Chapter 80
Yan Yuting frowned. "Then this analysis still doesn't reveal the true strength of the Dragon-Slaying Team."
On the other side, Xue Zhongqi was checking information, raised his fan and said, "I found it. The Dragon-Slaying Team is also a new participant this year. They are first-year students from the Red Ridge Military Academy. I guess they signed up just to have some fun."
"Red Ridge Military Academy?" Xu Jintang looked up, somewhat surprised.
Song Tianqi also looked up, "Isn't that the military academy that Duoduo went to?"
Unaware of the situation, Xue Zhongqi and Yan Yuting exchanged a glance.
"What do Duoduo?"
Song Tianqi quickly recounted how the three of them had risen from lower-level star regions.
Xue Zhongqi immediately became alert. "Squad leader, we've already agreed that we can't let the other side win just because of old friendships."
Yan Yuting nodded jealously in agreement. "We can't forget about us newcomers just because they're old friends."
Song Tianqi quickly waved his hand, "Don't worry, Duoduo wasn't on that team today, otherwise we would have recognized her already. Without her, why would we hold back?"
As they were chatting, Xu Jintang had already tapped the communicator screen and sent a message to Song Duoduo: [What are you busy with?]
Song Duoduo, probably also free, replied instantly: [I'm worried about my classmates. They signed up for the Ability User Competition this year, but they had really bad luck in the first round, losing to the Silver Light Military Academy. And now, in the second round, they've drawn that Mask Squad again.]
Xu Jintang fell silent.
Song Duoduo continued, "[The Mask Squad is that team that's been super popular these past few days. In their first match against the Heavenly Radiance Team, they only sent one member and still won the game. It was terrifying. And that member didn't even use his special ability at the end, meaning he didn't go all out.]"
"By the way, what did you want to see me about?" Song Duoduo suddenly asked.
Xu Jintang: [It's nothing.]
She quickly put away the communicator's screen, pretending nothing had happened, and continued listening.
By this time, Xue Zhongqi and his group had already gathered information on all the members of the Dragon-Slaying Team.
"The strongest member of the Dragon-Slaying Team is their captain, Peak Second Tier whose special ability is summoning mechanical beasts to fight. The others are not worth worrying about," Xue Zhongqi quickly shared the information.
Song Tianqi leaned back. "There's nothing more to discuss then. Let's just do it tomorrow."
The ever-cautious Jiang Shiyi didn't say anything after seeing this information; he simply nodded.
Xu Jintang slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Alright, meeting adjourned."
After saying that, she was the first to turn around and leave the meeting room.
As the saying goes, even close brothers should keep clear accounts. In this competition, she could only apologize to Duoduo.
At this moment, the five members of the Dragon-Slaying Team anxiously gathered together, pacing back and forth in the room in a panic.
"What are we going to do? We were unlucky enough in the first match, and now the second one is even worse. If we lose again, we'll definitely have a hard time advancing."
"It's okay, we're just signing up to experience it, don't put too much pressure on yourselves."
Leaning back on the other sofa, Song Duoduo put away her communicator and looked up at her classmate. "That's right, we've only been in military academy for a short time. Our strength isn't as good as others, so it's normal to lose."
Captain Yao Wenyu sighed softly, "But I heard that the average age of the five members of the Mask Squad is no more than sixteen, so they should be the same age as us, and the Silver Light Military Academy team is too. Same age, different fate."
Song Duoduo stood up with a smile, walked to Yao Wenyu's side, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Good luck! I spent a fortune on tickets for tomorrow's show, I'll come see how you perform."
Yao Wenyu was on the verge of tears. "You've wasted your money. I guess we'll just have to watch them thrash us tomorrow."
The next morning, when it was fully light.
The highly anticipated second round of the Ability User Competition is about to begin.
Early in the morning, a long queue formed outside the competition venue, filled with spectators waiting to enter.
Song Duoduo, who got up very early, was among the first few in the line.
"Section C, row 23, go in and turn left." The staff member finished checking tickets and pointed in a direction.
Song Duoduo nodded politely and turned to walk into the venue.
Just then, a gasp of surprise came from the adjacent contestant entrance passage.
The athletes' tunnel and the spectators' tunnel are separated only by a layer of protective glass, allowing a clear view of the other side.
Song Duoduo turned her head to look curiously.
Five people wearing ghost face masks slowly walked in from the contestant entrance.
The captain, with his hands in his pockets, walked in step by step.
Song Duoduo was stunned for a moment.
Why does the leader of the Mask Squad walk look so familiar?
But I couldn't remember where I had seen it before.
"Masked warriors strike, fearless advance!"
"Ahhhh, it really is the Mask Squad! They're so cool!"
After that one match, a wave of support for the Mask Squad swept across the internet, and overnight, many more Masked Squad fans appeared.
Xu Jintang had just entered the passage, also heard this cheer.
