Chapter 20: Is there no one left in District 10? You sent a piece of trash?
The starship swiftly arrived at Olaverick, the planet closest to the White Whale star.
For Lian Fei, it was her first time experiencing such a magnificent and overwhelming sight, one that left her dazed for a long while.
As far as the eye could see, pristine white towers stood in an orderly yet not suffocating arrangement—like high spires of immaculate design.
The relatively low rooftops were curved, gleaming with golden light under the sun’s rays, adding a subtle splash of color to the sea of white.
Many taller towers reached sharply into the clouds.
Transparent, glass-like panels were skillfully incorporated, perfectly capturing and scattering the light.
All the buildings before her appeared as if cloaked in a dreamlike filter.
The first word that flashed through Lian Fei’s mind was “sacred.”
If heaven truly existed, this must be its likeness.
Suspended in midair above the city were the ubiquitous hovercars.
Between the buildings, train tracks wove like winding rivers, with trains passing by now and then.
The streets, like the buildings, were pure white, causing Lian Fei to tread carefully, fearful that her shoes might sully the immaculate surface.
The landscaping was exquisite—flower beds dotted everywhere, bursting with vibrant flora unlike anything Lian Fei had ever seen.
Yet oddly, there was not a single tree in sight; it seemed the locals disliked them intensely.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” the Tenth District Military Commander said with satisfaction, pleased to finally see the shock register on Lian Fei’s face.
He did not stop her from staring but kept an eye on her footsteps, wary she might trip if distracted.
Lian Fei nodded slightly, absorbing the breathtaking beauty around her.
It was stunning.
A scene that could only exist in dreams.
“Olaverick natives are widely recognized as the Federation’s most refined aesthetes,” the Tenth District Commander remarked. “Nine out of ten of the Federation’s most famous artists hail from Olaverick.”
Lian Fei gave a perfunctory nod to show she was listening.
In truth, she hadn’t caught a word of what he said; her attention was wholly captivated by the surroundings.
The commander chuckled quietly.
“Old Shen, still out this late?”
A portly man in military uniform greeted the Tenth District Commander with a friendly smile.
“On duty, no choice,” the commander replied cheerfully. “But you, from the Eighth District? That’s quite a distance. You’re here so soon?”
The Eighth District Commander waved his hand dismissively. “Ha, I never went home—just been nearby. And who’s this?”
His gaze fell on Lian Fei.
Still lost in wonder, she hadn’t snapped out of her trance.
The Tenth District Commander smiled resignedly and nodded. “That’s her.”
“Oh,” the Eighth District Commander appraised Lian Fei. “Not bad. Very young.”
Then he patted his belly and joked, “When will the Eighth District produce someone as formidable as you? Or maybe you should join us—our district wants to win this year too.”
The Tenth District Commander rolled his eyes. “Get lost. Your district isn’t lacking talent. Didn’t you have someone—what was his name? Jian Bochen? I thought he got into the Olivell Military Academy… Wait, if he’s in the academy, why is he still on the Eden List?”
The Eden competition barred military academy students from participating.
The original purpose of Eden was to select promising candidates to fight against the Zerg.
Later, Federation leaders realized that most selected were already military academy students, who were by definition the Zerg’s preliminary defense force. It was redundant and a waste of resources.
Thus, from the twelfth tournament onward, the Federation prohibited military academy students from entering Eden.
The Eighth District Commander grinned. “Yeah, just like your Tenth District’s Luo Zheng from Gosero, who gave up his admission for family reasons.”
The Tenth District Commander sighed. “Young men bound by loyalty and sentiment.”
“But you brought her here for this mission? Have you no one else under you?” the Eighth District Commander asked, puzzled.
The Tenth District Commander tapped the Eighth District Commander’s shoulder meaningfully. “Old Chen, you know me—I can’t resist showing off when I have something good.”
He said this half-jokingly, but his real intention was to give Lian Fei firsthand battlefield experience.
He admitted she was powerful but had limited real combat experience.
The top planets in the Federation prided themselves on participating in Eden.
They trained from childhood, gaining far more combat experience than those from less advanced worlds.
Lian Fei only had a month, and he intended to use this precious time to enrich her practical skills.
The Eighth District Commander understood perfectly.
It seemed all the hopes were pinned on Lian Fei.
“Oh, isn’t that Old Shen and Old Chen?”
A voice dripping with arrogance and disdain announced their arrival.
