Su Chen quickly walked up to Little Herta.
He carefully observed her. After a year away completing some scientific research, the little genius hadn't changed at all.
She was still as delicate and cute as ever.
"Little Herta showing up is perfect timing!"
"Hey, hey, hey." Little Herta distastefully scooted away and crossed her arms, looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
"My name is Herta. You don't need to deliberately add 'Little' in front of my name."
Su Chen paused, then tentatively asked, "What about Big Herta?"
"She didn't explain it to you? In our family, anyone with ability is granted the name Herta, but only the most perfect Herta can be called Big Herta." Little Herta crossed her arms, her eyes filled with anticipation. "It won't be long before I become Big Herta."
Su Chen was confused. "You? Big Herta? Soon?"
"Ruan Mei and I accidentally created a drug during our experiments that can accelerate human growth."
Su Chen's eye twitched. Has the plot finally taken a turn toward the supernatural?
Wait, no. Didn't eating that thing make people shrink? How did it make her grow? Did the version update?
He couldn't help but complain, "That's not right. I've only heard of things that make you shrink. How did it make you grow instead? Did the version get updated? Have you tested it?"
Herta nodded. "We tested it. No problems. Cyrene really did grow quite a bit after taking it."
"So that's where she's been all this time. I was wondering."
"Alright, enough about that. Tell me why you're looking at me so sincerely."
"It's just a simple competition. And… Big Herta is also among the participants…"
After a brief explanation, Su Chen officially extended the invitation to Little Herta.
Little Herta thought for a moment, then raised her chin in agreement.
Sparkle counted on her fingers and smiled so widely her eyes curved into crescents. "This team is going to be quite lively."
With that, the four-person team was finally complete.
They immediately began discussing the configurations and strategies of the other teams.
Su Chen pointed at himself. "I'll obviously be the captain. Little Herta will be the strategist, Mydei will handle combat, and Sparkle, you'll be in charge of taunting. That settles it…"
— —
The next day, at the Penacony Grand Theater.
Under the dazzling dome, dreamlike stage lights suddenly lit up, pushing the atmosphere of the venue to its peak.
This was not just a competition — it was a grand live broadcast.
A spotlight suddenly shone down, illuminating the figure wearing a large snowy owl headpiece in the center of the stage.
Owlbert spread his arms and announced:
"Welcome, everyone, to this gathering of brilliant stars! Now, let us introduce the eight teams that will be taking the stage!"
"They are — Firefly's Team, Cas's Team, Aglaea's Team, Big Herta's Team, Phainon's Team, Feixiao's Team, Acheron's Team… and the greatest of them all — the Boss Team!"
The moment he finished speaking, the live chat exploded.
[What the hell?! Boss Team? What kind of name is that? Are you serious, Director Zhen?]
[So who's actually on the Boss Team? Don't tell me it's Sunday…]
[I'll bet one coin it's Jade!]
[By the way, which team did everyone bet on? I all-in'd on Acheron. Her story power is seriously broken!]
[I don't care, I'll always support my Firefly!]
[You guys are thinking too small! This is the ultimate grudge match! Didn't you see Anaxa is on Big Herta's team? Aglaea is also competing! The Trailblazer siblings got separated! Phainon and Mydei are mortal enemies! And now Little Herta and Big Herta… I declare the hype level is maxed out!]
On stage, Owlbert cleared his throat and began explaining the rules.
"Alright, contestants. The competition is about to begin! The rules are simple. Each contestant has two 'lives.' Once they're depleted, you're eliminated."
He paused deliberately for dramatic effect.
"However… teammates from the same team can 'lend lives' to each other! Of course, if an entire team is eliminated, they're considered completely out!"
"Now, please enjoy the first round of the competition — Arm Wrestling!"
The danmu instantly turned into a sea of joy.
[Hahahaha! Arm wrestling?! I thought we were going to see a full-on fight to the death!]
[I admit I still underestimated the organizers' imagination.]
[Making a bunch of beautiful girls arm wrestle? Which genius came up with this idea?]
[Lady Herta is invincible! Lady Herta is peerless in beauty! Lady Herta is incredibly intelligent!]
[Buddy in front, your last-minute flattery is useless. It's not like Lady Herta is going to compete herself, right?]
[Who says beautiful girls can't arm wrestle?]
Upon hearing this ridiculous rule, Su Chen's eyelid twitched violently. He looked at his team's lineup and immediately spoke up.
"How about I go for this round?"
"No need." Mydei pressed down on Su Chen's shoulder.
"The dictionary of Castrum Kremnos does not contain the word 'retreat'! This kind of pure strength competition suits me perfectly."
Su Chen's mouth twitched as he tried to dissuade him. "No, Mydei, listen to me. There's a trap in this event. You really can't win."
Mydei frowned, thinking Su Chen was doubting his strength. "Are you looking down on me? Hmph. In the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are nothing but jokes! Even if Phainon himself steps up, I can still fight him!"
"The problem is, your opponent isn't Phainon!" Su Chen lowered his voice, his expression strange. "You might be up against someone… you would never expect."
"Oh?" Sparkle leaned in from the side, stirring the pot with glee.
"Not Phainon? Then who could it be? Some muscle-bound guy that even scares you?"
Sparkle's provocation completely ignited Mydei's pride.
"Enough!" He stood up abruptly, cutting off everything Su Chen wanted to say. "Victory in the first round belongs to me — Mydeimos!"
With that, he strode confidently toward the center of the stage.
Su Chen silently covered his face.
"You don't look like you're worried about losing the match," Little Herta said sharply while crossing her arms. "You look more like… you've already foreseen something extremely embarrassing."
Su Chen lowered his hand and let out a long sigh, his voice low enough that only the two beside him could hear.
"I'm not afraid of losing."
"I'm afraid that Mydei… is going to want to crawl into a hole afterward…"
— —