Radiation Rights

"Looks like I asked that question too soon."

Lin Guotao chuckled.

"You should focus on training in the Special Selection Class first. Here's a piece of advice: fight for everything! A month from now, I'll ask you again."

Thinking of Lin Guotao's usual style, Li Yi said thoughtfully, "You mean that if my answer is yes by then, you'll get me some kind of benefit, right?"

Lin Guotao merely smiled without answering, then rose and left.

Only when he reached the ward door did he say casually, "If there's nothing wrong with your body, go to your room and confirm whether you've received all your champion rewards. That's the most important thing. Don't forget."

After seeing Lin Guotao off, Li Yi got up as well and checked the pile of new messages on his personal communicator.

"There it is—my room number and directions, along with the transfer order."

"Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. standard time, report to Zone 5 of Compartment 12... Huh? I don't need to pilot the Divine Mech there?"

"Come to think of it, where did they put the Pluto Mech?"

Li Yi closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, only to discover that the Pluto Mech was nowhere nearby.

After becoming a Divine Mech's exclusive pilot, all one had to do was focus and sense to perceive the location of the corresponding mech.

"They probably put it in storage. Fine. I'll train first tomorrow and see how they arrange things."

After packing up briefly, Li Yi followed the navigation on his personal communicator and left the medical facility.

According to the navigation, this section was Zone 4 of Compartment 12. Aside from the medical facility, its main buildings included the Environmental Maintenance Bureau, the Ecological Planning Bureau, a waste treatment plant, and more.

Zones 1 through 3 were all mech combat arenas, while Zone 6 was the residential area he would soon be heading to.

Zone 7 was the hibernation area, accessible only to those with Level 2 clearance or above.

It was worth noting that his personal communicator had already identified him as an official mech pilot with Level 2 clearance.

Zone 6.

Li Yi quickly found his dormitory building.

The dome of Compartment 12 was extremely high, at least one hundred and fifty meters tall.

The dormitory buildings in Zone 6 were like massive pillars supporting the vast dome of Compartment 12.

Following the markers, Li Yi soon entered an elevator.

As the elevator rose and fell, several people came and went. Quite a few revealed looks of surprise the moment they saw Li Yi.

They had obviously recognized his face from the rookie martial arts tournament.

Of course, some remained indifferent, most likely because they had not paid much attention to the rookie martial arts tournament.

Most people here hurried along as though they had countless things to do.

Moreover, they generally looked healthy and vigorous, brimming with energy.

Just from their strides, Li Yi could tell that their fighting skills were formidable. Some of them could probably crush Lou Cheng with ease.

Li Yi secretly marveled. It seemed that most residents of this building were official mech pilots.

When the elevator reached the thirtieth floor, a highly attractive young woman entered.

She stood one meter seventy-eight tall, with a slender, statuesque figure, full powerful thighs, and long arms. Her presence was overwhelming. At first glance, anyone could tell she was an exceptionally skilled fighter.

Her features were equally striking: an oval face, almond eyes, sharp brows, rosy cheeks, and thin lips. She was both beautiful and valiant-looking.

The instant Li Yi met her eyes, she froze briefly before smiling.

"Li Yi? What a coincidence. I actually ran into you a day early."

Her voice possessed a gentle, graceful quality.

Li Yi thought for a moment, then realized. "You're in the Special Selection Class too?"

The woman nodded lightly and extended her hand to Li Yi. "My name is Chen Qiong Zhi. I hope we can learn from each other from now on."

Li Yi politely touched her fingertips. "I wouldn't dare claim to teach you anything. I'm just a rookie, so I hope you'll teach me a few things, Senior Sister."

Chen Qiong Zhi smiled. "I'm not your Senior Sister."

"Oh, then we're in the same intake?"

Li Yi found it a little strange. Weren't Liang Shaocong and the others his fellow recruits? Why was there someone he had never seen before?

"This is my floor. See you tomorrow."

