Chapter 100: V5 Resource Competition (Part 1)

Chapter 100: V5 Resource Competition (Part 1)

December 20th, the 100,000 soldiers from the Canglan Star Region participating in the Spirit Runes Combat Scenarios lined up in front of the main planet's spaceport.

They wore uniform dark military uniforms, exuding a solemn and dignified presence.

At the forefront stood the five-member team participating in the Resource Competition.

They also wore dark military uniforms, but with white and blue insignia patches on their shoulders, symbolizing their honor and responsibility.

Standing in the middle of the formation was Hilmeth. Beside him were Cang Cheng and Feng He, while Qin Yan and Fu Huai stood at the edges.

Above the spaceport, camera drones were live-streaming the send-off ceremony, and outside the spaceport's barriers, crowds of people had gathered in circles to see them off.

Some were residents of the main planet, while others had traveled for days via starships just to come to the main planet to support the soldiers.

In previous years, the send-off ceremonies for the Spirit Runes Combat Scenarios were not open to the public and were not allowed to be live-streamed.

But this time, the Spirit Runes Combat Scenarios, contrary to past practices, allowed a public send-off, which thrilled the people of the Canglan Star Region.

The people knew that this Spirit Runes Combat Scenario would be tough, as the Canglan Star Region needed to face a coordinated attack from three star regions at once.

However, with the recent strong promotion of new energy weapons and Spirit Rune weapons, they had confidence in the Canglan Star Region.

"General, good luck!"

"Your Highness, you must come back!"

"The Canglan Star Region will not lose."

...

Amidst the cheers, a voice boomed across the sky, "Hail the Councilor!", shaking people's souls.

Even Cang Cheng, standing at the front, could hear that familiar phrase.

The Sunset Star natives had come as well...

A faint smile curved at the corner of Cang Cheng's lips.

Releasing his mental energy, Cang Cheng soon located the source of that loud voice.

He saw Mu Mu sitting on Philip the butler's shoulders, waving his hands vigorously forward.

Behind them stood many Sunset Star natives, including Charlie, who ran the food truck, Lobuo, the guard leader, and the curly-haired researcher from the botanical research lab...

Almost half of the Sunset Star natives had come to the main planet to see Cang Cheng off and cheer him on.

In a corner not far away, Cang Ye, disguised, looked through the dense crowd. His gaze briefly landed on Cang Cheng before shifting to Hilmeth, who stood at the front.

After watching for a while, Cang Ye withdrew his gaze.

Cang Cheng also noticed Cang Ye's small action.

Since Cang Ye was so worried and was willing to come to the main planet despite the risk of exposing his identity, then it should be fine to entrust the Canglan Star Region with Cang Ye later!

With this thought, Cang Cheng felt a sense of satisfaction.

His mental energy transformed into a gentle breeze, gently lifting their clothes or hair.

Mu Mu stretched out his hand, catching the breeze, only to let it slip through his fingers.

Mu Mu's green eyes sparkled and darted around. "This wind is the Governor saying goodbye to us. Handsome Brother is sure to win!"

Philip chimed in. "Lord will bring us victory."

With a deafening boom, the ceremonial cannons at the spaceport erupted, and colorful ribbons fell upon the soldiers, blessing the heroes who were about to depart for battle.

It was time to leave.

Cang Yan, standing at the front of the formation, gave a brief speech. "You are the heroes of the Canglan Star Region. Bring victory to the Canglan Star Region!"

The soldiers chorused, "We will bring victory to the Canglan Star Region!"

*

After departing from the Canglan Star Region, the fleet traveled for five days to reach the designated Spirit Runes combat battlefield.

Cang Cheng and his team of four were the first to disembark from the starship, entering a temporary rest area, waiting for the 5v5 resource competition to begin.

The main force would prepare on another planet, one light-year away from the battlefield.

Unlike the Exchange Competition, where the two sides would meet in a friendly pre-match gathering, this Spirit Runes battle, which determined the survival of billions across multiple star regions, did not require such pleasantries.

After departing from their respective star regions, the two sides would not meet. Once the time came, they would immediately enter the battlefield and engage in combat.

The rules for the 5v5 resource competition were simple: the battlefield map was selected by the Spirit Runes combat system before the match.

Once the map was selected, both sides would be deployed onto the battlefield simultaneously, tasked with capturing 100 resource points within 12 hours.

