A moment later, the TV began broadcasting news about the upcoming KOF tournament, putting special focus on the leading title-contender teams.
First was Team Japan, made up of Kyo Kusanagi, Goro Daimon and Benimaru Nikaido.
Next came the Team Art of Fighting, led by Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia.
Then there was the Team Psycho Soldier of Chin Gentsai, Athena Asamiya and Sie Kensou.
Right now, these three teams were the best-known and most highly regarded.
The other five teams were:
the Team Ikari Warriors of Heidern, Clark and Ralf;
the Team Women Fighters, formed by Mai Shiranui, Yuri Sakazaki and King;
the Team Korea of Kim Kaphwan, Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge;
the Team American Sports —Geese Howard's "Black Crystal" test subjects Lucky, Heavy D! and Brian;
and finally the Team Fatal Fury of Terry Bogard, Joe Higashi and Andy Bogard.
According to the KOF '94 storyline, Terry and the others entered the tournament to take revenge on Geese Howard.
Terry's master, Jeff, had been Geese's senior kung-fu brother; both had studied Hakkyokuseiken under Tung Fu Rue. When Tung passed the art's ultimate secrets to Jeff instead of Geese, Geese grew resentful and eventually murdered his senior brother on Terry's birthday. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel⁂fire.net
In other words, the plot of KOF '94 continues the Fatal Fury storyline… while Rugal's scheme looks more like a side plot.
This year's KOF features eight teams of three fighters—far smaller in scale than in later years. Many of the teams have been thrown together at the last minute, almost like loose partnerships. In subsequent tournaments, some line-ups would change.
Yet after watching for a while, Xiang Nan noticed that the TV coverage showed more than the eight canonical teams—so far it had mentioned fifteen, nearly double the original number. The storyline had clearly diverged.
"Must be players…" he mused.
He guessed the extra twenty-one fighters were high-level players from the KOF prime world. For them, competing in KOF was an honor. Fighting the story characters also offered real combat experience, and breaking into the top ranks would catapult them to fame in this world's martial community—reputation, status and power all within reach.
"But—based on Beishi's account, almost every KOF event revolves around a master plotline. This time it's Rugal; Geese Howard is only a mid-boss who gets defeated halfway through by the Fatal Fury Team and Heidern. The teams that reach the finals will be invited onto Rugal's luxury ship for a showdown. Normally, Rugal should fall to a berserk Kyo Kusanagi. Joining that fight as a player is extremely dangerous… The native KOF players must know the plot. If they still want in, they're after resources."
Staring at the screen, Xiang Nan pondered. Like in Hunter × Hunter, the plot world held many exploitable resources: forming ties with story characters, learning secret techniques, or joining major factions—Heidern's military, the Howard Group, or Rugal's underworld. Finally, there were straightforward "spoils of war" such as the Black Crystal. If the system would grant a mere "tourist" a hidden quest about it, then native players surely had a shot too.
"The inter-dimensional match is over; the KOF-world players must have sensed outsiders. From their standpoint they'll protect their world. There are probably lots of them in South Town right now. They didn't join the placement battle, but that doesn't mean they can't attack intruders. If several level-7 or level-8 players team up, it'll be deadly… For the first confrontation there were safeguards, but now that it's over, exposing my identity could trigger a gang-up."
"As a 'tourist' left behind, I have to tread carefully," Xiang Nan told himself.
To the KOF players, intruders like him were basically thieves: they could disrupt the storyline, plunging the future into uncertainty, and steal resources meant for the native players—resources that were already scarce.
"Staring at the screen won't solve anything. The plot has barely started, and native interference is still minor. If things stay on track, Rugal will self-destruct in the end. Boarding his ship with the fighters seems the best plan: they'll share the burden of fighting him, and I need only seize my chance to find Vice."
Having reasoned it out, Xiang Nan decided: he had to enter the KOF, get onto Rugal's ship. Since the inter-dimensional battle was over, most locals would think the intruders had gone. His cover wasn't blown; as long as he posed as a native player, he should be safe. The key was the invitation.
You couldn't just walk into KOF; you needed an invitation, which required either great strength or special channels. And the rules demanded a three-man team, so he also needed two partners.
His eyes flashed as he watched the screen.
At that moment a reporter was interviewing a team that shouldn't exist in the original plot—the feed was live from what looked like a hotel room. The view outside was familiar; it was close by.
That night Xiang Nan stood before a hotel room door and knocked.
"Who is it?" came a cautious voice and approaching footsteps.
A man with a long black braid opened the door. Wearing a traditional Tang suit, he was clearly from China—exactly the martial artist interviewed earlier.
The man, a player named Wang Yi, frowned at the unfamiliar face.
"I want to team up with you for the KOF," Xiang Nan said bluntly.
"Sorry, our team is already—"
Before Wang finished, Xiang Nan smiled coolly. "No, your team is one short. You need three members or you'll have trouble."
Wang's eyes widened. He pulled out his phone and called his teammates. One answered; the other line was perpetually busy.
Wang's face went pale as he stared at Xiang Nan. Plainly, his teammate had been killed.
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