Chapter 335: Commanding the Battle!
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Honduras had been slacking for an entire day. He was waiting for the bast*rd who disappeared after winning. How could someone of his caliber be 'sneak attacked'? He had seen the battle replay countless times, and the opponent definitely was out to get him. This was not a victory based on true skills.
What he was most irritated by was that this battle had become the hot match of the week.
This was simply injustice…. Pinning the dignified vice-chief of fencing onto the board of shame?
He had to get his game back before the end of the week.
The room he opened was limited to Overlord mecha only. His opponent would definitely only use an Overlord mech as well.
Meanwhile, Wang Zheng was really worried that his card might have been activated after the hoohah he had caused. It looked like he really did not have to worry. Meanwhile, Honduras' challenge was on the training room's battle announcement board.
"The guy who attacked me… play another game with me if you are a man! – Honduras."
Scrolling through the screen, Wang Zheng could not help but laugh. He left hurriedly ast time, but now he could satisfy his opponent with another match.
Honduras was doing training aimlessly. His opponent did not appear sincere. He not only issued an announcement, but also notified the Council about the rematch. It seemed that his opponent was from one of the council parties.
How strange, who could that guy be?
At this point, the system prompted, "Your challenge is accepted. Do you want to start?"
Honduras jumped up in excitement. Finally!
"Boy, finally you are here. It is not good to run after winning. Today, let's do a best of three. No more running away!" said Honduras excitedly.
Wang Zheng smiled. "No problem!"
The Imperial Swordsman was in full swing. This time, Honduras was mentally prepared. He was not going to underestimate his opponent again.
Wang Zheng instead maintained the calm composure of an Overlord. He wanted to understand the fighting powers of the Imperial Swordsman, Aslan's highly mobile mech.
Honduras did not use the standard defensive stance because he really wanted to beat his opponent.
The Imperial Swordsman marched forward towards Wang Zheng. He raised his sword and hacked down at the Overlord with every step. Once the Imperial Swordsman started its offense, one could only defend. Wang Zheng quickly blocked with his shield and spear.
Wang Zheng's Overlord mech possessed many problems in actual combat. It was heavy and slow; it was a model despised by other individuals.
With a solid foundation for fencing attacks, the flexibility and sharp attacks of the Imperial Swordsman were fully exploited. Strangely, his opponent seemed to always be able to defend against it. After a series of attacks, Honduras felt depressed.
His opponent was like a big turtle, fully armored and too difficult to penetrate.
"Honduras, can you not even deal with an Overlord mech?"
"Don't be so anxious, I have not even started."
"This Overlord is interesting. He seems slow, but he can accurately block every attack. At this rate, the attacker will suffer."
Honduras knew this of course; assassin-type mecha were all about assaulting the opponent. However, continuous attacks would soon open up more flaws.
The Imperial Swordsman took a jump backwards, reorganizing his rhythm and looking for an opening. Wang Zheng shifted his shield slightly. His opponent would never find an opportunity to attack if he remained so guarded.
Just a subtle gap was exposed and Honduras's pupils dilated. This was the moment!
The engine roared and the high-intensity engine of the Imperial Swordsman revved, bursting forward at lightning speed in an instant.
Wow…
His long, pointed sword headed straight for the Overlord, using one of Honduras' unique techniques.
The essence of this sword technique was a quick and accurate thrust. So long as a gap was exposed, it would penetrate the opponent.
Buzz…
Boom…
At that instant, the Overlord's spear parried the long sword.
Honduras felt as though he had been hit by a Maglev vehicle. It was an upfront clash. The Imperial's sword bounced back due to the impact.
Honduras' reaction was also extremely fast. He took advantage of the backwards momentum to retreat before quickly launching yet another attack. However, the Imperial Swordsman was not a brute force mech. The Overlord's advantage was force, but the speed could be too slow, similar to a tortoise racing.
Wang Zheng's Overlord had finally taken the chance to move!
Sky Rocket Cannon!
Honduras was dumbfounded. His opponent was treating him like a pig.
To use the Sky Rocket Cannon… a foolish and daunting trick that was the most tasteless technique amongst the Overlord's repertoire.
Even the students in the crowd laughed at the Overlord's slow buildup to release the cannon.
However, at the next moment, everyone's jaws dropped.
What in the world was this?
The Overlord did not rise into the sky, but leaped upwards at an angle before instantly bouncing off the ground with the momentum!
The explosion of the cannon intensity's was only at half strength and while the engine could still control the pressure, it created a scene where the Overlord moved extremely quickly in a parabolic curve!
Boom…
The Overlord headed straight for the Imperial Swordsman.
With a loud explosion, the Imperial Swordsman, despite having activated the energy shield, was knocked backwards
The spear followed, slamming right into him….
In less than three seconds, the energy shield burst, and the Imperial Swordsman was once again pierced by the spear.
Some people who were training stopped and looked at the training room screen.
What were they seeing???
Honduras was beaten up like a dog. Who was this Overlord pilot who could actually use the mech so skillfully?
Was it Arbiter's IG captain?
This was already God level. This level of control, that accurate judgment, were heaven-defying!
Honduras was speechless, the scenes that happened seconds ago were replaying again and again in his head. F*ck!
At this moment, he suddenly realized that the other party had previously exposed a flaw intentionally. With the Overlord pilot's level of skill, he would never have made such a rookie mistake like exposing a flaw! He was just baiting him in!
Bastard!
He was played like a kid. He had been tricked!
This level of control and strength with the Overlord mech would take at least three years or more to attain. He simply could not compete with him.
"Are we still continuing?" Wang Zheng asked.
There was no need for a second battle. He had already thoroughly read his opponent's strength and pattern.
"I'm not your opponent, but our fencing club won't give up!" Honduras said as though the battle was made in honor of the Fencing Society.
Wang Zheng shrugged nonchalantly. The advantages and disadvantages of the Overlord were still too obvious. This was not a mech that possessed great advantages. This was still a flaw manageable in one on one battles, but the slow speed would be a great disadvantage in group battles.
Wang Zheng decided to try another mech. He opened the search engine to check out empty mecha. Although the popular ones were mostly occupied, he could do with a less popular model.
Honduras was rushing toward the practice room of the Overlord pilot who had beaten him. He wanted to have a good look at who his opponent was. At this point, Wang Zheng was strolling towards another practice room.
He was feeling frustrated at the Aslanian authorities because he only had access to older mech models. Even though the newer ones were available, he had limited access. It seems that Chi Muye had truly been "too nice" and had taken his perceived "skills" into consideration.
It took a while before Wang Zheng chanced upon an empty training room. A mech by the Manalasuo empire, Golden Wheel.
Manalasuo had always been competing with Aslan. Although neighbors, the contrast between the two empires was quite obvious. As the Aslan Empire grew mightier, bringing tremendous pressure to Manalasuo, they had started developing their own mecha to strengthen their national power. This Golden Wheel mech was created during this period.
The designer was very creative to say the least. Their original intention was to be innovative, unique, and to create a mech that possessed supreme lethality. The Golden Wheel had arms equipped with two special, golden wheels, made of premier gold compounds. These golden wheels could rotate at high speeds to produce powerful tear wounds and serve as a temporary distraction for another attack.
In close combat, the killing power of the two rotating wheels was also amazing.
The idea was undoubtedly quite good. The Golden Wheel had been launched into full production as a result. Some technical problems had been overcome one by one and they had used it for actual combat to prove its viability.
However, the problem lay in actual combat. Recovery time was needed after the golden wheels' spinning attacks, and attacking consecutively was quite difficult. This process to throw the wheels repeatedly was smoothened after numerous practices and required special guidance. This, as a result, made the mech hard to pilot. It was reported that Manalasuo would award the title of "Machinist" to one who could pilot this mech effectively.
The control of the golden wheels was quite difficult to grasp. When the golden wheels of the mech arched back to the mech for recovery, they would produce significant momentum when caught, which would make it difficult to quickly launch another attack in quick succession. It would also cause the pilot to spend significant effort and strain in order to receive the wheels.
Furthermore, if it was done improperly, the mech might lose its balance, and that would be fatal in a battle.
In the mecha world, there was a saying that if one could attack twice, they should not merely attack once. One should not waste their effort.
Since the pilot had limited energy, to waste valuable energy on the release and recovery of weapons did not conform to the basic principle of mech design.
The actual combat strength of the mech as a result was extremely poor, and the Golden Wheel had caused Manalasuo to seem like a joke in the international community.
The development was extremely expensive too, and thus the mech was not mass produced.
However, Aslan still collected such a mech. The performance of this mech was frankly very good. This method of attack was also quite creative and worth learning from.
Aslanians were really something. Whether they were opponents or friends, they could put aside their pride and learn with an open mind to become more and more powerful.
Chapter 336: Golden Wheel
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Wang Zheng was not picky with mech models. He was interested in any novel mecha, and the more difficult it was to pilot, the better.
Golden Wheel Battle God…this name was quite domineering. Entering the battle room, it felt like the mech had not been used for a long time.
The exterior of the Golden Wheel matched its name. Two gold, X-shaped wheels with diameters of 120 cm were hung on the two shoulders. Each intersection was intricately combined. It was said that the designers took a long time designing the Golden Wheel. The radian and the sharp edges had to be designed carefully to achieve a swift kill when thrown.
