Beside Melissa, General William furrowed his brow with equal intensity. Just like Melissa, General William had not expected to see the son of Clark Shinra at this match, which Governor Karajan had repeatedly invited him to attend. Moreover, that young man named Zack was still as weak as he had been the last time they met—his strength did not even match that of a fully grown adult monkey.
Beside Melissa, General William also furrowed his brow with equal intensity. Like Melissa, General William hadn’t anticipated that in this match, which Governor Karajan had repeatedly invited him to watch, he would encounter the son of Clark Shinra. Moreover, that boy named Zack was just as unimpressive as the last time they met, his strength not even comparable to that of a fully grown monkey.
Due to the Royal Guard Corps and the Shinra Corps being hailed as the two ace forces of the empire, these two invincible legions have always been in direct competition. No matter which legion achieves remarkable feats, their accomplishments are naturally compared to those of the other. The empire’s people have always relished this rivalry.
Given this history, the relationship between the high-ranking officers of the Royal Guard and the Shinra Corps is predictable. In fact, General William, known for his ruthlessness and war fervor, has always looked down upon Clark Shinra, who is dubbed the “pretty boy.” Conversely, Clark Shinra has never been fond of General William, whom he considers “all brawn and no brains.”
Frankly, General William would be delighted to see Clark Shinra’s son get a beating. In a more private setting, he might even applaud the person who disciplines that useless boy. Unfortunately, this match is taking place in public, so General William refrains from showing too much of his true feelings.
Regardless of how strained the relationship between General William and Clark Shinra is, in public, they both represent the empire’s military. Even if General William is thrilled to see Clark Shinra’s worthless son get a beating, he cannot openly display his schadenfreude.
However, this kind of hypocrisy is precisely what iron-blooded soldiers like General William despise the most. It has diminished his interest in this otherwise dull match to a new low.
“Hmph!” General William curled his lips in disdain, not even bothering to watch Zack and the others during their warm-up.
However, apart from General William and Melissa, the other spectators present were quite intrigued by Zhang Wen and his martial arts department. The bold claims Zhang Wen made a few days ago and his recent seclusion had already spread throughout the Themis Academy.
Now, almost every teacher and student at Themis Academy was eagerly waiting for the moment when Zhang Wen and the Almis Martial Arts Department would make a fool of themselves.
Although the Almis Academy’s martial arts department has always been a laughingstock, the audience at Themis Academy never tires of such amusing spectacles.
When Zhang Wen and his team appeared in the training hall, many spectators couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter. They had already noticed that among the three students following Zhang Wen, the strongest, Zack and Cloud, were no more than sixth-tier in ability.
Pitting three sixth-tier students against Themis Academy’s ninth-tier Link, the audience knew without a doubt that the outcome would be a foregone conclusion.
Although some spectators had heard that Zhang Wen and his team had once performed astonishingly at Governor Temiso’s residence on the planet Cassares, where a fourth-tier female student had defeated a sixth-tier Themis student, defeating a sixth-tier opponent with a fourth-tier ability is entirely different from defeating a ninth-tier opponent with a sixth-tier ability.
It’s like how many people, after training, can calculate faster with an abacus than others can with a calculator. However, no matter how talented or well-trained someone is, they can never solve calculus problems faster than a supercomputer. That’s the difference in levels.
Of course, not every spectator was laughing at Zhang Wen and his martial arts students. The Themis students on the field didn’t take it easy just because the three students behind Zhang Wen were weak.
Under the strict supervision of Instructor Gelt, the Themis students all wore serious expressions, approaching their pre-match warm-up with utmost seriousness. However, their attention wasn’t focused on the three students warming up with Zhang Wen. This was evident from their occasional glances toward the training hall’s entrance.
Nevertheless, the Themis students’ grave demeanor puzzled many clueless spectators. For instance, Ted, a reporter sitting in the west stands, was one of them.
Ted worked for a newspaper called “The Planet Daily” as the editor of the combat sports section. Both the newspaper’s name and his position sounded quite impressive. Unfortunately, only the name was impressive.
In reality, “The Planet Daily” was a third-rate newspaper so small it barely counted. Including the owner and editor-in-chief, the staff numbered no more than five, and its circulation was a mere three thousand copies.
However, in an empire with severely limited entertainment resources, commentary on combat sports was the most beloved content among the citizens. The annual showdown between Almis Academy and Themis Academy naturally attracted the most attention from the people of Fira. Thus, even a small, obscure newspaper like “The Planet Daily” managed to secure a ticket, allowing Ted to mingle among the big-name reporters and watch the match live.
