You said mechs were going to fight monsters, but instead you're destroying stars with your bare

Chapter 171 School Starts!
Crisis Era Year 1, August 20th, early morning.

A speedboat used to shuttle students cuts through the azure sea of ​​the Pudong Islands like a silver arrow.

They sped toward the island where the East China Joint Defense Mech University was located.

Li Zhe, dressed in a brand-new student uniform, stood on the deck of the speedboat, letting the refreshing sea breeze blow through his neat short hair.

Unlike the previous times I went to the campus to participate in the mecha summoning ceremony.

He felt particularly relaxed this time.

The anxiety of new student registration has disappeared, as has the confusion about the unknown.

There is only one kind of composure and calmness... a king returning home, preparing to inspect his own business.

"Commander, we have arrived at Landing Port No. 1 of the East China Joint Defense Mech University. Please prepare for identity verification." Zero's voice rang in his mind.

The speedboat slowly slowed down and docked at a huge steel port that exuded hardcore industrial aesthetics.

The towering cranes stood like silent giants, and the rows of anti-aircraft turrets exuded a chilling killing intent.

Several security-type mechs patrolled back and forth in the port, their scarlet electronic eyes vigilantly scanning every corner.

The entire island is less like a university and more like a heavily armed mobile military fortress.

Li Zhe showed his student ID and successfully passed through layers of security checks before stepping onto this "mobile fortress".

The island has changed considerably in the few days since I last saw it.

The teaching buildings and training grounds that were under construction back then are now all completed and full of futuristic technology.

On the wide campus avenue, various types of unmanned vehicles shuttle back and forth, transporting supplies and personnel.

The air was filled with a unique atmosphere that blended youth and steel.

Young men and women dressed in various colored student uniforms walked in twos and threes on campus, their faces beaming with anticipation and confidence for the future.

They are the chosen ones from all over the world, the first beneficiaries of the "Everyone's Mech" era, and the backbone of the future fight against the abyss.

Li Zhe blended into the crowd and appeared unremarkable.

His ordinary student uniform and slightly immature face made him look like an ordinary freshman.

No one could have imagined that this seemingly harmless guy was actually a "super warlord" who commanded a large army.

"Brother Li! Over here! Over here!"

A familiar voice, full of surprise and enthusiasm, interrupted Li Zhe's thoughts.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a sturdy young man with dark skin, exuding a strong aura of passion, waving frantically at him.

It was Xu Lei.

More than two months have passed, and this guy seems to have gotten even stronger, looking like a vigorous young calf.

"Brother Li! You've finally arrived! I thought you weren't coming!"

"How could I?" Li Zhe laughed and playfully punched him. "How could I possibly miss such an important day?"

"Haha, that's true!" Xu Lei scratched his head and smiled憨厚ly. "By the way, the rules for joint training exercises have been greatly adjusted. All mecha academies in East China have been reorganized, so Yi Ze is here too. He's over there."

Li Zhe looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that familiar figure.

Izawa Munezo remained as arrogant as ever, but the look in his eyes as he looked at Li Zhe now held a deep-seated awe and fighting spirit.

Unlike Xu Lei, he didn't rush over enthusiastically; he simply nodded to Li Zhe from a distance as a greeting.

But Li Zhe could clearly sense that the energy fluctuations within this guy's body were much stronger than when they last met.

It seems he hasn't been idle during this time.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, the three headed together to the freshman assembly point.

The huge open-air plaza was already packed with people. Thousands of new students from different regions and backgrounds had gathered here, waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.

Li Zhe looked around at his classmates with great interest.

With Zero's assistance, he could easily see through the strength of these new students.

Most people's basic combat strength is that of an "ordinary person" with decent talent.

However, there are also some geniuses like Xu Lei and Yi Ze, who possess extraordinary basic combat abilities.

Li Zhe even detected several more subtle, yet more powerful, auras.

They were some seemingly ordinary people, yet they always inadvertently revealed a composure and maturity beyond their years...

[Commander, signals from multiple 'Special Recommendation Students' have been detected. Most of them are children of employees from various core departments of the United Government, or test subjects for certain secret projects. Their strength should not be underestimated.]

Zero's hint confirmed Li Zhe's guess.

It seems that this freshman exercise is far more complex than it appears on the surface.

This is more like a "muscle show" where various factions within the coalition government demonstrate their strength and compete with each other.

Just as Li Zhe was observing his surroundings, a familiar and dignified figure appeared on the platform.

It was their old acquaintance, Zhu Xingtuan, who had now been promoted to Sergeant First Class and was serving as the chief instructor for this freshman exercise.

He still had that stern and unsmiling look, but the sharpness in his eyes was even greater than before.

His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Li Zhe for a moment.

"quiet!"

Zhu Xingtuan's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, instantly drowning out the noise of the entire venue.

He didn't give a long introduction; he went straight to the point.

"Welcome to the East China Joint Defense Mech University! From today onwards, you will no longer be flowers in a greenhouse, but warriors who will protect human civilization in the future!"

"Enough with the small talk, let's begin the pre-exercise group assignments!"

A huge holographic screen unfolded behind the stage, and names began to scroll and match rapidly.

When the final group assignments were confirmed, a small commotion broke out in the stadium.

Because everyone saw a group that could only be described as "outrageous".

Special Operations Team 1

Team Captain: Li Zhe

Team members: Xu Lei, Izawa Munezo

"Holy crap? This grouping... is it for real?"

"Putting the three most powerful monsters in one group? How are other players supposed to play?"

"Instructor Zhu is up to something!"

Xu Lei and Yi Ze also looked completely taken aback.

Only Li Zhe maintained his calm and composed expression.

He looked at Zhu Xingtuan on the platform, who was giving him a meaningful smile, and understood.

It seems this senior colleague wants to take this opportunity to properly "test" his "disobedient" student.

"Alright, grouping complete!" Zhu Xingtuan's voice rang out again. "You have one hour for final preparations and drills! One hour later, the exercise...officially begins!"

(End of this chapter)