CH 26

“Playing a game?” 

Pei Zhaozhou’s face carried a slight smile, while his amber golden eyes narrowed, devoid of any humor. His cold cheeks flushed with anger.

— Seems like you’re enjoying it.

Si Huaixi remained oblivious to the brewing resentment in front of him, his clear eyes sparkling with amusement as he said, “Yeah, Brother Pei, want to join in?”

Pei Zhaozhou replied through gritted teeth, “Sure.”

Within half a month of the launch of ‘Star River Battlefield,’ it quickly became a sensation across the entire internet. Si Huaixi had seen marketing campaigns and comments from netizens countless times, promoting the game, whether it was about rare mechs, explosive mech skills, or the appearance of new bosses, all of which sparked discussions throughout the online community.

It wasn’t just because it was a mech game, but because ‘Star River Battlefield’ employed the most advanced simulated world operating system, enabling players to unleash their potential, break free from physical limitations, and ascend to higher genetic levels.

The genetic levels of interstellar life were ranked from high to low as S, A, B, C, D, E, F. Higher-level intelligent beings could venture beyond planets and withstand the physical strain of space jumps.

Citizens with the lowest F-level genetics were practically confined to their original planets for a lifetime. The majority of Odyssen Empire citizens fell within the C~E range. Si Huaixi’s original body, disguised as an E-level Beta, had managed to conceal the fact that he didn’t belong to any of the three ABO genders, as this genetic level test didn’t require checking reproductive organs.

Controlling a mech required at least a B-level genetic classification. Despite having the potential for B-level, being an Empire citizen didn’t guarantee advancement to that level. Countless Empire citizens remained stuck at the C-level, with the leap from C to B being an unconquerable hurdle.

Now, ‘Star River Battlefield’ aims to break down that barrier by offering near-perfect simulation battles, pushing players to unleash their potential to the extreme and breakthrough to higher levels.

This meant that the Empire could cultivate more mech pilots. How could the entire Empire not be captivated and driven into a frenzy by this!

Pei Zhaozhou had a deep understanding of the game developed jointly by his own company and the Empire’s research institution. The game’s artificial intelligence behind the scenes was ‘Silver Arc.’ 

— It’s been so long since I’ve piloted a mech. My hands are itching for a fight.

Pei Zhaozhou’s amber eyes, flowing like liquid gold, turned to Si Huaixi, a fierce glint mixed with a teasing eagerness. His imposing and arrogant posture was evident, as he asked with a smirk, “How about a match in the Mech Arena?”

Si Huaixi’s heart burned with excitement. He was completely captivated by Brother Pei’s confident and proud gaze. Without a doubt, he responded, “Sure.”

The Mech Arena was a battleground where two mech pilots could engage in combat. The terrain included plains, deserts, forests, hills, and river zones.

The virtual warehouse in the game accommodated two players.

Pei Zhaozhou sat on the left, Si Huaixi on the right.

Pei Zhaozhou gazed at the control panel of the mech in front of the screen, immediately entering a state of preparedness. His hands moved so quickly that they left behind faint afterimages, as he focused attentively on adjusting the parameters and replacing components of the mech to their optimal state.

Si Huaixi had long since finished his preparations, or rather, he hadn’t made any changes at all.

Si Huaixi smiled and said to Pei Zhaozhou, “Brother Pei, you can choose the arena.”

Pei Zhaozhou turned his head to glance at Si Huaixi’s mech. It had a simple black and gray shell, with a pair of P-28 light cannons mounted on its arms and an alloy cold weapon inserted into the weapon slot. It was an ordinary D-class mech.

Pei Zhaozhou pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. “Do you really think a D-class mech can defeat me? Change it.”

Si Huaixi sighed helplessly. “Brother Pei, this is the only mech I have.”

Furrowing his brow, Pei Zhaozhou’s AI-controlled brain managed his account. As the game’s main brain, the AI had unlimited privileges and almost always provided him with top-level mechs. He had never used anything below an A-class mech. Si Huaixi, on the other hand, was not a professional mech pilot, and the disparity between their mechs was too great for a fair fight.

Although Pei Zhaozhou had the intention of teaching Si Huaixi a lesson, he still needed to cover it up.

Pei Zhaozhou asked, “Don’t you have any other higher-grade components that can be installed on your mech to enhance its attack power?”

Si Huaixi replied, “I do. I obtained several rare A-class and a dozen B-class components from missions, but I sold them to other players and made tens of thousands of interstellar credits.”

