The next day, the two exercise delegations reconvened at the spaceport.
Clad in distinct uniforms, the teams eyed each other in silence, sizing up their opponents.
Then, two transport ships docked, and the Imperial and Federation students boarded separate vessels, setting off simultaneously for the exercise venue—KT36-02.
Whatever the mood was on the Imperial side, the Federation ship was steeped in a heavy silence. The students gripped their mech keys tightly, their battle intent simmering like a low flame, bringing a faint but persistent ache.
"We won't lose," a buzz-cut student said, taking a deep breath. "We'll seize the first victory."
The Imperials' reputation for ferocity was well-known.
Were they afraid? Of course. Not of death, but of defeat.
It had been decades since the Federation clashed with the Empire on a large scale. Yet the "painful lessons" of history were etched in the students' minds.
In a sense, this exercise was a probe—a chance to gauge the Empire's strength. Win or lose, they'd gain insight. But reason aside, who didn't crave absolute victory?
"This time, unlike any battle in history, we have the intelligent mech system," said Dai Sheng, the Federation commander, scanning his team. "This exercise is the perfect stage to validate our system's research. We'll deliver a stunning turnaround for the Federation—no one can afford to falter!"
Dai Sheng's gaze lingered briefly on a specific spot in the crowd.
"Especially certain… 'non-main team members' who haven't linked their consciousness to the 'MechSync System,'" he said, emphasizing "non-main." "You must follow my orders, stay clear of key battle zones, and act only as directed."
"—All for the Federation's victory!"
Most echoed his call.
But some students lowered their heads, snickering softly. "We're at the front, and he still needs to throw shade… Who's he looking down on?"
"Shh, keep it down," his companion whispered, nudging him with an elbow, worry creasing his face. "Dai Sheng's not targeting you. Why get worked up?"
"I know he's aiming at the Zhous," the student said, his sharp eyes glinting with disdain. "Zhou Ye's unfit to be the system's 'Dominator,' and Zhou Ying rejected the commander role… Dai Sheng was never the top pick. Of course he's got to flex his authority every chance he gets."
But Dai Sheng seemed to forget their designation: "Mech Pilots."
The "MechSync System," developed by the Federation's military brass, linked users' mental energies.
Within its mental network, there were many "Branches" and a single "Dominator." Their minds were connected like a tree's trunk and limbs. "Branches" supplied the "Dominator" with partial mental energy and surrendered their subconscious, allowing the "Dominator's" will to flow through them.
It was an almost mystical sensation—mind, perception, and strength unified. The "Dominator" felt immensely powerful, while the "Branches" gained a strength boost.
This meant that, under the "Dominator's" control, they could skip extensive training and coordination, executing near-perfect team tactics and maximizing their power.
The system's computational prowess was formidable, even aiding Dai Sheng's decision-making with strategic options.
The MechSync System undeniably elevated their team combat ability.
But their designation was "Mech Pilots"!
"…Relying on a system's convenience, letting tech dictate human will," the student muttered. "Is that really a good thing?"
"Good or not isn't for us to judge—results on the battlefield decide," his companion replied. "But right now, pilots who refuse the mental link are sidelined, no matter their skill. The Zhou brothers aside, take Yan Jingyi—her combat ability's top-notch, isn't it? She could be a game-changer. Yet Dai Sheng's stuck her in a minor squad as decoration."
"They obey Dai Sheng blindly… Is that a good thing?"
"Shh. Stop talking. Two main team members are looking our way."
Indeed, two main team members were glancing in their direction.
Wearing optical visors, their eyes shimmered with blue light.
The two students quickly bowed their heads, hiding their faces, thinking: Is Dai Sheng already activating the system?
When active, Dai Sheng could share his team's senses if he chose. Those linked were his eyes and ears.
The students grumbled inwardly: At this rate, Dai Sheng's going to turn into a narcissistic tyrant!
…
Soon, both ships arrived above their designated positions.
The joint exercise officially began, with both sides launching live broadcast channels. Within moments, viewership soared past a billion.
The live chat buzzed with excitement, comments flooding the screen.
[It's on! Front-row selfie moment!]
[A historic moment—I'm alive to see it! (P.S. I'm Imperial)]
[Wait, this channel isn't split? Federals and Imperials in the same stream?]
[To the guy above, this is the Imperial perspective. Your Federal stream's next door. (Pick nose)]
[I'm Federal but rushed to the Imperial stream (crying). I'll switch back to cheer our students when the fighting starts! (Fist pump)]
The Imperial stream's viewership kept climbing, nearing half the Empire's population. Not every Imperial could watch live… clearly, plenty of Federals were sneaking in.
Meanwhile, on Youdu Star.
Cecil Ronin swept the documents off his desk, switched his holo-brain to big-screen mode, logged in, and entered the stream.
Leaning back, his deep blue eyes locked onto the screen with a focus surpassing his attention to state affairs.
Wei Li, mid-task nearby: "…"
He sighed softly, resuming his administrative work.
On-screen, the ship's hatch slowly opened. Vibrant orange sunlight poured in, and howling winds surged from all directions.
