The Only Ultimate Alpha in the Universe - Chapter 11

What on earth was a matchmaking match?

Xiao Sa stared at the emoticon smiley face from Hainuo for a full three seconds. He blinked slowly, only then realizing with hindsight: how could someone want to go on a blind date with him, an unemployed person with no legal identity?

He casually tapped open the notification:

[Detected a mental power compatibility of 100% with a matchmaking subject. This is the first-order priority recommendation. The other party has agreed to an online matchmaking date. You may choose to Accept, Reject, or Shelve.]

Xiao Sa raised an eyebrow. Calling it a blind date when even basic information was hidden made it look exactly like a telecommunications scam. If he chose to accept, the next step would probably fast-forward to paying a deposit, then seeing a photo, followed by a smooth combo move of his deposit being frozen.

Just as he was about to hit “Reject,” a prompt from Hainuo lit up on the screen:

[Don’t be too quick to refuse. According to the Aurora Empire’s Marriage Law, all citizens have an obligation to undergo matchmaking. A 100% compatibility is extremely rare in the entire Imperial database. It is recommended to select ‘Accept.’ ^_^]

Xiao Sa was privately amazed. This smart AI had actually guessed his intention to refuse. It was a bit too “intelligent.” After a moment of hesitation, his finger moved to the “Shelve” option and tapped it. The notification was temporarily moved back to the prompt bar.

Duan Feng’s injured legs could no longer support him, and his subordinates helped him sit down.

Xiao Sa opened his cloak, took the remaining B-grade inhibitors from his waist pouch, and placed them on the coffee table in front of the leader. “There are three vials left. I can sell them to you at market price.”

The adjutant, Deken, eyes shining with joy, said, “Boss, with the two vials we auctioned earlier, if we’re a bit frugal, this is enough for a month to recover your mental entity.”

Having survived a near-death experience, the sorrow and hostility between Duan Feng’s brows had faded quite a bit. A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Xiao Sa and shook his head. “We cannot take further advantage of you, sir. We will pay the auction price from earlier.”

Deken followed his leader’s lead. Having already accepted such a massive favor, he didn’t dare put on airs. He straightforwardly paid for his boss and said in a muffled voice, “If there is anything else you need us to do, just give the word.”

Xiao Sa was somewhat surprised, but since he was currently penniless, he wouldn’t refuse any help. The more, the better.

“What I need right now is a safe place to stay. Additionally, I need you to help me obtain a legal identity and an interstellar ship pass to the Central Star.”

Duan Feng nodded. “None of that is a problem. If you are willing, you can stay at our nearby base for a few days. It’s guaranteed to be safe; no one will dare disturb you.”

Xiao Sa, a lone wanderer, didn’t care at all about staying in the nest of wanted space pirates.

The pirate group’s base on Zhiyang Star was located in a field of steel ruins on the outskirts of the city. Their aircraft glided over mountains of scrap metal and stopped in front of an abandoned construction site. Under the moonlight, the metal scaffolding emitted a cold luster. One could vaguely see the shadow of a massive, hundred-meter-tall battleship surrounded by dense steel frames.

Duan Feng led the way into the base, introducing it to Xiao Sa as they walked. “Our previous stellar-class flagship is gone. This is a backup vessel.”

Once a clean room was prepared, Xiao Sa sat down on the sofa. By his side were local fruit juices and a freshly grilled steak—much better than the unpalatable liquid nutrients he’d been eating.

“You said earlier that you were once the Deputy Commander of this country’s Fourth Legion?” Xiao Sa still remembered that blonde officer he had bitten, who seemed to be from the Third Legion.

Duan Feng sighed, a look of reminiscence appearing in his eyes. “Correct. Our pirate group was originally made up of soldiers from the Fourth Legion. But the former Legion Commander was executed for treason.” He paused briefly before continuing, “As his direct adjutant, I and all the direct officers were to be liquidated—imprisoned or executed. To stay alive, we had no choice but to defect from the military and become pirates.”

