Happy Graduation

The most talented Star Weaver in the universe had died.

After thousands of years in the interstellar age, fewer than a hundred Star Weavers had ever existed as the greatest profession. Yet the most gifted among them had died in the struggle among the Alliance's various powers.

After that, none of his descendants produced another child talented enough to become a Star Weaver Master. Before the emerging family could gain a foothold, it was erased from the Federation's history and fell back into the abyss.

And seven hundred years later—

"Even before the universe exploded, humanity had already begun improving its genes, creating genetic seeds capable of adapting to survival and growth in the universe. After tens of thousands of years, the new humans finally established themselves in space and formed the Interstellar Alliance to fight the alien races together.

"So all of you need to prepare properly for tomorrow's Awakening Test. Strive to get into a good mech academy, join the military in the future, and do something useful.

"Lastly, your teacher wishes you all a happy graduation.

"Oh, and after graduation, don't ever say you were my students. Thank you, everyone!"

On the podium, Teacher Wu spoke with such "passion" that the students below listened with their blood stirring.

This was their final day at basic school. After taking the Awakening Test tomorrow, they would officially enter mech academies and learn how to pilot mechs against alien races.

Though none of them usually liked school, they were still a group of sixteen-year-olds, all hoping to awaken the strongest possible star patterns tomorrow.

Of course, there were exceptions.

The short-haired, lanky girl seated in the last row seemed out of place amid the cheerful atmosphere. She idly played with a lock of hair over her forehead, a stark contrast to everyone else's excitement.

This was Zhou Yi's 365th day after transmigrating into this world. By now, she had spent a full year attending school here.

When she first arrived, Zhou Yi had been somewhat unaccustomed to it. Sure enough, no matter how many transmigration novels one had read, who could have expected their first transmigration to turn them into an alien?

Fortunately, Zhou Yi was already a twenty-seven-year-old woman. Her parents had died early, she had been weak and sickly, and she had no car, no house, no savings, and no attachments whatsoever.

Though she had now transmigrated off Earth, the person she had become was at least a healthy fifteen-year-old girl with the same name as her, whose parents were still alive. No matter how she looked at it, she had come out ahead.

So, on her third day in this world, Zhou Yi had swiftly accepted reality and taken over the life of fifteen-year-old Zhou Yi.

But class was truly boring, so Zhou Yi raised her hand again, as usual.

"Zhou Yi, go ahead."

"Teacher, isn't everyone just trying to survive? What's the difference between humans and alien races?"

She was not trying to pick a fight. She was absolutely trying to make the class more lively for the teacher!

The students were long used to Zhou Yi always asking strange questions. One by one, they whispered among themselves about tomorrow's Awakening Test.

"Humanity has survived in the universe through unity and wisdom. To better adapt to the harsh environment of space, we even created high-tech products like mechs, which can integrate with the human body.

"Alien races are naturally brutal and have yet to develop intelligence. They seize the homes humanity has already built, slaughter humans, and not only eat humans but also devour their own kind.

"If human civilization is an unbroken inheritance, then alien civilization is total obliteration.

"That is the most fundamental difference between us and them."

The usually unserious teacher suddenly became solemn, his gaze blazing.

After school,

"Zhou Yi, why did you ask Teacher that question today?"

Qin An hovered around Zhou Yi like a little follower.

Though he was only sixteen, Qin An was already nearly 1.8 meters tall. Just sticking his head out was enough to block Zhou Yi's path completely.

Zhou Yi slapped Qin An's head aside.

"Kids shouldn't ask about adult matters. Watch where you're going."

Zhou Yi had been here for a year, yet she knew very little about alien races. Some things could not be found on the Star Brain.

"Oh." Qin An pouted, but obediently answered anyway.

"Tomorrow is the Awakening Test. Everyone on D71 Star Block who has turned sixteen can test their star patterns then. I'm so excited that I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight and it'll affect my performance tomorrow!"

Qin An continued chattering away.

"Affect your performance? A star pattern is a fixed talent you're born with. What does your performance have to do with it? Don't worry, even if you sleep for twelve hours, tomorrow you'll still be a star or a little star."

Star patterns were located at the nape of the neck. There were roughly three kinds of designs, defined by humanity as suns, moons, and stars.

Among them, suns were supreme, moons came second, and stars were the lowest.

Based on the amount of star power acquired afterward, they were further divided into five grades: S, A, B, C, and D.

The design of a star pattern could not be changed, but its grade could be improved.

The more talented the child, the faster their star power increased. The higher their grade, the more advanced a mech they could pilot.

Sixteen-year-old boys and girls were divided into different ranks and sent to different mech academies. Three years later, after graduation, whether they could enter the military and serve the Alliance to earn supreme honor, or return to their own Star Block and work an ordinary job for the rest of their lives, depended on their own fate.

"Pah, pah, pah! You're the star! I'm definitely going to be a sun!"

Qin An immediately took offense and chased after Zhou Yi, trying to hit her.

"Zhou Yi, are you really not scared at all?" Qin An could not help asking again amid their playful scuffle.

Every student in class was both excited and afraid, but Zhou Yi showed not the slightest emotion about tomorrow's Awakening Test.

That was a star pattern, after all.

How far their star power could ultimately reach, what kind of mech they could pilot, and whether they could join the Alliance Army all depended on tomorrow's result.

"I'm not scared."

Zhou Yi touched the back of her neck, where every awakened person's star pattern was located.

She did not need to wait until tomorrow. She already knew her result.

"Dad, Mom, I'm home!"

Though Zhou Yi's home was on the universe's lowest-level D-Class Star Block, her family was very happy.

That was also the biggest reason Zhou Yi had adapted so quickly after transmigrating here.

Zhou Yi's parents had both awakened the lowest-grade star talent. After graduating from mech academy, their star power had only reached D grade, leaving them unqualified to join the military, so they found work near home.

At this very moment, they were already waiting at the dining table for their beloved daughter to come home.

"Xiao Yi is back! Go wash your hands and eat. Look at all the delicious food Mom made for you."

After washing her hands, Zhou Yi sat down at the table. Before her were three dishes and a soup. Though they were all blackened, each gave off a distinct aroma.

"Deep-fried dried bugs, stir-fried dried bugs, dry-fried dried bugs, and rich dried bug soup."

Zhou Yi's father introduced the dishes one by one.

These days, most people ate Nutrient Solution in various flavors every day. Being able to eat dried bugs already meant living a moderately comfortable life.

Zhou Yi's parents had bought them only after gritting their teeth, to celebrate their daughter's graduation.

Few Star Blocks in the universe had conditions suitable for farming. As a result, giant deep-sea isopods caught in large quantities from certain deep-sea Star Blocks had become the only delicacy available to ordinary humans besides Nutrient Solution.

"Dad, Mom, Nutrient Solution is actually pretty good. Don't we still need to save money to move?"

Looking at the huge bugs covering the table, four words floated through Zhou Yi's mind: Totally unnecessary.

A whole table of dried bugs was not cheap. With the Star Coins her parents earned each month, they probably could not afford to eat like this more than a few times.

"You don't need to worry about moving. Your father and I have it handled. Just prepare well for tomorrow's test and go to school obediently afterward."

Zhou Yi's mother, Tang Zhen, gently stroked her daughter's head.

I have a completed million-word work, "Return to Famine in the Apocalypse." Those who can't wait can go check it out~

Daily updates, reliable updates guaranteed.

Friendly reminder: This is a passionate interstellar mech story with a system and a male lead, though there isn't much romance.