In the future Solar System, where technology intersects with the soul, the Solar System Alliance secretly forms the Revelation Youth Class. This group of brilliant young minds from across the system is tasked with probing the soul's deepest mysterie...
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Chapter Three: A Brother's Concern
Li Hao had already dismissed the previous incident from his mind, now contemplating that perhaps he should have aimed for a higher score. What was all this mess about?
By now, Li Hao had completed several matches and, perhaps due to a post-competition syndrome, found his opponents overly eager yet oddly dismissive, winning without any sense of joy.
Puppet (Armor Dragon Mech III from USE) vs. Karis from Tai Shen Academy (Titan Heavy Mech II from TAS)
"Armor Dragon versus Titan Dragon, this match is dragging on. This type of heavy mech is particularly nasty in the arena mode," Alz commented, unable to restrain himself. It was powerful and well-defended, especially the retractable titanium gold blade, which also countered close combat, while its cumbersome nature was largely concealed in the arena setting.
"I remember this Karis, he also participated in the recent competition, but Tai Shen Academy didn't make it to the elimination rounds. Their style is quite distinctive. If it were me, I'd focus on agility."
"Forget it, even though the Titan is somewhat clunky, one strike with its retractable titanium gold blade could slice the Armor Dragon in two. Dealing with this type requires either sniping or circling around with a lighter mech; the arena is tough terrain," Alz retorted with a shrug.
Tita paid no mind to their banter, as Arths' presence clearly triggered a display of male competitiveness.
The battle commenced with the Armor Dragon Mech catapulting forward, rushing towards the Titan Heavy Mech. Karis grinned broadly, "My Titan is everyone's daddy in the arena, it's feeding time!"
The overclocked laser cannon dazzled with its intensity, unleashing full firepower. While newer mechs always have a way to respond—everyone learned their lesson after dealing with Titan star's designs—older models like the Armor Dragon were just point donors in this arena.
On the battlefield, the Armor Dragon executed a rapid side shift to dodge the attack, almost seamlessly swirling to the right, spiraling upwards with a roar of its engines, avoiding the attacks and closing the distance to less than ten meters in an instant.
Karis wasn't just there to make up the numbers. It was either fight at a distance or get up close and personal; mid-range was detrimental to the Titan Mech. He decisively abandoned long-range attacks, and like a primeval beast, the Titan Mech, with a thunderous roar, pounced towards the Armor Dragon, truly like a tiger on the hunt. Its arms extended the titanium gold blades—if these hit, the sheer tonnage meant the Armor Dragon couldn't possibly withstand them.
Especially since the Armor Dragon's maneuver had already spent its novelty."We've won!" Feyman added with satisfaction, viewing the enemy's opponent as a comrade-in-arms.
On the battlefield, under the overwhelming onslaught of the Titan Mech, the Armor Dragon lost its balance and stumbled, but just managed to dodge the attack. As it fell, it positioned itself directly beneath the heavy mech. Before the Titan could react, the Armor Dragon pushed off the ground, leveraging the force to execute a spin and deliver a kick.
But those from Tianxing were unimpressed, facing a 150-ton Titan Heavy Mech. Kick it over? That must be a joke. Who doesn't know that the "Giant Soldier" series mechs have the most stable centers of gravity?
However, the Armor Dragon wasn't aiming to attack; its right leg hooked around the Titan Mech's axis, using jet propulsion to spiral to the rear. Karis, no weakling himself, responded with a backward kick, the kind of impact that, if landed, would be devastating.
Yet, when struck, the Armor Dragon didn't explode as expected but instead used the force to lift the entire mech into the air, already positioning behind the Titan.
As it descended, the titanium blade was drawn.
Sssshhhhhh...
Four consecutive strikes targeted the joints of the Titan, sparks flying everywhere, and Karis inside the cockpit roared furiously, "Damn it, the mech's out of control!"
The Titan Mech had the advantage, but TAS's engineering was somewhat crude; once precision strikes hit the joints, it lost control.
The Armor Dragon landed, and the Titan Mech staggered forward like a drunk, finally crashing down.
Puppet wins!
