Chapter 3: The Appearance of the Mirror Demon

Meanwhile, Jenny's excited voice echoed loudly in the arena: "The fleet of Ouyelian has finally set sail, with the central hero flagship escorted by a first-class frigate on each side, heading towards the most heavily fortified space pirate stronghold on this cosmic star map. The space pirate stronghold is the location with the strongest indigenous armed forces on this star map, establishing the highest-level space mercenary base in the universe amidst the wreckage of ships that drifts year-round in this asteroid belt. If the indigenous armed forces here are cleared out, players can purchase the most powerful and operationally capable space pirate ship on this star map, aside from the hero flagship. Can Ouyelian truly clear this hostile land with just these two frigates and the attack of her hero flagship?"

"In less than 0.2 seconds, after tapping the keyboard twice and moving the mouse more than twice, her speed has already matched yours, Chopin," Valentine whispered

"If things continue to develop this way, Arthur is sure to win," Valentine murmured as he sat beside Xiao Menglou

Although Arthur, through his reckless maneuvers, finally destroyed two of Ouyelian's pirate ships with the battleship's cannons under the cover of missile cruisers, all of his missile frigates were completely annihilated, and his flagship was left battered and bruised. The damage to the armor caused by atomic acid had become unbearable for him. When Ouyelian's upgraded level 3 hero flagship, enhanced with a powerful main cannon, struck the engine of Arthur's flagship, this formidable warship could only be blown to pieces in indignation.

At that moment, another frigate dashed into the deserted pirate stronghold like a flash of lightning, swiftly passing through the mercenary base in the central area. In that brief instant, two large space pirate ships, each with its own distinct characteristics, had already been purchased from the mercenary base, following closely behind the small frigate as they burst out of the pirate stronghold

"Unless she is a natural freak," Valentine said coldly

A wave of sighs, reminiscent of the sea crashing against the shore, rose from the audience, as many seemed to silently support the beautiful girl Ou Ye Lian, who had bravely advanced to the finals alone. More people, however, were intently focused on the flickering and changing patterns on the 3D laser screen, their lips tightly sealed, not uttering a word

The types, categories, and functions of ships in the entire game are diverse and varied, exceeding one hundred classifications, each corresponding to relevant technological research progress. In the esports competition, each player assumes the role of the commander of their respective colonial fleet, responsible not only for making decisions regarding the expansion, construction, technological research, and development of the colony, but also for piloting the flagship to lead the established colonial fleet in military warfare against enemy nations, until the last building of the enemy is destroyed. The entire competition tests not only the players' decision-making abilities, judgment, adaptability, and strategic military skills, but also compares their brain reaction speed, physical agility (primarily of the fingers), courage, physical fitness, and willpower.

"Freak, could she be the legendary re-creator?" Xiao Menglou asked in confusion

Oh... yes," Wu Deweide's tone revealed a hint of pity, "Poor Miss Ouyelian, the first opponent she encounters is none other than the highly favored Zeus Arthur. In my estimation, her journey in this major competition may very well come to an end here. If a miracle occurs and she manages to defeat Zeus Arthur, who has never lost a single game since the round of 16, she will still have to face the formidable challenges posed by Valentine or Xiao Menglou. I sincerely hope that this strong and beautiful girl receives the favor of the goddess of victory in this brutal competition.

It seems to be verifying the accuracy of the predictions made by the two commentators. Ouyelian's fleet, with a meager force of four ships, audaciously suppressed the main star colony established by Zeus Arthur. The dense barrage of laser beams powerfully struck the upgrading base structures, with the hero flagship manufacturing plant and the main base upgrade facility engulfed in raging flames, on the verge of complete destruction. Zeus Arthur, who had not yet completed the base upgrade, had only about six long-range missile ships at his disposal. The long-range missiles appeared to have little effect against the armor of the pirate ships, while the dense barrage of laser beams continued to strike the upgrading base structures. The hero flagship manufacturing plant and the main base upgrade facility were simultaneously engulfed in flames, nearing total annihilation. Zeus Arthur, still without a completed base upgrade, had only about six long-range missile ships, and the long-range missiles seemed ineffective against the pirate ships' armor. In contrast, the atomic acid launchers and electromagnetic disruptors on the pirate ships repeatedly intercepted the missile ships in space and destroyed them with powerful laser cannons.

