Chapter 1152 - 280 - 286

Chapter 280: Fortunate

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Aina giggled non-stop while standing by the pool. Wang Zheng leapt out from the water and dragged Aina down.

They were just about to whisper something to each other when Huiyin popped back out. "Let's go play at the high diving pool! Wang Zheng, you're so good at jumping that you can even jump from buildings, so you'll be even better at jumping into the water!"

Wang Zheng was stunned for a second. Your Royal Highness Princess, I have no wish to jump from buildings, nor do I want to jump into the waters. I just want the two of us to spend some time alone. But Lin Huiyin didn't allow for anything to be said and dragged the two of them along.

Aina clearly doted on this sister very, very much. Even though she came from the royal family, she didn't have many siblings of her own, and Aslan held kinship in high regards.

Sunshine and beauties. This was definitely one of his happiest days. If Her Royal Highness Huiyin could be a tad more sensitive, it'd have been even better. Despite this, Wang Zheng felt as if he had been given a new lease of life. Aina was really here!

After a whole day of fun, at night, Huiyin wanted to bunk with Aina, ruining Wang Zheng's secret plans. He… really wanted to threaten little Huiyin, but after weighing the pros and cons, he figured it was great that she hadn't tried to blackmail him. So he decided to give up.

Lying on his bed, enjoying the breeze and looking at the night sky, Wang Zheng felt extra peaceful. He could hear giggling sounds in the distance. He wondered what Aina and Huiyin were talking about, though he knew it was definitely something related to him.

When he closed his eyes, his mind would be filled with Aina's graceful figure and beauty. How could he sleep?

Wang Zheng tossed and turned. He was a passionate young man and this was tormenting him.

He didn't feel it normally, but this was exceptionally hard to bear. Especially when Rich Man Su from time to time had bragged about these things to him.

Wang Zheng was an ordinary man too. The situation between them was like dried wood in a blazing fire.

But no matter how hot things were between them, there was no use with a wall in between.

After much tossing and turning, Wang Zheng finally felt sleepy when a black face appeared right in front of him.

So huge!

Wang Zheng jumped almost instantly … damn! It was that Black Charcoal Head robot that was tangled up in a fight with Bonehead.

How did he come out? There wasn't even a sound. Where was Bonehead? Was he killed? But no matter what, Bonehead seemed like a more advanced robot.

The robot stared blankly at Wang Zheng. It looked silly.

"Why do you guys always appear in such a way? Could you say something before you come out next time?"

said Wang Zheng. The other party didn't seem to have any ill intent, and they tried calling out for Bonehead. There was no response. No way! Could he really have been done for?

"Yes, Master. I am Charcoal, not Black Charcoal Head," Charcoal said in all seriousness.

"…. Black Charcoal Head, where's Bonehead? What happened? Where did you come from? I don't think I know you."

"You're my second master. I've been asked by my first master to wait for you."

Wang Zheng was between laughter and tears. When had he become so popular?

"Where is Bonehead?"

"He is doing fine. After our discussion, he chose to enter his sleep mode. He has decided not to interfere temporarily. His training does not suit your current physical state and has caused some deviation that will affect you in the future. It needs adjustments," Charcoal said expressionlessly.

…. rolling about in an embrace was the way robots communicated?

"Who was your first master? How good was he? Seems cocky. And what do you people do exactly? You appear as you wish and never ask if I'm willing to have you."

"My first master's name is Wang Dong. Cocky… what does that mean?���

Wang Zheng and Charcoal stared at each other. Big dummy glaring at little dummy. What level of intelligence was this? The world was becoming a weird place.

"Ahem. Bonehead is my friend. Can you ask him to come out?" asked Wang Zheng.

Charcoal shook his head. "Master will automatically wake up when your body is able to take it. Otherwise, when the Law of the Cosmos finds out about you, you will either face serious problems or even be obliterated by the law."

Wang Zheng rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Damn. Trying to use the laws to frighten him? Did it think he was an idiot? He was Old Merchant's disciple, a master of physics.

"Charcoal Head, let's strike a deal. You let Bonehead out, then we discuss the problem about the Law of the Cosmos. I'm actually really great. The Laws of the Cosmos won't be able to do anything to me."

Wang Zheng felt as if this Black Charcoal Head had extremely low intelligence and tried tricking it first.

"Master, I am Charcoal, not Charcoal Head. The Laws of the Cosmos almost wiped out all of humanity last time. Humanity was only spared after damage was done to a few centuries worth of technology. Given your current abilities, you are not strong enough to break the laws."

To think a squarish, expressionless robot was actually pretty stubborn.

"Heh. How far away am I from achieving the point where I can break these laws and become almighty?" Wang Zheng was very confident of himself and he felt that he was not too far off from that point…

"You'll be about there when you are able to move freely between parallel planes of space."

Charcoal said seriously.

Wang Zheng gaped. Move freely within the planes of space? You think your boss here is a novelist?

"Is there no other way?"

"No. If you don't, it will bring great calamity," Charcoal said earnestly. "Furthermore, your moves require minor adjustments. The practice of the Five Elements, Earth, Ocean, Fire, Wind, and Space provides infinite power; however, you would only go down the path of destruction against the current Laws of the Cosmos if you were to clash against them. You need to turn them into Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, the Cycle of Five Phases."

Wang Zheng was stunned. What cycle, what elements? Meeting Bonehead was already weird. Now someone even weirder had come along, and he was talking as if he was really great. His Primordial Regression Technique was working fine. Changing what he knew would make him go crazy.

"Can we do it another way?" Wang Zheng asked weakly. When it came to communicating with non-living things like these, there often wasn't any room for discussion anyway.

Surprisingly, Charcoal nodded. "You can choose not to, but you will have to be stripped of all your progress and start all over again."

Wang Zheng stared blankly. Do what you deem fit. Elder brother here was unperturbed at Charcoal's words…

"Well, can we do that another time? Now…"

Wang Zheng had not finished his sentence when his vision went dark. Damn, why were these robots always so unreasonable? Can't he just let elder brother here finish!?

The entire adjustment process was a forced adjustment procedure to change the Primordial Regression Technique's path and flow.

As the adjustment occurred, the differences were explained in a voice which was gentle yet full of vigor. Wang Zheng knew it was Wang Dong's voice by instinct.

Just who was he really? What level did he attain? He should have become dust long before now. How was he still helping him?

The Earth, Ocean, Fire, Wind, and Space was a powerful way of training that drastically improved strength. However, in every universe, or rather, every parallel space, there was a fixed, stable set of laws. Different spaces had different laws, and once a force broke a law, the Laws of the Cosmos would resist, just like how a body's antibodies would react to a foreign threat! In this case, either the force that had broken the laws got destroyed, or the universe would go into chaos. It could affect as much as the entirety of space, or as little as a planet. For instance, earthquakes and tsunamis were ways which planets healed. It was the same for the universe, but in a way which humans still could not understand.

The Cycle of the Five Elements could disguise this force, and even if someday the force became overpowering, it would still have a certain chance of getting past the laws.

This was not a problem that could be tackled head on. There was no winning or losing, and it had to be transcended or it would bring about catastrophe.

The other party seemed to have plenty to share, but by the time Wang Zheng woke up, he appeared to have retained only a bit.

Wang Zheng checked his physical condition… he hadn't lost his chastity, nor did any of his limbs go missing. It was just that the Primordial Regression Technique….

Wang Zheng was stumped. The Primordial Regression Technique might've still been the Primordial Regression Technique, but it had taken on a weird form. It resisted itself and yet connected with itself. It couldn't do with less, but more was not good either. It could be very strong, but it could also be reduced to null.

What an odd state.

Wang Zheng went into meditation in an attempt to get used to this weird state he was in. The side effects…. were yet to be discovered.

In the Rubik's Cube space, Charcoal Head and Bonehead sat across each other, staring down.

Although Wang Zheng's (铮) name had the word "Zheng(争)", which meant "to fight", when faced with such a scene, he knew that there was no use complaining. The two robots represented two different forces and did whatever they liked. As long as they didn't use his body for experiments all the time, he was alright with it. He was still very young, very naive, and a virgin.

Even though Wang Zheng was always calm and always unafraid of the heavens and the earth, he felt slightly fearful this time. He now had something to care for, desires, and things he wanted to do.

As for principles, arguments, responsibilities and so on, he didn't mind doing things within his capabilities. However, it'd be better not to expect too much out of him, for he only wanted to live happily.

It would be best if those two could remain like that forever and not harass him anymore.

Looking the two of them, it looked as if they were quite passionate.

Wang Zheng's mind and soul exited the Rubik's Cube. The world around him had become slightly different. It was not the feeling of clarity after waking up from a slumber. He couldn't pin down what was different, but some things had definitely undergone some changes unknowingly.

"Get up, Wang Zheng! The sun's shining on your ass!" A loud, rapturous knocking sound came from the door, totally unladylike.

Wang Zheng patted his head and put all those weird things to the back of his mind. "Your Highness, could you behave a little more ladylike?"