Ted, who was conducting his first live interview, was pleasantly surprised to run into his former classmate, Riank, who now sat beside him.
Unlike Ted, Riank worked for “The Babylon Sports News,” a major newspaper in Babylon City and even across the planet Fira. Last year, “The Babylon Sports News” had an average circulation of 1,376,000 copies, far surpassing “The Planet Daily.”
From the moment Zhang Wen and his team entered the training hall, Ted noticed that Riank, like the Themis students below, wore a serious expression. Although this was Ted’s first time watching the Almis Academy and Themis Academy match live, he had heard enough from various news reports to know how much of a joke the Almis Martial Arts Department was and how little respect it commanded.
If the Themis students’ seriousness could be attributed to “strategically despising the opponent while tactically respecting them,” then Riank’s poker face struck Ted as unusual.
During their earlier conversation, Ted had noticed that Riank mentioned having some connections with a few instructors from Themis Academy’s martial arts department. Seeing Riank’s current demeanor, Ted naturally assumed he had received some insider information.
“Hey, Riank, what’s up with Encle and the others? It’s just the Almis Martial Arts Department. Why are they being so serious?” After holding back for a while, Ted finally couldn’t resist tapping Riank’s shoulder and asking in a low, curious voice.
Although “The Babylon Sports News” was in a completely different league from Ted’s “The Planet Daily,” working for such a major newspaper also meant fierce competition and limited opportunities for young people to rise.
At Riank’s age, his position at “The Babylon Sports News” wasn’t as high as he had boasted to Ted. In the office, the less experienced Riank was often the butt of jokes. Finally encountering an old friend who looked up to him, Riank didn’t mind leaking a bit of “insider information” to Ted in exchange for more admiration.
“Ted, you mustn’t underestimate Almis Academy’s strength this year,” Riank said mysteriously, patting Ted’s shoulder. “This year’s Almis Academy is not as insignificant as in previous years. Among Almis Academy’s team, there’s a ninth-tier genius student.”
“What? Ninth-tier?” Ted’s shocked expression greatly satisfied Riank. “Are you saying that among the three students below, someone is hiding their true strength?” After carefully observing the three Almis students warming up, Ted lowered his voice again and asked Riank.
“Not exactly. I heard their ninth-tier genius is a red-haired girl who hasn’t appeared yet. Almis Academy has produced a ninth-tier student, so of course they’re keeping her as a secret weapon, just like our Selene. They won’t reveal their secret weapon’s details until the last moment. As for the ones they’ve put out now, they’re just cannon fodder.”
“Oh! I see!” Ted exclaimed in realization.
“Heh heh!” Watching Ted’s expressive face, Riank’s vanity was greatly satisfied. He leaned in and whispered mysteriously, “Also, I heard that Almis Academy has made some bold claims this year, vowing to crush our Themis Academy. During the warm-up, Almis Academy’s lead instructor even sparred with Instructor Encle, and it seems Encle came off worse…”
“Oh, oh!” Ted nodded repeatedly, listening more attentively to Riank’s insider revelations.
Similar conversations between Ted and Riank continued to unfold in various corners of the spectator stands before the match officially began.
By the time the students from both academies finished their warm-ups and began their final preparations, almost all the spectators had heard about the recent conflicts between the two academies, which greatly heightened their interest.
“Please quiet down! The friendly match between Almis Academy’s visiting team and our academy is about to begin.” Shortly after, a Themis Academy instructor stepped forward, following protocol to quiet the audience and introduce the upcoming match.
Since the mutual matches between Almis Academy and Themis Academy always determine the format based on the visiting team’s decision, the competition format varies each year. Even the order in which the martial arts and psychic departments appear isn’t always the same.
This year, Almis Academy’s psychic department would take the stage first.
In previous years, Almis Academy had always let the martial arts department go first during their visits to Themis. Most people prefer to lose first and then win rather than the other way around.
But this year was different. In Katerina’s view, Zhang Wen’s martial arts department was hopeless, and fulfilling Governor Temiso’s desire for revenge rested entirely on the performance of their psychic department. What troubled Katerina the most was that, facing Themis Academy with its monstrous genius Selene, the psychic department had no guarantee of victory this year.
Under such circumstances, if the martial arts department’s match were placed first and they ended up suffering a crushing defeat, the psychic department’s chances of performing poorly under pressure would be too high for Katerina to tolerate.
Thus, Katerina had gone against convention and insisted on having the psychic department go first. In Katerina’s mind, since Almis Academy’s martial arts department’s weakness was common knowledge, as long as the psychic department secured a decisive victory right away, the martial arts department’s performance, no matter how poor, could still be considered a win for Almis Academy.
