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Chapter 247: The Best in the Universe: The Deer God!

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

"Sh*t, I already told you guys to wait till we surround him before attacking. What are you guys rushing in for?!"

Old Deer was furious. They had only just formed the formation and yet they saw that there was only one person left on Team One. Sh*t, even if they were standing still and got hit, they couldn't possibly have died so quickly.

"Card Sleeve" was the last person from Xi Xiaoruan's team. From the start to the end, he could only see a silver light flashing back and forth in front of him. Then he heard a series of explosions. Unable to resist anymore, he pulled out his own Shotgun Laser Cannon and started shooting in all directions. "Come out, come out, come out!!!!"

Suddenly, his leg seemed to be hit by something and he lost his balance. The Wind God had already landed behind him. Card Sleeve felt as though his head was grabbed by something, and immediately after that, he was thrown outwards violently.

Hong…

The body flew out, its head missing.

Zeng…

The magnetic source flew towards a distant roof. The moment the magnetic source flew out, the Wind God mech took a forceful jump into the air. The magnetic source struck deep into the wall and instantly formed a gravity field. Wind God landed on the roof with a streak of silver light and disappeared.

At this moment, the rest of Old Deer's team arrived, but the Wind God was gone.

This was the Wind God in action??? The worst design in history???

This was more than just amazing, this was a super mech!!!

This terrifying movement ability was comparable to that of Atlantis mecha. Even Atlantis mecha could not make such high speed movements continuously.

The more than 30 million people who were watching it live all opened their mouths in shock. They were all speechless.

Was this the Wind God?

What they saw was the Wind God flying around the city at high speeds, and it had managed to circle behind Deer's encirclement team in a very small amount of time.

"What is this situation? Is that guy flying? How could he be so fast!?"

"Stop your nonsense, turn around, go and surround him. Maintain a good formation!" Old Deer shouted.

LOVELY was last in line. This was safer. Suddenly, someone patted him on the shoulder.

Sh*t, at this tense moment, just who could it be?!

Silver light streaked in front of his eyes. Boom!

"No good, Skeleton is here, activate your shields!"

The Silver Death God was jumping around. By the time the rest had reacted, three mecha had already been destroyed. The other mecha instantly activated their energy shields and started to fight back.

But the Wind God had already reached the other side of the wall and, with a turn, disappeared behind the building.

"Go, go, go, he's in the north!"

"We will take the front, you guys go from the back. Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

The mecha flocked to the front. From the perspective of the audience, the Wind God had already left like the wind. This type of movement was simply artistic.

When the magnetic source was shot out, Wang Zheng strongly controlled the mech and the gravity field was activated. The optimal time to move was within the first two seconds. The timing must be calculated precisely or the gravitational force would be weakened and the speed of each movement would be slowed.

Wang Zheng's eyes twinkled with golden light. He had already circled behind the pursuers' back.

"Not good, he's behind us!"

Hong…

In just a few quick movements, he had circled from the back of the building to its front. He sped towards them, ready to kill.

Their lasers roared, but the Wind God's movements were much better than the Wargod No. 1's. The Arc Slide Step combined with the magnetic source created a silver reaper!

In less than 10 minutes, another small team was defeated entirely, and they had not even touched Skeleton's shadow.

The problem was, the others did not even know what had happened.

Old Deer was shocked awake. "Everyone, gather. Sh*t, gather immediately and keep your laser guns. Don't hit your own people. Turn on your energy shields and stay together."

The remaining 80 mecha started to gather in Old Deer's direction.

But it was not that easy to gather anymore.

The Wind God appeared again.

"Leader Deer, come to us, quickly, we need support!"

Finally, this time all of them saw Skeleton's Wind God. He was slaughtering one small team by himself.

Fox-chan lurked quietly. As the only sniper, he was waiting for a chance. No matter the time, a sniper was always needed at a crucial moment.

When he saw that silver bolt of lightning shooting around the field, Fox became excited. This was his chance; his opponent had not activated his shield!

Be calm, be patient, and wait for the best opportunity!

This was definitely Skeleton's miscalculation. This was also a special arrangement made by Old Deer to pick him off.

Wang Zheng's focus was highly concentrated on pursuing his opponents. Then warning signs appeared. In front of his eyes, there was an enemy escaping. At this moment, should he dodge?

No!

The magnetic source was shot out and then the Wind God shot out like a burst of lightning. Fox-chan had already aimed in the direction of his teammate. He knew that Skeleton could not avoid the temptation of attacking the enemy. Yet at the moment Skeleton attacked him, he would meet his end too.

The hearts of Chen Xiu and his friends were nervous. The most frightening part of team battles was one's lack of attention to their surroundings due to the hectic pace of battle. Missing one small detail could lead to death.

Hong….

The sniper rifle fired. At this moment, the Wind God had already rushed out. A problem with the magnetic source was that once it was out, it was impossible to change its trajectory and hence, its movement path could be predicted.

Also, because the magnetic source consumed energy from the mech itself, the energy shield of the Wind God was very thin and weak. If it consumed too much energy, then there would not be enough to recharge the magnetic source.

This was also the reason why Skeleton could not activate his energy shield. It was not only because he was afraid of it affecting his movements.

There was no doubt about the ability of a Diamond 1 level sniper. The instant he was kicked, the sniper laser hit.

Hong….

The laser hit the Wind God.

God!!!!!!!

The instant the Wind God kicked his opponent's mech, there was no collision sound as expected. On the other hand, it was as though it was stuck to its opponent. But a thin energy shield had formed on the surface of Wind God.

Bo… (Sounds of waves)

The laser was blocked. "Field Battle Kid" was shocked that he did not die even though he was kicked.

That streak of silver light rocketed towards the sky.

Fox felt that he was about to be hit. That streak of silver light was coming towards him. Sh*t.

One, two, and three magnetic sources were shot onto Fox's mech.

Hong…

Was this the same mech?

The slow motion camera immediately played back. At the instant Fox's lasers roared, Skeleton's Wind God obviously turned. He was baiting the sniper. He had been on alert the whole time.

Instead, he had merely kicked Field Battle Kid!

The magnetic source's energy was not entirely consumed. After shooting it out several times and recharging it a few times, the energy accumulated formed a temporary energy shield.

Ye Zisu was shocked too. This was indeed part of her design, but she never expected for such an effect.

The principle behind the magnetic source recharging and the energy supply station recharging a mech was similar – except it was vastly weaker. At the moment where the source was fully charged, a little bit would overflow, creating a shield. As it was just a bit of energy that overflowed, the shielding effect would be weak.

But to high level players, this energy would not be wasted.

Hong���.

After killing Fox, Wind God descended from the sky and, in a flash, defeated all his shocked opponents. Then he disappeared again.

Many people from Deer Island watched this scene in shock. They were here to kill him, but they did not know why they had all stopped suddenly.

My God, what was this monster!?

Using a mech with such super displacement abilities, with Skeleton's operating skills, how could they even put up a fight!?

"Don't be scared, we have a lot of people. Each of us just has to hit him once and he will die. Gather, gather, gather!" Old Deer barked. They had lost 27 players already in this short period of time. It would not even be this fast if they were killing pigs instead!

He finally understood why Skeleton chose the city map. In this city, the Wind God was invincible – instantaneous displacement, high speed movement. His movements were mysterious.

Hong….

A magnetic source landed amongst another group of mecha. A streak of silver light descended from the sky. Sharp claws came out and harvested their prey immediately.

Wang Zheng had to avoid directly hitting the energy shields. This would consume too much energy and require too many movements. He killed with one move and travelled a thousand miles.

Before the first blow landed, the second energy source had already been thrown out. The instant it got rid of the opponent, it left. The mech pilots who were nearby did not even have time to react.

Everyone felt chills down their backs. If this was in real life, his enemies would've been scared witless.

Who still dared to say that the Wind God was rubbish? This was the most advanced mech, this was the mech that could be comparable to Atlantis's super mecha!

The children's eyes widened!

Everyone was fascinated by the silver light that passed through the city. This was a miracle!

Everyone had thought that this was a situation where a hundred people would kill one person, but in the 20 minutes after the battle started, they realized that this was a rhythm where one mech warrior would kill one hundred other mecha.

"Assemble, get into formation, get into formation. Maintain the formation. Snipers in position? Sh*t, what are you scared of? Pair one sniper with one scout for protection!"

Hong Hong Hong…

"Sh*t, Leader Lu, one is not enough, we cannot block him at all!"

"What, are you asking me to go protect you? Don't be scared of him. Skeleton is just one person. He should be tired by now with very little energy left. As long as we hold on, he will be finished. It's either him or us!"

Old Deer screamed. Morale, morale was the most important thing. They must not be discouraged. Skeleton was definitely tired. Even if he was a robot, after making so many movements, he should still be tired!

Unfortunately, Wang Zheng's situation was getting better and better. To put it more accurately, after almost half an hour of practice, he had reached an optimal state.

This was the the genetic superiority of an Ability X user. Under the same type of situations, the concentration of the average warrior could not compare.

Not to mention that it was Wang Zheng in the cockpit.

More than 40 mecha warriors gathered at one block and formed a circle. They stared carefully at the surrounding roofs. Sh*t. A streak of silver light could come out from any corner to reap them.

1 second…2 seconds….3 seconds….

This was so suffocating, sh*t, why had he not appeared yet? This situation was too unbearable.

"Top left, he's here!"

One person suddenly shouted, then every snipers' lasers aimed at the top left corner.

Sh*t, it was the sunlight. It shone momentarily into their eyes and blurred their vision.

At this moment, footstep sounds travelled from the opposite end of the street. A silver mech appeared from behind a corner.

Old Deer rubbed his eyes to make sure that it was not an illusion.

"Hahaha, Skeleton, you've finally dared to face us directly. If you have the ability, come and fight me one on one. Your big brother is here waiting for you!"

Old Deer roared directly into the public communication channel.

Dominant, mighty, arrogant!

