A Chemist's Interstellar Saga
Chapter 192: New Contest

Chapter 192: New Contest

Vita hugged Arix for a while, then he took the Space Button loaded with Insectoid Cores back to the psychic world.

After saying her goodbyes to Vita, Arix glanced at the time on her opticomputer.

With only thirty minutes left before the Department of Combat class started, she knew she had to hustle.

Remembering the punishment for being late—downing a glass of juice—Arix quickly gathered her things and left her dorm.

Today’s class was back at the dimensional training ground, but the difficulty had been bumped up to level two. Despite the increased challenge, everyone moved faster than ever, eager to avoid the dreaded juice penalty.

By the end of the session, Jonna reluctantly put away a large table covered with juice glasses.

Instead of dismissing the class like usual, Jonna’s tone grew serious, "I have an announcement. The new mecha tournament is set for six months from now. The Alliance’s national team will be selected from the five military academies, with six spots available per school. Final spots will be decided based on competition."

Jonna explained further, "The selection process is straightforward: the top six students who can pass level-three difficulty at the training ground will be chosen. Anyone interested in competing, please raise your hand to sign up."

Excitement buzzed through Class S.

The new mecha tournament was a huge event, with teams from all over the universe participating. A strong performance could mean better resources, while a poor one could spell trouble, especially for smaller countries.

The stakes were high—even for major powers like the Alliance and the Empire, showing weakness wasn’t an option.

"Ma’am, I’m signing up," Drexel declared. As the heir to one of Kering family and the top student in the Department of Combat, he felt it was his responsibility.

Jonna nodded and took a note on her opticomputer. Turning to the rest of the class, Jonna asked, "Alright, Drexel’s in. Who’s next?"

"Ma’am, count me in," Arix said, raising her hand.

"Okay, Arix is signed up too. Who else? Hurry up and sign up," Jonna urged, jotting down more names.

After Drexel and Arix, other students eagerly crowded around Jonna to register.

Once everyone had signed up, Jonna gave a final reminder, "Today is Friday. The competition kicks off next Monday at 8 AM. Don’t be late! And remember, it’s not just our class competing; other classes will be there too. Don’t embarrass us, or you’ll be stuck drinking juice every day!"

Hearing Jonna’s clearly threatening words, the students swallowed nervously and shouted in unison, "Understood, ma’am."

"Alright, you’re dismissed." Jonna smiled with satisfaction, then turned and left the training ground.

As soon as the teacher was gone, the students started chatting about weekend plans. Some wanted to stay and train at the school, while others were eager to meet friends outside.

A few, who missed their parents, had already bolted off.

After saying goodbye to his friends, Drexel approached Arix. "Arix, are you heading home now?"

"Yeah, but I need to stop by the dorm first to grab a few things," Arix replied. She had packed earlier, but in her rush to leave, she had forgotten some essentials.

"Okay, I’ll come with you to the dorm, and then we can head home together." Drexel seemed like he wanted to say something but was holding back.

Arix nodded, said her goodbyes to Deanna and the others, and then left with Drexel.

As they walked, Drexel couldn’t keep quiet any longer. "Arix, the mecha tournament will be dangerous, are you sure you want to take part in it?" His voice was full of concern and reluctance.

Drexel hadn’t competed in the tournament before, but he had seen many broadcasts of past events. They were always intense and sometimes dangerous, with a 10% mortality rate among students, despite the organizers’ rules against killing. Those deaths were "accidents," but that didn’t make them any less real.

The thought of Arix facing such dangers made Drexel’s heart sink.

Arix noticed his worry and felt a warm sense of gratitude. She reached out and held Drexel’s hand, speaking gently, "You heard it too. Both you and I were pre-selected. Even if I hadn’t signed up, I would still have to compete."

"If you don’t want to participate, it’s okay. Plus, Mom and Dad would be so worried if you do,+" Drexel said, his voice carrying a rare hint of authority as the family’s heir.

Arix was touched but shook her head. "Some things can’t be avoided just because we don’t want them to happen. If I don’t go, someone else will. Wouldn’t they be in danger too? Wouldn’t their families worry?"

Drexel wanted to argue, but Arix continued, "The main reason I want to participate is that I don’t want to be a spoiled kid who does nothing. I want to get stronger, strong enough to protect the people I care about," she said seriously.

After speaking, she looked up at Drexel carefully, her eyes full of anticipation and nervousness.

Seeing his sister’s determined expression, Drexel fell silent, feeling very conflicted. It was like watching a fledgling bird learning to fly—knowing it would be dangerous but understanding it had to happen.

’If birds don’t learn to fly, they lose their surviving skills and can’t escape from danger,’ Drexel pondered this and thought. ’If I were her, would I do the same?’

The answer was a definite yes.

He let out a deep sigh and gently patted Arix’s head, saying, "You’ve passed my test, but convincing Mom and Dad will be a whole different challenge."

Arix, reminded of this, felt her spirits sink like a deflated balloon.

Unlike Drexel, Thaddeus and Fleur wouldn’t be as understanding. Young folks could get each other, but parents are always wary about their kids taking risks.

Arix suggested, "Should we just keep it a secret like we did with the Dragon clan last time?"

Drexel shook his head gently, reminding her, "Unfortunately, once you’re selected for the national mecha team, parents get notified. And with Mom and Dad’s influence, they could easily pull you out."

Arix frowned, "Why can you join, but I can’t?"

Drexel smiled at her and patted her head again, explaining, "Because I’m the heir to the Kering family and the future Fifth Legion Admiral of the Alliance. Once I graduate from Hecaris Military Academy, I’ll be a Rear Admiral. It’s like I’m already ’married’ to the Alliance, so I get some perks, right?"

Arix felt torn. She should feel bad for him, but it almost sounded like he was showing off. After a moment, she shrugged and said, "Whatever, we’ll deal with it later. Maybe Mom and Dad will agree."

Drexel chuckled, "Yeah, keep dreaming."

Arix pouted and, not wanting to argue, headed towards the house. As they reached the door, PO greeted Arix warmly. But when he saw Drexel, he seemed to show a brief look of disdain.

Soon, PO quickly switched back to a polite smile for Arix, ignoring Drexel entirely.

Drexel noticed this and rubbed his chin, thinking the robot was acting a bit strange, almost like he had emotions. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

’No way a robot could have feelings,’ he thought. Figuring it was just his illusion from being tired, he decided to unwind with some games on the interstellarnet later.

With that, Drexel pushed the thought aside and followed Arix into the house.

"Wait for me in the living room; I’ll be right back," Arix said to Drexel before heading upstairs.

"Sure," Drexel responded, grabbing an apple from the coffee table and lounging on the sofa, munching on it leisurely.

"Do you need any help, master?" PO, the robot, asked Arix eagerly as she climbed the stairs.

"No need, I’m just grabbing something," Arix called back, disappearing at the top of the stairs.

"Okay..." PO murmured, sounding a bit disappointed, and stayed behind in the living room, awkwardly facing Drexel.

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