Child of Destiny

*Ding*

System: First Match Result – Draw!

There was a silence at first as the live audience and online viewers took some time to gather their thoughts, process the full details of the entire match, and collect their emotions.

It was only after a while before everyone released all their feelings and started a crazy uproar!

“Whoa! That is crazy!”

“An amazing fight! A satisfying battle!”

“And this is just an opening match!”

“More! I want more! We want more!”

“This is what we are looking for! This is what a real battle looks like!”

“A clash between gods! This is a true battle of gods!”

It took them another while before they managed to calm themselves down, listening to Divid and Miss Bunny, who were already dissecting the entire battle and explaining it to everyone.

It took them quite a while to discuss everyone before voicing out their thoughts about the recent match.

“This is indeed a true battle between godly experts of the game. Truly an eyeopener!” said Miss Bunny excitedly, voicing out all her suppressed emotions during the entire match.

David nodded as he also agreed. “Senior Julius is still sharp as ever, but Diablo has also showed us what the new generation is capable of.”

At the same time, we have also witnessed a true battle between the two wielders of high combat state – the Magical Formation and Hyperactive Immersion,” he added, which swiftly attracted the attention of everyone.

“That’s right!” nodded Miss Bunny as she quickly added. “We are already familiar with the Hyperactive Immersion since it is already a legend within the virtual world. What it can do to a player is truly magical.”

She paused for a moment to consider her next words before continuing. “As for the Magical Formation, it is still a mystery for everyone. Care to share your thoughts, partner?”

David thought for a moment before giving his answer. “This is quite complicated. The combat state of Magical Formation is a very complex subject as it varies from one person to another.”

“Unlike the Reality Manifestation, Hyperactive Immersion, and Perfect Demonification, which have specific targets to meet – the Magical Formation can branch out in multiple paths based on the understanding of an individual.”

“It is impossible to cover all these with the little time we have. But I can say that this combat state focuses more on the mind, specifically in the imagination, wisdom, and understanding of an individual about ‘magic’.”

“I see,” Miss Bunny nodded in understanding as she complimented David. “As expected of the King of All Games. You make such a complex topic into a simple one – truly an absolute expert!”

David played along as he waved his hand at her. “Don’t praise me too much, I’ll get conceited immediately.”

…

At the same time, inside the team’s booth of the Empyrean Talons, Diablo appeared with a somewhat disappointed look on his face.

But before he could even say anything to mock himself, Shin immediately walked forward and patted his shoulder. “That’s a good match. It is a very close one too.”

Not waiting for Diablo to say anything, he immediately added. “It may be a pity that you did not earn us the opening round, but what you have gained during the match is much more important than that measly point.”

Diablo suddenly raised his head when he heard those words, looking at Shin with a surprised gaze. It took him quite a while to fully digest those words before smiling. “You are right. What I have gained during the match is much more important.”

Seeing that Diablo understood his intention, Shin nodded his head in satisfaction before gesturing. “Go on. Digest all your gains and consolidate everything. It will make you a whole other person once you are done.”

Diablo nodded. “Thank you!”

After that, he proceeded to greet the others, who gave him thumbs up for showing them an amazing round, which made him a little warm. He could feel that the invisible wall that he was constantly placing between the others and himself was slowly crumbling in this atmosphere.

It might not be torn down completely, but he could feel that he became somewhat closer to everyone.

He then subconsciously recalled the words of his father, which he had almost forgotten. – “Home is not a place where you stay or just sleep. It is where you feel peace and warmth.” –

“Thank you,” he mumbled to himself, not knowing whom it was meant for.

Watching Diablo settled in his usual corner and started meditating, the rest of the Empyrean Talons turned their heads toward their next combatant, who was already preparing for his match.

Alucard just finished sharpening his rapier and currently cleaning and inspecting his guns.

Seeing this, Akailu, who was quite closer to him compared to the rest of the members, suddenly walked over. “You have already done it multiple times. There is nothing wrong with those.”

