National destiny: Global tower climbing skills have decreased by 10,000 times.

Coach Lu turned to the first page:

"You should remember this one too, Du Feiyang, fifteen years old, has been at the academy for a year and a half. He's a malfunctioning robot, his highest advancement is A5, and his win rate is 68%."

"This child is very talented and extremely diligent. He always asks questions during review sessions and practices extra on his own after class. His deck-building strategy is very clear, and his understanding of the mainstream archetypes is the best among his peers."

He paused, then added, "If nothing unexpected happens, he will definitely be one of the three spots."

"Yes, I know this child, no need to say anything."

"What about Kim Young?" Da Kun asked.

"Jin Ying, fourteen years old, has been at the academy for a year. A malfunctioning robot, with a maximum advancement level of A6 and a 62% win rate at A5."

"He has good potential and occasionally makes unexpected plays, but he sometimes slacks off in training, and the coach has said this to him more than once."

"His win rate fluctuates a lot, but it only hovers around 60%, which is already much better than other students."

Coach Lu smiled and said, "These two kids have probably secured their spots."

Da Kun stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Well, two. Not bad, at least we can get two this year."

"But we can't even get all three spots."

Coach Lu didn't understand what he was saying: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is—besides those two, is there anything else worth paying attention to?" Da Kun's tone carried a hint of anxiety.

"Right now, our organization can't even muster three decent people."

Coach Lu was silent for a moment, flipped through a few pages of the folder, and shook his head.

"The other trainees... although most of them have improved and are training very diligently, but..."

"Compared to those two students, they are far behind, with a win rate of only 40% to 50%, and most of them are stuck at A4 level."

"There are also some trainees, well, that's hard to say. Their grades haven't improved, and they're not training hard. I think there's probably not much hope for these guys."

"However, such trainees are still a minority. Most are serious and hardworking, and I believe there are still potential 'dark horses' waiting to be discovered. Isn't that the meaning of the selection competition?"

Da Kun leaned back in his chair and exhaled a smoke ring.

"Okay, we'll see," Da Kun said in a low voice.

"Let's get the competition going first. Then we'll see if there's a dark horse."

……

Early in the morning, the training hall of Neo Academy was brightly lit.

The computers, which were usually scattered in various training rooms, were moved to the lobby on the first floor and neatly arranged in five rows. Each computer had a number plate in front of it, from number 1 to 32.

A huge projection screen hangs at the front of the hall, displaying the progress and rankings of all trainees in real time.

The stands were packed with people—coaches, staff, and a few parents who had come specifically for the event.

Da Kun sat in the front row, holding a list of students in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

Coach Lu stood beside the projection screen, holding a microphone, conducting final equipment checks.

The trainees entered one after another. Some looked serious, some talked quietly, and some took deep breaths in a corner.

As Du Feiyang entered the hall, his steps were unhurried, a faint smile playing on his lips. Behind him followed two fellow students, one on each side, like his lackeys.

"Brother Feiyang, so many coaches and parents have come to see your solo performance today," said the follower on the left.

"Of course!" the henchman on the right chimed in. "Brother Feiyang has a 68% win rate in A5! Who in our cohort can even come close?"

"Wow, he's already so tall. I remember he was only sixty-one last week," the follower on the left chimed in.

"Yeah! He's already sixty-eight, didn't you know? Fei Yang's talent is something no ordinary person like you can compare to." The person on the right continued to chime in.

"Brother Feiyang is still the best."

"Brother Feiyang, if you become a professional gamer someday, don't forget about us!"

Du Feiyang swaggered down the middle of the classroom, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, but he still feigned humility:

"Who said it's unattainable? I think that Jin Ying is quite capable, isn't she?"

His gaze swept across the hall and landed on a small, thin figure in the corner who was looking down at his notes—Jin Ying.

Du Feiyang turned and walked in that direction.

"Hey, Kim Young, still cramming at the last minute?"

Jin Ying looked up at him, said nothing, and then lowered her head to continue reading her notes.

Du Feiyang persisted, and sat down beside him. Crossing your legs:

"I heard you've been training really hard lately, the coach even praised you. But—"

He paused, a hint of disdain in his voice: "What's the use of hard work? Talent isn't something you can make up for with effort."

The follower next to him immediately chimed in: "That's right, Brother Feiyang has only been at the academy for a year and a half, and his win rate in A5 is 68%. Some people have been here for two years and are still hovering around A4."

Jin Ying closed her notebook, looked up, and calmly gazed at Du Feiyang.

"Are you finished speaking?"

Du Feiyang was stunned for a moment.

"Yeah, I don't know who these people are, they just stick to one or two formulas and can't play the game if you make a slight change."

"After you've finished speaking, go back and prepare for the competition. Don't be like last time, where you didn't even seize good opportunities."

Jin Ying's tone wasn't harsh, but every word was like a nail. The sentences were short, but extremely lethal.

Du Feiyang seemed to have been touched on a sore spot; the smile on his face froze for a moment, then he became furious and pointed at him:

"Fine, so that's how you talk, huh? You just wait, I'll beat you to a pulp today, until you're begging for mercy on the ground!"

He turned and left, his two henchmen quickly following. As he walked away, he turned back and glared at Jin Ying, but Jin Ying didn't even look at him.

The others didn't even glare at him.

Because in the entire school, only Kim Young-pei was his rival, someone he could still argue with.

Other students?

— Ha, they're all just "garbage".

Lin Xi walked in from the other end of the hall, carrying a laptop bag.

He lowered his head, avoiding everyone's gaze, and found his seat—number 27, the last row against the wall.

Before the match, he once again pulled out that notebook—his insights on the "state machine" playing style.

Today is the selection competition, and the results of a week of intensive training will soon be put to the test.

He was filled with nervousness, but even more so with anticipation.

He silently repeated that sentence several times:

"It should only be used as a last resort, it should only be used as a last resort..."

But we've already come this far, if we don't use it now, when will we?

At 8:00 sharp, Coach Lu walked onto the podium and tapped the microphone.

"Quiet--"

The microphone emitted a deafening roar. The trainees fell silent, and Coach Lu continued speaking:

"The rules for today's selection competition are as follows. Please listen carefully, everyone." Coach Lu's voice echoed throughout the room through the speakers.

"The competition consists of three rounds. The first round is at A4 difficulty and requires a single pass. Those who pass advance to the next round, while those who fail are eliminated."

"Round Two, A5 difficulty, again, those who clear it stay. Round Three, A5 difficulty speedrun, the top three will qualify to represent the academy in the regional competition!"

"The seeds, random numbers, and maps for each round are all randomly generated by the system, and everyone uses the same settings. The match also starts at the same time. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the students answered in unison.

Coach Lu nodded: "On your marks. First round, one minute to go."

The students sat down in front of their computers and put on their headphones.

Lin Xi placed his hand on the mouse. The countdown numbers on the screen jumped, and his heart raced along with them.

"State machine"—this word was on his mind all the time, and now he could finally put his skills to good use.

Soon, the countdown reached zero.

Game start.