Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!
Chapter 901 - 901: 635 Reporting_2

The so-called Peak Alliance opposing them right now would eventually just transform into an ordinary council under Bauhinia's control.

Thinking about this possible future starting from this very moment, Catherine couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed by that guy's constant disappearance.

"We've already sent out notices everywhere. Two and a half days—let's see if that guy can arrive on time. If he can't participate, I'll have no choice but to pick one of the prepared military district mech pilots to fill the vacancy."

Fortunately, the guy didn't let anyone down.

Amid everyone's eager anticipation, near the end of the second day, Bai E suddenly saw a dust-covered petite figure appearing before him.

"So you still know how to show up." Catherine glanced at him, her face full of exasperation.

"Didn't I rush over as soon as I got the news?" A fresh youth's voice came out from under a baseball cap.

The boy lifted his head, revealing a particularly delicate face.

He took off the cap from his head, shook it slightly so his silky bangs fell neatly, then tilted his face upward and flashed a radiant smile. "Got delayed at some pirate's hideout for a few days. Mainly because mech modification materials were hard to track down; otherwise, I would've been here with you guys long ago."

"Arriving is good enough." Catherine seemed rather resigned as she addressed the newcomer.

The boy was younger than her, yet back in the day when they were in the same grade, she hadn't been as strong as he was now.

By the time he reached her age, his achievements might surpass hers.

The only pity was that timing didn't wait for them to be fully prepared.

The once-in-a-decade Star Alliance tournament had already entered the preliminary selection stage for their Stellar District—they couldn't afford to let this boy slowly grow into someone who could hold up half the sky alone.

"Let me introduce him; this is Victor, skilled in close-quarters combat and also an expert at mech modifications." Catherine gestured towards Bai E while turning to Victor and introduced him further: "This is Bai..."

She paused slightly and winked at him, "Very strong."

Victor's eyes lit up instantly, and he stepped forward with enthusiasm, bowing deeply to Bai E, "Master Bai, I'll be counting on your guidance in the future."

"You're too kind."

"Alright." With all personnel accounted for, Catherine clapped her hands and summoned the rest of her team scattered across the starship. "Let's go and check in."

As the team assembled, a few teammates scanned around in surprise and asked Catherine hesitantly, "So… just us?"

"Yes." Catherine took the lead towards the small spacecraft mounted aboard the starship. "Everyone's here; let's head out."

"..." The assembled members took a deep look at the unfamiliar man following behind Catherine, opened their mouths as if to say something, then swallowed their words, biting their lips and silently following along.

When Catherine called up two military district comrades to board the ship as backup plans, many thought they were there to replace Victor—a potential no-show—and this unfamiliar man.

They didn't expect Victor to make it in time, nor did the strangers get substituted.

Unspoken disappointment naturally arose among some, though facing Catherine's authority deterred them from expressing it openly.

As the small spacecraft detached from Bauhinia's starship and connected to the docking port of the host starship amidst tremors, Bai E and the team stepped into a spacious, brightly lit reception hall through the connecting passage.

Taking charge, Catherine submitted the team's registration badge to the reception staff, introducing herself, "We're competitors from the Bauhinia Republic—please proceed with the registration."

Among the reception staff were supervisory personnel dispatched by the Star Alliance, enforcing compliance with Alliance policies in every Stellar District.

"Understood."

The young receptionist, her smile sweet, took the badge and began operating the terminal in front of her.

Just then, a grating, duck-like voice interrupted from behind them, carrying a displeased tone: "You Bauhinia folks are truly arrogant—everyone else managed to arrive early, yet you just had to check in at the last minute. If you really didn't want to come, you didn't have to force yourselves."

Catherine's expression remained stoic, not even bothering to turn around.

But Victor, the smallest and seemingly most innocent-looking member of the group, was the first to lose his patience at such provocation. He spun around, glaring and retorting with fervor, "Feeling itchy, huh? If you're in the mood for a beating, go spar with me right now—last time's thrashing two years ago didn't seem to leave you with any lasting memory!"

"Ha…" The duck-voiced man chuckled mockingly, ready to fire back, when the receptionist abruptly cut him off, her face frosty: "Private disputes among competitors—including verbal and physical altercations—are strictly prohibited during competition. Otherwise, both parties will be stripped of their eligibility! Furthermore… arriving within the deadline falls perfectly within the bounds of normal procedure."

The duck-voiced man glared menacingly at the receptionist, knowing she represented the Star Alliance. After a brief, grudging silence under her cold gaze, he reluctantly turned away, though he left with a spiteful sneer: "You're all dead meat! This tournament will be Bauhinia's swan song!"

"Tch~" Victor scoffed.

His words carried little weight, and no one paid attention.

With the trash-talker gone, the receptionist's cheerful smile returned as she addressed the leading figure of Bauhinia's team: "Respected Captain Catherine, your team registration has been approved. Please proceed to your designated rest area and wait quietly. The tournament procedures will begin on schedule."

"Understood."

Walking down the exclusive hallway leading to the rest area, Catherine kindly explained to Bai E, "The person provoking us just now is a mech pilot from the Golden Eagle Kingdom. A few years back, their country had disputes with ours over the ownership of certain mineral resources. In those battles, Victor directly captured that guy, and they only managed to get him back by paying ransom money. The team from their country isn't particularly strong; they're just staunch lapdogs for the few major nations supporting Peak Alliance, which gives them the nerve to bark face-to-face."

Although Bauhinia faced substantial suppression, its strength within the Stellar District wasn't actually weak.

In fact, Bauhinia had considerable power but refused to act as Peak Alliance's obedient dog, which led to constant pressure and suppression from the alliance representing most of the Stellar District's forces.

"Got it."

The conversation carried them into their Bauhinia-only resting area.

Apart from private spaces for each competitor, their starship also provided a large public area designated for tactical discussions, offering competitors a timely place to strategize and adjust team tactics during the tournament.

...

With Bauhinia's team roster submitted, facial profiles corresponding to each participant quickly surfaced before certain behind-the-scenes operatives.

Catherine, Victor...

Every elite member of Bauhinia's mech battle team who existed in countless surveillance reports was accounted for one by one.

Yet out of the ten submissions, one particular entry was utterly unfamiliar.

"Bai E?"

"Who names someone like that?"

"Could he… be the one who teamed up with Catherine to pierce through the Psychic Energy Canopy?"

Because of Catherine's status as Bauhinia's War Goddess, they had been unable to gather any follow-up information about the mysterious expert who helped her shatter the Canopy.

Now, an unfamiliar face suddenly appeared—it seemed highly likely the anonymous ally had shown up.

"From the hunting squad reports, this mysterious target's strength might actually surpass Catherine's. If it turns out to be him, then Bauhinia's team could have at least one Grade-1 and one Super Grade-1 Legendary Mechanic. When it comes to the team matches, our squad might lack an advantage..."