Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The two climbed into the main cockpits of their respective mechas, while Alice thoughtfully positioned herself beyond the training ground's safety perimeter.

The mecha she had been piloting was now Eve’s. In the vast arena, two humanoid advanced mechas—one black, one white—stood in silent confrontation. Ludwig commanded the white one; Eve, the black.

The moment he settled into the cockpit, Ludwig opened a communication channel with Eve. Before the match, he had been consumed by playful taunts, but now, on the verge of combat, it dawned on him that his opponent was, at her core, an alchemist. A serious fight might look like he was picking on someone weaker.

Ludwig cleared his throat, a subtle gesture to mask his belated embarrassment. "We're already in our mechas. Aren't you going to summon your Spiritual State beforehand?"

"No need," Eve replied, closing her eyes and focusing as her spiritual energy flowed smoothly into the mecha through the connection tubes. It had been a while since she last operated one, and the interface felt somewhat unfamiliar. "Just summon yours. Don’t mind me."

Since she insisted, Ludwig no longer held back.

In the center of the training ground, a solitary, exquisitely beautiful orchid-shaped Spiritual State gradually materialized from thin air. Its stem was dark green, its petals stark white, and its form slender and elegant.

Yet, its most captivating feature wasn't its graceful appearance, but the unopened bud at its apex. The slightly drooping bud eerily resembled the face of a captivating woman, with finely arched brows and striking eyes. Two dark spots on the petals mimicked shifting pupils, swaying subtly with the plant despite the stillness of the room.

If it were the size of a common orchid, the sight might be merely hauntingly beautiful. But if this orchid stood as tall as a person?

—That would be a truly terrifying spectacle.

This was the S-class Spiritual State: the Ghost-Faced Beauty Orchid.

Eve took one look and nearly burst out laughing.

The Ghost-Faced Beauty Orchid’s abilities were mental intimidation and poisonous mist. The latter was practically useless in mecha combat, while the former was utterly nullified by the Luna Butterfly.

Ludwig had truly drawn the short straw. Of all people, he had to face her, rendering his formidable S-class Spiritual State completely useless.

Unaware of the dire situation, Ludwig only heard a light, girlish laugh through the comms, like a brief trumpet call signaling the start of battle. Then, the black mecha in his line of sight sprang into action—

With incredibly swift and decisive movements, it drew a pair of black-gold batons. Energy lights flashed, and gas jets propelled the mecha forward in a rapid glide. The entire process was fluid and seamless, like flowing water or a bird taking flight. Just the sequence of drawing weapons and stepping forward revealed the pilot’s extraordinary skill.

Ludwig had been meticulously observing her every move. Now, he frowned slightly, finally realizing something was amiss: Eve was far too adept with the mecha.

Piloting a mecha required gradual adaptation. For instance, even if someone accustomed to a standard model possessed the spiritual energy level required for an advanced mecha, their first time piloting it would still be fraught with difficulties due to unfamiliarity. This was precisely why Eve had felt a sense of powerlessness during her initial attempt to pilot the mythological mecha Hecate.

This was also why Ludwig had hesitated to launch an attack after entering his mecha—he assumed Eve, piloting an advanced mecha for the first time, would need time to adjust.

He didn't know that for Eve, who had already piloted a mythological mecha, handling a mere advanced unit was as effortless as moving her own limbs.

"Clang!"

The black-gold baton slashed down through the air. Ludwig barely managed to draw his mecha’s long sword in time to block. A deafening crash echoed—so loud that even Alice, standing at a distance, covered her ears.

Ludwig swung hard, forcing the black mecha back. Both units slid several meters apart, creating space. Sensing a shift in his opponent’s mindset, Eve’s expression turned serious.

Meanwhile, in the castle corridor, the butler was pushing Lorca’s wheelchair for a stroll. When the loud crash erupted, Lorca looked up, as if sensing something.

"Young Master, is something wrong?" the butler asked cautiously.

"Nothing."

Lorca smiled. "Just a little commotion—let’s take another route."

Back in the training ground, Ludwig took a deep breath from what he considered a safe distance. Having confirmed that Eve was no easy opponent, he silently urged the Ghost-Faced Beauty Orchid to bloom.

The human-faced flower slowly unfolded—and then withered. Eve watched with interest as the beautiful visage twisted into bones, the scene of elegance torn into tragedy. Horrifying, sorrowful images flooded her mind, forcefully suppressing her will to fight.

