IWYTBW - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Playing Games Requires Strategy.

[Damn, it’s that guy and girl from earlier! Their acting is superb!]

[Playing the pig to eat the tiger, eh?]

[Haha, if those two manage to snatch the armbands from all three teams, I’ll livestream myself eating my one-to-ten scale model of the Black Dragon Executioner.]

[It’s not playing the pig, you idiots. They’re definitely from Diviner, trying to wipe out both the Red and Blue teams in one fell swoop. It’s all just tactics!]

The real-time commentary section exploded. Yurika quickly gathered his wits and cautiously began to speak, “Okay, we’re seeing the situation on the field change once again. What a rollercoaster ride…”

His tone had become much calmer. Yurika carefully chose his words, wanting to gloss over this little hiccup with as little commentary as possible.

The most important figures in this match were Xia Chaosheng, Luna, and Zhang Jiuzi – these three shining stars of the new generation. Not the two drama queens who lured Zhang Jiuzi here… Even if it looked like these two were about to pull off a century-level heist, assassinating members from all three sides, it was just wishful thinking. The real powerhouses would soon deal with the drama queens, and this interlude would be nothing more than a cut scene in the final highlight reel.

So, as a professional host, Yurika needed to minimize his words and actions, quietly waiting for the drama queens…

He suddenly heard a slicing sound.

The hundreds of thousands of people watching the livestream heard it too.

Generally, individual mecha were divided into three main combat types: ranged, melee, and versatile all-rounders.

They were also divided into three size categories: small mecha around 2 meters tall, medium mecha of 3-5 meters, and large mecha of 6-8 meters.

Participants in the preliminary rounds usually used small and medium mecha. Large mecha were rare because they placed strict demands on the pilot’s skill. Anyone who could effectively operate a large mecha in battle was basically an S-rank or higher powerhouse.

Among the dozens of people gathered here, excluding the four small mecha, the rest were all medium mecha in the 3-5 meter range.

Only a medium or large mecha of equal or greater level could cut through a medium mecha. Even a small mecha might not be able to breach the defensive shell of a medium mecha.

Could this really be a conspiracy by one faction against the other two, rather than just the actions of two drama queens?

The moment the white light erupted, Luna realized it was an ambush. The woman who shouted “Beacon” hadn’t used any high-tech devices. On the contrary, bathed in the white light, Luna could clearly feel her mental power rapidly recovering… This woman was a mental therapist! But she hadn’t used her abilities to provide support. Instead, she was using the unique properties of her power to blind all the contestants on the field.

With no time to think, Luna shouted, “All team members, link your mental power!”

Her mental manifestation, a cloud leopard, sprang from her mecha, immediately locking onto the positions of Xia Chaosheng and Zhang Jiuzi. No matter what kind of conspiracy this was, all she could do was capture the ringleaders first.

Luna’s long whip was fully extended, its seven-meter length resembling a vine wrapped in thorns. She roared, “How dare you ambush me?!”

“You’re the ones who sent people to lure me here, and now you’re turning around and blaming us!” Zhang Jiuzi chuckled coldly. He studied mental arts, so he was very familiar with the known mental therapists from each school, possessing a very detailed list. There was no therapist on that list with such an ability.

Therapists usually prioritized gentle and graceful mental attributes, supporting teammates and healing the wounded. That was what therapists were good at. The woman who shouted “Beacon” was less of a therapist and more of an opportunist who used mental therapy as a combat tool.

He had to admit, this kind of behavior was very similar to that of students from Azoth University, a school known for its “anything goes” attitude – if she really was a student.

The period of impaired vision lasted only a moment. Nine seconds passed, and the white light obscuring their minds noticeably began to fade. But the battlefield was, after all, a battlefield, a place of constant change. Neglecting even a single second could cost you dearly.

The mental power fields of the three A-ranks fully expanded. In the chaotic melee, not only the leaders but every team member could feel that their companions were rapidly dwindling at an abnormal rate.

That whooshing slicing sound never disappeared… Cannon fire and thermal rays wove a dense net of light through the forest. Compared to their powerful leaders, the mental power of the team members was weaker, and their recovery rate was slower. They could only hear the heavy tearing sounds, the sharp screams of boys and girls, and the huge groans of mecha crashing to the ground.

“Stop!” Xia Chaosheng was the first to realize something was wrong. “Stop! Cease fire for now!”

