A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 256: The Competition Kicks Off
Chapter 256: The Competition Kicks Off

On Planet Inferno...

The minister of the Empire of Eden, who had been waiting on-site, stepped forward to greet everyone as soon as the teams arrived.

After warmly exchanging greetings with the admirals from the five nations, he invited them to take their places on the main platform.

With the five admirals and the minister seated, making up a panel of six judges, the head referee of the competition took center stage.

Addressing the five mecha teams below, he began, ”Welcome to the 96th New Mecha Tournament. I’ll now explain the rules.”

”This competition will take place here on Inferno and last for 15 days. The scoring system is based on points: the higher your points, the better your team’s ranking.”

”Points can be earned by killing beasts, each worth one point. Another key factor is the survival of your teammates. Each surviving member at the end of 15 days earns your team 100 points, meaning ten survivors will add 1,000 points to your total.”

”Lastly, solving the unknown virus will earn you the highest score possible in this competition—10,000 points!” The referee’s voice rose as he finished, hyping up the mood even more.

10,000 points meant one thing: no matter how the five mecha teams performed overall, solving the unknown virus could completely flip the standings and secure an unexpected victory.

This realization sparked a fire in everyone’s eyes—both the speaker and the listeners.

Arix, standing below, felt a surge of adrenaline, her excitement bubbling over as she imagined racing to Inferno to tackle the virus head-on.

Even those who weren’t experts in virus research couldn’t help but feel a restless energy.

It was like a gambler’s thrill, knowing the odds were slim but still feeling that slight chance gnawing away at their rational thoughts.

There was no doubt about it—this referee knew how to ignite a crowd. His words didn’t just motivate; they set hearts ablaze.

As the anticipation in the air reached its peak, the head referee didn’t drag it out any longer. He announced, ”The rules are set. The competition begins in three minutes. Get ready!”

Right after he spoke, a three-minute countdown appeared midair.

Without wasting a second, the competitors swiftly brought out their mechas, each one slipping efficiently into their cockpits.

”Everyone, prepare to enter Inferno!” Drexel’s calm and steady voice came through the wireless earpieces.

”Understood!” The team responded in unison, their voices strong and resolute.

The Alliance mecha team powered up their machines and moved to the edge of the starship carrier.

As the countdown hit the final second, they leaped off without a moment’s hesitation.

They shot through the void of space, breaking through the planet’s atmosphere, and descended into a world shrouded in gray.

Their arrival shattered the long-standing silence of Inferno.

In an instant, countless pairs of massive, glowing red eyes flickered to life all around them.

”Roar!”

The Fallen Beasts, roused by the disturbance, let out bloodthirsty roars of fury.

Without a moment’s delay, they lunged at the new arrivals, seeing them as easy prey delivered right to their doorstep.

...

The six referees were all focused on the live broadcast screens in front of them.

The screen was divided into 50 frames, each showing a different contestant competing. When a judge noticed a particularly impressive contestant, they would enlarge that frame to observe more closely.

”The contestants this year are quite impressive. Each one is a genius,” the minister of the Empire of Eden said with a satisfied smile after watching for a while.

”That’s not entirely a good thing. In the past, we were lucky to find one genius. This year, there are so many it’s almost troublesome,” Admiral Crude of the Empire of Eden said with a complicated expression.

”When something unusual happens, there’s often trouble brewing. I fear things won’t stay peaceful for long,” Sykes, who had lived most of his life, said, clearly sensing something.

Even Scion, who was usually emotionless, had a serious look in his eyes. It was uncertain how long this calm could last.

In contrast to the four who were worried, the other two admirals seemed unconcerned.

”You’re overthinking this. It’s not that mysterious,” Admiral Roland of the Empire of Kraiton said lazily, leaning back in his chair and rolling his eyes.

”I agree. You’ve seen so much as an admiral, yet you still cling to old superstitions,” Admiral Kaser of the Empire of Merman scoffed.

Sykes glanced at the two of them, too tired to argue. It wasn’t that he was timid, but these two had extreme personalities: one didn’t care about anything, and the other dismissed everything. Arguing with them would only make Sykes himself angry.

”Better to believe than not. I trust my own intinctions on battlefields, and it works every time,” Admiral Crude tried to persuade the two.

Unfortunately, his good advice falls on deaf ears. Admiral Roland and Admiral Kaiser didn’t take him seriously, even finding him annoying.

Seeing the tension rise, the minister of the Empire of Eden quickly stepped in to smooth things over. ”Alright, alright, the competition is starting. Let’s see how the kids perform.”

The five admirals agreed, as they were also curious about the strength of these young contestants.

...

Arix landed on Inferno with her mecha, Star Dust, and she immediately felt uncomfortable. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling. She just shook her head and pushed the feeling aside, focusing on her surroundings.

Inferno had once been a tourist paradise, but after an unknown virus outbreak, the once-thriving cities were now nothing but ruins.

Even the air, which should have been fresh and sweet, was now filled with a toxic stench.

Arix glanced at the city, now overrun with dead plants and crumbling buildings. Her attention then shifted to the Fallen Beasts slowly surrounding them. These beasts were huge, filthy, and their blood-red eyes stared hungrily at the group, drooling.

Arix’s expression grew serious as her mecha’s fingers tightened around the sword. She took a defensive stance.

”Drexel, should we fight?” Elio asked in the mech channel, holding a massive sword he had bought for 1 billion astrocredits.

Drexel looked at the Fallen Beasts around them.

There weren’t too many, and they wouldn’t be hard to deal with, so he nodded. ”Yes, let’s kill them all.”

”Got it.” Elio grinned and moved towards the Fallen Beasts, sharpening his blade.

The others, seeing this, also raised their weapons and began to attack.

Arix just knocked down a Fallen Beast and ready to deliver the finishing blow. But as she moved in, something strange happened. She accidentally locked eyes with the beast’s pupil, and suddenly, her mind was flooded with chaotic voices.

”It hurts... it hurts so much...”

”Dad... Mom...”

”Save me... save... me...”

Shaking her head, Arix tried to push away the confusion and refocus.

She stared at the Fallen Beast, stunned.

’Is this some kind of illusion? Or are these beasts really crying out for help?’ The thought froze her in place. ’We’re slaughtering them now, but what if these creatures can actually be saved?’

”Arix, what’s going on? Are you hurt?” Drexel’s voice cut through her thoughts.

He had noticed her standing still, just staring at the Fallen Beast, not reacting. His concern was clear.

”Nothing, I’m okay,” Arix quickly reassured him, snapping out of her daze. But her mind was still racing. She reached out mentally to Sylvana, asking, ”Sylvana, are you there?”

”I’m here, Arix. I’m guessing you want to ask about these Fallen Beasts?” Sylvana responded, as if she had already anticipated the question.

”Yes, I need to know if they can be saved,” Arix asked, her voice tinged with nervousness.

There was a pause, as if Sylvana was weighing her answer carefully. ”They can be saved, but it’s incredibly difficult.”

The difficulty didn’t matter to Arix at that moment. Just knowing that they could be saved left her shocked. It meant that every Fallen Beast on this planet had the potential to be rescued. Yet here they were, their lives reduced to nothing more than points in a competition.

The weight of that realization hit her hard.