Star Abyss' Child (Part 1)
"The "Star Abyss" S1 Grand Finals individual match has entered its final stage!"
"As the ultimate match, "Qiqiao Network" has decided to disable the recognition filter for a better viewing experience."
"Let's give a grand welcome to the two finalists of the Grand Finals!"
"The former "Predation World" Grand Champion, the number one FPS shooter, and one of the Twin Stars of Yanxia—[Qiongyu] Long Yuqiong!"
Clang!
A high-frequency particle vibrating blade sliced through the air as a Frost-Plated man with red highlights raised his prosthetic hand. His fingers shot out one by one, tracing a dazzling hexagram combo in the air, instantly forcing his opponent back.
"And the amateur contestant, participating in a competition for the first time, with no background and having fought through the qualifiers—the lone duelist king, Caramel Snail!"
Ding ding ding—
Amidst a gravitational disruption vortex, the Tianhuan youth, clad in light armor infused with magic crystals, spun his body as he blocked the flying floating missiles with his sword screen while steadily retreating. His gaze sharpened as he seized an opening, sheathed his sword, and unleashed a reverse-hand Iaido strike!
"Ladies and gentlemen, whether you are from the home planet or a colony, what you're witnessing now is the purest display of skill between the top two players in "Star Abyss"! Enjoy it to the fullest!"
The host on the commentary platform spoke rapidly, continuously hyping the atmosphere, while next to him, the robot broadcaster's CPU had crashed and was in a state of exe. not responding.
"Now, as the match reaches its climax, two players from the Yanxia region are showing us the pinnacle of [Destruction] techniques. Look! The stage is filled with the clash of blades and swords, as if chaos itself is being cleaved apart! This is the shock and awe of martial arts!"
Clang!
Azure Star, Abyss Humanitarian Laboratory, Basement Level 2.
Although the Abyss professor had long been dead, the corpse of the biochemical titan still remained here as part of the map, presented before all the Grand Finals viewers.
On the body of the dead biochemical titan, two figures leapt and dashed like lightning, colliding rapidly with each other. Swords clashed, bullets flew, Omega Energy and spiritual bodies collided.
The dazzling special effects combined with the peak-level techniques of the two top players left the audience mesmerized. Even the fast-talking commentator found himself momentarily overwhelmed, relying on instinct to describe the scenes he observed.
Long Yuqiong, a seasoned Professional player, was in his prime. His extensive PVP experience, honed through battles with top players, set him apart from Caramel Snail, who had emerged from the public qualifiers.
Boom—Boom—Boom!
From the high ground, Caramel Snail unleashed a cross-shaped sword energy slash, then flipped his sword with a swift reverse grip and charged up briefly to release a more powerful slash. The fierce sword beams crisscrossed toward Long Yuqiong, who calmly raised his hand.
[Dragon Style · Energy Dissolution]
Perfect Energy Dissolution!
The force was perfectly neutralized as the two slashes of the cross-shaped strike dissolved seamlessly. When faced with the third hidden attack, Long Yuqiong showed no surprise. He tapped his toes, flipped in the air to dodge, and simultaneously raised his prosthetic hand toward the ground. A shock cannon erupted from his palm, using the propulsion of the flames to launch himself through the air at high speed toward Caramel Snail!
"Caramel Snail is trying to suppress his opponent with his reach advantage, but it's not working! Long Yuqiong's prosthetic enhancements are giving him a massive boost in reaction speed! What is Caramel Snail doing? Oh, he's trying to kite while attacking, very agile, but what can he do if he can't land a hit?"
With enhanced strength, Long Yuqiong moved like a dragonfly skimming water, effortlessly evading the suppressing sword energy. He stepped on the arm of a bio-mecha, steadily advancing as he casually tossed a stun grenade, predicting and landing it right where Caramel Snail was about to step.
"Ugh!"
Dazed and deafened by Long Yuqiong's stun grenade, Caramel Snail's vision blurred as the objects around him doubled, and he nearly slipped off the high ground.
'Guardian deity? Are you okay?' The summoned character Saga Qi was startled.
Thud!