"Little Zhengzi, stop dilly dallying! Your sister, me, has cooked personally. If you don't come out now, I'll eat all of it!" Huiyin slammed open the doors and popped her head in.

Little… Zhengzi…. why did it sound like some ancient occupation that was lost on Earth a long, long time ago?

Wang Zheng shivered. "Huiyin, how did you open the door?"

"Are you stupid? I used a key. Get up, quickly. What an average figure, nothing to see."

He was not sure when the Princess Her Royal Highness had begun to attack him for her own enjoyment. The way she looked at him was as though he was a furry soft toy.

Even though it was just a meal, Aina and Wang Zheng would still cast amorous glances at each other. Huiyin, however, talked non-stop about her own stories and her latest single.

The thing is, Wang Zheng had been busy training and didn't have time to listen to songs. This displeased Her Royal Highness Huiyin. Wang Zheng had neglected the existence of a prominent figure like her, so she wanted to ruin things. She wanted to be the bad guy.

Wang Zheng and Aina quickly hoaxed this little princess. It only ended when Wang Zheng promised to buy a present for Huiyin as an apology.

Student Wang was in bliss. Princess Aina accompanied him for meals while Princess Huiyin sang her new single. He got to enjoy all this alone. It was too much.

Compared to this, the other kids who were in training were not so fortunate, although most of them believed that Wang Zheng was definitely depressed and pitiful. Going through such significant ups and downs would be a huge blow to anybody. Moreover, Wang Zheng was a small character. It was surely very painful for him to suddenly fall off.

Because of that, Atos was in a particularly good mood and was training extra hard. Furthermore, they were on the Moon's turf, so he acted as if they were invincible.

If they knew about the life Wang Zheng was living, they'd all probably go berserk.

Chapter 281: Wall-crashing Rabbit

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Wang Zheng was a little worried about the training situation, but Huiyin had dispelled his worries. It had all been arranged. Her reputation was credible enough for three days of rest. Plus, if he failed after being away for so little time, his capabilities would be way too weak.

When he heard Huiyin say that, Wang Zheng didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

After putting on their disguises, the three of them spent the entire day touring Paradise Island. More accurately, the three of them with Angela hiding in the shadows.

Wang Zheng gave Lin Huiyin a soft rabbit toy. It had an exceptionally long body, like a cylinder. It could function as a pillow.

"What do you girls think this looks like?" Wang Zheng suddenly asked, giggling.

"A cute rabbit," answered Lin Huiyin, happily hugging the huge rabbit.

"It's not meant to be hugged this way. Here, look," Wang Zheng flipped the rabbit over and made a heroic pose. "See, doesn't this guy look like the wall-hitting rabbit? Every time I see its head, I want to bang it against the wall."

Huiyin snatched the toy back. "Hmph. Bad person. Don't you dare bully my rabbit."

Wang Zheng and Aina held hands, fingers interlocked. This was the only way to reflect the emotions they'd been trying hard to suppress.

The three of them spent the whole day sightseeing on Paradise Island. It wasn't peak season on Paradise Island, but it was indeed one of the most well known places of interest in the Solar System. It was nothing to Aina and Lin Huiyin. It was, at best, a different style in a foreign land. But the main point of their trip wasn't the scenery, it was the company.

Angela brought along some men and tried to minimize the distractions for the three of them. Inside, she felt speechless at how confident this guy was. She was well aware of how promising, young Aslan men got tongue-tied in front of these two princesses. Yet this guy dared to tease the princesses!

Was this one of the benefits of Earthlings' overconfidence?

Time passed quickly when they were having fun. After Huiyin pestered him to, Wang Zheng could only return to his own room. He didn't get to spend time alone with Aina. Moreover, he could sense the distance and coldness deep down in Angela's eyes.

It was clear she didn't want him to affect the two princesses.

Wang Zheng had not actually asked for anything. This relationship itself was bliss.

It was not that Wang Zheng was enlightened or anything, but compared to himself, he hoped more for Aina to be happy.

When alone, Wang Zheng worked on the revised Primordial Regression Technique. He was no longer considered a newbie, and even though it was a little awkward a first, after a full day, he realized that it was indeed different from the original one.

As it turned out, even though operating the Primordial Regression Technique brought about strength, it also gave the urge to act out in violence. The new Primordial Regression Technique felt much better.

It seemed like beauty was indeed skin deep. The same went for robots. It looked like the terrifying Student Skeleton had been convinced by Black Charcoal Head.

There were two mysterious characters involved in this – Li Feng and Wang Dong. if they had such awesome pets, no matter who these two people were, they must have been extremely powerful. But it appeared that both of them saw something in him, or shared some kind of fate with him.

Who was the better of the two?

Wang Zheng was getting ready to go to bed at the end of the cyclic day when he heard soft footsteps. He was stunned for a short moment, and then, immediately, jumped out of the bed. He opened the doors and, with one hand, swooped the gentle figure standing in the doorway into his arms.

He closed the doors and then the two of them looked into each other's eyes. Wang Zheng carried Aina in his arms. That bit of weight was nothing to Wang Zheng. A young couple madly in love, the two of them could only wish to spend every single second of their days together, be it the non-human Wang Zheng or Her Royal Highness.

The two of them were just ordinary people in this aspect.

It was obvious that Wang Zheng was not satisfied with having someone between them. Before long, his tongue was pressed against Aina's pearly white teeth. Her sweet little tongue had tried to avoid it but was eventually swept up and intertwined with his. While Wang Zheng thoroughly enjoyed the Princess' sweetness, his big, rough hands kept themselves busy too. They were already up inside Aina's clothes.

As soft as silk and smoother than milk. It was as if Aina's body had been drained of all energy and allowed Wang Zheng to do anything he wanted.

Wang Zheng felt as if he was going to burst. Aina had obviously made a decision, and Wang Zheng really could not take it anymore. He put Aina on the bed. He was going to enjoy the world's most beautiful princess and make her his woman.

Aina bit her lips, evidently nervous. This, for her, was clearly a very significant event. The Princess of Aslan could not lose her chastity, or it would be a ugliest scandal for the royal family. It was Aslan's traditions and pride, and also a way in which Aina wanted to make the royal family acknowledge it – even if it was discovered, it would be too late to stop them.

Of course, it was most important that Aina was willing to do this.

Looking at the angelic, naked body, Wang Zheng burned with desire while his heart was moved. He gently held those soft, vulnerable, silky breasts, and lightly pressed on the little red dots. Aina trembled. Her snow white skin glowed with a layer of light pink.

Wang Zheng didn't want to rush into it. He wanted to have Aina completely. His hands continued downwards, and Aina quickly stopped them. It was an instinctive reaction. Wang Zheng slowly removed Aina's hands. Aina kept her eyes shut tightly.

Wang Zheng suddenly stopped and gently kissed Aina on her lips and cheeks. "My princess, Your Royal Highness, please open your eyes."

Aina bit her lips and asked weakly, "Can I keep them closed?"

"Of course not."

Aina slowly opened her eyes. Those brilliant eyes were so beautiful under the moonlight. Wang Zheng thanked the heavens in his heart. This was the greatest gift in his life.

Alright, that's it. Even if the sky collapsed, it was something to worry about in the future.

Just as Wang Zheng was about to go for it, there was a knock on the door.

"Wang Zheng, Sister is missing, can you look for her with me? I can't fall asleep alone."

Wang Zheng and Aina looked at each other. This…was the universe's single, greatest lightbulb.

The two of them hurriedly put on their clothes, and in the process, crashed into each other by accident. They couldn't help but giggle. "I don't know, I waited for her to fall asleep before coming out. It's your fault!"

Aina said softly.

Wang Zheng put his clothes on faster and gave Aina a hand. He kissed Aina and said, "My Princess Xiao Shi is the best."

How could he not know that Aina had put in a lot of effort in coming to see him?

Even if Aina hadn't come to see him, he wouldn't blame her. There were many things in this world that didn't have an ending.

The door opened. Huiyin, carrying her wall-crashing rabbit, looked at the two of them sleepily. "Ah? Sister, why are you here? Are you secretly playing games?"

"Huiyin, come in." Aina pulled Lin Huiyin into the room and closed the door.

"Actually, I came to check on a secret." Aina was suddenly hit by an idea.

"Secret? I love secrets!" Upon hearing that there was something fun, Huiyin's interest was piqued and she forgot about what she wanted to ask before.

"Do you want to know who Skeleton is?" Aina said.

"Skeleton? What Skeleton? Is it the one who's really good?" Lin Huiyin got excited. Anything that gave her musical inspiration also left a lasting impression on her.

Aina glanced at Wang Zheng, and Wang Zheng nodded. It wasn't a big deal anyway.

"He seems far in the horizon, but he's actually right in front of you," Aina said, smiling.

"No need to admire. I'm just a legend," Wang Zheng bragged.

Lin Huiyin jumped right up. Thankfully, Aina had caught her in her arms.

