The First Analyst of the Interstellar Era

Chapter 23 : Awakening

On the combat platform, the people around heard the wailing inside and couldn't help but laugh.

"Is Sister Sui being so harsh this time?"

"This is normal, right? The last few times I suspected she was giving Hemo'er practice."

"Ouch, listen to him cry."

Just as the spectating voices stopped, a loud explosion followed from the combat platform: "Great!!"

The others applauded like watching a fireworks display.

"F*ck, are you guys brothers or what?!"

Hemo'er was both angry and aggrieved. Chen Sui still pressed down on his mecha, holding her long spear across his chest, one foot kicked at the bend of his leg, taking him down, while still puzzledly asking: "This fighting technique, was it really taught by Instructor Di Qian?"

"Did you misunderstand it?"

Hemo'er choked: "Although, but, I learned it very seriously."

Puluo finished his infantry system training and just returned to school, wanting to practice briefly at the combat platform.

Passing by the first-year training ground, hearing exceptional liveliness inside, and seemingly hearing the name of his incompetent cousin, he curiously looked at the entrance.

With one glance, he saw Chen Sui kicking Hemo'er to the edge of the combat platform.

His stubborn and proud cousin lay on the ground without dignity, tremblingly raising his mecha's arm, and proclaimed three words with emphasis: "I surrender!"

Puluo's brow furrowed.

First in disbelief, then he saw a familiar person walking out of the mecha that had beaten his brother.

"Chen Sui?"

Puluo called out, and Chen Sui looked over, waving: "Your training is over? Cheng Wei told me yesterday it would be delayed for a few days."

Chen Sui had completed Cheng Wei's weapon order, but the second-year infantry system collectively participated in outdoor training, and it would take a few days to sign off.

Puluo shook his head: "My progress was faster, so I finished first and came back early. He's very slow, so he needs to wait a few days."

After speaking, he smiled at Chen Sui: "Wait a moment."

Chen Sui watched him walk toward the combat platform where Hemo'er was wailing, saying where he got hit today, where he didn't, and how much progress he'd made compared to last time.

Tong Can and Zhang You supported him from both sides. Zhang You quickly retorted: "Say less, yesterday you at least lasted 20 minutes, today 10 minutes before my Sister Sui ended the battle."

Tong Can pretentiously coughed, reprimanding Zhang You: "What are you telling the truth for? Our Hemo'er is at least the top person below the first-year champion, doesn't he need face?"

Hemo'er laughed angrily, ignoring the pain in his chest, shaking his head: "You don't believe me? Ask Chen Sui if I've improved since last time. At this rate, I'll soon be able to take down my cousin and replace him as the school team infantry for the league competition."

His cousin himself, Puluo, stopped in his tracks, crossed his arms, his huge body casting a heavy shadow under the lights, covering the three.

Hemo'er suddenly felt darkness above his head, closing his eyes: "Damn, why do I feel like it's getting dark? Did my head get damaged this time? If so, Chen Sui owes me three combat matches."

"Don't make false accusations, I was measured in my strikes, didn't touch your brain. If you're stupid, you need to find your own reason."

Chen Sui's voice came from behind.

Hemo'er instinctively turned around, his face still showing a vigorous expression, though slightly swollen, like a color palette.

"Ha, how could that be? I've been reckless, ugly, but never stupid, otherwise how could I have picked you to fight among so many people at first glance?"

Hemo'er was extremely confident in his judgment.

But as soon as he finished, seeing the tall buzz-cut person in front of Chen Sui, his smile instantly froze.

"Cousin!!"

He let out a heart-wrenching cry, pupils widening, instinctively covering his mouth, recalling what outrageous things he'd just said.

Puluo snorted with laughter, bumping his fists together: "Surrender? Improved? Take me down to be the school team infantry?"

"I also want to know if there's a problem with your brain, but it doesn't matter, because it will definitely have problems after I'm done with you."

Saying this, Puluo showed his fists to Hemo'er.

Hemo'er's legs weakened, almost sliding down, thankfully supported by his two fox-like friends, Zhang You and Tong Can.

"Cousin, I can't fight anymore, really can't fight anymore."

Hemo'er shook his head, losing hope.

Fighting with Chen Sui, she had restraint, her hits weren't too painful, but fighting with his cousin would be getting beaten to death.

