I Marked My Arch-Nemesis Omega - Chapter 34

Qi Liao was startled by Song Qing, while Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, not understanding why Song Qing had suddenly rushed over like that. In truth, Sheng Yu could have dodged it.

Qi Liao had been in a bad mood these past two days and had wanted to vent some frustration. But now, with Song Qing blocking him, his mood worsened even more. Seeing Song Qing draw a knife, he didn’t think twice before pulling out his own weapon.

Sheng Yu glanced at her control panel and quickly switched to manual mode as Qi Liao charged toward Song Qing. She also charged an energy cannon and fired it straight at Qi Liao.

Song Qing had already braced herself for a fight with Qi Liao, but she never expected Sheng Yu to be so reckless—she actually fired a cannon. The instructor nearby was stunned too. Though he hadn’t explicitly forbidden it, it was common sense that first-time users wouldn’t—and shouldn’t—mess with the cannons.

“Wow, I actually hit the target!” Sheng Yu exclaimed in delight. “Oh no, Qi Liao, are you okay? I didn’t mean to.”

Qi Liao had initially thought Sheng Yu’s shot was accidental, but hearing her sarcastic tone, he knew—it was absolutely intentional.

His head throbbed from the cannon’s impact, and his mech crashed heavily to the ground. Fortunately, he had quick reflexes and activated the internal defense mechanisms before landing, or the damage would have been worse.

The others had already retreated to a safe distance, watching the scene unfold.

Perhaps because Sheng Yu had used the mech’s thermal weapons, Qi Liao got the same idea. But just as he was about to act, Sheng Yu and the other two were abruptly kicked out of the system.

The three of them were hauled aside by the instructor, with Sheng Yu being the first to face the music.

“What were you thinking?!” the instructor barked at Sheng Yu.

Sheng Yu replied, “I just pressed a random button… Isn’t this supposed to be an experience? I figured we should try everything. I didn’t expect to actually hit anything.”

“Nonsense!” The instructor shot her an exasperated look before turning to Qi Liao. “Why is it always you?”

Qi Liao: “…”

“Last time it was 15 kilometers, right? This time, make it 20. Go.”

“I only bumped into her by accident. It wasn’t on purpose,” Qi Liao protested, his head pounding. Sure, he was an S-rank with better stamina than most, but after yesterday’s grueling training—already more intense than school’s—plus the extra 15-kilometer run, he’d barely recovered after a night’s sleep.

“You’re the S-rank from the Qi family… You’ve been around mechs since childhood, right? And you still make mistakes like this?” Sheng Yu asked, feigning curiosity.

Her gaze burned with mockery.

Qi Liao knew she was taunting him, but he pretended not to hear.

“20 kilometers. Go,” the instructor snapped. Then, after a brief pause, he turned to Sheng Yu. “You—5 kilometers.”

Qi Liao scowled. “Why does she only get 5?”

“Instructor, she shouldn’t be punished,” Song Qing interjected. “I read the base manual yesterday, and there’s no rule against using thermal weapons in the virtual world. You didn’t mention it at the start either. It’s her first time handling a mech—accidental presses happen. Besides, Qi Liao provoked her first.”

“The manual didn’t say anything about bumping into people either,” Qi Liao retorted.

The instructor felt his head was about to explode: “Punishments are at the discretion of the instructor. That manual isn’t meant to be used like this.”

“You too, five kilometers,” the instructor glanced at Song Qing.

“Instructor, there’s a reason I’m being punished… Song Qing pushed someone away to prevent me from getting hit. Does she deserve punishment too? She was just trying to protect me. If even that gets punished, who would dare to help the weak in the future?” Sheng Yu frowned, looking at the instructor with pleading eyes.

“She drew her blade,” the instructor replied, eyeing Sheng Yu. To be honest, Sheng Yu might appear weak, but the force she used while hitting someone earlier was anything but.

“Drawing the blade might’ve just been to take a look,” Sheng Yu argued.

“Do you really think I’m an idiot?” the instructor said expressionlessly. “Go!”

The instructor was thoroughly fed up.

Sheng Yu wanted to say more but was pulled away by Song Qing.

Song Qing said, “If you keep talking, the punishment might get worse.”

Sheng Yu couldn’t help but click her tongue. “Qi Liao is nothing but a troublemaker, the most pathetic S-rank in history.”

