Chapter 5, The Octopus and Chopin

Xiao Menglou, having cleared the indigenous armed forces in the two star regions, immediately led the hero flagship, which had just leveled up to level 2 through practical combat experience, along with three battered junior frigates back to the base. At that moment, the tranquil starry sky over the colonial planet was already obscured by the enemy's junior assault ships and hero flagship.

As he watched the buildings, shimmering with an eerie metallic glow, rise one after another from the earth, Xiao Menglou often felt an inexplicable sadness: the fate of the people in this interstellar colony was doomed to tragedy from the very beginning. The first major structures they constructed were often military buildings, and their sole occupation throughout their lives was to become soldiers, constantly engaging in battles, toiling to develop the colony solely to prepare for the impending war. Even in this game world, where he was the hero determining the course of the war, he could not bring them any happiness; he could only lead them into battle until death. The first major structures they constructed were often military buildings, and their sole occupation throughout their lives was to become soldiers, constantly engaging in battles, toiling to develop the colony solely to prepare for the impending war. Even in this game world, where he was the hero determining the course of the war, he could not bring them any happiness; he could only lead them into battle until death

No, no..." Xiao Menglou weakly stammered a sentence, then suddenly smiled, pointing at Valentine, "Just joking."

Do you know, Valente raised his head and slightly furrowed his brow, "Sometimes I have a doubt, a doubt that you are a modern person transformed from an ancient giant of primordial times. Because in the game, I always feel that I am grappling with a giant full of vigor."

When the enemy's hero flagship has less than 500 degrees of energy remaining, it is also the moment when the competitors are most prone to making mistakes. Valentine must have been blinded by rage, his eyes fixed solely on his prey, completely oblivious to the fact that his fleet has already been torn apart by others. The cunning and shrewd pianist Chopin uses his flagship as bait, luring Valentine into making a decision he should never have made. Oh my God, the energy shield of the flagship Dream Tower has been completely destroyed, and its armor can only withstand a single volley from the enemy flagship's main cannon. This time, it seems that Mr. Xiao is playing with fire. The cunning and shrewd pianist Chopin uses his flagship as bait, luring Valentine into making a decision he should never have made. Oh my God, the energy shield of the flagship Dream Tower has been completely destroyed, and its armor can only withstand a single volley from the enemy flagship's main cannon. This time, it seems that Mr. Xiao is playing with fire. If Valentine successfully destroys his flagship, then the disadvantage he faced in the battle will be completely reversed.

Xiao Menglou typed the same characters on the computer, then took a long breath, gracefully raised both hands into the air, paused for half a second, and then suddenly let them drop. In the silent egg pod, a series of dense sounds like pearls falling on a jade plate erupted like popping beans.

It is well known that the core of the Valentine tactic is to leverage the characteristics of one's own racial interstellar colonies, employing an early and powerful strike fleet to conduct suppressive harassment against the opponent's positions. This strategy inflicts considerable damage on the enemy's economy and military, disrupts their rhythm in the game, and delays the technological upgrades of their bases, while one's own rear develops rapidly, producing a large number of high-tech warships. Additionally, by executing operations on two fronts, one can eliminate the indigenous armed forces at nearby resource points to establish a second colony. Subsequently, utilizing the economic advantage, one can flatten the opponent's base with a fleet of ships and achieve victory. Meanwhile, Xiao Menglou employs fluid operations to use hero flagship vessels to clear the indigenous forces around the base, thereby increasing practical combat experience and enhancing the flagship's level, while simultaneously upgrading the colony to a mid-level base to produce a large number of high-tech ships supported by tier 2 technology. Once he accumulates a sufficient number of ships, he will launch the most powerful attack against the opponent, delivering a heavy blow to their economy and military in the mid-game, potentially annihilating the enemy entirely. In the early stages of the match, Wu Deweide is still able to maintain his British gentlemanly demeanor.

