Heartbroken brother

Li Hao had already forgotten what had just happened and was now reflecting, realizing he should have raised his score a bit higher. What was that, anyway?

By this point, Li Hao had already finished several rounds. Perhaps it was the aftereffect of the tournament, but his opponents seemed overly excited. Yet, whether they underestimated him or not, they showed no vigilance, and winning felt utterly joyless.

Puppet (Kai Long III) vs. Caris of Tyshen Academy (Ty Long Heavy Armor II TAS)

Ty Long Heavy Armor II

Configuration: 150-ton heavy fighter

Dual-engine nuclear fission overclocked laser cannon, retractable titanium blade, titanium claws.

"Kai Long against Ty Long, this is going to be a slog. This kind of heavy mech is incredibly annoying in arena mode," Aerz couldn't help but comment. With its overwhelming firepower and strong defense, especially its retractable titanium blade that counters close combat, the bulky shortcomings are largely concealed in arena mode.

"I remember this Caris; he also participated in the tournament, but Tyshen Academy didn't make it to the knockout stage. Their characteristics are pretty distinctive. If I were them, I'd focus on agility."

"Come on, Ty Long may be a bit clumsy, but its retractable titanium blade could cut Kai Long in half with a single strike. Against it, you either snipe from afar or use a light mech for a hit-and-run strategy. The arena isn't the best place to fight it," Aerz shrugged.

Tita, uninterested in their chatter, remained silent. Arths' presence clearly sparked the men's desire to show off.

The battle commenced. Kai Long's fighter shot out like a bullet, speeding towards Ty Long Heavy Armor. Caris grinned widely. "In the arena, my Ty Long is everyone's daddy. Time to eat!"

The overclocked laser cannons lit up, unleashing their full firepower. Against some newer mechs, there are always ways to cope. After the loss on Titan, new mech designs accounted for those weaknesses. But for an old model like Kai Long, it was an easy target.

On the battlefield, Kai Long's fighter made a sudden left lateral move, dodging the attack with almost no pause, then spun right in a diagonal pull. In mid-air, its engines roared, spiraling forward and narrowing the distance to less than ten meters.

But Caris wasn't a novice; he knew better than to fight in the mid-range where Ty Long was at a disadvantage. Without hesitation, he abandoned long-range attacks. The Ty Long mech, like a prehistoric beast, charged directly at Kai Long with a thunderous roar, pouncing like a tiger on a rabbit. Its dual arms extended, titanium blades gleaming. A single scratch from those, given Ty Long's mass, would be devastating for Kai Long.

Especially now that Kai Long's rapid maneuvers were showing signs of fatigue.

"Victory!" Feynman chimed in confidently. An enemy's adversary is a friend.

On the battlefield, under Ty Long's overwhelming attack, Kai Long lost its balance and fell headfirst but narrowly evaded the blow. As it plummeted, it moved beneath the heavy mech, and before Ty Long could make another move, Kai Long used the ground for a swift rotation, kicking out as it went.

But the Tianxing team remained unimpressed. Facing a 150-ton Ty Long Heavy Armor, trying to topple it? Pure fantasy. Everyone knew that the "Giant Soldier" series mechs were renowned for their stability.

However, Kai Long wasn't aiming to attack. Its right leg hooked onto Ty Long as a pivot, its engine flaring as it spun around to the back. Caris wasn't easy prey; Ty Long kicked backward suddenly, a force that, if it landed, would surely cripple its target.

Yet, instead of exploding on impact, Kai Long used the momentum to lift itself into the air, now positioned squarely behind Ty Long.

As it descended, the titanium blades struck.

Slash, slash, slash, slash…

Four blades penetrated Ty Long's joints, sending sparks flying. Inside the cockpit, Caris was roaring madly, "MLGB, the mech is out of control!"

Ty Long had the advantage, but TAS technology had its flaws; once it faced precise strikes, the gaps in its joints became liabilities. Four blades in, and it was completely disabled.

Kai Long landed, while Ty Long stumbled forward a few steps like a drunkard before collapsing with a crash.

Puppet wins!

Caris from Ty Long was furious. What the hell was this? He hadn't even gotten started before being kicked out.

Yes, as soon as the battle ended, it felt as if the system had booted him out right after the result was declared.

