Chapter 2443 - 37 - 47

Chapter 37: Stealth METAL

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

Wang Tong couldn't care less. A good fight was a good fight regardless of which league the opponent belonged to.

The most game changing difference between the TPA and the IPA wasn't the METAL suit but the players themselves. Unlike the players in the TPA, IPA players had never been mind-opened. Their in-game power depended solely on the amount of time they spent in the game.

Wang Tong opened his inbox and noticed a challenge from an IPA player named "Crazy Diamond." He was a level thirty-seven player which meant that his soul energy was equivalent to one hundred sols in real life.

The soul energy of the IPA players was fixed and did not fluctuate as it did in real life or in the TPA, which made the IPA players extremely deadly in prolonged fights against a TPA player.

Crazy Diamond was equipped with a tier three METAL as dictated by his level of thirty-seven, which required a tremendous amount of time and money to reach since the DREAM corp. discouraged power leveling for the sake of maximizing their profit.

Wang Tong accepted the challenge, knowing that the challenger would have to be the cream of the crop.

Three seconds later, the match was on.

By the time Wang Tong arrived at the arena, a few hundred audience members, most of them IPA players, were already there waiting impatiently. It had been a while since any TPA player accepted an IPA player's challenge. The previous matches had been so unbalanced that it was practically bullying. Perhaps that's what the few hundred IPA audience members came here for, to see another helpless rookie from the TPA be bullied.

Crazy Diamond spared Wang Tong a glance and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course."

"Even if I'm going to use my METAL suit? Don't complain later that I didn't warn you about it."

Wang Tong nodded with a smile. He was not here to win the battle, he was here for the experience, and it was the experience rather than scores that would make the best METAL fighter. The stronger the opponent, the more experience Wang Tong would get out of a fight and therefore the more meaningful the fight was.

"METAL!" Crazy Diamond clasped his left arm with the right hand with a crisp movement, while rays of bright light tumbled out from his body, from which an elegant METAL suit emerged.

Crazy Diamond wore the "Wraith III," tier three ability-focused METAL suit. Its appearance had excited the IPA audience who let out a wave of sardonic jibes at Wang Tong. Disregarding the difference in soul energy, the ability of this METAL suit alone would be able to devastate most TPA players.

Many TPA players had complained about the Wraith III's dirty, if not nasty, ability. They would rather fight with a combat-focused IPA player who was stronger, than a weaker IPA player wearing a Wraith III, if they would match with IPA players at all.

Hearing the audience's laughter, a smirk flashed on Crazy Diamond's face.

He had sent out the challenge as a taunt and had never expected any TPA player to accept it. Despite the fact that his virtual soul energy was only sixty-five sols, the Wraith III METAL suit was all he needed to defeat most TPA players, and any seasoned TPA players should have known that. His opponent's acceptance of the challenge was a telltale sign of inexperience. Nevertheless, Crazy Diamond would not turn down a victory when it was already in his pocket.

"Can we start?" Wang Tong stretched his neck muscles. They had become stiff after days of inactivity while being buried in books.

"Anytime, turn your METAL on."

"I will have it on when I need to." Wang Tong didn't want to waste precious time on explaining his lack of a METAL suit.

"The TPA players do look down their noses at us, fine, get ready!" Crazy Diamond had fought many pompous rookies in the TPA just like this one, and all of them had bit the dust in the end. Although IPA players were just ordinary people in real life, in the PA system, they could be as deadly as any TPA player, and they were even more deadly if their power was overlooked.

A swift slash fell toward Wang Tong, carrying an icy chill with it. Instead of countering the attack, Wang Tong took a quick step back; first things first: he needed to warm up.

Wang Tong's retreat had emboldened Crazy Diamond to usher a round of relentless hacks and slashes with greater speed and intensity, engulfing Wang Tong in a plethora of attacks.

The quickly escalating battle kept the audience on the edge of their seats as they let out raucous shouts and cheers.

It seemed counter-intuitive to think that IPA players were stronger than TPA players when placed under the same rules, but it was not far from the truth. One of the IPA players' advantages was their steady soul energy. It allowed them to partake in fights without taking a break to recuperate. A TPA player's soul power, on the other hand, would fall short after only one or two rounds of matches. In other words, neither victory nor defeat meant much to an IPA player; it was all just a game.

Because of this disadvantage, most TPA players avoided fighting with an IPA player. Despite the satisfaction a TPA player might get from a victory against all the odds, the cost of losing a battle was humiliation—a cost not everyone was willing to pay.

As Crazy Diamond's attack went on, Wang Tong registered that his attack was not as haphazard as one might expect from a recreational player. Instead, it was rather structured and well planned. He was able to read Wang Tong's moves fairly accurately and respond with precise positioning.

Although Crazy Diamond's moves weren't perfect, Wang Tong reckoned that they were the results of countless hours of training.

Crazy Diamond, on the other hand, had felt increasingly puzzled as all attacks so far had been evaded; yet, Wang Tong's footwork had seemed rather ordinary.

Even if all of his strikes had missed the target, dragging out the fight would still slowly drain Wang Tong's soul energy, and allow Crazy Diamond to gain the upper hand.

Crazy Diamond's attack had been slowly picking up speed since it started and by then, it was falling toward Wang Tong in such a rapid and frenzied fashion that each strike seemed to have disconnected with the next as if it was a testament to his username: Crazy Diamond.

Wang Tong, on the other hand, retreated and countered whenever the opportunity presented itself. He reckoned that Crazy Diamond's confidence in his relentless attack was hinged on his METAL's defense capability. In a real fight, rarely could one see a TPA player attacked so recklessly since even the most calculating fighter would make mistakes that led to serious consequences. But the IPA players needed not to worry about consequences, which led Crazy Diamond to undermine prudence—a fatal error that would eventually be his downfall.

An opening appeared suddenly in the web of hack and slash as the strenuous weaver had finally dropped his thread. Wang Tong seized the opportunity and thrust a fist through the opening.

"Konng..."

Despite Crazy Diamond's effort to pull himself back, he absorbed the full force of Wang Tong's punch. The punch sent him tumbling backward, he stumbled a few times on the way, but still, he was unharmed. Wang Tong felt a strange tingle; Crazy Diamond should have been severely injured by then.

Einherjar Wannabe's counter attack had silenced all kinds of noises in the arena.

To untrained eyes, the victory had been in the bag for Crazy Diamond. Wang Tong had been pushed into a vulnerable position under a barrage of frenetic attacks, running around like a homeless dog. But it seemed true of what they say: "Every dog has its day."

Crazy Diamond steadied himself, and without a word, the outline of his figure suddenly blurred and then faded away into thin air like ink dissolved in water.

This was the stealth ability of the Wraith III and what was dreaded by many TPA fighters. It was not merely a visual illusion, but the result of advanced technology. It absorbed waves of soul energies so that even a veteran who specialized in anti-stealth tactics would not sniff out a hint of the wearer's presence. This type of ability wasn't entirely made up for the game since it existed in real life, but it existed only on tier four METAL suits or above that were given to elite assassination units.

Although it was a rare sight to behold, it wasn't anything unheard of in the IPA league.

Chapter 38: The Fist of the Racing Tiger

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

TPA players in the audience seats shook their heads, feeling worried for Wang Tong's situation and even more for his intelligence. Only an irrational fool plays with fire. The Wraith III had a reputation for putting up a nasty fight and, in the past, it had spoiled many TPA players' fun and forced them to taste defeat.

Unless the opponent had an advanced anti-stealth ability, the wearer of the Wraith III could slip underneath any fighter's senses while he delivered a lethal blow.

Unable to sense his opponent's movement, Wang Tong was struck by an unseen force, and it threw his body into the air before it thudded on the ground. Wang Tong had now tasted the power of the Wraith III.

Crazy Diamond's retaliation was a tit for tat, and it should have also ended the match with a victory that was as cheap as bok choy.

The IPA players instinctively shouted out a wave of cheers, laced with jesting laughter.

Wang Tong picked himself up before the cheers had subsided. He rubbed his chest where he was hit and muttered, "Holy cow, that hurts!" Wang Tong counted himself lucky that this was not in a real battle, in which case, this blow would have been lethal.

Disgruntled about the fact that his strike had not finished the opponent as he had expected, Crazy Diamond attempted another stealthy attack.

Sensing the impending danger, Wang Tong was a half-move ahead of his opponent and dodged out of harm's way just in time.

Wraith III users were the most unscrupulous even by IPA players' standards. Their overpowered ability was a downright bug in the system, which had filled the wearer with over-confidence. When Crazy Diamond saw that his strike had been dodged, his eyes were red with rage, and he attacked again, only to be dodged once more.

Inside the arena, a comical show was on display: Wang Tong fumbled about to avoid the attacks of an unseen enemy as he lurched across the field as if he was mentally unsound.

In the real world, no one could conceal their presence to the degree that the Wraith III did in the game. This METAL suit was made entirely for the sake of entertainment but was at the expense of the TPA players' agony. The dice had been loaded from the beginning of the game.

Every strike had been a near miss for Wang Tong. He could only detect his opponent's movement through the infinitesimally small ripples in the air, which were stirred up by Crazy Diamond's brash blows.

Although these ripples felt like loud and definite warnings, the ensuing attack was so swift that it allowed almost no time for Wang Tong to react.

"Calm down, I must be calm," Wang Tong reminded himself.

Wang Tong attempted to detect his opponent's move using his soul energy, but that had been proven ineffectual. With only the air ripple as his clue, Crazy Diamond's movements were elusive and unpredictable and were always ahead of Wang Tong's.

Despite being trapped in a fairly dire situation, Wang Tong felt hopeful. He might as well figure out an effective countermeasure now, rather than letting it frustrate him in the sleepless nights after the defeat.

"Konnng!"

