Chapter 1 The Dawn

Day broke, and the members of the various battle teams had already begun their adaptive training, maintaining their best condition. Tomorrow would be a crucial battle in the qualifiers, especially for those teams facing immense challenges, a battle of life and death.

Tianjing Mecha Warfare also started early. Li Hao hadn't shown up yet, but everyone was used to it and didn't call him. However, at 10 a.m., all team captains had to attend an official meet-and-greet.

Zhou Naiyi looked at the time… Could he have forgotten?

He shouldn't have, considering how important it was.

Zhou Naiyi smiled slightly and continued training until her Skylink rang.

"Ah? Really? I'm so sorry, please wait a moment." Zhou Naiyi hung up and quickly went to find Li Hao. He really hadn't gone.

Li Hao was awakened by the loud knocking. He opened the door to see Zhou Naiyi. "Ah, Class Monitor, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"The captains' meeting is this morning. Why haven't you gone yet? The organizing committee is looking for me," Zhou Naiyi said anxiously. "Hurry up and change. This meeting is important."

The captains' meeting was a recognition of identity and a glorious occasion, a special opportunity for the captains of the various teams. The S-tournament battles weren't everything; this was a stage, a chance for everyone to show their faces. What was the point of fighting? To gain glory!

"I forgot. No need to change, I'll just go like this." Li Hao scratched his head, not really taking it seriously.

"At least fix your hair a little, you represent Tianjing!" Zhou Naiyi said. "Look down."

Li Hao sighed and lowered his head. Zhou Naiyi helped smooth out Li Hao's unruly hair. It was quite stubborn, and it took a while to flatten it.

Zhou Naiyi nodded. "Stand up straight, chest out, cheer up! Don't be so listless!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Li Hao smiled and gave a salute.

Meanwhile, in the Galaxy Conference Hall, the other sixty-three captains had already arrived. Actually, there wasn't much to it. The officials were simply explaining some details of the competition, which were already in the rules, but this made it seem more formal. There was also an important event: a group photo.

After all, half of the teams would be eliminated in the next two days, and this photo would be a precious memory.

Even if they were eliminated, being a captain in the S-tournament was a huge honor that couldn't be ignored. These were the captains of the strongest sixty-four teams from countless mecha warfare academies.

The conference hall was bustling with noise. Staff were arranging positions and waiting for someone. The captain of Tianjing Mecha Warfare had actually forgotten such an important event. What could be said? A small temple has strong winds.

Silian greeted acquaintances enthusiastically, including Chao Qinglong and others. Five years had passed, and everyone had status. Grudges were buried deep, and everyone seemed to be getting along on the surface. Even someone with Romero's personality wouldn't show off in a place like this. It was like a reunion of old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. While others had some contact, Silian had really been gone for a long time.

Kiran Rao, wearing a white turban, found War God Maxis. "Captain Maxis, we will do our best in tomorrow's battle. I hope you can also show your full strength. Let's work together to present a world-class battle for the audience!"

"Who are you?"

Maxis looked at Kiran, who had appeared out of nowhere, slightly surprised.

Kiran Rao was stunned, his face a little dark. "I am your opponent tomorrow, the captain of the Indira Team, Kiran Rao. I come from the great Ganges City, and our team is nicknamed Little Galaxy!"

Kiran was a little angry. Galaxy was too arrogant. Did they not know that a boat could capsize in a sewer, and a cornered rabbit would bite?

"Oh." Maxis smiled slightly, glancing at the doorway not far away.

"Maxis, don't be too arrogant. We at Jiyingdao will be waiting for you in the group stage!" Cang Gongtian said.

"Cang Gongtian, watch your mouth. The outcome is still unknown!" Kiran said confidently. "Although it would be better to meet you in the finals, now isn't bad either!"

Maxis hadn't said anything yet when Leica, the captain of Camella, couldn't help but laugh. She was a representative figure of the Unlimited Freedom School, one of the three major lunar schools, always steadily in the top tier of the NUP, second only to War God and Heavenly King. Of course, now there was Silian.

