Chapter 99

Chapter 99

The four Alphas in the arena had never encountered an Omega like Queqiu.

He was stunningly beautiful, possessing an undeniable allure. In their experience, they had never seen anyone more attractive than Queqiu.

Delicate in nature, even among Omegas, Queqiu was the epitome of someone who appeared to need cherishing and protection, a true jewel to be cradled in one's palms.

Yet, he was also stubborn, refusing to concede even when disadvantaged, reminiscent of a beautiful yet thorny flower, soft but unyieldingly resilient.

Faced with such a Queqiu, the Alphas found themselves momentarily dazed.

They couldn’t help but question themselves: Even if this person was at a disadvantage, completely defenseless, could they, fully armed, truly claim victory over an unarmed him?

The answer…

None of the Alphas dared to contemplate that answer.

Uncertain, unclear, and unsure.

In the presence of Queqiu, everyone held an inexplicable reverence towards him.

Although the Alphas had an absolute advantage and could eliminate Queqiu at any moment, none believed they could defeat such an Omega with a powerful soul and character.

It wasn’t about genetic levels or any external factors. Queqiu, simply sitting there, doing nothing, expressionless, still exuded an intimidating aura that no one dared to challenge.

“Scared?” Although it was Queqiu who seemed close to defeat, he surprisingly took the initiative to ask.

Startled from their thoughts, the Alphas cautiously watched Queqiu.

Mudela clenched his fists, retorting, “Scared? Aren’t you the one who should be scared?”

Yunxiao, always the one to follow orders, looked at Ming Feiyun and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, “What do we do now? Continue to cooperate with the other two to eliminate Queqiu, or pause and turn our attack on Sela?”

Ming Feiyun frowned deeply, subtly observing Queqiu, harboring a suspicion but not daring to be certain.

“Let’s observe for now, hold back, and wait until they reveal their intentions.”

He said this to Yunxiao, but for Mudela and Sela, he switched his rhetoric, stirring them to take the lead.

“Sela, Mudela, let's join forces to eliminate Queqiu first. He is an S-class combat Omega after all. He seems weak now, but it could be a ruse to lure us in. Don’t get too entangled with him, finish the fight quickly for peace of mind.”

Mudela, strong but not the sharpest, was easily swayed by Ming Feiyun’s words, thinking Queqiu must be deceiving him, and again conjured six illusions, attacking Queqiu from seven different directions.

Sela, not entirely convinced by Ming Feiyun’s words, was the weakest in terms of raw power among the five. He knew well that regardless of Queqiu's outcome, his own chances of advancing were slim. With that mindset, eliminating one was still better, at least preserving his ranking even if he were to be eliminated later.

With such thoughts, Sela clasped his hands together and once again activated his ability, Gravitational Tide.

This time, Sela’s ability affected only Queqiu, the sudden increase in gravity almost crushing him. Previously, he might have been sitting due to weakness, but now, he was utterly pinned down, as if magnetized to the ground.

Seeing this, Mudela grew even more excited – Queqiu had nowhere to hide now!

With two A-class Alphas attacking simultaneously, and Queqiu showing no sign of counterattack, the hearts of the audience nearly stopped upon witnessing this scene.

No, don’t let this happen!

They were so anxious that they couldn’t even scream, only managing to silently pray in their hearts: Don't let Queqiu be eliminated!

“What’s wrong with Queqiu?!” Figo, distressed, stood up abruptly.

The usually nonchalant You Buwei's expression darkened unusually, his grip tightening on the armrest, his sleeve-covered arms tensed with muscle.

“It’s over, it’s all over!” He Mingri and Li Duole couldn’t bear to watch anymore, incessantly praying for Queqiu, hoping he could turn the tide and withstand the onslaught.

Li Congyan was so nervous that his hands trembled as he adjusted his glasses, and his teeth chattered, rendering him speechless.

As the instructor, An Weiran, despite his restlessness, couldn’t afford to appear overly anxious in such a critical moment—even though a single glance at the arena revealed the perilous situation Queqiu was facing.

He had to be the pillar of the team, his calm tone masking endless worry and concern.

“Don’t worry, Queqiu will find a way.”

He reassured his students outwardly, but inwardly, An Weiran kept chanting, “No matter the outcome, you must return safely.”

With Mudela and Sela attacking from both sides, Queqiu, trapped and pale-faced, seemed to have his fate sealed, causing the majority of the audience to turn away, unable to bear the sight.

Some even broke down in tears.

Many in the audience were Queqiu’s fans, some supporting him since the first match. The thought of his elimination was more unbearable for them than for Queqiu himself; to these fans, Queqiu was an undefeated deity in their hearts.

How could a god lose?

How… could a god lose…

They couldn’t fathom the immense and heavy blow it would be for such a tenacious and stubborn Omega to lose in such a crucial match.

Despairingly, the audience closed their eyes.

Then, an emotionless electronic voice announced throughout the venue: “Players Mudela and Sela have been eliminated by player Queqiu, the match continues.”

They thought it was all over—

Wait!

What exactly did the Super Star Brain just announce?

