A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 228: That Terrifying Man
Chapter 228: That Terrifying Man

As the two friends chatted away, time seemed to fly by. Once the last student had finally awakened their Psychic Incarnation, Spears stood up, ready to take charge.

”Alright, everyone, get ready for the competition,” he announced, stepping into his role as the referee.

Before the competition began, Arix thought they’d be drawing lots to set the order for the matches. But instead, Spears just started rattling off names.

”Varden, Zephyr, Cirilla, Elio, Arix, Drexel, Marceau... step forward.” Spears called out the names of five heirs along with Arix.

The others were the top military students, each with a Psychic Incarnation, handpicked by Spears.

Arix, caught off guard, glanced at the others. Though a bit puzzled, he stepped up with them, joining the front row.

Spears quickly checked the Psychic Incarnations they held. After confirming something, he made an announcement: ”You ten will each defend a ring.”

”Yes, sir,” Arix and the others responded, giving a salute before moving to their positions on the rings.

With the defenders chosen, Spears turned to the rest of the military students. ”In three hours, the ones still standing on these rings will be the final participants in the mecha tournament. You’ve got three hours to challenge them. Win and hold the ring until the end, and you’ll take their spot in the tournament. I now declare the selection matches open!”

After the announcement, Spears headed back to the main platform. The moment he left, the other students looked at each other, and then, like a pack of hungry wolves, they charged towards the rings.

Seeing this, Arix and the others called on their Psychic Incarnations, gearing up for the battles ahead.

On the platform, as Spears took his seat, the base commander spoke up with a bit of doubt, ”Isn’t it odd to focus on Psychic Incarnations when this is a mecha tournament?”

Spears just shrugged and flashed a mischievous grin. ”I never said we weren’t focused on mechas. The ten students on those rings are the best when it comes to mecha skills.”

The base commander caught on and chuckled. ”Smart move. You’re getting two results for the price of one.”

Spears gave an innocent smile but said nothing.

Feeling reassured, the base commander turned his attention back to the rings, watching the students closely. Then, something caught his eye, and he smiled. ”That girl is a surprise. I didn’t think her Psychic Incarnation—a small rabbit—would stand a chance. But it’s actually got some serious fight in it.”

Hearing this, Spears and Kellan also focused on the rabbit Psychic Incarnation. The rabbit’s opponent was a massive tiger, towering over the tiny creature. It looked like a clear mismatch.

But the outcome stunned everyone. Just as the tiger lunged, jaws wide, the small rabbit leaped up, holding a carrot. It smacked the tiger on the head with the carrot, and the fierce predator immediately froze and collapsed, stars circling around its head.

Even Spears was a bit taken aback. He turned to look at Deanna, the girl behind the rabbit. With her mecha skills, she should’ve been one of the ten defending the rings, but her gentle-looking Psychic Incarnation had made her seem like a poor fit.

Deanna, with her impressive mecha skills, was initially meant to be among the ten defending the rings. But because her Psychic Incarnation appeared to be just a small, harmless-looking rabbit, Spears hesitated. Instead, he chose a slightly less skilled student to take that spot.

However, as the competition unfolded, Spears realized he had seriously underestimated her.

As the hours ticked by, the five heirs stood their ground, each one unchallenged on their rings.

Of the other five, Arix was the only one who held his position from start to finish. The others faced multiple challenges and had their spots taken over a few times.

The base commander watched it all with a conflicted expression. After a long silence, he turned to Kellan and remarked, ”Even when other kids awaken their Psychic Incarnations, they can’t compete with the five. There’s still some gab.”

The commander wasn’t being dismissive, just stating a harsh truth. The Psychic Incarnations of the noble families were no ordinary beings: the Kering family boasted a holy tiger, the Lasair family had a mythical dolphin, the Brant family claimed a nine-tailed white fox, the Rinn family wielded a divine phoenix, and the Calix family controlled a legendary eagle.

In contrast, even Deanna’s courageous rabbit turned meek in the face of these powerful creatures. Before the battle even began, it had already surrendered, lying down in defeat.

The base commander’s expression darkened as he pondered, ’With such powerful families dominating, will ordinary people in the Alliance ever truly have a chance?’

Kellan, noticing the commander’s unease, responded with a gentle smile, as if not sharing his concerns. ”If the five families were weaker, do you think the Alliance would enjoy the stability it has now?”

Some people, protected from the harshness of the world, believe they could handle things just as well or even grow bitter at the seeming unfairness. But put them in those positions, and they’d struggle to protect even themselves, let alone others. The consequences could be disastrous.

”Rear Admiral Kering, please forgive me. I was being shortsighted,” the base commander said, suddenly realizing how narrow his thoughts had been.

Noticing the commander’s regret, Kellan maintained his gentle smile and offered some advice. ”You’ve been stationed at this small base for three years now, haven’t you? Perhaps it’s time you saw more of the outside world. After the selection ends, why not visit the front lines?”

The base commander nodded, suddenly feeling enlightened. ”I understand. I’ll apply for a transfer to the front lines right away. Thank you, Rear Admiral Kering, for your advice,” he said, his gratitude clear. Being stuck in this small base for so long, he had indeed forgotten the bigger picture.

Spears, observing the entire conversation, couldn’t help but admire Kellan’s skill. He had managed to get the commander to strip himself of comfort and still be thankful for it.

’What a terrifying man,’ Spears thought.