The Valentine flagship has entered the firing range, the main gun flashing with red light, and it seems that the scheming Xiao Menglou is about to lose the right to compete for the championship. This is a critical shot that will determine the entire battle situation. Let us pray together

This is a way for esports players to pay respect to each other before a match. Generally, the two English letters are often followed by "HF (have fun)" to express that friendship comes first, competition second; enjoying the game comes first, determining the outcome second, which is quite a display of gentlemanly demeanor

If the decisive battle between Arthur and Ouyelian is a splendid tactical interpretation by the war strategists, then the bloody confrontation between Xiao Menglou and Valentine is a life-and-death struggle between two fierce generals who refuse to yield. Both fleets consistently adhere to the strategic thinking of these two competitors, never changing a single detail throughout several matches. The only adjustments occur when constructing ships, which are made in response to the enemy's vessels, along with minor tactical adjustments during the clashes between the two armies. In this regard, Valentine seems to perform slightly better than Xiao Menglou.

Xiao Menglou's fleet is a comprehensive and unique combination of the most diverse types of ships from the races he has chosen. It represents an organic offensive and defensive entity that plays a multifaceted and flexible role in large-scale battles with ample firepower. It is believed that this mixed fleet has been refined through rigorous selection, consisting of elite ship types. With appropriate maneuvers during competitions, it can achieve maximum offensive output and relatively perfect defense. In the mid-game, he repeatedly defeated Valentine’s seemingly powerful and versatile fleet using this peculiar mixed fleet.

He is indeed quite spirited. Until this moment, Xiao Menglou truly felt a degree of admiration for Valentine, although he strongly disapproved of the views of this male chauvinist.

It is as if Ou Ye Lian has already secured the championship; tonight's event is merely the award ceremony. Valentine whispered as he walked alongside Xiao Meng Lou onto the competition stage

This is the most exhilarating moment. If General Xiao's flagship is destroyed, his fleet will fall into a leaderless predicament. The reconstruction of the flagship will take as long as two minutes, a period sufficient for Valentine’s fleet to uproot General Xiao's interstellar colony. The most critical issue is that during this time, even if General Xiao's fleet successfully destroys enemy ships, they will not receive any war rewards—combat experience. Meanwhile, Valentine’s flagship will be increasingly nourished by the sacrifices of enemy ships, continuously upgrading. Under this ebb and flow, the outcome of this contest is already apparent. General Xiao, hurry and initiate the trans-dimensional transfer; your flagship can no longer survive on the battlefield.

GG! Valentine has declared GG, indicating that he no longer has the forces to suppress the core of Xiaomeng Tower's base, where the hero flagship is undergoing repairs at https://www.hetushu.com.com. By the time Xiaomeng Tower's flagship is repaired and returns to the battlefield, Valentine, who has almost lost all his forces and is running low on energy, will be powerless to resist. Congratulations to Xiaomeng Tower, you have entered the finals! Congratulations to Xiaomeng Tower, you have entered the finals!

Xiao Menglou turned around with difficulty, grasped his palm firmly, gently shook it, and said softly: "You flatter me."

The silent planets on the computer screen began to show vibrant life, as construction robots busily worked in the interstellar colony. Mines leading to resource points stood tall, with countless resource collection robots sliding along long tracks into the depths of volcanoes storing powerful energy to gather energy. Power stations were established one after another, supporting the operations of the colony's primary armory and the main base's robot production workshops, while the technology development center rapidly rose alongside the armory.

The flagship of Xiao Menglou began to initiate the hyperspace transmission, hoping to return to its main base using the transporter before the enemy's main cannon struck it. However, it was too late; the activation of the transporter required at least two seconds, and by that time, the enemy's main cannon had already destroyed it.

As the hatch of the capsule slowly closed beside Xiao Menglou, he leaned tightly against the back of the pilot's seat, allowing the safety bar that descended onto his shoulders to secure him firmly. His eyelids gently closed as he let out a soft sigh. The noisy clamor from the arena's stands was completely isolated at this moment; within the capsule, only the ethereal sounds of electronic music filled the air. The computer screen in front of him displayed a desolate scene of outer space. Xiao Menglou felt as if he were standing alone on the surface of a deserted alien planet, with no living creature in sight. The noisy clamor from the arena's stands was completely isolated at this moment; within the capsule, only the ethereal sounds of electronic music filled the air. The computer screen in front of him displayed a desolate scene of outer space. Xiao Menglou felt as if he were standing alone on the surface of a deserted alien planet, with no living creature in sight.

