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Chapter 273: Space Battle

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

However, Wang Zheng did not attempt to dodge nor avoid and went to face it head on.

Lie Guang and Lie Xin looked at each other. Wang Zheng was being too arrogant. The penetrative force of this blow could even destroy an energy shield in a single strike. He could never block it.

Dang~~~~~~

A thunderous explosion erupted as the yellow sand around them was sent flying to the air. Everyone was dumbfounded.

Raston's seemingly heavy blow was easily deflected by Wang Zheng's blade. However the excess force had knocked him flying a slight distance away.

How could this be possible???

A technique to disarm a weapon???

How could anyone be able to disarm a hit with such force?

However Wang Zheng did not hold back this time nor waste the opportunity. He followed up immediately and swung his titanium blade consecutively towards Raston as he quickly closed the distance between them. He had reminded Raston multiple times and yet Raston wasn't willing to use his full strength. It seemed that Wang Zheng would have to put in more effort this time.

Clang, clang, clang, clang…

Triplestrike!

In an instant, the blade and its afterimage were intertwined. Raston was defending with almost all his strength and yet he was barely able to defend against Wang Zheng's attacks. However, the real killer move was coming. This move would be going directly after his vital points and the battle could end immediately if the attack connected.

Buzz…

The energy shield was switched on at the last instant and was able to defend against that attack as the Bata was sent flying backwards.

Raston broke out in cold sweat. He realised that Wang Zheng was intentionally showing him mercy. If the previous blow had been a little quicker, he would not even have had the chance to switch on his shield.

A weird grin appeared on Zhang Jingqi's face. This brat was indeed like a seedling as the general had said. To be more accurate, he was more of a strange and talented person. Facing such an important battle, it was unbelievable that he still intentionally held back.

Could it be that he was really confident with himself? He was facing the ace of the Republic of Caragal.

Raston!

Raston lifted his mech and said, "Wang Zheng, no matter the result of this match, you would be a great teammate!"

"The same could be said of you. I can no longer hold back my desire to witness your strength!"

What did Raston's strength-type ability look like?

Raston's eyes were glowing red. He revved his Bata and in a flash…

Bang…

Like the explosion of a mine, the efficiency of the Bata seemed to have increased by over 100% and it appeared in front of Wang Zheng in an instant. As the titanium blade swung down, the attacked seemed to have an overwhelming imposing momentum.

Buzz~~~~~~

As the titanium blades clashed, sparks flew and the mecha clashed.

Blocked?

Boom boom boom boom boom…

Raston had transformed into a beast. Under his control, the Bata Type V seemed to have gone berserk. Every single spectator was dumbfounded.

Was this a regular mech? Taking into account this type of movement and speed, no matter who it was, he would be defeated thoroughly.

Whenever it was activated, yellow sand would be sent flying as it enveloped the sky. The explosive power and the rapid speed made Raston seem to have become a real beast after activating his Ability X.

Moreover, he was able to integrate his ability with the mech rather than simply transform himself.

Raston's Bata Type V transformed into a Desert T-Rex and was able to dominate Wang Zheng, not allowing him a chance to counter.

Zhang Shan's jaw dropped. Was this guy human? Raston was not only fast but explosive, fierce, and had a muscle recovery rate that was faster than an ordinary person's. This allowed him to deliver consecutive attacks while not giving the opponent any time to catch his breath.

Zhang Runan was also a strength-type. However, her strength type was relatively gentler in nature. She would have to rely on some routine moves in order to demonstrate the advantage of her power. However, Raston was different and could simply dominate with pure power.

One could be crippled in such a battle.

How long could Wang Zheng's energy shield last?

Energy shield…?

Wang Zheng had not even switched on his energy shield!

Raston's attacks came like a series of stormy waves. Although it looked like he could crush Wang Zheng with each move, he wasn't able to crush Wang Zheng.

On the other hand, Wang Zheng was starting to acclimatize to Raston's strength. Raston's move was truly fast and furious and technically could be considered as fast and accurate. However, the issue was that… a human wasn't just an animal nor a wooden stake.

This was especially so when one met a master.

Raston rushed forward to make his attack once again. However, the Bata in front of him suddenly shifted to the side.

Not good, it was just a feint!

Raston was feeling slightly disconcerted after he wasn't able to connect his previous attack.

At this point, Wang Zheng retaliated with a backhanded attack when Raston's guard slipped. Was he finally going to start his counterattack?

However, it wasn't the case. Raston still had his Ability X. His eyes shone with a red light and he lashed out.

This attack would truly be deadly!

However, Wang Zheng's Bata Type V moved away from him. He had never intended to finish off his opponent in a single move. A delicate change in footwork allowed Wang Zheng to avoid Raston's fierce attack seamlessly. He was as cool as ice.

Raston was a really tough guy. He was out of breath as he had to make sharp maneuvers without a chance to catch his breath. He did not even dare to breathe too deeply when Wang Zheng dodged his attack. He constricted his muscles once again and once again lashed out with another kick as the two approached each other.

This was a life-saving move.

However, he had exposed a weakness in the process.

Wang Zheng's movements were like a ghost's, and he was able to avoid the deadly move by just a hair.

As he swung down his titanium blade, Wang Zheng could clearly feel that Raston had expended all his strength and would require at least a second before he could recover some strength. However, Raston did not have the luxury of time.

Therefore, the titanium knife stopped as it rested on the shoulder of Raston's mech. There wasn't any point in continuing. With Wang Zheng's attack speed, he would definitely be able to kill Raston before the energy shield could be switched on.

Zhang Shan was already howling as he jumped in ecstasy while waving his arms.

The other prticipants were clearly impressed with Wang Zheng's calmness and solid foundations. They had never expected a strong foundation to be so useful. Wang Zheng was able to completely dominate Raston without any magnificent moves.

This was the ace from the Republic of Caragal, and he had defeated him!

Achilles, Lear, and Lie Xin were aware of how surprised each other was with the result. Wang Zheng was able to achieve a victory without even using his Ability X!

The physical condition of his body seemed to be too good. How could he withstand such a level of force?

Zhang Jingqi smiled and said, "Wang Zheng will receive the vote from Earth. Are there any more objections?"

"No!" screamed the crowd. Achilles and the rest did not make a move. No one was stopping them, and that was the reason Raston had decided to make a move. Although he had lost, at least he had the courage to do so.

"Wang Zheng, you can nominate another person to advance directly to the next stage. However, you must be cautious with your choice," said Zhang Jingqi.

This was not just about authority, it was a test for the vision of a captain as well as a form of responsibility.

"Zhang Shan," said Wang Zheng without any hesitation.

Meng Tian and Zhang Runan had higher chances. If Zhang Shan was to advance, he would require this slot.

"Zhang Shan will be the second to advance," announced Zhang Jingqi. Everyone was showing envious looks in their eyes. This dude really had a great life.

Earth Space Station. It could be said that Wang Zheng had earned the vote in the most convincing way and had been officially noticed by everyone. No one would have expected to have a dark horse outperforming the others. As for whether he could continue to perform, he would still have a lot to cover.

The second station, Moon Space station. This was the home ground for Achilles. If he was to choke in this round, he would truly have no more chances.

The crowd boarded the warship and entered the space station of the Moon directly.

Compared to the steel-cold Earth Space Station, the military base of the Moon was heavenly. They were surrounded by a scene of spotless silver. In the corridor, it was covered with thick carpets from Persia. You could find everything you needed within the rooms in the dormitory, equivalent to a five star hotel.

The first impression for everyone was that they were here for enjoyment instead of special training! In such a comfortable environment, only the people from the Moon had the level of discipline to be able to train and become elite soldiers that could and were willing to battle.

The truth was that… To put it bluntly, it was the difference between the poor and the rich. The economy of the Moon was much better than that of Earth and Mars.

After a brief arrangement and rest, Su Yan appeared in the hall. Beside him was General Drachmach.

"Stand still, salute!"

Drachmach was very serious at the this moment. Similar to the orderly people on the Moon, he saluted back and said, "Everyone who here has proved that they are the elites in the Solar System Federation. You will be the future of the Solar System Federation. However, this is only the beginning. For the following assessment, it will only be harder than your previous experiences by at least 10 times, maybe a hundred times. I have to be responsible and be frank in telling you all that there might even be a danger to your life. If anyone wishes to withdraw now, you can still do it."

Everyone was looking at each other. No one expected General Drachmach to say these words from the start. However, it also proved the difficulty of the following training and the presence of extreme danger.

However, who would quit now? How could it be possible?

"No one? Seems that you are all really smart. If anyone was to quit, I would have conscripted him immediately and sent him to the most remote mining star to mine for minerals. It would be a waste of the military's time if one did not even have this level of confidence," said Drachmach with a smile. Apparently, he wasn't that old-fashioned as he tried to ease the atmosphere.

While the crowd was laughing, Drachmach announced again, "There's no time for rest. Aslan, Arbiter, and the Gemini Union have submitted their final name lists. We cannot afford to be much slower. Everyone, the future of the Solar System is in your hands. Similarly, the fate of Earth will be dependent on your actions. We can show the whole Milky Way Galaxy with our actions that either 'Humans have expanded outwards from the Solar System and we are the pride and origin of mankind!'or 'We are in a state of decline!' depending on our performance. If anyone were to look down on you, would you all be fine with it?"

