Chapter 918: Meeting in the Finals (Revised)

Chapter 918: Rendezvous in the Finals (Revised)

With the blessing of Black Star's character card, Indestructible Body, Mad Sword was like a god descending unto the mortal realm, abandoning over eighty percent of his defenses to focus entirely on raw damage output.

His mechanical melee weapons smashed and swept in a frenzy, striking with wide, sweeping arcs that blasted furrow upon furrow across the arena stage, all while he constantly switched cannons to fire splitting swarm tracking missiles that triggered a rumbling chain of explosions, plumes of orange-red fire rising as the temperature spiked sharply and the stench of gunpowder filled the air.

Captain Viking was in a wretched state, repeatedly scrambling and rolling through the bombardment zone to evade damage; he had activated a berserk character card, originally intending to clash head-on with Mad Sword, yet any injury his swinging battle-axe left upon his opponent mended in the blink of an eye, rendering his slashes utterly futile, and against such an absurd health regeneration capability, rushing forward to trade blows was nothing short of suicide.

Left with no alternative, Captain Viking had to adjust his tactics, turning the match into a stalling game.

Character cards carried a time limit, and though Mad Sword’s health regeneration was ferocious, his destructive power had not increased, meaning Captain Viking had already abandoned all thought of winning the fight, aiming only to delay for as long as possible so that the teammates behind him would have an easier time.

Captain Viking unleashed a special skill, the epic enchanted battle-axes in his hands turning blue and translucent as though forged of solid ice, converting his physical basic attacks into bitter, frost-laden cutting waves like a howling glacial wind, attempting to suppress Mad Sword’s speed.

Mad Sword paid no heed, pressing forward step by step, the mobility of a Mechanic Pugilist far exceeding that of a standard Pugilist, so that even under the influence of the speed reduction, Captain Viking could not escape the melee range.

With a sharp mechanical click from his armored arm, he swapped to a massive alloy greataxe, mechanical energy and electrical sparks coursing through it as he brought it down in a violent, heavy-handed fury.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The alloy greataxe, wrapped in dazzling mechanical energy, clashed repeatedly against the ice-like twin battle-axes, ringing out crisply as vast showers of orange-red electrical sparks and blue ice shards erupted alongside invisible shockwaves of displaced air with every impact, the silhouettes of the two men enveloped within a localized cyclone of frost storms and wild, chaotic lightning, a truly magnificent display of special effects.

Being Grade B after all, the combat effects between the players had become significantly more spectacular.

Captain Viking could only desperately hold on, and before long his health plunged below forty percent, his condition deteriorating, whereas Mad Sword remained as vibrant and fierce as ever, the intensity of every single strike maintaining his peak state.

Crack!

Right at that moment, the ground beneath Captain Viking's feet suddenly split open as a burrowing spider machine burst from the soil, unleashing a vast surge of electric current that converged upon Captain Viking’s feet, causing them to go numb as he entered a brief Immobilized status, frozen in place.

In the midst of the fierce combat, Mad Sword had quietly controlled his machinery, using his movements as a screen to release the burrowing mechanical spider from his leg armor, letting it stealthily navigate beneath Captain Viking's feet to spring the control skill and lock his enemy into a fatal stun.

A Mechanic Pugilist possessed a vast repertoire in close-quarters combat, acting like a synthesis of a weapon master and a hidden-weapons expert, with a utility pool of control skills that far outnumbered those of a traditional Pugilist.

Seizing the opening, Mad Sword switched to a mechanical spear and thrust it forward with ruthless force.

Captain Viking could only hastily raise his twin axes in a desperate block.

Clang!

The mechanical spear struck heavily against the surface of the overlapping axes, sending sparks flying everywhere as Captain Viking felt a surging, monumental force wash over him, infused with high-frequency vibrations that had clearly paired a skill with the weapon’s inherent traits, causing the leverage of his twin axes to shift, his blocking posture to shatter, and his front to be left entirely exposed.

The next instant, the tip of the mechanical spear suddenly deformed, splitting into four mechanical segments resembling spider legs that curled inward, driving their sharp points into Captain Viking’s back to pin him to the spot, making it look as though the mechanical spear had transformed into a claw gripping its prey.

Simultaneously, where the original tip of the mechanical spear had been, a dark cannon muzzle revealed itself, churning with the brilliant glow of plasma as it locked onto the immobilized Captain Viking.

Flash!

A bright blue beam of plasma erupted from the muzzle, instantly piercing through Captain Viking’s chest, the plasma beam extending a meter long without dissipating, as though it had become a blade of light—this was the weapon's form liberation, transforming into a light spear.

Mad Sword seized the opportunity to unleash a gorgeous flurry of weapon combos, depleting the very last of Captain Viking’s health and cutting him down upon the arena stage.

Because of the Black Star character card, he could abandon defense to focus purely on offense, and with no worries regarding his health pool, his margin for error expanded dozens of times over, rendering him far more daring in taking risks and elevating his personal mechanical play to a whole new level of exhilarating fluidness.

