A Chemist's Interstellar Saga
Chapter 226: Sneaky Attack

Chapter 226: Sneaky Attack

Time zipped by, and before anyone knew it, five months of intense special training had come and gone.

In this whirlwind of nearly six months, Spears had shown everyone what real special training was, using methods that would make any cruel instructor proud. It didn’t matter if someone was missing an arm, had a broken leg, or was running on fumes—if they were still breathing, they had to get back up and keep going.

Under this relentless pressure, the military students who once fumbled around when faced with wild beasts had transformed.

Now, they were as tough as the legion’s special forces.

Arix, for example, was currently piloting Star Dust and had just wiped the floor with a special forces soldier who challenged her, sending him flying out of the arena without breaking a sweat.

"Not bad at all!" Spears said, clapping hard. Then, with a firm voice, he added, "Next one, let’s keep this going."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another special forces soldier, also in a mecha, stepped up to face Arix.

"What? Another one? Sir, can I catch a break?" Arix whined through her headset, frustration written all over her face. She had just taken down two soldiers, and the thought of facing another one made her want to crawl under a rock. Her small frame simply couldn’t handle much more.

But Spears wasn’t having any of it. The slight smile on his face vanished, replaced by a cold, unforgiving stare. "A break? Even the laziest farm dunkey don’t slack off like you. Quit whining! Say one more word, and I’ll throw another challenger your way," he warned in a voice that could freeze fire.

Arix shut herself up immediately.

Realizing she had no way out, Arix rolled her eyes, then swiftly moved her mecha to launch an attack. Her moves, fueled by the frustration of someone stuck in an endless loop of overwork, made the soldier facing her gulp nervously. He quickly maneuvered his mecha to dodge her strike.

After dodging, the soldier countered with a skillful shot from his energy gun, unleashing a barrage of fire at Arix. But she remained calm, expertly controlling her mecha and gliding across the arena. Her smooth, agile movements allowed her to dodge the storm of bullets with ease.

A few rounds later, Arix spotted an opening. She quickly circled behind the soldier and landing a heavy blow on his mecha.

Knowing he was outmatched in close combat, the soldier immediately backed off, letting loose another wave of intense firepower.

Arix, who had been gearing up to finish him off, clicked her tongue in annoyance and started dodging again.

Compared to her earlier days, when she was almost riddled with holes, Arix now dodged most attacks with ease, relying on her skills rather than the mecha’s energy shield.

Spears watched the fight closely, nodding with satisfaction. The progress his students had made over the past few months was clear as day, and Arix, in particular, had surprised him more than once.

He had always thought she had potential, but he never expected her combat skills to catch up to her brother Drexel’s so quickly. Not only had she closed the gap in strength, but her battle instincts had also sharpened.

She knew when to hold back and when to go all in.

Impressive, indeed.

After offering his feedback, Spears turned his attention to the other students in the arena. The first thing that caught his eye was Arix’s brother, Drexel, who was using a move called the "Low Blow."

Spears was speechless. He rubbed his temples, feeling an impending headache. ’How on earth has Drexel, a kid from a long line of soldiers, picked up such a sneaky and downright ridiculous move?’

And the most baffling part? He was trying to "Low Blow" a mecha.

Frustration bubbled up inside Spears. This move wasn’t just useless—it was downright embarrassing. And who was the one feeling embarrassed? Drexel’s instructor, Spears, of course.

But, much to his surprise, the mecha Drexel was up against hesitated at the sight of this absurd tactic, instinctively trying to dodge.

In that brief moment of confusion, Drexel pounced on the opportunity and sent his opponent flying out of the arena.

Spears stood there, utterly speechless, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

Finally, with a twitch of his mouth, he decided it was best to just move on to the next student. As long as they won, he could always deny ever teaching Drexel that ridiculous move.

Thankfully, apart from Drexel’s creative detour, the other military students were still on the right track.

Elio, for instance, had a style that involved all expensive equipment, but at least it wasn’t dirty or dishonorable.

Overall, Spears was mostly satisfied. So, when the special training wrapped up, he did something rare—he spoke in a gentle tone, praising the students. "Not bad. If you keep up this level of combat readiness, our Alliance’s mecha squad is bound to secure a top-three spot in this year’s competition."

The students lit up with excitement, some already daydreaming about how they’d brag about their victory once they got back to the academy.

Spears looked around at the remaining twenty or so students. He let them enjoy this moment of happiness before continuing, "The competition is only two weeks away, so Kellan and I have decided that we’ll officially select ten team members and three alternates the day after tomorrow. Be prepared. Gather here at 8 a.m. for the final selection. You’re dismissed."

With that, Spears left the training ground.

Once the coach was gone, the students, who had been holding on by a thread, wasted no time in trickling out of the arena.

Arix now felt both physically and mentally drained, so she said her goodbyes to her friends.

She planned to head back to her dorm for a much-needed night of sleep, wanting to be well-rested and ready for the selection two days later.