Maxis ignored the two Earthlings trying to freeload and greeted Silian.

"This year's S-tournament is the most interesting one." The two lunar big shots started chatting.

Maxis could be considered the lunar faction's second-in-command after Silian back then. He hadn't joined Shadow Sentinel, but as a member of the moon, he had participated in the war. He was a true powerhouse with his own thoughts and ideas. He had been mentally mature since the Apocalypse, and now he was even more composed. In essence, he was also waiting for the two to return, knowing it was only a matter of time.

Silian smiled slightly. "With so many old friends, it's hard not to be lively."

"If Galaxy meets first, we will do our best." Maxis still had respect for Silian. Back then, he had both strength and charisma. Of course, Galaxy hoped to win the S-tournament, but it wasn't just about strength; luck was also a factor. It depended on who met Tianjing Mecha Warfare first.

"It seems you've prepared well these past two years. If we meet, there's no need to hold back," Silian said with a smile. Among the Apocalypse members back then, he had been most optimistic about Maxis and Basta. They were clear-headed and hadn't been blinded by a championship. Their hard work over the years was probably to wait for Li Wu… or him.

"No, I still know the strength of the old captain. Meeting you or him is no different," Maxis said with a smile. "We still have some advantages this year, plus Van Fleet. After a round or two, we can always figure them out. Tianjing still has a lot of problems themselves."

"Van Fleet is probably not going to make it," Silian shook his head.

"Are you talking about the exchange match? Mech battles have a margin for error. Li Hao is good at psychological warfare, but that can't bridge the gap." Of course, Maxis knew that Van Fleet had lost to Li Hao in the mech pilot duel during the Hailong exchange match, which was expected. However, there was still a difference between mech battles and pilot battles, and there were more opportunities. After all, with super-heavy weapons like mechs, human strength was greatly reduced. Compared to individual strength, piloting skills were more important, and there were still opportunities.

"Li Hao gave him a chance in the mech battle, but he didn't dare to fight," Silian smiled. This wasn't a technical issue, but a mental one. He had weakened mentally and had too many distractions.

Among top players, once you want to win but are afraid to lose, you're done.

"This year's Basta is not to be underestimated, actively challenging Li Hao," Silian continued.

"Oh? I haven't heard of that? Did they fight?" Maxis's eyes were burning, very curious about the result.

"No, he told me to wait until the S-tournament." Basta walked over. "I held back."

Maxis understood instantly. Li Hao had dealt with Van Fleet but hadn't fought Basta, obviously thinking Basta was better than Van Fleet, while showing enough confidence. In this round of probing, he hadn't revealed any flaws.

"It seems we're facing the challenges of five years ago again this year. Unexpectedly, I'm a little happy," Silian said.

"Your threat is just as great as his." Basta said calmly. He wouldn't fall for that trick.

"That's right, don't make the same mistake of shooting yourself in the foot as before," Chao Qinglong walked over. Silian always liked to provoke people.

"Haha, Chao Qinglong, heroes don't dwell on the past. We lost thoroughly that time, so we're even more looking forward to this one. Aren't you?" Silian smiled.

Chao Qinglong was expressionless, but he admired him in his heart. This was Silian. He could take it and let it go. Although he had missed many S-tournaments, as soon as he returned, he was always one of the strongest contenders for the S-tournament championship. No one dared to underestimate him. What Chao Qinglong was especially wary of was this calm attitude.

All fear and apprehension stemmed from a lack of strength.

In this regard, Silian was already ahead.

Silian looked at Chao Qinglong and read him in an instant, but he didn't say much. From the beginning, Chao Qinglong hadn't been his target. Although he had grown a lot, talent was something that couldn't be caught up with through hard work alone.

The four top big shots in the solar system exuded an aura of dominance just standing there, and people's gazes would unconsciously gather in their direction.

"Is this Silian guy awesome? What's he doing joining in the conversation of the big shots?"