The more resource points captured, the more resources could be carried into the second round: the base capture and defense battle.

At the same time, you earn an extra 20 resource points for eliminating an enemy.

In theory, a maximum of 200 resource points can be earned in the resource competition.

However, since the start of the Spirit Runes battles, no team has ever maxed out the resource points.

Each participant in the resource competition can carry up to five items.

The usual configuration for participants from the Canglan Star Region has been 1 weapon + 3 Spirit Runes + 1 potion or 1 energy supplement box.

However, the new energy Spirit Runes weapon from the Canglan Star Region this time is equivalent to the previous 1+3 combination, saving three slots, which makes the participants' carrying capacity much more relaxed.

Hilmeth boldly carried two heavy cannons; if he could, he'd bring five and rotate them for constant bombardment.

"I never thought I'd have too many slots and not know what to do with them."

"Stop the humblebrag and put on the neuron disruptor."

Feng He chimed in.

Hilmeth took out the disruptor and shook it: "I’ve already got the disruptor, but what should I take for the other two slots?"

"Up to you, but how about two magnetic pulse bombs?"

Feng He suggested maximizing the destructive power for Hilmeth.

Although... according to Cang Cheng's strategy, these magnetic pulse bombs would most likely not be used, having a bit of extra firepower just felt safer.

"Alright, I'll do that."

Fu Huai was silently selecting his carry items, and he never thought that 5 item slots could feel this spacious before.

After some thought, he decided to bring 4 shields with defensive enhancement Spirit Runes engraved on them.

He intended to maximize his defense.

Hilmeth, on the other hand, carried exoskeleton armor and a rapid-fire dual gun, along with a neuron disruptor. After these, Hilmeth still had 1 slot left.

Considering the match would last 12 hours, he thought Cang Cheng might get hungry and decided to bring a large meal box.

This was completely different from Hilmeth's usual style.

He had changed because of Cang Cheng.

As for Cang Cheng, he carried 1 unreleased Spirit Runes plate, an AI lens, a small and seemingly ordinary sleeve gun, a black fur ball brooch, and a mental energy replenishment potion.

Compared to the others who were carrying large loads, Cang Cheng looked like he was barely prepared for the competition, which seemed unusual.

However, no one among Qin Yan and the others dared to underestimate Cang Cheng. After all, they had all experienced the effects of that unreleased Spirit Runes plate, which were astonishing.

Moreover, Cang Cheng could use Spirit Runes without a carrier, achieving mind-blowing effects without the need for a Spirit Runes plate.

By himself, Cang Cheng was a one-man arsenal.

The Canglan Star Region was prepared, and the cybernetic beasts from the Ster Star Region were also ready.

Hilmeth, the team leader, carried only Spirit Rune weapons in his 5 item slots, while the other 4 members followed his lead, carrying many high-destruction weapons and enhancement Spirit Runes, maximizing their attack power.

Hilmeth was very confident: “The Canglan Star Region isn’t strong. We’ve got their combat style down to a science. Once we engage, we go full firepower.

If we can take out all five members of the Canglan Star Region during the resource competition, our star region will be allocated even more resources in the future.”

Based on the previously obtained data analysis, Qin Yan had thoroughly understood the combat methods of Hilmeth and the others.

This time, with no major changes to the roster, the Canglan Star Region’s combat pattern had been thoroughly studied by them.

Victory was going to be theirs.

“Mandatory Spirit Runes competition, 5V5 resource competition is about to begin, countdown 00:04:59.”

“The live broadcast has been transmitted back to the star regions; the rulers of the star regions can choose whether to publicly broadcast the live stream.”

Golden text suddenly appeared above both teams’ resting areas, and at the same time, a golden protective shield enveloped the four star regions participating in the Spirit Runes competition.

This protective shield was a technique of the hyper-dimensional civilization, ensuring that during the Spirit Runes competition, the participating star regions would not be maliciously invaded.

In front of Cang Yan, the golden text ‘Broadcast the Spirit Runes competition across the entire star region?’ also appeared.

In previous years, Cang Yan had always chosen not to, but this time, he didn’t hesitate to select ‘Yes.’

Today marks the beginning of a new era for the Canglan Star Region.

As soon as the choice was made, massive screens appeared in the sky over every planet in the Canglan Star Region.

The screens displayed the countdown for the Spirit Runes competition.