Qi Liao, who had caught up to them, overheard Sheng Yu’s comment and his face darkened.

“Let’s run. It’s only five kilometers for us, but twenty for him,” Song Qing said. “There’ll probably be combat training in the afternoon.”

Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow. “So we can beat him up legally and fairly?”

“Mm,” Song Qing nodded.

“Hah, you really think a Beta like you can go toe-to-toe with an S-rank? Where’s the confidence coming from? Before, you were just relying on sneak attacks or cheap tricks,” Qi Liao sneered.

Sheng Yu smirked. “Your reaction time and vigilance are hardly S-rank material. Would a real S-rank let themselves get ambushed by me? Stop flattering yourself.”

“I just didn’t take you seriously.”

Song Qing let out a laugh, though she quickly suppressed it. Still, Qi Liao felt deeply insulted.

“President, give him some face,” Sheng Yu said.

“Mm,” Song Qing nodded.

Qi Liao took a deep breath: “…”

He quickened his pace. If this continued, he might lose his temper again.

Song Qing and Sheng Yu jogged leisurely together, finishing their five kilometers before returning to the group.

Each person got half an hour to experience the simulation. While others took their turns, they were free to explore the facility, which housed many foundational books on mechs. The entire morning would likely be spent here.

With such a relaxed morning, no one knew what the afternoon had in store.

Before the morning session ended, the instructor announced the afternoon’s schedule: combat training in the virtual world. However, there was a twist—during the matches, all physical attributes would be adjusted to the same baseline. Everyone would be randomly matched five times.

Another wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.

Some people glanced at the underperforming Alphas, while a few Betas began to feel restless.

When an Alpha and a Beta were on equal footing physically, and pheromones were disabled, it all came down to pure skill.

The Alphas didn’t look too pleased either, well aware of the consequences if they lost in this training session.

Sheng Yu chuckled and glanced at Song Qing, who seemed to be in high spirits.

“Don’t worry too much. Our usual training is different from the Betas’. Even if their physical abilities are the same, Betas could never beat Alphas.” Nearby, some Alphas were comforting each other.

“President, are you scared?”

“Not at all,” Song Qing replied calmly, her expression unruffled.

Sheng Yu smiled.

Everyone was looking forward to the afternoon’s combat training. This time, they went to a different venue.

Five thousand people were randomly matched simultaneously, with replacements following in order. The remaining participants could watch via equipment, and the instructors would randomly select some for commentary and teaching.

Sheng Yu and Bai Ying were in the first batch, while Song Qing and the others waited in the queue area.

Bai Ying was nervous—her combat skills were really poor. The thought of possibly losing five matches in a row made her face fall.

This time, the virtual arena was simple: just an empty platform.

Sheng Yu’s first match was against a Beta from another school. The girl nearly cried when she saw Sheng Yu, flustered and clearly inexperienced. Sheng Yu took her down in one move, and after ten seconds on the ground, the match ended, moving straight to the second round.

Sheng Yu: “…”

Before the girl disappeared, Sheng Yu saw her actually start crying.

A twinge of guilt hit her.

Sheng Yu’s expression froze for a second.

The second opponent happened to be from the Thirteenth High School, likely a junior. When he saw Sheng Yu, he hesitated, wondering if he should go easy on her. But Sheng Yu had no intention of small talk. Assessing that he wasn’t particularly skilled, she swiftly took him down—clean and efficient.

While Sheng Yu breezed through, Bai Ying was on the verge of tears. She had been matched against three Alphas in a row, all from Haoyun Thirteenth High.

The two schools had a long-standing rivalry, and those three showed no mercy, even trying to humiliate her repeatedly. Fortunately, Bai Ying simply stayed down after being knocked over, lying motionless until the ten seconds passed, moving on to the next match.

“Are all Thirteenth High students this shameless?”

“Not all Thirteenth High students—just me,” Bai Ying said flatly, embracing her thick skin. Sometimes, you just had to let go. What was the point of pride? “If I know I can’t beat you, why get up just to be bullied? Do I look crazy?”

Opponent: “…”

Winning didn’t feel satisfying at all.

Sheng Yu’s final match paired her with Qi Liao, who had just entered the arena.

Talk about fate—or perhaps because Sheng Yu’s first four opponents were all inexperienced Betas, the system matched her with a formidable rival.

Song Qing’s expression darkened.

The instructor happened to choose this match for a teaching example.