Zeus Arthur and the Mirror Demon Orelian arrived simultaneously at the two egg pods in the center of the arena, waving to the audience seated around them.

This is a very famous tactic of Arthur. While his opponent is still engaged in arduous colonial construction and waiting for the fleet to take shape, he has already established two colonies and simultaneously begun to expand, achieving absolute economic dominance. If the opponent fails to timely discover his outposts, he will, under the strong economic advantage, establish two to three more sub-colonies, allowing Zeus's flag to fill the entire cosmic map. When his opponent believes that they have completely suppressed his army with overwhelming military force, they will find their own forces trapped in the encirclement of several well-equipped legions of Zeus and Arthur. " There is a hint of concern in Jennidy's tone. If the opponent cannot timely discover his outposts, he will, under the strong economic advantage, establish two to three more sub-colonies, allowing Zeus's flag to fill the entire cosmic map. When his opponent believes that they have completely suppressed his army with overwhelming military force, they will find their own forces trapped in the encirclement of several well-equipped legions of Zeus and Arthur. " There is a hint of concern in Jennidy's tone. Now, let us see how Ouyelian, known as the Mirror Demon, counters Zeus's tactic of infinite expansion. She seems to still be unaware of Arthur's expansion intentions, patiently establishing her tightly organized colonies and beginning to accumulate funds in preparation for a comprehensive upgrade of her colonies.

"Unless what?" Xiao Menglou could not help but ask

At that moment, brilliant golden fireworks erupted around the competition stage, resembling a rice field that had suddenly sprung to life. The audience of one hundred thousand immediately erupted into enthusiastic cheers, nearly lifting the glass ceiling of the arena. This display of fireworks, which brought the entire venue to a climax of celebration, signified that the first semifinal would commence in just a few minutes

From the development of the Zeus Arthur colony, it appears that Arthur's renowned strategy of infinite expansion will be showcased once again in this significant competition that captivates a billion viewers across the solar system. After establishing the basic mining facilities and tier-one shipyard for building bases, Arthur immediately set up a floating interstellar sub-base in the upper left corner. I believe his flagship will swiftly utilize this interstellar sub-base, shaped like a giant bunker, for cover after producing the first batch of three small long-range missile ships, launching an attack on the space natives at the first resource point in the upper left. With the protection of the sub-base's energy shield, which can reach up to 1,300 degrees, the firepower of the small long-range missile ships and the central flagship will be sufficient to eliminate the formidable local native forces, allowing the central flagship to gain invaluable combat experience and advance to a tier-two warship. Wu Deweide seems to be quite familiar with Zeus Arthur's strategy of infinite expansion, explaining it with great clarity.

"Speaking of creating miracles, Jenny, do you think the contestant Ouyelian, who is participating in the competition for the first time, will be able to win the gold cup in this event?" Wu Deweide asked with a smile

Xiao Menglou did not speak again, but gazed with a troubled expression at the high-definition three-dimensional laser screen, where the interstellar colonies of Zeus Arthur and the Mirror Demon Ouyelian were rapidly being established at two corresponding resource points on the cosmic star map, her mind in a state of turmoil

The commentator Jennidy immediately remarked: "The astonishing speed of execution, operations as smooth as a flowing river. Ouyelian has acquired two powerful space pirate ships in the life-restricted zone of the space pirate fortress through extraordinary means. One ship is equipped with atomic acid ejectors, capable of inflicting damage on both the enemy's ship armor and energy shields simultaneously, with the damage increasing over time. The other ship, besides having a formidable laser cannon, is also equipped with an electromagnetic disruptor, which can directly affect the operation of the enemy's battleship's antimatter engine, rendering it unable to accelerate or maneuver in space. It is evident that she intends to use these two surprise weapons to launch a suppressive attack on Arthur's main colony."

Just as the two were completely baffled by the tactics regarding Ouyelian, a wave of heated discussions suddenly erupted in the audience.

