World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

After a moment of silence, the stands erupted in a frenzy.

"Impossible." Shang Jiliang's pupils shook violently as he abruptly stood up from his seat. "How could anyone deplete a force field shield with a broadsword?"

Beside him, his apprentice Ye Feng was too stunned to utter a word.

Any criticism would not be an insult to the opponent but rather an insult to his own intelligence. The performance of "Ten Steps to Kill One" had surpassed his understanding of mechas.

...

Gu Qingyan and Shen Yuning were dumbfounded.

For a moment, neither of them had the courage to step up and challenge.

The gap between them was too vast. Their skills might be higher than Wu You's, but they couldn't completely crush their opponent. Who exactly was that guy?

...

Du Ge exited the arena mode, and his message interface was buzzing with activity.

He opened it to find a flood of battle requests and even more friend requests.

At the top of the messages was the number of spectators in his room—over two million.

And the number was still climbing. Du Ge opened the news page, and all the trending topics were about him.

The effect was remarkable!

Du Ge smiled slightly, deeply moved. In this fast-paced world of information, it was perfect for the survival of Alien Star warriors. By sparking a hot topic, he could spread his influence across the entire world in minutes.

Since the previous feat of hitting the same spot ten times to take down Blade had already caused such a sensation, drawing even the big shots down.

This time, taking out Phantom with one sword should have an even greater impact.

That should be enough!

Du Ge ignored the numerous connection requests and, under the expectant gazes of many, silently logged off and exited the Battle Network.

This move left everyone stunned.

...

"What happened? Why did he log off?"

"One more match!"

"He played five matches in a row; he must be exhausted. Even an ace mecha pilot would be mentally drained after piloting Petrel to counter Phantom without a scratch!"

"Makes sense."

"But at least he should have said goodbye to us. That's just rude."

"Probably mentally exhausted, can't even speak..."

"Exactly, exactly. Watching such a feast is satisfying enough. Eating too much in one day is overwhelming. Take it slow. I've set up an online alert, and I'll be there the moment he logs in. From now on, I'm his super fan."

"Hope the media can dig out his real-life identity..."

...

"Master, since we can't fight him, why don't you use your connections to find him, and we can meet him in real life!" Ye Feng snapped out of his shock and looked at his master.

"He's caused such a commotion; many people must have reported it upwards. I can't compete with them." Shang Jiliang shook his head. "Come, follow me to the training ground. I want to try how Petrel breaks through the encirclement of three tracking missiles."

"Master, isn't that unnecessary? You struggle with just one tracking missile..." Ye Feng looked at his enthusiastic master, feeling helpless. "Maybe you could try using Basalt to dodge bullets and complete Petrel's maneuvers..."

Shang Jiliang glared at him and said, "I'll use Petrel. The fighting style of 'Ten Steps to Kill One' inspired me. I think we've been too reliant on the performance of the mecha, which is why our skills have stagnated for so many years.

From him, I see the future of mecha pilots.

If we change our training methods for pilots, within two years, if we can cultivate a batch of pilots with his level of skill, even if they only have half his ability, we might have a chance of victory even if the Hill Civilization's army arrives."

...

Back to reality, Du Ge took off his helmet.

Lin Hong's body was still fragile.

Despite causing such a stir on the Battle Network, Lin Hong's attributes had barely improved.

It made sense. Although his reputation was nationwide, what he did on the Battle Network had nothing to do with the keywords. His actions were even contrary to being low-key, so it was fortunate that his attributes weren't reduced.

This discovery made Du Ge realize that the initial physique of the body he possessed would remain unchanged.

Even if he deliberately acted against the keywords, it wouldn't lower the initial attributes.

Du Ge opened his personal interface to check his data.

As expected, his ranking had jumped to first place, and his mental power had increased by twenty thousand, likely a reward from Pan-Universal Entertainment for being first.

The reward of mental power was just a drop in the bucket, better than nothing.

Ranking was related to social influence, so becoming first was within Du Ge's expectations.

However, purely boosting the ranking without improving attributes was not a good thing for Alien Star warriors.

When the rankings are announced in a month, such attributes could be easily exposed, and no Alien Star warrior would do that.

...

He set an example, and a large number of Alien Star warriors might follow his model, using the Battle Network to boost their keywords. After all, compared to the Battle Network, boosting keywords in the real world was too slow.

But the Battle Network locks personal IPs, and once you stand out, you might be discovered by others.

To have the power to protect oneself when discovered, Alien Star warriors must speed up their reputation and skill development...

So, there's a high probability that this Alien Star Battlefield will be forced into a frenzy again.

