Chapter 11: Ice and Fire Tournament (Part Six)

Chapter 11: Ice and Fire Tournament (Part Six)

The pine forest was tall, with tree canopies intertwined, and in the densest areas, the webs of the Green Tree Spider Starbeasts were omnipresent.

These starbeasts didn't yield high points in the competition, nor were they lethally dangerous. However, they were extremely troublesome.

Tree Spiders relied on venom to hunt.

Their venom couldn't penetrate mechas and harm the pilots. But the special material of their webs was hard to cut, and it had a high adhesive quality against mecha metals. A mecha entangled in such a web would be unable to break free, leaving it trapped and awaiting rescue, effectively withdrawing from the competition by itself.

The most troublesome aspect was that the Tree Spiders' webs were incredibly stealthy and difficult to detect. Thus, most people would likely choose to traverse through the parts of the forest where trees were sparser and the spiders' webs fewer.

This area around the trail was the most suitable for ambushing.

Rong Mi looked up at the steep slope and pondered over the ideal location for an ambush.

Behind the massive boulder halfway up the hill, in the narrow grove of pine trees, or perhaps beneath the snow in the open ground a few miles beyond the grove...

Rong Mi set her sights on the ambush spot beneath the snow.

As they traversed the narrow forest valley, everyone instinctively tensed, on guard. But upon emerging from the woods and returning to more open ground, where ambushes were less likely, they couldn't help but relax, their minds easing.

It was also the perfect moment for an ambush.

Besides, this open area was quite close to the designated assembly point at the end. Those mecha pilots who could avoid the Spider Trees' webs or break free from them were surely skilled. It was likely that they had accumulated a considerable number of points.

The black mech activated promptly, gliding gracefully into the pine forest.

The production team had deliberately chosen the meeting spot for its strategic significance.

The director had long anticipated that contestants, and not just one, would opt for ambushing their opponents in the woods.

This final stretch of the journey was a fierce battle for the mecha pilots, and a major highlight for the survival competition's production team.

Thus, hidden cameras, strategically placed by the production team, were scattered throughout the pine forest, capturing every detail in the vicinity.

In the commentary room, the security robots still held their weapons at the ready.

Fen Ge, the live broadcast assistant, was drenched in sweat. Through his earpiece, he could hear the director breathing calmly, remaining silent.

Despite his inner turmoil, he maintained a calm facade. "We can see that Rong Mi has arrived at the pine forest," he reported professionally. "Now, it seems he's attempting to set an ambush for other contestants passing by."

"Rong Mi has chosen an incredibly challenging route! Instead of avoiding the webs, he's heading straight into the densest cluster of them...!"

The live-stream viewers: "..."

"The way Rong Mi is absorbed in the competition... His mindset truly isn't affected at all!" The chat was buzzing with excitement. "Truly impressive! I just checked... Apart from Rong Mi, all the other contestants who encountered the 'Ice Butterflies' during the storm called for rescue and withdrew. Looks like the holographic projection from the production team has everyone terrified!"

"You have to admit, that interactive holographic projection did some serious damage! Some contestants got quite injured!"

"There aren't many contestants left in the race now... Maybe just a dozen or so. Most were fortunate enough not to encounter the Ice Butterflies. Holy cow. Only Rong Mi remains, seemingly unaffected after meeting the Ice Butterflies!"

"Am I the only one who thinks that the AA big shot is right? Those Ice Butterflies might be real! Otherwise, why wouldn't the production team issue an official statement? The buzz on Star Network is already heating up!"

In the past hour, the popularity of the Ice and Fire Mecha Survival Contest live-stream had skyrocketed, transcending its niche audience.

"Real or fake? Special effects or genuine terror? The Ice and Fire Showcase planet is filled with holographic Ice Butterflies, mimicking the Bug Planet!"

"Discover the Majestic Silver Wolves of the Icy Tundra: Their Psionic Freeze on the Snowfield and Mysterious Disappearance After Vanquishing Ice Butterflies!"

"Defying Heaven's Odds: A Blazing Ice-Fire Tournament Solo Victory with a Mecha against Thousands of Ice Butterflies! Unedited Soundtrack Available at this link: ..."

One by one, these trending topics soared to the top of the Star Network's public forums, attracting even those who were not fans of competitions or mechas.

Those who clicked on the first topic were mostly drawn in by the sensational headlines, expecting a humorous spectacle.

The second topic lured in viewers with the promise of a new action blockbuster centered around a star beast, tempting them with the prospect of fluffy visuals.

Those who clicked on the third entry were mostly there to expose any fraud.

Curious spectators browsing the entry: "Let me have a look. Who could be so capable of killing nearly ten thousand ice butterflies alone? I just checked; if I'm not mistaken, the tournament mentioned in the title is just an amateur event, right? It's just an ice butterfly holographic projection. And they dare use such a title for this?"

One minute into the video, the comments transformed into a myriad of exclamations and question marks in various font styles.

"It must be edited, right? Enhanced with special effects? Nobody can move that fast, can they?"

"....Well, it doesn't seem like it. I checked the official website of the competition, and there's indeed this footage. There's even a previous contestant who used a laser blade to slay dozens of ice butterfly projections in just over ten seconds."

"...But it looks so authentic! My sister is a military mecha pilot, and she was just here with me. She said there's a possibility that it's real...! She's also gone to the military to submit a request for an investigation!"

