The system prompt sounded, battle beginning soon.
The moment the command was given, the two melee mechas launched forward in perfect sync. In the blink of an eye, the sharp clang of metal striking metal echoed through the entire arena.
Ten collisions in a single second, their speed was so fast it was almost impossible to track.
And yet, every strike was parried with ease.
Gu Lin’s excitement only grew. The dozens of battles before this had honestly been frustrating. His opponents had gotten stronger, yes, but in his eyes, they were all the same.
Crushing someone in one blow was fun the first few times, but Gu Lin was no rookie. One-sided fights bored him.
This challenge was supposed to test his limits, but after more than twenty matches, he had gained almost nothing.
But this opponent was different.
Every move, every strike, calculated with precision. Unlike the usual Zerg who relied purely on speed, this one fought with terrifying accuracy.
Gu Lin’s body, weakened after transmigration, couldn’t keep up with the reaction speed he once had.
But he had been the supreme commander of the Human Federation army, tempered by countless battlefields and alien wars. His combat experience was something ordinary Zerg couldn’t dream of matching.
And this opponent….. this opponent could fight him evenly.
How interesting.
Across the field, Kaxiu was just as focused. His shock was no less than Gu Lin’s. Unlike the opponents Gu Lin had brushed aside earlier, Kaxiu had fought on real battlefields.
He had experience. He had talent. He had once even defeated the commander of the Fourth Legion.
Yet now, against this mysterious opponent, every attack of his felt as though it had been predicted in advance.
His strikes were countered before they even landed. The strange sense of oppression was something even Marshal Hicks had never given him.
Eyes burning with passion, Kaxiu stared at the screen. His long-cooled blood was boiling again.
Faster? Gu Lin noticed the sudden surge in his opponent’s movements.
Good. Then show me your true strength.
Both mechas clashed with blinding speed, tearing apart the simulated battlefield. Every structure, every obstacle that could serve as cover was destroyed in their rampage.
Ten minutes passed. Gu Lin was panting heavily, struggling to steady his breathing. This frail Zerg body of his really was holding him back, just ten minutes of combat and he was already near his limit.
His stamina was nearly gone, and his mental strength was close to burning out. If this dragged on, he would definitely lose.
But Gu Lin didn’t care about victory or defeat. He had already accomplished his goal, he had regained his combat rhythm.
Still, he wasn’t going to let his opponent win so easily. He would leave him a parting gift.
A sly smile tugged at his lips.
If his old comrades or enemies had seen that smile, they would know that he was about to pull a trick.
But Kaxiu couldn’t see it and even if he had, he wouldn’t have guessed what was coming.
Gu Lin’s mecha suddenly dove, charging straight at him. Kaxiu instinctively raised his weapon to block, adjusting his angle to deflect the strike.
But the attack didn’t come as expected.
Right before impact, Gu Lin’s mecha twisted in midair, executing a turn that completely defied common sense, bypassing Kaxiu’s defense and thrusting straight at his cockpit.
In that instant, Kaxiu felt the chill of death brush against him.
He had never faced an opponent like this before. That midair maneuver looked deceptively simple, but it was a nearly impossible feat.
Even the famed commander of the First Legion, the greatest mecha specialist alive might not have pulled it off.
And yet, his opponent had executed it flawlessly, without the slightest hesitation.
It wasn’t just skill. It was momentum. Even though he couldn’t see the pilot’s face, the sheer force behind the strike carried the weight of overwhelming dominance.
The pressure was suffocating.
But instead of fear, it ignited Kaxiu’s fighting spirit.
His mecha had been heavily modified. He had dismantled the standard-issue mechanical arm and replaced it with a lightweight curved blade, sacrificing mass for speed.
Now, with his left arm’s ammunition spent, he discarded the bulky device, further lightening his frame. His left-arm blade surged forward with incredible speed
Just as Gu Lin’s strike came from the right.
At the edge of death, Kaxiu forced his mecha into an extreme maneuver, stabbing his blade into Gu Lin’s cockpit. At the same time, Gu Lin’s weapon pierced into Kaxiu’s armor, one step short of ending the fight.