At this rate, Bi Xing might be thrown into chaos by Alien Star warriors before the Hill Civilization attacks, and if Bi Xing falls into chaos, the Hill Civilization's vanguard, which is confronting Bi Xing, might seize the opportunity to launch another attack...

Sitting at the desk, Du Ge casually flipped through the desktop computer in front of him, browsing Bi Xing's hot topics, trying to find traces of other Alien Star warriors while simulating future scenarios in his mind.

He was the first to be exposed.

If he couldn't take the initiative and his real-world location was leaked, there was a high chance he'd be attacked by everyone. Even without a group attack, a few remote missiles could cover Imperial Capital University indiscriminately, and he might not escape.

Du Ge knew Alien Star warriors best; they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

In a world with high technological levels, Alien Star warriors could boost their attributes faster, but correspondingly, the danger level would also soar. The power of technological weapons was immense and hard to defend against.

Without using divine power, only skills and attributes could ensure his safety.

...

Thinking of this, Du Ge no longer hesitated, got up, and left the dormitory, heading straight for the principal's office.

Act high-profile, live low-profile.

He had stirred up such a storm on the Battle Network, which would inevitably attract scrutiny from the higher-ups.

Therefore, before they could track him down, proactively revealing his whereabouts would minimize the risk of exposure, aligning with the meaning of being low-key.

...

Before the Federation was established, Imperial Capital University was one of the top universities in the Dragon City Empire.

After the Federation was established, Imperial Capital University ranked within the top fifty among all universities in the Federation, making it a world-class university.

The principal of Imperial Capital University was Tang Houming, a top expert in mecha dynamics who led the improvement of the tenth-generation mecha's energy system. He was not only the university's principal but also an academician of the Academy of Sciences and held the position of Deputy Minister of Education.

His resume was impressive.

Such a heavyweight figure had the power to reach the highest levels with his words.

...

But for an ordinary student in the Mecha Department, meeting the principal was extremely difficult.

However, this didn't trouble Du Ge.

He bypassed the security of the teaching building, reached the principal's secretary's office, and simply said, "I'm 'Ten Steps to Kill One'." After the secretary verified his account, he was led to the principal's office by the secretary, who was in shock.

The secretary was efficient, and on the way to the principal, all of Du Ge's information was already laid out on the principal's desk.

"Lin Hong, you're a student in the Mecha Repair Department?" Tang Houming adjusted his glasses and looked at Du Ge with suspicion.

"Yes, Principal." Du Ge nodded.

"You applied for the Mecha Combat Department but were transferred to the Mecha Repair Department because your physique and mental power didn't meet the requirements. Yet, your combat performance on the Battle Network is vastly different from your performance during the entrance exam." Tang Houming scrutinized Du Ge and asked, "Can you tell me what happened in the past six months?"

"Principal Tang, what I'm about to tell you is of great importance, concerning the future of the entire Bi Xing. If possible, I'd like you to contact the Federal President, and I'll reveal everything." Du Ge glanced at the secretary who brought him in and said, "But before that, I hope Principal Tang can keep my identity as 'Ten Steps to Kill One' confidential, because the secrets I'm about to reveal could endanger my life."

Tang Houming frowned and said, "Lin Hong, it's not easy to meet the President, even if you're 'Ten Steps to Kill One.' You should tell me first, and I'll decide whether to inform the President..."

"I'm not from this world." Du Ge looked at Tang Houming and went straight to the point. "There are over a thousand people like me on this planet."

"What?" Tang Houming doubted his ears and asked.

"Principal Tang, the Hill Civilization has already invaded Bi Xing. It's not hard to understand if another alien civilization invades Bi Xing in a different way. Otherwise, how do you explain an ordinary Mecha Repair Department student suddenly possessing combat skills comparable to an ace mecha pilot in just six months?"

Du Ge shrugged and said, "At Imperial Capital University, I couldn't get my hands on a mecha, so I used Petrel on the Battle Network to achieve such results, just to get your attention and add some credibility to my identity."

The secretary instinctively pursed his lips, looking at Du Ge's back with disbelief.

Tang Houming looked at Du Ge and decisively picked up the phone on the desk, dialing a number. "Connect me to the President. I have something very important to report, extremely urgent. If possible, please have the President log into the Battle Network, where I will explain the situation face-to-face."

After speaking, he hung up the phone and looked at the secretary in the office, instructing, "Secretary Zhang, until Lin Hong's matter is resolved, you are absolutely not allowed to leak any information about him."

...

Fifteen minutes later.