After a few short bursts of airwaves immediately the same number of blows ensued, each deadlier than the last. With his luck spent, Wang Tong was eventually hit by one of the strikes. Crimson blood gushed out from Wang Tong's right arm that he had lifted to protect his body. Wang Tong immediately countered the assault with a left-hand punch, but the enemy had already moved away.

Pain alerted Wang Tong's mind lighting up a fire in his eyes. A blurred outline of a husky figure appeared out of thin air, and it presented itself in front of Wang Tong.

Crazy Diamond had deduced the incredible power of Wang Tong from the fact that he had survived the fight so long by solely relying on the signals in air ripples. He should have felt satisfied at the thought of injuring such a powerful opponent, but his eyes had betrayed his real feelings.

Sadness, anguish, and indignation, these feelings could not change the wicked reality of having being born into a household that boasted its tradition of METAL fighters; he had to forfeit the honor, for reasons beyond his own grasp.

As Crazy Diamond was mired in his thoughts, his frustration overtook him, and he lashed out toward Wang Tong in fury. "Dodge this!" The sword whizzed in the air as it flew toward Wang Tong.

Crazy Diamond watched as the sword missed Wang Tong before a fist flew toward him. He retreated to safety out of instinct and was again confused about how he had missed Wang Tong.

Wang Tong waved his hand, gesturing for Crazy Diamond to try again, "It seems that you have been training hard. C'mon, you can fight better than this!"

"Buzz off, what do you know about me?"

The Wraith III and its wearer disappeared again. When the attack finally fell toward Wang Tong, he countered the attack with a kick. To the audience, it looked like Wang Tong had kicked the air, but to Crazy Diamond, the sudden counterattack disoriented him as he stumbled about to get out of harm's way. To his surprise, Wang Tong's attack never touched him. Instead, it stopped a mere inch away.

"He is going easy on me. Is he patronizing me?" Crazy Diamond thought.

"It doesn't seem like you will even need the stealth ability, why don't you play a real match with me?" Wang Tong smiled broadly. Wang Tong had felt that the METAL's ability seemed to have taken something away from Crazy Diamond's moves.

Crazy Diamond unshielded himself from the Wraith III, revealing a pale and sullen face. "Do you think I will still be a worthy opponent without my IPA METAL?"

"Yea! Come on now; let's not waste each other's time," Wang Tong said lightly. He had sensed an unusual power in Crazy Diamond that set him apart from the rest of the IPA players. There must be more than what met the eyes.

"Alright, I will have a fair fight with you!"

The announcement had bewildered the IPA players.

"Has he gone mad?"

"An IPA player challenges a TPA player without using METAL?"

"Who does he think he is?"

"Konnng!"

Crazy Diamond charged up his virtual soul energy. Although it was merely a product of the PA system, Crazy Diamond was willing to give all he had for the opponent that had deemed him worthy.

He abandoned his sword and thrust his bare fist toward Wang Tong. The fist raced forward, ripping open the air with the sound of a roaring tiger.

Wang Tong was shocked at the wave of energy his opponent had released. He wondered why someone with such extraordinary abilities would be stuck playing in the IPA league.

"The Fist of the Racing Tiger!"

Someone in the audience let out a gasp.

General Hu Ben, the Racing Tiger, was one of the top ten generals of the Confederation. His famous coup de grace, the Fist of the Racing Tiger was considered the strongest in the world. It roared like a tiger, sending a deadly and unfaltering punch to the enemies and in most cases; it was a definitive death blow for the latter. It was said that many Zergs would flee upon hearing its distinctive roar in the distance on the battlefield.

However, just recently, news had spread throughout the confederation that General Hu Ben's son, Wang Ben, had failed "opening" his mind.

It had sounded almost preposterous to many. Wang Ben would have an over 99% success rate solely based on genes. He might not become one of the best, but passing the mind opening operation should have been taken for granted.

However, as wicked as fate could be, it had decreed Wang Ben's failure. It was not only a personal loss but also a huge loss to the Confederation.

The intangible world of the PA system had then become Wang Ben's retreat. In here, he could vent his regret and sorrow and only in here could he still use his family's fearsome techniques.

It had been viral news, even Wang Tong had learned about it.

Chapter 39: Epiphany

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

The promise of immense power in the air gave Wang Tong a rush of euphoria that was laced with adrenaline. Finally, a true opponent stood before him to quench his thirst for a challenging fight.

The thrill of the battle emboldened Wang Tong. He dashed forward, thrusting a fist directly at Wang Ben.

"Konnn."

Both fists released a deafening roar along with the explosive energy that shook the entire arena. Having relinquished the flaunty moves and flourish of METAL suits, this exchange of bare knuckles, imbued with Wang Ben's anguish and indignation, was the embodiment of a real fight, and to Wang Ben, it was as real as the wicked fate that had mocked him.

Wang Ben had dreamed of following in his father's footsteps to become a decorated soldier in the Confederation. To achieve this dream, he had followed the strict training routines that started with over a thousand reps of the Fist of the Racing Tiger first thing in the morning, yet it all had led to nothing.

"But why?" Wang Ben screamed, in his mind, a question that had no answers.

"Homm..."

Wang Ben pressed another step further, and the arena trembled as his feet thudded on the ground. Although the IPA rules had dictated his soul energy to be capped at 100 sols, through careful control and manipulation, Wang Ben had amplified it into an explosive and deadly force.

Wang Ben's attack was infused with the hatred for being denied what had been rightfully his: the right to become a soldier. Hanging on his overwhelming emotions, Wang Ben's attack had become even more venomous and lethal.

Wang Ben's punch pierced through the air, roaring like a tiger along the way and was ready to devour any resistance that was put up by its opponent. Having mastered the Fist of the Racing Tiger, Wang Ben's performance in the arena reminded people of his father, General Hu Ben.

The audience was shocked by the identity of Crazy Diamond; no one would have thought the son of a prestigious general would partake in an IPA fight. But things did seem to add up eventually. Since he had failed the mind opening operation, his presence in the IPA league was apparent, and no one could mishear those distinctive roars.

In the PA system, Wang Ben was able to harness the virtual soul energy while using the Tactics of the Racing Tiger, which he had been practicing ever since he was a child and had by then mastered. Needless to say, its power was immeasurable, and most opponents would have fled out of harm's way, but Wang Tong didn't flinch. Instead, he uttered a deep grunt as he delivered his punch in return.

This had been the most satisfying battle Wang Tong had encountered since he had joined the PA system. For the first time, he found joy in fighting, and he thought it would be only fitting for him to pay tribute to his opponent with his fist.

"Konnn!"

The impact sent a deafening clang echoing throughout the arena, and then, silence ensued. Everyone's breath had caught in their throats as they fell in awe at the two fighters' immense power. This was a fight worth commemorating!

Wang Ben stood still, dragging out the silence. He had been a prodigy ever since childhood, and his only downfalls were the failure of his mind opening and the release of his EMF. Otherwise, the Confederation military would have another fearsome fighter in its ranks. However, thanks to the virtual EMF, he would be able to fully utilize the Fist of the Racing Tiger that he had already practiced beyond perfection.

Wang Ben's victory was by then apparent to the audience.

Both fighters still stood motionless as the PA system announced the unexpected results, "The winner is... Einherjar Wannabe!"

"What!? It's impossible!"

"Bah! There must be something wrong with the score."

Wang Ben might be weak in a real fight, but in the PA system, he ought to be almost invincible with the aid of his tactics named after the glaring reputation of his father. No one would have thought that a TPA rookie would defeat him.

"You truly lost the fight when you gave up. I look forward to fighting with you in real life!" Wang Tong declared candidly.

Wang Ben was shocked by the words for a brief moment, then he gritted his teeth and uttered a word out of his mouth: "Alright.

"Having failed once, does it also mean that I will fail the next time?

"Although the odds of opening the mind in the second try are slim, I'll never know if I give up.

"I will lose the fight when I give up..."

The words echoed in Wang Ben's mind. He clenched his fists allowing the memories of that day to come rushing back to him. He saw his mother crying and heard his father's disappointed sigh. Among the blurred memories, he found a moment of epiphany. He had never cried before, not even during that devastating moment, but now tears poured out of his eyes for the first time in his life, and also for the very last time. He knew he would rise again; he had to.

It had been such a devastating blow to someone under so much attention and expectation. Everyone had felt for him as the news of his failure spread. However, it still shocked many people to find him in the IPA league.

"What a shame, what a pity, the poor boy had learned the fist of the racing tiger by rote, but... bah!"

"General, every cloud has its silver lining. Although we have lost Wang Ben, haven't you noticed the other boy? Wang Ben had the virtual EMF up his sleeve; his attack ought to be unstoppable, yet, the other fighter has defeated him with brute force."

As General Hu Ben's friend and competitor, General Oto, the "Last Castle" had felt great regret for Wang Ben's misfortune. He had hoped that both Wang Ben and his already mind-opened son would be able to carry on their fathers' healthy competition. He had felt great disappointment after learning that Wang Ben had failed his operation.

Though not conscious of the effort, General Oto's attention had been drawn toward Wang Ben while he had almost ignored Wang Tong.

Despite the fact that Wang Ben's vengeful attack had exposed himself to danger on multiple fronts, the immense power and the weight it carried was undeniable. However, the opponent had been confronted head-on with Wang Ben's attack and won the battle without any side maneuvers. As far as General Oto could think of, there might be only a few people who could achieve that, and all of them must have been from the House Li.

"Hehe, it must be one of the Lis poking fun at the poor lad."

"We discussed it with the Lis, it was negative, sir. I don't think they were lying. Furthermore, I have looked up the records of one of his previous fights, and he didn't come off as a member of the Great Houses."

"Interesting… Keep an eye on him."

"Yes, Sir."

