ISWTDB Ch127

Chapter 127: Intersteller Mermaid (17, 18)

Harrison had been feeling quite agitated recently. Despite sending people to investigate in multiple directions, he hadn’t been able to find any information on the two people he had his eye on in the Star Network. As the competition drew closer, he was still coming up empty-handed.

Glancing at the four individuals in the distance with particularly strong auras, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in Harrison’s eyes. Initially, Yan Lang and the Du brothers, Du Lu and Du Ke, were already regarded as the monsters of the Mecha Combat Department—Yan Lang with his thoroughly detailed mind akin to a strategist, and the two brothers, a pair of mecha warriors who worked together with unparalleled synergy.

If it were just Du Ke or Du Lu alone, perhaps they would merely be exceptionally strong. But as long as the brothers fought together, even warriors two levels above them might not be their match.

Since Yan Lang was part of the Yan Ning family and would ultimately belong to the Ying family of the military, Harrison hadn’t tried to recruit him.

So, he focused on the Du brothers instead. However, to his surprise, both brothers firmly refused him.

As for the guy named Cecil, who had suddenly transferred in, no matter how much he investigated, Harrison couldn’t uncover any information about him. Although he wasn’t yet clear on the other’s strength, it was obvious that this man was no pushover.

Seeing the tight-knit posture of the four of them, could it be that they intended to form their own team? With their strength, if they became a team, they would definitely be formidable opponents in the competition.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any mention of them having an outstanding mecha engineer in their ranks; otherwise, winning the championship would become quite difficult.

But who was that short guy with black-rimmed glasses following them? Harrison looked at Andy twice but found him unremarkable, so he didn’t pay him any more attention.

The interstellar world Ying Zhao was now in was vastly different from the previous one. Warriors here didn’t need to rely on potions for combat, and both mental power and physical condition could improve through training.

Even so, those with innate advantages combined with hard training still found it easier to rise to the top. As for the students who had made it into the Imperial Academy, they were among the best of their age group in terms of both mental power and physical condition.

After conducting an initial physical test in the gravity training room, Ying Zhao led everyone to the simulation training room and had them enter the training pods to log into Star Network. Ying Zhao had already created a training ground on Star Network, so once they logged in, they could directly enter.

Once everyone had gathered, Ying Zhao explained, “You probably already know that this mecha competition isn’t just an individual event; there will also be a team competition. The team competition requires each team to have no fewer than four and no more than six members. I believe many of you have already decided on your teams. For those who haven’t, I’ll give you half an hour to form teams on your own. Of course, any students who don’t participate in the team competition can still enter the individual competition. The timer starts now, and once your teams are formed, you can register with the adjutant.”

In the mecha competition, while the honor of winning the individual event was more glamorous, everyone also understood that on the battlefield, it wasn’t just about individual combat. Being able to work well in a team was also valuable experience. Thus, the rest of the students spontaneously formed groups and went to the adjutant for simple registration.

This wasn’t the final team formation; changes could still be made before the competition officially began. However, teams that had worked together for a long time would develop a certain rapport, and it was rare for members to be replaced.

As expected, Cecil’s five-person team didn’t need any discussion to finalize their lineup, with even the roles already assigned. It was surprising, however, that Harrison’s team, which had always been six people strong, only registered four members. The other two, while still in the team, seemed to indicate that they would only be participating in the individual competition for the time being.

Ying Zhao understood that this arrangement was because Harrison was still seeking stronger support, so he kept the two as substitutes. By stating that they would only participate in the individual competition for now, and temporarily staying with Harrison’s team, it wouldn’t reflect poorly on Harrison if there were any changes later.

Ying Zhao didn’t care much for the royal family’s convoluted schemes. Seeing the two students designated as substitutes bow their heads, clearly suppressing their emotions, he thought nothing of it. No matter how much they resented it, they had to obey Harrison’s orders.

Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow but didn’t mind. Following Harrison was their own choice. Since they chose to become the royal family’s pawns, they needed to be prepared to be discarded at any time.

Once all the students had finished registering, Ying Zhao had them draw lots to pair up for battles, with the winners advancing to face off against each other, following the usual format of a mecha competition.