“Are you that nervous?” he chuckled as he teased this old ‘partner’ of his.

“Nervous? Heh! You better perform well later, or I will laugh at you for a while if you guys lose later,” said Alucard as he finished reassembling his guns.

He then stood up, waiting for the system to summon him.

It was at this moment when Shin suddenly approached him and chuckled. “You can go all-out as well. It is not like we are hiding those titles of yours.”

Alucard glanced at Shin before shaking his head. “How many times do I have to say that I am neither of those guys.”

He fully understood what Shin was trying to imply, but he refused to admit it since it was the truth.

However, it was somewhat contradictory to the things he had said before.

This guy was being a little too inconsistent.

“We will think that you are both unless you explain your relationship with them and how you know both their styles and techniques,” said Leonard, joining the fun.

Alucard paused for a moment before nodding. “When the time is right – I’ll share my story as well.”

Seeing that Diablo was slowly getting closer with the rest of the team, albeit slow and unnoticeable, Alucard knew that it would be his sooner or later to establish a more solid trust with everyone.

There was also Archimedes and Daulla, who had a strange relationship with one another. But it would take quite a while before this pair could open with the rest of the Empyrean Talons.

Not long after, Alucard was informed by the system that it was time for his match.

He turned to the rest of the team and said with full confidence. “Expect the same level of competition.”

Swoosh!

He then hit the accept button immediately, not waiting for the others to say anything else.

…

Immediately after, he appeared in the same battlefield as the previous match.

“Tsk! These guys from the Hien Workshop sure know how to plan their cards well,” he commented after being greeted by the familiar grassland.

In this battlefield, the advantage of his class was greatly weakened.

Even if he could also take advantage of the decently tall grasses as a cover and tricking his opponent with the corpses scattered in the entire field, things would get a little trickier once he missed his first shot.

As a sniper, position was the utmost importance. Once he had failed the first shot, he had to leave as soon as possible as he had already exposed his position.

So long as his opponent kept a close eye on his major direction, taking them down would be quite difficult even for someone like him.

Moreover, his current opponent was not that simple as well.

– “United Cup: Knockout Stage – Hien Workshop (Home) versus Empyrean Talons (Away)” –

“First Round: Single Match 2 – ‘God of Nightfall’ Nacht (Godlike Player) versus ‘Sanguine King’ Alucard (Maverick God)”

Boom!

Another fast-paced battle given the nature of their respective classes.

One of them was a legendary thief, who made his name in an assassination game called «Thieves Guild vs Assassins Family».

It was a game with a medieval setting, where magic was absent while technology was still in its infancy.

As the name suggests, it was a battle between two major NPC factions that were constantly competing against one another. The main competition was a battle between the group of thieves and assassins that were tasked to eliminate a certain target.

It was similar to the famous FPS (First-Person Shooting) Games. But instead of using guns, explosives, or superpowers, each team would be using daggers, bows, and crossbows alongside a variety of stealth and assassination skills.

The game was not only focused on eliminating the target, but also a constant battle between the two teams as they prevented one another from taking the bounty.

Among these players, Nacht was one of the best and had won multiple titles under his belt. He was one of the main pillars of the Hien Workshop.

He might not be as famous as Julius despite being a Godlike Player himself. But he was still one of the strongest players among the thieves and assassins within the game.

Adding that he was from the same generation as Julius, his experience in professional competition was quite rich.

On the other hand, Alucard was among those who had already established his name after his previous battles, especially the most recent matchup, where he had outclassed Murong Qi completely.

Moreover, he had only shown his Gun Fighting Techniques and a few sword techniques during that time, saving most of his cards with the Blood Arts.

Those who understood that Alucard had yet to reveal his true powers, knew that this was a good chance to truly understand him.

Facing a powerful opponent like Nacht would be a perfect opportunity to see his full capabilities.

……