LSDWTWHA chapter 51

Chapter 50

Su Su hadn’t figured anything out yet, and the competition scene had already started loading.

After a few seconds of gray waiting time, Su Su arrived at a command hall consistent with the style of the space station.

His usual shark suit was gone, replaced by a combat uniform modeled after the Imperial Star Fleet pilots, a style similar to what Qi Hanyi often wore but simpler in design and with different colors.

A thousand players were neatly lined up in the hall, their order corresponding to their previous score rankings, with the players in the first row being the top twenty from the previous two rounds.

The pure black combat suits wrapped tightly around their bodies, with helmets covering their heads, concealing even their hair. The visors obscured most of their faces, leaving only their eyes visible.

At this moment, players were preoccupied with thoughts on the upcoming competition, having no time to observe each other, but the barrage of comments had already turned into a frenzy. Everyone’s focus had completely shifted from the starship competition to the players themselves.

“Is this a bodysuit? Can I see this without spending money?”

“Wow, there’s this benefit, directly changing their skins. Isn’t what they’re using real body and appearance data?”

“It should be. I see some kids in the back row who are under 1.4 meters tall; they look like elementary school students.”

“Don’t laugh in the front, at least those kids made it to the preliminary rounds. What about you?”

“……”

“Mind blown, old friend.”

“Hey, the fifth from the thirteenth row, what’s his name? Isn’t he the streamer from Yunbao? He always markets that cute puppy persona, but look at that belly; it’s practically about to give birth!”

“LOL, cute puppy? More like a cute pig.”

“Why even look at him, he’s just a marketing guy with no skills. All he does is act cute and cause a ruckus to milk money from fans. If anyone says something bad about him, he immediately incites his fans to go on a rampage.”

“You don’t understand! This can’t be his real appearance. He’s shown us his live streams and photos; he’s slim and beautiful. Someone must be blackening him!”

“Exactly, how can you say such things about him? Just because he lacks skills doesn’t mean anything. Do you know how hard he works?”

“Tsk, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Quick, run, brothers and sisters.”

However, these fans usually dominate discussions in their own live streams; today, with so many players watching, they couldn’t rank amidst the numerous unknown and emerging influences.

“Wow, transforming complexity into simplicity is so impressive. Standing next to several male players, she doesn’t appear short at all; her figure is stunning!”

“My wife looks so beautiful in uniform. Love you, wife!”

“Ahhh, that gaze is so cool; marry me, shark!”

“Seeing those eyes feels so youthful, like a minor. It’s hilarious she hasn’t transformed complexity into simplicity yet.”

“Wow, he’s dark-skinned, dog-like eyes, broad shoulders, long legs; absolutely a big wolfdog. Damn, this character design is annoyingly sweet.”

“Wuwu, where’s the mature and steady elite man? My filter has shattered.”

“Am I the only one who has been watching the white-scaled shark? Those eyes are so beautiful, it feels like seeing his whole face; I bet he’s definitely a beauty.”

“You are not alone; those eyes are mesmerizing. Just give me one glance, and I’d give you my life.”

“Ahhh, is the white-scaled shark really that slender? And those hands, wow, those long fingers and perfect knuckles? This proportion is simply perfect. Is this truly beauty that humanity can possess? Nuwa must have painted him with meticulous strokes when she created him. You can even see hints of muscle texture through his clothes, full of strength. Ahhhh, this feeling is just incredible. I’m losing my mind!”

“How many times did you zoom in to notice all these details?”

Su Su was oblivious to how many young men and women’s hearts were captivated by his eyes. His attention was tightly locked onto the NPC in front of the command podium.

The NPC, according to the established program, was distributing missions to the players.

According to his explanation, this was a supply point at the forefront of the army, currently besieged by the insect race. The remaining forces consisted of the more than eight hundred trainee starship pilots. Their mission was to hold the supply point according to plan until reinforcements arrived.

The NPC sent an electronic map to all the players: “This is your stronghold. Before reinforcements arrive, please make sure to defend it and fight to the end.”

Su Su received the map and took a glance; the position of their supply point was not good. There was no terrain advantage to rely on, almost completely surrounded by enemies. Although they could utilize some pre-arranged firepower points as an advantage, and ammunition and fuel supplies were relatively abundant, if the situation dragged on with many casualties, their defense would show vulnerabilities. If reinforcements delayed, they would inevitably be breached by the insect race.

“Commander, I have a question.” [Wuyou] frowned and spoke up: “I feel that this defensive layout isn’t reasonable. I think we should…”

“Do you dare to question the commander’s orders?” The NPC rudely interrupted him, appearing quite angry: “Should I let you take over this command position?”

