandon.

    Although the damage output of the Mastery was high, the humans had a high defense against mastery attacks. It was particrity the case for level twenty warriors such as the Hammer.

    Since this was not a spar, both of the fighters wanted to finish off their opponent as quickly as possible.

    Lie Xuan was worried for the safety of Guan Dongyang. The Hammer had entered level twenty many years ago, and Guan Dongyang had just recently advanced into level neen. The difference in their power showed up in the way the battle was ying out. Nithak was able to either dodge Guan Dongyang''s mastery attack with ease or shatter the attack before it could reach him. Even those attack that were able tond on Nithak were not even able to make a scratch on his super METAL.

    The higher level a warrior was at, the more capable they were in defense. Survivability on the battleground was the number one priority of any fighter.

    "Captain, if we get stuck in a stalemate for too long, we are going to lose. Their morale is getting higher" Lie Xiu announced. He could tell that the tide of the battle was turning in favor of the Battle Wolf.

    "I know what you mean. But, do you really think morale would y a role while they are outnumbered ten to one? Nheless, I agree that we did a terrible job in collecting intelligence. Why wasn''t I told that Guan Dongyang had ess to a soul energy shield?"

    Marcos suspected that House Lie was behind this costly equipment, since no one else would have such deep pockets. As Marcosmented on Guan Dongyang''s luck, he realized that it was still too early to order his forces to charge. He had chosen the course of actions a few months ago when Guan Dongyang ostentatiously took away the loot from his camp.

    Marcos prided himself on his instinct, since it had saved his hide many times. This time, his instinct told him that there was something fishy inside the Battle Wolf''s camp, something powerful. He wagered that it would be safer to order a full-on assault on the city once Nithak was done with Guan Dongyang. Otherwise, they would be struggling on both fronts.

    Seeing that the Thunder Fire did not attack, Wang Tong ordered everyone to take position and wait for orders. Both sides then waited patiently, as if they were not here for a war but to enjoy a show between Guan Dongyang and Nithak.

    Everyone had a good idea about the power of a level twenty METAL warrior, since there had been many such powerful warriors, and their abilities were well known. However, it was not the case for a level neen mastery caster. The power of the casters differed drastically from individual to individual even when they were at the same level.

    Luo Jiali, the lieutenant of the mastery unit in Thunder Fire, who was a level seventeen caster, watched Guan Dongyang''s precise and elegant movements with awe.

    So far, neither of the warriors could get an edge on their opponent. Nithak remained calm even though the fight was progressing much slower than he had nned. He reckoned that Guan Dongyang would soon use up his bag of tricks. Although Guan Dongyang had demonstrated his deadly area of effect spell that decimated an entire Zerg Army, the Hammer wagered that it would be useless against a single target that was at level twenty.

    "Dongyang''s Battle Qi is waning," Hamir said worriedly. He knew Guan Dongyang''s strength very well, and knew that Guan Dongyang was one of the very few casters could fight one on one with a METAL warrior.

    Ye Zi swallowed down her nervousness. She believed that Guan Dongyang would turn the table sooner orter. If Wang Tong was not convinced that Guan Dongyang would win, he would not let him partake in the fight.

    While hisrades worried and prayed for him, Guan Dongyang was dealt a second blow to the chest. Thanks to his fluent skill in the instant cast, he was able to boost the energy shield right before the blownded; otherwise, the de would have pierced through his flesh.

    Thus it was, a mastery caster without the ability of instant cast would be nothing but a piece of dead meat on the chopping block while fighting a METAL warrior at a high level.

    Although Guan Dongyang was slowly losing his ground, his spirit did not waver. The attacks from a level twenty warriors had forced his mastery spells to the next level. He clearly felt the natural energy flowing through his system, interlocking with his soul energy. The sensation was exhrating.

    Nithak delivered another blow at him, but Guan Dongyang didn''t evade and jerked his body forward to meet the attack.

    Wang Tong felt some awe in silence. He knew the fight was challenging for Guan Dongyang; however, he was able to grasp any opportunity he got to fight back.

    Last time at the tournament, Wang Tong had already noticed a fatal w in the Hammer''s technique. The real damage of the Thunder Hammer technique came from the explosive effect after the de hadnded on its target. Therefore, one should be able to counter the attack before the explosive effect kicked in.

    That being said, even without his powerful technique, Nithak was a force to be reckoned with due to his high level. Guan Dongyang''s move was still risky.

    "KOM!"

    Nithak''s de pieced through Guan Dongyang''s defense and into his flesh. However, this was only the onset of the real blow, and it was not fatal. Even as Nithak challenged soul energy into the de to create the explosion at the de-tip deep in Guan Dongyang''s flesh, Guan Dongyang started a mastery attack.

    "Mastery Tornado!"

    As he used the instant cast ability, a tornado appeared around Nithak in a blink. He gave up his attack and hurried to safety with the tornado hot on his trail.

    When the Hammer was finally surrounded by the wild gale once again, Guan Dongyang unleashed the energy fused in the wind towards Nithak. The whirlwind disappeared, but Nithak was unharmed thanks to his super METAL.

    "Haha¡­ Guan Dongyang, is this your new blow dryer?" Nithak''sughter wasced with contempt and arrogance.

    "Hehe. I see that it is not enough for you. Let me spice things up a little for you."

    Guan Dongyang tapped into an energy crystal to draw more soul energy into his system, and a whirlwind appeared around Nithak again.

    "Infinite Fire Drake!"

    Thousands of fire drakes rushed into the wild gale. Having absorbed the fire energy, the tornado grew in size, and in a blink, it was big enough to devour a small vige. Then, the pale gray wind started to turn orange and then red as it shrunk to its original size.

    Wang Tong was deeply impressed by Guan Dongyang''s ingenuity. Wang Tong had only brushed over the concept of blending two elements together with him, and Guan Dongyang had adopted this idea to create his own spell.

    "Inferno Cauldron!"

    Guan Dongyang shouted as he sealed the opening of the spinning tornado, turning it into a ball of a ming whirlwind.

    Guan Dong was mostfortable with the fire element, and therefore, he had decided to use the fire element as the main ingredient in the hybrid spell. In a blink, he had released over a hundred fire drakes into the churning current; thebined effect was so deadly that it could melt through any defense.

    Nithak felt that something was not right when the first fire drake fused itself with the tornado. But, when he wanted to get out of his cage, his only escape route was shut, and he was trapped.

 Chapter 504: Forward Thinker Or A Traitor?

    Chapter 504: Forward Thinker Or A Traitor?

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The fiery spinning cage was inescapable, because it was able to reflect any GN force that was thrown at it.

    The spell was extremely taxing on Guan Dongyang''s system. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain from rapid depletion of his soul energy. He knew he had only one shot at this; so, he swallowed down the pain and carried on the spell without hesitation.

    After ten minutes, Guan Dongyang finally stopped the spell and descended to the ground. He didn''t even have enough soul energy to stay afloat. The fiery ball slowly disappeared, and something dark fell from the sky, thudding on to the ground.

    Nithak''s flesh, bones, and his super METAL were melted altogether and reduced into a clump of ck matter the size of a dog.

    The sight of what was left of Nithak caught Guan Dongyang by surprise. Did he just win the battle? When the reality finally set in, Guan Dongyang raised his arms and shouted to the sky. Behind him, he could hear a swell of cheers and shouts rise in the camp.

    Despite the exhaustion and dizziness, Guan Dongyang didn''t retreat to his camp. He remained on the battleground, waiting for the Thunder Fire''s reaction.

    Marcos was paralyzed by the devastating blow. Two of his trump cards: the heavy METAL and Nithak, had both failed. If he carried on, he might lose everything.

    "Captain, let''s pull back. There will be a time for revenge."

    "Let''s call it off, Captain. Even if we can get rid of Guan Dongyang with our advantage in number, we still need to face Blizzard." Randolph pleaded. He finally conceded that they had underestimated Guan Dongyang''s power. Who would think that he had such a deadly secret weapon that had wiped out an entire legion of heavy METAL in a blink? Many of hisrades were among the ranks of those heavy METAL that had to lose their lives.

    Everyone looked to Marcos for his decision, who clenched his fists and then said, "Randolph, Li Xiu, I have no other options. One of us has to die today, either him or me. If we retreat, there will be no more Thunder Fire."

    Marcos suddenly charged up his soul energy and shouted out, "CHARGE!"

    Despite the disastrous setbacks, Marcos had mustered his courage and dug in for a fight of life and death. He ordered his best METAL units to escort the Mastery team while thetter inched closer to the camp wall. As long as the Mastery units were able to get close enough, they could rain death on the Battle Wolf camp.

    After the fight with the Hammer, Guan Dongyang had nothing left in him, and the rest of the defense were all up to Wang Tong.

    "KOM!"

    Suddenly, the ground under Thunder Fire''s mastery units cracked open and bright lights shot out from within. Shadows of METAL warriors appeared against the intense light; It was the Battle Wolf! Before the Thunder Fire''s soldiers knew what had happened, a few hundred METAL warriors from the Battle Wolf appeared right next to them, including Wang Tong.

    The sudden development halted the Thunder Fire''s march.

    Wang Tong appeared behind Marcos and said with a mischievous smile. "Captain Marcos, we are just a small war band, and our strength is less than a fraction of Thunder Fire''s. Why don''t we both call it for the day since neither of us would ever be a threat to each other?"

    Although the Battle Wolf would need to make an example out of the Thunder Fire in order to instill authority into other factions, the Thunder Fire could also be a force for the good when the internal struggle was over. Wang Tong was not Lie Jian; he knew that every human life was worth saving.

    Marcos didn''t dare move a hair. In front of him, all of his mastery casters were taken hostage by the Battle Wolf''s warriors. Wang Tong''s one word could mean the loss of all their lives. Marcos could also order his METAL warriors to swarm the kidnappers, but the merciless act could definitely taint his reputation.

    Marcos realized that the nagging feeling of something ominous inside the Thunder Fire''s camp was the person that had appeared behind him like a ghost. A person who could do that, Marcos conceded, would have to be more powerful than even the level twenty warrior Nithak.

    "What does Guan Dongyang want?" Marcos asked, his voice eerily calm.

    "Hehe¡­ He doesn''t want anything, but... you need to make a kind gesture to clean up this mess you have made." Wang Tong said.

    Marcos chewed on Wang Tong''s words for a second and then announced, "I, Marcos, leader of the Thunder Fire, would like to put Guan Dongyang''s name forward as the leader of all factions in Maersa!"

    "Hehe¡­ Actions speak louder than words..." Wang Tong said lightheartedly.

    Marco''s mind reeled, ''Who is he?''

    "What do you want?" Marcos spoke quietly.

    "What I want is simple! Just leave all the equipment to us, including those broken ones. They are useless for you anyways."

    "That''s it?" Marcos asked in disbelief.

    "Hehe¡­ Yes."

    "Very well. Please let go of my mastery casters."

    "Not until you pull back the rest of your force."

    "Why would I trust you."

    "You don''t have to." Wang Tong said with a smirk; he knew Marcos had no other options.

    When Ross first heard about Wang Tong''s n, he was convinced that Wang Tong was high on some chemicals. When Wang Tong cast the teleportation spell and transported him right into the ranks of the enemy, he fumbled in his pocket to make sure he didn''t overdose on something and was now hallucinating; he wasn''t.

    Ross and hisrades carried out Wang Tong''s n, and the rest was up to Wang Tong himself. Ross waited anxiously with a whimpering mastery caster in his clutch. They were surrounded by angry METAL warriors that could kill them in a heartbeat.

    The mental state of the rest of the warriors was no better than Ross, except for Lie Xuan, Tan Bu, and Duo Lun. Lie Xuan didn''t feel the slightest stress¡ªshe could have broken out of the encirclement with ease. Instead, she felt a nagging itch from the mystery that loomed over Wang Tong.

    He was a Mechanic, a mastery caster, a METAL warrior, and a schr, all in one package.

    From what she had learned about the Divine Mastery Sect from her best friend Ye Zi, she was convinced that Wang Tong''s mastery spells were from the Sect.

    Lie Xuan was also convinced that Ye Zi had fallen in love with Wang Tong.

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu held their des steadily. They never doubted the sess of this mission, since they believed in Wang Tong.

    If Marcos were smart, he would stop his mistake there and then. There was only one person who could stand a chance against Wang Tong, and he was not on Mars.

    Marcos let out augh and then announced, "Fine! I will leave all the equipment with you, and I will retreat. But, if you dare harm a hair on any of my mastery casters, I swear that I will make you pay!"

 Chapter 505: Be A Strong Man

    Chapter 505: Be A Strong Man

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "We are the Battle Wolf, and our words worth more than gold."

    Wang Tong disappeared before hisst words fell into Marcos'' ears. Marcos turned, only to see that the former was already gone. He heaved a sigh of resignation.

    After the Thunder Fire had retreated back to their camp, Ross let go of the Mastery casters as promised.

    "How are you feeling, Dongyang?" Wang Tong asked with a smile.

    "Balls, I was so terrified! Does it always have to be so risky?" Guan Dongyang grinned.

    Wang Tong shrugged. "That was the best option I could think of. I like your new spell by the way. Very cool."

    "Hehe, it''s all thanks to you! It wasn''t until you told me about the blending of different elements that I realized how much I still needed to learn."

    "Unlike a METAL warrior, you don''t need to reach the legendary level to get exposed to the Divine Way. Your improvement has just begun, and there will be even more surprises awaiting you in the future."

    "Haha! I am so lucky to have you around me!" Guan Dongyangughed out loud. The exertion quickly reminded him that he was still injured. Guan Dongyang then cupped his wound andmented, "I wish I could recover soon."

    "Don''t you worry! We have just made so much money that you can sit on you''re a*s for a while and do nothing."

    "Balls! All you asked for were some broken METAL suits and piles of garbage."

    Wang Tong winked at Guan Dongyang and then said: "You forgot you had a super mechanic."

    Guan Dongyang was shocked. "You mean you can fix all that junk? "

    "Of course! Otherwise, why would I ask for them?"

    After the warriors of the Battle Wolf had cleaned up the battlefield, they appeared in front of Guan Dongyang''s room. The victory had given them confidence as they stood with heads high.

    "Boss, captain, what should we do next?" Ross asked.

    "I need to recuperate. Wang Tong will be in charge." Guan Dongyang said without hesitation. Finally, he could be as far away from the paperwork as possible.

    "Ross, pack up the equipment they had left and ship them to my shop."

    "Roger that!" Ross left the room with a few other METAL warriors in tow. None of them asked about Wang Tong''s reason for collecting all that junk as they fully trusted Wang Tong''s decisions.

    "Ouch! Be gentle, Ye Zi. It hurts!"

    "Hang in there, boss. The damage was not small. My level is too low to clean it without pain. Just a little bit longer, and it will be over soon."

    "But... but... it really hurts!" Guan Dongyang pleaded, his eyes holding tears.

    "Hehe¡­ Dongyang, don''t act like a kid. You are the boss, remember?" Wang Tong jested.

    "Boss my a*s! Why don''t you try it?"

    "Suh... Lie Xuan ising."

    "Ye Zi, don''t mind me. This is nothing, just a scratch." Guan Dongyang suddenly changed into a different person.

    Ye Zi suppressed a snicker and then continued to clean the wound for him.

    "What a victory! I have led the House Lie into many battles, but I have never seen such a miraculous victory." Lie Xuan announced, "Dongyang, I think the news about this battle is going to spread across Mars very quickly."

    "I won''t disappoint you, babes."

    The intimate love name made Lie Xuan blush, as she cleared her throat and said lightly, "Take care." Then, she hurried out of the room.

    "Ye Zi, Wang Tong, have you ever seen her blush before? Haha!" Guan Dongyang said with a broad smile.

    Lie Xuan liked a strong man. Despite Guan Dongyang''s renowned reputation, she always found it hard to make the connection between the thin mastery caster and the muscr prince charming of her dreams. However, when Guan Dongyang showed his strength and defeated Nithak, he had captured her heart almost instantly.

    "You lucky b*stard!" Wang Tong said with a smile. Love could always make the world a nice ce, even during a war.

    Seeing Guan Dongyang''s face blooming like a flower, Ye Zi shook her head and conceded that his IQ was as high as a six-year-old when he was in love.

    Thunder Fire''s defeat had shocked the entire Maersa district. After the war, everyone thought of Guan Dongyang very differently than before.

    Guan Dongyang, the Lord of Fire, had defeated a METAL warrior one level higher than him. The unprecedented achievement had brought his reputation to a new height.

    Before the victory, he was considered quiet, if not irrelevant, among the top warriors of the Mars. It was true that he had led his war band and killed thousands of Zergs, but so what? Zergs were easy to kill, but defeating a level twenty METAL warrior as a Mastery caster was nothing close to easy.

    People were impressed by not only Guan Dongyang''s personal strength, but also his ability to manage the battlefield, leveraging the element of surprise, precise timing of mobilization, and converting the enemies'' oversight into his advantages.

    It didn''t take long before people started to suspect that there was another powerful warrior hidden within the ranks of Battle Wolf.

    Although the battle changed nothing in the overall political struggle on Mars, it hadpletely changed thendscape of power in the Maersa district. The cards on the table had been reshuffled; while the former leader was now ruing out of cards to y, the previously insignificant yer was on a winning streak.

    However, it was still too earlier to say who the eventual winner of the game would be. After a few victories, Guan Dongyang had gathered a handful of good cards; he just needed to know who to y them on the table.

    "Hans, what do you think of it?" The news about Guan Dongyang''s victory had caught Aamir by surprise.

    "I am not surprised by Guan Dongyang''s victory over Nithak, but I wonder who had unleashed the four golden discs that had decimated the heavy METAL?"

    "Is that a weapon or a mastery?" Aamir asked curiously.

    "I have no idea. But, I wager it''s something along the line of mastery and GN force." Hans was puzzled by the nature of the golden discs as well.

    "Where do you think they got it from?"

    "No clue. When I first saw it, I thought it was made out of GN force. But, a normal GN force attack would wane after each hit, yet these discs didn''t. They just kept going; therefore, I suspect that these discs could replenish energy by absorbing natural forces, like a mastery spell."

    "You know that is impossible! Do you think someone inside the Battle Wolf had done the impossible?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Well, looks like we need to wait until things are clear. He also has powerful friends apparently." Aamir said slowly.

 Chapter 506: Immortals Versus Dark Ones

    Chapter 506: Immortals Versus Dark Ones

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    One of Guan Dongyang''s allies, the Divine Mastery Sect, was the most influential force on Mars. No one knew exactly how powerful they were. Their cultivation was at least twenty years ahead of the rest of the humans, and this was particrly the case in terms of their understanding of the soul energy. Although the Divine Mastery Sect focused solely on inner cultivation and research during the peaceful times, and was not best known for theirbat ability, after the Zerg Invasion, they were forced to reveal their unmatchedbat skills.

    Between pissing off the Divine Mastery Sect and the House Lie, any war-band would choose thetter in a heartbeat.

    "How is the situation in Maersa?"

    "It is rather strange. The Zergs should have poured out of the city gates by now, but our scouts reported that they had seen none outside the City. Instead, there was a lot ofmotion inside. There must be something going on inside the city that has distracted them."

    "Oh? What could it be? The Zergs are not well known for their tolerance." Aamir asked as he rolled a cigar and lit it up.

    "Hans, we need to know more¡­ we must. The Zergs'' transition towards humanity is going to be the best shot we have to get rid of them."

    "Yes, Captain."

    Ever since the shipment was raided by the human resistance, the Zergs had acted against their vengeful nature. It was hard to imagine that they would swallow down the loss and let the matters slide.

    The Zergs didn''t even attack Battle Wolf''s camp after it was exposed during the skirmish against Thunder Fire. Although Guan Dongyang had already packed up and relocated, there had been ample time for the Zergs to deliver a blow to Guan Dongyang.

    What would have made the Zergs act so out of character?

    Meanwhile, loudmotion could be heard from inside Maersa City as if they were preparing for an invasion. It was not only the case in Maersa, but also in all the Zerg upied cities.

    This was an order from the Dark Lord Moye, and there was only one individual who could make the dark Lord Panic: Patroclus.

    The news of Patroclus killing the other two Zerg warlords had shocked all the Zergs. Despite the Zergs'' aggressive nature, their social status within the highly stratified society was very stagnant. Therefore, things such as murdering themanders of the same level was unheard of in the history of the Zerg race.

    After that incidence, Moye had always been watching out for Patroclus''s suspicious actions. The four of them¡ª Moye, Patroclus, and the two warlords killed by Patroclus¡ª had been at the same rank. And now, the number had reduced to two. Moye knew that he would be the next target sooner orter. Therefore, he requested to rule the human world on the other side of the sr system, far away from Patroclus.

    The separation worked for a while until Moye recently heard that a secret convey was sent to the Mars by Patroclus.

    After the group arrived at Mars, they didn''t do anything destructive, but neither did Moye know exactly what they were up to. His report said that the members of the convoy had already infiltrated all upied cities on Mars.

    In the eyes of the Zerg populous, Moye was at least half a rank higher than Patroclus. However, Patroclus never yed by the Zerg''s rule. Ever since he had assimted the forces and resources of the two other warlords, Moye had lost all advantage he used to hold against the Ivantian hybrid. By far, most of Patroclus'' actions were against the grains of Zerg traditions. He was dismantling the framework that defined the Zergs from inside. What was worse, Patroclus was not alone, since all the dark ones'' mindset was simr to him, and their number and influence were growing rapidly.

    "Mr. Turbolix, wee to the City of Maersa."

    "Thank you, Mr. Kun. "

    "The tables are set. Please enjoy."

    "After you, please."

    In the kitchen, human ves worked diligently to prepare the dishes. Although the Zergs were capable of doingborious work, they had chosen to let the ves do their chores.

    Lives of the humans who had any use to the Zergmunity were spared by their Zerg Master. However, it was not umon to hear about ves being abused to death; it happened almost on a daily basis.

    Turbolix walked with heavy and wide strides, his steps carrying confidence and power. He was one of the human warriors that had turned their backs on their own race. He was young and strong, one of Patroclus''s favorite generals.

    Seeing the humans'' imminent defeat, Turbolix switched his allegiance to Patroclus in order to survive. Although his action was viewed as apostasy in the eyes of other human soldiers¡ªmostly those from older generations¡ªhe was convinced that that was the only option for him. Time had changed and so should the humans. If the humans were stuck in their old mindset, refusing the gift of the new era based on old and tiring dogma, the human race would never be able to advance.

    Turbolix was confident that he had done the right thing. Unlike his old and bitter human counterparts, he was forward thinking and adaptive. The conviction had lent him ignorance to the sufferings of the humans around him. The only price he had to pay was a worm-like Zerg that bore into his chest, living symbiotically with him.

    Kun was a high-level dark one. Although he looked and acted like a human, he had nothing to do with the human race. Having received the enlightenment from his divine lord Patroclus, Turbolix looked down upon the primitive Zergs, including the dark ones. On the other hand, the dark ones firmly believed that they were the purest and the noblest blood in the Zerg world, and they held the same contempt towards the hybrid immortals, such as Turbolix.

    Despite the differences, Kun and Turbolix treated each other with courtesy, just like the humans would.

    Turbolix was a typical immortal, and therefore, his taste was akin to that of a human. He was worried that Kun, the dark one, would prepare a table full of disgusting Zerg "delicacies." However, when he sat down by the dining table, he realized that the meals were all human food.

    "Mr. Turbolix, how does everything taste so far? "

    "Impressive! You have done a lot of research into human taste buds, haha!"

    "Yes, I have a little," Kun said with a satisfying smile. Knowledge of humans'' fine culture and customs was considered a status symbol for high-ss dark ones.

    Kun pped his wings together, willing the servants to bring out two naked girls. Both of the girls were slim in the waist and curvy at the top and bottom, typical beauty standards for a human taste. Kun was not aroused by the girls'' appearances in the slightest. To him, these girls looked like aliens would to a human.

    "Come to tend to my guest. Otherwise..."

    The two girls didn''t dare speak a word and hurried to Turbolix''s side. Their bouncing bosom ignited the fire in between Turbolix''s legs.

    What was the point of bing an immortal? To enjoy life.

    Turbolix held one of the girls'' chin and picked it up. "Come babes, my little friend needs some love."

    The girl paused and wasn''t sure what to do, so she looked to the other girl. When she turned her head back, she bent down and started to unbuckle Turbolix''s trousers.

    Turbolix snatched the girl''s hand and moved it up along his body until it reached his chest.

    "My little friend is here."

    Turbolix ripped his shirt open, revealing a big, ugly scar, which suddenly burst open to reveal a scaly and ragged looking monster that slithered out of the wound, its mouth wide open. The girl screamed and jumped back, tripping over herself and falling to the ground.

    A lighting ball appeared in Kun''s hand. The girl''s behavior was uncouth, and punishment was needed.

    "Mayor Kun, it''s fine. Come now babes, he likes fresh meat, but brains are his favorite." Seeing the girls'' pale faces, Turbolix burst outughing, "I was just kidding! Come to feed him, and then I can start eating as well."

    The two girls walked to the monster reluctantly, and then fed it a piece of rare steak with trembling fingers. The vile thing devoured the meat with a satisfying wet croak, then it slithered back into Turbolix''s chest and disappeared.

    After the feast, Turbolix held a meeting with Kun, which ended with a heated debate.

    "My lord, how was your meeting with Kun?"

    "Hehe, those dark ones are idiots! They refuse to join us, but agreed to lend us some of the Zerglings. We need to act quickly, our Lord is waiting."

    "Yes, my lord."

    Turbolix was sent to hunt down a person who should have been dead. He disliked the mission since he was convinced that Patroclus had overestimated the strength of a dead person. However, he knew where Patroclus wasing from. After all, Patroclus'' only defeat was at the hand of this individual.

 Chapter 507: Business Tong

    Chapter 507: Business Tong

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    By then, the Battle Wolf had already relocated its base to avoid Zerg detection. Although moving the camp would temporarily cut back the soldier''s training time and living quality, things started to improve significantly as soon as they settled down at the new location.

    Guan Dongyang''s disy of strength had fanned the soldiers'' enthusiasm for training. Comparing to their leader, their powers were too weak. But thanks to the Divine Burst technique, many soldiers''bat ability had improved significantly after a few weeks of industrious training.

    After having experienced the series of events, Battle Wolf was no longer Guan Dongyang''s one person show when it came down to fighting. With greater power at their disposal, the soldiers felt morefortable in sharing the burden of war and fighting like a team.

    Battle Wolf could not always rely on mastery tricks, since their sesses were very circumstantial. To be a strong unit, they had to improve the overall strength of all soldiers.

    Guan Dongyang spent his days inside his room while recuperating. The soldiers suspected that he might remain in such a state for a while since the respite had given him the opportunity to spend more time with Lie Xuan alone.

    Despite the soldiers'' enthusiasm, the reality hit them hard every time they attended Wang Tong''s training sessions. Wang Tong had taught them that the key to sess was perseverance. So, the soldiers dug in for a long struggle.

    Other than the Divine Burst and me Cut, Wang Tong didn''t teach the METAL warriors any more new techniques, fearing that more subjects would spread the soldiers'' attention too thin. For most of the soldiers, Wang Tong only expected them to focus on strengthening their foundation and know the basics of the two techniques. That, Wang Tong wagered, should be enough for them to deal with most of the enemies they would face in the future.

    Wang Tong''s notorious training method was brutal. Not only did it include fiercepetition, but each match would not end until one of the soldiers fell to the ground.

    The Instant Cast method alone continued to be many Mastery warriors'' roadblock in their cultivation. Despite the gruesome training, only a handful of soldiers had passed the test. However, Wang Tong didn''t lose his patience; he knew that the Instant Cast was crucial in protecting the casters'' life while they were on the battlefield. So, he carried on the training and waited patiently for even the least talented to grasp the technique.

    Meanwhile, the more talented casters, such as Ye Zi, had been experimenting with blending the fire and wind elements. She and other members of the focus groups would be the backbone of Battle Wolf in the future, and therefore, their cultivation was far ahead of the rest of the warriors.

    Ofte, they had been trying group hybrid mastery, but all their attempts had failed.

    "Kom!"

    The explosion announced another failed attempt of the focus group. The crowd outside the training room watched anxiously as Ye Zi and herrades hurried out of the door. They wanted to help the focus group, but they couldn''t due to their limited abilities. They only hoped that the next explosion would not be so intense as to cause any real harm to the focus group.

    "Stop gawking!" Ye Zi shouted at the onlookers. Then, she turned to Hamir. "Hamir, try it again. I think you have almost gotten it!"

    "OK!"

    A dozen casters rushed back into the tattered training room to try out their moves again.

    The soldiers outside of the training room looked at each other with shame and regret. However intense their training was, at least it wasn''t as dangerous as that of the focus group.

    "Tan Bu, can you team up with me today instead of Duo Lun?" Ross asked. Tan Bu''s power had grown rapidly, and he had quickly be one of the most powerful METAL warriors in Battle Wolf.

    "Yes, Lieutenant." Tan Bu stopped sparring with Duo Lun.

    Duo Lun wiped the sweat off his forehead as he marveled at Tan Bu''s improvement. His friend''s huge improvement had lent him motivation and determination to strengthen his own cultivation.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong sat in front of a pile of METAL parts, his brows furrowed.

    "Are you kidding me, Charcoal? Only one hundred are salvageable?"

    "Master, my calction is correct."

    "Balls! I should have been more careful about the equipment when I attacked. " Wang Tong said ruefully. Other than Ye Zi and Hamir, no one knew how deep a financial hole Battle Wolf was in. It was Guan Dongyang''s self-made problem.

    The METAL cannons were useless when damaged, but they would be worth a fortune when repaired. Wang Tong had expected to salvage at least four hundred of them, which should be enough to buy everyone in Battle Wolf a new set of METAL. But in the end, he got only a hundred or so.

    Charcoal was not only helpful in assessing each equipment''s degree of damage, but it also helped Wang Tong with the repair work.

    Wang Tong''s mind raced as he pondered on whom to sell this equipment to.

    If he had arge number of them, House Lie or the Divine Mastery Sect might have been interested. However, one hundred sets were too small of a deal to catch their interest. Who else could he sell them to?

    Sell them back to Marcos? No, that would be a d*ck move.

    Who else was rich and powerful in Maersa?

    Suddenly, realization dawned upon Wang Tong as heughed out loud, "Haha! I am a genius!"

    The shop gate cracked open and Ross walked in.

    "What''s so funny, captain? Time for lunch."

    "Ah-Ha, Ross, could you please send a message to Blizzard and tell them that we have something they want?"

    Although this equipment meant nothing to powerful yers such as House Lie and the Divine Mastery Sect, it was a small fortune to any of the human resistance groups. Wang Tong had chosen Blizzard as his business partner because Aamir had warned them about the Thunder Fire''s attack.

    The thought made Wang Tong feel lighthearted, if not a little proud of himself for his astute business mind.

    When Aamir heard Wang Tong''s proposal, he wasn''t sure what to make of it. Arsenals were essential during a war. After the copse of the confederation, House Lie had risen to power and taken control of all the arsenal production facilities on Mars. By controlling the flow of war machines, House Lie maintained a tight grip on all the human resistance factions. The Divine Mastery''s silence over House Lie''s taking over of these facilities further solidified their dominant position.

    At first, the House Lie had pumped out weapons from their facilities and spread them over the Mars to arm the local resistance groups. However, the Zergs started a few campaigns against these facilities and destroyed most of them. With the production dwindling, it had be harder and harder for resistance groups to get new weapons. Therefore, Aamir was caught off guard by Battle Wolf''s offer of 100 heavy war-machines.

    Although the price of the METAL suits on the ck market fluctuated from time to time, it had always been easy to sell a mid-tier METAL suitpared to another equipment due to therge demand. The heavy METAL equipment, on the other hand, was only needed by a very specific group of warriors. It was only deployed in a sizable formation. Therefore, not anyone had a use for it. That being said, the heavy METAL yed a crucial role in the offensive capability of a mid torge size army.

 Chapter 508: This is Robbery!

    Chapter 508: This is Robbery!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although Aamir was the one who had warned Guan Dongyang about Thunder Fire''s invasion, he didn''t do it because he was altruistic. Marcos was his biggest threat, and therefore, he wished that the war would consume his strength. However, he had never thought that Guan Dongyang would be able to deliver such a huge blow to Marcos and utterly annihte his heavy METAL unit.

    The oue couldn''t be any better for Aamir, since Aamir and the Blizzard had be the strongest faction in the Maersa district without firing even a single shot by himself. After losing his heavy METAL units during the catastrophic defeat, Marcos could no longerpete with the Blizzard.

    Aamir knew that if he chose not to purchase these one hundred heavy units, someone else would. So, his best option was to make a deal with the Battle Wolf.

    "Hans, how much do they want for them?"

    Hans gave him an ugly grin and then said, "They want fifty mid-tier METAL and fifty high-tier METAL in exchange."

    "This is robbery!"

    "Indeed! I had thought of offering them one hundred mid-tier METAL, and even that would already be a heavy discount out of good-will. But, they asked for fifty high-tier METAL... That is just...ridiculous."

    "Guan Dongyang has be brazenly audacious."

    "I remember that they had already amassed many mid-tier or above METAL suits during the tournament a few months ago. The Battle Wolf is a small band. It is such a waste for them to horde so many high-quality METAL suits." Hans paused for a second and then continued. "Our reports say that Guan Dongyang is no longer the one in charge of the Battle Wolf. It is someone called furface, and he was the one who has made the ridiculous offer."

    "Interesting! Not even Lie Jian or Michaux can make Guan Dongyang listen to them, so how could a no ount do that? Who is this...furface?" Aamir''s interest was piqued.

    "I have investigated him, but all I learned was that he had recently joined Battle wolf. Not only does Guan Dongyang rely on him for almost everything around the camp, all the soldiers, including Ross, respect him as if he was the captain of the band."

    "Even Ross? Hmm...I can''t imagine that thick skull of his would have room for another leader other than Guan Dongyang."

    "Boss, there have been too many strange developments around Battle Wolf, and almost all of these events are rted to their new leader. What do you think of this business deal then? In my opinion, this is a bad deal. I wager that Battle Wolf has given us the offer without even consulting the market value of their equipment."

    "So, you think we should say no?" Aamir asked.

    "Not exactly¡­ We can bargain with them. Meanwhile, I can meet this furface while I am at it. Something tells me that things are more than what meets the eyes."

    "What if they don''t budge?"

    "At least we can try. Hans, you should meet this furface and see if we can trust him." Aamir said as he rubbed his chin.

    ¡­

    Ross waited anxiously in the reception room. He knew as well that Wang Tong''s asking price was outrageous. If it were up to him making the deal, he would have been very happy if he could get even 100 sets of mid-tier METAL suits. Ross heaved a sigh; although he respected Wang Tong''s strength, he sincerely doubted if the mechanic had any aptitude for business. The moment Ross saw Hans'' astonished expression when he delivered Wang Tong''s offer to him, he knew that this deal was doomed. What was worse, their ridiculous offer would also harm the friendly rtionship with Blizzard. Ross had been waiting for half an hour, and he wondered if he should just leave.

    Suddenly, he heard footstepsing from the meeting room; it was Hans.

    "Sorry for keeping you waiting," Hans said with a smile.

    "No worries."

    "Your asking price is too high." Han paused, letting the message sink in. Although Ross had been expecting the same answer, the news took the wind out of his sail all the same.

    "But..." Hans continued, "our Captain wanted me to pay Guan Dongyang a visit. We haven''t seen each other for a long while, and we can take a look at the merchandise while we are at it," Han said politely.

    Astonished by Han''s decision, hope shed cross Ross'' face.

    "Of course, let''s set off for Battle Wolf right now." All the while, Ross wondered what difference would it make to see the equipment. They were not going to turn into a pile of gold overnight. Confused, Ross decided to leave the difficult task to Wang Tong.

    Meanwhile, in Battle Wolf''s war camp, the soldiers worked industriously to sort out the piles of junks into different categories.

    While Ye Zi and Lie Xuan stood under the zing sun, overseeing the progress of the project, Wang Tong found a shade and was taking a snooze.

    "Captain, Ross has sent us the news: the adviser of the Blizzard ising to meet with you about the deal." Castro rushed towards Wang Tong and shouted.

    Everyone was shocked by the news as they wondered what had made the Blizzard even consider such a preposterous offer.

    Wang Tong made a noise in his sleep that could barely pass for a reply.

    Castro closed in and was about to shout in Wang Tong''s ears before he was dragged away by Ye Zi.

    "He hasn''t slept in two days. Let him rest."

    "Ye Zi, can you believe it? Even we thought this deal was no different than a robbery, but why did the Blizzard consider it?" Castro asked incredulously. Nheless, he hoped that the deal would go through, since that would mean a brand new METAL suit for him.

    Although Battle Wolf had reaped fifty high tier METAL suits during thest tournament, Wang Tong had given all of those to the Mastery casters.

    "Stop asking so many questions and just do your job. Go help out the others."

    "Roger that!"

    Ye Zi turned back and nced at the sleeping Wang Tong as doubts crept into her mind.

    "Let''s go. You are ogling him again. Haha¡­ I am going to talk to Dongyang. Will you be fine here by yourself?"

    "Yes. I don''t think captain Guan would ever get up again." Ye Zi jested.

    "Stop making fun of me. Don''t forget that you also have a sweetheart that you can''t forget."

    "Who are you talking about?"

    "Listen to me Ye Zi, forget about Michaux. He is even more obsessed with his cultivation than Lie Jian. A man like that will never give you happiness. You need to look elsewhere." Lie Xuan nudged Ye Zi towards Wang Tong''s direction.

    "Oh, you... Stop that." Ye Zi blushed.

    "Don''t pretend that you are not interested."

    Ye Zi shook her head and said: "I am... But, he is too good for me. Plus, we don''t have the chemistry between us." Ye Zi would be lying to say that she was not interested in Wang Tong at all.

    "What are you talking about? There are many guys like him in this world. He should feel grateful for your feelings toward him." Lie Xuan rose to thement.

    "I don''t want to force him. Why don''t you deal with your problem and let me handle mine?"

    "Fine, fine! I will be going now. Let me know if you need help." Lie Xuan gave up and decided not to press her any longer.

    Ye Zi heaved a sigh. Wang Tong''s real identity had caught her by surprise. He was the only person to have defeated Michaux and Patroclus. So, If anyone who could bring down Patroclus again, it would be him.

 Chapter 509: Charcoal, The Real Super Mechanic

    Chapter 509: Charcoal, The Real Super Mechanic

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Every human knew the story of Patroclus, of his betrayal and disloyalty. His very existence was like a cancer in the human world, and it was growing stronger with a greater malice each day.

    He had demonstrated his unchallenged power by defeating two Einherjars, and with the gift the Zergs had given him in exchange for his loyalty, he had be the epitome of invincibility.

    Ye Zi used to overhear Michaux Odin telling his followers that he was not very optimistic about the oue if he were forced to fight Patroclus. At best, the battle would end with him dragging Patroclus to the gates of the hell by sacrificing himself, unless the heir of the de Warrior could intervene.

    Ye Zi would never have imagined that the only person whom Michaux thought would be able to defeat Patroclus would be right next to her. Even if she had imagined such person, he should be much more handsome and take things more seriously than the nonchnt furface.

    She wanted to report this finding to the Divine Mastery Sect, but Guan Dongyang had forbidden her from doing so.

    Meanwhile, Guan Dongyang was enjoying his quality time with Lie Xuan. So far, the two had progressed from barely being able to hold hands longer than three seconds before breaking off the contact due to shyness to the state where Lie Xuan was able to hold Guan Dongyang''s gaze and let him touch her wherever he wanted to. However, they still had a long way to go before the two figured out how to take each other''s clothes off.

    "Dongyang, what do you think about Blizzard''s visit? I think they are up to no good! " Lie Xuan passed a slice of pineapple to Guan Dongyang and then asked.

    "Hehe¡­ Aamir is a smart guy, so he won''t choose to be our enemy. I think Hans is going to do two things: first, he is going to inspect the merchandise, and second, he will be eyeing on the talents in our band." Guan Dongyang said with a smirk.

    "How do you know?"

    "Because I am smarter than him." Guan Dongyang said with a smoldering voice. Wang Tong had told him that girls liked confident and mature men, so he would have to change the tone of his voice to reflect that.

    "Then, why did you still let theme? I am sure Blizzard can offer much better living conditions to our warriors than we can."

    Guan Dongyang gave her a smile and then said, "Not just any warriors, they want furface. Believe me, honey¡­ they can never persuade furface to leave me. " Guan Dongyang wanted to disclose more information about Wang tong, but he stopped, fearing that too much information would blow his cover. Judging from Lie Jian''s current course of actions, he would not be happy to see Wang Tong''s return. He would first try to enlist him, and if that failed, he would kill Wang Tong in a heartbeat.

    This was awless age, and therefore, no one was safe regardless of his or her power. It was not umon nowadays for a high level, if not legendary level, warrior to be overwhelmed by hundreds or even thousands of killers. Therefore, letting the House Lie know about Wang Tong''s existence was the same as outright killing him.

    Guan Dongyang was convinced that Wang Tong and Lie Jian would eventually cross paths. Mars could only have one dominating power, and Guan Dongyang wished it to be Wang Tong.

    Before Wang Tong and Lie Jian''s final showdown, Guan Dongyang wagered that it was for the best to join forces and repel the aggression of the Zergs. He reckoned that the stronger the Battle wolf was, the longer it would be able to protect Wang Tong''s identity and deter Lie Jian''s murderous intent.

    Wang Tong didn''t wake up from his slumber until midnight, when everyone else in the camp had already fallen asleep. He walked to the training ground to find out that the METAL equipment had been arranged neatly in different piles, and then he nodded.

    "Charcoal, are you ready?"

    "Yes, Master."

    Wang Tong circled around the training ground and then arrived at the center. He folded his hands for a moment, then bent down and pressed his palm against the ground.

    "Start!"

    A web of soul energy rose around Wang Tong, lifting his body until he was a dozen feet above the ground. Wang Tong spread his arms and poured out his soul energy, covering every piece of the METAL equipment.

    "Areal Soul Scan!"

    Golden light ran down from the surface of the heavy METAL suits, revealing thousands of intricate lines, indicating the patterns of internal circuits.

    "Charcoal, it''s all up to you now!"

    "Yes, master!"

    Charcoal twirled around his body as two of his arms transformed into two solder guns. Charcoal closed in onto a pile of broken METAL while brandishing the guns like an evil doctor would on his patients.

    A wave of squeaking and ttering dins rose in the quiet night.

    After Charcoal was upgraded, it had received useful add-on functions, many of which even Wang Tong had no idea that they existed. The only way to find out was to keep on testing Charcoal''s functions.

    Wang Tong had figured the repairing process down to an art. The soldiers were in charge of sorting the parts into different piles, he was in charge of diagnosing, and Charcoal was the one doing the actual "repairing" work. There were over hundreds of heavy METAL suits, and it would take Wang Tong years to finish repairing all of them without Charcoal''s help.

    After having received instructions from Wang Tong, Charcoal''s job was very easy¡­for a robot. However powerful Wang Tong was, he would never be as efficient as a robot when it came down to repetitive mechanical tasks.

    It would take Charcoal two to five minutes to fix one heavy METAL. Time was of the essence, so Charcoal doubled down on his efficiency and deployed a few more arms to speed things up.

    Although maintaining the soul energy web was draining on Wang Tong''s sea of consciousness, he carried out the soul scan without any difficulties. Looking at heavy METAL being restored into their former glory one after another, Wang Tong''s eyes glinted with dor signs. After the repair, these heavy METAL suits were not exactly the same copy as the original, since many parts had been swapped. Even Wang Tong was not certain the exact level of each of the pieces, but he was confident that these refurbished items were much higher quality than the ones one would get on the ck market.

    Whenever a METAL suit was restored, Wang Tong''s face bloomed like a flower. While he was waiting, hemented about the financial difficulties that gued the Battle Wolf. If not for the money he made from the loot they earned previously, Wang Tong would be hard pressed to find any funding for the moving expenses. The financial disaster Wang Tong inherited from Guan Dongyang spurred him to look at other ways to fund the band''s activities. The Zerg''s invasion andpletely crushed the human''s well-established credit system, and only material goods were exchanged instead of credits, with a few exceptions, such as the IOU notes from the major factions.

    Wang Tong looked to the distant sky; dawn was about to break.

    "Charcoal, hurry up. Only a couple left."

    "Yes!"

    Charcoal picked up speed and finally finished up the final two METAL suits when the first ray of sunlight found Wang Tong''s face.

    "Good job! Take a rest now, Charcoal!"

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun were the first to arrive at the training ground. Right when they were about to start training, they found a strange lighting from the storage room.

    "What is that?"

    "Let''s go and take a look."

    When they arrived at the storage, they found Castro standing at the threshold while gawking at something inside. He was so engrossed in the view that he didn''t even notice the two.

    Castro pinched his cheek and mumbled, "Am I dreaming?"

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun were also shocked by the one hundred or so brand new METAL suits set neatly in a row on the storage shelf.

    "They look so real! "

    "Kick me," Castro said in a half asleep voice.

    "Kom!"

    "Balls! You want to kill me? It hurts¡­hurts? Haha¡­ I am not dreaming!" Castro iled his arms in the air like a madman and stormed through the gate.

    "Be careful! Don''t leave your fingerprints on them! They are for sale."

    "For sale? Why? We can use them for ourselves!" Castroined.

 Chapter 510: No Cheap Goods

    Chapter 510: No Cheap Goods

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "This is what we are going to use to exchange with the Blizzards for their METAL suits. By the way, why are you up so early,zybum?" Tan Bu remarked with a smirk.

    "Pff...! Do you really think that you are the only one who has trained hard? We all did." Castro said in a smug tone.

    "That''s right! You two had a head start because you kissed up to Captain Tong. I swear that we will catch up with you two in no time." Another soldier who came to see themotion chimed in with Castro. When they discovered the new heavy METAL inside the storage room, they were shocked.

    "That''s incredible! Did Captain Tong do that?"

    "It''s awesome! Not even the Divine Mastery Sect would be able to achieve that! "

    "Is there anything that he does not know or cannot do?"

    Themotion attracted many Mastery Casters who hade to the training ground for their morning practice. Practicing spells required a clear mind and concentration; therefore, there was no better time than the morning for training.

    "Aida, once these heavy METAL were shipped out, they will be gone forever."

    "Yes, this is not fair! We got nothing from the tournament''s loot either."

    "Buzz off Castro! If you want these METAL suits, you will need to prove that you are worthy!"

    "So, you think we METAL fighters are any less than you casters?"

    "Prove it if you think otherwise!"

    Warriors on both sides stared at the rows of heavy METAL with green eyes. During the time of war, man''s best friends were not women or dogs, but their weapons and armors.

    Although Battle Wolf had no use of this sophisticated heavy weaponry, they could exchange them for equipment with more practical use. Wang Tong''s method of distributing these METAL suits was based on the fighter''s strength: the strongest would get the best METAL. Wang Tong knew that as long as a fighter had paid attention during his ss and carried out the instructions to the letter, he or she would be guaranteed to have improved their cultivationpared to a few months ago.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun didn''t join the arguments; instead, they walked back to the training room and started their practice. Ten minutes of practice they could squeeze into their schedule while others were idling tranted into a slight advantage that would eventually build up to a decisive advantage.

    When Castro finally realized that Tan Bu and Duo Lun were gone, he cursed quietly under his breath and stopped his bickering with the Mastery Casters. Mastery units used to be the only backbone of the Battle Wolf, but Castro believed that that was no longer the case, since Wang Tong had significantly beefed up the power of the METAL warriors. Whether it would be the METAL fighters or the Mastery casters who would get the best equipment was yet to be seen.

    Ye Zi woke up around six as usual while Lie Xuan was still in slumber. The Martian princess believed that waking up too early was bad for her skinplexion.

    When she walked to the training ground, she immediately noticed that something was not quite right with the soldiers, as they were all training with an unprecedented enthusiasm. When she finally saw the array of shiny heavy METAL, she was stunned. Was this the work of a God?

    As a devoted follower of the Divine Way, Ye Zi believed in the existence of Gods and the transcendence to godhood through cultivation. But, how was Wang Tong able to crack open the gate that held the secrets to achieving godhood while so many others had failed? What was so special about him? If Wang Tong had already entered the Divine Way, why would he return to this material world?

    Had hee to the human world to finish his unfinished task of saving the world? Ye Zi''s mind reeled. The more she thought about it, the more Wang Tong resembled the savior that was promised by the Sect''s augurs. Why was the savior not Lie, Jian, as the Sect wanted everyone to believe? Should she still follow the Sect''s order or should she follow Wang Tong? If she chose thetter, would the Sect view it as apostasy?

    As a member of the Divine Mastery Sect, her duty, in addition to being a field medic, was to veer the direction of Battle Wolf towards the House Lie and the Sect. However, over time, she had nurtured a sense of belonging towards the group. The part of her mind that was independent and true to her heart told her to follow Wang Tong and to fight for the freedom of Mars.

    Her feeling was shared by the other soldiers. No one wanted to be just another brick in the wall; they wanted to fight for a noble cause: the liberation of the human race. It was this noble cause that had driven the soldiers to wake up early in the morning and endure all the hardships during training.

    Ever since Wang Tong took over the training program, Ye Zi felt the obvious changes in the soldiers'' attitude and behavior. No longer did they waste their time on chattering, focusing solely on their training. Although these soldiers were not the elite casters from the Sect, they contributed to humanity''s freedom using their blood and sweat nheless.

    Much like the piles of junks that had turned into deadly weapons, Wang Tong was quickly transforming this band of local militias into a deadly and disciplined force for the greater good.

    If Lei Jian''s strength came from his ability to enlist powerful fighters, then Wang Tong''s came from his ability to transform the weak into the powerful.

    During lunchtime, soldiers exchanged their experiences with each other with a newfound fascination for the new techniques they had learned. Their improvements encouraged them to train harder and spend more time on thinking about their cultivation.

    Lie Xuan studied the new heavy METAL carefully. At her level, she was able to discern the differences in METAL suits manufactured from different nts. She could tell from the sub-par craftsmanship of the parts that these METAL suits were products of a manufacturing nt on Mars. These were the most basic line of the heavy METAL, with only the most rudimentary functions, and she doubted that neither the House Lie nor the Sect would be interested in these low-quality METAL suits. However, Lie Xuan conceded that this would be quite a fortune for any resistance factions.

    As Lie Xuan studied these machines more carefully, she noticed that something was amiss: although these METAL suits appeared to be cobbled together with low-quality parts, they were put together so well that their overall quality felt nothing like low-grade METAL suits made on Mars. Lie Xuan knew right away that this was the work of Wang Tong, the super mechanic.

    How did he finish repairing over one hundred sets of suits overnight?

    Lie Xuan marveled at furface''s efficiency and skills, and thought that instead of a super mechanic, he should be called a legendary mechanic. What was worse, Lie Xuan had never heard of such a person on Mars before. If not for Guan Dongyang''s feelings, she would have enlisted furface to House Lie in a heartbeat. Such a well-rounded talent was harder toe by than even Guan Dongyang. The thought of enlisting furface made her wonder why Guan Dongyang was so confident in the former''s loyalty.

    Afterst night''s hard work, Wang Tong didn''t wake up until the afternoon, and soon after that, Ross and Hans also arrived at the camp.

    "What''s up? You guys want to try these suits on?" Wang Tong asked after he saw the rueful faces of Tan Bu and Duo Lun.

    "Captain, don''t you think we should leave a dozen of them for ourselves?"

    Wang Tong nodded and replied, "Yes, we will leave twenty or so for ourselves. Our priority right now is to gather as many METAL suits as possible. Don''t worry, we will have enough heavy METAL in the future."

    Although no one wanted to see this valuable equipment going to another band, they reckoned that selling them was their best option for now.

    Wang Tong went to the training room and inspected the soldiers'' training progress. Although the Focus Group''s attempts at casting a group mastery with hybrid elements had failed, they felt they were getting very close to sess. All they need was just one sessful trial. Learning to cast a spell was very much like learning to ride a bike; once one got the hang of it, it would be difficult to fail again.

    Satisfied with the soldiers'' improvements, Wang Tong walked into Guan Dongyang''s office to discuss a few questions on Mastery.

    "What do you think if I try to expand my repertoire to include other elements?" Guan Dongyang asked.

    Wang Tong shook his head and replied, "You need to have your specialty; knowing a lot of spells doesn''t result in an increase in power. The wind element shouldplement your main fire element, but it should never be the main focus."

    Guan Dongyang nodded; if he could not be remembered as the strongest mastery caster in the world, he was determined to be the strongest fire element caster.

 Chapter 511: Steal A Talent

    Chapter 511: Steal A Talent

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "The mastery''s advantage is in its area of effect, but it falls short in dealing with a single target. The fight against Nithak was a close call, and if I were to fight him again, I would not prevail."

    "You nailed it! What gives mastery its advantage is its ability to borrow power from nature. However, unlike the GN force, the natural force is almost impossible to bepressed in order to concentrate its effects. I wager that you should be able to find a solution to this problem by modifying the fire spear and firedrake spells. The simpler the mastery spells, the easier it is to manipte and improve." Wang Tong remarked.

    Curiosity shed in Guan Dongyang''s eyes as he asked, "Do you mean toyer those spells with each other topound the damage output?"

    "That''s a good start. Fire elements are the easiest to stack. However, the difficulty would be in the timing."

    Guan Dongyang mauled over Wang Tong''s words; he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn''t even notice that thetter had left the room.

    When Hans from Blizzard saw the brand new heavy METAL, he was stunned and could not speak for a few minutes. He was not a METAL warrior, so he was not sure if these METAL suits were as powerful as they looked. He turned to the person standing right beside him; the Blizzard''s lieutenant, a METAL soldier called Roseau. Roseau was not at all impressed by what he saw.

    Roseau nced at Wang Tong and then piped up, "Captain Tong, these METAL suits look nice, but no way would they be worth the amount you have asked for. Blizzard won''t agree with your offer, not if I am still the lieutenant."

    Hans'' eyes shifted between Roseau and Wang Tong, and he was not sure what to do. These METAL suits looked nice to him, but Lieutenant Roseau would surely know more about METAL suits than him.

    Seeing that Wang Tong had kept his silence, Ross furrowed his brows and said, "Lieutenant Roseau, you can try it for yourself."

    "These are standard units, and I have seen many of them. There is no point in testing them. "

    "Hehe¡­ Roseau, since we are here, we might as well send someone to test it out." Hans knew it was about time for him to y the good cop.

    "Mao Jin, try it out."

    "Roger that!"

    The METAL warrior called Mao Jin climbed gingerly into the heavy METAL. With a re of the engine, he started the METAL.

    Heavy METAL warrior was a very specialized profession. The operator not only needed to maneuver the heavy machine on difficult terrains to avoid the Zergs'' attacks, but also angle the shots to inflict maximum damage to the target.

    Roseau watched attentively while listening to the machine''s whir at different pitches. He could tell that these heavy METAL suits were of high quality; however, he was still convinced that Wang Tong''s asking price was outrageous.

    The young soldier Mao Jin wanted to show off his heavy METAL skill in front of everyone, so he attempted to execute a pirouette while he jumped into the air. When Mao Jinnded on the ground, he suddenly lost bnce and tripped over himself.

    Everyone watched the heavy machine fall to the ground, kicking up a plume of dust.

    Everyone from the Battle Wolf was taken it back by the dramatic fall. Was there anything wrong with the METAL? Hans also cast a suspicious nce at Wang Tong.

    Mao Jin scrambled out of the fallen suit and immediately ranted, "What a piece of sh*t! If I were in a real war, I would have been dead! This is a suicide machine!"

    A swell of angry murmurs rose from the Blizzard soldiers. Despite the brand-new look of these METAL suits, there was nothing good about them.

    Although Hans maintained hisposure, he turned to Wang Tong and asked with an usatory tone, "Captain Tong, I thought we were friends. Why do you want to ckmail me with this faulty equipment?" Han asked with a fake smile.

    Feeling embarrassed, the soldiers of Battle Wolf looked to Wang Tong for an answer.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "Sorry Hans, but you are wrong. That wasn''t ckmailing; instead, that price already came with a discount for our friendship."

    Wang Tong turned around and walked to the fallen heavy METAL. He climbed into the steel husk and activated the machine.

    After a few tters, the arms of the METAL suit turned into two supercharge cannons. Suddenly, the giant machine picked up speed as it spun to the left in a half pirouette. Before its outer legnded back on the ground, it leaped into the air, finished a full spin, and then fired the cannons.

    "KOM!"

    The strikended squarely at a raised ground on a hill.

    Wang Tong didn''t stop, as he repeated the same actions and then fired the cannons a couple of times, all the shotsnding at the exact same spot.

    After the final spin in the air, Wang Tong let the weight of the METAL sink in as he bent his knees as if recoiling a spring. When the spring was fully loaded, Wang Tongunched himself high up into the air andnded back to the ground with the gracefulness of a cat.

    The control chamber opened up, and Wang Tong climbed out of it.

    Stunned by Wang Tong''s performance, the audiences could only stare dumbfoundedly.

    Seeing Wang Tong walk right in front of him, Hans swallowed and tried to gather himself. Wang Tong''s movements had put tremendous strain on the METAL suit, so much so that if these suits were just ordinary in quality, they would have already fallen apart.

    However, Hans conceded that it would be up to Roseau, the METAL expert, to give the verdict.

    Roseau licked his parched lips and then asked with a trembling voice, "Every set is the same quality as this one?"

    "You bet." Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

    "Deal, it''s a deal! Hans, let''s buy them. We will buy as many as they have. "Roseau''s voice trembled. He reckoned that these heavy METAL were above level E; they were super heavy METAL! Jin Mao had slipped up because he was not used to METAL of such high quality.

    "Hehe¡­ Lieutenant Hans, shall we talk about the details in the meeting room?"

    "Haha! Of course! After you, Captain Tong."

    Soldiers of the Battle Wolf cheered at this turn of events.

    "Do you think if there is anything that our Captain cannot do?"

    "There has to be one. Ah-ha! I bet he doesn''t know how to have a baby¡­ Haha!"

    "Haha¡­ Touch¨¦! But, I just can''t think of anything else!"

    "Balls! Do you think our price is too low?"

    Jin Mao heard the Battle Wolf''s banter and frowned ruefully. He regretted not paying attention to how differently these heavy METAL were handled; otherwise, he would have never taken this high-grade equipment as junk.

    Nevertheless, the quality of these heavy METAL had be apparent. The price Wang Tong asked for was lower than even the same number of E ss heavy METAL suits.

    After Hans followed Wang Tong to the meeting room, they sat down by a table.

    "Hehe¡­ I apologize for the misunderstanding earlier. I will understand if you would like to offer us a new price, considering the exceptional quality of the goods." Hans said with a smile.

    "Hehe¡­ I told you that I would give you a discount based on our friendship. We are still friends, aren''t we?"

    "Really?" Hans was pleasantly surprised by Wang Tong''s goodwill.

    "Really! However, you know that Battle Wolf is facing some financial difficulty. So, it would be great if you could offer us some support."

 Chapter 512: I Will Survive

    Chapter 512: I Will Survive

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Wang Tong said with a smile. He refrained from raising the price not only because the Battle Wolf owed the Blizzard a favor, but also because there were not a lot of buyers out there.

    Reputation was also one of the main aspects that influenced a warband''s power, and therefore, Wang Tong knew that he should strike a bnce between reputation and profit.

    "There would be no problem at all. Although I am not in charge of our group, I can guarantee you enough food and supply that will fill up five space crystals, in addition to the agreed payment."

    "Excellent! Thank you, Lieutenant Hans!"

    "You are wee! We will be working together many times in the future. You really have made a name for yourself, Captain Tong!"

    "It''s very nice of you to say that. I am just lucky." Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

    "Roseau, why are you still standing here? Take your men to try on those METAL suits. This time, be more careful!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    "Ross, please apany Lieutenant Roseau." Wang Tong announced in amanding tone.

    Hans had always thought that Ross and Wang Tong were of the same rank, but every word that Wang Tong spoke suggested that it was otherwise. He didn''t even see Guan Dongyang throughout this bargaining, and it urred to him that Wang Tong had taken charge of all businesses in the camp.

    "You look very young. Who is your Shifu? Are you a new generation martian?" Hans asked.

    Neither Wang Tong''s demeanor nor his appearance looked like a native Martian''s. So, Han guessed that he settled on Mars because of the war, a part of the so-called "New Generation."

    "Yes, I am. Unfortunately, my shifu had lost his memory. So, I don''t know who he exactly is."

    "What a pity! Your Shifu must be quite a character, just like you. Captain Tong, since we are friends, please allow me to be frank with you¡­ Don''t you think Battle Wolf is a little bit too small for your talent? Why don''t you join arger war band such as the Blizzard? You have my word¡­ If youe to us, you can have any position you would like!" Hans remarked confidently. He had finished the first half of his mission, and now, he moved onto the second half.

    "Hey, Hans! Are you trying to steal our beloved captain? Did Aamir send you here?" A sassy voice rose at the door; it was Lie Xuan.

    Hans let out an ugly grin after he heard Lie Xuan''s voice; he knew that he had already failed in his second mission. "Haha¡­ What are you talking about, Princess Lie Xuan? We all love talents, don''t we?"

    "Hehe¡­ Then look elsewhere." Lie Xuan shot back.

    Finding no other excuses for his actions, Hans changed the topic, "Ah-Ha¡­ Miss Lie Xuan, you look so pretty today! I believe everything is going well with Captain Guan, eh?"

    "Pff... None of your business. Now, are you going to pay us or are you waiting for me to raise the price?"

    "Yes, yes, right away. I have already confirmed the deal with our captain. I''m just going to ask Brother Guan a few questions about Mastery while I wait."

    "Fine, you better be quick. Wang Tong, Ye Zi is looking for you."

    "Hehe¡­ Mr. Hans, please excuse me for a second."

    "No worries! Please think about what I have said." Hans didn''t mind Lie Xuan''s interference in his mission. In fact, he suspected that Lie Xuan was on the same mission herself.

    Before Wang Tong walked out of the meeting room, He gave Lie Xuan a thumbs up for saving him from the awkward conversation.

    After Blizzard confirmed the quality of the heavy METAL, they paid the full amount that Wang Tong had asked for. Although it was a small fortune for them, Hans felt that it was well worth it. Plus, it was never a bad idea to help each other out during the time of hardship.

    After having received the payment from Blizzard, Battle Wolf finally had the chance to survive normal warfare without using any tricks. Survival was always the number one priority of any warrior after all.

    Wang Tong reckoned that the time had finallye to test Battle Wolf''s limits. Without having experienced the brutality of a real war, no one would have the right to call themselves a warrior.

    ¡­

    Lunar City was no longer humanity''s paradise that it used to be; instead, it had be the headquarters of the Immortals. There were not so many resistance forces left on the moon. At best, they could be called underground operations. The entire moon had be the base for Patroclus, and even the Iron Curtain, House Zhang, had moved to the Earth.

    One would think that the streets of the Lunar City would be empty and lifeless; however, it was far from the truth. The streets were still filled with mor andmotion, but those who moved about in the bustling streets were not humans; they were Immortals. At the center of the Lunar City was a magnificent ce called the Divine ce; it was Patroclus'' residence.

    Inside the pce, Patroclus held a cup of red wine with the color of blood.

    "My Lord, she has arrived." Einherjar Lee Moshan spoke to his master in a servile tone.

    Sitting on his throne that was set high up on a tform, Patroclus didn''t have to try hard to look imposing and stunningly lordly.

    "Noted." Patroclus waved to dismiss him.

    Lee Moshan was one of the greatest warlords serving under Patroclus. Among the four great warlords under thetter, there were also some dark ones.

    Forced by the pressure to keep his family safe, Lee Moshan had switched his alliance with the feeling of guilt and resignation. However, after he had received the immortal gift from Patroclus, he no longer felt sorry for himself. There was nothing that felt better than being alive.

    As Lee Moshan left the room, he saw a woman walk into the hall; he lowered his head and stepped aside to let her pass. Although Lee Moshan was one of the four warlords, he had to bow to the women that even Patroclus had to respect.

    Seeing the approaching girl, Patroclus smiled and then said, "it''s rare to see you here."

    "What''s up?" The girl''s voice was neither cold nor warm; it was indifferent.

    "He is out in the world again."

    The girl''s body quivered, and then she gathered herself. "How is that possible?"

    Patroclus pushed himself off the throne. He walked to arge ss panel and looked out at the bustling street scene. Not only did the five years of war not destroy the moon, but it had actually made it the ce to live for the Immortals. This had been his dream: a stronger race, and a more efficient city.

    Patroclus never wanted to conquer people using fear; instead, he wanted to win the poption over with respect.

    Right then, looking out of the window, he thought that he had done it.

    To him, there was nothing he couldn''t achieve, and sess was only a matter of time. House Dower knew that the essence of patience was to pretend that one was not waiting. As the heir of House Dower, Patroclus had done an even better job at waiting than his glorious ancestor, thanks to the new perspective that the Zergs had given him. He was no longer a human, he was a God, and therefore, time was irrelevant.

    Although perfection could be an imperfection in itself, it was only true for people who thought they were perfect. This was not the case for Patroclus; he was already beyond being perfect and imperfect due to his godhood.

    However, Patroclus conceded that even a God could not change the mind of the girl in front of him. It had been five years, but Patroclus still failed to persuade the girl to join his ranks, much less make her forget her loved one who left her five years ago.

    Nevertheless, Patroclus had kept her well and alive; every setback he faced while trying to persuade the girl was refreshing to him. Never had he hurried his persuasion by using unnecessary violence; he had time, and he was good at waiting.

    "I hope this news brings you joy. I have always thought that he was dead over the past five years. But now, I can feel him. He is on Mars." Patroclus remarked.

    A hint of joy shed across the girl''s face. Although Patroclus was her enemy, she knew that he would never lie to her¡­ He didn''t need to.

    "Let''s y a game. I will catch him for you, and you can decide his fate."

    "You think you can catch him?" The girl said with a cold sneer.

    "Hahahahah!" Patroclus burst outughing uncontrobly.

    "I like your attitude! I am already on it; you can just sit and wait for my good news." Patroclus said with an eerily cid face that made one think of a mask.

 Chapter 513: A New Mastery

    Chapter 513: A New Mastery

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Hehe¡­ I am afraid that Moye is not going to let you do whatever you want on his turf."

    "Save your energy. Moye couldn''t do a thing to stop me¡­ you know that." Patroclus brushed off the threat.

    "Very well then, I will be waiting for the news of your defeat!" The girl shot back at him and turned on her heels. Despite her brazen ignorance andck of respect, Patroclus let her walk out of the hall freely.

    The girl clenched her hands together as she tried to cope with the immense joy inside her: he was back!

    The belief that Wang Tong was still alive was what had kept her going for thest five years. Regardless of Patroclus'' motive in telling her the news, this was what she needed to hear the most.

    "My lord, why did you tell her that? Aren''t you worried that she is going to be even more stubborn?" Lee Moshan asked with a quiet voice.

    "Moshan, are you doubting me?"

    "No, never my lord. Your words are the truth." Lee Moshan hurried with an obsequious reply. However, he found it hard pressed to agree with Patroclus'' methods for winning the girl''s heart. If it were him, he would have taken the girl''s body first and then worried about her mind and heart. Patroclus had the ability to give her eternal life, and perhaps the gift would change the way she saw the world. However, Patroclus kept her human form and seemed to have enjoyed the fruitless persuasion and waiting.

    But, no matter how perplexed Lee Moshan was over the matter, he didn''t dare ask for Patroclus'' reason in doing things this way.

    "Have they arrived on Mars?"

    "Yes, my lord. They have already begun the search. Moye had made a bit of fuss over it. Do you think I should go there and help them out?" Lee Moshan always wondered why Patroclus cared so much about Wang Tong, since he was only an outdated public idol of a different era. Not only did no one remember him any longer, but his power would be punypared to the new generation of the human race. Thanks to the new body given by Patroclus, the immortals were able to test tactics and techniques that would be outright banned in the old times due to their dangerous nature. These fearless experiments had widened thendscape of METALbat significantly for the immortals, and made them much stronger than their human counterparts.

    "Give them some time. If he keeps on harassing our men, then we will deal with him." Patroclus'' voice held a measure of anticipation.

    "Yes, my lord." Lee Moshan replied and then bowed. He knew that there were not a lot of worthy opponents left for Patroclus in this world, since he had already reached the Divine Way. However, the former wagered that Patroclus'' defiant nature would eventually lead him astray from the Divine Way to seek alternatives that would break the circle, which in his view, had shackled the humans'' real potential. Wang Tong was too weak even for the new Lee Moshan, much less Patroclus himself.

    ¡­

    Blizzard quickly finished testing all the heavy METAL; their soldiers gawked at these shiny new METAL suits with anticipation shing in their eyes.

    On the other side, no one at Battle Wolf wanted to see these heavy METAL go. However, their financial constraint meant that they had to make some sacrifices.

    Roseau and Mao Jin guarded these heavy METAL while waiting for their transport fleet to arrive, making sure no one from the Battle Wold could get near these precious METAL suits. Their overly protective act had rubbed Ross the wrong way. "Balls! They haven''t paid us yet, have they? Why can''t we even take a look at them? " He murmured.

    Ross walked to Roseau and asked, "Time for lunch, lieutenant Roseau. The table is set for you inside the dining room, please."

    "Haha¡­ Thank you Lieutenant Ross, but no. We like to eat out here."

    Ross rolled his eyes, and caught a glimpse of the heavy METAL behind the two guards. His eyes lit up with surprise and regret. If he knew how powerful these suits were, he would not have to stomach Blizzard''s cold sneers while he was in their camp. He conceded that he should never have doubted Wang Tong''s words.

    Meanwhile, Hans and Guan Dongyang were discussing some questions regarding Mastery. Hans was a notable leader in the Maersa District, and he was a few years older than Guan Dongyang, who enjoyed the discussion with someone at the simr level as himself. Unlike the discussion with Wang Tong, in which Guan Dongyang''s thoughts were guided by thetter, he felt that his mind was free and open during the conversation with Hans.

    METALbat had not developed in one day; it was the result of decades of coboration among powerful fighters. The Mastery casters was not any different in that respect either. For the greater good, Guan Dongyang didn''t hold back any knowledge that he had, and neither did Hans. After a long conversation and exchange of ideas, Guan Dongyang''s knowledge and his candor had won Hans'' respect.

    After his visit, Hans was convinced that the Battle Wolf would one day rise to power because of their astute leader and his powerful adviser.

    After Aamir got the confirmation from Hans, he sent out a transport fleet to the Battle Wolf''s camp without a second thought. He trusted Hans'' judgment as much as he trusted himself. Hans'' report had also confirmed Wang Tong''s incredible ability, but warned Aamir about the difficulties in enlisting him.

    Although the camp had visitors, Battle Wolf didn''t stop their training.

    Ye Zi and Hamir had finally sessfullypleted a spell withbined elements, and the damage of the spell had nearly doubled. From there, the training became much easier, as their sess rate increased drastically.

    Wang Tong watched their training with a pleased smile. Although the spells wouldn''t be useful in a real war until every mastery caster had mastered the technique, it was a good start nheless.

    After getting Wang Tong''s approval, Hamir started to teach the rest of the mastery casters the technique to blend the fire and wind element together. The key to learning any mastery spell was understanding but not memorizing; muscle memory only worked for METALbat training.

    Wang Tong called Ye Zi to him. She yed both the role of a mastery caster as well we a field medic; however, she neverined about the heavy responsibilities.

    "Ye Zi, I feel that you are much more talented in mastery spells than being a medic, not that you are a bad medic." Wang Tong remarked. He was not sure if it was just him or Ye Zi had be very quiet ofte.

    Ye Zi didn''t hold Wang Tong''s gaze as she looked down and then replied, "We need a field medic more than just another mastery caster."

    "Saving lives is important, but so is preventing loss of life using aggressive means. I have an idea that could boost your mastery skills. You have already learned the hybrid mastery. Don''t let that talent go to waste."

    Ye Zi furrowed her brows and replied, "I am interested, but mastery attacks are really not my expertise."

    "Hehe¡­ I have a spell that is not an attack spell but a buff. It will be able to increase the damage output of all the friendly soldiers around you by at least two folds." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "...The divine burst?"

    "No, no¡­ The divine burst can only be applied to the caster. This one is more difficult, and it is called the Divine Light. If it is sessful, I am nning to build an entire mastery team that will focus on casting these buffs."

    "Divine Light..." Ye Zi murmured the name and imagined what it would be like.

    "Let me show you what it is like."

    Wang Tong opened his arm, and a bright white light beamed from the sky down on Ye Zi. She could feel a gush of energy enter her system and replenish her sea of consciousness.

    As an avid mastery user, Ye Zi was stunned by the spell. Of all the buff spells she knew, the source of the buff came from the target itself. However, Ye Zi was certain that she didn''t overdraft her soul energy, and the extra energy wasing from the light beaming down on her.

 Chapter 514: The Jade City

    Chapter 514: The Jade City

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The effectsted on Ye Zi for more than ten minutes.

    "Hehe¡­ Do you like it? Feels good, right? "

    "Yes, it was amazing!" Having said that, she was not entirely caught off guard by Wang Tong''s yet another surprising ability. By then, she was convinced that he could do anything that he imed he would, regardless of how preposterous the im sounded.

    "Hehe¡­ Actually, I have a small favor to ask." Wang Tong said reluctantly, embarrassment written all over his face.

    Ye Zi failed to suppress a snicker. "What do you want? I can''t imagine that you would ever need my help."

    "It is difficult for us to recruit more Mastery casters, especially with our financial situation. I was wondering if you could be kind enough to talk to the Divine Mastery Sect and see if they could lend us some mastery casters?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Why do you ask me? I am just a lowly field medic."

    "No, no. You are the goddess of Battle Wolf, the greatest field medic in the entire Maersa district!" Wang Tong announced with conviction.

    Ye Zi gave him a smirk and asked, "Is your mouth always that sweet in front of girls? Fine, I will do it. But, I will only ask them once."

    "Thank you so much! Please ept the Divine Light spell as a token of my appreciation."

    "Does Guan Dongyang know about your n? "

    "Yes, he does. I know you are from the Divine Mastery Sect, but I hope that you also feel that you belong here. Please help us out this time. "

    Ye Zi thought for a second and reckoned that it would be a great opportunity to visit her old friends in the Sect.

    Considering the perils during her travel, he conceded that she would need to spend some time to prepare for the long and dangerous journey ahead.

    It took Blizzard one day and one night toplete the transportation of the METAL suits. Not all those one hundred or so heavy METAL were made out of brand new parts. However, Hans could tell that they were very well put together, and were all of very high quality.

    Hans had never made the connection between these high-quality METAL suits and the pile of junk that Wang Tong had demanded from Thunder Fire. The possibility that these were second-hand heavy METAL from the Thunder Fire had been only a fleeting thought in his mind. It was impossible for anyone to fix all of these heavy METAL suits in just a few days after all.

    Calm and quietness finally returned the camp after the Blizzard soldiers were gone. There were still twenty five heavy METAL suits left, and the sight of these ''survivors'' of the business deal lit up Ross'' face with joy. Once Battle Wolf shifted its focus from training to expansion, these heavy METAL would be put to use.

    Improving the overall quality of a team took time, and it could not be rushed. The key was concentration and focus, and not to spread training objectives too thin.

    After much preparation, Wang Tong, Ye Zi, Duo Lun, and Tan Bu set off to the Divine Mastery Sect''s territory, the Jade City. By then, there were only four factions that were still powerful enough to hold cities: the Divine Mastery Sect, House Lie, Kaedeians, and the Sect of Thunder Drum.

    Although Jade City was one of the closest city to the City of Maersa, Wang Tong decided to escort Ye Zi for her safety. In this way, he could also pay the Divine Mastery Sect a visit while he was at it. He left the band business to Guan Dongyang as he trusted that he could manage the band as well as he used to.

    The Battle Wolf had been growing at an incredible rate ever since Wang Tong joined the team. Not only had its recent victories instilled much respect in other factions, but it had also gained them a powerful ally in the district: Blizzard.

    Wang Tong knew that sooner orter, Battle Wolf was going to take off, and it was up to him to fill up its ranks, especially those of the mastery casters.

    Most mastery casters on Mars were trained at the Divine Mastery Sect, and therefore, Wang Tong had to do some head hunting under the Divine Master''s nose.

    "Ye Zi, who is in charge of Jade City?"

    "It will be one of the chief priests. I am not sure who it is. Don''t push them too hard to join you; it won''t work." Ye Zi remarked.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, "I am not there to rob them. It would only be a win-win situation for everyone should they decide to join us."

    Ye Zi heaved a sigh, "I know it will be a good thing if you can enlist some talent. But, I need to warn you: not everyone in the Sect is a benevolent saint. Be careful!"

    "Doesn''t Michaux discipline his followers? He is the leader of the sect after all."

    "He does, but he can only do it to a certain degree. He will have to rely on his men when the Zergs are at the door." Ye Zimented.

    Wang Tong was not surprised at all. Since the Divine Mastery Sect was forced to face the war, they also had to face real-world problems.

    Wang Tong didn''t keep on prying Ye Zi, since he knew that she was hesitant to criticize the Sect.

    The four traveled light and fast. Although they had encountered a few Zerg scouting parties that roamed everywhere on Mars, these low-level Zergs were quickly dealt with by Tan Bu and Duo Lun.

    During one encounter, Tan Bu and Duo Lun went ahead of the other two to finish off the Zergs, and when they returned, they brought someone else with them.

    "Captain, we saved him. What should we do with him?" Duo Lun asked.

    Ye Zi walked to the stranger and examined his vitals. "He is in aa. Looks like he is with a group." Ye Zi remarked on seeing the uniform the stranger was wearing.

    Ye Zi brought some water to the stranger''s lips, and soon, life returned to the pale face. The pair of alerted eyes darted left and right, and he didn''t lower his guard until he found out that he was with four humans.

    "Who are you guys?"

    "Samaritans."

    The stranger patted himself down, making sure he still had four limbs.

    "We have tended to your wounds; you should be fine now." Ye Zi said.

    "Are you a field medic?" The man in the purple uniform asked.

    "Yes."

    "You have saved me?"

    Seeing Lun Duo nodded, and only then did the stranger exhale and say, "Thank you."

    "No worries! We are all humans. Do you want to apany us or will you be on your own way?" Lun Duo asked.

    The stranger''s face was eerily cid, making his appreciation seem less sincere than it should be. His unblinking eyes had been glued to Ye Zi ever since he woke up.

 Chapter 515: Dark Souls

    Chapter 515: Dark Souls

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "My name is Charles. Would you please be so kind to take me to Lothar''s camp? It''s not very far from here." Charles said.

    "We are heading towards the Jade City, and we are not nning to veer off too far from our course." Duo Lun said reluctantly. The stranger didn''t seem to be a warrior type to Duo Lun, so he would only be a dead weight if the situation got hairy.

    "Jade City? Lothar''s camp is on your way. If you can take me there safely, I can get you guys a maglev. That should save you at least a few days worth of time, considering what you are using now." Charles pursed his lips towards the run-down old maglev the group was using.

    "Well, if it''s on the way, we might as well escort you there free of charge. We can get by with this old clunker." Wang Tong said.

    Charles was delighted after hearing Wang Tong''s decision. He turned to Ye Zi and said, "Thank you so much, my beautifuldy. I will reward you handsomely for your trouble." Charles eximed.

    After the group started their journey again, they found that Charles was a very talkative fellow, and a very funny one at that. The conversation revealed that the Jade City had been victorious in the recent series of skirmishes against the Zergs, although it was on the defensive side during every assault.

    Although they had to sidetrack slightly to get to Charles'' destination, they conceded that saving a man''s life should be their priority, particrly when they were not in a hurry to get to Jade City.

    They had been walking in the direction that Charles pointed out for a day and still didn''t see the sign of any human activity.

    "Tan Bu and Duo Lun, scout ahead and see what''s going on." Wang Tongmanded.

    "Yes, captain."

    Charles stood up and volunteered to join the two.

    "Mr. Charles, we are on a mission. We can at most escort you until tomorrow noon." Wang Tong said politely and assertively.

    "No problem! We should be there before noon." Charles replied, and then he started off with Tan Bu and Duo Lun.

    Ye Zi heaved a sigh. "I like him. He is a goofball."

    Charles had a great sense of intuition when carrying out a conversation, and it didn''t take long for him to catch the subtle reluctance in Ye Zi while she was talking to Wang Tong. So, Charles added a joke here and there and quickly made Ye Zi open up to Wang Tong after waves of lightheartedughter. Wang Tong appreciated his help, and therefore, he had decided to escort him for another half a day after the next dawn.

    Who wouldn''t try to suck up to his or her savior out of desperation?

    After the three scouts walked for a while, they arrived at the bottom of a hill. Against Tan Bu and Duo Lun''s will, Charles insisted on getting to the other side of the hill.

    "Please help me out. I remember that there should be an outlook post on the other side. If someone happens to be on duty, it will save you guys another half a day worth of walking."

    Charles was able to convince the two soldiers, and he led the way through the jungle to the other side of the hill.

    After thirty minutes of walking and climbing, there still was no sign of any lookout tower.

    "Are we close yet?" Tan Bu was losing his patience.

    "Almost there¡­ Look! there is a light!" Charles pointed to the distant and smiled," We are lucky today!"

    "We are finally here!" Duo Lun heaved a sigh of relief. Behind him, Tan Bu saw something in the shadows of the trees and shouted, "What was that?"

    Duo Lun turned towards the direction where Tan Bu was looking, and from the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a dagger in Charles''s hand. The dagger went towards the unsuspecting Tan Bu and shed arge opening on his belly.

    "Charles, are you crazy?" Tan Bu shouted out, hands cupping over his wound. Suddenly, he noticed a few dozen dark shadows emerge from under the trees.

    Charles flipped and twirled the t dagger in between his fingers as he smirked at the two young soldiers. The band of ouws that had surrounded them sneered at them.

    "Idiots! Our boss Charles is not crazy. He is just going to kill you."

    "Haha! I was waiting for the merchants to pass by, but I ran into a racy little medic. It''s even better! Haha! " Charlesughed pruriently.

    "What a great catch, boss! I have heard many good things about the medics from the Divine Mastery Sect."

    "Don''t worry! I am not going to let you guys hang two blue balls in between your legs. Everyone will have his turn after I am done with her! I am sure she will fetch a good price on the market too!"

    Another burst ofughter erupted among the group of vile men.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun''s faces were taut; they knew that their situation was dire. Not only their opponents had the edge in number, but some of the ouws were of a higher level than them.

    "The dagger is poisonous." Tan Bu spoke under his breath. Despite the peril they were in, he had kept his calm. Duo Lun gritted his teeth and let out a few words between his clenched jaws. "What should we do?"

    "Can you fend them off for a while? I need to bring the poison under control."

    Charles didn''t mind the two''s quiet exchange of murmurs. "Haha! Have you heard of the X-593 nerve agent? I have never heard of anyone who was able to expel the poison by himself."

    Tan Bu''s face twitched slightly, as he could feel the position getting out of control and attacking his sea of consciousness directly.

    Charles slowly took out a bottle and announced, "Here is the antidote. Follow me from now on. We have everything here! I bet you wish to taste that little spicy medic too, don''t you?"

    Despite the fury inside of Tan Bu and Duo Lun, they didn''t lose their calm. Duo Lun scanned their surroundings and conceded that they were trapped. If Tan Bu were not injured, they might have had a chance at breaking the encirclement. They had been walking for a long time, and therefore, Duo Lun didn''t expect Wang Tong to notice themotion this far away.

    "Who are you? Why do you want to kill us after we saved you? Do you have any shred of humanity left in you?" Duo Lun chastised Charles.

    "Humanity? Haha! What a joke! I just want to live¡­ No, I want to live like a king! Haha... Hurry up and make your decision. I have already drugged the other two. I have a nice curvy body to enjoy after I am done away with you!"

    "Charge!" Tan Bu''s voice boomed.

    With that, the two young soldiers charged at Charles at the same time.

    "You are courting death!" Charles didn''t flinch, and summoned two mastery fireball which he hurled at the two soldiers. The two fireballs were meant to stagger the two soldiers, but not to kill.

    Tan Bu was still struggling with the poison inside his system, so he was not fast enough to evade the attack. Duo Lun, on the other hand, quickly veered to the left and dodged the attack. Without any hesitation, Tan Bu corrected his course and continued his charge.

    By then, Charles had already unleashed the second mastery attack: the Fire Drake. The rest of the ouws swarmed at them as well.

    Despite being outnumbered and outssed, Tan Bu and Duo Lun fought bravely and didn''t show any signs of backing down.

    A cold sneer found Charles''s lips. "Kill!" He issued amand.

    The attacks from the bandits that surrounded Tan Bu and Duo Lun suddenly gained both speed and vigor. Life was draining out of Tan Bu''s face by the second. Every time he used his soul energy, the poison would gnaw at his sea of consciousness.

    "Leave, Duo Lun! " Before Tan Bu could finish his words, he was dealt another blow.

    "Buzz off! We will get out of here alive together!"

    Suddenly, Tan Bu shouted and charged up all of the remaining GN force with abandon.

    "KOM!"

    In a blink, his eyes had be bloodshot, his face pale like a piece of paper. "Go!"

    He snatched Duo Lun by his shirt and threw him over the crowd. And then, he charged at Charles despite the excruciating pain from the poison.

    By then, Tan Bu had fallen deep into a battle trance and unlocked his full potential as a level fourteen warrior. But, Duo Lun didn''t leave the battlefield either; he charged at Charles after he gathered himself from the fall.

    Charles cursed quietly. He wanted to finish the two as quickly as possible, but the fight had been dragging on for too long.

    "Kill! Just kill them all!"

    A few dozen sharp des hewed towards Duo Lun and Tan Bu.

    "Aim at the head. Don''t damage their METAL suit!" Charles put in.

    Suddenly, a re shot out from nowhere and disoriented the bandits. When they opened their eyes again, the two young soldiers had disappeared.

 Chapter 516: Revenge

    Chapter 516: Revenge

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Charles looked around and found out that the two soldiers had been teleported away by Wang Tong and Ye Zi. Wang Tong set his palm on Tan Bu''s forehead, and before long, a few moving red dots appeared on the back of his hand. Wang Tong pulled a sullen face and let Ye Zi take over the healing.

    Charles finally found out that something was amiss, and wondered if the drug he used on Wang Tong actually worked or not. It should have, since he had seen to it that they had consumed itst night. They shouldn''t have awakened up until the next day morning, so how did they manage to show up here right now?

    "Hehe¡­ Kid, fancy being a hero, don''t you? Leave the girl here and I will spare your life." Charles demanded.

    Charles'' words ignited the anger inside of Duo Lun. But, as he was about to close in onto the pervert for another round of attack, Wang Tong stopped him.

    Wang Tong scanned the enemies around him and then shook his head with a smile. "There have only been two things that have really gotten on my nerve till now: the first is Patroclus''s betrayal, and the second one is yours."

    "Buzz off! Who do you think you are? You sound like Patroclus will care how you feel about him." Charles said with conceit.

    "Boss, I bet he thinks he is the heir of the de Warrior. What was that guy''s name again? He is long gone! Haha!"

    "His name was Wang Tong¡­Ah, what a coincidence! It''s the same name as yours¡­" Even as Charles tried to finish his words, he and his cohorts sensed a force suddenly seize their body.

    "What a coincidence, isn''t it?" Wang Tong said with a stone cold sneer.

    Although Duo Lun and Ye Zi already knew Wang Tong''s real identity, Wang Tong''s disclosure of the truth had sent the two''s blood boiling.

    "Kill! Kill him!" Charles shrieked with fear as he took half a step back.

    The smirk on Wang Tong''s face evaporated, and with it, the temperature dropped by a few degrees. A few words stumbled out from in between his teeth, "Sometimes, humans are even more despicable than Zergs."

    Wang Tong snapped two fingers and one of the ouw''s head burst open, blood and brain matter spraying all over the people around him. Fear was written on everyone''s face, but no one was able to move a hair.

    "Are you afraid?" Wang Tong walked past a row of bandits, their heads exploding one after another.

    Charles'' legs gave in as he watched the heads burgeon to the size of pumpkins before they burst like over-inted balloons. He tried to break off the hold on his body using his level fifteen soul energy, but to no avail.

    "You can''t kill me! I¡­I am the nephew of the major of the Jade City, Sanders. If you kill me, you will be the enemy of the Divine Mastery Sect." Charles shouted.

    "Sanders? Not even Michaux can make me stop."

    "Hold on! If you are really Wang Tong, let''s have a duel! Unless you are not! Unless you are a coward!" Charles''s eyes darted left and right as he tried to save his life with ast-ditch effort.

    Suddenly, Charles felt that the constraint on his body had disappeared. He quickly took out an energy crystal and started chanting a spell. Ye Zi''s heart sank at the sight of the spell: it was a high-level Divine Master Sect spell which only a selected few were able to learn.

    "Watch out! It''s Ice Matrix!" Ye Zi hurried to caution Wang Tong.

    Charles let out an ugly smirk, "It''s toote!"

    The energy crystal that Charles wielded was a "lifesaver", a high tier powerful energy crystal that would allow him to unleash a level seventeen cold element spell.

    "Zen¡­ Zen¡­ Zen!"

    In a blink, a dozen or so ice spears lined up in a row and shot at Wang Tong from point nk.

    "Die¡­ Die¡­ DIE!"

    Even if Wang Tong was powerful enough to get out of harm''s way, one of the ice spears was bound to pierce right through the three behind him.

    But, Wang Tong didn''t dodge, and the ice spears simply stopped cold in their tracks, continuing to float in the air.

    "Is this your best?" Wang Tong asked. He reached out a finger and gently touched the ice. With that, the cold element suddenly reverted back to the natural force in its neutral state.

    Elemental Conversion!

    Ye Zi could no longer hold back her astonishment and gasped. She had only heard of such ability in great tales.

    "Who¡­ who are you? Only the Divine Master has the ability to convert element attributes." Charles asked while shaking his head in denial.

    "He is the only person who has defeated Michaux Odin. Save your breath. No one is going to save you today." Duo Lun shouted in anger.

    The man whom he only heard about in legends had been living right beside him all this while.

    Out of sheer fright, Charles threw the dagger at Wang Tong, but it thudded onto the ground along with his hand.

    With a swell of soft whir, a dozen or so golden wheels charged at Charles.

    When Tan Bu finally woke up, he saw Wang Tong, Ye Zi, and Duo Lun standing right side him; he heaved a sigh of relief.

    Wang Tong had used his soul essence to expel the poison inside Tan Bu''s system and saved his life.

    "Am I lucky or what? With such luck, I am deemed to enter the legendary level!" Tan Bu said with a smug smile.

    "You are alive not because you are lucky, but thanks to Wang Tong." Duo Lun helped Tan Bu to sit up.

    "Where is our enemy?" Tan Bu asked.

    "He is in many different pieces. Which piece are you talking about?" Wang Tong said coldly.

    "Ah-ha! He got what he deserved! What a prick! No one save any strangers from now on, please!"

    "Sorry, it''s all my fault." Duo Lun med himself.

    "You have done nothing wrong, Duo Lun. We just need to be careful. It is a tumultuous time, and we can''t easily trust anyone." Wang Tong remarked.

    Both Duo Lun and Tan Bu smiled and nodded.

    "It sounds like we might have a tough nut to crack in Jade City. I have heard of many unsavory deeds of Sanders. But, Michaux couldn''t easily discipline him because of his excellentbat abilities. What is our n?" Ye Zi asked.

    Wang Tong was undeterred by the warning. "We will carry out our task. Even if we can''t get help from the Divine Mastery Sect, we can at least enlist some talents from amongst the mercenaries. Plus, if the Divine Mastery Sect was really corrupted as you said, I don''t mind helping Michaux instill some discipline into his men. "

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu exchanged an admiring nce. However, Ye Zi was not sure what to think of Wang Tong''s words. She didn''t want a major conflict between Wang Tong and the Sect.

    Seeing that Tan Bu had regained consciousness, Duo Lun pressed his mouth close to his ear and uttered a few words.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Ye Zi was there too. He said it himself. Haha!" Duo Lunughed broadly.

    "Duo Lun, we have struck lucky and met our savior. We need to work hard and pay him back for what he has done for us."

    "Of course! And, we will make a name for ourselves as well. You too, Ye Zi. You need to make a decision between Boss and your Sect." Duo Lun announced.

    Tan Bu struggled to his feet and pressed on, "Ye Zi, sorry for being so blunt, but please don''t pass up this opportunity. Follow boss so that you will have no regrets in your life."

 Chapter 517: Enter the City

    Chapter 517: Enter the City

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Let me think about it." Ye Zi answered, as she needed time to weight her options. She wouldn''t have given the question a second thought if Wang Tong was only a legendary level warrior. However, he was beyond legendary; he was a god.

    Every field medic that got sent out of the Divine Mastery Sect was told to serve the host faction with a full heart. However, most field medics refused to sever the ties with the Sect, and therefore, it was difficult for them to be truly loyal to their team. Ye Zi was an exception; after having gone through the difficult time with Battle Wolf, she and the band had developed a special bond. Not only did she genuinely feel that she was part of the band, but her feeling could be considered even stronger than that of the original band members, such as Hamir.

    Wang Tong came back to the camp after some time and saw the rueful expression on Ye Zi''s face, so he asked.

    "What did you guys do to her?"

    "Nothing, boss." Duo Lun answered with a reluctant smile.

    "It was not me anyway." Tan Bu murmured.

    "Buzz off! Did you just throw me under the bus?" Duo Lun refuted. If Tan Bu was not injured, he would have kicked his a*s.

    Ye Zi was still engrossed in her thoughts. She thought about Michaux, and the time she had spent with Battle Wolf; thetter seemed much more lurid than the face of the young master. She knew that if she chose to be loyal to the Sect, she would regret itter.

    Duo Lun exined what had happened, and Wang Tong nodded. He had anticipated Ye Zi to arrive at this moment. He conceded that even if he had never appeared in Battle Wolf, she would still have to make a choice between Michaux and Guan Dongyang. If Ye Zi stayed, she would y one of the most pivotal roles in Battle Wolf.

    Wang Tong trusted Ye Zi''s judgment. So, he didn''t try and persuade her to think one way or another.

    The three waited patiently for a while until Ye Zi finally stood up and walked to them with a solemn face.

    "As a Martian, I cannot defy the Sect. Plus, I have learned everything from the Sect."

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu''s hearts sank, thinking that Ye Zi was going to leave them because of the pressure.

    "However, the goal of the Sect was to help everyone on Mars. Therefore, I will stay with you guys and continue to save your hides." Ye Zi announced with a mischievous smile.

    Hearing this, Duo Lun and Tan Bu heaved a sigh of relief.

    "Ye Zi, don''t do this again. Finish your words in one sentence, please! You scared me!" Tan Bumented.

    "Good! Be scared, you rascal!"

    "Yes, yes... Tan Bu, you are a little rascal. How dare you pressure our goddess Ye so hard? " Duo Lun chimed in and threw his best friend under the bus like he had done to him earlier. His words made everyone chuckle.

    "Wee aboard, Ye Zi." Wang Tong reached out his hand for a handshake.

    The warmth in Wang Tong''s palm feltfortable in Ye Zi''s hand.

    Wang Tong was delighted by the development. With Ye Zi on their side, things would be much easier once they entered Jade City. Wang Tong was convinced that the Divine Mastery sect, however powerful it was, would never be the dominating power on Mars. The culprit for the Sect''s downfall was none other than their young master, Michaux.

    Although Michaux was hands down one of the best fighters and the most benevolent leader Wang Tong had ever seen, the world had never been kind to nice people such as Michaux, much less if he were a leader.

    Michaux had always been obsessed with the cultivation of the divine way. However, the circumstances forced him to focus on the war. The hasty swelling of the Sect''s ranks, albeit necessary, had significantly tarnished their reputation. Wang Tong doubted that the young master would ever know about the crimes his new additions hadmitted.

    To put it simply, he was not good at managing people.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, had grown up from the ghettos and had seen all sorts of sordid businesses. He knew the thoughts of the people at the bottom of the totem pole better than any leader would.

    Wang Tong wagered that Charles was not the only case of corruption in the Sect.

    After a few Zerg encounters, Wang Tong and his entourage finally reached the Jade City. Duo Lun and Tan Bu had driven the Zergs away with ease despite thetter''s injuries.

    When they reached the city gate, they felt that they had finally reached civilization. The gate was big and heavy, and was guarded by many soldiers. It was estimated that there were over a hundred thousand soldiers stationed inside the city. The deep ranksbined with the wide and tall city walls quickly taught Zergs a lesson about human defense.

    Although the Zergs had an advantage in number, their siege ability was crippled at the beginning of their invasion. However, ever since the dark ones were introduced into the battlefield, their learned ability started to shine, and the Zergs were finally able to breach a well-fortified city wall. As human settlements fell one after another, the humans also changed their strategy from defense to offense. They were thus able to revert the crisis and drag their imminent extinction into a stalemate.

    By thew of the city, anyone who passed through the city would be questioned about their loyalty to the city and the human race. It was not umon for individuals to turn themselves into the enemy and work for them as spies. However, thanks to Ye Zi''s connection with the Sect, the four were let into the City without any questioning.

    Despite the bustling streets, the war had left its mark at every turn of the streets. The city had been taken over by the Zergs, and its dark history was brazenly visible in the piles of rubble and on the blood-stained pavement. It was only recently that the dark ones started to preserve the human architecture within the cities they upied.

    "I haven''t seen so many people in a long while! It makes me feel more like a human than an animal."

    "Hehe! Things are expensive though! If not for Ye Zi, we might not even be able to afford the entrance fee at the gate."

    "So, not just anyone can live in the city?" Wang Tong asked.

    "Of course not! The poption of the city is tightly controlled and monitored, and only those deemed valuable to the city are allowed to stay. I, at best, could be a temporaryborer in the city."

    "Not aborer, a ve." Tan Bu put in.

    Wang Tong nced at Ye Zi for a confirmation, and thetter nodded.

    "Although this is against the teachings of the Divine Master, Michaux can''t do much about it. The leaders are not altruistic sectmissioners¡­ they are warlords."

    It was apparent that some people were reveling in the time of chaos, enjoying their life to the full extent at the expense of others'' suffering.

    "Duo Lun, you can help Tan Bu with selling our goods."

    "We are not meeting Sanders today?"

    "There''s no hurry."

    "Okay! I will contact my friends in the city." Ye Zi said.

    "Sounds good! Let''s meet here in two hours."

    After everyone was gone, Wang Tong summoned charcoal.

    "What is the city''s defense level?"

    Charcoal''s screen shed, and then it announced, "Level B."

 Chapter 518: Divine Hostel

    Chapter 518: Divine Hostel

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "That is not low. It seems like only the powerful ones had a chance of surviving the Zerg invasion." Wang Tong murmured.

    He conceded that there were many things he needed to do. Not only did he need to worry about fending off the Zerg attacks, but he also wanted to find out the real motivation behind the Zergs'' inactivity ofte.

    Wang Tong knew the Zergs temperament well, so he found it hard pressed to believe that they would leave the Jade city alone and give up the aggression.

    Something was amiss; it was as if the Zergs had purposefully preserved human life for some perverted intent.

    Wang Tong could not find an answer to his questions, but he knew it was important to figure it out.

    Charcoal walked alongside Wang Tong like a trustypanion. It was not umon to be apanied by a personal robot, but no robot was as antiquated as Charcoal. Although only the rich people had the money to buy personal robots, a safe city nevercked rich people.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, inside a city shrouded by a dark cloud, the Dark Lord held a ss full of blood. Patroclus liked the taste of fine wines, but Moye preferred real human blood.

    "What are Patroclus'' men doing?"

    "They have been quiet. I think they are looking for something."

    "How dare he! This is my turf, and I want him to know it. Don''t alert them yet, but follow them as close as possible."

    "My lord, are we still going to carry out our n?"

    Moye was a dark one, meaning that he had never been a human. There were still reminiscences of his Zerg origin; however, that didn''t affect his almost perfect face.

    "Of course, we are. "

    "We don''t care about the presence of Patroclus'' men?"

    "No!" Moye refuted, his voice booming in the hall.

    The rest of the dark ones dropped to their knees with heads lowered. Moye twirled the cup in his hand and roiled the blood slowly. "Patroclus has chosen his own path, and it is not the Zerg way. Never should we question the decision of our Mother Queen. Plus, I want to see how my beloved children will fare in a real-world mission. I have spent a lot of resources on them."

    "Yes, my lord. The first generation is about to hatch; the mission will be a good test for them."

    "Hehe¡­ There are rewards along with risks. Make sure we keep track of their performance."

    "Yes, my lord."

    "Our human researchers are a bunch of turn-cloaks. Make sure they remember who they work for."

    "Yes, master. I will discipline whoever dares to undermine your authority." The high ranking dark one replied.

    Somewhere deep in the dark castle, a giant egg shone a with light passing through its translucent membrane. The membrane undted as something inside struggled to break free.

    ¡­

    After Wang Tong and the other three met again, they looked for a ce to spend the night. They quickly decided on a hostel for traveling Sect members as they found out how expensive the normal hotels were.

    Since Ye Zi was a member of the sect, she could stay at the hostel for free. This was only one of the many reasons that drove people to join the Sect.

    "Boss, we have looked around all the weapon shops. Their offer for our equipment was pathetic. We might as well sell to Blizzard. "

    "That''s true, and we also need to pay taxes."

    "That''s fine. We can''t count on it to get rich. We will try the auctionter; maybe we can get a better price there." Wang Tong said and then nodded. Every city had its ck market, where anything could be exchanged for money.

    "It''s true that we are likely to get a better price on the ck market, but it''s also risky. Anything can happen there." Ye Zi was concerned.

    "Hehe¡­ Worry not Ye Zi! You seem to have forgotten who our boss is." Tan Bu said.

    Ye Zi grinned; she knew he was right.

    "What about your contacts, Ye Zi?"

    "I have met a few of my friends, and they told me that one of the four chief field medics, sister Xiao Yuyu, was going to visit the city tomorrow. So, I think we won''t be able to meet Sanders anytime soon."

    Even as a Sect member, it would be difficult for Ye Zi to meet the city lord anytime she wanted to, particrly when there was going to be an important guest visiting the city.

    "Chief Field Medic? What kind of job is that?"

    "Our ranking system is pretty straightforward. Susu is the head medic, and is assisted by the four chief medics. Under the chiefs are a hundred or so normal field medics like me, as well as countless trainees."

    "Oh? So, you are just one step away from being the chief? Awesome!" Wang Tong eximed.

    Ye Zi blushed and then waved her hands. "No, I am just a lowly field medic. The four chiefs are at least level eighteen."

    "That''s nothing, Ye Zi. I guarantee you that with my help, you will be able to reach level eighteen in half a year!" Wang Tong announced.

    "Are you ...serious?" Ye Zi felt her heart skip a beat.

    "Since when did I lie to you? Do you know this Xiao Yuyu? Perhaps we should talk to her too." Wang Tong asked.

    Although Wang Tong had never met Sanders before, the encounter with his nephew did not bode well for the business negotiation. Wang Tong did not fear any retribution, but he knew it would be hard to do business with someone who resented him. In a nutshell, he needed to find another business partner.

    "Yes, I do, but I don''t think she even knows of me."

    Ye Zi said and then lowered her head, feeling ashamed for her uselessness and powerlessness. However, none of the three males had picked up the cue, as, like most men, they were insensitive to women''s subtle feelings.

    "Boss, why don''t you charm this Xiao Yuyu and make her join Battle Wolf."

    "You have my backing, boss!"

    "Who do you think I am? Michaux is going to kill me if I steal one of his best so tantly." Wang Tong refuted.

    The other two young soldiers smiled at him with a great measure of levity. As long as they were with Wang Tong, they didn''t feel the need to fear and respect the powerful.

    Inside the hostel, the members of the Divine Mastery Sect could be seen in two types of outfits: one was a robe-like dress, and the other was a gym suit.

    Ye Zi was in one of those robes; she changed into her Sect outfit as soon as she entered the city to blend in. Due to her rtively high rank in the Sect, the four enjoyed better than normal services.

 Chapter 519: The Black Market

    Chapter 519: The ck Market

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    A server brought their dinner directly to their room. The ornate tter boasted an entire roast chicken. For someone who was powerless like the hostel manager, it was paramount to get on the good side of a high ranking field medic such as Ye Zi.

    Wang Tong''s belly growled at the smell of the roast chicken. It had been a while since he had eaten any meat.

    After wolfing down most of the chicken, the three left the most savory meat for Ye Zi, a pair of drumsticks.

    While amusing herself with the wild and funny scene of three men fighting over meat, Ye Zi''s mind drifted off to the time that she had spent at the Sect. Although House Lie was the only great house on the Mars, the members of the Divine Mastery sect were the true nobles there. Never had Ye Zi seen the Sect members lose their table manners, which they upheld so religiously.

    After the dinner, the four decided to pay a visit to the ck market. When they finally arrived at their destination, Ye Zi became hesitant to enter the unsavory locale.

    As a high ranking field medic, Ye Zi had the luxury to distance herself from what was happening at the very bottom of the society. But, not a lot of people, especially the powerless women, were that fortunate.

    To the powerful, the ck market was heaven on earth, and to the others, it was hell, if not worse.

    On a "T" shaped stage, a few dancers wiggled their curvaceous bodies in a racy performance. Below the stage, a few dozen men shouted something to each other while holding the beer cups high.

    The colorful lights reflected off the glittered skins of the dancers and the ss mugs, painting a lurid scene of debauchery. During the time of war, only such acts could remind people that they were still alive.

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu had been to ck markets many times before they joined Battle Wolf. So, they seemed indifferent to their surroundings. However, Ye Zi bit down her lips, trying to suppress the anger sprouting inside her belly.

    Some men''s eyes ran up and down on Ye Zi''s body as if they wanted to jump on her and tear her robe apart. But, the high ranking medic''s badge on her robe had deterred them from putting their thoughts into actions.

    "Come, hold my hand." Wang Tong cracked a smile and spoke in a deep voice. Ye Zi didn''t think twice and grabbed Wang Tong''s arm, which came as an instant relief.

    "I don''t think it is the problem with the Divine Mastery Sect. You know, the humans were like this even before the Zergs invaded. It''s just human nature." Wang Tong remarked, hoping to offer her some constion. However, he knew that this should not happen in a city that was surrounded by the enemy. It was as if the humans had given up.

    "Sir, would you like some heaven dust? Only fifth Blues." A creepy looking man with greasy hair stopped Wang Tong and asked.

    Heaven Dust was a hallucinogenic drug favored by rich people. Seeing Wang Tong with a girl of exquisite beauty in his arm, the dealer took him as one of the super-rich.

    Duo Lun pushed the man away and grunted, "F*ck off!" Scared and startled, the dealer quickly put away the pills and disappeared into the crowd.

    The market was filled with strange characters; Wang Tong noticed a few leaders of the resistance groups here as well.

    Blues were now the official currency on Mars after it got the backing of House Lie and the Sect. With the official depot being so stingy on their offer, many merchants dared the little-known waters of the ck market to try their luck. Understandably, people were cautious towards each other in such an environment.

    "Those guys standing there are mercs. They can be hired for dirty jobs. Zergs or humans, they don''t care." Duo Lun pointed to a group of big guys standing by the bar.

    "A lot is going on here."

    "Boss, if you can take over the City of Maersa, you will see all sorts of peopleing to join us. Especially if we can secure some victories against Zerg''s sieges, more people wille than you can imagine." Tan Bu put in.

    "Let''s move. The auction house is just right up ahead." Duo Lun announced. Although it was supposed to be an underground auction house, its extravagant storefront had brushed off any promise of secrecy, and it even charged an entrance fee.

    "One Blue per guest, please." Two METAL warriors stopped the four at the gate.

    Wang Tong reluctantly took out four coins and handed to the guard as hemented on how expensive the city life was.

    After paying up the entrance fee, Wang Tong doubled down on his determination to find a good deal here.

    When they finally arrived at the hall where the auction was going to take ce, they found that the room was already packed with thousands of spectators.

    Wang Tong could not afford a better seat, so they sat down in a corner with a terrible view of the stage.

    "Is it always so packed?" Wang Tong asked.

    "This is not even the most crowded day yet. They have to amodate merchants from all over the region after all."

    The auction started, and Wang Tong watched it carefully. Most of the items started at a price higher than what the city would offer. However, as the auction progressed, the items became weirder and weirder. Wang Tong channeled out his soul energy and listened to the conversations between onlookers. Before long, he learned that some of the items being put on auction stand were obtained illegally.

    However, it got worse after the stolen and robbed goods. A half-naked man with a lewd smile walked on to the stage with a curvy female in tow. As soon as the pair reached the center of the stage, the man lifted the girl''s skirt and exposed her private parts. The girl blushed and looked away, tears flickering in her eyes.

    Ye Zi gritted her teeth, trying to control her anger. She had never thought that such vile act would be happening under the nose of the chief priest of the Sect.

    Wang Tong sensed her agitation, so he squeezed her hands gently and said, "You are right to be mad, but nothing will change if we don''t act."

    Soon, the girl was sold to a greasy middle age man with the price of one hundred blues. Ye Zi was saddened to see the girl''s indifferent look for her unjust treatment.

    "It is illegal and immoral to sell another human. Sanders will have a lot to answer to." Ye Zi spoke under her breath.

    "What good will it be even if the young master knew about it? Will he punish Sanders and forsake the control of the territory?" Duo Lun remarked, his voiceced with anger and resignation.

    The more Wang Tong learned about the current situation on Mars, the more he felt the need to change it. However, changes took time.

    "You guys hang in here for a while. I need to figure out how to put our goods onto that stage." Wang Tong said.

 Chapter 520: An Unusual Crystal

    Chapter 520: An Unusual Crystal

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Maybe I should go with you. I might be able to help." Ye Zi put in. Wang Tong nodded in response, and the two walked toward the sales room, where a man in his forties greeted them.

    "What can I do for you?" He asked politely, his eyes glued to Ye Zi''s Sect badge.

    "We have something for the auction." Wang Tong announced.

    "Not sure what you want to sell? If it is not anything ''special,'' if you know what I mean, I would rmend you to use the official exchange depot. We charge a 10%mission fee."

    "I do have something very special, but I am not sure if anyone here is able to recognize its value." Wang Tong remarked.

    "Hehe¡­ Sir, we have been in this business for years, and have seen everything you can imagine. Bring it out and let us examine it, then we will give you a fair offer."

    "Are you in charge here?"

    "Yes, I am. My name is Syracuse, and I am the owner here. I bet you two are from Battle Wolf? I have heard about your recent sess, so I will waive yourmission fees." Syracuse smiled. He was going to leave Jade City a few days ago, but since he had heard that Xiao Yuyu was going to pay the city a visit, he had decided to stay a few more days.

    "You¡­You are Syracuse?" Ye Zi was shocked by the name.

    "You bet!" Syracuse said with a typical businessman''s sleazy smile.

    "Is he...famous?" Wang Tong asked quietly under his breath, but it was loud enough for Syracuse to hear him. Ye Zi hurried for an exnation.

    Syracuse had made a name for himself after the war broke out as the go-to person for auctions. He had set up branches within human settlements all over Mars.

    Syracuse waved in appreciation for Ye Zi''s introduction and then said, "I am not that sessful¡­ Just a merchant, that''s all. If you don''t mind, may I ask whom I am talking to?"

    "Ye Zi¡­ I am Battle Wolf''s field medic, and he is Wang Tong, one of our captains." Ye Zi said. She noticed the light of anticipation in Syracuse''s eyes dim after he realized that the man was not Guan Dongyang.

    "Captain Tong, what would you like to sell?" The old merchant asked.

    Wang Tong took out an energy crystal and set it on the table. "I have got a very special energy crystal."

    Disappointment shed across Syracuse''s face. Energy crystals were one of the mostmon items on the market. There was nothing spectacr about them, and they were dirt cheap unless they were from a super METAL. However, Syracuse noticed that the one on the table was only of a mid-tier level.

    To confirm his initial appraisal, he picked the crystal up and held it close to his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "What''s this inside?" As Syracuse scanned the energy crystal, he found something unusual with it.

    "Hehe¡­ There are three Mastery spells inside the crystal. They can be used by a person who does not even know how to fight." Wang Tong revealed the truth. From the way Syracuse carried himself, Wang Tong was certain that he was a powerful fighter and an experienced appraiser.

    "This is not a good ce to talk. Please follow me." Syracuse invited the two into an inner chamber, where they were greeted by a dozen young and beautiful servant girls, who brought them fresh fruits.

    "Captain Tong, is this the new invention of the Fire Lord? I haven''t seen Guan Dongyang for a while, and didn''t know that he had advanced his cultivation so quickly." Syracusemented. All this while, he held the crystal tightly in his hand.

    "Hehe¡­ I am relieved that you are able to recognize its value. Yes, this is the work of our captain. Not only that, the mastery spell inside of it is like nothing you have ever seen. It''s a buff spell called Divine Light. When used, it will be able to improve the level of all friendly soldiers around you to level seventeen." Wang Tong spoke slowly, and then produced another one of the same crystal from his pocket and set it on the table.

    "This one contains a Fire Inferno Spell, Captain Guan''s famous AOE spell¡­ level eighteen and single use." Wang Tong watched Syracuse''s face attentively, trying to catch the merchant''s thoughts.

    Syracuse''s face didn''t betray his emotions as he asked with the same calmness, "How many of these crystals have you brought with you?"

    "Three of the Divine Light, and two Fire Inferno."

    Syracuse held Wang Tong''s gaze and asked slowly. "Who can use them?"

    "Anyone, really. There is no level requirement, if that''s what you are asking."

    It had finally urred to Syracuse how powerful these crystals were. It meant that any ordinary person could carry a level eighteen spell with them at any time.

    "Captain Tong, may I propose a win-win approach?"

    "Do tell!" Wang Tong smiled broadly. Everything was going ording to his n so far.

    ¡­

    The next day morning, the entire Jade City was up early in the morning, preparing for the weing ceremony.

    When Xiao Yuyu and her mastery casters filed into the city gate, the city boiled over in joy and pride. Wang Tong and his friends watched the procession quietly. As warriors, they would not hide in the city and pray for the protection of the powerful.

    The Divine Mastery Sect had been influential even before the Zerg invasion. The external pressure on human society had only lent the Sect even more power and respect among the Martians, so much so that even a field medic from the Sect was revered as a goddess.

    The Sect''s influence could be effective in uniting the Martians against the Zergs, but it could also be used by corrupted forces for ulterior motives.

    Although the Jade city boasted a watertight defense, its citizenscked the will to fight. The false appearance of order and safety inside the wall had made its dwellers content. They had forgotten that they were still at war. Theck of aggression was a drastic contrast to the people in the Maersa district.

    As a high ranking field medic, it was not difficult for Ye Zi to arrange a meeting with Xiao Yuyu after she had met with the local lords. Wang Tong decided to tag along and to see what it was like inside the Sect.

    Wang Tong had talked a few hours with Syracuse about what to do with the profits after they sold the crystal. Eventually, they settled on a rtively fair n. Syracuse made it clear that he wanted Battle Wolf to be his long-term partner in his business endeavor; therefore, he was willing to sacrifice some of the profits now in order to win the exclusive rights to sell their energy crystals.

    ¡­

    Sanders was not in a good mood. His nephew''s body was found a few miles outside of the city; he was yed, and had his flesh carved out.

    Sanders had lost his only son in the war. Guilt spurred him to spoil the only male offspring of his family: his nephew. He had known about Charles'' outrageous crimes against powerless people, but couldn''t find the will to punish him. Finally, he realized, Charles had paid the ultimate price for his foolishness.

 Chapter 521: The Chief Medic Xiao YuYu

    Chapter 521: The Chief Medic Xiao YuYu

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Sanders felt a mixture of anger and remorse. However, the arrival of the chief medic made it impossible for him to moan over his loss. Ofte, he had carried out a few policies that defied the orders of the Sect. However, he was confident that he should be able to handle a little girl such as Xiao Yuyu. Despite the immense influence the Sect had on everyone''s daily life, the Jade City was in Sander''s tight grip. Without a good reason, the Sect would be hard pressed to revoke his control over the Jade City. At the same time, Sanders dared not cross the line too much either. After all, the Sect''s power was much greater than the city''s.

    Thanks to this fragile bnce of power, the two parties havepromised and tolerated each other''s existence.

    In the giant meeting hall sat all the important lords of the city, including Syracuse. Although he was not a citizen of the Jade City, his financial clout was recognized everywhere on Mars.

    After some time, the chief medic, Xiao Yuyu arrived in the hall. Many saluted her, since arge percentage of the attendees were members of the sect.

    Xiao Yuyu was on a mission. The leaders of the Sect were no fools; despite their need for Sanders to manage the city, they could not turn a blind eye when thetter wanted Jade City to be an independent city-state. Xiao Yuyu was sent here to remind Sanders that his loyalties had been questioned.

    The meeting started amicably, and neither side got down to business. Needless to say, Xiao Yuyu found the meeting appalling. She could be on the battlefield saving lives right now instead of listening to these sycophants whispering sweat poison into her ears.

    After having listened to Ye Zi''s briefing on what had happened at the meeting, Tan Bu and Duo Lun knotted their faces, "That''s exactly why nothing will ever be done on the Mars. This is doomed!"

    "I really hope that it is not the case in the rest of the cities." Ye Zi heaved a sigh. "My friend told me that one of Xiao Yuyu''s objectives was to urge Sanders to be more proactive in the war. Over the years, Sander''s army has swelled in ranks, but very rarely achieved any sess on the battlefield. Instead of fighting, they grew fat and greedy, and started to bully the smaller settlements in the area."

    "His nephew should be a telltale sign of the problem."

    "No one can do anything about it unless the changees from the top. I believe that even now, there are many warriors inside the city wall that are willing to fight back. But, without Sander''s orders, they won''t get a chance to contribute to the war. The problem is in the leadership." Ye Zi heaved a sigh of resignation.

    "If I were Xiao Yuyu, I would blow up the meeting hall." Tan Bu shouted.

    Jade City was well protected by the resistance factions surrounding it. Therefore, no small number of Zergs could even reach the city wall before they were eliminated by them. On the other hand, theplex and difficult terrain posed challenges for Zergs to maneuver inrge numbers. Both advantages lent Sanders confidence while he tantly defied the Sect''s order.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile, " Mars is a dog eats dog world. Michaux is a good person, but not a good leader. Meanwhile, Lie Jian could have been a good leader if he learned to be morepassionate. No wonder the two were so close¡­ they are made for each other. Let''s wait and see what is going to happen. But, I bet Michaux won''t just let it slide. He will make Sanders pay."

    Even Ye Zi felt that the Sect had been too lenient, but Wang Tong insisted that Michaux would take action soon. Suddenly, it urred to Ye Zi that Wang Tong didn''t turn to Michaux and Lei Jian because he knew that he would not be able to convince the two to fight for his cause. Wang Tong and Michaux were on two different paths, and no one yet knew which path would lead to sess.

    Wang Tong didn''t think that he could change the mind of Michaux and Lie Jian, neither was he convinced that the two most powerful Martian leaders could improve the situation on Mars.

    In his view, the status quo on Mars wouldst at most for a few years, and he saw absolutely no hope in defeating the Zergs without his personal involvement.

    At the crux of the problem was the warlord-like mindset of the faction leaders. Heroism had always gued the Martians'' mind, including Lie Jian. Wang Tong was convinced that even if Lei Jian were able to save the humans from the Zerg, he would not give them their freedom. Mars would be Lie Jian''s personal kingdom forever.

    This would never happen during peaceful times thanks to the might of the Confederation. However, without the Confederation, anything was possible.

    After Lie Jain had advanced his cultivation during the Pan Sr System tournament, he had improved his power by leaps and bounds. Very soon after the Zerg invasion, he had reached the legendary level, and his power had be unmatched on Mars.

    The meeting between the Sect and Sanders didn''tst too long, ending with Xiao Yuyu rmending everyone to spend more time preparing for the war against the Zergs.

    Everyone at the meeting pretended that they didn''t catch what Xiao Yuyu was alluding tom simply smiling at the chief medic as if she had just given them a pat on the back.

    After the meeting, Xiao Yuyu was engrossed in reflections about what had happened at the meeting. These men were shrewd politicians and avid negotiators. Every time she tried to bring up the war with the Zergs, someone would sidetrack the conversation.

    "Vorenus, what do you think about the meeting?"

    "Chief, I think the Jade city is corrupt through and through. You are wasting your time with them. Just carry out young master''s order and be done with it."

    Xiao Yuyu nodded; however, it would be easier said than done, since not only Sanders was a level seventeen warrior, he also had many powerful fighters under hismand. In addition, the district needed a powerful leader, and the citizens'' lives would fall into disarray without him.

    That being said, Sanders had crossed the line that he knew he shouldn''t have. Should every other city act like the Jade City would, Mars would soon fall into chaos and crumble under the Zergs'' attack.

    Meanwhile, Sanders had gathered all of his trusted advisers in his private meeting room.

    "My Lord, we are not yet sure who the murderer is. But, we are certain he or she is hiding in the city."

    "Ok, we will talk about thatter. What about Xiao Yuyu? When does she want to leave the city?" Sanders asked with a cigar in his mouth.

    "My lord, I believe she is here to make sure everything is running normally. We will send out our men right away to make some noise out there and put on a show for her. I believe she will leave us alone. If she really wants to stay here, we might as well marry her to some lucky b*stard in the city, making sure that she will never leave."

    "Haha¡­ That''s true! But, we can''t let our guard down. She has brought some of her best casters with her."

    "Roger that."

    Sanders smiled. He never thought that he would remain under the service of the Divine Mastery Sect. He had risked his life and taken over the Jade City from the jaws of the Zergs, and he wouldn''t hand it over to the Sect so easily.

    ¡­

    Wang Tong was slightly amused by the transformation of the Divine Mastery Sect. He wagered that Michaux was not having the greatest time of his life, since all he had wanted to follow the divine way, and not bear the worldly burden.

    "Ye Zi, you can go inside and meet chief, but your servants will have to wait outside," Vorenus told Ye Zi with a smile.

    "They are my friends, not servants, and he is the one who wanted to talk to chief in the first ce." Ye Zi exined.

    Vorenus nodded. "Fine, you can enter with this gentleman. But, the other two will have to wait outside."

    "Boss, don''t worry about us. We can spar with this guard for fun." Tan Bu announced with a broad smile. Compared to their hosts in the Jade City, the two young soldiers liked Xiao Yuyu and her crew much better.

    Vorenus was a warrior in his forties. He was friendly and down to earth. He was also intrigued by the eagerness and enthusiasm of the two young soldiers.

 Chapter 522: Xiao Yuyus Doubts

    Chapter 522: Xiao Yuyu''s Doubts

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Vorenus also knew that Battle Wolf severelycked talented soldiers, which was why Michaux had sent Ye Zi to assist Guan Dongyang.

    "Greetings, chief medic." Ye Zi announced as soon as she stepped into the meeting room. Wang Tong saw Xiao Yu Yu loll in an armchair while dressed in a casual outfit.

    "Nice to see you, sister. This is¡­?" Xiao Yuyu gave Ye Zi a warm smile and looked curiously at Wang Tong.

    "My name is Wang Tong. I am the training captain of Battle Wolf."

    Since Wang Tong hade with Ye Zi, Xiao Yuyu wasn''t suspicious of this stranger. Plus, if Wang Tong was up to no good, Vorenus would not have let him in.

    "Ye Zi, how are you doing at Battle Wolf? I have heard many good things about Guan Dongyang and his team. I wager that you have helped him a lot."

    "Captain Guan has advanced his cultivation very fasttely, and the overall strength of the group has improved as well." Ye Zi nodded.

    "I know you want something from me. Just tell me, sis. I will do whatever I can." Xiao Yuyu remarked.

    Her words piqued Wang Tong''s attention; he marveled at the strong bond between the field medics. With Ye Zi''s help, he might be able to execute his n with ease.

    ''Step one: enlist Xiao Yuyu. Step two...''

    Sensing Wang Tong''s gaze on Xiao Yuyu''s face, Ye Zi red at Wang Tong; the expression on her face could pass for jealousy.

    Wang Tong didn''t overthink Xiao Yuyu''s re as he announced: "Chief Medic, we are here to do business with the Sect."

    "Oh? Business? With us?" Xiao Yuyu was caught off guard.

    "Yes. Captain Guan has invented a new type of buff mastery: Divine Light. It is a powerful spell on the battlefield, so we thought that we might be able to exchange the spell with you for some provisions." Wang Tong said.

    "Selling your mastery?" Xiao Yuyu chuckled at the thought that someone was going to sell mastery spell to the most powerful mastery caster.

    Guan Dongyang was alone by himself, while the Sect was a team made up of equally, if not more powerful casters than Guan Dongyang. Michaux knew that in order to grow his power, he needed to keep on admitting new members. He had been working on enlisting Guan Dongyang for years, but so far, thetter had not budged.

    Guan Dongyang preferred working by himself and fighting for his own causes. A few times, he had contemted the option of joining the Sect. But, the promise of constraints that were going to be imposed on him deterred him from taking action every time.

    "Chief, you should take a look at this spell first. It is quite something." Ye Zi said.

    "Oh? Very well! I will take a look." Xiao Yuyu''s interest was piqued. As a high-level caster, she was naturally drawn to powerful spells.

    "Ye Zi, you can demonstrate it for her." Wang Tong said.

    "Me?" Ye Zi was caught off guard. She doubted that she was ready for such a powerful spell.

    "Who else? I am a METAL warrior, remember?" Wang Tong put in casually.

    Xiao Yuyu caught the subtle drift in the interaction between Wang Tong and Ye Zi. She wondered what had given this young man so much confidence while talking to a well-respected field medic such as Ye Zi.

    Ye Zi took out a crystal and started to channel out her soul energy. The spell was too powerful to cast quickly, so she took her time to muster the energy.

    Xiao Yuyu noticed the drastic change in Ye Zi''s power. She had been only level fifteen when she left for Battle wolf, and now, she was well over level sixteen. In addition, this spell was a level seventeen spell. How could Ye Zi wield a spell one level above her?

    As more energy poured out, Xiao Yuyu''s face because serious and she watched the spell with a newfound fascination. After two more minutes, a light finally beamed down on Xiao Yuyu.

    Xiao Yuyu knew that this was a buff spell, so she didn''t fight back. Hearing themotion, Vorenus stepped into the room and found Xiao Yuyu being surrounded by a golden light. However, he didn''t think that it was harmful to her either.

    With her eyes closed, Xiao Yuyu felt the golden energy reinforcing her sea of consciousness and warming up her body like a beam of sunlight shining from inside. After a while, she finally opened her eyes.

    Ye Zi was exhausted and drenched in sweat. Wang Tong had been teaching her the spell on their way to the Jade City. However, since the spell was one level above her current level, pulling it off sessfully required concentration and a lot of energy.

    Although the Divine Mastery Sect had discouraged the practice of using high-level spells before one was ready, Wang Tong didn''t think it was a problem at all. He believed that as long as one had understood the spell well enough, one could cast the spell with minimum soul energy. Even if Ye Zi really used up soul energy toplete the spell, she could always rely on the energy crystals.

    Xiao Yuyu found it difficult to believe that a level neen elemental fire caster would be able to create such a powerful buff spell.

    "Chief, please cast a spell on me" Vorenus spoke up.

    Xiao Yuyu knew what Vorenus was up to, so she unleashed a fire bolt on him.

    Vorenus punched at the bolt and shattered it. However, he was pushed back a few steps by the force of the bolt.

    "What do you think?"

    "It''s incredible¡­ At least a 30% increase in power."

    "I know. I can also feel that my scanning ability has improved as well. No wonder young master liked Guan Dongyang so much!" Xiao Yuyu eximed.

    "Hehe, yeah! I will need to step out now; there are two young soldiers still waiting for me outside." Seeing that Xiao Yuyu was not in danger, Vorenus started out.

    Wang Tong shifted his gaze from Vorenus back to Xiao Yuyu, and marveled at the Sect''s swelling rank of powerful warriors. He wagered that Vorenus was at lease level twenty.

    "Chief, our captain had told me that this spell is at level seventeen, but anyone at level sixteen or above would be able to use it. It can improve the soldier''s strength, speed, as well as reaction time. It will be a valuable asset to the Sect." Wang Tong gave Xiao Yuyu a salesman''s pitch.

    Listening to the sleazy sales pitch of Wang Tong, Xiao Yuyumented on how much this spell was undervalued by the seller. It was a revolutionary innovation in the history of spell-making. She, too, had attempted such buff spells, but failed.

    The unique part of the spell was its ability to boost the soldier''s abilities without overtaxing their soul energy; this was a groundbreaking advancement. Xiao Yuyu believed that at the hands of the Sect Medics, this spell would be put to good use.

    "Ye Zi, what does Captain Guan want in exchange for the spell?"

    Before Ye Zi could say anything, Wang Tong answered, "Hehe! Chief Medic, I will be negotiating the terms on behalf of her." Wang Tong knew that Ye Zi would not be a good deal-maker, considering her connection with the Sect.

    "Excuse me?" Xiao Yuyu shot Wang Tong a curious nce and then looked back at Ye Zi. She wondered how this no ount earned both Guan Dongyang and Ye Zi''s trust.

    "Chief Medic, it''s true. Captain Wang is in charge." Ye Zi confirmed.

    If Xiao Yuyu was shocked by Ye Zi''s answer, she didn''t wear it on her face.

 Chapter 523: The Zergs Surprise Attack

    Chapter 523: The Zergs'' Surprise Attack

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Very well, Captain Tong! Please tell us what it is that you want in exchange for the spell." Xiao Yuyu stered a smile on her face.

    Wang Tong marveled at his luck for meeting the chief medic, who was able to appreciate the power of the spell.

    "Chief, what we want is simple; we want to be the leader of the Maersa district." Wang Tong announced with candor and confidence.

    "Captain Tong, the Sect cannot dictate the power dynamic of regional factions¡­ You know that." Ye Zi shot back at him.

    "Of course, I do. But, if the sect can lend us fifty mastery casters to aid us in our siege on the City of Maersa, Battle Wolf should be able to establish authority after taking the city. After the siege, it will be up to the casters to choose between staying at Battle Wolf or returning the Sect."

    Xiao Yuyu was at a loss, since the demand went very much against the grain of Guan Dongyang''s character. He had been a proud young warlord who would turn down reinforcements even if they were free.

    "What level of casters does Guan Dongyang want? I can''t guarantee high-level casters."

    "We will ept anyone who is higher than level twelve. However, they needed to be members of the Sect who have a solid foundation and sound understanding of the Mastery."

    "No problem! What else?"

    "Nothing... except that in order to learn the Divine Light, the Sect field medics will have toe to Battle Wolf."

    Wang Tong finally spoke his real demand: to have the field medic working in Battle Wolf for free during their training.

    Xiao Yuyu was quick to see through Wang Tong''s ruse, so she piped up, "This spell is only level seventeen. I think sending one level eighteen medic should suffice."

    Wang Tong rose to thement, "Ye Zi, please exin the inner workings of the spell to Chief. Let''s see if she can understand it only through words." Wang Tong was not simply full of himself; his confidence came from the genuine difficulties in learning the Divine Light. A certain connection needed to be built prior to casting the spell, a process which Wang Tong called "bridging." Without it, it was almost impossible even toprehend the divine light. The bridging was difficult to do by oneself, and Wang Tong had helped both Guan Dongyang and Ye Zi to establish the connections.

    After Ye Zi exined the spell, Xiao Yuyu felt that the spell was not difficult to understand at all. However, it wasn''t until she tried to cast the spell herself that she realized that her understanding was off by a long chalk.

    "The element is off. Something is just not right." Xiao Yuyu furrowed her brows andined.

    "Hehe¡­ You need toe to the Battle Wolf, and we will help you with the bridging process. Only then you will be able to understand the spell fully. Captain Guan had invented this spell after he got the inspiration from the gods."

    "Let me think about it. Is there anything else you want?" Xiao Yuyu asked; something told her that Wang Tong wanted more.

    "Nothing else. Oh¡­We are putting a few items on auction tonight, I believe you will be interested in one or two of them. Why don''t youe and take a look?" Wang Tong said with a smirk before he started out. Ye Zi was left there to catch up with her old friend.

    Wang Tong stepped out of the meeting room and saw Duo Lun and Tan Bu standing by the entrance, faces red like boiled lobsters. Wang Tong knew they had a spar with Veronus, and it didn''t go very well for them.

    "What''s up with that face?" Wang Tong couldn''t help a chuckle.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun didn''t reply; they kept their silence while keeping their heads low.

    "The two young fellows are very well trained. I don''t think I can find anyone who is stronger than them at their age." Vorenus said.

    "Haha¡­ That is very nice of you to say. Let''s go; we need to prepare."

    "Yes."

    Veronus wanted to test the strength of Wang Tong, but seeing that thetter was upied with other businesses, he gave up the n.

    After sparring with the two young warriors, he was shocked to find out that Battle Wolf was no longer a mastery focused band. Although the two young soldiers were of low levels, they possessed keen intuition duringbat. If every METAL warrior in the battle was as powerful as them, Veronus wagered that it would soon be one of the most powerful war-bands on Mars.

    Wang Tong ordered Lun Duo and Tan Bu to find Syracuse and inform him that Xiao Yuyu would attend tonight''s auction. Meanwhile, he nned to create a few more spell crystals.

    Suddenly, the sirens went off in the city. Enemies were at the gate!

    A dark shadow appeared in the sky and then fire rained down from above onto the city.

    "Kill, kill, kill! Hahaha!" Hystericalughter could be heard amidst the chaos.

    The Zergs were attacking the city!

    A group of the METAL warrior had already charged towards the Zergs. However, they were caught right in the middle of the firestorm and were reduced to ashes in a blink.

    Zergs suddenly appeared on the streets of the Jade City, terrorizing the defenseless citizens. No one knew how or when they crossed the energy barrier.

    "Lord Sanders, what is happening?" Xiao Yuyu stormed into Sander''s office and questioned him.

    Sanders remained calm and replied, "Please don''t worry. I believe those were just Zergs'' scouting party. Somehow, they managed to sneak into the city. They will be dealt with quickly."

    Xiao Yuyu heaved a sigh of relief, but she cast an usatory nce at Sanders and chastised the city lord, "How could you let the Zergs sneak into the city, and why didn''t you notice it earlier? You need to protect your people!"

    "These are a new breed of flying Zergs. We can''t do anything about it."

    "My lord, the two...two squadrons." A soldier stumbled into the room, mumbling.

    "What about the two squadrons?"

    "All dead."

    "Bullsh*t! Kay is a level neen warrior! This cannot happen!

    "My lord, that monster is nothing like we have ever seen before!"

    "F*ck off! Tell them to dispatch our air units, NOW!"

    "Yes, my lord!"

    "I am going to see this monster for myself. Please let me know if you need any help." Xiao Yuyu announced. She couldn''t just sit and watch the city get burned down.

    "Please."

    When Xiao Yuyu arrived at the streets, she found herself surrounded by fire and chaos. A monster hovered in the air, spitting venomous fire down at the soldiers who were struggling to keep alive.

    "High-level dark one! " Veronus gasped.

    "What do you think is his level?" Xiao Yuyu asked.

    "At least level neen. Should we help them? " Veronus asked.

    Sanders waved in dismissal and said, "No need to dirty your hand, lord Veronus. We can handle it ourselves."

    A dozen or so jet fighters appeared at the other end of the horizon, and were fast approaching the monstrosity. From a distance, the jets struck the dark one with missiles.

    "KOMM!" The strikes hit home.

    As a dozen jets rumbled across the sky, the humans on the ground cheered for their sess.

    The leader of the air unit paged the control, "Control, control, missionpleted, over."

    "Congrattions¡­Watch out! Over."

    "KOM!"

    A jet was cut in half in the air. The dark one was still alive, and it caught up with another jet and sliced it with the sharp tip of its wing; the jet fell to the ground and exploded. The dark one swiped his tail and destroyed another three jets in one hit. In a blink, the entire air unit was destroyed.

    Sanders did not flinch, as if he had been expecting such defeat.

    Suddenly, a two meters wideser beam sted at the dark one andnded squarely on its head.

    "Kom!"

    "It''s all over now, Chief Medic. You can rest well tonight." Sanders turned to Xiao Yuyu and remarked with a lewd smile.

    "I am afraid it isn''t," Veronus said with a cold voice.

    The monster remained in the air; theser st seemed to have been deflected by its thick hide.

    The monster threw back its head and shrieked, then rained death from above the city. In a blink, the entire city was aze with deadly fire.

 Chapter 524: The Unknown Einherjar

    Chapter 524: The Unknown Einherjar

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Lord Sanders, please evacuate your people right now, and don''t let your low-level soldiers even go near that... thing."

    "Yes."

    Vorenus charged up his GN force and took off. His level twenty soul energy immediately drew the attention of all of the Zergs.

    "Finally, someone worthy of my time." The dark one pped his winds and turned towards Vorenus.

    "Scarab, say "hi" to him for me."

    A tail of some monster wheezed in front of Vorenus, tracing a dark line in the sky.

    When the scarab Zerg finally revealed itself, Vorenus saw a giant monster with a turtle shell on its back and a long tail. It charged at him while spitting destructive fire from its fanged mouth.

    Vorenus charged his GN force into his de as he glued his eyes onto the most dangerous weapon of the scarab: its tail.

    Suddenly, Vorenus disappeared and reappeared right next to the head of the monster. He had sensed that its week spot was the head, so he decided to strike there first.

    But, before Vorenus could unleash an attack, he caught a glimpse of the monster''s tailing at him with a sweeping motion. Thus, he was forced to give up his attack and get out of the harm''s way.

    The level of the Zerg was too high for even Vorenus, much less any other ordinary fighter.

    "Lord Sanders, should we send in more high-level soldiers?"

    Sanders'' face paled; the power of the Zerg had caught him off guard. "Of course! Help Mr. Vorenus! If anything happens to him, we are all done for!"

    No one knew how this giant monster bypassed the city''s security system. The METAL warriors lifted themselves from the ground one after another to help Vorenus. Meanwhile, the high level dark one didn''t intervene; instead, it just watched the battle unfold as if enjoying a show.

    Tan Bu and Lun Duo stared at the monsters in the sky and wondered what kind of Zergs they were.

    "The mastery casters are on the move!" Duo Lun noticed.

    As fire bolts rained onto the Scarab Zerg, the shelled Zerg retreated quickly and flew to a safe distance away from the mastery casters.

    In a blink, two-level sixteen warriors died at the tip of the Scarab''s tail.

    "Pull back! Let me handle it myself!" Vorenus shouted to the other METAL soldiers. Holding the de in both hands, he attacked the iing tail with a wide sweep.

    "KOM!"

    The attack knocked the armored tail to a side and opened up the Zerg''s defense. Vorenus rose to the opportunity and charged toward the Zerg''s head. The Zerg''s head simply retracted back into its shell like a turtle''s, and the dended on the hard shell instead.

    "KOM!"

    The giant Zerg was knocked back, but the impact also numbed Vorenus'' palm.

    "KOM!"

    A row of deadly ice spears appeared out of nowhere and pierced through the Scarab. The Zerg lost its bnce and then thudded back to the ground.

    Xiao Yuyu had unleashed that spell from the top of a building; the Zerg was too powerful for Vorenus to fight alone.

    But, as Vorenus was going to deliver the final killing blow, life returned to the fallen Zerg, and it spat fire out of its mouth, killing many innocent citizens.

    Vorenus scowled and sped up; however, he felt the presence of a powerful enemy boring down on him from above. He didn''t have time to evade the attack, and was dealt a blow on this back.

    Having received a deadly blow, Vorenus was going to turn on his heels. However, three ws that were sharp like daggers dug into his shoulder and stopped him cold in his tracks.

    Vorenus heard a cold voice speak behind him.

    "Hehe¡­ Level twenty, aren''t you? How pathetic!"

    KOM!

    A fire dragon suddenly appeared below the dark one. The dark one smiled faintly and then tossed Vorenus right into the gaping mouth of the fire dragon before he disappeared into thin air.

    When he reappeared, his mutated face was only two inches away from Xiao Yuyu.

    "Human... who are you?" The dark one hissed.

    "I am the chief medic of the Divine Mastery Sect, Xiao Yuyu!" Up close, Xiao Yuyu was astonished to realize that she had never seen such a Zerg before. His body, instead of being dark gray, shone with a faint blue light under the moonlight.

    "The Divine Mastery Sect¡­ Hmm! If you are strong, perhaps I should take you back with me as a gift for our Dark Lord."

    "Ice Storm!"

    Soul energy poured out from Xiao Yuyu''s hand as she cast the level eighteen ice spell.

    The spell blew an icy gale at the dark one. The dark one quickly covered his head to protect from the spell, but his body could not withstand the bitter coldness, and it gradually froze up.

    While Xiao Yuyu cast the spell, she was concerned about Vorenus'' injury.

    On the ground, Vorenus still struggled against the Scarab Zerg, trying to cut off its head. However, the Scarab Zerg was smart and used its hard shell as protection. In between Vorenus'' attacks, it would sneak its head out of the shell and wreak havoc to its surrounding.

    Vorenus had tried to crack open its shell using brute force, but to no avail. Frustrated, he wondered since when did the Zerg evolve into such a powerful state.

    Although Vorenus was convinced that the head and the neck area were the Zerg''s weakness, without a distraction, it would be difficult for him tond a solid blow on it.

    Meanwhile, the ice on the dark one''s body quickly thawed, and the dark on was unharmed.

    "Human, is this really your best attack?"

    The dark one asked as he reached out its ws at Xiao Yuyu. Xiao Yuyu hurried to take a few steps away from the Zerg, but the dark one was faster.

    As Xiao Yuyu was about to give up, she felt someone grab her from behind, and in a blink, she was teleported to a few dozen meters away from where she had been.

    The dark one also hurried back to the sky like a startled bird, an ugly bird at that.

    The Scarab Zerg on the ground also took off and was back in the air in an instant. In the sky, in between the two Zergs was another figure: a human figure.

    Soldiers could sense the temperature dropping by the second, and before long, snow started to fall from the sky. As soon as the snow touched the zing fire, the me waned significantly and then eventually died out.

    Finally, people had a clear view of the human in the sky; he was in an Einherjar METAL suit.

    "Gosh! That''s an Einherjar!"

    "We are saved!"

    "That must be the Divine Master himself!"

    Xiao Yuyu looked at the unfamiliar face in that shiny Einherjar METAL and wondered who that was. The stranger had just used a spell that was so powerful that only the young master would be able to wield it.

    The Scarab Zerg attacked as it shot belligerent mes at the human Einherjar warrior.

    Seeing this, the humans on the ground gasped: the Einherjar didn''t dodge the attack at all.

    "KOM!"

    The me had hit home. However, the Einherjar was unharmed.

    "Human, who are you?" The Scarab Zerg asked while brandishing its tail.

    Einherjar answered the question with a p on the Zerg''s face.

    Feeling humiliated, the Zerg shouted in hysteria.

    "Kill him! Kill him!"

    The Scarab shotrge fireballs out of his mouth, but all of them missed their target.

    The Einherjar jabbed the Zerg with his right hand.

    "KOM"

    The Zerg was blown away and only stopped by a wall. Before the Scarab Zerg was able to gather itself, the Einherjar delivered another blow on the shell. The punch went straight through the shell, deep into the belly of the beast.

    Seeing his partner''s downfall, the dark one finally attacked. His ten fingers turned into ten sharp des, all of them pointed at the Einherjar.

    Xiao Yuyu was engrossed in the fight scene, and she reckoned that this Einherjar was not from Mars. Plus, she had never heard of any Einherjar who was both a METAL warrior and a mastery caster.

    On the other hand, the high-level dark one had reached at least the legendary level. He was even capable of copying humans''bat techniques.

    The Einherjar disappeared, and the attack passed right through him andnded on a high rise building. The steel and concrete building was sliced in half in an instant.

    The dark one didn''t stop there, as he folded his hands and turned his fingers into a de made out of bones. Heunched himself into the air and delivered the same sidearm attack that Vorenus had just executed.

    "Kom!"

    Both the dark one and the Einherjar appeared in the sky, and along with them came a swell of explosions.

    "You are of a new breed, aren''t you? How many of you are there?" The Einherjar asked slowly. The dark one felt that his body was hijacked by a powerful force. Despite his resistance, a few words tumbled out from his mouth.

    "Twelve..."

    "What is the goal?"

    "Evolution, towards... humans'' secret."

    "Did Patroclus send anyone to Mars ofte?"

    "Yes."

    "Is Moye fully recovered?"

    The mere mentioning of Moye agitated the dark one. Wang Tong furrowed his brows as he lost control over the dark one''s mind. He had many more questions.

    The dark one paused for a second and let out a pained wince before his head exploded from inside.

    The battle was over, and the Einherjar slowly faded out of view.

    The victory came so suddenly that the citizens were still recovering from the trauma. While Sanders marveled at his extreme luck of being saved by a mysterious Einherjar, he also wondered who this Einherjar was.

    Right after the battle, Xiao Yuyu rushed to Vorenus to tend to his wounds.

    "Just like young master had said, Zergs are getting stronger." Xiao Yuyu said.

    Vorenus nodded, "Both Zergs were of new breeds that we have never seen before. The Scarab Zerg is around level eighteen, but it has an extraordinary defense. That dark one must have already reached the legendary level, and he is capable of imitating human moves. We need to report this development back to young master as soon as possible."

    Xiao Yuyu nodded, "The dark one is onto something, there is no question about it. People here are being too optimistic."

    "Touch¨¦! And I bet you that Sanders is not alone among all the other city lords. We have been too nice to them."

    "Who do you think that Einherjar was? One of us?" Xiao Yuyu asked.

    "Not likely. We know all the legendary level warriors in the sect, and none of them would show up here. I think this impersonator is more powerful than even the legendary level. Who would that be?" Vorenus asked curiously.

    "Where is boss?" Lun Duo asked.

    "Yeah, where is he? I hope he is not dead."

    "I am so moved that you two still remembered me. Haha... Thank you very much, I am still alive." Wang Tong said with a broad smile as he walked into the room.

    Due to the Zerg attack and the mysterious Einherjar''s dramatic rescue, the auction was called off. No one knew who the Einherjar was, and Sanders was convinced that he was a warrior from the Sect. If Sanders had learned any lesson today, it was not to mess with the Sect.

    Therefore, Sanders made up his mind to obey the Sect''s order from then on.

    Wang Tong would never have imagined that his involvement would have helped Xiao Yuyu and the Divine Mastery Sect unexpectedly. All this while, he wondered how powerful Patroclus had gotten, and what would happen if he were to fight him there and then.

 Chapter 525: Captain Wannabe

    Chapter 525: Captain Wannabe

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Despite the Zergs'' destruction of the city, more people in the streets felt excited about the appearance of an Einherjar than remorse for their loss.

    "Have you seen the Einherjar?"

    The news spread to every corner of the city from the city center, which was hit by the surprise attack.

    "Yes, and he is a new Einherjar. The gods are on our side!"

    The victory had instilled much confidence and spirit in the citizens. Sanders also quickly adjusted his attitude and decided to follow the Sect''s instructions to the letters from then on.

    Sanders was a shrewd politician. Having believed that the Einherjar was one of the members of the Sect, he started a propaganda campaign about the power and might of the Divine Mastery Sect.

    When Wang Tong returned to the hotel, he saw Mr. Wannabe and Charcoal were ying chess.

    "Hey, your master is calling you." Mr. Wannabe spoke to Charcoal.

    Charcoal stood up and turned his head to Wang Tong; meanwhile, Mr. Wannabe charged up his soul energy and stole a piece of chess from charcoal at lightning speed.

    "He is messing with you. " Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

    "Shut up, you! Come on now, it''s your turn." Mr. Wannabe urged Charcoal to move a piece on the chess board. But, when he looked down on the board again, he noticed that the piece he stole was returned to its original spot.

    "Don''t waste your time, Mr. Wannabe. This game board is part of Charcoal. You won''t be able to make any changes."

    Mr. Wannabe sank into his armchair and then said, "Hey, Kiddo, you look happy. How''s your recovery?"

    "I''m recovering, slowly but surely. "

    "You are an idiot, you know? I will give you a six out of ten for your performance at Battle Wolf. 6.5 at most!"

    "No way! I thought I had managed everything well. We can''t rush things, you know?"

    "Based on my knowledge, nothing is too fast as long as the foundation is solid enough. Don''t let your mind slow you down. This is the age of bloodshed¡­ The quickest way to establish power is to use brute force."

    "We are a resistance force, not bandits. " Wang Tong rose to thement.

    Mr. Wannabe''s face became serious as he said, "That is not what I mean. I just want you to know that you are not the savior of the world, you are just a leader of a piss poor band of weaklings. You don''t need to y by the rule as the powerful people would. You need to focus more on the results instead of your approach."

    Wang Tong asked, "Then, what should I do?"

    "It''s up to you. Take my words with a grain of salt. I am a very aggressive person, while Li Feng had been too passive. You need to know what your style is and stop wasting your time on these small skirmishes. Remember your goal. We will lose everything once Patroclus enters the super Einherjar level." Mr. Wannabe said.

    Wang Tong''s eyes glinted with realization. There had been three people in Wang Tong''s life that had influenced him the most. The first one was the Old Fart. He had taught Wang Tong how to survive in the human world, but had taught him little about how to be a good person. The second person was Li Feng. Although they had only met a few times in the space crystal, General Li Feng''s unwavering conviction in humanity had moved Wang Tong and given him a reason to fight.

    The third one was Mr. Wannabe; he was both a teacher and a friend.

    Mr. Wannabe had saved him twice at the expense of his own life essence. Wang Tong was hidden from the world for five years to recuperate and strengthen himself. He couldn''t afford to let Mr. Wannabe waste his life essence on him again, since it meant that the old ghost would perish forever.

    Wang Tong saw the sense in Mr. Wannabe''s words. Perhaps, the five years of seclusion had made him forget about his old principals that he used to be so proud of. He conceded that he had been too passive, and needed to be more aggressive in the future.

    "Mr. Wannabe, would you like to join me in Battle Wolf? I can get you a job there. Aren''t you bored?"

    "No way! I don''t want to work for you."

    "Hehe¡­ But, I bet you will be interested. It must get boring inside that small crystal. I can let you train the METAL soldiers. How about that?"

    "I am a¡­ super¡­Wait, what? You said training?" An almost sadistic smile found Mr. Wannabe''s face, and he nodded at Wang Tong, who smiled back knowingly.

    In thest five years, Wang Tong and Mr. Wannabe had been working on unlocking the deeperyers of the crystal. By then, the seal had gotten so weak that Mr. Wannabe was able to appear in the real world. Although he could only appear outside the crystal for a limited time, this development had lightened his mood significantly.

    Having Mr. Wannabe as the instructor for the METAL warriors was a win-win solution for both Wang Tong and the old ghost. Not only would Mr. Wannabe enjoy the fresh air outside the crystal, but Wang Tong could also free up some time to improve his cultivation. Like Mr. Wannabe had suggested, he needed to be bolder in his endeavors, and in order to do that, he first needed to free up some time.

    Charcoal and Mr. Wannabe started their chess game again, leaving Wang Tong alone to cultivate his soul essence. Despite Mr. Wannabe''s powerful abilities on the battlefield, he was no match for Charcoal when it came down to chess.

    Eyes closed, Wang Tong mauled on Mr. Wannabe''s words. Although he conceded that Mr. Wannabe''s suggestion was right, it would be up to him to set the limit on the degree of his boldness. Too much of anything was never good for anyone after all.

    Wang Tong was amused by the contrast between Mr. Wannabe and Li Feng. He then smiled faintly and embarked on the cultivation of the divine way.

    ¡­

    Jade City had doubled its guards to make sure the tragedy would not happen again. Sanders also sent out more scouts to the surrounding area, believing that the main reason for the ident was a failed enemy reconnaissance system.

    After the turn of events, Sanders had made up his mind to be absolutely loyal to the Sect. In order to show off his loyalty, Sanders wagered that he needed to make progress in the war. Luckily, Xiao Yuyu didn''t seem to me it all on Sanders; she knew that it would be very easy for high-level dark ones to avoid the scouts'' detection.

 Chapter 526: Crystal Gun

    Chapter 526: Crystal Gun

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The news about the attack quickly got into the ears of the young master. Numerous skirmishes were happening every day, but none had the profound impact as the one that urred in Jade City.

    Thebined strength of Xiao Yuyu and Vorenus could barely fend off the dark one''s attack alone, much less when the dark one was aided by the Scarab Zerg. Over the five years, the Zergs had surprised humans with their power many times, and therefore, Xiao Yuyu knew that the humans could not lower their guard. The cunning Zergs would not hesitate to deliver the deadliest blow when they noticed a hint of rxation in humans. Even when the humans were constantly on high alert, they were still struggling with the power of the Zergs.

    After the Sect had received the footage of the battle scene, they broadcasted it across Mars. The appearance of another Einherjar would boost the Martians'' confidence, even though no one knew who this Einherjar was.

    Life in Jade City had returned to normal in just one day. Wang Tong and Ye Zi also started to iron out thest few wrinkles in their first step in working with the Sect.

    Syracuse had also got wind of the coboration between Battle Wolf and the Sect. This development lent him confidence in the sess of the uing auction.

    Despite the reputation of Guan Dongyang and the expertise of Xiao Yuyu, the merchant''s pragmatism had spurred Syracuse to demand Wang Tong to demonstrate the usage of the two crystals during the auction.

    Although Wang Tong thought it was a waste to use two crystals just for the show, he epted the demand.

    Syracuse informed all of his business contacts about the auction, which not only came from within the city, but also from the outside. Many attendees who were located too far away from the Jade city would join the auction via video conferencing.

    Since the sk satellite system had been destroyed by the Zergs, allmunications were made possible withndlines. Communication was of paramount importance to the resistance groups. Not only did they need it to stay connected with each other, but the humans also relied on it to get a sense of unity and sce.

    Due to the high profile attendees, Sanders had called off all the unsavory auction items, such as ves and stolen goods.

    Xiao Yuyu''s mood lightened up significantly after the incident. The carcasses of the dark one and the Scarab were being moved to the Sect''sb for experiments. The biggest surprise that came to Xiao Yuyu was the change in Sander''s attitude. It had urred to her that Sanders had picked up his ck and started to work on preparing for the war. In a couple of days, he had issued a dozen edicts that aimed to strengthen its military capacity. Although the Divine Mastery sect didn''t send in a single soldier, as the leader of Mars, it had yed an important role in uniting the different factions under the same banner.

    When Wang Tong and his friends arrived at the auction house again, they reckoned that the ambiance inside had changed significantly.

    "Wang Tong, chief Medic has agreed to our terms. "

    "Hehe, good job!" Wang Tong nodded pleasantly.

    "That''s it? No reward?" Ye Zi asked.

    "Ah, of course, there is. Ask Captain Guan!" Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    "Pff... Stingy!" Ye Zi rolled her eyes at him.

    Wang Tong scanned the people pouring into the auction house, and noticed that almost all of the attendees were influential men and women in the city. It had urred to him that Syracuse didn''t organize this auction solely for his energy crystals; instead, Wang Tong happened to have walked into his office with the crystal right before the annual Grand Auction.

    As the auction house started to fill up, people soon gathered in small groups and started socializing with each other while waiting for the auction to start. Most of the conversation topic covered the identity of the mysterious Einherjar. Somemented about the danger of not having a legendary level warrior guarding their city. Although there were no legendary level warriors in the Jade city, there were numerous level twenty warriors. However, for one reason or another, none of these level twenty warriors appeared during the battle.

    Apanying Xiao Yuyu, Sanders also attended the auction. Sanders should have counted himself lucky that he didn''t'' work for House Lie, since Lie Jian would have never given him a second chance. Compared to House Lie, the Divine Mastery Sect was much more lenient and patient with their subjects.

    Syracuse hosted the auction by himself, and the first item was a mint condition super METAL. This was a work of art from House Ma before it lost its manufacturing capabilities. The de symbol on the METAL''s pauldron would make any METAL warrior''s face shine with pride. This was not only a precious gift for anyone who was interested in METALbat, but also a rare and very practical armor for METAL warriors. Most of its kind had been destroyed during the war, and by then, only a handful of copies remained.

    The bidding quickly followed suit; buyers raised their number one after another, and the price quickly skyrocketed.

    Xiao Yuyu and Vorenus sat in a VIP room as they watched the action unfold, seemingly uninterested in the METAL suit. They were waiting for even rarer items.

    "This Syracuse is quite a character." Xiao Yuyu cracked a smile.

    "Absolutely! He is well connected in all cities, and even in the territories that are controlled by the dark ones. Sometimes, even we have to rely on his information about the situations in remote areas." Sanders put in.

    "Is that right?" Vorenus asked with a knotted face. It was not good news that the local lords would have to rely on a merchant to collect intelligence on the Zergs.

    Sensing the edge in Vorenus'' voice, Sanders cracked a smile and then said, "Although he is a greedy businessman, he has talents that othersck, and we need to utilize all sorts of talents in order to defeat the Zergs. On another note, if you see anything you like, I will buy it for you as a gift."

    "Thank you, Lord Sanders, but that will be too much." Xiao Yuyu refused the offer politely.

    Sanders waved his hand and insisted on his offer. "This is not a bribe. It''s just a token of appreciation for saving us from the Zergs."

    Xiao Yuyu smiled and let the matter slide; she doubted that she would like anything in this auction.

    Suddenly, they heard a wave of gasps rising from the audience. On the podium rested a gun.

    "This is the work of the Kaedeian weapon master, Cindere! A GN crystal gun! The energy crystal can reduce the GN force required to fire the gun by seventy percent!" Syracuse announced excitedly.

 Chapter 527: Spell Crystals

    Chapter 527: Spell Crystals

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The crystal gun project had been shelved by the Confederation for many years due to fruitless experiments. The crystal gun was first introduced to the battlefield by the Kaedeian vanguard, and became their standard equipment. The technology of the gun was fiercely guarded by the female warriors, and Cindere was the only Kaedeian weaponsmith who still knew how to create such a weapon. By now, only a handful of the original crystal guns were left in the world, and they were kept close to Kaedeian royalties.

    "This is the new X series GN force crystal gun. With the hair-trigger add-on, it can fire over one hundred and twenty shots per second. It can be used by any soldier above level fifteen. Starting at one thousand blues!"

    The price immediately shocked everyone. Many major factions wanted to pick up the research from where the Confederation left it, so this gun could be a perfect experiment sample. The working principle of the crystal gun was simple, but the core martial required a legendary craftsman to create, which made replicating the gun nearly impossible outside Cindere''s workshop. The difficulties in making the coreponent had also drastically reduced the number of guns that could be produced. Should anyb be able to find a way to mass produce the coreponent, the powerful guns would be used by many more human soldiers.

    Despite the immense value of the gun, many people hesitated in bidding at first.

    "Fifteen hundred!"

    On the screen, an anonymous buyer raised his ticket via the teleconference and stated his price; he was located in Cesar City, miles away from Jade City.

    These anonymous buyers were the main customers of Syracuse. Despite their elusive identity, their cheques never bounced.

    Sanders sneaked a nce at Xiao Yuyu and Vorenus beside him; he could tell that they were very interested in the gun, although they barely had the need to use it in order to defend themselves.

    Sanders waved at one of his servants and whispered an order. A few secondster, someone raised their number and increased the price to two thousand blues.

    Everyone in the city knew the young man who bid for the gun was one of Sanders representatives, so none of them decided to raise their number again. However, the same could not be said about those anonymous buyers who joined the auction via teleconferencing.

    "Three thousand." A buyer from Brooklyn raised the price again.

    Lun Duo and Tan Bu looked at each other with surprise; they had never thought that a gun could be worth so much money. Unknown to the two young soldiers, three thousand could barely cover Syracuse''s cost of acquiring the gun.

    "Five thousand."

    An anonymous buyer from Alexander City doubled down on his offer. A smile found the corner of Syracuse''s mouth; he knew that the bidding war had finally started.

    Soon, the price of the gun was jacked to over ten thousand, and by then, only the buyers from the big cities were still left in the game. Even if anyone in a smaller city such as Jade City wanted to bid for the gun, the price had gone way beyond their limit.

    "Fifteen thousand!"

    Suddenly, someone inside the auction house shouted out his offer. When Syracuse looked toward the speaker, the smile on his face evaporated in an instant.

    It was Wang Tong, the piss poor leader of a piss poor war band.

    Syracuse prayed with all the force he could muster that someone would top his price. But, even after three long, silent minutes, no one had risen to the challenge. Following a crisp din of the gavel, Wang Tong had be the new owner of this legendary gun. Knowing that Wang Tong could never fulfill the payment, Syracuse felt that his heart was bleeding. He could only hope that Wang Tong''s crystals could fetch a higher price than he had expected.

    A murmur rose from the crowd as everyone wondered how a penniless war band could afford such an expensive weapon.

    Lan Duo and Tan Bu were shocked by the development; they asked Wang Tong, "Boss, how will we be able to afford that?"

    "Hehe, don''t worry! Who said that I am going to pay with blues? We have another invaluable asset in our team, remember?" Wang Tong said and pointed his mouth towards Ye Zi.

    After the crystal gun, another few expensive items were brought to the podium and sold. These were luxury items that were useless on a battlefield. Although the humans were in a war with Zergs, leisure and entertainment nevercked customers.

    After the few routine transactions, everyone knew that the main item of the auction was about to show up. The anticipation kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

    When the item finally arrived, everyone found out that they were a few energy crystals.

    Although no one knew what was so special about these crystals, the buyers knew that Syracuse would not let them down. A few buyers who had been waiting for this movement for too long to resist the sleepiness rubbed their eyes and studied the crystal attentively.

    "May I have your attention, please? Tonight''sst item is this set of energy crystals!"

    Wang Tong whispered something to Ye Zi and gave something to her. Ye Zi paused for a second and then nodded, despite the doubts flickering in her eyes.

    "Do it."

    "Yes." Ye Zi could not doubt Wang Tong, so she decided to carry out his instructions.

    "There are five of them in total¡­ The one on the left is called the crystal of divine light, and the two to your left are called Infernal Hell. Both are the works of the Fire Lord, Guan Dongyang. "

    The mentioning of Guan Dongyang''s name rekindled the interest of some of the buyers. However, they wondered what was so special about these crystals that they even had their names. Curiosity made them wait for Syracuse to finish his introduction of the items.

    "Every single one of these crystals contains three level seventeen divine light spells. The Divine Light is a new mastery spell created by Guan Dongyang. It is a powerful buff spell that can improve the soldiers'' strength, speed, and reactions. To put it simply, it can increase the power of an affected soldier by at least one level. Itsts around ten to thirty minutes. There are no restrictions on the level of the caster and neither the type of elements the caster specializes in."

    A wave of astonished murmurs rose among the audience. These crystals worked the same as the GN Crystal gun, but instead of GN force, they utilized mastery. If it were real, Guan Dongyang could be considered as one of the most talented mastery casters in the world. In addition, the spells inside the incredible crystal also sounded amazing to many buyers.

    "I have gotten the permission from the owner of these crystals to use one of the crystals and demonstrate its power. For the sake of fairness, I have invited the medic from the Sect, Ye Zi, to test these crystals for us. I will also need another METAL warrior to step on to the stage to help her."

    "Hehe¡­ I have never seen anything like it. Antonio, why don''t you go help chief out?" Sanders asked.

    Antonio walked onto the stage; the screen showed that he was a level eighteen warrior, and he would be the test subject.

 Chapter 528: Annual Auction Event

    Chapter 528: Annual Auction Event

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Ye Zi activated the crystal with only a level two soul energy in order to testify Wang Tong''s im regarding the zero-level requirement for using the crystal. Suddenly, a bright white light shed from above onto Antonio, as well as a few buyers sat at the front row.

    The feeling was palpable for anyone inside the light.

    "Gosh! I leveled up!"

    "Where does this powere from?"

    The ones in the audience seats were the first to notice the effect. They were of much lower level than Antonio, and therefore, they quickly felt the surge of energy.

    On the stage, the gauge read that Antonio had just leveled up into level neen.

    Syracuse was under the light as well, and he felt the warm energy swimming inside his system as well. If he were impressed by the spell, he didn''t show it on his face.

    Due to Antonio''s rtively high level, the effectsted only five minutes. However, it was enough to impress everyone at the auction. The audiences under the stage felt that the effect on them hadsted for more than ten minutes. In addition, after the effect had subsided, no one felt any signs of withdrawing too much energy as one would after using the conventional buff spells.

    Since a Sect medic verified the crystal and the spells, it gained solid support from the Divine Mastery sect.

    Despite the impressed murmurs around her, Ye Zi was still worried that these crystals were not going to fetch as high a price as Wang Tong had hoped.

    "This crystal still has two charges left, and the rest each have three charges. All three will be sold together, starting at ten thousand blues."

    As soon as Syracuse had finished his announcement, the bidding started. "Twenty thousand!" It was someone from Cesar City.

    "Thirty thousand!"

    "Thirty-five thousand. " Sander''s voice boomed inside the auction hall.

    Although Jade city was a small city, Sanders could not pass up the opportunity of acquiring the most valuable mastery artifact, especially when these crystals were already inside his city.

    "Fifty thousand!" The huge increment in price made Sanders''s offer look pathetic.

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu stared at each other in surprise, shocked at the promise of getting filthy rich.

    Silence fell into the auction hall for a few seconds, before another voice rose.

    "Sixty thousand."

    The anonymous speaker was from Dawn Light City, the headquarters of Divine Mastery sect. After a long silenceced with murmur and gasps, Syracuse finally struck the gavel on the podium.

    "DEAL!"

    Duo Lun and Tan Bu''s face bloomed like two flowers.

    The three Divine Light crystals were sold, and now everyone''s shifted their attention onto the two crystals of Infernal Hell.

    "These two crystals each contain a level neen fire element spell¡ªInferno Hell. It is an area of effect spell with an effective radius of fifty meters. Anything within that radius will be reduced to ashes in a blink. The minimum requirement for using the spell is level five, and the range of the spell is two hundred meters. Since it will be difficult to verify such devastating power, I urge everyone to have faith in the credibility of the Fire Lord."

    Although the two crystals could not be tested, the sale of thest three crystals lent credence their effect. Plus, everyone had heard the news of Guan Dongyang''s recent victory over the Zergs using his powerful fire spell. However, since it was unconventional to auction something that could not be verified, Syracuse started the price at five thousand and let his customers decide for themselves.

    Walking in the streets with a level neen fire spell was like walking with a weapon of mass destruction. Such a weapon was able to change the tide of the battle in an instant.

    Ten thousand!

    Fifteen thousand!

    Twenty thousand!

    Although mastery casters had be prevalent over the years, it was hard to find a level neen caster. Therefore, any spell from a powerful level neen caster such as Guan Dongyang would be highly sought after.

    The two Inferno Hell crystals were finally sold for eighty thousand blues in total. The two crystals had been an eye opener for everyone at that auction.

    Syracuse was more than happy with the oue of the auction. It was a good start for his coboration with Battle Wolf. The power of these crystals convinced him that only his financial clout could construct arge enough tform for their sales.

    When Syracuse was about to announce the end of the auction, a worker hurried to his side and whispered to him. Syracuse turned around and announced to the audiences, "Next, I am about to present to you an even more amazing item!"

    Syracuse''s announcement caught everyone'' attention, including those who had already left their seats. They quickly returned to their seats and looked at the stage attentively.

    Lu Duo strode onto the stage with nothing in his hand. No one, not even Syracuse, knew what it was about. He was only told that Wang Tong requested the showing of onest item. To show his goodwill, Syracuse had made an exception and allowed the auction of thest item that he was uninformed of.

    Without speaking a word, Duo Lun took off his shirt and revealed his naked body.

    A swell of murmurs rose from the audiences; some wondered if Syracuse was going to put on a ve for auction.

    On the stage, Duo Lun unsheathed his de and pierced it into his belly. Everyone was shocked by the development; after a few gasps, a dead silence fell into the auction hall.

    Ye Zi was also taken aback by the turn of events. She rushed towards the stage, but was stopped by Tan Bu.

    Duo Lun pulled the de out of his belly and pressed the wound with his left hand to prevent blood from spilling out. Something glinted in his left hand; it was an energy crystal.

    Suddenly, a white light shot out of his left palm, and under the soft touch of the light, his wound was healed in a few seconds.

    After a while, Duo Lun gathered himself and announced, "This is the healing crystal. It can be used to heal wounds using the mastery spell inside instantly."

    The audience''s mind reeled at the revtion.

    Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi gave each other a surprised nce; this spell was unheard of even within the Sect.

    "What a fool!" Wang Tongmented at Duo Lun''s recklessness. He had ordered him to demonstrate the healing ability with a live chicken, but he had used himself instead.

    Although Duo Lun was not an eloquent speaker, he knew how to make a point without using words.

    "Are you alright, young man?" Syracuse asked Duo Lun, seemingly concerned about his well-being.

    Duo Lun didn''t speak; instead, he charged up his GN force to show that he was very well and alive.

    "OK, that''s enough! I didn''t mean to doubt you; you can leave the rest to me now. " Syracuse said.

    Duo Lun nodded and then handed over the crystal to Syracuse.

    "It can only be used one more time." Duo Lun added.

    "Alright everyone, let''s take a break now, and we will resume in ten minutes," Syracuse announced to the speaker.

    The Auction house boiled over as soon as the Syracuse finished his words.

    He walked to Ye Zi and asked, "How many of these crystals do you have?"

    Ye Zi was at a loss. She looked to Duo Lun.

    "Only one." Duo Lun answered.

    "How long does it take Captain Guan to make one of these."

    "The material is hard toe by. I don''t think you will see any more of them anytime soon." Duo Lun answered with the exact same words that Wang Tong had told him.

