For five hundred years since monsters invaded Earth, the world had undergone drastic changes. All creatures except humans had mutated, ushering in humanity's darkest era.
Human territories shrank repeatedly until people could only huddle within fortified cities.
One year after the monster invasion, void realms descended from the sky.
Humans brought mecha awakening stones out from these realms, allowing people to awaken and bond with mechas, finally gaining the means to barely resist the monsters.
New Era Calendar, Year 581, August 1st.
Dragon Nation, Canglan Fortress City.
Canglan Third High School.
On the spacious playground, students stood in neat rows, their postures erect. Their eyes, magnetically drawn, remained fixed on the front of the field, faces brimming with barely contained anticipation as if something extraordinary might happen any second.
Today was the most anticipated day for all senior high students—a chance for countless underprivileged youths to defy fate.
Because today, all eighteen-year-old students would undergo mecha awakening!
To become exalted Mecha Masters standing above tens of thousands.
Yet even among Mecha Masters, disparities existed. Most aspired to become high-quality masters, for only then could they manifest mechas with greater potential!
Zhou Luo was no exception!!
Among the crowd, Zhou Luo stood tall with perfectly proportioned physique. His slightly messy black hair fell casually across his forehead, adding a touch of wild charm. His clear, unclouded eyes could make any girl fall for him with just an accidental glance.
"My sister awakened as a fifth-order Mecha Master a year ago! As long as she doesn't fall in battle, she'll remain a fifth-order master forever."
"With my sister achieving such high quality and sharing the Zhou family's perfect genes, I shouldn't do too badly either!"
With his elder sister Zhou Yun as precedent, Zhou Luo felt somewhat confident.
Zhou Luo wasn't originally from this version of Earth—he had crossed over from another world.
He only remembered that day when he was pulling an all-nighter playing Mecha King, competing in the national finals where nine of the top ten players used Beast Clan characters, while he was the sole Motor Clan player.
Despite being hunted by nine supreme players, Zhou Luo still ranked first!
After that battle, the entire Mecha King community crowned him the God of Unique Plays, the Divine Carry—unmatched!
Overcome with excitement from his 1v9 flawless victory, he knocked over his water cup onto the keyboard... and then he crossed over.
Even in this new world, he remained a gaming addict and chuunibyou teenager!
Previously, he could only pilot mechas in the virtual world, but here he could truly command mechas to battle monsters.
How could Zhou Luo—the Mecha King's Divine Carry—not be thrilled by this?!
Now the awakening ceremony began.
"Tang Sanshen."
The called student rushed onto the platform.
Having mentally rehearsed this moment countless times, no instruction from the officiator was needed.
The ordinary-looking youth stepped into the awakening stone array.
A moment later.
The array flashed with faint light as golden text appeared above the boy's head, simultaneously displaying on the massive blue screen at the field's center:
"Potential: First-Order Mecha Master!"
"Bound Mecha: Blue Silver Mecha!"
The first student to awaken a mecha immediately caused quite a stir, drawing faint smiles from the school leaders on the platform.
At least it was a good start, wasn't it?
Tang Sanshen excitedly ran off the stage, dramatically showing off to his classmates.
"Next, Cai Kun."
As soon as Cai Kun stepped up, girls below began screaming wildly, calling out "Gege!"
Cai Kun was the second most handsome student at Canglan Third High School, just behind Zhou Luo, so it was no surprise he had plenty of admirers.
"Potential: First-tier Mecha Pilot!"
"Bound Mecha: Black Star Mecha!"
Although the head of his bound mecha somewhat resembled a chicken's, Cai Kun was still overjoyed. Becoming a mecha pilot meant he could defy fate—at the very least, it would drastically change his life.
The awakening continued.
One by one, students stepped forward, but it seemed as though Canglan Third High's luck had been completely drained by Tang Sanshen and Cai Kun.
None of the subsequent students awakened as mecha pilots—only basic physical enhancements, not even auxiliary professions.
On Blue Star, there were only two main professions: combat-class Mecha Pilots and support-class Mecha Technicians!
Mecha Pilots and Technicians complemented each other, and in some ways, Technicians held even higher status than Pilots.
If a bound mecha suffered severe damage, only a Technician could repair it.
The cost of repairing a mecha was enormous, and a saying circulated on Blue Star: "Powerful Mecha Pilots are never in short supply, but high-quality Technicians are exceedingly rare."
Other professions were limited to basic physical enhancements or minor auxiliary roles.
"Sigh~ Not a single Technician this year," one of the leaders muttered, shaking his head at the disappointing turnout.
"Technicians are incredibly hard to come by. Having high-quality Mecha Pilots is already a blessing," the grade director chimed in.
"Last year, we had several top-tier Pilots. This year shouldn't be any worse!" Vice-Principal Zhang Long remained unperturbed—this was a normal awakening rate, and he was long past being surprised.
Getting five or six high-quality Mecha Pilots in a year was already a success.
"Next! Liu Qingxue!"
"Whoa!!"
As Liu Qingxue stepped out from the crowd, the entire world seemed to dim in comparison. Every gaze converged on her, as if she alone commanded all attention.
The young woman had an exquisite figure, her lustrous golden hair cascading freely down her back, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, her skin flawless like snow.
With each graceful step she took toward the platform, there was an undeniable power in her stride, as though the world itself was waiting for her to shine on the awakening stage.
Zhou Luo raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing at her before looking away.
He knew someone like Liu Qingxue must have an extraordinary background.
After all, it wasn't the first time he'd seen the grade director treating her with deference—even her transportation to school was a luxurious Rolls-Royce.
She stepped into the awakening array.
A beam of light shot into the sky, causing the heavens above Canglan Third High to churn violently. The radiant pillar resembled a sword attempting to pierce through the firmament itself.
At the same time, a towering, three-meter-tall humanoid mecha materialized behind her. The mecha was entirely ice-blue, exhaling frosty mist—clearly designed for a woman.
"Damn, even the mecha has such a great figure! I'd say this mecha's still got it going on!!"
"This must be a mech beyond fifth-tier!!"
"The sheer pressure! The imposing aura—definitely above fifth-tier!!"
The crowd erupted in uproar, teachers gasped in awe!
Even the school administrators stood up with exaggerated expressions, their trembling hands betraying their utter shock.
A line of text appeared above Liu Qingxue's head.
The entire world fell silent.
"Potential: Ninth-tier Mech Pilot!"
"Bound Mech: Frost Empress!"
Human desire is like an unending torrent—now hand over those bookmarks in your hands!!
(End of Chapter)