The scene of two beauties embracing each other made Wang Zheng understand and not have contempt for those brothers who'd have nosebleeds. It was indeed brutal.

"Oh… that's a secret. I know. I won't tell anybody. Even Angela said you were awesome."

The beautiful night had been callously ruined and put to an end by the evil Princess Huiyin.

Aina and Huiyin slept on the bed, while Wang Zheng and the rabbit slept on the couch. Man and rabbit were staring down at each other.

This… is torturous! He wanted to hit his head against a wall too.

What did it feel like, sleeping with two beauties – or rather, a big beauty and a big beauty-to-be – in a room?

Student Wang knew best. It was pretty much capital punishment.

But Student Wang was very strong-willed, so he managed to get some sleep. As for how many sheep he had counted, he wasn't too sure.

Now that she knew Wang Zheng's true identity, Huiyin pestered Wang Zheng to battle so that she could see it with her own eyes.

Solon would be in tears from gratefulness if he heard it.

Right now, CT's Earth region was on the edge of a volcanic eruption.

Solon held his temper well. He formed a team. No matter what, the other party was Manalasuo, the one true strong and capable country. They had initiated a match with Earth, and it was a pretty big deal.

So when the announcement was made, they received responses from countless players. Also, more than 9 million had tuned in to the live broadcast. This was rather significant, and it could only go to show that the Earth region was way too active.

Some failures were not at all terrifying. As long as you displayed and exhibited your level, it could be accepted.

But it was too bad you wouldn't always meet good opponents. This group of people was way too arrogant.

They came from a truly strong country, one that not even Locke could compare to. Arrogance was deeply rooted within their bones. Perhaps it was because they were used to being high and above that they would not and could not stand in the shoes of Earth.

They beat people into pulps and used uncouth language after. It was evident that they had come for Aslan.

Earth was just a victim. The political direction had determined the relations between the people of the two countries.

Forget about three rounds of group battles. A professional player from Manalasuo named "Mechanic" had thrashed Earth's professional players.

His skills were the same as Skeleton's. He had put on all sorts of shows, showing off at the expense of others.

Mechanic used an iconic mech from Manalasuo named the "Blade Demon". It was also a mech used by the Manalasuo Federal Army and was to be used against Aslan of course.

Even Aina and Huiyin had heard of him.

The battles between the two huge CT regions of Aslan and Manalasuo were most frequent. The military standoff ending didn't mean they didn't want to determine who was better.

Mechanic was one of the more extreme players among the royal players of Manalasuo. He frequently battled Aslan and had a foul mouth. But he was undeniably strong and capable, and others were often violently tortured by him. These fights were all broadcasted live on Manalasuo, so he was extremely popular there.

Of course, Aina and Huiyin had only heard of him. They never paid extra attention to him, they only knew he was powerful.

Wang Zheng watched his battle recordings. The blades on a mech like the Blade Demon were interesting. Manalasuo called them the Hundred Refined Blades. It was different from the usual titanium blades and knives. Manalasuo believed that it was more effective than lasers when it came to combat.

Chapter 282: Untitled

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Wang Zheng did not know much about the Hundred Refined Blade even though there were many opinions on it. Wang Zheng felt that this was similar to the Horse Chopping Sword mentioned by Bonehead as they both delivered powerful blows. The Hundred Refined Blade also required some of Manalasuo's unique designs in it to bring out its full effect. The instantaneous high-speed magnetic propulsion of the mech allowed the movement of the mech to be quick and unpredictable while giving it opportunities to get the most out of the weapon.

The most recent battle was between Prince and Mechanic.

The Wind God used by Prince was the most famous mech on Earth at the moment. It was able to feature on the international stage even though it was not being mass-produced.

The Blade Demon was Manalasuo's signature mech and was highly agile. Each mech had their own strengths, but people would still enjoy finding out which mech was superior. The mecha would not move on their own in a direct comparison of statistics, but in CT, there was a pilot controlling the mecha, allowing one to see the mecha's true potential.

Prince used the Wind God. It was as though the stakes involved included his entire savings, and this resulted in a significant increase in the skill level of the battle. However, the battle still ended up with a slightly miserable result.

The Blade Demon moved about rapidly at a dazzling pace and was always a beat faster than Prince. The mech flashed before Prince and had even made some slashes at him, missing intentionally, with his blade. His actions came off as half-hearted, playful even.

Prince was calm. Based on his experience, he understood that he stood a chance when his opponent was careless and made a mistake.

In a battle, humiliation was worse and more feared than failure.

However, this was what Prince was going through.

If one was strong, he could battle with exquisite techniques that would cause the opponent to surrender. However, what Mechanic wanted was not for Prince to surrender but for the people of Earth to know of his abilities. Were the people on Earth even humans and not pigs?

What kind of outdated place was Earth anyway?

The Wind God sent out its magnetic source while the Blade Demon's slick, wind-like movements allowed it to intentionally move ahead of Prince to attack him with blade after blade. Wherever Prince moved to, the Blade Demon was already there. It seemed as if Prince was digging his own grave.

There was a clear disparity in ability. Prince gave it everything he had. As long as the opponent did not kill him, he would not surrender. Although there was a limit to his abilities, he fought the battle with all his might.

Multiple tricks had exhausted Prince's energy shield. His body and spirit were completely numb and his actions thereafter changed. Moving about in the presence of a series of wind-like movements caused Prince to lose his center of gravity. He tripped on himself and the Wind God fell abruptly.

Mechanic coolly kept his blades and placed it onto his shoulders. He then proceeded to create a public provocation. "Aside from this trash, are there no other proper opponents for me to take on on Earth? It is like a child's playground in here."

Aina and Lin Huiyin were upset by this scene.

"This guy is so irritating!" said Huiyin angrily. Considering that she was raised in a princess-like environment, her words indicated how poor her impression of Mechanic was.

What Wang Zheng saw was not failure but the anger and helplessness Prince must've been feeling. They were once foes and even teammates, so he knew that Prince was a serious person who loved CT. Prince treated it as his full-time career, and even though he was not a real soldier and would not have a soldier's honor, he hoped to leave his mark on the CT world.

He worked extremely hard for this simple objective.

Sometimes, this kind of a person was not afraid of failure but the destruction of his dignity. It was not a simple matter of a competition that was lost, but a person whose dreams had been crushed.

Solon was also frustrated as the group of Manalasuo people still refused to leave. They were already roaming wildly on Earth for a long time with Mechanic as their leader. They organized public challenges in different areas on Earth and had a win rate of at least ninety percent. Mechanic was close to tasting a perfect win rate with multiple rampages. For a mech like the Blade Demon to fall into his hands was incomprehensible.

A mech was a pilot's second life. A player like Mechanic was very special as he was well versed in the usage of blades. As long as he was able to use the Blade Demon, his abilities were second to none in the entirety of CT. If he had to use another mech, then he would not be as strong anymore.

On Earth, Mechanic only used the Blade Demon in his battles and did not allow his opponents to ban the use of mecha.

In Mechanic's words, he liked it if the strongest faced the strongest.

Solon stopped negotiating with Dita when it was no longer necessary to do so. "Earth's gaming atmosphere is ruined. I will bring this matter to the attention of the board for arbitration."

"Solon, please do not be so childish and look for your daddy and mommy when you lose. Relax, I only want to see whether the beloved Wind God mech is terrific," laughed Dita. "How could this be the wind god? Its more like a crazy god. I've never seen anything as stupid."

Looking at an image of Dita with a flower sign made with his hands made Solon want to punch him. He, however, could not do that. Although the skill level of Earth had improved, the rate of improvement was not that high. The opponent was coming for the Wind God mech, and many of the battle clips and images were already scattered across different places. Manalasuo's aim was to make Aslan understand how poor the Wind God mech was.

Prince was the person in the area who was most familiar with the Wind God. However, it still did not work. If it was another person, he or she would have suffered a worse fate. The opponent was certainly collecting data to be compiled into a video.

The Wind God would have brightened the compilation.

The only way was to hold on and not give in, even if it required the crunching and swallowing of one's teeth.

Solon's device rang and emitted a strange noise.

"Wait a moment, I have some business to handle."

"No problem, all I have is time", said Dita while smiling. Everything happens for a reason. Solon was rising too quickly and was performing well in his career, meaning that he could be promoted to a permanent member of CT. Unexpectedly, Dita also wanted the same role and, compared to Solon, his relationships with people were closer, so he had gotten the news first. Nobody wanted to use a person who failed.

When he saw the email, Solon froze. It was not that he had not thought of finding Skeleton. However, when the last email came, it mentioned that he was busy with his own work affairs and could not appear at a moment's notice.

"I am coming. Please notify me immediately if this situation arises again."

Wang Zheng was a true citizen of Earth, so he could not stand for this.

After replying to the email, Solon raised his head. Dita felt that the wretched insect in front of him suddenly looked different.