Hemo'er wasn't that stupid.

Puluo was just scaring him, but seeing the injuries on Hemo'er, although his face was bruised, none were serious issues, showing the opponent had indeed shown restraint.

Puluo looked at Chen Sui stretching at the side; her arms had only a very thin layer of muscle, looking like they had just been developed not long ago, not very solid, but when she grabbed a mecha and slammed it to the ground, no one would care about her skinny, seemingly weak body.

"Want to practice a bit?"

Puluo also felt some desire to fight.

With these words, the first-year infantry immediately became excited.

Monkey calls and wolf howls erupted, silenced by classmates covering their mouths.

The campus forum's infantry section suddenly had many live threads.

Chen Sui raised an eyebrow. Puluo often challenged Cheng Wei, and Cheng Wei would often say 'Puluo twisted my arm again' upon meeting, among other comments.

Chen Sui's fight with Hemo'er wasn't satisfying enough. When Puluo suggested practice, she only thought for a second before readily agreeing.

"Virtual scene, let's settle this quickly."

The combat platform's virtual scene involved weapons combat, flash bombs plus close-combat weapons, more straightforward and exhilarating than pure combat.

"Sister Sui is still amazing," Zhang You originally wanted to take Hemo'er to the medical room, but seeing this scene, suddenly felt rooted to the spot. He looked hopefully at Tong Can, his steps becoming incredibly heavy.

Tong Can rolled his eyes impatiently: "Do you have any brotherhood left? Hemo'er is injured like this, can't you take him to the medical room first, then come back to watch?"

Hemo'er silently expressed: "Actually, I think my injuries aren't serious at all."

He released his supported arm with one movement, staggering independently for two steps: "I also want to stay and watch, why don't we go after watching?"

He turned to look at Tong Can.

Tong Can glanced at them both: "After watching, you can crawl there yourself."

Saying that, he sat down at the best viewing spot.

Zhang You sat down and praised: "This angle is great!"

Chen Sui returned to the mecha again, while Puluo changed into Star Academy Seven's combat mecha. The two stood facing each other on the combat platform.

The surrounding combat platform suddenly changed its environment, the wide surface suddenly becoming soft red soil with bright green moss growing on it, scattered stones, and surrounded by concentric circles of dense tall woods.

"Construction successful, battle begins."

The moment the mechanical voice dropped, Chen Sui's consciousness returned, her body seeming to fully merge with the mecha. A wave of air blew toward her face, and Puluo's hearty voice came from inside the machinery, "Student Chen Sui, let's keep it light."

Chen Sui dodged to the side quickly, rapidly avoiding Puluo's attack.

The weapon in his hand wasn't the basic weapon equipped with mechas.

Puluo was an infantry with damage-taking advantage, and his weapons, apart from an energy cannon, included a mechanical shield—his frequently used energy-consuming shield.

Chen Sui's mecha was equipped with all fierce attack types, a cannon and a long-handled flame gun, specifically selected by her. The metal iron rod on the surface had a sharp four-edged spearhead embedded at the top, with a hollow center holding a dual-leaf blade that could be controlled to rotate at high speed.

"Wow, I feel like it's a duel between fierce attack and high defense systems. Chen Sui's weapon is so destructive."

"But Puluo has an energy shield. No matter how strong her attack is, if she can't pierce through, there's nothing she can do."

Chen Sui and Puluo passed by each other, the long spear in her hand quickly twisting in the wind, the blade edge cutting through with a breaking sound. She stopped abruptly in mid-air, quickly turning back, thrusting the spear forward fiercely.

"Ka------"

The spear tip pointed directly at the energy shield. The streamlined metal shield surface was covered with indentations of various sizes, sensing the incoming attack, providing appropriate energy barriers to fully utilize energy without waste.

The impact force of the long spear was neutralized by the energy shield.

Puluo quickly raised his flash bomb gun, the barrel firing projectiles toward Chen Sui.

The projectile's attack was faster than the long spear, a thumb-sized ball drawing an arc in the air, with brief tracking capability. Even as Chen Sui withdrew and retreated, she couldn't completely avoid its trajectory.

The ball hit the mecha's chest with a "bang," then exploded with a rumbling boom, the wave throwing Chen Sui off.

"Student Chen Sui, don't underestimate me, I'm not a fool like Hemo'er."