Even the black mecha momentarily froze—

A triumphant smile curled on Ludwig’s lips. Gripping his sword with both hands, he raised it high. The pristine white mecha resembled a blessed knight of light, descending with thunderous force—only to miss at the last instant. No one—not even Alice watching—could clearly see what happened. In the blink of an eye, Eve had seemingly teleported behind Ludwig, delivering a brutal elbow strike before pinning the white mecha’s neck between the two black-gold batons. With a knee pressed down, she forced the white unit to the ground.

"Ugh!" Ludwig struggled, teeth clenched as he twisted his shoulders and arms, trying to overpower the black mecha—but failed.

Eve held him firmly, laughing. "How does it feel sparring with me?"

"You’ve piloted a mecha before," Ludwig growled, certain of his conclusion.

Her skill was too obvious to hide. Eve simply admitted, "Yes. That’s why I told you not to hold back earlier."

Seeing Ludwig prepare to deploy close-range thermal weapons—the white mecha’s upper arm joints clicking open—she swiftly twisted the batons and delivered a powerful kick to the chest, sending both pilot and machine flying backward.

Though she had said not to hold back, when weapons capable of mutual destruction came into play, even Alice could tell Ludwig had exhausted all his options.

For Eve to repeat those words now felt like a boomerang striking him in return.

Blood rose in Ludwig’s throat, but he swallowed it down. The mecha carried pre-loaded medical supplies. Ludwig bit into a tube of fast-recovery serum and pulled back, eyes locked on the black mecha diagonally across from him. As he observed and strategized, he forced himself to stay calm and consider his next move.

Overpowering opponents through brute strength wasn’t his style. Unlike those who relied on raw power, Ludwig excelled at using terrain and tactics, winning through careful planning. The flat training ground severely limited his options, forcing direct confrontation. Worse, for some reason, his Spiritual State abilities had no effect on Eve. If this continued, he would lose.

Ludwig pressed the internal comms button.

"Your Spiritual State ability is mental-type too, isn’t it?"

The failure of Ghost-Faced Beauty Orchid’s skill left him baffled and frustrated.

A moment later, a clear "Yes" came through the channel.

Ludwig sneered, tightening his grip on the sword.

He wasn’t blind to Eve’s extraordinary combat skills—far beyond expectations. But even if all his usual methods failed, he had no intention of surrendering without a fight.

Eve seemed to sense his resolve. Her previously relaxed posture tightened, the black-gold batons gripped firmly, tips aimed directly at the snow-white humanoid mecha.

Ludwig felt constrained—but so did Eve.

To protect her identity, she couldn’t openly use her Spiritual State abilities. Without enhancements or concealment, she could only passively resist the mental assault from the Ghost-Faced Beauty Orchid. This was unprecedented for her.

She could only be grateful that Ludwig wasn’t an overwhelmingly strong opponent—and that this was just training.

An invisible clock ticked in the air. Two waves of intense spiritual energy erupted from both ends, colliding with explosive force. At the moment of impact, as if fate had aligned, the black and white mechas moved simultaneously. Swords cut through wind, batons sliced air, and energy shockwaves radiated outward, flattening distortions in time and space.

Alice, anticipating this, had already activated the energy barriers around the arena, containing the violent shockwaves.

A faint creak came from behind, followed by soft rumbling. She turned and was surprised to see Lorca had arrived.

"Young Master…"

Alice wasn’t close to Lorca, so she was momentarily startled. Hesitantly, she began to greet him, but Lorca gently shook his head. "Shh, no formalities. I’m just here to see what’s happening."

Alice nodded, zipping her lips shut in a playful gesture. Lorca chuckled softly.

"Since Mother has already adopted you as her daughter, there’s no need to call me 'Young Master.' Just use my name," he said, winking playfully. "And if you’re comfortable, you can call me 'brother,' like Lud does. After all, she said you’re her sister."

The "she" he referred to, of course, was Eve.

Lorca’s tone was so natural that Alice was briefly confused. She could understand being asked to call him brother—they were technically adoptive siblings—but what did Xiao Qing have to do with any of this?

She frowned in confusion. Sensing the girl’s bewilderment, Lorca turned his head first and said softly, "Don't dwell on it. Let's focus on Lud and the other for now."