    Syracuse nodded, wagering that these crystals ought to be made out of very precious material to take on such incredible effects. Truth be told, Syracuse wanted one of these life-saving crystals for himself.

    "Mr. Syracuse. Captain Guan is very generous to his friends. I don'' think he could charge his friends any money for this, if you get what I mean." Duo Lun spoke slowly.

    Picking up his hint, Syracuse''s face was lit up with glee. "Of course! Thank you, young man! I will handle the rest from here on."

    Without wasting any time, Syracuse rushed to contact his most powerful clients.

    Ten minutester, more people joined in the auction via teleconference. These new buyers were some of the most powerful and influential customers that Syracuse knew.

    Syracuse knew that after Duo Lun''s vivid demonstration, the item no longer needed any more introduction.

    "On the podium, we have the one and only healing crystal in the world, starting at fifty thousand blues."

    "A hundred thousand!"

    A voice boomed inside the auction house through a speaker; it was from a buyer in Brooklyn. He had doubled the starting price off the bat to show his unequivocal determination in getting the crystal.

    "Anyone else?" Despite the astronomical price, Syracuse''s voice was calm, if not casual.

    "A hundred and fifty thousand."

    "A hundred and fifty thousand, a gentleman from Cesar City¡­ Anyone else?"

    Ye Zi was shocked by the amount of money being tossed around. She had never seen so much money while managing the funds for Battle Wolf.

    Interest burned in Xiao Yuyu''s eyes. The healing spell was especially close to home for her, and she was shocked by how powerful Guan Dongyang had be. Sensing her interest, Sanders bid one time perfunctorily, and his offer was quickly topped by another. He knew that acquiring this crystal was way beyond his capability.

 Chapter 529: Always The Winner

    Chapter 529: Always The Winner

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Although Sanders had given up on the auction, he had made up his mind to cozy up to Guan Dongyang. After all, Jade City was right next to the Maersa district.

    It was the first time for many buyers form Jade City to see an auction at such a grand scale. Ever since the war broke out, the wealth of the world had been more concentrated with the rich and powerful than ever before. Everyone wanted to own the life-saving crystal, and the bidding was about to get heated.

    Syracuse knew the importance of patience. Why would he risk his life worthy of saving for one golden egg while he could make friends with the golden goose himself? Syracuse knew that Guan Dongyang was not in the habit of hoarding a huge amount of wealth, so this money would be spent on his band. It was evident to Syracuse that it was the fiercepetition with other local war-bands that had driven him to form an alliance with him.

    "Five Hundred Thousand!"

    "They are people from the ze City¡­ from House Lie." someone murmured.

    "Five hundred and fifty."

    "It is the Kaedeians! They have joined the bid as well."

    Even the Kaedeians, who were usually reticent during public events, had weighed in.

    Syracuse was caught off guard by the actions of Kaedeians, since it was his first time seeing them bidding on anything. He had kept an amicable rtionship with these female warriors by offering them bits and pieces of information he had collected along his travel. In exchange for his service, the Kaedeians had sold him one of a few crystal guns that still existed in the world, at a hefty price of course.

    When the price rose to seven hundred grand, most buyers gave up, except for the Kaedeians.

    "Seven hundred grand, once."

    "Seven hundred grand, twice."

    "Seven hundred grand, DEAL!"

    Duo Lun felt that he was dreaming. Even one blue to him was quite a fortune, much less seven hundred thousand of them.

    As a member of the Divine Mastery Sect, money was nothing but a worldly burden to Ye Zi. However, seven hundred grand was too big of a burden for her to overlook.

    The auction finally ended on a high note, and the astronomical price for his spells had pushed the fame of the fire lord to a new height.

    "It was bought by the Kaedeians? Since when have these she-wolves be so obsessed with humans'' craft?" Lie Jian said with a smirk.

    "My Lord, could it be that someone important was injured within their ranks?"

    "If that was the case, why didn''t they ask the Sect for help? They are up to something. I can almost smell it."

    "I agree, my lord."

    Lie Jian had gained a lot more muscle over the five years, and his dark eyes glinted with a sharp light from time to time. One could have a gauge of his confidence and power just by looking at his imposing and stately appearance.

    "Guan Dongyang is getting stronger. When I first heard about his victory over Nithak, I almost couldn''t believe it. Interesting! What is going on with Lie Xuan? "

    "Lie Wushuang has already returned, my lord. But Lie Xuan..."

    "Never mind! She will regret it one day. Guan Dongyang is not a man who will spend much time on his woman. Anyhow, I hope when the Zergs are at his door, he will be strong enough to fend them off." A stone cold sneer found Lie Jian''s mouth. He knew at first hand that once Guan Dongyang became powerful, it would only be a matter of time before the Zergs would sniff him out. By then, regardless of how powerful Guan Dongyang was, even if he was at the legendary level, it would be impossible for him to survive the attack without a strong team around him.

    Meanwhile, inside the Kaedeian Pce¡­

    "My Queen, we have bought that crystal, and it will be shipped to us within a week." An officer reported to the queen, who nodded in response.

    "Mother, I have my reservations on purchasing this crystal. We are putting all of our eggs in one basket. That is not reasonable."

    "Heidi, we have already talked about this."

    "My queen, I can see where princess Heidi ising from. However, as the prophet, I know what I saw in my dreams. Unlike humans, who have two options to choose, we only have one." The head priestess announced; her soft voice held an unswerving conviction.

    "Venerable mother, I did not mean to doubt your vision. I just thought that we should work more closely with the Divine Mastery Sect instead of this... God knows who he is... The Sect is our strongest ally. " Princess Heidi insisted on her position.

    "You are right, princess. However, you can''t see far enough. The nature of this war has changed¡­ It is no longer about eliminating the Zergs, if you get what I am saying. " The head priestess stood up and spoke in a more assertive tone.

    "I don''t understand¡­ Please do tell," Heidi replied.

    "The twin stars had foretold the forked paths that humanity is facing right now, but it didn''t show me the path we should embark." Generations of memories rushed back to the head priestess as she spoke the words. She remembered the time when Zergs drove them out of their home and forced them to live with the Humans. The light in her eyes dimmed as the faces of her friends who died in the war appeared in her mind. The Kaedeian culture had been severely eroded along with the deceased; the race was dying slowly under her watch.

    "The twin stars? Who is the star other than the savior?"

    "Patroclus." The head priestess announced. The words hit Heidi''s mind like a hammer.

    "...Patroclus? Isn''t he the traitor?"

    "Hehe¡­ My princess, he is not a traitor by a long chalk. If there had been a person such as him among Kaedeians, we wouldn''t have ended up here, struggling on Mars." The head priestess seemed to admire the culprit of their suffering, the enemy of all humans, Patroclus.

    "Why¡­?"

    "I am sorry if I have offended you, princess. But, have you thought that after Patroclus merged with the Zerg and created the Immortals, the Zergs will never be able to eliminate the humans?"

    "Yes, because they have all turned into monsters!" Heidi rose to the question. The thought of the vile thing buried deep inside the humans'' chest made her stomach churn.

    "My princess, if you were a Homo erectus who lived eons ago, covered in fur and walking with bent hind legs, you would think the modern humans looked alien as well. What I am trying to say is that after the merger, the humans didn''t lose their humanity. In other words, they are still who they are, if not more."

    "But, this is not natural! They were forced. and they will forever be the Zergs'' ve."

    "Is that so? Patroclus has already annexed powers of two of the most influential Zerg lords, and his power is still growing. He controls both Earth and the Moon, while the real Zerg Lord, Moye, has to watch his influence dwindling while hiding on Mars."

    "You mean Patroclus has already hijacked the Zergs from the inside, and he already has the ability to carry out his own agenda?" A Kaedeian general asked.

    "Exactly! Although he has be the public enemy for the crime he hadmitted, he was simply doing the necessary evil in order to reach immortality for the entire human race. What do you think is the difference between the Immortals and Humans other than their names?"

    Silence fell into the pce as everyone was deep in their thoughts.

    "If you are right, why don''t we just surrender to Patroclus?" Heidi asked with an edge in her voice.

    The head priestess heaved a sigh and then said, "As I said, I saw two paths for humans, but for us, we have only one choice: support the savior."

    The head priestess'' words reminded everyone the fact that the Kaedeians could not be assimted by the Zergs.

    There and then, Heidi finally saw the big picture of what was going on. From the perspective of a human sub-race, both Patroclus and Wang Tong could lead the humans to their salvation. However, the Kaedeians only had one option from the get-go.

    As for the Zergs, they had already lost the war the moment Moye decided to transform Patroclus into a hybrid. It gave the Ivantian prince an opportunity to dismantle the threat of the Zergs from within.

    Wang Tong knew Patroclus'' n from the very beginning, and he immediately knew that the path was not meant for him. In his opinion, the humans would ovee difficulties with a powerful will instead of physical superiority.

    Having relied so much on their physical abilities, would the mortals appreciate the meaning of bravery, unity, generosity, and fairness? Although the immortals had gained amazing physical capabilities, their minds had inevitably weakened.

    If there were no noble human values remaining inside the immortals, could they still be called humans?

    When the test for humanity came, there would be tears, fear, and betrayal. And that was how humans became stronger as a race.

    Patroclus had been fixated on the dark side of human nature, and therefore, his approach to humanity''s ultimate salvation was to forsake the human qualities altogether. He had helped his followers adopt a new form which, except for the appearance,cked all human traits.

    On the other hand, Wang Tong believed in the good and bright side of the human nature; he had dedicated his life to encourage others to draw strength from their hearts and fight for a noble cause.

    Wang Tong and Patroclus had embarked on two drastically different paths, as the Kaedeian prophet had foretold, and only time would tell which path would lead to the ultimate salvation of the human race.

 Chapter 530: Einherjars Bane Unit

    Chapter 530: Einherjar''s Bane Unit

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "Haha¡­ Wang Tong, I knew you could do it! But, I had never thought that you could get so much money. Hey, tell me, did you sneak into the city''s vault?"

    Battle Wolf had never seen so many provisions ever since its conception. These supplies would not only secure the living standards of the soldiers, but also create an environment for them to develop a research team. There was enough equipment for the engineers to run a Sk level Amunicator, which would restore themunication of the entire Maersa district.

    "No, I tried, but they didn''t let me in. Haha... Jokes aside, Dongyang, it is about time for us to make a move."

    "You bet! By the way, why did you tell people that I had created those spells? Sooner orter, they WILL find out." Guan Dongyang gave Wang Tong wry smile. Even back at the camp, he had heard people referring to him as "the second most powerful Mastery caster the world had ever seen."

    "Hehe... You are wee, by the way. If you think you can''t live up to the reputation, I suggest you hit the gym right now." Wang Tong shot back.

    Guan Dongyang shrugged and conceded that he might have to be Wang Tong''s puppet for a while before he could reveal the truth to everyone. Meanwhile, he should seek ways to increase his power so that he wouldn''t identally blow Wang Tong''s cover.

    "While you were gone, we have recruited another hundred or so soldiers." Guan Dongyang remarked.

    "We have enlisted a few members as well. There will be fifty Mastery castersing from the Sect to join us in a couple of days, and there will also be a group of medicsing here to learn Mastery. You will have to be their teacher."

    "Me? Teaching the Sect medics?" Guan Dongyang asked incredulously.

    "Yes, that is why I told you to hit the gym. Oh, their chief medic will join them too."

    "Chief...Medic..." Guan Dongyang''s mind spun.

    ¡­

    As soon as Wang Tong returned the camp, the soldiers picked up their ck and started to train hard. Nheless, he noticed that a lot of soldiers had made decent signs of progress while he was away.

    "I can''t stand it! Tan Bu is level fifteen, and even Duo Lun has reached level fourteen?" Ross shouted in surprise.

    "Lieutenant, maybe I will take your job one day. Aren''t you concerned?" Tan Bu jested with a smile.

    "Captain, this is not fair! Why did you give them so much attention and ignore me? I should have gone with you guys!" Rossmented. He wagered that the two soldiers had received many personal lessons from Wang Tong, which directly resulted in their huge improvements. The more Ross thought about it, the more jealous and indignant he felt.

    Having caught a glimpse of Wang Tong''s ambition during the auction, the two young soldiers had also elevated their life goal to beyond a lieutenant position in Battle Wolf. They knew that as long as they followed Wang Tong, greater achievements awaited them in the future.

    Despite being the quartermaster and overseeing the burgeoning coffer, Hamir didn''t get ahead of himself. Wang Tong had urged Guan Dongyang to make a move against the Maersa City, but he knew thatpared to otherrger bands such as Blizzard and Thunder Fire, Battle Wolf''s power was still meager. A move against the Zergs would only be meaningful if Battle wolf had a sizable army. Therefore, Hamir decided to start a recruitment campaign around the area.

    Wang Tong agreed with Hamir''s approach, so he waited patiently for the Battle Wolf''s ranks to swell.

    After a few days, the local sk was finally up and running. Guan Dongyang received many congrattions and appreciation for establishing the only localmunication line that connected them with the outside world.

    As soon as the sk went online, soldiers from all over the Maersa district poured in to stay connected with the world once again after five years of digital starvation.

    With the restoration of themunication line, people inside the Maersa district finally found a shred of civilization in the ruins of the old confederation.

    The most popr information being searched on sk was the ranking of the warriors. Guan Dongyang was the only person in Maersa district who made it to the list.

    "Hans, have you found out who restored Sk?"

    "Yes, it has to be Battle Wolf. I have heard that they hit the jackpot at Jade City."

    "How much did they make?" Aamir asked.

    "Millions." The words sounded unbelievable even to the speaker himself.

    Aamir was shocked by the number, and it took him a while to gather himself. "Something is going to happen very soon," Aamir said slowly.

    "Captain, I think a stronger Battle Wolf is good for everyone. "

    "It''s still too early to say for sure, but we need to act before it''s toote."

    "You mean¡­"

    "Talk to them, and see if they are willing to let us work with them." Aamir cracked a smile.

    The power of Battle Wolf had been increasing at an rming rate, so much so that it had be suspicious. Feeling a greater power was at y behind the rise of Battle Wolf, Aamir decided to take the initiative and form an alliance with the greater power through the pact with Battle Wolf.

    Meanwhile, on Earth, a battle between the human force and the immortals had just finished. A human leader wearing a red Einherjar Armor stood on the battlefield, letting the wind toss up her long silken hair. It had been a small victory for humans, but she wondered how many of these small victories were still needed to save the human race.

    "My Lady, we have cleaned the battlefield. None of the dark ones got away."

    Ma Xiaoru removed her helmet and revealed her beautiful features. She gazed into the twilit sky and wondered how she could have done it all by herself in thest five years.

    As soon as the war started, House Ma had be the Zergs'' main target other than House Li. Einherjar Ma Dutian''s low profile had made the Zergs underestimate his Einherjar level strength at the beginning of the war. From a mysterious device, Ma Dutian harnessed the tremendous power and dealt a devastating blow to the invading Zerg. After that, House Ma disappeared off the Zergs'' radar entirely, presumably hiding in one of their many secret vaults.

    It was evident that House Ma was well prepared for the cataclysmic event.

    Seeing that Ma Xiaoru had fallen into a reverie, the soldiers left her alone and didn''t disturb her. They knew that she was thinking about Wang Tong, the only man in her life.

    Although people kept on telling her that Wang Tong was dead, she could feel his presence every living moment, so she waited.

    Many times, Ma Xiaoru thought about giving up the wait and her life altogether. But, his smiling face in her memory kept her going.

    Half a year ago, she finally reached the legendary level.

    Many people saw it as a miracle, but she considered it as long overdue. Li Ruoer had reached the legendary level a year ago, and by now, she should be at least level twenty one.

    Despite the huge blow House Li had received over the years, under the leadership of Li Zhedao, House Li had shown an incredible perseverance and tenacity. The performance of Li Shiming and Li Ruoer had also won many resistance forces'' hearts. By then, House Li, Ma, Zhang, and Porten''s family had formed an alliance which was the backbone of the human resistance on Earth and Moon.

    As the mastermind of the alliance force, Li Shiming''s answer to the overbearing Zerg forces was guerri warfare. He also made it a rule that none of the surviving Einherjars were allowed to face the Zergs alone. Patroclus had even formed a unit called Einherjar''s Bane that specialized at killing Einherjars. The humans had paid a costly price for their heroism at the beginning of the war. Within the first couple of weeks of the war, the confederation lost over twenty legendary level warriors at the hands of the Einherjar''s Bane. It had been a devastating blow to the morale of the human forces, and the killing needed to be stopped.

 Chapter 531: Life Mastery

    Chapter 531: Life Mastery

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Based on the power of legendary warriors, the Einherjar''s Bane (EB) unitposition could be very different. Because of its flexibility and deadly power, they had been a serious threat to powerful human warriors.

    After the death of two Einherjars at the hands of the EB unit, the humans learned their lessons very quickly. However, they need to strike a fine bnce between caution and cowardliness. Therefore, Li Shiming had made it aw within his territory that no Einherjar should fight on the battlefield with less than a dozen level eighteen guards. The changes had caught the Zerg''s EB unit off guard, and the Einherjars and their guards were able to deal a few serious blows to the EB unit.

    Seeing the benefit of Li Shiming''s policy, many other factions adopted it, and finally, they were able to halt the ughter of powerful human warriors.

    Patroclus'' unequivocal efforts to eliminate the legendary warriors convinced Li Shiming that once these human warriors advanced into the next level, they would have the ability to challenge Patroclus and his immortals.

    Soon after the fall of the Confederation, the marriage between Li Shiming and Ma Xiaoru was also brought onto the agenda. The union of the two families would strengthen the humans, but so far, Ma Xiaoru had refused the proposal, using her wartime duty as an excuse.

    Ma Xiaoru halted her train of thoughts and gathered herself. It was time for her to move onto the next battle. She was a woman, but that didn''t mean she was weak. As the leader of House Ma, she had to be strong.

    ¡­

    Ever since Wang Tong came back from Jade City, quartermaster had assigned each and every mastery caster a METAL suit. The band even reserved some more powerful sets of METAL suits for the casters who were about to level up. Meanwhile, Wang Tong also intruded another instructor to all the METAL warriors; he was a middle-aged man with a stubble beard. He would be solely responsible for the METAL training while Wang Tong focused on the Mastery team.

    Hamir had also used the massive funding Wang Tong had acquired and purchased much more advanced training equipment. In just a few days, the camp of Battle Wolf received a full renovation, and it started to look like a camp that belonged to a powerful band.

    Although none of the METAL warriors wanted to see Wang Tong leave them for the mastery team, they didn''t protest against Wang his decision. After all, Wang Tong wouldn''t assign the entire METALbat team to Mr. Wannabe without full trust in him. Nheless, the Warriors were still besieged by doubts. How powerful exactly was this middle aged man?

    Mr. Wannabe stood haughtily in front of the row of METAL warriors. Had he been here before? No, it wasn''t here. In his memory, it wasn''t these Bloody Poor Infantry that he hadmanded. No, they had been real warriors. He knew right then that he had been a powerfulmander, someone who could change the world on a whim.

    Slowly but unwillingly, Mr. Wannabe pulled his mind out of his reflection. The images in his memories were still vague, but the inability to recall the details no longer bothered him as it used to. Why would he be mired in the past when it was the present that could bring him joy? He had watched every step Wang Tong had taken on his journey, and he was proud to see that he was more like him than the de Warrior.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun never doubted Wang Tong, and therefore, they had faith in this mysterious Mr. Wannabe. However, the same could not be said for the other soldiers. Ross studied the pedestrian looking middle aged man and hoped that he would survive the first day.

    Mr. Wannabe finally gathered himself and scanned the soldiers in front of him. A smile found his mouth.

    "You ckers, listen up! I don''t have a ss for you today. If you cannd a blow on me, I will let you go right now. If you can''t, there will be no lunch for you!"

    The soldiers looked at each other in disbelief. Some even feared that the old lunatic was suicidal.

    While everyone was hesitating, two dark shadows left the rank and charged at Mr. Wannabe.

    It was Duo Lun and Tan Bu.

    The soldiers didn''t see Mr. Wannabe move, but both Duo Lun and Tan Bu were knocked to a side, and both copsed on the ground.

    Mr. Wannabe then cracked a smile and said, "What are you guys waiting for? I want to know if anyone of you would be able to eat today."

    "Charge!" Ross shouted and led the soldiers to swarm towards Mr. Wannabe.

    A few blocks away, Wang Tong also heard themotioning from the METAL training ground. Mr. Wannabe had been staying inside the tiny crystal for too long; some exercise would be good for him. Wang Tong knew that he possessed incredible control over his strength, and therefore, he reckoned that the soldiers would be safe.

    "Who is this guy? Is he a legendary level warrior?" Guan Dongyang was shocked by Mr. Wannabe''s power.

    "Legendary is to put it lightly. He can''t join us in battles for some reason though." Wang Tong said. "How is the new element?"

    "It is awesome. I haven''t closed my eyes for two nights, but I feel great! I never knew Mastery could be so useful!" Wang Tong had introduced a brand new element to Guan Dongyang: the element of life. It was able to transform the natural forces into life force and use it to replenish the essence of life in humans.

    "Let''s call it Life Mastery. How about that?"

    "I like that name. I also wonder if the spell can resurrect the dead at a higher level?" Guan Dongyang half asked and half-joked.

    Although this Mastery was not an attack spell, it required a deep understanding of the nature of the world in order to wield it.

    "Not in a real sense, but it might appear to have the ability to resurrect the dead by bringing people to life while they are on the brink of death. Put it to good use, Dongyang, and show those Sect Medics that we are a power to be reckoned with." Wang Tong remarked.

    "I can''t promise you anything, especially if Xiao Yuyu is going to be here. She might blow your cover."

    "Balls! Can you be a bit more optimistic?"

    "I am, but I am also pragmatic, haha¡­ I better leave those beauties to you; otherwise, Lie Xuan is not going to let me have a good time." Guan Dongyang shook his head and said.

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes at Guan Dongyang and then smiled. He was genuinely happy for him and Lie Xuan.

    ¡­

    With the aid of the energy crystals, the mastery casters were finally able to cast the most rudimentary level hybrid spells. The ranks of Battle Wolf had quickly swollen and reached three hundred strong. Guan Dongyang not only took in soldiers who were in their prime, but also many older soldiers, and even women who needed more protection. To provide shelter for the weak was part of the reason behind the inception of the Battle Wolf.

    Guan Dongyang''spassion had struck a chord with Wang Tong. Unlike Patroclus, who dictated that only the fittest would survive, Wang Tong believed that everyone deserved a chance, and it was the weakness in humans that had given them strength during hardships.

    Wang Tong took three hundred thousand or so from the coffer and purchased many crystals in order to create more mastery crystals. Since the buff spells were the easiest to create, most of these ordinary energy crystals would be filled with buff spells.

    Only Tan Bu had earned his right to have lunch on Mr. Wannabe''s first day as the instructor. However, more and more soldiers passed the test as the days went by. No one ever questioned Mr. Wannabe''s strength after that.

    Duo Lun had asked Wang Tong where to draw the line between sparring with Mr. Wannabe and hurting him. Wang Tong smiled and willed him to try all he could. He knew that thebined strength and wits of all the METAL fighters would not be able to measure to that of Mr. Wannabe.

 Chapter 532: Golden Zerg

    Chapter 532: Golden Zerg

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Despite the unorthodox methods, Mr. Wannabe''s training sessions were much more effective in strengthening the soldiers than those of Wang Tong. Meanwhile, Wang Tong had spent most of his time in the workshop, tinkering the crystal gun he had brought back and trying to find a way to mass produce these guns. Wang Tong wished to equip the weaker soldiers ¡ªGuan Dongyang had to call them the reserves¡ª with crystal guns, so that they would have a chance on the battlefield.

    Wang Tong had tried, but theycked soul energy to catch up with the pace of the ss. Therefore, he was convinced that the only way for the reserves to fight was using the crystal energy guns. Although its power would fall short when used against the dark ones, these guns should be able to handle primitive Zergs with ease.

    After working on the original gun for a while, he realized a fatal w in the Kaedeian design: it was too sophisticated.

    Wang Tong started his soul scan and studied the gun with new found interest. Despite its convoluted wiring and intricate details, he quickly grasped the working principle of the gun: it used a web of soul energy to merge the energy crystal with the gun itself. With even the slightest GN force, one would be able to trigger the energy web and amplify the GN force by several magnitudes.

    Wang Tong quickly realized that the only hurdle to its mass production was the manufacturing of the core. Wang Tong pondered on the solution for a few fruitless hours. But after a while, he had to shelf the project temporarily.

    By then, Battle Wolf''s name was heard all over the Mars, and its ranks swelled quickly. Wang Tong conceded that he would need to make sure of thebat capabilities of any new additions. Otherwise, the progress would be slowed by too much dead weight. However, he also needed to maintain a well-rounded talent pool, so that, in addition tobat, other aspects of the band could be covered as well.

    Although Wang Tong had been spending most of his time inside the workshop, he stayed connected with the rest of the world through the sk.

    As he browsed the news headlines, he conceded that a good public rtionship was essential for Guan Dongyang, since he was the face of the band. Guan Dongyang was a Martian, and therefore, it was much easier for him to connect with the Martian public than Wang Tong. In addition, Guan Dongyang had cultivated a decent public image, and all he needed was a little bit of tinder to ignite his poprity.

    The headlines were depressing to read. The Zergs had waged numerous surprise-raids on the human settlements as humans used to do to the Zergs before the war. Now, the tides had changed, and so had the roles of aggressors and victims.

    No doubt these raids had put a lot of strain on the humanmunity. The new breed of dark ones that led these assaults had easily crushed the human settlements'' resistance. Despite the progress the Zergs had made in their breeding program, Wang Tong was convinced that it was doing more harm than good to them. The number had always been the Zergs'' decisive advantage over the humans. He calcted that if the Zergs had not shifted their focus from quantity to quality, the human resistance would have been overwhelmed by them by then. However, since the Zergs had shifted their priority, the swarms, albeit stillrge, had gotten significantly smaller than before. The so-called "progress" had inadvertently given the humans a brief respite.

    Nheless, while watching the footage of the Zergs'' outrageous attacks, Wang Tong felt that he needed to do something before the morale of the human resistance took a toll.

    The Divine Mastery Sect and House Lie were able to defend against the raids with ease. However, the same could not be said for small factions. So far, House Lie had shown no interest in helping out the other factions that were in dire need of aid. House Lie was still possessed by the warlord mentality. After some city was decimated by the Zergs, House Lie would move in its troops and brazenly im the territory when the local factions were too weak to respond. House Lie''s actions were a stark contrast with the Divine Mastery Sect, as thetter sent humanitarian aid to all the affected factions. But, despite the Sect''s efforts, the overall morale on Mars was low, and the general political atmosphere was that of distrust and intrigue. Lie Jian had led the other factions by a terrible example, spurring more leaders to harbor a dream of bing the sole ruler of Mars.

    "This the Einstein City¡­ We are under attack! The city center has already fallen, and we are trying our best to prevent the Zergs from spreading. We need help!"

    Martians had a habit of naming their cities after famous historical characters, as they believed that the spirit of these famous people would protect the city. However, it was evident that the spirit of a physicist was useless against the Zergs, not even with the theory of rtivity.

    In the air, a dark one with a pair of nightmarish wings led the attack. On the ground, a swarm of mindless primitive Zergs wreaked havoc in the streets.

    The Einstein city had been a tribute city to House Lie, and therefore, it was under Lie Jian''s protection. The local militia trained at the city was assimted into the House Lie''s ranks as the sixteenth Battalion. The leader of the battalion was Lieutenant Kun Caiyi, a level twenty METAL warrior.

    Under Lieutenant Kun''s leadership, the Einstein City had enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity. Lie Jian often used Lieutenant Kun and the Einstein city as an example while persuading other factions to join House Lie.

    However, the Einstein city''s fast development did not go unnoticed by the Zergs. This had been the fourth time that Zergs had waged a full-on assault on the city.

    "Elbert, bring my personal guard here, and I will lead the charge!" Lieutenant Kunmanded.

    "Wait for a second, Lieutenant! These Zergs are here to capture powerful soldiers; we can''t fall for their trap. They will leave us be if they can''t get what they are looking for. " Elbert urged Lieutenant Kun to think twice about his actions.

    "Bullsh*t! If I let them step on my toe every single time, show would you expect the soldiers to respect me?" Lieutenant Kun shouted. Ever since he joined House Lie with his local militia band, he was ordered to exercise restraint during Zerg attacks. However, Lieutenant Kun''s patience had been wearing thin.

    Seeing his persuasion was useless, Elbertpromised, "If you insist, let me call the mastery unit to go with you, just in case."

    "Move then! I can''t wait to twist that ugly head off that dark one! Move, move!" Kun Caoyi Shouted.

    Elbert quickly summoned a group of METAL warriors led by four level twenty legendary fighters.

    Kun Caiyi scanned his guards and announced, "I only need to take the four of you with me to lure the dark on into the mastery caster''s attack range. The rest wait here for my return."

    "Yes, sir!"

    The five warriors flew towards the dark one, and the Lieutenant shouted, "Hey d*ckhead, I''m here. Come at me!"

    The dark one''s eyes glinted. He was given only two instructions: one, to capture the leader alive, and second, if the first mission failed, to take the leader''s DNA samples.

 Chapter 533: Death To the Zergs!

    Chapter 533: Death To the Zergs!

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    As the attackers led by a dark one in golden colored armor approached the human warriors, the five warriors spread out their formation. The five of them had fought many wars together, and had drilled the formations and team attacks so many times that it had be a part of their muscle memories.

    "Number two and three, stop that big a*s bug, NOW!"

    "Roger!"

    Warrior number two and three charged towards the giant Zerg; they were surprised by its agility despite its lumbering weight.

    Lieutenant Kun was confident that two of the level twenty METAL warriors should be enough to fend off that giant bug. These types of giant Zergs were not bred to dish out damage; they filled the role of a tank in the Zergs'' armyposition. Kun Caiyi conceded that their real threat was the dark one in the golden armor.

    Seeing Kun Caiyi getting closer, the dark one let out an ear piercing shriek. Kun Caiyi didn''t waver, and jabbed at the dark one with his spear, whichnded squarely.

    The public cheered after seeing Kun Caiyi''s attacknding. The first Zerg attack had killed hundreds of innocent people, and the second attack was worse. However, Lieutenant Kun was ordered to stay put during both battles. Their champion had finally risen to the Zergs'' brutality, which gave the citizens much-needed hope and encouragement.

    "Kom!"

    Despite the supposedly legendary power in Kun Caiyi''s spear techniques, he staggered back a few feet after the impact. He was forced back by a sharp bone that suddenly protruded out of the dark one''s armor. The move a resemnce to that of a mastery spell. The dark one''s power not only came from the energy crystal on his METAL, but also from within his body. Although the dark ones were not able to use the natural force directly as the humans could, this particr dark one was somehow able to convert the natural force into his own and release it through his armor.

    Kun Caiyi could tell that this dark one had reached at least level twenty one. Although he was only one level below the dark one, the gap in their power could be huge.

    The other two soldiers quickly closed in onto the dark one and attacked him from both sides. However, the dark one was able to stand his ground with ease, despite the barrage of deadly attacks.

    The dark ones were not well known forplicated moves, as their attack relied only on speed and strength. asionally, the dark ones would copy the humans'' moves.

    While his guards kept the dark one busy, Kun Caiyi had charged up his soul energy and was ready to unleash his coup de grace - Ice Drill!

    This was one of the authentic Temr moves that survived the war. Although Kun Caiyi had not yet reached the legendary level, he had learned to harness the cold element through this spear technique.

    The other two soldiers didn''t back away; instead, they increased the frequency and vigor of their attacks, trying to overwhelm the dark one while Kun Caiyi readied his attack. Sensing the human fighters'' intention, the dark one cranked up his strength in order to get out of harm''s way. As he poured out his GN force, bone-like protrusions speared out of his armor and pierced through the flesh of both human soldiers. However, the two soldiers didn''t flinch, as they swallowed down their pain and doubled down on their attacks.

    "KOM!"

    The Ice drill was only inches away from the dark one, and it was toote for him to dodge. So seamless was the teamwork among the human soldiers that the timing of the attack was perfect.

    But, just as everyone thought that the dark one was done for, bones in his ugly head shifted, and he opened his mouth, letting out a sharp bone towards Kun Caiyi.

    Kun Caiyi hadn''t let his guard down, so he reacted quickly and shifted his body to the side. The bone wheezed pass his scalp; it was a near escape.

    "KOM!"

    Only with the slightest hesitation, Kun Caiyi carried on his attack and drove the tip of the spear deep into the dark one''s chest. At the other end of the field, the two other soldiers had sessfully lured the giant Zerg into a Mastery caster''s ambush, and by then, the giant Zerg caught on fire and was rolling on the ground in agony.

    Sensing the promise of victory, the citizens rushed to the streets and started celebrating.

    But, the dark one quickly taught them a lesson: never celebrate too early.

    "Zenn, Zenn."

    Two bone shards pierced the chest of the two warriors, and the dark one reappeared amidst the smoke. His golden armor shimmered under the sunlight, casting a golden hue against the screen of ck smoke behind him.

    Immediately, the dark one hurled another two bone spears at the two soldiers who were finishing off the giant Zerg. The two human warriors dodged. Still aze, the giant Zerg took off and flew to the sky like a rising fireball.

    The turn of events caught all the mastery casters off guard. Was their spell ineffective against the Zerg?

    The dark onended on the back of the giant Zerg, and the fire extinguished suddenly, leaving only a thinyer of charred crust on therge bug''s shell.

    "For f*ck''s sake, they evolved again! Now, our fire spell is useless!" Kun Caiyi shouted.

    "Evacuate the city! "

    "Lieutenant, I will protect you!"

    "NOOO! QUICKLY! GET TO THE CHOPPER! NOW!" Kun Caiyi shouted.

    Kun Caiyi knew that the Zerg''s target was him, and therefore, he could easily attract his attention and save some precious time for the citizens.

    Elbert started to order the soldiers to evacuate, but no one wanted to leave their Lieutenant alone to face the Zergs.

    "Let''s kill them! Save our lieutenant!" Some soldiers shouted.

    As Kun Caiyi struggled to fend off the Zerg, he could feel energy draining away from him; he knew he couldn''tst for very long.

    In a few seconds, he was dealt a blow in the belly. The Zerg cut through his armor and into his flesh. The blow staggered Kun Caiyi, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw a tail sweeping towards him.

    "KOM!"

    Kun Caiyi felt that he was hit by a semi-truck. The blow sent his body flying until he hit a skyscraper a few blocks away.

    The mastery casters hurled fireballs at the giant Zerg and the dark one, but their attack couldn''t even make a scratch on the two.

    The dark one didn''t spare any attention to the mastery casters. Instead, he went straight for Kun Caiyi.

    Kun Caiyi picked himself up from a pile of rubble and gathered himself, but was struck by another bone shard right away, the pain making him drop to one of his knees.

    In the streets, children cried in their mothers'' tight embrace as fire licked the tattered pavement, melting the tarmac right before their eyes.

    The soldiers on the ground froze in action as they watched their leader subdued by the Zerg. In the air, the dark one let out a shriek that could pass for augh.

    "Mom, there''s an Einherjar!" A child shouted out at his mother.

    The mother looked up at the smoke ridden sky and saw nothing. However, she heard many people gasp around her. She narrowed her eyes and finally found a golden speck in between the fingers of the ck smoke.

    "Einherjar!" She gasped.

    "He ising to save us!"

    "We are saved!"

    The dark on also noticed the approaching human in the Einherjar METAL. He shot a piece of bone shard at him. But, the Einherjar waved his hand gently and deflected the it with ease. His movement carried a certain measure of levity.

    The dark one''s eyes glinted as he realized that this human was much more powerful than the keeper of the city.

    The giant Zerg charged towards the Einherjar and attacked him with its w.

    "KOM."

    The Einherjar blocked the giant w with one hand. Before the citizens realized what was going on, they heard the giant Zerg''s painful howling. The Einherjar had twisted the w off, jabbed it into the Zerg''s underbelly, and pinned it onto the side of a skyscraper.

    The dark one didn''t seem to mourn over hispanion''s brutal death. The fire in his eyes burned even brighter, and a bone spear appeared in his hand out of nowhere. He was about to unleash a powerful attack, which looked like the Ice Drill used by Kun Caiyi.

    Lieutenant Kun''s face was knotted after seeing that his ability was copied by the dark one.

    The dark one''s golden armor pulsed with light as it pumped energy into the bone spear. The bone spear was part of the dark one''s body, and therefore, the transfer of the energy was effortless.

    Everyone looked up in the sky, watching the showdown with new found determination. This time, they would not choose to run away and let the Zergsy waste to their city. This time, they chose to stand with their hero.

    "Kommm!"

    The dark one charged the bone spear at Wang Tong; he was able to pack more energy into the spear than Kun Caiyi would.

    Wang Tong moved gently and caught the tip of the spear with his fingers employing a graceful finality. The dark one let out a cold gasp: the human was much stronger than he thought.

    "Whoever defiles the human race¡­ will die! "

    Wang Tong pushed the spear tip and drove the other end of the spear into the chest of the dark one. Before long, two Zerg bodies, one small and one big, were pinned together on the same skyscraper.

    "Victory!"

    "Long live the human race! Long live the Einherjar!"

    When the citizens finally realized that both Zergs were killed, they shouted out into the sky, where the Einherjar was already nowhere to be seen.

    The little boy tugged his mother''s hand and shouted: "Mom! I want to be an Einherjar when I grow up!"

    Although the Einherjar had left the fight scene as soon as the battle was over, he had left a strong message for the Zergs.

    The victory at Einstein City quickly spread throughout the inte. The image of the two powerful Zergs being skewered and pinned onto a skyscraper ignited human soldiers'' spirits. The morale of the human forces was improved significantly.

    The defeat of one or two high-level Zergs might seem trivial in therge scheme of things, but it had encouraged the entire human race to look forward and fight for their freedom.

    The words of the mysterious Einherjar at the end of the battle struck a chord with everyone. "Whoever defiles the human race¡­ will die! "

 Chapter 534: Human Alliance

    Chapter 534: Human Alliance

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    "My lord, do you think we need to tighten our control over the media?" One of House Lie''s advisers asked Lie Jian.

    "We can''t find anything on this guy?"

    "No, sir. He must be a new Einherjar. Not sure where he has gotten his Einherjar METAL though. He first appeared in Jade City, and the second time was in the Einstein City." One of the intelligence officers, Ambani, reported to Lie Jian.

    "An amateur wants to y the hero, doesn''t he? " Lie Jian remarked lightly.

    "My lord, his actions so far are all against the regtions. I am afraid that he is trying to horde the public''s attention for ulterior motives. If he fails, it would be the defeat of yet another Einherjar, but if he were to be sessful, he would be a threat to us nheless. Either way, we cannot allow him to attract more attention." Ambani analyzed. Although the new Einherjar''s influence was just starting to bud, House Lie could not afford to have such an unmanageable warrior existing in their future empire.

    "What do you think we should so?"

    "I need some time to investigate, if you would permit."

    Lie Jian waved in approval. "Sure. But, keep a low profile."

    "Yes, my lord."

    Lie Jian didn''t n to waste much time on the subject, so he willed the meeting to move to the next item on the agenda. He was still convinced that the new Einherjar was a youngster who had just entered the Einherjar level, and wanted to blow off his steam.

    The battlefield in Albany district was turning into a stalemate. The Zergs had gained the upper hand during previous skirmishes, but recently, they stopped attacks and gave the human forces a chance to recuperate their strength. Lie Jian knew that there was more to the Zergs'' inactivity.

    Lie Jian''s priority was never to eliminate the Zergs; instead, his goal was to im control over Mars during this time of chaos. He had been trying to cozy up to the Kaedeians, particrly to their heir-apparent, Princess Heidi. Only when he had gained the support from both the Kaedeians and the Divine Mastery Sect could he im dominance over Mars.

    The thought of sitting on the throne of the red lit up the fire in Lie Jian''s eyes. He always had been an ambitious person, and thanks to the Zergs and the chaos they had brought to the human world, his wild dreams might actuallye true.

    ¡­

    Ever since Wang Tong returned from Jade City with the spoil, lives around the camp had improved significantly. After getting enough resources, everyone worked round the clock to improve the condition of the camp. The new recruits also alleviated some of the band''s growing pain by providing sufficient manpower.

    Despite the improvements around him, Wang Tong had hit an invisible wall in his research of the crystal gun. All of his attempts to modify the gun''s coreponent for the purpose of mass production had failed.

    By then, Wang Tong had retired himself from roles of METAL and mastery instruction. These two roles were taken up by Mr. Wannabe and Guan Dongyang. With more free time on his hands, Wang Tong sneaked into the Maersa city a few times in order to survey the enemy forces. After seeing the number of Zergs in the city, he concluded that there was little chance for Battle Wolf to take over the city outside. His only option was to lure the enemy out of the city. But how? Even if they could lure the Zergs out of the city wall, how could they eliminate them effectively?

    One question bode another, but none could be answered until Battle Wolf grew stronger.

    After having received another batch of new recruits, their rank had swollen to five hundred. However, the actual retinues that were able to fight effectively during a battle were only three hundred or so, which consisted of one hundred Mastery casters and another two hundred METAL soldiers.

    Battle Wolf had enjoyed only a few weeks of quietness before it was interrupted by visitors from Blizzard. This time, instead of sending a representative, the captain of Blizzard had paid a visit himself.

    Both Aamir and Hans were shocked by how much Battle Wolf''s camp had improved. Aamir found it hard to believe that the same band had been on the run only a few months ago.

    "Brother Guan, you are doing pretty good for yourself. I am really jealous! Haha."Aamir said with a broad smile.

    "Haha¡­ It is nothingpared to Blizzard."

    "Oh you, stop that humblebragging business. Without you fixing that sk, we would have still been in the dark age."

    "Haha, that was nothing. We will do whatever it takes to help all of us defeat the Zergs. What brings you here today?" Guan Dongyang asked.

    "I am here to bring you a proposal. I think the time for the fragmented bands to unite together has arrived. We should form an alliance and start to prepare for the final assault on Maersa City." Aamir announced with a serious face.

    "I agree! But, we have tabled it at the annual gathering many times, and it never passed the discussion stage. What do you think we should do, Captain Aamir?"

    Guan Dongyang knew that Aamir came with a solution. He cast a nce at Wang Tong and noticed that he was not paying attention at all.

    "I think we should lead by example. It is impossible to unite all the factions right away, but we can start persuading the key yers. We should call a meeting and tell everyone how senseless it is to backstab each other while the Zergs are living like kings inside our city."

    "I wonder which key yers you are going to invite to the meeting." Wang Tong suddenly put in.

    Aamir was not surprised by Wang Tong''s interruption, since he had heard many stories about Guan Dongyang''s left-hand man. Aamir also noticed Guan Dongyang rx his straightened back as soon as Wang Tong started to speak.

    "Blizzard, Thunder Fire, Pamir''s Eagle, me Squad, and Battle Wolf¡­ These are the five bands that I hope to see at the meeting. As long as we can unite together under one banner, we can turn the situation around on Mars." Aamir puffed a cloud of smoke and shifted his gaze in between Guan Dongyang and Wang Tong, deciphering their expressions.

    "We are honored, Captain Aamir. Why do you think Battle Wolf is worthy of this invitation? We are one of the weakest bands, after all." Hamir asked.

    All the other bands had over five thousand members, among which, many were level twenty warriors.

    "Because of the contribution Battle Wolf made in restoring the vitalmunication in Maersa district. Plus, you have also defeated Thunder-Fire''s ten thousand men strong army. Now, tell me why I would consider Battle Wolf as a weak band? I know you don''t get along with Thunder Fire, but our real enemies are the Zergs. We should learn to forgive and move on."

    "Well said! Battle Wolf is ready to work with any war-band that kills Zergs, regardless of our past history. However, I want to make it clear that once we have signed the pact, we will never tolerate betrayal." Wang Tong said with a confident smirk; his words sounded like a threat.

    Aamir was taken aback by the Wang Tong''s imposing tone. "Of course, whoever betrays the alliance will be the public enemy of the entire Maersa district. Captain Guan, do you and your fellow warriors need some time to think about your decision?"

    "No need for that. You have my full support, Captain Aamir."

    "Excellent! I have already talked to the other leaders, and they all have agreed to my proposal. We can have the meeting in just a few days."

 Chapter 535: Xiao Yuyus Gift

    Chapter 535: Xiao Yuyu''s Gift

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    This was the first time that humans on Mars made some progress towards an alliance. This was mostly thanks to the restoredmunication system which reconnected the fragmented factions.

    Five dayster, Marcos from Thunder Fire, Pamir from Pamir''s Eagle, and Bu Zhihuo from me Squad had gathered with Aamir and Guan Dongyang at Battle Wolf''s camp for the meeting.

    Most of the attendees came because they respected Aamir, but not everyone had confidence in achieving anything during the meeting.

    Pamir started off as a Mercenary, and he still was to some degree. He cared less about bing the alliance leader than the benefits¡ªin terms of blues¡ª of joining the alliance. Bu Zhihuo waspletely opposite of the indifferent Mercenary; he and his warriors were a patriotic lot who could even pass for being xenophobic sometimes. Their obsession with purity had made him a bad choice as a candidate for the leader. Therefore, thepetition hade down to Aamir and Marcos.

    The five leaders and their associates sat by a table and chatted with each other while waiting for the meeting to start. Everyone talked to Guan Dongyang with a certain measure of respect, expect for Marcos. Despite the tremendous respect people held towards Guan Dongyang, the factions'' leaders still considered Battle Wolf a miserably weak team.

    "Captain Guan, let me be frank. We are all very appreciative of you restoring themunication line. However, I am afraid that you need to grow your band a little bit more in order to survive a battle with the Zergs. We don''t want to babysit your team on the battlefield." After some time, Bu Zhihuo spoke abruptly to Guan Dongyang.

    An awkward silence quickly took over the fragile amicability in the air. Marcos remained calm as ever. He knew he didn''t have to fire at Guan Dongyang by himself, since others hade with loads of ammunition.

    "Captain Bu, you should know better than me that the strength of a team is not solely in its number, shouldn''t you? me Squad has no more soldiers than us. Shouldn''t you exclude Marcos from the meeting as well then? " Guan Dongyang fired back.

    "What makes Battle Wolf a worthy band to stand with the me Squad?" Marcos grunted.

    "If we are not worthy of me Squad, at least we are better than Thunder Fire." Wang Tong rose to thement.

    The topic of Thunder Fire''s defeat had been a taboo among the leaders. Everyone considered it a fluke, and no one doubted that if Thunder Fire were given a second chance, they would be able to destroy Battle Wolf.

    As everyone expected Marcos to jump out of his chair and shout back at Wang Tong, he slowly picked up his cup and took a sip of his tea, ignoring thement.

    Ever since his defeat, Marcos had taken a hard look at his situation in order to find out the reason for his defeat. He quickly reckoned that the culprit for his defeat was Wang Tong, the same person that had bluffed Nithak. Seeing that Wang Tong had spoken for Guan Dongyang at the meeting, he was convinced that he had yed a more significant role in the recent rise of Battle Wolf than anyone could have imagined. He reminded himself to exercise caution when dealing with Wang Tong before he learned more about him.

    "Captain Guan, although we should let go of our past and focus on ourmon enemy, Brother Bu''s concern is not entirely unfounded. If there are only a couple hundred soldiers under yourmand, you might as well stay behind the front line and help the others with their logistical work." Pamir put in his two cents; he thought he had been very objective.

    "Hehe... Captain Aamir, what do you think?" Guan Dongyang tossed the burning question to Aamir. Since two of the four faction leaders had voiced their concerns, it was time for Aamir to weight in his opinion.

    As the organizer of the meeting, Aamir had expected such disagreement. "I agree with Captain Guan. The strength of a band is not in the numbers. I believe that if Captain Guan is able to demonstrate his band''s power, there should be no reason to exclude him from this discussion." Aamir proposed his solution.

    Guan Dongyang hesitated as he didn''t want to disclose the real strength of Battle Wolf to potential would-be enemies. However, he realized that he had no other choice.

    "Perhaps, you would allow me to testify for Battle Wolf?" A musical voice came from outside, and a girl in a white robe sauntered into the meeting room.

    It was the chief medic of the Divine master sect, Xiao Yuyu.

    No one would have thought that such a goddess would appear in a squalid countryside camp in the middle of nowhere.

    "It''s an honor to meet you, Chief Medic!" Ye Zi saluted.

    "No need to be formal. We will be training together from now on." Xiao Yuyu replied.

    The words "training together" hit everyone like a hammer.

    Before the leaders realized what that meant, another dozen Sect Medics filed into the meeting room. It was evident that they were Xiao Yuyu''spanions during her stay at the Battle Wolf.

    What was going on? Never had the chief medic stayed at any other camp other than the Sect''s headquarter.

    "Brother Wang and Guan, the other fifty casters have arrived. They are all level fifteen and above. This is all I can offer, so make sure you put them to good use." Xiao Yuyu announced.

    Everyone was shocked by the turn of events as they looked out of the window and saw a few columns of young casters standing outside the meeting room, all bearing the official badge of the Divine Mastery Sect.

    Why would the Sect be so generous to Battle Wolf?

    Aamir knew almost instantly that this development had more to do with Wang Tong than Guan Dongyang. Hemented for not doubling down on his effort of recruiting Wang Tong.

    By then, it was evident to everyone that Battle Wolf had gained the Divine Mastery Sect''s unequivocal support.

    "Hehe... I thought you were a hero, but you have be another guard dog of the Sect! Congrattions on finding a good master! Haha" Marcosughed while his eyes held deep contempt. Every leader feared and hated the powerful Sect and House Lie; their might was a de constantly hanging over their heads.

    "You must be Marcos. You are mistaken. Captain Guan didn''t join the Sect. Instead, we are here to learn from Captain Guan as his students. Since we are here, we won''t stand by and let Battle Wolf fight alone." Xiao Yuyu exined with an alluring smile.

    Marcos was so shocked that his mouth gaped open like a fish struggling to breathe.

    "Wee chief medic. Please, have a seat. We are discussing our n to drive out the Zergs from the city."

    "Oh? I would love to hear about it!" Xiao Yuyu scanned the room and sat down at an empty seat beside Wang Tong.

    "Nice to meet you again, Brother Wang. I hope you like our gift." Xiao Yuyu winked at Wang Tong wittily.

 Chapter 536 - Templars On Mars

    <h4>Chapter 536: Temrs On Mars</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Xiao Yuyu had spent a lot of time digging into Wang Tong¡¯s history. It didn¡¯t take long before she realized that this captain Tong was hiding something. Although Wang Tong¡¯s name reminded her of a long lost memory at the back of her mind, she never connected him with the heir of the de Warrior. Many things had changed over the five years, and it was almost impossible for people to keep track of the names of the people who had passed away.

    Wang Tong had made a name for himself during the tournament, which was equivalent of the ancient games called Olympics. No one would remember the name of a rising star five years ago, especially on Mars, since most Martians had lost their interest in the tournament the moment Lie Jian and Michaux were eliminated from the matches.

    The woman¡¯s instinct told Xiao Yuyu that there were things that Wang Tong hadn¡¯t been honest about with everyone. What drove her suspicion even deeper was the fact that she could not detect anything out of ordinary about Wang Tong.

    Xiao Yuyu¡¯s appearance had changed the mood of the meeting as everyone became reticent, fearing they would say something stupid and make a spectacle out of themselves. Only Aamir and Marcos remained talkative since they weremanding two of the most influential bands.

    After some time, Bu Zhihuo and Pamir also loosened up. Everyone at the meeting conceded that with the addition of these Sect casters, Battle Wolf¡¯s mastery team was unmatched within Maersa district.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ I think Captain Guan has proven his band¡¯s strength to us. We should include him in our alliance. ¡± Aamir announced.

    ¡°I agree!¡± Bu Zhihuo chimed in.

    Pamir also nodded, as he didn¡¯t n to get involved in the drama between Thunder Fire and Battle Wolf in the first ce.

    Everyone looked to Marcos, and thetter nodded reluctantly.

    ¡°Boss, there are a hundred or so soldiers marching towards our camp. They will be here in minutes.¡± Ross hurried in and reported to Guan Dongyang.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Are those a hundred refugees?¡± Marcosughed sarcastically.

    ¡°No! They are at least level sixteen. The leader of the group is most likely a legendary level warrior.¡± Ross replied. He had never seen a legendary warrior before, and the sight had sent him into a panic mode.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang both stood up from their chairs calmly. There was no need to loseposure before even knowing if those soldiers were friends or foes.

    Xiao Yuyu also furrowed her brows as she doubted Ross¡¯ judgment. She had never heard of another legendary warrior in Maersa district before.

    Before long, Battle Wolf¡¯s soldiers had taken up their defense posts, and the group of leaders arrived at a lookout tower to investigate. They watched as a group of maglev riders slid across thendscape towards the camp. All soldiers except for the leaders were wearing METAL suits. The soldiers¡¯ weary expression suggested that they had just gone through an intense battle.

    The riders slowed down as they approached the city. Guan Dongyang was dumbfounded by the development; however, he registered that these riders were not hostile. Who were they?

    The leader of the pact walked through the city gate and approached the group of leaders. Guan Dongyang felt the presence of his power grow stronger with every step he took.

    From the stately steps of the leader, Bu Zhihuo was convinced that his power was of at least level twenty. Bu Zhihuo looked over the leader¡¯s shoulder and saw a group of haughty fighters in aged twenty-five to thirty. Everyone¡¯s eyes held the fragile edge of calm that threatened to explode. Their high-quality METAL suits boasted their might. What were they doing here?

    The leader quietly scanned the group of warriors in front of him with a solemn gaze. Xiao Yuyu could smell the promise of a fight in the air. She had heard reports about the surge in the number of incidents involving rogue human soldiers. There had been the Mysterious Einherjar that everyone was talking about, and then there was this unfamiliar face in front of her. Was he one of the rogue factions that didn¡¯t y by the rule?

    The visitor¡¯s eyes found Wang Tong¡¯s face, and his lips quivered slightly.

    Wang Tong held the stranger¡¯s gaze for some time, and the rest of the warriors noticed their exchange of intense nces.

    The visitor suddenly saluted to Wang Tong and pleasantly surprised thetter with a familiar gesture. Wang Tong gave the visitor a thumbs up and then turned towards Guan Dongyang. ¡°Captain Guan, these warriors are here to join Battle Wolf.¡± Wang Ton nudged Guan Dongyang with his feet.

    ¡°Oh...ha...Yes... um...Yea¡­AH HA¡­ Wee! Wee!¡± Guan Dongyang improvised a few words, pretending that he was not oblivious about what was going on. Although, he doubted that his act had beguiled anyone.

    Among the one hundred or so warriors, at least half of them were METAL warriors with high-level METAL suits, suggesting that they were powerful fighters with deep pockets. Why would they want to join Battle Wolf?

    ¡°Excuse us, everyone. Can we resume our meeting a bitter? ¡± Guan Dongyang asked.

    ¡°Of course, Captain Guan. We can wait.¡± Aamir answered. Meanwhile, his eyes darted left and right, trying to discern the motives of these powerful warriors.

    Guan Dongyang knew it had something to do with Wang Tong, so he ordered everyone to leave except for him.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Yin Tianzong. I am from the Temr¡¯s court¡­ Well, what is left of it, that is. I have been waiting for you, young master!¡± Yin Tianzong eximed.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± Wang Tong asked curiously. He had never known that the Temr¡¯s court had established a branch on Mars. Nheless, these warriors hade at a good time.

    ¡°We had been searching for you for thest five years, and to find you were thest orders I had received before themunication line was cut off. I had heard about you at Jade City and what you did at that auction.¡± Yin Tianzong answered.

    ¡°How is the old man? Is he still alive?¡± Wang Tong¡¯s first thought went to his only rtive, Old Fart.

    ¡°Yes. Please don¡¯t worry about grand master. We received the God¡¯s revtion about the Zerg invasion a long time ago, and we had known all the while that you would lead us to ovee this dark time. I had gathered about one hundred and twenty Temrs before I came here. I apologize for the dy, since everyone was spread out on Mars. Finding them had been time-consuming. ¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I will forever remember your assistance!¡±

    ¡°It is my honor, young master.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Please call me to captain from now on. It¡¯s easier for me that way. We can talk about our nter on. I need to deal with that group of factions leaders waiting for me outside.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young¡­Captain Tong.¡±

    As the leader of the Temr¡¯s branch on Mars, Yin Tianzong was an extremely powerful warrior. His orders were to wait for the reappearance of the young master. Although he had doubted if the young master would actually show up on Mars, he never gave up his search.

 Chapter 537 - Small Tank, Big Fish

    <h4>Chapter 537: Small Tank, Big Fish</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Ye Zi quickly cleared some room to amodate these Temr warriors. Some of these soldiers had been traveling for days without much sleep. They had been waiting for five years, and now, their wait was finally over.

    Aamir and the other leaders also marveled at this development, wondering who these warriors were.

    ¡°Captain, I am sure most of those new METAL soldiers are super warriors, and that leader could very well be at the legendary level,¡± Han said.

    Although even with the addition of the one hundred warriors, Battle Wolf was still one of the smallest bands, the high level of these new warriors meant that Battle Wolf¡¯s power would have increased by ten folds. It was particrly the case after the addition of a legendary warrior. Hans doubted if he would be able to find another legendary warrior in the entire Maersa district.

    Guan Dongyang was a powerful mastery caster, and by now, he had the support of a chief sect medic, a mysterious super mechanic, and a group of super warriors led by a legendary warrior. Hans was convinced that it was only a matter of time before Battle Wolf became the dominating power in Maersa.

    Aamir¡¯s n was to table the proposal of the alliance andpete with Marcos to be the leader. However, he doubted that he could ignore Battle Wolf¡¯s power after it had received so many reinforcements. Even if Guan Dongyang and the other leaders decided to vote for him as the leader, he was notfortable withmanding a legendary warrior and the Sect¡¯s chief medic.

    Aamir conceded that the situation had spiraled out of his control quickly.

    When Guan Dongyang, Wang Tong, and Yin Tianzong came to meet them again, the group of leaders knew that Battle Wolf was finally ready to discuss the alliance.

    The new developments had lent Battle Wolf prestige and power; however, the presence of a legendary warrior had given other leaders a lot of pressure. These band leaders¡¯ eyes darted left and right, not daring to speak up.

    Guan Dongyang cracked a smile and then said, ¡°Allow me to introduce¡­ This is Mr. Yin Tianzong. Just like Xiao Yuyu, he is one of Battle Wolf¡¯s guests. I have just confirmed that Mr. Yin has reached the legendary level.¡±

    The words took the wind out of other leaders¡¯ sails. They sensed that some big changes were about toe to Maersa, starting in this meeting room.

    Battle Wolf was still a small war band, but be it the Chief Medic or the legendary warrior, either one of them could have squashed anyone at the meeting like an inset. Therefore, challenging Battle Wolf was courting death. Despite the fear and concern over the chief medic and the new warriors, Aamir¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Wang Tong. Something told him that Wang Tong was the culprit behind all of these developments.

    Aamir pulled his thoughts back to the meeting table; his questions could wait, as now was the time to figure out the leadership and the chain ofmand within the alliance.

    From the reports he had gathered, Aamir knew that it was impossible to eliminate the Zergs in the city without gathering all the resisting forces. Aamir had alreadyid out an attack n, and once he tabled it, it was up to the group of leaders to approve it. If the leaders failed to form a united front, they would have to fight on their own. In the end, the meeting ended inconclusively.

    News about the sudden surge in Battle Wolf¡¯s power had spread across the Maersa district. Although the newly formed alliance had a very loose structure andcked a leader, it was a good step in the right direction, a huge contribution from Aamir to the resistance forces.

    After the new warriors arrived at Battle Wolf, the original METAL warriors were under a great pressure, and felt the urge to improve themselves.

    That night, Yin Tianzong held a long conversation with Wang Tong. He told him that although these Temr were not the best warriors, they were extremely loyal, and unwavering on the battlefield. They had been waiting for Wang Tong for five years, and they believed that he would be able to lead the humans out of the age of darkness.

    Yin Tianzong also asked many questions about Battle Wolf, and Wang Tong answered all of them patiently.

    Although Yin Tianzong did not have the slightest doubts about Wang Tong¡¯s power, he could not feel any presence of conventional soul energy inside thetter. Instead, the power inside Wang Tong was pure and hard to gauge. It was a sign of true power.

    Wang Tong¡¯s near perfect power and his shrewd methods in dealing with the politics had earned Yin Tianzong¡¯s approval as the future leader of the human race. Yin Tianzong had observed Wang Tong closely even before the Zerg invasion, and had been worried that after the five years, Wang Tong was still reckless and naive, unfit to lead the world. He felt fortunate that he had been wrong.

    Wang Tong listened excitingly as Yin Tianzong briefed him on the abilities of these new warriors. Battle Wolf had finally made a breakthrough in their limited capacity of METAL warfare. These Temrs had a solid foundation, and with the help of Mr. Wannabe, they were bound to be a deadly force on the battlefield.

    ¡°Chief Medic, why do you think a legendary warrior would join Battle Wolf?¡±

    ¡°I bet it had something to do with Wang Tong. Investigate Yin Tianzong¡¯s records. It is impossible for a legendary warrior to slip under our radar. ¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­ And there is anotherplication: Antonio is going to join Battle Wolf,¡± Vorenus said.

    Xiao Yuyu furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°Can we stop him?¡±

    ¡°It might be difficult, since he is not under ourmand.¡± Vorenus shrugged. Antonio was born into a military family, and both his parents were legendary warriors.

    ¡°Let it be then. ¡± Xiao Yuyu replied.

    The new additions had given Tan Bu, Duo Lun, and their friends a lot of pressure after just one round of sparring. These Temrs¡¯ solid foundation in METALbat was unmatched. However, thanks to the new abilities that Wang Tong had taught them, despite their lower levels, the original Battle Wolf warriors were able to gain an edge during the spar from time to time. So, the advantages shifted between the new and old warriors frequently, and it was difficult to determine the victor at the end of a real fight.

    Despite Yin Tianzong¡¯s warning, conceit quickly grew within the ranks of the Temrs. However, it only took one METAL lesson under Mr. Wannabe to purge their arrogance.

    In the afternoon, Wang Tong started to teach these new warriors the Divine Burst skill. These Temrs picked up the ability much faster than the soldiers of Battle Wolf.

    In the first couple of days of the Sect casters¡¯ stay, dissidence and discontent spread across their camp, since they were convinced that the small camp of Battle Wolf was unworthy of their appearance. However, they quickly realized that they were wrong after joining the mastery ss. Never had they expected to see hybrid element spells outside of their sect.

    In the days that followed, Guan Dongyang taught these Sect casters the Divine Light spell by first introducing the life element. Soon, Guan Dongyang¡¯s knowledge and power had quickly made him the Sect medic¡¯s second idol after Michaux. However, as the leader of these Sect casters, Xiao Yuyu was not beguiled by him. She could tell that Guan Dongyang was only a beginner, far away from mastering the life element. Therefore, he was definitely not the creator of the spell.

 Chapter 538 - The Zergsâ€™ Infighting

    <h4>Chapter 538: The Zergs¡¯ Infighting</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    While the new and old soldiers trained together, trying to further their teamwork, Wang Tong had been busy poking around Maersa City. He knew that in order for Battle Wolf to grow, they would have to take over the city.

    After a few days, Wang Tong found something suspicious in the city: there were immortals in the city, living with the dark ones. Wang Tong knew the suspect was an immortal because he knew him: it was Turbolix.

    This discovery shocked Wang Tong; it was the first time it had urred to him that not all humans were willing to stick their necks out for the survival of the human race.

    The defense of the city was impable, giving the invading forces no chance of breaching the city wall. Wang Tong conceded that his only option was to lure the enemy out as he had suspected. But how? After some days of observation, Wang Tong noticed that Turbolix and his ndestinepanions moved in and out of the city as if they were searching for something or someone.

    Wang Tongid on his back on arge t rock while waiting for Charcoal to gather information.

    ¡°Master, I am back.¡±

    Wang Tong pushed himself up and asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°I have listened to some conversations in the city, and I think Turbolix is looking for you. Or, at least he is trying to confirm your existence.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ That¡¯s good¡­ very good! I think he was sent by Patroclus.¡±

    ¡°What should we do master?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s give them what they want.¡± Wang Tong decided to put the newly trained warriors of Battle Wolf to use and deal a blow to Maersa City. Meanwhile, the attack would serve as a loud and clear message to Patroclus.

    In the weeks that followed, the alliance waged a few coordinated surprise attacks on the Zergs and achieved sizable victories. This development had inspired all the other smaller factions to join the alliance¡¯s cause.

    The taste of victory had ted the Battle Wolf warriors. After the training, these warriors had grown their power by leaps and bounds, and therefore, killing Zergs had suddenly be an easy task.

    Lie Xuan had witnessed the change in Battle Wolf first hand. Although she knew that Guan Dongyang would never serve his family, she was madly in love with the Fire Lord, and she would never leave him.

    ¡­

    Despite their victories, the resistance wasn¡¯t too optimistic about the future. They had caught the Zergs off guard, and without the element of surprise, they could be easily swarmed by their huge number.

    With their guard up, the factions stayed tuned with each other over the Sk. As soon as one faction was attacked, they would radio the entire region for reinforcements. This way, the factions were no longer fighting on their own.

    Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Maersa City was intense.

    Turbolix held Kun¡¯s usatory gaze. He knew thatKun, the Maersa City Lord, had been reprimanded by the dark lord for his activities in the city. The struggle between the dark lord and Patroclus was no longer a secret. Kun was troubled by not only the ndestine activities of Patroclus¡¯ agents, but also the recent surge in the number and audacity of the human resistance forces¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°My lord, how can you let these weaklings step on your toe? Might as well let our divine lord manage the city for you... Haha. ¡± Turbolix jested.

    ¡°Phf! I will make them pay, make no mistake about that.¡± Kun grunted as fire spurted out of his eyes. Failing to suppress his anger, Kun shot a wave of soul energy at a human servant, who copsed to the ground without making a sound.

    As Turbolix marveled at the savagery of the dark one, a messenger walked to him and whispered something. The messenger brought out a hologram projector and turned it on to disy a clip that showed Wang Tong¡¯s face.

    ¡°Haha! He is alive! I have been looking for him everywhere, and I have finally found him!¡± Turbolixughed.

    Kun narrowed his eyes as he studied the face of the human whom Patroclus was so interested in.

    ¡°Have you located him yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is with a war band called Battle Wolf. It¡¯s a small band, four to five hundred soldiers at the most. Oh, the leader of the band is Guan Dongyang. He was in the tournament as well. Wang Tong is his assistant.¡±

    Turbolix guffawed, ¡°Haha! I wonder what our Lord would make of the news. The heir of the de Warrior now has to serve under a no ount! Haha! Let¡¯s move¡­ I need to find him and hand him over to our master.¡±

    ¡°Stop! That¡¯s the man the dark lord wants for himself.¡± Kun stood up and announced.

    ¡°Kun, that¡¯s none of my business. My goal here is to capture Wang Tong, and let me remind you to not stand in my way!¡± Turbolix watched Kun with contempt.

    ¡°You are on Mars, not on Patroclus¡¯ turf!¡± Kun rose to thement as his wings trembled with anger.

    ¡°How dare you address our lord by his name!¡± Turbolix rounded his eyes as his GN force poured out. In a blink, he and his Immortalpanions were ready forbat. Calling the divine lord by his name was an act of sphemy. Aggression burned in Kun¡¯s eyes for a while, and then it dimmed down. Kun softened his face and said in an apologetic tone, ¡°Please forgive my insolence. We respect your lord as much as you do. However, I have received a direct order from the dark lord to capture this individual.¡± Kun had to swallow down his pride since he knew Patroclus was not the person he could mess with.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ apologies epted. I understand where you areing from, but please consider that my situation is no easier than yours. How about this? Let¡¯s capture Wang Tong first, and then we will let our lords decide who should have the spoils.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a n. Let me report this development to the dark lord at this instant.¡±

    ¡®¡±No, no. Not now. ¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten him yet, have we? What¡¯s the point in letting our bosses¡¯ hopes high while we are not guaranteed a sess yet? Let¡¯s report to our higher ups when we have the man.¡±

    It took Kun a while to understand what Turbolix meant. Despite Turbolix¡¯s drastically different style in handling such a situation than a dark one would, Kun had seen sense in his words. He had disappointed the dark lord once already, so he knew that in order to stay alive, he needed to be careful. Being a dark one had given him many pleasures that a Zerg would not have the capacity to appreciate; they enjoyed these pleasures so much that they had started to fear theck of them.

    ¡°Dispatch all of our scouts and locate Battle Wolf! I want to lead the attack myself.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ That¡¯s a smart move, Kun. Let me help you too¡­ We cannot fail!¡±Turbolix announced.

    ¡­

    Somewhere outside the city wall, Wang Tong emerged out of a shadow. He had purposely let the surveince drone capture his face in order to lure Turbolix out of the city. Soon, he wagered, the former heir of the Wind-Cloud Kick was going to rise to his bait.

 Chapter 539 - High Risk, High Reward

    Chapter 539: High Risk, High Reward

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The resistance forces were still too weak to take the Zergs¡¯ blunt force, and therefore, the best option was guerri warfare, using movement to nibble away the strength of the Zerg slowly.

    When the human factions noticed the activities of the Zerg scouts, they were on high alert, since they didn¡¯t know who the Zergs¡¯ target was.

    In the meeting, when Guan Dongyang, Xiao Yuyu, Ye Zi, Hamir, Ross, and Yin Tianzong heard Wang Tong¡¯s n, they were shocked.

    ¡°We are going to attack Maersa?¡± Ross asked incredulously.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ The Zergs are outside the wall, looking for me, so their defense is the weakest right now. I have investigated their defense thoroughly; there is no underground tunnel system inside the city.¡± Wang Tong remarked. He had full confidence in Charcoal¡¯s survey capabilities. He wagered that the dark ones inside the city had grown toofortable and human-like, and had started to dislike the unsanitary living conditions of the primitive Zergs, therefore driving them out of the city.

    ¡°Even if we can sack the city, we wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it.¡± Hamirmented. Wang Tong¡¯s audacious n had unnerved him.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t mind the opposition, as he turned on the sk and produced a hologram of Maersa city. ¡°Look here. This north-west corner of the city is a production facility. The dark ones have reinforced it with steel tes, allowing us to establish a strong footing there. As long as we are holding our ground inside the city, the other factions will keep putting pressure on the Zergs from the outside.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is a little bit too risky? We will be pretty much trapped in there.¡± Guan Dongyang hesitated.

    Lie Xuan suddenly piped up, ¡°You idiot! It¡¯s such a good opportunity, don¡¯t you see? The METAL warriors can hold their ground while the mastery casters can rain spells on them from safety. Even if there are casualties, we have eleven field medics and a chief medic with us. All we have to do is to wait for Blizzard to nk our enemy from behind and destroy them.¡± Lie Xuan was the first one to support Wang Tong¡¯s proposal.

    Yin Tianzong kept his silence. Although Wang Tong¡¯s n was risky as hell, once sessful, they could deal a devastating blow to the Zergs in Maersa District, and turn the tables around.

    ¡°I agree with Wang Tong¡¯s n. It might seem dangerous, if not stupid¡­ But in reality, we have the upper hand. The Zergs¡¯ attention is focused outside of the city. Once they notice the fight in the wall, they might very well split their forces up.¡± Xiao Yuyu remarked.

    Once the Zerg forces were fragmented, it would be much easier for the human resistance forces to ovee them. It would be even better if the dark ones came to the city first, so that Battle Wolf could focus on eliminating them. Once the dark ones were gone, the rest of the Zerg army would pose little to no threat to the human force.

    ¡°Well, since you guys are down for it, I am in as well.¡± Ross nodded.

    Wang Tong had chosen his battleground carefully. Not only would the confined space inside the city hinder the Zergs¡¯ charging abilities, but the city had already been the dark ones¡¯ home. So, they would be extra careful with the properties, and would not wreak havoc as they would in human settlements.

    Wang Tong had built a dangerous team, and it was time to put them into use. They would light up the beacon of hope for the rest of the humans on the Mars, and send them this message, ¡°In unity, we survive!¡±

    Once the situation on Mars turned around, Wang Tong could then focus on the more difficult task: the Earth and Moon.

    ¡°Um¡­ How do we sneak into the city?¡± Ye Zi asked quietly under her breath.

    ¡°We will pack up tonight and decide our route once we have figured the Zergs¡¯ marching direction.¡±

    Ye Zi nodded and issued the order to all the soldiers in the camp using sk.

    Wang Tong had ordered the reserves to travel to Blizzard and seek temporary shelter there. Wang Tong didn¡¯t expect the Blizzard to agree with him, but he informed them about his n nheless.

    Guan Dongyang and Yin Tianzong went ahead to the city while Wang Tong remained in the empty camp. He needed to stay here in order to lure the Zergs further away from the city. Yin Tianzong was a legendary warrior, and Wang Tong was confident that he and Guan Dongyang could handle any threat in their way.

    Right after Guan Dongyang had left, the Zergs found Battle Wolf¡¯s camp and surrounded it. Luckily, Wang Tong was able to persuade everyone to evacuate the camp before the Zergs closed in.

    After having confirmed that Wang Tong was inside the closed gate of the camp, the Zerg army started to close the encirclement.

    Wang Tong was preparing arge pot of fish soup while he was waiting for the Zergs¡¯ advancement. Suddenly, he heard rustling noise outside the gate: his guests had finally arrived.

    ¡°Smells good!¡± Turbolix walked through the gate and towards Wang Tong.

    ¡°Come, help yourself.¡± Wang Tong willed Turbolix to sit down beside him.

    ¡°Wang Tong, join us,¡± Turbolix asked, almost pleading.

    ¡°No.¡± Wang Tong said calmly. He held Turbolix¡¯s gaze and noticed that his guest had transformedpletely into the Immortals.

    Turbolix pulled a taut face and said, ¡°How arrogant! It¡¯s no longer the time of the Confederation. This world belongs to us, the immortals¡­ not you, loser!¡±

    Wang Tong cast a pitiful nce at Turbolix, ¡°Patroclus is a traitor, and you are worse than that¡­ You are a bug.¡±

    ¡°Say whatever you want¡­ but your life ends today! Both Divine lord and the Dark Lord want you dead.¡±

    ¡°I am honored.¡± Wang Tong picked up a slice of fish from the soup and chewed on it. ¡°What do you think will happen if the human resistance force attacks Maersa right now as we speak?¡±

    Turbolix paused for a second and smirked, ¡°That is none of my business. It¡¯s Kun¡¯s city anyways. I just want you to die¡­Oh, one more thing, don¡¯t you know that Zhou Sisi is still alive?¡±

    Wang Tong put down his fork and looked at Turbolix. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    Sensing that he had caught Wang Tong¡¯s attention, excitement shed across Turbolix¡¯s face. ¡°I bet you want to know that really bad, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t need to tell me. I will find her. Thanks foring, by the way.¡± Wang Tong stood up and rubbed the grease off his shirt.

    Turbolix¡¯s face ckened. He knew what Wang Tong meant: he was going to kill him and scan him mind using soul energy to learn the location of Zhou Sisi.

    ¡°Haha¡­ You haven¡¯t changed a bit! Well, let me introduce you to Mr. Kun, and his level twenty-two Einherjar¡¯s Bane!¡±

    ¡°Level twenty-two? You think too highly of me.¡±

    ¡°Save your words! Kun, attack!¡±

 Chapter 540 - The Weakened Defense

    <h4>Chapter 540: The Weakened Defense</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    In addition to Kun, Wang Tong could also see another dozen or so dark ones, including some Web Zergs and Kamikaze Zergs that made up the Einherjar¡¯s Bane Unit. On the other side of the gate, tens of thousands of primitive Zergs surrounded the Camp.

    Wang Tong fished out thest slice of meat in the soup and wolfed it down. He then pressed a button on his skmunicator as he mumbled, ¡°We have so many guests today. Should have prepared a feast for you.¡±

    ¡°Kaboom!¡±

    The ground trembled as bombs exploded outside the camp. Wang Tong had bought these bombs from Syracuse at a rock bottom price, since no one had ever shown any interest in these bombs.

    Wang Tong flew to the sky and found out that the camp had already been surrounded by fire. Many Zergs outside the camp were either shredded into pieces by the shockwave or devoured by the fire.

    Turbolix followed Wang Tong to the sky; he couldn¡¯t let him escape under his nose. He calcted that the best oue for him was to capture thetter and let the human resistance weaken the city. It would be like one stone killing two birds. On the other hand, the worst could happen was having Wang Tong slip away; and Turbolix doubted that Patroclus would tolerate such a failure.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t slow down; he flew across the sky with Turbolix hot on his heels. After a while, hended on a giant t rock and waited for thetter. When Turbolix arrived, Wang Tong was amused by the exhausted expression on his face. Turbolix was startled by the sudden explosion, as he didn¡¯t expect Wang Tong to be so cunning. Hemented on the mistake of conglomerating the tropes around the camp, which exacerbated the damage of those explosives. Luckily, Turbolix thought, those were all Moye¡¯s soldiers.

    Wang Tong studied Turbolix¡¯s faces, and he immediately saw through the immortal¡¯s n to deal a blow to both Wang Tong and Moye by pitting one against the other.

    Wang Tong conceded that the transformation had given Turbolix a more tenacious body. However, Turbolixcked something that was intrinsically human: a soul.

    It was the soul that had driven the humans to fight for a brighter future, and transcend the animalistic desires into spiritual pursuits.

    Humans¡¯ strength came from the ability to improve themselves. But, while the immortals had already gained the perfect body, there was no more potential left in them. Theck of goal made the immortals forget their ce in the world, and lost control over their power.

    Turbolix¡¯s chest heaved as he charged up his soul energy to level twenty one. ¡°Wang Tong, taste the power of my Wind-Cloud Kick!¡±

    Before Turbolix finished his sentence, he attacked Wang Tong with a flurry of kicks. He had perfected his kicking technique over the years; his kicking moves were so powerful that they could attack in all directions.

    Turbolix rained the attacks on Wang Tong without giving him an opportunity to resist.

    ¡°Die, Die, DIE!¡±

    Turbolixnded a kick on Wang Tong¡¯s side, and the impact sent him flying. Before Wang Tongnded on the ground, Turbolix charged at him and bore down his elbow on Wang Tong¡¯s soft belly.

    ¡°KOM!¡±

    Turbolix¡¯s elbow-strike hammered Wang Tong down and buried him deep in a pile of rubble. Turbolix didn¡¯t stop, as he charged GN force into his legs and kicked at Wang Tong again.

    ¡°KOM!¡±

    The kick sent a flurry of loose gravel flying, and the impact trembled the ground. This was the real power of a legendary immortal warrior.

    The surge of power inside his body brought Turbolix a euphoria; he threw back his head and shouted to the sky like an animal in heat.

    After Turbolix finally gathered himself, he failed to locate Wang Tong¡¯s dead body. Had his attack pulverized Wang Tong¡¯s mortal body?

    Dead or alive, Turbolix needed to bring Wang Tong back to Patroclus, so he started searching.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Azy voice came out from behind Turbolix.

    Wang Tong stretched himself and yawned, ¡°Turbolix, are you kidding me? What have you been doing over thest five years?¡±

    Turbolix took a half step back and murmured, ¡± How¡­ how is that possible? How are you not dead?¡±

    ¡°Dead? Hell no. But, you have indeed spoiled my clothes!¡± Wang Tong furrowed his brows and inched closer towards Turbolix.

    Layered Fist of Tong!

    ¡°KOM!¡±

    Turbolix¡¯s kicks were too slow to react, and he was dealt a blow squarely on his chest. The impact sent him staggering back until he tripped and fell to the ground. However, he was unharmed, thanks to his nearly invincible body.

    Turbolix quickly picked himself up and charged at Wang Tong. When he was close, he rained kicked on Wang Tong from above. Wang Tong clenched his fist, melting the air around his fist into liquid.

    ¡°KOM!¡±

    Turbolix only saw a fist before he was dealt a blow in his face.

    Turbolix was knocked back a few dozen meters, and when he finally pushed himself up, blood welled from his face. However, he kept walking towards Wang Tong. ¡°Haha! Haven¡¯t I told you that your attacks won¡¯t work on me?¡± Suddenly, Turbolix turned his heels and took off in the other direction: he was running away.

    Wang Tong waved his arms forcefully, and Turbolix was jolted by an unseen force in the air as he fell back to the ground. Wang Tong pressed his palm downward and summoned a wave of energy to pin him where he had fallen.

    ¡°Wang ... Wang Tong, you can¡¯t kill me! Please, I will tell you whatever you want to know. You are the heir of the de Warrior¡­ I can help you.¡±

    Wang Tong walked to Turbolix, who was still struggling to get up. He pressed a hand on thetter¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°Be quiet!¡±

    Wang Tong channeled out his soul energy and started to scan Turbolix¡¯s mind using soul energy. After finding the fragments of images of Zhou Sisi in his sea of memories, Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. She was still alive, and she was still a human.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me, Wang Tong. I can be your informant; I can be useful to you!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but no. May you find peace in the next life¡± Wang Tong said.

    A worm like Zerg wiggled its head out of Turbolix¡¯s chest and bit at Wang Tong¡¯s hand with rows of filed teeth. Wang Tong poked it with only one finger and squashed the Zerg into pulp. Life suddenly drained from Turbolix¡¯s face, and in a blink, he died.

    Wang Tong had finally ended his suffering. Wang Tong summoned a tendril of fire in between his fingers and lit Turbolix¡¯s body aze.

    ¡­

    ¡°Do you think Boss is in danger?¡± Lun Duo¡¯s eyes were glued to the screen disying battle updates. Thest update said that the Zergs had surrounded Battle Wolf¡¯s camp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. You know who he is. Plus, he had bought so many bombs. I doubt he will let them go to waste.¡±

    The Battle Wolf traveled light and fast; in just four days, they had arrived in Maersa City.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s bash the gate open and storm in!¡± Yin Tianzong suggested. He could sense that there were only a small number of Zergs inside the city.

    After a while, a few thousand Zergs poured out of the city to meet the besieging forces. Yin Tianzong led a group of warriors to meet the attackers. Yin Tianzong was a master of shields; he carried two tower shields, one in each hand, as he rammed into the ranks of enemies. The heavy shields were decked out with sharp protrusions which skewered and smashed the Zergs wherever they went. Behind the shield and Yin Tianzong were a hundred or so mastery casters, who also rained death onto the attacking Zergs from above.

    ¡°Ready... Initiate Divine Burst!¡±

    Ross shouted themand and led another group of warriors into the city.

    ( Updated by .Com )

    It only took Battle Wolf less than an hour to take control of the strategic points in the city. Vorenus and a few warriors took an excursion to the Zerg¡¯s hatchery and destroyed all the hatchlings.

    Sensing that their future generation was at risk, instinct drove the Zergs to swarm the humans with abandon. However, just as Wang Tong had indicated, the production facility boasted a few inches thick steel tes, and held firm under waves after waves of relentless attacks.

 Chapter 541 - All Big Things Have Small Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 541: All Big Things Have Small Beginnings</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Soon, the Zergs¡¯ bodies piled around outside the manufacturing facility. The Battle Wolf¡¯s defense was imprable, with the METAL warriors at the front forming an iron shield, while the mastery warriors dished out damage to the Zergs from the back.

    Battle Wolf¡¯s mastery casters were well equipped, powerful warriors. Every mastery caster had an energy crystal from which they could draw energy and rain destruction on the Zergs.

    The Zergs attacked the humans relentlessly and didn¡¯t give them any time to rest. Waves after waves of Zergs rushed onto the piles of dead bodies, only to be immediately killed at the top of the hill, adding another few inches to the pile. The attackssted until midnight, after which, there was not even one Zerg left in the City.

    The warriors and casters were so exhausted that they found it difficult even to lift their arms. However, the battle had not ended yet, as the bulk of the Zerg army was on their way.

    ¡°Clean the battlefield, rest in rotations. Keep your guns loaded!¡± Yin Tianzong took upon himself to be the leader of Battle Wolf, since he had the most experience in dealing with the Zergs.

    Seeing the piles of dead Zergs, Lie Xuan¡¯s stomach churned. The facility had turned into a ughterhouse. Leveraging the terrain¡¯s advantage, the METAL warriors could block the iing Zergs while the Mastery casters annihted the majority of the wave with AOE spells. The METAL warriors would then quickly kill the remainder of the gravely injured Zergs. Battle Wolf worked as an efficient line in a Zerg ughterhouse.

    The endurance of most warriors fell short after such exertion, except for Yin Tianzong. Most people started dozing off even while standing guard.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep! Start your tactics, NOW!¡±

    Hearing Yin Tianzong¡¯s warning, many soldiers shook their heads, trying to shake away the sleepiness. If they fall asleep right then, they might not be able to wake up when the Zergs came again.

    As the soldiers recuperated, Yin Tianzong flew into the air and surveyed the surrounding area. He noticed many humans emerging out of the thicket around the city. These had been the Zergs¡¯ servants, and they had fled the city the moment Battle Wolf started attacking. Hearing themotion in the city subside, they moved out of the forest, wanting to see what had happened to the city and the Zergs.

    ¡°We are free! We are FREE! Everyone, the Zergs are gone¡­ The dark ones are all killed!¡± Someone shouted in excitement.

    Suddenly, from the shadows of copsed walls and locked underground cers, a few thousand Zerg captives emerged in the streets. It was evident that many people were not able to flee the war, and had been hiding all this while.

    ¡°Thank you, warrior! Thank¡­¡± An elderly survivor walked to Xiao Yuyu, but then quickly fainted out of sheer joy.

    ¡°Everyone, listen up! They Zerg Army is on its way to the city. If you want to live, help us clear things up and build up the defense.¡± Vorenus announced.

    ¡°This is the Chief Medic of the Divine Mastery sect. We must unite together when the Zergs came!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it! I have had enough of the Zergs!¡± Someone piped up.

    ¡°Yea! Let¡¯s kill them all!¡± The crowd was quickly sizzling with anger and indignation, but the din wasced with murmurs of doubts.

    Yin Tianzongnded right in the middle of the citizens. His legendary armor and statelyposure lent the crowd confidence, and convinced them to fight together with the warriors. As they started to clear the battlefield, the soldiers could finally get some rest.

    ¡°What did you say? Has Battle Wolf attacked the Maersa city? Haha! That is the funniest thing I have heard this year. Did Guan Dongyang take the city for a little settlement?¡± Marcos was amused by Guan Dongyang¡¯s adolescent act.

    ¡°But...captain... the report said that they have just sacked the city...¡± Randolph said as he shuffled his feet on the ground hesitantly. He was also taken aback by the surprising news when he first heard of it. But, he conceded that it was not fake after he saw the images on Sk.

    ¡°Captain, arge number of Zergs are headed our way. Our camp is on their way back to the city. Some dark ones have already passed us; they didn¡¯t seem to be interested in us. Should we attack? ¡±

    ¡°Balls! Of course! What are you waiting for?¡± Marcos shouted.

    ¡°Captain, we¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no time for petty feuds. Guan Dongyang will have my support as long as he is after the Zergs. But, are you sure Guan Dongyang has sacked the city?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw it with my own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Captain, I have heard that Battle Wolf had purchased a lot of dynamite,, and they used it against the Zergs that were besieging their camp. What should we do?¡±

    ¡°Use our heavy METAL. Don¡¯t let the Zergs sneak away.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Boss, what should we do?¡± The me Squad also received the ting news of Guan Dongyang¡¯s victory.

    ¡°Move all our forces out to reinforce Maersa. The resistance along the Zergs¡¯ way won¡¯t be able to stop them. Guan Dongyang will need help.¡±

    ¡°Yea! Move out!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill some bugs! ¡±

    Soon, all the resistance factions followed suit and joined Battle Wolf¡¯s side. Battle Wolf¡¯s one daring initiative had ignited the will to fight back in all soldier¡¯s hearts, regardless of their faction.

    Despite the constant infighting among the factions, everyone hated the Zergs. Thebined strength of the local factions had grown to a considerable size, and all they needed was a leader.

    ¡°What did you say? Battle Wolf has sacked Maersa?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Zerg forces that went to Battle Wolf¡¯s camp are retreating. All factions are on the move to run down the fleeting Zergs.¡±

    ¡°Well, what are we doing here then? Move out!¡±

    ¡°Boss, the Zergs are still strong right now. They were going to lose their home, so they fought with extra ferociousness.¡±

    ¡°Buzz off! Maersa is OUR home, not the Zergs¡¯! Although we are a small team, we are not cowards!¡± The leader of Iron Tooth shouted. Iron Tooth was not alone, as all the factions, small orrge, had rushed out of their camps to intercept the Zergs.

    All human forces were finally united under onemon goal once again.

    Although the resistance factions were able to slow down the movement of the primitive Zergs, the dark ones were able to pass through the human blockades with ease.

    Although Kun and other dark ones were injured by the sudden explosion to various degrees, their tenacious body had granted them incredible healing abilities. Kun had to get back to his city. The struggle between Moye and Patroclus had reached its crux, and he could not afford to make such a mistake during this sensitive time. Anger roiled inside Kun as hemented that he should not have listened to Turbolix and underestimated the strength of Wang Tong. If he failed to capture Wang Tong and allowed the human force to take Maersa, he might as well be dead.

    As an intelligent creature, unlike their primitive counterparts, dark ones feared death as much as humans would.

    Inside Maersa City, all soldiers were on high alert. They knew the Zergs wereing back, so they waited patiently. Thanks to the leadership of the legendary warrior, Yin Tianzong, the soldiers were confident that they would prevail.

 Chapter 542 - Zergs At The Doorstep

    Chapter 542: Zergs At The Doorstep

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    None of the soldiers on Ross¡¯ team were afraid of dying on the battlefield, and had prepared themselves for the ultimate sacrifice. Many soldiers and warriors had done so before them to save thest bit of hope for humanity, and now, they knew that it was their time.

    Fear was just a passing thought on the minds of Lun Duo and hisrades. These soldiers were heroes who were ready for risking their lives for the freedom of others. Maersa District needed them, and so did Mars.

    Yin Tainzong didn¡¯t let the others doubt his credibility as the branch leader of the Divine Master Sect, quickly arranging roles for one thousand or so civilians inside the wall to prepare for the war. Some of them were drafted as reserves for theing battle, and others took up the role of caretakers for the wounded and assistants to the field medics. The rare ones who were too squeamish to witness the imminent brutality were allowed to pack up and retreat deeper behind the front line.

    ¡°I hope everything is OK with Wang Tong.¡± Guan Dongyang looked concerned. Despite the motherload of explosives that Wang Tong had prepared for the Zergs, it was no joke if his n failed. Being surrounded by swarms of high-level Zergs spelled dome for even legendary level warriors.

    ¡°Fret not! The young master would never walk into such a situation unprepared. ¡± Yin Tianzong¡¯s voice was calm and confident. However, a twitch of his lip betrayed his stress that was otherwise so perfectly hidden. After all, Wang Tong was the only hope left for all humans, and a lot was at stake on his sess.

    After a while, silence crept into the fields just outside the camp. The tired soldiers took advantage of the precious reprieve for taking much-needed naps, while those who were less tired started to meditate and cultivate their tactics.

    Although they had warded off the attacks of the Zergs, it had been a costly victory. The men and women who survived the first battle did not find it in themselves to celebrate. More Zergs were on their way, and the soldiers needed rest.

    ¡°It is us whom you need to worry about.¡± Ye Zi announced. ¡°Other than Yin Tianzong and Vorenus, we have lost all the high-level warriors amongst us.¡± She added.

    Everyone knew that the key to their next survival lied in four warriors: Vorenus, Yin Tianzong, Xiao Yuyu, and Guan Dongyang. Without them, the entire group would be doomed.

    As the field medic, Xiao Yuyu could have stayed behind the front line. However, her recent ascent to the legendary level had lent her confidence. That being said, she was not entirely sold on the second battle while being severely outnumbered. However, she never forgot about the oath she swore when she took up the cloak of a field medic. She couldn¡¯t leave the wounded on the battlefield unattended; it was her sworn duty.

    Clearly, the strength of the Divine Mastery Sect did not entirelyy in their young master, but in the unswerving faith of its followers as well.

    It wasn¡¯t before long the Battle Wolf received messages over the sk, informing the defenders about the movement of the Zerg armies in the Maersa District. The resistance forces outside the city were on the move, nibbling at the heels of the Zergs¡¯ marching column, harassing them but unable to cause any real damage.

    The earth started to tremble before the dawn break.

    ¡°Sh*t! They are here!¡± Ross sprung to his feet; his booming voice wrenched the soldiers¡¯ sleeping minds out of their dreams.

    ¡°Weapons ready!¡±

    The campground outside the city was suddenly lit up by beams of white spotlights. Soldiers took up their assigned posts before giving each other a few knowing nces.

    ¡°They are here¡­ It¡¯s the vanguard. There are dark ones among their ranks.¡± Yin Tianzong broke the silence.

    As the earth trembled more violently, people on the city wall started to see the outline of the Zerg army on the horizon, where the tip of the rising sun was eclipsed by rolling hills.

    Ross saw his enemy and roared, agitated and eager to fight. ¡°Brothers and sisters, this is your moment! Kill every single one of them!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Everyone knew that as soon as the Zergs crossed the line of defense, the mastery casters, which made up the bulk of the humans¡¯ offensive force would be unable to inflict any meaningful damage to the enemy.

    The forest of concrete and cement, as well as the twisted alleyways, provided cover for the human defenders. In addition, since the Zergs had already made a home in this city, even the brutes in the Zerg army would tread carefully and try not to damage any of the structures which they used to call home. The Zergs¡¯ reservation had given the humans another edge while defending themselves.

    After a while, Guan Dongyang and the mastery casters started to cast the spells. Hearing the chanting, the dark ones sent in their flying units; however, the sky was guarded by Yin Tianzong and Vorenus. Unable to best two of the best human fighters, the flying Zergs fell to the ground.

    Holding the energy crystals in their hands, the mastery casters pronounced the magical words one word after another as they weaved a hybrid elemental spell using each and every syble. They had been practicing this hybrid spell for months, and by now, they could cast this powerful spell even with their eyes closed. Only the original mastery casters from the Battle Wolf had partaken in the casting, and those casters from the Divine Mastery sect were ordered to stay put for now. Casting such a powerful spell required tremendous energy, and resting was necessary after each casting. The second team of casters would need to keep the pressure on the enemies during the first team¡¯s rest.

    The front edge of the Zergs¡¯ formation was near, and behind them was a dark sea of monstrosities. A few dark ones were scattered around the roiling sea, their glinting eyes looking like the moonlight reflected off the sea waves.

    The dawn-lit sky was brightened by a warm red glow, and in a blink, the red glow turned into mes, setting the sky on fire. The fire sucked the power out of the energy crystals as thetter dimmed. As the fire danced more violently, the sky started to spin. A secondter, the dancing mes gathered together and formed a tornado which quickly grew in size and brightness. The mastery casters¡¯ eyes were lit up with anticipation and the promise to kill. There was no way back: this was the final battle!

    The fire tornado wiggled its tail like a dragon, but it didn¡¯tsh out at its target; it was waiting for them to get closer.

    Sweat started to form and trickle down Guan Dongyang¡¯s cheeks. The longer he held the spell, the more powerful it grew. At the same time, it got more and more taxing on the casters¡¯ system.

    The Zergs were still not close enough, hence, Guan Dongyang gritted his teeth and swallowed down the pain while waiting.

    When the frontline of the Zerg formation finally reached the defense line, Ross led his warriors out of their covers and engaged them. Not far from the heat of the battle, a column of the casters from the Divine Mastery Sect stood anxiously, waiting for orders. This was going to a long battle, and every soldier counted.

    Guan Dongyang waited; he wouldn¡¯t unleash the spell until the Zergs¡¯ heavy artillery came within the range.

    Finally, four Tank Zergs moved their massive bodies across the defensive line and started shooting deadly mes at the human soldiers.

    Tornado Fire Drake!

    ¡°KOM!¡±

    Guan Dongyang finally unleashed the spell, causing the fire serpent to bear down on the dark sea of Zergs below it. The deadly me melted the thick shells of the Tank Zergs almost instantly, not to speak of the lower tier Zergs.

    The fire drake carved an ugly scar on the moving mass of Zergs and filled the air with the stench of charred meat and chitin. Seeing the powerful spell work, the human soldiers cheered in joy. However, the opening in the Zergs ranks was quickly filled by more of them.

    ¡°Formation!¡± Ross shouted.

    The human soldiers tightened their formation and blocked the choke point, leaving only two small exposed sections to engage the attackers. Behind them, the mastery casters from the Sect were already busy at work. Xiao Yuyu had also reced Guan Dongyang as the caster¡¯s captain while thetter recuperated his strength.

    The human force had the advantage of terrain, but were outnumbered and outranked. Still, Yin Tainzong and Vorenus were in charge of taking out the dark ones. Leveraging the terrain advantage, the two warriors were able to fend off the attacks of a dozen dark ones at the same time.

    Every minute or so, Guan Dongyang would send a dark one to its maker along with an ear-piercing shriek. Not only was he a legendary level warrior, but also a veteran who had survived many wars. Therefore, he was much more powerful than a normal level twenty-one legendary warrior.

    The human warriors stood their ground firmly while the Zergs kept on pouring through the choke point. Many of these warriors were survivors of the horror during the Zerg upation of the city, and therefore, they fought with vindictiveness and courage that were unseen before.

    After all, they would rather die while fighting than bing the Zergs¡¯ ves again.

 Chapter 543 - Unstoppable

    <h4>Chapter 543: Unstoppable</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    As the battle drew out, the soldiers started to show signs of exhaustion. Although the Zergs had sustained heavy casualties, their corpses piled up at the choke point, forming an ess bridge that threatened the defenders. After some time, even Vorenus and the Temr warriors started to slow down. However mighty they were, their vigor and endurance were limited. Meanwhile, the soldiers from the Battle Wolf were on the verge of copsing. However, they didn¡¯t waver and formed a wall using their bodies to protect the casters behind them.

    The casters were in no better shape. Despite the help from the Divine Light spell, the casters had overspent their energy on four hybrid elemental spells. As fatigue crept into their system, hallucinations and delusions followed suit. As the leader of the casters, Guan Dongyang¡¯s consumption of energy was the most severe of them all, and he knew that he was close to his limits.

    The field medics ran around the camp behind the front line, tiredness and stress written all over their pale faces. They were the best of the best as field medics; however, treating wounds at such a magnitude was nothing like what they were used to. That being said, under the leadership of Xiao Yuyu, the sect medics had saved many lives. Without their help, at least half of the wounded warriors would have died.

    If Yin Tianzong were tired, he didn¡¯t wear it on his face. Vorenus admired his state of calmness, which was the sign of a true legendary veteran. The Zergs followed their codes strictly and pursued the strongest human warrior on the battlefield as the priority target. Therefore, Yin Tianzong had fought with more Zergs than all the other warriorsbined. At the center of the Zergs¡¯ attention, he soaked up most of the damage for the rest of the human warriors.

    But, no matter how powerful Yin Tianzong was, Vorenus knew that they all would notst until the next dawn.

    ¡°Medics of the Divine Mastery Sect, listen to my words! This is the moment of life and death. Let us die in the name of the Divine Way and lift our soul up to join our Divine Master. It is a good day to die! FOR HONOR¡± Xiao Yuyu shouted at the top of her lungs and led her fellow medics to the front line. There was no point in healing the wounded if the camp was over overwhelmed.

    Lun Duo, Tan Bu, and Ross were the only few who were still struggling to push the Zergs back, while the rest of their teammates were cornered, fumbling to defend themselves.

    A few mastery casters rushed to the front line to save a group of soldiers from the Zerg. They threw ice spears at the Zergs one after another, but how much more energy did they still have left in them?

    Following Xiao Yuyu, Ye Zi also charged into the battle. She had exhausted her soul energy on healing soldiers, but still didn¡¯t hesitate when she heard the Chief Medic¡¯s calling.

    The Divine Mastery Sect had always been the protector of the humans on Mars even since its conception. It was more than their duty as sect members to fight for Mars; it was their dogma. To ignore the calling was apostasy.

    ¡®Ice Spear Blizzard!¡¯

    As soon as Xiao Yuyu arrived at the battlefield, she unleashed a level neen mastery spell. As a hundred or so ice spears shot out from around her, color and life drained from her face. The spell killed many Zergs, but it caused merely a ripple in the sea of darkness.

    Seeing the human soldiers being overwhelmed, Yin Tianzong let out a sigh of resignation. ¡®This is it.¡¯ He thought, ¡®This is the day for me to die.¡¯

    ¡°Warriors of the Temrs¡­Follow me! Charge!¡±

    Before Yin Tianzong¡¯s voice faded, the longsword in his hand split into two as the veteran wielded them in one hand each. This would be thest charge of the battle, and thest charge of his life.

    The dark one had sensed the iing attack and unleashed the Kamikaze Zergs. While Yin Tianzong was busy dodging the suicide bombs, a dark shadownded behind him. It was the Zerg lord, Kun; he had decided that it was finally the time to show himself.

    Once he had done away with this level twenty-one human soldier, the rest of the human force would notst long.

    Even when his life was hanging on by a thread, Yin Tianzong didn¡¯t lose hisposure and acted with a great measure of assuredness. He turned around swiftly like a panther and attacked Kun with a backhanded sweep of his de while he was still in the air.

    ¡°KOM!¡±

    The attack hit home and made Kun stagger. However, as soon as Yin Tianzongnded on the ground, the Zergs swarmed at him without giving him much time to gather himself.

    Sensing their leader being in grave danger, the temr warriors rushed to save him. By this time, Kun had also regained bnce, charging at the Temrs.

    ¡°You shall not pass¡­ BREAK!¡±

    A booming voice rippled across the city, every syble containing a god-like power. The sound carried a magic that slowed everyone¡¯s movements as if the time itself had stopped to listen to his words.

    Kun¡¯s bone dagger was only a few inches away from Yin Tianzong¡¯s spine, inching toward its target at a snail¡¯s pace.

    A figure appeared above Kun and kicked the bone dagger to a side. Kun was a level twenty-one dark one, and therefore, he was the only one who could still move while under the influence of the time-slowing spell. Yin Tianzong, on the other hand, was slowed down by the fatigue and injuries.

    Kun gathered himself and expanded his wings. The crystals embedded in his body let out bright lights, trying to prate the grip of the spell. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the person who had cast the spell, and a bone dagger appeared in his hand ut nowhere.

    With that, Kun attacked back, but he was too slow; the dagger had missed its target. And now, he saw Wang Tong¡¯s handing for his neck. He panicked and shapeshifted into a dozen configurations in an instant. Failing to escape the spell, he started to smell something in the air¡ªhis death.

    Wang Tong grabbed Kun¡¯s head and twisted. The dying howl of thetter was unpleasantly loud and prating. The reverberations shocked the ground once, and then it was over.

    Wang Tong had returned!

    Despite the pesky harassment from the Zergs on his way to the City of Maersa, he had made it just in time to save the day.

    ¡°Kom!¡±

    A firewall drew a line near the choke point, separating the humans from the Zergs. The death of the Zerg leader had sent the Zerg force into a panic and disarray.

    In the past, before the time of the dark ones, the death of the Zerg leader was a death sentence for the entire Zerg army. However, the dark ones were intelligent creatures who were capable of cating their panicking subordinates.

    All this while, the dark ones wondered who Wang Tong was.

    Zergs were not alone in their confusion as soldiers who fought alongside Wang Tong a few months ago were also at a loss. Of course, the Temrs knew Wang Tong¡¯s name, but they didn¡¯t know what he really meant to the world. Not even Yin Tianzong had grasped half of the meaning of Wang Tong¡¯s existence.

    When the human soldiers had retreated to safety, the firewall finally disappeared. A set of golden discs appeared in Wang Tong¡¯s hand. It was a familiar sight to the warriors of Battle Wolf, as they were the same discs that had destroyed Thunder Fire¡¯s heavy METAL squad. Little did they know that it was not a weapon like they had suspected, but Wang Tong¡¯sbat technique: Golden Disc Saw.

    As the two golden discs charged into the mass of Zergs, it sliced through their chitin tes like butter. Wherever the discsnd, death followed.

    While the two golden discs wreak havoc behind enemy lines, Wang Tongnded on the ground and led hisrades into a triumphant charge.

    ¡°Did I miss anything?¡± Wang Tong smiled at Yin Tianzong.

    ¡°You were just in time!¡± Yin Tianzong smiled back as he clenched his de. The tide of the battle had turned.

    ¡°Just a little longer. After this is done, we will celebrate in our city!¡± Wang Tong beamed from side to side.

    Sensing the promise of victory, Lun Duo and Tan Bu pushed themselves to their feet and followed Wang Tong.

    ¡°Wang Tong...Wang...Tong...WANG TONG!¡± Xiao Yuyu repeated Wang Tong¡¯s name in her mind until realization finally dawned upon her.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he dead?¡± Xiao Yuyu was shocked by her realization. Her mind still denied it, but her heart knew the truth all this while.

    Who else, other than THE Wang Tong, could be able to bring Guan Dongyang under his control? After all, he was the only person who had defeated Patroclus¡­He was humanity¡¯s only hope.

    Wang Tong folded his hands, and an incredible scene appeared in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. His body started to look blurry, and then it was split into two, then four, and then eight.

    The eight copies of Wang Tong stood in a row, looking exactly the same; no one could tell the real Wang Tong from his copies.

    The eight Wang Tongs all held a glowing white ball each in their hands. Within each ball were dark roiling clouds that were lit up by the shes of strobing lightning that were eclipsed by the thunderclouds. The balls were increasing in size and brightness; when they reached half meters in diameter, blinding ray of lights shot out of each of them.

    The lights simply melted the Zergs in front of them. When everyone thought that it was the end of the spell, they heard a ring explosion as the beams of light dispersed into hundreds of smaller lightning bolts, spreading in all directions and killing hundreds of Zergs in just one zap. Chaos fell amidst the Zergs as they trampled over each other while trying to get out of harm¡¯s way.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    The seven copies of Wang Tong finally disappeared, and a golden spear appeared in his hands.

    It was the Lance of Einherjar!

 Chapter 544 - The Brave Victory

    <h4>Chapter 544: The Brave Victory</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Amidst the golden light emitted by thence, the soldiers found a new strength and courage; and with that, they charged out of their covers toward their enemies.

    At the front of the line was Wang Tong, Yin Tianzong, Vorenus, Guan Dongyang, and Xiao Yuyu, plunging deep into the Zergs like spearheads. Under Wang Tong¡¯s protection, the warriorsshed out at the Zergs, unloading their vindictiveness and hatred. On the other side, the Zergs panicked and scattered, only to be trampled by their own kind.

    Even as the Zergs pulled out of the city, new battle cries rang from outside the city wall¡ªthe me Squad had arrived. This was thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. The entire Zerg army, including the dark ones and their primitive cousins, fell into a disarray and fled. The me Squad was praised for its ferociousness during battle. They dove headlong into the retreating band of Zergs and started killing.

    As more dark ones followed Kun¡¯s footstep to the underworld, the Zerg army crumble in an instant. The Zerg reinforcement never arrived as they were tied up in the battle with the human resistance on their way to the city.

    When the sun finally reached its zenith, the humans had retaken the city of Maersa. As thest group of Zergs retreated into the woods, everyone was too exhausted to chase after them; they simply watched them run away in disarray.

    With their remaining strength, the soldiers and the civilians cheered. They had done the impossible and liberated the city of Maersa.

    Wang Tong spotted the back of thest dark one and threw his spear to kill it instantly. When the Einherjar Lance flew itself back into his hand, everyone cheered in a frenzy. The humans had finally found the leader who could lead them out of their misery.

    The soldiers of Battle Wolf were overspent and needed immediate rest, so it was up to the me Squad to clean up the battlefield. The scene on the battlefield reflected the most brutal battle that mankind had ever fought. However, it didn¡¯t scare Bu Zhihuo, who was prepared to die on the battlefield with Battle Wolf. Wang Tong was convinced that not all resistance groups were full of cravens when he searched for brave warriors, and he finally found what he was looking for in Bu Zhihuo and his band.

    However dangerous this operation sounded, Wang Tong would never blindly send his friends to their deaths. He had calcted the odds over and over again, weighing his options and meticulously nning every single detail of the operation.

    A calm sea would never develop good sailors; a little bit of struggle and difort would help to toughen up the human forces. After the battle, everyone felt that they had learned something significant from their struggle.

    The news of victory spread quickly all over the district. It was exciting news to everyone on mars, regardless of their history with Battle Wolf.

    Marcos was a shrewd tactician; while Battle Wolf was risking their lives inside the city, he and his soldiers watched the battle unfold. Only when he sensed the promise of victory did he order his soldiers to charge at the fleeing Zergs.

    When the news of the victory finally reached him, he felt a mixture of admiration and jealousy. He never thought that Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang would make it, yet they had proven him wrong again.

    ¡°Haha! These guys are the toughest SOBs I have ever met!¡± Aamir mmed themander¡¯s desk with a heavy fist.

    ¡°Touch¨¦! Who would have thought that they could have done the impossible! Well done, Guan Dongyang!¡± Hans said with glee.

    ¡°Haha! Hans, I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with Guan Dongyang. It must be Wang Tong!¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong? Oh... Isn¡¯t he¡­¡± At that moment, Han suddenly remembered something, an old name that had been long forgotten by the people.

    ¡°It has to be him! Who else could bring Guan Dongyang and Yin Tianzong under hismand?¡±

    ¡°No wonder the Divine Mastery Sect had sent their chief medic to assist him. Isn¡¯t Yin Tianzong the branch leader of the Temrs?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure if he is the leader, but he and his warriors were definitely rted to the Court. Also, I don¡¯t think that Xiao Yuyu joined Wang Tong with the knowledge of his real identity. That being said, she must have realized it by now as well.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong¡¯s reputation will definitely help him on Earth, but I am not sure if Martians will react the same as the earthlings will.¡±

    ¡°Come on! There has to be a reason that made him choose Mars. I think we need to get on board with whatever he is up to.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting an alliance with Battle Wolf?¡±

    ¡°Why not? We are after the same goal. But, we have to tread carefully. Wang Tong is not the only person who has an agenda¡± Aamir said.

    Wang Tong had been keeping his head low until now. His real identity exined Marcos¡¯ series of crushing defeat at the hands of Battle Wolf.

    But, no matter how powerful Wang Tong was, his own strength was no match for the might of House Lie. Nheless, he had made a good start by taking control of the city of Maersa.

    When the Zergs retreated, the Pamir Eagle didn¡¯t miss the opportunity of picking off the frightened Zergs. After the battle, Pamir and his soldiers started cleaning the battlefield. With expert eyes, many treasures could be found amongst the dead bodies of the Zergs. The Tank Zergs, for example, held a me core inside their bodies. It was highly sought after by the mastery casters as the ingredients for making energy crystals. Even the most primitive Zergs had something to offer with their dead corpses, as their thick chitin provided excellent material for making armors.

    Pamir was not at all optimistic about Battle Wolf¡¯s crazy operation in the beginning. He thought that the whole thing was an act of reckless improvisation which would definitely fail in the end. He felt that the addition of a few level twenty-one soldiers had lent too much confidence to Battle Wolf. Pamir often cautioned himself to never put too much faith in just one or two powerful fighters and ignore the rest of the crew. Once the elite soldiers were eliminated, which they very often were, the entire army would quickly fall apart.

    Pamir was a firm believer of his own ways, so when the news of Battle Wolf¡¯s victory reached him, he was speechless. The Battle Wolf¡¯s first upation of the defenseless city was not a surprise to him, but the biggest shock came when the messenger told him that Guan Dongyang intended to make a camp in the city and defend it. He thought that it would be thest time he heard from Guan Dongyang. It was a shame to lose such a talented warrior, but he had to pay for his recklessness. Pamir was convinced that the vanguard of the Zerg army alone would be able to overwhelm the Battle Wolf, regardless of the help of a level twenty-one veteran.

    As he was ready to moan over the loss of the human resistance, he was told that Battle Wolf had won the battle. This was the first time that Pamir ever doubted his own judgment.

    ¡­

    The news quickly spread to the nearby cities. Like everyone else, Sanders was stunned by the result. After he had gathered himself, it finally urred to him that he had gained the most powerful frenemy of his life. Knowing that the Sect¡¯s chief Medic had partaken in the battle, Sander wondered if Battle Wolf was affiliated with the Sect, and Guan Dongyang was groomed by the sect to rece him. Enemy or not, Sanders thought that he had to extend an olive branch to the rising star nheless.

    Although Syracuse was only a businessman, Battle Wolf¡¯s victory had benefited him greatly. Without a human foothold within the district, it was difficult for even the most cunning businessman to travel safely. It was sufficient to say that the liberation of Maersa City had opened many doors for Syracuse in the district.? ?

    When Syracuse first heard of the news, he thought that the messenger was telling him some fairy tale. As long as he had been a businessman, never once had he heard of a small war band that was able to win a city from the Zergs. After much investigation, the elements that lead to Battle Wolf¡¯s sess slowly surfaced in front of Syracuse. He discovered that Battle Wolf had acquired a legendary warrior, a miracle in itself, and used him as a bait to divert the attention of the Zergs. The diversion, together with the explosives that they had mooched off from him had delivered a huge blow to the Zerg army. When the Zergs realized what was going on, it had already been toote: Gaun Dongyang had already taken over their home base. Once Battle Wolf had taken control of the city, it set up barricades and gathered forces at the choke points. After the bulk of the Zerg army escaped the harassment of the human resistance forces along their way to home, they were annihted by the well-prepared defenders.

    However, there were many details in the n that still baffled him. How did Guan Dongyang know that the other resistance forces, some of whom were his old enemies, would surely join his operation?

    It urred to Syracuse that Battle Wolf had been ying a very risky game from the very beginning.

 Chapter 545 - Overbearing Impression

    <h4>Chapter 545: Overbearing Impression</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Another thing that had confused Syracuse was the ability of the legendary warrior to attract such arge number of Zergs by himself. Syracuse doubted that even the most powerful human warrior was not able to stir up that much interest in the Zergs. There had to be someone else there with the legendary warrior¡­Was it Xiao Yuyu? Yes, it had to be her.

    A legendary warrior and the chief medic from the Sect ought to be able to lure the entire Zerg army out of the city. The businessman¡¯s instinct of his told him that there was more than what met the eyes. Battle Wolf had to be somehow rted to the Divine Mastery Sect in one way or another.

    Anyway, regardless of the Battle Wolf¡¯s rtion with the Sect, their victory had earned everyone¡¯s respect; therefore, Syracuse decided to increase the client rtionship budget which he nned to spend on them.

    Once the resistance forces at the Maersa district heard about the news, they sent out their scouts to learn more about the current situation inside the city. None of the resistance groups were in a hurry to move their troops into the city, since the remaining Zergs coulde back at any time.

    Unlike everyone¡¯s expectations of the heroes that conquered the city to be drinking and celebrating, warriors of Battle Wolf spent the victory night in quietness. Overspent and exhausted, everyone fell asleep as soon as they finished dinner, and a few moments after that, the camp was filled with the soft snores. Although Vorenus was a high-level warrior, the intense battle had taken a toll on his vigor as well. Even then, he found it hard to believe that a second-ss war band such as Battle Wolf could have possessed such discipline and professionalism that was unrivaled by even the most well organized and funded military units.

    The strength of an army came from its soldiers¡¯ will, and such strength could only be tested during the time of extreme hardship. Battle Wolf had passed the test. Brave, courageous, and disciplined, these were the words used to describe an elite militia group such as the units from the Divine Mastery Sect. They were well trained, and fueled by an unswerving faith toward the Sect. But, what about the Battle Wolf? What made them so special?

    Watching the tired faces around him, Vorenus heaved a long sigh of relief. This was the most intense battle that the chief medic had ever participated. But, no matter how exhausted she was, she didn¡¯t let the fatigue show up on her face. As the leader of the field medics, she needed to constantly wear the mask of calmness and serenity, regardless of the situation. Sometimes, the mask got too heavy, and she just wanted to wrench it off her face, but she couldn¡¯t. She represented the Sect, thest beacon of hope for the human on the Mars.

    Some might me her for the reckless act of charging into the front line, but she did it anyway, and she had never felt better for herself. This was the first time after she had be the chief medic that she was able to do what she wanted, and earned the respect of others from her actions rather than the Sect¡¯s overshadowing reputation.

    ¡°Wang Tong...¡± He was THE Wang Tong, and now everyone knew about it.

    Being one of the caucus members within the Divine Mastery Sect, Vorenus had heard of the name many times. Compared to the young boy who had shocked the Confederation five years ago, Wang Tong had changed a lot. He was no longer a boy, but a man. Not only had he put one some muscles in the five years, but his mind had also matured, which made him much wiser than before.

    It was needless to say that Wang Tong¡¯s reappearance was great news to the human resistance forces. However, exposing himself so soon was not a good idea for his safety. What would House Lie think of Wang Tong¡¯s return?

    House Lie and the Divine Mastery Sect were long-term allies. Even during such reduced circumstances, the two great power still found a way to co-exist peacefully. But, the same could not be said about the rtionship between Wang Tong and House Lie.

    If it were anyone else, House Lie might be able to tolerate his or her existence. However, Wang Tong was not just anybody: he was the only person who had defeated Patroclus, and the heir of the de Warrior. Therefore, he had to be taken down if House Lie ever wanted to im dominance over Mars. Wang Tong only had a small number of soldiers under hismand; if he were to be in charge of a full-fledged war band, he might have already killed the dark lord by then.

    Vorenus reflected on the battle, and he noticed that the seemingly reckless operation was carefully nned and orchestrated. The situation might have seemed perilous, but everything was under Wang Tong¡¯s control.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and Yin Tianzong stood on the top floor of a skyscraper and scanned the streets below them. Just as Vorenus had suspected, Wang Tong had taken everything into consideration; he even meticulously calcted the time it would take for him to get to the city. The time he had spent with Charcoal outside Maersa city wall was not wasted, since he had collected enough data to estimate his travel time urately. That being said, Wang Tong could not foresee everything, and the sess was also due to the bravery and mettle of his warriors, particrly that of Xiao Yuyu and Yin Tianzong. Without these two powerful fighters stretching themselves to the limits during the most critical moment of the battle, Wang Tong¡¯s n would have failed.

    The Temrs had used their blood to prove to the public that they could still believe in the Court. Meanwhile, Wang Tong¡¯s astonishing disy of power had greatly impressed these proud and haughty warriors. Before the battle, they only followed Yin Tianzong¡¯s order. But now, they all considered Wang Tong to be their true leader.

    Standing beside Wang Tong, Yin Tianzong was finally content. He knew that he could, atst, take a rest from the role as the Temrs¡¯ leader, since Wang Tong was much morepetent in that role than him. He was convinced that Wang Tong would lead them to the Temrs¡¯ final destination: their home on earth.

    Although Yin Tianzong was not sure how many people would be still alive when they finally reached Earth, going back home with Wang Tong was a veryforting thought nheless.

    ¡°I am going to leave the city for a while. Guard the fort for me, will you?¡± Wang Tong said as he stretched his arms and yawned.

    ¡°The Zergs wille back for us. Plus, since you have revealed your identity, we have more than just the Zergs to worry about.¡±

    ¡°There will always be troubles. Haha¡­ I just don¡¯t want to be bored before the next fight.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile. He didn¡¯t seem to be rmed by Yin Tianzong¡¯s warning. Ever since he made up his mind about making a move against the City of Maersa, Wang Tong had been adamant in his course. He was not afraid of the Zergs, much less House Lie. As long as House Lie was under the influence of the Sect, it would not be able to amass an armyrge enough to threaten Battle Wolf. Even if they were so stupid as to make a move against him, Wang tong had more tricks up his sleeves to help him.

    Trying to subdue one¡¯s opponent with conspicuous brute force was never a wise thing to do. The real victory was better achieved with the most subtle but effective strategies.

    Yin Tianzong never doubted Wang Tong¡¯s ability to weather whatever storm that mighte; instead, he was worried about Wang Tong¡¯s attitude in this crucial moment. Wang Tong needed to strike a bnce between bing a fatalist and being reckless. He needed to be prudent in every decision he made, without being overshadowed by the fear of defeat. It was difficult for Yin Tianzong to put his advice into words, which didn¡¯t help to ease his concern. However, so far, he was very pleased with Wang Tong¡¯s sangfroid disposition under such great strain.

    At such a young age, Wang Tong had already achieved a great measure of aplomb and equanimity¡ªthe hallmark of a legendary Temr.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the news spread to House Lie and the Divine Master Sect.?Albani studied Lie Jian¡¯s face as he read the news to him.

    ¡°What do you think about it?¡± Lie Jian asked.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know if it was my ce to make ament on it.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t! I want you to speak your mind.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, my lord. I think our priority is to recruit him. Failing that, we will have to do away with him.¡± Albani answered in a short sentence.

    ¡°The wheel of fortune has its ways. Haha! Who would have thought that Wang Tong will work for me one day? You don¡¯t know him well enough. It is impossible to bring him under my control, ever.¡±

    ¡°Time had changed, and so have people. However, if we can¡¯t make him one of us, we will have to kill him sooner thanter.¡± Albani was the chief intelligence officer, and he knew that Wang Tong would one day rise to challenge House Lie if left unchecked.

    ¡°So, it is true, all the rumors about how merciless your KKBO was. You want to kill the heir of the de warrior.¡±

    ¡°It is an honor to be considered merciless as the chief intelligence officer. His title as the Heir of the de warrior means nothing on Mars, and his poprity is not my main concern either. His actually ability and power should be much more rming to you than his fame. He had brought down an entire Zerg Army with a small motley crew. We need to stop him before he gathers more strength¡­or it could be toote.¡±

    ¡°I see your point. However, we can¡¯t make a move right now. First of all, you have grossly underestimated Wang Tong¡¯s power. Even now, I cannot say for sure that I can ovee him in a one on one battle, much less with that level twenty-one warrior on his side. Even if we manage to remove him from the world, it would be in a PR nightmare. He is regarded as a hero for saving the people in Maersa, and I don¡¯t want my future subjects to see a hero¡¯s blood on my hands. Secondly, it is not just us who wanted to get rid of Wang Tong. I believe Moye is more interested in killing him than me. We can use their conflict to our advantage and strike at both of them when the time is right.¡±

    ¡°What a brilliant n, my lord! ¡± Albani announced ingratiatingly.

    ¡°Of course! I am the future lord of Mars. I should be able to handle a teenager hero easily.¡±?/ .Com

    All things considered, Lie Jian concluded that it would be better to stay put and observe as the situation developed. Wang Tong and his war band were still too weak to threaten his position on Mars, and removing Wang Tong by force would definitely anger the poption. That being said, he did not worry about the toll on his conscience by murdering an innocent hero. When Wang Tong started to pose a threat to him, Lie Jian would not hesitate to kill him. But for now, he would wait and leave the former alone.

 Chapter 546 - Back Away

    <h4>Chapter 546: Back Away</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Michaux Odin had finished his cultivation for the day. Searching for the Divine Path remained his only hobby when he was not tied up by the worldly turmoils. He wished to devote 100 percent of his time to his pursuit, but the world needed him badly.

    ¡°Master, I have a piece of news for you¡­It¡¯s from Xiao Yuyu.¡± A girl spoke quietly to Michaux. She wore an overall white jacket; soft and elegant features decorated her oval face. Her dark eyes gleamed under the light, making her look docile and mysterious at the same time. Luster ran down her dark, silken hair that was thin, straight, and exquisitely beautiful. Every move and every breath she took made her resemble a goddess in the paintings.

    ¡°Susu, what is it? I had never thought that you would be so interested in anything.¡± Michaux asked. His stately voice was powerful but calm, and was cating in nature, like the way a father spoke to his child. It was a residual effect of his cultivation.

    ¡°Haha¡­Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know what I am talking about. Once I say the name, you won¡¯t be so calm any longer. ¡± Susu announced.

    Michaux¡¯s body quivered slightly, and then he asked, ¡°Wang... Tong?¡±

    ¡°Bingo!¡±

    ¡°Haha! Wang Tong! It is him. Finally!¡±

    Susu watched Michaux¡¯s eyes as they lit up with glee. She had always admired her elder brother for his talent, and never had she thought that anyone in the world would be his equal. Even though she had witnessed his defeat at the tournament, she was convinced that Michaux had lost the fight not because he was weak, but because he simply didn¡¯t care much about the game. What Michaux was after was the ultimate state of mind, but not power or might.

    However, ever since Michaux returned from the tournament, he kept on bringing up Wang Tong¡¯s name with apparent admiration. She had been convinced that Michaux had reached the peak of all aspects rting to cultivation, which was especially the case in his understanding of the Divine Way. She doubted that even Patroclus hadn¡¯t peered deeper into the mysterious source of power than her brother had.

    Michaux¡¯s obsession with Wang Tong didn¡¯t reduce at all in the five years. It made Susu wonder exactly how powerful Wang Tong was.

    When the initial excitement faded, Michaux finally found peace in himself because he knew that he was no longer alone in his search for the Divine Path.

    ¡°Master, haven¡¯t you heard what your old acquaintance has done? He stole our most precious talent, our chief medic Xiao Yuyu.¡±

    Michaux Odin was not surprised by the news. He paused for a second and then said, ¡°Susu, from now on, we will not interfere with Wang Tong¡¯s business. This is an order. ¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? What if the situation gets out of our control? We don¡¯t even know what his motives are. Plus, what about House Lie?¡±

    ¡°I have made my decision. Remember, if House Lie and Wang Tong start to butt heads, we will stay out of it.¡± Michaux spoke in a firm voice.

    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t change Michaux¡¯s mind, Susu let the matter slide. She studied him and noticed that a mixture of joy and worry hung on his face. However, Michaux, who had already grasped the fundamental essence that made the world¡ªthe so-called ¡°Dao¡±¡ªknew that both his joy and concern were two sides of the same coin.

    Patroclus had also grasped the meaning of Dao, but he interpreted it in his wicked ways. On the other hand, Michaux¡¯s understanding was pure and untainted.

    Susu had expected that the news would arouse Michaux¡¯s interest, but he had chosen to treat it as if it was nothing.

    If she didn¡¯t know better about his personality, she might have doubted his decision like many other sect members. Despite the doubts, no one dared to disobey the master. Their faith alone would drive them to carry out the Sect Master¡¯s order to the letter.

    However, what was Michaux really nning? This was a question that even Susu had no answer to.

    ¡­

    To the soldiers inside the Maersa City, their miraculous victory still felt like a dream. Despite being able to hold the city, this battle had taken a toll on the strength of the human resistance within the district. Battle Wolf had lost thirty of their best soldiers. However, the victory of the battle was still a miracle.

    The me Squad had arrived just in time to save Battle Wolf from their doom. However, both Guan Dongyang and Bu Zhihuo knew that their real task had just begun. The first hurdle they needed to face was not the threat from the Zergs, but the matter of how to distribute the city to all contributing members. Although Battle Wolf was responsible for defeating the Zerg¡¯s army, it alone would not be able to guard such arge city. He needed the other factions¡¯ help, at a price.

    Bu Zhihuo was an honest and decent man, so he had spent most of his time on rebuilding the crumbled city without much interest in iming territories. However, the same could not be said about the other factions.

    Knowing that the city was acquired and the Zergs wouldn¡¯t return for a while, many factions moved toward Maersa to im their piece of the pie. Three dayster, just like Wang Tong had expected, leaders of all factions had arrived there one after another. Although Battle Wolf was the one that eliminated the Zergs, they would not be able to achieve the impossible without the other factions tying down the Zerg¡¯s reinforcements. Therefore, their imant to the spoil was not unfounded.

    To maximize Battle Wolf¡¯s imant, Wang Tong only needed to form an alliance with a few powerful groups and deny the ims of all the other smaller factions. However, he did no such thing, and allowed all factions, big or small, to enter the city and stake their ims. Everyone knew the importance of the City, since it would allow humans to establish a strong foothold within the district finally. Cities were also centers for exchange of goods, which would mean an abundant supply of goods and equipment.

    As of now, the Battle Wolf and the me Squad formed the bulk of the human forces that stationed inside the city. This was because the other factions had only sent in their representatives, since the mass mobilization of troops required preparation and time.

    Meanwhile, Guan Dongyang called for a summit meeting of all the factions leaders in order to plot the future course of the Maersa District.

    ¡°He is a smartd. He knew that Battle Wolf alone would not be able to manage such arge city, and is willing to share the benefits with everyone.¡±

    ¡°Haha, excellent! I wager that we should be able to get an entire block in the city.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that would be awesome! Battle Wolf has worked for us for free.¡±

    Many representatives felt really good about their situation; it was almost too good to be true. It had been a while since thest time they had slept in a soft bed and had warm breakfast, so they quickly turned their attention to thefort and entertainment the city could offer.

    Aamir and Hans from the Blizzard also arrived at the city, bringing only a dozen people with them instead of three hundred like the other leaders would. Aamir was convinced that the smaller his entourage was, the smoother the negotiation would go.

    ¡°Tomorrow is the day¡­Are you sure you are ready? This city is a mess!¡± Hansined. He and Aamir had arrived at the city a few days ago, and they had been observing the other factions since then.

    ¡°We need to observe more. I am still not sure what Wang Tong is after. He is a smart guy, but it¡¯s a foolish move to pull all banners together whilepletely disregarding their intention.¡±

    ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t confuse our situation with that during the confederation. We can no longer afford to hear the voice of every single one of us. It will only bring chaos!¡± Hans looked concerned. However, by then, it was already toote to drive those settlers out of the city.

    If history had taught the rulers a lesson, it would be that it was easier to conquer the world than maintain the rule. Wang Tong needed to think things through before he made any decisions.

    ¡°The Battle Wolf had banned the act of illegal settlement, but other than us and the me Squad, no one else followed the order. ¡±

    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think we should move more of our boys into the city andpete with the other factions? If we don¡¯t do it now, we might miss our opportunity. We are the strongest band in the city, so we should be able to im the best area of the city if we act now.¡± One soldier remarked.

    Aamir gave the soldier a faint smile, ¡°You seemed to have missed the actions of another old friend of ours.¡±

    Aamir¡¯s remark had puzzled everyone except for Han. ¡°Marcos! The Thunder Fire is here as well, and they have been awfully quiet too.¡±

    ¡°I bet he is afraid of Wang Tong. Plus, ever since his defeat, the Thunder Fire has been going downhill. ¡±

    ¡°There is no point in shooting in the dark. We will know the answer tomorrow. ¡± Aamir announced calmly. He had been through a lot of turmoil, and life had taught him a valuable lesson: the ones that stuck their heads above others, thinking life was a game of ¡®firste first serve¡¯, always ended up having their heads chopped off.

 Chapter 547 - I Am A B*tch, and I Am Your Hell

    Chapter 547: I Am A B*tch, and I Am Your Hell

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The next morning, Kun¡¯s supersized meeting hall was packed with human leaders. This strange building was an exposed tform built twenty or so meters above the ground. The dark ones adored such style of architecture for its openness. It was apparent that the dark ones¡¯ taste differed quite significantly from that of humans. The tform was able to amodate thousands of visitors, but it was already full by then. Warbands of all stripes gathered together regardless of their size and strength, eager to im a share of the pie.

    If the Maersa City was conquered byrge warbands such as the Thunder Fire or Blizzard, no one would dare to request anything from the conqueror. However, Battle Wolf was a small band, and therefore, no one was afraid of trying their luck.

    It was never going to be a quiet meeting, but Thunder Fire and Blizzard kept their silence amidst the mor. The quietness went against the grain of Marcos¡¯ usual temperament, since he was always the loudest at any gathering. Right then, Marcos sat in a chair and was sipping his tea slowly. It was as if he was not interested in the gathering at all.

    After half hour of waiting, the host, Battle Wolf, finally arrived. The din in the meeting room slowly died down. Most people were not familiar with Battle Wolf, and they still considered it a weak band, and their achievement a stroke of luck.

    Three leaders of the Battle Wolf: Wang Tong, Yin Tianzong and Guan Dongyang, stepped onto the stage. Wang Tong walked in the middle of the other two. Yin Tianzong and Guan Dongyang then took a half step back, indicating the real leader of the three. Many warriors had met Guan Dongyang, and Yin Tianzong, or at least had heard of them before; but, no one knew who the other young man was.

    Wang Tong gave everyone a weing smile and then announced, ¡°Thank you foring to this summit.¡±

    Only a few people knew Wang Tong¡¯s real identity, and even fewer pped their hands.

    ¡°Hey, punk! Who the hell are you? Let Guan Dongyang talk.¡±

    ¡°Hell yea! Get off the stage!¡±

    The crowd was quickly sizzling with discontent as they considered Wang Tong unworthy as the speaker.

    Standing at the front of the crowd, Aamir and Marcos didn¡¯t say anything.

    Guan Dongyang stepped into the spotlight and cracked a smile. ¡°This is my captain, captain Wang Tong.¡±

    Silence fell into the meeting room and then a swell of confused murmurs rose. Who was this teenager? Was he from House Lie or the Sect?

    ¡°Alright, Captain Wang. What do you think we should do with the city?¡±

    ¡°Yea, we noting all the way to the city to hear your babbling. Get down to the business. ¡±

    ¡°The Cherry Blossom had contributed tremendously to your victory. We demand Area C. Our Captain had lived in area C before the Zerg came.¡±

    ¡°Buzz off! Cherry Blossom did nothing! Area C should belong to us, Demon des!¡±

    The audiences quickly boiled over as they bickered and squabbled with each other. A few factions had already armed their weapons, ready to strike down their opponents. There had been many fights in the back alleys before the summit, since no one had taken the Battle Wolf¡¯s public announcement seriously.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, ¡°I understand that you are all eager to contribute to the liberation of the humans on Mars. The City of Maersa belonged to each one of you. Plus, we will need your support in rebuilding the city.¡±

    Although Wang Tong¡¯s words had cated the agitated group, it had lent more conceit to some of his audiences.

    ¡°Whatever you say. Area C belongs to Cherry Blossom!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe a single word you say! I will bust your sorry ass right now!¡±

    Everyone started their GN force at once, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

    Suddenly, everyone felt a strong presence of power weighing on them like a mountain.

    A Legendary Warrior!

    Yin Tianzong let out an almost inaudible humph, but it sounded so loud that it was a deafening st in everyone¡¯s ears. The humph quell the troublemakers¡¯ agitation.

    ¡°Balls! You are an Einherjar Level Warrior, so what?¡±

    ¡°Yea! Aren¡¯t you supposed to protect us instead of oppressing us?¡±

    The words stirred the audiences¡¯ mob mentality, and the crowd boiled over again.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, ¡°We are here to negotiate, not fight. Even if you want to test each other¡¯s might, please wait until the meeting is over. Please be assured that we have alreadye up with a fair and just n on how to divide the city. If I may have your attention¡­¡±

    Wang Tong and Yin Tianzong yed the perfect game of the good cop and the bad cop. Wang Tong¡¯s warm smile and Yin Tianzong¡¯s stern warning had cated the crowd as the room became quiet.

    ¡°Thank you all for your understanding. We are one family, so we should be able to sit down and talk things through. After all, without your support, Battle Wolf would not have been able to conquer the city. However, I don¡¯t remember ever seeing the Cherry Blossom on the battlefield. On the contrary, I recalled many robberiesmitted by this war band against us fellow human resistance factions. After the battle, you and your five hundred hooligans and done many ¡®good things¡¯ for the people inside the city.¡±

    ¡°Buzz off! who the heck do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°You are courting death! The Cherry Blossom had nevermitted any robberies! ¡±

    ¡°Take your words back, or else we will teach you a lesson! ¡±

    The soldiers from the cherry blossom waded through the crowd to just below the stage.

    Wang Tong still maintained the warm smile on his face. ¡°Please be reasonable¡­¡±

    ¡°Get off from there! I want to teach you how to speak properly!¡±

    ¡°Yea! I dare you to get off the stage, you a*shole!¡±

    There were about fifty or so high-level warriors from the cherry blossom that had gotten near the stage. Everyone knew that the Cherry Blossom hadmitted many crimes under the name of saving the humans from Zergs. By then, its army was three hundred strong, and no one dared to speak out against these rascals.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh and then said, ¡°Please, everyone! I am trying my best to be reasonable although I am not a very reasonable person.¡±

    Before Wang Tong finished his words, a wild gale blow across the hall and the heads of the fifty soldiers popped like balloons. People only noticed that Yin Tianzong¡¯s body went blurry for a second, and then they saw him clear the blood off of his hands.

    With that, a fearful silence fell into the hall. The size of the mob no longer offered them a sense of safety. It only took Yin Tianzong less than three seconds to kill all the fifty high-level warriors.

    ¡°What a pity! I was going to talk reason with them. But they wouldn¡¯t listen! Guan Dongyang, would you mind persuading them for me please?¡± Wang Tong said with a twisted smirk.

    Guan Dongyang elevated his body into the air as a mastery staff appeared in his hand. The shiny crystal on the staff was ripped off from the body of the former owner of the residence, Kun.

    Guan Dongyang was cloaked in me as the energy in the crystal poured into him; a giant fire dragon was forming right in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. This was no ordinary mastery spell, and many mastery casters from the Battle Wolf had seen this terrible spell before. Immense heat emanated from the fire dragon and roasted the soldiers below it. Some soldiers who sat close to the stage had already started the GN shield to ward off the heat. However, Guan Dongyang didn¡¯t stop as he kept on channeling energy out of the energy crystal, adding more fuel to the intense me.

    Slowly the fire dragon became a fireball, and with its size and intensity increasing, the soldiers started to fall to the ground one after another. The mighty power of a level neen caster was too much for them to bear. Even Marcos and Aamir were forced to start their GN shield. They had heard of Guan Dongyang¡¯s powerful fire spell, but this was the closest they had gotten to its power.

    Soon, the fireball stopped spinning, but its intensity kept on increasing. Guan Dongyang had started to blend the wind element into the spells in order to drastically increase the damage output.

    More and more people either fell to the ground or had retreated further away from the source of the heat. Despite being the closest to the scorching fireball, neither Wang Tong nor Yin Tianzong showed any sign of distress.

    Finally, Guan Dongyang let go of the fireball as it shot out toward its target: the building with the g of the Cherry Blossom.

    In an instant, the building was gone, together with the hundreds of souls in it.

    When Guan Dongyangnded back to the ground, he still held a cid expression as if the losses of hundreds of the human lives meant nothing to him.

    Everyone finally understood why Marcos had kept his silence all the while: they were dealing with a crazy psychopath.

 Chapter 548 - We Are All Square

    <h4>Chapter 548: We Are All Square</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    After losing so many times at the hands of Battle Wolf, Marcos had learned a hard lesson: appearances could be very deceiving.

    ¡°Hehe¡­I apologize for the noise. Where was I? Ah... Only with unity will we be able to win the war against the Zergs. Unlike our enemy, we are intelligent creatures, and intelligent creatures follow the rules and work together. If we can¡¯t even co-exist in a small city, maybe we deserved the Zerg¡¯s invasion. ¡± Wang Tong with the same warm smile on his face.

    The people who that had been shouting at Wang Tong lowered their heads and didn¡¯t dare to look at him in the eyes. Wang Tong scanned the crowd with his soul energy, and all that he could sense was fear.

    Marcos remained calm, and a smug curve even found the corner of his lips. He knew all the while that Wang Tong was the least reasonable person.

    Guan Dongyang and Yin Tianzong¡¯s disy of strength hadpletely silenced all voices of dissidence. They no longer regarded Wang Tong and Yin Tianzong as reckless teenagers, but as overbearing and terrifying warriors. The leaders of other factions also started realizing the reason behind the quietness of Thunder Fire and Blizzard: fear.

    The barking dog wouldn¡¯t bite, and the same went the other way around. Knowing that Wang Tong would not hesitate to kill, everyone felt that their good days were numbered. No one was certain how strong Battle Wolf had be, and who was behind their sudden rise to power.

    After finishing scanning the hall, Wang Tong knew the time for him to exert Battle Wolf¡¯s dominance hade. Fear might be able to keep the leaders in check for a while, but without a real disy of might, they would never learn their lessons. It had been a while since the Maersa district was united under a strong leader, and Wang Tong was determined to remind them that humans had to unite together under one banner in order to defeat the Zergs. As Wang Tong was going to speak more about the meeting, Divine Master Sect¡¯s Chief Medic, Xiao Yuyu, arrived at the stage.

    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Xiao Yuyu, thinking that Wang Tong would not kill any more people in front of the representative of the Sect.

    However, the fact that even the chief medic from the Sect had joined Battle Wolf spoke loudly about the real power of the band. It was evident that, despite the sky, not all the factions had gone through the memo. The factions who had learned about the recent development inside Battle Wolf had kept their lips sealed: it was not wise to gossip about things that one didn¡¯t understand fully yet.

    Xiao Yuyu had received the young master¡¯s order to not meddle in Battle Wolf¡¯s business, but remain where she was and observe. Not only did she not expect that order, but she was also very confused by it. She had thought that Michaux would be intrigued by the re-emergence of Wang Tong. If he were not, why would he order her to remain in Battle Wolf and be his eyes? The revtion of Wang Tong¡¯s real identity had pulled the rug from under her. Even now, she still found it difficult to make the connection between the greedy businessman at the auction house and the teenage warrior that had defeated Patroclus.

    Having learned Wang Tong¡¯s real identity, everyone regarded him with a newfound reverence and respect.

    Getting over with the greetings, Xiao Yuyu gave the most generic speech to the audiences with perfunctory praises and appreciation for the hard work of everyone involved. After that, she spoke on behalf of the young master and acknowledged the leader status of Battle Wolf in Maersa District.

    Although it was just a verbal approval, the words of the young master carried a long way on Mars. Going against the young master¡¯s will was an act of apostle, which no other factions would tolerate.

    In addition to the seal of approval from the Sect, Wang Tong had made it clear that anyone who dared to oppose him would not end very well; the Cherry Blossom was an example.

    Right after Xiao Yuyu¡¯s announcement, Wang Tong dered the merging of Battle Wolf with the Fire Squad. Together, they would rule the Maersa City, and they weed all other factions to join them. However, they would have to follow the rules like everyone else.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t try to impress anyone with his might, but his modesty added more mysteriousness to his power. After the meeting was over, everyone was convinced that he was the young warrior that had defeated the Patroclus in the tournament, the heir of the de Warrior. However, being the heir of the de warrior meant nothing on Mars if Wang Tong was a useless weakling. By then, the power of the warriors serving under him had provided more than enough insight to the other leaders about his ability. Although no one was certain of Wang Tong¡¯s exact power, they knew that he was not simply a no ount. The ambiguity in his power gave birth to the imagination in the other leaders¡¯ minds. The less they knew about Wang Tong, the wilder the imagination became. However, only those who really understood him knew that even the wildest imaginations had caught merely the tip of an iceberg.

    Wang Tong¡¯s levelheadedness and assertiveness, together with the help from the Divine Mastery Sect, had helped Wang Tong exert dominance in the City of Maersa. Needless to say, the joining of the Fire Squad was of great help to Wang Tong. Without enoughpetent warriors, it would be impossible to manage such arge city. Ever since they first met, Wang Tong knew that Bu Zhihuo was different from the other greedy b*stards. Instead of fame, money, and power, Bu Zhihuo only cared about the wellbeing of the people on Mars.

    Truth be told, When Bu Zhihuo confided in Wang Tong about his intention to provide his service, thetter was quite shocked. Bu Zhihuo used to be the first person who had spoken up against him when the two of them were strangers. However, he had provided the most needed help when they finally got to know each other. They said trust and true friendship were forged under extraordinary circumstances, and it was evident here indeed.

    Blizzard was the first to support Wang Tong¡¯s proposal. Aamir announced that he would like to station inside the city, and was willing to follow Wang Tong¡¯s rules. The Blizzard would fight alongside Battle Wolf as an independent force.

    This rtionship was more delicate than what appeared on the surface. It was true that Wang Tong would have a say in the matters rting to the sister band Blizzard while it was stationed inside his territory. However, Blizzard did not technically serve Battle Wolf, and therefore, it expected a certain degree of autonomy. It would take more than just respect for Wang Tong to maintain this rtionship.

    Thunder fire and the Pamir Eagle quickly followed Blizzard¡¯s footsteps and seconded Wang Tong¡¯s motion. Both bands knew that they needed the resources in the city; meanwhile, Battle Wolf also needed the manpower. Joining forces with Wang Tong was a win-win situation.

    As soon as the three of the biggest warbands made their unanimous decision, the rest of the factions followed suit without much hesitation. The crisis was averted by Wang Tong with ease, but there were still many things left undone. The city wouldn¡¯t rebuild by itself; in addition, they needed to beef up the defense system and prepare for the impending Zerg counterattack.

    The news of the factions¡¯ pact quickly reached the ears of ordinary people who were struggling to survive outside the city. The promise of peace and hope drove them to flock into the Maersa City.

    As more refugee poured into the city, the administrative gears of Battle Wolf started cranking. Despite the onerous paperwork, everything worked in order without turning into a mess. The extra time that the soldiers spent on helping the refugees didn¡¯t interrupt their training routines. Instead, it had given them a healthy dose of reality and spurred them to train even harder.

    Seeing the suffering of the refugees, all the major factions realized that although Maersa City did not belong to them, they would have to work together to defend it so that the Zergs would not ravage the innocent people again.

    ¡­

    The news about the death of Turbolix quickly reached the Moon, and Patroclus even got a copy of the recording of the fight.

    Patroclus watched the tape as if he was appreciating a piece of fine art.

    Underneath his throne, two rows of dark ones waited patiently for their lord to finish the clip.

    ¡°My lord, let me go and investigate it for you.¡± Lee Moshan requested. He was the only person who dared to speak up while the rest of the dark ones were still guessing what kind of mood Patroclus was in.

    ¡°Hehe¡­Let¡¯s leave him to Moye for now. I think he is more eager to meet him than you.¡± Patroclus waved one hand with an indifferent expression, and then continued, ¡°And, I want all the immortals to cooperate with Moye¡¯s operation.¡±

    Lee Moshan was taken aback by the order. However, with only the slightest hesitation, he nodded. Although he was not sure why Patroclus wanted to help Moye, it was not his ce to question his master.

    ¡°Have you released Zhang Jing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord¡­just like you have ordered. We encircled her camp and let her and her team escape through the opening we had left for them.¡± an immortal stood up and answered.

    Patroclus nodded. Zhang Jing was his only friend during his human life, so he had decided to allow her three chances to live. By then, Zhang Jin had used up all her three chances, and Patroclus was relieved that he was finally able to sever another tie with his past.

 Chapter 549 - Missing In Action

    Chapter 549: Missing In Action

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    Zhang Jing might have thought that her near escapes were due to his luck, but little did she know that her old friend had nned every single move of hers, including her escape. Not long ago, the Immortal army encircled Li Ruoer¡¯s camp, baiting other factions toe for rescue. Knowing that it was a trap, no one moved their forces; however, the human forces could not afford to lose another beacon of hope.

    The rescuing duty finallynded on the shoulders of Zhang Jing, just like Patroclus had nned.

    As soon as Zhang Jing¡¯s reinforcements arrived, the encircling Zergs created an opening for the human forces to escape.

    The miraculous escape rendered Li Ruoer speechless. Still bewildered, she said, ¡°Thank you, sister Zhang.¡±

    Zhang Jing cracked a smile. ¡°No worries! We are a family. However, I am afraid that I have used up my chances, and there will be nothing that can stop him from now on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Zhou Sis is still alive and well. I don¡¯t think Patroclus could do anything to her.¡± Li Ruoer replied.

    Zhang Jing shook her head andmented how naive Li Ruoer was. Zhou Sisi had known too much, and therefore, Patroclus would not leave her alive for too long.

    Meanwhile on Mars, Wang Tong and his new ¡°cab¡± gathered together in the meeting hall. Many issues had surfaced ever since he took control of Maersa, a great number of them even catching him by surprise. These problems, such as the refugees, provisions, and logistics, were reasons why the old fox Marcos had not demanded immediate control of the city.

    That being said, Wang Tong had enough resources to handle any crisis that would rise. Yi Tianzong was mainly in charge of organizing and training the newly formed Battle Wolf, along with the additions from the me Squad. However, the situation outside the training camp worried him. Despite the many hot messes Wang Tong needed to take care of, Yin Tianzong was surprised to see that he was still full of confidence and assuredness.

    Although the Super Healing spell was a tough nut to crack, Xiao Yuyu was confident that she could master it. She and Vorenus stayed with the Battle Wolf as they were instructed. Even without the orders from the young master, Wang Tong¡¯s insistent request for her to stay would have swayed her to do so.

    Wang Tong and Battle Wolf were in dire need of talents, and therefore, he would not let Xiao Yuyu leave without trying to persuade her to stay. Yin Tianzong, Guan Dongyang, and Xiao Yuyu had quickly be a synonym of the city. They were the reason that people kept on pouring into the city, as the public believed that thebined strength of a Legendary Warrior, a high-level Mastery caster, and a Medic Chief would provide them safety.

    At the meeting, Hamir tabled a long list of problems that Battle Wolf was facing. Although Hamir was of average talent as a mastery caster, he was exceptionally good at management and administrative matters. With the help of Ye Zi, Hamir was able to prevent many would-be crises from happening.

    When the group had made decisions on all the issues that Hamir had brought up, Wang Tong gave Bu Zhihuo a nce. Although Bu Zhihuo was rtively new in the group, Wang Tong had weed him like an old friend. It was evident that Bu Zhihuo was not at all interested in any of the administrative issues. As a warrior, his thoughts went to strengthening the forces in Maersa district and delivering a killing blow to the remaining Zergs in the district.

    Everyone agreed that Hamir had the right idea, but things were easier said than done. The first step in strengthening Battle Wolf¡¯s military might was recruiting, and that needed money¡­a lot of money. So far, other than the luxury items that the dark ones had left the city, Battle Wolf was not able to scrap a penny from the city. Although there had been soldiersing to join Battle Wolf ofte, they did it because of the fame of warriors such as Yin Tianzong. Battle Wolf seemed to have a promising future for them, but so far, they had only been given empty promises without real incentives.

    Even with the addition of the me Squad, Battle Wolf had just over two thousand members, a pathetic numberpared to any other equally famous warbands. In addition, its mainpetitors, Blizzard and Thunder Fire¡¯s ranks had continued to swell. If this trend continued, even the fame of Yin Tianzong and Xiao Yuyu would not be able to revert the downfall of Battle Wolf.

    However powerful Yin Tianzong was, he was the special weapon of the band, and his power was not limitless. The deciding factor of the band¡¯s overall strength was in the boots on the ground. Everyone knew that the current status quo could onlyst very briefly. Should all the independent forces in the city decide to band together to challenge Battle Wolf, they would have no other option but to give up. On the other hand, defeating the Zergs could not be achieved without a sense of unity, and therefore, it was impossible to drive the other factions out of the city at the cost of the ultimate goal.

    Everyone sensed that the power bnce inside the city was very fragile, but they had faith in Wang Tong to untangle the knots that had kept the human factions from forming a united front.

    ¡°I appreciate your concern, but I would like to make a note that it is not the size of the band that matters, but the quality. We have two thousand men, and in my opinion, this is more than enough to deter the firsteback wave of the Zergs.¡± Wang Tong remarked confidently.

    Wang Tong¡¯s words shocked everyone at the meeting. Reportsing in from all directions said that the Zergs were amassing an army of a size that had never been seen before. Why did Wang Tong think that merely two thousand soldiers were enough to defend against such a massive wave of attack?

    ¡°Brother Bu, how many levels neen warriors do you have in your squad? And how many more level twenty warriors besides you yourself?¡±

    ¡°There are fifteen neen level neen warriors and two more level twenty warriors in addition to me. ¡±

    Wang Tong nodded and then said, ¡°Among the Temrs, there are five who are level twenty and twenty who are level neen. Although we don¡¯t have that number for Mastery casters, we do have Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu, both of whom are level neen. In addition, Ye Zi and the other seventeen mastery casters are level seventeen. These are the elite core of our force. Despite its small number, we should have time to expand the army before the Zergse. They are still recovering from a huge blow dealt by Lie Jian. Hamir, don¡¯t you worry about the expansion of the other factions. They are not so foolish as to gang on us yet.¡±

    Wang Tong¡¯s words eased the nerves of many warriors. They knew that their leader already had a n.

    ¡°Hey Wang Tong, haven¡¯t you forgotten about me?¡± Lie Xuan shouted.

    Meanwhile, she winked at Guan Dongyang; the two never shied away from public affection.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t mind including Lie Xuan in his n, but he had decided to wait before she came forward by herself. Despite her connection with House Lie, Wang Tong was confident that she would be a loyal member once she had made her intention clear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s assign the work to the chosen staff and make sure everything is ready in two weeks. I will be away for a few days, and you can talk to Hamir while I am gone.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Captain! I am afraid I won¡¯t be able to handle it. ¡± Hamir was startled by the announcement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can do it! As for the others, make sure the soldiers are not cking during their training. Don¡¯t be cheap on supplies¡­Make sure the soldiers have proper care. As for the infighting among other factions, leave them be. ¡±

    ¡°Young master, will I be apanying you on your trip?¡± Yin Tianzong asked.

    ¡°Hehe, of course. You have reached a bottleneck at level twenty one, so it¡¯s about time for you to advance further.¡± Wang Tong remarked nonchntly,

    but everyone felt the weight in his words. Once a warrior achieved the legendary level, advancing further was almost impossible. Yin Tianzong had been stuck at level twenty one for five years, so would Wang Tong really be able to help him surpass himself?

    Xiao Yuyu and Vorenus exchanged a shocked nce. They were not sure what Wang Tong was going to do as they had never heard of such a bold im even in the Divine Mastery Sect.

    Vorenus had been stuck at level twenty for years, and he would give anything to realize the dream of his life: bing a legendary warrior.

    If Wang Tong were able to bring Yin Tianzong to the next level, what could he do to him?

    Vorenus¡¯s question was shared with everyone at the meeting. Although what Wang Tong was nning to achieve sounded impossible, everyone believed that he could do it.

    They looked at him with admiration, but he didn¡¯t say a word.

    Unlike the other bands inside the City, Battle Wolf was quiet. Their mediocre benefits and wages had deterred many capable warriors from joining them. Meanwhile, the ranks of other factions quickly swelled. At this point, it was hard to tell that Battle Wolf was the actual owner of the City.

 Chapter 550 - On The Horns Of A Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 550: On The Horns Of A Dilemma</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Aamir found it hard to believe what he had just heard.

    ¡°It¡¯s true! Both Yin Tianzong and Wang Tong had disappeared. Well, truth be told, we haven¡¯t been able to locate any of the high-level warriors from the Battle Wolf sincest week.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? The city is only this big¡­ They can¡¯t hide half a dozen people without anyone noticing it. Where could they have gone anyway?¡±

    Aamir puffed a cloud of smoke as he wondered what Wang Tong was up to this time. Ever since Battle Wolf conquered the Maersa City, Wang Tong had been in everyone¡¯s radar. His every move was closely watched by the other factions.

    Like Aamir, Wang Tong¡¯s disappearance had perplexed Marcos. The recent activities of Battle Wolf were so strange that he found them hard toprehend. Since Wang Tong had imed the city for himself, why wouldn¡¯t he expand his army as quickly as possible to get the most out of hisbor? Battle Wolf had always been an insignificant yer, even more so before Bu Zhihuo switched alliances.

    The fact that Bu Zhihuo had made such an unreasonable decision was a sign that hecked the basic judgment as a leader. With proper management, the me Squad should have be one of the most powerful factions on Mars. However, due to an idealistic leader, their ranks never increased.

    With only two thousand or so soldiers, Battle Wolf would slowly lose control over the Maersa City.

    ¡°What is Wang Tong up to this time?¡± Marcos pondered for a while but failed to find an answer.?Li Xiu was Marcos¡¯s most trusted adviser, and he was the first to have noticed the unusual quietness inside Battle Wolf.

    ¡°In my opinion, Wang Tong is definitely up to something big, but I don¡¯t think that we are his target.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by it?¡±

    ¡°Captain, can¡¯t you tell that Wang Tong is after something much bigger than just the Maersa District? To be frank, I don¡¯t think he considers us worthy opponents. His real enemies are the Zergs, and the Zergs want him dead as well. I am confident that the Zergs are preparing for aeback sometime soon. Defeating Wang Tong is the best way for Moye to prove it to Patroclus that he is still the most powerful Zerg lord.¡± Li Xiu exined.

    Although Li Xiu was not a powerful warrior, he possessed exceptional analytical skills.

    Marcos frowned and then said: ¡°Do you mean that there is a possibility that we will suffer coteral damage?¡±

    ¡°Although I am not sure where all the elite soldiers from the Battle Wolf have gone, I am certain that they don¡¯t think Maersa is even worth defending.¡±

    ¡°You mean... he had intentionally let us grow stronger so that we could be his shield in front of the Zergs?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I am not sure about that. But regardless of whether that is true or not, there is no harm in expanding our forces.¡± Li Xiu did not know the real intention of Wang Tong, so he improvised an answer to console Marcos who were unnerved by the report.

    But, what exactly was Wang Tong up to? Assassination? No, the number of missing persons would make the most ostentatious assassin team.

    When the other factions were busy carving out their territories, Battle Wolf spent all of their time on training. Not only were the original Battle Wolf soldiers well trained and disciplined, but the new additions from the me Squad were as well. They came to Wang Tong¡¯s service voluntarily, and had never hoped of getting rich by joining them.

    ¡°Brother Wang, you are very good at concealing your power, aren¡¯t you?¡± On the screen, Syracuse said with a knowing smile.

    ¡°Haha, it was just luck!¡± Wang Tong replied.

    Syracuse didn¡¯t press Wang Tong for his fake modesty. Instead, he changed the topic and got down to the point: ¡°Do you need anything from me?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. You know our situation, so I will make it short for you. The Zergs left nothing but their eggs for us in the city, but the dark ones had left some luxury items. I am wondering if I can exchange those fancy trinkets for some supplies with you. ¡± Wang Tong asked.

    Syracuse appeared to be distressed by the question. ¡°Brother Wang, you know better than me that these things are almost impossible to sell.¡±

    ¡®Undervalue the goods to be bought¡¯¡ª Wang Tong knew that this was an old business tactic, so he replied, ¡°Of course we willpensate you for the trouble handsomely. The Zergs are nning a counterattack, and if we lose the Maersa District, Battle Wolf will lose everything, and be unable to fulfill any promises we made with you. However, if you help us win the battle, we will give you the sole rights to sell our crystals from now on.¡±

    ¡°Awesome! We have a deal then! ¡±

    Syracuse knew very well that there would be no problem in selling luxury items, although it might take a bit longer than other merchandise. On the other hand, the supplies that Wang Tong needed were hot sale items, and Syracuse was thetter¡¯s only hope in getting his hands on any.

    Nheless, Syracuse knew this was a terrific deal for him. Even if the Zergs eliminated the Battle Wolf in the ensuing battle, he would still have those luxury items to cover the cost of this transaction. And if everything went well, the exclusive rights in selling the spell crystals would make him a very rich man.

    After the meeting, Wang Tong ordered Hamir to discuss the details of the deal. He knew that Syracuse was a cunning businessman, and unless it were absolutely necessary, he would not want to deal with thetter. Wang Tong had just risen to power, and therefore,cked aprehensive web of contacts. Syracuse was his only hope in getting any help right now.

    Wang Tong knew that in many aspects, he was five years behind his enemy: Patroclus.

    As he turned off the sky, Charcoal appeared behind him. ¡°How¡¯s the situation out there.¡±

    ¡°Everything is running ording to n.¡± Wang Tong replied.

    ¡°Well, looks like this is a good ce to spend the energy you had been cultivating for five years.¡±

    Wang Tong nodded. In order to be a leader on Mars, he would have to establish his base first. Maersa City was good enough as his first base; however, he realized that he also severelycked capable warriors under him. Relying only on Yin Tianzong was not enough. Wang Tong knew that once the Zergs started attacking the Maersa City, Battle Wolf would notst very long, particrly if the Zergs knew that he was in the city. That was the reason why he hid himself out here in the middle of nowhere.

    ¡°Master, we have a situation!¡± Charcoal announced.

    ¡°What it is?¡± Wang Tong pulled his mind out of his reverie.

    ¡°Zerg activity near Apollo City, one thousand and two hundred kilometers away from Maersa.¡±

    On the screen, Wang Tong saw a blob of red dots closing in onto the city of Apollo. Meanwhile, the scene inside the Apollo City was chaotic as civilians ran for their lives.

    ¡­

    ¡°My lord, let me lead our troupes to defend our city!¡±

    The lord of the Apollo city sat on a high chairnguidly. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why should I care about the invasion if House Lie didn¡¯t send in help? We all know that these Zergs are here to collect human samples of high-level warriors, I will not fall into their trap. Let the citizens hide for a while¡­The Zergs will be gone once they can¡¯t find what they are looking for.¡±

    Si Ke was very pleased with his current situation. The Apollo city was far behind the front line, and was guarded by both House Lie and the Divine Mastery Sect. Thanks to the city¡¯s geopolitical advantage, Si Ke never had to lead his forces into a real battle, other than some small skirmishes. In the five years, Si Ke had put on fifty pounds. However, the continuous harassment on the city from the legendary level dark ones had been a thorn in his sidetely. Luckily, his liege, the House Lie, never expected him to defend the city, and therefore, he was able to preserve the strength of his forces. He had heard that some city had risen to the Zerg¡¯s invasion with the help of a legendary level warrior; however, the act had spurred the Zerg to reinforce the attack with more of its deadly soldiers.

    Since the House Lie didn¡¯t order Si Ke to defend the city and his life was not under immediate danger, he found it simply easier to just wait out the attack. In the end, he could cover up his cowardliness with the excuse of the ¡°bigger picture.¡±

    Sensing the anger in his soldiers, Si Ke knew he needed to cate them before his warriors saw through his ruse.

    ¡°Zhan Si, I am as angry with the Zergs as you are. But, I can¡¯t afford to lose you out there. Without an Einherjar, going out there is a suicide! Please, think about the bigger picture.¡±

    Zhan Si was a level twenty warrior, and he had been following Si Ke for many years. He had witnessed his leader fall from grace over the years.

    ¡°My lord, I am willing to sacrifice myself for the city. We can¡¯t stand by and do nothing while the Zergs ravage our city and out people! ¡± Zhan Si announced.

    ¡°My lord, we are willing to join Captain Zhan Si! ¡± A dozen soldiers behind Zhan Si pleaded.

    Bang!

    Ke Si mmed his desk and jumped out of hisfortable seat in a fury.

    ¡°Zhan Si, don¡¯t forget your ce. I am the City Lord. Plus, do you really think you stand a chance against those dark ones? If they get their hands on your genes, it would only make them stronger! Guards! Take this ungracious b*stard to a cell. ¡±

 Chapter 551 - The Fearless

    Chapter 551: The Fearless

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    ¡°Are you deaf? Haven¡¯t you heard me?¡± Seeing none of the soldiers obeying hismand, Si Ke shouted out at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°My lord, we understand your concerns, but none of us can bear this humiliation any longer. I quit! I will lead whoever wants to follow me out of our bunker and fight to the death.¡±

    ¡°Yea, Captain! We will follow you wherever you go!¡±

    ¡°You, You!¡± Si Ke¡¯s hands trembled out of sheer fury. He watched as Jan Si and a dozen other strongest guard-captains removed their badges and threw them onto his desk.

    ¡°Brothers and Sisters, follow me!¡± Jan Si announced as soon as he threw down the badge.

    ¡°Lead the way!¡±

    ¡­

    The golden colored dark one had been ughtering innocent civilians for a while, but he had found no idea target to collect gene samples yet. Suddenly, his nose twitched as he sniffed out something in the air. Sensing the promise of a potential target, he flew himself right in front of Jan Si.

    As the dark one folded his crinkly bat wings, his rat-like face gave the human soldier a ¡°weing smile.¡± A forked tongue slithered out of a hairy mouth as a few words were squeezed out form its narrow windpipe.

    ¡°Excellent¡­ I thought all of you humans are cowards. But you, you are different.¡±

    The dark one¡¯s sudden descent had startled many civilians. These new breed of dark ones were able to fly much longer distances than their predecessors, and therefore, were able to harass settlements far beyond the human defense line. Their attacks were able to catch humans off guard, and they often used fear to deal a blow to the humans¡¯ morale.

    Jan Si was shocked by the dark one¡¯s ability to speak humannguage. But he quickly gathered himself. ¡°I have no time to chitchat! DIE!¡±

    Without any hesitation, he plunged his de at the dark one. The dark one opened up his wings and lifted himself off the ground in an attempt to dodge. ¡°Haha, you are the only soldiers who have dared to stand in front of me so far. I will give you a chance and allow all of you to attack me at the same time.¡±

    KOM!

    A hulking centipede-like Zergnded right beside the dark one, kicking up a plume of dust. One dark one paired with one mutant primitive Zerg was the standard makeup of a Zerg team.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare look down on me! If you consider yourself a true warrior, let¡¯s fight one on one!¡± Jan Si announced.

    ¡°Captain, what are you talking about? We don¡¯t have to y fair with these monsters! They don¡¯t deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, and stay out of this!¡± Jan Simanded; he didn¡¯t even spare his followers a nce.

    ¡°What a fool! Your friends are trying to save your life. Have you just found out how powerful I am? Haha¡­well, it is already toote!¡± The dark oneughed loudly in the air, his voiceced with conceit.

    Before Jan Si walked out of the bunker, he still had a sliver of hope that he might be able to ovee the dark one. But, after he had a taste of its power, he knew that he had no chance in surviving the fight.

    In order to save the lives of his followers, he challenged the dark one into a one on one duel. However, having his ruse being seen through, he knew he had no option but to double down on his original n of ganging up on the dark one.

    ¡°Formation!¡± Jan Zi ordered.

    From the dark one¡¯s point of view, he saw not only rows of human soldiers, but also arrays of data regarding each soldier¡¯s ability and power. He was disappointed to find out that none of these soldiers qualified as gene samples. However, they were perfect materials for his nasty personal hobbies.

    As soon as the soldiers readied their weapons, the dark one disappeared. Jan Si was the first to have sensed danger, but before he could utter a warning, the dark one had pierced the hearts of two of the level eighteen soldiers. The dark one¡¯s attack outright ignored the defense of the METAL suit.

    Jan Si turned around and attacked the dark one with abandon. However, the cunning enemy picked up two more human victims and flew off. Meanwhile, the centipede Zerg was wreaking havoc in the streets a few blocks away. It seemed utterly disinterested in the safety of the dark one, perhaps because it knew that the dark one needed no protection at all.

    ¡°What a foolish and selfish idiot!¡± Si Ke grunted. Although Jan Si could be stubborn at times, he had been a solid soldier and a loyalpanion to Si Ke until now. It would be heartbreaking to see his best soldiers die in vain. The loss of such a powerful warrior would knock his reputation and fame down a few notches as well.

    By then, it was evident that the dark one intended to toy with his prey before he dealt the killing blow. He picked off Jan Si¡¯s followers one after another, provoking him and leading him deeper into madness. If Jan Si were a level twenty one warrior, he might still be able to save one or two of his followers; but, he was only level twenty.

    In five minutes or so, nearly all of Jan Si¡¯s followers had died, leaving the general so helpless and frustrated that he thought he was going mad.

    ¡°A*shole! Come at me! How about picking on someone of your size?¡±

    Thest two soldiers smartened up as they stood back to back with each other, covering each other¡¯s rear.

    ¡°Lao Dao, Da Qiang, steady! Don¡¯t break out of the formation. This b*stard wants to lure us out, so don¡¯t fall for it.¡±

    ¡°Captain, he killed our best friends. I can¡¯t stand it!¡±

    ¡°Pull yourself together! Otherwise, all of us will die here. Is that what you want? To let that jerkugh at our dead bodies?¡± Jan Si finally realized something was amiss about the dark one in front of him. Not only had it evolved into a humanoid body, but its mind was also eerily human. Picking off the weaker opponents first and then focusing on the stronger ones was the tactics often used by human warriors.

    ¡°Although he is faster and stronger than us, he has a very weak defense. Let¡¯s take our time and n our attacks.¡±

    As a level twenty warrior, Jan Si had the ability to gauge the power of the dark one urately. Each dark one had their own unique abilities; this one had not only reached the legendary level, but also excelled in speed and offense. However, its speed and agility came at the cost of a weak defense.

    The dark ones conducted these raids very often, and the humans had seen all kinds of dark ones. Some dark ones excelled in speed, some in strength, and some even in making battle strategies. There were so many different traits that practically no two dark ones were the same.

    Since this dark one had incredible learning abilities, Jan Si wagered that it must have specialized in speed and brain functions. Like just human warriors, it was almost impossible for a dark one to be good at every aspect of warfare. Those very few who did served directly under the dark lord, and were rarely seen during such small skirmishes.

    The loss of Jan Si¡¯srades¡¯ lives was a wake-up call for the captain. This dark one was exceptionally smart, and he had been purposely aggravating the human soldiers to break out of their ranks so he could pick them off one by one.

    Bang, bang, bang!

    After another slew of attacks, the three-person formation became even tighter as the three soldiers each took a half step back to cushion the blows. Jan Si had to marvel at the incredible might of his opponent.

    ¡°Captain, let me lure him away! We will all die here if we stay together.¡± Lao Dao announced. Even as he spoke, the dark one jabbed a bone spear at Jan Si. He blocked the attack with his de, but the impact sent a shock through his body. His super METAL shone brilliantly after absorbing the most damage of the blow.

    ¡°Just let me do it!¡± Da Qiang shouted. To lure the dark one out meant using one soldier¡¯s life to buy some precious time for the other two to escape. Was losing one life really that much better than losing two anyway? ¡°You two are not strong enough; I will lure him away myself. Run!¡± Jan Si left the formation and charged at the dark one. The dark one rose to the bait, as it stormed toward him. Jan Si didn¡¯t flinch; he doubled down on his attack as he raised the de high above his head and channeled all his might into its sharp edge.