Chen Sui dissipated the force mid-way, stopping at the edge of the red soil, inserting the long spear into the mud, using the powerful friction to stop.

Just as her posture stabilized, Puluo's next wave of bullets followed closely.

She quickly pulled out the long spear, activating the mecha's propulsion, rapidly dodging in mid-air.

"Just joking, I wouldn't dare underestimate you at all."

Chen Sui replied softly.

But her tone was so calm that the drawn-out final note sounded more like a unique mockery.

The projectiles chased after the mecha, falling after a few seconds as the tracking failed.

But Puluo as the shooter didn't stop, keeping Chen Sui in a passive state of dodging.

Besides the two's offensive moves, their brief exchange also caused a commotion.

Many students applauded excitedly after Chen Sui's response.

More people marveled: "Puluo really deserves to be trained in the school team. His current attack could serve as output too, right? Who says our Brother Puluo only knows how to take hits!!"

"Sister Sui is on the defensive! Come on, charge! Fight!"

The spectating voices were endless, but Chen Sui only heard the whistling wind from rapid movement. After recognizing her passive situation, she quickly took measures.

At the edge of the red soil, near the tall woods, the exoskeleton figure with a string of ball projectiles behind it rushed toward the woods, then stepped on a tree trunk, using the force to rotate 180 degrees in mid-air, flipping backward and coming above Puluo. From above, she gripped the metal rod of the long spear tightly, then in less than a second as the balls approached, Chen Sui quickly aimed at Puluo's position.

"Swoosh------"

The four-edged spearhead cut through the wind ahead, thrusting toward Puluo's flash bomb gun.

"Bang!" Puluo quickly switched to his energy shield to block.

The long spear and energy shield collided, one carrying sharp wind from mid-air, the other forming a steady energy wall on the ground.

"Bang bang bang!"

The ball projectiles hit the tall woods, creating a series of explosions that brought people back from the duel between spear and shield.

Chen Sui, while throwing the long spear, had already grabbed her flash bomb gun, then arrow-like, swiftly approached the energy shield.

"Sorry, it's my turn now."

The flash bomb gun fired bullets rapidly, forcing Puluo to leave his position, avoiding the oncoming projectiles.

But what he didn't expect was that while the mecha dodged the bullets, moving to the left side of the long spear, there was a shadow faster than the ball projectiles, flying toward him.

Chen Sui's propulsion reached maximum speed, along with her high agility, making her approach Puluo almost simultaneously with the bullets. She quickly grabbed the long spear that was about to fall.

The long spear twirled quickly in her hand, and as she passed Puluo, she raised it, using the metal rod's end to forcefully poke the passing mecha.

Chen Sui didn't hold back her force at all. The metal rod itself carried energy impact, and with tremendous force, it directly threw Puluo away.

"Bang!"

The mecha heavily crashed to the ground, its sharp metal scratching the red soil, leaving several claw marks on the ground.

Feeling the impact, Puluo quickly reacted, rolling several times on the ground. After the impact ended, he immediately flipped up, instinctively placing the energy shield in front of himself.

Just in time to block Chen Sui who was approaching with her spear.

"Clang!"

The four-edged spear blade hit the energy shield again.

Puluo's hand holding the shield visibly trembled due to the opponent's immense force.

Chen Sui's figure was particularly small among infantry, and no one could imagine she could unleash such powerful strength.

It's worth noting that he only experienced not being able to hold the energy shield when directly facing energy bodies.

What alarmed Puluo more was that the opposite mecha, seeing the long spear blocked again, seemed somewhat impatient.

He heard a light click with the howling wind.

"So annoying, this shield......"

Chen Sui's gaze slightly sank.

She quickly retracted the spear, and just as Puluo was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she held the spear behind her back, swiftly switching hands, her freed right hand gathering strength, suddenly bursting forward, fiercely punching the energy shield.

"Boom!"

The energy shield's protective wall created an outward force, but Chen Sui's mecha withstood the energy recoil, remaining in place, followed by another punch.

"Bang!"

Puluo's arm trembled, his whole body shaking.

The lively training ground gradually quieted during the successive punches, excited spectators internally alarmed, faces showing disbelief as they stared at the scene.

Silence fell as everyone watched tensely.

Someone even bit their fingers nervously.

As Chen Sui's third punch landed, someone couldn't help but gasp.