Bai Sha stood at the hatch, gazing down—a vast, boundless planet, its cloud edges glinting with cold arcs. Endless terrain churned with sandstorms, framed by rugged mountains and a sky studded with sparse stars. It exuded the mysterious, desolate aura unique to uninhabited barren worlds.
A forbidden zone where beauty and death entwined.
Bai Sha secured her gear, slipped into her mech's cockpit, and leaped from the ship.
The Imperial students followed. Hundreds of mechs plummeted like a meteor shower.
After a gentle jolt, Bai Sha's mech landed smoothly on a high ridge, offering a clear view of the surrounding terrain.
Before she could steady herself, roars of star insects echoed from the rocky dunes nearby.
"…All squads, report headcounts. Using this area as our center, sweep the star insects outward. Aim to clear the land behind this ridge," Bai Sha said over the team comms.
She'd already eyed this spot—ideal for offense or defense, and potentially a rest camp if needed.
Cen Yuehuai landed about ten meters away.
"Whew, this planet's gravity is lighter than I expected," she said, bouncing in place to adjust to the conditions. "The air's decent too. Even outside the mech, we wouldn't suffocate instantly—just mild oxygen deprivation."
Bai Sha: "Planning a hike out there?"
Cen Yuehuai waved a hand. "Just good to know where we stand."
Destroying Federation mechs wouldn't necessarily mean killing their pilots.
"Don't underestimate them," Bai Sha cautioned, turning to survey the dusty yellow plains, weapon in hand. "Let's go clear those star insects below."
As the Imperials' movements echoed across the dunes, countless mutated scorpions burrowed up from the sand. Their leaping ability was impressive, reaching seven or eight meters, their massive barbed tails swaying with each move.
These were S-grade mutated star insects—challenging but manageable for the Imperials.
Bai Sha, wielding her long spear, charged down the slope, its tip carving a deep trail through the sand.
A mutated scorpion erupted from the ground, its giant pincers lunging at her.
Before it could strike, Bai Sha deployed her mech's wings, soaring upward. She stomped on the scorpion's midsection, unleashing her mental energy—an invisible force that pinned the creature into the sand, kicking up waves of dust.
With a glance, Bai Sha drove her spear into the scorpion's head, then leaped forward, hurling the weapon.
A dazzling white streak flashed, parting the sand like a biblical sea, gouging a deep trench.
Boom!
The spear blasted a nearby dune apart, sand raining outward. Two scorpions were flung skyward—one pierced through the head, the other skewered and writhing.
Cen Yuehuai, battling scorpions nearby, loosed an arrow, finishing the struggling creature with a single shot.
[Checking the star insect codex… these are S-grade, right??]
[Why does it feel like they're slicing through them like vegetables?]
[Most are within normal range. The Imperial main team's the scary part—I did the math. An S-grade scorpion lasts about three seconds against their commander.]
Federation viewers fell silent, while Imperial reactions erupted, mostly praising the students' flair.
After forty minutes, the plain's mutated scorpions were nearly eradicated.
"Let's move to lower terrain," Bai Sha discussed with her team. "Anyone spot the Federals?"
Ji Ya and Xino, each leading a squad toward the plain's rear near the mountains, reported no sightings.
Yu Yan, Kaisin, and other second- and third-year squad leaders scouted ahead in different directions.
Yu Yan's voice crackled over the main channel: "Found them, near the rocky flats." He shared coordinates.
"They're hunting mutated rattlesnakes," Yu Yan said. "I'm sending someone to scout quietly."
A student uploaded a short, blurry video clip.
It showed four black Federation mechs, armed with longswords and lightsabers, facing a massive rattlesnake.
The snake's blood-red eyes glared, its tail raised high, rattling rapidly—a likely mental attack that, even through the screen, induced dizziness.
Yet the four mechs seemed unaffected, moving in unison. One darted to the snake's front, two flanked its sides, targeting its belly. The snake's eyes narrowed, its tail lashing, knocking them back. It lunged, biting the nearest mech.
Crunch. Metal crumpled.
Then, the rear mech sprang into action, scaling the snake's coiled body, drawing its blade. The other two mechs raised their weapons, charging. All three struck the snake's neck in perfect sync.
Three glints of steel, and the snake's head fell silently, blood gushing. By chance, their positioning spared them most of the spray—snakes had keen senses, and heavy blood scent might deter others from attacking.
The clip ended.
"Double-S-grade rattlesnake?" Bai Sha noted. "They handled it cleanly."
The whole fight lasted about ten seconds.
More notably, they clearly held back. The mech damage looked severe but was superficial, easily repaired. They'd likely anticipated the snake's bite force, using it to create an opening—a calculated tactic.
"About eighty people on the flats, including some main team members," Xino reported over the main channel. "Should we probe?"
Bai Sha pondered, then said, "Yu Yan, your mech's the most defensive. Take ten students with shield defenses and heavy mech cannons to test them on the flats."
Yu Yan: "Destroy their mechs? We could use a surprise attack."
Bai Sha: "I want to test their teamwork."