This way, Almis Academy would achieve victory, Governor Temiso would have his revenge, and Themis Academy, having lost first and then won, would save face. Everyone would be happy. As for Zhang Wen and his martial arts department, they were not within Katerina’s considerations.
After much deliberation, Katerina ultimately chose the most commonly used format: a best-of-five elimination match. After all, Almis Academy’s martial arts department’s strength was still top-notch within the Southern Realm. Against Themis Academy, aside from Selene, whom they couldn’t handle, the other students in Themis Academy’s psychic department were still a tier below Almis Academy’s.
Thus, Katerina’s plan was to secure at least a 4-1 victory in the upcoming match. Of course, if Selene underperformed and Almis Academy achieved a 5-0 sweep, that would be even better!
“…Alright! Now let’s welcome the first two contestants to the stage.” The Themis instructor acting as the announcer quickly finished explaining the necessary details to the audience and then introduced the first two contestants in an enthusiastic tone.
With such a history, the relationship between high-ranking officers of the Royal Guard and the Shinra Legion could be easily imagined. In fact, General William, known for his ruthlessness and love for war, had always looked down upon Clark Shinra, who was famous for being a pretty boy. Likewise, Clark Shinra had never held William in high regard, considering him a man of brawn over brains.
Frankly speaking, General William would be more than happy to see Clark Shinra’s son get beaten up. In a more private setting, he might even applaud the one who dealt the beating. Unfortunately, this match was being held in public, so General William could not afford to show too much enthusiasm.
Regardless of how strained the relationship between General William and Clark Shinra was, they both represented the Empire’s military in public. Even though William would secretly enjoy seeing Clark Shinra’s useless son humiliated, he could not afford to show any sign of schadenfreude.
However, such hypocrisy was exactly what men like General William despised the most. It further diminished his already low interest in this tedious match.
“Hmph!” General William sneered, his lips curling with disdain, not even bothering to watch Zack and the others warming up.
Besides General William and Melissa, the other spectators present were still quite interested in Zhang Wen and his martial arts division. The bold claims Zhang Wen had made a few days ago, combined with his recent reclusive behavior, had already spread throughout the entire Thymis Academy.
Now, nearly every student and teacher at Thymis Academy was watching with the mindset of waiting for the moment when Zhang Wen and the martial arts division of Almace Academy would be publicly humiliated.
Although Almace Academy’s martial arts division had always been a laughingstock, such amusing scenarios were naturally a source of endless entertainment for the Thymis audience.
As soon as Zhang Wen’s group appeared in the training hall, many spectators couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter. They had already noticed that among the three students following Zhang Wen, even the strongest, Zack and Cloud, did not exceed the sixth level of martial arts proficiency.
With three students at the sixth level challenging Link, a ninth-level Thymis student, the audience thought even using their toes to think would lead to an obvious outcome.
Although many spectators in the stands had heard, to varying degrees, about Zhang Wen’s team’s impressive performance at the governor’s mansion on Kassares Star, where he had enabled a female student at the fourth level to defeat a sixth-level Thymis student, there was a fundamental difference between defeating a sixth-level opponent at the fourth level and challenging a ninth-level opponent at the sixth level.
It was like many people being able to calculate faster with an abacus than others using a computer after training. However, no matter how talented someone was or how much training they underwent, they could never calculate complex mathematical functions faster than a supercomputer. That was the gap in levels.
Of course, not every spectator present was watching Zhang Wen and his martial arts students with a lighthearted attitude. Likewise, the Thymis students on the field did not relax just because the three students behind Zhang Wen were clearly outmatched.
Under the strict supervision of Instructor Gelt, the Thymis students all wore serious expressions, engaging in pre-match warm-ups with the utmost concentration. However, their attention was not focused on the three students warming up alongside Zhang Wen. This could be clearly seen from the frequent glances they cast toward the entrance of the training hall.
However, the Thymis students’ overly serious attitude puzzled many spectators who were unaware of the underlying circumstances. For example, Ted, a senior reporter sitting in the west stand, was one of them.
Ted worked for a newspaper called the *Planet Daily* and served as the editor for the martial arts competition section. Whether it was the name of the newspaper or the title of his position, Ted’s status sounded quite impressive. Unfortunately, only the name sounded incredibly glamorous.
In reality, the *Planet Daily* was a third-rate newspaper so small it could not get any smaller. Including the owner and the chief editor, the total number of employees at the *Planet Daily* did not exceed five, and its circulation was as low as only 3,000 copies.
