When Lin Mo walked out of the competition area, the C-Zone Ring 3 had already returned to its initial quiet state.
"Ah, this is such a hassle," a familiar and lazy voice drifted over.
"Why can't they just put all the opponents in front of me, and then 'bam,' finish them all at once? Going through them one by one like this, I'm already hungry waiting."
Lin Mo followed the sound and saw Saitama stroking his shiny bald head, looking utterly listless.
"Teacher, this is to ensure the fairness of the competition," Genos explained earnestly from the side.
"But please rest assured, with Teacher's strength, he will surely sweep aside all opponents and claim the championship."
Saitama's match was on C-Zone Ring 9, and his opponent was a fashionably dressed young man.
Saitama didn't dally; he quickly put on his VR goggles, thinking to himself:
"Let's finish this quickly. After the match, I'll go see if there are any free samples."
[Scene Loading: Wasteland]
As the system prompt sounded, a desolate, yellowish landscape replaced the real-world arena.
[Countdown Begins: 3, 2, 1, FIGHT!]
The moment the match began, the young man immediately struck a handsome pose, controlling his character in ornate armor, and shouted out the name of his move:
"Witness my ultimate secret technique—Holy Light Burst Slash!"
His character leaped high, the greatsword in its hand igniting with golden flames as it cleaved down towards Saitama's character.
Meanwhile, Saitama's idea was simple:
One punch to end it.
In reality, he leaned forward slightly, his right arm seemingly casually swinging forward.
This was just his habitual motion when killing monsters in the past.
However, an unexpected event occurred at this moment.
In the VR system, the terrifying power contained in this punch was simply unanalyzable, let alone replicable.
The system instantly fell into chaos.
Ultimately, the system could only determine it to be... an unremarkable, ordinary straight punch, based on the trajectory of Saitama's swing.
"Huh?" Saitama paused in reality, clearly feeling that something was off.
"Why no reaction? Or... do I need to use a little more force?"
During his moment of confusion, the opponent's magnificent "Holy Light Burst Slash" finally came down.
Boom!!!
Saitama's game character was struck by a single sword amidst dazzling light effects, its health bar instantly depleted.
[K.O.!]
Huge red letters appeared in the center of the screen.
The entire venue was silent.
The young man himself was stunned. He looked at his victory screen, then at the character on the opposite side that had been instantly defeated, and then burst into a cry of ecstasy:
"Did you see that! This is my strength! One-shot kill! I am the strongest!"
His shouts echoed through C-Zone, attracting countless curious glances.
Saitama expressionlessly took off his VR goggles, looked at his cheering opponent, then at his own fingers, and fell into contemplation.
"This game... seems a bit difficult."
"Teacher!"
Genos rushed over immediately, instantly analyzing the situation:
"It's a problem with the equipment! This machine is completely unable to replicate your strength, Teacher! This is a technical failure, absolutely not your failure!"
"Oh, is that so?" Saitama scratched his ear, showing little interest in the matter.
"Forget it, King also participated. With him there, the prize money is definitely no problem. Let's go watch King's match. After that, we can go eat at that new udon noodle shop; I heard the broth is excellent."
And so, amidst a clamor of astonishment and confusion, the theoretical strongest contender of this tournament was eliminated at light speed in the first round of the qualifiers.
— — — — — —
The subsequent matches progressed at a breathtaking pace.
The entire event seemed to transform into a stage for three individuals.
Garou no longer hid his strength, sweeping through B-Zone with his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist under the name of "Hunter," and advanced decisively.
Suiryu, abandoning his previous laziness, used his magnificent and exquisite Nether Body Fist, entering the semifinals with ease as a "Martial Arts Genius."
And Lin Mo also advanced to the semifinals without any pressure, even offering guidance to several people, not only martial artists but also pure gaming enthusiasts.
Soon, amidst the anticipation and cheers of countless spectators, the semifinal bracket finally appeared on the largest screen in the center of the venue.
Semifinal Match One:
B-444 VS D-031
Semifinal Match Two:
A-777 VS B-001
The moment the bracket appeared, the atmosphere of the entire exhibition center ignited instantly!
"It's finally here! I've been waiting for them to face off!"
"But that A-777 is too weird! I've watched his previous match recordings; he barely attacked proactively. His opponents were either defeated by a mysterious move or simply surrendered themselves. I can't figure out his style at all!"
In a corner of the audience seating, Saitama held a super-sized cup of cola. Upon seeing the familiar number on the screen, he happily raised it and cheered for King:
"Go for it! Win this match, and the prize money is within reach!"
Meanwhile, backstage, Garou saw the bracket, and a hint of disappointment and jealousy flashed in his eyes.
"Tch, that guy got there first, huh... Fine, I'll see with my own eyes how strong my biggest prey truly is!"
On the other side, Suiryu looked at the bracket on the screen, and the first genuinely brilliant smile since he entered the competition appeared on his face.
"Excellent... I've finally waited!"
Suiryu still maintained his carefree demeanor. With his hands in his pockets, his steps were light, and he even had the leisure to wink at a few pretty girls in the audience, drawing screams.
He enjoyed being the center of attention.
"Finally, a decent opponent has arrived."
Suiryu stretched his neck, producing a series of crisp cracks, and muttered softly as he put on his VR goggles:
"A-777, don't be boring like those other guys."
Lin Mo, however, had fewer thoughts. His [Aura Control] had long allowed him to reach a state of inner calm.
Lin Mo calmly put on his VR goggles, isolating himself from the real world.
[Player in position, synchronizing neural connection...]
[Semifinal Scene Loading: Cloudtop Palace]
The scene before him suddenly opened up.
The two stood before a magnificent palace suspended above a vast sea of clouds.
Beneath their feet was a plaza as smooth as a mirror, surrounded by ornate, carved buildings, looking very beautiful.
"Nice setting."
Suiryu smiled, striking the seemingly loose yet subtly deadly stance of the Nether Body Fist.
"Well then, let me see what the answer to your enigma truly is!"
[FIGHT!]