Zhang Jin asked as she batted her lashes, as if reminding Wang Tong about her telepathic ability due to the Tactics of the Conscious Heart.
"Yea? Yea...I mean, he had been quiet for a while. But haven't you heard? He had just sent out a challenge invitation, but it is only for anyone who has soul energy of five hundred and above. Damn it! I was hoping that I would get a chance to spar with him." Heart hammering, Wang Tong plastered a disappointed look on his face.
Zhang Jin didn't speak for a while, and instead, she observed Wang Tong's shifty eyes. When Wang Tong's eyes finally locked onto hers, they both smiled at each other knowingly. Wang Tong knew that Zhang Jin knew that he was hiding something.
Finally, Zhang broke the awkward silence and then said, "I am looking forward to watching the fight then. So, he wanted to fight a level six fighter? I truly admire his ambition. I wonder how powerful he is exactly."
"I say he is crazy. Maybe he won't last long. On another note, do you have a boyfriend?"
Wang Tong's sudden question disheveled Zhang Jin.
"No, why?"
"Do you want me to set you up with anyone? I know lots of handsome boys who would love to please you."
Zhang Jin had just taken a sip of coffee before Wang Tong's reply came out of his mouth. She rounded her eyes and stared at Wang Tong incredulously, unable to hold back the urge to laugh. Ultimately, her mouth gave in, and she spayed coffee all over Wang Tong's face.
Not only Zhang Jin was the daughter of one of the five great houses, but she was also considered one of the most beautiful women in the Confederation, and knew it herself. However, she had just heard a boy sincerely worried that she might be lacking suitors. The foolishness aside, it was Wang Tong's expression while he expressed his concern that had tickled Zhang Jin.
It wasn't until Wang Tong had wiped away the coffee on his face that he had realized how silly his question was. He conceded that he had gotten too familiar with Zhang Jin, and forgot about her family background.
"Ah... I am so sorry. Let me help you!" Zhang Jin was modified by her sudden burst, as she offered her help to clean up Wang Tong's face. All the while, the humorous development lingered, and she had to fight back the urge to laugh out loud again.
"That... that's fine." Wang Tong was visibly distressed by the embarrassment. Nonetheless, he had successfully diverted the topic, and the thought offered him some comfort despite the cost of making a spectacle of himself.
"And thank you for your offer. If I ever have trouble finding a boyfriend, I would definitely give you a call."
"I don't think you would need my help on that. Come on, let's stop talking about it, as if it weren't embarrassing enough. I could help you on other matters too, you know? Just let me know."
"Sure... On that note, I do have a small favor to ask you. I always wanted to watch the Einherjar Wannabe's fight live, but I don't want to go alone. Would you please go with me?" Zhang Jin had finally found the opportunity to unleash her coup de grace.
"No problem!" Wang Tong agreed without any hesitation. All the while, he felt lucky for his near escape of blowing his cover had it been himself fighting as Einherjar Wannabe.
Although Wang Tong didn't mind others to know that he was the heir of the Blade Warrior, he felt reluctant to acknowledge that he was Einherjar Wannabe, while the real deal—Mr. Wannabe—was still alive and well.
Wang Tong held his BFF, Mr. Wannabe, in even higher regard than the Blade Warrior.
Feeling that she could no longer get any information out of the boy, Zhang Jin parted ways with Wang Tong after the two walked a few blocks in the alley. She was surprised how quickly Wang Tong had agreed to her request, and the development spurred doubt inside her. After Zhang Jin was gone, Wang Tong skipped towards the virtual café while carrying a pleasant tune.
The exchange with Zhang Jin had proven Wang Tong's caution in dealing with the Great Houses was not unnecessary. His would-be opponents were backed by their families' tremendous financial and intelligence resources, that would make Wang Tong's effort seem laughable. Wang Tong wagered that although Zhang Jin was driven by curiosity—a beguine intention —the same could not be said about his real enemies.