    However, at this moment of life and death, the giant centipede Zerg came back to help its partner, going straight for the other two weaker and defenseless soldiers.

    Zzeng!

    In a blink, Lao Dao fell into the Zerg¡¯s death clutch. However powerful a level neen warrior was, he didn¡¯t stand a chance against the giant centipede.

    It was evident by then that this dark one was highly intelligent. It had ordered the giant Zerg to pretend to be uninterested in the fight in order to lower the human soldiers¡¯ guards. The giant centipede onlyshed out at the most critical moment of the battle, with the element of surprise on his side.

    The dark one jabbed a bone spear through Lao Dao¡¯s shoulder de. Instead of killing the human soldier right away, it lifted its prey into the air and shouted. ¡°I have heard that humans possess a special chemical reaction in the brain called humanity. I often wondered if that were true. Now, tell me, human, are you willing to die for the others?¡±

    ¡°Captain¡­don¡¯t mind me. Kill this SOB!¡± Having his body pierced through, Lao Dao couldn¡¯t start his GN force. He was as vulnerable as an ordinary human without any military training.

    Da Qiang squeezed hisnce tight in his hand as he urged Jan Si to make a move, ¡°Captain!¡±

    But unlike Da Qiang, Jan Si remained calm. ¡°What do you want from us?¡± ¡°Am I not clear? I want an exchange. Cut your arm off, and I will let go of his.¡± A sly smirk found the dark one¡¯s face. Equipped with high intelligence, these dark ones were much worse to humans than those mindless brutes.

    People in the city poked their heads out of their covers to watch the dramatic fight. Everyone knew that to make a deal with the dark one was to shake hands with the devil himself. Including Jan Si, everyone wished that they could ignore the offer and save Lao Dao. However, Jan Si simply couldn¡¯t watch his best friend die while he knew there might be a chance in saving him, regardless of whether the chance was actually real or not.

    Suddenly, Jan Si heard a painful cry: Lao Dao had tried to sacrifice himself for his friends, but the dark one stopped him by jabbing a bone spear into his spine, paralyzing him from the neck down.

    Lao Dao¡¯s agonizing cry reverberated throughout the city and made listeners¡¯ hair stand on their ends. It sounded so heartrending and real that the listeners thought that the spear had jabbed into their own flesh.

    Lao Dao rounded his eyes, squeezing two eyeballs until they were about to pop out of their sockets at any moment. The unimaginable pain rendered his body twitch uncontrobly as it thrust and throbbed with each fit of spasm.

    The dark one wrenched Lao Dao¡¯s left arm off his body as he would to a twig on a branch. The crisp sound of bone snapping out of joints made the listeners¡¯ hearts skipped a beat.

    ¡°Well, well, looks like the so-called humanity is nothing but bullsh*t! Now, your right arm.¡± As the dark one spoke, he reached out for Lao Dao¡¯s right arm. Jan Si didn¡¯t hesitate this time, as he immediately punched his right arm and severed it from his body.

    ¡°Now, let him go!¡± Jan Si shouted.

    ¡°Not bad! Haha! Now, it¡¯s the left leg.¡±

    ¡°Captain, don¡¯t do it!¡± Da Qiang rushed to Jan Si and embraced him to prevent him from harming himself further.

    ¡°Buzz off!¡± Jan Si pushed him away and then threw his head back as he shouted. ¡°Listen, everyone! Today is the day that my friends and I die for the City of Apollo. However, as long as you see another fellow human still standing, you know that these worms will not defeat us all! My son and my brothers will carry out my unfinished task and fight with these SOBs till they are all dead!¡±

    After he had spoken hisst words, Jan Si severed his left leg without any hesitation.

    The dark one furrowed his brows after hearing Jan Si¡¯s dying words: his n to demoralize the humans had failed. With a leg and an arm missing, even the strongest human soldier would not pose any threat to the dark one. He figured that if he couldn¡¯t dispirit the humans, he might as well teach them to fear.

    The dark one then pulled the bone spear out of Lao Dao¡¯s body and let him free fall from a hundred feet above, head first.

    Da Qiang wanted to save his friend from the fall, but the dark one was already on his way to him. The citizens who were watching the fight covered their eyes to avert the gruesome view. Jan Si also closed his eyes with regret. He shouldn¡¯t havee out of the bunker; he shouldn¡¯t have led hisrades to their deaths.

    KOM!

    People thought that since even Jan Si could not ovee the dark one, Da Qiang would stand no chance at all. However, after the impact, it was the dark one who had been sent flying backward. However, it was not Da Qiang whom the dark one hade in contact with; it was someone else. No one could see who that was, other than just an elusive shadow of a man. The shadowy figure not only delivered a blow to the dark one, but also saved Lao Dao from the fall.

    The dark one gathered himself and started to scan the new opponent, quickly finding out that something was amiss. The readings indicated that the shadowy figure was just an ordinary human, although the blow he had received suggested otherwise.

    Einherjar!

    ¡°Einherjar¡­ He is an Einherjar! The gods finally answered our prayers!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s him, that¡¯s the new Einherjar that had been saving other cities!¡±

    Hearing themotion, Jan Si opened his eyes, and then heaved a long sigh of relief. However little he could do, he had done all he could to protect the human world; and now someone abler could finally finish what he had started.

    ¡°Well, well¡­ An Einherjar¡­Finally!¡± The dark one didn¡¯t attack the new opponent right away. Instead, it tried to drag out the conversation while he waited for his partner, the centipede Zerg toe to his aid.

    The Einherjar shot the dark on a cold nce. Wang Tong¡¯s re made thetter feel like as if his mind was as naked as a newborn child, and twice as vulnerable. Feeling naked, the dark one refrained from making any more devious ns in his mind. Running out of tricks, it ordered the centipede Zerg to attack, as thetter shot out thousands of lightning tendrils at the Einherjar. Meanwhile, the dark one also charged at his opponent with abandon.

    The Zerg and the dark onended their blows on the Einherjar at the same time, and after two consecutive explosions, all three figures disappeared, leaving only a plume of smoke behind.

    Suddenly, the centipede Zerg felt a powerful forceing from behind, and it was dealt a blow squarely at the back. The dark one was much faster, and therefore was able tounch himself to a higher elevation and evade the blow.

    Despite being slower, the centipede Zerg had an exceptional defense. It was able to pick itself up even after a deadly blow from an Einherjar.

    ¡°Give up now, human! Or we will kill everyone inside of this building!¡± The dark one and the giant Zergs found a roof of an apartment building. The centipede had already charged up his hundreds of ws with lightning, ready to kill all the innocent people in the building.

    Taking human hostages was an old trick of the dark ones.

    As the dark one thought that his ruse had worked, he saw a golden de appear in the Einherjar¡¯s hand, a sign that he was not going to give up the fight yet.

    The dark one didn¡¯t waste any time as he ordered the centipede to start killing the hostages. As the centipede threw a flurry of lightning balls at the building below him, people screamed and ran out of their home. However, some civilians were slower than the others.

    KOM!

    The lightning ballsnded on the building, and the impact shook the ground like an earthquake. As everyone thought that all souls in that building were lost, they were surprised to find out that the building didn¡¯t seem to have received any damage. A golden shield expanded itself over the entire building and protected it from the st.

    The development had rmed the dark one. He knew this Einherjar was much powerful than he had thought. Being smarter than an average Zerg, his first thought was to run away.

    The centipede Zerg charged at the Einherjar to cover for the dark one while he escaped. Having blocked an attack from the giant centipede, the Einherjar counterattacked with his golden de, cutting through the centipede¡¯s hard shell like butter and through its body, continuing to hew right at the back of the escaping dark one.

    Sensing the iing attack, the dark one dodged to the side. However, the de also changed its course and veered toward the direction of the dark one.

    KOM!

    Both the Zerg and the dark one¡¯s body fell from the sky. Seeing the enemy killed, the citizens of Apollo rushed out of their covers to meet their savior. In an instant, the empty streets were crowded with people and the city was filled with cheers.

    Praise and fame had always belonged to the strongest. But, had the people already forgotten about the soldiers who were willing to die for them? The answer was no.

    Da Qiang helped Jan Si to his feet. Seeing the corpse of their best friends, they felt dead inside. The two shambled to Lao Dao, who had been tortured beyond description. In the best case, he would survive in a permanent vegetable state, in which every living breath meant punishment.

    ¡°Da Qiang, help your brother, will you?¡± Jan Si said calmly.

    Da Qiang gritted his teeth, trying to fight off the instability in his hands. ¡°Lao Dao, I will see you soon.¡± Da Qiang said as he plunged the tip of his spear toward the heart of his friend.

    KOM!

    A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and knocked the spear to a side. The din had caught everyone¡¯s attention, and the public finally remembered the real hero who had risked their lives for them. The heartrending scene they saw had taken away the joy in their hearts and filled it with sorrow and regret.

    Da Qiang threw his head back and shouted to the sky, ¡°Who do you think you are? If you are so mighty, why didn¡¯t youe earlier?¡±

    ¡°Da Qiang!¡± Jan Si urged the other to stop the insolence toward the Einherjar.

    ¡°Let me finish! Why will these Einherjars allow the Zergs to ravage thend and the people in the first ce? My brother is dying, and I have to finish him off. Why? Why? WHY?¡± Tears poured out from Da Qiang¡¯s eyes; he couldn¡¯t muster enough courage to do it again.

    ¡°Shut up, Da Qiang! He is thest Einherjar that dares to stand up for us. He is different from the others.¡± Jan Si exined.

    ¡°Captain, I know¡­ I know¡­ But, look at Lao Dao! Look at HIM!¡±

    Death was not a terrifying thing to a warrior; the condition that Lao Dao was in was much worse than death.

    Floating in the air, the Einherjar opened up his arms as a beam of white light was cast onto the three soldiers. Jan Si was the first one to feel that something had happened to him as he started to feel his legs and arms again.

    Da Qiang shouted out in surprise: ¡°Captain, your leg!¡±

    Suddenly, the dying Lao Dao sprung back to life as he puked out arge blob of dark blood. After that, he heaved a deep sigh and then said, ¡°It¡¯s choking me to death!¡±

    The white light didn¡¯t fade away for about ten minutes; during that time, the center of the beam where the light was most intense focused on Lao Dao. When he was brought back from the verge of death, everyone cheered for the miracle.

    Unable to suppress the overwhelming joy, Da Qiang kowtowed to the Einherjar, banging his head hard on the ground until his forehead started to bleed.

    The mysterious Einherjar didn¡¯t disappear like he would after he had saved the other cities, Instead, he flew to the ground with his golden sword and announced in a booming voice, ¡°In the name of Valha, I anoint you the knight of the Bloodsworn.¡±

    Jan Si regraded the golden de in the most dignified manner; he knew this was a solemn duty that he was about to ept. And then, he slowly reached out to the de.

    The crowd cheered. Jan Si was no longer the personal guard of a craven lord as he embraced his new identity: the knight of the Bloodsworn. In this time of hardship, humans needed the spirit of bravery and gantry more than ever.

    Watching the development from afar, the overweight city lord Si Ke knew that his days as themander of the Apollo City were numbered.

 Chapter 552 - Decisions Before the The War

    <h4>Chapter 552: Decisions Before the The War</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    After the battle at the City of Apollo, people gave the mysterious Einherjar an ancient and powerful title¡ªGod Of War.

    It was a title reserved for the best soldier regardless of which creation story one believed in.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t overthink his new title; but truth be told, he was shocked by the bravery of Jan Si and his warriors. In his guilt for being unable to save more selfless warriors, he finally conceded that he alone wouldn¡¯t be able to eliminate the scourge of the Zergs. If he were lucky, he might be able to do away with Moye and Patroclus. But, what about the rest of the millions of Zergs and dark ones?

    Tragedies such as what had happened to Jan Si and Lao Dao were urring everywhere, and Wang Tong couldn¡¯t cast a healing spell on all of them. Therefore, he realized that the only solution was to unify the human factions and make the leaders realize the pain which the ordinary people were suffering because of their decisions.

    Many high-level decision-makers tended to use the so-called ¡°greater good¡± to mask the devastating implication their decision had on the average person. But, was it absolutely necessary to sacrifice a small group of innocent people in order to save humanity? The answer should be no.

    Jan Si used his blood to prove his unswerving faith in humanity, and this world needed more of his kind.

    Wang Tong might not be able to save the world, but he would try anything to preserve the life of a true warrior.

    Lao Dao¡¯s spine was snapped into two sections, and Wang Tong was not only able to bring him back to life, but also to reconnect his spine; it was a miracle that the public had never seen before.

    After the Einherjar had left, Jan Si became the representative of the God of War, a person whom the people could turn to during difficult times. Out of jealousy, Si Ke attempted to throw Jan Si into the jail for the crime of mutiny. The decision had angered the public and spurred the believers of the war god to storm into the jail and release Jan Si. Neither the police nor the soldiers stopped the civilians, since most of them used to serve under the veteran general. Some of them even threw away their uniforms and joined the rebels. No soldier would like to have a coward as the leader, so they naturally favored Jan Si, the gant knight, over the fat and selfish warlord.

    It was only a matter of time before Jan Si became the new ruler of the city. Although he could not guarantee the safety of everyone inside the city, he could make sure that the people of Apollo would live with their back straight and chins up.

    The reappearance of the mysterious Einherjar quickly became viral news, and the story inspired many young warriors to fight against the Zergs and protect their loved ones.

    ¡°Shifu, what kind of bullcrap is this? It¡¯s a conspicuous PR stun!¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦! Shifu, this is not fair!¡±

    ¡°Dad, you can execute many powerful moves that this dude can¡¯t. Why do people only pay attention to him and ignore how much you have done for our people?¡±

    An athletic girl with firm curvy thighs pouted her lips andined. Her tight gym shirt was wrapped around her figure, entuating her tendentious body shape. Many toady admirers of this beautiful girl hurried to agree with her remark.

    An Einherjar satnguidly in his chair and cracked a warm smile. ¡°If you have the time toin, why don¡¯t you spend it on training?¡±

    ¡°Daddy! The ban on Einherjars working alone came at the cost of too many lives; we should all follow it. He has broken the rule many times, and it is outright disrespectful to other Einherjars such as yourself.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦, touch¨¦! The Zergs do not even dare approach our territory as long as Shifu is here.¡±

    The Einherjar was Zambrotta, and his war band was one of the few surviving major factions on Mars. Due to their rtively secluded location, Zambrotta never needed to deal with full-scale Zerg invasions. Although his faction was smaller than House Lie and the Sect, he lived a much more peaceful life.

    ¡°Don¡¯t find trouble for yourself! Especially you, and you! I will pay particr attention to your monthly evaluations and see if you have improved your cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­e on, Shifu.¡±

    Sensing the promise of punishment, the youngsters¡¯ faces crumpled as their eyes darted timidly left and right.

    Zambrotta knew how his soldiers had felt; however, he no longer cared. After the fight with Einherjar Wannabe, he had decided to relent his pursuit for fame, money, and other worldly possessions, and rece it with the search for the divine path.

    Seeing his daughter¡¯s young and energetic face, Zambrottamented how old he had gotten. ¡°Alright, now. Don¡¯t pout¡­You look ugly when you do that. I don¡¯t want you to stay with me forever, you know?¡±

    ¡°Aw, shut up, old man. I don¡¯t want to get married yet, not until all the Zergs are gone!¡± Belinda kept her chin up as she protested.

    Zambrotta burst outughing. ¡°Stop poking your nose into other people¡¯s business and focus on your own job. He had fought hard for the innocent people of Apollo, so he deserves the poprity. You are not an insolent teenage girl any longer, so think before you open your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine! You are preaching to me again! I¡¯m out.¡±

    As soon as Zambrotta started to preach, Belinda dashed out of the room quicker than a jackrabbit. Like father like daughter, her temperament was the exact same as that of Zambrotta before he had that life-changing fight with Einherjar Wannabe. Although the match had significantly improved his cultivation, it somehow transformed him from a vicious tiger to a mellow house cat. However, Belinda knew that her father had be much stronger inside after the fight, and it was the newfound strength that had rendered him appearing to be mellow.

    That being said, having known that the real strength came from inside but not the outside did not prevent Belinda from doing things in her own way. What kind of youth would it be if she had to constantly watch out for her actions anyway?

    ¡­

    Contrary to the uplifting atmosphere in the Apollo city, the air in the Maersa City was filled with disappointment and despair as more as more citizens left the city. The reason for such turn of event was simple: the Zergs wereing.

    There had been more and more Zerg activities spotted just outside the city. Based on the initial estimates of the size of the Zerg army, it seemed like the Zergs were nning to raze the city to the ground.

    Truth be told, such arge number of Zergs would be overwhelming if Maersa City didn¡¯t get any reinforcement from the outside. Not only the defense infrastructure was still damaged from thest attack, but the manpower inside the city was also severelycking. Most of the defense troupes came from the Thunder Fire and the Blizzard. But, even if the two factions joined forces, the Zergs should still be able to overrun the city with ease.

    Two of the closest cities to Maersa was the Jade City and the Bay City. Aamir had decided to ask for help from these two cities.

    ¡°Hamir, where the heck is Wang Tong? He is one that wanted the city at the first ce, so where is he now?¡±

    ¡°We need a n! The Zergs are closing in on us. We need someone to make a decision!¡±

    Leaders of the various factions questioned Hamir furiously. The situation had been nerve-wracking ever since the Zerg party was found outside the wall, and the missing Battle Wolf warriors exacerbated the leaders¡¯ stresses.

    ¡°Please be patient, everyone. I swear that Wang Tong will be back for us.¡± Hamir announced in a confident voice.

    ¡°We want to believe you, but all the elite Battle Wolf soldiers have disappeared, and that is the reality we live in. We are not afraid of dying. We just want to know what the heck is going on!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! we need to see Wang Tong!¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong,e out!¡±

    Inside Hamir¡¯s head, part of him agreed with the leaders, and the other part believed that Wang Tong and the other warriors would be back in time to save the day.

    ¡°I think I have been very clear. Battle Wolf will defend the city until thest soldier drops to the ground.¡±Hamir said, doubting that his words would help to ease the crowd¡¯s nerves.

    After some time, a messenger carrying the reply from the Jade City and the Bay city arrived at the meeting room. After the messenger announced the other two cities¡¯ decisions, it seemed to everyone that all hope was lost.

    Both cities had refused the request on the ground of self-preservation. No one knew what the Zergs were up to yet; the encirclement around the Maersa city could be a ruse, and their real target could be any of the nearby cities.

    Although the two cities had refused to reinforce the defender, they stated that their gates would be open to refugees from the Maersa City.

    What should they do and where should they go? No one had an answer. Atst, they gave up on Battle Wolf and looked to three other leaders in the room for answers: Marcos, Aamir, and Pamir.

 Chapter 553 - The Battle Begins

    Chapter 553: The Battle Begins

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    These three leaders represented the defensive forces that were stationed inside the city.

    Had they ever thought of letting go of their territory and retreating? Perhaps¡­ But, after having tasted thefort of their former life, no one would willingly leave this bastion of civilization.

    Atst, Aamir slowly stood up and said, ¡°I have talked to the Jade City in private, and they are willing to send reinforcements. But, we will be on our own at the beginning of the siege.¡±

    Aamir had provided a different information than the messenger, but no one was surprised by it. As the leader of one of the strongest bands, Aamir had more strings to pull to get what he wanted. Everyone kept their silence, thinking and weighing their options in light of this new information.

    ¡°I hereby speak on behalf of all the warriors of Blizzard. We will defend the Maersa City until thest of us.¡± Aamir announced as he scanned the room with a determined nce. Blizzard had invested too much in the city to pull out without putting up a fight. Aamir was optimistic about the oue of the war despite the sense of dread that permeated among other leaders. Without believing oneself, no one would believe in one either after all.

    After a while, Marcos stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s put away our differences and fight for our survival! Thunder Fire is staying to defend the city!¡±

    Aamir and Marcos exchanged a knowing nce; they had beenpetitors, but the situation had forced the two to and work together toward the same goal: survival. Without cooperation and unity, they might as well have already lost the war.

    The strength of humans came from solidarity and unity; without it, the human race would have fallen apart thousands of years ago.

    ¡°This city is everything we have! The Eagle will be with everyone when the Zergse!¡± Pamir pounded his chest; he knew that his words would lend others hope.

    After the three major factions had sworn to protect the city, Hamir heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°We will let Captain Aamir assign our duties. This is yourst chance to leave the city. When the war starts, I will not allow any cowards in my ranks!¡± Marcos shouted and then shot the crowd a searing nce.

    ¡°If you leave now, don¡¯t ever think abouting back,¡± Pamir said softly and nkly.

    The nning of the defense was way beyond Hamir¡¯s ability, and therefore the responsibility fell on the shoulders of Aamir. He would be the one calling the shots, and no questions with regards to his decision were allowed. Democracy worked only during peacetime, and right now, the citizens in Maersa needed a strong and capable leader, as well as a highly centralized political system to ensure efficiency. Aamir was the perfect candidate for the role of leader. As a popr leader of the strongest band, he possessed both charm and power at the same time. Not even his long-time rival, Marcos could match his influence.

    Since the situation didn¡¯t allow the defenders much wiggle room, the defense n was simple: repair walls and restock the armory. Every band handed in their stash of weapons and equipment to make sure that the defensive forces would have enough iron and steel to throw at the Zergs. After all the forces were gathered under one banner and onemander, the soldiers finally found confidence in numbers. Although there had been few soldiers who had abandoned hope and slipped out of the city, those were very rare urrences as most of them stayed.

    After all, what would be the point of being alive when everyone they knew were dead?

    After the meeting, Battle Wolf was also assigned a district to defend, and Hamir epted the duty without hesitation. He would have epted even the most difficult task if Aamir so chose. After all, if Battle Wolf refused the duty, someone else would have to risk their lives.

    Truth be told, Hamir had been very anxious as more days passed by without seeing Wang Tong and the other elite warriors. He understood the other factions¡¯ suspicions, since nearly all the core members of the Battle Wolf had disappeared for days. Hamir took a deep breath; he knew that without the leaders, he would have to lead the band through this treacherous time.

    The promise of the final showdown with the Zergs had kept Hamir sleepless in the night. He thought about his wife and the time he had spent with his sect brothers. The final confrontation with the Zergs wasing, and it would determine the life and death of all human resistance forces; Hamir was ready for it all.

    As the Zergs gathered outside the city wall, the atmosphere inside the city changed as well. However, none of the ordinary citizens abandoned their homes. Instead, they joined the reserves, while the women and children helped the soldiers get ready.

    The people of Maersa district had had enough of the fear and helplessness while being homeless. They figured that since the soldiers were staying to defend the city, they should too. After all, if the soldiers were defeated, the civilians wouldn¡¯t be safe outside the city wall either.

    Slowly but surely, the army of Zergs closed in on the city. They ravaged thend and razed any human settlements in their way to the ground, leaving nothing behind them. The defeat at Maersa City had aggravated them, and spur them to be more violent toward the human.

    The daily report from outside the city deeply worried Aamir. Although the number of Zergs were almost the same as their initial estimate, the overall level of these Zergs might be much higher than they had thought.

    Aamir inquired the whereabouts of Wang Tong and his warriors every day, but all the answer he got from Hamir were the same. No one, including Hamir, knew where those warriors were gone.

    After a while, no one cared about those missing warriors any longer, since they believed that the addition of a dozen soldiers would not change their situation in any dramatic way anyway.

    Since the city could not rely on the elite warriors of Battle Wolf, Aamir had to look to other ways and prepare for the worst.

    Right before dusk, the vanguard of the Zergs finally arrived, greeted by four thousand heavy METAL artillery units. After an hour of shelling at the Zerg vanguard, the Zerg front line finally started to show sign of faltering. As the messenger reported the temporary back down of the Zergs, soldiers and civilians inside the city hailed their initial sess. However, neither Aamir nor Marcos felt relieved: the war had just begun, and it was too early to celebrate.

    After about ten more minutes, a giant Zerg finally broke through the defensive line of the heavy METAL units. The soldiers behind the heavy METAL were unprepared for the sudden attack, and they were shocked by the sheer size of the beast. The Zerg was about thirty meters long, and had ten meat trunks as legs. Every step it took sent a deep thump to the ground that could be felt hundreds of meters away.

    The giant Zerg tore an opening in the defensive line. Soon, it became the target of thousands ofser beams. Theseser beams shot through the shell of the Zerg and into its flesh. In a blink, green acid gushed out of the holes on the Zerg¡¯s body. These acid blood sttered onto the soldiers nearby and melted their armor and flesh. The affected soldiers howled in agony, and the formation of the heavy METAL fell into disarray, creating more openings. Seizing the opportunity, more and more giant Zergs dashed through the defensive line, and as their blood corrupted more soldiers, the heavy METAL unit gradually lost the upper hand.

    Sensing the tides turning, Aamir ordered the heavy METAL units to pull back. They could be better used behind the city wallter.

    In order to cover the heavy METAL¡¯s retreat, the cannons on the city wall started shelling at the Zergs with mini-nukes. The bombardment was able to stop the Zerg advancement for a brief moment, giving the heavy METAL units an opportunity to retreat.

    However, the Zergs didn¡¯t stop for too long. In just a few minutes, they were able to gather strength and press forward.

    ¡°Captain, the Zergs are getting closer. Let¡¯s pull the plug!¡±

    ¡°Not yet! Wait.¡±

    Aamir scanned the field with a binocr and then said calmly. The Zergs were advancing at an rming speed. In just a few minutes, they had already reached the effective range of the high power long rangeser weapon located at the center of the city.

    Despite the ferocious rain of steel andser beams on them, the Zergs didn¡¯t slow down the slightest. The front line of the Zerg army didn¡¯t slow down until the METAL warriors and the mastery casters started to engage them.

    Seeing that the Zergs were losing momentum, Marcos ordered all his forces to engage the invading Zergs.

    Despite the progress the human had made, Aamir was still deeply troubled by their situation. He had noticed that the vanguard of the invading Zergs had no dark ones among them; so, they were nothing but cannon fodders.

    After a while, the Zerg vanguard was finally eliminated. However, the human soldiers didn¡¯t even have time to celebrate as they found out that they had been surrounded by a sea of monsters, with only a thin wall separating them from danger.

 Chapter 554 - Eager To Fight

    <h4>Chapter 554: Eager To Fight</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Sensing that the time was ripe, Aamir ordered to detonate all the explosives that they had buried around the perimeter of the city. The explosion shook the ground like an earthquake, as the explosion tore open a few openings in the Zergs¡¯ marching column. But, the rest of the Zergs quickly filled in the gaps.

    They marched like migrating ants on a prairie, destroying everything along their way. They felt no fear, and their only goal was to move forward and destroy.

    Although the primitive Zergs had evolved in some respect, their habitsrgely remained the same on the battlefield.

    The Zergs had started the war without any drum beats or inspiring speeches before the battle. Under themand of dark ones, the primitive Zergs marched forward, trampling on top of their own kind¡¯s dead bodies without any feelings. Soon, the Zergs breached the city wall and finally brought the battle into the city.

    With that, Aamir and the other leaders joined the battle as well. They were all capable high-level warriors, and therefore, were able to dish out decent damage to the Zergs. By then, there was no need for Aamir to be themander, since the battle had gotten so heated that tactical maneuvering was nearly impossible.

    This was a real battle, and a battle that would be remembered for years toe.

    Meanwhile, the missing warriors were not having it any easier. Even the legendary warrior Yin Tianzong felt tremendous pressure while fighting the terrible opponent he had never seen before.

    What was worse, they had been trapped inside this bizarre world for over a year now.

    Thendscape in this world stretched out for no ends, with a group of warriors fighting for their lives in it. Among them were mastery casters, field medics, and METAL warriors.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, Blizzard and Thunder Fire had sent out theirst man to the battle. The five level twenty warriors from Blizzard had be the kingpin of the defense on the ground, while the three level twenty warriors from Blizzard were busy keeping the flying Zergs at bay.

    Pamir¡¯s Eagle also had decent performance during the battle; it was evident that they had been hiding their real power all this while.

    Each faction fiercely guarded the area they were responsible for, and was able to hold their ground despite the never-ending waves of attacks.?The mastery casters rained fire on the Zergs, their fire damage being much more effective than bombs. The fire was able to melt through the shells of the Zerg and render them defenseless, while the bomb was only able to slow them down temporarily.

    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s not looking too great out there. At most, we will be able tost for another 24 hours.¡±

    Before the battle, Aamir had carefully installed the defensive lines at key checkpoints. He had prepared threeyers by using three choke points; once oneyer was breached, the defenders would be able to retreat into the nextyer.

    Hearing the news of the attack, Sanders also gathered his forces in the Jade city, ready to reinforce Maersa district as he had promised. However, Aamir wondered if he would make it in time.

    Truth be told, Aamir preferred not to think about the possibility of reinforcements, just in case it would give him false hope. At times such as this, one had better rely only on oneself.

    ¡°We have been fighting side by side for so many years. Do you still remember how we wanted so bad to take over Maersa City when we first started the Blizzard band? Now, our wish hase true. Haha!¡±

    ¡°Captain, I never regretted following you for all these years!¡± Hans saluted to his captain with a broad smile on his face. ¡°We never feared death! Plus, I think we still have a chance!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do tell!¡± Aamir was pleasantly surprised by Hans¡¯s im. Perhaps victory was closer than he had thought.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that not only the number of Zergs are well within our estimation, but so far, we also haven¡¯t seen a single legendary level dark one yet. If this is the same for the rest of the battle, we might have a chance after all. Plus, I believe that Wang Tong and his cohort will return in time. ¡±

    ¡°I want to agree with you... As a matter of fact, I do! However, the reality is that Wang Tong is still missing, and we can¡¯t count on an empty promise from Hamir.¡±

    ¡°That is very wise of you to think that. Our fate is in our own hands. Take a break Captain; I will cover for you for now. You will need some good rest before the hardest part of the battle arrives.¡±

    Although midnight on the mars was not pitch ck like on earth, human body clocks still dictated the limit of their endurance. Therefore, Aamir would be needed during that time to blow a second wind into the soldiers.

    The warriors fought in shifts, but the Zergs were like a never-ending nightmare. However, as long as there were no legendary dark ones, with proper defense and preparation, it was not impossible to hold off a Zerg attack for a long time. However, as the war dragged on, the soldiers started to exhaust themselves, and their morale started to fall.

    Marcos was a veteran warrior, so he had lived through worse times than this. However, he had to admit that this was the most passive situation he had ever been in.

    When midnight arrived, all faction leaders went to the front line and administered the defense while encouraging their soldiers. However, the soldiers new found courage and enthusiasm were quickly quelled by another massive wave of attack.

    ¡°Have you seen that dark one? He is the one leading the attacks. We can¡¯t just sit inside our turtle shell and let theme at us. We need to do something!¡± Marcos piped up.

    ¡°I will do away with him,¡± Pamir said without a second of thought.

    ¡°Bring more soldiers with you and don¡¯t waste your time once you are done your job. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, old man!¡±

    ¡°Hold on! This is a critical mission, so I will go with you.¡± Aamir blurted out.

    ¡°You are themander! Everyone needs you here. I will go with Pamir. ¡± Marcos said with a smile.

    Pamir shot Marcos a surprised look, and then all three of them burst outughing. They had never thought that such a day woulde when they would genuinely care for each other¡¯s lives.

    ¡°What a shame that Guan Dongyang is not here. We had been fighting each other for so many years, and I want him to see that we can actually get along.¡±

    ¡°Old man, don¡¯t worry! I have a good feeling about him.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I thought you both wanted each other dead. Haha!¡±

    ¡°Bothers of Thunder Fire, follow me if you want to be remembered as heroes. Let¡¯s kill that SOB!¡± Marcos¡¯ voice boomed amidst the din of war.

    In an instant, all soldiers of Thunder Fire came out of their cover and joined him.

    ¡°The Eagles, ready your weapon... CHARGE!¡±

    A small group of warriors quickly formed a firing squad and charged into the Zergs¡¯ rank. Behind them, Hans ordered the mastery casters to tear an opening in the Zerg frontline using their deadly fires.

    The small group quickly made their way deep into the Zerg formation, piercing the mass of the Zergs like a sharp dagger into a b of squishy meat. If they could remove the thorn in their side, the defenders in the city might be able tost until dawn.

    ¡°Pamir, I need your help!¡± Marcos shouted; thetter stormed to him and lifted him over his shoulder, then threw him further into the Zerg formation.

    The captain of the Thunder Fire was finally about to unleash his full power as he cranked up his GN force. He raised his de and attacked the dark one in a powerful sh.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Yin Tianzong felt the most overwhelming pressure of his life. The enemy in front of him had ovee him using an inhumane speed. Who was this devilish warrior who possessed such skills and ability that were unseen by the world?

    Yin Tianzong noticed that his enemy¡¯s tactics were perfect, and the executions were wless. Such power did not belong to the world where Yin Tianzong was from.

    By then, Yin Tianzong had reached level twenty-two; however, his power seemed pathetic in front of this great warrior.

    ¡®Yin Tianzong, are you afraid? What was the purpose of the Temrs?¡¯

    In Yin Tianzong¡¯s mind, the court¡¯s teachings were the only truth he ever believed in, and the only reason why he was still alive.

    Suddenly, the old Temr had a moment of epiphany: the source of all human power came from the heart!

    The de Aura that covered Yin Tianzong¡¯s de started to dance more vigorously. Holding the de in his hand, he felt he had be one with it. No longer could he tell the difference between himself and the de, his power, and his emotions.

    Kom!

    As Yin Tianzong¡¯s de was filled with power that could devour a world, his enemy finally smiled approvingly. A level twenty-three warrior was finally born the moment Yin Tianzong attacked with the de.

    Seeing the powerful attack, the incredible enemy who had been fighting barehanded finally revealed his weapon.

    KOM!

    A mountain in the distance was sliced into two, and the enemy finally disappeared.?Yin Tianzong cracked a smile, unsheathed his de, and then bowed. ¡°Thank you, young master.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°KILL, KILL, KILL!¡± Marcos shouted at the top of his lungs as he plunged his de into the dark one with abandon. Thetter didn¡¯t dodge the attack; instead, he closed in onto his attacker.

    Zzeng!

    The dark one was sliced into two while Marcos was also dealt a blow in his chest. Losing his bnce, Marcos fell to the ground that was covered with vicious Zergs.

    Suddenly, an iron chain hooked onto the old solider and reeled him back to safety. It was Pamir who had saved his life.

    ¡°Pull back!¡± Marcos shouted. But, it was already toote: they were trapped.

 Chapter 555 - The Divine Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 555: The Divine Punishment</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The death of their leader rendered the Zergs into disarray. Panicking, the Zergs charged at the human soldiers with abandon. Although the pressure on the city was reduced, the three hundred or so human warriors that were trapped behind the enemy lines faced a vicious retaliation. In a heartbeat, more than a dozen soldiers fell to the ground.

    ¡°Pamir, don¡¯t mind me. I am almost done for! Go ahead and save yourself! Marcos said as he took a few deep breaths to cope with the pain.

    ¡°Buzz off! It¡¯s not like I care about you or anything. I just don¡¯t want to get bored due tock ofpetition. ¡± Pamir shot back.

    ¡°Everyone, form a charge formation. We will safeguard captain Marcos back to the city!¡± Pamir shouted before he dove into the sea of Zergs.

    ¡°Captain, what about us? None of them wille back if we don¡¯t act now.¡± Han urged Aamir.

    Aamir held a cigar in between his lips as he struck down a couple of Zergs that made their way into the city. He wanted to send his men to rescue those warriors who were trapped. However, he knew that regardless of how many fighters he sent out, they would be overwhelmed instantly by the Zerg army. The fate of those trapped warriors was already sealed, but he could still try to save them by himself.

    ¡°I will go!¡±

    ¡°Captain, let me go out there and save them!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You are a mastery caster. Going out there is courting death for yourself.¡±

    Meanwhile, the Zergs¡¯ insistent attack had forced Battle Wolf into thest line of defense. It would only be a matter of time before the area they were guarding would be upied by the Zergs. However, the warriors there were trying all they could to prevent this from happening. They knew that once the Zergs were able to tear an opening in the defense line, Aamir would have to face enemies on both fronts.

    ¡°Aamir, you b*stard!¡± Marcos shouted. However, he didn¡¯t resent thetter¡¯s decision for not sending anyone out here to help them. He knew a long time ago that Aamir was apassionate person; but as amander, he had to value the lives of every single soldier. Marcos had always known that if Aamir had been any more selfish, he would have already be the leader of the most powerful of war band in the Maersa district.

    When the dawn broke, the battle had been going on for an entire night. The mindless Zergs still rushed at the city tirelessly, but the human soldiers were exhausted beyond words.

    Suddenly, a group of high-level warriors appeared in the sky, and they immediately attracted the attention of the Zergs.?Seeing that the leaders of the major factions were in trouble, Hans urged the mastery casters to gather whatever was left in their sea of consciousness and cast fire spells to help the leader¡¯s fighting.

    The b*stards from the Jade City still didn¡¯t show up.

    Marcos struck down another Zerg, after which, he no longer had the energy to lift his de to block another sharp w that was alreadying at him from the side. Marcos felt the time slow down as memories flooded his mind. He had been a proud soldier, a respect warlord; he was fearless...

    The Zerg¡¯s attack closed in...

    KOM!

    At that moment, arge beam of white light, about a hundred meters in radius, suddenly cast upon Marcos, and all the Zergs within that light simply melted; flesh, chitin, and all.

    Wang Tong helped Marcos to his feet and said, ¡°Captain Marcos, leave the rest to us!¡±

    Another hundred or so warriors suddenly appeared on the battlefield. But what could these hundred or so soldiers achieve?

    At that moment, one of those soldiers attacked, and the battlefield was brightened by the overbearing de Aura: a Legendary Warrior!

    The sight rekindled hope in everyone¡¯s heart, and the legendary soldier attacked again. Energies from the earth poured into the de as it grew in size by the second. The power had shocked even the leaders of the factions.

    This was the power of a level twenty-three legendary warrior!

    ¡°By the Gods! Who is this guy?¡±

    Meanwhile, two of the warriors started casting spells while floating in the air. They were easily visible, and people quickly identified them as Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu.

    However, their soul energy suggested that they had reached a legendary level. Was that even possible?

    Inferno Hell!

    Bub-zero st!

    KOM! KOM!

    In a blink, the Zergs near the city wall were reduced into ashes.?However, that was far from the highlight of the fight. Wang Tong raised his Einherjar Lance and aimed at the mass of the Zergs that were still pouring into the city. His face held a deadly calm that reflected death.

    ¡°KILLLLLL!¡± Wang Tong¡¯s voice shook the ground and reverberated in the sky like a mighty thunder. Hearing his battle cry, the one hundred or so warriors cranked up their soul energy. Their power rendered Aamir speechless. Astonished, Aamir didn¡¯t even notice the cigar fall out of his wide opened mouth as he murmured quietly to himself, ¡°This is insane... Haha... the Zergs are done for!¡±

    Among the soldiers that had shown upte, over a third of them were level twenty.

    They were the true elite forces.

    After the four legendary warriors had alleviated the pressure at the city wall, they led the charge and dove head first into the bulk of the Zerg formation.

    Behind the METAL warriors, the mastery casters unleashed death onto the Zergs with an incredible speed. The field medics that were dotted amongst the soldiers were capable of both attacking the enemy and healing at the same time.

    Despite their inferior numbers, they ughtered Zergs with incredible efficiency and ease.

    Suddenly, a giant golden dragon appeared behind the Zerg line and nked them from the rear.?It wasn¡¯t until then that Hamir had finally realized what had happened. ¡°Brothers! Our captain has returned!¡±

    Overspent and exhausted, the soldiers of Battle wolf had beenying on the ground, trying to get a brief moment of respite. However, as soon as they heard the news, they sprung to their feet and looked to the battlefield.

    Was the captain back?

    Some of the new additions of the band didn¡¯t even know what their band leader looked, like since Wang Tong and others had been missing ever since the day they joined Battle Wolf.

    They watched in amazement as the Zergspletely halted their attacks at the City wall and poured all of their forces to fight in a golden circle.?Hamir¡¯s hands were trembling. ¡°Did you see that one with the de? He is our captain¡¯s personal guard, Yin Tianzong.¡±

    ¡°Gosh! Legendary Caster!¡±

    ¡°That is our lieutenant Guan Dongyang. Did you really think that you are the only ones left in Battle Wolf ?¡±

    ¡°Who is that girl? She is so pretty!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Sect¡¯s chief Medic, Xiao Yuyu. She is our captain¡¯s friend.¡±

    The new additions of Battle Wolf watched their leaders with admiration. Before this point, they all felt being cheated by the recruitment advertisements, since none of them had seen the powerful warriors it had promised.

    Under the leadership of the two legendary warriors on the battlefield, the METAL fighters were able to form an imprable shield in front of the Mastery casters, who dished out devastation under the leadership of Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu.

    Before this battle, the only legendary caster the world had ever known was Michaux Odin.

    These soldiers didn¡¯t just improve their power, they had also toughened their nerves and sharpened their focus. While facing the sea of Zergs who were as ferocious as demons straight from hell, these warriors didn¡¯t flinch.

    These were the God¡¯s Warriors!

    Although the Zergs¡¯ numbers wererger than the human warriors by a few dozen magnitudes, none of the onlookers felt worried for these amazing warriors. The swarms of Zerg that charged against the soldiers were like meat against a grinding machine.

    Battle Wolf¡¯s awe and respect toward their leader were shared by other warbands. Only after seeing these soldiers descend from the gate of Valha did they finally see hope in liberating the humans on Mars.

    Marcos, Pamir, and Aamir finally reunited and they looked at each other with a wry smile.

    ¡°Are we getting too old?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Aamir? We can still fight!¡±

    ¡°Well, I felt old after seeing what thoseds could do!¡±

    ¡°Haha, old man, you should count yourself lucky for still being alive. Don¡¯t you remember that you had ticked off Battle Wolf two times in a row?¡±

    Marcosughed after hearing Pamir¡¯s remark, overexerting himself and opening up his wound. He quickly pressed on the wound and coughed violently. However, his injury didn¡¯t take the joy out of him. The battle would soon be over, and a new leader of the Maersa District was born.

    The three of them had been waiting for a more powerful and capable warrior to take over their responsibility, and today, they had finally found such a warrior.

    Everyone had been watching Guan Dongyang and Yin Tianzong¡¯s moves closely. Yin Tianzong¡¯s level twenty-three power meant that he was four to five times stronger than a level twenty-one legendary warrior. Meanwhile, Guan Dongyang was putting on the most splendid fire show the crowd had ever seen.

    Seeing that the situation was finally under control, Wang Tong decided that it was time to end the battle. He was about to unleash his coup de grace.

 Chapter 556 - The Perfect Man

    <h4>Chapter 556: The Perfect Man</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong flew into the sky, and it wasn¡¯t until then that people remembered Battle Wolf¡¯s badass Captain.

    Yin Tianzong and Vorenus both veered to the side and made room for him in the air. Gun Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu had also paused their attacks and appeared beside him. The rest of the soldiers on the ground cranked up their GN force and pushed the Zergs back for a few dozen meters.

    Wang Tong folded his hands and started chanting an unknown spell. As he did so, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu lowered their elevation and formed a triangle with their leader.

    ¡°Is our Captain a METAL warrior or a caster?¡±

    ¡°What a stupid question! Our Captain is a god!¡±

    ¡°God?¡±

    ¡°Our captain was the only person who had defeated Patroclus. He is the dragon warrior, the heir of the de Warrior¡­He is Wang Tong!¡±

    He was the only human METAL warrior who could also cast spells. The spell he was casting right now required the help of two additional legendary casters. Below them were twenty or so level neen casters who were also transferring their power to him.

    The soldiers were stupefied by the scene, and they simply couldn¡¯tprehend how powerful this spell was going to be. Hans stared at the triangle formation speechlessly. The incredible scene had made him forgot that he was still in a war.

    As Wang Tong chanted, vibrant red lights ran down the sky. The red had a blood undertone to it, which naturally evoked fear in the hearts of the onlookers. The color gradually turned darker until blotches of dark spots appeared. By then, the sky seemed to have been scorched by mes.

    The temperature increased, and the soldiers on the ground started to feel difficulty breathing in the boiling hot air. The mastery casters were more sensitive to the changes in the natural energy, and they could tell that a powerful force was driving the natural energies to conglomerate. Wang Tong was not simply borrowing the natural energy; he was outright using it as a weapon. Perhaps that was the power of the god.

    Suddenly, thousands of rays of golden lights shot out from Wang Tong¡¯s body as he shouted, ¡°Divine Punishment! ¡±

    The earth moaned at the release of an unthinkable amount of energies while the sky rained fire. It looked beautiful from a distance, but it was hell for the Zergs. The fire burned so intensely that the Zergs were reduced into crispy fries before they even came to contact with it. Even the dark ones could not escape their doomed fate.

    Everyone who watched this spell from afar was stunned by the unprecedented power at disy. This was the most powerful spell they had and would ever see in their lives.

    One word resonated inside of everyone¡¯s heart: God.

    The fiery rainsted for only a dozen seconds; however, it was able to annihte the entire Zerg forcepletely. The only few Zergs that survived the Armageddon dashed away from the battlefield in fear and delirium.

    Seeing Wang Tong and his heroic cohort approach the city wall, the three leaders of the major factions greeted them with warm smiles.

    ¡°Congrattions, Lord of the City!¡±

    Not sure who had started shouting Battle wolf¡¯s name, but soon, the entire city joined in. The sun finally reached the zenith, and its light kissed the warriors¡¯ cheeks softly.

    People had finally seen the light after the long dark night.

    Meanwhile, Sanders was still contemting if he should send in reinforcements to Maersa. It had proven to be a difficult decision to make. He had suffered a few defeatstely, and his men needed to rest. But, he didn¡¯t want to lose his credibility to the other factions by changing his mind at thest moment. In the end, he had decided to station a small number of forces just outside the battlefield to help any human soldiers who got out of the battle alive to escape.

    ¡°My lord, I have good news!¡±

    ¡°Oh? What? The Maersa City is safe now?¡± Sanders was startled by the news. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Zergs had sent in an entire legion? How is it possible? ¡±

    ¡°We are not certain either. But, we saw herds of Zergs running away from the city. Our scouts also said that the entire Zerg army was defeated in mere minutes. The soldiers of Maersa are now chasing those runaway Zergs down.¡±

    Sanders sat down slowly, at aplete loss. How was that even possible? What had happened?

    He knew that there was a legendary warrior inside the city, but he doubted a single warrior would be able to change the tide of the battle so utterly.

    ¡­

    ¡°Boss, you are in luck!¡± The messenger broke Syracuse¡¯s train of thoughts. He looked up at his employee and remarked calmly. ¡°They did it?¡±

    ¡°Definitely! They somehow defeated the Zergs.¡±

    Hearing the news, Syracuse¡¯s employees looked at him with deep respect and admiration for his urate prediction of the oue. Syracuse¡¯s decision to work with Wang Tong had met strong tailwinds at the board meetings. However, he had forced the board of directors toe to terms with his decision using his veto rights¡ªsomething that he had rarely used. That being said, the other board members didn¡¯t back down entirely because they had given up. Instead, some of them wanted to see him get himself into trouble for his recklessness, and his influence in thepany fall.

    However, everyone wondered what had given him so much confidence in a small motley crew.

    As Syracuse was steeped in the satisfaction of knowing that he had won a risky bet, the sk rang.

    ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to make an end to what you have started.¡±

    ¡°Yes, grandpa.¡±

    Syracuse¡¯s decision had gotten the backing of the most influential figure in thepany: his grandfather. From the very beginning, the shrewd businessman knew that there wererger stakes at y.

    ¡­

    The victory of the Maersa City was inspiring news to the entire south-east quadrant of the Mars. In the past, a victory of such a scale would not be possible without the joint effort of House Lie, Divine Mastery Sect, and the Kaedeians.

    The victory also taught the human soldiers a lesson: only with unity would humanity prevail. The oue of the war was far less meaningful than the value of this lesson.

    Soon after the battle was over, humans started working on rebuilding the city of Maersa.

    After experienced the war together, the various faction leaders no longer bickered against each other. Instead, everyone helped each other and worked as a team. Even after the return of Wang Tong, the other faction leaders didn¡¯t get marginalized as they were still active at every meeting. Although Yin Tianzong and Guan Dongyang were powerful warriors, their abilities in managing a city were limited. Therefore, the much more experienced managers such as Aamir and Marcos had be a valuable asset to the city.

    As a leader, they didn¡¯t need to be powerful on the battlefield; but, they definitely needed to be shrewd and experienced while dealing with people.

    After the battle, it urred to all the leaders that the chain ofmand in the city needed to be consolidated. Leveraging on the expertise of Marcos and Aamir, Wang Tong was able to sessfully refine the military structure while keeping everyone content.

    Aftering back from that nightmarish world, Lie Xuan had also upgraded to level twenty. What had happened in that strange world still yed like a lucid dream in her mind. However unreal and iprehensible that world was to her, her improvement was real.

    During the struggle inside the dreamy space, the bond between Lei Xuan and Guan Dongyang was strengthened. She had helplessly fallen in love with the Guan Dongyang on the battlefield; his every move was so manly and brave that they tugged at her heartstrings.

    Xiao Yuyu starred at Wang Tong as she reflected on what had happened. From loathing to admiration, her feeling toward Wang Tong had changed drastically during the time she had spent with him. By now, she regarded him as the only perfect man in the world, as even Michaux lost his brilliance underparison. Having fought side by side with him and witnessed his godly demeanor, she doubted that any girl would be immune to his charm.

    Xiao Yuyu nced at the crowd around her and found Ye Zi on her side. The infatuation on her face told her that thetter had fallen for Wang Tong much harder than she had. If Lie Xuan had not been dating Guan Dongyang, she would be Wang Tong¡¯s next victim as well.

 Chapter 557 - All Sorts Of Talents

    <h4>Chapter 557: All Sorts Of Talents</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The contentment in Aamir¡¯s eyes told Xiao Yuyu that Wang Tong had gained total control over the City. As she knew that Wang Tong¡¯s ambition was much bigger than just Maersa City, thenguid attitudeing from him perplexed her, as it went against the grain of an ambitious leader.

    ¡°Hi, pretty faces! We have lots of casualties during this battle. Are you sure you girls can handle it?¡± Wang Tong half asked, and half jested.

    Still mesmerized by his charming smile, it took the girls half a second to realize that their dreamy idol was speaking to them. Their first thought was to cover their faces under the sheer embarrassment of being noticed ogling at Wang Tong.

    ¡°Lord Wang Tong, please know that we will carry out our duties to the fullest.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Don¡¯t call me that, please. Call me Tony.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! We arerades, aren¡¯t we? Maybe we could even be friends, Tony?¡± One medic named Xiao Lin blurted out before she had realized that she had done so.

    ¡°Ye Zi, you are my right hand. I need you to take charge here. ¡± Wang Tong said with a trusting smile. He knew that since the war was over, Xiao Yuyu would return to the Sect sooner orter.

    Ye Zi nodded, her face still blushing.

    Wang Tong heaved an inaudible sigh after he had assigned duties to all his assistants. Everyone now shared the weight on his shoulders. As soon as he left for his camp, the girls started to prattle about their new leader.

    ¡°So damn handsome, so damn hot!¡±

    ¡°Curse that Xiao Lin! How dare she speak to him before anyone of us did?¡±

    ¡°Yea, what a cunning little fox, that one!¡±

    Ye Zi grinned wryly. However, her heart was filled with joy for being recognized as a member of Battle Wolf. Ye Zi had already reached level twenty, a feat that she had never dreamed of achieving. She knew the secret source of her new power was Wang Tong. Without his encouragement and inspiration, she would have already given up halfway through that gruesome struggle in the crystal space. Thanks to her immense inner strength and Wang Tong¡¯s guidance, she had be the first field medic to have reached level twenty.

    The field medics who had been dispatched from the sect to Battle Wolf were of only the run-of-the-mill talent. However, after Wang Tong¡¯s boot camp, they had all be elites. Having tasted the benefit of staying with him, none of the field medics wanted to return to the Sect anytime soon.

    Xiao Yuyu watched the disappearing image of Wang Tong and wondered what was it like to be Ma Xiaoru. She could sense the fire of their love still burning inside his heart. In his eyes, he only saw Ma Xiaoru, and no other girl.

    How deeply had they fallen in love with each other for their love to have transcended beyond life and death? Unable toprehend the faithfulness of Wang Tong, Xiao Yuyu felt jealous for the first time in her life.

    Every girl knew that Wang Tong had a girlfriend, and that she was on Earth. The two had been separated for five years. Although that girl¡¯s survival remained a mystery till this day, Wang Tong firmly believed that they would meet again when he made his way back to Earth. He believed that she was still alive and was waiting for him. Well, what a fool...

    However, the more faithful Wang Tong was, the more attractive he was to the other girls.

    ¡­

    Tan Bu had reached level twenty thanks to his talent and hard work, and a few dayster, Duo Lun had also caught up with his best friend. Of all the soldiers in Battle Wolf, only Duo Lun remained a worthy opponent of Tan By. Although Duo Lun¡¯s power was slightly less than that of Tan Bu, he was able to unleash his energy to its fullest potential. Without experience and skill, Duo Lun remained a tough nut to crack for many high-level warriors.

    Ross had also made significant process and leveled up to level neen. Despite being ater in Wang Tong¡¯s training program, he had risked his life to achieve such advancement.

    The rest of the warriors that had followed Wang Tong to the crystal space were all from the Temr¡¯s court, and almost all of them had reached level twenty. Level twenty was a major bottleneck in cultivation, and nothing except for time could help a warrior finally make the breakthrough.

    During the group¡¯s training in the crystal space, Wang Tong had yed both the roles of a coach and the viin. At the final stage of training, he even invited Mr. Wannabe to challenge his students.

    Wang Tong had been nning to recruit these talents ever since hended on Mars. However, the dire station had forced him to expedite his n and use the crystal space to save time. Nevertheless, the results of the training were more than satisfactory.

    Not only had Wang Tong helped these soldiers to improve their tactics, but he had also cultivated respect and friendship with his fellows.?Surrounded by his most trustedpanions, he knew that he was looking at the core group of his army when he waged war against the Zerg brutality.

    ¡­

    ¡°My Lord, do you think that the reason for our defeat was because of...¡±

    A high-level dark-kind general named Xie Su, the warden of the north, watched the screen that yed the scenes from the battle. In the war-preparation meeting, some of the high-level dark ones had advised the warden to send in a few legendary level warriors to counter the human force. But the proposal was rejected.

    After the catastrophic defeat, everyone was worried that the dark lord Moye would punish everyone on the war council. However, the warden was not concerned by his defeat at all. His cid face could not hide his wisdom and power.

    ¡°Ha! I wanted my army to fail. Send this clip to Patroclus, and tell them that we need their help.¡±

    ¡°We will lose face if we do that. Plus, Mars is our territory¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant move, my lord! We could do away with this human trouble without sacrificing a single one of our best warriors.¡± Another dark one cut the first one short andplimented the warden¡¯s n.

    Xie Su smiled, revealing two rows of filed teeth. The siege of Maersa City was merely a probe of his enemy¡¯s real strength, and it had worked marvelously. Most of the human resistance was located in the northern sector; therefore, Xie Su needed soldiers, especially the high-level dark ones, to keep the other districts in check. Hence, he could not afford to send in his best soldiers before he knew the exact power of his enemy. Plus, sending in a full-fledged army would only scare the humans out of the city. Losing track of Wang Tong was much worse than losing a battle.

    As for the power struggle between the dark lord and Patroclus, Xie Su was not too familiar with it; but, he at least knew that Wang Tong was at the center of this struggle. The existence of Wang Tong was a constant guilt trip in case of Patroclus for not severing his connection with his past. Perhaps, this only human connection was what prevented Patroclus from evolving into a dark one. Therefore, either alive or dead, Wang Tong yed a key role in Moye¡¯s n to weaken Patroclus¡¯s influence.

    Leveraging Wang Tong to control Patroclus had always been Moye¡¯s strategy, which was why Xie Su made such a seemingly unreasonable decision. If he had sent out his elite party, the small city of Maersa would have been overrun in a matter of minutes.

    Xie Su studied the faces of his war council; only a few of them had grasped his real intentions. However, those few who understood meant that the dark ones were not idiots as Patroclus and his pompous crew would like to believe.

    After all, he whoughed thestughed the longest.

    ¡­

    ¡°Tan Bu, is it true that our boss has improved your power?¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie to you? Ask Duo Lun too.¡±

    ¡°Damn! Why didn¡¯t he bring me with him?¡±

    ¡°You? Save your energy kiddo. You would have died a hundred times over in that wicked-a*s world. But don¡¯t worry! You have been a Battle Wolf since the beginning. I am sure you will be one of the elite soldiers one day. Boss won¡¯t disappoint you, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Captain Duo Lun, I swear I will train harder from now on and try to get on to the next boot-camp.¡±

    After the total victory, Battle Wolf had consolidated power of the Maersa District and signed packs with nearby powerful cities. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy for the Zergs to wage another war on Maersa next time.

    After hearing of Battle Wolf¡¯s victory, more and more factions moved back into the city. However, they weren¡¯t given the same treatment as before they had left. There was no free lunch in the world, and they had to earn respect through hard work and sacrifice.

    Life inside the city remained difficult, but everyone had a gleeful smile on their faces. They were content with their situation, and proud of their decisions during the war. For those who stayed behind and offered their help to the defenders, Aamir had given them extra rations and many other incentives.

    The call of order from the Sect finally came, and Xiao Yuyu and her field medics were about to say goodbye to Wang Tong and Maersa.

    ¡°Wang Tong, you have taught us a lot. Thank you!¡± Xiao Yuyu spoke quietly, trying to mask the sorrow in her voice.

    ¡°You are more than wee! I can talk to Michaux and let you stay if you want me to. Anyway, I will always respect your decision.¡±

 Chapter 558 - Here Comes The Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 558: Here Comes The Trouble</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong¡¯s sunshine-like smile nearly persuaded Xiao Yuyu to relent her duty at the Sect. ¡°I, too, feel that I could be of good use here with you guys. But, I have unfinished business that I need to tend to in the Sect. Perhaps we will fight side by side again in the future. ¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡±

    ¡°Great! Vorenus will stay with you. He is a warrior, and his talent is needed here more than back at the Sect.¡± Xiao Yuyu said. Touched by Wang Tong¡¯s sincerity, she had slowly opened up to him, as her gaze grew soft and face turned pink.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Wang Tong replied as he extended his hand for a handshake.

    Xiao Yuyu set her small and tender fingers into Wang Tong¡¯s palm, ready for him to give her a peck on the back of her hand like a real gentleman would. However, Wang Tong was not a gentleman by any stretch of imagination, as he grabbed her small hand and shook it forcefully like he would to a man.

    Startled by Wang Tong¡¯s unexpected, if not uncouth handshake, Xiao Yuyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The warmth from Wang Tong¡¯s palm feltfortable.

    ¡°Wang Tong, I¡­we will miss you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to visit us at the sect!¡±

    ¡°Yes, if you are ever back into the market for a girlfriend, look no further than us martian field medics!¡±

    ¡°Ye Zi, watch him for us! Haha!¡±

    The girls¡¯ frisky and sassyments rendered Wang Tong at a loss. He was not yet used to the way Martian girls expressed their affection.?At the time of departure, a few outgoing girls even stole a kiss or two from Wang Tong.

    ¡°Stop ogling! You are going to slobber all over yourself!¡± Ye Zi scolded Wang Tong.

    ¡°Haha, I will stop. Gosh! I have so many things to do!¡± Wang Tong said lightly.

    ¡°I will support you in whatever you do.¡± Ye Zi answered quietly but firmly. She knew that there was no hurdle that he could not pass.

    However, seemingly impassable hurdles came much sooner than anyone had thought.

    Rebuilding an entire city, even as small as the Maersa City, required tremendous resources, which Battle Wolf did not have. In addition, after consolidating the power of the district, it was up to them to feed all the soldiers that it had acquired through other factions. To make matters even worse, the promise of safety had driven more and more people to settle in the city, adding even more mouths to feed.

    Even Einherjars ate three meals a day as any other soldiers would.

    Sensing that Maersa was in desperate need for food and supply, the greedy businessmen finally revealed the true color of their heart.

    A setback in purchase caused by the sudden rise of price had Aamir riled up. The money this merchantman was asking for was so outrageous, it was outright ckmailing.

    Even when the price was fair, Aamir received a small budget for purchasing supplies, since the money was needed on many other more urgent projects.

    After initial negotiation with a businessman, Aamir had given everyone his word that he would secure the food sources. However, the same businessman changed his initial offering without even giving him a reason. Frustrated, Aamir conceded that he had to bring this to Wang Tong¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What kind of a businessman is he? How could he change the agreement on a whim?¡± Tan Bu shouted with anger.

    Tan Bu and Duo Lun both had improved their powers by leaps and bounds, so much so that they had quickly risen in ranks to be Wang Tong¡¯s most trustedpanions. Their sess was not because of Wang Tong¡¯s favoritism, but their unwaveringmitment to the training.

    Training as hard as Wang Tong had expected for every day was easier said than done. So far, only Tan Bu and Lun Duo had the willpower to follow it through.

    Aamir was impressed by the two young soldiers¡¯ striking improvement. Meanwhile, he also admired Wang Tong¡¯s ability to draw the potential out of any soldier who listened to his instructions.

    No one knew what had happened to those a hundred or so warriors during the two weeks that they were gone. But, everyone knew that they had Wang Tong to thank for their astonishing improvements. In the eyes of an ordinary soldier, Wang Tong was a synonym for god, since other than a god, no one could have transformed a level fifteen no-ount into a level twenty super soldier.

    Members of Battle Wolf were so proud of themselves that even those who were not chosen by Wang Tong to enter the crystal space felt a sense of honor to be part of the team.

    Everyone had been poking around for any clue as to what kind of trick Wang Tong had pulled off to help his students. However, all lips were sealed, and no one was willing to talk about their experience in that two weeks¡¯ time. The exact power of Wang Tong was still shrouded in mystery for most people, and his worship as a god continued.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Tan Bu, we have to be patient. Thispany controlled the lifelines of many cities, including ours. We need to tread carefully.¡± Aamir urged. Theck of management talents in Wang Tong¡¯s band was evident, so he knew that Wang Tong needed him badly.

    ¡°Tan Bu, can you be smarter next time like Captain Aamir?¡± Wang Tong advised.

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± Tan Bu nodded.

    Theical exchange didn¡¯t make Aamirugh, but it made him marvel at how loyal and devoted Wang Tong¡¯s followers were to their leader. These soldiers must have followed him willingly without being given any pressure to do so; otherwise, regardless of how mighty Wang Tong was, he would not be able to bring so many powerful warriors under his banner.

    ¡°Who is that dude anyway? What made him so confident?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°His name is Han Dun. He is the son of the Lord of the Egypt City, the thirdrgest city in the area controlled by Zambrotta.¡± Aamir remarked in a serious voice.

    Aamir¡¯s brief introduction was enough to highlight the political clout of their business partner. Zambrotta and his Thunder Drum were the strongest local warlord on Mars, and also the priority on Maersa¡¯s list of factions to befriend. Sooner orter, the Zergs woulde back for the city, if not for Wang Tong. Therefore, defenders of Maersa needed friends.

    ¡°We had a deal, so why did he back out?¡± Yin Tianzong asked. He had lived on Mars for half of his life, and therefore, he had a much clearer picture of the current political scenario. He shared Aamir¡¯s concern; Zambrotta was not someone that Wang Tong wanted to rub the wrong way. They had just secured the foothold at Maersa, andpared to the traditional big yers, Maersa was nothing but a babe in the woods. It was wise to respect the power ofrger factions and tread carefully.

    Maersa had already refused to join House Lie and the Sect, and if they made an opponent out of Zambrotta, they would have truly isted themselves in an unforgiving world.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t give us a reason.¡± Aamir grinned wryly. This was a dog eat dog world; the fittest never needed excuses for bullying the weak.

    ¡°Has he taken our deposit?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Yes, and it was not refundable. That is what really pissed me off.¡± Aamirined, his wordsced with guilt for screwing up this order.

    ¡°Hehe, fine then. Aamir, lead me to this Prince Han you were talking about.¡±

    The smile on Wang Tong¡¯s face looked warm and kind, but his friends, especially those who used to be his opponent, knew that somebody was going to get hurt real bad very soon.

    ¡­

    Wang Tong and Aamir arrived at Han Dun¡¯s temporary residence in Maersa, avish building in a war-torn city. Aamir had seen to it that he had gotten the best amodation in Maersa. However, his hospitality was all for naught.

    As soon as Wang Tong entered the dining area, he heard Han Dun scream, ¡°What kind of food is it? Are you feeding me horse feed?¡±

    The servant girl¡¯s face turned red out of embarrassment and anger, but she kept her silence. She didn¡¯t want to get fired from her job. So, she quickly cleaned up the mess on the floor without protesting.

 Chapter 559 - We Are Family

    <h4>Chapter 559: We Are Family</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Tan Dun had been reveling during this business trip. The people in the city needed his food, and that made him feel like a god. Who the hell did Wang Tong think he was? Without his supply, Wang Tong and his band might as well starve to death.

    Although Tan Dun was under Zambrotta¡¯smand, he had a special connection with House Lie through a fraternity reserved for only the princelings on Mars. Tan Dun was proudly born on Mars, and he held prejudice against immigrants such as Wang Tong. He outright despised his background as the heir of the de Warrior¡ªBah! Another pesky immigrant from the past.

    His mission on this trip, in addition to making loads of money off the immigrants, was to give Wang Tong a dose of reality. He would show thetter that Mars belonged to only Martians, and immigrants like him would forever be under the mercy of theirndlords.

    ¡°Make Mars Great again!¡± As he had often shouted at the fraternity gatherings.

    Seeing the mess on the floor, Aamir pulled a dark face and scolded the servant girl. ¡°What have you done?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I am sorry. ¡± Fear struck the girl as she hurried a reply without realizing that it was not her fault at all. Han Dun snorted at the girl and his hosts.?¡°Captain Aamir, is this the so-called hospitality in Maersa? What kind of rubbish is this? You dare openly insult a representative from the Egypt City?¡± Han Dun gradually raised his voice until he sounded like a squealing pig.

    ¡°Xiao Jin, what is going on? Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ye Zi pulled the girl to a side andforted her.

    ¡°Mr. Han...not happy with the meal... It is¡­It is my fault.¡±

    ¡°And then, Mr. Han threw this food at you?¡± Wang Tong asked slowly.

    ¡°I am sorry, my lord!¡± Xiao Jin lowered her head and shook it violently; she was too afraid to meet Wang Tong¡¯s eyes.

    Wang Tong looked to Han Dun, and then he cracked a smile. ¡°Mr. Han Dun, my name is Wang Tong.¡± Wang Tong said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

    Tan Dun didn¡¯t reach out his hand; instead, he lolled in his chair and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the heir of the de Warrior? I think you are nothing but a fraud! Discipline your servant first before talking to me.¡± Tan Dun said as he shot Xiao Jin a cold nce.

    ¡°I will talk to her after we are done here. I am here to talk about a setback in a recent business agreement we had made with you. I was told that you had changed your mind after everything was set in stone. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­yes. You know better than me how tumultuous the current state of affairs is. Price fluctuates, and that¡¯s just the way it is. Mind you that I am a very busy person, so if you can¡¯t pay up what you owe me, I will pack up and leave for home tomorrow. I can¡¯t stand one more day of this inhumane treatment! ¡°Han Dun said as he spat on the spilled dished on the ground.

    Although Aamir still wore a smiley mask, Ye Zi¡¯s face was already contorted by anger. The food prepared for Han Dun was the most expensive meal the city could offer. They were saved for special asions, and not even the leaders could get their hands on those delicacies.

    If Wang Tong was pissed, he didn¡¯t let his mood change his warm and weing expression. ¡°I understand that. So, I urge you to transfer our purchase right now... The sooner it arrives here, the sooner you can get out of this horrible ce.¡±

    Aamir was shocked by Wang Tong¡¯s threats. Maersa needed friends, but he was not helping at all.

    Han Dun paused for a second and then burst outughing. ¡°How dare you? Haha! Do you even know who I am? Take your words back before I crush your city!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I really didn¡¯t get the memo on your background. But, regardless of who you are, you need to ship out our purchase and let me decide if I will regret my words.¡±

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Han Dun shouted as he pped Wang Tong¡¯s face using his famous move, the butterfly palm.

    Seeing that the situation had gone out of control, Aamir heave a sigh.?In the next moment, Han Dun shrieked painfully and was rolling on the ground in agony; his hand seemed to have gotten injured. Hearing themotion, Han Dun¡¯s guards, both level eighteen warriors, rushed in and were ready to fight.

    Suddenly, Yin Tianzong picked up the two guards by the back of their cor. Not sure what had caught them, the guards panicked and were rendered motionless by fear.

    ¡°Throw them out.¡± Wang Tong ordered.

    Yin Tianzong yanked his arms and threw the two guards a few dozen feet away. Even after they gathered themselves, the guards refrained from making any moves as they didn¡¯t want to face off a legendary warrior.

    Wang Tong picked up Han Dun by the hair and asked, ¡°Mr. Han, I assume you have agreed to our terms. So, let¡¯s talk about the unpleasant service you have received. Why don¡¯t you start by apologizing to Miss Xiao Jin?¡±

    ¡°Dream on, you b*stard!¡± Han Dun shirked. ¡°My daddy will not let you get away with this! You will be facing the ire of Zambrotta for disrupting the order!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Han, I am from the Earth, so of course I can¡¯t follow the order on Mars. But anyway, let¡¯s get back to our topic. Are you going to apologize?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, my lord. ¡± Xiao Jin shook her head as she didn¡¯t want any more trouble. Deep down, she was touched by Wang Tong¡¯s gantry already.

    ¡°That is not alright, Xiao Jin. Remember this: we are a family! And as the leader of the family, I will not allow prick like him to get away with bullying you.¡± Wang Tong turned to Han Dun and smiled again. An unseen force struck the princeling as he let out an agonizing cry. It only had been a few minutes, and Han Dun was already drenched in his own sweat.

    ¡°I am sorry...¡± A few words finally escaped Han Dun¡¯s clenched jaws.

    ¡°What? Did you say anything? ¡°Wang Tong pretended that he didn¡¯t hear anything while he doubled down on the pain he unleashed.

    ¡°Sorry! I am SORRY!¡± Unable to cope with the pain, Han Dun shouted.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Xiao Jin, would you ept this idiot¡¯s apology?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine now. Thank you, my lord.¡± Xiao Jin was on the verge of crying. Never had she thought that Wang Tong would serve justice to her in person.

    Wang Tong nodded and then picked Han Dun up. ¡°Well, since Mr. Han didn¡¯t like our food, we just won¡¯t serve him any.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a n!¡± Ye Zi was lit up with glee as she hailed Wang Tong¡¯s decision. Aamir heaved a sigh; Wang Tong was too young and too powerful to understand the importance of allies. The harm had already been done, and Aamir wasn¡¯t sure what he could do next.

    ¡°My lord, you acted too spontaneously back there. Mars is aplicated ce, and we need to be careful and always watch our words and actions.¡± Aamir advised Wang Tong on the way back. He was concerned about the consequence of not giving Han Dun any food until the goods had arrived.

    ¡°Captain Aamir, with all due respect, I don¡¯t think I was unfair at all. We had an agreement with him, and he screwed us up. He needs to be taught a lesson before he thinks he owns the world.¡±

    Ye Zi chided, ¡°I agree with Wang Tong. Captain Aamir, why are you so afraid of this b*stard?¡±

    ¡°Dear Ye Zi, I hate him as much as you do. But, we have to be responsible to our people who are still waiting for the food.¡± Aamirined. If not for the wellbeing of all citizens in Maersa, he would have beaten that prick to death a long time ago already.

    Wang Tong patted on Aamir¡¯s shoulder and then said, ¡°Captain Aamir, I understand you fully. But like I said, we are a family, and we look after each other.¡±

    Aamir paused for a second as he realized that it had been a while since someone called him a family.

 Chapter 560 - Gossip Porcelain Doll

    <h4>Chapter 560: Gossip Porcin Doll</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Aamir finally realized that the war had long since eroded the meaning of family and friendship, and he had already gotten used to it. However, Wang Tong was the only person he had met so far who still held onto those values.

    ¡°My Lord, tell me what to do. I am afraid that Egypt City will not let us get away with this. We need to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret! It will be a good opportunity to teach them a lesson.¡± Ye Zi announced. One might think that Ye Zi was an idealist, since she had always been a medic inside the camp. However, years of tumbling and rolling with a local war band had installed measures of pragmatism in her.

    ¡°I am here to break the rules. Aamir, I know what to do. We will have to purchase at the original price no matter what, and that is my promise. Make sure we have enough storage room, and leave the rest to me. ¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile as he intentionally filled Aamir¡¯s mind with questions.

    Ye Zi felt proud for being part of Wang Tong¡¯s team. She knew that he was fighting for all human on Mars and not for his own benefits like all the other warlords on Mars.

    Wang Tong challenged the status quo and punished the pompous a*shole; he did it to remind Aamir of his original intention when thetter first created the Blizzard brand. Time might have made Aamir numb to the injustice of the world, but it would not change his heart.

    By then, Wang Tong had finally gotten Aamir¡¯s approval as apetent leader. Although Aamir had limited abilities, he was determined to do all he could to help the former achieve his goal.

    ¡­

    ¡°Sister Yuyu, I have noticed that you have been distracted ever since you came back from Maersa City. What is so interesting in that city that could make you want to return?¡± Susu half asked and half-joked with Xiao Yuyu.

    Xiao Yuyu¡¯s advancement into legendary level had been sensational news in the sect. Leveling into level twenty-one straight from level neen was unheard of.

    Xiao Yuyu and her crew had been one of the weakest medic crews before she joined Battle Wolf. However, after she returned the sect, she brought back with her a group of level neen field medics. This development shocked everyone in the Sect. In addition, the two spells she had learned at Battle wolf, the Divine Light and Super Healing, had also impressed everyone.

    ¡°Aw-you¡­ Stop that! ¡± Xiao Yuyu blushed.

    ¡°Come on! Tell me what Wang Tong is like. ¡± Susu asked curiously; her mind was filled with questions. Wang Tong had made her brotherpromise, and to Susu, he was the biggest mystery in the world. Susu always had a sense of superiority for being a Martian, and she wondered if this Earthling boy would really measure up to the heroic warriors of the Mars.

    ¡°He is... It is difficult to exin. ¡± Xiao Yuyu searched her mind for words to describe Wang Tong, his sincerity, his gantry, and his ambitions. Failing that, Xiao Yuyu giggled embarrassingly. Meanwhile, her mind already veered off to the time that she had spent with Wang Tong,

    ¡°Hey... HEY!¡± Susu waved her hand in front of Xiao Yuyu and then she chuckled. ¡°Is he really that awesome? Everyone on your team has been talking about him ever since you came back.¡±

    Gossiping was in the blood of martian girls, even if they were field medics. These field medics were the elite units from the Sect. They underwent training in the Sect until they had learned all they needed to serve in the military. Michaux and his sister had created this unit in order to serve the people of the Mars better.

    Although most field medics would be sent away to be stationed at different human resistance factions, those who possessed exceptional talent stayed in the sect, and were groomed to be chief medics and trainers. Xiao Yuyu¡¯s mission in Battle Wolf had been very special, since never before had the Sect lent their permanent field medics to another party. Once the field medics returned, the other girls surrounded the group and pressed them with questions about the outside world. Their curiosities were further piqued by their sisters¡¯ drastic increase in power. Xiao Lin, for example, had been a level sixteen medic when she left, but she had leveled up to level neen by the time she returned. This was a miracle! Xiao Lin and her sect sisters praised Wang Tong¡¯s talent and handsomeness every day, and it was the first time another man¡¯s name, other than Michaux¡¯s, was heard in the halls of the Divine Mastery Sect.

    ¡°Tell me, sister¡­Please!¡± Susu pleaded for more information about Wang Tong.

    ¡°I really can¡¯t exin it. You would have to spend some time with him yourself.¡±

    Ever since Xiao Yuyu returned the sect, she had been yearning to return to Battle Wolf, to the real world. Here in the ivory tower of the sect, she did nothing but teach one or two hours a day, and spent the rest of the day wandering around the pce, trying to find anything to do. It was a drastic contrast to her busy but fulfilling days at Battle Wolf. Although she had only been away for two months, she felt that she might as well have been gone for a year. Time was a strange thing; it was not measured with the tick of a clock, but with the memories.

    ¡°Hmph! You guys are jerks! You and my brother.¡± Susu pouted. She could wear the mask of the holy goddess of the Sect during formal settings; but in everyday life, she was still a young girl with an inquisitive mind.

    Xiao Yuyu studied the porcin-doll-like features on Susu¡¯s face, and she pinched her cheek as she would to a cute little sister. It had never urred to her that all girls in this ivory tower were nothing but dolls; but after she had tasted the life in the real world, she could finally see things for what they really were.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was having a meeting with Syracuse.

    ¡°My lord, you are a true leader through and through! Only two weeks after you established yourself in Maersa, you have already beaten up the district¡¯s only food supplier. What do you want me to do?¡± Syracuse grimaced sarcastically.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Well, I thought I still have you to turn to.¡± Wang Tong beamed from side to side.

    ¡°Oh...Oh...that... My lord, I am not as resourceful as you might think.¡±

    ¡°What a stingy b*stard you are! Help us out, will you? People are starving.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I have already ordered a shipment; it should reach you in five days.¡±

    The meeting went well. After having to deal with each other for a few months, they could finally get down to business with a great measure of trust with each other.

    Syracuse turned off the sky and lit up a cigar. Wang Tong sounded much less desperate than he had expected. He wondered if thetter had a n B. Even if he did, Syracuse would be the first person to know about it, thanks to his enormous web of contacts.

    When Wang Tong hung up the phone, he heard amotion outside of his window. Was that Tan Bu?

    ¡°Duo Lun, what the heck is going on outside? What is Tan Bu shouted about?¡±

    ¡°Boss, we better not go out there. Tan Bu can¡¯t control himself, so he went and joined the march.¡±

    Wang Tong listened carefully, and he heard words such as ¡°Long live Wang Tong¡±, and ¡°We love our Lord.¡±

    ¡°What is this all about?¡± Wang Tong was confused.

    ¡°Boss, people are marching. They heard about what you had done to Han Dun, and they were deeply moved. So, they organized a march to express their admiration for you. ¡±

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, ¡°Fine, let them go home now. We have lots of things to do.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t think he had been extra benevolent to his citizens, but the people of the city worshiped him as he was the best city lord in the world. Not only had he exempted them from their tax duties, but he also treated everyone like family.

    The soldiers and the merchants inside the city wouldn¡¯t be affected by Wang Tong¡¯s rule as much as the ordinary people. Soldiers and merchants both served for the city, but what about the ordinary people? Everyone knew that there was no free lunch in the world, so they were curious as to what Wang Tong wanted from them. Rumors had it that their city lord was not very kind to people whom he didn¡¯t like; the Cherry Blossom was a good example.

    Not sure who had spread the news about what had happened to Xiao Jin. A few hourster, the news was verified as people found the heir of the Egypt city in the dungeon with wounds all over his body.

    Dignity had been a remote memory to a lot of people. But, when the citizens finally remembered what it was like to live like a human, they felt lucky to have such a benevolent lord.

    ¡°Li Xiu, good job on leaking the news to the public.¡± Marcos smiled approvingly.

    ¡°It was nothing, haha. I would do anything to help Captain Wang Tong.¡± Li Xiu answered calmly.

    ¡°What do you think we should do next?¡± Marcos asked.

    ¡°I will follow you in whatever you do.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­Good! I am determined to follow Wang Tong. His goal is not just the Maersa City, but the world. He will need our talents.¡±

    ¡°But, do you think our talent will be truly valued?¡± Li Xiu asked.

    ¡°Of course, we might not be the best soldiers yet, but we are much better equipped for many other tasks.¡±

 Chapter 561 - Let Me Be The Champion

    <h4>Chapter 561: Let Me Be The Champion</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Marcos and Li Xiu looked at each other with a knowing smile. They both knew that if they wanted to follow Wang Tong, they needed first to adjust their attitudes. Base on the current situation, it was impossible to oppose Wang Tong¡¯s rule. Not even a legendary warrior could go against him, much less the two of them. Therefore, they either had toe to terms with working for him for the rest of their lives, or they had to pack up and leave the city right now.

    Marcos knew that although there seemed to be two choices for him, he only had one option: support Wang Tong.

    He had leaked the details of the incident involving Han Dun in order to help Wang Tong gain the trust of his people. Solidarity inside the city wall was essential for survival.?Without full trust in Wang Tong, Marcos would not do him a favor for free. During several conversations, Wang Tong had alluded other options to him, and today, he had finally given him the answer.

    After some time, a soldier came in.

    ¡°Captain Marcos, Lord Wang Tong invites you to his office.¡± It was Duo Lun who came to deliver the message.

    Marcos cracked a smile and then said, ¡°I will be there in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Ah-if Mr. Li Xiu has time, Lord Wang Tong would like to meet him as well.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Li Xiu pointed the finger at himself and asked incredulously.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Duo Lun answered firmly.

    Unlike Tan Bu, Duo Lun was a more introverted person, and was better suited for more ndestine duties, such as Wang Tong¡¯s personal guard. Wang Tong initially didn¡¯t want a guard, but the other leaders insisted their suggestion, quoting that all City Lords had a personal guard on their side. Being the closest person to Wang Tong, Duo Lun was regarded as the most trusted friend of his.

    Li Xiu¡¯s heart throbbed in the chest as excitement shot through his body. ¡®What? Wang Tong wanted to see me?¡¯

    ¡­

    The lord of the Egypt City found it hard to believe that his son was held hostage in the Maersa City. It was a tant kidnapping of a member of a prestigious family. Such a barbaric act had never been heard of in human-settled soils on Mars.

    After the reality set in, the Lord refrained from making military retaliation. First of all, it was his son¡¯s fault. He shouldn¡¯t have bailed out on the agreement that he had already made. That being said, he couldn¡¯t just let the matter slide and agree to the kidnapper¡¯s terms.

    Military might was useless under such situation as it called for a very different form of power

    ¡­

    ¡°Boss, representatives from the Egypt city have arrived.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Did they bring our goods?¡± Wang Tong¡¯s face was lit up with glee.

    Ross shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think they are here to apologize. There is a legendary warrior among them, looking angry and all.¡± Ross¡¯ face was contorted with anger. Ever since he underwent the crystal space training, he was constantly wired up as if he were going into a battle the next moment.

    ¡°Very good. Show them our hospitality, please. They are our guests after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Ross turned around and stormed out. Unlike Aamir and Marcos, these young warriors wanted to test their new power eagerly. Although they had done so during the Zergs¡¯ siege, they hadn¡¯t used their power on any human opponent yet.

    From an outsider¡¯s point of view, the City of Maersa and the power of the new faction that dwelled within it was both pathetic: the city was a ruin, and the faction a motley crew.

    As soon as the dozen or so representatives from the Egypt city arrived at Maersa, they started shouting boisterously. ¡°Who is in charge here? Who is the City Lord?¡±

    ¡°Please wait for a second. Our Captain will be here in a minute.¡± Tang Duo spoke. Although he was much more powerful than the then hooligansbined, he spoke in a polite voice just as he was told.

    The representatives didn¡¯t even look Tang Duo straight in the eyes. One of them snorted, and another shouted, ¡°F*ck off, peasant! How dare you speak to me?¡±

    Tang Duo didn¡¯t mind the insult as he kept a smile on his face and weed the group into the meeting hall. The fighters entered the lobby and waited for Wang Tong impenitently.

    Soon, Aamir arrived at the lobby.

    ¡°Ah! Wee, everyone. Please sit! My lord will be here very soon.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The leader of the pack asked arrogantly. This was the first time that Aamir had been greeted in such a manner.

    ¡°I am Aamir, and I am in charge of most of the domestic duties in the city,¡± Aamir spoke calmly; however, the smile on his face slowly faded.

    ¡°Aamir of the Blizzard?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That will be me.¡± Blizzard was one of the biggest war bands in the Maersa district, and its name always made it to the top list of the warbands on the Mars.

    The leader of the pack softened his expression and then said, ¡°I am the vice general of the Egypt City, Captain Lewinsky. We have received a report that your Captain has held our young lord hostage and beaten him up. This is uneptable!¡± Lewinsky knew that Aamir was quite a character, and therefore, he turned down a notch while he spoke to him. However, he wondered why a renowned veteran would be willing to serve under a young fledgling. Five years ago, when the world first discovered Wang Tong, he was far away from bing a legendary warrior. How much could he have improved in the short five years? Perhaps, Aamir was not as powerful as he had thought.

    ¡°Captain Aamir, what is your job in Maersa?¡± Lewinsky figured that Aamir was someone whom he could talk sense with. After all, he was the one who had first negotiated a business deal with Han Dun. He remembered that the city lord of Egypt wanted him to persuade Aamir to join his side.

    ¡°Just random chores¡­helping our Captain Wang as much as I can.¡± Aamir said indifferently.

    ¡°Gosh! The leader of Blizzard doing chores? That is not fair! What a waste of talent! You know what? The City of Egypt will always have a ce for you and your band.¡±

    ¡°Brother Lewinsky, you think too highly of me. I am very content with my current position.¡± Aamir said with a cid expression. He might seem amiable at first, but he did so because he had to, but not because he liked to.

    The guests finally sat down as they ran out of energy to continue the farce. The one sitting in the middle of the group had an exceptionally well-built stature, and was unusually quiet.

    As the guests were about to protest for the long wait again, Wang Tong finally appeared. The guests stood up in unison and Lewinsky closed in.

    ¡°Wang Tong, where is our young lord!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you guys are very quick to respond. Did you bring us the goods?¡±

    ¡°What goods? Are you thick? You kidnapped our young lord and tortured him, but you still want your goods?¡± Lewinsky¡¯s face turned red as he found Wang Tong¡¯s question preposterous.

    Wang Tong was unaffected by Lewinsky¡¯s harsh tone. He shrugged and said, ¡°Pay up what you owe us, that¡¯s all that I care about. Then, and only then, we will talk about your young turd. Also, as a token of our goodwill, I will cover the expense of your stay here in Maersa.¡±

    ¡°Haha! That is very nice of you, my lord.¡± Li Xiu put in.

    Seeing the negotiation was going nowhere, the group of warriors started their GN force at once. Wang Tong could sense that their average power was of level seventeen to eighteen. However, there were four warriors who didn¡¯t join in the other fighters. Although Wang Tong could not gauge their power, he knew that they were much more powerful than the first group.

    ¡°Wang Tong, hand over our young lord. Otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright! Save your energy. You won¡¯t leave without that prick, and we won¡¯t let him go until we see the goods. So, why don¡¯t we settle it with a match?¡± Wang Tong cut Lewinsky short and waved his hands impatiently.

    ¡°Very well. Best two out of three!¡±

    ¡°Bah! You guys are our guests, so I will be fair and y nicely. If you can win one match against us, I will let you take your young turd, no questions asked.¡± Wang Tong said with a smirk.

    ¡°How... arrogant!¡± Lewinsky murmured under his breath.

    ¡°My lord, the space is very limited here. Why don¡¯t we do it outside?¡± Li Xiu proposed politely.

    ¡°Good point! ¡± Wang Tong nodded at Li Xiu and walked out of the meeting hall with the group of guests in tow.

    Sensing the promise of a good fight, Maersa City suddenly became alive. It was Battle Wolf versus the warriors from the Egypt City. The drama of the fight itself had piqued many citizen¡¯s interests.

    ¡°Boss, let me do it!¡±

    ¡°Captain, give me a chance.¡±

    The streets of the Maersa City boiled over as warriors were eager to fight for justice.

 Chapter 562 - Champion Security Guard

    <h4>Chapter 562: Champion Security Guard</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t forget about the me Squad. Give us a chance please!¡±

    Hearing the eagerness in the soldier¡¯s voice, Lewinsky¡¯s face turned ck. ¡°Who do they think they are? They are supposed to be afraid of us.¡±

    The soldiers in the Maersa city were so undisciplined and rowdy that they looked only a little better than street hooligans. Even the security staffs at the site, who were supposed to maintain order, had raised their hands and stuck their neck out in order to be noticed by Wang Tong.

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up all of you! We have guests today!¡± Wang Tong shouted. Lewinsky felt that Wang Tong didn¡¯t shout at his soldiers to install order; instead, that was just the way he talked to his men.

    ¡°Boss, we are in charge of the security in the city. Pick one from my team, please.¡± Tan Bu pleaded to Wang Tong. His crew had been urging him to put in a good word for them as soon as they heard that he would need a few champions.

    ¡°Buzz off! You all have a job to do! Brother Bu, can you help me chose one of your men?¡± The warriors who hade back from the crystal space had been separated into three groups, and each was lead by Tan Bu, Lun Duo, and Bu Zhihuo.

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Bu Zhihuo mostly kept things to himself. However, he was trustworthy and honest. Ever since he came back from the crystal world, he had found his ce in Battle Wolf. He found hope in Wang Tong, which gave him strength and determination.

    ¡°Valentin, make it quick.¡± Bu Zhihuo pointed randomly at a soldier. As Valentin scurried toward the battleground, the rest of the soldiers¡¯ heads drooped in disappointment.

    ¡°Well, well! Cornwall, have you seen how full of themselves they are? I believe that you will know what to do.¡± Lewinsky was beyond furious. The casualness in Bu Zhihuo while he picked the champion was in stark contrast to the process of hand-picking the soldiers Lewinsky had brought with him.

    Champions of both sides arrived at the battleground. Cornwall unsheathed his long de and let his powerful level twenty soul energy pour out of his sea of consciousness. He was confident that he would be able to prevail in any fight as long as he was not facing against faction leaders such as Aamir.

    Sensing his opponent¡¯s soul energy, Valentin stood unflinchingly. He took his time and channeled out a trickle of soul energy. His action went against the rule of thumb of fighting, to crank up the soul energy as soon as possible.

    Cornwall¡¯s face ckened as he felt being insulted by the security guard¡¯s action. He was a level twenty lieutenant; how dare thetter not take him seriously? This was uneptable!

    Cornwall didn¡¯t want to waste any more time, so he attacked directly. His long de sent out numerous razor shes of burning lights at his opponent. Valentin dashed left and right to dodge the attacksing from all directions, not wasting any of his energy on unnecessary moves.

    Even after a few seconds, none of Cornwall¡¯s attacks hadnded on Valentin, making the former anxious. It was evident that his opponent was much faster than him. He still had the initiative right now, but sooner orter, Valentin was going to counterattack. The thought scared Cornwall greatly, as he didn¡¯t want to be defeated by a no ount security guard.

    Hence, Cornwall gathered strength and released all of his power at once while charging at Valentin, hoping to end the battle with one powerful strike. His move was the mostmon technique used by Martians, the Belligerent Dash.

    But, right before the powerful attack was about tond on Valentin, the young security guard¡¯s soul power suddenly surged. A fire of deadly power burned inside his eyes as he cranked up his GN force and poured it into his weapon, shing at his attacker.

    After an ear-deafening explosion, the battleground became so quiet that the audiences could even hear a pin drop. Even the soldiers in Maersa were shocked by the power in Valentin. No one inside the city had seen the power of warriors who were trained by Wang Tong himself until today.

    After a single exchange of blow. Cornwall¡¯s de was snapped in half. A cold de now rested against the nap of Cornwall¡¯s neck as blood trickled along the sharp edge and dripped to the ground. Holding the de, Valentin no longer looked like an ordinary security guard; he was a bloodthirsty demon straight from hell.

    The guests from the Egypt city were high-level warriors, but even they were shocked by the disy of strength.

    Lewinsky hurried to the stage and admitted defeat in the first round before Cornwall received more wounds. The citizens and the soldiers alike cheered and apuded for Valentin¡¯s decisive victory.

    ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t disappoint you, my lord.¡± Valentin bowed to Wang Tong.

    ¡°You have done well. Take a rest.¡± Wang Tong dismissed Valentin with a wave.?Lewinsky wanted to say something, but he failed to find words in his mouth.

    ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, that¡¯s round one. Who would you like to fight in round two?¡± Wang Tong asked with a smile.

    ¡°I have heard a lot about the famous mastery caster Guan Dongyang, and I wonder if I will have the honor of fighting him today?¡± The quiet warrior who stood in the middle of his teammates finally spoke out.

    ¡°This is the legendary sword master, me de Chamucha.¡± Lewinsky introduced the warrior to Wang Tong with a smug smile. He represented the strongest power in the Egypt City, and had always been Han Dun family¡¯s ¡°fire-fighter.¡±

    Ever since the farce started, Lie Xuan and Guan Dongyang had kept their silence. After living with Guan Dongyang, Lie Xuan had changed her personality. She no longer saw herself as the privileged princess of House Lie; instead, she was a member of Battle Wolf, just like everyone else around her. Therefore, she rarely spoke up her own mind, since she felt the other¡¯s opinions were equally as important. However, seeing someone challenging her loved one. She couldn¡¯t resist speaking up. ¡°Dongyang, teach him a lesson.¡±

    Guan Dongyang didn¡¯t reply. It was not his ce to decide if he would ept the challenge or not, since Wang Tong was the one making the calls.

    Wang Tong held Chamucha¡¯s gaze for a while and then announced, ¡°Mr. Chamucha, I am not sure if it is wise to unleash legendary spells in this crowded city. Why don¡¯t you pick a METAL warrior instead? Yin Tianzong, would you please spar with Mr. Chamucha?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Yin Tianzong stepped forward. He had been so quiet that no one had realized that he was with Wang Tong. A swell of murmur rose among the Maersa warriors. Everyone had heard that Yin Tianzong had reached level twenty-three.

    Lewinsky gasped after seeing that even Guan Dongyang had to obey Wang Tong¡¯s order.

    Chamucha furrowed his brows as he had never heard of his opponent¡¯s name. However, as he scanned Yin Tianzong with his soul energy, he registered that they were on the same level.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    Both high-level warriors were extremely polite to each other as they started off the fight.

    Zing! Zing!

    KOM!

    The audiences heard explosions and saw sparks everywhere, but they were shocked to see that neither of the two warriors had even moved a hair.

    ¡°Brilliant technique! May I ask who you are?¡±

    ¡°Yin Tianzong¡­Master of the Martian Branch, Temr¡¯s court.¡±

    Yin Tianzong had worked ndestinely on Mars for his entire life, but since Wang Tong was here, he could finally reveal his real identity to the world.

    Wielding a de and a shield fluently at the same time, Yin Tianzong was a much more skilled warrior than people had thought. He had been one of the best students of the grandmaster while he trained in the court.

    Seeing this, the court brothers felt their blood boiling. They had to hide their identity and operate under shadows for so many years. Thanks to their young master, Wang Tong, they could finally tell people who they were with pride and honor.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Yin Tianzong was also intrigued by the power of Chamucha and wanted to know more about him.

    ¡°The me de Chamucha¡­I trained under the school of the Reckless des.¡±

    Although not a lot of people had heard the name of Chamucha, everyone knew about the Reckless des. Some called him the de Demon because of his devastating power. However, he was never interested in helping humans in eliminating the Zergs, as he spent most of his time perfecting his sword techniques. He was an entric hermit who was merciless toward anyone who dared to disturb his peace, regardless if the trespassers were human or Zergs.

    Like Zambrotta, the Demon de had been on the list of the ten deadliest warriors on Mars.

    Unlike the onlookers, Yin Tianzong was unmoved by his opponent¡¯s background. He studied in the Temr¡¯s Court, a much more prestigious and wholesome ce than the school of a heartless demon.

    The two warriors started to crank up their power; sensing danger, the audiences backed away from the stage. At that moment, Chamucha attacked suddenly. As the natural power gathered in his system, he channeled them to the long edge of his de until it was red hot and packed with deadly force. The stage was surprisingly quiet, since both warriors tried to minimize their sound to hide their moves away from their opponents.

 Chapter 563 - Templar Branch Master

    <h4>Chapter 563: Temr Branch Master</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Energy slowly concentrated on Chamucha¡¯s de as the shade of redness turned from that of fire to blood. Chamucha attacked, and his de nked on Yin Tianzong¡¯s sword; the impact sent an enormous explosion throughout the stage. Chamucha¡¯s attack was able toe on top of Yin Tianzong, so he immediately followed with another attack. This was a fight between two legendary warriors, a rare scene for the soldiers of the Maersa. They watched the movements of the two warriors attentively, trying to learn from them.

    Yin Tianzong was one of the best in terms of de techniques, since he had studied swordy from the grandmaster of the Temr¡¯s Court. The grandmaster¡¯s teaching focused heavily on physical conditioning and the understanding of the way of the de. Once seeded in both aspects, Yin Tianzong¡¯s power increased exponentially with the increment of his soul energy. Unlike many other sword styles, the Temrs rarely struck their opponents from the side unexpectedly, and this was particrly true for the high-level Temrs. The style of swordy was a reflection of one¡¯s character. Those who would trick their enemy often possessed a tainted soul, and were unfit to be high-level Temrs.

    Inside the crystal space, while the group had encountered extreme situations, Yin Tianzong was the only one who was able to remain calm and carried out his task with aplomb.

    Chamucha¡¯s attack had started to gain frequency and vigor. Meanwhile, the force in his attack remained concentrated on the de edge. Two level twenty warriors might be able to make more noise on the stage than Chamucha and Yin Tianzong; however, much of those extra energies were wasted on sound, heat, and light.

    ¡°Boss, what is brother Yin doing? He could have done away with him a long time ago.¡± Tan Bu asked restlessly. He had seen Yin Tianzong¡¯s full power at the disy, and he knew that he could finish this battle in mere seconds.

    Wang Tong filliped Tan Bu¡¯s head with a finger and refuted, ¡°Do¡­do¡­do¡­do away you¡¯re a*s! Watch and learn!¡±

    ¡°Whatever...¡± Tan Bu murmured. Sensing Wang Tong¡¯s scathing re, he decided to keep his silence.

    In the crystal space, everyone thought that Wang Tong¡¯s power was equivalent of a legendary warrior. However, when he hadter be their ¡°enemy¡± in the space and fought with the group, he was able to ovee Yin Tianzong¡¯s level twenty-three power. Therefore, even now, no one knew exactly how powerful Wang Tong was.

    Although Wang Tong¡¯s exact power had always been the topic of much debate, no one could say for certain what level he was at. Some imed that Wang Tong had already achieved the level of a super Einherjar, a mysterious level that existed only in legends.

    Curiosity eventually had driven the soldiers to press Yin Tianzong for an answer. Annoyed by their insistent questions, Yin Tianzong finally told them what he thought, and his answer only added more mystery.

    As for the legendary soldiers from the Egypt City, Wang Tong would be able to kill a dozen of them in the blink of an eye. However, Wang Tong had told Tan Bu and Duo Lun many times that killing wouldn¡¯t solve any problems in life. If he were to kill any warrior that dared to challenge him, there would be no one left on Mars to fight against the Zergs.

    Wang Tong was convinced that the Zergs hadn¡¯t revealed their real elite soldiers yet. The Zerg warriors such as the golden dark ones were nothing but failed experiments that were sent to the human world as cannon fodders.

    In any case, human on Mars should not let their guards down. Earth and the Moon were destroyed, and no one knew what was it like in the Andromeda Gxy any longer. Mars had be the only hope for humans to reim their territory and save humanity from the brink of destruction.

    Therefore, Wang Tong could no longer be reckless in disposing of the humans who challenged him. He needed friends more than ever.

    Tan Bu finally knew that he would never be a hero who would save the world, since hecked the Wang Tong¡¯s abilities. However, he was willing to follow such a hero and do his bidding.

    Chamucha had finally warmed up and started to strike his opponent with full force. The stage was lit up by a flurry of de Aura shes.

    Chamucha¡¯s fighting style was quintessential of the capricious style of the Demon de. It changed erratically from being predictable to delirious, passive to belligerent. Every attack carried the deadly fire element which was umon among other sword fighters. It was generally epted that adding natural elemental force into weapon attacks was unwise, since it was detracting for the sword fighter. However, the fire element in Chamucha¡¯s attacks was the result of the sword technique itself. In other words, it didn¡¯t require Chamucha to cast it on purpose. The way that the de movement stirred up the air naturally created the fire element. As a matter of fact, the energy only appeared to be the natural fire energy, but it was made out of GN force through and through.

    The two warriors¡¯ attacks were both deadly and powerful; however, their concentrated strikes meant that their movements resulted in much less noise than any normal fights.

    The audiences had expected the two legendary warriors to take the stage apart; however, their fine control of power meant that their power could only be felt within a very small radius.

    As the battle dragged on, fear started to creep into Chamucha¡¯s mind. He noticed that his opponent had been fighting without any defensive measures. Despite his belligerent attacks, Chamucha was not able to evennd a single solid blow on Yin Tianzong. Chamucha knew that it was time to unleash his real strength and turn the heat of the battle up a notch.

    Deciding that, Chamucha executed a frontal jab, and the sight ted everyone from the Egypt City. They knew this move: it was the coup de grace of the me de¡ªFive Petal Strikes!

    The jab suddenly forked into five attacks in five different directions, forming a flower made out of cold des. This was not an illusion; it was the result of the unique sword technique.

    The attack covered all angles, and therefore, Yin Tianzong had nowhere to dodge; so, he pulled back. With an approving smile on his face, Yin Tianzong retreated while blocking the attack with his sword. He wasn¡¯t able topletely counter and halt his opponent¡¯s attack until he had pulled back a dozen meters.

    The de had carved a deep scar on the hard floor in front of Yin Tianzong. However, he was unharmed by the me de¡¯s coup de grace.

    Warriors from the Egypt city were disappointed after seeing the result. They noticed that Chamucha didn¡¯t unleash all of his might at one time; instead, he had increased his attack¡¯s intensity gradually, and therefore, had given Yin Tianzong time and energy to counter his killing blow.

    The aplomb on Yin Tianzong¡¯s face was a drastic contrast with the seriousness and concern in Chamucha. ¡°You are the first person who was able to defend my coup de grace. You are a worthy opponent who deserves my fullest power.¡±

    Yin Tianzong smiled assuredly and then nodded as a courteous reply to the other¡¯spliment. Chamucha pinned the tip of his de onto the ground and poured out his GN force as he let out a deep roar.

    It was a level twenty-two soul energy!

    No one had thought that Chamucha had already reached level twenty-two; he had hidden his power well indeed.

    The Egypt warriors were ted by the development. As they cast a smug nce at their Maersa counterparts, they were shocked to see that none of the soldiers from Maersa were surprised, neither were they concerned.

    ¡°Your sword technique is much more powerful than mine. I should have admitted defeat there and then, but I also have a duty. I will have to keep on fighting.¡± Chamucha said.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Yin Tianzong said indifferently. Finally, he was about to attack.

    Zing!

    The attack was straightforward and steady, but it was able to block all of Chamucha¡¯s escape routes. Chamucha paused for a second, and then he decided to stay put and watch the rest of the move.

    Zzzng!

    The attack forked into eight branches and the de bloomed like a flower! It was the Eight Petal Strikes.

    Chamucha¡¯s face paled. Even at level twenty-two, he could at best unleash five petals. He had even thought that he had reached the ultimate form of the technique.

    The GN force surged, and Chamucha blocked the eight beautiful but deadly petals with his de.

    nk!

    When the strobes of de aura finally faded, Yin Tianzong remained where he was, and his face still wore that cid and indifferent smile. On the opposite side, Chamucha had received threeshes. Despite his level twenty-two soul energy, he was not able to block all of the eight attacks.

    It was not just more GN force that had made a sword master¡¯s attacks so much deadlier than ordinary fighters; it was their understanding of the way of the de.

    Chamucha¡¯s face was ashen. He threw back his head and heaved a deep sigh. He had just reached level twenty-two, butpared to Yin Tianzong, he was still too weak.

    Soldiers of the Maersa city didn¡¯t cheer for their victory; instead, they reflected on the moves of the battle, trying toprehend and analyze Yin Tianzong¡¯s power. This opportunity was precious, since nowhere else would they see such powerful moves.

    ¡°I admit defeat!¡±

    ¡°A good fight!¡±

    The Egypt soldiers were at a loss. What were they going to do for thest match?

    Lewinsky was already drenched in sweat. He had been so confident in his mission, and he had never thought that he would encounter so many deadly warriors in Maersa. Yin Tianzong was only a personal guard of Wang Tong, yet he could ovee a level twenty-two warrior with ease. So, how powerful exactly was Wang Tong?

    Running out of champions, Lewinsky decided to walk to the stage by himself. ¡°I would like to see how powerful the heir of the de warrior himself is.¡± Lewinsky threw off his jacket and sauntered onto the stage. He already knew that he would lose the fight, but he couldn¡¯t let others look down upon Egypt City.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, ¡°Very well! I will see what you are made out of.¡± Seeing that Wang Tong had epted the challenge, the soldiers of the Maersa City boiled over.

 Chapter 564 - Rain of Aura

    <h4>Chapter 564: Rain of Aura</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Lewinsky was ready. He wagered that even at level twenty, he should be able to unleash at least one powerful attack.?He didn¡¯t n to impress anyone with fancy moves, so he decided to attack Wang Tong using the simplest, the most effective attack he knew¡ªBelligerent Dash!

    Zing!

    The sharp de went through Wang Tong¡¯s body, but there was no blood or sound; Lewinsky knew that his attack had missed. Before he was able to gather himself, he heard a wave of cheer, and it wasn¡¯t until a few secondster he realized what they were cheering.

    It had urred to Lewinsky that his de was gone; it was in Wang Tong¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, would you like to try one more time?¡± Wang Tong asked as he tossed the de on the ground in front of Lewinsky. Thetter picked it up and then said, ¡°There is no need. The goods will arrive Maersa in three days. Please fulfill your end of the deal by then.¡±

    The citizens of Maersa cheered again. They were determined to fight against the Egypt City till the end. As long as everyone was united under Wang Tong¡¯s leadership, they would win this fight for justice.

    The soldiers from the Egypt city lowered their heads for now. Their mission was to see to it that Maersa released their young lord. However, the City of Maersa was much more powerful than they had thought, and this convoycked the strength to counter the might of the warriors of their host. They stayed put inside their hotel, keeping their heads low as they waited for the arrival of the shipment.

    This incident had made a name for Wang Tong, and he was praised as a tough and unyielding leader. The lesson that he gave the Egypt city had deterred many other factions leaders who were eyeing Maersa City, mistakenly thinking of him as a pushover. Here on Mars, only the fittest survived; being able to let others fear him was paramount in preventing unnecessary conflicts.

    Three dayster, the shipment from the Egypt City arrived as promised. As soon as Aamir cleared the inventory list, Lewinsky took Han Dun and fled the city. News spread quickly to the ears of every business partner of the Maersa City. Fearing the same fate would be bestowed upon them, they hurried to pay up what they had owed Wang Tong. A bnced ounting book quickly made Aamir the happiest man on Mars.

    ¡°Captain¡¯s approach to things is very simr to us Martians, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ever since they joined the force, Aamir and Marcos and practically joined at the hips as they suddenly found a lot ofmon interests.

    ¡°Hehe, Maersa is a new faction, so we need to act tough. Otherwise, no one will take us seriously. Although Wang Tong is younger than us, he is more prudent and shrewder. Both of us had been focusing too much on rapid expansion, but failed to realize the importance of patience and strategy.¡± Marcos said as he extended a cigar to his friend.

    ¡°Yes, I am not worried about him at all.¡±

    ¡°I know that you worry about House Lie. Xiao Yuyu¡¯s departure is a sure sign that they have taken notice of us.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! If House Lie decides to make a move on us, the sect will not hesitate a second to join forces with Lie Jian. We will be doomed if that happens.¡±

    ¡°I doubt they will make a military advance against us yet. However, it¡¯s difficult to say what will happen under the table. I bet you that someone was behind that little prick from Egypt City.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ Why should we trouble ourselves with this farce? It¡¯s beyond our pay-grade now. To tell you the truth buddy, I really want to see what will happen to Wang Tong in the end. I like that boy. Ever since I joined him, I felt like I have be ten years younger. It¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°Same here... Haha! He is what anchored us down and tied us together. I like him a lot too, and I thank him for what he has done for us.¡±

    ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s work together to ease his burden so that he can progress his n faster.¡±

    ¡­

    On the Sk, the altruistic yet controversial actions of the mysterious Einherjar were a topic of much debate. Many legendary warriors supported him and praised his selfless act of saving the innocents while putting his life under grave danger.

    However powerful those golden dark ones were, they were not invincible. A legendary warrior would be able to eliminate them in a one on onebat. However, as soon as the Zergs learned about the existence of a legendary warrior, they would insistently harass the settlement with more powerful Zergs for days on end until they knew the legendary warrior was either gone or had been killed.

    The Zergs had spared no expense in their goal of eliminating powerful legendary warriors. Therefore, staying put during the Zerg raids was a much wiser option than killing them. All legendary warriors were renowned soldiers in their own circle of friends, and therefore, egotism rendered it impossible to persuade them to stay put once they had embarked on the path of self-destruction.

    People debated fiercely over the sk. Eventually, most people reached a consensus that fighting back should not be outright banned, but the timing of the strike should be chosen carefully.

    As the discussion furthered, more and more people started to me the current situation on the policymakers: House Lie and the Sect. As the de facto leaders of Mars, they had failed to prevent the Zergs from infiltrating behind the lines and wreaking havoc. In addition, their silence over the issue also made them look irresponsible and indifferent to the well being of Martians.

    The dissidents turned in to anger, and the situation quickly reached to the point where Michaux and Lie Jian could no longer ignore it. Lie Jian was a calcting leader with a stone-cold heart. He believed that the sacrifice of the civilians¡¯ lives in order to preserve strength was simply a battle tactic. Human lives were nothing but numbers to him. To win the war, he would need thebined strength of all legendary warriors, and therefore he could not afford to lose them to save a few peasants...

    His rules had been working well before the mysterious Einherjar stirred things up. Once the public awakened to their rights and started to demand it, they wouldn¡¯t stop until Lie Jian gave them a satisfactory answer. Lie Jian knew that it was dangerous to ignore the public¡¯s demand.

    ¡°Father, do you think we should pull back a few of our elite soldiers to guard the city?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, what you n to do?¡± Lie Jintian nodded and asked. Ever since the Divine Master had sacrificed himself during the fight against Moye, Lie Jintian had be the most powerful human warrior on Mars.

    ¡°I want to call back ten level twenty-one soldiers from the front line¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehe, do you think it will work?¡± Lie Jintian cut his son short.

    Lie Jian furrowed his brow as he sensed his father¡¯s disapproval.

    ¡°I have been watching you these couple years, and your actions have been satisfactory overall, but not perfect. This issue, for example, you should have handled it much earlier.¡±

    Lie Jian chewed on his father¡¯s words for a while and then finally realized what he meant. ¡°You mean, I should be that mysterious Einherjar and save the people?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you are not stupid after all. What are ten soldiers going to do now? The key job of a leader is to establish the right and wrong for his people. Zergs are our sworn enemy. So, we should never let the public see us faltering in front of the Zergs.¡±

    Lie Jintian¡¯s words had helped thetter see things much clearer. It urred to him that his father didn¡¯t expect him to save everyone in every city; the key was public perception. If Lie Jian could do what the mysterious Einherjar had done in just a few cities, he would be able to convince the public that he was a benevolent and caring ruler. And, that was all that mattered.

    The support of the people was the number one priority for Lie Jian, especially when the world¡¯s existing order had fallen apart and loyalty could be as fragile as an eggshell. Lie Jian was a smart person; he would not forget about the golden rule of the leader.

    But, what was the ultimate goal of this mysterious Einherjar? The Martian lord never liked things that he could not control. Luckily, his other problem, Wang Tong, had been acting very predictably ever since he took over the Maersa City. Lie Jian already had him under 24/7 secret surveince. He was biding his time for the perfect opportunity to use Wang Tong¡¯s power to his advantage.

    However, Lie Jian simply could not stand the Mysterious Einherjar that challenged the status quo. He was a real deal, that one; a real Einherjar, so people treated him like a god. Bah! They even called him the God of War. His appearance at the Apollo City had directly resulted in the city to go astray from the leadership of House Lie.

    However, soon after his appearance, he was nowhere to be found while both House Lie and the Zergs were searching for him.

    ¡­

    The retaliation from the Egypt city never came, and Han Dun had be aughing stock of everyone around him. However, the Maersa City needed to thank Han Dun for giving the people of a city something to fight for.

    As days went by, the city started to prosper thanks to everyone¡¯s hard work as well as the help from Syracuse. Wang Tong had repaid Syracuse¡¯s assistance with spell crystals, which fetched a handsome return for the businessman.

    ¡°Haha¡­Mr. Syracuse, I want to thank you for your help on behalf of the city and its people.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ You are wee! I am here to bring you good news. I have finally found an expert on GN force crystals guns. However, I have to warn you. I have seen too many start-up projects that tried to archive the same thing but go nowhere. This could potentially be very costly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright; I am willing to give it a try.¡± Wang Tong smiled and then continued, ¡°Thank you for your continuing support. Maersa City needs you.¡±

 Chapter 565 - The Final Preparation

    <h4>Chapter 565: The Final Preparation</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Haha¡­We are on the same team now. Many people back home want me to fail, so please don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Syracuse said hopefully. Wang Tong nodded and then saw the GN weapon specialist Syracuse was talking about. The specialist was of the same age as Wang Tong, but that was not where their simrity ended, as their names also struck a resemnce: his name was Wang Tung.

    Wang Tung was wearing a stainedb coat; dark circles haunted around his eyes, and below his eyes was a full set of unruly beard. He went straight to the point as soon as he started talking to Wang Tong.

    ¡°In my humble opinion, I couldprehend the theory in my mind, but unable to describe it in any meaningful sentences. It¡¯s rather easy to understand, you see? Allow me to exin it to you. The amplification coefficient of the crystal was in linear corrtion with that of the humans¡¯ GN force. This corrtion allowed the two to establish a certain kind of synchronization, which will, in turn, construct a force matrix. This force matrix was not very hard to reproduce on an individual basis, but it was nearly impossible to¡­¡±

    ¡°To mass produce. Yea, yea, I know all of that.¡± Wang Tong cut Wang Tung short.

    ¡°You have heard of the force matrix?¡± Wang Tung asked incredulously. He had never thought that anyone other than himself would have such a firm grasp on the secret weapon of the Kaedeians.

    ¡°Yes. You must have heard of those special crystals. They work on the same principle. Loading mastery spells into the energy crystal was the same process as that of loading GN force. They also face the exact same problem: mass production.¡±

    ¡°Hold on a second. How could you load a spell?¡± Wang Tung asked attentively.

    ¡°First of all, I am a mastery caster. Secondly, I have an ability called the Soul Scan.¡±

    Wang Tung paused again while he chewed on the answer. The quietness inside the room unnerved Syracuse, who was standing outside and having a cup of coffee. He trusted the skill of Wang Tung as a weapon expert, but he was less sure about his temperament. ¡®May the Gods be good to him and refrain him from starting an argument with Wang Tong.¡¯ Syracuse still wanted him alive before he had solved the technical difficulties for him.

    Worried and curious, Syracuse cracked open the door and peeked through a slit. He needed to be very careful as Wang Tong was his most valued client right now.

    There were no arguments or fights; instead, he saw a crystal gunid on the ground, while Wang Tong was conducting a soul scan on it. Syracuse watched as Wang Tong channeled out his soul energy and pointed the finger at the forehead of Wang Tung, connecting their sea of consciousness. This way, Wang Tung was able to see exactly what Wang Tong was viewing underneath the surface of the crystal gun.

    As Wang Tong started the soul scan. Wang Tung was lost in the intricate patterns of energy inside the crystal gun, while he hadpletely forgotten about the Wang Tong¡¯s incredible control over his power.

    After a while, Wang Tung drew arge gulp of air and pulled his mind back into reality. He shot Wang Tong an admiring nce and then said, ¡°I got it!¡±

    Wang Tong grimaced. ¡°I understand what the problem is just like you did, but I have no idea how to fix it.¡±

    ¡°I have brought myb with me. I won¡¯t leave Maersa until I figure out a satisfactory solution for you!¡±

    Wang Tung¡¯s determination reminded Wang Tong of his soldiers before they walked into a battle of life and death. Wang Tong had given him a problem, and now it was his turn to find the answer.

    Without sparing any more words to his host, Wang Tung turned around and started to unpack hisb equipment. All the while, he murmured to himself as if Wang Tong was not there.

    Wang Tong backed out of the room quietly, but as soon as he went through the threshold, he was stopped by Syracuse.

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    ¡°Good! I need this man.¡±

    ¡°No way! He works for my family; he can¡¯t stay here. My father is going to kill me if he finds out.¡± Wang Tong didn¡¯t speak; instead, he stared at Syracuse with a searing re until thetter¡¯s hair stood on their ends.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t look at me like that! Fine, fine! I will let him stay here. But, be quiet about it! I am taking a huge risk in doing this.¡±

    ¡°If he seeds, your family would have the rights to the pattern. ¡°Wang Tong said inly.

    ¡°I want fifty-fifty.¡± Syracuse¡¯s face became serious as soon as he started to talk about business.

    ¡°Ten and ny!¡± Wang Tong¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but his counteroffer had startled Syracuse. This was outright ckmailing!

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Even if we were able to mass-produce the weapon, I can¡¯t survive on just ten percent! I have employees, and they all have families to feed. What about thirty and seventy?¡±

    ¡°I meant ten percent for me, and you get the ny percent.¡± Wang Tong exined.

    Syracuse was shocked again. He took out a cigar and lit it in between his lips as he took time to ponder what exactly Wang Tong was after. He knew that Wang Tong¡¯s too-good-to-be-true offer muste with a caveat.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Syracuse asked.

    ¡°I want only one thing: you need to sell it as cheap as possible so that all human forces can use them. The final battle is near¡­We need to hurry.¡±

    ¡°Stopping bluffing me! The situation on Mars is very stable. It is true that we are not able to push the Zergs back right now, but it¡¯s not as bad as you make it sound.¡± Syracuse piped up.

    ¡°Both the Earth and the Moon have fallen under the Zergs¡¯ control, leaving Mars thest bastion of human civilization. If the humans on Mars fail to turn the situation around soon, only death awaits them when the Zergs finally join the forces. Perhaps, the human resistance on Mars will not evenst that long. The dark lord hasn¡¯t even revealed one-tenth of his real military might to the humans, since he is still waiting for thepletion of his master n.¡±

    ¡°What n?¡± Syracuse asked curiously.

    ¡°Perhaps there are still people out there hoping that the struggle between Moye and Patroclus would provide a turning point for the human to strike back. I call them delusional dreamers! The Zerg that had burrowed into Patroclus¡¯s chest was the Zerg¡¯s highestmander, the Mother Supreme.

    Therefore, the conflict between Patroclus and Moye would never escte any further. Moye¡¯s n right now was to improve the abilities of his dark ones using human as a practice target. If he wanted to, he could raise an army big enough to overwhelm the entire. ¡±

    ¡°You mean, Moye is using us humans to level up his soldiers in order to prepare for his final showdown with Patroclus?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s apetition between two of the evolution branches. To the Zergs, only two things really matter¡­ evolution and the destruction of the others. The general direction of their evolution train was already set, which was to evolve closer to a human. However, somewhere along the line, the original path forked into two branches. But in the end, only one branch can be adopted by the Zergs. This war is no longer between the humans and the Zergs. It is a war among the humans, immortals, and the dark ones. So far, the humans have been the weakest of the three parties.¡±

    ¡°What makes it even worse for the humans is that some of us still haven¡¯t realized how bad their situation has gotten.¡± Syracuse puffed a cloud of smoke and then said. Wang Tong¡¯s words had rendered him at a loss. Truth to be told, humans on Mars lived a much morefortable life than their earth and moon counterparts. Over time, they came to believe that there was something special about themselves that had made them thrive during the crisis. However, their wishful thinking was far from the truth. As the weakest of the three parties, both the other two factions had treated the humans like a practice target. So much so, that Moye didn¡¯t even want to spend his best soldiers on them, as he had deemed the humans unworthy.

    ¡°I see where you areing from. I can try to talk to my old man back home. But, I doubt his old mind will ept your idea.¡± Syracuse announced.

    Although Syracuse was a businessman, he was a citizen of Mars first. At that end, he knew very well where his duty lied.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the Energy crystal gun first. If we are able to achieve mass production, we will be able to increase the number of human soldiers by a few folds.¡±

    ¡°As soon as our friend finishes his research, I can help you contact more resourceful families. I assume that you don¡¯t mind House Lie joining our venture, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Wang Tong nodded. ¡°Meanwhile, I will try to create a perfect storm for the Zergs while we wait. ¡±

    ¡°Haha, I will take you up on that.¡± Syracuseughed. He wondered what kind of storm Wang Tong was brewing this time.

 Chapter 566 - Sweet Success

    <h4>Chapter 566: Sweet Sess</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Syracuse had spent a lot of resources on helping Wang Tong with his research of the GN crystal gun. He had acquired samples of the gun and a talent who really understood the inner workings of the machine. Wang Tung was a sour and bitter scientist straight out of the Dexter¡¯s Laboratory. He was paid handsomely for his work by Syracuse, yet, he constantly put thetter down because he believed that businessmen were useless parasites.

    Although the project was a corporation between Maersa and Syracuse, Maersa¡¯s contribution was very limited. Therefore, Syracuse ended up having to provide for Wang Tung¡¯s more expensive and sophisticated needs

    ¡°Here, this is the Ph-Ah alloy. Why do you need it?¡± Syracuse stayed in the Maersa city in order to facilitate the research.

    ¡°It¡¯s tooplicated to exin it to you.¡± Wang Tung brushed his boss off and didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. Syracuse felt hurt every time he talked to him. He was only curious, but Mr. big brain had shot him back as if he was a dimwit. However, from the light that shone inside Wang Tung¡¯s eyes, he knew that he had found a breakthrough.

    When Syracuse first started the project, he had employed over a hundred scientists, and had the best equipment in the world. However, the project was a failure in the end. He found it hard to believe that just one person with an improvisedb would have achieved more than a hundred persons and a state of the art facility.

    ¡°Syracuse, I need Wang Tong. Fetch him for me.¡± Syracuse heard an imperiousmand as he was about to take a sip of his afternoon coffee. He looked up and found it to be Wang Tung; then, he looked back at his hot steamy coffee, paused for a second, and then he put the cup down.

    ¡°Right away!¡± Syracuse shouted.

    ¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Dr. Frankenstein needs to see you. Not sure what it is though.¡±

    Wang Tong arrived at the front of Wang Tung¡¯sb and then knocked on the door. The door cracked open, revealing a husk-like body, a dehydrated face, and a pair of glinting eyes. Despite being consumed by exhaustion, excitement and joy were written all over his face.

    ¡°Come in! I have a new idea. Come and see!¡±

    Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised by Wang Tung¡¯s words and his spirit. Although he had the soul scanning ability, he was not an expert. He could detect the problem, butcked the necessary knowledge to fix it. However, with Wang Tung¡¯s technical skills and the newfound understanding after viewing the soul scan diagram, he was very close to a breakthrough.

    Wang Tong hurried into the room, and Syracuse followed him out of curiosity. After hovering over the project board for over a week, Syracuse had started to fancy himself as at least half an expert in the area.

    ¡°No amateurs allowed!¡±

    Bang!

    Wong Tung shut the door on Syracuse with discernible aversion.

    ¡°Come now, Wang Tong. It had suddenly urred to me that the key to solving the problem is you! All force matrices have an energy imprint, and I think that if we can find a proper material that is able to copy these energy imprints onto other crystals, we might be able to reproduce these guns very easily.¡± Wang Tung announced with tion.

    ¡°Are you able to reproduce these imprints?¡±

    ¡°Like you had said, it is impossible in theory. However, after the crystal was touched by your soul energy, these imprints somehow surfaced. Let me put it this way¡­It is like walking along a railway track. What we are doing was to build a connection between the humans¡¯ GN force with the energy inside the crystal. The end product might not reach the full damage output as the original copy, but it should suffice for now. ¡±

    ¡°What about the special material you were talking about?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! That is thest piece of the puzzle. I have been experimenting with over three hundred materials, and I have great confidence in this new material I have created using the Ph-Ah alloy. The final test is this afternoon. The results of that experiment will either make or break our project.¡± Wang Tung said in an overly excited tone. His eyes were fixed on the gun. Should he seed, he would be forever remembered as the genius who brought new technology to the humans when it was most needed.

    However powerful the human soldiers were, they were unable to catch up with the Zergs¡¯ reproduction rate. Plus, only a certain percentage of the human poption were fit for the battlefield, and every single one of the Zergs had only one purpose ever since they were born: to kill. That would be where the crystal gun came in to save the day. Once the guns were introduced to the battlefield, anyone with the even the least amount of soul energy would be able to shoot deadly energy bolts at enemies from afar.

    Wang Tong gave Wang Tung a thumb up, and thetter was slightly ufortable by this intimate human interaction. ¡°I... I was just lucky. I had been trying such experiments for many years, but failed. I think, it worked this time because the crystal had been handled by you. Without seeing the energy diagram, I would still be poking in the darkness.¡±

    Despite Wang Tung¡¯s humility, he had worked round the clock for this project. For three days, he ate only two pieces of toasts, and didn¡¯t sleep at all, as if he was possessed by his work. He had been working on the subject for many years, and finally found thest element that he needed to piece the puzzle together.

    He was very confident in the oue of the final testing this afternoon.

    Wang Tung drew a deep breath and gathered himself. The moment of truth this afternoon would tell him if the direction of his research was right or wrong. If it were thetter case, it meant that he had to ditch years of research efforts and start all over again. He could not wait that long, and neither could the human world.

    In the afternoon, Wang Tung invited Wang Tong toe to theb and witness the historical moment.

    The timer started ticking as Wang Tung opened his eyes and turned the machine on. Robotic arms swayed around while the conveyor belt hummed. Through a clear ss panel, Wang Tong watched as a core of the GN gun started to take shape at the heart of the steel cocoon. A tiny robotic arm carrying a needle sized carving tool closed in and started to work the roughly shaped core into the exact copy of the original crystal.

    Ting!

    The machine peeped. Wang Tung took out the copy and studied it in his hand for a while before he ced it in a slot on the Gun.

    ¡°Activate.¡±

    Suddenly, sparks shot out of the gun as it started to glow. However, the light didn¡¯tst long as it dimmed down in just a few seconds. Wang Tung removed the crystal from the slot, his face streaked with tears.

    Wang Tong was not sure if those were the tears of joy or sadness.

    When Wang Tung first started this research topic, he had over a hundred colleges with all areas of expertise. However, over time, more and more of hispanions died at the hands of the Zergs, and the team was eventually dismissed. He was able to pick up where his team had left off after he was hired by Syracuse¡¯s family. Whatever he had achieved today, he didn¡¯t do it alone.

    These elites of the human society were highly sought after talents during the time of peace. However, as soon as the war broke out, their talent became useless. People were struggling to get by, and no one was willing to put in a huge amount of resources in researches that did not guarantee results. Even groups as powerful as Syracuse¡¯s family onlymitted a very small amount of resources to pick up the research haphazardly.

    However, even if he were working all by himself, Wang Tung never gave up. What he was holding was not just a crystal core, it was his entire life.

    The future of the human race was packed nicely inside that crystal core held by Wang Tung¡¯s trembling hand.

    Wang Tung gritted his teeth; he knew that his task had not finished yet. Although he had crossed the most difficult hurdle, there were still much left to do done. Thinking that, he started to assemble the gun; by now, he could practically do it in his sleep since he had done it thousands of times.

    When Wang Tung was done assembling the other parts, he dropped the safety and was ready to fire. It was the final test.

    ¡°May I have the honor?¡± Wang Tong asked. He was concerned for the mad scientist¡¯s safety, since most new inventions were extremely unstable.

    Wang Tung shook his head and politely refused the offer. ¡°This is my test. If anything happens to me, you can find all of my papers in that safety.¡± Wang Tung said as he pointed at an iron box in a corner.

    Wang Tung rounded his eyes as he focused on his soul energy. He had only a level three soul energy, weaker than even a sixteen-year-old boy. However, what he was about to achieve could change the course of human history.

    Kom!

    The st startled Syracuse who was standing outside theb. Fearing that the experiment had gone haywire, he stormed into theb. The first thing he noticed was therge hole on the concrete wall. Wang Tong and Wang Tung stood at the other side of the room seeming like time had slowed down for them. However, both of their faces had betrayed theirplicated feelings inside.

    Wang Tung slowly handed the gun to Syracuse, the very first mass-production-ready crystal gun in the world. He said slowly, ¡°Remember, it belongs to the human world.¡± As soon as he finished his words, he fainted out of exhaustion.

    Wang Tong held onto the scientist and channeled his soul energy into his body to help him recuperate.

    ¡°We...did it?¡± Syracuse asked under his breath. When the reality finally set in, he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. This was supposed to be his side project, and he never had high hopes for it. But there and then, a world-changing invention was right in his arms.

 Chapter 567 - Old Friends

    <h4>Chapter 567: Old Friends</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Syracuse, the rest is all up to you.¡± Wang Tong didn¡¯t ask a lot from Syracuse, but he knew that he could trust him. However, if thetter betrayed him, he would kill the two-faced SOB in a heartbeat.

    Syracuse was well aware of his situation, and he was smarter than to think of double-crossing Wang Tong. Although he was a businessman, his aspiration was not only to make money. He was a firm believer that making money and helping the human world were not mutually exclusive.

    After all, what would be the point of having a huge pile of wealth without the life to enjoy it?

    Syracuse went straight to his office and called for a conference call meeting.

    ¡°Syracuse, what the heck are you doing in Maersa! Did you finish the task I told you to?¡±

    ¡°Father, I have urgent news for you,¡± Syracuse said earnestly.

    Syracuse¡¯s father had never seen his son act so seriously before, so he asked, ¡°What is it? I know you have made some progresstely, but don¡¯t take the family¡¯s trust for granted. ¡±

    ¡°We have ovee the technical difficulties in mass producing the crystal gun,¡± Syracuse said slowly.

    ¡°What!¡± The old man eximed incredulously. He had dreamed of such a day; this breakthrough would make his family the biggest weapon provider of the world.

    ¡°Haha! Good! Excellent!¡± The significance of this development was beyond description. The old man simply found himself at ack of words to praise his son¡¯s achievement.

    ¡°It came with a caveat though.¡±

    ¡°Caveat?¡± the old man frowned.

    ¡°The inventor had requested us to provide assistance in spreading the technology,¡± Syracuse exined.

    The old man knew right away that ¡°assistance¡± meant making the pattern a public asset, essentially giving up arge share of the profit to other manufacturers.

    ¡°We can¡¯t make the call between the two of us. We need to call the board.¡±

    ¡°Yes, father. However, the inventor was very adamant in his request. Right now, we still don¡¯t have ess to it. The pattern is still in the hands of Wang Tong.¡±

    Hearing Wang Tong¡¯s name, the old man nodded in resignation.?The breakthrough in the crystal gun was highly ssified information, and only the core leaders of the Maersa city knew about it. They had to keep it to themselves before the guns finally hit the production line. The dark ones were as smart and cunning as humans, and their spies were everywhere.

    The development had inspired enthusiasm among the core leaders.?Once the gun was mass produced, every citizen inside the city could be part of the defense force. This would allow the METAL warriors to charge out of the city and meet the opponent in the open field without worrying about defense. The introduction of these weapons into the battlefield would case a paradigm shift andpletely change how the battles were fought.

    ¡­

    By now, Aamir and Marcos had be Wang Tong¡¯s most trusted advisers, and were in charge of managing the city. Wang Tong, on the other hand, had focusedpletely on training the elite soldiers. He had grouped the soldiers into different units, and let them perform military drills against each other.

    Although he was the city lord, Wang Tong had spent little time on affairs concerning the city. He didn¡¯t take over the Maersa City because he wanted to control the Maersa district; he did it to prepare for something much greater: his coup de grace.

    The soldiers¡¯ spirit rose as they felt their strength increase by the day. Wang Tong had handpicked five hundred soldiers as the elite unit. It consisted of a hundred or so Mastery casters, and four hundred METAL warriors. The main duty of the elite group was to inspire the other soldiers around them.

    Mass production of the energy gun was never part of Wang Tong¡¯s n. However, the gods were kind this time and bestowed the gift to the humans. However, despite the positive effect it would make on the battlefield, Wang Tong knew that he could not rely on it to change the fate of humanity.

    ¡°Tianzong, how was the drafting of the reserve parties.¡±

    ¡°Slow. We have lots of applications, but not a lot of them can make the cut.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s try the best we can. This is going to be a hell of a fight. We can¡¯t force others to risk their lives either.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Yin Tianzong was the only person in whom Wang Tong had confided his real n. Although it was a very risky move, it would be extremely effective in inspiring the human soldiers while delivering a huge blow to the Zergs. However, if Wang Tong¡¯s n failed, many lives would be lost, and that had greatly unnerved Yin Tianzong.

    If the human world consisted of only Mars, Yin Tianzong might have strongly advised Wang Tong to take his time. However, it was not only the humans on the Mars that was threatened by the Zergs, but also the ones on the moon and Earth. The situation on there had deteriorated so much that Wang Tong simply could not afford to take thing slowly.

    ¡°What about the Divine Mastery Sect?¡± Yin Tianzong asked. He was not too worried for the warriors¡¯ life, since he had expected them to be ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Plus, they were well prepared in preserving the soldiers¡¯ lives, and a key element in that nning was the return of Xiao Yuyu and her field medics.

    No one other than Wang Tong could persuade Michaux to let go of his best medics.

    ¡°I will have to pay Michaux a visit sooner orter.¡± Wang Tong said as he cracked a smile.?He would carry out his n with or without Michaux¡¯s help, but at least he should try to enlist him.

    ¡­

    As the headquarter of the Sect, the city of the Divine Mastery was considered to be the safest city on Mars. At the city center, a giant tower was erected with an insurmountable height. It stood tall and straight, reaching high above the clouds. For centuries, this was the spine that supported all Martians¡¯ spirit and resolution.

    The city of the Divine Mastery and a few other cities around it were under the Sect¡¯s total control. The strong presence of the Sect didn¡¯t allow any room for the Zergs. Therefore, this area prospered in absolute safety, forming a stark contrast with the war-torn and poverty-stricken scenes that were somon in other parts of the. Michaux was not a god, so he could not fix the problem that did not have a solution. All he could do was increase his zone of influence slowly.

    After days of traveling, Wang Tong had finally arrived at the legendary city where Li Feng and the Divine Master had first met. Unlike Li Feng, who traveled as a renowned warrior, Wang Tong arrived in the city as a nobody.

    ¡°Excuse me, where can I find the young master of the sect?¡± Wang Tong asked a vendor who was selling hot breakfast.

    ¡°Hehe, are you a refugee from other districts? It¡¯s easy. Follow the road till you reach the tower.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Do you want to join the sect? Don¡¯t keep your hopes too high.¡± Thepetition to be one of the sect members was fierce after all.

    Wang Tong nodded and then walked straight toward the direction he was given. It had been five years since hest met Michaux, and he was interested to know how much more he had learned about the Divine Path.

    ¡°Hold on a second; I will give you breakfast for free.¡± The vendor liked Wang Tong, and decided to offer him some food. Thetter didn¡¯t refuse, so he sat down and started eating.

    ¡°You are a pig!¡± A girl chided. ¡°How many days have you not eaten anything for?¡±

    Wang Tong shot the girl a nce and buried his face into the bowl again.

    ¡°Are you looking for the young master?¡± The girl asked curiously.

    ¡°Two more bowls please.¡± Wang Tong announced, continuing to ignore the girl.

    ¡°Hey, I am talking to you! How rude!¡± The girl protested.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to meet me while wearing a mask. ¡± Wang Tong said nkly. He didn¡¯t know who this person was, and neither did he care.

    The girl was taken aback by Wang Tong¡¯s reply. ¡°So, you can tell?¡±

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t answer. He stood up, paid the vendor, and walked away.

    ¡°Hey, hey! Wait for me!¡± The girl hurried to stop Wang Tong.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Wang Tong asked impatiently.

    ¡°What kind of a gentleman are you? Who ignores ady like that?¡±

    Wang Tong rolled his eyes as he turned around and started off toward the tower.

 Chapter 568 - Fraternity For Princes

    <h4>Chapter 568: Fraternity For Princes</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t make it too far before he was stopped by the girl again.

    ¡°Dear sir, I would like to warn you that if you think that you can just walk into that tower and see the young master, you might as well pack up and leave the city right now. ¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then do you know how I can meet him?¡±

    ¡°Bah! And here I had started to think that you are dumb! Well, I could have helped you if you hadn¡¯t treated me so horribly.¡± The girl pouted and waited for Wang Tong to apologize to him.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wang Tong said inly and then was on his way again. The girl furrowed her brows and trailed behind him quietly.

    The tower was the biggest structure in the city, visible from miles away; so, Wang Tong didn¡¯t have any trouble finding it. When he reached the reception desk, he told the worker his reason of visit. The receptionist¡¯s smile froze for a second, and then she said: ¡°The young master is busy with many tasks. Would you like to leave him a message?¡±

    The girl behind Wang Tong covered her mouth, trying to suppress augh. If just anyone could be able to walk to the tower and be granted an audience with the young master, Michaux might as well work at the receptionist desk himself.

    ¡°Can I talk to the chief medic Xiao Yuyu?¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry sir. Medic Xiao is very busy right now. You can just ask me if you have any questions.¡± The receptionist¡¯s smile faded; her patience was waning. A line up had already formed behind Wang Tong.

    ¡°Hey, dude! Are you a paparazzi? Go stand outside if you are. We are here for urgent matters.¡±

    ¡°No kidding! If you are looking to join the sect, you can fill out the application to your right.¡± The crowed sizzled with dissatisfaction.

    Wang Tong wanted to tell them who he really was, but fearing the situation might get out of control, he left the people and the receptionist in peace.

    As soon as Wang Tong walked out of the threshold, he saw a smirk on the girl¡¯s face.

    ¡°I told you so!¡±

    ¡°Can you help me?¡±

    ¡°Excuse you? Do I know you?¡± The girl pouted and crinkled her nose.

    ¡°Now you do.¡± Wang Tong answered whimsically.

    ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s y a game. You guess who I am, and I will guess who you are. If you win the game, I will have a present for you.¡±

    ¡°How the hell will I know who you are?¡± Wang Tong shrugged.

    ¡°Are you thick in the head? This is a game. Urgh! You are so boring!¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine. Now, tell me who I am.¡± Wang Tong gave in.

    The girl studied Wang Tong for a while and asked wilily, ¡°You going to y with me if I guessed it right, eh?¡±

    Wang Tong shook his head. ¡°I am busy. Choose something else.¡±

    ¡°Whatever! They told me that Wang Tong was a gant and mighty hero. I would like to see his power for myself.¡± The girl said with a bright smile on her face.

    ¡°So, you are prepared. Let me guess. First of all, the reason that you need to put the mor on is that you are a public figure in the city. Secondly, the fact that you could cast this mor spell means that you have powerful soul energy. I bet you are one of those hotshot Sect medics who live in the ivory tower.¡± Wang Tong said.

    ¡°Go on.¡± The girl tried to remain calm, but her face had betrayed her thumping heart.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and decided to end this game by telling her who he thought she was. But suddenly, he heard a crowd charging toward them. Wang Tong pulled the girl out of the cohort¡¯s way as they stormed into the reception room, cramming the small space.

    Some guests who were irritated by the boorish group started toin and railed against them, but their protest was quickly quelled by fists and kicks thrown at them.

    ¡°Who else wants toin?¡± The young man spoke in an arrogant manner as he scanned the crowed intimidatingly. The face of the girl beside Wang Tong paled as soon as she saw the speaking young man.

    The receptionist stered a weing smile and walked to the young man. ¡°Mr. Zhang, wee! What can I do for you?¡± As soon as people heard his name, they knew why the young man acted so conspicuously arrogant.

    His name is Zhang Guanming, and he was the nephew of thete Divine Master and the lord of the Divine Will City, also the youngest city lord on Mars. Due to his special background, even Michaux let him have his way without bridling his actions. He was also a member of the Prince-ling fraternity, whose infamous members included Lie Jian and Han Dun.

    Therefore, he was well connected with such great power on Mars.

    ¡°I have heard that Xiao Yuyu has been back for days! Have you delivered my words to her?¡± Zhang Guanming questioned loudly.

    ¡°What happened to Michaux? Why did he allow such a douchebag in his city?¡± Wang Tong murmured to himself.

    ¡°Quiet! Are you tired of living?¡± A Samaritan nudged Wang Tong¡¯s elbow and urged him to be quiet. However, the exchange didn¡¯t escape Zhang Guangming. He had been sour and bitter ever since Michaux was crowned the next Divine Master. With his fragile ego shattered, Zhang Guangming demanded everyone¡¯s respect, and had be extremely sensitive to impudentments toward him.

    ¡°Who said that?¡± Zhang Guangming looked to the corner where Wang Tong was standing, his face contorted by anger.?Suddenly, everyone around thetter backed away, leaving him at the forefront of Zhang Guangming¡¯s searing re.

    ¡°It was me. What the heck happened to you, dude? Your uncle was the Divine Master for god¡¯s sake. Pull yourself together.¡± Wang Tong shook his head and said.

    Zhang Guangming was taken aback at first, but then he burst outughing. ¡°Very well! You are the first person who dares to talk to me like this. ¡±

    Without him issuing amand, his bodyguards surrounded Wang Tong. Everyone scurried out of the room, and even the security guard stood far away, watching the fight unfold.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    As Zhang Guangming¡¯s entourage was about to rain fists onto Wang Tong, Xiao Yuyu appeared in the room and called out to them.

    The security guards bowed to her and murmured embarrassingly: ¡°Chief Medic, we...¡±

    Xiao Yuyu waved in dismissal. They didn¡¯t need to exin as she was well aware how much of a headache Mr. Zhang could be. He was not even a member of the sect for god¡¯s sake, but he demanded to be treated as if he was the reincarnation of his selfless uncle.

    ¡°Yuyu, you are back!¡± Zhang Guangming¡¯s face beamed from side to side. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cause any trouble. I just really wanted to see you.¡±

    ¡°I told you many times, I have nothing to do with you! Go back to the Divine Will! This is not your ce to throw a tantrum.¡± Xiao Yuyu scanned the crowd, and her eyesnded on Wang Tong, causing her to blush.

    Zhang Guangming was quick to pick up the nuance in Xiao Yuyu¡¯s expression. It finally urred to him that this insolent teenage boy was here to steal the love of his life.

    ¡°Hey, you. What is your name? How dare you disgrace the sect so brazenly?¡± Zhang Guanming asked, trying to provoke his opponent.

    ¡°Zhang Guangming!¡± Xiao Yuyu shouted in a harsh voice.

    ¡°What? Are you feeling sorry for him?¡± Zhang Guanming didn¡¯t waver.?The audiences heard the exchange of the two, and they realized that even a chief medic¡¯s word could slide off Mr. Zhang¡¯s mind as easily as rainwater off a leaf de.

    Zhang Guanming studied Wang Tong¡¯s face as a cat would to his prey. Wang Tong would just be another fool he could use to demonstrate his control over the sect. Michaux was only a puppet, and he was the real master who pulled the strings.

    ¡°You? Too weak.¡± Wang Tong flipped Mr. Zhang off.

    ¡°I am too weak? Haha! Who else is stronger than me? Who can stop me?¡± Zhang Guanming shouted.

    ¡°STOP!¡± At that moment, a booming voice could be heard in the room.

    ¡°Stop my a*s! KILL!¡± Mr. Zhang shouted.

    Pa!

    Zhang Guanming received a forceful p on the face, which threw him off bnce. The only person who dared to p him was Michaux.

    ¡°Michaux! How dare you! Without my uncle, you would still be someone eating dirt in the street! You ungracious b*stard!¡± Zhang Guanming shouted as he hadpletely fallen into delirium. Michaux remained calm, but everyone else could no longer hold their anger.

 Chapter 569 - The First Generation Divine Master

    <h4>Chapter 569: The First Generation Divine Master</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Zhang Guangming, you are the one who is ungracious. Young master is trying to save your life. Once you start a fight with him, no one will be able to help you.¡± Xiao Yuyu said coldly.

    ¡°Save me? I think he is trying to save this prick! Who the hell is he anyway? Your other boyfriend?¡± Zhang Guanming scorned.

    Michaux didn¡¯t even spare Zhang Guanming another look as he held the gaze of Wang Tong. Their fight that took ce five years ago seemed to have happened just yesterday.

    Everyone felt the connection between Wang Tong and their young master; it was a connection between two old friends.

    ¡°Wee, Wang Tong.¡± Michaux finally said after a few moments of silence. Even though Michaux was not able to tell how powerful Wang Tong had gotten in the five years, he knew that thetter didn¡¯t stop training.

    ¡°Brother Michaux, long time no see!¡± Wang Tong smiled sincerely. Michaux was one of the very few people whom he still considered his equal.

    ¡°You are... Wang Tong?¡± Zhang Guangming stuttered.

    ¡°I will spare your life for the sake of my old friend Michaux. Leave now, before I change my mind.¡± Wang Tong shot Zhang Guanming a searing nce, and thetter felt a blow on his sea of conscious.

    ¡°Michaux, you will pay for this!¡± Zhang Guanming grunted and then left the room with his gang. As soon as he turned on his heels, the crowd in the reception room cheered.

    ¡°I apologize for that,¡± Michaux said.

    ¡°No worries. This is a big city, with all kinds of people. But, it seems like you are still a pushover¡­ Haha.¡± Wang Tongughed.

    ¡°Susu, why are you bothering him?¡± Michaux shot an expository nce at the girl Wang Tong had met.

    Susu stuck her tongue out and made a face. ¡°I was just weing him. Right, Wang Tong?¡±

    Wang Tong paused for a second, and then nodded.

    Xiao Yuyu looked at Wang Tong wistfully. When she had first left Battle Wolf, she had thought that she would be soon be upied with her task at the Sect and gradually forget about the idea of going back to Wang Tong. However, it had been easier said than done. As soon as she saw Wang Tong¡¯s face, memories that she had tried hard to bury deep flooded back into her mind.

    After some time, the crowd in the reception room dissipated.

    ¡°Sister Yuyu, stop ogling at him.¡± Susu jested.

    ¡°Yes, I will go with him.¡± Susu murmured unconsciously.

    Susu burst outughing. ¡°Go with him? Haha! Go with your boyfriend! Haha!¡±

    ¡°Excuse you!¡± Realizing that she had misspoken, Xiao Yuyu blushed.

    ¡°Hehe... I think that Wang Tong is on a mission today. But, what does he want? Or...should I say, who does he want?¡± Susu asked rhetorically.?Xiao Yuyu knew that it was Susu¡¯s way of begging forpliments. ¡°My little Sister Susu is the prettiest girl in the world.¡± She quickly improvised one.

    ¡°I know that already. Everyone knows that.¡± Susu was not impressed yet.

    ¡°And, she is also the friendliest and most helpful investigator. I am sure she will find no trouble in figuring out why Wang Tong is here.¡± Xiao Yuyu said, her voice almost pleading. She really wanted to know the purpose of Wang Tong¡¯s visit. Somehow, she had a feeling that Wang Tong was here to recruit her again. Was that a woman¡¯s instinct or a wishful thinking? She needed to find out.

    ¡°Fine, fine! Such a small task is a piece of cake for me. However, did you know that I have recently been collecting the Wawa series doll?¡±

    ¡°I will give you all my dolls.¡±

    ¡°We have a deal then!¡± Susu turned around toward her brother¡¯s office to eavesdrop his conversation with Wang Tong.

    ¡­

    ¡°I had never thought that we would meet in this way. Anyhow, I am so happy to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Bother Michaux, I have something that I meant to tell you. It might not sound nice to you, but I think I have to say it.¡± Wang Tong took a sip of tea and then said earnestly.

    Michaux paused for a second and then said, ¡°Do tell.¡±

    ¡°You should be responsible for the current situation on Mars.¡± Wang Tong said slowly.

    Wang Tong¡¯s words riled up Susu, who was eavesdropping outside of Michaux¡¯s office. She clenched her fist and tried hard to hold back the urge of storming inside and punching Xiao Yuyu¡¯s pretty boyfriend in the face. Did Wang Tong know how much her brother had done for the people on Mars? Susu quickly categorized Wang Tong as one of those ¡°bad people¡±, perhaps even worse than Zhang Guangming. Why did Xiao Yuyu fall for him?

    ¡°I would like to know why,¡± Michaux asked without any resentment in his voice.

    ¡°You failed to unleash the full potential of the Divine Master Sect. It is such a pity.¡± Wang Tong spoke frankly. He was not here to fawn over the young master; he was here to deliver a warning.

    ¡°How so?¡± Michaux asked calmly. Outside of the door, Susu¡¯s face was reddened by anger.

    ¡°The sect is a symbol of hope to the Martians. To live up to the expectation, you should strike the Zergs with abandon, as thete Divine Master did. You need to let the humans on Mars know that other than fighting back, they have no other choice.¡± Wang Tong exined slowly and calmly.

    ¡°The members of the sect are stationed everywhere on Mars, risking their lives for the people on Mars. Is that not enough?¡± Michaux asked.

    ¡°No. You can¡¯t think only in terms of Mars. The Zergs are also on the Moon and the Earth. When the fire of resistance finally gets put out on those twos, the Zergs will gather their forces. Do you think Mars will stand a chance by then?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°The moon was already under the total control of Patroclus, and he is not too far from iming Earth. The humans¡¯st hope is here on Mars. We need to turn the situation around as soon as possible, so that we can rescue our friends and families on Earth and moon one day. I know that you and other factions are nning to fight a prolonged war with the Zergs, but do you really think that that is a smart idea? Even if Mars could be able to survive while on itsst leg, do you think the people on Earth and moon would? We are running out of time.¡± Wang Tong urged assertively, but not in a condescending way.

    From the Earthlings¡¯ perspective, the reason for the rtive peace on Mars was simply because they had kept Patroclus distracted. If the Martians failed to act quickly and do away with the dark lord before he joined forces with Patroclus, all that was left of humanity would be doomed.

    Humans should never underestimate the brutality and savagery of their enemy, particrly when the enemy was Patroclus.

    So far, the human forces had always been under Moye¡¯s mercy. Should the dark lord one day decide to change his mind, the reprieve of the Martians would be gone in a snap of a finger.

    Michaux had got the drift of Wang Tong¡¯s words; he knew that thetter was right.

    ¡°Brother Wang Tong. how dare you open your trap before even realizing what is really going on?¡± Lie Jian¡¯s voice boomed from outside of the room.

    Wang Tong was not surprised by Lie Jian¡¯s appearance. He didn¡¯t travel under disguise, and therefore, he knew he had been followed.

    ¡°Come to sit down. Don¡¯t be so boorish! Wang Tong is right. The situation is not optimistic at all.¡± Michaux called out to Lie Jian.

    Lie Jian chose a seat across from Wang Tong and sat down. In the five years, his ability grew by leaps and bounds, and so did his confidence and ego. Lie Jian had matured a lot, and the adolescent expression that had been his characteristic feature had disappeared over time.

    ¡°Wang Tong, let¡¯s focus on the present and talk about our reality here. Both Michaux and I want to know how you will be able to turn the tables around on Mars?¡±

    Lie Jian get right down to the point. Truth be told, although he preferred the slow but steady approach he had been taking, he was not oblivious of the dangers that Wang Tong had brought up. If he could have done something to improve the situation, he would have already. But, there should be a limit. He couldn¡¯t blindly send his brothers and sisters to their death.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then revealed his n. When he was done, both listeners were shocked.

    Susu tired hard to discern the words in Wang Tong¡¯s mouth; however, she could not hear a thing. It was as if he had put a muzzle over his mouth.

    After a while, Lie Jian smiled candidly. ¡°Haha! You are truly a fearless SOB! If you can pull it off, I will lead the entire Martian army to join you.¡±

    Wang Tong nodded; his goal had been achieved. He was not the suprememander of the Martians, and therefore, only in alliance could he be able to leverage the Martians¡¯ power.

    Lie Jian left the room as soon as they had reached an agreement on their next move. He was neither Wang Tong¡¯s enemy nor friend, and therefore, he simply didn¡¯t care what other business Wang Tong had with Michaux.

    ¡°Brother Wang Tong, the first Divine Master Andres had left a gift for you. I think it is about time to give it to you.¡± Michaux said as soon as Lie Jian was gone.

    ¡°The first Divine Master?¡±

 Chapter 570 - Divine Miracle

    <h4>Chapter 570: Divine Miracle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Indeed! He was venerated as much as the de Warrior. He was the first spiritual leader of Martians.¡± Michaux¡¯s eyes were lit up with respect and longing.

    ¡°He... left a gift for me?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Not for you, but for the heir of the de Warrior. This item had been staying with the sect for a few centuries. It was here ever since Andres left for the Divine Path.¡±

    Wang Tong felt honored to receive such a legendary hero¡¯s heirloom. With a great measure of respect and reverence, Wang Tong followed Michaux to the inner chambers of the tower.

    Opening the door, the two ran into Susu, who was too slow to pull her ear back. Being caught eavesdropping red-handed somehow lent Susu a sense of indignation. She red at the two warriors grudgingly andined, ¡°Why are two so quiet? What was going on in there?¡±

    ¡°You are rude to our guest, Susu.¡±

    ¡°What kind of guest will return our hospitality with hurtfulments?¡±

    Wang Tong ruffled the young girl¡¯s hair and said with a warm smile: ¡°Alright now, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Wang Tong and Michaux left the room side by side like two close friends. Susu stood behind and stared at Wang Tong¡¯s back with as much resentment as a child could muster. How dare he patronize the sister of the young master?

    ¡°I take it that Lie Jian wasing to kill me?¡± Wang Tong asked calmly. The thought of fighting against Lie Jian didn¡¯t frighten him.

    ¡°His ambition needed to be kept in check.¡± Michaux avoided the question.

    ¡°He is still the same. Ha!¡± Wang Tong chuckled, seeming pretty cool with the prospect of being murdered.

    Lie Jian had been nning Wang Tong¡¯s death ever since the heir of de Warrior revealed himself. By now, he ought to have a million different ways to execute Wang Tong. The fact that he still didn¡¯t act on his n meant that something had deterred him from doing so. Wang Tong wagered that it has something to do with the energy?crystal gun.

    Lie Jian might have had a chance to do away with Wang Tong before thetter had selflessly made the pattern of the gun a public property. This decision had swayed Michaux to favor Wang Tong; Lie Jian knew that if he tried to murder Wang Tong, the young master would intervene.

    After talking with Wang Tong, the thought of killing him hadpletely evaporated from Lie Jian¡¯s mind. Truth be told, Michaux was deeply touched by Wang Tong¡¯spassion and a great sense of responsibility. As it was said, great power came with great responsibilities. Although he was from Earth, he had done more for the people of Mars than the Martian leaders.

    The alliance with House Lie aside, Michaux admired Wang Tong tremendously. However, Michaux could not simply throw their agreement with House Lie out of the window because another hotshot was now in town. Michaux had helped Wang Tong as much as he could without crossing the line.

    After all, the three of them: Wang Tong, Michaux, and Lie Jian, was thest hope in saving humanity.

    After a long walk, Wang Tong and Michaux had finally arrived at the entrance to the innermost section of the tower. Wang Tong could feel a strong presence of power behind the heavy oaken gates.

    ¡°Go ahead. I will wait for you here.¡± The gift was meant for Wang Tong and Wang Tong alone. As a follower of the Divine Way, Michaux had extraordinary self-restraint, particrly over his curiosity. ¡°See no evil, hear no evil, and say no evil.¡± Such was the way of a cultivator who devoted his life to the Divine path.

    Withdrawing from the worldly stimtion also came at a cost: it had rendered Michaux a pacifist who was no longer suited as a leader during war. Michaux knew of his shorings, and therefore, he didn¡¯t protest Wang Tong¡¯s allegations of ipetence.

    When Wang Tong walked into the inner tower, he found himself surrounded by a web of soul energy that had blended in perfectly with the intricate structure of the building. This soul energy was the result of centuries of faithful prayers and concentrated thoughts of the sect members.

    All the while, Wang Tong wondered what the greatest Divine Master had left for him at his deathbed. Wang Tong charged up his soul energy and dashed deeper into thebyrinth.

    ¡­

    ¡°How did it go, Susu?¡± Xiao Yuyu hurried to ask what the gossip princess had learned.

    ¡°Wang Tong is a jerk! He used of my brother a terrible leader. Hmph! What would Mars be like without my brother?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t mention me?¡± Yuyu asked. The disappointment was written all over her face.

    ¡°I am not too sure. When he exined the reason he was here, I couldn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Susuined. Wang Tong was a bad person through and through; she should have known better!

    ¡°Oh...is that right?¡± Xiao Yuyu¡¯s face rxed a bit after hearing Susu¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Where are they now?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea where Lie Jian is, but Brother had taken Wang Tong to the tower. Apparently, the first Divine Master had left something for Wang Tong. Ah-ha! Why don¡¯t we go join them? I want to see what kind of ancient relic that is. Gosh! If it were from Master Andres himself, it would be over a few hundred years old by now.¡±

    ¡­

    Looking from the outside, the inner tower was of very crude construction. However, only a few of the sect members had been in there, since only the Divine Master of each generation had ess to the tower.

    Inside the tower, the walls were in and the roof was open. The sea of stars made Wang Tong feel closer to heaven than he had ever been.

    The first generation Divine Master, Andres, was one of the greatest heroes of his time. The three masters: Li Feng, Rngalos, and Andres, had led the confederation force into one after another victory when the Zergs¡¯ power was at its peak. While standing inside the tower and thinking of the brave acts of the three heroes, one would easily imagine the triumphant era when fearless human warriors marched against a sea of Zergs. The tower was the symbol of the three masters¡¯ unyielding will.

    The tower stood the way it had been for centuries even after the three masters were all gone. As the Zergs grew stronger each day, what should the humans do? Who should they turn to this time?

    Questions flooded into Wang Tong¡¯s mind, and he hoped that he could find an answer here. Regardless of what awaited him in the future, he was determined to continue his course until the end.

    Wang Tong slowly ced his hand on a scintiting space crystal at the center of the room.

    KOM!

    Dang! Dang! Dang!

    The ancient tower started to glow until it turned into a beacon that lit up the sky. A bell deep within the tower chimed as if it were announcing the will of the god.

    Dang! Dang! Dang!

    The followers of the Divine Mastery sect heard the bell: the god had spoken. They hurried to the base of the tower and started praying. Their god, Andres, had not forgotten about his followers, and hade to them when they needed his guidance.

    Michaux threw his head back as he tried to control the excitement and trepidation in him. The heir of the de Warrior was here. ¡®Reverent Divine Master, your followers shall follow your footsteps and charge into the rain of fire to save humanity from destruction!¡¯

    Susu and Xiao Yuyu tried to sneak pass Michaux and enter the tower; however, they were caught by the young master immediately. As Susu was ready to plead to her brother to let her into the building, the miracle showed up.

    The followers of the Divine Mastery Sect believed that once a person had cultivated enough soul energy, he or she would be able to ascend into godhood. Andres, for example, existed in every martian¡¯s heart as a god.

    Lie Jian looked to the gleaming tower and wondered if this unusual phenomenon meant anything.

    If Lie Jian didn¡¯t need Wang Tong to get rid of the Zergs, he would have already killed him many times over.

    Everyone thought Wang Tong was the hero who saved the Mars, but they were all wrong from the beginning. There was never a hero, but only winners; and he, Lie Jian, was born to be the winner.

    ¡°My lord, should we think about it?¡±

    ¡°Think my a*s!¡±

    ¡°My lord, the god had spoken in the Divine Mastery city. Are you sure we have to do this?¡±

    ¡°Of course! It is a good omen! The god knew that I am destined to be the overlord of Mars, and what happened is a proof. The god was trying to send me a message! The sect should have belonged to me, even my father told me so.¡±

    ¡°Yes... my lord.¡±

    ¡°Tell the soldiers to get ready for a big fight. When I finally im the throne, I will give each one of my boys a medic.¡±

    Zhang Guangming let out an ugly grin. Those field medics shouldn¡¯t waste their time on the battlefield; instead, they should be healing the warriors in their beds.

    Inside the light, Wang Tong couldn¡¯t feel his body at all. After some time, he saw a haughty figure appear in front of him.

    It was Mr. Wannabe!

    The old ghost held a serious expression and his eyes locked with Wang Tong¡¯s. Wang Tong backed away as the former closed in. Wang Tong finally understood what the gift was; it was Mr. Wannabe¡¯s memory.

    Wang Tong would never know what kind of agreement Li Feng made with Andres, but he knew that it had something to do with Einherjar Wannabe.

    Wang Tong had always believed that Mr. Wannabe was one of the legendary warriors of the time, whose power should be on par with Li Feng. And this development had proven him right.

    But, who exactly was Mr. Wannabe?

    Mr. Wannabe reached out and touched the crystal; shes of images, each a capsule of emotions and feelings, swarmed into his head.

    The girl¡¯s face that had been only a vague image in Mr. Wannabe¡¯s mind started to be clearer. She had all the traits of a cute and lovely human girl, but she was not a human at all. Nheless, Mr. Wannabe finally remembered that she was the love of his life.

 Chapter 571 - Old Memories And New Life

    <h4>Chapter 571: Old Memories And New Life</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Her name was Xiao Zhen, and she was the only person that the Pirate King Zachery could not forget.

    Pirate King Zachery had been one of the most notorious ouws in human history. His actions were even worse than Patroclus¡¯ betrayal of the human race. He was the one that opened up the space gate which ushered in the Kaedeians fleet and their pursuers, the deadly Zergs.

    He was one of the most formidable viins the world had ever seen. His power was on par with the rest of the trio of legendary warriors: de warrior Li Feng, the son of the god Rngalos, and the Divine Master Andres.

    As the shes of images kept on pouring in, they started to form coherent memories, like rain droplets forming a trickle of water. If not for the de Warrior, the Pirate King might have already imed the world. Even Rngalos could not ovee him. Not only did he possess an extraordinary power, but he was also cunning and calcted, making him deadlier than any opponent Rngalos had ever encountered.

    However, his glory days were short-lived, because he met his bane, the de Warrior. His defeat at the hands of the de Warrior was not because he was weak, but because the shackles that God had ced on the humans, so that they would never be as powerful as they were.

    During the Mech championship, Zachery had met his doom. However, his body was preserved by a cyborg girl who was madly in love with him. In order to make up for the world on which her loved one had inflicted so much harm, she sacrificed herself and revealed Zachery¡¯s final secret to Li Feng.

    When the shes of images retold what had happened to Xiao Zhen in the end, Zachery felt his heart shatter into pieces. However powerful he had been, he felt helpless knowing that the only reason for him to continue living had perished.

    At the onset of the Zerg invasion, the humans were ill-prepared. The confederation desperately needed another powerful warrior in addition to general Li Feng. At that time, there were only four warriors who could measure up to the Zerg army. They were Li Feng, Rngalos, Andres, and Zachery¡¯s clone. Zachery¡¯s clone was created by Andres by reviving the soul essence of the dead viin. Although he was brought back to life, his memories remained six feet under the earth. The only recollection he had about his past was a vague image of a girl¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t even remember that girl¡¯s name.

    Over centuries of service for the mankind, Zachery finally redeemed himself of his sins. It was time to give back what was his.

    What did all the newfound memories mean to the old ghost? Would he live as a new man or would be embarking on his old unsavory path? The choice was Zachery¡¯s. The de warrior was a thing of the past, and therefore, no one could stop him any longer.

    When thest bit of Zachery had entered Mr. Wannabe¡¯s mind, the two¡¯s thoughts started to merge into one.

    KOM!

    Zachery let go of the restraint ced on him over the centuries and allowed the energy inside him to flow freely to the outside world. A burst of energy shot through the roof of the tower and into the sky above. The beam of energy pushed the colored clouds out of the way, punching a hole in the starlit sky.

    Wang Tong was not surprised by the development. While he was training with Mr. Wannabe in the crystal space, he felt that it was not a coincidence that the old ghost had chosen the form of the infamous pirate lord.

    Even after Wang Tong had learned about Mr. Wannabe¡¯s notorious past, he was not afraid of the old ghost. However insane Mr. Wannabe had been, he was Wang Tong¡¯s closest family now.

    The space crystal shattered after it had given up all that it had to offer. Zachery flew himself out of the tower and found Wang Tong, the heir of the de Warrior. The de Warrior was the culprit of his centuries-long suffering, and now, his revenge was within an arm¡¯s reach.

    However, he didn¡¯t intend to harm Wang Tong; instead, he looked at thetter with a father¡¯s loving nce. He threw back his head and shouted. ¡°Li Feng, you had destroyed my life but gave me a son. We are all square!¡±

    Although Zachery had regained his memories, he had lost too many things in the three hundred years.?However, the time he had spent with Wang Tong made him feel that all the pain he had suffered in the past was suddenly bearable. He had learned to look forward instead of back.

    The fourth seal in the crystal space had finally been lifted and inside of it was nothing but a choice.

    Zachery¡¯s body slowly materialized in the physical world, and the pirate king was reborn. Coming back to the physical world after so many years didn¡¯t bring him joy, since his mind was upied by the work he needed to do. He said to Wang Tong, ¡°It is time to finish what we have started.¡±

    ¡°This is my duty, not anyone else¡¯s. But I appreciate your offer, father.¡± Wang Tong knew that Zachery was going to execute his dangerous n for him. However, he would not allow himself to back down while letting the others do his bidding.

    ¡°Good! I am proud of you! Finally, something that I can brag in front of Li Feng¡­Haha! ¡±

    ¡°Go now! Do whatever you have to. There is nothing in the world that can stop you.¡±

    Zachery and Wang Tong stood side by side as they looked down at the sprawling cityndscape, feeling their blood boiling.

    The strange phenomenon that urred around the tower of the Divine Master had quickly be a viral sensation on the sk. Everyone believed that this was a message from the god, foretelling their salvation.

    During the times as dark and savage as this, the slightest sliver of hope could mean waking up the next day with a smile or eating a bullet in the dark, cold night.

    The ordinary citizen could trust their future based on superstitious beliefs, but Wang Tong and Michaux couldn¡¯t. Nheless, ever since the incident, the poption on Mars regarded the sect with even more respect and deference.

    After Wang Tong returned to Michaux, thetter didn¡¯t ask a thing about what had happened in the tower.

    ¡°Are you here to take Xiao Yuyu away from me?¡± Michaux Odin asked.

    ¡°Indeed, she will y a key role in the operation. I hope you understand.¡± Wang Tong admitted right away.

    ¡°No problem at all. You can take all of the four chief medics if you so wish.¡± Michaux said. He knew what Wang Tong¡¯s mission could change the situation on Mars once and for all.

    Wang Tong shook his head. ¡°No need. I only need Xiao Yuyu and ten other regr field medics. Our advantage is not in numbers, but in teamwork. Of course, I will fully disclose the risk with them. They don¡¯t have to go if they don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Michaux nodded. All this while, he admired Wang Tong for his ability to put his words into actions. Lie Jian had thought of the same n before, but hecked the courage to take the leap of faith as Wang Tong would.

    When Xiao Yuyu was told to go to Michaux¡¯s office, her heart skipped a beat. She was right: Wang Tong came for her! But, would Michaux let her go?

    Everyone knew that Wang Tong and the young master were no more than acquaintances, and Michaux¡¯s real ally was Lie Jian. However, Michaux¡¯s recent behavior seemed to suggest otherwise.

    ¡°Greetings, young master!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are finally here. I think you should already know why you are here. Anyway, I will let you talk to Wang Tong, and you can make your own decision.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Susu,e with me.¡±

    ¡°No. I want to stay.¡± Susu straightened her back and pouted. She firmly believed that Wang Tong was a despicable man, and that she absolutely needed to be there to protect Xiao Yuyu.

    ¡°Susu, I won¡¯t have this nonsense. Come out at this instant!¡± Michaux hardened his face and refuted. Seeing her brother was getting riled up, Susu lowered her head and left the room reluctantly.

    ¡°I do this to protect you, Susu,¡± Michaux said and heaved a sigh of resignation. He knew that if Susu heard Wang Tong¡¯s n, no one would be able to prevent her from joining him. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. However tough she thought she was, she wouldn¡¯tst long in the harsh reality.

    Plus, Michaux was considering a daring operation as well. If anything happened to him, the sect would need a leader.

    ¡°Nice to see you, everyone.¡±

    ¡°Nice to see you again, captain.¡±

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and said, ¡°I need your assistance.¡±

    ¡°Just tell us what we have to do. We will not let you down.¡± Xiao Ling announced.?Wang Tong told the girls about his n and reminded them about the danger involved.

    ¡°So that is all. We might not be able to return home ever again. I know I am asking a lot from you, so I understand if you wouldn¡¯t feel like you are ready for this yet. Don¡¯t feel obligated.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong, from the day I joined the sect, I was ready to die for people of the Mars. I will join you! ¡± Xiao Yuyu said firmly.

    ¡°Me too!¡±

 Chapter 572 - Rat From The Sewer

    <h4>Chapter 572: Rat From The Sewer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    No one was willing to back out of Wang Tong¡¯s n. Although they were young girls, they possessed more courage than most men.

    ¡°Very well! From this day on, let us forge our bonds in the fires of hell. Till death do us apart!¡± Wang Tong joked.

    ¡°From THIS day on? I thought we were already bonded!¡± Xiao Ling eximed dramatically

    Michaux heard the banters andughter while he stood outside; he knew the girls had made their decision. He knew that all of his field medics were fearless heroines; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have made the cut in the first ce.

