Li Hao… had already forgotten about what happened earlier. He was reflecting, thinking that he should have raised his score higher. What was that about?
By now, Li Hao had played several more matches. Perhaps it was a side effect of the competition, but his opponents seemed so excited. However, he couldn't tell whether they were underestimating him or just weren't paying attention, as there was no sense of caution, and winning felt hollow.
Puppet (Armor Dragon Mk. III USE) vs. Karis from Taisen Academy (Tyrant Heavy Armor Mk. II TAS)
Tyrant Heavy Armor Mk. IIConfiguration: Heavy fighter, 150 tonsDual-engine nuclear fission supercharged laser cannon, retractable titanium blade, titanium claws.
"Armor Dragon against Tyrant? This is a bit sluggish. This type of heavy mecha is really annoying in arena mode," Alz couldn't help but say. "Heavy firepower, strong defense, especially the retractable titanium blade, which counters close combat. In arena mode, the clumsiness is somewhat masked."
"I remember Karis, he participated in this competition as well. However, Taisen Academy didn't make it to the knockout rounds. They do have distinct characteristics, but if it were me, I'd focus on flexibility."
"Forget it, although Tyrant is a bit clumsy, one strike with the retractable titanium blade could cut Armor Dragon in half. For this kind of mech, you either snipe it or use a light mech to flank, anyway, arena battles aren't easy." Alz smirked.
Tita ignored the two of them, clearly unfazed by their discussions. Arths' presence had evidently triggered the male competitive instincts.
The battle began. Armor Dragon shot forward, speeding toward Tyrant. Karis, on the other side, grinned widely. "My Tyrant is the boss in the arena. Time to feast!"
The supercharged laser cannon blazed brightly, fully unleashing its firepower. Newer mechs always have countermeasures, and after the Titan Star incident, everyone had prepared for new mech designs. But old models like Armor Dragon? They were basically easy points.
On the battlefield, Armor Dragon suddenly shifted left to dodge the attack with barely a pause, then made a quick spin to the right, roaring through the air, spiraling forward. While dodging the attack, the distance between the mechs closed to less than ten meters.
However, Karis wasn't helpless. Whether close or far, middle-range was disadvantageous for the Tyrant. He immediately gave up on ranged attacks. The Tyrant, like a wild beast, roared and charged at Armor Dragon, its titanium claws flaring out. Any hit with this weight would be devastating for Armor Dragon, which couldn't defend against such a strike.
Moreover, Armor Dragon's strong control moves were showing their age.
"We've won!" Feiman smugly commented. After all, the enemy's opponent was his teammate.
On the battlefield, under the overwhelming assault of the Tyrant, Armor Dragon lost balance and fell to the ground. But just in time, it managed to avoid a fatal blow. It descended beneath the Tyrant's position, and before the Tyrant could react, Armor Dragon used the ground as leverage to spin, delivering a powerful kick.
However, the people from Tianxing didn't think it would be effective. The Tyrant was 150 tons of heavy mech—knocking it over? That was just a fantasy. Everyone knew that the "Giant God" series mechs had an extremely stable center of gravity.
However, Armor Dragon wasn't trying to attack. The mech's right leg hooked the Tyrant, using it as an axis, while the engine propelled it into a reverse spin, positioning itself behind the Tyrant. Karis wasn't a weak player either. The Tyrant kicked back forcefully, with enough impact to nearly kill the opponent if it landed.
Yet, the struck Armor Dragon didn't explode as expected. Instead, it used the opponent's force to lift itself into the air, completely maneuvering behind the Tyrant.
As it fell, the titanium knife was drawn.
Shing shing shing shing…
Four rapid slashes struck the Tyrant's joints, sparks flying. Karis in the cockpit roared in frustration. "MLGB, the mecha is out of control!"
Despite the Tyrant's advantages, TAS's technical level was a bit rough. Once it faced precise strikes, the gaps in the joints became its weak points. Four strikes, and it lost control.
Armor Dragon landed, while the Tyrant staggered forward like a drunk man before crashing to the ground.
Puppet wins!
Karis from the Tyrant had lost it by now. What was this? He hadn't even had a chance to fight back. Just as he was about to challenge his opponent again, he found that he had been kicked out.
