The teams that have made it this far are all strong. The lack of parachutes might cause them some trouble, but it wouldn’t lead to elimination.
On the first day, everyone tended to be cautious. Hidden within the dense, primeval forest, they advanced silently. The live-stream cameras quietly surrounded each team, minimizing their presence as much as possible.
Xia Yan led his team subtly toward the Zerg gathering point, occasionally sensing that someone was watching them.
Perhaps it was because of his own reputation and the fact that his team consisted entirely of elites; for now, no one dared to attack them.
As the sun set and the silver moon rose, the approaching midnight caused some teams to grow restless. The sounds of mecha combat could be heard from time to time. Ian, like a curious cat, was itching to take a swipe at their opponents.
Ludwig remained calm and composed as always, his right hand tightly gripping the spatial button. If anyone ambushed them, he would summon his mecha to counterattack immediately.
“Should we pick up the pace?” Gong Changyong asked softly.
Xia Yan shook his head. “Wait until midnight to confirm the toxic zone’s range.”
“Alright.”
Gong Changyong had been chosen by the Xia family to assist the young master and had followed him since childhood. There was a natural tacit understanding between them. Ian, inherently jealous, couldn’t stand anyone else getting close to Xia Yan.
Especially since Xia Yan had once thrown himself into a deep pond for him.
A trace of jealousy flickered in Ian’s eyes as he sidled closer and deliberately bumped into Gong Changyong with his shoulder. His S-class physical strength was not something an A-class could match.
Gong Changyong staggered two steps back, letting out a muffled grunt, and covered his shoulder with one hand, looking at Ian in confusion.
“Sorry about that.” The baby-faced boy grinned mischievously, draping an arm over Xia Yan’s shoulder as he insincerely said, “I didn’t see you there.”
The burly Gong Changyong blinked. “Uh, it’s fine.”
In the team, Bernie was usually the one responsible for banter, while Gong Changyong had always been reserved, lacking the social skills to see through Ian’s malice.
Having successfully “defeated” his rival, Ian barely had time to feel triumphant before Xia Yan shook off his arm.
“Don’t get so close to me.”
“…” Ian feigned fear, speaking with an aggrieved expression. “But I’m just a fragile mecha master. I need to stay near the captain to feel safe.”
With his baby face, Ian often appeared deceptively innocent, leading people to mistake him for a vulnerable, pitiable youth despite his towering height of 1.86 meters.
The livestream viewers were completely fooled, many of them bursting with maternal affection.
【He’s so cute! Ahhh!!!】
【His face looks so soft—I want to pinch it! Who can resist a cute kitten acting spoiled?】
【He and Xia Yan have such great chemistry. A proud noble and an adorable commoner—so sweet! I ship it!】
【Ship what?! Did you already forget that Xia Yan threw his teammate at the start?】
【So why does Ian Hyde keep approaching Xia Yan even after being thrown?】
【Isn’t it normal for teammates to trust their captain? Even if the captain is unreliable, they can’t afford to sulk in a competition like this. Adapting is a survival strategy.】
As the viewers chatted, midnight finally arrived.
Ominous green gas began to spread from the outermost edges. The simple smart devices provided by the organizers lit up, and upon opening them, the contestants could clearly see the toxic zone’s release area.
Xia Yan stared at the blue virtual screen, comparing the crude map with the one issued by the system. To his shock, the Zerg were located right in the center of the competition zone.
If nothing unexpected happened, the surviving teams would eventually converge there.
Since he could deduce the central location, so could everyone else. They would all rush there as quickly as possible. If he broke away from his team and went solo, he might be surrounded and attacked.
No one would pass up the chance to weaken a strong team.
But if he didn’t go ahead to lure the Zerg out in advance, wouldn’t sending a group of students there later be akin to delivering them as food?
Images of youthful, determined faces and clear, unwavering eyes flashed through Xia Yan’s mind. He couldn’t imagine those same faces becoming cold, lifeless corpses.
He wasn’t a saint, but to turn a blind eye was something he couldn’t bring himself to do.
The thought of the impending tragedy made him restless.
“It seems we’re lucky. We’re heading in the direction that keeps us far from the toxic zone,” Huo Ruihe remarked, enlarging the screen. “If we go another 2,000 meters and cross this river, we’ll reach the safe zone.”
“That’s a short enough distance. No need to activate the mechas—we can save energy for—” the finals.
Before Huo Ruihe could finish, he turned his head and saw Xia Yan frowning deeply as if grappling with a difficult decision. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Captain, are you okay?”
Although Huo Ruihe’s voice was soft, Xia Yan was the focal point of everyone’s attention.
Gong Changyong, Ian, and Ludwig instinctively looked over.
Under the silver moonlight, four pairs of eyes gleamed coldly, like those of wild beasts. Xia Yan shuddered, his recently healed social anxiety almost resurfacing.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he waved them off dismissively. “It’s nothing. Let’s head to the safe zone.”
A chilly breeze carried a sickly sweet scent.
Inhaling just one whiff was enough to make people feel relaxed, their vision dim, and drowsiness set in.
Evidently, the organizers’ so-called “toxic gas” was actually a high-grade anesthetic. Inhaling it for thirty seconds was enough to bring down an elephant.
Those caught in the toxic zone had only one way out—using their mechas. The cockpits were equipped with filtration systems to protect the pilots until they reached safety.
However, the organizers provided only limited energy supplies. Without crystals, the mechas were useless hunks of metal.
