The difficulty of this mission is extremely high, and the danger is even more pronounced.
In a world where Ability Users are common and have formed a complete industrial chain, from the start of the Game until now, the number of Players has never been disclosed.
So, in the worst-case scenario, the number of Players participating this time could be unprecedented.
Moreover, if we only consider Players as competitive threats, it would be wise to exit early.
The significance of the ‘Hero King Cup’ for the entire industry is self-evident; there are only a handful of top Heroes, and no matter how fiercely their fans may argue, there is no concrete conclusion.
Unlike the traditional idol industry, where there is no clear ranking, Heroes, in essence, are akin to competitive athletes. Due to their unique nature, there can be a unified standard for measurement.
While outward popularity is certainly the most important aspect of today’s Hero idol culture, everything is built on the foundation of absolute strength. Unlike the traditional idol industry, there is absolutely no possibility of ambiguous positioning.
Previously, there was a tacit understanding within the industry not to delve into the rankings of Hero strength, but this time, capital has reached a consensus.
Thus, in the pursuit of the top spot and the benefits represented by the leading Hero, every entertainment company will spare no expense, even taking risks.
Take Bullethead as an example; he is merely the top star of a medium-sized agency, but aside from his immature combat skills, his Ability is already superior to many Intermediate Players.
And there are certainly numerous Heroes who are more outstanding than Bullethead in this world. These are the competitors for the Players, and they are backed by substantial capital and connections. Players cannot expect that only they will resort to dirty tactics.
In this way, it is already a tremendous challenge for Players to win the Hero King Cup, but Lu Qingjia’s assertion is that his ambitions go beyond that.
An Extreme Game Player said, “I admit your skills; after all, in less than half a day, you’ve gone from a pitiful nobody with no backing to a player controlling the game. That’s quite an achievement.”
“But do you really think this level of ability can sway the game? There are more than one Hero with comparable or even superior conditions to yours. You don’t have an absolute advantage; isn’t it too early to boast?”
Lu Qingjia did not feel embarrassed; he smiled, “You Extreme Game Players have grown up in an environment where only the fittest survive, so you naturally have your own set of judgment standards.”
“Indeed, my chances of winning seem slim, and due to my early exposure and high profile, perhaps other Players and competitors with ulterior motives will prioritize eliminating me.”
“I contacted you just to offer you another option.” Lu Qingjia looked at him, noticing the blue skin around the Extreme Game Player’s wrist and eyes.
Zhong Liyu had mentioned that this type of person is generally accompanied by potent toxins and is highly aggressive.
Lu Qingjia continued, “You’ve never engaged in betting on both sides, have you? I don’t mind if partners switch sides based on conditions; after all, your timing is relatively late. Why not take a look before deciding?”
The other party stared at Lu Qingjia for a moment, then chuckled, “Are all you Horror Game Players this arrogant?”
“It seems like you don’t have many chips to choose from, yet you look like you already know the outcome.”
Lu Qingjia replied, “What value is there in a plan that you don’t even have confidence in yourself?”
The toxic-skinned person nodded, “Alright, since you’ve said that, what reason do I have not to consider cooperation?”
“After all, you Horror Game Players have grand ambitions. Those who can become exchange students usually come from well-off backgrounds. I’m looking forward to your performance.”
Lu Qingjia ignored the sarcasm in his tone and handed him a storage card: “Everything I need you to cooperate on is in here. Unless something unexpected happens, there shouldn’t be much to add or subtract. If the situation changes, I’ll find a way to contact you.”
The other party nodded, took the item, and left the graveyard. After a while, Lu Qingjia also walked out, hailing a taxi to the rental apartment arranged by his assistant.
The apartment is located in a newly developed area in a prime residential district, with over two hundred units in total. One wall is a panoramic floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling city.
The household items were newly purchased, and there was a cat nest, cat climbing frame, and various cat toys set up.
However, perhaps due to just being neutered, the black cat was lazy and uninterested in the toys and climbing frame, instead clinging to Lu Qingjia’s hand, seeking comfort.
Lu Qingjia thought to himself that he didn’t even know the black cat’s name, but he couldn’t keep calling it “cat” forever.
