Chapter 42 Unexpected Changes in the Practical League
There are a lot of teams registered for the league this year. In addition to Euan, Lorient from the Winters family has also formed his own team to participate.
This is not surprising.
Lorient has been a regular in various competitions since high school, and has rich practical experience and impressive results.
Many analysis posts believe that, given his strength and team configuration, his goal is not just to test the waters, but to strive for a higher ranking.
After all, his family urgently needs a descendant to continue its past glory.
In addition, Inoan from the neighboring Gadro Academy also announced his participation in the competition. The mechanical weapons he made performed very well in actual combat, and his participation in the team was a great addition.
Some people in the forum have already analyzed the current situation, and there are endless analysis posts about the current league situation.
When it comes to Youan's team, there are some optimistic voices, but there are more cautious concerns and even pessimism.
"Three second-year combat specialists, plus two freshmen, Xin Fei and You An... Sigh, they're already less experienced than the others, and they've had less time to get used to each other! The Lorient team is made up entirely of senior veterans, and the Inoan team is even more overpowered by equipment. This lineup is a real disadvantage."
"There's nothing I can do. Those who really want to compete for a good ranking have fixed teams. I don't understand what Lancelot is thinking..."
"Yeah, there's not even a single professional mechanic in this team."
"What else can you think? Come on! The food is already in front of you, why don't you take a bite?"
"I've seen the talent show before. Isn't Youan quite familiar with mechanical operation?"
"The league requires that mechanical weapons must be assembled by the contestants themselves. It's true that Youan has a Class B mechanic certificate, but he's not a mechanic after all. Who can guarantee that his creations won't go awry in actual combat?"
"I'm worried for them. I hope they don't lose too badly."
The noisy discussions from the outside world seemed to be blocked out by the heavy soundproof door of the training room.
At this time, the noisy atmosphere in the training ground receded like the tide, leaving only one training room with lights as bright as day.
A huge light screen occupied an entire wall, on which images of the past ten leagues were played at multiple speeds.
Youan sat cross-legged on the ground, in front of him was a suspended holographic simulation sand table with constantly changing terrain.
He lowered his head, his fingertips rapidly adjusting the parameters on the light screen, conducting high-intensity tactical deductions.
According to the public competition rules and past experience, the competition area is generally randomly generated from the virtual space.
Students with restricted superpowers can only rely on weapons they assemble themselves to fight to the death in a fixed area and kill more virtual beetles.
This means that the battle will completely return to its most primitive level, where physical fitness, tactics, and mechanical weapons assembled by the players themselves... are all chips for victory.
But Euan doesn't think it's limited to this.
The terrain, weather, the distribution pattern of the insect swarm, the team's landing point and possible route... countless variables intertwined and collided in Youan's mind.
While concentrating on watching the results of the sand table simulation, he was quickly recording key data and strategic points.
Behind him, the originally tidy floor of the training room was now covered with precision mechanical components and various tools, like a miniature mechanical arsenal.
Youan tilted his head and scratched it with a pen. Through recent training, he was very clear about the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates.
For example, Calix is brave but easily gets carried away; Quan Yi is accurate at range but weak in close combat; Xin Fei is skilled in healing but lacks the ability to protect himself...
However, the number and quality of participating teams this time far exceeded those of previous years, and Youan had a strong premonition that perhaps the rules or competition format would be fine-tuned this year.
But no matter what, the core rule of "players assemble and use mechanical weapons on their own" will not change.
This is him, and he is also the biggest reliance and breakthrough point of the entire team.
Phew! I'm awesome! Lancelot is awesome too! Everyone's awesome!
Youan stood up suddenly, grunted to encourage himself, and walked around the training room a few times with great momentum. His blood was boiling all of a sudden, as if he could write twenty papers in one night.
He turned around and supported himself on the workbench next to him. With a neat flip, he sat cross-legged on the wide table, picked up the precision welding gun and energy engraving knife at hand and started working.
The devilish preparation time will soon be over.
Lancelot and other combat students often fought or worked in teams during their high-intensity practical classes. They were already familiar with each other's fighting styles and habits, and their cooperation was unexpectedly smooth.
Youan suspended his part-time job at the bakery. Apart from attending classes, he stayed in the training room and practiced physical fitness with Xin Fei.
When Calix arrived at the training room, he was startled by the dwarf rabbit orc lying on the ground with his eyes closed peacefully.
You An was covered in sweat, lying motionless on the ground. If it weren't for his chest still rising and falling slightly, he would have looked like he was buried in peace.
"Take it easy. You don't have to worry about sudden death when training like this..." Calix looked at the training records displayed on the light screen. Even though he was a combative person, he had to sigh and admit defeat.
