Chapter 440: The Ikari Team Visits
The strong dominate everything, including designating teams to fill in for the main tournament.
If someone could truly snatch all sixteen invitation letters in one go, then there would be no need for the competition to continue.
However, strictly speaking, an unregulated outdoor free-for-all is quite different from a strict 1v1 double-elimination tournament in an arena. Winning in a free-for-all doesn't necessarily mean winning in the arena.
Additionally, this involves a series of issues related to the fighter's own wishes. Some people are aiming for the championship, some are aiming for a fight, some consider entering the main storyline a success, and some are aiming to end centuries of grievances. Everyone's goals are not consistent.
Moreover, fighters, especially the strong ones, are generally arrogant. When you choose to prove yourself in such an extreme way, there will inevitably be others who choose to end that proof by defeating you.
Furthermore, once someone has many invitation letters, it's not guaranteed that the preliminary teams will collectively rush the tower, attempting to pick up the scraps.
In short, the tournament organizers' move at least stirred up another wave of discussion.
And Cheng's team, holding two invitation letters, obviously became the current focus again.
Of course, with about one day left on the countdown, any change is not uncommon. Many people are now speculating how many imitators of Cheng will appear next, either collecting invitation letters to indirectly prove their own strength, or simply intensifying their attacks on Cheng Tian.
As for Cheng, he was switching between a dozen live channels, and after confirming the current seeded teams, he temporarily gave up on attracting group aggro.
While Cheng Tian stopped his actions, others got excited, as if to prove that they were stronger than Cheng Tian, who only relied on summons to bully the weak. In any case, the frequency of overt mutual challenges was significantly higher than the previous two days, which greatly thrilled the bloodthirsty audience.
However, what somewhat surprised the audience, and even Cheng himself, was that the Olililili team, as the first to hold two invitation letters, the most arrogant and most likely to be besieged, had instead become peaceful since then.
The team members didn't go out to fight much, and others didn't come looking for trouble, as if the entire laboratory had an invisible crowd-repelling barrier that made people unwilling to approach.
Cheng Tian was quite puzzled at first. He himself didn't plan to go out looking for trouble, but why wasn't anyone looking for his trouble?
But when the Ikari Team, still a seeded team, came knocking, Cheng Tian finally understood what was going on.
"May I ask… did Shadaloo's leader really die here with you?"
Around noon, Ralph, who had received a message from his superior, Colonel Heidern, was uncharacteristically reserved, even cautious, as he asked Cheng Tian, a departure from his usual boisterous demeanor.
As a private mercenary organization, the Ikari Team's intelligence sources were arguably the most extensive among the current participating teams, especially regarding evil organizations that caused trouble around the world, which were their key monitoring targets.
After all, their activities likely meant a demand for mercenaries, so they had to pay attention.
Seeing that the newcomers were not there to challenge him, Cheng did not immediately answer. Instead, in his capacity as a senior from the government army's legendary Falcon 004 Squad, he led the Ikari Team's trio, who were active but far from "legendary" level, towards the depths of the laboratory.
Along the way, as Ralph and his team's gaze swept over the passing puppet troops—oh, now they should be called puppet assistants—they couldn't help but exchange glances, seeing a mix of doubt and curiosity in each other's eyes.
Under the mishmash of settings, private armed mercenary organizations like the Heidern Mercenary Group had naturally clashed with Shadaloo. They had some interaction with Shadaloo's clone puppet troops, and had even killed some.
The main reason was that the situation of all members being identical clones left a deep impression.
And these assistants appearing in Cheng Tian's laboratory, although everyone used makeup, hairstyles, clothing, glasses, and other things to differentiate themselves, those familiar with them could still recognize their former identities at a glance.
If they hadn't already known some definite news, the Ikari Team trio would have definitely thought this was actually a branch of Shadaloo.
Of course, all doubts vanished upon seeing what awaited them at their destination.
Shadaloo's leader, Vega's body, barely reassembled, was silently suspended in a cultivation tank, displayed for all to see.
In a sense, the laboratory, having inherited the core elements of Shadaloo, or rather, the SIN division, was the spiritual successor of Shadaloo's experimental department. Naturally, Cheng Tian would not waste Vega's body, but first used the cultivation tank, capable of easily cultivating and hatching even dinosaurs, to prolong its preservation.
Though called the Shadow Emperor, Vega was actually quite high-profile, never hiding his true identity, making him easily recognizable. Even in his reassembled, Frankenstein-like state, he still retained a considerable degree of menace, as if he could suddenly open his eyes at any moment.
The Ikari Team trio were speechless for a moment. Knowing beforehand and witnessing it firsthand still brought different levels of shock.
"...Why are you keeping his body? Do you also want to emulate Shadaloo and commit those heinous acts that disregard human ethics?!"
As a woman, Leona was clearly more emotional than the other two 'stinky brothers.' Also having some understanding of Shadaloo's clones, Leona couldn't help but blurt out the question.
Ralph and Clark's hearts pounded, almost moving to cover Leona's mouth.
Although this was also what they suspected and worried about, wasn't asking it so directly a bit too reckless?
And frankly, we're just a mercenary organization that runs around for money, completely unrelated to the word 'justice.' Didn't you yourself kill puppet troops with your own hands!
If they could establish a connection with such a big shot who had close ties to the government army, they probably wouldn't lack mercenary jobs in the future. But if they angered him... Ralph and Clark simultaneously looked at Cheng Tian, and Cheng Tian also looked at Leona with some surprise, then raised a finger.
"I don't completely deny your question. I'm not against human cloning, but my main business is actually hatching and manufacturing combat dinosaur mounts. The industrial chain is very mature, and for now, there's no need to expand into other business areas.
Furthermore, these existing Vega clones all have more or less genetic defects, and with accelerated growth, their lifespan is far below normal human levels. If I want to repair these genetic defects, Vega's body still needs to be preserved and studied.
Also, if I really wanted to hide it, I wouldn't just let you see it."
Cheng Tian's candor indeed left people with nothing to refute. And ultimately, they had no right to criticize Cheng Tian's organization and research.
If they truly disliked clones, what the hell were they doing before?
Oh, Shadaloo was powerful, so they didn't dare to act directly. But now Cheng Tian destroyed Shadaloo's leader and indirectly took over Shadaloo, yet they dared to openly rebuke him?
Then didn't I destroy Shadaloo for nothing?
However, at this point, Cheng Tian, completely devoid of any anger, changed the subject and directly proposed something that made the Ikari Team temporarily unable to decisively refuse.
"Are you interested in leaving some DNA to help you cultivate some replaceable limb components?"