Chapter 44
The strange turn of events inside the arena left the audience stunned. How could it be that the Omega was not the one pinned down, but rather it was Tang Jiaze, an Alpha, who kneeled first?
If it weren’t for the knowledge that the Imperial Navy University and Silver Star University were arch-enemies, one might suspect that these two individuals had some undisclosed clandestine dealings.
Tang Jiaze couldn’t hear the commotion from outside, but he could fairly guess the spectators’ reactions, causing his expression to darken considerably.
Under the watchful gaze of Lu Jingning from a high vantage point, Tang Jiaze’s anger rose, and in a fit of rage, he stood up despite his tense state.
Caught off guard, he raised his hand and swung fiercely at that eye-catching, beautiful face.
Lu Jingning didn’t anticipate Tang Jiaze’s sudden outburst, but instead of showing any panic, a hint of amusement flashed through his eyes.
Sometimes, a little resistance makes things more interesting.
Lu Jingning casually evaded the attack, reaching out and grabbing Tang Jiaze’s collar, lifting him up as if handling a pet dog, and then forcefully flung him towards the edge of the arena.
A loud “bang” echoed as Tang Jiaze was firmly thrown to the edge, his chest heaving heavily. If it weren’t for the virtual equipment, he might have spewed blood on the spot.
This forceful throw was brutal, and onlookers couldn’t help but gasp at the visible pain.
Seeing that Tang Jiaze still seemed inclined to retaliate, Lu Jingning had already reached him, landing a precise kick at his backside.
Again, he flew through the air and crashed heavily against the nearby virtual barrier.
After a few seconds, he fell to the ground, slowly recovering.
Audience: “…”
This was absolutely brutal!
The resting area of Silver Star University fell into silence, the previous laughter and confidence completely gone.
Tang Jiaze had already managed to defeat three opponents single-handedly, and even if he lost due to exhaustion now, he would still be the MVP of today’s match.
But no one had expected that he would be displayed before the audience in such a completely beaten state.
No, it couldn’t even be called a defeat; this one-sided crushing almost resembled disciplining a child.
At this point, Tang Jiaze was on the verge of fainting, whether from anger or the beating.
Seeing his condition, the teacher leading Silver Star University finally stood up from his chair and requested a forfeit from the referee.
Regardless of whether there was a chance to win, continuing the match in this state would not only impact Tang Jiaze personally but also reflect poorly on the reputation of Silver Star University.
They couldn’t afford to lose face.
When the referee signaled the end of the match, Lu Jingning’s fist was poised just inches away from Tang Jiaze’s face.
With the flash of a signal light, his fist halted, showing exceptional restraint.
Even so, the excessively fierce wind from the punch still brushed against Tang Jiaze’s face, scattering his hair in a disheveled mess.
Tang Jiaze, who had already prepared himself to take the hit, was momentarily taken aback, panting heavily as he asked, “Why didn’t you strike back?”
Lu Jingning withdrew his fist indifferently, his expression disdainful. “My eyes and ears are sharp. When it’s over, it’s over. Unlike someone who needs to rely on despicable tricks to assert themselves.”
Tang Jiaze knew he was being taunted for using pheromones to suppress Wen Ye after the match. His expression stiffened momentarily, and he wearily slumped to the ground, a wry smile crossing his lips.
Indeed, he didn’t need such tactics.
Up until this point, in the short span of this match, all of his previous accomplishments had been completely negated.
After today, no one would remember how he defeated Wen Ye with such efficiency or his impressive feat of taking on three opponents. Whenever Tang Jiaze’s name was mentioned, everyone would only recall that he, in this year’s exchange competition, was thoroughly crushed by an Omega player.
When Tang Jiaze had used information pheromones to resist Wen Ye, he had already depleted all his energy. When his teammates helped him out of the virtual c0ckpit, he could hardly muster any strength, and they had to support him in silence.
Lu Jingning stood at the door of the cabin, watching from afar. He couldn’t help but smile in delight and confidently returned to the resting area of his own school.
Upon his return, everyone warmly welcomed him with enthusiastic cheers. Lu Jingning didn’t show any false modesty and proudly asked, “So, do you think your bro, Lu, is impressive or not?”
Cen Junfeng praised him greatly, “Impressive! Incredibly impressive! I suddenly feel that being thrown next to a trash bin was nothing at all back then!”
Lu Jingning chuckled, “Still looking down on Omegas?”
“I never…” Cen Junfeng began but was cut off by a sharp glare from Lu Jingning. He immediately corrected himself, “I never dare to, absolutely not!”
Satisfied with their responses, Lu Jingning walked over and sat beside Wen Xingchen, asking, “What about you? Won’t you say anything?”
Wen Xingchen replied, “Say what?”
Lu Jingning’s expression turned sour, “You tell me.”
After pondering for a moment, Wen Xingchen fetched a bottle of water and handed it to him, saying, “How about rehydrating?”
Despite Lu Jingning’s display of dominance on stage, the heavy expenditure of pheromones to overpower Tang Jiaze took a toll on his body, leaving his throat dry.
Although Lu Jingning was dissatisfied with Wen Xingchen’s response, his body was honestly in need of hydration. He reached out and accepted the water, guzzling it down.
Seeing his unhappy expression, Wen Xingchen couldn’t help but chuckle, “There’s one more round. I’ll reward you if we win.”
Lu Jingning’s eyes brightened at the mention of “reward,” “You said it.”
Wen Xingchen looked at him for a moment, a faint smile on his lips, “Yes, I said it.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, after eliminating Tang Jiaze, only one spot remained for Silver Star University. The new team member, along with the last member of Heavy Cloud Defense University, stepped onto the battlefield.
The third member of Heavy Cloud Defense University had already exhausted a significant amount of energy fighting against Grand War. As expected, they quickly lost to Silver Ying’s newly arrived third member.
