There had long been a running joke on the internet in this world.
Things like, “If you’re so damn impressive, why don’t you rip a mech apart with your bare hands?”
Mechs were the ultimate single-soldier weapons humanity had invented when it was on the verge of extinction during the insectoid crisis. Even an ordinary person driving a car could crush most creatures, so what could a mech do?
But what were they looking at now?
Someone had actually torn a mech apart with her bare hands.
The impact of the scene was so overwhelming that even the livestream’s normally bustling comment feed fell silent.
It was as though everyone had forgotten how to speak.
The intelligent camera on the field had also chosen an uncanny angle, as if it knew exactly how to capture the best viewpoint. It showed Pei Liang head-on, allowing the audience to put themselves in the place of the contestant hiding inside the mech.
They could experience, with chilling clarity, the sensation of being ripped straight out of what had seemed like an impregnable fortress.
It was horrifying—but damn it, it was also thrilling enough to make their scalps tingle.
The comments were silent for several seconds before erupting into a furious discussion—
“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…”
“I blame my lack of education. ‘Holy shit’ is the only phrase I know.”
“Before watching the league, I specially memorized countless words of exclamation and praise to make up for my meager vocabulary. Now the only thing left in my head is ‘holy shit.’”
“Did you guys see? The guy inside the mech is shaking!”
“To be honest, I’m shaking too.”
“Me too—”
“You’re only shaking? For a moment, my scalp went numb, my crotch got hot, and my whole body felt like it had been electrified.”
“To the guy above: maybe get up and check your pants? Wetting yourself out of fear isn’t embarrassing. Don’t ask me how I know.”
This discussion was taking place while the battle was still so dazzling and fast-paced that most people didn’t even have the time to post comments.
It was easy to imagine how much of a sensation this would cause online afterward. In fact, related posts were already appearing.
Someone had precisely recorded the footage involving Pei Liang. No doubt, some civilian technical expert would soon slow down and analyze her movements frame by frame.
But no matter how astonished ordinary citizens were, it was still only a frenzy of public opinion, along with the pride they felt at the empire possessing such a powerful warrior.
The people from the military and the military academy, however, were completely dumbfounded.
Several high-ranking officials had gathered to watch the livestream. The cigars hanging from their mouths dropped straight down, burning large holes in their uniform trousers. It was a spectacular loss of composure.
The entire room remained silent for a long while. Then one of the oldest and most senior figures in the military asked, “Back when you were young, could any of you have done that?”
Everyone was struck with alarm. One of them even blurted out in dismay, “How could a human possibly do that?”
“But she did.”
The fact was right before their eyes.
Strictly speaking, Pei Liang had not torn the mech apart using only her flesh. Her arms had already been equipped with armor.
“Even so—” the oldest official said. “Although arm armor can reduce the difficulty to a certain extent, the force still ultimately originates from the strength of her shoulders and back.”
“Even according to the post-evolution medical examination data Richter provided before he left, Pei Liang’s physical strength doesn’t stand out among 3S-level Alphas.”
That statement was actually rather modest. She did not merely fail to stand out; when it came down to it, physical strength was even her weak point.
So the fact that she had previously displayed strength entirely disproportionate to her physical capabilities—overwhelmingly pinning down someone like Brian, whose strength was exceptionally powerful for a 3S—had already been astonishing enough.
No one had expected her to go this far.
Someone couldn’t help sighing. “Since when did a 3S mech become made of cardboard?”
“No. Admit the truth. The value and secrets hidden within her are far greater than we thought.”
“I suspect this is the result of the martial arts she comprehended. It seems her abilities aren’t limited to combat techniques.” The senior official paused, then continued, “That makes sense. If she can project strikes through the air, then possessing an extraordinarily powerful body would naturally be a simple matter as well.”
As he spoke, he looked toward the others. “Has the Pei Family really never had an ancestor who displayed similar abilities?”
“No—probably not?” The others hesitated. “If they had, their family wouldn’t have remained merely a family of politicians.”
The political arena was treacherous and constantly shifting. Only by relying on the military’s influence could two powerful forces truly join together.
For generations, the Pei Family had married into military aristocratic families, but no one had ever heard of anyone with the Pei surname achieving particularly profound accomplishments in the military.
Their family’s genes had always favored talent in command and administration.
The senior official pondered for a moment before asking, “What about before the interstellar age?”
“That, I’m not sure about. I can ask around.” One of the officials, who had marital ties with the Pei Family, spoke up.