Zhang Jiuzi held a shield in one hand and a gun in the other. He remained silent, but his attack speed slowed considerably. Xia Chaosheng keenly noticed his reaction and focused on dealing with Luna, driving his Raging Tides forward into Rose Canticle’s embrace, ramming her back several meters. “Stop! Look at your own teams!”

With the three captains locked in combat, their subordinates were naturally in a frenzy of killing, not caring who was who. If the color was different, they attacked first and asked questions later. Now that the captains had stopped, the team members also ceased fire, vigilantly guarding their flanks.

“Where are those two people? That guy and girl!” Xia Chaosheng rushed forward and flipped over a fallen mecha, only to see that the cockpit had been pierced from top to bottom. The person inside was still alive but unconscious, with only a bloodstain on their wrist. As for the armband, it was nowhere to be found.

Regardless of faction, he flipped over several more, finding the same result in each case.

“How dare you ask me?” Zhang Jiuzi wasn’t stupid. He quickly checked several fallen team members and realized something was amiss. He’d been set up. “That woman didn’t run when she saw me. She came up and asked me how much I cost for a night. How could I not be angry? I chased her for a while, only injuring her partner. Then I ran into you two. Dare to say this wasn’t a honey trap!”

“Stand guard!” Luna ignored his fury. “Everyone, stand guard!”

Another scream came from behind. She quickly turned around, like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Ignoring that the person who had fallen was one of Zhang Jiuzi’s team members, she yanked him over and saw the same method, the same unconscious person, but the armband was still there.

Even with his great speed, the enemy couldn’t be certain of snatching another armband through surprise attacks, so he tore it off, leaving behind only the badge of elimination, the wreckage that signified defeat.

Unexpectedly, she was calm at this moment. The scene from earlier flashed back in her mind: the girl carrying her companion, struggling to escape through the jungle, tears of fear streaming down her face… They had all been wrong. These two were not a trap, bait, or negligible weaklings. These two were acting, simply to lure the three sides to one place, like collecting sunflower seeds. The more you collected, the more satisfying it was to chew the final bite.

This was the Grim Reaper! The Grim Reaper had guided them together!

“This… this…” Yurika stammered, stunned. The development of events had far exceeded his expectations. He could even say it had crushed his expectations to dust. “Wait, wait, everyone, let’s take a look at a slow-motion replay!”

He paused the livestream and slowed down the previous events by twelve times. When everyone had stopped the chaotic brawl and stood in place, the figure of the culprit finally became clear.

A shadowy figure with a blood-smeared face flew out from the forest, his hands clad in gleaming silver gauntlets, cleaving open the alloy mecha with a swift strike. The student inside slowly contorted his face, his pupils reflecting the sunlight and the attacker’s face.

His terrified expression was almost comical in slow motion. Then he opened his mouth wide – Yurika could even see his trembling tongue – and watched helplessly as the shadow severed his armband, jumped off the mecha, and leaped back into the shadows of the trees, where he lay in wait.

The comments exploded.

[Holy crap, that’s a ghost, that’s a ghost! Scared the hell out of me. I broke out in a cold sweat early in the morning!]

[It’s still midday with long hours of sunlight here, and I almost peed my pants. Who do I complain to?]

[One, two, three, four… forty-six people in total. Now there are twenty-eight lying on the ground. How many contestants do you think were killed by this ghost…]

[Don’t talk nonsense, the people aren’t dead yet. I just saw someone breathing… Waaah, damn it, it would be better if they were dead, it’s too scary!]

[What’s there to cry about, a bunch of cowards. You think the ghost is scary, but I think this person’s speed and equipment are scary, okay! To be able to cut open a mecha like paper, to succeed in a surprise attack without the knowledge of A-rank pilots… where did this monster come from? Can he show his face?]

[The guy in front is acting like he knows what’s going on, but he’s just showing his ignorance. Players who go the assassin route, the stealth route, are going to show their face? How are they supposed to make a living? – Ah, this expert, if you want to take on work after the competition, please leave a contact method. I’ll hire you for three times the market price, no haggling!]

[StarNet police, StarNet police, are you there? There’s a suspicious individual here publicly planning to hire a hitman for nefarious purposes. Come and take care of it. You’re usually very enthusiastic about busting prostitution, but now you’re pretending to be blind?]

Yurika quickly tried to guide the conversation, “Everyone, look! Facing this strange, elusive contestant, what kind of response will they make? Ah, Miss Luna is moving!”

“Everyone,” Luna actually deactivated Rose Canticle’s weapons, standing in place with a whip in her hand. Her pupils and hair were both an elegant silver, and her face was beautiful and fair. Looking only at her appearance and not her personality, she truly lived up to her name. “Retreat rapidly in different directions, immediately, now!”

