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"What is that?" Mu Fan naturally knew nothing about the PO Battle Net.
"The PO Battle Net, it's the most thrilling and fun place ever! How can you not know it, are you from the countryside?" The fat guy saw Mu Fan nod slightly and gave up explaining patiently. "You know about the PO Interstellar Group, right? No? Well, never mind. It's a virtual network where you can relax, socialize, and engage in various battles, ranging from hand-to-hand combat to mecha combat, it's a comprehensive battle net!"
"Network?" When Mu Fan heard this word, his head tilted slightly, "Is it related to the Light Computer?"
"That's right, you didn't know? I thought you bought a Light Computer to join the PO Battle Net. Through the Light Computer you can access the Battle Net and perform basic functions and low-level fighting, but I wouldn't recommend advanced fighting. After all, it's not a Virtual Cabin, so there's no physical neuron connection. Anyone using a Light Computer for fighting has the same character attributes—they're at the lowest level. Only your reaction time and awareness are different. If you really use a Light Computer to PK with someone using a Virtual Cabin, you'll just get wrecked." The fat guy got so excited talking about the PO Battle Net that he plopped down on the edge of the training field, ready to mentor Mu Fan, the total newbie, who was so eager to learn from Fat Brother. This kind of opportunity felt—awesome.
"I need a Light Computer, but I don't know about this battle net," Mu Fan replied sincerely.
"No problem, you don't know, but once this young master takes you in, you'll know!"
"Sorry, I need to earn money, I don't have extra time to play."
"Earn money!?" The fat guy was stunned when he heard that distant concept, "Earn money! Yeah, you can try fighting. Whether it's hand-to-hand combat or mecha combat, a lot of people watch. We're currently in the fourth zone of the Galaxy Federation Battle Net. Although it's not like the first three zones, the number of people is beyond your imagination. If you perform well, you can sell your videos. Even if one person pays half a Star Coin, you could earn thousands a day! Moreover, those videos of experts are watched by far more people!!... Well... if Fat Brother here works a bit harder, I could earn my own money too."
"Thousands a day… thousands a day…" Those were the only words Mu Fan heard, echoing like a morning bell and evening drum in his mind.
"Wake up, wake up, come, let Brother show you something. There's no Virtual Cabin or helmet-style Light Computer here right now, but you have a Sky Communication you can look at, full of experts, let me tell you! Don't get so dazzled!" The thought of the PO Battle Net made the fat guy's palms itch, leaving no mood for practice, so he dragged Mu Fan to where the Sky Communication was placed by the door.
...
The two sat on the floor in front of the lockers, their heads leaning in the same direction.
"Sky Communication?" It was Mu Fan's first time seeing such an obviously high-end gadget, palm-sized, with a silver-white body embedded with a few bright buttons. The central part was a three-dimensional imaging device. When the fat guy pressed the button to start the Sky Communication, it formed a square-foot sized image in the middle. Then the fat guy deftly tapped in the air a few times, entering the PO Battle Net forum, where the interstellar delay didn't affect players much, and everyone could watch videos of experts from other war zones.
The fat guy first opened the fantasy series action Lotus Fall for Mu Fan to watch, thinking that such cool moves, imagined only in one's mind, would definitely stun this country bumpkin.
Sure enough, Mu Fan's head tilted as he stared at the image of the mecha, his eyes glowing like a starving ghost seeing meat.
In every man's heart lies the dream of driving steel giants across the stars, the wish to operate mechas in battlefields. Mu Fan watched the image, amazed by the dazzling moves! These experts truly lived up to their name; mechas could be operated as wild as one's imagination! Poor Mu Fan had no idea the fat guy was tricking him with moves that didn't exist in reality.
"Isn't it awesome? Isn't it!" the fat guy boasted proudly, as if the red-and-white mecha in the video was him. Seeing Mu Fan nod affirmatively, he was about to close it and open another video for Mu Fan.
Mu Fan was obviously unsatisfied with the fantasy series skills. Seeing the fat guy close it, he couldn't help but frown.
"Come, check this out, the mecha stuff is a bit distant for you. Let me show you a familiar one, see the fighting among experts!" The fat guy felt somewhat flushed as he said this. Although he played fantasy, he loved watching these solid, down-to-earth, fist-to-face battles, a realm he could only encounter in dreams.