The First District Military Commander—a highly arrogant man—appeared, followed by five students in Olivell Military Academy uniforms: three boys and two girls, all wearing cold, disdainful expressions.
“Jude, here so early?” the Eighth District Commander forced a smile.
The Tenth District Commander gave a faint greeting.
The First District Commander snorted coldly, ignoring the greeting. His gaze swept over Lian Fei, then rested mockingly on the Tenth District Commander.
“Has your Tenth District run out of people? Sending a useless one?”
The Tenth District Commander’s face immediately darkened.
The Eighth District Commander stepped forward naturally, placing himself between the two commanders.
He smiled warmly. “No way she’s useless. She cleared the Hell Zerg Hive.”
The First District Commander sneered. “Cheating and opportunism. Coming from a worthless place—how could she be anything good?”
“You!” The Tenth District Commander flushed with anger.
“This year’s Eden champion will be from our First District again,” the First District Commander declared, turning slightly to present his entourage.
“Look at our seed players this year. Tell me, should I crown Sarenvo Star again, or let Page Kolendo Star take the prize? Oh, what a dilemma.”
Sarenvo, ranked first, and Page Kolendo, ranked third, both belonged to the First District’s jurisdiction.
The First District Commander was obsessive about the origins of Eden participants, ensuring the main forces shared the same star affiliation.
Others were mere scapegoats to protect the core team.
Whether they lived or died depended entirely on luck.
In over a hundred tournaments, only the main forces from the First District ever survived.
This ruthless selection system was unique to the First District and naturally faced resistance within.
But it was crushed through the First District Commander’s alliance with local star lords.
After violent suppression came rewards—
Those who served as bodyguards were compensated handsomely, their families receiving significant sums and a number of mechas equal to their family members.
Survivors were awarded mechas no lower than S-grade and admission certificates to Olivell Military Academy.
Under such generous incentives, all resistance evaporated.
The second-ranked planet, Zhiloluo, belonged to the Second District.
The Second District Commander lacked such compulsions but could not deny the dominance of Zhiloluo within his area.
For the past 142 tournaments, winners alternated among the top three planets.
In other words, champions always emerged from the First and Second Districts.
Other districts served merely as stepping stones and cannon fodder.
The Eighth District Commander asked, puzzled, “Isn’t the Federation banning military academy students from competing? What’s this then?”
The First District Commander replied, “They temporarily withdraw, just going through the motions. After winning, they return—same as ever.”
At this, the five accompanying students displayed unanimous arrogance.
“You’re so sure your district will win again?” the Tenth District Commander shot a glance at them.
The First District Commander glanced back. “If it’s not us, it won’t be you losers.”
The Tenth District Commander retorted coldly, “Hope you don’t get trampled by those losers.”
The First District Commander narrowed his eyes.
Behind him, a girl with short, ear-length hair narrowed her eyes. Turning slightly, she sent a wave of psychic energy hurtling toward Lian Fei.
Before the Tenth District Commander could react, the psychic wave struck Lian Fei.
“What do you think you’re doing!” the Tenth District Commander roared.
The girl crossed her arms, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Commander, I just got curious about the person standing beside you after hearing your confident words. Don’t worry, it’s only a mild psychic attack with some confusing effects... Surely, you don’t expect someone you praise so highly can’t even resist a little confusion?”
The First District Commander laughed, waving his hand with feigned politeness. “Lin Ying, how can you be so rude? She is after all the Tenth District Commander. Apologize to our guest.”
Lin Ying rolled her eyes but mockingly said, “Sorry~”
The First District Commander turned to the Tenth District Commander. “Sorry, Lin Ying is a 3S-level psychic. You know how rare 3S-level psychics are. A bit of arrogance is to be expected.”
3S-level psychic!
The Tenth District Commander’s face darkened.
Confusion-type psychic attacks were the most capable of breaking through rank barriers.
An A-level confusion attack could already trap an S-level psychic, with the duration depending on the defender’s remaining mental strength.
But a 3S-level psychic?
That meant absolute control over any opponent, regardless of rank.
The length of control depended entirely on the 3S psychic’s power.
He hadn’t expected such a formidable figure to appear in the First District this year.
The Tenth District Commander felt completely uncertain.
He looked at Lian Fei, who stood still, her gaze still directed skyward.
Her eyes were vacant, unfocused.
His heart sank.
“Is that all?” Lin Ying giggled. “Just as useless as I thought.”
The First District Commander sneered. “Forget it, Old Shen. First place? With the losers you pick, if you win, I’ll run naked across the galaxy!”