Pei Zhaozhou was puzzled. “Why did you sell them?”

Si Huaixi looked at Pei Zhaozhou with a smile in his eyes, and said meaningfully, “Professional canaries need to make money to support their benefactors. I don’t want Brother Pei to come to my gentle house and have to eat those unpleasant nutritional supplements. The kitchen is already stocked with natural ingredients. Otherwise, what do you think I play the game for?”

A cold smirk formed on Pei Zhaozhou’s lips as he casually asked, “What are we having for dinner tonight?”

Si Huaixi replied, “Three dishes and one soup: beef stew with potatoes, garlic-flavored spare ribs, stir-fried vegetables, and a soup made with soybeans, kelp, and pork bones.”

“Okay.” Although Pei Zhaozhou hadn’t heard of any of the dishes, a hint of pride appeared on his stern face. This canary was raised by him!

Since the little canary was being so cooperative, there was no harm in conceding a little.

Pei Zhaozhou said, “Let’s use the system’s default mech and a random arena.”

Si Huaixi naturally didn’t object, as having identical mech conditions would give him a greater advantage.

Mech Arena – Ruins.

An abandoned military factory with shattered walls, bearing the scars of missile strikes. Two mechs faced each other in the midst of the ruins, surrounded by billowing smoke.

Si Huaixi gazed at the imposing mech opposite him. Even the stance it held, with no blind spots, exuded an invincible aura that left him in awe.

The excitement in his eyes grew even stronger.

It had been a long time since Pei Zhaozhou had touched a mech. The dormant fire within him surged once again, as if injecting new life into the icy mech. Its sharpness and intimidation were unrivaled, with its edge fully revealed!

Suddenly, Si Huaixi had a feeling that if he didn’t unleash his full strength, he would be beaten mercilessly.

Without any hesitation, he unleashed his psychic power.

Clashing against the sharp edge!

The two mechs moved simultaneously, like lightning, engaging in hundreds of exchanges in an instant. The surrounding walls collapsed with a thunderous roar, and dust filled the air.

In the intense high-frequency and high-speed combat, the friction of cold weapons ignited heat. The metal blades grew scorching hot, smoking from the intense clashes. With another collision, the mechs’ built-in low-grade blades couldn’t withstand such high-intensity battle and snapped simultaneously.

In an instant, two beams of blue energy fired, and both mechs evaded with agility.

Then, the remnants of the ruined buildings became the cover, and a guerrilla warfare ensued.

The energy cannons needed time to recharge, and during this period, strategic scheming played out one after another.

Si Huaixi’s psychic power was simply cheating, he controlled the territory within the ruins.

While Pei Zhaozhou hid in the abandoned building, waiting for the energy to replenish, Si Huaixi calmly positioned himself in Pei Zhaozhou’s line of sight, counting down for the energy cannon, awaiting the final cry of this trapped sparrow.

But Pei Zhaozhou’s combat experience was not in vain. He quickly sensed something was amiss, keenly aware of the eerie silence in his surroundings, as if there were traps waiting for him.

Sure enough, at the same moment, the energy cannons finished cooling down.

An explosion rushed toward his position.

Pei Zhaozhou had already prepared and dodged, exposing his location due to Si Huaixi’s attack, retaliating with a resounding energy blast.

The fierce battle between the two sides intensified, and it exhilarated Pei Zhaozhou, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His heartbeat and blood flow accelerated to an unbelievable extent, almost ceasing his breath.

[Warning issued!]

[Warning! Player’s physical condition is detected as unstable. Please cease combat!]

The smart brain, Silver Arc, appeared immediately. “Master! Your pheromone disorder is not yet cured. You can’t engage in such intense battles. Please stop!”

Pei Zhaozhou was unwilling. After finally encountering an opponent of equal strength, he didn’t want to revert to being a useless person who couldn’t even control a mech.

But his heart was in turmoil, and his body couldn’t bear the burden.

Every breath felt like swallowing razor blades.

Silver Arc anxiously exclaimed, “You should also consider your well-being, young master! Your physical condition cannot deteriorate any further!”

Finally, Pei Zhaozhou clenched his fists, unwillingly closed his eyes, and uttered two words, “I quit.”

The imposing mech slowly fell, while Si Huaixi’s chest heaved violently, frozen in a daze.

— Brother Pei, what just happened?

Immediately after, Si Huaixi received the prompt that the game had been exited.

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