Chapter 32: Onii-chan, Daijoubu? (Part Six)
"Finally, my moment!" Gooner Yue Mo Bei's long face lit up like a notification ping, radiating that "main character" energy. He stepped onto the field, his stout frame giving off major "I'm about to clutch this" vibes. He threw three moonblades, all three hitting their mark, like a perfectly executed combo. Two hit the dummy's dummy thicc chest, one grazed its arm, basically a precision strike.
The crowd went wild, dropping surprised emotes.
"That's a clean run!" The alpha's brow unfurrowed, like he'd just seen a highlight reel.
Next squad, Gooner Yue Chi Cheng, short, pockmarked, and lowkey sweating.
He launched three moonblades, all hitting the dummy's chest, leaving three intertwined scars, like he was drawing a graffiti tag. The dummy's self-heal kicked in, patching it up like a hotfix.
Chi Cheng tied Mo Bei's score, getting a "poggers" from the elder. He walked off, throwing Mo Bei a "you seeing this?" glare.
"Hmph!" Mo Bei snorted, ignoring the shade, keeping his focus on Fang Zheng, who was still on standby.
He knew the real competition was Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng. Chi Cheng, like him, was B-tier with unlimited in-game currency. Fang Zheng, A-tier, made up for fewer stones with his natural mana regen, basically a passive skill.
Chi Cheng's score was in, a tie. Only Fang Zheng was left to throw down.
Finally, Fang Zheng stepped up to the plate, ready to show off his skills.
"Wait, is that Fang Yuan or Fang Zheng?" Some students were still confused, like they hadn't unlocked the character select screen. "It's Fang Zheng, duh. Fang Yuan's always got that "resting villain" face, never this stressed," someone replied, throwing shade. "Oh, this is gonna be a main event. He's the only A-tier player we've had in years." Everyone's eyes were glued to the field, like they were watching a live stream.
Fang Zheng was feeling the heat, his fingers shaking like he was about to drop his phone. His first moonblade, supposed to hit the dummy's chest, whiffed because he was panicking. It clipped the dummy's neck instead, like a lucky headshot.
A collective "ooh" from the students, like they were watching a highlight reel. They thought it was a flex, aiming for the harder target, basically a pro gamer move. They were hyped for his next play. Mo Bei and Chi Cheng were throwing major "bruh" vibes.
Only the alpha and Fang Yuan saw the fumble, like they were watching an IGN reviewer play a game.
"That was a close call, bruh!" Fang Zheng thought, lowkey sweating. He took some deep breaths, trying to un-tilt. He threw two more moonblades, hitting the dummy's chest dead center, like a perfect crit.
The alpha nodded, giving off that "not bad" vibe, and Mo Bei and Chi Cheng un-tensed, like they'd just dodged a bullet. Fang Zheng's score was unique, so it was all up to the elder's judgment, basically a dice roll.
The other students were throwing major "meh" vibes, disappointed by Fang Zheng's mid performance.
The following squads were straight-up trash. No one could out-perform Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, or Fang Zheng. The students were back to their whisper chats.
"The MVP's gotta be one of those three, no cap." "All three hit the dummy, but who's gonna get the elder's stamp of approval?" "Wait, last squad's up. It's Fang Yuan." "Oh, the C-tier 'icy king'? LMAO."
Last squad, Fang Yuan finally stepped up to the challenge.
"It's that Fang Yuan..." Gooner Yue Mo Bei did a quick scan, then looked away, throwing major "I'm too cool for this" vibes.
"Last time was a fluke, weak Gu RNG. Let's see you actually try this time!" Gooner Yue Chi Cheng folded his arms, ready to roast him.
"Big bro... This ain't a rerun. I've been grinding, I'm gonna out-perform you." Gooner Yue Fang Zheng clenched his fists, giving off that "revenge arc" energy.
He was still salty about getting second in the vital Gu crafting challenge, especially after finding out Fang Yuan's win was a lucky drop. Beating Fang Yuan was personal, basically a main quest.
Everyone's eyes were on Fang Yuan, even the alpha was locked in. Fang Yuan was giving off that "unfazed king" vibe, totally emotionless.
He charged up his Moonlight Gu, then did a quick hand flick, launching the first moonblade.
The moonblade went sky high, straight over the dummy's head and the bamboo wall, like it was trying to clip through the ceiling. It flew almost fifteen meters before despawning.
"Pfffft..." Someone couldn't hold back a snort. "That was a whole miss, no cap." Someone sneered.
"He's a genius, alright. No wonder he got that lucky drop." Someone was throwing major shade, dripping with sarcasm.
Fang Yuan's early poetry flex and his "lucky" Gu crafting win had triggered everyone's inner hater. They were waiting for his downfall, and that moonblade fail was prime meme material.
The crowd was cackling, like they were watching a compilation of epic fails.
The alpha facepalmed internally, thinking, "Why did I even bother simping for this guy?" Fang Yuan was just a C-tier player, a one-hit wonder in the Gu crafting event.
He'd already decided: Fang Zheng was getting the W, even with the tie.
Mo Bei and Chi Cheng's beef was basically clan politics, a server war. The alpha was staying neutral, playing both sides.
He was leaning towards the clan head, Gooner Do Nald, and Fang Zheng was in his squad. Plus, Fang Zheng's A-tier stats made him a safe bet, basically a meta pick, the best prize from a gacha game.
A spring breeze blew in, carrying the scent of flowers, like a nature aesthetic. Sunlight was casting a long, lonely shadow from Fang Yuan, giving off that "main character in a sad anime" vibe.
His face was still on that "ice cold" setting, as he stared down the dummy, like he was about to drop a diss track. The moonblade was glowing faintly in his hand, like a low-battery notification.
Yeah, he straight-up threw that first moonblade into the stratosphere on purpose. With only two shots left, he had to drop a performance so legendary, it'd break the internet, basically a viral moment, especially with the elder simping for Fang Zheng.