Standing opposite Yun Xingze, the Beta male was also taken aback by the mech’s appearance, his lips twitching slightly as he asked, “Did you modify it to look like this on purpose?”
Yun Xingze raised an eyebrow at him. “Jealous? Want me to modify yours too?”
The young man shook his head vigorously, his entire body radiating refusal.
In the spectator stands, the crowd buzzed with discussions about the mech, their focus completely diverted from the match itself. Everyone was curious to see what kind of combat performance this aesthetic disaster could deliver.
Even the people sitting beside Luo Wenchuan were talking about it.
“My god, what kind of person would pilot that lightsaber mech?”
“At least use some paint to cover it up. I’d be embarrassed to pilot that thing.”
“It’s probably the ugliest mech in Starsea Military Academy’s history.”
“If the holographic mech display at the training center were replaced with this one, I doubt the school could recruit any new students.”
Luo Wenchuan sat in his seat; his expression cold as he stared at the mech everyone was calling ugly.
Fortunately, no one knew the mech had once belonged to him otherwise, he might have been saddled with rumors about being an “eccentrically aesthetic Alpha.”
[First round, Arena B, Match 10 will begin in three minutes.] As the announcement ended, Yun Xingze and his opponent shook hands before quickly entering their mechs.
The arena fell silent, all eyes fixed on the two mechs.
Three minutes later, the match began with both sides cautiously observing and maneuvering.
Though his opponent was a Beta, his reflexes and combat skills were impressive. Like Yun Xingze, he was a B-rank pilot, but he had advanced to B-rank much earlier and had potential to break through to A-rank. At first glance, Yun Xingze seemed to be at a disadvantage.
Combat between two lightsaber mechs didn’t involve flashy artillery exchanges; it was all about speed and reflexes, defeating the opponent with swift swordplay.
Lightsaber mechs were among the first-generation mechs ever developed, designed to closely mimic human movement. Watching their battles felt like observing two heavily armored, oversized swordsmen.
Neither pilot drew their blades immediately. After a few rounds of unarmed probing, the silver mech suddenly leaped backward, landing smoothly before reaching behind its back to grip two sword hilts.
The hilts were drawn, and as plasma surged forth, gleaming silver light coalesced into two sleek, silver lightsabers.
“Wow, they drew their swords!”
“I heard lightsaber mech battles are super cool with all the blade flashes—can’t wait!”
“Why isn’t the colorful mech drawing its sword?”
Yun Xingze wasn’t in a hurry.
His opponent charged at him, slashing with both blades, but Yun Xingze simply tilted his mech’s body to evade.
After several exchanges, the silver lightsabers failed to land a single hit on Yun Xingze’s mech.
Seizing an opening, Yun Xingze leaned back to dodge a thrust before activating his anti-gravity and thruster systems, propelling himself backward and upward to create distance.
Hovering midair, he calmly drew his swords.
The tension in the arena was palpable.
But that tension shattered the moment the Barbie-pink lightsabers ignited.
The audience collectively froze in disbelief.
“The mech’s color scheme was already eye-searing, but even the lightsabers?!”
“I wouldn’t even use this shade for lipstick, it’s just too ugly.”
“Is that a lightsaber or a glow stick for cheering?”
After Yun Xingze drew his sword, his opponent, who had intended to continue attacking, visibly froze for two seconds upon seeing the pink lightsaber.
Outside the arena, Luo Wenchuan’s brows furrowed slightly a rare sight though he quickly regained his composure.
At that moment, Luo Wenchuan recalled Ke Lei’s words to him: “Why not hire him as your personal mecha engineer?”
He couldn’t help but feel relieved he’d declined.
Otherwise, Luo Wenchuan might have ended up fighting with a pink glow stick.
When Yun Xingze’s opponent regained his senses, he activated the anti-gravity device, preparing for a head-on clash.
“Bang—” “Clang—” “Hum—”
The sounds of the lightsaber clashing against the mecha’s alloy materials reverberated through the protective shield, reaching every spectator’s ears. After drawing their swords, neither mecha yielded, their blades slicing through the air—silver, blue, and pink streaks leaving vivid afterimages that created a striking visual impact.
Leaps, mid-air maneuvers, sword strikes like rain. Slashes, parries, a web of blade shadows.
The spectators who had been mocking the ugly pink lightsaber now collectively held their breath, eyes wide as they watched the match.
The silver mecha gained the upper hand, advancing with unstoppable momentum. With increased power to its braking engine and thrusters, each strike carried immense pressure, forcing the colorful mecha into retreat!