However, the design team was indeed too complacent. Strong mecha were useless if they could not be controlled by people.
Looking at the sleeping Golden Wheel, Wang Zheng gently patted its armor. This was not just any ordinary mech. In fact, the surface treatment of the armor could reveal the fineness of this mech. This mech felt smooth and looked beautiful despite the extremely faint wrinkles and scratch marks.
A sleeping Golden Wheel.
Chen Xiu also gave a detailed introduction to this mech. The evaluation showed that the mech was not popular as few could understand it. The quest for perfection had always failed to deliver good results.
You never knew how good a mech was, unless you took it for a ride.
Wang Zheng entered the pilot seat and felt the fusion of the G material around him. The difference between this and other mech could be felt. However, considering that it was barely used, the material was still easy to work with. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was not a popular model and few people interfaced with it. By the looks of it, it was only experimented with by curious onlookers.
The roar of the engine was equally powerful, and the movement of the mech was also stable. The designer took into consideration the recoil force of the wheel recovery. The seat was designed for this, but what was unexpected was the difficulty in rotating and recovering the wheels after an attack.
At the very least, the mech's wheels were extremely lethal.
After taking time to acclimatize himself, Wang Zheng entered the training program of the Golden Wheel.
This was a targeted course, but in the beginning, Wang Zheng could not help but swear.
What was with this darned mech?
This designer really was…
The first problem with the mech was the crazy big wheels. In pursuit of greater lethality, the wheels rotated so furiously that the pilot felt fear towards the weapons even before the opponent did. This was especially so if the wheels actually hit the pilot by mistake. In fact, there was the chance that one could accidentally slip and injure themselves!
Of course, with guidance devices, this was definitely not a problem. However, the pilot had to overcome the psychological barrier first and not be afraid of the weapons they were using.
Although Wang Zheng was quite gutsy himself, it took him a while to get used to it.
The second question would soon follow. Once the golden wheels collided with the opponent, the recoil would change the speed of the wheels, making it difficult to recover them.
Regardless of whether the wheel had a minor or major collision, the change in momentum of rebound was the key difficulty encountered when attacking with this mech.
If it took one a little longer than usual to offset the collision, the opponent could potentially attack during this period of recovery. This was probably the reason why the Golden Wheel had been archived.
When Wang Zheng tried to recover and immediately attack several times and failed, just as he was ready to give up, he suddenly had an idea in his head.
Was he being too rigid?
When the mech was recovering its wheels, it was basically passively waiting for the attacking wheels to arc back to the mech. Could this be predicted?
The simple logic was to predict and follow the path of the wheels.
In particular, these kinds of weapons were very lethal and difficult to operate. The key was that they did not move in a single direction, but followed a specific trajectory.
At the thought of this, Wang Zheng got excited. When he had previously undergone weapon training, he had also learned other less conventional weapons that were similar in nature. But it looked as though he might be injured before he could use these weapons effectively…
This sort of weapon focused on one being flexible. This was especially with regards to their footwork and movement. It was indeed a difficult challenge!
Wang Zheng was now immersed in the mech and wanted a taste of it.
The training was hard at first, and Wang Zheng completely lost focus on several occasions. Since his last training session with Bonehead, it was the first time he had been through such difficult training. The average mech could be familiarized with just a touch. It was said that this was the ability of a super warrior. But this was the first time a mech had bullied him with its complexity!
Wang Zheng was practicing when he received a notification from his Skylink and remembered he had an interview.
It was with Aslan Royal College's Sword Shield Rose Disciplinary Association, referred to as the Sword Shield Rose Association or the Disciplinary Association, was the most powerful student organization of the Aslan Royal College. Their members were all outstanding figures within the student body.
Wang Zheng came to the third office lobby of the Sword and Shield Tower. At the gate, he scanned his ID and entered.
In the office lobby, faint glances were directed at Wang Zheng.
"The guy actually came."
"What is Si Jiali thinking? How would she recommend an Earthling?"
"She has always done things that aren't normal. But the Earth exchange student actually dared to come? What audacity"
"What will become of our association?"
"You said that it was an exchange student. Maybe he hasn't figured out the nature of the Sword Shield Rose Association and thought it was like any other club"
Here was the place where Aslan's future elites and leaders were cultivated. Those who were not real talents would be under tremendous pressure here, to the extent where they might suffocate to death.
"Classmate Wang Zheng, hello."
Si Jiali was the sponsor and thus was responsible for receiving Wang Zheng. She was clad in a beautiful Sword Shield Rose uniform and stood out from the rest.
"Hello, Si Jiali. What do I need to do?"
Wang Zheng smiled.
"Let's talk about it inside." Si Jiali nodded and led Wang Zheng deeper into the building.
At a conference room, Wang Zheng was asked to fill in a basic information form and would soon be scheduled to have him undergo a preliminary examination.
Si Jiali returned to another round-table conference room and sat at an empty seat. Together with her were the ten main cadres and vice-chairmen of the Royal Sword Shield Rose Disciplinary Association. This was a regular meeting at the conference. They would speak one after another, determining the recent affairs of the college.
"The last topic is about Si Jiali's recommended newcomer," Vice-President Berwick Pompey looked at the time and finally mentioned.
President Oz had gone to visit the Princess, so all matters mentioned in the conference were decided by majority vote.
"I strongly oppose this. Our association has never accepted an individual from the Solar System. Moreover, he is an Earthling. He is not suitable and cannot adapt to the high standards of the Sword Shield Rose."
Chapter 337: I Possess Ability X too!
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Ning Kesheng of the department of communication firmly opposed her. He was a typical person from Aslan.
"Even if he were to enter, he would be looked down upon, and he would drastically reduce the standing of the Sword Shield Rose Association. "
"Your reasons should not be taken as the standards in judging the qualifications of a person. His own capabilities should determine his membership, not just his background. I have said it many times before, do not make me repeat this again".
Vice-President Berwick Pompey was an absolutely fair and equitable person. He was experienced and was also an Aslanian nobleman and an important force for the reformists.
Si Jiali also insisted, "Wang Zheng is also very competent and has won the Milky Way Alliance's Student Contribution Award. He is very important to our Physics Department and will have even greater achievements in the future, especially in developing the nation's physics prowess. So I hope that you will consider this matter in many ways, not just from your individual points of view."
Berwick Pompey nodded. Si Jiali still had a lot of power in the association, and she would never say something she did not believe in. "I trust your judgement, but the Physics Department has exceeded their number of allocated entries into the Sword Shield Rose Association. It is impossible to increase the quota."
"We can easily make it an exception as rules were meant to be broken. Otherwise, how could we adapt to the changing situations that appear in the college?"
"As long as the president permits it, adding seats is not considered breaking the rules."
"But now the president is accompanying Her Royal Highness. This is a trivial matter that we should make a decision on."
The debate heated up within the conference room. Within Aslan, the conservatives and the reformists were also in conflict, and this extended to the Royal Academy.
Si Jiali knew there would be resistance, but she was also prepared. "About the seats, he can join not as a member of the Physics Department. There is another key qualification. He is the captain of the Solar System Federation's IG team. We can let him join the disciplinary team. Clement, doesn't your disciplinary team always need back-up supporters?"
Clement had been silent the entire time. "Only those with Ability X can join the disciplinary team, without any exceptions. However, I am supportive of the idea."
Berwick Pompey raised his head and had a sudden interest in Clement expressing interest. Clement seldom gave exact opinions. When he spoke, there had to be a reason.
"Oh, tell me, why do you support this idea?"
"Eliya's men are doing a background check on Wang Zheng."
The answer given by Clement was simple and clear.
The Sword and Shield Rose Association's biggest competitor in the college was the Thistle Flower Union of Autonomy led by Eliya.
Berwick Pompey looked stunned. "Be more specific."
"I do not know the specifics yet, but the possibility of them retaliating against Wang Zheng is very high. During the absence of the President, the Thistle Flower Union of Autonomy was proactive in expanding their pool of Ability X users. It is time for us to take the initiative."
Clement said very seriously.
It didn't matter what person Wang Zheng was. What was important was that Wang Zheng played a role in the expulsion of Klimton and became a thorn in the eyes of the Arbiters. So, why cast him aside now?
Berwick Pompey considered the situation seriously. If Eliya were to make a move, they would first save Wang Zheng. This would not only be a blow to the Union of Autonomy, but also to the entire college. They would be sending out the message that they were truly open and fair and would protect everyone, from Aslan or not.
Other cadres at the round table silently shouted and exchanged their opinions. Even the great Aslanian, Ning Kesheng, did not oppose this idea.
"Keeping Wang Zheng in the Sword Shield Rose would not only resist the Thistle Flower Union, it would also convey a good message to the non-Aslanian people of the college. Moreover, this will further emphasise the incident with Klimton on Eliya. "
"I also feel that we can let Wang Zheng join us."
"We've reached a consensus, but… although Wang Zheng is the captain, is he really an Ability X user?"
Suddenly, some people raised this issue. According to normal conditions, the IG captains in all countries should possess Ability X, but in the Solar System…
Si Jiali blinked. This was not stated in Wang Zheng's profile.
The room was quiet for a moment, and Clement, the captain of the command team, said, "The Ability X requirement cannot be bypassed. I propose that we determine Wang Zheng's capabilities before we continue with any further discussion."
"Agreed."
"I agree."
"I agree."
