Chapter 1 Cautious Old Nan

Zhuang Zhou quietly glanced at Huo Nan. "Lao Nan, be careful. The Puppet God has confirmed this wasn't a misselection."

"Xiao Zhuang, no one in this world should take themselves too seriously. Geniuses emerge one after another. If this mech was any good, someone would have discovered it long ago. Don't think you're special. Okay, the two have chosen the most conventional arena, a Spike Duel in the number two position, which best demonstrates a solid foundation."

Kǎi Bào Mech vs. Silver Fox Mech Arena

The two mobile suits entered. De Puyya looked at the Kǎi Bào fighter in front of him. It seemed like a long, long time since he'd encountered this mech, especially in the high-scoring segments. It was practically extinct.

The engines of the two mobile suits roared. The Kǎi Bào was about the same size as the Silver Fox fighter, but slightly narrower overall. It also wasn't the mainstream NUP aesthetic. The two mechs standing together did give a sense of the times.

Although he didn't know why the other party chose this, it was a competition, especially with so many people watching. De Puyya didn't plan to waste words.

The battle began. The Silver Fox fighter's engine roared, rapidly closing the distance. Entering a ten-meter range, De Puyya's best move, the staggered step, came out. Top warriors must have predictions. The so-called no prediction also assumes the opponent will make a straight-line attack. And his understanding of the Silver Fox fighter was a smooth, instantaneous change of center of gravity, causing the opponent to misjudge. This was also the way of the assassin that vanguard mechs needed to achieve, rather than focusing on contact like medium or heavy mechs.

Whoosh…

In the blink of an eye, the staggered step changed to a sudden advance, the laser sword stabbing out directly. The Kǎi Bào dodged to the side. De Puyya changed direction with the staggered step, the laser sword in his hand continuously attacking, each move aimed at the vital parts of the mech. Once hit, it would weaken the opponent's mech's functions at the very least.

Light mechs pay more attention to attack efficiency and vital destruction. De Puyya, piloting the advantageous Silver Fox fighter, shrouded the Kǎi Bào in a laser sword light curtain. The Kǎi Bào kept dodging, all kinds of dodges, its body constantly turning sideways, leaning back. More than a minute of continuous, explosive assassination attempts were all dodged.

Whoosh…

The Kǎi Bào did a backflip, a strong control in mid-air, instantly pulling away seven or eight meters, directly cutting off the Silver Fox fighter's continuous attack.

De Puyya's expression also became interesting. He didn't think he was fighting a Kǎi Bào. He knew that the set of attacks just now couldn't be dodged by a Kǎi Bào, but the other party had actually dodged more than forty sword strikes by dodging alone.

He hadn't even used the titanium knife. This was a bit of a provocation.

Light mechs, in the Earthling's understanding, were more about the way of the assassin, using lightness and agility to find opportunities to kill.

The laser sword spun in the Silver Fox fighter's hand. As an S-level player, especially one using a light mech, detail control was at its peak. De Puyya held the laser sword in reverse, staring intently at the Kǎi Bào opposite him. The Silver Fox fighter's center of gravity began to lower.

Bang!

The Silver Fox moved, instantly closing the distance, but the laser sword didn't rush to make a move. De Puyya was also speechless. He had never encountered such an opponent who didn't react. What the hell was this?

All the spectators felt awkward. Light mech battles were basically brain-burning, all kinds of dazzling moves. Puppet's woodenness was just inexplicable. He didn't even want the principle of seizing the initiative?

Not to mention the audience, even Silver Fox, who had been playing for three years, had never seen this. Since the opponent was like a wooden chicken, he didn't need to make any extra moves, just the fastest and most ruthless attack.

Kill!

Flash Strike – Swallow Return!

The attack was as swift as lightning. From the Silver Fox mech, it had less domineering power and more sharpness and acuity, like the Grim Reaper's harvest, the laser sword slashing past.

But as soon as he struck, De Puyya instantly turned as cold as ice. It missed.

The Silver Fox fighter landed and instantly bounced up, the staggered step killing towards the Kǎi Bào, the laser sword slashing out a series of light and shadows enveloping the Kǎi Bào. The Kǎi Bào fighter kept drifting in the sword shadows, its body moving. The laser sword was always just a little bit off, but it just couldn't touch the Kǎi Bào. The Kǎi Bào's narrow body design, which originally seemed a bit ugly, had a strange wave-like agility.

