"The Solar System Alliance, in order to explore the mysteries of the soul, secretly established a genius organization—the Apocalypse Youth Class, gathering young talents with extraordinary abilities from the four major federations of the Solar System. However, during the research, a major accident occurred, resulting in multiple casualties. The main culprit was imprisoned, the Youth Class was disbanded, and the files were sealed, becoming a taboo.
Five years later, after a disappointing return from the Pan-Solar System Mecha Competition, the Tianjing Mecha A-Class Military Academy, seemingly by chance, welcomed the first-place winner of the Asia-Pacific Mecha Preparatory Class, Tongshen. This marked the beginning of their rebuilding journey. However, this was just the start—unbelievable events began to occur frequently, with the center of it all being an inconspicuous second-year student.
Mecha, the ultimate romance for men."
"At this moment, the announcer's voice rang out.
"To the audience from the Solar System Alliance, the S10 Pan-Solar System Mecha Competition has successfully concluded. Let's congratulate the warriors from the NUP Lunar Federation for winning the team championship with a massive lead of 25,000 points. The runners-up are the warriors from the ROM Mars Federation, and the third place goes to the USE Earth Federation, with fourth place going to the Titan and Starry Space City Joint Autonomous Federation TAS. We thank them for the exciting battles they have provided us."
The most-watched event in the human world, after over a month of fierce competition, has reached its conclusion. NUP defended its dominant position and further expanded the gap. As of S10, NUP has won six championships, USE has two, and ROM has two. In previous editions, the three major federations alternated in winning, but recently, NUP has shown signs of absolute dominance.
The final night of the Solar System Mecha Competition is also known as the "Super Star Night," and at the highly anticipated S10, the organizers invited the currently most popular superstar Arths, who performed five songs in a row, making S10 a classic edition of the Mecha Competition.
Arths, although not very knowledgeable about mechs, was persuaded after repeated invitations by the organizers. The most prestigious competition needed the most popular idol to match, and eventually, Arths' enthusiasm was won over. The combination of a beautiful heroine and heroic battles was truly breathtaking.
The month-and-a-half-long competition attracted over 20 billion viewers across the Solar System. The super-high skill level displayed and Arths' iconic songs made this an unprecedented event.
However, what was expected to be a fierce rivalry between Earth and the Moon ended up being a one-sided victory for the Moon. Not only did they win the championship, but they also further widened the gap. The most surprising outcome was that ROM even surpassed USE, which shocked many. The Martians finally found their own style in the beast-type mechs, and the bravery of the Martian warriors, especially their willingness to take risks in crucial moments, was fully demonstrated.
Contrary to the external praise, the Martians themselves were very dissatisfied. Their only goal was to become the number one in humanity.
At this moment, the highest peak in the Solar System, Olympus Mons on Mars, had already started a new round of intense training.
In some ways, the Mecha Competition is also a battle of comprehensive national strength. NUP has already led in terms of economy and technology, and it's only a matter of time before they become the de facto leader of the Solar System Alliance. Mars, after years of persevering, has also made great progress. Even TAS showcased their unique style in this competition. The "Titan Mecha" series, though seemingly clumsy, had immense destructive power. As for USE, the once-leading federation of the Solar System, they can only be described in one word—mediocre.
The stage creates heroes.
The competition this year selected the "Top Ten Mecha Pilots," "Top Ten Mecha Models," and "Top Ten Solar System Military Academies." Among the top ten pilots, seven came from the Moon, earning them the title of the "New Big Dipper."
NUP's Alex Starshine Mecha Military Academy was named the top military academy of the year, receiving the supreme honor of the "God of War" trophy.
S10 was a carnival for the Moon people, completing their second consecutive championship and securing a chance to fight for the three-peat.
This competition not only brought fame and fortune but also proved once again that NUP's light and medium super mechs, weighing between 50 and 60 tons, will become the mainstream for the foreseeable future.
At the same time, in a dormitory in Tianjing, the largest city in the Earth region...
"Damn, Xiao Pang, your eyeballs are almost about to pop out. I really don't get it. What's the point of watching something you can't even touch?" Marlon, dressed in a stylish white shirt and light jeans, couldn't help but complain. He just couldn't understand this kind of satisfaction that comes purely from the mind.
"Marlon, you don't understand, Arths is my goddess!" Zuo Xiaotang, glued to the screen, was unwilling to even blink. He was a die-hard fan of Arths and also a small leader in the Tianjing fan club. Arths wasn't just his idol, but also his spiritual support. Xiao Pang was the nicest person in the dorm, always working hard, but when it came to Arths, anyone who dared criticize her was dead to him.
"You, ah, don't you know the saying? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Be more grounded." Marlon smirked. Arths was too addictive; even someone as battle-hardened as him couldn't resist it.
The guy on the far left, watching the awards while lifting dumbbells, was Musashi, a solidly built guy and the best student in the dorm. His nickname was "Crusher," and he wasn't someone to be messed with.
"I have to admit, NUP's mecha pilots have an advantage in terms of mecha understanding, physical fitness, and combat skills." Musashi, watching the Tianxun live broadcast, said with envy, "Hao Ge, you were right. But I still feel that light mechs have flaws. The loss this time was partly due to underestimating the competition. This year will be different."
Before the competition, the other three thought Earth had a chance, but the result was a complete defeat. If it weren't for Titan's poor overall strength, Earth might have ended up in last place.
"The right one is the best," Marlon shrugged. "The Moon people have the highest completion rate with their Iventer natural gene selection, giving them an innate advantage. New mechs are difficult to master and require great physical demands, but they also have a higher potential. The Moon people are committed to the high-end route, leaving everyone else behind."
"When are we eating?" Li Hao rubbed his stomach.