"I just swung by the live stream of that competition. While the official organizers haven't released any statements, a dual-A certified mecha engineer in the comments section mentioned that the military has indeed initiated an investigation and dispatched combat missions. Starships from the Department of Defense in the vicinity of Barren Star are rushing there, with the nearest fleet expected to arrive in approximately two hours."

"Um, um, the thing is, I want to ask... where are the Ice Plain Silver Wolves?! The wolf?! Such a handsome wolf, where did it go?! I saw that when the rescue team left with Gu Ming, Rong Mi was already gone. Did Rong Mi happen to come across the wolf?"

A myriad of discussion bullet screens swiftly overlaid the video's visuals themselves.

The entire video spanned over ten minutes, with dense bullet screens filling every single second, all the way to the very end.

Thousands upon thousands of bullet comments coalesced into a single sentiment: "Master. I pay homage. I kneel."

Even with full-dimmension holographic interaction, the way this mecha is being maneuvered, the speed, the intensity of mental focus—unbelievable.

Kneel as before.

After browsing through these trending topics, those demanding an Ice Butterfly announcement from the production team, those criticizing the show for continuing despite the danger to human life with the appearance of Ice Butterfly, those who came to witness Rong Mi operate her mecha, and those still hoping to catch a glimpse of a fluffy star beast – all flooded the production team's live stream. Their attention inevitably centered on Rong Mi.

In the shot, Rong Mi was seen piloting the black mecha as it delved into the forest.

Due to concerns that someone might be lying in ambush within the forest, Rong Mi didn't opt for the most obvious and secure path up the mountain but instead ventured into the dense pine forest.

Here, the density of tree spiders' webs was staggering, stretching from the ground all the way up to the treetops, nearly invisible even under the scrutiny of his mental perception.

Small, dark green spiders, no bigger than a palm, hid beneath the branches supporting their webs, patiently awaiting prey.

Rong Mi could roughly gauge the density of the spider webs but couldn't pinpoint the exact location of each one.

The threads of these webs were woven from the spiders' mental energy, causing the entire forest's energy field to appear green in his mental perception.

He had to dismantle these webs if he wanted to proceed.

With his mental perception obstructed, Rong Mi was unable to keep track of his surroundings.

The mecha stood still amidst the trees. Inside the hovering Battle Pet Ball, the Silver Wolf turned its head to look at the young man in the pilot's seat.

The wolf raised its head slightly, as if offering assistance, but then, seemingly aware of something, it fiercely scratched at the mental energy collar around its neck.

The wolf was currently unable to utilize its mental energy.

Rong Mi turned to the Silver Wolves and smiled.

"Are you worried I can't handle it?" The young man's face didn't show much distress as he gently tapped the wolf's forehead through the hovering Battle Pet Sphere. "Watch this."

Burning with mental energy wouldn't do; it would cause too much commotion and be too slow to destroy the target.

However, he had another method up his sleeve.

When he was serving as a main battleship mech pilot, he had learned a different application of mental energy during his intense and perilous battles against the Ice Butterflies.

With a shift in his thoughts, the spirit energy slots on the black mecha, stretching from the shoulders, arms, to the palms and fingertips, illuminated with a brilliant glow.

Purple spirit energy shot out from Rong Mi's five fingers, resembling a steel cable with grappling hooks at its end, piercing through several spiderwebs before anchoring into the trunk ahead.

The light fluctuated as the thin spirit energy threads vibrated, emitting an elusive, unique sound wave.

It was as if a breeze had stirred in the forest.

Every leaf trembled rapidly, and one by one, green tree spiders, dazed by the sound wave, tumbled from the trees, crashing to the ground. The spiderweb lattice woven throughout the forest was resonantly shattered by the sound, losing its inherent sticky structure.

The black mecha hovered above the ground, gliding past the tree spiders and their webs as it pressed forward. Its pace was almost uninterrupted, swiftly ascending the steep slope covered in trees from the side.

Rong Mi moved with remarkable speed and grace.

Not only did the contestants lying in ambush on the mountain trail fail to spot him, but most of the fixed cameras placed by the production team in the forest also missed his figure. Only occasionally did a fleeting black silhouette catch the attention of the live-stream assistant, who would then slow down the footage and label it, confirming that it was Rong Mi's mecha.

"…How did Rong Mi get here? Can someone show me a wide shot from a camera! Isn't that where the tree spiders' webs cluster?!"

"Whoa! You can do that?! Vibrate your own spiritual threads at a specific frequency to directly dismantle the surrounding webs… How much control does that require?!"

"The crucial question is, how does he know what frequency to vibrate at? By feel?"

"By feel," suggested someone in the comment section. "I've heard that some powerhouses with high spiritual strength have heightened sensitivity, allowing them to analyze the frequency spectrum of unfamiliar energy or spiritual threads within minutes, or even seconds."

"…Help me. I really have a newfound respect for Rong Mi!"

"Stop marveling! Look! Rong Mi has suddenly stopped… He's stopped at the edge of a cliff, and below is an ambush point… But it seems like there's already someone down there."

"Is Rong Mi planning to charge into someone else's ambush?"

Upon the screen, a black mecha crouched atop the branch at the edge of the cliff.

Its figure merged with the shadows of the trees, facing the snowy forest floor below the precipice.

In his mental perception, Rong Mi saw a dark shadow beneath the snow layer.

A competing mecha lay hidden in the soft snow, silently awaiting its prey to step onto the ground and walk into its trap.