At 3:16 PM, the battle entered the round of 32. Of course, these so-called 32 finalists weren't necessarily 32 people. It's not that players were absent due to some issue. To be honest, anyone who can get this far has a chance to challenge the Revenge Shadow Rider; nobody would give up the challenge for other matters. Rather, among these 32, only 16 were D-rated players, and similarly, there were 8 from C, 4 from B, 2 from A, and 1 from S.

That means, by reaching this level, D-rated players could potentially face S-rated contenders, needing 16 people to team up together, which is also the system's default matching number.

16 against 1 looks unfair, no matter how you look at it, but that's the reality. The system only equates the division as the sole basis, and Desert Storm has achieved an S rating after successive victories, showing this person's brilliance is no simple feat.

Of course, countless players at the S stage hadn't shown their true capabilities yet, leading their ratings to plummet as they proceeded. Even if they managed to get here, it had been a stumbling journey of sheer luck. But when it really came down to the top 32, it was undoubtedly a test of true strength.

The match to enter the top 16, Dovir versus Margaret, had incredibly high levels of attention, as both competitors were young geniuses looked favorably upon by the officials.

However, in terms of growth, Margaret clearly advanced faster, while when it came to potential, Dovir was undoubtedly stronger.

Dovir had spent most of his time studying, mastering not just ordinary attacks but also Phantom Dual Swords. Besides that, Dovir was skilled in both long and close combat, earmarked as a star in the new generation.

As for Margaret, she was said to be a bright new star after Dilia. With the deterioration of relations due to the disintegration of the Diya Federation, this was certainly a battle fated by destiny.

Truth be told, upon knowing the match outcome and seeing the massive influence from both factions, Dovir didn't want to continue the fight. It wasn't that he got intimidated by the opponent, but that the battle didn't give him any advantage.

Currently, Margaret was at least in the mid-stage of the White Cloak, while Dovir was just at the peak of the Red Cloak. It wasn't that he couldn't move to the next realm; rather, Dovir wanted to surpass the peak and reach the limit. Only by truly reaching the peak of the Red Cloak could he understand many things not comprehensible at the White Cloak stage, so he was never in a hurry to break through. It wasn't that he couldn't but that he didn't want to rush and sometimes by slowing down to enjoy the scenery along the way, you gain more unexpected fruits.

As the match transitioned into the preparatory phase, the viewer ratings for this ID instantly soared past ten billion! This was not just the viewership from the two major member states of the Diya Federation; the world was also focused on this clash hotspot. Being stars of the new generation and also the most promising super elites, how would they spark against each other? It was truly something to look forward to.

In terms of machine selection, the Black Cloak Loli, Margaret, didn't hesitate much and still chose the Diya Federation's main battle mech, the Holy Sword Prolan — equipped with a PTO engine, micro-nuclear power system, four-wheel balance booster, close combat weapon Holy Cross Sword, rapid-fire rifle, 130mm shoulder-fired smoothbore cannon, SE could carry air-to-ground missiles, ground-to-ground missiles, air-to-air missiles, portable micro-neutron bombs, and the Shield of the Holy Sword Prolan.

Dovir's chosen mech model, Assembly, the main battle mech of the Apocalypse — the Assembly was equipped with a jet engine, the micro-light solar furnace power system, a core propulsion device, close combat weapon Alpha Titanium Alloy Sword, distance weapon, high-energy laser death cannon, SE-AT missile, carrying-type suspension device, and the Shield of the Apocalypse Fire Dragon King.

Unlike Dovir's seriousness, Margaret appeared quite casual. After all, she had come to defeat the Revenge Shadow Rider, not just to fight a minor rogue, even though this minor rogue had some noteworthy strength. Right up to the last seconds of the fight countdown, she didn't show much desire to attack.

Instead, Dovir drew his Titanium Alloy Sword and cautiously advanced, causing countless Diya viewers to burst into laughter. You're taking this way too seriously, big guy. Even if he's a bit older, how can he look like such an underdog compared to her?

Dovir couldn't see all this; he just genuinely thought the opponent had a higher level and needed to be cautious.

Perhaps due to relations between the two countries, even the tone of Margaret's voice sounded a bit provocative, "What's the matter, is this all you've got? Since you're not attacking, I'll go first."

The Holy Sword Prolan took a step forward, its long sword thrusting first. Dovir, seeing this, conservatively chose to restrain and observe, fitting the saying 'know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll never be in peril.' He had to devote more energy to observing his opponent and grasping the overall situation.

As the sword rain continued to fall, Dovir, dodging left and right, actually frustrated Margaret greatly. However, at this moment, Dovir was indeed being suppressed. Suddenly, a dull thud was heard as the Assembly was sent flying with a side kick from the Prolan.

"Hmph, always dodging and weaving—did your master teach you that?" Margaret said without any restraint, her boredom and anger towards Dovir's evasions apparent.

The area below instantly quieted as if the barrage of comments from both factions had ceased with those words.

Dovir, unconcerned, stood up, continuing to position himself strategically without rushing to attack. Given his opponent's skill level, he had no advantage, and in such a state, neither attacking nor defending was wise. Circling and creating distractions was the right choice, but the more he did so, the more it fueled Margaret's rage.

Boom! After a series of defensive blocks and dodges, the rallying cry was blasted away again, and even though he blocked the absolute attack, he could not avoid the aftermath. This time, however, Dovir did not fall.

"Show me your real power, don't tell me that's all you have."

Dovir finally spoke, "Observation is also a type of tactic."

"Tch, it seems your master isn't much either."

"What did you say?"

That sentence seemed to touch a nerve in Dovir instantly, making Margaret frown deeply as she continued, "I see your master isn't so great after all."

"Heh." Dovir sneered with disdainful laughter, "I can let you rephrase that!"

Whoa...

The crowd gasped, seemingly caught up in the rhythm of their confrontation in an instant.

"Your master isn't that great," Margaret pronounced each word distinctly.

Dovir shook his head and laughed silently, and although there was no sound, the audience watching the live stream could sense that both were on the verge of erupting as even the channel commentators momentarily fell silent...

"Come on, show me the strength that your master taught you, let's see what you're made of."

There was a time when Dovir had also been wild and rebellious, but it was this pride that taught him how vast the world really is, how terrifying an existence the Revenge Shadow Rider could be, how outstanding Brother Mu Tou was as an archer, and how Brother Hugo was nearly unbeatable among his peers. These were the people who had taught him, and yet for the opponent to dismiss them casually...

"I truly admire your courage."

Dovir slowly retracted his weapon, pulling out a laser cannon with a flick of his wrist while walking. With a roar, he turned back, aiming the laser directly at Margaret and pulled the trigger. The enraged beam, like an undying inferno, blasted straight towards Margaret...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.