Chapter 39: Epiphany

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn

The promise of immense power in the air gave Wang Tong a rush of euphoria that was laced with adrenaline. Finally, a true opponent stood before him to quench his thirst for a challenging fight.

The thrill of the battle emboldened Wang Tong. He dashed forward, thrusting a fist directly at Wang Ben.

"Konnn."

Both fists released a deafening roar along with the explosive energy that shook the entire arena. Having relinquished the flaunty moves and flourish of METAL suits, this exchange of bare knuckles, imbued with Wang Ben's anguish and indignation, was the embodiment of a real fight, and to Wang Ben, it was as real as the wicked fate that had mocked him.

Wang Ben had dreamed of following in his father's footsteps to become a decorated soldier in the Confederation. To achieve this dream, he had followed the strict training routines that started with over a thousand reps of the Fist of the Racing Tiger first thing in the morning, yet it all had led to nothing.

"But why?" Wang Ben screamed, in his mind, a question that had no answers.

"Homm..."

Wang Ben pressed another step further, and the arena trembled as his feet thudded on the ground. Although the IPA rules had dictated his soul energy to be capped at 100 sols, through careful control and manipulation, Wang Ben had amplified it into an explosive and deadly force.

Wang Ben's attack was infused with the hatred for being denied what had been rightfully his: the right to become a soldier. Hanging on his overwhelming emotions, Wang Ben's attack had become even more venomous and lethal.

Wang Ben's punch pierced through the air, roaring like a tiger along the way and was ready to devour any resistance that was put up by its opponent. Having mastered the Fist of the Racing Tiger, Wang Ben's performance in the arena reminded people of his father, General Hu Ben.

The audience was shocked by the identity of Crazy Diamond; no one would have thought the son of a prestigious general would partake in an IPA fight. But things did seem to add up eventually. Since he had failed the mind opening operation, his presence in the IPA league was apparent, and no one could mishear those distinctive roars.

In the PA system, Wang Ben was able to harness the virtual soul energy while using the Tactics of the Racing Tiger, which he had been practicing ever since he was a child and had by then mastered. Needless to say, its power was immeasurable, and most opponents would have fled out of harm's way, but Wang Tong didn't flinch. Instead, he uttered a deep grunt as he delivered his punch in return.

This had been the most satisfying battle Wang Tong had encountered since he had joined the PA system. For the first time, he found joy in fighting, and he thought it would be only fitting for him to pay tribute to his opponent with his fist.

"Konnn!"

The impact sent a deafening clang echoing throughout the arena, and then, silence ensued. Everyone's breath had caught in their throats as they fell in awe at the two fighters’ immense power. This was a fight worth commemorating!

Wang Ben stood still, dragging out the silence. He had been a prodigy ever since childhood, and his only downfalls were the failure of his mind opening and the release of his EMF. Otherwise, the Confederation military would have another fearsome fighter in its ranks. However, thanks to the virtual EMF, he would be able to fully utilize the Fist of the Racing Tiger that he had already practiced beyond perfection.

Wang Ben's victory was by then apparent to the audience.

Both fighters still stood motionless as the PA system announced the unexpected results, "The winner is... Einherjar Wannabe!"

"What!? It's impossible!"

"Bah! There must be something wrong with the score."

Wang Ben might be weak in a real fight, but in the PA system, he ought to be almost invincible with the aid of his tactics named after the glaring reputation of his father. No one would have thought that a TPA rookie would defeat him.

"You truly lost the fight when you gave up. I look forward to fighting with you in real life!" Wang Tong declared candidly.

Wang Ben was shocked by the words for a brief moment, then he gritted his teeth and uttered a word out of his mouth: "Alright.

"Having failed once, does it also mean that I will fail the next time?

"Although the odds of opening the mind in the second try are slim, I’ll never know if I give up.

"I will lose the fight when I give up..."

The words echoed in Wang Ben's mind. He clenched his fists allowing the memories of that day to come rushing back to him. He saw his mother crying and heard his father's disappointed sigh. Among the blurred memories, he found a moment of epiphany. He had never cried before, not even during that devastating moment, but now tears poured out of his eyes for the first time in his life, and also for the very last time. He knew he would rise again; he had to.

It had been such a devastating blow to someone under so much attention and expectation. Everyone had felt for him as the news of his failure spread. However, it still shocked many people to find him in the IPA league.

"What a shame, what a pity, the poor boy had learned the fist of the racing tiger by rote, but... bah!"

"General, every cloud has its silver lining. Although we have lost Wang Ben, haven't you noticed the other boy? Wang Ben had the virtual EMF up his sleeve; his attack ought to be unstoppable, yet, the other fighter has defeated him with brute force."

As General Hu Ben's friend and competitor, General Oto, the "Last Castle" had felt great regret for Wang Ben's misfortune. He had hoped that both Wang Ben and his already mind-opened son would be able to carry on their fathers' healthy competition. He had felt great disappointment after learning that Wang Ben had failed his operation.

Though not conscious of the effort, General Oto's attention had been drawn toward Wang Ben while he had almost ignored Wang Tong.

Despite the fact that Wang Ben's vengeful attack had exposed himself to danger on multiple fronts, the immense power and the weight it carried was undeniable. However, the opponent had been confronted head-on with Wang Ben's attack and won the battle without any side maneuvers. As far as General Oto could think of, there might be only a few people who could achieve that, and all of them must have been from the House Li.

"Hehe, it must be one of the Lis poking fun at the poor lad."

"We discussed it with the Lis, it was negative, sir. I don't think they were lying. Furthermore, I have looked up the records of one of his previous fights, and he didn't come off as a member of the Great Houses."

"Interesting… Keep an eye on him."

"Yes, Sir."

Although Wang Tong's previous fights might have been considered unusual to most audiences, they had been quickly forgotten due to the numerous other, equally-unusual matches. However, due to the publicity of Wang Ben, Wang Tong's username, Einherjar Wannabe, also started to surface into the view of the public.

It had been dubbed as the battle between the Fist of the Racing Tiger and the Steel Fist of Nobody. A no-account TPA player had defeated Wang Ben who was wearing the stealth METAL suit, Wraith III. The outcome of the match had left many viewers dumbfounded.

The public had quickly sniffed out the scent of something extraordinary, but no one dared to acknowledge it. People had learned to keep their expectations low after countless letdowns, and they came to concede the fact that some legends in history were not meant to be repeated no matter how hard they wished for it.

The journalists didn't get a chance to interview Wang Ben since both he and his father were busy with other, more important matters. But they had crammed as much speculation into the news as possible.

DREAM would have been more than happy to presume the return of the legend purely for the sake of their profit. But many overreactions in the past had also made them prudent about what went out to the public, and to steer clear of bold claims.

Although no one had publicly made any connections to the event, most players who had watched the news had planted a seed in their hearts.