Chapter Nine: The StarNet Arena

She glanced at her own clothing. When she first entered the Star Network, her attire was shaped by her mental construct, appearing exactly as it had in her imagination—a lady’s dress from her era. The delicate, simple patterns adorned the long skirt that reached down to her feet. Her chestnut hair was partially gathered at the forehead, the rest cascading gently down her back, sleek and smooth, falling all the way to her ankles. Draped over the dress was a white mage’s robe, resembling the cloaks of this world, which didn’t strike her as particularly odd.

She took out the white handkerchief from her waist and covered half her face, revealing only her deep blue eyes. Though it might seem vain, she was quite satisfied with her appearance; if she didn’t hide it, trouble would surely follow. Stepping out of her small house, she selected her destination: Imperial Star. Anywhere would do, but she thought it wouldn’t hurt to get a head start on understanding the place she was destined to go.

In the blink of an eye, she found herself on a bustling street. What was this? All around her, steel creations moved in ways she couldn’t comprehend—flying in the sky, racing on the ground, swimming in water. Everything imaginable was here. She stared, dumbfounded at the scene before her. Knowing it was one thing, seeing it in person was another; the reality stunned her. The alchemist in her stirred, yearning to disassemble and study these marvels. She restrained herself, remembering that this was not her territory and these belonged to others. She couldn’t take them apart.

She checked her location—Imperial Plaza. Recalling the information she’d gleaned on the Star Network, she realized this was the city at the heart of Imperial Star’s political center. The plaza was vast, stretching beyond sight, a place for large gatherings and events. Just like her original Mata continent, the Federation was a society that revered strength and martial prowess. At the center of the Imperial Plaza stood the Federation’s most renowned landmark, the Arena.

The Arena, as its name suggested, was a place for combat—not for duels of magic and battle energy as on Mata, but for the main theme of this world: mechas. Yes, mechas. Xuanxuan had only encountered one before, through her spiritual awareness while unconscious—Wan Qi Lianhao’s mecha. Aside from that, she had seen no others.

Yet, the hottest topic on the Star Network was still mechas. Through the AI Cat, she had learned the basics: mechas were created as weapons against the insectoid races and alien beasts. Originally military assets, they gradually became accessible to the public. Forged from steel, their power and defense were unsurpassed. Thanks to the discovery of new energy sources, mechas were perfected, allowing installation of various small and medium heat weapons, greatly enhancing their offensive capabilities.

Mechas could be linked to human mental strength, controlled through spiritual power, though this required strong minds and good physical conditioning. Another method was motion sensing, combining both mental command and physical movement—people could manipulate their mechas by their own actions, enhancing reaction speed and adaptability. Manual operation was the earliest method and, even though spiritual control now dominated, manual controls remained in use, since no one could predict if obstacles would arise mid-battle. Furthermore, some insectoid enemies were known to disrupt the connection between mental strength and mechas, causing havoc. Xuanxuan had never piloted a mecha herself, but from the descriptions, she felt they resembled the puppets she crafted—though she had no idea how powerful they truly were.

The Imperial Arena was immense, styled after ancient Roman amphitheaters, impressive in its grandeur. Xuanxuan followed the crowd inside, and a voice called out, “Newcomers get a free viewing for their first entry.”

She frowned—tickets were needed here? On second thought, it made sense; such venues would naturally charge admission. But where would she get the money to pay?

Passing through the entrance, her view shifted to a grand hall decorated in European style. Rows of seats were arranged neatly, and at the front stood a giant screen displaying the central stage of the arena. The stage was empty, suggesting the match had not yet begun, but the hall was already filled with people gathered in small clusters, discussing the upcoming contest.

“What luck!” someone exclaimed.

“Indeed, a battle between Emperors is a rare sight—even once a year is uncommon.”

“Haha, my friend just brought me along. This time it’s Solar Emperor versus Flame Emperor. Solar Emperor hasn’t fought in three years, and they say the arena organizers took ages to arrange this match. It’s only happening because Flame Emperor is Solar Emperor’s friend.”

“The only one who can match Solar Emperor is Night Emperor, but Night Emperor hasn’t appeared in six years.”

“We hardly know these legendary figures. But I heard Solar Emperor is even younger than Night Emperor.”

“They say Night Emperor has only just come of age!”

“True. Our Federation has produced so many talents in recent years.”

“That’s right. Only such dazzling geniuses can repel the insectoid threat and safeguard the Federation.”

“They say the battle six years ago between Solar Emperor and Night Emperor left even imperial generals in awe. If only we could witness such a spectacle again.”

“Just seeing Solar Emperor and Flame Emperor compete today is a stroke of fortune—observe closely! It could save you many missteps in mecha piloting. Aren’t you satisfied?”

“Hehe, I worked hard to afford my ticket for this event.”

Xuanxuan realized she had stumbled upon rare luck. The two contenders seemed to be top-tier experts in the Star Network. Unbeknownst to her, it was only because she was a newcomer that entry was so easy; this match had caused a stir outside. Not everyone could witness such elite combat—an opportunity from which many could learn a great deal. In this martial age, who would pass up such a chance? The Arena certainly didn’t miss the chance to profit either; ticket prices had soared repeatedly, and yet the private box seats had long since sold out.