Wang Zheng received a notice to go the Ability X Quantitative Testing Room.
It was a high-pressure gravity room. The lights were on and there were five long lanes side by side similar to bowling lanes. Firefly-like light spots were emitted along the lanes. It was a special kind of photon biological material. The properties were similar to G material.
The test was sent over by Vice President Berwick Pompey and Commander Clement.
Wang Zheng looked around curiously. "You want to test my ability? How do you do it?"
Si Jiali told him about the circumstances. There were no more spots for students of the Physics Department, so he was specially recruited into the disciplinary team that was responsible for handling incidents. However, they first had to test his Ability X.
Wang Zheng, of course, was anxious to enter the disciplinary team. Muye had told him about the structure of the Sword Shield Rose Association. Apart from the members of the round table, members of the disciplinary team were the ones that came into contact with Princess Aina the most. Sometimes, they were even responsible for the safety of Aina at the Royal College.
Moreover, the disciplinary team often collided with others who possessed Ability X. Wang Zheng wanted to understand Aslan's standards, and from what he learnt from Xie Yuxin, Ability X's application and usage here far surpassed that of the Solar System.
Berwick Pompey smiled. "Don't be nervous. First of all, are you sure you are an Ability X user?"
Wang Zheng nodded. "I am."
Berwick Pompey nodded. Clement opened the test preparation box, which contained objects of various shapes, including balls, triangles, cubes, cuboids, etc…
Si Jiali stood on the side and said to Wang Zheng, "See these photons on the test track? This is a biological medium similar to G material. It can effectively conduct Ability X. Later, just try your best to push the medium into the shape of the logo flashed."
It sounded very simple, and Wang Zheng nodded and said he understood.
Clement picked up a box marked with a number five and was about to put it on, but he saw Berwick Pompey shaking his head at him. He nodded and dropped the number five cube to pick up a cube labeled seven. The size was the same, but the material was different. One was a metal and the other was a polymer. The weight was obviously different. The smaller the number, the less difficult the test was.
Clement placed the cube on the long lane and then started preparing the quantitative test equipment.
When Berwick Pompey saw that the preparations were in place, he said to Wang Zheng, "Start in ten seconds. Stand on the baseline and prepare your Ability X. The results will be determined by the time and speed of the push, so try your best."
Wang Zheng nodded and followed the instructions and stood in front of the baseline. There was a countdown at the side. Six, five, four, three, two, one, start!
Wang Zheng slammed his Ability X into the photons on the test track, and he could feel the substance. His consciousness was immersed in the photons above the long path. This was a kind of G-like conduction, and it felt a little strange. It was just like the G-material in the mech had increased by several times, and its conduction became abnormally sensitive.
Wang Zheng's eyes flashed with light, and his Ability X extended along with the photon biological media and quickly flew towards the No. 7 cube above the walkway.
The No. 7 cube made two turns on the track and stopped.
Berwick Pompey was shocked.
Si Jiali's eyes widened. No! This was too…
Both were speechless!
Impossible!
It stopped moving. This meant that Wang Zheng really had Ability X, since the cube moved, but for the cube to merely stop after two turns….
"Hey, try again. Use your full strength, do not have reservations," Berwick Pompey said. He was in disbelief. Although the Solar System had been weak for many years, they would not send such a weak person to be a captain, right?
Wang Zheng was slightly embarrassed as he scratched his head. Although he had not useed his full force, his burst of power was not small. How did the thing only roll twice?
Hearing that there was a second chance, he was more serious this time. Before that, it was more of him going through trial and error. As the IG captain, he could not shame the Solar System.
He breathed deeply, mobilizing the energy of every cell in the body, activating his Ability X, Second test countdown. Three, two, one…
Roar!
Wang Zheng yelled and used all his might!
This time, the No. 7 cube slammed forward before returning to a stop. It was as if it were struck by something unknown.
Wang Zheng blinked. How was it? Was his performance worse than before?
Si Jiali touched her forehead. It seemed that her instincts were wrong. When it came to military affairs, the Solar System really could not compare.
Wang Zheng was very embarrassed and asked, "Is this… passable?"
Berwick Pompey froze for a second and smiled and said, "You have already proven that you are a person with Ability X. We will let you join the Department of Foreign Affairs for a week. Si Jiali, you take him to prove his identity. That's all for now."
Si Jiali nodded and signaled Wang Zheng to leave with her.
Wang Zheng starred at her. "Is that okay?"
Si Jiali was a bit speechless. What is the Solar System's doing? How could a person with this level of Ability X become the captain? How weak was the Solar System? She could not imagine.
After Wang Zheng left, Berwick Pompey and Clement exchanged looks.
Clemente operated the machine. A light screen appeared in midair. It was the test.
"Quantity quantification: unknown."
"Capability level: unknown."
"Capability strength: unknown."
Actually three unknowns!
The two men looked at each other and Clement frowned. ��There are only two possibilities. One is that he is too weak, and the other is that he is already strong enough to exceed the scope of the instrument."
After a brief second, the two were dumbfounded and Berwick Pompey smiled. "You pay attention. Let him be responsible for the logistics of the team and wait for the President to come back and give him an appraisal. Anyway, his main strength has to do with physics."
"Has the Solar System truly fallen to this extent?"
In this way, Wang Zheng received a Sword Shield Rose medal and became a member of the Aslan Royal Society.
Chapter 338: Si Jiali's Interest
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
After handling the procedures, Wang Zheng left the Sword Shield Rose Association. When Aina returned, she would definitely be surprised.
As time passed, his feelings for her only grew stronger.
As he stepped out of the gate, Si Jiali called from behind. "Do you have time to have a meal together? I want to ask you something."
Si Jiali was still cold on the exterior, but she was warming up to Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng thought for a moment and agreed.
Royal Road, located at the back of the Royal College, was the center of the business district, where you could find the best of luxury goods, from leisure to shopping to food.
The No. 12 Food House was the most popular restaurant with students of the Royal College.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"
The waitress was beautiful but dignified and graceful and approachable, making people comfortable without taking attention away from the food.
"Please find us a seat."
Si Jiali opened her Skylink and showed her membership card. It was a platinum gold card with a diamond at each corner, marked with an "S" on the left and a singular "5" on the lower right.
The waiter's face instantly flushed red. This was the Royal V card. It is not issued by the restaurant, but by the Royal Restaurant Association, and it could be used in many high-end restaurants. Moreover, it was a single card!
"No problem. Do you need a room?"
"No, just a quiet place will do."
"Yes, please follow me."
They came to a seat near the wall. The lights were dim and the furniture was extremely similar to that found in the royal palace. The overall atmosphere was quite elegant.
Wang Zheng sat down. In fact, he did not care much about the place where they ate. Si Jiali was very strange. He could tell that she had much to do with his entry into the association, but he did not understand the reason behind it.
"…I recommend the mackeyton steak as it is today's main dish. The chef is Fraser Ale, the champion chef of the star cooking culinary competition. Our first suggestion is either smoked salmon or escargots… Today we have our highly raved forest mushroom soup and five year aged red wine that just arrived from Greentown Round, an excellent match with our grilled foie gras together… " The waiter went on like a gourmet expert and made various recommendations.
Si Jiali nodded. "That will do for me. What about you Wang Zheng?"
"I will have the same." Wang Zheng touched the jewels on the chairs and the gold trimmings along the edge of the table top. All of it seemed like real gold to him..
Wang Zheng took out the Sword Shield Rose emblem, feeling its weight in his hands. "Is this badge made of pure gold?"
Si Jiali smiled. "It should be. I did not take much notice of it."
"It is very beautiful," Wang Zheng said. The sword and shield engraved above a sculpted rose looked extremely realistic. Wang Zheng wore it on his chest. It seemed to match the uniform perfectly.
Si Jiali looked at Wang Zheng and said, "Yu Yan mentioned you to me before. Don't take what she said to heart. She is a passionate person and may go overboard at times."
"She is a good person." Wang Zheng smiled. "If you don't have a boyfriend, I can introduce you to one."
"Are you referring to Chi Muyue?"
"You don't like him? It doesn't matter. I have other brothers to introduce you to, stronger and more handsome than me. Haha." Wang Zheng thought of Xie Yuxin and how he seemed compatible with Si Jiali
"I couldn't tell that you and Yu Yan had a common interest in matchmaking others." Si Jiali had a faint smile. "So far so good." Si Jiali stared at Wang Zheng's natural smile.
Wang Zheng was not the least bit interested in her. How strange, did her charm weaken? This was also good, as he did not want to create unnecessary drama and wanted to maintain a professional relationship.
"Oh, I invited you to dinner to explain more about the Sword Shield Rose Disciplinary Association's rules. Maybe you've already heard rumors from others that are not true."
Si Jiali talked about the relationship between the Sword Shield Rose, the student union, and the Thistle Flower Union.
"In general, the student union will coordinate the issues with the bigger picture in mind, and the details will be executed by us and the Thistle Flower Union…"
"They are not a competitor?" Wang Zheng blinked. From what he heard from Chi Muye, the two were often in conflict, especially in the management of Ability X users. At the same time, he felt that both parties should have maintained a balanced relationship.
"What do you think?"
"That's it."
"However, as long as you understand these things, under normal circumstances, you will not be directly affected, or should I say that you should try to avoid it."