He lifted the black cat in front of him: “How about I give you a name?”
The black cat stretched out its little paw to bat at him, but its short limbs couldn’t reach, and it became a bit anxious.
Then Lu Qingjia called out, “Char Siu, how about I call you Char Siu from now on?”
The black cat froze, its strong reflexes preventing it from showing any signs of weakness, instead tilting its head in a curious manner.
Lu Qingjia laughed, “Looks like you like it.”
“Char Siu! Char Siu! Hey, when I call you Char Siu, you should respond!”
To help the cat adapt, Lu Qingjia deliberately used treats and toys to teach it slowly, rewarding it with a reaction when he called “Char Siu.”
Zhong Liyu allowed the cat’s instincts to guide it, gradually cooperating with Lu Qingjia’s training.
Tears flowed in his heart; although he had often been scolded as a beast in the past, it never hurt. Who would have thought today would come?
In his mind, two real beasts were rolling with laughter. If it weren’t for Jiajia’s hand being too enchanting, he would have already dived into the Main God Space to get those two beasts neutered.
In the following time, aside from managing the company and petting the cat, Lu Qingjia spent most of his time mingling with the Heroes in the company.
To be honest, before becoming an Intermediate Player, opportunities to see different Abilities were rare.
In a low-level instance, having one or two Players with Abilities was considered good. By the time he reached the Intermediate Level Game, Lu Qingjia had only experienced one instance, so in a sense, his exposure was quite limited.
However, in this world, Ability Users were rampant. Not to mention the issue of strength, they could indeed provide Lu Qingjia with direct references.
Although the Hero idol system limited many Ability Users’ development ideas, human imagination and creativity should not be underestimated.
Just spending a few days with the Heroes within the company, Lu Qingjia felt he had gained a lot.
Moreover, the boss’s friendliness gave the company’s Heroes a greater sense of belonging and added a layer of confidence for the future.
Recently, Xingxing Company has been very high-profile online. Aside from the developments regarding President Zou, the rebranding of many Heroes within the company has also been eye-catching.
It has made the public lament that this company still has many hidden gems, thus turning a crisis into an opportunity. Xingxing’s momentum and valuation not only remained unaffected but also rose further.
During this time, Lu Qingjia, as a member of the Hero King Cup’s funding party, also attended many meetings.
As expected, there were more than one person like him who was both a Hero and a funder. Naturally, top-tier Heroes also had identities that allowed them to accumulate capital.
Thus, the promotion of the Hero King Cup was in full swing, with advertisements on bus stop billboards, promotional videos in shopping malls, and countless fluttering flags. Almost every app’s splash screen featured ads, along with looping news broadcasts.
To put it bluntly, the scale of this promotion surpassed even that of the original Olympics.
The grand opening ceremony was dazzling, and the visual effects that today’s technology and Ability Users could create were unprecedented.
This first ‘Hero King Cup’ is the first time so many Heroes have gathered, and the scale and visual feast it brings are unparalleled in human history.
Of course, if this case is successful, perhaps foreign countries will follow suit, and a global gathering of Heroes may not be out of reach.
After the opening ceremony performance, the Heroes from each agency took the stage.
Lu Qingjia and his group were neither at the front nor the back. Since Lu Qingjia had promised that all participants would receive rewards, almost all Heroes from the company signed up, except for a few who were genuinely uninterested.
Thus, although Xingxing Company is not large in scale, its number of participants ranked among the top three.
Additionally, Lu Qingjia had recently rebranded the Heroes, so aside from a few already popular Heroes, even the less famous ones were now dressed in sharp, stylish uniforms, with unique designs that caught the eye.
Those who signed contracts to become professional Heroes, aside from a few who took special routes, generally did not look bad. If it weren’t for Xingxing Company’s previous outrageous operations, many Heroes’ public images wouldn’t have been so ridiculous. Even those whose strength wasn’t outstanding could rely on their appearance to gain some fans and live comfortably.
However, the previous disfiguring packaging by Xingxing Company brought a huge contrast effect to many Heroes’ appearances this time.