How utterly impatient!

The four from Tianxing were silent. After a long pause, Arths couldn't help but ask, "Sister, was that a blink strike?"

Tita nodded. "A very precise blink strike. When did USE produce such a close-quarters expert?"

Aerz licked his lips unconsciously. "I get the feeling he's just disdainful of his opponents..."

"I must have misunderstood; it seems he's not targeting Feynman specifically, but just doesn't care for him at all."

On the other side, Feynman had also realized this. He felt insulted by the opponent's actions, and now it seemed there was no "suspected" insult about it.

A proud member of Tianxing's mech team—if he didn't restore his honor, how could he remain in the squad?

Feynman, like a machine, kept sending duel invitations. He had to win it back, no matter what…

Meanwhile, in the Tianjing EMP building, Li Hao, still eager for more, had been called away by Musashi.

"Want to grab some late-night snacks?" Musashi asked.

"Sure, now that you mention it, I'm feeling hungry," Li Hao laughed, though he was also itching to return to virtual mode. Why did it seem like he'd only faced rookies? Maybe the real experts hadn't started yet.

"Brother Hao, effective training is more important than the number of matches. Don't overdo it each time; reflection is crucial. Let's hit the gravity room first," Musashi suggested. Though he wasn't one to play mentor, he had heard that Principal Long was a "tough guy."

"Aren't we going for snacks?" Li Hao looked puzzled.

"Training first. Join me," Musashi insisted, dragging him along without waiting for an answer.

The lights of Tianjing's training center were still ablaze, though there were far fewer people than at the EMP building. Combat was thrilling, but honing the body was tedious. Still, the few people present seemed to be showing off their muscles in a corner.

There could only be one reason for this: a curvaceous beauty was around.

"Ah, isn't that the class monitor?" Li Hao glanced over, spotting Zhou Naiyi.

Zhou Naiyi, the monitor of Class 16, which was, in many ways, the elite class of their year. To be its monitor meant Zhou Naiyi was undoubtedly strong in all aspects. Though she hadn't participated in the recently held mech tournament, she was present as one of the school's key trainees. And of course, she was also quite the looker, with many in the class affectionately calling her "Big Sister."

Zhou Naiyi found it annoying how people around her kept striking odd poses while she exercised. Why did guys think that sort of thing would attract a girl's attention?

But it was a public facility, and there wasn't much she could do about it except ignore them. Usually, she'd choose to come earlier or later when there were fewer people around, but today, she was waiting for someone.

She put down her weights, wiped off her sweat, slung a towel over her shoulder, and walked over to Li Hao and Musashi. Li Hao shrugged. "Let's go over there."

Musashi, however, didn't move and pointed to Zhou Naiyi.

"Li Hao, wait a minute. I have something to discuss with you."

Li Hao turned, pointing to himself. Though they were in the same class and had spoken a few times, they weren't exactly close. In fact, Musashi seemed to have more in common with Zhou Naiyi.

"What's up, class monitor?" Li Hao asked.

Zhou Naiyi's gaze was a bit complicated as she looked at Li Hao. She really had no idea how he'd ended up in Class 16. All the special recruits of their year were in Class 16, yet here was someone who had initially applied for the Journalism department but had somehow been transferred to the strongest mech class. It was strange. At first, Zhou Naiyi had had some expectations, but over the course of the year, how to say it… He skipped classes frequently, and when he did show up, he slept. Oddly enough, the school seemed to turn a blind eye.

A privileged student?

But he was an orphan, and she had heard that he even worked part-time as a pizza delivery guy for some place called Bingshun Pizza. Zhou Naiyi could only guess optimistically that perhaps his family had made some significant contributions.

"Li Hao, since we're in the same class, we're a team. You should have heard from Musashi. I won't mince words. Last year, you were at the bottom of our class."

"Wait, wasn't the last place Xiao Tang?" Li Hao asked in surprise.

Zhou Naiyi gave him a look of disbelief.

"Li Hao, Xiao Tang's specialty is shooting. He's top-notch in that field. The annual comprehensive assessment considers EMP, the year-end exam, and exceptional individual skills. His precision and talent in shooting are among the best in Tianjing."

"Wow, that little guy tricked me... I'm sorry I held the class back. I'll work harder!"