Side Story: Mecha World (2)
Black Eagle Federation.
West State.
Randall University is the best and largest comprehensive university in the West State.
Even in the entire Federation, Randall University ranks among the top ten, with its mecha department ranking among the top three in the Federation. Nobles consider it an honor for their children to be able to study there.
Every year, millions of students apply to Randall University's Mecha Department, but only a few hundred are admitted.
To get into the mecha combat department, one must possess extraordinary talent.
Otherwise, no matter how strong your connections are, you can only get into other departments at Randall University.
Of course, as long as one is talented enough, even if one is not a noble, one can be admitted to the mecha department.
In the north wind, snowflakes fluttered down, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.
A blond, blue-eyed young man wearing a thin white school uniform walked out of the library.
"How come it snowed so much in just one afternoon?" Shiraha couldn't help but frown and tighten his school uniform.
Although the school uniforms of the mecha department are made of special material that keeps them warm in winter and cool in summer, they can't stop the cold wind from sneaking into the collar.
Shiraha found his direction and headed towards the dormitory area on the north side of the school, braving the wind and snow.
To the north of Randall University lies the dormitory area for aristocratic students, where rows of detached villas stand. In the center of this villa area stands a massive castle, with the surrounding villas clustered around it like stars around the moon.
Shiraha looked up at the huge castle in the middle, sighed inwardly, and then walked quickly towards the edge of the villa area.
The clone wasn't as lucky as the original; he didn't have a wealthy woman like Kushina to rely on, so he always lived a frugal life at the academy.
Although this body belongs to the viscount's second son, and his appearance is almost identical to the original, the students who are able to get into the Mecha Department of Randall University are all elites selected from among thousands.
Learning about mecha is extremely resource-intensive. Many students don't even have enough resources to complete a mecha set by graduation, so it's unlikely that the clone can rely on a rich woman to start a business.
Shiraha wouldn't even look at small amounts of money.
Especially since he was an illegal immigrant to this world, even though his soul had perfectly integrated with his body, Shiraha didn't want to take any risks.
Fortunately, the original owner of this body had almost died from poisoning, so it's reasonable that she had a somewhat withdrawn personality.
His original name was Lorin Chris, the second son of Viscount Ryan Chris of the Federation. He also had an older brother, Barton Chris, who was admitted to the neighboring Rock Mecha Academy.
Their family had not produced Mecha Warrior for a hundred years, causing their power to shrink rapidly, and they could be considered a fallen noble family. However, perhaps it was a case of things turning around for the better, because Ryan Chris's eldest and second sons both had excellent Mecha Warrior talents.
However, it is quite difficult for a down-on-its-luck viscountry to support two Mecha Warrior. Not to mention the complete set of mechs after graduation, the seven-year study process at the Mecha Academy alone requires a lot of resources.
However, both of his sons were so talented that Ryan Chris was reluctant to give them up, and in the end, he even went all in and prepared to sell the territory.
A year before the exam, Lorin was poisoned and died, and was possessed by Shiraha.
After this incident, Ryan Chris was furious, and it is said that Lorin's older brother was grounded for a whole year until he was released to take the exam.
Because Shiraha's projected Soul Power was strong, comparable to a first-level Formal Wizard, his poisoned body recovered quickly after the spiritual feedback.
Ultimately, the much-anticipated plot unfolded: after recovering from his injuries for half a year, Shiraha was admitted to the top mecha department of Randall University, the largest university in West State, while his older brother Barton was admitted to the slightly less Rock Mecha Academy.
Using the poisoning incident as an excuse, Shiraha has chosen to stay at school to study every year during school holidays, and has not returned home for four years now.
Instead of blaming him, Ryan Chris continued to increase the cultivation resources.
Shiraha walked into the courtyard of the villa at the very edge of the dormitory area, arrived at the metal gate, took out a crystal card, inserted it into the groove on the door, and with a beep, the metal gate opened automatically.
These crystal cards, which resemble identification, are exclusive to academy students. They are equivalent to student cards, linked to each person's unique Mental Power aura, and can also be used as a communication tool, making them very convenient.
