Chapter 97

Chapter 97

The sudden release of the top 100 list by the Military Academy League Organizing Committee stirred up a massive wave across the entire StarNet, sparking unprecedented discussion about Queqiu. Every forum and section was dominated by his name.

No one could believe that Queqiu was an S-grade combat Omega.

The topic's popularity even surpassed the discussion following Queqiu's ten consecutive wins in the knockout stage, and any previous Military Academy League individual or team finals. Previously, no one would have imagined a contestant gaining such attention at the stage of the top 100 in the individual competition.

StarNet>>>Hot Topics>>>All Star Domain>>>

[Click to see the Autumn Emperor's coronation]

[??? Can someone tell me what the Military Academy League just announced???]

[Queqiu! An S-grade combat Omega! My whole family is shocked!]

[Eagerly awaited top 100 players list revealed, showing everyone's gene grades. The only combat Omega is S-grade!]

[? How can Queqiu possibly be an S-grade combat Omega?!]

[Help! Who has seen the latest announcement from the Military Academy League? Queqiu is actually an S-grade combat Omega!]

[Has there ever been an S-grade combat Omega in the history of the Empire since its establishment?]

[My wife is not the most A-grade Omega, he's an S!]

[Where are Queqiu's fans? It's a celebration! Your Autumn Emperor is an S-grade combat Omega!]

The original post that carried Queqiu's gene grade had already become a super hot topic with millions of replies, surpassing many live broadcast discussion threads in less than half a day. It was constantly featured in the most prominent spot under the trending topics, ensuring every StarNet user would see it at first glance upon logging in.

[Breaking News! The Military Academy League just officially announced Queqiu's gene grade!]

Main Post: It's S-grade!!! S-GRADE!!! S-GRADE!!! (Link)

1l: I just checked the Imperial Calendar, and today is not April Fool's Day. Are you starting to prank people this early in the year, host?

2l: Hey hey hey, even if you have a post quota, please make up a more believable story (sweating emoji).

3l: Hahahahaha, does the host think we are all fools, believing whatever you say?

4l: Host is a moron, assessment complete.

5l: This post’s serious yet slightly absurd tone has me wondering if the host is a brain-dead fan of Queqiu or a sarcastic hater. Either way, it’s ridiculously extreme.

……

781l: [About the fact that there are 780 replies in a minute and not one the host wanted to see]

782l: Silly host, you caught a fish, but you lost your mom.

783l: They probably think Alphas are easy to fool.

……

3214l: Why bother with such reply-baiting? (Spitting before I leave)

3215l: Um, didn't any of you bother to click on the link the host posted?

3216l: Is the person above the host's alt account?

3217l: ...I'm neither the host's alt nor the guy above's alt, but seriously, you should consider clicking on the link.

3218l: Since you all insist, I'll magnanimously take a look. Expect me back in 30 seconds to continue bashing the host.

……

8923l: It's been a minute, why haven't those who followed the host's link returned yet?

8924l：……

8925l：……

8926l：……

……

14567l: Why has it suddenly gone quiet? Why is the whole thread filled with ellipses?

14568l: Queqiu... is actually... really... an S-grade combat Omega...

14569l: One second ago, I called the host a fool, and the next second after clicking the link: I am the bigger fool…

14570l: Slapped in the face…

……

32134l: ??? What??? Are you serious??? Queqiu is really an S-grade combat Omega???

32135l: ...Genuinely. The earlier ridiculed link address is the official channel of the Military Academy League. They themselves confirmed that Queqiu is an unadulterated S-grade combat Omega.

32136l: ? How is this possible! Forget S-grade combat Omegas, has the Empire ever even had an A-grade combat Omega before???

32137l: Forget S-grade combat Omegas, even among S-grade healing Omegas, there are only about ten alive and recorded in the archives!!!

……

101222l: Damn, I've really seen it all now. Queqiu's popularity has skyrocketed to 100,000 replies in twenty minutes, surpassing even those hotshot Omega celebrities (shocked emoji).

