The competition was also broadcast live across the entire network.
Each planet had 100 participants, and each team was equipped with an invisible device that closely followed them. On the first day of the live broadcast, random one-minute clips from any of the teams would be shown. Afterward, the viewers on StarNet could autonomously choose which team they were interested in tracking and watching.
The machine randomly switched to the Dream Team because the Dream Team was divided into two groups performing different tasks, and it autonomously chose the more interesting side to broadcast.
So, all the viewers from the entire empire who were watching at that moment turned into statues the next instant.
Their jaws dropped in shock!
The screen displayed fluctuating light as two young men were seen underwater, their lips pressed together. They were dressed in military uniforms, and their physique was excellent.
Two young men! Lips pressed together!
What on earth was this!!!
Fortunately, in the next moment, they realized that this was happening underwater. The camera also shifted its focus to the fierce and ferocious giant beasts on the water’s surface.
“Whoa!”
The person facing the giant beast was startled.
[What on earth is this! It almost scared me to death!]
[Noon Shooting Star specialty, Swordshell Beast, don’t judge it by its looks, it’s actually quite fierce.]
[…What was that just now??? Were they sharing oxygen with each other?]
[I actually don’t know why I have the urge to see that scene again. If the people involved knew we saw this, they would probably be so embarrassed.]
[I feel my face blushing and my heart racing. Oh my, just that three-second clip still has me stunned! Boys giving each other artificial respiration! No, no, no, I should be asking, why am I blushing and feeling my heart race?]
This message was immediately flooded with hundreds of responses. No one could answer this question because everyone was urging the camera to turn back!
[Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh, ahhh, I didn’t see it clearly, show it again!]
[What kind of otherworldly brotherly love is this! Both of their profiles are so handsome, and the scene of them sharing oxygen makes your heart inexplicably race!]
[Camera, quickly switch back to them! The one-minute mark is almost here, ahhh!]
[Please tell me the name of this team and the link to the StarNet live broadcast! I’m so curious about what their interactions will be like after they come out of the water.]
[Brothers and sisters, take me with you!]
It seemed like the camera could sense their thoughts because, in the last ten seconds, it refocused on the young men underwater.
The ripples of the water pushed their hair around, and when they released each other’s lips, as they gazed at each other, it seemed like there was an electric current flickering between them.
Oh my god.
It’s as if this electric current transcended space and time, shocking everyone watching in front of their light computers.
This unprecedented sensation made their temples throb, excitement coursing through their veins.
Why were they getting so excited after watching artificial respiration between two guys?
They wanted to scream out loud but were afraid of ruining the scene, so they could only cover their mouths and stare at the screen with flushed faces.
Ten seconds flashed by, and most of the viewers who had been watching the random machine-played scenes didn’t want to continue. They found the live broadcast channel for this team and rushed in with determination.
…
Taking a breath could be sustained for about a minute and a half.
Water waves didn’t understand human nature or shame, and they continued to ripple and push forcefully.
Li ZouXing did his best to steady himself. The rocks were slippery, so he could only brace himself, avoiding that embarrassing and shameful movement while ensuring he didn’t get pushed away by the water waves.
The giant beasts above came and went in waves. This drinking activity lasted for a full hour before there was no more movement above.
Phew…
They both breathed a sigh of relief deep within.
Taking advantage of the last breath of air, Li ZouXing broke through the water’s surface. He and Gu WenCheng climbed onto the shore, marveling at the large footprints left on the moist soil by the riverbank.
“It’s very strange… So many large wild beasts appeared out of nowhere without warning. A dozen or so would have been manageable, but this many was abnormal.”
“Let Ling Nian check,” Gu WenCheng pressed a button on the locator, a creation of Ling Nian’s. “Wait here for them. With this scent of beasts around, it’s safe here in the short term.”
They wrung out their wet clothes and found a place to sit, with a person’s distance between them. They didn’t speak either, their eyes vacant as they thought about what had just happened.
The viewers of the live broadcast were all feeling guilty!
[Did anyone notice? Their eye contact is starting to feel awkward, and there’s enough space between them for another me to sit. They even skipped over the conversation they had just had underwater. A completely normal awkward situation, but damn it, why did I smile while watching it? I even feel like their avoiding glances at each other are strangely moving!]
