Yun Xunlan finished typing, waited for Yu Chen’s reply of “okay,” then lowered his wrist and flicked the virtual battlefield access helmet on the ground like a ball, rolling it back and forth.
He was still wearing silk pajamas, his silver hair trailing to the ground. Sitting barefoot on the floor by the window, he occasionally looked up at the warm sunshine outside. The light swayed and fell on Yun Xunlan’s face, giving him an inexplicable sense of loneliness.
But actually, a voice was talking to Yun Xunlan—
Based on its own actual experience and connecting to Yun Xunlan’s explanation to Yu Chen last night, the system concluded: “You’re really good at shifting focus.”
Yun Xunlan stopped playing with the virtual battlefield access helmet, “Do I?”
The system accused: “You do.”
There was actually a hint of grievance in that mechanical tone.
Yun Xunlan was amused and chuckled softly with curved lips.
The system continued to sigh wistfully: “You haven’t thought of me for a long time.”
“But you’re always present.” Yun Xunlan held up the access helmet, bringing it to eye level to examine, and asked the system, “Little Ju, do you think I still have a chance to get a passing score?”
Yun Xunlan had also asked Yu Chen this question. Yu Chen’s answer was ambiguous, full of speculation and uncertainty.
The system’s answer was much more decisive: “In a regular exam, never possible—because I will always be with you.”
“Yes…” Yun Xunlan also sighed softly, “A regular exam will probably never be possible…”
However, when Yu Chen returned to the dormitory that evening, Yun Xunlan still entered the virtual battlefield with him for practical combat testing.
Yu Chen modified the setting data, first increasing the team size for him and Yun Xunlan in the special background battlefield to five people, then reducing it back to the original two—both times, Yun Xunlan achieved high scores and completed the missions well.
As the young man said: the main factor affecting his performance seems not to be the number of people, but the background.
As long as Yu Chen removes the special background setting and returns the battlefield to the normal exam mode of “War Psychology,” Yun Xunlan will get stuck at the first level—he simply refuses to obey military orders to leave the dormitory.
So tonight’s tutoring still made no substantial progress.
Fortunately, Yu Chen has known about Yun Xunlan’s situation for a long time. Now he can calmly face his wife who repeatedly scores zero without being tormented into impotence by her poor grades.
He also temporarily put aside his plan to abstain from sex, deciding to satisfy his susceptible-period wife’s needs first before quitting.
So Yun Xunlan smoothly completed his daily tasks again tonight.
The next day he woke up with a bit of soreness in his waist.
But last night they didn’t use the kneeling position, and he didn’t mark Yu Chen for pheromone exchange. The man’s nesting instinct didn’t activate, so his sleeping posture wasn’t twisted. Yun Xunlan couldn’t find fault with others, and only then was willing to admit that the initial setting of the silent mode on his light brain bracelet for three hours was reasonable.
Fortunately, his way of piloting mecha is completely different from an alpha’s, so this discomfort won’t affect his battle with Yu Chen at eight o’clock tonight.
Yun Xunlan even felt he was in good condition, while Yu Chen probably received the battle order from Yun Xunguang at noon and sent Yun Xunlan a message during lunch saying: 【Yu Chen: Lanlan, I don’t need extra training tonight, but I can’t come back early to tutor you. The Crown Princess gave me a task. I have to log into the mecha piloting simulation platform and fight a mecha pilot called “Mad Guest” in a public battle.】
Yu Chen reported his daily activities to Yun Xunlan in detail.
He learned in physiology class how alphas should take care of omegas in heat. Omegas in heat are said to be very insecure and need their alpha partners to accompany them constantly.
Although Yun Xunlan is not an omega, Yu Chen believes that no matter if the partner is alpha, beta, or omega, giving enough security to the other is necessary. Most importantly… Yu Chen hopes Yun Xunlan will watch his match.
Who wouldn’t want to show their best side in front of their lover?
Yu Chen hinted to Yun Xunlan: 【Yu Chen: My mecha piloting simulation platform alias is “Death Omen Star.”】
【Yun Xunlan: Okay, I’ll watch baby compete on time.】
—Just watching is useless; you have to add friends.
