Chapter 523 - 309: Every Gift from Fate—
Chapter 523: Chapter 309: Every Gift from Fate—
At 6:00 PM, the second day of the point-based tournament ended after a packed schedule.
Every province had fought four matches—two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The intensity was undeniably high.
In today’s matches, Capital City’s team clocked the fastest time, firmly securing first place on the speed-run leaderboard, while Hundred Rivers shot up to second. Pearl Harbor was temporarily pushed down to fourth, and the team from Sparrow Gate Special Zone rose to third.
Overall, there wasn’t much change at the top of the speed-run leaderboard; it was still occupied by the same few powerhouse title contenders.
What was more surprising, however, were the drastic changes within the top ten. Shanyou Province had actually risen to fifth place, tying with three other provinces.
This was because many provinces had fallen into the speed-run trap. In their quest to get on the leaderboard, they deliberately altered their playstyles, only to play right into their opponents’ hands.
The power gap between the mid-tier provinces wasn’t large to begin with, so in a situation like this, the competition came down to mentality and tactical planning.
And Shanyou Province’s Huai City First Middle School Team was undoubtedly the best in this regard.
It was as if they had no idea the speed-run leaderboard even existed; they simply stuck to their original game plan. When opponents couldn’t break through, they’d grow impatient, and that’s when they would be eliminated.
Logically, this might have been considered a passive playstyle, but their matches were, on the contrary, of a rather high quality.
Freed from the pressure of time, they focused their energy on the actual matchups, producing many spectacular moments.
In contrast, Shanyou Province’s other team, the Shanda University Affiliated School, was a bit too hasty.
Perhaps it was the superiority complex of a prestigious school, but they were so eager to prove themselves that they made many amateurish mistakes.
However, they quickly readjusted as the matches went on.
It wasn’t because their coach was particularly skilled... but rather because the later contestants realized that their friendly rival school had already taken a long time anyway. Since a spot on the speed-run leaderboard was out of reach, they figured they might as well just play their usual game.
In the end, they managed a comeback victory against the favored Hezuo Province, becoming one of the most talked-about highlights of the day.
And in the afternoon matches, Huai City First Middle School continued their unhurried style.
This time, the Shanda University Affiliated School wasn’t hasty from the get-go. Everyone played with composure, steadily securing a 3-0 victory over their opponents.
·
「Evening.」
After the day’s schedule was complete, the Shanda University Affiliated School team held their routine debriefing on the day’s matches.
Unlike yesterday, Lei Ji wore a complicated expression. He looked like he wanted to say something, then held back, then wanted to speak again.
His students had indeed disobeyed his tactical instructions; they hadn’t followed the blitzkrieg strategy through to the end.
’And yet, in a way, what they did wasn’t wrong...’
’A quick victory requires certain preconditions. When getting on the speed-run leaderboard was already a lost cause, there was nothing wrong with abandoning the rapid assault tactic.’
’In fact, if they had stuck with the rapid assault, they might have crashed and burned.’
’And looking at the results, although Shanyou didn’t make the speed-run leaderboard today, they won all six of their point-based matches. Two consecutive days of complete victories... that was an impressive feat.’
’So... did that mean he actually had to thank those kids from Huai City First Middle School??’
"Ahem. Today’s performance... was acceptable, I suppose."
Lei Ji’s voice was grudging. "But don’t let your guard down! Tomorrow morning’s final six point-based matches are also crucial. You must stay on edge until the very last second!"
"Then..." a girl timidly raised her hand. "Are we still using the rapid assault tactic tomorrow?"
"Is the rapid assault tactic the only one I’ve ever taught you?"
Lei Ji shot her an irritated glare. "We’ll discuss and decide on the specific tactics later. I’ll sort it out for you."
"Oh, okay..."
"And you, Wang Haokun."
Lei Ji looked at Wang Haokun.
Although his face was stern, his gaze wasn’t as furious as it was yesterday—just purely severe.
"Don’t get clever and change the tactics I’ve laid out. The costs and risks of deviating from orthodox strategy are extremely high. If you’re not prepared to bear them, don’t test the boundaries. If you have the energy for such schemes, you’d be better off strengthening your Pet Beast’s training and improving its ability to execute commands."
Wang Haokun clenched his fists and opened his mouth.
’Yesterday, this would have been impossible... but now, he suddenly felt the urge to argue with Lei Ji, just like when he had first enrolled.’
"Got something to say?"
Lei Ji asked calmly, meeting his gaze.
"No... nothing." Wang Haokun shook his head.
Lei Ji scanned the group. "Anyone else have any questions? If not, you’re dismissed."
Chen Xinghao glanced at Wang Haokun, then suddenly raised his hand.
"Teacher, our opponent tomorrow... is Hundred Rivers. Our chances of winning against them aren’t very high. Should we join forces with Huai City? That way, our overall strength would be greater, and we might even be able to win a few rounds..."
"Join forces with Huai City? Are you dreaming?"
Lei Ji stared at him. "We each fight our own rounds—that was the agreement we made with the Huai City people beforehand. Besides, do our students not get a chance to compete? Did they work this hard for this long just to be spectators for Huai City First Middle School?"
"But Huai City First Middle School does have a few skilled members..."
"Enough. Say no more."
Lei Ji waved his hand dismissively. "They’re just a bunch of kids who rely on cheap tricks; they’re not destined for greatness. So what if they have one or two decent fighters? Letting that unruly bunch get involved would only throw our plans into chaos. Or are you saying you think we can’t win without Huai City First Middle School?"
"No..." Chen Xinghao could only lower his head.
"Then follow your orders and stop worrying about things that aren’t your concern. You will give me your absolute all in tomorrow’s final round!"