When Ethan Chen first saw such a beautiful girl, his instinctive thought was that the face had to be something a system sculpted. But when he saw Kathy Zhou in person, he realized there really are people this stunning in the real world. It was as if she'd been born with a built-in beauty filter, existing on a different visual layer from everyone else.
People around them—men and women alike—couldn't help sneaking glances. Still, for the sake of pride, no one said anything aloud, lest they be mistaken for fawning fanboys.
Ethan recalled their very first duel and the exchange they'd had.
"Don't try to brute-force the fourth form in one go. Think more about the technique itself."
Back then he thought he'd met a mentor—only to find she was a sly trickster who slashed the moment he relaxed.
So the question was: was this Kathy Zhou in front of him the same "mentor" from before? They looked identical, but it was possible someone had customized their avatar to look like her.
Then inspiration struck. Right—he could check match data on his wristband to confirm her age. Aside from the ID, the other info there was real.
ID: Little Nuclear GirlAge: 17Rank: Silver — 88 Victory PointsRecord: 30–15 (Win Rate: 66.67%)
Seventeen. The age lined up. It had to be her. What a coincidence—to meet an "online acquaintance" in real life. Of course, she wouldn't recognize him, Ethan thought.
He hadn't forgotten that one dagger strike she'd landed. It wasn't grudging—just pure competitiveness. Back then, her Martial Skill was a step ahead of his, already at (Tier 1) Mastery. Now that so much time had passed, it was hard to imagine where she'd reached.
Her number of matches was low, which meant most of her training time went into offline one-on-one sparring. No matter how realistic virtual combat got, it still felt different from reality. In the pod you knew you wouldn't die, and the pain was dulled—your mindset changed. The experience and technique you gained from real combat were far greater.
Having a high-level coach on hand at all times beat fumbling alone. Of course, Ethan—with his Crystal Space and the ability to "die" countless times to learn—was a rare exception.
Apart from Takeshi Musashi and Kathy Zhou, check-in went smoothly and nothing happened.
Ryan Ling took the rule card, and the four of them entered the elevator.
The Harbor City Grand Hotel was enormous, boasting ten thousand rooms. All four had single rooms, but at the moment Ethan and the other two were gathered in Ryan Ling's room.
Ryan brewed tea, and as the water bubbled toward a boil, he set the rule card before them. "This year's rules are different from previous years."
"In the past there were only the elimination round and the finals."
"This time, before eliminations, there's an extra event—the Badge Contest."
"Badge Contest?" the three echoed, surprised. On the way over, Ryan had explained past formats—there'd never been a contest like this, just straight 1v1s.
"Yeah." Ryan nodded and laid out the rules. "The competition runs from March 17 at 9:00 a.m. to March 19."
"Three days total, three rounds."
"The first round is the Badge Contest, set in a forest."
"From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.—thirteen hours—you must obtain badges marked with the characters 'Gao' and 'Wu.'"
"And reach the finish to check in. How many advance depends on how many members of your squad arrive."
"This contest is new this year—you're among the first to try it."
"It's designed to test team coordination."
Ethan nodded. During a pause, as Ryan sipped his tea, he asked, "Teacher, how many badges are there in total?"
Ryan took a sip, found it a bit too hot, and put the cup down. "Fifty 'Gao' badges and fifty 'Wu' badges. Which means at most fifty squads can pass."
"In other words…"
"Half the participants will be cut in Round One."
He went on. "Round Two is 1v1 eliminations. Opponents are random, but you won't be matched against your own squadmates."
At that, Liu Bo and Moret both glanced at Ethan and unconsciously exhaled in relief. Who could beat a monster like him? With dual talent in Martial Skill and Spiritual Power, Ethan was practically unsolvable when Life Force was equal. Neither of them felt sure about the top ten, but nobody wanted to go out in one round. At least win one match before heading home.
"Rest time during eliminations is very short. We have to narrow one hundred and fifty people down to ten in a single day."
"On average, you'll have to beat four opponents to make the top ten."
"If the bracket leaves anyone without a match, those few get a bye into the next round."
"A free pass?" Liu Bo frowned. "Isn't that unfair to people who fought their way up?"
Ryan smiled, not answering directly. "You're still thinking like students."
"This isn't a school exam with fixed, binary answers. There's no single correct solution."
"This simulation is closer to reality. It tests your reactions in the moment—and adds an element called luck."
"The first round is the same. You might be strong enough for the top ten…"
"But if you run into the strongest competitor immediately, you might not even reach Round Two, let alone Round Three."
"If rankings were a perfect mirror of strength, we wouldn't need a tournament. We'd just crunch the numbers and crown a champion."
The three fell silent. Ryan's words opened a new door for them.
"Round Three is the finals—the Top Ten Battle."
"Getting that far is already a win; the top ten all receive bonus points and cash."
"As for making the top three…" Ryan paused and looked at Ethan. "That'll come down to your condition. Three days of continuous fighting, minimal rest, and possible injuries…"
"The champion may not be the single strongest person—but they will be the most complete overall."
"If you ever make it to the front lines, you'll understand—sieges, assassinations, ambushes, even betrayal."
"Alright, I won't pile on more pressure."
"Okay, one last point."
"No killing. This rule applies for life—both in competition and in reality."
"Our enemies are alien civilizations. Never turn your blade on your own."
"You'll enter wearing special gear. Everyone's Life Force will be equalized."
"The simulation will be as real as possible, but you won't actually die."
"We team leaders will be inside as well, guarding you from the shadows."
"But hope I never have to act—if I do, it means you're eliminated."
To avoid affecting their condition for tomorrow, Ryan wrapped up with a few words of encouragement.
…
Back in his room, Ethan lay down and entered the Crystal Space, grinding his Martial Skill without a second's pause. Thanks to the Space's recovery, he woke each day at full energy.
This format might look fair—but it actually favored him.
Soon, dawn broke.