Chapter 3: The Icy Fire Tournament (Part Two)

Chapter 3: The Icy Fire Tournament (Part Two)

A mesmerizing purple hue shimmered fantastically across the snowy landscape. Floating wisps of energy formed an ethereal mist above the flames, where bizarre ice butterfly limbs and overly vivid red hues were consumed in the fire.

It was like a meticulously crafted cinematic shot, projected onto a grand screen. Amidst the howling winds and swirling snowflakes, the sounds of mecha engines and the cries of the ice butterflies seemed to still resonate in everyone's ears.

They were all still immersed in the thrilling battle they had just witnessed.

Upon the desolate planet, the snowfall intensified, accompanied by ice particles imbued with unique energy. They struck the mecha armor with a tinkling sound, carving scratches across the surface.

Rong Mi's thoughts quickly shifted away from the defeated ice butterflies. Killing a few low-level ones was indeed an effortless task. In Rong Mi's perspective, the real challenge now was this barren planet itself.

The planetary storms possessed terrifying energy that could even breach the mecha's outer shell.

Soon, the high-energy ice shards carried by the wind would not only leave dents on the armor but also potentially crack it open. After all, C-class mechas were not exactly known for their durability.

Amidst the desolation, there were no nearby mech workshops to repair the damages promptly.

Rong Mi: I need to find a place to hide.

The black mech made a nimble turn, its engines igniting as it passed through the dwindling flames of energy.

The sound of the mech's engine reanimated the previously quiet commentary section.

"..."

"Amazing." The comment section flickered back to life after a brief lull.

"Rong Mi's control is outstanding. So intricate! The script doesn't matter. His proficiency with mechs... I can't compare."

The commenter's nickname was adorned with a bronze badge emblazoned with 'AA', indicating that they held a universally recognized professional mech pilot certification from the Human Federation, and an uncommon double-A rank at that.

Mech pilot certifications ranged from F to 3A grades, with no higher distinctions beyond that level.

Earning double-A or 3A certifications was extremely challenging. Top-notch mech pilots in civilian fleets typically only held A-grade certifications, while double-A and 3A pilots were usually exclusive to the military.

"Cough, I was actually going to suggest practicing with a script beforehand..." After a moment, someone replied from below, "But there's a big shot upstairs. Since they say it's not possible, I won't dare to argue."

"This isn't something that can be accomplished through last-minute cramming or by practicing for a year or two," the Dual-A Mecha Pilot explained carefully. "When Rong Mi removes the mecha's counterweights, he needs to rely on his experience to reassess the mecha's maximum speed. This part can be achieved with a 'script'."

"But in the subsequent high-speed maneuvers, his control of the mecha's balance is flawless. Every turn powered by his limb drive system is crisp and clean, every strike is timed perfectly..."

"Such proficiency can't be attained through short-term intensive training. It requires millions of mecha battles to hone one's skills, an intuitive understanding of combat, and a natural talent for piloting a mecha."

"Moreover, Rong Mi also uses his mental power to assist in mecha operations."

"His mental strength is controlled with ease, complementing the mecha's weapons and power systems seamlessly. If I didn't know he was using a standard C-class competition mecha, I'd swear he was operating the military's top-tier A-class mecha."

The Dual-A Mecha Pilot typed rapidly, pausing briefly before dropping another bombshell.

"Additionally, personally, I believe the Ice Butterfly insectoid on screen is not fake."

"..."

"..."

"..."

A moment of silence descended upon the comment section.

"Well, that's stretching it a bit, don't you think?" someone ventured timidly. "We're talking about the Safe Sector here! How could it possibly be real? Rong Mi wouldn't be so calm if it wasn't a fake, right?"

"I've just returned from a rotation in the war zone," the formidable Double A spoke calmly. "The ice butterflies Rong Mi encountered... their behavior when under attack, the wavelength of the energy waves they emit... it's identical to what I witnessed in the war zone."

"I'm uncertain whether the production team has informed the authorities or the military about the situation, but I've already notified my superiors and signaled the patrol teams nearby the wilderness star to conduct a preliminary investigation."

"A blizzard seems to be brewing on the Barren Star. Snowstorms are the ideal environment for Ice Butterflies. Usually, they would emerge from their subterranean nests and begin hunting during such storms… The situation on the Barren Star is becoming perilous."

*

The blizzard had arrived.

Rong Mi released his mental energy to scan the surrounding terrain, maneuvering the mecha away from the snowy plain where the cocoon was located, swiftly heading towards the distant mountain range.