"I don't know, I think they know each other. After all, he's the Mid-Season Invitational champion."

"What's that worth? Galaxy Eternal hasn't even used their full strength yet. It's just tactics."

"Look, Van Fleet is a bit out of place, too aloof."

"He's the defending champion, so it's normal to be arrogant. If I could win a championship, I'd be even more arrogant, haha."

"Forget the championship, if we could just get into the top eight, we could bring glory to our ancestors."

"It's too bloody this year. Many teams had injuries last year, but this year, it's like they're all back at full strength, and a lot of fierce rookies have emerged. I really don't know what they were doing before."

"Who knows? Isn't there just one group photo left? Why hasn't it started yet?"

"It seems like one person is missing?"

"Damn, what idiot could be late for this? I didn't even notice. It's obviously not important. Why are we waiting for him?"

Orffy, Robbie, Yan Peng, Depuya, and others were also chatting and laughing. They were lucky, with opponents they were sure to beat in the qualifiers, so they were relatively relaxed. Besides, they were all regulars at the S-tournament. As for wanting to go further, they really needed a bit of luck.

"Why hasn't Second Brother arrived yet?"

"He just messaged me back, said he overslept," Depuya said with a laugh. "He actually overslept. Haha, it feels like Second Brother doesn't take the S-tournament seriously."

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Second Brother has changed a lot."

"Everyone has to grow. He's fine now. With him here, we have enough confidence. I think Silian has also made a full recovery. It's going to be a fierce battle."

"This guy hasn't changed much, but he feels unapproachable."

"With his personality, he should have been ready long ago. He must have been preparing when he chose to come out at this time. Maybe he's been silently observing all of us."

"That's not necessarily true. The only ones he's really wary of are two or three people. Don't forget, he was one of the fiercest people back then," Depuya said. Although he was talkative and liked to boast, he still remembered the horror of Silian, and at this age, he was even more aware of the powerful energy behind Silian.

"Why think so much? Just do it! Isn't Second Brother participating!" Robbie was very excited. He couldn't wait. The Cougars feared no opponents and weren't afraid of failure. They enjoyed the crazy process.

"I'm worried that Second Brother doesn't have a strong desire to win. He didn't used to care much about these things. After experiencing that kind of terrible thing, I'm afraid… Otherwise, he wouldn't have come out now," Yan Peng said suddenly.

Everyone was stunned. This was indeed a problem. If he really wanted to compete with Silian, he shouldn't have chosen Tianjing Mecha Warfare. You really can't underestimate Silian.

"He chose the lifestyle he likes. Let's not disturb him. If we want to win, we have to fight for it ourselves," Orffy said.

"Orffy is right. Second Brother doesn't owe us anything. Speaking of which, we weren't firm enough back then, which caused him so much suffering," Robbie said with a bit of guilt. Of course, he wasn't blaming his friends, just hating himself for not daring to make a big deal out of it back then.

"Robbie, you did better than all of us," Depuya also said a little embarrassed.

"I'm not as good as Ant. That kid is the real man." Robbie shook his head. Back then, Cheng Konghai had tried many times to rescue Li Hao and even wanted to break into the prison, but he was ultimately stripped of all his Apocalypse benefits by the Alliance, so that his injuries couldn't be treated and he ended up on the streets.

The organizing committee didn't want to wait anymore. "Captains, please stand according to the name tags projected on the ground, matching your circles. There is also a location map on everyone's Skylink, with sixteen people in each row."

Everyone started looking for their positions. The first row, of course, was for Van Fleet, Maxis, Basta, Chao Qinglong, Romero, and others. Silian was also in the first row, but he was originally in the corner. Now he naturally moved to the middle and didn't show any intention of giving way. The others were still looking for their positions, and the chatting hadn't stopped. The whole scene was lively.

The staff were watching the time. They were just missing Li Hao. What on earth was that person doing? But hearing that he was almost there, they were too lazy to worry about it and just focused on getting the scene ready.