Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!
Chapter 903 - 903: 636 First Battle!_2

Perhaps the elite mech pilots in the military district are equally skilled, but Victor still chooses to shoulder this responsibility himself.

Catherine's sharp gaze softened as she replied quietly, "Let's hope so..."

...

As the entire drop pod steadied upon landing after a slight tremor, the interior began to stir with mild commotion upon receiving the organizers' audio notification.

The air on this planet was filled with deadly toxic gases harmful to the human body. While most powerful mech pilots had robust physical endurance, no one wanted external factors like this to meddle with their performance at such a crucial competitive moment.

With the help of his teammates, Victor finished donning his bulky protective outerwear, waved goodbye to the others lingering inside the pod with a smile, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, let me secure our first victory in game one for everyone..."

As Victor stepped out of the pod, an array of Bauhinia mech units, previously submitted, patiently awaited his selection on the airfield.

A kaleidoscope of mechs flaunted exaggerated weapon configurations and flamboyant color schemes.

Each and every mech had been the result of painstaking, round-the-clock fine-tuning and craftsmanship by Bauhinia's countless engineers over countless nights and days.

Through generations of development and innovation, each unit stood out with distinct characteristics and exceptional performance.

The moment Victor stepped out of the pod, the entire match began live broadcasting across the Stellar District.

Those outside the arena could freely select which venue to watch, while inside, participants still had no clue about who constituted their rival teams and where the enemy nation hailed from.

At this moment, numerous citizens within Bauhinia territory, whether at work or lying on their beds at home, solemnly watched the unfolding live-feed with serious expressions.

Since learning of the opponent, many Bauhinia Republic citizens harbored a faint sense of unlucky resentment.

"What rotten luck... Our first opponent is the Thunder Dragon Empire."

"Exactly, why did we have to run into one of the three top-seeded players?"

"Rigged! It has to be rigged! The Peak Alliance, the event organizers, was founded by those three nations. They must have full control over this competition!"

"You're overthinking it! Star Alliance even dispatched people to supervise this. There's no room for underhanded maneuvers. It's just sheer misfortune..."

"Sigh... I genuinely thought our line-up for this season was pretty strong. If it weren't for matching against the three seeds, reaching the top four would've been easy for us."

As a nation perpetually subjected to discrimination and suppression wherever they went, even entering the top four would be an extraordinary achievement.

Should their competitors manage to accomplish this, their citizens might finally find less judgmental glances when stepping outside their homes.

But alas, such hopes appeared on the brink of shattering just as they arose.

After all, this was the Thunder Dragon Empire we were talking about!

"But have a little faith in our competitors... At least this time, none other than our legendary mechanic Catherine herself is leading the team, which might bring us a surprise!"

"Exactly! The Thunder Dragon Empire also has just one legendary mechanic, but so do we. Surely, Catherine isn't going to be intimidated, is she?"

"The match isn't purely about legendary mechanic-level duels though..."

Legendary mechanics relied more on their unique aptitude, whereas those second-tier pilots showcased a country's true foundations.

Being able to consistently train experienced, powerful frontline pilots was an advantage only these major nations possessed.

Bauhinia could not even dream of such strength.

"Oh, enough talk; just watch the match already!"

Inside the drop pod where Bai E and the others were stationed, the perspective was locked onto their own competitor, live-streaming footage of their teammate after entering the fray.

Unlike external spectators who could freely switch views, contestants within the arena were restricted to monitoring their teammate-centered perspectives.

However much insight one could glean about opponents would depend on the tactical decisions of each participant squad.

Hence, some competing nations even assigned analytical substitutes rather than solely combat-oriented professionals as functional additions to their teams.

Watching Victor, dressed in his slightly cumbersome protective wear, approach the line of mechs, some team members appeared visibly excited.

"Wonder what type of mech the little battle maniac will choose..."

"His personality seems better suited for the assault-type 'Vanguard.'"

"But isn't choosing 'Vanguard' too risky? If he fails to eliminate the opponent during the burst phase, he could easily be played to death afterward."

"I think going for 'All-around' is a more balanced choice. It can stand its ground against any opponent."

With generations advancing the diversification of mech designs across the cosmos, distinct branches emerged, tailored to various scenarios.

For instance, those capable of unleashing extreme speeds in short bursts to close in swiftly and strike explosively — "Vanguard" mechs.

The trade-off for such bursts was a compromise in hull protection levels and limitations on mounted weaponry.

Then there were "All-around" mechs, boasting commendable performance across all metrics.

But being all-around meant mediocre, inferior in speed and burst power to "Vanguard," less capable in long-range support than "Sentinel," and weaker than "Mountain Foothills" in defense and thrust capacity.

Furthermore, Sentinels excelled at firepower but lacked melee capabilities, whereas Mountain Foothills had impressive defensive prowess but suffered severely from poor mobility.

Each type came with its own strengths and shortcomings.

Enhancing one aspect meant compromising another.

Distinct mech types developed unique counter-relations when clashing against one another.

Even within the same type, each nation's models varied greatly in design and specialization.

Until the pilot's individual skill gap widened sufficiently, it was a mech's performance and attributes that ultimately determined the outcome of engagements between two mobile warriors.

Thus, selecting one's initial mech demanded careful consideration.

"Moderation isn't that kid's style. Mechs matching the pilot's character tend to yield better results most of the time."

"Our match terrain is a primitive forest. Under those circumstances, Vanguard units hold a clear advantage. Just Vanguard then."

As they spoke, the team occasionally glanced at Catherine, their otherwise silent leader.

Typically, critical decisions like this would involve input from the leader pre-match.

But for some reason, Catherine had refrained from giving any directives regarding this choice.

She remained focused on the pod's live feed yet shifted her attention lightly to Bai E with a curious query: "Which type do you think he'll pick?"

"All-around, I suppose..."

Though not fully familiar with Bauhinia's mech units yet, Bai E reckoned that kind of balanced design aligned with Victor's eventual decision.

After all... it was also Bai E's personal favorite type.

On primitive planets, mech units didn't come with elaborate distinctions.

"All-around" represented the closest resemblance to the versatility Bai E was accustomed to.

"Seems like you understand this guy better," Catherine mused with a faint smile. "That rascal... He pretends to be wilder than anyone, yet in truth, he holds the strongest sense of responsibility."

As the pioneer competing in the first match, there was little doubt he would opt for the All-around.

Not merely for advantages stemming from mech type countering or relations with opponents, but equally because of one other factor... the environment.

In the face of an entirely unfamiliar alien setting, a pioneer's role transcended securing the opening win; it was about establishing groundwork!