Chapter 13: Landis’s Gift

Chapter 13: Landis's Gift

Xiao Sa delivered punch after punch with incredible speed, each one more ferocious than the last. By the tenth hit, the red mech's power system began to flash a red warning light.

Inside the mech, Vinci felt the entire cockpit shaking violently, as if it might be smashed open at any moment. The thick alloy plates now seemed so fragile, they gave him no sense of safety.

His Venus flytrap, despite its near-depleted mental strength, expanded rapidly towards Xiao Sa. Its blood-red petals fully spread like a blood-dripping maw, ready to swallow Xiao Sa whole.

Xiao Sa was surrounded by an invisible, colorless cloud of aggressive pheromones. No one could see them, but they were undeniably present.

Just as his figure was about to disappear into the plant's mouth, the central pistil froze in mid-air upon touching Xiao Sa's pheromones, as if it had encountered something terrifying, like a mouse facing a cat.

The final punch!

The power system completely collapsed, and even the exit hatch was knocked askew. The red mech collapsed forward in despair, and the giant word "Victory" appeared beside Xiao Sa, indicating the ultimate victor of the match.

The barrage of comments in the viewing area immediately erupted in celebration:

"Witness the miracle! Why are you still standing there? Screenshot it!"

"Mom asked me why I was watching the live stream on my knees..."

"What? You can't send gifts in the beginner zone?"

Normally, a newbie room would have fewer than ten viewers, but after this match, spectators spread the word, and the number of people in the viewing area skyrocketed, surpassing 100,000. Within just a few minutes of Xiao Sa defeating the red mech, the number doubled several times over.

The Stellar Network's arena forum was filled with discussions about the black-clad Alpha knight.

It wasn't until Xiao Sa earned his first victory points that the system automatically opened his personal profile and ranking. It was then that everyone discovered Xiao Sa was a C-rank!

"I didn't go to school much, don't fool me—can a C-rank really tank a mech?! This is just hype, clearly the pilot was terrible!"

"Didn't you notice that the Alpha didn't win by brute force? No emotion, just skill! So young, yet already blind. Truly sad."

"Frame-by-frame analysis of the Black Knight Alpha's combat skills, contact me for a paid V lesson. I'm not selling anything inappropriate."

...

Vinci remained dazed in the cockpit for a long time, his face pale, struggling to understand how a match that should have been a sure win had ended up like this.

He didn't dare to imagine how Landis and his father would view him—a disgraceful and failed clown.

In fact, Landis didn't care about Wenxi's anxious thoughts.

He casually stroked Black Flame's furry head and looked at the red mech in the testing ground with some disappointment, calmly giving his final conclusion:

"This batch of new battle armor has a high mental energy conversion rate; even those who haven't undergone strict military training can easily control it with advanced mental energy. However,..."

As soon as the transition left his mouth, Duke Lot's eyes widened. To be precise, ever since Wenxi had been brutally beaten by that mysterious dark horse Alpha, his smile had frozen.

Landis continued his merciless critique: "It sacrifices speed, some firepower, and defensive capabilities for this. For the military, it's basically a useless decoration. If released on the civilian market, it might make for a good performance prop."

Hearing this almost mocking ridicule, Duke Lot's stiff lips trembled.

The third prince smiled and smoothed things over: "Commander Landis is still as witty as ever."

Landis coldly said, "I'm not joking. Our Third Legion faces alien species on the frontlines year-round. I have to be responsible for my soldiers. Combat is not child's play. I won't equip my soldiers with toys."

Deputy General Caro smiled wryly, his superior was still as bluntly honest as ever.

He thought that perhaps it was because the commander was so sharp-witted that he had managed to remain neutral in the empire's complex political environment for many years.

Caro silently gave his superior a thumbs-up, ingenious!

Meanwhile, Wenxi looked despondently at the large "Defeat" on his newly registered account's record, unable to cry. He was even more emotionally devastated when he discovered that the opponent who had utterly defeated him was only a C-rank.

"Unbelievable! How could a mere C-rank beat me? Hacking... This guy must have hacked!"

Wenxi found a plausible reason and immediately convinced himself: "Where are the system referees? Where are the beginner zone administrators? I'm reporting this guy for hacking!"

His fiery words quickly caused an uproar in the bullet chat area and discussion threads:

"Holy crap, hacking in the beginner zone? Are the system referees and admins eating shit?"

"Haha, I knew a C-rank couldn't possibly withstand a mech; only some inexperienced players would blindly hype it up. Hacking is the only explanation!"

"I think the red mech pilot is just bitter. Did you see the knee joint of the red mech get deformed? How is he still standing as if nothing had happened?"

In the arena, once a controversial report is raised, both parties in the match cannot exit the room normally and must wait for the system to rule.

Xiao Sa looked surprised at Wen Xi, who was speaking righteously from the opposite mech, slowly blinking. "What's with this guy, trying to play the villain and accuse others first?"

Haino hugged his arms and rubbed his chin stubble. "You see, he proposed conducting a data screening himself. Isn't it reasonable for me to allocate some resources to help him?"

Xiao Sa raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say the arena has a separate processor in charge?"

Haino smiled smugly. "My clearance level is higher."

Now that he thought about it, he realized he had been ignoring one issue. If everyone's smart light brain was served by a branch port from the Central Mind Haino, then why did his own always speak as if he was the boss?

He hadn't downloaded any unusual personality resource packs either.

Xiao Sa suspiciously touched his lightning earring. The idea he was considering seemed a bit implausible. He wasn't sure, so he decided to observe a bit more.

Inside the Future Eye Research Base, the lab supervisor panicked when he saw Wen Xi accusing Xiao Sa of cheating and demanding an investigation.

