Chapter 378: You Are the Real Man

Dita and the others sighed; the Round Table Knights were finished, and on the other side, the Cougar team could not escape the fate of a four-to-zero defeat. This battle fully illustrated one point: how important it is to hide one's own abilities. Under normal circumstances, Aofei's final attack could have resulted in a one-for-one trade with any opponent. Given her technical characteristics and the performance of the Shadow Mech, there was no room for evasion if she wanted to trade with her opponent. At the last moment, Basta's sudden charge and interception tricked Aofei. Normally, they would have clashed head-on to see who fell first, but Basta did it on purpose, making Aofei believe he was going to fight her hard, only to suddenly trigger his gravity-type ability—Weightlessness.

The Yao Ying in full sprint had no time to react. Aofei was already formidable enough; she had wanted to stabilize herself at that moment. If there hadn't been an opponent, she might have actually been pulled back, but not only was there an opponent, it was Basta. Even if Aofei had predicted this move, she might not have been able to dodge it, let alone when it was a surprise attack at the most critical moment.

A monster!

Besides Basta, this zone technique of Walan's was also impossible to guard against; it was truly disgusting. This was against a Sniper; if something like this happened suddenly in close combat, it would be truly unbearable, and one wouldn't know whether to defend or not, as one's attention would inevitably be scattered.

Precisely because she wasn't from Apocalypse, Dita was exceptionally sensitive; she even felt that the strength of teams should be calculated by their "Apocalypse content." Maxis on the other side was the same; it was said that he hadn't revealed any clues even when defeating Luo Bi. It seemed to be a golden Golden Zone, which must be extraordinary. All unconventional things are extraordinary.

But judging from their performance, the level and fighting spirit displayed by Aofei and Luo Bi were much higher than before. This was a sign that the USE had gained momentum, but it takes time to go from gaining momentum to establishing it, and then to reaping the rewards; it couldn't be achieved overnight in a single tournament. The Moon had also spent many years planning before it had the momentum to compete for a three-peat.

Alzi and the others also watched in silence. As contestants, they knew that if they had been in their place, the result would have been the same; they simply couldn't have resisted. They had thought that everyone was familiar with the Golden Zone this year and that the gap would narrow, but in fact, it was the exact opposite: those true powerhouses were already moving further and further away.

Pushed to the cliff's edge, the Round Table Knights still didn't relax; they still had a chance until the very end. The fourth to go up was Vice Captain Greg, facing the Fire God Team's Heavy Armor, Mengnaluo. Heavy Armor was considered non-mainstream in both the NUP and the Moon, but top-tier teams all had them configured. Mengnaluo was also the undisputed number one Heavy Armor of Mars, and he directly showed off a Deep Sea Berserker.

Deep Sea Berserker.

Giant God Soldier, 160-ton class.

Three-engine Nuclear Fission Drive, Deep Sea combination laser fire system, Gravity Electromagnetic Cannon, optional heavy titanium weapons, Titanium Alloy Shield.

Greg chose the Leihuo Zeus. At this moment, all the pressure was on the Vice Captain, and Greg's face was so solemn he felt like he was suffocating.

Leihuo Zeus, NUP,

Medium mech, 80 tons.

Leihuo Four-wheel Nuclear Fission System, Leihuo Mimicry System, K23 Thunder Blade, Titanium Shield.

Laser Eye, Telescopic Shoulder Missile System, Thunder Fire Laser Gun.

Facing such an opponent, Greg felt a bit pained. The key was that it was Arena mode; he had no room to maneuver. In a firepower clash, no matter how advanced the Leihuo was, the Giant God Soldier's firepower was overwhelming. This thing was just absurd in the Arena.

In fact, when they saw Greg's expression, Aofei and the others already knew the result. Greg was meticulous and calm, but he couldn't fight a hard battle. He was an excellent ordinary person who hadn't experienced the inhuman training of Apocalypse, and when facing this kind of situation, he was clearly suppressed by his opponent's momentum.

After all, Greg was the Vice Captain of the Round Table Knights. After entering the arena, he calmed down. In the firepower exchange, he steadily closed the distance. In terms of mobility, the Leihuo still crushed the Deep Sea Fighter. If played well, this thing was just a clumsy, big idiot.

As he fought, Greg regained his confidence and brought his operation to the limit. Greg did indeed possess the realm of Flowing Heart Martial Arts, which was worthy of his position as Vice Captain of the Round Table Knights. For a time, he even made his opponent look rather disheveled. This also gave the Earth audience hope, especially within the Round Table Knights Academy. Greg was the second strongest point, and in terms of configuration and strength, he was superior to his opponent. If he could take one match, there would definitely be a chance later. Muni and Prussian were both very powerful, and they still had the initiative to make choices against the opponent. That was how Tianjing Martial Arts won back then!