“No, I wouldn’t dare.” [Wuyou] lowered his head respectfully. He didn’t hear the score deduction prompt, and was pleased as he raised the corners of his mouth; this was merely a small test.

“Now! Immediately! Get to your defensive positions. The insect race is about to attack!” The NPC seemed somewhat impatient, waving them off, then threatening before they left: “The recorder on the starship can communicate with the control console. I can also observe your movements in real-time through the console. I hope you won’t leave your posts during the battle, or don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Players hurried to board their respective starships and headed to their positions.

Not long after, the attack from the insect race began.

These were not just one or two insects encountered unexpectedly in an open space during usual gameplay, nor merely a squad found within the insect race’s controlled territory, but a vast swarm, an overwhelming mass of them.

Endless insects filled every direction, moving towards their supply point in an overwhelming tide. Some of these insect types were familiar from the game, while others were unfamiliar, varying in levels, appearances, sizes, and attack methods, with one common factor: they came in overwhelming numbers.

There was no order, no formation, just sheer numerical dominance, ready to harvest this little supply point as if locusts were swarming.

“What is that?”

“Is this insane? So many insects?”

“This is triggering my claustrophobia.”

“Don’t tell me real war is like this! I don’t want to go to the Imperial Military Academy anymore; I’ll have nightmares.”

“How the heck do we fight this? It feels like walking into certain death.”

The players were in chaos.

Since this was a joint operation, the players around them had their communication channels forcibly opened, allowing them to hear others’ voices within a certain range.

Su Su quietly watched the tidal wave of insects surging forward, listening to the surrounding players’ panicked shouts, narrowing his eyes in a killing intent.

In his heart, there was no fear, just prey. No matter how many came, they remained prey.

The tidal wave of insects rushed toward them, initially with a few players assigned to take on a single insect, but as time passed, more insects arrived in ever-greater numbers, to the point that a single player would have to face several insects at once.

This fierce battle was far beyond what ordinary players could handle. The game finally revealed its savage side. Unlike the sporadic eliminations in the previous two rounds, in this round, the sounds of players being eliminated began to ring out frequently, so dense that it was hard to believe that everyone wouldn’t be eliminated soon.

Even if players managed to survive the onslaught of insects, if they failed to notice a breach in their defensive area and allowed insects to rush into their lines, they would still be penalized.

Players who barely managed to resist the insect attacks began to be eliminated one after another due to insufficient scores.

Su Su, however, was still able to cope. He had good skills and quick reflexes and faced the bizarre variety of insects without backing down. Compared to his first encounter with the insect race, which had left him in disarray, it had only been less than a month since then, but now he appeared more than competent in combat.

Thanks to his friend [Nidang & Lost Soul]’s information, he recognized most of the insects he encountered now and knew their weaknesses and attack methods. For the few unfamiliar ones, he had also learned to use feints to probe their responses.

He moved between the attacking insects as if he were a seasoned hunter, calmly observing them, searching for weaknesses, delivering lethal blows without wasting any surplus fuel or ammunition.

Coexisting in this battle with Su Su was [Transforming Complexity into Simplicity]. Like a skilled assassin, she would suddenly disappear and then reappear, taking a life each time she reemerged. Stealth, appearance, kill. Everything was like a silent sonata, each insect life lost and the flashing return of the starships sounding like beats in the score.

While the players in the game fought fiercely against the insects, the audience outside the game watched in great delight.

Especially [Transforming Complexity into Simplicity]’s fans, who were already beginning to celebrate her ranking first in the preliminaries.

“When I heard this battle was against the insect race, I knew it would be a no-brainer.”

“Our leaderboard isn’t just for show; if it’s about experience fighting the insect race, who could compare to my complexity god?”

“Others feel like they are fighting death when killing insects; when I kill insects, it feels like dancing.”

“This dancing feeling is incredible; it’s like some shadowy night steps, making my heart race and my blood boil, my throat dry, and my passion burn…”

“Hey, you in front, your pants fell down.”

“This really counts as transforming complexity into simplicity, right? I remember once she infiltrated the insect race’s territory during a game, and the density of insects there was way more than now, including several S-grade insects.”

“Ah, I’ve seen that video; it was so cool! She deserves to be first on the leaderboard.”

There were also some comments in the barrage praising Su Su. If [Transforming Complexity into Simplicity]’s performance was expected by the audience, then Su Su’s performance as a newcomer was absolutely beyond everyone’s expectations.

“White-scaled shark, a man creating miracles. Every time I think he’s going to be killed by insects, he flips the script on me.”

“This is already the fourth A-grade insect he’s taken down solo, right?”

“Is he serious about cutting a giant deep worm with the blade on his wing?”

