The Final Battle

"God S is incredible!" "Brother Zhankuang is going down!" "Holy crap, that aerial advantage is just too overwhelming! Brother Zhankuang can't do anything!" "Nothing he can do—it's a pure class counter." A tide of cheers and heated discussions washed over the spectator stands. This was the very first match of the Round of 32. "Aaargh!" In the center of the arena, Tiansheng Zhankuang roared toward the sky. He was bathed in blood, his muscular frame bristling with arrows. Chest, arms, back, thighs—scarcely an inch of flesh remained unscathed. Yet even so, the berserker glared with wide, furious eyes at his foe high above. "Roaaar!" Summoning the last ounce of his strength, he hurled his greataxe into the air. But with a mere tilt of its wings, the wyvern knight climbed higher and easily evaded the blow. Clang! The greataxe crashed to the arena floor, its blade biting deep into the stone. Before he could recover, another arrow ripped through the air, plunging straight into Tiansheng Zhankuang's chest and piercing his furiously beating heart. With a final roar of bitter defiance, Tiansheng Zhankuang collapsed backward. There was no helping it. Tiansheng Zhankuang had given this fight everything he had, but his opponent was Singo—and as his teammate, Singo knew him far too well. Throughout the entire match, Singo had played with extreme caution. He circled endlessly in the sky, whittling down Tiansheng Zhankuang's health with volley after volley of arrows, ruthlessly kiting him to death. Tiansheng Zhankuang had tried every means at his disposal to deal damage in return, but Singo's riding skills were simply too refined, granting his opponent not a single opening to close the distance. Perched atop his wyvern, Singo looked down at the fallen berserker and murmured, "Sorry, Zhankuang. But... this is a tournament." The commentator's voice boomed across the arena: "Let us congratulate player Singo once again on securing victory in this match!" "God S is invincible!" "Who was the idiot saying God S couldn't beat Zhankuang?" "Sing-dog only has this one cheap trick! All he knows is how to kite from the sky like a coward—there's zero entertainment value in his matches!" "Shameless, absolutely shameless!" "Exactly! Just wait until Brother Kuangchao teaches him a lesson!" "This is esports! Who gives a damn about the tactics? A win within the rules is a win, you bunch of..." With a player as controversial as Singo, the skirmishes in the spectator stands were sometimes even more entertaining than the duels in the arena. *** Round of 16, Match 4. Xiaye Qiuyu hovered in midair, flames swirling within her golden pupils. *Wall of Fire!* Boom! With the searing roar of igniting air, a scorching wall of fire erupted from the ground, barring the path before her. Yet a massive armored figure burst straight through the blazing curtain. A spherical force field shielded its hull, and thrusters at its back blasted bright plumes of light. The chainsword mounted on its right arm revved at high speed, sweeping downward from midair. Xiaye Qiuyu's eyes flashed. Flowing flames wrapped around her robe, making her figure turn illusory and indistinct. *Flame Leap!* A burst of fire flared dozens of meters away, quickly coalescing back into Xiaye Qiuyu's form. Whirrr— Gangtie Kuangchao's chainsword struck nothing but air, cleaving directly into the stone ground and sending debris flying in all directions. "Oh? You actually dodged that?" Gangtie Kuangchao sounded genuinely surprised, but he showed no intention of pausing his assault. Pivoting his armored frame, he raised his left arm. A terrifying buildup of energy gathered at the cannon's muzzle, crackling with dazzling lightning. Boom! A thick bolt of lightning ripped through the air, hurtling straight toward Xiaye Qiuyu. Her expression shifted sharply. Thrusting her hands forward, she conjured a hemispherical barrier of fire. Sizzle, crackle... Lightning and flame violently clashed and canceled each other out, triggering a chain of explosions that scattered blinding arcs of electricity and sparks. Scalding steam hissed from the back of Gangtie Kuangchao's armor as its internal power core pulsed with radiant light. Not only was he maintaining the barrage of lightning, but he also fired up his back thrusters, rocketing toward Xiaye Qiuyu at breakneck speed. As a Dragon-Pact Sorcerer, Xiaye Qiuyu possessed immense spell power. However, Gangtie Kuangchao had spent hundreds of gold coins stocking up