Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

"This gift is truly special…"

Staring at the holographic image displayed before him, Wang Chen couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment.

The gift Ming Mei had given him turned out to be a schematic of a combat mecha!

This mecha was distinctly different from any other he'd seen. Its most remarkable feature? Style.

Whether it was its main body, limbs, head, external armor, color scheme, or the wings stretching out from its back, it was both imposing and dazzling—capturing the perfect image of the ultimate mecha in every teenager's heart.

Wang Chen might no longer be a boy filled with youthful fervor, but this specially designed mecha still stirred a surge of passion within him.

It was the yearning for battle!

"Its name is Valkyrie, standing at 13.75 meters tall and weighing 10.5 tons. It's equipped with two PC6600 engines, and its primary weapon is a 150mm Super Particle Cannon…"

Wang Chen's gaze unconsciously drifted away from the mecha before him and settled on Ming Mei, who stood by his side introducing the design.

At this moment, the young woman's eyes glittered brightly; she didn't seem to notice Wang Chen looking at her. Enthusiastically speaking, she poured her heart into explaining the Valkyrie's stats, features, and combat capabilities, utterly focused and animated.

To Wang Chen, this was when Ming Mei was at her most beautiful.

Of course, every word his girlfriend uttered was etched deeply into his mind.

Without a doubt, Valkyrie was a customized combat mecha tailored specifically for Wang Chen by Ming Mei. It was a standard dual-engine medium mecha, and in terms of thrust, endurance, armor, weapons, or auxiliary specs, it was a top-tier design among medium-sized mechas.

The mecha also featured an AT Force Field generator, making its defensive power on par with that of a small spaceship.

However…

Wang Chen asked, "What's the budget?"

This question instantly dimmed the light on the young woman's glowing face. She lowered her head, nervously picking at her nails as she murmured, "It's going to cost at least fifty million Star Currency…"

Fifty million Star Currency!

To put this into perspective, the monthly salary of an average office worker was only four to five thousand Star Currency—fifty million equated to ten thousand months of income!

Wang Chen recalled the balance in his Imperial Bank account and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Broke!

Ming Mei appeared even more uneasy and muttered softly, "I… I've saved up a little over a hundred thousand…"

Wang Chen broke into a laugh. Reaching out, he pulled her into an embrace, saying, "Thank you!"

He lowered his head to gaze at the young woman and said, "This mecha is truly amazing, and I really like it. Trust me—I'll definitely be able to save up enough to bring your design to life!"

Combat mechas could generally be categorized as either standard models or customized models. The former were mass-manufactured, such as the ZS-057G Fist Blade Wang Chen had previously used in training.

Standard mechas excelled in versatility. They could integrate various interchangeable standard parts and were most suited for large-scale warfare.

However, pilots—especially mid- to high-tier mecha pilots—often had strong personalities and distinct fighting styles.

Standard mechas inevitably failed to fully meet their combat needs.

This led to the emergence of customized mechas.

Customized mechas were essentially born of their pilots, serving as personal combat machines. A strong pilot paired with an adaptable customized mecha could often unleash their full combat potential!

Moreover, the unique nature of customized mechas meant they weren't as easily countered by enemies as standard mechas often were.

That said, the Empire typically wouldn't budget for pilots' customized mechas.

Crafting them was entirely up to the pilot, requiring their own funds; otherwise, they had no choice but to rely on standard mechas.

In this aspect, pilots from noble or scholar families held significant advantages.

Their familial support allowed them to afford the costs of customization.

Wang Chen, however, was not only a commoner but also the orphan of a fallen soldier. Ming Mei was merely the illegitimate daughter of a minor baron. Together, their combined wealth couldn't even purchase one of Valkyrie's engines.

Not even close.

The price of a single PC6600 engine exceeded seven million Star Currency!

Ming Mei had poured her heart into her idea, but reality was harsh.

Yet Wang Chen felt deeply grateful for her thoughtfulness.

As for the astronomical expenses, he could gradually earn the money—after all, he still had more than three years left at the First Military Academy.

"Alright."

Ming Mei knew her idea was somewhat naive, but under Wang Chen's reassurance, her heart brimmed with joy, wishing time would forever freeze at this moment.

While the two basked in the sweetness of the moment, Wang Chen's personal terminal suddenly buzzed, displaying a notification.

Wang Chen opened it to find that it was a commendation letter!

He had just received recognition from the Imperial Military Department for a fifth-class merit and a Bronze Star Medal.

Military merits in the Empire were divided into seven tiers: special merit, first-class honors, second-class honors, and so on up to sixth-class.

Wang Chen's fifth-class merit originated from his feat of killing pirates aboard the Distant Star cruiser on his way to the First Military Academy.

This event occurred over half a year ago. While the Imperial Security Bureau had submitted his achievements, they had fallen silent afterward, leading Wang Chen to believe the matter was long forgotten.

Unexpectedly, the commendation had finally arrived today!

"Fifth-class merit, huh!"

Leaning in Wang Chen's embrace, Ming Mei spotted the notification and happily exclaimed, "That's wonderful!"

The Empire highly valued military merit; though fifth-class wasn't incredibly prestigious, Wang Chen could use it to advance a rank upon formally joining the army, significantly improving his treatment.

"It's alright."

Wang Chen smiled as he closed the message, but his mind remained focused on the issue of earning money.

With no familial backing, he had to rely on himself. Unless he served as a lackey to some aristocratic scion, gaining resources wasn't easy, and his student status posed yet another restriction.

That night, Wang Chen took the time to scour the Star Sea network for ways to earn Star Currency.

Previously, he had been earning money through the Starry Seas Arena, but now, with his significantly improved win rate, the rewards he could earn had diminished drastically.

To be honest, even if he still could make money there, the earnings would never be enough to meet his needs.

Ironically, Wang Chen didn't find any viable ways to make money online. Instead, the Exceptional Insight Club offered him a small surprise.

The next day at the academy, a member of the Exceptional Insight Club sought Wang Chen out.

This member's name was Sun Xinhong, and he wanted Wang Chen to become his martial arts and combat instructor.

"You want to learn body skills and fighting techniques from me?"

Wang Chen asked curiously, "And how much are you offering?"

He had no problem working as a private instructor, but what mattered to him was how serious the offer was—his time was incredibly valuable.

Sun Xinhong quickly quoted a price.

But that wasn't the only highlight—the key was that he wanted to organize a group purchase!

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The second chapter is delivered.