Chapter 1 - An Odd Fate (2/2)
Why take the risk to foray into the unknown? Qin Fen told himself this, still deciding to walk a bit faster out of the alley. Since there were no longer issues with his body, it was best for him to return home quickly.
Qin Fen sprinted all the way back, so it didn’t take long for him to get to the school dorms. The students in the dorms had long since gone to lie in bed, wearing the helmets of the Sky Battle Network. They continued to engage in close combat through this renowned network that could connect people together from any corner of the world.
Qin Fen picked up a cup and poured down two mouthfuls of water. Only then did he realize that he wasn’t out of breath at all, and he had sprinted the entire way back. How was this possible?
Looking at the clock on the wall, Qin Fen snorted. Today’s unfortunate event caused him to start work late. He should hurry, log onto the Sky Battle Network, and write a few fight commentaries to make a bit of writer’s money.
Qin Fen gently laughed as he picked up the Sky Battle Network helmet. The government sought channels to recruit talent for the military, and the nation gave out eight types of martial arts of free on this platform as well as basic equipment for every citizen. If it weren’t for these, then Qin Fen would have one less way to make money.
These eight free martial arts were called the eight main commoner martial schools by the public. They were divided into the Plum Snapping Hand, the Prajna Palm, the One Finger Zen, the Shaolin Thirteen Claws, the Burning Wood Blade, the Shaolin Arhat Fist, the Flood Fist, and one last secret internal cultivation technique that people absolutely wouldn’t train in—the Dragon Elephant Prajna Art. People would rather spend their money cultivating in some other internal cultivation technique.
Upon entering the Sky Battle Network, Qin Fen adjusted himself to be in spectator mode. He utilized the positioning system to quickly enter the hand-to-hand martial arts training field of the free viewing channel.
“Oh, you’re late today, Expert Mouth-Shooter.”
There were people who promptly greeted Qin Fen as soon as he appeared, and many people followed after and learned from these first people, greeting him in the same manner.
There were a few types of people who came to the Sky Battle Network. Some were the poor who came to learn the publicized paleo martial arts techniques in hopes of someday entering the military and soaring like the divine steed from legends. Some simply used this place with its training fields to improve their combat skills, since they wouldn’t suffer real injuries here.
Even the journalists of various martial art news outlets often searched for people from all over, making appointments to personally experience the thrill of the fight.
Qin Fen was probably the only person with no record of combat in the entire Sky Battle Network. All he did ever since he first appeared in the Sky Battle Network was spectate the fights of others, upon which he would write a few fight commentaries to send to news outlets. He made a bit of money this way, and had eventually become a special correspondent who wasn’t really a special correspondent for the newspaper “Insights of Laymen.”
Qin Fen gave a light nod to these people. He had become long accustomed to this nickname, Expert Mouth-Shooter.
There wasn’t a man alive who didn’t want to be the focus of the crowd, who didn’t want to constantly improve himself. It was just that…. Qin Fen shrugged his shoulders. Those with physical combat power would be better off finding work to do in the real world, making a bit more money for a living. The most important thing was to fill one’s belly.
He looked at the fighter queue:
ID: War Angel
Height: One point eight three meters
Arm Reach: One point eight eight meters
Uses the Magma Art, a neo martial arts technique, at the second stage
Two-star Warrior
Battle Record: Seventy-two Wins, thirteen losses
ID: Six Solar Palms
Height: One point eight seven meters
Arm Reach: One point nine one meters
Uses the Plum Snapping Hand, a paleo martial arts technique, at the second stage
Two-star Warrior
Battle Record: Forty-six Wins, nine losses
Their levels were the same. Qin Fen already made a simple analysis in his mind as soon as the system sent over the battle data. The Magma Art was considered an explosive technique. It’s destructive power was middle class within the grade two warriors. On the other hand, the Plum Snapping Hand was a speed-type technique. It was a bit weak in terms of destructive power, but it was the initial martial arts form of the advanced paleo martial arts technique, the Six Solar Palms.
A crisp and loud “FIGHT!” sounded from above the training field.
War Angel made an explosive roar as a red dot flared in the middle of his chest, and a red light akin to magma instantly surged around his body.
Six Solar Palms made a quiet approach. His target was none other than the red dot on War Angel’s chest. This was an indicator that War Angel hadn’t practiced the Magma Art to perfection. This Achilles’ heel would instantly reveal itself the moment the art was unleashed.
Six Solar Palms moved extraordinarily quick. He was already right next to War Angel in the blink of an eye. The Plum Snapping Hand caused a hint blue light to coalesce and was as if it was already touching War Angel’s weakness.