The matter of Elder Uncle Pei receiving that call, feeling utterly bewildered inside while having to put on an air of mystery, need not be elaborated on.
As for Valen, who had already obtained legal guardianship of Pei Liang, he was currently being showered with praise by his own elders—
“Well done. You handled this extremely well. I knew long ago that you were a child with exceptional insight. This time, you once again proved that you hadn’t misjudged anyone.”
Valen was somewhat speechless. All he had wanted was to raise a child and live a happy, fulfilling life as a family of three with his lover. He really hadn’t thought that far ahead.
His elder continued, “You don’t need to worry about the Pei Family. Even if they want to go back on the agreement, they should first consider who their opponent is. How could the Valen family allow them to break their word?”
“The value this child can bring is far greater than the property, connections, and influence under your name. No, we can’t let outsiders think the Valen family is being too stingy. Wait here—I’ll transfer several more prosperous planets into your name. Give her all your inheritance rights.”
“And as for her mother, it would be best if you could persuade her to divorce the Pei Family. Her reputation may be poor, but all the children she’s given birth to are remarkably gifted.”
“Let’s not even mention that child. I hear the one from Poseidon is also a rare prodigy who skipped several grades. Your genes are no worse than their fathers’—in fact, they far surpass that man from the Pei Family. If you could have a child of your own with her, I imagine that child would become one of the empire’s strongest individuals in the future.”
Mr. Valen grew impatient at the endless lecture and said sarcastically, “Why don’t you make me a schedule? If it’s possible, I’ll accomplish every objective one by one.”
“Very well. I’ll have my assistant draft one immediately.”
Mr. Valen: “…”
Compared with the various disputes over interests, Hill’s reaction was much more straightforward.
Because he had a VIP ticket, he had been staying at a hotel provided by the venue for several days. Recently, with the entire population caught up in the frenzy over the mech league, the fighting races in the slums had naturally suspended their events as well.
Even if they hadn’t, no one would have gone to watch.
It was not until the third day that Chu Xingyu contacted Hill and learned that he was not at home, but staying at a hotel not far from the Imperial Military Academy.
Fortunately, Hill’s ticket allowed him to bring along one guest, so Chu Xingyu came straight over to find him.
Compared with the scene of Pei Liang tearing apart a mecha with her bare hands, it was her earlier “joke” about being willing to take either Alphas or Omegas that had left Hill more unsettled.
Having grown up together, Chu Xingyu immediately understood what he meant.
Remembering that he had personally witnessed that guy castrate himself, Chu Xingyu looked at his friend, hesitating to speak—
But Hill said, “With her level of strength, I suppose it would make sense for her to be on top, no matter who she’s with.”
Chu Xingyu’s expression went completely numb. “Don’t you think there’s something seriously wrong with you now?”
Before this, although Hill had shown signs of abandoning his principles and resorting to any means necessary to climb higher, Chu Xingyu could at least tell that his actions were motivated by profit.
But in just a few days, whether he had convinced himself or been thoroughly influenced by Pei Liang, he had actually begun to seem eager to try it himself.
Chu Xingyu gritted his teeth. It was all that woman’s fault. If she hadn’t brought the subject up, Hill would never have thought of her in that way.
Still, Hill couldn’t really be blamed. The way she had performed in the arena—especially the overwhelming force she had displayed when facing the unfamiliar Zerg specifically adapted to counter mechas—had been enough to make even him shamefully weak in the knees.
He had abandoned his identity as an Omega precisely because he believed he could never be attracted to any Alpha. But now, he seemed to understand somewhat the confidence behind Pei Liang’s words when she had castrated herself.
Pheromones would only get in the way of her inherent charm.
At least as someone trained in battlefield command, he should have been observing the battle objectively, taking in the entire field. Yet from beginning to end, his gaze had been unable to escape her orbit.
By the time he came to his senses, he would realize that he had been staring at her for a long time again.
On the screen, the mecha had already been torn to pieces. Pei Liang simply reached out, grabbed the pilot, and dragged them out.
Although the person had become a monster after being parasitized, fear of the strong was universal.
The creature stood there trembling, like a snail dragged out of its shell—pathetic and idiotic.
Then a large face appeared before it. Pei Liang leaned in until she was only inches away and asked with a vicious smile, “What did you say the hostages were trapped inside?”
“I couldn’t hear you clearly.”