The best in the universe had arrived – Deer God!

As soon as he finished talking, Old Deer asked all his warriors to prepare for battle. Based on his understanding of Skeleton, this guy was going to rush in for the win.

As expected, the Wind God started to accelerate. The sniper had already taken aim.

Zeng…

The Wind God, who was running at the highest speed it could, tossed out two magnetic sources at the same time.

Left, right??

Some snipers immediately changed directions but realized that the Wind God was rushing directly towards them. He did not force his way through.

"Kill!"

Chapter 248: Killing Everyone, the Ultimate Super God

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Feelings that were suppressed burst out in a fury. More than 10 mech warriors rushed over, their beam sabers shining brightly.

Hong…Hong, Hong, Hong, Hong…

Everyone was silent. This was a massacre!

The laser swords could not hit the Wind God! Had they forgotten who were they up against?

Skeleton was invincible in close combat!

Old Deer gritted his teeth. If he was going to attrite him, he would go all the way!

After eliminating three mecha, the Wind God was pushed to its limits and flew towards the wall at an angle. At the same time, a magnetic source had been nailed to the ground behind him.

He had targeted the sniper in the center!

By the time everyone reacted to his movement, the Wind God had already landed amongst the crowd

Hong…

Another shot hit.

"Wah ha ha, I hit him, I hit him. Did you see that? I hit him!"

One sniper said excitedly.

The next moment, he died.

Old Deer had already retreated at the first instant. Sh*t. What was that sniper shouting for? What was the use of destroying one layer of a temporary energy shield?

The remaining five snipers were defeated in one go. Three magnetic sources were thrown out one after another and the Wind God disappeared.

A gust of wind blew through, leaving the rest of the Deer Island mech warriors feeling a little bleak.

Of the 100 fierce mech warriors, there were only 26 left.

At this moment, the warning signs appeared. The Wind God descended again from the sky. Dullness began to spread and the players' speed in activating their energy shields slowed. This made it even easier for Wang Zheng. He instantly reaped his opponents. After that, he pulled back the magnetic source and disappeared immediately. It would not be a big problem even if he was hit once.

This level of control had reached the state where he could do whatever his heart wished to. This was also the best mech that Wang Zheng had ever used.

The pressure of the situation had caused everyone's reaction time to slow down.

Hong….Hong…

Instantly, two mecha died,…was that a sniper rifle shot???

The gunshot sounds exposed the location of the Wind God. He had picked up a sniper rifle.

Sh*t, there was no way to continue this fight!

Suddenly, a mech warrior flashed and disappeared into thin air.

… Was he escaping???

You could not surrender in a team fight, but… you could still escape!!

This brother with the ID "Ride the Mule Walk the Horse" was quite clever!

Then the remaining guards of Old Deer disappeared one by one.

The only one left in that empty neighborhood was Old Deer's Overlord mech.

In front of him, a magnetic source landed, followed closely by the Wind God.

There was a distance of 30 meters between them. Now they were face to face, one on one.

Old Deer let out a hysterical laugh. The Overlord mech rose into the sky – Sky Cannon Jump!

This was his determination to fight a life and death battle with Skeleton!

Old Deer was formidable!

It must be said that Old Deer was still very domineering. At least he did not escape, and no one would really force him to drink a hundred milk cartons.

Hong…

Everyone was silent.

Old Deer did not rush towards Skeleton's Wind God. Instead, he flew downwards into a wall!

The Overlord mech was not bad, but with such a full-force rush, the energy shield could not be activated, and without the protection of a special material giant shield, the impact from landing after using the Sky Rocket Cannon was definitely suicide.

Sparks flew…

Red Team WIN.

Wang Zheng was also shocked. What in the world just happened?

The audience was silent. It looked as though they were trying to control themselves and stay calm but…

Yay~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Celebratory shouts)

Because they were separated by a wall, Zisu could not make out the sounds. All they could hear were the sounds of cheering.

Her eyes reddened again. She never expected this. She did not expect at all for this version of the Wind God to be used to such an extent. This was unexpected even for her, the designer.

She did not care about the fame. One would know that the Wind God and its performance would be Zisu���s pride. She had put all her effort into it to prove that a girl could also design a good mech, and she believed in her own talent. Not only was she Ye Bingwen's daughter and the heir to the company, she was also doing this because she had the ability to.

"Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t. I said it. When I first saw the Wind God, I knew that it was different!"

"Sh*t! This is OMG's pride. We Earthlings now have our own super mech. If we don't support the Wind God, who are we going to support? You bunch of rookies, if you don't know, don't bark!"

"Yeah, now you are barking."

"Is that it? I was definitely drunk at that time. Now I'm a supporter of OMG. This is the mech that will be leading a mech revolution!"

"Aslan and Atlantis? They are all weak! Earth is the strongest, long live OMG!"

"This was an awesome show. There's no way to win against the Wind God. Even Atlantis' displacement positioning is limited, while our movement is simply unlimited. As long as you master it, this is the true invincible god mech for city fights."

"Movement like the wind. A true Wind God. It really is strong!"

Chen Xiu was so excited that he could not speak. The analysis of the video this time was not going to be easy. There were too many things to analyze – from the mech itself, to its control, to the decisions made, especially the various times the strategies of distraction and trapping appeared.

When one thought that Skeleton was going to kick the magnetic source towards them but it was simply a ruse. When one thought Skeleton was escaping, he suddenly retaliated, and when one thought he was retaliating, he would suddenly escape. He moved like the wind, without restraint and as he desired.

This was the Wind God mech!

In addition, the appearance of that thin energy shield brought hope to those with a weaker mastery of mech control. They just had to learn how to use this energy residue and they would be alright if they had to take a hit.

This was such a perfect mech.

The name "Wind God" was indeed well-deserved!

After the battle ended, Old Deer returned to the studio. Yao Ailun grinned and looked at Old Deer. He teased, "Leader Deer, don't you need to do something? Forget about the 100 milk cartons, you have to at least give a statement. Were you scared?"

Old Deer calmly glanced at Yao Ailun. "Scared? What a joke. Little Ailun, you are wrong; I said very clearly that if Skeleton kills me, I will drink 100 milk cartons. Did he kill me? Or did I kill myself?"

Yao Ailun was stunned. …Sh*t, could he be any more daring?

Because of Old Deer's original words, from the literal meaning, he indeed did not get killed by Skeleton. Suicide was suicide.

It was no wonder he chose the Overlord. He was well-prepared. If the Overlord's designer knew that his mech could be used this way, he would die from anger.

"Young man, if you are in a hurry, you won't get to eat hot tofu. Skeleton won this time because no one had an understanding of the Wind God mech. Of course, this is also because the CT official introduction wasn't clear. This is obviously a super mech; why was it not labeled clearly? A super mech is a super mech, a conventional mech is a conventional mech. Using a super mech to fight conventional mecha is no show of ability."

Old Deer was calm and he concluded the matter casually.

Yao Ailun opened his mouth. He finally understood why Old Deer was known as the "Deer God."

Looking at Yao Ailun's stunned face, Old Deer smiled and shouted, "Cui Hua, take away these unsightly things. They are blocking my view."

Cui Hua moved the milk cartons angrily.

Old Deer calmly tidied his hair. If you want to fight me, you at least need to have a high IQ.

Under his calm appearance, it was obvious that there was sweat gathered on Old Deer's forehead. Actually, he was relying entirely on his quick thinking to get through that situation. His original plan was to use the Overlord's Sky Cannon to destroy Skeleton.

At that moment, he was frightened by the situation. Sh*t, the way Skeleton fought was not humanly possible. When the people around him suddenly started to be destroyed, he had thought about fighting with his teammates and struggle valiantly. For a brief moment, he still cared about his dignity as a commentator. Alas he did not do so and only ended his life when he was forced into a dead end.

This could be considered coming up with a plan in an emergency situation with his quick thinking.

Chapter 249: A Big Victory

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Damn, who would have thought that the first military grade mech designed by OMG would be so strong!

"Ahem, I have to praise the Wind God mech. This is OMG's first military grade mech test model and it has already exhibited unparalleled prospects and technology. I must say, a strong dragon cannot overpower the local snake, a fierce dragon cannot cross the river. Let us cheer for the Wind God mech and sing praises for its designer!"

Old Deer, who had returned to his old professional self, continued to shout Skeleton? Who was Skeleton? He did not know who that person was.

Old Deer was persistent on his principals, but it had no effect on others.

On major television stations and forums, analysis videos appeared one after another. Only by replaying the battle in slow motion could they experience that type of shock.

You could say that Wind God not only had powerful control, but was also a mech that had to be used intelligently.

Between advancing and retreating, there was this mysterious balance where retreating would allow them to advance and advancing would allow them to retreat. There was no obvious distinction between advancing and retreating. This broke the concept of conventional mecha. You could say that a unique mech with an original rhythm was born.

Skeleton's performance was no doubt amazing. However, it was the Wind God mech and not Skeleton that rose to fame with this battle, as well as its designer.

OMG heiress – Ye Zisu

"Zisu, ah, what happened? Where is that guy, Tyrant Su?" Wang Zheng left the gaming suite and saw Ye Zisu. Her eyes were red.

Ye Zisu smiled. She suddenly moved towards Wang Zheng and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you. You will be my friend forever!" Actually, in Ye Zisu's heart, she wanted to say something else.

Wang Zheng was stunned for a moment, then he smiled. "I believe in you. You were always the best, and actually, you were better than I imagined. The Wind God mech will be world famous."

Indeed, Wang Zheng really did not expect Ye Zisu to design such a good mech. He was sincerely impressed. To a people whose dreams were to become the best mech warrior, the people who designed super mecha were their idols.

"The beer is here. Brother and sister, erm, did I miss something?" Yan Xiaosu hurried towards them with beers.

"Tyrant Su, when have you ever missed out on anything? You came just in time. Congratulations, you are going to become a noveau riche." Ye Zisu smiled. She was going to indulge herself today.