However, in the Empire, where entertainment resources were extremely scarce, commentary on martial arts competitions was the most beloved form of content among the citizens. Naturally, the annual inter-academy battle between Almace Academy and Thymis Academy was the most eye-catching event for the people of Fira. Therefore, even a small newspaper like the *Planet Daily*, which was practically unknown, had gone to great lengths to obtain a ticket, allowing Ted the opportunity to attend the match alongside reporters from major news outlets.
When Ted entered the training hall for his first on-site interview after starting his job, he was pleasantly surprised to run into his old classmate from their academy days—Lianke, who was now sitting beside him.
Unlike Ted, Lianke worked for a newspaper called the *Babylon Sports News*, a well-known major newspaper in Babylon City and even on the entire Fira planet. Last year, the *Babylon Sports News* had an average circulation of 1,376,000 copies—*Planet Daily* couldn’t even reach a fraction of that number.
From the moment Zhang Wen’s group entered the hall, Ted noticed that Lianke, just like the Thymis students below, had not shown much of a smile. Although this was Ted’s first time attending the annual match between Almace Academy and Thymis Academy in person, he had heard plenty about it. From various news sources, Ted already knew how weak and despised Almace Academy’s martial arts division was.
If the Thymis students all looked serious, it could be explained as “strategically underestimating the opponent while tactically taking them seriously.” However, Lianke’s poker face struck Ted as quite unusual.
Earlier during their conversation, Ted had noticed that Lianke mentioned having some connections with several instructors from Thymis Academy’s martial arts division. Seeing Lianke’s current expression, Ted naturally assumed that he must have received some insider information.
“Hey! Lianke, what’s going on with Enkle and the others? It’s just a match against Almace Academy’s martial arts division. Why are they all so serious?” After holding back for a while, Ted finally couldn’t resist tapping Lianke on the shoulder and curiously whispering his question.
Although Lianke’s *Babylon Sports News* was in a completely different league compared to Ted’s *Planet Daily*, working at such a major newspaper meant fierce competition and a difficult path for young reporters to rise through the ranks.
Given Lianke’s age, his position at the *Babylon Sports News* was naturally not as high as he had boasted during their conversation. In the newsroom, junior reporters like Lianke were often teased and mocked due to their lack of seniority. Therefore, meeting an old friend who still treated him with respect and admiration gave Lianke no hesitation in sharing some insider information to gain more admiration.
“Ted, you mustn’t underestimate Almace Academy’s strength,” Lianke whispered mysteriously while patting Ted’s shoulder. “This year’s Almace Academy is not as insignificant as in previous years. There’s a ninth-level genius student in their martial arts division.”
“What? Ninth level?” Ted’s surprised expression greatly pleased Lianke. “You mean one of those three students following Zhang Wen is hiding their strength?” Ted lowered his voice again after carefully observing the three Almace students warming up on the field.
“Not exactly. I heard their ninth-level genius is a red-haired girl, and she should not have appeared yet. Almace Academy has produced a ninth-level student, and such a prodigy would naturally be treated as a secret weapon, just like our Selene. They wouldn’t reveal their secret weapon until the last moment. As for the ones they’ve already put forward, they’re just decoys.”
“Ah, I see!” Ted exclaimed in realization.
“Hehe!” Seeing Ted’s expressive reaction, Lianke’s vanity was greatly satisfied. He lowered his head and whispered even more mysteriously, “Also, I heard that Almace Academy has made bold claims this year, vowing to defeat our Thymis Academy. Moreover, during warm-up training, the instructor leading Almace Academy’s team even had a match with Instructor Enkle and apparently made Enkle suffer a defeat…”
“Wow! Really!” Ted nodded continuously, listening more humbly to Lianke’s insider revelations.
Conversations similar to the one between Ted and Lianke continued to take place in various corners of the stands before the match officially began.
As the students from both academies finished warming up and began their final preparations for the match, nearly all the spectators had learned, to varying degrees, about the recent tensions between the two academies, which significantly heightened their interest.
“Please quiet down! The exchange match between Almace Academy’s delegation and our academy is about to begin.” Soon enough, a Thymis Academy teacher stood up and, following tradition, silenced the crowd while beginning to introduce the upcoming match.
Since the format of the inter-academy match was always determined by the visiting party, the competition format was not always the same every year. Even the order in which the martial arts and psychic arts divisions appeared varied from year to year.
This year, Almace Academy’s psychic arts division was the first to take the stage.
In previous years, when Almace Academy visited Thymis, they had always sent their martial arts division first. Most people preferred the narrative of losing first and then winning later rather than the reverse.