The unusual event caused the people of the Canglan Star Region to look up.

The streamers saw an opportunity and quickly aimed their cameras at the sky, ready to broadcast the Spirit Runes competition.

"Is the Spirit Runes combat really being broadcast like this?"

"So exciting..."

"Who’s going to work today?! I just want to watch the Spirit Runes Competition."

"We’re with the generals!"

...

Everyone put down what they were doing and focused on the Spirit Runes Competition.

For the first time, the people of the Canglan Star Region stood united, their resolve stronger than ever.

The Canglan Star Region must win.

The Canglan Star Region will definitely win!

"5V5 resource battle, the official rosters of both sides are now revealed.

Canglan Star Region:

Hilmeth

...

Cang Cheng

Allied Star Regions:

Hilmeth (Ster Star Region)

...

Miche (Ster Star Region)"

The people of the Canglan Star Region accepted the official roster without any objections.

At the same time, the military department announced that Bai Lang, the young general, was found guilty of intentional homicide, but this news didn’t attract much attention.

However, the allied star regions noticed that Bai Lang’s name was missing from the 5V5 resource battle roster, with only the so-called useless and decorative fifth prince listed instead.

Hilmeth suddenly felt that things might not be as simple as they thought.

Given that Cang Cheng was directly selected for the resource battle, he must have something extraordinary about him.

Unfortunately, it was too late to gather intel or switch out gear now.

The Canglan Star Region deliberately kept Bai Lang as a substitute while placing the controversial Cang Cheng on the official roster, making everyone assume that Bai Lang was the official member, thus overlooking Cang Cheng.

In the end, the official member was Cang Cheng.

This completely caught them off guard.

The Canglan Star Region played this move brilliantly.

Hilmeth snorted coldly, his white lion tail swinging restlessly behind him.

"No strategy can match absolute combat power. Canglan Star Region, you cannot win."

"5V5 resource battle, map selection in progress…

Map selection complete — plains, daytime, clear.

All contestants, prepare yourselves, the teleportation is about to begin."

"A daytime plain? It's wide open, so we can just go all out, right?"

Qin Yan was pleased with the map.

Compared to rainy underwater, foggy forests, or night-time abandoned cities, this map was exactly to his liking.

The enemy Hilmeth was also satisfied with the map.

Though he didn’t know what Cang Cheng could do, this map, which came down to raw firepower, suited them perfectly.

Hilmeth bared his claws. "Let’s see how you survive our barrage!"

"Countdown ended, teleportation begins!"

10 beams of teleportation light up, and moments later, 10 people appear on the vast plains battlefield.

The clear daylight plains offer no cover, providing a wide field of vision, so those with excellent eyesight could already see the five small silhouettes on the opposite side.

This open 5V5 resource battle seems to require no strategy at all, just start fighting right away and then gather resources at the points after the fight.

Hilmeth and the others on the opposite side also spotted Cang Cheng and his team. He laughed maniacally: “Haha! Previously, you from the Canglan Star Region hid and managed to secure 40% of the resource points in the battle. Without any cover this time, let’s see where you can hide!”

Hilmeth commands: “All troops, attack! Aim to crush the Canglan Star Region in the first wave!”

With that, Hilmeth and his team raised their weapons and surged forward.

Weapons disengaged safety, the Spirit Runes for group buffs were activated and shattered.

The group acceleration runes, combined with the beasts' superior physical prowess, turned Hilmeth and his team into five blurs as they charged at Cang Cheng’s group.

The inhabitants of the Ster Star Region retained various beast-like features—some had animal tails, others had snake-like legs, and a few even had eight octopus tentacles… In short, their half-beast appearance, combined with their metal bodies, gave the Ster Star Region people a somewhat bizarre look.

Hilmeth instinctively stepped in front of Cang Cheng, ready to protect him from any harm.

“Sir, what are your orders?”

Cang Cheng’s AI glasses displayed information about the enemy.

“Speed detection in progress, estimated contact in 30 seconds.

Weakness analysis complete. Confirmed vulnerability: fire.”

The cybernetic beasts appeared strong, combining the coldness of machinery with the wild nature of beasts, but they also retained some beast weaknesses, such as… fear of fire!

Cang Cheng commands: “Fu Huai, Mo, defend.

Feng He, throw the potions.

Qin Yan, use Fire Spirit Rune on the octopus.”

