Chapter 100: The King of Fighters Fever [Highly Recommended, Twelfth Explosive Update]

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Reborn: Dream Life Realized – Twelfth Highly Recommended Update Delivered, Please Vote! “Dream Life Realized” has now reached its hundredth chapter!

“Xiao Tian, let’s play a game together! Let’s play King of Fighters, the two of us, head-to-head! How about it?” After dinner, back at their place, Huang Juan spoke to Yang Tian with excitement. To prevent Bao Yuehong next door from overhearing, she deliberately whispered.

“Do you know how to play?” Yang Tian asked with a smile, unable to help but marvel at how influential this recent King of Fighters tournament must have been. Even a well-behaved girl like Huang Juan now wanted to play.

“No, but you can teach me! Come on, play with me for a while!” Huang Juan tugged at Yang Tian’s hand, pouting playfully.

“All right then,” Yang Tian said with a helpless shake of his head. He powered on the computer, set up the game controllers, and prepared to play with her for a bit.

Soon, they were both seated in front of the computer, each with a controller in hand, ready for battle. Yang Tian was relaxed, but Huang Juan was brimming with excitement—this was her first time playing such a thrilling game, and she was naturally a little giddy.

Moments later, the emulator loaded a double-sized game screen, displaying the welcome interface of King of Fighters. The screen wasn’t large, but it was clear. Huang Juan immediately gripped her controller and began choosing her character.

Perhaps it was Andy’s alluring appearance that caught her eye, so she picked Andy, while Yang Tian randomly chose Joe Higashi.

Though Huang Juan was enthusiastic, her button-pressing was all over the place—she didn’t even know the basic moves, let alone any advanced techniques.

So Yang Tian began teaching her the basics: light punch, heavy punch, light kick, heavy kick, forward-diagonal up, forward-diagonal down, backward-diagonal up, backward-diagonal down, and how to reset the joystick to center.

Huang Juan was clever; she picked up these basics quickly and soon was playing with some skill.

“No going easy on me! If you do, I’ll never play with you again!” she cried out when she saw Yang Tian’s Joe constantly retreating, jumping, and dodging. It took the fun out of the game for her.

With no other choice, Yang Tian started to fight back, though only half-heartedly. Huang Juan, intelligent as she was, quickly figured out Andy’s strengths—particularly the rapid 5b close-range light kicks. She landed several quick kicks on Yang Tian’s Joe, cheering with delight, momentarily forgetting their homeroom teacher Bao Yuehong was in the apartment next door.

“Do you want to make her even more powerful?” Yang Tian asked with a grin.

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“Yes!” Huang Juan nodded emphatically.

“Then try pressing left, down-left, down, down-right, right—those five directions—in succession, then press A or C. Remember, it has to be smooth and fast!” Yang Tian began to teach her how to use the “Elbow Backwater Palm” technique.

“Okay!” Huang Juan immediately began rapidly pressing the buttons. After seven or eight attempts, she still hadn’t pulled off the move.

But there were signs of progress, and after a few more tries, she finally executed the special move, knocking Yang Tian’s Joe to the ground. She became even more excited, clinging to Yang Tian’s arm in glee before diving back into the game, now repeatedly unleashing the “Elbow Backwater Palm.”

Yang Tian had originally intended to just let Huang Juan enjoy herself, taking it easy and letting her win. But his approach soon drew her disapproval—she insisted he fight back, and fight back seriously.

Left with no alternative, Yang Tian started using some tricks. Since Huang Juan was new to Andy, she couldn’t yet perform advanced combos like “Shadow Slash Fist,” “Rising Dragon Fist,” or “Phantom Shiranui.” Her only move was the “Elbow Backwater Palm.”

That move required close range, so Yang Tian simply kept Joe at a safe distance from Andy, and Huang Juan couldn’t touch him.

Joe had a notorious move of his own—the “Hurricane Palm.” Once he kept his distance, he could spam “Hurricane Palm” and quickly end the match.

When Andy collapsed to the ground with a wail, Huang Juan immediately pouted and started to cry, “Why did you have to be so ruthless? I told you to play for real, but not to finish her off so quickly! No way, we’re starting over!”

Yang Tian had anticipated this reaction. He knew Huang Juan was hooked on the game tonight, and there was no way she’d be satisfied unless she could play to her heart’s content.

Huang Juan picked Andy a few more times, eventually learning “Shadow Slash Fist,” while Yang Tian took the opportunity to reacquaint himself with classic characters like Iori, Benimaru, and Daimon, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.

Before his rebirth, he’d been a notable figure in the King of Fighters community, though he’d mostly played on arcade cabinets. Playing now on a computer emulator was a new experience since his return.

Besides Andy, Huang Juan also tried out Mai Shiranui, Mary, Kim Kaphwan, and Leona. With Mai, she especially loved the “Flower Butterfly Fan” move, finding it dazzling and beautiful.

Mary’s “Heaven’s Swirl Kick,” Kim’s “Flying Swallow Slash,” and Leona’s “Soaring Fist” all kept her endlessly entertained, and she was equally fond of Leona’s allure.

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When she was at her most exhilarated, her shrieks finally drew Bao Yuehong’s attention. But Bao only came by for a glance before leaving.

Yang Tian noticed her entrance, but Huang Juan, absorbed in the game, didn’t realize her presence at all, her eyes glued to the screen, thumbs frantically pressing the controller.

Bao Yuehong pointed at Yang Tian and shook her head with a smile, as if to say, “You! Not only do you not teach her the good stuff, but you get her hooked on games!”

Yang Tian only smiled and shrugged, as if to say he was innocent—Huang Juan had begged him to play; he hadn’t enticed her. Besides, after intense studying, what harm was there in relaxing with a game?

The first sensation after all the excitement was exhaustion. After a night of King of Fighters, Huang Juan eventually drifted off to sleep in Yang Tian’s arms, her eyes closing without her even realizing it.

Yang Tian smiled and sighed, then gently carried her to bed, removing her coat, shoes, and socks.

He fetched a basin of warm water to wash her feet. He knew she was a very tidy girl, and if she woke up the next morning to find she’d gone to bed without washing her feet, she’d be wracked with guilt. So he decided to do it for her.

As for her pajamas, he didn’t help her change them. He wouldn’t have minded, but she was much more grown up now. In the past, when he helped her change, she hadn’t thought much of it, but now, if she found out, she’d be mortified and avoid him for days.

Gently tucking her in with a blanket, Yang Tian watched her sleeping face, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. Even in her tiredness, she wore a look of pleasure and contentment, proof that she’d been truly happy lately.

Before his rebirth, at this time, she would have been in her school dormitory, enduring her roommates’ snoring or the night owls’ disturbances, lugging a heavy schoolbag to a stuffy classroom each day, rarely—if ever—getting a chance to relax and have fun.

Every day, she ate bland food from the school cafeteria, sometimes with rice weevils, and drank lukewarm water from the barely working dispenser. The result was constant dizziness or an upset stomach, her complexion pale, and happiness all but absent.

But now, it seemed everything had changed. Yang Tian felt that his return to this life truly meant something. Sweetness filled his heart, and after washing up, he too went to bed. The King of Fighters tournament was only halfway through; he still had work to do.