Ladies and gentlemen, we now proceed to the highly anticipated second semifinal, featuring the renowned Octopus Valentine and the illustrious Dream Tower, known for its beauty akin to that of the pianist Chopin. The winner among them will face the Mirror Demon Oye Lian, who has just triumphed over the god Zeus, in the championship match tonight. " The enchanting and melodious voice of Jennidy resonated throughout the venue.

However, today, Valentine did not deliver HF, as a reminder to Xiao Menglou that in today's finals, everyone must give their all, and it seems impossible to enjoy the game.

The fleets of two individuals were locked in a fierce struggle amidst a sky filled with lasers, missiles, shockwaves, and the debris of ships. The two central flagship vessels seemed to be engaged in a display of aerial acrobatics, chasing and tearing at each other, while the eyes of all onlookers were stained red like a pool of blood by the raging flames of battle

The commentators Wu Deweide and Jennidy were also stirred by the intense and heated match between Xiao Menglou and Valentine, often becoming somewhat incoherent during their commentary due to their deep focus on the unfolding battle

The entire arena was enveloped in silence, as all the spectators were completely captivated by the intense and fierce battle between Xiao Menglou and Valentine. The brutal combat unfolded over six consecutive rounds without any embellishments, starting from the early stages where three or four ships were engaged in a relentless chase, to the mid-stage where seven or eight ships fought fiercely without yielding, and culminating in the late development of the interstellar colony with a large-scale battle involving hundreds of ships. The two players nearly showcased all the ships designed for players in the game as if it were an exhibition.

Because the attack effect of the flagship's main gun is between 50 and 100 megatons, the random value calculated by the computer this time is slightly smaller, allowing Xiao Menglou to narrowly escape this disaster. Now, if Valentine wants to fire another shot, no, as long as any ship with firepower above level one fires a shot, the flagship of Xiao Menglou will be obliterated at this very moment

The crimson and azure lasers swept across the screen, while orange sparks continuously erupted from the colony's power plant and main base, thick black smoke obscuring the once-clear night sky. Xiao Menglou gripped the control stick tightly with his right hand, maneuvering the central flagship through the enemy's artillery fire, consistently drawing the majority of the enemy's firepower, and targeting the heavy artillery on the flagship at the enemy's hero flagship. His left hand frantically struck the keyboard in front of him and the control switches on the surrounding instruments, as if he had infused life into the three frigates in the computer, skillfully and flexibly maneuvering around both sides of the hero flagship, utilizing the flagship's strong energy shield to evade the enemy's fierce firepower.

At this moment, Xiao Menglou's face was as pale as Arthur's, and he had almost no energy to respond to Valentine, merely giving a faint, half-hearted "mm".

The armory has just produced three primary frigates, and Xiao Menglou immediately led them to the nearby planet to eliminate the local indigenous armed forces. The Technology Development Center is brightly lit, and the upgrade of colonial technology is in full swing

The energy shield of the flagship, Xiaomeng Tower, was completely destroyed by the enemy's chaotic bombardment, and the hard armor twisted and deformed under the fierce tongues of fire. The alarm switches on the dashboard sounded one after another, as it seemed that this valiant warship was about to vanish under the concentrated fire of the enemy. Valente's fleet appeared to be invigorated by this hopeful and optimistic prospect, unleashing all their ferocity and fighting spirit, as their locust-like ships, adorned with the formidable firepower of the Xiaomeng Tower fleet, recklessly pursued the heroic flagship he commanded.

The Valente fleet seemed to have grasped this crucial point, relentlessly trailing behind the flagship of Xiao Menglou and bombarding it with a hail of cannon fire. They completely disregarded the artillery fire from Xiao Menglou's other ships striking their own hulls. During the pursuit, the formation of the Valente fleet fell into an unexpected chaos, with heavily armed attack vessels breaking away from the cover of the ironclad ships, fully exposed to the enemy's formidable firepower. In their eagerness to pursue Xiao Menglou's vessels, the Valente fleet failed to notice this blunder. My goodness, four electromagnetic armor-piercing missile ships exploded simultaneously in the air; I had never witnessed such a scene in any competition. The Valente fleet suffered heavy losses, while the heroic flagship of Xiao Menglou continued its circling flight.

