Genius Mechanic: Chapter 237

Asta Contaminated Zone(Star Domain Tournament: Start)

237. Blind Selection

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

After the schedule for the Star Domain Tournament was finalized, KID entered a busy training period.  

After gaining a basic understanding of the rules, they began adaptive training focused on the unique battle rhythm of the Star Domain Tournament.  

Jiang Simiao uploaded the tactical models used by all the powerful teams into the virtual training chamber for the mecha pilots. This specialized training aimed to help them quickly familiarize themselves with the various teams’ combat styles. “Tactics can change, but a mecha pilot’s combat style is difficult to alter in a short period. Our goal is to understand the opposing mecha pilots.”  

With prolonged training sessions, Ying Chenlin had little time to visit the maintenance room. The replacements for the S-Class embryo mechas were overseen by Grandpa Gu, and development of the mecha weapons were on track. The weapon data was also uploaded to their virtual cabin for daily use.  

By the time the official announcement for the Star Domain Tournament was made, KID’s powerful team of mechanics had already completed the replacements for their S-Class embryo mechas. The mechas were now ready for testing and training by the pilots.  

During this period, Ying Chenlin frequently visited Dr. Eric’s medical room. While the 30-day duration of the  posed no issue for most mecha pilots, it was a significant challenge for him. In the prolonged battles at the Keze Floating Island Contaminated Zone, Ying Chenlin had to adjust his rest periods to maintain his combat performance. However, this time he would be heading to the First Star Domain, surrounded by strong teams, leaving him with little time for rest.  

Since Ying Chenlin’s return from the Star Alliance Special Mission, Dr. Eric had been closely monitoring his mental state. In the Slared Contaminated Zone, Ying Chenlin had exhausted his mental power twice without falling unconscious. Instead of entering a state of depletion, his mental power seemed to continue supplying him in weak increments, akin to squeezing out toothpaste, allowing him to stay conscious as a pilot.  

Dr. Eric found this highly unexpected. Ying Chenlin’s transition between A- and S-Level mental power fluctuations was already a rare case in medical history. Now, this anomaly had stabilized into a delicate balance.  

Ying Chenlin asked, “What should I pay attention to during the Star Domain Tournament?”  

“I still recommend that your continuous combat time not exceed three days, with rest intervals of 7-8 hours in between,” Dr. Eric said, reviewing the medical report. “If you maintain this rhythm of mental power output, you should be able to sustain yourself for the full 30 days… but I don’t recommend piloting Yuan.”  

“Although Yuan has been modified into an S-Class Medical mecha and adjusted to suit your current mental state, it is fundamentally still an S-Class mecha,” Dr. Eric continued. “I analyzed the energy consumption patterns from your Star Alliance Special Mission while piloting different mechas. The energy expenditure when piloting Yuan is double that of an A-Level competition mecha. I heard from Shen Xingtang that she’s prepared an S-Level embryo mecha as a backup for you. You can use Yuan for short-term battles, but for prolonged engagements, I wouldn’t recommend it. The level of energy consumption might prevent you from lasting until the end.” 

Ying Chenlin’s current mental power hadn’t fully stabilized at S-Level. On most occasions, its output was more similar to that of A-Level. Only when he adjusted his output frequency could he forcefully synchronize with Yuan to the extent of piloting the mecha. While his mental power had improved, enabling him to adapt to a combat rhythm of two to three days, piloting Yuan continuously for 30 days would undoubtedly be a risky undertaking.

The phenomenon of a “toothpaste-like” mental power output after reaching mental depletion was rare. Dr. Eric, encountering such a patient for the first time, had to analyze each situation carefully. “Your mental power isn’t as strong as S-Level. You can think of it as being in a steady-output phase. I don’t know how you managed to forcibly synchronize and stabilize your mental power at S-Level, but if you repeatedly force your brain to mobilize large amounts of mental power, I’m concerned it might lead to some genetic disease sequelae.”

After listening, Ying Chenlin remained silent for a moment before responding, “I understand.”

Dr. Eric added, “That was the worst-case scenario I just described.”

Ying Chenlin paused and looked at Dr. Eric with confusion.

