Chapter 73: Hunter

Zhuang Zhou watched Huonan quietly, "Old Nan, be careful, the Puppet God has already confirmed this is not a misselection."

"Little Zhuang, in this world, no one should take themselves too seriously. Geniuses emerge in droves; if this Mecha had any real utility, someone would have discovered it long ago. Don't just think you're unique. Alright, the two have chosen the most regular Arena, a peak duel at the Number 2 Position, which best showcases solid fundamentals."

Armor Leopard Mecha VS Silver Fox Mecha Arena

Two Mobile Suits entered. Depuya looked at the Armor Leopard Fighter before him; it seemed he hadn't encountered this model in a very long time, especially in high-ranking matches—it was a nearly extinct Mecha.

The engines of the two Mobile Suits roared. The Armor Leopard was similar in size to the Silver Fox Fighter, but its frame was slightly narrower, and it didn't fit the current mainstream NUP aesthetic. Standing together, the two Mechas truly possessed a sense of a bygone era.

Although he didn't know why the opponent chose this, it was a match, especially with so many people watching, so Depuya didn't intend to waste words with them.

The battle began. The Silver Fox Fighter's engine roared, closing the distance at high speed. Entering the ten-meter range, Depuya unleashed his signature Cross Step. A top-tier Warrior must have anticipation; so-called non-anticipation is just assuming the opponent will make a linear attack. His understanding of the Silver Fox Fighter was a silky, instantaneous shift in center of gravity, causing the opponent to misjudge. This was also the Assassin Dao that a Vanguard Mecha needed to achieve, rather than focusing on contact like Medium or Heavy Types.

Shing...

In the blink of an eye, the Cross Step shifted into a lunge, and the Laser Sword thrust out directly. The Armor Leopard sidestepped, Depuya changed the direction of his Cross Step, and the Laser Sword in his hand continued to attack, every strike aimed at the Mecha's vitals. Once landed, it would at least weaken the opponent's Mecha functions.

Light Type Mechas focus more on offensive efficiency and destroying vitals. Depuya piloted the superior Silver Fox Fighter, its Laser Sword light curtain enveloping the Armor Leopard, while the Armor Leopard kept dodging—all sorts of dodges, its body constantly turning sideways, leaning back. Over a minute of continuous explosive assassination attempts were all dodged completely.

Shing...

The Armor Leopard performed a backflip, a powerful control maneuver in mid-air, instantly opening up a distance of seven or eight meters, directly cutting off the Silver Fox Fighter's continuous attack.

Depuya's expression also became interesting. For a moment, he didn't even think he was sparring with an Armor Leopard. He knew that the previous flurry of attacks was not something an Armor Leopard could dodge, yet the opponent had actually relied solely on dodging to evade his forty-plus assassination strikes.

He hadn't even drawn his Titanium Blade; this was a bit of a provocation.

Being a Light Type Mecha as well, among Earthlings, it was better understood as the Assassin Dao, utilizing agility to find the opportunity for a fatal blow.

The Laser Sword swirled in the Silver Fox Fighter's palm. As an S Tournament-level competitor, especially with a Light Type Mecha, his detailed control was pushed to the extreme. Gripping the Laser Sword in reverse, Depuya stared intently at the Armor Leopard opposite him, the Silver Fox Fighter's center of gravity beginning to lower.

Bang~~~

The Silver Fox launched, instantly closing the distance, but the Laser Sword didn't rush to make a move. Depuya was speechless; he had never encountered such an opponent who actually made no reaction. What the hell was this?

All the spectators felt awkward. Battles between Light Type Mechas were basically the kind where they could beat each other's brains out, with all sorts of dazzling displays. The Puppet's "dull as a wooden puppet" behavior was truly baffling. Had he even abandoned the principle of seizing the initiative?

Never mind the audience; even though the Silver Fox had been fighting for three years, he had never seen this before. Since the opponent was as dull as a wooden chicken, he didn't need to perform any extra actions—just the fastest, most ruthless attack.

Kill!

Flash Strike—Swallow Return!

An attack as swift as electricity; performed by the Silver Fox Mecha, it lacked a bit of dominance but gained a touch of sharpness and keenness. Like the reaper of death, the Laser Sword slashed across.

But the moment he struck, Depuya instantly turned cold as frost. He missed.

As soon as the Silver Fox Fighter landed, it instantly catapulted upward, killing toward the Armor Leopard with a Cross Step. The Laser Sword unleashed streaks of light, enveloping the Armor Leopard, while the Armor Leopard Fighter kept drifting within the sword shadows, its body moving. The Laser Sword missed by just a hair every time, but it simply couldn't touch the Armor Leopard. The narrow Mecha design, which originally looked a bit unappealing, actually possessed a strange, rippling sense of agility.