on energy ores for this tournament. Moreover, the Arcane Armor he had commissioned had cost upwards of ten thousand gold coins, making him the quintessential pay-to-win warrior of the New Era. This was an overwhelming suppression of pure financial wealth. Crack! With a sharp fracture, the fiery shield finally buckled under the immense strain and shattered. Xiaye Qiuyu tried to cast Flame Leap once more, but the sweeping beam of lightning tore through her body in a flash, leaving electric arcs dancing across her skin. Suddenly, a colossal shadow fell over her. Gangtie Kuangchao had already closed the gap, raising the chainsword on his arm high overhead. "Pardon me!" Whirrr— "Let us congratulate player Gangtie Kuangchao on taking the match!" "That was brutal! Waaaah, my precious Qiuyu is gone just like that!" "Brother Kuangchao is godlike!" "The flesh is weak; ascension through machinery!" "Now that's what a match should look like! Crush that Sing-dog in the finals!" *** "Singo Eliminates Tiansheng Zhankuang!" "Clash of Wizard and Sorcerer! Wangquan Vice Guild Master Fengyun Suffers Crushing Defeat to Xiaye Qiuyu!" "Gangtie Kuangchao Tramples Another Opponent, Eyes the Championship!" "Charlotte Uses Scroll of Turn Undead to Eliminate Yuzhongchengchi, Avenging Vice Guild Master Mingyue!" "Gangtie Kuangchao Continues His Rampage, Cleaving Xiaye Qiuyu in Two as Fans Weep!" "Singo's Spellbreaker Arrow Pierces Charlotte's Heart to Reach the Semi-Finals; The Tournament's Last Wizard Player Falls!" As the tournament progressed, discussions on the forums grew increasingly frenzied, with public interest reaching an absolute fever pitch. Even players who had failed to qualify could watch recorded matches on the forums immediately after they concluded, joining in the fierce debates and flamewars between rival fanbases. With each passing round, fewer and fewer competitors remained in the waiting lounge. At this stage, no one surrendered willingly. Every contestant fought to their dying breath, turning each match into a genuine life-and-death duel. These elite professional players pulled out all the stops, deploying an endless array of extraordinary techniques and trump cards that left viewers utterly dazzled. Not only were the players in the stands glued to their seats, but even the imperial citizens who had bought tickets roared with exhilaration. In an empire that revered martial prowess, these savage, bloody clashes between the Starfallen were wildly popular. A few enterprising merchants had even made a fortune selling projection stones inscribed with match recordings. "The finals of the Empire's First Gladiatorial Tournament are about to begin!" "The ultimate showdown!" "The clash between the mightiest powerhouse guild and the supreme solo player!" In the end, only two competitors remained standing: The guild master of the Machine Cult, manager of Claubau Military Industry Group, and Level 8 Artificer specializing as an Armorer: Gangtie Kuangchao. And the undisputed strongest solo player in Elezerg, the legendary forum guide author, and Level 8 Redscale Conqueror: Singo. The final duel would take place on the very last day before the servers went offline. Once the award ceremony concluded, the players would depart from Elezerg en masse—ushering in an entirely New Era. As a result, the grand finals stood under the brightest spotlight in the entire game. In pre-match interviews with reporters, Gangtie Kuangchao appeared relaxed, while Singo maintained his characteristically sharp, arrogant tone. Gangtie Kuangchao: "Haha, player Singo is exceptionally skilled. I'd say I have about a fifty percent chance of winning." Singo: "I think if there were a hundred percent split between us, he might have five." Instantly, another massive uproar erupted on the forums, as Gangtie Kuangchao's fans and Singo's supporters hurled venomous insults at each other in round after round of flame wars. *** "Citizens of the Empire, welcome back to the arena!" "Only one duel will take place today, and that is the grand finale everyone has been eagerly anticipating!" "As for the two finalists, their names are already thunderous household legends. They need no introduction from me!" "Please welcome our red corner finalist—Gangtie Kuangchao!" Pilot of the Arcane Armor, Gangtie Kuangchao emerged at the end of the competitors' tunnel, smiling and waving to the roaring crowd in the stands. "Brother Kuangchao!" "The flesh is weak; ascension through machinery!" "Praise