Greg was also very excited, feeling more and more that he had a chance, as long as he dodged the opponent's Gravity Electromagnetic Cannon. This thing was actually very clumsy; only a rookie would get hit, as it was too easy to predict.

Greg's ability was Thunder Strike. He wanted to bring out the mobility of the Leihuo mech to achieve his goal of the Thunder God Descending to save the Round Table Knights and save his goddess.

Suddenly, the Deep Sea Berserker's electromagnetic cannon condensed energy. Greg also knew his chance had come and charged toward the Deep Sea Fighter without hesitation. As long as the opponent's energy cannon missed, there would be a huge opening.

The energy cannon fired. Greg made a precise prediction and easily... the energy cannon curved, directly trapping the Leihuo mech. The mech was sucked in, and waiting for Greg was a huge battle axe.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

One blow after another, it hacked the Leihuo mech into slag.

Mengnaluo's ability: Energy Control!

Just like that, the Fire God Team swept the Round Table Knights four-to-zero, not giving them a single chance, and advanced alongside Maxis's Galaxy.

Both sides hadn't just returned from injury; they had returned like gods. Not only was everyone in peak condition, but the team members had also all returned to their best state.

The captain is the soul of a team, and to a large extent, they also determine the strength and state of the team members.

Both sides displayed strength far exceeding other traditional powerhouses, existing in a league of their own.

The first two matches of the quarterfinals were a nightmare for the USE. The Cougar team was swept four-to-zero by Galaxy Academy. In terms of strength comparison and the process, the Cougar team was actually very tenacious; they just couldn't win. Given their Mid-Season Tournament ranking, everyone didn't have high expectations, but Aofei's Round Table Knights being taken out four-to-zero by the Wolf King's Fire God Team was very painful. They didn't even get to fight a team battle. As the perennial second place, in terms of results, this time the Round Table Knights were truly miserable.

Of course, if one were to force a positive perspective, in order not to give the Round Table Knights any chance of a comeback, the Fire God Team also exposed quite a few abilities, providing a reference for the teams behind them. But even if they knew, could they win?

After the match, Wolf King Basta also returned to being a top favorite to win the championship, even surpassing War God Maxis at one point. This Weightlessness ability could definitely make any opponent fall into chaos; it could be called an unsolvable ability. Combined with his own defense and offense, it was super awesome. Aofei's own performance was sufficient; if she hadn't been countered by this ability, she could have really traded one-for-one with the others at the very least. The problem lay in the average level; excluding the two captains, the other members of the Fire God Team were stronger than those of the Round Table Knights.

To win the championship, relying on the captain alone is useless; one must have very good bench depth. In fact, this is also the reason why the Round Table Knights have never been able to take the next step; the team members lack a fighting spirit for a desperate struggle.

With the advancement of the Moon and Mars representative teams, many fans felt relieved; at least there were no upsets. The next day featured Carmela vs. Gruu Team and Tianxing Team vs. Fire Cloud. Among them, the Tianxing Martial Arts match was another hot topic. Strength-wise? There wasn't much to say, but with the addition of Arths, everything was different. Tianxing Martial Arts gained many casual fans, and compared to the first day, both sides in these two matches had a chance; it just depended on who performed better.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for some. After the matches ended, along with the reports, various streamers and commentators gave their own opinions. It now seemed that the USE's strength in this tournament was truly not enough to look at. It was really hard for Gruu to face the Carmela team, and the only hope still lay with North Caro, but was relying on just one North Caro enough?

"Fanli is an old-school powerhouse, and both sides have a chance. If Gruu can beat Carmela, they have some level."

"These two USE teams were already at a disadvantage; the strong ones are behind, what's the rush!"

Uncomfortable as it was, in reality, the chances of winning the first two matches were indeed not high, but they lost too ugly, and the gap in strength was a bit large, especially the Round Table Knights team; being shaved bald wasn't a matter of luck.

The gap between a championship team and a non-championship team is not just a little bit; it's a combination of confidence, mentality and will when facing adversity, and even luck is one aspect. Without the blessing of luck, it is very difficult to reach the top.

One can only say that the Round Table Knights really don't have the destiny of a champion. After this battle, whether it's Aofei or the Round Table Knights, they might have to change. If this continues, this long-standing European powerhouse is really going to fall.

The Tianjing crowd who watched the match also felt the pressure of Alexander. They hadn't had contact with Galaxy, but they had had contact with Fire God. During the entire Hailong Exchange Tournament, the Fire God Team was quite low-key, with almost no presence, and they even once thought that the Wolf King and his team members were cowards, and that Romero was the real big boss. As a result, they went to the S Tournament and slaughtered everyone. Recalling their initial thoughts, Ma Laoshi couldn't help but blush. One can only say that the stronger the person, the greater their breadth of mind. Damn it, they still had to fight the Eternal Team. Hao Ge wasn't afraid, but he was.