However, this year was different. In the eyes of Kajelenna, the martial arts division led by Zhang Wen was already hopeless. To fulfill the governor’s wish for revenge, all hopes rested on the performance of the psychic arts division. However, what troubled Kajelenna the most was that facing Thymis Academy, which possessed a monstrous genius like Selene, the psychic arts division did not have a guaranteed chance of victory this year.
Under such circumstances, if the martial arts division was still scheduled to go first and ended up suffering a crushing defeat, the pressure on the psychic arts division would be immense, increasing the likelihood of a performance failure to an unacceptable degree for Kajelenna.
Therefore, before the match, Kajelenna insisted on an unusual arrangement, pushing for the psychic arts division to go first. In her mind, since Almace Academy’s martial arts division was already widely known for its weakness, as long as the psychic arts division delivered an unquestionable victory right from the start, no matter how poorly the martial arts division performed afterward, Almace Academy could still be considered the winner.
In this way, Almace Academy would secure a win, Governor Temiso would achieve his revenge, and Thymis Academy would still save face by winning later in the match—everyone would be happy. As for what would happen to Zhang Wen and his martial arts division, that was simply not within Kajelenna’s consideration.
After thorough deliberation, Kajelenna ultimately chose the commonly used five-rounds-three-wins elimination format. After all, Almace Academy’s martial arts division was still superior to others within the southern territories. Compared to Thymis Academy, aside from being helpless against Selene, the other students in Thymis Academy’s psychic arts division were still a level below Almace Academy’s.
Therefore, Kajelenna’s ideal plan was to achieve at least a 4-1 victory in the upcoming match. Of course, if Selene performed poorly and allowed Almace Academy to achieve a perfect 5-0 victory, that would be even better!
“…Alright! Now, let’s welcome the first two participants to the stage.” Soon enough, the Thymis instructor serving as the host finished explaining the necessary information to the audience and, with an enthusiastic tone, introduced the first two students to step onto the stage.
As usual, the Almeythus Academy still fielded the most standard lineup, from strongest to weakest. First to appear was the top expert of the physical combat division, Luther, whose strength had reached the eighth tier.
After half a month of recovery, Luther’s body had mostly healed. However, judging from his unusually solemn expression upon entering the arena, it was clear he had yet to fully recover from the terrifying blow Seline had dealt him last time.
Yet, just as Luther, already mentally prepared to face Seline again, saw the opponent the Themis Academy had sent out, he couldn’t help but feel astonished.
As usual, the Almythius Academy presented their most standard lineup, arranged from strongest to weakest. The first to take the stage was Luther, the top ace of the martial arts department, whose strength had reached the eighth tier. After half a month of recuperation, Luther’s body had fully recovered. However, his unusually solemn expression as he stepped onto the stage revealed that he had yet to shake off the shadow of Serin’s terrifying strike from their last encounter.
Yet, Luther, who had prepared himself to face Serin once more, was taken aback when he saw the opponent sent by the Themist Academy. In what was supposed to be the first round of a battle of wills, the Themist Academy had not sent their ace, Serin!
“Now, let us welcome the representative of the Themist Academy, Joe Anderson!” With a passionate shout from the Themist instructor, a relaxed-looking student from the psychic arts department quickly emerged from the Themist camp.
“Joe Anderson? Who is this guy?” The sight of this unfamiliar face caused a slight stir among the martial arts instructors of the Almythius Academy. With Serin’s precedent, no one could guarantee that the Themist Academy didn’t have another monstrously powerful weapon.
“What’s all the fuss about?! That guy isn’t anything special!” Katerina shot a displeased glance at the whispering instructors, and her sharp rebuke immediately silenced them.
The psychic arts competition was less about direct confrontation between students and more about using various operable psychic machines as the medium of the contest.
For instance, during the Themist Academy’s visit to Casares last year, the Almythius Academy had used psychic hovercars as the decisive tool for the competition.
Of course, unlike the psychic hovercars used by civilians in Casares, the ones used in the competition between the two academies were not pre-charged with psychic energy. This meant that the contestants had to rely entirely on their own psychic energy to operate the hovercars.
Thus, the stronger a student’s psychic energy, the faster they could drive the hovercar, and the better their control over psychic energy, the more agile they could be when navigating turns. The student who reached the finish line in the shortest time was naturally the most powerful psychic artist overall.
This year, as the host, the Themist Academy had the privilege of deciding the competition tool.
Having been occupied with accompanying Zack and the others in their secluded training, Zhang Wen had missed all the warm-up matches of the psychic arts department. It wasn’t until the competition officially began that he saw the tool the Themist Academy had prepared.
However, at first glance, the competition tool presented by the Themist Academy left Zhang Wen utterly stunned.
