Rumor Has It, That Omega Rocked the Stage Again! - Chapter 7

As the figures around her turned into phantoms one by one, it brought immense unease to the freshmen still remaining in the Virtual Battlefield. The effects were too realistic—they could see the attacks their teammates suffered before death, witness the mechas being blown apart, and watch as the Zerg swallowed them whole.

Teammates who had fought side by side just moments ago vanished before their eyes once scattered, each left isolated and helpless. For most, forget about killing Zerg to score points and improve their rankings—even basic self-preservation was impossible, whether they were Omegas, Betas, or Alphas.

Mu Li stared at the swarming Zerg, chaotic yet numerous like moths to a flame, her expression grave. She had never considered teaming up from the start. Even before her rebirth, she had never fought alongside others. No one could understand her, no one could ride freely with her, cutting through the dust with a single sword.

Thus, the increased difficulty didn’t pressure her much. First, Ji Yu had previously taken her to the Ji family’s simulation training room for similar drills. Second, someone accustomed to facing danger alone wouldn’t expect a savior to descend from the skies when in peril.

However, back at the Ji residence, Mu Li had been allowed to choose from the family’s mechas, piloting a relatively advanced model. Battling low-tier Zerg had only required some Mental Strength expenditure and was relatively easy.

Now, she was operating an ordinary mecha, its equipment and firepower far from perfect, demanding only C-Rank Mental Strength. This meant that despite her SSS-Rank Mental Strength, she couldn’t leverage it much for offensive purposes.

If offense wasn’t viable, defense was. Mu Li, capitalizing on her Mental Strength advantage, could swiftly identify the optimal strongholds for combat, deftly evade Zerg attacks, and occasionally launch precise strikes.

Countless Zerg exploded around her. She had expected to feel disgusted by them, but instead found herself solely focused on killing more, with no time to even glance at their grotesque forms.

Soon, the Zerg around Mu Li dwindled significantly. Her actions drew the attention of many nearby.

Someone who could break through the encirclement and kill so many Zerg must be a formidable competitor, right? Wrong. Those barely surviving might not even qualify as rivals to the person inside. They could only pray the next battle wouldn’t bring such a relentless Zerg onslaught.

If not for the overwhelming danger in the Virtual Battlefield, the surrounding onlookers would have already gathered to discuss.

When time ran out, the Zerg around them vanished. The surroundings brightened. Less than one or two out of ten had survived.

Freshmen who had “died” earlier in the Virtual Battlefield received their scores upon exiting, capped at 100 points. Those who exited first were directed to a separate viewing area upon waking. When the final batch of freshmen logged out of StarNet, the eliminated crowd saw Mu Li among them.

The sight of an Omega lasting until the end sent shockwaves through the room.

Was it luck? No. They all knew the horrors inside—without sufficient skill, no amount of luck could sustain someone that long.

Then someone asked, “Isn’t that the Omega who refused all team invitations from the start?”

Memories of the newcomers flooded back. “It’s her, it’s her!” they thought. They had assumed she was just arrogant, but it turned out she came prepared—a capable and well-prepared individual. But how could she be an Omega? Omegas were supposed to be scattered and eliminated from the system within the first few minutes.

At this moment, Mu Li stood quietly in place, seemingly oblivious to the curious gazes fixed upon her.

Subsequently, the second and third rounds of tests commenced. Contrary to the freshmen’s prayers, the Command Department didn’t ease the requirements. Instead, each test grew progressively more challenging.

Before long, everyone’s scores were tallied and displayed on the screen above the stadium. Mu Li’s name stood out prominently near the top: Mu Li, Female, Omega, 100. She and a male Alpha, Kevin Albert, had both achieved perfect scores.

Yet all eyes were on Mu Li—not just because of her high ranking, but because of her unexpected Secondary Gender.

“Is that really the Omega who lasted till the end? I thought she was just good at hiding to avoid Zerg attacks.”

“Yeah, who would’ve guessed she survived by fighting back?”

“Hey, remember that explosion of flames near us earlier? The mecha that broke through—maybe it was hers.”

“But aren’t Omegas supposed to be gentle and delicate? How did she even learn to pilot a mecha?”

“Maybe she’s from a military family, trained since childhood.”

“She’s seriously impressive.”

Amid the praise, voices of envy also emerged.

“Is she really an Omega? Omegas should be learning flower arrangement and caregiving. What Alpha would like someone who fights and kills?”

“At least I wouldn’t. Who’d dare keep such an Omega at home? One wrong move and you’d get beaten. No thanks.”

“Same here. A sweet, delicate Omega is much more pleasing. I wonder who raised her like this.”