"Then I'll hit and disrupt, dragging everyone on the flats into the chaos," Yu Yan said, catching her intent. "See if they're all as coordinated as the snake-killers."
Theoretically, such universal teamwork was unlikely.
Like the Empire, the Federation had selected top students from various academies. With different backgrounds, not everyone could mesh so seamlessly.
Unless they'd organized squads by pre-existing bonds.
But grouping only familiar teammates—wouldn't that deepen cliques? In a large-scale exercise, that was a disadvantage.
Yu Yan led the probe to the flats, with two nearby squads ready to support.
Twenty minutes later, no support was needed—Yu Yan's probe concluded.
"Federation team lost seven, we have two heavily damaged," Yu Yan reported, his voice tense. "Damage is to mechs. Ying Chen from Dongluo Academy was nearby and saved one, but we still lost a pilot."
For a surprise attack, the result was mediocre—too few Federation eliminations.
"What's the situation?" Bai Sha asked.
"Something's off," Yu Yan said. "Their performance is inconsistent. They started weak, almost amateur. But their teamwork—that's the weirdest part. One second, they had no coordination; the next, they moved like battlefield veterans. The seven eliminations came in the first minute. Then their offense surged, and their formation became an unbreakable net."
If their teamwork was so polished, it should stem from rigorous training. So why were they initially so unprepared? Why did they flounder in that first minute?
"Something's fishy," Bai Sha said. "Avoid the flats for now. If we can't break their formation, we'll divide and conquer."
Meanwhile, the star-net stream was ablaze. Yu Yan's skirmish with the Federals sparked the match's first wave of excitement.
[That Imperial ambush and Federation defense was intense… I'm sweating!]
[Federation forever! Repelling the vile Imperial scum! (Account banned for 24 hours for inflammatory language)]
[What are Federals cheering about? Empire traded one for seven.]
[Federation's late-game defense and counterattack were solid too.]
In the Federation stream, comments flooded: [You're the best!][The Federation's finally rising!]
Clearly, Federation viewers were thrilled with their team's performance.
A question popped up:
[Is this the intelligent mech system at work?]
[Heard the system's in play this match. It's just the beta, and it's this strong—tech-driven strength is the right path.]
The intelligent mech system was generating buzz, though most knew little about it, only that it boosted mech intelligence and aided combat.
[Well done. Let the Empire's prodigies feel the pain of being surrounded—ordinary folks can trap geniuses!]
…
After the skirmish, both sides avoided further clashes, focusing on star insect hunts.
The arena wasn't vast, but star insects were finite. Both teams buried themselves in their tasks, avoiding encounters for now.
Three hours later, the scores updated.
The Imperial team led by a wide margin.
Seeing the refresh, Cen Yuehuai yanked an arrow from a dead mutated desert lizard, exhaling lightly.
Resources were scarce on the barren star—recyclable materials were a must.
"I thought the Federals were tough," she chuckled. "Guess they can't keep up."
"Maybe they're unlucky," Bai Sha said. "This season… snakes usually cluster. But mutated creatures lose their pack instincts and get territorial."
So the Federals found one snake per den.
The Imperial landing zone, a vast plain, was crawling with mutated scorpions. Later, under Bai Sha's lead, they found a mountainous area teeming with mutated lizards and beetles. Killing them in droves racked up points.
This strategy left Federation stream viewers speechless.
[Why's the Imperial team so lucky? Every step, they stumble into prey!]
[Our cooperative hunting is more complex but targets higher-grade prey. It's just bad luck.]
[Stop hyping cooperative hunting. Imperials solo-kill star insects with better efficiency.]
[Why so eager, 'Imperial'? They're barely human! Wasn't this expected? (Account banned for 24 hours for sensitive terms)]
[It's only been a few hours. Be patient.]
The Imperial team began a brief rest.
Some drank water, others relaxed, and those with damaged mechs sought engineers. A few mechs were heavily damaged—one was completely immobilized post-battle.
"Anyone there?!" the pilot wailed from the cockpit. "Save my precious mech!"
"We're on it, we're on it," an engineer soothed. "Stop yelling."
These engineers, cream of the crop from the four academies, were top-tier in skill and speed. Many viewers tuned in not just for the fights but to glimpse the Empire's mech tech advancements.
Yet, as attention focused on a mech about to have its shell pried open, the Imperial stream's camera suddenly spun, then slowly ascended… and kept rising…
Finally, it settled, angled upward at the boundless sky.
Thin clouds drifted, sparse stars twinkled… breathtakingly beautiful.
[…]
[Damn it, I don't want to see the sky! Show me the mech!]
[Sneaky Imperials!!]
[So stingy they won't show the mech? Mech fans are furious! (Account banned for 24 hours for sensitive terms)]
[How many banned words does this Imperial stream have?! Are they too scared to play fair?!]
The stream's chaos didn't faze Bai Sha's team as they rested.
Cen Yuehuai, standing by Bai Sha, asked, "How does Your Highness make these calls? How'd you know where the star insects were?"
Bai Sha scratched her cheek, offering only, "Instinct, I guess."
She just knew where the insects hid.