However, Ying Zhao wasn’t yet fully aware of everyone’s abilities. While mental power and physical condition were important, combat skills and on-the-spot performance were also factors to consider.

Even though Ying Zhao was certain that his man would emerge as the ultimate victor in all events, it didn’t stop him from observing everyone, conveniently scouting good prospects for the military.

After all, behind him stood the entire First Legion, and the students of the Imperial Academy would become the fresh blood of his legion.

The students were particularly cautious in their battles. Although they went through extensive training every day, the brutal elimination format was still a rarity for them.

Bored, Ying Zhao flew his mecha to a higher vantage point to observe. But by the time the first round of pair battles was over, he was already impatient. He simply had all the winners from the first round engage in a free-for-all to see who would ultimately emerge victorious.

Although Bennett had some talent with mechas, it was clear that in combat, he was no match for the students from the combat department. So, he was eliminated in the first round of pair battles.

Cecil’s team of five performed steadily, especially Andy, who, with his knowledge of mechas, could almost immediately target his opponent’s weak spots.

If an opponent couldn’t surpass Andy in speed, they wouldn’t last more than five moves against him. In fact, Andy, caught up in the moment, had even swiftly dismantled an opponent’s mecha right before their eyes.

Seeing his formidable combat prowess, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but sigh; a genius is a genius. If Andy weren’t interested in mecha engineering, he would undoubtedly be among the elite in the combat department.

Watching the five members of Cecil’s team dominate the battlefield, Harrison’s face flushed with envy. He hadn’t expected Cecil to possess such strength.

He had thought that even if Cecil were strong, as a latecomer to Yan Lang and the Du brothers’ side, he wouldn’t have a close relationship with them.

But to his surprise, the four of them displayed such strong synergy, and it was obvious that Cecil was their leader.

And the small guy he had initially dismissed as unremarkable turned out to be a mecha engineer. Harrison didn’t even have any impression of this person, yet this individual had such formidable skills.

A person capable of dismantling a mecha so easily didn’t need to say much to demonstrate their understanding of mechas—this guy was simply a genius. Such a hidden powerhouse would undoubtedly be his greatest threat.

Since the other members of Harrison’s team were also quite strong, in the end, all the other students had been eliminated. The battlefield for the free-for-all ended up being a showdown between Harrison’s team and Cecil’s team.

Although Cecil’s team had good synergy, they were at a slight disadvantage compared to Harrison’s team, which had been working together for a long time. However, they compensated for this with their team members’ overwhelming strength.

The prolonged battle gradually drained everyone’s mental power. With no other option, Harrison’s teammates, in order to ensure his victory, resorted to directly attacking the opposing team.

They grabbed onto the enemy mechas and initiated self-destruct sequences, using a suicidal strategy that forced their opponents out of the battle. This kamikaze action left only Cecil and Harrison on the battlefield, but even so, the ultimate victor was still Cecil.

Because the battle took place in the virtual network, self-destruction didn’t pose any real danger to their lives. However, the pain was still real due to the 100% sensory transmission.

After the free-for-all ended, everyone’s spirits seemed somewhat drained. Ying Zhao clapped his hands to encourage them, then announced that tomorrow’s training would involve splitting everyone into two large groups.

The group leaders would be Cecil and Harrison, the last two standing in the battle. As for the team members on each side, they would be completely shuffled, determined by drawing lots, and then the two teams would engage in a group battle.

Hearing Ying Zhao’s words, many students were puzzled, not understanding why the mecha competition, which was divided into individual and small team events, was being trained in such large group battles.

More importantly, the teams they had just formed were now completely dismantled. Although some teams had been temporarily formed, most had already been decided upon in advance, with many already having developed a strong rapport, forming relatively mature teams.

Because of the last incident with Bennett, no one dared to directly question Ying Zhao’s decision. Du Ke greatly admired Ying Zhao and didn’t believe that he would make a wrong decision.

However, with his straightforward nature, Du mumbled to himself when he had doubts, instantly drawing the attention of those around him.

