Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Too many things had happened over the night, by the time Bai E returned to camp, it was already three o'clock in the morning.

Inside the tent, the sound of breathing was peaceful, yet as Bai E fumbled with his clothes, a pair of bright eyes suddenly popped out from behind.

Rose's voice, slightly hoarse, sounded somewhat furtive, "You went out to have fun for so long again? Can you take me with you next time?"
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Bai E knew she hadn't slept, and now, unperturbed, he glanced over his shoulder, "You don't have a Leave Camp Certificate..."

The regulations of the military camp itself were still an insurmountable mountain for them.

"That's true..."

"Looks like I need to figure out a way to get one too..." After a whisper of self-mumbling, Rose conscientiously reminded him, "Pay attention starting tomorrow, the assessment is coming up."

Assessment?

Mech Pilot?

Indeed, nearly half a month had already flashed by, and the deadline for the official Mech Pilot selection that was previously mentioned was fast approaching.

But...

"What's there to pay attention to, isn't it just normal training?"

"I heard that people from the Mechanical Court will come to observe secretly, starting from tomorrow we shouldn't mess around, alright?"

During ordinary training sessions, both of them occasionally tried to do their own thing, mainly acting independently of each other.

As a result, their scores on the simulator were not very impressive.

But with the formal assessment drawing near, to continue playing around was definitely a recipe for self-destruction.

"Got it." Bai E nodded his head, without the slightest doubt about the source of the news.

Rose was enthusiastic and cheerful by nature, and even though her artificial origins naturally came with an unfavorable filter when interacting with those natural-born Mech Pilot candidates, as time passed, she could easily blend into any group.

In Mechanic Camp, many pieces of news that Bai E didn't know, she could find out.

After changing into more comfortable shorts and a tank top for sleeping, Bai E pushed Rose's head and sent her back to sleep, "Sleep early, we'll get a Leave Camp Certificate for you when we have the chance."

"Got it!"

...

Early next morning, everyone in Mechanic Camp assembled with visible tension and excitement on their faces.

Their eyes roamed, trying to spot the VIP from the Mechanical Court.

Of course, the Mechanical Court was not part of the military camp; it was a small elite division similar to an Arbitration Place, directly governed by the City Senate.

But in terms of personal advancement, it was the next step for those in the armored camp. The level of metallic creations they had represented the pinnacle of Blackwater City's current technology.

As for the people there... they were all formidable figures, even without their mechanical exteriors, this still held true.

For the natural-born individuals in the armored camp, the Mechanical Court was also an excellent direction for development.

Obviously, the current inquisitiveness of everyone was fruitless.

There was no unusual figure in sight, and since it had been said the observation would be secret, they wouldn't let these Mech Pilot candidates find out easily.

In the anxious wait, the instructor finally arrived before everyone.

"I have some good news for everyone..." The instructor, with his hands behind his back, slowly swept his eyes over the expectant faces of all the warriors. In fact, the news about someone from the Mechanical Court conducting a secret assessment was a hint he had discretely released to remind these youngsters, fearful they would mess up the important event with their cavalier attitudes.

Although structurally, the Mechanical Court was not a higher authority of the military camp and had no direct subordination relationship with it.

But for the armored camp within the military... especially for Mechanic Camp, the Mechanical Court was absolutely the superior path for promotion and advancement.

Moreover, selections made by outside inspections typically carried more authoritative and fair outcomes, and the big bosses above were more willing to trust their opinions. Therefore, for the official selection of Mech Pilots, their judgment often played a decisive role.

The key was to seize the opportunity!

"Starting today, you will officially have access to our Titan-class armored mechas, and... your performance today will determine whether you can become a real Mech Pilot."

Previously, the threats made during training were merely verbal. In reality, as long as one didn't perform too poorly, chances of being dismissed from Mechanic Camp during simulator training were slim.

The simulator was to lay the foundation for everyone. The real performance mattered when it came to actual Mecha operation.

If it weren't for the loss of most of the Titan-class armored mechas in the armored camp during the last sortie against the Bug Race, and the fact that the Armament Department was urgently manufacturing replacements, they should have been exposed to the actual mechas even earlier.

Hearing that today was the day for results, the expressions of the long-time training Mech Pilot candidates suddenly became tense.

Fearing that the anxiety would cause these kids under his charge to underperform, the instructor hesitated for a moment, but still spoke reassuringly, "Of course, you don't need to be too nervous, today's results don't define your future. Even if you don't become an official pilot today, as long as your future training scores are excellent, you can still become an official Mech Pilot."

The allocation of Pilots in the armored camp was not a fixed number with an elimination system; a benchmark was set, and as long as one could meet the requirements, one could become an official Mech Pilot.

But time waits for no one...

Bai E glanced at his mission countdown — 15 hours 57 minutes 48 seconds.

The final day was upon him...

The mission that had been triggered during his first arrival at Mechanic Camp — the time limit for the official Mech Pilot task — had only this one day left.