Countless thoughts raced through Xia Yan’s mind as he vigorously shook his head, pushing away the encroaching sleepiness. Without further hesitation, he led his team in a sprint toward the safe zone.
For military academy students, 2,000 meters wasn’t even enough to break a sweat. They reached the riverbank in no time.
The safe-zone riverbank was lively with activity.
Several teams that had arrived early had formed alliances and were lying in wait across the river. The moment someone tried to cross, they would ambush them, aiming to eliminate opponents early.
A five-person team held out as best they could but ultimately succumbed to the fifteen-person assault. They were forced to press their rescue buttons and faced elimination.
“You’re despicable!” one of them yelled indignantly, sprawled on the ground.
The opposing leader raised an eyebrow. “You’re just too stupid.”
“Captain, should we target Xia Yan Gardner’s team next?” someone asked.
“They…” The man stared at the five figures across the river through his mecha, hesitating.
At the same time, Xia Yan received a notification from his intelligent brain about the first team elimination.
[Team 11 has been eliminated. Remaining teams: 99/100.]
Xia Yan blinked hard, a sudden thought flashing through his mind.
There were only two ways to be eliminated in this competition.
The first was failing to reach the safe zone and succumbing to the toxic gas, which the organizers considered a lack of mobility. Such contestants would be automatically disqualified, and a rescue team would be dispatched to retrieve them.
The second was pressing the rescue button. Whether it was the injured party pressing it themselves, an opponent pressing it to eliminate them, or it being destroyed—it all resulted in elimination.
This rule had been introduced after past contestants, refusing to give up even when on the brink of death, forced others to kill them, leading to unnecessary fatalities.
Now, everyone was required to wear a rescue button at their waist. This additional elimination method aimed to reduce the death toll.
If Xia Yan could eliminate as many contestants as possible, leaving only his team for the final zone, he could ensure their safety.
As captain, he could later find an excuse to send them away, safeguarding them in the process.
Having found a way to break the deadlock, Xia Yan exhaled in relief.
The handsome youth, his fair skin glowing under the moonlight, gave his teammates a hand signal. With a cold expression, he lightly announced the opposing team’s fate: “Take them out.”
It was only the first day, and most people weren’t willing to waste resources unless they had an overwhelming advantage. Now wasn’t the time to fight.
The viewers were puzzled by his decision, but Xia Yan’s teammates didn’t hesitate. They summoned their mechas immediately and charged toward the indecisive opponents.
Their movements were swift, precise, and radiated brutal elegance.
The fifteen-person team, believing their numbers gave them the upper hand, was caught off guard. They scrambled to defend themselves, but their efforts were clumsy and disorganized. They quickly began to retreat.
As some members of the opposing team started fleeing, others were left behind, unable to escape due to Xia Yan’s team’s relentless assault. Their leader, seeing the damage to their mechas escalating, finally shouted:
“Stop! We’ll give you a third of our resources. Just let us go, okay?”
The other team, which had been slow to act, quickly agreed: “We’re also willing to hand over one-third of our resources. It’s still early in the game, no need to fight like this, right? If you eliminate us now, we’d rather take the resources the organizers gave us and not give them to you.”
The space button could only be opened by the mentally-bound owner.
Ludwig and the others slowed down, waiting for Xia Yan’s order.
Meanwhile, the livestream audience was watching the drama unfold.
【If we can get the resources, letting them go might be okay.】
【The escaping team 79 is so clever, only these two teams are left.】
【It’s funny how they had the courage to discuss whether to attack Xia Yan earlier, lol.】
【The two teams are offering up two-thirds of their resources. With those resources, Xia Yan’s team could use their mechas to their advantage and practically win the championship.】
【Lol, first-time viewers of the Mecha League? The organizers are very stingy; all the resources they provide are enough for one person to pilot a mecha for five hours. Divided among five people…】
…
The audience assumed that Xia Yan would agree to their request and was discussing how to save energy when, to everyone’s surprise, the young man gave a cold command: “Eliminate them.”
After a brief pause, he smiled lightly and added, “Ian, strip the energy from their mechas. Can you handle it?”
“Be quick, before the rescue team arrives.”
Everyone: “???”
The enemy: “?”
Wait, did they just hear that right?
Before anyone could react, Xia Yan intensified his attack. A powerful blow shattered the enemy captain’s cockpit, and the mecha lost control, crashing to the ground.
Xia Yan urged, “Ian.”
“Got it.”
The young man retracted his mecha, pressing down the rescue button on the incapacitated opponent, eliminating them, and then, with feline agility, slipped into their energy storage compartment.
The mecha’s energy storage system was complicated, and it was easy to get electrocuted if you weren’t careful.
Moreover, there were no mechanical arms to lift the storage system, so part of it was crushed beneath, making the task more difficult.
【No way…】
【The rescue team will probably take twelve minutes to arrive, but seven minutes have already passed since team 11 was eliminated. There are only five minutes left; it seems too late to make it.】
【Hmm… three more mechas fell down. Xia Yan is about to win.】
The smart cameras detected the increased number of viewers and zoomed in on the young man’s hands.
Those hands were pale, with distinct bone joints, and the fingertips were slightly calloused, clearly from years of working with mechas. On the high-definition screen, viewers watched as his hands swiftly dismantled half of the energy storage system, removing numerous wires and safely retrieving the glowing blue energy crystal.
The entire process took less than a minute.
His gaze was calm, and his movements were efficient and quick, showing a level of reliability that contradicted the cute, innocent persona he had displayed earlier.
【…】
【Wow… that was impressive.】