She hesitated, stopped, and looked to the side.
A row of fans stood opposite, holding up colorful, glowing "Victory" signs and shouting and screaming wildly.
"Wow, we have fans now?" Song Tianqi exclaimed in surprise, lowering his voice.
Xue Zhongqi's lips, hidden behind a mask, curled slightly upward as he bowed respectfully to the row of fans.
This action elicited another round of screams and gasps.
Xu Jintang withdrew his gaze and continued leading the team toward the entrance of the passage.
Chapter 80
With only half an hour left before the start of the second round of the Mask Squad's points match, the stands were already packed with spectators.
One area was filled with Mask Squad fans, whose shouts and cheers were exceptionally clear throughout the venue.
Xu Jintang group of five arrived at the contestants' waiting area and began their warm-up activities.
Opposite them was the waiting area for the Dragon-Slaying Team.
The five people opposite were also warming up, their eyes darting around, looking distracted.
Li Xiang, who was in charge of hosting, soon appeared on the stage bathed in the spotlight.
He held up the microphone and greeted the surrounding audience, "It's good to see you all again. I'm Li Xiang, the referee for this match. In twenty minutes, we will begin the second round of the points competition for all teams. The next two teams to take the stage are the Mask Squad and the Dragon-Slaying Team."
"Both teams have very young players, and this is their first time participating in our Ability User Competition. In the first round of the points competition, the Mask Squad delivered an amazing performance, securing their first victory and attracting the attention of countless viewers. What kind of performance will they bring us today? Please stay tuned!"
"Of course, the Dragon-Slaying Team is also a formidable force. Although they experienced quite a few ups and downs in the last round of the qualifying matches, no pain, no gain. I believe they have already regrouped and are ready to give it their all on the field today."
"Now, we will begin the battle mode where two teams will be randomly selected!" Li Xiang turned around and pointed to the floating light screen behind him.
The data at the top of the screen began to jump wildly.
Three seconds later, the battle mode was set to [2v2, 3v3 mixed team battle].
Li Xiang's eyes lit up, and he immediately became interested. "The audience members here today are in for a treat. The mixed team battle is the most exciting team battle event in our competition. The first two rounds are 2v2 and 3v3 team battles respectively. If the first two rounds are tied, we will start the 5v5 large-scale team battle mode, and the final round will determine the winner."
"There are still eighteen minutes until the match officially begins. Let's continue to wait patiently."
As soon as he finished speaking, the spotlight suddenly went out, and the arena returned to darkness.
Xu Jintang withdrew his gaze and looked at the people behind him, "We'll proceed according to Teacher Wu's arrangements. The first match will be 2v2 between Song Tianqi and Sister Shiyi. The second match will be between me, Xue Zhongqi, and Yuting."
Song Tianqi smiled broadly, rolled up his sleeves, and exclaimed, "It's finally my turn!"
Jiang Shiyi remained calm, silently taking out his magical weapon, a rocket launcher, and slinging it over his shoulder, ready to go on stage at any moment.
This scene immediately attracted the attention of many viewers.
The live stream chat was also flooded with comments:
[Wow, he's bringing a rocket launcher into battle? Is this a custom-made magical weapon?]
[This Mask Squad really gives off a vibe of the Mechanical Technology Military Academy; everyone fights using magical weapons.]
[Two seconds of silence for the Dragon-Slaying Team; I have a feeling they're going to get a grand funeral today.]
Let me bet on whether anyone in the Mask Squad will use superpowers today.
Time flies.
Li Xiang reappeared on the stage, this time riding a flying hoverball with handles attached. He held one handle and a microphone in the other, announcing, "Hello everyone, both in the arena and in the live stream. The upcoming match is a 2v2 team battle."
I will continue to be responsible for officiating in this match.
President
Verdict: Next, please welcome the members of both teams to the stage!
Xu Jintang glanced at Song Tianqi and cautioned, "Tone it down, don't be too presumptuous."
Song Tianqi coughed lightly and immediately saluted. "Roger that!"
After replying, Song Tianqi turned and stepped onto the steps of the arena, his smile fading and his expression turning serious.
Jiang Shiyi remained calm throughout, and then they stepped onto the stairs together.
With a "snap," the spotlight shone on the ring.
The two members of the Dragon-Slaying Team stepped onto the arena. They both looked a little nervous, and only calmed down after taking a deep breath.
"Hello, both of you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Hot Air Balloon, and my mental strength level Peak Second Tier." Song Tianqi said with a smile.
Next, it was Jiang Shiyi's turn. "Aloof Killer, mental strength level Fourth Tier."
The audience was shocked upon hearing this.
"Level Fourth Tier mental strength?? Did she misspoke or am I hallucinating?"
"Isn't the Mask Squad supposed to have an average age of no more than sixteen? How could there be a Fourth Tier among them?"