Chapter 17: The Qualifying Match
"Not yet ranked," Jamie Smith explained, his voice echoing through the training grounds. "I've been honing my skills here."
"Hard work is crucial, but so is the fight for survival!" Ray Willow inquired, his tone stern. "Is your base combat strength sufficient?"
"Sufficient," Jamie Smith nodded, casting his gaze towards his personal combat panel.
Player: Jamie Smith
Genetic Evolution Technique: "Heavenly Python Evolution Method" (Intermediate Level 20%) (Training Time: 735 days, No Further Enhancement Possible)
Body: 115
Skills: Marksmanship (2nd Tier 75%), Footwork (2nd Tier 16%), Shield Technique (2nd Tier 62%)
Base Combat Power: 1380
After nearly eight hours in the training grounds, the "Heavenly Python Evolution Method" had reached its initial stage upon the first practice, and now, at 20% of the intermediate level, his body had been pushed to its limits, naturally becoming much stronger.
With his body evolved, every aspect from strength to speed to neural response had undergone a transformation. Thus, Jamie Smith also chose sparring partners in the training grounds to familiarize himself fully with his shield and spear techniques, ensuring he could unleash his full potential.
"Good enough is good enough," Ray Willow nodded, acknowledging that the threshold for divine-level base combat strength was 1000, and to directly enter the divine level through the 'Qualifying Match,' one needed to reach a base combat strength of 1200, which was no easy feat.
"After your retirement, you didn't let your shield technique slip, did you?" Ray Willow asked.
"In the national team, there were many teammates to practice with. After retiring, the practice partners were fewer and far between," Jamie Smith replied, "But I still insist on practicing a few times a week."
"Practicing shield techniques is very helpful for mastering body strength," Ray Willow stated. "It's a lifelong commitment, never to be slackened."
"Understood, Master," Jamie Smith responded. He had been training in spear techniques since he was young, and after joining the national team, his master Ray Willow had taught him shield techniques. His master's shield techniques originated from the Tai Chi lineage.
"Hurry up and get ranked. There are already 31 people who have reached the divine level. Our Xiaguo land truly hides dragons and cradles tigers," Ray Willow sighed with emotion, then ended the communication.
"Already 31?" Jamie Smith didn't hesitate any longer, clicked on his personal panel, and headed straight for the battle space.
...
Upon first entering the battle space, there was nothingness. Out of the void appeared a man in a green robe, who said: "Jamie Smith, welcome to the battle space. Your base combat strength has reached 1380, exceeding the 'Divine Level' base combat strength threshold by 20%. You may proceed directly to the 'Divine Level' qualifying match. Do you wish to proceed?"
"Let's do it," Jamie Smith nodded.
"Battle space environments include a small town, forest, city, snowfield, and ancient battlefield. Please choose one as your qualifying match venue."
Jamie Smith thought for a moment and said, "Forest!"
"Please select your equipment," the man in the green robe said, "You may carry up to two weapons, and head protection is not allowed."
"Only the head must be exposed?" Jamie Smith asked.
"Yes, even in heavy armor, the head must be exposed," the man in the green robe nodded, "This is the rule set by the virtual world game, so in battle, the head will be the biggest vulnerability. You must protect it carefully."
Jamie Smith nodded. He lightly tapped to start selecting his equipment. He had tested many times in the training grounds, so he was very proficient.
"A set of light body armor, close-fitting and not affecting movement," Jamie Smith chose his body equipment, and after selecting, he was dressed in a dark red body armor, with a pair of light and sturdy boots on his feet.
"Dual shields, each with a diameter of sixty centimeters, relatively light shields," Jamie Smith put the dual shields on his back, and with a stretch of his hand, he also chose a spear.
"Spear, weighing 36 kilograms, quite handy," Jamie Smith held the spear. The full set of equipment, including the light body armor and boots, weighed 55 kilograms. The dual shields weighed 30 kilograms, and the spear weighed 36 kilograms. For Jamie Smith, whose body index had reached 115, it was indeed relatively light equipment. Those heavy armors weighed hundreds of kilograms, of course, the defensive effect was much stronger. Those who cultivate the "Mystic Turtle Evolution Method" and "Giant Bear Evolution Method" are more suitable for choosing that kind of heavy armor.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
"Let's start the qualifying match," Jamie Smith clicked on the ready button, and the map appeared in front of him, and he directly fell into the 'forest' map.
******
After the rain, the mountain road was muddy.
Jamie Smith descended from nothingness and stepped on the muddy ground, looking around.
Under a large tree in the distance, there was a mess of weeds, and a shabby man was sitting cross-legged on the clean weeds with a sword at his waist. When Jamie Smith appeared, the shabby man looked up.
"Another one who's not afraid to die," the shabby man muttered to himself, chuckling softly, and slowly stood up.
"Cloth clothes, only a sword?" Jamie Smith observed his opponent, "He's wearing cloth clothes, but I'm in body armor, spear against sword, I also have a great advantage. His external equipment is at a great disadvantage, then his own strength may be very strong."
If the strength is weak, and the equipment is also weak, it's too unchallenging.
"Since you're here to die, I'll help you on your way," the shabby man moved, his body blurred, extremely fast, straight at Jamie Smith.
