Under everyone’s stunned gaze, the training mech successfully started up.
Zhuo Feiyue’s mouth was slightly open, his eyes full of confusion and shock. Aurel’s previously proud expression froze. He stared at the power indicator light, too stunned to speak.
Lu Ranxu rubbed his eyes hard and pinched his own arm. Once he confirmed it wasn’t a hallucination, he instinctively blurted out, “What the hell?!”
“He—he’s only… C-level mental power, right?!”
“What’s going on? Can he control a mech above his level?!”
“Control a higher-level mech? That’s impossible!”
At that moment, the mech seemed to fuse with Yun Xingze’s body, becoming an extension of his limbs.
He slowly moved his fingers and the mech’s fingers followed.
In front of everyone, the camouflage-colored mech took a few steps forward. Its movements were smooth and connected, causing a slight tremor through the training hall floor.
“Look! The mech moved!”
“Yun Xingze can actually pilot a mech?!”
“Didn’t he hardly ever attend mech classes before?!”
Most first-time pilots struggle with balance, often falling over awkwardly. Yet Yun Xingze had made the mech walk so easily.
How was that possible?!
If seeing the mech walk made everyone question reality, then what it did next made their jaws drop to the floor.
The training mech moved to an open space, suddenly turned, and took a running start—then leapt into the air, successfully hovering midair.
Everyone was stunned by the mech’s stylish move. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Zhuo Feiyue looked up in shock at the mech—
That midair leap was nearly perfect, not the slightest bit clumsy. There was no way a beginner could have done that!
The soft hum of the anti-gravity engine buzzed in Yun Xingze’s ears. Through the visual display, he looked down at the ground below. His heart pounded so hard it ached.
He could finally pilot a mech.
Even though this mech had only average performance and many flaws, at that moment, his dream had come true.
He wanted to try even more movements.
The training hall’s ceiling was high enough to allow for aerial maneuvers.
Aurel looked up at the training mech. His pupils trembled. The small mech now seemed massive to him full of danger.
If no one had told him beforehand, no one would believe that the person piloting this mech… was an Omega.
While Aurel was still in shock, the training mech suddenly activated its thrusters and dove straight at him!!
Aurel’s legs turned to jelly. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He wanted to run, but his legs felt like lead.
Just as his face turned pale and he was about to call for help, the mech stopped right above him remaining in a hovering position.
It didn’t attack, it just stayed there, looking down.
Even so, it exuded an overwhelming pressure.
Even the engine’s hum sounded like a restrained beast growling.
The mech’s eyes looked like they could lock onto any prey.
No one dared to speak.
Aurel nearly collapsed to the ground.
Yun Xingze had only meant to scare Aurel, but didn’t expect him to tremble so badly.
Just as Zhuo Feiyue was about to step in and stop things, the training mech changed direction, flew upward, circled briefly, and then slowly descended to the ground.
Class E’s students were all in shock.
Was this really the Yun Xingze they knew?!
“Am I dreaming?”
“Is it really Yun Xingze in that cockpit?”
“Can an Omega really pilot a mech that well?!”
Zhuo Feiyue checked Yun Xingze’s file. His gaze paused on the mental power section. He guessed the camouflage mech was probably a C-level one.
But based on what he knew about Yun Xingze, even controlling a C-level mech should have been difficult.
So how was he this skilled?
Actually, Yun Xingze still wanted to keep going, to try more advanced maneuvers but his physical and mental strength were reaching their limits. He couldn’t keep piloting.
After landing, Yun Xingze quickly disconnected from all systems and climbed out of the cockpit.
Just as he stepped out, the crowd swarmed around him, all looking at him with curiosity or admiration.
“Yun Xingze, have you been hiding your skills this whole time?”
“Yeah, how come we never heard you could pilot a mech?”
“Are you really a C-level mental power user?”
The questions came one after another, but Yun Xingze couldn’t answer.
After stepping out, he leaned against the mech’s leg, his face pale, breathing heavily. His mind was getting foggy.
Lu Ranxu pushed through the crowd and ran up to Yun Xingze, worriedly asking, “Xingze! What’s wrong?!”
Hearing Lu Ranxu’s voice, Zhuo Feiyue rushed over as well. He frowned at the drenched, sweating Yun Xingze.
“You pushed yourself too far, Yun Xingze.”
Zhuo Feiyue knew Yun Xingze lacked strength and didn’t train regularly. Even if he could pilot a mech, it must have taken a huge toll.
“Go to the medical room now!”
“Teacher, I’m fine.” Yun Xingze struggled to straighten up, swallowed hard, and said slowly, “I’m just a bit unsteady. I’ll rest for half an hour over there…”
He had worked so hard to pilot a real mech—of course he wanted to keep going.
