Chapter 50 Ambush

Chapter 50: Ambush

After learning about the importance and benefits of the physical fitness training course, Ji Anzhi quickly told Chi Yan he'd consider adding it to his course selection for the next semester. Only then did he manage to escape Chi Yan's clutches and return to his room to rest.

Thus, for the next two days of the hunting mission, Ji Anzhi spent his time wandering around the starship. It wasn't that he *wanted* to slack off; he just *had* to.

By the eighth day of the practical training, the team's score was 181.5 × 115% = 208.7 points. Judging by the team's calm and unhurried state, Ji Anzhi guessed these numbers looked pretty good.

During these days of hunting insectoids, Qi Yanshen and the others had a few brief run-ins with nearby teams. Apart from being at a disadvantage in numbers, they were evenly matched in combat power, with Qi Yanshen's side even having a slight edge.

The other teams had caught on too. Therefore, when Zhao Qianlang discovered through hacking that they intended to unite to eliminate their team first, the whole team had seen it coming. With four chiefs in the team, other teams would either steer clear or team up against them—a situation they'd figured as much when they joined up.

If Zhao Qianlang could intercept their communication, others could naturally intercept theirs as well. Qi Yanshen used this to his advantage, sending a message to the team saying they had found an ally who was currently lurking within another team. They would launch a surprise attack when the time came.

It worked like a charm. The nearby teams instantly grew suspicious of each other. The teams in the know couldn't figure out who the mole was, while other uninformed teams, noticing the subtle attitudes of the stronger teams, naturally sensed something was off. This led to no team taking the lead, and naturally, no one dared to make the first move.

But by the eighth day, with only three days left, some teams falling behind on points started getting antsy. So, at three in the afternoon, Ji Anzhi, who was resting in his room, heard the starship's alarm sound, indicating an enemy intrusion within the 300-meter detection range.

At this time, Qi Yanshen, Lilette, and Zheng Mingyuan were out hunting insectoids. The rest were on the starship for defense.

The second it happened, Jian Fuxu rushed to the command room. Using the intel from the starship, he operated the Metal Balls. The metal balls, the size of lotus seeds, were like ants to a human compared to the behemoth mechas—hard to detect.

The mechas' detectors could pick up the metal balls, but the dense swarm was unavoidable. The joints of the seven invading mechas were crippled. Luo Hai seized the chance to go finish them off. In less than five minutes, all seven were eliminated.

From the alarm trigger to the elimination of the seven, it took seven minutes. This made the watching teams think twice about picking a fight with Qi Yanshen's team.

But since someone had started it, all-out fighting was bound to break out. Before the early hours of the ninth day, a total of six teams had their command seized, with the entire teams eliminated and their starships automatically locked down, making them unusable.

Qi Yanshen's team made it through unscathed to the ninth day.

At three in the morning, the entire team gathered in the conference room. Qi Yanshen laid out the assignments.

And their target was none other than Andrei's team!

"I, Jian Fuxu, Lilette, Luo Hai, Zheng Mingyuan, and Harley will carry out the ambush. I'll be responsible for restraining Andrei. Jian Fuxu will quietly install energy demolition charges on their starship. The rest of you are responsible for restraining the others."

"Once Jian Fuxu finishes the installation, disengage immediately. No engaging beyond the objective."

"That's the plan for now. Adapt to the situation under my orders. Understood?"

Everyone chorused, "Understood!"

Then, everyone moved into position. Even Ji Anzhi was patrolling around inside the starship. Two minutes later, Qi Yanshen and the other five took off in their mechas, heading towards Andrei's team.

Their mechas' stealth capabilities were locked, so they chose to fly close to the treetops for cover as they approached. Fortunately, Andrei's team's starship was parked above the rainforest, concealed by clouds, and the planet had dark nights. The night watch had poor visibility, greatly reducing their chances of being discovered.

Moreover, Qi Yanshen had previously scouted; their starship's detectors only scanned for anomalies within a hundred meters of the hull. They didn't have to worry about being detected before getting close to the starship.

The journey was uneventful. Qi Yanshen and the other five approached Andrei's team's defensive line. Andrei's team had thirty-two people, seventy percent of whom could proficiently operate B-class or higher mechas. This gave them ample combat power. They had two shifts for night watch, with four people per shift.

Qi Yanshen had chosen a time a little over ten minutes before their shift change. The six waited quietly in the jungle.