Solon started smirking and said, "You ass-selling rotten chrysanthemum, I've been tolerating you for a long time. If you want to fight, then fight all you want!"

"Solon! How dare you scold me?" Dita froze and started shaking slightly out of anger.

"You gigolo!"

"You..."

"Rotten chrysanthemum!"

Dita was furious and his hand formed a flower sign. "Solon, I am not done with you!"

"I'm not done with you either, rotten ass!"

The video closed and Solon was finally able to catch his breath. He thought to himself, "If he cannot tolerate any more, then he should not tolerate at all. We do not live just for a bowl of rice, we wouldn't starve to death without it."

He dared to say this, but it was not a guaranteed victory for Skeleton. More importantly, there was no need to be that weak anymore.

The officials publicly declared that Skeleton would battle Mechanic.

Wind God vs Blade Demon!

A contest between agility-type mecha.

The battle began an hour after the competition was officially announced. Solon was relentless and utilized the entire force of his officials. All players in the region would receive a reminder through their Skylinks.

Solon was undoubtedly furious. The visitors had come up to their home turf and he swore to brutally beat them.

Solon did have a bit of a gambler's temperament in him. The fact that he had managed to be here today was already a win for him. The concept of safety or retreat was nonsensical to him. In this day and age, those that were kind would be bullied, and if one did not bully someone else, they would be bullied instead.

Victory or defeat did not matter as long as the battle was fought vigorously.

There was a planet named Marr in the Milky Way Alliance. This migrant planet was not big in size and their technological standard was average. Marr had a population of about 3 billion people and possessed a unique, secret mine. They also played an important role in aviation technology and was like a child holding a pile of gold in a market.

However, no country wanted to take advantage of them. There was a simple explanation: their people were soldiers, and they never surrendered. Even if they had one soldier left standing, he would hug a grenade and die with you. If you wanted to destroy the country, the entire planet would be demolished too.

I could lose to you, but I would never let my enemies gain anything from me.

This was Marr's slogan and was proven through action. As such, this little planet maintained peace even through tumultuous times.

Those that were truly brave and courageous were those that did not care about losing their lives, and they were not the minority. Even so, those that were afraid for their lives would still be afraid of those that were mentally deranged.

Earth could use this spirit at times. You could only beat someone on the surface and not on the inside.

At least in the time when Manalasuo attacked, the Earth players were chasing them from behind. They were not discouraged, even though they could not match their opponents. Even though ther left behind ugly battles, they were not scared away by that.

That was because a hero would eventually appear.

Earth was a place where the harder you fought, the braver you became, and you could only mount a strong comeback after hitting an all time low.

"Prince, Skeleton is here!" Hammer immediately opened Prince's door.

Prince was blaming himself for the loss that he incurred while representing Earth for the battle. He locked himself in his room and considered quitting and leaving his beloved CT.

Hammer came into the room and noticed that Prince was not demoralized and sulking but full of energy.

"Come, quick, I've finished preparing."

Hammer was shocked. Although Prince had a face full of hair, his eyes were shining and his confidence appeared to have returned.

What kind of situation was this?

Prince could sense Hammer's thoughts and he replied, "Skeleton sent me an email."

Following which, he smiled and explained why he seemed so uplifted, "He said that my methodology and techniques were not wrong and I only failed to master my rhythm. For the battle later, he will display the Wind God's rhythmic techniques."

"I came here to tell you this. How could this guy only appear now!?"

"He is not a professional player and must be busy with his own affairs. We should rely on ourselves."

"That's true. Haha, everyone has been fuming, but the battle has just begun."

Skeleton and Mechanic's battle was an hour away, but nothing would hinder Wang Zheng from removing this cancer.

Not even if these people he was attacking were people of royalty in Manalasuo.

"We attack as five. Even if we all die, we must get one of them. I do not believe they can evade this."

Several diamond players from the Black Dragon faction had a discussion. The Manalasuo players had opened a room and were waiting for challengers.

Chapter 283: Target of Many Years

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

"People of Earth, confirm quickly. Are you going to fight? The end result will still be the same. You all can choose the method of your doom, haha."

"Are there any decent players? I might as well go 1 v 5."

"That would not work out. We need to draw lots to make a decision. Beating weaker players is something that should be enjoyed by everyone."

People of the Black Dragon faction were already pissed off before the beginning of the battle. "Centaur, what are you doing?" shouted Black Dragon, the captain.

"Captain, the people of the Skeleton Corps asked me to quit and someone will replace me," said Centaur.

"Tell them to get lost, they can battle the next round themselves. We have never worked together before!", said Black Dragon angrily. The rude kids opposite him had been playing for many rounds without defeat. That big zero left a burning feeling on the faces of many players from Earth."

"No, Boss, it's Skeleton…"

"Oh, my God! Are you sure it's Skeleton… What? Who?"

"People from the Skeleton Corps mentioned that it was Skeleton who was coming online and that he wanted to warm up before the main battle," explained Centaur.

"Why are you still jabbering? Get out of here right now and leave your spot open! You should've told me earlier!" shouted a delighted Black Dragon.

"You didn't even let me finish and you even blamed me…" whispered Centaur to himself quietly.

At this time, an ID logged in, and after confirming quickly, it entered the battle.

Five versus five on the Battle of Madagascar map (City warfare map).

Black Dragon and his people had a burning feeling even before the battle began. They could not wait to beat the bastards in front of them.

There were no restrictions on which mech could be selected, and as such, people directly selected the ones they were most proficient at.

Wang Zheng directly confirmed his selection of the Wind God.

"Sister, this mech was designed by Ye Zisu and even the Aslan Mech Research Center gave it good reviews. You need to be careful."

Huiyin quietly reminded that even though she liked Ye Zisu, she still needed to be on the side of her own people.

Aina smiled and stroked her head gently.

"Don't keep touching me, I can't grow up if you keep on coddling me."

Her cousin was full of confidence and showed no signs of nervousness.

Both parties entered the battle arena. People from the Black Dragon faction were brimming with confidence and there was a difference in the feeling about them. In a battle, having a strong captain was extremely important. Skeleton was not only competent individually, he was also able to cooperate well with others. This practically made him overpowered. The match where he coached Prince was described as God's work in the coaching world.

"Skeleton, the captaincy will be transferred to you. How to battle will be decided by you. The Black Dragon faction is made up of solid fellows who will get the job done," said Black Dragon. In his circle, there were not many strong enough to gain his admiration, but Skeleton was one of them.

"The few fellows from Manalasuo are on the list of Kings. Their skills and teamwork are of a high level. We will not hold back, even if we have to give our lives for that!" said a player with the ID "Small Dragon".

"I have a humble request. Let me handle this battle solo," said Wang Zheng.

The four people of the Black Dragon faction were stunned. The opponents were masters from Manalasuo, and Wang Zheng wanted to take five of them on alone.

Black Dragon only reacted after a short moment and said, "No problem. We will be your cheerleaders."

If it was anyone else who said that, he would most likely be met with a ridiculed response. However, it was Skeleton, and he should be trusted.

"Are the opponents insane? Four of them are rooted to their spots with only a Wind God charging towards us."

Lapt felt strange and said, "That's arrogant. Who's that?"

"Wind God again. The people on Earth really like the Wind God a lot. It's of no interest to me; whoever wants to attack can go ahead," said Scissorhands.

The three others were very arrogant. If not for the promotion by the regional president, they would've been too lazy to come. There was some interest at the start, but it was easy to lose interest with such boring activities like this battle.

"Since you are my seniors, I will settle it with him."

Lapt turned his engine on. His mech was the Gold Wheel, which was produced by Manalasuo's main officials. This mech was not inferior to Arbiter's Slayer, though it was more accurate to say that both were unique in their own ways.

The Gold Wheel's setup did not incorporate the Alloy Knife, but the widely known weapon Crazy Gearwheels. Its deadly spinning movements could be used to slice apart the opponents easily with its rotational force and weight when thrown outwards. It has to be said that in the category of mech research and development, these countries were far ahead.

The Gold Wheel was a mech that was focused on offense. When it went all out, its energy shields were only used to protect it from fatal blows, as everything else on the mech was dedicated to attacking the opponent instead!

Lapt had already secured more than ten kills, which was rather shocking. The opponents in front of him had already been sliced through before even getting close enough to hurt him.

Up until then, no one was able to find a way to counter him.

Explosions resounded in the city. A loud bang indicated the beginning of a battle. Wang Zheng's Wind God saw a uniquely designed mech from afar. Coincidentally, this mech was heavily recommended by Chen Xiu in the past.

It had terrifying damage potential and its weapon could be released and controlled freely. As long as it was properly handled, its damage potential would multiply. The most important part to take note of was how to recall the Gearwheels once they had been thrown out. This attacking pattern was unpredictable and hard to defend against.

Two mecha appeared in each other's field of vision and started to speed up towards each other. Lapt's Gold Wheel stretched its arms out and two gold wheels with a diameter of two meters appeared started spinning.

"Die, little kids!"