Everyone thought Fan Liweite was very cowardly back then, not daring to fight a mech duel, but was he really cowardly? Or did he sense danger and not want to engage in meaningless fighting at that stage, saving his strength? Was leaving everything for the S Tournament a wiser choice?

It's quite possible. Exposing the strength of the mech and winning against Tianjing Martial Arts, people would think it's only natural; losing would be embarrassing. The value of an exchange tournament is clearly not that great.

From another angle, being able to control one's emotions and not engage in impulsive fighting is in itself a very awesome thing. Someone who can endure will not have weak vengefulness. Fan Liweite will definitely study Tianjing Martial Arts thoroughly.

Seeing today's situation, Zhou Naiyi and the others were also under heavy pressure. They wanted to win; they really wanted to win. There were definitely opportunities; on-the-spot adaptability, the exertion of will, and tactics—sometimes victory or defeat is in an instant.

Li Hao was gone; he went to check on Luo Bi's situation. Fortunately, although Luo Bi's injuries were a bit heavy, he would recover with slow recuperation. Luo Bi was an optimist; as long as he did what he thought he should do, he didn't care about anything else. This guy was very emotional while staying in the tank, which made the little nurse have an opinion about Li Hao.

Li Hao felt that what made Luo Bi emotional was the little nurse.

Mier Sannan and the others were all very enthusiastic. The failure of the Cougar team didn't make them depressed; within the scope of their strength, they had already performed beyond their limits. They really just couldn't beat Galaxy, and there was nothing to regret. But as Mobile Suit pilots, they also longed for victory, or the victory of their own camp, and they understood better why Luo Bi had to fight like that. They enjoyed the battle; now it just depended on whether Li Ge could create a miracle. South Americans are filled with passion in their bones.

Li Hao didn't talk nonsense; he left after seeing that Luo Bi was fine. He mainly came to confirm that Luo Bi wouldn't have any sequelae.

The Round Table Knights' side was truly sad. Losing was one thing, but losing so miserably brought enormous pressure from public opinion. The team members were also very self-blaming. It wasn't that they didn't have a chance, but the details weren't handled well, and they were in a hurry, so it ended up like this.

Greg no longer had his usual gentlemanly demeanor; he sat decadently on a chair, muttering something, and had just complained about his teammates.

"They're all from Apocalypse, how are they so strong, and how are you all so weak!"

Mo Yu, Chen Ang, and the others all kept their heads down; they weren't the top-tier ones when they were in Apocalypse back then.

"Losing is losing. As captain, my responsibility is the greatest." Aofei interrupted Greg's complaints. "Keep silent for a while; as for the media, I will handle them."

Greg wanted to say something more, but in the end, he held back, threw his towel, and left alone. The atmosphere was a bit oppressive. The supporters had high expectations for the Round Table Knights, and losing so ugly really brought a lot of criticism. Greg couldn't handle the pressure.

Aofei dialed Li Hao's Skycom. "Where are you?"

Li Hao sent a location, and Aofei said she would be there soon. The two met at the entrance of a Chinese restaurant in the Galaxy Center.

Seeing the graceful Aofei, Li Hao waved happily and looked her up and down. "Is your state okay?"

"Not bad, Basta didn't choose to meet force with force, which avoided a serious injury," Aofei said. "I feel like he was a bit apprehensive too, otherwise he probably wouldn't have wanted to expose this ability."

Li Hao smiled, "Haha, Basta has multiple preparations; he has more than just this one trick. It seems he prepared quite a lot of things just to wait for me."

Upon hearing this, Aofei felt a bit down. Losing was one thing, but she hadn't expected the opponent to still be holding back. Before the Golden Zone was discovered, she felt there was a gap, but it wasn't that large. Now, all of a sudden, it had widened, and for a moment, she couldn't accept it. Her preparations this time were actually considered quite sufficient before the match, but once the fight truly started, it was very disheartening.

Life is just like that; hard work often doesn't bring the desired results.

"Second Brother, I came here seeking comfort, you really know how to discourage people!" Aofei couldn't help but say.

"It's not that serious, is it, just a small matter." Li Hao was between laughter and tears. Those who come out of the Apocalypse will also face setbacks, but if anyone said her will wasn't firm enough, he wouldn't believe it. In his eyes, Aofei was absolutely a real man.

"Second Brother, I am a girl too, I have moments of vulnerability!" Aofei couldn't help but glare fiercely at Li Hao. What kind of look was that?

"Uh, tell me, is there a possibility that the vulnerable you wants to treat me to a meal, but you're too embarrassed to ask? Actually, you could try it; I'll let you know what it means to have your wishes come true." Li Hao said, looking at the restaurant to the side.