NO!!!!!!

All members raised their arms and shouted, "Fight!"

Even Achilles had let down his guard and started to demonstrate the excited side hidden deep within him. The Moon was his territory! As he looked deeply at Wang Zheng, he would also want to leave a deep impression in everyone on this station.

The Moon was responsible for the space battle training.

The current military base was specifically used for the training of space battles.

When they went to the garage for mecha, they saw that it was filled with space mecha that were used for the training in space.

"Space mecha are the real deal! These mecha look extremely cool!"

This was the first time Zhang Shan and Wang Zhen had seen space mecha, and they couldn't help but start to touch them excitedly.

"Cough, please do not touch the mecha. You will have enough time to do so later."

The chief of the garage coughed twice as he stopped the two of them from doing anything else.

Meng Tian and Zhang Runan were too embarrassed to even look at them. They could not understand the behavior of these men.

"Touching it wouldn't kill you…"

Said Zhang Shan as he did not hesitate to poke the armor of the space mech with his fingers and knock it slightly as well. He then turned to Wang Zheng and said, "It's really made out of ceramic!"

Wang Zheng was excited too. However, he was able to control his desires better. He was curious if there were alloys of metals in the composite crystal ceramics used in the construction mecha.

Chapter 274: Dazzling

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

There was a limit to one's ability to stay reserved, and the two of them started to talk about it excitedly.

"Cough, this mech model was not built with any metal alloys… As I had said, stop touching it. Everyone, listen up. I'm only going to say it once. Space mecha and the mecha used on the ground have major differences. This is not only about their appearance. The first difference relates to the engine. The engine of land-based mecha are of a semi-open concept, while the engine of a space mecha is completely sealed. Therefore, please take note of the following points when starting the engine…" The in-charge was shaking his head in his heart. What was wrong with this batch of IG? How could two foolish guys manage to sneak in?

Wang Zheng smiled. He was listening attentively to all the different aspects to take note of. The difference between space mecha and land-based mecha was just like the difference between a small van and a cargo truck. Although both could be considered to be cars, the way one operated them was be completely different. Even the licenses to operate them were different.

Quickly, the one in charge of the garage completed his explanation. However, he realized that other than Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan, there weren't many people who were listening attentively. All of a sudden, he lost interest in explaining the facts to this group. He condensed his explanations and said, "There are many differences with respect to the weapons too. Accurate guided missiles and lasers are more threatening in space battle… In essence, that would be the case. Other things to take note of are the simulation system embedded in them…"

The model of the mecha was similar to the common mecha used in the military. There were all kinds of different models, but when it came to weapons, there was an embedded electronic simulation system which simulated the effects of beam sabers, laser guns, and sniper rifles. Although these might seem just like the normal weapons, they used electronic and signal waves for simulation and would not cause actual damage when mecha were hit. However, if one were to be hit, the embedded simulation system on the target's mech would respond just as it would in a real scenario to achieve the same effect as an actual hit.

Zhang Shan curiously joined the crowd. As he squinted his eyes at the version number on the setup, his eyes widened immediately and he said, "Oh, damn, the latest version. The newest version was just released online in Aslan and yet it was immediately in use on the Moon!"

The whole set of systems was developed by Aslan and yet it went online on the Moon at the same time! Although it might;ve been brutal, the costs behind it must have been really huge. For places like Earth and Space City, they were still using the outdated paintball simulation system. Although it worked, the feeling it gave wasn't anything like a real battle. It felt more like a game. However, this system that was in use on the Moon would be able to provide the most realistic battle experience for the mech pilots.

At this moment, Su Yan walked in from outside and said, "10 minutes to get used to it. After which, everyone is to be in position."

Boooom…

A loud rumbling sound emanated from the ground of the garage. The artificial gravity system was switched off and the gravity loss effect occurred instantly, so everyone started to float.

With the training in zero-gravity in the previous stage, everyone was able to acclimatize quickly, find their assigned training mech, and enter the cockpit. The layout of a space mech was similar to a land-based mech. The only differences were in the details, and one would have to get used to the unique space battle system.

10 minutes flew past quickly. Over 10 different mecha started their engines at the same time and flew towards the exit of the garage one by one. After they passed through the escape tunnel, the mecha had entered space.

This area had been cleared previously. The first step of the training would be simply just getting used to outer space.

In just a short while, the difference in standards became apparent. With respect to the zero gravity in space, people from the space station had an apparent advantage. They had been in such zero gravity environments since they were young. Under their operation, the movement of the mecha was natural and easy.

In contrast…

The performance of Wang Zheng and Zhang Shang was a little… below expectations.

Getting used to zero gravity was completely different from operating the mech while getting used to zero gravity.

In Wang Zheng's case, it was still alright other than the fact that he could not stop his mech in time. There were a few times when he almost crashed into the mech in front of them. When he was supposed to stop, he could not stop. When it wasn't the time for him to stop, he stopped. It looked simply hilarious.

As for student Zhang Shan…

When he exited the tunnel, his mech ended up somersaulting in space. Although he constantly tried to make adjustments to the force exerted by the engine, he wasn't able to control it. It was just like a firework display that had lost control as he was spinning and somersaulting randomly.

The guy in charge at the garage twitched his lips. As expected, he had no idea how the two of them had managed to sneak in and then looked towards the rest of the people.

The people from Mars were average as space battles were not their strength. However, it could not be considered to be their weakness, as they had gone through systematic training. Compared to being in boundless space, they preferred a down-to-earth way of battle.

However, against all expectations, it wasn't the people from the space city that had the best performance. It was the Eight Stars from the Moon that performed the best!

Crackling sounds could be heard..

The mecha of the Eight Stars from the Moon executed tactical somersault movements in space one after another. While performing such high-speed strategic movements, they were even able to accurately determine their position and direction, demonstrating a high level of space combat awareness. In the military, only the elite aces would be able to perform such tactical movements.

This was the Moon, their home ground. It was time to showcase their real abilities.

Achilles' movements were even more outrageous. His consecutive large and small somersault movements connected seamlessly. Achilles' mech did not look like it was in zero gravity, and he had perfect and accurate control over it. It was a little scary.

The performance of Lie Xin and Lear were still great with their own strengths, demonstrating strong abilities.

In comparison, the feeling that Wang Zheng gave others was that there were huge discrepancies. There was no solution to it as Wang Zheng had never experienced operating a space mech. Without gravity, it was completely different, and even a god would require some time to acclimatize to it.

However, Wang Zheng's bad performance was a huge sigh of relief for everyone. It looked as though he was not an expert in everything. The majority of the people there had such thoughts and were quite happy.

Short term adaptive training began. Su Yan made use of the communication system within the mecha to conduct a universal long range command.

The most advanced simulation system in the Milky Way Galaxy, the newest product of Aslan! The entire space station and the surrounding space had been equipped with the most advanced photoelectric sensor systems. In an instant, outer space changed drastically in front of everyone. A space shooting range appeared in front of everyone. From the target to the facilities, it was a complete electro-optical simulation.

"Let's start with basic training."

The Eight Stars from the Moon did not stand on ceremony. This was their home ground. Atos was the first to rush into the range. The first segment was flight shooting. The space mech had to shoot towards a designated target while flying towards a designated location.

Atos did not hold back and instantly used his Ability X, Extreme Speed!

The space mech turned into a shadow as it moved through the void like a meteor rushing towards a designated place. He did not miss.

When Atos arrived at the final destination, he was left with the last target that was not hit. In the instant his Extreme Speed ability stopped, the space mech turned back suddenly and fired. Boom…

10 rings hit, all bullseye!

"Atos was quite strong, just a little unlucky."

"From his performance a while ago, to rate him as the weakest among the Eight Stars isn't set in stone."

From the communication devices, soft conversations could be heard. Their views of Atos had changed. There was already difficulty in shooting while moving. To hit the all the targets with every hit hitting the bullseye, coupled with the fact that Atos did it while activating his Extreme Speed ability, he must've had a very deep level of understanding and control of the space mech and himself.

The Eight Stars from the Moon went one after another. Although they weren't as flashy as Atos' demonstration, the accuracy rate was still 100% with each shot to the left or right of the bullseye. It was Achilles' turn. He did not even burst out of the starting line. Such targets to him weren't even a challenge. As the space mech flew outwards, it looked ordinary with no unique points. However, when the laser hit the targets, everyone was surprised.

For every target, there were three consecutive hits. Moreover, the positions of the three shots formed a triangle with the bullseye as the center. It was the same for each target!

It was so accurate that it made one feel scared. If it was just one or two hits, it wouldn't be such a big matter. To be able to do this to 10 consecutive targets while moving at high speeds… it demonstrated immense control and accuracy, Achilles' marksmanship had reached an entirely different mystical level.

Lie Xin's eyes flickered. She was able to do the same… However, to do so on 10 consecutive targets with the position of the hits being exactly the same, she would only be able to do so while she was in her peak form.