Well, you tore the mecha cage apart. What meaning was there in saying those two words now?
The parasitic monster probably hadn’t expected its target to be such a freak. It let out a shriek and tried to run.
Unfortunately, its legs had gone weak with terror, and Pei Liang’s speed left it no chance of escape. She reached out, covered the crown of its head with her palm, and yanked.
A basketball-sized mass resembling a giant blob of slime was pulled out. The qi released from Pei Liang’s hand destroyed it completely.
The other parasitized individuals watched in lingering fear. Fortunately, their opponent could only stop one person at a time.
By now, the remaining mechas had finished equipping themselves. No matter how powerful Pei Liang was, she couldn’t possibly tear open a mecha under these circumstances.
The parasites consequently regained some confidence.
One of them said in a cold voice, “Stop. You’ve already lost your chance.”
“Even if you deal with one of us, the remaining hostages are completely under our control. If you dare make another move—”
“Under your control?” Pei Liang grinned. “Are you sure you’re actually capable of harming human lives?”
Her words made the people around her feel that something was off. The Zerg had always fought humanity without fear of death. Absolutely obedient to their queen, they had no concern for their own lives.
If a Zerg could trade its own life for that of a 3S-ranked fighter, it would undoubtedly be more than willing. So for Pei Liang to say something like that seemed likely to put the Imperial Military Academy students being held hostage in danger.
At the very least, in order to turn the tide of the situation, the Zerg might kill one hostage without hesitation as a warning to the others.
But Pei Liang’s words made the parasitic creatures fall silent for a moment.
In that brief opening, Pei Liang’s figure vanished from their sight again.
The next instant, she appeared in front of one of the parasitized individuals wearing a mecha. Her voice sounded distorted, whether from moving at high speed or from sheer excitement.
“You can’t do it, can you? Harm innocent civilians across the boundary of a scenario, especially characters with names and established roles in the story? Trash like you can’t shoulder that responsibility on your own.”
Her hand clamped over the head of the other person’s mecha. Qi erupted from her palm, and a sharp, terrified scream came from inside.
The sound made everyone’s scalp prickle. A moment later, the screaming stopped. The mecha opened, revealing another slime-like mass that had already been forced halfway out of the contestant’s body.
Pei Liang seized it and pulled. She used her qi to kill it completely, threw it to the ground, and crushed it beneath her foot until it was a mangled mess.
Then she turned back to the remaining parasites. “Hostages?”
“What exactly do you think that identity means? Locking yourselves inside cages you can’t escape from and waiting for me to come kill you—is that what you call a hostage?”
“This is clearly just handing me free kills.”
Ah. The people around them had originally intended to help, but it seemed there was no need anymore.
They even felt like helping Pei Liang report the other side for deliberately feeding them kills.
Seeing this, the remaining parasitic creatures naturally realized that they could no longer gain the upper hand. They quickly gave a shrill whistle and attempted to scatter in different directions.
But the people surrounding them were no pushovers. Not to mention Arnold and Teresa, who had already become familiar with Pei Liang’s methods through their training, Lancelot had also developed countless unspoken understandings with her over the past few days.
There was Snake Woman as well. Although she had already been eliminated, the moment a student faced a threat from the Zerg, it ceased to be merely a competition.
Working together, they immediately blocked the mechas of the parasites. Then Pei Liang proceeded to clean them out one by one with merciless efficiency.
To the parasites, the scene was a form of torture—like being forced into an iron maiden while the instrument was heated until it became a branding iron.
They had no way to escape and could only wait in despair to be killed.
At first, everyone had acted cautiously. But after seeing that these unfamiliar Zerg truly did not even dare to die if it meant dragging their parasitized hosts down with them, they genuinely accepted Pei Liang’s judgment.
When the last parasite was pulled out, Pei Liang deliberately spared its life and threw the barely breathing creature into a refrigeration container.
The others asked in confusion, “How did you know they wouldn’t kill the students they had parasitized?”
She couldn’t explain the true reason to the “NPCs” inside the scenario, so she simply used the form these Zerg had taken to make a judgment and bluff her way through it.
She wasn’t worried about being exposed. After all, Imperial soldiers had no concept of compromise in the face of the Zerg.
Even if several students were truly in danger, they would never negotiate with the Zerg—not even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.
However, Pei Liang had reached that conclusion by combining the black-line worm’s earlier reactions with her deductions about the game’s rules.
