Lu Xingchen nearly tripped over his own feet.

Just moments ago, all eyes had been on him, but within five seconds, his divine fire god persona was completely overshadowed. What stung most was that his current ability peak was significantly higher than KIKI's~

So Lu Xingchen came up with an idea - he made flames erupt beneath his feet, stepping as if leaving trails of fiery lotuses.

But this failed to draw much attention, instead causing several panicked security guards to rush over with fire extinguishers when he accidentally ignited some dry grass in the park.

Watching the thick white smoke envelop him, Lu Xingchen felt like dying on the spot.

Fire Bro went into full sulk mode, silently retreating to the rest area where he sat in a corner, repeatedly reminding himself he was here for a world-saving mission and shouldn't lose focus over such trivial matters.

"Mechanical ability user?"

At the recruitment station, KIKI's declaration left the entire crowd silent for several seconds. Countless disbelieving eyes turned toward her. Over at the convoy camp, Lin Qingyu, Lei Zhen and others abruptly stood up, completely stunned.

"Did I hear that right?" Lin Qingyu slowly lifted his sunglasses. "That woman just said she's a... mechanical ability user?"

"No mistake, that's exactly what she said." Luo Heng put away his mobile device, expression solemn.

"Holy shit..." Han Tiege in his power armor scratched his head. "What's going on? Wasn't it supposed to be just one [Civilization Creator]-level ability? Why so many now?"

The others looked equally shocked, except Jiang Yun who remained calm, even smiling slightly.

Whoosh!

The square with tens of thousands of people instantly erupted in chaos.

"Is this for real?!"

"Mechanical ability user? Another one?"

"Same as Qin Feng?"

"Oh my god..."

The recruitment officer nervously rubbed his ears, looking at KIKI. "You said... what kind of ability?"

"Mechanical ability." KIKI repeated.

"E-excuse me, could you... demonstrate?" The officer made this unusual request, though it actually came from Li Jian's voice in his earpiece.

"Sure."

As soon as she agreed, people nearby instinctively backed away nervously. After all, none present had ever seen mechanical abilities in action.

KIKI cleared her throat and raised a finger.

Buzz!

A light screen suddenly appeared above her palm as countless materials flew out, automatically forging and rapidly transforming. Before the eyes of tens of thousands, a Vulcan minigun materialized in mere seconds - faster than folding paper.

"Here, for you."

With a telekinetic grab, KIKI casually tossed the valuable minigun to a wounded veteran in the crowd, who caught it in stunned disbelief. The weapon wasn't just brand new - it was still warm.

Even the leaders of smaller convoys like Mei Yimei couldn't help but narrow their eyes at the sight.

When Xu Yufei from Full Metal Frenzy saw her casually manufacture a minigun just to give away, he completely lost it, muttering curses:

"God damn it... with skills like that, my arms business might as well shut down..."

On the high platform, Li Jian watched incredulously, his previously enthusiastic expression drastically changing. Turning back, he saw Qin Feng's face had also darkened considerably.

"Where did this person come from? She seems to be the real deal... a mechanical ability user?" Li Jian's tone turned strange.

"Don't panic. Having another genuine mechanical ability user might actually benefit us." Qin Feng finally spoke through the comms. "Stabilize her first."

"Captain Qin, can you gauge her level?" Wen Dong's voice came through.

"Hard to say. Our intel only mentioned Lin Xian before this regarding mechanical abilities. But this could help attract more people."

Li Jian frowned slightly but nodded in agreement. "True. Mechanical abilities mean production capacity. This woman would be extremely useful."

"Let her pass through, highest standard reception!" Qin Feng ordered.

Following instructions, the recruitment officers respectfully ushered KIKI inside.

The scene exploded with excitement. Dawn City's internal networks were already going wild. Witnessing such materialization abilities firsthand had practically overturned countless survivors' worldviews. A Vulcan minigun manufactured in seconds? At that rate, equipping an entire army would be child's play.

For survivors who normally had to ration bullets, scavenge everywhere, and piece together weapons since the apocalypse began, this felt like divine intervention.

Meanwhile, unnoticed in the crowded masses, Lin Xian and Shiori were squatting on the ground prying open dirt clods with small tools. That minigun had actually been manufactured using Lin Xian's production sequence. With his remote materialization and Black Star Forge's manufacturing capabilities, coordinating this with the perfectly synchronized KIKI was child's play.

