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墨書 Inktalez
The first round of the Reincarnation Tournament.
The Ice Dust Team faced off against the Royal Team and the Blue Poison Tyrannosaurus Team.
This was the first encounter between these two teams, a rarity indeed. The last recorded meeting occurred zero years ago, when the Ice Dust Team was an undeniable royal team. Back then, the Azure Poison Tyrannosaurus toppled the reigning champions, becoming challengers for several consecutive years.
As the two teams prepared to meet, the excitement among the spectators outside was palpable. Especially when the referee began to announce the backgrounds and histories of both teams, the enthusiasm reached a peak. The referees on both sides were eager to call the teams onto the field immediately.
The members of the Ice Dust Team appeared somewhat fatigued, while the Guardian of the Azure Poison Tyrannosaurus seemed relaxed except for a few key substitutes on the bench. The main players were particularly energized; after a tough battle yesterday, many had taken ample time to rest outside during this intense phase of competition, which was undoubtedly something to admire and envy.
The captains of both teams had met previously, especially during speeches at the podium. However, not all teams chose to share their thoughts publicly; they often called upon their more eloquent young members to speak, hoping to promote their next leader.
The Blue Poison Tyrannosaurus Team had no need for such measures. They had no choice; after all, their strongest member was their captain. Under his leadership, he was naturally the only one qualified to address the audience, much like a king reviewing his army.
As the other two teams returned to their player zones, the morning's first match of the Reincarnation Tournament was about to begin.
"The first round is crucial for determining victory. I will let our strikers Freyr and Nemo partner freely. You can shoot at any time; build your plays around them and pass as much as possible. Let them take long-range shots right from the start," Long Xingchen's words echoed in Cambrian Hall.
At that moment, the whistle blew, and the Blue Poison Tyrannosaurus Team's defense charged forward with overwhelming force. Adams, as their backbone, pushed through despite his injuries. The passer on the wing was Ao; he needed to be cautious with his passes right from the start. At this critical moment, he seemed slightly distracted but smiled as he advanced.
Long Xingchen quickly made his move as Ao's counterpart. Ao put forth his full effort from the beginning, but Long Xingchen swiftly stole the ball from him. Surprised that someone could achieve this against him—one of the team's three main stars—he would not let it go easily. Long Xingchen passed low to Hank, who then returned it to Nemo.
"Now's our chance!" Nemo shouted.
"Alright, leave it to me!" Freyr responded enthusiastically as he positioned himself for a shot while defenders rushed towards him.
He took a powerful leap and executed a high-arc shot—a spinning ball that caught Command Tower off guard as it quickly shifted direction in mid-air. Suddenly, it flew straight into the goal for three points.
After a night’s rest, Freyr felt not only pressure from being closely pursued by opponents but also an impressive ability to perform under pressure. His aerial shot was undoubtedly one of the most challenging types of shots, yet Freyr managed to pull off a high-arc banana kick.
Starting with a three-point shot gave them an early lead. After rotating offensive players into defense and vice versa, both teams began applying pressure. It seemed that having more players on their side made a difference; they tore open a gap in their opponents' defense and pushed forward.
Six minutes into the game, there were continuous shots on goal—each one a difficult aerial attempt or long-range shot filled with unpredictable danger. However, aside from needing Freyr's bravery in sacrificing himself for those shots early on, after four attempts he felt some relief from his internal pressure.
Feeling good about his performance so far, he continued to make plays as Long Xingchen quickly threw the ball to Nemo.
"One more time," Nemo nodded.
"Alright!" Freyr charged forward.
Nemo steadied the ball, and Freyr took a powerful shot, sending it soaring in a high arc. However, this time, someone on the Command Tower's defense suddenly flashed their glasses, a smile creeping onto their lips. As the ball descended, they swiftly changed direction and intercepted it mid-air.
"The power was a bit lacking compared to before," Freyr remarked, sticking out his tongue.
"That's okay; it was still great," Nemo replied, blinking.
"If our first attack centered around Freyr succeeds, then at least we maintain an advantage. Next, we need to expand that advantage. We will continue our full offensive. I’ll be the passer, while Xiu will make runs, and center Hank will join us. Together, we form the Iron Triangle to penetrate the enemy's territory and score to widen the gap."
