His Match Is an Interstellar Monster

Chapter 11: A Chance Online Encounter

What the hell is a "matchmaking pairing"?

Xiao Sa stared at Haino's emoticon face for a full three seconds, blinking slowly before it finally dawned on him—was someone actually trying to set him up on a date? A jobless drifter like him?

He casually opened the notification:

"Detected a matchmaking partner with 100% mental compatibility, recommended as the first priority. The other party has agreed to an online date. You may choose to accept, decline, or postpone."

Xiao Sa raised an eyebrow. This so-called "matchmaking" didn’t even provide basic details. It felt a lot like a telecom fraud scheme.

If he accepted, the next step might be to pay a deposit, view the other party’s photo, and then fall into a deposit freeze scam—a smooth operation.

Just as he was about to hit decline, Haino's prompt popped up on the screen:

"Don't decline just yet. According to the marriage laws of the Dawn Empire, all citizens are obligated to participate in matchmaking. A 100% match is exceedingly rare in the entire imperial database. It's recommended to accept. ^_^"

Xiao Sa was secretly surprised. This AI actually guessed that he was about to decline? It seemed a bit too "smart" for his comfort.

After a moment's hesitation, he moved his finger to the postpone option and clicked, sending the notification back to the alert bar.

Broken Peak's injured leg could no longer support him, and his subordinates helped him sit down.

Xiao Sa opened his cloak, took out the remaining B-grade inhibitors from his waist pouch, and placed them on the coffee table in front of him. "There are three left. You can buy them at market price."

Deputy Deken's eyes lit up. "Boss, with the two we secured earlier, we can stretch them to last a month, just enough time to restore the mental entity."

Having survived a near-death experience, Broken Peak’s expression softened, the sorrow and malice faded, and a small smile tugged at his lips. He shook his head at Xiao Sa. "We can't keep imposing on you, sir. We'll pay the auction price for these."

Deken, sharing his boss's sentiment, was more than happy to repay the favor. He quickly settled the payment and, in a deep voice, said, "If there’s anything else we can do for you, sir, please let us know."

Xiao Sa was a little surprised, but since he was currently broke, he wasn't about to refuse any offers.

"What I need right now is a safe place to stay, a legal identity, and a starship ticket to Central Star."

Broken Peak nodded. "All of that can be arranged. If you’re willing, you can stay at our base nearby for a few days. It’s secure, and no one will dare to disturb you."

※※※

Xiao Sa wandered alone, completely unconcerned about staying in a nest of wanted star pirates.

The pirate group's base on Zhiyang Star was located in a steel junkyard on the outskirts of the city. Their craft passed by towering piles of steel scraps and stopped in front of an abandoned construction site.

Under the moonlight, the metal scaffolding gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen, and the shadow of a massive, nearly 100 meters tall battleship could be seen, surrounded by dense steel frames.

Broken Peak led the way himself, guiding Xiao Sa into the base while explaining along the way, "We no longer have our previous stellar-class flagship. This one here is a backup."

In a newly tidied room, Xiao Sa sat on the sofa, with local specialty juice and freshly baked steak beside him, which was far better than the unpalatable liquid nutrient packs.

"You mentioned you were the vice commander of this country's Fourth Legion?" Xiao Sa remembered the blonde officer he had bitten, who seemed to be from the Third Legion.

Broken Peak sighed, a look of reminiscence in his eyes. "Yes, our star pirate group was originally composed of soldiers from the Fourth Legion. However, the former general of the legion was executed on charges of treason..."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "As the deputy, all the direct officers under me were to be purged or executed. To survive, we had no choice but to desert and become pirates."

"The day we met, we were being hunted down by General Landis of the Third Legion."

He was brief, and Xiao Sa didn't probe further, though he intuitively felt there was much left unsaid.

After a while, there was a knock on the door, and Deken brought in a new model of a lightbrain, shaped like a lightning bolt earring, with a pale golden metallic sheen, exquisitely designed. It was a perfect replacement for Xiao Sa's old, sponsored wristband.

Broken Peak hesitated, then said, "There’s some good news and some bad news about the batch of jewels to be sold on Central Star."

Xiao Sa frowned, "Just tell me directly."

Broken Peak said, "The good news is that the jewels, intended for smuggling and resale, were unsuccessful. They are still on Central Star."

"The bad news is that a special energy gemstone was discovered during customs inspection, so the entire batch was seized and handed over to the royal treasury. Even the officials involved were punished."

Xiao Sa's eyes lit up. A special energy gemstone—that had to be his Star Power Gem. It was promising to hear this so soon.

Broken Peak continued, "If you plan to go to Central Star, we can arrange a cabin on a starship for you. However, civilians are not allowed to enter the palace."

He sighed, "I advise you to give up. The palace is heavily guarded, and outsiders can't get in, let alone retrieve a treasure from the royal treasury."

Xiao Sa thought, "Even a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den, I’ll find a way to get in."

"But if you insist on going, there’s another option for now."

