The System Teaches You How to Be Human

Public opinion wasn’t something that could be controlled at will. If it were, there wouldn’t be a term like “cyberbullying” in the first place.

Like flies drawn to blood, the media latched onto Tru’s actions and escalated the matter to the imperial family’s level!

The event’s rapid spread had a massive impact, and by the time Tru realized what a foolish mistake he had made, he had already lost control of the online narrative!

Smack!

The Emperor of the Kaz Empire, Clint, struck Tru hard across the face, his expression cold and severe. The slap was loud and left a faint, red five-fingered mark on Tru’s cheek.

“Look at the disgraceful mess you’ve made.” Clint’s tone remained steady, but disappointment seeped into every word.

This wasn’t just about Tru’s personal reputation; it also tarnished the imperial family’s carefully cultivated public image.

“I am very disappointed in you, Tru. You should know what you need to do now.”

What should he do now? He needed to keep a low profile and gradually remove himself from the center of the scandal.

Tru knew that. But he had always been pampered and indulged; he refused to accept this outcome without a fight!

Clutching his reddened cheek, he lowered his voice and tried to suppress his anger as he said, “Father, I believe the priority now should be finding that other contestant!”

“That contestant deliberately modified his mecha to look weak while secretly boosting its stats to the highest level; I believe he did it all with a clear plan in mind! What if he was only matched against me because he hacked into StarNet and manipulated the system?!”

Clint simply stared at him in silence, his gaze heavy with authority.

“Enough, Tru! Stop making excuses for your own recklessness! The Anderson Military Academy is about to start its new term; you’ll go there and train properly.”

Exile!

This is exile!

Tru’s pupils shrank, and his hands clenched into fists.

As a prince, he should have been attending the exclusive Imperial Military Academy, which accepted only a handful of students!

But now, his father was sending him to study alongside second- and third-tier nobles!

Even if he had caused a massive scandal, this punishment felt too severe.

A dark suspicion crept into Tru’s mind…

Could it be…?

Could it be that Father had already discovered the truth; that I’m not his biological son?!

Once that doubt surfaced, it became impossible to push back down.

The more Tru thought about it, the more certain he felt!

21 Years Ago, the Kaz Empire had faced a catastrophic crisis. A group of Zerg-worshipping cultists had appeared out of nowhere, and on the very day of the imperial celebration, they launched a sudden attack on the imperial palace!

This frenzied assault caught everyone off guard, and the brutal slaughter left both imperial guards and nobles dead or severely wounded.

By the time the battle was over, the entire palace was drenched in blood.

That night was one of endless horror, and even the moon itself had been tainted red by the lingering psychic energy left behind by the cultists. A phenomenon later called ‘Blood Moon Mist.’

The cultists hadn’t just massacred the imperial family and nobles. Before they were exterminated, they managed to kidnap the Third Prince of the Kaz Empire; who was still an infant in swaddling clothes!

It wasn’t until 2 full days later that the imperial guards finally rescued him.

Because of this ordeal, both the Emperor and Empress felt guilty about what had happened to their third son, so they did everything they could to provide him with a comfortable and privileged life.

For the longest time, Tru had believed that he was that third prince. But the things he had uncovered pointed to a different possibility.

What if…

What if the cultists hadn’t just kidnapped the Third Prince? What if they had swapped him with someone else?

The evidence Tru had found filled him with both rage and despair, yet at the same time, it gave him a moment of clarity.

This was why; Even though I’ve grown up in the Kaz Empire’s imperial family, my spiritual power is only a pathetic B-rank!

Everything made sense now. If not for that twist of fate…

Tru would have been nothing more than a lowly commoner! How could he possibly accept that?!

With past memories and present fury. The surge of past memories, mixed with his newly awakened frustration and rage, made Tru grit his teeth hard.

***

After Clint left, he furiously turned to a nearby guard and shouted, “Find him for me! Dig 3 feet into the ground if you have to, but uncover that bastard’s identity!”

He couldn’t swallow this humiliation. That damned man had trampled his dignity underfoot; how could he possibly endure this?!

The guard worked his connections and investigated for a while before cautiously handing over a thin document to Tru.

“Y-Your Highness… that man’s StarNet permissions are too high; we couldn’t access his personal data. We were only able to retrieve some of his activity logs after he logged in.”

“Some records? What kind of records?”

The guard trembled as he read out the findings. “He customized a mecha at a specialized mecha workshop. We’ve gathered the data from his custom order… but beyond that, we found nothing. Apologies… Your Highness.”

Tru’s rage flared instantly, but when he heard about the customized mecha data, he forcibly suppressed it. He snatched the document from the guard’s hands.

Even if he couldn’t find the man himself, he could at least uncover the materials used in that mecha; that was still better than nothing!

Every mecha’s attributes varied greatly, and these differences were heavily influenced by its construction materials. If he could analyze the formula behind this mecha, he’d have a crucial advantage!

Tru still clung to his belief; That bastard’s mecha is anything but ordinary! Otherwise, there was no way he could have dodged so many attacks!

A dark sense of satisfaction rose within him.

Hurriedly, he flipped through the document, his eyes scanning for the most important data; he wanted to see exactly how high that mecha’s agility and attack stats were!

Then, he saw it.

[Mecha ID: XSJ13865664]

[Agility: 0]

[Attack: 5]

[Overall Evaluation: A piece of garbage that drags down the standard of all mechas.]

“Impossible… Impossible!” Tru’s pupils dilated to the extreme.

The sheer disbelief weighed on his chest; he couldn’t suppress it. His chest tightened with a dull pain, and a sickeningly sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat—A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out!

The crimson stain splattered onto the document, but it failed to obscure the bold black letters that read; “Garbage.”

It was as if fate itself was mocking him. Mocking his arrogance. He had believed his opponent had relied on mecha enhancements to defeat him. But now, he realized, that had been nothing more than a delusion.

His opponent had crushed him effortlessly, relying on nothing but his own strength.

At this moment, Tru felt like…

Like the biggest joke in the universe!

That single word; “garbage”, blended with the bright red blood, burning into his eyes like a scorching brand of shame!

“Impossible! Impossible!”

***

At the same time, in another part of the galaxy; the owner of the mecha customization shop where Si Yisi had placed his order was pounding his chest in utter regret, his bloodshot eyes filled with despair.

Ever since Si Yisi’s victory, countless StarNet users had been searching for his exact mecha model, hoping to buy the same one.

Yet no matter how hard they searched, not a single shop logo or brand name had appeared in the footage.

The shop owner, who had been following the tournament closely, immediately recognized the same “garbage mecha” he had once mocked, now utterly dominating the battlefield.

And now…

He regretted it so much he wanted to die!