Yan Lang, who was nearby, heard Du Ke and turned his head to patiently explain, “Even though we’re all in the same team and know each other’s combat styles very well, individual competitions are different. They involve a lot more variables and require not just team coordination.”

“If we aren’t separated, even if two teams were to battle, individual shortcomings could still be compensated for by teammates. This is certainly good for team cohesion, but it isn’t beneficial for our growth in individual combat.”

Seeing that Du Ke was about to say something, Yan Lang knowingly adjusted his glasses with a helpless expression and continued, “I know you want to ask why we don’t just have one-on-one battles. Time is tight now, and real one-on-one training would be too time-consuming. But if we break up our small teams and then battle, we become enemies, which adds many unknown variables. If we can fight and handle various emergencies in such battles, we can perform better in the individual competitions. I think this is what General Ying’s intention is.”

Upon hearing Yan Lang’s words, the Du brothers, Du Lu and Du Ke, widened their eyes and looked at Ying Zhao with admiration. Yan Lang’s voice wasn’t low, so many of the nearby trainees also heard him and couldn’t help but feel more respect for Ying Zhao.

Hearing Yan Lang’s explanation, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow and gave this glasses-wearing young man an extra look. It seemed that everyone who said Yan Lang was good material for a strategist wasn’t exaggerating.

By the end of the battle, almost all the trainees were exhausted. Fortunately, their real-world training pods were filled with nutrient solution, which could replenish some energy in time. Despite this, they still felt the extreme fatigue brought on by intense training.

Knowing that they had no more energy left, Ying Zhao directly announced the end of today’s training, saying they would continue tomorrow. When everyone left the training ground, they realized it was already dark outside.

The students dragged their weary bodies away, and although their mental energy had been somewhat overused today, this could also promote the growth of their mental strength in another way, so no one had any complaints.

Ying Zhao’s intention was precisely this, to push them to their limits. Seeing Cecil standing not far away with the other four, Du Lu and Du Ke were visibly excited about Andy’s strength.

This battle was the first time Cecil’s team had fought together with Andy, and thinking that his man probably had much to discuss with his teammates, Ying Zhao didn’t wait for him and returned directly to the dormitory.

He originally thought his man might not have time to see him tonight, but who knew that in the middle of the night, just as he was drifting into sleep, he felt the sudden cool touch of another person beside him.

Ying Zhao tiredly opened his eyes and turned his head to see that it was indeed Cecil. The man had already taken off his clothes and climbed into bed.

Ying Zhao’s voice carried a hint of sleepiness as he softly asked, “Why did you come over so late? You should have stayed in your dorm and rested earlier.”

Seeing Ying Zhao awake, Cecil’s face showed an apologetic expression, and in a warm voice, he said, “Sorry, I woke you up. We discussed things a bit late, so I just came over now.”

As Cecil spoke, he habitually hugged Ying Zhao, kissed his forehead, and sighed, “Darling, I missed you!”

Ying Zhao, as usual, comfortably snuggled into Cecil’s arms, curled his lips in amusement, and thought to himself how funny it was. “Didn’t we see each other all day today? How could you still say you missed me?”

Cecil, however, shook his head and stubbornly repeated, “I just missed you.”

But after saying this, he didn’t get any response. The soft breathing of his lover told Cecil that Ying Zhao had already fallen asleep again.

Adjusting his position to make Ying Zhao more comfortable, Cecil silently watched his lover’s sleeping face. He couldn’t stop thinking about how he could possibly not miss him.

All day, he could only watch him from afar, like everyone else, unable to approach this person. Stroking Ying Zhao’s soft hair, he thought of his lover standing in front of everyone, receiving their admiration.

The person in his arms was so excellent and dazzling, the idol of the entire empire. Even the brothers in his own team saw Ying Zhao as their dream and goal.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, Cecil was indeed very jealous. Not jealous of Ying Zhao’s achievements, but of those who liked Ying Zhao long before him, those who had seen his lover’s charm years before he did.

He didn’t even dare to imagine how many rivals in love he had in the entire empire. Unconsciously, he tightened his arms, holding this person tightly in his embrace.