"Oh?" Xiao Sa toyed with the lightning earring, easily slipping it into his left ear. "What method?"

"The annual Heavenly Ascension Arena Selection Tournament," Broken Peak opened his optical brain, projecting the information for Xiao Sa to see.

"You are not from the Dawn Empire, so you might not know that the empire was founded on martial prowess. The society greatly encourages military merit and has an extreme admiration for the strong."

"The Heavenly Ascension Arena is open to everyone and is the fastest way for commoners to rise through the ranks. If you manage to win the annual top three positions, it is customary for the royal family to host a banquet and award honors in the palace."

"That will be the only opportunity for commoners to enter the palace."

"The entire tournament is broadcast live on the Stellar Network. The rewards are rich, and the attention is extremely high. The online preliminaries have been happening for the past few months. While the arena is filled with a multitude of experts, I believe that with your strength, you are more than qualified to reach the finals."

Hearing the phrase "a multitude of experts," Xiao Sa's heart, as a top-tier Alpha, beat fiercely.

Ever since he arrived in this star system, he had hardly encountered any true rivals.

Oh, except for that blonde officer who had attacked him in the middle of the night with his pet.

Thinking of this, Xiao Sa scratched his head.

Last time, in a moment of impulsiveness, he had bitten the back of the officer's neck and then made his escape. He wondered what expression the other had when he woke up. Would he send people to chase after him?

※※※

At that moment, far away on Central Star, Lantis suddenly sneezed.

"Is something wrong, Lord Lantis, is the air conditioning in the testing facility too cold?" asked the plump Duke Lot, walking alongside Lantis, his concerned eyes fixed on him.

Lantis' eyes were focused on the new battle suit on the exhibit. He replied casually, "I'm fine."

This place was the large research facility on the northern side of the imperial capital—Future Eye High-Tech City.

Earlier, after wasting two precious hours at a tedious court banquet, Lantis had finally become impatient with the third prince and Wenxi Lot’s constant pestering and was preparing to request a meeting with the emperor to resign and go home.

Wenxi's father, Duke Lot, had stepped forward to intercept him. "General, did you know that the Future Eye facility has recently developed a batch of highly advanced AI mechs?"

"These battle suits can link with the pilot’s mental power with 95% efficiency and can maximize physical strength enhancement."

The last sentence successfully caught Lantis' interest.

The Dawn Empire has always placed a high emphasis on mech research. In the past, when combat mechs were directly linked to their operators, there was an issue with conversion efficiency, which typically did not exceed 70%.

This required the mech operator to have a higher rank than the mech itself. For example, an A-class mech could only be operated by someone with AA-class or higher mental strength, and those capable of controlling S-class mechs were exceedingly rare.

If the efficiency could be raised to 95%, it would significantly enhance the legion's combat effectiveness.

Landis’s icy blue eyes met his gaze and quickly deduced the underlying implication, "Could it be that this was developed by the Lot family’s research group?"

Duke Lot smiled modestly, "If you’re interested, would you honor us by visiting the experimental area? If you are satisfied, perhaps we could consider prioritizing the Third Legion for a batch."

At the Future Eye Research Base, Landis and Duke Lot's group stepped into the new AI mech testing ground. The central intelligent terminal lit up with a massive holographic projection, displaying the sleek exterior curves and various powerful performance parameters of the new mech.

"Vinci, didn’t you mention you planned to participate in the Heavenly Ascension Arena this year?"

Duke Lot patted his younger son on the head and gave him a knowing look, smiling. "I’ve already arranged a special testing privilege for you. You can use this new mech to practice in the arena."

"And perhaps demonstrate the strength of the new mech to General Landis."

Vinci immediately perked up. Given his physical condition, his combat strength was negligible. However, he had a rare AA-class mental strength. The new mech perfectly compensated for his lack of physical strength and amplified the power of his AA-class mental strength, making it seem tailor-made for him.

Landis watched as Vinci eagerly approached the dark red mech in the training ground but remained silent.

Conventional mech operators were typically soldiers with formidable physical strength.

Admittedly, as Duke Lot mentioned, if a physically weak young man like Vinci, who had not undergone long-term training, could use the new mech to dominate the arena, it would indeed further prove the strength of the new mech.

Duke Lot summoned the research base’s director, pulled him aside to avoid Landis, and whispered a few words in his ear. The director, after glancing at the duke’s son in the cockpit, nodded in understanding and left to execute his orders.

Duke Lot discreetly glanced at the handsome and imposing General Landis, secretly sighing. For the sake of his youngest son’s marriage alliance, he had brought out his family’s latest research, a priceless achievement. He had truly gone to great lengths.

※※※

At the Broken Peak pirate group base, a planet-shaped ceiling light illuminated the room, where Xiao Sa was fiddling with the networked equipment. With his new identity, Xiao Sa quickly registered an account on the Heavenly Ascension Arena: Alpha.