Lear smiled. As his mech floated out, the speed wasn't fast. A single shot fired one after another without any special techniques. It was just that each shot hit the bullseye, nothing outrageous nor weak.

"Earthling…"

Carl smiled mockingly when he saw Lear's performance. Achilles had such an extreme performance and yet Lear was still trying to keep a low profile, not intending to divulge his true strength. Was there meaning to it? Earthlings were known to love to play dirty. If he continued to mess around, he might end up ruining himself.

The people from Mars had started to take their turns. If they were competing in terms of the elegance of their tactical movements, they would not be better than the people from the Moon. However, firing while on a designated flight was fundamental. The people from Mars would dare to claim that when it came to basic training, there wouldn't be a place within the Solar System, no, the entire Milky Way Galaxy, that would be fiercer than Mars.

Everyone was able to hit at least eight targets, and the speed that they were moving at wasn't slow either.

It was Zhang Shan's turn. "Let me… prepare myself a little longer. Runan, you can go first…"

Zhang Shan's voice was a little weird.

It was time for Zhang Runan to showcase her strength. Although there were some twists and turns in the process, she was able to complete the mission successfully. It was just that she had taken quite a few shots to hit the third and fourth targets and had almost missed the first target entirely. After all, her strengths were in close combat and she had little training in shooting. Coupled with the fact that this was a completely different space mech that she had never used before, her reactions and judgement differed greatly.

On the other hand, Meng Tian performed much better. Clearly, she had some experience operating space mecha in the past. Although she was not able to execute high difficulty tactical space drifting movements, her ability to fire while executing fundamental movements was still very solid. It was just slightly below that of the Eight Stars from the Moon and could be considered very stable.

It was Wang Zheng's turn to make an appearance. Everyone was holding their breaths while watching him attentively.

Although Wang Zheng's previous performance made him look like a rookie, Wang Zheng had achieved too many miracles. To be the first to advance and various unbelievable explosive performances were norms to many others. At this moment, everyone was waiting for Wang Zheng's performance. What kind of level would he be at?

Vroom...

The space mech flew out. The speed was fast, really fast, and was even faster than Atos' Extreme Speed ability!

The expression in the people's eyes, who felt relieved moments ago, had changed. It was so frustrating. We should have known that he was of a different breed. Why did he even bother acting like a rookie before!?

However, in an instant, the space mech operated by Wang Zheng flew away from the designated location. After which…

Chapter 275: To Share Weal and Woe

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

No a single shot was fired. Vrooom, in a straight line, he deviated from the designated direction and flew quickly towards the opposite direction.

Instantly, everyone was dumbfounded. What happened a while ago…

Lost control?

Wang Zheng had actually lost control! Wasn't this too outrageous?

After a long time, the mech finally stopped at a faraway location. After which, it flew slowly back and Wang Zheng said, "I'm sorry. I lost control…"

Wang Zheng's voice came from the communication device.

Everyone was in a daze. Wang Zheng, who always performed well, suddenly scored a zero. No one could believe it. Zhang Shan rubbed his eyes and said, "It���s just a mistake, everyone makes mistakes. Moreover, this was just your first time."

"Mountain Maiden, stop your nonsense. It's your turn."

A voice from the communication device was urging Zhang Shan to hurry. It was obvious that Zhang Shan was acting a little weird after he entered the space mech. For someone who always liked to show off, there must have been a problem when he passed the opportunity to perform while shrinking backwards.

"Yes, Mountain Maiden, hurry up." Various voices were urging him. Zhang Shan clenched his teeth and his mech rushed out. His movements were just like a mad drunkard… Even the mech looked like it was drunk and could not keep up with the directions given by the system. Just like this, after rushing for less than half the distance, Zhang Shan stopped immediately while still swaying. After which, his voice came from the communication device. "I can't take it anymore….. I… I give up…"

Grrr— Zhang Shan had not completed his sentence when vomiting sounds came from the communication device. He felt airsick.

In the control room, General Drachmach was smiling gently. Apparently, he had expected this result. Su Yan shook his head and said, "It is just as expected. The deeper one's understanding about space, the more likely it is that one will have cognitive errors when they enter a space mech. However, once he gets used to it, he will experience a great leap forward."

Drachmach smiled and said, "Let's not give our conclusion. To always be successful wouldn't be great. It would be better for them to experience some setbacks."

Su Yan nodded. With a change in focus, the second stage of the performance training was starting.

Under the control of Su Yan, the surrounding images of the training ground underwent another change. The space targets lost their colors within the lights and a huge mothership appeared opposite of them

"Seems that there won't be time for rest," said Zhang Shan as his face turned pale. He had forgotten to switch off the communication device when he vomited. The respect and awe he had built up thus far was gone in an instant.

Wang Zheng was speechless too. He couldn't understand. Zhang Shan and Wang Zheng had the best understanding of space. Their judgements on the effects of zero gravity in space were clearly the strongest among the rest. So why had they become the weakest once they entered the space mech?

At this moment, they did not have much time to think about it.

Buzz, buzz, buzz… Rays of lights shone from the mothership from the opposite end. It was a massive collection of spaceships, and they were rushing out from the mothership. Within the crowd of spaceships, there were multiple black, camouflaged space mecha.

Space mecha were mainstream in today's space warfare. However, spaceships had not been eliminated, as compared to mecha, the costs of training operators of spaceships were lower and had lower requirements. This made it suitable for large scale frontal battles. Space mecha were used either for defense or attacking or were used under the coordination and protection of spaceships for raiding the enemy's capital ships… which was what the mothership was doing now. A space mech would be paired with 10 spaceships, forming a battle unit. Approximately 10 of such battle units would form a knife-shaped formation and were used for assault.

"The second stage of the assessment will be a defensive battle!"

"If you do not want to lose to bots, you will have to show your true abilities."

Lie Xin roared loudly as she led the group of people from Mars and was the first to rush out.

Achilles smiled and brought the crowd from the Moon and Taros to face the bots head on.

Wang Zheng flew towards the direction but stopped after a short distance. Zhang Shan did not even move… Meng Tian and Zhang Runan formed a circular defensive formation together with Yuan Ye and were able to block the spaceships and mecha from one direction.

Clearly, the difficulty level of artificial intelligence in the simulation wasn't very high. The coordination between spaceships was a little rigid, but the sheer number of them was able to pose some threat. The firepower of the people from Mars was strong. They were most adept in fighting such tough battles. When Lie Xin and Lie Guang worked together, they weren't just fierce but were fierce and violent. Not only were they able to defend, they even crushed the spaceships at one side and headed towards the mothership for a counterattack.

Boom, boom, boom. At this moment, the crowd from the Moon became serious. This was their home ground and clearly they could not allow the people from Mars to treat it as a place to showcase their battle strength. The Eight Stars from the moon formed an arrow formation with Achilles and Taros as the tip and went straight into the enemy's formation. Along the way, they weren't just destroying enemy spaceships, they were also heading towards the mothership for a war on board the mothership!

In contrast, Yuan Ye's tactics were somewhat dogmatic. However, with Meng Tian and Zhang Runan, together with the spiritual Ability X from the three man team from Europa, they were still a terrifying force. There were non-stop explosions occurring everywhere. Whenever an enemy ship approached them, it would be destroyed instantly. Meng Tian's sniping, Zhang Runan's defensive skills, and Yuan Ye's control of the battlefield. Combined, they were invincible. The three man team was in charge of warning the rest and dealing critical damage.

Everyone was able to get something out of it and no one was destroyed by the bots. At this moment, everyone looked towards the bottom of the display screens in their mecha. There was a tabulation of the number of spaceships one destroyed. After a few minutes had passed, the number Wang Zheng had destroyed was still a zero.

His cheeks were twitching. Wang Zheng rushed out forcefully. He had felt that his control of the mech was unsatisfactory. A nauseating feeling became stronger with the constant movement of the mech. How could he still expect to be accurate with his laser shots?

A simple bot AI spaceship wasn't just a target, it would also execute tactical movements to dodge attacks.

As for Zhang Shan, he had been unknowingly caught in the midst of the enemy's spaceships. The battlefield was constantly changing. A moment ago, he was still beside his comrades. However, he was now surrounded.

"Oh, damn, no one bothered to come to save me…" Zhang Shan did not have the chance to complete his sentence before one of the enemy's battle units had him surrounded. A burst of fire blasted off. Zhang Shan had been included into the death list by the simulation system. Even the engine of the mech had been forcefully stalled.

The mech shook strongly. Vomiting ensued…

Zhang Shan switched off his communication device quickly while grabbing the airsickness bag at the side. He had felt like vomiting but nothing came out. Only the gastric acid from his stomach rushed out.

Faraway, Achilles had entered the mothership and had started the onboard battle. This simulation system simulated a perfect real battlefield. Space guns and the defending mecha all tried to hold him back with their lives. In the era of great navigation, the mothership was just like a home to interstellar warriors. If the mothership was destroyed, the warriors would lose their supplies. Even the strongest warrior would be dead. From a defensive standpoint, when there was no longer any place to retreat, it could often invoke amazing strengths. The system was able to succinctly account for this unique point. Every defensive mecha was rushing forward crazily one after another as though they were willing to sacrifice their lives.