Zhuo Feiyue could see through him. Sternly, he said, “You’ve already overexerted yourself. You absolutely can’t pilot again.”
“I didn’t overexert myself, really.” Yun Xingze thought his dizziness came from intense mental use and excitement, nothing serious.
Zhuo Feiyue said, “A headache is a symptom of overuse.”
“I don’t have a headache,” Yun Xingze said while holding his temple.
Zhuo Feiyue added, “You’ll also get a nosebleed.”
“I don’t—”
Two lines of blood slowly ran down from Yun Xingze’s nose.
Zhuo Feiyue continued, “Severe cases feel weak in the legs, unable to stand…”
“I should still be fine—” Yun Xingze began, but before he could finish, he collapsed in front of everyone.
The crowd panicked and rushed to catch him. Lu Ranxu caught him from behind, clearly frightened.
Then, Yun Xingze lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, he saw a white ceiling and smelled disinfectant.
The medical robot’s voice rang out:
“Patient has regained consciousness. Pulse normal. Blood pressure normal…”
He was lying inside a medical pod. Lu Ranxu and Zhuo Feiyue stood beside the bed, both looking worried.
“You’re finally awake,” Lu Ranxu sighed in relief, then frowned. “Xingze, don’t push yourself like that again. I was shocked that you could pilot a mech but your stamina is limited. Good thing they gave you a nutrient injection in time…”
“Glad you’re awake,” Zhuo Feiyue also relaxed. “When you passed out, you were still clinging to the mech’s leg. Do you like mechs that much? I never noticed before.”
Yun Xingze sat up slowly. His head was much clearer now.
He sincerely apologized:
“I’m sorry. I won’t jump that high next time. I’m feeling better now… I need to get back to work…”
Lu Ranxu quickly pushed him back down.
“This isn’t about jumping too high!” Zhuo Feiyue said angrily, his beard trembling. “Think about it you’re a beginner! You were exhausted and still dared to pilot a mech! Couldn’t you feel your body was off?!”
Yun Xingze bit his lip and didn’t speak.
“Train your body and mental power more from now on,” Zhuo Feiyue said, his tone softening, sounding like a different person. “Until your stamina improves, I won’t let you near a mech.”
Yun Xingze sat up weakly in protest:
“No, really, I was just a little excited earlier, I…”
Zhuo Feiyue pressed him back down again. “Rest well.”
Before leaving, Zhuo Feiyue looked seriously at Yun Xingze and said something he’d never said before:
“If you ever have questions about mechs, you can come to me anytime.”
Then he left.
On the way out of the ward, Zhuo Feiyue made a mental note to get that training mech re-evaluated. Since Yun Xingze’s mental power was C-level, the mech must also be C-level.
As for the idea that Yun Xingze had controlled a mech above his level, Zhuo Feiyue didn’t even consider it.
Lu Ranxu looked at Yun Xingze’s sulky expression and sighed:
“Teacher is doing this for your own good. But honestly, I still don’t understand why are you so obsessed with mechs?”
Yun Xingze scratched his head. “It’s not that serious. It’s just… it was my first time piloting a real mech, and I got a little excited.”
“So you’ve piloted virtual mechs before?” Lu Ranxu asked.
“Something like that.”
They chatted for a while. Halfway through, Lu Ranxu went to the restroom. Then came a knock at the door.
Without waiting for permission, the person walked in.
Yun Xingze turned to look and the air instantly turned cold.
It was Chi Yu.
Yun Xingze was stunned for a moment. Then he said coldly:
“Who let you in?”
Chi Yu replied calmly:
“I have something to say to you.”
Yun Xingze knew that Chi Yu must have come because of his family.
Chi Yu seemed to be in a good mood.
Although he had been irritated after Yun Xingze broke off the engagement feeling that Yun Xingze had no right to do so he did enjoy the peace and quiet once the other stopped clinging to him.
What made Chi Yu feel even prouder was that Yun Xingze’s parents kept contacting him, apologizing and asking him to be the bigger person.
In Chi Yu’s mind, Yun Xingze didn’t really want to break off the engagement. He thought Yun Xingze just wanted attention and was too prideful to apologize, so he sent his parents to plead for him.
He had been waiting for Yun Xingze to come crawling back, but surprisingly, the guy held out for a whole week without reaching out.
“You haven’t had a great week, huh?” Chi Yu curled his lips, his tone mocking. “Look at you. You’ve lost so much weight.”
Yun Xingze had been exhausted this past week but it had nothing to do with Chi Yu.
Yun’s family had urged him to talk to Chi Yu several times, but he rejected them each time.
He looked at Chi Yu coldly. “Is that all you came to say?”
“Your parents have been apologizing to me nonstop,” Chi Yu said slowly. “I only came here for their sake.”