Scattered applause faintly echoed from the audience, as it seemed that the spectators in the arena had exhausted all their enthusiasm during the recent battle between Ou Ye Lian and Arthur. At this moment, as Valente and Xiao Meng Lou stepped onto the semifinals stage, they could hardly muster any spirit. Alternatively, perhaps all the audience members were conserving their energy, preparing to offer the most fervent cheers for Ou Ye Lian in the finals later that night

The white light of the transporter flickered across the entire area, as Xiao Menglou's fleet transformed into a sea of white light under the powerful magnetic field of the superluminal machine, heading towards their base. In the moment of their departure, four or five warships from the Valhalla fleet fell into a sea of flames. An incredible maneuver, a man extraordinarily fortunate. If his flagship had been delayed by just 0.01 seconds in its transmission, it would have become a spectacular wreckage in the universe

The hatch of the pod slowly opened, and Xiao Menglou and Valentine stepped out simultaneously. Both of them were drenched in sweat, having exhausted their energy in the best-of-seven match. Valentine turned around and walked towards Xiao Menglou, who was leaning against the pod door and slightly panting, extending his palm towards him

Look, the flagship of Valentine fired its cannons in unison, and a simultaneous barrage struck heavily against the flagship of Xiao Menglou. The armor of the ship was brutally stripped away in layers, resembling fish scales being sliced off by a kitchen knife, scattering through space. However, the hull of Xiao Menglou did not disintegrate; the transporter remained intact, and the antimatter engine was unscathed. This is nothing short of a miracle

The audience members who were very familiar with "Interstellar Colony Wars" involuntarily extended their hands, gently swaying in the void, following the rhythmic and melodic charges, maneuvers, retreats, and encirclements of either Xiao Menglou or the Valente army, continuously keeping the beat. It was as if a group of string instrument aficionados were watching a guitarist perform a rock piece they knew well, their fingers splayed, unable to resist moving in time with the music.

From a tactical perspective, Valentine’s strategy effectively counters Xiao Menglou’s mid-game decisive tactics. However, it is undeniable that the pianist Chopin’s frenzied maneuvers have indeed caused significant trouble for Valentine’s formidable fleet. The relatively weakly armored and low-attack first-class frigates are maneuvered by him as if they were fish swimming in water, effortlessly darting through the fierce bombardment of the assault ships, often emerging unscathed. In the early stages, with his brilliant maneuvers, he managed to achieve a stalemate against his opponent. As Xiao, with rapidly developing technology, accumulates enough ships in the mid-game, he will launch a powerful counter-offensive against the enemy’s positions. At this point, Valentine, who has just begun constructing a secondary base, finds himself in an awkward situation of lacking troops. However, the interstellar colonial defense works of Valentine, which gained a significant advantage in the early stages, are as solid as a rock. The Xiao Menglou fleet, attempting to gnaw at this hard bone, often finds itself mired in the quagmire of war. At this moment, Valentine’s use of base fortifications to conduct strong defensive positional warfare is once again demonstrated, leading to a renewed stalemate in the battle. "Jenidi took over the conversation from Wu Deweide, but the interstellar colonial defense works of Valentine, which gained a significant advantage in the early stages, are as solid as a rock. The Xiao Menglou fleet, attempting to gnaw at this hard bone, often finds itself mired in the quagmire of war. At this moment, Valentine’s use of base fortifications to conduct strong defensive positional warfare is once again demonstrated, leading to a renewed stalemate in the battle." Jenidi continued to analyze further.

Valent smiled lightly, withdrew his hand, leaned slightly towards Xiao Menglou, and whispered: "Good luck in the finals tonight"

"Lift your spirits; regardless of who wins or loses, one of us must defeat Ouyelian tonight." Valentine frowned and said sternly, "The esports competition is a man's world; there is no place for women to interfere, even if she is a freak."