However…

With Achilles at the forefront, such bravery was futile. Achilles wasn't wasteful even in such a situation. Every shot was critical. The cooperation between the Eight Stars from the Moon and Taros was also seamless. They were responsible for depleting the enemies' energy shields. The last shot would be dealt by Achilles.

At the instant, when the crowd from the Moon had destroyed the mothership, the simulated battlefield faded like melting snow…

On the display of each mech, a series of numbers were displayed, indicating the number of kills.

Wang Zheng had a score of zero. As for Zhang Shan, he received a negative one, indicating that he was killed in battle.

They were ashamed.

However, when Zhang Shan turned his head around and saw Wang Zheng, tears welled up in his eyes. Zhang Shan was touched and said, "Wang Zheng… you are a true brother!"

Who was Wang Zheng? The first person to advance to the IG selections! Wang Zheng must have seen that his performance was too poor, and in the name of brotherhood, Wang Zheng wouldn't have wanted him to be at the bottom alone. Zhang Shan sighed. He should have put in more effort, as he had let Wang Zheng down. A negative score. Truly disappointing.

From the communication device, Meng Tian and Zhang Runan were dumbfounded. Meng Tian blinked her eyes several times and could not believe it. If it was true, wasn't this too weird?

Wang Zheng touched his nose and said, "It's not what you think…"

"Wang Zheng, you know me best. I have no idea why I would feel like vomiting whenever I moved. I also felt giddy." Zhang Shan waved his fists and clenched his teeth. A weird sensation rushed upwards and he could no longer hold it back. Wasn't it just the feeling of wanting to vomit and giddiness? Why couldn't a young and strong man like him hold it back?

"In fact, me too…" Wang Zheng forcefully smiled. The truth was that he had the same problem. Looking at Zhang Shan's circumstances, they seemed to be similar to his.

"Wang Zheng, do what you should have done. You do not have to bother with me. I can still hold it in. Rest assured, I will get used to it soon…

Wang Zheng was frustrated. Could he just let him finish his words? "Can you let me finish? The truth is that I wanted to vomit too."

"I know that you didn't want me to be sad about being in the last position. Eh? What?… What did you just say?"

"I said that I felt giddy and felt like vomiting too," Wang Zheng said as he touched his forehead. "We have the same feeling, and there must be a reason behind it"

"Yeah…" Zhang Shan's lips trembled and he was petrified in an instant. "Could it be that the rumors were real?"

"What?"

"I heard it from my father. It's a curse. Those who have a deeper understanding of space are more likely to be suppressed by the universe….. I always thought that it was a joke. Yeah, was it just a joke?" Zhang Shan had zero resistance to some of these mysterious things.

Wang Zheng's eyes flickered. Suppression from the universe must be bogus. However, the issue definitely lay with one's deeper understanding of space…

Mecha and humans were different. It was just like the feeling of one using a beast-type mech and one using a humanoid-type mech. In addition, they were in the zero gravity environment in outer space. Humans usually had the habit of looking for references to determine one's position. However, in the middle of the void, a normal person would use their comrades and their own mech as references. As for them, their understanding of space was different. What they chose for reference was the enormous space, faraway stars, and the changes in the surrounding environment…

Chapter 276: Unusual Change

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Wang Zheng had voiced out his idea, but Meng Tian and Zhang Runan said that they did not understand. They were also not able to understand how Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan had determined their positions in space.

At this moment, Su Yan appeared on the communicator once again to announce the results.

"First place Achilles, second place Lie Xin, third place Luo Fei…"

What!

Zhang Shan opened his eyes wide, the fatty beside Lear had actually gotten third place!

This did not feel good.

Unfortunately, the fatty was insensible and even initiated small talk with Zhang Shan. "Oh, man, I accidentally took third place! Ah, Mountain Maiden, this is actually all thanks to you. I have been looking up to you as my role model this whole time."

Role model? Psh!

Zhang Shan was furious. However, the result was that they had been defeated and were in last place, so there was obviously no right for them to refute it. No matter what they said, they would only be ridiculed more, thus they could only endure all of this in silence.

"…The ranking is not important, the key thing is for everyone to cooperate. Now, we will be splitting into teams for group adaptive training. Lie Xin, Lear, Raston, Pi Xiaoxiu… you guys will be one team. Achilles, Lie Guang, Taros… the few of you will be in one team…"

Su Yan split them into two teams. For the first time, the Eight Stars of the Moon were separated. Pi Xiaoxiu and Dong Xiaosa were on Lie Xin's side, and Lear and Lie Xin were on the same team once again. At the same time, Lie Guang was thrown to Achilles' side. This rhythm of things was kind of bad. However, this was also a test to see whether personal feelings or team cooperation would be more important.

There would always be conflicting views amongst humans, and it was no exception in the army. It could not be that when war was imminent, people in the same teams would be suspicious and create trouble among themselves, right?

This was also a preparation in advance. No matter who became the IG leader of the Solar System, the rest must learn to give their full support and not be lazy or even even obstruct the rest.

"Sigh. Instructor Su Yan, did you miss out on something?"

Zhang Shan suddenly called out at this moment, and Wang Zheng also let out a gentle cough. It was slightly awkward. How the times had changed. The two who were well regarded in the previous stage had now become the lowest ranked and were in the same boat.

And during the splitting of the teams just now, neither of their names were called out by Su Yan.

Su Yan laughed. "The two of you have other tasks to do."

Zhang Shan immediately shook his head. "Instructor, I think it is better not to give special treatment, it would not be fair to everyone."

Su Yan smiled. The problem with Zhang Shan was that he felt good about himself too easily.

Hence, Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan were arranged to undergo individual training, for them to adapt to the condition inside space mecha. It was a little similar to having to stay behind after class when you failed your test when you were a kid.

For the rest, they continued on with their training tests. The previous score still continued to accumulate, and this was clearly important in determining one's future position.

As for Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan, they could only operate the mecha and float around slowly in space. This could not be rushed, as the more one rushed, the more slowly one would adapt. You could only do it bit by bit, to accept and to adapt to it.

Zhang Shan vomited profusely, and after vomiting, his stomach was so twisted that he had no appetite at all. He could only rely on injecting nutritional supplements to maintain his health.

On the surface, Wang Zheng seemed better; at least he did not vomit as much. However, it was very draining. After two days, it was really somewhat tiring, but the key thing was that they were unable to find the reason. He was adapting very slowly compared to Zhang Shan. Zhang Shan was already starting to feel less dizzy, and with regards to the judgement about the positioning in space, he had also gotten used to the viewpoint from the space mech. As for Wang Zheng, not only had he not gotten used to it, on the contrary, the situation became worse.

"Wang Zheng, what's wrong? It is actually not that difficult. I think it might be your mentality. Don't be anxious…" Zhang Shan was very worried. With Wang Zheng's strength, he had a huge chance of getting the leader position. However, if he was stuck here, his opportunity would be wasted. Looking at the training going on on the other side, Achilles, Lie Xin, and Lear, the accumulated scores of the three of them were already sky high, while Wang Zheng's score was still a big, fat zero.

"I have no idea either. I want to focus, but I unconsciously lose concentration. The more I want to have control, the more I cannot control it." Wang Zheng shook his head helplessly. He wanted to sigh but he could not. Something in his stomach was rolling around and it let out rumbling sounds. He also did not want it to be like this, but he was unable to control it and was unable to make heads or tails out of it. Moreover, he had a strange dream last night and could not recall it after he woke up. He just felt that his head was spinning, he was very tired, very hungry, and very unwell, and this was something that had never happened before.

The two of them discussed for a while. Wang Zheng still failed to grasp the main points and could only continue to try to adapt using the methods provided by Su Yan.

Drachmach and Su Yan has been continuously paying attention to Wang Zheng. According to their expectations, with Wang Zheng's strength, he should've only needed to stay in the mech for around 10 hours or so before being able to complete the exercise. Following that, his performance would improve dramatically.

However, unexpected circumstances always happened when one was not prepared for it. Not only did Wang Zheng's condition not improve, it was deteriorating as the adaptation training continued. Moreover, from the look of Wang Zheng, he did not seem too well, he seemed to be showing early symptoms of malnutrition.

"Didn't sleep well? That doesn't sound right. According to the results of his previous health checkup, even if he does not eat or sleep for three days and three nights, he should still be full of energy and vigor."

Su Yan was mulling over the whole issue. Even though Wang Zheng was a person from Earth, for the IG this time around, there was no distinction between everyone, as this was related to the great plan of the Solar System. The sudden emergence of Wang Zheng as a new force to be reckoned with was actually a good thing.

Even though each of them was still hiding their undisclosed strengths, for those with discerning eyes, they would be able to see that after Wang Zheng's strong emergence, Achilles, Lear, and Lie Xin had made improvements. And at their level, it was extremely rare to even make slight improvements.

