“Chapter One Hundred”

"Chapter One Hundred"

"The joint military exercise team was officially formed."

"With the commander decided, the fifteen primary participants for the team battles were also selected. The military academy students could return home to rest before setting off for the joint military exercise."

"After the day of voting for the commander, they hadn't seen Kasin Greiz again. Jiya, however, lingered at the training ground for two more days, working on building rapport with the new team members."

"The best way to build rapport was to live and eat together, and then spar with each other. Bai Sha and the others were fine, but Cen Yuehuai struggled to handle Jiya's 'enthusiasm' — her speed and agility in piloting the mech were fast, but still not enough against Jiya, who consistently bested her."

"Moreover, Cen Yuehuai couldn't shake the feeling that Jiya was intentionally targeting her — Jiya seemed more eager to beat her than anyone else."

"In another chaotic battle, Cen Yuehuai, wielding her weapon 'Rainbow Rain,' rapidly retreated, trying to pull away from the center of the fray, only to be struck down by Jiya’s sword. She then ran straight to Bai Sha to complain."

"Your Highness!" Cen Yuehuai exclaimed, "Jiya is chasing after me again!"

"Bai Sha paused her actions, casting a curious glance at Jiya."

"Sorry," Jiya spoke up, "It might be because her speed is too fast. I inadvertently target her when she pops up unexpectedly, so I habitually take her out first."

"It could also be a matter of spirit compatibility," Xino, exiting his cockpit, said to Jiya, "When you look at Cen Yuehuai, don't you feel like she's a bird flitting about in the sky, irresistibly tempting you to catch her?"

Jiya paused, then pondered for a moment: "Actually, that's true."

"Exactly," Xino nodded, "When I first met her, I used to do the same."

"In terms of who has done the most training with Cen Yuehuai, Xino is undoubtedly the one. Initially, when Yu Yan hadn't joined their team and Bai Sha was too busy, Xino took the initiative to train Cen Yuehuai, diligently turning her into a capable soldier."

"Back then, although Cen Yuehuai wasn’t strong, Xino still enjoyed sparring with her."

Cen Yuehuai grimaced, "Hey, are you done? Don't I have any dignity left? And, being of the same feathered kind, why don’t you dare to catch Her Highness?"

"That's not the same," Xino said earnestly, shaking his head, "I wouldn't dare confront Her Highness head-on. What if my mech gets pierced by her lance? It’s pointless and not worth it."

Cen Yuehuai: "..."

Cen Yuehuai: "I hate all feline spirits!"

"Want to get even?" Bai Sha smiled at Cen Yuehuai, "Let's team up and have a two-on-two match with them. Yu Yan, please be our referee."

"Yu Yan nodded, 'No problem.'"

"Bai Sha said to Yu Yan, 'Since the school wants us to collect data from our mech battles, let's take turns being observers outside the arena, monitoring the instruments and recording the data. This round, you keep an eye on things, and in the next one, when we reshuffle the teams, I’ll take over the recording.'"

"Cen Yuehuai asked with some curiosity, 'What's the purpose of collecting battle data?'"

"'For analysis, of course,' Bai Sha replied. 'Have you forgotten the reward for securing a main team position?'"

"Cen Yuehuai suddenly realized, her eyes lighting up, 'Are you referring to the custom-designed mech by the top-tier mech engineer team?'"

"Xino added, 'Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan, you two could take this opportunity to get a brand-new mech. And it's all officially funded, you won’t have to spend a penny.'"

"Bai Sha’s mech was already outstanding. Xino and Jiya’s mechs, which they had been using for several years, were initially of excellent make and had been repeatedly modified by the top-tier mech engineers hired by their families. For them, maintaining their mechs as they were, without major changes, was beneficial for maximizing their abilities."

"However, Cen Yuehuai had just missed out on a perfect mech customization, and Yu Yan was simply using a mech provided for free by Tianquan Military Academy... If there was an opportunity, of course, getting a new mech would be more advantageous."

"Understanding this, Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan exchanged glances, both reading an eagerness to try in each other’s eyes."

"Since it was vacation, the group spent a few more days at the original training ground. After compiling all the mech data, Bai Sha and the others went to the spaceport to bid farewell to Jiya, watching her board the spaceship back to West State Military Academy."

"'Finally, I can go home.'"

"After boarding the spaceship headed for Tianzhou Star, everyone slumped into their space seats, bone-tired as if their energy had been sapped."

"Cen Yuehuai: 'I’m going to stay at home for a few days during the holiday. What are your plans?'"

"Bai Sha: 'Heading home. I have a few project outcomes to review.'"

"Xino: 'Heading home. My father has already mentioned several times that if I don't return home during the vacation, he'll call and nag me for two hours.'"

"Yu Yan: 'I plan to go home too...'"

"Everyone immediately turned their attention to Yu Yan."

"'Speaking of which, brother, we've never heard about your family,' Xino said, patting Yu Yan's shoulder."

"'Compared to you guys, my family is just an ordinary one of three,' Yu Yan said with a warm smile in his eyes, 'My dad is a repairman, and my mom runs a food store. They both have only B-grade spirit power, and all they ever wanted was to live a stable and peaceful life.'"

"Bai Sha and the others exchanged glances."

"Both parents with B-grade spirit power? The odds of them having a child with talents like Yu Yan's were like winning the lottery. No, even the lottery odds are only one in several millions; Yu Yan's very existence might be a miracle, more precious than those millions to one odds."