101223l: All hail your Autumn Emperor...

101224l: An S-grade combat Omega, this sky-defying gene grade, even if Queqiu doesn't win MVP, ascending the throne is a done deal.

101225l: I still can't believe Queqiu is really an S-grade combat Omega!! How is this even possible!! I'm going insane!!

101226l: My wife is an S-grade combat Omega hahaha (left hook emoji) Let's see if anyone still argues that he doesn't belong in the combat series (spits at the haters) Queqiu is the most badass combat series in the entire Empire! (dancing emoji)

……

567345l: Crazy, not just this thread, the whole StarNet has gone mad!

567346l: Seriously, the Omegas at our school are currently partying and screaming like mad, and the Alphas and Betas are also hoarsely howling along. Nobody expected Queqiu to be an S-grade combat Omega.

567347l: Same at our school... now, whenever anyone meets, the first thing they ask is if you know Queqiu's gene grade. When the people of the Empire go crazy, it's really something.

567348l: Based on the previously discussed gene grade conversions, as an S-grade combat Omega, isn't Queqiu equivalent to a super S-grade combat Alpha or Beta??? That means in tomorrow's top 100 chase race, Queqiu is going to dominate!

……

"What?! Queqiu is an S-grade combat Omega??" Felix, upon hearing the news, was both shocked and furious, impulsively kicking over the table in the conference room.

The conference table crashed to the ground, scattering pens, cups, and other small items across the floor. Felix stood amidst the chaos, looking like a completely uncontrollable beast.

"This is impossible! The highest recorded gene grade for a combat Omega is A-grade! How can he be S-grade!"

The other teammates were equally shocked, especially the Mammoth Alpha who lost to Queqiu at the beginning.

Being the only one from the Imperial First Military Academy team who didn't make it past the knockout stage, he had been scorned and isolated for losing to an Omega initially underestimated by all. Now, learning about Queqiu's gene grade, his first reaction was a sigh of relief.

"So he's an S-grade combat Omega... no wonder I lost..."

The Alphas who lost to Queqiu in the knockout stage also felt relieved; the cloud that had been hanging over their heads seemed to dissipate. They didn't react like Felix, feeling resistant; instead, they began to admire Queqiu for being an S-grade combat Omega, rationalizing their losses.

Their opponent's strength provided them an excuse, losing to an underestimated Omega versus an S-grade combat Omega were vastly different scenarios — even though it was the same person all along, the labels were just those imposed by others.

But Felix couldn’t listen to any of this. He had been expected to be the first to achieve ten consecutive wins and advance first from the knockout round, but Queqiu's emergence disrupted all plans and arrangements.

This Omega from the exiled lands not only dominated most of the attention but also stole the limelight that should have been his.

And now, even his teammates kept referring to Queqiu as an "S-grade combat Omega," almost in awe. Proud as he was, Felix couldn’t stand this, coldly scanning the room and snapping, “Is that all you're worth?! Now that you know Queqiu is an S-grade combat Omega, you think losing is justified; what happened to your attitudes before you knew?!”

His accusations seemed absurd to the teammates. Although they didn’t understand Felix’s outburst, they kept quiet, fearing getting involved in his wrath.

Seeing everyone silent and not challenging his authority, Felix’s mood slightly eased. But then, Dongkui, always at odds with him, stood up and mercilessly criticized, “An S-grade combat Omega should be a treasure for the entire Empire. His significance goes far beyond a Military Academy League. As an Alpha, you shouldn’t be so narrow-minded.”

Felix was taken aback by Dongkui's blunt words, each sentence feeling like a public slap to his face, burning with humiliation.

The other teammates, witnessing this clash of titans, dared not to watch, bowing their heads like ostriches, afraid of taking sides and becoming sacrificial pawns in their feud.

But seeing this, Felix grew even angrier: Not a single teammate was speaking up for him!

"I never expected you all to be so magnanimous after being thrashed by Queqiu," Felix mocked. "Heh, first you all said he was good-looking, and now that you know his gene grade, you're even more eager to fawn over him like a bunch of lapdogs, huh?!"

