Amidst the various clamors, Tita woke up from her thoughts and noticed everyone's reactions. She knew that Feiman would not have an easy time in the days to come.
In Tianjing Machine Martial Arts, Zhuang Zhou licked his lips, his face filled with satisfaction and a hint of wickedness. This was going to be a big deal. The Puppet Master was about to become famous.
Seeing the avatar of the Puppet Master go offline, indicating that the great master had logged out, Zhuang Zhou immediately returned to the forum. In just a short while, his post had skyrocketed in popularity. At this point, it would be wrong not to know who the opponent was.
"The Puppet Master decapitates Feiman in three strikes, a shocking beheading!"
"Those lunar people aren't that amazing. Damn it, our true experts haven't even shown up!"
"Who said that virtual players couldn't become masters? The Puppet Master's series on teaching people how to be human."
"I'm confused. Is beheading really that easy? I've played over six thousand matches and have never succeeded..."
The entire virtual community was practically discussing this topic, overshadowing various famous streamers. While the virtual community could easily entertain, everyone knew it was just a show. Deep down, they wanted to see something real, especially battles against players from other federations. Such battles were staged almost daily in the virtual community, with wins and losses on both sides. However, it didn't matter.
In the most critical real world, USE players were extremely cautious. Even if they played, it was without allowing spectators because losing would truly lead to being heavily criticized. This was the pressure of reality. Some well-known players even faced online attacks. Most of them were military academy students, and the pressure was immense. Moreover, their familiar mechs and combat styles were easily observed and studied by opponents.
The Puppet Master's battle was the most satisfying one since the end of the Solar System Championship. He faced a renowned NUP player and emerged victorious in such a delightful and exhilarating manner, relieving a lot of frustration.
Originally, it would have been just a regular battle, but in this context, it became wildly popular and unstoppable.
At this moment, Li Hao felt a bit helpless. He had just started, and he received consecutive calls. First was Musashi, followed by the squad leader, and then others like Zuo Xiaotang joined in the excitement, saying that the squad leader wanted to gather the team members for a founding meeting.
Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong were quite prominent figures, and Dragon Principal was a decisive person. Zhou Naiyi had already obtained an exclusive training ground and could conduct team training independently.
When Li Hao arrived, everyone else was already there. Zhou Naiyi, Ye Tong, Musashi—unexpectedly, Zuo Xiaotang was also present, along with Tang Yu and Xue Gang, who were all from the same year. Xue Gang was also from Class 16, and Tang Yu was a skilled player from Class 18. It seemed that Zhou Naiyi intended to build the team around their year.In the center of the training ground was a combat platform where Zhou Naiyi and Musashi were sparring. Musashi was a serious person, and when it came to combat, he didn't differentiate between men and women. He was especially focused. Coming from a martial arts family, Musashi had received training from a young age, and his foundation was undoubtedly solid.
Zhou Naiyi held her ground against Musashi. They exchanged blows, and although Musashi had a better foundation, Zhou Naiyi's agility and insight were truly impressive. These were characteristics of the female genetic code, being wise and composed. In this era of mech combat, tactics took precedence over individual strength.
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Of course, it was just a friendly match, and their goal was to explore each other's abilities rather than determine a winner. They engaged in punches and followed up with a series of kicks before separating.
Musashi remained composed, not showing any change in expression or heart rate. Zhou Naiyi exerted a slightly heavier presence, but she was completely in control. This was Musashi's area of expertise. He used seventy percent of his strength, which was still slightly below Zhou Naiyi's overall capabilities. Zhou Naiyi chose to compete in Musashi's strongest area, earning his respect. She was qualified to be the team captain.
"Li Hao, did you get lost? This is our internal training," Xue Gang said bluntly, not bothering to hide his disdain for Li Hao.
Zhou Naiyi smiled and replied, "Xue Gang, Li Hao is also our teammate, and he was personally appointed by the principal. He's a former member of the Solar System Youth Class."
That became a powerful opening statement. Most importantly, Li Hao didn't have anything else to say, which would reduce any grievances from his teammates.
Li Hao couldn't help but touch his nose and said, "Squad leader, please don't spread it around. I feel like I'm becoming a zoo animal."