    If not for other duties that Michaux had to attend to, he might have joined Wang Tong¡¯s n himself.

    ¡°Thank you, Michaux! I think it is time for me to leave.¡±

    ¡°There is no rush. Let them pack up so you can leave with them tomorrow.¡± Michaux suggested.

    ¡°Haha, sure! Might as well.¡± Wang Tong nodded. The sun was setting, and traveling alone in the dark could be dangerous.

    Although Xiao Yuyu was excited about the uing mission, she had to spend the night making arrangements to cover her shift while she was absent.

    ¡°Young master, Zhang Guangming requests an audience.¡± A soldier reported to Michaux.

    Michaux furrowed his brows and murmured, ¡°What is he doing here?¡± The insolent princeling had been a thorn in his side ever since his uncle passed away. For the sake of his uncle¡¯s name and reputation, Michaux had been cleaning after Zhang Guangming¡¯s mess and enduring his arrogance.

    ¡°I will meet him with you. It probably has something to do with me anyway.¡± Wang Tong smiled wryly. He knew Michaux had a soft heart, and was easily taken advantage of by unscrupulous dipsh*t such as Zhang Guangming.

    Wang Tong hopped that Zhang Guangming had his wits about him this time.

    When Michaux saw Zhang Guangming in the meeting room, thetter looked much more rxed than he was during the day.

    ¡°Guanming, what¡¯s up?¡± Michaux greeted him like an old friend. Zhang Guangming shot Michaux a sidelong nce and then said, ¡°Ie here to apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have done that earlier today. Your p was a wake-up call for me. I want to dedicate myself to the war against the Zergs from now on.¡±

    Michaux was pleasantly surprised, as he smiled earnestly. ¡°I am so happy that you think this way!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Wang Tong. I am sorry! It was very rude of me earlier today.¡± Zhang Guangming apologized to Wang Tong sincerely.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Haha! Let¡¯s move beyond the past and always remember the teaching of our Divine Master.¡± Michaux said ardently. He had grown up with Zhang Guangming, and therefore, had always wished that the two could work together as brothers.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then nodded. ¡°No worries. Mr. Zhang is straightforward and outspoken gentlemen, so no hard feelings.¡±

    ¡°I wager that you are here for some urgent matters. Let me know if you need my help. I will try my best to redeem myself of what I have done.¡±

    Even after Wang Tong and Michaux had sat down, Zhang Guangming stood still, his head slightly lowered. It seemed that Michaux¡¯s p had made him take a long hard look at his actions, and he was genuinely sorry for the damage he had inflicted over the years.

    ¡°Michaux had offered me help already. Thank you for the offer.¡±

    ¡°It will be my honor to serve the heir of the de Warrior. I felt ashamed of my actions earlier, and I promise that I will strive to make a positive contribution to our world!¡±

    ¡°Haha, Guangming, you have changed so much since this morning!¡± Michauxughed. He still found it hard to believe that a hopeless brat could have changed himself so utterly. If he knew his pping was so effective, he should have done it many years ago.

    Zhang Guangming scratched his head and said, ¡°I am surprised by myself too. I was so mad at you at first that I returned the tower and was going to... beat up someone to vent. But, the tower lit up all of a sudden, and I felt a voice calling me and telling me what I should do. After that, I felt so terrible for all the things I had done. It hit me like a wrecking ball! ¡±

    It finally urred to Michaux that it was the spirit inside the tower that had affected Zhang Guangming. He was thete Divine Master¡¯sst of kin. Bonded by blood, Zhang Guangming could have been easily affected by the energies inside the tower.

    ¡°It was in part my fault too. I should have stopped you or give you a stern warning much earlier. However, it is still not toote! Let¡¯s work together and save our people on Mars.¡±

    ¡°Well said! Let¡¯s toast for the final liberation of all human in the world.¡± Zhang Guangming said as he raised a cup and chucked the content down his throat.

    ¡°Very well!¡± The joy in Michaux was beyond description. It was his sworn duty to look after the kin of thete divine master. He couldn¡¯t have expected a happier ending than this.

    Pa!

    With a sweep of the hand, Wang Tong knocked the cup in Michaux¡¯s hand onto the floor. Its contents sizzled as soon as they reached the carpet, and a few wisps of toxic flume rose from it.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this!¡± Michaux exploded.

    ¡°Michaux, not everyone is a gentleman like you. People never change. You need to be careful.¡± Wang Tong studied Zhang Guangming knowingly.

    Zhang Guangming felt the re on his face, but he didn¡¯t flinch, and neither did he felt the slightest shame. He straightened his back and asked, ¡°How did you know? Did I not sound sincere enough when I apologized?¡±

    ¡°Quite the contrary. You sounded too sincere, almost overwrought. It made some sense to be repentant toward your brother Michaux, but me too? That¡¯s over-the-top acting. Plus, the moment you walked in here, I knew exactly what you were after.¡± Wang Tong shrugged. Having been raised in the darkest allies on the earth, he had seen too many dirty deeds, and was more wary of people than the gullible young master.

    ¡°Why? ¡± Michaux asked testily.

    ¡°Are you kidding me, Michaux? Is it not obvious enough for you? I should be the young master. You had taken over my position using guile and deceit! ¡± Zhang Guangming opened his arms and shouted. ¡°All of this should have belonged to me! I am the savior of the world!¡± He about turned and shot both warriors a searing nce. ¡°Very well! I will do away with both of you tonight!¡±

    It was apparent that Zhang Guangming didn¡¯te here alone as shadows emerged from the dark corners of the room. Zhang Guangming had hired many deadly fighters over the years, and it was time to put into use.

    Many powerful fighters inside the sect disapproved of Michaux¡¯s overly benevolent methods, and they had double-crossed the young master and joined Zhang Guangming. None of those fighters were the true believers of the Divine Path, and neither did they care about the human¡¯s suffering on Mars.

    There were twenty assassins in the room, surrounding their targets. Five of those twenty were of the legendary level, and the other fifteen were level twenty. This was the elite unit that Zhang Guangming had gathered over the years.

    Zhang Guangming was convinced that Michaux would not stand a chance while fighting five legendary warriors at once, and he had never considered Wang Tong a serious threat.

    ¡°Did you join him willingly?¡± Michaux asked calmly.

    ¡°Young Master, you and I are going after very different goals. It¡¯s nothing personal.¡±

    ¡°Stop wasting your time talking to him. He is no longer the young master. He is a traitor! He colluded with this earthling and tried to dismantle our Sect from the inside. Kill him! I will be yourwful master!¡± Zhang Guangming barked.

    Wang Tong rose from his seat slowly; he could not stand the prick any longer.

    ¡°Michaux, let me help you with your ¡®house-cleaning.¡¯ ¡±

    Michaux shook his head. ¡°This is an internal business of the sect. I will have to do it myself.¡±

    Wang Tong waved an okay and shook his head as hemented the doomed fate of these fighters.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    The members of the sect heard an explosioning from the young master¡¯s room. Their knee-jerk reaction was to rush there and protect the young master.?After all, Michaux was thest hope for saving the Martians.

    While the sect warriors stormed through the street towards the tower, Lie Jian lolled in arge sofa and was sipping a cup of tea.

    ¡°My lord, should we take a look?¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Zhang Guangming had taken a group of soldiers with him, I am afraid...¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I was always friendly to that dipsh*t?¡± Lie Jian asked with a smirk. ¡°Because I wanted his ego to grow bigger, and bigger, and bigger¡­ and then PUFF! Haha! He is trouble. I knew it from the beginning, but I can¡¯t get my hands dirty. So, I have found a creative way of getting rid of him.¡±

    ¡°But what about Michaux? He is unprepared.¡±

    ¡°He has Wang Tong.¡± Lie Jian remarked lightly.

    By the time the sect soldiers reached Michaux¡¯s residence, the building was already gone. Michaux had built a tomb for the twenty-one souls using of therge pile of rubble.

 Chapter 573 - Knight Of Onslaught

    <h4>Chapter 573: Knight Of Onught</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The fire had fused Zhang Guangming¡¯s body permanently to the throne chair that he had wanted so much. For the dignity of his uncle, Michaux didn¡¯t carve up his body as he did to the other traitors.

    Although Michaux was apassionate leader, he was not a softy, and he upheld his bottom line more fiercely than anyone else. If it were during peacetime, Michaux might have spared Zhang Guangming¡¯s life. However, during this time of turmoil, thest thing humans needed was infighting.

    ¡°Young master, are you alright?¡±

    Michaux waved a hand and said, ¡°The lord of the Divine Will had betrayed the sect. Fang Zhengnan, I now dere you as the new lord of the Divine Will! Lead our man to take the city now¡­I don¡¯t want to see any rebellions.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Fang Zhengnan quickly gathered his troops and charged out of the city. What Zhang Guangming failed to understand was that even if Michaux were dead, he still wouldn¡¯t be the next in line to inherit the title.

    Seeing Zhang Guangming was dead, everyone cheered with relief. No one liked this inept and arrogant prince anyway.

    ¡­

    The next day morning, Wang Tong, Xiao Yuyu, and the other field medics started toward Maersa. Although Xiao Yuyu held a hard expression, she was beautiful as ever. The war didn¡¯t exclude women from the battlefield, for they had as much strength as men.

    Their Maglev whizzed through the streets as Xiao Yuyu watched Wang Tong in the driver¡¯s seat, her heart filled with mixed emotions. However, she knew that as long as she was with him, she would not feel lonely ever again.

    Meanwhile, one of the metropolises behind the front line, the Magen, was on fire.

    ¡°Mathew, lead a unit to stop those two giant a*s Zergs in the southeast corner.¡±

    ¡°My lord, let¡¯s pull back for now. We can¡¯t handle the golden dark one.¡±

    ¡°Pull back? Pull back to where?¡±

    ¡°My lord, there will be firewood to burn as long as the green hills stay. If we keep going like this, we will exhaust all of our elite units in no time.¡±

    ¡°Then, let me die with them! Someone else can be the city lord in my stead. If I allow the Zergs to ravage the city like this, how could I call myself the protector of the city?¡±

    Song Zhong was only a level neen warrior; however, he had two legendary warriors under hismand. In the past, the two legendary warriors had pushed back many Zerg¡¯s raids and were hailed as the heroes by the local civilians. Their victories had inspired not only those inside the Magen, but also those who lived in the suburb areas. As long as the legendary warriors were with them, no one would fear the Zergs.

    However, after they defeated a golden dark one, they finally had caught the dark lord¡¯s attention. For the second wave of attack, Moye sent in five golden dark ones and five golden giant Zergs. The city was overwhelmed in seconds, and both legendary warriors were killed while protecting the people. Although the two legendary warriors were able to drag three golden dark ones with them to the underworld, their death had left the humans vulnerable to the savagery of the remaining two golden dark ones.

    Even then, the city Lord Song Zhong didn¡¯t regret his decision of fighting back. If he had to die today on the battlefield, then so be it.

    As the giant Zergs inflicted massive damage to the city¡¯s structures, the golden dark one picked off human warriors one after another. Any human warrior who was level eighteen or above was a fair game.

    ¡°Brothers, this is a good day to DIE! Charge!¡±

    Two golden dark ones swooped down from the sky. The goal of their mission was to punish those humans who dared to fight back. They need topletely subjugate the humans, both physically and mentally; making them their most obedient ves and test subjects.

    The strongest element in Humans was their will, while the strongest element in the Zergs was their bodies. Moye was eager to find out what the humans would be like if he strained the human body beyond its limit.

    Surprisingly, the human warriors inside the city felt no fear for such torture. Fear for death should be the strongest emotion of the humans; however, the defenders of the city charged into the Zerg formation with abandon as if they were seeking death.

    Song Zhong and hisrades could have chosen to stay inside the bunker and call it ¡°preserving the green hills.¡± However, if everyone acted like that, the Zergs would never be defeated. Although the two elite human soldiers had paid the ultimate sacrifice, there were at least three less golden dark ones in the world¡­It was worth it!

    As the two legendary warriors fell to the ground, more soldiers rose against the Zerg and continued to carry their banners.

    Kom!

    A giant Zerg¡¯s leg was blown off, and the human soldiers swarmed toward it to finish it off. The Zerg fought back by spitting fire at the soldiers; in a blink, a couple of soldiers were reduced into ashes. However, the rest of them were unflinching as they continued their charge. When they reached the defenseless limping Zerg, they chopped it up into pieces.

    Although the Zergs were powerful, they were not invincible. As long the human soldiers fought bravely as a team, they should have a chance of surviving the onught.

    Although Song Zhong was the highestmander of the city, he fought along with the ordinary soldiers on the ground. While protecting himself with a de, he watched as his soldiers fell to the ground one after another. Before long, he realized that all of his personal guards were killed, and he was now standing alone on the battlefield.

    KOM!

    Something knocked his de to the ground and dealt a blow on his body. He was sent flying by the powerful strike, and before he hadnded back to the ground, a dark one kicked him in the head. He heard the crunch when his skull broke, sounding loud as a p of thunder in his ear.

    He was level neen, and was still not powerful enough to even make a scratch on the dark one.

    KOM!

    His body rolled around when it hit the ground. The fractures in his bones were nothing to a warrior like him. However, the death of his soldiers pricked his heart like sharp needles.

    What attacked him were two dark ones, who executed a teambo on him whichically, at least to them, resembled the two of them kicking a ser ball.

    When they finally got bored of their ything, theynded back to the ground. Song Zhong was too weak to be even taken as a test subject, so they killed him outright before they left the city.

    Despite their victory, the losses of the three golden dark ones was a huge blow to the Zergs. Unlike the primitive Zergs, dark ones were a rare breed, and breeding one required tremendous resources. It would take the Zergs a while to recover from such losses.

    If humans all over the Mars fought half as bravely as Song Zhong did, the Zergs¡¯ n of conquering the human world would have to be sent back to the drawing board. Luckily for them, so far, most human cities had been focusing on defense and avoided conflict.

    Song Zhong mustered his remaining strength to open his eyes; he wanted to see what those dark ones looked like so that he would haunt them as a ghost.

    One person, then two and three¡­one by one, they came to him.?They were helpless civilians: women, elderly, and children. Their husbands and sons had died at the front line, and now it was their turn to protect their city Lord who had sacrificed himself for them.

    As more and more citizens gathered around Song Zhong, forming a meat shield, the dark ones flew back and were shocked by the development. Their goal was to quell the human¡¯s will to fight; it seemed that they had failed miserably.

    Four Giant Zergs charged at the crowd; if the Zergs couldn¡¯t teach humans to fear them, they might as well kill all of them.

    The Zergs closed in, but no one moved.

    Suddenly, a beam of white light shot at the giant Zergs and the force in the light pressed them to the ground until they were reduced to pulp. A haughty figure stood where the Zergs were killed, wearing a set of shiny armor.

    The God of War had answered his believer¡¯s prayers.

    The other two giant Zergs veered toward the Einherjar and picked up speed. The Einherjar swayed slightly to the left and dodged the attack; meanwhile, he punched at the two Zergs squarely in their heads. The thick craniums of the Zergs was squeezed until it cracked and then shattered. The two hulking frames copsed to the ground like a rag doll, brain matter sttered everywhere.

    In a blink, four giant Zergs were removed from the battlefield forever.

    The two dark ones recognized the Einherjar. They swooped down on him while shooting him with hundreds of sharp bone shards. The Einherjar didn¡¯t dodge the barrage of shards.

    Did it hurt? It didn¡¯t matter. It had been centuries since thest time Zachery felt pain. Pain meant war, and therefore, pain was good.

    He took one step and flew himself closer to the two dark ones. The two were shocked by the speed at which the Einherjar had approached them. They turned around and shot more bone shards at Zachery.

    Zachery didn¡¯t dodge either, because he didn¡¯t need to. The bone shards were so fragile; they simply shattered as soon as they hit their target.

    In a heartbeat, Zachery was right in front of the dark ones. He reached out his oversized hands and grabbed onto the two dark one¡¯s heads, one in each hand. The two dark ones struggled to break free from the hold as they kicked their feet and waggled their bodies.

    However, resistance was futile.

    Zachery kept his hold on the two murderers and looked to the crowd for their opinion on what to do with them.

    ¡°Kill!¡± Someone shouted.

    ¡°KILL! KILL!¡± Everyone joined in.

    The pirate king smiled satisfyingly as the head of the dark ones turned into two blobs of mush in his hands.?When hended back to the ground, he picked up Song Zhong and announced solemnly, ¡°In the name of the God of War, I anoint you as the Knight of Onught.¡±

 Chapter 574 - Itâ€™s Good To Be Alive

    <h4>Chapter 574: It¡¯s Good To Be Alive</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    After Zachery had finished the ceremony, he ced his palm on top of Song Zhong¡¯s head. Using his own body as a medium, he started to heal thetter¡¯s wounds.

    First, Song Zhong felt an excruciating pain as if his body was going to be torn apart. Later, he realized that the pain was from the massive surge of his power. In a blink, his soul energy had reached the legendary level.

    When Song Zhong recovered from the pain and fullness in his body, the god of war was already gone, leaving only a golden de on the ground.

    He had officially be the second knight of the God of the War, the Knight of Onught.

    What humans needed the most right now was notpassion or sympathy: they required the will to kill.

    Song Zhong slowly lifted the de above his head, and everyone cheered his new title.

    ¡°Knight of the onught!¡±

    The humans nevercked heroes, for when the end of the world finally fell upon them, someone would always stand up and avert the crisis. It had been the de Warrior three hundred years ago, and now it was the God of War.

    The invincible War God!

    People finally heard the calling of the god, and never again would they lose the will to fight. The god had told them that they needed to be more vicious than the Zergs on the battlefield.

    When the humans had nothing to lose, they no longer feared the Zergs. The appearance of the War God had inspired the humans to rise up against the Zerg harassment at other parts of the Mars as well.

    Although the golden dark ones were powerful foes, they were not invincible. As long as the humans used their intelligence, they would find a way to ovee them.

    The Zergs were not immortals; if they bled, they could be killed.

    The lower tire primitive Zergs severelycked intelligence, and were no different from a piece of machine. However, the dark ones were a very different breed. As they evolved more like a human, they had developed a full array of emotions and feelings. And one of those feelings was fear.

    The God of War tried to install this powerful primordial emotion into the dark ones, letting them have a taste of fear.

    Although Zachery didn¡¯t like the name ¡°God of War¡± nearly as much as Pirate King, he thought that the name was very fitting considering the current situation.

    Both Wang Tong and Zachery knew that the problem with the martians¡¯ overall state of mind was that theycked the will to fight back.

    The human poption on Mars had not wakened up to the fact that this war with Zerg was not the same as the infighting among humans. If they lost this war, the human race would be erased from the universe for good. That included their history, culture, friendship, and love.

    Therefore, in this war, humans had to put aside their fear and act more aggressively than the Zergs.

    KILL, KILL, KILL THEM ALL!

    Zachery knew that such a belief needed to be reinforced in everyone¡¯s heart, and he would be more than happy to be the harbinger of the faith.

    With every knight he anointed, he had kindled a fire of hope that people could huddle around for warmth andfort.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, on the moon, the humans did not give up their fight despite the increasing pressure. Although the was on the verge of aplete subjugation, it was packed with elites. Former students such as Li Shiming, Li Ruoer, Ma Xiaoru, Zhang Jing, Wang Ben, and Hu Yangxuan had all grown up to be seasoned veterans. So far, none of them had given up their fight yet.

    In the space, Samantha, Karl, Cao Yi, Lumi, and sh led the humansst fleet and fought against the Zergs. Despite theck of resources, they clung onto their unswerving faith in their eventual victory.

    The Earth United Front was led by House Li, and the Lunar United Front was led by Zhang Jing. When Patroclus came to the moon, he was greeted by an empty, since almost all of the inhabitants had evacuated to Earth. The move had preserved lives of many elite Ivantians soldiers, so that they could continue their fight on Earth.

    Ma Xiaoru led her personal units of House Ma and other forces that she had epted into her ranks over the time. She was the third most potent resistance faction leader on the, right after the Earth and Lunar United Fronts. Not only were Wang Ben and Hu Yangxuan elite soldiers under Ma Xiaoru¡¯smand, but she also had the unequivocal support from the Temr¡¯s court.

    Although House Ma¡¯s unitscked numbers, they excelled in quality.

    ¡°General, general! I have great news! CONFIRMED great news! ¡°Hu Yangxuan beamed from side to side; his face was awash with joy. Although the confederation was a thing of the past, the humans still adopted its military ranking. Ma Xiaoru was one of the generals on Earth.

    ¡°Captain Hu Yangxuan, please gather yourself. Otherwise, I will not have faith in your judgment.¡± Ma Xiaoru jested.

    ¡°Hu Yangxuan, you are not a kid any longer, so don¡¯t act like one.¡± Wang Ben put it.

    ¡°Buzz off, you two. Let me tell you the news, and then let¡¯s see if you will still be so ¡®hoity-toity¡¯!¡± Hu Yangxuan pretested.

    ¡°Fine, fine! What is it?¡± Ma Xiaoru said with a smile.

    ¡°Ok, listen up everybody. I am now going to announce the message that we have received this morning. By order of General Samantha, she wishes to congratte everyone for your brilliant performance during thest battle. She hereby awards General Ma Xiaoru a tier two, Grand Bauhinia Medal.¡± Hu Yangxuan announced solemnly. The military uniform he was wearing and the stubble on his chin and cheek had made him look much manlier than that clean-shaven man-diva he used to be.

    ¡°Just get to the point! We knew that already!¡± Zheng Zhong piped up impatiently.

    ¡°The second new was from Mars¡­¡± Hu Yangxuan paused for a second and let the suspense hang in the air.

    ¡°Hurry the f*ck up! I am going to beat you up if you don¡¯t!¡± Wang Ben¡¯s patience was being stretched to its limits as he shouted.

    ¡°Alright, alright! The news from Mars says that our friend Wang Tong is very much well and alive. He has already organized a sizable army and is going to deliver a killing blow to the Zergs. ¡± Hu Yangxuan said with animated voice and gesture.

    However, no one spoke a word even after he was done announcing the news. Hu Yangxuan was not surprised by this moment of silence; they were simply too excited. Everyone¡¯s bond with Wang Tong could not be so easily broken over time. If Wang Tong didn¡¯t risk his life to save the soldiers on the Arc, all of them would have been dead in the dark, cold space.

    ¡°Congrattions, general.¡± Hu Yangxuan saluted to Ma Xiaoru. In the five years, Ma Xiaoru carried the heaviest burden one could imagine. Wang Tong¡¯s disappearance had toughened her up because she knew that thetter would want her to be strong. A crybaby princess from a Great House was not what Wang Tong wanted. Therefore, she carried his banner on her shoulder and continued her fianc¨¦¡¯s crusade, a fianc¨¦ whom she only met in dreams.

    Ma Xiaoru rose from her seat slowly and said with as much calm as she could gather, ¡°Everyone, out! I need to be alone for a moment.¡±

    People filed out of the room without asking a question. They had witnessed their love bloom, and also her suffering and transformation. She had been a beautiful princess raised infort and wealth; but now, she was a battle-hardenedmander.

    When thest person left the room and shut the door solidly, tears finally slid down Ma Xiaoru¡¯s face.

    ¡°You are still alive... Wang Tong¡­¡±

    The tears of joy and sorrow mixed together, pouring out of her eyes and into her mouth. They tasted bitter, but were still sweeter than the cold night she had spent by herself, wishing for Wang Tong¡¯s warmth.

    Outside Ma Xiaoru¡¯s office, people had already started celebrating.

    ¡°I knew it! Boss is a God! How could he be dead? Haha!¡± That was Karl.

    ¡°He will make Patroclus pay for what he had done!¡±

    ¡°Patroclus is nothing! He was defeated by Boss once, and the boss will do it again!¡±

    ¡°Yea!¡±

    ¡°Balls! Why didn¡¯t hee back to us?¡±

    ¡°You think? Mars is the only ce that allows the boss to carry out his operations. Thank god he is there now. Otherwise, we would have been waiting forever for Michaux and Lie Jian to save us.¡± Hu Yangxuan remarked.

    ¡°Is that what it said on the report from Principle Samantha?¡± Ma Xiaoru opened her office door and asked, her eyes red.

    ¡°Um.... yes? I skimmed through the report.¡±

    ¡°Yea, I knew it. You are too stupid to talk that smart! ¡± Karl said.

    ¡°Wang Tong¡¯s reemergence means that we should start preparing for the final counterattack. However, I feel that our priority should not be joining Wang Tong¡¯s call for the war, but to preserve our strength.¡± Apache said from a corner.

    Everyone was disheveled by Apache¡¯s out of characterment. He always had been the firm believer that offense was the best defense. His conservativement went against the grains of what he had adamantly insisted on.

    ¡°Apache is right. Let¡¯s say Wang Tong was able to push the Zergs out of Mars. What would Patroclus do then?¡± Ma Xiaoru¡¯s face was lit up with hope. If Patroclus divided his forces to fight at two fronts, the human resistance on the Earth would finally have a chance to eliminate the weakened enemies.

    ¡°I agree! That¡¯s what the principal wanted too.¡±

    ¡°Have you sent out the news?¡± Ma Xiaoru asked.

    ¡°Yes. Both House Li and House Zhang should have learned about it by now.¡± Hu Yangxuan nodded.

    In the past five years, they had never been so happy.

    ¡°I think we need to go for a drink tonight! ¡±

    ¡°I agree! General, let¡¯s celebrate tonight!¡±

    Ma Xiaoru smiled and then nodded. ¡°Tonight only.¡±

 Chapter 575 - Faith

    <h4>Chapter 575: Faith</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Yes, general.¡±

    ¡°Come with us!¡±

    Ma Xiaoru shook her head. She wanted to be alone tonight and reflect on thest five years.?When she finally returned her room, she stared at Wang Tong¡¯s picture beside her bed, where it had been for five years.

    ¡°Jerk! A*shole! ¡± Ma Xiaoru cursed in her mind.?She wanted to cry it all out, the loneliness and sorrow of the five long years.

    Both Li Shiming and Li Ruoer were stunned when they heard the astonishing news. The ted cheers of their soldiers finally pulled their thoughts back to reality.

    After the celebration, Li Shiming finally got a moment to reflect on the development. He marveled at the tremendous influence Wang Tong still had on the human world. In the minds of the public, Wang Tong was their only hope in defeating Patroclus, since he had done it once before.

    The heir of the de Warrior was invincible. Whether it was real or a self-fulfilled prophecy, no one would ever know. The war against the Zergs was a long-term struggle, only perseverance and tenacity could ferry the human safely to the end of the war,

    ¡°Ruoer, are you alright?¡± Li Shiming noticed a strange expression on her sister¡¯s face. Li Ruoer stormed out of the room and didn¡¯t even spare her brother a nce.

    When she finally arrived at her room, she mmed the door close and produced a picture of Wang Tong from a bedside table drawer. She mmed the framed picture on her bed and shouted, ¡°You a*shole! Where had you gone? You were dead! DEAD!¡±

    The teenage girl had matured, but she was still an Enchantress. Ma Xiaoru, Li Ruoer, and Zhang Jing were the only images that humans could seek constion and sce in as their feminine faces harbored the spirit of caring and giving.

    However, the goddesses of might and power were tearing up now. Ma Xiaoru had a good reason to be carried away by the return of Wang Tong, but what would be her reason?

    She had turned down many suitors¡¯ request, and so did Ma Xiaoru. However, Ma Xiaoru had done so for a legit reason, while her refusals seemed rather out of the blue. Faced with pressures from all sides, Li Ruoer was on the verge of giving up the wait. But there he was, appearing a few million miles away, well and alive.

    She stared at Wang Tong¡¯s picture as a mixture of feelings swilled in her heart. Finally, the joyful current took hold of her heart as the negative ones ebbed away.

    ¡°A*shole, I knew you would survive.¡± A smile bloomed on Li Ruoer¡¯s face. She picked up the picture and pressed it in between her bosom. ¡°If we ever meet again, I will let you have a taste of this!¡±

    Zhang Jing and her lunar units also received the news; however, the joyful feeling in the Ivantians were overshadowed by the guilt of what House Dower had be. Although Wang Tong¡¯s survival was exhrating news to them, they doubted he would be able to ovee Patroclus again after five years.

    This was one of Zhang Jing¡¯s biggest problem: morale. The Lunar Front had the most powerful units among the human resistance forces, but the soldiers were so shaken by what had happened that they barely had the courage to pick up their weapons. Perhaps, Zhang Jing thought, Wang Tong¡¯s return could be a turning point in solving her conundrum. When she first saw Wang Tong on Norton so many years ago, she had never thought that the fate of human race would rest on this innocent, if not na?ve, boy.

    Till this day, she still remembered Wang Tong¡¯s silly smile.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile in space....

    ¡°Commander, the news had been sent out to all major factions.¡± Cao Yi reported to Samantha.

    ¡°Excellent! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°You are wee, principal! Everyone was thrilled when they heard the news. I feel like we finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel!¡±

    ¡°Indeed! We need to give our gratitude to our friends on Mars. They had risked their lives to send us this news.¡±

    ¡°I believe he wille back for us, principal.¡± Cao Yi announced firmly. His words carried an unswerving conviction.

    Samantha cracked a smile, ¡°Yes, we are all waiting for that moment.¡±

    ¡­

    The volcano belt at the northern hemisphere of the Mars was an inhospitable wastnd. Not only did humans avoid this area, but also the Zergs. It was sandwiched right in between the human and Zerg territories.

    ¡°Boss, two more days and we will finally reach the Zerg area.¡± Duo Lun said.

    On this bleakndscape, a patch of tents looked out of ce. It was Wang Tong¡¯s party; three hundred strong, and included top fighters such as Yin Tianzong and Xiao Yuyu.

    ¡°Order everyone to rest well tonight. We won¡¯t have the luxury of the sound sleep after we cross the line.¡± Wang Tong smiled and said. Where they were heading would make this harsh environment feel like afortable bastion of safety.

    Operation Wolf Strike was the name of this mission this time. The three hundred soldiers included the one hundred whom Wang Tong had trained personally inside the crystal space, and the rest two hundred were hand picked by him from amongst the soldiers in Maersa. After they reached the other end of the wastnd, they had to gear up for endless skirmishes.

    This operation was the most effective step Wang Tong could take to help the war. His ability at the front line was limited; plus, the constant harassment of the dark ones meant he would have to fight on both fronts.

    The raids and harassment used to be the humans¡¯ tactics. At the beginning of the war, humans had sent legendary warriors across the front line to the home base of Zergs and attacked them unexpectedly. However, after the Zergs introduced the Einherjar¡¯s Band units, these surprise raids came to a jarring halt. Soon after that, dark ones started to appear in human settlements. Everyone had to admit that Zergs were very fast learners.

    Wang Tong was convinced that humans did not stand a chance on the conventional battlefield, so he had brought the fight to an entirely different field, where the ground was more leveled on both sides. In order to do that, he needed to take an extremely aggressive stance.

    Wang Tong knew that the war would be lost if he sat around and waited for the Zergs to evolve and reproduce in safety. So, he decided to strike back, deep into the heart of their base.

    Such heroic actions could not be performed by just anyone; therefore Wang Tong had carefully picked his warriors. Not only they needed to be physically fit, but also need to have an iron will. The small group of men and women were the best Wang Tong could gather. It would be up to them to decide the fate of this perilous operation.

    Wang Tong¡¯s suicidal mission was the reason that made Lie Jian tolerate his existence. After all, what would be the point of killing someone who might as well be dead?

    No one, including Wang Tong, knew what awaited them once they crossed over to the Zerg¡¯s side. Some reports had indicated that the golden dark ones were simply middle tier fighters at their home base.

    Only one thing they knew for sure was that once they crossed the line, there would be no turning back.

    However arrogant Lie Jian was, he could not help but admire Wang Tong¡¯s bravery. That being said, if thetter didn¡¯t have enough power to back up his ambitious n, the operation would be nothing but a senseless, albeit glorious martyrdom.

    On that note, Lie Jian was convinced that Wang Tong¡¯s operation would certainly fail. Even with all the elite soldiers of House Lie joining Wang Tong¡¯s cause, the unit would not stand a chance in the Zergs¡¯ territory.

    ¡°I have already gone over our n many times, so I am going to keep it brief now. We cannot lose our first fight!¡± Wang Tong announced firmly. A good start equaled half the sess. He wanted to use the very first battle to strike fear into the hearts of the dark ones.

    ¡°We need aplete victory!¡± Yin Tianzong put in.

    ¡°No problem! We will teach the Zergs a hard lesson!¡±

    ¡°Very well! Remember, you are no longer humans¡­You are nightmares that will trample over the Zergs¡¯ dead bodies. You are death!¡± Wang Tong shouted.

    ¡­

    ¡°They should arrive at the border soon,¡± Aamir said. He was the lord protector of the Maersa City while Wang Tong was gone.

    ¡°I admire this youngster! I wish I could join them. ¡°Marcos smiled wryly.

    ¡°I know how you feel. But, I am afraid that both of us will only be a hindrance than help.¡± Aamir sighted deeply. Like Marcos, he also wanted to join Wang Tong. However, he knew that his talent was needed in the city.

    ¡°Do you think they will prevail?¡± Marcos asked. Aamir returned the question with another wry smile.

 Chapter 576 - Siege The Zergs

    <h4>Chapter 576: Siege The Zergs</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Two days after the incident had urred in the Divine Mastery City, Michaux had peacefully taken over the Divine Will City. Despite feeling relieved that there had been no unnecessary bloodshed, Michauxmented how ck the discipline in the Sect had be. Reflecting on the past unruly behavior of his men, it urred to Michaux that Zhang Guangming had been behind those defiant rulers.

    ¡°Brother, brother! Have you heard about what happened?¡± Susu stormed into Michaux¡¯s office.

    ¡°Heard about what?¡±

    ¡°Yuyu is following Wang Tong to the Zergs¡¯ territory!¡±

    Michaux slowly stood up; he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the information under the cover for long. ¡°Yes. Wang Tong had nned it while ago.¡±

    ¡°So, you will send Yuyu to her death?¡± Susu protested.

    ¡°Susu, she joined him willingly.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong is a such a despicable worm! Yuyu liked him so much, and he pushed her into a snake pit!¡± Susu pouted. Surely, Wang Tong had used his honeyed words to gain Xiao Yuyu¡¯s trust and lured her into a death trap. Poor Yuyu! How could she be so gullible? What would three hundred soldiers do at the Zerg home base anyway?

    The four chief field medics always treated Susu like their younger sister, and Xiao Yuyu was the closest one to the little girl. No wonder Susu would freak out when she heard that Xiao Yuyu had been sent into a suicide mission.

    ¡°Mind your words, Susu Odin!¡± Michaux mmed the desk hard and rebutted his sister.?Susu was startled by her brother¡¯s outburst; tears welled in her eyes. Michaux had never raised his voice at her before.

    Michaux shot Susu a stern re and said, ¡°Listen Susu Odin, regardless of the oue of their mission, they will be forever remembered as hero and heroines of Mars. Xiao Yuyu joined the mission because she knows that this is her duty as a soldier. How could you as the leader of all medics fail to understand that?¡±

    Susu lowered her head and said nothing.?This was usually the time that Michaux would lower his voice and tell Susu that he was not really mad at her. However, after meeting with Wang Tong, Michaux took a long hard look at his personality, and realized that it was his constantpromises that had failed the sect.

    ¡°Go back to your room and don¡¯te out until you realize what you had done wrong,¡± Michaux said coldly.

    ¡­

    Danube City was right at the northern frontier of the Zerg controlled territory. Although the Zergs at Danube didn¡¯t have to worry about the war, they bustled inside the city, making preparation for the dark ones¡¯ raids.

    The city lord, Dunluo, had just received verbal praise from the dark lord as he was able to contribute a hundred thousand primitive Zergs to the war against the humans. The dark lord was a wise ruler, at least from Zerg standards. He set clear boundaries and executed his rule to the letters. In order to receive a promotion while working for the dark lord, the dark ones needed to earn enough war achievements.

    Since Danube city rarely saw any war, it was hard for Dunluo to rise in ranks quickly. Therefore, he had focused on supplying the dark lord¡¯s army with abundant Zergs. The key to increasing the number of eggs the Queeny was to make sure the queen was well fed. Therefore, Dunluo had to constantly send golden dark ones out to capture humans to feed the queen. He calcted that in a few more months, he would be summoned by the dark lord to receive his first promotion. The promise of rising in ranks made Dunluo¡¯s mouth wet.

    The older a dark one got, the more he was addicted to his vitality and the feeling of being alive, as he picked up hobbies and new desires. Unlike the primitive Zergs who were content with the way they were born, the dark ones were constantly thirsty for more power. Sometimes, the desire to control and gain more power was so strong that it rivaled Zergs¡¯ inborn desire to kill. Dunluo was one of those power-hungry dark ones, and he was not alone.

    Kom!

    A small boulder fell on top of Dunluo¡¯s head. The pain wrenched Dunluo¡¯s mind out of his thoughts.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± Dunluo shouted.

    Komlommm!

    The ground trembled with another re.

    Fearing for his life, Dunluo flew himself up to the sky, and then noticed that his residence had already been reduced into a pile of rubble. Meanwhile, themotion had alerted the Zergs and dark ones in the city as they gathered around what was left of the residence.

    Dunluo rounded his eyes and scanned the surroundings for any culprit. Who dared to destroy the splendid ce of Dunluo?

    It didn¡¯t take long before he sniffed a whiff of human scent. There he was, a human standing right in the middle of the ruins. He smelled extremely powerful, an extra nutritious snack for the queen.

    Hold on... Who was this guy? He looked so familiar.

    ¡°Rre-yo-Wong Tong?¡± Dunluo didn¡¯t have to speak humannguage often, so the words didn¡¯te out right. The excitement in him didn¡¯t help his pronunciation either. The promise of capturing this human was unbearable. The reward for subduing this human would be more than just another city! Maybe the dark lord would even promote him to be his blood kin!

    Wang Tong threw away the heads that he had just freshly picked off the bodies of a few dark ones. ¡°Yes. My name is Wang Tong. I am the one that your dark lord Moye and Patroclus are both looking for.¡± Wang Tong announced in his booming voice.

    It had been a while since the dark ones and the Zergs had seen a human face inside of this city. Themotion and the promise to kill had attracted them to close in onto Wang Tong. Upon hearing the name of Wang Tong, these abominations started to be agitated. Some dark ones already threw themselves at him, while the more calcting ones watched the ughter unfold from afar.

    Every dark one knew what it meant to be the one who captured Wang Tong. Desire and greed burned in their eyes, making them look more like the humans than ever.

    They need to capture this man at all cost.

    Meanwhile, Yin Tianzong had led a small group and sneaked into the city through the mud gate. They quickly took control of a few strategic spots of the city while most dark ones were distracted by Wang Tong.

    Dunluo cautiously ordered the dark ones to surround the human warrior. They pped their bat wings and leered at Wang Tong from head to toe. Dunluo held back the urge tosh out at Wang Tong as he decided to take his time to leverage any advantage he had. He only got one shot, so he had to carefully take it.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Wang Tog asked when he saw that he was surrounded byyers uponyers of dark ones. The time was ripe.

    He thenunched himself into the air with a throng of dark ones in tow, Dunluo leading the charge. Some of the dark ones shot out hundreds of bone shards at their fleeing target. Dunluo shirked and shot an usatory re back at his soldiers. The prey was too precious to be torn apart by the bone shards.

    Wang Tong curved his lips as lights shot out of his body. He glowed so brightly that the lights had temporarily blinded his pursuers, forcing them to stop. Meanwhile, he unleashed a soul energy attack the defenseless dark ones, killing hundreds of them in one blow. Seeing the turn of events, the more powerful Zergs started to pull back to gain some distance from Wang Tong. The more powerful a dark one was, the smarter he was.

    Wang Tong was pleased by the retreat of the high-level dark ones. It told him that they were scared, and fear could be the best weapon against them.

    When the effect of the blinding light finally subsided, Wang Tong pped his hands together and charged up his soul energy. Suddenly, a wild gale blew across the battlefield, clearing the clouds above his head and revealing the gray sky. In a blink, the wild gale grew so strong that it became a shock wave.

    This was the special move that Wang Tong had invented for this very moment¡ªManic Shock Wave!

    After the shockwave passed through the dark ones, the pain in their heads rendered them defenseless. Although most other soul energy attacks were not able to harm the dark ones, Wang Tong had improved his attack so that it would make the dark ones feel nausea and dizziness after the attack.

    Meanwhile, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu were weaving a hybrid mastery spell undisturbed. Without Wang Tong distracting the Zergs, the energy from this spell would have caught the dark ones¡¯ attention. Not far from them, Yin Tianzong and his unit guarded the casters in case any enemy passed by.

    Dunluo was the strongest dark one in the city, and he was the first one to have noticed the other human soldiers hidden at the corner of the city. He sensed that the power in that spell was enough to destroy this entire city. Feeling that his survival was at stake, he conceded that capturing Wang Tong would have to wait. Hemanded the rest of the dark ones with a long shriek and flew toward the human soldiers.

 Chapter 577 - The Most Bloodthirsty Race

    <h4>Chapter 577: The Most Bloodthirsty Race</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong pped his hands again and sent out another shockwave. This time, the shockwave was able to stagger even the high lever dark ones.

    The Zergs inside the city were all very high in level: the Kamikaze Zergs, the Giant Zergs, and the Tank Zergs. In a few moments, they were able to gather themselves and continue their charge.

    Yin Tianzong knew that the casters only had one shot, since the METAL warriors wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the line for too long.?Leading the METAL warriors, Yin Tianzong formed a human shield in front of the casters.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    They couldn¡¯t allow a single Zerg to pass. The sess of their operationy in the spell Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu were preparing. Any disturbance to them would lead to failure, and failure meant death for all of them.

    Wang Tong suddenly disappeared and reappeared right in front of Dunluo and blocked the Zerg lord¡¯s path.

    Dunluo was level twenty-two, so he was able to sense the immense power the spell was gathering. If the casters were able to unleash the spell, they would be able to destroy the entire city and all the Zergs in it.

    He could not let it happen!

    Dunluo shot hundreds of bone shards at Wang Tong. Meanwhile, his hands had transformed into two drills made out of flesh and bones as he shrieked with an ear-piercing voice.

    The shockwaves were extremely taxing on Wang Tong¡¯s soul energy due to therge area it had to cover. The potent power of the Zergs meant he needed to crank up his soul energy even further. After two of such high-intensity spells, Wang Tong looked pale. He didn¡¯t bring Charcoal or Mr. Wannabe with him, and was all on his own.

    If he couldn¡¯t even pull this operation off, he would definitely fail while standing against Patroclus.

    Butterfly Step!

    Wang Tong¡¯s power had made thismon technique extremely effective. The Zergs that were charging toward Wang Tong were confused by the movements and were unable to locate his position.

    Wang Tong punched at Dunluo with abandon. He knew he could not let the Zerg Lord reach the casters.

    KOM!

    The punch sent an explosion in the sky and the energy traveled through the air, whizzing toward Dunluo. Dunluo was taken aback by Wang Tong¡¯s ability to attack with such belligerent force after nearly exhausting his soul energy.

    KOM.

    The Lord of Danube blocked the attack with both hands. The high-level dark ones such as Dunluo were capable of diverting all of his energy to one part of the body in order to strengthen the attack or defense. Hence, Dunluo was able to block the first attack; however, he didn¡¯t know that there was a second, more powerful gush of energy immediately striking after the first. With his guard down, Dunluo was dealt a blow squarely in his chest. The force in the blow was so powerful that it tore his defense into pieces like a piece of paper.

    KOM!

    Dunluo¡¯s body was shattered into hundreds of pieces, and his death rendered the other Zergs panicking. They paused their charge and looked toward the remains of their lord with fears in their eyes.

    Seizing the opportunity, Wang Tong plunged himself into the group of Zergs on the ground.

    ¡°Everyone, PULL BACK!¡± Guan Dongyang¡¯s voice boomed. He was in charge of the energy gathered from all the other casters. The power burnt like fire inside him, dancing in his eyes; his nickname had never been more fitting for him: the Lord of Fire. He was ready to pull the final trigger of the powerful spell.

    Inferno Hell!

    Guan Dongyang finally unleashed his full potential. Although he was as talented as Michaux, he had gotten the shorter end of the stickpared to the young master when it came down to education and guidance. Therefore, his talent wasrgely wasted until he met Wang Tong.?Thetter¡¯s training had given him the key to the treasure cove of the mastery. By now, he could wield different natural energies and bend them to his will.

    The hybrid mastery of the fire and wind, for example, had been further refined by Guan Dongyang: by giving the tornado attack a molten core, he was able to transform the elemental attribute of the attackpletely.

    The ultimate state of fire element attack was reached: the Infinite Scorch!

    Infinite Fire, Infinite Heat, and Infinite Kills.

    As the molten rocks and fire rained down on the Zergs, Guan Dongyang had finally be the one and only Fire Lord.

    Since the spell was an area effect spell, the METAL warriors quickly pulled back to avoid friendly fire. Once unleashed, the fire attack would go out of control, and its damage was indifferent toward enemies or foes.

    The Zergs were still unaware that doom was near, so they charged right into the fiery rain. However, they simply melted as soon as the deadly fire touched them. Before dying, they could only let out a wave of agonizing shrieks.

    Yin Tianzong and Vorenus linked their GN force with the rest of the METAL warriors and created a GN shield to protect them from the cinders and embers spit out by the storm. The me was so powerful that they could not afford to lower their GN shield.

    After the first wave of the fiery downpour, the second wave quickly followed suit. Seeing the deadliness of the spell, most Zergs started to find shelter instead of charging blindly into the fire rain.

    Amidst the fire and smoke, a dark shadow moved about from one dark one to another, killing them in one blow.

    The fire seemed to have no effect on the shadowy individual. In a blink, another dark one¡¯s head was twisted off its shoulder.

    After sessfully releasing the spell, the mastery casters copsed to the ground. This was the first time they had partaken in such an exhausting spell. Overtaken by stress, they had given all of their soul energy to Guan Dongyang. Although the Inferno Hell was deadly, only the dark ones that were situated right in the center of the storm were eliminated. The firestorm was only able to injure or hamper the moments of those away from the center.

    However, despite the exhaustion, determination glinted in the caster¡¯s eyes. They saw hope in that dark shadow who was busy harvesting the lives of the dark ones while beingpletely unharmed by the fire attacks constantly raining on him.

    The figure was Wang Tong, and he was theirst hope.

    Wang Tong had unleashed three waves of ¡°soul energy saw¡± in a row. His face was hard like a rock, expression cold as ice. Using the most effective and direct moves, he finished the lives of the dark ones with incredible efficiency. Slowly, the fire around him died down.

    Seeing that there were still a few dark ones who had survived the onught, Wang Tong knew that the human warriors should strike now while the dark ones were still weakened by the fire.

    Wang Tong threw back his head and shouted amand, ¡°CHARGE!¡±

    The voice carried tremendous soul energy and frightened the remaining Zergs. They looked in his direction skittishly. Another swell of shouts rose from the other side of the battlefield. Wang Tong¡¯s warriors had answered his call! Sandwiched in the middle, the Zergs panicked as they were not sure where to run.

    Yin Tianzong¡¯s hard face carried a great measure of aplomb. As he channeled more soul energy into his de, he attacked. Duo Lun and Tan Bu charged at the enemy with the same ferocity as a hungry lion out of a cage. The ugly and mean Zergs looked more like sheep waiting to be munched down right now.

    KILL! KILL! KILL!

    At this moment, the warriors were no longer humans; instead, they were Zerg killing machines.

    The battlefield quickly turned into a ughterhouse. Even the mastery casters joined the onught after a very brief respite. One more Zerg killed was one less trouble to worry about for the people in the human world.

    The Warriors used their actions to teach the Zergs a hard truth: they were not the only bloodthirsty race in the universe.

    Two hourster, the mor of the war finally quieted down. On the torched ground and amidst the dark smoke and smell of tar, only human shapes could be seen. This bordend city nestled safely behind the front line, a haven for Zerg production, was reduced to ashes.

    ¡°Duo Lun, Tan Bu, search for the Queen immediately.¡±

    ¡°Roger!¡±

    ¡°Bu Zhihuo, we need more supplies.¡±

    ¡°Valentin, set the detonator.¡±

    Wang Tong issued a series ofmands. They need topletely raze the city to hamper the Zerg¡¯s production capability. After their final victory, the humans could spend the time to rebuild the city.

    Thanks to the dark one¡¯s appreciation for human city design, the warriors knew the queen, the most valuable asset of the city, would be housed at the very center of the city. It didn¡¯t take long before they spotted the blob of undting mass that the Zergs called the Queen. Even now, the ugly worm still industriouslyy eggs from a dozen holes on her body at an rming speed. The wet and icky eggs piled on top of each other; the scene was nightmare inducing.

    Ten minutester, with a series of explosions, this grotesque city along with its morbid queen disappeared in the sea of mes.

    While Wang Tong was making progress behind the enemy lines, the Zergs had waged arge scale battle at the human defense. After one day of unwavering resistance, the humans¡¯ defense was finally breached, and it forced Lie Jian to order a retreat. He knew his decision meant a huge blow to the morale; however, being outnumbered ten to one, Lie Jian had to preserve the strength of the human resistance and make the strategic retreat.

    Both Kaedeians and Zambrotta had also joined the battlefield. Despite their aggressive pushback, they were not able to change the tide of the battle.

    As the Zergs poured in through the defense breach, the human forces, mostlyprising of soldiers from House Lie and the Sect, started to pull back. Einherjar Lie Jintian was not only a powerful warrior, but also a brilliantmander and strategist. He knew that Mars was thest hope for the human race, and therefore, he couldn¡¯t waste his soldiers on a frontal confrontation with the vastly superior Zerg main force. He needed to preserve the lives of the remaining soldiers and lure the Zergs deep into human territory, then divert their attention and destroy the Zerg force while they were separated. The Zergs were fighting far from their home base; sooner orter, they would be exhausted. In addition, in order to cover therge area behind the front line, the Zergs would have to separate their forces, creating an opportunity for the humans to strike back.

    However, the retreat meant aplete devastation for the people who lived near the front line. In one day, a few cities and a dozen settlements were razed to the ground.

    The major factions who heldrge cities started cating their panicking citizens while drafting more young and bale hands into the force. Meanwhile, inside themander¡¯s office of the Mars¡¯s united front...

    ¡°General, we have retreated for more than fifty kilometers. There have been a few more breachestely.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t save everyone.¡±

    ¡°The Zergs had attacked us by surprise. I am¡ª¡±

    ¡°By surprise? As the chief intelligence officer, you have to be held responsible for your ipetence!¡± Lie Jian cut Lunduoer short.

    ¡°But...I...¡± Lunduoer panicked and couldn¡¯t find any words in his mouth. He didn¡¯t think that Lie Jian would be the first to jump at him. Lie Jian was his boss, so in part, it was his fault as well. It seemed that Lie Jian wanted to silence Lunduoer and use him as a scapegoat.

 Chapter 578 - Strategic Retreat

    <h4>Chapter 578: Strategic Retreat</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°General, I have been serving your house loyally for years. Please consider all the work I have done for you and spare my life!¡± Fearing for his life, Lunduoer pleaded with tears in his eyes.

    A deadly silence hung in the air of the office.

    ¡°Take him out.¡± Lie Jintian waved in dismissal. ¡°I will give you a proper burial for your years of servitude.¡±

    A few hulking soldiers came in and dragged Lunduoer out of the office. Regardless of the reason for his mistake, let it be ipetency or carelessness, the damage was done, and it was unforgivable.

    Lie Jintian¡¯s face was hard as he scanned the generals and captains serving under him with a stern nce. Fearing his ire, no one dared look at him in the eyes. This disaster was certainly avoidable if the human defense were well prepared.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about our situation here. Does anyone have any suggestions? The retreat is a temporary measure; we need to push back.¡± Lie Jintian softened his look and asked. Although he had given up the defensive line in order to preserve strength, he desperately needed a good ploy to slow down the Zergs¡¯ push.

    ¡°The dark ones are not the immortals¡­They would either kill or turn the captives into ves. I think we shouldn¡¯t retreat any further. I suggest starting a counterattack at the third line of defense.¡± The Captain of the third regiment, Qin Yin announced urgently. Everyone knew that they would have to fight the Zergs at some point; and since the Zergs were looking for them, they had the advantage of choosing a battleground that suited their strategy.

    ¡°Captain Qin, what if we lose again?¡± The captain of the fifth regiment asked. Fighting the Zergs in an open field meant that the main force of Martian resistance would have to take the brunt of the Zerg attack. If the main force were not able to prevail, the rest of the war would be lost. Without a core army, the Zergs would be able to storm right into the hearnd of human-settled areas. None of the minor factions had the might to counter the sea of monsters.

    The meeting suddenly reached a block, and all discussions were stalled. There were too many variables in all of the proposed ns, and they were all too risky to execute. After all, the situation they mired in right now was exactly what Lie Jintian had tried so desperately to avoid.

    At the crux of the divergent opinions, the differences lied in whether or not to rally a counterattack at the third defensive line. Although dying the final showdown until the Zergs had crossed the third line of defense was more appealing to most captains, it meant the doom of all the innocent souls behind the line.

    ¡°We will stand our ground at the third line of defense!¡± Lie Jian announced abruptly but firmly. It took more than just courage to make this decision, since if the counterattack went astray, it might be the end of the entire human race.

    ¡°Rx! If we are well prepared, we should be able to hold the line long enough to hurt the Zerg.¡± Lie Jian said with a cocksure smirk. Lie Jintian didn¡¯t question his son; he knew that without enough evidence, Lie Jian would never make such a bold im.

    ¡°I would like to announce good news. We are able to mass produce the energy crystal guns. The first batch is already under production. We are hoping to start to see these guns in the hands of our soldiers within half a month! This will change things significantly.¡±

    The news stirs a swell of surprised murmur. The mass production of the energy crystal gun meant the number of soldiers would be quadrupled. The strength of soul energy would no longer be a restriction in joining the battlefield. Even a helpless granny could turn into a battlefieldmando once given an energy crystal gun and a direction to shoot.

    ¡°Captain Lie Jian, is this technology reliable?¡± Someone asked after a few cautious moments.

    ¡°Definitely! We had tested the gun many times. This is a research project of Wang Tong.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong?¡±

    Despite the familiarity of the name, no one could remember where or when they had heard of it. Most of the captains were much older than Lie Jian, and had spent most of their life on a battlefield even during peacetime. Therefore, they were less likely to have known Wang Tong than former academy students.

    ¡°Was he the one who defeated Patroclus five years ago? The heir of the de Warrior?¡± Qin Yin asked after some time.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. He was the one who solved the technical difficulties.¡±

    Although Lie Jian didn¡¯t want to use Wang Tong and his title to instill confidence into the minds of the generals, he knew he had no other choice. The assembly of the energy crystal gun would take time, and therefore, he would need these captain¡¯s unswerving trust in him. As long as these guns hit the battlefield, Zergs¡¯ advantage in numbers would be gone.

    At this most critical moment, everyone needed to have absolute faith in the operation to pull it through.

    As a soldier, he or she could be inspired to fight for various ideologies, such as freedom. But, what could inspire these pragmatic generals? The answer was evidence. Even the most cautious decision maker would be willing to take a risky move if he saw enough hard evidence backing the decision. If the Zergs were to breach the final line of defense, they would be able to affect the production of the energy crystal guns, further hampering the humans¡¯eback.

    It didn¡¯t take long before all the captains in the room reached a consensus: they would fight back at thest line of defense unequivocally!

    An approving smile shed across Lie Jintian face. Although he was the absolute leader among these captains, it didn¡¯t mean that everyone would follow his order to the letter. At this crucial moment, solidarity was of the essence. Thanks to thest piece of information that his son had hidden so perfectly well, Lie Jintian knew he had gained everyone¡¯s wholehearted support.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the Northern warden of Zerg army, Xie Su was riled up by the reporting from his home base. Two cities had been attacked and annihted. What was worse, no one knew who had done it so far. The loss of these two cities meant a broken link in the supply chain of the primitive Zergs, which made up the bulk of his army.

    Xie Su figured that it was not the work of one man; instead, it was that of an entire army. A human army was hiding somewhere behind the front line, within the vast Zerg territory. This was unthinkable!

    Despite his anger, Xie Su conceded that he couldn¡¯t be distracted by it while he was campaigning against the human resistance forces. This ndestine unit would be caught sooner orter as long as they remained within the Zerg territory. His focus right now should be the imminent final showdown with the Martian resistance. Leveraging his advantage in numbers, he had already pushed the human force to theirst leg. After the Zergs had crippled the humans¡¯ second line of defense, they had been slowing down the advance as they gathered forces to meet the human forces at the third line of defense.

    Meanwhile, the production of Zergs had been working round the clock at maximum capacity to fuel the campaign. The defensive stance along the third line of defense yed into Zergs¡¯ strength. Zergs had an almost infinite amount of soldiers they could throw onto the battlefield. However, the number of human soldiers was finite. The human soldiers stationed at thest line of defense was thest remaining force in the human world that could ward off a Zerg invasion. Once these soldiers were gone, the end to the human world would be near.

    Meanwhile, in the Zerg controlled territory, Wang Tong had ordered his men to make camp in the thicket of a forest.

    This was a precious respite. Ever since the special unit had razed Danube to the ground, they quickly reached another city, Kazakh, and razed it to the ground too. The attack had caught the dark ones by surprise, since in the five years, never once had they seen a human set foot in their city, much less a full-on invasion.

    Most of the soldiers had hit the hay as soon as theyy down their camp, but Wang Tong had gathered the leaders of the unit to discuss their next move.

    The oue of their raids on the Zerg settlement had proven Wang Tong right in believing that the Zergs was not prepared for an attack from within their territory. Long-termfort and safety bred contentment in the minds of dark ones as easily as it would in the humans.

 Chapter 579 - An Audacious Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 579: An Audacious Challenge</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    In the minds of most dark ones, it was only a matter of time before the Zergs conquered the humans on Mars. The only reason of the humans¡¯ existence was that Moye¡¯s pet project needed the humans as test subjects. Once the humans had lost their value, they could be easily wiped out of from the surface of the Mars using only the primitive Zergs. The dark ones didn¡¯t even have to get their hands dirty. Over time, divisions and hierarchies formed within the society of the Zerg race. With their superior intelligence, the dark ones reached the top of the food chain. Privileges and entitlement were something that the dark ones had learned from their human side.

    ¡°Five METAL warriors and two mastery casters have some minor injuries, while the rest of us are fine.¡± Xiao Yuyu nodded and reported. After two battles, Wang Tong had gained the soldiers¡¯ full trust. They had never thought that their attack could be so effective.

    Human mind developed a strong cognitive inertia over a long period of evolution. However, sometimes, this inertia needed to be ovee in order to see things from a new and more urate perspective.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, everyone. The reason we are doing so great is that the Zergs hadn¡¯t taken us seriously yet.¡± Wang Tong nodded and then said. He had expected this initial sess, and had tried to minimize the casualties. On that note, he was very pleased with the soldiers¡¯ performances. Although not everyone on the team was a legendary warrior, they worked as a team and obeyed orders strictly. Therefore, they were able to maximize the damage output while reducing the casualties to the minimum.

    The key to oveing the Zergs was to utilize human¡¯s strong suit fully. Mastery was one of those strong suits. Zergs were very good at adapting, and therefore, they were much better equipped to handle conventional damages such as GN force than the newer form of damage type like the mastery spells. Although the mastery spells were fragile ss cannons, by properly arranging the unitposition and formation, Wang Tong had unleashed the caster¡¯s power to the fullest.

    Most soldiers were sleeping soundly after the two intense battles. They knew that even this brief moment of respite would be a luxury once they had finally caught Moye¡¯s attention.?However, the leaders of the unit could not sleep yet; they had ns to make.

    ¡°Wang Tong, which city will be our next target? If we simply plow through straight ahead, our movement will be too conspicuous.¡± Guan Dongyang said.

    Bang!

    Lei Xuan knocked Guan Dongyang¡¯s head with her knuckles and then refuted, ¡°Are you thick in there? That is what Wang Tong wants!¡±

    Guan Dongyang grimaced and scratched his head. Although his wife had a fiery temperament and the knock on his head hurt like a buttcheek on a stick, he beamed from side to side and chuckled in mirth.

    ¡°Most of the war-spoils were food. What should we do with them?¡± Hamir asked.

    ¡°Give them to the soldiers. Let them eat and drink as much as they can.¡± Wang Tong answered without any hesitation. ¡°But, tell them not to squander everything in one sitting. We might have some difficulties getting food in the future.¡±

    ¡°Bu Zhihuo, Kong Jie, Lun Duo, and Tan Bu, I want you to hold a meeting with your men and tell them that the real difficulties are ahead of us, so be ready.¡± Yin Tianzong ordered.

    The strength of the special unit was in solidarity and effectivemand chain. Even the smallest hup would not go unnoticed.

    ¡°Rest assured that our men know that we are all in this together.¡±

    Although Wang Tong¡¯s soldiers were fearless warriors, it didn¡¯t mean that their mental state could always stay stable. Even the slightest concern needed to be taken care of by the captains as soon as possible before it transgressed into something much worse. Having managed the Mars-branch for many years, Yin Tianzong knew exactly what to do and what to watch out for during reduced circumstances.

    Wang Tong rubbed his hands in excitement and said, ¡°Alright everyone, we had a good start! Now, the real test begins. Let¡¯s take a rest tonight, and we will be on our way first thing in the morning.¡±

    The meetingsted no more than ten minutes; however, it was very necessary.

    A few hourster, other than the soldiers who were standing guard for the night, everyone fell asleep very quickly.

    ¡­

    Boer City was one of the first tier metropolia in the Zerg controlled territory. It was twice asrge as Danube, and the number of dark ones alone were in the thousands. Due to its immense size and military clout, it didn¡¯t take the northern warden¡¯s warning about a small group of rogue human units too seriously.

    In the eyes of the city lord B-Linmo, cities such as Danube and Kazakh were both backwater countryside viges. B-Linmo himself was the blood kin of the dark lord, which made his status above all the other city lords. In his mind, only the blood kin were the true rulers of the dark world, and the rest of them, even those low born dark ones, were mere ves.

    As for the human units mentioned in Xie Su¡¯s report, he found them almostughable. If they chose to cause trouble in his territory, Linmo would not hesitate to teach them a lesson. Although Linmo was excited by the promise of killing humans, he was convinced that those humans were cowards, and would only pick on much smaller Zerg viges instead of attacking him.

    B-Linmo was enjoying a te of human delicacies. Over time, he had developed a taste that was as sophisticated as the humans. The enjoyment on his tongue was the most intimate moment with himself, and therefore, he forbade anyone from disturbing him. However, when he about to take the first bite of his favorite entr¨¦e, a violent explosion erupted outside his window.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Linmo shouted, annoyed by the disturbance.

    A few dark ones fumbled into the room. ¡°My lord, some humans are spotted right above our city.¡±

    Wearing a full suit of METAL armor, Wang Tong flew across the city while bombing the buildings below with mastery spells. These buildings were dark ones¡¯bor of love, each one custom designed and exquisitely decorated. Wang Tong took his time while demolishing the buildings. The Boer city was one of the first tier cities, and was muchrger than the two cites he had destroyedbined. If he wanted to catch the dark lord¡¯s attention, there would no better ce to do it in than Boer.

    In this metropolis, the stratification of the Zerg society was even more noticeable than in the suburbs. The primitive Zergs and lower level dark ones lived in squalid ghettos and worked the mostbor-intensive jobs. They had gotten so used to their peaceful life that the sight of a human attacking the city had caught them off guard.

    Some dark ones were quicker to respond to the threat than the others as they took off and flew at Wang Tong. However, with only a couple jabs of thence, Wang Tong had killed these dark ones easily. Even though he didn¡¯t use the Einherjar Lance, he found that the power of a normalnce was more than enough.

    Linmo watched as the dark ones fell from the sky one after another. He didn¡¯t help his soldiers; instead, he observed Wang Tong¡¯s moves intently.

    It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize who this human was: he was the heir of the de Warrior, Wang Tong. He was the person that both Dark Lord and Patroclus were looking for.

    He registered that Wang Tong was one of the most powerful human warriors. If he were behind the attacks on Danube and Kazakh, it would make sense how easily both cities were annihted. Linmo also realized that it was an opportunity of a lifetime for him to capture the most powerful human warrior. Before he made any move, he was interested to see how many dark ones Wang Tong could kill before he started to slow down.

    Linmo was too smart to think that he was invincible. He knew very well that the power of a normal human city lord was equivalent to a golden dark one. However, a blood-kin such as himself possessed much greater power than an average golden dark one, and was much smarter than them too. Therefore, he would sit and wait until his minions tired Wang Tong down before he would even consider making a move.

    Linmo shrieked and urged the dark ones to attack. The primitive Zergs, on the other hand, stood and watched the fight unfold. When the dark ones were engaged in a battle, the primitive Zergs could only stand by and wait for instructions, as they were considered unworthy to fight alongside members of higher social sses.

    Linmo had the Einherjar¡¯s Bane Unit at his disposal. His units were able to eliminate human warriors up to level twenty-three. However, he wanted Wang Tong alive.

    Wang Tong was well aware of the struggle between the Dark Lord and Patroclus. It was a struggle of two evolutionary branches. The final decision as to which branch to choose for future Zergs was the prerogative of mother supreme alone. There were no rubrics nor guidelines for her assessment. However, both parties knew that the mother supreme cared a lot about the de Warrior, since he was the person who had single-handedly stopped the Zerg advancement for three hundred years. Therefore, whoever could bring Wang Tong to the mother supreme would definitely win her favor.

    The situation worked in Linmo¡¯s favor; if he were able to capture Wang Tong alive, he would rise in power and became one of the A ss blood kin generals!

    Watching his minions fall from the sky, Linmo didn¡¯t feel any remorse for their death. Although the dark ones had evolved the feeling of fear, they were not sophisticated enough to feel empathy yet. In Linmo¡¯s eyes, these low-level Zergs were cannon fodder, and it was their destiny to serve him with their lives.

    Not only did he not feel bad for the death of his soldiers, but he was also convinced that Wang Tong would be exhausted very soon.

 Chapter 580 - One On One With The Zerg

    <h4>Chapter 580: One On One With The Zerg</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The dark ones threw themselves at Wang Tong with abandon, pping their bat wings and shooting hundreds of bone shards at him. Seeing that the bone shards were ineffective, they closed in and attacked him using bone spears. However, in the end, all of the dark ones met their maker at the tip of Wang Tong¡¯snce.

    As Wang Tong ughtered these dark ones who had gotten close to him, he also cast mastery spells at the ones further away, causing mayhem among the mass of dark ones.

    In half an hour, the ground was covered with dark ones¡¯ dead bodies. Suddenly, the dark ones stopped their charge all at once. Even Linmo was caught off guard by the turn of events. He smirked again, urging his soldiers to charge at Wang Tong, but to no avail.

    The dark ones¡¯ order was to capture Wang Tong alive, and after having sacrificed so many lives of their own, they knew that the mission was impossible. Unwilling to end their lives in a meaningless task, the dark ones disobeyed their master¡¯s order for the first time.

    Linmo shrieked again, this time doubling the severity in his tone. Finally, a few dark ones flew toward Wang Tong reluctantly. With a few nks of metal against the bones, the sky rained green blood and flesh onto the dark ones on the ground. They knew that this was the blood and flesh of their own kind.

    For some reason that no dark one could exin, they felt a sense of dread, and the desire to live. They realized how fragile they were, and how little they were worth. Most important of all, they felt fear. They feared for their lives, and feared losing all the things that they enjoyed while they were alive.

    Death used to carry less weight than the fluffy clouds in the sky to the Zerg race. However, only a few generations after the first dark one who could sense pain was born, they started to fear death. Life was good, so why would they give it up unnecessarily? As soon as they questioned the order, they started to defy it.

    Linmo shouted again with as much authority and threat as he could muster. Fearing their leader¡¯s ire, the dark ones¡¯ panicked; however, not a single dark one was willing to meet his death still.

    Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised by the development. His initial intent was to attract the attention of the dark ones. This was necessary considering that the huge number of enemies inside the city would easily overwhelm three hundred human soldiers. Wang Tong wanted to lure the most powerful dark ones out of the city, so that Yin Tianzong could protect the casters after they sneaked in.

    ¡°YOU!¡±

    KOM!

    A fire dragon flew toward Linmo. Wang Tong noticed that this city lord looked much bigger than average dark ones, and his armor was also of exceptional quality. Wang Tong wagered that he ought to be a high ranking dark one in the dark lord¡¯s court.

    Linmo waved an arm and diverted the fire dragon, his face awash with anger.

    ¡°Stop screaming! Why don¡¯t you fight me instead?¡±

    The other dark ones also heard Wang Tong¡¯s taunt. Knowing that the powerful human warrior was noting after them, some dark ones heaved a deep sigh of relief. At the same time, somemented about how difficult their situation was after being sandwiched in between the wicked master and the deadly human warrior.

    All the dark ones looked toward B-Linmo, waiting to see his reaction for Wang Tong¡¯s challenge. At first, Linmo was taken aback by this human¡¯s taunt, but he quickly gathered himself and stered a confident look on his face. He knew that if he backed down right now, he would have lost the control over these dark ones forever.

    Wang Tong had never been so intrigued by a dark one ever since he arrived on Mars. He registered that this dark one¡¯s action would reveal to him a whole new aspect of Zergs.

    Wang Tong¡¯s face was lit up with glee when he saw the Zerg lord fly into the air to meet him. This one on one fight would be as uneventful as that with any other dark ones. However, this turn of events was a tell-tale sign that the dark ones were picking up bad habits from their human genes.

    After millions of years of steady evolution, humans not only knew their weakness well, but they had also gotten very good at handling them. However, the dark ones were known to their human traits, and therefore, they did not know what to do with them yet.

    ¡°Ah, Attaboy! ¡± Wang Tong smirked.

    ¡°Very well, we will do it as you humans would. If you lose the battle, you and your band of soldiers need to admit defeat.¡± B-Linmo said with a smug smirk on his face

    Although the Zergs considered humans as the inferior race, they held a different attitude toward the really strong and powerful ones among humans. The de Warrior, for example, was even highly praised by the dark ones for hisbat and strategic skills.

    The thought of subjugating the heir of the de Warrior brought a smile on Linmo¡¯s face.

    ¡°What if you lose?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    Without witnessing the human side of the dark one, Wang Tong would have already unleashed death onto Linmo. However, he was intrigued by what would happen if he yed along.

    ¡°Lose? Haha, I will let you live if I lose.¡± Linmo rolled his eyes at Wang Tong.

    Linmo was a terrible liar, and Wang Tong knew it, so he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the dark one¡¯s failed attempt to beguile.

    The thought of a lying dark one also made Wang Tong lighthearted. Perhaps Linmo could not represent all the dark ones, but it at least signaled the slow transition of characteristics due to the dark ones¡¯ special genes.

    The Zergs had gained the upper hand in the war; however, humans¡¯eback would hurt them much more after they had grown content. Wang Tong wagered that his surprise attack would have ushered a whole new array of emotions onto the dark ones.

    Seeing Wang Tong unruffled by his threat, Linmo charged up his soul energy as the energy crystal on his body started to glow. A wide and heavy bone de protruded out from under his right arm.

    The scene agitated the throng of dark ones on the ground. The few higher level ones¡ª judging by the color and size of their METAL¡ªextended their wings and pped them a couple of times while shrieking.

    Linmo shrieked back at his minions, and suddenly, all dark ones started to fan their wings and let out high pitch shrieks.

    Hiding at a corner of the city, Yin Tianzong watched the development with amazement and concern. This was not in their n; Wang Tong was supposed to lure the high-level dark ones out of the city, but not to start a duel with the Zerg lord!

    The human soldiers looked at each other with confusion on their faces. What was their captain thinking? Tan Bu and Lun Duo knew Wang Tong the best, and therefore, he was shocked that Wang Tong would challenge the Zerg in an honest one on one fight. The real Wang Tong they knew would either stab the Zerg lord while he was sleeping or use a trick to lure him into a trap. But a duel? That was just not Wang Tong¡¯s style.

    ¡°What the hell is going on? What are the Zergs yelling about?¡± Tan Bu murmured while holding back the urge to join Wang Tong.

    ¡°Are they...cheering for their lord?¡± Guan Dongyang remarked under his breath. He didn¡¯t want other people to know that his childish mind had thought that Zergs would cheer like a human.

    However, when soldiers heard Guan Dongyang¡¯sment, they didn¡¯tugh at him. The up and downs in the pitch did resemble that of human cheerleaders shouting slogans.

    While the rest of the human soldiers were still at a loss, the battle in the air had already started. As a blood kin, Linmo was much more powerful than a golden dark one.

    Belligerent Dash

    It was the first move that Linmo executed. He had learned it from a human warrior he killed not long ago.

    Wang Tong started the battle lightheartedly. For the longest time, humans regarded the dark ones as a perfect, albeit bloodthirsty race. Not only could they copy any human¡¯s abilities, but they could also do it at an incredible speed. They were practically wless. Wang Tong had thought the same; however, there and then, he had noticed a fatal w in dark ones.

    Although this w might not be able to bring down the Zerg race right away, it would poison the Zergs slowly, and let it die in a gradual but painful death.

    Not every race could control their emotions like the humans could. Desire, greed, and fear, were only a tip of the iceberg of emotions that could be deadly if left unchecked.

    Once Linmo had entered battle mode, his power was on par with a legendary warrior, but on steroids. He was able to execute the human moves without using any human tactics. Backed only by his incredible physique and the energy in the crystal, he could deliver tremendous force to his opponent.

    After a few exchanges, Wang Tong estimated that Linmo had reached level twenty-three. He guessed that thetter could even make it to the elite unit under Moye.

    On the ground, Linmo¡¯s minions cheered and danced like there was no tomorrow.

 Chapter 581 - The Dark Onesâ€™ Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 581: The Dark Ones¡¯ Weakness</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The humans had never gone so far into the Zergs¡¯ territory. They had only seen Zergs on the battlefield as enemies, but what were they like while they were in their home-base?

    No one either cared nor asked such a question, since it seemed irrelevant to their problem at hand.

    Yin Tianzong, Guan Dongyang, and Xiao Yuyu watched the battle unfold with a great measure of distress. So far, they still don¡¯t know what Wang Tong was trying to achieve. Unless there had been some unexpected development while he was in the city, he would never sidetrack from the task he was supposed to perform.

    Encouraged by his minions¡¯ cheers, Linmo attacked with newfound strength and ferocity. He had executed a few martianbat techniques that he had learned over the years perfectly. Thanks to his wings, he was able to perform a few highly demanding moves with ease and grace. His frame was very simr to that of a human, and with the increased power, even amon move used by human soldiers could be a deadly coup de grace when executed by Linmo.

    Zing!

    Linmo¡¯s bone de shed open Wang Tong¡¯s armor. Wang Tong didn¡¯t wear the Einherjar METAL, since he didn¡¯t bring Mr. Wannabe with him; therefore, it couldn¡¯t stand the level twenty-three dark one¡¯s blow at full force.

    The small edge Linmo had gained over the human soldier had ted the dark ones on the ground beyond description. They hurrayed¡ªin their ownnguage, if they had such a thing¡ª for the sweet revenge on the human who had murdered so many of their kind.

    Linmo was excited as well. His de danced around Wang Tong, barely catching his target with each strike. Whenever his attack grazed thetter¡¯s METAL suit, the impact sent a sh of sparks down at the onlookers. Some less fortunate Zergs were zapped by the sparks and reduced to a shrivel of charred meat in an instant.

    After a while, Wang Tong was confident that he had a pretty good idea of what this dark one was capable of.

    At first, Wang Tong registered that the dark one not only possessed the level twenty-three soul energy, but his incredible physique also meant that his strikes coulde with more intensity than that of a human warrior of the same level. However, he soon realized that despite the dark one¡¯s unrivaled brute force, he was quite flexible in changing his power ording to the situation. This, he wagered, had much to do with the dark ones¡¯ nearly monotonic emotional state.

    That being said, Linmo¡¯s audiences were convinced that this human soldier¡¯s doom was near, and their conviction pushed their revelry toward the climax.

    The joy and excitement in the audiences could be felt in Linmo¡¯s heart as well. He had cornered his opponent, so that thetter had nowhere to hide from his final attack. Raising his de high above his head, Linmo was ready to deliver the killing blow. Drunken with the admiration of his servants, he felt that he would be the next dark lord after he had finished this final move.

    Kom! Zing!

    At that moment, Wang Tong folded his hands, mping onto the bone de like a vise.

    Linmo could not believe what he saw. The energy crystal on his body shimmered brighter as he tried to wiggle the de out of Wang Tong¡¯s hand. But, thetter¡¯s hold was iron-strong.

    Frustrated, Linmo roared like a lion whose pride was hurt.

    He couldn¡¯te to terms with the reality. Victory had been so close, it was right at his fingertips! Plus, he was sure that this human¡¯s level was much lower than his.

    He shouted and howled, but he was unable to move the de the slightest.

    Wang Tong gave Linmo an ugly grin, then yanked his arms up, lifting the de and Linmo and kicking squarely at the dark one¡¯s groin.

    KOM!

    If Linmo had balls, they were busted by now.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong disappeared and reappeared among the throng of dark ones on the ground.?Linmo barraged the ground using his bone shards, without a shred of concern for his servants¡¯ lives.

    However, before he could discern if his attack hadnded on his target, Wang Tong reappeared in the air, right behind the dark one. He then punched squarely at the unsuspecting dark one¡¯s spine.

    Kacha!

    The Layered Fist of Tong went through the dark one¡¯s bone and severed it in half. Linmo could no longer feel his legs. Before he realized what had happened, he was dealt another blow from the back.

    The Zergs on the ground were stunned by the catastrophe. They heard something drop to the ground, so they looked: those were two bloody bat wings.

    As pain shot through Linmo¡¯s body, he howled in agony. The pain was another gift that evolution had bestowed to Zergs, so that they could feel the pain and suffering they had brought to other races.

    ¡°Who else wants to try me?¡± Wang Tong shouted to the dark ones. He held the bloodied upper body of Linmo in one hand and Linmo¡¯s signature broadsword in another, face smeared with the dark one¡¯s green blood. If the Zergs believed in devils, they would think that they were looking at the devil in person.

    ¡°Who else?¡± Wang Tong shouted again and squeezed the neck of Linmo. Linmo howled again, and then he pleaded. ¡°Please... don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill me ¡± Linmo spoke with hisst breath.

    He finally tasted fear in his mouth. He didn¡¯t want to die; he wanted to live. He wants to enjoy the things that he enjoyed; he wanted immortality.

    ¡°Order them toy on the ground!¡± Wang Tong ordered. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die. I enjoy watching you suffering much more than killing you.¡± Wang Tong said inly.

    Wang Tong¡¯s words made Linmo¡¯s body¡ªthe upper part at least¡ª shiver. He obeyed Wang Tong uneasily.

    The dark ones on the ground were at a loss. The order issued by their half-dead lord sounded wrong, yet irresistible. After a few seconds, almost half of the dark ones had given up their weapon andy t on the ground. The other half were still hesitating, but they were wavering.

    By then, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu were already preparing for the ultimate spell. But, after seeing what Wang Tong had done to the Zergs, they were left with only awe in their hearts. They knew that it was time to start the final assault.

    As the spell started to gather energy, the frightened dark ones felt the presence of its immense power. Some turned their heels and fled the city, but most of them remained on the ground. Fear had rendered them motionless, and the notion of fighting back was nothing but a fleeting thought.

    The fear that Wang Tong had sowed into the hearts of the dark ones was the perfect catalysis for the total corruption of their minds.

    The spell was ready, and as fire rained on the stupefied dark ones, they let the me torch them without moving a muscle. Only a very small group of dark ones thought of escaping, and those who did make out of the fiery hell were met with Yin Tianzong¡¯s deadly attacks.

    The soldiers shouted as they formed a wall in front of the casters, they would not let even a single Zerg cross their defense, and neither would they let a single Zerg escape the punishment.

    As the me imed the Zerg¡¯s lives, Wang Tong darted within the fire to finish off any escaping dark ones. Most dark ones were scared motionless as soon as they saw the body of Linmo still hanging in Wang Tong¡¯s left hand. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to defend for themselves.

    Thanks to how densely the dark ones were packed together, the fire spell was extremely efficient. Many dark ones lost their lives before they could utter even a cry.

    Amidst the agonizing howls of the dark ones, the courage and battle spirit of the human soldiers soared. They no longer feared the dark ones after seeing them shriveling under fear.

    Boer City had arge number of dark ones, and therefore, Wang Tong didn¡¯t design to attack the city directly. However, after the Zergs were crippled by their fear, the ndestine attack turned into a conspicuous ughter.

    When the moon finally rose, except for a few dozen dark ones who managed to escape the city, all Zergs were dead.

    Still holding the skull of Linmo, Wang Tong stood under the pale moonlight, looking like a devil rather than a human.

    He was the devil who had found the weakness in the dark ones.

 Chapter 582 - The Demon City

    <h4>Chapter 582: The Demon City</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The dark ones¡¯ minds were modeled after the humans, and therefore, not only did they look and acted like a human, but also think, feel, and worship their god as a human would.

    One of humans¡¯ gods was the de warrior, a god of power and strength. In humans¡¯ system of worship, there were two extremities: one was the god, and the other was the devil.

    They were both mighty, mysterious, and omnipresent.

    When the few dark ones fled the city of Bore, they brought with them the ount of the devil who lived amongst the human. To the Zergs, the existence of the devil was indisputable, since their limited logic told them that if the de Warrior existed, so should the devil.

    The ount of what had happened at Bore finally raised the high-level dark ones¡¯ concerns. They were well aware of the immense power of the god and the devil. Since only the humans could ascend to godhood through cultivation, the Zergs had decided to evolve into human forms, hoping to gain the divine power. However, before their breeding program had produced a legitimate heir of the devil, the devil himself hade for them with a vengeance.

    ¡°The devil?¡± Wu Juetian couldn¡¯t resist augh. Sitting across him was the city lord of Mephisto, C-Naru. Many dark ones who had escaped the ordeal at the Bore had fled to Mephisto, and therefore, Naru was the first city lord to have heard of the rumor about the ¡°devil.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Wu Juetian, this human is the heir of a god. Therefore, it is very likely that he is the...devil!¡± Naru said with a heavy ent. The dark ones usually ignored any facial expressions while talking, since they considered them redundant.

    Wu Juetian was the younger brother of the sect leader of the Dark Witch Sect. The Dark Witch was one of the top ten sects before the great war urred five years ago. Wu Juetian turned on his brothers and led his men to Patroclus¡¯ camp as soon as the war broke out.

    During his stay at Mars, he hade to know about the stupidity of the dark ones. He found it amusing that these dense imbeciles thought that they could rival the immortals. As a former human, he knew better than any dark ones that there were no gods in the human world. However, he didn¡¯t disclose the truth to his dark one friend, since he wagered that it was a good thing for the dark ones to fear his human background.

    Greetings over, Wu Juetian, furrowed his brows and said, ¡°My lord, I am afraid that Mephisto will be the next target, so we need to prepare.¡±

    Naru¡¯s face twitched as he hesitated to reply. The lord of Bore was one level above him; however, the report said that he was literally torn apart by the human devil. In just a few days, he had razed three cities to the ground. Meanwhile, after the Kazakh city was destroyed, the warden had issued an order to all the city lords to capture or kill Wang Tong. The reward would be huge for anyone who seeded in doing so, but if anyone let him slip away, the ¡®Cauldron¡¯ awaited them.

    The ¡®Cauldron¡¯ was an extreme punishment among the dark ones, where the victim¡¯s energy was sucked away by the executioner.

    The Zergs had a collective memory of the human¡¯s god, and that memory still frightened them till this day. The Zergs didn¡¯t be active again until the de Warrior had left the human world for good. However, the heir of the de Warrior, who had transformed into a devil, sounded even more terrifying to Naru than his predecessor.

    Not only was Linmo at a higher level than him, but the city of Bore possessed much stronger army than Mephisto. Naru conceded that he stood no chance while fighting against the devil.

    Wu Juetian curled his lips into a contemptuous smile. The more he knew about the dark ones, the more he thought about the Divine Lord, Patroclus¡¯s statement about them. Although the dark ones possessed incredible, if not outright impossible, ability to evolve, they were not gods, and their ability also had limits. Evolving too much too fast was not necessarily a good thing, as it would bring many unsuspected defects in the gene pool. These defects might not show up at first, but would eventually surface and catch everyone by surprise. The effect of fear on the dark ones in the Bore city was a good example.

    On the other hand, the immortals were previously human, and they had much better control over their fear and other negative emotions. They had seen Wang Tong when he was only a fledgling; of course, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid of him. Wu Juetian was not afraid of Wang Tong at all; instead, he was eager to kill him in order to add another war achievement on his record. That being said, Wu Juetian was well aware of the struggle between the divine lord and the dark lord; as an immortal, he wouldn¡¯t offer help to Naru freely.

    ¡°Lord Naru, I am sure you will prevail. On another note, there is something that I am not sure if I should bring up...¡± Wu Juetian said with a calcted smile.

    ¡°Speak along! We need to fight together, I trust you!¡± Naru said earnestly. He needed all help he could get right now.

    ¡°Mephisto used to be the name of an ancient demon in humannguage. I wager that the human devil will almost certainly visit us very soon.¡± Wu Juetian spoke under his breath.

    ¡°The city of the demon. You mean...we are his next target?¡±

    ¡°Indeed! He is the devil, isn¡¯t he? Of course, he wille to the demon city. We need to prepare for a full-on war as soon as possible. Otherwise, neither of our lords would let us live in peace.¡± Wu Juetian urged and saw fear flicker in Naru¡¯s eyes.

    Patroclus had ruled the immortals with order, and at times, even some measure of understanding. However, the same could not be said about Moye.

    As soon as a dark one was born, they were thrown right into a fiercepetition, where only the fittest survived. The dark ones strived to be the perfect race, and therefore, not even the smallest mistakes were tolerated.

    Naru didn¡¯t overthink the situation, neither did his intelligence allow him to. If the enemy came, he would kill the enemy; it was as simple as that. However, what if the enemy was so strong that it posed a danger to himself? Before he met Wang Tong, Naru never had to think questions like that.

    As he pondered his options, he finally had a light bulb moment. He turned to Wu Juetian and said, ¡°Mr. Wu, you were a human, I am sure that you know how to deal with this devil. Tell you what, if you can help me handle Wang Tong, I will give you all the force inside Mephisto.¡± Naru felt relieved and was very proud of himself foring up with such a brilliant idea.

    Wu Juetian suppressed a chuckle and said, ¡°As you wish, my lord. But, since the enemy is a devil, please assist me during the battle.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I will be at yourmand.¡± Naru answered in a cheerful tone.

    The dark ones were used to following orders. When they were not sure what to do, nothing sounded moreforting and reassuring than an order from an imperious leader.

    Without firing a shot, Wu Juetian had taken over the city of Mephisto. He had only brought five other immortals with him, and Naru had never considered him a threat.

    As for Wang Tong, Wu Juetian was sure that he could ovee him with ease. He was already level twenty-one before he was transformed into an immortal. With his invincible body, he could kill Wang Tong like squashing a fly.

    In addition to taking over as many dark one¡¯s cities as possible, capturing Wang Tong was also one of the orders from Patroclus. He could not pass up the opportunity of killing a famous human warrior, particrly if Wu Juetian didn¡¯t even have to look for him.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the city of Maersa was no longer a derelict backwater forgotten vige that it used to be. As more and more people migrated into the city, it grew in size and prospered. The mass production of the energy crystal gun had also drawn many powerful factions into the city to discuss potential opportunities as business partners.

    The mad scientist, Wang Tung, had drawn a lot of attention to himself, partly due to his invention, but also because of his name. Many people thought that Wang Tung was Wang Tong¡¯s brother because how simr their names sounded.

    However, Wang Tung considered his poprity as nothing but a distraction.

 Chapter 583 - The Legendary God Of War

    <h4>Chapter 583: The Legendary God Of War</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Aamir and Marcos were reveling in their role as the lord protectors of Maersa. They used to be only two leaders of unknown warbands, but now, they were powerful managers of a powerful city.

    The City of Maersa had changed a lot. After having received donations and profitable business deals for a while, the city¡¯s development had started to pick up speed. The problems that people initially worried about were solved easily.

    Since Maersa City provided technical support for the production line of the energy crystal gun, everyone wanted to be on their good terms. Therefore, despite the boom in poption, there were still plenty of resources to go around.

    As the poption grew, Maersa also started to draft more soldiers into its force. The requirement of bing part of the defensive unit was very low: a level three soul energy. Moreover, there was no restriction on age. After the soldiers were drafted, they only participated in one type of training: shooting.

    ¡°Is there any news from Wang Tong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Despite the boom of Maersa under their watch, neither Aamir nor Marcos could find any joy in their hearts. As their power grew, so did their responsibilities. The more reports they had heard, the more they realized that the situation on Mars had reached a turning point. The Martians¡¯ united front had re-established themselves at the third line of defense, preparing themselves for a final showdown with the Zergs. Every major faction had contributed to the defensive line to the best degree they could; some cities had even sent in their reserves. If the humans were able to hold back the Zerg attack at thest line of defense, it would be safe to say that the Zergs wouldn¡¯t be able to amass another attack for a while.

    The city of Maersa had also sent in ten thousand of their soldiers, leaving the city barracks practically empty.

    However, despite the effort of all Martian resistances, the situation remained unpredictable. If the energy crystal guns could be manufactured a few weeks earlier, the humans might be able to organize a GN gun special unit and send it to the front line. However, so far, the first group of soldiers who had received the guns was still under training.

    The humans had done what they could do, and the rest was up to the decision of the gods.

    The public in the city remained optimistic about the war,rgely because of the propaganda. This was going to be the final battle, and the main force at the defensive line had received unequivocal support from the public behind the front line. Everyone knew that this was the time of life or death, and only in unity would they survive.

    Marcos had sent out scouts everywhere, trying to gather as much information from the other side of the battlefield as possible. Ever since Wang Tong entered the Zerg territory, themunication was cut off. Therefore, Marcos didn¡¯t even know if thetter was still alive or not. Although Wang Tong had ensured him that he would return alive, Marcos knew even that if thetter was the heir of the de Warrior, he could not surpass the impossible.

    Aamir heaved a sigh and patted on Marco¡¯s shoulder while saying, ¡°We all have our devils to fight. Perhaps for him, to be able to die in the enemy territory was his greatest wish. We will be joining him soon anyway.¡±

    Neither of them was very optimistic about the humans¡¯ odds in winning the war. Even if the Martian united front were able to push back Moye¡¯s army, what would happen when Patroclus finally joined forces with Moye?

    Humans¡¯ days were numbered, and that was the hard truth no one seemed to be willing to admit.

    Even if the de Warrior returned to the human world, what could he achieve if he was fighting all by himself anyway?

    ¡°Every city had supported the war, and we had mobilized fifty regiments to the front line. I am confident that we should be able to deliver a blow to the Zergs.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let theme, and they will never go back!¡±

    ¡°The defense behind the front line was practically none. Are youfortable with that?¡±

    ¡°Not really. There were still Zerg activities in the human territory. However, we have them under control. It is not just us who are gathering force at the front line, the Zergs are too. Their home base is very fragile as well. Have you heard about that Einherjar? He has been very activetely.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I had seen him in my city. His appearance helped a lot with cating the nerves of the soldiers. He was not just a chatan; he was actually very powerful. I have heard that the Zergs had cornered him twice with the Einherjar¡¯s Bane unit, but he was able to destroy the EB unit on both ounts with ease. ¡±

    ¡°I have seen this guy once.¡± A voice boomed, and the meeting room suddenly quieted down.

    ¡°Captain Ding, you have? Really?¡±

    Captain Ding was in his thirties, a veteran general of House Lie.?¡°Indeed! I ran into him while I was on a business trip. The golden Zergs were harassing the city which I was staying in, and the city defense were getting wrecked.¡±

    ¡°Did you hide under the desk?¡± Someone jested. Captain Ding rolled his eyes at the jester and announced, ¡°Who do you think I am? Of course, I went into the fight right away!¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    Ding Zhan opened up his jacket and revealed an ugly scar running from chest to his lower belly. ¡°These golden dark ones are really tough SOBs. They are much tougher than a normal dark one, and the three of them knew how to work as a team. I thought I was done for until that Einherjar showed up. He ripped those poor Zergs into pieces with bare hands. ¡±

    ¡°Get out of here! That¡¯s impossible! The only person who can do that on Mars would be Zambrotta and Lie Jintian. ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the end of it! The three golden dark ones were merely baits for the Einherjar as a level twenty-five EB unit suddenly joined the battle.¡±

    Everyone gasped; they had never seen a level twenty-five EB unit before.

    ¡°The sky was covered with Kamikaze Zergs and over a dozen golden dark ones. These b*stards had been hiding until the Einherjar showed up. Gosh! I have never seen such a battle before. He could have destroyed an entire city if he wanted to.¡± Ding Zhan said with a broad smile on his face.

    ¡°And, and? What happened to him? Did he live?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Otherwise how the hell am I still alive and retelling the story to you? ¡±

    ¡°He defeated a level twenty-five EB unit? That is... unbelievable. Balls! This is great news!¡±

    ¡°Did he get hurt? A level twenty-five EB unit is no joke! Remember what happened to Einherjar Luo Kuang? He was killed by a level twenty-five EB unit right after he had advanced into Einherjar Level.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I want to know too! What kind of move did the Einherjar use?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Ding Zhan asked, letting the suspense hang in the air.?Everyone booed him and urged him to give them the answer.?Ding Zhan then shrugged and said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Balls! You probably had passed out.¡± Someone piped up.

    ¡°No! I was conscious, and I tried to look at his final move as much as possible, but I couldn¡¯t. I remembered that his first move was a punch, and then there was a white sh. When I saw him again, the ground was already covered with dead Zergs.¡± Ding Zhan said as admiration shed across his face. As a soldier, Ding Zhan worshiped power and might. The mysterious Einherjar was a paragon of those two attributes.

    Truth be told, the existence of the God of War was the main reason for the optimistic mood among the public. Encouraged by the War God, the people on Mars contributed to the war in many ways. Although some of them couldn¡¯t fight on the battlefield, they worked hard in the factory to produce supplies for the soldiers.

    ¡°Just one punch?¡± The captains were dumbfounded by Ding Zhan¡¯s story.

    ¡°Only if I could meet him in person¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Wang Tong had no clue that he had already be the reincarnation of the devil for the dark ones. After three intense battles, more and more people in his units were getting injured. However, so far, there had been no casualties.

 Chapter 584 - Massage

    Chapter 584: Massage

    Trantor: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

    The injured party members needed rest, and therefore, they quickly left the Bore City and hid in the woods to recuperate. Even though there had been no casualties, thirteen warriors were injured, and they needed immediate medical care. After some stressful hours of work, Xiao Yuyu and other field medics were able to steady the condition of those warriors. However, to fully recover would take a much longer time.

    Despite their injuries, those soldiers didn¡¯t waver at all, and were willing to get back to the battlefield right away.

    After what had happened at Bore City, Wang Tong seemed to have found a new opportunity. Keeping on fighting city after city was not a good long-term strategy. As Wang Tong saw new opportunities, he also found many new difficulties. He could not guarantee that all the dark ones were cowards like Linmo, and it was possible that they would walk into the camp of an extremely ferocious dark one. In addition, after the destruction of threerge cities, the guards of all the Zerg cities had been doubled, and therefore, the human soldiers would have lost the precious element of surprise.

    There was another problem: food. They packed light when they left the human territory, and had been restocking their supply every time they sacked a city. Each time they did so, they only packed just enough for them tost until the next raid. Unfortunately, the fire had identally burnt all of the food storage in Bore city. Therefore, the human soldiers were not able to restock their provisions.

    They tried hunting for wildlife, but it was easier said than done. The savage Zergs had long since hunted all the animals to extinction during their brief reign. They would be lucky if they could even catch a rat.

    ¡°Out next fight would have to secure our food ration.¡± ¡°Women are not like men. They can¡¯t just eat anything.¡± Guan Dongyang put in. Field medics were not as tough as METAL warriors; some food might not site well in their tender stomach.

    ¡°I can speak on behalf of all medics that we can swallow down whatever the METAL soldiers do.¡± Xiao Yuyu announced.

    ¡°Sorry, that was not what I meant. Field medics and casters need to concentrate while working. You can¡¯t concentrate while you are suffering from malnutrition.¡± Guan Dongyang exined.

    Guan Dongyang was not a sexist; he knew that in order to march swiftly under difficult terrain, everyone on the team would have to be in their prime condition.

    Everyone looked to Wang Tong for a solution. Although their victory was encouraging, the soldiers couldn¡¯t feed on their thoughts regardless of how positive they were. When hunger finally struck them, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to stand up and fight.

    ¡°We can make an adjustment to our formation so that the injured soldiers can take on fewer enemies, but the issue with the food needs more discussion. In addition, those injured soldiers¡¯ METAL suits were badly damaged, and they can¡¯t use them any longer. ¡±

    ¡°Exchange them with the METAL warrior¡¯s suits.¡± Guan Dongyang put in, and Wang Tong nodded. ¡°That will do. As for food, I think I might have a solution.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lie Xuan couldn¡¯t resist asking Wang Tong.

    ¡°After each battle, there is food lying in front of us everywhere, only if we can allow us to be more adventurous. Although this food doesn¡¯t taste good, it has all the nutrition one needs.¡±

    Wang Tong was talking about Zerg meat. He had to live on it for a year while he was trapped on Norton. So, he was very familiar with all fifty shades of its disguising taste.

    A few girls faces turned pale at Wang tong¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Captain, can we eat something else instead?¡± Ye Zi¡¯s face was white like a parchment paper. Eating Zerg meat was thest thing she ever wanted to do.

    Some of the soldiers finally realized what Wang Tong was alluding to. ¡°Are Zergs edible?¡±

    ¡°Yes, all parts of their bodies are, as a matter of fact. But, the taste is¡­not the best. I think we should start eating them after the next fight. We can no longer rely on searching food in the Zerg cities, since our missions are getting more dangerous, and we need to get out of there as soon as we have done our job.¡± Wang Tong exined.

    ¡°We should leave the normal food to the girls and the injured, and the rest of us should stick with the Zerg meat from now on,¡± Vorenus suggested.

    ¡°I agree!¡± Yin Tianzong said.

    This time, Xiao Yuyu and her band of field medics had kept their silence. Although they were not afraid of dying on the battlefield, the thought of eating a Zerg made their skin crawl.

    ¡°Our next target is the Mephisto City. We need to survey the ground before we attack.¡± Wang Tong said as he pointed at a map.

    ¡°If we continue in a straight line, are we risking being too predictable?¡±

    ¡°Good point! And, that is why we need to survey thend and be ready. However, I don¡¯t think the dark ones will be that quick to respond yet. I wager that will change after we sack Mephisto.¡± Wang Tong pointed on the map where their current course was leading to. It was the Zergs¡¯ headquarter. They would pierce straight into the hearts of the Zergnd without even taking a single detour. It was a brazen challenge and a conspicuous promation of war.

    ¡°If the Zergs are nning on ying tricks, we will y nasty with them as well. ¡± Tan Bu pped his hand had said.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! We will give the Zergs a lesson on battle strategies. Have you guys noticed that there are only very few Zergs guarding the city?¡±

    ¡°Indeed! The number of dark ones was not nearly as many as we had initially estimated. ¡±

    ¡°I think they are stretched pretty thin because of the war. Although we are not arge army, we can surely make them hurt while they are in such weakened state.¡± Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

    Everyone headed back to their tents after they had decided on a few more details of their next move. Wang Tong rubbed his forehead as hemented on how tired he had gotten. However, each one of them looked as spirited as when they first followed Wang Tong through the wastnd to the Zergs¡¯ territory. Although Wang Tong couldn¡¯t guarantee everyone¡¯s safety, he was determined to make sure as many soldiers could return to the human world safely as possible.

    Their n had reached a critical moment; Wang Tong knew he had to be careful in every step he took from then on.

    He needed to use the dark ones¡¯ shorings and turn them into his advantage while striking a bnce between being overly cautious and arrogant. So far, he and his team seemed to be making progress. However, something nagged at his mind as if he had overlooked a specific key element.

    He had calcted and recalcted all of his moves, and everything seemed to y into his favor. So, why did he still feel such unease?

    Bang, Bang!

    ¡°Come in.¡± Wang Tong¡¯s pulled his mind out of his reverie; it was Xiao Yuyu at the door. ¡°Chief Medic, why are you not in bed?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you?¡± Xiao Yuyu answered with a question.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get tired easily.¡± Wang Tong smiled.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you? You look tired.¡± Xiao Yuyu asked.

    ¡°Thank you¡­We are fortunate to have you here. Otherwise, those warriors would have already died.¡± Wang Tong remarked.

    ¡°Do you need a massage?¡± Xiao Yuyu blurted out and then blushed.

    Wang Tong paused for a second and then replied, ¡°Of course! Haha. I do feel sore around my neck.¡±

    Wang Tong¡¯sugh relieved some of Xiao Yuyu¡¯s embarrassment. The perilous situation had lent Xiao Yuyu courage to make a move on Wang Tong. Only God would know if she could wake up tomorrow and see his smile again. She didn¡¯t have time to wait and contemte; if she wanted him, she needed to act now.

    Wang Tong was not a fool; he had felt Xiao Yuyu¡¯s feelings for him, and had decided that it would be rude to refuse her outright.

    Xiao Yuyu was never trained in massage, but she tried her best. She put her soft hands on Wang Tong¡¯s neck, squeezing and rubbing it. Neither of them spoke, dragging out the silence. Wang Tong¡¯s mind had wandered off back to the time when he was on Norton. He had fought by himself and fought without any burden; it was a much simpler time than the situation he was in now. He had to concede that Being the savior was a difficult job.

    Seeing the rxed smile Wang Tong¡¯s face, Xiao Yuyu gained more confidence in her skills. She started to use strength as she pressed on Wang Tong¡¯s naked skin. Unconsciously, she inched closer toward Wang Tong. Wang Tong smelled her perfume, and he opened his eyes. Xiao Yuyu¡¯s bosom was right in front of him.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong shouted, ¡°I got it!¡±

    Startled, Xiao Yuyu copsed into Wang Tong¡¯s arm. The touch of her soft body and firm breasts quickly kindled the fleshly desire inside thetter.

 Chapter 585 - Miscalculate

    <h4>Chapter 585: Miscalcte</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong would be lying if he said he felt nothing at all while looking at Xiao Yuyu¡¯s blushing cheeks and alluring lips. The urge was strong, and Xiao Yuyu was cooperating. Although she hade with Wang Tong in the name of fighting for a better future, she would not be this dedicated if she felt nothing for him.

    However, Wang Tong had learned to use the brain on his shoulder this time. He wrenched his lewd nce away from Xiao Yuyu and said, ¡°Thank you, Yuyu. I have just thought of something.¡±

    After Xiao Yuyu opened her eyes, Wang Tong put her down beside him on the bed, and unconsciously linked their hands together. ¡°I had this nagging feeling that I had missed something in our n. Now I know what it is! ¡±

    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Xiao Yuyu¡¯s interest was piqued.

    ¡°So far, we had overlooked another party: the immortals.¡± Wang Tong said with a smile. If they attacked an immortal inhabited city with the same method they used on dark ones, they would be defeated very easily.

    ¡°The immortals?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they areing after me. We should prepare ourselves. I think Patroclus really wants to kill me.¡± Wang Tong said nonchntly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t hate him for it?¡± Xiao Yuyu asked curiously. She was taken aback by how casual he sounded.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal. We had chosen two different paths, and that is it.¡± Wang Tong said wistfully. His sincerity tugged at Xiao Yuyu¡¯s heartstrings. Compared to him, even her former idol, Michaux, seemed distant and hollow. Only the strongest would face one¡¯s true feelings. Xiao Yuyu was madly in love with Wang Tong¡¯s truthfulness to himself. As a matter of fact, no girl could resist that charm.

    Xiao Yuyu was not the only girl ¡ªneither was she the first¡ªwho had followed Wang Tong while she had much better options. The field medics on her team all had reached at least level neen, which meant they could have stayed at the Sect and enjoyed their carefree life as medic instructors. They didn¡¯t have to follow Wang Tong to these extremely dire circumstances.

    Women were animals of emotions; therefore, their decisions were more likely to be driven by infatuation than reason. That was also what made them such beautiful creatures.

    ¡­

    The Zergs didn¡¯t allow the humans too much time to prepare for the defense. The battle which would determine the fate of an entire had begun, starting with a massive charge from the front. The air was filled with the smoke and Zergs¡¯ hideous shrieks. Dark clouds loomed in the sky, casting long dark shadows onto the battlefield, where currents of Zergs swelled and roiled.

    In order to ease the pressure on the front line, Zambrotta and the Kaedeians had sneaked their troops to the side of the charging enemies and nked them from both sides. However, they were quickly met with fierce resistance. The dark ones knew that humans would nk them, and hence were prepared. The defense formation was made up of mostly dark ones, and their mission was simple: defend the sides of the charging formation at all cost.

    Every day, there were tens of thousands of human soldiers who lost their lives. At this critical moment, no one would back down as long as they were still alive. Despite the waves after waves of belligerent assaults, the human defense stood firm. After three days, the initial charge of the Zergs finally stopped. However, this was only a prelude to the so-called ¡°Martian Mass Defense.¡±

    Unlike the skirmishes humans had encountered so far, this battle was meant to bring them. Moye¡¯s n had seeded, as his soldiers had leveled up significantly after practicing against the human warriors. This was the time to get rid of the humans once and for all.

    The Zergs¡¯ determination in this battle had proven that Lie Jintian¡¯s decision of fighting back was wise. If they had let the Zergs enter thest line of defense, they would have mass murdered all humans and destroyed any resources that human forces would need to fight back. Without the support of the civilians and ample provisions, even guerri warfare would be impossible to carry out.

    So far, Lie Jintian¡¯s n had worked. Despite the massive casualties humans had endured, Zerg¡¯s losses were much greater.

    The three days that followed the initial cease-fire had been difficult for most human soldiers to endure. Arge number of reserve troops was sent to the front line to fix up the defensive structures, and supply fleets traveled between the hearnd of the human world and the front line. Everyone carried out their tasks in a cheerless silence as dread slowly crept into their minds. The longer they waited for the Zergs¡¯ next attack, the more nerve-wracking it had be.

    The silence of the firing line could be broken abruptly at any time, such that despite the long wait and anticipation, human soldiers would still feel that the attack came unexpectedly.

    ¡°Report!¡±

    Not all leaders attended the briefing conference call; the captain of the sixth regiment, for example, was absent.

    Lie Jintian nced at the empty seat and flipped Lie Jian a look, willing him to exin the situation. Lie Jian stood up and said, ¡°The sixth regiment had taken the brunt of the Zergs¡¯ attack, but they stood their ground firmly for three days without backing an inch. However, Captain Jiang Guang had paid the ultimate sacrifice, and so did many other soldiers in the sixth regiment.¡±

    Although everyone had expected casualties during this war, when the reality set in, the captains realized that the death was much closer to them than they had thought.

    Everyone¡¯s face turned hard and solemn. The death of Captain Jiang Guang showed them the Zergs¡¯ determination in killing everyst human being. Never before had these captains realized how close they were to the extinction of the human race. They had no other choice but to fight to their death and defend the line. They were all in this together, and no one wanted to be the weak link that broke the chain.

    Every regiment briefed Lie Jintian on their casualties and the difficulties they were having. Lie Jintian listened calmly; in the end, he concluded the meeting after conveying the only message: Jiang Guang was the exemr of bravery, and every soldier should learn from him.

    Everyone at the meeting agreed with his loud and clear message; the Zergs could only cross the defensive line over the human soldiers¡¯ dead bodies!

    After the meeting, Lie Jintian¡¯s ¡®s face looked troubled. The had warded off the Zergs¡¯ initial charge, but when the real attacks came, would the current defense suffice? The Zergs¡¯ rming replenishing rate meant that they could keep throwing Zergs toward the human defense without having to worry about casualties. He reckoned that the only hope in turning the situation around would be the energy crystal gun.

    The report said that the guns would finally be ready in ten days. In order to meet the deadline, some production nts had even pushed the METAL suit production back.

    However, Lie Jintian wagered that even with the GN guns, the situation would remain unclear. It might help the human force to push back the Zergs once or twice, but no one knew how many Zergs were gathering behind the enemy lines. If they rushed the defense all at once, even the GN guns wouldn¡¯t be of much use.

    Meanwhile, deep inside the Zerg controlled territory. Wu Juetian was listening to the briefing on the war and waiting for Wang Tong. After a couple of days of investigation, he finally got the picture of Wang Tong¡¯s activities. He estimated that thetter was leading a very small unit¡ªthree to four hundred at most¡ªand had conquered three Zerg cities without any casualties. The cowardice of the dark ones at Bore City amused him.

    Wu Juetian was convinced that Wang Tong woulde after Mephisto city. However, after three days of quietness, reports said that he was spotted near Lantian City, on the other side of the district. Wu Juetian was disappointed by the finding; however, he conceded that Wang Tong was not stupid enough to attack Mephisto City while he was themander here.

    Patroclus didn¡¯t issue any order rting to the ongoing war between the humans and Moye. However, Wu Juetian knew that Patroclus¡¯ reticent behavior was a hint for all the immortals to stay put and let the other two parties fight to the death. Therefore, despite the urgent request for reinforcement from the dark lord, Wu Juetian held onto the forces under his control. The dark ones had questioned him a few times about not helping out in the war, but he dismissed their question each time by using excuses that were beyond theprehension of their thick skulls.

    When the news about the sacking of the City of Lantian came to Wu Juetian, he didn¡¯t give up his hope. Lantian was not far from Mephisto; if Wang Tong didn¡¯te to him, Wu Juetian would go to him instead. The next day, Wu Juetian led all the dark ones and the primitive Zergs out of Mephisto and headed toward Lantian to capture Wang Tong.

    After, and only after the troops were already on their way to Lantian did Wu Juetian think about drafting a letter to the northern warden, requesting permission for his action. In the letter, he had exaggerated the enemy force, iming there were over ten thousand human soldiers under Wang Tong¡¯smand.

    However, when they were halfway to Lantian, a report from his home base reached him: Wang Tong was attacking Mephisto.

    Wu Juetian was shaken after the news. If he lost the city and failed to capture Wang Tong, he would be as dead as a door-nail. Although the dark ones were easy to fool most of the time, there was a limit to their stupidity as well.

 Chapter 586 - The Dark Witch Sect

    <h4>Chapter 586: The Dark Witch Sect</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wu Juetian had given his word to the dark ones that he would be able to defeat Wang Tong, and in exchange, the dark ones had also given him the rights tomand. At this point, even the divine lord, Patroclus himself would not be able to intervene in the matter.

    The moment Wu Juetian got the news of Wang Tong¡¯s attack, he led his most loyal men¡ªmostly turn-cloaks from the Dark Witch Sect, and stormed back toward Mephisto. All the while, he could only pray to the gods that the meager defense he had left at the city would be able to fend off the humans¡¯ attack until he returned.

    Wu Juetian started at dusk, and he didn¡¯t reach Mephisto until dawn. Looking at the city from afar, Wu Juetian heaved a sigh: it seemed that the city walls were not breached.?As long as he could re-enter the city, he would still have a chance of winning the war.

    As his party got closer to the city wall, a few dark ones started to shriek in a fearful tone. Wu Juetian cupped his palm over his brow to block the rising sun. When he finally made out the thing on the wall, he realized that he was already toote: it was Naru¡¯s head on a pike.

    Wu Jeutian¡¯s face was awash with anger after seeing such a tant provocation. As a youngster, Wang Tong was arrogant enough to challenge a veteran like himself¡­That was preposterous!

    Wu Juetian pressed on the gas pedal and let his maglev wheeze across the battlefield to the city gate. Behind him, soldiers of the ck Witch Sect and a few golden Zergs followed him closely.

    The city gate was left open, and as soon as Wu Juetian entered the threshold, he was greeted by a bleak scene. The bodies of dead Zergs were lying everywhere in the streets. The queen was hung by the neck at the tallest tower of a church. The church was the only building that was preserved by the dark ones due to its aesthetic qualities.

    The queen was still alive, but gravely injured. Seeing the approach of her own kind, she cried out for help. Although the queens were not the de facto rulers of each colony, they were the highest authority in Zerg culture. Each Zerg, dark one, or immortal had an intrinsic connection with the queen. Her scream made Wu Juetian¡¯s head hurt.

    Swallowing down his remorse and pain, Wu Juetian flew himself to the air and shouted with hatred, ¡°Wang Tong, show yourself!¡±

    ¡°Come out now! Come to me if you are a man! Aren¡¯t you the heir of the de Warrior? I think you are the heir of the Turtle Warrior!¡±

    Wu Juetian had never been so riled up before. The ce where Wang Tong hung the queen was clearly a trap, but he didn¡¯t mind. The fact that Wang Tong had to rely on a sordid method such as a trap meant that he was afraid of him.

    Suddenly, a man appeared from behind the tower. It wasn¡¯t Wang Tong; it was Tan Bu.

    Tan Bu loathed the queen; every time he saw the morbid Zerg queen, he remembered the day his sister was eaten alive by one of those monsters. It was a scar on his heart that had never healed.

    Tan Bu held a dagger in his hand, and he stabbed the fat queen with the pointy tip repeatedly without any hesitation. The queen let out a wave of painful shrieks as she helplessly wiggled her body. The dark ones acted out of instinct and threw themselves at Tan Bu.

    Wu Juetian wanted to hold his soldiers back, but it was already toote.

    Tan Bu didn¡¯t flinch as he stabbed the dagger into the thick skull of the queen and said, ¡°Tell them to back off; otherwise I will beat your brain into a mush!¡±

    The queen only struggled for half a second and then shouted in a deep voice. The charging dark ones stopped in unison and looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

    ¡°Very good!¡± Tan Bu pped the blubbery skin of the queen with the back of his dagger.

    ¡°Sh*t!¡± Wu Juetian eximed suddenly and ordered his immortals to pull back right away. Meanwhile, a giant, fiery dragon appeared in the sky, bearing down on the Zergs with a powerful roar. When it hit the ground, all the dark ones were engulfed by the me. The earth trembled due to the impact, and the shockwave blew Wu Juetian and his soldiers into the air.

    In the sky amidst the billowing smoke, three human warriors appeared: they were Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang, and Xiao Yuyu.

    The fire dragon was thebined effort of the three powerful Mastery Casters. Wang Tong had been waiting for this opportunity for a few hours.

    As soon as the queen saw Wang Tong, her body trembled in fear uncontrobly, mouth spitting out wads of gluey substances.

    Wu Juetian picked himself up and looked to Wang Tong while saying, ¡°Wang Tong, release our queen! We will sort this out between you and me.¡±

    Wu Juetian noticed the couple of casters besides Wang Tong and immediately regretted his decision. He registered that even the mastery casters had reached the legendary level, which had been unheard of.

    The human soldiersughed in joy after pulling off such a brilliant strategy. They attacked the Lantian City using a small force as a bait to draw the attention of their real target. When the Mephisto City was finally defenseless, theyshed out and captured the city with ease.

    This time, Wang Tong didn¡¯t kill the Zerg queen right away, since he figured that he could use the queen to his advantage. He would never pass up any advantage he could get his hands on. The reason that all the dark ones and Zergs listened to the queen¡¯s order so obediently had to do with the fact that all Zergs were given birth by this very queen.

    The cruelty in Wang Tong¡¯s n was justified by the humans¡¯ dire situation.

    ¡°Are you afraid of me, coward?¡± Wu Juetianughed, further taunting his opponent. He was less affected by the queen¡¯s orders, and after he gathered himself, he wagered that even if he couldn¡¯t do away with Wang Tong, he could drag out the fight until the reinforcements came.

    ¡°Fine, I will oblige. Show me what you had learned from the Dark Witch¡­Ah, sorry! I forgot you are no longer a member of the Dark Witch, as they kicked you out. You are a shameful traitor, a worm.¡± Wang Tong couldn¡¯t resist a contemptuousugh. The rest of the human soldiers returned to their ranks, but Tan Bu de still pressed the dagger against the neck of the queen.

    All the human soldiers knew that Wu Juetian was trying to drag out the fight. However, little did the immortals know that he had fallen into Wang Tong¡¯s trap once again. As long as they had the queen under their control, any reinforcements would be immediately turned into meat on a chopping block, waiting to be carved up by mastery casters.

    Wang Tong slowly lowered himself and closed in onto Wu Juetian. Everyone watched him with a great measure of respect. They marveled at his brilliant strategy that yed the Zergs like a fiddle.

    Wang Tong¡¯srades also found out that their leader had a very deep understanding of the behavior of the Zergs. He was aware of the strength and weakness of every kind of Zerg. Rumors had it that Wang Tong had been a straight-A student while he studied at the Ayrng Academy.

    ¡°How is Wu Ma doing? We had met five years ago. He had been a talented soldier.¡± Wang Tong spoke in a calm voice.

    Wu Juetian paused for a second. The choice between humans and the Zergs had been a difficult one. However, once he made up his mind, he never looked back and tried to forget about this human past. But, Wang Tong¡¯s greeting brought all the old memories to his mind.

    ¡°He¡­He was a good Dark Witch. ¡± Wu Juetian said ndly while old memories flickered in his eyes.

    Wang Tong nodded and asked, ¡°Is it true that Patroclus had preserved many human¡¯s lives?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, that is true. Some humans are allowed to survive, but they have to be under constant surveince. When they finally make up their mind to join us, they will be given a new life and be treated the same as any other immortals. Patroclus had always admired your abilities. If you are willing to give our offer a consideration, I will put in a good word for you in front of our divine lord.¡±

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t speak and let Wu Juetian¡¯s proposal hang in the air. He had heard about Patroclus¡¯ brainwashing program in which they strived to distort the values of normal humans and make them think that joining the immortals was the right choice.

    The moon had been under the rule of Patroclus for over four years. Wang Tong couldn¡¯t imagine how many things had changed. If Patroclus were able to convince the humans to let go of their humanity, could they still be called humans?

    Seeing that Wang Tong didn¡¯t answer his question, he knew that the former was not interested. By then, he could feel a strong pulseing from the Zerg in his chest. He knew that the reinforcements were near.

    Even the little twitches of Wu Juetian¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t escape Wang Tong¡¯s eyes, who spoke again, ¡°Talk is over. Now, it¡¯s time to send you back to your maker.¡±

    Suddenly, Wu Juetian flicked his fingers and shot our an array of dark balls toward Wang Tong.?As the grandmaster of the Dark Witch Sect, Wu Juetian possessed an incredible power. Otherwise, he would never have made it to Patroclus¡¯ army. The Dark Witch sect specialized in a unique form of mastery, considered one of the ten deadliest mastery on the earth.

    Although the Dark mastery¡¯s attack did not cover arge swath as the elemental fire attacks did, its damage was more concentrated, and therefore, lethal to individual targets.

    These ck ichor balls were highly corrosive, and could melt through even the toughest METAL suit.

 Chapter 587 - Elemental Body

    <h4>Chapter 587: Elemental Body</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    In a blink, over a dozen ichor balls were deflected by Wang Tong. Wu Juetian didn¡¯t mind that his first attack was ineffective. He opened his arms as his body lit up with a dark glow. He started to chant and waved a spell that seemed to distort the very fabric of time and space.

    A dark web was formed around Wang Tong and was closing in on him. This was the real ¡®Sk¡¯.

    Wu Juetian¡¯s power was at par with a legendary mastery caster, and the potent effects of the dark magic also added more deadliness into his attacks.

    A cold smirk found Wu Juetian¡¯s lips. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why our divine lord admires you so much. You should feel grateful!¡±

    If Patroclus paid him half as much attention as he did to Wang Tong, Wu Juetian would have been one of the topmanders among the immortals.

    ¡°Why did you choose to be a monster?¡± Wang Tong asked as he charged up his GN shield to protect himself from the encroaching dark web. As the corrosive strings of the web touched the GN shield, the shield sizzled as if it was singed by fire.

    ¡°A monster, you said? You are too backward thinking. What is so bad about bing an immortal? We have anything that a human could have, and more!¡± Wu Juetian looked at Wang Tong contemptuously. Although he loathed his brother, he believed that his nephew, Wu Ma, could be a mighty immortal. He had tried to persuade Wu Ma several times, but to no avail. Wang Tong¡¯s actions reminded him of his stubborn nephew.

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks! I don¡¯t want that disgusting parasite in your chest.¡± Wang Tong said sarcastically. The worm ought to be these immortals¡¯ only weakness and their source of power.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Wu Juetian said coldly and then started to chant again. The energy crystal embedded in his palm started to shine as hundreds of dark arrows appeared in front of him. Pointing at Wang Tong, the rough shape of the arrowheads started to take a sharper form as they absorbed the dark forces in the universe. These dark energies were rare, but extremely potent; this was Wu Juetian¡¯s killing blow. So powerful were these dark arrows that they would go straight through a GN shield and METAL suit.

    Wu Juetian never expected the dark web to inflict a significant harm to Wang Tong, as it was used to trap human soldiers. Wu Juetian wanted to capture Wang Tong alive, but fearing the power of the other two legendary level warriors apanying Wang Tong, he decided to do away with thetter instead.

    After a few seconds, these arrows were ready to fly. Meanwhile, outside the city wall, the Zerg reinforcement had also arrived.

    ¡°Say hi to the de Warrior for me when you reached the underworld.¡± Wu Juetian said with a smile.

    With that, the dozen or so dark arrows suddenly disappeared as they plunged into Wang Tong¡¯s body through the GN shield and the METAL suit and rendered it trembling uncontrobly. While watching this sudden turn of events, Xiao Yuyu¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    Regardless of Wang Tong¡¯s title, he was no match for a real battle-hardened warrior. It was time for the veterans to teach these fledglings a lesson: war was not a game.

    However, after a while, Wang Tong regained control of his body, appearing to be unharmed.

    KOM!

    A powerful wave of dark energy dispersed from Wang Tong¡¯s system.

    ¡°That was really awesome.¡± Wang Tong marveled.

    Before he finished talking, he shed out of sight and reappeared behind Wu Juetian. Wang Tong was not just a caster; he was also a METAL warrior. Letting him get so close spelled doom for any caster, legendary level or not.

    ¡°Elemental body!¡± Wu Juetian hurried to improvise a defense spell. Even as he shouted out the name of his spell, he watched as his body fell to the ground while his vision hovered above the body. Before he realized that his head had been twisted off by Wang Tong, he saw the Zerg parasite being wrenched out of his chest.

    Wang Tong held the wiggling worm in his hand and asked, ¡°Look! this is who you are!¡±

    Thest thing Wu Juetian saw and heard was the sight of the cheerful soldiers of the Battle Wolf.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t want to spend more time on the rest of the Dark Witch abominations. In an instant, all the immortals found a huge hole in their chest; those poor b*stards didn¡¯t even see Wang Tong lift a finger at them.

    As the remainder of Wu Juetian¡¯s entourage fell to the ground, Wang Tong flew himself up. The Zerg reinforcement had started attacking the city walls.

    Battle Wolf used the high ground on the church tower and rained death onto the attacking Zergs. Wang Tong wagered that threatening the queen probably wouldn¡¯t work again, since the queen should know by now that these reinforcements were her only salvation.

    However, as long as the queen was still in the city, the Zergs had to be very careful while attacking, particrly the giant Zergs. So far, none of the giant Zergs had made it too close to the queen, fearing that friendly fire might harm the queen further beyond help.

    Unable to unleash their full power and disturbed by the queen¡¯s shrieks, the Zergs had lost their will to fight and were pushed back by the human defenders.

    The human soldiers had taught the Zergs a hard truth: humans were more merciless than Zergs.

    Despite the terrain advantage, the battle was not easy by any stretch of imagination. Thanks to the tall buildings, the casters were able to cast spells from a safe distance, and the shelters helped with the METAL warriors¡¯ defense.

    Lun Duo led the third brigade and was assigned to protect the mastery casters. They killed the Zergs with an incredible efficiency, and the thrill of the battle had made them even forget about their exhaustion. Each day, they encouraged themselves to be more aggressive until they had turned themselves into Zerg killing machines.

    However, Castro got carried over by the tion of killing Zergs and unwittingly wandered too far from the defensive line. Seizing the opportunity, the Zergs swarmed at him.

    Zing!

    A bone spear found an opening in Castro¡¯s defense; it was toote to dodge.

    Zing!

    Castro didn¡¯t feel any pain; however, he saw a body block the attack. The spear pierced through the METAL suit and into the flesh. It was Lun Duo.

    Lun Duo wrenched the bone spear out of his body and hurled it back like throwing a javelin. ¡°Follow me! Move!¡± The soldiers followed Lun Duo closely back toward the formation.

    ¡°Captain, are you alright?¡± Castro asked anxiously.

    ¡°How many times have I told you to watch the formation! Are you a deaf or dimwit?¡± Lun Duo rebutted in a scathing tone. Although Castro was his good friend, they were in a war, and people¡¯s lives were at stake.

    ¡°I am sorry, Captain! Why don¡¯t you take a break and let me make it up for you? I will not let a single Zerg pass our line, I swear!¡±

    ¡°Buzz off!¡± Lun Duo waved his hand annoyingly. Ye Zi had already started the healing spell. She released the pauldron from the METAL suit and patched up the wound deftly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move for the next five minutes.¡± Ye Zi said and then went to the next wounded. On the battlefield, field medic¡¯s words were the bible. In five minutes, the wound would close up and stop bleeding, butplete recovery would require a much longer time.

    The battle quickly turned into a stalemate. The warriors had to fight in shifts due to exhaustion. When the queen was about to die, Wang Tong cast a healing spell to revive her back to her hell. Immediately after that, Tan Bu stabbed the queen, making her scream once again. The scream worked magically in scaring the Zergs, some of whom even turned around and ran away in fear. Therefore, it was almost impossible for the Zergs to form a cohesive line of attack.

    The warriors worked from morning till dusk and the mastery spells didn¡¯t stop until nightfall. Exhausted and overspent, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu leaned against a wall and breathed heavily. However, joy was written all over their faces.

    They had won again!

    This was the fourth city that they had conquered, and no one had thought that they could achieve so much when they first left Maersa.

    ¡°Hang in there guys. We will leave as soon as the captains finish their headcounts.¡± Wang Tong announced to the soldiers. Only a few soldiers were still standing straight; consumed by exhaustion, most of them were leaning against anything they could find and dozing off.

    A few minutester, the human soldiers finally left the city, which fell apart amidst a series of explosions behind them.

    After a while, they finally joined forces with Yin Tianzong and Vorenus, who had been fighting at Lantian. Everyone hugged each other for their victory and surviving another day. That night, Wang Tong¡¯s camp was extremely quiet as everyone had quickly fallen asleep.

 Chapter 588 - The Smile That Kills

    <h4>Chapter 588: The Smile That Kills</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    However, even though all the soldiers had fallen asleep, the captains still had to prepare for the unit¡¯s next move. Meanwhile, some were at guard posts to make sure that they were safe. This was the Zerg¡¯s territory after all, and a moment of loosening up would meanplete annihtion.

    After they had made the camp, they gathered by the campfire and reflected on the battle together. This battle had imed the lives of five soldiers.

    Each death was a heroic martyrdom that was worthmemorating. As the deceased rested in peace, the living would pick up where they had left off and continue the fight.

    The mes danced on the pyre as the solider bodies was finally cleansed of their worldly burdens.

    After the ceremony, Wang Tong walked to a supply tent and dragged a Zerg out, throwing it in front of everyone. Xiao Yuyu knew what Wang Tong was getting at; the mere thought made her stomach churn.

    ¡°Ladies, you can excuse yourself. It¡¯s us gentlemen¡¯s time.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said. His smile was so casual as if eating Zergs was not a big deal.

    ¡°Wang Tong, don¡¯t look down on us. All the women here are warriors, just like you.¡± Lie Xuan was triggered. The field medics agreed with her wholeheartedly, but the disgusting smell and the grotesque image had kept them silent.

    ¡°Lie Xuan, this is not the time to y the heroine. Women are weaker than men physically by God¡¯s design. We don¡¯t want you to get sick after eating these pests¡¯ meat.¡± Wang Tong said. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. You will get used to it very quickly.¡±

    Wang Tong carved a slice of meat off a Zerg¡¯s thigh and then shoved it down his throat, blood and all. ¡°You can eat it raw, but it might taste better once cooked.¡±

    The girl¡¯s faces paled after witnessed this gruesome scene; some even threw up.

    Tan Bu was the first person to follow Wang Tong¡¯s lead. He walked to the Zerg and grabbed another b of meat, then started to chew on it. He was Wang Tong¡¯s most loyal follower, and if thetter thought he could do it, he could even if he couldn¡¯t. As the meat slid halfway down his throat, the brave soldier¡¯s face turned into a knot. He squeezed his thigh and rounded his eyes, then finally forced the contents down his throat.

    After Tan Bu gathered himself, he managed a smile and then said, ¡°Haha! The taste is not bad. Come on everyone, this is food, not poison.¡±

    Yin Tianzong and Vorenus each grabbed a morsel and put in into their mouths. Their face expression was very much the same as Tan Bu.

    ¡°Yuyu, it¡¯s ok! You don¡¯t have to watch this.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    Su Yuyu turned around; however gross the meat looked, she didn¡¯t mind looking at it. She turned around because she didn¡¯t want others to see her tears. She was deeply moved by the warriors¡¯ sacrifice and what they had to endure for the sake of everyone on Mars.

    Each one of these soldiers had been to hell and back. They would not be so squeamish as to be afraid of a few pieces of Zerg meat. A few minutester, a strange munching noise rose from a corner of the camp.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you guys made it sound like. ¡± Lun Duo had eaten a few pieces and was still shoveling more down his throat.

    ¡°Lun Duo, you are still sick, so be careful about what you eat! Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t force myself. This is quite chewy, and has a nice texture to it too.¡± Even Wang Tong was shocked by the genuine enjoyment in Lun Duo¡¯s voice. After so many years, Wang Tong still hadn¡¯t acquired the taste of Zerg meat yet.

    The other warriorsughed out loud at such aical development. Regardless of the situation they were in, as long as they stayed together, they could plow through all difficulties.

    ¡­

    The northern warden was furious due to the news of Mephisto¡¯s defeat. They had to curse the devil, literally! How could a small group of human insurgents be able to defeat four of his cities? Not only had they razed the cities to the ground, but their methods were also beyond the brutality of the Zergs. The situation had escted much faster than he had thought. By then, Wang Tong¡¯s disturbance was no longer just an annoyance; it had started to affect the war. Not only was the loss of four queens a blow to the speed of reinforcing the frontline, but the other city lords had be reluctant in sending more of their forces outside their city wall as well.

    The name of the devil spread quickly among the dark ones; rumors had it that the devil was rted to the de Warrior.

    That being said, Xie Su was content with the current state of war. He had never expected to eliminate the human forces in one go, and had nned for a stalemate. The longer the warsted, the more advantage the Zergs would have; at least, that was the case until Wang Tong showed up at the home base. The incident had caught the dark lord¡¯s attention, and he had given personal orders to the wardens that he wanted the leader of the human unit, Wang Tong.

    The Zerg race had been searching for the source of de Warrior¡¯s power for a long time. They were convinced that as long as they possessed this power, they could be the real overlord of the entire universe. Their first step would be to establish contact with the Zerg main forces somewhere in the boundless universe. However far away they were from the brood, their desire to return to the mother queen remained strong. The cure to their homesickness lied in the power of Wang Tong. It was also the reason that spurred the Zergs to evolve into dark ones and immortals.

    After centuries of waiting, the possessor of this power, the heir of the de Warrior finally showed up at Moye¡¯s doorstep; the dark lord would not pass up this opportunity.

    Xie Su knew the importance of Wang Tong. He knew that if he failed, he would either be killed by Wang Tong during battle or by Moye for his ipetence.

    Therefore, he had considered capturing Wang Tong his priority. He had ordered his soldiers to slow down the attack at the front line and all the lords of the city to send out search parties.

    ¡­

    ¡°Boss, the Zergs are sniffing everywhere for our scent. What should we do?¡± Battle Wolf was hiding inside a valley. The terrain on Mars was extremelyplicated, and the was vast in size. Searching for three hundred people was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

    ¡°Looks like our n has worked! This is the northern warden¡¯s territory, and I think he must have slowed down the attack at the front line to focus on us.¡± Xiao Yuyu said with glee. No one was convinced that their n would have worked, but it did somehow.

    Wang Tong rubbed his forehead while pondering over his next move. No one wanted to disturb him, so they talked under their breath quietly. They knew that he was nning to win this war using wits, and not might.

    ¡°I think we need to make some more noise! ¡± Wang Tong announced firmly.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stop right now. The more noise we make, the more pressure we can relieve off of the soldiers at the front line.¡±

    ¡°Tell us what to do, boss.¡± Tan Bu asked eagerly.

    ¡°We will repeat our strategy again. If you are a dark one, where do you think we will strike next?¡±

    The next city that lined up with Danube, Kazakh, Bore, and Mephisto was the Spider Fort. It was a new stronghold built entirely by the Zergs and upied by high-level dark ones.

    ¡°If we show ourselves around the Spider Fort, and then attack here instead...¡± Wang Tong pointed at another city neither far nor close to the Spider Fort.?¡°What do you think?¡± Wang Tong asked earnestly.

    Meanwhile, inside Spider Fort, the dark ones were also holding a meeting together, discussing their options.

    ¡°Greetings everyone! The Dark Lord has given us his personal order to capture this Wang Tong, dead or alive. Meanwhile, we will work with the immortals.¡± The lord of Spider Fort, Blu said.

    ¡°We have received the same order from our Divine lord. He wants us to do whatever we can to assist you in your mission. In my humble opinion, the key to capturing Wang Tong was to understand his moves. We should prevail if we are well prepared.¡± A middle-aged immortal spoke.

    ¡°Honorable Divine General, I had heard that you had been an academy principal when you were human. I think we should listen to your opinion about what your former student¡¯s n.¡±

    Harmon Candler was the immortals¡¯ highestmander on Mars. He was also a divine general, the immortal equivalent of the dark one¡¯s blood kin.

 Chapter 589 - The Vice Principal Of Capth

    <h4>Chapter 589: The Vice Principal Of Capth</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    There were over a dozen immortals who had followed Candler to Mars, and their main mission was to capture Wang Tong.

    Harmon had made a name for himself not because of his brute strength, but his astute judgment and keen observations. Patroclus knew that he would need all kind of talents in order to rule his kingdom; therefore, he had personally persuaded the former vice principal of the Capth Academy, an excellent administrator, to join him.

    Harmon had already been a renowned leader before he joined Patroclus; therefore, his decision had spurred many other students from the Capth to join Patroclus.

    Candler didn¡¯t answer the question given to him. The immortals beside him turned on their Sk terminals and started researching. The dark ones regarded the strange machine with strong aversion; human technologies were garbage in their opinion.

    ¡°Danube, Kazakh, Bore, and then Mephisto... I think his next target is us, Spider Fort. He is well known for his audacity while he was at school. He didn¡¯t change at all in these years.¡± Candler said.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Blu asked.

    ¡°All the five cities are lined up on a straight line...He did it on purpose. He might y some tricks with us¡­for example, attacking another city as a smoke screen. When we dispatch our reinforcements, he will turn around and attack us while we are defenseless. It¡¯s amon strategy, simple but effective. As for why I am so sure of his motives, you need to look no further than here...¡± Candler pointed at the map. The dark lord¡¯s pce lined up perfectly at the end of Wang Tong¡¯s marching trajectory.

    ¡°You mean...Wang Tong is after the Dark Lord himself?¡± Blu asked incredulously, his throat making a wet croak out of sheer astonishment. Candler frowned with aversion on his face. These dark ones were not any more civilized than their primitive cousins.

    ¡°Well, humans are the arrogant lot. The four victories came so easily for him that he will be convinced that he is on the right course.¡± Candler said.

    ¡°He is not afraid of the might of Spider Fort?¡± Blu asked. He doubted that even an Einherjar would dare to attack the mighty stronghold with only a small force.

    ¡°My lord, let hime. We will make him stay forever.¡± A few hulking frames put in. Despite the rumors about this terrifying human devil, these high-level dark ones considered them only high tales or excuses for the other cities¡¯ defeat. Sometimes, these dark ones even wondered if the de Warriors was as powerful as he sounded. After all, it all had happened so many hundred years ago, and Zergs had terrible memories.

    Candler cracked a smile and said, ¡°You are right. Fort Spider is indeed a mighty powerhouse, and that is why we need to give Wang Tong a helping hand.¡±

    ¡°A helping hand?¡±

    ¡°Indeed! To do that, we will need to march our troops out of the fort and circle around the district, thene back. The more noise your men can make, the better.¡± Candler said with a smile. After all, these youngsters used to be his students, and surely they wouldn¡¯t outsmart their teacher. He was confident that Wang Tong would not be able to resist attacking the fort while knowing that the main force had marched out of the walls. As an expert in human psychology, Candler knew that Wang Tong was already carried over by his stunning sess so far, and would march straight into the trap.

    ¡­

    ¡°It is so strange! The Zergs¡¯ northern regiments have almost halted the reinforcements.¡± A human intelligence officer murmured.

    ¡°I hope they are not up to anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Could this be a bait and switch?¡±

    ¡°Very likely. The Zergs are quick learners.¡±

    ¡°Sh*t! the war is getting harder and harder. ¡±

    ¡°What can we do anyway? It¡¯s not like we have the de Warrior with us.¡±

    ¡°Ah-Have you heard about the new Einherjar? He had finished off a level twenty-five EB unit!¡±

    ¡°I have heard the same thing. They said that he didn¡¯t even use any weapon, just bare hands! He killed the Zerg like squashing a worm.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? Without him, our home cities are screwed. If our brothers and sisters had to worry about their safety constantly, they wouldn¡¯t be so eager toe to the front line. Although life is hard right now, at least our families are safe under the Einherjar¡¯s protection.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true! All cities are expecting the final battle. Ah, right, have you heard about the other news?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Once he has helped a city, he would leave a golden sword behind and anoint a knight.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, that was old news. Those knights are all the leaders of the resistance forces behind the front lines. What about it?¡±

    ¡°I have heard that there are great secrets hidden in those golden des.¡±

    ¡°Secret? What kind of secrets?¡±

    ¡°Some kind of tactics that were able to transform a single cirction of GN force into double circtions. These tactics are gradually gaining poprity in those cities led by knights.¡±

    ¡°Order from themand center¡­troop mobilizes toward the northern regiment number twenty-three. ¡± A messenger shouted at the officers.

    Everyone looked at each other with disbelief. Although the Zergs¡¯ reinforcements had been sluggish at the northern front, that didn¡¯t mean the situation wouldst. What if the Zergs started to pick up their reinforcement speed?

    However, an order was an order.

    ¡­

    Michaux and Lie Jian hovered over a table and studied a giant map with grave expressions. Neither of them had smiled once ever since the war broke out. The final battle came a bit too soon.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s too risky? Maybe, it was not Wang Tong.¡± Michaux was taken aback by Lie Jian¡¯s daring decision.

    ¡°Hehe...I know you like Wang Tong, but you don¡¯t know him half as much as I do. There is only two persons that I feared¡­One is Patroclus, and the other is Wang Tong. I cared about Wang Tong¡¯s actions on Mars more than anyone else. I can tell you this for sure¡­The current inactivity of the Zergs was definitely the work of Wang Tong.¡± Lie Jian said.

    ¡°So, you believe his strategy has worked?¡±

    ¡°Very much so. Although we can¡¯t get hold of him, no news is good news. If Wang Tong was captured or killed, we should have already heard it by now.¡± Lei Jian¡¯s face finally showed a faint smile and then continued.

    ¡°Although Wang Tong is my rival, I know what is the best for everyone right now. We can continue ourpetition once the Zerg problem is gone. However, I doubt that Wang Tong will be enough to avert the crisispletely.¡±

    ¡°You mean...you want to join Wang Tong?¡±

    ¡°If he can do it, I can do it better. Besides, the front line is not going to feel any different without a few hundred soldiers, but we can significantly slow the Zergs down from within.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. Einherjar Lie Jintian wouldn¡¯t approve it.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t control me.¡±

    Lie Jian was tempted to copy Wang Tong¡¯s strategy after seeing how effective it was. His father was the absolutemander of the war, and therefore, he felt useless staying with the army. If he could sneak behind the lines, his abilities could be put to better use.

    ¡°Very well then, maybe I should join you too. I am sure Moye would want to meet me.¡± Michaux said.

    ¡°Not you¡­You need to show the public that we are still with them.¡±

    ¡°So, you get to be a hero while I stay home and be a statue? No way! I have already arranged everything on my side. If anything happens to me, Susu will inherit my title. Although I hope she can be more mature, she has umted enough prestige to stake her im now.¡± Michaux said.

    Lie Jian knew he couldn¡¯t refuse Michaux, so he left the conversation at that. He wagered that his and Michaux¡¯s names should be able to attract the Zergs¡¯ attention. In addition, he reckoned that the elite soldiers could contribute much more to the war behind the enemy lines than on the city walls.

    Just as Candler had expected, the Samgha city reported human activity. Wang Tong had used this trick once at Mephisto City. He would feint attack an insignificant target to bait the real target to leave the city, and then attack the real target while it was ill-prepared. This time, Wang Tong would not be able to pull the trick off so easily, since Candler was in charge.

    ¡°What exactly did the scouts say? How many humans did they see?¡± Candler asked.

    ¡°They had spotted two very powerful human soldiers. I think they work for the human devil.¡±

 Chapter 590 - Bait And Switch

    <h4>Chapter 590: Bait And Switch</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Blu was very anxious after hearing the news. Samgha City was very close to Spider Fort. If they sent our reinforcement right now, they should be able to avert the crisis. Lord Xie Su had already promised him that as long as he could capture the human devil, he would put in a good word for him and promote him to the next level.

    His status in the brood would bepletely different once he could be promoted to level A blood kin. The dark ones¡¯ initial levels were determined at birth, same as the primitive Zergs. However, unlike the primitive Zergs who would be content with their inborn abilities, the dark ones had a restless heart that constantly sought more power and control. No one wanted to be just another dark one, and the Zerg race generally considered it a positive trait, as it motivated the dark ones to be stronger.

    ¡°Hehe, my lord, I don¡¯t think two people will be able to sack a city. This is the same ruse that they had used on Mephisto. The Samgha city is heavily guarded, and therefore, Wang Tong will not really attack it. Furthermore, if those two human warriors were really so powerful, how could they be detected so easily by our low-level scouts?¡± Candler exined, although he doubted that his words could get into those dark ones¡¯ three-inches-thick skulls.

    Wang Tong was repeating an old game, and his real target was Fort Spider despite his feint on Samgha. Candlers had set his trap and made it look like the Fort was unguarded. While on a winning streak, the brash teenagers would not care to examine the grounds before they made a move. Wang Tong had picked his feint target wisely. The Samgha City was only a couple hundred kilometers away from the fort, and it hosted the key production n for primitive Zergs. In other words, it did seem like a valid target.

    However, Candler knew that Wang Tong would not do House Lie a favor. Plus, the defenders of the Samgha city didn¡¯t go to the front line; instead, they had been searching for Wang Tong around the city.

    Even if Wang tong did choose to attack the City of Samgha, he would not be able to sack such a heavily guarded city anyway. As for the potential damage that would be done to the city, Candler couldn¡¯t care a wee bit about it.

    He was an immortal, not a dark one, and his only mission was to subdue Wang Tong.?Therefore, he calcted that regardless of thetter¡¯s decision, the situation would always y into the hands of the immortals.

    After one day, no further reports about attacks on the Samgha city reached the Fort. Meanwhile, outside Samgha¡¯s city wall, a group of human warriors sneaked quietly through a secret opening on the wall. How did they pass the Zerg guards and constant surveince?

    The Zergs had set up cameras and patrol parties everywhere after the sacking of the four cities. Three hundred men and women were difficult to hide in in sight; however, they had a special edge that helped them greatly. The Zerg meat they ate gave the soldiers a horrible odor, which worked marvelously in camouging themselves. This was not a coincidence, but Wang Tong¡¯s n all along. Wang Tong had learned this life-saving skill while he was stranded on the remote of Norton.

    As for girls who didn¡¯t eat the Zerg meat, since there were not a lot of them, they could hide in the middle of the marching formation safely.

    The human soldiers¡¯ target had always been Samgha City. It was true that the Spider City was the center of the power in this district, but the human warriors weren¡¯t just after therge cities; they were also after the strategically significant ones, such as Samgha due to its primitive Zerg production capability. To put it simply, Wang Tong¡¯s tactic was to disrupt Zerg production capacities as much as he could. Once he had taken the fuel out of the Zerg war machine, the Zerg army at the frontline would run out of steam very soon.

    When one was able to use the bait and switch tactic to the extreme, it would naturally be the bait and not a bait tactic. Wang Tong had calcted all the variables into his n. He knew that the disturbance he had caused had caught the attention of the immortals. However, their absence from the battlefield meant that they were up to something such asying a trap for him. In addition, the highestmander of the immortals on Mars had also arrived at the fort, and Wang Tong was very eager to meet him. He knew that the person who was able to gain the trust of Patroclus must be difficult to deal with.

    ¡°Boss, we have hit the jackpot! The Samgha city is the main production site of the area. I saw at least three queens in there, and the Zergs are everywhere!¡± Kong Jie announced as soon as he came back from the scouting mission. He was a young Temr who specialized at acrobatic skills. His quick hands and nimble legs made him the best ranger Wang Tong could ever hope to find. He also had a fast mind, and was able to deduce information about enemies based on seemingly irrelevant observations.

    ¡°Looks like none of these Zergs were nning to march to the frontlines. We need to make it a quick and swift victory.¡±

    ¡°No problem! We have been going over the n many times over!¡±

    The city lord of the Samgha, C-Zhi also received the order to capture the human devil. In order to carry out the instructions, he pulled back the one hundred thousand primitive Zergs that he had sent to the frontline and ordered them tob the area for any trace of the human soldiers.

    There had been sightings of two human soldiers outside the city, and one of them could have been Wang Tong. However, the order from Fort Spider was to march his hundred thousand Zergs to the frontline andpletely ignore the defense of the city. Blu made it clear that Wang Tong would not attack Samgha. C-Zhi was not overly concerned about Wang Tong to begin with; therefore, he dly obeyed the order and was ready to start the march to the war. He always saw himself as the nt manager, and not a warrior. Therefore he was perfectly happy managing the business and letting the others do the fighting.

    Suddenly, C-Zhi heard a few explosions outside. He looked outside the window and found out that the sky was raining fire.

    It was the human attackers!

    ¡°I am Wang Tong. I need to see your city lord!¡±

    ¡°I am Wang Tong. I need to see your city lord!¡±

    Wang Tong waved a bone spear he had snapped off a dark one and shouted. Since the shaft of the bone spear was toorge and cumbersome, Wang Tong had cut the spearhead off and fixed it to a wooden pole, making it a perfect scythe-shaped weapon.

    Wang Tong swept the scythe and harvested another dozen dark one¡¯s souls. He was very pleased with how easy it could slice a head off a shoulder.

    Before he could shout out his name for the third time, C-Zhi charged out of his reticence with a retinue of golden dark ones. This was the first time C-Zhi had ever met a human who was so eager to see him.

    ¡°Are you the human devil everyone had been talking about?¡±

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t mind his nickname. ¡°Yes, I guess that is me. Well, if youy down your weapon and shove your head into you¡¯re a*s and kill yourself, I might not kill you myself.¡±

    It took the dark one a while to get Wang Tong¡¯s dark humor, and they were not impressed at all. Zhi was the first to attack as he shot hundreds of bone shards at Wang Tong and then charged at his target.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t meet his attacker right away; instead, he charged up his GN shield to block the bone shards and then turned on his heels to run where he came from.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him ran away!¡±

    ¡°Whoever kills the human devil, I will increase his rank. Charge!¡± Zhi shouted. This was also an order that came directly from the Dark Lord.

    He was so close to capturing the human devil, and he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of letting him run away.

    A swarm of Zergs was hot on Wang Tong¡¯s heel. Wang Tong looked back and saw the sea of monsters; he sighed andmented at the incredible reproduction ability of the Zergs. Only one look at this endless nightmare would be able to quell most heroes¡¯ will to save the human world.

    Wang Tong turned around and picked up speed. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste time, since his mission was to lure the Zergs as far as away from the city as possible.

    Meanwhile, Yin Tianzong and Vorenus led a group of METAL soldiers and charged into the streets toward the queen. They needed to close in onto their target as soon as possible since, they had too few soldiers to be involved in a long fight.

    Behind the METAL warriors, a massive fire dragon stormed through the city gate and into the heart of the city. Wang Tong and hispanions had studied the city¡¯syout carefully. Therefore, it only took the METAL warriors a few minutes to find out the hiding spot of the queen.

    However, as they approached the queen, arge crowd of guards blocked their path. Although most of the Zergs had followed Wang Tong to the other side of the wall, these guards remained faithfully near their royal queen. As one of the most important production facilities, the queens in the city of Samgha were guarded by the most fearsome Zergs.

    Suddenly, Yin Tianzong shouted, ¡°Divine Burst! KILL!¡±

    On hismand, the human warriors initiated the divine burst tactics simultaneously.?The gloves were off, and there were no more tricks to spare. The human warriors would only win this fight if they possessed true bravery and mettle.

 Chapter 591 - METAL Death Roar

    <h4>Chapter 591: METAL Death Roar</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    After a few bare-knuckle rounds, the METAL warriors¡¯ formation loosened while Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu attacked with abandon. Although they couldn¡¯t cast high-level spells, their instant cast ability had proven to be very effective in dishing out consistent damage at a steady rate.

    Mastery firebolts and ice bolts rained on the Zergs like a sudden downpour. The METAL warriors charged at the Zergs like hungry tigers out of a cage and attacked with the most direct, simple, and brutal methods. This was the moment of life or death; they could not be slowed down by technical finesse.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong lured the main force of the Zergs, running around the city wall. Underneath him, the Zergs blotted the ground; it had be more and more difficult to avoid fighting. Wang Tong¡¯s shirt was also drenched with Zerg blood. He had lost count of the Zergs he had to kill a while ago. He had to maintain a certain distance from the Zergs; if he ran too fast, the Zergs would lose interest and return the city, but if he were too slow, he would be mired in a long fight.

    Wang Tong knew each and every kind of Zerg very well. He knew their strengths, weaknesses, attack moves, and attack habits. Even the fearsome EB unit had its weaknesses in his eyes.

    In addition, he also possessed a deep understanding of the Zerg attack formations. While he was on Norton, he had remembered the formations and battle tactics by rot. Therefore, not even the EB units could manage to even make a scratch on him.

    Lord Zhi had been worried that Wang Tong would manage to run off under his nose, but he was relieved after seeing that thetter had no intention of running away. Although Lord Zhi did not even have level twenty EB units under hismand, he was confident that the sheer number of his soldiers would be able to tire the human out. The sea of the primitive Zergs was the epitome of the Zergs¡¯ ultimate power, and no human could stand against the Zerg sea and survive.

    Suddenly, lord Zhi wrenched his head back toward the center of the city, and so did all the Zergs surrounding Wang Tong. The primitive Zergs turned around and rushed toward the mother queen. The Zergs¡¯mand chain dictated that the queen¡¯s order was above that of city lords.

    The few dark ones who were chasing Wang Tong also halted their pursuit and turned their head toward the center of the city, and then back at Lord Zhi. Their heart told them to continue the chase, but their bodymanded them to return to the queen.

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that Yin Tianzong had seeded, and only then could the real battle begin. Wang Tong charged up his GN force and bore down on the leader of his former pursuers; the scythe glinted under the sunlight, ready to im souls.

    The attack was sure and swift, and it came with a belligerent presence. This attack was specifically designed to strike fear into the hearts of the Zergs. The Zergs could feel the wrath of a god in the power of this one single strike.

    Zing!

    Wang Tong swept the Scythe, and the sharp glinting surface of the de traced a silver crescent in the air. The leader of the dark ones was severed from his midsection into two. Lord Zhi neither joined the battle against Wang Tong nor did he go to the rescue of the queen; he simply bolted for his life. His personal guards, a few golden dark ones, however, had thrown themselves toward Wang Tong.

    However, those couple dark ones¡¯ charges were not able to stop the human devil. Wang Tong clenched his weapon and then suddenly roared a battle cry. The sound of his roar started off as a rumbling thunder, and it quickly changed its pitch and intensity until it started to resemble a sound wave attack. The dark ones covered their ears, their faces awash with agony. The sound wave was scrambling their brains.

    Since the dark ones had inherited the humans¡¯ five senses, Wang Tong wanted them to know that the five senses could provide not only enjoyment, but also pain.

    Wang Tong¡¯s roar didn¡¯t stop as he carried on and increased the intensity by the second. Tormented by pain and delusion, some Zergs had fallen to the ground, rolling back and forth. Some had gone outright insane as they swung their bone spears wildly in the air and asionally thrust them at their own brothers. They simply didn¡¯t know how to defend against such vition of their senses.

    Humans¡¯ martial development had thousands of years of history; therefore, it developed an effective system to ward off such attacks. On the other hand, the dark ones were new to anything about humans, despite their close resemnce. There were simply too much to learn.

    The sound continued, and by then, only a handful of high-level dark ones could fight off the difort and remain sane. However, they were mired in attacks from their ravingpanions, and therefore were unable to advance.

    Some dark ones wanted to close in on Wang Tong; however, every step they took meant the intensity of the attack would increase exponentially. After only a few steps, their brains were already fried like an egg on a hot te.

    C-Zhi looked back at his perishing army, and after the slightest hesitation, he kept on running away from the city. He knew that only death awaited him in there. By then, he remembered all those rumors he had heard about the human devil. They were not rumors at all, and their descriptions about the devil seemed modestpared to what he just saw. In a blink, thousands of Zergs were dead, killed by their only brood brothers and sisters; the devil himself didn¡¯t even lift a finger.

    The sound attack concluded in a high note that was packed with explosive energy. Blood spilled out from all holes on the Zerg bodies as they fell to the ground one after another.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Yuyu and others had charged back out of the city after they had done away with the Zergs guarding the queens. Yin Tianzong and Vorenus remained in the city to keep the five queens in check ording to the n. Wang Tong knew that it was impossible to kill all the primitive Zergs in the city with only three hundred soldiers. Therefore, controlling the queens was his only option.

    The battle inside the city had been intense but swift. After the queens were captured and their missions werepleted, they charged right out of the city to help Wang Tong. Wang Tong had risked his life to distract the brunt of the Zerg forces; Xiao Yuyu couldn¡¯t bear the thought of anything terrible happening to him. He was the future of the human race, and should be protected at all cost.

    But, when the reinforcement hurried to Wang Tong, they were shocked by what they saw.

    On a hill of dead Zergs stood Wang Tong, the human devil. He was drenched in blood and holding the bloody scythe in both hands.

    He was invincible!

    Unable to hold back their admiration and joy, the soldiers cheered for his power at the top of their lungs.

    After the human soldiers had finished off the remaining Zergs, Vorenus and Yin Tianzong finally pulled out of Samgha. They had detonated all five nukes in order to clear the city one more time. Although that was all the explosives the team had packed with them, after they saw that one of the five queens was two times the size as a normal queen, and was able to produce five times more eggs, they knew they had no other choice.

    Everyone was satisfied with this rare find and felt that they had eliminated one of the Zerg¡¯s most important production facilities. As the mushroom cloud rose, the city of Samgha was razed to the ground.

    ¡­

    This battle not only shocked the dark lord Moye, but had also greatly hampered his initial war n. What was worse for the Zergs was that the news of the catastrophic defeat had spread so quickly that it had even reached the human side of the battleground on the said day.

    At this most critical moment, the humans didn¡¯t need a god; instead, they needed a devil.

    ¡°Really? Is he still alive?¡± Wang Tung rushed into Aamir¡¯s office and asked. While Wang Tong was gone, Wang Tung had ironed out thest few wrinkles in the energy crystal gun technology. The final product had already gone through thest stage of quality check. Meanwhile, he was already involved in another research project that was rted to an even more powerful weapon.

    ¡°Yes! And not only is he alive, but he has already destroyed five Zerg cities! Haha! Do you know what does it mean?¡± Aamir beamed from side to side.

    ¡°Balls! This kid is a bada*s! I am going to have a heart attack.¡± Marcos eximed. His hand trembled in excitement as he struggled to light up a cigar.

    ¡°No wonder the Zergs¡¯ northern regiment had nearly stopped reinforcements. Who would think that only three hundred soldiers would be able to conquer cities guarded by thousands of Zergs? I have started to think that Wang Tong is not a man, but a god, or at least a demi-god.¡±

    ¡°Haha, do you know what the dark ones call him? The devil! Haha! I also heard that the devil had gotten the dark lord riled up. He had ordered his soldiers to capture Wang Tong in ten days.¡±

    ¡°Devil? How fitting! Haha...I don¡¯t think Moye will be able to capture him in the next ten years!¡±

    ¡°What great news! This is exactly what the soldiers at the front line needed to hear. We finally see some hope in this struggle.¡±

    Wang Tung puffed a cloud of smoke and shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too early. The war is not over yet. Plus, none of us know what kind of sacrifice Wang Tong had to make to achieve this.¡± After he finished his words, Wang Tung left the room without sparing the two captains a nce.

 Chapter 592 - A Bad Example

    <h4>Chapter 592: A Bad Example</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Most people would only focus on the results and ignore the process. However, people inside of Maersa were friends and families of those three hundred soldiers. After they had heard the news, their first thought was not to celebrate, but ponder. What had the soldiers been eating without any supply for a month?

    How many soldiers were still alive and How many were injured? How were they doing? How much longer could they keep on doing this for?

    One question bode another.

    ¡°Balls! It seems like we are not working hard enough to catch up with Wang Tong. I am going to donate my retirement money to the war campaign.¡±

    ¡°What? You have a retirement fund?¡±

    Marcos looked embarrassed and said, ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°How do I know that? Haha!¡± Aamirughed.

    Everyone had contributed to the war, either offering money orbor.

    Lie Jian and Michaux had already received the news about Wang Tong¡¯s victories. Samgha was the main production base for the Zergs, and had always been under the human force¡¯s radar as the main target for a counterattack. Despite the higher status of the dark ones in the Zergmunity, the humans were less afraid of them on the battlefield due to theirck of numbers. It was the swarm that the humans were most afraid of.

    In a month, five cities were razed to the ground, and all the queens in the cities were killed. Wang Tong¡¯s actions were incredibly effective in slowing down the reinforcements of the Zerg. The humanmanders reacted quickly to the news as they pulled another battalion away from the northern line to the western line.

    Wang Tong¡¯s move also spurred Lie Jian and Michaux to make up their mind and act immediately.

    House Lie and the Divine Mastery Sect each had assembled 500 of the best soldiers under theirmand. They aimed to repeat Wang Tong¡¯s strategy and strike deep and hard into the hearnd of the Zergs.

    Meanwhile, all the Zerg lords sat sheepishly around a table, and at the end of the table sat a hulking frame. The imposing dark one looked as angry as the horn that grew out of his forehead. Beside Xie Su was Candler, the immortal who was responsible for the sacking of Samgha, at least in part. When he was cocksure that Wang Tong would follow his course and attack Spider Fort, the teenage boy and pulled the rug from under him and changed his n. Moreover, the old immortal had not expected that the defense of the Samgha would be utterly annihted so quickly either. The most fertile queens and the all the eggs that still hadn¡¯t hatched were all gone with the nuclear sts.

    The northern warden, Xie Su, had rushed back to the home base to clean up the mess. It was a shameful defeat, and his men¡¯s ipetency had jeopardized the n of the dark lord.

    Candler hung a faint smile on his face. Although he was in part responsible for the embarrassing situation, Xie Su would not openly me a guest. Plus, there were too many variables; for example, no one would have thought that Samgha¡¯s defense would be so fragile. Therefore, no matter which way one looked at it, the real reason for the defeat was the weakness of the dark ones.

    A cold and hard curve found Xie Su¡¯s lips. Not only had Wang Tong gotten away, but the setback had also negatively affected the overall development of the war, as well as thepetition between the dark lord and Patroclus.

    ¡°Bring C-Zhi here. ¡± Xie Su gave amand. He looked as imposing and calm as a powerful human warrior.?Candler observed him attentively; as a Divine General, he was aware of the A-level blood kin¡¯s abilities. As the elite warriors, they had evolved to be the closest to the humanspared to other dark ones.

    ¡°Speak, what had happened?¡± Xie Su asked with a steady voice.

    C-Zhi¡¯s wings quivered in the presence of the warden. The other dark ones looked at C-Zhi sheepishly, knowing that his fate was already sealed. C-Zhi hurried to exin what he had seen, and from time to time, he threw one or two hyperboles in his description of the human devil. He knew that if he didn¡¯t make the situation sound worse than it had been, he would almost be guaranteed to be executed.

    C-Zhi spoke with an animated tone and gestures, trying his best to exin the dire situation. The lords of the other cities watched each other with surprise on their faces.

    ¡°You are saying that he came all by himself?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord. Only himself. He roared once, and somehow, the sound was able to kill thousands of our man. He roared again...and...and all the Zergs bolted back to the city.¡± C-Zhi said sheepishly.

    The other dark ones gasped. Wang Tong was the heir of the de Warrior. Was it possible that the history was going to repeat itself?

    Everyone looked to Xie Su. Suddenly, the warden reached out his arm, which surged in length. His wiry fingers grouped C-Zhi¡¯s neck, and he twisted thetter¡¯s head off his shoulder with a snap. Xie Suunched himself forward and closed in onto the headless dark one. When he was close enough, he stuck out the bloody tongue and writhed it down C-Zhi¡¯s opening windpipe. In mere seconds, C-Zhi had turned into a husk.

    The rest of the Zergs watched in fear and trepidation.

    ¡°Liar! Based on our reports, the human devil had led an army ten thousand strong. We should stop using our superstitions as the excuses for our oversight. We need to fight back, and this is the order from the dark lord.¡± Xie Su announced in stone cold voice while the rest of the dark ones nodded timidly.

    Candlerughed in his mind for the ipetency of the dark ones and the warden¡¯s ability to bluff. By giving the devil an army on the paper, his defeat suddenly seemed much less embarrassing.

    Candler didn¡¯t put in his own opinion. He knew that Wang Tong had tricked everyone, but his exnation would only confuse these dimwitted dark ones. Even till this day, the Zergs still feared the de Warrior, even though he had already been dead for centuries.

    After much discussion, everyone reached the consensus that the human devil was going to continue this course toward the dark lord¡¯s castle. Therefore, it was apparent that every dark one should do their part to protect their master and stop him at the periphery of the castle.

    Candler made it clear to everyone that they would have his full support, since they were working toward the same goal. It was good news to the dark ones, since they believed that only the immortals were able to see through the ruses and ploys of the humans. After all, immortals were at least half human.

    Despite the dark ones¡¯ apparent stupidity, Candler agreed with a couple of their conclusions. Wang Tong¡¯s target in this mission was definitely Moye¡¯s castle; therefore, the focus of the defense should be the three cities located in the corridors leading to the castle. This would be the northern warden¡¯sst chance of proving himself to his master. If he failed to protect the three cities, he might as well be dead.

    However, it wasn¡¯t long until Wang Tong surprised his enemies again. He didn¡¯t attack Spider Fort, and neither did he head toward the dark castle.

    Instead, he made a ny-degree turn and moved in the northwest direction. In a couple of days, he was able to raze another two Zerg cities.

    Obviously, Xie Su was furious. He had set defenses all along the way to the castle, but Wang Tong didn¡¯t rise to the bait at all. The efforts that Xie Su had made in nning the defense were all for naught.

    Due to inadequate reinforcements, the human soldiers at the northern line were able to deliver a sessful counterattack, which had greatly boosted the morale of the entire human force.

    Wang Tong and his demon soldiers had made a name for themselves. His achievements had alsopletely changed the Martians¡¯ view on the de Warrior. Even the most patriotic Martian would have to agree that de Warrior was the most powerful human, even though he was from Earth.

    Martians had always admired power and strength. Wang Tong had used his might and opened a path for the rest of the humans under the most miraculous circumstances.

    Those soldiers serving under Wang Tong also quickly became household names.

    Meanwhile, at the northwest corner of the battlefield, Zambrotta¡¯s forces attacked a Zerg upied city with abandon. In thest couple of days, his forces had already liberated three human settlements. His army had just taken over their fourth target: Constantinople. The progress they had made was a drastic contrast to the headwinds all the other human forces had faced so far.

    Despite the pressure at the frontline, Zergs could not afford to let Zambrotta hold Constantinople due to its significant geographical position.

    Everyone knew that there would be a big fight ahead of them, but no one seemed to be worried about it as they prepared for the war with great enthusiasm.

    Inside the city, the order had already been restored, and even some merchants had entered the city to set up their shops. Everything was sold at a rock-bottom price, since this was the merchants¡¯ way of contributing to the war.

 Chapter 593 - Yes, That Is Him!

    <h4>Chapter 593: Yes, That Is Him!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The pub was packed with human soldiers. Strong and hard liquors were always the warriors¡¯ best friend after all.

    ¡°Dore, I had killed two dark ones and seventy spider Zergs!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. You think I believe that?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­How many did you kill?¡±

    ¡°Our team had gotten a thousand primitives, and twenty-eight dark ones. I have killed three dark ones, one more than you.¡±

    ¡°Oh crap! Haha!¡±

    ¡°Only three dark ones? My captain had killed eight!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You are from Zambrotta¡¯s elite unit. Why don¡¯t youpare with some other elite units?¡±

    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Bah, whatever! Let¡¯s drink up!¡±

    The door suddenly opened up; the squeak of the door hinges was so loud that it could be heard even against the din of the rowdy soldiers. The neers paused for a second after seeing how packed it was in the bar. The owner closed in before they decided to leave. ¡°Come on in. It¡¯s cold out there. A bit crowded today, but everyone is in a good mood. ¡±

    ¡°This will do. Let everyonee in and rx a bit.¡± The young man nodded and walked in with another dozen human warriors in tow.

    No one had seen this group of neers before, so they attracted a lot of attention. The mor in the room turned down a notch.

    The new guests were young, and the few girls¡¯ goddess-like features had caught all soldiers¡¯ attention and silenced the room. No one was expecting to see such beauties in this squalid little joint. However, there was also something else about these girls and theirpanions that unnerved the soldiers: they looked threatening and sinister.

    These soldiers were battle hardened warriors, and therefore, they were particrly sensitive to threats. Although some of them still had a smile on their faces, they tried hard to fight back their fear.

    The bartender offered every young guest a shot.

    ¡°Yuyu, Yezi, you should have some to warm up.¡±

    The dozen young soldiers pour the drinks down their throat without any hesitation.

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Haha, no worries! Whatever you want to pay. Which unit are you guys from? I think you will need a new set of armors.¡± The owner of the bar said.

    By then, the rest of the soldiers finally noticed the dpidated condition these young warrior¡¯s equipment was in. However, no oneughed at them since these METAL suits were covered with Zerg w marks, some of which were terrifyingly long and deep. What had they gone through?

    ¡°Thank you! ¡± Wang Tong put four blues on the table and started toward the exit.

    A dozen warriors followed their leader and filed out of the threshold. Other than the young leader who had spoken once or twice to the bartender, none of them had spoken a word. When they left the bar, a cold gust blew in, but even that felt warmer than those strange young warriors.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°Yuyu, Ye Zi... Those names sounded so familiar.¡±

    The silence of sudden realization hung in the air for half a second as the soldiers remembered who they were. Those two girls were the field medics, and the group they were with was the demon war band that the Zergs were so afraid of!

    They were the three hundred person group that had destroyed seven Zerg cities in just one month. And, the leader of the pack was the Wang Tong, the Devil.

    At that moment, the manager of the bar rushed to the door while holding a portrait. There were two most popr portraits of everyone¡¯s living room walls. One was that of War God, the mysterious Einherjar, and the other of Wang Tong, the heir of the de Warrior.

    The owner squinted his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the young leader, and then he looked back at the portrait. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! That it him!¡±

    Everyone stormed out of the bar, trying to see him for themselves. But, Wang Tong and his demons had already disappeared.

    Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang had encountered some difficulties with provisions before they reached Constantinople. The had already more or less solved the issue with food. Despite its bad taste, the Zerg meat was enough to provide all the nutrients a soldier would need. After they had scavenged a nutrient pill machine, eating became much easier.

    However, Wang Tong decided to buy more variety of food while he was in the city, since Constantinople would be their only chance of getting any food that was not gross.

    Wang Tong¡¯s problem was not about food; it was about the METAL suits. After countless hours of intense battles, the METAL suits were severely damaged. Unless the soldier was a legendary warrior, they wouldn¡¯t be able to cast any GN shields, and therefore, their METAL suit would have to take the brunt of the Zergs¡¯ damage.

    Wang Tong¡¯s operation had delivered a blow to the Zergs, but the Zergs had also put up a fight. After Wang Tong had destroyed Samgha, his actions really got under the dark lord¡¯s skin, so much so that the dark lord was willing to sacrifice the advantage at the front line in order to capture him. Therefore, Wang Tong and his band had found themselves constantly at war with Zergs¡¯ scouting parties since then.

    Although Wang Tong was prepared for such belligerent counter offense, he needed time to reflect on his n. The battle had arrived at a turning point, and from then on, their mission would only be more difficult by the day. Therefore, he had given everyone a day off to let them enjoy thest bit of respite they could have.

    ¡°Hamir will handle everything, so stop worrying about it. Let¡¯s take a look at what is going on over there. ¡± Guan Dongyang said with a lighthearted smile.

