The joint military exercise team was officially formed.
With the commander chosen and the fifteen main team members selected for the team competition finalized, the academy students could return home to rest before departing for the exercise.
After the day of the commander vote, Bai Sha and her group hadn't seen Kaisin Grez again. Ji Ya, however, lingered at the training grounds for two more days, working to build rapport with her new teammates.
The best way to foster teamwork was to eat and live together, followed by sparring. Bai Sha and the others handled Ji Ya's enthusiasm well, but Cen Yuehuai struggled to keep up—her mech's speed and agility were remarkable, yet they paled against Ji Ya's prowess, leaving her constantly outmatched.
Moreover, whether it was her imagination or not, Cen Yuehuai felt Ji Ya was deliberately targeting her. Compared to sparring with others, Ji Ya seemed to relish thrashing her the most.
In another chaotic skirmish, Cen Yuehuai, wielding her weapon Rainbow Rain, swiftly retreated to escape the battle's core. But after Ji Ya's sword strike forced her back, she bolted to Bai Sha to complain.
"Your Highness!" Cen Yuehuai cried. "Ji Ya's chasing me down again!"
Bai Sha paused her work, casting a curious glance at Ji Ya.
"My apologies," Ji Ya said. "It's probably because her speed is so high. She pops up in the most unexpected places, so I instinctively move to eliminate her first."
"It could be a mental entity compatibility issue," Xino said, opening his cockpit and addressing Ji Ya. "When you look at Cen Yuehuai, don't you feel like she's a bird flitting about in the sky, sparking an urge to swat her down?"
Ji Ya blinked, pondering for a moment. "Now that you mention it, yes."
"Exactly," Xino nodded. "When I first met her, I did the same."
When it came to who'd trained Cen Yuehuai the most, Xino took the crown. Back when Yu Yan hadn't joined their team and Bai Sha was swamped with various tasks, Xino had taken it upon himself to boost Cen Yuehuai's skills, diligently molding her into a capable soldier.
Though Cen Yuehuai's abilities were lacking back then, Xino still enjoyed sparring with her.
Cen Yuehuai's mouth twitched. "Are you guys done? Don't I get any dignity?! And you, both with avian entities—go try swatting Her Highness!"
"No way that's the same," Xino said, shaking his head earnestly. "I'm not clashing with Her Highness head-on. What if her gun pierces my mech? No fun, not worth it."
Cen Yuehuai: "…"
Cen Yuehuai: "I hate all feline mental entities!"
"Want revenge?" Bai Sha smiled at her. "Team up with me for a two-on-two. Yu Yan, mind refereeing?"
Yu Yan nodded. "No problem."
"Since the academy wants us to collect regular mech combat data, we'll take turns as on-site observers, recording with the equipment," Bai Sha said to Yu Yan. "You handle this round. Next, we'll reshuffle into new two-on-two teams, and I'll record."
Cen Yuehuai asked, puzzled, "Why collect combat data?"
"For analysis, obviously," Bai Sha replied. "Forgot the reward for securing a main slot?"
Cen Yuehuai's eyes lit up as realization hit. "You mean the custom mech designed by the master mech engineer team?!"
Xino added, "Yuehuai, Yu Yan—you two can snag brand-new mechs, fully funded by the Empire. Not a credit out of your pocket."
Bai Sha's mech needed no mention. Xino and Ji Ya's mechs, used for years, were built on solid foundations and refined by their families' hired master engineers. For them, maintaining their mechs' current state without major changes best suited their strengths.
But Cen Yuehuai's mech had fallen short during its initial design, and Yu Yan was using a standard-issue mech from Tianquan Academy. Given the chance, a new mech was the smarter choice.
Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan clearly understood this, exchanging glances that sparkled with anticipation.
Since it was the break period, the group lingered at the training grounds for a few more days. After compiling all the mech data, Bai Sha and the others saw Ji Ya off at the spaceport, watching her board a ship back to Xizhou Academy.
"Finally, home."
Aboard the ship to Tianshu Star, the group slumped into their space seats, boneless with relief.
Cen Yuehuai: "I'm staying at home for a few days during the break. What's everyone else's plan?"
Bai Sha: "Home. I've got some project results to review."
Xino: "Home. My dad's been nagging. If I don't go back, he'll call and lecture me for two hours."
Yu Yan: "I'm heading home too…"
All eyes turned to Yu Yan.
"Come to think of it, brother, we've never heard about your family," Xino said, clapping Yu Yan's shoulder.
"Compared to you all, my family's just an ordinary trio," Yu Yan said, his eyes warming with a gentle smile. "My dad's a repairman, my mom runs a food shop. Both have B-grade mental strength, content with a quiet, steady life."