“Mecha?!” Zhang Wen was dumbfounded as he watched the competition referee unveil a massive humanoid machine beneath the tarp.
While Zhang Wen was still reeling from the Themist Academy’s astonishing “creativity,” the relatively unknown Themist student had already approached Luther. After exchanging nods, they each boarded their respective machines.
Soon, two towering steel machines, each over ten meters tall, rose with a screeching sound.
“Wow!” As the two terrifying machines began to move, the audience in the training hall couldn’t help but exclaim in awe. Even many martial arts enthusiasts, upon witnessing the imposing movements of the two machines, gradually turned pale.
Psychic arts and martial arts, for most people, are two non-conflicting forces that can be cultivated simultaneously. However, for those who have reached the pinnacle in either field, the competition between these two powers is inevitable.
Yet, due to the lack of offensive capabilities in psychic energy cultivated through psychic arts and the instability of combat energy gained through martial arts, psychic artists have gradually leaned towards civilian applications, while martial artists have favored military use, allowing the two to coexist.
However, the sight of such formidable steel machines easily conjured the word “powerful.” Without the strength of a tenth-tier martial artist, one would be as helpless as an ant before these colossal steel fortresses.
And even in an empire where martial arts are prevalent, how many genius martial artists can reach the tenth-tier level? One in a thousand?
If psychic artists could effortlessly operate such powerful machines, what value would there be for martial artists who have painstakingly cultivated their skills?
Considering this, it’s no wonder that the martial artists in the training hall turned pale at the sight of these two behemoths. Almost as soon as the machines started moving, whispers of astonishment and fear filled the air.
Amidst the martial artists’ panic, General William wore a look of disdain, a faint sneer playing on his lips.
“General William, what are you laughing at?” Countess Melissa observed General William’s expression with interest.
“Nothing. I just didn’t expect that the Themist Academy’s flashy but impractical creations could frighten so many people,” General William replied with undisguised mockery.
“Ha! General William, don’t you find those two behemoths terrifying? Of course, in the presence of a strong man like you, they must be nothing.”
“Melissa, surely you’re not intimidated by them too?” General William shook his head with a smile. “Do you think the soldiers of our empire are fools? If such effective weapons existed, would we have turned a blind eye, allowing a mere southern academy to take the lead? We’ve conducted hundreds, if not thousands, of experiments on such psychic war machines. The conclusion is always the same: they’re only good for show, with no practical value.”
“Oh? How so?” Countess Melissa continued to inquire with her charming smile.
As a high-ranking officer, General William was well aware of the probing nature of Countess Melissa’s questions. However, given the current honeymoon phase between the empire and the alliance, he didn’t mind revealing some trivial information. This was one of the secrets to maintaining good relations between the empire and the alliance.
“It’s simple. The amount of psychic energy required to operate such massive machines is enormous. Even if the machines themselves are pre-charged, manipulating such behemoths flexibly requires at least ninth-tier psychic strength. Now you understand. Setting aside the pitifully small number of ninth-tier psychic artists, if a psychic artist truly reached the ninth tier, why would they need to control such clumsy contraptions? On the battlefield, an elite psychic artist can achieve far more than this clunky thing!”
“I see,” Countess Melissa replied, satisfied, as she sat back. At that moment, the first clash between the Almythius Academy and the Themist Academy officially began.
“Now, let’s welcome the representative from Themis Academy, Joe Anderson!” shouted the Themis instructor with passionate excitement. From the Themis Academy’s side, a relaxed-looking student from the psychokinesis division quickly stepped forward.
“Joe Anderson? Who the heck is that?” Seeing the unfamiliar face on the battlefield, the physical combat instructors from Almeythus Academy immediately stirred into a slight commotion. With Seline’s precedent still fresh in their minds, no one dared to assume Themis Academy didn’t have another terrifying powerhouse up their sleeve.
“What’s all the panic for? That guy isn’t anything special!” Kaelena shot a disapproving glance at the whispering instructors and silenced them all with a sharp shout.
Psychokinetic division matches were rarely direct confrontations between students. Instead, they relied more on various psychokinetic machines as the medium of competition.
For example, when the Themis Academy had visited Kaseres last year, Almeythus Academy had brought out psychokinetic racing vehicles as the tools for the final showdown.
Of course, unlike the psychokinetic vehicles used by common citizens in the city of Kaseres, the ones used in the competition between the two academies had no pre-filled psychokinetic energy. In other words, the contestants had to power the vehicles entirely using their own psychokinetic energy.
