Chen Xiu was passionately shouting in triumph. It was rather uncharacteristic of him, as he was usually shy and bashful. Only when it came to CT battles did Chen Xiu show his true emotions and unreserved feelings.
This display of strength!
This was true power!
The Invincible God Skeleton! A competitor for the King’s struggle had descended from the heavens!
It was said that at least half of the spectators viewing the fight were watching without any expectations or biases. However, after watching the final strike, these spectators were in awe of Skeleton’s prowess. Skeleton’s sheer skill had won them over.
Back at the CT Asian Region office, the employees were all celebrating. “Boss! We’re on fire! This time we really did it!”
“This will raise his rank to the top 10 on the leaderboard!”
“Boss, do you think that Skeleton is a retired ace pilot? His actions were so blindingly fast that I could not keep track of him at all! He was too calm during the battle; in fact, it seemed almost too easy for him! It felt like he was simply toying with Wild King!”
Solon could not answer any of his employees’ questions. He really did not know anything about Skeleton. In fact, he wasn’t even clear as to what Skeleton actually wanted.
Fame? With such skill, Skeleton definitely wasn’t an ordinary person; acquiring fame would be all too easy for such an individual.
Money? This player didn’t seem to be interested in money. Furthermore, such an individual wouldn’t need to rely on gaming methods to earn money.
It has to be said that Skeleton’s fanbase was starting to form legends around him.
In truth, what our dear Student Wang really wanted was a greater share of the ticket earnings!
Wang Zheng also discovered that this battle had taught him something important. Despite all his combat experience and skills, he was still deeply flawed. He had almost tripped over a rock! Wang Zheng berated himself for his poor map awareness. What if there was a sniper hiding nearby? Thankfully, there was only one opponent this time; otherwise, he would’ve definitely lost the match!
Wang Zheng still had so much to learn! As he left his CT pod, he heard a large crowd screaming nonsensically. Why was it so noisy outside? Was there a fire?
After Wang Zheng left the private room, he noticed a large group of people standing in the Net Café’s lobby. Everyone was preoccupied watching something on the communal screen. What in the world was so entertaining?
… Huh? This looked…familiar?
“Boss, come quick! You have got to see this! F*ck, this guy just blows my mind. He uses a Wargod No. 1, a basic mech, and yet he is still invincible! His kick is basically a god-killing technique! This gameplay footage has convinced me to join the Skeleton Corps!”
Flecks of saliva flew out of Yan Xiaosu’s mouth as he spoke. He had already memorized the Skeleton Corps’ member’s IDs. Such was his conviction of joining the Corps!
After the video analysis had concluded, an advertisement flashed across the screen. It read, “The Skeleton Corps welcomes you! Regardless of your profession or rank in society, everyone is invited to join! Don’t live your life as a gutless weakling! Be reborn in blood and live forever!”
Student Yan had a crazed look in his eye. He had really entered the Skeleton Corps. In addition, he was even placed in a high-ranking position. It seemed like the Skeleton Corps was a good fit for him.
The Skeleton Corps was considered to be a different type of guild, relative to the ones usually found in CT. A Corps was generally filled with like-minded individuals sharing the same goals. They were usually formed when such people crossed paths with one another, and they collectively banded together to pursue their goals. However, most Corps would take preventative measures and filter out the lesser-skilled players. The most basic requirement to enter a Corps was to have a high level of skill and win rate.
Yet no Corps was more rowdy or enthusiastic than the Skeleton Corps. This was because their motto was to engage in blood and battle! Winning was battling! Losing was also battling! What was important was knowing what you truly wanted from battle. For the Skeleton Corps, it was the thrill of the fight.
Wang Zheng’s previous battles had already been catalogued and edited for public viewing. Unfortunately, as his first battle was too long ago, that particular video had already been deleted from the system and could not be retrieved.
Nevertheless, the battles that were recorded were sufficient. They stood as a testament to his skill.
As his opponents got progressively stronger, using a Wargod No. 1 to crush them only led to tougher opponents purposefully seeking him out. It was only a matter of time before Wang Zheng would have the opportunity to face elite mecha.
When such an opportunity arose… would the legend prevail?
No one could say for certain, but there was hope in each and every person’s heart.
“That was too sweet. F*ck. B*tch, that was just completely spectacular! Oppress these assholes! Ranks are meaningless!”
Student Xiaosu was pissed at his own abilities. He had been completely wrecked by his opponents in the previous round, which caused him to fail the bronze-rank promotion match. Yan Xiaosu needed to re-accumulate points again.
“Boss, I want to learn new skills. I am going to go and re-watch Skeleton’s video analysis!” He angrily stormed off.
