Those words from the chancellor left the two hot-blooded Alphas utterly humiliated.
Imperial Military Academy had always valued strength above all else. As 3S-level Alphas, they naturally belonged among the strongest.
What did 3S mean? It represented not only limitless potential in mental power, but also the finest genes humanity had to offer.
It sounded as though there was only one rank between S and 3S, but the gap in actual strength was as vast as a natural chasm.
So the chancellor was not wrong. In theory, two 3S-level Alphas ganging up on an S-level Alpha should have decided the outcome in an instant.
They should even have had to hold back to avoid causing serious injury. Yet after fighting for so long, their opponent was still standing there, perfectly fine.
For two 3S-level Alphas, that outcome was a humiliation in itself.
Arnold, however, was not convinced. He frowned and said, “Are you questioning our strength?”
The smile on the chancellor’s face did not change, but the way he looked at Arnold made him increasingly irritated.
Arnold continued, “Then I question the accuracy of the academy’s ranking system.”
He pointed at Pei Liang. “You’re saying she’s only S-level? Are you kidding me? The academy has clearly underestimated her figures.”
“Not just her mental power and pheromone levels—even her combat skills and physical strength are wildly miscalculated. No, this isn’t a miscalculation anymore. It’s practically fraud.”
Teresa nodded as well, agreeing with Arnold. “If an S-level Alpha can casually withstand the pheromones of two 3S-level Alphas, then I suppose that’s considered perfectly normal now.”
During the fight, both of them had personally experienced how formidable Pei Liang was. Her strength showed in every aspect.
With their 3S-level abilities, they were already the highest possible benchmark. Pei Liang, meanwhile, was only a military academy student. She had no real battlefield experience and no impressive record to speak of.
Perhaps an S-level Alpha who had served in the military for years and survived countless battlefields might have been able to cope with them through sheer experience, but there was no way someone their age could do the same.
Their suspicion that Pei Liang had been misclassified was therefore well-founded.
But the chancellor merely let out a mocking laugh. “Not only did you shamelessly lose, you’ve also learned to make excuses for your failure. I truly didn’t expect that.”
Arnold grew even more indignant. “When did we lose? If you people hadn’t interfered and stopped us—”
Before he could finish, the chancellor cut him off. “I have no interest in the details of your incompetence.”
“The fact is that from the moment the tremor response occurred until Sang Cheng, the class monitor, fired to stop you, a full thirteen minutes passed.”
“In those thirteen minutes, two 3S-level Alphas failed to suppress a single S-level Alpha. That alone is disgraceful.”
“It has even made me question the quality of this year’s students at Imperial Military Academy. More importantly, I’m beginning to worry whether you actually have what it takes to compete in the upcoming Mecha League.”
Sure enough, Teresa and Arnold’s expressions grew darker and darker as the chancellor spoke.
Every word was an irrefutable fact. They had been mentally prepared for punishment from the moment they were summoned.
Given the chancellor’s harsh and cold standards, they had known they would not be let off easily. Still, they had not expected to be humiliated to this extent.
Then the chancellor announced the disciplinary action for their conduct.
“Teresa, Arnold, all the credits you’ve earned this semester will be revoked.” As he spoke, a faintly derisive smile appeared on his face.
“Be grateful for your circumstances. Even though the two of you have proven yourselves this useless, you remain irreplaceable among your peers. The upcoming Mecha League still requires your abilities.”
The implication was clear: this punishment was already lenient.
Teresa and Arnold were both stunned. More than half the semester had already passed. Having all their credits wiped out was a devastating blow.
Credits at military academies did not merely affect a student’s evaluations and grades. For ordinary students, the consequences might not be too severe.
But as 3S-level Alphas, they would be awarded military ranks immediately after graduation. The rank they received would be determined directly by the credits they accumulated.
They were two of the most outstanding Alphas in their year, and their competitors were watching them like hawks.
Once they entered the military, if the rank they received fell below outside expectations—or was even one level lower than that of their rivals—they would be so humiliated they might as well hang themselves inside their mechas.
Arnold stared at the chancellor in disbelief. “You’re wiping out all our credits? Over one fight?”
He had committed countless offenses at the academy. A mere brawl would not even make the list of his more serious misdeeds. Although he had expected trouble when he came here, he had never imagined he would be hit with such a catastrophic punishment.
Why had he run into the chancellor today of all days?
Then again, the academy’s top graduate was expected to receive an outstanding rank after graduation. If that rank ended up slightly below those of competitors from other military academies, the chancellor of Imperial Military Academy would lose face as well.
That made the chancellor’s decision even more baffling to outsiders.
But in response to Arnold’s dissatisfaction, the chancellor merely emphasized, “It was a fight, and you lost.”
“I already told you, we didn’t lose.”
The chancellor replied, “For you, failing to win is the same as losing.”
Seeing the two of them looking dejected, the chancellor said, “Instead of mourning credits that aren’t coming back, you should think about how to make up for them.”
“The Mecha League is your final opportunity this semester. If each of you can take first and second place in the individual rankings, you may be able to recover your losses—barely.”
The two of them did not look particularly happy at this.