A semicircular projection screen floated before him as he sat lazily in the leather single sofa inside the isolated virtual pod, one hand propping up his cheek.

Two circular neural sensor patches were stuck to his temples, silently waiting for the system to verify his mental strength level. However, the verification process seemed to be taking an unusually long time.

After a full ten minutes, a faint, invisible bioelectric current flowed rapidly and finally converged on the projection screen, forming a gilded S-grade mark.

It seemed his previous C-grade result was due to weakness from solar radiation.

Xiao Sa's dark eyes reflected the faint golden light from the screen as he raised an eyebrow and lightly touched the lightning-shaped optical brain by his left ear. A tall man in a black coat, Haino, instantly appeared beside him.

Haino straightened his collar, smiled, and bowed, "Good evening, dear young master."

"Look at this! You finally upgraded from that outdated equipment, so now I can stand and speak."

Xiao Sa glanced at him with a helpless look. "Do you always talk this much on every terminal? And, I suggest you call me by my name."

"Alright, Xiao Sa," Uncle Haino patted his shoulder, ignored the previous comment, and pointed at the S-grade mark on the screen. "It seems the data from your hospital test was incorrect. Would you like to update your personal level information? Of course, if you prefer to keep it hidden, I can keep it confidential."

Xiao Sa nodded. "Hide it."

The AI is surprisingly human-like, he thought.

With a capital C grade, Xiao Sa completed the final verification, shaping himself into his favorite virtual idol from his rebellious teenage years—the Dark Knight—and officially entered the virtual holographic world.

In the hall, numerous categories marked by 'archways' stood, including military, science education, emotions, games, films, social news, and more.

Countless live broadcast screens floated in the air, streaming like water, with the most popular being the Heavenly Ascension Arena, marked by a sword and shield. Its viewership nearly equaled the sum of all other categories.

A sweet voice resonated in his ear, "Welcome to the Heavenly Ascension Arena. As a first-time user with no historical scores, you may choose to participate in a beginner’s random match."

Xiao Sa looked at the two doors beside him, labeled "Open Tryouts" and "Ranked Ladder Challenge," but they were locked, leaving him to enter the only accessible room for beginners.

For fairness, the beginner room matched opponents with scores below 100, and newer registrants were more likely to be placed in the same room.

"This room is a free-for-all room, with no restrictions on mechs. You may freely choose a mech compatible with your level, or you may co-operate in battle with your mental entity."

Xiao Sa skimmed through the beginner room rules and, lacking a mental entity, randomly selected a plain black combat mech.

Unfortunately, Xiao Sa, being a complete newbie, only remembered upon entering the mech cockpit that the mech operating system in this star region was completely different from the one on his home planet. Moreover, he was only partially familiar with the control button labels.

Xiao Sa ignored his opponent in the room—an extremely stylish, dark red AI battle mech, a three-meter-tall single-pilot micro model.

He tried to operate it for a bit, and the mech immediately began performing sit-ups on the spot.

Inside the red mech, Vinci, who was carefully observing his opponent, nearly burst out laughing at the scene.

I’m so lucky to face a rookie in my first battle!

At the research base's testing ground, watching the live broadcast projection, Duke Lot chuckled to Landis, “Vinci is lucky; he’s up against a newbie who can’t operate a mech.”

Landis stared calmly at the screen, “Too bad, this test loses its meaning like this.”

Are you the only one who takes the mech strength test seriously? Duke Lot shook his head helplessly.

“Hey, are you even capable? You can’t even stand up properly.” Vinci said impatiently.

Different systems aren’t compatible; this is bad…

Xiao Sa clicked his tongue, rubbed his nose awkwardly, and decided he needed to find a mech academy to relearn everything.

“Forget it, I don’t need to use this thing.”

Xiao Sa abandoned the mech and climbed out of the cockpit—after all, as a top-tier Alpha, even without a mech, he could still fight using his own abilities.

To everyone’s astonishment, a figure clad in knight armor, draped in a black cloak, and wearing a mask, boldly faced Vinci’s new mech with just his bare body.

“Holy crap! A weirdo showed up in the newbie room! Come and see—”

“Fighting a mech with just his body, is he insane or am I?”

“Ah, is he planning to concede?”

Some passersby, stumbling upon this live room, started to gather and watch, causing the viewer count to surge.

“Xiao Sa, wait, something’s off about that mech’s data.”

Haino’s voice suddenly echoed in Xiao Sa’s ears. He blinked and asked, “What do you mean? Is the opponent cheating? How did you figure that out?”

Haino said confidently, "Every place with a network port is my eyes and ears."

Xiao Sa thought, "He always felt this AI was unique."

"Not yet," he replied, behind the silver-gray knight mask, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his opponent—

An opponent who cheated even in the beginner’s room, treating a mere three-meter-tall mech like a turtle shell. Real combat wasn’t just about the mech’s size.

He slowly rotated his right wrist, lifted his chin, and gave a nonchalant smile. "The perfect time to test its capabilities."