He forged ahead into the wind, gradually increasing his thrust to maintain his speed.

Despite this, the mecha's pace eventually slowed, taking half an hour before it finally reached the outskirts of the mountain range.

Rong Mi leaned against a massive, wind-sheltered boulder, exhaling softly as he scanned his surroundings with his mental energy.

Rong Mi: Temporarily safe.

Relaxing his body, he removed his helmet and disengaged the mecha's restraints.

For the first time since his rebirth, Rong Mi had a moment to catch his breath.

The young man wiped sweat from his brow, leaning back in the pilot's seat, massaging his temples with force.

His spirit domain, which had been painfully active since he regained consciousness, finally calmed down. Along with it came the memories of this body's past.

A flood of memories surged into his mind.

After a brief moment, Rong Mi finally grasped the situation.

He was indeed dead, reborn a century before the dawn of humanity's interstellar nomadic era, in a bygone age known as the Era of Glory.

Due to the loss of extensive historical records, Rong Mi's knowledge of the old times was quite limited.

But he knew that the old era ended with an unexpected assault by the Ice Butterfly Clan on humanity.

Rong Mi: It seemed that his accumulated good karma had finally paid off, and he was reborn at a fortunate time.

He returned to a period before the attack that forced humans into displacement.

The Glorious Old Era.

At this time, humanity also faced the threat of the Ice Butterfly insectoid clan, yet they possessed their own star systems, stable energy sources, and survival resources, as well as "not yet extinct" Natural Healers.

And the original owner of this body belonged to the Rong family, the most renowned lineage of healers in this era.

Coincidentally, Rong Mi shared the same name as the original inhabitant of this body.

The original host's mental strength was rated C, making him a low-ranking D-class Healer.

Uninterested in becoming a Healer, he instead pursued a career as an original singer on the Star Network, joining a male music group called "Phantom Chord."

With parents who were high-ranking healers in the family, they used their influence and wealth to pave the way for him. The original host quickly gained his own exclusive virtual stage and musical space on the Star Network, participating in major virtual music festivals, leading a smooth and successful life.

Until six months ago, the original owner's parents were serving in a war zone that was suddenly attacked by Ice Butterflies. Both of them perished in the conflict, and the original's circumstances took a sharp turn for the worse.

In the social circle, he was targeted for revenge, plagued by negative news, and found life increasingly difficult. His Star Network music space and virtual stage were forced to close.

Three months ago, the head of the Rong family summoned Rong Mi back and requested that he go to the Lu family to serve as a therapist for the current head of the family.

Although the original had grown up in the Rong family, he had lived a carefree life under his parents' protection and paid little attention to military corps, war zones, or the various families in the Federation. He didn't even know the name of the current head of the Lu family.

All he knew was that this Lu family patriarch was a Federal Admiral, the commander of the First Legion of the Border Military, with a mental power strength of 2S+. This was the pinnacle of recorded mental power intensity in human history.

Such a mental domain was beyond the reach of even the highest-grade S-class therapists in the Federation. It should not have been within the capabilities of the original's D-class therapist status.

However, during the defense against the insectoid assault, the patriarch sustained severe injuries, putting his mental domain in peril and leaving him in a persistent coma.

After several unsuccessful attempts with S-class therapists, the Lu family began to pin their hopes on a therapist with a high compatibility match for the divine power waves.

They searched through the mental power wave database and found only one therapist, the original owner, with a compatibility rate over fifty percent with the head of the Lu family – a match of fifty-one percent.

Rong Mi: ...

The compatibility between the original host and this Legion Commander was merely fifty percent. It wasn't impossible to perform a cross-level treatment, but such a significant leap... was wishful thinking.

The Lu family seemed to be desperately seeking any cure.

This family held considerable influence and prestige in the Federation.

Despite their urgency, they weren't unreasonable. After contacting the Rong family, they first sought the consent of both the Rong family and the original host.

Initially, the original host had agreed.

Because Rong Yan, the head of the Rong family, promised that if the original host were willing to go to the war zone and attempt treating Lu Yi, even if it only slightly improved the Admiral's mental domain condition, she would help resolve all his current troubles and provide ample financial support. Regardless of the treatment's effectiveness, he could resume his career as a Star Network singer.

For the sake of his music dream, the original host reluctantly nodded in agreement, yet he was inwardly anxious.

Just as he was waiting to depart for the war zone, he overheard several "insider rumors" unknown to outsiders.

The most frequent one came from his elder brother, Rong Yu, filled with sorrow and regret.