Yu Chen felt Yun Xunlan didn’t understand his hint, so he thought to be more proactive: 【Yu Chen: Lanlan, what’s your mecha piloting simulation platform name? Let’s add each other as friends.】
【Yun Xunlan: Okay, I’ll add you after you finish playing.】
As the system said, Yun Xunlan is always good at shifting focus: 【Yun Xunlan: By the way, I saw many people discussing who would win between Mad Guest and baby you. They say Mad Guest has a better chance, but I don’t want to bet on him.】
【Yu Chen: Don’t listen to those nonsense. If I bet, I’ll bet on myself. Mad Guest can’t beat me; I have no defeats.】
【Yun Xunlan: Okay baby, I’ll definitely bet on you. You do your best in the match.】
Yun Xunlan said this to Yu Chen in a message. After logging into the mecha piloting simulation platform, he indeed went to the betting pool and bet on Yu Chen, not himself.
But he bet on Yu Chen losing, not winning.
Jian Wenxi’s hired team has been helping hype up Mad Guest’s popularity. Since the public competition, Yun Xunlan has been high-profile. In contrast, the name “Death Omen Star” has little fame. More people bet on Mad Guest winning, even though both have a 100% win rate in their public battle records.
After all, who are Mad Guest and his opponents? All are top three league mecha pilots. He doesn’t fight anyone below the top three. Each battle lasts less than half an hour. With such a perfect record and a fighting style suspected to be taught by Galactic Empire Emperor Yun Qihe, anyone would think he must win.
And what about Death Omen Star?
His public battle records include mecha pilots of all levels, some top three in the league, some never ranked. Battle durations range from five minutes to three hours. His early game style is variable with no fixed school, mid-game resembles General Huo Su of the Nebula Federation, and late game can be summarized as “dark and sly,” not only very good at surviving but also likes sudden stabs.
Plus, he won the league six years ago and has barely logged in since. No public battle records in six years. People think he must be quite old, and the rising star Mad Guest has a better chance.
Even some alpha guards think so because Mad Guest defeated Keka Valley.
Others don’t know Keka Valley’s true identity, but they do.
If not for this, they would support Yu Chen. Now, no one bets. The group doesn’t bet but tells Yu Chen: “Yu Chen, do your best. If Mad Guest is a mecha pilot from the Corona Empire, beat him; if from the Nebula Federation, beat him; if from our side, it doesn’t matter who beats who. But we won’t bet. It feels inappropriate to bet on either.”
Yu Chen raised his eyebrows: “What’s inappropriate? Is it hard to bet on me winning?”
“Can you win?” Fu Yanxi retorted, “He even beat Major General Yin Jian. Have you beaten Yin Jian?”
Yu Chen truthfully said, “I haven’t had the chance to fight Major General Yin Jian. How can I beat him?”
“Okay, since you’re so confident, we’ll bet on you,” Fu Yanxi compromised, “But I think we shouldn’t bet on the platform.”
Yu Chen asked, “Where do you want to bet then?”
“Right here——”
Fu Yanxi made a simple betting pool with his light brain, projecting it on the table, and opened a shopping pre-sale link, saying to Yu Chen: “Xiangxiang Dream Company will release a scented lychee rose sleep pillow next month. I bet you lose. If I win, you buy this for me.”
“Wow, this is good, this is good!” Gui Yan got excited, “Yu Chen, I want to bet you lose too. If you lose, you buy for us. If you win, we buy for you.”
Lu You raised his hand: “Count me in.”
Ji Bai raised both hands: “Me too.”
Song Tingxiao: “Okay, okay, if this is the bet, my brother and I will bet too.”
Yu Chen: “…”
What’s good about this?
“No, change the bet.” Yu Chen firmly disagreed.
“No change!” Gui Yan insisted, “We want this bet.”
Yu Chen frowned: “I won’t bet on this with you.”
Fu Yanxi made a decisive move to isolate Yu Chen: “Then we won’t play with you.”
“…Damn.” Yu Chen wanted to curse but stopped. In the end, he gritted his teeth and joined the bet, “Fine, I bet. If I win, not only do you have to buy for me, but you also have to swear to the heavens not to buy privately.”