Walking at the forefront, Lu Qingjia and Bullethead had recently been quite popular, and as soon as they appeared, fans erupted in deafening screams.
“Mudslide!!!”
“Bullethead, Bullethead, Mommy loves you!!”
“Frost Man, did Frost Man change uniforms and styles? Ah, I’m dead, so handsome!!!”
“Who’s that handsome guy in the back? A new face.”
In such a grand event, with many Heroes gathered, aside from the love faction, it was naturally a battleground for die-hard fans.
Although the organizers had initially stated the rules to maintain order in the venue, prohibiting insults and physical disputes, it did not prevent fans from engaging in nasty tactics against each other.
Bullethead’s previous marketing strategy of stepping on others naturally offended many.
As one side screamed, a group of fans began to boo in unison.
A loud voice shouted, “Is Xingxing Company pulling out all the shrimp soldiers and crab generals?”
“Don’t say that; their company only has small fish and shrimp. It’s not suitable to choose anyone, so why not just bring them all out?”
Laughter erupted around.
Since Bullethead could harvest traffic through stepping on others, his fans were certainly not pushovers.
At that moment, both sides began to argue.
“What’s with the support boards? Wouldn’t it be better to save that money to buy your star a better combat uniform?”
“Hey, don’t say that; they’ve been patching up their small workshop for three years. How could they afford it?”
“The uniforms worn by small fish and shrimp have better design than your top star’s. Your top star must be envious of their outfits.”
“By the way, the former president of Xingxing Company died. How many Heroes did that delay?”
“Woo woo woo! That Hero in the back is totally my type; the former president’s planning has gone to waste.”
“Who said Mudslide got to the top because of looks? He’s simply a savior for Xingxing.”
“Are you kidding? What’s the use of looking flashy? If they can squeeze into the preliminaries, that’s impressive.”
The disputes in the audience did not significantly affect the Heroes on stage, as the venue was too large and the distance too far.
Bullethead couldn’t help but say to Lu Qingjia, “That’s a harsh truth, but there’s some reason to it. If only one or two of us make it to the second round, that would be embarrassing.”
Lu Qingjia replied, “I don’t care about others, but if you can’t even make it past this, I’ll have to seriously reconsider your personal contract.”
Bullethead stiffened, indignantly saying, “Don’t underestimate me; I’ve been reflecting and have made significant progress recently.”
“Let’s hope so!” Lu Qingjia patted his shoulder, “I have high hopes for you; your Ability should bring a lot of convenience.”
“But if you can’t alleviate the boss’s burdens due to carelessness, what use is such an employee?”
Before Bullethead could respond, the audience erupted in excited gasps.
Among them were shouts of “I’m shipping it, I’m shipping it,” “The wealthy boss and young talent are truly a match,” “Mudslide is so A, huh?” “Bullethead, you better fight back.”
Bullethead’s face turned red, and he couldn’t afford to let his expression management fail in front of the cameras, so he quickly lowered his head, making him appear even more bashful.
On the other hand, Lu Qingjia remained unfazed, his smile growing even more gentle. When the big screen switched to him, his flawless beauty made even those who had no fondness for him let out low gasps.
But those who knew him, like the cat currently in the contestant lounge, scratching the carpet to shreds while watching the live stream, shivered at this expression—
It seemed Jiajia was genuinely angry about this.
After the opening ceremony concluded, the first round of qualification selection began in earnest.
It wasn’t enough to simply sign up to truly compete for the Hero King; with so many Heroes in the circle, while participation was encouraged, many who were clearly unqualified wouldn’t waste much time in the initial screening.
Thus, the first round would eliminate the vast majority, leaving only 101 people to enter the second round of concentrated selection.
This process is essentially similar to previous talent shows, just dressed in the guise of Heroes and strength, with a fresh appeal.
These 101 people would compete against each other until the finals, where they would have the chance to compete against the Demon King contestants.
The so-called Demon King contestants, since the Hero circle is similar to the previous entertainment industry, naturally cannot treat the best actors and actresses the same as those at the bottom.
