Aurel was stunned for just one second. Then, he dismissed that feeling of killing intent as just his imagination. After all, he was an Alpha—his body full of muscles, with excellent reflexes and explosive strength. Yun Xingze was an Omega, and one of the weakest types at that. Aurel had an overwhelming advantage over him.
Finding the right moment, Aurel threw a punch straight at Yun Xingze’s face. Lu Ranxu, standing nearby, was startled and watched nervously. Yun Xingze could see the punch coming, but he still wasn’t used to fighting in this body. He barely dodged it, Aurel’s fist grazing the bridge of his nose.
Aurel’s eyes flashed with surprise. Still, he clearly didn’t plan to let Yun Xingze off easily. Without hesitation, he spun around and launched a flying kick aimed directly at Yun Xingze’s forehead!
Yun Xingze’s eyes widened, and he quickly moved back, dodging the attack. But it wasn’t over yet—Aurel’s other fist followed right behind. Lu Ranxu gasped at the sight. Zhuo Feiyue also frowned slightly. He knew the power gap between Alphas and Omegas. If that punch landed, Yun Xingze might…
Before Zhuo Feiyue could shout for them to stop, Yun Xingze blocked Aurel’s punch with his elbow with ease. After a few exchanges, Yun Xingze had already adapted to fighting with this body. While Aurel was surprised that his moves kept being blocked, Yun Xingze keenly spotted an opening.
He grabbed Aurel’s right wrist with his left hand and yanked it back hard. Then he slammed his right elbow fiercely into Aurel’s nose—hitting the exact spot Aurel had just aimed for. Aurel’s eyes widened, and he instinctively dodged. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Yun Xingze pulled back his elbow and struck again from the opposite direction!
This time, Aurel’s cheek was hit directly with a dull thud.
“Ah—!” Aurel cried out in pain, clutching his face in disbelief.
Then, as if realizing how embarrassing it looked, he gritted his teeth and lowered his hand. His expression twisted with rage.
The spectators nearby all froze in shock. After a moment, someone finally spoke up.
“Did I see that right? Aurel… got beat up by Yun Xingze?!”
“I-I think so…”
“That hit looked pretty strong… It hurt just watching.”
The shocked expressions and chatter from the crowd made Aurel feel humiliated. He shouted angrily at Yun Xingze, “I wasn’t being serious!”
Yun Xingze got back into a defensive stance and motioned for him to continue.
However, that last strike had left a mental shadow on Aurel. Looking into Yun Xingze’s deep, unreadable black eyes, for a moment, he actually felt… fear.
Of course, Aurel refused to admit he’d lost. He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue attacking. His reflexes and speed couldn’t match Yun Xingze, but he had one definite advantage—his stamina.
After several minutes, although Yun Xingze was still dominating, he was starting to show signs of fatigue.
Just as Aurel tried to push back again, Zhuo Feiyue suddenly shouted, “Enough!”
Aurel flinched in surprise, and Yun Xingze quickly withdrew his fist.
“Aurel, you’ve lost,” Zhuo Feiyue said coldly.
Unwilling to accept it, Aurel said, “Teacher, I haven’t admitted defeat…”
“You think this is real combat?” Zhuo Feiyue’s sharp eyes locked on Aurel, his tone mocking. “In a mech battle, your opponent’s strength would be multiplied many times. If this had been real, your mech would have been smashed to pieces!”
Aurel’s face instantly turned bright red.
Yun Xingze let out a breath of relief—if the fight had continued, he would’ve soon run out of energy and been beaten badly. Though this body was healthier than his previous life’s, it was still an Omega’s body and weaker in stamina.
Still, Yun Xingze was satisfied with the fight. It showed that all his practice in the virtual cabin in his past life wasn’t in vain. Now, he just needed to train his body more to become a true fighter.
After the match, Aurel lowered his head and spoke sarcastically, “Yun Xingze, I really didn’t expect someone like you to know how to fight.”
“I didn’t expect you to be so weak either,” Yun Xingze replied calmly.
Aurel clenched his fists in shame and rage. “What are you so proud of?! What’s so amazing about you? I can pilot a mech—can you?!”
Hearing that, Yun Xingze gave Aurel a cold look. His icy gaze made Aurel shiver.
“You lost. Xingze was your choice. Can’t even handle the loss?” Lu Ranxu snapped. He was a hot-tempered Omega and always hated arrogant Alphas like Aurel.
Others around them also mocked Aurel:
“An Alpha lost to an Omega? That’s just pathetic.”
