Chapter 54#
Fierce Battle#
Over on the other side, the Fox team was also muttering amongst themselves.
“Why didn’t you let me say something, Captain?” Qiu Zhen said, with a look of dissatisfaction as he put on his combat suit.
“On the battlefield, strength speaks, not volume,” the captain replied, head down as he adjusted his equipment.
“I just can’t stand it!” Qiu Zhen’s thick eyebrows shot up, and he gestured with a clenched fist. “Back when they had no commissions, I was the one who gave them E-rank missions! Now that they’ve achieved a little something, they turn their backs on us.”
“If you can’t stand it, wouldn’t beating them in a bit settle it?”
Qiu Zhen, still fuming, noticed his teammate beside him had been silent all this time, head bowed. He jabbed him with his elbow. “Hey, Big Head, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Big Head’s body swayed, then he cast a dark, sidelong glance at Qiu Zhen before turning away without a response.
“What’s up with this guy lately?” Qiu Zhen grumbled.
“Maybe he’s been too tired from the recent commissions?” the captain said with a smile.
Qiu Zhen felt it was pointless to continue and went back to his preparations.
**
After a long wait, amidst the cheers and clamor of the audience, the match officially began.
The timer board blinked overhead. The instant the countdown ended, Mad Mouse skulked away sneakily, while Wen Qianyong charged forward like a wild horse as usual. Ning Feng was used to it by now. He only bothered to cast a light shield on him before leisurely following behind.
The arena for this round was an abandoned residential area, full of narrow alleys with poor visibility. Ning Feng activated his scanning system but didn’t pick up anything for a while. A sense of unease crept in.
“Mad Mouse, what’s your situation?” he asked.
“Not even a ghost,” Mad Mouse replied, sounding bored.
No one? Ning Feng frowned.
From what he knew, the opposing side had the same configuration as theirs. Only their assassin’s stealth system could evade their tracking; the other two mechs wouldn’t be able to hide at all. How could they be…
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. His lenses narrowed sharply, and he let out a fierce shout: “A Yong! Get back now!”
Boom!!
The words had barely left his mouth when an explosion erupted into the sky, followed by intense sounds of gunfire.
“Damn it! I walked into an ambush!” Wen Qianyong roared.
Tch!
Ning Feng sped over, issuing a calm command: “Mad Mouse, don’t come. Keep moving toward the flag.”
By the time he arrived, three mechs were assaulting Wen Qianyong with fierce attacks.
Even though Sha Mu had upgraded him, making his armor sturdier than most heavy-firepower models, he was still clumsy in movement and couldn’t withstand their coordinated assault. He soon began to fall back. Ning Feng immediately activated his energy shield while simultaneously aiming his sniper rifle at the healer behind them.
Healers usually competed in shield absorption capacity—who fought with firepower like Ning Feng? The healer was instantly blasted into a fluster, unable to defend himself properly. Seeing they couldn’t gain an advantage, the enemy team tossed a few smoke grenades and retreated from the fight.
Worried about a counter-ambush, Ning Feng didn’t give chase. Instead, he rushed over to check on the heavy-firepower mech.
“A Yong, how are you?”
“Only one propulsion system left,” Wen Qianyong said, scratching his head irritably.
If Ning Feng had eyebrows, they’d be furrowed into a knot by now.
Wen Qianyong was the team’s absolute firepower output. If he lost combat capability, any future engagements would be extremely disadvantageous. In just a few seconds, countless plans flashed through Ning Feng’s mind.
“Can’t even block a few bullets, and you call yourself a giant? What a waste,” Mad Mouse sneered again.
“Keep running your mouth, and I’ll tear it off!”
“Alright, both of you, shut up.” Ning Feng’s voice was unusually low and steady. He issued rapid, calm orders: “Listen up. A Yong and I will go to the repair station for emergency repairs. Mad Mouse, you head within one kilometer of the flag and lay mines—as many as possible. They’re definitely sending someone to capture the flag. You have to hold the line and not let them get close.”
“Lay mines? Why not just grab the flag ourselves?”
“Don’t be stupid. There’s a shield around the flag. They’re waiting for us to deplete it and then snatch it.”