Suddenly, a second mission echoed in the defenders' minds, raising their defensive intensity significantly. They deployed the hefty boy Kole as a human wall; pushing through his defense would require considerable effort. Meanwhile, Adams and others were ready to support from the side.
Three figures swiftly brushed past them. Long Xingchen quickly approached Ao, who turned with the ball only to see Long Xingchen closing in. Without hesitation, Ao executed a low post move, then quickly pivoted and accelerated past him. Long Xingchen stumbled to the ground as Ao tossed the ball low; Kino dashed out for support, caught it, and passed it to the center.
Kino's sticky defense against Xiu proved challenging; unable to shake him off, Kino suddenly laughed and said, "Is it really necessary to stick so close? This is my first time seeing you so serious. Alright then, let me show you my speed—you're just a novice."
Before he finished speaking, Kino transformed into a blur. Compared to Feng Ling earlier, Xiu seemed able to respond this time; however, when he turned back around, Kino had already dribbled the ball over a hundred meters away. In contrast to Xiu, the defenders and attackers became disorganized under Kino's teasing.
Kino broke through the defensive line straight into the scoring zone—this was Blue Poison Tyrannosaurus Team's chance to score. His straightforward one-on-one ability shattered their defense line—a feat that would have been impossible at other times. Yet Kino was undoubtedly a dominant talent among Gene-Enhanced Humans in his senior year; his genetic advantages far surpassed those of his peers. Just being overwhelmed by his speed was enough to leave ordinary people in shock.
The whistle for a touchdown sounded as Azure Poison Tyrannosaurus scored seven points this time. Compared to their previous twelve-point deficit, they had now narrowed it down to just five points.
Long Xingchen ran past Xiu and gave his head a gentle push while whispering, "Don't worry; there are still chances. Don't give up."
Xiu took a deep breath and patted his cheeks. "Relax, relax." He then returned to his original position.
The offensive continued pressing forward; Ice Dust Team's firepower was still formidable. Since Long Xingchen became the receiver, he called upon his teammates to advance together. He certainly wouldn't give the opposing triangle formation a chance for direct confrontation. With no opportunity for an unconscious pass of the ball, he aimed to concentrate all efforts on Nemo’s side and continue shooting to widen their lead.
However, Freyr's kicking seemed gradually less effective; out of five attempts, only one found its way in while the others were intercepted by Command Tower. Nevertheless, they managed to extend their lead momentarily igniting both teams' desire for offense and defense. Meanwhile, another pillar of Blue Poison Tyrannosaurus Team—Center Beast—suddenly unleashed their strength, crashing through the defensive wall with brute force before leaping high for a throw-in that landed like a shot put directly into the goal.
Rex from Command Tower appeared frail against such force; his slender figure trembled slightly as that last shot had been poorly executed—it grazed the goalpost before bouncing in—but the impact echoed loudly against the frame as Rex instinctively dodged just in time for it to ricochet into the net.
A three-pointer scored with a throw.
The collective strength of the Ice Dust Team resulted in another point, but this time it was a solo effort. Every player on the Blue Poison Tyrannosaurus Team possessed strong individual skills, honed through rigorous training. This team demonstrated high levels of execution and personal initiative.
When teamwork fails, they resort to individual plays. Conversely, when a powerful drive to the basket results in a three-pointer, it sends shivers down the spines of the Ice Dust Team players.
However, they were unaware that Meng had previously played as a guard before transitioning to his current center position. He could both score and quickly disrupt the opponent's movements.
Another player faced Long Xingchen's receiver and joked, "You must be the strongest player on this team, right? Oh, by the way, aren't you the Command Tower? How come you can play multiple positions like me?"
"Hmm?" Long Xingchen looked up, pondering the comment.
Ignoring Ao's actions, he attempted to steal the ball first. But in an instant, Ao stepped back and threw the ball high to Kino, who once again charged forward with the ball. Xiu was caught off guard and knocked down again as Kino stormed into the paint like an unstoppable force.
Another seven points were scored. Ao hesitated for a moment before snapping back to reality, just in time to see a high throw pass by him. Freyr hooked the ball with his leg while Nemo set up his position. Freyr then leaped into the air for a shot from 65 yards out.
The ball soared through the air and swished through the net, scoring yet another long-range shot of considerable difficulty.
With that, the Ice Dust Team took the lead. Just then, the buzzer sounded; a last-second shot was made as the first half concluded with a score of 18-17!
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