“The day I met you, it just so happened that Admiral Landis of the Third Legion came to wipe us out personally.”

He spoke briefly, and Xiao Sa didn’t pry, though his intuition told him the man had left many things unsaid.

A moment later, a knock came at the door. Deken delivered a new optical brain—it was shaped like a lightning-bolt earring with a pale gold, cold metallic luster and exquisite craftsmanship. It was the perfect upgrade for the old-fashioned “donated” bracelet Xiao Sa had been using.

Duan Feng hesitated before saying, “Regarding the jewelry sold to the Central Star, I have news. One good piece, and one bad.”

Xiao Sa frowned. “Get straight to the point.”

Duan Feng said, “The good news is that the jewelry was intended for smuggling and resale, but it didn’t succeed. It is still on the Central Star. The bad news is that during customs clearance, a special energy gem was discovered inside. Consequently, everything was confiscated and turned over to the Imperial Treasury. Even the official who received the stolen goods was punished.”

Xiao Sa’s eyes lit up. A “special energy gem”—that was definitely his Star Power Gem. He’d found a lead so quickly.

Duan Feng continued, “If you wish to go to the Central Star, we can arrange a cabin for you on an interstellar ship. However, commoners cannot enter the Imperial Palace.” He sighed. “I suggest you give up. The palace is heavily guarded; it’s impossible for an outsider to enter, let alone take a treasure from the Imperial Treasury.”

Xiao Sa thought to himself, So what if it’s the Imperial Palace? He would find a way even if it were a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair.

“However, if you are determined to go, there is one other compromise.”

“Oh?” Xiao Sa toyed with the lightning earring and deftly clipped it onto his left ear. “What way?”

“The annual Ladder Arena Selection Tournament.” Duan Feng opened his optical brain and projected an image for him. “You aren’t from the Aurora Empire, so you might not know. The Empire was founded on martial prowess; everyone values combat, and society highly encourages military merit and worships the strong.”

“The Ladder Arena is open to everyone. It is the fastest shortcut for a commoner to cross social classes. If you can win the annual gold, silver, or bronze medal, according to custom, the Royal Family will hold a banquet in the palace to award honors and medals. That is the only opportunity a commoner has to enter the palace.”

“The entire event is broadcast live on the Star Net with huge rewards and high visibility. The past few months have been the time for online regional qualifiers. The arena is full of experts, but with your strength, I believe you definitely have the qualifications to enter the finals.”

At the words “full of experts,” Xiao Sa’s warrior heart as a top Alpha throbbed fiercely. Come to think of it, since arriving in this star system, he had hardly met anyone who was truly a match for him.

Oh, except for that blonde officer who attacked him at night with a pet.

Thinking of this, Xiao Sa scratched his hair. Last time, in a fit of hot blood, he had given the man’s neck a hard bite and then fled. He wondered what the man’s expression was when he woke up. Would he still be sending people to hunt him down?

While Xiao Sa was wondering, Landis, far away on the Central Star, suddenly sneezed.

“What is it, Admiral Landis? Is the central air conditioning in the testing field too low?” The portly Duke Lotte walked beside Landis, looking at him with concern.

Landis’s eyes remained fixed on the new combat armor on the display stand. “I’m fine,” he said nonchalantly.

This was the “Eye of the Future” high-tech city, a massive scientific research base located on the north side of the capital.

Earlier, after wasting two precious hours of his life at a boring court banquet, Landis had finally grown tired of the persistence of the Third Prince and Wenxi Lotte. He was preparing to resign and go home when Wenxi’s father, Duke Lotte, intercepted him. “Admiral, did you know that the Eye of the Future base recently developed a batch of highly intelligent AI mechs?”

“These armors can connect to the operator’s mental power with a high efficiency of 95%, and they can also maximize their physical strength.”