"That combo string was slick enough, the Mechanic Pugilist class really is stylish."

"I'm kind of tempted to roll a Mechanic Pugilist alt now."

"Stop dreaming, a pro player's Mechanic Pugilist and your Mechanic Pugilist are two completely different species, don't drag others down if you're a noob."

The next competitor quickly took the stage, but even attempting to mimic Captain Viking’s stalling tactic proved useless, as Mad Sword grew increasingly valorous, slicing through three consecutive Battle-Axe players.

The existence of the Black Star character card granted him a sustain capacity far beyond imagination, making him practically a perpetual motion machine.

The Chinese audience watched with great relish, though as Mad Sword continuously displayed the prowess of Black Star's character card, many viewers suddenly realized a peculiar detail.

"Wait a minute, isn't Black Star a Mechanic..."

"Yeah, this Indestructible Body ability is way stronger than the Advanced Sturdy Life from the last tournament, no matter how you look at it, it seems like it should be a core Pugilist ability..."

"I understand now! A Mechanic who doesn't invest in endurance... has no soul!"

"Got it, got it, so playing a meat tank is the true way to play a Mechanic."

The Chinese audience jested with teasing banter.

But speaking of which, Mad Sword seemed to use Black Star’s abilities in every single tournament, and they had watched with their own eyes as the effects of the Black Star character cards stepped into the realm of the absurd one iteration at a time.

From the first tournament’s mechanical affinity bonus, to the second tournament’s Advanced Sturdy Life, and now to this Indestructible Body, every single instance was a massive leap forward.

—We can consider this as witnessing Black Star’s rise step by step.

Many people harbored this thought, their hearts brimming with the quiet satisfaction of being a witness to history.

Mad Sword’s combat power was overwhelming, rubbing his opponents back and forth against the ground in eighteen different positions, to the point where the remaining Battle-Axe players chose not to waste their trump cards, allowing Mad Sword to single-handedly sweep through the arena stage and secure another massive haul of victory points.

Though it was but a fleeting glimpse, the sheer terror of Indestructible Body had already left an indelible impression upon the minds of countless players.

Everyone was immensely curious as to what other formidable abilities Black Star possessed, given that he managed to open their eyes anew every single time.

Looking at the discussions on the forums, Han Xiao could foresee that in the future, as long as any Legion player obtained a blank character card, they would likely all come running over to replicate his skills.

The capture-the-flag match that immediately followed became the stage for Morning Moon, who directly set down a fortress encampment right on the flag point, washing the area with firepower; for Battle-Axe to even attempt to seize the flag, they had to pay several times the price, causing the gap between the two sides' capture points to widen further and further.

River City denied Battle-Axe even the slightest opportunity for a comeback, securing yet another victory.

Winning three matches in a row, River City had already solidified their triumph, leaving the remaining two dungeon matches far more relaxed, serving merely as a formality. At the end of the five matches of the first round, River City completely outperformed Battle-Axe in victory points, securing the win for the first match of the opening round, off to a flying start.

...

The first round of the international finals was in full swing, with the eight teams going all out, contributing some of the most spectacular matchups seen since the start of this league.

As the results of the first round came fresh out of the oven, the outcome sent the entire Chinese audience into a frenzy of excitement.

River City defeated Sweden’s Battle-Axe three to one, Dynasty defeated America’s Devil Group three to one, and Long Sky defeated Japan’s Yamata no Orochi three to two...

Which meant that the best possible scenario envisioned by the Chinese audience had come to pass—all three Chinese teams had advanced past the first round, breaking into the final four!

The results from the previous tournament had already been exceptionally outstanding, but this iteration went a step further, occupying three seats in the international top four, with the sole, lonely foreign team remaining being America's Key Team!

The moment the roster was announced, players across all major competitive regions were stunned, as no one expected the performance of the Chinese teams to be this formidable this year, truly demonstrating absolute dominance!

They were a literal ultimate boss!

The Chinese teams this year were terrifyingly strong, leaving Key Team as the lone survivor, carrying the hopes of players from every other region.

Except for the Shattered Star Ring region, the other players united against their common foe, hoping that Key could rise against the tide, break the blockade of the Chinese ultimate boss, and serve as the vanguard of the anti-China resistance.

Compared to the back-to-the-wall mentality of the foreign audience, the Chinese players were in a state of pure celebration. Holding three spots out of the final four meant they had locked down a finalist spot ahead of time, and moreover, the chance for two Chinese teams to meet in the grand finals was greater than ever before.

In the World Finals, if the final two teams belonged to clubs from the same nation, it would be an immense honor; if China could be the first to achieve this feat, it would be akin to forging history, carrying a unique milestone significance that Chinese players anticipated with bated breath.

The earnest expectations of the domestic audience and the shared enmity of the foreign players shifted all the pressure squarely onto the shoulders of the River City team—for Key’s opponent in the semifinals happened to be River City.