    ¡°Cool! I didn¡¯t know that Zambrotta was such a motivator! Everyone looks spirited here.¡±

    ¡°In the old times, a war drum was used for exactly that, encouraging and motivating the soldiers. Zambrotta is the lord of the War Drum Hall, remember?¡±

    Cheers and ovations swelled from the central za of Constantinople. Many soldiers surrounded a stage. Despite the biting cold of the Martian winter, the onlookers looked jovial.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang closed in as the mor had piqued their interest. When they were close enough to see the stage, they saw two warriors fighting against each other.

    One of the soldiers was in his thirties, and the crowd cheered after his every move.?Wang Tong knew immediately that the older fighter was a legendary warrior. Many younger soldiers challenged him, but were unable to best him.

    ¡°His sword attack was just so-so. I wager he is not used to using a de.¡± Wang Tong remarked.

    ¡°Hehe¡­I think Brother Tianzong¡¯s sword and shield technique is more impressive as well.¡± Guan Dongyang agreed. Having improved his power after so many battles, Guan Dongyang had also gained a keen insight into other soldier¡¯s abilities and magnitude of power.

    All the caster learned from Guan Dongyang, while the METAL warriors learned from Vorenus. No one even dared to attempt copying any of Wang Tong¡¯s moves.

    And when it came down to swordy, Yin Tianzong was the master of the masters. He used a shied together with the de to achieve an incredibly bnced fighting style.

    ¡°Hey, friends. You two must be from other bands. Do you know who he is?¡± Arge frame spoke to Wang Tong. He was wearing a uniform with arge drum symbol on it. Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang gave each other a nce, and they both smiled.

    ¡°Indeed, we are from other units.¡±

    ¡°He is our vice general, Xiao Libie, the third disciple of Lord Zambrotta himself. If you two think you can best him, why don¡¯t you give it a try yourself?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­Thanks, but no. We are here to rest.¡± Guan Dongyang said as he waved in dismissal.

    ¡°If you two have something valuable we could all learn from, why don¡¯t you go up there and show it to us?¡±

    All the soldiers around the stage were all under Xiao Libie¡¯smand, and therefore, they got riled up after hearing Wang Tong¡¯s disrespectfulment.

    On the stage, another young soldier fell to the ground. Xiao Libie turned toward the audiences and saluted.

    ¡°Well Dongyang, you might as well go up there and try it out.¡± Wang Tong suggested.

    Guan Dongyang grimaced. ¡°I am too tired.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you alwaysining about not having enough opportunity to learn? Here you go, a golden opportunity to learn from the best.¡± Wang Tong turned around to the hulking soldier beside him and asked, ¡°Is there any reward for winning the match? Say...food or something?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can eat to your heart¡¯s content. Haha!¡±

    Everyone around Wang Tongughed knowingly. But, neither Wang Tong nor Guan Dongyang had picked up the deeper meaning in theirugh.

 Chapter 594 - Mastery Vs. METAL

    <h4>Chapter 594: Mastery Vs. METAL</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Very well then.¡± Wang Tong patted Guan Dongyang¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I told you there would be rewards.¡±

    Guan Dongyang shook his head helplessly. He should have been more careful while making friends.

    On the stage, Xiao Libie waited for his next opponent with an inviting smile. Zambrotta had ordered him to host thispetition in order to raise the soldiers¡¯ spirit and morale. Therge difference in the levels meant the no one would be of a real challenge for him.

    ¡°Who else would likee up here and give it a try?¡± Xiao Libie asked. Seeing that all the soldiers¡¯ enthusiasm had been spent, he was about to call it a day.

    ¡°Hold on! Someone wants to join the match!¡±

    Someone beside Wang Tong shouted out, and the announcement lit everyone¡¯s face up with glee. They were surprised to see that someone else was willing to rise to the challenge.

    Xiao Libie was taken aback by the development. He had defeated all the top fighters under hismand. Who else would challenge him?

    The crowd made way for Guan Dongyang and Wang Tong. Before Guan Dongyang was about to step on to the stage, Wang Tong patted on his shoulder again. Somehow, Guan Dongyang felt that Wang Tong¡¯s smile looked like a chuckle.

    ¡°Mydy, it¡¯s the same old. No one can defeat general Xiao. Maybe, you won¡¯t get married ever.¡±

    ¡°Shuanger, no one is asking you for your opinion! This tournament was to inspire the soldiers¡­It has nothing to do with ourdy¡¯s marriage. He had already defeated all the soldiers who were thirty-five and above. I doubt any younger ones can best him.¡±

    ¡°Phf...Even ourdy was able to defeat him. Men are useless.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Who is that handsome? He doesn¡¯t look like a soldier though...Another cannon fodder, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Mydy, mydy?¡±

    As soon as Guan Dongyang arrived at the stage, Xiao Libie could immediately feel the powering off from this seemingly frail frame.

    ¡°How can I address you?¡±

    Guan Dongyang mustered as much manliness in his voice as possible and then said, ¡°You can call me brother Guan. I have heard that there will be a plentiful reward if I win, eh? I mean...plenty of food, right?¡±

    Xiao Libie smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Indeed. What kind of weapon would you prefer? But, I believe that you are a caster, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°General Xiao has good eyes. You don¡¯t think a caster will be worth your time?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you do, please!¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    Xiao Libie pointed his long de at Guan Dongyang. Based on his years of experience on the battlefield, he could tell that his opponent was not just any mastery caster. Close quarterbat was not the mastery caster¡¯s strong suit, but the cocksure expression on Mr. Guan¡¯s face made Xiao Libie wary. He wouldn¡¯t be able to inspire anybody if he was defeated on his own stage.

    Guan Dongyang smiled knowingly and folded his hands. Suddenly mes burst out from the tips of his fingers. The sight had rendered every one quiet, and only Guan Dongyang¡¯s chanting of the spell could be heard.

    Even the lowest level firebolt spell was not easy to pull off. The crowd watched in amazement as the fire danced on his fingers like farriers with fiery wings.

    The key in mastering the spells was in controlling the flow of energy instead of the intensity.

    Suddenly, Guan Dongyang flicked his ten fingers at once and sent ten firebolts at his opponent. These firebolts increased in speed as soon as they left Guan Dongyang¡¯s fingertips. In a blink, they had grown to the size of a bowling ball each.

    Xie Libie¡¯s face hardened as he knew that he had met a tough opponent. He squeezed the handle of the de once and channeled his soul energy into it. Instead of dodging the firebolts, heshed out the de and attacked the iing missiles with a swift side arm sweep.

    Bang, Bang, Bang!

    Xiao Libie deflected the fireballs one after another; every strike carried an immense power that the other soldiers had never seen before.

    Guan Dongyang unleashed a few dozen fireball attacks in an instant. Nevertheless, Xiao Libie not only stood his ground unwaveringly, but also sneaked in a couple of soul energy attacks at the caster. Right in front of these soldiers, the two warriors pitted against each other with extraordinary moves.

    No one had ever seen a mastery caster stand face to face against a METAL warrior. It was simply unthinkable, particrity when the caster¡¯s opponent, General Xiao, was a legendary level veteran.

    Soldiers could not tell who had gotten the upper hand. However, their expression seemed to have told a very different situation. In contrast to Guan Dongyang¡¯s seemingly casual smirk, Xiao Libie¡¯s face was hard as stone. There was something unique about Guan Dongyang¡¯s fireball attack. Instead of being deflected upon strike, they exploded right in Xiao Libie¡¯s face upon contact with the de. Xiao Libie could avoid the damage from the fireball, but he could not avoid the ssh damage from the explosion. In addition, General Xiao also registered that his opponent was a wielder of the wind element. Although the level of his wind element spell was low, he had used it with such absurdness that it made him look like a pro.

    KOM!

    Xiao Libie stepped back and gained some distance from his opponent as he charged up his soul energy and GN force. When he had gained enough room, he tightened his back andunched himself forward like a cannonball. This was an improved version of the belligerent dash technique, and it would render Guan Dongyang¡¯s fire spells useless.

    However, Guan Dongyang didn¡¯t seem to have registered the danger as he cast another fire spell: Fire Drake! Seizing the opportunity, General Xiao unleashed the attack he had and roared, ¡°Panorama de Sweep!¡±

    The de suddenly scintited with a bright aura as it swept across the air to meet the fire drake. The soldiers cheered for their general, but didn¡¯t notice the cold smirk on Guan Dongyang¡¯s face. The fire drake was sliced into two as the momentum carried the two halves past Xiao Libie. However, these two fiery shapes didn¡¯t disappear; instead, they writhed their way back to each other and merged together anew. The head of the serpent turned around and opened its ming mouth as it bit at general Xiao on the nape of his neck.

    KOM!

    The attack sent Xiao Libie reeling forward for a dozen feet. His soldiers were stunned by this development.

    Wang Tong was amused by this drama. Xiao Libie was a solid warrior, but he was no match against Guan Dongyang by a long chalk. Not even Vorenus was confident in a fight against Guan Dongyang, much less a regr level twenty-two fighter.

    However, Wang Tong conceded that Xiao Libie had done a good job so far, particrly when he was using a weapon he was not familiar with.

    After the smoke on the stage had dissipated, Xiao Libie stood up with a genuine smile on his face. ¡°What a powerful mastery spell! I bet there is only one person in the world who can master the fire spell to such degree, and his name is Guan Dongyang.¡±

    ¡°I had heard that Brother Xiao¡¯s kopesh skill was also brilliant.¡± Guan Dongyang smiled back. Xiao Libie had thrown away his de and used his favorite weapon, the kopesh, a sickle-shaped hook.

    As the best student of Zambrotta, Xiao Libie was famous for his kopesh skills on the battlefield. His personal weapon was designed and forged by Zambrotta himself. It had twenty-eight precisely ced holes on the back of the de; their purpose was to modte and amplify the energy during an attack.

    It was particrly effective while fighting against the Zergs, and Xiao Libie kept it only for special asions, such as this.

    Xiao Libie reckoned that the fire drake had split into two not because of his strike, but was actively separated by Guan Dongyang to dodge his attack. Meanwhile, the fire drake was not able to even touch Xiao Libie, since its surprise attack was easily blocked by the kopesh.

    ¡°Mydy! That is the fire lord Guan Dongyang!¡± Shuanger remarked excitedly. The entire za sizzled with surprise after they had learned the identity of the challenger.

    Seeing the indifference in herdy¡¯s eyes, Shuanger scratched her head and murmured. ¡°You don¡¯t think so? He seems to fit the description. Handsome, kind of cocky.¡±

    Brenda remarked lightly, ¡°Yes, I believe that is him. But, where is the heir of the de Warrior? ¡±

    ¡°The devil? Wang...Wang Tong? That...that devil who had killed thousands of dark ones is here?¡± Shuanger was shocked as she covered her mouth to suppress a gasp.

    ¡°Mydy...are you...I mean...You won¡¯t fancy a murderous butcher, will you?¡± Shuanger asked as concern shed in her eyes.

    ¡°He is a hero. Don¡¯t talk about him like that.¡± Brenda rebutted.

    Shuanger stuck her tongue out and made a face. ¡°Fine, fine! As you wish mydy. He had killed so many Zergs that I wager he must look like a boorish brute. His portraits could be an overly romanticized image of him. I doubt he is good looking. Anyways, why do you think they are here? ¡±

    Brenda smiled faintly and said, ¡°For supplies, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°What? Food?¡±

    ¡°METAL suits, more likely. Regardless of how powerful his men were, no METAL couldst forever. Once the METAL suits were done for, the soldiers¡¯ lives would be at stake.¡± Brenda said distractedly as she scanned the crowd for any sign of Wang Tong.

    She found him, and he looked exactly the same as his portrait. As the crowd cheered for Guan Dongyang, Wang Tong turned around and smiled back at Brenda.

    ¡°Lie Xuan, your husband has just made himself the hotshot of the city.¡± Wu Lin jested.

    ¡°Of course, my man is the best.¡± Lie Xuan said with a smug smile.

    ¡°I am afraid that Wang Tong is behind all this. You need to watch out for that guy.¡± Xiao Yuyu shook her head and said.

    ¡°What a jerk! He would rather impress the strangers than us girls working with him.¡± Tan Jieined.

    ¡°Touch¨¦! I don¡¯t think that princess Brenda is any prettier than our chief!¡±

 Chapter 595 - Entangled Fate

    <h4>Chapter 595: Entangled Fate</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The girls vented theirints to each other. After a while, Ye Zi piped up, ¡°I doubt they know what this match is all about.¡±

    ¡°They would if they actually used what¡¯s on their shoulder instead of what¡¯s in between their legs!¡±

    The girls talked casually with each other while they were not in a formal setting. Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi¡¯s infatuation for Wang Tong had long since been a public secret. Thepetition, if there were any, didn¡¯t distance the two; instead, they became even closer friends than before. Although they both knew that Wang Tong only cared for his first love, Ma Xiaoru, neither of them was willing to let go of their obsession for him. Thinking along the same lines, wasn¡¯t Wang Tong the same as them? He, too, was obsessed with a girl whom he would probably never meet again; she might as well be dead to him. But, he held onto his longing for her so tightly that it seemed as silly as Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi¡¯s infatuation for him.

    Everyone knew that even if Wang Tong attended the match and won, he wouldn¡¯t ept the reward: Princess Brenda.

    On the stage, the fight was still going on. Xiao Libie¡¯s kopesh skill had given him a significant edge in the fight. Not only was the attack power increased as a result, but the sound wave that came after the attack was difficult to predict and defend against. However, Guan Dongyang didn¡¯t waver; instead, he was very interested in General Xiao¡¯s technique.

    After being pushed back a few times, Guan Dongyang flew himself into the air to gain some distance from his opponent. He cast an energy shield spell to ward off the secondary sound wave attacks. Once the energy shield was up, Guan Dongyang would unleash his full power on his opponent. Xiao Libie¡¯s aggressive attack had ignited his desire to ovee him.

    General Xiao¡¯s power had also caught Wang Tong by surprise. While he marveled at the intensity of the kopesh attacks, Wang Tong was also amazed by the incredibly tricky sound wave attacks.

    Xiao Libie was a renowned warrior, not because he was Zambrotta¡¯s favorite student, but more so because he was a truly solid and powerful warrior. He never expected to put in so much effort into this event. This was supposed to be another stroll in the park. However, Guan Dongyang¡¯s appearance had changed everything. The promise of defeating a legendary high-level warrior ted Xiao Libie as he kept on stepping up the game.

    The battle quickly turned into a sh of two lethal warriors. As Guan Dongyang doubled down on his mastery attacks, his damage output was more than tripled. Guan Dongyang had grown his power so fast within the few months; his attacks were very close to being the exemr of devastating power. Lacking in any form of physical damage, in order to win against a METAL warrior, a caster¡¯s only option was to increase the spell levels to break the METAL defense. Many spells at a higher level could outright ignore the effect of the METAL suits.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Libie didn¡¯t allow his opponent to gain the upper hand as he cranked up his GN force. Guan Dongyang was the most powerful mastery caster he had seen so far. Not only did he find it impossible to get close to thetter, but he also noticed no ws in his movement. It was as if Guan Dongyang was used to fighting against METAL warriors one on one.

    Xiao Libie knew that the longer the battlest, the smaller his winning odds would be. However, since he was mired in the deadlock with his opponent, he could neither give up nor find a breakthrough. There was only one option left for him to break the circle: to raze the entire area to the ground using all of his remaining soul energy.

    Suddenly, a rxing music came out from afar, and the sounds untangled the two¡¯s knotted energy and threw them off bnce, forcing the two to back away from each other.

    ¡°Guan Dongyang, you do worth your salt.¡±

    Brenda walked to the stage while wearing a full set of armor. Her hand carried her weapon called Cloud Pierce, a magical flute.

    Guan Dongyang needed no introduction as the girl¡¯s exquisite beauty had disclosed her identity.?Although she was the same age as the Divine Goddess Susu, Brenda projected an image of a strong-willed and steadfast heroine. She had a pair of long and elegant legs, and her eyes were dreamy, with the gleaming desire for a real hero in her life.

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment. Since I couldn¡¯t best your champion, I guess I will just leave the stage now.¡± Guan Dongyang put in.

    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Xiao Libie shouted.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°This match was held in the name of ourdy. Anyone who can gain my approval will be allowed to ask for ourdy¡¯s hand. You have just passed your test.¡± Xiao Libie said with a smile.

    Guan Dongyang was shaken by the announcement. He might as well be dead if Li Xuan knew about it.

    ¡°Umm...Thank you, but...I mean...I thought the reward was only food. I only need food. It wasn¡¯t me who wanted to join the match either, it was my friend.¡± Guan Dongyang quickly threw Wang Tong under the bus.

    ¡°You mean Wang Tong, the devil? Would you pleasee up here, Wang Tong?¡± Xiao Libie turned to the audiences and asked loudly.

    Wang Tong, the Devil!

    It was a popr name on Mars, not because Wang Tong was the heir of the de Warrior¡ªMartians never cared about titles¡ªbut because of his achievements, which spoke loudly of his power. After all, Martians were suckers for the mighty and powerful. He quickly had be the most popr idol of the Martians. Who would not be impressed by the human teenager after knowing what he had done? He had led a three hundred person army deep into the Zerg territory and was able to deal a blow so devastating to the Zergs that it nearly crippled the Zerg invasion.

    Even thebined might of the two most powerful martian heroes, Michaux and Li Jian, paled underparison. Plus, unlike Michaux and Lei Jian, who had a home advantage, Wang Tong had to start from scratch when he firstnded on Mars. Yet, he was capable of aplishing deeds that neither of the two could even dream of, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies.

    Wang Tong¡¯s achievement was unprecedented. In the past, the Zergs might have been interested in Wang Tong because he was a powerful human warrior. But since a few weeks ago, the Zergs wanted Wang Tong dead because they were afraid of him.

    But, where was Wang Tong now?

    Brenda surveyed the crowd and noticed that Wang Tong had already disappeared. She smiled faintly as she wondered what had motivated this mysterious warrior. Didn¡¯t he fight for fame and money? She could give him all of those if he showed himself. Or, maybe he simply didn¡¯t care about any of those worldly possessions.

    Wang Tong was gone, but Guan Dongyang had to stay. The city invited him to stay at a resort hotel, and offered him round the clock food service¡ªjust the way he wanted, so said his host. Guan Dongyang knew it was not wise to refuse the ¡°hospitality,¡± so he epted the invitation unwillingly. He made a mental note to not trust Wang Tong ever again while he waited for rescue.

    Brenda waited patiently for Wang Tong; she knew he woulde back for his friend who was under house arrest.

    The first time she saw Wang Tong was at the audience¡¯s seat during the tournament five years ago. She didn¡¯t join the tournament as a fighter, because her father¡¯s defeat had taken the wind out of her entire family. When the tournament started, she simply was not ready to face anotherpetition yet. That being said, she went to every fight to observe and learn.

    At that time, she only considered Michaux and Patroclus the best fighters of her age, due to their exceptional inborn talents. Although Li Shiming and Lie Jian both possessed solid skills, their inferior talent had hindered their advancement. However, when she saw Wang Tong¡¯s first match, she knew she was wrong.

    Wang Tong¡¯s talent was average at best. However, he was able to defeat Patroclus. Wang Tong¡¯s victory hadpletely changed Brenda¡¯s view on cultivation. The world didn¡¯t give Brenda too many opportunities to study Wang Tong, as he was killed soon after the tournament during the seminal event that had ushered in an age of chaos.

    It was obvious why Patroclus killed Wang Tong as soon as he became an immortal. He was the only person who had been a threat to Patroclus.

    During the first five years, Brenda was one of the very few people who could feel the life force of Wang Tong. Perhaps their fates were tangled together, and they just didn¡¯t know it yet!

    When she saw Wang Tong in the audience yesterday, her heart skipped a beat, and without much thinking, she realized that she wanted him.

 Chapter 596 - Through The Danger Zone

    <h4>Chapter 596: Through The Danger Zone</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    What did the man sound like? What would he say?

    Brenda had never been so happy before; it wasn¡¯t tion, it was blissful mirth.

    Unconsciously, she closed her eyes and started to enjoy this moment. She knew that when she opened her eyes again, he would be there; and he was.

    Brenda and Wang Tong smiled at each other knowingly. They didn¡¯t know each other, but they were already soulmates.

    Neither of them spoke. Brenda poured some water into an eggshell porcin teacup and offered it to Wang Tong, who downed the contents in a gulp.

    Although this was not the proper way of appreciating tea, it was precisely what Brenda had expected from him.

    Even though this was the first time the two had met, they felt like they were long lost, friends. They were so many things to be shared between the two of them, yet they didn¡¯t even need to speak a word with each other. Every nce was a story, and every intentional pause in motion augh.

    A normal morning tea session would take no more than ten minutes, but Wang Tong was with Brenda for the entire morning. Time seemed to have lost its meaning in the blissful silence.

    Then Wang Tong left, without saying a thing to Brenda.

    Tears poured out of Brenda¡¯s eyes. If Wang Tong wanted, she would follow him for the rest of her life. She had found her soulmate, and the joy of being understood was beyond words.

    But...

    ¡°Wang Tong, you are a jerk. Do you know that? She must be heartbroken.¡± Guan Dongyangined. Wang Tong was a hero of the people, but a cruel meaner to the girls who liked him. He had to avert his eyes when he saw Brenda¡¯s beautiful face awash with sorrow.

    Among the warriors of the Battle Wolf, only Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi understood how Brenda felt. Although Brenda was not any prettier than Xiao Yuyu, there was a different, friendly demeanor she carried with her. It made a man hard to hold back the urge of staying with her and protecting her. However, Wang Tong was able to ignore that pleading gaze.

    The girls felt indignant, and they wondered if Ma Xiaoru was really prettier than all of them.

    Wang Tong smiled and then said, ¡°We don¡¯t need to sacrifice any more good soldiers.¡± Wang Tong knew that the mysterious connection between him and Brenda was due to their soul essence. Although Brenda¡¯s soul essence was still in its early stage, Wang Tong¡¯s was already fully grown and matured. When they first met, Brenda¡¯s younger soul essence was naturally attracted to the more mature and stronger one in Wang Tong. In an inexplicable way, the two soul essences were able to nurture a rtionship slowly, which exined Brenda¡¯s seemingly feverish infatuation. Wang Tong conceded that Brenda was a nice girl; however, he didn¡¯t have to date all the nice girls in the world.

    ¡°Balls! So, you feel veryfortable sacrificing our lives?¡±

    ¡°Haha, of course! You are my bro.¡±

    ¡°Haha, fine! Wang Tong, I will follow you to hell!¡±

    The soldiers of Battle Wolfughed as aspirations to achieve greatness rose in them. Life was short, and everyone needed to use every precious moment to make a positive impact on the world. Xiao Yuyu watched Wang Tong with unswerving faith. She had changed; no longer was she a fragile and privileged flower living in an ivory tower. There and then, she felt that she was a true heroine, saving the world as she had always dreamed to.

    ¡°Hi everyone! I wonder if I can join you?¡± Someone caught up with Wang Tong¡¯s group and asked. ¡°Brother Guan, I had enjoyed our fight. I wonder if we can carry on ourpetition and see who will kill the most Zergs?¡± Xiao Libie smiled at Guan Dongyang earnestly.

    Guan Dongyang shot the older warrior a nce and said, ¡°You? If you try hard enough, we might consider it.¡±

    ¡°Haha, of course, I will try hard. I am hard right now if you want to try me.¡± Xiao Libie shot Guan Dongyang back with a lewd dad joke, and it worked.

    ¡°Brother Xiao, wee to the Try-Me-When-I¡¯m-Hard band! Haha! ¡± Wang Tong reached out for a handshake. After that, the small retinue of fewer than three hundred men and women embarked on their journey toward the direction where the sun was setting.

    ¡­

    The effect of losing seven Zerg Cities was palpable at the frontlines. However, its damage to Moye¡¯s overall n was limited. Of all the cities that had been destroyed in the northern area, only the sacking of Samgha and Mephisto really mattered. Although Wang Tong had made a name for himself, his achievement was not enough to significantly hinder the Zergs¡¯ advancement.

    When Wang Tong and his retinue was in the city of Constantinople, great news came from the middle and western sections of the Zerg territory. Lie Jian and Michaux had each led their own troops into the Zerg¡¯s territory and sacked a city.

    ¡°Copycat!¡±

    ¡°Mission like ours is a double-edged sword. If we seed, we would be able to devastate the Zergs, but our mission could also go astray very quickly. When that happens, we are putting the lives of elite soldiers in danger and causing irreversible harm to the human resistance. Lie Jian and Michaux bothmanded over two thousand elite soldiers. If they get caught in a real war, the consequence would be catastrophic.¡± Yin Tianzong said warily. He didn¡¯t think it was a smart move for Lie Jian and Michaux to copy Wang Tong¡¯s strategy at such a scale. Loss of two thousand elite units would be a devastating blow to the human resistance. As a matter of fact, he felt even three hundred soldiers were too many to lose.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to worry about others¡¯ business. I hope they had prepared well. Wang Tong, look here. This is the Mount Dynamo¡­In Martian¡¯s dialect, it means ¡®Soul-freezing¡¯. Are you sure you want to take this route?¡± Guan Dongyang asked.

    ¡°Yeah, think about it, boss! Before the war started, I was in an expedition crew exploring Mount Dynamo. We had scaled to the highest point that humans had ever reached. But guess what? We were still at its foothill.¡± Lun Duo put in.

    Wang Tong was an earthling, and therefore, he wouldn¡¯t appreciate the cultural significance of Mount Dynamo. The horror stories about the ce were high tales at best. However, as he surveyed the map, he realized that there might be some truth in those stories. Mount Dynamo was much taller than the tallest peak on earth, and the environment at such a high altitude was foreboding.

    ¡°Tianzong, what do you think of it?¡± Wang Tong asked his fellow earthlingpanion.

    Yin Tianzong paused to think about it, then said, ¡°It could be difficult.¡±

    ¡°What choice do we have? Head back? The Zergs know we are here, and they are ready. We would be lucky if half of us made it back to the wastnd. I second Wang Tong¡¯s n of scaling Mount Dynamo.¡± Xiao Yuyu announced firmly.

    ¡°Once we pass Mount Dynamo, we will be right in the heart of Zerg territory. There are many valuable cities we can attack, and we will be able to directly threaten the headquarters of the dark lord.¡±

    ¡°I agree. The Zergs wouldn¡¯t expect us to take this mountain passage, and we could attack them while they are unprepared.¡±

    ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s get ready for the climb then! We will head out tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Gods be good that there won¡¯t be any blizzard.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, if you persist on climbing the mountain, I have some suggestion for you.¡± Xiao Libie put in.

    ¡°Have you made it to the other side of the mountain before?¡±

    ¡°Me? Hell no! No one has climbed Mount Dynamo ever. I was born in the town at the foothills, and conquering Mount Dynamo had been my father¡¯s greatest passion. He knew the mountain well and showed me a few routes to reach the mount from the foothills. However, once we are close to the peak, we will be on our own. The peak was called the Forbidden Zone. It was an area under a constant low-pressure blizzard, and no equipment would work in that storm. However, I think we should give it a try.¡±

    Everyone knew that in order to achieve what they came here for, they could only press forward.

    Two dayster, the group reached the foot of the dark mountain, and were ready for the assent. Many local residents had urged them to give up their idea because in their minds, scaling the sacred mountain would call down the wrath of gods. However, after they learned that the soldiers needed to get past the mountain to attack the Zergs, they all started to offer their help and tips.

    The soldiers breezed through the first few hundred kilometers. Despite the drastic change in temperature, they protected themselves using GN force. By nightfall, they have already reached the halfway point. They found a clearing and made camp for the night; the GN shield had been taxing on the warriors¡¯ system.

    The mastery casters seemed to be in a rougher shape than METAL warriors due to their weaker GN force. The elements had also taken a toll on their body.

    In order to alleviate the situation, Wang Tong paired casters with METAL warriors so that they both could look after each other while climbing.

 Chapter 597 - Sigh Of The Ice Seal

    <h4>Chapter 597: Sigh Of The Ice Seal</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong, Yin Tianzong, and Vorenus led the way at the front while the rest of the warriors followed them. Although traveling in pairs had helped the mastery casters, they were only able to travel one-fifth of the distance they had yesterday.

    Overall, the first two days had been uneventful. However, the real challenge quickly came up on the third day.

    After passing the midway point of the mountain, the temperature dropped below twenty, and it stormed constantly. The mountain path was covered with snow on top of slippery ice, forcing the speed of the ascent to a minimum. Under these treacherous conditions, the Mastery casters wouldn¡¯tst more than an hour without the help of METAL warriors. Luckily, their METAL warrior partners protected them as if they were newborn babies.

    The group conceded that they were down on their luck as the weather grew worse by the second. The flurry snow blotted the view, and they had to reduce their speed even further. When the blizzard subsided briefly, the soldiers found themselves in a world of whiteness. They didn¡¯t have time to appreciate the vista, since another blizzard was already on its way. Holding on to the guide cable, the group pressed forward slowly but surely.

    Wang Tong and Xiao Libie were ahead of the group, scouting for possible routes, while Yin Tianzong and Vorenus controlled the speed at the head. This ce was and of icy demons; even a legendary warrior would be engulfed by the elements easily, leave alone ordinary soldiers.

    ¡°Wang Tong, looks like we have to slow down and wait out the blizzard. Our men won¡¯tst long while being exposed to the elements.¡±

    ¡°Time is of the essence. We cannot stop! This is not the time to stop yet.¡±

    Wang Tong extended his arm to feel the howling wind and reckoned that this was not the worst yet. If they slowed down right now, they would never get to the other side in time. They were racing against the time.

    ¡°This is too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°We are already dead, Brother Xiao. Just tell me if this is the road we should take.¡± Wang Tong¡¯s voice held an unswerving faith. Some might say he was inconsiderate for his own soldiers¡¯ wellbeing, but what choice did he have?

    ¡°We are on the right path!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until then that Xiao Libie had truly felt and understood the determination in Wang Tong and his soldiers. It required more than just bravery for Wang Tong to order the soldiers to press onward.

    One would not fullyprehend the terror of Mount Dynamo until facing it himself. The environment was unforgiving, and none of the modern day equipment would work past the middle point. The natural forces here were wild and untamed; they could devour any weak souls that dared to tamper with it. The closer they got to the peak, the less Mastery casters dared to draw any forces from the environment. Even Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu had refrained from tapping into the web of energy around them due to its hostile nature.

    No one knew what had made the natural force so dangerous here, just like no one could fully exin what the natural forces were. There were still many things to learn about nature, but this was not the time to learn. The human soldiers had only one goal, and that was to cross the mountain range. Xiao Libie was the guide, but Wang Tong was the real leader of the march. Although Xiao Libie had never fought with Wang Tong on a stage, he knew that thetter was much more powerful than him. Not only did he still have abundant soul energy to help others, but the determination and steadfastness were unmatched by any leader Xiao Libie had seen. It was as if no difficulties, regardless of how big they were, would be able to change Wang Tong¡¯s course. How did he achieve such iron will?

    Xiao Libie didn¡¯t have the answer to those questions. However, he reckoned that as long as he followed Wang Tong, he would prevail, even if thetter¡¯s n sounded like suicide.

    ¡°We need to go on for another 5 kilometers. Can you guys do it?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Piece of cake!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about us!¡± The soldiers shouted back at Wang Tong.

    Xiao Libie could tell that their voice was genuine, and he marveled at the perseverance of Wang Tong¡¯s retinue. They weren¡¯t just saying it to please Wang Tong; they really meant it.

    ¡°Keep your wits about and watch your step! Captains, please do a head count. Let¡¯s move! Move! We can do it!¡± Tan Bu shouted at the top of his lungs, trying as hard as he could to let his voice pierce through the howling wind, but it barely worked.

    ¡°MOVE!¡± Wang Tong shouted. Enhanced by soul energy, his voice reached every soldier and gave them a boost of confidence.

    Everyone shouted back at Wang Tong with their unwavering determination. They gritted their teeth and pressed forward with a newfound enthusiasm. Yin Tianzong soon passed Wang Tong with the soldiers in tow.

    Wang Tong slowed down to check on his soldiers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me! I am fine!¡± Guan Dongyang refused Lie Xuan¡¯s help. Although physique and endurance were not his strong suit, the fire lord was not going to be slowed down by a couple of storms.

    Wang Tong let the soldiers pass him as he offered his encouragement to each and every one of them. He knew that words were unnecessary, so he simply patted on the shoulders of each passing warrior, which was enough to reignite the will to battle their hearts.

    As the retinue started to gain more speed, the head of the group suddenly stopped as a wave of ngs and nks could be heard amidst the roaring gale. A new front of the blizzard attacked the soldiers with tennis ball seized hails with thorny spikes.

    ¡°Defend yourself! ¡±

    Everyone cranked up their GN force to ward off the assault; in a blink, the three hundred soldiers were engulfed with whiteness. Compared to the blizzard, the Zergs¡¯ attack seemed modest. The hail grew in size as the center of the storm approached closer to the soldiers. If the warriors didn¡¯t have their defensive shield up, the hailstones could have pieced through their METAL and into their flesh.

    The METAL warriors reacted quickly and shielded their mastery caster partners with their body. In the middle of the METAL warriors stood Yin Tianzong. He raised his war shield high above his head, trying to cover as many spaces as he could.

    However, after a few minutes, the blizzard still ravaged on without any sign of slowing down. Some of the METAL warriors were already near their limits.

    Seeing this, Wang Tongunched himself to the sky toward the center of the storm; he knew that it didn¡¯t do anything soon, his soldiers would not make it.

    Suddenly, a golden light shone through a crack in the dark clouds. Wang Tong opened up his sea of consciousness and attempted to connect his soul energy with the raging blizzard.

    Xiao Yuyu and Guan Dongyang could only stare at him with fear and stress; this was suicide. The energy in this area was feral, and was able to render even the most powerful mastery caster into derangement.

    Wang Tong opened his arm slowly and let the golden energy pour out of his system. The golden flow melted anything it touched as it slowly took over the storm.

    In such a ravaging storm, the only thing that could protect him was soul essence.

    Suddenly, a gush of wild energy rammed into his system as pain shot through his body. However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t flinch. He had gone through enough torment in his life; this was nothing.

    The soul essence¡ªsigh of the ice seal!

    In front of the team, a giant blue wall appeared out of nowhere. Wang Tong¡¯s hair stood upright like a field of golden ginger corn; some loose strands tossed around by the current of energy around him.

    The blue ice wall grew in size, soon reaching sixty meters in height. The blizzard bombarded the stony surface of the wall, but it stood unwaveringly.

    Xiao Libie¡¯s mouth gaped wide open as he stared at the incredible sight. This was not a mastery spell; it was a miracle.

    Guan Dongyang patted on Xiao Libie¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You will get used to it. Wang Tong is not an ordinary human, and Mount Dynamo will not stop us.¡±

    Wang Tongnded back to the ground, his face looking paler than before. However, determination still glinted in his eyes. ¡°We will rest for now, and will start once the storm is over.¡±

    ¡°Roger!¡±

    On the boundless mountain range, Wang Tong built his warriors a cozy shelter. Everyone knew that this would be theirst respite before they made it to the top. So, they hurried to eat, drink, or take a nap.

    Wang Tong sat in a corner and started cultivation. This soul essence spell wouldn¡¯t have been so taxing on his system if the natural energy weren¡¯t so unruly and aggressive. Even with the power of soul essence, Wang Tong needed to recuperate immediately after casting the spell.

    Once Wang Tong had given the order to take a rest, the Mastery casters started to help the METAL warriors to heal their bodies. Although there had been no fights, a lot of soldiers were suffering from frostbite. They needed to be looked after immediately before they transgressed into serious injuries.

    The warrior¡¯s wills were iron, but their body was made out of flesh. The vicious elements could im a soldier¡¯s life when he or she was least expecting it.

 Chapter 598 - All By Myself

    <h4>Chapter 598: All By Myself</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    One could only rely on the will for that long. Without the unwavering wall sheltering the soldiers at its foot, it was only a matter of time before the soldiers would have been devoured by the icy wrath of nature.

    Xiao Libie ate some food and started observing the soldiers around him quietly. He was amazed by how calm these warriors were despite being under such a perilous situation.?Xiao Libie knew that such warriors were not umon; however, he had never expected to see so many of them under the same banner.

    asionally, there were soldiers that looked to Wang Tong with a caring nce. However, no one spoke a word to console each other, as if they were convinced that they would be able to pull through this ordeal.

    In less than twenty minutes, all the soldiers had finished their preparation, and were ready for the next leg of their journey. As soon as Wang Tong opened his eyes, all the soldiers stood up in unison, their faces awash with eagerness to set off.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    Suddenly, a crackling noise came from above the soldiers as a crack appeared in the ice wall and it started to crumble. The METAL warriors charged up their GN force to defend themselves and the mastery casters from the fallen ice blocks. Once the ice wall was gone, soldiers pressed forward with a newfound strength and resolution. The blizzard had subsided significantly, and the soldiers were better prepared.

    ¡­

    The devil and his demon band had disappeared off the face of the. The Zergs had been looking for them for a couple of days, but Wang Tong was nowhere to be seen. Xie Su was irritated by his disappearance, and he had killed more than a dozen of his scouts in a fit of uncontroble rage.

    He had heard rumors at the court that the dark lord had been every displeased by his ipetencytely.

    If he let the matter keep on spiraling out of control, he would not escape the cauldron despite his prestigious status among the dark ones. His recent defeats had already made other blood kin eye his power, fantasizing the exhration when they would suck his life force away.

    In the eyes of the dark ones, the cauldron was the least wasteful method of punishment. Every dark one was made from the blood and flesh of the mother queen, and every cell on a dark one¡¯s body was sacred. By offering the power of the persecuted to the other dark ones, the cauldron made sure that every single drop of blood would be used to fuel the Zerg war machine.

    Although the cauldron was a manifestation of the primitive Zergs¡¯munal society in some sense, a new form of the societal structure had been introduced in the Zerg world through the blood of the humans. The Zerg world was stratified more so than ever, and the hierarchy system was not rigid. Whoever could umte more power would be able to press a im on a higher social ss.

    Moye had thought that thepetitiveness in the Zerg society was a good thing, but he had overlooked the negative aspect of such a structure.

    The dark ones were convinced that Wang Tong had hidden somewhere nearby. Fearing another surprise attack, the cities still held onto their forces and ignored dark lords¡¯ call to arms.

    After having sacked two Zerg Cities, Lie Jian and Michaux were dealt a blow by a group of fearsome Zergs. The two¡¯s sess had lowered their guard, and therefore, the Zergs were able to sneak up on them and attacked by surprise.

    Both Lie Jian and Michaux had been convinced that they would be able to achieve whatever Wang Tong could. However, after the defeat, they conceded that they had underestimated the abilities of both Wang Tong and the Zergs.

    The dark ones had thoroughly studied the humans, including their battle strategies. When it came down to the degree of intelligence, it varied greatly among different poptions, and was hard to predict. The rank of the dark ones did not reflect their intelligence. In other words, a low ranking dark one could be much smarter, albeit weaker, than a blood kin.

    They knew that the martian hero doublet was marching toward them, and had let them sack the two cities on purpose in order to lower their guard and lure them into their trap.

    The miscalction was not because of Lie Jian or Michaux¡¯s arrogance. As a matter of fact, they had been very prudent in making every decision. However, the size of their army meant it was impossible to move behind the enemy line unnoticed. In addition, theycked a thorough understanding of the Zergs like Wang Tong did. Sometimes, Wang Tong¡¯s uncanny ability to predict the Zergs¡¯ movement made the soldiers think that he was actually a Zerg in disguise; some even called him Dr. Zerg.

    In order to defeat the Zergs, the humans would have to first learn from them, particrly their despicable and devious methods in dealing with the enemy. Wang Tong was able to turn himself as treacherous as a Zerg by understanding thetter¡¯s way of thinking; but, neither Michaux nor Lie Jian was able to do that.

    While dealing with the dark ones, Wang Tong would never let his guard down. He wouldn¡¯t poke them with a six feet pole if the dark ones had the upper hand; however, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw himself at them if he had the advantage.

    Thanks to the dedicated soldiers from House Lie and the sect, Michaux and Lie Jian were able to escape. However,?no one knew where Michaux had gone after the defeat, and Lie Jian was gravely injured.

    All of this happened when the human devil had also disappeared on the radar, and these series of development had rendered humans into a bundle of nerves. Everything happened so quickly and so far away that all they could do was pray.

    ¡­

    After five hours of the persistent assault, the wild blizzard finally subsided, allowing the human soldiers to pick up speed. However, the passage they were on started to narrow down significantly. Deep chasms were present on both sides of the narrow corridor. One misstep would spell doom for the travelers. Xiao Libie had never thought that they could make it this far up the range, especially considering the murderous weather condition.

    ¡°Once we are out of this valley, we should enter a rtively tter area. If we can make it, we will make history. No one has ever been to the other side.¡± Xiao Libie remarked.

    What Wang Tong wanted to achieve was more than just pass the valley; he wanted to get to the other side of the mountain. No one had ever made it so far, and even Xiao Libie was clueless as to what awaited them once they were through the valley. However, one thing that he did know was that the road was going to be more treacherous the further they went.

    ¡°Let¡¯s tread through this stretch first. ¡± Wang Tong nodded as he looked up at the winding passage ahead and realized that it was at least a few kilometers in length.

    ¡°Everyone halt! I will scout ahead first. If I am not back in two hours, Yin Tianzong, please lead the army and proceed onward. ¡±

    ¡°Boss, let me go with you. We could look after each other.¡± Lun Duo put in.

    ¡°Let me go,¡± Vorenus said.

    Wang Tong shook his head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s better if I go alone.¡±

    Everyone kept their silence. They knew that if the situation got hairy, they would only be a hindrance to Wang Tong rather than help.

    ¡°Why the long faces? I am going to scout the path, notmit suicide. Don¡¯t let your guard down. No one knows what kind of danger is lurking in these ranges. ¡±

    ¡°Young master, why don¡¯t you let me go in your stead? I should be able to handle it.¡± Yin Tainzong urged.

    ¡°Tianzong, it has nothing to do with your ability. You don¡¯t have the soul essence, so you won¡¯tst long out there by yourself.¡± Wang Tong rejected his offer outright.

    ¡°Come on everyone, show me some smiles, please? What about you girls? ¡±

    Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi squeezed out a smile for Wang Tong.?Wang Tong hugged everyone before he set out. The more powerful he got, the more he respected the power of mother nature.

    When he was about to hug Xiao Yuyu, the chief medic stole a kiss from his cheek and smiled. ¡°Make sure youe back.¡±

    Wang Tong paused for a second and then said with a broad smile, ¡°You bet!¡±

    Ye Zi closed in and kissed Wang Tong on the other cheek, then blushed.

    After bidding farewell to Wang Tong, everyone watched as their leader disappeared on the misty path. The natural energy interfered in one¡¯s soul energy more significantly the closer one was to the peak. It required tremendous energy just to stabilize the sea of consciousness.

    The group waited patiently for its leader¡¯s return; every minute seemed like a year.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, in the sr system, thest human fleet was led by General Samantha. In the immortal-upied area, Patroclus had decreed the fleet a pirate organization.

    Space had already fallen into the immortals¡¯ control, and Samantha and her fleet had to survive on a thin line. Not only did she have to contain the development of the immortals¡¯ fleet, but also preserve the seed for the future counterattack. Slowly but surely, Samantha had weaved a web of covert operations in the space right under Patroclus¡¯s nose.

    This achievement was easier said than done. Although she had to deal with the immortals¡¯ attacks on a daily basis, Samantha had never given up the fight.

 Chapter 599 - Space Aid

    <h4>Chapter 599:Space Aid</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Things that happen next year will determine if the humans will make it or not. ¡± Samantha said, surrounded by officers in a meeting room listening to the briefing from Mars.

    The situation on Mars was highly unstable; however, uncertainties were better than defeat.

    ¡°Lie Jian and Michaux¡¯s actions are too reckless. If they are killed on their mission, the morale of the Martian resistance will be shaken beyond mending.¡±

    ¡°Getting killed is still a better ending than being captured by the Zergs.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that the dark ones will let them live if they capture them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they will kill any ordinary soldiers on sight, but they are not ordinary. They might transform them into dark ones. ¡±

    ¡°General, why did Wang Tong suddenly disappear? What will be his next move?¡± A lot of the generals were friends with Wang Tong, but some had never met him before.

    ¡°Boss must have a n. The quieter it is, the more fun there will be to watch for us. I am so excited!¡± Only Karl could make such statement without really knowing anything. The thought of seeing Wang Tong again had ted him greatly.

    Everyone had seen what Wang Tong was capable of. However, what he had achieved so far was not able to change the course of humanity¡¯s destruction. Everyone at the table, except for Karl was convinced that Wang Tong had met resistance from the Zergs, and therefore, had retreated quietly back to the human territory. What happened to Lie Jian and Michaux was a good example of how deadly the dark ones were.

    ¡°Captain Karl, we respect your faith in Wang Tong. However, as amander, you need to make a judgment based on facts, not feelings. I urge you to refrain from making such groundless ims in the future.¡± An officer in his forties retorted.

    ¡°I agree with Captain Saint. Wang Tong is working alone, and we can¡¯t put all our eggs in one basket. Captain Karl, please watch what you speak. We don¡¯t need your optimism in this meeting.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Captain Stain, I do agree with Captain Karl. Yes, Wang Tong is fighting by himself, but he is hell of a one-person army. If he seeds and the Zergs pull their fleet back, we can chase them down with ease. But, the requirement is that we have a full fleet. I motion the board to order the fleet to stay put until we hear more news about Wang Tong.¡± Cao Yi put in calmly. He was the chief adviser of Samantha, and therefore, his words carried more weight than Karl¡¯s.

    ¡°Hehe, Adviser Cao, where is your usual pragmatism? We all know that Wang Tong is the heir of the de Warrior, but so what? Even that title was a product of a PR stunt from the Temr¡¯s Court, wasn¡¯t it? It meant nothing. If Wang Tong was really as powerful as you imed, why didn¡¯t he stop Patroclus five years ago? I think you all need to wake up and stop dreaming. Instead, think about what we could do for the people on Mars.¡± Lun Deng refuted. He had been a captain of Martian battleship during the Confederation days and even now. His view on the war was more hawkish than anyone else on the board.

    He was from Mars, and therefore he insisted that Mars should be the priority.

    ¡°The Zergs are prepared. If we attack them now, we will be walking right into their trap. One misstep and we might destroy everything that we have built up so far.¡± sh said coldly. He was the first promoted to the position of captain due to his unrivaled strategic sense.

    ¡°May I? I think you are both right. The situation on Mars has reached a critical moment. Therefore, we can¡¯t just sit around and do nothing. However, our help should be limited to containing the Zergs¡¯ air raids. We cannot afford to lose any marines.¡± Samantha finally spoke.

    ¡°I agree!¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡±

    ¡°Very well! Everyone, set your course to Mars. Make some noise and make your intention as obvious as you can. Let them know we are heading to Mars.¡± Samantha issued hermand, her voice holding an unswerving conviction.

    ¡°Hehe, I could draft a call to arms and distribute it among other resistance forces.¡± Cao Yi suggested.

    ¡°Good call! But, be wary of the immortals¡¯ sabotaging activities.¡±

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, on Mount Dynamo, the retinue had been waiting for Wang Tong for two hours. It had been the longest two hours of their life. The soldiers didn¡¯t waste their time while waiting, as they all started their cultivation to recuperate some of their soul energy.

    Xiao Libie was amazed by the soldier¡¯s discipline. Everyone on the team was a force to be reckoned with; however, their teamwork was sublime. Not only did they carry out instructions to the letter as a team, but when they were alone, they also possessed incredible self-control and restraint. Xiao Libie remembered that his Shifu Zambrotta oftenmented theck of talent under his force. Now he knew where all the talent had gone to: they were all working for Wang Tong.

    Two hourster, Wang Tong was still nowhere to be seen.

    The leaders of the band gathered around to discuss their next move. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for another half hour, and if Wang Tong still doesn¡¯t return, we should go save him.¡± Guan Dongyang urged.

    Yin Tianzong nodded. Although Wang Tong possessed miraculous abilities, there would always be a limit to his power.

    ¡°We should tread carefully. There is no way back.¡± Vorenus said in a serious voice. As soon as they passed the midpoint, they had entered a passage of no return. The wind blew with a constant anguished keening as the snow and ice blocked their view. No one knew whaty ahead of them.

    After a while, Bu Zhihuo broke the silence. ¡°Let me lead a small group of rangers to scout ahead. It¡¯s too risky to march right into there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. Even if you could scout out a path for us, you won¡¯t be able toe back to us alive. This ce is... cursed.¡± Yin Tianzong said hopelessly, and then shook his head. If Wang Tong couldn¡¯t make it back, everyone would die.

    ¡°I believe Wang Tong will be able to make it back even if he can¡¯t find any usible route. I agree with Brother Yin¡¯s n. Let¡¯s move in together.¡±

    ¡°Brother Xiao, we might not be able to make it to the other side. If you change your mind, I will assign a couple of soldiers to escort you back.¡± Yin Tianzong said. He noticed that Xiao Libie had been very quiet, and was not sure if the new addition was up for his n or not.

    Xiao Libie smiled faintly. ¡°Brother Yin, don¡¯t look down on me. If I were too afraid of danger, I wouldn¡¯t resign from my position at Zambrotta¡¯s force to join Wang Tong. Not only do I wholeheartedly support Wang Tong¡¯s n, but I have also dreamt of conquering Mount Dynamo ever since I was a child.¡±

    Everyone nodded in approval toward Xiao Libie¡¯s determination. Xiao Libie also found the way everyone regarded him different; it was as if they finally consider him a part of their group.

    ¡°Very well! Since everyone is on board with our n, let¡¯s take half an hour to prepare. I need every METAL warrior¡¯s fullmitment to look after your mastery caster partner.¡± Yin Tianzong issued the final announcement.

    ¡°Make sure you stay away from the natural forces without a specific order to do so.¡± Xiao Yuyu reminded casters once more time, who nodded in response. The force field on top of Mount Dynamo was extremely unstable, and no one knew why. It was as if the energy had a mind of its own, a wild and savage mind. Wang Tong was the first to have experienced its feral savagery when he drew the natural energy, but he was able to escape the natural forces attack by using soul essence. The mastery casters had registered the danger that Wang Tong was in, and therefore, even Xiao Yuyu and Guan Dongyang dared not to test the waters.

    However, the unsteady force field seemed more like an inconveniencepared to the nerve-wracking waiting.

    ¡­

    It was fitting to call these warriors devils or demons, since they were capable of treading through hell unfazed.

    In the narrow passage between heaven and hell, a retinue of human plodded on. The warriors only truly understood the difficulties of the journey that they had embarked on once they entered the treacherous path. The wind howled insistently in an anguished keening, dismantling the warriors¡¯ will one shred of nerve at a time. If not for the soldiers¡¯ solid soul energy, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to pass the test of the wild gales. The temperature had dropped down below minus forty, and the path seemed endless. Without a sound physique, one would quickly suffer hypothermia as the coldness nibbled away their frayed mind, and soon, they would feel the burning of coldness.

    However cold it was, the soldiers could not stop; once they did, their feet would be frozen solid and they would never walk again. Every captain kept their eyes peeled for any warrior that had gone astray from the group.

    Yin Tianzong, Vorenus and Xiao Libie led the way at the front of the column. Suddenly, Yin Tianzong shouted, his soul energy reverberating from the head to the tail of the line.

    It was a warning.

 Chapter 600 - One Way Portal

    <h4>Chapter 600: One Way Portal</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The wind blowing through the valley passage suddenly picked up the intensity. On themand of Yin Tianzong, all soldiers charged up their soul energy and tilted their body so that they met minimum resistance as they waited.

    After a while, the strange gale subsided, and the insistent keening of the mountainous wind returned. After a few cautious moments, the warriors moved on.

    The further they went on the passage, the more unease Yin Tianzong felt. He felt a pressure what was not only from the harsh and forbidding environment, but also from a strong presence of a malicious energy.

    The path had changed significantly as well. The trees started to hug the road, and soon, the path had reduced to the width that only allowed only one person through. Cliffs that were straight drops were present on each side of the path; below, the dark air current howled with a murderous intent.

    The warriors traveled in pairs, slowly treading forward. This was a test of their endurance; fast and furious would only get them killed.

    The soldiers at the back of the group waited patiently for their turn. The wait itself was a challenge of their inner bnce.

    Five pairs of warriors had already passed the choke point, and when the sixth pair were about to cross, the wild gale came up again. The soldier charged up GN shield instinctively; however, the movement had made the mastery caster loosen his hold on the METAL warrior. Having lost his anchor, the wind picked him up like a piece of parchment. Lu Liang, the unfortunate caster, cried out for help, but his voice was carried away by the wind too. In less than a heartbeat, Yin Tianzong plunged into the depth to save the caster. He hurled a cable toward the caster in front of him while both of them were still falling. The other end of the cable was tied to Vorenus.

    Vorenus¡¯s GN force soared up and was ready for the weight of two warriors. Once Lu Ming felt the cable beside him, he quickly gripped it and wrapped it around his body. Vorenus felt the snag at the end of the line and momentum of the two warriors in the chasm. Vorenus shouted as he doubled up his soul energy. Inch by inch, he hauled the two warriors out of the abyss.

    As soon as Yin Tianzong reached thending, he helped Vorenus to pull the caster out. Lu Ming was already unconscious when he was finally pulled to safety. The impact with the cliff had rendered him unconscious.

    The party moved on. Xiao Libie felt a strange mixture of shock, fear, and trepidation. Seeing how they had worked together to avert the crisis, Xiao Libie knew that they would eventually conquer Mount Dynamo; not even the coldness could stop them.

    Eight hourster, they were finally out of the narrow path. Even the soldiers themselves felt it unbelievable that they could pull through.

    As soon as they passed the narrow path, the wind was blocked by the towering peaks from both side, and the temperature seemed to have risen significantly as well.

    Looking back at that frozen hell, this ce seemed like a paradise.

    Yin Tianzong scanned the surroundings, looking for traces of Wang Tong. If they could make it, surely Wang Tong could too.

    ¡°Do a headcount! Medics, please attend to the injured.¡±

    After the headcount was conducted, it was found that five METAL warriors had paid the ultimate sacrifice while trying to protect their mastery partners. Those casters who had lost theirpanions sat in a corner silently and sullenly while thinking how many zergs they had to kill in order to repay the debt.

    After a while, Yin Tianzong finally found out the reason that he couldn¡¯t find any trace of Wang Tong¡¯s soul energy. This clearing seemed to be the source of the force field disturbance, and the chaotic energies had blocked the presence of any soul energy in this area. Not only were the energy signals blocked, the warriors soon found out that they simply couldn¡¯t charge up their soul energy any longer.

    ¡°Captain, look here. An arrow marking! It has to be Boss¡± A soldier shouted.

    Yin Tianzong closed in and saw an arrow was freshly marked on a cliff. He noticed that the cliff wall was made of extremely hard ice, and he wagered that other than Wang Tong, no one would be able to carve an arrow sign without any soul energy.

    ¡°Lun Duo and Tan Bu, I want you two to look after the injured and the casters. The rest of you, follow me!¡± Yin Tianzongmanded. He was convinced that Wang Tong was caught up here by some development; otherwise, he would have already returned to them.

    Wang Tong had indeed made it to the clearing. Although his sea of consciousness had sustained a great deal of damage, he couldn¡¯t stop. There was something hiding inside these deep mountains, and he needed to find out what it was. He left a mark for Yin Tianzong and moved on.

    Yin Tianzong and his soldiers pressed forward while the injured received treatment behind them. They would catch up sooner orter, and finding Wang Tong was much more urgent. Something told Yin Tianzong that Wang Tong was in knee deep trouble.

    Although they were unable to use their soul energy, the warriors traveled at an amazing speed thanks to the exceptional physical condition. Huge ice walls towered beside them, their size and shape suggesting that they were the product of drastic terraforming. In order to make Mars inhabitable, the early humans had used advanced technology to terraform Mars, changing its terrain, rivers, and atmosphere. As a result, some areas were so heavily modified that their natural elements seemed to be full of contradictions.

    Mount Dynamo was one such region. Thankfully, these areas remained anomalies on Mars, and once settled, the humans never bothered to correct their mistakes.

    These blue ice walls were not entirely made out of ice, since it was much tougher than normal ice. What was even stranger was that the temperature seemed to be rising as the soldiers reached higher elevation. These unnatural phenomena worried the warriors as they became more convinced that Wang Tong was in trouble.

    Yin Tianzong led the group from the front, stress and unease written all over his face.?After some time, Yin Tianzong saw a glowing white light ahead of him. As he got closer, he noticed that the light came out of a gate, except that it wasn¡¯t really a gate at all. It had the shape of a gate, but in the middle was a film of shimmering silvery liquid. Its hinge was made out of fleshy substances.

    Guan Dongyang caught up with Xiao Libie and asked in confusion. ¡°What the heck is this thing?¡±

    Xiao Yuyu approached the contraption and cautiously touched its rim. ¡°It¡¯s a one-way space portal to the hive.¡±

    As the chief medic, Xiao Yuyu had learned extensively about the Zergs. She had seen such a portal in texts, and the thing in front of her matched the description perfectly.

    But, why was there a space portal in the middle of nowhere? Everyone thought about the same question. Three hundred years ago, the Zergs were defeated on Mars, but were they really eliminated by the humans? A portal like this required decades to build, and the Zergs only upied mars five years ago. Therefore, it had to be left by the original queen mother five hundred years ago. Regardless of what was on the other side, the portal¡¯s existence meant danger to the humans.

    ¡°Move in!¡± Yin Tianzongmanded and then disappeared through the gate, the rest of soldiers following him. Xiao Libie heaved a sigh andmented how fearless these soldiers were.

    As soon as they entered the portal, they found themselves inside a giant hall with living undting walls. The room¡¯s color was dark green, and they were standing on a wet carpet of fleshy substance. This had to be the hive.

    When they looked up, they saw Wang Tong floating close to the ceiling with dead Zergs all around him on the ground. Among the dead Zergs was a giant queen; her skull was smashed to pulp, and eggs were littered everywhere around her.

    The eggs wererge in size and came with a hard shell. On top of the shell was a restraining field of soul energy set by Wang Tong.

    Yin Tianzong felt that as soon as they went through the threshold, he was able to use his soul energy once again.

    ¡°Block all entrances!¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡±

    Everyone took a position and prepared for the next wave of attack.

    This was as close the soldiers had ever gotten to the home base of the Zergs. The well-hidden location of the portal meant this hive was very important to the Zergs.

    Yin Tianzong looked around and found out that the eggs were ced in a pool with emerald liquid. He had never seen such treatment of the eggs before. All things suggested that this was not an ordinaryir.

    On the living walls were many entrances and exits. Everyone stood where they were and refrained from entering any of those holes. After all, they were inside a living organism, and those tunnels could be sealed in an instant.

 Chapter 601 - Zergsâ€™ Lab

    <h4>Chapter 601: Zergs¡¯ Lab</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    No one dared to let their guard down. This could be the experimentalb of the Zergs that the humans had been searching for so many decades. Some people believed that they were guarded entirely by the dark ones, but they hadn¡¯t seen a single dark one among the dead Zergs. Despite its obscure location, Wang Tong and his soldiers and came across it by luck.

    After a few cautious moments, Zergs started to appear from behind the holes on the wall, only to be greeted by the human warriors¡¯ belligerent attacks. This hive was ancient, and it had never been attacked by any human forces. However, once the humans came, they wreaked havoc with abandon.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Tan Bu and Lun Duo to catch up with Yin Tianzong. The reinforcements quickly threw themselves into the battle; their injuries were too mild to hinder their ability to ughter.

    The had done this many times, so the soldiers knew exactly what to do to maximize their damage as a team. Without Wang Tong giving an order, the soldiers moved closer to the source of the Zergs and built a defense around the existence of those holes on the wall. They could not let the Zergs get close to Wang Tong and interrupt his battle with the eggs. These eggs not only appeared different than the normal ones, but they were also able to fight back. What surprised Wang Tong even more was that they also had soul energies.

    The queen had sniffed Wang Tong out as soon as he stepped through the portal. However, she was quickly dealt with before she could sound the rm. Wang Tong¡¯s killing blows and revealed his strong soul energy and attracted the Zergs toward him. The queen had soul energy inside her, and that made Wang Tong make up his mind to kill her outright instead of using her as bait.

    The queen¡¯s death cry sounded indignant; she was so close to hatching the most terrible Zergs the humans had yet seen.

    The soldiers¡¯ suspicion was right; this was one of the most important experimentbs of the Zerg. The reason they were so hidden was that they were set up in a hive, which was either in the space or deep underground. This hive, for example, took the Zergs decades to create a hole deep enough to hide it. And for centuries, it had waited patiently as the queen tinkered with the genes of her next brood of hatchlings.

    For five hundred years, they were able to carry out the morbid experiment undisturbed; but their days were numbered.

    The battle was more intense than anyone had thought. If Yin Tianzong and his warriors hadn¡¯t arrived in time, Wang Tong might very likely have been trapped in the hive with thousands of Zergs and the terror within the eggshells. Whatever was in the egg possessed an incredible soul energy. It was the results of generations of gic mutations and modifications. Perhaps, they were bred specifically to counter the mastery casters.

    It finally urred to Wang Tong that the passage on the precipice which absorbed any form of energy was not prepared for the humans; it was a device used by the Zergs to absorb radiation energy to feed the eggs. Once these Zergs were hatched and arrived in the battlefield, they would be able to disrupt human warriors¡¯ soul energy output, and severely undermine the humans¡¯ defensive ability.

    Wang Tong¡¯s knee-jerk reaction was to destroy these eggs, but he was able to hold back his impulse and decided to control these unborn Zergs using his soul energy and turn the Zergs¡¯ weapon into humans¡¯ advantage.

    However, it was easier said than done. These Zergs had put up fighting against Wang Tong¡¯s restraining energy even before they had hatched. Having failed many attempts, Wang Tong was about to give up and destroy these eggs when Yin Tianzong showed up. This much-needed assistance made Wang Tong continue his taming of the Zergs with a newfound confidence.

    Using soul energy wouldn¡¯t work, so Wang Tong attempted to cover the egg with his golden soul essence. Ordinary Zergs were no different from machines, but the soul energy in these Zergs had made them sentient. At this stage, not only did they need the queen¡¯s physical protection like all eggs would, but also required the queen to fill their sentient mind with Zergs¡¯ code of conduct. Without the poisonous preachings of the queen, these Zerg¡¯ minds were clean tes.

    As the golden light glowed brighter on the surface of the eggs, some green lights were trying to pierce through the golden shimmer. The new Zergs had felt something was amiss¡ªthis was not their mother¡ªand they fought back. Wang Tong was taken aback by these baby Zergs¡¯ power; if the queen were sessful in her n, these little monsters would have wreaked havoc in the human world.

    Despite their powerful inborn soul energy, these baby Zergs started to falter as the green eggs started to change color from the center, slowly turning gold. Once one egg hadpletely turned golden, the Zerg inside joined Wang Tong and started to convert its brothers and sisters. Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the tables had turned. In a heartbeat, most of the eggs had be golden. He scanned the tamed eggs with his soul energy and felt the monstrous form inside. Wang Tong did not know what kind of Zergs they were going to be and thought it was very likely a brand new breed. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the Zergs¡¯ skills in splicing genes. He wondered how long it took them to evolve into a gene splicing master.

    As the little Zergs became more manageable, Wang Tong started to survey the battleground.

    Battle Wolf was working industriously to stop the Zergs¡¯ advancement at the openings on the wall. They vented their anger and frustration from the march all on the Zergs. As themander of the force, Yin Tianzong moved amongst the soldiers to make sure that every fire team had adequate support. Meanwhile he checked on Wang Tong from time to time, making sure he was still doing alright.

    Xiao Yuyu stood behind the soldiers, constantly patching up their wounds by using the divine light spell.

    Although the soldiers were holding their ground, they had no idea where they were and where should they go after this.

    The battle had already been going on for an hour, and all the soldiers were still able to perform their task with the precision and consistency of a clockwork.

    Xiao Libie had seen many things in his life and had also led many battles by himself, but never had he seen any team so tenacious and sharing such a deep bond. The two hundred or so soldiers worked toward one goal, and everyone was ready to sacrifice for each other.

    Although, they were not the only team that had great teamwork, as were the units under Zambrotta. However, their teamwork was different; it was more than just teamwork, it was an unswerving trust in theirrades. The soldiers who charged to the front never had to worry about their exposed back even if a Zerg was about to attack them from behind. They knew that their teammates have them covered.

    These soldiers acted the way they did not because they had high moral standards. Instead, it was their instinct to trust each other, look after each other, and die for each other.

    After a while, the Zergs finally stoppeding in. It wasn¡¯t because they had run out of soldiers, but because the entrance had been sealed off by the dead Zergs.

    Despite the brief absence of danger, the soldiers didn¡¯t let their guard down. Wang Tong also finished his business andnded back on the ground, next to his friends. In the emerald pool, the surface of the Zerg eggs was suffused with a faint golden gleam.

    ¡°Looks like we had entered the Zergs¡¯ hive. I think our original n is spoiled.¡± Guan Dongyang grimaced.

    Wang Tong shook his head and then said, ¡°Not necessarily. I had killed the queen as soon as I got here. She is the only connection of this hive with outside, so I doubt the Zergs out there would know of our existence. Even if they have noticed us, it will take a while to mobilize their forces to this godforsaken ce. We just have to find a way out as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°A way out?¡± Guan Dongyang asked sarcastically as he looked at the dozen or so blocked holes. ¡°What are you nning to do with these eggs?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue yet. They are a new breed that is able to interrupt with human soul energies. I thought what the heck, might as well use them if we can. At least, they could be our cannon fodder.¡±

 Chapter 602 - Deep Blue

    <h4>Chapter 602: Deep Blue</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    In a heartbeat, the substance in the emerald pool drained away as the eggs grew in size. Although everyone felt it was gross to look at, they conceded that it was just the nature of an unborn fetus.

    Kacha! Kacha!

    These eggs cracked, generating bone-chilling noise. Everyone readied their weapons as their instincts told them to.

    By then, the eggs had grown to epic proportions as they cracked from the middle, revealing a pair of ice-cold stares. These newborn monsters snarled as two shlights like eyes were fixated on Wang Tong.

    Yin Tianzong and other warriors acted out of instinct and backed away. No one could bear the soul-devouring gazes of these monsters. These Zergs looked different than their normal counterparts: not only were they entirely blue from head to toe, but they were also covered with ayer of ice like scales. Soul energy rippled about these beasts, and their scales were suffused with a golden sheen, making them look almost divine. However, those two giant tusks that protruded out from under their lower lips betrayed their beastly origins.

    A monster leaned its body forward, exposing more of its body and the light relived its bipedal nature. The hall had fallen pin-drop silent at this point.

    Wang Tong closed his eyes and felt the soul energy of these Zergs as he tried tomunicate with them they way their queen mother would. To his pleasant surprise, they didn¡¯t resist. These Zergs lowered their front legs and plodded out of the eggshellpletely. They turned around and started munching on what was left of the eggs, shell and all. Once they wolfed down their cocoon, they grew in size again. The smallest of them was fifteen feet tall, and thergest eighteen feet. The biggest one also had much darker scales than the rest; it was evident that he was the leader of the pack.

    The newborn Zergs started to growl, and the Zergs outside the hall answered. However, their voices wereced with confusion. The guardians of these newborn Zergs had realized that their angels of death had already turned on them.

    Wang Tong sent a signal to the Zergs, willing them to find a way out. Almost immediately after, the earth groaned and trembled, and the emerald pool suddenly copsed from the bottom, revealing a secret tunnel. The Zergs slid down the tunnel without any hesitation.

    Wang Tong scanned his humanpanions, and their stupefied looks amused him. He cracked a smile and then said, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Wang Tong jumped into the dark tunnel without any hesitation as the other warriors followed suit.

    The tunnel was dark and very long. When they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a giant cavern the size of a city. The extraordinary vista had left everyone in awe. One could get easily lost in thisbyrinth, but luckily for Wang Tong, he had the newborn Zergs to lead the way.

    After some time, the initial shock finally subsided, and the soldiers¡¯ mood started to lighten up a bit. They felt grateful for Wang Tong¡¯s efforts in taming these wild beasts; otherwise, they would have never gotten out of here. The cave system was enormouslyrge andplicated, each turn and brow a fresh vista. No wonder the Zergs would be able to hide under the humans¡¯ noses for so many centuries.

    Seeing how nimbly these monsters moved in such dubious lighting, the soldiers felt slightly uneasy. What would they be like if Wang Tong didn¡¯t tame them? The answer was in their eyes, which held the ice cold intent to kill. The horn on their forehead could disturb the soul energy to a great degree.

    As the group plodded on, Wang Tong scanned his minions with his soul energy. Even after being cated by his golden soul essence, these beasts were hungry for murder and blood. Their creator must have spliced all the aggressive genes of all races together to create such monstrosity.

    In fact, humans presented an unprecedented challenge to the Zergs. Of all the races they had annihted using sheer numbers, the humans were the only one that not only survived their onught, but also thrived. The humans had pushed their vanguard units back and permanently cut off themunication between the vanguards and the main forces. In desperation, the remaining Zergs in the human world had to look at gic mutations in order to survive.

    Rapid expansion and overwhelming numbers had always been the queen¡¯s strategy; however, it had failed before the humans. Plus, the humans¡¯ reproductive rate was not low either. In the three hundred years that followed the great war, the remainder Zergs struggled on theirst leg.

    After some time, the human soldiers noticedmotion ahead of them; instinct readied them for battle in an instant.

    Wang Tong conceded that the Zergs would not let them escape so easily. His men were exhausted after climbing the mountain; he wagered that there might be more casualties than he had expected if he didn¡¯t have the help of these new minions.

    Wang Tong raised a fist to signal his group. The human soldiers quickly rearranged their formation into a defensive stance. Five minutester, a tsunami of Zergs came at them, threatening to engulf them.

    The monsters squealed in excitement; Wang Tong knew they were ready to battle. He sent a soul energy signal, and the hundred or so blue monsters charged at the Zergs with abandon.

    While the soldiers readied their weapons, they wondered how Wang Tong¡¯s minions would fare against their brothers and sisters. Although they were newly born, they were the same size as those giant Zergs.

    The solider didn¡¯t have to wait long before they got their answer. They watched in amazement as the monsters formed a single line of charge. They lowered their heads so that their horns were pointed forward, and then they sent out waves of soul energy from the tip of the horns. The soul energy from all the horns weaved a web of destruction in front of the line; it cut through the flesh of Zergs like butter. Even the heavily armored Tank Zergs were reduced into blocks of bloody stumps after the monsters charged past them.

    After they reached the center of the Zergs¡¯ formation, they truly started to show their deadliness andbat abilities. They came up and stood on their hind legs like a humanoid creature as meter long scythe-shaped weapons protruded from under their front arms. One t sidearm sweep would im the lives of half a dozen Zergs.

    The human soldiers were stupefied by the disy of strength. Wang Tong¡¯s eyes were lit up with hope as he watched his minions and realized that he had found another weapon against the Zergs. The monsters were unfazed by the overwhelming numbers of enemies; they quickly devoured one or two of their victims in order to replenish energy and keep fighting.

    These Zergs were the queen¡¯s newest attempt in breeding the ultimate Zergs. Since it was an experiment, she didn¡¯t create a lot of these soldiers. She had spliced together many gene segments from different species, many of which werepletely alien to humans. The goal was to breed a new kind of Zerg warrior that was able to counter the humans¡¯ soul energy attacks. The queen who was in charge of this hive was one of the mother supremes. She probably had never thought that her life would have ended so abruptly at the hands of a human.

    ¡°Boss, these monsters are quite the helpers. I wonder if we can tame them and turn them into our mounts?¡± Tan Bu asked while his eyes lit up with interest.

    The mountainous terrain meant that no vehicles could be operated safely here. Even in the areas where maglev vehicles were allowed, their flimsy construction would not survive the battlefield. Theck of mobility had been an ongoing issue for the warriors. However, with these powerful mounts, they should be able toe and go at will on the battlefield.

    Everyone nodded in agreement and looked to Wang Tong expectantly.

    The battle in front of the human warriors had ended very quickly. The newborn Zergs had finished off all of their enemies and started to munch on their corpses. Wang Tong sent a signal to them using the soul essence, and the Zergs responded immediately. They stood in a neat row just as Wang Tong intended. The leader of the pact slid closer to Wang Tong and lowered his head obediently.

    Wang Tong rubbed the scale on its back; the Zerg purred and lowered itself onto all fours. Its savage nature was gone in an instant, and if it could cradle inside Wang Tong¡¯s arm, it surely would.

    Wang Tong studied the smooth back of the beast and realized how easy it would be to ride on top. It was as if they were breed was made to be the dark ones¡¯ mounts.

    Wang Tong pulled himself up on the back of one beast, and then it slowly stood up without any sign of protest.?He was pleased by the Zerg¡¯s acquiescence, so heughed and said, ¡°Good boy! I will call you¡­Deep Blue!¡±

 Chapter 603 - Monster Riders

    <h4>Chapter 603: Monster Riders</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    As if the monster was ted by his new name, he lifted its forelegs and neighed almost like a horse. Its forelegs thudded heavily on the ground, and its trepidation affected the other Zergs too as they started to join their leader.

    ¡°Hey you guys, get yourself a mount!¡± Wang Tong shouted, and the soldiers rushed to the beasts to find their Zergpanion.

    Not only these Zergs were docile before Wang Tong, they knew that these humans were their master¡¯s friends. Therefore, they let the soldiers pat them and look around. However, there was a limit to their acquiescence. Some of the soldiers got too familiar with the beast, and they got a stern but safe warning from the animals.

    Wang Tong sat down at patted Dark Blue and muttered, ¡°Let your brothers be a bit gentle.¡±

    Tan Bu was the most anxious of all soldiers. He lopped toward one of the formidable beasts and hopped on. However, the beast didn¡¯t let him saddle on top for more than a second as it reared and pitched the rider off. The monster looked at Tan Bu on the ground with a contemptuous re.

    Everyoneughed at Tan Bu; meanwhile, they felt that they had got it all wrong. It was the beast which was choosing the soldiers instead of the other way around.

    ¡°Tan Bu, let out your soul energy and try to tame it. ¡± Wang Tong said with a light-hearted smile.

    ¡°Balls! I will teach you a lesson not to make fun of me again!¡± Tan Bu grunted and then turned on his GN force. He tried to restrain the beast with his soul energy, but the beast fought back using the energy from his horn.

    Not even dark ones were able to fully utilize the power of soul energy, much less the Zergs. The ability of these beasts was unprecedented. Although these beast¡¯s soul energy had a drastically different formpared to the humans, it had the same makeup as humans¡¯. It was not hard to imagine how much damage these beasts could have done to the human world if they were not tamed by Wang Tong.

    The struggle between the beast and Tan Bu reached a stalemate. It was a friendly battle, since neither of thebatants wanted to harm their opponent.

    After some time, Tan Bu finally got the upper hand, so he closed in and hopped onto the beast¡¯s back once again. The beast shook his body a few times, but less violently than its previous protest. Tan But cranked up his soul energy further until his mount had stopped moving about. That was when Tan Bu realized that the beast was feeding on his soul energy. These beasts were hungry for soul energy just like they would be for food. After a while, the monster stopped absorbing Tan Bu¡¯s soul energy altogether as it looked back at his new master in a docile manner.

    The others were ted by the development and started to experiment on their own. The magnitude and intensity of the soul energy was not the key in taming these beasts; it was the connection.

    Wang Tong had tinkered with these monster¡¯s eggs, and therefore, it was easy for him to find such connection with any of the beasts. Although it might cost the soldiers some of their soul energy, as long as the beast considered the soldier worthy after they had a taste of their soul energy, the other human soldiers should be able to tame them with ease.

    Yin Tianzong had tamed his mount very quickly. However, the field medics had met some trouble in their tasks. Xiao Libie also found the beast that belonged to him. As he rode on his mount andmunicated with it with soul energy, he marveled at how convenient and powerful it would be on the battlefield.

    During the time of mecha warfare, the mecha mounts performed sluggishly on the battlefield. It was inevitable that the humans would sooner orter create mounts that weremanded by soul energy. Not only would it be able to make the human more mobile on the battlefield, but it would also preserve the human soldiers¡¯ limited endurance. However, these mounts required advanced gene technology. The Dower family was the pioneer in this field, and they were able to create a few soul energy mounts. However, none of those mounts could pass the test of the battlefield due to their physical limitations. Not only those mountscked endurance, but also soul energy.

    Although humans thought it was impossible to instill soul energy into wild beasts, Zergs had done it. One had to acknowledge the uncanny ability of the Zergs to edit genes. Perhaps this was a gift of their god?

    Everyone was confident that with the help of these creatures, they would be able to ovee any challenge the Zergs would throw at them. Once the soldiers had imed a mount, they started to appreciate the convenience and effectiveness of soul energy connections. The mount was so responsive that it was as if they and the beasts were fused together into one living organism. The strong bond between the soldiers and their mount meant that they would not only work as one with their beasts, but the existing fluid teamwork among team soldiers would not be disrupted because of these mounts.

    With the protection of these beasts, even mastery caster would be able to charge at the front and be personal with their enemies.

    Everyone¡¯s face was lit up with joy, and their hearts filled with a newfound confidence.

    Wang Tong raised a fist and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Deep Blue snarled and pressed onward, with the rest of the bests following it orderly.

    Joined by soul energy, the soldiers felt their bond with these beasts deepening. They no longer saw them as beasts, but instead, as their loyal friend. Since these beasts looked like an oversized wolf, the team decided to call their mount direwolves.

    Everyone gave a nickname to their mounts. Whenever the human soldiers saddled on their back, the direwolves would loosen their scale to provide some cushion for their master. Everyone on the team was eager to encounter Zergs so they could fight with their best friends.

    However, the direwolves¡¯ speed was too fast for the Zergs to catch up; therefore, they didn¡¯t encounter any of them. The direwolves were born in these caves, and therefore, they knew all the shortcuts. Before long, they saw a bright light and sunshine. It wasn¡¯t until then that the human soldiers realized that they had made it to the other side of Mount Dynamo.

    They had made it!

    ¡­

    When Wang Tong was absent, the tide of the war had changed again.

    Despite the series of defeat in his home territory, Moye had doubled down on the attack at the front line. He gathered forces and attacked the human defense line the third time. Even though the Zergs had a significant disadvantage at the northern front, the overall number of Zergs was overwhelming. Meanwhile, after Michaux and Lie Jian¡¯s retinue had suffered the catastrophic defeat, the two Martian heroes had been struggling to stay alive in the Zerg territory. They had been refusing to request for help from the main human force, neither did the two ditch their injured soldiers behind to flee home. It was evident that they had prepared for the worst from the get-go.

    Although Michaux and Lie Jian had done things differentlypared to Wang Tong, all three of them were not afraid of death, much less the Zergs.

    However, bravery and mettle could only carry one so far. The hard reality was that the Zergs were about to overwhelm them at any time.

    The situation at the third line of defense was even worse. Every day, the war imed hundreds of lives on both sides. However, the Zergs¡¯ rate of replenishing was much faster than humans¡¯, so they had the absolute upper hand.

    The humans conceded that they had already lost the best timing for retreat. Even if they pulled back from the line of defense, they would not be able to regroup and fight again in such a tattered state.

    Einherjar Lie Jintian, Zambrotta, and the Kaedeian princess all had attended the battle in person. Their appearance on the battlefield was a clear message to all the soldiers: Humans would fight to the death!

    On the third day after the battle had entered a stalemate, humans¡¯ first group of GN gunners finally arrived on the battlefield. This development had greatly alleviated the severe imbnce humans had in numbers. With the GN guns, anyone who had enough strength to pull the trigger would be able to join the force.

    Although the GN gun units stillcked experience in offensive missions, they were more than capable of hiding behind the defensive cover and blow the Zergs¡¯ heads into pieces.

    The war had yet again reached a tipping point. Once the humans were able to hang in there until more GN gun units were trained and arrived on the battlefield, they could gain a decisive advantage over their enemy very quickly.

    Application for joining the GN gun unit quickly piled up as everyone wanted to go to the frontlines and contribute to the war. Meanwhile, all cities used their expense budget and tried to squeeze out more coins to purchase provisions for the army.

 Chapter 604 - Zerg Massacre

    <h4>Chapter 604: Zerg Massacre</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    It was the slow reinforcement at the northern front that had given humans time to cobble together a GN gun unit. Xie Su had spent a lot of time looking for Wang Tong, and by the time they conceded that he had gone missing, it was already toote as the GN gunners had already reached the frontlines.

    In other words, Wang Tong was the culprit of this subpar performance of the Zerg army.

    Moye was very dissatisfied with his troops¡¯ performance during the war. He had expected them to have already taken over Mars a few months ago, but they were still unable to break the humans¡¯ line of defense. In a fit of anger, he made up his mind to kill all humans on Mars once he had defeated their army.

    The dys in the reinforcements aside, Zergs still had the upper hand in the war. A huge uncertainty still hung above the humans¡¯ head, since till this day, Michaux and Lie Jian were nowhere to be found. These two warriors were essential in preserving human morale. Their death would be an unthinkable loss for the humans.

    The two warriors represented not only themselves, but also the two most powerful factions of the Mars. Lie Jian was House Lie¡¯s best candidate to inherit the family power, and the same went for Michaux. Although Susu was able to inherit Michaux¡¯s title, she had far less authority over the sect members than her brother. If another Zhang Guanming surfaced from the sect, the sect would be doomed without Michaux.

    The public desperately needed a strong leader while both of their heroes was missing in action.

    As the Martian public anxiously awaited the return of their future leaders, another human started to wreak havoc deep behind the enemy line. Once Wang Tong was out of the mountain and into the ins, he charged his three hundred deadly retinues into a Zerg city.

    He didn¡¯t even bother to cover up his tracks this time; his attack was so conspicuous that the Zergs had spotted him from miles away.

    Their target was Ontario City, one of thergest city in the Zergnd. When the citymander saw Wang Tong, he was on his way to investigate the distress signal from Mount Dynamo.

    Three days ago, Wang Tong might have avoided the Zergs¡¯ main force and charged right into his empty city instead. However, it had urred to Wang Tong that taking one or two cities meant nothing if he couldn¡¯t get under the dark lord¡¯s skin.

    He was well aware of the intricate power bnce between the dark lord and Patroclus. He knew that between the two, Moye was the one who would never rte to his existence. Capturing Wang Tong meant as much to the dark lord as winning the war on the human. If the dark lord lost his purpose in the eyes of the mother supreme, he might as well wait for Patroclus toe and im Mars for himself.

    Even the lower level dark ones feared death and were addicted to their life, much less the powerful and intelligent dark lord.

    As the dark one¡¯s army charged toward Wang Tong, he stood up in his saddle and shouted, ¡°Formation!¡±

    Although the dark ones had no clue who this group of human soldiers was, they knew they had to do away with them. It was too far away from human settlements to encounter a group of traveling merchants. They charged at the human intruders without given their identity too much thought.

    When the dark one was finally close enough to see Wang Tong¡¯s face, he finally recalled the face of the human devil on the posters; but it was already toote.

    What was worse, these human devils were all riding on top of angry blue demons. Together, they charged forward with such ferocity that the dark ones felt their heart stop beating in fear. When the dark ones finally gathered themselves and were about to strike back, their heads had already been detached from their shoulders. Wang Tong didn¡¯t waste his precious time ying with these dark ones. He and his army killed all of them in one swift charge. The human soldiers rode on toward Ontario city without even sparing the dead corpses on the ground a nce.

    Deep Blue and his brothers possessed an incredible mobility on the battlefield. They could reach six to seven meters high in one leap, and therefore, were able to bring the human soldiers through any hurdles on the battlefield with ease. The direwolves¡¯ mobility coupled with the soldiers¡¯ incredible strength made the pair a perfect match. The soldiers felt grateful for having their direwolf assistants. After all, nothing felt more exhrating to a human warrior thanpletely dominating the Zergs on the battlefield.

    When the human warriors arrived in Ontario, it was apparent that the news about the city lord¡¯s death hadn¡¯t reached the dark ones inside the city yet.

    Meanwhile, it had also urred to the human warriors how quietly their direwolves were able to travel, since none of the dark ones seemed to have noticed them approaching. These creatures were the perfect weapons that the Zergs had created for the dark lord¡¯s favorite blood kin.

    However, not only had Wang Tong stolen the Zergs¡¯ hard-earned product, but he had also silenced the queen mother forever. It would take another queen mother decades of research to reproduce these perfect weapons.

    ¡°Dongyang, Yuyu, get ready!¡± Wang Tong rose to the sky and looked at the city with a birds¡¯ eye view.

    ¡°Zergs, I will teach you to be afraid of fire!¡±

    Guan Dongyang shouted and then started to chant a spell. Suddenly, his body was ame, and a fireball had formed in between his palms.

    Xiao Yuyu didn¡¯t say anything as she swung her body around and rose to the sky in the most elegant manner. The formation of Battle Wolf changed without Wang Tong issuing a singlemand. The mastery casters stood in the middle while the METAL warriors protected their nks.

    Wang Tong was only responsible for giving the first attack order, and the rest was up to Guan Dongyang. Everyone in Battle Wolf had their responsibilities. Despite Wang Tong¡¯s ability, he was not in charge of absolutely everything; otherwise, he might as well be in charge of nothing.

    Trust was imperative, because trust was what made each and every team member strong. Only when a soldier felt that he could trust himself and was fully trusted by others would he draw out his full potential during thebat.

    A giant fire dragon charged at the startled dark ones and Zergs. The city wall could not withstand one single effortless charge of the direwolves. Seeing these blue demons that suddenly burst through the wall, the Zergs fled the streets in fear.

    It took the dark ones a while to gather themselves and organize counterattacks. The battle that followed suit was epic. Never once had the human soldiers ughtered the Zergs with such ease. The human soldiers released years of suppression in a fit of uncontroble rampage.

    The direwolves knew their dark one cousins well, particrly their weaknesses. Their sharp ws were capable of piercing through the dark one¡¯s cranium, killing them in one strike. Meanwhile, their soul energy attack rendered the dark ones defenseless. The soldiers would have paused and marveled at their beastlypanions¡¯ abilities if there were not so many dark ones waiting to be killed.

    In one afternoon, all Zergs in Ontario were killed by the rampage. Deep Blue devoured the fat queen, blubber and all. Meanwhile, the rest of the direwolves feasted on the dark ones.

    These direwolves not only brought death to the dark ones, but also fear and a sense of dread.

    The news about the fall of Ontario quickly spread among the Zergs and the humans.

    After the human Devil didn¡¯t flee to safety as many dark ones had suspected, he had gone back to hell and brought help with him back to the Zerg world.

    The reason that the battle of Ontario was able to catch so much attention was that the nature of the battle had changed. However brilliant the previous battles were, those were surprise attacks. The battle of Ontario was a full on frontal assault.

    Many people felt that Wang Tong and his men could survive the previous battles solely because of luck. If Wang Tong were slightly off in his timing, the dark ones would be able to have enough time to gather force and destroy his retinue with ease. However, as luck would have it, in all the previous battles, Wang Tong and his soldiers were able to walk out of danger unharmed.

    As everyone¡¯s mood had hit rock bottom after Michaux and Lie Jian¡¯s defeat, their hope was rekindled by the news from Ontario. The heir of the de Warrior had attacked the city and sacked it with ease. After they had delivered such a huge blow to the Zergs, they disappeared like phantomsing straight from one¡¯s nightmares.

    Moye was beyond furious. He could no longer stand this insistent insult and humiliation. He had spent many resources to build ab in Mount Dynamo, thinking it was the safest spot since the humans would never reach it. Who would have thought that the human war band would be so crazy as to cross the impassable mountain range?

    So far, Moye was still oblivious of the power of the direwolves. Therefore, he hadn¡¯t been able toprehend his loss fully. His main concern was that Wang Tong¡¯s actions would undermine mother supreme¡¯s trust in him.

    If he couldn¡¯t even keep Wang Tong in check, who could prove to mother supreme that his evolution path was the right one for the Zerg race?

 Chapter 605 - Outburst Of Anger

    <h4>Chapter 605: Outburst Of Anger</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The news raised the dark lord¡¯s hackles. The event at Ontario forced him to make somepromises. He sent a final warning to the northern warden; thetter wouldn¡¯t get another chance if he failed again. If he failed to capture Wang Tong before he entered the central core area of the Zerg territory, Xie Su should consider himself dead.

    The Zergs around Ontario immediately started their search,bing the area in thousands. Wang Tong was already very near the hearnd of the Zerg territory; two cities away at most.

    Xie Su had just arrived at the frontlines, but after receiving the dark lord¡¯s stern letter, he turned around and stormed back. The war was not nearly as crucial to the northern warden as his own life. Although his absence at the frontline meant the sub-par performance of the northern front would continue, Xie Su was convinced that he had made the right decision for himself.

    Since the warden himself had returned to see to Wang Tong¡¯s capture, every city lord worked round the clock to find Wang Tong.

    ¡°Mr. Harmon, I am sure you have heard about dark lord¡¯s dissatisfaction rted to this...mess. I hope you can offer me a helping hand! I won¡¯t let you do it for free, of course!¡±

    His life was at stake, so Xie Su had no time to don the warden¡¯s mask. His face now was one that desperately needed help.

    Harmon had a calmness cast in his eyes. From a safe distance, he had been watching the development unfold and observing the dark ones¡¯ reaction as the matter unfolded. He reckoned that Wang Tong had helped him to expose all the weakness in the dark ones. They might have looked haughty and invincible when they had the upper hand, but they fell apart quickly before challenges. Patroclus was right; no race was able to suddenly evolve into perfection without passing the test of time. What the Zergscked the most right then was not only intelligence, but also wisdom.

    Evolution didn¡¯t bestow wisdom to the humans; mistakes did, many mistakes. The wisdom had helped human ferry across troubled waters. Zergs had thought that as long as they could eliminate the harmful desires in humans, sex, drink, etc., they would be fine. Little did they know that desires came with fifty shades and more. Each facet of the desire was capable of bringing destruction to the entire race. Greed, for example, if left unchecked, would tear the Zergmunity apart from the inside very quickly.

    Thus it was that Patroclus had never taken the dark ones too seriously, and every immortal divine general knew it. Some divine generals suspected that the mother supreme was the only reason Moye was still alive. In the eyes of mother supreme, all Zergs, Immortals, and dark ones were her children, and deserved chances to prove themselves.

    It wasn¡¯t until Harmon saw the desperation in Xie Su¡¯s eyes that he fully understood why Patroclus never considered Moye a worthy opponent.

    The immortals, on the other hand, were born as humans first, and therefore possessed the human wisdom that the dark onescked. Although the sudden surge of power would disturb some of their members¡¯ inner peace, those members were quickly dealt with and expelled from the group. Patroclus never said being an immortal meant one had reached perfection; it was just a prerequisite. An immortal would only be a perfect being after years ofpetition with each other.

    One method for the immortals to purify themselves was through war. The same went for Patroclus. He was already a perfect being in the universe, but he needed more; he wanted to be a god, and therefore, he needed a god-like opponent.

    If Moye were not Patroclus¡¯s opponent, then it had to be Wang Tong. Harmon was the first person to have realized this.

    ¡°General Xie Su, I know we have lost some new Zergs during Wang Tong¡¯s raid at theb, but what kind of weapon are we talking about? I wager it had a great deal to do with their sudden surge in power. I need to know what we are up against first.¡± Harmon thought about it and then said.

    ¡°Dynamo Hive was one of the highest rank hives on Mars. It was over three centuries old, and had always been in charge of the gene program. When Wang Tong attacked, they were very close topleting a research program that sought to breed a new Zerg that could be used as the mount for the dark lord. I don¡¯t have lots of data on these Zergs, but I have heard that they were capable of disrupting the humans¡¯ soul energy. Meanwhile, they could replenish their vigor by devouring their opponents.¡± Xie Su announced sullenly. He had no jurisdiction over thisb, but unfortunately, this hot mess happened to be inside his territory.

    Harmon furrowed his bows and appeared troubled. Wang Tong¡¯s reckless move of crossing the mountain came as a surprise to him. He had learned about Mount Dynamo and its valley of death. No one with a shred of sanity would dare cross the mountain. The fragile human body could not withstand the elements, and as a former human himself, Harmon knew that very well.

    However, Wang Tong and his men had somehow miraculously made it through the mountain. Not only that, but they had also managed to steal the Zerg¡¯s research and destroy the hive.

    The thought of what Wang Tong was capable of made Harmon skin¡¯s prickle for the first time since he became an immortal. He conceded that he had been underestimating Wang Tong all this while. He should no longer treat him as one of his students, but an enemy who was far serious a threat than even death himself.

    ¡°Is there any weakness in these new breeds? If we can do away with these beasts first, Wang Tong will quickly lose his edge.¡±

    ¡°Well said, Mr. Harmon! Once Wang Tong enters the hearnd, I will be in grave danger. Therefore, I have to find him before that happens. I will crush him with my own fist then!¡± Xie Su said with a contemptuous tone. He doubted that Wang Tong could stand a chance before him.

    However, Xie Su¡¯s confidence would not answer his question at hand: where was Wang Tong? Xie Su would have to find out his whereabouts before he could make it to the hearnd. Moye was not well known for giving second chances.

    Sensing the urgency of the matter, Harmon finally agreed to help the distressed warden. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t let Wang Tong slip under our radar!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Harmon. I am grateful for our mutual understanding. Despite your minor slip up a few weeks ago, I still have faith in you. You can help me find out where Wang Tong is and leave the rest to me.¡± Xie Su¡¯s slit eyes gave a hard glint as he spoke.

    ¡°You have my words, warden. If I fail to find Wang Tong, I will plead guilty in front of Moye myself.¡± Harmon said thinly, unfazed by the threat.

    Xie Su was somitted to catching Wang Tong that he had stopped the attack at the frontline altogether. He was smart enough to realize that Wang Tong was Moye¡¯s real target, and not the red.

    He had spared every soldier he had to spread them across thendscape like a carpet to search for the human devil. Meanwhile, Harmon and his immortals were stationed at each city and choke points, determined to capture Wang Tong. ¡®Fool him once, shame on Wang Tong; fool him twice, shame on him.¡¯ As a matter of fact, Harmon wagered that if he miscalcted one more time, he would be looked down upon by other immortal divine generals as well.

    The change in the Zergs¡¯ attack at the frontline was palpable. Zambrotta seized the opportunity and pushed the Zergs back a few hundred miles.

    However, the Zergs didn¡¯t seem to mind the setback as they remained focused on Wang Tong.

    Despite the advancement humans had made at the northern front, the overall progress of the war was very slow. Nheless, the breakthrough at the northern front had allowed the human forces a brief respite.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t n to leave the Zerg territory. The situation was slowly truing into his favor. Not only was Deep Blue was able to devour his enemy¡¯s flesh, but also their mind. Through Deep Blue¡¯s mind-reading ability, Wang Tong had learned the n of Xie Su. Knowing that Xie Su had halted the frontline attack altogether, everyone was pleased that their n had worked.

    Having fought at the frontline, Xie Libie was particrly grateful for this news. He knew that his decision of following Wang Tong had been right.

    ¡°Harmon has been the vice principal of Capth. I cannot believe that people as prestigious as him would betray humans.¡±

    After chatting with her teammates, Xiao Yuyu agreed that Mars had it much easier than the others. Despite Moye¡¯s brutality, they didn¡¯t have to deal with betrayals. No wonder the morale of the Earth united front was so low, as they had to fight their loved ones who had turned into monsters.

 Chapter 606 - Trap Was Set

    <h4>Chapter 606: Trap Was Set</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The tiny opening in the northern front had given the Martian united front an opportunity to wage a counterattack. The goal of the counter was not to defeat Zergs; instead, it was supposed to be a strategic show of strength, hoping to keep the pressure on thetter.

    The Zergs wouldn¡¯t have understood the concept of pressure before the dark ones were born. The primitive Zergs hardly ever thought about battle tactics, since theycked both intelligence and emotions.?Timing was the key in implementing any military tactical moves, and Wang Tong¡¯s task was to provide such opportunity for human resistance.

    While the Zergs were turning the world upside down in trying to find Wang Tong and his retinue, the human warriors didn¡¯t just hide in a cave¡ª not like there was any cave to hide from the get-go. Instead, they turned around and tried to stay ahead of the Zerg search parties. However, they were still too slow.

    In three days, they had over a hundred skirmishes with Zerg search parties, and no one on the team had slept ever since they left Ontario. The situation could have been worse, and if not because of Deep Blue and its brood brothers, half of the team would have already been killed.

    Each time the human warriors were encircled by the Zergs, it was the direwolves who had brought them out of danger. Their incredible mobility meant that they could easily break out of the encirclement and nk the Zergs from behind.

    In arge open field, the soldiers were taking a brief respite. They had once again sessfully outmaneuvered the Zergs, and the soldiers were waiting for Wang Tong¡¯s further instructions.

    ¡°Our n has worked! Judging by the number of Zergs that are looking for us, I say Xie Su is really pissed.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s about time to enter the core area. Once we do, I think it¡¯s not just Xie Su who is going to get pissed, Moye too.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile. ¡°How is everyone doing? I know we hardly had time to sleep, but I have to give you guys a fair warning. Once we enter the core area, we will have even less chance to take a nap.¡±

    ¡°No problem! You think too little of us. It is not only you who is good at falling asleep.¡± Xiao Yuyu said.

    During the on and off of perilous battles, knowing how and when to sleep was also a life skill. It was easy enough to fall asleep when the moment was right, but it was difficult to learn to have the guard still up while sleeping.

    The soldiers learned the skills very quickly after they crossed the border to the Zergnd.

    Xiao Libie was a new addition, and therefore, he was still trying to get used to the life in Battle Wolf. Although he was a legendary level warrior, he was the least experienced in handling the situation they were in. When he first joined Battle Wolf, he was confident that his ability would rank in the top three. However, in only three days, he knew that it was an overstatement calling himself even one of the top ten warriors of Battle Wolf. Even some girls could handle sleep deprivation, hunger, and fatigue better than him.

    Despite the unprecedented challenge he was facing, Xiao Libie knew that it was only the beginning. However, the difficulties also convinced him that he had made the right choice in joining Wang Tong.

    Guan Dongyang unfurled the map and spread it across the table. The leaders of the retinue were plotting their next move. The road to the central block of the Zergnd was heavily guarded. By then, not only the Zergs, even the Martians knew that Wang Tong was after Moye¡¯s castle.

    Regardless of whether Wang Tong was able to defeat Moye, the Zergs could not let a small group of the human soldiers infiltrate into their hearnd. If that happened, it would make the world know that those dark ones were inferior to humans. The war with humans had blown the dark ones¡¯ ego to an epic proportion. So, they could not bear the thought of humiliation; they had to stop Wang Tong at all cost.

    When Xie Su sent out all of his troops to kill Wang Tong, Moye didn¡¯t say a thing. He had wanted to recruit Wang Tong and make him a dark one. But after seeing what Wang Tong was capable of, he decided to do away with the potential risk.

    Wang Tong and his friends scanned the map, calcted their moves, and weighed the options. Suddenly, a unit city caught everyone¡¯s attention. It was a perfect spot to leave memorabilia for their fellow Zerg opponents before they left for the central area.

    ¡­

    ¡°What? Disappeared again?¡± Xie Su snarled. In a fit of uncontroble anger, he squeezed the messenger¡¯s head until it caved in and became a blob of mush in his hand.

    ¡°General, we have cedyers of defense on the way to the central block. They wouldn¡¯t have passed through unnoticed. I bet they are hiding somewhere, conspiring on their next move.¡± Harmon rubbed his chin and pondered on. He had done a thorough personality check on Wang Tong and started to think from his opponent¡¯s perspective. What Wang Tong wanted was not another city or the lives of the dark ones. He wanted to help the front line. Along the same line of thinking, the central area was not Wang Tong¡¯s goal either.

    Seeing Harmon close his eyes and fall into his own reverie again, Xie Su frowned annoyingly. It had been harder and harder for him to contain his anger, and more often than not, he felt his defeat was everyone else¡¯s fault.

    ¡°Hua Li, bring me the map.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Principal!¡±

    The young and handsome looking young immortal used to be an elite student from Capth. When Harmon turned to Patroclus, he took an elite army with him. These elites of the former A ss academy were convinced that Patroclus¡¯ actions were offering humanity another chance, a transformation into something much better. Their youthful minds were full of ideals, and were easily swayed. Somehow, Patroclus was not only able to justify his actions, but also had persuaded them that they were the future of humanity. Whoever stood before them was against a better future.

    On the map, the young immortal had marked the Zerg¡¯s defense lines clearly. It was evident that Wang Tong would never be able to pass these lines unnoticed.

    The obvious left only one possibility to Wang Tong¡¯s sudden disappearance: he was up to something.?Harmon knew right away where Wang Tong was going to attack next: Kashan!

    The moment of epiphany ted the old principal, as he jumped out of his chair and announced, ¡°It¡¯s Kashan, Wang Tong is going after Kashan! Haha! What a conspicuous fool!¡±

    Xie Su was startled by Harmon¡¯s outburst. After he realized what Harmon had said, he muttered to himself, ¡°That¡¯s suicide.¡±

    Xie Su couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Kashan was thergest city in northern district, and was the most heavily guarded.

    Attacking the city with a small force is no different than begging for defeat.

    ¡°Haha, this is the wide spirit of humans. The more dangerous a ce is, the more likely one is to seed. Most of the armies in Kashan are out about searching for Wang Tong, and the enormous size of the city gives Wang Tong more angles to wage his assault. It is the perfect target.¡± Harmon¡¯s voice sounded almost like apliment. He marveled at Wang Tong¡¯s ability to go with the flow and change his n on the spot. What a pity that he wouldn¡¯t be recruited to work for Patroclus; otherwise, the world would have already belonged to the immortals. The humans on Mars had no hope of surviving the Zergs¡¯ invasion until Wang Tong showed up and changed things around.

    However, Harmon would not let him have his way any longer.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±Xie Su asked incredulously.

    ¡°General Xie Su, no one can be certain of anything, but this is my best guess.¡±

    ¡°You have been wrong once. How sure are you this time? What if this is another ruse?¡± Xie Su asked.

    Harmon didn¡¯t mind the threat and put down. Xie Su¡¯s barking sounded like a child¡¯s ramblings to him.

    ¡°I am very certain he will go to Kashan. You should get ready. However, we don¡¯t need to pull more soldiers back from the front line. I think what we have now should be enough to handle Wang Tong if we are prepared.¡± Harmon said thinly. Hemented that if he were not here on Mars, no one here would be able to stop Wang Tong from iming the.

    ¡°No problem! Do you think I will need to pull all the scouts back?¡±

    Harmon shook his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that we know nothing. The more we act out, the more likely we will jinx it. We need to prepare our weing party very quietly.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Very well then! I have been looking forward to meeting this human devil!¡± Xie Su swung his cloak around and sauntered out of the meeting room. The n was clear: he wouldn¡¯t gather a massive number of Zergs; the defensive forces of Kashan and his retinue of golden dark ones would suffice.

    The trap was set, and he only had to wait for Wang Tong to rise to the bait.

    Meanwhile, the immortals were also preparing for the uing battle with Wang Tong. Five years ago, Capth was defeated by Ayrng; yet five yearste, Hua Li was determined to avenge that humiliating defeat.

    ¡­

    Somewhere inside the Zerg controlled territory, a campfire burned furtively and low. Of all the two hundred House Lie elites that Lie Jian had brought with him, only two were still awake. The rest of the soldiers were soundly asleep, and the camp had fallen pin drop silent. Tomorrow, more hard battle for survival awaited them.

 Chapter 607 - Ancestral Sword Attack

    <h4>Chapter 607: Ancestral Sword Attack</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Young master, our rations are low. We need to find more¡­Otherwise, our men will not be able to make it through.¡± Lie Wushuang urged.

    ¡°What did Wang Tong and his men eat while they were out here? I am sure that we had brought more food than him. Yet, they have been here much longer than us.¡± Yin Kunined. The elite soldiers of House Lie were all powerful and ambitious warriors. Before they entered the Zergnd, they were confident that their expedition would be a smashing sess. However, reality quickly taught them a hard lesson.

    ¡°What did they eat?¡±

    No one had enough energy to ponder over such questions. Luckily, the team¡¯s morale was still unshaken. After all, they were the best soldiers of the most prestigious house on Mars. However, they could not feed on their reputation and honor. Therefore, Lie Jian would have to figure out a solution to the food crisis sooner thanter. In addition, they need to know what their next move was, as they couldn¡¯t simply sit here and wait for the Zergs to pick them off. But, where could they go when they were in such a terrible condition?

    They were stuck.

    ¡°They must be starving just like us, unless they ate the Zergs¡­Haha...ha¡­¡±

    The solider¡¯sughter died halfway as he registered half a dozen serious res at him.?Everyone knew that it was only a joke, but the more they thought about it, the more it made sense to them.

    Lie Jian pushed himself up and announced, ¡°Regardless of how they could make it, we need to live and we have to eat whatever we can get. Our end goal is to enter the central area of the Zergs¡¯ territory. I will not turn back before setting foot in Moye¡¯s headquarters!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The soldiers agreed with him in unison.

    ¡°What about Michaux? What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°He had it worse than us. Most of his men were casters, so when the Zergs got close... He has only a hundred or so men left. ¡± Lei Jian nodded and then waved in dismissal.

    Wang Tong was back after being missing for a while. Not only was he alive, but he had also crossed Mount Dynamo. ¡°Mount Dynamo...¡± Lie Jian murmured the words. It was one hell of a high-risk, high reward act, and what a reward it was! Wang Tong had delivered a blow to the dark ones right when they thought that they were going to win the war any time soon. Ontario was destroyed, the northern frontpromised; Moye¡¯s n seemed to fall apart quickly. In stark contrast to Wang Tong¡¯s achievement, Lie Jian¡¯s mission had been aplete failure.

    However, Lie Jian didn¡¯t give up; he would never give up until thest moment.

    Once he entered the Zergs¡¯ hearnd, he could finally join forces with Michaux. Although they wouldn¡¯t have a great army by then, all the soldiers who survived would be elite warriors. Therefore, they would still have a chance.

    Lie Jian learned at a young age that the more dangerous a task was, the more likely it was going to seed. Plus, he had expected so many casualties even before he started the mission. In his stone cold heart, the lives of his soldiers were simply numbers. He was not fighting for the human race, but for himself. He was determined to let people on Mars, including their children, and their children¡¯s children, remember his name.

    ¡­

    Just as Harmon had anticipated, Wang Tong showed up around the city of Kashan. As soon as he got near the city¡¯s suburb, he was discovered by the Zergs¡¯ scouts.

    Xie Su was ted by the news. Wang Tong had gued his mind for too long, and it was finally time to made an end to this nightmare. Xie Su and Harmon arrived at the city lord¡¯s residence and waited for Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong led his man and charged at the city; the direwolves were at the forefront of the charging formation. This was going to be a long battle, so the soldiers need to spend their energy wisely.

    Dark ones quickly appeared all around the human warriors, and it was apparent that Wang Tong had led his soldiers into a trap. However, the dark ones quickly realized that despite their advantage in number, their attack were as useless as shooting meatballs at hungry wolfs. Before the enemy could get close, the direwolves would send out soul energy waves to disorientate the attacker, and then the human warriors would charge and chop the defenseless Zergs into pieces. The initial attack of the Zerg onlysted a couple minutes before the attackers were either killed or fled.

    Wang Tong and the leaders of the retinue haven¡¯t even moved a finger yet.

    Harmon furrowed his brow as he noticed something was amiss. These dark ones shouldn¡¯t have been so weak. He quickly reckoned that it was those beats that had weakened the dark ones.

    He had no time to ponder over how Wang Tong was able to gain control of these Zerg beasts, as Wang Tong and his army had almost reached the city wall.

    Harmon¡¯s lips curved into a contemptuous smile as he registered a fatal w in Wang Tong¡¯s n. He shouldn¡¯t have been so reckless and attacked the biggest Zerg city. It was a high-risk, high reward game; but if Wang Tong lost, he would lose everything. The moment he decided toe after Kashan, Wang Tong had already lost the battle.

    ¡°Let them in!¡± Harmonmanded with a smile.

    Xie Su shrieked amand as the dark ones moved away from the city gate. Battle Wolf stormed pass these passive Zergs and rode into the city. The further they went, the more dark ones there were. Despite theirmander¡¯s order to leave the humans alone, they hissed at the human devil with much hatred.

    ¡°Haha, long time no see, Wang Tong.¡± Harmon and Xie Su lowered themselves to appear in front of the human soldiers. Behind them were a group of golden dark ones and immortals.

    Deep Blue snorted at Wang Tong¡¯s enemy while thetter spoke, ¡°Principal Harmon, nice to see you.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is mine! I wonder if I could have the honor of inviting you to the moon so that we could start this world all over. You know better than anyone that your current path leads to a dead end.¡±

    ¡°Dead end. How so?¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    Harmon shook his head and said, ¡°You should ask that to yourself. Save your words¡­If you still don¡¯t want to be one of us, I will have to do away with you.¡±

    ¡°Is that right? As a matter of fact, I should be grateful for you to give us such a great opportunity to do away with you! There, tough guy, are you the northern warden Xie Su? I want you to know that my name is Wang Tong, and I will be your death.¡±

    Harmon refuted, ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    Xie Su snarled and shot a thousand bone shards at Wang Tong. Out of the blue, all warriors of the Battle Wolf turned around and started off toward where they came from. Their escape move looked so in sync that it was apparent that it was orchestrated. But why? Why would they take so much effort in getting into the city only to run away right away?

    Even if they wanted to run away, Xie Su would not let them run too far.

    ¡°Kill, Kill, Kill!¡± Xie Su rose to the sky and shouted. All dark ones swarmed toward the human soldiers to intercept their escape.

    The human soldiers quickly divided into two groups: Wang Tong, Yin Tianzong, Vorenus and Xiao Libie formed one team, and the rest warriors the other. Xie Su was hot on Wang Tong¡¯s heels himself, and he ordered the other dark ones to chase after the second group.

    Soon, a group of golden dark ones and some immortals got the four human soldiers surrounded in the middle.

    ¡°Wang Tong, you have nowhere to run this time.¡± Hua Li shouted.

    ¡°Hehe, are you, Hua...Hua something? What the hell is wrong with that wing? Are you cosying? I am not really into that¡­It¡¯s sort of an acquired taste, you know?¡±

    Harmon furrowed his brow again as he conceded that he had underestimated the speed of these beasts. In a heartbeat, the beasts had already carried the human soldiers out of the encirclement. However, they still didn¡¯t stand a chance as they were outnumbered by at least four to one.

    ¡°Tianzong, Vorenus, and brother, Xiao, hold onto your hats!¡± Wang Tongughed.

    KOM!

    Wang Tong¡¯s sent a burst of soul energy from inside of his system; his clothes were suffused with a golden gleam.

    ¡°None of you shall leave the city alive!¡± He shouted at the dark ones.

    The enemy¡¯s face paled as soon as they registered Wang Tong¡¯s power. Even Yin Tianzong was taken aback by the disy of might. He knew that Wang Tong was powerful; level twenty-three at least. But, Wang Tong¡¯s sol reading in that burst of energy was at leave level twenty-five.

    ¡°You have hidden your power well.¡± Harmon could no longer maintain his calm countenance.

    ¡°Haha¡­A small trick, prepared just for you.¡±

    Wang Tong¡¯s face had be stone cold as a giant golden de appeared in his hand. At the sight of this, Yin Tianzong backed away. This was not his battle to partake, and his job was to make sure no dark one escaped the city.

    Even now, Xie Su still had it wrong. Wang Tong wasn¡¯t locked up in the city with him; he was the one who was locked up with Wang Tong.

    ¡°Charge!¡± Xie Su shouted.

    A group of golden dark ones charged at Wang Tong with abandon. But in an instant, golden mes sprout out from Wang Tong¡¯s body as the human devil slowly rose above the ground. He held the golden sword with both hands, upright. Without moving at all, hemanded the sword to turn like a dial on the clock. Golden soul energy bloomed around Wang Tong as he opened up his sea of consciousness.

    Suddenly, everyone except for Yin Tianzong was blinded by a burst of golden light. Yin Tianzong knew this was the coup de grace of the sword grandmaster, and he knew only one person who had mastered it before Wang Tong: General Li Feng.

    Soul Essence Attack¡ªAncestral Sword Attack!

    When the golden light finally receded, there were no more dark ones on the battleground.

 Chapter 608 - Total Success

    <h4>Chapter 608: Total Sess</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Hua Li shouted a battle cry and unsheathed his de. He had been a level twenty-one warrior before he joined Patroclus. He was convinced that Wang Tong would be spent after unleashing such a deadly coup de grace, and therefore, would not be able to defend his level twenty-one attack.

    He was right in thinking that the soul essence attack was draining. However, he had no idea just how much power there was in Wang Tong¡¯s system; he would never be able toprehend that.

    ¡°Too slow! Is that what you got for giving up your soul?¡± Wang Tong flicked a finger and sent a pack of energy at Hua Li from the tip of his finger.

    Bang!

    Hua Li¡¯s de shivered into hundred pieces. He looked down at a giant hole in his chest as old memories flooded his mind. The monster inside his chest plopped out of the hole and slumped on the ground in its death. Hua Li didn¡¯t die right away; he struggled to stand still, but failed. Looking around him, none of the immortals seemed to care about his demise. Was this what he had be?

    ¡°General Xie Su, we need to join the forces. Otherwise, we will both die here!¡±

    ¡°Very well! Move!¡±

    Xie Su snarled and charged at Wang Tong while brandishing his long bone de. He was taken aback by Wang Tong¡¯s power; it was at least level twenty-four. He regretted not charging with the golden dark ones when he still had the chance. Now, all his elite dark ones were reduced into ashes, and he had no other option but to work with immortals.

    Harmon uttered amand, and the rest of the immortals charged. Some of them were after Wang Tong, and some were after Yin Tianzong.

    Xie Su charged up his soul energy, tapping deeper into the energy crystal for power. Overloaded, the crystal shone with a bright purple cover. Wang Tong remained calm and unflinching. Before he was about to attack, he closed his eyes, opening them at the veryst moment.

    KOM!

    The immortals and the dark ones heard a deep boom, and then they saw Wang Tong¡¯s attacking at them.

    Wang Tong attacked his enemy with the Layered Fist of Tong at full force. This was a battlefield, not a sparring stage; therefore, he wouldn¡¯t waste time on frivolous move sets. Every attack should make his enemy hurt.

    KOM!

    The blownded on Xie Su, who had never felt so much pain in his life before. The blow was tearing his body apart, sinew by sinew. He felt his life ebbing away as he caught a glimpse of Wang Tong.

    The immortals attacked Wang Tong with abandon. Although their aim was right, their blow wasn¡¯t able to reach him as they were blocked by a mastery shield.

    It finally urred to the immortals that Wang Tong was not only a METAL warrior but also a mastery caster. The mastery shield eventually crumbled. But, its protection had given Wang Tong enough time to gather himself and strike back.

    Wang Tong was determined to achieve a decisive victory in this battle. He would make himself an exemr of valor, and use his actions to encourage the human soldiers fighting at the front line. He didn¡¯te here for the city of Kashan; he was here for Xie Su. Killing Xie Su would be another loud and clear message to the world: humans would win the war in the end!

    The dark ones had overlooked one important fact about themselves. They were no longer the simple and primitive Zergs; they had a full range of feelings and emotions like a human did. Just like in the human society, once the leader of the pack was gone, the rest would disband and give up the fight easily.

    The Zerg society was still undergoing drastic changes to catch up with their human counterparts. It had taken humans thousands of years to transform from a very society to a modern one, and Zergs would have to achieve that in a matter of a couple of years. The Zergs¡¯ backward social system had given the humans a chance.

    They had to kill Xie Su, for once he was gone, the people of the northern front would finally be liberated.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t attack the immortals, instead hurling the fist toward Xie Su. Fear flickered in Xie Su¡¯s eyes as death imed him.

    Any intelligent creature who was capable of feeling would fear for their lives in danger; it was their instinct. Ever since human soldiers discovered that the dark ones¡¯ innermost feelings were not that much different from theirs, they were no longer afraid of them. As the soldiers grew bolder, the dark ones started to fear the humans.

    Once Xie Su was killed, the knee-jerk reaction of those immortals was to run away. They didn¡¯t want to get involved in this fight from the outset. They joined the fight thinking they held a decisive advantage in numbers. However, Wang Tong¡¯s level twenty-five¡ªor above¡ªpower was way beyond their pay-scale. So, they decided to turn on their heels and bolt.

    However, their realization came toote; Yin Tianzong had already blocked their only escape route.

    Wang Tong twisted Xie Su¡¯s head off his shoulder and threw it to Yin Tianzong. Yin Tianzong took the ugly head and rode toward Battle Wolf.

    Meanwhile, Battle Wolf shocked their enemies¡¯ formation constantly using their direwolves. Once they charged their beast into the thicket of Zergs, they would pull back out, regroup, and charge again. They were most vulnerable when they were pulling out of the Zergs¡¯ formation, and a few soldiers were already injured.

    When Yin Tianzong arrived on the battlefield, Battle Wolf was about to start their fourth charge. Yin Tianzong rode to the front of the charging formation, looking down at the Zergs. He lifted Xie Su¡¯s head and shouted, ¡°This is what¡¯s left of theirmander, KILL!¡±

    The hideous head gave the soldiers a second wind, but the sight rendered the dark ones panicked. Already, a few dark ones had forsaken their teammate and bolted toward the safety behind the city wall.

    Without any hesitation, Battle Wolf charged down at the Zergs.

    Meanwhile, Vorenus and Xiao Libie were mired in the fight with the fleeting immortals. They conceded that their transformation had improved their physical condition by leaps and bounds. They could only deal any real damage to them if theynded a blow on their weak spots.

    However, when Wang Tong joined the fight, he finished the immortals with one t side sh.

    ¡°The leader of the pack has gotten away.¡± Vorenus said as he scanned his surroundings using his soul energy, but the leader of the immortal was nowhere to be found. Wang Tong didn¡¯t answer right away; instead, he gathered the soul energy back into his sea of consciousness and then smiled.

    ¡°Well, I said we would leave them memorabilia¡­Haha.¡± Wang Tong could have killed Harmon with ease, but he reckoned that he was better left alive as a permanent reminder to Patroclus who he was dealing with.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see how everyone is doing.¡±

    ¡°Leave the rest to us! Haha.¡± The thought of plowing through the Zergs with his direwolf made Vorenus excited.

    The development left Xiao Libie in awe again. Never had he thought that so many incredibly powerful soldiers could have served under one banner. What made this retinue even deadlier was Wang Tong¡¯s sharp mind and astute strategies.

    Wang Tong¡¯s power was way beyond level twenty-five, but he had held back his power and used only what was necessary to lower the guard of his real enemy: Moye.

    When Vorenus and Xiao Libie arrived at the main battleground, the battle had already turned into a ughter. The warriors chased after the fleeing Zergs, picking them off one after another before they reached the wall.

    Deep Blue was already munching on the dead Zergs. These dark ones were more nutritious than the primitive Zergs. Some dark ones who dared to look back caught a glimpse of the horrific scene: a beast eating their own kind, armors and all. There was nothing that could bring more joy to the hearts of the human soldiers than the fear and panic in the eyes of a dark one.

    This was payback time!

    Not everyone had partaken in the merciless ughter. Xiao Yuyu upheld her duty as she ran industriously from one wounded soldier to another, patching them up and casting healing spells. All the while, shemented how reckless these soldiers were on the battlefield; some had kept on fighting despite the serious wounds that covered their bodies.

    When the soldiers entered the city, they dismounted and let their direwolves loose to pick off any Zergs in hiding. Meanwhile, the human soldiers marched on foot to the queen.

    When they arrive their destination, Deep Blue and the other direwolves had already dragged the queen out of her burrows. The soldiers cheered while the naked queen shivered in fear.

    Wang Tong waved a hand at Deep Blue. The beast uttered amand to its pack, and they dragged the queen to a bush to feast on it.

    ¡°We have hit a jackpot! Look at this!¡± Tan Bu shouted, carrying two bottles of fine liquor.

    ¡°This is your favorite rice wine, boss!¡±

 Chapter 609 - A Sliver Of Hope

    <h4>Chapter 609: A Sliver Of Hope</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what you are good for, kissing boss¡¯s a*s! Haha!¡± Duo Lun jested with a wry smile.

    ¡°Buzz off! Didn¡¯t you know that bragging is also a skill? Am I right, boss?¡± Tan Bu¡¯s confidence knew no bounds.

    ¡°Great, thank you! Made on Earth too! Haha! Take whatever you want and burn the rest!¡± Wang Tong said.

    A group of scraggly figures emerged out from the human soldiers.

    ¡°Wait, hero! Can you please take us with you?¡±

    Yin Tianzong furrowed his brows. He noticed that these were the human ves that the dark ones kept in the city. Years of confinement had taken the luster out of their eyes; however, their otherwise nk faces were ridden with surprises.

    ¡°Lun Duo, give some of our rations to them.¡±

    ¡°Head north, that¡¯s where general Zambrotta is. You will all die if you follow us.¡±

    The humans were victims of Zergs¡¯ unthinkable tortures, and the will of resistance in them had long since died out. Lun Duo had left them enough ration to reach Zambrotta and a few maglevs. They knew that his group was the famous human devil and his deadly retinue, so none of them dared to ignore their suggestions.

    Since the Zergs were distracted by Wang Tong, this group of refugees had a chance of getting to safety. The death of Xie Su had also increased their odds of survival.

    After the human soldiers had piged the city of its food, they razed it to the ground and stormed toward the central area of the Zergnd.

    Kashan was taken down, with the head of the northern warden on a pike. The news quickly spread like wildfire and reached the human side.

    Every city was steeped in joy and celebration. This was a miracle!

    What Battle Wolf had achieved before they took on the mountain journey was incredible, and now, this was an unbelievable act out of a high tale. Kashan was thergest Zerg city, and it was destroyed with a snap of Wang Tong¡¯s finger. More relevant to the home front, Wang Tong had killed Xie Su, which meant the defending soldiers could start a full-on offensive attack at the northern front.

    This was an opportunity of a lifetime, so the human resistance acted on it quickly. The attack was a sess, and had alleviated a lot of pressure from the battlefield.

    The Zergs were caught off guard. Even Zambrotta and turned his force around and joined the rest of the human resistance forces at the north to attack the Zergs from both sides.

    Soldiers stationed at other parts of the frontlines doubled up their defense, making sure that the Zergs would not break while they waited for the perfect moment tosh out.

    Just as Wang Tong had calcted, the death of Xie Su brought total chaos to the northern section of the battlefield, since the art ofmanding troops could not be easily mastered by any dark one.

    Overall, Xie Su had been apetentmander, but the same could not be said about the blood kin that got assigned as the new warden. He was an extremely powerful dark in a one on onebat, but aughably impotent general.

    Due to bad management and outright horrible decision, the Zergs had suffered two catastrophic defeats in a row. Zambrotta and the main forces were able to join forces as they had nned sessfully.

    The development had connected the head and the tail of the defensive line, making it much stronger than ever.

    It had been a while since the humans had achieved any meaningful victory over the Zergs. The sess in the north had boosted the resistance¡¯s morale significantly.

    But, despite their triumphant advances, the human soldiers didn¡¯t brag about it. Instead, their lunchtime conversation mostly involved another group of soldiers in the hearnd of the Zergs¡¯ territory.

    The leader¡¯s name is Wang Tong, and he was the heir of the legendary de warrior.

    At the onset of Battle Wolf¡¯s sess, everything believed that luck was the main factor contributing to their cause, and Michaux and Oddin could have done it better. However, that was far from what had happened afterward.

    When surprise attack was getting old, and everyone thought Wang Tong¡¯s operation woulde to a halt, he proved in the battle of Kashan that he didn¡¯t need the element of surprise from the outset.

    The psychological effect of Wang Tong¡¯s sess on the human soldiers was palpable: they no longer feared the dark ones, and some even felt that the Zergs were much inferior to the human in many ways.

    Even in their wildest imagination, no one saw Wang Tong attacking Kashan. It was irrational if not outright suicidal. The anecdotal evidence collected from a group of human refugees seemed to suggest that Wang Tong and his retinue were not humans to begin with. They were devils and demons, just like the Zergs had purported. They could kill the dark ones just like squashing a bug. There had been no battle; it was a massacre. The mounts of these demon riders were also straight out of hell.

    The exaggerated stories got further distorted from mouth to mouth until it wasmonly believed that Wang Tong and his units were ming ghostly retinues that wielded sickles as their weapons. This group of hellborn soldiers was charging directly to the heart of Zergnd.

    The hearnd contained great secrets, as well as the Zergs¡¯ most important war facilities. It was also where Moye¡¯s castle stood.?The devil was going after Moye, and everyone wished that he could seed and deal with the gue of Zergs once and for all.

    However, it was easier said than done. The Divine Master had tried it when he was at level twenty-six, yet, he could only gravely injure Moye at the cost of his life. With the dark ones¡¯ incredible healing speed, the humans wagered that the dark lord should have already fully recovered.

    ¡°I am sorry mydy, but I can¡¯t stand it! Everyone is talking about Wang Tong this, Wang Tog that. It is as if the Hall of War Drum just sat around and did nothing!¡± Shaungerined after a trip back from the downtown. She was still very mad at Wang Tong for rejecting Brenda.

    Brenda cracked a smile, ¡°You silly. If not for him, we would never have achieved such victory. He is a hero. Don¡¯t you like a hero?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, of course, I do. But, he is not a hero¡­He is an idiot!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ talk about him like that Shuanger.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­Why are you still on his side, mydy? Do you think he will change his mind?¡± Shuanger asked.

    Brenda shook her head in resignation. Shuanger¡¯s words had hit the mark. Not only did she adore Wang Tong, but she also worshiped him like a god of valor.?Brenda had a very sensitive soul, that was easily affected by Wang Tong¡¯s heroic and gant demeanor.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the confederation¡¯s fleet had already reached Mars¡¯ outer space. The fleet had fought a few skirmishes on their way, but each time, Samantha relied on her keen judgment and saved the day.

    ¡°Looks like the situation on Mars is getting better. We need to establishmunication with Wang Tong as soon as possible.¡± Samantha said during a meeting.

    ¡°I will go!¡± Karl sprung out of his chair immediately. However, he was greeted by disapproving head shakes.

    ¡°What? Why can¡¯t I go?¡± Karl piped up.

    ¡°Your talent is needed here on the ship.¡± Samantha cracked an understanding smile.

    ¡°Let me do it; I knew this ce pretty well,¡± Sysco announced.?Everyone nodded in approval; not only was Sysco apetent fighter, but he also knew Wang Tong very well.

    ¡°Very well. You will be on your own when you get down there, so be careful.¡±

    ¡°Roger that! I will find Wang Tong, I promise.¡±

    The rest of the meeting was about the proposed n of waging an assault on the Zergs around Mars¡¯ moon: Ceret. Their goal was to contain the Zergs fleet capability.

    After much deliberation, the fleet officers reached a final n of attack, and the meeting got over.

    After everyone had left the meeting room, Samantha made a cup of tea for herself. She stared at the misty water as she was absorbed in reflection.

    The responsibility on her shoulders was immense, and sometimes, she even doubted herself. But most of the times, she was convinced that her decision was right. Ma Xiaoru was much better for Wang Tong than she would ever be. However, it bothered her that she still could not forget about Wang Tong after so many years. She dreamed ofing to Mars, to be close to Wang Tong again. During their travel in the space, Samantha had heard about what Wang Tong had done for the people of Mars, and that news filled her heart with a newfound confidence.

    As memories came back to her, Samantha¡¯s face was flushed red. The intimate night that they had spent together seemed like ancient history now. Many people in her fleet chased after her, but she had rejected every single one of them, as if she was not interested in men at all.

 Chapter 610 - The One And Only Patroclus

    <h4>Chapter 610: The One And Only Patroclus</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Everyone had thought that Samantha was a workaholic; but in fact, she didn¡¯t show any affection to anyone because she was still not over Wang Tong yet. She stared out of the window at the red where Wang Tong was now. She hoped that when she saw him again, this nightmare would be over.

    Meanwhile on Earth, the humans had just finished an intense battle against the immortals. Bodies of dead Zergs covered the ground like a carpet, among which, a few humans dressed in Confederation uniform could be spotted.

    Patroclus hovered in the air while wearing a suit of silver armor. He looked down hisnce; in front of him stood Einherjar Li Zhedao.

    Li Zhedao had tried all he could to avoid this fight. But, it turned out that he could not avoid the inevitable.

    The fight had just started, but Li Zhedao was already injured in many ces. However, he regarded the immortals with an unflinching stare. In these five years, the ranks of immortals had swelled. They used to be mainlymanders hiding behind a think line of Zergs. But now, they charged at the front like any other warrior. Many of these immortals would never make the cut before Patroclus rxed the requirement of bing an immortal. Those who got added to the immortals rank without the actual qualification were called partial immortals.

    What Li Zhidao was worried about the most had happened: people had started to ept the immortals and join them.

    Patroclus smiled thinly, ¡°I have let Li Shiming escape, so you should be able to fight me without any concerns.¡±

    Li Zhidao knew better than anyone that this would be hisst fight. He had been very careful and prudent while leading the soldiers of House Li, but he still let Patroclus catch a whiff of him. No one had expected Patroclus to show up on Earth, as all reports seemed to have indicated that he was still living on moon. After three days of intense fighting, most of the soldiers had already pulled back from the battlefield. That was when they got encircled by a group of immortals seeminglying from nowhere.

    Li Shiming had led the main force to breach the encirclement while Li Zhedao was with a small group of his most loyal soldiers to slow down the immortals¡¯ chase. As amander, he should have saved his life first, since he was an Einherjar, and his life meant much more than that of Li Shiming. However, as a father, he could not send his son to die for him.

    He stood before Patroclus and studied his face intensively. The young man¡¯s seemingly warm smile confused him. He remembered the first time he met Patroclus when he was only an innocent toddler. Li Zhedao had lived through many events, but the thought of what Patroclus had be pricked his heart like a thousand needles.

    As an Einherjar, Li Zhedao could see many things that others couldn¡¯t. Therefore, he was able to see why Patroclus had made the decision to join the Zergs. However, anyone who had a good conscience would not have chosen Patroclus¡¯ option even if it were the only way.

    Nevertheless, he was still perplexed as to why Patroclus would spare his son¡¯s life while he could have killed Li Shiming with ease. As a matter of fact, no one in this world had really understood Patroclus.

    ¡°Come at me, all of you.¡±

    ¡°Haha, you think too little of me. This fight will be one on one¡­and please don¡¯t do what you have donest time.¡± Patroclus took off his cloak. Thest time the two fought was five years ago, and rumors had it that Li Zhedao fled the battlefield after only a few exchanges of blows.

    The immortals behind Patroclus were watchful of Li Zhedao¡¯s smallest actions. They would carry out the divine lord¡¯s order to the letter. Einherjars represented the ultimate level of power in the human world, but their power was insignificantpared to the divine lord. They had witnessed not only Li Zhedao¡¯s defeat when the two foughtst time, but also the human Einherjar fleeing the battlefield. They had him cornered this time, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to run away.

    Patroclus was the most potent warrior that Li Zhedao had ever encountered. House Li and House Dower had beenpetitors for centuries, but even now, Li Zhedao did not know who the winner was.

    Was it House Dower? It would if Patroclus could still be considered a Dower.

    ¡°Why do you look so mncholic? Life is an endless cycle¡­It¡¯s meaningless. It is the process that is important to us.¡± Patroclusughed as he pointed the silvernce at Li Zhedao.

    ¡°Maybe I am getting too old.¡± Li Zhedao lifted his de slowly as he locked his eyes with Patroclus¡¯. Suddenly, the air was thick with the two warriors¡¯ soul energy, suffocating anyone who stood too close.

    The immortals took a few steps back. This was going to be the fight of a century.

    Although Patroclus was an immortal through and through, the battle with his father had deeply scarred him. After all, that was his father he had killed. Some immortals thought that it was a necessary evil for Patroclus to cut the ties with his past, but was it really that simple to erase a father from the son¡¯s mindpletely?

    After the battle, even Patroclus was shocked by his own actions. It was true what they said about Hose Dower: they were the sanest lunatics in the world.

    Thest time he had encountered Li Zhedao, the two had exchanged hundreds of blows; in the end, Li Zhedao had decided to retreat for strategic considerations. Einherjar Li knew the importance of his survival, and what his death would mean to the rest of the human soldiers.

    However, there and then, it was time to find an end to their unfinished businesses. Li Zhedao conceded that as long as he could defeat Patroclus, the rest of the immortals would crumble immediately. Humanity¡¯s situation had be so dire that Li Zhedao knew he could no longer wait. He needed to strike out now before it was toote.

    Li Zhedao twisted the de, curving it and causing the tip to whish. A de aura tumbled out from the slight curves and its tip, shooting straight at Patroclus.

    Patroclus¡¯ block was almostzy. The de aura hit the silverynce and shivered into insubstantial ripples of energy. The army of immortals took another long step back; even those seemingly insignificant ripples could kill them in an instant.

    Li Zhedao¡¯s attack seemed ordinary, but it was impossible to evade. Patroclus knew that, and therefore, he had chosen to block it instead.

    Li Zhedao gasped as he had gauged the power of Patroclus from that one single block. It had surged a lot ever since theyst met; his transformation clearly had a lot to do with the sudden surge. No wonder he was able to kill his Einherjar father; hisst block had said it all.

    At Li Zhedao¡¯s level, every slightest move of his muscle had a purpose, and not a single sol of soul energy was wasted.

    As the hook of Patroclus¡¯ gaze caught his opponent, he cranked up soul energy and sent a shockwave out of his sea of consciousness. Hisnce turned into a smear of silvery light as it plunged at Li Zhedao. Meanwhile, the Einherjar greeted thence with his de using the most ordinary move one could think of.

    When the de and thence collided, a shockwave erupted from the impact, and both of the fighters disappeared into thin air. Half a heartbeatter, explosions came down from the sky. The earth trembled as it was bombarded by belligerent soul energy pulses one after another.

    The Einherjar not only possessed an incredible power in them, but were also able to draw power from nature. At Li Zhedao¡¯s level, tapping into the natural energy had already be his instinct, and so did Patroclus.

    Patroclus¡¯ perfect body meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any of the rouge energy that was present in nature.

    That being said, Patroclus¡¯ body also had its shorings in the most unexpected ces. However, the divine lord was able to either hide them or ovee them using his brain.

    The immortals cheered for their divine lord; it was apparent that Patroclus had the upper hand from the outset.

    Despite the belligerent attacks carried out in perfect moves, Li Zhedao was able to resolve each threat with a great degree of aplomb and grace. He might not have the initiative of the battle, but the flow of thebat was well under his control. Every strike from the divinence carried so much energy that it threatened to shred him into pieces, but was easily resolved by his skillful moves. So far, Patroclus was not able tond a single solid blow on his opponent.

    Li Zhedao was not only the patriarch of House Li, but also of the remaining human race on the earth. Even during the heydays of House Dower, it was not able to bring down house Li due to the legacy of general Li Feng. And when humans had to live in these reduced circumstances, House Li had be the beacon of hope more so than ever.

    When it came down to battle experience, Patroclus was behind the veteran Einherjar by a long chalk.

    That being said, theck of experience did not amount to Patroclus being weak. It was quite the contrary, as every strike the divine lord delivered would be able to kill the old Einherjar in an instant.

    As Patroclus doubled down on his attack, he pushed Li Zhedao closer to the verge of being subdued. The immortals cheered in tion; the thought of Li Zhedao¡¯s death filled their hearts with joy. The old Einherjar¡¯s death would be a devastating blow to the humans¡¯ morale. Who would be able to carry on his banner and rally the resistance force?

    Lie Jintian? No, he was the weakest of all Einherjars.

    Even the most powerful Einherjar was overwhelmed by Patroclus¡¯s attacks, much less Lie Jintian.

    Despite the immortals¡¯ conviction that the battle was about to end, Li Zhedao held his ground firmly and didn¡¯t show any sign of faltering.

    Patroclus¡¯ lips twisted into a satisfied smile; it had been a while since anyone could counter his attacks. As much as he genuinely enjoyed the moment, he wondered why Li Zhedao was still holding back his power.

    Was he waiting for his slip up? Didn¡¯t he know that an immortal never slipped up? Or was he waiting for Patroclus¡¯s coup de grace?

    Sunlight ran down from the cold edge of thence, which shone even brighter than the sun itself. Standing inside the flow of thence, Patroclus looked sublime.

 Chapter 611 - Divine Wind

    <h4>Chapter 611: Divine Wind</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The immortals were really a force to be reckoned with, particrly the ones that followed Patroclus the closest. They believed that the immortals were not only the future of the human race, but also the future of the universe.

    It was this sense of honor that had driven these warriors to follow Patroclus wherever he went. Not everyone joined Patroclus because of the immortality that he had promised them; some of them did fall feverishly for Patroclus¡¯s cant.

    Patroclus might not be the most unique human in history, but he was definitely the mostplicated one. The harder an individual was to understand, the more followers he or she would attract. This was part of the human nature.

    Seeing the light emitting from Patroclus, Li Zhedao suddenly felt he was too old for this. Despite Patroclus¡¯ overbearing soul energy that loomed over the entire battlefield, a wind blew from some unknown corner and threatened to dismantle the web of energy. Li Zhedao finally attacked.

    He could have forsaken the humans, but he couldn¡¯t throw his family¡¯s reputation out of the window. It had been passed down from generations to him, and he couldn¡¯t let it get shattered in his own hands.

    Everyone had one thing that he or she would not sell for any price, much less give it away for free. For Li Zhedao, that thing was his family¡¯s honor. This importance of family¡¯s name was deeply entrenched in the beliefs of all of House Li¡¯s members. The house started with Li Feng, a self-made hero, and it was their job to carry on Li Feng¡¯s banner until the end of time. Li Zhedao was the patriarch of the House Li first before he would consider himself an Einherjar.

    Zenn!

    The Sword of Vayu writhed its way through theted interceptions of thence. It went at his opponent like a flow of wind, a soft breezy one instead of a gale, so that it would pass right through thence¡¯s effective jabs and thrusts.

    In half a heartbeat, the de hit its target and grazed Patroclus¡¯ handsome face. The GN force in the strike made sure that Patroclus¡¯ healing ability would not work on the wound.

    In one strike, Li Zhedao had forced Patroclus¡¯s belligerence down a notch. The wind came up again, hemming Patroclus¡¯ soul energy to the left and right.

    Li Zhedao had struck back when Patroclus¡¯s energy had reached the peak; however, it was able to diminish the threat significantly. Such was the power of the most powerful Einherjar of the world.

    The Einherjar lifted his sword, and the wind echoed his move; he was about to strike again. Sensing danger, Patroclus fumbled a few feet back. There was nothing extraordinary in Li Zhedao¡¯s move, but it was enough to make the divine lord feel threatened. Li Zhedao attacked, and Patroclus retreated further back.

    Even as Patroclus pulled back, his body was instantly covered with a dozen wounds. Still, Li Zhedao¡¯s move was simple and straightforward.

    Li Zhedao didn¡¯t attack like thisst time he fought with Patroclus. By then, Patroclus registered that his opponent had found the divine path that he was still looking for.

    What was the divine path?

    It was the source of everything.

    Li Zhedao had found the source of himself, the source code to his power so he could hack it, blow it up, and make himself invincible.

    He had found the key to the secret in his own blood, the blood of the de Warrior. He had understood that the ultimate power of the world was beyond the worldly burdens. It could not be measured by fame or sol readings; it was a thorough understanding of life itself.

    Li Zhedao didn¡¯t design to pay the ultimate sacrifice when he decided to stay behind. He was here to set the world¡¯s problem to the right.

    Everything had been smooth sailing for Patroclus so far; overconfidence had clouded his judgment and made him lower his guard.

    Connecting his pulse with the movement of his de, Li Zhedao had be one with the de. He had transcended the de attack to the attack of wind. This was what Li Zhedao had learned after he found the Divine Path. When the world seemed to have been disappointed at House Li¡¯s performance, the patriarch of the family proved that they still had it.

    When the movement of the de turned into gusts of wind, Li Zhedao had truly be the reincarnation of Vayu, the wind god. As an Einherjar who had found the divine path, Li Zhedao had reached a much higher state of consciousness than Patroclus regardless of the divine lord¡¯s invincible body. Once one found the divine path, he or she would be able to wield one elemental force. Li Zhedao¡¯s element was wind, and his key to the path was his responsibility.

    Responsibility was a worldly idea, something to weight the cultivator down; however, Li Zhedao had the golden touch that turned a worldly thought into a vehicle on the divine path.

    Talented, genius, those were never the words people would choose to describe Li Zhedao. He was considered the least talented Einherjar among the high ranking warriors, and it was because of his family¡¯s reputation that the public had crowned him as the number one Einherjar of the world. When his son grew up, even Li Shiming was considered morepetent than him. His reputation further deteriorated after he ran away from the battlefield while fighting against Patroclus. He had be aughing stock, the synonym for cowardice.

    Although Li Zhedao had many excuses for his retreat¡ªsome were more believable than the others¡ª the public was convinced that his mediocre talent had hampered his advancement. However, if people were to take a look at Li Zhedao there and then, they would know that they had been wrong.

    By then, even the immortal army felt the threatening energy in the wind. The wind was Li Zhedao, and Li Zhedao was the wind. He was nowhere, but also everywhere.

    Miles away, Li Shiming felt the breeze blowing at the nape of his neck. He reined the horse around and looked back at the cloud that covered sky. He knew that his father was in that cloud, looking down at him.

    Li Shiming had misunderstood his father just like the others. He had been convinced that he would surpass his father. When that happened, he would take over the House Li and manage it properly. His father¡¯s leadership skill was as bad as his cultivation. His retreat from the battlefield was a humiliating, even to his son.

    However, the retreat was what made Li Zhedao find his key. When Li Zhedao finally reached the divine path, he knew he was already beyond life and death.

    He might not have been a talented warrior, but he was the first person to have entered the divine path in centuries.

    ¡°Young master, this is¡­¡±

    Li Shiming nodded. He prayed that his father would seed, and restore order to the world, as well as reputation to his family. Even if he could manage to wound Patroclus, it would still help the human resistance greatly.

    Warriors of House Li had finally seen a sliver of hope. They finally realized why their house lord wanted to stay behind instead of retreating with them.

    This was the final showdown between humans and the immortals.

    When the wind howled, even a de of grass could kill. Li Zhedao¡¯s movements were almostzy, but Patroclus were unable to block any of his attacks. Soon, the divine lord¡¯s body was ridden with wounds.

    Never once had the divine lord been overwhelmed by his opponent like this. Of all the fight that Patroclus had partaken in, he had only one defeat, and it was under very particr circumstances. If he didn¡¯t want to lure Wang Tong to use his soul essence skill, he might have won that match within seconds. Wang Tong stood no chance against Patroclus back then.

    The second most memorable battle he had was with his father. It was going to be a tragedy for Patroclus regardless of the oue, so he had decided to choose the lesser evil and kill his father.

    The third one was this fight against Li Zhedao, the first human warrior to have found the divine path in three centuries.

    The silverynce twisted and turned, spilling out mercury-like energy; each droplet was a silent assassin that could kill in an instant. However, Li Zhedao¡¯s sword-wind blew them away like winter gale would to an old man¡¯s piddle.

    KOM!

    Patroclus was dealt another blow, and the impact sent him staggering back a dozen feet. The development silenced the immortal soldiers. A couple of divine lord¡¯s most loyal subject had thrown themselves at the human warrior. Before they reached their target, they were struck down by a sh of silvery energy.

    Patroclus had gathered himself, and he announced, ¡°I said this is a one on one fight.¡± Even as Patroclus issued hismand, the wound on his body was closing up and healing. He shed out of sight and then reappeared in the sky above Li Zhedao.

    ¡°So, this is the power of the divine path? Haha, I had never seen it in you, but thank you for showing it to me.¡±

    Li Zhedao regarded Patroclus coldly and said, ¡°I know you want to kill me for Li Shiming. You want him to find the divine path, but why?¡±

    ¡°Why do I need a reason?¡± Patroclus smiled thinly. ¡°I do whatever I think is right. I never ask why. Since you have reached the divine path, are you a super Einherjar now?¡±

    ¡°Not even close, but I am on the right track.¡± Li Zhedao pointed the de at Patroclus, and the temperature suddenly dropped.

    ¡°Fake divine path...Haha! Well, mynce will be the judge as to whether or not you are on the right track.¡± Patroclusughed broadly.

    Li Zhedao heaved a sigh and muttered, ¡°What a pity...!¡±

    The Einherjar raised his de and summoned a wild whirlwind. It twisted and writhed around the de as it kept on growing in size. All the natural energies were being sucked into the whirlwind, leaving none for Patroclus to borrow.

 Chapter 612 - The Final Silence

    <h4>Chapter 612: The Final Silence</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    A battle between two warriors at such a high level was about iming natural energy. By then, Li Zhedao had dominated the energy flow from all directions, turning the very air into Patroclus¡¯ deadliest enemy.

    The immortals were shocked by the development as dread gripped their hearts. If Patroclus couldn¡¯t ovee this human warrior, no one could.

    Although both Patroclus¡¯ soul energy and physical condition had surpassed Li Zhedao, once the Einherjar had found the divine path, he was no longer a human.

    At least at this very moment, he was not a human, since only a god could use the divine power.

    As the energy was concentrated in the cyclone, the airflow started to gain some substance. After a few seconds, a spinning white ball appeared in the air. Its surface was suffused with a milky white brightness. This was a murder machineted using natural elements.

    Regardless of how long Patroclus¡¯ soul energy couldst, this spinning ball would not stop until it hadpleted Li Zhedao¡¯s bidding.

    Li Zhedao had a grim look in his eyes. The attack he unleashed came with a hefty price, and it could only be used once every so often. However, Li Zhedao conceded that there was no better time to use it than now.

    If he could kill Patroclus, he¡¯d be able to meet his ancestors in the underworld with pride and dignity.

    Everyone lived for a reason regardless of what other people thought of it, even if the reason was a lie. After all, how many people could really tell a lie from the truth of their lives?

    As pressure mounted on Patroclus, his soul energy ebbed away. Without the support of the natural energy, Patroclus would notst long under such an overbearing attack.

    The de of Vayu had already pierced through the glowing ball and thrust at Patroclus.

    nk!

    KOM!

    Rays of silver lightnced upward, threatening to pierce the clouds. As the silverynce and the de of Vayu collided, thence multiplied itself as if a lotus flower was blooming, each petal a shiny, sharp tip of ance. Before the smear of silver congealed into one single solidnce, the lotus petals suddenly shot forward at Li Zhedao, who was forced to take a few steps back.

    ¡°Einherjar Li, we have just started,¡± Patroclus said with a wry smile. However, he staggered slightly as if the impact had thrown him off bnce.

    While Li Zhedao marveled at Patroclus¡¯s resilience, he wagered that Patroclus would fall to the ground with one more blow of the divine strike.

    He squeezed the de and started the divine attack again. Patroclus was unfazed by the second attack as he spoke with a rxed voice, ¡°As the divine lord, I have an ability that I seldom use. I can copy any moves thatnd on me, even if it is a divine strike.¡±

    KOM!

    With that, Patroclus executed the exact same move as an even brighter white glob appeared in front of him. It was even hungrier for power than the one across the field. As it devoured the natural energies around him, it created ripples of deadly energy waves. Many golden dark ones who were caught off guard by their leader¡¯s sudden move were sliced into pieces.

    As the two warriors battled for the control of natural energy, they created a huge anomaly in the bnce of energy. Massive storm clouds generated thunderps above the battlefield, the clouds roiling angrily as they were lighted up by shes of lightning. It seemed that the world was going to end in a violent sh, in which a new bnce of energy would be created.

    KOM!

    A violent explosion arose; Li Zhedao and Patroclus remained where they were, but both of them were injured. However, unlike Li Zhedao, whose injuries were permanent, Patroclus¡¯ wounds healed in an instant.

    Li Zhedao started to sense the urgency of the situation. He reckoned that he had to do away with Patroclus soon before he got weakened further.

    Li Zhedao could feel it in him that the injuries were draining his vitality away. He needed to act now.

    Another gale came up along with a roar. Li Zhedao pointed his de at the roiling clouds as lighting slithered down and sent a pulse of energy into the de. Patroclus simply watched as if he was enjoying a wonderful show.

    ¡°This is the ultimate coup de grace of the tactics of Vayu, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a sacrifice, a suicide. It¡¯s beautiful, but ineffective nheless.¡± Patroclus muttered to himself. Meanwhile, hemanded his Zerg army to pull as further back as possible.

    The wind felt sharp against the skin even outside the center of the storm; inside, it would carve an immortal¡¯s flesh off like a knife slicing through butter. However, Patroclus was unharmed by the deadly current, increasing his soul energy slowly and steadily.

    Li Zhedao¡¯s hair were standing upright, the tip swaying left and right at the behest of the wind. The de of Vayu glowed more intensely, and same did the Einherjar¡¯s body. He felt the power rising in him, filling up his body and spilling out of his mouth, eyes, and ears. He slowly merged his body with pure energy in order to deliver the final strike. Humanity¡¯s fate rested on it; he could not fail.

    Li Shiming watched the world undo itself from far away. There were no more storm clouds, no more sky, ornd; everything was cast inside a murky ball of energy where lightning conspired with soul energy to smite the world within into oblivion.

    It was hard for Li Shiming to ept the fact that Patroclus was able to withstand the divine power.

    As bright lights poured out of Li Zhedao, his body was quickly engulfed by it. The deluge of deadly energy gained some speed as it devoured anything within its reach. Even the most powerful dark ones were reduced into ashes without even uttering a cry.

    A ray of light¡ªmore intense than its glowing backdrop¡ªformed where Li Zhedao was standing andunched at Patroclus. The center of the storm moved with it, iming lives as its tendrils of death grounded hither and thither. When the light reached Patroclus, it seemed to him as if the world had be the storm, and it wasing at him.

    Patroclus jabbed hisnce forward at the center of the storm.

    KOM!

    The impact deprived the world of its meaning; the sky and the earth bore no more substance than feelings and memories, while space and time both groaned at the sh of gods.

    After a long time, some surviving immortals dragged himself to their feet. The world had returned, but not all the living things in it. The angry dark clouds had be overcast; it rained like tears of the gods.

    Both Patroclus and Li Zhedao still stood unmoved.

    Li Zhedao reached out a hand, trying to catch the rain. But, the droplets fell straight through. The Einherjar smiled at this. ¡°Right or wrong, only time may tell,¡± he heard himself mutter.

    The wind came up without themand of the Einherjar. Li Zhedao¡¯s body flickered and then drifted away with the wind as it turned into ghostly clouds of dust.

    Rain fell on Patroclus and formed a trickle on his face, washing away the steak of tears. Eyes closed, Patroclus heaved a sigh; he had finally found his key to the divine path: perfection.

    Miles away, Li Shiming spat out a mouthful of blood. He knew his father had failed because he could no longer sense his power in the wind. The new lord of House Li threw his head back and shouted, ¡°Patroclus, I will make you pay!¡±

    ¡­

    The news about the death of Einherjar Li Zhedao quickly spread across the battlefield, taking the wind out of the earth resistance¡¯s sails. Who would be able to protect them and guide them now?

    When the news reached Mars, its huge negative impact on the soldiers¡¯ mind quickly trumped the joy of the recent sess.

    If even Einherjar Li Zhedao could not handle Patroclus, who could?

    Desperation and despair slowly crept back into the minds of the soldiers. After Lie Jintian heard about the news, he left hismand office and hiked to a secluded mountaintop to reflect on Li Zhedao¡¯s death. No one knew Li Zhedao better than him and Einherjar Andres. They used to be close friends, but then two of them had left him. Suddenly, Lie Jintian felt old.

    News about the development on earth quickly reached the dark lord. When the messenger came to deliver the news, Moye was watching a recording of Wang Tong¡¯s fight with Harmon. The news agitated him; Patroclus¡¯ power was growing by the day while his campaign got stuck because of one person: Wang Tong.

    ¡°He is not that powerful,¡± Moye said contemptuously.

    ¡°My lord, I think Wang Tong had held back his power. He is considered a god among humans. I think you will have to finish him yourself.¡± Harmon said.

    ¡°Very well, let¡¯s wait here for him toe then!¡± Moye announced.

    Meanwhile, Battle Wolf took a break after they had sessfully infiltrated into the central area.?When they heard about the death of Li Zhedao, they were gripped by a fit of dismay. What was the use of defeating the dark lord if they couldn¡¯t handle Patroclus? Were they simply doing Patroclus a favor?

 Chapter 613 - The Power Game

    <h4>Chapter 613: The Power Game</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°The death of Li Zhedao has put us in a tough spot. I bet Lie Jintian is going to wage a full-on counterattack very soon.¡±

    ¡°House Lie had been away too conservative in their approach, so I think it might not be a bad thing. If he doesn¡¯t fight back now, he might never have a chance again.¡± Guan Dongyang put in. The team leaders were not optimistic about their situation. Although Wang Tong was a forward-thinking andpetent leader, the overall development of the war troubled their thoughts and haunted their dreams.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, ¡°We can change the situation if want to. Our first step is to join forces with Michaux.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you mean¡­¡± Hope flickered in Guan Dongyang¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Haha, we don¡¯t have much time, that is for sure. But, we are also very close to sess. If one fist it not enough to bring down Moye, we will use two.¡± Wang Tong spoke figuratively. The death of Li Zhedao was going to usher in dramatic changes to the war; they were running out of time.

    ¡°We go straight after the dark lord?¡± Xiao Yuyu asked as concern shed across her face.

    ¡°Of course! It had been our target from the start, hadn¡¯t it? If we y the timing right, we should have no problem killing Moye.¡± Wang Tong said calmly. However, no one around him shared his confidence, as they felt that it would be too risky a move.

    ¡°Boss, tell us what to do.¡± Tan Bu¡¯s body was awash with energy at the promise of killing the dark lord.

    ¡°We will y by the ear. I think Moye has taken an interest in me as well.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong, how confident are you about his fight? Moye isn¡¯t just any dark one. He is at least level twenty-seven.¡± Ye Zi said cautiously.

    ¡°Hehe¡­If I can¡¯t even handle Moye, how would I face Patrocluster? Do you know why Patroclus killed Li Zhedao? He is urging me to finish off Moye as soon as possible.¡± Everyone was confused by Wang Tong¡¯s contradicting words.

    ¡°Are you saying that Patroclus is actually good?¡± Lie Xuan asked with a confused look.

    Guan Dongyang held onto her hand and said, ¡°It is impossible! Patroclus never fight for anyone but himself.¡±

    ¡°But, why would he do such a thing?¡± Lie Xuan asked.

    Guan Dongyang cast Wang Tong a knowing nce. ¡°That is because he considers Wang Tong, the only worthy opponent¡­In other words, the only key to finding the divine path. However, he needs to prepare before the final battle with Wang Tong. Does that make sense?¡±

    Yin Tianzong nodded quietly. As one of the top human fighters, he could rte to the actions of someone as powerful as Patroclus. From the humans¡¯ perspective, he was a viin through and through. However, from a purely technical point of view, Patroclus had finally embarked on the quest to find the divine path. He had broken free from the shackles on his body; now it was time to liberate his own soul.

    He wanted to make himself a god, and his followers immortals.

    However, not every human could measure up to the standards; those who could not had to be abandoned, much like the sacrifice for a new god.

    As Yin Tianzong put it, Wang Tong was the only person that had and still could defeat him. Patroclus could not be an invincible god while knowing that there was a human who could bring him down.

    ¡°So...if Wang Tong avoided fighting him, he would never be a god?¡± Wu Lin asked curiously.

    ¡°Hehe, yes and no. You have to understand that the fight between the two of them is inevitable.¡± Xiao Yuyu said with a smile.

    ¡°Tianzong and Dongyang were both right. Although I have never seen it in person, I bet that it was Patroclus who had cornered Li Zhedao. Otherwise, their fight would have never happened. However, since Li Zhedao had reached the divine path, I am very surprised that Patroclus could have killed him. I wonder how Patroclus countered Li Zhedao¡¯s final coup de grace.¡±

    Wang Tong said. He wagered that although Li Zhedao had found the divine path, he had not ventured too far, and therefore, was not able to unleash the full power.

    ¡°How did you know that Patroclus had countered his attack?¡± Gaun Dongyang asked.

    ¡°Hehe...On the divine path, there is no way back.¡± Wang tong left it at that, making everyone, except for Yin Tianzong, more confused than before.

    Yin Tianzong had figured out the game between Wang Tong and Patroclus. Their race had long since started, and the death of their current opponents were their scores.

    It also showed Yin Tianzong that neither of the two warriors was confident in defeating hispetitor.

    Thepetition had already started, and the killing of Li Zhedao was Patroclus¡¯ first move. If Wang Tong¡¯s didn¡¯t respond to it, it would make him look weak from the beginning.

    As for Wang Tong, he never felt thepetition being too much of a burden; instead, it only aroused his spirit. Theirpetition itself was also beyond win and loss. It was at a higher level than even thepetition between Li Feng and Rngalous.

    Both Patroclus and Wang Tong had chosen their paths, and only one could survive when they crossed paths again. Five hundred years ago, Rngalos had eventually given up his own path for Li Feng. That decision remained his greatest regret even until the day he died.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s kill Moye! I want to see if he really has three heads and six arms! Once we are done with him, we will attack Moon!¡± Tan Bu shouted.

    ¡°Calm your underpants, please!¡± Duo Lun put a restraining hold on Tan Bu and pressed him down to his seat.

    ¡°Our priority right now is to find Michaux and Lie Jian. We cannot do it without their help. I don¡¯t think they will have any problem getting into the core district either.¡± The soldiers were delighted by Wang Tong¡¯s decision, since many of them were from either the Sect or House Lie. Even Guan Dongyang looked forward to seeing Lie Jian again. Over the years, Lie Jian had offered a lot of help to Battle Wolf, and Guan Dongyang still felt grateful for his help till this day.

    Once they had set their main objective, they no longer dawdled on discussions rting to sieging smaller settlements.

    Although they were in the Zerg upied territory, this had been humans¡¯nd for centuries. Therefore, the warriors were very familiar with the terrain. In addition, the central area had significantly less primitive Zergs than the outer regions, making their mission much easier to aplish. The few primitive Zergs the central region had had also been shipped to the frontlines, creating openings for Wang Tong and his men to sneak through.

    Wang Tong¡¯s only concern was the uncertainty in Michaux and Lie Jian, as he wondered if they could make it. And if they did, how many men would they bring with them?

    Meanwhile, Michaux and Lie Jian had already made a n to start a raid from both ends of the district and join forces at the center. However, when they finally met each other, the situation was much worse than they had thought. The two groups had only two hundred soldiers left in total, a far cry from the two thousand when they first started.

    ¡°The situation at the frontlines is getting better every day. But, the earth united front has been dealt a huge blow after Li Zhedao was killed. I don¡¯t think it will be long before we will have to deal with Patroclus.¡± Lie Jian said. The expedition had taught him lessons, rounded his edges, and changed his perspective significantly. However, he remained unyielding and adamant before unprecedented difficulties. On the other side, Michaux had stayed not because he was fearless as Lie Jian, but because he never thought he would truly die. What was death if a soul could live forever?

 Chapter 614 - Into The Sewer

    <h4>Chapter 614: Into The Sewer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Although we have fewer numbers, our mobility has improved because of that. Plus, we still have enough men to destroy Zerg cities.¡± Michaux said.

    ¡°However, if we want to really change the situation, we will have to go meet the dark lord himself.¡±

    ¡°I agree! We paid a steep price to get so close to Moye¡­We can¡¯t leave without making him feel pain. Moye¡¯s castle might be too much for us to take on right now, but we can make him feel annoyed at least by harassing the surrounding cities.¡± Lie Jian grinned. He still had many tricks up his sleeve to use on the Zergs.

    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s take one city at a time. The first target could be Antonio. I know that city well¡­spent a lot of time there while I was...you know...getting around. I wonder how many of my girlfriends are still alive in there.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good! Let¡¯s go after Antonio then.¡± Michaux smiled. He did not mind the harsh military life, since his life in the tower did not boastfort either. Unlike the public¡¯s imagination of a carefree life at the top of the ivory tower, Michaux¡¯s life consisted of only one thing: ascetic cultivation.

    Anyway, despite his deep understanding of the Divine Path, hecked the skills as amander, in which Lie Jian excelled.

    The two were almost a match made in heaven.

    ¡°We need to give the Zergs a surprise this time. Antonio has aplex sewer system, and I think we should use that to our advantage.¡± It was needless to say that the dark ones would not sit around and let the human soldiers attack them unprepared. Therefore, it was essential for Li Jian and Michaux to use wits and gain the element of surprise.

    In the night, Antonio City glowed under the starlit city. The defenders had left the city before the Zergs had arrived; therefore, the city had never seen war. Not only was the human city well preserved, but the Zergs also had added a lot of their own modifications, particrly around the downtown area, where the dark ones lived. Due to the smaller poption of the dark ones, only a small portion of the downtown had been converted into Zerg style. The rest of the primitive Zergs lived at the outskirts of the city. Right now, even those areas were empty, since most Zergs were fighting at the front line.

    Lie Jian and his men entered the sewer system. They were surprised to find out that it was cleaner than it was during the human upancy. A few level twenty warriors moved in dead silence in the sewer; they were trained in the arts of sneaking around unnoticed among Zergs.

    Lie Jian had been down here before, not alone of course, since he was always apanied by his girlfriends. One of them was even a popr singer at the time.

    ¡°Get the bomb ready. We have ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    While two soldiers were busy installing the explosives, the Zergs had detected themotion and were on the move. However, they had not been able to pinpoint the human soldiers¡¯ exact location.

    The dark ones would nevere down into the sewers; those were the dirty jobs for the primitive Zergs. Luckily for the human soldiers, there weren¡¯t a lot of primitive Zergs in the city.

    As soon as the explosives were installed, they pulled out of the sewer. The explosion would be the signal for the main force to attack when the city fell into chaos.

    When the warriors returned from the sewer, Lie Jian noticed something was amiss the way the Zergs moved about in the city, and so did Michaux.?Since they didn¡¯t have enough evidence to prove that they should ditch the n, they brushed the thought off and carried out the attack.

    However, ever since the two returned from the sewer, the nagging sensation became even stronger.

    ¡°Something is not right.¡±

    ¡°Captain, something has gone wrong with the bomb. The first one should have detonated by now.¡± A soldier announced.

    ¡°Pull back!¡± Lie Jain ordered firmly. Everything had been too easy; it was as if the Zergs had let theme into the city intentionally.

    KOM!

    At that moment, the ground broke apart as heaps of Zergs crawled out from the crevasses. Meanwhile, the sky was suddenly awash with dark ones; they were all charging toward the small group of human soldiers.

    Arge golden dark one was at the front of the flying formation. ¡°Haha! I had been expecting Wang Tong, but it turns out to be Lie Jian. How disappointing! You think you can juste to my city, set some bombs up, and leave? ¡±

    There were a kind of zergs that were bred for sweeping bombs. They would swallow the bomb once they found it and denote in their incredibly sturdy belly.

    This was a trap!

    The dark lord had given the order to all the city lords to kill any human intruders on sight.

    ¡°Remember not to break their heads. Dark Lord wanted to suck on their brains. Haha!¡± The leader of the dark onesughed.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time that Michaux and Lie Jian had walked into a Zerg¡¯s trap, so they ordered the emergency retreat with aplomb. Their n looked good on the paper, but it had overlooked one important fact that the Zergs were already on high alert after so many raids. By then, it was impossible to repeat surprise tactics. That was the exact reason why Wang Tong had started to attack the cities openly. The element of surprise was no longer with the human soldiers, but Battle Wolf was able to make up for it with their mobility and strength.

    Lie Jian and his men were ill-prepared for such turn of events, so they were quickly surrounded by enemies.?The METAL soldiers formed a line of defense in front of the casters as thetter prepared spells.

    The fighting was brutal as the Zergs were determined to kill all of these intruders.

    The dark ones were not stupid, and even if they were, the dark lord had made sure only the smart ones ran the city. After the few defeats, the dark lord had executed all dark ones whom he thought were unfit for their role, and promoted a number of morepetent minions. He had promised heavy rewards for whoever was able to kill the leaders of these human insurgences.

    After taking a long hard look at the dark ones as a whole, Moye realized that he needed to help his race bring out their potential. Executions were not his first choice, but it was effective in spurring the dark ones to think harder and use more wits. Moye was sure that mother supreme would be happy when the dark ones were able to step up their intelligence.

    Moye was always under the impression that the mother supreme favored dark ones since only the dark ones were a hundred percent Zergs. There were too many variables in the power of an immortal: the host, the parasite, and the environment. Anything could go wrong.

    Although Moye conceded that the dark ones seemed to fell shortpared to the immortals at the current stage, he was confident that the dark ones would prevail in the long run.

    Lie Jian and his soldiers retreated toward some cover as they tried to defend against the attacks. Thanks to Michaux¡¯s powerful counterattack, the dark ones had not yet had an opportunity to unleash a sudden downpour of bone shards on the human soldiers.

    Their escape route had already been cut off, and the only way that was open to them was forward and into the city. Lie Jian didn¡¯t hesitate as he ordered the soldiers to rush into the city and find shelter.

    These soldiers were not only elite warriors, but also survivors; they possessed both mettle and wits. After a few minutes, they had sessfully entered the city and found protections underrge buildings.

    The Zerg Lord B-Jiezhe was furious at the development. He had been certain that they could kill all the humans outside the city wall. However, he had forgotten one person: Michaux, the most powerful human caster.

    Michaux cast arge aerial spell: the me Light, which was meant to disorient enemies in arge area, and it worked wonderfully.

    Once the spell wasplete, it summoned a blinding light that shone more intensely than the sun. The light and the noise startled the attackers and broke their formation. When they gathered themselves again, the human soldiers were already retreating into the city, hiding under covers.

    Suddenly, the Zergs¡¯ advantage in the open field was gone, and the battle turned into a street fight in which the power of each individual trumped the advantage in numbers.

    Michaux and Lie Jian pulled their troops into a sturdy andrge structure, while the Zergs quickly surrounded the building, trapping them inside.

    B-Jiezhe was pleased by the development. He could almost see the change in his rank from B to A. He had mobilized all Zergs in the city to surround the humans on the ground, in the air, and even under the earth.

    Wave after waves of Zergs threw themselves at the building, but they were pushed back by the resistance of the soldiers. The mastery casters rained deadly ice storm onto the mass of Zergs and managed to somewhat thin the Zergs¡¯ ranks.

    These casters were particrly precious for the sect, since only a very few Martians could master the ice element. Michaux conceded that it would be a pity for them to die here.

 Chapter 615 - Hang In There

    <h4>Chapter 615: Hang In There</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The human soldiers were lucky that they had brought enough energy crystals with them; otherwise, the casters would never have enough energy to deal with this many Zergs.

    Lie Jian surveyed the area, and he knew that going out of the building was suicidal. The building was sturdy, and it would hold. He didn¡¯t just pick any building as a shelter; he knew this building well. This ce used to be called the Torch of Antonio, and its bones were made out of a new metal called adamantium. It used to be a signal tower during the war, and it had be a tourist attraction during peacetime. It¡¯s sturdy shape and structure had left Lie Jian a deep impression years ago. Even after much modifications of the Zergs, he was able to recognize the structure with ease.

    By then, the face of the structure was battered beyond recognition, but its structure was still sound. The slow progress made Jiezhe grimace. Not only were the human soldiers tough nuts to crack, so was their shelter as well. If he knew this funky looking building would give him so much trouble, he would have already demolished it.

    While the Zergs were dropping like flies, Jiezhe confirmed the identities of the human leaders. As he cherished having caught two big fish, he doubled down on the assault and called in the reserve Zergs to join the battle. He ordered his soldiers to attack the humans round the clock until they gave up the fight due to exhaustion.

    Lie Jian soon registered the Zerg lord¡¯s intent as he noticed that the Zergs worked in shifts to keep the pressure on them. It urred to him that this seemingly safe building might as well be their coffin. Death did not scare the soldiers; theirst wish was to show these Zergs their full power before they died.

    Lie Jian kept calm and turned over the problem logically. Their best chance was to preserve strength and defend the building with only a quarter of the soldiers at one time. The rest of the soldiers would rest before it was their turn.

    Not only did they have enough weapon and ammo, the fresh Zerg meat wasying around them everywhere. They had had much worse meals than this, such as rotten Zerg meat as well as mastery casters.

    Lie Jian and his soldiers would do anything to survive.

    The primitive desires and savagery that humans had buried deep under their pretense of civilization now shone feverishly in Lie Jian¡¯s eyes. He wanted to be the man who would ride on the back of the world; he would not fall here.

    The world failure did not exist in Lie Jian¡¯s dictionary.

    By then, the battle hadsted for over five hours, and neither the building nor the soldiers had shown any sign of wavering. Jiezhe¡¯s patience was wearing thin; the sight of the human soldiers devouring the Zerg meat also sent a chill down his spine. Some dark ones averted their eyes from such savagery. Even as half humans, they limited their menu to only the brains.

    Perhaps this was the first time that the Zergs had met another race that had outdone them in terms of brutality.

    With a strong shelter, medics, weapons, and food, the soldiers were ready for a prolonged battle. They were the best soldiers on Mars, and they wouldn¡¯t go down without putting up a fight.

    Although there was no immediate threat, Lie Jian seemed troubled. After surveying their surroundings, he conceded that the situation would deteriorate quickly once the powerful dark ones finally showed up. Other than him and Michaux, there were another three legendary warriors, so they should be able to handle the Zergs in one city. However, the longer they stayed here, the more likely they would have to deal with Zergs from the dark lord¡¯s pce.

