Chapter 87
Compared to the intense scenes on the battlefield, the two figures in a private box in the resting area appeared particularly leisurely. Due to the large number of participants in the preliminary rounds, apart from the main observation area with random switching of the broadcast outside, the official organizers of the Bounty League also thoughtfully arranged several exclusive VIP boxes. Each of these boxes was quite pricey, but they came equipped with independent holographic projection systems, allowing viewers to switch between different match groups, providing an exceptional viewing experience.
Wen Ye and Bing Yunlin, both being semi-professionals who were involved with the military, were not suitable to participate in such civilian competitions. Their presence at this event was solely to assist Lu Jingning and the other two.
In the cozy atmosphere of the box filled with the fragrance of tea, a holographic projection displayed Lu Jingning, who had just taken the first place in the ranking, securing a new stronghold. With the additional bounty points from previous kills, he had already accumulated a total of 40 points, essentially securing his spot as the top qualifier in the group.
Bing Yunlin was intrigued as he glanced at the figures on the screen and said with a faint smile, “It’s a pity; I wonder what would happen if these two were to face each other.”
Wen Ye, feeling slightly exasperated by Bing Yunlin’s curious nature at such a time, responded, “It’s wise that they haven’t clashed yet. If they exhaust too much energy in the first round of preliminaries, the later matches will be quite challenging. Lu Jingning made the right choice this time.”
“I know that, of course. I just find it a bit regretful,” Bing Yunlin chuckled, then glanced at the nearly frozen expression of Lan Yuanzhou on the screen, shaking his head. “However, Lan Yuanzhou has taken notice of him.”
Wen Ye’s expression turned slightly serious, “That’s not a good thing.”
Bing Yunlin took a sip from his cup and commented, “Speaking of which, Lan Yuanzhou has been famous for quite a while. What do you think of his strength? Have you ever fought against him before?”
“For now, we haven’t crossed paths,” Wen Ye shook his head. “Lan Yuanzhou’s true strength has always been as unpredictable as his personality.”
Bing Yunlin smiled lightly, “Interesting.”
Wen Ye, with a reminder, said, “This isn’t the time to derive pleasure from others’ misfortunes. Don’t forget, our mission is to win the championship in the league.”
In other words, you’re not here just to watch the excitement.
“I know, I won’t forget,” Bing Yunlin replied.
For some reason, whenever Bing Yunlin saw Wen Ye’s serious demeanor like a seasoned veteran, he couldn’t help but feel amused. He suppressed the urge to smile and adjusted the controller, switching the holographic projection to another group match.
Observing Wen Xingchen standing calmly near the finish line on the screen, Bing Yunlin lightly patted Wen Ye’s shoulder, offering ambiguous praise, “Not only Lu Jingning but your younger brother also has some interesting ideas.”
After observing the situation in the video, Wen Ye’s eyebrows showed a hint of surprise. So much so that Bing Yunlin unconsciously moved closer, without realizing it.
Breathing softly brushed against the skin, and in that moment, Wen Ye seemed distracted.
Bing Yunlin always carried a faint aroma of tea with him.
Somehow, it smelled quite nice.
…
In the preliminary map of Group E06, the live broadcast remained fixed on one person. This group didn’t have any star players, resulting in significantly fewer viewers compared to other live streams.
Originally, even the director had prepared for a complete match without any exciting points. Unexpectedly, halfway through the competition, a dark horse emerged.
This dark horse shattered the peaceful status quo and brought about a bloody and chaotic scene.
The map in Group E was different from Lu Jingning’s Group C. Initially, all participants were randomly placed at various starting points, and as they progressed along their paths, all branches eventually converged into a single main road leading to the four strongholds and the final destination.
Wen Xingchen didn’t rush to take action at the beginning but swiftly reached the main intersection as soon as possible.
By this point, many others hadn’t yet occupied the strongholds. To secure valuable points, they had to pass through the mandatory path where Wen Xingchen stood.
In Lu Jingning’s words, it was like an endless stream of targets!
And now, at Wen Xingchen’s feet lay a scattered collection of “bodies,” and their numbers continued to increase.
After all, the allure of high points was strong. Even those who hadn’t secured any kill points were eager to take a chance.
