Novel Bin Chapter 115 - Discussing Swords
Chapter 115 - Discussing Swords
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
Eleven o’clock at night.
Wu Jin rubbed his eyes, then accepted the soup and politely thanked Vera before saying goodbye.
The White Rose trembled slightly when she handed over the heat preservation box, her face suffused with a happy light, but her gaze soon turned critical when she looked at Wei Shi.
He was too tall! Little Witch would suffer! Deduct 10 points.
Icy face, not gentle, and those muscles! Her son with his small arms and legs would be bullied to tears, and mama would be full of heartache! Deduct 10 points.
And he insisted on a duel! This was purposely planning to beat up Little Witch in public! Deduct 100 points.
The more Vera looked, the more dissatisfied she was.
Seducing Little Witch and doing these things in the training room! Old fox! Deduct 100 points! And, this was mama’s most beloved small, round face! How would Little Witch be able to continue his cute genes like this! Deduct, deduct, deduct it all––
Wei Shi ignored her completely and indifferently started to lead Wu Jin back.
Wu Jin followed him obediently.
Wei Shi: “You really didn’t blink.”
Wu Jin was very serious, “Yeah!”
Wei Shi signaled for Wu Jin to hand over the soup. Wu Jin hugged it and hesitated, “This is Miss Vera’s goodwill..”
The big boss’s expression didn’t change at all. “Put the soup in my hands and rub your eyes.”
Wu Jin realized what he meant and obediently started on his eye exercises. The fragrance from the sweet soup drifted out of the heat preservation box, and Wu Jin sniffed, then moved closer to the big boss.
Wei Shi looked at the Wu Jin who was rubbing his gurgling stomach, and his eyebrows went up slightly.
Vera returned to her North Tower dorm room at the last minute before curfew in a daze. She encountered the Ning Fengbei, who’d just finished applying a face mask and had a glowing, almost fluorescent face, in the doorway.
Vera immediately straightened her back and activated her goddess attack mode, only heading off to sleep after a series of verbal attacks––
Then, she plopped down on the bed like a salted fish.
Vera struggled to flick her fins and pulled out her terminal. She used her alt account to send out a long string of yingyingyingyingyingyingyings.
Ten minutes earlier:
Wu Jin’s small face was flushed red as he stuttered.
“We’re in a normal relationship, it’s just that we haven’t disclosed it to the outside world for the time being...”
A normal relationship.
Normal.
Nor... This was the cub that she’d raised up wuwuwuwwu! From his first elimination match, when he was so silly he was turning around in circles, she’d already started raising him up! He was such a little one back then! Soft and fluffy, like a rabbit in the wolf’s den when he joined the Crosson Show!
She helped him with the rankings every night! And added popularity to his trending topics! And paid writers and bought assistance! And canvassed votes! And wrote rainbow farts! And signed up for the Crosson co-op tour <500 Idols Around The Stars>! She’d worked so hard every day to finish these tasks, spend money, and it was all so that her cub could wear beautiful clothes! And suppress that Little Thin next door!
But, he was still so young, yet he’d already been snatched away by that big bad guy––
My cub, wuwuwu!
One wall away, Red Rose Ning Fengbei sat up angrily, “How come someone’s making yingying noises? Where did this yingying monster come from? Are they going to let others sleep or not?!”
Twin towers, South Tower.
Wu Jin used a small spoon to drink the soup. The little Pterosaur attempted to ‘accidentally’ drop inside the soup several times but was mercilessly suppressed by the big boss until it no longer dared to move.
The little Pterosaur trembled and shivered in Wei Shi’s palm.
Wei Shi: “Remember what I said. There are two kinds of fighting methods in close combat duels. The show’s fighting method, and the most efficient fighting method.”
The little Pterosaur quietly stretched out its neck. It was pressed down by a powerful enemy and could only use its long beak to tug at the corner of Wu Jin’s clothing.
Wu Jin raised his head, his eyes sparkling, “I will try my best tomorrow.”
The man nodded.
The little Pterosaur tugged pitifully once again.
Wu Jin reached out to the little Pterosaur.
