These stories were usually exaggerated, meant to incite the listener to take up the proper training directives. After all, simply learning a couple of mystical techniques would not make one all-powerful. To improve one's physical ability, one had to start from the basics.
For example, finger strength.
Conventional push-ups did not do much for Wang Zheng. Neither did one arm pushups. They were simply too easy. But what about single finger push-ups? Maybe that training standard would help push Wang Zheng's capabilities a little further.
Plonk
Wang Zheng fell to the floor from his finger push-up attempt. He slowly picked himself up off the floor, and a dumb smile could be seen on his face.
After that failed attempt, he continued to experiment with single finger push-ups.
Maybe it was due to Bonehead's training, but Wang Zheng was now obsessed with fervently training himself. He started doing push-ups with 5 fingers before gradually reducing the number of fingers.
Doing it this way allowed Wang Zheng's finger strength to increase. Even if he could not consistently perform at this standard, Wang Zheng was determined not to return to doing conventional push-ups. Backpedaling would not allow him to improve.
There was no meaning in lying to himself.
After his countless attempts, Wang Zheng was absolutely battered and exhausted, but he kept that large smile on his face. Having found a new level of difficulty, he was ecstatic at another method of improving himself.
A new day had come. While the tough military training had initially been hard on the students, everyone was slowly acclimatizing to the strict regime and was settling into their daily routine.
Dormitory 007 had democratically reached a very important decision… on which girl would best suit each guy.
It was agreed that Zhang Shan would have dibs on Meng Tian. No one else was allowed to pursue her. In Zhang Shan's own words: "The harder it is to reach her, the more I want her."
Yao Ailun's target was An Mei. To him, the cold, uncaring beauty was undoubtedly the sexiest.
Chen Xiu was focused on Du Qingqing. Student Chen had always felt that age was the most important factor. For him, lolis were simply the best. The other girls were all too old.
As for Ye Zisu, everyone agreed that she was Wang Zheng's property. Even though Wang Zheng did not contribute to the discussion, everyone else felt that there was definitely potential for a romance to blossom between the two.
Admittedly, Wang Zheng did not even attempt to oppose the discussion's outcome. After all, the three were free to say whatever they liked. Besides, Wang Zheng distractedly thought that his current exercise-focused life was much more fulfilling.
That being said, it was not that Wang Zheng had no opinion on the discussion. Wang Zheng simply thought it was unfeasible that someone like him could ever date a girl like Ye Zisu. After all, it was not as if
an opportunity like that would ever come about.
F*ck. Wang Zheng felt slightly depressed from that realization.
After extracting himself from the animated discussion, Wang Zheng forced himself to cheer up before leaving the dormitory to attend his daily classes. He was determined to focus on his studies, and as such, he had allocated ample time for courses in the physics and mecha curriculums. Reminding himself that Xiao Fei would crucify him if he missed any classes, he made sure to prioritize her lessons on his schedule.
On the second day, everyone had settled into their respective departments. The teaching staff had started their syllabuses, and the students were getting used to the ever-increasing workload. It was said that this batch of first year students at Ares College were unusually diligent, and few would skip their classes.
In the math classroom, the atmosphere was strangely chilly.
Class had officially started 30 minutes ago, but Professor Marcus was preoccupied with the scribbles on the blackboard. His students were all whispering amongst themselves. Could the answer actually be correct?
Marcus suddenly turned around, his eyes sweeping across the classroom like a snake looking for its next victim. He slammed his palm on the blackboard and everyone jumped in their seats.
"Who wrote this?"
His expression looked as though it could devour someone. The students looked at one another in dismay. Even if they wanted to answer the question, they would not have written it on the blackboard! It was simply unfeasible to do so! Answers would have been passed to the Professor privately instead of being displayed so brazenly in the classroom.
Marcus suddenly realized that his expression was frightening his students, so he tried to ease them by letting out a smile. "Who wrote this? I have been teaching mathematics at this college for five years, and my time here has led me to believe that this place is only full of pigs. But I admit that it was shallow of me to think so. No, this here is the work of a genius! It is my first time seeing such an answer. It is…beautiful. No, it is extremely refined!"
Marcus had an expression of ecstasy on his face. Most people could only duplicate answers, but to formulate something original was a skill to be admired! And this mystery student had discovered a whole new path to solving this question! It was absolutely wonderful! In fact, reading this methodology helped Marcus take his understanding of equations to a whole new level!
His students were still looking at one another in dismay. Everyone knew that Marcus was only teaching at Ares College because of Xiao Fei. Both of them were partners and rivals in academia. However, Marcus was extremely competitive, and if he were to find out that his department was beaten by another department, there would be hell to pay!
At this point, a student raised his hand and stuttered, "I d-d-don't recognize him, b-but it was done by a student from another department. H-h-he wrote it."