As a result, people kept coming and ended up trapped by the gatekeeper. It seemed that no one could escape alive.
By the way, let me add a sentence: This demon brother is ridiculously handsome.
Wen Xingchen’s combat style was similar to Wen Ye’s; he wouldn’t choose any flashy moves unless necessary. His actions were simple, aiming for a single fatal strike. Initially, after completing a few kills, the audience in the live broadcast admired his graceful and skillful moves. However, as the “bodies” on the ground piled up, no one paid attention to how he defeated his opponents anymore.
All the viewers felt like emotionless “scoring machines,” and their reactions were limited to shaking their heads in resignation whenever a new figure appeared in their sight.
“Oh, another kill given away. Still too young.”
In a blink of an eye, Wen Xingchen smoothly dealt with another opponent, taking them down in less than two seconds. The fluidity of his movements resembled the holographic game players slashing through low-level monsters, utterly overwhelming them due to the vast difference in strength.
Wen Xingchen casually kicked the new “body” at his feet to the side, furrowing his brow in contemplation. Although it was only the first round of the preliminary, he didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. Even without knowing the situation, looking at the total score, he could guess that he had entered a “free points” match. His luck was really good.
Glancing at his current points, Wen Xingchen thought it was enough. He didn’t linger at the intersection and turned around to head towards the strongholds in the main road’s rear.
As he made his way, he acquired the 10-point coefficient from all four strongholds, and adding the 20 points for arriving first at the finish line, he secured a grand slam and exited the arena.
The intersection fell quiet. After Wen Xingchen had left for quite some time, a figure hesitantly emerged from the nearby bushes. This person had been squatting there for a while, carefully observing before making a move to avoid becoming one of those unlucky souls.
After surveying the scene of “bodies” in front of him, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He had indeed been observing for a while and only now decided to run toward the stronghold. The score leaderboard was updated once again.
Shang Moutu, the second in all four strongholds, had a total of 24 points. Adding the 15 points for reaching the finish line, he had a total of 39 points, securing second place in the group.
…
Meanwhile, at the Time-Space Square, participants were coming and going after leaving the virtual cabin. This area was the passage for all participants who had finished their matches to leave the arena. A colorful mix of various races from across the galaxy made for a vibrant scene.
Wen Xingchen thought he had left early enough, but as soon as he walked through the teleportation gate into the square, he happened to see Lu Jingning entering from another entrance.
As if sensing his gaze, Lu Jingning turned and greeted him with a bright smile, “Hey, Wen-ge, you’re fast too!”
Seeing his cheerful expression, Wen Xingchen knew what had happened. He approached and said matter-of-factly, “I took first place.”
Lu Jingning grinned, “Of course!”
Just then, a figure faintly appeared near the teleportation gate Lu Jingning had passed through. Lan Yuanzhou had just exited the virtual cabin and nearly vomited blood upon hearing their conversation.
He hesitated for a moment before looking at the ground full of “bodies.” Then he let out a sigh of relief, feeling grateful that he had observed carefully before taking action, avoiding becoming one of the unfortunate victims.
Swallowing nervously, he finally confirmed that Wen Xingchen had left the map, and he started running towards the stronghold.
The total points on the ranking board were updated once again.
Lu Jingning was far ahead in total points, leaving Shang Moutu in second place far behind.
Lan Yuanzhou: “…”
He had never before felt that being a calm and composed participant would be so detrimental. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so thoroughly humiliated and even lacked the confidence to retaliate.
Expecting Lan Yuanzhou to lose his temper, Lu Jingning was surprised to see him smile instead. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen an Omega as interesting as you. Who’s the little brother? See you next time in the arena!”
Looking at the retreating blue figure, Lu Jingning found him a little annoying. While he understood the competitive spirit, saying such things in front of his boyfriend wasn’t saving face.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Lu Jingning pointed towards the central screen and said disdainfully, “What nonsense are you talking about? A loser like him, don’t exaggerate!”
Lan Yuanzhou looked in the direction Lu Jingning pointed and saw the information displayed on the screen.
Zone C, Group 09, Preliminary Round 1, Frei Star System, Bai Chen.
Author’s Note: Shang Moutu: Sour and sweet, that’s me.
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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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
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What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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