Although both players' reconnaissance satellites have detected each other's colony locations, neither fleet has made any contact yet. This seems to align perfectly with Arthur's appetite for expansion, as it is during the establishment of his colonies that his initial military strength is at its weakest. Once his second colony begins to operate normally, his economic advantage will render his fleet unstoppable. " Wu Deweide calmly analyzed.

I do not care about the clamor of feminism, but esports competitions are men's contests. Women's physical abilities, reaction speeds, and even intellect cannot withstand such high-intensity competitions; there is no room for women to intervene here, unless... Valente's brown eyes narrowed slightly. His eyes were already remarkably narrow, and now that they were squinted, it became even harder to discern them. From a distance, it seemed as if this person had no eyes at all.

What incredible speed! Xiao Menglou looked in shock at Valentine beside him

Oh, although I am not from another province, I sincerely hope that Miss Ouyelian can achieve good results in this competition. Of course, she still lacks experience in major events, but her unpredictable tactics and peculiar maneuvers greatly compensate for her lack of experience. Oh, to be honest, I hope she wins the championship. If she can secure the gold cup in this competition, she will be the first female champion in the history of international esports, which has spanned seventy Earth years since local participation. This will be recorded in history and noted in the Guinness World Records. It will be an even more thrilling miracle than a local person winning the championship. Oh, to be honest, I hope she wins the championship. If she can secure the gold cup in this competition, she will be the first female champion in the history of international esports, which has spanned seventy Earth years since local participation. This will be recorded in history and noted in the Guinness World Records. It will be an even more thrilling miracle than a local person winning the championship. Of course, everything depends on the first semifinal match between Arthur and Ouyelian." said Jennidy excitedly

If she wishes to do so, she must act quickly. Arthur is upgrading to Level 2 technology, and once he completes this upgrade, the ships he manufactures will counter the performance of the two pirate ships, placing her fleet in a predicament of being surrounded on all sides. Wu Dewei's words evoke an overwhelming sense of tension.

Although Arthur's fleet was completely destroyed and he had two fully operational interstellar colonies, he was powerless to turn the tide of defeat and could only display "GG (Good Game)" on the screen

This is theoretically almost impossible. In the early stages of colonization, the fleet, due to its weak firepower and armor, could only engage with the smallest indigenous armed forces to gain combat experience, upgrade the flagship, and enhance the performance of ordinary ships through the upgrading of colonial bases. This powerful indigenous pirate force could only be dealt with by the large fleets of the mid-colonial period or the elite fleets of the late colonial period; confronting these formidable pirates with the scattered fleets of the early period would be akin to striking a stone with an egg. Is Ouyelian prepared to give up this competition? Upon witnessing Ouyelian's actions, Wu Deweide, who was known for his calm demeanor, also began to get agitated, shouting loudly.

The local audience immediately erupted in loud cheers, with waves of support for Xiao Menglou surging to the front of the stage.

"No, the production cost of replicants and the related materials is extremely high. Without financial resources equivalent to those of the Earth Federation military, it is fundamentally impossible to produce replicants. Moreover, replicants produced at great expense are always in service to the military, each one a secret warrior. It makes no sense to produce female replicants with inherently weak physical constitutions; this is the most absurd waste of resources," Valentine said softly.

"I don't know, but ever since humanity began colonizing space several decades ago, many anomalies have emerged. Some say they represent the future direction of human development and are the hope of humanity. However, just wait and see; one day, these so-called hopes of humanity will turn around and seek to usurp power from ordinary humans like us," Valentine said in a bitter tone.

Can you imagine? A woman, able to sit before Zeus in the egg chamber without a change in her expression, accepting his challenge. As Zeus, Arthur, and the mirror demon beauty, Orelian, each entered their respective egg chambers, the usually taciturn Valentine suddenly approached Xiao Menglou and whispered.