"Why worry about it?" Quan Yi waved his hand. "With Lancelot guarding us, even if he dies, Youan won't die."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was kicked in the butt.
Lancelot said with a smile: "Stop cursing me."
Before the others started to tear their hair, Xin Fei lifted the mechanical box onto the table and opened it: "Yuan has already finished making the weapon. You've come just in time. You can try it out first."
You An turned over and got up, patting his clothes: "Feedback is welcome, and you can rework and revise it at any time."
Lancelot picked up the improved version of the Mirage Whip, which had several fine-tuning knobs added to the handle.
He gripped the handle and gave it a light shake. The whip shadow slid out silently like a living thing. Wherever the whip shadow passed, it left tiny energy ripples in the air. Its speed and flexibility were obviously better than before.
"Mr. Mechanic..." Lancelot curled his lips, put his arm around the man's shoulders, and asked deliberately, "Does rework require extra payment?"
"Oh, that's not necessary..." You An paused, his tone becoming a little cunning, "If the boss is willing, I certainly won't stop you."
Lancelot laughed softly, tilted his head slightly in his direction, and rubbed the small rabbit ears quickly with his animal ears.
The other few people didn't pay any attention to the cotton candy-like aroma in the air. They picked up their weapons and touched them reluctantly, as if they were ready to rush onto the battlefield to fight in the next second.
Calix is an assaulter, so he got a heavy pulse gun.
Quan Yi is not good at close combat, so the foldable compound crossbow is very suitable for him, especially since it is equipped with a smart quiver that can quickly switch between energy arrows with different functions.
As a healer, Xin Fei would not act alone, but just in case, Youan prepared a three-edged dagger that was easy to carry. The blade glowed blue. Although it was small in size, it had both armor-piercing and blocking functions.
Everyone was very satisfied with their own exclusive weapons, and the way they looked at Youan was no different from the sweet little angels in the wishing well.
After the trial, Youan simply debugged the weapon and all the preliminary preparations were completed.
"All participating teams will gather tomorrow morning, so you won't be able to bring anything extra." Lancelot checked the time and reminded, "So, apart from your combat uniforms, don't bring too much luggage."
"Got it." Everyone responded and started packing their things.
Youan's weapon was a lightsaber of varying lengths. He was squatting next to a toolbox, concentrating on carefully sorting out the last few boxes of spare parts and debugging tools.
Lancelot's gaze inevitably paused on him, his green eyes narrowed, and he emphasized again: "Don't bring anything extra."
Youan hummed perfunctorily, finally stuffed the last part into the box, and stood up with satisfaction.
At this moment, everyone else couldn't help but look at Youan.
Compared to them, Youan wasn't really tall, but his body proportions were good. However, when he stood up today, his straight legs looked...
Extra long!
Lancelot raised his eyebrows, his eyes falling precisely on Youan's shoes.
They were an ordinary-looking pair of combat boots, but the thickness of the sole was rather suspicious.
The next second, in the astonished eyes of everyone, Lancelot strode over and carried Youan on his shoulders like a sack!
"Hey! What are you doing! Put me down!" Youan screamed in fright, his tail exploded into a flower, and his legs kept kicking.
"Behave yourself." Lancelot slapped him on the butt without any hesitation, making a crisp sound.
He turned his back, placed Youan on the table next to him, and took off one of his combat boots without saying a word.
"Clang."
A thick, springy insole for heightening the shoe fell out of the boot and rolled to the floor.
The training room instantly fell into an eerie silence.
Youan's face flushed red.
"No wonder. I felt something was wrong when I put my arm around your shoulder just now." Lancelot picked up the insole and shook it. "Aren't you afraid of spraining your ankle while running around in this training?"
Youan was embarrassed and annoyed, his ears were trembling, and he pounced on her regardless.
Before Lancelot could react, the angry dwarf rabbit orc grabbed the pair of furry ears on his head and bit the tips of his ears viciously!
"hiss--!"
Lancelot gasped in pain.
＊
By the next day, before Kagano's spacious starship landed, all the teams participating in the actual combat league had assembled and were ready to go.
In what should have been a solemn and expectant atmosphere, many people's eyes involuntarily swept over the head of a certain red-haired noble.
The tip of Lancelot's left ear was missing a small tuft of fluffy red hair, leaving a small gap with a tooth-like shape, which was particularly eye-catching in the early morning sunlight.
Youan tried hard to keep a straight face, looking up at the sky, down at the ground, and at You Tuantuan who was lying on Enzo's head and waving a small paper stick not far away, but ignored the people around him.
Of course, Lancelot himself didn't seem to care and still had a smiling expression on his face.