In a short moment, both its arms folded together and lashed out in a throwing motion while charging at the Wind God. A whistling sound was heard.

Wang Zheng continued to take large strides forward as the two golden wheels flew towards his head. It was only through a sudden halt that the golden wheels barely missed his chest. Immediately, the Wind God continued to take huge strides forward.

Lapt began to sneer and felt that Wang Zheng was naïve and childish. He moved his arms and the golden wheels ferociously flew in the shape of a strange arc and continued to charge towards Wang Zheng.

It was as if the Wind God did not comprehend what was occurring in front of it as it continued to move forward. With only five meters between them, the Gold Wheel continued to move at the Wind God quickly. At this time, a magnetic source was thrown out, with the Wind God following the source tightly. With a smooth movement, the Wind God was right in front of Lapt in the blink of an eye with the two golden wheels spinning behind it. Then the Wind God's retractable claw lashed out with a killing blow.

Oh….

The Wind God performed a quick backflip, and upon landing, he did not even look back while taking huge strides away.

Boom….

Two golden wheels that had lost their gravitational control ended up stuck on the walls, buzzing loudly.

The people from Manalasuo were startled and could not even react in time. How could Lapt simply be finished in a face-off? Was this a joke?

"Seems like a master has come knocking. Lapt was too careless! I'll do it instead!" Scissorhands jumped down from the roof and his mech landed abruptly. It then started charging towards the Wind God.

He was using Arbiter's Overlord. Arbiter and Manalasuo had similar cultures, and although these countries did not share a good relationship, they were both allies on the international stage.

Facing the charging Wind God, Scissorhands was sneering while making a judgement on how much energy to spend. It was frankly quite shocking to him that the Wind God would openly display his outdated and childish displacement techniques, since this was a sign of overconfidence to him.

The Overlord moved towards the Wind God like a cannonball. When the Overlord was operated with high skill, it was a vicious short-ranged attacker.

It even possessed the Sky Rocket Cannon to create a burst of movement.

The distance between the two parties slowly reduced and the giant shield of the Overlord was thrown at the Wind God!

Everyone exclaimed loudly and wondered why a defensive tool had been tossed away.

It was as if Scissorhands could feel that the audience was surprised at his move. Throwing the shield away was nothing to him since a true master was able to understand the essence of the mech and would easily convert defense into offense and utilize offense as a form of defense. Everything required adaptation to different environments and situations, and this was the key to victory.

The moment the shield was tossed away, the Wind God fired out a magnetic source.

Would this hit?

The magnetic energy accurately hit the shield and the Wind God rushed over majestically. It was a precise movement. The Wind God flew towards the shield, stepping on it before using the shield as a platform to launch itself forward. Its movement was as elegant as a dragonfly grazing water and he was headed towards the Overlord.

Scissorhands was also shocked. What kind of movement was this?

In that short moment, a spear from the Overlord lashed out. No matter how subtle and light his movements were, charging over like that only made him a live target.

A battle between masters did not last too long, and activating the energy shield now would be too late since the process took a significant amount of time..

Boom….

The spear hit the Wind God. However, at that moment, the temporary energy shield had activated and, fortunately, the blow hit the energy shield. It was sufficient to limit the extent of damage done to the Wind God.

The Wind God landed on the ground bravely and brushed past quickly. The Overlord was not nearly as agile and lively as the Wind God and Scissorhands no longer had his "teeth".

Scissorhands had quick reflexes and quickly attempted to ram into the Wind God. He utilized the advantage of his mech to overwhelm his opponent.

However, he had no idea who he was facing.

A magnetic source had already shot out and the Wind God was following the source closely. The Overlord failed to reach his target and Scissorhands could only watch as the Wind God ended up beside him and used his claw to hook onto his head. He reacted subconsciously by turning on the energy shield, but the Wind God had already sprung into the air.

The Overlord looked as if it was a pillar pointing upwards to support the sky.

Boom….

The Wind God continued to move forward as though he would not miss what he was leaving behind. This was absolute confidence that his attacks would be able to penetrate his opponent's defense.

The Wind God was moving about with a godlike rhythm.

Prince rolled his eyes as he was confident that there was not much of a difference between him and Skeleton when it came to the basic operations of the mech. It was important to comprehend why there were so many outcomes.

It was important to make a proper judgement before launching an attack with the Wind God, because it's direction could be predetermined by the magnetic source. This would however, take some time. This would result in a thrashing if up he was up against a master. However, the outcome could be completely different if he moved quicker and more confidently.

In a battle between masters, it was either suppress or be suppressed.

Perhaps the outcome would seem one-sided, but the difference was blurred down to a thin line in reality.

Most of the time, it came down to one's rhythm and not the operational control of the mech.

The party who was able to control the rhythm dictated the whole battle.

Prince tightly held his hands together. Skeleton told him about his future training direction since his practice was nowhere near enough. He could only be considered comfortable with the usage of the mech at best and he was not at a level where he was completely in control.

The number of people slowly crept to over 10 million, and it was still increasing crazily.

Slow motion cameras replayed quickly. The scene where the magnetic energy attacked the shield was too exciting. A parabolic line was tossed out and not a straight line. The skills at play were extremely high-level.

It was essential to make contact right in the middle, as a slight error would lead to the center of gravity being miscalculated as the shield was rotating!

The Overlord had become a welcoming mat for Skeleton!

The three others had just come to the realization that they were up against a master. A mental underestimation would lead to a disastrous outcome.

Three mechs simultaneously dropped from the roof and surrounded the Wind God.

They did not give much thought to this bunch of people. Before the contest, they only briefly researched the professional players from Earth. Since their rankings were too low, they lost interest.

However, the person in front of them was not in any of the lists of Kings!

Chapter 284: Deer God's Provocation

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

The three of them evidently had great chemistry, striking out at the same time.

Three beam sabers lashed across, while Wang Zheng threw out two Magnetic sources.

During the short timeframe of that overlapping exchange, a Magnetic source flew right out with just one click. The Wind God flew from the left walls to the right in an instant, and following that descended from above.

Face to face with the Wind God, the Shadow mech immediately countered the swift movement of the Wind God with a beam saber attack into where he thought he would arrive at. He thrusted forward, only to find the Wind God… gone!

The magnetic sources shot out in overlapping tracks.

An illusionary image of the Wind God appeared. It was all just a diversion. The Wind God dashed right towards the Bestial Dragon mech.

The Bestial Dragon was a typical heavy mech. But the Wind God did not bother with it.

Boom…

It was sent flying?

No, it had knocked the opponent back using the mech's momentum!

Then at this point, the Wind God showed its ultimate killer move, the Wind God dashed toward the Godly Gaze mech…Boom…

An explosion was heard.

The Godly Gaze mech was unable to react. It did not even think that after flying all over the place, the Wind God's target was actually him.

All masters had a bad habit. They never opened fire until the final key moment. If the attack was well done, it would be the work of the heavens. If the attack was not…

The Bestial Dragon and the Shadow were enraged. The two mecha burst out madly, but as the Wind God's magnetic sources shot out, the mech disappeared behind the building, they immediately chased after it. In just an instant, the Wind God had descended from above yet again!

This was the greatest part of the magnetic sources. No matter how quick a mech was, it would never be a match to the almost instantenous displacement of the magnetic source.

The Shadow reacted very quickly, and the exchange took place in a flash. He activated his energy shield, only to suffer a round of crazy, violent attacks. He gaped and watched as the Energy shield was destroyed.

Just what sort of monster is he?

The Bestial Dragon charged forward, and the Wind God disappeared amongst the rooftops once more. The two mech warriors wanted to give chase by instinct, but the Wind God did not go around the building. It moved swiftly and came charging from the front again.

The two of them saw him. But seeing with their eyes and physically following up with actions were two different things. Moreover, what they were in the process of turning around, expecting the Wind God to come from behind…

In the blink of an eye, another round of violent attacks was launched. After finishing a set of attacks, the Shadow's Energy shield was already destroyed previously but this time, the Bestial Dragon took the brunt of the attacks and had managed to cling on to his poor life.

The Wind God took off again.

He had come and gone like the wind. A true Wind God!

Mentuo and Jie Fulin were furious. They didn't even get to catch their opponent's shadows and were already beaten into such a state.

The Wind God returned, and the Bestial Dragon charged at it without a care.

Grab him!

The Bestial Dragon's sudden move, coupled with its thunderous vibration attack, managed to slow the Wind God down as the Shadow arrived.

With beam sabers were held high above their heads, they suddenly felt something in their chests. They watched as a humongous figure crashed into Shadow…

Boom…

Hammer and friends couldn't help but shake their fists. They were courting for death.

In a flash, it was just Bestial Dragon left on the battlefield. The Wind God had "flew" off once more.

A heavy mech, faced with a light Scout type mech, in the middle of a city. How would it play out?

It was a game of a cat chasing a rat.

"Come on out! Come out! Take me on, one-on-one, if you dare!" Mentuo yelled madly.

