Three Minutes on Stage

Xu De was unaware of the crowd's discussion—or perhaps he simply didn't care. His Vulcan Cannon was already hammering the debris in front of him before he even got close to Ginn.

Under the law of conservation of momentum, most of the debris hurtled toward Ginn, while a few of the larger chunks veered off along different trajectories.

But after colliding with the other debris, they gradually changed course, like pinballs bouncing around a three-dimensional machine, forming a dense barrage in front of Ginn.

"What's the point?"

Someone couldn't help asking.

This barrage looked intimidatingly dense, but it wasn't very fast. Even if it hit, it wouldn't cause Ginn any real damage.

But Xu De's next move quickly gave the puzzled crowd an answer.

His mobile suit was hiding behind a chunk of debris. Although infrared sensors could detect Xu De's presence, Ginn's machine gun couldn't hit him through the wreckage.

Meanwhile, Xu De kept changing positions, using each chunk like a shield.

But Ginn wasn't just standing there, either. It was closing in fast.

"Just as I thought. The calculations are still too much."

Looking at the field of debris he'd scattered in front of him, Xu De smiled with satisfaction.

The simulation had been realistic enough. He'd actually wanted to run it again.

But clearly, his body couldn't take it anymore. With a score like this, he was certain to get a mobile suit.

And with that, he'd naturally get priority access to the simulator, so there was no need to rush now.

After this test, he hadn't just secured a mobile suit; he'd also found a path forward.

His body's potential really had improved compared to his previous life.

But it was only potential. If he wanted to grow stronger, he'd still have to keep working at it.

Keep calculating to improve his processing power.

Keep practicing to sharpen his battlefield instincts.

Keep training his body to improve his physical foundation.

All in all, the future was bright and full of hope.

All he had to do was work hard. That, at least, he knew inside out.

With the experience he'd gained, Xu De used the debris to his advantage and began a perilous close-quarters struggle with Ginn. In the end, he could only barely take his opponent out by self-destructing at close range.

Even so, when Xu De stepped out of the simulator, most of the people waiting greeted him with enthusiastic applause.

Their reasoning was simple.

One Moebius for two Ginns. Their new ace was a lot braver than the previous one.

If they applauded loudly now, they might leave a good impression on this future elite.

That way, it'd be easier to talk to him later, and he might look out for them on the battlefield or in the bureaucracy.

A few people still glared at Xu De with bitter resentment, but they were now in the minority.

With a common enemy in the Coordinators, most people didn't care about differences in race.

Anyone with a little sense knew what to choose: principles and interests.

Amid the crowd's enthusiastic cheers, Xu De simply smiled calmly, stepped down from the simulator, and returned to his seat.

His childhood friend, however, wasn't cheering with the others. He stared at the boy, stunned.

As the cheers rang endlessly in his ears, he began to deeply question everything he'd experienced over the past eighteen years.

"Out of it?"

Xu De's lips curled into a slight smile. It wasn't smugness; he was as humble as ever.

"No... where did you learn to do that!?!?"

Hans finally came to his senses and shouted.

For a moment, his voice even drowned out the clamor around them.

He and Xu De had been through everything together since the orphanage. They'd been two brothers struggling to survive.

From being bullied by the older kids to going hungry and cold, then working as child laborers for food, they'd endured countless hardships side by side.

But he'd never noticed. Not once.

His friend had the ability to use his own strength to break free from a world that had treated them so unfairly.

And if you looked at their little duo, Hans had quietly been the one in charge.

It wasn't that he'd been Xu De's protector, but he'd been the one to take the lead—or at least he had been before.

That was why his confusion now was only natural.

It was as if the brother who'd always struggled alongside him had suddenly put his underwear on over his pants and turned into Superman.

"I'll explain when we get back."

Xu De spoke softly.

There was no way he could hide his abilities from his best friend, and he hadn't planned to.

But since they knew each other so well, there were plenty of ways to explain it.

With his memories to draw on, it wouldn't be hard to keep the truth hidden.

Thinking this, Xu De changed the subject and raised an eyebrow.

"For now, you should focus on doing your best."

At Xu De's words, Hans remembered that he was next in line to pilot the Moebius.

He was as easygoing as ever, and Xu De's words made him forget his surprise for a moment. His face drooped into a miserable frown.

"There's no way I'll pass, no matter what I do."

His friend had taken out two Ginns with one Moebius. What chance did he have?

It wasn't just Hans. Everyone lined up behind him had lost their nerve, looking at Xu De with a mix of helplessness and admiration.

"This is a good chance to train for the battlefield."

Xu De spoke seriously.

"Three minutes on stage takes ten years of practice off it. That applies on the battlefield, too."

"Don't pass up any chance to grow stronger."

The boy's voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the crowd. Some people lowered their heads in shame, while a few who couldn't bear to lose face glared at Xu De.

But Xu De didn't care.

He said whatever he wanted.

On the battlefield, what mattered was the group, not anyone's pride or dignity.

These people weren't his subordinates. If they couldn't take it, that was none of his business.

"Xu De..."

Seeing his friend's serious expression, Hans felt something ignite inside him, even though Xu De hadn't said anything more.

"I'll do my best!"

Even if he fell short, he still had to try, whether it was to survive or to achieve his goal.

While the two were talking, Revil watched his subordinate with interest from inside the observation room.

"Well?"

His indifferent voice filled the observation room, making the instructor feel even more awkward.

"Sir... there are still three days left."

He said the words, but they sounded more like a pointless attempt to stall.

After all, no matter how you looked at it, there was no way they could surpass Xu De's incredible record in just three days.

Revil, meanwhile, saw his subordinate's resentment and simply let the corners of his mouth lift.

"Right. Three days."

"If he gets dismissed within those three days, then he'll just have to chalk it up to bad luck."

Though he said that, there was a hint of mockery in Revil's heart.

That half-baked ace of theirs thought he could defeat that boy?

Whether in a mobile suit or hand-to-hand, he'd have a tough time.

Remembering the look in the boy's eyes just now, Revil's expression grew even more approving.