Marcus chuckled at the student and said, "That is impossible. This is an equation that is only taught to 4th year students. If a Mathematics Department student could do it, he or she would be considered a genius. If some other department's student were capable of math to this degree, well, we all might as well resign from a career in math!"
At this point, everyone was certain that Marcus was not just being sarcastic in his admiration for the mystery student's scribbles. This was because Marcus was known for being an extremely harsh critic; he had a reputation for viciously tearing apart a student's calculations and workings and making them regret pursuing a career in mathematics.
Another student raised his hand. "I think he's from the Physics Department."
"Yes, he was wearing the Physics Department's uniform. He was not a senior; I think he should either be in his first or second year."
Marcus was speechless. A second year physics student? Impossible.
Marcus was no longer in the mood to conduct his lesson. "All of you, write this answer down. This is an entirely new method of approaching the problem. I don't expect any of you to recognize the significance of it, but such an answer is, at the very least, worthy of a prize in the Sol Federation."
The Math Department was taken back. What the f*ck?! Surely he was exaggerating!
Did Ares College really have such a genius?
And he was not even a math student!
It was absolutely outrageous!
Marcus immediately rushed to Principal Gu Te's office, and he anxiously explained himself.
Gu Te was flabbergasted. "Professor Marcus, your requests have always been taken seriously by the school. Could you tell us more about this student? Who is he and what department is he from?"
Marcus stared blankly at the Principal. "I don't know. I only know that he is from the Physics Department and is either in his first or second year."
Gu Te was speechless and could only let out a bitter smile. "That description is honestly quite vague. There are many students in year 1 and year 2. It might take some time; however, you do not need to worry. I will wholeheartedly search for him. After all, discovering a student's hidden talent is always a good thing."
Marcus could finally relax. "Okay, please expedite this search. I will pass on his mathematical proof to the Sol Federation's Mathematical Society for their inspection. I honestly believe that winning a prize with this mystery student's work is not out of the question."
"It is that impressive?" Gu Te was shocked.
"Of course it is! I would not rush down to the Principal's office just to report some sub-standard piece of work. Do you think I am that free?" Marcus glared at Gu Te.
Gu Te was helpless. This year was a particularly troublesome year for him because he was focused on nurturing a group of particularly talented students.
Students usually approached the first week of classes with enthusiasm and gusto, but once the weekend arrived, everyone wanted to relax. The moment class ended on Friday, Yan Xiaosu rushed over to the Physics Department to find Wang Zheng.
"Boss, my Commerce Department is filled with beauties! You should come over!"
"Are you sure?"
"Wang Zheng, you can't turn down my offer! You should know best after having spent some time in the Physics Department! It is a stomping ground for dinosaurs! All of them are probably from the Jurassic period! The ones in the Mathematics Department aren't much better either; they are probably from the Cretaceous period. My Commerce Department is completely different; the guy to girl ratio is about 1:4! Ah~, I am in heaven!"
But Yan Xiaosu's facial expression softened. "However, I have to admit that the most beautiful girls are all in the Officers Department. It is quite a pity."
Wang Zheng nodded his head. "Ye Zisu's friends are all exceptionally pretty."
Upon hearing that, Yan Xiaosu's eyes filled up with tears. "Boss, you've met her friends? How could you forget to invite me? We grew up together! I've known you since you were a baby! We even shared the same pair of pants!"
"Get out of here! Who wants to share a pair of pants with you?!"
"I don't care! I just want to meet beautiful girls. Please introduce me to some, I beg you. If you don't, I will tell Ye Zisu that you have been cheating on her!" Yan Xiaosu said desperately.
"Wow, that is a low blow. Fine. Next time, if there is a mixer, you can take my place. I have no interest in those sorts of outings."
"Thanks, Bro, I really appreciate it! Come, let's go and relax. My treat!"
Yan Xiaosu's method of relaxation turned out to be a visit to the Net Bar to fight a few CT rounds. Once the Boss of Brothers Net Café saw Yan Xiaosu, his face lit up with happiness. Xiaosu couldn't let the Boss down, and as such, he swiped his credit card several times. Oh, the privileges of being rich!
Upon entering the game, Student Yan abandoned Wang Zheng and went off to search for a more experienced battle partner. This was because he had not played CT in a long time, and he wanted an expert to help carry him through a fight.
When Wang Zheng entered CT, he received a notification from CT's Asia Region team, requesting for him to participate in a battle. However, Wang Zheng was not sure if the pre-arranged fight was still valid, as it had been a long time since he had logged onto CT. He quickly replied to the mail, confirming his availability to participate in a match.
But to his surprise, the moment he sent his confirmation, the CT Asian Region Team immediately fired back a response.
At their office, the CT Asian Region team was suddenly filled with activity. Office workers were rushing about trying to set up a match on short notice. In fact, Solon himself was personally handling certain matters. He had already found the perfect opponent for Skeleton.
