Starry Rebirth: The Warden and the Outlaw’s Interstellar Revenge | Chapter 23 | The Grand Competition Begins | Novela.app

In the midst of Feng Zhixi’s daily battles of wit against the "nefarious" quack doctor, the long-awaited Federation Joint University Competition finally arrived. On the official opening day, acting on the instructions of the organizing committee, the twenty-nine combat teams emerged from their designated accommodation zones at the appointed time. They were immediately stunned by the sight before them. Within the residential area Benn Military School had set aside for the visiting teams, fifty-eight massive aircraft were parked in pairs, one set before the entrance of each team’s quarters. These vessels were tasked with transporting the students and faculty of the twenty-nine academies to the final destination: a solitary island located in the southern waters of Planet Kanta. The island had been partitioned into three distinct sectors: the Committee Zone, the Faculty and Logistics Zone, and the actual Combat Zone. Struck by the sheer display of Benn Military School’s wealth and resources, the teachers and students boarded the aircraft in stunned silence. Soon, the fifty-eight vessels took to the sky in sequence, soaring toward the southern reaches of the planet. After a period of flight over the ocean, the aircraft reached the airspace above the so-called "solitary island." It was only then that the participants realized the term was a misnomer—it was clearly a vast, uncharted continent. The land was immense, covered in undulating emerald mountains, with the three designated zones separated by thousands of miles. The participants were speechless. As they hovered over the continent, twenty-nine of the aircraft peeled away from the formation, carrying the faculty and logistics staff toward their designated destination. The remaining twenty-nine aircraft, carrying the actual competitors, continued toward the Combat Zone. The fleet flew over the battlefield, revealing a series of independent bases scattered below. At each base, one aircraft would break off and perform a random landing. These bases served as the starting points for each team, housing the specialized holographic simulation pods required for the match. One by one, the aircraft landed until the fleet was gone. Once the final team touched down, the students entered their respective bases and climbed into the simulation pods, completing their identity authentication. As the last student’s data was verified, a massive energy shield rose over each base, completely enveloping them. These shields served to block external interference and prevent cheating; they could not be opened until the competition concluded. The Federation Joint University Competition had officially begun! *** On the Star Net, a piece of news broke that instantly captured the attention of every user. For the first time in history, the quadrennial Federation Joint University Competition would be broadcast via a real-time, synchronized livestream. In previous years, the public only saw the event after the champion had been decided, through edited recordings of the "Four Academies Melee." The preliminary rounds involving theory and innovation were considered too mentally taxing and dull for a general audience. This time, however, was different. Word had spread that the organizing committee had overhauled the rules, opting for a brand-new "Hybrid Format" designed to keep the entire event engaging from start to finish. This was the Hybrid Format—a legendary free-for-all where thirty elite academy teams would face off directly. The mere thought of it set people's blood racing. In an era where the Federation encouraged bold exploration of the stars, whether it was a comprehensive university or a military academy, the most popular and thrilling spectacles were always mecha battles and deep-space duels. This was a top-tier event featuring the "best of the best," the top thirty teams that had fought their way through the entire Federation. Aside from classified battlefields, this was arguably one of the highest-specification mecha competitions in existence. The announcement sent shockwaves through every higher education institution. Across the entire Federation, only thirty teams had made the final cut. Many schools that had failed to qualify didn't believe they were inferior; they simply felt they had been unlucky. In the past, they could only watch the final showdown between the top four academies. While those four were undeniably powerful, it didn't mean the schools that had just missed out couldn't beat the teams at the bottom of the top thirty. Many schools that considered themselves capable but unlucky organized their students to watch the livestream. They wanted to see exactly what made the top thirty teams better than them. It was also an unparalleled learning opportunity. Beyond the schools with a vested interest, this first-ever public livestream attracted the attention of military officials, high-ranking politicians, and the heads of great families and factions. After all, those who distinguished themselves in this competition almost always went on to become luminaries in various sectors of the Federation. Of course, the eccentric Benn Military School was the exception. Because Benn Military School participated so rarely, and the competition only occurred every four years, their reputation as the "Uncrowned Kings" felt like a distant legend to the general public. When the Star Net users