“Good!” The people in the spectator channel immediately let out cheers in unison.
Qin Fen didn’t agree with how everyone was cheering, shaking his head to himself. Neo martial artists would always think of a way to cover their Achilles’ heel. War Angel didn’t cover his up at all. Clearly, he wanted to draw Six Solar Palms’ attention. The Plum Snapping Hand had its advantage in it nimbleness, in how it drifted without resting. Everyone knew that Six Solar Palms was aiming for War Angel’s weak point, and that restricted the strength of the Plum Snapping Hand. War Angel would be able to easily predict where his opponent’s attack would land.
Sure enough, the battlefield situation went just as Qin Fen predicted. Six Solar Palms made two nimble strikes with the Plum Snapping Hand, but they were easily dispelled by War Angel during the crucial moments. At the same time, Six Solar Palms was drawn into close range combat. He wasn’t given the chance to display his forte, his nimbleness. The two engaged in super close range combat in the blink of an eye and streaks of punches and kicks flew all over, a sight dazzling to the eyes.
The spectators let out gasps of surprise and admiration again and again. This fight was truly far too intense. The fast pace made people nearly unable to breath.
Qin Fen gazed at the intense battle with suspicion. What the hell was this? How can the power of two-star warriors be so weak? From observing other fights between two-star warriors in the past, Qin Fen reckoned that at most he could only temporarily match a two-star warrior move for move. Against either of the two two-star warriors in the current fight, all he would need to do was move his shoulder and he would be able to instantly know what kind of move his opponent would make and instantly find a decisive window to attack at the same time.
Qin Fen lightly rubbed his forehead. He was a two-star warrior himself. Why did this fight between these two warriors look like a kid’s scuffle in his eyes? They should be on the same level as him.
“This is super intense. I never thought that there would be such a wonderful fight in the free channel! I really don’t know who will triumph in the end!”
“Totally dude! It’s too beautiful!”
Qin Fen gave a bored yawn when he heard the admiration coming from the people beside him. He said, without any thought at all, “War Angel’s neo martial art will win.”
“Whoa! Isn’t this the number one expert in shooting his mouth off? Don’t you, sir, always wait until the fight’s over before pointing out why the loser lost? What’s with you today?”
From Qin Fen’s perspective as one who only watched and never fought, the spectators here don’t really like him. After all, everyone probably had a time when they lost. Naturally one wouldn’t feel too great when hearing Qin Fen’s fight commentary, which always hit the nail on the head, during these moments. They always sought the chance to give this Expert Mouth-Shooter a good lesson. Helpless to the fact that Qin Fen never personally took part in fights, everyone could only use mocking words on him to reclaim some pride.
“War Angel will win? It looks like Six Solar Palms will win to me.” A person who had the reasons for his loss pointed out by Qin Fen two days ago spoke with a tone brimming with provocation. “Number one expert in mouth shooting, do you have the guts to make a bet with me?”
The surrounding people immediately started to laugh, one after another. Qin Fen was most known for two things. One thing was that he never fought, he only wrote fight commentaries at the end of fights. The second thing he was known for was his cowardice.
It was quite normal for spectators to make small gambles and bets. Everything time they laid down their bets, Qin Fen would always pull some distance away, intentionally or otherwise. He never participated.
Battles couldn’t be completely calculated. There were all sorts of unpredictable events that could happen, but Qin Fen wasn’t scared of gambling when he was a hundred percent sure of the outcome. Compared to others, he knew the pain of making money the most.
“Sure, man. How about we bet fifty dollars?”
Everyone’s laughter came to a screeching halt. Those familiar with Qin Fen began to be suspicious. Had he been hacked? Was someone else using his ID? After all, every time Qin Fen logged on, he would always use the system’s privacy option to hide his true appearance.
Qin Fen was shocked as well. Why did he open his own goddamn mouth? And with a bet of fifty dollars! That was big money! A bold bet!
What was up with today? Qin Fen shook his head hard. First, the two-star experts looked like little kids playing around to him, and now he actually agreed to bet?
“Fifty dollars? Fine! Took you long enough. I thought you would put down far bigger bucks.”
“Totally! I’ll also bet fifty. Fifty on Six Solar Palms to win.”
“I also bet on Six Solar Palms!”
“I also will…”
There were quite a few people who had been subjects of Qin Fen’s fight commentary in the past. This chance came by rarely, so they seized it and began laying down bets in a steady stream. How much could they bet? It didn’t matter! What was important was to make this uncouth boy lose face again and again!
“I….”
Another one had just opened their mouth to lay down a bet when the system announced, “War Angel, victory by technical knockout….”