That last sentence successfully piqued Landis’s interest. The Aurora Empire had always emphasized mech research. Previously, when combat mechs were directly linked to the operator’s mind, there was a conversion efficiency problem; usually, the rate did not exceed 70%. This meant the pilot’s grade needed to be higher than the mech’s—for example, an A-grade mech could only be piloted by someone with double-A mental power or higher. If efficiency could be raised to 95%, it meant the combat power of the legions would increase significantly.

Landis’s ice-blue eyes watched him, and he quickly guessed the hidden information. “Could it be that a research group under the Lotte family invested in the development?”

Duke Lotte smiled modestly. “If the Admiral is interested, perhaps you could do us the honor of observing in the experimental area. If you are satisfied, we might consider prioritizing the Third Legion for a batch of equipment in the future.”

At the Eye of the Future research base, Landis, Duke Lotte, and their entourage stepped onto the testing field. A massive holographic projection lit up at the central terminal, displaying the sleek curves of the new armor and its powerful functional parameters.

“Wenxi, didn’t you say you planned to participate in the Ladder Arena this year?” Duke Lotte patted his youngest son’s head and shot him a look, smiling. “I’ve already had someone open a dedicated testing authority for you. Use this new armor to get some practice in the arena.”

“And show Admiral Landis the strength of the new mech while you’re at it.”

Wenxi suddenly became excited. With his physical fitness, his combat value was nothing to boast about, but he possessed rare double-A mental power. The new armor perfectly made up for his lack of physical strength while amplifying his mental power. It felt as if it were tailor-made for him.

Landis watched Wenxi walk toward the dark-red armor on the training field, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Conventional mech pilots were all soldiers with powerful physical strength. True, as Duke Lotte said, if a young man as frail as Wenxi who hadn’t trained long could dominate the arena with the new mech, it would indeed prove its power.

Duke Lotte summoned the supervisor of the research base, pulled him into a corner away from Landis, and whispered a few words. The latter glanced at the Duke’s son sitting in the cockpit and nodded understandingly before heading off to follow orders.

Duke Lotte cast a subtle glance at the handsome and tall Admiral Landis and sighed secretly. For the sake of his youngest son’s marriage, he had even brought out his priceless latest research results. He had truly gone to great lengths.

At the Duan Feng Pirate Group base.

A ceiling lamp shaped like a planet glowed above. Xiao Sa was alone, fiddling with the networking equipment in his room. Having obtained a new identity, Xiao Sa quickly registered an account in the Ladder Arena: Alpha.

A semi-circular projection screen floated quietly before his eyes. He sat in a leather armchair inside a private virtual pod, one hand lazily supporting his cheek. Two circular neural sensors were attached to his temples as he silently waited for the system to verify his mental power level again. However, the verification was taking quite a while.

After ten full minutes, subtle bio-currents flowed rapidly at an invisible speed, finally converging on the projection screen into a gold-stamped S-grade symbol. It seemed his previous C-grade result was merely due to weakness from the solar rays.

Xiao Sa’s dark pupils reflected the golden glow of the screen. He raised an eyebrow and lightly touched the lightning optical brain on his left ear. Hainuo, the middle-aged man in a black trench coat, instantly appeared beside him.

Hainuo straightened his collar and bowed with a smile:

[Good evening, dear little master. Look at this! You finally replaced that dirt-old equipment. Now I can stand while I talk.]

Xiao Sa shot him a helpless look. “Are you this talkative on every terminal? Also, I suggest you just call me by my name.”

[Alright, Xiao Sa.] The older man patted his shoulder, ignoring the first part of the sentence, and pointed to the S-grade symbol on the screen. [It seems the data from your hospital checkup was incorrect. Do you need to update your personal grade information? Of course, if you wish to hide it, I can keep it a secret for you.]

Xiao Sa nodded. “Hide it.”

He hadn’t expected the AI to be so human-like.