"Haha, same to you, same to you. Now I'm set for the rest of my life. Believe in Boss and you will achieve immortality."

Yan Xiaosu laughed heartily. He could imagine himself becoming rich with plenty of opportunity to indulge himself in times to come.

"We should toast Wang Zheng and thank him for the contribution he made to our beautiful lives," Ye Zisu said.

Wang Zheng opened a can of beer and looked at Yan Xiaosu and Ye Zisu. "Actually, the one who should be thankful is me. Without you guys, I might have become a recluse with an inferiority complex right now. As long as you guys don't get tired of me, believe in me. One lifetime, three brothers!"

"Boss, stop being so emotional, I can't stand it!"

"Not three brothers, we should be three sisters!" Ye Zisu said.

"Brothers or sisters, it's all the same. Cheers!"

Being alive was that simple, wasn't it?

Wang Zheng was the oldest, followed by Yan Xiaosu. Ye Zisu was the youngest. Hence Wang Zheng was no doubt the oldest brother, Yan Xiaosu became the second brother, and Ye Zisu was the third sister.

"Mr. Solon, I'm a reporter from the Technology Frontline Channel. How accurate is the Wind God's simulation in CT?"

Solon smiled. "You don't have to ask this actually – Although CT is not involved in the technical aspects of the mech's development, its effects and specs are consistent up to 99% accurate. That remaining 1% is due to mechanical error."

"Do you mean to say that the Wind God mech will lead a new trend of mecha design?"

"Hehe, this question should be directed at the designer of this mech. I do not have the ability to answer. But I can confirm that Earth, and maybe even the whole Solar System, can finally have a flagship mech with advanced capabilities!"

"Thank you for taking part in the interview."

"Dear audience, who is the designer of this mysterious Wind God? We will reveal it shortly. Thank you for watching."

The Skylink of OMG public relations department was flooded with calls.

As for the stock market, you can imagine what it will be like after it opens tomorrow morning.

Ye Bingwen was still worried. At this moment, his Skylink kept ringing. He did not want to pick up at all. Even in a time like this, there were so many people who would like to put him down.

However, this many calls was not normal.

Fraser…. Just what did he want now?

"Old Brother, why are you so anxious? Haha."

"Brother, congratulations. You have to take more care of this brother in future." Fraser laughed.

"What? Congratulations? I'm so worried and anxious now."

"Ah? Don't you know?"

"Know about what?"

"Brother, you have a good daughter. She's amazing. Turn on your television and take a look. Congratulations. Alright, you will definitely be busy. When you are free, let's get together and chat."

Ye Bingwen was in a daze as he turned on the television.

"The Wind God mech's designer, Ye Zisu, is currently studying at Ares College. She is a second year student of the mech department. You would not guess that she is the creator of the Wind God mech. There is no doubt that the Wind God mech will become a contender for mech of the year. So far, there has not been a comparable mech design. This technology is futuristic, its concept beyond anyone's imagination!"

Ye Bingwen changed to another channel.

"As one of the oldest mech companies on Earth, OMG has dedicated many years to mech research. They have accumulated much knowledge, and this Wind God mech is their first military grade design. This is an impressive success. They have produced a mech beyond what was expected of the Solar System, a mech that could compete with the rest of the Milky Way! This mech is the pride of Earth!"

He changed to another channel…they were still talking about OMG.

He changed to yet another…all of them were talking about OMG.

"The Wind God mech possesses flexibility, continuous displacement capability, and it is of the scout type. It is, for now, other than the Atlantis mech, the only mech that can perform continuous short distance high speed displacement. This is different from the mech compatible only with Atlantis citizens. The Wind God mech is suitable for humans. This is a show of Earth's technology!"

"What is the most important thing in this world? Imagination! Ares College has always adhered to traditional teaching methods and sufficiently allowed students to explore their imaginations. Ye Zisu is an outstanding representative for such teaching methods…"

"Ye Zisu, just barely at the age of 17. The only daughter of the biggest shareholder of OMG, Ye Bingwen, and also the heiress to the Ye family. She is the representative of both intelligence and beauty. She is, after Xiao Fei, another genius girl from Earth. She is currently single…"

Even the entertainment tabloid channel was paying attention to the situation.

Ye Bingwen finally understood. He turned off the television, walked to the wine cabinet, and opened a bottle of red wine. He took out two glasses and went into the room.

Inside the room was a photo of Ye Bingwen's wife.

"Our daughter has finally blossomed and showed her talent. Xiao Yu, you may now rest in peace."

The powerful career-focused man, Ye Bingwen, could not hold back his tears. Ever since Ye Zisu's mother died, Ye Bingwen had never remarried. His devotion to love was obviously inherited by Ye Zisu.

Hong…

The television in front of Lear exploded into sparks. A pathetic little worm had actually managed to achieve something.

OMG's move into the military industry could no longer be blocked. This small company, which in his opinion was not even worth mentioning, actually dared to compete with the Chronos family for a share of the market.

"Young Master, Old Master is asking for you," Drupe said after bowing. This was the first major mistake Lear had made since he took over the family business.

Lear stood up slowly, tidied his clothes, and silently nodded.

No one could do as they wanted, even on Earth.

This world was interesting because anything was possible.

For the whole night, no place on Earth was calm. At sunrise, the emotions that were accumulated overnight just began to go crazy.

When the market opened, the price of OMG's stock immediately rose to its limit. Technology news, finance news, entertainment news, athletics news, and all the hot topics were directed at OMG and Ye Zisu.

They were unable to directly interview Ye Zisu herself, but photos of Ye Zisu in her middle school days were exposed. She was indeed a genius beauty!

With Ye Zisu's youthfulness, she immediately conquered countless fans. What kind of girl could invent such a mech?

In an instant, Skeleton's limelight was snatched away. However, this was what Wang Zheng wanted. The most important thing for him now was the IG selection competition.

The management of OMG was also surprised by this sudden matter. Especially several major shareholders…they could not sleep for the whole night.

They were indeed very opposed to Ye Zisu's design. Other than not being interested in this kind of imaginative mech, there was also the issue of the investors' interest. Hence, they did not put much attention to the survey for the future prospects of this mech. If they had invited an ace mech pilot to test it, they might have gotten a different result.

Based on their current situation, there was no stopping the soaring of OMG stock prices. Generally speaking, this was a good thing for them, but Little Fortune Star Company….

It was too late to regret. It was as though they had thrown away a hen that laid golden eggs. At this moment, they already had the urge to jump off a building.

There was no doubt that the rich second generation life of Yan Xiaosu would continue, and it would only get better.

Ye Bingwen was also a master of the business world. Naturally, he would not let go of such a good opportunity, and he quickly attended to the paperwork. If he missed such an opportunity, it would not come again.

In Ye Bingwen's business experience, luck was absolutely unreliable. Good fortune depended on the heavens and could not be relied on either. But what about the recent events?

Purely luck?

No. Intuition told him that his daughter had and was prepared. This was a comeback. This type of power was too far away for him to even reach. His daughter was so young and had always been under his protection, now she had such power!

However, Ye Bingwen would not ask any questions. His daughter would tell him when she wanted to.

What he needed to do now was quickly regain lost ground. At the same time, he received another set of news. OMG had a new second biggest shareholder. It was the Little Fortune Star Company who had joined the space project with them.

To be honest, although it was a project, Ye Bingwen did not pay much attention to Little Fortune Star. But now, it had become the second largest shareholder of OMG. At the same time, they had assigned Ye Zisu as their representative for many matters.

This….

Ye Bingwen, who had always been in the business world, had never seen such a thing – buying so many shares yet not fighting for the authority to operate it. Did they possess such a moral high ground?

This was yet another mystery, but Ye Bingwen knew that the answer would not take long to reveal itself.

Chapter 250: Sellout

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

The interviews that the outside world wanted were all blocked by the public relations department. Ye Zisu did not want to be disturbed. She did not mind the academic-related ones, but those relating to commercial matters were unnecessary. OMG had survived their period of crisis and there would be professionals following up and handling the promotional work. What she needed to do was improve the mech.

The performance of the mech in CT was relatively perfect. However, in reality, there would be errors in the operation of the mech. The facts showed that the Wind God mech had very important promotional significance. What they needed to do now was further strengthen its success rate in actual combat.

The advancement of OMG was not only in the rise of their stock prices. Many related industries were suddenly interested in this new entrance to the military industry. Suppliers and distributors were all exhibiting a strong interest in this company.

If it was in the past, these other parties might not even have the time to entertain OMG when they took the initiative to contact them. Now it was the opposite. These parties had to book appointments and wait in the queue.

Those with a little bit of foresight would know that this mech would definitely be the best competitor for the best design of the year. If they waited until the designer was famous before deciding to follow up, the conditions to do so would be more difficult.

Many companies in related industries also sent their congratulations. The reputation of the Ye family in the Earth region, especially in the Asian business community, was booming.

This showed that Earth too could be innovative with mech design, instead of merely producing copies of established ones.

The management of OMG had launched just this one style of futuristic super mech, but they would not be mass producing the Wind God – at least not for now. They were mainly pushing the sales of the agricultural type mecha from the Hercules series and targeted the Bata Type V market.

But this was not the main point. Many places would be interested just based on the techniques displayed by Wind God. Of course, it was simply a matter of time for the Wind God to enter the market. OMG was no longer in a hurry.

Ye Zisu was almost always surrounded by attention while walking through campus. It was the same in the past, but it was never as passionate as now. In the past, when people looked at her, it was more because of her appearance. Now, there was envy and worship.

Even though she did not want the publicity, this incident was still trending. The front page of the school webpage definitely had the picture of this awesome school belle.

When beauty, wisdom, and wealth were combined into one, it produced an aura of glory. It was impossible to remain low-key even if she did not want to be noticed.