Shing...

Another sword strike missed. The Silver Fox's attacks were never full-commitment; they always left room to prevent a counterattack from the opponent in case of a mistake. But this time, the Armor Leopard suddenly cut in close. Boom, boom, boom...

Three-Stage Kick. The Silver Fox Fighter was kicked back over ten meters, the Mecha sliding for a distance. Depuya had clearly blocked everything, yet he felt not a shred of joy in his heart.

Sense of distance is one of the most important factors in determining the strength of an Assassin-type pilot. He had never encountered someone who could completely master their own attack distance, and they were even piloting an Armor Leopard. Was he toying with him??? Depuya's temper flared up!

"Depuya, haven't seen you in years, still so afraid of death? If you don't dare to sacrifice yourself, why even play as an Assassin?"

Just as Depuya was about to attack, he suddenly heard the voice of the pilot opposite him. His expression froze. Damn, who the hell was this spouting such nonsense? The tone was arrogant enough to swallow the sky. In terms of trash talk, hadn't they heard of his... territory?

?

??...

"You... you are... Second Brother???" Depuya was dumbfounded. Having not heard it for a few years, it was a bit unfamiliar, a bit profound; memories he seemed to have forgotten suddenly flooded his mind.

"We'll catch up later. Let me see what progress you've made. Give it your all; I don't even want to fight back!"

"Holy crap, damn it, Second Brother, you've come out of retirement? Damn, why didn't you say so earlier? Wahaha, I'm not who I was back then. Watch out, today I'll let you see the strength of a top USE Vanguard!" Depuya's emotions soared, and his hands were itching. Come to think of it, after years of settling, he really did have some courage now.

Bang, bang, bang...

The Silver Fox Fighter made three short, sharp engine roars. This was a habit of Vanguard Warriors, expressing the greatest respect and recognition for an opponent.

Zhuang Zhou, Huonan, and the others were all baffled. In their view, Depuya seemed to be fighting casually, and the opponent was dodging casually. An Earthling conspiracy? Could this be an attempt to set him up?

Huonan was a bit panicked, but then he thought, that shouldn't be it; he was just a small-timer, why go to such great lengths?

Could it be that these two knew each other?

The same question was on Zhuang Zhou's mind. Clearly, the two pilots had just communicated. Although he didn't know what was said, something must have happened, and it had a huge impact on Depuya. Given Depuya's current status, there were very few things that could affect him as a Warrior. As for him deliberately performing a salute to create a gimmick, that was impossible; the other party must have had enough weight.

Who was it? Could the Puppet God be the Nine-Headed Dragon Chaoqinglong?

His strength might be able to reach this level, but he heard that Depuya didn't care for Chaoqinglong at all, bickering whenever they met. It seemed there was some grudge; this hadn't been a secret in the USE for many years, and it also led other federations to criticize Earth's strength for not being high, while being experts at infighting.

Zhuang Zhou felt he was getting closer and closer to the truth. There was no such thing as an emergence from nowhere without a trace; top-tier experts might know who the Puppet was.

The Silver Fox's second Laser Sword was also unsheathed. One forward, one reverse—this was Depuya's strongest combat method. He was going to get serious.

Top-tier S Tournament competitors rarely use their trump cards in ranked matches. There was no need to use a finishing move in such a battle; ranking was mainly for practice and accumulation, unless they encountered a worthy opponent.

Clap...

The two Laser Swords crossed, lowering slightly.

All the spectators were stunned. This was the second salute; it showed that Depuya was extremely excited. Was this meeting an idol? Who exactly was the Puppet? Could it be a god-tier big shot from the military playing on a smurf account?

Who would be that bored?... It seemed there hadn't been anyone particularly badass in the last few years.

Bang...

The moment the Silver Fox Fighter lunged, its momentum was completely different. This time, the Silver Fox Fighter didn't rush to attack, but circled the Armor Leopard, carrying a sense of wariness and excitement that even the audience could see.

What was this about?

Depuya was so excited that his palms were sweating. The more genius one was, the better their memory. Back then, Second Brother not only dominated the Moon People and Martians, but the pressure he put on Earthlings was the same. If it hadn't been for so many years, he might not have dared to make a move.

His own bad habit in attacking was holding back, but when facing Second Brother, let alone holding back, even holding back a single hair was courting death.

The Silver Fox Fighter's movement speed had been pushed to the limit, yet it still hadn't launched an attack. The Armor Leopard, circled in the center, remained motionless. Huonan had commentated on quite a few matches, and he had never seen such a freak on the S Tournament stage—a piece of junk Armor Leopard that hadn't moved at all, yet stimulated a Silver Fox Fighter as if he had seen his ancestor.