Chen Qiong Zhi got off on the thirty-eighth floor.

"Sure, see you."

Not a fellow recruit and not a Senior Sister—could she be an instructor, or perhaps an assistant?

As Li Yi pondered it, he felt that was entirely possible.

Her presence was practically overflowing. She was probably a genuine Evolver.

It would make sense for an Evolver to serve as an instructor.

When the elevator reached the forty-third floor, Li Yi got off as well.

His dorm was a thirty-five-square-meter single room, complete with a sofa, bed, bookshelf, projection display, shower room, and everything else he could need.

It was also clean, orderly, and spotless.

Though a little cramped, it was far better than the filthy, chaotic conditions of the Tree Shed District on Mars where Li Yi had lived before.

"Not bad. The treatment for Level 2 clearance is pretty decent."

Li Yi was very satisfied and set himself a small goal.

"Next, I'll become a Mid-Level Mech Pilot as soon as possible. By then, I should be able to move into a larger and more comfortable private residence."

The next day.

Zone 5.

Following the directions, Li Yi arrived at the entrance of the designated enclosed venue ten minutes early.

"Huh."

Lin Hua and Liang Shaocong were there, each standing in a corner by the entrance with their arms folded, looking as though they wanted nothing to do with each other.

It seemed that the top three finalists of the martial arts tournament had all been transferred into the Special Selection Class.

"Yo, you two are here pretty early."

Li Yi greeted them carelessly, not feeling the slightest remorse over beating the two of them badly in the finals.

Lin Hua was the first to glare at him and snort coldly.

"Li Yi, don't get cocky. You're only good at fighting, but to become an Evolver and a Mid-Level Mech Pilot, you need a sufficient understanding of Divinity Techniques. Without an Inherited Skill, you're destined to be surpassed by me! Just wait!"

Without waiting for Li Yi's response, she turned away on her own and raised her chin, looking elsewhere.

Liang Shaocong, on the other hand, smiled at Li Yi and nodded lightly.

"Li Yi, I'm glad to be training with you. I hope you won't hold the unpleasantness at the martial arts tournament against me. I merely used the best strategy I could think of."

"Don't worry. It was normal competition. As long as you don't resort to underhanded tricks, I have no objections."

Li Yi had always been gentle toward defeated opponents, because they were destined never to catch up to him again.

"Of course, if I find out that anyone is pulling little tricks, I'll let him know the biggest difference between The Humble Clan and the Power Clan."

Liang Shaocong paused. "What difference?"

Li Yi smiled, revealing a mouthful of chilling white teeth. "No weaknesses. We can abandon everything at any time."

At that instant, Liang Shaocong actually had the illusion that the Pluto Mech had appeared before him, and a chill ran through him like he had fallen into an ice pit.

"Wow, wow, wow! The rookies are already here. Has Li Yi, the so-called strongest rookie fighting champion, arrived?"

Before the atmosphere could remain tense for long, a man carrying an enormous backpack in one hand came jogging over, shouting loudly.

As soon as he arrived, an icy, razor-sharp presence spread outward.

He looked reckless and scatterbrained, yet his presence was somewhat similar to that of the Pluto Mech.

After arriving, his gaze swept over Li Yi and the other two before settling on Li Yi's face.

"So, how does it feel to pilot the Pluto Mech? That's the Divine Mech I've dreamed of having, and you got it before me! Sigh, my heart hurts so much I can barely breathe."

"How about it? Want to fight me? If I win, the Pluto Mech is mine. What do you say?"

Li Yi looked utterly baffled. "Is there something wrong with your brain?"

He suddenly felt a little more disappointed in this Special Selection Class. It can't be full of weirdos like this, can it?

"No, no, no. There's nothing wrong with my brain. I don't want the right to pilot the Pluto Mech. I want your Divinity Radiation Rights."

Rather than getting angry, the man smiled with narrowed eyes, wearing an expression as if he had Li Yi completely figured out.