"Congratulations," the short-haired instructor said, her voice laden with complicated emotions.
"The final assessment is Mecha Combat Proficiency. This segment will consist of two battle scenarios."
For this test, Chen Sui had to pilot a mecha and engage in combat against both a combat-type robot and a simulated energy entity.
Upon hearing the latter, Chen Sui's gaze flickered coldly, and a silent scoff echoed in her heart.
Her aversion to energy entities stemmed from three sources: the destruction they caused at the repair shop, the disaster they inflicted upon the people of Talos Star, and the fact that the greatest interstellar crises had all been caused by them.
They were like alien species—
Destroyers of peace and beauty.
Every last one of them deserved to die.
The first match against the combat robot commenced.
Chen Sui calmly assessed her opponent.
This model of robot was restricted to military academies and Zone Eleven.
Ever since the machine rebellion that led to the fall of the Karmana Empire, the interstellar population had fully realized the horrors of artificial intelligence gaining sentience.
That event sparked a massive reform that permanently reduced their reliance on intelligent machines.
Even mechas had their automated functions stripped away.
Though these combat robots were mediocre in terms of battle performance—at least in Chen Sui's opinion—they were still tightly controlled.
Their speed and attack routines were pre-programmed, every move predictable.
Facing such a robot, Chen Sui easily dodged its strikes and could pinpoint a weak spot at any moment to end the battle.
But she was exhausted.
The previous two tests had drained her stamina; she had not yet regained her breath.
This comfortable combat rhythm was, for her, a form of recovery.
She needed to get back into prime condition—
So she could thoroughly beat the energy entity next.
Even if it was only a simulation.
While she leisurely maneuvered around the robot, as if taking a stroll in the park, the short-haired instructor outside furrowed her brows so tightly she nearly tied them in knots.
She was terrified that Chen Sui might collapse at this final step, letting a rare opportunity slip through her fingers.
More than once, the instructor spotted the robot's fatal weak point and nearly dashed into the room herself to take the shot.
Yet despite her inner turmoil, she maintained a calm expression and an unmoving stance—a testament to her professionalism.
Even with sweat dampening her palms, she said not a word.
Finally, when Chen Sui felt her strength return, she widened the distance between them and fired an explosive blast near the robot. In one smooth motion, she twirled her long spear like a javelin and hurled it with precision.
She predicted the robot's next movement—
Before it could land from its evasive jump.
Still suspended mid-air.
A streak of silver-white light shot down like a meteor.
It pierced straight through the robot's central control board, shattering its hard outer shell. The spear burst from its back, dragging it several meters before pinning it to the far wall.
The instructor had not even caught her breath before this sudden scene left her gasping.
She coughed lightly and composed herself, raising her head to inspect the aftermath.
The wall of the training room had been gouged, leaving behind a shallow tear from the long spear.
Her heart skipped a beat. Eyes wide, she rose to examine the damage more closely.
This was a special alloy wall—capable of withstanding intense gunfire and energy-based attacks!
What on earth had this girl eaten to grow up like this?
For a fleeting moment, the instructor questioned reality itself.
She thought of Chen Sui's thin frame, then seriously pondered: What kind of nourishment could make someone who looks half-starved and sickly burst with such terrifying strength?
Was this even reasonable?
"Sorry," Chen Sui suddenly said, snapping the instructor from her thoughts. Her gaze lingered on the now-destroyed robot (which was, by all accounts, utterly dead) and the damaged training room.
With genuine concern, she asked cautiously, "Do I have to pay for the damages?"
The instructor choked on air, clenched her fists, and forced a composed reply.
"No. Proceed to the next stage."
"Understood."
Chen Sui exhaled in relief.
The battle against the energy entity required a specialized simulation arena. After a brief wait—
The training room's environment instantly changed.
The transformation was eerily reminiscent of the day energy entities descended on Talos Star under a blackened sky.
Back then, Chen Sui had been caught in a violent storm, all surrounding sounds drowned out as she searched for the perfect moment to escape.
Now, those repressed memories came back with sharp clarity.
The thunderous collapse of buildings, the blood-curdling screams of torn bodies, and the countless voices crying out in pain.
Darkness fell over the once-bright training room.
From the far side crawled a grotesque, elongated centipede the size of a small transport.
Its many legs skittered over the blackened ground, the simulated earth crunching under its weight, grating on Chen Sui's nerves.
The instructor's voice came through the speakers just as the battle began: "Combat initiated."
Chen Sui lunged forward, gripping her spear.
The centipede barely had time to react before it was skewered and smashed into the ground with brutal force.
The impact was so fierce that the instructor outside flinched.
Adjusting her comms, she hurried to finish her instruction: "The energy crystal's location is shown on the main display. Remove it to complete the assessment."
Chen Sui registered the message and quickly scanned the display. Within moments, she had locked onto the crystal embedded within the centipede's body.
The beast shrieked, flames erupting from its body and crawling along Chen Sui's spear toward her mecha.
She kicked the monster, using the recoil to gain distance, and before leaving, fired an explosive round at its armored shell.
Her mecha hovered mid-air, the long spear spinning with the force of a raging storm. The wind scattered the flames, but the weapon's surface had already blackened from the heat.
Glaring at the damage, Chen Sui growled coldly, "You're finished."