Carrying a capital “C” grade, Xiao Sa completed the final verification and created an avatar based on his favorite middle-school edgy idol, the “Shadow Knight.” He then formally entered the virtual holographic world.

In the lobby, there were many categories marked by “arches,” including military, science, emotion, games, movies, social news, and more. Countless live-stream screens floated in the air, sliding by like water. The most popular was the Ladder Arena, marked by a sword-and-shield icon; its popularity was nearly equal to all other categories combined.

A sweet voice sounded in his ear: “Welcome to the Ladder Arena. This is your first login and you have no history. You may choose to participate in a rookie random match room.”

Xiao Sa looked at the two doors on the side. They were labeled [Qualifiers] and [Ladder Ranking Challenge]. Unfortunately, these two doors were locked, and he couldn’t enter yet. He had no choice but to walk into the only open door in the middle—the Rookie Room.

For the sake of fairness, the rookie room only matched opponents with a score below 100. The closer the registration times of the newcomers, the more likely they were to be assigned to the same room.

[This is a free-for-all room. Mechs are not banned. You may freely choose a mech suited to your grade, or fight alongside your mental entity.]

Xiao Sa skimmed the rules of the rookie room. He didn’t have a mental entity, so he randomly chose a plain-looking black combat mech. However, Xiao Sa was truly a “newbie.” Once he entered the cockpit, he realized the mech operating system in this star system was completely different from his home planet’s. He was even at a beginner’s level regarding the button labels and text.

Xiao Sa didn’t pay attention to his opponent in the room—an extremely cool dark-red new AI mech, a micro-model about three meters tall. He lowered his head and tried a few operations. The mech, which had been standing perfectly still, immediately began doing sit-ups on the spot.

Inside the red mech opposite him, Wenxi, who was cautiously observing his opponent, almost burst out laughing. He was so lucky! He’d encountered a total novice in his very first battle!

In the testing field of the research base, Duke Lotte, watching the live projection, chuckled at Landis. “Wenxi’s luck is good; the opponent is a beginner who doesn’t know how to operate a mech.”

Landis watched the light screen calmly. “A pity. In that case, the test loses its meaning.”

You’re the only one here seriously looking forward to testing the mech’s strength, Duke Lotte thought, shaking his head helplessly.

“Hey, can you even do it? You can’t even stand up,” Wenxi said impatiently.

Things from different systems were simply not compatible. This was bad…

Xiao Sa gave a “tsk” and rubbed his nose in embarrassment. It seemed he’d have to find a mech academy to relearn everything later. “Fine, it’s not like I have to use this thing.”

Xiao Sa simply gave up on the armor and climbed out of the cockpit. He was a top-tier Alpha; even without a mech, he could fight with his own strength!

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, a figure dressed as a knight, wrapped in a black cloak and wearing a mask, headstrongly faced Wenxi’s new armor with nothing but his “flesh and blood.”

“Holy crap! A weirdo appeared in the rookie room! Come quick—”

“Fighting a mech with his bare body? Is he crazy or am I?”

“Ah, he probably just wants to surrender and quit, right?”

Passersby accidentally noticed the stream and flocked to watch. In an instant, the number of followers skyrocketed.

[Xiao Sa, wait. There is an anomaly in that mech’s data.]

Hainuo’s voice suddenly sounded in Xiao Sa’s ear. He blinked and asked, “What do you mean? Is he cheating? How do you know?”

Hainuo said confidently, [Every place with a network port is my eyes and ears. Do you want me to report him?]

Xiao Sa: “…” He felt his AI was definitely different. “Not for now.” Under the silver-gray knight mask, Xiao Sa narrowed his eyes at his opponent. Someone who felt the need to cheat even in a rookie room… a three-meter mech was nothing more than a turtle shell. Real combat wasn’t based on that alone.

He grasped his right wrist and slowly rotated it. Tilting his chin up, he let out a casual, light smile. “Perfect time to test my strength.”

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