All of a sudden, he could sense that something was off. A figure had descended, landing right ontop of him, titanium claws cruelly attacking at his head in a flash.

This was followed by a backflip with the Wind God landing on the floor.

The two mech were back to back.

Boom… the Bestial Dragon exploded, sparks flew all over the place.

The Wind God strolled out from the fire consumed battlefield.

A Wind God was born!

The blue team was extinguished!

Who cared if they were Kings? Everything is transient.

The hall of staff cheered. Manalasuo had been abusing them so much so that they haven't been able to bring themselves to smile. The atmosphere has been too stressful for too long, and in that moment, it was all released.

It was simply a work of art! Incredible controls! And of course, the most exciting

part was the diversion tactic, tricking the opponents silly.

This was a tactic available only on Earth.

Taking everyone out in less than twenty minutes.

"Boss, there are 20million people online," a staff said coolly.

Solon nodded calmly.

The Earth district's CT forum bustled as though as it was some kind of festival.

All sorts of yelling and cheering, and once they take down that arrogant

mechanic, the Manalasuo people could scram back home.

Wang Zheng removed the equipment. Huiyin sized Wang Zheng up and said, "I couldn't tell you have such capabilities.��

"That's nothing. These are not actually masters. The real masters probably wouldn't take part in this, but it did allow me to collect more data on some mech."

Wang Zheng chuckled. Aina's cup of tea. When the two of them were dating,

Wang Zheng truly didn't sense Aina's princess-like temperament. On the other hand, although Huiyin was well-tempered, certain details still showed their difference in status.

It was only at the debut that Wang Zheng first felt Aina was like someone from another world, high and mighty, and even a mountain of gold could not buy her smile.

"Hey, hey! What's this? You two are treating me like I don't exist again! Can eyes even speak? Let me see."

Wang Zheng and Aina stared lovingly and longingly at each other. It was clear they were both reminiscing the fun times they shared when Huiyin's tiny head popped up between them again.

"Huiyin has pretty eyes. Such long lashes!" exclaimed Wang Zheng. Children had to be coaxed.

"Tsk. Lies. Sister's eyes are clearly the prettiest. They are the most unique pair of eyes in the whole of Milky Way!" Huiyin said, secretly feeling pleased at the compliment.

There was no doubt children loved compliments.

When it came to fighting standards, Huiyin and Aina were not professionals.

Regardless, they understood that Wang Zheng has won.

The two girls were there more to experience the atmosphere.

The Prince was engrossed in watching the match. He had made a mistake in trying to make use of the Wind God's strong suit in movement, but it could only be said that given the huge disparity between their capabilities, the Wind God was a Scout Mech which abilities could only be displayed in a complicated terrain.

In other words, this was a hunt which required patience.

As long as he could disorient his opponents, just one strike would be fatal.

He had to go as far as beating down his opponent's confidence. Once they've lost confidence, their will to fight would plummet.

He had focused too much on using displacement techniques in his attacks in the past, and that was an easy target for his opponents.

Once he could move as he wished, the world became boundless.

"Wow, that's awesome, Prince! If coupled with my Gold Guardian, we can definitely turn the world upside down!"

"Yeah. Our tactics were way too simple in the past, but I am going to learn more about mecha!"

The Prince's passion had been ignited. Everybody had their own gift, and if it couldn't be mastered in ten tries, then a hundred. If not a hundred, then a thousand tries, ten thousand tries. So long as it was deemed suitable, he would be able to truly master it some day!

Over at Wang Zheng's, the mood was relaxed, unlike at Manalasuo. A number of King players had been taken out easily, and it was embarrassing, given that they were broadcasting the battle live, too.

The broadcast was titled "Teaching Earth's Newbies the Way", but in the end, they were the ones who were being shown ���the Way".

Especially during the final Nimble Dodge, where the two Manalasuo candidates were completely taken down.

It was okay to be defeated, but being crushed humiliatingly was quite a pathetic sight.

This Wind God's controls and judgement was way quicker than those who came before.

Even if they could judge accurately, they were unable to react in time. This was the true essence of the Wind God's displacement tactics.

The Wind God's displacements could definitely be traced, and so there had to be more variations in its routines, and it had to react quicker.

That was also the nature of the Scout Mech.

Old Deer and Yao Ailun were also turning frenzied in the broadcasting studios.

Even Old Deer couldn't help but compliment his long-time rival.

Having a great understanding of mech and their user's mentalities, Old Deer remained neutral in his views. He analysed the match from both sides' point of view, while Yao Ailun tended to take sides from time to time. This could also been seen division of work between commentators.

But this match was truly unpleasant. Commentators were humans, too. As they kept watching these people lose, they found themselves at a loss for words.

From another point of view, Manalasuo's challenge was also an opportunity of a kind. Victory aside, Earth district was able to show off their capabilities and win the respect of others.

The first step was always the hardest.

A grand battle was about to kick off in thirty minutes. Solon had already given instructions for the staff to make tight preparation.

Nobody could blame Wang Zheng and Aina for being unwilling to part ways. It was not easy for Aina to come and visit, but Wang Zheng had his own things to take care of. While three days were considerably short, he had to go on with his training. Neither knew when would be the next time they would see each other again.

They did not even want to think about this at first, but now that they had to be separated once more, they were extremely reluctant to part ways. If not for the fact that Huiyin was around, the two of them wouldn't even be here.

"Actually, I've got an idea. Wang Zheng, put up a good performance this time round, and Sister, you could encourage the Royal Academy to host some sort of exchange program for a month or two. That'd solve your problem," Huiyin said.

Aina was stunned. "That's right!" From a big picture point of view, the relationship between Aslan and the Solar System Federation was growing, and this matter could be arranged with a little bit of her ingenuity.

Aina looked expectantly at Wang Zheng, and of course, Wang Zheng agreed. He wanted to visit Aslan, too.

The renowned Royal Academy was one of the top ten colleges in the Milky Way. It was the cradle of elites and geniuses.

"You're such a clever girl, Huiyin," Aina said, smiling. She was genuinely pleased. Sometimes, being involved made it hard to have a clear view of things. She used to worry about many things, and often, things were not as worrisome as she imagined.

Hosting an inter-college exchange was a perfectly normal thing to do.

"So, Student Wang Zheng, you've got to do well," Huiyin patted Wang Zheng with her tiny hand, like a child pretending to be an adult.

Wang Zheng's opponent was getting impatient. The fighter has seen the whole

battle, and finally, a hardy rabbit that enjoyed bouncing around for his match.

Blade Demon mechs were experts at beating up this type of agile mechs.

Moreover, it was already shown that Blade Demon mech could take down all types of Scout Mechs. Beating an experimental mech like the Wind God would definitely deter any other plausible opponent.

"Now, our pre-battle interview. Excuse me, Mechanic. Having seen the one-to-five battle, what do you expect from player Skeleton?" Old Deer asked.

Rather professionally.

"I hope he can continue to hang in there, or I would be disappointed in Earth."

"Oh, does that mean you're confident in winning?" Old Deer went on.

The Mechanic scoffed. "Is that even a question? Do I even need confidence when dealing with people of your kind? Let me tell you this: I am the unbeatable god in the Earth district!"

The camera zoomed in for a feature of the Mechanic's face. Such domineering air!

"Heh. Having confidence is good. Player Mechanic, we from the Earth district have a habit of placing bets before a battle. I wonder if you are interested in that?" Old Deer asked eruptly.

"Hmph. Nothing to bet on for a match with no suspense. Not interested."

"Heh, it's just for a little bit of luck and fun. I'm sure you've got milk cartons on your side. If you win, I'll eat two of them. But if you lose… well, considering that you're a guest, you can just eat one."

Old Deer said magnanimously, with an enthusiastic look on his face. The crowd knew very well that the Deer God was setting up some sort of trap.

Chapter 285: The Comeback

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

As expected, Mechanic sneered coldly. "Lose? If I lose, I'll eat ten! Tsk. Not just that, I'll even retire! Stop wasting time, get that thing to come on out already! Acting like a pretentious prick in front of me? I'll beat you till death!"

The Mechanic displayed a finger with an internationally recognised intent.

Damn, that level of arrogance was way off the charts!

Dita chose players well. To think he could find someone of such finesse. Solon couldn't help but shake his head. All sorts of promotions and advertisements were bringing attention to this fight.

He shook his head again. He did not force this scene to happen, but in a way, he was asking for it. Amitabha, may the heavens watch over him.

After striking the deal, Old Deer smiled cheerfully. The good thing about being human was being able to meet all other types of humans. He had eaten so many milk cartons himself. Finally, he could share them with someone else now.

Just as the deal was made, the number of viewers climbed up by a good 10,000. It seemed that there were still many people who enjoyed this little game.

Old Deer had played his trump card.

"Good luck!" Aina suddenly said, kissing Wang Zheng. Huiyin covered her eyes.

"You two are shameless! I've got to go get my eyes cleaned," Huiyin said coquettishly.