Wang Zheng stared at his obsessed friend. He didn’t know if he should reveal his secret. With Yan Xiaosu’s big mouth, if he were to spread the news, Wang Zheng’s peaceful life would be gone!
Back at the dormitory, Wang Zheng realized that he had three other idiots to deal with. His roommates turned to face him with petrified faces.
Skeleton had only won one battle; was there really a need to be like this? His roommates normally had shy and reserved personalities, but their reactions to Skeleton’s video was way too extreme!
“What happened to you three?” Wang Zheng inquired.
The three of them looked at each other in dismay. Their expressions were a mix of excitement and disbelief.
Yao Ailun looked blankly at Wang Zheng. With a soft voice, he uttered, “Guess.”
At this point, Wang Zheng felt like grabbing him and throwing him out the window. “How would I know? Are you guys obsessing over Skeleton again? Is this about his recent battle?”
“Hehe, Brother Zheng, you have guessed right. Well, sort of. God Skeleton has indeed completely devastated his opponent, but that is not the most important thing!”
“Hm, then is this about the Skeleton Corps? I’m guessing there was a huge number of people interested in joining, especially after seeing Skeleton battle. How many new members did the Corps receive?”
“Wang Zheng, you are Dormitory 007’s official leader; use your imagination!”
“Yao Ailun, stop messing around,” Zhang Shan said. “Even I wouldn’t be able to guess such a random fact. I’m still having a hard time convincing myself that this is real!” Zhang Shan did not seem like his usual self.
Wang Zheng shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t be bothered with these three idiots who were keeping him in suspense.
“Wang Zheng, have you heard of Nature’s Echoes before?”
“Yes, I’ve heard of them. Their songs aren’t that bad! They’re very catchy”
“What the f*ck do you mean by ‘they’re very catchy?’ You are too picky with your music. Nature’s Echoes’ songs are worthy of the heavens! They are sung by our Goddess, Lin Huiyin!” Chen Xiu exclaimed. He was beginning to exhibit signs of insanity.
“Ah.” Wang Zheng didn’t understand what these three guys were trying to get at. They seemed to be moving farther and farther away from the point. Lin Huiyin was someone that was hugely popular. She was a celebrity in the Milky Way, an Arslan citizen. She was known by everyone! However, to Wang Zheng, her songs were just that, songs. They were easy to listen to, and that was it. He didn’t pay much attention to the world of music.
Chen Xiu did not understand Wang Zheng’s lack of excitement. “Are you from an older generation? I didn’t realize that there was such an age gap between the two of us! Goddess Huiyin is my idol. If I could just meet her once in this lifetime, I could die happy! It is my dream to meet her!” As a representative of his generation, Chen Xiu was completely obsessed with her. He was even more fanatical about his goddess than he was for Skeleton!
“Okay, these two idiots are going crazy because Lin Huiyin’s agent has contacted them. Her agent was hoping to use God Skeleton’s combat footage for Lin Huiyin’s upcoming music video. Now do you see why these two are losing their minds?” Zhang Shan smiled.
He too loved Lin Huiyin’s music as it was very soothing and refreshing to listen to. Perhaps Wang Zheng’s standards for music were too high. Or maybe Chen Xiu was right and Wang Zheng was simply too old fashioned.
“Oh, are you sure it’s not a scam?” Wang Zheng asked in concern.
The three guys were growing increasingly frantic at Wang Zheng’s calm demeanor. It turned out that the strangest guy in the dormitory was actually Wang Zheng.
After his time with Bonehead, nothing could faze Wang Zheng anymore.
After meeting Little Shi, nothing could surprise Wang Zheng anymore.
Bonehead could be a military instructor and Little Shi was a princess in disguise. What in the world could be more outrageous than that?
“Just go for it, I guess,” Wang Zheng said, unenthusiastically.
“You’re acting as if you’re Skeleton and this is no big deal to you! F*ck! Although we were the ones who created the Skeleton Corps, we actually have no power to release Skeleton’s videos for commercial purposes. We have already sent a message to Skeleton, but we don’t even know if he will reply! My God, if this works out, it will be a miracle! My god and my goddess will combine into one! God!”
Wang Zheng was speechless. What the hell did he mean by combining into one?
“Actually, if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter. This is just a hobby for you guys anyway, right?” Wang Zheng shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
Yao Ailun was exasperated with his friend. “Brother Zheng, you don’t play CT! You wouldn’t understand! You have never tasted defeated over and over again! But I have! It was so bad that I wanted to die! God Skeleton gives me spiritual release, while Goddess Huiyin helps me to ease my frustrations!