He mentioned that the Legion Commander's mental domain was almost in chaos, occasionally resulting in violent outbursts that harmed others. In the past few months, the bodyguards around him had been frequently replaced, likely due to being accidentally killed during episodes of the Commander's uncontrollable mental power.

It was mentioned that the original owner had an aloof personality to begin with, and after being severely injured, they became even more cautious. Due to the inexplicable clarity during the surprise attack on the battlefield, the General now had a strong distrust of strangers. Any suspicious behavior would lead to an interrogation in a mental examination room.

The story also told how the General's beloved Silver Wolf combat pet, fiercely protective of its master, had become more aggressive, attacking anyone it encountered and severely injuring several S-class healers.

This frightened the original owner so much that they fled in the dead of night before heading to the battlefield.

The Lu family was furious, as was the head of the Rong family, who was determined to bring the original owner back and put them aboard the Lu family's starship for punishment.

Fortunately, the injured Commander eventually regained consciousness and made it clear that he wished to follow the original owner's wishes, putting an end to the Rong family's plans.

Nonetheless, life became even more challenging for the original owner, facing obstacles at every turn.

Struggling to make ends meet and unable to repay loans, the original owner was beaten by debt collectors, an incident witnessed by their cousin Rong Yu. Through his connection, the original owner was able to join this survival reality show centered around mecha battles.

"Sure, it's tough, but the contract offers a substantial sum. During the competition, you can stream and earn a decent income! The producers want a team of crossover mecha pilots, and they've already reserved a spot for Yu Tiantian, a singer. Didn't you like him before? Just pair up with him and see the show through to the end. It's not as dangerous as you think."

"Sounds like a risk-free profit!"

Rong Mi: "..."

In the world of Mecha Battles, spectators came for the thrill of competition.

This type of mecha event was now highly competitive. The reality show organizers sought a fresh approach by inviting Star Network singers to attract external attention.

Ironically, Rong Mi and Yu Tiantian's appearance didn't draw much traffic; instead, they were ridiculed and criticized by the audience.

Indeed, the original owner wasn't suited for such competitive events.

To add insult to injury, he was dragged down by his incompetent teammates, ultimately succumbing to the icy cocoon's sap in a mixture of terror and asphyxiation.

Then, upon opening his eyes once more, the one who woke up was none other than Rong Mi, who had traversed from the interstellar nomadic era.

Rong Mi: "......."

Rong Mi's emotions were conflicted.

It wouldn't be accurate to say that the original owner had squandered a good hand; rather, he had simply experienced a streak of bad luck.

But for Rong Mi, being given a second chance at life, he had no room for complaints.

With a complicated background, the original owner had left behind a mess of reneging on his promise to the First Legion's Commander and was burdened with debts.

None of this qualified as a challenge.

"Reneging on one's word is not right," Rong Mi muttered to himself, conversing silently with his predecessor. "And how could you forget the name or appearance of the Legion Commander you stood up?"

Rong Mi didn't need to ponder further to know that he would eventually join the Military Department.

Becoming a mecha pilot in the Military Department was the lifestyle he was most accustomed to and found the most comfortable.

Joining the First Legion was out of the question, but there was no telling when he might encounter its Commander.

If he failed to recognize the Commander then, he'd be stepping on a landmine!

Fortunately, Rong Mi had a vague recollection of the last batch of military officials from the previous era.

He vaguely remembered that the last Commander of the First Legion had the surname Lu, was quite old, and had white hair.

In the photograph, he had a stern expression, giving off an air of someone who was difficult to approach. Records showed that this Commander had an impressive track record in battle, but his temper was questionable, and he had a bad habit of favoritism.

Rong Mi had no intention of dealing with complications. His predecessor had crossed paths with this influential Lu figure, so Rong Mi planned to keep his distance in the future.

According to his memories, the other party should have survived until before the Ice Butterflies' assault on humanity. That meant they must have found a suitable therapist by then.

Rong Mi: "At least I don't need to worry about this First Legion Commander."

He relaxed and pondered for a moment, continuing his one-sided conversation with his predecessor.

"I arrived just in time to save you from suffocating in that pool of Ice Butterfly energy... It couldn't have been pleasant. I'll look into what exactly happened for you."

"I'll live your life for you from now on."

"Oh, right, there's also this competition..."

As he spoke, he reached for his waist.

Using his predecessor's memories, Rong Mi located the panoramic live-stream camera embedded in the uniform of the mecha provided by the show. He plucked it off and held it up to his eye for a closer inspection.