Then, she displayed her armband, pure red, proving that she had eliminated more than one hundred contestants. “Bullying the weak is no fun, is it? How about you come play with me?”

Zhang Jiuzi was moved. “You…”

He turned around and immediately said, “Do as Miss Luna says, you guys run too, in different directions!”

He also recalled Diviner. Xia Chaosheng did the same. In the blink of an eye, the battlefield, which had been filled with mecha fighting to the death, was left with only three people.

All three revealed their armbands, all pure red, as bright and eye-catching as the sunset glow.

Yi Zhen finally laughed.

He had to admit, it was a very accurate judgment.

This set of Ore Sprite armor, combined with the boost to speed and agility, meant that even mecha lost their advantage against him. For geniuses to try and capture him with imposing armaments was akin to people using all their skills to catch a nimble wild cat.

[How many armbands is that, Yi Zhen?] Li Youdeng silently gestured to him.

Yi Zhen held up two fingers and rotated them back and forth. [22. They lost 6 mecha themselves.]

[Are you still going to fight?] Li Youdeng asked.

Yi Zhen paused for a moment and didn’t answer.

He hadn’t been working with Li Youdeng for long, but the two had almost immediately agreed on a cowardly, life-preserving strategy for the preliminary round – or rather, a strategy that was just asking for a beating.

They didn’t bully ordinary stragglers or lone contestants. They specialized in targeting “three-haves sheep.” The so-called “three-haves sheep” referred to teams that had people, strength, and temper.

After finding a target, Li Youdeng would approach, adopting the persona of an “Interstellar Nie Xiaoqian”Nie Xiaoqian is a classic female ghost character from the collection of supernatural stories, "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." In traditional tales, she is often portrayed as a beautiful but tragic figure.—a captivating and tragic figure from a cyberpunk reimagining of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Picture her, clad in flowing white robes, casually strolling through the desolate landscape. Inevitably, one of the male members of the target team would initiate a conversation, drawn in by her ethereal guise. 

When Li Youdeng lowered her eyes and smiled, she had the sublime appearance of a Bodhisattva, but when she opened her mouth, she could blow someone’s mind. The men she provoked would all glare at her, chasing after her to beat her up. That’s when Yi Zhen would secretly strike. After taking care of the person, Li Youdeng would nonchalantly go back to her spot, again provoking three or five people to get up and question her about where she had taken their teammate. She would run again, and those people would go up to catch her…

Repeating this cycle, a team with an average rank above B, with a number of members maintained at 20, could be taken down by these two old schemers in less than an hour.

This time’s conflict was also because, after targeting Zhang Jiuzi’s team from Diviner, the Three Smiles Butterfly sensed a cluster of contestants in the distance. They had decided to put on a temporary act and lure everyone together to take them out.

But there were two A-rank pilots engaging in a brawl ahead, which was something Yi Zhen and Li Youdeng hadn’t anticipated.

With three young A-ranks gathered together, Yi Zhen wasn’t confident he could retreat unscathed under their combined assault. In terms of desperate measures, he had many, but these were young people with great futures and infinite possibilities, the natives of this world. The outcome aside, if someone actually died, wouldn’t that be like destroying a beautiful piece of jade?

He made a gesture to Li Youdeng, who paused for a moment and nodded.

In the center of the battlefield, the three opponents who had been at each other’s throats were now unhesitatingly entrusting each other with the safety of their backs, facing away from each other, holding their weapons, forming a triangle, and silently guarding against the movements around them.

Not to mention that they were all young and full of vigor, even seasoned veterans who had been through many years of worldly struggles might not be able to weigh the pros and cons so quickly, put aside all previous prejudices, and unite against a common enemy.

The Azoth Empire had a large population and many universities that nurtured talent. People often wondered: what were the differences between the obscure schools and the famous schools that seemed to stand atop high mountains, besides age and capital?

If the person who asked this question could see the three students before them, they might have their own answer in their hearts.

A rustling sound suddenly came from the forest, a very light and quick sound, but it couldn’t escape their notice. Luna didn’t move, but her long whip was already out, like a bolt of lightning in mid-air, breaking branches and scattering leaves everywhere.

Her eyes shifted, but she hadn’t hit anything.

In the direction Zhang Jiuzi was facing, a clump of trees also swayed. He fired a shot, but also missed.

Of the three, only Xia Chaosheng hadn’t attacked. He narrowed his eyes, his light blue tactical goggles reflecting the sunlight from high above, making it impossible to see his expression.