In such a scenario, the stronger a student’s psychokinetic energy, the faster the vehicle could go. Meanwhile, those with better control over their energy could maneuver the vehicle more nimbly around corners. Naturally, the student who reached the finish line in the shortest time was considered the most accomplished psychokinetic practitioner.
This year, since Themis Academy was hosting the competition, it was their decision to choose the competition tools.
Due to his recent time spent in secluded training with Zack and the others, Zhang Wen had missed all the psychokinetic division’s warm-up matches. Therefore, it wasn’t until the official match began that he finally saw the competition tool Themis Academy had brought out.
However, the moment he laid eyes on it, the tool Themis Academy had chosen was so shocking that even Zhang Wen couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise.
“M-Mechs?!” Zhang Wen’s eyes widened in disbelief as the referee pulled off the canvas, revealing a massive humanoid machine underneath.
As Zhang Wen was still reeling from Themis Academy’s astonishing “creativity,” the relatively unknown Themis student had already approached Luther. After exchanging polite nods, the two climbed aboard their respective machines.
Soon, two enormous metal constructs, each over ten meters tall, rose with a grating, ear-splitting screech.
“Whoa!” As the terrifying machines roared to life, the audience inside the training hall couldn’t help but let out wave after wave of astonished exclamations. Even many of the martial artists present, who specialized in physical combat, began to look visibly uneasy as they watched the machines move with such overwhelming might.
Psychokinetics and physical combat, while not inherently conflicting and often practiced together by many, eventually became two competing disciplines for those who reached the pinnacle of either path.
However, because psychokinetic energy lacked offensive power while martial energy was too unstable, psychokinetics gradually became more civilian-oriented, while physical combat leaned toward military applications, allowing both disciplines to coexist.
Yet, faced with such a terrifying display of mechanical might, even a glance was enough to make one think of the word “power.” Without martial artists of at least tenth-tier strength, standing before these towering mechanical fortresses was like being helpless ants.
And even in the Empire, where physical combat was highly valued, how many martial artists could actually reach the tenth tier? One in a thousand?
If psychokinetic practitioners could so easily control such powerful machines, what value would all those martial artists, who had trained so hard, still hold?
Considering this, it wasn’t surprising that the martial artists in the audience turned pale at the sight of these titanic machines. The moment the machines started moving, the hall was already filled with murmurs of shock and unease.
However, amidst the panic of the martial artists, General William wore a look of disdain, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk curling his lips.
“General William, what are you smiling at?” Lady Melissa, the countess, observed William’s expression with great interest.
“Nothing much. I just didn’t expect that such flashy, impractical contraptions from Themis Academy could actually scare so many people,” General William replied with an openly mocking tone.
“Hehe! General William, don’t you find those two machines terrifying?” Of course, Melissa continued with a playful tone. “Though, of course, they must seem trivial to someone as strong as you.”
“Melissa, surely you aren’t scared of them too,” General William shook his head with a smile at the countess. “Do you really think our Empire’s soldiers are fools? If such weapons were truly effective, would we have ignored them all this time, allowing a mere southern border academy to take the lead? We’ve already conducted hundreds, even thousands, of experiments on such psychokinetic war machines. And the final conclusion was clear—they’re nothing more than showpieces, completely impractical.”
“Oh? Why is that?” Lady Melissa continued with her charming smile, still probing.
Of course, as a high-ranking officer, General William could easily detect the countess’s subtle attempt to extract information. However, since the Empire and the Alliance were currently in a period of close cooperation, he didn’t mind revealing a bit of harmless intelligence. This was, after all, one of the secrets to maintaining a good relationship between the two powers.
As usual, the Almitheus Academy arranged their lineup from strongest to weakest, a standard practice. The first to step forward was Luther, the top ace of the Physical Arts Department, boasting an eighth-tier level of strength. After half a month of recovery, Luther’s body had fully healed. However, his unusually solemn expression as he entered the arena revealed that he still hadn’t shaken off the shadow of Serene’s terrifying strike from their last encounter.
Yet, Luther, who had mentally prepared himself to face Serene again, was taken aback when he saw the opponent sent by the Themist Academy. In what was supposed to be the first round of a battle of wills, Themist Academy had not fielded their ace, Serene!
“Now, let’s welcome the representative from Themist Academy, Joe Anderson!” With a passionate shout from the Themist instructor, a relaxed-looking student from the Psychic Arts Department quickly emerged from their ranks.
“Joe Anderson? Who is this guy?” The sight of this unfamiliar face caused a slight stir among the Physical Arts instructors of Almitheus Academy. With Serene’s precedent, no one could guarantee that Themist Academy didn’t have another monstrously powerful weapon up their sleeve.