[I won’t lie to you all, my friend has asked me for the third time if I have a boyfriend now because I had a smile on my face.]
[ I’m someone who’s really afraid of seeing awkward situations, but I feel like there’s no awkwardness between them. There’s something strange in the air with that floating atmosphere.]
[Hmm, strange feeling, strange mood.]
Not long after, Ling Nian and his group arrived. They had serious expressions, and as soon as they saw them, they asked, “Did you encounter a group of Swordshell Beasts?”
“If you’re talking about a group of large beasts with horns on their noses,” Li ZouXing pointed to the riverbank, “their footprints are still there.”
Ling Nian immediately walked over to inspect and, after confirming it, said solemnly, “This is not good.”
His choice of words made the others realize the gravity of the situation. After all, they hadn’t even heard of Swordshell Beasts.
The viewers watching the broadcast were also filled with confusion, waiting for Ling Nian to explain.
“Swordshell Beast mothers are rare, and they go into heat about once every twenty years,” Ling Nian began, “and there’s one here that’s currently in heat.”
“This means that for the next two days, male Swordshell Beasts will continuously rush in this direction without stopping, until this area is packed full, until the scent of the mating female is drowned out by the males.”
Several people were horrified, their scalps tingling.
Even though Daystar was a small planet, it was vast like an ocean to a single person. In this jungle-dominated planet, they had no idea how many Swordshell Beasts existed.
Just considering this forest, just considering the number of beasts that had been drinking water continuously for over an hour…
And the competition was scheduled to last for two days and one night.
The messages on the Star Network paused for a moment and then started to flood in even faster than before.
[Is he telling the truth? Can someone who knows more about this explain?]
[His description is making my scalp tingle. If this is true, won’t all the teams currently competing be in danger?]
Star Network viewers discussed their concerns for a while, and finally, someone knowledgeable spoke up.
[Actually, I already felt that something was off when I saw so many Swordshell Beasts gathering by the water from the camera. After checking some information, I can confirm that this handsome guy named Ling Nian is correct. There are just too many Swordshell Beasts on Daystar, and the timing of the female’s heat cycle is unpredictable. This matter has gone beyond the scope of the competition. I believe the organizers should thank this guy. He’s given you all a warning before the danger arrives.]
After this message was posted, the comments surged, with everyone trying to contact the organizers to make them aware of this information. Following rounds of discussions online, the viewership of Dream Team’s live channel reached a new peak.
However, the Dream Team, which they were constantly concerned about, had no idea at all.
This group of careless young men had completely forgotten about the fact that the competition would be broadcasted live on the internet.
“How many Swordshell Beasts did you just see?” Ling Nian asked.
“Many,” Li ZouXing replied, “more than thirty.”
Gu WenCheng raised his chin towards the river and said, “This river has a depth of about two of us, nearly over four meters. When we looked up from the bottom of the water, we could only see a vague blur.”
Finally, they brought up the topic of what happened in the water again. The sharp-eyed Star Network viewers enlarged their screens to room-filling sizes. [I found it!!!]
[Gu WenCheng looked at Li ZouXing!]
[Wait, why am I screaming?]
“We have two choices now.”
Li ZouXing smiled, “The first is to press the distress signal to inform the organizers of the reason for our withdrawal.”
The others smiled slightly and said in unison, “I choose the second one!”
“Coincidentally,” Gu WenCheng took off his wet jacket and casually stretched his shoulders, “everyone has the same idea.”
[So cool!]
[What idea?]
The comments kept flooding in, and the atmosphere and camaraderie in their team were enviable.
“Ling Nian.”
Ling Nian’s hand moved quickly on the light brain. “Head straight in the direction of 11 o’clock for three hours.”
Li ZouXing took the nutrient solution that Ji Yu had tossed over and tore it open with his teeth. “Let’s go, teammates.”
“Let’s go and take down that mating female beast before the tide of Swordshell Beasts arrives,” he confidently shouldered the mental power that had condensed into a longsword, tilting his head toward his teammates. “Come on, little heroes. After we defeat the female beast, we still need to escape from the enraged male Swordshell Beasts.”
He had no idea that he had just captivated another wave of young girls on the Star Network, and he continued to smile. “Exciting, isn’t it?”
Author’s note:
Handsome, right?