the Omnissiah! Toll the Great Bell thrice!" "Sing-dog was talking way too much trash before the match! Slap that smug face of his into the dirt!" The cheers from the spectator stands rose like a tsunami. Even the native imperial residents shouted and cheered for Gangtie Kuangchao. His violent aesthetic of steel, blood, and fire aligned perfectly with the Cinder Empire's enduring tastes, earning him immense popularity among the locals. Toll— Toll— Members of the Machine Cult had actually hauled a massive iron bell into the arena. Its deep, resonant peals reverberated across the stadium, providing a dramatic backdrop to the crowd's thunderous cheers. The commentator continued: "And now, let us welcome our blue corner finalist—Singo!" The wyvern knight appeared high above the arena. He circled on dragonback for a long while before steadily descending to the ground. At once, the stands erupted into another boiling frenzy—though this time, the cheers were heavily mixed with jeers and curses. "God S is invincible!" "Big S takes the crown!" "Sing-dog is all talk! Let's see how much teeth he has left after this!" "Sing-dog is dead meat!" Both combatants took their positions in their designated zones, locking eyes across the arena floor. With a signal from the referee, the battle began. Boom! The thrusters on Gangtie Kuangchao's back erupted with dazzling plumes of fire, propelling the massive suit of armor straight toward Singo. "Climb, Wyvern!" Singo issued a calm command. The wyvern beat its wings furiously, carrying its rider into a steep ascent. Whoosh! A launcher deployed from Gangtie Kuangchao's left shoulder, firing a massive capture net that shot skyward, threatening to engulf the ascending wyvern. Singo leaned low and gripped the reins, shifting his weight to wrench the beast into a sharp roll. The crackling, lightning-laced net grazed past them by mere inches. By then, they had already reached an altitude of nearly a hundred meters. "You think that's all?" "I call this—the Bird-Snaring Protocol!" Behind his transparent visor, Gangtie Kuangchao sneered. A heavy cannon barrel slowly elevated from his right shoulder, aiming directly skyward at the wyvern knight. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Spheres of crackling lightning shot into the heavens, charting arcs that anticipated the flight path of the wyvern. High in the sky, Singo maneuvered through a relentless sequence of loops, dives, zooms, combat turns, and split-s evasions. He wasn't performing these aerobatics to show off; he was dodging lightning shells programmed to predict his every move. The lightning spheres detonated violently in midair, their discharging arcs weaving an enormous web that blanketed the sky. Singo wove through the narrow gaps between the electric currents, nocking arrows and firing back whenever an opening presented itself. Yet a dense force field enveloped Gangtie Kuangchao's armor, rendering standard arrows completely ineffective. *I can't let this drag on!* *His kit is too specialized against aerial targets. If I stay up here, I'll be trapped and ground down to dust.* *There's only one option left... a direct brawl!* Singo leaned forward against the saddle and urged the wyvern into a steep dive, hurtling straight down toward Gangtie Kuangchao. "Roaaar!" The wyvern let out a ferocious screech as the colossal phantom of a red dragon materialized behind it. *Dragon Roar Charge!* Gangtie Kuangchao didn't flinch. Controlling the armor, he raised his right arm and unleashed a massive column of lightning. Boom! Yet the wyvern banked sharply mid-dive, narrowly dodging the blast. The lightning pillar scraped past its chest, leaving behind a scorched, smoking furrow. Gangtie Kuangchao followed up by swinging his left fist with brutal force. Propelled by rocket exhaust, the colossal iron fist roared through the air. The diving wyvern was already right on top of him, with no room left to maneuver. Bang! Screeech! Shattered teeth and sprayed blood erupted into the air. Following the deafening impact, the wyvern shrieked in agony as the iron fist struck its skull, sending the beast tumbling through the dirt. Yet Singo had already leaped from the saddle. Rolling across the ground to absorb the momentum, he rose and hurled several metallic discs toward Gangtie Kuangchao. Looking up at the towering mech with manic intensity, Singo licked the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "You thought you were the only one who prepared