Standing calmly in the crowd, Monica pressed her earpiece, relaying what she'd overheard using her abilities: "They mentioned your name. Clearly, Qin Feng deliberately named his group the Unlimited Alliance."

Lin Xian frowned slightly. "Li Jian calls him captain. Seems this Qin Feng really is in control."

It was puzzling - how could some unknown newcomer, even with angel-level strength and federal backing, command obedience from Li Jian, Wen Hui's son? Quite unexpected.

"Monica, keep monitoring Qin Feng's side."

Lin Xian's scans had already covered a vast area, but Qin Feng remained airborne on that distant high platform, beyond his Mechanical Heart's range. So he simply continued controlling the drill bit, deploying more spider bots underground.

Soon, an extensive subterranean network took shape under the spider bots' scanning, though their small size limited coverage.

Lin Xian planned to use them to locate infiltration points for post-event investigations, hoping to directly find Crimson World's research base.

"No problem." Monica smiled slightly. "Seems this Unlimited Recruitment event is just the Wen family and Federation recruiting reserves for themselves. Quite calculated."

"Reserves they'll never get." Qian Dele commented from a rooftop overlooking the square. "I think part of the Federation plans to flee, with the Wens leading a golden cicada escape. Otherwise, recruiting people to stay and fight for the Federation in Dawn City would be impossible."

"Agreed." Zhou Jin's voice came through. "This move suggests even Federation higher-ups sense impending crisis, hence their restlessness."

"So what's our play?" Jiang Yun asked from the camp.

"Can't let the Wens succeed. Fire Bro, KIKI - challenge Qin Feng later. Let's see his mechanical abilities firsthand before deciding how to handle them." Lin Xian instructed.

"Captain Lin, Qin Feng is angel-level with federal support. Taking him down won't be easy." Jiang Yun cautioned.

"Not necessarily about defeating him. That Xing Zhan belongs to Lin Qingyu, KIKI and Fire Bro are ours - leaving only Wu Bin. If no one else challenges later, three of his Four Heavenly Kings would be plants." Lin Xian squatted digging dirt while smiling. "Unless I'm wrong, his recruitment plan will fail. Once they're in disarray, we'll track the Wens and Crimson World through Li Jian. Might even recover Silver Star in the process. Captain Zhou, thoughts?"

"Solid plan. I like it." Straightforward Zhou Jin immediately agreed. "I've already had Li Su obtain Star City's original underground strategic blueprints from superiors. Dawn City may have modified things, but the basic structure should hold. Should help us."

"Good." Lin Xian nodded, then spoke into the comm: "Fire Bro, KIKI - got that? Your mission is securing top four positions."

"Brother Lin, rest assured. This trifling matter hardly challenges this venerable one." Lu Xingchen declared proudly, seeing himself ranked first on the leaderboard.

"Just that? No problem~" KIKI agreed.

"Wish some of us could join the fun too." Qian Dele mused. "Captain Ning, Monica, Jiang Yun - more participants might make Qin Feng blow a fuse."

Jiang Yun chuckled. "No good. Too many in Dawn City recognize me. Besides, exposing too many of us isn't wise. Just locking down the Heavenly Kings positions would dismantle their scheme. These are freshly recruited people - they won't stay."

"Right."

Squatting while digging, Lin Xian mysteriously added: "Exactly my plan."

"Hey buddy, what're you two sneaky rats doing?" A spectator watching Lin Xian and Shiori suspiciously digging couldn't resist asking.

"Treasure underneath." Lin Xian answered.

"Treasure?" The man's eyes lit up greedily as he bent down.

Bam!

Lin Xian suddenly punched him square in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Just watch the show. This fist teaches you apocalypse rule number one - mind your damn business." Lin Xian muttered darkly.

Nearby, Shiori nearly burst out laughing at Lin Xian's smooth moves.

Lu Xingchen and KIKI's registrations elevated the atmosphere to its peak, drawing increasing attention from convoy leaders. This recruitment event was proving far more intense than expected.

Qin Feng's cold gaze swept across the growing number of experts in the rest area, lingering particularly on KIKI with narrowed eyes.

Fierce challenges continued, though mostly among lower-ranked contestants vying for top 16 positions. The four firmly holding Heavenly King spots - Lu Xingchen, KIKI, Wu Bin, and Xing Zhan - remained unchallenged. Only those of comparable strength aiming for those positions would dare step forward.