Although Wang Tong's previous fights might have been considered unusual to most audiences, they had been quickly forgotten due to the numerous other, equally-unusual matches. However, due to the publicity of Wang Ben, Wang Tong's username, Einherjar Wannabe, also started to surface into the view of the public.

It had been dubbed as the battle between the Fist of the Racing Tiger and the Steel Fist of Nobody. A no-account TPA player had defeated Wang Ben who was wearing the stealth METAL suit, Wraith III. The outcome of the match had left many viewers dumbfounded.

The public had quickly sniffed out the scent of something extraordinary, but no one dared to acknowledge it. People had learned to keep their expectations low after countless letdowns, and they came to concede the fact that some legends in history were not meant to be repeated no matter how hard they wished for it.

The journalists didn't get a chance to interview Wang Ben since both he and his father were busy with other, more important matters. But they had crammed as much speculation into the news as possible.

DREAM would have been more than happy to presume the return of the legend purely for the sake of their profit. But many overreactions in the past had also made them prudent about what went out to the public, and to steer clear of bold claims.

Although no one had publicly made any connections to the event, most players who had watched the news had planted a seed in their hearts.

Chapter 40: Jesting

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

Wang Tong left DREAM-heaven as soon as he had finished the fight. On the way home, he lamented over Wang Ben's misfortune and felt content about his own life. The miraculous mind opening event on Norton was a stark contrast to the cruel joke that life had played on Wang Ben.

This fight, like all other fights, gave Wang Tong new insights about his mental and physical abilities. He had noticed that his body was exceptionally vigorous even when it was not under the influence of the EMF.

Ever since the discovery of the EMF, physical strength had become irrelevant, fighters had been putting the matter on the back burner and focused solely on strengthening their EMF. This practice was also backed by scientific researches that had concluded that the effect of physical conditioning on improving the METAL fighter's power was inappreciable.

However, ever since he returned to earth, Wang Tong had felt an undeniable sensation as if there was a force within his body that had fallen into slumber. Only today, when his body was under immense pressure from the relentless attack of Wraith III, did he felt the slumbered force had awakened to fill his body with vigor.

Wang Tong started to entertain the thoughts of connections between physical and mental strength and eventually pieced all evidence together. He remembered that on planet Norton, where constant battles and grueling gravity had toughened him up considerably, he had also felt the workings of this force facilitating him during his fights. Things hadn't changed until he had arrived on Earth, where his body was no longer under demanding conditions.

This insight had provided a clear direction in Wang Tong's future training, but first thing first, he wanted to celebrate this discovery. For a warrior like Wang Tong, there was no better celebration than filling his belly with food.

"Keep up the good work my dear princess warrior, we will be counting on you next month," Samantha interrupted Ma Xiaoru's physical exercises with a smile. She stood at the threshold; half leaned against the door.

The Tactics of the Enchantress focused entirely on the mental cultivation without any physical strengthening. The thorough advisers of House Li had addressed this shortcoming in the cultivation guide by emphasizing the importance of physical conditioning. Unlike a real fighter who would naturally gain physical strength as he or she undergone fights, an academy student rarely had the opportunity to do so. Therefore the need for a physical exercise was apparent to Ma Xiaoru.

Ma Xiaoru had noticed Samantha at the door. She paused to grab a towel and wiped the sweat off her face. Her gym shirt clad tightly against the skin, outlined elegant curves that were accentuated by her lively and beautiful face. The sight had caught Samantha off guard, as she gasped at Ma Xiaoru's beauty.

"Look at you, you are gorgeous! I wonder if any dude out there really deserves you, might as well spare him for me," Samantha poked fun at Ma Xiaoru.

"Sam! Don't make fun of me. You are turning into a real Enchantress!"

"Haha, I am just kidding. Anyhow, things at school seemed to be more complicated than I had initially thought. It had been draining me for days on end, look here, can you tell the wrinkles under my eyes?"

Samantha didn't wear the eyeglasses like she always did at work. The glasses made her look pragmatic and mature, a convenient façade when it came down to running school business, but there was no need for it when she was alone with Ma Xiaoru. Not only they were similar in age, but she also knew that Ma Xiaoru was a friend in whom she could confide.

"How so? I thought everything had been coming up roses. Would it be the tournament next month with the Bernaue?"

"What else could it be. They are not our friends, that's for sure, but I can feel that they are brewing something. They are too anxious about this fight to my liking."

"Curious and curiouser. We are of a lower rank school compared to Bernaue, defeating us should be taken for granted, what are they anxious about? Anyways. Let's go grab some drink first, I'm thirsty!"

The air around the floating mansion was clear and crisp, thanks to meticulous filtration and cleansing. The central climate control system worked even outdoor to alleviate the discomfort of heat as Ma Xiaoru enjoyed the bathing of sunshine while savoring a cup of synthesized drink. Life might have seemed mundane to her, but she had lived a life that only a few could afford.

"They are anxious about you and Hu Yangxuan," Samantha continued, "you two combined with the funding I had brought to Ayrlarng had evidently stepped up our game, that was enough to disquiet them. They want to stop us before we gain any momentum."

"Let them try then, we will make sure they don't try again!" Ma Xiaoru hissed.

They lolled on the double-sized lawn chair with servants about them; the comfortable life had never dulled their keen mind. They remained steadfast in their pursuit; regardless if it was a pursuit in higher cultivation or in the career as a principal. It was this unfaltering spirit made both of them more attractive than most other girls.

"I gathered that they would let you win on your turn at the tournament, and then hedge their bets on our weaker teammates. To be honest, I don't have high hopes for your senior schoolmates, and it's too late now for me to do anything about it. I can only count on the freshmen in your year. But I also fear for your confidence, should any of you lose a battle."

"You are trying to tell me that we don't have much room for error?"

"What a smart girl! I wagered that we might have a bit more wiggle room if Wang Tong had joined us, but that sly little fish had refused my invitation. I thought of threatening him with his grades, but then I figured it was too risky. I could be shooting at my own feet if my gun scared him away to other schools."

It was often easier to be a student than a principal because the student managed only oneself, but a principal managed many. Every issue would quickly turn into a tangle of risks and options, and each thread in the entanglement seemed to lead to a different end. In a whim of nostalgia, Samantha missed her once carefree life as a student, but the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge quickly draw her back into reality. In this way, she was similar to Ma Xiaoru; they both seemed to have everything in their life, except for a stage to prove themselves.

"He refused?" Surprise was written all over Ma Xiaoru's face. She couldn't believe the quick-witted Wang Tong would have passed up the opportunity of winning the principal's favor.

"I was surprised as well. I'm still looking for other candidates, but it's been tough. I can't make bricks without straw."

"Do you need my help coaxing that Wang Tong?" Ma Xiaoru asked as she raised her cup and sipped the drink; her eyes dodged Samantha's gaze as the latter was scanning her like an open book.

"...Sis, why are you looking at me weirdly?" Ma Xiaoru broke the awkwardness.

"Xiaoru. Tell me that you are not thinking of—"

"Of course not!" Ma Xiaoru quickly cut her short. A noticeable tinged of rosy red had crept onto her cheeks. "I don't know him that well. He is an interesting person alright, but I am simply intrigued. I don't have much to do anyways."

Samantha faked a reluctant expression and jested: "Oh my... I think your cultivation had taken a toll on your conscience. You shall know better than me not to toy with the feelings of an innocent boy."

"Sis! I will NEVER talk to you again if you keep on acting like that!" Ma Xiaoru pouted her glistening lips.

"Haha. Fine, fine! Nothing is worse than your silent treatment. Haha!" Samantha burst out laughing.

The two drop-dead-gorges went on poking fun at each other. It was a beautiful sight hidden high up in the clouds.

"Have you heard about what happened to Wang Ben?" Samantha asked.

"Benny? No, what happened?" Ma Xiaoru seldom read the news.

Samantha briefly spoke about Wang Ben's failure of his operation, and she heaved a sigh. "What a pity, Wang Ben was a real talent, perhaps the gods themselves had felt jealous of him."

Unlike Samantha who had willingly given up the prospect of a METAL fighter, Wang Ben had been regarded by many, including himself, as the one who was destined to become a warrior. Samantha could only hope that this tragic turn off his life had not bent his mind beyond its breaking point.

Chapter 41: Temp Tong

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

"So in essence, Einherjar Wannabe had subdued Wang Ben's brute force with his own? That's unthinkable! Who could have done that?" Ma Xiaoru asked incredulously.

"We have already excluded the Dowers and the Lis. It might be too early to suspect anyone else. After all, Benny had been using the virtual EMF, making him an unreliable source to gauge Einherjar Wannabe's power." Samantha was the heir of the DREAM corp., therefore she had gathered some first-hand information about this fight. "I really hope that Wang Ben would be over his failure soon," Samantha said.

"Hehe, so you can recruit him and have him under your thumb?" A smile touched Ma Xiaoru's lips.

Samantha smiled back at her and said, "Everyone seemed to have abandoned him after his operation, making it a perfect time to recruit him now. It would be much more effective than head-butting against S-class academies later. With some help from my connections in the Military, we should have a pretty good chance of winning him over once he opened his mind in later operations."

"What you are counting on has the success rate below one percent. There will be more serious implications, should he forced it too hard," Ma Xiaoru reminded Samantha about the risk involved.

"Bak. It's our day off, let's talk about something else. How about a trip to the beach?"

The scenery around her changed as she spoke. Tall and lush palm trees sprouted out about them, and the green grass beneath their feet turned into white and warm sand, stretching out to kiss a pool of turquoise-blue that had appeared as if out of nowhere. Samantha jumped into the lake, and turned to Ma Xiaoru, gesturing her to dive in with a seductive curl of a finger.

