Rumor Has It, That Omega Rocked the Stage Again! - Chapter 12

First Military Academy, First Year Combat Command Department

When Mu Li arrived at the classroom, it was almost time for class, and everyone in the class was already present.

Mu Li had just chosen an empty seat and sat down when a tall male Alpha strode in.

“I’m Hao Wen. Congratulations on making it into the Combat Command Department. Being here means you are among the best, and I hope you will grow into the finest talents the Federation has to offer in the future.” The Alpha stood tall, robust, and exuded strength—clearly an expert in military training.

The Combat Command Department only admitted 20 students each year, and this year, apart from Mu Li, the other 19 were all Alphas—a combination Hao Wen had never encountered in his career. Like the other instructors, he was deeply curious about that unique Omega. But as a teacher, he had to treat everyone equally, so he refrained from giving her special attention.

Hao Wen spoke earnestly, “On the battlefield, mechas are our most loyal companions. As students of the Combat Command Department, learning to pilot a mecha is essential. But I also hope you can master basic mecha construction and gain some knowledge of mecha repair, just in case.”

“In three months, universities across the Federation will jointly organize a Mecha Competition. Our First Military Academy has always taken the lead. However, each school has limited slots. As freshmen, you should actively participate. The winning team from each competition often catches the attention of the upper echelons of the Federation’s military department, earning them early entry into the military.”

This news electrified the students. Early entry into the military meant a head start over others. Gaining recognition from the higher-ups would mean faster promotions. Everyone was itching to give it a try.

“Professor Hao, how do we get this opportunity? What’s the selection process?” someone asked eagerly.

“The Mecha Club on campus is in charge of this. They have instructors for various skills. If you’re interested, sign up. First, you need to join the club to qualify for the competition.” Seeing their enthusiasm, Professor Hao began the day’s lesson. “Alright, you can look into it after class. For now, let me introduce the basic structure of a mecha…”

After class, everyone rushed out of the classroom toward the Mecha Club. Mu Li, however, took her time organizing her things before pulling out her Personal Terminal to message Ji Yu, “Are you busy? I heard there’s a Federation-wide intercollegiate Mecha Competition in a few months. Have you participated before? I’d like to learn more.”

Ji Yu, who had just finished handling some tasks, noticed Mu Li’s rare message and called her immediately. Mu Li had just stepped out of the classroom, and with the post-class crowd around, she turned off the video function.

Ji Yu got straight to the point, “I participated in the Mecha Competition during my first year. What do you want to know?”

“I’m not very familiar with the competition, but the professor mentioned it in class, and it sounds like a great opportunity. I want to give it a try.”

“This is indeed a high-quality competition. Each school sends five representatives to participate. Generally, there will be one student from the Mecha Manufacturing Major, and the rest will be students highly proficient in combat and mecha operation,” Ji Yu explained. “The competition format is simple—it’s a mecha operation contest divided into individual matches and team tournaments.”

Mu Li asked, “With five people per school, the competition must be fierce. What preparations should I make?”

“The competition is indeed intense. Moreover, the First Military Academy is both the cradle of future Federation military talents and inherently outstanding in skill. The First Military Academy has always been the champion of this competition. That’s why the selection process for participants is completely merit-based. As for preparations, it’s essentially the combat techniques and mecha operation skills I’ve taught you. Just practice them until you’re proficient. As long as you perform at the level you showed during the 1v1 major assessment, you’ll be fine.”

Ji Yu’s words eased Mu Li’s nerves a little. “Then I’ll go sign up at the Mecha Club first. Once I qualify there, I’ll compete for a spot.”

Ji Yu said, “Alright. You’ve just enrolled, so it’s perfectly normal if you don’t make it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime.”

Mu Li ended the call and walked toward the Mecha Club, where a long line had already formed. Today was the return-to-school day, and upperclassmen only needed to return in the evening. Yet the impressive queue clearly demonstrated the Mecha Club’s popularity.

“Hey, are you here to sign up for the Mecha Club too? What year are you in? Have you studied mecha before?” The person in front turned around to greet Mu Li.

“I’m a freshman, and I’ve learned a little,” Mu Li replied politely.

“Oh, you’re just a freshman? Freshmen rarely get selected for the Mecha Competition. I’m a junior, and this is my third time signing up. Forget the Mecha Competition—I haven’t even gotten into the Mecha Club. Their selection criteria are way too strict. I just hope I can at least become a member this time, to fulfill my dream.”

“Ugh, I’m a junior too. Last time, I had terrible luck—during the StarNet simulated mecha battle, I got a completely dark map. I couldn’t even see the BOSS before I was instantly wiped out,” a male Alpha nearby chimed in.