Xue Gang looked stunned, and he stared at Li Hao in disbelief. "You're the second idiot who injured Zhong Yong, right? Sister Zhou, this isn't fair. After reaching his level, Li Hao probably wants to forget about that incident for the rest of his life. If it becomes a big deal, he might become a stepping stone for those desperate to become famous. Li Hao will suffer then." Xue Gang couldn't help but tease. The Solar System Youth Class was impressive, but not everyone who came out of it was extraordinary. There were plenty of average performers. It wasn't just about the few strongest individuals. Sometimes, having such a reputation was a huge burden.
"Whether it's a donkey or a horse, it will show itself when taken for a walk. Li Hao, it's your turn. Come up here," Zhou Naiyi, with her well-toned body and great figure, beckoned to Li Hao.
"Squad leader... I'd like to be a spectator."
"Hao-ge, come on up. Everyone has to have a match. We've all had our turn," Zuo Xiaotang said helplessly. His left eye was a little swollen. Poor guy, he looked so aggrieved. He didn't even know why he was chosen. The question was, why would a sniper engage in close combat?
Upon learning that Li Hao was once a member of the Solar System Youth Class, even if he was a former member, Zhou Naiyi felt the urge to compete. She eagerly sized up Li Hao. Lately, she had become curious. Dragon Principal and Ye Tong were also intrigued. Was it just because of the reputation of the Youth Class?Li Hao also knew that he couldn't avoid it. This was clearly the battle where Zhou Naiyi was confirming her position as the team captain. Wanting to be a captain and make the team cohesive wasn't something that could be achieved with just a few words from the principal. It required the respect and acceptance of the team members.
Li Hao climbed onto the combat platform and said, "Squad leader, would you like to take a break?"
Zhou Naiyi smiled slightly and replied, "No need, let's begin."
Li Hao nodded and stood there. The atmosphere felt a bit tense. Zhou Naiyi looked at Li Hao, who was completely relaxed and showed no signs of vigilance, and she felt a bit annoyed for some reason.
Suddenly, she took a step forward and charged towards Li Hao. She unleashed a whip kick, but Li Hao twisted his body and dodged it. In an instant, he ran to the other side of the combat arena. Agility was a characteristic of females. With just a turn and a step, Zhou Naiyi kicked Li Hao, causing his body to sway. Zhou Naiyi followed up with a sweeping kick, but Li Hao quickly jumped back. Zhou Naiyi immediately performed a spinning kick, but Li Hao evaded again and moved to the other side.
Zhou Naiyi flipped herself up and assumed a stance, but suddenly, the surrounding gazes turned fiery.
Li Hao pointed at Zhou Naiyi and said, "Squad leader, um, your clothes..."
The strap on Zhou Naiyi's left shoulder broke, revealing a bit of her fair skin. The onlookers were practically drooling, and Zhou Naiyi blushed. "Let me change my clothes. Musashi, you spar with Li Hao. It seems our classmate Li Hao has some skills."
Musashi was knowledgeable. Although Li Hao had been evading throughout the previous match with Zhou Naiyi, he remained composed under her pressure, indicating that he had some skills in close combat. Poor distance control could lead to a direct knockout.
"Alright, Captain. Hao-ge, let's have a friendly match," Musashi said without hesitation as he charged forward.
Zhou Naiyi excelled in leg techniques, while Musashi was skilled in both punches and kicks. After a brief test, Musashi felt that Li Hao's level was decent, so he unleashed a barrage of attacks without holding back.
Li Hao wanted to object, but what was happening today? They didn't even give him a chance to speak. What about human rights and human decency?
The two fighters on the platform engaged in a heated battle. Musashi had the overall advantage and Li Hao mostly focused on blocking and evading. It didn't take long for Zhou Naiyi to return after changing her clothes. She glanced at Ye Tong, who was watching intently.
"Is he as you expected?" They had deep conversations about it. Ye Tong's eyes were filled with a peculiar light as he stared at Li Hao without blinking. "He's even better than I imagined. He hasn't slacked off these past few years."
Musashi was thoroughly enjoying the fight on the platform. He continued to increase the force behind his attacks, but no matter how much he increased, Li Hao was able to defend against everything.
Boom...
Li Hao used both arms to block Musashi's kick and pushed him away, creating some distance between them.
"What the hell, squad leader? What's going on? Am I the main event now as a substitute?" Li Hao was speechless.
"Li Hao, that's where you're wrong. You were hiding and holding back when sparring with your dormitory brother. Musashi, I don't know what kind of temperament you have, but personally, I can't tolerate such behavior." Ye Tong suddenly spoke up.
Musashi was taken aback and looked at Li Hao. Li Hao thought to himself, "What is this girl up to? Why does she always seem to have a problem with me?"