At 3:30 AM, the shift change personnel arrived on time. Taking advantage of their relaxed state during these few minutes, the six silently infiltrated the enemy's defensive line.

Because the mechas' detection range was limited, the six were not discovered. After reaching the rainforest area directly below the enemy starship, Qi Yanshen sent a message to Jian Fuxu.

"Your turn."

Jian Fuxu received the message but did not reply. Instead, he controlled his mecha's blade to attack his own mecha's outer shell. The other four were puzzled by Jian Fuxu's actions. What baffled them even more was that in the next second, the silver-white mecha actually disappeared on the spot, and Jian Fuxu's green blip vanished from their radar.

Wasn't the stealth function locked and unusable?

Lilette and Zheng Mingyuan were the first to react. Both were descendants of high-ranking Federation officials, though their backgrounds weren't as prominent as Qi Yanshen and the other three. They were descendants of lieutenant generals and had vaguely heard from their parents about a material that could achieve night stealth without relying on holographic technology and could block ninety-nine percent of detection instruments. The only drawback was its extremely scarce production.

They hadn't expected Jian Fuxu to obtain this technology for paint. It seemed the research institute was quite fond of this madman, Jian Fuxu.

As for Luo Hai and Harley, one came from a poor background, the other from a middle-class merchant family. Naturally, they didn't know about the metal Dark Silver. However, while surprised by Jian Fuxu's disappearance, they didn't dwell on it. Given their innate conditions, lack of exposure was normal.

Especially Luo Hai. He was an orphan who grew up on a chaotic garbage planet, adopted by a perverted alpha who intended to make him a sex slave. If he hadn't fought back, killed that alpha, embarked on this path of no return through killing, and finally entered First Military Academy with formidable mecha skills, he might still be suffering abuse on some alpha's bed or lying dead in the wilderness.

So, for Luo Hai, there were many things he hadn't seen. He could keep a level head and not dwell on them excessively.

No one asked in the team channel.

Because no light could appear, Jian Fuxu used the anti-gravity engine to fly upwards, moving relatively slowly. Three minutes later, Jian Fuxu successfully approached the enemy ship's hull.

After waiting another minute to confirm the enemy's detectors couldn't detect him, Jian Fuxu sent a message to Qi Yanshen.

"Starting."

Qi Yanshen received the message and said calmly in the team channel.

"Action."

Before his words faded, Luo Hai and Lilette's mechas charged forward, pushing their mechas to maximum speed. The white light from their mecha tails and the sonic boom caused by their excessive speed immediately attracted the attention of the three on night watch.

Two alphas reacted swiftly, immediately adjusting to combat mode. The night was thick, making it impossible to accurately identify the opponents. One female alpha took out an Energy Cannon, aiming at the two mechas speeding towards them, ready to shoot them down with one blast.

"Boom!"

With a roar, the energy cannon shot accurately towards Luo Hai. Luo Hai's expression remained cold and indifferent as usual. He didn't plan to slow down and evade; besides, it wouldn't be easy to dodge. While the other party was aiming at him, Luo Hai controlled his energy cannon and, without hesitation, aimed at the enemy's cannon muzzle. The moment she fired, he also launched an energy shell.

The two energy shells shot head-on, creating a powerful shockwave that slightly altered Luo Hai's trajectory and also prevented the female alpha from seeing the situation below. Thinking Luo Hai was dealt with, she prepared to help her teammate deal with the other enemy.

Just as the female alpha was about to turn around, a clear sound of something cutting through the air was heard. Luo Hai's mecha brushed past the female alpha's mecha, but the Light Blade in his hand plunged straight into the cockpit. If it weren't for the nearby rescue team acting swiftly, deflecting his attack a split second before Luo Hai's Light Blade was about to pierce through the cockpit, the student inside might have been killed on the spot.

Luo Hai, now in combat mode, coldly looked at the mecha that had stopped his action and broadcasted his voice, icy as frost. "Let go."

The rescue team felt Luo Hai's state was a bit off, somewhat similar to a comrade who had fought excessively on the battlefield. They quickly explained, "I'm from the exam supervision rescue team. This student has now been judged as eliminated. Please release him."

Luo Hai stared at the rescue team member, then looked at the alpha in his hand whose fate was unknown. He chose to believe this person. After all, only a few first-year students could completely restrain him.

Pulling out the Light Blade, Luo Hai turned to help deal with the other two. The rescue team took both the person and the mecha to the side, simultaneously calling the medical team down to treat the injured.

