The rocket launcher’s overwhelming firepower left Libra no chance for a comeback. He accepted defeat gracefully.
In less than five seconds, Sophie had fully healed Libra, restoring him to perfect condition.
“Mike, well done.” Libra patted the dust off his clothes, shaking his head with a wry smile. “In a way, before today, that was the most suitable fighting style for you.”
Mike’s strengths and weaknesses were clear. His strengths lay in his wind mage mobility, exceptional evasion, and top-tier survivability. His weakness, like traditional wind mages, was low damage.
Powerful mechanical equipment compensated for this deficiency!
In other words, Mike transformed into a battlefield bomber! Highly mobile, dealing damage with scrolls and mechanical weaponry.
“This method is certainly effective at this stage. Strange, why haven’t I seen it before?” Libra mused, quickly realizing the issue.
The key to replicating Mike’s combat effectiveness was: *Money!* With enough money, Mike was practically invincible below Lord tier! Money made him strong!
Libra asked curiously, “Mike, that rocket launcher wasn’t cheap, was it?”
Mike readily admitted, “Yeah, the latest product from the Sixth Abyss Research Institute. Each shot is comparable to a Chief’s peak attack. The basic model alone costs 35 million gold coins, comes with 12 shells, and each shell sells for at least 3 million gold coins individually!”
“Wow-” Everyone gasped, stunned by Mike’s financial power.
Libra voiced the question on everyone’s minds. “Mike, how are you so rich?”
“Oh, didn’t you participate in the previous tournament?” Mike explained. “I won a ring that grants me 2% of Big Stone Maxen’s income!”
So that was it! 2% of Nine-Star Lord Maxen’s income? Mike could afford not just a 35 million gold coin launcher, but ten times that!
“Big Stone?” Sophie sounded intrigued. “That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone call Mr. Maxen that.”
Clearly, they were familiar with Maxen, perhaps even connected in some way. Moreover, after three centuries of the Tower of Truth, people had observed that the offspring of powerful individuals had a higher success rate. Even if the children of two Lords did nothing but sleep all day, they could easily become Generals.
With the mystery solved, Libra remarked, “You should thank Maxen properly.”
Mike agreed. “Indeed, I should make time to thank him.”
Having witnessed Mike’s financial prowess, everyone quickly understood. Why couldn’t this fighting style be more widespread?
Financial resources were one factor, of course. The other was that using money to gain strength had a limit. That limit was Lord tier. More precisely, Nine-Star Lord! At that level, one had to rely on oneself.
Everyone present was already at the peak of their peers, but how many would reach Nine-Star Lord remained uncertain. They were experiencing a supreme power era, after all! According to incomplete official statistics, among the four supreme power eras, Thor’s had the greatest impact so far!
The Morpheus era, known as the Golden Generation, produced countless powerful individuals who supported humanity through its darkest times.
The Ares era, known as the Silver Generation, while having fewer renowned powerhouses, saw a surge in Chiefs and Lords, forming the backbone of the current forces.
The Apollo era was unusually quiet, but the emergence of the Mystic Market revolutionized resource allocation across humanity, ensuring optimal utilization of both people and
resources.
Hence the saying: *One Mystic Market is worth half a supreme power!* As long as the Mystic Market existed, the Apollo era’s influence would persist.
And the Thor era had defied all expectations! Some were already comparing them to the Golden Generation! In less than two months, some geniuses had already reached Chief-tier combat strength! Even in the Golden Generation, this would have been a remarkable achievement!
This phenomenon was understandable. On the one hand, the Mystic Market and the improved environment for humanity provided better growth opportunities for the new generation of geniuses.
The Golden Generation grew on the battlefield, not in schools. On the other hand, the SSSS- rank conquests initiated by Thor brought countless powerful buffs to humanity! These factors contributed to the emergence of such exceptional talent.
“Mike, you could modify your approach,” Libra suggested after some thought. “Since we’re a combat team, the five of us will be fighting together for a long time. You could adapt your style to incorporate more teamwork.”
That was a good idea. Since his debut, Mike hadn’t been particularly adept at coordinated combat. Libra’s suggestion was practical.
“One at a time. Blackdragon, you’re up.”
Although wind mages were generally weak, they had centuries of development. Libra purchased a batch of custom combat suits from the university’s Mystic Market branch. These suits were designed for high-speed movement and could carry passengers!
The Mystic Market was efficient. Within half an hour, the suits were delivered. Mike glanced at them, immediately grasping the principle. A rune on the left shoulder, infused with wind element, allowed for efficient carrying and movement.
Everyone changed into the suits, experimenting with coordination alongside Mike. Starting with Blackdragon, Mike carried him around the arena at high speed for over ten minutes. Upon landing, even with Blackdragon’s physical conditioning, his legs felt weak.