saw the list of participating schools, the favorites for the championship remained the First Federation Military Academy and Benleigh Academy. The Star Net was abuzz with discussion as users pored over the list of thirty teams. *User 1:* "I bet the First Federation Military Academy takes the crown again this year. They’re the undisputed kings!" *User 2 countered:* "Not necessarily. I see Benleigh Academy is participating. Don't forget what Benleigh represents." In interstellar warfare, high technology was the key to victory. *User 3 disagreed:* "But this year’s rules clearly favor the First Military Academy. Benleigh is strong, but this is direct combat. They might not be able to outmuscle the First Military." *User 4, a die-hard Benleigh fan:* "Nonsense!" While the fans of the First Military and the Benleigh tech-enthusiasts were locked in a heated debate, a detail-oriented user raised a question: "Can someone tell me what’s up with Benn Military School? I looked at the lists for the last two competitions, and they weren't even there. Why is their ranking listed above both the First Military and Benleigh?" Was this school actually stronger than the two giants? The Star Net fell into a brief, awkward silence. Then, a few well-informed users seemed to recall exactly what kind of existence Benn Military School was. *User 5:* "! Wait, I think I know... Is it *that* Benn Military School?!" The user seemed genuinely shocked. Equally shocked were those who had been unfortunate enough to compete in the rare years when Benn Military School actually showed up. *Wait, those devils are back?!* Ignoring the chaos on the Star Net, the holographic screen displaying the team names suddenly flickered. All the school names vanished, replaced by thirty numerical IDs. Only the heavens knew which number represented which school. Then, the Star Net audience and the competitors simultaneously saw the rules of the match. The rules were simple: there were no rules. The audience: "..." The committee announced that each person would be provided with one mecha. Beyond that, there was nothing. They were on their own. Academies could form alliances or declare hostilities as they pleased. The team that survived until the end would be the victor. As for why the goal was to "survive until the end"? It was because the teams weren't just fighting each other in a massive brawl; they also faced an external threat—an automated enemy force possessing an entire starship fleet. Of course, this external force was a simulation generated by the holographic system. Its AI wasn't particularly advanced, as it only followed classic tactical patterns from historical battles. Although its database contained tens of thousands of such battles, the old principal, acting as the host, was still quite dissatisfied. The principal had originally hoped that the faculty leads of the twenty-nine visiting teams would form the external force to hunt the students. It was a brilliant idea, in his opinion, and he was quite annoyed that the committee had rejected it so heartlessly. His intention had been to test the students' comprehensive interstellar combat capabilities, rather than limiting them to a mere mecha skirmish. This was the true way to temper students, yet no one seemed to appreciate his vision. The principal was sulking over his rejected creativity, while the other committee members were internally screaming: *Please, just give the kids a chance to live!* When the mecha combat (?) regulations were announced, a wave of unease rippled through the students, particularly those from Benleigh Academy. As the leader of the Benleigh team, Benjamin frowned. He whispered to his teammates, "The situation is very unfavorable for us. We only brought ten primary competitors. Even with the two substitutes, we only have twelve people." The rules stated that a team must have no fewer than two and no more than twenty members. Generally, schools brought between ten and fifteen. No one expected the committee to change the format so abruptly. From what he knew, the First Military Academy had brought fifteen people. Even with their substitutes, Benleigh was down by three people—which meant three fewer mechas on the battlefield. Although Benjamin had known about the "Hybrid Format" for a few days, he hadn't realized it would be this treacherous. As the ten-second countdown neared its end, Benjamin made a decisive call: "Substitutes, follow us in!" Hill, one of the substitutes, nodded silently. He felt as though this competition had been designed specifically for him. Meanwhile, at another base, the only two representatives of Benn Military School—Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran—stared at the two basic-spec "white-tier" mechas before them. They lapsed into a long, heavy silence. They now had every reason to believe the old principal was blatantly sabotaging them. With a quiet sigh, Ji Yeran looked at Feng Zhixi. "What now?" What else could they do? Feng Zhixi smiled. "Let's go big." With perfect understanding, Ji Yeran caught his meaning. "Alright." At the same moment, Ji Wei, the leader of the First Military Academy, looked at the fourteen mechas before him—all elites selected from various departments and years. He gave the command: "Move out!" "Yes, sir!" As the bay doors opened into the vacuum of space, the fifteen mechas of the First Military Academy soared out of the transport gate in perfect formation, plunging headlong into the vast starry expanse. The war had begun. ***