The black-line worm had appeared to be threatening her by holding the contestant’s brain hostage. But after Pei Liang deliberately exposed an opening, it still had not attacked.
Of course, there was another possibility: perhaps the black-line worm’s intelligence was insufficient for it to exploit that opening in an instant.
But Pei Liang was more inclined toward her own theory. After all, although the Cannon Fodder Struggle Game did not have many strict rules and regulations...
Think about it from the opposite angle. If veteran players could manipulate low- and mid-level instances without any restrictions, those instance worlds would simply become resource farms for the big shots.
Anyone with the ability to break through to a higher level would have thought of doing exactly that. Even if they looked down on ordinary worlds, the boundless resources of an interstellar world and the treasures of a world rich in spiritual energy would always come in handy.
Therefore, Pei Liang concluded that there had to be a separate set of rules restricting players of this level.
And now, it was clear that her guess had been correct.
After the parasitic insectoids were dealt with, the contestants from Imperial Military Academy regained consciousness one after another. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that they were all right.
“What happened?” one of them asked blankly.
Arnold smacked him. “What do you mean, what happened? Go watch the broadcast and look at your own idiotic faces.”
Then he asked Teresa, “How did you end up being coerced by these guys?”
Teresa said gloomily, “Who would’ve thought they’d all been parasitized? I ran into them near the edge of the inner zone and traveled with them all the way here. I nearly got ambushed.”
According to Teresa’s account, the creatures had naturally tried to infest him at first.
Luckily, he had reacted quickly. The moment the slime-like thing lunged at his face, he struck out and chopped it to death.
With no extra parasites available, the others could only temporarily restrain Teresa. No matter how strong he was, even he couldn’t take on practically all of Imperial Military Academy’s official team members at once. Even the strongest fighter could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Then they received the call from Pei Liang and forced Teresa to come over with them.
Fortunately, the tacit understanding between him and Arnold was so strong that just a few deliberately untrue words were enough for Teresa to convey that something was wrong.
Arnold mocked him. “Good thing I’m clever. The constipated look on your face told me something was off.”
Teresa grinned and punched him lightly. Then he asked Pei Liang, “How did you figure it out?”
After saying that, his face reddened slightly. “Could it be that you were eavesdropping on Arnold and me?”
Pei Liang said, “Did I need to listen? You practically had ‘I’m being coerced’ written all over your face. Who looks at their own schoolmates like they’re enemies?”
Teresa froze.
He had always been warm on the outside and cold on the inside. Although he seemed to get along well with everyone, Arnold was his only true friend. More than once, people had complained that the real him was difficult to understand.
It was rather novel to have Pei Liang describe him as though all his thoughts were plainly written across his face.
Pei Liang glanced at the blade in Teresa’s hand and asked, “Was that what you used to kill the Snotling just now?”
Teresa looked down at the mecha blade in his hand and nodded. “Yes.”
It was strange, though. When the thing first tried to possess him, a single slash had killed it. Yet during the battle just now, his attacks had been completely ineffective.
Pei Liang walked over, hooked an arm around his shoulder, and pulled him aside. “Come on. Let’s go have a chat in the woods over there.”
Everyone watched as Teresa was dragged into the woods.
Arnold had to press his tongue hard against his teeth to stop himself from shouting out certain words of protest.
Seeing his expression, Lancelot sneered. “What’s with that look? My sister must have something important to ask him.”
“Why are you acting like that guy’s about to be dragged into the woods and violated?”
Arnold: “…”
It wasn’t as though that possibility could be completely ruled out. That was why his expression was so complicated.
Besides, Pei Liang was so fierce now. What if she really—
Could Teresa handle it? Come to think of it, Teresa was clearly the sturdier and more durable one. Even if Pei Liang went completely feral, she shouldn’t pick on Teresa too much.
Fortunately, the thing Arnold was worried about didn’t happen. Before long, the two of them emerged from the woods.
There was still a trace of confusion on Teresa’s face, but Pei Liang looked relaxed from head to toe, smiling brightly.
She said to the others, “Let’s go. We’re going to pull the flags.”
All of Imperial Military Academy’s members had gathered. Of the other three powerhouse schools, only a few exhausted fighters from Poseidon and one or two contestants who had escaped capture remained.
There was no longer any need to worry about enemies.
The group immediately operated their mechas and flew to the flag platform. The contestants from the other military academies below saw that imposing lineup of 3S-rank fighters and didn’t dare fire on them from below.