Shiraha went into the kitchen, grabbed some bread and milk from the refrigerator to tide him over, then went upstairs to his bedroom, turned on his computer, and started checking the daily news.
"West State is about to experience a once-in-a-decade blizzard. The public is advised to take precautions when traveling. Below is the specific weather forecast for each area."
At 2:07 AM, a massive meteorite fell toward West State and was eliminated by the West State Army General Jason Jonah, a ' Planet-Level ' Mecha Warrior.
Shiraha read through the news in order. Based on the time when he sent the Request for Aid to the main body, if the main body were to take action and send resources, it would probably be within this month. Therefore, he spent a lot of time checking the news every day, just to avoid seeing news about the Alternate Dimension creatures being defeated.
Suddenly, a bright red message appeared on the banner at the top of the news page.
"Breaking news! Kyle Boy, the president of East State Donald University and a ' Star-Level ' Mecha Warrior, has been severely injured by an unknown Cosmic Being during interstellar travel!!!"
He tried clicking to view it, but found a line of text on the webpage.
"The minimum permission level to read this message is 5, your current permission level is 2, insufficient permissions! Unable to view!"
Upon seeing this, Shiraha frowned. He only obtained his Level 2 authority after being admitted to Randall University. Only by advancing to the seventh year and graduating successfully could he upgrade his authority to Level 3. As for Level 5 authority, his strength would probably have already surpassed his original body.
Getting into the Mecha Department doesn't guarantee you'll become Mecha Warrior. The Mecha Department has seven years in total, and you can stay in school for a maximum of ten years. This is to give more time and opportunities to students who have already reached the seventh year but are unable to advance further.
As for those who have spent ten years in the mecha department and still can't become Fourth-Level Mecha Warrior, then there's nothing that can be done.
Shiraha a fourth-grader this year, and his overall grades have consistently ranked in the top 50 of the fourth grade, which is quite outstanding. After all, the people ahead of him are either more talented than him, have more resources, or both.
Even with the fusion of a powerful soul comparable to First-Level Wizard, Shiraha's foundation is still far behind that of some mecha students, a gap that cannot be easily bridged.
However, if the resources for the main body are successfully delivered, then it's a different story.
The first step to becoming Mecha Warrior requires a special talent that can activate the body's cellular perception, attention, judgment, and consciousness.
Then, through the special training method of Mecha Warrior, they continuously temper their Mental Power, condense and activate a special force field, and form a second brain in their whole body to generate a brand new power from within, namely the second attention - Mental Power.
Before being admitted to the Mecha Academy, the Mental Power training method he practiced could only be considered as laying the foundation; it didn't even qualify him as a first-level Mecha Warrior.
Reaching Level 1 is considered just entering the world of Mecha Warrior. At this stage, Mecha Warrior's Mental Power will increase slightly, their physical constitution will improve to a certain extent, and they will be able to pilot some simple civilian mechas.
According to Shiraha's calculations, it's roughly equivalent to the level of an ordinary Chunin.
Starting from level two, Mecha Warrior are significantly different from others. At this stage, Mecha Warrior can enhance their Mental Power to launch external attacks, and they can directly penetrate ordinary armor and civilian mechs. Without Mental Power opponent of the same level, they will almost certainly be instantly killed.
He can be considered Jōnin.
As for Third Level, the Mental Power is greatly enhanced and begins to feed back into the body. Through Mental Power bursts, the physical constitution can be greatly amplified in a short period of time, comparable to Kage Level powerhouse who is proficient in Taijutsu.
The true strength of Mecha Warrior lies in the combination of their mech and combat mech.
Third Level Mecha Warrior, when paired with a powerful combat mecha, could probably rival a peak Kage Level ninja.
Fourth-Level is the level at which you can prepare for graduation. At this level, Mecha Warrior can instantly kill a large number of ordinary people by unleashing a small amount of Mental Power. This is achieved by converting Mental Power into a special force field that envelops the entire body and is highly integrated with the mecha.
The first Third Level are not difficult for most students in the Mecha Department of Randall University; it's just a matter of how quickly they can achieve them.
Basically, everyone can reach the basic level in the first year of school, the first level of Mecha Warrior in the second year, the second level of Mecha Warrior in the third year, and the Third Level level of Mecha Warrior in the fourth year.