Si Jiali's purpose was to get Wang Zheng more involved with the physics aspect of the association to allow her closer monitoring. At the same time, she did not want Wang Zheng to get hurt.
Wang Zheng smiled. "Actually, I would like to see Ability X users fight. Will they do so?"
Si Jiali laughed. "It is not as simple as you think. With our association and the Thistle Flower Union, most of the Ability X users will restrain themselves. Even if there are exceptions… they will likely conduct an open duel for everyone to see."
The truth was that Sword Shield Rose had the authority to control everyone as the disciplinary association. However, at the Royal Academy, each student was a famous genius and everyone had their own pride and strength.
"Yes, I heard that your president, Oz, is the deputy captain of the Aslan Empire's IG team. How is his strength?
When referring to Oz, Si Jiali's eyes were full of respect, and she said seriously, "Oz's strength in the Royal College can only be matched against student president Aurora, the captain of our IG team."
"That sounds very strong."
"Actually, don't think I'm too direct… With your ability, it may not be appropriate to participate in the IG."
In Si Jiali's opinion, Wang Zheng's real abilities were not to fight but to understand physics and to discover new findings.
Wang Zheng smiled. "This is my ambition. Suitable or not, I will work hard. You do not understand, I have already been deeply trapped in the realm of physics. However, I have a question I want to ask…. what was that test just now? Was the result really bad?"
Wang Zheng was very depressed. He was very serious about it, but the test results were not in his favor.
Si Jiali smiled and nodded. "You passed, do not overthink it. In recent times, the mainstream method of determining if one has Ability X is based upon this."
"Mainstream?"
"Do they not have this in the Solar System?"
"I haven't seen it."
"Oh, it was just released this year, so they probably have not imported it. Maybe you just aren't used to this test method." Si Jiali found an excuse for Wang Zheng. After all, he was still the IG captain of the Solar System. Moreover, she had a lot of questions regarding physics and wanted to maintain a cordial relationship and hence did not use harsh words.
Wang Zheng nodded and could only accept this reason.
Si Jiali quickly talked about physics. From the definition of microscopic physics to the laws of macrophysics, it was lacking in depth. Namely, she only understood very basic facts. Physics was very broad. Oil painting and ink painting may both be painting, but the underlying techniques were completely different.
Wang Zheng's insights about physics… truthfully had already become part of his bones.
Since young, his biggest interest was not mecha but actually debating with Old Merchant. He would get all kinds of benefits if he won the debate, and he used to treat it as a game. It made him respect Old Merchant even more when he became older.
At some point, they entered a deep discussion, and Wang Zheng's old mentality strangely resurfaced. Once started, there was no end. Sometimes he felt that Old Merchant had hypnotized him with some potion in the past…
Si Jiali's forehead was lined with a fine layer of sweat. In the beginning, she mentioned some physical views and issues and got instinctive answers from Wang Zheng. Towards the end, Wang Zheng's words became foreign to her, from a point of view she had never considered before, making her re-examine everything she thought she knew, including some details that she had never even noticed were present before.
However, it was a famous saying: In the field of knowledge, the more you know, the more you realize you don't know.
At this moment, there was a dispute happening between a couple sitting not too far away. The girl stood up. "Indigo, I said I have nothing to do with him. He was merely enraptured by me."
The guy stood up, tall with an oppressive look in his eyes. Wang Zheng blinked. This guy looked familiar…
Yes! It was the guy who skipped class to meet his girlfriend when he first went to mech class.
"Nicole, I know. I didn't blame you. I just hope you won't accept his invitation."
"But my friends are all going to that party. Why can't I join them?"
"If you want to attend a ball, I can organize one too…"
"The problem is not the event, but my friends….."
The girl sat down again, her tone noticeably softer. They had become more aware of their surroundings. Indigo bowed and apologized to the other guests in the restaurant.
At this moment, an extremely handsome man walked out. "Nicole, it really is you. Looks like we are fated. I have a room, do you want to join me? All your friends are inside too." The man directly ignored the existence of Indigo.
Chapter 339: Knocked out!
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Indigo's eyes flashed. "I'm sorry, Nicole does not have time now."
Nicole glared at Indigo. "I don't need you to help me decide."
"Oh, are you Indigo from the Mech Department? I'm Mirtias Van Berit. Everybody calls me Mir, from the Command Department." Mirtias revealed a handsome smile without lifting his eyes off Nicole.
"Red Demon Dog of the Lya Sphinx Empire, Nicole is my girlfriend. I advise you to leave her and her friends alone."
Indigo's eyes were ablaze with flames. How dare this guy be so cocky in front of him??
"You have so little confidence as a man. Do you want to lock Nicole up her entire life? Such a pity… I expected more from Aslanian men."
"Red Demon Dog, you are really asking for it!" Indigo was enraged. It was not the first time this guy was looking for trouble.
Boom!
Mirtias slammed forward, rushing towards Indigo. His slender arms were suddenly filled with gripping muscles, bursting forth with a mysterious explosiveness.
Ability X!
Wang Zheng's eyes flashed with excitement. It should be a strength-type ability, but obviously it was not a direct augmentation of strength.
Indigo's eyes flashed, and he struck Mirtias's punch head on with one of his own. The two sides staggered backwards a single step. Immediately, Mirtias' fists swept outwards in a followup, while Indigo threw a punch at Mirtias' stomach.
"You'd better use your Ability X; otherwise, just wait to become a turtle!" Instantly, Mirtias sneered and revolved his power. In a flash, his stance became as stable as a mountain.
Indigo could not even respond in time. Mirtias grabbed Indigo's fist before his blow landed on his stomach. Indigo then felt a sharp pain in his fingers, and his wrist was being crushed by Mirtias's grip. His voice cracked. Mirtias's was about to disable him…
Boom. A loud explosion could be heard. Indigo had escaped Mirtias's grip, but it had already left a bloody mark on him
Si Jiali stood up. "You two, you have already violated the rules of the Royal College which prohibits the use of Ability X in private fights. Please exercise restraint!"
"Si Jiali, we are off campus. This has nothing to do with you. If you want to date me, you can line up." Mirtias smirked. He was a member of the Thistle Flower Union, and he disregarded Aslanian people.
Indigo took deep breaths. "Si Jiali, you saw it too. I was forced to fight."
"Indigo, let's go. We'll just leave." Nicole did not want them to make a scene here. The waiters and onlookers around were rather calm. The Royal College students did not care. Even if they caused damage, all they had to do was to give double the compensation.
Indigo resisted his anger. He did not want to make trouble, but he also did not want to lose his girlfriend's confidence in him.
"What's the matter? Shrinking your head in like a turtle? Prove your strength to Nicole. Or piss off like a coward!"
Mirtias' eyes sparked with a monstrous power. Wang Zheng was observing the scene quietly from the corner. What the heck was that Nicole doing…. Did she have a guilty conscience?
Indigo's eyes flashed a deeper shade of red, and his clothes had become completely disheveled and ruffled up. A spiritual force circled around him, but strangely, it had no effect on anything in the vicinity. It was confined in a small area. It looked weak from a far, but in essence, it was concentrated in the form of a sharp knife!
Si Jiali shook her head, pulled out her Skylink, and reported the matter back to the Sword Shield Rose.
"Indigo and Mirtias? Both of them have strong abilities. You shouldn't act rashly… Damn. You need more back up. Just stay put, Clement and I will reach you as soon as possible."
Vice-President Berwick Pompey felt that this was a counterattack by the Thistle Flower Union. It must have been to avenge Klimton. Although this matter was not related to Sword Shield Rose, they were putting the blame on them!
Wang Zheng heard the entire phone conversation clearly. He pointed to the scene of conflict and asked, "This should be handled by the disciplinary team, right?"
"Yes, we're here to collect evidence," said Si Jiali.
"Isn't the team I joined also a disciplinary team? At this time, shouldn't I go and stop them?"
"Oh, no, it's too dangerous… Just stay at the side." Si Jiali shook her head. After the earlier conversation, she knew that Wang Zheng indeed was a rare talent, and she could not afford to lose him.
"I think it's okay. They're not really fighting yet."
Wang Zheng smiled and stepped forward.
"Wang Zheng, don't go… They have already started using their Ability Xs; it is too late now."
The Ability Xs of both parties had been brewing for a while and may erupt at any time.
Si Jiali reached out and tried to catch hold of Wang Zheng, but she failed to grip him in time. Wang Zheng was already standing between Indigo and Mirtias.
At the same time, Mirtias and Indigo roared out in anger and were going forward with their first attacks. The sudden appearance of Wang Zheng surprised both of them.
However, neither could divert their attacks now! Once brewed, the energy could not be reabsorbed…
"Go away!" Mirtiass cried out coldly. He further concentrated the energy in his hands, taking into the account energy wasted in tearing Wang Zheng into shreds and ensuring that a sufficiently powerful force would hit Indigo.
"Go away!" Indigo roared. He could not divert the energy anymore, and even so, he could not afford to weaken his attack as Mirtias's blow would definitely not be merciful…. Both of their lives could be in danger!
Wang Zheng smiled. "Don't do this. It's not good to start this conflict every time you two meet. Let's just shake hands and pretend that nothing like this ever happened."
All eyes were on Wang Zheng. Was this guy mad? Who was he?
Buzz….
With two unusual sounds, Mirtias and Indigo's impact collided with Wang Zheng's body at the same time.