At the moment when Ou Ye Lian made this astonishing move, a wave of unexpected gasps of surprise erupted from the audience

Among the contestants who made it to the semifinals this time, three are esports players from other provinces, showcasing remarkable strength and impressive form. In contrast, the only local contestant is Xiao Zong. In fact, Jin Baoluo, who has always been known for his formidable performance rankings, was consistently above Xiao Zong, but unfortunately, he encountered the already invincible Zeus, Arthur, too early and was eliminated from the finals. The competition for the championship trophy is a battle of significant disparity in strength, with the out-of-province players almost having the trophy within their grasp. Whether Xiao Menglou, who is currently under tremendous pressure, can create a miracle for the locals and bring about a surprise remains to be seen. The local commentator, Janidi, seems dissatisfied with Wu Deweide's commentary, which intentionally heightens the pressure on Xiao Menglou, and at this moment, he deliberately boosts his morale.

"So who exactly is she?" Xiao Menglou asked as he walked towards the stands prepared for the contestants, accompanied by Valentine.

The exhilarating commentary of two announcers echoed into Xiao Menglou's ears from above the vast esports arena

It is quite strange; she has saved a lot of money but has not upgraded the technology of the second level of the base. If she relies on the types of ships from the first level of the base to confront the enemy, it would be tantamount to seeking her own demise. Xiao Menglou bent down, tightly gripping her chin with both hands, and said softly

Just as the three ships had just hidden in the shadows outside the pirate stronghold, a tremendous explosion echoed from the sky, as the escort ship used to lure the enemy was blown to pieces by the pirate fleet. This formidable fleet then returned triumphantly. If the escort ship had delayed by 0.1 seconds in hiring the mercenary ships, the entire fleet of Ouyelian would have been reduced to fragments.

The first frigate, flying relatively ahead, circled above the pirate stronghold and immediately sped towards a distant area of dark gray nebula. Upon seeing this frigate, which seemed to be demonstrating its power, the pirate ships stationed at the entrance of the stronghold immediately activated their engines and launched a frenzied pursuit of this slender and seemingly insignificant frigate

To be honest... Xiao Menglou swallowed hard and said, "I was completely stunned when she took the stage."

At that moment, the fleet flying towards the pirate fortress executed a graceful turn in the air, with the two first-class small frigates on either side of the central flagship resembling two missiles launched by the massive flagship, charging towards the center of the pirate fortress

The design of the competition egg pod is indistinguishable from that of a standard egg pod used in competitions, with an overall shape resembling an oval egg, large enough to comfortably accommodate a single participant seated inside. The interior is equipped with a control panel for flagship operations, a joystick, and a series of instrument controllers. At the center of the egg pod's operation room is a keyboard similar to a standard computer, used by players for text communication during the competition and for inputting various complex and precise operational commands to manage the vast fleets within the game. The egg pod rotates in response to the participant's navigation route and angle while operating the flagship in space, including sudden stops, backward flight, turns, and even highly complex aerial maneuvers such as the cobra maneuver. Due to the superior performance of the egg pod, many space simulation games have adopted it as corresponding hardware. Since humanity ventured into space, this genre of space simulation games has become extremely popular.

The hero flagship controlled by the player is the core of the entire battle due to its special attributes and the most powerful attack firepower. If it is destroyed by the enemy, a manufacturing factory in the core colony controlled by the player will produce another one, but this will take approximately one to five minutes, depending on the flagship's level. If a level 4 or higher flagship is destroyed, it will lead to a one-sided situation in the entire battle. Ships without the flagship's leadership will suffer devastating blows from the enemy fleet. Although it will not result in total annihilation, the situation will become extremely passive. If a level 4 or higher flagship is destroyed, it will lead to a one-sided situation in the entire battle. Ships without the flagship's leadership will suffer devastating blows from the enemy fleet. Although it will not result in total annihilation, the situation will become extremely passive.

In this instance, the game "Interstellar Colony Wars," designed specifically for competition, remarkably combines space simulation and real-time strategy elements. The ships in the game are led by hero flagship vessels, which possess unique attack capabilities and attributes, and are piloted by the players. Other interstellar ships are controlled by artificial intelligence, capable of basic attack and defense maneuvers. Players can input various complex commands via the keyboard to execute formations, flanking maneuvers, attacks, retreats, positioning, and other intricate operations. This allows the ships to form an organic combat unit with the central hero flagship, maximizing their offensive effectiveness