Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

However, something strange happened.

Despite the Bauhinia Republic's thorough preparations, the Thunder Dragon Empire's five-member team tournament failed to showcase much hidden strength.

Catherine's familiar old rival didn't show up. Without a Legendary Mechanic leading the team, the small group was like slightly resistant rats before Catherine's spearheaded Bauhinia Squad, scattering at the first charge.

A group of slightly stronger frontline mech pilots found it difficult to gain an advantage against a team led by a Legendary Mechanic and composed of second-line mech pilots.

As a result, Bai E practically had no room for action in the entire match, only firing two sloppy stray shots from a distance, as if trying to hit a bird. The team won easily.

Even after victory, Catherine still looked puzzled as she left the field.

The biggest question was...

"Where's Remington?"

As Thunder Dragon Empire's strongest mech pilot, he had always been her greatest adversary when facing the empire.

His age was not an issue like her mentor's, who had long exceeded the maximum competition age. In matters of national importance, if necessary, someone like him would have no excuses not to participate.

So, where did he go?

After that peculiar victory, she felt no joy in her triumph.

All she felt was perplexed by the haze surrounding the situation.

Conversely, the unsuspecting Bauhinia Republic audience was thoroughly elated after witnessing the victory of the first battle.

"We won!"

"We really won!"

"It's just Thunder Dragon Empire! Let's see if they dare to act so arrogant in front of us again!"

Yet, this exhilarating mood didn't last long online. Soon, everyone was dumbfounded by the progression of the upcoming matches.

"The next opponent is… Blood Cry Empire."

The unexpected matchup almost reignited the fervor of Bauhinia's citizens.

"What's going on? Can we even catch a break?"

"First we face Thunder Dragon, now it's Blood Cry. Are we going to fight Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance next?"

"Corruption! There's definitely corruption! This arrangement is completely designed to stop us from advancing!"

"Calm down, everyone! It's just Blood Cry. We've already beaten Thunder Dragon, so what can Blood Cry do?"

"What do you know? Do you think a win against Thunder Dragon can be repeated?"

It was a well-known fact among the informed that both Thunder Dragon and Blood Cry had Legendary Mechanic pilots.

In the recent victory over Thunder Dragon Empire, it was clear their Legendary Mechanic hadn't participated for unknown reasons.

If such luck wouldn't hold for the match against Blood Cry Empire, no one could predict the outcome.

Meanwhile, in a brightly lit conference room, a furious middle-aged man was venting his anger without restraint.

"They said it was for the summit, sending all our pilots to you, and look what happened now. We couldn't even beat that tiny Bauhinia Republic. Look at how our citizens are cursing us now!"

"Even if Remington wasn't sent away, you might not have been Bauhinia's match. Don't forget, they still have a mysterious mech pilot who has yet to make an appearance."

"That guy called Bai E? Who knows if it's even him?"

"Besides, wasn't his name listed in that five-member team match earlier? Yet apart from Catherine's performance, we didn't see anything noteworthy from their squad either."

"None of that matters!" The furious middle-aged man dismisses the sarcastic remarks from the others in the Peak Alliance, demanding a definitive explanation.

"This defeat tarnished our nation's prestige. Someone has to present tangible compensation!"

"Alright, alright." The portly man with a constant smile intervenes, putting an end to the demand for reparations. "This Star Alliance conflict is ultimately for the sake of our entire Stellar District, but as it is being conducted under the name of our Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance, competing on the cosmic stage with those core nations, we understand Thunder Dragon Empire's slight loss of face here. Let's propose this: once we secure the District's championship and qualify as official members of the Universal Tournament, the spoils from annexing Bauhinia Republic will be prioritized for Thunder Dragon Empire's share. Additionally, the Fragment will also be yours for initial development."

Dividing a small nation like Bauhinia was merely a supplement, but the allure of being the first to develop the God fragment was overwhelmingly tantalizing.

Even as allies, each party had their own calculations.

Just like the recent consolidation of Legendary Mechanics—if Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance didn't already possess two Legendary Mechanics, plus managing to recruit another, holding an unequivocal dominant position in the alliance and investing a significant fortune in the plan, no one would have agreed to pooling their resources.

These were Legendary Mechanic pilots painstakingly nurtured with the collective strength of their empires. Just giving them away wasn't something anyone did lightly.

What if Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance didn't return them later? What if their Legendary Mechanics were coaxed into full allegiance under Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance's influence?

The only power that was truly reliable was one under one's own control.

If groundbreaking advancements were achieved while developing the God fragment, they certainly wouldn't share them fully with Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance.

In this universe, trust was nonexistent.

Nearby, another sinister-faced man expressed dissatisfaction upon hearing this. "What's this now? Thunder Dragon lent their pilots, and we didn't? That second battle against Bauhinia Republic was orchestrated by us voluntarily. To expose that mysterious mech pilot, we even dispatched our most promising warrior. If anything goes wrong during the competition, that's the potential future Legendary Mechanic at stake!"

Immediately, someone scoffs, "Oh, so you do understand that's the future, huh? Trying to cash in on future potential now? Isn't that shameless?"

"Go to hell!"

Just as the situation seemed on the verge of chaos, the ever-smiling, portly man diffused the tension promptly. "Come now~ everyone's contribution to the summit is important. We're all equally valued here. Alright, how about this: once Bauhinia is in our hands, their two Legendary Mechanics will be split among you."

"Fine!"

"It's a deal!"

The Universal Tournament was a gamble.

If they could secure enough immediate benefits, there was no desire to face off against those dominant central cosmic powers.

The most important thing in life was self-awareness, and the same applied to nations...

With the backstage interests divided, the behind-the-scenes orchestrators finally settled back into calm observation of the matches unfolding on the field.

As for whether Bauhinia, destined to face off against all powerful nations in the Stellar District, could even reach the Thousand Stars Commerce Alliance's star-filled lineup, they were deeply curious.