Two different Ability Xs were about to unleash their force on Wang Zheng. Many people closed their eyes and dared not witness the aftermath. A cowardly girl from literature and arts had already imagined the scene of Wang Zheng covered in blood in her mind, and she could not help but scream.
Si Jiali also closed her eyes and dared not to look. It was over… She should not have pulled Wang Zheng into the association. This guy had a sense of responsibility that was too great but did not have the power to match up!
However, one second passed, and two seconds later, no subsequent movements were heard until a faint voice began, "Just like this, shake hands. That way, we can settle all things civilly. Well… the commotion has ended. Everyone, please return to what you were doing. "
Both Indigo and Mirtias stared at Wang Zheng. Who was this guy…? Indigo suddenly blinked. "Ah! It's you!"
Wang Zheng's heart skipped a beat. "Do I know you….?"
Was it because he helped Indigo the previous time… He did not want to be recognized. He represented the Solar System federation. Moreover, he still thought that he could secretly go to the mech training rooms with his purchased ID. He should not do anything too hasty…
"Took me a long time to find you!"
Indigo's heart was about to leap out of his ribcage. He had finally found him!
Boom!
Wang Zheng glanced at Mirtias. "I'm from the Sword Shield Rose Disciplinary Team. If you insist on doing it, don't blame me for being rough."
Mirtias looked at Wang Zheng. "Who do you think you are… to appear out of nowhere…"
As soon as he spoke, he reached out for Wang Zheng yet again.
Bang…
Mirtias's head was directly smashed into the ground and his arms were twisted to his back.
He was already unconscious…
Wang Zheng slowly stood up and looked at Si Jiali. "Did I go overboard?"
Si Jiali stared blankly at Wang Zheng, stunned… This is… how is it possible… Mirtias was the general of Thistle Flower Union.
Indigo was not taken aback at all. Only a true master could accomplish something like that.
"It shouldn't be… just…"
"Haha, that's good, this guy is such a d*ck. I could not help myself," Wang Zheng said lightly.
He was less sensitive to guys like that. If you could not make them honest, then at least make them fear you.
Nicole, that woman's eyes were actually on Mirtias. A few other people rushed out from the restaurant cabins… only to act concerned now. The politics within the Royal College were really confusing.
Several people looked at Wang Zheng and started gossiping. "I don't care who you are… but if you continue talking sh*t, don't blame me for being rude."
Si Jiali frowned. Wang Zheng was so vulgar. The crowd started dispersing quickly.
It seemed like the meal was over, and Si Jiali had to deal with the aftermath. Wang Zheng felt relieved. He understood his gap with the Aslanian people, but some things were so complicated that he could not be bothered to figure them out anymore. He was going to stick with one rule, and that was to prioritize settling trouble quickly!
Indigo was busy comforting his girlfriend. Wang Zheng had already disappeared. To be honest, he had always thought highly of Aslan, but Earth was still better, especially with Yan Xiaosu.
Looking at the unconscious Mirtias on the floor, the diners in the food court were stunned. Most of them were students of the Royal College and knew of Mirtias's power. As the Red Demon Wolf of the Lya Sphinx Empire, his powers were mysterious and almighty, yet looking at his state right now…
The Sword Shield Rose disciplinary team arrived as quickly as they could. Vice-President Berwick Pompey and Commander Clement had sprinted here. Yet the empty scene stunned the two who were ready for a battle.
Chapter 340: The Princess Calls
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Si Jiali sighed in relief in sight of the two. "As the vice-president, the matter is settled, and thankfully it did not escalate."
"Mirtias … blacked out? Who did this? It could not have been Indigo, right?" Clement was shocked by Mirtias' state. Nicknamed the Red Demon Wolf, Mirtias was a very strong Ability X user.
Although Mirtias may not look like much, his key talent was endurance. You could hurt him, but to knock him out completely took a lot of effort. Looking around, he could not see traces of an actual battle.
Even for Clement himself, it would take a lot of energy just to put Mirtias in a daze, no need to mention completely knocking him out. Just thinking about it, he could not imagine this possibility. In addition, he knew Indigo. Although he was an elite in the Mech Department, he was not capable of doing something like this.
When Si Jiali heard Clement's question, her eyebrows furrowed deeper. "You will not believe this…"
Clement looked around and a strange idea emerged involuntarily. "You wouldn't say it was Wang Zheng?"
Clement calmed his heart and thought of what Berwick Pompey said. That kind of test result either belonged to a rookie or a true master…
Si Jiali nodded. Then echoes sounded near the gates.
The people of the Thistle Flower Union arrived.
Mirtias was an important member of the Thistle Flower Union that had been recently recruited. Now that he had an accident, his association would not idly stand by. Clement and Berwick Pompey's eyes widened in surprise. Eliya was amongst them; she had come down in person!
She immediately had control over the entire situation. She had the stature of power and dominance.
Berwick Pompey was fearful of her. He was more than clear that behind her beauty, this woman was very, very strong.
"Berwick Pompey, look at my man. You should have an explanation for it." Eliya stared at Mirtias, who was still unconscious. She swept her gaze around the scene.
Berwick Pompey's brow furrowed as well. He did not want to anger Eliya, especially when Oz was not there. When any issue arose, no matter big or small, once Eliya was here, even the slightest problems became complex and difficult to handle.
"Ask him yourself. He was the cause of the entire incident. We will conduct a series of investigations and hope that you will cooperate."
"I will ask him myself, but after he is awake. Please, we ask you to cooperate with us first and hand over the person who did this to him. Of course, I will guarantee his personal safety, but I need evidence," Eliya said with a faint smile. Mirtias had just entered the Thistle Flower Autonomous Union less than a few months ago, yet he was now in a coma. This was on top of the incident with Klimton. The Thistle Flower Union would not let this slide easily.
"Sorry, what you said is not acceptable. Mirtias was defeated in the course of defense. My team member was just performing official duties. There is no reason for you to interrogate him. Mirtias was the first to act violently with his Ability X, which is a violation of academy rules."
"Please note that we are out of campus. Those rules only apply in school. So what I want to do now is find the murderer." Eliya smiled lightly.
"The people involved in the incident are all students of the Royal College, so the student regulations still apply. Please take back your last statement, it is not appropriate."
This was not simply a matter of discussion, it was a fight for power between the two associations.
Eliya would not give in easily, especially when the matter involved her general. Looking at Mirtias's state, if she did not maintain her authority, the Thistle Flower Union would not be able to hold their heads up anywhere in campus. Not to mention the fact that he was defeated by the Sword Shield Rose.
Obviously, Berwick Pompey was not going to give in either. It was not just for the reason of logic, but if he were to give in again, he might as well resign from his position as the vice-president.
In fact, this was not the first time. Soon after, the two sides expressed their individual stances and dispersed.
The situation was tricky, and Eliya's attitude was tough as usual, so he would have to escalate the matter to Oz.
"Wang Zheng!"
Berwick Pompey was still shocked. "It was really him…"
At the opposite side, an exclamation was made too. "Wang Zheng? Are you sure?"
Eliya's voice was very surprised. To be honest, this was quite a rare sight. Things always went according to her plans and expectations; obstacles seldom stood in her path.
Berwick Pompey's eyes flickered. "It doesn't matter how Wang Zheng did it. Be it coincidence or luck, we must be careful that retaliation will be taken against him."
Elia felt that she had been distracted because of the Klimton incident. Wang Zheng should have been a member of her Thistle Flower Council, but he had been pulled into Sword Shield Rose because of her negligence.
Wang Zheng bought meat buns from a roadside stall to fill his stomach. After arriving in Aslan, the best place to eat was the Royal College canteen. He had no time to explore real delicacies outside of campus. It was rare for him to have an opportunity like this, to eat expensive delicacies… yet he did not get to enjoy his meal, and trouble had even come knocking!
Thinking back, Aslan truly did possess incredibly high living standards.
"Oh!"
A reminder popped up on his Skylink. It was Lin Huiyin. Her face was on his screen, blinking her big eyes and dressed in a cute doll outfit, looking like a rabbit.
"Wang Zheng! Are you forgetting something again?"
"No?"
"What!? You agreed to help me with my song. I've been waiting for you for half an hour!"
Lin Huiying glared and bared her teeth. She looked anything but intimidating.
"Well, I'll go right away." Wang Zheng did not know what was going on. He just had a singing session, yet she wanted him to do another voice synchronization session. He just did not understand.
"A man cannot go back on his word, even if you have to rush through a blazing field. Moreover, this is such a small thing," Huiyin said in response.
"Yes, Your Highness, I am truly happy to do this."
"That is what you should be saying. Hurry up!" Huiyin showed a bright smile.
On the other side, Angela had been angered to death. How dare he make the Princess wait for half an hour.
He came to the recording studio in a hurry, and Angela stared coldly at Wang Zheng.
"You joined the Sword Shield Rose?"
Angela was very up to date.
"Well, it's a bit easier to get things done." Wang Zheng smiled.
"Come in." Angela brought Wang Zheng to the studio and did not harp on the previous matter.
Wang Zheng could not care less about Angela anyways.
Wang Zheng entered the studio, and Lin Huiying pounced on him, still in the doll dress.
"Is this pretty? I just had an activity at an orphanage."
"Orphanage?"