Yes, the match ended, and it felt like a system prompt followed by a kick from the opponent.
Such impatience, really?
The four members from Tianxing were silent. After a moment, Arths couldn't help but ask, "Sis, was that a jump knife?"
Tita nodded. "That was an amazing precision jump knife. Since when did USE have such a close-combat expert?"
Alz couldn't resist licking his lips. "I feel like the opponent is a bit dismissive of his opponent..."
"I think I misunderstood. This person isn't targeting Feiman, they just don't even care about him."
On the other side, Feiman seemed to realize something. He thought the opponent's behavior was insulting, but now it seemed that the "suspicion" could be discarded.
As a formal member of Tianxing Mecha, if he didn't reclaim his honor, how could he stay in the team?
Feiman, like a robot, clicked on the rematch invitation. He was determined to get revenge, determined to fight back…
Meanwhile, at the Tianjing EMP building, Li Hao, still unsatisfied, was called away by Musashi.
"How about some late-night snacks?" Musashi asked.
"Sure, now that you mention it, I'm starving," Li Hao replied with a smile. He was almost tempted to go back and play in virtual mode. It felt like he was facing nothing but rookies—maybe the real experts hadn't started yet.
"Hao Ge, quality training is more important than quantity. Don't play too many matches. Thinking is key. Let's hit the gravity room first," Musashi said. He wasn't the type to play the role of a teacher, but he had received word that Principal Long was no softie.
"Isn't it for late-night snacks?" Li Hao was puzzled.
"First, we train. Come with me," Musashi said, not caring whether Li Hao agreed or not, as he dragged him away.
The equipment training center in Tianjing was still brightly lit, though there were far fewer people than in the EMP building. Combat was exciting, but physical training was the most tedious. However, the few people present seemed to be showing off their muscles in one corner.
This could only mean one thing—there was a well-proportioned beauty among them.
"Ah, isn't that the class president?" Li Hao glanced over. It was Zhou Naiyi.
Zhou Naiyi, the class president of Class 16, which was considered one of the elite classes in their batch. Anyone who could become class president like her was undoubtedly strong. Although she didn't participate in the mecha competition, she had attended it and was a key student for the school. She was also quite attractive. Everyone who knew her in class liked to call her "Big Sis."
Zhou Naiyi was quite annoyed by the strange poses that the boys around her would strike while working out. Did they think that would attract the attention of girls?
However, since it was a public facility, there was nothing she could do except ignore them. She usually chose to come either earlier or later when fewer people were around. Today, she was waiting for someone.
Zhou Naiyi put down the equipment, wiped her sweat off, and draped the towel over her shoulder. She walked over to Li Hao and Musashi. Li Hao shrugged. "Let's go, we'll head over there."
But Musashi didn't move. He pointed to Zhou Naiyi.
"Li Hao, wait a second. I have something to talk to you about."
Li Hao turned around, unsure. Though they were in the same class and had spoken a few times, they weren't exactly close. But Musashi and Zhou Naiyi seemed to have a lot in common.
"Class president, what can I do for you?"
Zhou Naiyi looked at Li Hao with a complex expression. She really didn't understand how he got into Class 16. All the special recruits were placed in Class 16, but someone who applied for the journalism department had been transferred to the strongest mech class. This in itself was strange. Zhou Naiyi had initially been a little hopeful, but after a whole year, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. He often skipped classes, and even when he showed up, he just slept. The strange thing was that no one from the school had questioned it.
A privileged person?
But he was an orphan, and she had heard that someone had seen him working part-time delivering pizza for a place called "Colorful Pizza." Zhou Naiyi could only guess that maybe his family had made some contributions.
"Li Hao, since we're in the same class, we're a team. You should have heard what Musashi said. I won't beat around the bush. Last year, you were dead last in our class."
"Ah, wasn't Zuo Xiaotang last?" Li Hao asked in surprise.
Zhou Naiyi gave him a helpless look.
"Li Hao, Zuo Xiaotang's specialized shooting is top-notch. The annual assessment takes into account EMP, end-of-year exams, and outstanding individual skills. His shooting precision and talent are among the best in Tianjing."
"I see, this little fatty tricked me... Sorry, I held the class back. I'll work hard!" Li Hao said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Looks like controlling my score caused some problems.