He immediately rushed to delete the recent history records and attempted to use his lab testing authority to forcibly modify the mech's parameters.

However, with Haino's direct intervention and the mobilization of massive resources, the data was quickly screened and calculated. Within less than a minute, the verdict was issued:

"After data comparison, it is determined that Alpha, contestant #047 in the newbie room, behaved normally. Contestant #048, Wen Xi, exhibited abnormal data with multiple data port modifications. Contestant #048, Wen Xi, is judged to have falsified data, obstructing the fairness of the match. The penalty is the revocation of his eligibility to participate in the Heavenly Ascension Arena."

"Verification of the branch processor port revealed abnormalities; the corresponding port's data transmission management authority is revoked."

When the red ban warning suddenly appeared on the lab's main screen, the supervisor's face turned pale. He had been banned? And this happened just as the new mech model was about to be launched into the market, with plans to create a marketing buzz on the Stellar Network and the arena.

Even more unbelievable was that the punishment was directly sent by the Central Mind. The supervisor's vision blurred, and he dared not imagine Duke Lot's reaction.

As soon as the system judgment was announced, the spectators erupted in an uproar:

"Wait, what? This plot is moving too fast. I didn't expect that Alpha didn't cheat, but the mech did?"

"No way! The red mech cheated and still lost to a C-rank? Looks like the quality of that mech is questionable."

"A good joke only needs a simple twist. Where are those who called the other a cheat king earlier? Come out and show yourselves!"

The spectators were thoroughly amused by this announcement, and laughter echoed through the Stellar Network forums. In stark contrast, Wen Xi, the mech pilot, was facing a cosmic-level social death.

He climbed out of the cockpit, trembling, and returned to Duke Lot's side. Unexpectedly, his father didn't scold him as expected. Instead, he gently patted the top of his head.

"It’s alright, Vinci. It was just a test. How have you been getting along with your brothers on Central Star? I apologize for the delay in bringing you and your mother from the lower planets. Don’t lose hope; there’s still a long life ahead of you."

Duke Lot smiled meaningfully, as if he wasn’t angry at all.

The third prince, speaking in an elegant noble tone, nodded in approval. "Duke Lot is truly a generous father."

However, Vinci understood the underlying meaning in his father’s words, and a cold chill shot up his spine, turning his face pale.

Indeed, his father had many talented sons and didn’t need him. He could elevate Vinci, but now that he had messed everything up, he could turn against him at any time.

※※※

After leaving the Future Eye Research Base, Landis sat in the back of the dual-use military vehicle, his posture remaining as upright as ever, though the weariness in his eyes lingered.

Caro, who was driving, glanced at him in the rearview mirror, concern evident on his face. "Commander, did your date request get approved?"

Landis pressed his lips together and silently opened his smartbrain.

To his disappointment, the dating application he sent to Xiao Sa had not been accepted.

"No," Landis sighed inwardly. When he sent the request, he specifically noted his status as an imperial soldier and didn’t intend to hide this fact deliberately.

Although it was a perfect match, the other party’s rank was too low, and they had mental disabilities, which made it understandable that they couldn’t handle the risks of being with a soldier.

Caro could guess from his expression. After years of working together as subordinates, he knew his superior well. He was seen as upright and steady, but could also be considered stubborn and rigid.

"Commander, why don’t you send him a gift? The more valuable, the better! Maybe the other party will agree."

Landis frowned. "What gift?"

Caro slapped his forehead. "You didn’t know you could include a gift with a date request, did you? You can buy it from the virtual store and send it over. The recipient can redeem it offline immediately upon receiving it."

Landis was silent. He really didn’t know, as he had never sent a request to anyone before.

"Quick, pick something precious to send. Do you really want to stay single forever, or would you prefer to agree to a match with the younger son of the Lot family?"

"Of course not," Landis immediately refuted.

Although he didn't know what kind of person this 100% match was, Wenxi Lott was obviously terrible. There was nothing more detestable than a despicable person who resorted to trickery.

Resting his forehead on one hand, his gaze fixed on the window. The glass clearly reflected his cold, sharp eyes, filled with disdain:

"The spoiled sons of great nobles often lack real strength, yet they like to use every means to polish their resumes at the Heavenly Ascension Arena."

"They deprive others of opportunities, burying the true talents from the lower classes. How unjust."

Caro sighed softly. He knew General Landis’s father was a hero who had risen from a commoner to the rank of general through military merit, only to die in the alien war some years ago.

His patient and earnest words finally had an effect. After searching through his optical brain for a long time, Landis finally selected what he considered the most precious gift and sent it to his match.

Caro asked curiously, "Commander, what did you send?"

Landis gently lifted his chin, full of confidence. "Those jewels and diamonds in the store are really not worth mentioning. Following your suggestion to choose something precious, I sent a notebook I personally wrote on the experience of using psychic power in battle."

"What??" Caro almost lost it. "You sent a psychic combat notebook to a C-class handicapped individual? Commander, couldn't you have sent something more typical for a date? A luxury bag, crystal jewelry, or even roses!"

For heaven's sake, will anyone ever want to marry him?

Landis' icy blue eyes swept over him through the rearview mirror, clearly displeased. "What? Numerous studies have shown that more exercise and consumption help in psychic power growth."

"That's beside the point!" Caro was helpless, shaking his head. "Commander, you're on a date, not mentoring your soldiers."

Landis: "..."

Before he could reply, his optical brain vibrated again, and an important notification popped up:

"The online dating request you sent has been accepted. The other party has proposed a time at 3 PM tomorrow. You can accept or propose a different time."

Landis was briefly stunned, then lifted his optical brain with a blank expression. "They've agreed."

Caro: "??? What the heck!"

Well, I'll be damned!