The unknown enemy was clearly testing their range of fire, but what was strange was that, with their A-rank perception abilities, they couldn’t detect any signs of life.

This kind of force field equipment that could block life signs wasn’t cheap, and it was rare on the market. Could the person who came be a scion of a wealthy family?

His peripheral vision seemed to catch something… His eyes flashed, a shadow, he suddenly saw a shadow!

“Above!” Xia Chaosheng suddenly turned around, his movements so agile that they were difficult to see with the naked eye. “Zhang Jiuzi!”

The attacker descended from the sky, crashing down on Zhang Jiuzi’s head.

If this had happened on the campus of First Technology, a tabloid reporter might have captured a misleading photo and written a sensational story with a provocative tone, accompanied by a scandalous title like, “Shock! Genius Teenager Encounters Heavenly Match, Where Should the Century-Old School Spirit Go?”

Unfortunately, this was on the battlefield, and Yi Zhen was definitely not something as lovely and amicable as a heavenly match. His arms and legs wrapped around him tightly, instantly strangling Zhang Jiuzi’s body!

His hands looped around Zhang Jiuzi’s armpits and right shoulder, the gauntlets digging into the back of his neck and chest, and his legs, like boneless limbs, locked around his waist and lower abdomen. His whole body was basically clinging to Zhang Jiuzi’s front.

“You!” Zhang Jiuzi’s pupils shrank, and he heard Yi Zhen’s voice, “Friend, why don’t you take a nap?”

His five fingers gently contracted, and five blood beads the size of red beans immediately appeared on Zhang Jiuzi’s neck.

Ordinary toxins actually couldn’t harm people with A-rank mental power, because even if their bodies were injured, their mental manifestations wouldn’t suffer any substantial damage, and they could continue to fight tirelessly. But after Yi Zhen scratched his neck, Zhang Jiuzi immediately felt an irresistible dizziness.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Zhang Jiuzi was caught off guard and was thrown violently into the forest by Yi Zhen. At the same time, the long whip and the edge of the plasma light blade arrived together, whipping at Yi Zhen’s head and slashing at Yi Zhen’s legs.

Yi Zhen jumped upward, dodging the slash of the light blade, but exposing his entire chest to the range of the long whip. Luna sneered, her arm flicking rapidly, and the shadow of the whip overlapped a full thirty-two times, making a tearing scream that split the air, like an especially twisted and vicious bolt of lightning, whipping towards Yi Zhen.

One layer of whip shadow was one layer of force. Thirty-two layers of whip shadow was a full thirty-two layers of force. Luna had once used this move to knock back mecha and to shatter the skulls of interstellar beasts. She didn’t believe this mysterious person whose face she couldn’t even see could escape unscathed.

But then, what happened before her eyes forced her to believe it.

The sound of ripping cloth was ear-splittingly loud. The other party’s clothing couldn’t withstand the power of this move. They all scattered like flying snowflakes – and only snowflakes. There was no splattering of flesh and blood, no broken bones. Her whip struck empty, like plunging into futile mist.

A matter-phase… converter?

She widened her eyes, and the long whip immediately snapped back, like a venomous snake baring its fangs behind Yi Zhen’s head, striking again. But the next second, Yi Zhen, enduring Xia Chaosheng’s attacks, slapped down on Luna’s wrist holding the whip.

This was neither light nor heavy. Judging by the physique of an A-rank pilot, it was like being brushed by a feather, not to mention Luna. In order to perfect the whip as a weapon, she had worn pressure rings weighing over forty kilograms on her hands day and night from the age of fifteen, increasing the weight year by year, training like this for five years.

Therefore, not to mention striking her, even if Yi Zhen hung his entire body on her fair wrist, she would be as steady as Mount Tai, as firm as a rock.

However, Yi Zhen wasn’t trying to make her hand shake.

A thin bloodstain immediately appeared on her wrist.

“Go!” Yi Zhen scolded lightly, pushing Luna into the bushes with a palm strike, turning around to focus on dealing with Xia Chaosheng.

This intelligent young man had already judged the situation. He didn’t say a word, immediately smashing a confusion grenade on the ground. Thick smoke rose, obscuring his movements, and the shrill sound waves concealed the sound of his blood flow and heartbeat.

Yi Zhen didn’t dare to underestimate an A-rank pilot who was planning to run. He raised his eyes, and the Three Smiles Butterfly fluttered, swiftly chasing after Xia Chaosheng based on its location, finally grazing the back of Xia Chaosheng’s neck.

