A Crisis

Marlone was shocked, almost losing his composure. "Pureblood royal! Doesn't that mean their psychic power and physique are beyond Supergiant Class? I thought that was just a rumor, but it's actually true?" 

Even Solis, usually so even-tempered, couldn't help but feel disgusted when thinking about the warmongers of the Empire. "The Empire and the Alliance have been at peace for so many years simply because the two sides are evenly matched. Now, with a Supergiant from the royal family potentially tipping the scales... I'm afraid the warmongers in the Empire will start stirring up trouble again."

Marlone, reminded of the hellish scenes on those planets, felt both heartache and growing anger. He said softly, "The warmongers of the Empire are nothing but scum, wreaking havoc on countless galaxies at the edge. They meddle in planetary politics, causing division and civil wars. And what's left in their wake? Cannon fire, bloodshed, and civilizations destroyed in an instant."

Shella and Mendez remained silent in their seats, and finally, it was Laiden who spoke lightly, "The only enemy of the Alliance should be the insectoids. Once the Alliance and the Empire go to war, it will be the end of humanity."

Hearing this, Marlone felt as if his deepest pain had been touched. He sank back into his chair, defeated, and closed his eyes.

He understood all too well that if the two strongest nations began to fight, it would only provide opportunities for insectoid invasions.

This was something he understood, and the people of the Alliance understood; however, the warmongering faction of the Empire seemed not to. Their minds were filled only with thoughts of invading lands and resources.

The air turned somewhat heavy, as everyone knew that if the two nations began to fight, they would face a matter of life and death.

After a moment of silence, Solis said, "I believe that as long as the threat of the insectoids exists, the Alliance and the Empire won't go that far. However, that doesn't stop the Empire from wanting to control us. Four years from now, when that pureblood royal graduates, the mecha competition will determine the future situation between the Alliance and the Empire. Losing that game would push all of us into a relentless war."

Laiden smirked mischievously, almost taking pleasure in the disaster. "Tsk, tsk, the freshmen this year are really pitiful, carrying a burden even we can't bear before they've even grown. But, I'm actually quite looking forward to it. Speaking of which, among the heirs of the five major noble families this time, who will be the leader?"

As soon as these words fell, the friendly looks in the eyes of the five people present turned cold and sharp. The camaraderie they had just shared was slowly replaced by a growing desire to compete.

Meanwhile, Arix had figured out the components of the pill. Just one minute before the competition was about to start, she finally swallowed the pill.

When she opened her eyes again, what came into view was an unremarkable primeval forest. Tall, ancient trees stood majestically, and dappled sunlight fell upon her. She heard birds chirping in the distance and the murmur of a stream nearby.

Anyone unaware they were in the interstellarnet's virtual world would think they were truly in a real jungle.

While marveling at the high technology, Arix also remained vigilant of her surroundings.

Some arguing voices came from behind. After hearing them, Arix looked around for a moment and then swiftly climbed up a tree, skillfully concealing herself in the canopy.

A boy's voice, tinged with urgency and a slight tremor, carried over from nearby. "The people from Hecaris are so despicable. They actually entered the simulation early, trapped the insectoids, and then killed them off at the start. Now they're all leading in points."

Another voice joined the conversation, agreeing, "I get it, they're all trash from Planet Waste. Lowly people can only come up with such dirty tricks." His tone was filled with arrogance and disdain.

The voices grew closer. Arix looked down and saw two boys, one taller than the other, wearing the same military uniform as hers, emerging from the dense forest.

The golden lion emblem on their chests immediately told Arix that these were two rich kids from the Snorri Military Academy.

To distinguish the examinees of each school in the competition, emblems were used as markers:

- The Koros Military Academy's emblem was a crescent moon.

- The Snorri Military Academy had the Golden Lion.

- The Ceres Military Academy featured a test tube.

- The Mulado Military Academy's emblem was a cherry blossom.

- And the Hecaris Military Academy was represented by the dire wolf.

After the two figures disappeared, Arix emerged from the canopy.

With her skills, she could have easily taken out the two boys, but given the uncertain situation at the start, she decided it was best not to stir up unnecessary trouble.

"There are plenty of materials for making medicine in this simulation. I wonder if I can make some insect repellent or insecticide. And not having any medicine for self-defense feels pretty unsafe," Arix mumbled to herself, then picked a direction and started walking.

While gathering minerals and plants for making medicine, she encountered several insectoids. However, she quickly dealt with them.

Every time Arix encountered other examinees, she would hide to avoid conflict. This was partly because of the risk of getting eliminated herself and partly because eavesdropping provided her with valuable information.

The heirs of the five noble families had formed significant groups of examinees in their respective military academies.

- The leader of the Koros Military Academy's group was Zephyr, the heir from the Calix family, one with lots of famous commanders. He was currently leading in points.

- The Snorri Military Academy's group was led by Elio, the heir from the mecha-making Lasair family. He was currently in third place in points, thanks to his financial advantages.

- The Ceres Military Academy's group was led by Varden, the heir from the chemist Brant family. He was currently at the bottom, ranked fifth in points.

- The leader of the Mulado Military Academy's group was Sirinna, the heir from the Rinn family, famous for making nice Psychic Wares. She was the only female leader among the five groups of examinees, and she was ranked second in points, closely trailing the first place.

The situation for the Hecaris Military Academy was quite grim. They had an early advantage, but this also made them the target of hatred from the other four military academies.

The leaders of the other four academies even began encouraging their members to take down students from the Hecaris Military Academy. As a result, many examinees from the Hecaris Military Academy were eliminated early in the game.

Fortunately, among the students from the Hecaris, there was an heir from the Kering family, Drexel, who possessed Supergiant-Class talent.

Without him, the Hecaris Military Academy might have already been wiped out, leaving only examinees from the other four academies on the field.