Luckily, Ye Zisu was used to this type of life since a young age, so she was able to remain calm. Everyone had a stage of adolescence and rebellion. In middle school, when she was playing with Yue Jing, Zisu was prideful and wished that she would forever remain the center of attention. However, the more time she spent with Wang Zheng, the more she felt like this type of thinking was superficial. Everyone should pursue their goals in life. This type of superficial pride would not be lasting, and in the end, she would just become more and more empty.

This bad guy (Wang Zheng) was changing the people around him. Ye Zisu wanted to share her experiences with him so badly, but now he was already embarking on his journey.

The second phase of IG was of great significance. As a military school, it was useless to perform well in other areas. Ares College could not possibly be changed into the God of Wealth College.

Zisu knew that she could only cheer for him silently.

"Senior, be my girlfriend!"

An infatuated man suddenly appeared at the road, carrying a large bouquet of fresh flowers. These juniors nowadays were all aggressive, young, and daring. Besides, if one liked someone, one should express it directly.

Ye Zisu smiled slightly. "Sorry, I'm not interested in kids."

"Zisu, please consider me!"

A year four senior kicked away the year one junior. This guy – he actually dared to compete for his senior's property. Was he asking to die?

Ye Zisu did not know whether to laugh or cry. What was all this? Luckily, An Mei had arrived, chased away this group of flies, and pulled Ye Zisu away.

"My dear, you are too popular now. Tsk tsk, if I was a man, I would definitely pursue you too!" An Mei laughed.

"Stop teasing me. What these juniors are doing is annoying.."

"This is the price of fame. Looks like this level of popularity will last for some time. Try to bear with it."

"Where's Qingqing?"

"Zhang Runan is not here, so she's the acting president and is busy with club activities. She needs to train the newcomers. You should stop stop spending all day designing. Come and play at my drama club."

"I'm not interested in that, but…I'm interested in learning how to write music," Ye Zisu said.

"Ah, that's great. You can join the music club. I am very familiar with the president of the music club. He's very handsome. Do you want me to introduce him to you?"

"You! Don't think about these kinds of things all day. We're young, we should have dreams and goals. We cannot just waste our lives!"

Ye Zisu laughed. She felt that An Mei was more suitable to be a matchmaker.

"Tsk, you guys have all been brainwashed by that guy, Wang Zheng. My Xiaosu as well, always busy with this or that. Recently, he actually started to study seriously." An Mei might;ve been teasing her, but pride filled her eyes. The better Little Fortune Star was, the more it proved that her judgment was good. After she confirmed that her boyfriend was Yan Xiaosu, her status in the family rose immediately. Even though it may be a little superficial, her family no longer controlled her.

Ye Zisu smiled. "You think that everyone is as lucky as you?"

"Come on, Dear, let's go. There is green grass everywhere, why love just that one strand of grass?" An Mei linked arms with Ye Zisu and smiled.

Yan Xiaosu actually did not like to study. From a young age, he was one who chose to copy homework instead. The thing he hated most was to read, but there was one exception. When he felt that there was a need, and when he desired for certain knowledge, Yan Xiaosu could focus very easily.

He was too interested in the ever-changing situation of the business world. The recent business exchange increased Little Fortune Star's assets by a few folds. It was so intriguing, like a magic trick.

When wealth accumulated to a certain extent, they could no longer depend on being frugal to slowly raise their fortunes. That was all just to deceive children that saving alone could make one wealthy.

What they were playing with was capital and investments. What they looked for were opportunities.

In this aspect, he lacked severely, both in studies and in understanding. Especially with regards to successful case studies of business magnates.

On this, he was the same as Wang Zheng. They enjoyed the process. Wang Zheng enjoyed the process of becoming a mech warrior, and he enjoyed the process of becoming super wealthy, especially when it was success based on his own planning.

One day, perhaps what he did could also become a successful case study for his business school.

Once he thought of this, Tyrant Su could not hold back a shudder. This was life.

Solon was once again the center of attention. He had created a miracle in the CT circle. He had taken to his position not long ago, and the level of action in the usually lackluster Solar System region had soared. Sales had never been better. The Earth region, lauded as the stingiest region, exploded with great enthusiasm.

More than 20 million Wind God mecha had been sold in just three days. Every CT player had the desire to show off. Whether they played the mech or not was one thing. However, whether they wanted to show off their wealth or not was a matter of determination.

Once they thought of the almost godly displacement abilities and the amazing operation that they could use to play with their opponents until they were dizzy, they could no longer control their desire to try.

Not only that, the Earth region had finally started to contribute their finances to the company.

In the CT circle, it had always been Aslan, Arbiter, and these few big empires that had the best sales. Mecha from the Solar System were usually sold internally, very few were exported. And this Wind God had actually received more than a million orders. Solon believed that this was only the beginning. With the promotion of this video of 1 vs 100 , there would definitely be more people who would want to try the Wind God.

Chapter 251: Fiery Desert

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

He had gambled on this without thinking it through. There really was no guarantee this time. He simply believed in Skeleton, and in the end he had actually yielded great results. Solon felt a little embarrassed. This had no relationship to his capabilities at all. To use a colloquial phrase, he had won without doing anything.

The Shiny Silver skin of the Wind God also sold more than 5 million units. This skin cost about the same as an entire mech. It was also one of CT's important sources of profits. Players would purchase these decorations only if they really liked a certain mech.

He had earned another round of fortune without having to use his brain. This was awesome.

Additionally, Skeleton disappeared again. This was nothing special. It was likely that he would not appear easily anymore. But Solon was not an idiot. He could sense that there was a good relationship between Skeleton and OMG. As long as he tended to OMG's projects carefully, there would be chances of Skeleton appearing again in the future.

Wang Zheng, Zhang Shan, Meng Tian, and Zhang Runan had already embarked on their journey towards the IG training grounds after receiving the IG notification via Skylink. The first round of the second part of IG would be carried out at Gil Town in the Sahara desert of Earth's Africa region.

After governance and geographical transformation, the original Sahara desert of more than 8 million square kilometers had shrunk to 4 million square kilometers. But it remained the largest desert on Earth, a hostile place for foreigners.

The Asian region did not have a direct flight that reached Gil Town in the Sahara. They could only transfer at the pearl of the Sahara desert – Jessen City.

Before leaving, the principal treated Wang Zheng and his group to a meal at the best hotel in the capital. "Just do your best. Let others remember you. Our Ares College is also a famous school with a few hundred years of history!"

Gu Te was drunk and had said a lot. He patted Wang Zheng and the other three members on the shoulder. He was putting a lot of hope on them. "The burden may be heavy, but I believe in you guys."

On the second day, Wang Zheng and his group headed to Jessen at Sahara. They were very surprised that they had actually travelled in a first-class cabin.

"This is all I can do."

Gu Te and Zhuo Mu sent them off at the departure gate. The help that they could provide was limited. Some pressure could only be handled by Wang Zheng and his group themselves.

Jessen, the pearl of the Sahara. Green coconut trees were scattered around the city. Water drawn from deep underground reservoirs nourished all this vegetation, preventing the sands from expanding further. Even though this was the desert, the unique scenery and massive investments made this place one of the most famous and popular tourist spots on Earth. It was also a favourite hangout spot of the rich.

When they were exiting Jessen's airport, holograms appeared one after another. These were the city's image cards. "Welcome to the miracle oasis, Jessen".

"Here, you can find all you need. Jessen is the address for everything…"

In this city, you could not see a single grain of sand. It was unusually clean and tidy, with green trees flourishing. There were bright flowers everywhere and there was a humidity control machine every 500 meters. These controlled the entire city's humidity to keep it at an optimal level for human bodies.

In the fragrant air and moving on the roads were all kinds of luxury cars.

"What! What is that? Did I see wrongly?"

Zhang Shan started shouting. From the back seat of a luxury car, a huge tiger head popped out. It was enjoying the cool wind brought by the speed of the car.

When he turned his head, he saw a majestic lion sitting on the passenger seat of another sports car.

"This is not strange. This is Jessen, the heaven for the rich to show off," Meng Tian said lightly.

Other rich people would have expensive cats and famous dogs as pets. Jessen citizens kept highly endangered and exotic beasts as pets. Those who put in a little effort would get animals that were produced naturally and not by gene reproduction.

As they chatted, more than 10 people walked out from the VIP tunnel at the other side of the airfield. The few people walking in front smiled immediately when they saw Wang Zheng, and his group and strode towards them.

"Sister Runan, haha, what a coincidence! This is a meeting from a thousand miles brought about by fate."

The people approaching them were Yuan Ye and his group from Europa. They did not expect to bump into the people they wanted to meet the most upon landing.

Yuan Ye's gaze was mostly on Zhang Runan. Obviously, the period of one holiday did not dampen his enthusiasm for wooing Zhang Runan.

To this, Zhang Shan could only say that he admired his enthusiasm. Europa citizens did have a unique taste.

Wang Zheng smiled. "Let's walk together."

Zhang Runan's eyes showed extreme dissatisfaction. It was obvious that she did not want to.

"Brother Shan, is the Skylink number that you gave me a fake or real one? I called so many times, but none went through." Yuan Ye pulled Zhang Shan aside. He was asking about Zhang Runan's Skylink.

"Don't you know how to change a Skylink to call? Your number was blocked by Runan long ago."

Zhang Shan patted Yuan Ye's shoulders. Wooing a girl was easy, but wooing Runan was not. Yuan Ye should cherish this opportunity he had as Zhang Shan was willing to help him out here and there.

Yuan Ye was stunned. His number was blocked? That was so cold-hearted. But…he liked her even more. A woman with such personality was rare even in the Mu Wei Federation, and he liked this type of girl.

Zhang Shan very quickly became part of the Europa trio. Zhang Shan was a person who talked fast. Very quickly, he purposely led the topic to Ability X. Yes, he could finally stand tall, and he could not wait to let the whole world know.