Time passed quickly. Over ten thousand had already passed recruitment, swelling Qin Feng's convoy to terrifying proportions. The lowest were Titan-level, with dozens at Berserker-level, and the Annihilator-level A-class rest area already full. Occasional eliminations left some departing angrily.

Qin Feng's offers proved too tempting, combined with his angel-level mechanical abilities and Silver Star's appeal, luring even veterans from major convoys. Previously unranked but powerful hidden elites with abundant resources emerged one after another.

Soon, the top 16 rankings all showed ability peaks exceeding 3000. Except for bottom ranks, most sat confidently, unwilling to challenge others unnecessarily.

The holographic screen now showed top four as: 5300 Lu Xingchen, 5000 Xing Zhan, 4800 Chen Sixuan (KIKI), and equally 4800 shapeshifter Wu Bin. Fifth place only reached 4000 - impressive, but its holder clearly had no intention of challenging KIKI or Wu Bin.

Seeing no challenges to the Heavenly Kings, Li Jian on the high platform frowned and spoke into his comm: "Captain Qin, those we observed exceeding 4000 are still hesitating. Missing them would be unfortunate."

"Have that Xu fellow challenge first. Kickstart major convoy mergers." Qin Feng instructed.

Li Jian nodded, his gaze sweeping toward the major convoy camp. Xu Yufei immediately noticed, hesitation flashing across his face.

"Captain Xu, not joining?" Lei Zhen who'd been needling him prodded. "Heavenly Kings can merge entire teams. Didn't you call this a promising investment?"

"None of your concern." Xu Yufei coldly retorted. "Plenty of your people joined too. Manage them."

Lei Zhen laughed carelessly. "I don't care. Come or go as you please. We're all just surviving. Just pull your weight while in my team - I'm not picky."

Xu Yufei stood, addressing Lin Qingyu: "Captain Lin, your Xing Zhan holds a Heavenly King spot. Qin Feng surely wants me to displace him. Giving you advance notice - no offense intended."

Lin Qingyu smiled. "No offense taken, Captain Xu. I arranged this simply to spite this Federation-backed recruitment. But Xing Zhan has a foul mouth and heavy hands. If you challenge him, best prepare - wouldn't want injuries souring relations."

Xu Yufei said no more, striding toward the square's center.

"Guy's digging his own grave." Han Tiege of Full Metal Frenzy commented.

"Agreed." Luo Heng nodded.

"Can't stand his fence-sitting. No idea how he leads such a large team." Lei Zhen scoffed.

Jiang Yun watched Xu Yufei without mockery. "The apocalypse leaves little choice. Managing over ten thousand lives isn't easy. Qin Feng's offers are irresistible - many convoys would kill to join. Captain Xu's decision makes sense."

Lin Qingyu nodded. "Can't argue there."

Then he turned to Jiang Yun. "Captain Jiang, I'm curious - does your Captain Lin know about this Unlimited Alliance recruitment? What's his stance?"

"Captain Lin? He's..." Jiang Yun's gaze swept the bustling square meaningfully. "Fully supportive."

This left Lin Qingyu and others perplexed.

"Looks like our Twelve Zodiac Lords and Four Heavenly Kings have emerged. Time's running short - if no other experts step forward, Captain Qin will personally test the Heavenly Kings, formally establishing the Unlimited Alliance!" Li Jian announced, seeing Xu Yufei move to stir excitement.

Sure enough, shortly after his words, the recruitment station erupted in uproar.

"5100! Isn't that Xu Yufei ranked sixth on Evolution Light? He's here too?!"

"Holy shit! Steel Bastion has over ten thousand - are they all joining Unlimited Alliance?"

"Must be! Heavenly Kings can merge entire teams. With his strength, definitely."

"Damn, things just got interesting. Now rank 3-4's mechanical user Chen Sixuan and Wu Bin look awkward at 4800 each. They'll have to fight!"

"This is huge..."

With Xu Yufei's entry, rankings immediately shifted. Sitting in the rest area, gloomy Wu Bin glanced subtly at nearby KIKI before slowly rising.

KIKI, originally preparing to challenge Qin Feng, frowned at this development: "Why's he appearing now? Guess Wu Bin will challenge me." She murmured into the comm. "Lin Xian, should I finish this quickly?"

Lin Xian was pondering when Jiang Yun's voice came:

"KIKI, relax. Xu Yufei's challenging Xing Zhan. Qin Feng knows he's from Dawn Watch Alliance - using Xu to eliminate him."