The fat guy opened the real fighting section in the forum, then headed in, speaking without looking back at Mu Fan: "Basically, mecha experts know some fighting skills. If they don't know any fighting skills at all, they can't even operate a mecha. Of course, there are many who excel in fighting skills but have rotten piloting skills. But these movements definitely serve as a reference. Come see this, a Galaxy Federation expert, Dark Right Foot, has released a new video again."
"This Dark Right Foot is said to be the military's fighting expert, Diamond grade 5-star in the fighting zone, though he rarely mixes in the mecha zone, probably in the Marine Corps. His moves are known for high difficulty and flair. This time he's competing against a Diamond 3-star Challenger!" The fat guy opened the video, murmuring with excitement, "Fee required, 20 Star Coins, bought, here, feast your eyes."
Listening to all of this, Mu Fan didn't feel much, but hearing the fee hurt his heart; just like that, 20 Star Coins were gone.
The video scene was inside a closed Martial Path arena, shot from a God's-eye view overhead. The system labeled the figure on the left wearing a white Taoist robe with a shadow mask as Dark Right Foot, a well-proportioned build with no extra movements, like a cold human weapon. To match the name, the right pant leg bore intricate dark patterns below the knee; anyone could tell who it was without seeing the name.
On the right, the person had both fists wrapped in cloth strips, standing grounded, face blurred, yet it was evident they were intently watching the opponent, not daring any other movement.
The countdown hit zero; the Challenger went for the first strike. The right fist, seemingly slow but fast, shot out a Charging Punch aimed directly at Dark Right Foot's throat, the sharp afterimage catching the fat guy off guard. Then, under the Battle Net system's slow-motion lens, suddenly changed course mid-way to target the collarbone, the punch was indeed seasoned! This instant, invisible to normal people, already proved the splendor of a Diamond-grade fighter.
Mu Fan narrowed his eyes, watching as Dark Right Foot slid aside in the video, the fist brushing past the left arm. Immediately, Dark Right Foot's entire movement turned iron-blooded and fierce. Using his left foot as a pivot, raising the right knee in a swift blow met the Challenger's secretly thrown left punch. As the opponent retreated defensively, he pressed forward, crouching with a punch, using his left elbow to press down against another punch.
In mere seconds, both sides had exchanged dozens of blows, both consuming half their stamina in the system's numerical damage count, failing once stamina is depleted.
After another swift exchange, Dark Right Foot took a short step back, planting his right foot. "About to release a big move!! It's coming!! Look now, what's it gonna be this time!" The fat guy's eyes were wide, punching his palm repeatedly.
Mu Fan kept his eyes slightly narrowed, watching the video without expression.
The opponent clearly sensed something unusual, glancing slightly at the raised right leg, its dark patterns seemingly in motion. Yet just as the Challenger's eyes slightly shifted, the raised right leg moved, springing forth at speeds hard for the opponent to counter, kicking aside the half-airborne left punch, then following up with a left leg blocking the opponent's right punch. Abruptly retracting the right leg, twisting violently, the fat guy imagined even hearing his muscles creaking, then a black lightning flashed through the day, the whole body lifted in mid-air, left foot withdrawn, right foot twisting out a massive semicircular black afterimage. Bang! A loud boom, the black lightning halted abruptly at the head, the Challenger maintaining the yet-to-be-retracted fist posture, instantly fragmented into mist, stamina depleted!
"Ah!! Too thrilling!!! Is this even human moves!! Did you see that!! Half Moon Residual Wind!! Half Moon Residual Wind!!" The fat guy was almost screaming, eyes glued to the Sky Communication, shaking Mu Fan intensely.
But the fat guy quickly sensed something wrong; Mu Fan showed none of the expected exclamations or admiration, nor made any sound. Was he stunned, the fat guy couldn't help but turn to look at Mu Fan.
As at their first meeting, Mu Fan's face was expressionless, even turning to look at him, seemingly asking what's the matter.
"Did you watch the video just now?" The fat guy, thinking Mu Fan hadn't watched, felt a bit angry.
"I watched it." The reply was succinct.
"Then what do you feel, why no reaction!!" The fat guy's eyebrows were furrowed together.
Mu Fan's eyes carried a hint of curiosity as he glanced at the fat guy, then looked back at the frozen final scene on the Sky Communication, his lips moved slightly.
"This move… I might be able to do it too"
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PS, Thanks to the reader "Discrete Mathematics" for the 100 currency reward. I seriously read every one of your comments, thank you for your continued support.
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