For example, the Sea Swallow that Duge used during the assessment was characterized by its agility, and in pursuit of not impairing its nimbleness, it sacrificed defense by being equipped only with a broadsword and a single autocannon that carried standard ammunition;

Thus, the Sea Swallow belonged to the thin-armored mecha category, and even the cockpit could be easily penetrated by bullets if aimed at the crevices;

Although it was an entry-level mecha, it was not easy to use well, so its selling price was only one thousand.

The Falcon, one level above the Sea Swallow, also featured agility, but was fully one-third heavier than the Sea Swallow and was equipped with not just a broadsword and autocannon, but also a light cannon with three rounds of ammunition;

Even though it was also a thin-armored mecha, its defenses and weaponry were both a grade higher than the Sea Swallow's, and it was simply impossible for the latter to penetrate the Falcon's cockpit with a single bullet, hence, the Falcon's price tag soared to three thousand;

Above the Falcon was the Thunderbird, which sacrificed mobility for further enhanced defense and weaponry, with a price as high as six thousand;

Of course.

There were also higher-level mechas in the store, like the well-balanced Edge in terms of offense, defense, and weaponry, but its price was as high as ten thousand, far beyond Duge's financial reach.

Whether on the simulation field or the Alien Battlefield, Duge had never struggled with money.

But this time, because of the keyword "low-key", he forcibly gave away the chance to earn money to Feng Chen, even without asking for Feng Chen's planning fee, resulting in a tight budget, unable to afford a quality mecha.

That being said, waiting for Feng Chen's video to go viral and then sharing the profits, who knows how many days that would take---the return was too slow, and Duge simply couldn't wait.

Sigh!

Duge sighed softly and eventually chose the Sea Swallow.

His finances were enough to purchase the Thunderbird.

But to Duge, spending an extra five thousand just for a bit more weaponry and defense was not worth it at all.

In his eyes, there wasn't much difference between the Sea Swallow and the Thunderbird, but using the Sea Swallow to pass the middle-level module's assessment should be far more effective than using the Thunderbird, just like Takumi Fujiwara defeating many sports cars with his AE86.

The strong contrast would let his reputation accumulate rapidly.

He had taken down Jian Weiliang three times with a single slash and two shots, feeling he had not yet fully released the power of the Sea Swallow.

...

Qu Yaqi.

A second-year student of Mech Combat Department at Linhai University, holding the title of intermediate mecha pilot; due to family circumstances, she was keen on being an examiner for the mecha intermediate modules.

She had taken to the role of examiner as a stable and easy job, so even though she had the capability of an advanced mecha pilot, she had never ventured into the advanced modules for training, continuing to bear the title of intermediate mecha pilot, she fished for extra Netcoins every day in the exam rooms.

Because she would earn double the Netcoins for eliminating a student compared to letting one pass, Qu Yaqi gave her best in every battle.

The passing rate of the students under her name was the lowest, and moreover, this record had been maintained for eight months, and due to the low passing rate, she had earned the honorary title of "Demon Examiner."

...

"Sea Swallow? Expert or greenhorn?"

Upon seeing the information of the candidate that was pushed to her, Qu Yaqi hesitated for a moment and, from the three sets of mechas she had saved up, chose the most expensive---the Edge---and after assembling it, entered the examination field.

Those daring to take an intermediate mecha pilot's assessment with the Sea Swallow were either complete novices just there to experience life or super-experts from the school who wanted to advance quickly---they scorned wasting money on ordinary mechas and would often pick the cheapest one to quickly clear the stage.

Most of the people who passed under Qu Yaqi were such experts, so she wouldn't take her opponent lightly just because they were using a Sea Swallow, instead, she became even more cautious.

Letting the opponent pass was a minor issue.

At worst, she would earn a bit less, but if she wasn't careful and the opponent damaged her mecha, she might have wasted her whole day's effort.

However, when Qu Yaqi saw the candidate standing laxly on the battlefield, her anxiety instantly returned to normal.

Experts, tempered through numerous battles, all had basic requirements for stance and movements; on the battlefield, a mecha would always maintain the best combat posture and choose the most suitable terrain for battle. For thin-armored types like the Sea Swallow, starting from a hidden position was common...

Who would stand out so carelessly in the open and make themselves an easy target? One look and it was clear they had no systematic training---they were nothing but a greenhorn here to throw away their money...