“Bet I can lift you up and throw you to the ground.”

Sheng Yu deadpanned, “I’m terrified. Good thing this is virtual—in real life, even touching you would disgust me.”

Qi Liao: “???”

“Didn’t realize there was a trash-talking segment.”

“How many seconds do you think Qi Liao will take to knock Sheng Yu down?”

“Ten, maybe.”

Everyone expected Qi Liao to strike first, but it was Sheng Yu who moved.

And in the next second, they all understood what her words had meant.

Sheng Yu launched the first strike at Qi Liao, her fist aimed at his lower abdomen. Before she could land the hit, Qi Liao grabbed her arm, intending to throw her down. However, Sheng Yu countered by twisting his arm and yanking his clothes with her other hand, while planting a foot firmly against his leg.

Once she was at his height, her free arm swiftly locked around Qi Liao’s neck, and she maneuvered behind him, using her full body weight to hang off his neck like a deadweight.

Qi Liao’s expression darkened instantly. He released her other arm, trying to shake her off, but Sheng Yu only tightened her grip, both arms now clamped around his throat, pressing backward.

Given their height difference, Sheng Yu’s feet didn’t even touch the ground—unless Qi Liao leaned back. But soon, she crossed her legs around him, securing her position.

Instructor: “…”

Onlookers: “…”

No one knew how to react. This was… unexpected.

The instructor dryly commented, “This is what we call fighting to your strengths.”

No matter how Qi Liao struggled, Sheng Yu clung to his neck like a vice, seemingly unfazed by the pain of his grip on her arms. In truth, it hurt—badly—but she could endure it. After all, this was a virtual world. Even if her bones broke, it wouldn’t leave lasting damage.

Qi Liao, however, was starting to suffocate, his strength waning. He tried to pull her in front of him, but Sheng Yu kneed him squarely in a sensitive area, halting his movement.

Instructor: “…”

Onlookers: “…”

Qi Liao: “…”

“Disgusting,” Sheng Yu spat, sounding almost nauseated. “Just surrender already, Qi Liao. Dragging this out is pointless.”

“Surrender my ass, Sheng Yu.”

“Fine.”

Qi Liao cursed under his breath. This girl was insane.

He knew exactly how much force he was using. At first, he’d only gripped her arms, hoping the pain would make her let go. But now, he had no choice but to escalate.

Finally, he seized her wrist and twisted hard.

The onlookers winced in sympathy, but Sheng Yu didn’t make a sound. Instead, Qi Liao heard her laugh.

“Go ahead and break my arm if you want,” she taunted, grinning. “A wrist won’t do much.”

“You… psycho.”

Sheng Yu knew Qi Liao had been holding back—because on the surface, she was just a Beta. In his mind, going all-out against her would be embarrassing.

But now, he grabbed her leg, using brute force to wrench his head free.

This time, Sheng Yu immediately let go, dropping to the ground—but not before driving an elbow into his face. Her landing was awkward, her leg still caught in his grip.

Qi Liao: “…”

He took a deep breath. Even though she’d released him, he felt humiliated all over again.

“Virtual world, virtual world, virtual world,” Sheng Yu muttered, shaking her dislocated wrists as if to reassure herself. Then she flopped onto the ground, lying there motionless like a salted fish.

Instructor: “…”

Qi Liao: “Damn it!”

Song Qing inhaled sharply, fury simmering in her chest.

The rest of the Thirteenth High students clenched their fists, some even tearing up.

“Qi Liao went too far…”

“How much pain is Sheng Yu in right now?”

“How could they do this.”

“Just wait till I get on the field—I’ll beat the crap out of anyone from Haoyun Thirteenth High.”

…

Bai Ying had just stepped out when she witnessed Sheng Yu having her wrist dislocated by Qi Liao, freezing in place on the spot.

Sheng Yu ended the match by lying on the ground for ten seconds.

Truth be told, if she had fought seriously, she could have taken Qi Liao down—but there was no need. The scene on the field hadn’t fully registered yet when she stepped out. Sheng Yu glanced over and saw Qi Liao’s expression like he’d just eaten sh1t.

Sheng Yu couldn’t help but chuckle.

When she rejoined the team, she noticed Song Qing staring at her with an icy glare.

“Oh, President, help me rub my wrist, will you? It hurts like hell.” Sheng Yu extended her hand with a grin.