Mecha Era: Ascending to Godhood Alone

Half an hour later, Li Yi and the others, who had been waiting in the venue, finally heard the central AI announce the imminent start of the Mecha Combat Tournament.

The voice was ethereal, melodious, and even slightly seductive.

Beams of light converged above the venue, forming a radiant centerpiece.

Within the light, a beautiful woman dressed in white feathered gauze materialized.

It was the holographic projection of one of the Immortal Lady Yaochi Series AI models.

With a graceful wave of her sleeves, she spoke softly:

"Welcome, 2198 batch of mecha trainees, aboard the Yaochi.

"I am Yaochi Qingguo, the presiding AI of Bay 12.

"This virtual simulation for the Newcomer Combat Tournament is entirely generated by my calculations.

"All participant actions will be fully recorded, broadcasted, and monitored by the entire fleet for absolute fairness and transparency.

"Please take your designated seats and wear the simulation access helmets.

"During the competition, the helmets will supply necessary nutrients to sustain your life.

"For those wearing mechanical caps, switch to transfer mode to enable data transmission.

"This round will use a point-based system. Defeating or forcing an opponent to surrender will earn you all their points.

"Voluntary withdrawal will result in a 50% deduction in points, while those with zero points will not be penalized.

"The competition will last for a total of 72 hours. Countdown begins now. Please connect to the simulation helmets immediately. Late participants will be assigned zero points!"

---

A brief disorientation followed, and when Li Yi opened his eyes again, the scene had completely changed.

It was nighttime in a dense forest.

He found himself standing atop a large, protruding boulder.

Scanning the surroundings, he saw no other figures.

It seemed this was a randomized spawn mode.

"Body state and perception feel the same as usual. That's good."

If his senses had been dulled, it would've weakened his advantage. After all, aside from his perfected combat techniques, his constant absorption of memory fragments had significantly enhanced his mental acuity and reaction speed.

What surprised him was that the simulation didn't involve piloting mechas.

This suggested that the first round focused on raw physical ability and combat skills.

It made sense—proving oneself among a thousand elite recruits was likely the key to earning the recognition of a Divine Mecha.

Li Yi reflected on this arrangement and found it reasonable.

He studied his surroundings, analyzing the terrain.

Scooping up a handful of soil, he felt its texture. It was eerily similar to the soil found in the Martian wilderness.

"Could this virtual environment be modeled after Mars?"

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed faint traces of an artificial rail system about fifty meters away, partially hidden in the dense foliage.

Jumping down from the boulder, he carefully made his way through the forest toward the rail.

The terrain was complex, but Li Yi took his time, exploring the area methodically.

After three minutes, the reflective glint of the rail's unique material became clearer.

A few moments later, he emerged onto a section of artificial ground track—rails designed for inter-base transit on Mars.

Combining his familiarity with rail systems and the positions of the stars overhead, Li Yi quickly deduced his location.

"Base 11's vicinity."

This simulation was replicating the area around Base 11.

"'Absolute fairness? Absolute transparency?'"

Recalling Yaochi Qingguo's earlier announcement, Li Yi found it ironic and reminded himself to temper any expectations of fairness in such a politically tangled organization.

As he pondered, a stone suddenly flew toward him.

He sidestepped calmly, avoiding it with ease.

But that was only the beginning.

More stones followed, launched from different angles in rapid succession.

Li Yi continued dodging, weaving left and right, evading each projectile effortlessly.

Just as he was about to charge forward and claim his first victory, the barrage ceased, and a voice called out:

"Impressive reflexes and agility. You'd make a fine ally. What do you say? Join us?"

Li Yi turned to see three young men emerge from the trees, smiling faintly.

"Teaming up so early in the game?"

"Of course," replied one of them, an androgynously handsome youth who stepped forward to close the distance between them.

"Smart people understand that cooperation is key in the early stages.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Long Guanri, from the Quanzu of Base 23.

"By banding together early, we can secure an advantage. Once we've reached the top ten, then we can compete among ourselves. This way, we can at least ensure entry into the finals. Don't you agree?"

The other two remained silent, arms crossed, standing imposingly.

Li Yi shook his head. "That's a fine plan, but I'll have to decline."

Rather than take on three unpredictable teammates, he'd prefer to claim their points.

Besides, their opening attack of continuous flying stones could've easily killed someone else in the simulation.

Long Guanri's expression darkened. "A fool who won't listen to reason is destined to die."

He clenched his fists and signaled his companions to surround Li Yi.

"For the sake of future camaraderie, we won't make this too painful. But forget about keeping your points!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Long Guanri spat out blood, his body slumping against a wall, his face pale and drained.

His two companions had already disintegrated into particles of light, eliminated from the simulation with single, precise blows from Li Yi.

"How are you so strong?"

Long Guanri's voice trembled with disbelief as he stared at Li Yi.

Li Yi walked toward him, calm and unhurried. "I should be asking why all three of you were so weak. Aren't you Quanzu? Don't you have some kind of family-inherited special abilities?"

Long Guanri looked away, humiliated.

He had family skills, but given his current state, they were useless.

"Spare me. Let me live, and I'll ensure my family doesn't trouble you after the tournament."

Li Yi raised an eyebrow. "You're already close to death. How do you plan to survive?"

"I have family skills. With some time and two days of rest, I'll be able to fight again."

Li Yi shook his head. "Your offer is to simply not bother me later? Sounds flimsy. If everyone held back during the tournament, wouldn't all the top ten spots go to the Quanzu?"

"How about this? I'll buy one of my points from you for 100,000 star coins, transferred immediately after the tournament. Deal?"

Long Guanri's eyes gleamed with desperation.

The amount was tempting, and for a brief moment, Li Yi considered it.

But the tournament was being monitored by Yaochi Qingguo and visible to others. Such a

deal could easily be flagged as a violation.

"Tsk, tsk. What a pathetic trap."

"Goodbye."

With a swift kick to Long Guanri's throat, Li Yi ended him.