The audience’s eyes snapped open, tears still lingering, but as they saw the results displayed on the holographic screen, they broke into smiles, embracing each other excitedly, even with strangers, jumping around in joy.

Queqiu miraculously wasn't eliminated!

At that moment, most people in the arena felt as if they had stumbled upon an unexpected ray of hope after a long darkness.

Anran, who had been intently watching every movement in the arena, finally let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling weak and leaning back into his seat, still shaken long after the event.

You Buwei’s expression brightened immediately, the previously dim light returning to his eyes. He relaxed, releasing the armrest he had deformed with his grip.

Seeing this, Figo and the others felt the heavy stone in their hearts finally settle back down, relaxing and regaining their spirit to cheer for Queqiu again.

After a brief period of jubilant celebration, the audience, slowly coming back to reality, pondered two questions: How did Queqiu evade the attack of the two Alphas, and how did he subsequently eliminate them?

Fortunately, for such intriguing moments, there were always match replays available to satisfy the audience’s need to review the action.

It turned out that just as Mudela's illusions and real body were about to make contact with Queqiu, the previously passive Omega, in the nick of time, finally activated his ability.

Countless iron molecules, like dust, scattered and reformed, shimmering in the light cast by transparent glass, like a dance of stars.

Accompanied by the clanging sound of iron forming, silver petals sprouted on the spot, rapidly enveloping Queqiu just before the Alphas' attack, forming a shy, unopened bud. The outermost layer of intricately patterned petals radiated silver light, flowing smoothly and rhythmically with the wind.

No matter how many illusions or how fast the speed, Mudela couldn't breach the impenetrable protection of the magical machinery, posing no real threat to Queqiu hidden within the bud.

As for Sela, his Gravitational Tide was a movement-restricting ability. In terms of lethality, it was less than a third of Mudela's. Now, even the multiplied gravity was blocked by the magically reformed bud, rendering it ineffective against Queqiu. So Sela's attack efforts were futile, exhausting himself without even touching a hair on Queqiu.

Inside the bud, Queqiu, surrounded by darkness, actually relaxed somewhat, finally catching a moment's breath.

Queqiu indeed hadn't sensed his spiritual power until now, but when he touched the small dagger earring on his earlobe, he suddenly had an epiphany, understanding the crux of the matter—

He had always used his spiritual power to operate the magical machinery, relying on a force far more vast than anyone in this world to easily defeat higher-ranked Alphas and Betas. Now, having suddenly lost contact with his spiritual power, he was like a person who continued to depend on crutches even after healing a leg injury, not knowing how to walk after discarding them.

But, it was only for a moment.

"Because Que Qiu soon realized, besides his lost spiritual power, he possessed another strength – mental power."

"Since arriving in this world, Que Qiu's body had been subtly transformed by the world consciousness, gradually becoming a true Omega. As such, he should possess mental power, just like the people of this world."

Alphas and Betas use mental strength to control their abilities for combat, while Omegas use it to heal Alphas and Betas. This is fundamentally no different from Queqiu's spiritual power, as both are essentially sources of energy.

Therefore, Queqiu's current inability to use spiritual power doesn’t equate to an inability to use his magical machinery abilities.

Queqiu probed for his mental strength, buried deep in his brain, attempting to connect with it. This wasn't difficult for him; with thousands of years of cultivation on Earth, he was intimately familiar with every part of his body and each bit of energy, much like a top student finds learning intuitive and comprehensive.

He quickly sensed the dormant mental strength deep in his brain, somewhat similar yet distinct from spiritual power. For Queqiu, spiritual power was the foundation of his being, drawn and converted from anything with spiritual essence in the world. In contrast, mental strength was inherently his, independent of external sources.

If both spiritual power and mental strength were likened to water, the former would be rivers and oceans, vast and boundless; while the latter would be a limited-capacity spring, which needs time to replenish once depleted.

Although the latter pales in comparison, Queqiu's advantage lies in possessing both, offering greater endurance than relying on a single source.

Given a choice, Queqiu preferred his identity as a Canary with free reign over spiritual power, rather than as an Omega with limited mental strength.

However, this limitation is relative to his extraordinary power. Compared to the Alphas present, the mental strength of an S-class Combat Omega like Queqiu is incomparable to that of an A-class Alpha.

In short, Queqiu, accustomed to opulence, might not value this modest amount of mental strength, but it was more than enough to deal with a few Alpha youngsters.

After sensing his mental strength, the rest was easy. Unable to use spiritual power for now, Queqiu could manipulate his newly discovered mental strength just as he did with spiritual power.

With high comprehension, Queqiu quickly received a response from his magical machinery after a few attempts using mental strength.

Now in control of his ability again, Queqiu didn't act rashly. Instead of concealing his weakness, he exaggerated it, lulling his opponents into a false sense of security for a surprise attack.

However, not all Alphas were gullible; at least the two avian ones weren't, unlike their terrestrial and aquatic counterparts.

After several ineffective attacks, Mudela and Sela belatedly realized Queqiu was feigning weakness.

The two Alphas, now anxious and frantic, were too late to change course.

Their frenzied attacks had severely drained their mental strength. Sensing the decline in their assaults, Queqiu seized the opportunity, dropping his magical machinery's defense just as Mudela charged again.