Suddenly, Rong Mi's face filled the camera, presenting a close-up to the audience.

"..."

Due to the high-profile AA-rated Mecha Master's speculation, the comments section was updating rapidly.

Some were shouting that it was impossible for the Ice Butterfly to be real and speculated that the big shot was a hired plant by the show to create excitement. Others were educating the expert on the latest holographic technology, while still others felt a creeping unease, fearing that the master might be right and were frantically trying to contact the program team.

However, when Rong Mi suddenly leaned in close, the entire comment section froze for a second.

"....Why is there suddenly such a huge face?! Oh my gosh! I almost got... ahem, scared silly."

"Uhh, straight guy upstairs? Embarrassed to admit being attracted to another guy?"

"Who knows, I think Rong Mi looks even more handsome now! Did he get some work done? Can't quite put my finger on it, but his features seem more defined, and his contours sharper... He's just plain hotter! And his smile is even more charming!"

"Don't talk nonsense! Rong Mi! Can you see the comments? There's an AA-rated military Mecha Master who says the Ice Butterflies you encountered are real...! Hurry back to the gathering point! Run! If they're real, it's very dangerous for you to stay on the ice field!"

"Calm down, person upstairs. I think the AA-rated master hasn't been back to a safe zone in a while and underestimated the progress in holographic projection technology these past few years. Putting that aside, if the Ice Butterfly is real... could Rong Mi possibly defeat it?!"

"But it's an Ice Butterfly, for crying out loud!! For those of us who've never left the safe zones, we've only seen pictures of them in our insectoid biology classes. Who's ever seen a real one, let alone one that can move and kill?! We'd probably be too stunned to do anything!"

"…Now that you mention it, Yu Tiantian's panic back then suddenly makes more sense in this context…"

"One can never be too careful! What if Rong Mi thinks it's fake, but it turns out to be real? Rong Mi, take a look at the comment section!"

However, Rong Mi had no intention of checking the comments.

He wasn't particularly enthusiastic about interacting with strangers.

Moreover, from the memories of his predecessor, although the comments were directed at the original host, some of them were so vile that they were an eyesore. He preferred not to invite discomfort upon himself.

Glancing casually at the camera, Rong Mi activated the full-block setting, shielding the cockpit's camera, and then inverted it, placing it in the mecha's storage compartment, completely ignoring the live stream.

Unaware of the viewers' cries for him not to turn off the cockpit camera, Rong Mi dealt with the camera issue and promptly calculated his debts and potential earnings from the upcoming tournament.

It was impossible to fully pay off the predecessor's debts solely through earnings from this competition, but he would do his best.

Given the inherent danger of mecha battles, the contract fees for participating were already substantial. Despite receiving mostly negative reviews during the predecessor's streaming sessions, the controversy generated kept the channel from fading into obscurity, resulting in a decent share of income from streaming bonuses.

In addition, the entire team that ranks first in the elimination round of the Mecha Showcase, as well as the top three individual contestants, will receive substantial prizes set by the show. The organizers were afraid that the mecha pilots might adopt a cautious "turtle" strategy due to the dangerous environment, thus compromising the excitement of the show. Hence, they straightforwardly dangled the carrot of money as an incentive. There were 300 participants in the elimination round, and Rong Mi's original rank had consistently been at the very bottom. However, after his massacre of the Ice Butterfly, his ranking had soared significantly. The competition system counted the Ice Butterfly as a common low-level exotic beast, and with those points, Rong Mi entered the top 200. "So killing bugs counts towards the score for killing exotic beasts? Low-level bugs yield such few points?" Rong Mi was slightly surprised. "No wonder it's the glorious old era... It's quite thrilling. Will there be higher-level Ice Butterflies appearing later?" He muttered to himself while checking the rules of the competition. Scoring in the Fire and Ice Showcase was straightforward. Killing exotic beasts and collecting special plants would earn points. Apart from that, there was another quick way to gain points: stealing other contestants' score cards. Rong Mi clicked his tongue, not surprised at all. He knew it was all part of the game. Rong Mi: Ice Butterflies should count as exotic beasts. He marked the spot where he had killed the Ice Butterfly on the map, planning to return once the snowstorm stopped to earn some more scattered points.

With one eye on the remaining day of the competition and the best strategy to score points, Rong Mi opened his resource panel, eager to check his remaining stock of mecha energy and nutrient solutions.

Rong Mi: "...."

Gazing at the panel displaying single-digit numbers close to zero, he fell abruptly silent.