counter-measures?" "I've been ready for you all along!" The metal discs latched onto the joints and power core of the Guardian Armor with pinpoint accuracy, their surfaces blinking with ominous red lights. Beep, beep, beep... These were magical electromagnetic pulse devices developed by the Machine Cult to neutralize construct-type creations—devices Singo had acquired through secret channels. Gangtie Kuangchao's voice suddenly began to tremble. "Th-that's..." "How could you have that?!" Bang! The metal discs detonated in unison, releasing spherical pulses of blue disruptive energy. The towering Guardian Armor crumpled forward, its systems starved of power, while its once-brilliant energy core went completely dark. "Nooo!" Gangtie Kuangchao wailed in despair. A collective gasp swept through the spectator stands, followed by stunned disbelief. "Brother Kuangchao's armor is down!" "It's over! He's definitely going to lose—Artificers have zero melee combat ability!" "Is it really ending like this?" Meanwhile, Singo strolled up to the cockpit holding a longsword, staring at Gangtie Kuangchao through the reinforced glass canopy. He flourished his blade in a stylish spin, leveled the tip at his opponent, and drawled in an unhurried voice: "Brother Kuangchao, your proud armor is scrap. Care to surrender?" Gangtie Kuangchao's eyes turned bloodshot as he ground his teeth. "My brand-new armor! Do you have any idea how much effort it took to build that?!" "I didn't want to reveal my final trump card, but... Sing-dog, you pushed me too far!" "Our Machine Cult has always preached that the flesh is weak and mechanical ascension is the path. But before our technology reaches that threshold..." Singo's expression abruptly contorted. As Gangtie Kuangchao spoke, his body was undergoing a monstrous transformation. His muscles swelled and bulged unnaturally, while dark-red carapace resembling dragon scales broke through his skin... "...a few minor biological modifications to the body are only natural, aren't they?!" *Secondary Heart, activate!* *Ossmodula, activate!* *Biscopea, activate!* *Haemastamen, activate!* ... *Dragon-Bloodline Gene-Gland, activate!* *Dragonscale Carapace, activate!* In the end, a hulking figure nearly four meters tall, encased in dark-red biological plate, shattered the cockpit glass and stood tall atop the ruined armor. "This is the perfect union of our Machine Cult's genetic engineering and mechanical technology—a super soldier engineered from dragon blood. And I have the honor of being its very first test subject!" "I originally wanted to name it 'Astartes' or 'Space Marine,' but the imperial authorities shot it down." Gangtie Kuangchao casually scooped up the fallen chainsword from the ground and pulled the starter cord, sending its jagged teeth spinning at blinding speed. Whirrr— "And so... the Vitagis Dragonscale Marine has arrived!" By this point, Singo had already backed away more than a dozen meters. The aura radiating from that behemoth screamed extreme danger, demanding the utmost caution! Drawing his Hunter Longbow to full bend, he fired a rapid volley at Gangtie Kuangchao. But the arrows merely clattered harmlessly off the dragonscale carapace. Clang! Clang! Against this genetically modified warrior, even explosive arrows and virulent poison arrows proved entirely useless. In this augmented state, Gangtie Kuangchao's strength, agility, and neural reflexes far exceeded those of ordinary mortals—the crowning achievement of the Machine Cult's Genetors extracting the essence of true dragon genes. "It's useless! Go down as a sacrifice for my Guardian Armor, Sing-dog!" With a massive leap, Gangtie Kuangchao closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Raising the chainsword high overhead, he brought it crashing down. Whirrr— Blood and minced flesh splattered across the arena. The duel was over. For the very first time since entering Elezerg, Singo had met his death. The commentator's voice reached a fever pitch of excitement: "It appears our ultimate victor has emerged!" "Let us congratulate player Gangtie Kuangchao on becoming the Empire's first Dragonflame Champion!" "Holy crap! The big boss of the Machine Cult actually made a living tin can?!" "Gangtie Kuangchao is godlike!" "The flesh is weak; ascension through machinery!" Thunderous cheers erupted from the stands, turning the entire arena into a sea of wild celebration. After days of brutal competition, the supreme champion had finally been crowned!