If they won against Key, then all would be well, and River City would become the creators of a historical record, gaining the opportunity to elevate themselves into a titan club...

But if they lost to Key, they would waste this golden opportunity to establish a historic milestone, letting down the hopes of the domestic audience, and the prestige their club had worked so hard to accumulate would surely plummet... It was a double-edged sword!

For all spectators, the matchup between River City and Key was equivalent to the actual finals of this tournament, because as long as River City won, the championship would be well within China’s grasp!

Across the Shattered Star Ring forums, numerous players spontaneously took action, gathering data on Key Team, analyzing their opponent's tactics, and working together to help River City dissect intelligence.

Though River City did not necessarily need it, this fervor greatly encouraged Mad Sword and the others.

Under the gaze of millions, the international semifinals commenced; the civil war between the old rivals Dynasty and Long Sky saw very few viewers, as almost the entire audience flocked to watch the showdown between River City and Key.

In terms of pure team strength, Key possessed core players who had transferred from Devil Group, making their overall capability absolutely top-tier, and anyone capable of breaking out of Group A was by no means simple; furthermore, the American roster consisted mostly of the Demon race, which possessed powerful innate talents.

The captain of Key was Solomon's Key, an old rival of Mad Sword's; the two had already clashed back in the first tournament's singles competition, where Solomon's Key had fallen by Mad Sword's hand, and after two versions had passed, Solomon's Key had also made strides in his progress.

The moment the two teams engaged, the battle flared to a white-hot intensity, a chaotic storm where neither side would yield an inch. Through four grueling games of fierce combat, they stood deadlocked at two to two, pushing the match into the final, decisive game.

Whether Chinese or foreign, the hearts of the spectators were gripped by suspense, rising and falling with the volatile tide of the battle.

In this final showdown, neither the team fight nor the arena phase yielded any advantage, but in the ensuing flag-capture and dungeon rush, Feng Yue displayed miraculous power, unleashing every hidden machine in her arsenal—even the prototype Void Dragon Mech made its debut, securing a decisive victory for the team.

The final score froze at three to two as Jiangcheng triumphed in the semifinals, a victory heavily credited to Feng Yue, who harvested a massive wave of die-hard fans in the process.

On the other side, Dynasty defeated Sky, a civil war identical to the previous tournament but with an inverted outcome; this time, Sky fell to Dynasty, halting their run in the final four, allowing Dynasty to claim their revenge.

Two Chinese teams had successfully met in the grand finals, establishing a monumental milestone for the professional league!

Amidst their immense excitement, the Chinese audience breathed a collective sigh of relief, filled with deep satisfaction.

Because Keyi failed to reach the finals, foreign viewers were deeply disappointed, and the overall viewership for the all-Chinese final fell short of the semifinals.

Though both Chinese teams possessed a fierce desire to win, there was no hostility between them, leading to a steady and calculated match.

Regrettably, Jiangcheng had exhausted themselves significantly in the semifinals, showing clear signs of fatigue, whereas Dynasty had only played four games in their semifinal match, benefiting from more rest and replenished energy.

Ultimately, Jiangcheng suffered a heartbreaking defeat, and Dynasty claimed the crown of the international finals, ensuring China successfully defended its championship!

The Chinese audience held their heads high in triumph, though the surprise was not as intense as their maiden championship; it felt more like a natural, well-deserved culmination—China was now a top-tier powerhouse on the global stage, making the championship worth celebrating, yet hardly a shock.

Unlike the previous life, it was no longer Chinese teams challenging the world, but the world challenging Chinese teams, and this honor of being the ultimate boss awaiting challengers deeply resonated with many Chinese viewers.

Because Jiangcheng had achieved the milestone of making it an all-Chinese final, the audience was incredibly understanding despite their loss, showering them generously with applause and encouragement.

The netizens who had doubted China's defense before the tournament were left utterly speechless, silenced completely in the face of an indisputable championship trophy... as for whether they secretly admitted their mistake, Han Xiao figured they probably did.

With China successfully defending the title, ecstatic Army players rejoiced across the forums, and Han Xiao was also quite pleased, though in his eyes, this outcome was a double-edged sword.

The results of the league would dictate the players' daily actions, and in the next version, major divisions would gather in the Flickering World; with China winning consecutive championships, they would likely become a target for all, and as the largest player faction in the Shattered Star Ring, the Black Star Army might face challenges and targeting from players of other factions...

The foreign clubs alone would inevitably unite to suppress the Chinese clubs, fighting over resources, missions, and territory.

Version 4.0 was the update where players would truly make a name for themselves and step onto the stage of cosmic faction warfare, and Han Xiao could not afford to underestimate the chaotic, trouble-making potential of tens of millions of players from various regions.

To counter this, he had to establish a massive, immovable foundation in the Flickering World during the version update period.

This would be the foothold for Version 4.0.

"This particular period of the version update is the crucible for my next stage of growth..."

Exhaling slowly to settle his emotions, Han Xiao closed the celebratory forum, rubbed his chin, and sank into deep reflection.