The Mecha League was a joint competition for students from every eligible institution of higher education in the Empire. As one of the best, Imperial Military Academy naturally claimed more than half of the top ten places every year.
But individual rankings were another matter entirely.
There was the pressure from universities across the Empire, not to mention the 3S seniors in their third year, who were also competitors. To preserve the dignity of the upperclassmen, those seniors would fight even harder.
That alone would not have been a major problem. After all, Alphas were naturally competitive and enjoyed facing brutal competition and difficult challenges. Besides, 3S-level Alphas were mostly arrogant egomaniacs who believed they were second to none.
The real problem was the element of luck introduced by the competition’s rules. In some situations, bad luck could be overcome with absolute strength—but with the league’s sadistic organizing committee, what year passed without them coming up with some bizarre new rule?
Arnold and Teresa were both famously unlucky.
When they had competed in the league as first-years, their misfortunes had been so spectacular that mecha fans still talked about them with relish. In the end, they had only managed to fight their way out of that cursed situation and break into the top ten through their overwhelming strength, combat points far above those of the other participants, and absolute dominance in individual matches.
After that, neither of them held out any hope for their luck.
So, when it came to first and second place—results that required the blessing of fortune—
Teresa and Arnold exchanged a glance.
What else could they do?
They could only go for it.
The two of them left in a foul mood, only to turn around and see Pei Liang looking bored out of her mind.
Their anger flared at once. She was the instigator of the whole mess, yet here she was, lounging around without a care in the world.
Arnold spoke up. “Fine. We accept our punishment. But what about her?”
“What’s her punishment?”
“None,” the chancellor replied. “As an S-rank, Pei Liang withstood a combined assault from two 3S-rank opponents by herself. That is a commendable achievement.”
“Someone who has performed so brilliantly has no reason to be subjected to additional reprimands.”
His words sounded biased in every way, but neither Teresa and Arnold nor Pei Liang’s side looked particularly pleased.
A flicker of amusement crossed Pei Liang’s eyes. This chancellor’s values were rather simple and crude—a staunch believer in the law of the jungle.
He seemed harsh and utterly lacking in human feeling toward those two, while being excessively lenient with Pei Liang. But for someone like him, unreasonable leniency meant that he had never held any expectations for one side in the first place.
It was only toward those he placed high hopes in that he would be harsh and demanding.
Pei Liang had been a genius since birth, and an all-rounder at that. Being treated like a worthless piece of scrap was a novel experience for her.
She found the sensation rather fresh. But the more she was treated this way, the more she wanted to see that proud head bow before her.
Teresa, however, could not accept this outcome. If this had merely been a matter of fighting, then so be it. But when one traced the matter back to its roots, it was certainly not something that could be brushed aside with a light punishment and a simple admission of bad luck.
His face darkened. “I can’t accept this decision.”
The chancellor raised an eyebrow. “It sounds as though there’s more to this.”
Teresa’s expression shifted several times. At last, she gritted her teeth and said, “She tried to use despicable means to force an Omega.”
“Arnold and I were certainly in the wrong too, but we are ashamed to stand alongside someone like her. We’re even less willing to remain in the same classroom, the same school, or perhaps even serve in the same military district as her in the future.”
“No. Strictly speaking, I don’t think she deserves to become a soldier at all.”
To be honest, as Teresa said this, Pei Liang was nodding inwardly. Considering all the vile things the original owner had done—bullying her classmates, attempting to sexually assault a young girl, and even using someone else’s secret to blackmail her into selling her body—the woman had been thoroughly rotten to the core. Even Pei Liang occasionally felt ashamed to be occupying this body.
But compared to Teresa and Arnold’s righteous indignation, the chancellor’s expression did not change in the slightest.
After listening, he smiled and looked at Teresa. “I regret what happened to that Omega.”
“But have you ever considered that if Pei Liang had kept winning, then what she did would no longer have been coercion?”
“What?” Teresa’s heart sank at those words.
The chancellor rose to his feet. A projection suddenly appeared above the enormous desk in front of him.
It showed an endless galaxy formed from countless planets. Any military academy student would have recognized it at a glance: this was the map of the Empire.
The capital planet where they lived was already quite large. Compared with Earth in Pei Liang’s mind, it was roughly the same size. Yet among the countless planets belonging to the Empire, it was only considered average.
This was the world of the future.
The chancellor said, “Teresa, Arnold, our current status, our rules, even the shape of the entire world, are all the result of a small number of people imposing their will on everyone else.”
“Even the advantages you enjoy now were obtained through coercion. Do you really think your families were born standing at the top? Or that Betas and Omegas willingly submit to Alpha rule for no reason? Or that Alphas below 3S rank naturally believe the finest resources should be reserved for you?”
The chancellor’s gaze grew profound. His voice was extremely persuasive as he stared at the two young Alphas.
His deep, resonant voice laid bare the essence of the entire matter.
“The advantages you now take for granted were also born from coercion.”
“Then we won. We kept winning, and eventually the losing side grew accustomed to it, taking its inferior position as the natural order.”