Sophie asked, trembling slightly, “Mike, do you always run this fast?”
Mike chuckled. *This is nothing! I can go even faster!*
To address their curiosity, he explained, “Besides wind element, I also have a Shadow element class. It’s reasonable for me to be a bit faster, right?” He added, “Please keep this a
secret!”
Everyone expressed understanding. Libra couldn’t help but sigh, “Mike, how many more surprises do you have in store for us?”
With Blackdragon’s first high-speed flight experience concluded, Mike looked at the remaining three. “Who’s next?”
“Candy!” Libra decided. “If we can move Candy at high speed during combat, the destructive potential would be immense!” Candy’s damage output was what Libra valued most. If she could complement Mike’s strengths, Star Class Three’s combat power would significantly
increase!
“Okay, I’ll start slow.” Considering her physique, Mike deliberately reduced his speed. Even so, Candy’s face alternated between red and white.
Half a minute later, Mike set Candy back down. Everyone gathered around, eager to hear
about her experience.
Candy opened her mouth. “Blech-”
…
“Breakfast must have been quite the feast,” Blackdragon commented dryly.
Everyone stared at him, their shock evident. *This guy is so weird!*
Sophie led Candy aside, providing healing and comfort. Cleaning robots moved in to tidy up
the mess.
Libra frowned. “It’s a shame Candy gets airsick. Such a waste.” She couldn’t even handle this speed. A mobile artillery platform was out of the question. Static damage dealing it was, then.
Candy recovered slightly, her face pale. “Not just airsick. Carsick, seasick too. I’ve had this problem since I was little…”
Everyone stared at Candy, shocked once again. *She’s not stuttering?*
Candy looked at them, puzzled. “What? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Sophie asked tentatively, “Didn’t you notice anything different?”
“No, just a bit hungry.” Candy rubbed her stomach. Breakfast was a waste. Suddenly, she realized, excitedly exclaiming, “I, I, I…” *And she’s back to stuttering!*
Everyone facepalmed, exasperated.
“However, this is interesting…” Libra mused. “If airsickness and vomiting can cure Candy’s
stutter, it could become our strongest combo!”
Mike: ???
*Did you hear what you just said?*
Seeing Mike’s confusion, Libra explained, “Candy’s damage output is terrifying. The only
thing limiting it is her speech.”
*Speech?* Mike looked at Candy, her talent appearing before his eyes:
[*SS-rank talent ‘Multi-Chant’: Can repeatedly cast spells using different languages. The
more languages used, the stronger the skill.*]
Chanting in two languages granted a 15% boost, three languages 35%… Moreover, chanting in powerful languages provided special bonuses!
For example, each of the Nine Races granted a corresponding enhancement. Chanting in the blood clan language added omnivorous life steal… This talent was top-tier even among SS-
rank talents. If only someone else had it…
In a way, Candy and “Multi-Chant” were a tragically ironic pairing. Her stutter, limiting her output, had placed her at the bottom of the SS-rank training camp.
Libra vaguely described Candy’s talent, only mentioning that the faster she spoke, the higher
her damage.
Mike nodded slowly. “I see.”
A complete combat strategy emerged:
Step 1: Mike airdrops Candy to a safe location.
Step 2: Candy gets the “Vomiting” debuff, removing the “Stuttering” debuff.
Step 3: Candy uses Multi-Chant, dealing massive damage… “Interesting.” Mike’s fingers twitched. He looked at Candy. “Wanna try?”
Candy: “…”
*Did you consider the executor’s feelings when designing this strategy?*
However, the battlefield was a matter of life and death. Those who stepped onto it must not
only be prepared to kill but also to be killed. Faced with such stakes, what was a little
vomiting? Feeling slightly better, Candy embarked on her second flight of fancy. To replicate the previous scenario, Mike even followed the exact same flight path and speed!
Half a minute later, Candy landed, looking as before. After vomiting, she tried to speak. “L-1-
let me t-try. I-I-I’m not st-stuttering! Th-that’s gr-…” Before she could finish, Candy’s eyes
rolled back, and she fainted.
Everyone: “…”
After a moment of silence, Libra said, “Let’s end today’s experiment here.” Through repeated
trials, they had found a way to address Candy’s stutter, albeit a rather unorthodox one.
If they could solve her stuttering problem, Candy’s combat power would increase tenfold! This was fantastic news for Star Class Three.
Mike suggested, “Have Candy get a medical checkup later to figure out the scientific principle behind this.” This method was unsustainable and mentally taxing for Candy.
With the morning training concluded, they participated in group training in the afternoon. As agreed, the others put in the effort while Mike coasted.
Even so, their performance earned the instructor’s approval. After all, achieving this level
with
a D-rank talent like Mike was impressive!
After training, they dispersed, preparing for the evening’s Tower of Truth challenge.