Lakfania Island is an artificial island covering an area of 15,000 square kilometers. The island features valleys, dense forests, and even a dilapidated ruin. At the lower part of Lakfania are four enormous ion-powered thrusters, allowing the island to navigate the sea at a speed of forty kilometers per hour.
Originally, it was developed by the Coral Group as a tourist destination. During its early years, it thrived. However, like most tourist industries, over time, with aging facilities and the loss of novelty, Lakfania's business declined until it entered a phase of losses.
Shortly after, it was sold to the Indigo Group for 110 billion federal credits, but it did not prosper under this group. Instead, it deteriorated further. It changed hands several times thereafter, with the price dropping from 110 billion to 32 billion. From bustling to desolate, it even became a haven for criminals, a purgatory on earth.
One hundred and twelve years ago, the Storm Consortium purchased the island for nearly 4 billion and invested heavily in its renovation, turning it into the Storm Consortium's mecha training ground and also the arena for the Storm League.
Over the next hundred years, Lakfania Island regained prominence through the Storm League, hosting mecha competitions known throughout the federation for their unique brutality and high mortality rate.
In this way, Lakfania exchanged the lives of others for its own glorious rebirth and earned the moniker Death Island. The Storm League thus acquired an alias, the Death Island League.
To ensure an optimal viewing experience, the Storm Consortium constructed an ultra-long circular grandstand surrounding the entire island, like a halo, encircling the entire island. Theoretically, the grandstand can accommodate tens of millions of spectators. Inside the grandstand are specially designed floating walkways, allowing spectators to track the competitors using floating cars or watch broadcasts via cameras.
Above Lakfania, there are over one hundred thousand cameras observing the island from various angles.
The entire island is separated by an ion isolation shield, like a transparent bowl, ensuring that mecha firepower won't accidentally harm the spectators—while competitors may die in the matches, spectators must remain safe.
At this moment, Reno stood at the small gate beside the diamond-shaped plaza of Death Island, wearing his mecha. He looked like a gladiator from ancient times. Through the gate, he could see the roaring audience above.
Reno didn't know how many spectators were present at the match, but he knew there were tens of thousands of mechas participating in the competition alone.
It was a terrifying number. Tens of thousands of mecha pilots would stage deadly battles here, using their lives and blood to entertain the audience and earn money. Some would achieve fame and fortune overnight, while others would lose their lives.
According to the information gathered by Little Dot and Li Zonghan, the Death Island League saw no fewer than one hundred deaths among competitors every year. This might seem like less than one percent mortality, but in reality, it was intolerably high—if a person knew they would die once in a hundred outings, they would be too scared to leave the house.
For this reason, before each league, the Storm Consortium would sign life-and-death contracts with the participating players. If a player died during the match, the consortium would provide death compensation according to the agreement, the specific amount depending on the player's value. As a newcomer, Reno's death compensation was one hundred thousand, with Claire designated as the beneficiary.
To be honest, the equipment consumption Reno had at the academy exceeded this amount—the death contract appeared to be a compensation agreement, but in reality, it was a waiver of liability.
On the grandstand, the cheers continued. A provocatively dressed host stood on the floating platform, shouting loudly, "My dearest audience, welcome to Lakfania Island! The 108th Storm League is grandly starting today, and I am the host, Lillith. Here, we will broadcast live to over three million live spectators and over two billion TV viewers across the universe! Now, let's welcome the players onto the stage!"
With the host's enthusiastic announcement, the atmosphere reached its peak. The gate opened, and rows of heavily-armored mechas began to file out from the backstage.
The deafening roar surged wave after wave, making Reno, even inside his mecha, feel immense pressure. This pressure made him a bit nervous, causing a slight error in the operating system. As a result, the Silver Wing Angel accidentally bent its knee while moving forward, ending up half-kneeling on the ground.
Although Reno quickly straightened the Silver Wing Angel, this scene was still noticed by the sharp-eyed host.
She exclaimed, "Oh, what do I see? It seems like one of the mechas has made a marching mistake and fallen!"
All cameras focused on the Silver Wing Angel.
The host's sharp voice rang in the ears of every audience member, "Let's see who the unlucky mecha pilot is? Pull up his information..."
On the screen appeared Reno dressed in the shadowy cloak, along with details about him.
"Mr. Shadow? He participated in Edgar's TV interview and claimed that being an excellent mecha pilot doesn't mean being an excellent warrior... He's quite arrogant," the sexy female host laughed. "But clearly, he's all talk and no action, getting weak-kneed even before entering the arena."
The scene erupted into a chorus of boos.
If jeers could determine one's fate, then Reno was destined for a bleak future.
It was Reno's first official encounter with the public, yet he faced unprecedented vehement opposition, mockery, and even insults.
Standing there, feeling the malice of countless people, Reno trembled slightly.
This trembling manifested in his mecha through neurons, becoming further evidence of his fear in everyone's eyes.
People continued their frenzy of insults. If it weren't for the ion isolation shield, countless objects might have been hurled down.
An excellent host always excels at stirring others' emotions.
After sensing the public's sentiment, Lillith exclaimed, "Without a doubt, our Mr. Shadow has been frightened out of his wits. I bet he regrets coming here now. I dare say he won't even make it past the preliminary rounds."
"What if you're wrong?" numerous audience members shouted.
Lillith glanced around the arena, then giggled and said, "Then I'll go give him a steamy night."
"Hurrah!" everyone shouted in unison.
"That jerk!" Nora gritted her teeth from her seat in the audience. "If Reno dares to accept, I'll castrate him."
"Perhaps he can consider transferring," Sphereld replied seriously.
Regardless, because of this little incident, the audience instantly reached a climax.
The host achieved what she wanted, and as for winning or losing?
That wasn't important.
"Next, I will announce the contents of the preliminary rounds," Lillith announced loudly as the mechas entered the arena. "For this round, we have arranged a special welcome for all the mechas, and that is... the Expedition!"
With her announcement, the ion isolation shield above the plaza opened, and a massive starship descended from the sky.
Upon seeing the starship, all the spectators screamed loudly. The dense array of cannons on the ship resembled the spines of a beast, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
At the same time, all the mecha pilots heard a reminder:
"Firepower systems locked. Mechas cannot use any weapons at the moment."
"Damn, how are we supposed to fight?" everyone cursed.
All mechas must undergo inspections by the organizers before the match, removing some weapons that exceed the limit and installing program control chips to accept commands, even forcibly controlling or taking over if necessary.
What no one expected was that as soon as they entered, everyone's mechas were disarmed.
Meanwhile, the female host's voice resounded once again in the air, "According to the rules, all mechas must begin evading while the firepower systems are locked. During the evasion period, the Expedition will attack all mechas indiscriminately. Mecha pilots must rely on their speed, reaction, and evasion abilities to evade the Expedition's pursuit. Those destroyed will be considered out. Each time you persist for a period, one weapon on your mecha will be unlocked. You can use this weapon to counter the Expedition's pursuit or deal with other mechas. If you manage to survive the evasion process and destroy the other three mechas, you can proceed directly to the next round!"
"Now, the Storm League selection round begins!"