I’m Addicted to your Pheromones from the First Moment We Met - Chapter 39

It was another Thursday, and another grueling Engineering class.

Facing the components that were giving her a massive headache, Yu Zhouyao clawed at her hair in frustration. Mr. Zhai had rejected her leave request. Their “beloved” Dean of Education, out of sheer “teacher-student affection” for his favorite pupil, had turned her down with gentle yet firm words.

“You cannot skip class, Student Yu Zhouyao. Engineering is just as important as Mecha class; you must treat them equally. This week’s assignment isn’t easy, either. I expect you to complete it well.”

Recalling Mr. Zhai’s haunting voice, Yu Zhouyao couldn’t help but shudder. She rubbed her face and turned back to the mountain of materials. The theme this week was “Biological Materials in Mecha Manufacturing.”

Just looking at the name told her there was an enormous amount of memorization involved. On top of Battlefield Botany and Battlefield Zoology, she now had to memorize the characteristics of tens of thousands of usable biological materials.

This was exactly why she had wanted a week off. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t memorize them, but she wanted to do it systematically—slowly, firmly, and effectively. Unfortunately, Mr. Zhai had seen right through that plan.

After memorizing the most common biological materials, Yu Zhouyao needed to select specific ones to replace mechanical parts in her assembled mecha to improve performance. She had already chosen the materials for the core components, but she was stuck on the hand joints. Joint materials had the most rigorous requirements.

“Mm… a Poison-Thread Bird’s sternum is too hard, and a Green-Chime Bird’s lacks flexibility. Mammal bones are too heavy. Is there a material that is light, soft, and highly resilient?”

Even after replacing all other parts, she still couldn’t find the right match for the joints. She collapsed onto the floor. “Ugh, this is so annoying! So annoying!”

Her complaints were overheard by her instructor, who happened to be making rounds.

Zhai Shiming asked, “Yu Zhouyao, what’s bothering you?”

Yu Zhouyao looked up to see the Dean of Education. Perfect—her assignment was saved. She rushed over. “Mr. Zhai! Is there a material that is light, soft, and has high resilience? I’ve been looking forever.”

Zhai Shiming pushed up his glasses. “Mm, there is. I believe it’s a type of fish bone, but I can’t recall the name off the top of my head.” He led her to the console. “You can search the database through the school portal, Yu Zhouyao. You can use the lab equipment or your own.”

He entered the keywords and set the filters. The result flashed onto the large screen: “Mud-Mud-Mud Fish.”

Seeing the name, Yu Zhouyao burst out laughing. “Sorry, Mr. Zhai… that name is hilarious. It sounds so rustic.”

A second later, the laughter died in her throat. Zhai Shiming clicked on the detailed description for the Mud-Mud-Mud Fish, and in the center of the screen was a photo of the “big-headed fish” she had been obsessing over all week.

Yu Zhouyao was stunned. The antidote really was within ten steps. The old saying was right.

Zhai Shiming explained: “Because the materials you need aren’t common, these species aren’t in your basic zoology textbooks. You have to check the database. Still, with a name that ‘cute,’ I’ll definitely remember it if you ask me again. Once you find the right entry, just go to the warehouse to get the physical samples. If you have more questions, ask me online. I’m heading out.”

Yu Zhouyao slumped over the console, repeatedly reading every word of the entry for the Mud-Mud-Mud Fish. She felt more and more like the virtual battlefield had cheated her.

“Mud-Mud-Mud Fish: Named for its mud-like color. Habitat varies from shallows to deep pools. Omnivorous; eats anything from creatures thirty to forty times its size down to small shrimp. Extremely adaptable to various environments.”

Dammit! That stupid fish was so common it didn’t even have a specific weakness to exploit.

Yu Zhouyao thought for a moment and then looked up every strange creature she could remember. The giant black rats in Level 2: “Black Styx Rats,” fur provides excellent insulation, claws can be used as reinforcement material. The red birds in Level 3: “Crimson-Brocade Swans,” tail feathers used for decoration. The giant lizards in Level 4: “Phantom-Light Flame Pears,” named for their camouflage. Their bile is used in medicine or stealth coatings.

Every creature appearing in the virtual battlefield was in the database. It wasn’t a coincidence.

Yu Zhouyao hypothesized that every level had a similar setup. Mastering a mecha wasn’t just about piloting; it was about knowing the environment and the manufacturing process. The “mecha” was the absolute core of the level design. The scoring system likely evaluated a participant’s total understanding of mecha, not just their driving skills.

Armed with this realization, Yu Zhouyao dropped her engineering homework and called Mu Mingyue to the training room. They opened Level 2.

“Eldest Miss, I have some ideas about the scoring criteria.”

After hearing the theory, Mu Mingyue agreed it made sense. This time, they would test the logic. They had cleared this level over twenty times and knew the flow by heart. Upon entering, they split up—one for the grey-white grass, one for the Snow Fox Orchid.

In under five minutes, the trap was set. As the ground vibrated, a swarm of Black Styx Rats rushed in. To ensure the pelts and claws remained intact, they didn’t use weapons of mass destruction. Mu Mingyue chose a low-power Wind Cannon, while Yu Zhouyao pulled out an Augmentation Cannon.

They fired in perfect sync. A gust of wind pinned the rats down, and Yu Zhouyao’s beam slightly increased the pressure of the wind. Within minutes, the rats lay obediently on the ground.

Yu Zhouyao checked the loot. Perfect. Glossy fur, intact skin, and complete claws.

The mechanical voice announced: “Congratulations on clearing the level. Scoring in progress… System score: ninety-five points. Please keep trying.”

A pause, then: “Congratulations to Student Yu Zhouyao and Student Mu Mingyue for the first time raising the Level 2 score above ninety points. Reward: fifty bonus team points. Please keep trying.”

Mu Mingyue clapped. “Yay! Another fifty points. We have nearly two thousand now. We just need to apply the right ‘medicine’ to each level.”

Just as they were about to exit, the voice spoke again: “To ensure competitive fairness, Level 2 is temporarily closed to Yu Zhouyao and Mu Mingyue. Please challenge other levels. Please keep trying.”

Yu Zhouyao was shocked. “What? They won’t let me grind?”

Mu Mingyue mused, “Mm, sounds like it. Maybe they’re afraid we’ll finish too fast if we keep getting ninety-five points?”

Yu Zhouyao pouted. Well, at least it proved her logic was sound. It was like unlocking a hidden achievement.

They summarized the rules:

1. 1. The Mecha is the absolute core, including piloting, manufacturing, and combat.

1. 1. Factors include time, method, energy consumption, and biological material integrity.

1. 1. Scores over ninety lock the level but give a one-time bonus.

With these rules, they began to dominate the later twenty levels. Yu Zhouyao would scout, they would discuss a strategy, Mu Mingyue would look up the flora/fauna in the database, and then they would execute. On a good night, they could clear two or three levels.

Watching their score climb, Yu Zhouyao felt a huge sense of accomplishment. “Eldest Miss, we’re amazing. We have six thousand points now.”

“We do, Zhouyao. We finished the five thousand point requirement ages ago.”

With five days left until the deadline, they had cleared twenty-nine levels, all except Level 1. It was time to take their “max-level” skills back to the starting zone.

They entered the pods for Level 1. The map loaded with the familiar announcement: “Welcome to Dragon Roar Canyon.”

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