"Go, Wang Tong, go! Make sure you defeat Flash!"
"You bet I will!" Wang Tong flexed his muscles in front of Zhou Sisi. His task today was to familiarize himself with some details of his opponents, and to discuss methods of psychological tactics with Zhou Sisi.
This day went fast, and after Wang Tong had finished training, he went to bed without Cao Yi and Karl.
The next morning, the arena was packed with people, including many fleet combat researchers who came to observe the performance of both Wang Tong and Flash.
There were two major research groups in the world. One of them focused on the METAL combat; how to improve combat ability had always been the enduring question of the human society. The current focus of the research was to enhance the sea of consciousness. Creating new tactics was a difficult task, if not outright dangerous due to the high risk of entering derangement. There had been unfortunate incidences where a cultivator had gone deranged after inventing powerful but unstable tactics. Many lives were lost in the process of containing the deranged cultivator, and therefore, the Confederation had made stringent regulations on the publication and practice of any new tactics.
In addition to the METAL combat, the other branch of research focused on the Fleet battle. Although the Fleet battle research was not as influential as the METAL combat, they helped the military to evaluate fighters and assess their fighting styles. Therefore, their recognition was particularly important to young and aspiring fleet commanders.
Every faction hosted their own tournaments for fleet combat, although those events were at a much smaller scale. The new fighting styles of the contestants during this year’s tournament had proven to be a huge draw. Truth be told, even the audiences had gotten tired of seeing the Kaedeian's fighting style after it had dominated the arena for so many years. So, Karl's victory seemed to have breathed a new life into the field of fleet combat. Everyone wondered what kind of surprise Karl had in store for them during his semifinal fight.
Fighting styles aside, Wang Tong and Flash were the two who possessed the power equal to a real-life commander. The navy loved Flash's calm and methodical approach, and they believed that once Flash was recruited to the military, he would very quickly become one of the high ranking officers to command an entire armada.
Talented commanders like these three were a rare sight among earthlings. Therefore, the military hoped that the three earthling boys would continue their training and keep up with their excellent work.
Every seat in the arena was already taken, as everyone was eager to see the winner between the one with the perfect battle awareness and the other with the cheapest defense.
Both Wang Tong and Flash had already entered the quiet prep-room. Outside the prep-room, the host of the event touted the sponsors’ products.
On the big screen, the audiences could see the calm expression on the two player's faces. They both seemed relaxed but alert at the same time—a sign of their incredible emotion control.
"Bisu, I am a little worried about Flash," Kal said.
"It's hard to tell. If we hadn't visited Ayrlarng and waken Wang Tong up from his slumbering state, I bet Flash would win the match in a heartbeat. However, ever since our visit to Ayrlarng, Wang Tong has fully recovered his power. That being said, Flash's skills have also improved by leaps and bounds. But I know this much, the title of Champion would belong to either one of them, since neither KKK nor Karl are their equal."
Seized by anticipation, Bisu bit his fingernails. As a player as well as one who was obsessed with the Fleet Combat, the tension of waiting was unbearable.
Anyone who was an avid fleet combat player would know that neither Karl nor KKK would not have any chance winning when fighting against Wang Tong or Flash.
There were a few thousands of audiences in the first section. They were well-known players and researchers from various institutions. The front row was reserved for the media, and the middle section was reserved for political or military leaders. Many military leaders had attended the event, since the incredible power of the two players had piqued their interest.
These expectant viewers constant exchanged words with each other, as anticipation crawled onto their face.
"I wager their major confrontation would happen mid to late game," Bisu announced. As both a friend and enemy, Bisu knew the two better than anyone else.
"Touché. Wang Tong's clone ability means that Flash has to deal with him before the final stage of the fight; mid-game would be Flash's only chance. "
Although the two fighters' fighting styles were drastically different, they both possessed abilities to adapt to any situation, which made them impossible to defeat using regular methods. The outcome of the game would, therefore, be unpredictable, since it hinged on the two players real-time performance.
Any battle tactic would have a brief period of vacuum in its force, and the same went for Wang Tong's cheap defense tactics. A good player knew how to hide that period of vacuum, and a better player, such as Flash, would be able to sniff those supply vacuums out using constant harassments.
On the other hand, Wang Tong's defense was passive-aggressive; it allowed him more time to adjust his unit lines to cover up any openings.
It would be a fight between the perfect aggression and the perfect defense.
"Ruoer, I am so nervous right now. But look at him, isn't he handsome? " Ma Xiaoru held both hands together and felt both excited and nervous. Although she was not in the Arena, the 3D projection had made it look like as if she was.
Li Ruoer was speechless and then replied, "You are blind."
Ma Xiaoru cracked a smile. She should have known that Li Ruoer wouldn't understand her.
Meanwhile, on the Moon, Zhang Jin cleared her desk and turned on the TV. She had been studying a few cases involving the FFC, House of Zhang's main competitor in the tech sector.
The TV showed a shower of advertisements before the fight began. The amusing ads had made Zhang Jin feel relaxed.
Zhang Jin cracked a smile. She had a plateful to think about every day, and therefore, she had learned to tone herself down at the end of every busy day. It was essential to do so to prevent a nervous breakdown after spending too much time at work.
To put it simply, she had learned to strike a balance between work and her life.
While the pre-game commercials were still touting their products, Zhang Jin thought it would be a good time for a bubble bath. As she rested herself into the tub full of water, Wang Tong's energetic and beaming face emerged out from her memories. She had never thought that Wang Tong, the boy she had rescued from Norton, would eventually walk up to the stage of the semi-final of the tournament, much less his connection with the Blade Warrior.
After three hundred years, the Blade Warrior finally returned, and even House of Zhang could not resist the profoundness of the development and was tempted to get involved.
She wrapped her flawless body in towels and lolled onto a sofa. The timing was perfect as the match had just begun.
A hostile fire burned inside Flash. He was determined to win the fight, not only because he wanted to, but also because HE had ordered him to do so.
"The first round—start!"
It was clear that none of the players would like to assume too much risk in the first round, as they both used rather ordinary openings.