On this day, all of Shigwani's events were overshadowed by the news of the Expedition's crash. A starship brought down by a mech—it sounded unbelievable, akin to someone knocking down an airplane with a clothesline pole. For a long time, it remained the topic of heated discussion.
And Reno's action towards Lilyss on the podium drove everyone wild even more.
The culmination of these events: the name "Shadow" became utterly renowned.
The financial issues were resolved. Although the Storm League didn't grant him any prize money—nobody would reward the one who brought down their own warship—business companies flocked to Reno, placing bets on him.
Imogen Gard managed to secure over a dozen investments in one go, filling every inch of Reno's available space.
"I can't imagine," Reno stared at himself in the mirror, "the Shadow Warrior of the Divine Race wearing Nuvell's cloak, Horseman's shoes, sporting a Count's watch, and an Ante Corporation logo emblazoned on his armor. Imogen, you're turning me into a clown."
"What's wrong with that?" Imogen Gard replied with a gentlemanly smile. "It's all about the money, Reno. I only regret there's no more space on you for more ads."
"But we already have a million," Reno retorted. "Just two ads, plus the thirty-thousand prize money."
"Hey, hey, no one ever complained about too much money," Imogen chuckled. "You shouldn't just focus on a million. If you can earn more, why not?"
"Money shouldn't be a soldier's dream," Reno replied. "It'll only corrode our will and sap our courage."
"Who said that?" Imogen Gard scoffed.
"Hamilton Marshall, my grandfather," Clay responded.
Imogen Gard was utterly helpless. He held his head in his hands and said, "Come on, kids. Even if you don't consider yourselves, think about Old Bell, me, and Bellgate Machine Shop. You know, to support Reno's participation, Old Bell and I put everything we had into it. Repairing mechs requires a lot of funds, and we need follow-up services for the subsequent matches. Do you really want Reno to go into the next match empty-handed? And, money may corrupt one's will, but it can also give strength."
Looking at each other, no one could speak.
It was only at this moment that they realized that everyone had their needs, but they never mentioned them to help Reno.
Reno understood.
He nodded. "You're right, Mr. Gard. I shouldn't be so selfish, and I should think about everyone else... This is not just my affair."
Imogen Gard smiled. "I knew you would understand, Reno. You're a good kid. Anyway, with money, we can have better mechs, better sparring partners, better service. I believe, with Reno's level and Silver Wing Angel, Reno will shine brightly in the matches."
"Roar!" Everyone cheered joyfully together.
That night, Reno appeared on Edgar TV's show, still hosted by Adam Duncan, still on that gorgeous stage, still in those exaggerated costumes. The only difference was the sudden increase in people's cheers for him, and Adam Duncan's attitude towards him was noticeably different.
That night, Reno was given a full thirty minutes of talk time.
He remembered the lines taught by Lady Countess and didn't utter a single wrong word.
With a soothing tone, elegant language, and polite demeanor, he answered the host's questions and repeatedly recited the advertising slogans given by the commercial companies, attributing his victory to the energy spear produced by Albert Corporation, the thrusters by Cube Corporation, and the mental elixir provided by Harry Corporation.
He conversed eloquently with the host, speaking more lies in one night than he did in a lifetime.
When he stepped off the stage, he received a round of applause, Lady Countess's enthusiastic praise, and the excited cheers of everyone.
At that moment, Reno cried.
Nobody knew he despised this kind of scene so much. As he looked at the audience's cheers, at the host's fake smile, and listened to the nauseating lines, all he could see in his mind was Dandy Bag maneuvering his heavy mech through the jungle, dodging gunfire, engaging in brutal combat amidst the carnage...
A true mech warrior should roam freely on the battlefield, not sit here like an actor, talking big.
That day, Reno swore to himself that after this, he would never participate in any such competitions again.
Regardless of what he felt, the next matches continued.
Reno participated in the subsequent matches.
Perhaps because the first match gave Reno experience and confidence, in the subsequent matches, he no longer made the same mistakes. Although there wasn't the dazzling feat of bringing down a starship in the first round, he performed decently, neither surprising nor disappointing anyone.
As for what Antonia said about defeating Reno and Yamada Musashi being a joke—they didn't even have the chance to face each other.
After three rounds of the repechage, the number of mechs participating in the competition decreased from over ten thousand to twelve hundred.
Every mech that could remain in the twelve hundred-person queue was considered elite.
Reno was somewhat surprised that he had actually made it this far. While his efforts played a role, he also vaguely sensed that the organizers might have manipulated the outcome—as a famous contestant, his presence helped maintain the audience's interest.
But because he hadn't shown any remarkable performance in the recent matches, Reno's popularity wasn't as high as it was initially, showing some degree of decline.
Reno didn't care about this. He was well aware of his own abilities. Bringing down a starship itself had a considerable element of luck, and anyone who relied on luck wouldn't last long. His current goal was simply to go as far as possible. As long as he could enter the top one hundred of the league, it would be a victory!
The final match was finally approaching.
When Reno stood in front of the podium again with the crowd, he was no longer the rookie assigned to the cannon fodder position, but among a group of elite contestants, alongside veteran mech pilots who had practiced for over a decade or even several decades.
Apart from those veteran mech pilots, he also saw Antonia, saw Yamada Musashi, and saw Ankai Long—the owner of the Golden Bull mech. These people proved themselves with their strength and made it all the way here.
Floating above the hosting platform was a new female host.
A few days ago, Reno's rejection had embarrassed Lilyss and tarnished her image, so Storm Group replaced her with a beauty named Christina. Standing beside her was the male host from the last time who partnered with Lilyss, Ben. His impressive performance in the last hosting, especially his astonishing foresight, earned him the opportunity to host the final match this time.
At this moment, the new female host was dressed in formal attire, standing on the high platform, speaking loudly with excitement, "After more than twenty days and four intense matches, there are still twelve hundred warriors left on the battlefield of the Storm League. They are undoubtedly the finest mech pilots in the New Federation!"
"But who is the best of them all?"
"Only those who have experienced this final test can become the worthy Storm Warriors!"
"Today, let's unveil this mystery through the Storm League's final match!"
"The final match is here, and this time it is..."
"The Survival Grand Challenge!!!"
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Interstellar Legend
FantasyIt mainly describes the protagonist's process from an ordinary Star School student, becoming an adventurer with superpowers, and his and his companions encountered an alien creature called "Zerg" in Star exploration, so that It triggered a series of...