Karis was furious, feeling he hadn't even started fighting when he realized he'd been kicked out.Yes, the moment the fight ended, it felt like the system prompt to kick out the opponent was perfectly timed.
How impatient was that?
Tianxing's team was silent for a moment until Arths couldn't help but ask, "Sister, was that a jump slash?"
Tita nodded, "An impressively precise jump slash. Since when did USE have such close-range experts?"
Alz licked his lips, feeling something off, "I get the feeling he's disdainful of his opponent..."
"I might have misunderstood; this person isn't targeting Feyman, he simply looks down on him."
On the other side, Feyman also realized, feeling that the opponent's actions had insulted him. Now, it seemed, the "insult" part was confirmed.
A formal member of Tianxing Mecha, if he couldn't reclaim their honor, how could he face staying on the team?
Feyman, robotic in his actions, clicked on the challenge invitation, determined to win back their honor, again and again...
Meanwhile, at Tianjing's EMP building, an unsatisfied Li Hao was already being called away by Musashi.
"Fancy some late-night snacks?" Musashi asked.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, I'm starving," Li Hao laughed, half-wishing he could go back to playing in virtual mode. It felt like he was only up against newbies. Maybe the experts hadn't started school yet.
"Li Hao, effective training is more important than quantity. Don't play too much each time; reflection is crucial. Let's head to the gravity room first," Musashi wasn't one to preach, but he had also heard that Principal Long was a "tough character."
"Wasn't it supposed to be a snack?" Li Hao paused."Training first, come with me," Musashi didn't wait for a reply, dragging him off.
Tianjing's physical training center was still brightly lit, though not as crowded as the EMP building. Combat might be exhilarating, but physical conditioning was the dullest part; however, the few people there seemed to be fiercely showing off their muscles.
This only happened for one reason: there was a notably attractive woman present.
"Hey, isn't that the class monitor?" Li Hao also glanced over; it was Zhou Naiyi.
Zhou Naiyi, the monitor of Class 16, in a sense, was the elite class of their batch, her leadership undoubted. Although she hadn't competed in the recent Mech Competition, she had attended as part of the school's focus on developing her potential. Naturally, her looks were also striking, and those who knew her well liked to call her "Sister Yi."
Zhou Naiyi was actually annoyed by the bizarre posturing of the men during exercise. Did they really think that would attract a woman's attention?
But since it was a public facility, she could only ignore it, usually opting for times when it was less crowded. Today, she was waiting for someone.
Zhou Naiyi set down her equipment and wiped off sweat with a towel draped over her shoulder, walking towards Li Hao and Musashi. Li Hao shrugged, "Let's head over there."
Musashi didn't move but pointed at Zhou Naiyi.
"Li Hao, wait a minute, I've got something to tell you."
Li Hao turned around, pointing at himself. Although they were in the same class and had spoken a few times, they weren't close. If anything, Musashi and Zhou Naiyi had more in common.
"Class monitor, what can I do for you?"
Zhou Naiyi's gaze was complex as she looked at Li Hao. She truly didn't understand how he had ended up in Class 16. All special admissions were in Class 16, yet someone who had applied to the Journalism Department ended up in the strongest Mech class. The situation was bizarre from the start, and Zhou Naiyi had been initially hopeful. But after a year, how to put it, he frequently skipped class, and when he did attend, he slept. Strangely, the school never questioned it.
A privileged character?
But he was an orphan, and she had heard that Li Hao worked part-time delivering pizzas for Colorful Pizza. Zhou Naiyi could only guess that perhaps someone in his family had made significant contributions.
"Li Hao, since we're in the same class, we're a team. You must have heard from Musashi, so I'll be blunt. Last year, you were the lowest-ranked in our class."
"Ah, wasn't Zuo Xiaotang the last?" Li Hao asked, surprised.
Zhou Naiyi looked at him as if he were hopeless...
"Li Hao, Zuo Xiaotang's specialty is shooting, top-level. The annual comprehensive assessment considers EMP, final exams, and standout skills. His shooting accuracy and talent are among the best in Tianjing."
"Damn, that little fatty set me up... Sorry, I dragged down our class. I'll try harder!" Li Hao was a bit embarrassed; controlling his score had indeed backfired.
