Chapter 280: Chang’E’s Domain (1/2)
Chapter 280: Chang’E’s Domain
How could anyone understand what just happened in this battle without a recorded analysis? How could Deimos win after being in such a disadvantageous position?
Lan Jue sat within the dark sim pod, shock evident in his eyes. In that moment, he himself thought they’d won. In the end, though…
Everything that lead up to the explosion flashed through his mind.
In truth once Thor and Triton joined, the attacks hadn’t just been Thor’s hammer or spear. In the moment when Thor’s Hammer burst against Starlord’s protective shields, Triton’s trident was also stretching out in preparation for Hua Li’s strongest attack. He was just waiting for the right opportunity.
But Lan Jue knew he messed up the moment both sides collided.
Thor’s Hammer was definitely strong enough to break through a mecha’s shields. However, it needed time and positioning. Truth be told it was a short time needed, but enough for someone as talented as Deimos.
Thor and Triton’s attacks were already alleviating by the time Starlord pushed its shields out further. That was when Lan Jue saw the real Starblade.
As they watched the sword transformed, seeming to reflect the vast expanse of the Milky Way galaxy in its depths. It exploded, sending out resplendent beams of energy in all directions. Distracted and blinded by the blast, Hua Li and Lan Jue didn’t know it had impaled them until everything was already finished.
They lost!
Star Alliance had taken the first victory in their contest for the best of five. Consequently, the Four Divine Monarchs – the best God-ranked team according to polls – were the losers.
But what the audience did not know, was that this loss filled the Monarchs with confidence. Starlord’s stunning upset had not been a result of exceptional piloting, but of his mecha suit’s installed components. Shields and swords are what won him that victory.
They were frighteningly effective, but in the end they were things that required triggers. If they could anticipate these things and plan for them, the next time it happens in a fight they’ll be ready for it.
On the other side the Knave, Thunderclap, Windbreaker and Yu Honghu were anxious despite their victory.
The Four Divine Monarchs were much stronger than they’d imagined. It wasn’t just their cooperation, but even their individual strength that the Star Alliance had failed to properly determine. And when it came to battlefield control, Prometheus was far and away superior to Starlord! Where they not already down a man, the Monarchs likely would have come out of that last fight victorious.
Yes indeed the Star Alliance ended up dominating, but their confidence at a route was shaken.
In the final moments Lan Jue shared his final analysis with Lan Qing.
“Very good. Let’s keep it up.” Those six words were all Lan Qing had to say.
With the completion of the first fight, a resting counter had begun to tick down. A complete 360 analysis of the fight wasn’t yet available, but simple recorded playback was enough for them to recap what had happened.
Many of the audience were doing just that, with their eyes glued to a slow-motion playback of the action.
Mo Xiao had to take a moment to regain her composure before continuing her duties as host. “What you just witnessed you will likely only see once in your entire lifetime. I feel honored to have been able to watch, and will forever be remembered fondly as a cherished memory. Really something splendid!”
“If I hadn’t seen it all with my own eyes, I’d never believe it. This fight wasn’t just about power and mecha piloting – wisdom won the day. What a treasure that I got to be a small part of it.”
No advertisements plagued the audience as the intermission stretched on. However, the large screens did have a highlights reel of the last fight on constant repeat. Ad revenue wasn’t likely to be tremendous, but the number of people queueing up to buy CAT copies already had spent enough to feed a mid-sized planet.
The audience knew that it was a n historic fight for DreamNet, but since they hadn’t been able to see the conclusion clearly they were yet to feel the excitement. As before they were allured by the charm of the team members, so what was a few dollars to have a permanent record of your hero battling it out? This was especially true for mecha pilots, for having the opportunity to analyze such a high level fight would undoubtedly serve their skills well in the future.
“Our next map for the second fight: Chang’E’s Domain!” Mo Xiao’s silken, alluring voice called out the information.
The Domain had once been DreamNet’s go-to arena, a classic choice. It was suitable for all manner of combat and competitors. It was a simple square map, with highlands in the four corners that doubled as spawn points. The sole decoration was an exquisite statue in the center, of a beautiful woman – Chang’E 1.
Moonlight hung over the statue and its surroundings like a blanket. Any mecha that the light should touch would be granted invisibility. That is to say, the first mecha to reach the center would have a significant advantage.
There have been any number of tactics and strategies developed for this map. The most popular was called the Moonlight Blitz. The idea was to have a team’s most agile suit race for the center and wait in ambush, causing as much damage as possible on the unsuspecting enemy.
When the revelation of the next map was made, any pilot who’d been around for the last five years was filled with a pleasant nostalgia. In such a simple and straightforward map, what would the Monarchs and the Star Alliance show them next?