After asking around, Xiao eventually made it to the mess hall of the North Star Military Pilot Academy. The academy was massive due to its purpose of training pilots for combat. Xiao wasn’t sure about the politics between the various nations but she knew that, whether during peace or war, all the nations would be pouring plenty of resources into pilot training. According to Vesna, Puhi was one of the few exceptions. Unlike the other pilots who were training for actual combat, she was given resources to follow the footsteps of her predecessors in the tournament scene. There were rumors about generous donations given to the academy which opened doors for Puhi but Vesna couldn’t confirm those rumors.

I wish Puhi is here already. It’s rather awkward to be stared at by everyone here.

Xiao wasn’t too keen on standing out in front of everyone. She was wearing civilian clothing while everyone else wore military uniforms. Standing out like a sore thumb, she wished she could just shrink and hide somewhere. While visitors weren’t exactly barred from the facility, they were extremely rare. A few of the bold students approached her, asking if she was lost. Xiao replied that she was waiting for someone but those students didn’t believe her. The stares then changed focus as soon as Puhi entered the mess hall.

That’s interesting! Puhi has to deal with this much attention everyday? I cannot imagine myself in the same situation.

The young woman used the opportunity to study the people in the mess hall. There were a few staring at Puhi with admiration but most exhibited hostility towards her squadmate. Puhi seemed unaffected by this and simply walked over to Xiao.

“Sorry to keep you waiting! I will get you a card to access the training facilities here. After that, we can get to work on improving ourselves.”

The duo then did exactly as Puhi said. They went to the front office where Xiao filled out twenty pages of documents and went through a complete criminal check. Due to the close relationship between the academy and the actual military, she needed certain clearances which saw her going through countless interviews and screenings. By the end of the day, the young woman was exhausted.

To think I didn’t complete anything either. I still have to wait for my application to be processed. I honestly prefer job interviews over this.

Puhi then led her back to the mess hall where they ate a free meal. The food, while not at the same level as the seaside restaurant, was still pretty good for Xiao. The thought of eating this food while she trained made the application process slightly more tolerable.

“I know the process is filled with lots of red tape but it will be worth it,” said Puhi.

The young woman then spoke about the gym which was filled with plenty of equipment needed to build muscle throughout one’s body. At the mention of that, Xiao took a quick look and was surprised that she missed the muscles on Puhi’s arm. Puhi, having caught Xiao look, explained that a strong body was mandatory for any pilot hoping to go far. As one began piloting mechs of any weight class at a high level, the physical demand of the pilot would also increase. There had been plenty of stories about pilots knocked unconscious in tournament qualifiers due to the combat taking an incredible toll on their body. Unlike their mechs, the human body had more limitations and could only take so much beating.

“You don’t need to worry,” said Puhi. “I will have the instructor come up with the proper exercise and diet for you. After that, you’ll catch up to me in no time.”

“This will hurt a lot, right?”

“I recall I was in so much pain in the first few months of my training. All my muscles ached, making even sleep difficult.” Puhi then showcased her upper limb. “Once you develop them, you won’t regret it!”

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What Xiao didn’t want to reveal was that she hated the gym. While attending school, anything that needed moderate physical activities would be low on her priorities. If she could avoid it, she would. She never found the appeal of pushing one’s body so far when she would rather work on her studies which was paying off as she learned how to be a better pilot. Yet, she couldn’t disagree with Puhi’s explanation of pilots needing a physical body capable of handling any situation. The best example was the existence of punching mechs. Those mechs were built for speed and power and, if they landed a clean hit, a mech could topple. A mech’s armor might be able to withstand the hits but the pilot inside wouldn’t be so fortunate, similar to how blunt weapons didn’t need to get through the armor to harm the wearer.

“I won’t let you down,” said Xiao once she made up her mind.

Having decided that she would make full use of all the resources provided to her, she couldn’t exactly be complacent and wasteful. Her goal was the top mech league where only the best mech pilots could compete in. To achieve that dream, she needed to work as hard, if not harder, than other pilots. When a rare opportunity like academy resources became available, she had to take full advantage.

“How will this work out?” asked Xiao. “I’m an outcast so all the resources come from your end. I don’t know if that actually benefits you.”

“In truth, you aren’t taking away my resources. This academy distributes its resources in a unique method.”

Puhi brought out her tablet and went to the academy site. She then presented a table that showed the information of all of the academy's students. In one of the columns, there was a pilot rank rating that while another column showed how much resources a pilot acquired. Puhi explained that the pilot rank rating was determined by one’s performance in one versus one matches. Wins increased the rating while losses decreased the rating. The amount increased or decreased scaled with the difference in the rating of the two pilots. Therefore, a pilot gained more rating by defeating a stronger foe while fighting a foe of similar rating would only change one’s rating slightly.

“So I should fight the strongest foe for my first match to gauge my overall strength?” asked Xiao.

Xiao’s suggestion didn’t arise from her ego as it made the most sense strategically. If she lost, she lost little due to her rating being much lower. Conversely, she could gain a lot if she won. In addition, it was valuable information to know what rating she fit in so she didn't waste time fighting weak foes and could avoid the stronger ones that would only lower her rating. She explained this to Puhi who nodded her head.

“That’s a sound strategy! I’ll make sure to get you a good opponent for your first match. It’s a good learning experience!”

Puhi then scrolled through her tablet. When Xiao peeked over her squadmate’s shoulder, she saw a long list of photos, names and numbers.

I didn’t expect her to actually be searching for an opponent right now. My application is still processing so I cannot even challenge anyone. I don’t even know how to make a challenge either.

Once it got late, Xiao found herself sharing a room with Puhi who promised that this was only temporary. As soon as Xiao’s application was completed, she would be assigned a room, preferably one close to Puhi’s. Then, they could figure out the rest to get Xiao settled in as soon as possible.

“Is there a match decided for us yet?” asked Xiao after her shower. “We still both have a long way to go before we meet the prerequisite of relegation matches.”

“Still too soon! Our squad application was sent in yesterday so they need to assess what matches we can participate in. The squad rating is different from a pilot rating.”

“This is what I don’t get, Puhi. Why did you select me? In terms of background, backing and resources, you have an overwhelming advantage compared to most pilots. Why did you select an outcast like me? What do you gain from it?”

“Because you defeated me.” Puhi paused for a moment to stare at Xiao. “I want someone I can respect and someone who possesses skills. You meet both of those. You defeated me in a one versus one which not many pilots can boast about. To defeat me, you must have skills. I don’t buy the idea that you simply relied on luck alone.”

“But I did get lucky,” said Xiao.

“Do you know how many outcasts achieve a 4-0-0 record?”

Xiao shook her head because she never thought the record was impressive. There were so many pilots who could achieve it so she assumed that a few outcasts had probably done it too.

“In the history of mech fighting, there have been no outcasts with a 4-0-0 record. You’re the first!”