Upon hearing that Zhang Shan had awakened his Ability X, the trio, Dayna, Conrad, and Ai Weiman, smiled at the same time. They were not arrogant, and they shared some of their experiences. "Your frame of mind is very important at the initial stage of awakening the ability. You must be cautious against rushing your progress. Everything is just a matter of time. Of course, you cannot slack in your training. Do not think that training is not effective. It is like fishing for gold in a big river, you will gain results eventually."

Yuan Ye's eyes widened. "Sh*t, even you have awakened an ability?"

"Haha, of course. Look at who I am. Such a good body, such talent, such potential. In the future, I will definitely become a general, no, an admiral…"

Here, we willl omit about 500 words of his boasting. Once the topic was opened, Zhang Shan could not wait for the whole world to praise him. No one knew whether to laugh or cry. They had seen arrogant people, but Zhang Shan was on a different level.

"Tch, don't irritate me anymore. How do we get to Gil Town? This is your territory. I will leave the travel arrangements up to you guys."

Wang Zheng smiled. "This is our first time here as well. I heard that there is only one flight per week. If we are lucky, we can make it."

Gil was an extremely small desert town. There were only about a few dozen families there. Life there was almost completely isolated from the rest of the world.

Upon checking at the information counter of the long-distance passenger terminal, they found out that the flight to Gil Town for this week would be leaving in three days.

"Three days? Are there any other ways?"

"Of course. You could also rent the small, four seater X64 flying shuttle. Depending on the weather, you could get there in about four hours." The employee at the terminal smiled and introduced the alternative transportation.

"This sounds good, how do we rent one?" Yuan Ye nodded. It will be two shuttles for eight people. This was common in their hometown.

"The deposit for each X64 shuttle is 1.5 million dollars. It will be 1 million milky way dollars for each hour. In the event of sandstorms, we will have to increase the fees by 10%. Passengers will also have to pay for 5% of the maintenance fee if there is any accidental wear and tear."

Yuan Ye stared blankly at the person who was explaining the rental conditions. "What!? Is this highway robbery?"

"Sorry, Sir, what we have here is already a very fair official price. You can go ask at the black market over there. The lowest price is double the official price. And…now we only have one X64 left. May I know if you guys will be renting it?"

The employee maintained his smile, but his eyes showed that he did not care if they rented the shuttle or not. He did not lack customers.

Damn, Earth was so sinister…

Wang Zheng smiled. "Are there any other ways to reach Gil Town?"

The employee was still quite professional, so he said smilingly, "If you are not in a hurry, you may choose to rent camels. Their desert genes are strengthened. They are cheap and your safety is guaranteed. At the same time, you can have the full experience of desert life…"

"We are running a little tight on time. Do you have any desert jeeps?" Wang Zheng interrupted the employee's sales pitch and requested directly.

"Of course, 3,000 milky way dollars for one day. It is quite worth it…"

"You do not need to sell it. We will take the desert jeeps. Two of them. Is there any problem?"

"Yes, I will prepare them for you immediately."

Soon, two desert jeeps were rolled out. They were a little old, but they came fully equipped with desert travel installations, GPS, and a set of field supplies including water, food, and survival resources like tents packed in every jeep.

You could see from the dark-skinned face of the employee from before that he was a little red with embarrassment. "I'm really sorry. Because of promotional activities recently, the demand for these is extremely high. These are the last two desert jeeps. The model may be a little old, but we have just done maintenance on them last month. There should be no problems in their functions. If you don't mind them, I can give you a 'friends of staff' discount, 2,100 milky way dollars for one day."

Wang Zheng checked the jeeps. With his experience from repairing mecha at OMG, he grasped the status of the two jeeps very quickly. "No problem, we can leave now."

"Are we not going to around?" Yuan Ye was stunned. They had just landed and had not had the time to tour around this city that was the pearl of the desert.

"Time is money, my friend." Zhang Shan patted Yuan Ye and sat in the jeep driven by Dayna's trio.

Yuan Ye quickly responded and immediately sat right beside Zhang Runan.

Zhang Runan glanced at him. "Go in the back."

No others words were needed to exude pressure on him. Yuan Ye sheepishly changed to a back seat.

The sounds of jeeps rumbled. The two jeeps drove towards the desert. Everyone was excited about the journey. It was not common to have this kind of unique desert experience. It was difficult to have such an opportunity to enjoy freedom like this, as the group had never experienced life in a desert. And this scenery was even more refreshing for Yuan Ye and his group. Various topics were brought up continuously. Everyone took turns to drive. It was very exciting to drive through the sand dunes too, especially with these jeeps with old-fashioned wheels – the feel of friction was quite enjoyable.

Wang Zheng did not drive for long before Zhang Shan switched with him. At this moment, his Skylink rang. Surprisingly, it was … Lin Huiyin.

"Brother Wang Zheng, how are you? I have a new single coming out again. You must remember to listen to it, OK?" Huiyin's sweet voice came out from the Skylink.

Wang Zheng smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, I will definitely support you. Are you doing well?"

Lin Huiyin was in her room. It was current nighttime on Aslan. "With me here, everything is OK. I am standing at your side. She is very busy now. But Cousin is planning a surprise for you. You can look forward to it."

Chapter 252: Ambition

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

The two of them chatted for a while. Wang Zheng told her about his status in IG. Huiyin was obviously asking about this for Aina. After Aina's coming of age ceremony, she was almost always busy with the affairs of the empire every day. On top of that, she still had her studies, so she was not as free as Huiyin. Wang Zheng knew that Aina was also a determined person. She would be a good princess, a good queen.

"Wang Zheng, a girl? Who? It's too bad she's not loud, we can't hear clearly." Yuan Ye winked and laughed.

"Haha, a friend."

"Girlfriend or a female friend? Tsk, tsk, why is it that no one cares for me?" Yuan Ye said to Zhang Runan.

"Nah, you don't have to worry about Wang Zheng. This guy is like some beauty killer," Zhang Shan said.

"Shut up and drive properly!"

This guy was the sort that would die if he stopped gossiping.

Meng Tian was expressionless. Hearing from Wang Zheng's tone, she knew that it was not Ye Zisu. Perhaps it was that other girl, Xiao Shi?

If she really liked him, why was she not by Wang Zheng's side? Was Aslan that great?

On the other side, Huiyin was in high spirits. Angela shrugged helplessly. The response for Huiyin's new single was actually average and not as good as her previous works. Huiyin was actually feeling a little down, but after the call, she returned to normal.

"Wang Zheng is participating in IG. As long as he passes, he will have the chance to come to Aslan and meet Big Sister."

Angela smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, you really do not need to involve yourself in their relationship. There's no chance it will work out."

No one who cared about their relationship right now, hence there were no problems. Once the royal family found out, they would definitely put a stop to this. They would not even need to let the Princess know if they disposed of Wang Zheng. It was just that she really did not want to taint Huiyin's ears by telling her these truths.

"Angela, I really feel that Brother Wang Zheng is very courageous and he is also very brilliant. He is very suitable for Sister!"

Angela knew that the Princess was definitely thinking of the time Wang Zheng saved her on Mars. Actually, in Aslan, there were people who would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the Princess everywhere. It was nothing. Even if it was herself, in times of need, she could sacrifice everything for Huiyin. This was her life. To her, Wang Zheng's heroic acts were nothing. Besides, it was not as though he really had sacrificed his life. He only took a blow.

There was one point where Angela had guessed wrongly. While Wang Zheng's heroic act of saving her did influence Huiyin, the impact was not as great as she imagined. Lin Huiyin's good impression of Wang Zheng was not because of this. It was the first time she made a mistake and no one criticised her for it. She even felt like they had connected. In Lin Huiyin's life, this was the first time someone was willing to do "bad things" together with her. There was a sense of camaraderie.

Hence, she wanted to do something for her friend and was determined to help Wang Zheng in this relationship.

There were a few routes to go from Jessen to Gil Town. The fastest was a two days, one night travel.

The old model of desert jeeps only had radios that played the programs from local music stations. At first there was a weak signal, but as they moved deeper into the desert, the signal became full of static and they had to turn the radios off. The signal for their Skylinks gradually weakened too.

In the quiet desert, there were only the roaring sounds of two desert jeep engines.

The pavement had disappeared and there was nothing but sand everywhere. Identical sand dunes filled their eyes. They had already activated the desert travel equipment on the jeeps. The giant wheels on the sand allowed them to travel as though they were on the road.

After driving over a sand dune, another identical sand dune appeared. This process repeated constantly. Psychologically, it felt as though they had lost their way and were driving in circles around the same place. Only the GPS persuaded everyone to believe that they were moving towards their goal.

At noon, the hottest time, the desert jeep stopped behind a sand dune. When they opened the covers of the desert jeeps, on top of giving some shade, the solar panels on top could absorb the sunlight and convert it into streams of cool wind, allowing them to hide a bit from the hot sun.

When they opened the food bags, everyone started to drink a lot of water to replenish their fluids. In places such as the desert, the first hour was filled with curiosity, but people would get tired of it very quickly.

"Earth's desert is a little terrifying. There is a small star near my hometown. It is also a desert, but not like this, all filled with sand."

Yuan Ye shook his head. A never-ending sand sea, temperatures hot enough to cook eggs, a heat that irritated people, and everywhere they looked was sand that looked identical. Their brains were turning into paste.

"Yuan Ye, do you have any beauties there to introduce me to? Don't keep boasting about how popular you are. You need to share some good stuff. That's brotherhood!"

When Zhang Shan was really bored, his mind easily wandered in that direction. Using his words, women were men's motivation. No matter what difficulties he encountered, as long as he thought of beauties, he could find the solution.

"Of course. Where we're from, the beauties are not shy like you Earthlings. As long as both parties share a connection, heh heh…You understand what I'm saying." Yuan Ye looked at Zhang Runan immediately. There was a sense of reservation that was unlike Europa's style in his coarse words.

"Do you have photos? If you have the chance, you must introduce some to me…"

Zhang Shan's eyes were shining. He wanted to see for himself what those beauties were like.