“Shen Xingtang didn’t want me to mention this because she’s worried you’ll take unnecessary risks, but I think you should know.” Dr. Eric bent down, rummaging through a cabinet before pulling out a data board buried at the bottom. “Here, take a look at this.”

“The graph on the left shows your mental power fluctuations during normal mecha piloting, while the one on the right shows the changes during high-risk missions. I’ve observed that each time you push your mental power to its limits in extreme situations, it expands.”

To simplify, Dr. Eric explained, “In mechanical terms, you might know that flexible pipelines become increasingly wider after repeated expansions. You can think of the channels through which your mental power flows from your brain throughout your body in the same way. When I first reviewed your case, your mental power channels were roughly the width of a single adult finger. Now, they’ve expanded to three fingers.”

Ying Chenlin’s expression showed a trace of surprise.

Dr. Eric continued, “You’ve probably noticed that your mental power output has become increasingly stable. Previously, fatigue from mobilizing mental power would set in sooner, but now it’s delayed. Shen Xingtang didn’t want me to share this because she’s worried you’ll push your limits before I develop a solution. I understand her concern, but I believe you need to know so that we can better communicate during my research on your condition.”

The two conversed for a while as Dr. Eric provided a brief overview of his condition and ultimately prescribed a week’s worth of medication.

“These are to regulate your mental power. In the week leading up to the Star Domain Tournament, you’ll need to inject one dose daily.”

After thanking him, Ying Chenlin left. Once he was gone, Dr. Eric stowed the data board on his desk and brought up hidden images on his virtual screen. One was a current scan of Ying Chenlin’s brain, while the other was a scan obtained from the doctor who performed his genetic disease surgery.

Initially, Ying Chenlin’s mental power had plummeted, and the brain regions responsible for mental power showed severe pathological atrophy. Now, those same regions in Ying Chenlin’s brain exhibited signs of expansive recovery.

Dr. Eric twirled the electronic pen in his hand and wrote down a new note:  

[Feasibility Plan for Recovery from Pathological Mental Valve Atrophy Caused by Genetic Disease.]  

—

For the first time, netizens of Dawn Galaxy witnessed so many teams from their galaxy head out to participate in the Star Domain Tournament. The galaxy’s live-streaming platforms had long collaborated with the First Star Domain’s committee to establish direct channels, and they had been hyping up the event for several days in advance. Popular mecha streamers frequently appeared in the live-stream rooms, analyzing the top teams from the First Star Domain.  

“The strongest, without question, is Aegis from the Aries Galaxy, which has been the First Star Domain’s reigning champion for five consecutive years. Their team centers around shield-based offensive systems,” one streamer explained.  

The streamer continued, “Below Aegis, historically, the teams ranked in the top ten are all capable of directly qualifying for the Star Alliance Tournament. For instance, the eternal runner-up, JIAZI, is a pure fire-attribute team specializing in aggressive attacks. The third-ranked YOU is a representative of the wood-attribute control style, excelling in strategic pull-and-drag tactics. All these teams have highly refined systems.”  

This particular streamer, who had long focused on live-streaming the Star Domain Tournament for the Dawn Galaxy, was well-versed in its nuances. “From the current situation in the First Star Domain, there was one year when dual slots were available, and Gale and Black Crow performed exceptionally, making it into the top ten and advancing to the Star Alliance Tournament. But that was the only time. Typically, our Dawn Galaxy ranks around 12th or 13th out of the 15 galaxies, barely holding onto the bottom tier.”  

【Teams like Gale have achieved their best results with a ninth-place finish in the Star Domain Tournament.】

【So, does that mean all the top eight teams from the First Star Domain are stronger than Gale?】  

【Our Dawn Galaxy’s results aren’t bad this year either. Gale, Black Crow and YDS have improved their records, and KID is even stronger at the top. Plus, the strengths of the remaining top eight teams have risen compared to previous years. With the new  format, it’s possible that other teams might experience a decline in performance.】  

“The Star Domain Tournament isn’t easy,” the streamer remarked, “but having so many teams participate this year is already a major breakthrough for the Dawn Galaxy, which has traditionally been weak in team battles. It shows that the mecha pilots have been working hard these past two years. Ranked 20th in the Star Alliance Special Mission, maybe this year we can achieve even better results!”  