The other two chimed in. “Wang Zheng, it doesn’t matter whether you agree to this or not. It is only right for us to support our brother. We too agree in this union between God Skeleton and Goddess Huiyin! It is the culmination of our hopes and dreams!”
Yao Ailun adjusted his spectacles. His skill with crafting CT theories and analytics was unrivalled by anyone, but his actual performance was terrible. He was horrendous at piloting a mech. As such, he had a lot of pent up frustrations in his heart, frustrations which he could not release. But all of a sudden, Yao Ailun had found a person who could represent his dreams. He was able to live vicariously through Skeleton!
Wang Zheng could not understand their feelings, but he could see that his friends were wholly committed to this dream.
“Well, since you all have such a strong belief in this, I am sure Skeleton will agree to it.”
“Don’t forget, if it works out, you must get several signed posters from him!”
“Of course! That goes without saying!”
Wang Zheng shook his head and left to check his Skylink. In his CT mailbox, he found Extremely Handsome’s message asking for his approval. He replied his approval, as it did not make a difference to him either way.
The moment he replied, Chen Xiu, who happened to be sitting just beside him, immediately shot up and screamed, “Success! Success! It’s a miracle!”
His dance of joy made Chen Xiu look like a little kid. Yao Ailun, who was standing at the side, was much more controlled. “After he signs the promotional posters, make sure he includes an autograph of his picture!”
Although Lin Huiyin was not the number 1 beauty in the Milky Way, to her fans, she was a Goddess, perfect in every way. Her fans were innumerable.
It was unknown as to why such a popular entity would suddenly take note of Skeleton’s battle footage.
Back in the CT Asian Region office, Solon was taken by surprise at the collaboration between Lin Huiyin and Skeleton. Fortune had come so unexpectedly!
He had spent a lot of time and effort promoting the battle, but this outcome was just spectacular! No one could have seen this coming! Solon almost had a heart attack from hearing the news of Lin Huiyin and Skeleton’s upcoming music video. This was just too intense.
A vast, wide world was opening its gates to him.
Suddenly, a thought flashed across Solon’s mind. Believe in Skeleton and you will be reborn!
The constant windfall of good luck had wholly convinced him. Skeleton was a miracle worker.
Meanwhile, Lin Huiyin’s PR team had made an announcement through the Government Net.
News of her collaboration with Skeleton was generally positive, but there were many who questioned the decision. For one, the Arslan Empire possessed numerous CT experts, yet the chosen player was from the distant planet Earth! And he wasn’t even a high-ranking player! Furthermore, the new single was supposed to be a motivational song, and this was not Lin Huiyin’s usual music direction.
Could she pull it off?
Her cute and sweet persona was unrivalled. But succeeding in the music industry took more than looks and personality. An idol would need to keep creating fresh, new material. Everyone understood her intentions of pushing the limits of her comfort zone and having grand aspirations for a new music video. But in reality, such a drastic career shift did not usually play out well. The failure rate for doing so was extremely high. Her fans did not want to believe that their beautiful Princess Lin Huiyin could potentially create a bad music video!
Yet the most faithful of her fans still gave their full support to her, while her rivals continued to sulk, envious of her courage and boldness.
Wang Zheng had no idea what Goddess Lin was like. However, he was sure that this goddess was currently in the midst of an unstable state of affairs.
That evening, Wang Zheng was summoned to Xiao Fei’s quarters. As she was in the privacy of her own dormitory, Xiao Fei was dressed very casually. She was in loose-fitting pajamas, and she gave off the image of an innocent but sensual beauty. As her clothing was quite loose, her snow-white skin would occasionally be exposed.
At this point in time, Student Wang was sitting right in front of her. Xiao Fei was pacing circles around him, deep in thought as she scrutinized him with predatory eyes. It looked as if she was deciding on how to cook Wang Zheng. Should he be baked in sweet and sour sauce? Or should he be stir-fried with mixed garlic…
“Ahem. Professor, could you please get to the point? If I knew anything, I would have told it to you already!”
Wang Zheng was extremely fearful of the empress who stood before him. She had complete control over his future.
“Haha, that would be for the best. You should know that I am quite skilled at sniffing out lies. Now tell me, did you solve Marcus’ question?”
“Who is Marcus? What question are you talking about? I am so busy that I don’t even have time to help others!”
Wang Zheng smiled bitterly.
“That wasn’t you? Do you recall the day I asked you to pass some materials to Marcus? If I remember correctly, you had taken quite a bit of time to do so.” At this point, it felt like a detective interrogating a suspect. Xiao Fei stared at Wang Zheng with a burning gaze, like a bee who had just found a fresh flower.