"Not yet, but I'll treat you today. Tomorrow's orientation, you all have to come help me. When brothers work together, their strength is unstoppable."
Marlon, the president of the photography club, wished to record the beauty of youth.
Room 4396 in Tianjing Mecha A-Class Military Academy was somewhat famous. As the top military academy in the Asia-Pacific region, it gathered elites. Li Hao, Zuo Xiaotang, Musashi, and Marlon were all from the 87th batch. Musashi was specially recruited into the mecha department. The Wujia family was famous not only in Tianjing but throughout the Asia-Pacific, with a strong martial arts background. He represented the mecha department as a freshman last year.
Marlon, male, loves women, from Longgang City, specially recruited into the Star Wars department. He became famous after one performance at the freshman party and won over the senior sister Shengman, the president of the dance club and the most beautiful girl in the news department. The two became a couple, and their romantic relationship left the rest of the dorm mates envious.
As for Li Hao and Zuo Xiaotang, they were childhood friends, both born and raised in Tianjing. Zuo Xiaotang was a bit chubby, with a round face that was cute and harmless. His combat style was very specialized—he was terrible at close combat but had an incredible talent for shooting, especially sniping. When he was admitted, there was a lot of debate among the professors.
Li Hao, the dorm leader of Room 4396, was the oldest and had originally applied to the journalism department but somehow got reassigned to the mecha department. At first, Musashi and Marlon had some opinions about it, as young people didn't like seeing people getting in through the backdoor. But as Marlon put it, getting in through the backdoor wasn't an issue, as long as there was some real skill.
In the beginning, there was a lot of targeting, but Li Hao didn't get angry. Later, after Zuo Xiaotang told them Li Hao was an orphan and didn't have any backdoor connections, they understood and let it go. They became good friends.
"Hao Ge, Xiao Pang, you two need to be careful this semester. Have you heard that we got a new principal? The Federation is going to make some big changes, and Major General Long Danni is not someone to mess with. You two really need to work hard. Hao Ge, your EMP training shouldn't use the virtual mode anymore. It's fun, but it's useless." Marlon said.
The EMP system, developed by the Solar System Alliance's scientific research headquarters, covers all four federations' mecha types and is regularly updated. It has two modes: virtual and real. The virtual mode is an experience mode open to everyone, which allows people to enjoy the fun of mechs. This is one of the main reasons why the Mecha Competition has so many fans.
Professional military academy students or amateur players with a score above 500 and who pass the physical test can access the real mode.
Real mode allows users to experience 70% of the actual impact and physical strain of mecha collisions, requiring real skill.
The virtual mode, although it is more accessible and fun, has very low scoring for victories. The top experts only score about 400 or 500 points, while high scores must come from using real mode.
For this Pan-Solar System competition, the basic requirement to sign up for the Asia-Pacific qualifiers was an EMP score of 1200 or above, or an individual ability rating of A-level or higher.
The best performer in Room 4396 was Musashi, with a year-end score of 1296. He didn't aim for a high score last year, but this year he's aiming for over 2000. The second-best was Marlon with a score of 1020. Marlon specialized in the Starship department, which was quite a high level for that.
Li Hao and Zuo Xiaotang were around 800 points. Zuo Xiaotang had once received an A- in shooting training, but the only concern was Li Hao. Everyone knew that Li Hao had worked hard throughout his first year, waking up early, bringing breakfast to the others, and practicing EMP. But it seemed his score remained around 800, which meant his win rate was likely low. However, even among the dormmates, no one dared to ask too much.
"Don't worry, I'll use virtual mode less in the future. Even if for you guys, I can't back out. Without me, you'd probably starve." Li Hao smiled.
"Hao Ge, if there's anything we can do, just ask. Don't be shy!" Marlon patted his chest.
Musashi glanced at Li Hao but didn't say anything further.
That night, Marlon went on a date with his girlfriend, calling it "the last supper." His main goal for the new year was to pursue a freshman girl.
Zuo Xiaotang, as the fan leader, was very busy lately. Arths' performance in the Mecha Competition had propelled her to greater fame, and as a loyal fan, Zuo Xiaotang couldn't be happier. A lot of things were waiting to be done, and two or three of the trending topics on Tianxun's hot search were always related to Arths. Despite his normally soft demeanor, once Zuo Xiaotang got into fan mode, he was unstoppable.
Li Hao and Musashi went to the EMP building. The 18-story building was brightly lit, and it was one of Tianjing Mecha's landmark buildings. Many people liked to train there, though some just went for entertainment.
"Hao Ge, Marlon likes to brag, but he wasn't exaggerating this time. The loss in the competition has angered the higher-ups, especially since the EMP records were all taken by the Moon people. Our old principal is retiring in three years, but now he's stepping down early. All the military academies have replaced their leaders with younger ones, and the mecha and starship departments can no longer mix... If you need to train with an opponent, I'm always ready." Musashi said.
Li Hao patted Musashi, "Don't worry, I've got it under control..."
"Hao Ge, I've noticed you've been to the EMP building more than I have, but you really need to focus on the real mode. The more losses you have, the more you need to find your rhythm through real combat. Our physical condition gives us an advantage, but the virtual mode doesn't help at all. I feel like Principal Long might ban military academy students from using virtual mode this year. Without enough real pressure and impact, the skills are just empty moves," Musashi said seriously.
Li Hao rubbed his nose. Musashi was straightforward and didn't beat around the bush. "Alright, alright, I swear I won't use virtual mode anymore. I'll study hard and improve every day!"
Actually... sigh, how should he put it? He really didn't use virtual mode, but he did use it.
Musashi selected a training room, and Li Hao smiled. Suddenly, Tianxun rang. Li Hao glanced at it, his eyes flashing with a strange glint, but it returned to normal the next moment.