Caramel Snail stepped into the titan's skeleton, activating an embedded frost magic scroll that forced him into a super-armor state, granting him control immunity.
"I'm fine! He's strong! I don't know…" Caramel Snail's adrenaline surged, his heartbeat racing, and his mind went blank, unable to form coherent thoughts.
Long Yuqiong's domination was terrifying.
He was unlike any previous opponent.
Long Yuqiong's strength had no blind spots.
As someone who trained tirelessly, Long Yuqiong's character was highly skilled, and his own techniques, reaction time, and tactics were top-tier.
The key was… Long Yuqiong was pure.
The Frost-Plated man with black hair and red highlights had an ordinary face, but his eyes were remarkably bright.
In them, there was only love for the game—reflected in them was Caramel Snail's own image.
'Is that reaction speed even human?'
Meanwhile, Long Yuqiong had pulled out a 30mm anti-armor cannon from his backpack. At a rate of five rounds per second, he fired steadily and relentlessly. The explosive shells triggered sensitive fuses near Caramel Snail, detonating rapidly with hundreds of grams of explosives and scattering countless fragments that engulfed Caramel Snail in fire and smoke.
The map played thrilling rock music as Long Yuqiong's close-range firing synced perfectly with the rhythm, intoxicating the audience. Hormones and adrenaline surged, washing away rationality as everyone became captives of this [Destruction] showdown and Yanxia civil war!
"Long Yuqiong! Long Yuqiong! Long Yuqiong!"
"Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!"
Supporters from both sides shouted and cheered enthusiastically.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Caramel Snail coughed, his eyes stinging from the thick smoke and fire.
Tap… Tap…
Long Yuqiong activated his tactical visor and steadily advanced through the smoke-filled battlefield, searching for Caramel Snail's figure.
People always admire and love the strong.
"Caramel Snail's health is down to one-fifth. The situation is critical. If he doesn't have any trump cards left, we might have to congratulate Long Yuqiong on his victory."
There's no way to win, right? Absolutely no way!
Caramel Snail panted heavily, hiding in the shadow of a rib bone, his mind consumed by fear.
His brain was overheating just from processing Long Yuqiong's actions. Strategy? Tactics? Health management? He couldn't focus on any of that.
Long Yuqiong wasn't an opponent he could defeat.
"Ziniu, at this rate…"
The situation had deteriorated to the point where even Xia Yubing, sitting in the audience, could see the outcome.
"Sigh, it looks like the match is decided."
Someone nearby bluntly said:
"The odds of Long Yuqiong winning the championship are already at 6.3."
"As expected, rookies are still too inexperienced."
"After all, the gap between Professionals and amateurs is huge. Look at Caramel Snail—completely suppressed. There's no chance for a comeback."
Bang!
Xia Yubing gripped the armrest, suddenly standing up and shouting loudly:
"Stop bowing your head! Show him your true power, Caramel Ziniu!!!"
Whoosh—Bang!
Long Yuqiong raised his prosthetic hand, firing a grappling hook as he soared over the sea of flames on the ground. He kicked Caramel Snail, who was peeking out from behind cover, knocking him to the ground. In one swift motion, he drew a tactical dagger from his waist and parried Caramel Snail's slash before grabbing him by the neck and throwing him over his shoulder onto the ground.
"Caramel Ziniu! Don't lose! Get up!"
Xia Yubing continued shouting encouragement, but her voice was gradually drowned out by the crowd.
"Long Yuqiong! Long Yuqiong! Long Yuqiong!"
Caramel Snail propped himself up, wiped the blood from his face, and casually peeled off a chunk of flesh, revealing pale bone. He grinned and looked up, jokingly saying:
"How pathetic… Reaching this point and still stuck."
"You've done well enough."
Surprisingly, Long Yuqiong didn't deliver the finishing blow immediately. Instead, he extended his hand to Caramel Snail:
"This is a solo competition. Let's compete with more grace."
"Haha…"
Caramel Snail was somewhat moved. As someone with social anxiety, Long Yuqiong's gesture left a strong impression on him:
"Thanks, you're really kind."
「Anyway, it's not like losing is new to you, Gio Seagull.」