Wei Shi glanced at the small movements beneath the table, and in the time when his attention was divided, a spoon was suddenly pushed his way&#k2013;&#k2013;
Wu Jin had successfully launched a feint and attack, actually managing to catch the big boss off guard, “Aahhh! Open your mouth, open your mouth!”
Wei Shi: “......”
Wu Jin tried to shake the spoon, “Aaah! Aaah!”
The bamboo fungus sweet soup was like the clear taste of spring.
The youth leaned over and asked softly, “Tasty?”
Wei Shi looked at him. The two of them both had a light sheen of oil on their lips. Wu Jin was the first to lean over the table––
The little Pterosaur chirped twice. Seeing that its enemy had been subdued by its master, it immediately flew to the table in delight and pecked at the last remaining bit of soup.
Satisfying!
The next morning.
The cleaning robot beeped around the entrance to the training room, immediately opening the door when it saw Wu Jin.
Outside the window, the sun was just rising, and most of the trainees were still beneath their blankets, sleeping. Wu Jin had just finished breakfast and didn’t come out again after diving into the training room.
Half an hour later, two female trainees who were nibbling at taro buns passed by and looked up in surprise, “How could there be someone here even earlier than us... Are Crosson Show trainees all devils?”
At noon, the schedule for the fifth elimination match was finally released.
Wu Jin rushed out of the training room like the wind and glanced over the schedule after he finished lunch before directly disappearing again. It wasn’t until 4PM that he went back to his dorm and rolled himself up in the quilt to catch a few seconds of sleep.
Several hundred meters away, the trainee who entered the training room after Wu Jin left, accidentally took a look at the battle data, and his mouth dropped open in surprise.
At 7:30PM, Wu Jin wandered over to the Crosson broadcasting hall. There were already quite a few trainees present.
The duel would begin at 8 o’clock, and the stage managers were busily arranging the scene. During the teammate selection segment that had taken place earlier, a total of 12 sets of trainees needed to ‘duel for love’. The first group was Wu Jin and Wei Shi.
There was the silver glint of cold steel weapons in the hall, and weapon racks were spread out on both sides of the entrance. The audience was buzzing and full of energy, and in the center of the first row was a seat fit for a princess and covered in pink and white suede––
Vera was currently having a breakdown as she communicated with the crew.
This was probably the ugliest chair she’d ever sat in since she entered the survival show world.
The staff member slapped his thigh, “Fine! How about I ask them to add lace for you?”
Vera was polite, “Thank you, but...”
The straight man continued, “Add bubbles to the back of the chair? A gauze chair skirt?”
Vera couldn’t stand it anymore. “How about I stand with the audience.”
Eight o’clock sharp.
The bell rang out with a crisp sound, and cheers burst out from beneath the stage. The trainees were rarely part of the audience, so they’d brought their own beer, melon seeds, chips, chicken wings, and other snacks to the show, practically emptying out the canteen. There was even someone who’d only managed to snatch up a bowl of pumpkin soup.
The audience howled and cheered as the two duelists appeared from the lifts that led up to the stage.
Wu Jin was dressed in light armor, chain mail over pure black clothing. He held a knight’s sword in one hand, and a shield in the other. His legs were in well fitted pants that went straight into his boots, and his bangs had been pushed up.
The Hyacinth part of the audience immediately sucked in a collective breath.
Vera: Ying.
Caesar called out with a round of cheers: “Little Witch! Is the best! Little Witch! Is...”
Red directly stuffed Caesar with a bottle of wine, and Caesar immediately started to shout at random, “Little Hey! Is the fattest...”
Red shouted over him, “Go Brother Wei!!” There was soon a whole group of trainees who helped Red with the cheering, “Let’s support Brother Wei!”
From a few meters away, Ming Yao was afraid that his big brother Wu Jin would lose out in terms of atmosphere and rolled up his sleeves, joining in with, “Charge, Little Witch––”
Wei Shi stood across from Wu Jin.
The man’s powerful body was outlined by the light armor. He held a big sword in his hands, and the fingertips covered in gun calluses were inserted into the tilted hand guard as he looked at Wu Jin from afar.