As he spoke, Fu Huai single-handedly controlled four large shields, forming a defensive line on his own.

Hilmeth donned a silver-white exoskeleton armor, and the four furnaces behind him condensed energy, creating a double-layered defense in front of the team!

The five enemies each drew multiple weapons and launched a barrage of attacks against Cang Cheng and his team.

Bullets, electromagnetic cannons, and energy explosions bombarded the small patch of ground where Cang Cheng and his team were standing, leaving it unrecognizable and completely enveloped in smoke.

Under such intense attack, they should have been blown to smithereens by now.

However, Hilmeth did not order them to stop.

They continued their assault for 5 minutes, exhausting half the energy of their weapons before ceasing fire.

"Heh, even with their shields, the people of the Canglan Star Region can't withstand this kind of assault!" Hilmeth was very confident.

They were well aware of the level of weapons the Canglan Star Region possessed.

With those shabby shields for defense, the other side wouldn't last 2 minutes.

Not to mention, he insisted on extending the attack for an extra three minutes.

The people of the Canglan Star Region would have definitely been blown to smithereens by now.

"They must be dead, right? I thought they were tougher than this."

"Wait, no score update notification, maybe they're not completely dead yet."

"Should we give them a few more hits..."

Before the words were finished, a red beam pierced through the smoke from the position of the Canglan Star Region team, directly enveloping the octopus beast.

Seeing this, the octopus beast immediately wrapped its tentacles around itself for protection.

An S-rank beast, theoretically, shouldn't fear ordinary flames. Its body was coated in a layer of slime, which was more effective than specialized combat suits, blocking most heat and offering significant protection.

However, at that moment, the slime was instantly vaporized under the flames' attack, the protective layer disappeared, and the red-to-black flames scorched it.

"Ah!!!"

The octopus beast twisted in agony, screaming.

It rolled on the ground, attempting to put out the flames.

But it was in vain.

Hilmeth decisively severed the octopus beast's eight tentacles, preventing the flames from completely consuming it, leaving only an octopus head.

With everyone focused on the octopus beast, Hilmeth and his team failed to notice that the flames were accompanied by a vial of unknown chemical agent.

The glass vessel shattered upon hitting the ground, and the liquid inside released a colorless, odorless gas that blended into the air.

Hilmeth's expression darkened as he stared ahead, sensing something was off.

The power of the weapons from the Canglan Star Region is… off.

The smoke from the explosion in the Ster Star Region gradually cleared, and the group from the Canglan Star Region, who had been declared "dead" by Hiktor, were actually standing unharmed in their original position.

Not only were they unharmed, but Fu Huai's large metal shield showed no signs of damage either.

How could this be possible?

The firepower just now was almost equivalent to Hiktor and the others' full output in their non-beast form.

How could they have remained unscathed after such an attack?

How did the Canglan Star Region… manage to do this?

In contrast, while Hiktor and his group looked pale and shaken, Cang Cheng and his team were in much better shape.

"Hey, this flame-powered heavy cannon is working like a charm! I can even smell roasted octopus now."

Qin Yan was practically whistling with joy.

He had previously struggled to deal with the disgusting octopus-like beastman, and the heavy cannon had been unable to harm it.

In the end, it was Hiktor's surprise attack that pierced the beastman's head, giving Qin Yan the chance to finish it off.

But now, a single shot from the flame-enhanced Spirit Runes heavy cannon had completely disabled the opponent.

"I love M, and I love Lord Cang Cheng..."

Realizing what he had just blurted out, Qin Yan fell silent under Hiktor's cold gaze, censoring himself. One shouldn't get too carried away.

Fu Huai retracted three of his shields, leaving only one.

He couldn't believe he had withstood an attack equivalent to the power of an S-grade city-destroying weapon. Previously, Fu Huai had struggled even against A+ grade heavy cannons, but this time, he had endured more than 20 cannon barrels for 5 minutes without his shield being breached.

It was simply unimaginable.

Hiktor retracted his energy, and the four furnaces behind him turned back into eight wings.

Fu Huai's large shield didn't cover enough area, so Hiktor used his energy to fill in the defensive gaps, which was negligible in terms of his own energy consumption. In the past, Hiktor had to carefully calculate his energy usage when using weapons, handling them with caution.

But now, with the new energy weapons, they no longer had to hold back.

The Canglan Star Region also had new energy weapons that rivaled those from another star system!