“Now imagine this: if Pei Liang kept defeating the two of you, how do you think this incident would ultimately be defined?”
Teresa’s heart sank to the bottom. Although something about the argument felt wrong, she still subconsciously imagined that scenario.
If that woman truly were an Alpha capable of suppressing them in every respect, then from the perspective of their family’s interests, even if her younger sister had suffered, they probably would not pursue Pei Liang’s responsibility in the end. Instead, they would prioritize winning over such a powerful Alpha.
The chancellor curved his lips into a faint smile and concluded, “So, Teresa, don’t get hung up on things that don’t matter.”
“No matter the circumstances, as long as you keep winning, that is what matters most.”
Teresa and Arnold’s expressions turned solemn. They straightened and saluted the chancellor.
“Yes, sir.”
In Pei Liang’s eyes, the chancellor truly placed great hopes in the two young Alphas. His speech had clearly been aimed at passing on a certain set of beliefs.
If nothing unexpected happened, Pei Liang could already imagine what Teresa and Arnold would look like ten years from now.
They would undoubtedly be dressed in military uniforms, cold and formidable, Alphas who resembled the chancellor of today in every way.
But at that moment, Pei Liang suddenly spoke up, interrupting the solemn scene.
Her voice was casual and flippant as she asked nonchalantly, “Chancellor, about that mecha league you mentioned earlier—do you think I could take part?”
The chancellor’s gaze fell on Pei Liang, utterly unmoved.
“Oh?”
Pei Liang smiled as she explained, “You see, in the past two years, Medusa Military Academy and Ares Military Academy have produced a great many talented students, and their competitiveness has grown considerably. Thanks to their efforts, the Imperial Military Academy’s once overwhelming advantage has been noticeably reduced.”
“I heard that, for this year’s league, both academies have made major adjustments to their tactics and mecha development. You must be under quite a bit of pressure, Chancellor.”
“As a member of the Imperial Military Academy, I feel that I have an obligation to fight for the school’s honor. I simply didn’t have a clear understanding of my own abilities before. But now that I’ve proven I can hold the two of them off at once, that should be enough to show I could be useful in the competition.”
“So please, Chancellor, give me a chance.”
Her words made Teresa and Arnold grit their teeth in irritation.
But although the chancellor looked amiable enough as he regarded Pei Liang, his eyes were icy and utterly devoid of fluctuation.
While he had punished Teresa and Arnold severely and was deeply disappointed by their performance that day, the chancellor did not believe Pei Liang’s strength was truly comparable to theirs. The gulf between an S-rank and a 3S-rank could not be bridged by luck or effort.
What angered him was merely that the two had misjudged their opponent, failed to adjust in time, and dragged the fight out for so long. That could only mean their attacks had been hesitant and clumsy.
As for Pei Liang, her boundless leniency—even her refusal to pursue the idiot’s violations of fundamental principles—might look like protection, but in reality, it reflected her assessment of that fool’s character.
Someone like that did not even qualify to be used as a pawn. Perhaps he would never even set foot on a real battlefield before dying in a vendetta or an accident, either because of his abysmal private conduct or because he had made enemies everywhere through his utter lack of restraint.
And that prediction had turned out to be correct. In the original novel, that idiot had indeed died in exactly that way.
The chancellor smiled. “I’m afraid the names of the student representatives have already been finalized.”
“I wouldn’t mind being a substitute,” Pei Liang said. “Could you think of a way to make that happen, Chancellor?”
“The substitute positions have naturally been finalized as well. Unless both the official team members and the substitutes withdraw from the competition due to force majeure, Pei Liang, you’ll have to compete for a spot in next year’s league.”
A look of delighted surprise immediately appeared on Pei Liang’s face. “Oh, right. If a substitute withdraws, I can take their place. Then, if one of the official team members is unable to compete for some reason, wouldn’t that mean I could participate?”
“Thank you for pointing me in the right direction, Chancellor.”
At that, the chancellor’s fingers paused. Then the curve of his lips widened. “The school naturally encourages fair competition.”
“However, allow me to remind you, Pei Liang: even the weakest substitute is an S2.”
“That’s fine. After all…” Pei Liang stared at the chancellor, her eyes filled with such extreme self-confidence that it manifested as sheer nonchalance. “If even an S2 can’t be held down, then talking about destroying the authority of a chancellor who’s an S3 would be a joke.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Teresa and Arnold could not help inhaling sharply. The entire office fell silent.
The two exchanged a glance. Although they had already experienced just how unusual this woman was, neither of them had expected her to dare make such a brazen statement in front of the chancellor.
Only then did the chancellor look at her seriously, as though he were finally seeing this thoroughly ordinary student for the first time.
Pei Liang, however, had no intention of remaining there. She obediently gave him a military salute, as if she were about to leave and get on with her own business.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going first, Chairman Richter.”
Pei Liang left the office, and Teresa and Arnold followed shortly afterward.
The woman had been outrageously arrogant just now, and when the two of them came outside and saw her back, they wondered what she would do next.
But before they had taken more than a couple of steps, they saw her stop someone and ask, “Where’s XXX?”
XXX was the name of one of the substitute team members.