    Their only option right then was to wait for any opportunities of breaking the encirclement.

    ¡°My lord, if the situation continues like this, it would only be a matter of time before we are swallowed by them. Let me lead a group to break an opening for you and the others to get out of here.¡± Lie Shan suggested. Although he was only a level twenty-two METAL warrior, he was old enough to see the danger.

    Lie Jian shook his head and said, ¡°Uncle Shan, if we go out there now, we will all die. We should hold the line. This building is our only hope.¡±

    There was nothing else the human soldiers could do other than wait for the situation to change.

    Meanwhile in the dark lord¡¯s castle¡­

    ¡°I see...Jiezhe has trapped Lie Jian and Michaux in the city? Haha! well done!¡±Moye was light-hearted after hearing the good news which had be increasingly rare ofte. He was also pleased by the intelligence of his servant. Finally, the dark ones had started to learn their lessons.

    The superiority of the dark ones shouldn¡¯t onlye from their body, but also their wits. There were many things they still needed to learn, and Moye was confident that the dark ones would be ready to take over the world slowly but surely.

    ¡°My lord, the enemy has about three hundred soldiers, but they are all human elites. Plus, they are hiding inside arge structure so that they can easily defend Jeizhe¡¯s attacks. I think we need to weigh in before Jiezhe exhausts his force. He has done a good job in trapping the humans.¡± Harmon said.

    Harmon livedfortably inside the dark lord¡¯s pce as a guest even after the catastrophic defeat. Moye knew that Harmon was not abat oriented immortal, so the dark lord had kept him close and heeded his advice.

    Despite Moye¡¯s hatred toward the immortals, he conceded that there were many things that the dark ones could learn from them. When Patroclus created the immortals, the focus was on perfecting the humans physically. However, it was their human mind that had outshone the dark ones.

    Mankind had the tendency of using their strong suit, sharpening their skills in those areas even further. Therefore, a strong man would get stronger, and a smart man smarter; this was the nature of all living beings in the universe.

    Thus, a Zerg would be born with superior strength, but when brute strength did not work for them, they also had to learn to flex their brain muscles.

    ¡°Take four of my purple guards with you¡­That should suffice.¡± Moye nodded.

    ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± Harmon stood up and bowed to the dark lord.

    The purple guards were the personal bodyguards of the dark lord. Any one of them would be at level twenty-three or above.

    ¡°Hurry then, before things get out of control!¡± Moye waved to dismiss the other. He was not all that interested in Lie Jian. His mind was set on only one person: Wang Tong. That person held the key to immortality, and he dreamed of extracting those secrets out one bit of brain matter at a time.

    Moye was the only dark one who knew how to find the key by tracing along the connection between Wang Tong and the de Warrior. The ability to extract information from a human¡¯s mind was dictated by the dark one¡¯s level.

    In addition, he wanted Michaux dead in order to seek revenge for the injury his predecessor had brought on him.

    The source of a dark one¡¯s power was in its continual renewal of energy. However, so far, the dark ones were only able to absorb energy from another living creature. What Moye really wanted was to absorb power from the natural force, as a mastery caster would.

    The dark lord had attempted it many times, but failed. Although they possessed a sea of consciousness, it was ipatible with the forces of nature.

    It was the desire for the ability to use nature force that spurred the dark lord to transform Patroclus into an immortal. However, he had never thought that his experiment would have grown so powerful that he would threaten his position. Heter conceded that he had overlooked Patroclus¡¯ ability; within less than a year, the former Ivantian prince had nearly convinced the mother supreme that the immortals were the future of the Zerg race. Although the immortals were difficult to produce, each one of them was a formidablemander on the battlefield. They had transformed the simple-minded primitive Zergs into an army of cunning and shrewd murderous machines.

 Chapter 616 - The Meaning Of Intelligence

    <h4>Chapter 616: The Meaning Of Intelligence</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The immortals were born as the dark one¡¯s sidekicks; however, they had turned the tables around and be equals of their masters. Patroclus¡¯ intention was clear: he would conquer the human world first, and transform as many humans into immortals as possible. By then, he would be regarded as the god by both the Zergs and the humans, making the immortals a master race of both.

    The humans still fighting against Patroclus were born in the old human world and had the old mindset. As Patroclus would bring the war to an end, he could easily remold the humans¡¯ mind using religion and make his subjects worship him like a god and savior. While the humans could achieve immortality by binding themselves with a Zerg, the Zergs could also gain what they wanted for centuries: a soul.

    It was a match made in heaven.

    Moye was certain that the mother supreme wanted the dark ones to gain the upper hand in thepetition, since the immortals were still half human in nature. However, like all Zergs, the mother supreme believed in the survival of the fittest; if the dark ones could not prove themselves worthy in time, the would be reced.

    Enough time had been wasted here in the sr system as mother supreme eagerly waited for the defeat of the human race and set sail to another system. Moye felt that he was running out of time.

    Besides thepetition, both Moye and Patroclus shared a second concern that could potentially render both of them irrelevant. It was the possibility of reconnecting with the Zergs¡¯ main force. The Zergs¡¯ main force could easily devour an entire in two seconds t, so what would be the use of immortals and the dark ones? They would be spurned and cast aside right away.

    Therefore, despite the rivalry, Moye and Patroclus had reached a consensus on one matter: they wouldn¡¯t wee main force to the sr system. Once the dark ones were capable of thinking for themselves, they started to disobey the mother supreme¡¯s orders secretly.

    ¡­

    The human soldiers inside Antonio had been fighting for over twelve hours. By then, the news about their situation had reached every corner of Mars. No one knew who had leaked the information, and some believed that it was the dark ones¡¯ scare tactics to deliver a blow to the human soldiers¡¯ morale.

    Despite the waves after waves of Zergs being thrown at the human defenders, the dark ones were not able to take the structure down.

    Michaux and Lie Jian were lighthearted after they sensed that the Zergs intended to capture them alive. This would leave lots of opportunities for them to strike back. The soldiers were all in high spirits, ready to kill as many Zergs as possible.

    Even if they died, the stories of their bravery would live, and that would be enough.

    Jiezhe couldn¡¯t help but admire the human soldiers¡¯ resolve. Both humans and Zergs were martial oriented races, but the human were even more obsessed with the beauty of war and death than the Zergs. To the human soldiers, dying on the battlefield was the ultimate form of art.

    Jiezhe had just received orders from the dark lord: to keep the soldiers contained using any means necessary. The purple guards were already on their way.

    These powerful warriors would be precious delicacies on the dining table of the dark lord. They were hard toe by, and even harder to catch.

    Before Jiezhe had received these instructions, he thought about sending the tank Zerg to scorch the area where the building was standing. That would definitely kill the human soldiers inside. However, he thought better of it after he received Moye¡¯s instructions to keep those soldiers alive. Knowing the purple guards wereing, the Zerg lord finally felt that a heavy weight was off his mind.

    Inside therge structure, some soldiers had already fallen asleep despite the din of war surrounding them. Most of the warriors had reached their limit, and any usage of soul energy would cause a severe headache.

    No one knew how much longer they couldst, but Lie Jian still kept his silence. Lie Jian didn¡¯t take a break, his mind racing constantly. He wagered that the Zergs were also gathering their elite warriors in order to subjugate them. He was racing against time; if the opportunity for breakthrough still didn¡¯t arrive in a few minutes, he might have to lead the charge himself in ast ditch effort to escape.

    By then, many mastery casters had died in agony. Drawing too much natural energy would sometimes cause the sea of consciousness to copse. Being devoured by rogue energy was the most painful way of dying. At that point, the best a field medic could do was soothe their pain and elerate their death. This kind of death came very suddenly without any warning, since it was triggered as soon as the rogue energy inside of caster reached a threshold.

    The Zergs intended to kill them slowly by consumption, and their n had worked. Michaux was overtaken by guilt; if he hadn¡¯t decided toe to the Zergnd, his followers would not have suffered so much. On the contrary, Lei Jian was indifferent toward his soldiers¡¯ torment. Lack ofpassion and care was a necessary prerequisite for apetentmander.

    Lie Jian did not n to die here, so he wondered that he would have to create an opportunity to escape one way or another.

    ¡°Lie Jian, they are going to break our line sooner orter. We need to do something. Let¡¯s charge out!¡± Michaux suggested.

    Lie Jian shook his head. ¡°No. This is a golden opportunity.¡± Hope shed across his face as a moment of epiphany struck him.

    Michaux was confused, ¡°What opportunity? What are you talking about? Do you want to sacrifice yourself?¡±

    ¡°Haha, dream on! I am waiting for Wang Tong!¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong? We don¡¯t even know where he is! Are you nuts?¡±

    Lie Jian¡¯s lips twisted into a smile, ¡°Trust me, he wille. Our goals are the same, and so I wager he must have already been looking for us. Now the whole world knows we are trapped in here, so he wille to us for sure.¡±

    Michaux grimaced; this was Lie Jian was an arrogant risk taker.

    Michaux had heard bits and pieces of information about Wang Tong¡¯s arrival at the core district, but nothing had guaranteed that he woulde for them. How could Lie Jian be so sure without even talking to Wang Tong? Plus, Lie Jian had not been very nice to Wang Tong from the start, so Michaux doubted that Wang Tong would offer his help willingly.

    Michaux wanted to press Lie Jian for more questions, perhaps even change his mind; but he thought better of it. If Lie Jian could be persuaded, he might as well be someone else. Michaux swallowed down his doubts and agreed to Lie Jian¡¯s crazy n.

    ¡°Your suggestion is not entirely bad either. We could start a counterattack and show these Zergs what we are made out of.¡± Lie Jian looked through the window at the hordes of Zergs that charged at them mindlessly.

    ¡°Our first target will be their leader.¡±Michaux smiled and said.

    ¡°Do you mind if I join you? ¡± Lie Jian asked with a smile.

    ¡°Might as well.¡± Michaux smiled back. By far, no one had seen these two warriors fighting side by side.

    A fireball wheezed across the air and exploded in the mass of Zergs.?¡°I am Lie Jian. I am your death!¡±

    Lie Jian¡¯s army was covered with blue mes. A few powerful dark ones threw themselves at him, but they were reduced into ashes by his poison fire attack. He had fused his attack with natural forces, and it was so powerful that it could cut through the dark one with ease.

    Jiezhe was first startled by the development, but quickly a smile appeared on his face. How stupid was Lie Jian toe out of his cover and challenge his entire army?

    Lie Jian charged up his soul energy and started the onught. His heroic action had encouraged the soldiers fighting inside the building.

    When the Zerg¡¯s attention was all set on Lie Jian, Michaux sneaked closer to the Zerg lord like a shadow in the moonless night.

 Chapter 617 - The Eighth Technology Revolution

    <h4>Chapter 617: The Eighth Technology Revolution</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The effect of mastery spells varied wildly, and not all the mastery spells were area-of-effect spells. Only high-level mastery casters such as Michaux could master such powerful spells.

    On this, other than Wang Tong, the only other person who was capable of expanding one¡¯s elemental attribute was the young master of the Divine Mastery Sect.

    It was impossible for any METAL warrior to get close to the Zerg lord due to his guards, but Michaux was not a METAL warrior.

    Michaux¡¯s fingers knotted into a mastery sign that held the power of his spell, managing to lock onto the target using his soul energy without being noticed. Lie Jian continued to bombard the Zergs at the cost of huge consumption of his soul energy. Only the most aggressive attacks could attract the Zergs¡¯ attention. Luckily, the Zergs wanted to capture Lie Jian alive; therefore, he hadn¡¯t met with any life-threatening attacks so far.

    ¡°Uncle Shan, please give me a hand!¡± A glowing blue ice ball had already formed in Michaux¡¯s hands. Lie Shan nodded, picked up the former, andunched him into the air with his massive arms. Michaux immediately started the airborne mastery spell and flew toward the Zerg lord like a cannonball.

    Jiezhe was engrossed in watching the fight with Lie Jian. When he finally registered danger, the young master was only a few dozen meters away from him. He paused, startled, then gathered himself and smiled. He felt grateful for his careful preparation whilementing over the cunning strategies of the humans.

    The Zerg race had always been the loser when it came down to one on onebat between soldiers of simr level. There were only a few breeds in the dark ones that boasted more powerfulbat skill than humans. However, Jiezhe was not one of them, and neither did he want to be. Zergs¡¯ advantage was in numbers, and he preferred to stick with the old way.

    Michaux was already slowing down, and in a second or so, Jiezhe¡¯s guards would surround him. However, in a split second before the guards took action, Jiezhe was totally defenseless. Michaux smiled and then unleashed in the spell.

    Ice Lotus¡¯ Anguish!

    The spell contained the power of the Divine Master, a level twenty-three mastery caster. Only a high-level caster such as Michaux was able to contain the power of the spell until thest moment.

    The spell summoned arge ice lotus from under the ground. Everything was frozen solid within ten meters around Jiezhe.

    The dark ones threw themselves at the assassin; after having exhausted his energy in thest spell, Michaux was defenseless. Right before the attack was about tond on Michaux, Lie Jian appeared above them with his fire attack, diving down toward the swarm of Zergs with abandon.

    In an instant, all Zergs within Lie Jian¡¯s reach were cut down. He hovered over the body of Michaux and sheltered him from the attacks, then grasped thetter by the cloth andunched himself into the air. After two seconds, Michaux had also gathered himself. His heart still thumped in his chest; he had thought he was done for.

    He didn¡¯t have time to reflect on what had happened as he started the mastery spells anew. Thousands of ice shards flew toward the pursuing Zergs. Although they were not powerful enough to kill any of the dark ones, the ice shards were effective in slowing them down.

    KOM!

    Lie Jian and Michaux both flew into arge building, filled with a satisfying adrenaline rush. The soldiers quickly waged a counterattack as they pushed the pursuing Zergs back. Meanwhile, the mastery casters rained death upon the Zergs that were attacking their defense.

    The Zergs had lost theirmander, and therefore, they were forced to halt their attack. This had given the human soldiers a precious moment to take a rest.

    Michaux and Lie Jian smiled at each other knowingly. That was a close call, but it felt so damn awesome! Lie Jian was able to finish an EB unit just in time to save Michaux.

    However, it wasn¡¯t long before the Zergs had chosen another dark one as their leader and started another round of attacks.

    The golden dark ones guarding the Zerg lord were the most powerful dark ones of the city. Michaux¡¯s area spell was able to kill all of them in one strike.

    The dark ones fought very differently from humans. They didn¡¯t need the powerful leaders to organize attacks on the spot, since they had a different method ofmunication. Therefore, the powerful dark ones could simply stand on the side andmand the movement of their soldiers from afar. However, distance has failed to protect them from harm because their enemy was the mighty Divine Master.

    The new Zerg lord was much inferior to Jiezhe in terms of mind and ability. Therefore, the Zergs¡¯ attacks were much less organized than before. Michaux and Lie Jian both realized that their best shot at escaping the encirclement had arrived. However, not everyone could make it out; some soldiers might have to pay the ultimate sacrifice so that the rest would make it out alive.

    However, Lie Jian knew that Michaux would never agree to this action while knowing it would jeopardize the lives of his soldiers; therefore, he let his n unspoken.

    Lie Jian shed his de and killed another half a dozen Zergs. His patience was wearing thin; if Wang Tong truly had possessed those highly mobile mounts as the rumors imed, he should be here by now.

    After a while, Lie Jian retreated back to the building to rest.?Seeing him return to the building, the new leader, a level C Zerg, heaved a sigh of relief. As a low-level dark one, he could barely pass the intelligence check, much less measure up to the standards of amander. He conceded that the only thing he could do was keep these humans inside until the purple guards arrived.

    As for attack formations, timing, and the logistics, the new leader knew none of that. His method was simple: block the exit of the building with as many Zergs as possible and wait.

    Theck of assault meant that the soldiers could finally rest in peace. Some soldiers were eating dinner quietly, and most mastery casters were already fallen asleep. The METAL warrior could endure physical exhaustion, but if the mastery casters left their soul energy depletion unchecked, they would be killing themselves slowly from the inside.

    Some more powerful warriors, such as the three chief medics, were cultivating and trying to replenish their sea of consciousness. Their beautiful faces were haunted by fatigue. They had devoted their lives to the Sect and to the Divine Master, and dying on the battlefield while defending the Divine Master would be their honor.

    ¡°Are you sure Wang Tong will make it? It has been twenty hours, and I wager that the Zergs¡¯ reinforcements should already be on their way.¡± Lie Shan put in. As an old veteran of House Lie, he never believed in Wang Tong. In his eyes, Lie Jian¡¯s power and ability were as good as the younger generation could get.

    ¡°Yes, I am sure!¡± Lie Jian announced firmly. He had turned the problem over in his mind a hundred times, and each time, he reached the same conclusion: Wang Tong would arrive in time.

    If they could join forces with Wang Tong, not only could they get out of here alive, but they could also deliver a death blow to the head of this operation: Moye.

    Once Moye had been dealt with, the humans could wage massive counterattacks and eliminate the Zergs from Mars once and for all.

    The mass production of the GN gun had lent Lie Jian confidence in humanity¡¯s ability to defeat the Zergs in the end.

    ¡®Thank the gods that Wang Tong had found Wang Tung. Are those two real brothers?¡¯ The thought amused Lie Jian asughter escaped his lips.

    Although Lie Jian was surprised by his ownughter¡ªit seemed out of ce in these reduced circumstances¡ª it had lent confidence to his soldiers.

    Nothing was moreforting than the sight of a rxed and confident leader during the time of war.

    Wang Tung sneezed; afterward, he cursed at the person whose thought of him and disturbed his work. Martians believed that the thought of somebody would make that person sneeze violently.

    Wang Tung had moved his bed into theb as his research was approaching the final stages. The first mass-produced GN gun was named after him, and the theory he proposed was named the Wang Tung Law.

    By then, Wang Tung and his team hadpleted the research on the automatic GN crystal machine gun, and were already halfway through the design stage of the GN crystal cannon. Wang Tung¡¯sb was not the only one that worked on it. Since the research results were all in the public domain, many otherbs had joined efforts, further refining the technology. The newest subject in the field was the fusion weapon: a weapon thatbined the conventional heat clip weapons with GN crystal energy guns. Wang Tong had never thought that one single breakthrough would cause so many changes in the field of science and engineering.

    Thus it was, the eighth technology revolution had drawn back its curtain during the most desperate times in human history.

    As the day was about to break, Lie Jian wagered that Wang Tong should be here anytime now, if he were toe at all.

    A few more hours passed, and Wang Tong was still nowhere to be seen. Lie Jian wondered if he were wrong about Wang Tong. Maybe he never designed toe and save him. The sun rose slowly above the tall buildings, and the Zergs were ready to attack again.

 Chapter 618 - Gather Forces

    <h4>Chapter 618: Gather Forces</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    They had missed the best opportunity to get out of here alive; Lie Jian wondered how long they couldst here without Wang Tong¡¯s help.

    Looking over at the distance, Michaux saw thend covered with Zergs; the thought of death had brought him relief. He didn¡¯t need to worry or struggle before his time came; he would only need to focus on the fight.

    Lie Jian was at a loss. Did he overestimate Wang Tong¡¯s moral standards? The Wang Tong he knew would never sit around and let his fellow human warriors die. Wang Tong always looked at things from a humane perspective. Lie Jian was very certain of it, almost as certain as he believed in Li Shiming¡¯s selfishness.

    In addition, Lie Jian believed that Wang Tong woulde and help him because he knew the earthling never wanted to lord over him. However, if he were right about Wang Tong, why didn¡¯t he show up?

    Suddenly, it urred to Lie Jian that he had overlooked one key y: the dark ones. If he knew that Wang Tong woulde to his rescue, so would the dark ones.

    Perhaps the encirclement was never meant to kill them, but to lure Wang Tong out of his hiding.

    Lie Jian was hit by a moment of epiphany, and he smacked his thigh and shouted, ¡°Sh*t! It¡¯s a trap!¡±

    Michaux gave Lie Jian a knowing nce; he had also figured out the Zergs¡¯ real intent. They had both thought that the Zergs wanted to capture them alive, but the reality seemed to suggest that there were more than what met the eyes. The Zergs were ying their little tricks to kill two birds with one stone.

    ¡°I hope Wang Tong is smart enough to realize that the other cities are all empty right now.¡± Lie Jian¡¯s mind raced, and he reckoned that if all the Zergs of the region were being assigned to trap them in the building, Wang Tong should be able to take down many Zerg cities while they were undefended.

    Michaux shook his head and favored Lie Jian a rueful smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think Wang Tong would do that.¡±

    Lie Jian paused and then said: ¡°You two are the same! Slow as a pig!¡±

    Michaux gave him a massive shrug and then said, ¡°OK, now let¡¯s focus on our problem, smarta*s.¡±

    ¡°Very well! I am curious what had given these Zergs the confidence to stand before me! Everyone! Get up and listen! You are not allowed to die out there, and this is an order! You guys are all the toughest SOBs I have ever met¡­I order you to live the rest of your life as a hero once we get out of here!¡± Lie Jian shouted.

    It was time to show the Zergs what they were made of!

    KOM!

    The Zergs started their attack while the determination in the soldiers¡¯ eyes gleamed with more intensity.

    Meanwhile, Harmon and a group of dark ones were on their way to Antonio. Even though the group had been marching at an incredible speed, the long distance between the two cities meant that they wouldn¡¯t reach their destination in a day. The dark lord had ordered all the cities in the vicinity to reinforce the siege inside of Antonio and make sure Lie Jian and Michaux were contained within the building. As a former human, Harmon knew Wang Tong better than the dark ones: he was the exemr of altruism and self-sacrifice for the greater good.

    Even though Wang Tong knew that the rest of the cities were defenseless and ripe for plunder, he would not veer off his course and dy the rescue. Harmon marveled at the former¡¯s noble quality as much as hemented over his predictability.

    The report that came from the scouts imed that Wang Tong had already risen to the bait.

    If the Zergs were able to kill Wang Tong, Michaux, and Lie Jian in one decisive stroke, the rest of the human resistance would fall apart in a matter of days. The thought of change ted Harmon as he wondered what would it be like when the Zergs reced the humans.

    Based on his observation of the dark ones, he was certain that the world would be a much better ce under the leadership of Patroclus and the immortals. The spread of immortals would not just stop within the human world. Jumping on the bandwagon of the space-faring Zergs, Patroclus could sow the seed of immortals far and wide across the universe and beyond.

    Harmon knew deep down that Patroclus not only wanted to establish the immortal race, but also control the host race fully. It was impossible topletely eradicate the Zerg race just like one could not walk under the sun without a shadow. Even the gods like de warrior could notpletely cleanse the world of Zergs. However, Patroclus hade up with an ingenious solution: if the Zergs could not be eradicated, then why not control them.

    However, this was easier said than done.

    de warrior was only one god-like entity, but Patroclus had striven to create an entire race that was the god¡¯s equal.

    As everyone had expected, Wang Tong was on his way to rescue Lie Jian. Only after they had joined forces would they have enough strength to rival the dark lord in his own territory.?Plus, Wang Tong wagered that Mars would need a strong leader after they had done away with Moye, and no one would be a better candidate than Michaux.

    On their way to Antonio, they met many Zerg resistances. The dark ones hadpletely abandoned their cities in order to way Wang Tong and his entourage. Wang Tong was not tempted by the thoughts of taking those empty cities and kill the queen, since saving Lie Jian was his top priority right then.

    Despite it being a trap, Wang Tong plunged right into Antonio with abandon. The effectiveness of the trap was yet to be seen.

    The direwolves led the charge as they tore the Zergs into pieces while storming into their ranks. One second they were in the middle of the Zerg formation, and in the next, they were already a hundred meters away from the Zergs¡¯ nk, ready to charge the Zergs again.

    Deep Blue was at the forefront of the pack, his deep, ocean-like eyes shooting out blue energy beams and slicing the dark ones in half. The magnificent beast had evolved significantly after devouring countless dark ones. The same thing was happening to all the other direwolves, albeit to a smaller degree.

    These creatures were the results of the century-long breeding program, a perfect weapon that was supposed to bring destruction to the human world. As fate would have it, they were now the most loyalpanions of human riders.

    Not only were their offensive skills improving, so were their defensive abilities. Their icy blue scales had thickened significantlypared to when they were first born. It covered the length of the beasts like a thick caparison decorated with rich sapphires.

    The Zergs¡¯ n to way Wang Tong had worked to some degree as it forced him to take some detours to avoid unnecessary casualties. There was still a hard battle ahead of them, and they could not waste their energy on too many battles before they got to Lie Jian.

    Wang Tong, Lie Jian, and Michaux had significantly staggered Moye¡¯s assault at the frontline. As more and more resources and attention got poured into the development at home, the Zergs¡¯ front line faltered.

    The Zergs inside of Antonio had been at Lie Jian ever since daybreak. Meanwhile, Wang Tong led his soldiers to storm across thend to Lie Jian¡¯s rescue. He knew that the risk to those lives inside Antonio was increasing by the second.

    On the front lines, Einherjar Lie Jintian had taken full advantage of the GN energy gun units and freed up elite METAL warriors to wager effective counterattacks at Zergs¡¯ war camp.

    Although the move was risky, Lie Jintian was emboldened by the development in the Zerg homnd. There might not be a better time to strike back than now.

    Lie Jintian knew that the human would only unleash their full potential under extreme circumstances, and circumstances would never get more extreme than this. It was time to strike back.

    Lie Jintian¡¯s daring strategy could lead to a total copse of the human defense line once the Zergs gathered strength again. However, this was a gamble that he willing to partake; this was the humans¡¯st ditch effort in saving humanity.

    The GN gun units were weak soldiers with very little soul energy, and theirbat skills were practically non-existent. However, once they were given the gun and a direction to shoot, they could be deadlier than a group of Einherjars.

    Standing on itsst leg, humanity fought back with abandon.

 Chapter 619 - A Real Tough Nut

    <h4>Chapter 619: A Real Tough Nut</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The human war machine started turning and quickly reached overdrive. The Martian main force was ready tosh out at the Zerg territory as the defenders fought bravely against the invaders.

    The critical skill of any leader was to know the perfect timing to deliver the final blow.

    The closer Wang Tong got to Antonio, the more resistance he encountered. As his movement became more evident under the tight scrutiny of the Zerg scouts, the dark ones were able toy massive forces in his path ahead of time.

    More importantly, these Zergs were designed to not only stop Wang Tong¡¯s group, but also kill them. This was a ssic human battle tactic that had been used for thousands of years. As an avid strategist, Harmon could pull it off with his eyes closed.

    As the news about Wang Tong¡¯s movement became clear, Harmon gained more confidence in his n. He reported back to Moye and asked for more reinforcements. The number of soldiers he had should be enough to deal with Lie Jian and Michaux; however, he was not confident that they could handle Wang Tong. Harmon estimated that Wang Tong¡¯s power was around level twenty-six, so he requested some of the best warriors in the dark lord¡¯s castle.

    Moye responded with unequivocal support and offered Harmon his entire purple guard. The leader of the purple guards was S-Diemu. They stormed toward Antonio to keep the two human warriors in check until the third arrived.

    Harmon was relieved after Moye had sent his support. The S ss blood kin was the strongest of all dark ones; they represented the ultimate power on Mars. Not even Lie Jintian would be able to save the three human soldiers from their doom.

    Meanwhile, inside Antonio, the battle had taken a toll on the human soldiers. Despite their high spirits and resolve, their bodies were failing them. However, under the leadership of Michaux and Lie Jian, as well as their careful management, the casualties were contained to a minimum. After the long and hard day of battle, Lie Jian¡¯s signature sharp smirk had be dull and tired, but his eyes still gleamed with determination and conviction. In the night, the Zergs slowed down the attack like they did the night before.

    It suddenly urred to Lie Jian that although the day and night cycle meant nothing to the primitive Zergs, they were in sync with the dark one¡¯s biological clocks. While they rested at night, they only sent out a meager number of primitive Zergs to harass the humans, the effect of which wasughable.

    The assault started again at the daybreak. After a night of rest, the human soldiers were once again brimmed with spirit and vigor.

    Michaux and the Mastery casters showered the Zergs with ice bolts; they had decided to save the areal effect spells for thest. Although the group spells were powerful and were able to kill enemies in arge area, they could quickly deplete the soul energy of many casters at once.

    Suddenly, riotous mor came from the casters. The chief medic Enderlis was shot by a bone shard. The bone shard had buried itself in her chest, went through her body, and came out of her back. Life drained from her face immediately as she copsed to the ground. Although Michaux didn¡¯t care about his own life, the development gripped his heart with pain. Enderlis wrenched away a few medics helping hands, willing to help someone who was still salvageable. Her lips thinned into a smile and then said, ¡°Young master, please live!¡±

    The field medics shared a bond that was stronger than that of sisters. The death of Enderlis was thest straw on their back, as they rushed to Michaux and demanded him to let them go out and fight.

    The METAL soldiers quickly joined the medics and asked for permission to fight back. They had been waiting for help for three days to no avail. In the three days, they had suffered enough, and the waiting felt even worse than being killed by Zergs.

    Michaux¡¯s face hardened as he was overtaken by grief. If he couldn¡¯t save his followers, what would be the point of finding the divine path?

    There and then, Lie Jian was the only person who could still maintain hisposure. He did not doubt that Michaux could im the lives of half of the Zergs out there, but then what? Before nightfall, there would be twice as many Zergs joining the battle.

    Even if they were able to break the encirclement and escape, they were still in the Zerg territory. It would only be a matter of time before they were trapped again.

    ¡°Calm down, Michaux! Calm down, all of you!¡± Lie Jian took Michaux by the arm. It was the first time he saw Michaux losing his marble.

    Michaux paused and gritted his teeth. The room had fallen pin-drop silent. The human warriors¡¯ thoughts were stifled as the me of anger scorched their minds. This was the most challenging circumstance they had ever encountered. But, no matter how loud the voice of opposition was, Lie Jian would never change his mind, even if it meant the death of all human soldiers.

    After three days, the number of human warriors had dropped below two hundred. Every death meant a gruesome torment, tearing the surviving warriors apart from inside, nerve by nerve. Those who were gravely injuredid on their deathbeds silently. They didn¡¯t want to be dead weight, so might as well let their injury taken them.

    Did they feel despair? Absolutely! They had lost their hope a while ago, and the only reason they wanted to be alive was to avenge their friends.

    In the darkness, Lie Jian was the only person still awake. He looked out of the window into the darkness of the night and wavered. Tomorrow would be thest day of their resistance. If Wang Tong still didn¡¯t arrive, he would lead the charge out of the building.

    As Lie Jian was about to return to his bed, he noticed a flickering blue me in the distance.

    Lie Jian thought his eyes were ying tricks on him, so he narrowed his eyes and looked. After a while, a slow smile broke over his face.

    Wang Tong had finally arrived.

    In the darkest hour of the night, right before the dawn, a voice boomed, ¡°I am WANG TONG!¡±

    And then, waves of beastly howls came from those blue mes. The terrifying howls made the soldiers¡¯ hair stand on their ends.

    The beasts¡¯ howling sent a great burst of energy at the resting dark ones, stunning them in their sleep. Immediately, the beasts charged down the slope, into the dark ones¡¯ camp. Deep inside the dark ones¡¯mand center, a few dark ones apanied Harmon out of his tent. The immortal looked over at the sea of blue mes and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s him! ¡±

    The couple purple guards were about to rush to the battle, but were stopped by Harmon. ¡°We are in no hurry. Let¡¯s wait until your captain is here.¡±

    Harmon wagered that the rest of the purple guards should arrive at the battlefield before morning. If they acted right now, he might risk scaring Wang Tong away. The fight between the purple guard and Wang Tong would provide a new insight into the strength of bothbatants for Harmon.

    Having fallen for Wang Tong¡¯s trap during thest battle, Harmon had taken his opponent more seriously and re-examined his strategy. This time, he would not let Wang Tong have his way.

    The soldiers inside the building were woken up by the mor of the war, and when they realized that Wang Tong had arrived, they quickly joined the battle. It wasn¡¯t long before the first icy blue beast showed up at the building. Afterward, Battle Wolf hadpletely taken over the defense of the building. Although they had been marching round the clock to get here, Battle Wolf was brimming with enthusiasm and didn¡¯t show any sign of fatigue. This was the direwolves¡¯ mealtime, so the beasts attacked the Zergs with extra ferociousness.

    The sight of the hellish riders trampling over the dead bodies of Zergs while their beast mounts were feasting on the dark ones was a terrifying sign to behold, particrly for the dark ones. Soldiers from the Sect and House Lie watched the battle with amazement. Any doubts in those ims about the power of Battle wolf were gone.

    After some time, Wang Tong finally made it to the building and met with Michaux and Lie Jian.

    ¡°Wang Tong, we are counting on you from here on. Don¡¯t lose even one of my men!¡± Lie Jian announced hotly and then copsed to the ground due to exhaustion.

    ¡°Wang Tong, we need revenge!¡± Xiao Yuyu¡¯s voice trembled.

    Enderlis¡¯ death was a grievous blow to Xiao Yuyu. The two of them were very close, and thetter always saw her as an older sister.

    Michaux looked at Wang Tong and piped up, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee here, Wang Tong! This is a trap, didn¡¯t you know that? We can¡¯t escape here, none of us!¡±

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said, ¡°Escape? Don¡¯t you want to kill them first?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡±

    ¡°Well, we better hurry then¡­the sun ising up. Follow me! Yin Tianzong, please look after these warriors.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± Yin Tianzong nodded.

    ¡°Hey! Hey! Shut up all of you! Boss needs some quiet time.¡± Tan Bu shouted at everyone.

 Chapter 620 - The Forbidden Power

    <h4>Chapter 620: The Forbidden Power</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Shut up, Tan Bu! You are the loudest here!¡± Lun Duo refuted.

    ¡°Buzz off, you jerk! I am the captain, listen to me!¡±

    Such a banter was amon urrence among the soldiers of Battle Wolf. It helped to ease the nerves of the soldiers while they fought. The more rxed a soldier was, the better his performance on the battlefield would be. In other words, the gloomy and solemn atmosphere was at least in part responsible for the widespread depression and despair among soldiers from House Lie. Although Lie Jian was extremely positive about him inside, on the outside, he was too cold and too solemn a leader.

    Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang, and Michaux, three of the most powerful mastery casters, gathered around to weave a spell that no one had ever seen even in their wildest dreams.

    The sun had sent its first ray of light through the forest in the distance. The dark ones and the Zergs were about to wage their final wave of attack.

    The purple guards snorted at Harmon¡¯s cautious methods. Why didn¡¯t Harmon simply let them attack directly instead of sending more cannon fodder? Harmon didn¡¯t exin his intent, knowing that the purple guards wouldn¡¯tprehend it. The attack was to keep the pressure on the humans, distracting them from whatever they were nning, so that the dark ones would have the initiative.

    It was called ¡°containing the enemy.¡± When the purple guard finally attacked, these overwrought human soldiers would be much easier to deal with.

    War was an art, and Harmon was convinced that the dark ones were still too primitive to appreciate its finesse.

    When the day finally broke, there were three human warriors that appeared on top of the building.

    Wang Tong, Michaux, and Guang Dongyang floated above the roof of the building, underneath whom, the mastery casters of Battle Wolf and the Sect were waiting for instructions.

    Guan Dongyang charged up his soul energy and raised his arms, then started chanting. Inside the building, the mastery casters worked together to modte Guan Dongyang¡¯s soul energy, amplifying it. This time, there wouldn¡¯t be any hybrid spells. The caster¡¯s strategy was simple: boost Guan Dongyang¡¯s soul energy as much as they could. Energy in nature answered the casters¡¯ beckoning as they poured it into Guan Dongyang¡¯s system.

    Suddenly, Guan Dongyang was ame, looking more like a Fire God than he ever did.

    Harmon felt the energying off Guan Dongyang and seemed troubled. The METAL warriors of House Lie and Battle Wolf had formed a protective wall around the three casters on the rooftop, with Yin Tianzong as the leader. Facing the direction where the Zergs wereing from, Yin Tianzong raised his shield and blocked the way like a heavy iron gate.

    Michaux joined Guan Dongyang¡¯s chanting, although it was a different tone and belonged to a different spell. In an instant, the Divine Master¡¯s body gave a shimmering blue light that flickered and swirled, rippling about Michaux like ocean waves; that was pure energy from the water element. The casters from the Sect responded to their leader¡¯s call and started to channel their soul energy into the Divine Master. The mes of Guan Dongyang and the icy water of Michaux created a fabulous view: a world of ice and fire.

    The development on the roof top drove Harmon¡¯s concern deeper. However, the advantage he held in numbers gave him constion. How many lives could these spells im anyway? A few thousand, or a few dozens of thousands? No matter, those were finite numbers, while the Zerg supply was nearly infinite. Plus, if the humans were really capable of massively destructive spells that could hurt the Zergs, they wouldn¡¯t have fallen from grace five years ago.

    Harmon conceded that he might have been overly cautious; perhaps it was the victory being so close to his grasp that had stressed him out? Did the irrational fear of losing it at his fingertips haunted his mind and made him wary? After some reflection, Harmon conceded his extreme circumspection and decided to double down on the attack. The spell was Wang Tong¡¯sst ditch effort to save their inevitable destruction. The more power they absorbed from nature, the more damage they would do to their sea of consciousness. Without the three leaders, Harmon wagered that he wouldn¡¯t even need the help of the purple guards.

    Lie Jian had refrained from castingrge areal spells for the exact same reason. What was the meaning of killing two thousand Zergs when another twenty thousand were lurking behind the front line?

    Harmonmented over Wang Tong¡¯s inexperience. These Zergs belonged to the dark lord. As an immortal, Harmon would dly charge them into the battle and let them die. Under Harmon¡¯s order, the heavy Zergs moved out and started charging at the human soldiers. Their heavy armor would provide a good defense against the spells.

    The sky started to bubble up and was divided down the middle into two halves; one was red, the color of fire, and the other blue, the color of ice. The casters were still chanting; it was a long spell. The two energies they had summoned were located on the opposite end of the spectrum, but they had left each other in peace.

    Not even the mastery casters knew what the spell they were contributing to, since the three leaders carried out their discussion in secrecy. A team of mastery casters worked on the same principle as an orchestra band. The lead mastery caster was the conductor, dictating each step and pause while the rest of the casters were instrumentalists who would only need to follow the conductor and read their segment off the music chart.

    By then, the skills of these mastery casters were evident; they had jammed the most fantastic symphony of energy the world had ever seen.

    Harmon felt his heart hammering in his chest as doubt crept back into his mind. He had heard that the Martians excelled at Mastery, but would they be powerful enough to undermine his calction?

    Harmon did not know the answer to that question; however, the nagging thoughts of defeat persisted in his mind like an annoying fly. The power at disy made him realize that the mastery casters were on a much higher level than METAL warriors in terms of raw power.

    Michaux was brimming with anger as he weaved the deadly spell of revenge. Nothing would give him sce more than the death of his enemies. He had foolishly thought that by avoiding violence, he¡¯d be able to reach enlightenment. But little did he know that violence was the reality, and it was even rooted in the divine path.

    The water element around him felt his anger as it swelled and riled violently. Standing abreast of him was Guan Dongyang, who had already thrown himself into a fiery trance.

    Both Michaux and Guan Dongyang were taken aback when they first heard Wang Tong suggesting this spell. They both knew that it was an extremely risky move. But for that breed of men who were half in love with teetering on the edge of their lives while peering into the deepest secrets, the danger was simply a spur.

    Toplete this spell, the doublet needed one more caster, and not just any caster; it had to one with power that surpassed the sum of the other two.

    Standing right in the middle of the two casters, Wang Tong merged catory soul energy with the ice and fire.

    While the mastery casters worked industriously to wave the spell, Lie Jian had fallen asleep soundly. He knew that when he woke up again, the crisis would have been averted. Although Wang Tong was his opponent, he was also his most trusted friend.

    It wasn¡¯t until then that Harmon finally realized that he had missed a key element in his calction: Wang Tong!

    As the spell was ready to consummate, Wang Tong folded his hands and then shifted through a dozen hand signs with impressively agile fingers. Afterward, he drew his hand back to his sides as a burst of soul Essence shot through the air, his body suffused with a golden gleam.

    Spurred by Wang Tong¡¯s soul essence, the other two casters hastened the shifting of hand signs and supplied him from their deep reservoir of soul energy. The two worked in unison as if they had been practicing for years, together with Wang Tong, the trio united in a trinity.

    The Wang Tong didn¡¯t pitch forth the power right away; instead, he kept it in him where it multiplied.

    Harmon was speechless. This much energy should have torn an immortal apart, much less a human¡¯s mortal coil. Wang Tong¡¯s power was not from this world¡ªto be able to contain two extremities in one body, it was the power of a god.

    The fire burned and water frizzled; coaxed by Wang Tong¡¯s golden soul essence, the two energies merged into one. Much like nuclear fusion, this process created a power of unimaginable scales, and it burned like a sun inside Wang Tong¡¯s sea of consciousnesses.

    Harmon¡¯s face paled as he realized that he should not have let Wang Tong join forces with the other two mastery casters. But, it was all toote; the tables had turned, and the hunter had be the prey.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong opened his eyes and all warriors and mounts of Battle Wolf pulled back to safety inside the building. All this while, the direwolves howled in excitement.

    The sunshine pierced through the dark clouds, and for a split-second, Harmon had seen his death in the warm sunlight.

    God¡¯s Lament¡ªMercy of the Dawn Goodness!

    Pure energy, devoid of elemental attributes tumbled out from the middle of the trio. At first, there was no sound, just a high and thin din at the edge of hearing. A secondter, it was as if the entire ocean wasing at the Zergs.

    KOMMMMM!

    Harmon¡¯s shivered. He was still able to control his body but not the parasite Zerg inside his chest. It was paralyzed by fear after he had sensed the powering after it.

    Wang Tong had used the forbidden power, the power of God.

    The energy tumbled down from the top of the building and flooded the city, devouring anything in its path. Even the heaviest Zerg armor would disintegrate down to the molecr level in an instant. It pushed itself forward, washing away the sins residing in the city.

    A purple guard threw himself at the deadly wave, but he disappeared in an instant as the wave carried on.

    As the trio continued the spell, the deluge soon breached the wall and inundated thend outside the city.

 Chapter 621 - Almighty Pirate King

    <h4>Chapter 621: Almighty Pirate King</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    After a long while, the warriors inside the shelter finally gathered themselves. They realized that they were unharmed because they were at the center of the dangerous currents that flowed outward away from them.

    However, inside the eye of the storm, even time had lost its meaning. The soldiers watched each other move in slow motion; but in reality, no one had moved an inch. A Zerg poked an arm through the window right before the deadly flood devoured it. The severed Zerg arm inside the building froze in its track along with everything in the room. It looked like a Zerg trophy the soldiers had put up on the wall.

    When the soldiers finally recovered their motion, Lie Shan looked out from the window and was shocked by what he saw.

    Not only the Zerg army was gone, everything else was wiped clean from the surface of the.?The entire Antonio city was erased from the map after one single mastery spell.

    Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang and Michaux stood at the top of the only remaining building of the city, Antonio¡¯s Torch, and looked down at their work poignantly.

    This undoubtedly marked the milestone in the history of mastery; for the first time, the humans were able tomand the power once denied to them by the god, the power of absolute annihtion.

    The METAL warriors could only stare at the barren ground in front of them.

    On the fourth day of the battle of Antonio, humans finally triumphed.

    The METAL warriors looked up at the three warriors on the rooftop, outlined under the bright sunshine¡ªthe human warriors were brimmed with hope.

    The extreme circumstances had pressured humans¡¯ ability to a new height.

    The religious importance of the moment gripped the sect casters. He was Wang Tong, the heir of a god.

    He was the savior the prophecy had promised who would lead the humans out of this dark time.

    The sect members watched as Michaux, their leader, folded his hands and bowed deeply to Wang Tong. ¡°Wee, Divine Angel. The Divine Mastery Sect shall follow you until the final liberation dawns upon the humanity.¡± The Divine Maser never bowed to anyone, except to gods and to the spirits of the former masters.

    This was what the god had tried to show his followers at the Divine Mastery Tower a few months ago. As soon as Wang Tong walked into the sacred tower, the gods had answered him and bestowed the miraculous sight to all of its followers.

    When darkness fell, a divine angel would descend on the red and give hope to the human race, so said the prophecy. It wasn¡¯t until this battle that Michaux full understood what the prophecy really meant.

    The sect members were already on their knees, praying with all their hearts.

    Meanwhile at the front line, the Zergs charged at the human defense with abandon. The human GN gun units stayed behind covers and shot deadly GN energy plus at the enemy.

    The hybrid design of these new guns worked marvelously.

    After just one barrage, the Zergs¡¯ charging line was thinned out significantly. However, more Zergs wereing behind them, and the human gunners need to keep at it. Lie Jintian had left the defensive line and led a group of elite soldiers on their toward a Zerg camp.

    The gunners were defenseless when the Zergs got close to them, so they kept on firing at the insistent wave of attack. However, slowly but surely, the front line of the charging unit inched closer toward the humans.

    This problem was particrly urgent at the central battle zone where the majority of the Zerg forces were at.

    The main shoring of the GN gun units was their non-existent meleebat. Just half an hour ago, the Zergs had pressed to only a few dozen feet away from the human. A captain had sacrificed himself and twelve of his men to drive the Zergs back. However, the Zergs were closing in once again, and who would go out and pay the ultimate sacrifice this time?

    ¡°Follow me! We can¡¯t get a single Zerg into our territory!¡±

    KOMM!

    Before a fire-team leader had finished his call to arms, the defensive line was bombarded by rows of tank Zergs that had marched into shooting range. The fire team leader and his men were shredded into pieces by the explosions.

    This development spurred the human gunners to seek revenge; however, one section of the defensive line was eventually breached. An opening was created in the line of defense, and the Zergs poured in like flood water behind a breached dike.

    Desperate cries and howling rose from the twelve regiments; however, the resistance no longer had men to rescue them. Themanders had even sent in their personal guards to help each regiment.

    Sinka, the captain of the twelfth regiment rolled up his sleeve and shouted, ¡°Everyone, follow me! Let¡¯s push them back, or we all die here!¡±

    There was not much point in coordinating the defense when the defense was shattered. He might as well charge right into the Zergs with his soldiers and kill more Zergs before the inevitable came. Sinka was a level eighteen METAL warrior, and he was able to run down many Zergs. However, in the sea of Zergs, the number seemed insignificant.

    He knew that Lie Jintian¡¯s n had failed, and as a human warrior, he would rather die a hero than live as a coward.

    He charged up his soul energy and threw himself at a tank Zerg. Sensing the iing attack, the Zerg spit fire out from its mouth. Sinka dodged the me while closing in and plunged the spear right into the skull of the Zerg. The Zerg howled painfully and rolled on the ground. Its massive weight crushed many unwitting Zergs into pulps. At the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a dark one charging at him.

    From Sinka¡¯s uniform, the dark one reckoned that he was a high ranking officer in the human army. So, he jumped up, thinking that he had hit the jackpot.

    However, before the dark one even got remotely close to his target, he was pinned down on the ground by a giant spike that bore down on him from above.

    A human warrior had appeared in the sky; it was the War God!

    Most of the gunners were drafted from the reserves in each city behind the front line where the War God was worshiped as the protector of mankind. Therefore, he was recognized almost immediately.

    The appearance of the War God lent the human warriors a newfound strength and raised their spirits.

    Sinka grimaced, and wondered if the War God could still turn the tides after the oue of the battle was already set in stone. Sinka kept on fighting; as a human warrior, he would never stop fighting until the battle was over, regardless of the oue.

    Zachery looked down at the meager forces of the Zergs contemptuously. This would only be a stroll in the park. Back in the days, Li Feng used to send him alone to a infested by Zergs.

    This time, he wasn¡¯t fighting alone, since Charcoal was following him as his loyal sidekick.

    ¡°Charcoal, now!¡±

    A space portal opened up behind Zachery and revealed a thousand sharp des on the other side. The sight of so many deadly des at one time was terrifying.

    Sinka was shocked by the scene. Was he dreaming? He pped himself on the face and felt that the pain was real. Everyone on the battlefield who had not yet met the War God yet shared his surprise.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    The pirate king roared a battle cry.

    He was not a legendary warrior, nor an Einherjar; he was the death himself¡ªthe Pirate King Zachery!

    Zachery charged up his soul energy andmanded the golden swords to plunge into the mass of the Zergs.?If he were the War God, he was the most malicious and evil god in the Asgard.

    The warriors watched as Zachery killed all the Zergs near the opening and pushed the other ones back with a single sweep of his hand.?Zachery was reveling in the ughter. Ever since he regained his memories, he felt something was missing in his life, but he could never put a finger on it¡­until now. It finally urred to him that he missed the killing and the blood.

    These Zergs were pathetic, and Zachery¡¯s moves were almostzy.

    A few bright lights shed across the sky as more METAL warriorsnded on the ground. The soldiers cheered as they recognized that they were the War God¡¯s knights.

    Rumors had it that great secrets were hidden inside their golden swords, bestowed by the War God himself.

    The tide of the battle was turned just as everyone thought that the war was lost. The War God led his golden retinues and stormed into the Zergs.

    Fighting side by side with their god liberated their minds from the constraints of reason. At that moment, they were not humans, but the god¡¯s chosen ones who would cleanse the world of evil, and so they did.

    Sinka finally gathered himself and shouted, ¡°CHARGE!¡±

    The human warriors followed the knights into the battle with a newfound resolution.?Zachery charged at the front of the line; he casually brandished his de from time to time and sent a few hundred Zergs to their makers in each stroke.

    The development shook themanding dark one. He was an A-level blood kin and knew the ins and outs of human power. However, he had never seen any human this powerful. Or, was he even a human?

    Finally, he decided to send in the golden dark ones.

    Zachery was getting bored, and the sight of a dozen golden dark ones lit up his eyes with interest, if not pleasure.

 Chapter 622 - Unstoppable

    <h4>Chapter 622: Unstoppable</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The golden dark ones closed in and jabbed at Zachery using their bone spears, who seemed disappointed. ¡°For f*ck¡¯s sake! Did you eat breakfast today?¡±

    KOM! KOM! KOM!

    Zachery punched at the dark ones, and in a blink, all of them were dead. Zachery looked around and found out that Kamikaze Zergs had surrounded him. He looked down and saw a nket of Zergs swarming at him.

    Zachery didn¡¯t move and waited for them toe. In a heartbeat, the pirate king waspletely wrapped inside a Zerg ball, over ten meters in diameter.

    Two secondster, a few rays of intense light pierced through the Zerg ball from inside.

    KOM!

    The sky rained Zerg blood as the ball shattered.?Zacheryunched himself high up and reached he reached the peak, then turned upside down and hammered a fist down onto the ground.

    The energy from the impact cracked the ground as it spread out in a gigantic circle. Any Zergs that were inside the circle were torn apart by the shockwave.

    The Pirate King was back, and more powerful than ever!

    If Li Feng were still alive, he could kiss Zachery¡¯s a*s for not seeking revenge on him. He wouldn¡¯t give a damn about the humans, but he wouldn¡¯t allow the Zergs to exist under his watch either, nor would he allow anyone to stop Wang Tong from bing the first emperor of the known universe!

    The thought of helping Wang Tong to build his empire made Zachery¡¯s blood boil.

    ¡°KILL! KILL! KILL!¡±

    These Zergs were the perfect sacrifice tomemorate Wang Tong¡¯s achievement.

    Even Li Feng knew that he should never underestimate the Pirate King; he was not only powerful but also cunning.?If not for General Li Feng, he would have already imed the entire confederation. Even Rngalos was not his equal on the battlefield.

    Zachery was back, and not only as the pirate king, but also as Wang Tong¡¯s godfather.

    Time would change anyone, including Zachery. No longer did he rest his hopes for humanity in Xiao Zheng; his new family was Wang Tong. Zachery knew why the de Warrior had chosen Wang Tong as the keeper of the crystal. He wanted Zachery to continue working for him, which was fine; but Zachery never worked for free. He would only charge the bill to the rest of the humanity in the form of making Wang Tong an Emperor, the sole ruler of the universe.

    He hated his new title: War God. It was not nearly as badass as Pirate King; nheless, this was a name befitting a hero. Zachery had never gotten along with the heroes he had met during his life, so it came as a surprise to him that he would have to dawn the mask of hero one day. The mask and his new name had attracted over a dozen powerful soldiers under his banner. It was an old trick; Zachery had watched as Li Feng pulled it off five hundred years ago as well.

    Under the belligerent attacks of the Pirate King and his knights, the Zergs were near the brink ofplete defeat.

    When the turn of the events was reported to the eastern warden A-Pajie, he was shocked. Before the battle began, Pajie was convinced that his units would overwhelm the human defense, and the initial reports had been in ordance with his estimates. However, the new absurd report imed a human descending from the sky with a thousand swords. It was preposterous! The messenger who delivered the report was shaken beyond verbal capacity, so the warden decided to ride to the battlefield to see it for himself.

    However, he was already toote. Lie Jintian had led the elite soldiers and stormed into his camp to start wreaking havoc. This had been a costly operation, and it was time to reap the benefit.

    Einherjar Lie Jintian no longer held back his power as he unleashed the full potential of the Tactics of the ze. He took the Zergs¡¯ lives with ease and deadly efficiency.

    Everyone knew that they had made it this far for only one thing: kill Zergs. They fought with abandon, as they were already dead in their minds.?After some time, Lie Jintian found Pajie, who recognized his opponent. ¡°That is thest Einherjar¡­Kill him!¡± He charged at Lei Jintian along with the golden dark ones. Ever since the creation of the EB units, the dark ones no longer feared the human Einherjars. However, Pajie had forgotten that the EB units were created by Patroclus, and not the dark ones.

    Pajie didn¡¯t overthink, so he led the charge with only a few golden dark ones in tow. He hadpletely forgotten how dangerous Einherjars were; all he saw was the opportunity for him to level up in rank.

    Anyway, Lie Jintian quickly made him regret his actions.

    Without making a move, Lie Jintian had been charging up the energy inside him while the dark ones came at him foolishly. He would unleash all the power that had been built up in one devastating blow.

    The dark ones were getting near as Lie Jintian straightened his back and maintained a calm look in his eyes.?Before he punched out, the time seemed to have stopped for a second.

    KOMMM!

    The fist roared as it was thrown forth, covered with mes that burned more intensely than the sun. As Lie Jintian executed the move, he boosted his soul energy further and reached level twenty-seven.

    Seeing that this attack was indefensible, Pajie tasted death in his mouth.

    Afterward, Lie Jintian pointed toward the enemy¡¯s camp and shouted, ¡°Charge!¡± His elite soldiers answered his beckoning and charged forth. With the leader dead, the rest of the dark ones threw away their weapons and turned on their heels.

    Lie Jintian¡¯s surprise attack had cut off the Zergs¡¯ reinforcement while at the front line, Zachery had delivered a deathly blow to the Zergs.

    What was worse, Wang Tong, Michaux, and Lie Jian had joined forces and repelled the Zergs¡¯ attack. They posed a direct threat to the dark lord¡¯s position in his home base.

    In the eyes of the Zergs, the humans possessed the divine power that they had been searching all over the universe. This divine power was not just another weapon of mass destruction; it was destruction itself.

    The humans were one step ahead of them and had imed the power for themselves.

    Lie Jian, Yin Tianzong, Lie Shan, Xiao Libie, Vorenus, and another dozen legendary warriors had beefed up the human insurgents¡¯ defense significantly. Meanwhile, another few dozens of mastery casters had leveled up after partaking in preparing the spell of forbidden power. Eight of those mastery castes had leveled up to legendary level while Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu leveled up to level twenty-two.

    Tan Bu and Lun Duo were among the soldiers who had fought the hardest during the battle, and both of them had leveled up to legendary level after the war.

    Therefore, of the five hundred soldiers, eighteen were legendary METAL warriors, and fifteen were legendary casters. Mars had never seen a deadlier retinue before.

    Battle was undoubtedly the best way to level up, since it pushed one¡¯s limits to the extreme. However, good guidance was also imperative for leveling up quickly. Nothing was better than a role model for the soldiers to aspire to, and in turn, increase their chances of leveling up.

    Over a few months of pain and sacrifice, an army of the deadliest soldiers on Mars was born. With the help of their direwolves, they became invincible on the battlefield.

    While standing on thest leg, the humans had a miraculouseback, making one after another incredible war achievements.

    The citizens behind the front line had devoted themselves to helping the war with a newfound enthusiasm. Thus it was, the War God guarded the fort while the devil pierced into the heart of the Zerg territory.

    Even Lie Jintian¡¯s power paled underparison with that of the War God. Everyone was enthralled by the War God¡¯s power and believed that he was the protector of humanity.

    Wang Tong had also been crowned the same title. The moment he unleashed the forbidden power, Michaux had made up his mind to support him for the rest of his life. It was evident to him that he was the one chosen by the gods to lead humanity to their salvation.

    As a member of the sect, Michaux was a firm believer of fate. He believed that there was an unseen force behind the course of history. Fate was not the prerogative of the gods; it was something far closer to the very fabric of the universe. Michaux had only a very few fleeting moments of epiphany on fate, and all of them happened during Wang Tong¡¯s battle.

    When Lie Jian woke up, Wang Tong had already taken up his spot as the leader of the new force. His best friends also gave him an unequivocal support in his im. Lie Jian didn¡¯t protest; he knew only Wang Tong could lead them to victory.

    United under one banner, the five hundred warriors marched toward the dark lord¡¯s castle.

 Chapter 623 - The Kaedeians Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 623: The Kaedeians Arrival</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Harmon managed to run away again. He had spun on his tail as soon as he found out something amiss in the mastery spell. Although the spell of forbidden power spread at an incredible speed, Harmon was faster. Plus, the hundreds of thousands of Zergs had helped to slow down the deadly deluge from catching up with him. The parasite inside his chest had helped him remain calm during the moment of life or death.

    He was the only surviving member of the Zerg party to have witnessed the terrifying power. He even wondered if the divine lord himself would be able to survive when caught in that spell. Despite the long list of shorings of casters, damage output was definitely not one of them.

    Harmon stormed across the battlefield and ran back to the dark lord¡¯s castle. The dark lord was furious after hearing the news, partly because of the defeat at the hands of Wang Tong and partly because of the set back at the front lines; but mostly because of Wang Tong. Some report imed that the War God who appeared at the frontlines had reached an incredible level of thirty, making him much more powerful than any Einherjar Moye had known.

    How was it that Moye had never heard of him before?

    He had been collecting information about all of the powerful human warriors over a century, and never once had hee across the name War God.

    To add insult to the injury, Wang Tong had fooled him again.

    Before all this happened, Moye thought that Mars was already within his reach; he could have it whenever he wanted. But, the recent developments had proven him wrong.

    The war that Moye had been preparing for years was meant to be thest nail on humanity¡¯s coffin, but it hade to a jarring halted at humans¡¯st line of defense. While the humans increased the store of defenses at the front line, the Zergs sought to diminish their morale using raids. However, none of the golden dark ones had returned from their mission. Their brutality only united the people even more. Meanwhile, Lie Jintian had led two regiments and stormed through two Zerg camps. After bouts of battles, Moye was surprised to find out that the power of human warriors was superior to his dark ones.

    In other words, Moye had to rely on numbers to gain an edge in the war.

    It was difficult for the dark ones to ept the reality of their ipetence. They were created to surpass the power of humans; if they failed to do so, they would have lost the meaning of their existence.

    In order to prove their worthiness, they need to attack!

    All the human soldiers would have to die¡­The War God, Lie Jintian, and Wang Tong, all of them!

    As the war went on, the human soldiers started to act differently, particrly the powerful ones. No longer did they avoid the Zerg parties as they became more proactive and eager to fight.

    The War God protected the humans at the defensive line, Wang Tong fought deep in the hearnd of the Zerg territory, and Lie Jintian darted from camp to camp, covering the space between the other two warriors. Meanwhile, Zambrotta and his men were also busy killing Zergs and advance further into the Zerg¡¯s territory.

    Over the years, the EB units had greatly limited the activities of human warriors. As the humans bit down their anger, it infested inside them and eventually erupted into a vehementeback that was too powerful for the Zergs to handle. Even the hold of EB unit over the powerful warriors was broken after the human warriors got used to them.

    ¡­

    The Einherjar¡¯s Bane unit had been long since obsolete on the Earth. When a powerful human warrior was spotted, it was either the Divine Lord himself or the Divine Generals who would meet them inbat.

    Throughout the war, the Kaedeians had always been in a defensive position; not only that, they also refused to join the offensive missions. Despite the resentment for their circumspection from Einherjar Lie Jintian, Kaedeians conceded that they had no other options. They had always been the vanguard in the confederation¡¯s army, and one could see what that had gotten them into. Their poption dwindled, and soldiers dropped on the frontlines like flies. Their race was dying; their hatred toward the Zergs ran deeper than that in the humans. But in order to preserve the only remaining seeds of their civilization, the Kaedeian Queen had adopted an unduly defensive stance during the war.

    Inside of the city walls, the Kaedians waited for an opportunity to strike back, and the opportunity finally came with humans¡¯ miraculouseback. They charged all units out of the city wall to fight back against the Zergs. They knew that the sr system belonged to the humans, and in order to survive, they would have to follow the humans¡¯ lead.

    The Kaedeian¡¯s goal was clear: the dark lord¡¯s castle.

    These female warriors didn¡¯t set their ambitious goal in order to impress the humans; instead, they wanted to help Wang Tong, their only savior.

    ¡­

    Dark Seal City was a fort at the outskirts of the Dark Castle; by then, the city had fallen into chaos as the human warriors charged right through its gate. The fort guarded the seat of the dark ones¡¯ power; its prestige was beyond description. Never had the defenders thought that the lowly humans would attack them, and neither did they see anyone ever crippling their defense even in their wildest imaginations.

    Nheless, the humans had already stormed through the gate, into the city.

    The three casters¡ªWang Tong, Guan Dongyang, and Michaux, were so powerful that they could demolish an entire section of the city wall without even evoking the forbidden power.

    Fear was contagious, and it spread no slower among the dark ones than the humans. The more defeats the Zergs had to endure, the more passive they became. On the other hand, victories boosted the soldiers¡¯ confidence and raised their spirits. The anger and vindictiveness had been stored inside on them for too long, starting to fester and multiply, eventually erupting in a vengeful outburst. As they plowed through the Zergs, their mind became sharper and goals clearer. These warriors had been through hell ande back alive with more vengeance to seek and more zergs to kill. What were fears to men who had been once dead?

    The Zergs¡¯ cowardice entuated the humans¡¯ bravery. Deep Blue had shed skin many times with its growth, and each time it happened, its power multiplied. The direwolves might not have grown so fast if not for the bond with their human riders. All of them had been growing at a fascinating rate. Their scales turned deeper in blue while their frame grew in size.

    Wang Tong felt that something else was changing in them; their savage nature had diminished over time, yet the ferociousness remained. Moreover, the bond between these beasts and the soldiers had transcended beyond that of a beast and master. It was a genuine care for each other, and at times, sacrifice.

    The most powerful ability of humans was to change and affect other sentient creatures.

    The EB unit had be a joke before these deadly retinues. Even if they were still effective, how many legendary warriors could they kill before they were exhausted?

    Even to get to the legendary warriors, they would have to cross paths with over a hundred level twenty soldiers.

    The attack came without any premonition, and the humans¡¯ power stupefied the defenders of the fort; they were run down in an instant. The defense of the city was weak, not only because of oversight, but also because Moye had sent the bulk of the army to the frontlines.

    Looking at Battle Wolf¡¯s swift advancement, Wang Tong reflected on his next move. His goal was not to take over the city, but to kill Moye. Perhaps, Wang Tong wagered, it would be easier to lure the dark lord out than directly attack the city. But, would the dark lord rise to the bait?

    The dark castle was an imprable fortress, and scaling its wall could be a dangerous act. Even if they managed to get inside, they still had to deal with the dark lord, a formidable warrior in his own right. Wang Tong knew better not to underestimate Moye¡¯s strength, as he figured that the dark lord was at the very least as powerful as Mr. Wannabe.

    As the factory churned out more GN guns, it would only be a matter of time before humans achieved the final victory. But before that happened, these warriors still had a lot of work to do.

    Suddenly, the soldiers heard roaring of engines in the sky as a fleet of jets glided across the sky, dropping off a squad of Kaedeian warriors right in the middle ofbat.

    Lie Jian furrowed his brow andmented bitterly, ¡°Finally!¡±

    Despite being fashionablyte, the Kaedeians¡¯ appearance was a relief for the human soldiers. After so many intense battles, the soldiers had long since passed the limit of their bodies; they were still standing only because of the Divine Light spells.

 Chapter 624 - How To Heal A Broken Heart

    <h4>Chapter 624: How To Heal A Broken Heart</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Despite the limited help this small number of Kaedeians could bring, knowing that they were not fighting this battle alone raised the human warriors¡¯ spirits.

    The siege ended much quicker than Battle Wolf had expected. Instead of apletely demolition of the city as always, the soldiers got stationed in the city, turning it into a war camp where they prepared for the attack on the dark castle.

    In the meeting room, Lie Jian pulled a solemn face as he stared at the helmeted Kaedeian in front of him. When the Kaedeian pulled down her helmet, all human soldiers ogled at her beauty.

    The battle was easy to draw out the primal nature in the soldiers, so when their eyes found the most exquisite beauty on Mars, they could scarcely resist her charm.

    Kaedeians were well known for their attractiveness, and the Kaedeian Princess was the paragon of beauty. Many men on Mars dreamed of marrying her and had attempted to ask her out, but no one had seeded so far.

    Wang Tong was not entirely invulnerable to the sight either; he had met her before, but the hardship of the war had brought out her womanly charm more so than before.

    Wang Tong reached out for a handshake. ¡°Wee, Princess Heidi.¡±

    Without overthinking the faux pas that Wang Tong hadmitted while greeting a princess, Heidi took hold of his hand and shook it. Heidi felt the responsibility on his shoulder in his heavy handshake.

    ¡°Kaedeian Queen¡¯s Guard at your service, chosen one!¡± Heidi announced. The man in front of her was the chosen one, the savior, heir of the de Warrior. Those titles used to mean nothing to Heidi; however, with every incredible deed Wang Tong achieved, these titles got rooted deeper into her heart until she finally knew what they meant. By then, bound by duty and destiny, she was already in his thrall.

    Wang Tong held her gaze confidently; not a lot of men were able to do that.

    ¡°Well, well, perfect timing! You came just when we were going to win the battle.¡± Lie Jian said sarcastically.

    ¡°Lie Jian of House Lie, I would like to remind you that many Kaedeian warriors had lost their lives even before the humans started fighting the Zergs,¡± Heidi said hotly. For the longest time, the Kaedeians were treated as cannon fodder, but they neverined. That was in the past, but now, Heidi would not take it from Lie Jian anymore.

    Everyone agreed with Heidi and felt that Lie Jian was mean to a lovelydy.

    ¡°Haha, I was just kidding! You were absolutely right, my princess! With your help, Moye is doomed.¡± Lie Jian reached out to hold onto Heidi¡¯s hand. The Kaedeian princess was a rare sight in this dull war; he couldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity to steal a kiss from such a hottie.

    The Kaedeians were strictly Matriarchal in its society, and they didn¡¯t follow humans¡¯ social norms such as handshakes and pecking on thedy¡¯s hand. Heidi had yed along with Wang Tong¡¯s human interaction solely because he was the chosen one. Therefore, she didn¡¯t even spare Lie Jian a nce and let his gesture hanging in the air. After a few awkward moments of silence, Lie Jian managed a polite but wry smile. ¡°So unfair! Wang Tong, tell you what, I have been with way more girls then you did, but it¡¯s not all about quantity, is it? Haha!¡± Lie Jian had no filter, and his words made Heidi blush, but she kept her silence. Lie Jian expected Heidi to shoot back at him, instead of the silent acquiescence. The turn of events?fanned the jealousy inside him.

    Lie Jian turned around to Michaux and asked, ¡°Hey, do you have a healing spell for a broken heart?¡±

    The addition of the Kaedeian Warriors had swelled Battle Wolf¡¯s rank. These were well equipped elite soldiers in the queen¡¯s guard, the most prestigious unit in the Kaedeian¡¯s army.

    Meanwhile, the bulk of the Kaedeian force was attacking Zerg cities near the frontlines. They knew the area well, and therefore, they were able to strike the Zergs with surgical precision.

    The Zergs still possessed an edge in terms of numbers, and any reckless move against them could be fatal. Although the Kaedeian force did not have as many soldiers as humans did, they fought with unrivaled bravery and mettle.

    Being attacked at multiple fronts, the Zergs¡¯ foothold was taken out one after another; before long, the Zergs in different war zones were isted from each other. Humanity¡¯sst line of defense was secured despite arge number of Zergs still stationed on the other side of the defensive line. Without any reinforcements, those Zergs could do little to no harm to the human defenders.

    Following the lead of the War God and Lie Jintian, more and more powerful human warriors came out of their hiding and fought back. After a while, the EB units¡¯ hold on the legendary human warriors waspletely gone.

    The humans started to take the initiative in the war, and more and more victories turned out each day.

    Propaganda about the War God and his knights spread to every Martian city. They were praised for their ferociousness before the enemies and benevolence to the people. They fought not for themselves, but for the honor of the War God and the people of Mars.

    As the development unfolded around Wang Tung, his research deepened. He was no longer a one-person army; instead, he had near unlimited resources and supervised over a hundred smartest minds on Mars.

    Histest research focused on optimization of the GN energy ratio in a Hybrid gun. His experiments had revealed that the conventional heat-based weapons had a disadvantage in prating the Zergs¡¯ chitin shell, which could be fixed by mixing a small amount of GN energy. In order to save the precious GN crystals, Wang Tung was determined to find out the optimal ratio between the conventional energy and the GN energy to achieve the best results.

    That being said, the GN guns remained ineffective in dealing with heavy Zergs.

    Wang Tung was a scientist, but he also knew what the human soldiers needed to win the war. What they needed was not the state-of-the-art weapons, but something that was cheap to make and easy to use; quantity over quality, just like how the Zergs did it.

    This research breakthrough finally leveled the ground for the human warriors, and for the first time in five years, the humans could stand a chance in a battle against the Zergs.

    The Kaedeian Queen¡¯s Guard was equipped with a stealth airborne propulsion unit. They allowed the fearsome warriors to sneak up on their enemies unnoticed.

    As members of the elite units, these guards had high standards; however, they were still shocked by the power and discipline of Battle Wolf.

    Their small numbers were easily made up for with their superior strength and might.

    Once the threat to the humans¡¯ home base was eliminated, the resistance¡¯s war machine kicked into overdrive, extending its influence beyond the defense lines. Kaedeians, Zambrotta, and Lie Jintian had quickly recaptured thend they had lost to the Zergs and restored themunication between each city.

    The time for the final counterattack was about toe.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and his men were scouting outside Pulorita City. Many reports had suggested that Pulorita city was one the very few production bases for creating dark ones.

    If that were true, this city was almost as significant as the dark castle. The tide had already turned, and therefore, Wang Tong was in no hurry to attack the dark castle. He decided to scout around for other targets, and that was when he found Pulorita.

    The dark lord still made no move against Wang Tong; perhaps he was still upied by the setbacks at the frontline. It was not just the dark lord; the entire Zerg territory seemed empty as all the Zergs were sent to reinforce the front lines. However important it was to capture Wang Tong, Moye conceded that he needed first to contain the humans¡¯eback before it was all toote.

    Wang Tong simply couldn¡¯t sit around and pass such a golden opportunity to piss off his host. And as he looked for the next target, he found Pulorita.

    The Zergs ought to have a strong defense in a city as important as Pulorita; however, it should pose no difficulties for Battle Wolf. By then, the only target that was dangerous for Battle Wolf was the dark castle.

    Life had taught Wang Tong many lessons, and he knew that being overconfident was also a premonition for failure. So, he reminded himself to calcte his every step carefully despite the advantage he held.

    ¡°This is the map of the area. Our scouts have confirmed all thendmarks. ¡± Heidi said as he pointed at a map on the table. ¡°Here, here, and there, those are the three locations where the queen is most likely to be hiding.¡±

 Chapter 625 - Allies

    <h4>Chapter 625: Allies</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Everyone quickly agreed on the n of attack. With the addition of the Kaedeian units and fresh supply they had found during thest battle, Battle Wolf was ready to strike out again.

    ¡°Good choice! If we can take down Pulorita, we are pretty much pping Moye on his ugly face. If he still remains inactive, I doubt he would still have enough authority left among the other dark one city lords.¡± Lie Jian cracked a smile.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it then! I am curious to see a queen that produces dark ones.¡±

    Everyone looked to Wang Tong, and thetter nodded. ¡°We can¡¯t just walk up to the city wall like this. The Zergs are prepared this time. ¡±

    ¡°Indeed! I wish we can sneak a mastery attack on them using the forbidden power. ¡± Michaux eximed. It had been three days since thest time he had called upon the forbidden power. By then, he was fully recovered and ready to do it again.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I am nning too. We could sneak in from the sewers. Heidi, you and your girls can sneak up on them in the air.¡±

    Wang Tong started to analyze their options to the finest detail. As a member of the queen¡¯s guard, Heidi was not a typical frail princess waiting to be saved; she was apetent METAL warrior. As most METAL warriors, she was skeptical of mastery spells. Although she believed in Wang Tong¡¯s power¡ªand almost anything he said¡ªher unfamiliarity with mastery gave birth to doubts in her mind. Seeing that everyone was on board with the n, she kept her doubts unspoken. She was confident that Battle Wolf would be able to take down the city, but at what cost? Every soldier counted, and their priority should be minimizing the casualties.

    Heidi didn¡¯t lead her soldiers to a suicide mission. She was here to help the chosen one in aplishing his mission, and she intended to live to see that happen.

    Everyone knew that Lie Jintian was not powerful enough to kill Moye; otherwise, he would have already done that since he had plenty of opportunities to do so at the beginning of the war. Wang Tong was the only one who could kill the dark lord.

    Moye was not stupid like his dark one minions, and therefore, he would try to avoid the battle as much as possible. Heidi was here to create an opportunity for Wang Tong. Her n was simple: when Wang Tong and his men finally found the dark lord, she would have her soldiers guard the area so that he could focus on the Dark Lord. That was her mission, simple but deadly.

    When the oracle told her that Wang Tong was the only person who would be able to defeat Moye, she didn¡¯t think twice and believed it. It was not like she a second candidate anyway.

    After she had joined Battle Wolf for some time, she realized that Wang Tong was a much more astute leader than she had thought. Even when things were looking rosy, he remained prudent and was careful in making each one of his decisions.

    She had expected Wang Tong to go after the dark castle right after she joined forces with him. But, she was pleasantly surprised by his strategic thinking and sharp mind.

    She conceded that Wang Tong was different from most minor leaders, such as Lie Jian and herself. Something happened at the certain point of Wang Tong¡¯s life that had made him who he was and stand out among even the best warriors of the time.

    Wang Tong knew what he wanted, when to move, and when to wait. He saw things happening in front of him as a small piece of the puzzle in a muchrger game. Being able to see things as interconnected pieces gave him the knowledge of the shortest route to his final goal. A side step in others¡¯ eyes, could be a necessary maneuver to avoid failure straight ahead. Never once he was blinded by selfishness or personal ambitions. As a matter of fact, he didn¡¯t seem to have any worldly desire at all.

    Heidi listened to the battle n carefully and decided to keep her doubts to herself after seeing that even Lie Jian had supported Wang Tong.

    Lie Jian was smart enough to know not to oppose Wang Tong, at least not yet. To survive, he could only follow him.

    Once the meeting was over, everyone returned to their quarters to rest. They would move out the next day first thing in the morning. Wang Tong and Heidi remained in the meeting room, as both of them knew they had something to say to each other. Lie Jian insisted on staying with them, but was dragged out by Michaux in the end.

    ¡°Brother Wang, I had never thought that I would see you again,¡± Heidi said calmly.

    ¡°Thank you for not calling me the chosen one¡­Haha.¡± Wang Tongughed broadly. He knew Heidi wanted to tell him something, perhaps a request?

    ¡°If my mother finds out that I call you by your name, she will be very upset.¡± A faint smile finally broke over her face.

    ¡°Hehe, you should smile more often. Fill yourself with positive energy.¡± Wong jested.?Heidi¡¯s smile evaporated. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be positive living in this world.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Do we have to be so gloomy all the time because we are at war? We decide our life¡­We choose to be happy.¡±

    ¡°Do we really have a choice?¡± Heidi asked, there was an edge in her voice.

    ¡°Of course! But, you need to believe in your choice, live in it, and learn from it. No one but ourselves can save us, so don¡¯t stop believing in yourself.¡± Wang Tong said with a smile. Heidi gave Wang Tong a wry smile. It was easier said than done.

    ¡°There is something... My mother told me to keep it to myself, but I will let you know because I think you deserve to know.¡±

    ¡°I am all ears and thank you.¡±

    ¡°I have brought the best soldiers with me, and all of us are ready to die for your mission. However, in exchange, you need to ensure the survival of the Kaedeian race. I need to hear it from you.¡± Heidi said, almost pleading.

    Wang Tong looked around at the Kaedeian Princess; she had shed the pride and honor that she used to armor herself with and revealed to him her naked and fragile mind. Whatever Wang Tong would say next, he knew he had to be circumspect.

    ¡°Kaedeians had always been a part of the Confederation, and no one will harm your race. I am d that you are willing to fight alongside me, and I can give you my promise. As long as I am still alive, I will not let anyone harm you and your race.¡± Wang Tong announced firmly.

    A slow smile broke over Heidi¡¯s face, and then she beamed from side to side.?¡°You are much better than that rascal Lie Jian. if he were you, he was going to ask me to¡­¡± Heidi stopped and blushed.

    Wang Tong scanned her lovely face and was amused. ¡°As I said, you need to smile more often. Your beauty is also a power, particrly over a man like Lie Jian. It would give them bravery and make them want to fight for you. Lie Jian might seem like a promiscuous yboy, but he is much more than that, I guarantee you. Now, on that note, I am not entirely a gentleman either. Haha.¡± Wang Tong jested andughed.

    Wang Tong loved cracking jokes, and Heidi had been asking for it toe.

    Warriors performed much better when their mind was rxed, and therefore, Wang Tong always kept a number of goofballs around in his team, such as Tan Bu, to ease the soldiers¡¯ nerves.

    Heidi blushed. She didn¡¯t disclose the full extent of her mission yet, but she knew she had to break the ice, however awkward it was.

    ¡°I was just pulling your leg!¡± Wang Tong exined. Shyness besting her duty, Heidi gathered herself, then paused and said, ¡°I can tell that.¡±

    ¡­

    The next day morning, the Pulorita City was filled with terrified shrieks of the dark ones.

    The human devil hade!

    The Kaedeians attacked from the air while Battle Wolf charged at the city on their hell-bound mounts.

    Zergs soon poured out of the city wall to meet their invaders. Despite the size of the defending force, the direwolves charged through them like a knife through butter. They skipped all the tasteless primitive zergs and went straight after the nutritious dark ones.

 Chapter 626 - Into The Sewer

    <h4>Chapter 626: Into The Sewer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and Michaux had led a group of mastery casters and entered the sewer.

    ¡°Michaux, are you the first Divine Master to have used a sewer to enter a city?¡± Guan Dongyang asked abruptly.

    ¡°Why? Are you going to write a book about it?¡± Michaux asked.

    ¡°Maybe¡­Hehe.¡±

    ¡°Make sure you add in your book that I did it with the heir of the de Warrior, as well as the fire lord.¡± The field medics couldn¡¯t suppress their snickers. Right down here in this sewer were gathered some of the most powerful casters on Mars.

    The war had started to favor the humans, and each battle was the mastery casters¡¯ chance to reinstate their importance in the human world.

    ¡°I am impressed, Michaux! You can actually tell a joke... Haha! I thought you are the same as that long-face Lie Jian.¡± Tan Bu blurted out.

    ¡°You idiot! Don¡¯t you know it is an affront to call the Divine Master by name?¡± Guan Dongyang gave Tan Bu¡¯s head a knock.

    ¡°Haha, can you write that into the book too? Haha¡± Tan Buughed like an idiot.

    ¡°Buzz off!¡±

    Everyone threw banters and jokes at each other in hushed voices while also keeping a tight hold on their soul energy so that the Zergs above them wouldn¡¯t detect them.

    The Zergs¡¯ attention was all on the invading human force at the city gate. The humans had been increasingly conspicuous in their attacks as their fear toward the dark ones receded.

    The dark ones were at a loss once they noticed that the EB units were no longer adequate against powerful human warriors. What had happened?

    As the dark ones were turning over the question and trying to improvise a defense n, the sky turned darker despite being midday.

    The EB unit might have worked in a one on one situation. However, when they faced a group of legendary warriors, the EB units were not able to counter theirbined might. Plus, the direwolves made the EB unit¡¯s task even more difficult to manage.

    Once the EB unit failed to contain the human warriors, it was the Zergs¡¯ turn to be scared.

    The dark ones¡¯ w was evident: theycked any sense of strategy. Their defect had given the human warriors opportunity to focus on one or two weak links in the Zerg ranks.

    In the eyes of the dark ones, these invaders were not human at all; they were the punishment the god had sent down on them.

    ¡°Sh*t! There are so many of them, my arm is feeling sore!¡± Lie Jian cursed after each move. He had been at it for a few hours, and fatigue was slowly creeping into his body. Despite their advantage in strength, this battle could not be won by the METAL warriors alone.

    Lie Jian was very curious about the forbidden power. What a shame that he had fallen asleep when it was at disyst time.

    As a METAL warrior, Lie Jian had limited appreciation for the casters. They were too weak in one on onebat, and that was true for Michaux as well. However, if the new spell was really as powerful as people imed, he might regard the casters in a different light from then on.

    Lie Jian¡¯s mistake was not his conceit, although he was; instead, it was his shortsightedness. He had observed the mastery in its nascence, and quickly made a conclusion about its power. Little did he knew that this new power would grow to be too powerful toprehend.

    By then, the Zergs¡¯ defense was in tatters. Wang Tong didn¡¯t even throw all of his best METAL warriors at them, bringing a dozen or so with him down to the sewer. When they finally got to their destination, Wang Tong felt a strange gratefulness toward the Zergs for keeping the entire sewer so clean. They were not that useless after all.

    Wang Tong nodded to Tan Bu and Lun Duo, who thenunched toward the ceiling of the sewer chamber.

    KOM!

    The ground cracked open, releasing a dozen human warriors. The dark ones felt the scene ironically familiar. Surprise attack from underground was the Zergs¡¯ most loved battle tactic.

    The warriors didn¡¯t hesitate for a second and threw themselves at the dark ones as soon as they emerged, leaving the mastery casters behind, who hauled themselves out of the crack one after another.

    ¡°Nice day! Let¡¯s get ready, bros!¡± Wang Tong emerged under the sun.

    ¡°Hey boss, you forgot about us girls! Are we...bros as well, or are you calling me a man?¡± Xiao Lin the nosy medic asked.

    ¡°No time for political correctness, move!¡± Wang Tong groaned in a good-humored impatience. The mastery casters attacked, summoning a sudden downpour of ice arrows at the Zergs.

    Tan Bu¡¯s de was only one inch away from a dark one when an ice arrow took the dark one¡¯s life. ¡°Bullsh*t! I had been at him for a while¡­You can¡¯t steal a kill from me like that!¡± Tan Bu bristled.

    ¡°Oh, yeah? Someone is feeling sad. You want a rematch then?¡±

    ¡°Like I am afraid of you. Yes, it¡¯s on!¡±

    The medic whom Tan Bu was bickering with had been unusually close to the young soldier when the two were notpeting on the battlefield. Over time, a lot of medics and developed special feelings for METAL warriors.

    ¡°Heidi, Lie Jian, we have cleared the area. Come here now.¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡±

    ¡°Balls, can you be any slower?¡± Lie Jian pped at a dark one¡¯s temple, smashing in his skull as it was in his way. Lie Jian then turned and shouted at his soldiers: ¡°Bug out! NOW!¡±

    Heidi also issued amand to her warriors, ¡°Evacuate the area and head toward the muster point.¡± It was evident that the Kaedeians fought with discipline and honor, unlike their human counterparts. Nheless, the same enemies had united them together.

    Thanks to the Kaedeian aviation units, Wang Tong didn¡¯t have to worry about the airborne strikes constantly.

    Once Lie Jian had given the order, the human warriors spurred their direwolves toward the city. The direwolves could cover a few meters in one leap, and their scales protected them from most of the attacks. Therefore, they charged into the city gate effortlessly.

    Lie Shan trailed behind Lie Jian like he always did in every battle. His duty was to protect the heir of House Lie. He had noticed Lie Jian¡¯s effort in exercising constraint while in front of Wang Tong, which was so out of the young lord¡¯s character. Although he did not know Wang Tong very well, he marveled at his prowess nheless.

    In addition, he alone had noticed the asional flickering guilt in Lie Jian¡¯s eyes. He had brought two thousand warriors with him, and now, there were only less than two hundred still alive. It was a hard lesson, and feeling guilty was part of the healing process. Lie Jian was not a psychopath; he hadpassion and empathy, and most important of all, desire to make a positive impact on the world. Therefore, he would not back down from his sworn duty to protect humanity and drive out the Zergs.

    The first half of his mission had been aplete flop because he had underestimated his enemy¡¯s strength; the guilt aside, Lie Jian had learned to be circumspect and careful in future operations.

    He was a verypetitive warrior, and his instincts would spur him tosh out at even the hardest enemy without a second thought. However, as amander, he could not rest his soldier¡¯s lives on his whims.

    Wang Tong, on the other hand, was much more pragmatic and realistic in setting his goals than Lie Jian. This was what made Lie Jian in the thrall of the earthling warrior.

    Lie Shan watched Lie Jian grew up. He knew better than anyone that despite his ws, Lie Jian was fiercely protective of his family.

    Ever since Lie Jian came to terms with his personal w and handed over themanding rights to Wang Tong, he felt relieved. It wasn¡¯t the rights ofmanding an army that he had forfeited, it was his selfishness, and ultimately, cowardice.

    No one was braver than the man who saved his soldiers¡¯ lives.

    As Battle Wolf and Kaedeians charged into the city, the Zergs followed suit.

    Wang Tong had taken over a structure as a shelter for the soldiers. Although it was not as sturdy as Antonio¡¯s Torch, it should do to protect the humans from harm.

    ¡°Mastery casters, take your position!¡± Wang Tong issued amand.

    As the mastery casters got ready, the METAL warriors secured the perimeter and formed an imprable line of defense around the casters. In the air, the Kaedeians also formed a defensive formation. Wang Tong was grateful for these female pilots to cover their blind spot above them. He looked up and gave Heidi a thumbs up, who blushed under her visor.

    ¡°Who goes first?¡± Wang Tong asked Michaux and Guan Dongyang.

    ¡°I will. Although I am weaker, my fire element can boost the damage significantly.¡± Guan Dongyang volunteered.

 Chapter 627 - A Great Victory

    <h4>Chapter 627: A Great Victory</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Although he had already leveled up to twenty-two, he was not as powerful as Michaux. When they unleashed the spell thest time, Guan Dongyang contributed to only the overall flow of things, but wasn¡¯t able to do more than that. By mixing the power together, the absolution of the goddess spell was able to form a primordial force more ancient than time itself.

    Wang Tong was in charge of providing the general guidance of the power, but Michaux was the one who had constantly adjusted the course, making sure an equilibrium was achieved.

    He was a natural problem solver, and Wang Tong truly felt grateful for having him on his team.

    ¡°Dongyang, try your best! Don¡¯t let the Divine Master look down on us.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    KOM!

    Guan Dongyang catapulted himself to the sky like a ming fireball. When he was high enough, he spread out both arms and started chanting the spells.

    ¡°Fires in between the heaven and the earth¡­I call upon thy name! ¡±

    The sky answered with boiling red clouds and the earth answered with a deep groan. Lie Xuan looked at his man and felt proud. She knew she had picked the right man to spent the rest of her life with. Despite Guan Dongyang¡¯s mild personality during everyday life, he was a fearsome warrior on the battlefield, a real man.

    The master casters quickly connected their soul energy with that of Guan Dongyang and supplied the fire lord with their soul energy. The so-called group mastery was simply a process of amplifying the lead casters¡¯ soul energy by tapping into other casters¡¯ sea of consciousnesses.

    The connection between the casters¡¯ energy had to be fine-tuned so that the flow of energy was stable. After fighting so many battles together, Guan Dongyang and the other casters had possessed a great measure of coordination.

    The Kaedeians watched the red sky with amazement. They had never seen any spell like it.

    Seeing was believing; without beholding the incredible site themselves, no one would have taken the rumors about Battle Wolf¡¯s power too seriously.

    The Zergs were quick to sense the changes in the natural power around them. The bloody sky was a premonition that something terrible was about to happen.

    Wang Tong¡¯s words had hit the right button on Guan Dongyang and spurred him to surpass his usual performance.?Michaux and Wang Tong gave each other a knowing nce and then thetter said, ¡°Hehe¡­Michaux, I¡¯m next. Are you sure you can catch up with me?¡±

    Michaux simply smiled away the question. This was the first time anyone ever questioned him about his mastery power. But, Michaux didn¡¯t feel surprised.

    Wang Tong started his soul essence and multiplied Guan Dongyang¡¯s spell intensity by a few times. The warm sensation inside Guan Dongyang was palpable.

    The power of soul essence enthralled Michaux. It was so pure yet so unattainable that Michaux always wondered how Wang Tong couldmand such power with his mortal coil. However powerful the spell was, only a few powerful warriors knew the extent of the caster¡¯s power.

    Michaux rose to the sky and shouted, ¡°The element of ice, heed mymand!¡±

    The sect members answered their Divine Master¡¯s call and started to summon wisps of icy elements at their fingertips.

    Under the two mastery casters careful bncing and mixing, the two natural powers on the opposite end of the spectrum merged together as one. No one other than Guan Dongyang and Michaux could have done that.

    Wang Tong joined the casting as he appeared inside the glow of energy. Around his head, a faint golden halo was flickering in and out of view. Although thest spell had consumed a great amount of soul essence, after a couple of days of rest, he felt that his soul essence was much stronger than before.

    Sensing the imminent danger, the Zergs threw themselves at the human warriors. However, in order to get to the casters, they first needed to pass some of the best warriors in the human world, whose bodies and wills were made out of iron and steel.

    Under the tutorship of Yin Tianzong, the METAL warriors had inherited the best battle tactics from the Temr court. Centuries of research and practice had made the Temr¡¯s battle tactics a force to be reckoned with. Without the war, this precious knowledge and experience would never have been used.

    Heidi was shocked by what she saw: Wang Tong was absorbing two entirely different elements into one sea of consciousness. Somehow, the chosen one was able to bnce the two power and coax them to coexist.

    These two powers were summoned by two legendary level mastery casters, and Heidi wagered that only a god would be able to contain the power of such magnitude.

    Even before Wang Tong unleashed the power in the spell, the precursor of the deadly attack had rendered the entire block a dead zone. All Zergs that were too slow to pull back to safety were shredded into pieces by the violent gush of energy.

    The Forbidden Power¡ªAbsolution of the Dawn Goddess!

    KOMMM!

    The miracle happened again as the deadly deluge spilled forth from the building, smothering and killing all living things.

    Deep Blue was an animal of brute strength, and power was its god. Seeing the deadly unstoppable energy, it didn¡¯t falter. Instead, it threw back its head and howled triumphantly.

    Time once again stopped inside the building, at the center of the storm. This time, the warriors were prepared, and they had all looked out of the window, enjoying the satisfying view of ultimate destruction.

    The soldiers were certain that this spell would be outright banned during peaceful times.

    After a while, the deadly flood receded, and the soldiers regained their motion. The world around them had be so quiet that it took them a while to adjust.

    ¡°Deep Blue, find out where the queen is.¡±

    Deep Blue answered with a howl and then darted out of the building, taking his brothers and sisters with him. These beasts were extremely useful on the battlefield as the Zergs had bred them over centuries into the perfect weapons. However, the Zergs ended up shooting themselves in the foot.

    Heidi¡¯s mind was finally at peace with her decision. Even if she had to give herself up to such a heroic human, she would be more than happy to do so. All she could say right then was that appearances could be deceiving. Who would have thought that Wang Tong had such a brave heart behind that rather unttering face?

    Looking at the servile and docile looks the direwolves gave to Wang Tong, Heidi wondered how many more secrets he had held inside him. Great secrets must yield great burdens, but Wang Tong¡¯s jolly smile seemed to suggest otherwise.

    Why was it that anything that seemed impossible turned into a stroll in the park for him?

    ¡°Princess, we have recorded Wang Tong¡¯s spell, and I suggest broadcasting it to the entire Mars. The other soldiers need to know this good news.¡±

    Heidi was not the only person who was shocked by the development; like Heidi, many had doubted Wang Tong¡¯s ability before they saw the forbidden power at the disy.

    No man other than the god could yield such power. Whatever doubt they had had evaporated into thin air just like the Zergs around them.

    ¡°Wang Tong, can we post this video onto sk?¡± Heidi asked Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t overthink, just shrugged and said, ¡°Of course! We also need to let Moye know that his days are numbered. If he is smart enough, he shoulde to us right after seeing this video.¡±

    Heidi nodded.

    ¡­

    ¡°Report! We just got a report!¡±

    Everyone¡¯s sk beeped as a new mail popped up in their inbox. Although the citizens in the human cities stayed in safety behind the walls, their hearts and thoughts were always with the warriors fighting for them.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°It looks like the Zerg¡¯s territory.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Lie Jian! Gosh, there are so many legendary warriors!¡±

    ¡°Sh*t! They are surrounded by Zergs!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that...Michaux...the Divine Master?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention was on the contents of the clip. On the screen, a group of elite human soldiers was surrounded by Zergs with nowhere to run.

    Among the elite warriors were Lie Jian and Michaux.

    ¡°Strange! None of them look very concerned about their situation.¡± Shuanger said curiously. She scanned the screen as hard as she could to find Wang Tong.

    ¡°Ah-Ha, there he is! That d*uchebag!¡± Shuanger eximed.

    Brenda threw her a cold stare. However, the sight of Wang Tong made her heart skip a beat.

    ¡°Aamir, hey Aamir! Look here!¡±

    ¡°Buzz off! I¡¯m busy!¡±

    ¡°But...LOOK!¡± Marcos said hotly.

    Aamir looked up, and the screen immediately caught his attention. Wang Tong was surrounded byyer uponyers of Zergs. His life was in danger.

    Susu stared at the screen, her brows knotted. She never wanted to be the Divine Master; all she wanted was her brother to stay alive. She closed her eyes and prayed to the Divine Masters.

    Everyone¡¯s heart was caught in their throats as they wondered what would happen to these warriors.

    When Guan Dongyang, Michaux, and Wang Tong rose to the air, the audiences hoorayed as they saw that they were unharmed. But, what they saw immediately after that rendered them silent once again.

    The city of Pulorita was reduced to ashes along with all the Zergs inside in a matter of minutes. Afterward, the video clip showed the execution of a giant queen as a herd of blue demons devoured it.

    The video ended with a closeup of Wang Tong¡¯s grinning face.

    ¡­

    After Deep Blue devoured the high-level dark one queen, it extracted important information from its brain. Having learned about Moye¡¯s n that way, Wang Tong was no longer in a rush to defeat the dark lord. He decided to continue destroying as many Zerg bases as possible to help the fight at the frontline.

 Chapter 628 - Power of The Blaze

    <h4>Chapter 628: Power of The ze</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Once Moye had lost everything he owned on Mars, he might as well be dead to the humans. However powerful he was, he could not face the entire human force all by himself.

    Another piece of information Wang Tong was able to get out of the queen was more puzzling: Moye was not inside the dark castle at all; he was at the front line.

    The revtion had caught everyone by surprise, as no one had thought that Moye would ditch his home base and go to the front line.

    ¡°I wager he is after Einherjar Lie.¡± Xiao Libie said. This was highly likely, since Einherjar Lie and his warriors were the backbone of the Martian united front, and he was also taking the brunt of the Zerg forces. If he fell on the battlefield, the Martian resistance would copse very quickly.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Everyone looked at Wang Tong, who had kept his silence while mulling over the question.

    ¡°How reliable is the information?¡± Lie Jian finally broke the silence. It was not difficult to tell that he was trying hard to cope with his worry.

    ¡°I got it out from the queen¡¯s brain directly. This one is a high-level queen¡­I say it¡¯s very reliable.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s attack the dark ce!¡± Lie Jian side firmly.

    Although Wang Tong held the same opinion, he was relieved that Lie Jian had spoken it out for him.

    ¡°Roll out!¡±

    The soldiers didn¡¯t have much time to pack before they left for the dark castle. Regardless Moye were there or not, taking down the dark castle would be a huge blow for the Zergs. They sent a message to Lie Jintian, making him aware of their n and his danger.

    Everyone was in high spirits. The METAL warriors had fully recognized the mastery casters power after they had witnessed the spell that had destroyed an entire city.

    If more casters were able to use such a deadly spell, no amount of Zergs would ever pose a threat to humanity.

    That being said, the forbidden power was not perfect. For one, it took a long time to prepare, and it drained tremendous energy from the casters.

    Nheless, the battle of Pulorita was significant in the history of mastery, since it wasmemorated as the turning point in the public perception about the power of mastery.

    Meanwhile, the deadly knights that had followed the War God also made headlines after countless victories. Although their number was smaller than that of House Lie or the Sect, they had a unique advantage: their invincible god.

    The War God never deployed any battle tactics, yet he had never lost even a single battle so far. He was always the first one to arrive at the battlefield, and by the time his knights arrived, they only needed to clean after their god¡¯s mess.

    Lie Jintian was pleasantly surprised by the effect of the War god on the war. Suddenly, he could focus on attacking the Zergs and didn¡¯t have to worry about the situation in the home base.

    He had made significant progress on his mission, pushing the Zergs further back. Even though the Zergs¡¯ resistance was fierce, he was able to batter their defense thanks to the new invention: GN energy guns.

    Lie Jintian finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel; he reckoned that the final attack on the Zergs was close.

    The application of the GN crystal technology was not limited to only the GN guns; it could also be used on battleships. Given time, humans would be able to craft a new generation of warship that was driven by this new technology. It would be lighter, faster, stealthier, and with much, much bigger guns.

    Lie Jintian was suddenly taken over by a profound satisfaction; the people were going to see him as the savior of the world when this was all done.

    After he left the world, he would pass the title and honor to his son.

    He had already started preparing his son to take over the world. He never shied away from praising his son¡¯s ability in front of the media, painting a picture of a budding ruler of mars.

    Inside themanding room, Lie Jintian watched the advancement of his units with a lighthearted smile; he was in a good mood today.

    ¡°Balls, that the hell is that kid doing? Why is he moving like a snail? Haha!¡± Lie Jintian joked as he noticed one teamgging behind the rest. The other officers gave each other a knowing smile. It had been a while since thest time they saw a smile hanging on their general¡¯s face.

    Suddenly, an ear piercing siren went off, breaking the amiable spell in the office.

    The radar indicated arge group of red dots closing in onto themand center. They were a group of dark ones with a color that no one had seen on a dark one before: purple. At the forefront of the dark ones¡¯ column was a hulking frame with two enormous bat wings. Although he looked uglier than the rest of the dark ones, everyone recognized him right away: he was the dark lord, Moye.

    How did he travel such a great distance unnoticed?

    By then, the human resistance had already crossed over to the Zergs¡¯ territory, and it was almost impossible for arge number of powerful dark ones to track such a long distance without being discovered by scouts. Somehow, Moye had done just that.

    Before the officers in themand center could gather themselves, they heard gunshots: the battle had started.

    Moye didn¡¯t even spare a nce at the soldiers firing at him below as he went straight for themand center. However, his purple guards swooped down and killed the soldiers with one strike.

    Moye had deceived everyone. He didn¡¯t fall for Wang Tong¡¯s trap and fight him in the open field; instead, he sneaked up on Lie Jintian and attacked him with surprise.

    After all, Lie Jintian and his units were soldiers who were really fighting the war, and not the pesky Wang Tong. Without Lie Jintian, the Martian front would quickly crumble due tock of leadership, and Moye would be able to turn the tides of the battle once again.

    Moye had been waiting for this moment for many years, and finally, Lie Jintian had shown himself.

    KOM!

    The roof of themand center was blown up by force inside, and Lie Jintian shot himself into the sky like a cannonball, punching at the ugly face of Moye with abandon.

    Kom!

    ¡°Moye, you are finally here!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I thought that was my line.¡± Moye grinned. Every feature on his face was grotesque and unholy; however, the arrangement of them made the sum look much less of an eyesore.

    ¡°Hehe¡­Whatever, I only wanted to fight the most powerful warrior of the Zergs, not the second most powerful. ¡± Lie Jintian smiled sarcastically.

    Moye didn¡¯t mind Lie Jian¡¯s sneer; unlike his minions, he possessed perfect control over his emotions. He let Lie Jintian¡¯s insult slide off his ego like rainwater off his bald head.

    ¡°Ah, humans¡­Forever an enigma to me. I was deeply fascinated by the humans¡¯ quality ever since I was born. Atst, my fascination has to end today. ¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­You sound like you have already won the war. Don¡¯t forget that it is you who are on the losing side. Why did you try so hard? Didn¡¯t you know that you are only doing Patroclus a favor?¡±

    Lie Jintian found Moye¡¯s old wound and sprinkled a pinch of salt over it.

    Moye had seen through Lie Jintian¡¯s physiologic game, so he kept his silence. He spread his wingsnguidly and yawned, just to show how unfazed he was by Lie Jintian¡¯s words.

    ¡°If you can defeat me, I will tell you more of my secrets.¡± Moye cracked a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡± Lie Jintian hardened his face and cracked up his GN force, letting the fire element energy pour into his system.

    Moye smiled thinly and then said, ¡°Still level twenty-seven after so many years?¡±

    Zeng!

    Lie Jintian shed out of view and then reappeared in front of Moye, who was caught off guard and dealt a blow in the chest. Lie Jintian knew that he might not be able to ovee thebined might of all of Moye¡¯s purple guards, so he had to finish the dark lord quickly. In a blink, he had cranked up his soul energy from level twenty-seven to twenty-eight.

    Crimson Lotus Eight Hundred Strikes!

    This was the move that Lie Jintian had reserved just for Moye. Turning himself into a congration, Lie Jintian connected his sea of consciousness with the natural force and poured the potent energies onto his enemy. The fire multiplied its size and intensity until it had engulfed the dark lord.

    Lie Jian had connected his attack and formed abo, and once Moye was thrown off bnce by the first blow, it was impossible for him to put up any defense.

    The deadly strikes rained on Moye like a sudden downpour. A red lotus with eight hundred petals bloomed on the battlefield; each petal was a deadly strike, and all of them together formed an inescapable fierybo that meant death.

 Chapter 629 - The Dark Castle

    <h4>Chapter 629: The Dark Castle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Moye was not prepared for this. He had been able to improvise some form of defense at the beginning, but Lie Jintian¡¯s attacks quickly battered it. Even the strongest defense could not hold off attacks forever. Lie Jintian¡¯s battle arts were a result of generations of umtion over centuries; every move was a divine intervention that went beyond the measures of a normal attack, be it in terms of speed or intensity.

    A normal attack wouldn¡¯t be of use in this battle anyway.

    KOM!

    The red lotus bloomed again.

    Brimming with energy, Lie Jintian rounded his eyes and mouth, snarling as he punched at Moye¡¯s head with abandon. With a loud and crisp bone-crunching sound, Moye¡¯s head lolled unnaturally to one shoulder. His body stopped all motions, arms hanging about like a ragdoll. Then, as quickly as the first attack hade, the second attacknded on his chest, and the force threw him onto the ground.

    The ground cracked open underneath Moye by the impact. The sight had shocked all the dark ones. It was their almighty lord, but right then, they couldn¡¯t even feel his soul energy.

    Lie Jintian clenched his fist excitingly as he was absorbed in reflection. From bing an Einherjar to inheriting House Lie¡¯s power, he had been through a lot in his life. Life had taught him many lessons, and he knew that emotions were better kept to himself. However, he found it difficult to hold back his pride at this moment. It reminded him of his father¡¯s approving smile after he had won thepetition of the seat of power of House Lie.

    Floating in the air, Lie Jintian was gripped by the swelling emotions.

    When the dust on the ground settled, the dark ones saw what was left of Moye. His head had turned backward, body slumped on the ground, and limbs bent in gut-churning fashions. He seemed to have shriveled in size as well.

    The human soldiers cheered and shouted while the purple guards were rendered speechless and motionless.

    Suddenly, a coldness rose in the air as Moye dragged himself onto his feet. Each movement was apanied with the horrific sounds of bones grinding and snapping. When the ordeal was over, Moye held his backward head with both hands and slowly twisted it until it was back into its natural orientation.

    ¡°What a lovely human art.¡±

    Moye¡¯s lips hardened into a twist that could barely pass for a smile.

    Despite his tattered body, there was a deadliness in him that permeated throughout the air, strangling the human soldiers with an invisible hand.

    ¡°I admire the humans¡¯ ability to use the natural force. How much do I wish that I would be able to wield it too! Nothing will be able to stop us then.¡± Moye murmured, fascination and longing flickering in his glinting eyes.

    Lie Jintian was unfazed by Moye¡¯s resurrection as he asked, ¡°Is that yourst wish?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­Einherjar Lie, I consider us old friends. One of us will die today, so don¡¯t be so anxious. We have a whole day to figure it out.¡± Moye cracked a smile as the energy crystals in his body started to scintite, lending him power. He raised his hands and snarled, releasing a burst of energies.

    Unlike Lie Jintian¡¯s borrowed natural energy, it was all from the dark one¡¯s body, and was more powerful.

    The power kept on building up until the human soldiers started screaming in pain. Their bodies burst from inside, painting the ground red. Their life force formed a trickle of energy that flowed into the energy crystal on Moye¡¯s body.

    By the time Lie Jintian thought of stopping the deadly spell, all the human soldiers were dead, their bellies wide open. The stench in the air was unbearable.

    Lie Jintian averted his eyes from the gruesome scene, but when he found Moye again, he noticed that the dark lord had changed. The life force of his soldiers had helped him grow in size; he was already twice the sizepared to when he had first appeared. And there were more: his body no longer resembled a human, but a primordial beast that walked on the millions of years ago. His body was covered in scales with the dark color of dried blood; his hand had turned into ws, and two huge energy crystals were set squarely in his scaled chest, visible only due to its shimmering light passing through the crevasses between scales.

    ¡°Please excuse me. If I had a choice, I would not use this ugly form¡­Hehe.¡±

    Halfway through his sentence, the dark lord disappeared, but the voice kept oning. Before the monster¡¯s thinugh receded, Lie Jintian was dealt a blow that had seeminglye out of nowhere.

    Another attack came as quickly as the first one, but this time, Lie Jintian saw iting. He tried to block the giant w that bore down on him, but his power had fallen short. There was no time to summon the natural force, so Lie Jintian had to use his own GN force. But, Moye¡¯s power was a few magnitudes greater than that of Lie Jintian; the dark lord unleashed level thirty power without the assistance of the natural force.

    KOM!

    Lie Jintian took the brunt of the blow, and his body was sent flying. When he thudded back to the ground, his body disappeared after an explosion. The Einherjar was nowhere to be seen, but his battle cry could be heard everywhere; there was a pain in that battle cry. Lie Jintian swallowed down the pain and hurled a glowing energy ball at his enemy. Packed inside the ball was pure GN force freshly drawn out of his system.

    Moye watched the glowing ball and smiled contemptuously. He snarled in a deep beastly voice as a gush of energy spilled forth from his mouth at the glowing ball. With that, the energy ball dimmed and then disappeared into thin air.

    Before Moye¡¯s howling had receded, he turned around and attacked the Einherjar with his tail.

    KOM!

    The whish of the tail caught Lie Jintian off guard and mmed him down. The dark lord quickly slithered his writhing tail onto the Einherjar¡¯s body in a constraining hold. Moye lifted the other up at the tip of his tail and mmed him hard on the ground again.

    Lie Jintian would not just sit around and be yed with by the dark lord like a doll. He gritted his teeth as me sprouted out of his body. As he amassed energy inside him, his body temperature could melt steel. Yet, the dark lord¡¯s hold was unwavering. The sharp tip of the tail found Lie Jintian¡¯s chest and burrowed deep into it. Blood welled from the deep wound, spilling out onto the ground.

    ¡°Hehe¡­I told you to be patient, didn¡¯t I?¡± Moye smirked.

    By then, energy had stopped flowing inside the Einherjar, and the tactics of the ze had halted. Moye knew exactly where and when to strike in order to cripple the deadly tactics.

    Dark Lord¡¯s tail pulled out of Li Jintian¡¯s chest, but quickly found another target. It slithered down to Lie Jintian¡¯s thigh and wrapped itself around his leg, pulling the Einherjar¡¯s knee of its socket with a loud and gut-churning pop.

    Lie Jintian¡¯s guards rushed to save theirmander, but they all ended up as food for the purple guards.

    Moye¡¯s tail found more targets as it threatened to tear the Einherjar¡¯s flesh apart piece by piece. Moye¡¯s lips curved into a satisfying grin. ¡°What is pain, human? It¡¯s a delightful art beyond yourprehension.¡±

    Lie Jintian had scarcely let out even a wince. He gritted his teeth until his gums started to bleed, biding his time for hisst strike: Self-Immtion!

    Moye had seen through Lie Jian¡¯s n, so he thrust the tail right through Lie Jintian¡¯s sea of consciousness, ending his ability to fight once and for all.

    Moye was amused as he saw the hope on Lie Jian¡¯s face ebb away, a hope that he had given him just so that he could see it being crushed.

    ¡°One day, humans will kill you all!¡± Lie Jian managed a few words out of his mouth. He knew this day woulde; he tookfort in the thought that his son would avenge him one day.

    ¡°Is that so? Then, maybe I should let you live. ¡± Moye was amused. A hint of hope shed across Lie Jintian¡¯s face, which was caught by Moye immediately.

    Moye¡¯s lips thinned into a sneer, ¡°What was I thinking? How could I pass up such a delicious meal like you?¡±

    All around him, the purple guards were already feasting on the bodies of the humans.

    The sudden raid had uprooted the headquarters of the Martian front, leaving no survivors. The sudden tragedy struck human resistance hard; without a leader, the defense started to falter, and the offense was haltedpletely. Gripped by fear and sorrow, the public was at a loss. The top priority for the human resistance force right then was to elect anothermander.

    Lie Jian should have inherited themanding rights from histe father, but he was stranded in the Zerg territory. Therefore, the responsibility might have to rest on the shoulders of another man.

    Moye had swooped down on the human world when its guard was lowered, and attacked where it hurt the most. Moye knew the human mind very well, a strength that he wished his dark one subordinates could learn from him.

    When the faction leaders were debating who should be the next leader, surprising news came to them. Zambrotta and his men had joined the War God¡¯s knight order and be its first dragoon regiment.

 Chapter 630 - New Commander: The War God

    <h4>Chapter 630: New Commander: The War God</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    This news had shocked the human world as much as the death of Lie Jintian did. After the death of Lie Jintian, Zambrotta was the only living Einherjar on Mars, and therefore, he had been tabled at the discussions as the top candidate as the leader. His personal units also further legitimized his im.

    Among the other factions leaders, there were as many strategists as fearsome warriors, but it was rare to find a person who excelled in both specialties.

    When the new came to the faction leaders, it finally urred to them that the War God should have been the leader of Mars. However so far, no one knew who this War God was.

    By then, all the war-knights on Mars had weighed in their support for Zambrotta to be the next suprememander of the martian force; they would unequivocally fight alongside the first dragoon regiment till the end of the war.

    This development pushed Zambrotta¡¯s fame to a new height. Although he had no Einherjar under hismand, he had the support of the invincible War god.

    The real deal maker that solidified Zambrotta¡¯s position was Kaedeians¡¯ announcement that they, too, endorsed him.

    Kaedeian urged the human resistance factions to unite together under one banner during such difficult times. They believed that no one would be a better leader than Zambrotta. Over the years, he had proven himself not only as a deadly warrior, but also an astutemander. His recent pledge of loyalty to the War god meant he had the backing of a formidable god-like warrior.

    To be frank, Zambrotta was not nearly as powerful as Lie Jintian. Everyone knew that he was a level twenty-seven warrior; he might seem invincible among humans, but his power did not measure up to that of the dark lord by a long chalk. Everyone had endorsed him at the leader not because of his own strength, but because of the mighty War god behind him.

    From bits and pieces of the video recordings, the people knew that the War God was the only person who could stand against the Dark Lord. Zambrotta¡¯s sworn allegiance also spoke loudly of his abilities. After all, not even Lie Jintian was able to persuade Zambrotta to join him.

    Moye had been waiting to see the human world fall apart after the death of their leader; however, his n backfired. Both House Lie and Kaedeians all listened to the orders of Zambrotta, making the human forces more united than they ever were.

    It would take some time for the new alliances to adjust the chain ofmand. Under such perilous conditions, everyone was watchful for any actions that would erode the humans¡¯ solidarity.

    Zachery had achieved what he wanted to achieve like he always did. Making his puppet a leader among the humans was like a stroll in the park. It had been easy to gain Zambrotta¡¯s allegiance; the fight between Zambrotta and Einherjar Wannabe had changed Zambrotta¡¯s life. Rumors had it that Zambrotta carried out a fight with the War God as well. But, after the fight, the War God was able to convince him of his godhood, and eventually brought him to his knees.

    Kaedeians¡¯ support came from their faith in Wang Tong. They knew that the War God and the chosen one were connected, and therefore, they had supported the War God¡¯s spokesperson: Zambrotta.

    The threat from theirmon enemy loomed ahead, and the alliances were formed quickly.

    After order was restored to the Martian resistance forces, Zambrotta had the Kaedeians¡¯ support to the other factions gain more frequency and intensitypared to before. Meanwhile, the Knights kept a watchful eye on the battlefield, and they would send a stern warning to any faction that was not pulling its weight.

    Zambrotta was aware that his army¡¯s strength came from discipline, and if he were not careful enough and let the Zergs find a weak link in the human resistance, they would lose everything that they had gained, along with countless lives.

    Zambrotta¡¯s offensive approach had its anti. Many faction leaders believed that the human resistance needed to rest and recover. However, these voices of concern were turned down very quickly by others who agreed with his direction. Offense was the best defense; Zergs were still stunned by their defeats, and there wouldn¡¯t be a better time tosh out at them than now.

    Although the death of Lie Jintian was a massive blow to the human resistance forces, the restructuring of the force and appointment of a new leader also presented new opportunists.

    The existence of the War God should be enough to boost the soldiers¡¯ confidence, and as a leader, Zambrotta should take advantage of it.

    However, Zambrotta had his own concerns. He reckoned that the Zergs would be much quicker at adjusting to new situations than humans. The promise of reinforcement from the immortals also hung above the human resistances¡¯ neck like a sharp knife. If that happened, the humans on Mars would be doomed.

    Therefore, Zambrotta was determined to push the human force forward and finish the dark lord¡¯s forces as fast as possible.?In order to garner more support for his offensive n, he had dered his n a divine will of the War God.

    Hiding high up behind the clouds, Zachery heard Zambrotta proim war in front of the human resistance force. When he heard Zambrotta¡¯s false im about his support for his n, Zachery could help butugh. He was pleased by thetter¡¯s wit, courage, as well as decision-making skills.

    Although an offensive approach was a no-brainier for Zachery, he understood why ordinary people whocked war experience could have failed to reach that conclusion.

    Recuperation? Dream on! Once the human soldiers slowed down their advancement, contentment would creep into their hearts, and it would be toote to encourage them to fight for their lives again. It had taken Zachery a great measure of effort to inspire the human soldiers; the constant fighting was taxing on his system. However, the war had reached a critical moment. He could not let go of the gas pedal. Human soldiers looked up to him, so he had to keep on fighting and winning.

    Once the Zergs¡¯ casualties reached a certain threshold, their entire war n would fall apart quickly.

    ¡°Mr. Wannabe, you need to rest.¡± Charcoal announced.?Zachery waved a hand and Charcoal didn¡¯t bring this up again. Charcoal knew that although he has had an intelligent AI chip, he would never understand humans.

    ¡°After all, you have been up for two days. It¡¯s time to take a rest.¡± Brenda urged Zambrotta.?At the sight of his daughter, a smile broke over his knotted face. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m fine! Your dad is an Einherjar, remember?¡±

    ¡°Einherjars need to rest too! You are the chiefmander now¡­You need to look after yourself.¡±

    Zambrotta stretched his body to prevent exhaustion iming him, but his face seemed troubled. Although he had convinced the human resistance to continue the offense, casualties had spiked. Some leaders had openly used him of sending their soldiers to a suicidal mission.

    Zambrotta didn¡¯t mind the usation; this was a war, not a child¡¯s game. However, he conceded that he would have to rein in the skyrocketing casualties. But despite the difficulties, he still firmly believed in his decision.

    ¡°Fine, fine! I will rest...I have heard that you have gotten a boyfriend, haven¡¯t you? Who is that boy?¡±

    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t listen to the rumors. I won¡¯t think about finding a boyfriend until the Zergs are off our.¡±

    ¡°Very ambitious, good, good! But as your father, I have to lodge myint. I don¡¯t want to wait another eighteen years to see you get married.¡± Zambrottaughed.

    ¡°Dad, we are not each seeing each other yet!¡± Brenda blushed.

    ¡°Ok, ok! I will not ask you about it, haha!¡± His daughter¡¯s reaction amused Zambrotta.

    ¡°Dad, you look troubled. What is it that is bothering you?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be other than the ursed war?¡± Zambrotta cracked a pained smile.

    ¡°You are lying. Your nose just twitched¡­You always do that when you lie!¡± Brenda pointed out; she knew her father well.

    ¡°Can I have some privacy please?¡± Zambrotta feinted a frown.

    ¡°Is it about the War God?¡± Brenda kept prying.

    Zambrotta gathered himself and asked, ¡°What do you think of him?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me more about him. Maybe I can give you my two cents.¡± Brenda announced.

    Zambrotta picked up a cigarette, then lit it and drew on it. ¡°My leader status came too fast and too suddenly. I still can¡¯t believe that it has happened.¡±

 Chapter 631 - Attack The Dark Castle

    <h4>Chapter 631: Attack The Dark Castle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Is he a man or a god?¡± Brenda replied to her father with a question. She had been very curious as to why his father had pledged loyalty to a mysterious warrior.

    Zambrotta smiled wryly and answered, ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Dad, do you believe in god?¡±

    Zambrotta buffed a cloud of smoke. ¡°Yes. When one finally reached enlightenment through cultivation, the cultivator is said to be beyond life and death¡­just like Li Feng.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you think he has reached enlightenment?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but close...A demigod perhaps!¡±

    ¡°He seems to be fighting for the greater good, so why are you still so gloomy? If you can make a contribution to the greater good, you should do it regardless of the price.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, little sh*t, trying to preach to your dad? It is not my personal loss or gain that I am worried about¡­it is him. There is something off about this War God. You might be wondering why I pledged allegiance to him. Tell you what, I have found out who he really is!¡± Zambrotta spoke under his breath.

    ¡°Who?¡± Brenda was gripped by curiosity.

    ¡°Einherjar Wannabe!¡± Zambrotta announced.

    ¡°Einherjar Wannabe?¡± Brenda¡¯s face was awash with surprise and shock.

    ¡°You heard it right. I knew it from the first time I saw him! I would never forget that unique feel of his power!¡± Five years ago, the two blows that Einherjar Wannabe had dealt Zambrotta had changed thetter¡¯s life. In some aspect, the mysterious PA fighter had helped him be an Einherjar.

    ¡°That¡¯s good news! At least he is not malevolent toward the humans. Ah-hold on! Let me think about it...¡± Brenda suddenly remembered some detail she had left at the back of her mind as she realized what her father¡¯s real concern was.

    ¡°Wang Tong!¡± Brenda eximed.

    ¡°You are my girl through and through! Haha! Yes. That¡¯s right. I had heard that before Kaedeians had endorsed me, their princess had already visited Wang Tong. I bet their endorsement of me had something to do with that little earthling prick!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that! And I don¡¯t think you are right.¡± Brenda said with a frown.

    Zambrotta narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°How do you know? You know what is really concerning about this boy? It¡¯s his poprity, uncanny poprity! Whatever he does, he does it with the public¡¯s support. I had thought that he was gone from history after Patroclus defeated him, but he is back¡­better and stronger than he ever was! I have definitely underestimated him, and so have the Zergs. I think this war is soon going to be the war between Patroclus and Wang Tong.¡± Zambrotta was taken over by a wave of poignant emotion. As he rose in the ranks of power, he had started to see the truth behind the scene. Therefore, he was convinced that the War God had something to do with Wang Tong.

    This war appeared to be the conflict between the humans and the Zerg, but in reality, it was a gamble between Wang Tong and Patroclus.

    Patroclus seemed to have the upper hand just a few months ago, but Wang Tong¡¯s intervention hadpletely changed the situation around.

    ¡°Regardless of who he was, I think that as a human, I should support Wang Tong. ¡± Brenda managed a sentence.

    Zambrotta cracked a smile, ¡°Oh? Are you sure it¡¯s not because he is good looking? Haha! I have heard that he had visited you once. Come, tell me what happened! Fill me in. ¡± Zambrotta smiled broadly.

    Brenda blushed. ¡°There is nothing! Anyway, it is gettingte¡­Time for you to rest! Don¡¯t worry your ugly little head about it!¡± Brenda turned around and skittered away.

    Zambrottaughed and became lighthearted after the conversation. He knew that Brenda was right: as a human, he didn¡¯t have a choice but to support Wang Tong and War God, whoever he was.

    His had designed the attack ns specifically to help Wang Tong¡¯s advancement at the heart of the Zerg territory. As themander of thest remaining human resistance force, he knew that only Wang Tong could bring the humans theirst hope.

    Meanwhile, inside the Zerg territory, Wang Tong was preparing their attack on the dark castle. The dark castle was not built on a human city; it was built entirely by Zergs. It was a formidable fortress guarded by a great number of Zergs, and it also housed some of the most high profile queens.

    However, since the dark lord was not inside the dark castle, Wang Tong was confident that Battle Wolf would be able to take it down with ease.

    The news of Lie Jintian¡¯s death came right before they reached the outskirts of the castle. Lie Jian had kept calm, but when he was discussing the n of attack with other leaders, everyone could feel the hot anger in his tone. The leaders of Battle Wolf were relieved when he heard that the new leader, Zambrotta, had decided to keep the pressure on the Zergs. If the humans slowed down their attack and gave the Zergs time to gather strength, all the previous efforts and sacrifices would be wasted. However, Wang Tong was not surprised by Zambrotta¡¯s decision. He knew Zambrotta was under Mr. Wannabe¡¯s spell, and no one was a better strategist than Mr. Wannabe.

    After besieging the city for three days, the human warriors were still unable to breach the defense. They tried to infiltrate the city using the sewers, but they were surprised to find out that the Zerg city didn¡¯t have any sewer system at all.

    These defending dark ones behaved more prudently than those in other cities. They hid behind the cover for three days, and never once did theye out to meet the human invaders in the open field. Battle Wolf had tried all methods to provoke or coax the dark ones out of their hiding, but all attempts had failed. What made the siege even more difficult was these dark ones¡¯ incredible defense against the mastery spells, so much so that they didn¡¯t even give Wang Tong any chances to release the forbidden power.

    The battle quickly turned into a stalemate, and over two hundred warriors were already injured in the three days of the fruitless attack.

    However, despite the setback, no one wavered. Everyone was ready to carry out the final showdown with the Zergs, except that the final showdown never came.

    Moye should be back in a couple of days, and if Wang Tong still couldn¡¯t sack the city by then, they might as well pack up their camp and abandon the siege.

    Inside the dark pce, all dark ones felt grateful for Harmon¡¯s brilliant leadership. They had quickly forgotten about his humiliating defeat because his defensive strategy had saved their lives.

    When they first spotted Wang Tong near the dark castle, the dark ones thought that their days were numbers. They panicked and huddled godmother in fear. Dark Lord was not in the castle, so what could they do?

    When a dark one finally reminded everyone that the dark lord had told them to consult immortals when in trouble, they went to the dungeon and consulted Harmon, who was kept there as a punishment for his cowardice.

    Under Harmon¡¯s leadership, the dark castle had withstood the human devil¡¯s attack for three days and was still standing.

    Fear toward Wang Tong was so entrenched in Harmon¡¯s memory that it sometimes felt as if it was going to drive him crazy. He used to be a confident and capable strategist, but now, he was a paranoid and bitter old man. Part of his sess in saving the dark castle was exactly because of his paranoia. He had discouraged any direct confrontation with the human warriors and cautioned the dark ones to stay behind the cover as long as Wang Tong was out and about on the battlefield.

    He was convinced that Wang Tong had held back his power all this while, and the best way to test his ability was to pit him against the dark lord. Therefore, he had to hold the castle until the dark lord returned.

    He never thought that Moye would survive the fight with Wang Tong, but he should be able to reveal the full extent of thetter¡¯s ability nheless. Harmon had observed Patroclus carefully for a very long time, and he knew that even he was wary of Wang Tong¡¯s power. Lacking prowess on the battlefield, Harmon had to rely on ploy and ruse to demonstrate his value to the divine lord.

 Chapter 632 - An Old Trick

    <h4>Chapter 632: An Old Trick</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Patroclus was a much more well-rounded leader. He not only sought talent in strength, but also in wits.?Only someone as shrewd as Harmon woulde up with this devious n of pitting Moye against Wang Tong.

    The thought of Patroclus¡¯pliment brought a smile on to Harmon¡¯s face.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong was fumbling to find a solution before it was toote. They were racing against time; once the dark lord returned, they would not have another chance of sacking the castle.

    However, the enemy had decided to turtle inside their castle and avoid any form of confrontation. Even after much deliberation with his men, Wang Tong was unable to reach a solution. They wagered that if the situation didn¡¯t turn around in a day, they would have to pull back.

    If that happened, Wang Tong conceded that he would have to sneak into the dark pce alone to kill Moye. However, he was not sure if the dark lord would have the decency of having a one on one fight with him.

    ¡°Boss, good news! GOOD news! Out scout noticed arge number of dark ones moving toward us. I think they are going to wage a surprise attack at us.¡± Tan Bu stormed in and shouted.

    Everyone¡¯s gut feeling told them that this was a trap. They had tried all they could to coax the dark ones out, but failed. Why did they choose toe out of their hiding without any provocation?

    Was it a psychological tactic?

    ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too darn dark, but based on the seismic reading, there have to a motherload of them. What¡¯s your call, boss?¡± Tan Bu¡¯s hands were curled into fists.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a trap? Or maybe it is Moye arriving earlier than our estimate.¡± Ye Zi asked grimly; something was not right.

    Wang Tong kept his silence as he mauled over his options, trying to decipher the Zergs¡¯ real intention.?Was it a trap? Absolutely! The dark ones had set this trap for him, but they didn¡¯t know they were the ones being trapped.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±

    Wang Tong¡¯s decision was final, and everyone moved out without any doubt about his judgment.

    Harmon stood on the top of the city wall as he was reflecting on his n. He had got the report from the dark lord that they would be returning earlier than expected. He would be back in the dark city noter than tomorrow morning.

    He had been dragging out the war for over three days, and finally, he would reach the finish line. When Moye came back, he would observe carefully and take notes about Wang Tong¡¯s real power, reporting it back to Patroclus.

    It would not only be Wang Tong¡¯s power at disy; Guan Dongyang and other legendary warriors would have their work cut out for them as well, since they would have to deal with the mighty purple guards.

    Regardless of the oue of the battle, the immortals would always be the winner.

    That being said, the victory would be beneficial for the immortals if the humans were to be eliminated after this fight. In order to make sure of that, Harmon had decided to offer the dark ones a little help, and lure the humans to cast an exhausting spell on the cannon fodder. It would take them at least a week to fully recover from the spell; by then, Moye would have already swooped down on them.

    ¡°Mr. Harmon, do you think our surprise attack would work?¡± A level A dark one asked uncertainly.

    ¡°Hehe, of course! They had been at it for three days, and they must be tired. Don¡¯t you want to use their skulls as a gift for your dark lord when he returns? Your promotion is not that far away, my friend.¡±

    ¡°Ha, yes, yes. Thank you for your guidance! I wager this is some kind of human battle tactics, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! Your dark lord has taught you well. I have only offered my suggestions, but the victory that we will have soon will solely be because of your leadership. I have heard that the dark lord gives an extra reward to the dark ones who possess the mettle, so I would suggest you charge out of the castle to cut down a few humans when the battle is almost over. This way, you can prove that you had done it and you alone should take the reward.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I would like to share with you, Mr. Harmon.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, we are friends, and I don¡¯t ask payment for helping out a friend. I will just be waiting here for your return.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Sounds good!¡± The dark ce guard captain gathered his men and charged out of the castle the rest of the dark one army. Meanwhile, Harmon looked down at the guard captain from top of the gate and smiled

    What a goodd!¡¯

    Then, he disappeared from the city wall as he retreated deeper into the castle. A good show was going to start right outside the dark castle.

    The dark ones crept toward the humans and formed an encirclement, not revealing themselves until the circle was closed. Anyway, the sight of thousands of Zergs didn¡¯t scare the humans; this was exactly why they were here, to finish the Zergs once and for all.

    Any other war band would have been too exhausted to fight this many Zergs, but the soldiers of Battle Wolf remained resolute and ready for battle. These soldiers were battle-hardened veterans, paragons of strength and mettle.

    The promise of a battle exhrated them, giving their body a second wind. Their eyes glinted in the darkness of the night.?The mastery casters were already at their spells; they held back their power, biding their time for the Zergs to get closer.

    Harmon scanned the battlefield from far away using a pair of binocrs. He knew that Wang Tong would fall for the trap, however obvious it was, because he had no other choice. The terrain wasplex down there, and Harmon was curious to see the effect of the rolling hills on Wang Tong¡¯s spell.

    Before the thousands of dark ones died, Harmon wanted them to do as much damage to the humans as they could. He had taught the dark ones charging formations, which ced the low level Zergs at the front to take the brunt of the spell.

    Harmon was confident that the terrain and the cannon fodder should be able to absorb most of the damage from the forbidden power, and the rest of the high-level dark ones could then score one or two kills before they were also taken down by human METAL warriors.

    Harmon watched the battle unfold expectantly. The thought of the fight between Wang Tong and the Divine Lord filled him with trepidation.

    The dark ones were notplete idiots, and they wouldn¡¯t charge themselves toward Wang Tong without being convinced first. Harmon had analyzed the battle recordings and concluded that the power of Wang Tong¡¯s spell could reach no further than a kilometer. The further it went, the more potency it lost. Therefore, Harmon had persuaded the dark ones that if they stayed behind a swarm of cannon fodder, they should be safe during the raid.

    When Harmon found out that Guan Dongyang and Michaux were already preparing the spell, hemented over their inexperience. If he were them, he would maximize the spell¡¯s damage by ordering the METAL warriors to make contact with the Zergs, forcing their loose formation to tighten up.

    Of course, Harmon knew it was a risky move as well. If the dark ones were able to get too close to Wang Tong, they could potentially interrupt the spell.

    His terrifying experience itched at the base of his skull; Harmon made a mental note that he would include the spell¡¯s power in this report to the divine lord.

    He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Wang Tong¡¯s amazing ability toe up with such spell and train his casters so well. A normal unit of casters would have smitten with fear at the sight of so many Zergs, but Wang Tong¡¯s casters were unflinching before the danger. It was easy to train one or two capable casters, but training over a hundred of them was easier said than done.

    Harmon reckoned that he had given Wang Tong quite a challenge this time. If the forbidden power were not able to wipe out all the enemies, the casters would fall under immediate danger. Even if he could win the battle, it would be a costly victory. Plus, he would have to face the dark lord very soon; draining all of his power would put his own life at risk. But, it was all for the better, Harmon thought; if Moye managed to kill Wang Tong, Patroclus would have one less enemy to worry about.

    Before the sea of enemies, the human soldiers were unflinching. The direwolves haven¡¯t eaten for three days, so they raised their hackles and showed their teeth, but were as silent as death.

    The METAL warriors surrounded the casters to form a wall while thetter prepared their spells. Guan Dongyang had evoked his most powerful spell: Inferno Hell. But, would that be enough? Despite its potency, the Inferno Hell was not nearly as destructive as the forbidden power.

    Harmon watched the development from afar with surprise. If Wang Tong thought that he could get away with using only Inferno Hell, he would pay very dearly for his oversight.

 Chapter 633 - The Heart Of Fire

    <h4>Chapter 633: The Heart Of Fire</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Michaux had already led his casters to cast buffs on Guan Dongyang¡¯s spell. They couldn¡¯t leave everything to the Inferno Hell, since it would be inadequate to fend off the Zergs¡¯ attacks. These Zergs were powerful, and not even the forbidden power was capable of wiping them out, much less Guan Dongyang¡¯s spells.

    After the Mastery casters had finished a group spell, all of them would be too exhausted to carry out any other tasks. Therefore, there would be no point in reserving their power right now.

    The fire danced and sputtered on the battlefield, lighting up the moonless night sky. The Zergs seemed to have sensed the danger that was about toe, so they picked up speed as they charged at the human soldiers. The Zergs were much better than the humans in controlling their urge while on the battlefield. However, they were unable to follow their instructions and position while the situation threatened their lives.

    What was Mastery? It was the art of bncing the forces of the world. There was no other race save for the humans who couldprehend the meaning behind it.

    Guan Dongyang was brimming with powerful emotions as he reflected on how Wang Tong had changed his lifepletely. He had always been obsessed with the power of mastery, and Wang Tong had given him a key to unlock its secrets.

    This was the life that Guan Dongyang always needed. The moment he met Wang Tong, he had made a decision to follow him for the rest of his life, a decision that had been proven to be right.

    Lie Xuan loved it when his man took control of things. His focus and domination made him look so irresistibly charming; he was eager to enve while she was willing to oblige.

    Fire sputtered from Guan Dongyang¡¯s fingers and became alive. His power had surpassed the legendary level, and he had be the real Fire Lord.

    The more Harmon saw, the greater uneasiness grew inside him. Guan Dongyang¡¯s power had well exceeded his expectations. To tap into the natural power was easier said than done; however, even from a great distance, Harmon could feel the fire elements in the air frolicking in excitement at the slightest hint of Guan Dongyang¡¯s soul energy.

    This would never have happened to any ordinary casters.

    By then, Guan Dongyang was fully engrossed in the spell; the world had ceased to exist for him, and so had his own self. The talented caster had reached a moment of epiphany about the truth of the world, leading to yet another improvement in his power. Everyone walked on a different path of cultivation: for Wang Tong, it was the soul essence, while Guan Dongyang, he had found his own way in the dancing me. He was born with a natural affinity with the element: not only his tactics were fire, but her woman also had a knot of fire inside her. Therefore, he realized that in order to improve his power, he needed to be one with the fire.

    This would bring him infrequently close to the element, exposing himself to the risk of the element damaging his sea of consciousness. However, Guan Dongyang was the only mastery caster who would not have to worry about it, since he had learned to ept the element rushing into his sea of consciousness. He always believed that the natural forces were sentient, and they also had their feelings and emotions.

    For so many years, he never repelled any rogue energy that had leaked into his system; instead, he invited them in and listened to their stories.?There and then, the fire answered Guan Dongyang as if he was one of them. He was the first person in human history to have grasped the heart of fire.

    Wang Tong and Michaux could feel the glee in the fire element as well. They frolicked and pranced toward Guan Dongyang like children would around their parent.

    The sudden increase in Guan Dongyang¡¯s power had caught Wang Tong and Michaux off guard as they hurried to make adjustments in their contribution to the spell, letting the former take the lead. If not for the experience and skills of Wang Tong and Michaux, this group mastery would have already fallen apart after Guan Dongyang¡¯s power deviated from the original n.

    By then, Guan Dongyang was taking full charge of the spell. After having adjusted his soul energy, Wang Tong channeled in his soul essence as it was a much more flexible medium to carry power. In addition, exposing Guan Dongyang¡¯s sea of consciousness would also help to speed up his improvement.

    All the other casters followed the leaders and also adjusted their soul energy. The could feel the fire element transforming, transcending into a more powerful form of energy.

    A spell that carried a terrifying power was beingpleted.

    Wang Tong chanted the spell as the soul essence flowed slowly into the conglomeration of energy. Immediately, the soul essence boosted the spell power by a few times. However, just the fire damage was not enough; it needed some other elements to spice things up. After all, their enemy boasted powerful defense against mastery spells.

    Suddenly, fiery clouds rolled over in the sky as Guan Dongyang summoned a different element. Wang Tong took up the cue and slowly fused clouds with his soul energy until it was seething with energy. The color of the cloud changed from red to dark purple, and then finally became inky ck.

    The ck clouds somehow burned like mes. This form of a hybrid spell had been Wang Tong¡¯s n; however, due to Guan Dongyang¡¯s sudden surge in power, he had dyed the release of this element. By then, the amount of energy in this spell had surpassed that of the forbidden power. Plus, it came with a surprising twist.

    Wang Tong was lurking behind the dark clouds, looking like a devil all the more so. Harmon¡¯s face suddenly paled as he reckoned that it was about toe.

    ck fire tumbled out of the inky clouds as if from the scorchednds in hell, the undying congration.

    The dark fire fell to the ground like a heavy and velvet curtain. It didn¡¯t sputter or roar like a normal fire; it simply came and smothered everything.

    In half a heartbeat, everything on the ground had changed.

    The dark mes turned into a thousand scythes that harvested lives at an unimaginable speed.

    The Forbidden Art¡ªck Scourge.

    The METAL warriors quickly formed a GN shield around the casters and blocked the fire. However, even across the GN shield, the soldiers could still feel the immense heat of the silent and otherworldly me. Meanwhile, on the other side of the shield, the dark fire had cleansed anything that had sinned.

    It was a punishment from the god.

    One dribble of this dark fire would set anything ame until the life within was consumed. Its incredible speed of spreading was what set it apart from normal fires.

    If not for the elemental void that Wang Tong and nted around where his men were stationed, even the human warriors would have been devoured by the deadly fire.

    This was the devil¡¯s fire, a milder version of the Dawn Goddess¡¯ Absolution, and also the spell that Wang Tong had wanted to unleash. However, Guan Dongyang¡¯s sudden enlightenment had changed everything. It had leveled up the power of the spell above that of the forbidden power.

    The ck fire not only brought death to the Zergs, but also fear. The potency of the power had shaken the Zergs as fear and despair spread in their hearts while the dark mes swallowed morend. Not a single dark one entered the danger to save their own kind. They knew that those who got caught in the fire were hopeless.

    Once the power of the mastery was let loose, not even the casters could stop its power from growing and spreading.

    Everyone watched in amazement as the fire swallowed a swath ofnd; they reckoned that they had created a merciless monster.?Wang Tong and the other mastery caster¡¯s hearts were gripped by one thought: they should never allow this spell to be used against a fellow human. Therefore, this might be thest time they would ever evoke it.

    Harmon had a good n, but by then, it had already turned sour. The dark ones were done for, and it was only a matter of time before the humans took over Mars.

    Harmon reckoned that if he were Wang Tong, he would simply kill all of the dark ones in the castle and wouldn¡¯t bother killing Moye. What would a dark lord do when there was nothing to lord over?

    When the day broke, the dark me was still burning. It had been at it for three hours, and there were no more Zergs left on the battleground. Only a handful of dark ones were able to escape their doom; the rest had all be fuel for the fire.

    It wasn¡¯t until the fire finally died down that the warriors started up toward the dark castle. The victory was near, and no one could stop them.?The mastery casters had contributed the most to the victory in thest battle, and therefore, the METAL warriors were eager to take center stage in the next battle. The spell had exhausted the casters as they slumped on their rides, trying to take a rest.

    The direwolves were in no better state than the casters. The fire had burnt away any food they were hoping to get after the battle. By then, they were gued by hunger.

    When they finally arrived at the dark castle¡ªthe source of fear in all humans¡ªLie Jian shouted and punched at the heavy gate.

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    The gate shattered into pieces instantly.

    ¡°Charge!¡±

 Chapter 634 - Enter The Dark Castle

    <h4>Chapter 634: Enter The Dark Castle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Anger had been building up inside Lie Jian, festering and gnawing at his pride. The soldiers followed Lie Jian and rushed through the threshold. There were still significant number of dark ones inside the castle; however, they were smitten by fear and defenseless. gued by hunger, the direwolves devoured the dark ones with great efficiency. They would quickly subdue their prey by piercing them using their giant horn and then gobbling up their life force within a second; they then found their next target, rinsing and repeating.

    Bu Zhihuo and his team were in charge of protecting the casters. Despite the severe depletion of their sea of consciousness, Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang, and Michaux were still able to attack the dark ones with deadly force. However, it was the METAL warriors who were taking the brunt of the enemy force.

    A group of legendary warriors stormed through the city gate and started to rain death onto the dark ones.

    Kaedeians controlled the sky with their airborne units, not giving the dark ones any advantage in the air; the battle quickly turned into a ughter. It wasn¡¯t long before the captain of the castle guards abandoned the castle and fled, leaving only the primitive Zergs to slow down the humans.

    Lie Jian¡¯s pained face was awash with anguish. He hit the Zergs with as much force as he could muster; each strike was a carrier of not only death, but also punishment. Over thest few days, his House had lost its prestige, and he had lost his father. It was a miracle that Lie Jian could have kept calm in the previous few days.

    After Lie Jian had vented his fury on the Zergs, he finally gathered himself and realized that things were on the right track overall. Lie Jian knew that his next task was to reim what he had lost to the Zergs. Zambrotta might be the leader of Mars now, but once he was back with his household, he would restore the order. He didn¡¯t design to undermine Zambrotta¡¯s authority once he was back; instead, he would work his way up and prove his ability as the leader of Mars.

    He had been nning and calcting the steps to rebuild his household, and those thoughts in part had prevented him from falling into a fit of rage and remorse.

    He had made up his mind to kill the dark lord with his own hands and prove it to the world that House Lie still had it!

    A swell of cheers broke Lie Jian¡¯s train of thoughts. He looked to Wang Tong and saw a gleeful smile had broken over the earthling¡¯s face.

    The soldiers had found a hive hidden deep inside the dark castle.

    ¡°Boss, we have found twenty-three queens. One of them is big like nothing you have ever seen! There were also many eggs, huge ones¡­I bet those were the eggs that hatched baby queens. ¡± Tan Bu pulled up his direwolf in front of Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong nodded in response. ¡°Excellent! Haul them all out!¡±

    The air was awash with excitement as everyone wagered that the queens inside the castle were some of the most high profile masterminds.

    ¡°These fat worms thought they could writhe away. The wolves had sniffed them out miles away. Haha¡±

    The soldiers gathered the queens at the za; they were too huge to be spread out on the za, so the soldiers piled them on top of each other until a small mountain of meat and blubber was formed.

    The dark ones and Zergs that had scattered during the attack sensed the queens¡¯ anguished keening and turned around instinctively to save them. However, they were quicklyid low by the METAL warriors.

    The scent of the queens made the direwolves prick their ears, more of them bing restless by the second.

    Wang Tong nodded and willed the soldiers to unleashed their wolves, which instantly swarmed at their meat. The queens shrieked again, summoning another round of mindless attacks of the dark ones against their wills. One of thergest queens held Wang Tong¡¯s gaze as if she was plotting another sinister n.

    Wang Tong channeled out his soul energy to embrace the giant Queen. Deep Blue raised his hackle at the looming energy, seemingly unimpressed by it; not ever his brothers were allowed to touch his meat.

    Wang Tong scratched Deep Blue under his ear and willed it to be patient. Before Deep Blue satisfied his appetite, Wang Tong needed to find out the secrets hiding inside this queen.

    Wang Tong reached out to the queen as thetter pulled back a little while quivering. Wang Tong quickly learned that the Queens were the most skittish and fearful lot among the Zerg race.?However, it was these coward meatballs that had pulled the strings behind the scene andmanded every action of the deadly race.

    Much against their wills, the dark ones threw themselves at the human warriors with abandon. The METAL warrior had formed an imprable line around the za, so none of the Zergs could get through. Standing right beside the giant queen, Michaux, Heidi, and Guan Dongyang could also feel that there was something different about this Queenpared to the others.

    Wang Tong closed his eyes and tapped deeper into the mind of the queen, searching for the source of Zerg¡¯s power.?He had searched the minds of all the queens he had captured. However, only in therge queen did he find what he was looking for. To his surprise, he had found out that the Queen was able to absorb the energy of any.

    ¡°Do you know what is its purpose among the Zergs?¡± Guan Dongyang asked. He hoped that thisrge blob of fat was the ultimatemander of the Zergs.

    Wang Tong shook his head and patted Deep Blue on the back, who then closed in on the queen and started eating it alive. This queen, along with the rest the queens, were reduced to bones in mere minutes. The direwolves¡¯ scales started to shimmer as soon as they finished eating the meal of their lifetime. Suddenly, all of them copsed to the ground,ying on their backs motionlessly. Their scales kept gleaming with the blue light, making them look like ice sculptures.

    This turn of events worried the soldiers. They had developed a deep bond with their mounts, and therefore, they hoped that the direwolves were not poisoned after eating the morbid queens.

    ¡°They are not poisoned. They just need time to digest, Haha! These queens are hard toe by, and they contained immense powers. Give our wolf pups a little time.¡± Wang Tongughed. The creator of the direwolves would have never thought that the humans would use their perfect creations like that.

    These direwolves might not be as powerful as they were then when they were first born, but after a few months of evolution, they were capable of directly absorbing the life forces of all living things.

    It took the direwolves a while topletely digest the queen Zergs. As Wang Tong linked his soul energy with the beast¡¯s, shes of memories that Deep Blue had absorbed came up in his mind.

    Most images were vague and hard to make out the story they told exactly, but there was one among the others that depicted a dark mass in an even darker background. Wang Tong knew right away that this was the main force of the Zerg race that the humans had been trying to locate over the five centuries after the great war.

    Although the picture didn¡¯t reveal any telltale sign of its location, it was the first time a human had everid eyes on it.

    Wang Tong went through these images many times but failed to find any definitive information on the Zergs¡¯ evolution. That being said, the fragment of the memory pertinent to the main force was a huge breakthrough. Wang Tong nodded to Deep Blue, and the beast finally lowered his head and went to sleep.

    After the battle, when Battle Wolf warriors were finally gathered together, the human warriors looked around the huge castle and still found it hard to believe what they had achieved.?They had created a new legend; bards would sing songs about their victory for generations to remember.

    Wang Tong smiled broadly and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s prepare a surprise party for Moye¡¯s return!¡± The soldiers raised the Martian front¡¯s g high up over the city wall. Someone took a photo of their victory and uploaded it to the sk. In the human cities, people rushed to the streets and celebrated this great news. The news also boosted the human soldiers¡¯ confidence.

    It was a much-needed victory, particrly after the catastrophic defeat that they had just suffered. The human force bounced back from where it had fallen down and started fighting back again.

 Chapter 635 - Waiting For The Dark Lord

    <h4>Chapter 635: Waiting For The Dark Lord</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Moye had raided the humans¡¯mand center, and in return, Wang Tong had captured his castle.?This was the most severe response that the humans could ever give, and it had hit where it hurt the most.

    After such ting news, Zambrotta seized the opportunity and ordered his forces to march out and attack the Zerg cities. After his forces sacked a city, he would copy Wang Tong¡¯s method and raise the g of the Martian front, and then upload the pictures to the sk. These pictures had proven that the humans were not helpless before the Zergs, and they could defeat the dark ones as long as everyone united together.

    All factions followed Zambrotta¡¯s lead and attacked the Zergs with abandon, swiftly liberating many Zerg upied cities.?The Zergs were caught off guarded by humans¡¯ suddeneback.

    Every soldier mustered their strength and charged at the Zergs as soon as they were given the order. The GN gun units had started to y an increasingly important role in the attacks. As they gained more experience, they became more resilient to the Zergs¡¯ attacks, particrly of the primitive Zergs.

    The addition of the GN gunners meant that the Zergs had suddenly lost their advantage in numbers. Therefore, the humans were able to push them back quickly.

    Despite the rosy situation, Zambrotta and his officers seemed troubled. They knew that the battle had just started, and sooner orter, the Zergs would adapt to the humans¡¯ new method of war and fight back more effectively.

    Although Wang Tong¡¯s victory was good news, he didn¡¯t eliminate the dark lord. Once the dark lord returned to the castle and drove out the human soldiers, he would be able to establish himself in his old home quickly.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong had sent a message to Zambrotta and other leaders, reinstating his determination of killing the dark lord at the dark castle when he returned.

    In the streets, the public cheered for the end of the war; they raised their cups in Wang Tong¡¯s name. Inside Zambrotta¡¯s office, however, everyone held a grim look in their eyes as they calcted the odds of Wang Tong¡¯s victory.

    If Wang Tong seeded, he wouldpletely dismantle the Zergs¡¯ efforts of taking over Mars. After that, it would only be a matter of time before the Martian front drove the rest of the dark ones out of the red and re-establishedmunication with the Earth and the moon.

    However, if Wang Tong failed, so would the rest of the Martian resistance. Wang Tong was the mastermind behind the humans¡¯ miraculouseback, and despite Zambrotta¡¯s title, people had long since considered him the real leader of Mars.

    ¡°General! Admiral Samantha wishes to speak to you.¡±

    ¡°Bring her live.¡±

    With that, Samantha¡¯s image flickered onto the giant monitor screen.

    ¡°Good day, General Zambrotta! On behalf of my fleet, I congratte you on your sess.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Admiral! This honor belongs to every human soldier. One of our heroes has just taken over the dark lord¡¯s home base, the dark castle!¡±

    ¡°I have already been briefed on that. This is ting news for all human soldiers, so I have transmitted the news back to the Earth and moon.¡± Samantha said with a serious face. The news had taken her aback, as she had never thought that Wang Tong would be able to pull off his suicidal mission. Pride aside, Samantha alsomented on how little she knew about Wang Tong after having not seen him for five years. After she had received the news, the thought of Martian soldiersing to the Earthlings and the Ivantians¡¯ rescue was no longer a dream.

    ¡°I am sure you know that Moye was not in the castle when Wang Tong attacked. I wager that he should be there any time now. Wang Tong had stated that he wanted to fight against the dark lord at the dark castle. In light of that information, I have ordered my soldiers to attack the Zergs from all fronts, trying to divert as much attention from Moye as possible.¡± Concern flickered in Zambrotta¡¯s eyes. He knew that this was a life or death moment; one simple mistake could lead to the destruction of the human race.

    Samantha nodded. ¡°I hope to have a copy of the recording after the battle. Please rest assured that as long as you have Wang Tong with you, you and your Martian warriors will achieve the final victory.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Admiral. I have faith in him.¡± Zambrotta nodded, but his trembling hands had betrayed his doubts.?Without knowing Wang Tong¡¯s exact power, he could only assert his assumptions.

    Moye had defeated even the most powerful Einherjar, so how could a fledgling like Wang Tong have any chance of surviving the fight? If Moye killed Wang Tong, his team members would die as well, many of whom were amazing talents in mastery. Without them, the dark lord would easily wipe out the remaining humans in a single broad stroke. Plus, he knew that the situation on Mars had attracted Patroclus¡¯ attention. Once the immortals sided with the dark ones, humans on Mars would never see the daylight ever again.

    Wang Tong¡¯s folly would sacrifice all the young talents on Mars; the stakes were too high for the Martian resistance, and Zambrotta¡¯s assumptions simply couldn¡¯t allow him to keep his hope up.

    If he were Wang Tong, he would have retreated from the dark castle. What they had achieved was already a significant victory; without the queens, the Zergs¡¯ production abilities would take a toll. There was no need to butt heads against the dark lord and continue such a high stake game.

    Little did the young warriors know that they were not only the heroes of Mars, but also the beacon of hope for the entire humanity.

    Everyone could feel the final battleing.

    ¡­

    On the spaceship, the officers gathered around and exchanged their opinions. They all agreed that the fight between Wang Tong and the dark lord would determine the course of history. Some officers were Wang Tong¡¯s close friends, while the others were strangers to him. However, even those who had never heard of his name had noticed that all the situations and new developments seemed to always revolve around this Earthling boy.

    Someone was born to watch the events of the world unfold around them, and some were born to be always at the center of the changes.

    Samantha shared Zambrotta¡¯s concerns to some degree. She knew that if it were anyone else under that situation, he or she would have already pulled out of the dark castle to safety. But knowing Wong Tong well, Samantha didn¡¯t expect any less from him. She knew that he would not back away from any form of danger if he had the nerve to flirt¡ªvery sessfully while at it¡ª with a principal.

    Samantha thought that she could forget about Wang Tong by distancing herself away from him; however, as fate would have it, she found her heart fall victim to him once again after so many years.

    Knowing that she couldn¡¯t do anything for Wang Tong, she only prayed.

    ¡°Reports have suggested that Moye has reached at least level thirty. When he was at his full strength, he had killed Einherjar Lie with ease.¡±

    ¡°Fret not. There will be many legendary warriors and casters around Wang Tong. I bet Wang Tong has alreadyid a trap for the dark lord. ¡±

    ¡°Very likely...Maybe a surprise attack using the forbidden power. Even if it would not outright kill Moye, it could at least injure him gravely.¡±

    ¡°Are you thick? It took a long time to prepare the forbidden power. How would Moye walk into the trap without sensing it? Moye is way too much for Wang Tong to handle. This is a foolish move, and they should pull back right now!¡± Someone protested.

    ¡°I agree! Their young minds are too easily swayed by the victories. Five years ago he was barely a legendary warrior, so how much more powerful do you think he could get in five short years? Level twenty-seven? Or eight? How does that measure up to Moye? Mind you, that the dark lord is not alone¡­He also has his purple guards, whose power needs no introduction. Wang Tong is going to doom us all!¡±

    After much deliberation, the officers failed to reach a consensus on the issue. There were as many supporters as there were naysayers; those who didn¡¯t express their opinion looked gloomy and grim nheless.

    From a purely strategic point of view, retreat from the dark castle would be the safest, but not the wisest option. However, no one would be able to convince Wang Tong to take the safe route. After all, he was the savior of the world, not anyone else.

    It was beyond doubt that Moye had been gathering forces around the dark castle. If the massive army were led by Moye himself, Wang Tong would not have a chance of releasing the deadly mass destruction spells.

    Wang Tong sat in his room quietly while Deep Bluey on its belly by his heel. Michaux and the others had just finished cleaning the battlefield. It didn¡¯t take them long since there was not much to clear to start with. He had also ordered the soldiers to nt a few nukes at the four corners of the castle. He would detonate these explosives should the battle go astray.

    Lie Jian also sat in his room and started cultivating his tactics quietly. The thought of avenging his father made his blood boil. He tried to contain that rage using cultivation; it was not a good time to let his emotions get the better of him.

 Chapter 636 - Fighting Moye

    <h4>Chapter 636: Fighting Moye</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird to think that we are finally going to fight the dark lord, won¡¯t you say?¡± Xiao Libie eximed.?He felt grateful to be a part of this historical event. Regardless of the oue, he could finally say that he had lived to the fullest.

    ¡°I think the final liberation of humanity is very near. We can start the counter-offense here on Mars, which soon will spread like wildfire to the others.¡± Tan Bu mused.?The liberation of Mars could be a break in humanity¡¯s fall. Not only does it represent the break of Zergs¡¯ chain of offense, but it would also allow the humans to spread the GN gun technology to the rest of the universe. With it, the space fleets would advance their technology significantly.

    However, those should be the topics for the future, and humans¡¯ current priority should be the Dark Lord Moye.

    So far, two of the most powerful human warriors had failed to ovee him. Were Wang Tong and his men really capable of finishing their task?

    One thing was clear, that the forbidden power was useless in this case, since it was only meant to kill off arge number of weaker enemies. A horde of primitive Zergs was one thing, but Moye and his purple guards were another.

    Kaedeians were a very unique unit in that they were all women. After the few days of fighting alongside the humans, they had gained confidence in their ability; however, that didn¡¯t amount to their confidence in their mission.

    As a matter of fact, no one on Battle Wolf was certain that they would prevail as they did in thest battle. This was a high stake gamble; their only hopey in the fact that Moye would not have fully recovered from his battle with Lie Jintian.

    This attack seemed like a right move strategically, but seemed so wrong from a tactical point of view.

    Heidi recited the creed of the Kaedeians as she prepared herself mentally for the fight. This was going to be herst fight; she would either die on the battlefield, or live the rest of her life peacefully.

    The scouts came back with news of the Zergs¡¯ movements. Their number was not great, but all of them were dark ones. It was evident that the dark lord was running out of patience and had forsaken the idea of surrounding Wang Tong with a massive amount of Zergs.

    ¡°How much time do we have?¡±

    ¡°At most twenty minutes. There were about three hundred of them, all elite dark ones.¡±

    ¡°Good! I am tired of waiting. Let¡¯s cut them down!¡±

    Other than Deep Blue, the rest of the direwolves had awakened. Although their appearance didn¡¯t change much after they had devoured the queens, their power had improved by leaps and bounds. Wang Tong had assigned the direwolves to mastery casters to increase their defense.

    This battle would be a small scale but intense one between elite soldiers, and the chances of using the group spell were almost none. However, the mastery casters could still partake in the fight using personal spells to help the METAL warriors.

    Lie Jian opened his eyes and saw that Wang Tong was still cultivating. ¡°Moye is here.¡± He announced quietly.

    ¡°My lord, there is still some time. ¡± Lie Shan spoke under his breath. He could feel the power inside Lie Jian; he was no longer the callow and vacuous boy he used to be. He had grown up into an experienced veteran.

    This match would determine the fate of House Lie; truth be told, Lie Shan didn¡¯t want to see Lie Jian getting involved in this fight. He was a grizzled old man, and he had lived long enough to know that nothing was a greater victory than being alive. However, Lie Jian being how he was, he would never back down at his moment. Hadn¡¯t he grown older and wiser? Yes. But he was a member of the House Lie, and House Lie was not cravens. If he chose to abandon the fight, he would have forsaken the honor and tradition that House Lie had upheld for generations.

    ¡°Let me deal with Moye; you can take care of the rest. ¡± Lie Jian said quietly but firmly. Lie Jian had thought a lot about this decision. He knew that Wang Tong was stronger than him, and therefore, it made sense for Wang Tong to deal with Moye. However, Wang Tong had just unleashed the forbidden power, and therefore, still needed time to recover. Lie Jian hoped that he couldst long enough for Wang Tong to recover. He would give all he could, but the rest was in the hands of the gods.

    As the battle drew near, the warriors became reticent and waited for the moment toe in a calm state.

    When Moye and his purple guards arrived at the Dark Castle, he almost couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as he watched the banner of Battle Wolf whipping back and forth in the wind.

    Moye had left some of the smartest dark ones in the city, yet, it was still not enough. He made a mental note to severely punish the idiot that caused such defeat after he was done with these humans.

    The human warriors felt Moye¡¯s power when he was one kilometer away.

    The next thing they knew, he had already appeared on top of their castle, looking down contemptuously at his enemies; his purple guards appeared next to him only a heartbeatter.

    Neither side had drawn a weapon yet.

    Moye¡¯s lips hardened into a curve, and then he said, ¡°Human, who is your leader?¡±

    Li Jian stepped forward and announced: ¡°Lie Jian of House Lie! Remember my name!¡±

    ¡°Lie Jian? Hmm...never heard of it before. Where is Wang Tong?¡± Moye didn¡¯t even spare Lie Jian a nce as he talked absently. ¡°Ah-ha! I remember that I had eaten a human called Lie Jintian. Are you rted to him? If so, then you must be as much a coward as he was! Haha! ¡±

    The insult made the soldiers from House Lie want to ripe the dark lord apart. Lie Jian waved a hand, willing his soldiers to be calm. ¡°Are you trying to y mind tricks with me? Your brain is smaller than a peanut! Don¡¯t pretend Moye¡­I know you are afraid of us!¡± Lie Jian voice held an unswerving determination, which encouraged the soldiers around him. People had always thought Lie Jian was a dumb brute; little did they know that he possessed superb control over his emotions, and was not easily provoked.

    ¡°Moye, DIE!¡±

    Moye¡¯s smile was colder than ice. He waved amand as the purple guards swooped down on the human.

    Lie Jian¡¯s fist whizzed past Moye¡¯s body as thetter disappeared the moment before itnded on him. Moye reappeared behind Lie Jian and then said, ¡°Very well! You are better than you looked. Your father was level twenty-eight, but you are only level twenty-four. I wonder what has made you so confident.¡±

    Lie Jian didn¡¯t pause to answer, connecting his first attack with an elbow strike. Although Lie Jian¡¯s soul energy was less than that of his father, his tactics of the ze were one of a kind even in House Lie. Therefore, Lie Jian¡¯s attack was no less fatal than his father¡¯s.

    However, Moye could easily evade Lie Jian¡¯s strike with ease. His movements were almostzy.

    Deep Blue sat on its hunches quietly; beside him, Wang Tong was still cultivating and replenishing his energy.

    Wang Tong¡¯s absence made Moye wary. He knew that the human was a devious being, and could have hidden somewhere, biding his time to deliver a deadly strike at him. Therefore, Moye could not fullymit himself to the fight with Lie Jian. Even if he got a chance to strike a hard blow, he would think better of it fearing Wang Tong¡¯s surprise attack.

    Not far from the castle, a small spacecraftnded on top of a hill. Harmon sat in the pilot seat and was watching the fight down below with a satisfied smirk. Things were developing ording to his n; once this fight was over, he would bug out of this and present the divine lord the precious information he had gathered. His mission on Mars had three folds: getting rid of some questionable immortals, weakening the dark ones, and gathering information on Wang Tong.

    Not all immortals were loyal to the divine lord; Patroclus allowed them to exist as a necessity. However, when their usage had passed their life, Patroclus would send them to the front line as cannon fodder.

 Chapter 637 - Gloves Are Off

    <h4>Chapter 637: Gloves Are Off</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Patroclus nned to eliminate all the dark ones and let his immortals be the master race of both the Zergs and the Humans. This was indeed an ambitious n, as it was designed to subdue the two most powerful races in the known universe. When the Immortals looked back in history, they would say that their reign started today.

    In a fit of excitement, Harmon decided to let the world witness this battle: the immortals¡¯ first step in iming the universe. As a former elite among the humans, Harmon was well versed in human tech. Therefore, he easily hacked into the sk and hijacked the line.

    Inside the humanmand office, the officers were watching the fight on a big screen, their hearts caught in their throats. Suddenly, an rm went off and wrenched their attention away from the screen.

    ¡°General! Out signal was hijacked, and the fight is being broadcast across Mars.¡± An officer reported.

    ¡°Cut it off! Right now!¡± Zambrotta shouted. This fight meant too much to the humans; if the public saw theirst hope fail, there would be riots and chaos everywhere.

    ¡°The hacker has the highest clearance level. It would take us at least half an hour...¡±

    Meanwhile, Harmon regraded his work satisfyingly. Half an hour was more than enough to send a clear message to the human world. If Wang Tong¡¯s failure were put on public disy, the human world would fall apart very quickly.

    Now, it was the time to watch the show.

    Lie Jian attacked persistently, using all of his might in every blow withplete disregard for defense. He didn¡¯t want to go back alive as a failure anyway. At first, Moye didn¡¯t want tomit fully into this fight against Lie Jian, fearing Wang Tong would attack him with surprise. However, he quickly realized that Lie Jian was not to be trifled with. Lie Jian¡¯s attack came with ssh damage that was unavoidable. Once the fire grazed Moye, he couldn¡¯t heal the wound like he normally would. This had greatly annoyed the dark lord.

    ¡°Moye, is this all you got? I have heard you can shapeshift. Why don¡¯t you entertain me?¡± Lie Jian taunted Moye with a contemptuous tone. Despite his cocky look, he had suffered much worse injuries than his opponent. But, he was unwavering, and his voice was filled with the fragile edge of calm that threatened to explode.

    The dark lord was capable of healing much deeper cuts than the superficial wounds he had sustained, yet, the double GN fire had somehow hindered the dark one¡¯s innate healing ability.

    Moye¡¯s patience was wearing thin. If Lie Jian posed a serious threat, he might as well do away with him there and then. Thinking up to this point, he summoned extra soul energy and disappeared.

    Lie Jian knew this trick: Moye would sh out of view and reappear behind him to deliver a blow. However, he didn¡¯t turn around to position himself for the iing blow; instead, he punched right at the spot where Moye had been standing. It worked, and Moye¡¯s move was interrupted.

    Lie Jian threw his head back a snarled; despite the injury, he had finally revealed his real power as a level twenty-five Einherjar!

    The moment Lie Jian reached the Einherjar level, the blue me appeared and danced about the new Einherjar. Blue me was the highest level in terms of dishing out me damage, and Lie Jian was the first person in House Lie to have achieved that.

    Once he reached the Einherjar Level, many abilities would improve along with his overall power. He knew he was ready to level up a long time ago, but had been hiding his real power until the final battle.

    However, despite his leveling up, Lie Jian conceded that Moye still held an absolute advantage in terms of power. However, he was not afraid, and his new found power had strengthened his resolution.

    Moye regarded Lie Jian with interest and curiosity. He could see Lie Jian¡¯s firepower more clearly now after he had reached level twenty-five.

    ¡°Marvelous! You have summoned the power from an alternate dimension! Humans never cease to surprise me!¡± Moye eximed as he looked at Lie Jian.

    Lie Jian was proud of his advancement. He knew he was ready a long time ago; otherwise, he would not volunteer to fight against the dark lord. Although level twenty-five was still not enough to defeat Moye if one only considered the magnitude of power, Lie Jian had another trick up his sleeve: the mes of the Phoenix.

    Once Lie Jian had revealed his real strength, he held a calmer countenance as unswerving faith gleamed in his eyes.

    ¡°You are right. This is the blue me from the alternate universe. You should be proud of yourself to be the first one to have seen it.¡± Lie Jian smirked.

    Moye shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°You talk as if you know what you are talking about. Anyhow, as a token of appreciation for your candidness, I would stop fooling around with you.¡±

    Before Moye finished his sentence, he threw himself at Lie Jian and punched at him. Lie Jian realized that it was a move that the Martians often used, so he marveled at the dark one¡¯s abilities to learn and copy other races¡¯ abilities.

    Despite his contemptuous smirk, Lie Jian didn¡¯t let his guard down.

    He channeled out some soul energy and summoned a few wisps of blue mes. With only the slightest hesitation, Lie Jian charged out to meet his attacker.

    KOM!

    Sess! Lie Jian had blocked the attack.

    After that, Lie Jian bit down his teeth and snarled as blue mes tumbled out of his sea of consciousness. Compared to the intensity in Lie Jian¡¯s attack, Moye¡¯s movements seemed almostzy. He danced around and avoided Lie Jian¡¯s attacks with ease. Meanwhile, his eyes never left the blue mes. It was from a dimension of higher order, and rarely could one summon it into the mortal world against its will. Lie Jian was the first person to have done it. Due to the nature of its higher dimension, these otherworldly dancing mes were a few magnitudes more powerful than their normal counterparts.

    Despite Lie Jian¡¯s belligerent attacks, he was not able tond a solid blow on his opponent. Instead, he was dealt a few more blows while he had ignored his defense.?However, he seemed unaffected by these blows as his strikes gained more frequency and intensity.

    KOM. KOM. KOM!

    The battle at other parts of the battlefield was intense as well. The purple guards were all well versed in the humans¡¯ tactics. Not only did they possess better skills, but they also had a stronger body than human warriors. However, there was one crucial skill that they had failed to copy: teamwork.

    Despite the purple guards¡¯ decisive advantage in power, they were helpless against the direwolves¡¯ harassment. The purple guards¡¯ powerful soul energy meant that they were more susceptible to the direwolves¡¯ interference ability. Once they were staggered by the sudden interference in energy flow inside them, they had to deal with the deadly attacks from the casters mounted on top of those fearsome creatures.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Lie Jian had started losing his steam. In just three minutes, he had switched role from the aggressor to the defender. His METAL suit was in tatters after having received too many deadly blows.

    This heart-wrenching scene was broadcasted all over Mars. The citizens stopped what they were doing and watch the battle in silence.?Everyone¡¯s hearts were caught in their throats as the dark lord beat up Lie Jian like a punching bag. Lie Jian was the crown jewel of Mars, the most talented soldier the had ever seen. Yet, he was helpless before the brutality of the dark lord.

    KOM!

    Lie Jian blocked a punch, but he didn¡¯t see the kicking at his belly. Moye pped his wings in satisfaction. ¡°Kiddo, I have to thank you for bringing us the blue fire. We had been looking for it for centuries. We had destroyed dozens of civilizations more advanced than humans in the past¡­They had looked for the power from the higher order dimension, yet failed. You might be wielding the power right now, but you know nothing about it. Why don¡¯t you hand it over to me and let me enjoy it? Oh, wait. I already have it. Haha!¡±

    Dark Lord was the proud of mother supreme, not because of his power, but because of his ability to copy any ability once he had seen it.

    KOM!

    Suddenly, the dark lord turned into a congration of blue me that was more intense than Lie Jian¡¯s. He punched in the air, sending a blue fireball at Lie Jian. There was no time to dodge, so Lie Jian gritted his teeth and blocked the attack with both hands.

    KOM!

    The impact sent Lie Jian reeling backward. The pain in his arms was beyond description.

    KOM!

    Another fireball swooped down on him from above. When it hit the ground, it created arge crater, sttering deadly blue mes in all directions. Lie Jian¡¯s blue me had protected him from some of its damage; otherwise, he would have already been dead.

    Seeing Lie Jian¡¯s contorted face, Moye smiled satisfyingly. Another fireballnded on Lie Jian, and by then, the human warrior was engulfed by the mespletely.