Gu Lin’s vision went black. The moment Kaxiu’s blade struck his cockpit, he was ejected from the arena.
But instead of frustration, Gu Lin felt elated.
He had known from the start that his body wouldn’t let him win. He had even calculated the probability of failure. What he wanted to know was that did his opponent notice?
Maybe not. The first-person view made it difficult to spot. But if he reviewed the recording later… perhaps he’d see it.
Satisfied, Gu Lin logged off, humming in good spirits.
He didn’t know that, back in the arena, Kaxiu hadn’t logged off yet.
Staring at the screen, feeling his racing heart slowly return to normal, Kaxiu realized with a jolt
Damn.
I think I might have fallen for that Zerg.
Blissfully unaware, Gu Lin climbed out of his nutrient pod. First thing he did? Head for the shower.
Sure, the nutrient fluid was fully absorbed by the body and left no residue, but old habits from his human days still lingered. He wanted a proper bath.
Unfortunately, reality reminded him just how weak this body was.
The moment he stepped out, dizziness crashed over him. He nearly stumbled to the floor.
“Hiss…” Gu Lin groaned, rubbing his temple.
Note to self: add physical training to the daily schedule. If he didn’t start strengthening this frail body soon, he’d end up collapsing at home. What a humiliating way to go.
Well… not really. Zerg health systems were ridiculously strict. Every male Zerg was constantly monitored. The system issued health alerts at the first sign of strain.
In fact, one had popped up earlier. Gu Lin had ignored it, too absorbed in his fight with Kaxiu. He hadn’t even reached the forced log-out threshold, and yet… he was already paying the price.
Turns out, no matter the world, self-inflicted exhaustion never ended well.
If he had pushed further and actually triggered the forced log-out protocol…
Medical personnel would have raced to him on the fastest emergency shuttle. He’d be subjected to a full-body examination.
Then an armed escort would deliver him to the central hospital for even more thorough checks.
And after that? Endless rounds of medical care and special treatments.
The whole ordeal would eat up three days of his life.
Three days gone just because he got too into a fight.
Just recalling that moment made Gu Lin feel a suffocating chill.
Yeah… he definitely needed to be more careful in the future. Triggering that emergency alarm was absolutely off-limits!
With that uneasy thought lingering, he finished washing up. Only then did he remember that when he’d muted his light-brain earlier, he’d also muted the system by accident.
The moment his voice controls came back online, the system let out a dramatic wail:【Host, you finally remembered me!!】
Gu Lin calmly let the household bot dry his hair and smoothed out his wrinkled clothes.【If I said it was an accident, would you believe me?】
【Not really】The system had just finished watching its host dominate in the star network matches and realized, oops, it might have accidentally picked up a real boss. It just didn’t know yet what kind of person this host had been in his original world… hopefully someone easy to live with?
【Well, you’re right. I was lying.】
Gu Lin tousled his now-dry hair casually, then caught his own reflection in the mirror.
The face staring back was almost identical to his human self from his previous life. The only difference lay in the eyes. Once, he had pure black pupils. Now, they were a warm amber-gold, glowing with a softness when he smiled.
【Tsk, tsk, tsk… host, looking like this, you’ll be breaking hearts left and right.】The system sighed theatrically.
It wasn’t wrong. Appearance in the Zerg race was tied directly to rank, the higher the rank, the more attractive the looks. As an A-class male, the original owner was already among the most striking.
But the original had been arrogant, wanton, and cruel, his face always twisted into scorn whenever he spoke to others.
Now, with Gu Lin at the helm, his aura was still strong, but the false arrogance was gone. What remained was a quiet, restrained confidence.
This combination of refined looks, commanding presence made him exactly the kind of figure that female Zerg would flock to.
【Which also makes my job harder… 】Gu Lin muttered
Night had fallen by the time Gu Lin stood by his bed, gazing out at the stars, his expression unreadable.