A grin flashed across Ma Xiaoru's face as she took off her gym coat. Her milky skin emanated a radiant hue under the sunlight and looked particularly attractive. It was an effect of the Tactics of the Enchantress; it not only increased the EMF but also improved the appearance of the cultivator. Only a genius like General Zhou Zhi would have concocted such a melange of beauty and power.

Meanwhile, on the moon. Miao Xiu stared at the screen with eyes wide open. He was engrossed in the actions on the screen and didn't even notice the smirk on Luv Ma's face.

"Konn."

Excited by what he saw, Miao Xiu pounded a fist on the desk. He raised the fist and was ready to relieve his excitement again, but he was stopped by Luv Ma who tried to save the desk from its doom.

"That Fist of the Racing Tiger was so f*cking... awesome! I wanna try it too! Bak… what a shame that he had failed the operation!"

"Miao Xiu, that's not why I showed you the recording."

"Yes, I know. I think your previous guess was correct. Einherjar Wannabe had learned some kind of tactics that allowed him to turn his arm into a weapon. You should dig into it."

"Already did. There are a few tactics purported to have the same effect, but none of which has remotely the same intensity. Einherjar Wannabe waited until Wang Ben reached his peak EMF before subdued him, he is quite confident of his own power if not too much so, don't you think? "

"Tell me about it; the worst is that he kept on ignoring my invitation, and showed up only when I wasn't there. It's annoying."

Luv Ma cracked a smile, "He showed up only on weekends, you were too busy wooing girls then."

"A life without love is not worth living, but..." Miao Xiu paused to allow a smirk crept onto his face. Luv Ma pulled a face that said, "spit it out."

"But love without a bro like you is not true love."

"F*ck off, you f*g."

"Pff. Einherjar Wannabe, you think you are so cool... I will show you what's cool when you hand your a*s over to me," Miao Xiu hissed.

Wang Tong never had time to play cool. Without any financial support, he had to learn to look after himself; a job would be more useful than playing cool to that end.

After lamenting over his destitute situation, Wang Tong followed it with actions. He applied at a Chinese restaurant close to school and quickly got an offer to handle miscellaneous tasks. The pay was good, and the restaurant would pay him daily which was the icing on the cake to Wang Tong.

Wang Tong's task today was to prepare and clean vegetables. Looking at the pile of vegetables in front of him, Wang Tong was perplexed. In this day and time, even cooking could be done by robots, but some fancier restaurant had insisted using manual labor as their marketing gimmicks. However, gimmicks aside, some connoisseur were convinced that there was a particular satisfaction when eating a meal that was prepared by hand.

Wang Tong never understood that particular desire, but he welcomed its existence nonetheless; without it, he wouldn't get this job.

Wang Tong changed into his work-cloth and started to pick out the bad leaves, cleaned the vegetables, sorted them on the table, then rinse and repeat. Despite the large amount of vegetables he had to sort through, his EMF had allowed him to keep a good pace, and soon, he was engrossed in the activity. Unlike Samantha and Ma Xiaoru, who were born with silver spoons in their mouths, life had never been kind to Wang Tong. However, he had learned to make a lemonade whenever the Gods had decided to give him a lemon.

After two hours, Wang Tong walked out of the work area and reported to the manager: "I am done."

"Ok... Oh, what? You are done? Everything?" the manager asked in surprise. He had assigned him a week worth of workload. He walked into the prep room, fearing that Wang Tong had made a mess, but surprisingly, he found out that all vegetables had been cleaned and were set neatly on the counter. The manager picked one up to examine it closely; he could hardly find a fly-speck on it.

The manager was impressed. It appeared that this student of A-Class Academy was worth his salt. "Well done! Excellent! Due to your exceptional performance, I will double your wage from now on. And, I will give you a free dining coupon in our restaurant." Joy was written all over the manager's face. His generous gesture would make up only a small portion of the expenses that Wang Tong had already helped him saved.

Wang Tong nodded. The manager's profit did not concern him, this was just a temporary job to keep himself busy and make some extra cash. Wang Tong hadn't realized how hungry he was until he received the dining coupon, so he decided to satisfy his gluttony right then.

As the waiter laid out five dishes in front of Wang Tong, each lusher than the next, the sight had exhilarated him. He waved his chopsticks in the air and said, "Eat your heart out, Old Fart, these are all your favorite dishes! Haha"

Wang Tong quickly buried his face in the food. He could hear jibes floating in the air and felt a few pairs of eyes staring at him with disgust, but he didn't care to slow down, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Truly happy people don't care what others think" had always been Wang Tong's motto.

Chapter 42: Hu Yangxuan's Ploy

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

"What an uncouth clown."

"He looks like someone from our school… Golly gee! I think he is!" a girl exclaimed with surprise.

"Your school couldn't set its bar lower. No need to take your study too seriously, babe. Try to have fun first. If you are with me, you won't need to worry about finding a job in the future anyway."

"After I graduate, I will have to be counting on you for everything, you better not forget that."

The conversation had disturbed Wang Tong's peace and forced him to agree with Samantha's scathing methods. This scene of decadence was a stark contrast to Ayrlarng's former glory, in which graduates had been nothing but elites of the society. In a fit of uncontrollable anguish, Wang Tong stood up to interrupt the couple's conversation, but someone else was one step ahead of him.

"Mister, be careful of what goes in and out of your mouth, no one wants to smell that bad breath." He then turned toward the girl. "Do you know me?"

"Hu Yangxuan?" The girl was pleasantly surprised. The man beside her tasted envoy in his mouth and asked, "Babe, who the hell is this guy?"

"Fellow sister, why lower your standards and settle for a sugar daddy? He is not going to look after you for the rest of your life. Ditch him now, I will help you find a job." Hu Yangxuan wore a broad and candid smile.

"Hey, who the hell are you? Do you know who I am? Have you heard of the Real-Big? That is my dad's company!"

"Real-Big!" Hu Yangxuan feinted a gasp as if he was shocked by the name. Mr. Real-Big Jr. took the bait and allowed smug to creep onto the comers of his mouth.

"No, never heard of it," Hu Yangxuan suddenly changed his tone and snipped away Mr. Real-Big Jr.'s budding ego cold turkey. He then tossed a business card on the table, "Take this, fellow sister, as a token of my promise. "

"What a garbage..."Mr. Real-Big Jr.'s wrath was cut short by the girl as she quickly snatched up the business card which in itself would worth over ten thousand credits. Compared to Hu YangXuan's family business, there was nothing big about the Real-Big. Mr. Real-Big Jr. had caught a glimpse of a few letters on the card: "KC Corp.", and he choked back his pride immediately.

"You know where the door is, get out before I want to bankrupt you," Hu Yangxuan said it seemingly lightheartedly. Mr. Real-Big Jr., on the other hand, had turned gloomy; he knew Hu Yangxuan could do it if he really wanted to.

"I had enough of this women; you can have her if you want." Mr. Real-Big Jr. shriveled like a deflated balloon.

Hu Yangxuan ignored him. Instead, he turned to the girl and said, "Fellow sister, if you want to make a spectacle of yourself, don't drag Ayrlarng's name with you. Have some self-respect please."

Hu Yangxuan let the matter rest as he watched the girl scurried out of the restaurant, still holding his business card tightly in her hand. He would deliver his promise and help her find a job, but it would be up to herself to improve her moral bearing.

It was a welcoming sight to Wang Tong as he sat down to enjoy his feast once again.

"Wang Tong, do you mind if I join you? All that venting had made me forget how hungry I was."

"Ha! Not at all. You are lucky today, it's all on me! Don't miss this rare opportunity!" Wang Tong smiled. After seeing what had just happened, Wang Tong's feeling toward Hu Yangxuan had improved significantly.

"I am honored, thank you!"

Hu Yangxuan started to help himself with the meal, although he was eating as much as Wang Tong, his table manner was more polished thanks to the cultured environment in which he grew up.

Two of them picked the table clean in just ten minutes. Wang Tong rubbed his mouth and patted his bulged belly, "That was a good show you put on, and rightfully so."

"I am glad you liked it, would you consider a kind donation then?" Hu Yangxuan deflected the topic of the conversation, alluding to his real intention.

Wang Tong watched as Hu Yangxuan dappled his mouth with a piece of clean napkin, and sensed that something was lurking behind the words. Hu Yangxuan's appearance today must not have been coincident.

Wang Tong cheered up and said, "You are trying to rob a beggar."

"Just kidding. I am here today to challenge you." Hu Yangxuan's face suddenly became serious.

"Oh, what of me made you want to do that?"

"Everyone knows that I am here for Ma Xiaoru. Furthermore, I am not after her inheritance, I truly like her just the way she is. A girl like her is hard to find so I would not give up so easily. If I were in Capth or Yalden, I would have too many opponents, but here in Ayrlarng, I have only one." Hu Yangxuan stared directly into Wang Tong's eyes.

"I am flattered. Aren't you afraid that your praise would boost my confidence, and I might as well make a move on Ma Xiaoru, even though I might have never thought of it?"

"Haha, Wang Tong, I wouldn't be here if you hadn't thought of it. Don't overlook my ability to pick up on things."

"Fine, I did think of making a move on her, but the fact that you knew it wouldn't deter me the slightest. You might as well assume that I do and keep it to yourself."

"Hehe. To assume is to make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. I never liked guessing games, neither could I keep anything to myself. You would know that if you knew me well. Anyhow, lately I have felt as if I have come to a dead end, competition might shake things up a little bit. A change is as good as a rest after all."

Wang Tong felt that what he said seemed convincing; almost too convincing. As far as Wang Tong knew, only children and fools told the truth, but Hu Yangxuan was neither.

Hu Yangxuan's strenuous efforts had failed to draw Ma Xiaoru's attention. He, therefore, decided to shift gear and publicly compete with Ma Xiaoru's current interest, Wang Tong. Hu Yangxuan was convinced that he has everything that Ma Xiaoru was looking for: strength, personality, talents, and look. In comparison, Wang Tong's only advantage was his mysterious façade which would eventually fade away over time.