Drachmach was also surprised. The current state of Wang Zheng was kind of unusual. "Perhaps he is too anxious and too pressurised. If he is unable to adapt to the conventional method, maybe we can let him follow his own steps. If he is really unable to, then there is no choice as a leader has to be an all-rounder. It is out of the question for a leader to have any shortcomings."

The command to rest was given to Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan via their communicators. They were free to rest and do their own activities and to find their own ways to adapt.

"We are being released?"

Zhang Shan pulled his hair. Usually, after such a command was passed down, if there was still no improvement, it would be highly likely that they had been dropped.

Wang Zheng took a deep breath. "There's time for work and rest. Let's just rest for a bit first and head over there to see how their battle training is going."

After two days, the initial computer AI simulated battle training was no longer needed. The teams would randomly mix up and split into two teams, carrying out cooperative training. The two teams would also undergo battle training in all sorts of space environments under complex circumstances.

What was going on now was a round of conventional space battles. The electro-optical simulation system was simulating two fleets of equal strength having a battle in space. The numbers and strength of the spaceships and mecha controlled by the computer AI were on par, and the only thing that could determine the win or loss of this match was the small team of two mecha forcefully trying to collide with the opponent.

This was not a simple battle, it was about tactics and strategy. It did not mean that both teams would have to go face to face and fight at close quarters right away, but rather it was about tactically maneuvering one's forces.

This was the objective of the training, and it showcased one's ability to control and judge the overall situation. The focus was on three people: Achilles, Lear and Lie Xin.

This time around, Lear and Lie Xin had been grouped together randomly.

The two of them were clearly fighting over the command and control of the team. The previous time, when Achilles had a break through, it also intensified the whole competition.

On the other side, Achilles was also not having an easy time. No one was fighting with him for command, but the team members who he was supposed to give commands to were the Martians. As someone who was accustomed to the Eight Stars, it was obviously not so easy to command the "odd tempered" Martians.

However, the more the members were mixed up, the scarier Achilles seemed. In this round of battle, he did not attack at all. He was positioned at the back, being the overall commander, commanding the Martians to run around for the various small battles. With regards to battle, the Martians would not dilly-dally just because the commands came from Achilles, that was not their nature. And furthermore, this was related to their results.

Under Achilles' command, the balance of the battle was leaning towards the side of the fleet he was in. It was just a small elite team of ten or so mecha. Normally, the role of such a fleet in a frontal battle was limited. However, Achilles had managed to do it. It was like he was nibbling away at the enemy. During crucial moments, he was always able to send the Martians to where they should be.

This was a horrifying type of tactical control for the opponents. What Achilles had to calculate was not only the rapid changing battle situation, but also the amount of time needed for the Martians to rush to the respective positions and the myriad kinds of unexpected situations that could occur, including the obstructions from Lie Xin and Lear's side.

Achilles smiled faintly. Initially, Lie Xin and Lear were also only commanding. However, under this situation, there was no choice but for them to attack as well. Yet Achilles still had not moved one bit. The Eight Stars of the Moon on the opposite side were also not messing around, they were fighting with their full strength. The people of the Moon were cautious yet arrogant. They always played seriously, even if their opponent was their big boss Achilles.

But even so, the outcome did not change. The virtual fleet Achilles was in achieved overall victory. Overwhelmed mecha pilots all flocked up. The fleet on Lie Xin and Lear's side was starting to get crushed. In such a situation, of the over ten mecha, no matter how strong one was, it would be impossible to continue on fighting. The only thing that was possible was to retreat.

Boom… the simulated battlefield scene slowly faded, revealing the original empty space.

Wang Zheng, who was watching from the side, was fired up. He really wanted to join in the battle. Achilles was indeed awfully powerful. However, it was also not without flaws. It was just that there were so many problems with the cooperation of Lie Xin and Lear that they failed to grasp the important opportunities for counter-attacks.

Meng Tian and Zhang Runan both sent over the message: "How was it?

Both of them shook their heads in response.

Meng Tian and Zhang Runan did not know what else to say. Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan were already lagging behind by a whole lot. They were unable to give them consoling words, and they also did not dare to voice out their anxious thoughts as adding oil to a fire would only make things worse.

The battle training came to an end, and it was time for lunch.

Everyone returned to the space station, but for Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan… they had no such plan. Wang Zheng did not feel like eating, while Zhang Shan did not dare to eat. If he ate, he would vomit, so he might as well not eat and just inject nutritional supplements.

The space station's restaurant had floor-to-ceiling landscape windows, and they were directly facing the training ground. At this moment, it could be seen that in the training ground, the two mecha of Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan were floating and turning around slowly.

Atos smiled faintly. "Wang Zheng is finished."

Chapter 277: Can You Aim?

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

Actually, the threat from Wang Zheng had been pressing on the shoulders of everyone, especially Atos. The few times he had been embarrassed were all related to Wang Zheng and Ares College. But now that he saw both Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan eating dirt, his entire being was happy and there was an indescribable delight within him.

"It is still too early to make a judgment." Masasi shook his head. He just felt that it was not so simple.

Milo also had the same premonition. However, what she felt about Wang Zheng had been becoming less and less accurate. From the type of flighty feeling that she was getting from Wang Zheng now, it was either that he really was just an average person or he had his ways to break away from her psychic powers.

"We still have to be careful. There is no need for us to provoke a cornered beast."

Atos did not express any opinion, he only gave a faint smile. At this moment, Zhang Runan passed by on the side walkway. Atos' eyes lit up a little, then he purposely raised his voice and said, "Wang Zheng is finished, just like Ares College. When all those people with questionable backgrounds managed to come in, it was obvious their true identities would eventually show, and it would all be over for them at that point."

Achilles took a faint look at Atos. Some time ago, Atos was having really bad luck, but in these two days, it looked as though his luck had improved. To him, whether his subordinate was as arrogant as Atos or someone who kept a low profile like Pi Xiaoxiu did not matter to him. What he valued most was strength and loyalty to him.

Zhang Runan evidently heard the deliberate words of Atos. She stopped in her steps and turned, but she was looking at Achilles instead of Atos and told Achilles, "Watch your dog."

Whoa, Atos' face turned ruthless. However, at this moment, Achilles said, with cold eyes on Zhang Runan's face, "What a pity for you. You didn't manage to succeed in the past, and now nothing has changed."

Zhang Runan turned and walked away expressionless, but her fist was already clenched white. To her, the issue that had happened in this past was a forbidden topic that was never to be mentioned.

What Achilles said not only evoked her memories from the past, but at the same time it was also an attack. "Nothing has changed?" No, it was no longer the same!

When Zhang Runan returned to her position, she turned her head to look at the training ground outside the landscape window. Both the mecha of Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan were still moving slowly around in training.

Meng Tian was also looking. She was as cold as her, not good at smiling nor speaking. After half a day, she only spoke one sentence: "They will come back."

Zhang Runan nodded. Yes, they just needed to be given some time and then the results would definitely be different.

Space station time, 23:48…

Finally, Zhang Shan and Wang Zheng had both adapted to it.

Zhang Shan looked at Wang Zheng. "Wang Zheng, are you okay? You look kind of pale."

Wang Zheng shook his head. He felt fine and his energy level was normal, full of vigor and fighting strength. "I guess I was just not acclimated."

"Really, you were last time." Zhang Shan shook his head.

Su Yan appeared in front the both of them. "Are you guys ready? Let's first start with the training tests."

They had to catch up with what they had missed, and it was only at this time that the training ground would be empty.

Both Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan got into their space mecha, activated their mecha, passed through the tunnel, and entered the training ground.

Boom boom boom…

The electro-optical simulation system of the training ground once again simulated a space shooting range, and it was the most basic shooting test.

Zhang Shan was the first to rush out. He had held back for too long and had not been eating well for the past two days. He was finally not feeling that dizzy, and now it was the time for him to shine.

Boom!

The space mech was doing all the tactical moves, fast moving shots, and all the routines and methods which Zhang Shan had already simulated in his head not less than a hundred times over and over again during his space mech training. Now all at once, he was able to let it all out. Boom boom boom, the lasers were hitting the targets continuously.

None of them were off target, and every shot was a bullseye.

And not only that, the first target had even been hit twice in the same location!

Even though he was not as good as Achilles, amongst all the people, Zhang Shan's shooting accuracy would allow him to safely enter the top ten. After all, he still had the best comprehension of space amongst them!

Roar!

Zhang Shan finished one round and was howling like a mad man inside his mech. All sorts of vulgarities coming out of his mouth. F*ck! I succeeded, I am indeed God! Anyone who is not convinced can come challenge me!

Roar~

Yan Su was smiling in front of the surveillance camera. Zhang Shan was a talent that was worth grooming. The Ability X of instantaneous displacement, if placed out there in the entire galaxy, was still a rare and powerful ability. If it was properly developed, he would definitely be the ace among the aces. But of course, the precondition would be that the boy's temper needed to be polished. Self-confidence was a good thing, but if one went overboard, it would be a big problem.

"Wang Zheng, let's begin."

The virtual shooting range was updated and all the targets changed to new ones.