This was not a random battle; it was a pre-arranged fight.
The system released an announcement.
1 VS 1 Battle: Skeleton VS Wild King
All of a sudden, the normally silent player base erupted into excitement. Such a high-profile match was completely unexpected! The players were surprised as there weren't any marketing campaigns advertising this event.
The players were all too curious to find out more details about the match. Who was this Wild King? What rank was he? Was he the one to challenge Skeleton?
Wild King turned out to be the American Region's No. 1 Scout for 3 consecutive months! It was said that he was an expert in using the Moon Army's high level mech, the Light Cavalry Type D.
Wild King was also known for his strength and sharp senses. He had a reputation for being the American Region's most passionate and cocky b*stard, but he clearly had the skills to back it up. Wild King was also a diamond-ranked expert.
What sort of style would he use?
Was he going to use his Light Cavalry Mech?
It was expected that Wild King would not take advantage of his enemy. As a diamond level player, Wild King would be an expert in any mech. Furthermore, Wild King was known to be a scout, and as such, he was an all-rounder and well-suited for any style.
But why was the popular Wild King so willing to fight? A diamond-ranked player fighting a low-ranking player was a rare occasion indeed!
When the battle was announced, everyone's interest was piqued. Not only did the server announcement attract the attention of players in the beginner arena, it also attracted those in the expert arena.
Solon was extremely calm. This was what he was looking for, a highly prestigious fight with lots of publicity! It would allow him to charge high viewing fees.
Wargod No. 1 VS Wargod No. 1 – Who was the stronger Wargod?
Solon felt that the battle could go either way. Both Skeleton and Wild King had an equal chance of winning. If it were not for Skeleton's high level of skills displayed during his previous match, Solon would never have dared to arrange a battle with such a high-ranking player like Wild King. However, Solon did not expect Skeleton's gunner skills to be of such a high caliber. After witnessing the previous battle, Solon decided to take the gamble and organize the match.
That being said, this plan was not without risks.
Solon knew the risks of sending a new player into a battle with Wild King; even a player as skilled as Skeleton would have a hard time! Solon could potentially be destroying Skeleton's career as a CT legend!
Over the past few months, Wild King had been growing in popularity in the expert arena. If he could maintain his leaderboard ranking for a bit longer, he would have the qualifications to challenge Earth's strongest "Emperor" placing.
Arranging the fight was simple. Paying Wild King to fight was just a small part of it. Rather, if his opponent was too unskilled, Wild King would not have accepted the proposal. However, after watching Skeleton's past gameplay videos, Wild King could not refuse Solon's request.
It was as simple as that. Wild King wanted a proper challenge. As such, he decided to use only basic mecha, and that would be the basis of his match with Skeleton.
Scouting was a job that involved dancing on the edge of a knife.
The more dangerous the task, the more exhilarating the fight.
Truth be told, Wild King was not unfamiliar with the Wargod No. 1. It was a mech that he had used for several years. While there were numerous other better, stronger mecha, Wild King believed that using the Wargod No. 1 would refine his precision for controlling a mech. However, he did not use the Wargod No. 1 in the beginner's arena; rather, he challenged himself by fighting bronze-ranked players. Wild King's achievements were truly quite glorious, but once his identity was discovered, he ceased all usage of the Wargod No. 1.
Wild King saw himself in his opponent, tackling challenges from a disadvantageous position, climbing the leaderboard with a sub-par mech; the similarities were truly uncanny.
Perhaps this Skeleton player was also using the Wargod No. 1 as a method of training himself. As such, Wild King relished the thought of beating such a confident b*stard.
Sitting in the cockpit, Wild King could feel the adrenaline coursing through him. This was it, he thought to himself. The thrill of the hunt.
Pilots who were able to proficiently control scouting mecha were generally very well-rounded. They could typically fill multiple roles in a team roster. Notably, Wild King was also the European Region's most outstanding new player, and he was undeniably talented even among the diamond ranks.
This battle was going to be interesting. A battle between two Wargod No. 1s…
It could be said that expert scout pilots would master the Wargod No. 1 before moving on to other mecha. For Wild King, sitting in the Wargod No. 1's virtual cockpit was like riding a bicycle. He felt completely at ease.
Battleground selection:
Map: Big Dipper Western Wilderness
The arena was based in the wilderness biome, and it was typically suited to direct 1v1 duels. Due to the direct confrontation of players on the map, the winner would have to succeed based purely on skill. There would be no tricks or gimmicks for players to take advantage of.
Wild King Wargod No. 1's armament... Random.
Skeleton Wargod No. 1's armament… Laser Rifle.
Perhaps it was due to Wang Zheng's recent shooting lesson, but lately he had been leaning towards ranged combat. Wang Zheng felt extremely comfortable with the laser rifle. Wild King, on the other hand, received the alloy blade knife.
… What kind of situation was this?