The Beta male in the cockpit had never fought with such exhilaration before, completely immersed in the battle, his desire for victory burning fiercely.
As the colorful mecha was driven to the edge of the protective shield, the audience grew tense.
“Is that ugly mecha about to lose?”
“Wasn’t that Omega supposed to be the top first-year? How is he this bad?”
“Looks like the silver mecha has this in the bag.”
Just then, the silver mecha blocked Yun Xingze’s retreat with one sword while slashing directly at his shoulder with the other!
Everyone thought the colorful mecha was done for.
Yet Yun Xingze dodged the strike at an impossibly bizarre angle, swiftly disengaging before leaping high into the air again. This time reaching an altitude so extreme the low hum of his anti-gravity engine could be heard outside the arena.
Then, Yun Xingze began a rapid dive, both swords at the ready!
“Holy shit, is that the same move from the qualifiers?”
“Diving to gain momentum last time he hit the opponent’s knee, where’s he aiming now?”
“Can he really pull it off?!”
The opponent was prepared. Refusing to give Yun Xingze any openings, he quickly created distance, also opting for a mid-air leap before stabilizing his position.
Then, hidden compartments on the silver mecha’s shoulders opened, unleashing a volley of silver darts aimed straight at Yun Xingze.
Spotting the attack, Yun Xingze smirked and instantly altered his dive trajectory, evading the projectiles.
By now, his analysis of the mecha was complete.
From its basic performance metrics to its thruster output during leaps, down to every individual component the entire mecha had been deconstructed into a model in his mind, its strengths and weaknesses laid bare.
Collecting mecha data mid-combat was Yun Xingze’s passion, and the very reason he’d entered this tournament.
He engaged with his opponent, tricking them into using all their moves, including the hidden arrow mounted on their shoulder, a weapon made of special materials that could easily damage a mech.
Yun Xingze knew this was the opponent’s trump card and decided to stop playing around. At the fifteen-minute mark, he seized an opening, flipped the opponent onto the ground with a loud crash, and then planted his foot firmly on their chest.
The opponent had thought victory was within reach, never expecting such a sudden reversal.
Trapped under Yun Xingze’s control, their light sword knocked away, they couldn’t move at all! Struggling helplessly, they stared at the mech’s foot only to notice that the arch, sole, and tendon sheath had been modified into an unsightly shade of yellow.
It looked as if the mech was wearing a pair of garish yellow elderly orthopedic shoes, leaving them utterly speechless.
Ten seconds later, the referee’s countdown ended, declaring the Beta male contestant defeated.
Yun Xingze had thoroughly enjoyed himself and even gathered some useful data. After the match, he cheerfully shook hands with his opponent.
Though the Beta male felt regret, he too had found the match exhilarating and couldn’t help but praise, “I never expected you had such explosive power hidden away. I underestimated you. Next time, I’ll definitely win.”
The audience was equally stunned by Yun Xingze’s abrupt victory.
“How did it end so quickly?!”
“Damn, that reversal was insane! They were clashing with light swords, and then—bam! A single throw ended it!”
“That move was insanely difficult! It requires incredible agility from the mech, not to mention the pilot’s mental strength to avoid collapsing from overexertion. Can an Omega really pull that off?!”
“No wonder he ranked first in the freshman qualifiers. This Yun Xingze guy has skills!”
“Exactly! Ugly mech or not, he’s seriously strong!”
“To turn the tables after getting beaten like that earlier, so inspiring!”
Everyone was buzzing about how Yun Xingze had won. Meanwhile, Luo Wenchuan watched the young man on the field in silence, his gaze heavy with unreadable emotions.
He could tell Yun Xingze had been in control from the start; his opponent never stood a chance. Every move Yun Xingze made was toying with them, as if he were observing from some detached, superior vantage point.
He wasn’t at a disadvantage; he was deliberately matching his opponent’s level, dragging out the match or perhaps, simply playing around for fun.
The moment Yun Xingze dodged the hidden arrow, Luo Wenchuan knew every weakness of that silver mech had been laid bare before him.
Beyond that, despite the hideous modifications to his mech, Yun Xingze had proven with that crushing final move.
His upgrades were undeniably a success.
Luo Wenchuan’s eyes darkened as he watched Yun Xingze, though no one could decipher his thoughts. Still, the icy disdain he’d once directed at that ugly mech had clearly softened.
Just as Yun Xingze was about to leave after the match, the arena erupted into excited cheers.
Luo Wenchuan was stepping onto the field.