"What? Can't there be orphans in Aslan? Accidents also happen in more developed areas." Lin Huiying's voice softened, seemingly troubled by what she saw today
Wang Zheng smiled. "Our Princess is so kind. You look beautiful now." He touched Lin Huiying's head.
"What? Don't I always look this good? Sis is not the only beauty in the world."
"You will look even more beautiful when you are grown up, just like a fairy." Wang Zheng laughed.
Lin Huiying nodded. "That's right. Come on, let's start on our work. I'm very serious. If you don't do well, I will criticize you!"
"I've been forced into this. I'm helpless." Wang Zheng laughed bitterly.
The team working with the Princess was the most professional one possible. Wang Zheng only had to repeatedly sing the song "Beyond", with occasional emotional and pronunciation changes, which the staff reminded him to do.
Despite that, the seemingly short process took more than two hours. Fortunately, the song was very enjoyable and addictive to listen to, and as an amateur, there was nothing much to think and worry over other than just singing.
The staff members nodded frequently. Her Royal Highness was really good today, and she had completely found her rhythm in her emotions. One could tell that her EQ was very high.
The lyrics expressed in her song had nothing to do with her, but this represented small steps towards her dream of singing. Her identity brought her some convenience, but there were also significant negative criticisms, especially in the event of a bad song.
However, Lin Huiyin was not one to give up easily; she persevered.
My haters, thank you for despising me and never letting me hang my head and instead to proceed on bravely! She clenched her fists. Wang Zheng's voice matched perfectly with hers, combining into an infectious rhythm.
Why did she like music? It was the only thing that allowed her to be separated from her identity. This was the true Lin Huiyin.
Chapter 341: Welcoming Ceremony
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
All newcomers could expect a welcoming ceremony, and Wang Zheng was no exception. The tradition of the Sword Shield Rose was still followed quite strictly.
Wang Zheng's welcome meeting officially took place on the night President Oz returned to the college. Aslan was a well-developed empire in every aspect, except for the fact that it had too many rules, much unlike the freedom experienced by the Solar System. However, these same rules made the empire mighty and strong in efficiency and military strength, and they had developed the nation to the empire it was today.
The objective of the ceremony was to get Wang Zheng acquainted within the club. Wang Zheng was eager to meet the legendary Sword Magician Oz, Aslan IG's deputy captain. Based on Aslan's standards, he would definitely be beyond the average Milky Way person's level. A person like this… what would his mech operation and Ability X be like?
The welcoming meeting was held in the third office of the Sword Shield Rose. It was an internal ceremony, so all participants were members of the Sword Shield Rose. The ceremony was held for two purposes. First, to welcome President Oz back. Oz was undoubtedly the backbone of the Sword Shield Rose.
The Sword Shield Rose Association had fortunately suppressed Eliya, with the help of Wang Zheng. Klimton was expelled and Eliya's mighty general, Mirtias, was defeated. He had significantly restrained the rise of power of the Thistle Flower Union.
Secondly, it was to introduce Wang Zheng to all the existing members and to develop a sense of comradery. In the future, they could better support each other at work.
Oz was born an ordinary Aslanian civilian, but he was a very charismatic man. In fact, he had faced difficulties in his promotion to the president of the Sword Shield Rose but managed to conquer the position with his strength. His rise to the top had been memorable in that aspect.
Berwick Pompey reported to Oz about matters that had happened during this period of time. They had taken a defensive stance because Oz was not physically present on campus.
"So many things happened during my absence. Her Highness seeks unity within the bigger picture. This time, as the host nation of IG, we should minimize mistakes. We should punish those troublemakers as a necessary warning sometimes. This Wang Zheng is very interesting."
An IG captain who came from Earth actually dared to fight in an unknown situation. It was interesting not because he did not hesitate to make use of his Sword Shield Rose status, but rather in other aspects…
Oz had always had a good eye for people.
"You must be Wang Zheng." Oz went up to him on his own while Si Jiali was still introducing him to certain main members.
"Wang Zheng, this is our president, Oz, nicknamed the Sword Magician. Do not fear his scary looks, he is a good man."
One could easily tell that Si Jiali and Oz were very familiar with each other.
"Si Jiali, give me some face, I'm the president."
"Oh, drop the act in front of our Physics Department, or I might just spill your gossip," Si Jiali threatened like a tiger.
Oz smiled. He and Si Jiali were indeed old friends. He took the initiative to reach out and say, "Oz."
"Wang Zheng." The two could feel each other's strength at the first sight.
Oz's spiritual power was extremely strong, although he had tried hard to suppress it. One could easily be influenced interacting with a man like that.
The two men's hands seemed to be engaged in a slow handshake, but in fact, both hands were shaking and feeling each other's presence.
For outsiders, it felt like a matter of seconds, but Wang Zheng could feel his steel-like strength. But this spiritual power was secondary. Oz himself was like a giant sword – sharp, full of momentum with the stature of a mountain, all of which was pressing onto him.
Wang Zheng's mouth curled up into a smile and the fearful presence disappeared into thin air. This experience could hardly be called pleasant.
Oz had a strange expression on his face as he slowly released his hand. It was one thing to even be able to resist his strong presence, but how could the other party easily erase all his force?
"President, although Wang Zheng is not academically strong, he is a real master at battling," Clement said. "Originally, he only joined the disciplinary team because there were limited slots for physics students, but everything seems to be working out well now."
Oz smiled. "Clement, you are still oblivious. Wang Zheng is not revealing his true self. Looks like the IG this time around will be interesting."
"We have long heard that Aslan represents the highest level of IG; maybe it will be different this time around."
Wang Zheng smiled. At this moment, he was not a member of the Sword Shield Rose, but the captain of the Solar System Federation's IG team.
Clement's mouth was agape, same with the people around him. This Wang Zheng was really something to dare to challenge Aslan.
This person's character was also very interesting, not too attention-seeking, yet not low-profile. He wanted to test Wang Zheng's skills, but Aslan was the host country and he was the deputy leader of Aslan's IG team, so this would certainly cause controversy to erupt.
The two's initial contact seemed to reveal something deeper that was hidden before. Wang Zheng could feel that Oz was different… he was definitely a tough opponent.
The more he met such people, the more determined he became. It was said that Sword Magician Oz was a person who liked to conceal his cards, but by the looks of it, the rumors seemed false.
"Clement, you've made a mistake. The president is back. Wang Zheng will be coming with us to the Physics Department, and that's where he belongs. He has no time to play around," Si Jiali said.
"Si Jiali, don't do this. It's too much trouble to re-do the procedures. I think it's good as it is now. Wang Zheng, what do you think?" Oz smiled.
Wang Zheng shrugged. "I'm fine as long as I do not cause trouble."
Wang Zheng had joined this organization to create opportunities to meet Aina. He wasnt really interested in what was going on in school. He had enough pressure as it was dealing with Xiao Fei.
Oz was also a casual person. Although Aslan had many rules, he seemed nonchalant about them. After he peered at his Skylink, he turned and walked onto the rostrum, picking up the microphone. "Everyone, please quiet down, especially those drinking at the corner. The Princess will be arriving shortly. Do not make me remind you to behave yourselves."
Oz smiled. Everyone froze and immediately started cheering. The Princess rarely came to Sword Shield Rose. She was usually with the Student Union, so this was a rare opportunity.
This news suddenly hyped up the atmosphere of the welcome party.
"Wang Zheng, how lucky are you to immediately meet the Princess when you just joined us."
Landry smiled and patted Wang Zheng's shoulder. He was one of the members of the disciplinary team and was assigned by Clement to be Wang Zheng's partner. He was a second year in the Command Department and was considered very strong.
"Now that I think about it, when I first joined Sword Shield Rose, Her Highness had just gone to Earth and I waited three full months for the glorios moment of meeting her. Oh, right, you must not be disrespectful, and you can't look at her straight in the eyes, just to give you a warning in advance. The Princess is beautiful, enough to overwhelm you. Just so you are mentally prepared. Even so, Princess Aina is very open-minded, so you don't have to worry."
Since he was on Aslan, Wang Zheng fully understood the position Aina had in the minds of the Aslanian people. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was treated like a goddess.
The degree of respect for the royal family in Aslan was unlike anything in the Solar System Federation. Even for the paparazzi, the level of respect and restraint was indeed extraordinary, of course. After all, Aslan was governed under a true imperial system.
Landry spoke with familiarity. "Do you know what the most beautiful aspect of our Princess Aina is?"
"What is it?" Wang Zheng touched his nose and looked at Landry's fiery, passionate eyes. Deep down, Wang Zheng felt offended as Landry was talking about his love.
"It is her perfection. Her Royal Highness is beautiful without the need for any modification. Her beauty will choke you. I still remember my first close-up with the Princess. She stood right in front of me. Do you know how that felt? Glory, glory that only me and the disciplinary team captain got to experience…"
Landry went on and on about his first encounter with Aina, continuously repeating words like "glory", "glory", and "privilege." It was as though one would lose his mind upon hearing Aina's name.
Though he was calm on the surface, Wang Zheng was ablaze on the inside. Why did he come to Aslan? Was it to hear what Xie Yuxin had to say? No! Everything else was secondary. He was here for Aina.
"Why are you laughing?"
Landry drank a sip of water, thirsty from speaking so much.
"Oh, nothing. I mean, if the Princess is so perfect, does she not have a boyfriend?"