【Harder? Don’t be ridiculous. Host, you’re amazing!】 The system burst into cheer, pulling up its interface like it was showing off treasure.【Just one evening, and you’ve already gained a thousand points!】
1,182 points to be exact. While Gu Lin had been battling, the system had been glued to the counter, watching the numbers tick upward with gleeful disbelief.
A thousand points in one night, all because of a single comment?
Yes, this host definitely knew how to generate hate.
When the system mentioned points, Gu Lin opened his star-net account to check.
Sure enough, under his latest post, countless comments had piled up. Just like in the human world, nights were when the netizens were most active.
As an A-class male, his account already had plenty of followers. Add in the fact that he’d dared to mention the legendary Marshal Hicks, and it was inevitable, his words had drawn massive attention.
His post had sparked plenty of dissatisfaction, but overall, his comment section wasn’t as hostile as he’d expected. Many tried to persuade him politely, and only a handful of hot-tempered ones started cursing outright.
Oddly, most of those curses turned out to be males, not females.
Gu Lin found that curious.
After all, his words had been sharp with mockery, and his target was the widely adored Marshal Hicks. By all logic, it should have been females jumping in defense.
Yet most of them were calm, even kind. Some replies even read like earnest advice, patient and almost teacherly.
Why?
Then Gu Lin remembered that he didn’t actually carry all of the original owner’s memories. The system had sealed them, probably to protect the fragile body.
He could search for them if needed, but unless he deliberately recalled them, they stayed hidden.
So, confused, he scrolled back through the original’s old posts.
…And fell into silence.
Compared to the original owner’s fiery temper where every other sentence spat out “female trash” three times, his own words today were practically polite, logical, even respectful. Sure, no one agreed with his argument, but still.
No wonder his comment section felt unusually peaceful.
But then… how had the original owner managed to gather so many fans in the first place?
Gu Lin couldn’t help but sigh.
Just how tolerant was this world toward males?!
His grand plan to become a proper villain suddenly felt ten times harder.
So those points… were they all thanks to those hot-headed male Zerg flaming him in the comments?
The system quickly answered his doubt.
The report showed that his post had indeed provoked plenty of dislike, especially among Hicks’ followers, who now openly detested him.
In other forums and discussion boards, negative voices abounded, mocking him, criticizing him, venting outrage.
But even then, it was only a small fraction compared to the entire vast Zerg society.
Yet that “small fraction” still numbered in the millions.
And from those millions of haters, he had gained… just a little over a thousand points.
Clearly, points were not easy to earn.
Still, the system was ecstatic.
【Host, you really are a natural-born villain! That was incredible! But… was what you said about the Marshal true? Is his mecha technique really that bad?】
【I wasn’t joking. It’s true.】 Gu Lin replied evenly.
【His attacks are fierce, but completely beyond what his mecha can handle. If he doesn’t correct that, something will happen.】
He paused, then added coldly【He’ll die.】
Gu Lin needs to work harder if he wants more point. Also this system is decent! No unnecessary demands or task🤔
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[Translator]