Aina gently hugged Huiyin and kissed her. "There, one for you too."

Wang Zheng felt as if his heart was going to explode. Was that an encouragement or a distraction?

Princess Huiyin's tiny cheeks were flushed red. She was so beautiful and lovely. She would grow up to make the world fall head over heels for her.

The others obviously didn't know that Student Wang Zheng was enjoying a blissful time. After Wang Zheng left, Meng Tian, Zhang Runan, and Zhang Shan were all very worried, but in times like this, they had to work even harder, or outsiders would only despise them.

Yuan Ye patted Zhang Shan on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's just an illness, and illnesses can be cured. Paradise Island has made huge leaps in medical advancements. It won't be longer than a few days that he'll come back a stronger man."

Yuan Ye was here for Zhang Runan. It was undeniable that the Europa people were quite reliable.

Europa College had done very well overall too. Yuan Ye and friends had set their minds straight, focused on playing supporting roles, and even built a good rep out of it. Although they didn't have Ability X, they were highly experienced in fighting tough battles and taken some injuries to pave way for the main players. These were not skills that could be replaced by Ability X.

In fact, sometimes all it took was just an open mind for them to unleash their capabilities. Making their way to Aslan was not the only route to success. It was more important that they made use of such a opportunities to display their unique skillsets so that the military would measure their talents and tailor their teachings to give them even more opportunities in future.

Moreover, being undisturbed would yield better results for them.

Zhang Shan smiled. "Of course. Wang Zheng will definitely be back. Without him, we'll just fight even harder and fight in his place."

Zhang Runan nodded without saying a word.

Meng Tian quipped in, "Here's the training schedule for tomorrow."

She swiped her Skylink and sent Zhang Shan a copy of the schedule.

This training schedule was not prepared by Su Yan. It was them who had decided to have extra training and planned their own schedule.

Wang Zheng's temporary absence made them feel nervous and lost. They could only train extra hard to counteract their feelings of disconcertedness.

Yuan Ye took a quick glance at the schedule, rubbed his nose, and walked away. The schedule was rather intense. It was alright to have extra training, but he didn't want to follow a training plan like that – going too far was as bad as not going enough. But Ares College had no choice. They had to do it. They were all inexperienced in maneuvering space mecha, so they needed plenty of fundamental training to strengthen their skills and to figure out the techniques one by one. Without spending long hours maneuvering the mechs themselves, it would be difficult for them to grasp the details, not matter how they were being taught. Even simulations wouldn't help. Some changes in the real settings could never be reflected even in the most advanced simulations.

Looking at the schedule, Zhang Shan's only worry was, "Aren't the sleeping hours a tad too short?"

For every 24 hours, there were only four hours allocated for sleeping.

"It has to be done. Training in good condition is called performing. Only when when you have reached a certain level of fatigue and can still make the correct judgement can you etch all of the tiny details onto your bones and make it a part of yourself."

It was clear that Meng Tian was even more determined to do this!

Another day of training had ended…

The atmosphere in the dining hall was subtle. Without Wang Zheng, the unexpected element, the Moon crowd was shining. It was not just the effect of them playing on their home ground. They were starting to take the lead in various aspects. The Eight Stars were balanced and well rounded; they were not lacking in any area. More than that, Achilles was parading around like the one true leader. Regardless of fighting capabilities or intelligence, he stood out squarely.

While Lie Xin and Lear were not entirely disadvantaged, the fine distance between them was distance nonetheless. They made eye contact inadvertently, but they still could not bring themselves to form an alliance. Lie Xin would never trust Lear, and as for Lear, it was unclear what he wanted to do. The Earth district was his home ground, and he would not accept having to return in defeat.

Raston smiled from eye to eye. He seemed undisturbed, despite having completely lost his chance at becoming team captain. "Lear, whatever trump cards you've got, now's the time to play them. If you let Achilles go on like this, it won't just be Lie Xin's disadvantage."

Lear smiled. "My problems would be resolved if you came to help me."

Never, ever expect to get useful information straight out of Lear.

Raston shrugged. "Hah, you know we'll never be put on the same team."

Raston was straightforward. If someone else said the same thing, it may have sounded provocative, but it felt natural coming out of Raston. Lear smiled, unaffected.

Further away, where the Moon people sat, Atos shadily sized up Raston and Lear. "Those guys? How could they even be in the same run for captain as Boss?"

Atos had been strutting around, showing off during training as of late. He has made a complete comeback and had steadily made it to top ten every time. His speed Ability X had a lot of room for display in space. It could be considered one of the most powerful Ability Xs in space.

"Don't underestimate Raston. He's still very powerful."

Masasi shook his head. He sensed that Atos' attitude was going out of control, but it was still understandable. All his life Atos, had never experienced real failure. Being defeated on Earth was a huge blow for him. The Atos today could be the true Atos, or could be a changed person, but it was undeniable that this Atos had become stronger. The past couple of days of training had also proved just this.

Atos smirked. "Powerful, eh? I find him rather average after he lost to Wang Zheng the other time."

Milo frowned and said, "Calm down, Atos. Raston didn't use his full strength. What happened seemed to show us that Wang Zheng was actually very powerful. Plus, he wasn't accustomed to Earth mecha. The differences were huge."

In this day and age, all sorts of mecha were available, and everybody had their own mech that was specially suited for them. If maneuvering other mecha put their fighting capability at 1, maneuvering their specialty mech would make them 3, 5, or even more than 10 times stronger.

Taros laughed. "Raston is good, but given his capabilities, he may not be Atos' match in space."

Atos and Taros were on pretty good terms lately. The two had swapped rooms with others to bunk together.

Atos smiled. "Don't worry, I have no interest in Raston. Boss will teach him a lesson. Wang Zheng, on the other hand… he's lucky he got away, or I'd beat him into pulp every time I saw him on the training grounds!"

"You? Turn Wang Zheng into a pulp? Take a piss and look at your own reflection in it! Look at what type of person you are before speaking! Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot dogs don't speak human."

Zhang Shan, Meng Tian, and Zhang Runan were walking down the corridor just as Atos said that. Even if they hadn't walked past, given Atos' volume, those who had a slightly better sense of hearing could've heard him from the dining hall.

Raston smiled, definitely unaffected by what Atos said. His capabilities were there for all to see, and he was not easily affected by random barks. He didn't have the ambition to be team captain, so there was no need for him to build a name here.

Zhang Shan, on the other hand, was furious. They were different. Wang Zheng was not around, but as Wang Zheng's counterparts, they simply could not put up with such attacks. Once you show a sign of weakness in the army, you'll be labelled weak and bullied by everyone. When faced with provocation, regardless of it being direct or indirect, you have to fight back. Victory was secondary, for your attitude would determine your fate. Nobody in the force would want to befriend or to be teammates with a weakling. Moreover, he had nothing to lose when it came to Atos.

Atos was calm. He crossed his legs and said, "You're pretty arrogant for a useless bootlicker, eh? Wang Zheng is gone, you'd better make yourself scarce or I'll beat you up."

The Moon's Eight Stars each made a different face, but even though Atos had said some awful things, he was trying to demean Wang Zheng such that the others saw the people of the Moon in a better light. Achilles didn't see that intent, but he didn't stop them either.

Zhang Shan burst out laughing. "Words cannot be used to determine who the useless prick is! We're soldiers, so let's use the soldierly way to do this. Duel!"

Atos cocked his head backward and chuckled. "Hah! You? Did I hear wrong? You? Duel with me? HAHAHA."

"Why? You're only good at bragging, eh? Or are you a coward who's scared of losing? If you can't afford to lose, just tell me. I can consider letting you off." Zhang Shan gave Atos a tilted glance and stuck his pinky out.

Atos was enraged. "Earthlings are just good at talk. You'll cry and ask for your mom and dad when you lose!"

"Interesting. Since we're on the Moon, let's have a space duel and see the fruits of your training,"

Su Yan's voice travelled from the hall's entrance. Nobody knew when he had arrived, but it seemed that they had a different set of rules now that they're on the Moon.

Zhang Runan glanced at Zhang Shan and said, "Zhang Shan take him out!"

Zhang Shan straightened himself and looked serious. "Don't worry. I, Zhang Shan, never drop the ball in times of need."

After he got used to the space mech, Zhang Shan had been going through high level training. Others might not have noticed, but Meng Tian and Zhang Runan knew that Zhang Shan had made drastic improvement.

Chapter 286: Understanding Space

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Most importantly, he had always had a good sense of space. Once he became accustomed to things, it was as if he was enlightened and understood things quickly.

On the other side, Achilles patted Atos on the back without a word, but his meaning was clear: since they were fighting, he must not lose.

Atos was austere. He grinned widely. He wanted to make a good name for himself too. He was Atos. The quick Atos. The absolute winner, Atos.

They were free to choose any mech in the space duel. Zhang Shan did not hesitate at choosing the Barton mech. It was a mech made by Earth for space forces and was well balanced in powers… nothing special.