"Introducing is fine, but whether you like them or not, or whether you can handle them or not, that depends on your own charisma. I'm not boasting; at Europa, I'm considered a hot guy in school." Yuan Ye was very generous. "Come, I'll let you take a look at our school beauty!"

Yuan Ye was very enthusiastic. "I sent you a photo package, it has all the beauties in our model school. Let me know who you like and I'll introduce you to them when there's signal for Skylink. They are all curious about Earth. It's also considered quite fashionable to have an alien boyfriend. Wang Zheng, do you want in?"

Wang Zheng smiled. "No thanks."

Zhang Shan received the photo package and immediately understood why Yuan Ye kept pursuing Runan. God, the whole country's sense of beauty was seriously warped. How were these beauties from a model school? Every single one of them looked so fierce. They were like Runan, but in comparison, even Runan actually had a sense of softness and delicateness.

"Ha, haha, I was just making conversation, don't take it seriously. Please don't take it seriously."

Zhang Shan was sweating. He desperately tried to dispel Yuan Ye's enthusiasm to match-make for him. This was definitely a school for dinosaurs. With his size, once he entered, he would never be able to get out.

Yuan Ye also did not mind. He shrugged his shoulders and found a new topic to chat about.

The other trio, Song Li, Zhao Wanxin, and Qu Qiuzhi, were all very interested in Zhang Shan's ability X. "Brother Shan, what is your ability? Is it very cool?"

Zhang Shan was relieved to the point that he felt grateful to God. Yes, someone had finally asked. Acting cool was like this: you could never take the initiative to talk about it. The most satisfying part was having someone else ask. However, no one had given him the satisfaction so far, and it made him feel like dying as he was trying to hold it in.

"Heh heh, my ability has no explanation, it definitely will surprise everyone. Just wait and see. I'm the main fighter for Ares College for the second phase. Definitely a trump card."

"Sh*t, is it that great? Just what is it?" Yuan Ye asked curiously.

Chapter 253: New Place, New Rules

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

After a full day of torture, Zhang Shan had lost hope in finding people in the desert. When he finally reached his destination, he saw soldiers taking the identification documents of seven people at the gate. "Welcome to Gil Base. Everyone, this way please."

"Please only move within the allowed area. You may also leave the base, but please note that 2200 is the night curfew of the camp. This is the dormitory for Ares College. Let us meet at the main hall at 1600. The Europa quarters are on the other side. This way please."

A soldier, the escort for Wang Zheng and company, allocated them to their living quarters after a quick introduction of the rules of the base and then promptly departed.

The standard arrangement for the dorm was similar to that of an elite team – there were six single bedrooms as well as a living room and a bathroom.

Zhang Shan cheered, "Bath time!"

After a dusty journey, a shower was more enjoyable than ever.

"Ladies first."

Zhang Runan extended her hand, immediately dragging Zhang Shan back, and occupied a bathroom.

Meng Tian occupied the other washroom. At times, women's privileges were still particularly important.

"Mountain Maiden, you should fight for your rights. Be more assertive." Wang Zheng laughed.

"Oh, please, it is only a matter of time before you call me Brother Shan."

Such a nickname – Mountain Maiden – will bring a lifetime of pain.

After the four people showered, at 1530, after taking a look at the area around the base, they proceeded to meet in the main hall.

There were already many people gathered in the main hall.

Among the group of people, there was a particular individual who was particularly attention-grabbing. She was wearing the summer military uniform of Mars and had a pair of gorgeous, slender legs. Her skin color approximated the color of wheat. She looked youthful and energetic, wearing a body-hugging dress that made her look not only seductive but also dangerous.

As Wang Zheng entered, people glossed over him. Their attention was instead drawn to Zhang Runan.

Everyone made insipid attempts at greetings. Ares College's performance at the first stage was fairly outstanding and hence invited competition. Numerous unfriendly gazes were directed at them.

In this first phase, everyone was still testing the waters. Now that the second phase had begun, the real unforgiving competition had started. At this stage, no one dared to take unnecessary risks.

When the Moon's Achilles, Mars' Lie Xin, and Earth's Lear all stepped up, it was certain that a leader would emerge from the three of them. Even the position of the assistant leader was particularly contentious. Ares College was just too weak compared to them. The second phase naturally became a central highlight as it was a litmus test for not only one's ambitions but also friendships.

There was something crucial about this – at the second stage, one had to choose who to follow.

There were five captains, and among them, there was only one real leader. Only by following the real leader could one emerge victories. Given that no more than 12 people would get to go to Aslan, once one followed the wrong person, even if they performed extremely well, they would be disqualified. Hence, the captains had the greatest power as they would choose who would go with them.

The first phase was fun and exciting, but the second phase was serious. One's ability to work as a team was extremely important. The status difference between one who went to Aslan and one who had to leave IG was completely different. One would be able to enter the military after this competition, and this competition would affect their future results in the military.

At the same time, being able to attain the qualifications to represent the Solar System was truly the greatest honor.

At this point, everyone did well in the field of intelligence, regardless of whether it was spying on the opponents or keeping one's own secrets. Relative to others, Ares College was unguarded since everyone already knew pretty much everything about them.

They had four mecha in total, and they employed the most basic systems. Although their training hours each day were long, the mecha were too restrictive in combat. Just a slight knock and the mecha would stop working to prevent excessive damage to it. This was essentially a joke. It was too pathetic to be considered a weapon for war.

"At the stage, even if you hold back, Ares College will definitely be eliminated."

"That is not certain. At this stage, they are too selective. Perhaps if Meng Tian and Zheng Runan use their true strength, they might be able to stay.

"Perhaps. But it is just two of them. Mountain Maiden will…"

"Although Wang Zheng is pretty good, it is a shame that he is too jumpy. Besides, he does not possess an Ability X.

"It is too difficult to struggle to be a central power. Only by conserving our strength can we emerge victorious against the rest."

Regarding personal assessments, there actually were people who had a good impression of Wang Zheng. It was a shame that in the survival of the fittest, good impressions meant nothing.

On top of that, there was a rumor that Wang Zheng had offended the five captains. At this point, it was perhaps better to keep a distance from Wang Zheng.

Lie Guang, who was slightly interested in the discussion around him, suddenly rose and walked towards Wang Zheng.

In that moment, everyone in the main hall quietened down. Lie Xin was convinced by the rumor regarding Wang Zheng. Although it was Lie Guang's first appearance, his reputation preceded him. Everyone knew who he was. Lie Xin would not take action against Wang Zheng. However, the same cannot be said given Lie Guang's terrible temper.

Was he going to stir trouble? Would an exciting drama ensue?

"Wang Zheng, long time no see."

Lie Guang took the initiative to greet Wang Zheng with a high-five.

Clap. Wang Zheng laughed and returned the greeting with Lie Guang. "Let me introduce these people – Zhang Shan, Zhang Runan, Meng Tian."

"Nice to meet you… Wang Zheng, can't you be a good human being? I just heard that you offended this person and that person. Your behavior is even worse than someone like me… and I often deal in underhanded means!"

Lie Guang laughed. He was indeed a timely reinforcement for Lie Xin, specially selected to join the training at this point. Every general had some special authority to nurture their soldiers as well as to insert sufficiently capable individuals into the teams. However, no one would speak like Lie Guang. Nevertheless, this made Lie Guang more relatable and evidently showed how he was trying to rope in Wang Zheng and the other people from Ares.

Wang Zheng laughed. "Haha, I have heard of this. Please help me ask Lie Xin, how I offended her."

"Does refusing to give up Zhang Runan count?"

"Nope, it doesn't."

"Haha, Zhang Runan, after Wang Zheng dies, I hope you will consider coming to Mars. Mars will never let you down." Lie Guang laughed loudly.

Zhang Runan clearly was not interested. Lie Guang found the charm of such women worthless.

Lie Guang laughed. He was only here to offer a greeting. After nodding, he immediately left.

In the main hall, people did not see the dramatic scene they expected. Some were disappointed. However, upon some reflection, Mars acquiring Zhang Runan was a given. It was only to be expected. However, precisely so, if Wang Zheng refused to let Zhang Runan go, this might have offended Lie Xin.

The team from the Moon appeared. The Eight Stars of the Moon surrounded and defended Achilles. This was an imposing presence.

Lie Xin stole some glances at the Eight Stars of the Moon before directing her attention onto Achilles. Their eyes met briefly. On this vacation, no one had time to waste.

"Atos is back?"

"Just like Lie Guang, the revival of the Moon's name rests on his shoulders."

The Mars group was particularly concerned about the Eight Stars as they were their biggest competitors.

Elimination was cruel. However, sometimes the strong fell because of accidents. The three generals all possessed a precious revival card that could be used to keep a particular individual that had been eliminated to continue their training. This allowed the three generals to put their reputations on the line in exchange for an opportunity. Clearly, the Moon had used their opportunity on Atos. It was used to maintain the integrity of the team from the Moon. The strength of the eight was greater than the sum of their parts.

Based on the analysis of others, wanting to squeeze into the namelist of the IG main contest required a competent leader. Achilles was very strong, but he already had a scarily strong team of eight stars…

Apart from Achilles, there were four other names left that were equally hard to decide on. People knew that the Sun God had extremely high expectations. Even if you volunteered yourself, you might not be accepted by them.

At this time, Raston brought his team from the Caragal Republic. They approached the Mars group. Their attitude was clear; he was to ally with Lie Xin. Since they were unable to beat them, they would join them. If Achilles and Lear did not possess corresponding power, they would be forced to join Mars or drop out of the IG main competition.

In the main hall, everyone's attention was drawn to this scene. They all understood but never expected that such a day would come so soon.

Raston laughed as he exchanged a few words with Lie Xin. His attention shifted as he approached Wang Zheng. "I just heard some news about how you offended me. Do you want to buy me a meal to make up for it? Haha, good luck. I will not be kind."