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← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · KaxiuChapter 3 · Social DeathChapter 4 · Female Servant/WifeChapter 5 · ConfusedChapter 6 · MysteryChapter 7 · CamouflageChapter 8 · AcquaintanceChapter 9 · Man in a ShellChapter 10 · FoodChapter 11 · RemunerationChapter 12 · GossipChapter 13 · TaskChapter 14 · CoverdaleChapter 15 · Mission AccomplishedChapter 16 · ExchangeChapter 17 · DreamChapter 18 · DelicateChapter 19 · ReasonChapter 20 · SpecialChapter 21 · 2 Dose of VialChapter 22 · Night WatchChapter 23 · One NightChapter 24 · GratefulChapter 25 · ContestChapter 26 · FortChapter 27 · RecordChapter 28 · SealChapter 29 · MissedChapter 30 · Treasure TroveChapter 31 · Battle SpiritChapter 32 · IllusionChapter 33 · PhotosChapter 34 · DifferentChapter 35 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 36 · TeasingChapter 37 · InterestChapter 38 · TrappedChapter 39 · Borrowing a knifeChapter 40 · SecretChapter 42 · ConditionChapter 43 · QuestionChapter 44 · AnswerChapter 45 · CoreChapter 46 · MeetChapter 47 · WeirdChapter 48 · DifferentChapter 49 · Spiritual SeaChapter 50 · ConceptsChapter 51 · Hicks Return!Chapter 51 · RoefellerChapter 53 · 10 thousand points!Chapter 54 · RedemptionChapter 55 · ChangeChapter 56 · ReceiveChapter 57 · Side QuestChapter 59 · It seems like a old FriendChapter 60 · TrainingChapter 61 · MoodChapter 62 · ConfusedChapter 63 · Children’s PlaygroundChapter 64 · GiftChapter 65 · ApproachingChapter 66 · ThreatChapter 67 Part 1 · Do you have any objections?Chapter 67 Part 2 · Do you have any objections?Chapter 68 · MaintenanceChapter 69 · Thank youChapter 70 · UndercoverChapter 71 · VisitChapter 72 · FrenzyChapter 73 · TransactionChapter 74 · ReminderChapter 75 · ArenaChapter 76 · InterestingChapter 77 · CuteChapter 78 · SecretChapter 79 · CompareChapter 80 · StrategyChapter 81 · CrisisChapter 82 · ProtectChapter 83 · Blind SpotChapter 84 · SafetyChapter 85 · Mission ObjectiveChapter 86 · DeterminationChapter 87 · Grave DangerChapter 88 · GuessingChapter 89 · Chess PieceChapter 90 · EmotionsChapter 91 · Guardian’s HeartChapter 92 · A Dangerous FigureChapter 93 · FrustratedChapter 94 · BullyChapter 95 · NegotiationChapter 96 · ChallengeChapter 97 · RejectionChapter 98 · PlantingChapter 99 · Thank youChapter 100 · LeveragingChapter 101 · ChaosChapter 102 · SubmitChapter 103 · ThoughtsChapter 104 · Good news and bad newsChapter 105 · MadmanChapter 106 · CooperationChapter 107 · Just drawingChapter 108 · It was a pleasure working with youChapter 109 · StargazingChapter 110 · GuideChapter 111 · Plant FlowerChapter 112 · White WolfChapter 113 · SterilisationChapter 114 · CollarChapter 115 · RunChapter 116 · GenerousChapter 117 · ImageChapter 118 · FriendlyChapter 119 · LostChapter 120 · TasteChapter 121 · System upgradeChapter 122 · Transfered FromChapter 123 · Keep dragging it outChapter 124 · CategoryChapter 125 · DemolitionChapter 126 · I want to cry but can’tChapter 127 · Upgrade completeChapter 128 · Tears streaming down my face in the windChapter 129 · Strange luckChapter 130 · UnknownChapter 131 · Dog plant flowersChapter 132 · Contest of Wits and Silent UnderstandingChapter 133 · ColinChapter 134 · AmbushChapter 135 · DullChapter 136 · BattleChapter 137 · Post-WarChapter 138 · Return ToChapter 139 · Strength EnhancementChapter 140 · Is this a staged accident scam?Chapter 141 · ToolChapter 142 · ProcessingChapter 143 · CluesChapter 144 · MemoryChapter 145 · UnderstoodChapter 146 · I want to hug youChapter 147 · Differential treatmentChapter 148 · So DifficultChapter 149 · Going to farChapter 150 · Real or FakeChapter 151 · ResponseChapter 152 · The truthChapter 153 · Let’s chat Causally?Chapter 154 · A Way to RelaxChapter 155 · ConversationChapter 156 · Daily MissionChapter 157 · A QuarrelChapter 158 · NamelessChapter 159 · ProbingChapter 160 · A Good HelperChapter 161 · ConfirmationChapter 162 · DiscussChapter 163 · ForgottenChapter 164 · TraceChapter 164 · TraceChapter 165 · Contact