"Quite clever." Lin Xian remarked.

"If Xing Zhan loses, he likely won't challenge you two. Proceed as planned."

"Alright then." KIKI sighed in relief.

Now in full military attire, Xu Yufei bypassed the rest area, leaping onto the high platform to address the rankings: "I'm Xu Yufei of Steel Bastion. Many here know me. I represent our 12,362 members joining Unlimited Alliance, hoping to unite with Captain Qin for safety. I won't wait for rankings - I'll state directly: I want a Heavenly King spot. If I can't secure it, this holds no meaning for me or my team. Some current rankers don't truly intend to join, but convoy alliances demand seriousness. So..."

He turned to armored Xing Zhan in the rest area: "Brother Xing, my apologies."

Whoosh!

The crowd erupted. No one expected Xu Yufei to openly challenge Xing Zhan - clearly taking Qin Feng's side.

Many now understood Xing Zhan wasn't here to join Qin Feng.

Hearing this, Wu Bin who'd stood up sat back down silently.

Xing Zhan appeared to be a sharp-eyed man in his forties. Shrugging, he stood up casually: "Captain Xu can't assume that. Maybe I'm genuinely here admiring Captain Qin's mechanical abilities?"

He grinned nonchalantly, but with Xu Yufei's declaration, he sighed: "Fine, fine. Since Captain Xu wants to spar, I'll give it my best. Never fought someone this strong before - let's keep it civil."

His smile vanished instantly as he explosively leaped up, denting the metal rest area floor with sheer force.

The crowd went wild - the main event had arrived. These two with peaks exceeding 5000 represented humanity's fastest-evolving individuals in this dark mutation. Their combat prowess far surpassed others, each equivalent to an armed airship. Their clash promised to be spectacular.

Seeing Xing Zhan ascend, Xu Yufei grew serious. Black mist enveloped him, transforming him into a monstrous humanoid covered in green scales and bone spikes, radiating terrifying pressure.

"Bring it." The mutated Xu Yufei's voice turned gravelly and murderous.

In the crowd, Lin Xian watched curiously. Though only B-class, this mutation differed from Shi Diyuan's beast forms - more like perfected aberrant proliferation and limb mimicry, far superior to previous insect-legged fighters. If not for the clearly human face, he'd look identical to an aberrant!

"Human abilities seem to converge with some aberrants." Lin Xian murmured. "Must all stem from dark corruption..."

On the high platform, Xing Zhan cracked his neck, armored joints grinding. He bared white teeth in a grin: "Captain Xu, your mutation looks too much like an aberrant. Wouldn't want accidents making you look bad!"

Xu Yufei removed his glasses, pupils glowing eerie purple, whispering: "Quick spar, then withdraw. No injuries."

"Ha!" Xing Zhan shot a glance at Li Jian and Qin Feng before charging fist-first toward Xu Yufei's face, only for the latter to bend backward inhumanly to dodge.

Xu Yufei's body twisted unnaturally, skin becoming flowing dark purple gel, limbs elongating, spine arching like a leopard's as half-meter bone blades extended from his nails toward Xing Zhan's throat. Xing Zhan didn't evade, letting the blades spark against his armor.

"Nice power!"

He laughed, right arm muscles bulging as energy patterns glowed red beneath his skin, converting absorbed kinetic energy into a hammer-like elbow strike that sent Xu Yufei reeling three steps back.

Xu Yufei knew ordinary attacks couldn't harm an energy-absorption specialist like Xing Zhan. Emitting a low-frequency growl, he suddenly fired three bone spikes while his entire form blurred into black mist, reappearing behind Xing Zhan with shockwave-enhanced blades aiming for his back. Yet Xing Zhan seemed to have eyes behind his head, spinning into a whip kick whose shockwave sent the platform's corroded railings flying.

"Your fancy mutations!" Xing Zhan spat blood, energy patterns now extending to his neck as he completely absorbed Xu Yufei's shockwave. Then he leaped up like a meteor, right fist concentrated with all previously absorbed energy.

BOOM!

A violet shockwave erupted from the impact, compressing air into sonic booms meant to blast Xu Yufei off the platform.