Therefore, the organizing committee had early on selected eight Demon King contestants, consisting of three long-established Heroes with over ten years of fame and five top-tier Heroes with significant achievements today.
Lu Qingjia looked at the positions of those eight Demon King contestants, confirming with a glance that at least two of them were Players.
The number of Players among the Heroes in the venue was even more staggering; just from what Lu Qingjia saw, there were at least thirty, including those from other factions and those who, for maximum profit, formed teams and hid in the shadows without participating in the competition.
This was no mere exchange student instance; it could almost be considered an internal competition among Intermediate Players from the three major games.
With the host’s exaggerated explanations and the sound of a gunshot, all Players exited from the surrounding passageways.
The rules for the first round of selection were simple: the organizing committee had set up 101 flags throughout the city.
There were no restrictions; after three hours, only the Heroes who possessed flags would qualify for the concentrated selection.
Each person could only seize one flag at most; otherwise, they would lose their qualification. This was likely to prevent powerful Heroes from using the flags to eliminate too many people right from the start, leading to insufficient participants and diminishing the event’s appeal.
Lu Qingjia and Bullethead exited the venue together and saw various Heroes scattering in different directions.
The lack of restrictions meant that Heroes could also seek external assistance. As soon as the rules were announced, various agencies had already mobilized, using their drones and various intelligence sources to determine the locations of the flags.
Thus, the focus of this initial screening was not to find flags but to seize them from each other, essentially a real-life test of strength to filter out the weaker participants.
Xingxing Company naturally provided coordinates for dozens of flags. Lu Qingjia said to the others, “Let’s split up for now; you can team up based on your strengths, but be careful.”
The group dispersed, and Bullethead warmed up, saying to him, “The farthest flag’s coordinates given by the company are sixty kilometers away. I can get there in just ten minutes; I should be the fastest. Do you want me to grab one for you too?”
Lu Qingjia smiled, “If you’re going for the farthest one, then I’ll go for the nearest.”
Bullethead was taken aback, “Are you serious?”
The nearest flag was less than five hundred meters from the venue and quite conspicuous. Any agency with a functioning brain could spot it, and many Heroes were likely already rushing there. By choosing this flag, Lu Qingjia was practically opting for a direct confrontation with numerous Heroes.
To be honest, Bullethead thought it was unnecessary.
But Lu Qingjia insisted, “It’s necessary; if you want to win, creating momentum from the start is essential.”
With that, he dashed out quickly. Bullethead was startled; while his sprinting speed couldn’t compare to Lu Qingjia’s, it was already fast enough to rival some speed-type Heroes. Was Mudslide this fast?
Lu Qingjia’s new Hero uniform was a black, fish-scale mesh bodysuit made of elastic material, somewhat reminiscent of the suits seen in Western superhero movies—extremely simple yet incredibly sexy.
It perfectly showcased Lu Qingjia’s flawless physique, highlighting his long legs, narrow waist, and shapely rear without any unnecessary capes for decoration. He only had a functional pouch strapped to his thigh, and the black elastic leg bands wrapped around his well-defined thigh muscles, making it hard for anyone to look away.
He moved quickly, reaching the nearest flag placement site in just a few seconds.
From a distance, one could see a flag the size of an A4 paper fluttering in the wind.
Several Heroes were already approaching that flag and had begun fighting on the rooftop, with many others lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity.
But they weren’t targeting the flag; they were targeting him.
Lu Qingjia’s palms oozed Sludge as he walked, spreading it out casually with a somewhat nonchalant pace.
At this moment, the massive stadium serving as the venue was faithfully recording the Heroes’ performances.
Among them, Mudslide was currently the hottest topic, so the cameras were naturally focused on him.
The Heroes in Lu Qingjia’s blind spot were clearly visible to the audience.
“One, two, three… forty-five? Damn, don’t these people know that the closer they get to the obvious flag, the more people will be competing for it? Can’t they take a few more steps?”
“No, what’s Mudslide trying to pull? People are fighting above him, and there are so many around; why is he strolling around like it’s a market?”
“Idiot, can’t you see the Sludge under his feet? He’s probably setting a trap to grab the flag.”