“Exactly. I’ve never seen an Omega on the battlefield. Does she actually want to go to the frontlines?”

“To the frontlines? That’s insane! If Omegas go, what’s the point of Alphas and Betas?”

“But she aced the test—she must have some skill. Her family spent so much to train her. Surely they didn’t just send her to the military academy to find a partner.”

It wasn’t just Alphas and Betas who were talking. Even other Omegas had mixed feelings about Mu Li.

“An Omega ranking first? Those Alphas must be humiliated. She’s amazing—really putting Omegas on the map.”

“What’s so great about that? Look at her—she doesn’t act like an Omega at all. Tall, not gentle, and she didn’t even team up with anyone earlier. So cold. Who’d like someone like that?”

“If you don’t like her, fine. I think Mu Li is gorgeous. If she’s willing, I’d even go for an Omega-Omega romance!”

“Hahaha, count me in! Starting today, Mu Li’s my idol—crushing those arrogant Alphas!”

“…”

When an Omega takes an unconventional path, there are always those who refuse to accept the results. They are unwilling to believe that an Omega, naturally weaker in physical ability than an Alpha, could achieve such outstanding performance.

Some chauvinistic Alphas, raised with elite education that teaches them Alphas are the strong while Omegas exist to serve Alpha families and bear their children, sometimes even face disdain from elders if their family lacks an Alpha. How could such Alphas tolerate an Omega rising above them?

When the judging instructor announced the final admission list, an inappropriate voice rang out: “I refuse to accept this. I challenge Mu Li.”

The instructor hesitated. “The entire competition was broadcast live on screen, witnessed by so many. There’s no room for falsification.”

A burly male Alpha stepped forward, clearly a muscular powerhouse. “Don’t worry, considering you’re an Omega, I’ll go easy on you.”

Not wanting to trouble the instructor, Mu Li had mentally prepared herself before coming to the academy. To silence the doubters, she needed to let her skills speak for themselves. Seeing the Alpha’s persistence, she stepped forward to accept the challenge.

Ignoring the onlookers, Mu Li slightly raised her head to meet his gaze. “I don’t need your mercy. Let’s go.”

Seeing Mu Li reject his “kindness,” the Alpha changed his mind—he would make this Omega suffer and learn the might of an Alpha. Unaware that his words were more of a provocation and disrespect toward Omegas.

Entering StarNet, their mechas remained the most basic models. Since First Military Academy only allows students to operate real mechas after formal enrollment, the entrance exam was conducted on StarNet for both student safety and to avoid unnecessary mecha damage.

Mu Li didn’t attack first. Facing an Alpha, she was acutely aware of her physical disadvantage. She had to end this quickly before her weaknesses became apparent.

When Mu Li remained still, the Alpha charged head-on, engaging her mecha in close combat. Yet he failed to land a single hit—Mu Li’s movements were swift, dodging each punch as if anticipating his moves.

When close combat proved ineffective, the Alpha switched to sweeping laser cannon fire. As he opened fire, other freshmen watched their virtual projections intently, holding their breath for Mu Li—the laser barrage was overwhelmingly dense.

Then something unexpected happened. Mu Li’s agile figure weaved through the hail of fire, her mecha’s sword in hand. With one powerful leap, she brought the blade down upon her opponent.

Direct hit!

Many watching freshmen couldn’t help but cheer and applaud—what a magnificent strike! Modern mecha combat predominantly uses thermal weapons like laser bombardments, with mecha swords rarely employed beyond decoration.

Yet Mu Li wielded the sword with such mastery, achieving perfect unity between warrior and blade. Perhaps their ancestors’ legendary use of cold weapons against the Zerg wasn’t just myth after all.

With one of his mecha arms severed, the Alpha heard Mu Li declare: “You’ve lost.”

The Alpha did not cease the attack. Instead, they operated the laser cannon with even greater speed and ferocity, bullets raining down toward Mu Li. Reacting swiftly, Mu Li blocked with her sword and advanced, weaving through the barrage. As she closed the distance, her wrist twisted deftly, and with a sharper, more ruthless motion, the gleaming blade slashed across the opponent’s chest.

The struck Alpha was ejected from the simulation system as their mecha was rendered inoperable. The projection now showed only Mu Li standing firm, sword in hand, her mecha’s back ramrod straight. The spectators could no longer underestimate this Omega—how formidable must her skills be to challenge a firearm with a cold weapon and leave her opponent utterly defenseless?

When Mu Li logged out of StarNet, the surrounding crowd felt an indescribable unease. Could it be that the Combat Command Department was about to welcome its first Omega?