    Sensing Lie Jian¡¯s life was in danger; Lie Shan charged out to help.

    ¡°Stay away!¡± Lie Jian shouted.?He knew that without the protection of the blue me, Lie Shan would die in an instant.

 Chapter 638 - Beaten Up

    <h4>Chapter 638: Beaten Up</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Lie Shan knotted his pained face and backed down. It was as if the fire was burning his body instead of Lie Jian.

    ¡°Moye, go to hell!¡± Lie Shan couldn¡¯t hold back his anger any longer, so he charged up his GN force, lit himself ame, and charged at the dark lord.

    Moye didn¡¯t even spare him a nce as he cast a blue fireball at Lie Shan. The attack hit home, and Lie Shan copsed to the ground.

    Lie Shan¡¯s failure amused Moye. Although they imed to have reached enlightenment during cultivation, they sometimes possessed half the intelligence of a primitive Zerg. That being said, he felt grateful for Lie Jian; otherwise, he would never be able to use the power from a higher dimension.

    Lie Shan dragged himself up and tried to put out the blue me. However, Moye didn¡¯t give him a chance as he shot out two bone spears, one at Lie Shan and the other at Lie Jian.

    There was no time for them to evade; but just as the audiences thought the two warriors¡¯ fates were sealed, a dark shadow flickered across the battleground and intercepted the bone spears. Moye narrowed his eyes as he realized that his real opponent had finally shown up.

    Wang Tong patted Deep Blue¡¯s shoulder and the beast charged at Lie Jian while snarling with a wide open, bloody mouth. When he was close enough, he started to devour the blue mes as if it were some kind of delicacy.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop nibbling at me! Go and help Lie Shan!¡± Lie Jian pushed the beast away and sent a burst of soul energy out to put out the remaining fire.

    ¡°Wang Tong, you are an a*shole! What took you so long?¡± Lie Jian shouted, and then copsed back to the ground out of exhaustion.?Lie Jian had reached his limit; he was the only one who could stand up against Moye, and therefore, he needed to drag out the fight as long as possible in order to buy time for Wang Tong to get ready.

    Deep Blue had quickly licked away the fire on Lie Shan as well; afterward, he turned to Moye and red at the dark lord with two wild, glinting eyes that whined like shlights. Wang Tong gave the beast a light pat and then said, ¡°Leave this eyesore to me, and finish off the rest.¡±

    Deep Blue snarled and thenunched himself at Moye¡¯s minions. With a single sweep of his paw, he had smashed half a dozen dark ones¡¯ heads.

    Deep Blue¡¯s appearance had excited the other direwolves. Deep Blue was as important to the direwolves as Wang Tong was to Battle Wolf.

    ¡°Hehe...Wang Tong, I have been looking for you all over the ce. Finally, you havee to me instead.¡± Moye locked his gaze on Wang Tong and said with excitement and a hint of trepidation. This human boy held the key to the ultimate secret of the universe. Hemented that he should have chosen Wang Tong instead of Patroclus five years ago.

    Wang Tong smiled thinly. ¡°Why are you so eager to find me? Looking forward to courting death, I wager?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Well, well, tough guy¡­Who do you think you are? The entire human race was nothing butb mice to us dark ones.¡±

    ¡°Is Patroclus also yourb mice? Then why is it that the immortals are so much smarter than dark ones?¡±

    Moye¡¯s lips twitched a little. ¡°All humans will die in the end, including the half breeds.¡±

    ¡°h, h... Tell you the truth, you are not my real opponent. ¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! If it is not me, who is it then?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think it is?¡± Wang Tong said as if the answer was self-evident.

    It was an insult on Moye¡¯s old wounds. Spurred by anger, Moye contorted his face into an angry knot. He was one who had created the immortals, but he had made the mistake of choosing Patroclus as the experimental subject. He had loaded a gun and ended up shooting himself in the foot. After Patroclus gained the invincible body, he swooped down on Moye and robbed him of his authority and power among the Zergs. As Patroclus¡¯ power grew, the dark ones were bing obsolete in the course of the Zergs¡¯ evolution. Patroclus could have killed Moye and imed victory, but he didn¡¯t, and Moye loathed him for that. Patroclus let Moye live to see his power being taken over and to live in the shame for his failure.

    Wang Tong¡¯s words had cut deep, and Moye could no longer hold his temper.?Gleaming with blue lights, the dark lord threw himself at the former.

    Wang Tong took a deep breath and then punched while taking a step forward. It was the most standard military training move.

    KOM!

    The punchnded on its target and Moye¡¯s angry expression froze upon contact. The impact made him lose his bnce as he staggered back a few feet.

    A pin drop quietness fell onto the battlefield, and on the other side, Harmon couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He had never underestimated Wang Tong, however, never had he expected the other¡¯s strength to exceed Moye¡¯s. Or, did he overestimate Moye¡¯s power?

    The dark lord was shocked by Wang Tong¡¯s power, even more so when he realized that the impact had fractured one of the bones in his right arm.

    Moye struggled to his feet as his arm was twisted in the most inconceivable fashion. Anyway, in a matter of minutes, his fractured bone was reconnected and all broken tissues and sinews were healed. However, Moye¡¯s quick recovery couldn¡¯t hide the fact that Wang Tong had ovee him with ease during thest exchange of attacks.

    Wang Tong dusted his shirt and said, ¡°I have heard about your shape shifting ability¡­You better use it now while you still can.¡±

    Lie Jian had been carried to safety. He had woken up to see Wang Tong¡¯sst move, pouting and remarking in a sour tone, ¡°F*ck off, he is cockier than me! That was my line!¡±

    The soldiers on both side slowly stop engaging each other without even realizing. Their attention was gripped by the fight between Wang Tong and the dark lord.

    Moye didn¡¯t hold back his power as he did while fighting Lie Jian. One punch was enough to tell him that if he didn¡¯t give all he had in this fight, he would perish very quickly.

    The blue me slowly faded away from Moye¡¯s body and the energy crystal started to glow brighter by the second. In a few seconds, his body had grown to an epic proportion. A few purple guards flew to Moye with a nk face, allowing the Dark Lord to snap their heads off and suck on their brains. After each brain Moye devoured, his power grew by a few times.

    ¡°If I were boss, I would charge at him and kill him there and then!¡± Duo Lun piped up.

    On the other side, Wang Tong didn¡¯t watch quietly until Moye had finally finished his transformation. ¡°Hehe¡­Is this the shape-shifting ability? How pathetic! No wonder Patroclus didn¡¯t even consider you a worthy opponent.¡±

    The giant monster snarled and was about to attack Wang Tong, but he suddenly lost his target as thetter shed out of view. Wang Tong then reappeared right beside Moye and asked, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±

    Without the slightest hesitation, Moye attacked Wang Tong with a t backhand sweep. The attack carried enough power to erase a small mountain from the surface of Mars.?However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t evade; instead, he raised his left arm and in an attempt to block.

    KOM!

    Moye¡¯s strike was sure, and itnded squarely on Wang Tong¡¯s arm. However, thetter was unwavering, and as the energy in the blow shot through his body, it was somehow absorbed into his system.

    People finally realized that Wang Tong¡¯s hair had turned blonde, and they were even glowing.

    Moye was taken aback by Wang Tong¡¯s power once again. After the transformation, Moye¡¯s power had increased to level thirty, and he didn¡¯t expect anyone to be able to block his attack at full force.

    KOM!

    Moye attacked again, but the second attack was blocked by Wang Tong as easily as the first one.

    ¡°Should it be my turn?¡± Wang Tong¡¯s lips hardened into a thin line. The power emanated from him caught Moye by surprise; he wasn¡¯t surprised by the amount of power in Wang Tong, but theck of it.

    The soldiers watched the battle in astonishment and admiration. They had always thought that Wang Tong¡¯s strong suit was in mastery; little did they know that he was even better at METALbat.

    ¡°Haha, I think the boss is going to gomando again! I know that look on his face. I have seen it before.¡±?On the spaceship, Karl iled his arms in the air in tion. ¡°Kiss his A*S!¡± He shouted.

    The audiences were gripped by the sudden turn of the events; no one had expected Wang Tong to be so powerful. His opponent was none other than the Dark Lord, the most fearsome opponent of the human race who had killed a level twenty-eight Einherjar with ease.

    Wang Tong¡¯s face remained calm, but deep down, he felt the anger roiling inside him and ready to burst out.

    KOM!

    In the next moment, Wang Tong attacked. He didn¡¯t use the GN force or soul energy, but when Moye felt the power, a rush of overwhelming foreboding came over him. Moye¡¯s face paled; the power brought out memory that he had tried hard to forget.

    Wang Tong moved at lightning speed, and before Moye gathered himself, the former¡¯s fists had already started to rain on the Dark Lord like a sudden downpour. Moye managed to block the first three punches, and then he lost control of his bodypletely.

    Harmon could only stare ahead. Stunned by what he saw, he started to wonder if Wang Tong was really punching Moye, or was that just one of the dark lord¡¯s doubles?

    Moye swallowed the pain and gathered hisst strength as he attacked the other with his tail. Wang Tong saw the attacking, but he didn¡¯t dodge.

    KOM!

    Wang Tong snatched Moye¡¯s tail and flew up to the sky with Moye dangling on his tail. Next, he dove down to the ground as fast as he had flown up. Grabbing the dark one¡¯s tail, he mmed Moye hard onto the ground.

    KOM!

    The ground cracked open at the impact. Wang Tong didn¡¯t let go of the tail as he continued to m Moye left and right as if the dark lord was a ragdoll.

    The human audiences boiled over at this dramatic development. They cheered at the top of their lungs, shouting Wang Tong¡¯s name in a frenzy. The thuds and thumps of Moye¡¯s body on the ground sounded like a symphony of rejoice and sweet revenge. At the behest of the music, old memories flowed back into Martians¡¯ minds, of their loved ones and their home. As they weed those memories with tears, remorse and anger robbed their voices from the throats.

    They were born and grew up under the daylight but were forced to live under the shadows for thest five years. Atst, they had finally found their savior. Wang Tong would make Moye pay the ultimate price for the crimes he hadmitted. But before that, a public humiliation was in store for the dark lord.

    Moye eventually gathered himself from the humiliating disy; he seized an opportunity and freed his tail out of Wang Tong¡¯s hold with a sudden spin.

    As soon as Moye was free, he turned around and opened his wide mouth to bite onto Wang Tong. However, the other didn¡¯t give him a chance even to get close to him as he punched at Moye¡¯s ugly face and pushed him away.

    KOM!

    Moye let out a painful howl as his tusks were shattered by the punch. Wang Tong then spun around and jumped onto the back of the hulking frame while punching. Moye suddenly copsed to the ground, spreading on all fours. Yet, Wang Tong didn¡¯t stop as he kept on raining his punishment onto the dark lord while pressing thetter¡¯s head into the ground.?Everyone was shocked by theck of technical finesse, as they had been expecting the twobatants to use high skill level abilities.

    Lie Jian spat and cursed, ¡°Freak!¡±

    Knowing Lie Jian was referring to Wang Tong, Michaux shook his head and smiled wryly. He knew that every dark one in the dark pce was under Wang Tong¡¯s wicked spell. Without freeing himself from the effect of Wang Tong¡¯s spell, Moye would never be able to win the fight.

    By then, Moye¡¯s hulking body was battered by Wang Tong¡¯s unforgiving punishment. He looked nothing like an almighty Zerg Lord, but arge glob of Zerg meat slumped half in death.

    Suddenly, Wang Tong jumped up, away from Moye.?Although thetter had sustained severe injuries, he registered that his power didn¡¯t recede, and the dark lord was gathering strength as if he were going to retaliate at any moment.

    At the slightest whiff of danger, Wang Tong pulled back immediately. In less than half a heartbeat, Moye shot out a thousand bloodstained pins from his skin. Something writhed under Moye skin as if underneath it were crawling worms. The skin around the open wounds twitched and turned inside out. The sight was gut-churning even for the most battle-hardened warriors.

    A thousand pins flew back and wrapped around the dark lord¡¯s body until Moye was cocooned in an egg-shaped meat sack. The cocoon started to spin and was gaining speed by the second.

    Wang Tong hovered above the cocoon and watched it spinning. The cocoon had formed a force field around it so that not even he could get near.

    Wang Tong probed the egg-shaped sack with an energy ball, but the energy was quickly swallowed by the force field. These egg shape sack reminded Wang Tong of the egg that Deep Blue was hatched from. Whatever strikended on the egg¡¯s surface, its energy would be absorbedpletely.

    The remaining purple guards threw themselves at the cocoon as thetter sucked their life force dry, reducing them to mere husks; it was a frightening scene.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the human warriors started to feel the pull as the force field and the egg grew in size.

    ¡°Everybody! Pull back!¡± Wang Tong shouted at his team as the human soldiers pulled back to safety.

    ¡°Am I really seeing this? Moye is going to evolve! ¡± Tan Bu cursed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Boss will handle it. ¡± Duo Lun said confidently.

    Harmon watched the development on the screen with a newfound interest. He had made himself a cup of coffee and typed a few words to theputer. ¡°Note to self: the Zerg¡¯s ability is amazing. Divine Lord used to say that Moye is in his second form, and no one had ever seen his third and the ultimate form yet. I wager I will be the first immortal to witness this.¡±

    Harmon picked up the steaming cup of coffee and sniffed it, then took a sip and smiled satisfiedly. Watching this battle had brought him much more joy than he had expected.

    Harmon was an immortal, and therefore, he could practically live forever. Having tasted immortality, any material enjoyment seemed nd. The real thrill of life then came only physiologically. The thought of obtaining new knowledge as well as the thought that there was still so much to learn both brought Harmon enjoyment.

    The Zergs had remained an enigma to Harmon. They had subjugated countless civilizations, and therefore, they had many opportunities to be the perfect beings in the universe. Yet, the Zergs seemed to havepletely ignored that and were content with their hideous and primitive forms. Perhaps their impable ability to conquer new worlds as a group had made them forget about the power of an individual? This mindset didn¡¯t change until they had met the humans.

    But, despite the setback in the Zergs¡¯ n of conquering the universe, they really should be feeling grateful for encountering the de Warrior. Without him, neither the immortals nor the dark ones would have been born.

    Harmon had always been fascinated by the de Warrior, which didn¡¯t fade even after he became an immortal. However, as he took on the problem from a new perspective, he had started to realize just how powerful the de Warrior really was.

    There could only be one conclusion: the de Warrior was not an ordinary man in mortal coil.

    Harmon didn¡¯t fully understand the results, and neither did he find it convincing despite the finality of it. To finally put the query to rest, Harmon needed to search inside Wang Tong.

    By then, the spinning cocoon had lost all of its colors, and the earth underneath was also robbed of life and nutrients as it cracked like a turtle¡¯s shell.

    The cocoon finally slowed down, and the shell shattered into pieces. From within, a brand new Dark Lord emerged, and he looked like a...human; a very handsome one at that. His tenacious body was fully naked, and his hard face had a pained smile that looked like it was chiseled into the smoothest stones.

    Moye stretched his arm and yawned. His purple hair tumbled down all the way to his heels. He had held back the final transformation for a long while, bidding his time to capture Wang Tong so he could tap into thetter¡¯s power.

    Rays of purple lights shot out of the Dark Lord¡¯s body as an armor appeared on his body piece by piece.?The METAL suit was exquisitely designed and with elegant decorations. The helmet and the chest piece each had an energy crystal set in it. Moye stretched again, and this time, he spread out his wings. And what a magnificent pair of wings those were! They were no longer the batwings, but a pair of half translucent purple flower petals. The title of Dark Lord was no longer a befitting name; instead, he should be called the purple fairy instead.

    Despite the change in the appearances, Moye didn¡¯t change a wee bit inside.

    He raised his body into the air without using his wings. He looked no different from a human, except for the wings.

    ¡°My final stagebined strength and beauty, making me the perfect being in the universe. Patroclus is only the perfect human, and all humans have ws. But, I am not a human¡­I am the real paragon of perfection.¡±

    Moye said in an airy tone, his voice no longer hoarse.

    Wang Tong was unfazed by Moye¡¯s impressive disy as he shrugged. ¡°You look like a girl. Come on, don¡¯t act like one too! Hurry up and let¡¯s get it over with!¡±

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Moye shouted as a purple de appeared in his hand. With a swift pping of his wings, Moye flew to Wang Tong at lightning speed, tracing a smear of purple across the battlefield.

    After the final transformation, Moye¡¯s soul energy remained unchanged; however, his skills had improved by leaps and bounds.

    The dark lord attacked and a purple de auranced into the sky, threatening to pierce the clouds. Three of his blowsnded on the ground near the human warriors. Tan Bu jumped out of harm¡¯s way as the strike left three huge craters on the ground.

 Chapter 639 - Dark Lordâ€™s Head

    <h4>Chapter 639: Dark Lord¡¯s Head</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Moye¡¯s transformation wasn¡¯t just in terms of aesthetics; it had also improved his skills. Moye¡¯sst form, the second form, excelled in brute strength. However, regardless of how heavily he could hit, if he couldn¡¯tnd a solid blow, all that strength and energy was wasted. Thest stage of his transformation refined his technical finesse while further boosting his raw power.

    ¡°This de technique looks familiar.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s House Li¡¯s Tactics of Vayu.¡± Lie Jian furrowed his brows and answered. He wagered that the de technique would be more powerful when used by Moye than Li Zhedao.

    ¡°Air Splitting Whirl Wind Hell!¡±

    Moye twirled and spun as he rose into the sky. He squeezed the de with both hands, as the purple energy crystal on his helmet started to gleam. The purple light flowed to the de and clung to it as Moye hacked at Wang Tong suddenly.

    The air was stifled for a splitting second, and the earth trembled and mountain moaned. Countless de auranced and swirled toward Wang Tong with a killing intent. It was a GN attack, and its potency was no less, if not more, than that of mastery.

    The belligerent de aura threatened to rip open the very fabric of space; Moye was not worried about energy consumption since he had a nearly unlimited supply of it.

    A golden light shed in Wang Tong¡¯s hands, and the Einherjar Lance appeared out of nowhere. He rested thence firmly about his waist and formed a GN shield around him.

    KOM!

    The de aura rained on the shield like a sudden downpour. Moye held the purple de in both his hands and channeled more energy from his body into the tip of the de. When the tiny point could no longer hold any more energy, Moye finally attacked. With that, a beam of highly concentrated purple energy shot out of the tip of the de.

    KOM!

    The de aura exploded in Wang Tong¡¯s face, sending a shower of sparks and cinders. Everyone¡¯s hearts were caught in their throats. Was Wang Tong alright?

    As the dust and smoke finally receded, Wang Tong emerged unharmed. He twirled hisnce around as if ying with a toy. ¡°This is your final stage? No wonder Patroclus is not interested in you. You are still too far from the real power. Have you heard about the divine path?¡± Wang Tong said airily.

    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t! Strength is the only path! ¡± Moye shouted. Without the husky and hoarse voice, he sounded like a girl screaming.

    Wang Tong shook his head andmented about how primitive and simple Zergs were. Despite their incredible evolution ability, theirplete ignorance of the divine path would be their downfall. The humans had searched for the divine path for thousands of years, and by then, the name had been branded in humanity¡¯s collective memories. The Zergs were already toote to the party.

    Wang Tong constantly spun thence in his hand with an even and controlled level of soul energy. Wang Tong had kept his soul energy output steady ever since the beginning of the fight. Without knowing the full extent of his opponent¡¯s power, it was dangerous to unleash off of his power as Moye had just done.

    However, Wang Tong didn¡¯t conserve his soul energy for that reason; he simply didn¡¯t think that he would need any more of it to subdue the dark lord.

    Michaux marveled at the improvements that Wang Tong had made in thest five years. As a matter of fact, Wang Tong was already ahead of most people even five years ago once he possessed the soul essence. After five years of cultivation in undisturbed seclusion, it shouldn¡¯te as a surprise to Michaux that he hade back so powerfully.

    It was evident that Moye was not a worthy opponent, and Michaux would have to wait another day to see Wang Tong¡¯s full power on disy. Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t reveal his real power for the same reason that Patroclus didn¡¯t reveal his while he fought with Li Zhedao. They were both watching each other¡¯s every move closely. If one showed a powerful coupe de grace, given some time, the other would be guaranteed toe up with a counter. Therefore, it was in their best interest to hide their power as much as possible and seek safety in the darkness before the final showdown.

    Sensing that Wang Tong was going to attack, Moye gathered up his soul energy and increased his defense. However, he doubted that the former could even make a dent on his armor. Not only had he the absolute advantage in terms of strength, but his wings also provided unmatched agility.

    The goldennce extended ahead, its tip shooting at the ground. Suddenly, Wang Tong charged out; his body started by flicking like a phantom and then disappearingpletely. Before Moye knew it was toote, he felt the wind blow through his chest. He looked down and saw the hole on his chest. Blood spilled out of Moye¡¯s insides as he dropped down to one knee while Wang Tong re-emerged right in front of him.

    This was the same move Wang Tong had pulled off five years ago in order to defeated Li Shiming: the Space Warping technique! But unlike five years ago, Wang Tong knew exactly what he was doing this time, and the power was much more devastating than when he had unleashed it by ident.

    ¡°What kind of move is that?¡± Moye¡¯s handsome face was distorted by pain. Thanks to his swift reaction, he was able to avoid the killing blow. By then, therge hole on his chest had already closed up as the wound started to heal.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t hurry to strike again while Moye was still weak. ¡°I have heard that you are able to copy any move you have seen. Would you care to entertain me with that ability?¡± Wang Tong put the Einherjarnce down and said in a condescending voice.

    Wang Tong had finally shown the sharp demeanor that befitted his power and donned the mask of the almighty de Warrior. Contempt and pride were carved into this mask, and Wang Tong wore them like a constant reminder of his superiority over the Zergs.

    The humans hadn¡¯t seen this much confidence on disy in thest five years. In those dreary five long years, if the humans were not in hiding from the Zergs, they were running away from them. Never once did they muster enough courage to truly stand before the Zerg army with an adequate measure of confidence.

    When Moye hadpleted his final transformation, the human public was seized by despair and hopelessness. But, all of that defeatism was gone now while they basked under the reflected glory of Wang Tong.

    In the space, Samantha watched the screen as she marveled at how quickly Wang Tong¡¯s mind had grown up and matured. No longer did he act on a whim; everything he did and said encouraged the human soldiers while straining the minds of the dark ones and immortals. He had finally started to see things as a bigger picture.

    It was about time for a hero like Wang Tong to show up as humanity was on itsst leg.

    Samantha reckoned that if Wang Tong charged straight into the dark castle and done away with the dark lord as soon as hended on the Mars, he would have changed only a fraction of what he had so far. If he had done that, the factions on Mars would still be fragmented while the big yers bickered and squabbled about trivial matters. It would only be a matter of time before Patroclus weighed in and crushed the splintered Martian front in one fell swoop.

    Moye starred at Wang Tong fearfully. His mind refused to acknowledge what he had seen. Wang Tong had broken thew of physics, that was impossible. It had to be some kind of a trick!

    Moye gathered strength and suddenly was covered with blue mes. Lie Jian¡¯s face hardened at sight; he registered that Moye was going tobine the House Lie¡¯s Tactics of ze with House Li¡¯s Tactics of Vayu.

    Although such a feat was impossible for a human, it was as easy as breathing for Moye.

    As Moye gathered more energy, his belly and chest were filled to the brim with dancing blue mes. The fullness in his body bent him backward slightly, stretching his muscles and sinews as if stringing a bow.

    Across the roiling energy, Wang Tong¡¯s face seemed rxed.?Harmon was taken aback by the former¡¯s expression. He knew Wang Tong had tricks up his sleeves, but without being there close up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to discern the nature of Wang Tong¡¯s counter. ¡°The devil is in the details.¡± Harmonmented.

    Blue Vayu Fire Wind!

    In an instant, the earth around Wang Tong cracked open due to the bombardment of de auras. The attacks bent and warped the fabric of space and made the air look almost like liquid. The ground trembled violently as the dark pce started to crumble.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t move a hair, but the attacks simply went through his body as if they held no physical substances.

    ¡°You are a great copycat, but that is not enough to end the human world.¡± Wang Tong announced, still standing where he was whilepletely unharmed.?Moye shot him a fearful nce as he tried to wrap his mind around what had happened. In his simple mind, speed and strength were the only things that mattered to a warrior¡¯s power. Plus, he had gone above and beyond to refine his skills,bining powerful techniques creatively. Was that still not enough? If so, what did he miss?

    Moye watched as Wang Tong raised hisnce. Confusion and fear had taken hold of him, rendering him motionless. Wang Tong pointed thence at Moye¡¯s neck, making him feel a chill down his spine as he turned into a bundle of nerves.

    Suddenly, Moye pped his wings, and just as everyone thought he was going to attack first, the dark lord turned on his heels and flew in the other direction.

    The audiences were shocked: Moye was escaping!

    Anyway, Wang Tong didn¡¯t give Moye a chance as he hurled thence at the nape of Moye¡¯s neck. The attack hit home, and Moye tumbled to the ground, still alive. He struggled to keep bnce while thence was lodged in his neck, and then tried to p his win again, in vain. Wang Tong had gripped his wings with an iron grip. While Wang Tong held Moye¡¯s wings in one hand, he picked up thence with the other as he lifted thetter¡¯s body off the ground and held it.

    It was the cue for Lie Jian to avenge his father.

    Lie Jian shouted a battle cry as blue mes covered his body and charged out.?Fists of fire rained on Moye¡¯s pretty face. Compared to Moye¡¯s crime; this punishment seemed almost benign.

    Harmon watched with astonishment. He had nned the start of this fight, but didn¡¯t expect it to end like this. He had doubts regarding Wang Tong¡¯s power, but Patroclus¡¯ conviction had persuaded him in the end. However, even if he were aware that Wang Tong¡¯s incredible abilities, he could have never seen him defeat Moye so easily even in his wildest imagination. In addition, he was also impressed by his ability of gaining Lie Jian¡¯s support by offering him the chance to avenge his father.

    Lie Jian would owe Wang Tong a big one by being given the opportunity to redeem his family¡¯s reputation. It wasn¡¯t just Lie Jian he was helping, but also the Martian public. Wang Tong needed all of their support to lead the Martian troops to liberate the Earth and the moon. He was clearly killing two birds with one stone.

    Harmon hesitated for a second and then started his spaceship. The battle is wrapping up, and he needed to bug out while he still could.

    Meanwhile, the entire red was awash with tion and blissful joy. Women wept tears of joy while men shouted and hoorayed for the end of the dark age.

    Moye¡¯s perfect body was already in tatters by then. The fire had melted his elegant METAL while his porcin skin was charred to the color of coal. His neck was broken and his head lolled to one side. Lie Jian grabbed onto Moye¡¯s hair, and with a forceful yank, he pulled the head off of Moye¡¯s shoulder.

    By then, the human warriors were surrounded by dark ones and Zergsing from all over the area, but the scene had terrified them despite their overwhelming numbers. They saw a bloody human head on a pike, and then realized that it was Moye.

    Stunned by the sudden turn of events, the dark ones simply stood around, not knowing what to do. After a while, a few smart ones started running away, and then the entire army followed them.

    Zambrotta announced Moye¡¯s death right away to encourage his soldiers. The darkest time had passed, and now, it was the time the clean up this of the Zergs. The news had convinced the human soldiers that they would be unstoppable from then on.

    The Zerg army didn¡¯t dare to look at Moye¡¯s head, much less get near it. Little did they know that they had lost the best opportunity to kill the human elites.

    Inside the dark city, soldiers copsed to the ground out of exhaustion. Even Wang Tong had started to feel fatigue. They would have never been able to defend against the Zergs if thetter had decided to attack them. Wang Tong had thought of that, and therefore, he had set Moye¡¯s head on a spike for all the Zergs to see. He knew the terrifying sight would scare away the dark ones.

    Everyone cheered the heroes¡¯ names. This was an epic victory, and this day would be remembered and cherished for generations toe.

    Wang Tong, Lie Jian, Michaux, Guan Dongyang, Xiao Yuyu, Vorenus, Yin Tianzong, and many other warriors were the pride of the human race.

 Chapter 640 - A Glorious Victory

    <h4>Chapter 640: A Glorious Victory</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The soldiers inside the dark pce had all but fallen asleep after a brief celebration. They hadpleted their final mission, and they could now finally rest. Then and only then had they realized the bad shape they were in; some of them had carried wounds and injuries that they had sustained ever since the first day they entered the Zerg territory.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t rest until he had seen to it that all the injured soldiers were attended to. All the while, Lie Jian stood beside him but didn¡¯t say anything to express his gratitude. Lie Jian was not the type who would express his feelings easily. However, it was not difficult to catch the approval in his eyes.

    Lie Jian would neither be in thrall nor afraid of anyone. However, he was deeply impressed by Wang Tong and felt beholden to him for giving him an opportunity to prove himself and redeem his family¡¯s dignity.

    Lie Jian was badly injured during the fight with Moye, so he went to bed as soon as the battle was over. However, Wang Tong had found it hard to fall asleep as he was engrossed in reflections. He walked to the guard tower of the dark castle and looked down at the sprawling structure underneath him, wondering what the dark lord would be thinking every time he stood here and looked to the same vista.

    Someone walked toward Wang Tong and sat down right beside him without making any noise.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a dream,¡± Heidi spoke in a dreamy voice. She had taken off her military uniform and changed into a flowy dress.

    Over the days, Heidi had seen Wang Tong¡¯s strength and resolution. She reckoned that he was the only person who could measure up to Patroclus¡¯ standards.

    Five years ago the two had fought for the first time, but unlike their predecessors who ended up asrades, Wang Tong and Patroclus went on their own ways and became rivals.

    However, Heidi had sensed that both of them rather enjoyed their rivalry. She wagered that Wang Tong was thinking about Patroclus while he starred in the direction of earth.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s not a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Who are you thinking about?¡± Heidi asked abruptly.

    ¡°Who? How do you know it¡¯s not ¡°what¡±?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Because your eyes had betrayed your thoughts.¡±

    ¡°I am thinking about someone, indeed.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    ¡°Patroclus?¡±

    ¡°Why would I think about him? He is not my wife.¡± Wang Tongughed wryly.

    ¡°Ma Xiaoru.¡± Heidi murmured. ¡°Is she really that nice?¡± She asked.

    Wang Tong smiled knowingly and answered, ¡°She is, and shepletes me. No matter how far away I am from her, the thought of her always brings me warmth. Hehe¡­Am I too dramatic?¡±

    The answer caught Heidi by surprise. She couldn¡¯t make the connection between the deadly warrior who had killed the dark lord with the romantic andmitted husband.?Suddenly, she was seized by a fit of jealousy.

    ¡°Will you marry me?¡± Heidi heard herself blurt out very quietly.

    Wang Tong thought he had heard a question, so he sat up and asked, ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    Heidi blushed and replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Then, she skittered away sheepishly.

    Wang Tong looked at the starlit sky andmented how difficult it was to be so popr.

    After the dark lord was killed by the humans, the Zergs on Mars had fallen into chaos. The power vacuum left by the dark lord created numerous factions, giving the humans the opportunities to strike one faction at a time.

    The Kaedeian force was the first to respond to the Zergs¡¯ weakened state. They dove right into the hearnd of the Zerg territory to protect Wang Tong.

    After the Kaedeian main army joined forces with Wang Tong, he had finally solidified his foothold at the dark castle. With the help of the Kaedeians, Wang Tong had made the castle an imprable fortress. Little did he know that he had overestimated the Zergs¡¯ unity; as the Zergs fragmented into smaller and smaller factions, they were too busy squabbling with each other to wage a counterattack.

    That being said, therge number of dark ones on Mars still posed a threat to the humans. It would take all the human forces years to get rid of thempletely.

    Nheless, the final liberation of the human race seemed to be only a matter of time. After the Kaedeians had taken over the castle, Wang Tong returned to humans¡¯mand center; he was told that a friend was waiting for him there.

    Knowing that Wang Tong was going to return to the human world, Zambrotta had nned an extravagant weing ceremony for the savior of Mars. However, the former had politely refused the proposal. He never liked to be at the center of attention; plus, it was time to n their next move.

    Zambrotta adjusted his n so that Wang Tong would not meet with the media directly. Everyone on Mars knew that the Zergs¡¯ fate was sealed. More and more Zergs were being eliminated by the day. Meanwhile, Wang Tung and his research team had also made significant progress in their research. Soon, the GN crystal gun would be mainstream, and the Zergs would not stand a chance against the fully equipped human force.

    The visitors from the Confederation¡¯sst armada hadnded on Mars. Zambrotta had sent in his representatives to discuss ns of recapturing Mars¡¯ outer space with the visitors.

    Before that, the dark ones¡¯ fleet and the human fleet had fought a few skirmishes in the space with no clear winner. However, the dark lord¡¯s sudden demise had rendered the Zergs lost all of a sudden.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the dark ones received the Divine Lord¡¯s instruction to retreat to the Moon. Most dark ones were hesitant to follow Patroclus¡¯ orders, and confusion and chaos soon followed suit.

    The Zergs¡¯ strength had always been their effective chain ofmand. The current state of disarray among the Zergs had significantly hampered their ability to fight despite their decisive advantage in numbers: the Zerg armada boasted five individual fleets while the humans had only one.

    The Martians had guessed the purpose of the earthling officer¡¯s visit: they were going to plead for Wang Tong¡¯s help. Wang Tong would not hesitate even a second to offer his help, and everyone already knew that. But, the thought of Wang Tong leaving Mars made them feel gloomy.

    The liberation of Mars was set in stone; everyone knew that Wang Tong was more needed on Earth than here. He would have to do what he had to do.

    ¡°Boss, wherever you go, I go. Don¡¯t leave me here!¡± Tan Bu said with a big frown and a worried look.

    ¡°Same here! I will follow you anywhere.¡± Duo Lun put in as well.

    ¡°Wang Tong, don¡¯t forget that without me, your mastery is useless! So, take me with you too!¡± Guan Dongyang remarked.

    ¡°I can speak for the field medics, and we will go with you as well.¡± Xiao Yuyu said firmly.

    ¡°Same here! My METAL warriors will join you.¡± Bu Zhihuo announced.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile. ¡°Thank you for your offer, and I really appreciated it. Let me talk to the officers first, and then we will see. Mars also needs good warriors like you.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong, once I am done with my business in the sect, I will join you right away,¡± Michaux said. He nned to check on the Sect for a few days and then join Wang Tong. He felt that his life was much more meaningful while fighting alongside him than sitting inside the ivory tower. Plus, he could not pass up the opportunity of witnessing the fight between Wang Tong and Patroclus, so he had made up his mind to apany Wang Tong to Earth.

    ¡°I will have to say goodbye to you on Mars then. I got a lot to clean up here.¡± Lie Jian said atst.?No one expected to hear Lie Jian fawning over Wang Tong, but his voice was filled with respect and gratitude.

    ¡°Very well! I want to see three regiments of space marines from Mars when I ask for your help.¡±

    ¡°Five regiments.¡± Lie Jian said quietly. Nothing, not even a hundred regiments of space marines, would be enough to pay back Lie Jian¡¯s debt. House Lie was in charge of most of the resources on Mars. In between picking off the remaining Zergs and establishing order, House Lie should be able to spare five regiments of well-trained space marines with ease.

    Wang Tong nodded. He knew Lie Jian wouldn¡¯t make a promise if he couldn¡¯t fulfill it.

    ¡°Heidi, what is your n?¡± Wang Tong asked. He had expected the Kaedeian princess to stay with the rest of the Kaedeian forces at the dark castle. However, she had followed Wang Tong to the human territory.

    ¡°I will go to the Earth with you,¡± Heidi said quietly but firmly.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay?¡± Wang Tong asked.?Heidi shot Wang Tong a ce and fluttered hershes as a slight hint of tears surfaced in her eyes.

    ¡°Er...that¡¯s¡­fine. You cane with me.¡± Wang Tong surrendered before it was toote. ¡°But mind you, this journey is going to be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Never afraid of danger,¡± Heidi said coldly; she was still mad at Wang Tong for suggesting her to stay.

    The subtle exchanges of nces between Wang Tong and Heidi didn¡¯t escape Tan Bu. He couldn¡¯t suppress a snicker as he whispered to Duo Lun.

    ¡°Boss is adies¡¯ man¡­Hehe.¡±

    ¡°No kidding! Heidi is such a babe!¡±

    ¡°Quiet! Ye Zi is right there! You don¡¯t want her to poison your food, do you?¡±

    Everyone who heard thementughed under their breaths.

    ¡°Do you think Boss will take us with him?¡±

    ¡°I think so. We got those fat transport ships, should be plenty of room in them.¡±

    ¡°Big ships are dangerous for space travel when so many Zergs are watching. ¡±

    ¡°We have the big guns too. Those battlecruisers aremanded by no other than Admiral Samantha.¡±

    ¡°If Ind on earth, I HAVE to see what Ma Xiaoru looks like.¡±

    ¡°Same here!¡±

    Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi¡¯s affection for Wang Tong was no secret to the warriors. The Martian girls were brave and true to their hearts, so they wouldn¡¯t consider the fact that Wang Tong already had a loved one.

    In the three days that followed the killing of Moye, the human warriors had achieved more victories against the Zergs. The western warden was sessful in his pursuit to be the next dark lord. But by then, the Zergs had lost most of the territory they had gained during thest few years, and the humans had started to gain the upper hand.

    Despite the huge sess, the human warriors were gued by exhaustion, and therefore, they had also slowed down their advance in order to catch a breath.

    Even during such favorable conditions, the humans could not let their guard down. They had to tread slowly and carefully, biding their time until their forces were fully equipped with the GN guns. Once they could counter the Zergs¡¯ advantage in numbers, they should be able to pick off the remaining dark ones with ease. Wang Tong had shown the world the power of mastery, and the world responded with the addition of many new mastery schools. The existing mastery casters were no longer treated as auxiliary forces; instead, they had be the backbones of every unit.

    The few big yers: Zambrotta, Lie Jian, and Kaedeians, had united together to rebuild Mars and n for their next move.

    However, Wang Tong had disappeared; other than those leaders, only one person knew where he was, and he was Syracuse.

 Chapter 641 - Divine Angel

    <h4>Chapter 641: Divine Angel</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Syracuse stood out among his colleagues in the merchant¡¯s guild, managing to get a position at the small council which had only ten seats in total. When the humans were finally liberated, the ten on the small council and the factions that they represented would be the dominant force.

    Wang Tong could have denied anyone¡¯s audience, except for Syracuse.

    ¡°Lord Wang Tong, on behalf of my family, I want to say thank you for all the good things you have done,¡± Syracuse said emotionally. He knew from the start that Wang Tong would seed, and what a smashing sess it was. Wang Tong¡¯s achievement was so unprecedented that it sounded like a story from a legend. Looking at the young man in front of him, Syracuse registered that Wang Tong hadn¡¯t changed at all, and he still had no clue had thetter was thinking behind that thin veil of a smile.

    ¡°We are old friends, Syracuse. No need to be so polite.¡±

    Syracuse smiled faintly. He knew very well that Wang Tong had all the major faction wrapped around his fingers. Not only were Zambrotta¡¯s Knight units and the Kaedeians under Wang Tong¡¯s service, but Lie Jian was also beholden to the earthling boy. Amongst all of Wang Tong¡¯s loyalists, the technologymittee spearheaded by Wang Tung was gaining more influence on Mars by the day despite its nascency. With this much support backing him up, no one on Mars would be able to rival Wang Tong¡¯s authority.

    However, it was not a secret to Syracuse that Wang Tong¡¯s ambition on Mars was limited. If there were one person who could liberate the humans on Earth and the Moon, it would be him.

    ¡°Lord Wang Tong, etiquette is only reserved for a real hero of Mars like yourself. On behalf of the Syracuse family, I would like to let you know that we are at your beck and call.¡± Syracuse said with the utmost sincerity. He knew that the young man in front of him was the de facto ruler of Mars. Syracuse had dug into Wang Tong¡¯s past and found out that not only Admiral Samantha was Wang Tong¡¯s principal, but also his lover, or so said the rumors.

    ¡°I appreciate your offer. After the war is over, your family will be rewarded the most handsomely.¡± Wang Tong knew it was time to cue in his promises to seal the deal.

    ¡°Thank you, my lord! ¡± Syracuse said as calmly as he could. However, his trembling voice had betrayed the overwhelming joy inside him. Wang Tong had disyed his power during the fight with Moye, and this power had cast an enormous fear-evoking shadow over everyone during peacetime. Syracuse scarcely dared to speak in a loud voice in front of this man¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°I hope all the other merchant groups would be as cooperative as you are.¡±

    ¡°I will make sure they are,¡± Syracuse answered.

    It was Wang Tong¡¯s casual mark, but to Syracuse, there was nothing casual about anything that came out of the former¡¯s mouth. Wang Tong would need a fleet to ferry the Martians to the Earth and the moon, and the thing aboutrge fleets was that they were expensive. Although Wang Tong had Lie Jian and Michaux¡¯s support, it would not be enough, and he would need support from the merchants.

    Wang Tong¡¯s remark had made the merchants on Mars take a long hard look at their situation. They soon realized that helping him was not a sacrifice, but an investment. If Wang Tong seeded, they would be paid back handsomely. Therefore, there was no reason not to help him; it was sound business after all.

    Syracuse was the only businessman Wang Tong had received, and it had pushed the reputation of the Syracuse family to a new height. Many merchant factions used all tricks they could think of to bring Syracuse closer. The wanted to know what Wang Tong had discussed with him and what would be the fate of the merchant guild on Mars.

    Unlike during the peacetime, there were many methods, including but not limited to, violence, for Wang Tong to retaliate against people who dared to oppose him. Since the Martian businessmen, except for Syracuse, had missed their only opportunity to win Wang Tong¡¯s favor, their hopes lied on Syracuse, the only connection between the businessmunity and Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong was anointed sainthood in the Divine Mastery Sect. He was the holiest saint of all saints: the Saint Savior. The followers of the sect had started the rumor that Wang Tong was the savior ever since he had evoked the miracle while he was at the Divine Mastery tower. By then, he had performed more miracles than anyone could count, among which, the most important of all was killing the Dark Lord. It was exactly as the Divine Master had prophesied.

    It had been only ten days after Wang Tong had killed Moye, but the savior had already disappeared after his job was done. However, in every corner of every Martian city, people raised toasts in his name, and banners depicting his face were hung everywhere.

    Wang Tong¡¯s meeting with Zambrotta was carried out in a rxed atmosphere. Wang Tong knew he couldn¡¯t afford to be vague with Zambrotta, who would be in charge of most of the matters on Mars while he was gone. If Wang Tong were not specific and to the point, he would cause confusion among the Martians.

    ¡°Nice to meet you! Is this our first time meeting each other?¡± Zambrotta said with an approving smile.

    ¡°In person, yes. But, I saw your brilliant fight five years ago. ¡±

    ¡°Haha, I am still grateful for Einherjar Wannabe¡¯s teachings on that day,¡± Zambrotta said politely. He knew that both Wang Tong and the mysterious War God were over level thirty, if not super Einherjars. What was even more impressive about Wang Tong was that he was not only a powerful METAL warrior, but also a deadly mastery caster.

    However, if Wang Tong were to pick a fight with Patroclus, which he very likely would, who would prevail?

    ¡°Haha¡­Mr. Wannabe was also very impressed by your skills. There are still many things left to be finished on Mars, and I will appreciate your continued support.¡± Wang Tong said seriously. Dark ones were one thing, but Patroclus was another. The battle against the Divine Lord wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    Wang Tong had improved his cultivation over the five years, and so had Patroclus. With the advantage of a strong body, Patroclus had an even greater potential than Wang Tong. In addition, after sitting on the Zerg throne for five years, Patroclus¡¯ strategic thinking had also improved by leaps and bounds.

    ¡°Will do!¡± Zambrotta announced with conviction. He was tempted to ask about the War God¡¯s whereabouts, but he thought better of it. He registered that the forces behind Wang Tong and the War God were way beyond hisprehension, just like the de Warrior.

    Greetings over, Zambrotta and Wang Tong then discussed the current state of affairs. The situation on Mars was contained and improving by the day. However, there was still a heavy presence of Zerg fleet in Mars¡¯ outer space. Despite their numbers, the Zerg fleet was disorganized due tock of authority. With the help of the Confederation¡¯sst armada, humans should be able to push those Zergs out of the way sooner orter.

    After that, they also discussed topics of cultivation at length. Although Zambrotta was much more senior than Wang Tong, he acted more like the student during the conversation. This might be Zambrotta¡¯s only chance to chat with a super Einherjar, so he showered Wang Tong with questions.

    Ever since Zambrotta had entered the Einherjar level, his cultivation had practically stopped improving. But, despite his age, he had not given up the hope of reaching a higher level.

    ¡°Once you have reached the Einherjar level, your power bes less of a determining factor in leveling up. You need to learn to borrow the natural force around you.¡± Wang Tong said with a smile. His words had hit the mark and evoked a fleeting moment of epiphany in Zambrotta. Zambrotta closed his eyes, trying to grasp the meaning again.

    ¡°Then what?¡± Zambrotta asked.

    Wang Tong answered with only a smile, seeing which, Zambrotta said timidly, ¡°Excuse me for being greedy.¡±

    Wang Tong shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret, and I am willing to share it with you. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right time for you to know yet. It might slow you down than help you.¡±

    Zambrotta nodded; Wang Tong was right. Patience was the biggest virtual when it came down to cultivation.

    At that moment, a knock on the door broke Zambrotta¡¯s train of thoughts; it was Brenda. ¡°Dad, can I have a moment with Wang Tong along?¡±

    Zambrotta¡¯s eyes glinted like an old fox as he smirked, ¡°Hehe, sure! My daughter thinks I am too old to hear her conversation. Sorry for getting in your way, darling. Haha.¡±

    Before Brenda got mad at Zambrotta, he had disappeared behind the door, shutting the door quietly and locking it before he left. ¡°How should I call you? Wang Tong? Savior? The Divine Angel?¡± Brenda asked slyly and sarcastically.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile. ¡°Whatever you like.¡±?Brenda didn¡¯t answer, not knowing what to say.?Wang Tong looked at Brenda and eximed. ¡°You look great in those military uniforms. You should be on the recruitment ad. Haha...Young men would flock into our ranks if they saw your face.¡±

    Brenda was amused by Wang Tong¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯ve got a sweet mouth. Tell me, how many hearts have you broken?¡±

    Wang Tong shrugged, ¡°I am innocent.¡±

    ¡°Jerk! Those two medics were head over heels for you, and you just ignored them.¡±

    Little did Wang Tong know that he had be the public idol among Martian girls. Surrounded by the gorgeous faces and the smartest minds, Wang Tong was powerful and mysterious; handsome and romantic; a character straight out of the most popr female genre books such as ¡°My bossy handsome boss,¡± ¡°Fifty Shades of love¡± and ¡°Dusk-light.¡±

    Wang Tong shrugged again and then said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what to do either.¡±

 Chapter 642 - Old Friends

    <h4>Chapter 642: Old Friends</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong heaved a sigh. Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi were different from Heidi, since they had been through so many things together that the thought of leaving them filled him with sorrow. He would be lying if he said that he didn¡¯t have any feelings for those two medics. However, neither of them had ever taken the initiative to tell him how they felt for him. If the Martian girls couldn¡¯t bring themselves to do that, it was even less likely for Wang Tong.

    ¡°You like them.¡± Brenda caught the sh of pain in Wang Tong¡¯s eyes, her voiceced with jealousy which even caught herself by surprise. She had just met Wang Tong, so her feeling toward him was nothing more than infatuation. The thought of how little she knew about Wang Tong was a wake-up call for her. She regretted not meeting him before Xiao Yuyu and Ye Zi.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it will sort out in the end. I have heard you are working at themand center, eh?¡± Wang Tong diverted the topic.

    Brenda was offended by Wang Tong¡¯s question as she shot him an usatory nce and then said, ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you think I deserve the position? I am graduated from an A-ss academy on Mars. I am not a hero like you, but I do my part in this war. ¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok... I was just asking.¡± Wang Tong knew better to not argue with a girl.

    ¡°Whatever. You were talking to my dad about harnessing the power in nature¡­What was that all about?¡± Brenda had a sharp mind, and she knew that she should learn as much as she could from Wang Tong while he was still on Mars.

    ¡°It¡¯s about creation.¡± Wang Tong answered readily.

    Brenda pressed her lips on Wang Tong¡¯s cheek and said, ¡°This is for all the girls on Mars.¡±

    Wang Tong was taken aback by the sudden change of topic. The smell of the lipstick made her take a deep breath unconsciously.

    ¡°That¡¯s my first kiss.¡± Before she finished her words, she flitted away like a little bird. Wang Tong rubbed his cheek where he was kissed and smiled wryly.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, a group of warriors arrived at themand center and demanded to see Wang Tong. They were Wang Tong¡¯srades from City of Maersa, including Aamir and Marcos.

    As soon as Wang Tong saw them, the warriors embraced each other emotionally. It was hard to believe that just a year ago, these two men were Wang Tong¡¯s rivals.

    ¡°Haha, you did it! We knew you could!¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­How are things at Maersa?¡±

    ¡°Things are looking up. But, it is Maersa no more. It¡¯s called Wusunaer now. It¡¯s a Martian word for ¡°ce of the War god.¡± Marcos announced.

    Wang Tong smiled slyly and then remarked, ¡°What a pretty name.¡±

    ¡°We changed the name to attract more young people, and it worked. Wusunaer has be the number one destination for the War god¡¯s followers to live and work.¡± Aamir said and gave Wang Tong a wistful smile. He missed those days when he worked with Wang Tong and Battle Wolf. He felt lucky to have made the right decision of supporting the other, and wondered where he would have been if he had chosen the other route. Hell, maybe?

    ¡°How is Wang Tung¡¯s research?¡±

    ¡°Dr. Frankenstein had made the city his home. He built a research team that is the best on Mars. He has a message for you too, saying he would soon make a breakthrough in the application of the technology in space travel, and when that happens, he would be able to bring you a brand new state-of-the-art fleet.¡± Marcos said. Wusunaer had be one of the most important cities on Mars. It not only hosted the most advanced scientific research team, but was also the home ce of Wang Tong.

    Although there were a lot of cities waiting to be rebuilt, the life in the human territory had mostly returned to normal. In addition, the humans on Mars had never been so united in solidarity before.

    ¡°When are you leaving Wang Tong? I hope you wille back and visit us once you are done your business on the Earth.¡± Marcos said.

    ¡°Yeah, the city of Wusunaer always wees you,¡± Aamir added.

    Wang Tong nodded ¡°I will be back.¡± He had many good memories here on Mars, so he would definitelye back and visit the beautiful once his mission was over.

    Aamir and Marcos didn¡¯te alone, as they had also brought over twenty thousand soldiers to join the Martian united front¡¯s ranks. They had recruited these men from major cities as well as other factions that hadn¡¯t fullymitted to the war for the concern of their own safety. With the dark lord¡¯s death, the threat was gone. So, more and more cities sent out their defense forces to join Zambrotta and House Lie in the fight against the Zergs.

    After meeting with Aamir and Marcos, Wang Tong returned to his dorm, noticing that Mr. Wannabe had disappeared.

    As Wang Tong reflected on Mr. Wannabe¡¯s achievement, he marveled at the old pirate king¡¯s astute methods. Once he had donned the mask of the War God, he had quickly transformed his disguise into a soft power to motivate the soldiers around him. It only took him weeks to form the Order of the War God¡¯s Knight. The Knights of the order were well known, not only for their fearlessness and mettle during battles, but also their incredible ability to use double GN force.

    Wang Tong really wished that he could take the direwolves with him, since these beastlypanions were extremely useful during small-scale skirmishes. However, that would mean that the two hundred riders would have to follow him to the earth as well. Plus, in order to fit that many people, they would have to board a mid-size transport ship thatcked stealth capabilities, increasing the risk of being intercepted by the Zergs. In the end, Wang Tong decided to give up that idea and face the new difficulties with new weapons.

    The envoy from the Confederation space force had finally arrived.

    When the representatives met Wang Tong, they smiled at each other like old friends.

    It had been five years, and even Karl looked a lot different.?He was trying to hold back his tears but failed. Apache cast him a nce and smiled wryly. Samantha had ordered him to stay on the ship, but he had broken the order and sneaked onto Apache¡¯s ship.

    Apache¡¯s face had one addition scar, but other than that, he looked pretty much the same as five years ago.

    ¡°Wang Tong, tell us everything¡­We are very curious!¡± Apache asked.

    ¡°Yes, boss! Things are looking pretty good here, but on Earth...¡± Karl said with a big frown. Wang Tong¡¯s lips curved into a thin smile. ¡°I have been trying to break the bottleneck in my cultivation. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance before Patroclus. I have beente¡­I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°I have seen your fight against Moye¡­It was amazing!¡± Karl¡¯s fist pumped the air as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Moye is nothing. Wait until you see the battle between Patroclus and me. By the way, are you still this childish?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­Don¡¯t worry! Karl only acts like this when he is not in a battle. Once in a space fleet battle, he is calmer than a cat.¡± Apache remarked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t say! I have quite a reputation on my ship, especially among the girls.¡± Karl said readily.

    ¡°Apache, are you sure? Look at him! I bet he is still a virgin.¡± Wang Tong jested.

    Karl blushed and waved his arms. ¡°No, no, Apache, don¡¯t answer him!¡±

    Apache ignored him and replied: ¡°I have heard he is seeing someone from the third fleet. But, I don¡¯t know if they are actually dating. Karl usually makes things sound more serious than they really are.¡±

    ¡°Awe¡­I hate you Apache! By the way. I am not a virgin since a long time. ¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Sincest month!¡±

    The room was quickly filled with snickers andughter. At first, Karl was taken aback by people¡¯s reactions, but then he startedughing with the others.

    ¡°Jokes aside, what is your n, Wang Tong? The situation on the Earth is...beyond bad.¡±

    ¡°We need to act fast, but first things first, we need an able fleet.¡±

    ¡°I agree! Our ships are so run down we can barely sustain one more attack.¡± Karlined.

    ¡°We don¡¯tck talented officers, thanks to Samantha, but we don¡¯t have enough battleships to counter the Zergs¡¯ presence. Hopefully, things will start change after the Mars is finally liberated.¡± Apache said.

    ¡°That will only be a matter of time. House Lie and the Sect had been preparing for the final attack for a while now. However, I fear that the Immortals would not just sit around and let humans reim Mars.¡±

    ¡°Patroclus is not the actual ruler of Zergs. It is their mother supreme. With Moye¡¯s death, she might feel threatened by Patroclus, since she no longer has Moye to keep him in check. I wonder if the queen would allow Patroclus to extend his reach to Mars.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t count on their squabbles. I think out priority should be strengthening our own fleet using the disorganized Zerg fleet around Mars.¡±

    ¡°Using them as practice target?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the n. However, we need to be vignt against Patroclus¡¯ actions. We can¡¯t afford to fight at both fronts.¡±

    Wang Tong was not entirely sure what the Zergs¡¯ next move would be. However, he reckoned that his first task should be rebuilding a capable fleet so that he could return to Earth safely.

    ¡°I will introduce mypanions to you tomorrow, and we better start plotting our routes now. ¡±

    Apache didn¡¯t reply, dragging out the silence. Karl finally broke the spell and urged Apache, ¡°Come on! Spit it out!¡±

    Wang Tong furrowed his brows and asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯splicated. Although Samantha is the official admiral, the captains had divided into three factions. Don¡¯t be surprised to hear unweing voices when you get there.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Like what?¡±

    ¡°Our faction is the biggest one out of the three, and we control the same amount of ships as the other twobined. The leader of one faction is called Xiao Se, and he used to work for the chief councilor. The other faction belongs to house House Li, and their leader is a house member named Li Hong. Those two factions used to be rivals, but they are now partners because neither of them like the way Samantha handles things.¡± Apache said.

    Although Wang Tong was a powerful warrior, to those faction leaders, he was a soldier, and not a leader. Therefore, they would not willingly hand over their ships to him.

    Wang Tong smiled broadly and was scarcely concerned by the warning. ¡°Thanks for the heads up! I am sure we¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    ¡°I told you, boss wouldn¡¯t mind these trivial matters. Haven¡¯t you seen how cocky Lie Jian used to be? Now, even he has to work for the boss! Don¡¯t worry Apache, Boss will teach them some lessons. ¡±

 Chapter 643 - Interception

    <h4>Chapter 643: Interception</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    In the five years, Wang Tong didn¡¯t just improve hisbat prowess, but also his ability to think strategically. Li Feng had to learn that ability as well, although his situation was much better than that of the former. Li Feng had used the influence as the de Warrior and be friends with all the leaders of the five houses. Unlike his illustrative predecessor, Wang Tong not only had to deal with the enemy of the human world, but also enemies within. Even his real enemy, Patroclus, was much more difficult to deal with than that of Li Feng: the Zergs.

    Without proper preparation, Wang Tong would find taking any step difficult while the enemies on many fronts tried dismantling his n. However, he was ready after the five years of learning. His skills in statecraft were evident in his dealings with Thunder Fire and the other factions on Mars, big and small.

    If he had failed to nurture the rtionship with any one of the parties, the situation on Mars would have been entirely different. Wang Tong might still be able to gain control over the, but at a huge cost of the Martians¡¯ strength. The more factions Wang Tong destroyed in order to im the dominance, the less power he would have at his disposal to help Earth.

    The key was to draw a clear line between enemies andpetitors. If one faction was deemed as an enemy, Wang Tong would not let it exist on Mars.

    Karl, Apache, and Wang Tong talked throughout the entire night. Karl and Apache had introduced the general state of affairs to him, including the conditions of the fleets and his old friends. Even when they realized that the sun had risen, they felt that they could still keep going for another day.

    Ye Zi walked into the room and smiled, ¡°Breakfast time! Wang Tong, have you decided who will go with you?¡±

    ¡°Wow! Hey hot stuff, do you have a boyfriend?¡± Karl smiled like an idiot.

    ¡°Captain Karl, are all earthlings idiots like you?¡±

    ¡°You know my name?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Karl the Space Wolf, everyone knows you here.¡± Ye Zi smiled politely.

    ¡°Haha! I knew I would be popr one day!¡± Karl said as he shot Apache a smug nce which thetter shrugged off.

    ¡°This is the field medic Ye Zi.¡± Wang Tong introduced the girl to the two.

    The word field medic made Karl turn down a notch. He had heard of these mastery users from the sect, and rumors had it that they could light a man on fire¡ªliterately¡ªwith a snap of the finger.

    However desperate Karl was, he would never flirt with a girl he couldn¡¯t handle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and grab some breakfast. I will introduce my new friends to you. Karl had said that the Dark ones still have arge fleet around Mars. We shouldn¡¯t use too many ships at one time, and we should focus on fleetbat for now.¡±

    ¡°You have to bring me with you.¡± Ye Zi insisted.

    ¡°Fine, fine!¡± Wang Tong knew that he wouldn¡¯t win the argument, so he agreed. Plus, Ye Zi was a legendary level medic, and her skills were needed regardless of whether she was on a ship or on the ground.

    Ye Zi cracked a smile and followed Wang Tong to the breakfast station.

    Apache and Karl had received ardent weing from everyone at the camp. The two earthling warriors were shocked by these Martian warrior¡¯s levels. Apache had just reached level twenty-one, and he was considered one of the best fighters on the ship. However, here on Mars, the Legendary level warriors alone could fill a few tables.

    Karl was also shocked by the number of beautiful girls around the camp. He even saw his idol, the prettiest and the most gorgeous girl of all: Heidi.

    Heidi cast a courteous smile at Karl, and nearly making his heart skip a beat.

    As everyone enjoyed their breakfast with Wang Tong, they wondered who would be picked by Wang Tong to join him.

    ¡°Wang Tong, we have just built a new stealth ship of X-335 series. Despite its moderate size, it can amodate thirty passengers. I can pilot the ship and travel to earth with you.¡± Heidi said.

    ¡°Oh? Do we have enough time?¡±

    ¡°It is already here.¡± Heidi cracked a smile. She had started preparing for this journey a while ago.

    ¡°Boss, you have to take me with you!¡±

    ¡°Buzz off! I am more useful than you.¡±

    The crowd suddenly boiled over as everyone nominated themselves. It was difficult to tell who was talking what to whom. Wang Tong waved a hand, willing everyone to be quiet. ¡°Everyone, be quiet. I will prepare a list of names and post it this afternoon.¡±

    After the breakfast, Wang Tong picked up a pen and paper but couldn¡¯t write a single name for an hour. The X-335 was the best stealth ship he could ever shop for. It was reserved only for the royalties of the Kaedeians.

    Heidi couldn¡¯t operate the ship all by herself, so she would need at least another three co-pilots; that left only twenty-six spots on the ship. Wang Tong wanted to take Deep Blue with him, but it would take up at least ten persons¡¯ space. After mauling over the matter for a while, he decided to take Deep Blue with him anyway. The beast was too useful to be left on Mars. With Deep Blue, Karl, and Apache on board, there were only thirteen spots avable.

    But whom to fill the thirteen spots with?

    Yin Tianzong would have to stay on Mars since the Court would still need him to manage the branch here. Although the Earth and the moon were in a dire situation, Wang Tong could not ignore the importance of Mars. It was thest bastion of human civilization, and worth spending resources to strengthen its power.

    Xiao Yuyu, Ye Zi, Wu Ling, and Linda, the four field medics would be useful¡­check.

    Guan Dongyang was a mastery caster, so his power was limited in a space battle. However, Wang Tong doubted that he would be able to persuade him to stay on Mars¡­check.

    One name after another, Wang Tong finally finished the list. It included Vorenus, Tan Bu, Duo Lun, Lie Xuan, and some other warriors that Wang Tong had deemed worthy.

    Bu Zhihuo was not on the list. Although he was a powerful warrior, his band members would need his guidance. Xiao Libie was a renowned warrior on Mars, and assigning him to Mars would help the battle of driving out the remaining Zergs.

    Wang Tong had thought about Michaux as well. Although he was an integral part of the forbidden power spell, the environment in outer space would not allow mastery spells to be cast easily due to theck of natural forces. In addition, Michaux was tied up with matters in his sect, and therefore, he wouldn¡¯t be able to apany Wang Tong even if thetter had requested it. That being said, Wang Tong had enjoyed working with Michaux, and looked forward to fighting alongside him again. The feeling was mutual for Michaux as well. Michaux had made up his mind to transfer his authority to the Martian war council and join Wang Tong as soon as possible. He never liked to be the sect leader anyway.

    The situation didn¡¯t allow much dy, so Wang Tong and his chosen warriors took off on the X-355 the next day morning. In order to provide cover for their take-off, Samantha had waged a small attack to divert the Zergs¡¯ attention.

    Karl sat right beside Deep Blue was he was fascinated by this majestic beast.

    ¡°Boss, can I pat him?¡±

    ¡°You can try if you want to get eaten.¡± Wang Tong cracked a smile.

    The spaceship ascended quietly through the atmosphere of Mars and arrived in the outer space. It glided quietly like a phantom closer to the human fleet. Fearing the risk of being bitten, Karl let the beast alone and set his attention on the spaceship. In less than ten minutes, he had understood how the ship worked and remembered the locations of its keyponents.

    Suddenly, the siren went off. Although the x-355 was a stealth jet, it didn¡¯t mean that it would guarantee to slip under the Zergs¡¯ radar, particrly if they were prepared. A group of Zerg ships appeared in front of x-355, blocking its way.

    ¡°Can we make it?¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡± Heidi nodded and spoke through the inte. ¡°Hold on to something, everyone! It might get bumpy!¡±

    Wang Tong turned and gave Deep Blue a nod, who lowered himself to the ground and spread on all fours.

    ¡°Let me help you,¡± Karl said excitedly.

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    Heidi initiated the turbo charge function of the X-355 as the ship lunged through an opening in the Zergs¡¯ fleet. The Zerg ships hurried to turn around and chased after x-355. Soon, some Zerg ships were close enough to lock onto X-355, and they started firing.

    ¡°Level one evasion!¡± Heidi announced calmly. The spaceship started to spin and swirl to dodge the iing missiles while not losing any of its speed.

    The three co-pilots were handpicked by Heidi, and were all-star pilots from the Kaedeian force. Therefore, they had pulled off the evasion moves with ease and confidence.

    Samantha¡¯s attack had diverted the attention of the Zergs¡¯ main fleet; however, there were still hundreds of scout parties scattered around Mars, and Wang Tong happened to run into one of them.

    ¡°Hold onto your seat!¡±

    With a sudden boom of the powerful thrusters, the ship jerked forward in an abrupt eleration and gained significant distance from its pursuers before they could form an encirclement.

    Everyone¡¯s face paled as their stomach roiled and churned from the sudden and jerky moves.

    ¡°Are you getting motion thickness?¡±

    ¡°No, NO! ¡± Duo Lun gritted his teeth and denied despite his urge to puke.

    Karl checked the radar and realized that the Zergs were still hot on their heels.

    ¡°Let¡¯s shoot them down before they broadcast our location,¡± Karl said.

    ¡°No problem. Do you have space METAL?¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡±

    ¡°I will go with you.¡± Tan Bu volunteered.

    ¡°Hold your horses. You have never fought in the space before; it takes time to get used to.¡±

 Chapter 644 - New Strategy

    <h4>Chapter 644: New Strategy</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Apache announced with a serious tone. Although these warriors were legendary level warriors, they were not used to fighting in space.

    ¡°Your job today is to observe. Apache and I will take care of these Zergs.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Boss.¡±

    Apache studied the Kaedeian¡¯s space METAL carefully and realized how simr it was to the Ivantian¡¯s METAL suits. They used to both boast the finest quality of METAL suits, but now, only Kaedeian suits could be found in the human world. This piece of METAL had all the bells and whistles on it; Apache reckoned that it was a very solid piece of armor.

    ¡°What about you Wang Tong?¡± Apache asked.

    ¡°I am fine¡­Don¡¯t need those.¡± Wang Tong shook his head.

    Apache didn¡¯t ask any questions. He knew that the super Einherjars wouldn¡¯t need such protection; their understanding of the universe was drastically different than a normal warrior.

    The thought of fighting alongside Wang Tong gave Apache a sudden rush of blood. He wondered what kind of spectacr disy of power he might see.

    The spaceship darted out of Mars¡¯ outer space and charged toward Saturn¡¯s asteroid belt. It was an ideal location for space METAL fights.

    Unaware that it was a trap, the Zergs followed the X-355 closely.

    ¡°Five seconds before hyperspace¡­Four, three, two, one...¡±

    A white sh broke the dark space as the spaceship entered hyperspace, and the Zergs quickly followed suit. With the technology they had stolen from the Ivantians, the Zergs also possessed the ability to maneuver inside the hyperspace.

    ¡°Five minutes before we leave the hyperspace¡­Please be ready.¡± Heidi¡¯s calm and firm voice drifted out of the inte. The warped space and time continuum somehow didn¡¯t distort the Kaedeian Princess¡¯s musical voice. The Kaedeians were a space-faring race, and therefore, Heidi was unfazed by the routine of entering and exiting hyperspaces.

    Wang Tong could feel the agitation in Deep Blue; however, he wagered that these Zergs would be too weak of an opponent for Deep Blue.?As the countdown for exiting the hyperspace started, the warriors saw a bright light at the end of the hyperspace corridor. And before they knew it, they were out of the hyperspace andnding right in the middle of the asteroid belt.

    Heidi opened the shipping gate as Wang Tong donned the Einherjar Armor. Apache and Wang Tong jumped out of the ship while Carl readied the ship¡¯s weapon system, aiming directly at the hyperspace corridor.

    As soon as he saw the Zerg ships appearing through the threshold, he pulled the trigger and bombarded them all.

    The Zergs¡¯ traveled in a column formation, so as soon as the cannon fodder at the front took the hits, the battleships at the back spread out and around the human ship.

    Heidi was unflinching despite the Zerg ships crawling all over the radar. Her nerves were steely while her mind was as sharp as a knife. As her fingers danced over the control board, multiple weapons fired at the same time and set half a dozen Zerg ships on fire.

    Apache and Wang Tong threw themselves at the Zerg formation. Sensing the iing human soldiers, the space kamikaze Zergs swarmed at them, seeing which, Apache sped up and lured the swarm of suicidal Zergs away. The Zergs¡¯ battleship possessed no real advantages over the human counterpart in terms of weapon power. However, the Zergs had a nearly unlimited supply of kamikaze Zergs, which posed a serious threat to the human fleet.

    However, it was evident that the space kamikaze Zergs were not nearly as agile and powerful as their cousins on the ground. Hence, Apache was able to finish them off with ease.

    However, by the time Apache had finished clearing the way for X-355, the rest of the Zerg fleets had arrived and encircled the humans.

    Karl looked like entirely a different person as soon as he entered the battle mode. His eyes glinted as he focused on the radar. Heidi had some doubts about the power of this human captain; however, the cockpit was short staffed due to the limited space abroad. Therefore, she epted Karl¡¯s helping hand. But, it didn¡¯t take long before Karl¡¯s fluent skills and unrivaled talent started to impress Heidi; he was better than the best pilot she had ever seen. Therefore, she made a mental note to review the humans¡¯ space-faring capabilities thoroughly when this was all over.

    Suddenly, a sh of intense light broke out at oneer of the vast battleground. mes poured out of Wang Tong¡¯s body, attracting the Zergs to throw themselves at him like moths at a me. But, before these Zergs were able to get near, they were shot down by the angry mes.

    KOM!

    Over a dozen beams of firenced out with Wang Tong as the center, writhing across space like fire drakes and plunging into the remaining Zerg ships.

    Sensing the danger, the Zerg ships tried to evade, but only half of them were sessful. The sudden attack had thrown the Zerg formation into disarray. Seizing the opportunity, Heidi positioned the ship so that Karl could rain devastating fire onto the Zergs.

    A few minutester, the Zerg ships were all but destroyed.

    When Wang Tong and Apache went back into the spaceship, they both gave everyone a V sign for their easy victory.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Wang Tong announced.

    ¡°Aye aye, Captain!¡±

    Amidst everyone¡¯sughter, the spaceship traveled toward its destination. After another five hours of traveling, the human warriors finally saw the confederation¡¯s armada looming in the distance. On the gship, Samantha had been waiting impatiently for them for hours.

    ¡°Admiral, they are back!¡± An officer shouted.

    Samantha jumped out of her chair and announced, ¡°Ready for theirnding!¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡±

    The spaceship slowlynded on the docking tform. Tan Bu looked out of the window, and to his dismay, he didn¡¯t find any red carpet. Wang Tong walked out of the spacecraft and saw many old and new faces. Atst, his gaze rested on Samantha.

    ¡°Greetings, Principal.¡± Wang Tong saluted. Samantha managed to hold back the urge to embrace him as she said. ¡°Wee back, Wang Tong.¡±

    Perhaps Wang Tong had heard her wish, so he closed in and hugged Samantha like an old friend.

    ¡°Hi, Wang Tong.¡± Cao Yi spoke.

    Wang Tong let go of Samantha and pumped Cao Yi¡¯s hand vigorously.

    As Wang Tong¡¯s newpanions walked off the spacecraft, he introduced them to his old friends. With the greetings over, Deep Blue had quickly be the center of everyone¡¯s attention. The beast seemed to like it out here as he rolled around on thending tform and panted heavily from time to time.

    ¡°Karl, you as*shole! I was supposed to go, not you!¡± Ciscoined.

    ¡°It¡¯s, all the same, isn¡¯t it? I saved you a trip¡­Haha!¡± Karlughed.

    The Martian and earthling warriors soon hit it off. Many earthling soldiers peered at the Kaedeian warriors; their beauty was irresistible to the young men¡¯s eyes.

    Heidi didn¡¯t mind the ogling; she had already gotten used to it. Samantha assigned everyone their amodation, and she had to order the soldiers to clear out an unused gym to house Deep Blue due to its size.

    When the warriors regathered at the meeting room, Wang Tong was bombarded by questions as the ship crew¡ªmost of whom didn¡¯t know him¡ªwas curious as to how he could have turned the situation on Mars around so quickly. Some even suspected that Moye had not fully recovered when he had to face Wang Tong.

    Suddenly, the inte rang, announcing the visit of two captains: Xiao Se and Li Hong. Samantha nodded and turned on the screen. The screen was split into two down the middle, each side showing one of the two captains. Both of them looked to be in their forties. Lie Hong was a hulking giant with a broad face and a thicket of mustache, while Xiao Se was smaller and thinner inparison.

    ¡°Wee Wang Tong!¡± Li Hong¡¯s voice boomed.

    ¡°Wang Tong had been an academy student when he went missing. I propose to award him the rank of lieutenant, and the Peace Star for his contribution.¡±

    ¡°I second it! I happen to in need of a METAL lieutenant. Might as well assign him to me! Haha! ¡±

 Chapter 645 - Survival Of The Fittest

    <h4>Chapter 645: Survival Of The Fittest</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Samantha¡¯s face hardened after she heard thements. She could tolerate the two¡¯s ostentatious remarks at any time, other than right now in front of Wang Tong. Guan Dongyang and the other martian warriors furrowed their bows in displeasure as well. They came here to help the earthlings, not to be put under their servitude.

    ¡°Take it back! Wang Tong is the leader of the Martian united front, and you think the position of a lieutenant would be enough?¡± Lie Xuan piped up. She had learned to contain her fire over the time she had spent with Guan Dongyang. However, she could not manage to hold back her anger after hearing the insult.

    Xiao Se¡¯s smile froze on his face while fire burst out of Li Hong¡¯s mouth, ¡°Who the hell are you and who allowed you to speak while I am talking?¡±

    ¡°Captain Li Hong, my name is Lie Xuan, and I¡¯m with Guan Dongyang. We represent the Martian united front. If you don¡¯t need our assistance, we will just head back home. We didn¡¯te for you anyway; we are here for our leader Wang Tong.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to threaten me! We will liberate the Earth with or without you! Without busting our a*s and keeping Patroclus busy, Mars would never have been liberated.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? To me, it seemed like you had been chased around by Patroclus like a chicken. You are losing more ground on the Earth by the day, and you still think you can liberate it?¡±

    ¡°Followers of the Divine Mastery sect only listen to Wang Tong¡¯smand.¡± Xiao Yuyu kept it brief.

    ¡°We would listen to your orders if you were the one who had defeated Moye.¡± Some METAL warrior put in, and the rest nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I can speak for all the Kaedeians that we only follow Wang Tong¡¯s order.¡± Heidi finally broke her silence. Although she was sitting in the corner of the room, she had always been under everyone¡¯s attention.

    Kaedeians always had a special ce in humans¡¯ hearts, and every young soldier dreamed of sharing a bed with one of these dangerously beautiful female warriors. The Kaedeians were grateful for the de Warrior¡¯s decision of letting them settle on Mars, and they had repaid the humans with their sacrifice at the front line. Even when they were used as cannon fodder during a space battle, they never spoke up against the confederation. However, their servitude had limits too, and Heidi would not obey the order of any human she didn¡¯t trust.

    An awkward silence fell onto the meeting room. The two captains could ignore the METAL warriorsin, but they needed to heed the words from the leaders of the Sect and the Kaedeians.

    Finally, Samantha broke the spell. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask what Wang Tong thinks about this? Although he used to be an academy student, he is the leader of many powerful factions. I think he deserves to be heard.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to insinuate? Are you suggesting us to take orders from a foot soldier? I don¡¯t care if he is the heir of de Warrior or not,manding a fleet needs leadership skills, and not brute strength.¡± Li Hong piped up.

    Li Hong¡¯s words really got under the Martians¡¯ skins as a swell of discontented murmur rose from the meeting room. If Li Hong were with these warriors in person, he might have to call an ambnce right then.

    If Wang Tong were angry at the two cocky captains, he didn¡¯t wear it on his face. He cracked a calm smile and willed the soldiers to be quiet. Suddenly, even the most foolhardy Martian soldier sat down in silence.

    The two human captains were both shocked by the soldiers¡¯ obedience. They had initially thought the Martians fighters followed Wang Tong simply due to gratitude. However, they registered that they had followed Wang Tong¡¯s instruction as if it was their second instinct.

    ¡°Dear captains, I hope we don¡¯t get too caught up by my title, which is a trivial matterpared to our real mission. Please regard me as a foot soldier working under Admiral Samantha if you so choose. Both of you are renownedmanders, so I won¡¯t meddle in your affairs and will keep my own units close to myself. We share the same goal: to liberate the Earth and the moon. So, I hope we can work with instead of against each other.¡± Wang Tong said with a faint smile on his face.

    ¡°You can keep your Martian soldiers, but this fleet belongs to the Earthlings. So, you and your soldiers need to obey our rule andw!¡± Li Hong insisted.

    ¡°Of course! I will also support those decisions that I agree with.¡±

    ¡°What about those you don¡¯t agree with?¡± Xiao Se asked slowly.

    ¡°Captain Xiao Se, let me put it this way: I don¡¯t care about your fleet, neither do I want it. The Martians are building me a ten-thousand-sails strong armada equipped with the most advanced GN crystal technologies. You are an experienced leader, so you know what is best for everyone. As for those who dare to sabotage our n, I also have prepared many punishments for them.¡± Wang Tong held Xiao Se¡¯s gaze and announced his stern warning.

    Samantha kept her silence and let Wang Tong do the talking. She had turned over the report on Wang Tong¡¯s rise to power on Mars many times, and after each reading, her faith in him increased even more. After seeing what he had achieved on Mars, Samantha knew that no one on her ship was able to make him bend his knees. Li Hong and Xiao Se should be very careful now; if they were deemed by Wang Tong as too stubborn to work with, not even Samantha would be able to save them.

    The two captains were taken aback by Wang Tong¡¯s strong stance. They knew that he would be a tough nut to crack, but never would they have thought that he would threaten them, neither did they expect him to garner so much support among the Martians.

    It was evident by then that Wang Tong¡¯s victory over Moye was not a coincidence. If he couldn¡¯t lord over a, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill Moye.

    ¡°Hehe, our goal is the same. I understand where you two areing from. I will talk to Wang Tong about obeying our rules, please rest assured.¡± Samantha finally spoke up. Li Hong snorted and then turned the terminal off while Xiao Se managed a fake smile and said, ¡°I look forward to your good work!¡± before he turned off his Sk.

    ¡°Balls! Who does that? We are here to help, for god¡¯s sake!¡± Tan Bu said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so antsy, Tan Bu! Try to ce yourself in their shoes.¡± Wang Tong said.

    ¡°Well said! They both had concerns because they don¡¯t know Wang Tong as well as you do. Most people have never heard of him before. Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it!¡± Samantha said. Since she had put in her two cents, everyone else kept theirints unspoken.

    Cao Yi looked troubled: the two factions had been going so close that they would start to threaten Samantha¡¯s position. Despite the awkwardness, Wang Tong cracked a smile. He had already been warned about Samantha¡¯s trouble in exerting her authority before he had arrived. After everyone had left the meeting room, he heaved a sigh of relief, then turned to Samantha andplimented her, ¡®You look more attractive than ever.¡±

    ¡°Not as attractive as your army of secretaries¡­¡± Samantha said with an edge in her voice.

    ¡°I did nothing.¡± Wang Tong managed an innocent shrug. Samantha¡¯s sumptuous breasts under her firm uniform made his heart hammer.

    Wang Tong found an urge to press his face in between her bosom and shower her with his hot kisses. Samantha was different from all the other girls; she was his first love and had given him the first cut. First cut was always the deepest, but little did he know that this feeling was mutual.

    Since the confederation¡¯s armada had arrived on Mars, it wouldn¡¯t leave empty-handed. Therefore, the Zergs¡¯ space fleets came on Samantha¡¯s radar as she sought to eliminate them. However, that was easier said than done. Not only did the Zergs have an advantage in numbers, themander of the Zerg fleet was a powerful S level blood kin as well.

 Chapter 646 - Mission X-6

    <h4>Chapter 646: Mission X-6</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    After Moye had died, this S level dark one¡¯s ambition started to grow. His armada was one of the reasons that Patroclus still hadn¡¯t reached Mars yet. Despite Moye¡¯s death, thepetition between the dark ones and the immortals persisted.

    The Dark Lord¡¯s death had ushered in chaos, and chaos was adder. S-Zhoudi quickly realized that he could be the next dark lord if he yed his card carefully and turned the chaos into his favor.

    Zhoudi was delighted after that moment of epiphany. Fertilized by the dead body of his former master, Zhoudi¡¯s desire for power grew rapidly on the soil of greed.

    Once he eliminated the pestering human fleet, he should be able to swoop down on the Martians. He could feel that the supreme mother hadn¡¯t given up on them yet. She had worked industriously for countless decades to give birth to the dark ones, and she had been quite pleased with her creation until Wang Tong appeared. She was willing to give the dark ones more time. The dark ones had a special ce in the queen¡¯s heart because they didn¡¯t require a human host, and therefore, were 100% Zerg.

    In order to eliminate the human fleet, Zhoudi would have to get rid of Wang Tong. Once he could prove himself worthy, the queen would provide reinforcements with more ground force, so that he could retake Mars.

    Zhoudi had sent out all the scout units in order to locate the humans¡¯ armada; He had never been so excited about anything, the desire for power superseding the desire for blood.

    ¡°The Zerg scouts are everywhere¡­I think it is only a matter of time before they catch our whiff,¡± Samantha announced. Everyone noticed the change in her voice and fresh spruced up look.

    In the meeting room sat Samantha¡¯s advisers and Wang Tong along with his field medics. The rest of his crew were busy training, trying to adapt to the space fighting environment.

    The field medics had less to do in the spaceship battle than Wang Tong had expected, since the soldiers were protected by ships. Meanwhile, the mastery casters had met with a significant hurdle in harnessing any natural force from the space. So far, Wang Tong hadn¡¯t shed any light on their conundrum as he waited for the casters to figure it out themselves.

    Since Wang Tong¡¯s party was not familiar with the situation in space, they sat and listened carefully as Cao Yi and the other captains discussed the current issues. It soon became evident to Guan Dongyang that the Zergs had outnumbered them greatly. It was impossible to wage a full-scale attack on the Zergs, and the current aggression was limited to small skirmishes and harassment.

    After prolonged deliberation, the captains failed to formte a n on crushing the Zerg fleet. Samantha looked at Wang Tong and was amused by hisnguid posture.

    ¡°Wang Tong, what do you think of it?¡± Samantha shot him a nce and fluttered hershes.

    ¡°In order to eliminate the Zerg fleet, we need to fight them head-on.¡± Wang Tong said.

    ¡°We are outnumbered. How are we going to meet them ¡®head on¡¯?¡± Captain Sailuofu said, who was one of Samantha¡¯s loyalists. He was in the prime age of mid-thirties, and was head over heels for Samantha. Needless to say, he was not very pleased with Wang Tong¡¯s appearance. He had been chasing after Samantha for many years fruitlessly and tasted the bitter jealousy when he saw how much Samantha had changed after meeting Wang Tong. Sailuofu had heard rumors that she was in love with Wang Tong, but how was that possible? Sailuofu simply wouldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°You are right only if we fight in the conventional method of space warfare. Please turn on the star charts.¡± Wang Tong said. The Zergs had such a huge advantage that if the humans fought without deploying any tricks, there was no chance of winning.

    An officer brought out the star chart with locations of Zerg fleet mapped after tremendous scouting efforts.

    ¡°The Saturn¡¯s asteroid belt, that¡¯s where we will pick a fight with them.¡± Wang Tong said.

    The other officers furrowed their brows in disagreement. It was amon knowledge that the Zergs excelled in spacebats in clustered environments.

    ¡°Although we would be able to block the mother ships of the Zergs, those asteroids won¡¯t be able to stop the Zerg fighter jets. They are much better equipped than us in fighting in a confined space.¡± Sailuofu said disappointingly. He had hoped that Wang Tong would bring up some more constructive ideas. He wagered that if the humans¡¯ rank were swelled five times, they might have a chance against the Zergs within the asteroid belt. But, with such a limited number of jets, it would be suicide.

    Everyone looked to Wang Tong and waited for his reply. But, he didn¡¯t speak, dragging out the silence.?After a while, he finally broke the spell, ¡°That is all that I can think of.¡±

    A swell of dissatisfaction rose among the officers. The had expected Wang Tong to be more useful than that.?Samantha cleared her throat and said, ¡°We can¡¯t just sit around and wait. The Zergs¡¯ frequent activity suggests that they are on the move. We need to contain them as soon as possible. I willmunicate with Li Hong and Xiao Se on that matter.¡±

    Wang Tong was ordered to stay after the meeting was over.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Samantha asked bitterly.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile. ¡°Dear Admiral, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s in our best interest for me to disclose my n too early.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°However good my n is, I will need support, which seems non-existent. Plus, you don¡¯t want the n to be leaked out, do you? ¡±

    Despite being a neer on the ship, Wang Tong had already gotten a handle on the overall situation. He knew that without the support from Li Hong and Xiao Se, he wouldn¡¯t be able tomand the fleet effectively.

    Only in unity would his n work.

    ¡°Do you mean there¡¯s a mole among us?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. What I want to say is we have to solve the problem within our ranks first before we can make a move on the Zergs. I know you have been trying to strike a bnce among all factions, but it has directly led to theck of solidarity among your men.¡± Wang Tong said readily.

    Samantha smiled wryly. ¡°People are always the problem.¡±

    Wang Tong cracked a constory smile ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You have done a good job.¡±

    ¡°A good job?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Wang Tong nodded.

    Samantha had doubted herself, but Wang Tong¡¯s approval boosted her confidence. She could have doubted herself, but she would never question his judgment.

    ¡°What¡¯s your n? I am always with you.¡± Samantha pressed Wang Tong. She knew that he already had a solution, and had been testing her faith in him.

    ¡°How many of those X-6 light cruisers do we have in our fleet?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°A hundred or so under my direct control, and another hundred or so under those two d*ckheads.¡±

    ¡°One hundred should be enough. I need the best pilots. Can you hand pick them for me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make any more trouble for me! I don¡¯t want to hear Li Hong and Xiao Seining about you.¡± Samantha shot Wang Tong a searing nce.

    ¡°Why do you think I am here? Haha! Anyways, make sure you draft the best pilots and the sharpest shooters.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯tck good people. Don¡¯t you worry your pretty head about it.¡± Samantha said proudly. Over the years, she had trained many capable warriors who had gained tremendous experience during the war.

    After ironing out the details with Wang Tong, Samantha announced the initiation of the special mission: X-6

    ¡°Samantha, what is the meaning of this?¡±?It wasn¡¯t long before Samantha heard protests and questions rise around her.

 Chapter 647 - Admiralâ€™s Promise

    <h4>Chapter 647: Admiral¡¯s Promise</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Captain Xiao Se, this is a ssified mission with a special purpose.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? What special mission? Why haven¡¯t I heard about it?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­General Xiao Se, do I have to report to you on everything?¡±

    ¡°Is it about Wang Tong? Admiral, you need to keep a level head. Don¡¯t put all of our eggs in one basket.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! This is not a gamble. I have the right to approve every mission. And, I don¡¯t need to justify myself to you. I have only used a hundred X-6 jets, so none of your jets will be used.¡± Samantha said thinly.

    ¡°One hundred? Those X-6 pilots are our best men. We can¡¯t risk their lives and let an amateur lead them. I have to express my objection to your n officially.¡±

    ¡°We agree to disagree. I have already made up my mind. I will be fully responsible should the n fail.¡± Samantha said with resolution. She knew that she had to be assertive right then; otherwise, this n would never carry through.

    Lacking unchallenged authority within the fleet, Samantha needed to fight for every step she took. Xiao Se was surprised by how much she had changed. He could no longer push her around ever since Wang Tong arrived her ship.

    The promise of the mission¡¯s failure amused Xiao Se. He cracked a smile and then said, ¡°Would you please write what you just said down, so we have the record?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to threaten me? Fine, I will draw it down for you and make it official. However, during the operation, I will need your full cooperation.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Xiao Se answered readily. If Samantha failed, it would cost him nothing, but the failure would smear her reputation, giving him the opportunity to rece her

    It wasn¡¯t before long that Li Hong also called Samantha, huffing, and puffing. However, as soon as he got the official document indicating that she would be solely responsible for the defeat, he turned down a few notches immediately.

    Till this day, Li Hong regretted the infighting between him and Xiao Se which gave Samantha an opportunity to rise above them. Samantha was well known for her prudent and careful style, and therefore, she rarely gave the twopetitors any chance to smear her reputation. However, Wang Tong¡¯s arrival had emboldened her, making her more willing to take risks.

    The day of final liberation on Mars was near as humans prepared for their final attack. At this crucial moment, the Admiral of the Confederation would y a critical role. Whoever could sit on that spot would be remembered in history as the hero.

    Even if the Martians could have to build arge number of ships, they would still need pilots. The Martian united front would have to beg the confederation fleet for help since even during the peacetime, Martians were not well known for their pilots. Using these pilots as a bargaining chip, the admiral of the fleet could garner significant political clout on Mars.

    Having survived many political turmoils, Li Hong and Xiao Se were well aware of their situation and the opportunities.

    Meanwhile, Li Hong and Xiao Se were sitting on a sofa across from each other and sipping on their hot coffees.

    ¡°What do you think of it? Do you think Wang Tong has some trick up his sleeve?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it! We are in the space, so his power is practically useless. ¡± Xiao Se said disinterestedly.

    ¡°She has acted so recklesslytely. How disappointing! I can¡¯t believe she would be influenced by one of her subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Li Hong, why are you still on her side? She is a woman, so it was in her nature to be carefully but easily influenced by...¡±

    ¡°By what?¡±

    ¡°By love.¡±

    ¡°So, the rumors are true?¡±

    ¡°You tell me. Have you ever seen her smile so many times during a meeting? And that new makeup on her face... She is head over heels for that dipsh*t, and she is in no condition to be the admiral!¡± Xiao Se said hotly.

    ¡°We need to stop that boy. We can¡¯t just sit around and let him destroy our fleet.¡± Li Hong said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y by the ear. He is regarded as a hero on Mars, and it¡¯s unwise to butt heads against him when he is strong. Let¡¯s wait until theye back from their mission. If he fails, we will then act.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Thank gods that they only used light jets. If they were to use space cruisers, they better cross my dead body first.¡±

    ¡°I have heard some good newsing from the Earth. What a relief!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say! I never expected Li Zhedao¡¯s death would end up being a blessing in disguise. The soldiers¡¯ spirits have risen after his death, and I bet Patroclus is injured too.¡±

    ¡°So I have heard. This is our best opportunity.¡± Xiao Se nodded. Their alliance was emblematic of the close tie between House Li and the council.

    Li Zhedao¡¯s sudden death had crippled House Li¡¯s influence; therefore, they had to improvise an alliance with the new rising power, the councilors. Xiao Se was one of the high ranking councilors, and he would rece Samantha as the Admiral should she prove to be unworthy. In honoring their alliance, he would appoint Li Hong as his first mate.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong had started to organize the X-6 fleet. The news had ted Karl and Cao Yi as they rolled up their sleeves and were ready to fight. However, their enthusiasm was not shared by everyone, since everything was carried out in secrecy, where doubts started to breed.

    The X-6 jets were highly maneuverable small fighter jets. But, due to their size, they had very limited capacity in dealing withrger ships. Therefore, they were mainly used for scouting missions. It was difficult to imagine that Wang Tong would be able to change the course of the war with only a hundred of such weak force.

    No one knew what Wang Tong was nning. Although they knew of his incredible prowess, how much of his power could be used during spacebat was yet to be seen.

    Bisu and sh also joined Wang Tong¡¯s mission. Although they were not directly within Samantha¡¯s purview, they were not only sick of the infighting, but also eager to help their old friend.

    The two fleetmanders had attempted to work closely with Samantha for a while, and Wang Tong¡¯s appearance had provided them such an opportunity.

    When the older veterans were blinded by their petty political games, the young soldiers who were not burdened by such selfish thoughts were able to see things much clearer. The Zergs posed a threat to the very existence of human race; it was not the time to dawdle on meaningless politics.

    They conceded that they had very limited resources to change the way their captains viewed things, and the best they could do was fight for the cause that they believed in.

    ¡°sh, do you really have to drag me into this?¡± Bisu smiled wryly. Their actions meant severing their ties with House Li.

    sh was unfazed by the question. ¡°It¡¯s about time to make this decision. Don¡¯t you remember why we joined the fleet?¡±

    Bisu smiled wistfully and then said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t change other peoples¡¯ mind, but we can lead by example. I know Wang Tong¡­he wouldn¡¯t start a mission unprepared. You and I know better than anyone that Wang Tong is apetent spacemander. Don¡¯t you remember how he defeated us at the tournament?¡± sh asked.

    ¡°Those old foxes won¡¯t count the tournament as a legit experience.¡±

    ¡°Legit experience... hehe...¡± sh was amused as he mauled over the words. He shook his head and then grinned wryly as hemented that experience had be a tool for the captains to secure their positions. General Li Hong was a capablemander; however, he had failed to see the big picture¡ªhis experience had failed him after all.

    ¡°What do you think Wang Tong is up to? What could he do with only a hundred fighter jets?¡± Bisu asked. He never doubted Wang Tong¡¯s abilities, but one could not make brick without straw.

    Samantha had vouched for Wang Tong¡¯s n so unequivocally that she would resign from the position should Wang Tong fail. This seemingly foolhardy move was necessary to convince the other captains and gain their support.

    sh¡¯s eyes glinted as his mind raced. ¡°I bet you that these hundred jets are just a lure. He has something else in store for the Zergs.¡±

    ¡°Same here. Weck reinforcements, so we need to be very careful and not lose any of our ships in vain. The Zergs know our weakness, and they are trying to turn it into their advantage.¡±

    ¡°Our problem right now is that we had focused too much on our enemies¡¯ strength, so much so that we have forgotten ours,¡± sh said slowly.

 Chapter 648 - Martian Brutes

    <h4>Chapter 648: Martian Brutes</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Despite their young age, sh and Karl were both paragons of skills and talent among the fleetmanders. However, their reputation was limited only in the technical field.

    If sh were themander in chief, he would not allow the armada to simply sit around in the name of ¡®preserving strength¡¯. What human force needed right then were real actions that produced real results. However, such actions also meant taking risks. Over the five years, the human fleet had been circumspect and distant from any risk-taking actions. This approach had maintained the strength of the Armada, but also lost many opportunities to make meaningful progress.

    Risk and reward were two sides of the same coin, and one could not look for one while ignoring the other.?That being said, sh was certain that he had made the right decision this time.

    ¡°Judging by the makeup of the fleet, it¡¯s more likely than not that we are going to wage a harassment tactic on the enemy. The point is not to damage the opponent, but to lure them to the location where Wang Tong wants them to be.¡±

    ¡°True that! But, if I were him, I wouldn¡¯t expect the armada to provide him any assistance fire.¡±

    ¡°The key is in unpredictability, to confuse the Zergs and catch them by surprise constantly.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­I think we should stop guessing and simply wait for a couple of days to see what Wang Tong has in store for us. Damn, it¡¯s been a while since I was so excited about a mission.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it! It¡¯s about time!¡± sh smiled broadly. He had served House Li long enough to pay back the debt he owed. He took no joy in working for House Li, but now, he could finally work for someone who he really supported: Wang Tong.

    sh¡¯s involvement was sensational news among themanders. At first nce, his decision seemed to have gone against the grain of his pragmatic and prudent personality.

    Preparation of the mission had stirred things up; everyone was talking about Wang Tong¡¯s n. What would be done with such a small force? Theck of diversity in the fleet¡¯sposition made his n of attack sound almost absurd. Meanwhile, Wang Tong was having a good time reuniting with his old friends and carrying out the preparation at his own pace.

    While the METAL warriors from Mars were getting used to space METALbat, Wang Tong decided to teach the casters how to harness the natural force from the nothingness of the space.

    The five legendary warriors¡ªGuan Dongyang, Xiao Yuyu, Ye Zi, Wu Ling, and Linda¡ªfollowed Wang Tong¡¯s lead as they slowly channeled their soul energy to tap into the primordial force in the space. When they finally felt the raw and silent energy resting around them, the casters¡¯ hearts were filled with awe.

    Unlike the energy present on any, these energies were silent and raw. Theycked any attributes as their counterparts, and all energy pooled together to form a reservoir of cid and boundless power. Due to its unthinkable magnitude, even a small ripple in this sea of energy was enough to devour an unskilled caster.

    For the sake of those five casters¡¯ safety, Wang Tong had protected them with his soul essence. When the five of them finally opened their eyes and beheld the vast vista of endless energy, they were trembling with fear and excitement.

    Guan Dongyang grimaced and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can handle it.¡± He was shaken with fear before the power at the disy. Although he was one of the best casters in the human world, he scarcely dared to channel his soul energy anywhere near the deadly silence.

    Wang Tong knew he could not rush them; this was a challenge they had to ovee by themselves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a rest for now.¡± Wang Tong announced and then pulled back his soul energy. The rest of the caster followed suit, and afterward, they filed back into the ship.

    Although they were not METAL warriors, they had sufficient soul energy to yield the space METAL with ease. Truth be told, the environment in space was more facilitating than that on a due to itsck of gravity. Should the warriors learn to tap into the primordial forces, they could unleash spells ten times more powerful than on Mars.

    The five casters returned to the ship, worming themselves out of the space METAL. Their faces were pale as a parchment paper as fear still gripped their nerves. They had been staring at the calm sea of primordial force for over an hour, and no one moved a muscle.

    Wang Tong conceded that he could not do anything to help them at this point. He possessed the soul essence which alleviated, if not canceled, the overwhelming fear before the primordial power. Therefore, although he knew how the casters felt, he did now know how they could cope with it.

    ¡°Wang Tong, why don¡¯t you check on Vorenus and his crew> We need some time to reflect. Balls! It¡¯s so embarrassing. I know exactly what to do, but I can¡¯t help but panic!¡± Guan Dongyang very rarely let fear override his body topletely. He was level twenty three, and Xiao Yuyu was level twenty-two, while the other two casters were at level twenty one. Since he had the highest achievement out of all three casters, he had to be the first one to try.

    Inside the gym, Vorenus and his crew were training in zero gravity chambers. Their activities had garnered a lot of spectators.?Apache was sparring with Vorenus; although thetter was one level higher than Apache, thetter had significantly more experience in spacebat. Vorenus reckoned that it would not be an easy battle, and he would have to get used to the zero gravity as soon as possible in order to prevail.

    Many people wanted to spar with the Martians; their reputation as the deadliest warriors on Mars spurred the earthling soldiers to challenge them.

    As soon as Wang Tong walked into the training room, a pin drop silence fell into the gym. The officers on board were mostly from two categories: the METAL warriors and themanders. Most METAL warriors were awestruck after seeing Wang Tong¡¯s fight against Moye. However, mostmanderscked the skills to appreciate his finesse and prowess.

    Wang Tong was caught off guard by the sudden silence and thought that he had walked into the wrong room at the wrong time. Even as he was about to turn on his heels, a swell of apuse erupted and filled the room. Wang Tong cracked a smile in return.

    One would always find someone who appreciated their work, so one couldn¡¯t give up!

    ¡°Wang Tong, why don¡¯t you show us your moves?¡± Apache smiled broadly.

    ¡°I think you are feeling itchy. Let me scratch it for you.¡± Wang Tong jested.

    ¡°What? Being scratched by the most fearsome warrior in the universe? Suits me! Haha! Come one!¡± Apacheughed. It was a perfect time to let Wang Tong impress the space METAL warriors on the ship.

    ¡°No worries, I would dly scratch the thick hide of yours¡­Haha! ¡°Wang Tongughed as he climbed on to the sparring stage.?Tan Bu watched as Wang Tong hopped right into the zero gravity zone. He had taken a beating from the space warriors during training. Despite his superior power, it had been difficult for him to adjust to the gravity. Nheless, he didn¡¯t give up and kept on finding ways to handle the curveballs the environment threw at him constantly.

    The space warriors had been really hard on their Martian visitors, but it wasn¡¯t long before empathy bested their ego and they started to slow down. The Martians¡¯ pained faces reminded them of their gruesome training while they first joined the fleet. It had taken a month to get used to fighting in the space eventually; however, these Martian soldiers had only days at most.

    Standing before Wang Tong, Apache pulled a serious face. When they first met five years ago, the two warriors¡¯ power was at par with each other. However, five yearster, even Apache conceded that victory was impossible for him.

    The warriors cheered for their champion. Apache attacked first, his firsting at Wang Tong with the same ferociousness of a sr storm. Apache had improved his fighting techniques a lot over the five years by matching the moves to his strength. His attack came at Wang Tong from all directions, leaving thetter nowhere to evade.

    Wang Tong countered Apache¡¯s moves with equal measure of aplomb and repose, being able to block attacks from all directions with ease.?He knew Apache¡¯s fighting style like the back of his hand. Thetter had spent half of his life training in the military, so Wang Tong knew Apache¡¯s attacks would be direct and open like most military fighting styles. Compared to thebat moves five years ago, Apache¡¯s attacks were even more to the point and upromisingly straightforward.

    If the soldiers were to learn anything from the two warriors sparring, they would have learned it from Apache instead of Wang Tong, since thetter was way above their league. Copying Wang Tong¡¯s move without truly understanding what it meant would be a hindrance rather than help.

    The heat of the battle quickly cracked up amidst cheers and shouts. After a while, Apache finally released his coup de grace: Starlit sh!

    His GN force burst out around him, turning into shes of intense lights, each sh being a deadly sh of de aura aimed at Wang Tong.

    Suddenly, the shes were gone as if Wang Tong had snuffed them at the same time¡ªhe did, but no one was fast enough to catch him doing so.

    Apache grimaced, ¡°Well, that was embarrassing.¡± He turned to face his space warriors and remarked in a booming voice, ¡°Behold, this is the power of the heir of de Warrior, the hero who had killed Moye with ease. I have known him for many years, and he has yet to let me down. I will follow him to liberate our people! What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The soldiers shouted in unison.

    The METAL warriors valued strength more than anything. After Wang Tong¡¯s impressive disy of strength, he had quickly won the hearts of all METAL warriors, further solidifying his position.

    In the days that followed, Wang Tong took his time and handpicked each and every one of the team members with the help of Karl and sh. Skills and talents were not the only requirements to be drafted into Wang Tong¡¯s team since he also expected his pilots to be extremely disciplined and good team yers.

    Samantha had made sure that they could choose anyone into any position that seemed appropriate without considering their rank and experiences.

    Karl and sh didn¡¯t miss that opportunity to shake things up. They had promoted a few lieutenants to the rank of captains, and gave them each a former captain as their first mate.

 Chapter 649 - Soaring Eagle

    <h4>Chapter 649: Soaring Eagle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Just like what Wang Tong had told them, they picked only the best and didn¡¯t care about anyone¡¯s feelings. The other captains quickly raised the ante against Karl¡¯s drafting method. They imed that the chaos it had stirred up would adversely affect the progress of the war. They presented their evidence, some of which was even legit.

    However, nothing would stop Wang Tong at this point, and he was confident that he would seed.

    Seeing that Karl had followed Wang Tong¡¯s instructions to the letter, sh quickly followed suit. After so many years, these academy students didn¡¯t let the world round their edges; instead, they became more willing to fight for their dreams, even if that meant stepping on someone.

    Wang Tong had disclosed the full details of the operation to him, and sh was grateful for his trust. There had been rumors that sh was actually a spy, and the goal of his operation was to see to the human¡¯s failure. However, Samantha and Wang Tong disregarded the rumors and assigned him a central role in this operation.

    sh knew they wouldn¡¯t believe the rumors because Wang Tong knew who what kind of person he was: he was a true friend. If sh could get Wang Tong the sess of this mission, he would pay anything for it, including his life.

    While the fleet was formed slowly, Wang Tong continued to help the mastery warriors and the casters in getting used to spacebat. This had continued for a month, and Wang Tong seemed to have done nothing but training. Even the rtively inactive armada had carried out a couple of harassments on the Zerg fleet, but the newly formed special force had done nothing.

    While Wang Tong trained the soldiers, Karl and sh were busy cobbling together a perfect tram. They were excited by the rare chance to flex their leadership muscles. For the first time, they could make up the team and attack ns all by themselves, just like real fleetmanders would.

    sh didn¡¯t expect to y such a key role in this operation when he first joined Wang Tong, and neither did he expect to have so much freedom to turn his dream team into realization. Although he and many other new graduates had been promoted to high ranks, the very few generals were still the ones that made the call.

    sh and Karl had very simr experiences, and therefore, they shared a lot ofmon grounds. They hit along every quickly and formted ns of attack based on the information they had.

    On the eighth day of their preparation, a small shipnded on the ship, and the passenger was a handsome young man dressed in in white.

    He was the Divine Master of the Divine Mastery sect, Michaux.

    He hade to Wang Tong¡¯s assistance as soon as he had finished the business within the sect. The arrival of such a renowned warrior had caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    Ever since Wang Tong started organizing his own fleet, Samantha had been bombarded with questions. Many leaders of the armada med her for her recklessness to give permission for a group of ¡°children¡± to dismantle the status quo on the ships.

    Samantha would be lying if she said that the situation was not stressful. However, she was ready to take on the challenge and support Wang Tong until the end. She was pleasantly surprised by Michaux¡¯s visit, and thought that he would provide the fleet officers some much-needed diversion.

    However, Michaux had not seen anyone other than Wang Tong and his crew ever since he arrived, outrightly ignoring the invitations for all theworking events.

    ¡°What took you so long, Michaux?¡± Wang Tong asked a smile. Wang Tong had met some roadblocks while helping the casters in oveing their fear of the primordial forces, and he eagerly needed Michaux¡¯s help.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would miss me. How is the confederation fleet? Have they given you enough grief yet?¡±

    ¡°Are you here to just watch as they put me down?¡±

    Michaux nodded and then smiled mischievously. ¡°I would love to see it. Haha! What is it?¡±

    ¡°Guan Dongyang and the other casters can¡¯t ovee the fear for the primordial power. My help hasn¡¯t been very useful.¡± Wang Tong went straight to the point. He and Michaux were the only two in the meeting room as Samantha had dismissed everyone else.

    There had been too many people who wanted to visit Michaux. Ever since the death of Lie Jintian, the Sect had be the most influential faction on Mars. Therefore, from a political point of view, whoever befriended Michaux would have befriended the entire. However, Michaux was not interested in making friends; he was here for business.

    Michaux nodded. ¡°Hehe, see? Being too talented is not always good. You must not have had to deal with such a hurdle, since you had the soul essence. However, it is one of the most difficult lessons for ordinary mastery casters. It is much more difficult than getting used to the zero gravity. The universe is boundless, and so is the primordial sea. So, the fear of getting lost in the sea is indeed real. You didn¡¯t have to worry about it because you were guided by your soul essence.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s what I thought as well. But how do we solve the problem at hand? How do we help them?¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me¡­I will help them. ¡±

    ¡°Perfect! The X-6 special force is nearlyplete, and this is thest piece of the puzzle.¡± Wang Tong smiled as he was relieved.

    Once Wang Tong finished talking with Michaux, he found Karl and sh and listened to their n of attack. Wang Tong had heard that they had shuffled people around and used only people whom they trusted.

    ¡°Wang Tong, this is the n Karl and I had formted over the days. We have wagered that your intention is to lure the Zergs out of their hiding spot, so we went along that direction in our n.¡± sh said excitedly. He was eager to see how this n would fare when they put it to test. Although the special force was a small unit, its members were a closely knitted group. The more time they spent on the battlefield together, the more powerful the team would be.

    ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t have any specific goal, and I only expect one thing from you: make the Zergs hate you so much that they would chase after you on sight. As for your n, I have only one question: how long does it take to execute your n?¡±

    Karl nced at sh and said, ¡°If you just want the Zerg to hate us, I wager it would take less than ten days for us to piss them off. However, within those ten days, we need to focus on our n, and cannot take any side quests. Name us themanders of the fleet and I guarantee you that the Zergs would hate the X-6 special force to the bone.¡± sh and Karl looked to Wang Tong expectantly, enthusiasm burning in their eyes.

    ¡°You have fifteen days, and yes, I hereby give you two the fullmanding power over the X-6 special force. Do whatever it takes, and you don¡¯t need my approval while you are out there.¡± Wang Tong announced.

    Karl and sh were convinced that their task would eventually lead up to the killing blow that Wang Tong had prepared for the Zergs. They felt honored for being trusted to lead such a meaningful task.

    ¡°You can count on us! sh and I had been studying the star charts every night to familiarize with the region, and with those tough SOBs we have picked, I promise we will hit the Zergs hard! I will make them grit their teeth and clench their fists at the mere mention of our names!¡± Karl announced forcefully and pounded his chest.

    ¡°Very well! Stay focused on your task and know that Samantha and I are looking after the Armada. Call me if you need me, I am always here for you two. I believe in you!¡± Wang Tong said candidly.

    The three of the linked their hands and pumped them vigorously.

    ¡­

    On the ninth day, the X-6 fleet embarked on their journey to carry out the task that was still shrouded in mystery. The instigator of all recent upheavals and changes in the armada, Wang Tong, didn¡¯t join the X-6 fleet. Instead, he remained focused on training the Martians as if he had nothing to do with X-6¡¯s mission.

    Wang Tong was the one who had insisted on the X-6 mission; however, he had left two soldiers with nomanding experiences in charge of the mission. Many generals felt it was not only reckless, but also insulting.

    Meanwhile in the Zerg fleet, Zhoudi was reveling in his life as the suprememander in and around Mars¡¯ outer space. His lower rank counterparts showered him with respect and servitude, and his joy had strengthened his resolve to destroy the human fleetpletely.

 Chapter 650 - Unlimited Potential

    <h4>Chapter 650: Unlimited Potential</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Zhoudi knew that Wang Tong was a force to be reckoned with, since even the Dark Lord was not able to ovee him. He was certain that he could not stand a chance while fighting against thetter one on one. However, he also realized that he didn¡¯t have to. He was in space, and space battles rarely involved personalbat.

    Hemented on how stubborn the Dark Lord had been to meet the human devil head-on. If Zhoudi were him, he would drag out the war and avoid direct contact with Wang Tong. What use would Wang Tong be if the Zergs slowly killed off the rest of the humans until there were none left?

    However, if the former dark lord weren¡¯t that stupid, Zhoudi would never have a chance to sit on his spot. Standing in the observatory, Zhoudi swirled the Merlot in his crystal cup and looked out at his formidable armada, a smile breaking out on his face. He found himself falling even deeper into the obsession with this vista. He no longer missed the damp and clustered hive where he was born; instead, he enjoyed the open space and being surrounded by the marvels of modern technologies.

    ¡°Suprememander, the Divine Lord has sent us a message.¡±

    ¡°Speak,¡± Zhoudi said annoyingly. Patroclus was getting under his skintely as he kept on sending condescending messages to him as if he was his superior.

    ¡°The honorable Divine Lord,mander of the Immortals, would like to¡­¡±

    ¡°Get to the point!¡± Zhoudi said hotly.

    ¡°Yes... He said we need to be careful about Wang Tong. He said Wang Tong is not an ordinary human.¡±

    ¡°Not an ordinary human? Haha! Patroclus is afraid because Wang Tong had defeated him once.¡±

    ¡°Patroclus said Wang Tong is as powerful as ten armadas.¡± The messenger said sheepishly.

    Zhoudi snorted. ¡°Ridiculous! Ten armadas? Don¡¯t mind him, he is too scared! Write a reply for me, tell him that his caution was noted.¡± Zhoudi waved in dismissal.

    The dark one was too afraid to say anything else, so he left the room quietly.

    As soon as the dark one was out of sight, Zhoudi was seized by an outburst of anger, squeezing the winning cup until it had shattered. Merlot and his blood mixed together, trailing down from his palm. Patroclus¡¯ message and had spoiled his good mood; however, he reckoned the urgency to gain the approval of the queen mother supreme as soon as possible before Patroclus got more involved in his business. In order to do that, he would have to do away with Wang Tong as soon as possible. If he were to gain the mother supreme¡¯s approval, he would have gained enough influence to cast Patroclus out of the Zergmunity.

    ¡°Bunch of fools! I will find the human fleet even if they are hiding in a ck hole.¡± In a fit of rage, he immediately announced an order to the Zerg scouts: no one was to return to the base before they had found out where the humans were hiding.

    The Zerg scouts were great in numbers; however, space was boundless, and their size was like peanutspared to the space they had to cover. However, just as the Zerg scouts were ready to throw up their hands and give up the search despite the repercussions, a small human fleet surfaced on their radar: a ticket to home!

    The scouts raced against each other toward the human fleet, trying to im the victory first so that they could go home. In a matter of hours, over five thousand ships had surrounded the X-6 fleet, and the battle broke out immediately.

    Karl didn¡¯t avoid the battle despite being outnumbered. Not only did he have full confidence in his micro control, but also in his team members. He had made sure of that in the screening process. It was the first time for many of those soldiers tomand a ship; therefore, they were all eager to put their skills to the test.

    The X-6 fleet adopted a two-prong formation as they charged toward the Zergs, Karl and sh leading the charge on each side. The battlested only ten minutes, and the X-6 had gained a decisive victory.

    The battle had filled the space with tattered spaceships, but there was not a single X-6 unit in the graveyard of spaceships. The sight had ted the human soldiers as cheers erupted on all ships. As the battle finally let go of its hold on Karl and sh, the twomanders realized that they were both drenched in sweat.

    Even though they were confident in their abilities, it was the first time they hadmanded a fleet by themselves, and they were understandably nervous. Their stress was shared among all the other new captains. Stress was not a bad thing as it made one more alert and quicker to react. As a matter of fact, their victory was, in part, due to their properly tempered and controlled stress.

    ¡°Pull back!¡± sh announced firmly. His voice was filled with arresting confidence, and no longer did he sound like a nascent fledgling. His feathers were fully grown, and it was time for him to soar. Under hismand, the X-6 fleet had zero casualties after such an intense battle. The X-6s cracked up their thrusters and evacuated the battle zone before the Zergs¡¯ main fleet arrived.

    ¡°Karl, I had a moment of epiphany during the battle. Maybe we should be more aggressive in order to achieve even greater victories.¡±

    ¡°I told you so! Don¡¯t let those bitter and sour middle-aged men drag you down. They are politicians, and we are the warriors. It¡¯s time to make a change in the world.¡± Karl spoke candidly. He never put a filter on when he spoke, and neither did he care. He knew that the world did not need politicians; instead, they needed warriors like him.

    Both Karl and sh were formidable warriors, particrly when they were able to focus on their task. Their concentration and devotion were the sources of their power.

    As they looked into the boundless space from their cockpit, they felt that the opportunities for them out there were as many as the stars in the universe, so many unknowns waiting to be discovered. Even during its heyday, the Zergs had failed to conquer the universe due to its mind-breaking vastness.

    The sky was the limit only if one stayed on a; here in the space, imagination was the only real limit.

    Zhoudi was riled up when he heard that the human fleet had pulled away as soon as it had defeated his scouts. After he had vented his anger, he reflected on the incidence. That was when he discovered that the human fleet consisted entirely of light fighter jets. These new fighters jets had limited ammunition capacity and were not a threat torger ships. The could be a nuisance at best, and what a messy nuisance they were! Only Wang Tong was able to pull it off. The unconventional strategy was never seen before in Zhoudi¡¯s many years of fighting against the humans; it had to be Wang Tong, the new variable. How naive was he to think that he could fool him with the same ploy that he used against Moye?

    ¡°Immediately order the six fleets to spread out into a hexagonal formation at full speed ahead!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±

    Zhoudi¡¯s patience was wearing thin, the promise of gaining the mother supreme¡¯s trust spurring him forward.

    The hexagonal formation spread the Zerg ships out to cover as much space as possible. Although the increased distance between ships meant that ships on each side of the formation would be on their own, it was extremely effective in forming an encirclement once it had spotted a smaller target.

    Meanwhile on the confederation ship, Guan Dongyangughed for the first time in days: he had finally ovee his fear and tapped into the primordial force. He owed his sess to the patient guidance of Michaux.

    ¡°Define an anchor point¡­That way, you won¡¯t get lost.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s called a soul anchor! It could be an object, a piece of memory, or a distinct emotion.¡± Michaux said.

    ¡°Well, let me guess, your anchor is the pursuit of the divine path?¡± Wang Tong asked with a smile.

    Michaux shook his head. ¡°Not really. My anchor point was the Sect. That is where I grew up.¡±

    ¡°Mine is my wife, Lie Xuan.¡± Guan Dongyang put in.

    On the other side, the girls blushed, and Wang Tong could tell that their anchor were some secrets. Meanwhile, in a meeting room on Li Hong¡¯s ship, Li Hong and Xiao Se were sharing a drink together.

    ¡°What the hell is Wang Tong up to? It has been two weeks, and he has done nothing yet!¡±

    ¡°Who knows! The report said the Martians are building us quite a fleet. Time for us to fight back is near.¡± The two generals chatted and sipped the drink in their hands. Their priority right then was to preserve strength and take over the Martian fleet when it was finished.

    ¡°I have underestimated Karl and sh. They have already won more battles than their employer.¡± Li Hongmented. He was not thrilled to learn the news of sh¡¯s ¡®betrayal¡¯. Li Hong had high hopes for him, but it seemed that sh still needed a few doses of reality to quell his idealistic mind.

    ¡°They are just of average talent, but their performancetely was worthy of note. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have reinforced them with our own units.¡± Xiao Se smiled. While Karl and sh were making progress, he had weighed in and sent them 100 X-6 units under hismand. He was betting on both sides. If Wang Tong really seeded, he would have at least some credit due to his assistance.

 Chapter 651 - Hang In There

    <h4>Chapter 651: Hang In There</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The attractive field medics that apanied Wang Tong everywhere had attracted many soldiers¡¯ attention. The way they stared at Wang Tong and fluttered theirshes convinced everyone that all four medics had something for him.

    There were the attractive four medics, and there was Heidi. Her beauty was not for the mortals¡¯ eyes. Luckily, she was with Karl and sh on the X-6 mission, so the human soldiers wouldn¡¯t have to stomach the envy of watching Wang Tong and the goddess¡¯ interactions.

    All the space warriors worshiped Wang Tong as their hero; however, the officers didn¡¯t share the soldiers¡¯ admiration. Themanding officers were all full of themselves and snobby toward the METAL warriors on their ships, much less an outsider such as Wang Tong.

    There were even rumors about something fishy going on between Wang Tong and Samantha. The two generals were very pleased by the spreading of these rumors; their smear tactics had worked well.

    Samantha had kept her silence before the rumors, and Wang Tong didn¡¯t seem to care a wee bit about it either. As they said, one must be doing sometime right when one became the target of jealousy.

    ¡°Have you got a handle on it?¡± Wang Tong asked, and the six casters nodded their heads.

    ¡°Wang Tong, you have given me so much grief. I suck at pretty much everything except for the fire element.¡± Guan Dongyang smiled wryly.

    ¡°You are more powerful than you think. There is something else you could try, called¡­¡±

    Guan Dongyang cut Wang Tong short with a wave of the hand. ¡°No, don¡¯t try to lure me into another one of your plots! Try it on Michaux¡­He is much stronger than me.¡±

    ¡°Be a man, do the right thing! When the war is over, you will be responsible for passing down the torch of mastery to the next generation. Don¡¯t you want to learn any other techniques other than BBQing your enemy?¡± Wang Tong jested.

    ¡°Touch¨¦! You need to raise your bar. Otherwise, I will be bored to death before the Zergs im me.¡± Michaux chimed in. He liked to hang out with Wang Tong and his friends since he didn¡¯t have to don the mask of the Divine Master; it was much relieving that way. The less than one month¡¯s time he had spent with Wang Tong¡¯s crew was the happiest time he had enjoyed in a long while. There was no paperwork or politics to slow him down as he engrossed himself in cultivation.

    ¡°Are you on my side or not, Michaux? What you four cupcakes think about this? All of us employees have to stand together.¡± The girls looked at Wang Tong and Guan Dongyang, then giggled without replying.

    ¡°Wang Tong, why do you ask me to learn the earth element? If we are going to fight in space, where the heck am I going to find the earth element?¡±

    ¡°Just wait. You will see what I mean after you have learned what I am going to show you guys.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Another new spell? What is the level?¡± Guan Dongyang¡¯s face was lit up with glee at the promise of learning a new spell. Unlike Michaux who was obsessed with the divine path, Guan Dongyang was addicted to learning new spells.

    ¡°Even the forbidden power is nothingpared to this new spell.¡±

    Everyone was shocked by Wang Tong¡¯s im as they wondered what kind of spell it could be.

    ¡°Hehe, the spell itself seems ordinary, but when used under certain circumstances, it could be extremely deadly.¡± Wang Tong started to exin the theory behind the spell. It was a spell that strengthened elemental resonance. However, Wang Tong had tweaked the spell and added some extra elemental attributes.

    When Wang Tong finished exining, everyone mauled over the spell for a while and conceded that the spell by itself was not powerful at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what it the purpose of this¡­unless!¡± Suddenly, Wang Tong¡¯s friends had a moment of epiphany.

    ¡°Are you sure it will work?¡±

    ¡°Oh my gosh! It¡¯s insane!¡±

    Wang Tong stood up and stretched as he looked out of the window. ¡°How did the GN force allow us to survive extremely hostile environments? And what is mastery except for the manifestation of human intelligence? We need to look at the universe from a much higher point of view. ¡±

    ¡°Humans¡¯ exploration of the universe was within the spatial dimension, while the endeavors in the world of mastery are on an entirely different one.¡± Michaux put in.

    ¡°Are you sure only the few of us will do?¡± Guan Dongyang asked with concern in his voice.

    ¡°It will be enough. There will be another hurdle, but we will deal with it then. No point to fuss about it now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost cruelty.¡±

    ¡°So? After all, we are only human.¡± Wang Tong smirked.

    ¡­

    Two dayster, a small ship took off quietly from one of the mother ships. However, this didn¡¯t escape Li Hong and Xiao Se, as they had been watching Wang Tong and his crew closely. They knew it was about time for Wang Tong to do something.

    ¡°What about the rest? Did they leave with him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, general! All six mastery casters are gone.¡±

    ¡°Did they bring any weapon with them?¡±

    ¡°Just standard equipment. They took an X-6, so only a couple of pilots are with them.¡±

    ¡°Very well¡­Dismissed!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Xiao Se, what do you think he is trying to achieve?¡± Li Hong asked. Something was amiss; this whole thing didn¡¯t pass a smell test.

    Xiao Se didn¡¯t reply as he lit a cigar and drew on it. He had kept a close eye on Wang Tong ever since he arrived. However, other than harmless rumors about his personal life, he had learned nothing new about him. There were only twenty days before the deadline. What could he possibly do with only six casters?

    The more he observed Wang Tong, the less he knew about this mysterious warrior. Xiao Se was convinced that thetter had hidden something up his sleeve, and not knowing what it was unnerved the shrewd general.

    ¡°How are things on Mars?¡±

    ¡°The war is ending very quickly. The Martians were taking a swath ofnd that they had previously lost to the dark ones. They are also building the fleet at an incredible speed.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that Wang Tong was waiting for the Martian fleet, do you?¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t have that much time. Plus, the new fleet is useless with all the freshmen on board.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall wait and y by the ear. How¡¯s the negotiation with Lie Jian?¡± Xiao Se asked

    Li Hong shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s slow. I don¡¯t think Lie Jian is fully in charge of things down there. ¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­That is exactly why we need to work with him. He is an ambitious young lord of a great house. He won¡¯t just sit and watch Wang Tong take over the mars. The enemy¡¯s enemy is my friend¡­he should know that.¡±

    ¡°Generals, we just got a report that we have detected Wang Tong¡¯s location.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Where is he?¡±

    ¡°Saturn.¡±

    ¡°Saturn again? He is a stubborn fool! He thinks he can duke it out with the Zerg armada with only two hundred X-6 units?¡±

    ¡°What is Samantha up to?¡±

    ¡°She is... moving her fleet to assist Wang Tong.¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s uneptable! How could she make such a decision without informing us?¡± Li Hong¡¯s anger burst out.

    ¡°I want to speak to her¡­NOW!¡±

    Not far away, Samantha was waiting for the dark faces of Li Hong and Xiao Se.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, General Xiao Se?¡±

    ¡°Admiral, what is going on here? Why are we moving toward Saturn?¡±

    ¡°I have decided to fight the Zergs around the Saturn¡¯s asteroid belt. The sess of the X-6 mission has told us that we are much more powerful than the Zergs. We need to strike out decisively when we have the upper hand.¡±

    ¡°You are crazy, Samantha! What upper hand? This is suicide!¡±

    ¡°General Xiao Se, do I need to remind you that I am the Admiral, themander of the Armada? You have promised me that you would cooperate with my missions.¡±

    Samantha didn¡¯t give the two any chance to rebut, turning off the terminal immediately. Afterward, she turned on the inte and reinstated her authority and resolution in this mission to all the soldiers.

    Xiao Se could only stare at the ck screen, unable to believe that this was the prudent and circumspect Admiral Samantha that he used to know.

    ¡°She has gone mad! She is nuts, I tell you!¡± Li Hong shouted.

    ¡°How did Wang Tong manage to convince her?¡±

    Li Hong¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°We can¡¯t let her do this! We need to take the authority out of her hand.¡±

    ¡°Just.. be quiet and let me think.¡± Xiao Se waved in annoyance at Li Hong as his mind raced.?Could it be that the promise he had forced Samantha to make had spurred her to do this out of desperation?

 Chapter 652 - A New Round Of Competition

    <h4>Chapter 652: A New Round Of Competition</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    No... It was impossible!

    Xiao Se forced himself to dig deeper, then suddenly jerked his head up as he finally thought of something.

    ¡°Li Hong, I can finally see sense in it. The X-6 mission was a lure. They have exposed their position to the Zergs, but when the Zergs get there, it will be Samantha¡¯s armada waiting for them.¡±

    Li Hong¡¯s eyes lit up with realization. ¡°Balls! What a great move and how conniving! This way, she will im all the credit for herself, and no one would ever be able to challenge her position.¡±

    ¡°What did they say about women and poison? She had distracted us using Wang Tong the same way as she would the Zergs using the X-6 units.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The dimwitted dark one would never expect to walk into a trap. Let me check their current location of the X-6 units. They are...on the other side of Saturn!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s about right. They are luring the Zergs closer while giving Samantha some time toy the trap. I knew she had something nned. She wouldn¡¯t have gotten the admiral position because of her pretty face.¡±

    ¡°Sneaky! What should we do? We can¡¯t sit around and let her im fall the credit.¡±

    Xiao Se heaved a sigh after Samantha¡¯s ploy was revealed to him. He knew something was amiss when she acted so out of her character as to directly confront him. It was all for a show to deter them from joining her.

    ¡°Well, we are obligated to follow admiral¡¯s order. Move out!¡± Xiao Se announced.

    ¡°But...are we risking giving up our influence in the armada and hand it over to Samantha?¡±

    ¡°Li Hong, we are soldiers of the Confederation first. Don¡¯t let the faction politics stop you. Samantha has done everything she could for the greater good, and so should we.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Very well! Let¡¯s help her.¡± Li Hong announced with a relieved smile.

    Over the years, they had both gotten tired of the political infighting. Sometimes, they wished they were not in such a position in their factions so they wouldn¡¯t have to be forced do the things they didn¡¯t want to. Samantha¡¯s operation had given them an opportunity to fulfill the oath they swore when they first joined the military: to protect humanity.

    ¡°Principal, the rest of the fleets are on the move as well... Strange!¡± Lumi put in. She was the head of the intelligence department, and therefore, she was the first person to learn about the movements of the other ships.

    Samantha smiled knowingly, ¡°Ok, noted.¡±

    Lumi didn¡¯t press Samantha for more questions, but her confused look didn¡¯t leave her face. Samantha said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine. Order the soldiers to get ready.¡±

    Li Hong and Xiao Se didn¡¯t disappoint Samantha. She never expected the two to stop fighting for their factions; after all, they were just doing what was the best for the people who were loyal to them. However, at this critical moment, they united with the rest of the crew in solidarity. This battle was not going to be easy for Samantha while shemanded only half of her armada. However, with thebined might of all the ships in the armada, Samantha was confident that she could crush the Zergs.

    The X-6 mission had given Samantha plenty of data to analyze the Zergs¡¯ fighting habits. She soon realized that the Zergs¡¯ attack units often consisted of no more than one fleet. It was a perfect size for Samantha¡¯s armada to deal with. It was just big enough to make the Zergs¡¯ feelings hurt, while it wasn¡¯t too big to pose a threat to the Confederation Armada.

    Samantha was very impressed by sh and Karl¡¯s abilities. They had achieved feats that she had ever dreamed of, a sign that she needed to dream bigger.

    ¡°Why are the humans still inactive? I have already risen to their bait.¡± Zhoudi said. ¡°Are you sure about the route that Patroclus tipped us off?¡±

    ¡°I am. There had been human activities reported along that route.¡±

    ¡°Haha. What does Patroclus want in return?¡±

    ¡°The life of all A-level immortals.¡±

    ¡°Is Wang Tong there yet?¡±

    ¡°That chicken-sh*t didn¡¯t join the rest of the X-6 until recently. I bet he is afraid of fighting in space.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Cowardice is human nature.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­In order to y along with his game, we lost over two thousands ships. Now, they are finally convinced that we have taken the bait and have set up an ambush in the Saturn steroid belt. What a ridiculous idea! Order our fleet to continue our n¡­Make sure that the human remains convinced of their victory.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±

    ¡°I have no idea why Patroclus would help us this time, but anyway, I will take it,¡± Zhoudi said.

    Zhoudi had ordered his fleet to keep ying along; however, he had moved his entire force behind the fleet that the humans were expecting.

    Meanwhile, in the immortals¡¯ fleet, captain Maris was listening to the report with a joyful smile.

    ¡°If the dark ones still fail to capture Wang Tong this time, perhaps they do deserve to be eliminated.¡± Lights ran off his blond hair that tumbled to reach his waist. He was perplexed by Patroclus¡¯ decision to help the dark ones. They had carefully installed a spy inside the Confederation fleet, hoping to put him into good useter. However, the most useful information he had collected had benefited the dark ones.

    ¡°I believe the divine lord has something else nned. Perhaps he thinks we need the dark ones. ¡±

    ¡°I agree! However, it¡¯s obvious that the dark ones have lost control of Mars. Sooner orter, the immortal army will have to swoop in to save the day.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say. We have helped them all we could, and the mother supreme no longer should have any qualms about giving us the full power.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are the real masterminds behind this operation. The dark ones are merely doing our bidding.¡±

    ¡°The thought of those human shooting themselves in the foot makes me want tough.¡±

    The immortal generals were all amused by the situation. Maris was in histe thirties, one of the first humans who had willingly joined the immortals. He didn¡¯t do it to save his life; instead, he had firmly believed in Patroclus¡¯ vision. His loyalty and devotion had quickly helped him rise among the ranks and be Patroclus¡¯ most trusted adviser in matters rting to the space battle. Before he joined the immortals, Maris had already been a renowned fleetmander; and after he became an immortal, he was given the responsibility ofmanding the immortals¡¯ armada.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that without the spy, even we would still be oblivious about Wang Tong¡¯s n. We had all been focusing on Wang Tong himself, and didn¡¯t expect his team members to have been quietly set up a trap for us.¡±

    ¡°Even if it is a trap, it would be useless against the immortals¡¯ fleet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be confident, but never conceited. These human fleets are of average strength, but they are very mobile. It¡¯s difficult to deliver a solid blow at them before they can slip away.¡±

    ¡°Their scouts are everywhere as well. A cautious bunch!¡±

    ¡°Hehe... overly cautious, and that is why they were doomed to fail.¡±

    ¡°Haha! let¡¯s toast for our victory!¡±

    ¡°Cheers in the name of our divine lord!¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Haha, sh, I have beaten you by thirty more ships!¡± Karl said with a smug smirk.

    sh cracked a smile. ¡°Get over yourself, please. We have just received the coordinates from the main fleet. We need to move.¡±

    ¡°No problem, but I haven¡¯t had so much fun in years!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go. We have a much bigger game to y.¡± sh said with a serious face.

    Anyone who had seen Karl in action at the cockpit would have assumed that he had split personalities. How could someone so foolhardy, if not outrightly stupid, have such a great sense of strategy and level-headedness?

    Many times when the X-6 fleets were surrounded by enemy ships, Karl was able to steer the ships to skin through the cracks in between enemy fleets ande out unharmed. Not only were they able to get out of any perilous situation alive, but they had also managed to destroy many of Zergs¡¯ space depots.

    As the X-6 moved toward their final destination, the Zerg fleet was hot on its heels. When the human fleet had lost the Zergs, Karl would stop and wait for his pursuers to catch their whiff again. Slowly but surely, the X-6 units coaxed the Zerg fleet toward the ambush.

 Chapter 653 - Scare Tactics

    <h4>Chapter 653: Scare Tactics</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Our ships have entered the Saturn ring. Behind the concealment of the asteroids, we shouldn¡¯t be easily detected.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on! My fingers are itching!¡± Karl muttered. The promise of destroying a Zerg fleet made his blood boil.

    As the X-6 fleet inched toward the Saturn, with the Zerg fleet trailing behind, Samantha ordered her armada to get in position. However, she failed to realize that if the Saturn ring could hide the human fleet, so it could the Zergs¡¯ fleet.

    The Armada had been a thorn in the Zergs¡¯ side for many years. Its high mobility meant that the Zergs could never deliver a solid blow on it, having slipped through their fingers so many times. But, the Zergs were about to catch the humans by surprise this time, and Zhoudi intended to annihte the human fleet at all cost.

    The Zergs¡¯ fleet entered hyperspace while following the human X-6 fleets.

    ¡°Sh*t! They are tailgating us!¡±

    ¡°Let them. I would be worried if they didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡±

    The promise of carrying out a full-fledged battle with the Zergs made the officers and pilots all excited. They had enough of the small skirmishes and running around; they were ready to partake in an actual war to deliver a solid blow to the Zergs.

    Saturn¡¯s ring was the best ce for smallerbat jets such as the X-6. The asteroids would provide cover for the smaller ships and counter the enemy¡¯s advantage in firepower.

    ¡°Captain, ten more minutes before we exit the hyperspace.¡±

    ¡°Get ready everyone! Approach the Saturn ring carefully and wait for my instructions.¡±

    ¡°Aye aye Captain!¡±

    Inside the Saturn outer space, a sh of light opened up a portal, and human fleets poured out from within. They didn¡¯t slow down but charged at the asteroid belt at full speed.

    After a while, arge number of Zerg ships appeared through the portal as well. However, they slowed down as soon as they were through the threshold. They spread out their formation and waited. A few hourster, the Zerg armada appeared,prising of arge number of Zeus ss battle bruisers, each capable of destroying the entire human fleet. Surrounded by the battlecruisers was the space hive, a corrupted, pulsing heart in the space.

    ¡°Do not approach the asteroid belt! Wait for Admiral¡¯smand!¡± A dark one issued amand.?Meanwhile, Karl and sh had found and regrouped with the human armada. The Armada was hiding in the thick atmosphereyer of the gas-liquid giant: Saturn. Due to the extreme environment, the Armada had turned on its shield.

    ¡°Reporting to Admiral, we are back!¡± Karl and sh saluted on the screen.

    ¡°Wee back.¡± Samantha¡¯s face was lit up with glee after seeing the return of the two young captains. They had lured the enemy to the trap, and as soon as they approached into the firing range, the human fleet would greet the Zergs with a surprise shower of steels.

    The X-6 units werepletely gone from the Zergs¡¯ radar, and they knew that the only ce they could be hiding would be inside the asteroid belt. The stubborn Zergs would not give up the chase so easily after having followed the X-6 units for so long.

    Everyone waited patiently for the Zergs¡¯ to take the final bait. However, after half an hour, there was still nothing.

    ¡°Report! We have an emergency! The dark ones¡¯ fleets areing toward us from all directions. They have encircled the entire.¡± A scout shouted into the inte with a trembling voice. ¡°It¡¯s a TRAP!¡±

    Someone must have tipped off the dark ones from within the Armada!

    ¡°I smell a mole!¡± Xiao Se¡¯s face darkened as he announced.

    ¡°For f*ck¡¯s sake! What the hell is going on? Bring me the star chart! ¡°Li Hong shouted hotly.

    The star chart flickered onto the screen and disyed a swarm of Zergs around them. This was not a fleet; it was the Zergs¡¯ entire Armada! They were trapped! If they left the Saturn ring, they would almost definitely be destroyed. But, how long could theyst in this unforgiving environment?

    Li Hong and Xiao Se looked at each other with fear. This could very well be theirst battle. Soon, all themanders on the ships realized their dire situation. Still, they couldn¡¯te to terms with the reality. This was supposed to be their moment to shine; but instead, they had loaded a gun and shot themselves in the foot.

    Everyone immediately drew the same conclusion: there was a mole among them.

    But who?

    This person had toe from amongst the higher rankmanders, since the operation had always been kept a secret from ordinary soldiers.

    The door to Samantha¡¯s office was swung open, and captain Sailuofu appeared. He had been the most loyal follower and an admirer of Samantha.

    Xiao Se shot Sailuofu a nce, and they knew the answer right away. ¡°It was you!¡±

    Sailuofu cracked a smile. ¡°I know how you feel right now, but your fate is sealed. I didn¡¯t leave you guys for old time¡¯s sake, and I want to give you onest chance. Please, join the immortals. They are the real future of mankind.¡±

    Samantha smirked contemptuously: ¡°Did Patroclus tell you to say that?¡±

    Sailuofu¡¯s face hardened. ¡°You know my feelings toward you. It had nothing to do with Patroclus. I want you to join me! Surrender now, or else, you won¡¯t have another chance.¡±

    ¡°Surrender my a*s! I¡¯m d that you didn¡¯t leave us so that I can do away with you, traitor!¡±

    Sailuofu cursed in his mind. He didn¡¯t expect the situation to escte so quickly either. His original order didn¡¯t include any information on theplete annihtion of the human fleet. He wagered that the change of objective had nothing to do with Patroclus, since he was not well known for his capaciousness. It had to be that dipsh*t Dimalis.

    Sailuofu conceded that his only option right then was to persuade Samantha to join the immortals.

    ¡°I am thinking for everyone. If I didn¡¯t care about you, I would have run away a long time ago. How many years have we been on the run for? I am sick of it, and so is everyone else. Even if we can destroy the dark ones¡¯ armada, then what? Patroclus¡¯ fleet is ten times stronger than the dark ones¡¯.¡± Sailuofu pleaded onest time. ¡°Please,e with me. The immortals could use your talents and skills. They are not who you think they are¡­you will see.¡±

    As Sailuofu spoke, the Zergs¡¯ armada had started to shrink the encirclement. Samantha sighed and then turned to the two generals, ¡°I apologize! It was my fault letting a mole into our ranks.¡±

    Li Hong and Xiao Se smiled, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s our destiny. The humans will not stop fighting because of our defeat. We should at least try to give them a heavy blow before our timees.¡± Xiao Se said with aplomb.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see that gusto in you, Xiao Se. Haha!¡± Li Hongughed, his voiceced with a peaceful finality.

    Sailuofu¡¯s face paled, as he didn¡¯t want to die. ¡°Samantha,e with me. You will only rot with these old fools, as the immortals will¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, traitor!¡± Samantha rebutted hotly.

    ¡°Traitor? You call ME a traitor, you floozy b*tch? I had been nice to you ever since we met, and what did I get? Nothing! But as soon as Wang f*cking Tong showed up, oh no¡­you spread your legs faster than the speed of light. I can¡¯t wait to see you¡¯re a*s getting wrecked by the dark ones!¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t see that.¡± Li Hong said with an eerily calm voice as he produced a pistol from his desk.

    ¡°Hold on! Don¡¯t kill him yet.¡± Samantha urged Li Hong.

    ¡°Hehe, I knew you would change your mind. Come with me now¡± Sailuofu said.

    ¡°Why do we need this scumbag alive?¡± Li Hong asked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t hold him as a hostage. The dark ones wouldn¡¯t give a sh*t about him.¡±

    Samantha shook her head and said, ¡°No. I just want him to see our victory. As a matter of fact, we need to thank him for our victory.¡±

    For a fleeting moment, Xiao Se and Li Hong thought Samantha had gone crazy.

    ¡°Everything is under control, generals. We had yed along with the Zergs and made them think that they had seen through our ruse, so that we could lure their entire armada.¡± Samantha said firmly with confidence.

    ¡°Admiral... how are we going to eliminate the Zerg¡¯s armada?¡± Xiao Se asked carefully, unsure if Samantha¡¯s mind was stable. They had run out of mass destruction weapons many years ago, and the only way to seal the fate of the Zergs was to turn their ships¡¯ engine into nuclear bombs. But that meant the end of their lives as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t disclose more about this. You will have to wait and see,¡± Samantha said.

    ¡°Oh shut up you liar! I know your fleets well. You have nothing to use against the dark ones.¡±

    Suddenly, Xiao Se and Li Hong both had a moment of epiphany as they looked to each other and announced, ¡°Wang Tong!¡±

 Chapter 654 - Godâ€™s Will

    <h4>Chapter 654: God¡¯s Will</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    One should not confuse the earth element with the god of earth and agriculture Saturn; instead, it was one of the primordial elements that supported the existence of all substance in the universe. That being said, this element was the most abundant in and near the of Saturn. Unlike other forms of the earth element that prevented the caster from tapping into its power, the element existed on the in the form of liquified gas.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and his casterpanions had already traveled to the source of Saturn¡¯s power. In addition to the seven casters that apanied Wang Tong, Mr. Wannabe was also with him.

    The energy on the Saturn was wild and powerful. Mr. Wannabe opened his arms and poured out his GN force to form a protective shield. Everyone was stunned by his disy of strength.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time¡­Let¡¯s start!¡± Wang Tong announced as he connected his soul energy with the. With a golden sh, Charcoal¡¯s illusive apparition appeared behind him out of nowhere. Wang Tong muttered something to him and thetter took off, flying toward the core of the.

    Meanwhile, the other casters also channeled out their soul energy, trying to coax the primordial force into submission. In the sea of wild and turbulent energies, the casters followed Wang Tong¡¯s soul essence closely.

    Earthquake!

    When all the casters¡¯ soul energy was in sync, Wang Tong sted theirbined energy toward the tunnel which Charcoal had dug out and propagated them along the way.

    Meanwhile, the Zerg encirclement had pushed near the Saturn¡¯s rings. Once they got the order from Zhoudi, they could st the asteroids to dust along with anything hidden inside.

    ¡°All ships lower your attitude right now!¡± Samantha ordered amand.

    As the human ships got closer to the surface, the environment condition worsened. However, it was more dangerous if they moved the other way, so the captains followed Samantha¡¯s order and dropped their altitude.

    The rogue energy bashed and gnawed at the ship, so the captains had to crank up their shield levels, draining a massive amount of their finite energy resources.

    ¡°Admiral, it¡¯s too dangerous! Our shield can onlyst five minutes at most.¡± Li Hong said with a hard face.

    ¡°Please believe me and keep lowering. Slow and steady.¡±

    A minutester, lights on the ship¡¯s dashboard started to flicker due to the rapidly draining energy. Two minutester, the rms went off, warning everyone about the energy depletion. Three minutester, the energy shield started to waver.

    Samantha didn¡¯t speak a word as the ships still kept on dropping. All around the captains, lights were flickering and the engine was sputtering; it was a suicide attempt

    Five minutester, a silence suddenly fell into themander¡¯s room and the power turned back on while the lights stopped spasming.

    Everyone could only stare. Where were they and why were they not dead?

    The batteries of the ship started to recharge as rapidly as they had been drained. The soldiers looked out of the window and noticed that they had passed through the terrifying atmosphere of the giant and reached the peaceful and calm stratosphere. Above them, dark clouds of green, yellow, and red roiled as colorful but frightening lightning forked like the tongue of a serpent.

    A blue swirl of energy formed amidst the chaos; it started as a small wisp of pale blue, but quickly absorbed the energy around it and became a giant whirlwind shaped monstrosity. It took off toward the outer atmosphere and grew bigger by the second. When it reached the Saturn¡¯s ring, it was already the size of aary cyclone. Its tendrils wrapped around the asteroids and hurled them outward.

    The Zergs had just gotten within their firing range, but were astonished to see the asteroids be alive with energy and fly at them at a deadly speed.

    In the next moment, they were caught in a cosmic hail of epic intensity; it was already toote to escape.

    The human soldiers watched in fear as the shower of asteroids washed away the Zergs¡¯ fleet without even slowing down. In a blink of an eye, half of the Zerg ships were reduced into useless space junks.

    The energy didn¡¯t stop growing, but instead, it increased the cyclone¡¯s size, seeming to build up energy within the eye. A few secondster, a spectacr eruption started from the center of the whirlwind and rippled outward; the energy wave lit up the asteroids ame and capitted the rocks at the Zerg fleet at an incredible speed. One secondter, the Zerg armada was erased from the universe forever.

    All the humans on the main ship watched the development with fear and disbelief. What happened to the asteroid belt? The asteroid belt that had surrounded Saturn was gone; the giant looked almost naked.

    Sailuofu slumped on the floor and was seized by fear.

    ¡°Is this the work of Wang Tong?¡± Xiao Se murmured incredulously.

    ¡°Yes, this is his work. He is the savior of mankind.¡±

    ¡°The god has answered.¡± Li Hong muttered in reverence.

    The asteroid belt was gone, and so were the dark clouds above the human fleet. They had watched the destruction of the Zerg armada in full disy. The sudden turn of events had filled them with trepidation and tion.

    ¡°Full speed ahead!¡± Samantha¡¯s voice finally broke the spell.

    The human armada took off to the outer space to chase down the surviving Zerg ships. Some Zerg ships that were at the very back of the formation had enough time to back out of harm¡¯s way. By then, they were already on the run away from the nightmarish battlefield. The human ships chased after them as a hungry lion would after its prey.

    The human captains were so eager to draw some Zerg blood that they didn¡¯t even care to line up the ships into any sort of formation. The Zergs were too scared to fight back anyway. It had been five years since the humans had a major victory against the Zergs, so no one would pass up the opportunity to avenge their loved ones. Even General Li Hong and Xiao Se had joined the scramble.

    Meanwhile, Wang Tong and the other casters had fallen asleep on the ship. This spell was much more taxing on the casters¡¯ system than the forbidden power.

    The six warriorsy in their beds peacefully as the light started to shimmer around them. The light was particrly bright on Michaux, who had a moment of epiphany about the Divine path during the casting. This spell had opened another door in everyone¡¯s cultivation, allowing the casters to take a peek at the universe from an angle that was previously unknown to them, and what a marvelous sight it had been!

    After some time, the remaining Zerg ships were destroyed by the humans; they didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back before they were bombarded by vengeful fires. The dark ones¡¯ armada was no more, and neither was the little chance they had to reim Mars. The dark ones¡¯ defeat was also a loud p on the immortals¡¯ face.

    Dimas pulled a long face and looked troubled. He had warned the dark ones about Wang Tongs¡¯ real intentions; however, it was still not enough to prevent the tragedy. He finally conceded that Wang Tong was a force to be reckoned with, and his power was at least on par with that of the Divine Lord.

    How did he create the asteroid storm? Did he have a secret weapon at his disposal? If that were the case, Wang Tong had to be stopped before he reached Moon.

    The dark ones were done for; it was already set in stone. The real opponent of the immortals had finally surfaced: Wang Tong.

    ¡°My lord, we have an order from the Divine Lord.¡±

    ¡°Connect.¡±

    Patroclus¡¯ image showed up on the screen.

    ¡°My Lord, I was just about to report to you.¡±

    ¡°The dark ones are defeated,¡± Patroclus said indifferently.

    ¡°You have already known?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s written on your face. What do you think about it?¡± Patroclus asked.

    ¡°Wang Tong is unbelievably powerful. He is the number one enemy of the immortals,¡± Dimalis said readily.

    ¡°Of course! The dark ones had forced him to use thest trump card in his hand. He has nothing left. Do you know what to do next? ¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord. I have faith in our strength, and I will not let Wang Tong reach the moon.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong¡¯s biggest strength is his unpredictability, but that¡¯s also his downfall. Remember that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±

    Dimalis was one of the very few immortals who was able to understand Patroclus¡¯ cryptic messages. Dimalis turned off the screen and started to reflect on Wang Tong¡¯s strategies.

 Chapter 655 - Awakened

    <h4>Chapter 655: Awakened</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The thought of a powerful opponent gave Dimalis¡¯ lips a curve. He knew that if Patroclus were here, he would rte to his excitement.

    The immortals were too powerful for humans to fight back, so the campaign against the weak humans was nothing but entertainment for the Divine Lord. However, Wong Tong was a different story; he was mysterious and immensely powerful.

    How was he able tomand the asteroid belt and inflict so much damage? Did he use a secret weapon given by the de Warrior or was it a power of his own?

    Based on his performance during the fight against the dark lord, Dimalis wagered that among the immortals, only the Divine Lord himself would be able to subdue Wang Tong.

    In order to evolve further, the immortals needed a powerful opponent. Without Wang Tong, the immortals would have stopped that process a while ago. The thought of continuous evolution brought him a sense of helplessness for those among the ranks of the immortals who would not make the cut during the next evolution wave.

    From the list of names who were involved in the operation on Mars, Dimalis could easily tell that his mission also served as a house cleaning. If Harmon had brought all the divine generals with him, he would have already achieved his mission months ago.

    Humans, as it turned out, would y a key role in helping the immortals to further their evolution andplete the next stage of metamorphosis.

    Meanwhile, on Mars, the human soldiers were celebrating their victory in space. With theplete annihtion of the Zerg fleet, the Martians were finally liberated.

    ¡°This is unbelievable! I knew this day woulde, but not so fast!¡± Zambrotta muttered out his surprise. The Zerg spaceships lurking above his head had kept him awake on many sleepless nights. The Zerg fleet was huge in number and had formed a blockade around the red. Even with the newrge fleet that the Martians had just built, they would sustain huge casualties trying to break the encirclement. As the Martian warriors were ready to fight against the deadly enemy fleet, Wang Tong had eliminated the entire Zerg fleet with one fell swoop.

    How was that possible? The Zerg fleet boasted over hundreds of thousands of heavy battlecruisers. But before the asteroid storm, the ships were akin to driftwoods in a boundless angry sea.

    Lie Jian curved his lips and said, ¡°Anything is possible for this guy. Now, it is time to show them our power. ¡±

    ¡°The Sect will assist you in your attack!¡± Susu announced firmly. The Divine Mastery Sect had spared no expenses in the fight for the Martians¡¯ liberation. The Sect was created to safeguard peace on Mars from the start, so it should fulfill its duty when it was most needed. The guiding principles of the sect made it so that even if thest member of the sect were killed in the battle against the Zerg, the lives that were lost would be redeemed by the memory of their heroic deeds and what it stood for.

    It was not umon for groups to deviate from their founding ideologies as fame and wealth mounted. However, Michaux and his predecessors were not concerned with worldly possessions, and therefore, had remained steadfast in their course. It was fortunate for the Martians to have the Sect fighting for them; the sect members were not only powerful, but also faithful to their belief. In part, the Sect¡¯s honorable reputation had helped it to swell its ranks, particrly during the time of hardship such as right then.

    The thought of the Sect¡¯s unswerving faith and filled Lie Jian¡¯s heart with awe and respect. Wealth, fame and power, Michaux cold have it all, but he had forsaken them by choice. Anyone who thought that Michaux was an idiot for not taking advantage of his abilities was a fool himself.

    How much did the worldly possessions worth when he had won the hearts of millions of Martians? A wise man used to say that tomand the world, one needed first tomand the popce¡¯s hearts. That being said, Lie Jian was convinced that Michaux would have scarcely thought of using his influence to manipte the public and further his personal benefit.

    After spending much time with Michaux, Lie Jian found himself affected by the Divine Master¡¯s altruistic mind. The Martian prince conceded that in order to see things clearer, he should seek moral high ground and re-examine the reality through the clear scope of altruism.

    Lie Jian¡¯s selfish past was what slowed him down, but he still had a chance to adjust his world view and catch up with Michaux and Wang Tong.

    ¡°House Lie will donate all of our family assets.¡± Lie Jian announced firmly. ¡°We are humanity¡¯sst hope. There is nothing toe back to if we fail.¡±

    Susu cast a surprised nce at Lie Jian. ¡°That is rareing from you.¡±

    ¡°Haha, am I really that selfish in your mind?¡±

    Everyoneughed out loud, and Zambrotta nodded approvingly. The prince of Mars had finally started to see things from a different perspective. Zambrotta knew from the outset that his leadership was only transitional; the world belonged to the young people. But first, they would have to win it back from the Zergs.

    ¡°The War God¡¯s knights will follow House Lie¡¯s good example,¡± Zambrotta announced.?After setting the example, the leaders of Mars started to rally the Martian public, and the public answered with their whole-hearted support.

    ¡°What a stubborn little sh*t! Why couldn¡¯t he be more like me?¡± Zachery hovered in the air and muttered with concern shing in his eyes.

    ¡°Mr. Wannabe, is master going to be OK?¡± Charcoal asked.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you scanned everything? Why do you ask me?¡±

    ¡°My sensors can¡¯t detect soul energy yet.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he alwayses back. Sometimes, challenges are what make the humans great. Without challenges, your young master would never advance his cultivation.¡± Zachery smiled. He knew that if he could crawl back from hell, his disciple, Wang Tong, should be able to handle the minor challenges in life as well. Ever since Zachery regained his memory, he could feel that he was advancing toward the state of super Einherjar every day, and he started to see things much clearer.

    ¡°I wish I could be a human.¡± Charcoal eximed.

    ¡°Be careful what you wish for.¡± Zachery put in.

    ¡°What should we do next?¡±

    ¡°Balls! This little sh*t took from neither Li Feng nor me. He is unique in his own ways. Perhaps that is for the better, but I suppose that we will be busy for the days toe.¡±

    Zachery didn¡¯t expect himself to be ever more restless after having regained his memories back than before. The past was the past, and only today and tomorrow mattered. No longer did he dawdle in his old memories as he looked forward to a brighter future for his adopted son. The Pirate King was back after hundreds of years, and his power was growing like he had wished it would five hundred years ago. However, he no longer harbored the ambition of iming the world for himself, for he himself had be less important: his life was all about Wang Tong now.

    Zachery and Charcoal shed out of space as quietly and undetected as they had arrived.

    Inside a spaceship, Wang Tongid asleep in a bed. Beside him was Samantha who cuddled Wang Tong in her arms. Samantha stroke Wang Tong¡¯s face gently with a thumb and reflected on her past. She had achieved her dream and became one of the most powerful women in the human world. But what should she do next? Looking back, she reckoned that there had been no right or wrong choices in the past. She had left Wang Tong while she knew she couldn¡¯t have really lived without him; she left him not because of herself, but because she loved him and leaving him was the best option for both of them. After a while, Samantha pulled her mind out of her reverie and slunk out of the room before the sleepers woke up.

    Xiao Yuyu and her fellow sect medics were the first ones to get out of their beds since they had the lowest amount of soul energies. Eyes glinting with a newfound energy, the improvement in their sea of consciousness was palpable.

    ¡°I have never felt more alive before.¡± Wu Ling eximed.

    ¡°Same here! My sea of consciousness is full!¡± Linda chimed in.

    ¡°I feel it too. My soul energy has grown significantly. And everything seems so...familiar.¡± Ye Zi agreed. ¡°How did the battle go?¡± She asked.

    ¡°A total victory!¡± An officer reported to her as he looked around at Ye Zi¡¯s alluring features.

    There were various versions of exnations as to what had happened; some said that Samantha had used a secret weapon, and some believed that Wang Tong and six other casters had evoked the asteroid storm using mastery.

    ¡°Thank you! How are the other casters? ¡±

    ¡°You mean Wang Tong, Michaux and Guan Dongyang? They are still sleeping. The Admiral had issued an executive order to ban anyone from disturbing your recuperation. How are you feeling right now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am fine now! Please let admiral know that I am ready to return to missions.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡±

 Chapter 656 - Mother Supreme

    <h4>Chapter 656: Mother Supreme</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The human fleet had already arrived at Mars¡¯ outer space and was ready to assist the Martian ground force to deliver a death blow to the remaining Zergs. The cooperation of forces on the ground and in space was crucial for victory as proven by the failure of Moye. Blinded by his conceit, Moye had failed to mobilize the space units, and that excessivebat had, in part, led to his demise.

    The humans¡¯ top priority right then was to solidify their victory and deliver the final blow to the Zergs on theirst leg.

    ¡°They are awakened? Great!¡±

    ¡°sh, please cover my duty for a while, I will be right back. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    After the final battle was over, Samantha had promoted all warriors who had participated in the X-6 mission. Their reward was well deserved considering the risk they had taken.

    After the total victory, Samantha had secured her position in the Armada. No one would think of opposing an admiral who had led the fleet into such a glorious victory. Although Samantha was not the warrior who had delivered the final and decisive blow to the Zergs, her brilliant management of the fleet was what made everything possible.

    After Samantha had told the four medics about the details of what had happened after they passed out, Xiao Yuyu covered her mouth with surpassing a gasp. ¡°It was such a close call!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, more like a blessing in disguise. I feel thankful to that traitor who had given us an opportunity to lure the entire Zerg Armada to us.¡± Samantha eximed.

    ¡°Yeah! The fight against the immortals is bound to be more difficult because of people like him. I wonder if he was the only one.¡± Ye Zi said with a frown.

    ¡°He is very likely to be the only one, at least among the higher rank officials. Nheless, lesson learned.¡± Samantha said. She was confident that Sailuofu was an anomaly, although the initial revtion had caught her by surprise.

    As she reflected on the incidence, an officer announced another good news: Guan Dongyang and Michaux had woken up as well.?Seeing the visible changes that happened to the four medics, Samantha wondered what the recuperation would have done to the other two casters.

    When Michaux and Guan Dongyang first woke up, they knew something about them had changed, although it was not obvious by looking at their appearances. Neither of them spoke a word once they woke up as they immediately started to meditate, trying to find out what had happened inside their system.

    ¡°How are they doing right now?¡±

    ¡°Lord Guan Dongyang¡¯s body felt hot as if he had a bad fever.¡± The guard answered Samantha worriedly as she walked into the room. Although there was no sign of mes on Guan Dongyang¡¯s body, she could feel its presence in the temperature of the room.

    Unsure of what was going on, Samantha could only stare ahead. Meanwhile, the four medics loosened their jaws in surprise, their eyes brimming with disbelief.

    ¡°Guan Dongyang has entered level twenty-five.¡± Xiao Yuyu finally broke the silence. ¡°The human world gained its first super Fire caster.¡±

    A level twenty-five super mastery caster?

    The officials and the guards were shocked by the development. Ever since the METAL warriors had witnessed the power of the asteroid storm, no one dared to look down on the casters as they used to. The power of the mastery casters had gone beyond that of the deadliest human warriors.

    Level twenty-five meant that Guan Dongyang was an Einherjar, and from then on, they had to address him as Einherjar Guan.

    Meanwhile, Michaux was hovering in the air so quietly that the visitors almost didn¡¯t notice him at one corner of the roof.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with Michaux?¡±

    ¡°Hard to say. His power is beyond ourprehensions. I bet only Wang Tong and Michaux could understand each other¡¯s power, other than him.¡± Ye Zi said with a smile.

    ¡°Him? Who is that?¡± An officer couldn¡¯t resist a question.

    ¡°Patroclus.¡±

    ¡°Their biggest enemy,¡± Samantha added. ¡°There is no need to fear him now, since Wang Tong is fighting for us. Anyway, we cannot harbor a dream of avoiding the conflict with the immortals either. As long as we have Wang Tong, humanity will prevail.¡±

    The mastery casters¡¯ improving condition quickly spread throughout the fleet, and the human soldiers cheered for their recovery. Previously, despite the celebrations for their victory, their hearts were gripped by the concern for the heroes¡¯ safeties.

    General Li Hong also arrived at the room to pay the heroes a visit. ¡°How is everyone?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for asking. Everyone has woken up except for Wang Tong. But, we doubt he is in any danger.¡± Xiao Yuyu said politely.

    ¡°We need to celebrate after Wang Tong wakes up.¡± Li Hong said with a broad smile. Wang Tong had proven his ability and earned his rightful ce in the Armada, and Li Hong would think twice before he challenged Wang Tong¡¯s position again. A soldier¡¯s instinct told Li Hong that the fleet would be under Wang Tong¡¯smand once he woke up, since thetter was the only person who could lead the humans to victory.

    When Wang Tong finally woke up a weekter, the humans had restored order and peace on Mars. Only a very few Zergs still hid in the wilderness, and it would take a while for the humans to weed them out.

    Meanwhile, Martians¡¯ first new fleet had marched into space and joined the Confederation armada. Soldiers from both sides and put away their differences and decided to work toward the same goal: restoration of the confederation space force.

    During this time of turmoil, it was essential for the humans to have a strong leader and no one fit the definition better than Wang Tong.?Only he could have turned the tables around on Mars by defeating the dark lord andpletely annihting the Zerg armada. Someone might have imed that they could lead humanity in their darkest hour, but without backing the bold im with facts¡ªwhich no one could¡ªthe imposture of the true savior would be hard pressed to gain any support.

    The soldiers followed Wang Tong not because of his might, but because they admired and revered him.

    While Wang Tong was asleep, everyone, including the leaders of Mars, was deeply concerned about his life. Without him, the human resistance would soon crumble into dust, and signs of disrepair had already started to surface among the distraught soldiers while Wang Tong was absent.

    Wang Tong was not only the de facto leader of the human coalition, but also the spiritual leader of millions of confederation soldiers. His existence lit up a beacon of hope during this hardest time of the human world.

    Even after he had wakened up, he remained rtively elusive to the public, and only a very few soldiers had personal ess to him. Samantha had shielded Wang Tong away from the insistent queries of the press and other faction leaders.

    By then the human fleet had reached over than a thousand sails strong, many of which were of Zeus ss battlecruisers. Most of the sailors on those ships were freshmen, and nothing would make a finer soldier than a difficult voyage and even more difficult battles.

    ¡°Wang Tong, what is our next move?¡±

    ¡°What are the immortals up totely?¡± Wang Tong yawned and asked. Thest battle hadpletely exhausted his energy, and therefore, it had taken him so long to recover.

    ¡°The immortals¡¯ fleets are mobilizing, but not toward Mars. We are not sure what they are nning.¡± Samantha said, then shot Wang Tong a caring nce and asked, ¡°Are you sure you will be fine?¡±

    Samantha had been looking after Wang Tong by herself ever since he fell unconscious, as she found it difficult to trust anyone else with the task.

    ¡°No problem at all! I have learned a lot too.¡± Wang Tong said with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Did you really create that asteroid storm on Saturn? It was amazing! Even Michaux confessed that he had no clue what was going on.¡± Samantha¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity.

    ¡°Haha! Since when did you start paying attention to mastery?¡±

    ¡°Being curious is women¡¯s second nature.¡± Samantha piped up. She didn¡¯t talk down to Wang Tong as principal would to her student; instead she spoke in a soft womanly voice that begged the attention of her first love.

    ¡°Hehe, mastery is the future. Although it is much more powerful than METALbat, it could cause harm to the human society if not used properly. I have to be more responsible with its power next time.¡±

    Wang Tong shrugged, but his gloomy face had betrayed his concern. With great power came great responsibilities. When Li Feng revealed the GN force to the world, he could have also introduced mastery, but he feared the irresponsible use of such a tremendous power. Without a positive moral bearing, a powerful mastery caster could be much deadlier than nuclear bombs.

    Learning to wield the power of the mastery began with exposure to the soul energy and GN force, and learning how to use these powers responsibly. These newly enlightened humans had lifted their minds from their primitive and savage past, and it was then, and only then, that the secrets of the mastery started to surface for the enlightened individuals.

    ¡°It was a truly terrible sight to see¡­It¡¯s not natural.¡± Samantha heaved a sigh and thenmented, ¡°This changed so many things on so many different levels.¡±

    ¡°Unnatural? Haha¡­Are you suggesting that I am a god? I am not a god¡­ Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand here and talk to you like this.¡±

    ¡°You mean gods do exist?¡± Samantha asked in surprise.

    Wang Tong moved his fingers through Samantha¡¯s silken hair. ¡°Yes, and their realm is cold and indifferent. On another note, we have much graver issues to worry about than the gods. We need to find a way to strike back at the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°Why? Things are looking up, aren¡¯t they? In your absence, Mars was finally liberated. And with the new GN crystal technology, we should be able to build a fleetrge enough to face the immortals in space.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you have underestimated Patroclus.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that the immortals had done nothing despite our victory on Mars?¡± Wang Tong asked abruptly.

    ¡°Because Patroclus didn¡¯t want to help his rival, the dark ones¡­¡± Samantha said with a smug smirk; Wang Tong was not always right. Knowledge about the rivalry between the dark ones and the immortals in earning the queen¡¯s favor wasn¡¯t a secret among the highest ranks of the confederation officials.

 Chapter 657 - Counterattack

    <h4>Chapter 657: Counterattack</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Wang Tong kept his silence and didn¡¯t reply. Samantha reflected on her answer and immediately realized that something was amiss. The Queen mother supreme had striven to maintain the bnce between the two powers; therefore, she must have requested help from Patroclus to save the dark ones. So, why did Patroclus maintain his silence?

    There could be only one exnation: Patroclus had gained dominance over the queen.

    Without the swarms of Zergs, the immortals were not to be feared, but after they had gained control over the countless Zergs, they would be infinitely more difficult to deal with.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile and then yawned again. ¡°Patroclus had been working on the queen for many years. It¡¯s about time for him to make a breakthrough. These Zergs are really naive in thinking that they can control him.¡±

    Samantha nodded in agreement, as Wang Tong¡¯s words had hit the mark. The Zergs had thought that they could control the humans once they took the human flesh as a host, but little did they know about the boundless capabilities of humans¡¯ intelligence. Patroclus was not the only person who could have ovee the Zergs¡¯ spell. In thest five years, Patroclus had waited patiently, biding his time as he learned the weakness of the queen.

    Thanks to his perfect genes and the new abilities he had picked up from the Zergs, Patroclus had quickly learned everything about the supreme mother.

    ¡°Although Mars has provided us with a capable fleet, if we meet the Immortals now, the war would drag on forever.¡±

    ¡°Are you proposing to pulverize the moon as you did to the Saturn¡¯s asteroid belt?¡±

    Wang Tong was amused by the question, ¡°Haven¡¯t I already told you that I am not a god?¡±

    ¡°You are closer to a god than anyone could ever be. You might have to get used to your soldiers calling you a god by now. Although you are on my ship, everyone expects me to serve you.¡± Samantha jested.

    ¡°Haha, I appreciate it. But, the answer to your question is no. The Saturn¡¯s asteroid belt was unique in its structure, which made our spell possible. The moon is a different story. Plus, Patroclus is not going to fall for it.¡±

    ¡°So, what is your n?¡± Samantha asked.

    ¡°To be honest, my power right now is at par with Patroclus at best. Therefore, I have to try to gain an edge strategically. But first, I need to figure out what my enemy is thinking.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that he could return to the humans?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance! I am just not sure what his real goal is. The birth of immortals was not purely to aid the Zergs¡¯ war against the humans¡­It was also a manifesto of Patroclus¡¯ personal belief. Although I know that the battle between us is inevitable, part of me still likes to think that this is not going to be a war, but only a battle between the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to carry all the burden by yourself. The human race is not as fragile as you think. Let theme!¡±

    ¡°Haha, you sound like Karl!¡±

    ¡°Buzz off! Don¡¯t hold everything inside. You need friends more so than Patroclus would.¡± Samantha rebutted with a smile.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Samantha noticed the flickering in Wang Tong¡¯s eyes, and knew he was about to leave. ¡°Are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°You know me the best.¡± Wang Tong nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to go by yourself. Why can¡¯t you wait for the fleet to get ready?¡± Samantha asked concernedly.

    ¡°Hehe. I know you want me to stay, but I need to figure these things alone.¡±

    ¡°You are going to the moon?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am going to Patroclus¡¯s home base. I need to see the situation there with my own eyes before I draw any conclusions.¡±

    ¡°Be careful!¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­don¡¯t worry about me. I don¡¯t think anyone in this world is able to harm me.¡± Wang Tong said confidently. His confidence was not unfounded, since during his slumber, he had gained new insights into the world. This new enlightenment had also spurred him to go to the moon as a part of the re-examination of the situation.

    Wang Tong had never doubted the malignant nature of the dark ones, but what about the immortals?

    ¡°Should I stop you?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t because you always agree with me.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I wish I could be dumber so you could protect me.¡±

    ¡°I will protect you nheless.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I believe you. What about Michaux?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell them about my departure, but they will understand. After thest battle, Michaux and Guan Dongyang should have improved their mastery significantly, so the team should be in good hands after I am gone. The Confederation shouldn¡¯t rush to the Moon right away. Instead, you should focus on rebuilding themunication lines and warp portals around Mars.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we press on while the soldiers¡¯ spirits are up?¡±

    ¡°We are not ready yet, but the Zergs are. The immortals knew that they are the next target, so they must be prepared for our attack. We need to journey far to get to them, and the trip would be taxing on the soldiers¡¯ vigor. I say slowly does it, what say you?¡±

    ¡°I see sense in it. Maybe I have been taken away by our series of victories. Time to take things slowly, I guess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing for the soldiers to have a high spirit. The key is to channel their energy toward a positive oue¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you preaching me?¡± Samantha cut Wang Tong short.

    ¡°No, no. I am always your student.¡±

    ¡°Very well, I thought so too. So, do we wait for your signal for a full-on attack?¡±

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t mind me and carry out your task at your own pace. We have lots of talents on our ships, such as Karl.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I will wait for your good news then.¡±

    ¡­

    The survivors of the immortals¡¯ attack had spun wild tales about the brutality of the divine lord and his heinous crimes against the people on the moon. However, when Wang Tong sneaked through the nearly imprable security system andnded on the moon, he found the scenery rather peaceful.