Wang Zheng laughed. "Yes, same to you."

From their previous meeting, Raston already knew that Wang Zheng did not have the intention to join Lie Xin. If he wanted to, he would have expressed it immediately. Given the current situation, without an alliance, being eliminated was just a matter of time.

At exactly 1600, a soldier shouted with a loud and imposing voice, "Meng Ao is here. Rise!"

Everyone in the main hall rose in unison.

Meng Ao, one of the three leaders of the allied forces, was practically as influential as a god on Earth.

After a minute, Meng Ao walked in from the gates.

"Greetings!"

Meng Ao waved his hands and returned a military greeting. "Alright, everyone, take a seat. The first round of the second phase will be conducted by me. The military has high expectations of you… but there is no need to worry. I am just here to spectate. Everyone looks like they are in high spirits. This is good. I hope that everyone will maintain this morale even when training begins."

After Meng Ao's rousing speech, he pointed at the tough-looking soldier and said, "This is Officer Qiusi. He will be responsible for your general training on Earth. Henceforth, he will be the conducting officer taking charge."

Officer Qiu Si had the face of death. He had the eyes of the killer. Compared to Suyan's smiley face, this man had an entirely different aura.

Chapter 254: Broken

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

"From this point on, I will be responsible for everything you do. Everything I say is an order. Here, orders must be carried out. I do not care about where you come from or what your background is like. Do not come and tell me who you are or who your family members are. In my eyes, you are all tiny birds who have never seen what the world is like. More accurately, you are all garbage going through reformation. Garbage only needs to know one thing – obey, obey, and obey. Do you understand?"

Qiu Si was very direct. He had always been stern in speech. Given how he was verbally abusive, many people's faces immediately changed. After all, they were all elites from their respective countries and were not ready for such abuse.

"Head Instructor, I object. We are elites from the Solar System and represent the highest standard. We are not little birds and certainly not garbage!"

Dong Xiaosa stood and spoke impolitely. Given his nasty temper, if that person was not the head instructor, Xiaosa would have left long ago. Even the general treated them courteously, sohow could the head instructor be so disrespectful?

Qiu Si's zombie-like face became even more stern. "If I say you are garbage, then you are garbage. Here, everything I say is law. You will comply. From this point in, whoever dares to doubt my orders will be immediately eliminated!"

Qiu Si glared at Xiaosa. Milo immediately pulled Xiaosa away.

Clearly, Qiu Si was not joking. Atos had gone through a lot of trouble to be "revived" and was already under a lot of pressure from the Eight Stars. If they continued to oppose the head instructor and got eliminated, they would be a laughing stock.

Achilles stole a glance at Dong Xiaosa. Dong Xiaosa, after having cooled down, promptly took a seat.

At this moment, Achilles was fairly unhappy since he did not expect to spend his summer break with such a bunch of naïve and proud individuals.

Dong Xiaosa's adrenaline faded and he started to notice people around him mocking him.

Although there were many people who shared his dissatisfaction, none of them were as rash as he was.

"Head Instructor, I was wrong!"

Dong Xiaosa was not an idiot. He immediately offered an earnest apology in a bid to maintain the image of himself as a responsible soldier.

Qiu Si nodded. "In the future, if you have problems, you may raise your hand. Only after you have obtained my approval may you speak. Everyone rise. Attention, turn right and run!"

Qiu Si brought everyone to the parade square. There was a number of mecha positioned in front of everyone, but everyone seemed disappointed.

What the heck… how could they be so torn and tattered…

All of the mecha were the Bata Type V. This was the lowest possible grade of mech. The soldiers were mainly elites from the Solar System, so they had even operated the highest quality mecha. How could they train with these pieces of junk?

"Training will now begin. You have a simple task. You will depart from here and make your way to the second section of the Gil base. The mecha have already been pre-set. If you do not reach your destination within five days, you will be eliminated," said Qiu Si.

At this point, yet another person – Lie Guang – raised his hand.

"Speak."

"Head Instructor, is it just people who need to reach the destination?" asked Lie Guang.

"Idiot, both the mech and the person must reach it together. As a mech pilot, if you lose your mech, you might as well die. Little birds, you have wasted yet another two minutes. Depart immediately!"

Following Qiu Si's booming voice, everyone scrambled towards the Bata Vs. They tried to take closer looks to pick the better ones, since picking a bad one would spell trouble.

Training on Earth was too barbaric. There was no room for reason. However, everyone knew that the three stages of the training were set by Earth, Mars, and the Moon respectively to guarantee a baseline level of fairness. In a foreign territory, it was best to behave to avoid any chance of being eliminated.

Masasi and the rest started making their moves. Achilles clearly had some foresight. Once his men had adapted to the situation, they got into the mood quickly and did not need to be whipped.

Lie Guang and the rest had qualified for this competition by merit. On the other hand, Atos was eliminated before being allowed to enter. Although this was in line with the rules, there was still some stigma associated with a person who was entering the contest for the second time.

Wang Zheng immediately picked a mech. The mech itself had no problems. No matter how damaged its exterior looked, its core functions were indeed all tested to be in working condition.

Everyone picked a mech. These base models were easier to operate. To these elites, it was not even a challenge.

The mecha all started up. The main operating system displaying the map started up… From their current location to the base, there were many routes. Some of them were winding, some involved underdeveloped danger zones. One had to decide on one's route. The shortest route was about 400 kilometers.

Under these circumstances, also considering that the Bata had a speed limit, the most important consideration was that this mech was designed not for transport but for war.

It was necessary to ensure that about 100 kilometers was covered each day since accidents were bound to happen in the desert.

Everyone was equipped with a safety button for emergencies. However, once activated, one would immediately be eliminated. On top of that, it would take at least an hour before the rescue team arrived.

This is not an environment for war. It was just travelling.

72 mecha would be going to travel through the harshness of the desert.

But to these experienced mech pilots, just what sort of challenge could it pose?

The mech pilots were all well acquainted with the road. This was no big deal. Besides, since this was Earth's mech, it was not too difficult.

"Boss, which route should we pick? There are so many choices."

"Milo, go make some calculations," said Achilles.

To him, this was not a problem. However, the desert was still a foreign environment. It would truly be lucky to avoid any accidents in the desert. Since accidents were bound to happen, considering that he had to bring a team, the route he chose would have to be stable.

Milo immediately evaluated all possible routes. The shortest route need not be the best. Out of the ten routes the military gave, eight or nine of them had problems. In this foreign territory, simply advancing without planning would be inviting trouble.

"We can go by route C. Distance wise, it is not the closest; however, we will get to pass through two oases. We need to start conserving water starting now."

Every mech was stocked with biscuits and water. In such a hostile environment, it was still important to be careful with rations.

"Depart!"

In the face of mother nature, humans inevitably found themselves as tiny and insignificant. Surviving the desert would be no easy feat.

Wang Zheng and his team also left. They did not allow any additional people in their team. If there were too many people, it would slow the team down. Under these circumstances, people tended to choose people within their social circles in order to ensure reliability in times of need.

Lear went alone on the route. On the other hand, Luo Fei found and stuck with another team with his oratorical skills,

The Lie family had a strong team. With the addition of Lie Guang, as well as Raston's announcement, Lie Xin's became the second strongest team. On the other hand, Lear and Taros became less outstanding. In particular, Lear, who was in the spotlight initially, eventually demonstrated only average performance.

Wang Zheng and the rest operated their mecha through the desert. They were not silly. After all, these four people had come in desert vehicles and hence had a basic awareness of the challenges of the desert. It was not comfortable, and using a mech under these physical conditions was very taxing. In no time, fatigue started to set in. On top of that, the heat was driving people crazy.

"Gosh, who came up with this training? We will be killed by the heat before we even reach the destination."

"Wang Zheng, we cannot go on like this. I am afraid that that we need to plan our time."

"It is too taxing to do anything in this midday heat. It takes too much energy."

"We just started, so our bodies should be in fairly good shape. Let us rest in three hours."

Said Wang Zheng.

"Sure, I think we could even use the nights to travel and rest in the day."

"Let's go, let us show these people the results of our training!"

Zhang Shan was extremely self-assured. He had not squandered this summer break away. Instead, he had kept his body in top condition, so he was sure that he was second to none in endurance.

In this regard, the girls suffered a little more. However, Meng Tian was the best at enduring the heat with her ability, and Zhang Runan's physical constitution was fairly strong, hence she also had an advantage.

In no time, everyone stopped speaking. Even speaking took a lot of physical energy. In the desert, one just faced an endless swarth of sand. There was no end in sight. Without signs, one had no choice but to gauge their direction and continue pressing on.

Wang Zheng chose route D, which was arguably the safest route.

During the break, the four of them quickly stepped out of the mecha. It had been said that the higher-end mecha were very comfortable. However, sadly, they were only using ordinary mecha. Even though Zhang Shan enjoyed pushing his body during training, he felt like he was in an oven and was not as motivated. The air was dry and he was drenched in sweat. It was unbearable.

After drinking water in large gulps, Zhang Shan could not help but to curse. "God d*mn, we will be dried to death before we even arrive at our destination. What kind of training is this? Shouldn't we be using real knives and guns?"

Wang Zheng laughed. "Please don't complain. Given that we can't change our circumstances, we just have to learn to adapt."

"Indeed. Life is like being castrated. If you can't resist, you just have to accept it, haha," said Zhang Shan with a laugh.

"Zhang Shan, watch your language!" said Zhang Runan with a glare.

"Haha, sorry, I forgot that there were two ladies among us."

The four hid in the shadows of the mecha for a short break before entering the mecha again to resume training. Their speed had clearly decreased, reflecting how both their mental and physical states were being put to the test.

This was what every trainee had to endure. In contrast to Demon Island, the desert was the true hell. In comparison, Demon Island was really a sort of paradise. There were flora and fauna, whereas here… there was only sand.