Whoosh…

Another sword missed. Silver Fox's attacks weren't all-out. They all left room to prevent the opponent's counterattack after a mistake. But this time, the Kǎi Bào suddenly cut in close. Boom, boom, boom…

Three-stage kick. The Silver Fox fighter was kicked out more than ten meters. The mech slid for a while. De Puyya had obviously defended against all of them, but there was no joy in his heart.

Sense of distance was one of the most important factors in judging the strength of an assassin-type mech pilot. He had never encountered someone who could completely master their attack distance, especially while piloting a Kǎi Bào. Was he teasing him??? De Puyya's anger rose!

"De Puyya, it's been a few years, and you're still so afraid of death. How can you play assassin if you don't dare to sacrifice yourself?"

De Puyya was just about to attack when he suddenly heard the other pilot's voice, his expression freezing. Damn, who the hell was spouting nonsense here, with such an arrogant tone? Hadn't he heard of his… in the area of trash talk…?

?

??...

"You… you are… Second Brother???" De Puyya was dumbfounded. It had been a few years since he'd heard it. It was a little unfamiliar, a little profound. Memories that seemed to have been forgotten suddenly flooded into his heart.

"We'll catch up later. Let me see what progress you've made. Go all out. I don't even want to fight back!"

"Damn, MD, Second Brother, you've come out of the mountain? Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier? Wahaha, I'm not who I used to be. Be careful, I'll show you the strength of a top USE vanguard today!" De Puyya's emotions surged in an instant, and his hands were itching. He had to say, with a few years of precipitation, he really had some courage now.

Bang, bang, bang…

De Puyya's Silver Fox fighter made three short engine roars in a row. This was the habit of vanguard warriors, expressing the greatest respect and recognition for the opponent.

Zhuang Zhou and Huo Nan were confused. In their opinion, De Puyya seemed to be just messing around, and the opponent was just dodging casually. A conspiracy by the Earthlings? Were they trying to set him up?

Huo Nan was a little flustered, but then he thought, it shouldn't be. He was just a small fry. There was no need to go to such lengths.

Could it be that these two knew each other?

Zhuang Zhou had the same question. Obviously, the two mech pilots had a conversation just now. Although he didn't know what it was, something must have happened, and it had a great impact on De Puyya. With De Puyya's current status, few things could affect him as a warrior. As for him deliberately doing a tribute to create hype, it was impossible. The other party must have enough weight.

Who was it? Could the Puppet God be Nine-Headed Dragon, Zhao Qinglong?

His strength might be able to reach this level, but he heard that De Puyya didn't pay any attention to Zhao Qinglong at all. They would fight as soon as they met, as if they had some feud. This was no secret in the USE for many years, and it also made other federations criticize Earth for not being strong and being good at infighting.

Zhuang Zhou felt like he was getting closer and closer to the truth. There was no such thing as a completely traceless emergence. The top-level experts might know the Puppet.

The Silver Fox's second laser sword was also unsheathed, one forward and one reverse. This was De Puyya's strongest battle method. He was going to get serious.

Top S-level players rarely used their trump cards in ranked matches. There was no need to use killer moves in such battles. Ranked matches were mainly for practice and accumulation, unless they encountered a worthy opponent.

Clang…

The two laser swords crossed, slightly lowered.

All the spectators were dumbfounded. This was the second tribute. This showed that De Puyya was very excited. Had he met his idol? Who exactly was the Puppet? Could it be a god-level big shot who had entered the military and was playing a small account?

Who was so idle?... It didn't seem like there was anyone particularly awesome in the past few years.

Bang…

At the moment the Silver Fox fighter突进, the momentum was completely different. This time, the Silver Fox fighter didn't attack rashly, but moved around the Kǎi Bào, with a kind of dread and excitement that even the audience could see.

What was going on?

De Puyya was so excited that his palms were a little sweaty. The more talented he was, the better his memory. Back then, Second Brother not only dominated the Moon and Mars, but also put pressure on the Earthlings. If it hadn't been so many years, he might not have dared to make a move.

His problem with attacking was that he always held back a little, but when he met Second Brother, not to mention holding back a little, holding back a single hair was asking for death.

The Silver Fox fighter's movement speed had been raised to the extreme, but it still hadn't launched an attack. The Kǎi Bào, which was encircled in the center, was still motionless. Huo Nan had also commentated on many matches, but he had never seen this bizarre situation in the S-League. A broken Kǎi Bào hadn't moved at all, stimulating a Silver Fox fighter as if it had seen its ancestor.