“What’s all the fuss about? That guy isn’t anything special!” Katerina shot a displeased glance at the whispering instructors, her sharp rebuke silencing them instantly.
In Psychic Arts competitions, the focus isn’t on direct confrontations between students but rather on using various operable psychic machines as the medium of competition. For instance, last year when Themist Academy visited Cassares, Almitheus Academy brought out psychic hovercars as the decisive tool for the competition.
Of course, unlike the civilian psychic hovercars used in Cassares, the ones used in inter-academy competitions were not pre-charged with psychic energy. This meant that the competing students had to rely entirely on their own psychic energy to operate the hovercars.
Thus, the stronger a student’s psychic energy, the faster they could drive the car, and the better their control over psychic energy, the more agile they could be when navigating turns. Ultimately, the student who reached the finish line in the shortest time would naturally be the most powerful psychic artist overall.
This year, with Themist Academy hosting, they had the privilege of deciding the competition tool. Due to his recent seclusion training with Zack and the others, Zhang Wen had missed all the warm-up matches in the Psychic Arts Department. It wasn’t until the competition officially began that he saw the tool Themist Academy had prepared.
However, what he saw left Zhang Wen utterly stunned.
“Mecha?!” Zhang Wen was dumbfounded as the competition referee unveiled a massive humanoid machine from beneath a tarp.
While Zhang Wen was still reeling from Themist Academy’s astonishing “creativity,” the unremarkable Themist student had already approached Luther. After exchanging nods, both of them boarded their respective machines.
Soon, two towering steel machines, each over ten meters tall, rose with a screeching sound.
“Whoa!” As the two terrifying machines began to move, the audience in the training hall erupted in gasps of amazement. Even many Physical Arts practitioners in the crowd grew visibly uneasy at the imposing movements of the machines.
Psychic Arts and Physical Arts, for most people, are two non-conflicting forces that can be cultivated simultaneously. However, for those who have reached the pinnacle in either discipline, the competition between these two powers is inevitable.
However, due to the non-aggressive nature of psychic energy cultivated through Psychic Arts and the instability of combat energy gained through Physical Arts, psychic artists have gradually leaned toward civilian applications, while Physical Arts practitioners have focused on military uses, allowing both to coexist.
Yet, the sheer presence of such formidable steel machines, even at a glance, easily evokes the notion of “power.” Without the strength of a tenth-tier Physical Arts master, one would feel like an utterly powerless ant in the face of these colossal steel fortresses.
And even in an empire where Physical Arts are prevalent, how many genius Physical Arts practitioners can reach the level of a tenth-tier master? One in a thousand?
If psychic artists could effortlessly operate such powerful machines, what value would there be for those who painstakingly cultivate Physical Arts?
Considering this, it’s no wonder that the Physical Arts practitioners in the training hall paled at the sight of these two behemoths. Almost as soon as the machines started moving, whispers of shock and fear filled the air.
Amidst the chaos, General William wore a look of disdain, a faint sneer playing on his lips.
“General William, what are you smiling about?” Countess Melissa observed the general’s expression with interest.
“Nothing. I just didn’t expect that Themist Academy’s flashy but impractical creations could scare so many people,” General William replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Haha! General William, don’t you find those two giants terrifying? Of course, in the presence of a powerhouse like you, they must be nothing.”
“Melissa, surely you’re not intimidated by them too?” General William shook his head with a smile. “Do you think the soldiers of our empire are fools? If such weapons were truly effective, would we have ignored them, letting a mere southern academy take the lead? We’ve conducted hundreds, if not thousands, of experiments on psychic-powered war machines. The conclusion? They’re only good for show, with no practical value.”
“Oh? How so?” Countess Melissa continued to probe with her charming smile.
As a high-ranking officer, General William was well aware of the countess’s intent to gather information. However, given the current honeymoon phase between the empire and the alliance, he didn’t mind sharing some trivial details. This was one of the secrets to maintaining good relations between the two powers.
“It’s simple. The amount of psychic energy required to operate such massive machines is simply too enormous. Even if the machines are pre-charged, controlling these behemoths flexibly would require at least a ninth-tier psychic artist. Now, setting aside the scarcity of ninth-tier psychic artists, if a psychic artist truly reached that level, why would they need to operate such clumsy contraptions? On the battlefield, an elite psychic artist could achieve far more than this clunky machine ever could!”
“I see,” Countess Melissa replied, satisfied, as she settled back into her seat. At that moment, the first clash between Almitheus Academy and Themist Academy officially began.
“I see,” Lady Melissa said contentedly, leaning back in her seat. At that moment, the first match between Almeythus Academy and Themis Academy officially began.
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