“If he’s going to set a trap, he should go upstairs. The area around the entire building is so large; how much Sludge can he cover? By the time he’s done setting it up, everyone will have run away.”
“Hey, at least look at Bullethead; the Power User and the Shapeshifter are also here. This slowpoke ability really isn’t impressive.”
“Haha, I love hearing you people who don’t understand act like you do. Idiots, look at the people around Mudslide; where are they looking? Aside from those fighting on the rooftop, the others aren’t even heading for the flag.”
“I find it strange; if they really wanted to grab the flag, with such fierce competition, they should have rushed to other places. None of the Heroes watching are particularly outstanding; they should have the self-awareness that they lack competitiveness.”
“But looking at their expressions, they’re glancing at the flag far less than they are at Mudslide.”
“No way? Is Mudslide that popular? Did other agencies send so many pawns just to deal with him?”
“Is that surprising? During the last Bullethead rescue incident, Mudslide’s displayed strength and combat thinking were not lacking. Now that he’s also gained capital, even if winning the Hero King seems unlikely, making it to the top ranks shouldn’t be too difficult. That’s enough to block many people’s paths.”
“Look, those people are moving.”
Mudslide directly stepped onto the outer wall of the building. It was unclear if it was a new method of using Sludge, but he walked on the outer wall of the skyscraper as if it were solid ground.
He was already more than ten meters off the ground, and many of the heroes trying to snipe him lacked the Ability to fight in mid-air. Thus, the first person made a move, and soon after, it was as if a signal had been sent out.
Those individuals avoided the Sludge that had not yet fully spread and unleashed their Abilities, aiming to bring Mudslide down from the sky.
However, just as they launched their attacks, the opponent revealed a smile: “Have you all stepped into the cage? This makes it easier to catch you.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the previously slow-moving Sludge suddenly accelerated, spreading out like a flood. Centered around the tall building, it instantly engulfed the nearby structures, extending its diameter to at least several hundred meters.
Just as everyone’s attacks were about to reach their target, a wall of Sludge appeared in front of Mudslide, blocking all of them.
Then, the Sludge began to close in, resembling a gigantic black lotus flower, with the tall building at its center serving as the flower’s core. Within this range, no hero could escape the encirclement without the speed of Bullethead.
Thus, in this vast venue, this scene captured the attention of all the spectators, even if other screens displayed their own cooking.
The spectacle was too grand; the massive Sludge closed in like a dark cloud, enveloping the entire building. The audience had never witnessed a display of such a large-scale Ability.
Many began to recall the official data on Mudslide, which clearly stated that his Sludge extension range was at most fifty meters, and at fifty meters, it would almost stretch into a line.
But this was directly submerging a plaza, extending over a hundred meters into the sky, with a vast area covered seamlessly—what kind of Ability was this?
When the Sludge receded, Mudslide was already back on the ground, holding a flag in his hand. The remaining heroes, including the dozens who had been tangled up on the rooftop, lay sprawled on the ground like corpses.
Once the Sludge had completely retracted and the ground was tidy again, everything that had happened seemed like a hallucination.
The venue was silent. To be honest, there were indeed heroes with even more formidable Abilities, but none had ever produced such a stunning visual effect before.
A few hundred meters away from the venue, the crowd soon spotted Mudslide at the entrance of the exhibition hall.
He still wore a simple black uniform that exuded an ascetic sensuality, casually holding the flag in his hand, his gait still graceful.
There was not a hint of excitement on his face for being first; it was as if it were only natural.
However, at that moment, the venue erupted with thunderous applause and screams—
“Ah!!! Mudslide!!!”
“Shocking my mom, is Mudslide really this strong?”
“His ultimate move is so magnificent!”
“The executives of Stellar Origin are still coming out to whip the corpse; damn, what have they done? What kind of Hero have they wasted?”
“No, I will never doubt Mudslide’s reputation again; he deserves this many companies working together to eliminate him.”
“Is there anyone who hasn’t placed their bets? It’s still not too late, but the odds for Mudslide online have already changed.”
The author has something to say:
Green Char Siu: “Cheer for my Jiajia!!!!”