It was Wang Zheng's turn. After the outstanding performance by Zhang Shan before him, Su Yan was even more looking forward to Wang Zheng's performance.

At this moment…

From the restaurant, several figures walked out.

Even though it was bedtime, with the electro-optical simulation having such great action outside, it was impossible for anyone to not see it.

Anyone would have guessed that Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan had both adapted and had started on their tests.

Zhang Runan and Meng Tian came together. They were standing by the window and had seen Zhang Shan's performance. Zhang Runan nodded her head. He finally looked like a man. Of course, she would only say this in her heart.

Meng Tian also had a little smile. Now it was Wang Zheng's turn. They were all slightly nervous. No matter how well they had performed, their hearts still did not feel secure as Wang Zheng was the backbone of Ares College.

At this moment, Lie Guang walked over. "Ah, Mountain Maiden was a little fierce I wonder how Wang Zheng will perform." This nickname was spreading very quickly and steadily; it would probably be hard for Zhang Shan to shed it.

Wang Zheng's performance was sluggish. Atos had been so arrogant for the past two days that he was not even hiding his ferocious dog-like temperament anymore. By relying on Achilles and the fact that this was the home ground of the Moon, his mouth was full of barks and filthy noises.

When Atos came in, it was just in time to see Zhang Shan's result, and his expression changed slightly. Damn, this person had actually…

However, no matter what Zhang Shan did, he was still not the main focus. The key was Wang Zheng.

Raston also walked in unhurriedly. His face had a lazy smile. "Luckily, I have not fallen asleep yet; otherwise, I would have missed a great show."

At this moment, it was when Wang Zheng's mech slowly flew onto the starting line of the shooting range.

Boom!

When the mech flew out, no one continued to speak. All eyes were following every single movement of the mech closely.

It was very fast, and this was a speed with some restraint!

Atos' face was turning darker.

Just at this moment, a laser was fired towards a distant target.

Boom, he had only barely grazed the target!

When this number appeared on the target, Lie Guang's body shook and he had a big shock. Raston's mouth was also open, and he revealed a smile. "Wang Zheng… he really is an odd person, never playing in accordance to common sense."

Meng Tian rubbed her eyes. She was in disbelief.

There was no change in Zhang Runan's expression, but it was obvious from her eyes that she was a little shaken. Was it really the truth that Wang Zheng's weakness was space battle?

In this era, the conventional space battle was usually the most important aspect of battle. Unless there was a large disparity in strength, battles would not happen on a planet's surface. As a mech pilot, if he was unable to fight in space, it would mean that his achievements would be limited.

Atos burst out in laughter. "Hahaha. What pretense. Lady Luck is shining upon me, and this is the result."

The laughter was kind of piercing to the ears, and it was clearly on purpose. He had his own considerations. On one hand, it was all the misunderstandings with Wang Zheng previously that had made him harbor such hatred towards him. On the other hand, if Wang Zheng was defeated due to such an unexpected factor, it would be good news for Achilles. Because for old rivals like Lie Xin and Lear, Achilles had long been familiar with how to deal with them.

At this moment, those who had come to see Wang Zheng were no doubt all those who had been influenced by him before. Due to Wang Zheng's previous performances, those were the people who had approved and believed in him. At this moment, the mocking laughter at Wang Zheng was equivalent to a heavy punch. It was a heavy blow to the reputation that Wang Zheng had painstakingly established.

Just then, on the training ground, Wang Zheng slowed down his speed. In reality, he was the depressed one. It seemed no problem for him to drive the mech. However, he kept feeling that something was not right with his concentration, and it was obvious when it came to shooting.

The shot had just grazed the outer ring…

It was very bad, but Wang Zheng grudgingly forced a bitter laugh because this successful one-ring shot was by luck; otherwise, it would have been directly off-target.

The second target, boom! This time, the mech speed was not fast, as he was going for stability. The target lit up. It did hit the target, but only it was only slightly inside!

When the number appeared, the laughter of Atos became even more piercing to the ears. "So accurate, he can definitely achieve 100% accuracy within one meter."

Following that, Wang Zheng's performance could only be described as barely satisfactory. It was not easy for him to not miss the target, and his best target was still five rings away from the bullseye.

Only Meng Tian and Zhang Runan were left, as most people had left halfway through.

Su Yan, who was in front of the surveillance camera, was touching his chin. He had no bias, but he was seriously thinking about Wang Zheng's condition.

"Wang Zheng, go back and rest. Tomorrow you will be undergoing basic training on your own. Zhang Shan, get ready, tomorrow you will officially join in the main group for team training."

Su Yan gave his final command and then shut the training ground down.

Wang Zheng and Zhang Shan went back to the dormitory. Even though Zhang Shan had entered the list for team training and was considered to have passed, he was feeling empty. Usually, he would not feel this way, but at this moment, he really felt that all along, Wang Zheng was the stabilizing force for everyone. Nothing ever seemed too hard for him. He assuaged everyone's fears every time and performed to the best of his abilities.

The dormitory here, even though it was luxurious, was still a shared dormitory with four people in one room.

The other two roommates were Yuan Ye and Lie Guang.

"You two are back?"

Lie Guang gave a faint smile.

Yuan Ye had also gone to the restaurant just now to watch the training. He congratulated Zhang Shan and patted Wang Zheng's shoulder. "Don't give up, it is only a matter of time."

Lie Guang also nodded his head. "I am waiting for you to help you eliminate Achilles. Right now, don't give any excuses. Tell us what the problem is."

Wang Zheng gave a bitter smile. "I have no idea either. It just did not feel right. Maybe it's just a problem with the rhythm of things."

"Let's take it slowly, relax, and don't be anxious. Perhaps it will get better naturally." Lie Guang shook his head and gave two lines of comforting words. This made his relationship with Wang Zheng grow even closer. If the situation continued on like this, Wang Zheng would lose his right to fight for the position of leader. But with Wang Zheng's battle capabilities on land, he would be a super support player that would stun everyone in the galaxy.

Chapter 278: Even Robots have Friends

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

So far, it had been very hard for Lear and Achilles to tolerate Wang Zheng's existence. If Wang Zheng wanted to continue on IG and if he was not able to be the leader, Lie Xin would be the only choice he would side with.

But actually, this was a good thing for them.

Wang Zheng was not worried, all he needed to do was resolve this strange situation. However, the military side thought that this was a very serious matter, and to conduct a focused examination was indeed a little scary. Wang Zheng was once again a guinea pig.

Each generation of the Wind God had immediately became the most popular mech in the Solar System after it was introduced. Its popularity was never before seen.

Even without talking about the Wind God's ability in killing off other mecha in a matter of seconds, it was actually for self-esteem purposes. The Wind God was the most popular mech on Earth right now. And as a person from Earth, even if you were a member of the Solar System Federation, one should still own a Wind God mech to show your support.

This was also Solon's business strategy, and the result had been remarkable. Since Solon's acceptance, compared to the same period last year, their profits had already increased by fivefold. There were competitions from many places, and the popularity of the sale of the mech was impressive. It made the presidents of many other big regions jealous as Earth, who was known to be a barren land, had an unexpected outburst of such astonishing strength.

As the Wind God 1st Gen was a hot-seller, many players who were good at the Wind God also appeared. Currently, the one from Earth who was best at it was Prince. Even though the Wind God did not seem too good initially, that did not cause Prince to cower. On the contrary, he put in painstaking work, and after suffering terribly, Prince eventually transformed.

In the LPL professional league, he finally managed to show off the Wind God, and it also allowed Prince's name to become known. All his suffering had been worth it. This also widened the mecha selection for Prince, as the War Emperor mech was often targeted when he was challenged.

The performance of the Wind God 1st Gen overseas was also not too bad. On the other planets, in areas such as Arbiter and Aslan, there were many expert players who were even better at operating the Wind God.

But after all the wild flattering by the media, everyone also realised that the winrate of using Wind God was actually not too high. What's more, due to people gaining a better understanding of the Wind God, to win by making a surprising move was no longer possible. As it was also not as durable as other mecha, it had actually become cumbersome for certain direct battles between players of equivalent skill.

Who didn't want to show off? At the same time, there must also be a suitable environment and opponents for them to show off against. For some high-level players, they paid particular attention to Wind God players. Once they understood the unique characteristics of the mech, they would come up with specific methods to counter the displacement. If the one who used the Wind God became impetuous, it was possible for them to bring their whole team down.

Gradually, all the players became more rational. Most of them would choose the Wind God in cases of complex terrains, and the effect was indeed better than that of most other mecha.

Basically, the niche of the Wind God was to scout sudden attacks in unusual environments. Also, when using the Wind God, one must take the initiative in the early stages because if it dragged till the later stages of the battle, the situation would not be not so good.

In current battles, the main attackers were still fighter-type mecha. These possessed a strong balance of strengths and no obvious weaknesses. Hence, even if the Wind God was well loved by many players, in professional competitions, they would not appear as often. Of course, this was with the exception of crazy enthusiasts like Prince.

The latest addition to the Wind God's abilities attracted great interest from the military. Their interest actually didn't originate from the technology powering the Wind God itself, but how much this ability would help when it came to actual battles.