Three minutes later, Xia Chaosheng, like the previous two, was tied to a tree by Li Youdeng with a rope.

However, an A-rank was, after all, an A-rank. Even after being poisoned with Datura powder, the three of them stubbornly persisted without falling asleep, desperately trying to pry open their eyelids, staring at Yi Zhen and Li Youdeng, wanting to engrave their appearances and figures into their irises – if they could engrave them into their DNA, they would do so now.

Yurika silently gazed at this scene, and his channel was also silent. The livestream, which was being watched by more than a million people online, actually had a full five seconds where the comments section was completely blank.

“How could… how could this be…” His lips trembled, and his voice trembled, “Am I dreaming? Am I dreaming?”

These were three A-rank pilots, three A-rank pilots from top universities who would graduate from the command department, combat department, and mental department, respectively. This meant that in the next twenty years, if nothing unexpected happened, they would likely be promoted to S-rank and become the new generation of pillars and glory of this vast empire.

But at this moment, they had joined forces and been defeated by someone whose face they couldn’t even see, in less than five minutes…

Five minutes, what kind of concept was this?

[Did an S-rank sneak in… can we check this, can we find out? This person isn’t an S-rank, is he?]

[Look at this, zoom in on his hand. This thing doesn’t have any technological components. It’s just a claw. The only advantage is the raw material. To be able to cut open a medium mecha and break the defense of an A-rank pilot’s body, do you know what level of material that is?]

[Don’t even think about it. Don’t even guess. The truly precious ore materials are all monopolized by the wealthy conglomerates and the royal family. Even if I give you the name, you won’t be able to find any useful information on the StarNet. All I can say is that this person’s background is terrifying.]

[Luna’s whip just didn’t hit him. It went through the center of his body. I wonder if he’s wearing a matter-phase converter.]

[Don’t pretend you know what you’re talking about. Matter-phase converters can’t be used on the human body. Its decomposition is irreversible, but there is a kind of alien’s talent that allows their body to turn into water… I think it’s a bit like that.]

[This assassin is really scary… Before, I said that no one in the era of the great universe would not pilot a mecha to be an interstellar mercenary, and would run off to be a rustic assassin. Now I apologize. Sorry, master (palms together.]

Yurika’s heart stirred, and he suddenly said, “No, friends, I think that this… friend, and the lady next to him, don’t seem to intend to eliminate these three. Yes, I know this sounds incredible, after all, destroying their armbands would earn them a high income of 300 points. But in that case, why did he have to catch Xia Chaosheng, who was planning to retreat?”

“I think there’s a possibility that he doesn’t intend to eliminate any of these three, nor does he intend to let the healthy Xia Chaosheng leave the scene… because the other two are clearly in a state of weakness. If Xia Chaosheng leaves now, then what if he returns… well, I know that what I’m saying is just unreliable speculation, but let’s see how they handle it next.”

“Your medication will last for a shorter period of time than usual,” Yi Zhen looked at the time, “About forty minutes, or thirty minutes?”

He smiled, “You didn’t provoke me. On the contrary, I came to provoke you, so I’ll keep the power to eliminate you. After all, you met the two of us. If there hadn’t been this accident, you should have gone further with your talent and level.”

Although their tongues were paralyzed and they couldn’t speak, the expressions of the three people still froze.

Actually, if he really wanted to do it, it wasn’t impossible, but that would mean eliminating three seed players from the three major universities at once. Yi Zhen didn’t want to take things too far. Everyone had a love of talent, and he wasn’t a transmigrator who could kill people indiscriminately, so why be ruthless?

The small bag on his waist moved, and he pressed down on it imperceptibly, “I won’t return your team members’ armbands. Stay here quietly, and goodbye.”

Li Youdeng giggled and blew a kiss to Zhang Jiuzi, “Bye-bye, handsome guy! Don’t be impulsive next time.”

[What, what’s with the feeling of being moved…]

[Sis, you’re so beautiful, do you need a wife?]

[Where’s the person who was going to eat the one-to-ten scale model of the Black Dragon Executioner, come out.]

[I know all of this started because of the two of them, but… but I can’t help but tear up! So moving! What’s with this weird warmth!]

[Master, I understand. Is this the legendary ancient PUAPUA (Pick-Up Artist):** While the term originated in dating advice, in this context it refers to a manipulative psychological tactic, where the victim is made to feel grateful for treatment they should expect as standard. In this context, it is a humorous over-exaggeration. technique? Have I been PUAed? I get it!]

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