Tempest of the Stellar War

Wang Zheng had intended to familiarize himself with a few moves, but suddenly, the communication display on the side of the mech lit up. The connection popped up and on the screen it showed a lady who appeared to be about thirty years old.

“Hello, I am Kyle Ram, your instructor-in-charge. I hope we will have a pleasant cooperation.”

Kyle Ram said and gave a military salute.

Wang Zheng quickly saluted back. “Thank you, Instructor Kyle. Please advise me.”

Kyle Ram nodded her head, looking satisfied, and asked, “Do you have any experience in mech combat underwater?”

Wang Zheng shook his head. “No, Instructor.”

“Very good. We will begin with the basic tests. Let me see your performance…”

“Yes, Instructor.”

On the other side…

Everyone was in contact with their respective instructors. It was obvious that this training did not allow everyone to train aimlessly on their own. Each person was paired up with an instructor and had to undergo one-on-one mission coaching.

In an instant, the mecha split up in the water. Under the guidance of the instructors, they completed one training after another in the form of missions.

On the surface, it seemed like the training was made easier this way. But in reality, the training became even more arduous.

These instructors-in-charge had undergone professional instructor training. They had not taken on this role because they were merely powerful or experienced, it was because they had a keen sense of duty that could squeeze out every last bit of potential out of the trainees. Want to rest? You feel that you have reached your limit already? Sorry, I don’t care about what you ‘feel’ or ‘think’, just obey the orders!

Almost everyone was being pushed to their limits …

Except for… Lie Xin, Achilles, and Wang Zheng.

The instructors-in-charge felt scared and had initiated a halt to their training.

The training was split into two components: practical exercises and simulated battles. The latter involved interaction with even more mecha. With regards to water combat, the main strategy of the Solar System was still a defensive one. After all, land and space combat were more important.

Dragging their tired bodies, everyone finally managed to pilot their respective mecha back to the mech warehouse. When they came out of the mech cockpits, most of them were so tired that even panting felt exhausting for them. The resistance underwater was high, especially after experiencing a rather relaxed and enjoyable space combat where one could perform all sorts of moves freely with no resistance. However, in the water, playing around like that would put their lives in danger.

Zhang Shan sat on the ground without a care about his image. “Is there anyone who can support me?”

On one side, Yuan Ye .….. had lied down on the ground without a care for his image. It was as though he was suffering under the summer heat.

Mars… was there a need to be so brutal and ruthless? In any case, they should have left them with some strength to walk… no, leave them with at least some strength to crawl back!

Duncan walked over. The unique sound of the military boots stepping on the ground sounded like the breathing of the devil in the ears of the masses.

“Medics!”

Rumble. A group of female nurses rushed in. They laughed a clear, ringing laugh, and with the use of stretchers, they carried out the individuals who were unable to move.

Such a cruel training definitely had its corresponding measures. The female nurses were not just known for their hearty laughter, they were professionals in all forms of recovery massages. After such a strenuous training session, having a recovery massage would have an effect on the growth of one’s strength.

This was something they did not think of. To enjoy such treatment when they were all tired from the intensive training, it was incredible.

Wang Zheng was also intending to rest, but he was asked to stay behind by Duncan. “Wang Zheng, it seems like you’re having it easy. You can go and clean the mecha before tomorrow. You’re the temporary leader, you should lead by example.”

Once he turned his head, everyone had left.

Wang Zheng let out a breath. “Yes.”

“Very good. Go back after you’re done cleaning up.”

Duncan nodded his head, turned, and left. The mech warehouse was huge, and it felt a little chilly.

Duncan returned back to the base’s command hall, and General Lie Wuqing was sitting on the commander’s seat.

“General.”

With a crack, Duncan stood still and gave his salute.

Lie Wuqing smiled while he said, “Heh heh, let us see what the mentality of this leader-to-be is like.”

Meng Ao and Drachmach’s holographic images were also present. Following the confirmation of the other regions’ IG slots, they had received quite a bit of information from all areas, and it was definitely stressful. If they had followed their usual rules and guidelines, they would probably not have any conclusive results. Hence the three of them had to discuss if they should have something more firm and ruthless.

Lie Xin had already been ruled out of the race. This was suggested by Lie Wuqing. And after seeing the intel from the other regions, they were certain that Lie Xin would not make the cut for the leader’s position.

Lear, Achilles, and Wang Zheng had their own merits. Lear was not firm enough, Achilles was not ruthless enough, and sometimes he took things for granted. As for Wang Zheng, it was a little difficult to see through him. He was calm in all aspects of his performances, and especially since his Ability X had been awakened, it satisfied the demands of everyone.

More importantly, Wang Zheng was calm and composed when faced with danger, and this had caught the trio’s attention. Wang Zheng had left a deep impression on the three generals by displaying a smile even when he was up against the Zerg. This was a state of mind that was usually displayed by one who had been through many battles, and in the future IG battles, he was the preferred choice. This was because their opponents were no longer considered students, but soldiers, or even … killing machines.

Regardless of how Wang Zheng dealt with it, at least he had a calm state of mind when surrounded by danger.

“Even though he has agreed, will he be convinced? Everyone has gone out to enjoy, and he has to work hard alone,” Drachmach said. This had been arranged intentionally. The Solar System Federation’s lineup was not that weak, and the role of the leader was particularly important.