However, the transition from Third Level to Fourth-Level Mecha Warrior is a huge watershed moment.
Once you reach Fourth-Level, you must have your own exclusive combat mech. For Mecha Warrior, their exclusive mech is like a second life.
Mecha Warrior must begin to resonate with their exclusive mechs using Mental Power at Fourth-Level; this is the source of Mecha Warrior's power.
The amount of Mental Power that can be used by the physical body alone is extremely limited, but when it resonates with the Mental Power of a mecha made of special materials, it can unleash ten or even a hundred times the original power.
Fourth-Level Mecha Warrior have a lifespan of nearly 200 years, but many people, even with their own mechs, may never be able to achieve 100% Mental Power resonance before they die.
To accelerate the resonance process, a lot of resources are needed. The fastest way is to make the mecha a 'living thing', merge it with the soul of Cosmic Being, and then control it through Mental Power.
However, this process is extremely dangerous, and only some long-established and powerful forces would adopt this method. But once successful, the actual combat power of the mechs will skyrocket.
The second method involves using a secret technique to split off a portion of one's soul and allow it to completely merge with the mecha. This will greatly increase the compatibility between the mecha and oneself, and accelerate the resonance speed.
However, using the second method requires a special treasure that greatly restores Soul Power, which is unaffordable for most people.
Therefore, most Mecha Warrior are nobles, and even if they are not now, they will inevitably be in the future.
For ordinary people to achieve 100% resonance between Mental Power and mechs, they must attach themselves to a certain faction and serve them for life in exchange for resources.
Even then, it depends on whether others are willing to invest in you.
With the Chris Family's financial resources, they can at most support him and his older brother to cultivate to Fourth-Level. As for achieving 100% resonance and advancing to Fifth-Level, even if they give it their all, they can only give one of them a chance to advance, and that's just a chance.
Once Mecha Warrior reaches Fifth-Level, it's a completely new level; their lifespan increases dramatically, exceeding a thousand years.
Therefore, every Viscount Family is a thousand-year-old noble family, Fifth-Level Mecha Warrior are also known as Legacy-Level Mecha Warrior.
This is also why the original owner's elder brother went so far as to use poison in order to eliminate one competitor.
The Chris Family's only Fifth-Level Mecha Warrior has been dead for over a hundred years. The strongest member of the family is the patriarch, Ryan Chris, but he has only reached Level Fourth-Level. Due to an injury sustained in his youth, he has virtually no chance of advancing any further.
If it weren't for the favors of their ancestor, Fifth-Level Mecha Warrior, and the various protection systems of the Federation, the Chris Family would have been wiped out long ago.
Of course, if the Chris Family doesn't produce another genius with the potential to become Fifth-Level Mecha Warrior, the noble family that protects the Chris Family might abandon them.
"Beep beep!"
Just as Shiraha continued to check the news on the computer, the crystal identity card on the table made a sound.
He picked up the crystal identity card and saw that a video application had appeared on it.
Shiraha hesitated for a moment, then chose to accept.
At this moment, the image of a young man with brown hair and green eyes appeared on the crystal card.
"Lorin, have you not come home again?"
The young man noticed the background behind Shiraha in the video and said with a smile.
His name is Sean Benson, a descendant of a viscount noble family. The other family is in a better situation than the Chris Family, as their Fifth-Level Legacy-Level Mecha Warrior is still alive, although his lifespan is also coming to an end.
In general, the two came from similar family backgrounds, Shiraha was befriended by Sean because of his outstanding talent.
Originally, Shiraha wanted to keep a low profile, so he tried to avoid socializing and rejected many girls who offered themselves to him. However, the Benson Family, to which Sean belonged, and the Chris Family were old friends, so Shiraha had no choice but to maintain a relationship with him.
"Olena from Fred's family is having a private party on her aircraft next Friday. Are you going? She's interested in you, and she's probably just casually inviting me along. She just wants me to invite you too. You won't refuse, will you?!"
Sean winked and said.
"She's not interested in me at all," Shiraha said helplessly. It was obvious that she wanted to recruit him as a follower for her family.