With that, Alice had no choice but to set aside her doubts for the moment and turn her attention to the sparring match between the two.

The moment their weapons clashed, they rebounded like opposing magnetic poles, repelling each other instantly upon impact. Eve only stumbled back three steps, while Lud was thrown nearly seven or eight meters away.

Without waiting to steady herself, Eve pushed off from the ground and lunged toward him again. Her combat skills were far more refined than Lud's, and after her experiences with Black Star, her techniques had taken on a sharper, more ruthless edge. The black-gold long mace in her hands struck at a tricky angle, aiming directly for the waist of the white humanoid mecha.

Their mechas were of the same model and make, which meant any weaknesses in one would be equally apparent to the other. A strike from this angle could not only pierce the weakest part of the mecha's outer shell but also penetrate directly into the main cockpit.

A sudden sense of danger surged through Lud. He barely managed to dodge the attack, but with a flick of her wrist, Eve closed in again, her movements fluid and relentless. Even an advanced mecha couldn't compare to the near-perfection of a top-tier Mythological Mecha. Every vulnerable point—the waist, visor, chest cabin—could serve as an entry to the main cockpit.

Under such intense pressure, Lud even forgot they were still within the Oliver Family grounds, briefly gripped by the illusion that his opponent might kill him at any moment.

His arm still tingled from the earlier impact. Dodging left and right, Lud was eventually forced into a corner. He raised his sword defensively, and the Ghost-Faced Beauty Orchid bloomed once more, its bone-white visage even more ghastly than before. But it was all in vain—

*Thunk!*

The slender black-gold mace pierced through the weaker alloy coupling at the right shoulder, driving straight into the main cockpit. The sharp tip stopped just inches from Lud's left eye, crossing diagonally to his right chest. The cold, lethal aura of the weapon washed over him. It took a moment before he could make out the girl's voice.

With a *click*, the mace was withdrawn. Eve's voice came through the comm channel, half-concerned, half-curious: "Did I scare you speechless?"

"..."

Before Lud could respond, he felt a warm, wet trickle down his face. He reached up and touched his left eyebrow, wincing at the sting—the mace tip had grazed him.

Hearing no reply after a long moment, Eve felt a twinge of unease. She hadn’t actually intended to hurt Lud, and even if she had, she would never have acted on it here and now.

Seeing him remain silent for so long, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Just as she was wrestling with her thoughts, the white mecha’s panel slid open. A black-clad youth, blood streaking his face, leaped out. Eve opened her own panel and was startled by the blood flowing down Lud’s face. Upon closer inspection, though, she saw it was only a minor wound—more dramatic than serious—and asked, "How do you feel?"

Lud’s heart was still pounding from the close call. Hearing her utterly unapologetic tone, he felt a surge of irritation. Even now, his legs trembled slightly at the sight of Eve. Struggling to keep his voice steady, he said, "Come to my place tonight. I’ll honor our bet."

Without waiting for her response, he strode away, head down, clearly embarrassed. It wasn’t until he nearly bumped into a familiar slender wheelchair that he looked up, startled, and mumbled, "Brother."

Eve turned at the sound and met Lorca’s gaze. After a moment, his eyes crinkled slightly with a faint smile.

Lorca hummed in acknowledgment, reaching out to wipe the blood from Lud’s brow. "I hope I didn’t interrupt. Do you need to continue training?"

Lud shook his head dejectedly. The butler, who had been standing behind Lorca, stepped forward promptly. Lorca instructed him to take Lud away and tend to his wound properly, then rose with some effort and walked over to Eve.

Eve asked, "Here to settle the score?"

"Of course not," Lorca said with a light laugh. "Sparring comes with risks, and Lud isn’t seriously hurt."

His gaze drifted down to the clothes Eve was wearing. Only then did she realize she was still in her flashy club attire. She tugged casually at her sleeve, planning to excuse herself and return to her room to change.

But as she moved to step past him, Lorca reached out and stopped her.

His voice was gentle, a stark contrast to Lud’s earlier accusations, yet it sent a deeper chill down Eve’s spine.

"I wasn’t feeling well this morning and wanted to find you, but I couldn’t locate you anywhere," he said softly, his tone carrying a hint of sorrow. "The butler said you’d gone out. Who did you meet—that required you to dress so elaborately?"