Meng Ao did not express his views. At this point, action was greater than words. Although he had initially supported Lear more, honestly speaking, if Lear were to take on the position, he would possibly get more support from the people. However, from experience, although Lear was good at strategizing and planning the overall arrangements, they were afraid that there was no time and opportunity to put such capabilities to good use in the Milky Way Alliance IG.

The mech warehouse …

It seemed like an unfair treatment from Duncan’s point of view. But from Wang Zheng’s viewpoint …

“Cool. Just one word, and I will only say it once…… Devil’s Iron mech, tsk, it turns out that there is a delicate side to its rough interior……”

Wang Zheng had cleaned the mecha very seriously, and he had been extremely professional about it. In the words of Luomu, caring for one’s mech was actually the best way of communicating with the mech. As long as you cared for it, it would protect you at the crucial moment.

When alone, it was even easier to ponder over the different aspects of these mecha. One could better understand some of their features and have a different kind of understanding.

Of course, there were only a handful of people who were able to do so, and they had to be equipped with professional skills.

The three generals had worked their way from the bottom. Even Drachmach had started by enlisting as a recruit. There were no issues with their judgment. Just by looking at how Wang Zheng had begun cleaning the mecha, they knew that he was a professional.

And with regards to his attitude, the trio was more than satisfied. Actually, it was already good enough for Wang Zheng to perform this task seriously, but not only was he serious, he was professional. He could even enjoy it with a relaxed state of mind, and this was something that ordinary people could not have done.

“Meng Ao, your Earth has produced a gem! Having such a disposition is really amazing. Drachmach, you sure he doesn’t have any problems in terms of space combat?” Lie Wuqing asked.

“I’ve looked through the data carefully. Although initially there were some problems in adapting, the performance in the later part was superb. The scores do not represent one’s capabilities.”

The scoring was a system, but it was not everything. Being a leader, one would naturally have a higher level of judgment.

The contradiction between Lear and Achilles was a problem; the two of them were too diametrically opposed. This had resulted in the three generals putting Wang Zheng into consideration for the leader position and eventually arriving at such a decision.

Unwittingly, the last mech was cleaned. Three hours had passed. It was difficult to imagine that Wang Zheng still had such levels of concentration after a day of intensive and strenuous training.

Wang Zheng had cleaned for three hours, and the three generals had chatted while observing him all this while. It had not felt that long. It was evident that Wang Zheng had a good understanding about the mecha, and he had a deep understanding with regards to the mecha’s features.

Well, Wang Zheng was a mech enthusiast. Just like how if a man loved a beautiful lady, he would not find it tiring thing to bathe and apply sunblock for her.

Watching him till the end was to ensure that Wang Zheng did not slip up. There was no room for mistakes. They also wanted to see whether Wang Zheng’s passion was only temporary or otherwise. The trio, including Meng Ao, were satisfied judging by how they looked into the eyes of one another.

“If there are no problems in the final actual battle, let’s just choose him,” Lie Wuqing said. The people from Mars were more direct, and Wang Zheng’s character suited his taste. After all, he was not very fond of someone like Achilles.

“Agreed.” Drachmach nodded his head. If they had chosen Lear, he would have opposed the selection as Lear was only good with small tricks. Although the end justifies the means, these methods and tricks had their restrictions, and they were not applicable in every situation. From his point of view, Lear was an expert in manipulating the group he was in but would falter against stronger external opponents.

Meng Ao laughed. “It’s rare that the two of you are so unanimous. I’m a little embarrassed, but let’s just hope that this young chap doesn’t disappoint us. There’s still some time left before the start of the match, and we have to think of ways to enhance and improve his Ability X.”

Although the attacking power of the awakened Ability X was not strong enough, there was no shortage of trainees that were tyrannical in their attacks. On the contrary, it was not that important. As long as Wang Zheng had the ability to see the big picture and make proper judgments, everything would be okay.

What they were most worried about initially was the lack of Ability X. It would result in an inaccurate evaluation of the opponent’s capabilities as the individual would not truly understand what Ability X could do. This would in turn cause wrong judgments to be made. This was detrimental to being a leader, and it was dangerous even to become a member of the team. However, with Ability X, it made a huge difference. It would be good if one had great capabilities, but even if one had average capabilities, it would not affect the commander’s understanding or judgment of the situation.

Honestly speaking, choosing Wang Zheng was a form of compromise. It was just the best choice out of the limited choices available. After all, everyone wished for an all-rounded powerful and capable leader.

At this moment, Wang Zheng lifted his head. In the distance was that Atlantis mech …

As expected, this mech was the most handsome-looking. The little prince that he had met previously was also very interesting. The entire mech was extremely streamlined, just like it was full of vitality. It was weird, but all the people from Earth had shown interest in the Atlantis civilization. If Wang Zheng had the chance, he would also like to know more about this lost civilization.

Wang Zheng was interested in the mech and started looking around. He had even climbed into the cockpit to check it out. In terms of its specifications, its operating system was similar to that of the mecha used by humans. However, besides all this, there were many Atlantis components that could not be understood. It was said that these components were used to receive ‘thoughts’. There was a belief that the Atlantis mech did not require a pilot, it could activate and operate based on thoughts and could even go into battle.

From some of the Atlantis combat videos, it was evident that one could activate and perform basic operations based on one’s thoughts. It was said that these pattern-like things were combat runes that could relay the thoughts of the people of Atlantis directly to operate the mech, almost like an extension of one’s body. It was extremely cool, but it was a pity that humans, even those with Ability X, were unable to attain such controls.

Wang Zheng imitated the people from Atlantis as shown in the video and coolly reached out his hand. “Activate!”