Quan Yi glanced at the fox ears that were rotating at a higher frequency than usual, and couldn't help but sigh. The only one who could be so complacent after being humiliated was probably the guy in front of him.
Not far from the landing pad where the starship was docked, a number of parents who came to see their children off gathered in a carefully constructed viewing area.
Among them, Mr. Vanser, dressed in a dark and elegant suit and with a calm aura, was particularly eye-catching.
The administrative commander of Area A was standing with his hands behind his back, gazing calmly at the assembled troops.
"Lance looks really energetic." A voice with just the right volume sounded beside him.
Marquis Winters, with a smile as if measured with a ruler, walked over to him and said, "I'm sure his team will achieve excellent results, don't you think, Mr. Commander?"
"Hahahaha, you're too polite. With Lorion here, it won't be that easy."
Mr. Vanser turned his head when he heard the voice, and a gentle and decent smile instantly appeared on his face, as if the deep look in his eyes just now had never existed.
The two hands shook briefly and politely, as if they were just two parents who cared about their child exchanging a greeting.
When Mr. Vanser retracted his hand and turned around, his face suddenly turned cold and he gestured in the direction of Lancelot.
Kill these idiots.
Lancelot smiled and nodded, responding to a silent message that only the father and son understood.
Do I need to tell you?
[The hatch will open shortly. Please enter your respective landing capsules in an orderly manner!]
As the cold prompt sounded, the huge hatch slowly opened to everyone like a gateway to an unknown battlefield.
Youan stood on tiptoe and looked around curiously, then turned around and waved in the direction of You Tuantuan and the others, then quickly followed Lancelot and disappeared into the bustling crowd.
The young people who were talking excitedly just now have now calmed down. The invisible pressure did not make them curb the ambition in their eyes. Instead, they were filled with concentration and solemnity before the battle.
Everyone concentrated their attention and carefully checked the weapons before stuffing these treasures into the uniformly distributed supply backpacks.
Except, Lancelot.
He had no intention of putting away the weapon in his hand. He lowered his head slightly, blew lightly on the scarlet-glowing whip handle, and then slowly wiped it with a silk handkerchief.
This slow maintenance process made almost everyone who passed by him look curiously at the long whip in his hand.
Xin Fei couldn't help but ask, "Why does he have to hold it in his hands? Can't he just put it away?"
Calix scoffed unhappily, "He's already pretending."
The interior of this massive starship was like an icy silver honeycomb, with countless hemispherical landing pods neatly embedded in the deck, flashing with dim lights representing different areas and numbers.
Soon, they will be transported to the competition area created with holographic simulation technology and dropped directly into it via a landing capsule.
"Yuan actually came?"
"Participating in popularity contests is fun, but why would he join in on this kind of competition where all the talent is involved?"
"I guess he's just been flattered by his fans."
Seeing the dwarf rabbit orc being led by Lancelot, many of them looked at him with a bit of contempt, obviously not taking his existence seriously.
“B09…B09…Ah, I’m here!”
Ignoring the hushed discussions, Youan followed the leading robot and quickly found his landing pod.
He subconsciously glanced at the adjacent cabin codes twice, and his gaze suddenly paused.
One C23 and one A14.
An ominous premonition suddenly seized him.
Youan suddenly raised his head and looked across several rows of neatly arranged silver hemispheres. Sure enough, he saw Lancelot looking at him diagonally across several rows from him.
He was standing in front of his landing capsule, his brows slightly furrowed.
Great, the landing capsules were not arranged according to team numbers, and everyone's order was messed up.
This realization made You An's heart sink. It meant they wouldn't land together, and their carefully prepared landing plan faced a huge uncertainty from the very beginning.
Before they could exchange a glance or a gesture, the cold mechanical prompt sound from inside the starship resounded through every corner. The cold prompt sound rang out again—
[Attention all competitors, please enter your designated landing bay immediately! The hatch will close in thirty seconds! Countdown begins: 30, 29, 28…]
Ugh, so cheap.
Youan quickly climbed to the top of the cabin, looked around, found the location of Quan Yi and the other three, and took a last look in the direction of Lancelot.
Lancelot looked quite relaxed, curling his lips and mouthing:
"I will find you."
Youan's eyes curved and he nodded vigorously at him.
He no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, quickly opened the heavy hatch, and ducked in during the last few seconds of the countdown.
The hatch closed silently before my eyes, blocking out the light and sound from the outside world. In the narrow space, there were only soft indicator lights and the faint sound of energy flowing.
With a slight vibration, the entire starship began to take off and head towards the competition area.
In the enclosed space, Youan had calmed down. As he expected, the competition would be more intense this time, with the intention of breaking up the team before the start.
Then we can basically rule out terrains such as plains or deserts that lack cover and are easily visible.