【You’re underestimating the strong teams too much.】  

【If we qualify so many teams and end up embarrassing ourselves, wouldn’t that look terrible?】  

【I’ve been watching the First Star Domain’s public galactic net these days. So many people are accusing us of cheating for our slots. Damn it, I straight up threw the Star Alliance Special Mission announcement in their faces.】  

The Star Domain Tournament involved 52 teams competing simultaneously. While the  was being hyped online, the participating teams had already arrived at planets near the Aries Galaxy’s Asta Contaminated Zone a week in advance.  

This time, KID managed to secure a medium-sized spaceship through Boss Zhou’s connections. The spaceship carried both the team of mecha pilots and the maintenance crew. Four days before the  officially began, the team arrived in the Aries Galaxy and rented a temporary repair workshop on-site to make final adjustments to their mechas.

Upon arriving in the Aries Galaxy, they immediately ran into acquaintances. Gale had also arrived early, and as soon as Shen Xingtang disembarked from the spaceship, she went over to chat with Zhang Ge, Gale’s representative.  

“Lately, Tang Jie and Lao Zhang seem to be getting along well, huh?” Ji Qingfeng observed.  

Jiang Simiao nodded. “They’ve been in contact more often. That temporary repair workshop we’re using was actually arranged with Gale’s help.”  

“Why are you calling him Lao Zhang too?” Huo Yan asked.  

Ji Qingfeng, who had been hanging out on the virtual battlefield with Zhao Lejie, Hu Luobu, and Chi Lizi recently, picked up the nickname from Zhao Lejie. “I heard their boss is a real workaholic, working both day and night shifts. Didn’t expect Lao Zhang to still have such vigor at his age!”  

In the distance, Zhang Ge sneezed and continued discussing matters with Shen Xingtang.  

The relationship between the four major bases had grown closer due to the Star Alliance Special Mission. To save money, Black Crow’s team had even coordinated the temporary hotel accommodations this time. They rented four entire floors, exclusively for the mecha pilots and maintenance crews from the four bases to rest. KID was the last to arrive, and by the time they reached the hotel, the other teams were already checked in. The hotel rooms were all doubles. Before Ying Chenlin could say a word, Huo Yan had already assumed he would share a room with You Su and handed the meal cards directly to him.  

“The view’s great,” Huo Yan said. “And it’s in a quiet spot.”  

Ying Chenlin: “…”  

Just as Zhao Lejie came out looking for Hu Luobu to hang out, he spotted KID distributing room assignments. His gaze unconsciously drifted to the two mecha pilots standing at the back of the group, noticing that they were wearing identical black and white T-shirts with matching floral prints.  

“What’s going on with their Medical and Artillery?” Zhao Lejie asked.  

Hu Luobu: “…I’m not blind; they’re wearing the same thing.”  

Zhao Lejie: “Is he so controlling that he even dictates what his teammate wears?”  

Noticing You Su glancing in their direction, Hu Luobu quickly turned Zhao Lejie’s head away. “Quit staring; he’s already looking over here!”  

When Ji Qingfeng walked over, Zhao Lejie and Hu Luobu had no choice but to focus their attention on him instead.  

Ji Qingfeng paused and looked back. “Oh, that? Don’t you know about the Xiongdi outfit?”  

It was from a clothing store You Ge frequented during a sale. Supposedly, it was a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Ji Qingfeng even thought the design was nice. “Yao Bao and I wanted to get a set too, but when we asked him for the store’s address, he ignored us.”  

Lin Yao: “Yeah, if they had a bigger discount, we could just get six of them as base uniforms to wear underneath.”  

Zhao Lejie didn’t get it. “…Your KID team really loves matching outfits!”  

Ying Chenlin wasn’t aware of the other mecha pilots’ discussion. Pulling his suitcase, he followed You Su to their assigned room. Upon arrival, You Su had already left the window-side spot for him. The two had shared rooms on many previous occasions. Ying Chenlin stopped near the inner side of the room but didn’t sit down immediately. He glanced sideways at You Su, noticing that the white medical bandages were no longer visible around his neck. The loose T-shirt now covered his injured upper arm, but even through the fabric, Ying Chenlin knew exactly where the scar lay. 