But Xu Yufei's mutated form proved incredibly resilient. Red mist suddenly emanated from his body as he stomped down, anchoring himself before forming one hand into a razor-sharp lance of bone and scales like a knight's charge. The red mist concentrated as he thrust forward, not only withstanding the shockwave but piercing straight through the sonic boom!

Xing Zhan's eyes sharpened as he desperately grabbed the lance tip inches from his chest, skidding backward amid sparks from his metal boots. In that instant, Xu Yufei halted his assault, mutations receding. Xing Zhan looked down at his suspended right foot and exhaled deeply.

"Tch. Impressive, Captain Xu. You win." Xing Zhan casually wiped his face before jumping down, armor cratering the ground as he waved without looking back. "Drinks on me sometime!"

"My apologies to Captain Lin." Xu Yufei said, glancing toward the major convoy camp.

He bore no ill will toward Dawn Watch Alliance or others, but joining Qin Feng while fulfilling obligations left no choice.

Truthfully, accounting for limit coefficients, Xu Yufei's actual combat power surpassed Xing Zhan's. In life-or-death situations, ability indices meant little - but Xing Zhan was just Lin Qingyu's plant, never fighting seriously.

"Good. The troublemaker's gone."

Li Jian watched the brief battle with satisfaction. As an underground fight enthusiast (though inferior to Xu Yufei and Xing Zhan), he considered himself elite, believing he could outperform aberrants of equal level despite minimal actual aberrant combat experience - after all, aberrants lacked human intelligence.

Qin Feng remained unmoved by Xing Zhan's departure. The Heavenly King competition had lasted all afternoon - time for him to make an appearance.

Qin Feng floated down hands behind his back, exuding transcendence as he summoned the sixteen elite ability users from the rest area.

Lu Xingchen, KIKI, Xu Yufei, Wu Bin and twelve others stepped forward as the high platform descended, gathering before Qin Feng.

"Friends, thank you for recognizing Unlimited Alliance and myself. Your strengths are evident. But I remind you - I seek not cold ability indices nor dazzling arena victories, but the foolish courage to light torches at the abyss's edge, the lonely resolve to draw swords against S-class despite certain death, the madness to carry comrades' lives forward."

Qin Feng calmly addressed them: "In three days, Unlimited·Silver Star departs Dawn City chasing dawn. Until then, recruitment continues online and onsite. My target: 500,000 people!"

The crowd exploded.

"Holy shit! 500,000?!"

"Incredible!"

"With so many Annihilator-level, possible!"

"That'd make them Phoenix Society and Dawn City's largest survivor alliance!"

Amidst the uproar, Lin Xian looked thoughtful.

"Leaving Dawn City in three days? Definitely Federation's golden cicada plan..." Jiang Yun observed.

"I'm concerned about the timing." Lin Xian said. "Captain Zhou, three days - could this connect to the Vanguard Initiative?"

"Highly likely!" Zhou Jin said gravely. "Recruiting 500,000 so brazenly for departure suggests Federation action. With the Wens as Crimson World's Dawn City proxies, they'd know."

Lin Xian exhaled deeply, watching Qin Feng's grand speech: "Three days... Does Dawn City have no evacuation plans?"

"At least we have a timeline." Ning Jing approached from the crowd. "Phoenix Society and we can prepare."

"There are six million people here!" Lin Xian frowned. "With gates still controlled and only knowing about stellar abyss changes... Who knows what comes next?"

He addressed Zhou Jin: "Shouldn't Phoenix Society act preemptively?"

"Already underway, but not our focus." Zhou Jin said calmly.

Lin Xian took a deep breath, observing the square.

Qin Feng stood before his massive newly recruited forces - already over 8,000 strong including the Twelve Zodiac Lords and Four Heavenly Kings in front. All gazed fervently at the heavily armed train and Silver Star's eternal-class nuclear locomotive while envious looks came from tens of thousands outside.

Qin Feng surveyed his elite vanguards with satisfaction, finally resting eyes on cross-armed KIKI who clearly looked difficult to manage. He smiled slightly.

"Miss Chen, any questions?"

"Didn't you say passing tests meant personal interviews?" KIKI asked innocently.

Immediately, all sixteen focused on Qin Feng.

This was their real concern. Though ranked third on Evolution Light as a mechanical ability user, few had witnessed Qin Feng's capabilities. Those standing here were all convoy leaders - to command their respect required demonstrated strength.

Thus the recruitment's true test: whether its architect Qin Feng possessed the prowess to so arrogantly recruit elites.