“He was supposed to be the strongest in class? Seriously?”
“Why so angry after losing? No class at all.”
Shamed and angry, Aurel stormed out of the classroom.
“Xingze, when did you learn to fight?” After class, Lu Ranxu walked up to Yun Xingze, full of curiosity. “That punch you landed on Aurel was amazing!”
Yun Xingze didn’t really know how to answer, so he said, “When you’re in danger, human potential is limitless.”
He was clearly making stuff up, but Lu Ranxu believed him and looked at him in awe. “That’s amazing…”
Yun Xingze originally wanted to try piloting a mech during the mech training class, but it didn’t happen. After leaving the training hall, he saw a large crowd gathered near a booth.
“What’s going on over there?” he asked, curious. In his past life, he had never attended school, so student activities were new to him.
“It’s the sign-up for the Mech Tournament,” Lu Ranxu explained. “I heard the top ten get to join the school team and represent the school in the national competition. There’s a huge prize too.”
Mech Tournament?
“Is it the same competition Luo Wenchuan is in?” Yun Xingze recalled what the café waiter had said.
“That’s right,” Lu Ranxu nodded, then frowned. “Wait… how do you know Luo Wenchuan? Since when do you care about this stuff? Hey—where are you going?!”
“I’m going to take a look.” Yun Xingze had already pushed through the crowd toward the booth.
Lu Ranxu struggled to keep up. In front of the booth, a spherical white robot was handing out flyers. A light spot floated in front of Yun Xingze, and he tapped it. A horizontal holographic screen appeared, showing six mecha models in miniature, each performing cool entrance poses.
Then, the “figures” began to fight.
The lightsaber mech, shaped like a warrior, drew its red and blue blades and slashed at a much larger Storm Mech. The Storm Mech activated its shield, blocking the lightsaber with a loud hum. The Meteor Mech launched stunning firepower at the Twin Star Mech, which countered by sending out a scout mech. The Comet Mech, full of disassembly tools, chased after the stealthy Phantom Mech, sparks flying as the two agile units clashed.
Yun Xingze’s eyes widened slightly, captivated by the vivid battle scenes. Though he had designed many mechs in his past life, the variety in this world was even richer—less refined in technology but full of imagination and flair.
At the end of the projection, all the mechs assembled, and golden text appeared:
“Let mechs become the armor of mankind.” — Mech Tournament Committee, Xinghai Military Academy
The scene broke into golden dust and vanished.
Yun Xingze was fired up. He couldn’t wait to pilot a mech. He rushed to the registration staff and said, “I want to sign up.”
Lu Ranxu finally caught up, panting heavily. When he heard those words, he froze. “What did you say?!”
“Sign up,” Yun Xingze replied. “Do you want to join too?”
“Xingze, listen to me—this tournament is really dangerous…” Lu Ranxu tried to persuade him.
But Yun Xingze remained calm. “There’s always risk in competition.”
The staff smiled. “As long as you have your own mech, you can join the preliminaries.”
Yun Xingze was stunned. “We don’t use school-issued mechs?”
“Of course not,” the staff laughed. “Everyone’s mental strength is different, and they’re used to different mech types. How could they all use the same one?”
Lu Ranxu sighed in relief. “Good thing you don’t have a mech.”
Yun Xingze walked away from the booth, clearly disappointed. Before leaving, he stood in front of the robot again, replaying the projection one last time before reluctantly turning away.
“You never liked mechs before,” Lu Ranxu asked. “Why do you suddenly want to enter the tournament?”
“I like them now.” Yun Xingze looked at him. “I want to pilot a mech. I want to compete.”
Lu Ranxu stared at him in surprise. “Are you doing this because of heartbreak? I used to tell you to study mechs, and you said Omegas shouldn’t mess with those ugly machines. Now…”
“I’m not doing this because of heartbreak,” Yun Xingze sighed. He didn’t know how to explain, so he just said, “I broke off the engagement with Chi Yu. Now I want to change. I want a different life.”
The sunset lit up his figure. His dark hair and pale skin glowed orange, and the determination in his black eyes outshone the twilight.
Lu Ranxu looked at him for a long time. Then, his serious expression returned. He patted Yun Xingze on the shoulder and said sincerely, “I understand. If you want to change, I support you.”
“But I don’t have a mech…” Yun Xingze frowned. “Where can I get a cheap C-class one?”
His mental strength was C-level. Because the neural tech here wasn’t advanced, he could only operate C-class mechs.