The "hiss" of inhalation was extremely obvious.

Then a student silently curled up, "I feel like the shield is going to break......"

That was an energy shield.

An energy shield that could withstand an energy body's violent attack.

"It probably... won't, right......"

Some students refuted, but watching Chen Sui's landing fists, even causing the metal covering the mecha's arm skin to warp outward, vaguely revealing the mechanical arm structure inside, they also fell silent.

"With this punch... I'd be dead, right."

A bespectacled boy next to Hemo'er swallowed.

Hemo'er's mouth twitched, seeing this normally gentle, agreeable person had an unknown side, suddenly feeling grateful.

Fortunately, Chen Sui was very gentle with him, sob.

With this punch, Cousin Puluo might withstand it, but he couldn't.

His energy shield would fly away.

No matter, then he would surrender.

But Puluo didn't.

In fact, for a moment, he also thought the energy shield would break.

But after Chen Sui's three punches, the energy wall, in places not visible from outside, already had some cracks from disordered energy particles.

One more punch, and it would likely shatter.

But Chen Sui didn't continue.

Puluo heard the girl, suppressing impatience in her tone, say again.

"Really annoying."

"I won't fight you anymore."

A strong emotion suddenly rose in his heart, and for a moment he almost said "thank you."

But he quickly held back.

Noticing Chen Sui withdrawing, he was about to retract his shield and continue looking for opportunities.

"Be serious, classmate."

Chen Sui's voice came from afar. She noticed Puluo's movements were much slower than before, slightly frowning, raising her voice to remind him.

Puluo activated the energy gun, the mecha moving again, responding loudly: "Don't worry, I can still fight!"

Chen Sui hooked the corner of her mouth, a fleeting smile, then also raised the energy gun, right hand holding the long spear.

Just as Puluo was about to aim at her, he saw her rushing forward rapidly, then aiming and firing. The energy projectile shot out, a red light flashing.

The projectile exploded at Chen Sui's feet, but she had already leapt from the ground before it landed, her figure moving rapidly around Puluo.

The position his flash bomb gun locked onto was usually just the residual image left by the mecha's movement.

Chen Sui circled around him constantly changing positions. Puluo wanted to suppress her speed with firepower but couldn't capture her at all.

She was simply too fast.

Puluo realized that Chen Sui's physical agility attribute was extremely high, this kind of speed couldn't be achieved just by mecha propulsion.

During his brief moment of thought, a chill rose from behind, an ominous feeling flashing by in an instant.

Without thinking, Puluo directly activated propulsion, the mecha rushing from the ground into mid-air.

Looking down, he found his standing position converged with several energy projectiles from different directions around, then producing a huge explosion.

"That was close......" Puluo muttered softly, feeling somewhat fearful.

Suddenly feeling that Student Chen Sui was truly merciless.

Fighting without hesitation, showing no quarter.

He dodged the energy ring projectile's attack, not daring to stay in one place too long, afraid Chen Sui would aim at him next.

Puluo was forced to move rapidly.

Honestly, he had always been known for excellent damage absorption, and everyone at Star Academy Seven and other school teams knew that Puluo could stand there letting you hit him all day without effect.

But, after experiencing Chen Sui's hand-to-hand combat force, Puluo suddenly felt his defense attribute still had room for improvement.

Too terrifying.

That feeling of absolute suppression.

Puluo controlled the mecha moving in mid-air, energy propulsion at maximum. His movement speed wasn't as fast as Chen Sui's, but he wouldn't stay in one position for more than a second.

The energy projectiles behind him could only hit his position from a second ago.

Puluo suddenly felt the pleasure Chen Sui must have felt when dodging his projectiles in mid-air.

A strange leisurely feeling of taking a stroll.

This leisure under heavy pressure gave him a slight breather, finally finding a counterattack opportunity from the offensive.

First, with the energy shield damaged, it would be difficult for him to withstand energy gun and weapon attacks relying on the mecha's damage absorption.

The urgent task was to make Chen Sui lose her weapons.

If she wanted hand-to-hand combat then... thinking of Chen Sui's fierce punches, Puluo shuddered, increasing the propulsion device while activating the defense mechanism.

If Chen Sui went for hand-to-hand combat, he would take it!

He was the most damage-absorbent infantry in all of Star Academy Seven!