What… the hell.

Boom…

The Silver Fox attacked, an arc flash strike!

Almost at the same time, two titanium knives popped up. The Kǎi Bào used the knives to defend. However, the laser sword and titanium knife separated the moment they crossed. Using inertia and strong control, he used De Puyya's signature skill from the S-League. The Silver Fox fighter circled the target twice at the kinetic energy limit, giving eighteen knives to the Kǎi Bào, encircling it in two layers. This was created by De Puyya, and so far only he could do it.

必杀—De Puyya’s Devil’s Waltz.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang…

Eighteen crisp sounds of swords and knives crossing, almost a continuous, rapid sound... The Kǎi Bào blocked them all. And the next second, De Puyya knew he was in trouble. He ignored everything and increased control, the mech instantly retreating. But the Kǎi Bào’s killer move had already arrived.

At this moment, De Puyya’s scalp went numb, feeling the terror of the past. But he was no longer the young man he used to be. Years of experience and a strong will stimulated even stronger combat power. His spirit was more focused than ever, and he could block it!

Flash Strike! Flash Strike? Flash Strike!

In an instant, De Puyya’s brain was making various predictions. Crap!

Sure enough, flash strike from behind!

Clang… This almost fatal knife was blocked by De Puyya’s sidestep, but the next second… it was gone.

Boom…

The screen was full of question marks. What the hell was going on? How did it suddenly disappear?

The entire EMP hall of Tianjing Mech Martial was quiet. Zhou Naiyi was one of them. She was paying attention to Zhuang Zhou. She wanted to learn something from this person. She had a kind of inexplicable closeness and trust. And at that moment, the person involved was confused, but even as an observer, she didn’t see what happened. The mech seemed to have made a secondary shift?

The next second, the entire mech hall exploded. Everyone realized that De Puyya’s Devil’s Waltz had been broken. This was something that hadn’t been broken in the last S-League. Although De Puyya was defeated, it was because his opponents didn’t let him use this move at all. Two sections of eighteen knife attacks, circling twice in an instant. It was simply impossible for humans to defend against. But the Puppet not only defended against it, but also killed De Puyya in return.

The barrage exploded. Huo Nan’s muscles were stiff, his expression was frozen, and his heart was bleeding. He didn’t want to talk now. This was definitely a conspiracy by the Earthlings, a naked attempt to screw him over, to…

The match ended. Puppet won. The two sides of the battle withdrew from the arena and were in a suspended state.

Huo Nan noticed. Were these two splitting the money now? Splitting his hard-earned money!

“Second Brother, Second Brother, haha, damn it, I knew you would come. If you don’t come out one day, I’ll spray them every day. These damned ungrateful bastards, traitors!!” On the other end of the Skylink, De Puyya was happily yelling.

Li Hao smiled knowingly, "Okay, stop scolding. It's not a matter of coming out or going in. I've always been here. I'll play if there's a match. You should also change your temper. By the way, your current combat thinking has a big problem. There are too many redundant operations. This kind of complex playstyle can only be used against those who are weaker than you or about the same. Once you meet a master, you'll be easily caught."

If someone else said this to De Puyya, they would definitely be sprayed until they couldn’t take care of themselves, “Hey, Second Brother, you don’t know me, I just like to show off. It’s uncomfortable if I don’t show off. Are you going to reorganize the Hunters? You must add me. You can’t do it without me!”

“Those are old calendars. I’m at Tianjing Mech Martial now. Robbie is coming over on the weekend. Come over too if you have nothing to do. I’ll treat you to authentic Tianjing street food.” Li Hao felt that if De Puyya found out on his own, he would definitely ask for another meal, so it was better to be conscious.

As expected, De Puyya was very excited, "I'll go. Robbie, that dog, didn't tell me about this kind of thing. I have to fight him three hundred rounds when we meet, haha, I'll definitely be there!"

"Okay, stop talking nonsense. See you on the weekend." Li Hao was also quite troubled. It had been five years. Why was De Puyya even more talkative than before?

“Okay, Second Brother!” De Puyya went offline. He sat in the training cabin for a while, something that was lost must be taken back… He waved his fists hard a few times.

The members of Prometheus were dumbfounded, watching De Puyya coming out of the training cabin elated. Had the captain lost his mind? He lost and was still so happy?

(Dear family members, it's not a cliffhanger, please give me a monthly ticket ^_^)