"I won't give up what I have started." Wang Tong threw a searing glance at Hu Yangxuan. Ma Xiaoru had already won his heart, not because of her glaring family name, but her personality. She seemed meek at first glance, but her words were often laced with rebellious spirits. She perhaps was innocent to the bone, but the effect of the Tactics of the Enchantress had shrouded her actions under a veil of mystery. She was the embodiment of a tantalizing riddle, enchanting in her unique ways. Not to mention her angel's face and devil's body which would make any boy's heartache.

Generally speaking, there would be only two types of reactions to a girl like her among the male students: admiration and the feeling of inferiority. The first would drive them into action, and the second would make them crying over their slim chance. Most male students in Ayrlarng had chosen the latter; they worshiped Ma Xiaoru but dared not to approach her. On the contrary, Hu Yangxuan had chosen to be proactive thanks to his self-confidence. However, Wang Tong was neither. Although he acknowledged the gap between him and Ma Xiaoru, he also wondered if Ma Xiaoru would truly live up to her reputation. He would not care the difficulties nor the differences, as long as she could prove herself worthy.

After having escaped the death's clutch on Norton, Wang Tong learned to measure people on a much deeper level.

Chapter 43: Weekend Visit

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

"Very well, from now on, we shall be both allies and adversaries at the same time. To that end, I'd like to offer you a piece of information as a token of our alliance. The Tactics of the Enchantress might have made Ma Xiaoru skeptical to any relationship; however, if she ever falls in love, her passion would be almost irreversible.

"Anyhow, I suggest you make a move as soon as possible, time is of the essence, there would be more opponents the longer we drag it out."

Wang Tong shrugged and replied, "I am not yet as invested in it as you are. I like to take things slowly. I don't even know her that well yet."

A grin flashed across Hu Yangxuan's face; he heaved a sigh and said, "If I had heard it from anyone else, I would have thought that he was, excuse my language, bull-sh*tting... But for some reason, I am convinced that you have told me the truth."

Hu Yangxuan's openness had surprised Wang Tong, he paused a moment and said, "I have to say, the more I know you, the more different you are from my impression of you. I have always thought you were a pretentious introvert."

"Pretentious introvert? Haha, everyone knew me as an ostentatious extrovert, if not a pompous *sshole. Haha!" Hu Yangxuan's profanity had made him seemed even more approachable to Wang Tong.

"What should we do next?"

"We should act. She is not going to fall into your lap if we just sit around. She lives in a floating mansion in Shangjin. Let's pay her a visit."

"You want me to share the burden of embarrassment when she gives you the cold shoulder?"

"Haha, nah, I only wish to share the stage," Hu Yangxuan didn't hide his motive, but honesty made him even more charming to a girl, perhaps even to Ma Xiaoru.

They wasted no time and walked down to Hu Yangxuan's Mag-Lev(Magnetic Levitation) car outside of the restaurant. Wang Tong's suspicion was not unfounded; Hu Yangxuan was well prepared for the seemingly random encounter, he even prepared the means of transportation necessary to go to the floating mansion.

Wang Tong knew he might have walked into a trap, and there was a possibility that he might regret his actions, but the impetuousness bloomed fiercely like the wildflower of youth inside of him; the promise of seeing Ma Xiaoru on the weekend was too tempting to resist.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the mansion. Even at a distance, the mansion's enormous size made it look formidable. They passed the security check, and Hu Yangxuan buzzed the doorbell.

"What are these two doing here?" Samantha asked Ma Xiaoru. She buried her face in the headrest, while a masseuse was working her back muscle.

"I am not sure; I hope they would stay and hang out with us."

"Silly girl. I know what you are thinking about, no need to hide it from me. Girl just wanna have some fun, I get it." Samantha laid on the massage chair languidly, a piece of towel draped loosely over her back, but not enough to conceal her curvaceous thighs.

"I am not the only girl here." Ma Xiaoru turned her head to Samantha.

"Nah, I had enough of men. They are either too stupid or only want to take advantage of me. I have decided to stay single forever."

"I don't believe it for a second. You just have to find the right one," there was a determination in Ma Xiaoru's voice. She had always believed in love. The difficulty in finding it did not amount to its nonexistence.

A faint smile crept onto Samantha's face. Truth be told, she never lacked admirers when she was studying at Capth. Some had given it all they got to impress her but lacked real talent, and some had pretended as her equal but reeked pretentiousness. Perhaps because she was too smart and level-headed, she could never find a boy that was able to knock her socks off. Love, to Samantha, might as well be a fairy tale. She had decided to dedicate herself to something more meaningful, such as revitalizing Ayrlarng.

Wang Tong and Hu Yangxuan drove slowly toward the mansion. Although Hu Yangxuan was from a relatively prominent household, he could not help noticing that this mansion would make his family residence seemed squalid and chintzy. From the decors to the layout, Hu Yangxuan could sense the exquisite taste of the owner.

Wang Tong, on the other hand, lacked the vocabulary necessary to discern the nuances of the styles and the flavors of the decorations; he found it was simply lavish, like all other lavish houses.

Their jaw dropped when they saw Samantha who was sitting right beside Ma Xiaoru. Nervousness was written all over their faces in a dozen tight places.

"What the heck are you guys doing here? What are you guys afraid of? I don't bite!" Samantha hissed and threw them an accusatory look.

"Principal Samantha, I am here to hang out with Ma Xiaoru since it's the weekend today," Hu Yangxuan spoke with confidence.

"What about you." Samantha turned her attention to Wang Tong.

"I am here… I am here to... to discuss homework." Wang Tong regretted immediately. The others faces froze for a brief second, and then they burst out laughing.

"What a convenient excuse! Anyhow, today is the weekend, I will let it ride." Samantha turned on her heel, a cascade of dark current swirled above her shoulder, the color accentuated the snowy white of her bare feet.

Wang Tong cold not help but keep on ogling at that pair of delicate feet as Samantha sauntered off. He never thought Samantha could look so devastatingly cute when she acted like a normal human. He figured that it might have something to do with the drastic difference with her usual image of a cold and harsh principal with heavy glasses that hid half of her emotions.

Ma Xiaoru gave the two visitors a tour of her house. Unlike Hu Yangxuan, who was nodding and responding from time to time, Wang Tong's mind had drifted away as they walked from room to room. He could think of nothing but Samantha's milky feet and her charming laughter.

"What do you think of this, Wang Tong?" Wang Tong heard Ma Xiaoru's voice, he jerked his heads slightly and pulled himself back into reality.

"Ah… good… good, very good..." Wang Tong replied without knowing what she was asking about.

Hu Yangxuan interrupted Wang Tong's perfunctory reply, "The design of this garden was unmatched. In my humble opinion, this could easily be the best garden on Earth! This intricate decoration, for example, I bet there are less than five of them in the entire Confederation."

Wang Tong's eyes darted from left to right, and suddenly he found what he was looking for. Samantha stretched her long legs on a bench while she was listening to music. Her immaculate toes bobbed up and down with the beat of the music.

Wang Tong was stunned by the image. His heart pounded heavily in his chest and blood flushed toward his brain. He felt a sensation that didn't even occur to him when he saw Ma Xiaoru for the first time. He gathered the remaining consciousness, and with great effort, he pinched himself hard.

The pain alerted Wang Tong. He tasted embarrassment in his mouth and quickly gathered himself before the other two noticed any trace of his carnal thoughts.

"Wang Tong, you seemed distracted," there was an edge in Hu Yangxuan's voice.

"Nah, I am just shocked by how comfortable this house is," Wang Tong shrugged as he spoke, pretending there was nothing on his mind.

Chapter 44: Temptation

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

The tour of Ma Xiaoru's Mansion had been an eye opener for Wang Tong. With the advancement of science and technology, standards of living had improved by leaps and bounds, but the gap between the rich and poor had not been narrowed; Wang Tong had experienced it at first-hand while living in the cramped and squalid quarters of the Hope district. Perhaps that was the way of the world; although being confined by morality, survival of the fittest had always been the main theme throughout all stages of societal developments.

The drastic difference had drawn out Wang Tong's memories of his life on Norton. Although it had been a hellish nightmare, Wang Tong had regretted nothing; instead, he cherished the events that had made a life-changing impact on him.

He even came to appreciate Mr. Wannabe's harsh methods; it had been the only source from which Wang Tong could draw aspirations to keep on fighting. In hindsight, It was a necessary evil. Under such excruciating circumstance, one moment of slacking off might have cost Wang Tong's life.

Sensing Wang Tong's attention had drifted away; Ma Xiaoru ended the tour. She sat down beside Samantha and signaled the servants to bring out the drinks.

"You guys again? Haven't you get enough of my scolding?" Samantha asked half jokingly.

"Sis, this is the weekend, we are supposed to relax," Ma Xiaoru changed into a meek and conciliatory voice, in an attempt to coax the principal.

Hu Yangxuan felt drunk after hearing Ma Xiaoru's innocent voice. Wang Tong, on the other hand, fixated his eyes on Samantha.

Samantha snorted, "I am still pissed off at SOMEONE who had turned down my invitation to join our tournament team. I just can't stop thinking about it, and it had ruined my weekend. How am I supposed to relax?"

Samantha rolled her eyes at Wang Tong. This feminine expression sent the Wang Tong's heart quivering. Wang Tong felt it difficult to draw any connection between the charming if not seductive girl with that cold and distanced principal.

Hu Yangxuan stirred in surprise upon hearing that Wang Tong had been invited to join the team. Wang Tong looked helpless and said, "I just don't want to let you down."

"Do your best, and you won't let anyone down." Samantha sat up and looked straight into Wang Tong's eyes.