“Not unpacking?” You Su glanced over.  

Ying Chenlin withdrew his gaze and looked down at the matching floral print on his T-shirt, identical to You Su’s. “Right away.”  

Aside from Gale and Black Crow, the other teams from Dawn Galaxy were participating for the first time. On the battlefield, they were opponents, but off the field, they were friends. After leaving Dawn Galaxy, all info was openly shared among them, including intelligence on the powerful teams of the First Star Domain. This year, Dawn Galaxy had eight teams competing; there wouldn’t be another chance like this in the next tournament. Their goal wasn’t just to compete for a spot in the Star Alliance Tournament, but also to help Dawn Galaxy secure a favorable position in the Star Domain Tournament.  

“It’s best to avoid the top four teams—Aegis, JIAZI, YOU, and ZUOY,” Zhang Ge remarked. “Star domain matches depend on luck too. A head-on fight is better avoided; the harder you push, the worse it gets in the later stages. The final rankings are based on a tournament system, so it’s important to achieve good-looking match records while also climbing the rankings.”  

Jiang Simiao felt overwhelmed at the mention of those strong teams. “Our KID is bringing out everything we’ve got this time.”  

Zhang Ge: “…”  

When hasn’t KID brought everything out?  

-·-  

The Asta Contaminated Zone, located on the edge of the Aries Galaxy in the First Star Domain, had been a Contaminated Zone for less than 200 years.  

This planet was originally a residential star for Star Alliance citizens but later suffered from an uncontrollable event that exposed large amounts of pollutants. Within just a few years, the planet’s pollution levels skyrocketed, leading to its designation as a Contaminated Zone within the Aries Galaxy.  

Among all Competition-Level Contaminated Zones in the First Star Domain, Asta had the highest proportion of artificial terrain. Its pollution levels ranged between 5000 and 6000, classifying it as a Level 4 Contaminated Zone. Over 70% of the terrain in this zone was artificial, as it was once the Aries Galaxy’s first line of defense against frontier pollutant impacts. Two hundred years ago, it was a planet fortress. All buildings on the planet were constructed with special materials, making their durability against destructive forces second only to base station shields.  

Even after two centuries as a Contaminated Zone, where pollutants had taken over much of the region, the artificial terrain and large-scale architecture remained as they were 200 years ago. As a former residential planet, Asta’s regions and terrain were evenly distributed, with distinct divisions such as cities, forests, underground zones, and aerial areas. The high and low buildings and varied topography presented significant operational challenges for mecha pilots.  

Dawn Galaxy’s netizens began analyzing strategies. There were many strong teams in the First Star Domain, but Dawn’s performance this year wasn’t bad. Among the middle-to-lower-tier teams, they could likely secure a front-row position. As the netizens waited nervously, the day of the Star Domain Tournament’s opening match arrived in the blink of an eye. 

The Star Domain Tournament did not have a live audience section. All events were streamed through the virtual StarNet, with viewers from various galaxies gathering online. Every virtual net was overcrowded, and the fans sitting in the front rows raised their support banners for their respective teams.

In the past, the number of teams representing Dawn was small, so support was limited to just a few teams.

This time, however, many teams were participating, and fans of each team were doing their best to show support. No one wanted Dawn Galaxy to be looked down upon by people from other galaxies. The result of the  was uncertain, but they were determined not to lose in terms of momentum to any other galaxy.

Other galaxies in the First Star Domain were also paying attention to Dawn Galaxy, especially since this underdog galaxy suddenly earned eight spots and ranked 20th in the Star Alliance Special Mission rankings.

Their unexpected performance sparked a lot of curiosity. People had only known about Gale and Black Crow from Dawn, but this year, the first-ranked team from Dawn, KID, was completely unfamiliar. A quick search revealed that this team had just recently risen to first place. The only noteworthy point was that their Medical mecha pilot was the former Star Alliance Individual Soldier Champion, Sink.