The unmanned aerial camera flew up high, gathering both people into the same frame––
The scrolling comments were as crazy as a carnival.
Wu Jin suddenly made his move.
On the stage, Blood Pigeon picked up the microphone and skillfully began to explain, “Give Little Witch a shot. His chainmail is made of interwoven metal rings, similar to the Eastern style of chainmail. His knight’s sword has a flat body and is very suitable for piercing attacks. He’s chosen very classic ‘Knights of the Round Table’ attire.”
Wu Jin’s one handed sword was extremely powerful. It struck out from his waist down like a streak of silver light. The youth pursed his lips, his eyes bright and cold with the spirit of battle. His one-handed shield added a measure of weight, allowing him to firmly maintain his balance as he wrapped himself up with thunderous momentum to charge at Wei Shi.
The man sidestepped and cut down with his greatsword.
Blood Pigeon: “Beautiful move! The greatsword––derived from the greatsword used in early Scotland. After the Crusades, it evolved and flourished. It’s a broad-edged sword that is a replica of the ones used by the knights of Scotland when they battled against England in the 15th century. It’s worth noting that almost all greatswords are two-handed swords that require the knight to exert their full strength to wield.”
Ying Xiangxiang nodded, “A single handed sword can do heavy piercing attacks, while greatswords chop and slash forcefully. These two types of swords have seen much use during the age of chivalry––which lasted over 400 years, nearly five centuries.”
In the middle of the duel grounds, the greatsword was both icy and cold as it attacked.
Wu Jin didn’t hesitate to retreat, his boots stepping in the dust, and his waist and abdomen tense. The footprints he left behind weren’t disordered and were unexpectedly even.
Ying Xiangxiang spoke instantly, “Alternative steps!”
“One of the most accurate types of backing footwork for angle control in European swordsmanship. This was really showcased by the Polish army.”
Wu Jin’s retreat was unhurried.
The youth’s gaze was mostly focused on Wei Shi’s blade, but it also noted the man’s center of gravity. His steps shifted in a T-shaped pattern––yet it was like he wasn’t even retreating.
No matter what step he took, Wu Jin would definitely have one foot forward to hold up the shield to resist, and the other foot ready to take advantage of any opportunity to counter attack, forcing Wei Shi to split his attention when attacking.
The camera zoomed in.
The crowd exclaimed in surprise. If they’d been unable to see clearly due to the distance earlier, they could now clearly see the rhythm of Wu Jin’s steps after the lens zoomed in. Starting from the first step, each successive step alternated with the previous one, attack and defense constantly changing. His calculation of the angles required was extremely accurate.
For a moment, Ying Xiangxiang even suspected that Wu Jin had separated his soul and was using a third person perspective to observe the duel and make his quick calculations. He walked so skillfully that he almost managed to make Wei Shi misstep a few times...
Or it was because they were too familiar with each other and had a high level of tacit understanding.
Ying Xiangxiang stilled.
In the duelling field, when Wei Shi suddenly launched an attack from the side––
Wu Jin suddenly made his move.
The sword was swift and violent. The shield in his left hand blocked the blade, while his right hand moved like a snake, a sword flower blooming as he attacked.
The man’s sword was broad, and he didn’t need to turn his wrist to attack again. The pale blades connected in a lightning-fast instant––
The audience burst out in thunderous cheers, “Great!”
The sword lights intertwined. The blades flashed, reflecting both fighters at the same time.
The youth’s face was cold and stern, his facial features too beautiful to be real. Wei Shi looked at him, and his eyes shifted in the shadows of the reflection.
In the next second, the sound of metal clashing rang out!
They clashed, then parted.
Wu Jin stepped up and attacked, his sword flashing like a shadow once again.
At this time, not only the audience in the scrolling comments, but even the trainees themselves were going crazy. The duel between the two men was extremely fierce, and it was obvious at a glance that their blood was boiling––
If Wu Jin was like Arthur with a light sword, then Wei Shi was like William Wallace with a heavy sword. The sword of pure Scottish origin intersected with the cross knight’s blade and cast clear shadows and light over the dueling platform.