“The operation where he opened his mouth and threw his weapon into a hundred-legged shield insect’s mouth was downright insane.”

“I apologize for saying he only knew how to run before. This pose for killing insects has truly opened my eyes.”

“Are you all focused on how uniquely he kills insects? Didn’t you notice, up until now, he has killed ninety-seven insects without taking a single hit, not wasting a bullet, and not failing even once at attacking?”

“I can’t believe this is a bit outrageous. Even [Transforming Complexity into Simplicity] has made two mistakes against unfamiliar insects just now.”

“Speaking of which, [Wuyou] is about to flop, right?”

“Flop my foot, [Wuyou] at least ranks first in the arena; taking down a few insects is no big deal.”

“He can fight, but what about his teammates? Without his command, do they know how to fight?”

It must be said that the audience had a sharp eye. The primary criterion for [Wuyou] to select his teammates was obedience; second was skill—judgment didn’t matter since his alone was enough.

However, in this round, [Wuyou]’s teammates found themselves isolated by the game, stationed at different defensive points, and those with weaker skills were in trouble.

They were inherently good at cooperative combat but struggled with solo battles, and faced with a situation without anyone directing them, their performance drastically dropped.

Two of the lowest scoring teammates were eliminated one after another, and other teammates were starting to express that they couldn’t hold on much longer. [Wuyou]’s expression gradually grew serious.

At the same time, not only were netizens watching this match, but in a conference room in the military, the competition was being broadcast. A dozen young commanders of varying genders sat there. Most looked handsome, and one could tell that half of them had mermaid heritage.

Those present were starship pilots from the expeditionary force, sitting here as special judges for this competition.

Although it was just a preliminary round, the significance of this match was unique, so they didn’t dare to slack off. They all focused intently on the players on the screen.

Because this game had an open-level format, if anything unexpected happened in it, they would vote to decide whether to deduct points or give opportunities.

But they weren’t sitting here solely for a preliminary decision; they were more interested in understanding which player was so outstanding, earning the favor of a general, bypassing the reserve team and the many elite talents from the Imperial Military Academy, and being selected exceptionarily from a game to be airlifted to the Baize.

“If you ask me, it should be [Transforming Complexity into Simplicity]. This girl is amazing, surpassing even what came before her. Just look at her fighting style against the insect race; it’s hard to imagine she’s only seventeen and hasn’t even received professional training.”

“[Transforming Complexity into Simplicity] is playing excellently, especially in this match; her performance is outstanding. Her pace is so steady, it’s almost better than some starship pilots in the military.”

Most of the starship pilots in the room knew [Transforming Complexity into Simplicity] since she was quite famous in the game. Jian Cheng was also Qi Hanyi’s aide; compared to her cold commanding officer, he had a much gentler personality, was thorough in his work, and maintained good relationships with those in lower departments. Since she had shown interest in starships since childhood, she had often consulted these elder brothers and sisters when Jian Cheng took her to the military.

A colleague’s sister being so outstanding would naturally attract more attention.

“That one called White-scaled Shark is also quite good; his degree of control over the starship is simply astonishing.”

“Control is strong, but his methods of attack seem too unconventional, doesn’t it? Both long-range and close-range? In normal combat, how can you just mess around like that?”

“He hasn’t participated in normal combat before, so it’s understandable for him to have a weird style. The key thing is, it’s effective.”

“I’m more curious about who designed the starship for him. This dual form can only be created by top-notch masters in starship design.”

Suddenly, the door to the conference room was pushed open from the outside, and Jian Cheng stepped in, nodding respectfully to the gazes of the pilots.

Everyone was familiar with him and didn’t stand on ceremony, greeting him warmly: “Oh, Jian Cheng is here to watch your sister’s match! We were just talking…”

The sentence was abruptly cut off. Jian Cheng wasn’t alone; he opened the conference room door, standing to the side respectfully, waiting for the person behind him to enter.

That person was dressed in smart military attire, boots sounding firmly on the floor. Their gaze swept coldly across the room, making the air seem to chill with frost.

“General.” Everyone stood up to greet.

Qi Hanyi acknowledged them with a slight nod and took her seat at the main table.

The previously lively crowd instantly fell silent, exchanging glances in curiosity.

“Ahem.” Someone summoned the courage to ask, “General, are you here to personally watch the match? Is there a special player you’re interested in?”

As soon as the question ended, the air remained still, with the occupant of the main seat intently watching the screen.

The one who had asked let out an awkward laugh, easing the tension and no longer hoping for an answer.

Unexpectedly, the next second, the gaze from the main seat turned slightly toward him, responding softly: “Mm.”