Mad Mouse grumbled but still went. Meanwhile, Ning Feng escorted Wen Qianyong toward the repair station. He knew their opponents would send their assassin mech to harass them. Before, when teams sought them out for fights, it was usually to prove their strength. But the Fox team had a clear objective—disable their combat power first, complete the mission foremost.
A very typical mercenary team.
However, after repelling two rounds of grenade ambushes, Ning Feng suddenly realized their opponents were quite skilled.
**
At that moment in the audience stands, the central giant screen broadcasted the arena’s real-time combat footage and individual player feeds. The odds and win rates for each team constantly shifted with time.
The audience was surprised that one side had lost half its combat power right from the start. Murmurs broke out.
“What are they doing? Half crippled as soon as they show up—how are they supposed to fight?”
“As expected, their previous wins were all flukes. They collapse the moment they meet a strong team.”
“The championship team is still strong!”
“What’s the rush? The match just started.”
…
Marcia sat in the VIP section, staring at the light screen with a tight frown. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she relaxed her expression.
“Boss He, don’t worry. The match isn’t over yet!” She let out a hearty laugh. “Matches always have some collisions. This minor loss is nothing. They’ll take it easy in no time, hahaha!”
However, Yin Beichen’s fingers lightly tapped the armrest, his face cold as ice, seemingly blocking out all the surrounding noise. Though he wore sunglasses, she felt his gaze was fixed on only one spot, and only occasionally would his faint brows twitch.
“Mm, I look forward to it,” he said, his voice utterly flat.
…That didn’t sound like anticipation at all.
With the match not going well, anxious that the sponsor might bolt, Marcia hesitated, wondering if she should change the subject. Then she noticed another person entering.
The newcomer wore a tattered, dark gray hooded cloak that concealed their slender figure. The oversized hood completely covered their face, and their clothes were very plain. They walked to a corner of the room and sat down quietly, not even glancing at them.
This was the arena’s high-end VIP lounge, with exorbitant ticket prices. Besides people with more money than sense, hardly anyone bought this kind of ticket. Marcia couldn’t help but take a second look.
Really low-key for a rich person.
Just then, cheers erupted again from the arena. Marcia withdrew her attention.
**
Wen Qianyong had just finished emergency repairs, barely able to move a bit faster, when Mad Mouse reported that the enemy’s assassin mech had triggered their mines and slowed down its advance.
Whether because the enemy thought they were no longer a threat or for some other reason, after the first ambush using the assassin mech’s group stealth, the enemy no longer bothered to hide their whereabouts. To Wen Qianyong, that was a blatant provocation.
“Bastards! I’ll blow their heads off!” he gritted his teeth.
“Better protect your own head first,” Mad Mouse said coolly.
Ning Feng didn’t speak. His lenses were locked on the positions of the enemy team. The moment the medical mech separated from its teammates, he floored the accelerator.
“Go!”
Three mechs burst out from different directions, all targeting the isolated medical mech. The latter reacted, trying to call for support, but was forced into a corner by fierce attacks and could only flee in panic. Before it could get far, Wen Qianyong’s powerful artillery blasted it into a crippled state.
However, the Ramming Ram hadn’t come out unscathed either.
From that intense assault, the already half-crippled Wen Qianyong couldn’t withstand the combined attacks of the other two enemies and was completely taken out of the fight. After a brief skirmish where each side lost one combat point, they ducked back into cover.
Trading a primary damage dealer for an enemy healer—that was a terrible exchange.
The odds for both sides diverged further. The audience’s noise swelled: some laughed and joked, some cursed loudly, and some took the chance to place bets on both sides to cut their losses.
In the VIP lounge, Marcia was anxious, wanting to jump onto the field and fight for them. But with the sponsor watching, she couldn’t show it. She could only force a dry laugh.
“Please don’t worry. This is definitely part of their plan. They’ll turn things around soon.” Seeing the other party still silent, she thought he was dissatisfied and began promoting other teams. “If you don’t like this team, that’s fine. Our group has other, even stronger teams. This healer just joined a month or so ago. Their coordination isn’t great yet—inexperienced—”
“You mean this medical mech, called ‘Blade,’ joined the team a little over a month ago?” Yin Beichen suddenly spoke.
Marcia, who had thought she’d be carrying on a monologue, was startled. She nodded. “Yes, it’s our newest combat robot. It’s definitely powerful—you can rest assured.”