Landry looked around and whispered, "Her Royal Highness is the dream goddess of all of our Aslanian compatriots. There are many people who want to pursue her, but I think no one is worthy of her. President Oz? Maybe he has a 10% chance. President Aurora, maybe a 20% chance?"
Landry was obviously softer towards the back of that sentence. If President Oz heard it, all the tough work in the disciplinary team would be piled onto him.
Wang Zheng smiled. Looking at the time, Aina should be arriving soon. There was an unusual warmth flowing through his body. He could not restrain the fierce feeling he felt after longing for her for so long. His heartbeat was as calm as usual, but there was a strange chemical reaction happening within his blood stream.
Si Jiali walked over with a glass of wine. First, she said a few words to Landry, then she took Wang Zheng to the side and frowned. "Landry is your partner?"
"Captain Clement told me to cooperate with Landry."
Si Jiali nodded. "You shouldn't get too involved with him, he can be quite unpredictable."
Chapter 342: Her Highness Arrives
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
Si Jiali meant well for Wang Zheng. Even though he was capable, Aslan was a sleeping tiger. He could easily offend others, and that would not be good for him.
Things ran deep here. "Thank you." Wang Zheng smiled. He knew that Si Jiali was kind. An ordinary student could not afford to offend anyone here. However, for Wang Zheng, this one sentence meant that everyone had become even more jealous of him!
Everyone bowed upon Aina's appearance; only Wang Zheng stood as still as ever. Their eyes met and Aina's face immediately broke into a radiant smile.
She was fighting hard to suppress her emotions.
"Your Highness, welcome. We are holding a welcome meeting," said Oz. The unruly Sword Magician was as polite as ever before the Princess.
Aina smiled and said, "Oh, yes, introduce your newcomer to me." Wang Zheng could clearly feel the change in atmosphere of the entire venue. Even the most casual guys became extremely restrained.
"Wang Zheng, an exchange student from Earth. He's in the Physics Department and has made outstanding contributions to space physics," said Si Jiali.
"Oh, it's him."
"Her Royal Highness, do you know him?"
"His best contribution award was awarded by me. Classmate Wang Zheng, we meet again."
The two's eye contact never separated.
Si Jiali suddenly realized that they should know each other.
"Your Royal Highness, it is a pleasure to meet you again." Wang Zheng laughed.
Wang Zheng was not an Aslanian and did not behave like the rest. In his eyes, Aina was just a girl; he couldn't care less about the rules.
"Si Jiali, how is he? I did not award the wrong person, right?" Aina teased.
"Your Royal Highness, Wang Zheng's physics experience is very comprehensive, and it is not just limited to space physics. I hope he can stay in Aslan for a longer time," Si Jiali said. Wang Zheng was indeed a talented individual; she was only telling the truth.
Aina laughed even more happily, her eyelashes fluttering.
"I like Earth very much. It is a beautiful place. Wang Zheng, would you care to share more with me?"
Aina invited Wang Zheng along.
All eyes were full of envy. Everyone knew that the two Princesses had a good impression of the Solar System, especially Earth.
Of course, this was also related to Aslan's recent strategy to strengthen the military alliance with Atlantis and their political alliance with Earth.
While the Solar System's military standards were falling constantly, their political influence did not fade as quickly. On the contrary, it seemed to be rising.
Wang Zheng smiled. "Yes, of course."
Although Aina was in a hurry, she had to put up an act. She chatted with Oz, Si Jiali, and other key members of Sword Shield Rose for a while to learn more about the current situation.
Because of her special identity, Sword Shield Rose spoke less about their recent struggles and more about the development of the college and talents.
From the perspective of Aina, the Royal College should aim to cultivate talents and retain talent as much as possible. In fact, foreign talents deserved even greater attention.
After a full delay of more than half an hour, Aina was able to withdraw from the crowd to find Wang Zheng. There were too many people staring at him, and although she was nearby, she had to act nonchalant.
In the end, Aina took the initiative to invite Wang Zheng out for a walk. Oz and the others thought that Aina was being accompanied by her guards and thus did not follow.
When the two walked side by side, they could feel each other's heartbeats. When they turned out of the hall, Wang Zheng hugged Aina. Aina was startled. She bit her lips hard before letting out a sigh of ecstacy.
Leaning against the wall, Aina looked so stunning. Their fingers were tightly intertwined. At the beginning, Aina was still alert, but the feeling of self-consciousness disappeared upon being in Wang Zheng's embrace.
Wang Zheng was still a bit awkward. After all, this was Aslan, so it was best to be careful.
At the corner was a small conference room. Wang Zheng slipped through the door, and Aina swiftly followed after.
In fact, there was also a hint of adrenaline. What would happen if they were discovered by others? After enjoying their sweet moment for a while, Wang Zheng's big hand wandered comfortably into the Princess's clothes, while Aina let out sighs of submission.
Suddenly, Wang Zheng stopped. Aina opened her eyes to see Wang Zheng admiring her. Her face flushed and was too shy to lift her head.
Wang Zheng did not want to miss the view in front of him, so he slowly lifted Aina's frail face. "Sometimes, I feel that all this is an illusion. Are you Aslan's princess or my princess?"
Aina stroked Wang Zheng's face. "This is not an illusion. I am the Princess of Aslan. But the moment we found each other, I knew that I could never escape your hands. "
Wang Zheng smiled. "I think I should develop my talent in this field further… I think I have some hope in picking up princesses."
"Hey, don't show off your abilities. Others aren't supposed to know." Aina's mouth narrowed, and her brows furrowed.
Wang Zheng was surprised and smiled. "It's not easy. My little Shishi gets jealous too. Only you will be fond of me as I am."
"Si Jiali is the famous ice queen in the Royal College. I haven't seen her so friendly with a boy. Did you use your splendor to seduce others again?"
Wang Zheng wanted to laugh. "What do you mean by "again"??? How dare you doubt me. I am going to spank you!"
He lightly tapped Aina's butt. He would never bear to spank her, and Aina was unusually sensitive today. The pair of lovers had experienced many things. The greater the pressure of the outside world, the stronger the attraction the pair felt for each other. Aina was prepared to do whatever it took for Wang Zheng, and she was unafraid of the consequences.
This led Wang Zheng to have a growing sense of responsibility. However, his current determination seemed to have diminished from when he had first set out to be worthy of Aina after seeing the challenges ahead of him.
As the two faced each other, the deep feelings of nostalgia were enough to melt Wang Zheng.
Suddenly, the door knob moved.
"Oh, the conference room is locked." Landry's voice came from outside the door.
"Forget it, let's change locations. That Wang Zheng kid is not back yet."
"Do you think the Princess invited him for dinner?"
"In your dreams. Her Highness is now definitely back at the palace. Wang Zheng is really lucky; I want to be an Earthling too."
"You can just read more about Earth and show off a little in front of Her Highness next time."
The sound of laughter faded away. Wang Zheng and Aina breathed a sigh of relief. When they looked at each other, they couldn't help but laugh.
Unconsciously, both of their palms turned sweaty. Whether it was Wang Zheng or Aina, they were not new to chaos. As Aslan's Princess, Aina had experienced all sorts of big scenes. Meanwhile, Wang Zheng was a super warrior who had crawled out of hell. Even so, their love life was still a tightrope walk.
Perhaps it was for fear of chaos, both wanted to love freely, but not become the center of attention of the world.
There were still too many people in the disciplinary team meeting. The two did not dare to stay for long. Although there was reluctance, their current circumstances meant much more opportunities to meet compared to before.
Wang Zheng suddenly thought of an excellent idea. Didn't Lin Huiyin allow him to record songs in the palace? This was an excellent excuse to meet her.
After mentioning the idea to Aina, she could not help but roll her eyes. "You're so bad. You're taking advantage of kids!"
"Huiyin, that brat, is much smarter than us. Rest assured, I will be a better brother-in-law to her in the future. We can both help her if she needs cover."
Wang Zheng laughed. As a man, it was good to be shameless sometimes.
After sending Aina back, Wang Zheng hummed a happy tune. He could not feel more comfortable. He had recharged himself mentally and was even more ready to work hard. His next conquest: the IG!
He still had time, but instead of wasting it, he could do well practicing. He felt satisfied with the Golden Wheel, and he was confident that he would fully grasp the use of the mech soon.
Since he was already on Aslan, he could not waste such good training conditions. Wang Zheng was especially keen to try the less popular mecha, or those that were more difficult to handle.
Wang Zheng trained for more than an hour on the Golden Wheel and gradually learned some techniques. This mech might've been considered simple in design, but it ironically required strong judgment, a good sense of the battle, and strong wrist reflex to deliver a lethal punch.
This had a situation similar to the Wind God. Although it was amazing in CT, Wang Zheng knew its performance would be similar to that of the Golden Wheel in actual battle. This was the problem Ye Zisu had come to Aslan to solve. Any mech that could not perform in battles was useless.
To Wang Zheng, it was quite the contrary. He was confident in performing his best with these mecha.
A tyrannical body with sufficient reserves of energy was a necessary condition for driving this mech.
On the bright side, he was bursting with energy. Yet he was unable to use the mech perfectly.
This probing question was driving him crazy, yet he could not get in touch with Bonehead.
After practicing the Golden Wheel, Wang Zheng came to the door and saw a familiar figure, Indigo.
Indigo clearly looked frustrated. His training had clearly ended.