    There were no monsters roaming on the streets, and neither were there signs of mass killings of the public. Over ny percent of the poption on moon was still human, and they plodded on with their daily life just as they had five years ago.

    Without any notable geographic barriers on the moon¡¯sndscape to stop the immortals, taking over it had been swift and almost effortless.

    Before the war, the moon boasted the strongest defense of all the human settlements. However, as a native resident of Earth¡¯s moon, Patroclus knew that the defense was much weaker than it appeared on paper. After the moon fell into the immortals¡¯ hands, the humans on Earth panicked. Meanwhile, they were concerned about the fate of the Ivantians who didn¡¯t make it out of the moon in time. Would they be forced to turn into hideous monsters or would they be killed in cold blood? The earthlings wished that their Ivantian counterparts would choose thetter. However, neither of that was true. Despite Patroclus¡¯ strong-handed approach in the makings of many new policies, he had left most of the Ivantians in peace. His Zerg army was well disciplined andcked the appetite for human flesh. After the war, the primitive Zergs were turned into freebor to rebuild the cities that were destroyed by the war. In an ironic way, these monstrosities had even contributed significantly to the local economy.

    Over time, Patroclus convinced more and more Ivantians about his cause, and the ranks of the immortals swelled. Amazingly, most of the new members joined Patroclus¡¯ army of immortals willingly; some had even be fanatics.

    Ivantians were the most open-minded human sub-race. In order to alleviate the public¡¯s fear of things that they didn¡¯t understand, Patroclus even built museums to educate the public on what it meant to be an immortal. The key takeaway of all the exhibitions was that while coexisting with the Zerg parasite, the human host still remained in full functional control of his or her body and mind.

    After a while, even the fear surrounding being an immortal disappeared, and the public started to see the benefits of bing one of Patroclus¡¯ followers. Not only would the Zerg parasite grant the humans an invincible body, but also the gift of immortality.

 Chapter 658 - Deliberation

    <h4>Chapter 658: Deliberation</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Slowly but surely, order returned to the moon. Although the people were still subjugated under a semi-martialw, they had returned peacefully to their normal day to day life. As the public¡¯s view toward the immortals shifted, no longer did the immortals evoke fear; instead, it was even considered an honor to join the immortal army.

    As the ranks of the immortal¡¯s swelled up, their interaction with humans also increased. After seeing their nearly limitless vitality while the human lives ebbed away by the day, the public started to revere them as formidable instruments of gods. Who didn¡¯t want sweet immortality? And then there was the sense of pride that spurred young and capable men and women to flock to Patroclus¡¯ side. The pride came from the fact that in the strange symbiosis between human and the parasite Zerg, the human was not only the host, but also the master.

    However, the poprity of the immortals did not amount tock of resistance on the moon. The conditions on the moon had forced them to operate underground, and they struggled to exert their influences after the shift in public¡¯s perception of their enemies. The Ivantians had opened their arms and embraced Patroclus and his ideology. They started to value the order that Patroclus had brought to them and praise his ambitions. After Patroclus had taken Earth, he would expand his immortal empire to every corner of the universe. Viewing themselves as the elite race of the human world, the Ivantians had long since harbored great ambitions, such as those of universal dominance. Of all the great Ivantian leaders, only Patroclus was able to put it into action, and there would be a horde of Zergs to safeguard them along their journey.

    The Zergs had unwittingly be the servants of the immortals, and Patroclus designed to keep it that way. Eliminating the dark ones was the key step in keeping the Zergs in check. His ambitions were known to the Zerg leaders when he killed the two Zerg generals five years ago. It was his loud and clear deceleration of independence.

    Once Patroclus showed the public his vision, the Ivantians stopped opposing him, and the elite members of the Ivantian societies yearned to join the Immortals where opportunity lied.

    The Ivantians had a long history of gene splicing, and they quickly viewed Patroclus¡¯ actions as simply another gene editing experiment. Their indifference toward Patroclus¡¯ betrayal of humanity deeply concerned Wang Tong.

    There would be nothing to liberate If the Ivantians were content with their lives.

    The public had gotten used to the immortals and even bought into their propaganda. The admission to the immortal army was viewed as the highest form of award that was worthy of public disy.

    Patroclus, by his own will, had worked hard to flesh out reforms in the Ivantian society. The mother supreme had no interest in sparing resources to build a utopia for humans¡ªthat was the exact opposite of what she wanted. However, being subjugated by Patroclus¡¯ will, she had no choice but to obey.

    Although the immortals were the elite ss of the society, they would have to face the same severe punishment as their human counterparts should they vite thew. The justice and fairness helped to cate the public.

    Seeing the indifferent faces in the streets, Wang Tong furrowed his brows; he knew the task would be difficult, but this seemed nearly impossible.

    Patroclus had adopted different strategies on differents. Mars had been under the dark ones¡¯ control, and therefore, his priority was to drive out the dark ones, paying little attention to the native human residents.

    Meanwhile, he maintained a brutal totalitarian regime on the Earth due to the¡¯s geographical diversity and stubbornness of the earthlings¡¯ minds. Unlike the Ivantians, the Earthlings were often opposed to anything new, many of whom even viewed the gene splicing technology as immoral, much less the merging of one¡¯s body with a monster.

    Theplex terrain had helped the humans in their defense, and so far, none of the human cities had defected to the immortals. Over time, Patroclus conceded that it was impossible to garner the same support he had enjoyed on the moon, and neither it would be easy to wipe out the entire human poption on Earth.

    Wang Tong had sensed that Patroclus had faced resistance on Earth, and he wagered that the oue of their final showdown would be the deciding factor to the fate of billions of inhabitants there. Before their final showdown, Wang Tong decided to leave the current situation as it was in order to minimize the destruction brought by the war.

    Meanwhile, on the moon, Patroclus was reading a book in his personal garden. Basking under the sunshine, he lolled in a lounge chair and took a deep breath, letting the mixture of earthy and fruity smell fill up his nostrils.

    Footsteps approached him from behind, but Patroclus didn¡¯t spare the visitor a nce as he kept his vision on the book.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be here in the garden while the whole world is burning outside.¡± Zhou Sisi remarked, with much rancor in her voice.

    Patroclus cracked a smile. ¡°Why are you still so bitter and sour? I thought you were happy that Wang Tong is alive.¡± Patroclus closed the book and set it on a side table. ¡°Grab a seat¡­I won¡¯t bite!¡±

    Zhou Sisi shot Patroclus a searing nce and felt a strange mixture of anger and gratefulness. Although Patroclus had destroyed the world she loved, he had saved her life and treated her with respect and dignity.

    ¡°You have seen what Wang Tong¡¯s is capable of. Under his leadership, Mars is now finally liberated. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will meet the same fate as Moye? And what are you after exactly?¡± Zhou Sisi asked hotly. She had tried to pry into the real motives of Patroclus over the years, but failed.

    ¡°If I have to meet Wang Tong in a one on onebat, who do you wish to be the winner?¡± Patroclus asked.

    ¡°I wish that day will nevere.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Too bad, our fight is inevitable. If Wang Tong wins the battle, you will be free.¡± Patroclus was pleased by the fact that Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t curse him to death.

    ¡°Humanity¡¯s worst enemy, the dark ones are defeated, and Zergs are no longer a threat. Why don¡¯t you try co-existing with the humans instead of bringing them downpletely? ¡± Zhou Sisi asked.

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s already toote. Humans will not forgive the immortals for what they have done.¡±

    ¡°At least you can try.¡±

    ¡°I know human nature better than anyone. They could ept Kaedeians, but the immortals stood no chance of getting along with them.¡± Patroclus said faintly. He was no longer one hundred percent confident about his victory over Wang Tong. However, he wagered that the odds were still on his side. As long as he could survive the final battle against Wang Tong, the immortals would be able to swallow the human world slowly but surely. But, what then? What would happen to the world after the Immortals took over? No one except for Patroclus knew the answer.

    ¡°Judging by how you have treated the humans on the Moon, I can tell that you don¡¯t want to wipe us out. Sometimes, I even wonder if you had done everything in order to dismantle the threat of Zergs from the inside. If that is the case, congrattions¡­mission aplished!¡± Zhou Sisi said, her eyes gleaming with hope.

    ¡°Hehe...You are always so optimistic, aren¡¯t you?¡± Patroclusughed.

    Zhou Sisi paused for a second and the lights in her eyes went out. ¡°Yes. I am an optimist.¡±

    ¡°I thought that out of all the people I know, only you would understand me.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry to disappoint you. You have created the so-called Immortal race in order to refine the human race, but you have missed the point the entire time! Death is what defines us, our humanity, and our strength. The immortals are not humans¡­they are freaks!¡±

    ¡°I understand why you find it hard to ept their existence. They have only existed for a half a decade, and it would take a long time for them to be epted into the human race. But, look around you. Doesn¡¯t the peace and prosperity on the moon say something to you?¡± Patroclus smiled and then took a sip of tea.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? You call it peace and prosperity while you turned millions of people into ves? The progress of science haspletely halted as everyone has turned their attention to the perverse power of immortality. Do you think that is an improvement? No! It is degradation! Sooner orter, you and your immortal power will turn everyone into lifeless zombies!¡±

    ¡°Go on, ¡°Patroclus announced without rancor.

    ¡°The immortals are neither humans nor Zergs. This state will implode from the inside sooner orter. It was a joke from the start.¡±

    ¡°Sadly, my dear, this joke is going to stick with us for a long time toe.¡±

 Chapter 659 - Encirclement

    <h4>Chapter 659: Encirclement</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°Humans are going to pay dearly in the process, but they will prevail in the end. The current struggle will only bring the humans closer to each other, and you won¡¯t be able to prevent the inevitability. Stop now, and you can still save yourself and preserve the immortals. ¡± Zhou Sisi pressed on. She was not hopeful that her words would change anything, but at least she tried.

    ¡°Hehe, how about making a deal? If you let me turn you into an immortal, I will leave the humans alone and travel with you outside the sr system away from the human world.¡± Patroclus asked abruptly.

    The question caught Zhou Sisi by surprise. She managed to gather herself and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters to you. The moment I say yes, I will lose all of my purpose for you. I might as well be dead, so why should you care any longer? And you know what? It doesn¡¯t matter to me either way. Whether I agree or not, Wang Tong is going to bring you down. No matter what I be, I only belong to Wang Tong¡­so dream on! The reason that I am still wasting my energy with you is that I hope I can reduce the amount of pain you would cause to humanity. There you have my answer, and I hope you choke on it! ¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to steal Wang Tong from Ma Xiaoru. Even Heidi had tried and failed, as well as the field medics who had lived and fought alongside him. Neither beauty nor intimacy could shake his fidelity. What makes you think that you are so special? Plus, you have been living in my quarters for five years¡­They might as well consider you a spy. After all, humans¡¯ paranoia is truly boundless.¡± Patroclus shrewdly avoided touching on the ring issue of conflicts between humans and the immortals by focusing on Zhou Sisi and Wang Tong¡¯s personal lives. Zhou Sisi had been living with the immortals ever since she was captured during the Battle of the Ark, and she had since lived as the only real human in Patroclus¡¯ privatepound. No one, not even the immortals, knew the purpose of her existence and where her loyalty lied. Therefore, Patroclus¡¯ im of humans¡¯ smear attacks on her innocence was not oundish.

    Patroclus¡¯ reply amused Zhou Sisi and she smiled broadly. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? I don¡¯t want anything from him, but I am willing to do anything for him, even if that means to be nailed on a cross.¡± Determination and resolution glinted in Zhou Sisi¡¯s eyes as she spoke.

    Patroclus kept his silence, but his hand was trembling with rage. He squeezed the teacup tightly to curb the fire inside him until the cup shattered into a few dozen sharp pieces.

    ¡­

    On the sixth Christmas eve since the Zergs¡¯ invasion, the human resistance coalition organized arge scale uprising of the guerri attack on a few dozen immortal upied territories.

    Zhang Jin and Ma Xiaoru were the chief inmand for this campaign of guerri warfare. Due to her unique, if not inconvenient, family background, Zhang Jin was barred frommanding any confederation troops; instead, she was responsible for coordinating all guerri factions.

    Losing the public¡¯s support was more terrifying than losing territory; the death of Einherjar Li Zhedao was a devastating blow to the human force, but it also spurred the Earthlings to unite in solidarity. Although Li Zhedao was dead, the values he stood for lived in everyone¡¯s heart.

    Patroclus was injured by Li Zhedao, so he had to take a break from the battlefield. This had given Zhang Jin and her guerri soldiers a golden opportunity to infiltrate further into the enemy territory. Slowly but surely, she changed the outlook of the war one step at a time. She couldn¡¯t have done it all by herself; behind her were millions of earthlings and House Ma¡¯s unequivocal financial support.

    The Earth was human race¡¯s homnd where they had lived and died for tens of thousands of years. The Zergs weren¡¯t able to take it five hundred years ago, and neither would the immortals now.

    ¡°Uprisings are organized in fifteen cities simultaneously. They should catch the Immortals off guard.¡± Zhang Jin said. She had been working round the clock to organize this campaign. Feeling exhaustion iming her, she rubbed her forehead to stay awake.

    ¡°You should rest, sister Jin. You have been staying up for three nights in a row.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing. I only hope that something woulde out of this.¡±

    ¡°Everything is being carried out ording to the n. The Immortals will not be able to take the Earth any time soon, and I have heard that the Martians have finally defeated the Dark Lord. Things are really looking up.¡±

    ¡°Never underestimate our enemy, Sister Xiaoru. The immortals¡¯ presence on Earth remains powerful, and if Patroclus suddenly decides to pull the plug and attack us with full force, no one can save us then.¡±

    ¡°Not even Wang Tong? I can feel his presence, and the signals are getting clearer and strongertely. I think he is very close to us, and he is here to protect us.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a psychic, haha... Well, if your psychic prediction is right, we might have a chance at surviving after all.¡± Zhang Jin said with a weary smile. The sleepless nights had taken a toll on her vigor, and she found it hard to resist the temptation ofying on a sofa bed.

    As she stood up and was ready to walk to her bed, a strange nagging sensation took her by surprise: something was not right! She furrowed her brows and murmured, ¡°Strange...the immortals still haven¡¯t responded to the uprising yet¡­Sh*t! Ma Xiaoru, shut off themunication line!¡±

    Despite Zhang Jin¡¯s vignce, she had acted toote. While she waited for the Immortals¡¯ response to the uprising, the immortals had tapped into hermunication line and traced the location of her underground office.

    They had only a few minutes to get ready for the defense before hordes of Zergs rushed toward the undergroundmand center. Ma Xiaoru had donned the METAL suit and joined the defense.

    After a while, Ma Xiaoru and her soldiers were forced to pull back further into the building as the first line of defense was overwhelmed by the Zergs.

    ¡°We are surrounded by Zergs.¡± Ma Xiaoru grinned wryly. All this while, she wondered how the Zergs managed to tap into theirmunication line?

    ¡°Captain, we arepletely surrounded by Zergs. We need to break through the encirclement soon rather thanter.¡±

    ¡°There is a mole among us.¡± Zhang Jin spoke with an edge in her voice. She had done all she could to prevent this, but somehow, the Immortals were still able to dig their ws into her men. She reflected briefly on what she had done wrong and reckoned that other than the few high-ranking officers, she practically knew nothing about her crew. She made a mental note to work on that aspect in the future¡­if she could get out of here alive, of course. The uprisings were already initiated, and it was toote to put a stop on it.

    ¡°Sister Jin, use the tunnel right now and I will cover your back.¡± Ma Xiaoru announced with aplomb despite the urgency of the situation. Years of battle had hardened her into a resolute veteran warrior. ¡°Don¡¯t waste time! You know that only one of us can make it out of here. I should be able to attract and slow them down. Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, and don¡¯t y heroine! I need you alive.¡±

    ¡°Go, NOW!¡±

    Ma Xiaoru stormed out of the room with her personal guards. She was racing against time; the traitor had likely cut off all the routes of retreat from inside, and therefore, Zhang Jin¡¯s only hope of escaping this disasterid on her shoulders.

    The enemies were near, so she charged up her GN force and picked up speed. She was no longer the princess of House Ma; chin up and chest out, she stood before the immortals like a formidable warrior.

    ¡°I am Ma Xiaoru, the heir of House Ma, sworn protector of the confederation! Cross me, and you are dead.¡±

    Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t give the Zergs any time to react as she shot a dozen de auras out. The streets were brimmed with Zergs since the Immortals had evacuated all the humans. They were in the city formerly known as Boston, and it was an Immortal upied territory now. Ma Xiaoru and Zhang Jin had established a headquarter for the covert operation in this city right under the nose of the Immortals.

    Hearing Ma Xiaoru¡¯s name, the immortals quickly focused their fire on her and encircled her. Outside of the ring of encirclement were many human spectators who prayed for her safety secretly.

    ¡°Oh my gosh, that really is Miss Ma! We have to do something.¡±

    ¡°What can we do? We will be more a hindrance than a help.¡±

    A swell of concerned murmur rose from the crowd; they conceded that they couldn¡¯t do anything but hope that Ma Xiaoru could escape in the end.

    Four Immortals wearing golden METAL suits stepped forward, and one of them greeted Ma Xiaoru. ¡°Miss Ma Xiaoru, it is an honor to meet you.¡± The four golden Immortals spoke casually and didn¡¯t seem to be worried that she would make a break.

    ¡°The four great generals of the Immortals...¡± Ma Xiaoru murmured. It urred to her that the chances of breaking out of the encirclement were zero.

    ¡°It gives me the honor to hear our names from you. If you wait a minute or two, we will bring miss Zhang Jin out for you as well. By order of the divine lord, we are here to escort you and Zhang Jin to the moon.¡±

    Before long, the encirclement opened up, and a few immortals escorted Zhang Jin into the circle.

    ¡°Miss Ma, I wanted to see the tactics of the de warrior, but the divine lord had given us the order not to harm you. What a pity! Please lower your weapons now¡­we mean you no harm.¡± One of the divine generals said softly as he ran his finger through his tumble of blond hair. He was the most handsome one of the four, a typical Ivantian stud, and also a fanatic follower of Patroclus. He leered at Ma Xiaoru, his eyes brimming.

 Chapter 660 - I Am Back

    <h4>Chapter 660: I Am Back</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The immortals¡ªas their name obviously stated¡ªwere immortal, and had a nearly insatiable lust. Every time the immortals sacked a new human city, they would often browse the local market for some fresh meat.?Although Gersar knew he would not be able toy a finger on Ma Xiaoru, it wouldn¡¯t stop his perverse imaginations.

    Ma Xiaoru cast Zhang Jin a knowing nce. If the Immortals expected her to surrender without putting up a fight, they might as well have the wrong person.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste our time. Soldiers of House Ma never surrender! ¡± Ma Xiaoru said thinly. Thousands of concerned human onlookers witnessed her courage and were deeply moved by her resolution to defend humanity. As Wang Tong¡¯s woman, Ma Xiaoru knew that she could not afford to cave in before humanity¡¯s greatest enemy. de Aura danced about her sword as she prepared herself for the battle.

    ¡°Anyone of you wants to y with her? I call the dibs...Haha.¡± Gersarughed lewdly.

    ¡°Watch out! Don¡¯t get your little bird chopped off¡­Haha!¡± One of the golden immortals burst outughing.

    ¡°Buzz off! I am not going be defeated by a woman.¡± With that, Gersar threw himself at Ma Xiaoru, his golden METAL suit suffused with a shimmering GN force. The immortals¡¯ ability in using the energy crystals was far greater than that of the humans. Plus, the immortal armies were backed by the most advanced human technologies from the Ivantians; even Ma Xiaoru¡¯s super METAL suit paled underparison with that of the immortals.

    But still, Ma Xiaoru was unflinching while facing the deadly attack. She shed at her opponent with the de as she scanned her surroundings, looking for a weak link in the encirclement.

    Her personal guards were also under fire from the Immortals. The primitive Zergs didn¡¯t involve themselves in the fight as they simply stood and watched. They were not worthy of fighting alongside the godly immortal generals.

    After some observation, Ma Xiaoru conceded that the immortals had left no blind spots in their encirclement. The other three immortal generals seemed to be chatting casually, but Ma Xiaoru knew that they hadn¡¯t let their guards down and would act on the slightest provocation.

    Ma Xiaoru¡¯s sword technique was well known for its unpredictability. However, Gersar¡¯s spear had a much longer reach, and therefore, had a natural advantage over her shorter weapon. Although Gersar was rtively unknown before he joined the immortals, his power had increased by leaps and bounds ever since Patroclus bestowed the gift of immortality on him. Gersar was at level twenty-four, one level ahead of Ma Xiaoru, and his spear techniques had the reminiscence of Patroclus¡¯nce attack skills. Although Ma Xiaoru had honed her tactics of the Enchantress to near perfection, with the disadvantages in the level of soul energy and weapon¡¯s reach, she could not gain an edge during the fight.

    ¡°The Tactics of the Enchantress are impressive! One level behind and she can still measure up to Gersar!¡± Yagerli eximed. He was the head of the four generals and had studied the humans¡¯ five major tactics, particrly the Tactics of the Deva King.

    Unlike the humans, the immortals shared all of their knowledge freely with each other. The five major tactics had long since been shared publicly among the immortals. Without their secret weapons, members of the major households were easily defeated.

    This was where the immortalmunity outshone the humans. All members of the immortal family had unrestricted ess to all of their collective knowledge, and the divine lord had spared no expenses at the training and improvement of his followers. Some of the Ivantians defected to the immortals solely because of the opportunity to educate and improve oneself.

    Patroclus had also formted a few unique tactics bybining all the known tactics in the human world. As more and more humans joined his ranks, more and more human tactics were being absorbed into the immortals¡¯ training. Their superior body also meant that they would never fall into derangement, which further facilitated their cultivation.

    Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t expect the fight to be so difficult, but she didn¡¯t waver.

    Sensing that she was in trouble, her eighteen guards stepped forward together and blocked one of Gersar¡¯s attacks. They channeled out their GN force and linked them together, forming an imprable shield.

    ¡°Interesting! Isn¡¯t it the battle formation of Eighteen Arhats?¡± One of the four immortal generals called Molin, a hulking frame among the others, eximed out loud.

    ¡°Gersar, can you handle it? Why don¡¯t you let Molin give it a try?¡± The fourth golden immortal, Hewitt jested.

    ¡°Arhat my a*s! If they are the Arhat, I might as well be the Buddha. Boss, let me kill them all!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the power of these eighteen gentlemen. We need to carry out the Divine Lord¡¯s order, and we can¡¯t afford to make a mistake. I will have to do it myself.¡± Yageli announced as he pulled away from his red cape and closed in onto the eighteen guards.

    ¡°Boring!¡± Hewitt rolled his eyes at Yageli.

    Ma Xiaoru¡¯s guards were all level twenty-one legendary warriors. The eighteen of them would be a formidable force anywhere they went. They were handpicked by the lord of House Ma and were entrusted with the duty of protecting Ma Xiaoru. The unique thing about this cohort of guardsmen was that their soul energies were on the exact same level, and therefore, could resonate with each other to form a force field of epic proportions.

    On the other hand, their opponent was the leader of the mysterious four divine generals of the immortals. His advanced tactics and powerful soul energy meant that Yageli would be the most powerful opponent the guardsmen had ever faced.

    ¡°Miss Ma, if they can counter three of my attacks, I will let you go free. But, if they fail to do so, would you pleasee with me peacefully?¡±

    Ma Xiaoru shot him a cold nce: ¡°I don¡¯t make deals with monsters. ¡±

    ¡°Fine. You just made it more difficult for yourself.¡±

    KOM!

    Yageli flushed out his soul energy, and everyone was shocked by his power. Whatever hope they had mustered after seeing the power of the eighteen Arhats had evaporated into thin air.

    Yageli was a level twenty-six Einherjar.

    Even a level twenty-five Einherjar could be wed in one way or another, but at level twenty-six, they were perfect.

    The moment Yageli clenched his fist, he seemed to have squeezed the air out of everyone¡¯s lungs. The battlefield was filled with a suffocating pressure that seemingly came from nowhere.

    KOM!

    Yageli punched, and everyone felt a gale sting at their face. Next, the air felt hot as if it was brought to a boil, finally followed by a deafening boom that left everyone¡¯s ears half deaf.

    The eighteen Arhats¡¯ faces paled as they felt the overbearing pressure on their system. The two at the front coughed violently as blood spilled out of their mouths.

    ¡°Mydy, leave us now! We can¡¯t take another hit.¡±

    Yageli didn¡¯t give Ma Xiaoru time to say the obvious answer as his second blow was already underway. Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t hesitate as she linked her soul energy with that of the Arhats. The second blow came with more belligerence than the first one.

    KOM!

    The attack staggered the guards, but they didn¡¯t fall thanks to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s assistance. Suddenly, a swell ofmotion could be heard outside the encirclement: the underground resistance hade to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s aid.

    ¡°Miss Ma, you won¡¯t like my thirst attack, I promise. Why don¡¯t youe with me in peace and make it easier for both of us? I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± Seeing that Ma Xiaoru had ignored his final plea, Yageli initiated the third attack. But before he could reach his target, a powerful force came down on him, forcing him to halt his attack. Yageli scanned his surroundings and failed to find the source of the power. Then, he heard a voice calling him out.

    ¡°I will give you two options right now: you can end your life yourself, or I will do it for you!¡± The booming voice reverberated across the city, and the entire city fell to pin-drop silence. Disbelief came over Ma Xiaoru as she heard the familiar voice.

    ¡°Wang ...Tong?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with Patroclus? He sent a few losers to go after my girl?¡± Wang Tong sneered at the four golden immortals, and then he turned around to look at Ma Xiaoru. When their eyes locked with each other, Ma Xiaoru felt her heart stop beating.

    Before she knew it, Wang Tong was only a few inches away from her and had started to replenish her soul energy using his.

    ¡°We have lots to catch up after I am done with these losers.¡±

    ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Ma Xiaoru couldn¡¯t even finish her words as she broke down in tears.

    ¡°You are courting death! How dare you call out our divine lord¡¯s name!¡±

    A level twenty one immortal charged at Wang Tong while brandishing a giant de. Wang Tong didn¡¯t even spare him a look as he casually lifted a finger and flicked it.

 Chapter 661 - Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 661: Reunion</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Kaboom!

    With that single movement, heads of a few dozen Immortals exploded.

    ¡°So, what will you choose? Are you going to kill yourself or you need my help?¡± Wang Tong¡¯s voice was cold. He was grateful for Charcoal¡¯s tip about the Immortals¡¯ operations. If he hade a little bitter, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s life could have been in danger.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Yageli shouted andmanded the immortals to attack Wang Tong from all directions.?Wang Tong threw his head back and looked into the sky above him as if searching for some invisible energy. Next, he spread his fingers out before suddenly clenching them.

    BOOM!

    The few dozen Immortals who charged at Wang Tong were stopped cold in their track, and then their heads exploded.

    Meanwhile, the underground resistance force had made their way to the center of the encirclement, and everyone wondered if the warrior who came to Ma Xiaoru¡¯s rescue was Wang Tong. No one had seen him before, yet everyone felt that his face looked familiar.

    Ever since Wang Tong was spotted on Mars, the humans on Earth had been yearning for his arrival¡­And there he was, standing right in front of them.

    No other acts than the killing of the four Immortal generals could send a clearer message to the Immortals that he was here. The battle would not only be a show of resolution, but also a message to Patroclus that he had found a way to save the humans from his brutality.

    In a blink, all the Immortals other than the four generals were dead. Their headless bodies slumped on the ground in death.

    ¡°Three strikes, wasn¡¯t it? I have a new proposal: if the four of you can withstand one punch from me, I will let you go. How does that sound?¡± Wang Tong held his hands behind back and scrutinized the expressions on the four immortals. His poised, overbearing and cold presence sent a chill down to the Immortals¡¯ spines.

    ¡°Wang Tong, don¡¯t let your conceit get the better of you. You¡­¡± Words got caught in Yalige¡¯s throat as he noticed Wang Tong¡¯s expression harden while his soul energy disappeared.

    ¡°You three head back now while you still can. I will handle him myself.¡±

    ¡°Boss, why are you afraid of him?¡±

    ¡°Shut your trap! Do as you are told.¡± Yageli refuted. He started to realize that Wang Tong was much more powerful than even the wildest rumors he had heard about him.

    ¡°Hehe, are you guys done talking? I am about to attack.¡±

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Yageli charged at Wang Tong, but his level twenty-six soul energy seemed much less impressive in front of thetter. Meanwhile, the other three immortals, Gersar, Molin, and Hewitt, darted in three different directions.

    How could Wang Tong attack four of them at the same time while they were so far apart?

    Wang Tong met Yageli¡¯s attack with a simple punch. Although the punch was directed toward Yageli, it was the other three immortals who fell to the ground before the fist punctured arge hole through Yageli¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Space warp!¡±

    ¡°Because of your courage, I will give you a quick death.¡± Wang Tong said coldly, and all four immortal generals were dead before his voice faded away. In a blink of an eye, Wang Tong had turned the tables around and saved everyone.?More and more human citizens gathered on the street to look at Wang Tong, their faces a mixture of confusion and hope.

    ¡°Citizens of Boston, you are free!¡± Wang Tong¡¯s voice boomed, echoing across the quiet city.

    Dealing with the immortals stationed in the city was a piece of cake for Wang Tong, most of them getting killed and after this battle. Those who got away fled the city in panic.

    Ma Xiaoru rushed toward Wang Tong and copsed into his arms as she broke down in tears. This was the moment she had dreamed of every night, and it finally was no longer a dream.

    Her tears and breakdown surprised even herself; she was not as strong as she had pretended to be.

    Wang Tong hugged Ma Xiaoru tightly, and then both of them shed out of view.

    Zhang Jin smiled knowingly; nothing was sweeter than love redeemed. Judging by Wang Tong¡¯s disy, Zhang Jin knew that the humans¡¯ fate was in his hands.

    Zhang Jin couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly bitter for not being noticed by Wang Tong; nheless, she was happy for Ma Xiaoru. She had a heart of gold, pure and innocent; but when she was under stress, she had neverined even once.

    The most terrible thing was not death; it was waiting for true love and not knowing if that true love would even show up or not.

    ¡­

    Looking at Ma Xiaoru¡¯s face, Wang Tong felt words simply evaporate from his mouth. He had expected Ma Xiaoru toin to him about the loneliness and stress he had put her under, but she didn¡¯t, simply watching his face with all the love she could muster.

    They stood in each other¡¯s embrace on top of a skyscraper. Wang Tong held Ma Xiaoru¡¯s beautiful face with both hands and whispered, ¡°I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°Say no more. I want you to have me.¡± Ma Xiaoru murmured.

    Wang Tong could no longer hold back the desire inside of him. With a wave of a hand, he cast a privacy screen spell around them. Knowing they were nearly invisible, Ma Xiaoru let go of the hold on the knot of fire that had been burning inside her for five years. She ripped Wang Tong¡¯s clothes off and then pulled his pants down to his knees. They pressed their bodies close to each other and enjoyed the burning sensation from the touch of each and every inch of their naked skin. In this magical realm of sex and emotions, reality ebbed away, and in ce of it was pure magic.

    After everything was done, Ma Xiaoruy inside Wang Tong¡¯s arms and slowly fell asleep. Wang Tong ran his fingers through her silken hair and tried to imagine the prison-like life she had to endure over the five years.

    They said that time was rtive, and it was the slowest when she was by herself. He reflected on his own life in thest five years and how big of a challenge that had been to improve his power to be at par with Patroclus.

    It was the most intense training a human body could ever undergo. However, Wang Tong knew that he would appreciate it when he had to face Patroclus. Not only was Patroclus a much more talented warrior than Wang Tong, but he had also gained a huge advantage after being an immortal. Plus, Wang Tong doubted that the Ivantian prince would have stopped seeking new power during the five years.

    Having fought Patroclus once, Wang Tong knew that when the time came, he would have to stand up against the only warrior who was perfect in each and every aspect.

    The challenge justified Wang Tong¡¯s sadistic training routines during the five years. He couldn¡¯t afford to expose himself before he felt he was ready to face Patroclus, but he was also racing against time. Humanity was suffering, and their only salvation was him.

    Even then, the thought of the training during those five long years gave Wang Tong the chills. He took Ma Xiaoru¡¯s hand and squeezed it gently; as long as he could protect his loved ones, any sacrifice or hellish training was worth it.

    Before Wang Tong arrived on Earth, he was still unsure about the specific steps that needed to be taken to counter Patroclus. But by then, he had seen and heard enough for a detailed n to start surfacing in his mind.

    The first thing Ma Xiaoru saw the next morning was Wang Tong¡¯s face. She shook her head to make sure she was not dreaming. Still unsure, she jumped at him and squeezed his nose hard. Wang Tong winced, which finally convinced Ma Xiaoru that this was not a dream. She wrapped her arms around Wang Tong neck and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s not a dream. Not a dream! Haha!¡±

    Despite Ma Xiaoru¡¯s choking hold on his neck, Wang Tong smiled contentedly. The few fragile moments of epiphany he had tasted in his five years¡ªtasted, but always lost¡ªwere redeemed here.

    ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s have breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Ok, but where are we?¡± Ma Xiaoru looked around her and asked.

    ¡°We are still inside the privacy spell. Someone just couldn¡¯t waitst night.¡± Wang Tong answered. ¡°Put some clothes on, will you?¡±

    ¡°Hey, my shirt is all ripped! You need to buy me new ones.¡± Ma Xiaoruined while wearing a mischievous smirk on her face.

    ¡°I have no money. Maybe you can just take my body instead.¡±

    ¡°Why will I do that? Your body is stinky.¡±

    ¡°Yet, you licked it like an ice creamst night.¡± Wang Tong winked at Ma Xiaoru.

    When Wang Tong and Ma Xiaoru got off their love nest on the rooftop, they were greeted by soldiers from the resistance force and House Ma. Behind them were thousands of citizens who showered the couple with cheers and flowers. Wang Tong held Ma Xiaoru by the waist and smiled broadly at the public. The news of his return and the killing of the four immortal generals spread quickly across the earth.

    The savior had returned, and Patroclus¡¯ days were numbered!

 Chapter 662 - Call Under The Banner

    <h4>Chapter 662: Call Under The Banner</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Many heroes had tried to rise against Patroclus, but they all failed.

    Although the human world still had capable warriors such as Li Shiming and Li Ruoer, their power fell short before Patroclus.

    Patroclus¡¯ existence was a sharp knife that hung above the neck of humanity and constantly reminded the humans of their inevitable annihtion. However, with Wang Tong¡¯s return, the humans started to see hope once again. Wang Tong was the only person who had defeated Patroclus in the past, and he was humanity¡¯sst and only hope. The humans¡¯ belief in Wang Tong¡¯s special power was also shared among the Immortals. No Immortal would feel ashamed for fleeing from a battle against Wang Tong. Therefore, all the Immortals inside Boston had fled the city right after the four generals¡¯ defeat.

    Wang Tong¡¯s presence had ensured the security of Boston. In the days that followed, he pushed away other appointments and spent most of his time with Ma Xiaoru.

    ¡°Wee back, young master! The elders of the court are eager to see you.¡± A Temr said to Wang Tong.

    ¡°Is the grand master still alive?¡± Wang Tong asked with a smirk.

    ¡°The grand master is alive and healthy. He had told us that you are still alive when you were missing, and he said you would be back to lead the Temrs and destroy the Immortals.¡±

    ¡°What is your name?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Zhang Taihang, my lord!¡±

    Wang Tong patted Zhang Taihang¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°The Immortals¡¯ days are numbered. Are you willing to follow me and destroy them once and for all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master! I will follow you even through the gates of hell! My life is yours!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die. I want you to live, so that you can fight the Immortals and liberate our homnd.¡±

    ¡°Kill the Zergs, retake homnd!¡±

    ¡°Kill the Zergs, retake homnd!¡±

    ¡°Kill the Zergs, retake homnd!¡±

    The soldiers¡¯ shout echoed throughout the city. The human race had survived the test of time and would continue to do so. Be it the Zergs or Immortals, no one could bring down humanity as long as Wang Tong was still alive.

    The savior had returned home after turning the situation around on Mars and liberating millions of souls in a triumphant victory against the dark ones.

    Wang Tong could not have done it all by himself; he reckoned that the hope of saving the humanity lied in not just one or two people, but in the human race itself. There was a power hidden inside every human that only Wang Tong knew how to draw out. The source of the power, as Wang Tong deduced, was the evolutionary pressure; in other words, the fear of extinction while facing a near-invincible enemy. It was this fear that had fueled the warriors to risk their lives on the battlefield, because they knew that Patroclus had no intention of coexisting with the human race as he designed to rece it with Immortals outright.

    Although the Immortals had Patroclus, the humans had Patroclus¡¯ equal: Wang Tong. Wang Tong was an exemr of valor and wisdom, and was destined to steer the ship that was the human race to the safe shore from the current violent storm.

    Ever since the age of space exploration, the human race had divided into many sub-branches, among which, the humans from their homnd Earth were the most stubborn and hopelessly bound by their sense of honor. They were fierce protectors of the old ways, and were able to resist various temptations and distractions of the modern world. The old way was the honorable way, and honor was in the blood of every Earthling.

    This unique character of the earthlings exined why the Ivantians had given in to the Immortals upation so easily while the resistance sentiment on Earth remained strong.

    Patroclus was able to do as he please on the Moon but not so much on Earth. He found himself hemmed in by resistance from not only military, but all other aspects of the society as well. There were many theories that attempted to exin the unyielding character of earthlings, and a simple exnation was that the earthlings shared a much stronger affinity with Earth than any other human groups. To the earthlings, Earth was a sacrednd, and they would resist any invaders with a religious zeal.

    After the Immortals had fled Boston, they didn¡¯t attempt to retake the city, which took the human residence by surprise as it was against their normal retaliatory behavior. There could only be one exnation: the immortals were afraid of Wang Tong.

    Wang Tong could provide more security to a city than an entire army.

    What Wang Tong had achieved on Mars was unimaginable. If the killing of Moye had ced him on the throne above all other human warriors, his ability to evoke the asteroid storm would have earned him a ce among the gods.

    Zhang Jin took advantage of the brief peace and quickly establishedmunication with all resistance forces across the globe. The time for a full-fledged counterattack was near.

    Even now, Zhang Jin was not certain as to how effective the human resistance groups¡¯bined strength would be during a counterattack. She was not surprised by the Ivantians¡¯ quick capittion; although theyuded themselves for their ¡°perfect¡± genes, they were the weakest in their wills. While they surrendered to the invaders, the humans on Earth devoted themselves to the heroic act of resistance.

    Zhang Jin didn¡¯t have to wait long before she received responses from all corners of Earth. She was pleasantly surprised by the unprecedented enthusiasm; the mentioning of Wang Tong¡¯s name was enough to heighten everyone¡¯s spirits.

    ¡°Wang Tong, we were able to gain the support of thirty-seven underground factions, and they are all willing to fight for you.¡± Zhang Jin said joyfully.

    ¡°Thank you for organizing everything. I am nothing special.¡± Wang Tong said timidly and scratched his head. They met at the Temr¡¯s court, where he was about to meet the core members of the court.

    ¡°I had never thought that you could be so modest!¡± Zhang Jin eximed with a broad smile. She had been in a good mood ever since she survived the Immortals¡¯ sudden raid.

    ¡°Sister Jin, don¡¯t praise him like that. He needs your advice and guidance.¡± Ma Xiaoru said gently.

    ¡°Forget it! I am not going to guide him.¡± Zhang Jin shrugged and answered readily.

    ¡°Sister Jin, based on the information I have gathered, it urred to me that the power of the resistance force on Earth is still intact.¡±

    ¡°You are right. The morale on Earth is much better than that on the moon and Mars. By far, Patroclus¡¯ aggression had been mild. I wager that his ultimate goal is not to destroy Earth, but to transform it into another one of his bases like the moon. This gave the resistance a lot of room to grow. Plus, the sentiment among the public also favored continuing resistance instead of capittion, particrly after the death of Einherjar Li Zhedao. Perhaps losing him was a blessing in disguise. In addition, the number of elite Immortals was very limited for some unknown reason.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it was because Patroclus had restricted the reproduction capability of the queens?¡±

    ¡°That is likely the case, but no one knows for sure. There were still some human soldiers that were coerced to fight for the Immortals, but I bet we could win them over with a few words from you. All in all, our biggest threat is not the immortals, but only one individual: Patroclus.¡±

    Wang Tong nodded as he knew that Zhang Jin¡¯s words had hit the mark. The resistance forces on Earth had viewed Wang Tong¡¯s presence a counterweight against the heavy clout of Patroclus.

    ¡°Once you think you are ready, both the earthling and the Martian forces will be under yourmand.¡± Zhang Jin announced expectantly.

    Fearing the call of duty would take Wang Tong away from her again, Ma Xiaoru reached out to hold his hand before thetter could offer an answer.

    Zhang Jin studied Wang Tong¡¯s face attentively, trying to catch traces of his thoughts. Wang Tong would y a key role, and therefore, it was important to get him on board with the n as soon as possible.

    ¡°How confident are you that anything positive is going toe out of this?¡± Wang Tong asked candidly.

    Zhang Jin was taken aback by the question. She paused to think for a second and then replied, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say... There are just too many variables. Regardless of the oue, humans will pay a heavy price, and we are ready. This war is inevitable.¡±

    Wang Tong nodded, ¡°I know. ¡±

    ¡°Well, on that note, I have a simr question for you: how confident are you in the fight against Patroclus?¡±

 Chapter 663 - The Forgotten Ark

    <h4>Chapter 663: The Forgotten Ark</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    As one of the core leaders of the human resistance, she knew clearer than most people about the implication of the fight between Wang Tong and Patroclus.

    ¡°All I can say is that I believe that I will win, but I am not a fortune teller either. The quickest way to end this war is a fight between Patroclus and me. However, I doubt he is ready to fight me yet.¡± Wang Tong replied, hearing which, Zhang Jin nodded in agreement. She knew that the showdown between the Wang Tong and Patroclus was only a matter of time. If Wang Tong was able to somehow make the fight happen sooner, the war could be avoidedpletely.

    However, just as Wang Tong had pointed out, the Immortals had the decisive upper hand right now, so it was not likely that Patroclus would take the risk and fight Wang Tong in person.

    Wang Tong was much more powerful than Li Zhedao, and even Patroclus could not be 100% sure that he would emerge victorious.

    Although the powers of the two warriors were at par with each other, the powers of the factions they represented did not. If Patroclus approached the situation with a rational mindset, he would reach only one conclusion: avoid fighting Wang Tong.

    ¡°Can I...say something?¡± Sensing that the two¡¯s arguments were getting nowhere, Ma Xiaoru asked timidly. Neither Wang Tong nor Zhang Jin wanted the war to drag on. The human race had suffered enough in the six years, and the sooner the war could end, the better. The conflict between Wang Tong and Patroclus was the only solution to end the war without having it drag on. On the other hand, the more Wang Tong fought on the battlefield, the more he would expose his power to Patroclus. With his sharp mind, Patroclus, might be able to catch Wang Tong¡¯s ws that even thetter himself wasn¡¯t aware of.

    ¡°What do you think ?¡±

    ¡°If we were to locate the mother supreme and kill it, what would the Zergs do? ¡±

    Zhang Jin and Wang Tong were taken aback by Ma Xiaoru¡¯s question. They stared at each other in surprised silence.

    ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Ma Xiaoru asked sheepishly. Wang Tong turned and hugged Ma Xiaoru as he pressed a kiss on her cheek. ¡°No, you are a genius!¡±

    Zhang Jin burst outughing. ¡°How could we have forgotten about the queen? She is the source of the immortals¡¯ strength. If we manage to get rid of her, the immortals would lose their hold on the billions of Zergs.¡±

    ¡°If the queen and Patroclus don¡¯t get along, I doubt Patroclus would be able to keep his immortality. But, how are we going to find the mother supreme?¡±

    Zhang Jin¡¯s eyes glinted with hope as she said, ¡°It used to be a million dor question, but not anymore. We just have to think like Patroclus. Now, if I were Patroclus, where would I hide her?¡±

    Wang Tongughed. ¡°No one knows Patroclus better than you, Zhang Jin.¡±

    ¡°So...did I just save the humanity?¡± Ma Xiaoru asked mischievously.

    ¡°Almost, my dear! You can count on me to find out where the queen is located. Without the mother supreme, the Immortal army would lose all of their edges against us.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, the queen is Patroclus¡¯ Achille¡¯s heel.¡± Wang Tong said hopefully. They had finally found a usible solution to force Patroclus to fight him as soon as possible.

    Patroclus knew the queen was the key to control the Zergs, and therefore, he would have ced her in the most secure ce. But, where would it be?

    The three of them mulled over the question for a while but were not able to find an answer. ¡°Sh*t! I should have thought about it earlier so that we could have had more information to work with.¡±

    Wang Tong nodded. ¡°As long as you can point a direction for me, I can handle the rest. However, we have only one shot at this. Once Patroclus is aware of our intention, our chance of sess is zero.¡±

    ¡°Someone must know something about the queen¡¯s whereabouts.¡±

    ¡°Agreed! Let¡¯s focus on the Moon, Earth, and Mars first.¡±

    ¡°She is not very likely on Mars, so we can exclude it from the list for now. It¡¯s too risky and too far from the Moon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not very likely that she is on Earth either. Even the Immortal upied areas were filled with our covert agents, much less our territories.¡± Ma Xiaoru said.

    ¡°That leaves only the Moon and space.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Those are the safest ces where Patroclus could exert his influences on.¡±

    ¡°Sister Jin, if you were Patroclus, where would you hide the queen?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I would have ced her in either ces. If I were worried about her safety, I would have ced her on the moon. But, I have no idea what the rtionship was like between Patroclus and the Queen, so I really have no clue.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Xiaoru?¡± Wang Tong asked.

    ¡°Eeww... I wouldn¡¯t want to even get close to her. The queens are gross.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm... I can think of at least one ce where Patroclus could have hidden her.¡± Wang Tong said and let the suspense hang in the air. In many ways, Wang Tong, was very simr to Patroclus, and therefore, he had some measure of confidence in his guess.

    ¡°Spit it out!¡± Ma Xiaoru urged.

    ¡°The Ark!¡±

    Wang Tong¡¯s answer caught the two girls off guard. They had almost forgotten that formidable ship and what had happened on it.

    ¡­

    On the fifth day of Boston¡¯s liberation, the masters of the court finally arrived. When Old Fart saw Wang Tong for the first time in nearly a decade, he simply smiled at him approvingly. Only with the slightest hesitation, Wang Tong closed in and embraced Old Fart.

    Of all the masters of the court, only four had survived the war. The Temr had been at the forefront of the Confederation Army when the Zergs invaded, and had taken the brunt of the enemy force. They were able to push back the Zergs¡¯ initial charge, but their sess cost them dearly. Nheless, the Temr¡¯s court persevered and continued fighting the Zergs even till this day.

    Much like the Divine Mastery Sect on Mars, the Temrs had be the symbol of humans¡¯ resistance. While House Li fought the Zergs on the open field, Temrs and House Ma organized covert operations to dismantle the Immortals¡¯ rule over the Earth from inside the cities.

    ¡°Your hair have grayed, old man!¡± Wang Tong said wistfully. He knew Old Fart had been under an unimaginable amount of stress.

    ¡°Haha, you have grown up¡­You have done well!¡± Old Fart said with a broad smile as tears of joy welled in his eyes.

 Chapter 664 - Alive Like A Tiger

    <h4>Chapter 664: Alive Like A Tiger</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Ma Xiaoru was affected by the touching scene as well. ¡°Grandmaster reassured that Wang Tong will lead us to victory.¡±

    ¡°Haha, of course! He is going to be the new grand master of the Temrs. All eyes are on you now, kiddo!¡± Wang Buting had never admitted defeated even once in his life. But after six years of struggle against Patroclus, he was tired, and hopelessness had started to creep in. Overall, the situation on Earth was much better than what those who didn¡¯t live there would think, all thanks to the Temr and the Confederation¡¯s perseverance.

    ¡°Grandmaster, Wang Tong has alreadye up with a solution, and we are currently working on it. ¡± Ma Xiaoru went on to exin their n of capturing the queen. Old Fart nodded from time to time, and after she had finished, his face was lit up with glee. ¡°Excellent n! But, how confident are you in defeating Patroclus?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t remember you ever taught me how to fail, so I won¡¯t.¡± Wang Tong said airily. Wang Buting locked his eyes onto his face and saw through his nonchnt mask right away. Wang Tong¡¯s resolution was unswerving. With his current level of power, it was not impossible to get rid of Patroclus by paying the ultimate sacrifice.

    ¡°Kiddo, I know a person who might be able to help us. But I am not sure how long it will take us to find him.¡±

    ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°You know him too.¡± Old Fart said knowingly.

    ¡°Sisi?¡± Wang Tong gasped.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Over the years, she had been helping the Temrs secretly, and without her, I might have already been dead.¡± Wang Buting heaved a sigh.

    ¡°Howe? I had tried to contact her, but... I thought she was dead.¡± Ma Xiaoru was surprised by the revtion.

    ¡°A strong soul, that one. I knew she was to y a big role in human history the moment she was chosen to enter Valha, although I admit that I have no clue what exactly that entails, and neither does she. Therefore, I have left her with an encryptedmunication device, and we have stayed in touch ever since. I have not told anyone about his for obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°No wonder that we could always get the alert of Immortals¡¯ attack just in time. I thought that the information was provided by the underground agents.¡± Ma Xiaoru eximed as realization dawned upon her. Although she and Zhang Jin had their suspicions on the source of the precise intel they had been getting, neither of them delved into it.

    ¡°She is the only person who has ess to Patroclus, and therefore, only she will know where the Queen is. Even a general direction would be of great help.¡±

    ¡°Is she in danger?¡± Wang Tong asked concernedly. ¡°We need to get her out of there.¡±

    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t try? I have asked her many times, but somehow, she refused to be rescued. Maybe she wanted to stay close to Patroclus to protect us. She had saved so many lives. Without her, I wouldn¡¯t even be here talking to you. The only way to get her back is to kill the queen and end the war¡± Wang Butting said. He was grateful for Zhou Sisi¡¯s secret protection over the years.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Old Fart. I have been to the moon, and I couldn¡¯t find Zhou Sisi. But, if you know her whereabouts, I can figure it out myself.¡± Wang Tong said firmly and then looked at Ma Xiaoru beside him. She appreciated the sacrifice that Zhou Sisi had made for her man, and therefore, despite her obvious crush on Wang Tong, she didn¡¯t protest his n of rescuing her personally.

    ¡°I agree with Wang Tong. If Patroclus isn¡¯t aware of Zhou Sisi¡¯smunication device, he is not likely to expect Wang Tong to show up either. We suspect that the queen is on the Ark, and we will locate her sooner orter. It is about time for Zhou Sisi toe home.¡±

    ¡°You guys are too young and too simple, sometimes even naive!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Old Fart! Tell me where she is, and I will bring her back.¡±

    Wang Tong had always been mindful not to owe anyone anything. Zhou Sisi was the only person he genuinely felt indebted to. Not only had she sacrificed her own chance of escaping to save Wang Tong during the tragedy on the Ark, but she had also endured the ndering and smear attacks in order to protect the safety of the Temrs. She was a true heroine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty! Let¡¯s think this through!¡±

    ¡°I believe in Wang Tong, and I hope you do too.¡± Ma Xiaoru put in.

    ¡°You two are...¡± Old Fart sighted heavily and then said, ¡°How about both of you take a good rest tonight, and we will talk tomorrow. If you still insist on going, I will make the arrangements for you. But, I am not sure if she wille with you or not even if you can get to her.¡± Years of experience told Wang Buting that Wang Tong¡¯s action was too brash.

    When the rest of the Temrs saw Wang Tong, their hearts were filled with excitement and trepidation. Not only did he look different than he did six years ago, he also had be a legend and the beacon of hope among the Temrs.

    The Temrs didn¡¯t leave Wang Tong¡¯s residence untilte that night as they exchanged tales of the battlefield with the young master. The Temrs had proven their abilities during the test of war. It wasn¡¯t until the war broke out that the world finally saw the full strength of the court. Millions of secret followers revealed their identity as inner court Temrs and picked up their weapons to fight. Of the hundreds of thousands of inner court Temrs, half of them were METAL warriors and the other half weren¡¯t, as they wereprised of elites from other professions. Their offspring would inherit their title as the inner court disciples as they did from the generation before them.

    The Temr¡¯s court had kept most of their inner court disciples undercover during the peaceful times, and only enlisted their services during a crisis.

    There were only a handful of Temrs on the Moon and Mars, but all of them were elites in their own rights. Yin Tianzong was a good example of those Temrs who operated covertly. Even now, there were secret agents working against Patroclus right under his nose on the Moon. Even House Zhang that was well known for their espionage capabilities could not match the Temr¡¯srge covertwork. All of House Zhang¡¯s agents were picked off one after another by Immortals due to Patroclus¡¯s familiarity with House Zhang.

    Wang Tong tucked Ma Xiaoru¡¯s shoulder under his arm. Without the war, this could be their life forever. The thought of a happy and peaceful life as one family spurred him to continue fighting.

    ¡°Wang Tong, you need to get her out of there. She must be suffering.¡± Ma Xiaoru murmured.

    Wang Tong was touched by Ma Xiaoru¡¯s understanding. To save Zhou Sisi meant that she would have to leave Ma Xiaoru again. Although Ma Xiaoru had the protection of her guards, leaving her worried Wang Tong. However,pared to her, Zhou Sisi¡¯s situation was much worse, and Wang Tong still cared about Zhou Sisi a great deal.

    ¡°Xiaoru, I¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. I know you care about her and I can¡¯t mind¡­But only her, no one else, however pretty they are.¡± Ma Xiaoru half-joked and half warned Wang Tong.

    ¡°Who are you talking about? You are the prettiest!¡±

    ¡°Really? Prettier than Princess Heidi?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Wang Tong squeezed Ma Xiaoru¡¯s butt and said.

    ¡°Well, you better save your energy for me then.¡± Ma Xiaoru pressed her firm butt deeper into Wang Tong¡¯s palm and winked at Wang Tong.

    The next morning, Wang Tong left the earth for the moon to save Zhou Sisi.

    While Wang Tong was gone, the human fleet didn¡¯t rush to the Moon as the Immortals had expected; instead, they had secured Mars¡¯ space and cut off the Immortals¡¯munication with the remaining Zergs outside of the Earth-Moon system.

    Mars was situated at a strategic location since it was the gateway between the sr system and colonies that were in other gxies.

 Chapter 665 - Human Armada

    <h4>Chapter 665: Human Armada</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Under the leadership of Samantha and many other capable leaders, the Martian crew gained more experience by the day. After every victory, the crew¡¯s confidence increased as much as their skills improved.

    Karl and sh had affected the soldiers around them with their phenomenal skills and charismatic personality. After the major victory against the dark ones, Li Hong and Xiao Se werepletely captivated by Samantha¡¯s leadership skills. As the three leaders worked together, the Armada started to unleash its fullbat potential.

    The Armada were divvied into three columns: the center columnmanded by Samantha herself, and the left and the right columns being under themand of Karl and sh respectively. Both Karl and sh were promoted to the rank of generals; Karl was nicknamed the Tiger General, and sh was nicknamed General Perfection.

    As the human armada made significant progress around Mars, the immortal fleets were forced to respond. However, as soon as the vanguard of the fleet reached Mars¡¯ outer space, they were greeted by a wave of onught led by Karl.

    Karl was well known for his decisive and swift maneuvers, able to surprise the enemy with risky moves. As soon as Karl delivered a blow to the Immortal fleet, he turned on his heels and disappeared in the vast space. The Immortals were not only caught off guard by the abruptness of the attack, but they were also ill-prepared for the advanced weaponry on the human ships.

    That being said, Karl¡¯s small victory did not amount to the total victory of humans in space, as the main force of the Immortals¡¯ fleet pressed on and soon reached Mars¡¯ space territory. The Divine Lord had given the Martians his ultimatum; the final space battle between the Immortals and the humans was about to draw back its curtain.

    The number of ships in the immortal Armada outnumbered that of the human fleet fifty to one. With such a decisive advantage, Immortals were confident that they could defeat the humans in one fell swoop.

    Despite their disadvantage, the humans didn¡¯t waver, particrly those from Mars. If they were able to endure the dark ones¡¯ brutality and savagery for six years and emerge victorious in the end, they had nothing to be afraid of in the world.

    The immortals had dumped all of their battle cruisers into this mission, and therefore, the checkpoints between earth and the moon were barely guarded.

    Despite the tailwinds, the human armada had sailed into previously, their final test had arrived with the Immortal armada. The Martian coalition on the ground had also geared up to embrace themselves for the iing attack from the space. Despite everyone¡¯s heightened spirit, how to defeat the huge armada remained a burning question.

    ¡°Wang Tong should do something on the Earth while we fight back, trapping the Immortals in our pincer.¡±

    Although the vanguard of the Immortal armada had sustained heavy casualties, the main fleets of the Armand had made it to Mars safe and sound. The human resistance force tried to harass the battlecruisers, but to no avail due to their sheer size.

    Dimalis stared into the vast space as hemented on his miscalction about Wang Tong¡¯s n. Unlike he had previously thought, Wang Tong didn¡¯t lead the Martian armada straight to the Moon; instead, he had gone to the Earth by himself while the Armada focused on strengthening their control around Mars.

    Although Dimalis knew that the Immortals¡¯ real enemy was Wang Tong, he didn¡¯t have to worry about how to deal with that Earthling teenager. His order was simple: to eliminate the Human armada and recapture Mars.

    Dimalis reckoned how easy this mission was since Wang Tong was out of the picture. The thought of fighting thetter was tempting to him, but with such great responsibility on his shoulder, the Immortal Admiral knew he should think better of it.

    ¡°Admiral, the human fleet is out greatly outnumbered, and we already have victory in the bag. If we were to catch that pestering Karl, I would like to skin him alive!¡±

    The immortals had given Karl a unique nickname: Karl the pest, in honor of his unscrupulousbat strategies. Like a rat with lightning speed and a thousand filed teeth, Karl and his captains would attack the Immortal armada when it was the least prepared, and disappear when the Immortal pilots would still be putting on their pilot suits. It nibbled at the enormous fleet, one morsel at a time.

    Dimalis knew that his priority was not Karl, and therefore, he didn¡¯t let the harassment slow down the main fleet¡¯s pace. Once Mars was within their bombardment range, the human armada would have no option but toe out of hiding. This operation was so unchanging that it almost felt boring to Dimalis. He would rather be fighting against a powerful foe such as Wang Tong than squashing some defenseless humans.

    ¡°Sir, our ship will enter hyperspace. Please advise!¡±

    ¡°The third and fifth fleet will take the lead, and we will bring up the rear. Tell them to prepare for an ambush on the other side. They have my permission to at fire at will. Teach those SOBs a lesson!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°The eleventh and the twelve will follow them in about ten minutes. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The five gigantic fleets slowly detached from the main formation and prepared for the hyperjump.

    ¡°Admiral, when are we going to enter the warp?¡± An immortal general asked curiously.

    ¡°We will not take the warp. We fly there.¡±

    ¡°That is going to take a long time... Plus the insistent harassment from Karl...¡±

    Dimalis waved in dismissal at the general, and then he rubbed his forehead, his face looking troubled. ¡°I have a bad feeling about the warp, so better safe than sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you are too circumspect. Anyways, those five fleets should be enough to handle the entirety of the human fleet. Perhaps when we get there, there would be nothing left for us to kill. Haha!¡±

    The Immortalughed with the general who had spoken. Their advantage was too great for the humans to handle, and the best that thetter could achieve was dy their inevitable defeat.

    The first five fleets hade out of the warp space andnded inside the Padlock quarter. Themanders of the fleet had calcted that they would encounter the heavy presence of the human armada here. However, when they got there, they saw only one ship. Did the human armada give up Mars for their lives? What about the people on Mars?

    Although the single ship was a Zeus ss battle cruiser¡ªa hulking Bethlehem by itself¡ª it looked tiny before the massive Immortal fleets.

    Inside the battleship, groups of soldiers were already in their space METAL. However, none of them carried a weapon or a gun.

    The leader of the group was Guan Dongyang and Michaux. Guan Dongyang tuned to Michaux and nodded. ¡°The Immortals main force has entered subspace. We have about ten minutes. ¡±

    Michaux nodded back, ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    Michaux and Guan Dongyang jumped out of the loading bay, with the rest of the soldiers trailing behind.?When they got outside the ship, they didn¡¯t stray far from it; instead, they linked their hands and formed a pentagon.

    The soldiers included not only Michaux and Guan Dongyang, but also Xiao Yuyu and many other powerful mastery casters. The entire team wasprised of three thousand, five hundred and eighty-nine mastery casters. They had been practicing this spell ever since Wang Tong had left for earth. The mastery casters knew that the Immortal fleet woulde sooner orter, and they had even plotted the Immortals¡¯ course and concluded that the Padlock quarter was the best ce to deliver a blow. This was their only chance at stopping the massive Immoral armada, and they had chosen to use Mastery as their weapon.

    Although thebined might of Michaux and Guan Dongyang were less than a fraction of Wang Tong¡¯s, their understanding and skills in mastery were at par. Both of them had achieved enlightenment after the asteroid storm, thanks to Wang Tong.

    That being said, the two of them would not be able to stop the Immortals without help from mastery casters all over the Mars.

    Among the three thousand or so casters, Michaux saw many familiar faces; nearly all the casters on Mars had gathered under his banner. Michaux slowly turned on his sea of consciousness and connected it with the primordial forces around him. Without Wang Tong to lead the spell, the felt an overwhelming dread and loneliness once he opened up to the boundless sea of energy. He swallowed down his fear and despair and pressed on.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Guan Dongyang, Xiao Yuyu, and Ye Zi followed suit and channeled their soul energy to follow Michaux. The infusion of the other casters soul energy gave himfort, so he picked up speed.

    The rest of the casters joined the spell one after another based on their level. Every single one of them had to face and ovee their fear. Fortunately for those who had not reached the legendary level, the insensitivity of their sea of consciousness became an advantage as it helped to alleviate the fear. All they had to do was to follow Michaux¡¯s lead.

    As the Immortal fleet approached their exit, the space-time continuum started to be unstable. The vacuum in space gained a liquid-like texture with ripples that expanded in all directions. Then, a singrity appeared at the center of the ripples, reaching the size of a city in a blink. Just like that, the giant hole disemboweled the five fleets, each consisting of thousands of ships, in mere seconds.

    ¡°Let the stupid Zergs go ahead first. We will stay behind.¡±

    ¡°All hand on deck, ready for battle!¡±

    ¡°Long live the Immortals!¡±

    Fifty space hives were the first that started attacking the only human ship in space; they were the cannon fodders.?Michaux had teleported near the warp in the space and coaxed the energy of the portal under hismand by synchronizing his energy with that of the portal.

    No human technology known to the Immortals was able to alter the frequency of the portal; it was as stable and absolute as time itself. However, with enough skills, a mastery caster could change the frequencies with a snap of a finger.

 Chapter 666 - The Victory Day

    <h4>Chapter 666: The Victory Day</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The slightest change in the frequency of the portal would significantly destabilize it. Under the most severe circumstances, the ships that were inside the warp space would even get trapped.

    An intense light gleamed at the center of the portal, sending waves of silvery, mercury-like ripples outward. A strong force suddenly took hold of the space-time continuum and shook it violently while a hyperspace storm was gathering inside the portal. Without any warning, the portal disappeared, but the dot of intense light remained and gained intensity with lightning speed until its substance could no longer hold the energy as it erupted into a perfect storm of primordial forces. The shockwave engulfed the space hives as the desert storm would to ants.

    The bulk of the immortals¡¯ fleets were trapped inside the portal, and no one knew what was going on.?Wild ionic storms hammered the sides of the ships and blew them left and right like a piece of driftwood in the rapids. Then there was a bright light, and it quickly engulfed everything in silence. When it finally faded away, the five fleets of the Immortal Armada were gone.

    Michaux was lifted back to the ship; he fell unconscious as soon as he had finished the spell. Xiao Se looked at his pale face and then looked out of the window at where the portal used to be. The victory came so quickly that Xiao Se was still trying to grasp the reality. This mission was risky as no one knew if the mastery casters¡¯ n would work or not. Even as a veteran space marine, Xiao Se could not stop fear from creeping into his mind as he prepared for the mission. Samantha was supposed to be the leader, but Xiao Se insisted on him toe in her stead. As the admiral of the Armada, Samantha¡¯s life was too precious to be wasted on a risky mission such as this.

    The mastery casters were carried back to the ship one after another. Xiao Se looked up toward where the portal used to be to make sure it had not opened again. Without these mastery casters, the Immortals¡¯ fleets could easily annihte the human ship.

    ¡°General, General Karl wish to speak to you.¡±

    ¡°Connect!¡±

    ¡°Just a brief for you, sir. I have just raided the Immortals main column, and from the disarray and slow response of enemy ships, I can say for sure that the trap has worked. We have destroyed five immortal fleets.¡± Karl announced the news excitedly and loudly.

    ¡°Excellent! Continue your duty and report back to me if you find anything else.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    A swell of cheers erupted in themand center; it was a miraculous victory!

    ¡°It¡¯s not the time for celebration yet. Send a message to Admiral; we are turning around and heading toward Mars.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Xiao Se reached into his pocket for a cigar as he marveled at the victory. Without firing a single shot, a group of mastery casters had finished off well over a few thousand ships. Suddenly, Xiao Se felt that he was getting old, and he was fine with that.

    The sudden setback had halted the Immortals¡¯ advancement, and Dimalis found it hard toe to terms with what had happened. Entire five fleets had disappeared just like that, without a single distress call or trace. It was as if they were wiped out of existence by the god.

    How could that be?

    It was evident to the Immortals that Wang Tong and his human allies had gained certain technology that was unknown to the immortals. It was very likely that the source of this technology was the de Warrior. Tales of the de Warriormanding a ck hole to devour an entire Zerg fleet struck a resemnce with recent development.

    The thought of de Warrior rendered Dimalis at a loss. He wondered how he would be able to counter humans¡¯ incredible new abilities.?After much deliberation, he and the other Immortal captains had decided that it was unwise to strike at the humans without knowing the full extent of their newly acquired ability. As Dimalis issued the order to halt the march, distant shots could be heard as Karl started to harass and nk the formation.

    The ordinary immortal soldiers were not aware that they had already lost five fleets, so they were perplexed by Dimalis¡¯ order. What was worse, Dimalis didn¡¯t even order a counterattack when the Armada was being assaulted by Karl the pest.

    Dimalis was not in the mood to care about Karl¡¯s harassment as a much bigger problem presented itself. What did the humans know that the Immortals didn¡¯t?

    Suddenly, a sense of fear came over Dimalis as a strange thought came to his mind: despite its glorious might and overwhelming numbers, the Immortals¡¯ armada was in fact extremely weak and vulnerable.

    Just as Dimalis had expected, Karl turned on his heels after having stolen a few shots at the Immortals ships. He would be greatly outnumbered if he were to engage the immortals¡¯ fleets to head on. Dimalis didn¡¯t order his ships to chase after Karl; Karl was nothing but a distraction, and the priority right now was to report the situation back to Patroclus while waiting for his instructions. He had lost five fleets in a matter of hours; it was the greatest defeat in the history of the immortal space force.

    As the admiral, Dimalis had to be responsible for the countless lives that boarded his ships. Therefore, he halted the armada¡¯s advancement.

    Dimalis¡¯ every move was under Karl¡¯s watchful eyes, who kept themand center on Mars posted about the situation in the space. After Xiao Se had returned to Mars, he had ordered a thorough scan of the outer space and found no trace of the five disappeared Immortal fleets. Then and only then had he officially announced that the mission was a sess. Everyone on Mars cheered for the victory; although they were not able to eliminate all of the Immortal ships, it was a devastating blow nheless.

    Plus, the miraculous victory clearly had sacred their enemy since Dimalis hadpletely halted his advancement. Dimalis¡¯ hesitation had given the Martians more time to ready themselves for the war.

    Little did Dimalis know that if he had pressed on and marched straight toward Mars, he would have been able to take Mars with great ease, since nearly all the powerful warriors were exhausted after the spell; their recovery would take at least weeks.

    The battle waster remembered as the Glory Day of Mastery. On this day, the Divine Master Michaux and the Fire Lord Guan Dongyang had led three thousand and five hundred mastery warriors and cast thergest spell in human history. The warriors had altered the frequency of a warp portal and trapped one-third of the Immortal armada inside the hyperspace.

    This spell yed a role in human history that was as significant as the Saturn¡¯s asteroid storm. It led to a re-evaluation of mastery¡¯s power and its contribution to humanity¡¯s final liberation.

    People no longer saw them as an auxiliary force that was at best a supplementary element to aid the METAL warriors. Instead, they had started to take center stage and proved themselves as equals of the METAL warriors, if not superior.

    Michaux had invented the spell on a whim. He admitted right away that it was risky and potentially catastrophic, but what other choices did they have? They could not rely on Wang Tong for everything, particrly now when his hands were tied by more urgent matters. Although Michaux was usually quiet and reserved, he didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second when he decided to take on the heavy responsibility.

    While Martians celebrated their victory, Wang Tong had also sessfully arrived on the Moon.

    ¡­

    ¡°Miss Zhou, the banquet is in two hours. You should get ready.¡± An immortal servant spoke to Zhou Sisi circumspectly.?All of Zhou Sisi¡¯s servants were immortals, and she was required to attend most of the public affairs with Patroclus. A human face beside the Divine Lord was a powerful tool to cate the human subjects. In addition, it was a loud and clear message to the human resistance that Zhou Sisi belonged to the Immortals.

    Many immortals didn¡¯t understand Zhou Sisi as she had refused to be one of them despite the royal treatment. Some even considered her ungrateful.

    Zhou Sisi nodded. She had already gotten used to these acts of shows. Her sole purpose of living was to collect as much information about Patroclus¡¯ operations as she could in order to help the human resistance. She knew that with Wang Tong¡¯s appearance on the Earth, the immortals were about to take action. She should be extra mindful of any potential clues.

    The high-rank immortals had long since suspected Zhou Sisi¡¯s connection with the resistance, and therefore, her maids and servants not only helped her with daily errands, but also kept a close eye on her activities. Zhou Sisi was a smart girl, and she knew better to trust her immortal servants. Allmunications with the resistance were done under the uttermost secrecy even when she was in her room.

    Justine, the immortal maid, waited patiently as Zhou Sisi put on her makeup. She felt jealous of thetter for the amount of attention the Divine Lord had given her. To many Immortal girls, Zhou Sisi was living their dreams.

 Chapter 667 - Come With Me

    <h4>Chapter 667: Come With Me</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Although Zhou Sisi was attractive, there were many immortal girls who were much more attractive than her. None of those girls won so much attention of the Divine Lord as Zhou Sisi enjoyed. In the six years, the Divine Lord had spent most of his time either by himself or by the side of Zhou Sisi. On the other hand, Zhou Sisi was very snappy toward Divine Lord, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    The Divine Lord was perfect and immacte; Justine would give up her life for him. Every encounter with the Divine Lord was a miracle worthmemoration. So far, she had seen Divine Lord¡¯s face twelve times, and they had spoken eighty-six words. Justine knew that she was lucky among the immortal girls for she had the opportunity to look at Divine Lord¡¯s face.

    The Divine Lord was destined to lord over not only the human world, but the entire universe.

    After Zhou Sisi had changed into a nightgown, she was escorted by a group of Immortal guards, including Justine. Justine was not only a beautiful woman, but also a deadly level twenty-one warrior.

    Patroclus had spared no expenses in ensuring Zhou Sisi¡¯s safety against assassins sent by radical human groups. Knowing that it was impossible to kill Patroclus, Zhou Sisi had be the human radical groups¡¯ top target. Her very existence was a disgrace to the human world.

    But, despite the misunderstanding, Zhou Sisi never seemed to be upset by the assassination attempts.

    A Maglev limo had been waiting for Zhou Sisi and her bodyguards. The guards scanned the surrounding nervously and didn¡¯t let their guard down for even a fraction of a second. The consequences of Zhou Sisi¡¯s death under their watch would be grave. The previous guard captain, after failing to prevent Zhou Sisi from getting injured by an attacker, was executed by Patroclus himself and died in excruciating pain.

    Not all immortals were happy with Patroclus¡¯ mild approach toward Zhou Sisi. If he really wanted her so bad, why wouldn¡¯t he force-convert her into an Immortal? Despite the resentment, no one dared to speak their minds on the sensitive issue in front of the Divine Lord.

    They traveled during rush hour, but upon seeing the Divine Lord¡¯s banner, all vehicles veered to the side and made way for the divine convoy.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We will blow up this b*tch!¡±

    ¡°Very well! Remember, she is not innocent. It is us freedom fighters¡¯ duty to do away with the traitor. We can¡¯t let her continue to dishonor the human race!¡±

    ¡°The convoy will arrive at Victory Avenue, so be ready.¡±

    ¡°Do everything as you¡¯re told. This is a critical moment in our revolution,rades. Death of this traitor will be a decisive blow to our enemy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time with the guards. Go straight for the woman!¡±

    Zhou Sisi looked out of the car window at the blur of neon signs and passing pedestrians as she fell into the reverie of her past.

    Would Wang Tong still remember her after so many years?

    What if he had already forgotten her? If that were the case, maybe Patroclus was right: she meant nothing to Wang Tong.

    She felt less resolute in her course of actions as she got closer to reuniting with Wang Tong.

    ¡°Mydy, what are you thinking about?¡± Justine asked. She had been living with Zhou Sisi for many years and had established a certain measure of trust with her.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sentimental, you know.¡±

    ¡°Are you thinking about Wang Tong?¡± Justine asked.

    Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t deny it; she heaved a sigh and closed her eyes. Wang Tong¡¯s face was still clear in her memory, but she wondered how much that image had changed.

    She had learned that Wang Tong had already made his way back to earth and reunited with Ma Xiaoru. She felt genuinely happy for Ma Xiaoru; thetter had been through a lot over the years, but in the end, her efforts had led her to where she wanted to be.

    ¡°My Lady, just between you and me, I think you deserve better than Wang Tong. I have heard that he had surrounded himself with lots of beautiful faces while he was on Mars. A man like that cannot be trusted. The Divine Lord, on the other hand, had always been faithful to you even when you tried to distance yourself from him. He might be a demon in most humans¡¯ eyes, but he has always been caring for you.¡±

    ¡°Justine, if everything was what it seemed on the surface, there would be no war in this world.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t overthink things like you, and I¡¯m simply speaking out whatever is on my mind. If you decided to be an immortal and ept Divine Lord¡¯s affection, I would be the first one to support you. You might even be able to end the war by doing that. Bonded by marriage, the humans and the Immortals might be able to learn to coexist in the future.¡±

    Zhou Sisi gave Justine a wry smile. She didn¡¯t want to live as a pawn of politics. So, she would never subject herself to a marriage she never wanted in exchange for a perfunctory promise of peace.

    ¡°Call me silly, but I am just an average human woman. I don¡¯t want to be the queen of your Divine Lord. Justine, thank you for looking after me all these years.¡± Zhou Sisi said wistfully. Justine had saved her numerous times, and without her protection, she would have been killed many years ago. To her, Justine was not an Immortal, but a human. But after all, what was the difference between Immortals and human?

    Zhou Sisi mulled the question, but the more she thought of it, the more blurred the line became.

    KOM!

    An explosion erupted at that moment, and the panicked crowd could be heard running past the limo. Justine charged up her soul energy and reached out a restraining hand toward Zhou Sisi. ¡°Wait here, mydy! I will be back!¡±

    Justine cracked open the car door, and Zhou Sisi saw that her escort convoy had already formed a protective barricade using their cars around her.

    A group of freedom fighters bombarded the convey with theirser sters.

    The Immortal guards cracked up their GN force to form a shield over Zhou Sisi¡¯s limo; they had to protect her at all costs. Theser bounced off of the GN shield, but the attackers kept at it nheless.

    Suddenly, a missile whistled across the sky toward Zhou Sisi from the rear of the defensive line where there was no GN shield coverage. The ballistic missile would do little to no harm to the immortals, but it could be deadly to Zhou Sisi. The captain of the guards, Jin Qianzheng, was a level twenty-four warrior, and he had sworn an oath to protect Zhou Sisi with his life. Sensing that she was in danger, Captain Jin turned and took off toward the iing missile. He detonated a missile in the air, causing a huge st; anyway, Jin Qianzheng was unharmed, and so was Zhou Sisi.

    ¡°Kill every single one of them!¡± Jin Qianzheng shouted at his soldiers. News of this attack was bound to spoil Divine Lord¡¯s mood, and only the death of these insidious humans could quell his wrath. Justine didn¡¯t partake in the defense as she stayed close to Zhou Sisi. She was thest line of defense if everyone else failed.

    Zhou Sisi looked up through the panorama window above at the blue sky as she was gripped by a sudden epiphany. What was so terrible about death if she had no desire?

    Kaboom!

    Jin Qianzheng¡¯s face paled as he noticed a heavy METAL in the distance. It fired rows of rockets andser sts toward the GN shield protecting Ma Xiaoru. As the guards focused on strengthening the GN shield, a dozen or so METAL warriors appeared out of nowhere and charged toward the convoy.

    Sensing the danger, Justine hopped into the limo and took off with Zhou Sisi; however, it was already toote. A few dark shadows followed the Limo, at least two of whom were level twenty-one assassins.

    Zhou Sisi closed her eyes; despite the urgency of the situation, she felt calm and had no resentments.

    Justine¡¯s face hardened as she registered the assassins¡¯ determination. All these men would be killed without a doubt, but they might be able to hurt or kill Zhou Sisi in the process.

    Suddenly, a golden light shed in the sky, and the world became quiet. All METAL soldiers, human, and Immortals, felt unable to use their GN force as if the golden light had locked them away. Machines stopped, and the lights in the streets went out. In a blink, the city had fallen pin-drop silent.

    A man walked freely in the street under everyone¡¯s watch. A few immortals tried to stop him but found that they were unable to move a muscle.

    Zhou Sisi looked at the man and felt she was dreaming: his face hasn¡¯t changed at all!

    Wang Tong closed in onto Zhou Sisi and touched her cheeks gently. ¡°Follow me.¡± He whispered, and so she did.

    As the two of them disappeared at the end of the Victory Avenue, the city also came back alive. That man was Wang Tong, the heir of the de Warrior!

    ¡°Pull back!¡± The captain of the freedom fighters announced.?Meanwhile, Zhou Sisi was huddled inside of Wang Tong¡¯s arm and felt content for the first time in many years.

 Chapter 668 - Let It Go

    <h4>Chapter 668: Let It Go</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    The news of Wang Tong¡¯s appearance on the Moon and his ¡®kidnapping¡¯ of Zhou Sisi had gone viral on the Moon. So insolent was the Earthling boy that he had stolen the young lover of Divine Lord. He had carried the mission with such levity that it was as if he had picked up a girl during his stroll in a park.

    The ease with which Wang Tong had seeded in his mission spoke loudly of his abilities. However powerful Jin Qianzheng was, he was rendered motionless by the energy projected from Wang Tong. Most immortals had seen the recording of the fight between Wang Tong and Moye; however, watching an opponent on the screen was a very different experience than fighting one in real life.

    The incident stirred the Immortals and made them restless for revenge. Zhou Sisi was considered as Patroclus¡¯ mistress by the immortal public, and Wang Tong¡¯s action was a brazen provocation. Meanwhile, the public on the moon turned their attention to Patroclus as they waited for his response. As the leader of hundreds of thousands of immortals, Patroclus could not appear to be weak.

    But contrary to the public¡¯s expectation, Patroclus didn¡¯t lose his marbles when he heard the news. He had felt Wang Tong¡¯s presence ever since hended on the moon, and guessed out thetter¡¯s n right away. Knowing that Patroclus would risk his overall n by confronting him, Wang Tong didn¡¯t attempt to mask his soul energy. Neither Wang Tong nor Patroclus wanted to involve Zhou Sisi in their final showdown.

    With thest connection with the human world gone, Patroclus could finally double down on his n of subjugating the human race. He wished Zhou Sisi good luck and felt happy for her to finally be with the person she so madly loved¡ªthe person he would kill very soon tomemorate his ascension to godhood.

    Patroclus had spent the night by himself inside the giant empty hall of the Divine Lord, thinking and reflecting on his past for thest time. With the sunlight of the morning, he lit up a fire in his mind and burned his old memories away: a new era was about to begin.

    The Immortal force searched for Wang Tong on the moon. They secretly wished, but were not hopeful, that they would find the heir of the de Warrior. Even if they did, they would have no idea how to deal with him. To the Immortals, Wang Tong was as much an impossible target as Patroclus were to the humans six years ago. Wang Tong had turned the tables around using not only his one on onebat skills, but also mass destruction mastery spells. He could have demolished an entire regiment with a snap of the finger.

    The immortals were not that different from the humans, particrly in their ability to exaggerate things. It wasn¡¯t long before high tales about Wang Tong¡¯s power being circted among the immortals as well as the humans. Despite the tales¡¯ detachment from reality, they had strengthened the humans¡¯ confidence in their victory. The more confidence they had, the more clearly they realized that the final showdown against the Immortals was inevitable.

    If the Martians were able to liberate themselves from the rule of an alien race, so could the other humans; the key to their sess was Wang Tong.

    Not only was Wang Tong a powerful warrior in his own right, but he was also exceptionally good at bringing out his soldiers¡¯ full potential.

    As Patroclus nned a measured response to Wang Tong¡¯s act of ¡®kidnapping¡¯, Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi had returned to Earth safe and sound. Wang Tong¡¯s had redeemed Zhou Sisi¡¯s reputation by saving her personally, and it was finally revealed to the public that the mysterious agent zero was the purposed traitor, Zhou Sisi.

    Zhou Sisi didn¡¯t care a wee bit about the public¡¯s opinion, for she felt that she was living in her dreams when Wang Tong descended from the sky to save her. When shey inside Wang Tong¡¯s arms, she hoped that the time would stop so that she could live in this moment forever.

    Unprepared for such a huge change in her life, Zhou Sisi remained dazed by the sudden turn of events. Her mind was filled with images of Wang Tong; the incident yed over and over again in her mind and never got old.

    She didn¡¯t recover from her daydreaming until she saw Ma Xiaoru.

    ¡°Wee back, Zhou Sisi!¡±

    Unsure what to say, Zhou Sisi blushed. Ma Xiaoru turned around and cast Wang Tong a searing nce.

    ¡°I need to speak with Zhou Sisi in private, so would you please excuse us?¡± Ma Xiaoru asked.

    ¡°What are you going to say behind my back?¡± Wang Tong asked nervously.

    ¡°Private stuff.¡± Ma Xiaoru replied firmly. Wang Tong conceded defeat unwillingly as he backed out of the room. Outside, he met Zhang Jin, who gave him a thumbs up. Wang Tong scratched his head as he tried to grasp what Zhang Jin was saying. Failing that, he asked, ¡°Are youughing at me?¡±

    ¡°I am giving you apliment. Not every man can have two women.¡±

    ¡°I only asked for one.¡± Wang Tong murmured.

    Zhang Jin shook her head as shemented on his innocence. If he were able to defeat Patroclus, he would be the most powerful man on Earth. By then, all factions would beg or even coerce him to marry their daughters. In the political world, love was a luxury and marriage was never a personal business.

    ¡°Whatever! Most people would die to live your life right now. On a more serious note, did Zhou Sisi mention anything about the queen?¡±

    ¡°She said that she agreed with our guess. The Queen had to be on the ark, which is neither close to earth nor parked anywhere in space.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in the hyperspace?¡±

    ¡°Bingo!¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that difficult to guess. Patroclus had been working on a device to extract a section of the hyperspace five years ago, and it seems like he has seeded.¡±

    ¡°It is an ingenious idea, I have to give him that!¡±

    ¡°It would require a tremendous amount of energy to stabilize the hyperspace once it is extracted. It should be too big to miss.¡±

    ¡°You have forgotten one key feature of the Ark: its new battery. Those batteries alone should be able to supply most of the energy required to sustain the hyperspace in our dimension.¡± Wang Tong¡¯s words had hit the mark and revealed a dead end in their search.

    The door was suddenly thrown open as the two were deep in their thoughts about their problem.

    ¡°Wang Tong!¡±?The voice startled Wang Tong and sent a chill down his spine. He looked up at the visitor and knew why. Before he could utter a word, a sumptuous girl threw herself at Wang Tong and hugged him tightly. Perfume filled Wang Tong¡¯s nostrils, and his face was assailed by hot kisses.

    Li Shiming stood far away from his sister, seemingly wanting nothing to do with her outburst of affection.

    Wang Tong wasn¡¯t sure where to put his hands, so he waited for Li Ruoer to let go of him, but she didn¡¯t. Wang Tong gingerly dodged a kiss and gave Zhang Jin an imploring nce; to his dismay, thetter just ignored him.

    That was not where Wang Tong¡¯s misfortune ended on that day, far from it, in fact. He had heard doom¡¯s beckoning when he caught the nce of Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi walking out of the room while Li Ruoer¡¯s lips were firmly pressed on his. Overtaken by fear, Wang Tong grabbed hold of Li Ruoer¡¯s shoulder and pushed her away.

    As Li Ruoer furthered her tactics of the Enchantress, she had be an increasingly intensifying headache for Li Shiming. After discovering that he had arranged a meeting with Wang Tong, Li Ruoer insisted on tagging along. Ever since the death of Li Zhedao, the influence of House Li had eroded significantly on the Earth as the Temrs had quickly risen to be the leaders of the human world, the former role of House Li.

    However, Li Shiming knew that the era of house Li had ended with the life of his father. Not only the humans looked up to Wang Tong as their savior instead of Li Shiming, but the war itself had more and more resembled a personal feud between Wang Tong and Patroclus. In other words, House Li had be increasingly irrelevant. However bitter the reality was, Li Shiming had epted it without rancor. Wang Tong had proved his power and earned his trust.

    Not until Li Ruoer saw Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi did she realize that she had gone overboard. Despite having to catch Li Ruoer red-handed, the two girls rushed to her and hugged her like old friends.

    Seeing the crisis get averted, Wang Tong heaved a sigh of relief. Zhang Jin cracked a smile and said, ¡°Old friends are the best, aren¡¯t they?¡±

 Chapter 669 - An Opportunity

    Chapter 669 An Opportunity

    ¡°Wee back, brother Wang Tong!¡± Li Shiming extended a weing hand.?Wang Tong held his hand and pumped it rigorously. ¡°Nice to see you again, Brother Li.¡±

    The two of them both had poised bearings, and the situation filled Li Shiming¡¯s heart with wistful emotions. Like Lie Jian, he could have risen to power without much consideration for humans¡¯ unity, but he had chosen the right but the more difficult path of helping Wang Tong.

    ¡°Why are you two so formal? Men are strange creatures.¡± Li Ruoer¡¯s remark amused the two.

    ¡°Someone needs to teach my brassy sister a lesson.¡± Li Shiming put in. Over the years, Li Ruoer¡¯s affection for Wang Tong was no longer a secret. No matter how Porten tried to win Li Ruoer¡¯s heart, his efforts had all but failed. After getting fed up of Porten¡¯s unwanted attention, Li Ruoer told him straight out that she would marry him if he could defeat her in a one on one battle. Porten never showed up at her doorstep again after that.

    And now, whatever little chance he might have had in winning Li Ruoer over was gone with the return of Wang Tong.

    It was the first time in six years that Li Ruoer, Ma Xiaoru, Zhang Jin, Zhou Sisi, and Wang Tong had sat in the same room. Their friendship went way back, particrly that among Ma Xiaoru, Zhou Sisi, and Li Ruoer. As they caught up with each other about what they had been up to in the six years, memories of their academy life flooded back and bonded them tightly together. The topic of discussions was mainly about Zhou Sisi¡¯s escape; however, the focus of the discussion quickly shifted to Wang Tong.

    ¡°Xiaoru, believe me, you have to be careful with those Martian women. Wang Tong is a nice guy, but all men are the same. It¡¯s true!¡± Li Ruoer said hotly. She didn¡¯t just resent the martian girls around Wang Tong, but also Zhou Sisi. However, Ma Xiaoru¡¯s acquiescence about Wang Tong and Zhou Sisi¡¯s affair seemed to legitimized her own outward affection for him.

    Zhou Sisi knew what had happened between Li Ruoer and Wang Tong, and only she knew that he liked Li Ruoer deep down. Otherwise, Li Ruoer would have long since given up her pursuit. Shecked the courage of dissing Li Ruoer for doing what she was had done. At any rate, Li Ruoer would have to gain Ma Xiaoru¡¯s approval first; without her permission, Wang Tong would scarcely dare to get near Li Ruoer.

    ¡°Good point! He had been reveling on Mars, surrounded by field medics and even princesses. We need to keep a close eye on him.¡± Zhou Sisi chimed in.

    Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile. Six years ago, she would not have to take the two girls¡¯ advancements on her man so kindly. But after having experienced so many things while living on the edge, she had changed her perspective. She knew that, with her permission, Wang Tong would dly take Zhou Sisi as his mistress. But, she was less sure about what he would do with Li Ruoer.

    Li Ruoer had been her best friend ever since college, and Ma Xiaoru knew that she nevercked male admirers. However, as fate would have it, Li Ruoer had her mind set on only one person.

    The war wasing; Ma Xiaoru realized that it was an inappropriate time for gossips and frivolous sentiments.

    ¡°This is a great n!¡± Li Shiming nodded as he agreed to Wang Tong¡¯s proposal. Although Li Shiming prided himself as an astute strategist, he marveled at Wang Tong¡¯s n for its simplicity andprehensiveness. If he had doubts about Wang Tong¡¯s leadership skills before this meeting, they were gone by then.

    ¡°Haha, you would do the same nning if you were me.¡±

    ¡°I bet Lie Jian is feeling kind of down for being out-matched by you.¡± Li Shiming remarked. He conceded that Wang Tong was the only person who was able to lead the human world, since neither Li Shiming nor Lie Jian would be able to force either one into submission.

    The power struggle between House Li and Lie had not disappeared even during such a crisis. Deep down, Wang Tong was with House Li since he was the heir of the de Warrior, Li Feng. Although not directly, Wang Tong was connected to House Li.

    ¡°Haha, you know me. I don¡¯t care about politics or money. I just want to help others and just be myself. ¡± Wang Tong smiled broadly. He lived in apletely different, and happier world than Li Shiming, without any politics or intrigues to slow him down.

    Li Shiming paused and then smiled wryly. ¡°I envy you, I truly do.¡± He felt he finally could open up to Wang Tong ande to terms with the fact that Wang Tong, and not he himself, was the heir of the de Warrior.

    Li Shiming was an ambitious man, and he never had the public¡¯s interest in his heart. He knew he couldn¡¯t change himself into a saint, but he admired Wang Tong for being able to do what he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°What is it so great about being me?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you a*shole! You are living in many people¡¯s dream.¡± Zhang Jin refuted.?She was pleasantly surprised by how well the meeting had been going. She had been expecting much worse exchanges between Li Shiming and Wang Tong.

    If the world were at peace, someone asplex and multidimensional as Wang Tong might have never appeared in the world.?During the time of peace, the persons was most likely to seed were the likes of Li Shiming and Lie Jian. Michaux would be out of the picture because of his individual pursuit, and so would Patroclus despite his perfect personal prowess.

    However weird it might sound, it was the rise of the Zergs that had given Wang Tong and Patroclus a chance to rise with them.?Wang Tong was a very simple man with simple needs; therefore, without the enormous external pressure to push him forward, he would never have achieved a fraction of what he had so far.

    In other words, Wang Tong and Patroclus were two sides of the same coin; they were both a product of the extreme circumstances, a self-defense mechanism of the human world.

    When the group talked about the hiding spot of the queen, Li Shiming agreed with the notion that the queen was on the Ark. ¡°Let me know if you ever need any help. We never stopped looking for the Ark, but so far, we have had nothing. We had suspected that it was hiding in a detached segment of the hyperspace. If that is the case, Patroclus must keep the key to the portal very close to him.¡± Li Shiming said. If he were right, then Wang Tong wouldn¡¯t get the key unless he confronted Patroclus, which would defeat the purpose of the operation.

    ¡°The ark is huge, so there must be some traces. I have tracked Patroclus activity over the years, and there is a clear pattern to it. I believe that is where the portal is.¡±

    ¡°You mean you can get through the portal without using a key?¡± Li Shiming asked incredulously.

    ¡°If we can do that, we can separate the Zergs from the Immortals¡¯ force. It would be devastating for Patroclus.¡±

    ¡°We would then wage a full-on counterattack on Patroclus. However, we are running out of time. We need to act quickly before he bes fullymitted to the war!¡± Wang Tong announced.

 Chapter 670 - No Pain No Gain

    <h4>Chapter 670: No Pain No Gain</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Without the queen, the Immortals were deemed to lose control over the Zergs, significantly reducing the threat toward humanity. Wang Tong should be able to face Patroclus with abandon by then; otherwise, he would be constantly worried about the fate of humans should he die during the fight.

    Without being able tomit himself fully to the fight, Wang Tong was deemed to be defeated.

    The key to winning the inevitable fight against Patroclus was to find Ark and kill the queen. For the longest time, the immortals had had the upper hand, and leveraging his advantage, Patroclus had forced Wang Tong to reveal a significant degree of his power. He kept a close eye on Wang Tong¡¯s every move and every fight, hoping to find his ws.

    Once Wang Tong located the queen, he would be able to avert the situation and gain the initiative. Otherwise, the terms of the battle, such as when, where, and how the battle would be carried out, were at Patroclus¡¯ discretion.

    Despite the uncertainty in the future, this was the closest the humans had ever gotten to see any signs of hope during the six years.

    Wang Tong¡¯s challenge was much greater than his illustrious predecessor¡ªLi Feng¡¯s. Five hundred years ago, humanity¡¯s biggest enemies were the Zergs, but now, Wang Tong had to deal with someone much more powerful than the Zergs: Patroclus.

    Although Patroclus¡¯ ancestor, Rngalos had also risen against Li Feng, Patroclus¡¯ skills and abilities had surpassed his by a great measure. Therefore, he was a much greater threat to the heir of the de Warrior than his ancestor had ever been.

    ¡­

    Dimalis had soon received a message from the Divine Lord, ordering the Immortal fleet to press forward. Divine Lord had deduced the weakened state of Mars¡¯ defenders and thought that it would be a great opportunity to strike.

    None of the mastery casters who had helped Michaux in thest spell were conscious, and it would take them at least six months to recover. Without the protection from Wang Tong¡¯s soul essence, many casters¡¯ sea of consciousness was assailed by the raw and unforgiving energy.

    Nevertheless, the Immortal armada¡¯s hesitation had given the Martians time to prepare for a full-on war. They reopened many shelters and bunkers under therge buildings and evacuated people into the well-defended cities from the countryside. It would still take Dimalis a while to reach Mars, and by the time he was here, the Martians should be ready for war.

    The biggest threat the Immortal fleets could impose was bombardment from space, which wasn¡¯t really much of a threat if one asked a battle-hardened martian. With the poption staying safely in the shelters, the immortals would be able to destroy the buildings on the surface at most.

    It had urred to Dimalis that he was faced with a dilemma: if he used aary destruction weapon, Patroclus would have nothing but dust to lord over; however, his current weapon loadout could do nothing more than demolish a few buildings.

    Meanwhile, the harassment from the human fleet started to gain more strength and frequency. They still kept their distance from the Immortals¡¯ armada, and only struck from the rear and nks.

    Having lost five fleets, Dimalis hesitated to split his forces further as he would lose the advantage in numbers. Therefore, his information about his surroundings and enemy ships were very limited. He knew that the manufacturing nts down on the Mars were cranking out more battlecruisers each day, but he no longer had enough men to send down there while maintaining dominance in space. As Dimalis approached Mars, his fear grew even greater. Although the Divine Lord had deduced that the casters were exhausted from thest spell and would take a while to recover, he didn¡¯t mention how long the recovery would take. The Armada could not afford to be struck by another one of the world-devouring spells.

    After much deliberation, Dimalis concluded that he shouldn¡¯t rush to Mars at a current weakened state. He would take his time and wait for the reinforcement of Zergs. Suddenly, he felt grateful for his human heritage; it gave him insights into the Martians¡¯ strength and his weaknesses. Without it, he would have plunged straight into the Martians¡¯ trap like the dark ones did.

    Meanwhile, inside the Immortals¡¯ Divine Hall, Patroclus sat on his throne with an eerily cid face.?The change in the Divine Lord was palpable to the immortals ever since Zhou Sisi was kidnapped. As a matter of fact, if Patroclus had acted on that day, Wang Tong might not have been able to take her away so easily. However, no one dared question Patroclus¡¯ inactivity.

    ¡°My lord, the situation on Mars has deteriorated significantly. We are cranking out enough spaceships, but most of the crews are humans. I suggest increasing the rank of Immortals.¡± Harmon said.?Ever since he hadpleted his Mars mission, Harmon had risen in ranks quickly and be one of Patroclus¡¯ most trusted advisers. All leaders present in the Divine Hall knew that the real goal of Harmon¡¯s mission was to eliminate unwanted members of the Immortals in addition to gaining more information on Wang Tong¡¯s power. Harmon had reached both of these goals sessfully.

    The information on Wang Tong that Harmon had brought home with him was a shocker to most Immortals, as his power had greatly exceeded their expectations. Nheless, it was better to know the full extent of a powerful opponent than pretending they were fighting a weak one.

    ¡°My Lord, I agree with Harmon, and that was in line with what I heard from General Dimalis. Although we had gained the initiative in the space, the Zergs alone won¡¯t be able to take the Mars when we start to fight on the ground. Wang Tong¡¯s recent...presence on the moon had fanned anti-Immortal sentiments among the humans. If we let their sentiment fester, there will be grave consequences.¡± The lord of the lunar city Teluosu chimed in.

    Despite Patroclus¡¯ shrewd statecraft skills, his reign remained an alien entity in the eyes of most humans. The Ivantians might bow to Patroclus when they had no other options, but the moment they saw a sliver of hope¡ªas they did in Wang Tong¡ªthey would rise up and rebel.

    The immoral leaders offered their suggestions and advised while Patroclus listened quietly. He agreed with his advisers and conceded that it would take generations to make the humans ept the immortals. He had been on the right track until Wang Tong showed up. His very name was able to evoke hope and restlessness in the humans living under Immortal rule.

    The so-called peace and prosperity on the moon was only a pretty facade, and Patroclus had never truly lorded over his human subjects.

    Patroclus agreed that expanding the number of Immortals was an effective way of winning the war; however, transforming humans into immortals against their will would defeat his original n for the two races to coexist.

    He never sought to destroy the human race, as all he wanted was to improve it by making it morepetitive.

    Was he wrong from the very beginning?

    The question became even harder to answer when he was a leader of tens of thousands of Immortals. He couldn¡¯t give up his course even if he wanted to; he had created the immortals, and it had be his responsibility to lead them to a safe shore.

    The birth of Immortals was not a mistake; it was the humans¡¯ reluctance to change. Without the immortals, the humans would have never defeated the Zergs.

    ¡°Lan Jia, what are the humans up totely?¡± Patroclus asked.

    ¡°The underground resistance force is definitely up to something. They had beenmunicating with each other very frequently ofte. This is rather unusual... I wager they are looking for something¡­perhaps, the queen.¡±

    Patroclus¡¯s lips curved into a hard smile. ¡°They have finally figured it out. It will be a huge blow to us if they seed.¡±

    ¡°Should we double the guards to make sure her safety?¡±

    ¡°Lan Jia, that is no different than telling them where the queen is.¡± Harmon put in.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! We remain dominant in the space. They have zero chance of even getting near her. Bah, it is difficult for even us to get close to her, much less the humans.¡± Lan Jian said.

    The supreme mother was jailed inside the hyperspace to confine her telepathic power. Once an immortal and the queen were in the same space, she would have unbridled control over the immortals¡¯ actions.

    ¡°There is no need to do anything right now. Let me think about it.¡± Patroclus said.

 Chapter 671 - Humility is a Virtue

    <h4>Chapter 671: Humility is a Virtue</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Deviating from his original n might not be a great deal to the immortals, but it was to Patroclus. At the chief architect of the future society, he knew if he didn¡¯ty the foundation straight, the world he built would copse as it grew.

    The immortals were aware of Patroclus¡¯s ultimate goal, but doubtful that it was realistic.

    Outright destruction would be much easier than slow integration and assimtion. When the Immortals had quashed all resistance force, it would be much easier to convert the human poption; even then, it would take up to decades toplete the task.

    And now, Wang Tong¡¯s appearance had given the human poption hope and rekindled their desire to fight back.

    Although Harmon understood Patroclus¡¯ intentions, he knew what he was trying to achieve was extremely difficult, if not impossible.?Harmon knew that Patroclus didn¡¯t n to convert every single human into Immortals. Instead, he wanted the humans and the immortals to coexist in peace. As for his strong-handed rule, it was a necessary evil to ensure the Immortals¡¯ ce on earth.

    If the humans embraced the immortals into their life, they would be rewarded handsomely with the gift of immortality and invincibility.

    It was senseless to debate the right or wrong of an issue since it was the results that truly mattered. Between Wang Tong and Patroclus, whoever could achieve a better oue for humanity would be the eventual winner.

    Somehow, Harmon felt that Wang Tong would be able to locate the queen, but even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t be able to change the inevitable.

    Even since Wang Tong returned to earth, Patroclus had been avoiding him, and the human fleet; the quietness had lightened the warriors¡¯ mood significantly. Meanwhile, the earthlings received a group of important guests.

    With the arrival of Heidi, the Kaedeian princess, all significant leaders of the human resistance force had gathered at the same ce.

    Many officials had finally witnessed Heidi¡¯s beauty; Porten?had to hold back his urge of getting too close to her exquisite frame from the moment heid his eyes on her. He hadpletely lost his interest in Li Ruoer, since it was clear by then that Li Ruoer cared only for Wang Tong. Considering the political clout Wang Tong currently held, Porten knew that it was unwise to harass one of his girls. Therefore, he had quickly shifted his attention from Li Ruoer to Heidi.

    When Heidi reached the headquarters of the human resistance force, Li Shiming weed her ardently on behalf of the earth resistance force. Li Shiming had adapted to his new role very quickly ever since Wang Tong had arrived. He knew his responsibility well and fulfilled his duty satisfactorily.

    He knew that it was the best option for him and for his family. Although he was no longerpetitivepared to Wang Tong, he could still find his own stage to re-establish his family¡¯s influence.

    Helping Wang Tong wasn¡¯t entirely nonconstructive for House Li. Not only was Li Ruoer widely regarded as Wang Tong¡¯s mistress, but the connection between Wang Tong and the de Warrior would further tie him and House Li closer together. In other words, helping Wang Tong was helping his family.

    ¡°Wee, WELCOME! Princess Heidi!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I am here to bring Deep Blue to Earth.¡± Heidi answered.

    Porten stepped forward and stood abreast with Li Shiming. He was not only one head shorter than Li Shiming, but also had a slightly hunched back.

    ¡°My dear princess, I would love to take you on tour around the Earth to show you our culture and food and ¡­¡± Porten stopped abruptly when Deep Blue snorted loudly at him. Never once had Porten seen a creature so terrifying; his eyes were blue as ice and teeth sharp like filed knives. Porten winced under his breath and took a step back.

    ¡°I apologize Mr. Porten, and thank you for your thought. My schedule here is very tight. I am afraid that we will have to wait until next time. ¡±

    ¡°Princess, we have already prepared transportation for you outside the meeting hall. ¡±

    ¡°There is no need. Deep Blue will lead me to him.¡± Heidi hopped onto Deep Blue¡¯s back, and then the giant monster rose from sitting position. With one single leap, it covered a few hundred meters, and after half a heartbeat, Heidi and Deep Blue banished into the distance.

    ¡°Balls, why do all the girls act like that Wang Tong is the only man in the world?¡± Portenined.

    Li Shiming patted his shoulder. ¡°There are plenty of fishes out there. We have other things to worry about other than rtionships.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. I wish Wang Tong and Patroclus will both die in their fight!¡± Porten said begrudgingly. It would be an ideal situation for most opportunists if both Wang Tong and Patroclus perished. Lie Jian and Li Shiming would be the greatest beneficiaries should that happen.

    Li Shiming was not impressed by Porten¡¯s selfishness. To Porten, the world was a zero-sum game, and Li Shiming worried that he would lose himself in his arrogance without proper guidance. If Porten got under Wang Tong¡¯s skin, even Li Shiming would not be able to save him. Wang Tong never tolerated actions that were destructive to unity, and that, Li Shiming wagered, Porten should have known as well.

    Porten was not an idiot, but hisck of grasp on reality could sometime turn him into a babbling fool. Even on his way back to his residence, his mind was filled with images of Heidi¡¯s face. Compared to five-six years ago when he had seen her for the first time, she had shed that innocent look and reced it with an irresistible charm of a woman, like the juicy peaches in August, waiting to be taken.

    Wang Tong was told to wait for Heidi in the living room while the girls would first greet the guest in the lobby. Wang Tong knew better to not protest against the will of the higher power.

    Ma Xiaoru, Zhou Sisi and Li Ruoer had put on their best makeup and dresses right after they have heard that Heidi was heading this way.

    Zhou Sisi and Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t want to interfere with Wang Tong¡¯s meeting, but Li Ruoer insisted that they should ¡®greet¡¯ Heidi before she met him.

    Ma Xiaoru and Zhou Sisi would be lying if they said that they weren¡¯t threatened by Heidi at all. After all, she had spent more time with Wang Tong in the six years than they did.

    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Sisi asked.

    ¡°We need to be confident! We OWN Wang Tong, remember? We have to get that message across.¡± Li Ruoer said hotly.

    ¡°She is a guest. We can¡¯t be terrorizing her like this.¡±

    ¡°Urghh! You two are so useless! Fine, fine, let¡¯s just bask under her glory presence and let her take Wang Tong.¡± Li Ruoer half jested and halfined.

    Suddenly, a blue shadow shed across the front yard, and there she was, arrived in front of the three girls with the grace of a goddess. A measured smile broke over her exquisite face. ¡°Greetings, sisters.¡±

    Li Ruoer was immediately enthralled with Heidi¡¯s poised and humble manner. A sense of shame rose inside her as she remembered why she was here.?Ma Xiaoru replied with an equal measure of grace and humility. ¡°Nice to meet you. What a lovely sight you are! No wonder Wang Tong kept on talking about you.¡±

    Heidi blushed. Although she and Wang Tong barely knew each other, her affections¡ªhidden perfectly under the pretense of her responsibility¡ª for him burned like wildfire.?Before she came, her queen mother had reminded her of her responsibility: to secure marriage with Wang Tong. Heidi knew that in order to achieve that, she would have first to gain Ma Xiaoru¡¯s approval.

 Chapter 672 - Might Of The Super Einherjar

    <h4>Chapter 672: Might Of The Super Einherjar</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    ¡°You look gorgeous, Sister Ma! He had never looked at me in my eyes once.¡± Heidi murmured under her breath. As a princess, it was rare to carry out a conversation such as this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that! He must have looked at you, maybe when you were not paying attention. ¡± Li Ruoer blurted out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, sister. We will let you return to your business. Wang Tong is waiting for you in the living room. ¡± Zhou Sisi said.?Deep Blue moved slowly toward Ma Xiaoru and sniffed her. He tilted his head in confusion as he registered a strong scent of Wang Tong on Ma Xiaoru¡¯s body.

    Heidi and Deep Blue were then led to Wang Tong by the three girls, who was pleasantly surprised to see Heidi in one piece.

    Deep Blue threw himself at Wang Tong, nuzzling his cheeks. Wang Tong patted the beast gently and willed it to sit on his haunches.

    ¡°Heidi, how was the situation out here? Did Deep Blue figure out the whereabouts of the queen?¡±

    ¡°I have done a round of all the suspicious locations, and after gathering all the data, I am confident that the queen is hiding in the Shengwei Space City.¡±

    ¡°Shengwei?¡± Wang Tong furrowed his brows. ¡°If my memory serves me right, that was a human¡¯s settlement, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. There are no immortals living there, but all the humans have pledged their loyalty to Patroclus. Deep Blue made quite a noise when we approached the space city.¡± Heidi exined. ¡°The queen very likely is in there. All Zergs could sense the queen¡¯s presence. There must be something other than the humans inside that space city. Otherwise, Deep Blue wouldn¡¯t be so agitated. It¡¯s a perfect hiding spot, considering it is a human city.¡± Zhou Sisi said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Zhang Jin. I can¡¯t wait to see some action already.¡± Wang Tong said.

    Zhang Jin rushed to Wang Tong¡¯s residence after he hung up the phone. She was troubled by theck of progress when she received his message. Despite the industrious work of the covert agents, they had gathered no useful information that could help her decipher the queen¡¯s whereabouts.

    After Zhang Jin heard Heidi¡¯s briefing, her face lit up with glee. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I missed that city! That sneaky b*stard! Shengwei city has a synchronized orbit with the moon, so it is the perfect location of storing the hyperspace! The space ship must have been hauled into the city when the immortals first built the city.¡±

    ¡°If that is the case, there must be a portal or some sort that can lead us to the hyperspace. We still need to get the key from Patroclus.¡± Li Ruoer said, and her words suddenly took the wind out of everyone¡¯s sail. The recent surge of covert agent¡¯s activity must have caught Patroclus¡¯ attention, and therefore, he must be prepared. To get the key meant that Wang Tong would have to challenge him right now; they had returned to where they started.

    Even the most optimistic one of them could not encourage Wang Tong to rise to the challenge when he was not yet ready.

    However resourceful Zhang Jin was, she also had to concede defeat. There were covert agents inside Shengwei City, but that was not enough to control the city. In order to open the portal by force, she would need thebined energy of at least four Zeus ss battlecruisers. A fleet of four battlecruisers was bound to catch the Immortals¡¯ attention long before they had closed in on the city.

    Plus, no one knew what the key looked like. It could be in any form, and therefore, stealing it from Patroclus was impossible.

    Feeling defeated, the five girls looked to Wang Tong at the same time. Why was he so quiet?

    Wang Tong was carefully sipping on a cup of tea when he felt the searing nce on him. He lifted his brows and scanned the five girls¡¯ gaze and slowly put down the teacup. His mind froze, and his heart skipped a beat as he was mesmerized by the five girls¡¯ beauty.

    ¡°What¡­Why did you stop? Go on?¡± Wang Tong said.

    ¡°Do you already have a solution? What a jerk!¡± Li Ruoer saw through his ruse right away. She walked to him and punched him with a peach-sized soft fist.

    ¡°I surrender! ¡± Wang Tong raised both of his hands.¡± I have already told you not to worry about it. I will handle it.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t! Can you erase an entire city by yourself?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, but someone else can.¡± Wang Tong said confidently.

    ¡­

    The Shengwei City was one of the ¡®model cities¡¯ one would often see on the immortals¡¯ propaganda material. All the humans were candidates for joining the immortals, and the city wasuded as the exemr of peaceful coexistence of humans and Immortals. All humans in the space city were Ivantians.

    It was a normal Saturday morning, and the city was hosting its annual drafting of future immortals. The humans who had been drafted today would be sent to the moon to be an immortal.

    Thousands of people gathered at the central za where the drafting was taking ce.?But suddenly, the ground started to shake like an earthquake.

    Everyone knew that there was no earthquake in a space city.

    Was it a sr storm? No, it shouldn¡¯t be. The forecast said nothing about it.

    The rms went off, and the entire city was under the securityser scan that worked industriously to screen out the threats. The movingser scans were everywhere, and made lots of people feel dizzy.

    The scan results suggested that the entire city was being propelled forward by an unknown force¡ªWhat!

    On the big screen at the center of the za, an image stabilized that showed a man pushing the city in space.?The man turned to look at the camera and gave everyone arge grin.

    There would only be one person who could do something as ostentatious and conspicuous as this: Wang Tong!

    Wang Tong was wearing a shiny set of METAL suit, and beside him stood an old service robot. However, upon closer inspection, people noticed that Wang Tong was not pushing the city at all; instead, the city seemed to be moving on its own. How was that possible? The space city came with an enormous power nt which produced enough energy that could cancel out any external forces.

    Could it be the god who was moving the city?

    The CCTV scanned the nooks and crannies of the city, and finally found what they were looking for.

    It appeared to be a human and not a god who was moving the city. Everyone was shocked by the development as they waited for the image of the man to stabilize. When it did, Dimalis¡¯ jaw dropped in surprise.

    Wasn¡¯t it the War God?

    He had suspected that the War God was Wang Tong in disguise, but it appeared that he was wrong.

    In a blink, the image of Einherjar Wannabe moving the space city went viral across alls.?The Martians recognized him right away; no one would have forgotten his signature METAL suit.

    ¡°It¡¯s the War God!¡±

    ¡°Long live the War God!¡±

    Mars was awash with cheers and joys. No one cared what he was doing and why he would be moving a city; his appearance was enough to set everyone¡¯s hearts on fire.

    Meanwhile, in the Shengwei city, chaos ensued.

    ¡°Crank up the engine! Max output! Crank the output to the max!¡±

    ¡°My lord, we are already at max output, but the city is still moving.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t! Try it again. Not even a level thirty Einherjar is able to move a space city.¡±

    KOM!

    Energy spilled out of Zachery¡¯s mouth as he shouted with a lion¡¯s roar. The power propagated as it rippled outward, increasing its energy with each inch it covered.

    If an Einherjar was not powerful enough to lift a city, what about a super Einherjar?

    On the moon, as the immortals watched the development unfold, they were rendered speechless. Not even Harmon knew anyone who possessed that much might.

    ¡°Is he the de Warrior?¡± Harmon asked nervously.

    Patroclus shook his head. ¡°No, but close. He is...was the pirate king Zachery. He was the only person who was as powerful as Rngalos and Li Feng.¡±

    Meanwhile on Earth, Wang Tong¡¯s girls watched the news with surprise and trepidation. Li Ruoer bit down her lips to hold back her admiration for Wang Tong.

    Could it be that he was actually a god? While the other girls were filled with excitement, Zhang Jin felt sad; not for herself, but for Patroclus.

    The fight between Wang Tong and Patroclus was inevitable.

    Porten looked at the screen and swallowed down his fear. He realized that his decision of leaving Li Ruoer alone might have saved his life.

    In space, the Immortal reinforcement to the Shengwei City halted their advancement. What would be the use of a fleet when their enemy could move a whole city?

 Chapter 673 - Point Of No Return

    <h4>Chapter 673: Point Of No Return</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Zachery had held back his power ever since he had entered the state of super Einherjar. The power of super Einherjars was too dangerous for this world, and the more he used the otherworldly power, the more detached he would be from the current one; and Zachery didn¡¯t want to leave yet.

    However cold blooded he had been, ever since he met Wang Tong, he had a taste of what really mattered in this world. He couldn¡¯t let go of the memories of the time he had spent with Wang Tong and with Charcoal.

    Despite his reluctance in unleashing the power of a super Einherjar, he knew that no one other than him was able to move the city.

    Zachery could have confronted Patroclus for Wang Tong and win decisively, but he didn¡¯t because he knew that the oue mattered far less than the process. Wang Tong had to do it himself`, and thetter wouldn¡¯t agree to let Zachery fight in his stead anyway. He had been looking forward to the fight for a long time. Even for the task at hand, he hesitated to ask another favor from Mr. Wannabe since he felt he was already in deep debt after Zachery had saved him so many times. However, the lives of millions of humans were at stake, and only with Zachery¡¯s help could Wang Tong minimize their casualties.

    ¡°My Lord, It¡¯s time to fight back.¡± Harmon pleaded. It was evident that Wang Tong already knew about the queen¡¯s hiding spot. The brazen attack on the space city meant that Wang Tong and his gang had already devised a detailed n to kill the queen; he had to be stopped sooner rather thanter.

    Patroclus shook his head and said with finality, ¡°It¡¯s already toote. If we act now, they will simply destroy the entire city.¡± Both Patroclus and Harmon knew that Zachery was capable of wiping out an entire city with rtive ease by himself.

    Meanwhile in the city, feeling that the situation has spiraled out of control, the citizens panicked. Soon, the engine of the City¡¯s propelling system sputtered, and the city was finally pushed out of its orbit. Zachery¡¯s power was able to bend the very fabric of space and time as it came from a much higher dimension.

    It was the first time that people had witnessed the might and power of a Super Einherjar.?Everyone knew that as a super Einherjar, Zachery¡¯s power was beyond the confinement of thews of physics of this world.

    Knowing that their help was useless, the Immoral fleet stayed far away from the action and recorded the development. Zachery sensed that he was being watched, so he turned around toward the camera and cast his audiences a cold stare. That one look said it all; anyone watching the live stream could feel the chill down their spines as they locked eyes with Zachery.

    As a super Einherjar, he was the ultimate form of human existence; he was a god living in a human¡¯s form.

    Suddenly, Zachery disappeared and the camera cut to Wang Tong, who looked at Charcoal and announced, ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡±

    Charcoal reached out his skinny arms that were meant for mining activities as a ray of light shot out of his body into the abyss of the space.?Under the intense light, the dark space turned into liquid; slowly, a slit appeared in the space as if a sharp knife had opened up space at its seams. The slit grew bigger by the second and revealed an amazing sight: a giant spaceship was parked in the middle of a hyperspace.

    Meanwhile, the Zergs all around the moon and the Earth started to be agitated as they felt the presence of the Queen. She was the supreme leader of the Zergs, and her order would trump that of Patroclus. However, Patroclus had cast a spell around the Ark and that disabled the Queen¡¯s telepathic abilities. Nheless, her presence could be felt by Zergs hundreds of thousands of miles away.

    Wang Tong was able to pass through the energy barrier with ease since his soul essence was able to absorb any energy that came to contact with him. After a few moments of searching, he finally located the queen. She was a giant hunk of meat surrounded by a hundred or so lesser queens.

    As soon as the queen saw Wang Tong, she attacked him with an ultrasonic attack. The attack would have killed any live creature, but it was not able to harm him.

    Standing face to face with the queen, Wang Tong was ted. Once he killed it, he would have ended the century-long war between the humans and her kind.

    Sensing the grave danger she was in, the queen doubled down on her telepathic ability and was able to transmit a segment of her order to the Zergs nearby.

    But by the time the Zergs got the order and started to rush toward the Ark, it was already toote. Two giant fireballs lit up in Wang Tong¡¯s hands, and he threw it at the giant queen, setting her ame. The Queen let out a few agonizing howls and then she was dead. Feeding on the queen¡¯s thick blubber, the fire spread throughout the ship, cleansing it of all the abomination that had gued it over the six years.

    The death of the queen sent a strong pulse of telepathic energy that scrambled the minds of all Zergs, rendering them uncontroble by the immortals. On the contrary, the Immortals were practically unaffected by the death of the queen due to their weak affinity with it. Nheless, a lot of them felt defeated by the development and were at a loss.

    ¡°Patroclus, it is time to settle our scores!¡± Wang Tong turned toward the immortals¡¯ surveince drones that were watching his actions and said loud and clear.

    Without the ability to control the Zergs, the Immortals would never be able to exert dominance over the humans regardless of how powerful they were.?The death of the queen had turned the tide of battle and significantly raised the spirits of the human soldiers.

    Out of control and unhinged, the primitive Zergs started to attack anyone on sight. The immortals quickly found themselves fighting on two fronts; not only did they need to prepare the final showdown with the humans, but they also need to quash the reckless and relentless attacks of the Zergs from the inside.

    The Divine Hall had fallen pin-drop silent, as the leaders of the immortals had never expected this day toe. They were on course to im the entire world just a few weeks ago, but now, the whole world intended to im their lives.

    Not only did the humans want to burn them on stakes as freaks, but the Zergs also wanted to tear them apart in their mindless rampage; life suddenly became a struggle, and immortality a curse.

    Their only hope was in Patroclus¡¯ victory over Wang Tong. Patroclus watched as Wang Tong challenged him to a duel on the screen. He knew this day woulde, so he was not as astonished by the challenge as the other Immortals. He looked up at the night sky through the panoramic skylight window and wondered what the world would be after their fight.

    ¡°Meet me at the Sky Arena in a month,¡± Patroclus spoke through an inte. After three hundred and six years, the humans were back where they started: the sky arena.

    Neither Patroclus nor Wang Tong had any other choice but to fight each other to death; the division between humans and the Immortals was too deep to mend.

    The immortals quickly spread the news through all media channels. This would be the third fight between the two warriors.

    Wang Tong defeated Patroclus with a narrow margin in their first match, and Patroclus defeated him in the second. What would happen in the third round? It would be hard to say.

    Neither Patroclus nor Wang Tong was the same person from six years ago. Patroclus had gained an invincible body and perfected his cultivation with the help of the immense influence that he had garnered over the years. Meanwhile, Wang Tong had demonstrated near god-level powers by evoking an asteroid storm that changed the appearance of the Saturn.

    The fight between Wang Tong and Patroclus would determine the dominant force of the gxy, and the Zergs had be irreverent in this match. They were swept under the rug and forgotten the moment their queen was burned to death, and their endeavor in the Gxy hade to an end.

    The fight would be monumental in human history, but both sides prepared for the battle in silence. Once Wang Tong returned to earth, the military blocked the public¡¯s ess to their hero. During this one month time, he not only needed to prepare for the fight, but also needed to bring closures to many personal matters.

    The Immortal armada had pulled out of Mars¡¯ territory since their mission would be meaningless after the fight between Wang Tong and Patroclus. On their way back to the moon, they were attacked by many Zerg hives that had gone nuts over the death of the queen.

    While Patroclus prepared for the fight, he also spent a lot of time toe up with a contingency n for the Immortals. Everyone knew that Patroclus was not fighting for himself, but for the survival of the race, he had created.

 Chapter 674 - Farewell Party

    <h4>Chapter 674: Farewell Party</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Even when Wang Tong had disyed tremendous strength, the immortals were still convinced that Patroclus would achieve victory.

    The rise of any nation or race would require a hero and violent struggles. Despite the difficulties ahead, the Immortals didn¡¯t waver; they believed that Patroclus would be able to defeat Wang Tong and restore their influence.

    Dimalis had returned to the moon to help Patroclus with his orders. Based on the arrangements that Patroclus had made, it was evident that Patroclus was not too optimistic about the current situation. The queen was dead, and the Zergs no longer under the immortals¡¯ control. This meant that the Immortals¡¯ expansion had practically halted. It was not only the Zergs that the Immortals were losing control over, they were soon going to lose much more.

    The humans would not tolerate the Immortals¡¯ existence, and the only hope for them to survive was in Patroclus¡¯ victory against Wang Tong.

    Thanks to therge number of forces that the immortals still controlled, they were somehow able to contain the situation. However, Harmon reckoned that many difficulties stilly ahead. Without the Zergs, the source of new Immortals had been cut off. Although Harmon wagered that Patroclus must have ways of cloning Parasite Zergs, it went against the grain of Patroclus¡¯ philosophy, so Harmon doubted that he would do so.

    ¡°Thank you for your support over the years,¡± Patroclus said calmly. He had finished all that he needed to do, and now, he just simply had to wait for the battle to start. He turned around and started off as his divine generals watched wistfully.

    After a few moments, he arrived at a cemetery and stopped at his father¡¯s tombstone. Although everyone knew that Andrews was dead after the battle, no one knew how he had died.

    Patroclus gazed at the gravestone thoughtfully. ¡°Father, I have done it. I have eliminated the Zergs from our world as you told me to. Next, I am going to fight for myself. I have created the Immortals, and I won¡¯t let them die out. House Dower will never fail again.¡±

    Many things had changed ever since that fight, and what happened then was no longer important. Time would be the judge of everything he had done.

    Looking at his father¡¯s tomb, Patroclus¡¯ lips thinned to a smile. A gust of wind came up; Patroclus felt as cold as the stone under his feet.

    ording to other people, Patroclus had murdered the once prosperous and powerful House Dower, but in the eyes of Patroclus, House Dower had never died; it was reborn in the form of the Immortals.

    House Dower was the pioneer in improving human genes. Some of their early experiments were met with strong opposition; the birth of the Ivantians was considered highly controversial as well. However, fast forward a few centuries, the human world not only had epted the gene editing technology, but House Dower had also be a synonym with the word ¡°technology.¡± It took the human world two hundred years to embrace the Ivantians, and Patroclus knew that it would take the humans much longer time to ept the Immortals.

    Were all members of House Dower crazy geniuses? Perhaps. If Patroclus were a bold and daring leader, his father was an exemr of recklessness.

    During the fight with his father, Patroclus didn¡¯t actually deliver one strike at his father. Knowing that his son was on the right track and he would not give up so easily, Einherjar Andrews had killed himself in front of his son.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, on Earth, Wang Tong was having a party with his friends from all three majors. Some had rmended him to respond to the party until after the fight, but Wang Tong refused. It was what it was, and he doubted that he would be able to improve his cultivation in just a few short days.

    Wang Tong had done all he could do, so he decided to spend the rest of the days until the fight with his friends, celebrating the good times they had.

    Ever since Wang Tong was a kid, he had a dream of inviting all of his friends to a kick-a*s party where they could eat and drink until the end of time.

    Right now, he felt like he was living his childhood dream.

    Old Fart patted Wang Tong¡¯s shoulder wistfully. ¡°Is this all you can dream of? What about world peace?¡±

    ¡°Haha! You are asking too much. I am quite content with all the food and drinks.¡± A master of the court put in.

    ¡°Haha, maybe. Haha...Bah! I think I am getting drunk!¡± Wang Butingughed as he watched Wang Tong¡¯s joyful face. Suddenly, he was gripped by guilt for not giving him a proper upbringing.

    If Wang Tong were confident in his victory, he would not have partied like there was no tomorrow. Everyone knew what his crazy party meant that it was a farewell.

    ¡°Sh*t, is that really you, Wang Ben? You are fat!¡± Karlughed.

    ¡°Buzz off! I gained muscles, unlike you.¡± Wang Ben said as he scanned Karl from head to toe.

    ¡°How dare you criticize your supervisor? Haha! ¡± Karlughed out loud. Since Karl was promoted to the rank of General, he technically was one rank higher than Wang Ben.

    ¡°Cool! Do I sense apetition going on here? Haha...¡± Wang Tongughed.

    ¡°How about let¡¯s see who has more notches in his belt, Wang Ben? I bet you are still a virgin! Haha!¡± Karl threw another banter at Wang Ben.

    ¡°Karl, shut up! ¡± Wang Ben heard a musical voicee up from a corner of the room. He rubbed his eyes to see who that was.

    ¡°Lumi?¡± Wang Ben murmured in disbelieve. The shy girl had grown up to be a confident and attractive young woman.

    ¡°Haha! Wang Ben is blushing!¡± Karl shouted, and everyoneughed with him.

    Wang Tong watched his friends as his heart was filled with joy.

    ¡°Sisters and Brothers, I want you to know why you are here today. We are celebrating Wang Tong¡¯s victory in his uing battle. Patroclus will have his a*s handed over to him on a tter! Haha! ¡± Karl shouted at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Although Wang Tong is not as powerful as me, I do trust him alright,¡± Apache said with a smirk. His sarcasticment had garnered moreughter than Karl¡¯s foolish banter.

    ¡°Wang Tong, I believe that you already have a n. I hope you are sessful!¡± Zhang Jin said.

    ¡°Thank you, sister Zhang Jin. Thank you for saving me out of Norton. Without you, I would still be trapped in that damn ce, eating Zerg meat every day.¡±

    ¡°Well, I sometimes wish I hadn¡¯t saved you. ¡± Zhang Jin shook her head.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Hehe... I should have stayed with you on Norton, and we could have lived happily ever after.¡± Zhang Jin said without giving showing a hint that she was joking.

    ¡°Haha! I am honored!¡± Wang Tongughed and then upped his ss to drain thest of its content.

    Li Shiming and Porten were also invited to the party. After they had shared a few cups of drinks together, they were already talking and joking with each other like old friends.

    ¡°Kill that SOB! I can¡¯t wait to go to the moon and hug an Ivantian girl. They are the best!¡± Porten said candidly.

    ¡°Let me know if you need any help! I want you to win, for the sake of my sister. Haha!¡± Li Shimingughed and then?patted Wang Tong¡¯s shoulder friendly.

    ¡°Haha, sounds like I don¡¯t have the permission to die yet.¡±

    The partysted for hours, and Old Fart was the first one to leave. Although he wished to stay longer, sleepiness was gradually iming him.

    Ma Xiaoru didn¡¯t interrupt Wang Tong even once when he was talking to his friends. She knew that tonight might very likely be thest time they would ever see Wang Tong again.

    ¡°Mr. Wannabe, how is the drink?¡± Charcoal asked curiously.

    ¡°Not bad¡­pretty good actually!¡±

    Zachery was lying. As a super Einherjar, he could no longer exist in the world in a solid form, much less taste anything of this world. In order to witness Wang Tong¡¯s victory, he had spent thest of his soul essence to appear in the world as a shadowing image.

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of getting bored. Let¡¯s y chess.¡±

    ¡°Sure! Mr. Wannabe, aren¡¯t you worried about Master at all? My data shows that the two of them are equally powerful.¡±

    ¡°The oue doesn¡¯t matter to them.¡± Mr. Wannabe answered abruptly.

    ¡°Fine, fine. But I don¡¯t want to y chess with you. You suck at it.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t! I am a super Einherjar. That means I will beat anyone at anything.¡± Mr. Wannabe rebutted.

    That night, Wang Tong passed out after midnight, and he was carried to his room by his equally drunken friends.

 Chapter 675 - The Last Night Of Love

    <h4>Chapter 675: The Last Night Of Love</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Even after Wang Tong¡¯s friends were gone, he didn¡¯t stop prattling, ¡°Haha! Wang Ben likes Lumi! I didn¡¯t see thating. ¡±

    ¡°Maybe you are blind.¡± Zhou Sisi jested.

    Wang Tong buried his head into the soft pillows, and for the first time in a long time, he let go of all his responsibility and stresses, which felt quite good indeed.

    He heard the faucet turned on in the bathroom and the rushing water sounding inviting. Wang Tong turned toward the bathroom, and through the half-open door, he saw a naked body inside with perfect curves. After a few minutes, the water stopped making noises, and someone turned the lights off.

    ¡°You are not drunk yet?¡± Zhou Sisi climbed onto the bed and asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t pass up this most important moment of the night.¡± Wang Tong said while his eyes didn¡¯t leave Zhou Sisi¡¯s face.?She loosened her bathrobe as Wang Tong¡¯s breath started to be heavy.

    As Zhou Sisi was about to remove her bathrobe, Wang Tong stopped her. He wanted to do it himself.

    Zhou Sisi nodded and theny on the bed as Wang Tong peeled off her bathrobe, revealing her alluring curves.?He gazed at her body lovingly and thought of the first time he had met her at Ayrng; still strong-minded and independent, she didn¡¯t change at all.

    Wang Tong gently pressed his nose into her cleavage and sniffed the fragrance that came off her body; the smell was rxing.?Zhou Sisi held Wang Tong¡¯s head with both hands as a strange mixture of poignancy and joy rose inside her.

    As memories flooded her mind, she felt as if they had first met each just yesterday.

    Having spent years beside Patroclus, Zhou Sisi knew that the fight was going to be an uphill battle for Wang Tong.

    ¡°Wang Tong, give me a child, please.¡±

    In the darkness, Zhou Sisi murmured under her breath.?The words awakened the inner beast of Wang Tong as he started to ravage Zhou Sisi¡¯s fertile and virgin body.

    The air was filled with Wang Tong¡¯s beastly grunts and Zhou Sisi¡¯s sweet moaning. Theybored in bed for a long time, and finally, with a final hot wince from Zhou Sisi, the noise died down.

    ¡°Was it good?¡±

    ¡°It was alright.¡± Zhou Sisi was out of breath.

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s ¡°alright¡±? ¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Zhou Sisi paused to catch a breath.

    ¡°I vowed to satisfy every girl! Come on, let¡¯s do it again. I promise it will feel good this time!¡± Wang Tong urged.

    ¡°No. no...¡±

    Wang Tong was determined to subdue Zhou Sisi tonight. He pressed her under his body and thrust his member until she started to moan satisfyingly again.

    ¡­

    In the morning, Zhou Sisi pulled her hair up into a bun and looked more energetic than she ever was. Wang Tong sat in the bed and enjoyed the sight of his beautiful mistress blooming in the sunlight.

    ¡°Get yourzy bum up!¡±

    ¡°No. I want to sleep in!¡± Wang Tong protested. However, as soon as he heard the knock on the door, he jumped out of bed, opened the door, and carried his beautiful wife into his room.

    When Zhou Sisi met Ma Xiaoru¡¯s gaze, she blushed.

    ¡°It¡¯ste in the morning. You have lots to do.¡±

    ¡°Do what? Am I going to save the world remember? I need to rx with both of you.¡± Wang Tong said shamelessly.

    ¡°You are such a pervert!¡±

    ¡°A pervert you say? We were simply cultivating! Come join us and show me your tactics of the Enchantress.¡± Wang Tong lifted Ma Xiaoru up and threw her onto the bed.

    ¡°Sisi, quickly,e help me! Save me from this pervert.¡±

    ¡°I am afraid that you are on your own. I am too scared of him.¡±

    Ma Xiaoru could tell that Wang Tong was very horny, so she didn¡¯t resist him too hard. However, she still felt ufortable since Zhou Sisi was right next to her.

    Wang Tong felt Ma Xiaoru¡¯s nervousness refreshing and whetted his appetite even further. He finished on Ma Xiaoru many times before he convinced Zhou Sisi to join them in bed.

    The three of them kept at it for three days, and rumors about their hot nights spread quickly among their friends.?In their exhaustion, both Zhou Sisi and Ma Xiaoru had a nagging feeling that Wang Tong did this to make sure that even if he were killed on the battlefield, his would have left a legacy in the human world.

    The month of preparation time flew by, and the day of the final showdown was fast approaching. Everyone started to be more agitated as the fated day got closer.

    This was not a usual match, and there would be no public broadcasting of the fight. The two of them both possessed an unthinkable power, such that getting close to them while they fought would be an act of suicide.

    But despite the danger, more and more people gathered at the sky arena, hoping to witness the historical fight with their own eyes.

    On the Earth, Zhou Sisi and Ma Xiaoru prayed to the gods calmly. They had never stopped believing that Wang Tong would emerge victoriously. Once he came back, they could finally live a normal life and form a normal family.

    Karl walked back and forth uneasily. ¡°Balls! Why didn¡¯t they allow me to see the fight?¡±

    ¡°Can you stop walking back and forth? It¡¯s making me dizzy!¡± Apacheined.

    ¡°I want to see the match!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! We all do, but the principal has said no. So why don¡¯t you sit down and wait like everyone else?¡± Zheng Zhong pressed Karl back to his seat.

    ¡°You need to believe in Wang Tong. He never walks into a fight without being fully prepared.¡± Wang Ben said loudly, and Li Shiming nodded in agreement. He wished that he could be the one to save the world, but reality decreed otherwise. This was no longer the era of House Li, and neither was he the heir of the de Warrior, despite him sharing the same blood with General Li Feng.

    ¡°I always felt fortunate to live to see this epic fight unfold. ¡± Li Shiming said emotionally, and his words resonated with Cao Yi and Apache. The political significance of it aside, this fight would be monumental from a technical perspective as well. The sh of the two great power was bound to surpass life and death; it was something out of this world.

    In the spaceship, Samantha and the other generals waited anxiously for the battle to start. Li Hong and Xiao Se sat side by side, and they found it difficult to rx since the oue of the fight would determine the fate of the human race.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°How the hell would I know? We can¡¯t even see what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Wang Tong will win.¡±

    ¡°You bet! If he could summon the asteroid storm, he should be able to win any fight.¡±

    ¡°No kidding! He is a god, not a human.¡±

    ¡°Patroclus is no match for him. He is just a freak!¡±

    Samantha didn¡¯t let the captains¡¯ over-confidence affect her. She had sent out scouts to keep a close eye on the Immortals¡¯ ships, making sure they would not surprise her with an attack.

    As an admiral, she watched the developments with a unique insight that could bring all the details together to form a bigger picture. She knew that the Immortals were up to something, and she needed to be careful.

    Meanwhile, on Mars, people kept refreshing the sk for thetest update on the fight. In the streets, cheers for Wang Tong could be heard around every corner. Martians had suffered enough due to the brutal war; they prayed that the gods would finally bestow peace to Mars once the match was over.

    Who would emerge as the winner in this epic fight? Both the humans and Immortals waited anxiously to find out the answer.

 Chapter 676 - The Final Showdown

    <h4>Chapter 676: The Final Showdown</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Patroclus stood at the center of therge empty arena. There he was, back to where he had started. Were Patroclus and Wang Tong bound by destiny to meet here again, or was it by Patroclus¡¯ design? This arena had witnessed the rise and fall of House Dower, and had seen Patroclus at his best and lowest.

    This was where everything began, and also where everything ended; for every end, there was a new beginning.

    Patroclus threw back his head and stared into the starlit sky. He felt that his body had finally be one with nature. After the visit to the cemetery, Patroclus had gained a keen insight into the meaning of power. When he got back to the practice room, he was surprised to find out that the newfound insight had improved his strength by leaps and bounds. This fight with Wang Tong would be a perfect opportunity to put his new skills to the test.

    After some time, a shiny dot appeared in the night sky, and Patroclus heard the citizens of the Lunar City cheer Wang Tong¡¯s name: he was here.

    Patroclus gathered himself and gave Wang Tong a weing smile. ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been six years.¡±

    ¡°How is Sisi?¡±

    ¡°She is¡­doing great, thanks to you.¡± Wang Tong said without any rancor.

    Patroclus nodded; Zhou Sisi was the only girl who he had felt attracted to. Although he could not be with her in the end, it gave himfort hearing that she was happy.

    ¡°Where is your Einherjar¡¯snce?¡±

    ¡°This is a fight between you and me¡­I don¡¯t help from anyone else.¡± Wang Tong said. Patroclus knew that Wang Tong was alluding to Charcoal and de Warrior¡¯s power inside it.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± Patroclus smiled broadly and said. This fight was as personal to Wang Tong as it was to him, and therefore, he understood why Wang Tong refused the de Warrior¡¯s help. But, when so many things were at stake, refusing help seemed very reckless.

    ¡°There is no audience. Let¡¯s start now.¡± Wang Tong closed his fists and said eagerly.

    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for them!¡± Patroclus pulled his jacket off, revealing his tenacious body in a tight gym suit.

    KOM!

    Kaboom!

    Storm clouds suddenly gathered above the arena and an immense power spilled over the high walls of the arena. Their power was beyond the grasp of both the humans and immortals, as the source of the power came from the deepestyer of the universe where only gods could reach.

    Two flows of energies ¡ªone gold and one silver¡ªappeared in the arena; either one of them would start attacking any moment now.

    Wang Tong attacked first with theyered fist of Tong, a technique he had learned from Zachery. Its deadly power threatened to devour the world.

    ¡°This is nothing new.¡± Patroclus¡¯ voice sounded almost disappointed. A silver light shed in his hands as he cranked up his soul energy. Both warriors had contained their soul energy and GN force even duringbat in order to concentrate their damage output; it was a testament to their unrivaled control over their power.

    KOM!

    Patroclus¡¯ palm strike collided with Wang Tong¡¯s fist. The impact staggered Patroclus slightly as a hint of surprise shed across his face. Before he could gather himself, Wang Tong¡¯s second wave of attack was already on its way.?The second wave was still the Layered Fist of Tong, but it was improved by Wang Tong so that he could superimpose as manyyers of energy as he wanted to.

    Waves after waves of energies followed each punch from Wang Tong. This meant that he was able to connect his attacks and keep the pressure on his opponent. His GN force was under theplete control of his Soul Essence, so he could manipte the power output at his will.

    Despite the unpredictability in Wang Tong¡¯s attacks, they were met with cold denial from Patroclus¡¯ defensive measures. Neither blunt force nor trick shots were able to prate his all-epassing defense.

    Wang Tong kept at it, each punch of his packed with an unrelenting force; on the other hand, Patroclus held his ground firmly and countered Wang Tong¡¯s attack with an equal measure of aplomb and alertness.

    ¡°Excellent defense! Try to defend this!¡± Wang Tongunched himself into the air and then bore down on his opponent from above with an iron fist repeatedly like a jackhammer.

    Kom! Kom! Kom! Kom!

    As Wang Tong¡¯s attack gained frequency and vigor, the nk of the impact started to form a shockwave that shook the ground like an earthquake. However, Patroclus was rooted to the ground, unwavering like a mountain.

    Suddenly, Patroclus took half a step back and evaded one attack. While doing that, he channeled energy into his left palm, making it as deadly as a sharp knife before he hacked at Wang Tong while thetter moved in after having missed his target.

    Wang Tong reacted quickly as he twisted his body around abruptly and whished a kick at the iing attack.

    KOM!

    Both of their attacks had struck home, the pain lighting up the fire in their eyes.

    Patroclus shed in and out view as he charged at Wang Tong; it was the Ivantian¡¯s Butterfly Dash. Patroclus had used this technique so perfectly that no one could tell the illusion apart from his actual movements.

    The effectiveness of the butterfly dash was supposed to be restricted by the movement speed; however, Patroclus was able to maximize its effect even at an incredible speed. Patroclus¡¯s attack came at Wang Tong even when he seemed to be still quite a distance away. Wang Tong¡¯s defense seemed almostzy in response. Unlike Patroclus, Wang Tong never received formal training, and therefore, he had never learned proper forms or techniques. He simply used whatever worked.

    Surprisingly, ack of formal training had unleashed Wang Tong¡¯s creativity so that he was able to attack and defend more efficiently than using set conventional moves.?However unpredictable the butterfly dash was, Wang Tong¡¯s keen observation was able to tell the reality from illusions.

    Kom, KOM!

    So skillful were both warriors that even the most advancedbat techniques would fall short of testifying for their powers. Rather than the use of any particr technique, it was thebination of timing and control of power that was a true reflection of their skills.

    Kaboom, boom!Boom!

    In this intense exchange of fire, one small misstep would give the opponent a huge advantage and allow him to unload hundreds of connected attacks. As the battle carried on, the arena was filled with ring explosions that shook the ground like earthquakes.

    The military had set up blockades around the perimeter of the arena to prevent any delusional fool from breaking into the dangerous battle zone. Meanwhile, the immortals were busy analyzing the battle as well. So far, no one knew who would emerge victorious with the very limited data they had. Unable to watch the fight, they listened and recorded every nk and boom that came out from the arena, deciphering its meaning fruitlessly.

    The two charged toward each other, and both of them were dealt a heavy blow on impact, blowing both warriors back a dozen feet and increasing the distance between them.

    Wang Tong drew arge gulp of air and dug in with another attack. At the same time, Patroclus reacted quickly and raised a de aura infused arm to intercept it.

    ¡°Hor!¡±

    ¡°OW!¡±

    As Wang Tong¡¯s punch closed in, Patroclus hewed his deadly arm at the attacker.

    KOM!

    Zenn!

    The impact of the two attacks caused a burst of energy that made the arena¡¯s ground tremble. The two warriors had disappeared from where they were standing and reappeared close to each other at the center of the arena field, immediately engaging in a fierce exchange of blows. They had both relented their defense and focused solely on attacks. Each impact caused a powerful explosion that uprooted the floor tiles from under their feet. In a blink, the floor underneath their feet was in tatters

    Kom!

    Wang Tong attacked with abandon. An intense beam of light shot out from the center of his fist,unching at Patroclus.?Meanwhile, Patroclus closed his fingers into a fist that was quickly suffused with a silvery brightness.

    KOM!

    Both warriors were able to pour their forces into their opponent¡¯s system. An explosion erupted at the impact of the two attacks, the resultant shockwave sending both warriors flying into the air until they collided with the seats in the audience sections.

    Before the dust settled, the two warriors slowly dragged themselves to their feet. They were both winded, yet unharmed. Patroclus reached out his arms as he levitated in mid-air. He warped the space behind him into an unknown dimension; the force exerted on the very fabric of space turned the air behind Patroclus into liquid. From the warped space, a thousand otherworldly spearheads slowly poked through the liquefied air.

    ¡°Art of thousand Lances!¡±

    At the behest of Patroclus, the spearheads shot at Wang Tong like missiles with an incredible speed. Patroclus was able to intercept one of thences by grabbing it by the handle as it passed by. The Divine Lord then pointed thence at Wang Tong and looked through its length as he adjusted his aim. After half a heartbeat, he hurled thence out at Wang Tong forcefully.

    Wang Tong shouted out a battle cry as a shimmering, golden GN shield appeared around him. The golden shield was effective in blocking the shower of silvernces until it was struck by thence hurled by Patroclus. The golden shield shattered, letting in the downpour of silverynces.

    The people standing outside of the arena heard a loud din and then saw one piece of the arena wall being sted through. A person was thrown out of the arena through the hole, and it was Wang Tong. The Immortals cheered loudly, taking it as a sign of something positive happening inside the arena.

    It took Wang Tong half a second to regain his bnce, and he flew through the hole into the arena right away. While flying toward the field, he gritted his teeth and channeled out his GN force to form a spinning ball packed withpressed energies. As the ball was pressed into a disc, it was already spinning at lightning speed. Suddenly, more spinning golden discs appeared behind him out of nowhere.

    Spinning Whirlwind Attack!

    The golden discs whizzed across the air and attacked Patroclus from all directions. However, he was unfazed by the overwhelming number of attacks. Beams of silver lights shot out of his palms and destroyed all discs in their paths. In a blink, all golden discs that got near Patroclus had fallen to the ground.

    Wang Tong waved an arm, and the remaining golden discs suddenly changed their course to evade the beams of lights. Patroclus adjusted his soul energy and redirected the light beams, but it was toote, as?a golden disc was able to cut a deep wound in his arm. As blood spilled out of the wound, so did white lights that seemed to burn anything that it came in contact with them. Patroclus let out a painful cry, and the white light became so bright that it burned away all the remaining discs.

    ¡°What do you say Mr. Wannabe, do we have a winner yet?¡± Charcoal asked. Both Mr. Wannabe and Charcoal were afloat in space as they watched the fight from above.

    ¡°The oue does not matter.¡± Mr. Wannabe grunted, and the pair continued to observe the fight in silence. They watched as Patroclus finally took out something shiny: the Lance of Rngalos!

    Patroclus suddenly shed out of view, reappearing in front of Wang Tong and attacking him with overbearing force. The effect of the powerfulnce was palpable; Wang Tong¡¯syered fist of Tong already seemed less effective in stopping the attacks.

    On Patroclus¡¯s third move, Wang Tong was dealt a solid strike and sent flying away.?He then picked himself up and folded his fingers; suddenly, the temperature around him dropped dramatically as he tapped into the natural force.

    Two dragons, one made out of the fire and one out of ice, charged at Patroclus with snarling mouths.

 Chapter 677 - The Battle Of Gods

    <h4>Chapter 677: The Battle Of Gods</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    If Michaux and Guang Dongyang could see Wang Tong¡¯s mastery, they would feel that the world was unfair. Wang Tong was able to mix all different kinds of elements in nature together with such ease.

    On the other side, Patroclus was unfazed by Wang Tong¡¯s mastery spell. He straightened his back andshed out hisnce at the two giant dragons. Before the ice and fire dragons were able to unload their death breath onto him, he was able to knock them to the side and evade the attack. Having missed their target, the two dragons collided with each other and perished amidst a huge explosion.

    Patroclus stood proudly and announced: ¡°Show me your forbidden power!¡±

    At his level, he knew that the essence of all forms of attacks was the same. Even in arts that were as different as Mastery and METALbat, Patroclus could see themon foundation upon which theyid. It would be a mistake to think that he knew nothing about mastery. If that were the case, he would not have been able to counter Wang Tong¡¯s hybrid element spell.

    ¡°Mr. Wannabe, do you know why master didn¡¯t use any weapon? Patroclus¡¯ weapon seemed to have helped him a lot. He has gained a significant momentum in his attacks.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, the key is in control of the flow of the battle, and not the damage output. They are both trying to dominate the battlefield, but in a very different way. Without being confined to using any specific weapon, Wang Tong¡¯s attempt is more all-epassing. On the other hand, Patroclus has used what he is best with, and therefore, can be more effective than Wang Tong¡¯s bare hands. It is very difficult to say who can gain the upper hand in the next few moments.¡±

    ¡°Then, why would he ask Master to use the forbidden power?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­It¡¯s a ruse. If he were able to counter Wang Tong¡¯s ultimate mastery, it would be a huge blow to thetter¡¯s confidence, and will force Wang Tong to use weapons. Bah, these two guys overthink every single move.¡± Zachery sat down while still floating in the air and started observing the match with a great measure of fascination. Even as a Super Einherjar, he could learn many things from these two warriors.

    As Zachery marveled at the talents among the humans, he suddenly felt relieved and convinced that the human race would never go extinct under the protection of its heroes.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile at Patroclus¡¯ demand. Suddenly, he swept his palm t across space in front of him as fire sprouted out on his hand. The fire quickly spread around him and then the entire arena. However, Patroclus was unflinching; these fires were harmless to him.

    Wang Tong raised himself slowly to mid-air, and with another sweep of the arm, summoned a whirlwind that wrapped the fire around. Above the tornado, dark inky clouds gathered and sent shes of lightning into the inferno at the eye of the whirlwind cyclone. As more lightening plunged into the fiery storm, the air flow near the surface of the cyclone started to glow; in half a heartbeat, the cyclone was suffused with a milky white gleam.

    Wang Tong had mixed four different elements into one attack; not only it was an area of effect attack, but was also deadly effective on a single target.

    Suddenly, Patroclus felt that he could no longer effectivelymand his power. The dark element summoned by Wang Tong acted like a catalyst in the chemical reactions as it brought out the full power of the fire elements. When the boosted fire and wind elements werepressed and concentrated together into a small space, thebined power of the two elements increased exponentially. Meanwhile, ovepping the constant and violent exchange of energy pluses was ayer of the extremely stable and calm light element.

    This spell called for the user¡¯s explicit control over each and every element. The smallest imbnce in the system would cause the spell to fail. Such a spell was a perfect example of the power of the soul essence. With the touch of the soul essence, the caster could be one with the elements, and therefore, would control the elements with rtive ease. Like a bartender, Wang Tong mixed the different elements together in order toe up with the perfect concoction of death.

    Patroclus felt lethargy iming his strength. He attempted to counter the spell with whatever energy he could muster, but all the outgoing energies were swallowed whole by the deadly cyclone.

    Inferno Hell!

    Surprise was written all over Patroclus¡¯ face. He had thought that he knew everything about the energy in nature. But, little did he know that one could master these natural powers with such a degree of freedom. Although Patroclus was not a mastery caster, he knew thatbining and merging four different elements was beyond the scope of any mastery techniques.

    The Inferno Hell was invented by another Mastery caster: Guan Dongyang. However, this appeared to be much deadlier than Guan¡¯s version. On the other hand, Guan Dongyang had never needed to deal with an opponent as powerful as Patroclus either.

    The Inferno didn¡¯t stop robbing the world of its essence; it drew the fire elements all around it and drastically decreased the temperature. Inside the deadly inferno, Patroclus started to struggle.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the parasitic Zerg started to protest against the extreme environment it was in. Patroclus doubled down on the protective GN shield; without it, the Zerg would have already turned into ashes.

    ¡°Attaboy! His imagination is as wild as mine! Haha!¡± Zachery said with discernible pride. He reckoned that Wang Tong had gained the true insight about power. It was not a measurement of force, but an ability to control and manipte the situation during a battle.

    He marveled at Wang Tong¡¯s brilliant strategy, and the power that came out of it. The underlying principle of the spell struck a chord with what gave birth tos: constant assimtion of new energy that fueled the deadly and violent core under a calm, if not smooth, appearance.

    Patroclus gathered himself after he knew he was trapped. The massive drop in temperature and created a world of ice around the cyclone. However, the epicenter of the cyclone, where Patroclus was trapped, was hotter than hell itself.

    Patroclus remained calm and stood unflinching despite the agitated writhing and truing of the parasite inside his chest.

    More brutal power weighted in onto Patroclus¡¯s GN shield, threatening to tear it apart. Suddenly, a silvery lightnced out from the spinning cyclone.

    Kaboom!

    With an ear-deafening explosion, many rays of fire shot out of the cyclone and shredded its calm facade into pieces. Not unbridled by the light element, the concoction of deadly energies spilled forward to fill up thebat field, destroying everything in their path. The walls and roofs of the giant building crumbled in front of everyone standing outside.

    When the dust finally settled, the public saw their champions standing face to face on top of a pile of rubles

    ¡°Seems like we have to choose another ce to continue our fight.¡± Wang Tong said. In thest exchange, he had gained the upper hand by using the mastery. He had trapped Patroclus and only let him get away at the veryst moment due to an obvious w in the spell. If Wang Tong had more time before the fight to patch up those ws in the spell, he would have delivered a devastating blow to his opponent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Before Patroclus¡¯ voice faded, he took off while tracing a silver line across the sky, trailed by a golden thread behind. In less than half a heartbeat, the two arrived in space near the moon. They could fight to their heart¡¯s content out there without worrying about harming any innocent bystanders. In some way, this was the real ¡°Sky¡± arena.

    Even though Patroclus was tortured inside the inferno for a good half a minute, he lookedpletely unharmed thanks to the perks of being an immortal. The fire had polished the surface of his METAL, making it shiny as ever. There he was, standing gloriously while holding the legendarynce, befitting of the title of Divine Lord.

    Patroclus was the epitome of indifference and aloofness; the silver light that came off his body was colder than that of the moon. Meanwhile, Wang Tong was basking under the warm golden light that¡ªlike his personality¡ªhad the ability to encourage anyone and lift their spirits.

    However different they were, they were very simr in many ways, so much so that one could not have existed without the other. After all, what was warmth without coldness and what was shadow without light?

    Patroclus spun the shaft of the silvernce with a twist of the wrist while he thrust it forward, covering a dozen meters in one strike. The attack hit home, and it shattered Wang Tong¡¯s GN shield. Wang Tong closed his fists, and with only the slightest hesitation, threw them at thence and stopped it. Before Wang Tong had time to deliver another punch, he caught a glimpse of Patroclus from the corner of his eyes as the other attacked with abandon.

    The blownded squarely on Wang Tong¡¯s side and knocked him back for a few dozen feet. Patroclus didn¡¯t stop there, advancing quickly and delivering ance attack. However, thence was stopped by Wang Tong with a single fist. Suddenly, a wave of energy shot through thence and hit Patroclus¡¯ hands. He pulled thence away from Wang Tong¡¯s fist, and the energy disappeared instantly. Without any hesitation, Patroclus channeled more energy into thence and attacked again.

    KOM!

    The second attack was able to deliver a solid blow at Wang Tong and wind him. Seizing the opportunity, Patroclus showered him with morence attacks.

    Wang Tong didn¡¯t evade any of the attacks as he allowed the downpour of strikes tond on his body.

    Phantom strike!

    Finally registering danger, Wang Tong shifted his body to evade Patroclus¡¯ killing blow, but he was toote. Pain shot through his body, but he was unharmed. The blow gave him a significant clue about Patroclus¡¯ power, and he reminded himself to be more alert for the remainder of the fight.

    After the two warriors had moved their battlefield to space, their battle was recorded by cameras and broadcasted live. When Ma Xiaoru saw Wang Tong being dealt a heavy blow, she nearly fainted. Despite being an Einherjar, Ma Xiaoru would forever have a soft spot for Wang Tong. But after seeing that he was unharmed, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Come on, Wang Tong! Use your weapon and finish the fight already!¡± Karl jumped out of his seat and shouted at the screen. Even when the fate of the human race was hanging by a thread, Karl still managed to remain confident. However, despite the valor of his ignorance, he was an invaluable asset to the human race during a space battle.

    Wang Tong flexed his neck muscles to relieve some of the tension. Patroclus was surprised to see that he was unharmed after being dealt a deadly blow.

    ¡°Not bad! Seems like yournce technique has improved significantly. Well, warm-up is over, Let¡¯s dive right into the real action.¡± Wang Tong stretched his arms and legs as if he were about to do some intense gym exercises. Theical scene made many immortalsugh out loud. Unlike the members of the Great Houses, Wang Tong didn¡¯t have a reputation to keep, and neither he had to keep up the appearances.

    After five seconds of stretching, Wang Tong was back in action. His body gave a golden glow that illuminated his surroundings. At the same time, a goldennce appeared in Wang Tong¡¯s hand as if out of nowhere. Waves of energies rippled out of him and were gaining intensity by the second.

    Patroclus¡¯ lips thinned into a smile; this was the Wang Tong he had expected to fight. The thought of an intense battle heightened Patroclus¡¯ spirit. As silvery energy spilled out of him and shed with the golden glows, both warriors took off like two rockets, trailed by a pair of gold and silver lines in space.

    The real battle was about to begin.

    The two of them held each other¡¯s gaze while both flew abreast. Sparks erupted in between them when they got a little bit closer to each other. Both warriors raised theirnces; each of a legendary quality. But at the end of the battle, only one was going to survive.

    KOM!

    Wang Tong attacked his opponent with the Einherjar Lance, while Patroclus countered the attack with a thrust of the scintiting Lance of the Deva King.

    When the two legendary weapons collided, the space in between the two steel was folded, crushed, andpressed, releasing an unimaginable amount of heat and light. Each and every impact sent a quickly expanding ring of thermal and kic energy into space. The ring was so bright that it easily prated the darkness of the space for miles. Suddenly, the humans watched as storm clouds gathered above them, and it wasn¡¯t long before the clouds started to pour rain onto the moon. Beyond the dark clouds, people could still make out shes produced by the impact of the twonces.

    Both immortals and humans watched the shese and go expectantly. Stunned by the incredible disy of power, some of the onlookers had already forgotten why the two warriors were fighting in the first ce. In their stupor, they imagined that they were watching the battle between two gods.

    When both warriors had started using theirnces, the audiences knew that there was no turning back from this point. Lance was considered the overlord of all weapons because of its practicality and effectiveness. Every sh of the twonces let out energy that threatened to devour an entire.

    Wang Tong had forsaken the usage of mastery and focused solely on the direct exchange of physical blows.

    KOM!

    A massive explosion blew both warriors away from each other. So far, neither of them seemed to have gained the upper hand. With the help of soul essence, Wang Tong was able to manipte the natural forces to aid his defense and offense. Meanwhile, Patroclus¡¯ immortal body meant that he was practically immune to physical damage. Patroclus believed that his healing ability was going to set him apart from Wang Tong in the end as thetter umted more wounds. Therefore, Patroclus doubled down on his attack and kept the pressure on Wang Tong.

    The tip of the silverynce gleamed and let out a faint but noticeable pulse of energy. The pulse started weakly, but as it rippled in the space, it started to grow and expand until it threatened to swallow Wang Tong.

    Zing!

    The tip of the silvernce thrust at Wang Tong, who acted out of instinct and blocked the attack with hisnce.?It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that something was amiss. The Lance of the Deva King was rapidly freezing his soul energy.

    Wang Tong reckoned that freezing up the soul energy was much more effective than absorbing it, since at their level, absorbing each other¡¯s soul energy would not only take a while, but also give the opponent a chance tosh out.

    Wang Tong¡¯s knee-jerk reaction was to move away from thence of the Deva King; however, he realized that he could no longer move hisnce. His goldennce was suffused with Patroclus¡¯s silvery energy, and no longer responded to hismand.

    Seizing the opportunity, Patroclus attacked Wang Tong with quick pokes and jabs of with thence, trying tond as many blows as possible.?Unable to use any of hisnce techniques, Wang Tong seemed to have lost control of the battle. Zhou Sisi covered her mouth, trying to suppress a gasp but failed. Zhou Sisi had seen Patroclus¡¯ power first hand. She had learned that not only was he able to control objects with his soul energy, but could also create objects from his soul energy, as he had created all the nts and flowers using it.

    No one could tell those flowers he created from the real ones. Not only did they look like the real stuff, but smelled like them too.

    However, Zhou Sisi had never thought that Patroclus could convert his gardening skill into deadlybat moves. Otherwise, she would have warned Wang Tong about Patroclus¡¯ ability.

    Patroclus didn¡¯t stop perfecting himself after he had attained the invincible body. After he became an immortal, he started to dive into the deepest abysses of knowledge to search for the meaning of the universe, and was able to find a part of that answer.

    Guided by his new insight, he had found the path toward godhood, and the token ability of a god, he reasoned, was the ability to create life.

 Chapter 678 - Because I Am Wang Tong

    <h4>Chapter 678: Because I Am Wang Tong</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Oneshotwonder <strong>Editor: </strong>Hitesh_

    Harmon and Dimalis werepletely in awe of Patroclus¡¯ great power. He had once again proved that he was the only one who would lead the immortals to glory and create new bastions of immortals across the universe.

    The immortals truly believed that the main reason for them to stay within the sr system was to enlighten the humans, so that when they were ready to embark on the endless space faring journey, they could take the humans along with them.

    The Lance of the Deva King¡¯s attacks were so overwhelmingly fast that Wang Tong could only evade but not have any opportunity to fight back. However, even with his nearly wless movements, he could not be sure that he could evade each and every blow.

    The attack of thence was highly unpredictable, and it even broke thews of physics from time to time. All the hacks and shes were connected into an unstoppable train of attacks. However powerful Wang Tong was, he was forced to back down under so much pressure. The bigger question was: how long could he keep evading the attacks without getting hit?

    Zachery smacked his lips as he felt Wang Tong¡¯s difficulty. He was also surprised by the power he had seen so far. Even with his knowledge as a super Einherjar, he failed to estimate both warriors¡¯ power correctly. Meanwhile, he alsomented over their recklessness for using the Super Einherjar level powers without reaching the appropriate level of soul energy.

    At the same time, he felt that despite the two young men¡¯s inferior soul energypared to his, they both possessed huge advantages that hecked. Wang Tong had the guidance of the soul essence while Patroclus had the gift of immortality. In addition, Mr. Wannabe conceded that both young fighters had gained more insight into the meaning of the universe than he did.

    Patroclus had taken the initiative and released his full power, so Mr. Wannabe knew that it was Wang Tong¡¯s turn once the former¡¯s power had reached the peak.

    Even someone as knowledgeable as Zachery was curious as to what truth Patroclus had discovered about the reality they lived in.

    All human audience¡¯s hearts were caught in their throats when they saw that Wang Tong was forced to evade attacks due to the power of Patroclus¡¯ strikes.

    Patroclus¡¯ attacks were still gaining frequency and vigor. His techniques were so perfect that they were practically wless. But despite the advantage, Patroclus didn¡¯t rush to the final strike; he took his time to prepare and gathered strength as he waited patiently for the best opportunity to deliver the killing blow.

    Finally, the opportunity had arrived; Patroclus poured out his GN force as thence started to gleam. At the end of the lights was where he would bury Wang Tong¡¯s soul.

    KOM!

    Samantha scarcely had the courage to bear witness to the tragedy, so she shut her eyes close. Most girls followed her and covered their eyes. However, those who were brave enough to watch the tragedy unfold were rendered speechless by what they saw.

    It wasn¡¯t Wang Tong who got hit by thence, it was Patroclus, and the attack hadnded squarely at Patroclus¡¯s chest where the parasitic Zerg was.

    At thest moment, Wang Tong had pulled off the unthinkable and released the Space warping attack. It was evident then that Wang Tong had been preparing for the final attack while he seemed to be busy defending himself. The attack bent thew of physics by blending the two powers¡ªsoul essence and soul energy together.

    Blood and life drained away from Patroclus¡¯s face. Although he had an invincible body, the Parasitic Zerg remained his only weak spot; it was his Achilles¡¯ heel.

    A strike delivered at the Zerg would almost certainly cause instant death to any immortal. After much preparation, Wang Tong had gathered enough strength to blow a hole through Patroclus¡¯s chest.

    Patroclus¡¯ pale lips managed a smile, and then he said, ¡°So that¡¯s it, the space warping attack¡­What a brilliant illusion!¡± Patroclus was the first person to have realized that the attack did not warp space as everyone had believed. The energy of the attack was previously unleashed and stored somewhere until thest minute.

    Wang Tong had been channeling his energy into the attack long before he unleashed it. What made this attack seemingly undependable was Wang Tong¡¯s ability to trigger it at will andnd the blow anywhere he desired.

    Wang Tong cracked a smile. Even if Patroclus had seen through his trick, it was already toote for him. The human audiences cheered Wang Tong¡¯s name in tion; the victory was almost at their fingertips.

    Despite the grave injury, Patroclus reached into his chest, and under everyone¡¯s eyes, he pulled the Zerg out of his hole. The Zerg was still alive and struggled to get back to its tatteredir.

    ¡°I had realized that the only way for me to get rid of it was with your help. Thank you very much!¡± Patroclus said and closed his fist to squeeze the Zerg into a pile of green mush. A silver glow started to emit from his body as the hole on his chest started to close; he was healing himself without the parasite Zerg.

    Although the Zerg had helped Patroclus a great deal during the early days of his transformation, as his power grew, the Zerg became more of a hindrance than a help. Ever since then, he had been seeking to detach it from his body. Their symbiosis rtionship meant that it was impossible for him to do it himself. So deep were their bonds that even the power of Einherjars, such as Li Zhedao, was unable to separate them. Therefore, Patroclus remained stuck with the parasite until Wang Tong delivered the killing blow.

    In less than a heartbeat, Patroclus¡¯ wound was healedpletely; even the hole on his gym overall was magically patched. Without the Zerg, Patroclus could finally realize his full potential and achieve godhood. He had ascended beyond both humans and the Zergs. The other immortals foundfort in knowing that he would eventually free them from their parasite Zergs.

    Despite the death of the Parasite Zerg, the fight between Wang Tong and Patroclus had to continue. There could only be one leader in the human world.

    Patroclus raised hisnce and pointed at Wang Tong ¡°Rest in peace, Wang Tong!¡± Having seen through thetter¡¯s space warping trick, he would not be fooled once again.

    Patroclus zeroed in onto Wang Tong with leisure and a great measure of levity. Meanwhile, thetter attacked again with the exact same move as hisst one; however, Patroclus was able to evade the attack with ease. Wang Tong conceded that Patroclus had not only seen through his trick, but had also found a way to counterattack.

    Wang Tong¡¯s attack had missed its target and the momentum carried him forward. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Patroclus¡¯ attacking at him. Thence of Deva King had struck home and appeared to have pierced into Wang Tong¡¯s body.

    The human audiences were shocked by the sudden turn of events. However, Wang Tong gave Patroclus a smirk as his body turned into a blurry shadow. In a blink, he shed out of view and reappeared right next to Patroclus.

    ¡°You have seen through my ruse, I have to give you that. But, it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t bend space!¡± Suddenly, Wang Tong attacked andnded hisnce squarely on Patroclus¡¯s belly. Silvery blood welled in the wound even while it healed at an incredible rate.

    Zachery was speechless at the sight of Patroclus¡¯ power, and he wondered how powerful thetter would be when he eventually reached the level of super Einherjar!

    Wang Tong locked his eyes with Patroclus, and the two exchanged a few moments of intense gaze. They both finally saw the full power of their opponent, and neither of them was disappointed.

    Patroclus¡¯nce was glowing brighter by the second while Wang Tong¡¯snce flickered in and out of view as it bent the fabric of space around it.

    ...

    The dark clouds over the moon finally disappeared as the sunshine poured on the faces of the human onlookers. Despite the blinding sunlight, they searched the sky for any sign of the warriors.

    Who had won?

    Finally, they spotted a glintingnce half concealed behind a puff of cloud, shining even brighter than the sun: it was Wang Tong and hisnce of Einherjar.

    Wang Tong had won, and the humans were finally free!

    Cheers erupted from the darkest corner of the city and from the deep valley in the wilderness. Wang Tong had won; humans had won!

    In the spaceshipmand center, Samantha was the first one who let out a loud cry of joy. When the news reached Mars, the entire boiled over in immense joy and pride.

    As the humans on the earth and the moon celebrated, they noticed that all immortals were gone. Unknown to them, all remaining immortals had gathered inside the super cruiser: Ark, as Patroclus had ordered them to before he left for the battle.

    Harmon and Dimalis stood still in front of Patroclus; they didn¡¯t seem to be troubled by their defeat at all. They were about to carry out their n B.

    As soon as the immortals disappeared from the human world, Wang Tong had started to restore order and prosperity. In order to manage the massive human world, he created a council to help him. The council was chair by five chief councilors: Wang Tong, Lie Jian, Li Shiming, Zhang Jin, and Samantha. Although Wang Tong was voted as one of the chief councilors, he took no joy in doing the paperwork. He would rather hang out with his beautiful wives on a warm beach than stay in his cold office pushing papers around.

    Meanwhile on the beach, three gorgeous Mrs. Tongs were suntanning together.

    ¡°Heidi ising to ¡®visit¡¯ Wang Tong in a few days. We need to work together and prevent the two from meeting each other in private.¡± Li Ruoer said hotly.

    ¡°You bet! He has been taking too many vacations, and I wonder who he is hanging out with all this while. Do you think he is cheating on us?¡± Zhou Sisi asked.

    ¡°Whatever, Sisi! He cheated on us with you too.¡± Li Ruoer jested with a smirk.

    Zhou Sisiughed off the joke as she wondered where Wang Tong was.

    Just as she expected, Wang Tong wasn¡¯t alone; he was with someone else.

    ¡°Are you going to leave?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have done all I need to. The immortals will need to press on.¡±

    ¡°Why in such a hurry? Take your time and enjoy your life!¡±

    ¡°Haha, I wish I could enjoy my life as much as you do.¡± Patroclus smiled broadly.

    ¡°Then take care! Remember, you are one of us!¡± Wang Tong said as he embraced Patroclus like an old friend. Thetter cracked a smile and asked, ¡°Why did you choose to let me go?¡±

    Wang Tong smiled and then said, ¡°Because I am Wang Tong!.¡±

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