Suddenly, he was very afraid of losing him, afraid of losing this man who had given him so much warmth. Although Ying Zhao had already done so much for him, Cecil still couldn’t control the occasional unreasonable anxiety.

So, no matter how late it was, he still came. It seemed that only by holding this person tightly in his arms could Cecil be certain that this person belonged to him, completely and utterly to him!

No one else could hold him like this, no one else could hear his soft murmurs, and no one else understood his warm smiles and, at times, his passionate side better than he did.

While Cecil held Ying Zhao, lost in thought, at Marshal Ying’s residence, the marshal was also troubled.

Ever since Ying Zhao subtly inquired about the situation with the royal family during his last visit home, Ying Xiaolin had grown more suspicious. Moreover, in recent days, Yan Ning had also been subtly persuading him to pay more attention to the royal family, which made the marshal even more alert.

After some investigation, Marshal Ying soon noticed the small moves made by the royal family. Although he had always had a sense of it and understood the royal family’s wariness of the Ying family, his years of loyalty to the royal family made him unwilling to accept this reality.

After all, he had spent most of his life fighting for this empire. But knowing that his sovereign did not trust him left Ying Xiaolin feeling deeply disheartened.

In reality, he had long realized that the royal family had become corrupt. Clearly, the Federation’s momentum had been stronger than the Empire’s in recent years.

However, because the Federation’s rise was relatively recent and the Empire’s military strength remained formidable, even though the Federation had been restless, they still didn’t dare to make a move against the Empire.

At Yan Ning’s urging, Marshal Ying conducted a thorough investigation of the military. He found several spies planted by the royal family. Though he remained outwardly calm, his heart grew increasingly cold.

These days, whenever he thought about these matters, Marshal Ying would lock himself in his study to brood. Fortunately, Yan Ning did not disturb him, giving him enough space.

Though to outsiders it seemed like Ying Xiaolin was using work to numb himself, Yan Ning knew that his lover had already figured things out.

In truth, he had seen through many things long ago; he just hadn’t figured out how to accept them or how to respond. Perhaps by giving him some time alone to cool down, he could overcome the hurdle in his heart.

But looking at the time, it was already very late. Yan Ning, still concerned about Ying Xiaolin’s health, brought a glass of milk and directly entered the study.

Seeing his lover, who was frowning while staring at the documents but actually lost in thought, Yan Ning couldn’t help but smile.

Yan Ning walked over, placed the milk beside Marshal Ying, and softly said, “Alright, get some rest. The work will never be finished.”

Hearing Yan Ning’s words, Ying Xiaolin snapped out of his daze. He looked up and blinked innocently at Yan Ning.

Seeing the milk in front of him, he blushed slightly and softly said, “Thank you!” before picking up the milk and drinking it in one go.

These days, Yan Ning had been worrying a lot about him. Yan Ning had already hinted to him that Ying Zhao had noticed the royal family’s movements but didn’t know how to tell him.

Thinking about how even a child was more perceptive than he was, and how he had caused his partner and child to worry, Ying Xiaolin sighed inwardly. Now that the two most important people in his life had made their decisions, as a father and partner, he shouldn’t hold them back.

With this thought, Marshal Ying immediately made up his mind. He looked at Yan Ning with some guilt and softly said, “Yan Ning, you’ve been working hard these days!”

Yan Ning shook his head and gently hugged Ying Xiaolin. This was the love of his life, the person he was willing to sacrifice everything for.

No matter what decision his partner made, he would stand by his side. But all of this was on the condition that his partner would not be harmed in any way.

Gently kissing Marshal Ying’s forehead, Yan Ning noticed the large dark circles under his eyes and felt a pang of heartache. He leaned close to his ear and softly said, “If you think I’ve been working hard, then take good care of yourself and don’t make me worry so much!”

Ying Xiaolin nodded at his words, his eyes filled with warmth. Seeing the eternal smile on Yan Ning’s face and the unmistakable affection in his eyes when he looked at him, he suddenly felt incredibly lucky.

Lucky to have met someone who loved him so deeply, and that person had stayed by his side for so many years.

For so long, it had always

 been Yan Ning who helped him with everything. It was time for him to think about what he should do for his lover and son in the future.