He looked up to see Indigo looking straight at him. At first he froze, not knowing what to do, and then forced a smile.
"Brother, we meet again. Thank you for last time."
Wang Zheng smiled. "You're welcome Just doing what I ought to. What happened to you?"
Indigo looked up at the ceiling and sighed deeply. "Hey, do you have time?"
Chapter 343: Suppression's Rhythm
Translator: Abyssruler Editor: Lucas
"I have nothing going on."
"Grab a drink with me. F*ck, I just broke up." Indigo looked tearful.
Just like this, Wang Zheng was brought to a pub outside the school by indigo. Within minutes, Indigo had already poured three big glasses of cocktails into his stomach.
"How can heaven do this to me. I was so good to her, yet she actually… I can no longer believe in love." Indigo resembled a reservoir opening its floodgates.
It turned out that Nicole was already with Mirtias.
Nicole was rather calm about the whole situation, but Indigo was a guy who only knew about mecha. At first she was charmed by this face, but the charm faded with time and she lost interest as well.
"Bro, do you think I'm a loser? Is there any way to forget my troubles? I really just want to delete my memory. Should I go for amnesiac surgery?"
Wang Zheng did not know what to say, but knew that Indigo really should not be drinking this much.
"There is one way. You are a mech major. How about we fight a battle?"
"Fighting, I'm not good at that."
"Mecha!"
"Well, let's go. I do not believe that I, Indigo, cannot find another girlfriend. Well, at least I can live with the mech my entire life!" Indigo shouted as though there was no one else in the pub.
Wang Zheng shook his head… another mech nerd.
Indigo was not as bad a drinker as Wang Zheng imagined; he was just looking for an outlet to vent. After howling and complaining in the bar, he was immediately refreshed upon stepping outside.
He was not a hopeless romantic, but he had really lost reputation this time around. At least the other bastard got a good beating. As for Nicole, he got to see her true colors early. Better to change his girlfriend now than later.
"Wang Zheng, you're captain of the Solar System Federation's IG team?" Indigo looked at Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng did not expect Indigo to recover so quickly.
"Yes."
"Oh, God. How did you get mixed with the Physics Department when you are good with mecha?"
Wang Zheng laughed. "I wanted to join the Mech Department at first, but the Mech Department did not want to admit me. Oh, right, I've been accessing training rooms with other peoples' passes. This shouldn't pose a problem, right?"
"It's okay. Many people do that. Nobody cares. Just don't occupy it when proper lessons are taking place."
Indigo's curiosity quickly returned to the previous topic at hand. Even Wang Zheng couldn't help but be amazed at how quickly Indigo had composed himself with regards to his previous breakup. It sounded like the situation was a matter of life or death just minutes ago, and now it seemed as though it was someone else's business. Aslanians were so difficult to grasp.
They walked to the Mech Department's building C. Indigo was familiar with the path there, so the two made their way over quickly. His mood had totally stabilized now, and he seemed more curious about Wang Zheng now.
He was curious about how an Earthling could accomplish such difficult moves with the Metal Guard.
"Indigo, Wang Zheng, why are you guys here?" Landry looked at both of them curiously. Wang Zheng was nowhere to be found after the ceremony but had mysteriously ended up here.
"Ah, Landry, you are here too. You know Wang Zheng?"
"We are partners in the disciplinary team. How do you two…"
"It's a long story. We are old acquaintances. We are just going to have a battle."
"Wang Zheng, did Her Royal Highness go back?" Landry could not help but ask.
Hearing Aina's name, Wang Zheng was overwhelmed with happiness once again. "We spoke for a while, but she had matters to attend to and left."
Landry shook his head and said, "Ever since I joined the Sword Shield Rose, I've barely conversed with the Princess. Your luck is so good. I want to be an Earthling too."
"Landry, what is wrong with you… Wang Zheng's mecha skills are amazing. He is also the captain of the Solar System's IG team. How did he end up in physics? Please get someone to fix this," Indigo said.
Landry laughed. "You don't even know what you are saying. Wang Zheng is the winner of this year's Milky Way University Science Award. He is a space science genius. The physics professors would murder us if he transferred to the Mech Department."
Landry had always been skeptical about Wang Zheng's capabilities in each field. Although he held an IG captain title, he ought to be relatively better at physics.
Landry opened his mouth wide. "Is it possible that Wang Zheng's mecha piloting level is also amazing…"
A person who could perform tough moves with the Metal Guard, while possessing an inscrutable Ability X…
"Well, we will know after the battle. Wang Zheng, you choose the mech since you are the guest." Fighting was not his strength, but Indigo was still confident when it came to mecha.
"I am fine with any. How about the Metal Guard?" Wang Zheng said.
Landry was looking forward to the battle as it was the first time he would be able to judge the level of his so-called partner. Indigo was strong, but he was more accustomed to the style of lighter mecha instead of the flexible but heavy Metal Guard. This was Indigo's style, he sought inspiration through battle.
Having had experience in piloting it, Wang Zheng was not unfamiliar to the Metal Guard. This tall and mighty mech had also been a former glory of Aslan.
It's long-range firepower was simple but strong. It was not a model that was impressive in battles, but it allowed one to demonstrate their control of mecha.
It could be said that the Aslanian people used this model to improve their mecha control.
Landry's curiosity was aroused as Wang Zheng was making a bold move. The Metal Guard was rare in other regions, and foreigners rarely used it as a practice mech. This meant Indigo had a much greater advantage with this model.
After a short warm up, the battle between the two began. Landry was not expecting much from the start, but he could not believe what he saw towards the end.
Absolute suppression!
Indigo was actually suppressed by the pace of the battle. The opponent's position and judgment were simply superior from the standpoint of a bystander. Indigo was much more aware, but Wang Zheng's control of the rhythm left Indigo little space to dictate the situation. He could only prevent himself from being complete crushed. There was no battle to begin with.
All along, Landry held a little disdain towards Earthlings. It was not blatant, but he never had a good impression of foreigners from the Solar System. Although he never refuted an order, he had never accepted them in his heart.
This scene in front of him made him feel stunned. Indigo also felt it. His opponent's control and observation were still slowly improving! This was interesting.
All the cells in Indigo's body began to awaken, and the movement of his Metal Guard became more and more powerful. The entire mech had the aura of a killer. This was Indigo's strength; he could easily defeat opponents with his stature.
However, Wang Zheng's Metal Guard completely bypassed it. Under Indigo's attacks, he could still maintain his own rhythm as easily as moving his own fingertips.
This… was a bit too old-fashioned. Logically speaking, Earthlings should not possess such a realm of combat experience. Was the Solar System Federation making a breakthrough this time…
All of a sudden, Indigo roared, throwing out his signature move, the gorgeous Pata Leove's multi-strike assault. His Metal Guard made a sudden violent movement, while the hand wielding the titanium knife made multiple killer hacks towards Wang Zheng.
These kinds of attacks were almost impossible to dodge even with lighter mech models, because of the Metal Guard's sheer size and imposing momentum, let alone a large mech like the Metal Guard.
However, after a set of combos, Landry and Indigo froze. His combination of aggressive attacks had not even touched the shadow of his opponent's mech. The distance between them was so small, yet Wang Zheng had made a complete escape.
What a ghostly move!
By now, Indigo was already covered with sweat. If it was not forbidden to fight with Ability X, he would've really wanted to test Wang Zheng's bottom line.
The two came out of the mecha. Indigo wiped his sweat and looked up at Wang Zheng. This man…was not even covered in a drop of sweat.
"Dang… Wang Zheng, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. Don't tell me the rest of your team is this good," Indigo asked could not help but ask.
Wang Zheng smiled. "I'm definitely not the best. I was lucky to even become the captain."
Indigo opened his mouth and Landry could not help but shake his head. "I don't believe that!"
Wang Zheng felt indifferent. Lear or Achilles should be stronger than Indigo, but Indigo's Ability X might be stronger. Overall, he was pretty exceptional too. Only, at this skill level, he could not even hope to be a substitute.
"There will be a show this time. I really hope that the Solar System Federation gives us something to roar about this time around."
"I heard that there might be some adjustments for this IG." Landry frowned and said, "It will probably not be as exclusive as before."
"No matter how it changes, one still needs strength to speak. Basically, once every ten years, there will be a super IG. After seeing Wang Zheng, I feel like there will be a lot more drama this year." Indigo smiled. Although he was not involved in Aslan's IG team, there would certainly be a seat for him in the future. "It is said by the seniors that the strength of this year's IG participants is the strongest, especially with the emergence of a few godlike opponents." Landry laughed.
"Haha, no matter who it is, Aslan is the strongest. No one can match up to us!" Indigo laughed.
Although the Sword Saint and the Sword Magician had different characters, their strength was indeed the same. They were not as famous as some people, because they wanted to keep a low profile. The Aslanians were not like the Arbiters; they preferred not to reveal their true capabilities.
Who would show their true worth and prove their own strength in the end? One would only know at the IG.
Regardless of whether it was the Sword Magician or the Sword Saint, they were only just a bit better than the Sun God. Wang Zheng suddenly realised that he ought to have a glorious nickname for himself as well. He had to think of one…
The Universal God?
… that sounded like such a weakling… Super Invincible something…? Forget it..
Wang Zheng shrugged. No matter who they were, he would leave them be, unless they provoked him that is.