Thus, the final showdown of the day’s combat took place between Imperial Navy University and Silver Star University.
Lu Jingning was the second participant from Imperial Navy University. Overall, their team had an advantage, but he wasn’t the type to settle for less. Before going up, he declared confidently, “Watch and see, I’ll settle this within five minutes. If I can’t, I’ll take care of all your laundry for the next few days!”
All the team members cheered, “We wish you an early triumphant return!”
Before heading to the match, Lu Jingning reminded Wen Xingchen, “Don’t forget about the reward.”
Wen Xingchen assured him, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget.”
With that, Lu Jingning went on stage confidently. Five minutes later, Silver Star University’s last team member admitted defeat.
Compared to Tang Jiaze’s match, Lu Jingning’s performance in this one was even more direct. The continuous release of pheromones was a very draining task, and he didn’t even bother to use it at the start, feeling the opponent’s weak aura.
Without a hint of small talk, he immediately engaged in a fierce confrontation. Blow after blow, there was no rest, and in the end, he managed to knock down the opponent directly.
The scene once again fell into an eerie silence, even longer than the previous match. If Lu Jingning had displayed dominant pheromone suppression against Tang Jiaze, this time he showed absolute power.
His strength was so overwhelming that he didn’t even need to showcase much of his combat skills. He simply ended the match quickly.
Everyone was left dumbfounded, with a sense of bewilderment in their minds. The silence continued until the referee announced the official end of all the confrontational matches for the day, and then the crowd erupted.
Damn, can this Lu Jingning still be considered an Omega?
Isn’t this Omega from Imperial Navy University a total anomaly?!
Lu Jingning, triumphantly returning from the battlefield, seemed oblivious to the awe-struck gazes from all directions. He simply said with a nonchalant grin, “Ah, finally done.”
Others rushed over, excitedly congratulating him, wanting to shower him with praise, “Lu Jingning, you’re truly amazing! This match was crucial, and you won beautifully!!!”
Originally, Silver Star University had scored a total of 4 points based on their victories, while Imperial Navy University only had 3 points. If Lu Jingning had lost this match, regardless of whether Zhan She, the third participant, could win, Silver Star University with 5 points would have secured the top spot in today’s rankings.
But now, thanks to Lu Jingning’s consecutive victories, they obtained the crucial 1-point win and an additional point for an unplayed match, adding up to 5 points. This put Imperial Navy University ahead of Silver Ying, taking the first place on the leaderboard.
If we talk about contributors, Wen Ye was undoubtedly one, but Lu Jingning was unquestionably the number one hero.
Finally breaking free from his teammates’ excited embrace, Lu Jingning approached Wen Xingchen with a beaming smile and asked eagerly, “Old Wen, where’s my reward?”
Because of the anticipation, a hint of unusual brilliance shimmered in his eyes. Wen Xingchen was taken aback by the way he was being looked at and subconsciously looked down for a moment. Then, he gently brushed his lips against the proximity of Lu Jingning’s lips and suddenly exclaimed, “Ah–!”
Lu Jingning: “???”
Though he didn’t know why, he couldn’t help but mimic the action and open his mouth slightly.
Wen Xingchen pulled out a candy from somewhere, and in the blink of an eye, it was already in Lu Jingning’s mouth.
Lu Jingning could feel the sweet taste of peppermint instantly spreading in his mouth, diluting the dry bitterness. Unable to resist, he smacked his lips a couple of times. But then, out of dissatisfaction, he furrowed his entire brow and said, “Is this your idea of a reward?!”
Wen Xingchen asked, “Isn’t it enough?”
Saying that, he reached into his pocket and seemingly performed magic, pulling out a handful of candies and stuffing them all into Lu Jingning’s hand, “Here, take them all.”
Lu Jingning: “…………”
He stared at the colorful array of candy wrappers in his hand, and couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “You think you can just dismiss me with a handful of candies? Am I a child?”
Wen Xingchen looked at him and chuckled lightly, “I thought you would really like this taste.”
Lu Jingning paused for a moment, then realized that Wen Xingchen’s pheromones also carried a faint minty scent. He couldn’t help but feel speechless and couldn’t hold back a heartfelt comment, “You’re so narcissistic!”
Truly, despite his usual indifference, he turned out to be even more narcissistic than Lu Jingning!
Cen Junfeng happened to pass by at that moment and noticed the peppermint candy in Lu Jingning’s hand. He immediately approached, “Oh, where did you get that? Can I have one too?”
Seeing him about to grab some, Lu Jingning swiftly stuffed all the candies back into his pocket and disdainfully said, “Get lost! If you like them so much, buy your own!”
Cen Junfeng: “……”
Wasn’t it just a piece of candy? Was it necessary to be so possessive about it? Truly stingy to the extreme!
Just then, the loud and exuberant voice from the commentator’s booth resounded, “Today’s combat matches have officially ended. The current points standings are as follows: Imperial Navy University with 5 points, Silver Star University with 4 points, Heavy Cloud Defense University with 2 points, and Grand War University yet to score. Congratulations to Imperial Navy University for their victorious start, currently leading in the points ranking!”
Cen Junfeng immediately forgot about Lu Jingning’s candies and cheered loudly, joining the jubilant celebration of Imperial Navy University.
Lu Jingning breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Cen Junfeng leave. When he lifted his head, he happened to meet Wen Xingchen’s ambiguous gaze.
Amidst the noisy background, Wen Xingchen’s barely audible chuckle reached his ears, “You hid them so quickly. I thought you didn’t like sweets.”
Lu Jingning pursed his lips, adopting a cold and aloof expression as he turned his eyes away.
Tsk, not only is he stingy, but now he’s even being stingy with his sense of superiority!
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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