Jamie Smith stood still, waiting calmly.
The distance is getting closer!
Jamie Smith held the spear with his left hand and the waist of the spear with his right hand, ready to strike.
"Whoosh." The moment the shabby man approached, his figure twisted strangely, and the long sword flashed.
Bang.
The long sword hit Jamie Smith's spear, but this spear was like a dragon out of the sea, with a slight vibration, the spear shaft had a terrifying force that hit the long sword, shaking the shabby man to fly back, his feet touched the side of the tree, a flip, and landed in the distance, his hand holding the sword trembled.
"Very fast, very flexible footwork," Jamie Smith looked at the other party, "I'm not as good as him in footwork."
The shabby man stared at Jamie Smith, slowly approaching again.
He also wanted to kill with one sword, but the three-foot sword plus his arm, he had to get close enough to stab Jamie Smith. But Jamie Smith's spear is two meters and six, the shabby man hasn't got close to his own attack range, but has already reached Jamie Smith's attack range! This is the advantage of the weapon! Just now, the shabby man was forced to attack Jamie Smith's spear.
Must first chop the spear, then get close.
Whoosh.
The shabby man approached again.
"Clang clang clang."
He circled around Jamie Smith at high speed, stabbing quickly like lightning, colliding with Jamie Smith's spear, looking for a good opportunity.
"His footwork is better than mine, his swordsmanship is quite good, but his equipment is too poor," Jamie Smith understood this, "The normal way to kill the enemy is to rely on the advantage of equipment to kill him. But... it's not necessary."
When the shabby man was patient again, looking for a good opportunity.
Jamie Smith moved the spear in his hand.
"Hiss!"
A strange whistling sound.
A blurry spear shadow tore through the air, even forming air waves, and the spear tip had already arrived in front of the shabby man, who panicked and blocked with his sword, but blocked an empty space, and a hole had appeared in his throat, and the spear tip had even been retracted.
The shabby man covered his throat and fell down.
"This is my unique move 'Invisible Thrust', once you enter my attack range, you won't be able to block it in time," Jamie Smith said silently, "Your footwork speed is faster than mine, but not as fast as my spear."
After killing the shabby man, the world of the rainy mountain forest began to dissipate, and Jamie Smith also returned to the void.
In the void, the slow-motion picture of the kill appeared in the air: Jamie Smith's spear, so fast that it tore through the air, the air waves split to both sides, the spear tip pierced through the shabby man's neck, and the long sword that the shabby man swung had only just moved halfway, obviously much slower.
Combat score: 98 points.
Level: Divine Level One Star.
And next to it, Jamie Smith's personal combat panel appeared--
Player: Jamie Smith
Genetic Evolution Technique: "Heavenly Python Evolution Method" (Intermediate Level 20%) (
Training Time: 735 days, No Further Enhancement Possible)
Body: 115
Skills: Marksmanship (2nd Tier 75%), Footwork (2nd Tier 16%), Shield Technique (2nd Tier 62%)
Base Combat Power: 1380
Actual Combat Bonus: 20%
Combat Power: 1656
"Added an actual combat bonus? And more combat power?" Jamie Smith understood, "No wonder it was called base combat power before, with the actual combat bonus, it's the complete combat power."
"Well, the timing of the fight, the use of all aspects of factors, these are also very important," Jamie Smith was very clear.
"Congratulations, you passed the qualifying match with almost full marks," the man in the green robe said with a smile, "I have to tell you a message, as of this moment, the virtual world game has been open for 8 hours and 36 minutes, and there are a total of 32 divine-level players in Xiaguo."
Jamie Smith nodded, there are many who are faster than me, Xiaguo land is really hiding dragons and cradles tigers.
"Do you want to start fighting?" the man in the green robe asked, "The player-to-player combat in the battle space is all team-based, and in one of the environments of the forest, snowfield, city, small town, and ancient battlefield, carry out a life-and-death fight."
"When fighting, you can go to the queue alone, let the game arrange four teammates for you. You can also invite friends to form a team and then fight."
"Go to the queue alone?" Jamie Smith was puzzled, "Queue?"
"Yes, there are only 32 divine-level players now, some are in the training ground, some are watching the live broadcast, some have chosen to queue and canceled. It may take some time to make up ten people to form a team," the man in the green robe explained, "It's the first day of the game, there are too few divine-level players, the queue is very slow. After ten days and a half month, the queue will be much faster."
"Then start queuing," Jamie Smith's eyes were full of expectation, "Now those who can become divine-level are not ordinary masters."
Jamie Smith clicked the battle button.
There was a prompt - "Six people are ready..."
"Now there are six people in the queue," the man in the green robe said, "The battle will start when there are ten people."
"How long will it take?" Jamie Smith asked.
"It may take some time, the longest of these six people has been in the queue for two hours," the man in the green robe said, "There were also people in the early queue, but they queued and canceled. You can queue at the same time, go to the training ground to practice, watch the live broadcast, and even go offline! Once ten people are enough, you will be notified immediately! As long as you log on within three minutes."
Jamie Smith nodded slightly, "Then queue."
"Once this battle starts, it will be the first divine-level battle in Xiaguo," the man in the green robe said.
"The first divine-level battle in Xiaguo?" Jamie Smith pondered.