Fu Yanxi asked, “What if you lose?”
Yu Chen said word by word, “No such possibility.”
Originally, Yun Xunlan was going to watch his match, so he couldn’t lose. Now that the guards are betting so heavily, he definitely can’t lose.
Yu Chen bet on himself winning with Fu Yanxi and also bet on himself winning on the platform.
And there are two kinds of people who can’t sleep in the same bed.
While Yu Chen was swearing to his guard colleagues that he wouldn’t lose, Yun Xunlan was using his light brain to send a message to his close friend Jian Wenxi: 【Wenxi, just keep betting on me to win.】
Still betting on Mad Guest?
But “Death Omen Star” is Yu Chen… Would Yun Xunlan really be unable to hold back when fighting him?
Jian Wenxi hesitated.
Betting on Mad Guest to win has low odds and low profit.
Betting on Death Omen Star to win has high odds but high risk.
Jian Wenxi recalled novels, movies, and comics about lovers who love and kill each other. These works often feature a plot where during a big fight, one party might lose due to a moment of weakness caused by compassion.
If Yun Xunlan didn’t know “Death Omen Star” was Yu Chen, he would definitely bet on “Mad Guest” to win. But the cunning Crown Princess told Yun Xunlan this information in advance.
Jian Wenxi believed this was Yun Xunguang’s “psychological warfare” strategy.
As a close friend, he should trust Yun Xunlan, but as a businessman, Jian Wenxi decided to trust his own analysis and judgment—bet on no one.
So Jian Wenxi finally replied to Yun Xunlan with four words: 【Good luck.】
Yun Xunguang changed her attitude and urged Yun Xunlan instead: 【Floating Round: Did you bet on yourself to win? The betting pool stops accepting bets in ten minutes. If you haven’t bet, go quickly.】
【Mad Guest: Bet on Yu Chen losing. What about you, Imperial Sister?】
【Floating Round: Guess.】
【Mad Guest: You didn’t bet, did you?】
Yun Xunguang stopped replying.
Yun Xunlan said no more, closed the platform chat window, and looked up at the black mecha standing in the opposite preparation area.
In terms of appearance, Yu Chen’s mecha had nothing special about it. Unlike Yun Xunlan, who modified his mecha’s close-combat weapons, he used the SS mecha’s original wide-blade heavy sword, which wasn’t very suitable for his assassin-style fighting.
However, Yun Xunlan had watched some of Yu Chen’s previous battle records during the day and found that Yu Chen’s fighting style wasn’t fixed. Although he often used assassin tactics, he would change according to his opponent’s attack style. From this perspective, using original close-combat weapons would actually make it convenient for him to switch tactics at any time.
Yun Xunlan couldn’t do this.
He completely learned Yun Qihe’s fighting style—bold and powerful attacks, fierce and domineering, emphasizing that a heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears clumsy, sweeping everything before it with absolute strength.
Yu Chen couldn’t withstand his frontal attack, so Yun Xunlan predicted that in this battle, Yu Chen would use assassin tactics throughout, hiding first, then looking for opportunities to find his weaknesses and win through ambush and surprise attacks. Otherwise, in a direct confrontation, Yu Chen would definitely lose.
Fighting his lover, Yun Xunlan didn’t wait for the pre-match preparation time to end like before. He actively chatted with Yu Chen: 【Mad Guest: Does your mecha have a name?】
【Death Omen Star: No】
【Mad Guest: Don’t you name your mecha?】
After replying “No,” Yu Chen ignored Yun Xunlan, as if all his patience was only enough to type one word, too lazy even to add a period at the end.
Since this was a public match, all spectators could see the conversation between the two mecha pilots. Yun Xunguang saw Yu Chen’s “No” and laughed out loud, not caring that Yun Xunlan sent her a private message during the pre-match preparation: 【Floating Round: Oh my, Yu Chen is so cold? You didn’t tell him you’re Mad Guest.】
【Mad Guest: Didn’t say. Afraid it would affect his mentality, and you’d say I won unfairly.】
【Floating Round: Then does me telling you this affect your mentality?】
Yun Xunlan replied to Yun Xunguang one second before the preparation time ended: 【Mad Guest: No】
Then, holding his mo dao, like a rapidly falling meteor, he instantly flashed in front of Yu Chen, carrying the force of thunder and lightning, striking down vertically. Even the surrounding air seemed to be cut by this mo dao, making explosive wind-breaking sounds.