Wang Tong locked his eyes with that pool of darkness, he found Samantha particularly attractive when she wasn't wearing her glasses. "Fine, I will sign up, and I will try my best."

"Atta boy!" Samantha stood up in excitement, eyes still fixated on Wang Tong as if she was afraid that he would change his mind on a whim. Wang Tong felt helpless, he did not know why he had agreed to it, but it was too late then.

"Welcome aboard Wang Tong! We should celebrate, champagne everybody?" Ma Xiaoru applauded in joy.

Samantha's eyes lit up with glee; she was pleasantly surprised. This had quickly turned into the most relaxing weekend ever since she became the principal. "Alright, I will celebrate with you as a token of my gratitude, pretend I am not your principal." In a fit of uncontrollable excitement, Samantha crossed the line that had defined her role. However, Samantha was not the only one that had crossed the line, Wang Tong had also done it by agreeing to something that he knew he shouldn't have.

Soon, the room was filled with the fragrance of champagne and glee. It was a weight off Samantha's mind. She finally started to see a glimpse of hope in this tournament.

After a few cups of champagne, the chemistry among the four changed quickly; they began to talk about their life and shared stories of their past.

Ma Xiaoru told everyone that when she had first arrived in the Li's family as an apprentice, she felt homesick. For the first few nights, she had cried alone in her bed, wanting to go home.

Hu Yangxuan had confessed that he never liked playing classical scores on piano. Instead, he loved playing rock music. It was his parents who had forced him to learn classical music because they thought that it was a symbol of nobility.

Samantha also joined in and revealed how nerve-racked she was on the first day as the principal. She had just graduated university then and hadn't adopted her new role yet. A sense of insecurity kept on distracting her while talking to a roomful of senior instructors, so she had to dig her nails into her legs to stay focused.

Upon hearing that, Wang Tong quietly leered at Samantha's long and elegant legs. Immediately he felt ashamed of doing so and wondered how Hu Yangxuan could have resisted the temptation.

When it was Wang Tong's turn, he struggled a while to find a good story. Although he had many embarrassing stories while living with Old Fart, none was interesting enough.

"Well, I guess I can talk about my life on Norton."

"The planet Norton? I have heard that it was beautiful. I was going to visit there with my parents, but the war had spoiled the trip." To a princess like Ma Xiaoru, the planet Norton had to be a place of wild imaginations.

They listened intently as Wang Tong filled them in with events on Norton. By the end, they all felt that Norton was a heaven for adventures.

Hu Yangxuan was the first to notice that some details of Wang Tong's story seemed extraordinary, "So, you had survived the 5g gravity for an entire year? That's unthinkable."

"I was lucky. I had encountered a Zerg and accidentally opened my EMF. At first, I couldn't believe it myself either; it must be a freak of nature. Oh, and the gravity might not be as bad as you think."

"Didn't you feel lonely living there all by yourself?" Samantha asked.

"Nah, never. There were Zergs everywhere who kept me company. They even came out of hidings and saw me off on the day I left."

The others couldn't help laughing upon hearing this. "No wonder you are such an expert at dissecting Zergs!" Hu Yangxuan exclaimed.

"Jokes aside. I am truly in debt with Charcoal, if not for him, I would have already lost my sanity. On the day I lost him to the Zergs, I cried for the first time in my life... Hey, keep your mouth sealed, I don't want other people to know that I cried over a robot!"

Ma Xiaoru nodded her head. Samantha on the other hand, would not pass up this opportunity, "Hehe, I can't promise anything. But if you do as I say, your secret might just be safe with me." She rubbed the top of Wang Tong's head, like patting a meek lamb. Wang Tong's refute suddenly evaporated in his mouth.

"Gosh... what is happening to me!" Wang Tong screamed inside of his mind.

"I was just kidding. Why so serious!" Samantha let out a burst of laughter after seeing Wang Tong's frozen expression. She had become weary by the stoic mask she had to wore in the principal's office. Today, she just wanted to be herself, and her face bloomed like a flower.

Only with great effort had Wang Tong refrained himself from touching Samantha's beautiful face.

"Wang Tong, would you care to tell us more about the Zergs? Are they as smart as people say they are?"

"Definitely. They communicate with each other in their own ways, just like we do. They also have a habit of leaving a souvenir for me after every encounter," Wang Tong spoke with certainty; he had always regarded Zergs as formidable opponents and never dared to underestimate them.

"What do you mean souvenir?" The topic had piqued everyone's interest, even Hu Yangxuan who was eager to be back into the limelight had patiently waited his turn.

"Ah... nothing spectacular, just scars." Wang Tong rolled up his sleeves. "This one, here, is the work of a Sickle Zerg, he almost severed my arm right off. And… this one. This one was from a Bomb Zerg, nasty bugs! The rest were more or less the same." Wang Tong rolled up the bottom of his T-shirt, revealing a huge and ugly scar across his belly.

Chapter 45: Tactics of the Enchantress-Round One

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

Although Wang Tong had spoken lightly about his life on Norton, the hardship had greatly disturbed the girls. It also started to shed light on the side of Wang Tong that was previously unknown to Ma Xiaoru, leaving her in awe of Wang Tong's bravery.

"They say scar is a man's badge of honor. Perhaps one day I would be able to fight alongside with you. Toast! For the victory over Zergs! Haha!" Hu Yangxuan raised his cup of champagne and beamed from ear to ear. He displayed his emotion in plain view, regardless if it was joy or remorse. It was a trait that Wang Tong was very fond of.

"Haha, very well. I will take you up on that, cheers! Haha!" Memories of Norton had drawn out the taste of fire and blood in Wang Tong's mouth, filling his body with excitement as if he was back on the battlefield and ready to tear apart Zergs, limb by limb. He let out a gale of laughter that pulled Ma Xiaoru's heart closer to him. To Ma Xiaoru, Wang Tong was no longer a meek F-class student, but a big and tough macho-man, chest hairs and all.

A smirk flashed across Samantha's face; she could almost hear Ma Xiaoru's heavy and irregular heartbeat, like a helpless little bird flapping its wings and trying to escape a trap of her own making.

"Why don't you show us what you have learned on Norton? Seeing is believing. We are all very curious as to exactly how good of a fighter you are, especially our principal," Hu Yangxuan spoke as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Good call! Xiaoru, why don't you spar with him. Seeing how red you are after only a cup of champagne made me question your strength as well. Truth be told, sometimes I wonder if you were kicked out the Li's private training school because of slacking off."

"Sis! I happened to be one of the most accomplished disciples of the Li's." Ma Xiaoru pouted her lower lips. The tinge of rosy-red that hang on her cheek moments ago turned deeper in color by the second. She then darted her eyes to Wang Tong.

"Wang Tong, do you accept my challenge?"

"I do! I have always wanted to witness the Tactics of the Enchantress, it is an opportunity that I could not pass up."

The four of them filed into Ma Xiaoru's training room. Although this room was intended for only one person, it was much larger than the gym at school. A gravity simulator was set squarely in the middle of the room; the simulator itself would have cost as much as an entire gym. House Ma evidently spared no expense at Ma Xiaoru's training, but to Wang Tong's surprise, most of the equipment focused on physical training instead of EMF.

What was unknown to Wang Tong was the fact that when most cultivators had been struggling to push their limits of EMF, the five great houses had abandoned that route, and focused instead on the GN power. It wasn't long before they discovered the inextricable relationship between one's physical strength and the GN force output, and therefore, they had since emphasized the importance of physical training.

Few servants brought out a weapon rack, Ma Xiaoru picked up a sword and gestured toward Wang Tong: "Please help yourself."

It was well known that the Li were master of swordplay, as it was equally well known that the Dowers were masters of yielding lances. Both were being regarded as the epitome of the fighters of their races: Earthlings and Ivantians. The fame and influence of the two households had been neck and neck until a few decades ago when the Dowers had failed to pass down their Tactics of the Deva King. That being said, the recent rumors had it that a boy from the youngest generation of the Dowers had demonstrated exceptional talent, some even purported that he was the second "perfect" human after his ancestor General Rilangalous.

Wang Tong cracked a smile as he picked up a sword from the rack, weighed it in his hand and nodded satisfyingly. Should Miao Xiu and Luv Ma were here to see his choice of weapon; they would most likely be shocked. It went without saying that a sword would be a hindrance rather than help to Wang Tong who already used his right arm as the weapon.

"Please." Ma Xiaoru straightened her back and leveled the sword about her waist. Wang Tong could feel a sharp belligerence emanating out from Ma Xiaoru's tensed body. The air suddenly became somber and was laced with iciness; she was ready to strike.

"Please," Wang Tong replied gallantly while keeping his eyes fixated on his opponent. Although he was as excited about this fight as anyone else, he reminded himself to tread carefully because what he about to face was one of the five deadliest tactics of the Confederation.

The two fighters stood still, patiently and carefully brooded their first move. The anticipation had kept Hu Yangxuan on the edge of his chair.

"What is Wang Tong hiding underneath his facade? How powerful is the Tactics of the Enchantress, does it live up to its hype? How does it compare to the Templar's Tactics of the Hexa Solaris?" Old and new questions sprout out in his mind, and the answers, Hu Yangxuan reckoned, would soon lay in front of his eyes.

Samantha could not suppress a snicker after seeing how quickly Wang Tong had risen to the bait. "The bait is always the key ingredient of any trap." A smug crept onto the corner of her lips, "And I happened to have the prettiest one," she thought. They say human were too smart for their own good, and Samantha was the shiniest example.

As Ma Xiaoru started to draw her inner power through the Tactics of the Enchantress, the air about her suddenly took on an otherworldly quality, as if her soul energy had torn through the very fabric of reality and materialized in front of Wang Tong's eyes. Within a mist of eeriness, Ma Xiaoru's body started to become blurry, and then multiple copies of her figure seemed to appear at different locations. Wang Tong tried to focus onto one of the many fuzzy apparitions, but it disappeared before it re-emerged at the corner of his eyes.