Currently, according to the data that had been collected in CT, the reactions were quite common. The energy shield was too weak, and its sustainability was also poor. When it came to energy shields, more was always better.

The reason why it was being sought after in the mecha world was due to the design capabilities of Ye Zisu. This new ability did not create any extra burden for the mech, but rather it made the best use of the situation. No matter what, it was still an additional ability.

Prince and Hammer were really serious in studying this ability. It felt like it would only be used under extreme circumstances, and it also required the cooperation of team members.

CT Solar System Headquarters, the President's office.

Solon put down his phone. It had been peaceful for quite a while, but eventually the storm came.

Presently, besides the Solar System, Aslan was the one who admired the Wind God mech the most. This was no doubt due to the philosophy of Aslan, where they were willing to learn from the strong points of others and eventually use it for themselves. The philosophy of the Wind God was definitely different from that of other mecha. It has to be said that with Aslan's acknowledgement, be it in the CT circle or OMG business events, it allowed this model to gain recognition and be of extreme importance.

However, with pros there would also be cons, and Aslan's acknowledgment brought about different noises.

The Federal Republic of Manalasuo, one of the ten permanent members of the Milky Way Alliance, was also the greatest enemy of Aslan in the Milky Way Alliance.

The conflict that stemmed from the territorial disputes between Manalasuo and Aslan also involved a few important mineral planets. There were small disputes ongoing for the past few years, and they had only quietened down in the recent years, but the contests had been shifted over to the economic and political fields.

As a result of Aslan casting a symbol of peace to the Solar System Federation, the relationship between Manalasuo and the Solar System Federation was in a sensitive phase.

Of course, such international affairs were related to Solon, and the call just now was from Manalasuo's CT region's President Dita. It was simple and clear, a friendly match, which they said was for them to see the level of the Wind God mech.

From a macro level perspective, Earth was totally not a well-matched rival for them at all. This was evident from the results of the professional teams.

This could count as a negative consequence that came from the acknowledgement of Aslan. The more Aslan acknowledged them, the more they would be shamed, until they were deemed worthless. It was tantamount to saying that Aslan had poor foresight . Essentially, Aslan's image would be tarnished as the planets they supported were weak and pathetic.

Should he then accept or reject this opportunity?

Solon did not give an answer immediately. He said he would have to look at the team members' intentions and time scheduling.

Dita's reply was with contempt. Solon had been through such situations too many times, and those big countries, all of which were superior, looked down on others. They were obviously coming to make a fool out of you, yet they still made it seem as though you should feel honored. Because if it were not for this, they would not even have looked over at your side or bothered with you.

The Wind God mech was undoubtedly good, but Manalasuo did not even care about it, because they had their own S-level mecha, and the Wind God was just being overly flattered.

In fact, Solon had done his assessment. Manalasuo had a series of Mad Knife mecha. Speaking from their functions, they would totally counter the Wind God.

After serious consideration, Solon decided to reject it. If the battle were to happen, it would definitely be an absolute tragedy.

As for the reason, there were many, and he would probably just find one to deal with it.

However, sometimes, it did not mean that one would be able to reject it if they wanted to.

Dita let out a cold snort on the other end of the line. "Solon, this is an open platform. When I informed you, it was to let you make preparations, to keep you from coming up with excuses when you lose. I was not really asking whether you would be willing or not!"

"Mr Dita, this is an office. What are you trying to do?" Solon was trying his best to remain calm.

A mocking laughter came from the opposite side. "I know what you are thinking, and you should also know why are we doing this. But none of this is important. I will give you three days to find people; otherwise, you all can just wait to be butchered."

After he finished, the Skylink came to a dead tone. The other party's arrogance had reached the point where it would make one's hair stand up in anger.

Despite always doing meditation, Solon was also half fired up.

The Earth region was no longer a region. This was definitely a situation where one could not escape responsibility for their actions. They could not ask Aslan for help at this time, they could only rely on themselves.

He knew that the opponent would be capable of doing what they said they would. Once they were oppressed, the region of Manalasuo would definitely be bustling with noise and excitement for a period of time. It was like killing two birds with one stone. However, for the oppressed party, it would be a totally different situation.

This was the rule of the game where the weak was prey to the strong. Solon had to start making preparations.

Solon was in trouble, but Wang Zheng's troubles were also not small.

Suddenly losing his accuracy, this type of illness was rarely seen. There was a sickness known as Hawkins Comprehensive Disorder Syndrome which was known to cause something like this to happen. But how did such an illness come about in Wang Zheng's case? The most crucial thing was that it did not appear at all during the first stage of tests, so why was it that such a problem only occurred after he started piloting mecha?

The military side was also very concerned as Wang Zheng was the first to advance to the next round.

After a series of precise tests, the doctor's result was that there was no problem at all. If he was to say there was a problem, it would be that his vitality was too exuberant.

Wang Zheng was stunned. There was no way this was also considered a problem.

Finally, the psychiatrist gave an answer. Perhaps Wang Zheng was overly stressed, his mind was too tense, thus it resulted it in a deviation of performance. It would be alright as long as he relaxed.

Drachmach was speechless after looking at the test results. According to Meng Ao's report, Wang Zheng had already become one of their important candidates. He was an integral part of the team, and he would have to be groomed regardless, but it turned out that the reason was that he was overly stressed?

Relax. How could he relax?

And for the way of thinking of the people of the Moon, relaxing meant to relax. For the second time, Wang Zheng was sent to Paradise Island.

He even took a private plane there as Su Yan had let Wang Zheng go. "Just don't think about anything, play as much as you like for three days, and after three days, I will come and fetch you."

In the end, even Su Yan himself was shaking his head. What the hell was happening? This young fellow was defying the natural order of things. What kind of treatment was this? This was the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened ever since the IG selection started!

Overly stressed? Going to the Paradise Island to relax?

To hell with it!

Just because he got one vote, it was already unbearable for him. He was not even the official leader yet. Sometimes he really had no idea what the generals were thinking.

Some said that some big shot had spoken. But it was very weird. What big shot had such great honor that even the generals would do such a thing at such an inappropriate time?

Looking at the departing spaceship, Wang Zheng also did not know whether to laugh or cry. What was going on?

He was sure that this was not a problem due to stress, nor the problem of not adapting to the weightlessness situation. It was definitely something within him that was the problem.

Wang Zheng stayed in a hotel, lying on a bed. Outside of Paradise was a beach filled with sunlight and a blue sky. And when he opened the windows, there was a mild breeze with a fruity smell. It gets as comfortable as he wanted it to be.

However, Wang Zheng's mood was not so relaxed. To be exact, he should've been undergoing special training right now, so why was he being sent to this place?

Where was the problem exactly!?

There was nothing wrong with his skill, nothing wrong with his body. Maybe it was an aftermath effect from using Ability X last time?

But it did not seem like it. How come there was always a slight deviation when he made an attack? This was really too weird.

Suddenly, Wang Zheng thought of a weird question. Where was Bonehead?

Why had he become so well-behaved recently?

Wang Zheng removed his top to reveal his Rubik's Cube tattoo on his chest. His spiritual strength slowly penetrated it and the Rubik's Cube started emitting a faint light.

A handsome skeletal robot appeared, and just as Wang Zheng was about to speak… Damn, just what is that thing?

Right behind the skeletal robot, there was a dark and swarthy cube that crawled out wobbling.

This… Generally speaking, Bonehead's body was still constructed with high-end materials. However, this black cube looked like a ten-thousand-year-old antique. Don't tell me he was Bonehead's good friend?

However, once it appeared, the two robots started confronting one another. It seemed like they were enemies rather than good friends.

Well… what a passionate punch!

The two robots were quite on par with each other when it came to fighting. It was their fight that had disrupted Wang Zheng's training!

Chapter 279: Room Service

Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas

No wonder he kept feeling like something was off. They'd been tormenting him. It'd be odd if he felt normal.

But the weird thing about it was that Wang Zheng did not sense any malicious intent from the charcoal black robot. He wasn't sure if being the onlooker allowed him to see things clearly, but he felt as if the two robots had a similar air around them.

… did robots have an aura around them?

Regardless, he was still on somewhat good terms with Bonehead and thus he wanted to stop them from fighting.

The instant Wang Zheng touched Bonehead in an attempt to separate the two, it was as though he'd been electrocuted. The charcoal black robot flashed and the two machines disappeared together, locked in an embrace.

And the Rubik's Cube mark on Wang Zheng's chest turned dim…

What was going on?

Wang Zheng rubbed it. Bonehead seemed to be at a high level, so how did that black thing trap him when their strengths and abilities did not seem to be far apart?

After calling out countless times and not getting any response, Wang Zheng laid on the bed, arms and legs spread wide open, and suddenly… the mental disorientation he felt was gone.

Wang Zheng concentrated. It was real!

The thing that had been making him feel disoriented was no longer there.

He had a stomach full of questions but nobody to ask them to. More importantly, the Rubik's Cube no longer listened to him, and there was no use no matter how he called.