Meanwhile, in the monitoring room, everyone was stunned by Luo Hai's series of throat-targeting maneuvers.

Because at this time, most teams were resting. Although this time was indeed suitable for ambushes, there was no guarantee others wouldn't ambush them. So, everyone tacitly remained on guard. Only two or three teams were preparing to ambush at this hour, with Qi Yanshen's team being one of them.

Due to Qi Yanshen's team's luxurious lineup, many examiners came to watch. Originally, they wanted to see the mecha skills of Major General Qi Lan's eldest son, but they were first shocked by a member of Qi Yanshen's team.

A Mecha Combat Department alumnus who graduated from First Military Academy forty-six years ago couldn't help but speak up, "Isn't this kid a bit too bloody and violent? If that attack hadn't been deflected just now, the student inside would have most likely been killed..."

The adjutant opened Luo Hai's personal file, reading as he spoke, "Luo Hai, beta, from a border garbage planet of the Federation. Before entering the military academy, he consistently fought in underground arena matches to make a living. According to arena records, Luo Hai has a severe aversion to alphas and keeps betas at a distance. Due to his special experiences, the academy forces him to undergo weekly psychological counseling."

After finishing, the adjutant closed the file and continued looking at the screen in front of him. Simultaneously, he addressed the medical department personnel in the examination supervision group, "After the assessment, arrange for an omega from the medical department to conduct psychological counseling for him."

The Medical Director agreed, "No problem."

Returning focus to the battlefield, during the few seconds Luo Hai engaged the female alpha, the other swift-reacting alpha faced Lilette. Although also eliminated within a few breaths, Lilette's approach was much gentler than Luo Hai's. He only damaged the opponent's mecha joints, and the student was rescued from mid-air by the rescue team hidden in the shadows.

In just a few seconds, the last survivor decisively sent an attack alert to the command room. As the weakest of the three, he stood no chance of winning.

A few seconds later, all three night watchmen were eliminated.

"Warning, warning. Intruder alert!"

A clear electronic voice blared through every corner of the starship. Everyone inside immediately rose and rushed toward the command room. On the way, Andrei dialed the comms to check in with Xie Siyi for a sitrep.

While monitoring all systems data and surveillance feeds from the command room, Xie Siyi replied, "They most likely infiltrated during the shift change. The enemy is formidable—the three guards have been wiped out. So far, only four hostiles have been detected. Our initial guess is they're one of the top-ten squads."

Andrei headed toward the hangar bay and asked which squad was the most likely candidate.

After hesitating a few seconds, Xie Siyi answered flatly, "Qi Yanshen's squad."

Andrei summoned his mech and agreed, "I think so too. Once it's confirmed, immediately activate a ship-wide diagnostic sweep to ensure there are no Energy Bombs on board."

After all, Qi Yanshen's squad included that lunatic Jian Fuxu, who had once blown up the military academy's highest-level blast-proof chamber. A small starship like this would be nothing to him.

Understanding Andrei's concern, Xie Siyi replied that he was aware. Andrei boarded his mech—an animal-type model with a sleek, wolf-like form and a matte gray armor.

Alongside Andrei, other squad members also boarded their mechs. Andrei opened the squad channel and announced, "Attention all, the enemy we're about to face is likely the top-ranked squad. Give it your absolute best. Currently, four enemies have been spotted, but we cannot rule out additional lurkers in the distance. Stay sharp, understood?"

A unified, thunderous response echoed through the channel: "Understood!"

Andrew took the lead, charging out of the hangar bay and heading straight for Lilette. The others followed closely, rushing toward the scattered enemies.

As the distance closed, Lilette immediately recognized Andrew's mech and promptly reported in the squad channel, "Andrei's mech is on my side!"

Upon receiving Lilette's message, Qi Yanshen instantly activated his mech's maximum speed and flew toward Andrei. Thus, just as Andrei had exchanged a few blows with Lilette and recognized his opponent—before he could even send a message to the command room—instinct made him swiftly dodge to the side.

Turning to see Qi Yanshen's silver humanoid mech, Lilette immediately launched a fierce assault while issuing commands in the squad channel: "Confirmed enemy is Qi Yanshen's squad. Be advised, I will pin down Qi Yanshen here. You all focus on defeating the remaining four. Rong Fei and Biber, withdraw from the battlefield and inspect the starship's hull for safety."

"Understood."

As soon as the words were spoken, two mechs quietly exited the battlefield, shifting the combat situation to five against nine.