Mu Li listened quietly as the people ahead discussed their past failures, occasionally nodding or murmuring in agreement. Most of them weren’t first-time applicants, all lamenting the Mecha Club’s harsh standards.

Time passed quickly in idle chatter, and soon it was Mu Li’s turn.

“Name, secondary gender, year,” the student at the registration desk recited mechanically without looking up.

“Mu Li, Omega, freshman,” Mu Li answered.

“Omega? Mu Li—you’re Mu Li?” The student finally looked up, staring at her in surprise. “I’ve seen your mecha videos on StarNet. Welcome to the Mecha Club sign-up.”

Mu Li nodded with a smile. “Yes, that’s me. Is this all the information you need?”

“Just leave your contact number. We’ll conduct an initial screening based on past achievements and awards. Someone will notify you about the interview in about a week.”

Mu Li didn’t linger long. After thanking them, she left. The remnants of summer hadn’t faded yet, and early autumn had arrived. The weeping willows still shimmered green, while fiery red maple leaves added a unique splash of color. A gentle breeze swept through, scattering fallen leaves across the ground.

“Hi, Mu Li.” A hand lightly tapped Mu Li’s shoulder from behind. She turned around to see Kevin. “Just finished signing up too? We’re about to grab some food, wanna join?”

Mu Li then noticed it was a whole group, mostly Alphas, with arms slung over each other’s shoulders, laughing and joking like brothers. She shook her head. “No thanks, I don’t know them. You guys go ahead.”

Kevin didn’t press further and let Mu Li leave.

“Kevin, who was that? Wasn’t that an Omega? Changed your taste recently?” asked Cole Gilbert, Kevin’s childhood friend from Capital Star.

“You don’t know her? The only Omega in our major. Her entrance scores crushed all the Alphas and Betas. The StarNet was full of news about her a few days ago,” Kevin replied.

“What, it’s her?! I didn’t even look properly just now, only noticed her height. What does she look like? Is she pretty?” Cole nearly jumped up. He’d been curious about the online rumors and thought he might get a chance to see her since they were at the same school. Who would’ve thought he’d actually meet her and not even realize it?

“Pretty? She’s stunning. Take it from me, with her aura, I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful. That Omega is too strong—you’re not worthy.”

Cole frowned at that. “No matter how strong she is, she’s still an Omega. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Kevin smirked. “You wanna experience what that Alpha who got wrecked during orientation felt like?”

Cole thought about it for a second and suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He shuddered. “Never mind, not for me.”

Kevin happily slapped Cole’s chest. “That’s more like it. Listen to me, don’t even think about her.”

“Hey, you don’t like Mu Li, do you? If there’s danger, would you protect her, or would she protect you?”

Someone nearby chimed in, “Yeah, yeah. Mu Li is pretty, but she seems hard to handle. What do you even see in her?”

Kevin waved them off. “I like Omegas with personality. She’s different from the rest.”

The group laughed and joked as they headed toward the cafeteria.

A week later, Mu Li received an interview notice from the Mecha Club. The club often represented the school in competitions, earning plenty of honors, so it had its own dedicated training facility.

When Mu Li arrived at the Mecha Club’s training building, there weren’t many people—only about 40 or 50. She thought maybe not everyone had arrived yet. The center of the training room was spacious, likely used for mecha practice, while the surrounding stands occasionally doubled as competition grounds.

A murmur rippled through the quiet crowd. Mu Li looked up to see two people appear on the central platform.

She overheard the whispers around her: “The male Alpha in the middle is the Mecha Club president, a soon-to-graduate student. Last year, he led his team to victory in the Mecha League and has already been recruited by the military department. He just needs to finish his credits to join directly. Rumor has it that Gu Qing, that S-class Mental Strength celebrity, is his younger brother. Good genes, huh? Even as an Alpha, he’s easy on the eyes.”

The female Alpha in red on the left is the vice president. I heard she’s from the Mecha Manufacturing Major. Last year during the competition, it was thanks to her timely Mecha repairs that First Military Academy managed to retain its first-place position. However, due to military department expansion, all five winners from last year’s competition were recruited early into the military department. I’m not sure if they’ll have time to train newcomers this year.”

“Quiet, everyone. I’m Gu Chen, president of the Mecha Club. Since most of you are here for the Mecha League in three months, I’ll keep this brief.” Gu Chen’s stern expression commanded instant silence across the room. “None of last year’s participants will be competing this time, so we need four students skilled in Mecha piloting and one proficient in Mecha Repair.”