For some reason, the scene from the Norton Star came to Wang Zheng's mind. That person seemed affable, and it didn't seem like he would do any harm. This was even more true for Bonehead. Bonehead wanted to help him become stronger. How did these two energies come into conflict?

What was the connection between them?

And most importantly, it was okay that they fought, but couldn't they have kept others out of harm's way?

He was in the most crucial phase of working things out. Falling out at this time would be alright if it happened just once. But if things got out of hand, the army might've disqualified him, and all the work that had been put in would go to waste.

No matter what, the tricky problem he had in front of him was now resolved.

It all came and went suddenly. After opening the windows and looking out at the beautiful scenery, Wang Zheng felt lost. There were many things he wanted to talk to someone about, but he suddenly realised that there really wasn't anybody out there.

Just then, he heard knocks on the door.

"Sir? Room service," said a girl's sweet voice.

Wang Zheng hesitated. … the army had provided such a complete service?

He had heard Tyrant Su brag about Paradise Island in the past, about how the most beautiful scene was not the scenery, but the girls.

"Ah? I didn't call for room service," answered Wang Zheng.

"Sir, this is Paradise Island. There are surprises around every corner, and everything is possible."

The person outside did not relent.

The voice sounded rather familiar, but…

Wang Zheng opened the door to a figure he had not seen in a long time. A light fragrance came at him, and a girl threw herself into his arms.

GOD!

It was Aina!

Was he dreaming?

Embracing the girl's tender and soft body, Wang Zheng could feel that it was real.

"Xiao Shi, is it really you? Am I confused again?" Could it be that the two robots' fight had confounded him so much so that he was hallucinating?

Aina's eyes shone brightly. Sometimes, all that was really needed was courage. Once she had her mind made up, the world became a different place. All that stuff, such as her responsibility as a member of the royal family, became unimportant, and her world was now filled with colors.

Rules were dead, humans were not!

"Ahem. Attention, attention. There is a minor around here." Another figure appeared from the side. Lin Huiyin separated the two of them without hesitation and entered the room.

"The army is a real miser, arranging such a small room for you, and with such poor views," Huiyin said, sizing the room up.

Wang Zheng smiled. The room was huge. And as for views, this was paradise compared to training.

"Why are you here?" Wang Zheng asked, holding Aina's hands. The two of them looked lovingly into each others' eyes.

"I can't stand the two of you. Hey, there's a living person standing right here, okay? Do I have to give you ten minutes to look at each other?"

Lin Huiyin said coyly, stamping her feet.

"Sure, Student Huiyin." Wang Zheng did not care about this little gooseberry.

Aina smiled and said, "This trip's all thanks to her. I snuck out. She's holding a concert on the Moon."

"Not just that. I asked Angela to call the army to make arrangements," Lin Huiyin said proudly. It wasn't appropriate for Aina to be directly involved in these things, and Lin Huiyin had a lot more freedom.

So that was it. No wonder Drachmach had acted weirdly. Even if he needed rest, there was no need to send him all the way here.

It seemed like the Solar System Federation had intentions of building a stronger alliance with Aslan too.

"I know, I know, you're the best!" Aina said, locking her fingers with Wang Zheng's.

"Enough, enough! You're too mushy! I'll give you ten minutes to pour your hearts out. I'll wait outside. We'll go for a swim in a bit. Enjoy ourselves since we're here anyway."

Student Huiyin was happy as long as she could play. She didn't like attending classes, especially in school. Of course, when she was out, there would be royal tutors around to tutor her. It was less stressful that way too.

More importantly, Lin Huiyin didn't like the strict and rigid atmosphere in the royal school. People either showed their admiration and envy or were overly courteous when they saw her. It was as if they were all made-to-order. The Solar System was more fun and interesting.

After Lin Huiyin left, Wang Zheng took Aina into his arms right away and gave her a really long kiss.

This supremely beautiful girl was his. Aina was passive at first, and then slowly, she kissed him back. She was shy and felt strange about it, but that only made Wang Zheng desire her more. Only when he embraced Aina tightly could he feel that it was real. Sometimes even Wang Zheng himself wondered if their meeting was just a dream.

Time had stopped for this young couple. Lin Huiyin didn't really give them ten minutes. The lass had cheerfully went on to pick out a swimsuit, with Angela following her every step of the way.

She was one of Lin Huiyin's people and was to live and die for the Princess. But with regards to Princess Aina's dangerous actions, she had her reservations. She didn't want Her Royal Highness Huiyin to be overly involved in this matter.

Too bad though, her protests were of no use, and instead, she became an accomplice herself.

Little girls were not rational enough and were often blinded by love. Such confusing feelings were immature, and there was often a price to pay.

All this while, Angela was admissible that Aina was more suitable to rule the country. She had done a good job so far and was cool-headed. This was a prerequisite for being Queen.

But looking at the situation now, it seemed like the rebellious Huiyin was way better than Aina in this aspect.

The Princess was playing with fire.

The scenery differed because of the company. Aina's presence made Paradise Island a true paradise, while poor Zhang Shan and the rest were stuck in intense training as he enjoyed his vacation.

Wang Zheng learned from Aina that they really had to thank Huiyin. If not for Huiyin covering up, it would have been difficult for Aina to come out. Of course, internally, Her Royal Highness Princess was "diligently studying history."

Most importantly, Huiyin had indeed reminded Aina that she should not miss out on the best of times.

There wasn't anything much for Wang Zheng to change into. A pair of large underpants would do. But the two girls were having a hard time.

Was there a need for that? It had been half an hour.

Finally, the doors opened. The bored Student Wang Zheng turned around and almost had a nosebleed. Two beauties, one older and one younger.

Aina was wearing a light blue swimsuit. Of course, bikinis were not appropriate for the Aslan Princess, and it was more conservatively styled. But that snow white skin looked stunning under the sun. Aina looked at Wang Zheng, unreserved. Wang Zheng's stunned reaction made her feel very pleased.

"Do I look nice?"

Wang Zheng shook his head helplessly. "I regret it now."

Aina and Huiyin looked at each other. Is it not nice?

Wang Zheng waved his hand and said, "Your beauty can't be described with the word 'nice'. Forget it, we're not going out anymore. I'd suffer losses if others saw you."

"Tsk. No wonder people say Earthlings are petty. I've booked the whole place, dummy!" Lin Huiyin pouted.

Wang Zheng laughed. He was only expressing how he felt, and this lass had taken it for real.

"Let's go, I'll show you my unparalleled swimming skills." Wang Zheng chuckled.

"Hey, didn't you forget something?" Lin Huiyin asked.

"Ah?" Wang Zheng and Aina were both confused.

"You didn't compliment me! Don't I look good?"

Huiyin had donned a pink little swimwear with a golden bow. It was indeed super adorable. To the extent that others couldn't be able to help but give her a pinch. Too bad some people were so "fervently in love" that they had overlooked her.

"My God. How could I? Your Royal Highness Huiyin's beauty has made me forget my status," said Wang Zheng.

"Tsk. Sweet nothings. Forget it. I shall be magnanimous and not hold you to this."

Then… Lin Huiyin walked in the middle, holding one on each side, coldly separating Wang Zheng and Aina.

Wang Zheng looked at Aina bitterly. Why did she bring this gooseberry along? Didn't she have a concert to prepare for?

Aina gave a consoling look. Prioritising men over her sister was not a nice thing to do.

"Wang Zheng, I want to have ice cream! Honeydew flavored, coconut flavored, and…"

Wang Zheng was getting ready to have some fun with Aina in the water when their benefactor started making all sorts of requests.

Student Wang could only wait upon her.

There were lots of exciting things on Paradise Island's water amusement park. Wang Zheng hadn't had so much fun in a very, very long time.

Aina and Lin Huiyin had clearly learned how to swim from a very young age, their movements graceful and elegant.

"I want to go on the water slides!"

More than ten meters high, with all sorts of spins and turns, the slides were not suitable for young children. But Lin Huiyin was persistent. She had to give it a go no matter what.

"Wang Zheng, look after her, she gets wild."

Left with no choice, Wang Zheng had to watch after Lin Huiyin. He thought she was a quiet little girl, but here she was, bubbly and active.

"Hurry, hurry! What a coward!" Lin Huiyin complained. Student Wang rubbed his nose. This had nothing to do with courage.

"Huiyin, be careful. Maintain that posture or you'll get hurt."

She was just too bubbly. Lin Huiyin waved to Aina at the bottom, signaling that she was going to jump. Then, all of a sudden, she turned and pulled Wang Zheng. The two of them tumbled down together.

Lin Huiyin's cheerfully laughed on their way down. It wasn't fast at first, but it was quickly followed by a few twirls. She had become one with the water, flowing and moving non stop. All worries were thrown out of the windows.

A few spins and turns later, the two of them made a final ten meter rush and fell right into the pool. Huiyin made a beautiful mermaid-like move and was confident and at ease. Student Wang fell straight in, butt first.

Throughout the whole process, Lin Huiyin had been tugging and pulling at him from all corners. Huiyin was exhilarated, but he was in quite a pitiful state.