The early morning sun glinted off the polished floors of the Galactic Academy training hall, reflecting off the rows of mechs lined up for the day's sparring exercises. Cadets were pairing off, their visors down, HUDs flickering with target stats and combat metrics. The air buzzed with anticipation.
Elias Vale stepped forward, the memory of yesterday's miraculous mech revival still fresh in his mind. His System pulsed gently in his mind:
"SYNC MODULE UNLOCKED. Pilots in proximity detected. Potential for enhanced system output: 18% → 25%."
He flexed his hands inside the cockpit gloves. Today, he would not just survive—he would prove himself.
Across the hall, a familiar platinum-haired figure smirked from her mech platform. Serena Lark, still intrigued, still skeptical, raised an eyebrow. But beside her was a new figure—a striking cadet with dark brown hair, sharp green eyes, and a confident, playful grin.
"Ah, Vale," she called, her voice carrying across the hall. "I hear yesterday's little stunt caused quite a stir. Care to show the rest of us if it was a fluke?"
Elias felt his pulse spike. The first new female attention. His mind registered the same System prompt:
"Potential romantic interest detected. Engagement value: 12% → 18%."
He ignored it. Focus. Power first. Attention comes after.
Elias climbed into his mech, feeling the familiar hum of the System syncing with his movements. He ran a full diagnostic:
Hull Integrity: 82% → 82% (stable)
Servo Efficiency: 91% → 91%
Weapon Output: 63% → 63%
Everything was ready.
The instructor's voice echoed through the hall:"Vale, you're up first. Pair with… Lira Toren."
The dark-haired cadet smirked from her mech. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," she teased. But her eyes sparkled with challenge.
The arena doors closed, and the virtual targets disappeared, replaced by a live sparring zone. Elias took a deep breath, letting the System analyze Lira's mech:
Agility: 88%
Armor: 76%
Weapon Output: 79%
Then his own stats flashed again:
Combat Rating: D → B
Mech Efficiency: 85% → 91%
Weapon Damage Output: 92% → 94%
He grinned. He could outmatch her—if he played it right.
The System suggested a combat path:
"Optimal Strategy: Strike after evasion patterns detected. Expected success rate: 87%."
Elias nodded.
The bell chimed. Sparring began.
Lira's mech lunged at him with speed, testing his reflexes. Elias dodged, barely, his HUD highlighting weak points in her trajectory. Sparks flew as her arm cannon scraped past his armor.
"Now," the System prompted.
He fired a short-range missile, aimed at a joint in her leg servos. Hit confirmed. 22% mobility reduction.
She smirked, spinning her mech and returning fire. Elias's shields absorbed the brunt, but the System alerted:
Shield Integrity: 76% → 70%
Combat Efficiency: 91% → 95%
He adjusted instantly, letting the System optimize weapon output while predicting her next move.
Minutes later, Lira's mech staggered, systems overloaded from his combo attack. She threw up her hands in mock surrender.
"I… okay, okay! That was… impressive," she said, climbing down from her mech. "You've got talent… Vale. Maybe more than I expected."
Serena, watching from the platform, clenched her jaw slightly. Elias felt her gaze—and he knew she was intrigued, possibly jealous.
Lira approached him, green eyes sparkling. "Don't let her intimidate you," she whispered, leaning close enough for him to notice the subtle scent of her perfume. "Not everyone's out to see you fail."
Elias felt a strange warmth in his chest. Something new: admiration mixed with attraction. He shook it off. Not now. Power first. Recognition second. Romance… maybe later.
By the end of the sparring, whispers echoed:
"Vale beat Lira… the ace pilot?"
"He's really not an accident. Something's happening there."
"Did Serena just… glare at him?"
Even the instructor raised an eyebrow. The academy was taking notice—the weak cadet was no longer invisible.
Back in the scrapyard after class, Elias ran another analysis:
Combat Rating: B → A
Pilot Synchronization: 91% → 97%
Weapon Damage Output: 94% → 97%
Harem Potential (female attention): 18% → 28%
The System's subtle notifications reminded him: attention and influence grow with power.
Elias smiled to himself. The academy's whispers, the growing intrigue from female cadets, the sparks of jealousy from elites—it all meant one thing: he was finally rising.
That night, lying in his quarters, Elias stared at the ceiling, thinking about the day. Serena's icy gaze, Lira's teasing confidence, the awe of the cadets—they were all threads in a web he was beginning to spin.
One thing was certain: the weakest cadet of the academy was no longer weak.And by the time the day ended tomorrow, the whispers wouldn't just be about his mech—they would be about him.