CH 20.2

Axiu said, "It seems to go against the rules of the Calamity Control Bureau for the students to have contact with the assessment beforehand."

"That's correct. But precisely because of that, it shows Zuo Quanzong's importance placed on the character of 'Ji Mingzhu’,'' replied Ji Mingzhu, his expression subdued. "I don't want a genius to miss out on a bright future due to current setbacks... It seems that the Red Guardian is not as heartless as the rumors suggest."

Axiu couldn't help but admire Ji Mingzhu's adaptability. When he first arrived, Ji Mingzhu appeared somewhat lost amidst the sudden changes in his environment. However, in just a few days, he had adjusted his mindset, developed meticulous and decisive plans, and even dared to engage in a game of wits with someone like Zuo Quanzong. Regardless of who it was, they would praise his audacity.

Axiu asked, "What's next?"

Ji Mingzhu watched as Zuo Quanzong walked away and stretched lazily. "What's next? Of course, it's to live up to the Red Guardian's expectations and show him my transformation."

...

As the elite program of Zongbingyi Academy, every student in the Mecha Combat Department was considered a treasure and received exceptional treatment compared to ordinary students.

Even as a transfer student, Ji Mingzhu received the same special treatment.

Tuition was fully waived, and he received a substantial monthly allowance. While this might be inconsequential to other students in the Mecha Combat Department, it was undoubtedly a great help for Ji Mingzhu, who came from an orphanage.

In addition to the generous benefits, he was assigned a spacious single dormitory.

Ji Mingzhu swiped his student card at the door and entered the luxurious dormitory, marveling at the stark contrast to the shabby rental house he had lived in for so long. Unable to contain his excitement, he exclaimed in awe at the entrance.

Salted fish turns over!

*experience a reversal in fortune

Ji Mingzhu cheered and then, without caring about his image, leaped like a fish and dived onto the soft, large bed, rolling around happily.

Axiu: "..."

It's incredible how he went from looking like a strategist with a master plan to acting like a child in the blink of an eye.

Can't believe my eyes.

Ji Mingzhu finally settled down on the bed after rolling around, and began to observe the surrounding decor.

In the corner of the bedroom, there was a holographic cockpit, not the basic model that Ji Mingzhu had previously purchased, but a more advanced version that cost nearly a million on the market.

Next to the cockpit, a household robot sat silently, capable of completing household chores such as cleaning and laundry by following pre-set programs. Of course, this type of household robot was not considered an intelligent AI and could only act according to the pre-set instructions. It couldn't engage in barrier-free communication like Axiu.

"Hey Axiu..."

"What's up?"

Ji Mingzhu: "I'm in debt... because of this. My loan."

He had taken out a loan to buy the basic cockpit for his rental house, which was now rendered unnecessary. Although he knew it was necessary to spend money to maintain his public image, Ji Mingzhu still felt a pinch.

Oh well.

Ji Mingzhu shook his head and got up from the bed. "I'm going to play some games. Call me when it's time for dinner."

Axiu: "Okay."

When the ID "Tian Nan" logged in again, the players who had been closely following its movements instantly became excited and hurriedly spread the news.

"Tian Nan is back!"

After relentlessly climbing the ranks a few days ago, Tian Nan hadn't logged in today, leading many to speculate that this mysterious high-level player had encountered some real-life issues. Of course, some clever individuals connected it to the start of the academic year at Zongbingyi Academy, speculating that Tian Nan might have some connection to the academy.

"He's here!"

Not far from Ji Mingzhu's dormitory, You Jia, a devoted fan, was the first to receive the news of Tian Nan's online presence and jumped up from his chair in an instant.

Since Tian Nan entered the public eye until now, only a few days have passed, but the speed at which his ranking is rising is simply astonishing. Even when he didn't log in for a day and his ranking dropped slightly, he still maintained a position in the top hundred.

With his dazzling maneuvers and limitless operational capabilities, anyone who has watched Tian Nan's game videos would not believe that his limit is just within the top hundred rankings.

Although this guy doesn't stream or communicate with opponents, every battle starts and ends in silence, leaving opponents dumbfounded by his confidence, which casually beheads enemies.

Ji Mingzhu logged into his account, as usual, ignoring the 999+ emails and getting ready to start a match. His gaze fell on his points, causing a momentary pause.

Unbeknownst to him, his Warfall points had already accumulated to 150,000.

For a normal player in the 2,500-point range, it would take at least half a year to reach such a high score. Of course, if they were willing to spend money, that time could be significantly shortened. Since Ji Mingzhu had been winning consistently, his hidden points were high, and each victory added to his score, allowing him to accumulate this terrifying amount in just a few days.