As his remarks became more offensive, Dongkui frowned and retorted sharply, "As the captain of the Imperial First Military Academy team, is this how you treat your own teammates? This team is a group of seven, not a place for you to lord over alone!"

"You!"

"Me? How many times have I provided psychological counseling for you all after your matches ended? As the captain, you’ve needed it the most, right? You coddle Omegas when you need them, then belittle them when you don’t. Is that how you treat Omegas? I can't believe there's someone like you among Alphas. If it weren’t for the school and the other teammates' sake, I wouldn’t have bothered giving you counseling!"

Having said his piece, Dongkui left the conference room without looking back. A second after stepping out, he heard the sound of Felix furiously smashing things, creating quite a commotion.

Dongkui paused for a moment but did not stop.

After leaving the dormitory area of the Imperial First Military Academy, Dongkui found himself aimlessly wandering, not knowing where to go. It was only after hearing laughter nearby that he suddenly snapped out of it and looked up—

It was Queqiu and his teammates.

He had wandered around aimlessly, only to end up at the dormitory area of the Dark Star Military Academy.

Dongkui hesitated, unsure whether to greet Queqiu. Logically, they were rivals, and the relationship between their teams was tense because of Felix, so he should walk away to avoid any misunderstanding.

But seeing the joyous atmosphere among them, Dongkui inexplicably stopped in his tracks.

He hid behind a large bush, watching Queqiu intently.

Unlike the domineering Felix and the indifferent other teammates, the Alphas and Betas of the Dark Star Military Academy, though not high in gene grade, had a great camaraderie.

Everyone surrounded Queqiu like puppies, willingly spending time to make him laugh and talk with him, even when not providing psychological counseling. And if Dongkui remembered correctly, despite Queqiu's strong combat genes, he was a flawed healing Omega. This meant that even without knowing his healing abilities, these lower-grade Alphas and Betas of Dark Star had already accepted him as their core and leader.

Even their instructor, an S-grade Snow Wolf Alpha, had no airs and was having a harmonious conversation with Queqiu.

Their affection for him seemed purely based on his personality, without any additional motives like gene grade or healing abilities.

Dongkui felt a twinge of envy, especially after having just argued with Felix and then seeing such a harmonious scene of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas interacting.

What was his own situation like at the Imperial First Military Academy?

Dongkui's thoughts began to wander uncontrollably.

After being brought to the Capital Star by the Elizbeth ship, everyone fawned over him for being an A-grade healing Omega, indulging his every excessive demand, with someone always willing to fulfill them.

Even Felix, the unapproachable S-grade combat Alpha, had to be pleasant to him due to the threat of his genetic illness. No matter how intense their quarrels, Felix would never dare treat him as he did Queqiu.

The reason boiled down to his gene grade.

An A-grade healing Omega was so rare. Even in the highly developed Capital Star, there were few A-grade healing Omegas.

And he just happened to be one of those scarce A-grade healing Omegas.

At first, Dongkui somewhat reveled in such a lifestyle. He undoubtedly received the adoration of Alphas and Betas, becoming the center of attention wherever he went.

Only this elevated sense of happiness could counterbalance Dongkui's fear of his past experiences, his dread of the place he once stayed, the painful injections, and the gentle but pain-inflicting Liuchangming.

After achieving all this, he even started to appreciate his most feared past.

Dongkui had often thought, after receiving such privileges, how fortunate he was to have survived those experiments and to have attained such a high gene grade.

So fortunate.

But it was not until this moment, seeing how Queqiu interacted with those Alphas and Betas, that his previously comforting sense of luck felt like a bucket of cold water poured over him, making Dongkui stiffen and sober up.

He suddenly realized—

What difference was there between himself, harboring such thoughts, and Felix, who looked down on lower-grade Omegas?!

He even wondered if he wasn't an A-grade healing Omega, but a B-grade, C-grade, or even a flawed Omega like Queqiu, would he still be favored by so many Alphas and Betas?