Du Ge and Tang Houming logged into the Battle Network simultaneously and met the President there.

The President's appearance was exactly as Lin Hong remembered, and he used his real appearance on the Battle Network, as did Tang Houming.

The setting was an office.

The President sat behind a desk, glanced at Tang Houming and Du Ge beside him, and pointed to his watch. "Principal Tang, I'm in the middle of an important meeting and can only give you five minutes."

"Mr. President." Tang Houming didn't waste words. After bowing to the President, he pulled Du Ge forward. "This is Lin Hong, known as 'Ten Steps to Kill One' on the Battle Network. He set a record by using the Petrel mecha to destroy Phantom without a scratch."

"'Ten Steps to Kill One'?" The President looked at Du Ge in surprise and smiled. "I've heard that name at least ten times today. Several army commanders have requested me to open the Battle Network server permissions to check his real identity. I didn't expect you to bring him to me. Well done, Principal Tang. You've solved a big problem for me. You have no idea how cumbersome the process is to open the Battle Network's main server."

Du Ge breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he acted decisively; otherwise, once these people found his name through the Battle Network, he would instantly become famous, and staying low-key would be impossible.

The President glanced at Du Ge and nodded. "Young man, well done. Our planet needs talented kids like you. However, I'm not very skilled in mecha combat. I'll notify those commanders later, and you can share your experience with them. Hopefully, we can train more ace mecha pilots, increasing our chances against those bastards from the Hill Civilization."

"I will." Du Ge nodded with a smile.

The President smiled and looked at Tang Houming. "Principal Tang, this doesn't seem like an urgent matter. I know you've trained a special talent, but writing a report and submitting his name would suffice..."

"Mr. President, Lin Hong is not from our world." Tang Houming glanced at the President and sighed. "Our planet might have been invaded by another group of people. I've sent his information to your desk. You should take a look. I can't judge the truth of this matter, nor dare to make decisions on my own, so I used my authority to bring him to see you. With the precedent of the Hill Civilization, I can't afford to be careless about this..."

The President frowned, flipping through Lin Hong's information, muttering as he read, "Rejected by the Mecha Combat Department due to inadequate physique and mental power, transferred to the Mecha Repair Department? Can perceive information from the surroundings?"

Meeting the President made things easier.

Du Ge smiled. "Mr. President, I haven't shown my full strength on the Battle Network. If I use a higher-level mecha, I can confidently face twenty ace pilots simultaneously and annihilate them.

There are over a thousand people like me on this planet, all of whom infiltrated today. We are reborn using the bodies of Bi Xing people, reading the host's memories, and this method cannot be detected by any instrument.

Mr. President, the reason I'm so eager to meet you is that our group possesses special abilities. Some people's abilities can invisibly control others, achieving their unspeakable secrets. If someone like that is around you and you don't take precautions, they could overthrow Bi Xing's government..."

The President frowned, not looking at Du Ge but at Tang Houming, somewhat angrily. "Tang Houming, I need real evidence for such matters, not some ambiguous speculations."

"Mr. President, by the time you investigate everything, Bi Xing will already be in chaos." Du Ge looked at the President and shook his head. "The reason I used such extreme methods to meet you is to prevent disasters before they happen.

As you can see, the army commanders are already investigating my information. By revealing these unknown details to you, I become everyone's enemy. Therefore, I must prevent you from publicly disclosing any information about me.

This way, I'll have enough time to help Bi Xing deal with everything. As for the proof the President wants, as long as my identity remains confidential, I can provide it anytime.

For example.

I can now demonstrate facing twenty ace pilots simultaneously.

As far as I know, no ace pilot on Bi Xing has ever defeated five peers of the same level.

This won't take much of your time but can minimize the disaster. Mr. President, I've shown my sincerity. If you stubbornly refuse to believe me, let time prove it to you!"

"Alright, I'll assume what you say is true, but why are you doing this?" The President put down all of Lin Hong's information, looking at Du Ge with cold eyes. "Your actions have already betrayed your people."

"They're not my people." Du Ge smiled. "In fact, these thousand-plus individuals are divided into ten different factions, each hostile to the other. Our mission here is mutual slaughter, ultimately determining the final victor."

The President and Tang Houming both frowned.

The President gestured for him to continue. "You can elaborate."

"No, Mr. President, before that, I think it's more important to demonstrate my combat power to you, to make you believe in my identity." Du Ge shook his head. "Otherwise, you might think I'm making up stories. After all, you only gave me five minutes, and it's already been eight."

"I believe you." The President paused for a moment and said, "First, tell me about the aliens. Once that's done, we'll verify your combat power."