Yun Xingze didn’t respond.
Chi Yu had expected Yun Xingze to be heartbroken and emotional after the breakup, holding back tears until they met again. But now, Yun was still calmly pretending nothing had happened.
“I heard from your classmates that you fainted after piloting a mech?”
“Yeah,” Yun Xingze replied indifferently, staring out the window.
Chi Yu sneered, “You really didn’t need to go that far.”
In Chi Yu’s eyes, Yun Xingze had been heartbroken and was now trying to become a mech-piloting Omega like Su Zinan hoping to win him back by proving his worth.
“Are you done?” Yun Xingze raised his eyes.
“Oh, one more thing.” Chi Yu frowned, annoyed by Yun’s indifference. “Our Chi family isn’t petty. If you regret it and apologize sincerely, I might help you avoid being expelled…”
Suddenly, Yun Xingze started slamming the service bell like crazy.
Chi Yu froze.
A nurse rushed in. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a lunatic here,” Yun Xingze said, pointing at Chi Yu. “Please get him out.”
In the infirmary, the patient’s request takes priority.
The nurse immediately waved in two security robots to escort Chi Yu out.
Chi Yu stared at Yun Xingze in disbelief and shouted, “Yun Xingze, are you crazy?!”
“Yeah,” Yun Xingze said without even looking at him. “Now get lost.”
Before Chi Yu was dragged out, he grabbed the doorframe and shouted, “When you get expelled, don’t say our Chi family didn’t give you a chance… Dammit, what’s wrong with these robots?! Let me go—”
His voice faded into the distance.
When Lu Ranxu returned to the room, he asked in surprise, “What happened to Chi Yu? Did he have a mental breakdown? I saw the robots dragging him away—his face was all twisted…”
“Really? I didn’t notice,” Yun Xingze replied casually.
Ten minutes later, Yun Xingze’s condition had improved.
Lu Ranxu went with him to wait in line and pay the bill.
After experiencing what it was like to pilot a mech, Yun Xingze wanted even more to own one of his own.
But with his current situation with Chi Yu, there was no way his family would help.
Yun Xingze checked his balance.
Six days had passed, and aside from the 100,000 credits left by the original body owner, he had earned around 10,000 from small repair jobs.
Luo Wenchuan’s 40,000 payment hadn’t arrived yet. If it did, he would finally be able to afford a secondhand mech from the black market.
So Yun Xingze opened his optical brain and sent a message to “Luo Wenchuan” on the Mech Support Network:
“Excuse me, when will you be transferring my payment?”
The reply came quickly:
“Within today.”
Only then did Yun Xingze breathe a sigh of relief.
But a trip to the infirmary already cost several hundred. He’d still need to take more orders tomorrow.
Registration for the Mech Tournament would close tomorrow night. Time was running out.
With a heavy heart, Yun Xingze swiped his card at the infirmary front desk.
The robot’s voice rang out:
[Beep—Successfully paid 7,000 credits.]
Yun Xingze froze.
“Sev… seven thousand?!”
Eyes wide, he turned to Lu Ranxu. “Seriously? That expensive?! I only got a nutrient injection and stayed in a medical pod for an hour… and that costs 7,000?!”
“They did a full-body exam on you. That alone costs five to six thousand,” Lu Ranxu explained.
Yun Xingze’s legs started to go weak again.
What kind of family can afford this kind of hospital stay?!
The money he’d worked so hard to save had just lost 7,000 in a flash.
Even counting the money Luo Wenchuan would send, he’d only have 143,000 left…
He had to make another 7,000… in one day?
Impossible.
Yun Xingze was devastated.
Evening. Super S-Class Mech Training Hall.
Compared to standard training fields, the Super S-Class hall was located on the far edge of Xinghai Military Academy.
It was built with reinforced military-grade alloys, surrounded by tall protective barriers, and covered a huge area—but few people ever used it.
Some students had questioned whether it was a waste of resources. But anyone who’d seen a battle between Super S-class mechs would know:
Even this massive space was still too small.
The sign outside the hall lit up:
“Combat in progress. Do not approach.”
Inside the hall, Ke Lei was piloting a mid-sized “Meteor” mech, fighting against a black, mid-sized “Lightsaber” mech.
Ke Lei’s piloting ability was ranked S-class, among the top Alphas in the entire school.
He and Luo Wenchuan were known as the “twin monsters” of the Command Department, even outperforming many of the Mech Department’s rising stars.
But even so, he was being completely overwhelmed.
The Meteor mech was nimble, equipped with long-range, small-caliber cannons and light particle guns. Its attacks were dazzling, hence the name “Meteor”—an undisputed firepower type.
By theory, the Meteor should have had a range advantage over the Lightsaber mech.
“Stop! Stop already!”