This technique was called the "Enchantress's Deception". It was a psychological attack to confuse the opponent's visual senses, to disturb their inner balance, and eventually, to make them crumble from inside. However, as Ma Xiaoru dashed forward to strike the supposedly weakened opponent, she revealed an infinitesimally small imprint of her true form, and it was more than enough for Wang Tong to see through the visual illusion. He then thrust his sword without any hesitation to meet the incoming attack.

The fact that Wang Tong was able to see through the Enchantress's Deception shocked Samantha in a very pleasant way. "Luck has favored me after all," she thought to herself.

The two fighters charged toward each other with drastically different styles. Ma Xiaoru's seemingly casual advance had hidden more than what it revealed, aloft but deceptive. On the other hand, Wang Tong had placed everything beneath the plain view, but he had managed to conceal no less, thanks to his chaotic and shambolic execution.

When the two swords eventually collided, the impact sent a loud clank that pierced through the air. Ma Xiaoru's first attack was merely an attempt to probe Wang Tong's strength. This overdose of cautiousness was not entirely without personal motives. Unsure of her infatuation-tinted imagination, she had feared that the real Wang Tong might let her down and feared even more that she might hurt Wang Tong's feeling should she unleash her full strength and defeat him with ease.

However, the numbness in Ma Xiaoru's palm taught her something about Wang Tong's true strength, but it also comforted her.

"Brother Wang, now we will fight."

Her grip tightened, whitening her knuckles, she shifted her weight left and right before taking a half step back and hunkered down in a stance that was unmistakably the starting position of the sword technique: The Enchantress's Sword.

A gale swept across the room as Ma Xiaoru tapped deeper into the source of her power. She turned a half pirouette, raised the hilt of the sword to about her face and pointed the sharp tip directly at Wang Tong. Amidst another icy wind that had seemingly come out from nowhere, she executed a full pirouette in the opposite direction, and while cutting the sword edge downward, the tip of the sword traced an arc in the air. The sudden change of direction resulted in an undulation that started from the center of the sword, propagating to the very tip, and making the tip to trace two arcs within the first. This was the potent technique of the Enchantress's Sword: the Triple Arc of the Enchantress.

Ma Xiaoru finished the move in a swift and elegant motion, looking dazzlingly beautiful. The power of her strike was no less in magnitude than her beauty. Even the slightest distraction would have spawned Wang Tong's doom, and Ma Xiaoru's enchanting appearance was undoubtedly not helping him in that respect.

He was less than a fraction of a second slower than he should have, and his sword was nearly pried away by the force of the impact. Almost immediately, Wang Tong registered that Ma Xiaoru's deadly force did not come out from her dantian alone, but also her tenacious body.

Wang Tong's mind raced, and suddenly he saw the gravity simulator. "Physical training." Wang Tong nodded slightly, "That's what made her hit so much heavier than the others."

Despite Ma Xiaoru's amenable appearance, the rigorous training had molded her into a fearsome fighter who was capable of executing the most physically demanding maneuvers and unleash GN forces of unmatched magnitudes.

Wang Tong could feel his throat dried by the fume of belligerence inside of him, making him thirst for more thrill of the battle. Truth be told, Ma Xiaoru was the strongest opponent Wang Tong had ever faced since he came back from Norton. Wang Ben could have taken that title if not for his failed operation.

Ma Xiaoru's second attack quickly ensued; it came so fast that Wang Tong had no time to evade, forcing him to block the assault at point blank.

Hu Yangxuan's breath was caught in his throat. He doubted that Wang Tong would be able to come out unharmed.

Wang Tong clumsily yanked his sword in an attempt to block the attack. The two swords clanked, and Ma Xiaoru stumbled back; her body shaken by the force of the impact. Wang Tong had countered her combo attack without much effort.

"Ma Xiaoru, please don't conserve your strength. Otherwise, you won't be able to defeat me." Wang Tong stood proudly. Regardless of Ma Xiaoru's intention in conserving her power, it was not the fight he wanted.

"My apologies, fellow brother." Seriousness flashed across Ma Xiaoru's face. The pain had finally awakened her from her infatuation, and she came to term with the fact that Wang Tong might be even stronger than her.

Ma Xiaoru struck again, this time she did it with full force. She infused her blade with GN power, and as it cut through the air, the edge stirred up an icy gale. The tip of the sword pulsated violently, making it impossible to block.

Wang Tong closed in, but instead of blocking, he maneuvered suddenly to his side. The sudden change in direction had caught Ma Xiaoru off guard, and her strike missed the target.

Before she had time to steady herself, she registered Wang Tong's counter attack as a wild gale brushed at the back of her neck.

Chapter 46: Fall from Grace

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

The fight had enslaved Wang Tong's attention and demanded more devastating damages from the sword in his hand, and the sword answered the call. As Wang Tong's sword cut through the air, GN force burst out from the tip in a wild gale that swept across the gym, roaring like a charging beast. The GN force that lingered and danced on the sword's edge was sharper and pointier than the sword. This vicious attack would cause the "GN Dimensional Damage", a higher form of damage that could shred anything into an unrecognizable form.

Conscious enslaved, Wang Tong had put Ma Xiaoru in great danger. He should have remembered that he had nearly fallen into the state of deranged the last time he had yielded a weapon: the rebar he had picked up in the cave on Norton. He also has forgotten about the promise he had made to himself later that night: to think thrice before picking up a weapon again. He had kept that promise throughout his TPA fights, but the unbearable anticipation of the fight, the wine, and Samantha's mesmerizing beauty had forced him to eat his words.

Ma Xiaoru did not flinch; she executed a steady but brisk half pirouette as Wang Tong's sword cut through the air in front of her forehead. The sword caught a few loose strands of Ma Xiaoru's dark hair that were tossed off into the air amidst the turn, but the hair flowed like water under the sharp edge.

The missed strike made Wang Tong lose his bearing momentarily and gave Ma Xiaoru a small window for a counterattack. She wrenched her sword over her head and twisted the hilt. The sword suddenly became a living thing, pulling her body to flex in the way that was beyond comprehension, all the while, she never lost that liquid-like fluidity in her movement. She had showcased the highest level of swordplay, the maximum synchronization of mind, body, and the sword. It required years of training, cultivation, and above all, intuition. While holding the sword high up in the air with both hands, Ma Xiaoru tapped into her dantian and channeled her GN force into the sword. She squeezed the hilt until her knuckles whitened, and then, she hacked at Wang Tong with full force.

Wang Tong registered at the corner of his eyes three perfectly shaped arcs streaking across the air toward his chest at lightning speed. He jerked his body and stepped to one side with an intentionally chaotic footstep, hoping to trick his opponent to miscalculate the distance. However, Ma Xiaoru had seen through his trick and followed immediately with a second strike precisely in Wang Tong's direction. The sudden change of direction twisted the sword into a slight curve. As it whirled through the air, it traced out another three deadly arcs flying toward Wang Tong.

The second attack caught Wang Tong off guard. While struggling to maintain balance, he quickly took two steps back. Before Wang Tong could steady himself, he found Ma Xiaoru's third attack was merely inches away from his face; he could even feel the coldness of the blade on the tip of his nose. It was too late.

Suddenly, he felt his body tensed up, a knot of fire exploded inside of his dantian, turning his blood into liquid iron. A burst of GN force violently zapped his brain and sapped reason and conscience stored within. All the while, his pupils shrunk but did not disappear like in the state of deranged; instead, it narrowed into a vertical slit, like that of a feral cat before it pounced at its prey.

When Wang Tong finally dodged the attack, no one could really make out just exactly what had happened. One moment he was set squarely in the path of Ma Xiaoru's strike, fumbling about as he tried to regain balance; a moment later, he was a few feet away from where he was standing, still in the exact same posture. It was as if he had folded the space and traveled from one end to the other without even moving a muscle.

With her target suddenly disappearing, Ma Xiaoru became defenseless and plunged forward. She felt Wang Tong's iron grip on her arm and a coldness quickly closing in on her neck. She gasped, it was the coldness of Wang Tong's sword.

Wang Tong finally regained control of his mind when the sword was less than an inch away from Ma Xiaoru's neck. He jerked his arm to a different direction, trying to divert the sword's trajectory, but it was difficult. The momentum carried Wang Tong forward until his face planted squarely into Ma Xiaoru's bosom. He tried best to avoid the soft cushions about his cheeks while trying to regain balance. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Ma Xiaoru like a drowning man hanging onto a piece of wood. In his firm grasp, he felt something round and cushy, with such curves that gave pleasure to his hands... It was Ma Xiaoru's rump.

Wang Tong was unruffled by the sudden assault of carnal desires and was determined to save himself from of this embarrassment. He tilted his body to the left slightly and felt the ground under his feet, with a solid foothold, he stomped the ground heavily and recovered his balance miraculously. Samantha and Hu Yangxuan raised their eyebrows in disbelief after witnessing Wang Tong's almost impossible save.

"Put me down. Now!" Wang Tong heard the soft voice of Ma Xiaoru from the nook of his arm.

"Ah... my bad, I got… I got… carried away," Wang Tong stuttered as he released Ma Xiaoru from his clutch. Ma Xiaoru lowered her head, letting the dark hairs tumble to the front to conceal the crimson cheeks. Wang Tong scratched his head and heaved an inaudible sigh of relieve. No one was harmed. "Lesson learned, never again fight with a woman," he told himself.

Hu Yangxuan's applauds were loud and abrupt, he smiled candidly. "Brother Wang, that was quite something! I knew you would steal my stage. I shouldn't have taken you here," as always, Hu Yangxuan uttered whatever was on his mind.