“You serious?” Lu Ranxu looked shocked. “Isn’t your dad Yun Changsheng? Doesn’t he own Changsheng Mech Company? Just ask him!”
“I broke off the engagement with Chi Yu, so my family’s mad at me.” Yun Xingze shrugged. “Now I have to buy a mech with my own money.”
He opened his light-brain and searched for mech prices. His eyes widened.
“The cheapest lightsaber mech costs 3 million-star coins?!”
In his original world, mechs were also expensive, but the cheapest only cost hundreds of thousands.
Then he looked up second-hand mechs, which also started at a million.
“Market prices are always high. You should know that,” Lu Ranxu said, then realized—Yun Xingze never cared about mechs before, so it made sense. “If you’re saving up, maybe check out the black market.”
He opened his light-brain, marked a black market location on the map, and sent it to Yun Xingze.
“The black market’s not safe at night. Go early tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Ranxu.” Yun Xingze looked at him gratefully. “You’re really kind.”
Lu Ranxu scratched his head, looking awkward. He acted more like an Alpha. His pale ears were turning red. “It’s rare for you to do something for yourself. Honestly, I think it’s good you left Chi Yu. That guy’s a total idiot…”
Yun Xingze’s gloomy mood lightened.
They walked away from the booth. Lu Ranxu glanced back. Most of the people signing up were Alphas and upperclassmen. He and Yun Xingze stood out.
A trace of worry crossed his eyes before he hid it.
Last year, an Omega named Su Zinan shocked Xinghai Academy by piloting a mech, but he had naturally stronger abilities. Even so, he was only a substitute on the school team.
Lu Ranxu thought, once Yun Xingze sees how hard it is for Omegas to pilot mechs, he’ll probably give up.
But for now—if joining the tournament helps him move on from heartbreak, then let him try.
That night, after dinner, Lu Ranxu had to leave school. Yun Xingze said he felt unwell and got permission to leave early. He couldn’t wait another minute—he wanted to get his hands on a mech.
Following Lu Ranxu’s advice, Yun Xingze wore a black mask. His tall figure made him look more like a Beta.
He took a flyer to the black market and looked for the entrance among tall buildings. In the high-tech metropolis, skyscrapers crowded together, their lights and holograms flashing under the night sky. Flyers zipped through the air like tiny black dots.
Having barely gone outside in his past life, Yun Xingze looked around curiously and unknowingly arrived at an unmanned convenience store. He walked through it and entered a narrow alley, leading to the underground black market.
As he stepped down into the underground, the air turned cold and damp. It was a sensation he had never experienced before—each breath was icy and sticky.
Compared to the spacious surface, the black market shops were small and packed. Colorful signs crowded together with dizzying fonts.
The first floor sold clothes, the second floor had bars and gambling spots, and the third sold weapons and gear.
Mechs were on the third floor.
Yun Xingze saw many mech shops, but most sold brand-new models. He only had 100,000-star coins barely enough for a second-hand one… maybe not even that.
After searching for a while, he saw a small sign in a corner: “Second-Hand Mechs.” He quickly went in.
Posters of mechs lined the walls, and shelves displayed storage cubes for mechs. The owner, a chubby middle-aged man, looked him over. Seeing his expensive clothes, he greeted warmly: “Hey there handsome, looking to buy something?”
“Mechs,” Yun Xingze answered.
“We’ve got all models. Let me show you.” The owner pulled up a screen showing various models mostly expensive ones. “Great quality and great prices.”
Yun Xingze glanced at them. The prices were way too high.
“What’s the cheapest one?” he asked directly.
The owner paused. His enthusiasm faded. “The cheapest? Let me check…”
He pointed at a black cube on the shelf. “That C-class lightsaber mech. Second-hand. Got it from an Alpha student at Xinghai. It had some damage before, but it works fine now.”
Lightsaber mechs were simple but decent. Yun Xingze asked, “How much?”
“You look young, probably a student. I’ll give you a special price,” the owner said. “503,800-star coins.”
That price was already low, but Yun Xingze still couldn’t afford it.
“Can you go a little lower?” he asked carefully.
The owner scratched his chin and asked, “What price can you accept?”
Yun Xingze swallowed and said seriously, “Could you knock off a zero?”
The owner smiled at first and was about to agree—until the boy nervously and sincerely asked:
“Would 50,000 be okay?”
The owner’s smile froze.
Five seconds later, a booming voice echoed from the shop, shaking the entire third floor:
“You look like a zero!”
