Chapter 22

Chapter 22

With numerous students from the five military academies, only twenty-five from each were permitted to participate.

Even so, the total number reached a substantial one hundred and twenty-five.

Individual duels were out of the question.

The competition was structured as a knockout tournament, comprising three matches.

The first round, or the preliminary, involved the largest number of students and took the form of a free-for-all melee among the five academies.

The leaders from each academy stepped forward to draw the coordinates for their drop points in the simulation pods.

After drawing a slip, Yan Yan glanced at it briefly before handing it to the scorekeeper, then swiftly rejoined his team.

The representatives from the other academies quickly did the same, and the scorekeepers led them into the simulation pods for deployment.

The massive virtual screen displayed five segments, projecting the environments within the simulation pods where the academy students were situated, with the official website broadcasting the event live and in real-time.

Yan Yan's luck was average; his drawn drop point was a valley, easy to defend and hard to attack, ensuring that if they chose to hunker down, they would likely survive the first round without much difficulty.

Each eliminated student equated to a point, and the more points accrued, the less likely a team was to be eliminated. By holding out and playing defensively, a team could achieve a commendable result, even against superior numbers.

Unfortunately, the team from McCarlton Academy had drawn a drop point not far from theirs.

They could see the other team across the hilltop, even appearing eager to snatch their first 'kill' from them.

Yan Yan crouched low behind a boulder, facing twenty-four pairs of eyes squarely.

Yan Yan: "…"

Clearing his throat, he announced, "Before the match officially commences, I want you all to remember that the rules stipulate this is an individual competition."

An anxious voice inquired, "Senior, are you saying we'll have to split up?!"

Yan Yan shook his head, "Of course not, at least not for now. What I mean is that as long as one of us remains standing in the end, Artemis Military Academy wins."

Lin Fu's eyes sparkled as he tugged at Tang Qian's arm, "Got it, we'll move out first."

Yan Yan chuckled and gave Zun Si a nudge, "You follow them too."

Three underclassmen, the easiest to be underestimated by the enemy.

*

In the spectator stands, whispers and low laughter began to ripple through the crowd.

"Are they splintering internally before even starting?"

"What's going on with Artemis Military Academy this year?"

"Isn't that cadet who ran off first really familiar?"

"Is that a guide? Isn't his name Lin Fu? From the Lin family a few years back?"

As recognition of Lin Fu grew, glances towards the high-seated Lin family’s area also increased.

Lin Sixing's already dark expression grew even stormier.

In a low voice, he hissed, "A disgrace!"

Nearby, Karl overheard his mutter and was immediately displeased.

It was a Lin family scoundrel cursing someone under his protection, thinking Karl wouldn't retaliate just because he wasn’t on the battlefield?

He scoffed, "To think that a diligent child could emerge from a trash family of deserters, truly a case of 'a rotten bamboo producing a fine shoot'."

Lin Sixing turned and saw Karl's gaze fixed directly on him, his stare so intense it was as though he was about to read his name aloud.

Rage surged within Lin Sixing, tumultuous thoughts whirling in his mind.

By the way, that young rascal is studying at the Artemis Military Academy, and he must have Karl Lane's support.

If he wasn't mingling with him, how would that scoundrel of a son dare to strut around like this?

The Lin family used to fear Karl Lane to some extent, but now he's just a mere military academy director without real power, and even his own rank is only A+. He poses no threat at all.