"Should I change my mecha?"

Ji Mingzhu had been using the Azure Storm for PvP battles, not to show off, but because he was too lazy to switch. After all, the opponents he encountered before didn't pose a problem for him regardless of whether he changed mechas or not.

However, as his ranking climbed, the opponents he faced became stronger, and their mechas reached higher levels. Despite overwhelming them with his skills, Ji Mingzhu's match duration was gradually lengthening due to the difference in mecha performance.

After some consideration, Ji Mingzhu moved his hand away from the matchmaking screen and casually opened the shop interface in his inventory, starting to browse for new mecha models.

Warfall offered a wide variety of mecha types, including real-world models and some "fantasy" models unique to the game. These fantasy models were usually purchased by wealthy players. As the saying goes, if your skills aren't good enough, you can compensate with money. The fantasy mechas were expensive, but their parameters were maxed out, making them suitable for players who only wanted to show off in the game and didn't consider actual performance.

Although Warfall had official backing, from a certain perspective, it was still a commercial game. Its operations were handled by the Water Department of the Bureau of Calamities, the financial department responsible for revenue generation. After all, they didn't want to miss out on the money spent by big spenders.

Opening the shop, Ji Mingzhu was greeted by a dazzling array of mecha types: assault, heavy armor, firepower, special, fantasy...

Anyone who wasn't familiar with mechas would likely be overwhelmed by the sight. However, Ji Mingzhu didn't hesitate at all. He opened the search interface and skillfully began searching for the mecha model he desired.

As the most valuable player in Warfall, with titles such as Solo Tournament Five-Time Champion and Team Tournament MVP, Ji Mingzhu was extremely familiar with these mechas. He knew the strengths, weaknesses, and focus of each one like the back of his hand.

While 150,000 points may seem like a lot, it was still not enough to directly buy an S-class mecha. An A-class mecha would be impressive, but buying a prototype B-class mecha and upgrading it with accessories would still leave him with more than enough.

Ji Mingzhu quickly searched for the mecha he needed and soon selected his new mecha.

He spent 85,000 points to choose the "Consul," an assault-type mecha.

After the purchase was completed, a 20-meter-tall silver mecha appeared before him.

The Consul had a sleek and sharp body, resembling the Aerial Raider in appearance. With its silver paint and a spear mounted at the back, it exuded a commanding presence. Its overall design was smooth and balanced, making it a well-rounded assault-type mecha.

Ji Mingzhu's fingers swiftly navigated the control interface.

In the next second, the imposing and tall body of the Consul turned into transparent blue lines, gradually becoming ethereal, and each component on its body began modularizing.

As Ji Mingzhu made his moves, the data modules on the mecha separated, disassembled, and underwent modifications.

New mecha modules were being reassembled, and the appearance of the Consul was rapidly changing.

The cost of replacing the power core was too high, so Ji Mingzhu retained the Consul's original power system and incorporated components salvaged from other B-class mechas.

The iconic firepower system of “General Tang Freyr”, the C32 Titanium Blade from “Athena”, the instantaneous acceleration system of the “Wandering Knight”...

Originally, Ji Mingzhu planned to incorporate the sharp horned sickle from the Aerial Raider as well. After all, the horned sickle was very useful in actual combat. It could be used for offense, defense, leaping, and displacement. It had already proven its worth in his previous battles with Striker. Unfortunately, the Aerial Raider's horned sickle, while not expensive, required the additional installation of two shoulder power cores to fully unleash its capabilities, and that was too costly...

Helplessly, Ji Mingzhu replaced it with a more affordable substitute, the Radiant Claw Snares.

A few minutes later, the Consul was reassembled, and a completely different mecha, far removed from its original appearance, stood before him.

Ji Mingzhu looked at the mecha in satisfaction and used his remaining 1,300 points to give it a new paint job.

All 150,000 points were spent, with none left.

[Modification of the Consul complete. Mecha modification degree: 56%. Module compatibility: 94%. Parameter evaluation in progress…]

[Condition achieved. You have obtained the 'Master Modifier' title.]

[You can give a new suffix name to 'Consul - Modified'.]

Looking at the newly transformed mecha before him, Ji Mingzhu's eyes revealed a touch of nostalgia.

...

It had been over half an hour since Tian Nan came online, but the system indicated that he hadn't entered a match yet. This made many eager spectators who were waiting to watch his battles feel anxious.

What's going on? In the past, the first thing Tian Nan did upon coming online was to immediately start pushing for points. Why is there no activity today?