For a few seconds, even Blood Pigeon suspected that they were playing out a routine, but he quickly tossed the idea out of his mind.
Several sudden changes and reversals took place on the stage. The two had been constantly fighting a fierce battle, with Wu Jin relying on his calculation ability, and Wei Shi relying on his intuition built up from real combat experience.
The audience stands.
The Red Rose Ning Fengbei was marveling over the show. The two knights had awed the entire scene, but it looked like the White Rose had nothing to do with it––she turned her head to look over and almost spat out her drink.
Vera stood there among the crowd, her expression a mixture of excitement, benevolence, satisfaction, and exhilaration. She was murmuring to herself, “My son, wuwuwu, mama loves you...”
In the Crosson area, Caesar was practically standing up on the table to howl his cheering for Wu Jin. He felt that it wasn’t enough to howl on his own and tried to take Zoe with him––
Zoe ignored him. He looked straight at the stage, and his eyebrows were drawn together in deep thought. His eyes swept repeatedly between the two men.
8 minutes. Wu Jin tossed away the shield on his left hand and held his sword with both hands.
Blood Pigeon’s gaze was full of praise.
He’d cut off all means of retreat.
10 minutes. The great sword sliced across Wu Jin’s chainmail and scored points for high damage. The program producer lifted a flag as a reminder.
10 and a half minutes. Wu Jin seized the opportunity to attack Wei Shi as he retreated, fighting sword against sword and trading points for points––
11 minutes 50 seconds.
The program producer lifted up the loudspeaker and reminded them, “Last ten seconds!”
The entire Crosson hall was full of voices, and the trainees all broke out in cheers from the audience stands, standing up and clapping to pay tribute to the two duelists.
Wei Shi raised his great sword once again.
Wu Jin wrapped his hands around the cross hilt at almost the same time.
The two of them used their last techniques simultaneously, striking with the full force of their blades in a brute force exchange––
The whistle blew.
Sweat covered Wu Jin’s back and face and the split open armor. The match was over, and the youth burst out into a smile as he reached out a hand towards his opponent.
Wei Shi held it firmly, then pulled inward.
Their shoulders collided.
He casually took away Wu Jin’s light sword.
Wu Jin froze, then quickly reacted and hurriedly stole away the big boss’s heavy sword.
The audience burst out in laughter.
The program producer smiled and announced, “Little Witch lost to Contestant Wei by nine points. You still need to work hard. In that case, the winner of this match is Contestant Wei...”
Vera had walked up to the stage at some point, her expression as elegant as the goddess Athena as she praised the winner, “Thank you.”
“It was a very fabulous match. My final choice for a teammate is Contestant Wu Jin. I can see strong will, fighting spirit, and a face full of vitality in Contestant Wu...”
Off-stage, the contestants were all staring foolishly, “She’s-she’s unable to see the same thing in Contestant Wei?”, “It turns out that she doesn’t care about the results of the duel and just wants to get with our Little Witch!”, “Nonsense, she’s our Hyacinth goddess!”
“It should be for fan positioning. If she picked Contestant Wei, then her goddess fans will definitely make trouble. Unlike with Little Witch who looks cute and adorable. The goddess will definitely treat him like a younger brother...”
“Well, how come I feel like she looks at Little Witch like she’s looking at her son...”
Off-stage, Caesar gave Vera a big thumbs up, “You have good eyes! Giving our Little Witch face!”
After that, he opened up the Hyacinth Show app and gave Vera 101 likes. Then, he elbowed Zoe and said, “Come, come, let’s celebrate with Little Witch tonight––hey, what kind of expression is that?”
Zoe turned around in silence.
Then looked back at Wen Lin.
“The two of them, do they seem too tacit––”
“I always feel like something’s not quite right.”
“Little Witch and Contestant Wei, when did they get to know each other?”
Juurensha: Ohohohho, Zoe is finally figuring it out! (And is Vera basically our stand-in???? I too would probably pick Little Witch just because I want to pat him on the head–even if WS shoots me)
xiin: Zoe’s clueing in... but that fight must’ve been epic to watch~