"'If I hadn't received financial aid, I might have been able to attend a military academy, but never Tianquan Military Academy, and I wouldn't have met you guys,' Yu Yan spoke openly about these matters, with a completely serene and calm demeanor, 'That’s why I've always been grateful to the Han family.'"

"Bai Sha had heard before that Yu Yan was sponsored by the Han family."

"'The Han family sponsors more than just him. There was a couple from the Han family's direct lineage who died in the line of duty, and the royal family issued a large sum of condolence money as a result—' Xino leaned in close to Bai Sha and whispered, 'I heard it was ordered by the eldest princess.' After saying this, he resumed his normal tone, 'Ahem, anyway, the Han family has since used that money to establish scholarships, specifically for students who face financial hardships in pursuing their studies.'"

"'But their screening process is incredibly rigorous, and the level of support they offer is extraordinary. Over the years, I think the Han family has contributed a lot more than just the initial condolence money in terms of resources and manpower.'"

"'Maybe they are doing good deeds in memory of their departed loved ones,' Cen Yuehuai sighed."

"Seeing the conversation turn solemn, Bai Sha leaned back and decided to announce something to lift everyone's spirits: 'By the way, even when you go home, make sure to keep your cyber-brain connections open. Don't go on a vacation where you can't even get a signal.'"

"The three looked at Bai Sha, puzzled."

"'Ahem, since I was successfully elected as the commander, thanks to everyone's efforts—' Bai Sha still felt somewhat overwhelmed by this, but her election had already brought some benefits, 'My teacher, the renowned Master Jiang Gui, has decided to personally design mechs for you all.'"

"The three of them: '...'"

"Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan immediately took a sharp breath."

"This was because Master Jiang Gui, immersed in his research, hadn't taken any custom orders for several years!"

"Even though Jiang Gui was listed among the top-tier mech designers for students, nobody was wild enough to think he would personally design mechs for them. It would have been enough if he just provided some modification suggestions — using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!"

"'The good news is, my teacher said he starts at the heritage-class level,' Bai Sha raised her eyebrows slightly, 'The bad news is, my teacher has a strong personality. The mechs he designs can be quite difficult to handle. To avoid this, you'll probably need to be on call during the vacation to adjust the mech to its best state.'"

"Cen Yuehuai immediately sat up, her voice trembling, 'It's just a vacation, I don't want it anymore!'"

"'Don't get too excited too soon,' Xino said sourly, 'Even if it's a heritage-class mech, Master Jiang Gui will probably impose a 'performance lock' on it—'"

"In simple terms, even if the mech reaches a 'heritage-class design,' it won't be overpowering all other superior-class mechs."

"Custom mechs need to be adjusted according to the pilot’s capabilities."

"Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan, still being military academy students with limited abilities, will definitely have some reservations in Jiang Gui's design. This concept is known as 'performance lock'."

"Of course, as the pilot's skills improve, a heritage-class mech has a vast potential for development and enhancement — far surpassing superior-class mechs in this regard. However, for the time being, while it enhances capabilities, it won’t transform someone completely."

"'Performance lock' means the pilot can't fully unleash the mech's potential. In this case, the Mech Association would consider this when grading, and probably won’t directly label it as 'heritage-class,' most likely 'superior-class,' until the mech’s performance is unlocked and re-evaluated."

"'Xino, why don't you consider making some changes too? From my estimation, even without a complete redesign, making major modifications or updating parts on your existing framework... there's room for improvement,' Bai Sha said, 'Your mech is great, just a hop and a skip away from the heritage-class threshold.'"

"'Even if it's just updating parts... with Master Jiang Gui's involvement, after the updates, it’ll be almost like getting a new mech,' Xino said with a smile."

"'Don't worry,' Bai Sha, seeing his disappointment, sighed, 'I'm still here, aren’t I? I said I would help design your mech weapon. In fact, I've been working on it, the design will be finished in a couple of days. Once I get back, I’ll start immediately... Once your mech is dealt with, the new weapon should be ready too.'"

"Each of them returned to their homes, beginning their vacation."

"On the fourth day, Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan received a summons from Master Jiang Gui, returning to school early to discuss the details of their custom mechs."

"On the fifth day, Xino sent off his mech for modifications."

"On the seventh day, Bai Sha dispatched a mech weapon she designed, produced by her own laboratory. Now a boss herself, she didn't need to handle everything personally and had delegated the weapon's manufacturing to a mech engineer she had recruited. That same day, Xino received a crimson-gold chain sword. Named 'Shadow Evasion,' it dimmed even the daylight, forcing shadows to hide when drawn."

……

"After the vacation, the joint military exercise team prepared to assemble and depart for the training ground."

"The students reported all their mech and weapon data, finalizing the details."

"Ruokuo Ming, the representative of the Empire’s military academies, happened to see the mech data changes reported by several first-year main team members from Tianquan Military Academy while organizing materials—"

"'Heh,' although Ruokuo Ming was usually composed, he couldn’t help but laugh."

"'What's the matter, Teacher Ru?' an assistant helping with the data asked, puzzled but noticing Ruokuo Ming’s good mood, assumed nothing bad had happened."

"'Nothing much,' Ruokuo Ming flicked his fingertips, arranging the data pages on his cyber-brain, 'Just reflecting, no wonder the position of overall commander was awarded to a first-year student.'"

"Normally, this was a rare occurrence."

"But this year, not to mention Kasin Greiz who directly challenged and secured a second-year position, the rest of the first-year students associated with Bai Sha were already formidable. Now with the enhancement of their mechs..."

"He might soon witness a joint military exercise dominated by freshmen."