Seeing that the group from the Canglan Star Region was completely unharmed, Hiktor was stunned for a few seconds before quickly regaining his composure.

His gaze fell on the leader, Hiktor, whose white hair and blue eyes, along with the silver-white eight-winged exoskeleton on his back, gave him an almost divine presence, untouchable and commanding.

The sight left Hiktor feeling a bitter mix of admiration and frustration.

Hiktor concentrated his aura, and a pair of mechanical wings sprouted from his flesh.

"I admit I underestimated you earlier. Sol, that fool, didn't even have information that the Canglan Star Region had developed new energy weapons."

He soared into the air, the white lion's tail coiling around his leg.

His gaze swept past Hilmeth and settled on Cang Cheng, whom Hilmeth had been protecting.

Cang Cheng's striking looks made Hilmeth lose focus for a moment.

Annoyed by the distraction, Hilmeth glared at Cang Cheng.

However, upon noticing Hilmeth's gaze, Cang Cheng simply gave a shallow smile as usual.

Smiling like an innocent lamb.

But deep down, his beastly instincts told him that this smile was anything but harmless.

Cang Cheng... was definitely not your average guy.

But even if Cang Cheng was extraordinary, what difference did it make?

With that fragile build, Cang Cheng wouldn’t stand a chance against Hilmeth’s claws once they transformed.

Hilmeth, full of confidence, thought, "The warm-up is over. The real fight starts now. Let’s show you what we’re made of!"

Hilmeth activated his beast form, his human face turning into that of a white lion, and the exposed skin on his body transformed into beast-like fur.

His height surged to 5 meters, and his mechanical arms simultaneously transformed to control five weapons, aiming the cannons at Cang Cheng and the others.

He radiated a dangerous blend of brute strength and mechanical precision, making the air thick with tension.

After Hilmeth activated his beast form, the other four also initiated their transformations.

The massive tree-like creatures were laced with glowing energy circuits, and the S-grade heavy cannons above their crowns had already started the energy accumulation mode.

The mechanical snake-man had nine mechanical heads, resembling the Medusa from mythological stories.

The rabbit warrior, now bulked up with oversized muscles and metal-clad feet, could kick a starship to pieces with a single blow.

The octopus-man, who had been severely injured earlier, had regrown his eight tentacles after spending a huge amount of energy due to his beast form transformation.

The transformed beings from the Ster Star Region not only significantly increased their aura but also carried five weapons each, all pointed at Cang Cheng and his group.

The heavy atmosphere caused even the air to emit a slight vibration.

Cang Cheng's gaze fell on the rabbit tribe member who had transformed into a mechanical kangaroo, and then looked at Hilmeth, whose white lion body had been partially mechanically modified.

Cang Cheng sighed inwardly.

It was a shame to see these exotic beings reduced to mere machines; he had no interest in them anymore.

And that lion's tail was so bald, completely unlike Hilmeth’s luxurious one.

Cang Cheng glanced at Hilmeth.

Although he was currently in human form, thinking about Hilmeth's furry tail in his exotic form made him believe that Hilmeth was far better than these cybernetic beasts.

Hilmeth noticed Cang Cheng's gaze and saw that he had lingered on the white lion.

Hilmeth pursed his lips. "Leave Hilmeth to me later."

No one dared to argue when Hilmeth gave the order.

Seeing that the people from the Canglan Star Region were still so leisurely in this situation, Hilmeth snapped.

His weapons had finished charging. "What exactly are you relying on? Surely you're not planning to hide behind your shields forever, are you?

Our beast forms can blow you up!"

The response came from Cang Cheng, who had been safely protected until now.

"What do you think?"

Cang Cheng stepped out from behind Hilmir. A faint smile was on his face, and his posture was completely at ease.

He looked more like he was attending a gala than standing on a battlefield.

He took out the only Spirit Rune he was carrying and injected it with mental energy.

The Spirit Rune emitted a radiant, fluorescent blue glow, transforming into a cascade of shimmering light particles. A powerful force field, centered on Cang Cheng, spread out in a 100-meter radius, imposing an unbreakable rule.

With a series of metallic clatters, every weapon in the hands of the five members of the Ster Star Region hit the ground, without exception.

"Spirit Rune: Disarm!"

Cang Cheng's eyes crinkled with amusement. He explained with a mischievous grin, "Now that you're unarmed, what's your next move?"