Would they treat Dongkui, a defective Omega without a grade, the same way they do now, as an A-grade healing Omega?

The lips of the Sunflower Omega trembled, suddenly losing all color, his face turning ashen, as if he had seen something terrifying.

He hadn't forgotten how, on the Elizbeth ship, the way people’s attitudes towards Queqiu changed within minutes from the revelation of his S-grade healing gene to being labeled a defective Omega.

From being treasured to being discarded like worthless trash, it all happened in an instant.

If he were a defective Omega... if he were...

Dongkui's eyes widened in horror, his body uncontrollably shaking.

He knew the outcome of "if."

If so, he would be ruthlessly exiled to Dark Star like Queqiu; everything he owned due to his gene grade would vanish without a trace.

Not just himself... other Omegas too...

Once they lose their utilitarian value, they no longer hold any special status...

Dongkui’s mind reeled, as if he had just experienced a tumultuous earthquake, leaving him so disoriented he didn’t even know which foot to move first.

He didn't want to stay here any longer; he needed to return—

In his haste to leave, Dongkui's movements were so abrupt that they shook the bushes.

Queqiu, thoughtful, looked up towards the bushes, but saw nothing.

Noticing the little Omega's sudden distraction, the always observant An Weiran asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

"...It's nothing."

Queqiu shook his head hesitantly, feeling as though he had seen a familiar figure, but he wasn't quite sure if anyone had really been there.

An Weiran, sensing Queqiu's confusion, couldn’t help but ask, "Are you sure it's nothing? Ever since the knockout round ended, you've seemed distracted. What's wrong, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

This time, Queqiu quickly shook his head.

"I really am fine," he repeated.

"Alright then," An Weiran didn’t press further but tirelessly reminded, "Your health is more important than any match. If you feel really unwell, don't push yourself. It's more important that you return to Dark Star safely and unharmed than winning the MVP."

Queqiu replied with slight helplessness, "Yes, instructor; understood, instructor."

"You have a match tomorrow, so we won't disturb you any further. Rest well," said An Weiran, standing up with the students, ready to leave.

Queqiu waved his hand slightly: "Goodbye."

The Alphas happily wagged their fluffy ears and tails, lining up to bid him farewell.

Once everyone had left, Queqiu finally relaxed completely, then felt waves of weakness wash over him.

He pressed his hand against his chest, his petal-like lips turning somewhat pale.

What Queqiu had told An Weiran was a lie. In fact, ever since advancing in the knockout round, he sometimes felt inexplicably weak, as if stepping on light, fluffy cotton, suddenly losing all strength. Not just walking, even sitting in a chair made him feel soft and weak.

Queqiu speculated whether this was due to a mishap in his cultivation or perhaps a sign of leveling up. However, after circulating his spiritual energy a few times, he found that the more he activated it, the worse the weakness became.

With no other choice, Queqiu had to stop investigating the cause of this condition. But he knew if it were really a cultivation issue, the backlash would be more than just these minor side effects.

As for leveling up, he didn't feel the sensation of constraints loosening, and his spiritual energy was abundant, only unusable during these episodes of weakness.

If neither of these guesses was correct...

It seemed there was only one other possibility.

Queqiu's eyes darkened.

Instinctively, he raised his hand, his pale, slender fingers trailing across his nape. His cool fingertips trembled slightly upon touching the warm, soft flesh.

Such a strange feeling...

At this point, Queqiu had no other options and could only hope that this sudden weakness wouldn't occur during the match.

However, as if fate was not on his side or perhaps Queqiu had run out of luck, he suddenly had an episode during the top 100 chase race.

Author's note:

Strictly speaking, Queqiu's combat gene grade is not S-grade. It's actually the grade of the magic machinery itself that's S-grade (similar to Xiaoyue's beast control). His spiritual power is akin to the mental power of these Alphas; the magic machinery is powered by spiritual energy. As long as Queqiu's spiritual power remains abundant, he can maximize the potential of the magic machinery.

Guess why Queqiu is feeling so weak, hehehe.