Wang Tong had thought that he was ready for the world to know his identity as the Blade Warrior's heir, but right then, he laughed at his naivete. He conceded that he had been over-confident after the training in the crystal space, and he should have heeded the warning after the assassination attempt. After much thought, Wang Tong decided to double down on his disguise and only reveal his secret under reduced circumstances.
The METAL combat tournament would no doubt be a feast for the fans, especially those who were not able to pass the "mind-opening" operations. Their failure in the operation only spurred their passion for the sport.
Although the public's fever for the tournament was at par with that of previous years, a different expectation hung about in the air during this year's tournament, as many IPA players waited online for the return of their idol—Einherjar Wannabe. Rumors spread over the internet regarding the reason behind his disappearance. Some said that he was defeated by Lie Jian and had forfeited his career as a PA player. Others were convinced that he simply didn't have time for the PA fights, because he had joined the tournament. Many had adopted the theory that the mysterious fighter was actually an academy student based on his inactivity while school was the busiest.
With that assumption firmly rooted in people's mind, Wang Tong had quickly fallen under their suspicion after he had earned the title of champion at the fleet combat tournament. However, after having examined Wang Tong's solid yet seemingly ordinary METAL combat ability, the public quickly ruled out Wang Tong's name from the list of candidates.
Like many other hidden truths of the world, the real identity of the mysterious fighter was set behind a shroud of self-contradictory evidence, denying an audience to the public.
So loyal were the IPA fans that even months of fruitless waiting did not erode their patience. Unlike the IPA players, who fiercely believed that Wang Tong was invincible, many TPA players simply took the prolonged silence as Einherjar Wannabe conceding his defeat against Lie Jian. In the TPA players' eyes, Einherjar Wannabe was not invincible, not by a long shot. His failure in defeating Lie Jian meant that he would forever be counted as an amateur.
No doubt that Einherjar Wannabe could return to the PA at some point in time, but what of that? Would he then resort to fighting against opponents who were weaker than Lie Jian? What was the point then in being so obsessed with his real identity? Those were the questions that plagued the TPA players' minds. Although most of the TPA players was impressed how far Einherjar Wannabe had gone, they believed that his glory days were numbered.
However, when Einherjar Wannabe appeared months later, he pulled the rug from under the TPA players by announcing that he could challenge anyone who has soul energy of five hundred or more.
The news hit Einherjar Wannabe's fans and foes like a nuclear bomb. Challenging people with soul energy higher than five hundred meant he would stand up against the highest level of fighters that were below Einherjar. The undertone of the challenge seemed to suggest that even Einherjars were included in the message as well.
Many TPA players doubted that as a seventeen years old boy, he would be able to comprehend the gravity of his actions.
However, the news was exhilarating for Einherjar Wannabe's supporters and the DREAM. After Cameron had accepted Wang Tong's request, he knew that there was no way for DREAM to back out of this deal due to its profoundness. Therefore, he decided to double down on DREAM's commitment.
Hours after DREAM posted Einherjar Wannabe's challenge, they published an ad on major media outlets to entice the public.
"Are you still sad that you weren't able to witness the legend of the Blade Warrior? You don't have to any longer. Watch Einherjar Wannabe retell the story and reenact the legend! "
After DREAM had drawn a connection between Einherjar Wannabe and the Blade Warriors, public's views on the mysterious fighter were instantly split into three factions—the die-hard supporters, the ones still on the fence, and the haters.
A quick online poll suggested that over ninety percent of the public were "haters." The mere thought of comparing a 17-year-old boy to the god-like Blade Warrior was blasphemous.
Did the PA system become desperate for an audience, or was it going to be Einherjar Wannabe's last performance? No one would know the answer, since so far, not a single level six fighter had risen to the challenge yet.
Any level six fighter would have enjoyed a respectable reputation, and there was no point in tainting their name by bullying a kid in a game.