"Nah. Ma Xiaoru had been too easy on me from the beginning, and I had only gained the upper hand after I lost control of my power."

Wang Tong was impressed by Ma Xiaoru's methodical control of her power and made up his mind to improve his own. Wang Tong's fighting style was formed during the battles against the Zergs, in which controlling his power was irrelevant because every fight meant life or death and demanded Wang Tong to give all he got.

"Brother Wang is indeed a better fighter than me." The blush on Ma Xiaoru's cheeks did not fade the slightest; she lowered her eyes, avoiding Wang Tong's gaze. The situation indeed got pretty hairy back then. Should Wang Tong didn't stop the attack; she might have been in grave danger. She remembered the moment when Wang Tong strained his body to save her life—only a considerate gentlemen would have done that. She felt a sweet ache in her heart when she figured that Wang Tong's left leg must be in so much pain after that heavy stomp.

"Who cares about the outcome of the match. I am just happy that our secret weapon, Wang Tong, might have been our coup de grace! Haha!" Samantha's face bloomed like a flower, but no one had noticed Wang Tong was ogling her.

By the end of the day, everyone felt that they had a blast, except for Hu Yangxuan. It was not that he hadn't enjoyed himself, but because that he had failed to achieve his goal: to gain Ma Xiaoru's attention. If anything, this visit had only helped Wang Tong further his place in Ma Xiaoru's heart. While driving Wang Tong to his dormitory, Hu Yangxuan suddenly felt like that he was Wang Tong's chauffeur.

The only saving grace of the day was what the match had revealed to Hu Yangxuan. He finally came to terms with the fact that Wang Tong was a force to be reckoned with. Although Wang Tong's victory could be in part due to Ma Xiaoru's over-cautious for the sake of safety, he could feel the wild and ferocious power in Wang Tong. He reckoned that many moves executed by Wang Tong, such as the chaotic footwork, must have been inspired by the Zergs. Today's development, albeit not in his favor, didn't deter Hu Yangxuan the slightest. Instead, he felt excited to have an opponent that could challenge him. After all, his life in Ayrlarng had been getting boring very quickly.

"Oh dear! He is gone. Stop thinking about him already," Samantha teased at Ma Xiaoru. She had felt that there was something between Ma Xiaoru and Wang Tong that was never there before. She wondered if she was the only person who was surprised by it.

"No, I am not." Ma Xiaoru blushed.

"Then why did you let him win? " Samantha peered at Ma Xiaoru.

"I didn't. Yes, I did conserve my strength, but so did him."

"Not likely, he nearly lost control of his power. He nearly injured you for god's sake!" Samantha had a keen mind, but she was no METAL fighter, so some details of the fight had eluded her.

"Just trust me. First of all, I don't think that the sword is his preferred choice of weapon. I can tell he is not used to handling it, that's why he kept on using the awkward backhand strike. Secondly, for someone whose fighting style took form while fighting Zergs, I can hardly feel the sense of life and death in any of his advances. As for his true power, you can see it for yourself." Ma Xiaoru led Samantha to where Wang Tong had stomped his left foot to save his embarrassing fall.

Samantha bent down to examine the floor closely, everything looked normal. She touched the floor surface with the tip of her finger to see if it felt any different. The floor crumbled instantly into fine powders.

The two girl stood still, dragging out the silence; they were shocked speechlessly by what had happened.

"What the..." Ma Xiaoru muttered quietly.

"How many sols does it require to break this floor? I thought you told me that your gym floor was a special order, it was almost unbreakable."

"At least two hundred sols." Ma Xiaoru touched the powder on the ground, for a second, she imagined that she was touching Wang Tong's handsome and angular face, the same face that Samantha suddenly had the urge to bit off.

"What an a*shole! He really took me for an idiot!" Samantha gritted her teeth.

Chapter 47: This Is Not a Request

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Samantha clenched his jaws at the feeling of being humiliated.

Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile after noticing Samantha's taut face. "You are the one that makes the rules in Ayrlarng. It is only a matter of time before he came under your thumb."

"True that." Samantha loosened her jaw slightly and hissed: "We have to remind him who he is messing with. Time to give him the wake-up call."

"Which trick in your bag are you going to pull out this time?"

"Come closer." A dim light gleamed in Samantha's eyes as she whispered in Ma Xiaoru's ear.

Ma Xiaoru hesitated: "Are you sure?"

"Why not? It's also a rare opportunity to see who he really is. Two birds, one stone!" Samantha pressed on. As an expert in psychology, she understood that road blocks in a love affair were bound to inflame desire and torment the infatuated soul, but it would also drive them to work harder. It was necessary for an insolent teenager like Wang Tong to gain some degree of respect and appreciation for the love that was otherwise too easy to obtain.

It had been a relaxing and joyful weekend for Wang Tong. Well rested, he sauntered toward his classroom on Monday morning. Just like every other day, the fans of Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan had already been waiting outside of the classroom. They let out a wave of screams in fits of uncontrollable excitement after seeing their adored idols.

Wang Tong heaved a sigh at the sight of the mindless craze. Should these students spent half their zeal on their study instead of pointless teenage-crushes, Ayrlarng would have already restored its former glory. Wang Tong reckoned that the problem at Ayrlarng was with the students. Thinking of Samantha's strenuous and unfaltering effort toward a difficult if not impossible goal, Wang Tong felt sympathetic toward her for the first time. "Perhaps, I had misunderstood her," Wang Tong thought to himself.

Ma Xiaoru sat down beside Wang Tong. She smiled broadly at him and looked at him as if an old friend. But something behind her smile nagged at Wang Tong, making him feel disquieting. He told himself that perhaps he was thinking too much and then dived into his study. Wang Tong understood that he had to study hard and work his way up to avoid becoming a cannon fodder after graduation. Unlike the METAL fighters, Battlefield Commanders required a vast amount of knowledge, the ability to make decisions, and above all, control over their emotions. Engrossed in his study, Wang Tong had hardly realized it when the first class was over. He stretched his arms and was ready to take a short break when a classmate approached him and announced that his presence was requested again in the principal's office. His classmates shook their heads as they watched Wang Tong walked out of the classroom. They pondered as to why this seemingly meek Wang Tong would have required the principal's attention for so many times.

Samantha hung up the intercom with Martyrus, principal of the Bernabeu Academy and was perturbed by the conversation, not because of the latter's arrogant and patronizing demeanor, but the real intent behind the message he had brought up to her.

His message was clear: Bernabeu had officially challenged Ayrlarng to a METAL-combat tournament. But it came with stakes that were too high to Samantha's liking. Martyrus had asked for the transferring of two of Samantha's best students: Ma Xiaoru and Hu Yangxuan to Bernabeu in the case of Bernabeu's victory. On the other hand, should Ayrlarng win the tournament, Bernabeu would renounce its prerogative of competing with S-Class Academies, a privilege that was rightfully Ayrlarng's before Martyrus stole it decades ago in a similar ill-intended tournament. To make the matter worse, Martyrus had wrapped his intention in a blatantly unconvincing excuse: "To encourage the students, we need to raise the stakes," as he put it.

"He took me for a green gullible teenage girl!" Samantha hissed in her mind.

Although Samantha knew very well that it was a bait, the reward was tempting enough for her to consider accepting the challenge. The day that Ayrlarng lost the privilege of fighting with the S-Class academies decades ago had marked the turning point from which it had started to fall apart and eventually reached the state so decadent that none of the original sponsors were willing to continue their funding. On the contrary, the Academy of Bernabeu had benefited greatly by sharing the same stage with S-Class academies; the development had also helped their new principal at the time, Martyrus, to establish his authority and rise to power.

Samantha didn't accept the challenge on the spot and asked for more time to consider the matter. However, after she had given it much thought, and in a bout of vindictive rage, Samantha made up her mind to accept the challenge. But before she announced that to Martyrus, she needed to speak to the student that would play the critical role in her plan of revenge.

Samantha straightened her eyeglasses and felt invigorated by the duty of the principal to right what had been wronged for so many years. Should Ayrlarng win the tournament, it would bring a much-needed confidence boost to its students, and with the right to compete with S-Class academies being restored, Ayrlarng would eventually be able to resurface out of its slumber.

Martyrus had outlined the condition of the match: Five winning games were required for the final victory, but Hu Yangxuan and Ma Xiaoru each were allowed to attend only one round. Samantha reckoned that the only person that she could count on to bring in three more wins was Wang Tong, her secret weapon. It seemed like that her personal retribution might have to wait until the tournament was over.

Wang Tong showed up at the door and disturbed Samantha's train of thoughts.

"Principal, you were looking for me?"

"Hehe, yes. Please, grab a seat and help yourself to some tea," Samantha said politely.

"Thanks, but what is it?" Wang Tong was direct to the business. He knew Principal Samantha wouldn't invite him to her office just for some tea.

"Some of your classmates had accused the school of giving you special treatment, and I do see where they are coming from. I know that there are no other available rooms, but you see, most dormitories were shared, not only you have an entire room to yourself, but also it is uncomfortably close to the girl's dormitory number five."

Wang Tong seemed unruffled by her questioning tone. He didn't choose to live there, it was Mr. Simon who had offered him this room in alignment with the school's promise to meet student's basic needs. Wang Tong wanted to argue with Samantha like he always did, but he felt his words melted away in his mouth as Samantha's alluring eyes locked onto his. "What do you think I should do?" Wang Tong heard himself asking her meekly.

Wang Tong's compliant response caught Samantha off guard. "He wants to butter me up because I am Ma Xiaoru's friend." She chuckled in her mind.

"I understand that you have many difficulties in your life so how about this: you can stay where you are, but you will have to take up the responsibility as the caretaker of building number five. It should be an easy job for someone capable like you."

She paused for a second, allowing her words to sink in, and then she said in a stoic tone, "I hope you understand that this is not a request."