Meng Ao watched the constantly moving green dot on screen. He was responsible for designing this segment. To these young soldiers, it certainly was quite a challenge.

Perhaps they were already sufficiently prepared for individual battles, but they were still lacking in this aspect. IG selections were increasingly challenging. It was not just demonstrating one's proficiency in mecha battles but also a more holistic form of preparation that would allow them to get a good score in Aslan, thereby earning glory for the Solar System.

Chapter 255: Deadly Quicksand

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

He saw the improvements of these students. From their current standing, most of them had not slacked off and had made preparations for battle.

In terms of quality, this batch was indubitably the best in recent years. However, it was still not enough, and they had room for improvement!

Meng Ao, Lie Wuqing, and Drachmach all definitely did not slack off. The situation was great. They had gathered intelligence about the battlefield from multiple sources and somehow managed to get their hands on footage of how their foes were preparing for war. More importantly, they even had intel on the Arbiter Republic's training…

After going through the intel, Ao Meng and the rest's lax attitudes quickly evaporated. They were not being merciless enough!

The first step was to change the trainees entirely.

"Heck, what kind of hellish training is this? I thought I was dying." Edison was on the brink of madness.

He was a fighter, but his strengths lied elsewhere. Although his combat abilities were fine, he paled in comparison to others.

"We've only just begun. Stop complaining. After all, you are representing Caragal." La De laughed.

Edison was an electrical engineer and specialist. Amongst those in the training course, he was second to none and was important to the team. However, regardless of his expertise, he still had to ensure he possessed the fundamentals.

Lie Xin stood on the shoulder of the Bata and stared into the distance. Her lean body became even more attractive under the sun. She smiled. "Looks like the special training is starting to get interesting. I heard that the three generals were excited by the training scenario, so it is not going to be easy for us."

Depending on the environment, life could be extremely treacherous. For example, the Norton Star had a gravitational pull five times the norm and could easily wear out a good half of the training squad.

"Rest time is over, move out!"

Lie Xin jumped down from the mech. She had no qualms with being the leader. "Surely you can't be worse than a woman," she remarked.

The crowd was stirred. As elites, there was no way they wanted to be despised by women.

It was difficult for the mecha to advance in the desert, and they seemed insignificantly small.

The first day had passed. Everyone seemed to have sustained a fair speed and demonstrated their mastery of the fundamentals. However, this was just the beginning. The real test had yet to come.

Pretty much all the teams chose to avoid the coldest and warmest periods of the desert. They strategically chose their rest periods. However, there were also teams who were rather extreme, proceeding even at high noon and in the wee hours of the night, only occasionally taking breaks when they felt tired.

Wang Zheng's team was soon met with problems. When they were resting at night, due to the lack of light and Zhang Shan's fatigue, they knocked over a water bottle and lost scarce, precious water.

Zhang Shan started to get frustrated. Without water in the desert, one was essentially waiting to die.

"D*mn, what should I do now?!" Zhang Shan's grasped his head with a look of distraught.

Meng Tian and Zhang Runan were also helpless. Although they were fairly tolerant towards the heat, they exhausted more energy than men. By the end of the day, Meng Tian was clearly exhausted, and her Ability X was not enough to help her. Among the four, perhaps Wang Zheng and Zhang Runan were in the best shape.

"Drink piss; otherwise, you won't be able to endure this," said Zhang Runan unflinchingly.

Zhang Shan felt his stomach revolting. "Manly Sister, don't joke. I'd rather die."

"You think I'm joking?" asked Zhang Runan coldly. Zhang Shan ultimately struggled to accept his situation, wondering how he could commit such a mistake at this crucial moment.

Zhang Shan started to tremble in the cold.

"The supplies the military gave us are clearly not enough. Even if we find an oasis, we may not find water. We either need to split our supplies or die together."

Said Zhang Runan, who sounded like she had cooled down slightly. Zhang Shan finally began to realize the gravity of his mistake.

Zhang Shan grit his teeth. "I won't be a burden to you all. I can endure this."

Zhang Runan said, "I am only getting you in the zone. Actually, you can get water in the desert."

At the place where the water was split, she dug a hole and placed the water bottle inside. At the top of the bottle, Runan placed a layer of unknown material and sealed the edges of the bottle.

Zhang Shan stared blankly, "This…"

"The most simple method to obtain water. Now sleep."

The three were not stupid and quickly understood Zhang Runan's rationale to warn Zhang Shan and get him in the zone.

However, they never would have thought that Zhang Runan would be this prepared for the desert.

"You are the best!" Zhang Shan cheered.

The four were all tired and quickly fell into slumber. Given that the rest of the desert was extremely cold, they could only sleep in their mecha.

After three hours, their alarms rang and the four quickly woke up. None of them complained about weariness, since that would only affect morale and seemed childish. They should all be prepared for this.

Zhang Shan swept away the sand and carefully removed his bottle from the hole. It was filled with water.

"Guys, you are amazing, you are basically familiar with all the life hacks!" said Zhang Shan with a tone of admiration.

Zhang Runan shrugged her shoulders. "I just briefly read up about how to get food and water in the desert before setting off, that is all."

Zhang Runan was always so nonchalant, whereas Zhang Shan continued to lick her boots.

"Move out!" shouted Wang Zheng with vigor. To him, this was still tolerable. Resting helped him to recover and minimize sweating.

Compared to his previous training, this was not too physically strenuous to him. However, facing the strains of the desert was indeed a new experience.

Completing a distance of 100 kilometers within 24 hours was a basic military requirement, so no one dared to complain.

However, in the desert, it was not only the sand, but also the volatility of the weather. Facing bad weather was truly the most dangerous.

For three days, Wang Zheng maintained a very decent military pace. Thanks to Zhang Runan's method of obtaining water in the desert, they had been able to maintain an advantage by sustaining their water supplies. As they would be arriving at the oasis soon, the four of them could not help but increased their pace.

They did not rush recklessly; they cautiously balanced the need for stability and safety as they strived to arrive at their destination.

"Haha, just another ten kilometers and we will arrive at the oasis! I want to drink and eat loads!" cheered Zhang Shan.

Since the destination was an oasis, there had to be food and water there. There should be cacti or even coconuts since this place had been redeveloped.

With these thoughts in mind, the team was motivated to press on.

"Yuan Ye, I cannot go on. We gotta rest," said Song Li.

"What's wrong? Just a little more and we will be at the oasis," encouraged Yuan Ye.

"Look at the weather, a sandstorm is about to hit. Besides, I have a premonition that there is something wrong ahead. I can't really explain it, but let us stop for a bit," said Song Li.

Yuan Ye hesitated and said, "Sure. Besides, we are not in too much of a hurry. Let's rest for a bit."

He trusted Song Li's intuition. Before danger struck, one's intuition would warn them. Although it may not be always accurate, trusting intuition was preferred as it might be better to err on the side of caution.

Wang Zheng's group felt the same. "The skies do not look too good. Looks like a sandstorm is coming."

Said Zhang Runan. Wang Zheng felt that the environment was rather unsettling.

"I don't think we can proceed. Let us stop for here. Everyone, keep within a radius of 50 meters," said Wang Zheng.

With a mecha, there was nothing to fear about a sandstorm; one just had to wait until the sandstorm is over. This could very well be one of the unique experiences of being in a desert.

After settling down for about half an hour, the skies started to get visibly yellower. From the distance, a swirl of sand could be seen coming towards them.

Regarding this natural phenomena, the four of them had their curiosities aroused by the marvels of mother nature. After all, they had spent most of their lives in cities, so they had only seen a sandstorms in class or in a movie.

The actual experience was entirely different. There was a sense of awe, wonder, and also pride as human technology offered them the protection they needed against the strength of mother nature.

Within a few minutes, the sandstorm engulfed the four mecha. The winds were viciously strong and their surroundings were all dark. There was only the sound of sand hitting against the mecha. The four mecha stood unshaken by the sand. Zhang Shan hummed a happy tune, much like how as a kid, one would be assured by the comfort of being indoors during a storm.

"Well, we are pretty lucky to experience such natural phenomena."

"Let's chat; otherwise, it will get boring."

Under these circumstances, even if there was no raging sandstorm, being in a mecha felt particularly comfortable.

"Chat about what?"

"Wang Zheng, how's your training? Haven't you awakened your ability? You should use your ability more; how else will you improve?" said Zhang Shan.

The four switched on their video chat. Wang Zheng smiled painfully. "You think I don't want to? My body barely keeps up. However, for the sake of everyone, I will do my best and keep on moving."

"What, you have such strength and yet you can't keep up? Your growth is pretty good. Use your ability and help me warp to a faraway place instead."

"Wang Zheng, I think you are more like a fountain. You need to tap into your potential and harness it, find the real method. Actually, these circumstances are pretty common. Many people find that they have awakened but are not aware of what their actual ability is," Meng Tian said. After all, as a member of Academy X , she could not be compared to the other three.

"Gosh, there is even such a thing? If I cannot feel it, doesn't it mean that I never will? asked Zhang Shan curiously.

Wang Zheng smiled. "That's probably not the case. I am afraid to use it. My body will definitely be unable to take it."

"You must be exaggerating. Meng Tian once said that warping causes a strain on me, but even I can handle it. Given your monstrous capabilities, you should be fine.

"This is a feeling, and it should be fairly accurate. Wantonly using my Ability X will definitely cause other issues to arise," said Wang Zheng as he smiled sheepishly. After receiving help from so many people who tried to help him, he arrived at some understanding of his Ability X. His ability was different from the rest, and he was unable to control it.

At that point, being too strong was not a good thing.

If he lost control using his ability in the first phase, he could have died.

The sounds of the wind started to weaken and the skies were starting to clear. There was indeed something comforting about witnessing the skies clear.

There was a warm feeling in one's heart.

However, at this moment, there was a tremor and a weird sound.

… the surface was sinking.

"This is not good; it's quicksand. Run!" shouted Zhang Runan as soon as she got a grasp of the situation outside.