Queqiu deftly rolled backwards, narrowly avoiding Mudela's shadowy assault.

He felt little impact from gravity, confirming his suspicion.

Queqiu understood the situation and glanced at Sela.

Starfish Alpha's eyes were unfocused, and his forehead was dotted with sweat, betraying his exhaustion. This confirmed Queqiu's guess: Sela's mental strength was nearly depleted.

He had been using his abilities since the start to restrict Queqiu's movements, continuously maintaining his powers throughout, leading to significant self-drain.

Being the weakest in the group, Sela was now running on fumes and no longer posed a threat to Queqiu.

The magical machinery disassembled and reformed into a pulse rifle. Queqiu simply aimed at Sela, who struggled internally for a moment before quickly conceding.

Sighing, Sela regretted falling just short of the semi-finals, but he deeply admired the one who eliminated him.

"You are too strong, an insurmountable peak for me. Losing to you is an honor in itself," Sela admitted.

After speaking, he promptly removed his sleeve badge marked with his competitor number, 0723.

"I concede."

He smiled at Queqiu, "Make sure you win the championship. Losing to the champion is less embarrassing for me."

Queqiu returned his gaze, his tone calm yet resolute.

"I've never lost," he stated, "and you'll see me become the top contender."

Having dealt with Sela, Queqiu then turned his rifle towards Mudela, aiming at his shadow and firing several shots.

Bullet-sized beams of light whistled through the air, shattering the Alpha's shadow into real fragments that soon dissipated like smoke, leaving no trace behind.

"Mudela clenched his fists, his gaze intense as he stared at Que Qiu: 'You think by shattering my shadow, I can't summon more? It's useless. Unless you eliminate me, there will be dozens, hundreds, thousands more.'"

"Que Qiu replied calmly, 'Then let's see which is greater: your shadows or my bullets.'"

"However, Mudela didn't summon more shadows as he claimed he would. Instead, he turned his head, casting an enigmatic glance at Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao flying in the air, then snorted heavily through his nose, making a decision that shocked the audience."

"'I concede.'"

"How could this be?! This leopard Alpha is quite strong, almost on par with Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao, far from being at a dead end like Sera. Why surrender?!"

"The audience was baffled, but the remaining four competitors on the field showed no surprise, as if they all understood the situation."

"Especially Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao. When Mudela had looked at them that way, they knew what decision he would make. As the leopard Alpha uttered his surrender, shocking the crowd, they showed no sign of surprise."

"Mudela, more decisive than Sera, tore off his armband. As he was leaving the field, he paused beside Que Qiu, saying as he brushed past, 'Give those two birds a good lesson for me. They dared to scheme against me. Think they can advance? Not a chance!'"

"Mudela was impulsive but not foolish. Que Qiu's initial retreats, showing weakness, were no act. Their being deceived was no surprise – nobody starts a crucial match at a disadvantage, especially not someone like Que Qiu, who wouldn't pass up a clear victory for a roundabout approach."

"But Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao had provoked him and Sera to be the pawns to test the waters, playing a cunning game of the fisherman benefiting from the quarrel of the snipe and clam."

"Mudela couldn't bear losing a crucial match, let alone the humiliation of being outwitted. If they wanted him and Que Qiu to be mutually wounded for an easy sweep, he would thwart their plans."

"He'd rather forfeit his qualification, sparing Que Qiu from excessive exertion against him, leaving him more energy to deal with Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao, than let them succeed."

"The audience, realizing Mudela's true intention, had an epiphany. These four Alphas were mere fair-weather allies, using and guarding against each other, their alliance fragile, posing no real threat to Que Qiu."

"Suddenly, only three remained on the field: Ming Feiyun, an A-rank combat Alpha from Mula Military Academy, Yunxiao, a white-headed eagle Alpha, and Que Qiu, an S-rank combat Omega from Sikuxing Military Academy."

"A two-against-one situation."

"For Que Qiu, whether in the past or now, such odds were not intimidating."

"If there was a difference, it was only that victories in the past were simpler, now they would be a bit more challenging."

However, for Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao, the situation was different. They genuinely feared Queqiu, who had reached this point without a single defeat, hence they were more vigilant than the audacious Mudela and Sela.

A healthy dose of caution isn't a bad thing; it can help clarify one's situation in battle. But excessive caution can be a hindrance, preventing one from fighting freely.

Had they acted before Queqiu grasped his mental power, or during his struggle with Mudela and Sela when he was still inexperienced with it, they could have turned the 2V1 situation into a 1V1 duel between themselves.

Unfortunately, due to their caution, Ming Feiyun and Yunxiao missed several opportunities. Even though they were now facing a Queqiu at less than one-third of his full strength, they no longer had any chance.

Victory had been neatly written the moment Queqiu regained control of his magical machinery, merely waiting for him to finalize it.

Author's note:

There won't be a scene where Queqiu clumsily falls in the match and a dominant, short-shirted hero dramatically descends from the sky to carry away the frail, delicate wife, haha.

Queqiu is truly strong and capable of fighting. In terms of combat prowess, he's top of the story, and in looks too, haha.