With his plan in mind, Puluo quickly engaged in a tug-of-war with Chen Sui in mid-air.

The two exchanged cannon fire.

Chen Sui wanted to shoot him down directly, but Puluo only wanted to knock away her flash bomb gun.

Finally, he caught his chance, quickly leaving his original position while shooting a projectile toward the trajectory's other end.

Chen Sui's trajectory was predicted, feeling the ball locking onto her gun, without any hesitation she threw the gun away, letting the ball explode and destroy the flash bomb gun.

Puluo delayed his movement by a second due to firing, and she captured his position.

Chen Sui no longer cared about weapons, rushing swiftly toward his position.

As she approached him, she reached out and clenched her fist, swinging down a punch.

Puluo instinctively braced his hands in front of his chest, muscles bulging, gritting his teeth to withstand a massive hammering force.

The mecha didn't retreat at all.

The two maintained their attacking and defending postures, pausing briefly in mid-air.

"What's happening!!!"

Outside the arena, spectators watching this scene involuntarily straightened their backs.

"Hand-to-hand combat?"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, watching their movements with more enthusiasm.

After a brief exchange, Chen Sui and Puluo quickly distanced themselves, but Chen Sui was unwilling to let this rare opportunity pass.

She never liked playing boring games of hide-and-seek.

She pursued swift, decisive results.

So after pulling back one or two body lengths, Chen Sui quickly flashed to Puluo's side.

She raised her foot and fiercely kicked at the bend of the opposing mecha's leg.

Puluo: "!"

Intense pain shot through his left leg.

Before he could dodge, a familiar pain came from behind.

Chen Sui's elbow strike landed squarely on his back.

Metal collided with metal, creating a massive impact, but at this moment no one paid attention to these sounds.

Because immediately after, a ghostlike mecha shadow appeared on Puluo's right side, same leg bend, same fierce kick.

Front, back, left, right all transmitted the same pain.

Puluo temporarily had no other sensation beyond absorbing damage, just seeing Chen Sui pull back her figure once more.

She jumped 'whoosh' to a higher position, her left hand spinning the long spear, the metal rod and spearhead stirring the wind, creating howling sounds.

Just as the spearhead rotated to face Puluo, the mecha's mechanical arm grasped the spear handle, then thrust rapidly toward his position.

The surrounding wind froze, only the sound of howling rupture in the air.

Puluo's pupils suddenly contracted, pain causing his movements to pause briefly for a second, making it difficult to avoid such an attack.

Even as he moved as much as possible to his back, sides, or even downward, he could feel the wind blade brought by the rapid speed.

Chen Sui aimed at Puluo's position.

She knew this strike would be the key to determining the outcome.

Puluo was indeed formidable; many times she thought he would collapse, but he withstood it all, even managing reasonable counterattacks.

Undeniably an outstanding infantry.

But this was as far as it went.

Just when everyone thought it was about to conclude.

The four-edged spear blade cutting through the wind suddenly stopped in mid-air.

At less than a meter from Puluo.

The spectators had already begun post-match commentary.

"My god, Sister Sui is really incredible, this shooting accuracy. Hemo'er dodged it back then, must be thanks to Sister Sui going easy."

"Puluo's shield is broken, what kind of monstrous strength is this?"

"I'm suddenly afraid, what should I do? I said bad things about Sister Sui, will she punch my brains out with one hit?"

"Calm down, how could Sister Sui do that? She'd have to wash her hands after punching your brains out."

"But seriously, it's a real pity Sister Sui didn't awaken."

A sentence midway diverted the topic, and suddenly, the infantry system began whispering.

Hemo'er, hearing the discussions, raised his voice impatiently: "Stop setting the tone, she pins you all to the ground without awakening, if she awakened, that would be too much, she'd have to go through all six other military direct schools."

The person who mentioned mental awakening realized his misstep, pressed his lips, and whispered back: "What do you mean pins you all to the ground, it's us, weren't you also pinned to the ground?"

But generally, no one mentioned mental awakening again, all focusing on the platform.

Puluo looked at the sharp tip within arm's reach, frowning in confusion.

Just as everyone's gaze converged on one point.

Chen Sui suddenly moved.

"Holy shit!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise.

The airborne exoskeleton holding the spear suddenly retracted it, raising her hand high, but the spear tip was pointing at herself.

"What is she doing?"