Then she launched into another round of effusive praise.
But Yin Beichen wasn’t really listening. He leaned back slowly, his gaze fixed on the square, iron-plated figure on the screen. He tapped his lips lightly with his fingers, as if deep in thought.
“One month…”
**
Back in the arena, Ning Feng was unaware of the reactions outside. He and Mad Mouse were huddled by a wall.
Their side had only the assassin and the healer left. The enemy had an assassin and a close-range mech. Going head-to-head would be disadvantageous, but they could play a war of attrition. After a quick discussion, they decided Ning Feng would act as bait to lure out the enemy’s assassin.
“You’re just a healer. Can you handle it?” Mad Mouse frowned.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Ning Feng’s voice carried no sense of urgency. “How much time left on the mines?”
“18 minutes.”
“More than enough.”
“Play it smart. Don’t get your lid blown off the moment you show your face.”
“Oh, are you worried about me?” Ning Feng chuckled lightly, his tone laced with lazy irreverence.
“Pfft, who has time to worry about a heap of scrap metal?” With that, Mad Mouse closed the team channel.
“Can’t take a joke.” Ning Feng dropped his teasing attitude and strode boldly out of cover.
The audience outside was dumbfounded.
Healers were notorious for low attack and fragile defense; they always stayed hidden in corners. Who would openly run out like this?
Not just the audience—the enemy assassin was stunned for a moment too.
But they quickly recovered, charged at full speed, and attacked. However, the moment they popped out, the waiting Mad Mouse caught them off guard.
The assassin clearly hadn’t expected to be the target. Flustered, they were caught squarely by Mad Mouse’s ambush and Ning Feng’s heavy blows. Just as they were about to lose combat capability, the Fox team’s close-range mech arrived just in time, covering their teammate and taking down Mad Mouse in a couple of shots. If Ning Feng hadn’t reacted fast enough to flee the battle zone, the match might have ended right there.
But the enemy didn’t press the advantage. Instead of chasing Ning Feng, they turned and retreated to the repair station.
Now, Ning Feng was the only one left on his team.
He hid inside a small building and checked the time.
Ten minutes until the mines expired. The enemy would definitely avoid combat and wait out the timer before going for the flag.
Ten minutes. One medical mech taking down two attack-type mechs.
Really tough.
Ning Feng sighed. His engine hummed for a while, but no plan came to mind. So he opened his optical computer. Suddenly noticing his team’s odds had shot up, his lenses lit up. Without hesitation, he placed a bet of ten thousand.
Hearing the confirmation sound, Ning Feng smirked.
“Getting a bit tough isn’t such a big deal after all.”
Seeing this, the audience erupted.
“That robot just bet ten thousand on itself? Is it crazy?”
“Hey, should we bet a little too? Just ten star coins.”
“Bet my ass! I’d rather throw ten star coins into the river and hear ten splashes!”
…
While Ning Feng was gleefully anticipating his winnings, Marcia on the other side nearly choked with rage.
What was this thing doing?! How could it still be thinking about betting at a time like this?!
And ten thousand at that!
Okay, the amount wasn’t the issue—but shouldn’t winning or losing be the top priority? What was it doing placing bets?!
Suddenly, a soft chuckle came from beside her.
Struggling to suppress her anger, Marcia’s face flushed crimson. She forced out a laugh. “Sorry, Boss He. Please excuse this embarrassment.”
“Does it always act like this normally?” Yin Beichen’s jaw lifted slightly, a faint smile curling on his thin lips.
“No, no. Usually it’s totally professional! You must have seen its previous commissions.” She rubbed her hands together, practically scratching at the walls in frustration. “Now… maybe there’s a glitch in the program. Or maybe the battery is low…”
Yin Beichen crossed his legs without changing expression. The light from the screen reflected in his eyes, shimmering brightly.
“Ning Feng, if it’s really you, what will you do?”
Behind him, the cloaked man also let out a soft laugh. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. In an instant, a server dressed in the arena’s uniform appeared out of nowhere, standing respectfully at his side.
“Master.”
“Bet ten star coins.” The man pointed at the robot on the screen. His voice carried a seductive tone.
“Yes, sir.” The staff member acknowledged and quickly disappeared again.
The man propped his chin on his hand, watched for a while, then somehow produced a thermos and began sipping elegantly.