The quadrennial Inter-Academy Grand Competition was the most prestigious event among all higher education institutions in the Federation.
The term "quadrennial" did not mean it was held only once every four years; rather, it signified a grueling four-year selection process among Federation schools to finally determine the thirty institutions that would compete in the grand finals of the fourth year.
In the vast cluster of galaxies covered by the Federation’s influence, higher education institutions were as numerous as the stars—a figure so large it was practically astronomical. Out of so many schools, only thirty would be chosen for the finals, illustrating just how fierce the slaughter was during those four years.
Among these thirty slots, three schools held the special privilege of direct entry into the finals. These three honored institutions were: Lanli Academy, under the First Research Institute of the Federation; the First Military Academy, under the Federation Military; and Benne Military School.
Whether it was Lanli Academy, backed by the First Research Institute, or the First Military Academy, backed by the Federation Military, their entry into the finals without a preliminary selection was beyond reproach. However, unlike the other two, Benne Military School’s reason for receiving this privilege was far more arrogant: as long as they participated, they were guaranteed first place.
Direct entry was a privilege reserved for the reigning champions of previous years.
Consequently, the other competing schools harbored a complex love-hate relationship with Benne. They wanted them to participate, yet feared their presence; it was a truly contradictory sentiment.
This year, the Inter-Academy Grand Competition had unexpectedly landed on Kanta Star. As the hosts, Benne Military School—which had not participated in the competition for a long time—had actually sent a representative team!
This meant that only twenty-nine other school teams could land on Kanta Star.
The school ranked thirtieth, which had been excluded from the competition: "..."
Once the representative teams from these twenty-nine schools landed on Kanta Star, everyone simultaneously received the official list of participating teams. On that list, Benne Military School’s name sat at the very top, suppressing both Lanli Academy and the First Military Academy. It was a sight that made many team leaders' eyes ache.
The teachers who had once been crushed by Benne as students themselves: "..." *Oh no, the bad memories are coming back...*
Among the crowd, only two teams were rubbing their hands in anticipation, eager to face such a legendary foe.
Ji Wei, the leader of the First Military Academy, declared, "Only by defeating them can we be considered true champions!" *Benne Military School!*
Benjamin, the leader of Lanli Academy, said, "Our target is them." As he spoke, he tapped his hand heavily on the holographic screen, where Benne’s name sat firmly above Lanli’s.
"Right!" The team members on both sides were excited. They were all the darlings of heaven, proud and unyielding. If they met head-on, they would see who truly had the skill!
Just as these newborn calves were showing no fear of the tiger, the competition organizing committee threw a curveball.
The committee announced that, considering the traditional elimination format of the first, second, and third rounds was too dull, they decided that a "Mixed Format" would be more exciting for the finals. They were all young people, after all—it was time for something bold and heart-pounding!
As the host, the Old Principal knew his students' temperaments well. He could trick the two of them into joining a competition, but if he made them go through the usual layers of trials—written exams, theoretical innovation, and finally practical application—the two little brats would likely drop everything and quit on the spot.
Thus, for this year’s competition, the Old Principal of Benne Military School proposed a brand-new concept: the Mixed Format.
"Mixed Format?" Every school representative team was stunned when they saw the latest regulation published by the committee.
What exactly was a Mixed Format?
Only when they opened the details did they understand.
In previous years, the Grand Competition was generally divided into three rounds: theoretical assessment, innovation assessment, and practical assessment. The final score was calculated by multiplying the scores of the three rounds by their respective weights, and the top four would enter the final showdown.
The First Military Academy emphasized practice, while Lanli Academy focused on theory and innovation. Each had its strengths and weaknesses. Along with two other schools that made the top four based on overall excellence, they were the regulars of the final stage.
This year, as soon as Benne Military School announced its participation, the school at the bottom of the top four was already trembling with anxiety. Now, seeing the committee’s new rules, their vision went dark.
The so-called Mixed Format could be summarized in one phrase: a chaotic free-for-all.
This year’s event discarded the tedious and boring preliminary selections of previous years. Instead, all thirty schools were bundled together and tossed into a holographic simulated battlefield. In the end, the winner would be king.
Throughout the event, schools could freely form alliances, use diplomacy or schemes, and act as they pleased—all for the sake of final victory. Many ants could bite an elephant to death; whether to form an alliance or fight ten-to-one as a lone wolf was entirely up to personal choice.
It was just that simple and crude.
The teachers and students of each school: "?!" *Are we really playing this big!*
As the new rules caused a massive stir among the schools, the start of the Grand Competition drew closer.
On the only commercial street outside the campus on Kanta Star.
"Hill? Hill!"
The Omega blinked, snapping back to his senses. He looked at Benjamin with a dazed expression and asked in confusion, "Senior, is something the matter?"
Benjamin asked, "What were you looking at so intently?" He had called Hill several times, but the other had not responded, seemingly captivated by something.
"Nothing." Hill shook his head, subtly changing the subject. "I’ve never seen this kind of tree anywhere else. It’s beautiful."
As Hill spoke, he looked up and gave Benjamin a wide smile. Under the sunlight, the golden leaves and the Omega’s equally beautiful golden hair complemented each other, dazzling Benjamin’s eyes and heart.
"Yes, truly beautiful!" Only the dazed Benjamin knew what he meant by "beautiful."