Just as he was pondering the details, the cabin shook violently, followed by a dull and continuous sound of mechanical operation.
The drop capsule has begun.
Youan immediately pricked up his ears and held his breath. Every five seconds or so, he could hear a clear sound of metal detaching from the air. It was clearly the other contestants' pods being ejected one after another.
He was counting the time silently when he suddenly felt the vibration of the capsule moving slightly on the launch track.
Ah, it’s my turn.
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound, his cabin was fixed to the launch port.
“Click!”
The securing locks on the outside of the cabin are released.
"call--"
A strong feeling of weightlessness came over me instantly!
The [B09] landing capsule was suddenly ejected, like an arrow from a bow, rushing into a field carrying honor and ambition!
At the same time, the live broadcast of the actual league was filled with a roar of voices. The split screen showed the moment when different players' landing capsules separated from the starship and turned into meteors falling to the earth. Various comments scrolled quickly.
"Ahhh it's begun! I heard this year's competition format is very exciting! Sure enough, I was right about the squatting!
"I love watching the landing capsule open the most. Every time I see it, it feels like I'm opening a blind box!"
"Are all the contestants on Kagano's team this good-looking? They're simply dazzling!"
"Let me see who this drop pod belongs to...Ah! It's the Bunny King!"
After a dull thud, the hemispherical cabin emitted a sound of airflow released by the buffer system, and the violent vibration gradually subsided.
The hatch automatically unlocks and slides open to the left and right.
A humid air mixed with the fragrance of soil, humus and some strange plants instantly rushed into the cabin.
Youan unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned out cautiously.
Before my eyes is a primeval forest that blocks out the sun. The verdant treetops are closely intertwined in the sky, forming a dense green dome. A few scattered rays of golden sunlight penetrate tenaciously. The air around is humid and hot, and I can hear the faint singing of birds in the distance.
This kind of mountain forest terrain is extremely concealed, but the terrain is complex and it is very easy for large beetles to hide. At night, the danger factor will increase exponentially. He must find at least one teammate before night falls!
He quickly picked up his supply bag, thought for a moment, and decided to move to a nearby rocky slope that was slightly higher.
Thanks to Lancelot's usual devilish training, this kind of terrain was not too difficult for Youan.
He moved silently among the thick tree roots and dense bushes, trying to avoid leaving footprints in the soft humus layer.
Half an hour later, he reached the top of a relatively open slope.
The transport starship drops a batch of landing capsules every five seconds. Because it is a team competition in the end, the organizers will not drop team members too far away. According to the rules of previous competitions, the virtual beetles will not be activated before all the players are dropped into the competition area.
Youan climbed up a tree without hesitation, took out a special flare from the supply bag, placed it in the relatively sparse gap in the tree canopy, and suddenly pulled the fuse!
“Swoosh—bang!”
A flare with a red tail whistled through the treetops and exploded into a striking red ball of light in the sky!
Youan quickly placed three mechanical bombs around him, stuffed the supply bag into the natural angle formed by two giant rocks, and directly transformed himself into a beast form.
The human form and beast form of the orcs are two separate forms, so there is no need to worry about inconveniences caused by factors such as clothing.
The furry dwarf rabbit stuck out its butt, pushed hard towards the narrow space, and squeezed in smoothly.
The rules of the competition prohibit the use of superpowers, but they don't prohibit transformation into animal form. You see, small things have their advantages.
Youan tilted his head happily and raised his hind paw to scratch his ears. But before he could be proud for long, the light of the flare gradually dissipated and the forest seemed to have returned to its previous tranquility, with only the rustling sound of wind blowing through the leaves.
“Rustle…rustle…”
It wasn't the sound of the wind! It wasn't anyone's footsteps!
The sound came from far away, at an extremely fast speed and so dense that it made one's scalp numb!
Youan stared at the shaking sand and rocks on the ground, his heart in his throat, and looked out through the cracks in the rocks.
In the quiet forest just now, four or five giant mantises with emerald green and red eyes suddenly appeared. Their heads were as big as washbasins. When their mouthparts opened and closed, the mucus they secreted dripped onto the grass leaves, making a "sizzling" sound and a wisp of white smoke rose up!
Youan's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran through him like an electric current, causing all the hair on his body to stand up.
The so-called virtual beetle is a mechanical product made by the military to simulate the posture characteristics of the Zerg.
And these guys in front of me are obviously real, physical, and full of deadly attacks——
Zerg!
You An swallowed his saliva and came to a terrible conclusion -
The place where they were dropped was not a holographic simulation space, but most likely a war zone that had not been cleared!
——Ah! The lives of college students are also lives!
At this moment, all the contestants who realized this cursed in their hearts in perfect tacit understanding.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com