[What's he doing? Why isn't he starting to play?]

[We've been waiting for a whole day. Is he online just to enjoy the scenery?]

[I heard that many top players are preparing to challenge Nan Shen today. They've come to snipe his ranking.]

[I heard that several professional players from top clubs have joined the fray. The lineup seems quite formidable. Looks like things are getting serious.]

[After being beaten by a single Azure Storm, these professional players couldn't sit still anymore. Hahaha!]

[Is this Tian Nan afraid now?]

Reading the comments on the forum, You Jia became furious and quickly typed a response:

[Hilarious! Since when has your Nan Shen been afraid? Besides him, who else can reach the top hundred with a stock Azure Storm? I'll tell you this, in a moment, I'll crush those professional players you're talking about. You better…]

Before finishing the passionate speech, You Jia received a message that Tian Nan had joined the ranked matchmaking queue.

You Jia: !!

He swiftly deleted the typed text. Without a second's hesitation, You Jia quickly searched for Tian Nan's spectator seat in the game, fearing that if he delayed for even a moment, the spectator seats would fill up.

At the same time, various popular streamers, professional players, amateur kings, and viewers who received the message began queuing up, preparing to target this rising and dominant mysterious expert.

[You have been matched with an opponent.]

In a highly popular live streaming room, a man looked at the glaring "Tian Nan" on the other side and clenched his fist excitedly. "Finally matched!"

[Crap, he got matched with Jin Sanduo!]

[Jin Sanduo?! It can’t be that Jin Sanduo, right?]

[Don't doubt it, it's him.]

[That Warfall heroic god? The big spender who pilots a fully-equipped fantasy mecha?]

[Now we're in for a show.]

Jin Sanduo, although not part of any professional circle, was a wealthy player who had gained fame among the player community.

There was no denying it, this guy... was incredibly rich.

Piloting the top-tier fantasy mecha, "Beast Hunter," every aspect of its power core, armor, and firepower systems was equipped with the most expensive configurations. Just one part alone would make people's eyes widen at the price. And similarly expensive mechas, he had a total of twelve in his warehouse!

As long as it was a high-level mecha component in the hands of players, even if it was sold to Jin Sanduo at a price far higher than the market value, this guy would accept it without hesitation. He was jokingly called the “money scattering player”.

Although Jin Sanduo didn't rank among the top players in terms of skill, his actual level was estimated to be around 3800 points. However, piloting a fantasy mecha that exuded the scent of money from head to toe, Jin Sanduo became an opponent many professional players were reluctant to face.

Of course, many people looked down on this type of wealthy player like Jin Sanduo. After all, there were few players in "Warfall" who were willing to pilot fantasy mechas. On the one hand, it was due to the exorbitant price, as most people couldn't afford such configurations. On the other hand, piloting fantasy mechas extensively seemed like cheating, as it greatly impacted their true skill level.

[A whale mecha against a starter mecha... What kind of fight is this?]

[You never know, I think Nan Shen's skill is not to be underestimated. Maybe he can win.]

[Is this about skill? It's ultimate mecha domination, bro.]

[I'm just curious, can that little puny knife of the Warfall, the Aerial Raider, break through the defence of Jin Sanduo's Beast Hunter...]

[It would probably take forever to chip away at it, even with constant slashing.]

"It seems like bullying a child."

Jin Sanduo chuckled. "But there's nothing I can do. It seems like today I'm going to end Tian Nan's winning streak."

It wasn't that Jin Sanduo was arrogant. The attributes of the fantasy mecha "Beast Hunter," even among S-class mechas, were top-tier. As an exclusive mecha for wealthy players, the disparity in attributes was too obvious. Just as the barrage of comments said, even if Jin Sanduo stood still and let the opponent attack, it would probably take a considerable amount of time.

[Don't overturn the cart, Mr. Jin Krypton Man.]

Jin Sanduo glanced at the bullet screen and sneered, "Come on, just a Azure Storm. If I were to lose to him, then I would..."

Before he finished speaking, the opponent's mecha model had already loaded.

When he saw an unfamiliarly painted mecha appearing before him, Jin Sanduo was momentarily taken aback.

Why isn't it the Azure Storm?

Did he make a mistake in his targeting?

Jin Sanduo rubbed his eyes and looked at the opponent's ID again. It was indeed "Tian Nan".

But this mecha...

He opened the battle panel, and the information of the opponent's mecha appeared before him.

[Breaking Clouds (Consul - Modified)]

"What's this?"

Jin Sanduo looked puzzled. "I haven't heard of this model before ah?"