Chapter 6: The Wavy Leap

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Almost simultaneously both of the mechs moved. A glaring light shone upon Ye Chong who had hid himself under the t.i.tanium shield caused him to tumble. It happened so quickly that it left Ye Chong standing up clumsily and helplessly finding out that he had been shot. The shield failed to perform its essential function to protect. The bullet penetrated it effortlessly straight to the edge of Ye Chong’s rib on the left.

The opponent was perplexed realizing the fact that the shot was not able to finish Ye Chong off. Ye Chong in the meantime had discarded the t.i.tanium shield for it was deemed useless. He sprinted for his life, hiding behind rocks or any kind of debris to distract the opponent.

But the opponent was clearly equipped with battle skills. The calmness in the adversary suggested the trick did not work. SP-II’s strength was thoroughly demonstrated through the second shot. No suspense, no drama, nothing epic.

After being knocked down countlessly, Ye Chong was enraged with his eyes reddened, demanding a rematch again continuously. Mu Shang’s voice nonchalantly rang in his ears, “There are scientifically 62 kinds of strategic ways to dodge a shot, do you need me to teach you one?”

Ye Chong replied with a tantrum, “You rusty nuts and bolts! You just watched me die a gazillion times and all you could do was lie there and talk? Was that on purpose? Man, you really don’t care much, do you?”

Mu Shang on the other hand responded with laid-back att.i.tude, “Well, according to psychology, humans are more p.r.o.ne to remember pain and failure with a probability of 90 to 96% and by chance of 52 to 63%, the individual would utilize the experience as a motivating factor. Thus, I believe that by now the experience had successfully been imprinted on your mind, had it not?”

Ye Chong leaped out of his mech as he spat, “You… You… You! You are good!” He had an urge to smash this piece of blabbering trash in front of him into pieces.

Mu Shang couldn’t be bothered and pulled out a visual from nowhere. Ye Chong contained his fury and swallowed his anger as he closely viewed the video clip. It was a brief video clip that lasted less than 10 seconds. There was no s.p.a.ce for Ye Chong to figure things out as his eyes were glued on every frame of the clip as Mu Shang’s words echoed, “Look carefully!”

It was the same Raven-form mech but it was more nimble, so agile that it could perform non-orderly wave movements as smooth as the ripples in the sea. There was no point of stagnation, making its next move extremely unpredictable.

It was then that Ye Chong realized the beauty of the highest craft! His blood was burning as pa.s.sion grew in him tremendously; the amazing skills the expert held could potentially be his! The desire!

Sun Xuelin couldn’t help but gaze at the opponent named YC before her in awe, even though they were never at the same level; YC would always stand back up one defeat after another, a great tenacity that no commoner could muster.

The victory that came easily one time after another did not satisfy Xuelin. YC was undeniably a rookie in this; the mech he used justified it. A Raven is always a symbol for rookies. There was nothing triumphant about a victory won against a newbie to a person who had been properly trained since young like her.

And more strangely, whenever she received battle requests from YC, she could never resist clicking the “Accept” b.u.t.ton in which the outsiders would only find the fight to be pointlessly boring. Of course a man of bravery should always be given a chance. Xuelin thought in order to comfort herself. She didn’t notice at all, the curiosity that rose which bubbled deep inside her.

What kind of a person is YC?

At a place far, far away from Trash Planet-12, Xuelin bit her cherry lips, her expressive brows tightened, her sweet face melted into bitter ponders as this time, YC no longer sent battle requests to her but instead remained silent.

Is he finally giving up?

Xuelin exhaled a sign of relief. Well, if it wasn’t the time to give up... The simple functions of a Raven could never dodge an attack from her SP-II. Right, time to give this rookie a lecture about the basics!

Before Xuelin could lift her lips, the battle request popped up in her face.

Are you not done yet? Your struggle is pointless! You should recognize the differences between both parties! Xuelin grumbled in her mind. Her hands acted faster than her mind and before she was aware, she had already hit the “Accept” b.u.t.ton on the screen.

Hehe, just one more round I guess? Xuelin snickered as her expression lit up as bright as snow.

Ye Chong stared the ground between his Raven and the opponent’s SP, his mind kept replaying the episode of the battle he experienced as his body cowered reflecting his anxiety.

Mu Shang once again interrupted with a nonchalant voice, “This set of dodging moves is called the Non-Orderly Wavy Leap. The key here is non-orderly. Focus on that.” That was all he said, all he was willing and wanted to say. No more.

Ye Chong was angered to the point where he was clenching his teeth, but he couldn’t do anything about Mu Shang. He could only put on his thinking cap, wondering how in the h.e.l.l world would he figure out the meaning behind non-orderly. Easier said than done!

Non-orderly… non-orderly… non-orderly. He muttered the word repet.i.tively.

Time waits for no one. Before Ye Chong could figure out what the heck non-orderly meant, the opponent had already accepted his request.

Ye Chong ignored all the confusions and could only focus on the previous incident. There’s no time for non-orderly or whatever the heck it was! Think! That very orbit without any signs of movement, that amazing curve!

After maneuvering Raven for so many times, Ye Chong could finally have a better understanding on the properties of his machinery, rather than theories he could only recall before. This too gave him the painful truth that it would be nearly impossible for this mech to perform any fancy curves or leaps. Raven’s computing system could never solve such complicated calculations! Very well then! It’s only up to me now!

The only thing Ye Chong found fortunate was his piloting skill – that developed from everything he had been through with Winnie whose processor was far worse than Raven’s!

Ye Chong started breathing heavily, his every breath as deep as an old accordion.

Beep!

Ye Chong’s arm began moving! Raven flew like an arrow in a curve rather than a straight line it propelled in.

Almost instantaneously, Ye Chong was about to become a crater in the ground as he stood right before by the attack.

Ye Chong was too busy to take care of that; his eyes fixated on the ground, his blood boiled like the hot iron, as heat rushed to his head. Ye Chong executed a sequence of moves, one after another in an overwhelming speed without any hesitation. Raven was able to maintain its velocity at its peak!

Ye Chong’s hands heightened with speed so much so that he couldn’t figure out whether the vapor from his sweat caused the afterimages of his chains of gestures. But he was too focused to give two thoughts about it! Like, who cares!

Xuelin was doing what she usually did, aiming and firing; but she missed. She brushed it off like it was nothing thinking it was merely beginner’s luck. YC had dodged one or two shots randomly before this match with pure luck. In the end, his defeat was inevitable! Nothing was to be gained but a defeat rubbed in his face.

As time pa.s.sed, Xuelin felt something was wrong…