Ke Lei’s mech was nearly out of power. He kept dodging while yelling through the loudspeaker,
“Dachuan! It’s me, Ke Lei! Don’t treat me like some alien beast!”
Hearing that, the Lightsaber mech finally stopped and put away its weapon.
Ke Lei let out a huge breath, drenched in sweat, heart pounding.
Who said Meteor mechs could easily crush Lightsaber types?!
Sure, he and Luo Wenchuan had a one-level gap (S vs SS), but more than that—
Luo’s reaction speed and movement were like a ghosts.
The moment Ke Lei aimed, the Lightsaber was already behind him.
Luckily, Luo Wenchuan had precise control and never crossed the line.
If this had been real combat, Ke Lei would’ve been diced a dozen times already.
After the match, both climbed out of their mechs.
Luo Wenchuan—tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted wore loose black training clothes that made his pale skin stand out. After exiting the mech, he wasn’t even breathing heavily.
With sharp monolids and upturned eyes, his calm black eyes glanced at Ke Lei not unfriendly, but unreadable beneath their stillness.
“You okay?” he asked.
“No!” Ke Lei panted, gulping water.
Seeing how clean Luo Wenchuan looked only made him angrier.
“Can you at least break a sweat?! Just a little, to show some respect?”
Luo Wenchuan said nothing. He stared at the mech cube in his hand. After a pause, he looked up and asked:
“Still haven’t told me who modified it?”
Ke Lei suddenly remembered the Omega who’d messaged him earlier.
He quickly asked, “So? Do you think the modifications were good?”
Luo Wenchuan countered calmly, “What do you think?”
Ke Lei hesitated.
Yeah, he’d gotten beat up before but never this badly.
This time was brutal.
He was just about to say “I think it was well done,” but realized he was judging the modifications… based on how badly he got beat up.
That felt insulting.
“If you think it’s good, then pay him already!” Ke Lei glared.
“You’ve delayed this long. If that guy didn’t have a good temper, you’d already be exposed on the school forum for wage theft!”
“Let me log into your Mech Help Network account,” Luo Wenchuan said while opening his lightbrain. “Also, give me his personal contact info.”
After handing over the account and contact, Ke Lei suddenly realized something.
He hesitated and said awkwardly,
“I’ll give you the contact, but… you’d better not reach out.”
Last time, Luo Wenchuan had asked, and Ke Lei had dodged the question.
Luo Wenchuan frowned slightly, lips pressed.
“Why?”
After a moment’s pause, Ke Lei answered, “He’s an Omega.”
Luo Wenchuan looked at him, surprise flashing in his eyes but he quickly hid it.
He lowered his gaze and voice. “Got it.”
Ke Lei didn’t say another word. He couldn’t read Luo’s reaction, and his feelings grew complicated.
Luo Wenchuan, his roommate, was the perfect Alpha in every way—but he never got close to any Omegas, male or female.
There were rumors that he feared Omegas. Others said he was asexual.
Only Ke Lei knew the real reason.
“The payment’s been sent,” Luo Wenchuan said calmly. “The site will transfer it to his account once approved.
I’m heading to the black market. You go eat. Thanks for today.”
Night fell.
Black Market, Underground Level 3.
Foot traffic was thinning.
Yun Xingze, wearing a mask, stood in front of the secondhand mech shop he’d visited before, summoning his courage to enter.
The shop owner thought he’d come to pay and reached for the mech cube—
But the boy said,
“Um, sir… could you lower the price a little more?”
“You messing with me, kid?” the owner frowned, arms akimbo. “I’ve held it for a week already. Now you want to haggle again?!”
“This really is the last time!” Yun Xingze said earnestly.
“I’ll work tomorrow to make more money, but I’m still a little short of 150,000. Please, just a little discount…”
“Get lost, get lost!” the boss waved angrily. “If you’re not buying, then scram.”
Yun Xingze felt crushed.
All week, his goal had been to buy a mech and sign up for the tournament. He had endured so much because of that dream.
But now… it all seemed meaningless.
He sighed and left the store, thinking,
If I miss this year’s mech tournament, I’ll just try again next year as a spectator…
Just then, his lightbrain beeped.
[You have a transaction message from “Xinghai Mech Help Network.”]
He guessed it was “Luo Wenchuan” sending the 40,000 credits.
But it wouldn’t help. After the 7,000 spent at the infirmary, he still couldn’t gather 150,000 in time.
He opened the message listlessly—
But when he saw the transaction, his expression froze.
Then his eyes widened.
[Payment from [Anonymous User]: 80,000 credits—40,000 for services rendered; remaining amount is a tip.]
Yun Xingze pinched his arm hard.
Was he dreaming?!
Luo Wenchuan… had doubled the payment?!
