Even if you don't recognize the name, you've surely heard of Hans, because in this world, there isn't a single person who hasn't heard of the Revenge Shadow Rider. But whenever the announcement is made that the Revenge Shadow Rider is about to log in to the Galactic Warfare network for a battle, you'll find that what excites you most isn't the Revenge Shadow Rider itself—it's Hans. Only Hans is the dedicated follower of the Revenge Shadow Rider, and only he can provide the exact time when the Revenge Shadow Rider will come online.

Honestly, none of this really makes much of a difference, because as soon as the media breaks the news that the Revenge Shadow Rider is about to come online, the Galactic Warfare servers inevitably get overloaded in an instant. Thinking you could wait until the Revenge Shadow Rider logs in and then try to squeeze in? That's obviously unrealistic.

That's why, every time the Revenge Shadow Rider pre-releases its login schedule, Galactic Warfare temporarily adds an unknown number of servers. Essentially, the more servers they prepare, the better—it's never wrong to add more. From the very beginning, Galactic Warfare has been facing one persistent problem: whenever the Revenge Shadow Rider logs in, server overloads absolutely occur, every single time.

But this is the only viable solution—the official team can only push server capacity to its limit. There is ultimately a ceiling to how many players can be accommodated. Even if they gave you more servers, with billions of users trying to log in, the system would still crash. Hans himself has made considerable efforts to address this problem over the years, but alas, there's no real solution.

That's why most people familiar with the Revenge Shadow Rider also know Hans. Regarding situations like these, Hans is completely accustomed by now. Smiling, he nodded at the Blade Warrior and said, "Little girl, what's the matter?"

The Blade Warrior froze for a moment, stunned. This forty-something man sure looked a bit aged beyond his years, but—she could be old enough to be his grandmother, and yet he called her "little girl"? This… fine, she'd forgive him. After all, he didn't know. So, the Blade Warrior asked Hans why he'd ended up like this, and why he was riding a pedal-powered bike to get around when such tools seemed like something average people wouldn't even use anymore.

Hans paused for a moment, almost unable to believe it. He was exercising, engaging in both aerobic and anaerobic activity combined. Didn't she know the current nationwide trend? It was all about fitness these days. Had he been younger, Hans would have considered creating an alternate account on the network just to play a couple of matches. He has always believed the Revenge Shadow Rider would reappear—because it must, especially in a world where Ancient Martial Arts had grown so prominent.

In truth, Hans didn't quite understand what was going on with the era. Originally, this was supposed to be a mecha-dominated time, but how did things pivot over the course of just one year to an obsession with Ancient Martial Arts instead? Martial arts—it wasn't a thing from centuries ago that was said to be mostly flashy and impractical? At best, it was useful for physical fitness.

Yet, one couldn't deny that the single-soldier combat prowess of the Revenge Shadow Rider was undoubtedly the best in the world.

Hans always remembered the scene from back then. At that time, the Revenge Shadow Rider, clad in black and masked, pushed combat power to one million, going head-to-head against that little girl from Zana. What was her name again? Forgotten. But that battle was hands down the most spectacular match Hans had ever seen, something he would never forget in his entire life.

It's said that the Federation has now also ushered in a martial arts craze of its own, hosting several competitions every month and organizing a nationwide event annually.

Hans had also heard through the grapevine—a rumor, though not officially confirmed—that the world seemed to be planning a Galactic Combat Championship held once every four years.

No doubt, the Galactic Combat Championship would basically be akin to the mecha tournaments, inviting elite fighters across the globe. Neither the Federation nor other nations would be excluded.

However, the hosting locations varied. The venue would rotate—it might be held in the Federation, it could be at neighboring Hell's Gate, or it could be somewhere even farther afield. But the credibility of this information was unquestionably high.

Obviously, where there's battle, there's fervor; where there's battle, there's always passion and emotion. Thus, Hans firmly believed that if this so-called Galactic Combat Championship truly existed, then the long-lost Revenge Shadow Rider was bound to reappear.

The reason for its disappearance was simply because, in the world of mecha battles, there was no longer anyone capable of challenging it. That's why the Revenge Shadow Rider gradually faded from sight.

But one must not overlook what the Revenge Shadow Rider represents—it's a god, a protagonist. The world has always revolved around it. How could anyone ignore such a transcendent figure? Yes, the title of "transcendent protagonist" was first coined by Hans for the Revenge Shadow Rider. Although the nickname didn't catch on—people felt it didn't suit the Revenge Shadow Rider's quiet, reserved nature—it was undeniable that the Revenge Shadow Rider was indeed the hero of the era.

Still, eras change, people change. From the age of war chariots to the rise and eventual fall of mecha dominance, each era has its own leading figures. No one in the world can rule across two different epochs—unless that person truly is divine.

Hans believed the time had come to test his faith. He was convinced that, four years—no, less than four years—into the future, the rumored championship would undoubtedly arrive. And by then, he, as the most devoted disciple of the divine Revenge Shadow Rider, would receive new instructions.

No, no, no—not even then—the timeline might be sooner.

It must be noted, the Galactic Warfare network is home to countless masters, each more brilliant than the last, constantly pushing boundaries. With the flourishing trend of Ancient Martial Arts, and as time advanced, Hans gradually discovered a terrifying truth.

Within just this past year, new masters had emerged one after another. From the initial powerhouse, Nangong Little Secret, a woman with combat strength of 66,666, to the point where now even random newcomers could boast thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, in combat power. In just two or three short years, the average human combat level had surged to such a frightening peak.

Hans couldn't ignore the recent fiasco he'd witnessed. He even knew the true identity of the "fat guy"—none other than the Federation's particularly well-known Red Cloak, an uncrowned super-warrior.

As to why Hans knew? It was simple; Hans was the owner of the Galactic Warfare network. Is there anything a boss doesn't know?

Hence, Hans was very familiar with the fat guy's terrifyingly advanced mecha combat skills. Even if he wasn't part of the top-tier White Cloak rank, his actual combat prowess was unquestionably that of a 12-Star General, and one from the early generation of that tier to boot.

And yet, such a formidable figure suffered a bruising defeat shortly after joining the Dawn Battle Network.

Initially, Hans hadn't paid much attention to the fat guy—he didn't have time for it. But he couldn't resist his curiosity. Curiosity was an innate weakness buried deep inside every person.

After Hans learned the fat guy had bet against a top-notch grandmaster—staking that he'd literally eat excrement—Hans was utterly stunned. This fellow was destined for greatness. Who else would dare wager something so outrageous?

Of course, his opponent wasn't any less bold—a true badass, willing to place the same disgusting bet without hesitation. But ultimately, Hans realized the so-called wager was essentially just a spectacle, a farcical stunt. In the end, the opponent didn't drop trou publicly—it was, regrettably, a missed opportunity.

Yes, even Hans, a forty-something-year-old man, wasn't immune to this mix of disbelief and anticipation. He didn't truly believe anyone would dare to carry out such extremities. But precisely because of this mental contrast, Hans found himself quietly hoping for a shocking outcome he hadn't predicted—only to face disappointment afterward.

Yet you can't deny: Ancient Martial Arts are undoubtedly the wave of the future.

So when Blade Warrior posed her question, Hans didn't bother keeping anything from her. He responded straightforwardly, explaining that he was exercising, preparing for the Revenge Shadow Rider's return. As a messenger of divine will, the direct conduit of the Revenge Shadow Rider's intent, its overwhelming strength was evident. If he himself remained weak, he wouldn't be worthy of such a role. That's why, recently, Hans had been rigorously focusing on fitness. He even planned, in the near future, to further enhance his recovery and muscle development.

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