San Tian Liang Jiao
Chapter 920 Student, Who Are You?
The sun blazed high, and the wind howled without cease.
In the canyon of towering rocks, a life-or-death struggle had begun.
By now, nearly three hours (game time) had passed since the scenario started. After a series of plot conflicts, the eight members of Order Team One and Corpse Blade First Squad had scattered throughout the stone canyon, each fighting their own battle.
"Ugh… just how big is this scenario map…" After wandering alone for a long time, Drunken Reverie gradually grew weary and muttered to himself, "If everyone gets lost in this labyrinthine, irregular, and endlessly expanding stone canyon, isn't this match just heading for a draw…"
"Hmph… I wouldn't bet on it." At that moment, a low voice entered Drunken Reverie's ears.
"Hmm?" Hearing the voice, Drunken Reverie immediately raised his head, accurately located, and looked toward the speaker's position, "How unexpected…"
The word "unexpected" had two meanings… First, he was surprised that the other party could approach him so silently to this extent without being noticed; second, he was surprised that the other party had not taken advantage of being in the shadows to launch a surprise attack.
"Unexpected?" Fei Kou Wei Wang (Non-Mouth is King) squatted on top of a jagged boulder, looking down at Drunken Reverie in the canyon below, "Judging by your tone, do you think…" He paused for half a second, "...that someone like me, in a situation where I'm hidden and you're exposed, should just attack you without a word, instead of calmly greeting you or something?"
"Heh…" Drunken Reverie chuckled, reaching up to smooth his instant-noodle hair, "I don't quite understand what you mean by 'someone like me'…" Although he said that, his expression carried a hint of sarcasm, "But generally speaking… isn't a sneak attack the normal choice?" He spread his hands, "If it were me, I'd attack first and greet later."
"Stop pretending." Hearing this, Fei Kou Wei Wang was quite annoyed, but under the influence of drugs, his expression and tone didn't seem very intense, "Just because I'm from Corpse Blade, you automatically assume I'm nothing special… right?"
"Heh… I didn't say that, I just…" Drunken Reverie started to deny.
But Fei Kou Wei Wang interrupted him, "Alright, you don't need to say it explicitly, wouldn't that damage your 'star player' image of humility?" He also tried his best to make his words sound sarcastic, but they still came out flat.
"Image…" Drunken Reverie shook his head with a smile, "Do you think I'm someone who cares about that kind of thing?"
"Hmph… that's what I hate most about 'you people'…" Fei Kou Wei Wang coldly snorted, "You possess things that others don't, yet you put on an indifferent act; every word and action… reeks of a sickening sense of superiority."
"Blame me?" Drunken Reverie shrugged.
"Just keep pretending…" Fei Kou Wei Wang said, already holding a strangely shaped blade in his hand, "I'll see… if you can still calmly put on that face when you're struggling in despair."
…………
At the same time, in another part of the stone canyon.
"What's wrong? Pothead." Final Assault looked coldly at Sashimi, who was already covered in wounds, "Where's your earlier confidence? Didn't you say you could handle two on one without a problem?"
"Heh… it's pointless to ask him." Doomsday Assault interjected with a sardonic laugh, "He probably can't even hear what we're saying anymore."
"Don't worry, you two." Sashimi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up from the ground, "Although you've ruined my hearing, I can still read lips." He gave a bitter smile, "Heh… I guess this counts as a real-life skill being used in the game."
"Oh?" Final Assault replied, "I wouldn't have guessed… you're quite the multi-talented one."
This "wouldn't have guessed" was indeed somewhat justified…
Compared to most other top-tier star players, Sashimi's round face, pothead haircut, and lukewarm, steady personality… definitely belonged to the "invisible" level. His simple and casual ID also showed… that's just how he was – unpretentious and unaffected. And these days, people like him who take a simple and low-key approach… are easily overlooked and underestimated.
"You flatter me." Sashimi replied, "There's really nothing to be proud of…" He squinted, "From elementary school to university, in order to get closer to girls… I participated in dozens of interest groups, and unknowingly learned a lot of life skills, sports, musical instruments, and so on…" He paused here, his expression changing slightly, "Um… but no matter where I went, I was always ignored like an invisible person… not to mention girls, even the guys and instructors in the club didn't notice me, even if I made amazing progress in a short amount of time…"
"Uh… that…" Doomsday Assault realized that Sashimi was rambling further and further afield, and wanted to interrupt him, but…
"Later I discovered… that no matter if I was late, left early, absent, or even quit the club… no one would notice, as if I wasn't even in the club…" Sashimi was getting more and more excited as he spoke, "After entering junior high school, I would change clubs seven or eight times a year, coming and going as I pleased… joining and quitting didn't require an application, because it didn't matter if I wrote one or not; I didn't have to go to training camps or anything, because the manager and instructors would never remember to book tickets or berths for me; even if I went out to competitions with the team, I was always on the bench…"
"Wow… what's with this Twilight Zone-esque sense of déjà vu…" Final Assault thought to himself. Although he also felt that the other party was rambling a bit too much, for some reason… he actually wanted to hear him finish.
