"Star-Rank Mecha Pilot."
Wang Yu murmured the words, recalling what the old man who had taught him Star Thought Power in the game had said before he acquired it: Star Thought Power had nine levels, each corresponding to a Mech Pilot's star rank. A measure of understanding dawned on him.
By that reckoning, having already completed his cultivation of level-three Star Thought Power, wouldn't he be a three-star Mech Pilot?
Just then, a burst of exuberant cheering came from inside the entrance, so loud that Wang Yu and Li Xiaodao could hear it clearly even where they stood outside.
"What's this?"
A trace of puzzlement crossed Wang Yu's face.
"Some official Mech Pilots must be fighting a ranked match on the Public Platform. Sounds like a pretty exciting fight, too. Mr. Sai, should we go in and take a look? The Star River Café has a big screen where we can watch it live," Li Xiaodao said, itching to join in.
"Mech Pilot rankings?" Wang Yu asked.
"Yes. You can only compete in ranked matches after becoming an official Mech Pilot, but Elite Mech Pilots and even Star-Rank Mecha Pilots can all participate," Li Xiaodao explained.
"Interesting. Let's take a look first, then." Wang Yu glanced through the entrance, heard another round of cheering from inside, and spoke with a faint smile.
"It seems you don't play Star River much, Mr. Sai. The Mech Pilot Rankings are incredibly popular and well-known these days. Just making it onto the rankings gets you a free monthly stipend from your country's government. If you make the top ten thousand, major corporations will even compete to hire you, willing to pay handsomely to keep you on their payroll.
"To be honest, if I could make the top ten thousand Mech Pilots, I might not