Yu Chen couldn’t withstand Yun Xunlan’s frontal attack. He could only raise his sword to block while using his shoulder’s energy cluster rifle to aim at Yun Xunlan’s core power source at close range, forcing Yun Xunlan to defend sideways. Only then could he kneel and slide out of the mo dao’s slashing range.
However, the next instant, Yun Xunlan changed from chopping to swinging, throwing the mo dao but not letting it leave his hand, gripping the tail handle to sweep horizontally at Yu Chen’s waist.
That devastating momentum left Yu Chen no breathing space, no room to counterattack. He had to rely on long-range projectile weapons and thruster flames to continuously dodge and distance himself from Yun Xunlan to ensure he wouldn’t be immediately cut down by the young man.
“Damn… this is the first time I’ve seen Yu Chen beaten so badly in less than thirty seconds at the start of a battle.”
The alpha guards of the royal guard team, except for Yu Chen, were all gathered in the cafeteria watching the duel between Yu Chen and Mad Guest through light brain projection. Seeing this scene, Fu Yanxi couldn’t help but sigh: “He’s never been this disheveled even when fighting Officer Dike, right? When I fight Yu Chen, I die as soon as he gets close, but when he fights Mad Guest, he can’t get close to Mad Guest at all.”
Lu You nodded in agreement: “Getting close means being cut in half.”
“Then Yu Chen can’t win this battle using assassin tactics, right?” Lottie asked, “The problem is his long-range sniping doesn’t seem to work either…”
Yu Chen’s marksmanship was the strongest among their group. Even Officer Dike couldn’t gain any advantage when sniping against Yu Chen, but in the battle with Mad Guest, Yu Chen never climbed out of the disadvantage.
After distancing himself from Mad Guest, he immediately set up for sniping, but his first instant shot was blocked by Mad Guest’s interference bullet. The two flick shots during repositioning were met with Mad Guest showing what “bullying noobs” meant—Mad Guest didn’t even use interference bullets, just a sidestep and head tilt to dodge the whistling bullets.
Gui Yan was dumbfounded: “Yu Chen’s marksmanship can’t even hit Mad Guest with long-range sniping.”
Song Tingxiao was also excitedly patting his brother’s head: “This reaction speed is simply abnormal… Mad Guest and the SS mecha are definitely in perfect resonance!”
Song Tingyan couldn’t stand the disturbance and moved aside: “I think you’re pretty abnormal too.”
Ji Bai was puzzled: “Yu Chen and the SS mecha are also in perfect resonance, right?”
“What you’re saying—aren’t we all in perfect resonance with SS mechas?” Song Tingxiao rolled his eyes at his brother, then answered Ji Bai, “But Mad Guest and the SS mecha are definitely in perfect resonance throughout.”
Alphas rely on neural sensors inserted into their limbs and spine to connect the mecha’s electronic circuits with their own neural circuits to control the mecha. They must endure enormous pain during piloting, so a mecha pilot who can perfectly resonate with the mecha at startup may not be able to maintain perfect resonance throughout the piloting process.
Under conditions like being hit by shells, suffering violent impacts, and high-acceleration overload, their resonance with the mecha could temporarily decrease, unable to maintain perfect resonance throughout.
And decreased resonance means the mecha pilot’s control will have delays, exposing weaknesses, greatly increasing the probability of being killed by enemies during this stage.
Song Tingxiao boldly speculated: “Maybe Mad Guest’s resonance with SSS mechas is also very high, possibly even 90%.”
On the battlefield, Yu Chen, who was suppressed by Mad Guest like an adulterer who couldn’t see the light and had to hide anywhere, had the same thought as Song Tingxiao.
Mad Guest’s formidable combat power and reaction awareness were definitely not at the level an ordinary SS-level alpha could have.