Everyone landed on the flag platform. Naturally, there was no one nearby yet. The moment a contestant entered a certain range, the entire arena would issue an alert.
So there was no possibility of anyone sneaking over and quietly pulling the flags. The champion had to be won through battle.
Once Pei Liang’s group entered the flag platform’s range, the contestants from the other military academies also gave up on traveling there on foot and flew over.
Before long, quite a number of people had gathered around the outer perimeter. However, when they saw that nearly all the contestants from the powerhouse military academies were standing inside the flag platform without fighting tooth and nail, they were rather bewildered.
Then they saw the S-rank contestant who had arrogantly announced her intentions at the opening ceremony step forward first and pull down the first flag.
The arena broadcast immediately announced the result—
“Imperial Military Academy contestant Pei Liang has taken first place in the first arena of the XXXth Mecha League.”
“Repeating…”
The announcement played three times before finally stopping. The contestants who still had no idea what was going on could only think that Imperial Military Academy had gone insane.
They were actually forcing an S-rank contestant into the spotlight like this? Weren’t they afraid that—
Wait. Just what kind of background did this girl have?
But the next bizarre thing happened almost immediately.
Arnold and Teresa of Imperial Military Academy, along with Lancelot of Poseidon, stepped forward.
“Rock, paper, scissors—”
What the heck? Were they seriously playing a guessing game now?
The first to win was Lancelot. He held up the hand showing paper and said to the other two, “Thank you for letting me win, seniors.”
With that, he turned toward the flag platform—
The flag—
“Hey! Wait! What are you doing?”
Someone couldn’t help shouting. They watched as Lancelot calmly pulled down one of the flags.
“Poseidon Military Academy contestant Lancelot has taken second place in the first arena of the XXXth Mecha League.”
“They…”
“Oh my god, they’re using rock-paper-scissors to decide the rankings!”
All the other contestants in the arena were dumbfounded. Since the Mecha League had begun, no one had ever seen anything like this.
The audience watching the screens had already dissolved into laughter.
“Hahahaha! It isn’t as fiery as the usual all-out battle at the flag platform, but why is it somehow even more entertaining?”
“Exactly! I’ve never seen anyone play it like this before.”
“If you want a blazing, blood-pumping showdown, subscribe to Pei Liang’s live channel. We’ll bring you the thrilling spectacle of her tearing mechas apart with her bare hands.”
The audience understood what was happening, but the contestants did not.
Someone stepped forward and accused them, “Are you powerhouse military academies colluding to manipulate the rankings? You’re monopolizing the victory without fighting!”
“Have you forgotten your dignity and principles as soldiers?”
But the others—especially the contestants from Medusa and Ares, who had yet to win anything—looked at him.
Exhausted, one of them said, “Who said we’re monopolizing the victory? Why are you spouting nonsense at prisoners?”
Then everyone watched as, after Lancelot pulled down his flag, the remaining eight flags were all claimed by the contestants from Imperial Military Academy.
The contestants from the other military academies: “…”
Damn it. Had Imperial Military Academy finally started rigging the competition?
And just after the flag-capturing round ended, Richter’s uniquely sensual voice came through in Pei Liang’s ear—
“First of all, congratulations on winning first place, Pei Liang.”
“Now, how would you like me to cooperate?”
Pei Liang knew that someone must have been monitoring her channel the entire time, especially the people from the Imperial Military Academy.
That was why, when she had just pulled Teresa into the woods, she had immediately sent a hint through her own channel.
The first time Teresa had killed a Slime insectoid with a single strike had not been a coincidence. Physical attacks were indeed largely ineffective against those insectoids, yet Teresa had still managed to cut one down. That gave Pei Liang an idea.
So she had taken him into the woods and asked him to show her what was special about his mecha blade.
She had then noticed some green juice on the blade. According to Teresa, it had gotten there after they entered the inner area, when he had casually hacked through some particularly dense patches of grass while piloting his mecha.
Pei Liang had caught the scent of mosquito-repelling grass in it.
That made things much simpler. That herb clearly wasn’t effective against just one type of invader—it should work against all of them.
Pei Liang had immediately hinted to the Imperial Military Academy’s side that they should hold off on the rescue and gather the herbs instead.
Now that they were contacting her, they must have finished gathering them. She just hadn’t expected Richter to come in person.
Hearing this, Pei Liang smiled and replied softly, “I’ll gather everyone first. Then, Chairman, just watch for my signal.”