Qin Feng merely smiled serenely: "Correct. To deepen mutual understanding, all partners may now challenge me."

"All? Meaning?" One Zodiac Lord asked.

Beside him, Li Jian smirked smugly as Qin Feng stepped forward, eyes flashing like lightning, each word thunderous:

"I mean... everyone."

Dead silence fell across the square as collective gasps echoed. Dawn City's live feeds went berserk.

At the major convoy camp, even Lin Qingyu and company looked grave.

"Gotta admit, the guy knows crowd psychology." Lin Qingyu crossed his arms. "What a showoff."

Recon veteran Luo Heng wryly smiled: "Knowing full well no one will attack simultaneously - just flexing dominance. Crush two tough challengers with angel-level power, and his apocalypse leadership gets cemented."

"Clever bastard!" Lei Zhen cursed.

"What if someone actually gangs up on him?" Chubby Han Tiege wondered.

"Wouldn't that be something..." Jiang Yun smirked oddly.

Silence, then eruption!

Qin Feng proudly surveyed the crowd like a conqueror.

"Well then? Who wishes to test me?"

Having just said "everyone," his shift to asking who'd step forward showcased masterful rhetoric.

Just as Qin Feng stood loftily overlooking them, top-ranked Lu Xingchen stepped forward first:

"Captain Qin, this venerable one Lu Xingchen seeks instruction."

"Excellent!" Qin Feng gladly accepted - defeating the top ranker would quickly establish dominance.

But before he could strategize suppressing this fire ability user, the purple-haired girl also stepped up:

"And me!"

"Hmm?" Qin Feng's expression faltered as the girl happily pointed at several others in the crowd: "You, you, and you - yes, Mr. Zhang too! Didn't you all say you wanted to spar Captain Qin? Come on, everyone together!"

Her words stirred the crowd, even shocking Xu Yufei beside her. He'd considered challenging Qin Feng too, but this girl's unconventional approach of rallying multiple challengers was unprecedented.

What was this? A gang fight?

Li Jian and Qin Feng's faces darkened instantly at KIKI's troublemaking. Already wary of this mechanical ability girl, she now appeared to be another Xing Zhan.

Li Jian panicked slightly at the mobilized crowd - even he found Qin Feng's earlier bravado perplexing.

Yet Qin Feng showed no alarm, instead floating upward as the high platform rose under his mechanical control. He laughed boldly:

"Very well! Starting with first-ranked Lu Xingchen - henceforth my Azure Dragon Heavenly King! Today, all may challenge me - I refuse none!"

Pointing at Lu Xingchen, he declared: "Heavenly King Lu, begin!"

"Damn..." KIKI muttered into comms, stunned by Qin Feng's shameless pivot to 1v1s when faced with multiple challengers. "The audacity! Makes himself look like some heroic legend."

As the manipulated crowd cheered enthusiastically, Lin Xian coldly told KIKI: "He's no amateur - exceptional crowd control. Must've handled major events before. Only option is direct confrontation to gauge his true level."

Lin Xian realized Qin Feng only needed to swiftly defeat a few top challengers to cement authority. Not even all - just overwhelming Fire Bro's spectacular attacks might suffice, since this was about survival convoys, not martial arts tournaments.

"Brother Lin, his arrogance offends. Allow me to strike him down in our Unlimited's name!" Lu Xingchen's voice came through, brimming with fighting spirit as he eyed the floating Qin Feng.

"Go. Fire birthed creation itself. Him calling you 'Heavenly King' insults you. Display but a fraction of your might, let the entire city witness the Fire God's glory." Lin Xian said solemnly.

"Indeed!"

Lu Xingchen's pupils dilated excitedly as flames ignited in his eyes. With a fiery burst, he shot skyward where a massive fire tornado descended, illuminating entire blocks like a meteor.

Emerging from the inferno, Lu Xingchen floated down majestically like a fire deity, extending a challenging hand toward Qin Feng:

"Captain Qin, your move."

Lin Xian and KIKI facepalmed at Lu Xingchen's dramatic entrance before even attacking - so quintessentially Fire Bro.

"Think Lu Xingchen can win?" Ning Jing asked worriedly. "He's Annihilator-level over 9000, but Qin Feng's a true angel-level - significant gap."

"Relax." Lin Xian said coldly, his mechanical scans finally completing as Qin Feng approached the platform. "Our Fire Bro's no mere 9000 combatant..."