Bai Sha and the others exchanged looks.
B-grade mental strength for both parents? The odds of producing a prodigy like Yu Yan were like winning the lottery. No, a lottery win was one in tens of millions—Yu Yan's existence was a rarer miracle, more precious than that.
"If not for the sponsorship, I might've attended an academy, but never Tianquan, and I wouldn't have met you all," Yu Yan said, never shying from such topics, speaking with calm candor. "So, I've always been grateful to the Han family."
Bai Sha had heard Yu Yan was sponsored by the Han family.
"The Han family didn't just fund him," Xino whispered to Bai Sha. "Years ago, a Han couple died in service, and the royal family issued a massive compensation package—rumor has it, ordered by the First Princess." He raised his voice back to normal. "Ahem, anyway, the Han family used that money to set up a scholarship for students facing financial barriers."
"But their vetting process is brutal, and the support's no small sum. Over the years, I suspect the Han family's poured in their own resources too."
"Maybe it's their way of honoring their lost kin," Cen Yuehuai sighed.
As the mood grew heavy, Bai Sha leaned back, deciding to share some cheering news. "By the way, even when you're home, keep your holo-brains online. Don't vacation somewhere without signal."
The trio looked at her, curious.
"Ahem, since I was, thanks to everyone's efforts, made commander—" Bai Sha still felt a twinge of exasperation at the title, though it came with perks—"my mentor, the renowned Master Jiang Gui, has decided to personally design your mechs."
The trio: "…"
Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan gasped softly.
Master Jiang Gui, engrossed in research, hadn't taken custom orders in years!
Though his name was on the master engineer list for student mechs, no one dared assume he'd actually craft them. Suggestions from Jiang Gui were already a win—using a master's blade to carve a chicken was overkill!
"The good news: my mentor says he'll start at Legendary-grade," Bai Sha said, raising an eyebrow. "The bad news: he's… eccentric. His mechs can be tough to master. To avoid issues, you'll need to be on call during the break to fine-tune them."
Cen Yuehuai bolted upright, voice trembling. "A break? Who needs a break!"
"Don't get too excited," Xino said sourly. "Even a Legendary-grade mech will likely have a 'performance lock' from Jiang Gui—"
In short, while a mech might reach "Legendary-grade design," it wouldn't instantly outclass all Exceptional-grade mechs.
Custom mechs were tailored to the pilot's skill level.
As academy students with limited experience, Jiang Gui would design with restraint—a concept called a "performance lock."
Of course, as the pilot's skill grew, Legendary-grade mechs offered vast potential for upgrades, far surpassing Exceptional-grade ones. For now, they'd boost performance but wouldn't transform the pilot overnight.
With a "performance lock," the pilot couldn't fully unleash the mech's power. The Mech Association would likely rate such mechs as "Exceptional" until the lock was lifted, pending re-evaluation.
"Xino, why not upgrade yours too? Even without a full redesign, major tweaks or new components could push it forward," Bai Sha suggested. "Your mech's solid—it's a hop away from Legendary-grade."
"Even just new parts… with Jiang Gui's touch, it'd be like getting a new mech," Xino said, smiling.
"Don't worry," Bai Sha said, sensing his disappointment and sighing. "You've got me. I've been working on your mech's weapon design. The blueprint's nearly done. Once we're back, I'll start crafting. By the time your mech's upgraded, the new weapon will be ready."
The group went home, starting their break.
On the fourth day, Cen Yuehuai and Yu Yan were summoned by Jiang Gui, returning early to discuss custom mech details.
On the fifth day, Xino sent his mech for modifications.
On the seventh day, Bai Sha shipped a mech weapon she'd designed, produced by her lab's hired engineers—she was a boss now, delegating tasks. That day, Xino received a crimson-gold chainblade. When unsheathed, it dimmed the sunlight, casting shadows that seemed to flee. The blade was named Shadowbane.
…
After the break, the joint exercise team prepared to assemble and head to the training grounds.
The students submitted their final mech and weapon data for confirmation.
While organizing the files, Ru Kuoming, the Empire's academy representative, noticed updates in the mech data from several Tianquan first-year main team members—
"Heh," Ru Kuoming, usually composed, couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's got you, Teacher Ru?" his assistant asked, puzzled but noting his good mood, assuming no bad news.
"Nothing," Ru Kuoming said, his fingers arranging the holo-brain's data pages. "Just marveling—no wonder a first-year claimed the commander role this time."
It was a rare occurrence.
This year, beyond Kaisin Grez, who'd leapfrogged to a second-year slot, the other first-years tied to Bai Sha were no pushovers. Now, with upgraded mechs…
He might soon witness a joint exercise led by first-years.