To learn more about the team, people flocked to their official blog.

What they found was only the KID online store. The official blog seemed neglected, with the latest post featuring a group photo of the whole team outside the Asta Contaminated Zone Management Bureau. A large group of people crammed together, with both mecha pilots and maintenance crew members in the photo, but there wasn’t a single solo shot of any mecha pilot departing for the mission. The image resembled a group tour photo from a travel agency.

[@KID Mecha Base: We’ve arrived in the city! Target: Asta Contaminated Zone! [Image]]

The official blog was no help, so the viewers went to the comments section, only to find that they couldn’t even understand most of the comments.

【What the hell! When did they hire so many people?!】

【Shocking, these poor guys are spending money hiring people!】

【I’m going to pop some fireworks in the livestream later to celebrate KID’s team surpassing 15 members!】

【Finally, you guys have money? Why didn’t you send a celebratory post on the official blog? (hinting)】

【Did Sink grow a bit taller? Did he change his combat boots?】

【I specifically made a comparison. Compared to the last promo photo, Sink has grown 2 cm, while Yao hasn’t changed at all.】

【[Shopping List] @Official Blog, I didn’t go to the site to raise a support banner this time, but remember to tell your mecha pilots for me.】

The curious viewers: “…”

What’s going on? Dawn’s number one mecha team is like this?

The Star Domain Tournament provided a designated livestream angle for each team. Before the  started, the livestream cameras had already focused on the resting areas of each team, showing the mecha pilots and maintenance crews preparing in the maintenance area, getting ready for pre- procedures.

The official livestream was packed with viewers. As the tournament began, teams were introduced one by one. After the strong teams had walked through, the livestream camera shifted to Dawn Galaxy. The host’s voice rang out with excitement: “Next up, the representative team from Dawn Galaxy, starting with the number one ranked team, KID!”

Compared to the teams before them, the KID base’s delegation, with fewer than 20 members, looked quite fragmented.

The lineup was chaotic, with people of all ages, heights, and genders mixed together. The front row’s support flag was crooked, and the red-and-white team uniforms appeared overly festive. At the center, the logo of the largest sponsor, [Jianheng Technology], shone brightly.

【Did they walk into the wrong filming set?】

【…A sunset tour group?】

【Why are they even carrying a sponsor banner??】

【Why has Dawn become more and more weak? How did they manage to secure 8 spots?】

Behind KID, Gale couldn’t bear to look. Zhao Lejie asked, “Didn’t Chairman Li emphasize the importance of their presentation?”

“There’s nothing they could do. KID never had a big setup, and during the lineup, they were tripping over each other. Didn’t you see their support flag?” Zhang Ge pinched the space between his eyebrows. “I heard it got crooked when they were practicing the lineup at the hotel. Chairman Li just gave up on them.”

Qi Sicheng: “What material is the flag made of? How did it get crooked?”

Zhang Ge: “…It cost 50 star coins.”

There were no audience seats at the Star Domain Tournament, so the KID members weren’t quite used to it.

Their fans weren’t used to it either. Unable to cheer in person, they had to crowd into the livestream and watch as the camera switched to the transition zone. Among the strong teams, they spotted their own out-of-sync lineup queuing for registration.

Just as everyone finished registering and entered the mecha preparation area, a selection box appeared on the transition interfaces, with four zones to choose from.

[Please make your team’s jump selection.]

At that moment, a special interface popped up in all the Star Domain Tournament livestreams. All mecha teams appeared in this interface, with special symbols representing the four zones—A, B, C, and D—displayed at the top of the list.

This sudden change caught everyone off guard.

Jiang Simiao was momentarily stunned. “What’s going on? Isn’t the jump choice supposed to be random?”

In the official commentary, a sudden electronic voice from the Star Domain Tournament’s official AI spoke up.

“Dear mecha pilots, we will now begin the blind selection phase.”

“Please choose carefully, as your choice will affect your mission selection for the next 12 days.”

TN:

Bruh… You really can’t take these kids anywhere😭.

New Contaminated Zone✅

And it’s a METAL FORTRESS!!! KID may have just met their toughest destruction target yet.

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