What... the hell.

Boom...

The Silver Fox attacked, Arc Flash Strike!

Almost simultaneously, the two Titanium Blades sprang up, and the Armor Leopard brought out its blades to defend; however, the moment the Laser Sword and Titanium Blade crossed, they slashed open. Relying on momentum and strong control, he unleashed the signature combat technique Depuya used in the S Tournament. The Silver Fox mecha circled the target twice at the limit of its kinetic energy, and the two Laser Swords delivered eighteen strikes while circling the Armor Leopard in two layers. This was created by Depuya himself, and currently, only he can perform it.

Finishing move—Depuya's Devil Waltz.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang...

Eighteen crisp sounds of blades clashing, so fast they almost merged into one... The Armor Leopard blocked them all, and the next second, Depuya knew he was in trouble. He increased his control regardless of anything else, the mecha instantly retreated, but the Armor Leopard's killing blow had already arrived.

At this moment, Depuya's scalp went numb, and he felt the terror of the past, but he was no longer the naive person he was back then. Years of tempering and a powerful will instead stimulated even stronger combat power, his spirit focused as never before; he could block it!

Flash Strike! Flash Strike? Flash Strike!

In an instant, Depuya was making various predictions in his brain, damn!

Sure enough, Flash Strike from behind!

Slap... This almost fatal strike was blocked by Depuya's side-step, but the next second... it was gone.

Boom...

The screen was full of exploding question marks; what the hell was going on, how did it suddenly just end?

The entire EMP Hall of Tianjing Martial Arts was quiet, and Zhou Naiyi was one of them. She had been following Puppet; she wanted to learn something from this person, feeling an inexplicable sense of closeness and trust. And in that instant, never mind the person involved being confused, she, as a bystander, hadn't even seen clearly what happened. Did the mecha seem to have performed a secondary displacement?

The next second, the entire mecha hall was like a pot that had exploded. Everyone finally realized that Depuya's Devil Waltz had been broken. This hadn't even been broken in the previous S Tournament. Although Depuya was defeated, that was because his opponent hadn't let him use this move at all. The two-stage, eighteen-strike attack that spiraled twice in an instant was simply something no Human could defend against, yet Puppet not only defended against it but also backhanded and insta-killed Depuya.

The bullet comments exploded, Huonan's muscles stiffened, his expression froze, and his heart was bleeding. He didn't even want to talk now; this damn thing was definitely a conspiracy by the Earthlings, nakedly trying to screw him to death, trying to...

The match ended, Puppet won, and both sides of the battle exited the Arena, entering an idle state.

Huonan noticed, were these two currently splitting money? Splitting his own hard-earned money!

"Second Brother, Second Brother, haha, damn it, I knew it, you would definitely come. If you don't show up for a day, I'll bash them every day. These bastards have no loyalty, traitors!!" On the other end of the Skynet, Depuya was happily howling.

Li Hao smiled knowingly, "Alright, stop cursing. It's not a matter of showing up or not, I've always been here. If there's a match, I'll play. You should also change your temper. By the way, your current combat logic has big problems, too much redundant operation. This kind of complex playstyle can only beat those weaker than you or about the same. Once you meet an expert, you're easily caught."

If it were anyone else talking to Depuya like this, they would definitely be roasted until they couldn't take care of themselves, "Aiya, Second Brother, you know me, I just like to show off, it's uncomfortable if I don't. Are you planning to reorganize the Hunter? You must add me, you can't leave me out!"

"That's all ancient history. I'm at Tianjing Martial Arts now. Luo Bi is coming over this weekend, you should come over too if you're free. I'll treat you to some authentic local street food in Tianjing." Li Hao felt that if he let Depuya find out on his own, he would definitely have to treat him to an extra meal, so it was better to be proactive.

Sure enough, Depuya was very excited, "Damn, that bastard Luo Bi, not telling me about something like this. When we meet, we have to fight three hundred rounds, haha, definitely coming, definitely!"

"Alright, stop nagging, see you this weekend." Li Hao also had a headache; it had been five years, how did Depuya become even more talkative than before?

"Alright, Second Brother!" Depuya went offline. He sat in the training pod for a while, what was lost must be taken back... He swung his fists fiercely a few times.

The team members of Prometheus were dumbfounded, watching Depuya come out of the training pod in high spirits. Had the Team Leader lost his mind? Why was he so happy even after losing?

(Dear family, no cliffhanger, please give me a monthly ticket ^_^)