Having easily brushed the other off, Hill lowered his head slightly, recalling the person he had seen from a distance just now. That fleeting silhouette had caused his system to emit a massive notification sound.
System: *[Warning! Warning! Core Task has appeared!]*
*Core... Task?* Hill was stunned.
Hill was originally just an ordinary student from a small-planet college, the illegitimate son of a minor family with average talent. It was only because of his face and his A-grade Omega status that his biological father had recognized him and brought him back to the family.
Originally, he was destined to be a sacrifice for a family marriage alliance, at most choosing a partner similar to his father in the future, with no further prospects. But the appearance of the System had changed his life.
He had stood out among his father’s numerous illegitimate children as the only Omega brought back to the family. He knew he was never weak; he just lacked an opportunity. And the System had given him that opportunity!
Hill had seized it. Now, he was a member of Lanli Academy, and he even had people like Benjamin following his every word.
Hill mocked them silently in his heart—these Alphas who only looked at appearances were too foolish.
After dealing with Benjamin perfunctorily, he thought back to the person he had seen. A Core Task?
Hill pondered. That person was strange; a cold and detached aura couldn't hide a sense of tenderness and passion, giving him a contradictory allure that was both sensual and ascetic.
Who was that person?
At this moment, Ji Yeran, unaware that he had "attracted another bee," was rushing back to campus.
Feng Zhixi had deliberately found an excuse to send him out because the school doctor was about to arrive for a follow-up visit. Someone was planning to pretend he wasn't home by not opening the door.
Seeing through Feng Zhixi’s little scheme, Ji Yeran quickened his pace...
In the dormitory area of the Interstellar Combat Command major, the school doctor stood at the villa's entrance with his round robot, letting out a soft "Huh?"
"Not home?" the doctor muttered to himself. Why was no one opening the door after all this time?
The next moment, he heard a voice behind him. He turned around to see Ji Yeran returning.
The doctor smiled and said leisurely, "Your little friend isn't being very obedient~"
Ji Yeran nodded in agreement. Indeed, he was very disobedient; the moment he wasn't being watched, he started causing trouble.
As the villa door opened, the disobedient "little friend" was caught red-handed.
Feng Zhixi: "..."
The smiling doctor said, "Little one, it’s wrong to intentionally deceive your doctor~"
After a bout of chaos, an exhausted Feng Zhixi was injected with a bunch of serums by the medical robot. His scalp numbed from the pain, and he glared at the round robot.
At that moment, the doctor finally gave his final diagnosis with a grim face: "The damage is irreversible. We can only try our best to prevent it from worsening."
Hearing this, Ji Yeran’s hand suddenly tightened. After a long moment, he relaxed his grip and asked softly, "Irreversible?"
His voice was very low and light, as if he didn't want to confirm it—or rather, was unwilling to.
Unlike Ji Yeran’s shock, Feng Zhixi, the person involved, appeared very calm. Or rather, he had known and accepted this result long ago.
"Mm." Feng Zhixi listened calmly. This was something he had known before his rebirth. As the Chief of the Lanli Research Institute, he had the most professional medical team, yet the final result was still the complete destruction of his glands.
It was just a matter of sooner or later. Why bother with all this effort?
The efficiency-minded Feng Zhixi felt it was a futile endeavor, a pure waste of time.
"However..." The doctor, who loved dramatic pauses, rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, "It won't get any worse anyway. Fighting fire with fire might not be out of the question."
Thus, the doctor, who enjoyed unconventional methods, listed a series of strict protocols to prevent further deterioration—not much different from what the future Lanli medical team would suggest—and then solemnly pulled Ji Yeran aside for a whispered conversation.
Feng Zhixi: "?"
Ji Yeran: "!"
The smiling doctor, offering his "bad" advice, said, "The human body is the most mysterious and unpredictable thing. Just as our ancestors who hadn't yet ventured into the stars didn't know that future humans would differentiate into three special genders—Alpha, Beta, and Omega—the human body is a wondrous existence. No one knows what kind of potential an individual might burst forth with."
Since Feng Zhixi’s problem was congenital, they would leave it to time and post-natal factors to solve.
"Bite him more often when you have the chance. Who knows, a miracle might happen~" the doctor said pointedly. "The compatibility between you two is exceptionally high, after all~"
Ji Yeran: "..." *So, he really is a quack?!*
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 联邦高校联合大比 | Inter-Academy Grand Competition | The major competitive event between Federation schools. |
| 蓝礼学院 | Lanli Academy | A top school backed by the First Research Institute. |
| 联邦第一研究院 | First Research Institute of the Federation | The backing organization for Lanli Academy. |
| 联邦军部第一军校 | First Military Academy | A top school under the Federation Military. |
| 康塔星 | Kanta Star | The planet where the competition is hosted. |
| 季崴 | Ji Wei | Leader of the First Military Academy team. |
| 本杰明 | Benjamin | Leader of the Lanli Academy team. |
| 混合赛制 | Mixed Format | A new, chaotic battle-royale style competition format. |
| 希尔 | Hill | An Omega character with a "System." |
| 核心任务 | Core Task | A high-priority objective assigned by Hill's System. |
| 以毒攻毒 | Fighting fire with fire | Literally "using poison to combat poison"; an unconventional medical approach. |
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