"I still remember the year I was in the first year of high school, my school's basketball team made it to the national tournament…" Sashimi gazed at the sky, thoughtfully murmuring, "I thought that in the intense national tournament, due to physical considerations, the team's rotation players would increase, and I would finally have the opportunity to contribute to my teammates… so, before the tournament started, I skipped two weeks of classes and completed 20,000 shots of special training, finally mastering the ultimate technique – [misdirection. Judgement]…"
"Skipping two weeks of classes is okay?" Final Assault muttered, "The teachers and classmates didn't notice you weren't going to school?"
"I won't even mention the 20,000 shots of special training…" Doomsday Assault interjected, twitching his lips, "But why would practicing shooting develop misdirection… and why would someone like you even need to practice misdirection… and what's with that weird suffix 'Judgement'…"
Sashimi ignored their retorts and said in a serious tone, "This ultimate technique… is my unique move, its effect is to guide the referee's line of sight on the court, infinitely magnifying the slightest movements of the opposing team's players; to the maximum extent permitted by the rules, it allows the referees to make rulings that are beneficial to our side."
"Wait! Isn't that invincible!" Final Assault was shocked, "With this kind of skill, why are you even playing games! Go play basketball! China's dominance of the world is just around the corner!"
"However, in the first game of the national tournament, I was still on the bench." Sashimi said, "I thought… that was because the first opponent wasn't particularly strong, and anyway, our team still won in the end." He paused, "But… in the second game, we encountered the undefeated myth that had dominated high school basketball for thirty years – Eel King Industries."
"Are you sure it's 'Industries' and not 'Agriculture'…" Doomsday Assault muttered.
Sashimi continued, "I remember that in last year's national tournament, my province's perennial champion, King - Hai Nan Middle School team… was defeated by Eel King by a huge margin of 30 points."
"Could the King's team name be any worse…" Final Assault was already starting to feel a headache.
"Facing Eel King's full-court press in the second half, my team's main players' stamina was failing, and even several frequently substituted players showed signs of fatigue." Sashimi was still speaking, "I thought… my chance to play was finally coming, but…" He said with a gloomy expression, "The coach still ignored my existence…"
At this point, Sashimi sighed to the heavens, "Alas… in the end, we lost that game." He looked wistful, "On the bus back, I happened to be sitting next to the coach, and after hesitating several times, I mustered the courage to ask him… 'Coach, why… didn't you let me try playing until the very end?'" He shook his head, "As a result, the coach turned his head to look at me and said something I will never forget in my life…" He paused for two seconds, repeating, "'Student, who are you?'"
Silence descended…
After a full minute of silence, Final Assault lowered his voice and quietly said to Doomsday Assault next to him, "Remember to remind me… not to actively chat with the opponent during combat in the future."
"Yeah… I think so too." Doomsday Assault replied.
…………
On the other hand, on the edge of the stone canyon, atop a broken cliff.
"The scenery here is really nice, hiccup~" Meng Jing Chan (Dream Shock Zen) lay on his side on the edge of the broken cliff, enjoying the orange sky and the misty wonders beneath his feet while drinking, "It's a pity… that someone has to come and spoil the view."
Before the words faded, a figure had already appeared behind him.
"If you just wanted to see the scenery, you should be a spectator." Xian Ye Wei Wang (First Also is King) replied to him from five meters away behind Meng Jing Chan.
Even though Zen was lying on the ground at this time, Xian Ye Wei Wang did not dare to be careless in the slightest, he still maintained a certain safe distance and vigilantly stared at his opponent.
"But…" Meng Jing Chan replied without turning his head, "Spectators can't lie down and drink as comfortably as I can."
"Now that you mention it…" Xian Ye Wei Wang replied, "That seems to make sense."
"Want to come over and drink together?" In the next second, Meng Jing Chan asked casually. His tone was so relaxed and natural, it didn't sound like he was joking at all.
"No, I'm here to fight." Xian Ye Wei Wang said, "Not to see the scenery or drink."
"Is that so…" Meng Jing Chan murmured, "Then there's no helping it…"
With that, he threw away the empty bottle and stood up, swaying unsteadily.