It wasn't that there were no better mecha available, but Zhang Shan knew his own skill level well. A better mech would only be powerful if he could maneuver it well. The Barton mech may appear weak, but it was the one option that could display Zhang Shan's current capabilities to its best.

As the Barton mech slowly made its entrance, the atmosphere started to get warm. This time around, everybody was watching the match from the grandstands. Six enormous digital screens captured the space duel from every angle possible.

Judging by the choice he made, Zhang Shan was very calm.

When Atos appeared on the field, the grandstands broke into commotion.

Avalanche Space Type III!

The most powerful mech amongst the standard space mecha from the Moon. Five stars in speed, five stars in close combat firing, and a five-star shield. Apart from a slightly weaker long-distance firing capabilities, this was a near perfect space mech.

"Damn. Couldn't this dude pick something more average? That's unfair!" Yuan Ye said.

Taros scoffed. "Unfair? The level of difficulty in controlling the Avalanche Space Type III is also ranked at five stars. Incapable of using something better and yet not allowing others to use. What logic."

Some people agreed, while others begged to differ.

Just then, Su Yan's voice echoed, "Rules: there are no rules. Use whatever tactics you like to attack your opponent."

Zhang Shan vs Atos was like dried wood in a blazing fire. The Moon clashing with Earth, they had to battle to straighten things out between them, no matter what.

"Zhang Shan only dared to pick the Barton mech. Goes to show that his abilities are limited." Lie Xin smiled. "Lack of confidence, it seems."

Raston grinned. "This guy likes excitement. I'll bet you ten bucks that Mountain Maiden will win."

Lie Xin glanced at him. "Just tell me if you're short of money. We're in the army here."

"You don't get it, Sister. This is called fun. I'm betting Atos will win." Lie Guang chuckled. There was no doubt that the Moon was the leader in space matches.

The moment the Avalanche Space Type III turned on, it drew a huge arch in the vacuum and stared straight at Zhang Shan while making a tactical defense move.

Zhang Shan used the long-range weapons to fire a few laser shots, but he missed entirely. The Avalanche Space Type III was too fast. Plus, Atos was the best at speed and was 100% confident.

Zhang Shan wisely decided to defend and wait for his opponent to attack instead. Firing at random would only make him lose confidence.

Atos grinned and dashed toward Zhang Shan at high speeds in his mech. He didn't just want to beat his opponent up – he wanted to humiliate him!

Boom… close-range suppression!

The Avalanche Space Type III's close combat abilities were definitely at the top among common space mecha. With a changing Remote Laser Type IX weapon set, a set that combined all close combat weapons but different from the usual Laser swords and spears, this equipment could automatically change laser types depending on the situation. It could change from the beam saber into a beam spear and vice versa, instantaneously.

This type of ever-changing sparring often caught opponents off guard, making it a huge advantage that stood out especially clearly in a duel match.

Seeing Atos sweep at him using the laser spear, watching it turn into a sword in an instant, and cutting close to his arms, Zhang Shan was caught defenseless. He dropped down at high speed and attempted to fly into Atos' blind spot so as to get a chance at striking back.

Atos smiled coolly. This type of dodging movement would be considered high-level on the ground, but in space, this was nothing. The vision of a space mech was different!

Boom.. Boom.. Boom… He fired the laser gun, blocking Zhang Shan's escape route, forcing Zhang Shan to fight him head on.

Zhang Shan gave a vicious look and struck!

Boom!

The Barton mech's engines fired wildly. Controlling the mech by force, Zhang Shan maneuvered the Barton mech into making a turn and charged back like a typhoon.

Atos was taken by surprise. He actually felt threatened! Boom! The laser sword turned into a spear. The radius of attack was three times that of the sword. He pointed the spear head at Zhang Shan and charged.

Boom…

The Barton mech stopped abruptly. The laser spear had interrupted it's momentum. He could only take a step back and build the momentum up again.

Atos did not dare to give chase. He turned around and maneuvered the Avalanche Space mech into high speed drive, looking for flaws in Zhang Shan's movement.

Back at the grandstands, there were all sorts of cheering and yelling, mostly in support of Atos. At this point, it wasn't just the IG candidates from the training camp who were watching. There were also soldiers from the space station.

" Atos!"

Most of these soldiers were born and raised on the Moon, so they naturally recognised Atos as one of the Eight Stars from Moon.

"The opponent is from Earth? Heh. Atos is making a fool out of him."

"Woohoo! Atos! Let's go!"

Hearing the cheers from the soldier's ring, Lie Xin smiled. Was Atos really just putting on a show?

"If Atos hadn't changed weapons earlier on and forced the laser sword on him, Zhang Shan would have been doomed."

Raston smiled. "He's not putting on a show… he's afraid. The more cocky he is, the more vulnerable he feels. Zhang Shan barely defended and Atos has become wary."

Raston had venomous, sharp eyes.

The Moon people were calm. They saw that Atos was using his true abilities to fight and was not that weak.

Just then, the situation took another turn. Atos adjusted himself and charged right down. Making use of the mech's high speed advantage, he gained an upper hand in launching attacks while Zhang Shan could only defend and… defend, leaving him with no chance to fight back.

Boom! The two beam sabers struck. Zhang Shan was at a complete disadvantage, and he felt like he was bound to lose. Zhang Shan did not will himself to feel that way. His opponent was indeed faster and fiercer than he was. After they fought head on once, his opponent had stopped scheming and refused to risk anything. He was merely consolidating his advantages and making Zhang Shan feel helpless.

Zhang Shan's understanding of space did not translate into a direct victory. Was knowledge and intelligence that negligible in battle?

He felt indignant and was reluctant to be defeated. On top of the sense of loss, Wang Zheng's departure had given them lots to think about.

Why am I here? Why do I have to be so hard on myself?

"Wang Zheng, how are you so powerful? Come on, share some of your techniques! Feels like a clever brain has no use in a battle."

Zhang Shan had always prided himself in his level of intelligence. Even if he was defeated in training, he remained proud of it. But as the selection went on, his pride drained as he was no longer a physics student.

"Battling smart can still help you win the war! When you have no clue of what to do, treat your opponent like a physics question."

Spinning silk into cocoons!

Stay calm…!!

All of a sudden, Zhang Shan got it. He was clear-headed now. Atos was not letting down on his high-speed attacks, but he felt much less stressful now.

But right now, as Atos attacked rhythmically, Zhang Shan could only cling on to two things: to stay calm and adapt.

After he rid himself of the mental burden, Zhang Shan's movements indeed became a tad faster and smoother. He could fully display the Barton mech's specialties and even suppress some of Atos' killer moves.

Atos was so mad that he wanted to murder someone. He actually had even harsher tactics up his sleeve, but he was wary of Zhang Shan's ability of warping.

That ability was much harder to deal with in space, and so, before he forced Zhang Shan into using his one-use-per-day ability, he couldn't set his his heart on launching a sure-kill.

However, at that very moment, things took for a turn. Zhang Shan was now on par with him in the battlefield! Although he still had the upper hand, Zhang Shan was like a hedgehog, poking at him, making him feel uncomfortable.

Eventually, Atos could not hold it back any longer. The fight had gone on for far too long. Even if he won, it wouldn't do him any good. It would only give Zhang Shan a good reputation.

Roar! He wanted to force Zhang Shan into using his Ability X, but under such circumstances, things were no longer within his control.

Extreme speed ability, go!

The Avalanche Space mech's speed immediately changed. It was an eerie change. It didn't appear fast, but when paid close attention to, you would notice the mech left behind something like a crack in space. Atos's extreme speed ability was a fine control of speed when used on a space mech, not just pure acceleration.

Taros gleamed and cheered loudly.

Achilles looked on approvingly too. Atos had been controlling his speed, but it was rather problematic. His extreme speed advantage alone was quite a sight in the Solar System, but it was nothing if compared to the entire Milky Way's IG. His exquisite control of speed, though, was on a whole different level. Atos had gone through many things and had made all sorts of mistakes, but when this ability was used, he could hold some ground in the IG world.

Zhang Shan felt giddy and a little nauseous.

The opponent's speed caused some change in his perception.

Zhang Shan forced himself to calm down, and… the look on his face changed. If he had not misjudged, this feeling…

If it were others, they wouldn't feel what Zhang Shan felt. That was the exact same feeling he had when he couldn't get used to space at first!

Zhang Shan smiled. He might've been doomed if it was another ability. Or if Atos sprang right at him without showing off his high level of speed control, he could only use his warp Ability X to get away. Now, the happily showing off Atos looked like a flea jumping around in Zhang Shan's eyes.

Stay calm!

Right at the brink of a crisis, he moved at an incredible speed, avoiding Atos' wild attack.

Zhang Shan could only displace himself a short distance, but in space, he appeared light and floating. A life-saving move indeed. It was just that…

Staying alive alone was of no use.

Having forced Zhang Shan to use his ability, Atos was feeling full of himself. He could maintain his speed for some time.