This was the first time Yu Chen encountered such a troublesome enemy—couldn’t hit at long range, would die in close combat, and medium range was out of the question. Without maintaining sufficient distance, he risked being approached and cut in half by Mad Guest at any time.
Yu Chen had been in a stalemate with Mad Guest for five minutes without seeing any chance of victory.
He could only continue the back-and-forth tug-of-war with Mad Guest, mutually exhausting each other to see whose stamina would give out first and whose resonance with the mecha would decline.
However, this time couldn’t exceed thirty minutes total.
Because according to their current battle intensity, thirty minutes was the limit for an SS-level alpha. Beyond this duration, he would have to deliberately pretend his resonance with the mecha was declining, creating delay phenomena.
Unless he was an SSS-level alpha.
Watching the total confrontation time with Mad Guest gradually approach the thirty-minute baseline, Yu Chen was so frustrated he was about to enter another susceptible period—he couldn’t lose this battle, but he couldn’t win either.
But his wife was watching!
So what’s the difference between not being able to win and losing?!
He had even boasted to Yun Xunlan to bet on him winning in the betting pool…
Thinking of this, Yu Chen really couldn’t hold it together and was distracted by his own embarrassment for a moment.
But on the battlefield, opportunities change in an instant. Even though Yu Chen was only distracted for one ten-thousandth of a second, this microsecond of inattention was captured by Yun Xunlan.
He immediately opened the thrusters to maximum flame and struck toward Yu Chen again like splitting seas and mountains. Although Yu Chen immediately raised his sword, it was too late to resist. Mad Guest’s mo dao slashed down from his left shoulder, severing the mecha’s right arm, head, and core power source in the chest cavity.
The packed audience in the platform and everyone watching projections in reality fell silent as death in that instant.
It wasn’t until the “Winner” display box showed the words “Draw” that everyone opened their eyes in disbelief, exclaiming in shock: “A draw?!”
Even Yun Xunlan stared in disbelief at the control screen displaying the nine large characters “You have disconnected from the mecha,” his eyes flickering as he murmured softly: “…A draw?”
As the smoke cleared, two mechas stood on the devastated battlefield—one cut in half, the other left as a “complete corpse.” A slender short blade sword had pierced through its core power source, inserted right into the mecha pilot’s main control console in the chest cavity—that was the sword held in the left hand of the mecha with only half its body remaining.
Only then did everyone understand that Death Omen Star wasn’t using the SS mecha’s original heavy sword at all. He had also modified the original close-combat weapons, hiding a subsidiary sword within the main sword. In the instant before his right arm was severed, he drew the subsidiary sword with his left hand and delivered a counter-kill to Mad Guest.
On the public chat screen, Yu Chen typed a reply to the question Mad Guest had asked him before the battle—Don’t you name your mecha?
【Death Omen Star: I only named my sword. It’s called Kaiyang.】
Kaiyang was the name of the legion Yu Chen originally served in. At first glance, it seemed nothing special.
But Kaiyang star has a companion star called “Kaiyang Zengyi” (Alcor).
This star’s light is dim, appearing and disappearing. Ancient people used this star for vision tests during military recruitment—if you could see this star, it meant your vision was qualified and you could enlist. But war is cruel, and once on the battlefield, how many could return?
Over time, people came to regard Kaiyang’s companion star as an ominous star related to death, calling it “Death Omen Star,” meaning when the companion star appears, death approaches.
The Kaiyang sword concealed a subsidiary sword within—no wonder Yu Chen dared to use the name “Death Omen Star.”
Yun Xunlan tugged at the corners of his mouth, staring blankly as he exited the battlefield, spacing out in the mecha warehouse.
The light brain AI butler reminded him that both Yu Chen and Jian Wenxi were sending him messages, but Yun Xunlan looked at neither. He only opened the chat box with Yun Xunguang on the mecha piloting simulation platform—
【Floating Round: I indeed didn’t bet on either of you, but with a draw, the house takes all. I opened the betting pool, so I won.】
【Floating Round: What about you?】
【Floating Round: Yun Xunlan, was what you fought really a draw?】
##
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