Although Shiraha wanted to refuse, the Freyr family was a top-tier Earl family with a level six ' Planet-Level ' Mecha Warrior. Even ten peak-stage Chris Family couldn't compare to them.
Even if you refuse, you can't offend the other party.
Upon hearing this, Sean suddenly stopped joking and said seriously, "Lorin, no matter what you think, it won't hurt to get in touch with Olena. Besides, with your talent, the Chris Family's current resources probably can't meet your needs."
Olena's talent is even greater than yours. If you can successfully marry into the Freyr Family, you'll have a secure source of resources for your own mech.
This is a chance to advance to the Inheritance level. If I were you, I wouldn't refuse it at all.
"At worst, you can have a few more children with her, and send one with exceptional talent back to the family to inherit the title."
Sean's words came from the bottom of his heart. Although his family still had Mecha Warrior of the inheritance level, it would not be an easy thing for him to advance to the Fifth-Level.
Now that Lorin has the opportunity to curry favor with someone powerful, he is extremely envious.
"Don't worry, I'll be there on time. As for the matter of marrying into the family, how do you know what others think? I'll rely on my own efforts first," Shiraha said thoughtfully.
"Okay, as long as you agree to go, I'll come find you then!" Sean said with a smile, then hung up the video call.
"You're just doing this for Delores, aren't you!" Shiraha laughed and scolded. After Sean hung up the video call, his expression quickly returned to calm, and his eyes flickered.
The split soul came to this world to help the main body find a way to break through to the "Star-Level" as soon as possible. If he could get the support of the Freyr Family's resources, his chances of advancing to the Inheritance Level would greatly increase. However, this would require him to become a follower of the Fred family and sign a special soul contract, which Shiraha could not accept.
After all, he still needs to send his split soul back to the Naruto World through the "Astral Gate" to merge with his main body and allow his main body to advance. He can't leave any flaws in his soul; that would be courting death.
Shiraha wasn't sure if a Legacy-level Mecha Warrior could be compared to a "Star-Level" sorcerer, but a Level 6 "Planet-Level" Mecha Warrior definitely surpassed the strength of a "Star-Level" sorcerer.
To sign a soul contract with a powerhouse of this level is tantamount to courting death.
The main reason is that the upper limit of this world exceeded Shiraha's expectations. If the divided soul can be made as strong as possible, the main body can be promoted to "Star-Level" or even "Moonlight-Level".
The accumulation of resources becomes crucial.
Three days later, on Monday, four days before Olena's private party, Shiraha left the school under the cover of night.
Because it is currently a holiday period, students can freely enter and exit the school without reporting their whereabouts.
Through soul connection, the "Astral Gate" spell was about to take effect, and he needed to hurry to a place far away from the school to receive the resources transmitted from his main body.
There are at least six-level ' Planet-Level ' Mecha Warrior in the school, and the dean is likely a seven-level ' Star-Level ' Mecha Warrior. Opening a ' Astral Gate ' inside the school would be far too dangerous.
After a day's journey, Shiraha arrived at a secluded valley. He set up Defensive Wizardry Array to isolate his aura and then communicated with the "Astral Gate".
A massive Space Gate appeared before him, and the next second, a fist-sized white ball of light floated out and crashed directly into his body.
"This time, the main body really went all out," Shiraha couldn't help but exclaim.
The white ball of light contained the Chakra of a fully formed Otsutsuki Clan Member, along with a compressed space containing a large amount of refined Gelel Stone. This type of ore, imbued with powerful life force, is a rare treasure even in mecha civilization, and it can serve as capital for Shiraha to build his own mecha in the future.
Shiraha's aura surged dramatically, his Soul Power increased significantly, and his eyes, which were originally light blue, now darkened.
Because he directly activated the Tenseigan.
"So it was suppressed after all?" Shiraha realized, sensing that the Tenseigan's abilities were being affected.
However, he didn't care. Whether it was the power of the Wizarding World or the power of the Chakra Civilization, they were his last resorts and he never needed to use them under normal circumstances.
The most crucial aspect of Otsutsuki Chakra is to significantly enhance the soul strength of his split soul, thereby helping him advance to the Inheritance level.
"That's great, we don't have to marry into the family now!"