The colonial base has been established and is awaiting further instructions A muffled electronic voice from the capsule's surround sound system provided a prompt In front of them, a crimson timer appeared on the screen, with the blood-red numbers flashing from 5 to 0 In the lower left corner of the screen, two silver-gray characters displayed GL (good luck)

On the desolate battlefield, only a scene of devastation remains. In pursuit of Xiao Menglou's flagship, Valentine’s fleet has been nearly annihilated. One wonders what Valentine, now filled with ambition, feels as he faces the wreckage of his fleet scattered across the void. In this spectacular and brutal battle, Xiao Menglou did not hesitate to place his bet and won by a razor-thin margin. Excluding the element of luck, Xiao Menglou is the house in this high-stakes gamble. Although Valentine is praised for his bravery, in this contest, he is merely a pawn being led by the nose.

This is not a game; this is a real war. I must survive, I must win! As usual, Xiao Menglou placed his hands on his forehead, using this self-hypnosis method to enhance his mental state in the few minutes before the competition. This method had always been effective for him, allowing him to enter a state of extraordinary courage and helping him focus during the match. However, this method has significant side effects, as in his consciousness, he perceives this game as a genuine life-and-death struggle. Due to extreme tension and an extraordinary physical toll, after each battle, he experiences extreme fatigue and requires a long time to recover. He cannot be certain whether he will have the mental and physical strength to cope with the finals later that evening, but he must win every subsequent match, as he no longer has the opportunity to start over.

Ah, my goodness, I can hardly believe my eyes. The flagship of the pianist Chopin has boldly risked itself to shield a small missile destroyer, charging into the encirclement of the enemy's assault ships. The Valente fleet, like bloodthirsty sharks, has concentrated all its firepower on this heroic flagship, which has already reached level 4. Its energy shield is rapidly dimming, dropping from 1,300 degrees to 1,000 degrees, and it continues to fall, reaching 500 degrees. Oh no, could it be that this heroic vessel, which has achieved numerous victories, will be sent back to the manufacturing plant? Ah! At 300 degrees, 200 degrees, 100 degrees, this indomitable heroic flagship has managed to break through the enemy's heavy encirclement, yet it still performs a circuitous flight on the battlefield filled with flames of war, as if reviewing its army like an arrogant general. Wu Deweide's voice has become somewhat hoarse at this moment. Its energy shield is rapidly dimming, dropping from 1,300 degrees to 1,000 degrees, and it continues to fall, reaching 500 degrees. Oh no, could it be that this heroic vessel, which has achieved numerous victories, will be sent back to the manufacturing plant? Ah! At 300 degrees, 200 degrees, 100 degrees, this indomitable heroic flagship has managed to break through the enemy's heavy encirclement, yet it still performs a circuitous flight on the battlefield filled with flames of war, as if reviewing its army like an arrogant general. Wu Deweide's voice has become somewhat hoarse at this moment.

Let us cheer for them, two valiant men who fought until the last moment. They have presented us with an extraordinarily thrilling semifinal, where no one is a loser in this evenly matched contest. Ladies and gentlemen, pianist Xiao Menglou, Octopus Valentine. Wu Deweide and Jennidy nearly shouted the final commentary, as the audience had already begun to enthusiastically applaud and cheer for their respective idols. Ladies and gentlemen, pianist Xiao Menglou, Octopus Valentine. Wu Deweide and Jennidy nearly shouted the final commentary, as the audience had already begun to enthusiastically applaud and cheer for their respective idols

"Competing with you is always the most exhilarating, General Xiao," Valentine said, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Valent's timely suppression is always so exasperating, and the base of Xiao Menglou has yet to complete its technological upgrades. The armory can only produce basic frigates, and all resources have been allocated to technological advancements. At this moment, the base does not even have enough energy to produce frigates.

The armory is ablaze with lights, and the upgraded base can produce countless new models of ships, including electromagnetic braking vessels, space repair ships, missile destroyers, magnetic steel armored frigates, and electronic warfare jamming ships, which successively emerge from the factory in various shapes, guarding the heroic flagship that is embroiled in a fierce battle.